WiW: NoTa Garden Gnome

What if the fate of an entire kingdom depended on the whispers of the dead? Join us as we navigate the high-stakes world of Vregate, where Shimmer embarks on a perilous journey to find a cleric capable of casting the "Speak with Dead" spell. Can Shimmer uncover the assassin’s secrets in time, or will the festival's clock run out on them all? Meanwhile, Elise and Thaddeus are hard at work at the bustling festival, crafting a silvered mask with a voice-altering mechanism for Elise’s covert missions while Sarah joins them in their pursuit of a mysterious moving ear.

As the festival chaos unfolds, Elise, Sarah, and Thaddeus venture into the Flowing Silver's Bazaar, employing spells like Locate Object and Detect Thoughts to track down an elusive invisible presence. The trail leads them to the Crystal Cove shop and massage parlor, where Sarah's keen observations bring them closer to their target. The intensity rises when Elise, disguised as the Silvered Fang, manages a clandestine meeting with Duke Valerian Blackthorn, revealing the sinister plans of the cult known as the Siricists and striving to avert a foreseen tragedy.

Back at Thaddeus' house, the group reconvenes to discuss infiltrating the cultists through a sewer access point, adding a touch of humor with Thaddeus' herbal tea mishap. They brainstorm innovative strategies, including shrinking in size with magic, to navigate the sewers. The episode wraps up with the Time Breakers gearing up for their next move, ready to thwart the Siricists' dark plans. Don't miss out on joining our Discord community to be part of Vregate's unfolding saga and share your own ideas to shape the city's future! 

To join the City its-self and gain the opportunity to join the party as a guest on their adventures : <a href="https://discord.gg/Y7UNS7aErT">Discord</a>

This podcast uses many sounds from freesound.com, for the full list see here: https://eliselappan.wixsite.com/multimedia/general-5

Opening and closing music Composed by Ryan Muns, owner and operator of Eyes On The Moon Studios. For inquiries, please send an email to eyesonthemoonstudios@gmail.com. Eyes On The Moon Studios can be found on Spotify, Bandcamp, and most other major streaming services.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:20

Hello and welcome back. I'm Bare Metal Bread, your guide through the streets and whispers of Vregate. Get around you lost folk as we spiral back into the time breakers trying to rewrite history and change their fates. When we last left off, it was morning on day three. They had about 118 hours left until the festival concluded. The festival concluded. During the first two hours of this morning, they spent a long time making their plans, gathering more information and realizing that some things may or may not have been what they seen. Shimmer, you wanted to find somebody to speak with dead. That was your plan.

Speaker 2 1:00

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:01

Okay, the rest of the party was working on debating other things, so let's focus on you for just a moment. Do you want to head out and see if you can find a cleric powerful enough to cast the speak with dead spell?

Speaker 2 1:18

Yeah, I'd like to do that.

Speaker 1 1:19

Okay, as the rest of the team is making their arguments over what you should be doing, what would you like to tell them?

Speaker 2 1:30

Well, you all are doing that. I'm going to find a way that we can get to speak with Dead.

Speaker 3 1:37

And that's for the assassin. We're trying to determine why they were there and what they know about the lizard.

Speaker 2 1:45

Yes, the assassin can tell us exactly what happened. If we have Speakwith dead, which is the most important part, it's an excellent idea. Well, that's in the courts.

Speaker 3 1:57

If we take a two-pronged approach, we split off, we can cover more ground.

Speaker 2 2:02

Indeed, I'll head out, get the speak with Dead. We'll meet back up later. And where shall we meet back up?

Speaker 4 2:14

Well, I really don't see a reason why we shouldn't just meet back up at my house.

Speaker 2 2:18

Makes sense. I'll be back here when I find something.

Speaker 1 2:21

Okay, you know what, since you're going to be heading off on your own and these guys are going to be heading towards a plan of their own, why don't you go ahead and roll me an investigation, check, and when we jump back to you later we will see how you're doing?

Speaker 2 2:39

16.

Speaker 1 2:40

Excellent. Do you take any funds with you? Do you have your own funds in case you need to hire somebody?

Speaker 2 2:46

I have funds. Yes, I will take funds if we have them as well, but also I have my own if we don't have funds for specifically this.

Speaker 1 2:56

If we have to, we'll retroactively say that you did take the funds that you needed Effectively. Shimmer steps out the door into the light of the morning. You can hear the clamor as people are flooding back out into the streets for day three of the festivities, um, and she disappears into the crowds, leaving you guys to formulate your own plan on how to get back to the assassin, or however you want to handle things.

Speaker 4 3:25

All right.

Speaker 1 3:29

Sounds good, elise, what was your plan again?

Speaker 3 3:33

We are. This is above the table. This isn't Elise speaking, but we're looking to communicate with the bodyguard who had the ear. We're going to try and use locate object to find it. We're trying to find ways to infiltrate the cirrhosis and gather. We're trying to get more information. Obviously we're on a tight time, crunch Right okay. So we are very careful about how we spend our time. Yes, okay.

Speaker 1 4:05

So you want to use locate object to find the ear? That Okay, okay. What is the range of locate object?

Speaker 3 4:14

It is not very big Remember that before we did and it's only 10 minutes. A thousand feet in 10 minutes.

Speaker 1 4:25

Okay, how many times can you cast this spell?

Speaker 3 4:29

If I use all the spell slots available to me twice.

Speaker 1 4:34

Okay, well, then we're going to need to. If that's how you want to handle things, then we're going to need to handle things a little differently. So let's start with this.

Speaker 3 4:49

I would like to start with something else, if I can.

Speaker 1 4:52

Right, obviously, the first thing that you're that you're going to need, we're going to need to go out and investigate.

Speaker 3 4:59

Before heading out on the investigation. Elise is going to turn to Thaddeus. I have an idea. I need your help, though. I need you to create something for me. What do you need? I would like a mask, and she creates a minor illusion of a snake, dragon-esque, reptilian mask with sharp fangs. It looks silvered in the illusion. I would like a mask like this, and I would like it to alter my voice, to be impossible to discover. It's me that is speaking, and I shall go by a non-begrab, so to speak. I shall become the Silvered.

Speaker 1 5:44

Fang. So just for clarification, as me the DM, you want Thaddeus to make you a mask that disguises your voice. Correct, okay, thaddeus, yes, as a magical tinkerer, as it is. The question I have for you is would you want to try and make a mechanical voice changer, or would you like to try and make a magical voice changer?

Speaker 4 6:17

Which one lets me roll Arcana Magical.

Speaker 6 6:22

Dunce.

Speaker 1 6:25

I'm going to say that the magical version, because there are spells of fairly low level that allow you to change your voice in some ways or another. There are ways to handle this. So if you want to use magic to create this thing, it's going to become two checks. First is going to be a. If it's going to be a silvered mask, I'd say it's going to be a smith's check. Do you have smith's tools?

Speaker 4 6:59

Yes, I do, but I actually don't need to make a magical voice changer, because I still have one of sarah's prototype voice boxes yeah, so we're, uh, we're going to use a mechanical one then, okay, okay is it mechanical?

Speaker 1 7:16

it would be mechanical, technically, yes, uh, but it would have to be tinkered with to allow Elise's voice to speak and come out the other side. Correct, like a microphone speaker setup. Okay, okay, then, if you're crafting a mask, I need a. Let's see, you have Smith's tools, so roll me a d20 plus your proficiency bonus.

Speaker 4 7:47

For those wondering, my proficiency bonus is a plus three, something I've always known. Please don't listen to previous episodes where I ask I'm kidding, definitely listen to previous episodes. That's a seven Twenty, dirty twenty.

Speaker 1 8:03

Ah, nice. Okay, you grab some materials off of your workbench and you throw together a well, what is essentially a chromed dragon mask. I will say that crafting this whole process probably takes you about an hour, but you managed to create this thing. It is very shiny, it is very fancy, it is very comfortable to wear and you have you have a voice box so you're able to attach it inside. But I need a second tinkering check from you. Excellent, to see how far we can tune this voice box to go from. But I need a second tinkering check from you. Excellent, to see how far we can tune this voice box to go from mechanical to. You know something that people would actually listen to somebody speaking in.

Speaker 4 8:56

Are you saying nobody listens to Sarah?

Speaker 1 8:58

Not saying that nobody listens to Sarah, but I'm saying that there is. You would want a voice box that makes it easy to To distract from the fact that there is an actual person speaking behind it.

Speaker 4 9:10

I don't get it, but okay.

Speaker 1 9:12

Just roll the dice.

Speaker 4 9:16

Proficiency bonus still.

Speaker 1 9:19

You're a tinker. Yes, proficiency bonus, that was.

Speaker 4 9:24

Fantastic.

Speaker 3 9:26

What was that roll?

Speaker 1 9:27

Thaddeus.

Speaker 4 9:29

That was a nat 1. Okay, I guess. I'm gonna have to make a new voice box.

Speaker 1 9:37

No, no, no. You attach this voice box, you tinker with it and you do make it so that when Elise speaks, what comes out is a completely different voice. Elise, you put on this mask, you test the voice box what comes out is a voice. It is not a pleasant voice, which means that if you decide to use this currently, you would have disadvantage on deception checks to make use of this.

Speaker 6 10:10

Let me try this on. I feel like it should be advantage on deception and disadvantage on any persuasion.

Speaker 1 10:20

Roll a d20 to seduce the DM, not seduce the DMm to convince the dm is this good?

Speaker 3 10:29

can you hear?

Speaker 6 10:32

is this voice less? Looking was the voice. Good, hey there, mr dm man. Uh-huh, that is a 19 on the dice, yeah okay.

Speaker 1 10:48

So alright, Elise, you will have advantage on deception for hiding your true identity, but you will have disadvantage on performance and persuasion.

Speaker 6 11:05

Sounds right.

Speaker 4 11:06

You know what? Let me just take a look at the mask again. At least let me try one more time to see if I can't get it any better. Yeah, I mean not that it's bad.

Speaker 3 11:15

It just needs a little bit of tweaking. The voice isn't exactly where I want it just yet.

Speaker 1 11:20

Okay, while you're making this check, thaddeus, go ahead and roll me a D100.

Speaker 3 11:26

It's funny because we were just talking about how having multiple rolls in succession leads to a higher chance of failure.

Speaker 1 11:35

I mean, he really can't get worse than a one, can he? But the fact that he rolled twice is why he got the one, a second one, that's true, that would be worse Okay, 32.

Speaker 1 11:43

A second one that would be worse Okay, got it. I think it's going to take you about a half hour of tinkering with this item. So you have now spent an hour and a half on this mask, so go ahead and roll me another d20. I will give you advantage this time because very clearly, you saw what went wrong the first time around. That's going to be an 18. Easy enough, 18,. You make a much better voice this time around. It is pleasant to listen to. I will say that you lose the disadvantages, but you maintain the advantage on deception.

Speaker 5 12:27

Nice Okay.

Speaker 1 12:30

So you now have a silver dragon mask.

Speaker 3 12:35

All right, let's test this out.

Speaker 5 12:38

How do I sound now?

Speaker 1 12:43

You sound great.

Speaker 6 12:46

You sound like the voices in my head.

Speaker 4 12:48

Mine too.

Speaker 5 12:49

Voices inside your head sound exactly like this.

Speaker 4 12:58

Well, they sound a bit dumber, but okay.

Speaker 1 13:02

Okay, uh, silverfang, you now have your mask. What, what, uh, what's your plan here?

Speaker 3 13:09

while, while thaddeus is working on the mask, is working on kind of a quick change wardrobe or at least, um, something she can quickly disguise self into to differentiate effectively. What she's trying to do is go undercover when she needs to, as quickly as she needs to, all in all, in one fell swooped uh, easy enough.

Speaker 1 13:34

Uh, this is. This would be part of your uh previous job set, uh, previous job skill set. So, yeah, I figured during the hour and a half that he's working on this, uh, you very easily have uh crafted together a quick set of change, change of clothes. You know, like uh what reversible cloak you pull the the latch on your shirt. Suddenly it's a different color, effectively.

Speaker 4 13:59

Yeah, yeah, okay, easy enough there would be plenty of materials in thaddeus' house to do all of this.

Speaker 1 14:07

Yes, there are lots of materials in Thaddeus' house. Okay, so now you are able to fully disguise yourself. I would say that if you need to make a quick change, you can do so in an action Nice Easy enough. In an action, nice, easy enough. All right, you are fully prepared to head out into this, into this day of festivities, and let's see if we can't find you that year Onward we travel.

Speaker 1 14:37

Where would you like to begin? You are currently in the Eastern Village. You know that the Sea Ward is where you first ran into him. There's the Upper Ward that you can check out. As the individual is a noble, that is likely where he is staying. There's also Upper West Regate, where more private upper class citizens make their homes class citizens make their homes.

Speaker 4 15:06

Thaddeus, having examined the map and also from Elise's description on how far the detect spell works, he would like to make a suggestion for the Flowing Silvers Bazaar, particularly the area between the Flowing Silvers Bazaar and the Upper Ward, as that would cover a large swath of the city.

Speaker 1 15:31

Yeah, okay, I figure in 10 minutes. If you want to check out that area, you can travel a distance from between the Watcher's Row to the shipping lanes If you want to walk down that whole main street area.

Speaker 3 15:45

Yes, excellent plan Thaddeus. I think that's our best bet.

Speaker 4 15:51

Yeah, I was thinking about that while I was crafting the mask the first time around, which is probably why the voice box didn't turn out so well.

Speaker 1 15:58

So, on that note, speaking of, are you wearing this outfit out of the house?

Speaker 3 16:07

Not the, not the silvered fang persona. She's traveling as elise and then the silvered fang comes when you know, effectively, we're creating a persona, figure, a nom de air or a nom de plume of a shadowed figure with a past, no history.

Speaker 1 16:26

Got it. They're going to be your inn once you're talking to people. Yeah, okay, so you head out of the eastern village. You make your way up the main streets towards the edge of Watcher's Row and you come to the corner between the upper ward and Flowing Silver's Bazaar. There are a lot of people in this area. The streets are effectively packed, which is why it takes so long to walk from one side to the other. You cannot, uh, run here, there's there. You're just squeezing through people.

Speaker 4 17:04

This is why I was at home the first time around.

Speaker 1 17:08

Yeah, there's just a lot of individuals, especially in this area.

Speaker 3 17:14

Far too many people, far too many.

Speaker 1 17:17

Alright, so you cast your spell. What exactly? What exactly does the spell tell you?

Speaker 3 17:27

Describe or name an object that is familiar to you. You sense the direction to the object's location as long as that object is within a thousand feet of you. If the object is motion, you know the direction of movement. Oh, interesting.

Invisible Pursuit in Crystal Cove

Speaker 1 17:43

Okay, interesting, okay. So you cast your spell and you start walking down the street, uh, covering as much range as you can. Roll me a perception check. I know the spell tells you if things are happening, but we're gonna run your perception check against a uh roll of my own to see, see if he's in the area that is 15. Okay, I rolled terribly so you win. And on that note, you sense, you will sense the ear in the bazaar. It is moving as you stop and you, you know you get a feel for the information. You feel like it's moving towards you and then it's moving parallel to you and then it's moving towards you again and then it's moving away from you and then it's moving parallel to you, but it seems to be staying within about 100 feet of the same distance. Perhaps somebody is moving in a perimeter.

Speaker 3 18:48

Yeah, elise will walk towards the locate object and signaling to the other two the direction she is going to walk, without saying any words that anybody might overhear as she approaches. She'll keep a distance. Make sure she has a visual understanding of the situation before rushing in.

Speaker 1 19:08

All right. You make your way in into Flowing Silver's Bazaar and you start pushing your way through the people and you can still feel. You can still sense that the ear is moving and it's moving towards you and then it's moving away from you and then it's moving towards you and then it's moving away from you and then it's moving towards you again pretty consistently, and as you make your way closer and closer, you finally get a beat on it as you come in to within about 100 feet and you can sense it like right next to you, almost entirely, like within's reach, but you don't see anybody. And then you feel it moving away from you again, like at a pretty brisk speed, like if you ran you could catch up with it, but maybe not. But you find yourself standing outside of the Crystal Cove shop and massage parlor.

Speaker 3 19:58

So there was someone or something invisible that has the ear Potentially, and the ear is leaving the shop.

Speaker 1 20:07

It seems to be circling the shop. You feel it make a turn around the corner and you feel it coming towards you again. You sense it coming towards you, you sense it right next to you, but you still don't see somebody. What would you like to do?

Speaker 4 20:21

Keep in mind I'm hanging back, so I don't really know what's going on.

Speaker 3 20:24

What would you like to do? Keep in mind, I'm hanging back, so I don't really know what's going on. When the presence is far enough away that they can't hear me cast spells, she'll cast Detect.

Speaker 1 20:35

Thoughts. Okay, what does Detect Thoughts do? Like, I know what Detect Thoughts does, but does it work on someone you can't see?

Speaker 3 20:45

For the duration. Actually, one of its kind of specific use cases is finding invisible people. Um, but for the duration, you can read the thoughts of certain creatures when you cast the spell and as your action on each turn until the spell ends, you can focus your mind on any one creature that you can't see. But, um, you can also use this spell, detect the presence of seeking creatures you can't see. When you cast this spell or as your action during the duration, you can search for thoughts within 30 feet of you. This spell can penetrate barriers. But two feet of rock, two inches of any other metal other than lead, or a thin sheet of lead blocks you Got it.

Speaker 1 21:19

So you wait for this is a concentration spell, correct?

Speaker 3 21:23

Correct, so I have to drop locate objects.

Speaker 1 21:26

Okay, so you sense the. You sense the ear is on the other side of the building and continuing to make its rounds. And so you cast your detect thoughts spell and you reach out, searching with your mind. Roll me, roll me an insight, check. Thanks. You know what? That'll be good enough. You hear the voices of the people around you. This is a densely, a fairly densely crowded area People going in and out of the shop, people mingling around you, people shouting, people yelling. You start focusing your mind, looking for well, you're not sure what, but it's definitely not going to be somebody who's happy to be in a festival. And as you're reaching out for this, your mind is flooded by the thoughts of the people around you. And then, all of a sudden, you sense, right next to you, a very grumbled voice going. I can't believe he's getting a massage. We have so much to do right now. What would you like to do with?

Speaker 3 22:30

that At this point, elise is going to walk to the others to inform them of the situation. Okay, very nonchalant, she's not drawing attention to the fact that she was just listening in for thoughts.

Speaker 1 22:47

All right, you walk up to Sarah and Thaddeus, it seems our friend is currently getting a massage.

Speaker 4 22:57

Uh-huh, thaddeus just looks baffled.

Speaker 1 23:03

As he should.

Speaker 4 23:04

Where was the ear Inside the building, the bodyguard?

Speaker 3 23:10

is currently invisible carrying the ear.

Speaker 6 23:13

Oh there, huh, as my head starts to rotate like 720 degrees as I scan for people.

Speaker 1 23:21

Your head's just going in circles like an owl, hoping to see somebody who's invisible?

Speaker 6 23:25

Yes, okay, do you want me to make my perception?

Speaker 1 23:31

Um, yeah, I will let you make your perception on this.

Speaker 6 23:33

At this advantage.

Speaker 1 23:35

Uh, no, I'm gonna let you make it flat, because you were told there's an invisible person here.

Speaker 6 23:40

I'm at 23.

Speaker 1 23:42

Sarah, as Elise is telling you, all this is happening. You start scanning around you and you see something interesting happen towards the front door, as two individuals who are walking like shoulder to shoulder are suddenly pushed apart by an unseen force.

Speaker 6 23:59

Hmm, so there is, and we don't log on to that spot. Keep track of the footsteps.

Speaker 1 24:05

Yeah, Looking down at the footsteps you can see that there's kind of like a shuffle line in the dust, Like it's very clearly that somebody has trekked in this one singular spot many times today.

Speaker 6 24:17

It seems like it's an awfully long massage and I'll point out the tracks. It's like my head stays, like my eyes stay on the tracks and the rest of my body just turns and I point at it as I'm talking. You're drawing too much attention.

Speaker 4 24:30

Also, that's not what a massage is.

Speaker 3 24:33

If you point out the invisible person, he might notice you. I would try. This is a stealth maneuver where you do not draw attention to the thing you are looking at.

Speaker 6 24:43

Oh, I understand. Sarah does not understand. I understand she begins.

Speaker 1 24:51

Is that a one on a stealth check? Sarah, yes, More steam billowing.

Speaker 6 25:00

So I want you to think of, like the fucking intro to what is it? Borderlands 3, I think that's what it was where Claptrap's just being loud as fuck and trying to sneak down the hillside drawing all of the attention to himself.

Speaker 1 25:17

Okay. Well, while Sarah's doing that, elise and Thaddeus, what are you doing before this next thing happens? How do you try and salvage this? I hope you have a good plan, because things are about to get interesting.

Speaker 4 25:34

Let's see what can I do. What do I have? Ah, okay, so I have some pitons, okay, and I have a hammer. I'm going to hammer the If the person has already walked off, and everything before they make their rounds back. I'm going to hammer a couple pitons into the ground and run my rope through it.

Speaker 1 25:57

You're building a tripwire?

Speaker 6 25:59

Yes, In the middle of a public street.

Speaker 1 26:02

Okay, this will be fun. Go ahead and roll me sleight of hand.

Speaker 4 26:07

Did I mention these are magical peacocks, yeah roll sleight of hand.

Speaker 3 26:13

Can it be Arcana?

Speaker 1 26:16

Oh, that's 19. Okay, as Elise is trying to get some sense into Sarah about this being a stealth mission, you guys watch as Thaddeus walks over and very quickly and deftly builds a tripwire over the path that Sarah pointed out. Yeah, okay. So, elise, I will say that you have a moment to do something as well before something interesting happens.

Speaker 6 26:44

Sarah does a random barrel roll, stuff it. Ha ha.

Speaker 3 26:52

Would you say that the action of quick changing would break invisibility, are you?

Speaker 1 26:59

invisible.

Speaker 3 27:00

No, she's about to be though.

Speaker 1 27:02

Uh, no, no, the action of movements like that are not Don't break invisibility.

Speaker 3 27:07

Only attacks do so using the shadow touch feature, elise is going to completely abandon Sarah because she's being way too loud. For this to be successful, it should cast invisibility, ok, I?

Speaker 1 27:29

don't know enough about Sarah.

Speaker 6 27:31

Definitely understood stealth.

Speaker 1 27:33

All right, you've cast invisibility on yourself. You are now hidden. Roll me a stealth check, please.

Speaker 3 27:39

If I didn't get an advantage from the invisibility, I do have the, the cloak of the kind. Oh yeah, you would have advantage from the invisibility. I do have the cloak of the living kind.

Speaker 1 27:46

Oh yeah, you would have advantage from the invisibility.

Speaker 3 27:49

That's like 29.

Speaker 1 27:51

Of course it is Okay. So here's what happens Thaddeus walks over and he builds a small tripwire over the path that Sarah pointed out. Sarah jumps sideways into a barrel roll, yelling stealthy while continuing to point at the direction, and Elise, exasperated, disappears from view just completely. And as this all happens, Thaddeus, your trip wire breaks and as it does, you hear a thunk as somebody hits the ground, and then a voice calls out ah, you, fucking you, why. Who does?

Speaker 3 28:37

that Is the voice from the invisible guy.

Speaker 6 28:43

Yes.

Speaker 1 28:45

The voice is from a person that Thaddeus cannot see.

Speaker 6 28:49

So yes, and on that note, another barrel roll. I'm like stealthy and I'm like going around them.

Speaker 1 28:57

Thaddeus, you feel the wind as somebody. It feels like they tried to kick you in the knee but they kind of missed. And then you hear grumbling as they climb to their feet. And a small gnome in a cloak appears in front of you and he is glaring at you.

Speaker 4 29:18

Well, you gonna answer? Why should I have to answer you? I'm just doing my job there, buddy.

Speaker 1 29:24

What'd you?

Speaker 4 29:24

go and build a string on the road, for I was marking out a new path that was going to be installed at this very location. I am rolling a deception.

Speaker 6 29:39

Specifically here, in this one spot 14.

Speaker 1 29:42

Specifically here in this one spot. Okay, well, I'm going to roll an insight check on you, that'll be fun. Specifically here in this one spot. 14. Specifically here in this one spot. Okay, well, I'm going to roll an insight check on you, That'll be fun.

Speaker 4 29:52

What was that Bread?

Speaker 1 29:53

That is you're lucky. I don't know his modifiers yet, anyway, so he's going to stand there and he's going to glare at you and he's going to point at it and he's going to say at it and he's going to say next time lay the, lay the rope along the ground and not four inches in the air where someone can trip on it well, nobody was going to trip on it, because everybody can see the rope.

Speaker 4 30:20

Are there any?

Speaker 3 30:21

rules or laws against being invisible in public.

Speaker 6 30:25

There are not there's laws about shapeshifting in public isn't there.

Speaker 1 30:30

There are laws about shapeshifting, but those are mainly to prevent people who have been spotted doing a crime from attempting to get away, which doesn't really work because the criminals are going to commit the crime anyway, wouldn't?

Speaker 1 30:44

invisibility have the same purpose yes, invisibility would have the same purpose, but there are so many random things that can accidentally turn somebody invisible in a world of magic like this that it's just assumed it's for a purpose rather than a criminal act why would they assume, invisibility is a criminal act, rather that is unnatural, rather than something that is shape-shifting because the people in charge of this world are much different than the people who use common sense okay, yeah, that's all I need to know.

Speaker 1 31:29

Anyway, no, there's no technical, there's no law against you being invisible in public. If somebody bumps into you, nobody's calling the cops.

Speaker 4 31:36

Right? Is this also the same gnome that left the message that said I was always watching you?

Speaker 1 31:41

You don't know. Yes.

Speaker 3 31:43

Does he?

Speaker 1 31:43

have one eye he does how this gnome doesn't recognize you?

Speaker 3 31:46

You don't know. Yes, Does he have one eye? He does. How this gnome doesn't recognize you.

Speaker 6 31:48

I don't know, I'm too busy being stealthy, so I'm going to do another barrel roll beside them, like you know. Come on the screen and Stealth mode.

Speaker 4 32:00

So I am going to turn to this gnome that I suspect is the same gnome that I've known before. Who's left the gnome message?

Speaker 1 32:07

It was dark previously.

Speaker 4 32:09

Okay, and I'm going to say you know, you left me a note that said you're always watching, or that you're now watching me, so you should have seen me clearly put this in the ground, which means you should have been able to avoid it put this in the ground, which means you should have been able to avoid it.

Speaker 1 32:25

Normally I would have, but I was distracted by a trash can doing a flip in the middle of the street.

Speaker 4 32:34

Buddy, that sounds like a skill issue on your part. That's a you problem, not a me problem, not a line in the road here problem for this path that I'm putting in.

Speaker 6 32:45

Sarah's going to look up at the dome and then kind of slip down some like they're sad and their eyes are going to grow dimmer.

Speaker 4 32:54

Now what I want to know is what are you going to do about the quality of my line here, because you shifted it by a few millimeters.

Speaker 1 33:06

I had this precise and now it's not precise, if I could describe the face I'm making right now.

Speaker 4 33:12

Please describe it Red.

Speaker 6 33:14

My insight rolled a one, so I don't recognize that this guy is the person from before.

Speaker 1 33:21

You know that. Look that people get when one side of their face tenses up like they can't believe what's happening in front of them.

Speaker 3 33:30

They're trying to maintain like incredulous is probably the word you're looking for.

Speaker 1 33:36

Yeah, ok, he. He's staring at you just incredulously. His bad eye is all like squint, okay, so it's close to that, but instead of a frown, his mouth is open like he wants to say something and he is going to. He's staring at you, thaddeus, and he's going to reach down, pull out a dagger. He's going to bend over and he's going to cut your line, all while maintaining eye contact, ha.

Speaker 6 34:07

HA, I'm just literally like this is fucking personal, you bitch. Oh, that's great.

Speaker 4 34:13

Oh, I see how it is. Okay, you know what? This area doesn't need a path. And then I'm gonna pull the pitons, pull the uh severed rope and everything, and I'm just going to walk off while trying to casually signal to Elise now's your chance to do whatever it is you want to do.

Speaker 1 34:29

Elise sees the gnome turn and just continues staring at you as you walk away like full-on flabbergasted about this whole scenario. Like one how dare you talk to him like that? Like, do you not recognize the danger you were in? Two you tripped him and he did not stab you for it, so he's confused himself.

Speaker 3 34:54

And three you mentioned a note, but he doesn't recognize you like, yeah, at least it's going to take this opportunity of them, you know, bungling their, their half of the stealth mission. She's going to take this opportunity of them bungling their half of the stealth mission. She's going to sneak into the massage parlor looking for the lord that this bodyguard is here to protect.

Speaker 1 35:14

Okay, yeah, all right, easy enough. You are invisible, you make your way. The gnome has turned away from the front door, it's not in his eyesight, so you're able to walk in without any issue. An individual behind the counter, their head, pops up a little bit and they say hello, welcome to the huh. Must have been the wind. Yeah, okay, maybe somebody was leaving and I didn't notice. You know that kind of mentality and you are free to look around.

Speaker 3 35:47

Elise is also, as an action, doing the quick change. She's now dressed as the Silvered Fang, okay, and she's popping into any massage parlor areas where she can find that recognizable face.

Speaker 1 36:03

That is easy enough. Go ahead and roll me an investigation check.

Speaker 4 36:07

While that's going on, I'm assuming Sarah caught up with me as I was walking off.

Speaker 6 36:11

Yeah, I follow you.

Speaker 1 36:13

Okay. Sarah follows Thaddeus. I'm looking sad.

Speaker 6 36:16

now I'm no longer in super stealth mode.

Speaker 4 36:19

I just want to tell Sarah if you can try stealth mode again. Keep an eye on that gnome. Make sure he doesn't go towards the front door.

Speaker 1 36:27

Okay, we'll come back to that.

Speaker 5 36:31

Elise, oh God.

Speaker 1 36:33

Elise with a 26 investigation. You hear him before you see him and you make your way back into the massage section and you can hear him chatting behind a closed door Well, behind a drawn curtain, mainly. It sounds like his massage is over and he is currently getting dressed. He's like oh yes, thank you, that was, I feel, so much lighter, ten years younger. You do a great job, thank you, thank you, thank you. You know he's behind this curtain. What would you like to do?

Speaker 3 37:07

And he's not alone. He's not currently alone.

Speaker 1 37:09

No, and what was his name? Again, duke Blackthorn. Yes, his name is Valerian Blackthorn, so he's Duke Blackthorn, duke.

Speaker 5 37:19

Blackthorn, I come to you as a friend, your life is in danger.

Speaker 1 37:31

The curtain is going to be pulled open very quickly and Duke Blackthorn is standing there. He does not have his shirt on, but he is holding a sword. He says who says that?

Speaker 5 37:41

I am the Silvered Fang and I request of you any knowledge you may have of the cults known as the Siricists. Why do you?

Speaker 1 37:52

want my knowledge. Surely they're easy enough to find. Any fool these days can join them. Go on, why do you speak to me when I can't see you? At least we'll drop the invisibility. Ah, Is that better. He's going to turn behind him and speak to the masseuse. He's going to say that you can go. I need to finish getting dressed you. What is this information worth?

Speaker 5 38:22

to you. Well, it's at least worth your life, Because without it you do not make it through the Black Sun Festival.

Speaker 1 38:31

Do you think you can kill me and get away with it?

Speaker 5 38:35

No, I have no desire to seem dead. In fact, I am here very much to save your life. Go on, you are among those sacrificed during the Black Sun Festival. The divinations tell me so. A magic wielder are you?

Speaker 1 38:56

Correct, so it is. And you have foreseen my death. Have you at the hand of these cultists, these ciricists Indeed, and you require information about them? Yes, if you have foreseen my death, what else do you know about me?

Speaker 3 39:12

Hey GM. What else does Elise know about Duke Blackthorn, or what other information would Shimmer have shared off screen?

Speaker 1 39:22

Go ahead and give me Ooh, this will be a tough Give me history. If you want truthful things, deception. If you want truthful things, deception. If you want to try and convince him that you have seen things you haven't, I'll go history.

Speaker 3 39:39

Okay, 15. Not bad.

Invisible Gnome and Silver Fang Discussion

Speaker 1 39:45

Okay. So, elise, you would know that Shimmer said that he's from a uh, he's from a branch family, uh, so not a main contender for most royal settings, uh, for or you know, noble settings at all. He is very rarely invited to places, is what it would be? Um, he's currently on a mission of power. Uh, the way he sees it, the king is weak, and if he can kill the prince and step in during that time of craziness, then he is likely to be able to position himself in such a way as to gain more power for his family name and make himself of the nobility, rather than just beside the nobility, rather than just us beside the nobility.

Speaker 5 40:36

You blackthorn or a member of a fractured bloodline, and you seek the throne of regates. Who told you this? I know a great many things if you?

Speaker 1 40:54

you had this information. Why didn't you simply go to the guard?

Speaker 5 40:58

The situation is far more grave than even you can realize. Everything you know will change forever.

Speaker 1 41:12

That is the plan. You must be grave indeed if the information that you carry on my life is worth more than that of our current reigning monarch, I have heard tell. Since you have not turned me in yet, I must be worth something to you. So the Siricists, as we know them, have infiltrated, turned me in yet I must be worth something to you. So the Siricists, as we know them, have infiltrated just about everywhere. There is at least one member on all committees, all persons, all advisors in the area. We may not know who exactly it is, but we do know that, should situations arise, they are often the driving force behind them. This festival itself was well as near as they can tell all their idea, which is why I'm here. Once they complete whatever task it is they're set out to do, I plan on using the craziness of it to finish my own goals. You're not here to get in the way of that, are you?

Speaker 1 42:21

I am not here to end your goals, but the Siricists are, I promise you that Well if what you are saying is true, then the easiest way to find them is likely in the sewers here. They hold meetings down there nightly, but you would have to find it. They are vast, which is quite a labyrinth down there. There are also, unfortunately, things that lurk in the dark that they use to their advantage.

Speaker 5 42:58

Do you know who runs the Siricists you want?

Speaker 1 43:03

information on their leader. Yes, so as he's putting his shirt on, he'll turn to you and he'll say the closest information we have is that the person that we know, who is a driving factor behind most of these things. His name is cave in sleighth. He is a self-proclaimed lord of illusion. Whatever that, I feel like he gave himself the title just to sound fancy amongst his creeps. He has not been seen in several months, as it were, but as it turns out, information still comes from him and to those in power. Good luck getting to him.

Speaker 5 43:48

I thank you for your time and I shall do everything in my power to ensure you survive. Just remember, it is the silvered fang who watches over you.

Speaker 1 44:01

Yes, the silvered fang who watches over what have?

Speaker 5 44:04

you done with Grimble. Your minion wanders outside. Same as before Sloppy work.

Speaker 1 44:16

Apparently, if someone as shiny as you was able to slip past him, either you are exceptional or he is a failure. Indeed, we shall see.

Speaker 5 44:29

These are not mutually exclusive, I assure you.

Speaker 1 44:34

He's going to turn and start putting on his coat.

Speaker 3 44:38

At least he's going to do the Batman thing where whenever somebody looks away, that's when you walk out of the room.

Speaker 1 44:43

Uh-huh, uh-huh, okay, so, uh, fun thing that's about to happen. I need you to roll me your stealth check and, uh, I am going to do this.

Speaker 3 44:58

That's supposed to be at advantage. What's your AC? Ac is 16. I rolled a 23 on my stealth.

Speaker 1 45:10

As you say that those are not mutually exclusive. He turns to put on his coat and as you take this opportunity to step back out of the thing, you hear him go. We shall see. And he's going to turn quickly towards you and a hand crossbow is going to launch a bolt at where you were standing and thud into the wall. But you're already gone.

Speaker 3 45:34

Excellent, excellent, all according to plan.

Speaker 1 45:38

So, the Silver Fang, are you walking out dressed like this?

Speaker 3 45:43

I'm going to look around, make sure nobody else is around before dropping the disguise.

Speaker 1 45:48

Okay, and quick change back.

Speaker 5 45:51

Easy enough.

Speaker 1 45:52

Yeah, you quick change back into Elise. As you make your way down the hallway you hear a curtain being dragged open very quickly and you can turn back like you take a glance back as you turn the corner of the hallway and you see Duke Blackthorn standing there the crossbow in his hand, just glancing left and right and he starts like checking the curtains of the area next to him. He seems very distraught at having you letting God away. Awesome.

Speaker 3 46:23

And then Elise has changed back. She's now in Elise mode, elise form yes, ah, I sure do love a good massage. The person behind the counter is going to look up like so drop a gold piece as a tip on the counter. I thought you work, as always.

Speaker 1 46:44

They seem very confused. They don't remember letting you back there to begin with, but you have already paid, so I guess Done and done, all right, as this is happening, with Elise in there, thaddeus and Sarah. Sarah, thaddeus told you to re-engage stealth mode. I got an eight, right, okay, sarah has re-engaged stealth mode with an eight. So what exactly is the plan here? What's going on on? You guys watch the gnome start resuming his path. Uh, having lost his invisibility, he starts resuming his uh perimeter. So how do you handle this, sarah, with an eight?

Speaker 6 47:28

I'm much more quiet this time, but I'm still like sneak, sneak. Okay, Thaddeus you watch Sarah sneak off Loudly.

Speaker 1 47:41

Loudly sneak off Like what's the goal here?

Speaker 4 47:46

You know I didn't really think that far ahead, but I figure something might come to mind.

Speaker 3 47:57

you know to mind telepathically a message saying distract the gnome, or something no, instead it's a telepathic message that says what are you doing over there? We've got the information we came for.

Speaker 6 48:17

I feel like a what are?

Speaker 1 48:22

you making all of that ruckus for is also appropriate, right, elise wasn't in there very long, as Sarah is engaging stealth again and you know just kind of da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da their way around the building. You're following the gnome. The gnome is ignoring you to the best of its ability.

Speaker 6 48:40

I feel like he knows that I'm there until like a painfully obvious level.

Speaker 1 48:46

Yeah, every couple of steps he's going to stop. He's going to turn and look at you.

Speaker 6 48:51

As I like, duck behind a barrel or something like a second turn, and look at you as I like, duck behind a barrel or something like a second, after he looks at me.

Speaker 1 48:57

Yeah, and he's just gonna continue on his path. You make one loop of the building, the gnome continues his path, just ignoring you, deeming you essentially harmless. And at this point Elise walks out and you see Sarah like following the gnome, maybe six feet back, Very, not stealthy.

Speaker 4 49:23

Also, I just realized while this is going on, thaddeus is going to walk up to some random people in the crowds and show the severed rope and be like hey, did you know? There's an invisible gnome in front of that massage parlor who just severed this rope for no reason.

Speaker 1 49:39

Uh, if he's invisible, how do you know he's a gnome?

Speaker 4 49:44

Because he became un-invisible and severed this rope for no reason.

Speaker 1 49:48

That seems highly unlikely. Why wouldn't he just remain invisible to cut the rope?

Speaker 4 49:53

I know right, you would think that's what he would do. But, instead, he decides to become visible and cuts my rope. What's a?

Speaker 1 50:03

gnome doing What'd you?

Speaker 4 50:06

do to him? I didn't do anything to him, I just had my rope out and he decides to cut it.

Speaker 1 50:12

Well, that doesn't seem right. Gnomes are so jovial. No, it doesn't.

Speaker 4 50:16

Maybe you should ask that gnome. He's right over there. He's walking around invisible. You'll see him or not. And I'm just going to do that to like several different people, to kind of just get the crowd sort of paying attention in that general direction.

Speaker 1 50:30

You're trying to crowd work. People staring at the gnome yes, okay, go ahead and roll me a performance check, because you're trying to get a crowd worked up with you. Give me performance.

Speaker 4 50:46

Well, they're not worked up with. I'm not actually worked up, I'm just trying to work up a crowd.

Speaker 1 50:55

Yeah, performance 16. That's not bad, you like the first couple of people that you talk to, uh, they're just like it's a rope, just tie it back together. It's like oh, oh well, uh, but you get a couple of people who, as you walk away, they, they go. Yeah, no, that's just kind of rude, isn't it? Hey, gnome, what'd you cut?

Speaker 6 51:14

his rope for.

Speaker 1 51:19

And you do this three or four more times and as Elise steps out of this, you see Sarah following the gnome. The gnome's staring back at Sarah as he makes his rounds. You see like seven or eight people have come up in like a small mob just going why'd you cut his rope? That was rude. And then he turns to stare at them and he's like it's none of your business. What is this turned into?

Speaker 6 51:52

A hootery.

Speaker 4 51:54

A clear getaway.

Speaker 1 51:57

Yeah, sarah gets punted by the gnome, as he says.

Speaker 4 52:01

Leave me alone. Sarah weighs 40 pounds and is made of steel. I don't think he's going to be punting anytime soon.

Speaker 6 52:09

As well as carrying a bunch of stuff, the gnome.

Speaker 1 52:11

He rolled an eight.

Speaker 1 52:14

Seven times their size. The gnomeome is gonna turn around towards you, sarah. He's gonna see all these people. He's gonna look back at you. He's gonna be like, stop following me. And he's going to attempt to kick you, but he misses again. And then he's going to turn towards the door and he's gonna say we're getting out of here and he's gonna go inside. He's gonna walk past Elise and he's going to go inside. He's going to walk past Elise and he's going to start heading for the back, where he knows his duke is.

Speaker 6 52:41

Honestly, I would be impressed if he's successful.

Speaker 1 52:45

Effectively. The gnome is now gone and you guys are free to walk away.

Speaker 4 52:50

And while that's going on and while we're walking away, I basically just tied my rope back together, weaving it back together you're weaving it back together.

Speaker 6 52:59

You're not just tying it back together, you're tying it into itself yep, okay, uh, you have gathered some information.

Speaker 1 53:07

I'd say this whole process has taken you maybe another half hour to an hour of the time, which puts us back on after the nonsense of this current section. I would say that you are currently sitting at about a hundred and fifteen hours left. What would you like to do with the rest of your day? What would you like to do with the information that you have gathered?

Speaker 3 53:33

it would definitely need to do with the rest of your day. What would you like to do with the information that you have gathered? I would definitely need to regroup back at headquarters so Elise can relay all the information she has.

Speaker 1 53:41

Okay, so you're heading back to Thaddeus' house.

Speaker 5 53:44

Yes.

Speaker 1 53:46

Okay, easy enough. You guys can make it back to Thaddeus' house with little issue. Thaddeus, you have tied your rope back together. Elise has information to share. Sarah, you still look a little bit sad. I haven't been called a trash can, but success. Good job, guys. All right, hit me with it. What's going on All?

Speaker 3 54:09

right, so they're all sitting at the table. I'm assuming Thaddeus will join Elise at the table and Sarah will do Sarah things yes.

Speaker 4 54:23

Thaddeus also brings over two cups of herbal tea.

Speaker 3 54:27

Elise reaches out for one, you know, appreciate it. Oh, these are two for me. How did you read my mind? For one, you know.

Speaker 4 54:34

Appreciate it. Oh, these are two for me.

Speaker 3 54:38

How did you read my mind?

Speaker 4 54:40

Because I knew where that was going no, but he actually does hand at least one cup of herbal tea.

Speaker 3 54:46

Much appreciated. I'm poached.

Speaker 4 54:48

Hang on One second. What do I have to roll to make herbal tea? Fred, you don't have to roll anything to make tea. Let's just pretend I rolled and I failed.

Speaker 1 54:58

Why would you want to fail making tea?

Speaker 4 55:01

Because I want to see the expression on Elise's face when she drinks really disgusting tea.

Speaker 6 55:08

I mean, you just say it's bad tea.

Speaker 3 55:11

Yeah, you don't have to roll badly for you to fail at something.

Speaker 1 55:16

Yeah, thaddeus is not paying attention and he goes to make you an herbal tea, but what he actually brews is a pile of sawdust.

Speaker 6 55:26

A sawdust that's been used to clean the grease off of my exterior.

Speaker 4 55:31

No, no, no, Worse, it was, no, no worse, it was the dripping from the head.

Speaker 3 55:38

Oh.

Speaker 1 55:38

God, Absolutely not. Oh God, no, no, it's just a bag of sawdust. That it's just a bag of sawdust. You would use it to like fill in cracks and bings on your work table. You brew it instead of your bag of tea. For some reason, you've stored them on the same shelf.

Speaker 4 56:02

And Thaddeus takes a drink of it and he's just like I think you need to work on your tea making skills.

Speaker 3 56:08

This is probably the worst tea I've ever tasted this, so like think of it this way, right?

Speaker 1 56:12

This is probably the worst tea I've ever tasted. This, so like, think of it this way, right, I used to make my dad coffee in the morning as he was getting ready for work, and we found one day I accidentally didn't put the grounds in the coffee, but I gave it to him in a dark blue cup and he just casually drank the hot water and did not comment on it.

Speaker 3 56:40

Elise is not so kind.

Speaker 4 56:43

That's some very decaffeinated coffee.

Speaker 1 56:49

Elise is not so kind, huh Okay.

Speaker 3 56:52

She is not so kind.

Speaker 4 56:54

Anywho moving on. So, elise, what do you have? Aesthetia sits down and he kind of sets his cup to the side, like just ignore that.

Speaker 3 57:04

So it seems our good friend Duke Valerian Blackthorn is very much aware of the Siricists and their happenings. Of course, we already knew that they'd infiltrated multiple portions of the government, the guards, several organizations. We knew that much. But what is fresh information is that they operate out of the sewers and they are led by Cavan Slythe, a self-proclaimed master of illusions.

Speaker 4 57:36

Okay, so what does that have to do with the seerists? Seericists, cultists?

Speaker 3 57:44

Yes, the cultists operate after the sewers. If we are to infiltrate, that is likely to be our best point of attack. Furthermore, if we save Valerian Blackthorn's life through the process, we may have a new point of contact. For whatever we need, rather dastardly fellow. To be fair, you say the sewers, the sewers. Yes, you say the sewers.

Speaker 4 58:14

The sewers.

Speaker 1 58:14

Yes, One second Thaddeus will get up and he will go to where his bedroom is, and underneath the desk there is an access port to the sewers.

Speaker 6 58:25

Yeah, I figured as much.

Speaker 4 58:30

Why would there be one?

Speaker 6 58:33

Because when you're dealing with as many chemicals and everything else. You need a quick way of disposing of everything. When the guards come knocking, it's yes, just let me put the cat back in the bag as you go and dump all your illegal shit.

Speaker 4 58:42

The downside is that this isn't like a huge, huge, like I could fit through it, or Elise could fit through it, or not even Sarah could fit through it, but it is a starting point.

Speaker 1 58:57

Well, there are magical means of shrinking, if you want to go obtain some.

Speaker 6 59:02

Well, even then, if I'm already not a medium creature, then kind of point to that point, right?

Speaker 1 59:10

Yeah, a potion of diminuization. Diminuinization would make you even smaller than you end up weighing. Like what? Five pounds.

Speaker 6 59:20

Me being shrunk once would be five pounds.

Speaker 1 59:25

Yeah, but it could it would do that to everybody. You end up like a foot-. You end up like a foot tall and five pounds.

Speaker 6 59:32

If I would end up a foot tall and five pounds. They would end up a foot tall and five pounds.

Speaker 1 59:35

I would end up like you would become a toy robot.

Speaker 6 59:40

I would become a toy robot with like a little action figure, a couple ounces.

Speaker 4 59:45

With the kung fu grip.

Speaker 6 59:47

With the kung fu grip because it doesn't change any of my stats.

Speaker 1 59:52

On that note, though, as Thaddeus shows you his in-house access point to the sewers, that is where we're going to have to call it for today, but when we return next episode, I'm sure that the Time Breakers will continue to impress us.

Speaker 3 1:00:08

Time Breakers. Time Time Breakers.

Speaker 1 1:00:11

You can come join the Discord link is in the description and help us continue to build the city from the inside. You can come join the discord link is in the description and help us continue to build the city from the inside. You can leave a rating, leave a review and, you know, tell us how you really feel. Thanks for listening.