Episode 5: Maple Dragonfly Pie

This week in Witherwild, the woods remember more than we’d like and they’re not shy about showing it. The party of one-point-five pushes deeper into Fanewick’s root-choked trails, where ancient trees lean at angles that suggest they’ve seen things and will happily see them again. Beneath the moss and drifting pollen waits an abandoned grove, littered with splintered weapons, a treant’s corpse, and the unmistakable sense that the forest is judging our life choices.

Naturally, the place is crawling with Withered defenders— dryads, treants, and sylvan soldiers — who skipped “de-escalation” day at forest school. Leroy, ever the opportunistic ribbitish rogue, sidesteps the classic “obvious threat just waiting to lunge” setup — not today, moss-covered decoy — and makes a beeline for the real prize: a crimson bloom worth more than some small kingdoms and twice as dangerous. Unfortunately, the grove’s guardians have zero chill about people messing with their centerpiece.

Between dodging chaos elementals and negotiating with entities who think “trespasser” is a term of endearment, he picks through battlefield echoes — Haven army relics, crimson petal trails, and clues that suggest this grove’s story didn’t end with peace treaties. Every choice, from cautious reconnaissance to a straight-up brawl, carves a different trail toward Wyrmhearth Crossing.

We also dig into how exploration encounters can be both combat-ready and mystery-forward, how Withered mechanics add long-term consequences to a single bad roll, and why some of the best loot tables read like the inventory of a magical thrift store.

If you’re into creeping forests, morally questionable botany, or frogmen who treat rare cures like fair game, this one’s for you.

P.S. Karl might be losing his real life spleen and I am not saying we will sell it to the highest bidder as merch.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Good unspecified time period and welcome to Richard and Carl Play Daggerheart. I'm Richard trying to get Carl emotionally invested so I can stab him in the heart with feelings.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

And I am Carl, and I am gonna specify what time of day it is, or what day it is anyways, because you know, no matter what day you're watching this or listening to this, uh it's it's the day that I had my consultation with the surgeon for my uh cursed spleen.

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Before we get into that incredibly important conversation, it's not a new with me, it's not related to anything at all, but I was in a conversation back when I ran my first DD campaign. So, the spell magnificent mansion, you make a door, you go into a magical mansion, right? Mm-hmm. If you cast that spell on like the door to the lower decks of a ship, does the door travel with the ship? I mean I think so. Because relativity is weird that way, where if the door was in that exact spot in space and time and the Earth or the celestial sphere or whatever is moving, then the door would just rip through the planet. So there's a spell in Daggerheart that locks an object in sp its place, and I'm like, if you use it on a boat, does it just tear through the boat and ruin your boat, or does it travel with the boat? And as I rule most things, it'd be whatever's you're trying to do, that'd be more interesting. Because if your goal was to like temporal lock a plate so that way it tore through the boat and sank it, I'd let you do it. If your goal was I want to temporal lock this crate but have it move with the boat, uh let you do it too. Now, if you want to temporal lock yourself so you could go through the planet to fast travel, I'd have you roll a D100 twice, and if you get the same number twice, you live through this. But before we get into gaming, what's new with the Carl bursts?

SPEAKER_03 1:59

Well, so I mean, uh, you know, obviously I I went for my consultation on about my spleen, uh, but um coincidentally, um my my eye was all messed up. I had I had I had really bad double vision.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

I do remember this, it's not a sharing gun.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

No, um, so I I asked the surgeon, I'm like, hey, uh, like what do I do about my eye? And they're like, oh yeah, you should go see an optometrist. Uh and then they'll refer you to an ophthalmologist. Uh so I see the optometrist, and they're like, Yeah, your eye looks healthy. There's probably something pressing against the nerve in the back of your eye, but go see the ophthalmologist tomorrow morning. Um And so then, you know, I'm I'm going to go to the ophthalmologist tomorrow morning, uh, and uh I have to park. So you have to pay for parking.

unknown 2:50

Of course.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

And I'm like, okay. My appointment is for 10.30. They expect you to be there half hour early. Uh if I pay for like two hours, um, I sh I should probably be probably be good.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

I just need to put a context thing out for our listeners right now. There should never be paid parking in Saskatchewan. There's no objects there. This is just a scam. 99% of that is just empty parking lot space of that province.

SPEAKER_03 3:21

There is literally a The worst part of the scam. Uh the worst part of the scam is that I uh underestimated how long I would be at the hospital and got a $50 parking ticket.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Like, remember the empty lot behind my trailer that was in another empty lot that would fill with so much snow it looked like Eco Mundo from Bleach with like hundred-foot-tall dunes in the moonlight? There's no justification that anyone should ever have to You once blew up a house to make more parking. That's how unvaluable land is in Saskatchewan. The house wasn't worth the parking it occupied. That's how meaningless parking should cost in Saskatchewan. It's ridiculous. And and it is pretty ridiculous. Also, you should be able to argue that you parked you didn't see the timer because you were at the eye surgeon. What a jerk move to put parking tickets for people who are getting their eyes fixed. Okay, so.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Ah, uh people already.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

I get my parking ticket, um, and and I I I just I I pay for it. It's you know, I just you have to pay for it, otherwise you won't be able to park there for the CT scan that they're like, yeah, you need a urgent CT scan. Uh which CT stands for chromotomography.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

So, you know what's wild chromotomography is literally writing this book with so many medical procedures. Don't have that acronym. Somehow I have positron emissions. Yeah, C T I just have C T.

SPEAKER_03 5:03

I have C A T. Yeah, C T stands for uh chromo chromotomography. Uh and basically it's another x-ray thing where they you know scan your body or whatever. And this the hospital I went to actually apparently recently got a new CT scan machine, which was nice.

SPEAKER_00 5:20

Um Saskatchewan Medical is a good one.

SPEAKER_03 5:23

But so this time I'm like, okay. So this time I'm like, okay, I'm gonna pay for like three hours of parking because like they I'm only expecting to be here for an hour and a half, but I should pay for three hours.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

So I have a pro tip I'll give you after this story.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

But please continue. And then I'll give you what you could have done differently when it's no longer helpful.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

So uh so I go go in there, my appointment's at uh 7.45. You're supposed to be there a half hour early, and so I show up, I show up at 7.10. Um and uh I find my way to the to the medical imaging uh in the hospital there, and and they they direct me to the little waiting room. And I'm expecting I'm gonna have to wait right till 7.45, but I do look in the room and I'm like, oh, the room is empty. Like, hopefully I don't have to wait for nobody. Turns out I didn't have to wait, they're like, yeah, the room is empty. Come on inside. Like, nice. I just pulled out my phone and started up the show and a jump app, and then they're like, Yep, we're ready for you. It's like, oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

I assure you, having two eyes would not have improved. Marshall King.

SPEAKER_03 6:32

Well, see, by this point, uh, my eye is already well will already be improved enough that uh that like my double vision is pretty much gone, and the CT scan is not gonna find anything, unfortunately. Or fortunately, come on. But uh they they stick my arm with a tube to inject this high contrast dye. And she says to me, she's like, hey, so the high contrast dye. Um it's it will make a weird taste in your mouth, and you might get really flushed, like your face might be really warm and your butt might get really warm. I'm like, okay. And I'm kind of expecting it to be this gradual thing, but so they they like put me through the calibration process, uh, and then and then they're ready to do the thing, and like, alright, we're gonna inject the dye now. I was like, oh really? And then it was like instantaneously, I don't know, they inject it in your arm, but instantaneously you get this weird taste in your mouth, and yeah, my face got really flush and really warm, and then it just like straight down to my butt, and it felt like I peed my pants.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Uh for literal research and doing what flavor was it? This is important.

SPEAKER_03 7:46

Um see, I I don't think I've ever gotten a CT scan before, but I do know I've tasted that flavor of medicine before.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Um I'm gonna guess you've got salty banana penicillin.

SPEAKER_03 8:01

No, you know that um working hands orange stuff?

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

That like uh it's like a super strong grease degreaser for for like mechanics and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

Yeah, oh no.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Um not like dial back the citrus.

SPEAKER_00 8:20

I am intimately familiar with that smell flavor. I am intimately familiar.

SPEAKER_03 8:28

I'm pretty sure I've had I've tasted that flavor either on another medicine or I had a CT scan that I forgot about, which or it just could be something that smells so strong you can picture the flavor pretty clearly.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

Because I feel like I can taste it. I've absolutely never drank that industrial degreaser, but I know what it would taste like. I am confident in this. So a little side tag it is. So I decided foolishly to like do some control F for keywords to see how often I use the same descriptions of things. And I use that like antiseptic hospital cell smell, that phrase antiseptic hospital smell, like 50 times, so I need to mix it up a bit. And orange degreaser is a great way to mix that up a bit. Like I need some variety in there, cuz that is some placeholder flavor flavor text right there, and I could do better. But also, hospitals smell like antiseptic and green corn, it's just a fact.

SPEAKER_03 9:25

But that is just a fact. Um but uh so then you know I paid for three hours of parking, and I was back, I was done my whole thing in less than an hour. And I was like, man, how how are you supposed to know how much time to pay for parking in a hospital?

SPEAKER_00 9:43

So here's the pro tip I was gonna give you. And yet I still don't have information if we know if you're gonna die or not. But here's my pro tip. Your parents are retired. Have them drive you and pick you up. Or anyone drive you and pick you up. Heck, give the delivery driver the four bucks and have them do it. But like, no one should ever drive themselves to the hospital. That's just not good for mental health. Have someone who loves you or at least tolerates you drive you there and pick you up. Problem solved. Saskatchewan's not that big. It's at most like a 20-minute commitment.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 10:22

That's it, that's my rant. I would offer to do it, but as you're well aware, my driving probably killed our instructor.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

But so yeah, uh, you know, like like I say, you know, I I just had my consultation this morning. So this this is all stuff that that is going to happen, but uh as um as soon as someone uh views this episode, I'll be sent back into this partial time loop and it's kind of a bit of a hassle, but I'm glad that we're popular enough that I keep going back.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

So I'm gonna put a real question here. So if they do end up having to take out your spleen, and this is the question to our viewers as well, so all of our episodes come with downloads for modules, right? With pay what you want. How much would someone have to pay to get your spleen in the jar?

SPEAKER_03 11:11

I have no idea. I uh I forgot to ask the surgeon because I was more concerned about the eye problem. Um but I do I I will have a follow-up appointment uh with the hematologist, and he he might know uh whether or not I'm allowed to keep uh the the organ.

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Because I think it'd be really funny to raffle off one of your organs to a weirdo on the internet for our podcast. I think that'd be really funny. That it's by far the most ridiculous pizza merch. And then like three years later we start selling spleen plushies. It's great.

SPEAKER_03 11:46

Uh well, so um they were nice enough to uh because I had a CT scan scheduled for um my spleen as well. Um, but they were nice enough that they're just like, yeah, we'll just uh do them both at the same time, because it takes like an extra one an extra minute to scan an extra body part. Um and then I finally decided to go on to the Saskatchewan e-health uh and check my clinical reports because most of the time it's not worthwhile because it I'm not a doctor, I don't know what I'm looking for.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Reasonable, but also curiosity is real.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Well, so in this case, it's like, okay, well, I I know I'm looking for platelets, because that's that's what's low for the hematologist, and uh I mean they didn't give me a call or say that I urgently needed surgery at the CT scan, so they didn't notice anything obviously unusual at that point.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

So uh so having recently watched Cells at Work, which has like platelets running around carrying little boxes and things, well, blood cells doing that. I've just pictured your poor platelets that are like World War II veterans with like crutches and a helmet on, desperately at work here. Trying so hard.

SPEAKER_03 13:04

But so so uh they firstly I I found out something new about platelets, and that is uh the hematologist told me when you get below uh twenty thousand platelets per microliter of blood, uh they just shorten it. They're like when you get below twenty. Uh that's when you're uh prone to spontaneous bleeding. And actually, I I am fairly certain I actually experienced this uh one day when I was at work before I'd been diagnosed. Uh I I have a scar on my fingertip, and I was like just working, and then suddenly I saw blood on the table, and I looked down, and the little scar in my fingertip was was oozing blood, uh, and I had to get a band-aid and whatever. And then shortly after that I was diagnosed.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

That's the thing that killed Mr. Spotengu.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

But but uh so at that time I was at 13. Uh, which is dangerously low for sure. Yeah. Apparently, according to the SAS EHealth, uh you know, 150 is roughly the the lower limit where they want you to be. But 50 is their panic line.

SPEAKER_00 14:17

And you're at 15?

SPEAKER_03 14:18

Uh which right now No, right now I'm hovering somewhere between like 45 and 55. It kind of like fluctuates a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

I just want to let you know you're definitely making the beeping noise when you have a quarter of a heart left in Zelda. That is just what your body's doing right now. It's making that beeping noise. You know the one.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

Um but then uh the other thing is um they don't post the images on Sasky Health, or at least I didn't couldn't see them. But they do post what goes on our DNA boat. But they do post the comments about about the CTT scans. Uh, and since they scanned my spleen, uh they the comment was that my sp my spleen is grossly unremarkable.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

I do love that. That is my favorite compli burn in history. Like, we briefly had that conversation off scre stream, and I'm like, yes, that is exactly what I want every test result to say. All of them. Grossly unremarkable is perfect for me. How how's my weight going? Grossly unremarkable. You could stand to eat more cabbage. Beautiful! I can work with that. How are my teeth? Grossly unremarkable. Awesome, no drills needed here. They're unremarkable. I don't need the kind of pressure to be in good shape. I need to be in unremarkable, not worth talking about shape.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

But I mean that that that's uh surprisingly, uh once again, I I have failed to watch uh uh any particular movie this week, so I don't have a mini-movie review. My fiance and I have been watching uh the last few seasons of Dexter, so we can watch New Blood, so we can watch Resurrection. You sure are on theme. I'm not actually very on theme. Uh button.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

That's like watching Shark Tank after getting denied a bankload. It just seems like a choice.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

So what's new with you there, Richard?

SPEAKER_00 16:23

I don't know how I feel that the pivot to what's new with me is getting denied a bank loan. I mean appropriate, but dang. So I have not been denied any bankloads this week, which is lovely. Not this week. I mean, I live the author student life. I am very openly broke, so please, if you want to click the off-show donation button on any of these free modules, that'd be great. I can use it to buy a Carl a tombstone when I have to find a new player. Uh oh. Mocking my poor dead friend aside. Let's see, new with me, new with me. So I s I'm really exciting in theory. Like, if I only have five minutes a month to say what I'm up to, I sound interesting. But I'm not actually that interesting. Cause most of the things that sound interesting are done from my desk. Like I'm in a grant writing workshop, learning the number of like lines you need on a bullet point to get author's grants is interesting to me. Planning a trip to go to the ROM is interesting to me. Starting a new job and realizing This is a good one.

SPEAKER_03 17:37

Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, stop back just one second here. Uh everyone in Toronto knows what the ROM is. Yeah. Uh but I feel like many other listeners would have no idea what you're talking about. Like whether they might be like, are you talking about the Ronald McDonald House? So to be fair, they have Google. Okay, okay. I mean, yeah, you can just Google what the ROM is.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

Instead I Googled where our viewers are from. So, apparently our most popular location is North Carolina, so I do think we owe them an explanation. You know, Toronto's so far down on this list that we have more listeners in Dubai. So it's the Royal Ontario Museum. And it is, for Toronto, a very nice museum. It is a reasonably sized museum. The subway station is called Museum Station. So I'm going to the state.

SPEAKER_03 18:38

It's actually a pretty prestigious museum.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

It is probably so nostalgia always warps how big things are, right? Because I remember a museum in Calgary whose name eludes me was my favorite museum. But also it seemed much bigger because I was much smaller. So I don't know how well that museum's held up. But the Rome which I've went I think I went with you, and that's like the entirety of I might have gone there twice or once, not sure.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Because I'm trying to- You and I have definitely gone there, uh 'cause for Carl Fest. And then you guys didn't want to go to the shoe museum.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

No, it was It's complicated. I'm personally not opposed to the shoe museum. There was other factors at play which I do not remember at the time. It was I didn't want to inconvenience you to go to a shoe museum. There is a difference. But I do find it funny being like our viewers will know what this is, and I'm like, uh apparently not. I always get such joy when we're more popular in places we're not from when we spit like 10% of our show talking about specific Canadian cities.

SPEAKER_03 19:56

Yeah. But sorry, I I I interrupted you. You you're talking about how uh most of the things that you do are boring, such as planning a trip to an awesome museum.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Yeah, so I'm off to an awesome museum. I started a new job, and I've just figured out their time schedule because it confused me deeply. So I'm writing articles, stories, websites, scripts for redacted at redacted through redacted like you do. Cause I typically have my foot in some kind of academia job because I like it. Being pretentious is my favorite thing in the world. And being around people more qualified than me really reigns me in. It's really good for me to surround myself with people smarter than me, so I become less smug and insufferable. But what messed me up a bit is I start working on this job, and it's basically projects go in email chains, and are like we've had one 10-minute meeting and everything else is just comment on the file and use the email chain. Which is beautiful. No fluff, no mandatory training, just getting to writing the good part. But I assume they'd be working on academia time frames, like nine to five, right? It occurs to me two weeks in that they actually don't get to like looking at my stuff till like five, six in the evening. And the problem is that I'm like getting up early logging in, and there just won't be any feedback all day. I'm like, I I just have my shift scheduled wrong. Apparently, this person doesn't get to actually do their job till like six. I'm like, oh man, that means they probably sit through five hours of meetings before they can check their email. Because that is what happens in these places. So I'm like, I have work I have to do tomorrow morning that I would have done today, but I was waiting for feedback. But I also am a part-timer, so it's like my mighty three-day work week plus my ghostwriting means I'm most of my life is lacking. Like I took the time to do a full bedroom deep clean yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good. I ended up with more books than I had bookshelves, so I had to like build a makeshift bookshelf out of paintings. It's two-tiered, it's pretty nice. So what you do to build the ship. So picture, if you will. We got like a nice upscale, not like a shoebox, like they ship a mystery box of vegetables with like grocery orders in it. Like literally, there's a mystery box item where they just send you random vegetables. Yeah, okay. So picture like uh one of those nice, like, handled flip wood cardboard boxes, like a giant shoebox.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Yeah, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

So I got two of those set up, right? And they're about like tall enough that a horizontally laid out DD book or like a traditional novel are shorter than it. So I line up those two boxes and then put a Ruby painting on top of it to make my two-tiered bookshelf on my desk.

unknown 22:48

Ah.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

And then the boxes are full of board games and things. So it's like an interesting setup. It seems stable. But I also just filled my bookshelf.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

As long as you don't actually need to read any of those books.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

No, you can get to them. They're all accessible. It's a good system.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just feel like as soon as you pull one out, then the whole thing is gonna collapse.

SPEAKER_00 23:12

With my craftsmanship, yeah, probably. It's not supposed to. I didn't design it to collapse. It's doesn't crumple zones in a car. Uh, but that's pretty much what's new with me. Writing things, watching things, writing more things. Museums, board games. Yeah, no, I'm pretty much like. Man, parents tell me growing up, I can't just be a professional person who plays Dungeons and Dragons and writes all day. Turns out I can. Just can. I can just make money off my hobbies. It's pretty great.

SPEAKER_03 23:54

It is pretty great.

SPEAKER_00 23:56

Able to afford a to treat my loved ones to a delicious hot Costco hot dog, which is the epitome of my budget right now.

SPEAKER_03 24:04

I do love me some Costco food.

SPEAKER_00 24:06

I really Costco is a great restaurant. One of my good friends had a Costco open up from their house, like within a block within walking distance of their home. Not that walking to Costco is ever the strategy. And they're like, yeah, a lot of property value have gone down, except their area. I'm like, yeah, your property value doubled. There's a Costco within range. Like for board game night, you could just go across, drop 20 bucks, and get like 10 pounds of already cooked wings.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

That's true.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

So I ended up trading yard work for Costco food, where I'm like, I'm gonna do a bunch of yard work over the next three weeks, and then I'll pay for our last Costco run. I'm like, I could just give you money. They're like, nah, I'd rather have the indentured servitude, like the surf you are. I'm like, that's reasonable. Nothing is more true to the author life than picking weeds to afford Costco hot dogs. That is the real, legitimate, genuine author experience. I joke, but like, it's a good activity for just letting my brain try and do unrelated Pokemon math in peace.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

So much Pokemon math. The problem with reverse engineering Pokemon is they didn't engineer it in the first place. It's deeply flawed for no reason. Why does flamethrower have as much embo as Ember? That's just bad design fundamentally. The bad move should just have more embo. Return has more accuracy than tackle. Why? And with that really? Yeah, tackle in Gen 1 had 95% accuracy. Why? Wow. Tacko needed to be nerfed, I guess, because it was too good, what that generic garbage damage. I'm more annoyed that Cut doesn't have an increased crit rate or extra crit damage or something.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

But that's full other rant. I could easily rant. I think it actually worked in an episode where I gave my angry rant about people being like Butterfree's not that good. I'm like, you are misremembering Gen 1, Butterfree was amazing.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

But I don't know. Yeah, yeah, if you if you want to watch that.

SPEAKER_00 26:28

That might not have made it into the podcast, actually. But yeah, but I like the idea that they'll hunt through it. Actually, I think statistically, because we have done Pokemon episodes, there is no way we don't talk about how good Butterfree is somewhere in a hundred episodes of us talking for two hours at a chunk. Like at one point we literally tier listed the entire Gen 1 Pokedex as far as we could get. And we would have just like been like Beedrill, can't beat delete for by itself, garbage, butterfree, man, myth, legend, rains death from the skies. Should have been what Venomat evolved into. Unrelated rant. Alright, ready to dagger some heart? Uh, hopefully. So. And quick reminder that attached to the episode description is a link to this adventure, it's up on itch.io. If you can hear me through the wall somehow, you could download before this episode goes live, which would be impressive and terrifying. Actually, I'd be so flattered if someone bugged my setup. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:35

That would be pretty flattering.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

I'd also be really flattered if someone bought an uh adventure for a thousand dollars and put a note saying I dibs Carl's spleen.

SPEAKER_03 27:46

I hope. Well make sure to ask whether or not I get to keep it.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

So we can hawk it up as merchandise, that is correct, yes. Deep Space and Dragons labeled pickle jar for it. Alright, so let's get started. So in the adventure, here's the fast refresher. Daggerheart is a narrative first, collaborative RPG. You describe what your character does, I describe how the world reacts. We use duality dice, D12s, to resolve big risky stuff. Pick one from hope, one for beer. Roll both when I call for an action, add your eleventh trait, finesse, presence, instinct, speed, etc. to total. Whatever dust is higher to terms of its hope, yay! Fear, uh-oh. End of the dice match, critical bows, you crush it, get a bonus. Alright, into the plot. Feinwick is a cursed tangle of forest, bog, and petty gods. Some shoe themed, some cobblers, some trees that are just angry at over harvesting. Most are too weird to trust and too small to ignore. Locals, called wicklings, are as tough as old roots in manage and convinced that their way is the only way. They managed to just find until Haven got sick. Haven, the no gods allowed kingdom, killed a god, built a Sadio's corpse, mined up for power. And that does turn into serpent sickness. A creeping petrification plague. The only cure, aware red flower that grows in the Feinwick fields. One in ten thousand. So of course, Haven invaded, while they're at it, stole the eye of a god, destroyed balance, now Feinwick stuck in Endless Spring. No decay, no death, just overgrowth, angry tangle blooms, swelling beasts, and vines that don't know when to quit, despite how much prestige a half ribbon may have in the gardening ways. As if the trail behind you has already disappeared. Ivy and pale moss creep over your footprints as fast as you leave them, closing the path almost like a wound with someone with decent platelet cans. The Witherwild feels quiet, almost watchful. You need to get to the next town, but the only sane way is to cross the marsh, and the only sane way to do that is the Haven Checkpoint City of Wormharth Crossing. Still a couple days' journey downstream, located where the mountains meet the valley. So, to earn yourself a hope, describe what you currently look like, because I even don't know, and give me a brief summary. I am setting a timer. You have one minute to tell me about your adventures last session. Go.

SPEAKER_03 30:22

Uh well, I mean, uh I uh Leo Ivon Wolfholm uh is a mostly human-looking per human-looking fellow, uh, except for uh unusually large anime eyes. Kind of like uh Alita Battle Angel.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

It's also worth noting in some of the fan art we've received, you look damp, and under your shirt have some frog spots that could be mistaken for Execute.

SPEAKER_03 30:52

Yeah, okay, I I can accept that. I mean, you know, nothing on on the face or uh exposed limbs or whatever, but he mostly blends into society. Um but uh I was hired by a spy master, uh Dern. Dern Krelldern! Um Krelln. Um and he uh would like me to go to the treetop village of Allura um to gather information uh on a person or a group or possibly three racing trying to nothing.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

I was going to give you a hint and I provoked it. Please continue.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

Uh anyway, the this group may be trying to steal the other eye of Nikita, uh, which is the owl that was governing uh the seasons, uh, whose eye was removed and has caused this endless spring.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Correct.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

Um along the way, I uh came across a little girl stranded in in the river, and I saved her. Uh, and it turns out she's definitely the villain, but she doesn't know it. She has like amnesia or something. I'm pretty sure she uh dropp gave up um her memories, or her parents gave her up to uh to the swell that uh take something to let you through a secret passage. Um And I'm currently escorting her along well, I assume I'm still escorting her along with me uh to try and figure out what she knows about what happened to the um barrier in the town that uh that we just left.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

It is worth noting she is not tied up in a sack.

SPEAKER_03 32:50

Uh I'm not sure if she trusts me yet or not, but we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 32:55

And is it currently the week of day or the week of night?

SPEAKER_03 33:00

Um, I kind of get the feeling that we're we're in the dusk.

SPEAKER_00 33:05

Alright, you're in dusk, and it should be night time around the time you arrive.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

So. As you step into a clearing where the forest shifts, pale beams of the golden hour filter through the cavity. Golden where they catch the drifting pollen, silver where the mist hangs low among the trees. The air smells less of rot, and less of the corpse fire pile you were nearly dumped into. And more of rain and cut cedar. You have two days of travel before the lanternlit appears rise out of the bog to meet you. Time enough for old memories to surface. And for the forest to decide what it wants to remember about you in return. Take a moment to describe something you're excited to visit in the city. Be it a location, a good, a service, an NPC. What's its name? And have you been here before? Um.

SPEAKER_03 34:05

So something that I'd be excited to visit in this marsh city. It's a city in the marsh?

SPEAKER_00 34:12

It is a city in the marsh, kinda like Venice or Pacific Lodge Town. A series of wooden planks floating. A large ribbet population. And quite frankly, you might have some ancestors from here.

SPEAKER_03 34:28

I was gonna say uh that it does seem like uh there may be some uh ribbet delicacies that I I have had hadn't had the chance to s sample in a long time because I was, you know, my rat bastard father uh betrayed the the kingdom.

unknown 34:48

Alright.

SPEAKER_03 34:49

Uh that jerk of a father. Uh so I'm pretty sure I am most excited uh for uh uh delightful uh maple bug pie.

SPEAKER_00 35:05

So the maple bug pie has now been added to this adventure for other people to run later. As a delicacy they will be offered. For context, the maple bug pie, if you're okay with this edition, the dragonflies in the swamp are about the size of suckling pigs, and it is like a mincemeat pie that's like a maple bacon made out of these giant dragonflies.

SPEAKER_03 35:34

That does sound like a ribbon galaxy for sure.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

Excellent. And have you been here before, or are you just vaguely aware?

SPEAKER_03 35:46

Um, I would say I'm probably more so vaguely aware.

unknown 35:52

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

So this is where something interesting comes out. Have at any point you've taken have you taken severe damage from any of those withered adversaries you've faced? Such as the blight. I have not! So, at this point in the campaign, one of the mechanics from the adventure frame has begun to take effect, known as the corruption from the witherwild. Adversaries in environments can gain an additional type called Withered. When an adversary is withered, the wither wild has changed or impacted how they normally appear or operate. Anytime a PC takes severe damage from Withered Adversary or Environment, you gain a Wither token and place it on that sheet. You roll your fear dice. If you roll equal to or below the number of wither tokens on the sheet, you immediately gain a scar. Clear out tokens and are permanently changed by the wither. At the end of the session, clear all wither tokens from the sheets and gain an equal amount of fear. If a character ever dies with a wither token, their body is permanently taken over by the Witherblow. For future characters you make to possibly run across. So, with that under effect, here is where it would be really dramatic where I'd be like, reveal your tokens. You gain three, but no, you've been s you've been the most committed to a rogue. Like, I've seen people do rogue playthroughs on s games before. But the commitment to the disguises on disguises has been pretty impressive, I do say. And with that, describe how you're making this journey. Are you cautious, alert to every sound as you wade through? Because the water's kind of been getting like deeper and deeper since you left the cranberry plant fog area. You feel the air denser and watchful. So are you being sneaky? Are you being bold? And I did have a request from a player that if you're gonna try and put the child, at least put them in a Nezuko box on your back so that they're comfortable being crow trucked across.

SPEAKER_03 37:55

Uh, yeah, I mean I I I suppose. That is what I I would imagine that I I am carrying this child in in the in the box for sure.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

You could just make her walk. That is completely legitimate as well.

SPEAKER_03 38:10

Well, I mean, if she is the villain, uh I kind of want to be on her good side so that I can, you know, stab her in the back more effectively.

unknown 38:19

I am.

SPEAKER_03 38:20

Okay, maybe that's meta, because like my like I don't think Leroy really wants to stab this girl in the back, but he is finally.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

I'm gonna say it's not metagaming. For I I know lots of problematic DD players make the line of it's what my character would do. I do think your character being super suspicious of this girl, given your backstory being betrayed and left for dead on multiple occasions. I think it's legit free to be like, I'm gonna win this girl over so I can stab her in the face later, because I don't trust her due to the cryptic visions I saw. In character, isn't a metagame stance, I think.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Yeah, okay. So I'll let you have that one. So yeah, I I do think I would be carrying her on my back. Um, and I think we would be traveling somewhat cautiously. Um, you know, uh occasionally asking her to send out her little uh fluffy dog, the the skeleton puppy, uh, to see if the dog can sniff out anything.

SPEAKER_00 39:25

Okay. As you press on, the trail leads kinda because you are still kind of following the main road. It's a little flooded, there's been some heavy rain recently, but it's like there is a semblance of a trail. Like, it's not like there's trees in the middle of your trek. But you do see, like, a fork in the road of sorts. One seems to go like upland to less water, less squishy on your ankles, towards what feels like a ring grove. The air feeling denser, watchful. Or you can go deeper into the swamp, and you feel like looking at like well it looks like there used to be a street sign here. You can make out that the way that leads towards that grove is the trail to Roomheart's crossing. And the other side of the sign seems to be scratched out.

SPEAKER_03 40:21

Uh-huh. So I can either go deeper into the bog, which is not the right way, supposedly.

SPEAKER_00 40:27

Supposedly.

SPEAKER_03 40:28

Uh, or I should go go up to the to the grove. Um well. Can I I guess I need to inspect that sign and see uh if I can discern anything that might have been scratched out on the other way? And also, like, how easy is it to just turn this sign so that you know it's points in opposite directions. Like a like one of those cartoons.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

Go ahead and roll a knowledge check for this one. This is less about intent and more about literal evidence.

SPEAKER_03 41:00

I'm rolling for knowledge. I don't have advantage or disadvantage. So let's roll 23 with fear.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

I will happily take that fear token. I needed a replenishment. So that's a really high number. So the first thing you realize is someone beats you to it and already Looney Tunes this side. Yeah, okay. So the route originally said land route and water route. And the part that was scratched out was like a boat recommendation. But the sand has been older. And you get the feeling from looking closer at the text that was scratched out, it basically says Holy Grove. This way, basically, like Sacred Shrine this way, and someone scratched it out, so you wouldn't know that route was to lead somewhere sacred. But from analysis, it looks like this work in the road is more if you're traveling by like boat, take the bog route, and if you're traveling by foot, take the high road, and there's a holy site along the way.

SPEAKER_03 42:07

But it's like they're trying to just A holy site along the way. If if you go the high road? Yes. I see. But someone wants us to not take the boat road.

SPEAKER_00 42:23

Correct. For good or for bad, you don't know. You just know that they've tried to like indicate you should take the high road. Hmm, I see. But it would have been pretty easy if you wanted to flip the signs to fuck with somebody else.

SPEAKER_03 42:41

No, um. Well, yeah, you know, you said the signs are already Looney Tunes though, right?

SPEAKER_00 42:47

No, I said they'd be well, retcon. I meant to say they'd be easy to Looney Tunes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They have not been Looney Tunes. You just know that they've crotched out that there's a holy sign on the high road. And you're able to make out that it was less about this way to town, this way not to town, and more about this way better with boat, this way better by cart. And someone sharpied away that there's a shrine on the way. Hmm. Intriguing. And yeah, it would be really easy for you to remove the like one nail on each board and then just move them and then reattach, it was not an issue. Uh no at all, um Our eagle-eyed listeners might notice there is some mild retconning going in there, but I think my original attempt has made it through at this point.

SPEAKER_03 43:39

Well, so and there's no like more or anything here to like that like there or a boat or anything that I would have access to to be able to take the water route.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

I mean Right. Uh I don't know how hard building a boat would be, but you once upon a time had a cart. You don't. You once upon a time had a hippo bear. You don't. Right. And I don't think you build like a particularly good boat out of the singular street sign. You could try.

SPEAKER_03 44:09

Yeah, no, no, I I I think I mean discerned that the one route is better with a boat and the other route is is better if you're not on a boat. I think I think I'm gonna go the uh the easy route.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Alright. As you continue to head up, you see as you go through the little girl pulls out your shirt and goes, like we're heading to my home.

SPEAKER_04 44:36

Your home, you say, Lyra. She just don't remember your name, but you remember your home.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

Sorry.

SPEAKER_03 44:46

Uh, sorry, and what did you say in between there?

SPEAKER_00 44:49

Sorry. So, as you imagine crest a bit of a hill, you see splintered weapons stuck in the loam, gouges scorching the earth, and what looks like a tree's corpse matted with moths and stubs across the clearing. But you see what looks like a town was here. The buildings seem to be pet the people are frozen still, petrified. In the middle of their daily goings about. You see, like a woman hold handing over a bag of money to a cart that's been withered away by time. You see the buildings have beencome dilapidated and broken down. And it just looks like this town was hit by the plague hard. And you're not sure how long ago. But you do notice that towards like the center of the town's square, there seems to be like a beautiful hand-carved, like fountain, like a sacred idol in the middle of the city. And in this, like, fountain you see like several flowers floating in it. And a crimson one in the very center of it.

SPEAKER_03 46:09

Okay, well, so I assume everybody knows that Haven is looking for the shiny flower. Yes, no?

SPEAKER_00 46:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 46:23

I see. Well that's suspicious. Um, so it's it's a hand-carved fountain with a bunch of these flowers, and one of them is crimson. And it's just in the middle of the square, and they're I guess. Do I see any other any signs of of life, I guess?

SPEAKER_00 46:51

Go ahead and roll a knowledge check.

SPEAKER_03 46:56

A knowledge check, alright. Rollin' for knowledge. Only a nine, but with hope. Wait, wait, wait. I was probably supposed to ask before I rolled, but can I spend a hope to uh use my Lord of the Flies? Oh wait in this yeah, because I want to see if there's any like actual flesh or anything that attracts the insects and whatnot.

SPEAKER_00 47:19

We'll definitely allow that. But you are correct. It could be before a roll, but I honestly don't care.

SPEAKER_03 47:26

Uh and that costs one hope to activate an experience?

SPEAKER_00 47:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 47:31

Okay, because I'm I'm actually full up on hope, so I need to actually start start spending it.

SPEAKER_00 47:35

So was that what a success with hope or fear?

SPEAKER_03 47:38

Uh so it was with my Lord of the Flies that makes it an eleven with hope.

SPEAKER_00 47:43

Eleven with hope. So. With hope you get three pieces of information. Ooh. So the first thing you notice is that red flower in the middle looks authentic. Okay. And looking around, you feel like this place was the domain of a minor deity. Mm-hmm. And something would have protected this place magically. Which would explain why a flower could stay here untamed. But you do see traces of a battle. Broken weapons and branches, the gouges in the ground. And with that roll, you get the feeling that this town was protecting itself. A battle was happening. And you can see, like, looking at it, looking for the flies, looking for the patterns, that both local Wicklings and Haven soldiers are petrified here mid-combat. I see. So a viral outbreak happened during a scuffle, quite likely over this flower in this area. And some what was ever was magically protecting this place has either faded or chose to let you in.

SPEAKER_03 49:04

I see. Um I little girl said that this is home.

SPEAKER_04 49:16

So Lyra. Do you remember which house is yours?

SPEAKER_00 49:22

Uh she points to a very nondescript looking dilapidated Jack.

SPEAKER_04 49:32

Uh do you suppose there might be any supplies in there still?

SPEAKER_00 49:36

Let's go, let's go, and she just runs over with a smile on her face. Alright, I'll follow her. She's struggling to open the door and seems stuck.

SPEAKER_03 49:50

Okay. Um so first things. Is there a window?

SPEAKER_00 49:56

There is.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

Um. Oh no, I don't really want to do that right now. Or maybe I do, I don't know. No, okay, so first things first, I am going to um activate my Rogue's dodge, which I spend three hope to gain a plus two bonus to my evasion until the next time an attack succeeds against me, or until my next rest.

SPEAKER_04 50:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 50:24

So I'm gonna spend three hope to do that, because I probably should have done that before I even entered town. Um then I guess I'm just gonna try and help her with the door.

SPEAKER_00 50:39

Go ahead and roll strength or finesse.

SPEAKER_03 50:44

I'm gonna go for finesse. Let's roll critical success.

SPEAKER_00 50:50

Oh dang, you clear a stress, gain a hope, and have no issue opening this door and getting in. No issue at all. Clean, swings open. And you look closely and you see a kitchen table, two cups on top of it, and you look down, you see under the table looks like an elven woman curled up in a ball petrified. Like she was curled up in the fetal position and got turned to stone.

SPEAKER_03 51:22

I see. So she was hiding from something under the table.

SPEAKER_01 51:29

Hmm.

SPEAKER_03 51:31

Um and there doesn't seem to be any other uh petrified people in this house?

SPEAKER_00 51:37

Not that you see right now. Actually, you look across the room and you see what looks like what looks like a humanoid of some kind man in a rocking chair holding a pipe, completely petrified as a statue. You see that moss has grown up all the way up and around him.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

I see. Uh can I search for secret passages? I mean, I can't I mean I want to look for more supplies for our journey, but I I would also like to kind of be nonchalantly searching for secret passages at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 52:21

I found D D simply did too many wisdom checks, or this feels more intelligence for how you're going about this.

SPEAKER_03 52:28

And that is a twelve with hope.

SPEAKER_00 52:32

Hope's still going strong. So, you're not seeing any like trapdoors or hidden passageways. Seems to be a pretty normal house going on. But it was easy enough for you to get all the basic adventure supplies you need. Go ahead and add a handful of gold to your inventory. But consider it to be like a gold worth of stuff. So it's less that you found raw cash, and more you have like that much worth of stuff to barter or trade or what have you of knick knacks and thingamabobs.

SPEAKER_02 53:02

Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 53:06

Um is there a leash for the dog?

SPEAKER_01 53:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 53:17

Um I guess there probably wouldn't be a collar with a tag or anything anywhere. Like I'm I'm curious. Uh Leroy is curious uh if the dog's name is actually fluffy.

SPEAKER_04 53:31

Yeah, you find a fluffy collar. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:38

She isn't saying much.

SPEAKER_04 53:45

Seems like nobody's been here for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 53:48

Yeah, no one seems to be home. I say to you, Lyra. She looks at you. No one seems to be home. Oh, you found Fluffy's collar. And she, like, puts it on the dog. It's just kind of hanging loosely. You have the feeling that, like, she doesn't seem to be reacting like she came home and found everyone in her hometown dead. There's a good chance she's going through some kind of denial type situation. You've seen this before in your earlier explorations that you don't quite know what's going through her head, but probably not the horrifying shock of the she's not nearly as distraught as someone should be in this situation.

SPEAKER_03 54:27

Right, right. Just I don't know what that well took from her, but it probably took something.

SPEAKER_00 54:35

Um I'm gonna spend a fear.

SPEAKER_03 54:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 54:45

So you look over, and the rocking chair's ever so gently moving. Possibly the wind coming through the open door, the dust settling. You don't really know.

SPEAKER_03 55:06

Ooh, well. Um, and this house only has one level?

SPEAKER_00 55:12

Um, it does appear to be like, for lack of a better term, the Pokemon house layout where you have the living room kitchen table and then there's stairs that go up to two bedrooms.

SPEAKER_03 55:23

Yeah, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 55:24

But it seems the roof has collapsed in, so the stairs don't really go anywhere.

SPEAKER_03 55:29

Right. Um, and obviously there's the entrance we came in. Uh, is there a back door?

SPEAKER_00 55:38

Uh yeah, but it does seem to be like vined shut. Vine shut.

SPEAKER_03 55:46

Um I would can I spend a hope uh to uh use my amateur gardener experience to see whether or not those are uh natural vines. Go ahead and roll. I'll say knowledge on this one. Analyze, recall, comprehend. Discabub. And I get plus two. Oof! Only a nine with fear.

SPEAKER_00 56:13

Oh no, don't. So as you look at these vines, and you're like, hmm, that seems suspicious. You hear the chair rock again, and you look. And halfway between the chair and you, the stone statue at the pipe has stood up and is looking at you as vines are coming out the eye sockets, and they bloom into black flowers, and is standing perfectly still.

SPEAKER_03 56:36

Oh. Into black flowers. Um okay. Uh let's let's try this amateur gardening thing again. Uh, do those appear to be a variation of of the flowers that were in the fountain?

SPEAKER_00 56:51

I'm gonna say for free they look very similar.

unknown 56:54

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 56:57

Yeah, okay. Um But as long but uh when I'm looking at this statue, uh, it's not moving.

SPEAKER_00 57:07

Correct. But you are feeling your eyes feeling a bit itchy from the pollen in the air.

SPEAKER_03 57:13

Uh-oh. Uh yeah, I guess um. So my uh rogue ability, uh Shadow Stepper. Um shadow to another. Uh I can mark a stress to disappear from where I reappear and reappear in another shadow within far range. When I reappear, I am cloaked. Um I able to take anyone with me.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

I'll allow it in this case.

SPEAKER_03 57:52

Uh because if my eyes are starting to get irritated from these flowers, uh, they're clearly bad news. Uh we need to get out of there. Um so uh any shadow that I can see.

SPEAKER_00 58:05

I'm sorry? Before you do this a maneuver, I'm gonna spend a fear. Go ahead and roll strength to try not to blink.

SPEAKER_03 58:14

Roll strength to try not to blink.

SPEAKER_00 58:17

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 58:19

Um, okay.

SPEAKER_00 58:23

Hope and fear don't matter, it's a reaction roll. Uh, seven. So, you have this brilliant shadow teleporting plan. So as you go to do it, your eyes close for a second, they reopen, you see a hand nearly around your neck as it seems to have moved the distance almost in an instant, before you fall into the shadows and reappear on the other side of the room. Are you staring at it or not looking at it? When you come out of the shadow, allegedly hidden.

SPEAKER_03 58:56

Uh, I am I am definitely looking at the uh at the statue.

SPEAKER_00 59:01

It doesn't seem to be moving, and it doesn't seem like it sees you for being a statue that only moves when you're not looking at it. And you have a thought in this moment.

SPEAKER_01 59:10

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 59:11

There's a lot of statues in this town.

SPEAKER_03 59:16

Yeah, there are a lot of statues in this town. Uh but so I am at least supposedly cloaked. Which um I am cloaked in addition to being hidden, I remain unseen if I'm stationary when an adversary moves, or to where they would normally see you. After I make an attack or move within line of sight of the adversary, I am no longer cloaked.

unknown 59:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:41

Or end a move within line of sight of the adversary.

SPEAKER_00 59:44

So um So provided none of the statues can see you from this location through any of the windows or doors, you should be fine. Hmm.

SPEAKER_03 59:59

I see. You're feeling pretty hidden. Uh but am I able to uh suddenly write a note to uh Lyra to explain to her what I would like her to do?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

I'll allow it. What's this note say?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:25

Hmm. Uh what would I want her to do?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

It's funny because you really can't tell if you're hidden, or is that you're staring at it that's causing the effect? You have no way of knowing.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:41

Right. I have no way of knowing. Um but I do think we need to get out of here. Uh you know what? No, I'm not gonna write her a note quite yet. I I'm just going to uh motion her to come with me and we're just gonna run for the door.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:03

Do you keep eye contact on this thing or no?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:15

No, but I don't stop moving until I am around the corner of the door so it wouldn't be able to see me if it has eyes.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:24

Okay. So you feel like you you've successfully made it outside. You don't know where it is. Do you try and spot it again now that you're outside?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:35

Um well, provided I was hidden in the first place, I think I should be able to peek around the corner and look to see if it moved.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:46

It seems to be in the same spot it was in. As do most of the statues seem to be in the same spots they're in when you came into town. Hmm. I see. But you do notice something you didn't notice before. So that mountain you saw that looked like it was beautiful and hand-carved. Upon closer inspection, you saw this repeating pattern that looked like somebody praying towards a person. On closer reflection, there appears to be about twenty or so statues holding people by the holding other statues by the throat, forming a circle around this waterbed.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:24

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:27

Oh, I see. Uh and all the people being held by the throat are also statues.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:35

Correct. Like a choking Ouroboros.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:44

Hmm. Um K.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:51

So the uh Ouroboros um is surrounding this handcarved fountain.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

Uh it is the handcarved fountain.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:07

It is the fountain. Sheesh. I uh I get the feeling that this flower is some sort of philosopher's stone that this people are being sacrificed up to it.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:23

Interesting. Wright Snow. What are you gonna spend a fear? Make an agility a reaction roll, please. An agility reaction roll. Agility ten with hope. Wait, it doesn't matter though. So as you're like sneaking through and made it outside, you realize that a thorn vine has wrapped its way around your ankle. Oh. You take eleven points of physical damage as the vines are wrapped their way around your body to restrain you.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:03

Oh dear. Eleven points, uh sheesh. Would you like to spend some armor? Yeah, I'm gonna spend an armor slot to reduce that to minor damage.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:16

If it makes you feel better, I got the highest possible roll on that. Uh but you are considered restrained until you're freed. You might- there is ways you can try and free yourself. But Spotlight is back on you.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:33

Well, okay, so. Um. This isn't a bramble vine?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:40

It seems to be barbed and spiky, but does not appear to be one of the tangle brambles you faced with earlier.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:46

Right, right. Um. How similar does it look to the vines that covered that back door?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:52

Very similar.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:54

I see. And how similar does it look to the vines that appeared to be controlling the statue?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:00

Completely different.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:02

Kinda. Completely different.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:04

Different enough. I mean.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:08

Okay. Well, in that case.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:12

I mean, because you're an expert gardener, you can tell the difference between a crimson bloom vine and a regular creeping sword vine. Come on.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:20

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um I able to just cut myself free?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:27

You see the little girl is kinda like cutting at it with a dagger? Go ahead and make a finesse check. Or strength, your choice. Nah, I'm going finesse. 16 with fear. No issue at all. Cut yourself free. Didn't even like make noise doing it. Like, there's a part where like the vine goes limp. You like catch it on the tip of your foot and like roll it onto the ground.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:53

Hmm. Excellent.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:56

It's also worth noting that one of those blooms is worth three chests of gold.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:04

One of the the crimson flower blooms?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:06

Yeah, you could get anywhere from one to three chests of gold. Cause you could use it to, I don't know, bring several people back from the dead for all intents and purposes.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:19

Right, cure them of their illness. Uh, okay, well, so the vines came from within the house, or where did the vines even come from?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:34

So it seems looking around at the this grove, there's this kind of ambient vinage going. It's like there's several trees scattered about. Some look vaguely humanoid. And then there seems to be like just almost like a web of vines coming out from the fountain at the center, striking through and around the village. There's no like real one source of it. It's like a raspberry brook bush that's been left to grow way too far and too much. Where it kind of goes along the ground and up rather than coming up over a central location.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:07

Okay. Uh am I able to get on top of the house? I know that the the roof is collapsed, but You can certainly try.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:15

It would be agility.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:17

Agility to try and climb on top of the house.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:22

12 with tope. You have made it on top of the house. Barely.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:33

Uh all right. Uh so from my vantage point on top of the house. Um can I uh like uh do these vines appear to have any like regular, like, like would they look like a like a magic circle kind of thing? Or like they said they seem kind of seemed to or originate from the fountain, yes, no?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:01

Yeah, kinda. Go ahead and roll a knowledge check for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:06

Uh would amateur gardener apply?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:08

I'll allow it.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:11

Knowledge. Plus two. Twenty-two with hope.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:17

So looking up in this vantage point, it's more like there's just a web of these vines kind of going through, like almost like a defense system. From this vantage point, you feel like the spirit that used to guard this place set up these vines to find and restrain intruders. But the vines aren't actually related to the petrification going on here. So it's like the blight and the vines are like a defense system, almost trying to like fight off the blight, which is a different it's like Mr. Burns' disease, whereas there's just layers upon layers of things going on here that aren't necessarily working in tandem.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:57

Okay, okay, so the vines and what's moving the statues are probably two different things. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:03

And you're you're not even sure they're playing nice.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:08

Mm-hmm. Um Did uh did Lyra climb up with me, or where's Lyra?

SPEAKER_00 1:09:18

I'm gonna say she did. I'm gonna say you helped her.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:20

Okay. Yeah, okay, okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:24

Um So it kind of looks like these vines here are are trying to restrain intruders, like some sort of defense system. You remember anything about that?

SPEAKER_00 1:09:48

Um she's looking like she's trying to think real hard. Um, the spirits keep our v we're s keeping our village safe, but no one seems to be here anymore.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:07

Um, how far away am I from that um the the fountain?

SPEAKER_00 1:10:13

I'm gonna say far range, because you climbed on top of a roof. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So you could theoretically get there in a move with a high speed roll.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:23

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:26

Um you see the bloom is floating on this pile of water, right? But under the bloom, you see its roots have wrapped down around what looks like a kind of like a s collector's box, like a nice wooden chest. Seems to be under the flower and the roots are wrapped around it. And you see like pulses of light coming from the box up the roots into the plant.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:00

Huh. Uh, and the box just seems to be under the water? Correct. Hmm. You are right that I maybe I shouldn't have given up my uh my amphibious nature of being a ribbon. Not that deep.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:18

Hmm.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:19

Fair. I do enjoy the hypothetical.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:23

So, to break canon for a moment, it's just funny because a lot of people like to try and min-max on these games. They're like, I'm min-maxing. I'm like, you have no idea what'll happen.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:32

That's that's true. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:34

There's been no fewer than two moats you could have swam through. Heck, you could have just taken the river route, no issue.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:43

I could have. Hmm.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:49

But uh regardless, I'm on top of the roof. The vines have not followed me onto the roof.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:58

Um Are you looking at any of the statues?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:04

Uh, not in particular. I mean I'm kind of just looking at the fountain right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:09

So the fountain hasn't moved.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:12

Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:12

And I'm gonna say you didn't do anything that explicitly broke your cover yet.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:18

Hmm. Right, because I was pretty stealthy with my when I cut myself free from the bramble vines. Or not the bramble, but from the the vines.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:26

But I will say, rules is written. If you don't do something soon, I just get a free GM move.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:35

There. Uh what do I even have in my equipment that I can? Yeah, I don't really have anything in particular in my equipment aside from the clipboard, but that's not really clipboard of the dossier. Uh, but the dossier is not really that helpful either. Although, actually. Um Is there do I have a map? Can I figure out where what exactly the is this town on any map that it might have?

SPEAKER_00 1:13:06

I had a roll of knowledge jack. That's an interesting one.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:12

Roll for knowledge. 22 is fear.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:15

I'm gonna take that fear. So, you do see that on one of your older maps you had before you started this adventure. You see that there was a name on it. But it's like Okay. It's something Grove, but it's like the text faded away for whatever was attached to the word grove. It's like the map erased a part of itself, kind of like the sign from earlier.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:44

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:48

So it's someone's grove, but it was on the map.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:52

Someone's grove, it was on the map. Uh she doesn't remember, so maybe my theory about the fountain is wrong, and she's actually had her memories eaten by whatever has destroyed this town. Uh but there appears to be some you know what?

SPEAKER_00 1:14:13

That flower might be enough money to pay off your debt.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:18

Yeah, I was just I was just thinking, you know what, I I uh screw it. Um I'm gonna try and run and grab that flower and chest out of the fountain.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:30

Go ahead and roll a speed check as you're going for both. Uh agility? Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:38

Um, but uh, but um no, I don't.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:42

That's just oof, only a 14 with fear. So, you're running. You can make the distance in one turn. You get to the fountain, you grab the flower, you grab the chest under it. Roll two d12 for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:57

Two d12. Uh the dice roller is right here. D twelve. D twelve. Roll ten.

unknown 1:15:13

Ten.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:14

So as you pick up the chest, it's not that heavy. Which is nice. You're in the middle of the fountain, you're about to get out. I'm gonna spend my first fear. And th four of the statues turn to face you, their jaws disconnect, and they try and bite at you. Oh my. So the first one, I'm gonna go ahead and make my move. Uh-huh. Roll. Does a 10 hit you?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:41

It does not.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:43

Okay. The second one's gonna go ahead and roll. Does a 12 hit you? I spend a fear. It does not. The next one's gonna go ahead and roll, which is me spending my next fear. 20. Which is theoretical. So pack tactics activates. Which adds some extra damage. So you're looking at 24 physical damage.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:15

Well, I mean, I guess I need to spend that last armor slot to reduce that to minor major damage instead of severe damage.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:23

So you do not get blighted. And then I'll spend my final fear to activate forest control. And a tree outside the well tips over and falls towards you. Make it agility reaction roll.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:40

Agility reaction.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:44

Uh, do critical successes still count? Not for reactions, but you do succeed still. So it's still a crit? I think you still actually clear the stress, yeah. I'm gonna say you clear the stress and gain a hope for a crit in this situation. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:58

Ah, okay. Well, I mean, I just I uh the other benefits are nice, but uh it's just it was two fours, so it's like it's pretty low roll, but it's critical success, so.

unknown 1:17:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:10

So spotlight is back on you. You have a box and a flower, and this wells trying to murder the shit out of you.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:18

It seems to be made out of four to eight dudes. You're not really sure. Four of them seem to be moving.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:24

Mm-hmm. Um are within close range of very close range of me.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:35

Eight. You're in the center of this well.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:38

I am going to spend a hope to roll uh my reign of blades. See if I can deal some magic damage to these bad boys. Booze! So I spend a hope. Uh and I roll my spellcast roll. Uh 11 with hope.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:00

11 with hope? That is what you needed.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:05

Ooh, nice. So they take 2d8 plus 2. Which is 12.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:13

So that's enough to severely wound them? As you just do this Beyblade spit of death. All eight of them are very injured. On Death's door. Didn't kill any of them.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:26

Okay. Um, so the tree that tried to fall on me.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:30

It's still there, fallen. It successfully fell. It just didn't hit you.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um. But so the the tree, um, can I like run along it so that I can try and kind of funnel them so they can't, like, reach me from the ground, or how tall is this tree on itself?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:53

I'll let you use the tree as a ramp to get out.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:56

Yeah, so that's that's my plan is to use the tree as a ramp to get out.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:00

I'm gonna say still roll agility to get out of there, but I'll let you get an advantage for using the tree ramp. So you get to add an extra d6 to that.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:09

Advantage. That is a 16 with fear.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:14

So you run up the tree, you get away, the little girl's still on a roof watching this go down.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:18

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:19

I'm gonna spend this well, I'm gonna use my GM move. And I'm gonna spend a fear. So in the spot where you were where the chest was in the center of the wall, the water turns from blue to red to purple to black, compresses into a sphere, and you're when you see like glowing eyes form as wisp-like tendrils form arms and legs, five or six arms, three or so legs, as this ethereal energy, this chaotic elemental, forms from the spot you were in. Oh, yeah. It's going to waddle up the tree towards you.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:01

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:02

And it's going to do what now? Oh, that's fun. I'm gonna spend my last beer to remake reality. The log you're standing on turns to sand, and the ground around you turns to water as you fall in and sploosh.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:22

Oh dear.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:23

That is a very cool power. You take five points of direct magic damage, so you cannot use armor against it.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:33

Okay. That's not good.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:38

And you seem to like the gr ground seemed to have turned into water. Spotlight's back on you. I'm out of fear.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:51

Okay, um, and so how close is this elemental to me?

SPEAKER_00 1:20:55

It is within melee range. It seems to be a rotating mass of uncontrollable magic and energy.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:06

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:10

Um that thing is pretty scary.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:17

The sentence I get to transform the area into a different biome was fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:23

First things first, I I mean I gotta I gotta eat my snap powder donut. Definitely gotta do that.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:29

Alright, carbo loading, carbo loading, go, go, go.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:32

So I mark a stress and I clear a hit point. Um and I guess that's consumed. Uh too bad. Goodbye, snap powder. Okay. Then um, so the only thing I have that deals magic damage. Although I can't. No, I see I don't I don't know if I should go for magic damage or I should go for.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:08

Make a knowledge reaction roll for me. I'm giving you a free.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:13

Knowledge reaction roll. Uh oh. A four with fear. Well, right, fear doesn't matter, but a four.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:21

So it seems to be like weird chaotic magic.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:26

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:26

Wish you got more than a four. That's all I can say.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:36

Um for the sake of flavor, I'm gonna say the ground turn to water and the log turn to kelp.

unknown 1:22:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:54

Okay, okay. Um how far does this water extend?

SPEAKER_00 1:23:01

Um. It was originally within very close range to it. So like about like a ten-foot circle or so.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:13

Right. About a ten-foot circle. Okay, so it's easy enough to get out of the water.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:22

Oh yeah, no issue at all.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:27

Um. Cause I mean, uh, and I still have my chest and my flower, right? Correct. The question is, do I think I can actually get away from this chaos elemental, or should I just embrace the danger and go for another rain of blades to try and take out those statues too? Tough to say. I'm gonna- I'm gonna risk it for the biscuit. I'm gonna- I'm gonna go in headfirst and uh attempt to uh reign of blades, all the statues and the assuming they're all within close enough range of each other I want to try and get them all again.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:06

I'll say so. You didn't get very far when the m elemental smoke you.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:11

Alright, so I move back in, I spend my hope. I make my spellcast roll. Oh, come on. Twelve with hope?

SPEAKER_00 1:24:26

So, that'll hit everything there.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:30

For a solid eight damage.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:34

So, those eight soldiers all just die. Their statues crumble, you just see like as it collapse into dust. The elemental though is the m hmm, is it magical damage or physical damage?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:55

It is magic damage.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:58

So it's going to use its magical reflection. Were you within close range of this elemental? Yes. You take half the damage you dealt. Oh dear. Actually, what was your roll again, sorry? Uh my roll was a 12. You missed the elemental, but hit everything else.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:19

Yeah, okay. That sounds lucky. Um.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:29

And that was with hope or fear? Uh that was with hope. Okay, spotlight's still on, yeah. I'm sitting here with a measly one fear left dangling.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:41

Okay, uh, are there any shadows anywhere nearby me?

SPEAKER_00 1:25:45

Yeah, there's a good number of shadows in this dilapidated town.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:49

Um well, um, near enough to me that I could uh use my shadow step ability. Yeah, no issue.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:59

Okay. Um Mentally picture the layout of Palet Town with an eldred fountain in the middle.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:13

Um, because yeah, I I do just need to mark a stress uh to fall into a shadow. Um, and uh I can shadow step anywhere within far range, so that could get me pretty much anywhere in the grove, yes, no? As long as there's a shadow grove.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:36

Um you are in the twilight, so there is shadow for infinite directions for a little bit longer.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:45

Um. So am I able to shadow step onto the roof next to Lyra? I'm gonna say yes. Then that is where I shall shadow step to. Uh, reappearing cloaked as the ability claim.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:05

Go ahead and roll a finesse check.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:08

A finesse check, alright. Uh is it a reaction roll or just a regular reaction roll. Finesse. That is a 13.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:21

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:23

So you're on the roof. Spotlight is still on you right now. What would you like to do?

SPEAKER_04 1:27:35

So, um I'm gonna look at Lyra and be like, what the hell is that thing?

SPEAKER_00 1:27:45

She's gonna look at you and go, I don't know. But it seems piss.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:55

Uh I think we should probably just uh get get out. Let's just keep let's just run.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:03

I like that plan.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:07

Um, okay. Now I do have a crossbow that has far range.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:14

You do.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:17

Um. And I'm cloaked.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:20

You are.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:21

So I would have it I would have an advantage, yes no?

SPEAKER_00 1:28:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:27

Well. Okay. Just to see what just to see what happens. As as we're turning to run, I'm just gonna shoot at it. Um finesse, I have advantage. Roll! 20 with hope.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:48

20 will hit it. 20 will hit most things.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:51

And I get to add. I'm tier two, yes now? Yes. So I get to uh roll for damage. Two or two d6 plus one physical. That's six. Uh and then also I get to add uh. I guess I'm assuming it would also be physical damage, but I get to add an additional two d6 for my C stack.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:22

It's the same damage of the thing you do.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:25

Uh so that's an additional three damage, so I've dealt so I dealt nine damage with my parting shot as Lyra and I start booking it out of town.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:34

Alright, so you've knocked a couple HP off it. And did you say you got that with hope? Yes. You're rolling real good. So I'm gonna spend. No, I'm gonna save my fear. I'm just gonna let you get away this time.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:51

Uh but I successfully got the flower and the chest, yes now?

SPEAKER_00 1:29:55

Correct. So did you leave the way you came or go across the village to the other side to escape?

SPEAKER_03 1:30:01

Um the pathway went through the village, right? Correct.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:07

And those in the exact center.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:11

We definitely want to continue uh on our journey, so we're gonna attempt to go through the village to escape.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:17

Alright, roll one more finesse chat for me. This is kind of stay hidden from some statues you walk and cross in front of roll for finesse. Oof. Ate with fear. I'll take that fear gratefully. You've made it out of the village as far as you can tell. You start heading down the hill into the woods, moving at a pretty fast clippity-clop, weaving between trees. And after about an hour, you're feeling like you got away.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:52

Alright. Well, uh I'm I know it's dusk, but what time of day is like does there do we have like watches or clocks, or how do they even tell time when there's Yeah, really don't.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:07

You are getting kind of on the big sleepies though. It's been a day.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:12

Yeah, I mean, I guess, um Can I do I see anywhere uh that would be good for camping? Um I guess nowhere. Actually, no no no no. I I w I want to use my my Lord of the Flies uh to see if I spot any any bugs uh that would indicate there's like any animal dung or anything nearby.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:37

Oh, go ahead and roll a instinct. That's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:42

Instinct using Lord of the Flies. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:46

So then I get plus two sixteen with hope. You tell me what dung you found.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:59

Okay, oh god. So um this is the main road. Um So I'm gonna say Um They the dung that I found is uh it looks like oversized rabbit pellets.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:28

Um I don't know, let's see, uh like a some sort of like a rabbit crocodile, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:36

Croc a hair, got it. Croc-a-hare.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:42

Um yeah, that seems like something that would live in a forest slash bog.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:47

Yes, I'll allow that. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:51

Hey. Um. But so I guess the other indication with the with the flies would be how fresh is this dung.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:00

How fresh do you want it to be with that role?

SPEAKER_03 1:33:04

Well, I mean, I would prefer for it to be not fresh, because I'm kind of trying to see whether or not there'd be any signs of animals nearby that could potentially ambush me if I decided to rest.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:14

It feels pretty safe.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:17

Okay, okay, okay. Uh well, uh, yeah, then I guess Lyra and I would like to make camp and try and see if we can rest, uh Would you like to take a terrestrian try and take a full rest or a short rest? Okay. Now I'm gonna have to.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:37

Um, realistically, from where you're at right now, I can offer you a short rest, and you can probably make it to town within eight hours. If you choose to take a long rest, however, you can recover before moving on. But there is one little thing I missed. Roll an instinct check for me.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:56

Instinct, alright. That is a 17 with fear.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:01

You may ask me one question and I about that last encounter, and I must answer you truthfully.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:09

Ah, huh. Okay, so we got a chaotic mass of um magical energy that formed out of the well that was being having sacrifices made to it, I suppose. Um, I I guess my question would be, was the elemental uh a corrupted um the spirit that was protecting that area is the elemental that spirit but corrupted?

SPEAKER_00 1:34:49

So, it was not. What you've gathered is your theory is correct that they were attempting to use this town in some sort of ritual to turn a regular flower crimson. The way you can best figure is the spirit that was per supposed to protect that grove has gone missing, either captured or killed. And they were trying to feed magical energy to this flower. The treasure chest attached to the flower was acting as a kind of power supply to change it from a regular bloom to a red one.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:24

That elemental was the grove trying to purge the intruders.

unknown 1:35:30

Ah.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:33

So the grove itself was trying to defend itself in the absence of its spirit. So your hunch is kind of spot on that if the spirit was there, that's what would have appeared, but instead it tried to summon someone, got a file not found, and that's what came out.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:50

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:52

They flipped the top card of the deck and summoned it at random. Without even looking at it.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:00

Hmm. Now, I mean, that's That's not exactly my problem as long- as long as I'm actually safe, I do think Um I do think I should probably focus on recovery in case. Okay, well actually no, I guess, uh meta question, uh what happens if you're interrupted during a long rest?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:26

If you're interrupted during so a short rest or a long rest are the number of moves you get, right? If you're interrupted during a long rest, it becomes a short rest.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:37

And um in this campaign frame, really it's just the rest of the world and my dramatic countdown timers you can't see while I'll advance as things happen. Ah, right, so it's possible if you take so as you recall from the first session, if you spend too much time resting, it's possible the person you're chasing may no longer be in the town of Allura. However, you haven't slept in like two days, you've been making pretty good time. You could probably get away with a long rest. However, if you get interrupted, like I said, you lose some of the benefits of the moves, you have to fight a fight in your current state, you only get short rest moves you get a use, and you know you can get to a town relatively soon. But the choice is still yours.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:22

Yeah, I think I think I'm going to uh short rest.

unknown 1:37:28

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 1:37:29

So, because of how we structure our show, as you leave the reclaimed grove behind, the canopy parts just enough for the pale remaining light to spill across your glass. The air humms of rentless light, flowers blooming too quickly, insects darting in impossible patterns, and after your rest you follow the winding trail towards the city. The weight of what you've uncovered heavy in your packs and your minds. The flower wrapped up carefully. Do you open the box to see what's in it?

SPEAKER_03 1:38:00

Uh no, I don't want to open that box yet.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:04

Okay. I need you to write down some on your sheet. Box number ten.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:11

Equipment. Uh but up um manage equipment. Add custom equipment. Box number ten. Conduit or red flower. Crimson flower.

SPEAKER_00 1:38:35

So the trail unwinds through a shallow hollow, where trees thin into strangly stands of elder and the air grows cooler. As you crest the last rise before the marsh worm hearth, the crossing finally comes into view. The town sprawls across the bog like a raft that learned to grow roots. Broad wooden platforms lash together with iron chains and ancient rope rising and sinking almost imperceptibly within the water beneath. Dozens of squat towers jet from the piers, their lanterns burning steady against the gloom. Some are watchposts, others homes, and a few are crowned with windmills that creak and turn in the sluggish breeze. Even from this distance, you can see the banners. Haven't colours ripple in the wind, bright against the damp grey sky. Between them, rivet folk in oilcloth coats and wild straw hats, keepers of the marsh are already stirring. One of them notices you and waves a red hand in greeting. A few others follow suit, waving from their posts with long poles resting across their shoulders. One of them approaches in a gondola-type boat. The town has a moat. A pierce busheless motion, highborn traders unloading crates from low slug skiffs, lore boned scribes rolling up covers of floating bookstalls, carpenters hammering fresh pond, children dart between bales barrels chasing one another across the planks. Somewhere deeper in the maze of platforms, a great iron belt tolls once in low, as if to mark your arrival. You smell cedar smoke, and delicious maple bug pie, mingled with the smaint metallic smell of the Witherwild's Edge. This is the last piece the Empire Order holds before the forest claims everything further down. And that's what we'll wrap up today's session. Alright. Alright, so some meta things. So the Abandoned Grove is just a stat block, rabbled, evanted grove.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:33

It's they literally structure their stat blocks to be it's a tier one stat block, Dreadvo, difficulty, potential adversaries, and it lists the Chaos Elemental, Young Dryads, Minor Triant, and Sylvan Soldiers. The battlefield itself lets you make a roll to get pieces of lore that's like built right into it.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:53

The barbed vines are built right into it.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:57

The dryad, two soldiers, the number of trees equal to the PCs are part of it.

unknown 1:41:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:04

And spending fear to summon the elemental is part of it. Right. I did spend some fear when I'm like, ooh, something's happening. To put in a few more dryads.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:15

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:16

But I removed the trees to kind of like keep the balance going. Right. And this definitely turned into a stealth mission, not a straight-up combat. Although you did kill eight dudes.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:29

Yeah. Well, I mean, I'm still pretty suspicious of this girl. Uh, but I'm less suspicious that she she doesn't give off uh big bad energy anymore.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:43

Well, my role as DM means I cannot explain things. So you made it to what's effectively part two of the adventure, which is the city.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:52

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:41:53

And you spent longer in the grove than I was expecting.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:59

Uh yeah, I mean I was trying to figure out the best way to actually in investigate um what happened there.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:06

Umthough I'm not saying it's a problem, because it's like session two was always gonna be the town proper. The big difference being whether it would have been time to explore around the town before we called it.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:18

Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:19

Because we learned that I'm not gonna be running all five parts in a single session with our time.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:24

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:25

Not if I want your mini-movie reviews and to learn about your organs.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:29

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:42:31

But I did find it funny the Chaos Elemental literally says spend a fear to transform the area within very close range into a different biome. All targets take two d6 plus three direct magic damage. When it takes damage from close range, deal an amount of damage equal to the attack or equal to half the damage they've dealt. When it makes a successful attack against a PC, I gain a fear. Thing is a jerk. That thing does seem like a jerk. Seven HP, so. You could have taken it, it would have been tough.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:03

Uh seven hit points.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:06

And it takes half damage from magic.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:09

Okay. See, I'm I wasn't sure which way to go from that. If it if it would if a magical creature would require magic, or if a magical creature would be resistant to magic, it's kinda you can't either way.

SPEAKER_00 1:43:21

Which is why, like, there are some like cards you can get at higher levels that are like prepared ability, learn things, weaknesses, resistances. But like, I'll just make you roll for it, if you get good, I'll just tell you. Right. Plus, quite frankly, there was more dryads and I mean more sylvan soldiers than there probably should have been. Cause I did. This is kinda a hot take, but I increased the number of enemies when this turned into a stealth mission. Makes sense. And the reason I did that is I really wanted to give you the hint that when you grab the treasure, you should get the fuck out of there. Cause I worry that if I'd only use the original two and a tree monster and a wizard, so the original like four enemies plus the tree ant, the five enemies that were gonna be there. I think five enemies was actually more dangerous. Like a variety of five enemies trying to fight you was more dangerous than four goons that came out of the wall. Right. It's like I attacked you with more guys, because that would have made it less deadly in practice, was my theory.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:31

That is pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_00 1:44:33

Cause it's like the one I didn't use was the tree monster, who really isn't that dangerous at all. But there's also a young dryad that I can mark a stress to spotlight 1d4 allies within range of the target and let them attack without moving. And can spend an action to form a cage around you to restrain you. Oh. So if I'd used the spellcaster, that could have went real bad for you real fast. Yeah. So I don't know. I I think I feel bad where I'm like, yeah, I'm just gonna have there be a ton of guys. But I kinda made there a ton of guys knowing full well you're gonna windmill them all to death. And one last meta thing is the item in the box you roll on a table to see what item is in the box.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:23

Well, I mean, I will definitely open it in town. Uh, but uh the as a conduit is it's like I feel like I should do that somewhere wholly so that it maybe if it turns out badly it will be less bad.

SPEAKER_00 1:45:37

Fair, but would you like to know what item of the one the two to twenty-four range you got? Sure. So you got a fire jar. Pole's fire. Contents refill after a long rest.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:49

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:45:50

When I play tested it, they got a glamour scope. Memorize someone's appearance, spend one hope to disguise yourself. I was kinda hoping you'd get that.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:58

Hmm. That would be pretty excellent. Uh, because it would mean I wouldn't have to spend so much uh stress to disguise myself.

SPEAKER_00 1:46:07

I also think it would have been really funny if you got the whistle that emits a piercing tone that people you choose can hear within a mile just to whistle at the girl.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:18

That might have been handy.

SPEAKER_00 1:46:19

You also really would have appreciated the gecko gloves that let you climb walls and ceilings with ease.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:24

Hmm, yeah. There are quite a few things I would appreciate, but the the the fire jar uh seems pretty uh pretty solid.

SPEAKER_00 1:46:32

But the best one is twelve, which is mathematically the most likely one you'll get on 2D12. Okay. The chest is empty, and it appears empty instead you'll you say a trigger word revealing the contents. Huh. So the box was the magic item.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:51

That's pretty funny. Uh so now I have I guess I should add the crimson flower to my inventory too, hey?

SPEAKER_00 1:46:58

Oh yeah, you got a crimson flower. Which you can use to unpetrify someone, which something I probably haven't put as much thought into the ramifications of as I should. Because that means any of these giving statues you can turn into an NPC. Uh Crimson Flower depetrifies. So I'm running this again this weekend on like my group where one of my PCs is playing the little girl. And they're planning to see the town as if it's still alive and interact with the empty buildings, like people are still there to try and unsettle their team. Yeah. So, I'm gonna have fun with this to see how it goes with the other group. I don't have advanced knowledge to share this time, but I'm happy to see how it plays out. So, on our next episode, you get to know how other people went through this village. Which yet again, I increase the number of enemies, and I probably shouldn't have. This is some GM advice. But I'm like, I described this cool Oroboros well thing, and then I'm like, well, I guess I have to make there be that many now to make sense. How what's the minimum number of bodies I need to make a well of human bodies? I do not regret it, but like, you're playing it solo and I upped the number of creatures. That's borderline sociopathic. To be fair though, I am planning to use that many enemies on my actual party too.

SPEAKER_03 1:48:25

Uh, I I don't plan on avoiding all combats. Uh, but rogue has always been my favorite class because they are decent in combat and then also have um a huge number of abilities that uh apply for role-playing andor stealth missions. Uh so I mean hopefully our listeners aren't uh bored of of me sneaking around, but that's I don't think they'll be.

SPEAKER_00 1:48:51

Like part of it is once I saw where you're going for it, you'll notice I changed how the enemies functioned. To like even though mechanically they moved as far as they normally could, the reason I did the whole weeping angel when you're not staring at them creep up, is I wanted you to think, oh, this is a stealth mission. I am allowed to stealth my way through this mission.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:13

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:49:14

So me setting up here's a well, here's a trap, I have a monster in the well, with a very obvious glowing trap, are you gonna go for it? Was me trying to like make it that being a stealth character had risk and reward. Right. What's kind of funny is rules is written, I can just spend a fear to make you no longer hidden. Really? Yeah, you can just spend a fear to clear a condition. I have to just explain it, so I have to be I spend a fear, they look around and spot you up in the hill. Hmm, makes sense. But there's no dice roll that's really associated with it. Cause you roll to see how well you're hidden in, and I can just spend a fear to make you no longer hidden. It makes sense in the narrative.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:02

Um right now, uh the this session I I specifically uh I realized last session uh that my rogue feature of Shadow Stepper uh was just uh an ability that I didn't use, even though it does fit into my stress build. Um and so I wanted to actually use it this time, and I really like that it gives me like super stealth.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:30

Oh yeah. Basically. Well, that's one of your like class powers is when you'd be hidden, you get to be cloaked instead.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:36

Yeah, yeah. Um I mean, I guess I do get super cloaked just by hiding, but like um I don't actually have to roll to be cloaked with the shadow stepper.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:49

Yeah, so like how it works mechanically is if I want someone to spot you, they have to be in a reasonable location where they can spot you, and then I spend a fear to spot you.

SPEAKER_01 1:50:59

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:59

So when you're stealthed on a roof at the outskirts of a valley in a shadow behind a chimney, I'd probably it'd be a stretch for me to be like, and a bird sees you from above.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:13

Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:14

But I did spend a fear so the vine could find you and grab you behind the house.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:19

Ah, that makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:22

And speaking of, I get a roll from my fear because you took a short rest.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:27

Ooh, yeah, that's true. I did take a short rest.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:29

Big money for the fear. I got four.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:36

Oh, dang.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:38

Fun stuff. But yeah, what do you think of what was effectively a side quest? Oh, speaking of, are you curious what would have happened if you went the other direction?

SPEAKER_03 1:51:48

I am a little curious, yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:50

So the narrative's designed to highly encourage you to go through Wormhearth Crossing. But when we were doing our playtesting, we're like, some people will absolutely, under no circumstances, go to the obvious place we're telling them to go where the adventure happens. Right. So the grove is technically optional, but there's also a stat block for a swamp. Yeah, okay. And the swamp is a tier higher than the grove if you don't have a boat.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:19

That makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 1:52:21

So it would spawn giant mosquitoes that try and kill you, you'd have reduced movement speed in the water. But there's also a stat block for a cliff where you can just ignore this completely, go through the swamp and then climb a cliff. Yeah, okay. And then you're just climbing this cliff while giant birds are trying to eat you because you're just skipping this town completely, because screw this town. Right. Because that's part of the design, it's like all I really needed to run this session was the stat block for shrine, and then the text before and after it, and putting some secrets and hidden, cause the text box doesn't have a flower in the middle of it. Or the hints to know that this was a Feinwreat community that Haven invaded, killed the god there possibly, or something. Then people invaded, fought over a flower, then the grove killed everybody and fed it to the flower. Which should set up enough intrigue. So yeah, it went about as far as I was expecting, but also I can see players spending all of like five minutes and be like, Alright, we fight, and then they just do the fight and then clear the town and then leave. But you wanted the lore. And when I was talking about like your character's backstory with a friend of mine the other day being like, fiance, fake dead, false name, you're doing a lore campaign, right? Right. So it's like if I have a player like redacted who's barbarian, yelled at the darkness, and then that's what they did, then it would feel like a waste for me to explain the politics. But your character who's literally a talking, sneaking character, all this information I've been giving you, you've been trying to use. Yeah. So it's worth our listeners listening to an hour of you exploring. Because this information will rather later in the story.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:17

Yeah, I definitely do want to know the lore. Um. But uh, I I think we should do we do a random question for the for this? Do we have any random questions?

SPEAKER_00 1:54:27

I don't really. We just kind of talk things mostly game-wise, but I will say, here's my random question for you that's on topic for this game. Okay. What new class would you make? What do you feel like is a missing class? It could be from any existing game off the top of your head.

SPEAKER_03 1:54:48

Uh, what new class would I like? Huh. Well, I mean, somewhat problematically, uh, I mean, maybe I should be assuming my character's gonna die. I actually felt like I came pretty close uh in this sense.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:02

How close were you, actually? Were you within one hit point? Uh four out of six. So two more hits or one really heavy hit, and you could So that elemental absolutely could have killed you with the recoil.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:17

Uh well, it it I mean, potentially. No, half damage, I don't think it would have gotten over the the minor damage threshold. Uh, but I had no armor slots left.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:28

I kinda wanna do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:29

And only two hit points left.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:32

So had it reflected back at you for half the damage you dealt, that would have been one hit point. Yeah. And then if it had attacked you with its 2d6 direct damage, you're dead. Dead frog.

SPEAKER_03 1:55:47

Yeah, I I I very easily could have died. Um, but the point of it is that I haven't really been um playing this character like I think they're going to die. So I haven't really looked too much at what the options are that are currently available. Um that said, uh, I mean trying to think of things.

SPEAKER_00 1:56:16

Well, what's kind of funny is for one of the classes I have up on the Itch, was one of my players described the little girl character they wanted to play, and I reverse engineered of okay, I'm going to make this class for you to be the creepy little girl specifically.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:30

Hmm.

SPEAKER_00 1:56:31

Who may or may not be the big band of the campaign.

SPEAKER_03 1:56:36

She has definitely got something to do with something.

SPEAKER_00 1:56:40

Uh, you think that messed you up? Try being a player where I give them those cryptic hints from a well, and they're like, uh what? Like, don't worry about it. Could just be the wind. But um. Uh, honestly, your next character, I should build you a merchant. All their powers are money-based.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:05

Okay, um. What class would I? I think um a chef class. It would be pretty fun.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:15

Uh nice. I don't know. That's obscure enough to like, how the heck would that even work? You know what? I'll get back to you. I could make that work. I could make that work. But yeah, for everyone who tuned in, this adventure's online available to download. You can get spoilers of what's gonna happen to them next. Which is kind of funny for them to read ahead of what's gonna happen to you and then watch the episode. Like, I feel like there's some peak content there to have mild spoilers. Right, right. And I don't think we can legally put your spleen up for auction.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:50

Well, I mean, I'm gonna talk to the doctors and find out if I can go this uh this time loop where every time someone watches one of our episodes I go back to the the date of my consultation.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:59

Oh no. That is the number of tickets. Why do the tickets compile? I do appreciate the my carl take the worst part of the surgery is the parking ticket. Uh happy gaming, random people out there. I'll have a better sign off later. Bye. I think that was feed content. I really appreciated tormenting you. Hmm. I I've tried to like channel all of my inner Resident Evil on that. Did I at least like up your heart rate a little bit when the rocking chair was still moving?

SPEAKER_03 1:58:43

Uh well, I mean the rocking chair was like that's a cliche. I I I don't mind it. It was effective, but it didn't really get my heart pumping because it it's just it's a cliche. What if if I had a fog rocking chair chair and then suddenly it's creaking and I'm like, mmm. Yeah, that was obvious.

SPEAKER_00 1:59:04

Fine then. I do think the elemental might have got you when the ground just turned to water and you started drowning.

SPEAKER_03 1:59:10

But uh apparently there's a meteor shower I gotta go check out, so I gotta get going. But uh we'll chat for sure next week Tuesday.