Dalelands - Episode 5 'The Forest of Cormanthor'

The party continues to investigate the owlbear den whose smell lured their horses off course. Ike uses his druidic power to speak with the beast and gains a short side quest to save the owlbear's lost mate. The party travels deeper into the forest in search of the lost library of Lethchauntos and instead finds three hunters looking to sell a recently captured owlbear. Our group devises a plan to save the creature, stop the poachers, and hopefully learn more about the very forest they're traveling through. Deep talks around the party's campsite led to deepening bonds and a short crisis of faith.

Transcript

SPEAKER_18 0:00

Thanks so much for tuning in to episode five of our Dale Lands campaign.

SPEAKER_04 0:06

This has been three weeks since we've played, so just a little refresher for everyone, including us. Uh last time we played, we journeyed from Dagger Falls all the way down to Shadowdale Town to meet Myrna Noor at Old Skull Inn. An heir to a wealthy Sembian trading house and student of magic and arcana. She offered to pay you a hundred gold each to find the hidden library built by a long-dead orc wizard named Lethchantos. This is the Library of Leftchantos that supposedly holds the Nathlum, a book of arcane lore, that they believe resides in this library. It is a bit of a race, as her old colleague and friend Powell Nickum, the owl, that you recovered a letter from earlier on in the campaign, before we even started recording. He, supposedly, according to Myrna, is going to sell the tome's secrets to the Zenterim. You've already had some brushings with the Zenterim up until this point, and have tried to avoid them as much as possible. But as you headed out through the forests of Cormir to find this library, it is a three-day journey. It would have been a four-day journey if you had not rented these horses. So renting these horses saved you a day. You are on the second day of your journey. On your first day, you were accosted by two members of the Zenterim. Um who wait, no, that was That was before. That was before. Cut that out. Um the way, you picked up the trail of a high-ranking Zenterim member, uh, who you slowed your travel down slightly just to stay out of his way. Uh he seemed to be running from something. And uh so you stayed behind, you are still behind as he uh seems to be going a similar direction. You're not sure exactly if he's headed to uh this library or not. But then the next morning, you woke up to actually before then, you settled down that fucking tree next to a massive Gulfias tree that woke up and tried to get you. What if TPK does? Uh absolutely, but you guys were on your feet, you had the horses, you were able to get away. Um horse ike. But realized I gotta come up with a name with everything, like Snake.

SPEAKER_07 3:29

Rike for rat ike.

SPEAKER_11 3:35

Yeah. Yep. Ah, perfect. All right. What about like a dolphin like?

SPEAKER_19 3:41

Leave that shit in there. I'm gonna cut everything out except for Becca's leave that shit in there.

SPEAKER_04 3:50

That's how we're gonna begin the episode.

SPEAKER_16 3:52

Leave that shit. Yeah, call it open. Yeah, leave that shit in there.

SPEAKER_04 3:55

Uh so running away from this uh Golthias tree, this living beast uh of nature, you managed to outrun it on these horses and find a safe and cozy place to stay. The next morning, uh you found a nice little river, nice little stream that Ike went and began fishing. Uh you smelled a sweet smell in the distance, but weren't exactly sure what it was. And then uh as you were kind of thinking about that, a massive fish hit your leg before you whapped it with your uh with your uh shilleley, knocking it out cold, picking it up, and cooking it for breakfast. You then uh they so you discovered that it was a uh thing upstream that orcs uh would poison the water to fish easily. Um, and obviously that did not work out super well, but this fish in particular had some marks of that, but was not uh was not poisoned and was safe to eat. After your breakfast, you headed off on your horse's Ike as a horse as well. Um headed off across the river, and your horses all started to act very strange. It seemed like they smelled something, and then Ike recognized that sweet, sweet smell was that of as a horse. A uh was that of termite carcasses. Termite carcasses that have been essentially farmed by a primordial owl bear.

SPEAKER_17 5:56

Primordial owlbear?

SPEAKER_04 5:58

They uh bit more powerful. What the fuck is wrong with you?

SPEAKER_16 6:03

Um We're level two!

SPEAKER_04 6:05

They establish these termite colonies by digging pits and stocking them with wood and the termites, uh, and then uh they that is their way to eat. Uh they they just eat these termites, they start essentially a farm because uh this forest has been so uh run down um and dangerous that they don't have much other food supply. Um so the scent of the means it's hungry? Uh well it it seems to have a farm that it that is working pretty well, these termites. Um so this this scent of the decaying termite shells mixed with the owlbear saliva has drawn all the horses in. You managed to calm your horses, uh well Orion managed to calm his horse. Ike managed to calm himself.

SPEAKER_14 7:01

I just changed back.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

Hodge and Val's horses went off towards this owlbear's nest. And then you guys all snuck up and recognized, oh shit, this is an owlbear's home.

SPEAKER_11 7:16

But he was not there, right?

SPEAKER_04 7:18

You did not see the owlbear. And you would you see, like, so as you walk up, you see this pit, this massive pit that has been dug, a bunch of termites, like large, large termites, um, as big as like a butternut squash. Uh probably good ease.

SPEAKER_17 7:43

Why don't you try it hot? It is good ease.

SPEAKER_14 7:45

I will, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:47

Uh you see a lot of these uh termite shells and husks strewn about the floor. Um but as you approach you see what looks like the owlbear's nest in the center of it, uh, and it is empty.

SPEAKER_17 8:04

Owlbear egg!

SPEAKER_04 8:05

Don't touch anything.

SPEAKER_06 8:07

If you want to go up and search stealthily, don't mess with the nest. Don't mess with the nest. Don't touch the leaves, any anything. I'm seeing around behind you sneaking behind you. Exactly.

SPEAKER_19 8:21

I'm staying right where I am. I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_04 8:24

I can't see the shot of Ikea.

SPEAKER_19 8:26

Do you want me to die in the outbear nest?

SPEAKER_04 8:28

Orion tiptoeing in the background.

SPEAKER_15 8:31

Do I want you to wet? Do you want me to die in the outbear nest? If I do, it's your fault. Fine. Shall we not?

SPEAKER_04 8:42

I cannot remember who rolled the check that told them all of that information. It was probably Ike. Thank me, yeah. Um you remember that sometimes pyralisks were drawn to these termite pits. Um, and sometimes that would that would force the owl bears to abandon a pit. Rather than be incinerated by it, you look down, you do not see any pyralisks. Okay. And of course, for those listening at home, it's very similar to a cockatrice. Um my god, also looking at a giant.

SPEAKER_17 9:20

Um, I rolled a 17 stealth.

SPEAKER_07 9:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_17 9:23

Did you add guidance? Yes.

SPEAKER_07 9:25

I've only seen.

SPEAKER_17 9:26

You know what? On top of that, I am gonna cast mysterious presents as well. What does that do? Um I touch myself, and uh when the spell until the spell ends, other creatures must subtract a D4 from any wisdom, perception, or insight checks made against me.

SPEAKER_04 9:45

Okay. Cool. Um you approach very stealthily as uh Ike you turn around and realize that Orion is not here, but he is across the pit on the other side. Uh and you see him sneaking up to this Albert Nest.

SPEAKER_17 10:04

I don't go in the nest. I just want to scope it out.

SPEAKER_04 10:06

Look and see if there's Orion!

SPEAKER_17 10:08

Joanna's watching.

SPEAKER_07 10:09

I'm like shaking wide eyes shaking my head like No!

SPEAKER_19 10:14

He said if he come back! He said if he dies and there it's my fault.

SPEAKER_11 10:17

Correct me if I'm wrong, Ike, but an aloe bear of this size would destroy us, correct? Correct, yes.

SPEAKER_07 10:24

I've only seen one other nest in my lifetime under the under the leadership and wing of Master Briar. Right, but we said we stayed very far away from the nest. But well, we should have stayed farther, in my opinion, but he was very interested in it and wanted to show me, and we should not mess with this nest. We should be very quiet and keep moving, and hopefully it does not spot us. And hopefully we can remain cordial with this beast. I agree. They are they are intelligent.

SPEAKER_17 11:04

I'm scared. Your face is excited.

SPEAKER_04 11:06

There are four owlbear eggs in this nest.

SPEAKER_17 11:10

I want an owlbear, baby. Okay, as Orion would not want an owlbear. Lily really wants a one.

SPEAKER_11 11:17

Orion wants an owlbear omelet.

SPEAKER_16 11:23

Val wants an owlbear that she can turn into an adult and ride on.

SPEAKER_17 11:27

Yeah. I just I look at my friends and I hold up a four.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Oh my oh no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_17 11:37

And I start walking back. Still arms crossed, with my uh mysterious presence.

SPEAKER_04 11:44

Mysterious presence. Uh you hear as you're as you're sneaking back, you hear a rustle in the woods. You hear a twig snap. Just him.

SPEAKER_17 11:57

Here's all the things. Am I halfway?

SPEAKER_04 12:00

Yeah. You are right next to the pit. You're about 20 feet from the rest of the group, about 20 feet from the uh from the nest. I'm hiding. Nope!

SPEAKER_12 12:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 12:12

Make a stealth check for me.

SPEAKER_06 12:16

16.

SPEAKER_17 12:17

Nice.

unknown 12:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_17 12:21

Um I'm gonna I'm gonna switch to a veil of dusk.

SPEAKER_14 12:28

Nice.

SPEAKER_17 12:28

So that means I get advantage on my stealth.

SPEAKER_14 12:31

Wow.

SPEAKER_17 12:31

Uh checks. Yeah, now you have a plus one to my AC.

SPEAKER_11 12:35

Can I make cover my scent with a precedentation? I'm just like, I change the way I smell and then inside my rock. The smell can last up to an hour. Okay.

unknown 12:45

Nice.

SPEAKER_11 12:48

I smell like rock.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

I smell rock. There's enough room inside the rock.

SPEAKER_11 12:52

The rock says. The rock says inside the rock.

SPEAKER_19 12:58

Do you mad? Do you mad? Yeah, sure. Okay. Come on in. I'll go in.

SPEAKER_07 13:01

Do you smell what the rock is cooking? Ah. This is the second time Dwayne was mentioned tonight.

SPEAKER_19 13:07

And that's the third joke, so we have to kill him.

SPEAKER_07 13:10

Yep.

SPEAKER_19 13:13

I get in hajj's right. I'm gonna try to.

SPEAKER_05 13:16

Strap in for your new DM next week.

SPEAKER_17 13:19

It's me.

SPEAKER_11 13:22

Uh Ryan does a bunch of cool backflips and wins the buttons.

SPEAKER_17 13:27

He's so cool and so sneaky and so stealthy.

SPEAKER_06 13:30

No easy ever.

SPEAKER_17 13:33

Yeah. You don't know if he's sexy. You can't see him. But if you could spoil it more than being sexy.

SPEAKER_11 13:45

What's that noise?

SPEAKER_14 13:46

I know the truth.

SPEAKER_11 13:47

It's a noise puppy.

SPEAKER_04 13:49

No shit. The three of you are hidden. What do the two of you do?

SPEAKER_16 13:53

I'm in his rock.

SPEAKER_04 13:55

Oh, you're in the rock.

SPEAKER_16 13:56

Is there enough space in the rock for me? I'm in the rock. Otherwise, I'm gonna.

SPEAKER_11 14:02

I don't know. Not really. Cool. It's up the Dallas. I mean it's a five-foot area. Can I do that?

SPEAKER_07 14:07

Can I help Val to like hide with me behind some brush intrigue?

SPEAKER_16 14:11

But it's a disadvantage. Oh, it's just rock.

SPEAKER_07 14:14

You also have Drivencraft. I'll do a Drivencraft. I'll use it if I need. So make a uh a flat roll.

SPEAKER_16 14:23

For stealth? Yes. Cool.

SPEAKER_07 14:25

Because I'm gonna help you. I'm gonna like drag you down.

SPEAKER_16 14:28

Oh no. Oh, is it worse? Oh, run.

SPEAKER_04 14:32

I mean Val is stood out as everyone else finds a hiding spot. She looks around. You hear uh as she turns, her armor clanks. And then out of the brush, you see! One of your horses uh comes to the sound of your uh to the sound of your armor clanging.

SPEAKER_06 15:04

Uh and then kills it.

SPEAKER_04 15:07

Uh it looks up at you and and sniffs and then begins to walk towards you. Yep, here it is. And then you see a massive clawed wing out of the bushes, ravage this horse. It goes flying 20 feet into the pit, and you see the entire left half of this uh of this horse is destroyed. It is killed instantly two times over crying it's it's damage.

SPEAKER_17 15:39

I'm like crying at this.

SPEAKER_04 15:42

You see Hodges' horse sprints out away from this owl bear. What do you do? Uh fuck.

SPEAKER_13 15:52

I can I manage and grab onto the reins as he runs as he goes past me. He is running towards you guys, yes. I'm uh like grab on.

SPEAKER_04 16:04

Alright. Uh you reach up and grab on. Yeah, I would like to try. Okay. Uh you guys do have your strength? Uh so you have your horse there. Let's do decks. So you have two horses, one running at you, one uh kind of bridling.

SPEAKER_17 16:19

I'll get on my horse.

SPEAKER_04 16:20

You can hop on that. Uh Hodge, you can jump on your horse as a runs pass. Uh Joanna hops on Hodge's horse as well. Val, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_17 16:31

I can grab Val. Yeah, I'm just gonna run. You grab Val. I grab Val. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:36

You see all of your friends hop up on their horses. Um the owl bear does not seem to notice you. It just heard the brush of the horse, and it's like, fuck yeah, big old dinner, smack.

SPEAKER_07 16:51

Um, I will come out of my hiding and attempt to like very slowly kind of walk towards it like just like uh Okay Chris Pratt drives a clock.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

No, how to train your owlbear style.

SPEAKER_07 17:12

How to train your owlbear style. Okay. Because I am I'm very interested in like this could be legendary to be able to get close to one, interact with it, look at its behavior firsthand, like up close. Like William wants to run, but Ike is like, I'm gonna die probably, but I have to take this off. When am I gonna get this opportunity again? Make an animal handling check. Holy shit. Okay.

SPEAKER_19 17:46

Touch him! I'm on a horse. Am I close enough that I could touch him?

SPEAKER_10 17:51

At the same time. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 17:57

Okay, that's a 16. Alright.

SPEAKER_04 18:01

You see, shh uh it peeks its head out. Alright. It's one of its uh big paws covered in blood.

SPEAKER_07 18:16

Uh I'm going to I'm gonna pull out some of the fish that I cooked and offer it. You see it? Kind of toss it. I'm gonna toss it in front of me, not so it's not gonna eat out of my hand. How far do you want to toss it? Uh what's the distance between us? Sixty feet. Uh can I toss it 30? Yeah. Alright.

SPEAKER_04 18:44

It sniffs, that's it, turns around looking for anyone any signs of anyone else. That's it. Everyone else is long gone by now. Yep. It's alright. It slowly walks towards you.

SPEAKER_06 19:02

We got you some fish. Big fish from the river this morning. Yes. It's alright.

SPEAKER_04 19:11

Its eyes dart from you back to the fish, back to you. Looks around, makes sure nobody makes sure nobody else is here. Reaches down one massive paw. This fish is huge, but it's like nothing. Yeah. It it its paw is this fish is maybe as big as its claw. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Reaches down, grabs it, wow, tosses it in the air, and right down the gully. Look at that. Fascinating. Stands up on both of its hind legs. Oh, good lord. Oh. It towers over you.

SPEAKER_07 19:55

So yeah, 30 feet kind of studies you. Um. Speak with animals. Okay. You can add in a cool sound. My name is. My name is Ike. We mean you no harm. It was an accident. We stumbled across your nest.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

You are a beautiful creature.

SPEAKER_08 20:29

What are you doing here?

SPEAKER_07 20:33

We are traveling to a building yonder. A library. Uh, we seek knowledge. And we have happened to come across your nest. We are sorry to intrude and impose on your home. But we will be going. We mean no harm.

SPEAKER_08 21:00

That was your horse, I suppose.

SPEAKER_07 21:04

Uh, it was one of ours, but no worries. Circle of life. As it does. As it were.

SPEAKER_08 21:16

Good. Yes, but have at it. My name is Avia. Avia. It was nice to meet you, Ike.

SPEAKER_07 21:27

Now leave. Yes, of course, Avia.

SPEAKER_06 21:29

Thank you for allowing me to speak with you.

SPEAKER_04 21:32

It was slowly leans down and goes on all fours. You notice as it introduced introduces itself and you hear its voice unfettered by the lack of communication that normally you would have. You recognize that this is a man. A male owlbear. Oh, yeah. Um which is strange that it would still be here with the eggs in the nest, seemingly alone without the mother. Huh.

SPEAKER_07 22:12

Uh where is your mate? Avia?

SPEAKER_04 22:20

You see, his eyes grow wide, stands back on two legs. You should go.

SPEAKER_07 22:32

If she is alive, I would save her. For you and your young. How? You must tell me what has happened to her.

SPEAKER_08 22:51

She's been lost.

unknown 22:53

Lost.

SPEAKER_08 22:54

I cannot find her.

SPEAKER_07 22:57

Okay. Which direction did you see her last? Looks exactly the way that you're going. I will find her. You have my word.

SPEAKER_08 23:21

Thank you. Ike. What is her name?

SPEAKER_12 23:31

Sorry. I should have come up with one.

SPEAKER_13 23:34

Bavia.

SPEAKER_11 23:39

I'm on the uh Shalissa. I'm on the horse with Joanna, comforting her to be like, we didn't like Ike that much anyway.

SPEAKER_17 23:49

Oh, Orion and Val, like, Orion is making the horse like it's going.

SPEAKER_13 23:54

Yeah, we're I'm on I'm a missile right now. I mean, like, Ike knows what he's doing, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_17 24:00

We gotta go back.

SPEAKER_13 24:01

No, we don't have to go back. We we we don't.

SPEAKER_17 24:06

Orion just goes, shame about Ike. I kind of liked him.

SPEAKER_13 24:09

Yes, I agree, Orion, but you know, time moves forward. No!

SPEAKER_17 24:15

We gotta go back.

SPEAKER_12 24:17

You go back from his army. Where is I? Oh, we know where you are.

SPEAKER_11 24:23

In an owlbear's belly.

SPEAKER_07 24:26

Her name is Gortesa. Please, somebody write that down. You know how bad I am with names.

SPEAKER_17 24:34

How many of you come up with?

SPEAKER_07 24:38

Say like Contessa or something.

SPEAKER_17 24:40

Barefoot? Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 24:42

I will. I will find her. And I will send her back here. Good.

SPEAKER_08 24:51

These eggs are about to hatch. And I do not want to take care of him.

SPEAKER_07 24:58

Naturally. Naturally, yes, of course. That is the way of things.

SPEAKER_17 25:02

Uh that beats.

SPEAKER_07 25:04

We will leave you now. And I will turn around, pretend he's not there anymore. And you hear him, my friend.

SPEAKER_04 25:13

Digging into the pile and feeding on the horse instantly. You arrive back with your group.

SPEAKER_19 25:21

Joanna is off of Hodges in two seconds and is.

SPEAKER_12 25:26

I am like I'm like I'm pale as it goes on.

SPEAKER_19 25:29

Oh my god, I thought you were gonna die for real.

SPEAKER_12 25:31

Oh my god, you're alive. That was incredible.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

I spoke with it. What?

SPEAKER_14 25:38

Why don't you run away?

SPEAKER_00 25:39

I spoke with it, yes.

SPEAKER_07 25:41

It has a name, Avia, and it has a wife that is not there. And his eggs are about to hatch. And the last place he saw her go was in the direction we are headed. Something tells me that she might be inside the library, or at the very least, captured around it.

SPEAKER_19 26:06

Joanna's gonna slap like that. That's for scaring me, and then she'll hug him. Alright. Like and that's for staying alive.

SPEAKER_07 26:14

Everything's fine, don't worry. Don't worry.

SPEAKER_19 26:17

Do that again. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_07 26:20

Sort of impressed with myself. I thought I would certainly die, but I couldn't give up that opportunity.

unknown 26:26

Woo!

SPEAKER_13 26:26

That was fantastic, surely. I I'd assumed you were dead.

SPEAKER_07 26:29

I've never seen one in real life.

SPEAKER_13 26:32

Uh yes.

SPEAKER_11 26:32

I've heard all about them. Right. Most people who see them that close, I don't think, live to tell about it. Nor write.

SPEAKER_07 26:41

They uh they don't, you're right. Oh my goodness. But what a what a thing to be a part of. He is he Ike is beaming. He's so excited.

SPEAKER_11 26:53

You should uh write it down. Ike that I feel these experiences are few and far between. This could be valuable for someone studying these creatures.

SPEAKER_07 27:01

Yes, and the way that it eats, it I tossed it some fish, and it picked it up. It picked it up in its hand like you some somebody would hold a butternut squash and tossed it up in the air. What is and caught it in its mouth.

SPEAKER_16 27:18

Little tall of a hole.

SPEAKER_07 27:20

It did not seem to chew it. No. Just down the gullet it went.

SPEAKER_11 27:24

Eats more like an owl than it eats like a bear.

SPEAKER_07 27:28

Yes. But its claws and its paws very much like bears. And it stood on two legs.

SPEAKER_06 27:37

I didn't know they did that. I had heard that.

SPEAKER_19 27:41

I could have gone the rest of my life not knowing that.

SPEAKER_06 27:43

Yes. But isn't it fascinating? They can stand on two legs.

SPEAKER_19 27:47

It's fascinating when you're not alone with it. Certain you're gonna die. Its young are about to hatch.

SPEAKER_07 27:53

Yes, and the males do not look after young.

SPEAKER_11 27:57

I fear if we are not able to find obvious mate, we should avoid this area, for young males are hungry. Ooh, yes. And I think that grace may not be extended to the rest of our party.

SPEAKER_07 28:09

No. Uh no, if we do not find it, we will not come within a few miles of this path.

SPEAKER_11 28:16

Here. I'll mark it on your map.

SPEAKER_07 28:19

But uh Well. Wow, that was amazing.

unknown 28:26

Wow.

SPEAKER_07 28:27

Let's go. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 28:29

Quite. Haper fixation.

SPEAKER_11 28:34

Okay. You have a bear claw or an owlbear claw? I have a bear claw. A regular. Okay.

SPEAKER_17 28:42

Orion is very conflicted because part of him is like, that's kind of interesting. But also, that's not my business. He doesn't say it like that. He's also not saying it out loud. Yeah. But to him, he's been assigned a mission to go to this library, and he's very one-track minded. Like, this is what I'm going to do, this is my mission, I have to complete it.

SPEAKER_07 29:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 29:05

But like he's he's a little curious about what this means. He's never been able to like branch off and do something else before.

SPEAKER_07 29:12

So like while he's on a mission, like I want Ike to know that so bad, so it can be like the journey, man.

SPEAKER_11 29:23

Here's a rose. Should we stop and smell it?

SPEAKER_07 29:25

It's not about the destination, man.

SPEAKER_11 29:27

It's a distraction.

SPEAKER_07 29:30

Orion, I am so glad you did not pick up one of those eggs or go any closer. You would have died instantly.

SPEAKER_17 29:35

What were you thinking? I was thinking maybe. That was very idiotic of you, by the way.

SPEAKER_07 29:39

Very stupid. You're the one that talked to the stupid of you.

SPEAKER_19 29:42

Oh but you can't talk. You're saying talk to the thing.

SPEAKER_07 29:45

I do you suppose you're right, but I worry about. I worry about you more than myself. I can I can handle it. Yes, but Blackwing. Of course. You're a valuable member to this group.

SPEAKER_17 29:59

Do you think more than yourself?

SPEAKER_07 30:02

I believe we all play an important part, and to lose one would be detrimental.

SPEAKER_17 30:08

Orion has never heard those words before.

SPEAKER_07 30:10

Oh, I know.

SPEAKER_17 30:11

Yeah. Orion is internally panicking.

SPEAKER_11 30:18

Ike, I fear this scent, this high-ranking Zent that we've been chasing may be connected to the disappearance of Avi's mate. Could be. Could be. And a higher ranking Zen, maybe more than just swords and could potentially dabble in sorcery enough to chong or entrap this beast and use it against us. I fear that.

SPEAKER_14 30:40

It's true.

SPEAKER_07 30:41

If there was a way we could dispel or take a charm away or something. An ad 20 on an animal handling check, perhaps.

SPEAKER_19 30:54

What's that?

SPEAKER_07 30:56

But we should keep going. We should not be near this nest as he feasts. Yes.

SPEAKER_18 31:01

Yes. Yeah, I don't want to become snacks. Okay, back up, I guess, on Hodge's horse?

unknown 31:09

Yah!

SPEAKER_06 31:10

Oh it starts just yeah. Oh. I thought it'd be faster than that.

SPEAKER_19 31:16

You gotta like you gotta kick it a little.

SPEAKER_11 31:18

You want me to kick a horse?

SPEAKER_19 31:19

A little? They're tough. You gotta kick them a little to get them to run.

SPEAKER_11 31:22

I don't have the spurs.

SPEAKER_19 31:24

I have my boots.

SPEAKER_17 31:25

You can just the old boots on.

SPEAKER_11 31:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 31:27

I'll give the horse a little can go faster. I'm not pressing you.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

Val and Orion on Orion's horse, right? Yeah.

SPEAKER_14 31:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:38

And Hodge and Joanna on Joanna's horse.

unknown 31:42

Wait.

SPEAKER_04 31:42

I do not have a Hodge's horse. I do not have a horse.

SPEAKER_11 31:47

Can't you just turn into like a bug and we can put you in our pocket?

SPEAKER_07 31:50

Um that's true. We might still have, well, I don't want to use my other one. Oh, that's true. I only have one more. Um, I mean, I'm I'm tall. Can I my stride match the horses? Or are we like are we like galloping?

SPEAKER_04 32:06

I mean, if you want to if you want to save that extra day, you gotta go at a horse's pace.

SPEAKER_07 32:11

That's true, that's true. Which is I will be a riding horse. Riding hails.

SPEAKER_02 32:17

No. Alright. Uh yeah, I'll be a riding hailse.

SPEAKER_09 32:22

Riding. Hopefully you won't need it. That other wild sheep. How long does that last?

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Uh an hour.

unknown 32:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 32:31

Um I think we're slowing down a little bit since we lost the horse.

SPEAKER_04 32:37

Travel uh for that hour. Um it's still pretty early in the morning. Um eventful. Uh you have lost the trail of this Zentrum, which either means he went a different way, or he intentionally covered it up.

SPEAKER_07 33:02

But we are still going the right way.

SPEAKER_04 33:05

Uh it would be impossible for you to.

SPEAKER_07 33:09

Yes. We uh but we know we're on the right trail.

SPEAKER_04 33:13

You no, you she told you the direction uh of of the library, so you know where you're going. Alright. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. Uh, but at the end of this hour, what would you like to do travel wise?

SPEAKER_07 33:27

Uh yeah, I guess we're gonna slow down.

SPEAKER_00 33:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 33:31

My legs, my horse legs start shaking a little. I think it's nearing the end of the time.

SPEAKER_19 33:38

Yes, you got a little shaky last time.

SPEAKER_07 33:40

Don't fall on my face. Okay. I'm still getting used to that. Alright.

SPEAKER_11 33:49

What do we do? We walk. We walk. Well, take turns on the horse.

SPEAKER_09 33:54

We can take turns. Yes, I can walk.

SPEAKER_11 33:56

We should also lighten the load off the horses, perhaps. Two people riding on a trot is not good for the It is not.

SPEAKER_07 34:03

You're right.

SPEAKER_20 34:05

Oh well.

SPEAKER_07 34:06

Ryan and I can walk up front to keep an eye on the trail for anything.

SPEAKER_11 34:12

I should probably stay on the horse. You know.

SPEAKER_07 34:18

You should let the uh let the uh ladies ride on the horse hard.

SPEAKER_11 34:22

How dare you!

SPEAKER_07 34:26

I'm sure Val's legs are awfully tired. I'll give him a little wink.

SPEAKER_13 34:31

Perhaps you are right.

SPEAKER_11 34:38

Would you like a ride on my handsome steed?

SPEAKER_16 34:41

Do I have to get down from the horse that I'm on to get on?

SPEAKER_19 34:46

Val, we'll swap, we'll swamp horse here. She makes up. Yeah, I'll swamp horse. Listen, uh nothing if not a rider died. Bell, let's switch horse. Yeah, let's go.

SPEAKER_12 35:01

We've all picked up on it at this point, even though he's been real subtle.

SPEAKER_17 35:05

Subtle. Ryan gets off his horse and just walks to the front. He does not help you or look at you. Whatever. I get up my horse.

SPEAKER_11 35:14

I'll help Joanna up on the horse.

SPEAKER_19 35:16

Thank you, Ack.

SPEAKER_11 35:18

I do want to lighten a load on the horse, so I would walk beside the horse or take its reins, perhaps.

SPEAKER_16 35:24

Like they do when you like take pony rides, you know? Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:30

Just imagine that.

SPEAKER_16 35:32

See, if I guide you again, Linda's like, yay!

SPEAKER_04 35:38

Oh my god, Linda. I would assume you're keeping her on your back during travel. So she is not communicating with you unless you are holding her.

SPEAKER_16 35:50

I'm gonna like get a small like break in my armor so she can always be touching me.

SPEAKER_07 35:56

Sure.

unknown 35:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:58

I thought that at some point soon she would just be straight up communicating whether she's touching her or not. Yeah. No, that's just how she interesting and get into that true.

SPEAKER_11 36:07

Uh Val, has Linda ever ridden a horse before? Okay.

SPEAKER_04 36:14

Have you already done this modification to your armor so that she can communicate you at all times?

SPEAKER_20 36:21

Alright.

SPEAKER_04 36:23

Probably better off for you that you can choose when you speak with her or not.

SPEAKER_16 36:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:27

You got do not disturb on right now.

SPEAKER_16 36:30

DD on.

SPEAKER_11 36:31

Hey, I thought you would kill some guys. Did it have been so long. Two more we have to pay you. Do you like me anymore? She's just like, hello!

SPEAKER_05 36:43

What the fuck was that about the owlbear?

SPEAKER_11 36:51

She's like that.

unknown 36:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 36:53

Crazy.

SPEAKER_16 36:54

She can't kill any of the babies. I'll cry about it. They're too cute.

SPEAKER_04 36:58

You wield the axe. Make a survival check, whoever is leading the way. Me, I'm reading books.

SPEAKER_11 37:05

We got a book or something.

SPEAKER_16 37:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 37:07

Uh eighteen.

SPEAKER_16 37:09

Joanna, give them one of your pamphlets. Yeah, you can read that.

SPEAKER_06 37:12

I already read it. Very compelling.

SPEAKER_04 37:15

A 19 and a 17 for those up front. Um. You are able to lead the way, uh find a nice and peaceful trek uh over the next few hours and make it to a very safe area uh and to kind of take a little break. Um and then as you are taking this little break in your travel, uh you start hearing a loud screech in the distance.

unknown 37:55

What is that?

SPEAKER_04 37:56

What kind of screech is I have? This is an owlbear screech.

SPEAKER_11 37:59

Yep. Which distance? The one that you came from or the one we're going to? The one you are going towards. Of course.

SPEAKER_17 38:04

Oh no. We found your uh side quest here.

SPEAKER_04 38:09

This is about you've been traveling about four hours since you left this nest, so somehow she traveled four hours away from her nest and got here. Or was caught.

SPEAKER_17 38:24

Or she doesn't want kids.

SPEAKER_11 38:25

Can we discern the nature of the mama? Is it like torture?

SPEAKER_04 38:30

Is it this is a battle? She went to get a make an animal handling check if you'd like to know.

SPEAKER_11 38:37

Ah. Okay. I can do that. I will ask the question I just asked. I do think it's a war cry or perhaps a painful screech. I I cannot quite tell the meaning of it.

SPEAKER_17 38:49

Splitty twenty.

SPEAKER_07 38:50

This sounds a lot like five. Uh 14.

SPEAKER_11 38:57

Splits.

SPEAKER_07 38:58

Fifteen.

SPEAKER_11 38:58

Split. 18. Oh. Never mind, Doug.

SPEAKER_04 39:04

Um Joanna's intuitive. Joanna's intuitive. Uh so you guys Yeah, that's what it looks like. Recognize this. Not as an attacking screech like you would normally hear from an owlbear. You recognize this as a uh help me.

SPEAKER_18 39:22

Oh, poor baby.

SPEAKER_19 39:24

Yeah, I can think we definitely found it.

SPEAKER_04 39:26

Like she is calling out for somebody.

SPEAKER_18 39:28

We have to help her.

SPEAKER_11 39:30

Yes, my heart is in twain.

SPEAKER_18 39:31

We definitely breaks my heart. We definitely found it.

SPEAKER_07 39:37

Well, good. Good. Uh hopefully she is not. At the library, chained and tied.

SPEAKER_04 39:47

This is this is you still have twelve hours of travel total. Oh, okay, okay. Um you still have four hours of travel today and eight hours tomorrow until you're you'll arrive there. So she is not. We couldn't hear her from the library at this distance.

SPEAKER_11 40:01

Right, right, right. She must be close.

SPEAKER_04 40:03

Yeah, that's good. That's good.

SPEAKER_07 40:04

Uh this is with this is within a mile. Perfect.

SPEAKER_11 40:08

Uh you can head that direction.

SPEAKER_07 40:10

I'll go in that direction, yeah. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_11 40:12

We're following away. All right.

SPEAKER_04 40:17

Um as you head uh make a heading a mile in the direction of this screech, they they continue uh every every uh about thirty seconds or so.

unknown 40:32

Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 40:33

Um and as you approach you uh start to see uh some of the trees in the forest have been chopped down um clearly by axes and not by animals. Um they've been felled, and you begin to see kind of lumber piling up. You hear a sawmill in the distance, um, and then you see this wood being put to use in a pal bear cage where you see uh you see her trapped.

SPEAKER_11 41:17

Frick!

SPEAKER_17 41:18

Why not just kill her?

SPEAKER_11 41:19

How many people are there?

SPEAKER_17 41:20

What? That's it. Why does your mind go? Why did they trap her?

SPEAKER_11 41:24

Make her process.

SPEAKER_17 41:24

Why not just kill her?

SPEAKER_18 41:25

Oh, gotcha. That's a good question. You gotta start sentences the other way around sometime.

SPEAKER_17 41:30

Because the wild animal. Fucking who fight.

SPEAKER_07 41:34

She's an intelligent animal that will probably sell for quite a pretty penny. Yes. Circus. And eggs uh go for quite a lot. As does their bones, feathers, meat. Alive. Its head mounted on a plaque in somebody's fireplace. Would sell for quite a lot. But I just hope that that is not their intention, and they are simply keeping it at bay because it is interfering with their work. But we'll find out. If they are doing harm to it. I will probably harm them.

SPEAKER_17 42:22

They may be using it to harm others.

SPEAKER_07 42:26

Yes, as a weapon.

SPEAKER_15 42:28

I do not sense their intentions or pure no.

SPEAKER_07 42:32

If my gut has told me anything on this journey, it's to believe it.

SPEAKER_16 42:38

Guess we're gonna have to beat up some people. Oh no.

SPEAKER_04 42:42

Are any people walking around? Quenchland. Hajj was beginning to look around. He made a perception check for five.

SPEAKER_20 42:50

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_04 42:51

Oh wait.

SPEAKER_11 42:52

I do see a really cool rock over there.

SPEAKER_20 42:54

Hold on, I'll take a look at the biggest.

SPEAKER_19 43:03

Damn it.

SPEAKER_15 43:04

Alright.

SPEAKER_19 43:05

Um nine. I rolled a nat one.

SPEAKER_07 43:10

Twelve?

SPEAKER_16 43:11

I rolled a 16. I also rolled a nat one.

SPEAKER_11 43:17

Val, what do your eyes see?

SPEAKER_14 43:20

Oh boy. She is doing that.

SPEAKER_11 43:24

100% she's fucking doing.

SPEAKER_14 43:27

Does that help?

SPEAKER_11 43:30

Yes. If I minor illusion a telescope in my hands. No, it wouldn't work like that.

SPEAKER_04 43:37

You do have a telescope that you got. I do! Have a goblin telescope. You do.

SPEAKER_16 43:44

Oh shit. Goblin telescope.

SPEAKER_04 43:45

Here, Val, what do you see?

SPEAKER_16 43:46

Do I get advantage? What's my bonus for using a telescope?

SPEAKER_04 43:51

I think it is. Let me look. It should say on there. Let me look.

SPEAKER_16 43:55

Let me look.

SPEAKER_07 43:58

Objects viewed through a Spy glass are magnified to twice their size. That is all they say.

SPEAKER_14 44:04

So I roll 32.

SPEAKER_04 44:08

I would say yeah, vanish per second.

SPEAKER_16 44:13

Um do you want me to keep that 16 and just roll another one and see if I get it?

SPEAKER_04 44:16

Go for it, yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_16 44:18

Nope. 32 it is.

SPEAKER_09 44:21

32? I missed that the first time. Yeah, because it's double 16. Oh. The 16. Jokish. Just do it a bit.

SPEAKER_14 44:30

Fuck.

SPEAKER_04 44:32

You see three hunters. Um and they look like they have started up this sawmill. Uh and by the looks of things, they I mean they obviously captured an owlbear and brought it here. Um so they seem to be hunting around. They found this owlbear. They managed to somehow, uh, by the looks of these guys, they do not look uh as tough as you guys. Um that's right.

SPEAKER_18 45:05

We could totally take them.

SPEAKER_04 45:07

They they look like kind of normal hunters that have kind of uh they look a bit uh dirty and and uh stingy. They have kind of scars on their face, they look like people who have been kind of cast out from society or cast themselves out from society and have kind of went deep into this Cormanthor forest in search of monetary gain um and a different life and found this owlbear while starting up this this sawmill trying to get trying to farm this wood. Hunters. So you do you see three and it doesn't seem like there are any more hiding. I'm walking right out. You see three three big tents. Just a moment, Ike, please. Yeah, you guys can reach out and grab them if you want. I you can fight that if you'd like.

SPEAKER_16 46:01

I can kill the Mike. Just a moment.

SPEAKER_04 46:02

Just just one while we'll help her.

SPEAKER_17 46:05

They may be useful to society. Creating a soul mill. Maybe we could come up with some kind of deal.

SPEAKER_10 46:12

Uh I feel our intention is to free this creature. Yes. Yes. Of course.

SPEAKER_07 46:19

It would be great to do so without bloodshed. I agree completely. If we must.

SPEAKER_17 46:24

You know, my my biggest concern is the owl bear will seek its revenge.

SPEAKER_19 46:29

I can try and talk to the people?

SPEAKER_07 46:32

Yes. So if we can get up if we can get you up to the cage, and perhaps me as well, so I can speak with it. Undetected, you can free it, and it can either run or it can take its revenge out on the hunters.

SPEAKER_11 46:51

I could create the sound of a very rare and valuable animal in the woods to perhaps lure one or two of them away to come and check it out as well. That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_17 47:00

I think that we should attempt to uh use diplomacy.

SPEAKER_07 47:07

Yes. I think so.

SPEAKER_17 47:09

These hunters they could just be hunters. I hunt, you hunt.

SPEAKER_07 47:14

Yes, you're right.

SPEAKER_17 47:16

They are people.

SPEAKER_07 47:17

You're right. That's a That's a very positive thought, Orion.

SPEAKER_18 47:23

Yeah, I'm surprised.

SPEAKER_17 47:27

Kill monsters, not people.

SPEAKER_07 47:29

They might be monsters.

SPEAKER_17 47:31

Well, in that case, then we kill them.

SPEAKER_07 47:33

Have your bow have your bow ready. Are they hanging around the cage?

SPEAKER_04 47:38

Yeah, you see one is actively working the sawmill, uh sawing these uh massive logs into planks. Uh, you see one of them is is watching the owl bear, just kind of like sitting there watching it. Uh it seems like they probably take shifts watching it just so it doesn't escape and kill them all. Um and then you see the other one is is cooking up uh lunch. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 48:03

So how do we do this? Do we walk right out and say, hello, how are you? Distraction while we free the bear.

SPEAKER_04 48:11

You you notice in in their demeanor that they they have a zero expectation that somebody will find them now. Yeah. Because this does seem like a skee operation.

SPEAKER_02 48:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 48:26

Um make a history check. It's gonna be hard, so you probably won't know, but we could everybody.

SPEAKER_07 48:34

We could attempt to ambush them. We don't have to kill them, but just knock them out.

SPEAKER_19 48:39

Thirteen? I have a minus one history. Nine. Again.

SPEAKER_15 48:44

Nope. That's a minus one history. That's a five.

SPEAKER_17 48:48

A couple of idiots. This is zero. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_14 48:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_11 48:59

It's on the tip of my brain.

SPEAKER_19 49:01

Um is that the expression?

SPEAKER_11 49:03

It is for wizards.

SPEAKER_04 49:04

Um, without knowing much, without knowing much about the day lens, you would not be able to know this.

SPEAKER_11 49:11

Yes, well, we're very cerebral creatures.

SPEAKER_04 49:13

Without a very hard roll, and 19 is not gonna cut it.

SPEAKER_18 49:16

I am it.

SPEAKER_04 49:17

You too, dude. Neither is it neither is a zero.

SPEAKER_14 49:23

What?

SPEAKER_04 49:29

So uh you see that these guys are pretty calm apart. I mean, they they s they feel like the their only threat right now is the Albear escaping, but they do have it in a well-made cage.

SPEAKER_02 49:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 49:43

Okay. These guys seem to be good at what they do. Um, but there's a reason they are so far from society. Yeah.

SPEAKER_19 49:51

I can I can go and I've dealt with like not to get into it, but like where I came from, I dealt with kind of people like this a handful of times. You want me to go out there? I can play up the like naive, like, oh, I just stumbled upon this. What are you guys doing? Like, I can I can play that if you if it would help.

SPEAKER_07 50:08

Uh no. Talking sorry, no. You uh no I I don't feel comfortable doing that.

SPEAKER_20 50:15

I don't I do.

SPEAKER_11 50:16

Talking under threat may be a good idea, but we need muscle to back it up. Val is here, of course. Yes, yes, yes. I'll go with it. But I can create a very convincing, albeit silent, illusion of Avia and say that we had found their mate. And if you do not release her, this one will attack you. We've managed to keep it calm for now. It'll keep it at a distance, so the sound is not an issue. But only after we have talked, I will have it walk out. It can move, it can be convincing, but I cannot have it make a sound just yet. So we need to present it under threat, and they need to acquiesce immediately. If they just turn it to an illusion, violence will ensue, I imagine.

SPEAKER_19 51:00

Would that make you feel better if she comes with me?

SPEAKER_11 51:03

Yes, it would. Yes, I know your strongest.

SPEAKER_07 51:10

I'm afraid they would just swoop you up and away and Okay, and if that happens, so be it.

SPEAKER_19 51:14

Like I wrong. No.

SPEAKER_11 51:17

There's a Joanna size clutch right over there.

SPEAKER_07 51:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 51:20

Alright, so we are preparing for a fight.

SPEAKER_19 51:24

No, I'll be help it.

SPEAKER_04 51:25

If we can this was a silent image.

SPEAKER_11 51:29

Yes, it would be silent image, so I would create it behind a building or something or the woods and have to walk out. When I get a signal, when I get a signal from one of you, you gesture back. I will have the owlbear.

SPEAKER_07 51:39

I will I will give you a gentle breeze.

SPEAKER_11 51:42

Nice rustling leaves as well as it passes over.

SPEAKER_07 51:45

Uh I will you will see a leaf flutter across your vision. Great.

SPEAKER_17 51:51

I'll climb a tree and prepare for violence. Ready uh ready to action fire. Yeah, just prepare for violence.

SPEAKER_11 51:58

I have a feeling, Orion, that it will come to that.

unknown 52:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 52:02

Uh I will. I will set up this map.

SPEAKER_17 52:05

You just see who the enemy says. Usually when I go on missions, I know who the enemy is.

SPEAKER_18 52:11

This is the one.

SPEAKER_11 52:16

I mean if we have to, but I think we'll be all right. Ike will be upset.

SPEAKER_19 52:19

We'll do our best, for sure. I'm very persuasive. For sure. I can keep you both. Oh my god, what is that?

SPEAKER_17 52:28

I'll climb up this tree, I guess. Is this too far?

SPEAKER_04 52:34

Maybe biz.

SPEAKER_17 52:35

This tree.

SPEAKER_11 52:36

Where are we biz doing?

SPEAKER_04 52:37

Uh so you guys would be coming up from this way.

SPEAKER_20 52:40

That way?

SPEAKER_04 52:40

Towards towards Emily.

SPEAKER_20 52:43

Oh, I followed it.

SPEAKER_04 52:46

Nothing. Just imagine there is a tree line on the side.

SPEAKER_15 52:49

Um I can I can't reach. What are you cannot reach?

unknown 52:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 52:55

Wait, that's a Ryan.

SPEAKER_04 52:56

Uh so this guy over here is working the sawmill. The guy in the middle is cooking, uh, and then you see the owlbear in its cage over there. Um next being watched by one of the by one of these hunters.

SPEAKER_11 53:10

What is a good one? Um in preparation, if we're gonna send these two out like right away, is a 10-minute duration. I'll create the owl bear next in the woods. Have him sitting next to it. And then I will also go inside of my rock. You can do that at the same time? Silent illusion is concentration, minor illusion is not, minor illusion lasts for I think it's how long does it last for? Um leave him siding with a wild animal. Yes, that's what happens when you have a druid in your party. I died.

SPEAKER_17 53:41

Thank you for indulging me, but entire existence is violence.

SPEAKER_11 53:45

Uh yeah, that's concentration. Minor illusion just is a minute. So I can be inside my rock for a minute. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 53:56

So, what's your first move here?

SPEAKER_11 53:59

You guys see as Hodge kind of waves his hands around and says some words, and a very convincing spectral illusion uh coalesces of Avia, the owl bear that we just saw. Whoa. Um it is completely silent. And having watched me cast it, you guys would probably know like it becomes slightly transparent to you. Now you all know that this is an illusion, but to them it should be quite convincing.

SPEAKER_17 54:24

What if the owlbear sees it?

SPEAKER_11 54:26

The owl uh the That is a good point. Ike may need to calm uh her, but seeing perhaps her mate with us will endear her to us initially. Uh I hope so. Is my hope as well.

SPEAKER_07 54:41

It could be the opposite, but I have good hope in in your opinion there.

SPEAKER_11 54:48

I think quelling the owl bear from eating us is secondary to freeing her from the hunters. She may be more understanding if we're able to accomplish this.

SPEAKER_07 54:58

I will speak to her as you do your things.

SPEAKER_11 55:02

Very good. I will await the signal. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 55:08

Alright. Who is going out? Those two.

SPEAKER_17 55:12

Yeah, I will uh climb up. I'll sneak and climb up the tree.

SPEAKER_04 55:17

Okay, we can still check. You're gonna do the one directly adjacent. Okay. That is pretty close to them.

SPEAKER_17 55:24

I know.

SPEAKER_04 55:24

That is pretty close.

SPEAKER_17 55:29

23.

unknown 55:30

Oh.

SPEAKER_17 55:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 55:31

You managed to get up silently.

SPEAKER_08 55:33

That will run.

unknown 55:34

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 55:36

Yeah, that's usually every time.

SPEAKER_14 55:38

I think he's in the tree.

SPEAKER_04 55:39

You are up in the tree with vision, with visual on all three of them, uh, as well as your party. The girls. The girls.

SPEAKER_19 55:50

So you're not above table, you're not sending the Albert out until we give the signal, right?

SPEAKER_11 55:54

Until you do some sort of gesture or signal, or Ike also signals me. I'm not sure where Ike is gonna be.

SPEAKER_19 56:00

Well, I want all of them to look at us.

SPEAKER_11 56:03

If you turn back towards me, I will send it out.

SPEAKER_19 56:08

Mal, I'm telling you, we're going the wrong way. I don't think we are. She'll push through.

unknown 56:16

Oh!

SPEAKER_19 56:16

Hi.

SPEAKER_04 56:18

Ladies!

SPEAKER_19 56:19

Hi!

SPEAKER_04 56:20

A southern gothic. Uh, you see, you see the guy.

SPEAKER_12 56:23

She's cute!

SPEAKER_04 56:24

Uh, in the middle of a deep forest. The guy cooking kind of uh uh quells the fire a little bit, uh, slows the cooking uh and and stands up and walks up to you. Uh you see the guy working the sawmill, he cannot hear this going on. It's the sawmill's quite loud. Uh and the guy on the stool turns around and looks over to you.

SPEAKER_19 56:44

As he's walking up, I'm gonna whisper to Val really quickly be like, back home. We had sailors all the time.

SPEAKER_01 56:51

Uh are you lost?

SPEAKER_19 56:53

Yeah. Yeah. Got a little turned around in the forest. That's a shame. Yeah. Well, Matt, where I found you guys.

SPEAKER_01 57:01

Yes, are you hungry? I was just uh making something.

SPEAKER_19 57:04

Oh, what'd you what do you what are you making?

SPEAKER_01 57:06

Uh some grilled fish.

SPEAKER_19 57:07

Oh, nothing. Uh yeah, good, Val. Yeah, okay. Well, invite your buddy over from the Wow! Where'd you find that?

SPEAKER_04 57:15

Uh found it in the forest. Uh we're going to uh see if we can find a bitter. Uh if we cannot find a bitter for it alive, then well, just sell it for a rug. Uh sell it for rug. A mount. Uh sell it for a rug. Plenty of I have rug. Plenty of uh different things we can do with it.

SPEAKER_16 57:37

Um how did you capture it? You guys must be very, very strong.

SPEAKER_04 57:40

Uh yes. Uh I mean more cunning than strong, I'd say.

SPEAKER_16 57:44

Uh oh, even better.

SPEAKER_01 57:46

The brains not uh we've got a bit of brawn, you see he flexes a little bit.

SPEAKER_17 57:50

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 57:51

But our brains uh Rad's rolling his eyes.

SPEAKER_04 57:55

We um we managed to uh uh tie it up, uh as you can see. As you have approached, you see that it is uh tied up in rope uh and placed in the cage so it can it does not like its its wings and its uh paws are are strapped to its body.

SPEAKER_19 58:13

Um Yeah, well um we'd love to hear more if if you're uh are we near the cage, you said? Uh you're 40 feet away or something. Yeah, if your buddy over there too wants to come over, we'd love to hear more.

SPEAKER_04 58:25

Uh well he's gonna keep an eye on it. We do have it wrapped up, but Oh come on.

SPEAKER_19 58:29

If it's wrapped up, how much trouble can it really be?

SPEAKER_04 58:31

Have you encountered an owlbear? You haven't uh very interesting armor. You must have encountered an owlbear before.

SPEAKER_16 58:38

Only once, but from a distance.

SPEAKER_04 58:41

Where did you get that armor? It's quite interesting. He kind of puts his hand and like feels the smoke that's coming off of it and goes, that's very bash you and it's like, calm down.

SPEAKER_12 58:53

Yeah, I get a rock. Like, I'll put a hand on your shoulder.

SPEAKER_19 58:58

Where did I get an arm on?

SPEAKER_13 58:59

You're reaching into a rock.

SPEAKER_04 59:01

So you must be some adventurers or something. Party of two.

SPEAKER_19 59:06

You could say. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 59:07

Interesting.

SPEAKER_19 59:08

Um well, I mean, when you have somebody like Val with you, you don't really need that much more.

SPEAKER_04 59:12

That's fair. Right. Uh what do you do?

SPEAKER_19 59:14

I'm cleric.

SPEAKER_04 59:15

Oh, interesting. Of of what god?

SPEAKER_19 59:18

Uh Nauralis. It's it's a little bit lesser known. It's fine. It's uh both suffering and healing, so it like goes together.

SPEAKER_03 59:28

But I see. Uh a worthy thing to worship. And I hope that uh you uh manage to get his name out there a bit more.

SPEAKER_19 59:39

Oh, I sure am trying. Yeah, well, you know, you guys can if you want it, like I said, if you want to hear more, we'd be happy to sit and chat if we want to go over to your uh you know, your fire where you're cooking.

SPEAKER_04 59:50

Sure. I mean we have uh a bit of food to spare. We're I mean, we're kind of in the beginning workings of of this this sawmill setup, but uh where are the the two of you from? Uh as he kind of motions for you to walk over with him to the fire.

SPEAKER_18 1:00:05

Where did we just leave from? What's that? We just traveled from Shadowdale.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:09

Shadowdale.

SPEAKER_18 1:00:10

Shadow Shadowdale. Yeah, we're traveling out from Shadowdale.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:14

Uh do you reside there as well?

SPEAKER_19 1:00:16

Uh, briefly, yeah. But um, we're kind of just traveling around.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:22

So uh well, uh uh I hope you like fish. That's that's all we've got right now. Sure.

SPEAKER_18 1:00:30

Um I love some fish. Um god, I want the guy at the cage to come over.

SPEAKER_19 1:00:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:34

Um we've got a floor with you.

SPEAKER_19 1:00:38

Val, do you mind if I go take a closure look at that owl bear? You'll be alright.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:43

Be careful. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_19 1:00:44

I know you're a clear but I'll be fine, I'll be fine. She'll go over, and as she walks over, she'll like kind of turn back to Haj. Hajj and I can just be like, just go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:59

Uh you walk over to the guy who's kind of sitting there. He's he's just uh watching you, watching the elbear. Uh hi.

SPEAKER_16 1:01:10

Hi.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:12

What's up?

unknown 1:01:14

Oh.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:14

Tug on his tie a little bit. Come on over to the fire.

SPEAKER_19 1:01:18

We were just hoping that, you know, um my friend Val and I over there. We're just hoping you would come and join us for a bit. I mean, you have the thing tied up, it's probably fine.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:26

Uh it's probably fine, but you never know.

SPEAKER_19 1:01:29

If another Albert is uh Oh, if there was another one, you would have seen it by now.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:35

I disagree.

SPEAKER_19 1:01:36

You would have heard it at least.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:38

Disagree. You can never be too careful, especially uh this one looks like it just brother. This one looks like it just um had eggs, so it must have a partner nearby. We did travel quite quite far with it. Uh and uh so hopefully we're out of range.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:03

But you never know. Those owlbears gonna be feisty.

SPEAKER_19 1:02:06

Um I'm sure. I'm sure you can spare just a few minutes.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:12

I don't think you understand the severity of the situation. This owlbear, if it were to get free, would slaughter us all in uh seconds.

SPEAKER_19 1:02:22

But wouldn't you like to go out having just had a conversation with two pretty ladies?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:26

No! I've got quite a life to live! And honestly, I I don't mean to offend you, not necessarily my type.

SPEAKER_19 1:02:37

I've heard that. Garden!

SPEAKER_16 1:02:42

Um, what's your type?

SPEAKER_06 1:02:46

He's refusing Joanna. That is insane. Yes, I don't think they're going to take this well.

SPEAKER_16 1:02:54

You know that she's pranking!

SPEAKER_19 1:03:02

I um it's fine, you know.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:04

Interested in men, do not I knew it! I knew it!

SPEAKER_19 1:03:08

Even even better. Well, we'd love to we'd love to chat. We really would love to chat with you just for a bit. What's your name?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:14

Uh we can eat over here if you'd like.

SPEAKER_19 1:03:23

Then wouldn't it make sense to go over to the fire with the?

SPEAKER_05 1:03:26

I'm not leaving my post. I don't know why you did so. My name is Jesse, by the way.

SPEAKER_19 1:03:31

Jesse, okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:33

Um's Joanna. Nice to meet you, Joanna.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:40

I have an idea. Perhaps I will signal to Orion to shoot that one while they're over there eating.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:48

Oh yes. If it's far enough, if it's far enough away, they won't notice that he went down spinally.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:59

Or if he goes down, they may think it's an ambush unrelated to the ladies. Perhaps. Okay, yes.

SPEAKER_19 1:04:05

Well, if you're gonna be, you know, if you don't wanna come check, that's fine. I understand. No, it's fine, it's fine. I really understand.

SPEAKER_12 1:04:19

Umthurt. That was so funny.

SPEAKER_19 1:04:24

She is, I will say above table, she is not enjoying any part of this. This is purely like living back home in a port town, sailors in and out. She has been flirted at so often, and she just knows how to play back and like kind of use it to her advantage.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:41

Yep.

SPEAKER_19 1:04:41

Um that's fine, that would be actually. Did the other guy tell us his name? The original guy? Okay. Um, actually, the the one who invited us over to the fire didn't even tell us his name. What is his name?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:55

James.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:56

Wait, no, I can't. That's Pokemon.

SPEAKER_14 1:04:58

I was gonna say Justin.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:03

We got flagged guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:06

Meowth is over there, Mark's talking. Um we bought this, we haven't figured out Pokeballs yet, but this thing is gonna be fucking sweet.

SPEAKER_16 1:05:18

Just for the crop top and thigh hives.

SPEAKER_11 1:05:20

I'm imagining the old like Skyrim saw mills, too.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:23

It's like it's it is very much like that. Um the one cooking, his name is Abraham and the one working the sawmill, his name is Otto. Uh Otto. He uh He is deaf, so do not Well it makes sense that he's the one working the We're about to commit some hate. Yes. I don't give a fuck.

SPEAKER_17 1:05:43

Oh my god. Maybe he'll think Ike is handsome. Everybody thinks Ike is handsome. That's true.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:49

Maybe I should come out.

SPEAKER_17 1:05:51

Feet hurt me because it's not like Orion could just kill him. He doesn't he doesn't know what he likes. Oh he doesn't know what he looks like. Unless he likes tall, mysterious figures. Which who wouldn't?

SPEAKER_19 1:06:06

Um Yeah. Okay. So just go over with uh back over with Abraham and Vale. If you change your mind, we'll be over there. We'd love to chat with you, like I said. So we're kind of just traveling through. We got a little bit lost. We got a little bit lost, so.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:21

Yes, of course.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:22

Where were you headed?

SPEAKER_19 1:06:24

What?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:24

What if Ike comes out and be like, I'm so lost? And then the gay one's like, hello, hello.

SPEAKER_19 1:06:36

Joanna is standing directly in front of him as she walks Ike's remaining. Um, I'll I'll I'll go back over with Fal and the other guy then.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:45

Uh if he doesn't. Wait, where were you heading? Or did you get lost?

SPEAKER_19 1:06:49

Um, we were heading out of Shadow Dale. We're just heading down to where the fuck are we going? That's why we got a lot. I don't want to say that.

SPEAKER_13 1:06:57

Okay, well, what's like the area? We're going to the middle of the forest. I think we're going to a we're going deep.

SPEAKER_19 1:07:04

Like what's like a dale past the forest? Where's the fucking one I'm going to?

SPEAKER_11 1:07:10

So the next I say the next dale.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:13

You can make a survival check, but I you guys don't know the dales well enough. You would not have looked at a map. Next day.

SPEAKER_19 1:07:19

Well, this will then this will make sense. Um, I'm having Val escort me to uh Scardale. I have a friend out there that you're going the wrong way. Really? Very much so.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:30

You did say you were lost.

SPEAKER_19 1:07:31

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_16 1:07:32

What?

SPEAKER_11 1:07:32

That is make a deception check.

SPEAKER_16 1:07:34

That's upset. This whole time we've been going the wrong way.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:41

You two start fighting.

SPEAKER_20 1:07:46

Shoot, we can't read. Uh twelve. I have lost two.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:59

Um sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:01

Uh the scardale.

SPEAKER_20 1:08:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:08

Enjoy your fish.

unknown 1:08:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_15 1:08:12

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:13

What is the max distance that I could speak with somebody or an animal?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:24

Uh, with the sawmill cranking, I'd say fifth fifty feet if you're yelling.

SPEAKER_14 1:08:32

Crank it was.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:33

Okay. I'm like 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Straight away 35 feet from it. Yeah, yeah. But I have to be I don't want to yell. Yes, scream.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:44

Yeah, never mind. They're able to have normal conversation because they're directly next to each other. Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking I was gonna try and like what you guys are hearing from this conversation is very muffled.

SPEAKER_11 1:08:54

Ghost and Jim. Oh my god! What's he got?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:56

Hold up.

SPEAKER_11 1:08:57

Message.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:58

That might have something.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:01

This I don't think this would work. Uh because I want to like try and communicate with the owl bear to be like, hey, come to help you. So with the Sylvan Talon Saber, I can use a I can cast secret message. But because it is an animal, I'm wondering if I could cast speak with animals and then use secret message. Sure. Holy shit. Let's fucking go.

SPEAKER_09 1:09:35

What the fuck is secret message?

SPEAKER_07 1:09:37

Secret message.

SPEAKER_09 1:09:38

Don't worry about it.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:39

It's just uh I don't know. Okay. I guess it's just message. Let's let's confirm that real quick. Just to make sure I'm using it the right way. Or can use it in the way I intend to.

SPEAKER_11 1:09:54

Silver Talon Sword?

SPEAKER_17 1:09:55

I think you should seduce the man. I take off all my arms.

SPEAKER_19 1:10:01

Oh wow. We won't do anything here. Well, at least for that one, I don't know about the other two.

SPEAKER_16 1:10:07

It takes 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:09

Okay, yeah. So it is basically the message spell. Okay. So I can use it as a message spell or a written message. So I will cast Speak with Animals. And I will use a charge of this uh Fay Sword. It's charge. Oh, there it is. Duh. It says message right there. Alright. So I'll use that charge. And I will. It's 120-foot range to whisper. And I will whisper into the owl bear's mind. Please remind me of its name. It's Conchesa. Corchesa. Corchesa. Corchesa.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:55

Corchesa. I believe message is one way.

SPEAKER_11 1:10:59

25. Message, you can respond to a message. Okay. And it is also, I think, 20 some words or something? It's like a short, it's like a s it's not long, is it?

SPEAKER_07 1:11:09

Um whispered message to a target in a whisper only. Yes, only they can hear it. Where did I see that range? Oh, uh, or the message cantrip for verbal communication, which allows a whispering, which allows whispering to a target within 120 feet.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:31

Okay, they can reply in a whisper that only Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:11:36

So I will be talking whispering out loud, but the owlbear is able to hear me. Yeah.

unknown 1:11:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:11:44

There's no limit.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:46

Yeah. It's like a cup of Jessica.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:53

We are here to free you. Who are you? My name is Ike.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:02

I met your mate. I promised him I would free you.

SPEAKER_08 1:12:08

You met? I did. And your four little ones. They are soon to hatch.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:23

Free me. I will be forever grateful.

SPEAKER_08 1:12:31

We mean to free you.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:32

The two women that came. They are with me. Two men hidden are also with me.

SPEAKER_08 1:12:44

Okay. Stay calm. I cannot break free from these ropes. We will get you out.

SPEAKER_11 1:12:51

I promise. Are you speaking aloud?

SPEAKER_07 1:12:55

Very quietly, so they wouldn't be able to hear me.

SPEAKER_11 1:12:58

Me and you.

SPEAKER_07 1:12:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 1:13:00

Ike. I may have you approach out of the woods and threaten them to release this creature, and you can I can back it up with my illusion. Doesn't sound like they're making headway by the fire.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:13

Okay. Now there will be an illusion of Avia. It's an illusion, it's not real, but it is meant to scare the hunters. So you will not be alarmed that in case you thought it might be the real thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:33

What are you?

SPEAKER_08 1:13:36

Wizards. Druids. Thank you for your help. These men are horrible. Perfect. Everything is justified then. They've They've gone against their agreement with the Fey. Agreement with the Fay. The details I know not much of. But in this land the folk must not delve deep into the forest.

SPEAKER_14 1:14:28

Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 1:14:32

I will exit the woods. Uh and keep walking. Uh before I go, I'm gonna say Hodge, we must leave one alive. We should know more about this in case we are to encounter Faye. I hope we don't. I haven't heard great things about them, but Sure.

SPEAKER_09 1:14:57

You'll need to convince me it may be core chasing. Your research.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:02

For your research, yes.

SPEAKER_09 1:15:04

No sweetening the deals.

SPEAKER_07 1:15:07

I will exit the woods. And fuck. Should I act like I know you too?

SPEAKER_04 1:15:21

Or just felt like the three of you are gathered around three of you are gathered around the fire. Um focused on he's just kind of giving you your food. I think you should not.

SPEAKER_11 1:15:33

They could be inside agents. As long as you pretend like you don't know them. You're just a simple druid who found an owl there.

SPEAKER_17 1:15:40

You could um go talk to the gay one, have him go over to the campfire. Tell campfire stories leave the campfire story.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:49

I do not know what happened during these conversations. I have no idea.

SPEAKER_17 1:15:53

Tell campfire stories and ask them about the bay.

SPEAKER_11 1:15:57

Uh yeah, I'm wondering if I should just go out like out there you or be like, girls, where have you been?

unknown 1:16:04

I don't know.

SPEAKER_11 1:16:06

I say you demand that they let the owl bear go.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:09

That's what I was gonna fuck it.

SPEAKER_11 1:16:11

Alright. And then these two can be like sneak attack. I will walk out into the forest towards the cage.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:27

Uh no, he is kind of uh so he kind of has one eye, he's kind of leaning back onto the uh he's on the stool, he's leaning back onto the cage, onto the corner of the cage, kind of looking back towards the owl bear, and then kind of looking forward. So he's kind of like looking that way, looking this way, looking that way. So like you're out you're out of vision currently. Okay. Uh, if you make any noise, any loud noise, because the sawmill is is loud, um you would have to make yourself known. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:17:01

I will I will hit my staff on the ground once as it surrounds itself in Briar. Casting Shuleli. Okay. And I will walk up to him at a regular pace. Up to the one at the cage. Up to the one at the cage. Uh you!

SPEAKER_04 1:17:23

He kind of falls off the stool for a second and then like pops up, uh takes out his short sword.

SPEAKER_07 1:17:31

Release the owl bear. Who the fuck are you? Doesn't matter. Release it.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:40

Uh he he looks over um at uh Abraham. Um Abraham! These three are together, they're lying to us.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:54

What? I'm never gonna signal Orion.

SPEAKER_11 1:18:00

Who the fuck are you gonna stomp out of the woodline into the middle of the forest?

SPEAKER_12 1:18:06

If you do not set this owl bear free, we will set this one upon you.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:12

Make a deception check. Oh fuck.

SPEAKER_11 1:18:15

With advantage?

SPEAKER_04 1:18:16

Yeah, absolutely. Thank God. The DC is low as well because 16.

SPEAKER_08 1:18:29

Noise.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:30

Um you see uh Jesse slowly puts his short sword back into its hilt. That's it. That's it. Uh it won't harm you if you let it go now. Abraham, go get Otto.

SPEAKER_16 1:18:48

Abraham, don't get auto. Is he right next to us?

SPEAKER_04 1:18:51

Yeah, Abraham is right next to the team.

SPEAKER_16 1:18:52

I'm gonna grab his scruff.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:54

It you seem you it seems to be in a way of like we need to fucking retreat and not like we need to fight these people. Yeah, they are fully convinced that this Albert is real and that you guys have brought it on our line to uh Hodge is so smart. Rob them blind. Um cool. Uh yes, yes, of course, whatever we have is yours. Uh he puts his hands up. Um my friend Otto, he's working the sawmill, he is deaf. If he sees this owl bear and he sees us, he will fire an arrow. Please tell your friends to let Abraham go. Or he will begin a fight that he cannot finish. Yes. Of course.

unknown 1:19:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:44

Does Val let him go?

SPEAKER_19 1:19:46

I'm just standing there. I can walk with him.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:48

Let him go. Okay. Let him go. He's alright. You let him go, you see Abraham rushes off towards Otto. Uh his short sword is in his hilt as well. Uh, and as you uh uh run with him, you see Abraham grabs Otto, uh shakes him, looks him in the eyes, starts to sign to him, uh, and you see Otto looks at his uh at his communication, looks past him at this owl bear uh that is standing on the edge of the forest, just kind of breathing heavily.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:20

Uh and he goes, Fuck.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:25

Uh and he kind of puts his hands up, uh stopped the sawmill so it is silent. The keys. Uh Jesse takes him out of his uh keyring and tosses him, steps back away from uh away from the cage and backs up so that his back is pressed up against the tree that Orion is uh stationed on.

SPEAKER_07 1:20:53

Now you uh stay there. It will not harm you when I open this cage.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:00

Yes, druid, you seem to have much command over it.

SPEAKER_07 1:21:09

I will unlock the cage and undo its binds. Uh Speak with Animals is still up. It's ten minutes. Um don't harm the hunters. Oh run back to Avia. We should smell like him still. I I should smell like him still so you'd be able to follow his train.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:35

Cut off the rope that is tightly bound to her. You see that uh all of her feathers are like concave. Oh my god. That they have just been wrapped up for seemingly days. Um, uh she doesn't seem to be hurt much. It's just like being in a cage for a couple days, like hit point wise, she's fine. She kind of stumbles out uh on all fours. She whispers in your ear.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:11

Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:14

We owe you. No, you don't owe me anything. It's my pleasure.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:22

Do you mean to kill these three men?

SPEAKER_07 1:22:27

We might have to, but we prefer diplomacy and they have been cooperative.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:35

I can kill them so easily.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:44

They have information we need.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:49

I will go to the edge of the forest with the illusion of my husband and wait.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:00

Yeah, she would have said mate, I guess. The illusion of my mate.

SPEAKER_08 1:23:05

And if a fight breaks out, just call upon me.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:09

I will do that.

SPEAKER_14 1:23:11

Hell yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:13

Uh you see her walk. I'm assuming, Hodge, you want to command your illusion to walk into the edge of the force as well.

SPEAKER_11 1:23:20

Uh you see like dissipates in the second you get down the wood line of like, we're right at the edge of ten minutes. Oh god.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:28

Um you see uh all three of the men still have their hands up, uh interlocked behind their heads. Um they have even uh tossed their swords off of their bodies at this point. They want nothing to do with combat right now. Excellent. Especially, well, Hodge is still hidden, Orion's still hidden, but the three of you certainly are more intimidating than the three of them. Yeah. They can fight their hunters. Yeah. Like they have their bows, but those are off to the side. Sure. Um, but they especially a druid that has supposed command of an owlbear, they won nothing with it. Well, then, take whatever you want. Take whatever you want.

SPEAKER_19 1:24:09

Uh as soon as the owlbears leave. I was I was doing fine.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:14

You were doing wonderful. I I I meant no offense if you and that owlbear had uh some sort of m pact with each other. It was uh we just merely we're were hunters. Uh we wanted to sell uh we're we're trying to get started on our own here.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:33

We have the sawmill, uh we hunt, we sell uh animals There are other things, other beasts you can hunt.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:45

This is true, but owl bears are worth quite a lot. It would have been a this was our windfall. I but it tough luck. I yes, it is tough luck. I d just leave us enough to survive, please.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:59

I will not rob you. But you have information that we would like to know. What information? Something about dealings with the Fay. You have gone against your deal with the Fay, so I'm told. Um Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:22

Are you with the Dales Council in some capacity?

SPEAKER_07 1:25:29

Are we under arrest? No. But I need to know what these deals are.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:36

Well, surely you are not truly from the Dale lands if you are not aware of the Dales Compact.

SPEAKER_07 1:25:44

No. This is what I need to know.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:47

Well uh a long time ago, the humans, the Dale folk, and the elves, uh and the Fay, uh made a deal, the Dales Compact, prohibiting us from cutting deeper into the forest.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:05

In exchange for the right to settle around its edges. And what did you do here? This is pretty deep into the forest, is it not?

SPEAKER_08 1:26:14

Yes, but we found that this was our only way to make an any sort of uh living for ourselves, uh, being that we cannot find work and uh we've kind of been cast out.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:28

Uh myself um and my associates uh have found that this would lead to a better life for us. And we thought that if we went far enough into the forest that we wouldn't be found, but clearly that was stupid.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:51

Fay works in mysterious ways, my friend.

SPEAKER_20 1:26:55

With this pact, uh what else what did they get out of?

SPEAKER_03 1:27:01

Well, they uh they had Myth Dranum when the Dale's Compact was made. They have uh Comir, they have a lot of reasons to want us out of the forest.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:21

It's quite dangerous for one to this is this is an old deal. This I don't quite understand it much, which is why I felt it was fine to break this rule, but clearly I think you should count yourself lucky that we found you before the faded.

SPEAKER_07 1:27:50

They would not have treated your misdeed so kindly. I appreciate your kind where you would be. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:28:37

You'll be going. We'll be going.

SPEAKER_04 1:28:47

I wouldn't dream of it.

SPEAKER_11 1:28:56

He covers a lot of illusion.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:04

So we will continue on. And once we're once we've walked away a little bit, I will whistle.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_20 1:29:25

For the alphabet.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:31

You see all three of them kind of uh come back into the center and uh kind of lean into each other and go, I can't believe they've let us get away with our lives. And then uh as uh everyone walks into the edge of the forest, you whistle and you see uh you see Corchasa shoot out of the forest and very quickly get hurting ravaging all three of them.

SPEAKER_16 1:30:14

Joanna is kind of giving like a side eye in a matter of a second. Mama's gotta eat too, you know?

SPEAKER_11 1:30:20

They couldn't be trusted.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:21

No, they would do just as bad deeds in the future, I feel people like this can't be left to roam. Even old forests where they can get caught easily by otherworldly things.

SPEAKER_18 1:30:43

Interesting.

SPEAKER_19 1:30:46

Continuing on Joanna tell Joanna Joanna tells none of you that the one at the cage was gay. She's just like he wasn't into it.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:56

Perhaps he would have been uh I still think you're beautiful. Perhaps he would have been into uh Hodge or Orion. He is mysterious.

SPEAKER_17 1:31:05

I guess. I hope not.

SPEAKER_11 1:31:07

Some people find mystery quite alluring. Yes.

SPEAKER_19 1:31:11

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

SPEAKER_17 1:31:13

Me?

SPEAKER_19 1:31:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:16

You've Lily finds mystery alluring. What a shot.

SPEAKER_19 1:31:22

What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_11 1:31:25

I don't know. To your friends, at least. Why would anybody think that?

SPEAKER_17 1:31:30

Why would anybody think that maybe for me?

SPEAKER_07 1:31:34

Uh mystery can be alluring to most. Uh to some, you know. They wonder what's behind the mask.

SPEAKER_17 1:31:45

Nothing like that. I mean, you know. What do you mean this is something?

SPEAKER_07 1:31:49

We all like Orion.

SPEAKER_17 1:31:51

We all like you. You like thank you.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:53

Yes, Orion. We all like you, and you best remember it.

unknown 1:31:56

I think.

SPEAKER_11 1:31:57

In part because of the mystery, at least for me.

SPEAKER_17 1:32:00

I am efficient.

SPEAKER_11 1:32:01

Yes, yes, I like that a lot. Do you remember that? Uh as a compliment. Stupid little girl that I tricked with her name.

SPEAKER_19 1:32:12

I think you were alone. I think that was before you joined the character. Or no, oh, the district.

SPEAKER_11 1:32:17

Ah, yes, Sabella. See, Sabella was very, very curious about you.

SPEAKER_19 1:32:21

That's true. Sabella liked gossip. Yes.

SPEAKER_11 1:32:24

Yes, and I took advantage of it.

SPEAKER_19 1:32:26

Whatever flake send people. That was you!

SPEAKER_11 1:32:29

Yeah, oh, did I not tell you that? Yes, I sent her into the woods after you.

SPEAKER_17 1:32:32

Huh?

SPEAKER_11 1:32:32

I figured you'd give her what for.

SPEAKER_17 1:32:34

I sure did. She was terrified.

SPEAKER_11 1:32:36

It was very funny. Uh and because of that, we learned about uh old Sullivan Grace. And now we have a big old payday coming our way. I at least 10,000 gold. I would hope so. Yes, but he owes me. Mostly for your sake. He already owes me like five gold. I lent it to him so he can sleep somewhere. Ah, yes.

SPEAKER_19 1:32:56

And you kept tracking everything.

SPEAKER_11 1:32:57

Yes, I have a ledger book where I have his debts.

SPEAKER_19 1:33:00

Okay. So just his debts.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:02

I hope I never make it on that list.

unknown 1:33:04

No.

SPEAKER_19 1:33:04

Well. If you do, I'll erase it. Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:33:11

We're all friends, of course. I don't keep track of how much money all of you owe me. Three, five, two, one.

SPEAKER_12 1:33:21

When did I get it?

SPEAKER_11 1:33:23

I paid for all of our food and our room and our board, multiple instances.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:28

I'll buy you an adult makeup for it. Don't you worry, that show back there was well worth it.

SPEAKER_17 1:33:34

You write down every penny I owe you. Okay. I will see it paid.

SPEAKER_12 1:33:39

Great.

SPEAKER_17 1:33:40

How?

SPEAKER_12 1:33:42

The amount that Orion respects and reveres Hodge is so funny. I love it.

SPEAKER_11 1:33:48

Perhaps I could bring you under my employee. Is Orion going to become a wizard?

SPEAKER_19 1:33:57

That would be so funny. If he needs an even bigger ego.

SPEAKER_11 1:34:01

Once you get like your magic, it'll be really fun. Yeah. It's awesome. It's so cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:34:12

I have not been taking like many good spells at all.

SPEAKER_19 1:34:14

Good. How much of the conversation about a cage did you hear?

SPEAKER_17 1:34:18

All of it.

SPEAKER_07 1:34:20

He was right there in that tree above you.

SPEAKER_17 1:34:24

That man didn't find you attractive. Because he liked men.

SPEAKER_12 1:34:30

Oh.

SPEAKER_17 1:34:31

I didn't want to out. That wasn't it now. But he didn't have Jay.

SPEAKER_19 1:34:53

I think if listen, I told Val where I grew up with, we had a lot of sailors coming in and out. I've had to deal with plenty of men like that, so I figured I might have had some sort of an upper hand if I played the role a little bit, and I didn't account for that, okay?

SPEAKER_07 1:35:08

It was strange. You were trying very hard, and your effort is commendable.

SPEAKER_17 1:35:12

I didn't enjoy watching you try. It was very strange.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:14

Your body language changed completely.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:16

It was very strange to see.

SPEAKER_17 1:35:17

Yeah, I didn't like it.

SPEAKER_19 1:35:18

Yeah. It felt gross.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:21

Perhaps A C A U. Yeah. Sorry.

SPEAKER_17 1:35:26

Of course it was out the whole time. The whole time. Yeah. Everybody go around and say what your sexuality is. I'm kidding. That was not the right thing.

SPEAKER_14 1:35:34

That was literally.

SPEAKER_17 1:35:39

You wouldn't tell me of a bunny sexuality. That was Leo speaking through Leo. I don't know. Sometimes it's really hard not to be Leo. I know. Even in my real life day to day.

SPEAKER_19 1:35:53

That's why our characters are so good, because we're just every day.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:59

Value. Every day all the time. You let that poacher put his hands on your arm, or do you need it cleaned? I could magic away that filth. Filthy growing me bars.

SPEAKER_16 1:36:12

Joanna's nodding. Yes. Thank you, Hodge. Oh, like a fly.

SPEAKER_17 1:36:22

I never thought of that. Can you turn it into a fly?

SPEAKER_07 1:36:26

Uh I have not tried, no, but you want to?

SPEAKER_17 1:36:29

I was just curious. Try it right now.

SPEAKER_07 1:36:31

Not really. I don't think I have it in me to change into anything else.

SPEAKER_17 1:36:36

I was just curious. You don't actually have to. Orion could definitely change into a fly, but I'm not using his wild shape charges for animals.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:44

I did not pick fly as one of my charges.

SPEAKER_17 1:36:48

Why not?

SPEAKER_11 1:36:49

Because you could do a giant fly.

SPEAKER_07 1:36:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:36:54

That would be really scary.

SPEAKER_07 1:36:55

They aren't as sneaky as a flying. Not as scary as a flying giant. Eh man. It might be scary.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:01

Flying giants like that. Just flying around. Did you see a bug up close?

SPEAKER_17 1:37:10

Yeah, we just saw an ant up close the other day that was really freaky.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:17

I don't know.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:19

Are you doing a whole family? Also, I don't know if you have like a microscope.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:22

Bear ike, bike.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:24

You saw a picture of an ant?

SPEAKER_17 1:37:26

It was really gross. And I'm okay killing them in the space.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:29

Horse ike, hike, rat ike, right?

SPEAKER_11 1:37:32

No, they probably think you look really scary up close too.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:35

Yeah, probably because I'm smushing them with my fingers.

SPEAKER_16 1:37:38

Do you guys smell ants when you kill them? No, spider ice.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:43

They're really they smell really scary. I have no idea what I think.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:47

Yeah, you can smell like the formic acid.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:49

That's what it is.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:50

You might be able to track them down too.

SPEAKER_04 1:37:52

Tune your nose too. I can only smell them when they're dead, though.

SPEAKER_11 1:37:55

Well, you should try.

SPEAKER_19 1:37:58

I'm sorry, are you sniffing?

SPEAKER_04 1:37:59

Sniffing a line, snorting a line an ant line?

SPEAKER_19 1:38:02

No, I think you should tune in.

SPEAKER_11 1:38:04

I don't think you should tune in.

SPEAKER_19 1:38:05

Turn into tune in.

SPEAKER_11 1:38:06

It's like when you're at a party and you hear your name from across the room. You weren't listening, but you were. This is Hodger Carter.

SPEAKER_14 1:38:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:19

Answer is yes. Alright. Sorry. Your next four next four hours of travel are very uneventful. And you find a nice area to rest.

SPEAKER_06 1:38:33

A brief respite.

SPEAKER_04 1:38:36

Um no need for watches or anything. You're in a very quiet part of the forest. So I mean you can do watches, but we don't need to go out with the whole rolling of perception checks and anything. Because nothing's gonna happen. Okay. Okay. Um but as you rest at the campfire, if you'd like to have a conversation about anything, you're more than welcome to.

SPEAKER_12 1:39:03

Um rumbling or tumblings.

SPEAKER_13 1:39:16

Um shake me.

SPEAKER_16 1:39:20

No.

SPEAKER_13 1:39:25

No.

SPEAKER_19 1:39:30

Um, I think definitely as they are ice. Um as they are stopped, um, Joanna will go and sit next to Ike.

SPEAKER_07 1:39:40

I'm smoking a pipe. How long is it? How long is the pipe? Uh it's probably like this.

SPEAKER_17 1:39:47

Do you think Orion could hotbox his mask?

SPEAKER_09 1:39:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:39:52

Well, middle comes in the back.

SPEAKER_04 1:39:54

Yeah, so it's like if we can breathe through it, then the smoke's getting out of it. It's like Rorschach.

SPEAKER_18 1:39:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:40:00

Um What was that? Sorry. What was the superhero from Watchmen that had that? Rorschach. Oh, that's his name? I knew it was like Rorschach test, but I didn't know that. Okay. Okay, yeah, cool. Makes sense. Alright, sorry.

SPEAKER_10 1:40:19

And actually.

SPEAKER_19 1:40:23

Thank you for coming. Um, do you mind if I talk to you for a sec?

SPEAKER_07 1:40:30

Of course. Any time.

SPEAKER_20 1:40:36

Is everything okay?

SPEAKER_07 1:40:38

I think so. Why?

SPEAKER_19 1:40:42

Just the last couple of days with the all the stuff with the Halflin and then these hunters and stuff, I just there's I mean you said yourself that you were a little went a little far with gone. But I don't know, lately there's just been some. I've noticed like she's as she's rambling, like she's starting to like fiddle with her hands a lot.

SPEAKER_20 1:41:12

Um I don't know, I've I've just noticed maybe some anger in you that is starting to come forward and just has me worried.

SPEAKER_07 1:41:28

Well, I know with that half like boiled my blood to know what he had done and the harm that he had caused. I am afraid I let my frustration and my need for revenge and justice get the better of me, but he is dead, and that is what I wanted. That is what is better for the world. All of the tales, all of the Forgotten Realm. I can't imagine what would have happened if any of his information or blueprints got out.

SPEAKER_20 1:42:10

Yeah. I know.

SPEAKER_07 1:42:13

But with the hunters, yeah, uh I saw it as justifiable, if in my mind. They have many, many other beasts they can hunt and get money from and get sustenance from, but to kill for sport and money purely for their own personal selfish gain, and to hunt and kill something so rare and precious. It's. I can't. I can't let that go. It's just something within me is heavily disagrees with it. And they couldn't be trusted, as Hodge said.

SPEAKER_20 1:43:02

I know.

SPEAKER_19 1:43:03

Um And I know it's better for the Dales and Forgotten Realms and all that, but I just want to make sure that it's better for you too. I don't I don't want you to go down. Justice and Revenge are very nearly on the same side of the wall. I don't I don't want to see you turn into something I know you're not in the name of it.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:38

It has been a process to work through. But you will know when I get to a point. And I ask that you would help me see what I cannot. I fear that one day the inner turmoil may arise and blind me from my own friends. I hope it never gets to that point, and I am doing everything in my power so it does not.

SPEAKER_19 1:44:13

She, when you say that, um, will kind of like reach a hand towards you and kind of like lean in a little bit. And more so whisper so that nobody else really hears.

SPEAKER_20 1:44:34

Inner inner turmoil because of and she'll gesture to almost like scars on your chest.

SPEAKER_18 1:44:43

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:44:47

Yes. And my inability to take care of things myself and lacking the strength and will. I think about it every day. I hate myself every day for it.

SPEAKER_18 1:45:08

Should put a hand sexual.

SPEAKER_07 1:45:11

But so yes, there are many things I think about daily and dream about nightly. But I'm glad I have you to ground me. And yes, yes, you four. It is good I am with you for.

SPEAKER_20 1:45:46

Yeah. I'm glad I have you too. Everybody. But I just wanted to make sure that you know.

SPEAKER_07 1:45:58

Yes. Don't worry, Joanna. Everything will be alright. I will promise to deal justice where it is due. And not throw it around so lightly.

SPEAKER_19 1:46:14

And if the inner turmoil gets too much, you know where to find me.

SPEAKER_07 1:46:19

I do.

unknown 1:46:21

Thank you.

SPEAKER_19 1:46:24

Um, where is Orion? Hmm.

SPEAKER_17 1:46:29

Probably in a tree somewhere.

SPEAKER_07 1:46:32

Probably in a tree somewhere.

SPEAKER_17 1:46:33

But I know which tree. I think you can surmise he's not too far.

SPEAKER_11 1:46:38

The one with a floating black cloud inside of it.

SPEAKER_17 1:46:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_19 1:46:43

Um, yeah, after talking to Ike, she'll go to whatever tree she assumes you're in. I don't actually hate you, you know. I don't necessarily like you, but I can appreciate what you do for the group, even though you're a little bit of a nightmare to be around. But part of me did feel safer in that camp knowing you were in the tree. Like you are now. I hope it's this one. I don't really want to have to repeat myself. You hear him giggle just a little bit.

SPEAKER_15 1:47:26

Whoa. Big progress.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:31

I heard that.

SPEAKER_17 1:47:33

Heard what?

SPEAKER_19 1:47:35

You laughed at me.

SPEAKER_16 1:47:38

No.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:38

I told you, I'm charming. I'll get my way in there.

SPEAKER_07 1:47:41

Must have been the wind.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:43

Must have been the wind. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 1:47:44

Must have been the extra room.

SPEAKER_19 1:47:45

I'm sure you can feel it up there because you're so far up in the tree, huh? Why don't you come and talk to the rest of us?

SPEAKER_15 1:47:51

I need my quiet. You're always quiet. It's the life of a soldier.

SPEAKER_12 1:47:58

Oh my god. It's the life of a soldier. It's so hard not to feel like that.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:08

I forget when we talked before. She knows? Did you talk about being a soldier? With her? Or did you just talk about your dead mom?

SPEAKER_17 1:48:17

Okay. I just told I told her about my dead mom. Uh, nobody really knows anything about him, other than he flinches when people get too close to him and he's really angry.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:27

Soldier. Is that what you were for this?

SPEAKER_15 1:48:32

Yes. Soldier. Slave.

unknown 1:48:40

Spill that.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:42

She'll hear what'd you say?

SPEAKER_07 1:48:44

Spill that tea.

SPEAKER_19 1:48:47

She'll hear you say slave and lock it away. She's not gonna bring that up.

SPEAKER_07 1:48:52

That's because he was a slave in a very different way than Ike was, but he still was slave to the He wasn't slave to his father's wishes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:49:03

He was forced to be in the temple and to kill. Like, it wasn't a job, it was like he had to do that or he would be tortured.

SPEAKER_07 1:49:12

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_15 1:49:17

Well killer. What? Soldier, I was a killer. Well still that.

SPEAKER_19 1:49:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:49:34

But she wanna roll her eyes. You can't like tell, but this is like hard for him to tell anybody.

SPEAKER_19 1:49:44

Fortunately, that's and as she's leaning, she's like leaning against the tree that she thinks you're in and is just talking forward like she's not looking up for you or anything. Um Well Unfortunately I think that's what we need now with where we're going. So can you at least come down a couple branches? I feel awkward.

SPEAKER_17 1:50:12

You hear just like a silent thunk. And then you see it. Silent thunk? Is he next to me?

unknown 1:50:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_17 1:50:21

But still in the branch. Still in a branch. Like in a branch right above you. Is he leaning down and looking or is he just perched? Perched. Like a bird.

SPEAKER_19 1:50:32

Yeah. Come down a couple. Come down a couple. Oh god. I'm gonna tell you a boil down version of the conversation I just had with Ike. We might need you to be whatever you were. But don't let it consume you. That would be annoying. Oh, I know. Not much has changed. Now you have four people who will help bring you out of it. She's trying so hard to be nicer to him after Ike was like, be nicer to him. It's it's game, it's like dad's gonna come talk to you. Um just we're here to help you or whatever.

SPEAKER_15 1:51:41

Huh? I'm here to help you as well.

SPEAKER_12 1:51:47

Does he throw open his mouth a little when he says that?

SPEAKER_19 1:51:51

And you know.

SPEAKER_12 1:51:52

Glad I could help.

SPEAKER_19 1:51:58

PTSD. I brought him. Um. Well. You could be nicer by asking me to gadget. Whatever. And she's gonna walk away.

SPEAKER_17 1:52:13

And he doesn't say anything. He climbs back up into his tree and he mopes about how he has to continue to be what he has been his whole life. Not that he knows how to do anything else. Joanna? Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:32

Are you walking by?

SPEAKER_19 1:52:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:35

Your uh God.

unknown 1:52:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:38

What was it again?

SPEAKER_19 1:52:38

Gnarless. Yeah, and healing.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:43

And healing. Interesting to me. I don't know. You are an instrument of your faith, I take it, of Naralis's will, yes?

SPEAKER_19 1:52:55

Uh trying to be, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:59

Just wonder.

SPEAKER_10 1:53:01

I understand your concern for Ike's actions.

SPEAKER_14 1:53:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:53:07

Others, uh, how they perhaps resort to violence to wonder if you think your presence here and the violence we've seemed to attract so far is as a result directly of your faith. Wow, blame her for everything. Blaming! I'm not blaming, I just think that to me it is interesting that we seem to be achieving the ends of your God as a group. Well, perhaps you are the direct worshipper of that faith. We have brought suffering on to maybe people who deserve it. I would think so so far. I don't believe we've taken any uh, you know, innocent lives or done damage to those who did not bring this violence upon themselves. I just am curious about your perspective. I'm not one to dabble in divinity, but is something that is near to you.

SPEAKER_19 1:54:11

Um as soon as you even like the insinuation that this has been brought on because she just kind of like like she very nervously talks with her hands a lot, but they just kind of go still and she kind of like stands there for a second and takes it in as you're talking. Um curse.

SPEAKER_10 1:54:34

Uh I uh I don't mean to I don't know.

SPEAKER_20 1:54:41

I guess I I guess that's kind of what I'm hear that's kind of what I'm trying to find out.

SPEAKER_19 1:54:47

Is I I I don't I don't understand how both of those things can be true under this uh my guy. I I I don't I I don't fully I don't fully get it. I I to me it to me it doesn't make sense that that su some some pain and death and everything is okay, but for other people it's not. I don't I don't know where the line is. And I don't know why there is a line or why it's even a a part of the equation. And if I'm I've never even thought about the fact I mean I've thought about a lot if I'm maybe bringing this up upon myself for questioning it, or if like everything that's happened has been my fault or something, or like everything that happened like back home years ago and all that.

SPEAKER_11 1:55:37

Oh yes, yes. I I don't I'm kind of like smiling, like, huh. This is like exactly what I wanted. I wanted you to like just think about it and listen talk to me about it. But I don't if I may, yeah, the line you speak of. To me, it seems it could be an illusion. If I may. Fuck you. Needless to say, I know two things are true. Many of us are alive because of you. And there are many that are dead because of you.

SPEAKER_06 1:56:19

I think that are dead because of me and Orion. Yes, true.

SPEAKER_14 1:56:23

Actually, she's gonna get her hand dirty.

SPEAKER_12 1:56:27

I think she's killed the most out of all of us.

SPEAKER_20 1:56:30

I don't I don't know that um I what not in a bad way.

SPEAKER_11 1:56:36

I feel after having read your pamphlet, you may be the perfect instrument of your God's will.

SPEAKER_19 1:56:41

I that's where the that's where the confusion comes in because I I want to be helpful. That's in my nature to be helpful, but I don't I don't feel good about it. I don't I don't necessarily feel good about You're suffering. Yeah. Oh no. Oh well.

SPEAKER_06 1:57:00

I uh Food for thought. Good night.

SPEAKER_14 1:57:06

Sleep well.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:11

Sleep day.

SPEAKER_19 1:57:12

She walks she walks back to where Ike is sitting and just sits down.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:15

Oh good lord, Joanna, what happened?

SPEAKER_19 1:57:17

Her eyes are big.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:18

What is the matter? Bigger. What did I do? Something wrong?

SPEAKER_18 1:57:22

Am I the reason all those people are dead?

SPEAKER_17 1:57:26

What? You hear Orion giggling.

SPEAKER_07 1:57:30

No, you're not the reason everyone's dead.

SPEAKER_19 1:57:34

I just said that I might be the perfect instrument of my God, and that because I am suffering, uh that makes me the perfect instrument, but I'm suffering because all those other people were suffering and they're dead because for the last I don't want these people to suffer, but I am part of the reason but I don't I don't know. Is it my fault? Is all this my fault? Should we should I have even come here? I'm having a crash.

SPEAKER_07 1:58:06

None of this is your fault. And yes, you should have come here. I think that the universe weaves its way, weaves people together in mysterious ways, and thus has weaved us together for some greater purpose in the dales. I know that we each have our own quest to fulfill, but I am glad that we are all traveling together to s help each one of us achieve that. But yes.

SPEAKER_19 1:58:44

But see, but the thing is, like the thing that Hodge said, like he'd asked me a lot of questions, and to be fair, they had really good points. But now I'm thinking about a lot of stuff. And if I am because I've I've told you, I'm out here to figure out w how my religion even works because I don't get it. And Hodge saying that I might be the read my pamphlet, which was nice. But saying I'm a good pamphlet. Thank you. Uh but saying I'm the perfect instrument for my God or whatever, that worries me because I I want to be a I want to be a helpful person. I don't I don't want to hurt people just so I can heal them. Like I don't I don't want to be the thing that comes into town and brings a wave of terror and death, only to be like, oh, I can make it better.

SPEAKER_07 1:59:38

But I That's not how that works. No, no, no, no. No, you are not some destructive wrath.

SPEAKER_19 1:59:44

I feel like I come in.

SPEAKER_07 1:59:48

That's good. And we needed that done, but that's impossible. You cannot have metaphor uh healing in the metaphorical sense without somebody else needing to suffer.

SPEAKER_18 2:00:04

No, and that's what I don't get because how is that right?

SPEAKER_07 2:00:08

Because it's just the way that the world works, I'm afraid. As much as I don't like the idea of it all the time either, but you cannot have healing without suffering. You cannot have suffering without healing. Just as there is no dark, there is just absence of light. You have to have both to have a balanced world. It's all about balance, it's all about moderation.

SPEAKER_20 2:00:50

But what if I'm the thing that makes it unbalanced?

SPEAKER_07 2:00:53

You are the thing that makes the balance. You are the instrument of that balance.

SPEAKER_20 2:01:04

That's a lot.

SPEAKER_07 2:01:07

It is. Well, I'm going to sit here for a while. I still have some left in my pipe. We can shower it if you like.

SPEAKER_14 2:01:19

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:01:26

And as the fire dwindles. And everyone takes their turn to sleep with the night away. The end of our session. Thanks for joining us for episode five of our Dale Lands campaign. Next episode will begin on the seventeenth of Kythorn. Where hopefully the players will find the library of Lunchan Josh.

SPEAKER_12 2:02:24

Love love.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:38

Library of Love Chantos. Library of Left Chartoes.

SPEAKER_19 2:02:44

Library of Quick Chase.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:46

Three more days. Until Summer Source list. Oh, summer souls. That one was on purpose. Um Love Soul Souls.

SPEAKER_14 2:02:56

Bye guys.

SPEAKER_04 2:02:57

Good session.

SPEAKER_18 2:02:58

Ah, the Chaotic Naturals Podcast. You can find us on all of our socials at Chaotic Naturals or send us an email to chaotic naturalspod at gmail.com. New episodes of the Dale Lands every Wednesday. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts.