Whispers in Wregate
Journey back in time with the Time Breakers as they infiltrate the Black Sun Festival, attempting to alter the fate of the city by thwarting a cataclysmic plot. But beware, for a greater threat looms that could overshadow even the consequences of their plane-shifting actions. Can this epic adventure be completed without too many rippling butterfly effects, or will they change the world for the better?? Come along and find out!
Whispers in Wregate
WiW 23: NoTa Bazarr Chase
Ever wondered how a rowboat, a shadow tree, and a mind-control helmet can turn into a thrilling escapade? Join us on this adrenaline-fueled journey as the Time Breakers race through the vibrant streets of Wregate, hot on the trail of Fall, the wizard fairy pixie. With Elise leading the charge, and Shimmer and Thaddeus employing quick thinking and teamwork, the chase takes unexpected turns, culminating in a breathless moment as Fall slips out of sight. You'll be on the edge of your seat as they navigate the crowded bazaar and dodge obstacles in a desperate bid to catch up.
But the excitement doesn't stop there. After an intense chase, our heroes switch gears to unravel the mystery of the mind-control helmets. Upon returning to Fall's chaotic headquarters, they find clues hinting at a larger, sinister plot. Shimmer's transformation into a halfling offers a unique perspective, but will it be enough to solve the puzzle? Follow Thaddeus, Shimmer, and Elise as they piece together fragments of evidence, all while facing the looming threat of an enigmatic adversary.
The adventure continues as the Time Breakers embark on a perilous mission to a mysterious island. Tensions run high when they encounter a wounded stranger, leading to a fraught interrogation that reveals more questions than answers. From navigating treacherous waters to uncovering the dual nature of a shadow tree, the urgency of their mission intensifies. As our heroes strategize their next move, you'll be left pondering the involvement of potential adversaries and the looming danger ahead. Tune in and don't forget to join our community on Discord to share your thoughts and theories!
Hello and welcome back. I'm Baron Battlebred, your guide through the streets and whispers of Regain. Gather round lost folk as we spiral back into the Timebreakers, trying to rewrite history and to change their fates. When we last left off, they had woken up on the second day of the festival, gone about their merry way, shimmer, headed off to a meeting. Somebody decided to discover breakfast and everybody met up at the castle to get more information on this helmet. Breakfast and everybody met up at the castle to get more information on this helmet. Upon gathering that information, they followed it back to its owner, a creature named Fall, a wizard, fairy, pixie thing that had brought them back here in the first place. And while they were having the discussion of what to do next, they were interrupted by an individual wearing a helmet and bearing the important message Dylan has been found. This caught Fall's attention and they sprinted off down the street as fast as their little wings could carry them. As for the Time Breakers, what would you like to do?
Speaker 2:Time Breakers Time Time Breakers Time Breakers Time Time Breakers breakers Time breakers Time time breakers.
Speaker 1:So time breakers Fall has sprinted off down the street in search of Dylan. What would you like to do? Do you think?
Speaker 4:we should go after him.
Speaker 2:Elise isn't even responding, she's just chasing. Oh, elise is gone.
Speaker 4:I wasn't saying it in character, I was saying it out of character. Shimmer is up as soon as Elise takes off. Shimmer is following. Like that, guy has our information. Maybe, oh, maybe, what the fuck yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so Shimmer and Elise have taken off down the street, leaving Thaddeus and Sarah behind Thaddeus. Are you going to keep following?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm not even giving it a second thought.
Speaker 1:You're also going to take off running. I'm taking off running. So, shimmer Elise and Thaddeus, you guys are running down the street. Roll me a perception check, because Fall with their little fairy wings is a bit faster than you guys are 21.
Speaker 2:Natural. 1. Get out of my way, get out of here. I can't see a thing Too much of a crowd.
Speaker 1:You guys turn a corner following fall and you do run into a large throng of people who are all milling about one of the main streets on today's festivities. Elise, you're bumping into people trying to keep an eye over the crowd of this flying creature Shimmer being more akin to flight yourself are able to keep a better eye on them and you grab Elise's arm and pull her forward through the crowd. Thaddeus, you are behind them. What's your roll, your perception?
Speaker 3:All right, I rolled a 24. Ah, thank you, thaddeus.
Speaker 1:With that 24, you are keeping up with. You. Also grab Elise's other arm and help Shimmer pull her through the streets as you guys are forcing your way through the crowds after fall. You do a pretty good job. You're keeping up with them. You make it through the district, you make it through the eastern village into the upper ward and you seem to be headed towards watcher's row when fall makes a sharp turn into an alleyway and you lose sight of them momentarily. Who wants to roll me a survival check?
Speaker 4:I have a plus four.
Speaker 2:I have a plus four as well, pretty sure I only have a. Yep plus one. I'm rolling survival. You may well Pretty sure I only have a.
Speaker 3:Yeah plus one, I'm rolling survival.
Speaker 1:You may roll it with advantage, since all of you are looking.
Speaker 3:I'm rolling it twice because I didn't roll with advantage and that's going to be a 21.
Speaker 1:With a 21,. You make a wild guess that they probably turned left at the nearest corner because you lost sight of them so fast. And you guys push and pull your way through the crowd. You make your way to the corner, you turn left and you can see them flittering down the street and you start booking after them again. Along the way you're bumping into people, You're like kind of just scooshing them out of the way. You're slipping past individuals. Now, all of a sudden there's a cart in front of you. It's filled with apples. Do you want to try sliding under it or going around it?
Speaker 4:That is why apples and not cabbages? My cabbages.
Speaker 3:I'm going to run through the cart and push it to the side, because that's how they do it in the movies.
Speaker 2:You're not in my way.
Speaker 1:Um okay, okay, roll me Athletics. Yeah, roll me an Athletics check.
Speaker 4:Before Thaddeus does that or while Thaddeus is doing that, I would like to cast a jump on myself and jump over it.
Speaker 1:Okay, easy enough.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus rolled an 11.
Speaker 1:Thaddeus. You run up and try and push this cart out of your way as you believe you are capable, but you thwack into the side of this very heavy cart and you end up pushing yourself backwards. Elise, you see, Shimmer has jumped over the cart. Thaddeus has run into the side of it. What would you like to do?
Speaker 2:Elise is going to a little bit of a somersault A roll to the side, give me acrobatics.
Speaker 1:26. Nice.
Speaker 2:That's the stint by the mage hand. Yeah, just for a little bit of style points.
Speaker 1:Nice, elise, you do a perfect somersault. Shimmer, you've jumped over the top. Thaddeus, you have winded yourself. So, Shimmer being the only one currently hasn't broken line of sight with fall, roll me one more perception. Check, please.
Speaker 4:That is a 12.
Speaker 1:That is unfortunate. They're getting further and further away. Being able to fly above the crowds is giving them an extreme advantage towards you having to force your way through it. And by the time you get to, by the time you and your team get to where they were, Fall has disappeared. You guys are now standing in the middle of the bazaar.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus catches up with the other two and he's like that cart was heavier than I thought why would you mess with the cart in the first place?
Speaker 2:you wasted way more time than just going around. I'll explain later poor Thaddeus.
Speaker 1:You guys look around and you have lost sight of the flying pixie wizard.
Speaker 4:Emer's gonna rub her temples and be like well, there goes our lead.
Speaker 1:Now you know where he hangs out, though, so you might be able to get back with him later. As for now, you're standing in the middle of the bazaar, just people milling all about left, right, left and right, Thaddeus. You suddenly notice Sarah is not with you. I look around.
Speaker 3:I look to Shimmer and Elise. Do you know?
Speaker 2:where Sarah is. It's not my job to keep an eye on the Tam's robot.
Speaker 4:You're a robot, your job.
Speaker 3:Huh, oh well, she'll figure it out.
Speaker 1:Well, it's about noon. At this point, you've lost your lead. You've lost one of your compatriots. What would you guys like to do as you move through the town at lunchtime? Where would you like to go next?
Speaker 4:I mean, if it's lunchtime, it's probably time for food.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you want to look around for something to eat? We can do that.
Speaker 4:But we did that last session of looking for something to eat.
Speaker 1:You're right.
Speaker 2:You know when you get right into it how much of your time is really spent looking for food.
Speaker 1:Most of it. I would say that most of my time is spent getting food, Brad.
Speaker 3:I'm going to roll intelligence to see if I have the understanding to formulate this plan of mine. Okay, and yes, I do. Thaddeus is thinking to himself with a 20, and he's thinking, well, what if we get another helmet and put it on somebody else's head and follow them?
Speaker 2:That's a pretty smart plan. That's a solid plan, yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:We're going to come up with someone.
Speaker 1:Inspiration. Oh yeah, yeah, you definitely get inspiration for that.
Speaker 3:As much as I hate those god awful helmets.
Speaker 1:All right, so you want to look around for a vendor selling helmets? Roll me an investigation. Check as you make your way through the bazaar of all these people hawking their wares and items and festival stuffs, elise.
Speaker 3:I will leave the investigation to you.
Speaker 2:Alright.
Speaker 4:I'll keep an eye out. We could always go back to the place where they were being made. I don't want to pay for one. He did leave the door open, I believe.
Speaker 3:Well, it was on the ground when we opened it.
Speaker 1:Hmm, that's also a possibility. Would you like to head back to Fall's headquarters and grab one of the helmets out of his space?
Speaker 3:The question is which ones are the ones that work and which ones are not, Because he was working on them. I'm not putting one of those things on my head.
Speaker 4:There were quite a few on the shelves. Well, it's a trial and error. Just got to convince enough people to put on enough helmets.
Speaker 3:I suppose what about that vendor from earlier that was, you know, selling helmets? After he put a helmet on, we could try his stall first.
Speaker 4:He already has a helmet on, so maybe it's the best bet.
Speaker 1:So that gives you three options. I guess you can look around the bazaar for the helmet, you can go back to Falls Headquarters for a helmet, or you can go try and find the vendor, actually thinking of the vendor who already has a helmet on his head. Thaddeus, roll me a wisdom check. Thaddeus rolls an 11. He's already got a helmet on his head and you took the other one. He only had two.
Speaker 4:But he has one on his head already.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 3:I think, we're going after him for him and not for his vendors. I mean, we could go after him, but if he only had two helmets, it's going to be rather difficult finding him.
Speaker 4:But if he's still at his stall, of course, if that's too much work, we could always be the best. Second option is either find another stall and steal a helmet, because I'm not paying for one, unless you want to pay for one.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 4:Or go back to Falls.
Speaker 3:Oh, I guess we're going back to Falls. Alright, does anybody remember where Falls is?
Speaker 2:I would imagine we all do.
Speaker 4:I mean, it was quite a wild goose chase.
Speaker 1:But you guys hunted it down in the previous episode in the Arcane Isles.
Speaker 3:That is true, but also, at the same time, thaddeus did just get the wind knocked out of him.
Speaker 4:That was their own fault.
Speaker 1:With all three of you working together, it's easy enough to pick your way through the crowds and the streets and make your way back to Falls. Who would be leading the group, do you think?
Speaker 3:Thaddeus is going to look to the other two and he's going to take a step back.
Speaker 4:It would be either Shimmer or Elise. I'm trying to figure who would have the better memory of how to get there.
Speaker 2:Elise is pretty intelligent.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we'll say Elise is leading. Yeah, alright, as you guys make your way back to Falls and you come within sight of it, elise, roll me a perception. Check real quick 14. You see the door is open, kind of swinging.
Speaker 4:I mean, we left it open.
Speaker 1:It seems a little more dilapidated than it was when you first arrived. The door seems to be swinging on one hinge and there is a new hole in the wall.
Speaker 3:Huh, well, this certainly looks suspicious.
Speaker 4:If I had an electrum for every time we've come back to a place and the door has been open for suspiciously, I'd have two electrum, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.
Speaker 1:You make your way to the front of the building and you peer inside and you see almost all of the helmets have been knocked to the ground. The inside of this building is effectively been thrashed and, elise, with your background expertise, there has definitely been a scuffle in here. You see little drops of blood. You see some slashes in the woodwork. You see pieces of torn like probably a shirt or a cloak, but someone definitely got in a fight in here.
Speaker 2:It seems it wasn't just one intruder. There was an actual confrontation, step lively. We don't know if either of them are still here.
Speaker 3:That is going to arm himself with his war hammer or his light hammer.
Speaker 4:Does it look like weapons or fist fight brawl?
Speaker 1:There are definitely signs of at least one blade being swung around the cramped space.
Speaker 2:These carvings here. These are fresh and it appears that a blade of some sort was used.
Speaker 4:Shimmer is definitely not stepping inside, by the way. She's going gonna look around the outside see if there's anything suspicious.
Speaker 1:Okay, uh, shimmer, if you're looking around the outside of the building, uh, let's see here.
Speaker 3:I am helping Shimmer.
Speaker 1:Okay, uh, then you will have advantage on your investigation. Go ahead and look around.
Speaker 4:Well, that didn't help much. It's seven. I rolled a five and a three.
Speaker 1:Shimmer. You look around and unfortunately it's just dusty road out here. You don't see any footprints or drag marks or anything to indicate that anything happened on the outside of this building.
Speaker 4:I'm going to change form. Become a halfling.
Speaker 2:I am smaller.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what does being a halfling do?
Speaker 4:Makes me smaller, basically, so I can look under things better without having to bend over.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, roll me a d20.
Speaker 4:14.
Speaker 1:Okay, you change into your halfling form and, being much shorter and much closer to the ground, you get a better view. And, as the almost noon sun high overhead was preventing you from seeing, there are in fact scuff marks of something being dragged away, leading from the door and out into the street.
Speaker 4:Something was dragged away leading from the door and out into the street. Something was dragged away from here, but what's it looked like? It could have been like big, small.
Speaker 1:It looks like whatever it was was very heavy. You see two footprints moving in front of the drag marks. Two sets of footprints.
Speaker 4:It looks like whatever they took was pretty heavy. I suppose we better follow it.
Speaker 3:That would be a good idea.
Speaker 1:I'll follow. Okay, you want to follow the drag marks? Easy enough. The three of you start following the drag marks, working as a team, looking for the next sets, the next movements, the next footprint, in the sequence. You start to see little drops of blood between the footprints. The drag marks are getting a little more scuffed as the people pulling it are clearly not able, are they're? They're not strong enough to keep moving it in fluid motions. They seem to be having to stop and uh and then start dragging it again as they're making their way out of the arcane isle and into the shipping lanes where they veer off the path. And you're following them across the space and the drag mark leads to the edge of the river and seems to head into the little islands.
Speaker 4:Once we head towards the river. I'm going back to my normal form. Normal changeling form.
Speaker 1:Okay, you guys have come to the edge of the river and the drag marks decidedly like pull into it. You can see the edge of a boat, where a boat was launched, and you know that they're out in the shipping lane somewhere. What would you like to do?
Speaker 4:Well, if only we had someone who could cast Divination. That would be a lovely skill to have right now. If only it was working. Wait this what are we even chasing? Do we even know? What are we even chasing? Do we even know what these marks are for?
Speaker 2:She's going to kick one of the scuff marks If I had to guess it would be certainly related to the helms we are chasing, but more likely it's a collection of them, some kind of trunk or alternatively our weird fairy friend was into something much more devious.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm not exactly sure how we're gonna follow it from here.
Speaker 1:I'd like to look around for a boat sure uh go ahead and actually, uh, I don't think you have to roll. What's your passive perception?
Speaker 3:My passive perception is 17.
Speaker 1:That is great, thaddeus. You listen to Shimmer muse over what could be going on. Elise is offering their ideas. You decide to look for a boat and, looking left and right, you see a little rowboat about 50 feet away. It appears to be ready to launch.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm really quickly going to turn to Shimmer, and Elise Thaddeus is then going to say there's a boat over here, we can follow them.
Speaker 4:Well, if we can figure out where they're going. I'm not rowing, she says and starts heading towards the boat.
Speaker 3:I was going to say if you were like, well, we need to know where we're going, and then that was that and you guys are going to continue discussing. Thaddeus was just going to walk over to the boat and leave without you.
Speaker 4:Shimmer's getting in the boat, but she's not going to be rowing. She's expecting you both to row, or one of you to row, but not her, god forbid.
Speaker 2:At least wouldn't have her row at all. She's the noble. You don't have noble's row. How tall is Elise? She's taller than six feet. I don't remember if we put an exact height on her. She's tall.
Speaker 1:So you three make it over to rowboat. You realize immediately that three of you in this rowboat is going to be a tight squeeze.
Speaker 4:Say halfling again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that'll work. Would you like to sit on Elise's lap?
Speaker 4:No.
Speaker 1:Alright, so you three get in the rowboat and you push off, I will be rowing. You push off into the river space as you move. Who wants to roll me the survival check to look for the next boat or the landing zone or anything that would give an indication?
Speaker 4:Since Thaddeus is rowing, I'll roll.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 4:It got cocked but it went red. It looked more like it was on a 15, but it says it's a 5.9. I am mad at the way the dice rolled on that one.
Speaker 1:You guys make it to a fork in the river space that leads around either side of one of the main islands within the shipping lanes.
Speaker 4:I'm also going to say I will blame her bad roll on the fact that she is not used to being small.
Speaker 1:Okay, because this is a 50-50 check, elise, roll me a D8. Five Nice, that falls on the side of success. You guys decide that the path to the right curves too shallowly for them to have pulled a boat into it and you take the deeper left path. As you make your way down, about halfway down the island, you see Thaddeus. You've rowed past it just a little bit, but you can see the edge of a rowboat sticking out of some brush on the edge of the river on the island.
Speaker 3:I think I see a rowboat sticking out of some brush on the edge of the island.
Speaker 1:All right. Do you pull in to dock or to beach the craft?
Speaker 3:Yes, I pull in to beach the craft.
Speaker 1:Excellent, you've beached the craft. You guys are now standing on the main island of the shipping lanes.
Speaker 4:As soon as she's off, she's back to Changeling.
Speaker 1:Form, thaddeus. Having lived in this city, you know that on this island there is a shadowed tree that you are meant to stay away from. You don't remember which side of the island it's on, but you do know that there is something dangerous here, so you need to be careful.
Speaker 3:I know there's something dangerous on this island. I don't remember which side it's on, but we need to be careful.
Speaker 4:In the middle of a city.
Speaker 3:No, it's outside of the city. I'm just, you know, reminiscing. Yes, it's in the middle of the city.
Speaker 4:Why wouldn't anyone do something about that?
Speaker 3:Beats me. I usually don't come to this side of the city unless I'm passing through to get to our Rolt's lab.
Speaker 4:You're terribly for business. She's kind of just looking around trying to find something.
Speaker 3:Elise. Yes, do you see anything that would warrant an investigation?
Speaker 2:Does Elise see anything that would warrant an investigation? Does Elise see anything that would warrant an investigation?
Speaker 4:The rowboat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Elise can look over at the rowboat and avoid the dangerous tree.
Speaker 4:Wouldn't Elise also know this? She grew up here, not like, yeah, they both lived here, but didn't Elise grow up here? Yeah, so they would both know about this, wouldn't they? Yeah, do, but didn't Elise grow up here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So they would both know about this, wouldn't they?
Speaker 2:Yeah, do we lose bread? I haven't heard from them.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm here. I may have been pushing the wrong button to talk about that. Elise, go ahead and roll me an investigation check on the partially hidden rowboat. On the partially hidden rowboat and, if you so wish, you may roll me a history or arcana check to see what you remember about the shadow tree on this island.
Speaker 2:Who's rolling that I missed the call out who's rolling history.
Speaker 1:Elise or Thaddeus whichever one of you wants to see if you know more about this shadow tree than what Thaddeus has already explained.
Speaker 3:Out of character. Mav Thaddeus has already explained Out of character. Mav my Thaddeus has a 7 on Arcana, if that helps, elise has a 9 on history. Perfect, you do the history, I'll do the Arcana.
Speaker 2:And break and break. They're both wrecking their heads. Yeah, alright, 14.
Speaker 1:26. Fuck, elise, everything that Thaddeus has said about the shadow tree Makes sense. And as you start looking over this rowboat that's been hidden by the brush, looking for the next set of tracks to lead you away, thaddeus starts speaking Again and he lets you guys know that the reason that nobody has dealt With the shadow tree is because it is only a shadow tree in daytime. At nighttime, it is a moonlit tree where the devouts of Selune come to give worship. During the day, especially when the sun is at its highest, which is right now, the tree is cursed, but at night it is beautiful and moonlit and mystic and very powerful.
Speaker 3:I remember the tree. It's beautiful at night, moonlit, very powerful and beautiful, and everything Worship by some moon people.
Speaker 1:Now I suddenly have to figure out if Shimmer is religious Anyway while we're figuring out if Shimmer is religious, Elise, roll me a survival check that survival's only a plus one, and a two on the die makes it three. Elise. You don't see anything that would lead you towards. You don't see any tracks on the ground in this area. The brush is too thick.
Speaker 4:Did Elise ever roll the investigation?
Speaker 2:No, I didn't get an investigation.
Speaker 1:Oh, you haven't. Oh no, the investigation should have been first.
Speaker 2:I just heard survival Four on the die, but it's still 17.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. So with the investigation check, this is likely the rowboat that the people that you're following were using. It's still wet. You can see the scuff marks where they dragged something out of the side and it leads into the brush. Unfortunately, once you step into the brush with your current survival check, the brush is too thick. It has bounced back into itself. You may you guys may end up having to comb through the whole island to see if you can find what just happened, Unless somebody else wants to try and track these fiends.
Speaker 3:Brad, I don't have a comb in my inventory, sorry.
Speaker 4:Shimmer is absolutely not. Shimmer is not really willing to go further into the marsh if she doesn't have to and if there's no marks she's sort of iffy about Okay, Especially with a shadow tree.
Speaker 1:A spooky shadow tree.
Speaker 4:A spooky shadow tree in an unknown location.
Speaker 1:You know it's here on the island.
Speaker 4:Yes, but an unknown location on the island and we don't even know what we're chasing.
Speaker 1:To the best of your knowledge, you are chasing two individuals who are dragging something heavy.
Speaker 4:What if we go just take the information we have, which isn't a lot of information, back to the lizard, rather than trying to track this down ourselves, since this isn't well. Actually, we don't know how much the lizard could help us, given the whole divination issue, but still, I don't want to travel through this marsh. It's tense.
Speaker 1:Okay, so Shimmer won't be rolling a survival check. What about you, thaddeus? Do you want to roll one before you leave?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm going to roll a survival check before I leave. You bring up a very good point, m'lady.
Speaker 2:It is a bit filthy here.
Speaker 1:I got a 22. Thaddeus. You take a couple additional steps into the brush beyond where Lise stopped and you find yourself on the edge of a clearing. Within the brush. It seems to be surrounded by skillfully planted thick hedges or hedge-type bushes, I should say that are. It's flat and clear in here and you can see a body lying in the grass.
Speaker 3:I turn back to Shimmer and Elise. There's a clearing, a few more steps, and there's a body lying in the grass.
Speaker 4:Okay, shimmer will cautiously walk through, making sure to press the digitation herself as soon as she, basically the entire time, because ew, ew, what is the body?
Speaker 3:Hang on, I gotta consult the universe. What is the body Humanoid? It's humanoid. That is a body. I mean, it looks like a body. Why is there the body Humanoid?
Speaker 4:It's humanoid, that is a body.
Speaker 3:I mean, it looks like a body.
Speaker 4:Why is there a body just laying in the middle of a clearing? That's suspicious.
Speaker 3:It is Thaddeus will walk up to the body and poke it with a stick. The body groans.
Speaker 1:Oh sorry, the body groans as you poke it with a stick. Clearly, uh, on his last life, his face very pale, thaddeus. Since you walked up to him, you could see that this individual is dressed in very plain, dark clothes, lots of like grays and blacks, simple gear on. You can see a dagger at his waist, his cloak is torn in several places and you can see a number of puncture wounds in his limbs.
Speaker 4:Is he alive?
Speaker 3:Huh, he seems to have a number of puncture wounds in his limbs. I'm going to disarm him. Yeah, okay, you gonna take his dagger. Yeah, I'm gonna take his dagger.
Speaker 1:Alright, you take his dagger and you notice that the end of it is covered in some kind of black ichor like substance.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna chuck his dagger like five feet away from him.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, you have disarmed the man. He's still groaning on the ground, very clearly bleeding to death.
Speaker 4:Does anybody have heal. Tie his arms up before, like we don't know if we can trust him or not.
Speaker 3:Uh, okay, fair point. Thaddeus will take rope from his backpack and tie up the man.
Speaker 4:Once he does that, I'm casting a first level healing word. Okay, thaddeus, you've tied the man up Twelve. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's a lot.
Speaker 4:Okay, you have effectively healed this man, I was at second level on accident. I didn't want to do second level.
Speaker 1:So then don't do a second level no, take backsies.
Speaker 2:I'm kidding.
Speaker 4:I thought something was wrong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he still healed up to full. You finish tying his arms around his back, Thaddeus, as Shimmer gives her healing word. What would your healing word be in this instance, Shimmer?
Speaker 4:Get up.
Speaker 1:Wow Direct and to the point Get up, no comfort, just get up.
Speaker 4:It's a peasant that she doesn't know who may or may not be an enemy.
Speaker 1:Okay, he's going to sit up his wounds having fully healed. The color coming back to his face, as he looks up, he sees you, thaddeus, and you Shimmer. At least how far away are you? Right next to them? You're right next to them, okay, so he sees you too.
Speaker 4:I'm at the edge of the clearing. I'm not near them.
Speaker 1:Okay. So he sees Elise and he sees Thaddeus and he looks up at you guys, and then he has a look of gratitude on his face until his eyes come back into focus, and then he glares at you. He's like you're not supposed to be here.
Speaker 3:And then he glares at you.
Speaker 1:He's like you're not supposed to be here. Oh really, yeah, go away what you shouldn't be on this island.
Speaker 3:Is that any way to talk to the people that just rescued you?
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, rescued me. It tied me up what are you doing? Here Dragging a bag. What was?
Speaker 3:in the bag.
Speaker 1:The bag stabbed me.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus kind of puts his hand on his forehead, kind of face palming it.
Speaker 4:Shimmer will sort of approach. What do you mean? The bag stabbed you.
Speaker 1:He's going to lock eyes with you, shimmer, and you see a look of kind of like recognition go through his face as he looks at you and then at Elise, and then at Thaddeus, and then back at you, and then at Thaddeus, and then at Elise, and then he just starts yelling his head off Like they're here, they're here, they're here, I'm going to punch him in the face.
Speaker 4:They're here I'm going to punch him in the face. I was gonna. That's actually more effective and saves me a spell slot, because I was gonna cast Charm Person to make him shut the fuck up.
Speaker 3:I'm just punching him in the face.
Speaker 1:Thaddeus, you have advantage on the unarmed strike because he is restrained.
Speaker 2:If that doesn't work, Elise will cast sleep 13.
Speaker 3:13 hits Three points.
Speaker 1:Three damage Thaddeus's. Thaddeus's large fist just slams into this guy's face and he falls on his back, completely laid out, but he's still shouting they're here, hey, everybody, hey, everybody, hey, they're here.
Speaker 4:I'm gonna grab him by the hair and slap my hand something over his mouth. Help, help, I'm being oppressed.
Speaker 2:Elise is casting sleep.
Speaker 4:I was gonna threaten him I was gonna threaten him. I was gonna threaten him.
Speaker 2:Elise will not cast sleep then.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so you're trying to muffle his yells as you grab him by the hair? Yes, that is easy enough. I don't believe you're trying to cause damage in this instance.
Speaker 4:No, she's going to be like shut the fuck up. Who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you want? It is in fact me attempting to intimidate this bitch.
Speaker 1:Go ahead and roll your intimidation, and I will give you advantage on this, because your friend just punched him in the face. Intimidation, and I will give you advantage on this, because your friend just punched him in the face.
Speaker 4:That would be a 16.
Speaker 3:Whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa we need to clear something up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're not friends. Your companion just punched him in the face. He's going to stop trying to shout through your hand. He's going to stop trying to shout through your hand.
Speaker 4:He's going to look at you and he's going to say I will remove the muffle slightly so I can hear him Repeat that now.
Speaker 1:You kind of taste like vanilla.
Speaker 4:I thought him.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus turns to Elise and says Elise, can you do the mind probie, whatever thing you do.
Speaker 1:He takes two more points damage from being slapped by Shimmer.
Speaker 2:Elise is going to detect thoughts.
Speaker 1:Okay, shimmer is currently holding him up by his hair. Do I need to make a wisdom saving throw or are you just going surface level At the moment? Just surface level? Okay, then what you're getting is oh stop, her nails are sharp. And these noble ladies and their sharp, sharp nails Useless. Useless in the working world, can't do anything with these nails. I can't button my scalp, can't move my arms. Did he take my dagger? Fuck, I think he took my dagger.
Speaker 4:If Elise tells me about the sharp nails thing, I'm going to purposefully dig those very same sharp nails into his scalp a little bit more.
Speaker 2:He doesn't seem to like your sharp nails.
Speaker 4:I'm going to do that, no.
Speaker 1:Every time stabbed in the head with these sharp-ass nails. Do you even clean under those things?
Speaker 4:Obviously, I don't like slapping or insulting her friend.
Speaker 1:Oh, now you're gonna. Okay, roll me a d4. One. Okay, you also deal two points of slapping damage, because he is being held so he cannot absorb the blow by turning his head.
Speaker 2:Those skills are worth more than your life.
Speaker 1:You fool. Currently his face is very swollen.
Speaker 4:I'm going to find a way to gag him without putting my hand over his mouth again.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus would like to do whatever he can, because I don't know if this is going to be persuasion or what, but he wants to do something where he basically gets the guy thinking at a surface level of what it was he was dragging away.
Speaker 2:Okay, Just probe deeper and that will be a save.
Speaker 4:but I mean, is there a way to help with the failing of the save? I think I have something for that. Actually, is it a spell that I have or is it an ability? I don't remember. Teacher, unsettling words. As a bonus action, you can expend one. Inspiration must subtract the number of a d6 die from the next saving throw. Yep, I'm going to use unsettling words on them.
Speaker 1:And just for fun. What might those unsettling words be?
Speaker 4:You are alone, absolutely. No one is coming to save you. No one cares about you, huh. You are worth nothing.
Speaker 1:That's kind of messed up lady.
Speaker 3:So, uh, that bag that you're dragging and everything, uh-huh, yeah, what was in it? Or do you not want to tell us what was in it?
Speaker 1:I told you the bag stabbed me. Now this lady says I'm worthless. That's fucking rude. I didn't say anything. I only said nice things about you.
Speaker 2:Elise is using her detect thoughts to see, first off, did the surface level change, but then she will probe deeper if it hasn't.
Speaker 1:The surface level is currently a jumble One. He's feeling very sad that that shimmer has has called him worthless. He does think a little bit about the bag. He does think a little bit about the bag, but yeah, as far as he's concerned, the most annoying thing about that bag was that something long and sharp came out of it and stabbed him several times and he's going to make a. He got a five.
Speaker 4:Minus 1d6?.
Speaker 1:He got a two. He got a five Minus 1d6?. He got a two, he got a two, he's got a two. Elise, how deep are you probing?
Speaker 2:Deep enough to figure out what he's carrying or what he was dragging, okay.
Speaker 1:You probe deeper into his mind trying to find out what's going on and the first thing that you come across is damn. I hope I'm buying enough time, otherwise they'll never be able to drag that angry robot thing away. They have Sarah.
Speaker 3:I believe, Of course they do.
Speaker 2:They're bringing her away.
Speaker 3:Of course they are. Let's go.
Speaker 1:I hope they're able to close the lid to our secret hideout.
Speaker 2:Apparently there's a lid to a secret hideout.
Speaker 3:Alright.
Speaker 2:Where.
Speaker 3:We need to get moving then as quickly as we can, and then I punch the guy in the face again.
Speaker 4:Wait, no, we need to know where the dead.
Speaker 1:Oh, nope, I'm punching him in the face, Okay uh, roll me your unarmed strike With advantage, as he is currently restrained and held up.
Speaker 4:Hopefully. Is there a way that Elise could hopefully get any semblance of direction for the hideout before Thaddeus knocks his lads out? That was a 19.
Speaker 1:Okay, that is a 19. Before we find out how much you rolled, elise, roll me a wisdom check. Three on the die for four, okay, you are. The only thing that you are able to pull out of his mind, as far as direction is concerned, is towards the shadow tree. And then, yeah, with that. Three on your unarmed strike. Damage Thaddeus. Your fist slams into this guy's swollen face for a second time and he is completely unconscious so do you think anyone would notice or care if we killed this guy?
Speaker 3:He's not dead right, no, he's unconscious. Cool, I'm going to take my crossbow and I'm going to put it at a point blank and pull the trigger.
Speaker 4:I was going to suggest magic, you know, make it slightly less obvious, intrinsable.
Speaker 3:Oh wow, Shimmer, by all means.
Speaker 1:Yeah, shimmer, how do you know so much about murder?
Speaker 4:Does vicious mockery work on an unconscious character Creature?
Speaker 1:I believe, vicious mockery. They have to be able to hear you.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, if a creature can hear you, Alright, zedritch, blast.
Speaker 1:Okay, he's. That's a ranged attack. You're close, but he is restrained so it's a straight roll.
Speaker 4:I would advise everyone step back, including me.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you're gonna throw him on the ground.
Speaker 4:Yep.
Speaker 1:Okay, so yeah, it's a straight roll.
Speaker 4:I roll the 17 on the die. With my hit die, it's a plus. With the plus 10, it's a straight roll. I roll the 17 on the die. If, with my hit die, it's a plus 10, it's 27. Because I am backing up.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah 27 absolutely hits.
Speaker 4:Do I have to roll damage? No, let's see how let's roll damage anyways, just kind of for fun.
Speaker 1:Nine damage, nine damage, just for fun. That Eldritch Blast alone would have been enough to knock him into unconsciousness from full health.
Speaker 4:So, yep, he's dead.
Speaker 1:He, you guys, you watch as effectively. This currently swollen and unconscious man gets blasted by a ray from Shimmer and he's no longer breathing.
Speaker 4:Let's take a rope back and let's get moving.
Speaker 3:Okay, I'm surprised he's not like disintegrated.
Speaker 4:Yeah, me too.
Speaker 1:You guys gather your rope back. Do you want to take his dagger or go through his belongings?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm gonna take the dagger.
Speaker 4:I'll take his stuff, His money at least.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you take Thaddeus.
Speaker 4:Huh.
Speaker 2:Well, actually the elites want his money, she'll definitely pocket some change if he's got any money.
Speaker 4:Okay.
Speaker 1:Then Shimmer probably got any money Okay.
Speaker 4:Then Chimber probably wouldn't care.
Speaker 1:Okay. So, thaddeus, you're gonna pick up his dagger that has the blackened ichor-like substance at the bottom, which now you recognize as oil, and at least roll me an investigation check to go through his stuff.
Speaker 2:He's not using any of this money. He's 30. Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1:Okay. You find a second dagger on his person, you find a bottle of poison that is likely used to coat the daggers. You find a small money pouch with five gold and two electrum in it and you find a note on his person that has been partially destroyed. But what you can, can you read Thieves Can't yes, got it. What you can make out from read Thieves' Cant yes, got it. What you can make out from the part that is still legible is to kidnap the usurpers.
Speaker 2:This note says to kidnap the usurpers. Usurpers of what?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're not the usurpers, we're the time breakers.
Speaker 2:Time time breakers.
Speaker 1:It doesn't say. It looks like that there was more to the story, like this is just the top corner of a note. There's like 90% of the rest of the page is just missing but that's because of me you don't know all right. So you have interrogated an individual. You know they have Sarah and you know that they have a hideout somewhere on this island. What would you like to do next? Search for the secret door. You guys have two options you can head north or you can head south.
Speaker 4:Did Elise tell us that she got the impression of go towards the shadow tree?
Speaker 1:I don't know. Did you tell them?
Speaker 2:that In reading his mind, he gave the impression that the door was towards the shadow tree.
Speaker 4:How fucking coarse it is. You know, if that sun wasn't there you'd think the robot would be okay until nighttime, but then that would give them more opportunities to know we're around.
Speaker 2:What would they do with Severa anyway?
Speaker 4:Who fucking knows? Shame you can't ask the guy what about the robot? We could ask him, but that's not an option anymore.
Speaker 1:Elise, With your background and situations, Dealing with people who deal with situations like this, roll me. You can either roll me Dang History or survival 24 on history, All right. Generally in situations like this, based on the note that you found and the way that this particular individual is dressed, you are likely dealing with one of the smaller subsects of a thief or assassin's guild that says to kidnap and not kill you. To kidnap and not kill. There's a good chance that they're trying to take people prisoner. And if they're trying to take people prisoners and they've targeted your group, there's a good chance that they're working for the cultists that you know currently exist in this timeline.
Speaker 2:They would have been better off hiring a kidnappers guild. Methinks I know they've hired thieves and assassins for kidnappings. The clothing tells me this is a thief or an assassin.
Speaker 4:Thieves are good at stealing inanimate objects, so I mean for stealing a robot. I guess I can see the logic there, though I don't see why they would choose that for a steel defender of all robots I've met a few traffickers, but they were disgusting even by my standards. They did not present great, not my assassins.
Speaker 1:Well, you guys came from the south of this island as you made your way up the river, so you don't remember seeing any shadow tree on your way up. So your likely course of action is to head north, towards the tip of the island and see what you can find up there.
Speaker 3:I think we should head north to the tip of the island, see what we can find up there, and Thaddeus proceeds to walk north.
Speaker 1:Alright, you guys start heading north through the brush, thaddeus, to walk north. Alright, you guys start heading north through the brush, thaddeus, roll me a dex, save 15. Nice, your foot gets caught on a wire and you almost trip over it, but you manage to keep your footing as several small spikes jut out of the ground. It seems this forest is trapped.
Speaker 3:I turn back to Shimmer and Elise. It seems this forest is trapped. I turn back to Shimmer and Elise. It seems this forest is trapped.
Speaker 4:Does the shadow tree look distinct in any way?
Speaker 3:Like specifically At night it looks beautiful and in the data, it trips with shadows.
Speaker 4:Would it be easy to spot amongst its trees from above, do you think?
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 4:I'm casting flight and flying up until I can see the trees.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:I'm just going to fly straight up to try and look above to see if I can spot it. Okay, I don't know why I just thought of that.
Speaker 1:You guys watch as Shimmer, annoyed by the traps on the ground and having to be in this forest at all, flies straight up, breaking through the canopy and rolls me a perception or investigation check to see if she can see the shadow tree.
Speaker 4:Net 20, 24 total.
Speaker 1:Nice, you see it. Immediately Down at the northern end of this island is a large, essentially black tree with shadows dripping underneath it. You can see objects, creatures maybe moving around inside of it, but you can also see that as far as its shadow extends, the space around it is basically dead. There is an arc where the shadow moves as the sun rises and sets around the tree of just dead space. But you definitely see it at the northern end of the island. You can probably get there by boat. You don't have to walk through this forest at all.
Speaker 4:I'm going to go down there and like let's go back to the boat. I found it. Avoid the trap.
Speaker 2:At least we nod and follow the directions.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Thaddeus is going to follow.
Speaker 4:As we go back to the boat, Shimmer is going to tell them everything that you just said.
Speaker 1:All right, you guys get back in your boat.
Speaker 3:Thaddeus, are you rowing again? Yes, with extra determination. They have, sarah. They must die.
Speaker 1:Alright, then roll, give me an athletics with advantage, because you are Empowered by your Annoyance that they took Sarah. Your determination, nice. You fly up this river Against the current by your annoyance that they took Sarah. Your determination, nice. You fly up this river against the current, just cruising along at a speed that you didn't know rowboats could move. You make it to the north end of this island and you see what Shimmer was talking about a massive black shadow-dripping tree, and you can see that there are creatures that look like various animals trapped inside under the shadows. And, with a 17 passive perception, stadius, you see a large rock shifting back into place at the edge of the forest.
Speaker 3:I see the trapdoor. It's the large rock over yonder and I point to it.
Speaker 1:And that is where we're going to end our session today.
Speaker 4:Session end. Cliffhanger, cliffhanger yeah.
Speaker 1:That's all for now, but when we return next episode, I'm sure the time breakers will continue to impress us. You can come join the discord link is in the description and, uh, help build the city from the inside. You can talk to us about uh moves that we made or may may not have made, things that you enjoy about it, heck, just come tell us things that you don't like about it. I'll listen to that too. But you can leave a rating or leave a review and tell us how you really feel. Thanks for listening. Bye.
Speaker 3:Bye, thank you.