In this pilot episode of Lawful Evil, DM Jaime Colon-Velez and friends bring to you the sweet, spicy, and all-around delicious campaign, Dragon Stew. The cast introduces their characters, Vidar, a Kalashtar barbarian, Martin, a Thri-Kreen ranger, Fata Matta, a Fairy bard, and Gwen, a Hexblood witch monk.
Catch new Lawful Evil episodes every Monday, and follow us on Instagram at @LawfulEvilPodcast and Twitter @LawfulEvilPod.
Special thanks to Antonio Demico for creating Dragon Stew and Hexbound, two DND 5e home brew systems that we heavily utilize in this campaign. Go check out his amazing work!
Our episode features the following music, and we thank and appreciate the artists for sharing their work:
In this pilot episode of Lawful Evil, DM Jaime Colon-Velez and friends bring to you the sweet, spicy, and all-around delicious campaign, Dragon Stew. The cast introduces their characters, Vidar, a Kalashtar barbarian, Martin, a Thri-Kreen ranger, Fata Matta, a Fairy bard, and Gwen, a Hexblood witch monk.
Catch new Lawful Evil episodes every Monday, and follow us on Instagram at @LawfulEvilPodcast and Twitter @LawfulEvilPod.
Special thanks to Antonio Demico for creating Dragon Stew and Hexbound, two DND 5e home brew systems that we heavily utilize in this campaign. Go check out his amazing work!
Our episode features the following music, and we thank and appreciate the artists for sharing their work:
The continent of Atabay is one at peace. 10 years ago, the heroes known as the Zemis seemed to come from nowhere and end the brutal conflict between the monsters and monsterous races, and the human races of human, dwarf, halfling and elves. The monsterous races were either destroyed, or placed into internment so that the human races favored of Atabay, may survive in peace. This is not a story of those races, however. This is a story of outcasts, and those repulsed by society. This is a story of monsters. The victors write the history and the victors of Atabay, write the labels of who is monster, and who is not. This is a story of the monsters who would reject the labels of society, and instead, write a history of equality and peace for all, not just the chosen few. In a world where combat has been eliminated and peace reigns, heroes and villains like settle disputes not on the battlefield. But in the kitchen. In honor of Atabay the act of creation in the kitchen is the ultimate symbol of honor, respect, love, hate, and community. In the flames of the kitchen, all emotions flare and wills clash. We stand in the eye of the hurricane on the edge of history. Heroes or monsters, angels or demons. Who will tell the story in the end? Will the future be rewritten? Or is the present set in stone? Let's find out together and enter the world
of Lawful Evil:Dragon Stew. And yeah, welcome to our inaugural episode of Dragon Stew of Lawful Evil-- Lawful Evil is the name of the podcast, colon, Dragon Stew I guess. I am Jaime I'm going to be your DM, host, editor, general you know best friend here, main talking person, you'll hear my voice the most. And with me I have some my best good friends great people, just overall, in the world. So yeah, why don't we just go around real quick, because I'd love for you to meet them. So first, we'll just meet them and their character just real quick. Just a little Snap chat. Little elevator pitch. Annie, why don't you go
Annie:hey, everybody this is Annie. My real identity redacted so no one knows that I am on a d&d podcast and I am playing.
Jaime:Oh we're gonna put your face everywhere
Annie:No, I can't
Jaime:You're the main face actually.
Annie:We can have a mascot
Jaime:A mascot?
Annie:Yeah, we can like animate one of those uncanny valley like Instagram influencers.
Jaime:Oh, yeah.
Annie:That's not even a real person
Jaime:like the Twitch icons, ahh Okay
Annie:And that can be "me," but like no one actually has to ever see me they can just see this animated person
Jaime:That makes sense, I can see that.
Annie:Anyway, real identity redacted. And I am playing Fata Matta who is a fairy. And she... I don't know how much I want to give away in the intro, I feel like we're gonna get it
Jaime:I mean that's fine. She's just a fairy. How about class?
Annie:She's a fairy Bard. For now.
Jaime:For now.
Annie:Yeah.
Jaime:All right. I mean, that's that's good enough for me. Why don't we go next.
Annie:No spoilers.
Jaime:Yeah, no spoilers. Eric, why don't you introduce yourself?
Eric:Oh, yeah. Hey, okay. I'm Eric, I've been a friend to Jaime now for about oh, 11 years
Jaime:11 years. Yes.
Eric:And yeah, I'll also do identity redacted. I'll share the the style that Annie's got going.
Jaime:I mean, whatever you guys want to do, right? I'm proud of what we're creating. So I guess you guys aren't or whatever...[laughter]
Eric:I'm playing the character, Vidar Bjornson and he is a Kalashtar barbarian. And he's from what is now Europa. His country used to be ... I kinda forget what I even changed the name to ...Oh, Orihime okay. I came up with it with you, didn't I?
Jaime:I mean, you came up with like four different names.
Eric:I'll find it, he's from somewhere, he's from a place
Jaime:Yeah. The frozen north, the frozen north.
Eric:Yeah, he's from some weird northern country, but he's a bear barbarian and as a Kalashtar, he connects to like these quori spirits and His Spirit that He connects to is a bear spirit named Ursa. And then with that, with him being a bear totem, bear, barbarian he kind of uses that spiritual energy to kind of tap into his barbarian strength and He loves to fight, loves to party. And so those are kind of his two things. He's just already big, party animal. Yeah.
Jaime:I love it.
Eric:And that's Vidar
Jaime:Alright Donald, why don't you go ahead?
Donald:Oh, yeah, well, I'm Donald. I'm here playing I guess the resident wizard. A hex blood wizard named Gwen, specializing in divination magic.
Jaime:Beautiful. Okay, last but certainly not least, Amanda.
Amanda:Oh, yeah. Hi, I'm Amanda. And I've known Jaime for 12 years, Eric... Actually, no,
Jaime:Yeah, that's a lie...[laughter]
Amanda:Probably like, what three years?
Jaime:I guess three years? Yeah, sure. It sounds right. Yeah.
Amanda:Give or take. But I'm playing a Thri-Kreen.
Jaime:Yeah. Thri-Kreen
Amanda:I'm a bug.
Jaime:Literally hot off the presses, published by by an Unearthered Arcana yesterday, we had this whole plan to play like a plant person. instead. I was a completely different character. But then we saw the bug. And we're like, this is too good.
Annie:It came to her in a dream.
Jaime:Yeah, literally came to her. She literally woke up this morning and was like, I saw--Oh, no, it was from a nap yesterday--and was like,
Amanda:Yeah, it was a good nap
Jaime:I saw myself playing a bug chef. And it was too good to pass up. So that's what we did
Amanda:So late in the wee hours of the morning we crafted Martin. He's a French bug. And you know he's kind of mysterious like not a ton is in like revealed about him so far. Like, Martin insists that he's been through it all. He's seen it all. You know, whenever they say that, you know, roaches and peeps will survive the apocalypse. Like he's seen a lot. He's seen a lot of stuff. So, can we swear on this podcast?
Jaime:Yeah, absolutely
Amanda:Yeah. All right. Perfect. He's seen a lot of shit.
Jaime:Yeah shiiitt We can keep the... we don't have to go too overboard with the cursing. But you know. You need a curse sometimes for dramatic effects.
Amanda:Yeah. But I said stuff. And it felt wrong. So I just wanted to clarify
Jaime:That's what I'm saying, like stuff feels just wrong.
Amanda:Yeah. But that's pretty much all that's kind of, you know, been revealed about him thus far. But he's a ranger.
Jaime:Awesome. Cool. Cool. So yeah, so let's just I just want to talk a little about.... before we ....so this first episode is going to be kind of a introductory session zero slash point five in which you just get like a little intro to each of these characters for classing them together and starting them on their big humongous journey. But I just wanted to sort of the outset, sort of talk about the scope of this campaign for all of us, all of you listeners out there telling you, you know, sort of what you're getting into. And what you're getting into is a campaign that is less focused on combat, per se, and more, you know, it's more rp, but actually, in particular, the combat in many places is going to be replaced with cooking, cooking, as I said, in the intro, sort of message. And to that regard, we are using a system crafted by Dragon Stew, which was a Kickstarter that I backed, an amazing Kickstarter, which I love and have used constantly. And in I think every campaign since it came out, the creator [Antonio Demico] is fantastic. And so we're using the cooking classes that were established in there, everyone has one. And in addition, like I said, many places where you'd typically would think that there'd be a combat scenario, it's going to be replaced by cooking. Now, that's not to say there's not going to be combat. I mean, d&d is a combat game. So there's going to be combat there's going to be, you know, discord, there's going to be a chance for these characters, obviously, to use their abilities. You know, Eric's playing a barbarian. I wouldn't just make it so there's no fighting. And then so he's just a big, you know, he feels useless, especially with all those juicy, juicy hit points and resistances that he's stacked on top of one another to make life a living hell for me. Yeah. So there's gonna be combat for sure. But I do think that we have an emphasis on story and on character and on role playing. And yeah, on cooking as well. So I don't like to give percentages because it feels weird to give it like a percentage. But I would say it's probably going to be like 55%, roleplay 15% cooking, and 30% combat. That's math, right?
Annie:Mhmm that is math.
Jaime:I'm terrible. I'm terrible at math
Eric:That is math.
Jaime:Okay, that's the math, though. Okay, cool. So that's probably how it's gonna shake up. But that's sort of like the the, the concept, the general concept of the campaign, just again, to give people sort of a view of what we're looking into, is going to be a more sort of Sandboxie campaign after these intro kind of things. We're going to have these characters, the world is laid out for these characters. It's a continent that I've created, it's all homebrew, although sometimes pulling from individual adventures from the official source book materials, and so it's this continent called Atabay, which has been sort of split into distinct sectors. And what it's going to be is that these characters are going to be going out into the world and you know, I don't have specific....even though they are like the heroes, quote, unquote, I don't have specific, you know, quest lines or a, you know, a typical arc / story that they have to follow the world is theirs, they have an overall goal. And they will be sort of wandering the countryside or the waters and or the mountains or the deserts trying to accomplish this overall goal. And so it's going to be a lot more sort of Sandboxie with random encounters and little stores so that there's a chance to sort of get into this sort of weeds of it with the people that sort of live on this continent, I wanted to make it feel very alive and lived in as opposed to just sort of like catapulting us from place A to place B. And that's sort of just a, that's, that's very generally how this is going to work. You know, for this intro section, it's going to be just, it's, like I said, just introducing the characters. But after that, we are going to be getting into it, just you know, hot and heavy starting next episode, you know, we're getting the ball rolling, and I just want to keep that ball rolling for forever and ever well, not forever. Every story needs an end, we'll have an end.
Amanda:until the end of the universe.
Jaime:Well, no, Every story needs an end.
Eric:Forever and ever lawful evil all the time.
Amanda:Infinity and beyond
Jaime:So yeah, so Oh, I should mention that the reason we chose Lawful Evil as the name is that two of us in this group are lawyers. And so we thought it was funny with lawful and then evil playing on the idea that you know, these characters are definitely going to be seen as like, evil monsterous things because again, none of them are playing humans that was sort of a point of it, or like any of the quote unquote, Atabay's chosen races, because the society at large is going to view them as monsters or evil, but what we're playing with is that idea of what is evil? What is it to be? Who is the real monster here? Is it like these people trying to live their lives? Or is it the people keeping them in literally internment camps? So that's sort of the themes and sort of a general sort of guideline about where we're going to go and where we're going. I'm sure you know, I'm doing this all wrong and but you know, we're here to have fun and let's just have some fun right guys?
Lawful Evil Podcast:Hell yeah! Yeah! Woo!
Jaime:So yeah, with that, let's just hop right into it. Where I would love to begin is in the circus tent of Fata Matta. Fata Matta you're part of a traveling circus in your you know... why don't you describe sort of Fata Matta sort of place in the circus?
Annie:In character or out of character?
Jaime:I mean, no one's asking you this in character, so...
Annie:right, I just like can't wait to whip out the character voice.
Jaime:Of course, of course. But we'll get there literally in two second.
Annie:we'll get there we'll get there again, no spoilers. But so Fata Matta is a fairy and she's part of this traveling circus of is it all fairies? or is there other people?
Jaime:No, there's other people, it's a general Fae wild system
Annie:Yeah, so it's like a Fae wild circus and you know, we travel around and so like, fairies are are they considered a full monstrous race? Or is it like ... Anything that's not one of the five races I said are monsterous races but so fairies are like little elves. Right? So like I I kind of have her imagined slash the fairies imagined as definitely in the monsterous race category, but like somewhat more of like a like a model minority kind of vibe.
Jaime:Yeah, like passing kind of thing Yeah.
Annie:Where like, because they're closer to elves than say I don't know... a dragon born or something
Jaime:or half orc
Annie:that they are allowed to be, they're allowed a little bit more autonomy and they're allowed to be a little bit more like in the mix, but they're still treated definitely in a subservient way so like we are, I am, there for the human races' entertainment.
Jaime:Well, this carnival doesn't come to the material plane.
Annie:Oh, ok
Jaime:I should mention that this carnival is exclusively for the entertainment of the Fae wilds and others mainly because of what Atabay, these like"chosen of Atabay" have done. So they avoid coming to material plane because of this they like we're not going to go to a place that you know doesn't appreciate us is going to call us monsters is going to try and lock us up. So they don't come to the material plane at all really.
Annie:So in that case, Fata Matta is you know, she's just like born and bred an entertainer. I think she's kind of a little ditzy or like a little too silly for people to take her seriously. So like other fairies get to be fairy godmothers, as we all know from all mythology, but you know to be a fairy godmother, you have to be talented and competent. Which Fata Matta is definitely talented but people don't really take her seriously. And she never like, really, it's not something she feels disappointed that she never became a fairy godmother. She loves being an entertainer. So she at the circus, she has an act where she cooks delicious food in an entertaining way. And then she, she does like acrobatics and juggling with the food as she's cooking. And once she's done, she does you know her grand finale of acrobatics. She's on one of those, like ropes hanging from the ceiling. She's hanging just by her legs, and she is juggling her finished product. And then she uses a little bit of fairy magic to boop the food that she made into different patrons' mouths. And then it's like the greatest thing that they've ever eaten. So it's like a dinner theater
Jaime:Gotcha.
Annie:That's the ... and her act brings the dinner part.
Jaime:Okay. Cool.
Annie:Yeah. She's aware of all food intolerances and preferences.
Jaime:Okay, gotcha. You sign like a waiver beforehand?
Annie:Well, I think she knows who in the audience has different allergies and avoids cross contamination, magically
Jaime:Wow. So, so amazing. So food safe. Alright, great. So that's Fata Matta. And so where we're picking up in Fata Matta's life is you've just finished on amazing performance as usual, standing ovation. Everyone loves Fata Matta. The amazing cooking show. Is there a name for the cooking show? In particular, you know, there's like stalls and stands and they have like cool names sometimes.
Annie:Okay. Yes. Okay. Instead of bippity boppity boo, as a fairy godmother would do, her act is called the GABA GABA GOOL.
Lawful Evil Podcast:[laughter]
Jaime:Amazing, okay. That's amazing. That's amazing. Okay, great. So you have the gaba gabagool has just finished performing and one of the two owners of this carnival, one of the two main owners, Mr. Light, he is this, this elven figure. He's always very cheerful with a big smile and always dressed very flamboyantly. Right now he's wearing this full body jumpsuit that is silver and red. A typical like jesters red and silver hat. And, you know, typically, like I said he he always wears a smile. He's always happy and joyful. But he looks a little sad right now. He's pulling out, he has like clown makeup. And he has like sad clown going on right now. And he comes into your tent, and he says like, Fata Matta. You have a visitor. You expecting someone?
Annie:Why you look so sad?
Jaime:I just ummm
Annie:my baby do you need.... I make you the meatball. Will it make you feel better if I give you a little meatball? I think I have a one leftover from the show.
Jaime:You know how much I love your meatball, but I need .... you should really talk to this visitor. She's right over here. Come in and right over here. And he pulls the tent open a little bit. And what you see there is this very regal looking fairy. She's dressed in this elaborate purple dress she's flying her wings are large and beautiful and she has this golden crown on her head with these leaf designs and everything, I mean, she's looks amazing. And she doesn't even look at Mr. Light and just like sort of like waves them off like I'm done with you now and he like bows gives a smile and then turns away but you see the moment he turned to where he like has like a worried expression on his face.
Annie:Does Fata Matta recognize this fairy?
Jaime:Absolutely.
Annie:Okay. Well, I will say she is taken aback by seeing this fairy but also her like primary concern is about her friend Mr. Light.
Jaime:Yeah.
Annie:And so she's watching him exit and looking worried.
Jaime:Yeah. And yeah, you recognize this fairy because she is the she's the queen of fairies. She is the the head fairy godmother, the queen of fairies. You don't know her name. Her name is actually supposedly lost to time but it's she really just keeps it secret because apparently she she's worried that if people knew her name that they would give them some sort of power against her sort of in the typical Feywild scenario where you know, names get stolen and taken and your entire identity gets stolen. So people simply call her the queen. And you know what you're talking about when you're in the Fae Wilds about the Queen, especially when you see this woman.
Annie:I would say also Fatah MATA is like that's her name. That's what she goes by. Yeah. But it it means just like crazy, silly jokey fairy. in Italian. So it's like a it's a it's her name. It's her identity for all intents and purposes but it wasn't her like given name.
Jaime:Birth name, yeah yeah.
Annie:Because she also, you know has that same caution
Jaime:I gotcha. Okay. I feel like many typical fairy, Fey wilds denizens will have.
Annie:Yeah
Jaime:So she comes in and she says Fata Matta tis good to see you. Are you Well?
Annie:I, I uh was well ... I'm always a very well, but I am very concerned why you come to see Fata Matta Ms. Queen. You're too You're too fancy to see Fata Matta! Are you here for the show? Should I make more meatball?
Jaime:No, I'm not here for the show... She like looks around sort of disgusted at sort of just the general surroundings that she finds herself in, she's like I'm not here for the .... show. No, I'm here for ugh you, Fata Matta. You weren't my first choice. Nor, my second choice, or third choice. Or fifth choice or 10th choice. Or 20th choice really. I'd put you in a square like 46th choice.
Annie:You see Fata Matta at this like kind of shrinking like she's a very big personality but like this is making her feel bad.
Jaime:Yeah. Which is what she's trying to do. She says unfortunately, all of our other fairy godparent operatives in the Fae wilds and in the material plane have either been taken into internment or killed outright, so you're about all I have left Fata Matta and this mission I have for you is a doozy. I'm sure you're not doing anything is important here that you can't go on a mission for your queen, Correct?
Annie:I mean is a... I think it's very important, bring a smiles to all the people who come to see the circus. Have you seen the circus? It'll make you so happy and make you smile so much.
Jaime:I don't smile.
Annie:This is very important.
Jaime:No
Annie:Maybe if you smile more you would not be so... you would not be so mean to me right now. You're being a little mean.
Jaime:Mean to you? I'm being the kindest I can possibly be in light of the scenario.
Annie:Okay. What? Why you come to see Fata Matta?
Jaime:I don't feel like you're taking this very seriously.
Annie:Why you come to see Fata Matta Ms Queen?
Jaime:Very serious matter.
Annie:Okay, I be serious. Yes, yes, serious hmmm.
Jaime:So there is, she gets a serious look on her face. And she pulls out seemingly from nowhere what looks like three of these like manila envelopes. Like almost like, you know, typical when a cop gets, you know, a like, Yeah, this is our study on this guy. This is our file and this guy. It's like what those look like three manila envelopes. And she sort of just like throws them toward you like near your feet in this. They are thrown open, they like spread out and you see three pictures. And she says Fata Matta there's hope for us after all. These three are, we believe, the key to being able to take back the material plane, reach there once more and bring the planes back to peace. The way it is right now things are way out of balance, as you understand. So, we need to change that. And these three are the way to do that. And she flourishes with her hand as she does a little gust of wind picks up the three pictures so they're floating now in front of you. And what you see is what looks like a four-armed bug person about two feet tall with a bow in one hand and
Annie:Haha! Look at the silly little bug! This looks like a nice friend. Do I get to meet this bug? Is he joining the circus??
Jaime:Let me speak this is my time now actually.[whispering] okay, yes, sorry, serious And then the next picture you see is this .... Well Donald I don't think you exactly described how Gwen looks. Can you describe how Gwen looks for me Donald, real quick?
Donald:Sure, so Gwen is essentially she has ... she more or less kind of looks more human than the others so we're talking dark hair. Only things that are that stick out is she kind of has her eye color will kind of change, almost like with the seasons essentially. Because I was going for kind of like a nature kind of fey theme. But other than that like she she looks human but looks off if that make sense.
Jaime:I gotcha, yeah, that makes sense. So that exactly that was just described is the next picture that you see Fata Matta. And then the last picture is of this hulking brute of a man. Six foot nine, just muscles rippling, shirt too tight.
Eric:No shirt
Jaime:no shirt, sure. No shirt at all, holding this big glave and he actually-- but despite this, like very intimidating presence he has a big smile on his face and actually you see he has the glave in one hand but in his other hand it's clear he has like a bottle of alcohol that he's like chugging down with, partying down with
Annie:that's a big boy. I feel like maybe maybe the reason you need me is because you need me to make a lot of meatballs to make this guy big and strong. He seems like he could not do just one or two he needs a lot meatballs
Jaime:Meatballs may be on the menu, I suppose, but--
Annie:okay, that's my specialty.
Jaime:Your mission here, Fata Matta is you have to help these people. You have to guide them you have to be their aid. That is the mission of all fairy godmothers.
Annie:But what what? Fairy Godmother? I am no fairy godmother, I'm no Fata MAMMA. I'm a Fata MATTA! I'm the silly circus, circo, fairy.
Jaime:That's what I'm getting to now, Fata Matta. We don't have any other fairy godmothers left. We're out. They've been taken, they've been killed. They're busy with other assignments. It's just you. Like, I said, you're about my 46th choice, but it's just you.
Annie:How they get all the fairy godmothers? They're so smart, so pretty, so much better than me at the magic, I know, this is why I'm in the circus.
Jaime:These Atabay races, these Zemis are more creative than we thought, in murder, and in internment. I thought we'd fine, I thought, like you said, they're small, they're creative, they're smart. We train them. You know, being a fairy godmother requires four years of schooling, and then typically another three years of schooling on top of that, if you want to Yeah, and you don't get any of that, unfortunately. But we kind do a specialty, that kind of stuff. And then there's usually, you apprentice, it's a long process. And of have to stretch the, the limits here, we kind of have to stretch the rules a little bit because like I said, we need you for this. And our our scholars, our divination experts have said that these three have a chance. The chance is small, it's very, very tiny, very tiny, so tiny, but it's there and it's actually a bigger chance than anybody else that we've seen. And so Fata Matta, I want to come here and dub you an official fairy godmother and assign you to these three and that you may help them on their journey and serve them meatballs or entertain them or what have you. The job of fairy godmother is not one that fits in a in a job description. It's anything and everything the party needs. It's mother, sister, daughter, entertainer, Chef, everything. It's so important Fata Matta. You understand why I'm coming, I'm not smiling, I'm coming at this serious because it's a serious job. Are you prepared to take on such a serious role Fata Matta? Because I know the answer is usually no, but we need you. I need you. This is probably the only time in life you're gonna hear the Queen say she needs you.
Annie:So at that, Fata Matta is gonna, you know, look up, her shoulders come back. She's feeling she's feeling inspired. She's feeling like, I need to do this for these people. And I like Now is my time and you know she she has never seen herself as a fairy godmother, but she's been she knows she's a very good entertainer and she's very confident in who she is and loves herself. And so she says you know, if there's anything I can do, I will be the the best the Fata Matta, I will be the best Fairy Godmother that Fata Matta can be, and I can I can do this.
Jaime:Kneel before me Fata Matta.
Annie:I do so
Jaime:And she puts out her hand and as she does this beautiful scepter appears at the center of the fairy queen. And she does like the whole knighting thing. She's like, Fata Matta. I dub thee fairy godmother and as she does do that, in your hand appears like this like beautiful wand. It doesn't look like fairly oodparents wand, like not the star at the end. It looks like you know what you think a wand looks like. It's made of this beautiful and intricate wood and this green and gold pattern that goes up and around it. And it's purely beautiful. It's a symbol of your new occupation. And she says, I'll give you some time to say your goodbyes. Gather your things. I'll be at the exit to the carnival when you're ready, and we'll head out.
Annie:I am, like kind of awestruck by the wand. And so I'm looking at it. I'm kind of playing with it. I start twirling it like a baton. And I go GABBA GABBA GOOL, and point the wand at a plant that's nearby, and a flower blossoms on it because I cast the druid craft cantrip on it
Jaime:beautiful
Annie:which I can do.
Jaime:Nice. And she just sort of like looks exasperated like oh God, another amateur. And then she walks out. And as she walks out, two figures come in. It is Mr. Witch, who is this stocky looking dark elf with a top hat. And like a tweed coat. He has a chain with which that's on his like, attached to his belt on a gold chain with which his watch is attached that he's always looking at and the Mr. Light as I described before, this friendly jester looking people and they are the two owner-operators of the witch light carnival. And they come in and Mr. Witch is sort of like he's the very he's very sullen, very gloomy. While Mr. Light is very happy. And Mr. Witch says, so, what did what did she want?
Annie:I'm a fairy godmother now. I am the I am the last the fairy who can be the hope to save the whole universe. I think I actually don't know how much of the universe but I have to I gotta do it.
Jaime:Mr. Light like says, Oh, that's wonderful. My dear. That's so good. I'm so happy for you. But does that mean you'll be leaving our our family here?
Annie:I guess but it's okay, because listen,
Jaime:and immediately Mr. Light it looks super sad.
Annie:No, no, no, Mr. Light, Mr. Light. Come here. Come give come give a Fata matta a hug.
Jaime:I do love Fata matta hugs and he comes over.
Annie:It's the best hugs. I'm only a two feet tall but I know how to how to give a very good hug
Jaime:Mr. Witch is just like, Well, you did good work here. I'll miss you.
Annie:Mr. Mr. Witch, Mr. Light. You guys. You are my family. I love you so much. I love my job here is the best the circus that ever I could ever imagined work for. You're such a nice bosses. But . . .
Jaime:we're okay.
Annie:I have to go be a fairy godmother because there are no other fairy godmothers. And I have to help others... the fairy queen, she showed me these pictures of these babies I go help. Because I am their fairy godmother. Now I go help them. They look so cute. There is a big there's one big boy, he seems very happy. But he needs a lot of meatball to keep him a big and strong and he needs to be big and strong so he could save the universe. And then there's a little he looks a little silly bug a little silly bug. He's also small like me, and he goes like boop boop, boop, I am a bug I am a bug. And then there is another person who looks kind of like a human. But uh, you know, they only like humans down there. They do not like even people who look a little bit like a human, but are not. And this this person, their eye color change and says something's a little bit off. So I don't think I don't think that they like that person either. So I have to go save them. I have to go help them on their journey so that they can save the universe. And then it'll only be a little bit. It's like a sabbatical. It's a little bit, I go, I save the, I help the babies save the universe, the little bug, the big boy and the little-off Lady and then I come back and I do more circus.
Jaime:Mr. Witch says well, you'll always have a place here. You're an exemplary employee.
Annie:I'll be back soon, do not worry.
Jaime:and Mr. Light says oh I do hope so. But as my compatriot said here, you will have always have a place in our family, little Fata matta. But I understand you have a mission now. And I... just warms my heart that you'll be spreading the joy and happiness and food that you do here to all those new babies, and to get a new family. A new family for you since you're our family means more family for us. And one thing I want to reassure you, I know that you've noticed that since the events of 10 years ago, the whole travesty in the material plane. We've sort of been avoiding that place but you know, we can't leave you alone down there. So if you ever find a way to get to the Feywilds from material plan we'll come and help you out we'll be there for you Fata Matta out that we would never leave a family member alone down there.
Annie:Listen, so you guys know me, I can only do like a little bit of magic, like I do a little boop and the food is in your mouth. But I cannot do like a plane shift from a material plane to Feywilds. But you know, on this s a journey, I might meet very, very powerful people, this little bug guy who knows, could be like, Oh, I plane shift you straight back and forth between Feywilds I don't know, they said that these have the best chance of saving the whole universe of anybody. And the monstrous races they're probably very powerful. So probably very powerful. So anytime I meet anybody who could do plane shift, I give them a little care package, I give a homemade gelato that I will figure out a little magic to keep a cold and some meatballs. And I don't know what else maybe I grow some nice herbs for you. So you can so you can train somebody to do good cooking like me to replace me on my sabbatical. And then anytime I meet someone who can plane shift, I give them this care package. They plane shift it to you and you have a little bit of Fata Matta gelato and the meatballs
Jaime:I would love that so much. I'm gonna miss your cooking so much
Annie:of course! you're my family, I need to keep you guys fed even though I have to keep these new babies fed too.
Jaime:That's wonderful. We won't keep you waiting. i i just got to deal with this a little bit.
Annie:Okay, okay, one more hug.
Jaime:Okay, one more hug, and he gives you another hug.
Annie:I run after him and like give him a little hug. He's like, I can't I can't actually and he leaves he gives
Jaime:And he just like accepts, he's like, oh, you know I don't the hug quickly but then he like rushes out and he's like crying and that's Mr. Light and Mr. Witch is like good luck. And he just walks ou do this kind of thing. Thank you. Appreciate it. As I said good employee, we'll be here. and he kinda pushes you off. He scootches you off of him and leaves and yeah, as you make your way to the exit gate to meet back up with the queen, you know, the Carnival is sort of coming to an end to the end of the night. People are putting they're putting it away starting to put all their acts together, you pass by the these bugbear acrobats and you know, just the all these various attractions at the Witch Light carnival that had just entertained you so much over the years now and kind of saying goodbye to it all. And it's sad, but it's also sort of, you know, hopeful like you said, it's, you feel like you're getting a calling, a true call to adventure. And you go to the beginning of the exit, which is now the beginning of your new life. And the queen is there. As I said, and before her is just what looks like a rift sort of in reality, it looks like almost, and she just is there looking forward. Are you ready to go?
Annie:I'm ready and I hold up my wand that she gave me. Yes.
Jaime:Don't do that, by the way.
Annie:I did not. I will not.
Jaime:Okay, well, let's go. And she steps through the Rift.
Annie:I do another gabba gabagool and step through the Rift
Jaime:okay. We now zoom in to the city of Rio medio. Within this continent of Attabay, Rio Medio sits in the exact center, it acts as a sort of middle ground sort of like, you know, you think Washington DC where it's like a you know, not a state doesn't belong to anybody, but it acts as like, everyone comes there together. And so remote goes outside of the typical kingdoms of this land, but is a relatively large city nonetheless, right on the Guacarr river. And where we zoom into is the Cultural and Life Center, these culture and life centers, the one in Rio Meadows the biggest but there's smaller ones throughout, in the main cities within these kingdoms, where they essentially are zoo slash internment camps, for the monstrous races, those that weren't completely wiped off the face of the earth, were put into these conservation and life centers with the ... well what they were told, what the story for the public is that they are essentially efforts to conserve these monsters races, you know, ensure that don't don't go extinct because they're all endangered, somehow, they all got endangered. So this is to conserve them, and their cultures. And it's places where the public can go to learn about them and learn about their cultures and yada yada and observe them and enjoy events and other cultural experiences. But obviously, for the monstrous races that are forced to live in these places, they are not, you know, exhibits it's not a"Culture and Life Center." It's essentially a prison slash internment camp for them. And so that's what we're zooming into right now. It is the end of summer and the busiest day for the culture and life center that they've seen this entire year. And over the these loudspeakers that are throughout the Zoo, the conservation Life Center. There are these essentially just there's these stones that emit a voice from far away essentially like they work the same as loudspeakers do and through that, you hear the same message that you have all heard, essentially, every day since you got here 10 years ago, it is the voice of Kimar Stone head Zookeeper. And her voice plays periodically, at least once an hour over these loudspeakers. And it says, Welcome to the official Atabay Conservation and Life Center, presented by your heroes, the Zemis and Vaprak's Commodities, your premier one stop destination for all your needs magical or not Vaprak's, if he doesn't have it, he'll get it one way or another. Following the end of the great monster war, the Zemis wanted all of Atabay's chosen to live in peace and harmony. The war left many of the monstrous races in extreme endangerment and in their mercy, the Zemis devoted themselves to the preservation of these races. safe from the dangers of the outside world. These races are on the path toward sustainability. Until that time, we keep them safe here. While the most dangerous monsters were eliminated from these lands, here at the conservation and life centers, you can learn about the cultures and history of these monstrous races, as well as revel in the horror and majesty of the beasts of the past. Under the careful supervision of me, head keeper Kimar Stone. These races continue to contribute to society, to entertainment, commerce and culture. Gasp in horror at the feeding of the lizard folk, watch in amazement at the amazing hunting skills of the mighty thri-kreen Ranger Martin, and revel in pleasure at our adults-only harvest born Dionysus Center. All shows and attractions can be found in our programs on behalf of the Zemis, Vaprak and once again, me, your head keeper Kimar Stone. Welcome to the Atabay Conservation and Life Center. May the one great God bless you, and your kitchens. And that's the message that plays essentially every day, every hour, on the hour to just sort of keep the voice out there. Let people know about what's going on here. And we now want to I want to zoom into these exhibits themselves. And the first exhibit we're going to go to is the Kalashtar exhibit. The Kalashtar exhibit is one that is set up, just sort of plainly it's a collection of like small little huts, essentially for the livelihood of these places. There's no real event at the Kalashtar center except for people come to enjoy the sight of the great mascot, who the person who this Culture and Life Center has rallied behind and made a big mascot, you know, he's on all the posters. He's on all the he has an action figure everyone loves him. The kids come here certainly just to see him Vidar Bjornson he is a Kalashtar, unlike many, you know, in the in the wake of the the Monster War of 10 years ago, many of the male, fighting, physically fit Kalashtar were eliminated. So mostly all you have left here are smaller women, elderly, children Kalashtars are sorta pretty much all that's left. So Bjornson in his six foot nine hulking stature, stands head and shoulders above the rest and stands as a true paragon of strength and might. But more than that, just a pure party attitude. I mean, in order to keep Vidar sort of happy, and content in this place, they have supplied him with a steady supply of delicious food and drink to sort of just keep him quelled to keep his rage quelled, and in check. Because in the past, they had some experiences with Vidar, you know, and where he would try to break out or harm a fellow keeper. And so now they've they really make an effort to keep them happy because otherwise his rage comes out and he becomes this unstoppable juggernaut. And so, where we meet Vidar now is you've just done your rounds. You've just like showed your face to just some uproarious cheering and applause and you've returned back to your tent, to the tent of your family. All you really have left of your immediate family is your grandmother, and your mother. And your mother, in the wake of 10 years ago has gone essentially silent. She really has not said a word or really done anything she might as well be in a coma out of I mean, just pure shock and horror about what happened to your people. It was devastating on pretty much every level. And so, but your grandma has kept her wits she's kept strong and kept, kept her, you know, mind about her. And as you enter, she says her name is Mama Ursula. And she ... you enter the tent again, just so how was it today?
Eric:Oh, it was good day. Very good day, happy everyone loves Vidar, you know
Jaime:yes, everyone does love Vidar, I do enjoy that silly dance and show that you put on for everyone. That's great. I suppose if you're into that sort of thing.
Eric:But it keeps the party people happy.
Jaime:Yes, of course. We all know you do love to party Vidar. I must speak to you about something important, Vidar. It's it's very not party. Well, um, I'm not like this one who is content to sit here and tune herself out to the world. And she's gesturing at your mother says, I have plans Vidar. I have plans. And those plans are in motion. Now the wheels are spinning Vidar. You know, I know you're having a great time here. But you know, this is not our home. We have to get back to our home Vidar.
Eric:What home is left? They destroyed our home.
Jaime:No Vidar. As long as the Great North exists, we still have a home Vidar, and you have to get back to it. That's why I've been reaching out to some individuals. I've been using the spirit within me. The eagle within me is able to reach others. And I've been in contact with a group they call themselves Dragon Stew. They're labeling themselves as some sort of rebel group they're gonna put a stop to the Zemis and they said they're willing to do a breakout they can't get all of us but Vidar, I told them to come for you. You have so much potential, my boy look at look at you. You're built like a house. Who could stand in your way?
Eric:Obviously no one but a rebellion? I get to I get to kill the Zemis?
Jaime:Well, I don't know what sort of plans they have. But I that's the only way I see out of this predicament. So I'd be inclined to say yes. But my son you can't go headfirst into this. I know that you have a bit of a headstrong attitude, but we have to stop and think you can't you aren't strong enough to kill a Zemi right now. That'd be a fool's errand. You have to get stronger. You have to take the journey. You have to take the journey Vidar, Yes.
Eric:Complete the transformation.
Jaime:Yes
Eric:become werebear!
Jaime:Yes.
Eric:Finally
Jaime:as as your father and his father and all the male warriors in our in our clan did. you must head to the southern isles and become a werebear, open up the transformation, allow the Spirit of Ursa to come into you completely. Only then will you be strong enough to take on a Zemi my dear.
Eric:Yes. And then I'll crunch their bones in my teeth.
Jaime:Yes, yes. And she getting excited now, she's like.
Eric:Vidar's ike getting excited and hyped as well. You see his red eyes glow like a little brighter. He's getting into it.
Jaime:I would to see that my dear but tales of your exploits will reach me here don't you worry. So they're coming I don't know when I don't know where but Vidar you need to be ready. You need to be ready for this journey because it's the most important one you'll ever take. The journey from the northern island.
Eric:I will be ready.
Jaime:Yes. The journey from the northern isles to the southern is perilous. Many of those in our clan the males who attempted die, they don't survive the journey. But I believe you can. I don't know what has become of the werebear tribes in the south anymore. She looks sadly and is like, they may be gone too but we must hold out hope that they are alive and they are well and they are prepared to receive you and start the change within you. Because that is the path that is the path Vidar, werebear, to leader, to Chief once more of the North. Vidar, I'm so proud of you and so proud of the man that you've become my dear, it's, when my son became chief, it was the most happy day of my life. And the day I lost him was the saddest.
Eric:I will avenge his death grandmama
Jaime:Yes, I know you will. But don't let revenge consume you. As I said, we have to be smart here. And more importantly than anything, Vidar, you can't do it alone. Your father tried to go it alone, he tried to take on the Zemi that was plaguing us alone. He thought he could just waltz in there and take on that witch Haghenti all by himself and he was defeated. No matter how strong you become Vidar, you'll never be as strong as you are when you're with friends and comrades who can help you who have their own skills that can build you up and build your own that can help your skills and fill in the gaps of your of what you lack. As a as a party as a group. You are much stronger than a solitary bear. No bears alone in the woods.
Eric:Yes, new clan?
Jaime:Yes, you must find your new clan Vidar. So keep an eye open. Because they're out there. And they're just waiting for you to bring them together.
Eric:I will do this and then we will restore Ursvlgrad to it's rightful power.
Jaime:Yes, we will. And with that, I want to zoom out and zoom back in, zoom out of that, the that exhibit and zoom back into the Thri-kreen exhibit. The thri-kreen exhibit is a forest. It's like a mix of forest and desert. Because that is primarily where the Thri-kreen live on this on this continent. they resided as like little bugs in the forest, usually just on the run, hiding and scurrying. And then the desert where they dug into the sand. Also, mostly just hid. Very pathetically. But that's not who Martin is. Pathetically? Pathetically, yes, exactly. That's not who Martin is. No. So and where we find Martin in his exhibit is he's leaving his home. I don't know exactly where he lives, but most of the Thri-kreen where they live in is just like little tiny, sort of like wooden huts kind of thing. like little wooden enclosures, and he's leaving it because it's about that time for Martin you know, once a day, the zookeepers here will let loose an animal into the exhibit for Martin to hunt. And, you know, at first I feel like Martin sort of didn't go along with it. Like a, you know, tried to be rebellious and, you know, wasn't gonna play in the hands of the zookeepers. But just for purely to keep his skills up at some point probably relented, went on these hunts, just to like I said, just keep his Ranger skills up, you know, blade in the scabbard rusts, that whole providence I don't know what it's called but and that's what Martin is and that's where we see him here that you look up at the clock that hangs above your exhibit, how these exhibits are as they are, I don't think I described them properly but they are essentially like lowered kind of, it's like they are like sort of like in a pit so that people from above, they can like look down on the exhibit and get a full view of the entire exhibit. And so where we find Martin is he's leaving it and he looks at the clock, see it's about that time and begins his hunt. And from around the enclosure. You hear the sound of a door opening and you already know that you can't you know sort of guess where this door is gonna be every time you've tried they've just opened a different door and let the animal there and so this point you sort of given up on that plan A, but you wait and you hear shuffling quick movements in the in the brush and why don't you roll me a survival check to try and hunt this thing
Amanda:Oh I have to roll already
Jaime:Yeah
Amanda:How do I do that?
Jaime:So on your sheet you just should be able to click survival and it'll go
Amanda:Oh, yes, very intuitive. I just am stupid There we go.
Jaime:Not stupid
Amanda:Wait Okay, so it pops up the page for survival when I click on it
Jaime:There should be like a little, like a dice icon when you click the number next to it. Yeah, yes.
Amanda:Ok let me click on the number
Jaime:Oh 22 Wow. Okay
Amanda:oui oui
Jaime:So you quickly scuttled the brush too, like your creepy bug very fast, scuttling as you're like, half on trees half through branches, half on the undergrowth. And what you see is a eventually get to this, this buck, this deer, male deer that is on a little tiny Hill. And as you look, you see that the deer, is just like standing, sort of like looking regally on this little hill. And as you look, you actually see what it appears like It's like being lit from above. And you realize that it is, the the zookeepers in order to make a more engaging, a more engaging show here, literally have a spotlight shining on the buck to make it more obvious for the patrons above. Which I imagine must be kind of infuriating to a hunter like Martin.
Amanda:Oh, yes. So Martin, thinks to himself, Oh, this is embarrassing. My skills are being demoralized in front of these peasants. Oh, this is the only reason I engage in this behavior is to keep myself keen to keep myself and like he'll just like flex this like bug eight pack. Like if you can imagine that. Must keep my skills sharp. But this this is a new level of insults to me. I finished this quickly. I know I will not give them a show this time. And he docks an arrow and pulls the string of his bow back on his top two arms. And you know normally sometimes if he's feeling fancy, he'll shoot the animal take his you know, he has six limbs, and his second set have these dual wielding swords. And so sometimes he'll you know, engage, you know, combat more melee style. But this time he's just he is an infuriated French bug. And he docks the arrow and shoots the buck between the eyes.
Jaime:Roll me an attack roll.
Amanda:No one else had to roll.
Jaime:I'm sorry.
Donald:First roll the campaign
Jaime:first roll for the campaign and you killed it. You got a 22 on the first roll of the campaign. That's good shit.
Amanda:I know. But that's means the karma is downhill from here
Jaime:I should I should mention for all the listeners out here. I don't think we mentioned in the beginning. Everyone's starting at level three. That's why the role is like a plus six. Like we're not level one characters. We're all level three characters.
Amanda:So I'm not, it's not an unarmed strike
Jaime:It should be under Actions. And it's just a click. longbow.
Amanda:longbow. action. I don't know if I have a longbow in here. Oh, no.
Jaime:Do you have it in equipment? No, it's just not equipped
Eric:maybe if you go to inventory.
Jaime:Yeah. Yeah, I'm equipping it all. Yeah. I just equipped it all so it should be under Actions.
Amanda:Meanwhile, while I'm finding a long bow, you know, he's just doing a backflip out of the tree.
Jaime:Do a flip! Yeah!!!
Amanda:Lands, flexes the eight pack again. Alright, here we are.
Jaime:Yes. Nice. That's a long bow to hit. And another 22 Damn. Okay. 18 plus 4, 22. So yeah, your arrow flies across and no show whatsoever. All brutality of the arrow just flies and hits right in between the eyes of the buck who just crumples over to the ground, instantly dead. And as you do a cheer does still go up from the audience. They still love to see the brutality, love to see the skills of Martin and you know, you like you said, there's been times where you've gone in and engaged and done a better show. But this time you're feeling fed up with this bullshit. And so you just finish it off quickly. As the the animal dies, the crowd disperses and you start to approach the buck. But as you do you hear a voice in your head. And, you know,Thri-kreen, they can speak like telepathically. And so you're getting a voice in your head, which isn't a new thing. I mean, again, how the Thri-kreen talk to them, each other they don't speak with their words. They speak literally with telepathy. And so you get this telepathic sense but it's not a fellow Thri-kreen. You can tell it's a halfling the voice says it's a female voice. Martin come over here over here, and you sort of look look where I guess like where you feel it's the voice is coming from and you see hiding sort of under a tree is a woman. She's a halfling woman, this long red unkempt hair, wearing the green uniform of the keepers. And she says she speaks up and you recognize her. She is keeper Annabelle and keeper Annabelle, in your years has been sort of your main go to person in here. And she's been very I mean, again at the end of the day she is one of the keepers here she still is working for the system, but she's been extraordinarily kind. She's the one who pushed for them to first let you hunt. You know, when you come in here, you don't get a weapon. Everyone has the weapons taken, but they allowed you to keep your weaponry. They allowed you for the purpose of this hunting so you've been able to keep your mind sharp and she sneaks you better than usual food. And more than anything, it's just been a friend she talks to you and treats you as an actual person instead of just an animal. And so she's gesturing over to what looks like she's like hiding under a tree. Like almost like out of sight. Trying to be stealthy.
Amanda:oh salut, mon cheri, a va?
Jaime:and she just giggles a little bit. You're having this entire conversation telepathically and she says, Martin, come on. Come over here.
Amanda:Oh, do you want to rendevous under the tree? I will not refuse.
Jaime:Not like that.
Amanda:no it's okay, no one is looking mon cheri. You do not have to hide your love.
Jaime:This is not romantic at all. It's very serious. Martin I have to talk to you
Amanda:Oh yes, yes. Yes, yes. Yes. very very serious. And he's scuttes over.
Jaime:Yeah. And she says, Listen, Martin. I've been. I've been talking to some people Martin and I'm going to get you out of here. Okay. You don't belong here. This is horrendous. This is ... the way they treat you. It's just horrific. And so I'm going to get you out of here. I promise Martin.
Amanda:Is this is this a trick? This is a trick I don't mind. I do agree. I do agree the spotlight today did you see that? So insulting
Jaime:It's so insulting that they did the spotlight thing. I literally told them don't do the spotlight thing he hates the spotlight thing.
Amanda:it's horrible. Why Why would they do that to me? It's infuriating
Jaime:Did you see the way you got the thing? I don't mean to, I know you already have plenty of ego I don't need to do anything else to hit it. But the way you hit that thing between the eyes. Incredible.
Amanda:oh yes very skillful. I am the best sharpshooter in the universe. Yes.
Jaime:So you don't belong here. You belong out there where you
Amanda:the stew of dragons. That sounds delicious. can use your skills and try to make a life for yourself. So I've been speaking with dragon stew. And you don't know who that is. But it's
Jaime:maybe they make good stew. I don't know. But they're a rebel faction out there. My teammates, they're trying to change things. And so I talked to them and they said they could they were already planning on doing a bust getting some people out of here. And I made your case I said, who you are what you could do. And they said that they'd be willing to get you out of here too Martin. Is that something you want? Is that okay?
Amanda:Of course. Of course I want out of this shithole. Are you kidding me? I want to be free. I want to be a bug. Freedom riding of the wolves.
Jaime:Yes. I just want to make sure.
Amanda:What do you mean, make sure? you think I want to stay in that box with a spotlight. This is not Martin. Martin deserves more than this. You know what I've been through? I've been through too much to be in a box.
Jaime:I know that Martin. And I just want to make sure it's what you want because a lot of Thri-Kreen brothers and sisters. They seem pretty happy here. You know they keep quiet they keep to the shadows they keep to the underbrush and they don't make a scene they actually like tiny bugs.
Unknown:It makes me ill, you know what's happened to the not cautious bug. They get murdered, they crunched, crunched under this foot of society.
Jaime:Yes, that's that's whst I'm saying you may be a tiny bug but you are the biggest person I've ever met Martin. You've
Amanda:oh Yes, I am big in very many ways and he like waggle says antennas.
Jaime:She's like no, again, not`romantically, it just, you're not my type. I'm sorry.
Amanda:It is because I'm a bug.
Jaime:It's really not the bug thing. It's like it's purely personality. It's like purely the personality thing. I go for like, nerds really actually. Just like a soft spoken nerd. I love me a soft spoken nerd.
Amanda:I can do whatever you want me to be mon cheri.
Jaime:I don't think you would ever do this. But anyways, that's that's, that's I just needed to tell you because it's happening today. Martin, they're coming today. I don't know when. But this is our busiest day and they thought they could use the chaos to get you guys out of here. Are you? Are you ready for that? Are you okay?
Amanda:I've never been more prepared for something in my entire bug Life.
Jaime:Okay, well, I'm going to miss you Martin
Amanda:what do I need to do? do I need to take things? Are you coming? Are you coming mon cheri?
Jaime:I can't come. Unfortunately, I have a job to do here. I have more people I can help here within the system. But just obviously bring your weapons bring all the stuff you think you need. Again, I don't know the details. I don't know how or when it's happening or what's going on. But just be ready is my message.
Amanda:I have one final request mon cheri and he's going to take like his top two bug arms and like put them on her shoulders and like bottom to bug arms and like hold her hands together.
Jaime:Okay.
Unknown:Geez, please bring me the last of the cake scraps. I need the scraps please I miss your scraps very much.
Jaime:She nods and she just reaches into her bag, and she actually has like a little Ziploc baggie essentially, of the scraps, and she's like, I would never forget Martin. Of course, I wouldn't you away. And she hands you this little bag of like food and cake scraps.
Amanda:And like, it's gonna be like very, like touching eye contact. And then all of a sudden, just like, very, like savagely like *monch monch monch*
Jaime:Yeah, disgusting bug eating noises. I love it. I love it. I love that you're playing so much in the bugginess of this. So yes, you just have this nice touching moment, and you eat the scraps. And she's like, she like she like starts looking at you. But as you really get into the scraps, she's like, I I have to look away actually. She turns back and she's like, I'm gonna see Martin and she like, holds her hands out for a hug.
Amanda:I will miss you too mon cheri And like gets down on the knee and just like, you know, does like the very French like smooch like all over the hand like up the arm.
Jaime:She just laughs She just leaves the exhibit. So we zoom out now once more and we go to the Hexblood exhibit, you know, Hex bloods are a variant type of person, I mean, a hexblood can be anything, they can be half orc, elf, halfling. What makes them distinct is their influence and their connection with the Fey wilds. And so where we zoom in now is to the hexblood exhibit where there is a variety of different hexbloods, like I said before elves, humans, halfling, half orc, but because they have been fey touched and been turned into these new things, they have also a designated monstrous race. But because they are so sort of adjacent, like sort of what we talked about with fairies, you know, less socially accepted and more awkward that these people are here. So rather than have like a very open exhibit, what the hexbloods have is like a very, off to the side, like in a hidden corner of the life and Conservation Center. And it's an indoor facility that they actually all just stay in. So it's like you'd have to go into a separate building that is unmarked, to find the hexbloods. So like, you really don't get a lot of visitors at all Gwen. But what you do get is a lot of time to spend with these other hex Bloods. And where we find these hex bloods right now is where we find Gwen right now is in the middle of a lesson, you know, as a, as a wizard, Gween you had to learn magic through schooling through reading and schooling. And when you came here, 10 years ago, you weren't a wizard, obviously, you were just hexblood, a person with, you know, some magical affinity but nothing too refined. But in the past 10 years, you've been, you've been taught and really had your skills honed by this, this man who goes by he was actually a part of a church. And so he actually calls himself Minister Valor, Minister valor. And he teaches your wizarding school essentially, within this little hex blood community. You know, one of the houses has been designated the wizard school. And so he teaches a wide variety; His specialty is divination. But he teaches a wide variety of different schools and has been growing steadily this like hidden wizard school within the hexbloods, all with the promise that you will get out of here and that you guys are essentially creating not a fighting force even per se but a rebel force a like hidden rebel force from the inside out. And so, Minister Valor is like finishing up a lesson today he's, He's actually a half orc hex blood. So like a big brutish looking guy. But you know him. He's very soft spoken, very delicate, and is extremely smart. And he speaks up to all of you at the end of a class, you just had a very good session. And he says, Well, you all have been truly amazing. Really, the best students that a man could ever hope for. I know, we all came here 10 years ago, with the lowest of hope, lowest of expectations, thinking that we're all going to die here. But every day that we study is a rebellion. It's a step towards something better. And I thank you all for sticking with it. I mean, I don't force you to be here. You could walk away with the skills I've taught you. But everyday you're here is we're making ourselves a community. So thank you very much. Class dismissed. You all of your homeworks assignment, and I'll see you all tomorrow. And the class starts to head out of the hut, and he speaks up again he's like Oh uh, Gwen can I speak to you actually can you stay after?
Donald:So quick question, though, Jaime?
Jaime:Yeah.
Donald:What, I guess items do we have access to in here? Because it sounds like there's restrictions on what they allow us to keep?
Jaime:you have everything except for any weapons.
Donald:So would that mean like no arcane focuses,
Jaime:you have an arcane focus, you would have an arcane focus for sure. Like I said, This school has been like teaching you magic. So you definitely would have an arcane focus, although you are under strict essentially orders to not do any magic out there in any vision of anybody possibly. You do it only in this house. Only and only in school can do magic. It's it's Hogwarts rules, you know?
Donald:Okay, okay, that makes sense.
Jaime:So she's, he just asked you to stay after class.
Donald:She would nod in agreement. And I guess just wait for the other people to leave at that point.
Jaime:The school empties out, and he comes up to you and says, Gwen, my star pupil, you know, this. I haven't made it, you know, not obvious, I'm not a man have discretion, I wear my heart on my sleeve. And you know, I've grown quite fond of you. You're one of the few if not the only divination, other wizard here. So you've taken the full course of what I can teach you. And honestly, at this point, Gwen there's not much more I can teach you. Everything else I learned, I learned out there. And so I need to get you out there. And he says, is that something that you'd want?
Donald:What would you have me do out there?
Jaime:I, I don't know yet. Precisely. But I've been in communication with with an individual from Dragon stew. It's this rebel group out there. And they say they're going to make some changes, and to bring us true equality. You know, people of our people that wanted back to the fey wilds are gonna be allowed to do so. But the point is, they're going to shake things up. And, you know, apparently with the crew that they're assembling. They need some magic. Apparently, they have a big strong fighter and this more stealthy, long range, you know, fighter, but they don't have any magic yet. And so they need some magic on their team. And so I said, I had the perfect person. And they said that they would, they're going to come and break all of us out that they could use all of us in the effort. So I think all of us are getting out of here, Gwen, but in particular, I know they have plans for you. And so I just want you to be ready, because I don't know when it's coming. But your time is coming very soon Gwen and I hope that you have taken in the lessons I've taught you and are ready because the world outside is so different than what we have in here. It's dangerous and cruel. And you know, when I became a hex blood, even my fellow half orcs abandoned me. They let me go they didn't want me fighting for them in the monster war. They just threw me to the wind. And that's how it was caught eventually, but I'm glad at the end of the day. I'm glad I was able to, you know, see you and teach all of you and be a friend and make a new family in the earth, my fellow hex Bloods, and that's the future that I hope for, that this community can grow and survive. So Gwen I'm entrusting that future in you, you think you're up for it?
Donald:she'll kind of stare in silence for a while. So essentially, she's kind of thinking about this offer, um, I guess more of a, what, what value is it? Because I would assume, based on waves the way you've described this community, she's not necessarily uncomfortable here. And so, so she'll kind of, I guess, kind of stare off for a bit before looking back at Minister Valor. What exactly do I get out of this?
Jaime:You get your freedom Gwen, you get to go out there to become a better wizard, to learn more than I could ever teach you and to, I mean, freedom at the end of the day. I know it's not so bad in here, but we're prisoners Gwen. And I don't know about you, but I can't stand being a prisoner anymore. I need freedom, the Feywilds call to us Gwen and you have a chance to go back there. You have a chance to meet meet the hag the Fae entity that gave you your powers again, to be one with them. to reach the fey wilds and to experience your full power again. Doesn't that sound like something we should want?
Donald:She'll kind of mull it over for a bit. Before saying I suppose I could. I suppose I could do this.
Jaime:I won't force you into anything Gwen but. And either way. We're all getting out of here. So either way, you know, I'm proud of you. And I'm proud of the young wizard that you've become. Thanks for making me feel useful in here. Because without you guys without you, my students, I I would feel so lost. And so thank you, Gwen. I know that, you know, we you all thank me and I'm supposed to be the teacher here. But you know, days are hard. And so thank you. Thanks. You can go now.
Donald:She'll, at that point, I guess wander out of the classroom. What's exactly, I guess how many hexbloods are in this kind of small enclosure,
Jaime:I'd say 50, 50 hex bloods, only about 15 to 20 of which will say 20 of which are wizards at this wizarding school. The other 30 Just like live their life here. In this like, the the hex blood exhibit is like very plain. It's like these just like almost like Ikea style fucking houses like block white houses that are very plain. Again, because this this exhibit isn't for the people. It's not to put on a show. It's like purely It feels veryinternment camp-y out of all the exhibits, I will say. And so you know, just leave this place and you're surprised as you leave the hut that you do actually have a visitor. There's someone here at the hexblood exhibit. And it's you look out and what you see is a behind the glass that is separating you both is this big, burly looking, this big, burly looking man stands like six foot five, like huge muscles. His arms are crossed in front of him. He looks hairy and his he's got this long black. Not long, but shoulder length black hair. That is actually like almost styled in a mohawk, like a long Mohawk. And he um, he's looking straight at you Gwen. And as he's looking at you and your eyes meet, you suddenly hear a voice in your head. And it's presumably this guy's voice. And it says hey you there. You want to see something cool?
Donald:She'll kind of raise an eyebrow. A little bit confused
Jaime:So is that a yes, welp or no? She'll nod. And he just at this point. starts you hear like deep laughter in your mind. And in his hand, forms what looks like this black orb and his other hand, he puts it out very dramatically. And then he snaps. And as he snaps, the glass in front of your enclosure explodes, just shatters instantly. And for the rest of you all at this place and you hear it as well Gwen you hear beyond the walls of this building, but the others, I mean, it's right there. Suddenly, the culture and life center explodes literally explosions and fire off everywhere, as chaos erupts in this culture and life center. And in front of you this man Gwen he suddenly transforms, he changes, and no longer in front of you appears a man, like I said the man that I described before instead, it is a humungous, big burly minotaur with that same Mohawk. And that black ord in one hand. And he says, Now out loud to you, he says I'm with Dragon stew. Let's get the hell out of here And that's where we're gonna end things that's gonna be our intro section down
Amanda:OOh the adverture begins.
Jaime:The story begins Nice job guys. That was great.
Amanda:I have this like vision of Martin like swinging his swords and like walking forward like Yeah.
Jaime:I'd love that you're playing into the bugginess of Martin.
Eric:I just redid the art for Martin. After hearing his personality, here's what he looks like now
Amanda:you should give him a Beret
Eric:I gave him a little mustache. i thought it looked like a little antenna. So I gave him like little antenna mustaches.
Jaime:Oh, that's so good. Oh his antenna? Is his mustache his antenna? Is that
Amanda:It's just like being a two foot tall bug with a with an eight pack is just really... what you're going for?
Eric:Yeah, exactly.
Jaime:Oh, that actually is hilarious
Eric:move and wiggle and stuff. Like, haha, like bow arrow double swords, you know.
Jaime:So that's, that's about all we got.
Eric:Somebody just gave him you know, grief. And he's like, oh, yeah, he's like Arrow bow double swords.
Jaime:That's all I got. And thank you all the listeners out there for joining us for the first episode of lawful evil. And, you know, we obviously appreciate it and thank you Wizards of the Coast for DND. And thank you, you know, Dragon stew for giving us that content we haven't really gotten into yet but it's gonna be very pivotal for this book. So I want to want to shout them out, obviously. I forget his name now. It's like Antonio Demico I think it's Antonio Demico. So I'll get I'll get that down before next time and really give him proper props right at the beginning because again, it's amazing. I love it. So great. Well, anyways, thank you so much, and we'll see you guys next time. Bye peace