C1 Ep. 07 - In Oathstone, She Would Swing a Hammer

During a quick trip to the village of Oathstone to gather materials for their weaponry upgrades, a key to Venaria's past is revealed! Then, a mystery is uncovered in the quarries of the village. Join us at the Good Good table as we head onward to Oathstone! 

Content Warnings:
Course Language
The Occasional Bit of Innuendo
Bad Accents
Descriptions of Delicious Food
Villages With Extremely Direct Names

Look for new episodes every Wednesday!

Our group uses Dungeons and Dragons 2014 edition along with some homebrew goodness to make things really fit in our storytelling. Feel free to ask us about how we do things, Alex especially loves a good lore drop!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:00

Welcome to the Good Good Table is a podcast for grown folks with swears and violence and stuff. Content warnings can be found in the description.

SPEAKER_11 0:06

Last time at the Good Good Table.

SPEAKER_04 0:08

Just so you know, you don't have to have the oath memorized like I did.

SPEAKER_07 0:11

Stand where the light can see you.

SPEAKER_09 0:16

I will not turn away nor look kindly. This I swear not to be remembered. But for those who come after.

SPEAKER_04 0:23

You're one of us now! Welcome to the lantern! It in front of you, you see bright red varnished double doors engraved with the letters GG.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

Well, damn, I was wondering if you were gonna show up. You? What is this? She's gonna hold up her arm. What is this? That looks like an arm to me. No, ma'am. That came from part of the deal. I don't know what the deal was. I have not received my copy of the deal yet. Now you listen here, Sugar.

SPEAKER_04 0:47

We don't we don't had a deal and the deal is done. Once the sense is there and you're worrying about it now. You wanna know more than that? I expect you'd be wanting to talk to your granddaddy. Oh my god! You want a hint. You want a hand.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Sure, granny, I would like a hint. Don't you want a hand? He's a lot closer than you think.

SPEAKER_04 1:03

She will reappear in front of you all. How would you all like to try out the slots? You gotta get some tokens. They're worth a hundred gold each. Well, Delos. Would you care to roll first? Sure. A little capsule comes out of it. About breadloaf size. Inside is a lantern. There's a little tag attached to it that reads Lantern of the Mood Ring.

SPEAKER_05 1:24

Who's going next?

SPEAKER_07 1:25

Yes, I put my hundred in, got my token.

SPEAKER_04 1:27

A small little little package comes out. Inside, you find the memory vial. Who wants to go? I guess I'll try. You know, little two-foot-long thing comes. The the tag on it says wand of changeable damage. Who else? You wanna go, honey?

SPEAKER_09 1:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:46

Alright.

SPEAKER_09 1:48

Can I purchase two tokens or is it only one? You can you can purchase as many tokens as you want. There you go, Sugar.

SPEAKER_04 1:55

Uh, chain shirt of Mending. And and a little tag that says Bands of Shared Breath. This here is Corinne Ashmetal. Best blacksmith there is.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

We are new lanterns and we need materium yesterday.

SPEAKER_08 2:09

For fighting the necromera. Well, I'd be happy to do that for you. I don't have the materium. You're gonna have to go grab that. You'll have to go to a village called Oldstone, and there you can get it.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

So onward you go, onward, turn the face.

SPEAKER_04 2:36

Welcome back to the good good table, everybody. Thank you for being here. I appreciate you listening and all that good stuff. I am Alex. I will be your DM and your host. We also got these other people who also play this game with me and and tolerate my messing with them. This this is this is hey. You you go first then. We got Elizabeth Dalos. Courtney. Oh good. Brandon is Venaria. Okay. Jen is Genova. Yep. This is good. Alright, cool. Coming in, coming in strong for this one. Alright. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Oh, it's good. I like it. It's only funny, it's only funny when you do it to me when I start the recording, is what I'm hearing. You don't have to taste everyone medicine.

SPEAKER_04 3:37

Don't judge me based on things that I've eventually said.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

My hintetics and I like weird old women. Don't say things to me that are true.

SPEAKER_04 3:54

Alright. So it is now time to head to Oathstone. To go get the I guess disaligned material. Oh.

SPEAKER_07 4:04

Oh, the road again.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

Yes. So there are basically like kind of like three kind of rings-ish of villages around Ogun. This is one of the this is actually the farthest village out Oathstone is. It'll take about three days to get there. Um, but it's on some nicely patrolled routes by the the lantern hall, so it should be relatively uneventful. So, um I just heard that before. Hey, y'all, you know, would I lie to you?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

You've A few times.

SPEAKER_04 4:37

I was gonna say, questions DMs should never ask. Have I just flat out given you false information sometimes? Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

Granny usually does it.

SPEAKER_04 4:46

That's yeah, I usually do it through the lens of a weird old woman.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:50

That's how that works.

SPEAKER_07 4:52

Of which you are fond of. So are we walking or do they like take wagons out here?

SPEAKER_04 4:56

You are hoofing it. Okay. But it's a paved road. Well, not really paved, but it's a it's a maintained road space. It's path. There we go, thank you. It is a maintained path. So, first day you make it to uh one of the closer villages, uh, Blackfield. Look who made a map. And it has a scale.

SPEAKER_11 5:17

Map. Yes. Wow, Oathstone is really far away.

SPEAKER_04 5:21

Yes, Oathstone is to the east from Ogin at like the base of the Bale Doon Mountains. Um that's where they get Fresh Milk. Yes, there is a there is a village named Fresh Milk. Can you guess what they make there? Bacon. Yogurt. Yeah, yep. Basically, the villages here kind of trade with Ogin.

SPEAKER_11 5:44

Do they have a ton of rope bridges? I assume they have like they just make rope. Why don't they have but their name is rope bridge? You have to call it something. Where's the bridge part?

SPEAKER_04 5:53

There's a bridge there.

SPEAKER_11 5:54

Why can't it just be rope?

SPEAKER_04 5:56

The town of rope.

SPEAKER_11 5:57

The town of rope.

SPEAKER_09 6:00

There's a ton of fresh milk.

SPEAKER_04 6:02

You know, actually, that that's a good point. No, there's there's a rope bridge out there that they're very fond of.

SPEAKER_11 6:07

Okay, good. Yep. I'm going there, I'm checking.

SPEAKER_04 6:11

I'm gonna go see this famous rope bridge. Clearly it's famous because Blackfield is kind of at the end of your first day. It is it is a pretty straightforward, just kind of farming village, so there's not really a lot of note there. They do have the Blackfield Inn. Uh basically have a black field. They they have fields, and some of them appear to be black because of what is growing in the field.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

What's that?

SPEAKER_04 6:41

It's marijuana. It's black wheat. No, wheat. Wheat. But black wheat. It is basically wheat, and it grows dark. It's got a lot of pigment in it.

unknown 6:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 6:57

Yep. So we're going to the inn, we're gonna sleep, yeah. Well, while you're in the inn, you will actually run across a uh are you familiar with the show Bojack Horseman?

SPEAKER_03 7:11

Very vaguely.

SPEAKER_04 7:12

Basically, like okay, so like imagine just like a dude with a horse head. Okay. Uh one of the groups from Korkori, the Beast folk, are horse people. And what you are looking at is uh they're called uh Makun. Uh this guy kind of looks like basically if you turned a Clydesdale into a dude. Like a reverse scent car. He's like, yeah, like a dude with a horse head. And yeah, he's big. And he's got like like that that m kind of mane of of blonde hair kind of coming down. But he will he will approach you while you're just kind of relaxing at the end of the night, not quite going to bed. Good evening, horsebrow.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

Uh uh Hello. I uh my name is Tano Baru. I uh I see that you are lanterns.

SPEAKER_04 8:02

Like me? And he will he'll like kind of pull out a pull out a like a little collar underneath a robe that he's wearing. Um I am I am a witness archivist.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Can I ask where you are headed?

SPEAKER_02 8:12

We are headed towards Oathstone.

SPEAKER_01 8:15

Ah, I had a feeling there's not much reason to come out this way. I am headed there as well. Would you mind terribly if I accompanied you on your journey?

SPEAKER_05 8:24

Well, we're all going the same direction.

SPEAKER_03 8:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:26

Excellent. Thank you so much. I have to go out there and run some tests, so.

SPEAKER_11 8:31

What are you running tests on?

SPEAKER_05 8:33

Well, the the sow out there sometimes concentrates, so we do tests out there as just as a service to the to the village.

SPEAKER_11 8:43

Is that why there's materium there?

SPEAKER_05 8:45

That's part of why it concentrates there, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:49

Once a month we go out there and we check the levels to make sure it's still safe.

SPEAKER_11 8:53

They also just start asking him questions off off script. Just lots of just like, oh, well, what's about this? What what's that? Why do you go out once a month? Why not a little bit more frequently? Why not?

SPEAKER_05 9:05

Because they will go off.

SPEAKER_04 9:08

Yeah, he will he will absolutely happily answer any and all of your questions.

SPEAKER_11 9:12

They will start asking some questions that might be a little bit questionable, but like, why why do you look like that? Why don't you look like them? Why do they not look like you? What are where are you from? What do they look like?

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Daelos. You can't just ask someone why they look like that.

SPEAKER_11 9:28

Oh, like once he's once he's receptive to questions about Oathstone, Delos will start.

SPEAKER_04 9:34

He seems to be interested strictly in information. So like your questions don't even really phase him.

SPEAKER_11 9:40

Yeah. They're all innocent questions. This is just a new person that we've never seen before. Dalos' interest.

SPEAKER_04 9:46

This organic has a horse's head.

unknown 9:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:49

Well What's a horse? Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 9:50

What's a horse? Have we seen a horse? I'm a good one. Yeah, I mean, they're around. So Valus is like, ah, why don't you look like that?

SPEAKER_06 9:57

Yeah, why don't you have hooves?

SPEAKER_11 9:59

Does do you? Do you have hooves?

SPEAKER_06 10:02

He has dude fingers.

SPEAKER_11 10:03

Venvil. I guess he has feet. His shoes are on.

SPEAKER_07 10:07

I guess he has feet.

SPEAKER_04 10:09

He might. I don't know. He's wearing a robe. He hadn't seen his feet. Maybe he just floats or he starts walking here. He's cuffing out attached to the bottom of his shoes. But yeah, no, he will he will rich very pleasantly kind of pass the night with you. He'll answer your questions.

SPEAKER_11 10:26

Um, question for Elizabeth above the table. Alright. Would we say that uh we have read the charter in the night that we spent pontificating on the oath and stuff? Yes, I mean uh it it has been made available to you if you wanted to have grabbed one on the way out of the lantern hall and the reason why I was asking is like because he's a witness, that's probably why Dalos would be asking, as long as Delos knows what a witness is. Yeah, like talking to a coworker about yeah, like like ah, you are literally here to record this information and do all of this stuff. You will know these things. Asking you. That's that's what it absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 11:05

He will while away the hours there. Um he he has no problem with that.

SPEAKER_08 11:09

Wonderful.

SPEAKER_07 11:11

So I like how he's whiling away the hours with our scarecrow.

SPEAKER_11 11:18

What's his name again?

SPEAKER_04 11:19

His name is Tono Baroon. T-A-H-N-O B-A-R-U-N-G. Um, can we tell like what his uh what we consider his class to be? The way he describes himself would be he's probably something in the tune of like a wizard. He's not really into an adventure, he's more of a scholar. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 11:41

Okay. It's I think as is we we're we're agreeing to trap travel with him. Venar is just kind of like sizing him up tactically.

SPEAKER_04 11:48

He does not look like he could fight. Okay. Like that's what you're going for. It's like, yeah, he's this is not a person who can help me out of the state.

SPEAKER_02 11:54

Yeah, a clerical lantern.

SPEAKER_04 11:56

Yes. Yeah, the witness archivists tend to just be scholars. A lot of them are like also work at the studios, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Kind of like a pencil pushered lantern.

unknown 12:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:07

Like a sage.

SPEAKER_07 12:08

It's like, okay, dude, I need you to cast invisibility yourself and get the fuck over there. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 12:12

So, yes, you will you will wild away the hours with uh with Tano there, and then in the morning, head out, no issues. Next couple of days are going to be spent on the road, um, just like camping. During that time. Kind of about partway through the first day after you've left Blackfield, you get you get kind of that draw from from Steja that you that you haven't really felt for a long time since you left for Kima, since you come back, you know, it it's been kind of very low feeling. But as you're passing this particular area, it's like uh there's like a small forest and you can see a clearing with like a stump in the middle. To Steja, that's holy. Steja doesn't Stesia's not interested in churches or cathedrals or anything like that. Steja being a an alore of the forest, nature's balance, hunting, things like that. Like she's not really interested in in civilization, so.

SPEAKER_07 13:15

I think what everyone else would suddenly hear is like Venar just takes this sharp intake of breath, like, we're finally far enough out. Um hold up, I gotta go pray. Uh just over there. It's just like praying. I gotta go off to do. Like just off the r off the road really fast. Uh very clear. Especially if it's if it's a small enough wooded area, it's like it's very clear where I'm going. Um, but uh yeah, she uh she's even like skipping along the way because like we're finally far enough out to um I'm almost almost in that sense of like, I'm finally I'm finally at full bars. Yeah. Can you hear me now? Oh awesome! Oh finally, okay. Um so she like skids to a halt. Uh well and it does does that does that increase as she enters the wooded area?

SPEAKER_04 13:57

Yeah, this this feels like a sacred space for you.

SPEAKER_07 14:00

Okay. Um as she's getting closer, I mean she she just is she just closes her eyes and starts walking with her hands out. Just letting that that feeling increase and and surround her. Um once she gets to the stump, um she doesn't she doesn't kneel, she like sits on the ground with her like lean with her back against the stump just to be making contact and um just waits for like waits to hear something. She does just all of the rituals that she learned growing up were much more uh seasonal. It's more like in this in this time of seasonal change or whatever. Yeah. Um so she doesn't really have like a like a a litany or a liturgy. Um but yeah, she just makes contact with the ground, makes contact with the stump, and then just meditates essentially.

SPEAKER_04 14:57

Excellent. Okay. Um yeah, why don't you make a just a religion roll? Real real low risk here, but do it with advantage.

SPEAKER_07 15:06

Well, that's good. Because we're all doing it. Okay, that's better. Uh especially with my with my headband. Yeah. Yeah. Um 22.

SPEAKER_04 15:16

Okay, yeah, the DC was 10, so yeah, you're good. This is this is this is basically just like just enough to show a little bit of effort, you know, for for for the for the Aelor. Um, so yeah, you you have that moment and it it just feels alive here in a way that you haven't felt as much since since you've gotten back to Demora. And from your side, an enormous white wolf with glowing golden eyes steps into view. Think like Moro from Princess Mononokay.

SPEAKER_07 15:55

Right. Okay, now is this is this more is this what I'm physically seeing, or is Does everyone see that? I mean, who came with me?

SPEAKER_11 16:02

I mean, we you said you could we could see you from the road basically as a clearing.

SPEAKER_04 16:06

So from what you all are seeing, Venaria is sitting down.

SPEAKER_11 16:09

Just making sure. That that would be alarming. Just to clear that up.

SPEAKER_04 16:14

But Venaria, this this seems like she's just there. You don't you don't notice a difference. Um But she in this white wolf form will step into view. Her clo her coat is glossy and healthy, but her steps are slow and measured. Uh she finds a s clear spot to lay down right in front of you, and just regards you. Um and you have changed into your white wolf form without really realizing it. Kind of in your shifted form.

SPEAKER_07 16:51

Um, is that part of it also in the mind's eye, or do they see me suddenly shift?

SPEAKER_04 16:57

They see you shift. Okay. Yeah. Venaria just kind of spontaneously shifts into that white wolf form. But she will she will lay down and and regard you with those big glowing wolf eyes.

SPEAKER_07 17:09

And I and uh perforce I have to do the puppy thing.

SPEAKER_04 17:14

And you hear more than like you hear in your mind more than her just like saying anything out loud.

SPEAKER_05 17:20

Good eatings, child. It is good to see you walk this world once more.

SPEAKER_07 17:26

Mother, it's it's it's it was it wasn't a long time, but it was a long time.

SPEAKER_04 17:33

Uh I should also note that it is very rare for Steja to appear to the Mortal Races at all. And almost never speaking. So this is odd what's happening right now.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Clearly clearly she has favorites.

SPEAKER_07 17:49

Well, and I think Venaria is not even thinking of that right now. It's just been like Oh, because she had she felt she felt that absence more than like more than anybody else, because nobody else is really trying to call uh we were in K1. Uh, but that moment where like her moment of transformation was very much like touching the divine, and she's still she's been riding that high since they got back. And so this is almost like the follow-up to that experience. Yeah um and she just she hears she hears her say she's like, I'm I'm sorry it took us so long to get back.

SPEAKER_08 18:28

Well, you cannot help it if you're trapped somewhere. I felt right here now.

SPEAKER_07 18:36

Yes, I felt like I could have done so much in all of this. I could I I should have been here to do more.

SPEAKER_04 18:47

Sometimes we are needed elsewhere.

SPEAKER_08 18:53

And you may have been gone for quite some time. You are here. And you can assist this world in the ways that others could not.

SPEAKER_07 19:10

Only only by your strength through me.

SPEAKER_08 19:15

Well, perhaps it is time to clear that up a bit. It would be good for you to know that though it may be distant, you are none the less of my blood.

unknown 19:32

Huh?

SPEAKER_08 19:35

It it does, of course. You would not know the secret was once known to the Staldi, but was lost simply to the passing of generations.

SPEAKER_07 19:48

Oh so I uh wow oh, well internally Vinaria's like, I called her mother out of devotion, but holy shit, that's my mom's side of the family.

SPEAKER_08 20:00

Of all the races in this world, humans are by far the closest to the wild beasts of the forest. It takes little to remind you that underneath the trappings of servility you are but animals gnashing your teeth against the one foe you cannot defeat. When your ancestors came to this land long ago, I watched as they used their raw strength and will to carve out a home for themselves. I will admit I was smitten when I was a young man who hunted with wolves and danced in the moonlight. Lillian was born from that union. Lillian of the half moon. All I have done is to reawaken that spark of Lillian within you. It is her light that shines when you rouse the white wolf.

SPEAKER_07 21:05

Like just nah, and it's it I feel like in this in this like dream space, she's not like it's not visible, but that her body is absolutely crying.

SPEAKER_04 21:13

Yeah, yeah, your body can't control what's happening, even if you're in your mind, you're trying to hide it, yeah. She was the source of great pride and joy among the Staldi for generations.

SPEAKER_08 21:24

But she chose the limited lifespan of a mortal. And was dust long before the Balians came limping from the west.

SPEAKER_07 21:36

Can we make an inside check? You sure can. Cause she cause I feel like Venar's in this thing of like, I'm getting spoken to by the goddess, and then she's also talking shit, okay.

SPEAKER_04 21:46

Well the Balians historically made really bad decisions. And a lot of the problems that are happening in the world are because of them.

SPEAKER_07 21:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 21:57

So so the powers may not have. Super great opinion of Balians.

SPEAKER_07 22:02

Okay, that's a 19 on insight.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Excellent. What are we inciting?

SPEAKER_07 22:08

Uh, is she talking shit on my dad's side of the family?

SPEAKER_04 22:11

Like actively. Okay, yeah, no, I'll just I'll just kinda go back what I was saying just there. It's not so much shocking shit, is that the revenant curse is the Balian's fault.

unknown 22:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 22:24

So much of the problems that the world is facing would not have happened were it not for the Balians going back on their word and uh betraying Cresh, one of the Liches. Uh, that is ultimately responsible for the Death Storms, but did it after saying, hey, stop fucking with me.

SPEAKER_11 22:43

Three times.

SPEAKER_04 22:44

Three times. And was finally like, fine, and then Cresh unfortunately lost control. Um but yeah. So that's it. I told you to stop touching shit. Yeah, it's it's not so much talking shit, so much as not having forgiven them for fucking up. For legitimate shit, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 23:03

Yeah. Um just kind of sits with that um kind of letting let almost literally letting the history roll back over her in the moment. Um and she just makes eye contact with with the huntress and just and I'm well, I'm here now. What should I do?

SPEAKER_08 23:30

I grow weak as the world I love slowly dies. I thought it was time that this world had a wolf to bite back at the growing darkness.

SPEAKER_07 23:47

That's pretty good. Crying again, I just but now it's anxiety, but yeah, that's that's bow her head a little bit and shake it.

SPEAKER_08 24:01

This will have to be enough for now, little one. Remember, the wilds do not play favorites.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

And you will awaken from your meditative state to the sounds of a zombie kind of stumbling up behind you. Uh she does? Uh yeah, you you guys can see this. Yeah, it's a real zombie. Oh shit. A lone shamblee zombie. We're making our way downtown.

SPEAKER_09 24:28

We're making our way downtown. Trying to get Venaria's attention, like, hey, I oh shit. Taylor just starts sprinting.

SPEAKER_07 24:38

I don't I'm I make a point. I'm I'm shifted. I don't reach for a weapon. I go for its throat with my teeth. Gross zombie meat. Not for the first time.

SPEAKER_04 24:52

Yeah, uh go go ahead and go ahead and roll the head.

SPEAKER_09 24:55

Venaria has acquired a taste.

SPEAKER_04 24:58

21. That absolutely hits. Yeah, you you you take it out. It's just it's like a regular old zombie. CR18 zombie. Yeah. You just you you come out of that meditative state, emotionally charged, see that zombie, and no, fuck you. Take it down easily.

unknown 25:16

Like a bad dog.

SPEAKER_04 25:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 25:18

It's just the one.

SPEAKER_07 25:19

I do the full like the full shake, the neck with the neck break shake, but the but the neck is audio pieces. So there you go. And then still riding that, I just howl as hard as I can.

SPEAKER_04 25:32

Oh, it's awesome. Yeah. Uh there are some wolves in the distance howl with you.

SPEAKER_02 25:38

Yeah. That'll be a nice Lynette's kind of watching this like Dang. It's like, remind me to never delete the Vinonia off.

SPEAKER_06 25:49

What?

SPEAKER_07 25:50

What the fuck? It's like only I feel like I just like make eye contact with each other in turn and then spit out the the whatever zombie flesh was in my mouth.

SPEAKER_02 25:59

That's gross. The hammer back then from like that on the hill, just like that's gross, but okay. You got it, Venaria. I mean, awesome, but ugh.

SPEAKER_07 26:15

So only only now I regain my regular form and then just plop back down like now on the stump. Like just okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:32

Lunette recognizes that look and she goes, uh, you just got some. You got some fucked up news from a fucked up place. You're confused divinely. What happened?

SPEAKER_07 26:43

Uh, a lot. Um I've uh something big gave you a job, huh? Not at so many words. Um in hindsight, words would have been nice. Um Tana's got a book out.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Would you mind giving some words for posterity, describing your experience?

SPEAKER_02 27:05

In hindsight, I'd like to take a record of this.

SPEAKER_07 27:08

Um I I met Steja and she spoke to me directly. Oh spoke with Steja.

SPEAKER_11 27:17

Spoke.

SPEAKER_07 27:18

And what was with Steja? Yes, spoke with and was spoken to. We're talking about Steja? The Aylor?

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 27:26

Who I apparently am a descendant of, according to her.

SPEAKER_04 27:32

He just stares at you for a second with his jaw open like yeah, scribbling like crazy. And and yeah, he he won't ask any more questions. He's just scribbling.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

As um, as you're talking about, like, in hindsight, words would be nice, you know, it's gonna come over and she's gonna clap you on the shoulder and she'd be like, yeah, I know. I've been there.

SPEAKER_07 27:53

Um, it sounded like she wants me to take her place. Like, like she's on her way out, because the world is. That sounds dire. Sorry, that voice coming out of a horse is fucking with my head.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

I just keep imagining like a worse Bojack horseman.

SPEAKER_07 28:14

Well, it's it's Bojack Horseman with Droopy's voice.

SPEAKER_04 28:17

I was I was going for like the stopped up like nerd voice, but I I can't quite pull it off, so I ended up I end up kind of here.

SPEAKER_07 28:24

Well, yeah, which remind me of Roger Rabbit, like you're floor. Um, um, yeah, my my mom's people are apparently uh uh demigods, I guess. They're demipowers.

SPEAKER_11 28:41

So you have a divine calling.

SPEAKER_07 28:44

Yeah, but usually with those, it's like, hey, go do this thing. I picked a good group to go with. Are you saying that you'll become She was really vague on that point, but she made she emphasized that I'm of her bloodline, and then also that we're both wolves, and that this world deserves a wolf that will bite back.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

It could be. She's like, hey, please go unfuck the situation so I don't die.

SPEAKER_07 29:07

I'd rather do that. Of the of the options.

SPEAKER_02 29:11

Well, let's try it. Let's hope.

SPEAKER_11 29:12

Yeah, no pressure, right? No. But you're okay.

SPEAKER_07 29:18

That's a that's a complicated question. Correct. I'm not dead, which is nice. I always prefer that. Yeah. But I can't tell if she was telling me to like keep the world from dying or like take over regardless. You could roll inside.

SPEAKER_04 29:42

16. So the impression that you would be left with after kind of thinking about it for a minute, she seemed to imply that the the world is dying, is having an issue, and she wants you, as somebody who is descended from from her line, to take up the cause and fight for it.

SPEAKER_11 30:04

Enact her will.

SPEAKER_04 30:05

Many powers are at play, and she wants one of hers on the field to help. Help defend the world.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

Much less scary.

SPEAKER_04 30:13

Yes. Stasia tends to, when she does things, it tends to be to keep the balance. So it if if you were following kind of her normal thing, then you would be a balancing force.

SPEAKER_07 30:26

Okay, well, Vernara's kind of lightheaded now. It's like she's she's sitting back and just Okay, I'm gonna start walking.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

Do you want a moment? Welcome to the experience. And that's like that's like literally like giving like good, like solid uh pats to the back. Like, come on, let's go. You get used to it. Let's go. It was just like, do you want to sit down? No, no. The novelty wears off after the first few times as well.

SPEAKER_07 30:55

Let's let's get back on the road and I'll I'll let this process out and probably cry more later. I'm just like, oh, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

It's not so much it's not fun when it's other it's only it's like a head wound. It's only funny when it happens to someone else.

SPEAKER_07 31:13

Did you say Am I wrong? Did you say sentimental flesh bag? Did I hear you?

SPEAKER_11 31:17

I said leaky flesh bag. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_07 31:19

Well sentimental flesh bag is the band name.

SPEAKER_04 31:22

Anyway, a so yeah, you you you leave this area and it's just a little bit like another day to Oldstone. Um so you do a night of camping, and then you get up and you you know you head on in. And um it is a mustache hair in my mouth.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Betrayed by the flavor's.

SPEAKER_07 31:43

Is that better or worse than a little dot on the map? This old town is nothing but a mustache hair.

SPEAKER_04 31:50

I don't the mustache hair of nowhere. So, but no, you you all head up uh the path and it runs along next to a sheer cliff. And as you are heading up, you see Old Stone actually come into view. Um It is The first thing you see isn't Holmes, but the stone yard. Uh it's a wide open space crowded with massive blocks in various stages of being cut, split, and set upright. There are rows of half half-finished boundary stones, uh stood up like teeth. Some are marked, some are still blanked. They are all waiting for a purpose. Beyond the yard, the rest of Oathstone kind of unfolds in a shallow arc, kind of away from it. They're low practical buildings, homes, storage shed, tool houses, they kind of fan outward. Uh they they basically built it so that if there's falling stone, the homes themselves are a little farther away, so you know they're they're not gonna get damaged. The village hall sits just off the edge of the yard rather than at the center of the village. Close enough to oversee the work. Um it's not grand, but it is solid. It's cut from the same stone as the markers themselves. Uh and its purpose is pretty clear. Whatever happens in the yard is recorded, witnessed, made official. Uh everything in Oathstone tends to kind of point towards the stone there. So but as you approach, you see a kind of middle-aged Grundaman walk up. Howdy, folks.

SPEAKER_08 33:32

Welcome to Oathstone. I'm the foreman around these parts. They call me Asgari. Bruno Asgari. Nice to meet you.

SPEAKER_04 33:41

Oh, Mr. Tano, it's good to see you again. Uh, what brings y'all out to these parts?

SPEAKER_02 33:46

I speak Grunda, so I'm just gonna say hello and Grenda. What? I was just gonna say hello and Grenda. That's all I was gonna say. Just in life, just uh just like a chill greeting in Grenda, because I like that that she knows that language. Excellent. Uh I'm gonna offer my hand to shake. If you like, we're here. We're new lanterns, and we're here to get the don't die stuff.

SPEAKER_11 34:09

Acquire some material, if possible.

SPEAKER_01 34:12

Absolutely. Well, no, we are we are happy to help you out.

SPEAKER_04 34:15

Uh, Mr. Tonno, you are welcome to get started whenever it may please you to do so. As for the rest of y'all, if you want some of that materium, it's gonna be time for you to pick up a hammer.

SPEAKER_11 34:28

Picks up his own hammer.

SPEAKER_04 34:30

Oh, I wouldn't want you to ruin up your your nice shiny hammer there. We got some good tools for you to do.

SPEAKER_07 34:36

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:38

Yeah, this is this is hard stone. Well, when we just use the tools available at hand, and that'll that'll work just fine for you. Now, the the stones around here have traces of materium you're after. You you want that stuff aligned with Astus, right?

SPEAKER_03 34:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 34:52

Yeah. The stone around here has traces of that materium. Um and it's it's what makes our oath stones so important. It helps sanctify the words in the eyes of Astus. And he will he will lead you uh through the yard as he's talking over to a section where it appears rather than like shaping the stones like you saw in the other parts of the yard, in this place they are breaking the stones down. Now, eventually, all those people stepping up and swearing to this, that, and the other thing wears down the stone. The materium inside is still good, but we just need to get to it. So we ain't gonna charge you for the materium. You know, you good members of the lantern hall, and help defend our home. The least we can do is help get you what you need to do the job.

SPEAKER_07 35:42

Uh but Lilith's just trying to be social, but he didn't make it.

SPEAKER_10 35:46

No, no, this is above table, above table. You got soft hands, brother. You got soft hands.

SPEAKER_04 35:53

We're gonna have to put you to work.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Now, we ain't gonna charge you for the materium, but we can't just let it go for nothing.

SPEAKER_04 36:00

So, you do the labor. You're welcome to whatever you get out of it. So, the mechanics of this, you all need 40 chunks of ISD materium to get those. What?

SPEAKER_11 36:16

I just want one to mess with.

SPEAKER_04 36:18

Oh, yeah, you can you can also pick up a little bit. Okay. Basically, the idea here is you're going to make strength checks.

SPEAKER_11 36:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 36:24

And out of each chunk of stone, you will get 18 chunks. So you need to be casting guidance on everybody.

SPEAKER_11 36:32

I I would like to get everyone in a little huddle, and I'm like, to make this a little bit easier. Emboldening boss.

SPEAKER_04 36:39

They've got they've got two hammers that you can use.

SPEAKER_11 36:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 36:43

Now, if the rest of you, there are some other places that you can go talk to people if you like while they're while they're breaking up the stone. Um, but either way, you're gonna have to do the work to get the material.

SPEAKER_02 36:55

Can I roll to experiment to see if my metal hand can crush a rock?

SPEAKER_04 37:01

It just starts spinning.

SPEAKER_02 37:03

No, like to see if I can crush it.

SPEAKER_07 37:07

Alright, pick up a rock. Bionic rogue go.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

Bionicles.

SPEAKER_04 37:16

So yeah, there's there's there's bits of crushed stone everywhere. You are welcome to pick up a rock.

SPEAKER_02 37:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 37:22

And then make a strength check.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

That is a 19. Uh minus one roll a D4. A roll of D4?

SPEAKER_04 37:31

So minus one down to 18 and then roll a D4.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

So 19. So 19.

SPEAKER_04 37:40

Yeah. You you crush a rock with your with your metal hand and it's a little bit more. Like you start doing it and it and it resists, because it's like, no, why are you why are you crushing a rock? Why are no, why? And then finally you just like no, I'm doing it, but fine, and it crushes it.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Why is it?

SPEAKER_04 37:59

But then it's like locks into a fist.

SPEAKER_02 38:01

Why is my arm semi-scention? What is this?

SPEAKER_04 38:04

I don't know. But now your hand is locked into a fist.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

Why? Why did you punish that? I just did an experiment.

SPEAKER_04 38:11

It's a yes and. You crushed the rock. You did a good experiment. And now your hand is is locked into a fist for a minute. So now you can just start punching the rocks.

SPEAKER_11 38:24

Why does my hand get to choose? What are all of the tasks that we could do other than crushing rocks? Two hammers, you said.

SPEAKER_04 38:30

Yes, there are two hammers. If if the the two strong folks wanted to, you know, beat up on rocks, you could you could double up on that. So I'll take one hammer and I got a 23. Okay.

SPEAKER_11 38:41

Oh, sorry, I was gonna ask what the other jobs were so that we could test them out.

SPEAKER_04 38:45

Yeah, um, go ahead and roll 1d8. There are other places there are there's the village hall, you can talk to people in there. There's also um in the yard, there appears to be a pile of stone with the with a unhappy-looking dwarf woman staring at them.

SPEAKER_07 39:04

I got four on that one.

SPEAKER_11 39:05

I got a twelve.

SPEAKER_04 39:08

On your strength check? Yes. You you you don't quite hit it right, and and the hammer kind of like doesn't yeah, it doesn't quite make drink on it.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

It's not a jeweler's hammer and it's not a war hammer. It's not uh small enough or big enough. Uh I would be willing to go talk to the angry dwarf lady.

SPEAKER_09 39:25

Yeah, I'll join Lynette.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

Okay, we will we will pause the rolling, we will kind of do that intermittently while we're talking. You're at 24 currently, and like I said, we're gonna pause. Okay, we don't have we are we are halfway there, we have 20 chunks. Um, so you're wanting to talk to who now?

SPEAKER_09 39:41

The dwarf lady that was mad.

SPEAKER_04 39:43

The dwarf lady that is mad. Okay, so are you are you heading along with Janob?

SPEAKER_09 39:47

Unless there's something else.

SPEAKER_04 39:48

No, I mean basically you're you're just waiting for them to break up the rocks. Other than that, there's just people to talk to. Um, so you will head over to the grumpy-looking dwarf. Over there, you find there's a pile of stone, but the thing about them is like a lot of these are shaped, right? They're using chisels and hammers and whether to shape these stones into usable positions or usable shapes. These stones are like impossibly smooth. Like like 90 degree sharp angles. Um, and she's just staring at him. Like, that ain't right. That just ain't right.

SPEAKER_09 40:28

What isn't right? Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. Oh no, that that that that's okay.

SPEAKER_04 40:34

Um Who are you from? Who are you?

SPEAKER_02 40:38

Oh, we're new lanterns. Yes. I'm Lunette.

SPEAKER_09 40:41

Oh, and I'm Jenova.

SPEAKER_04 40:42

Yeah, I saw y'all coming in. Okay, I apologize. No, I'm just I'm just these we keep finding stones like this. Those edges are too smooth. There's no tool I know of that can make cuts like that.

SPEAKER_02 40:54

Yeah, there's not really a lot of uh right angles in nature. Not really. Yeah, not really.

SPEAKER_11 41:01

I mean crystals.

SPEAKER_02 41:04

Let me specify there's not a lot of right angles in the rocks or rocks.

SPEAKER_04 41:08

Yeah, well, and the workers won't have it. They say there's something out there that they're saying there's something out there and they won't go near it if they find these cuts.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

What is that? Oh. Is there any way this could possibly wait just a few days until we get our material? I don't think we need to I mean we could just go smash.

SPEAKER_07 41:28

Well, we probably see you and I are still back swinging hammers. Yeah, we are there. I can't help.

SPEAKER_02 41:32

Well, we have a what is it, a record keeper, an archivist of some sort?

SPEAKER_04 41:36

Oh yeah, Tono actually went with you, so he's he's standing there.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

Well we've got a witness who might be able to pontificate on that. Uh we are our buddies are harvesting the material that we're gonna need for lantern stuff.

SPEAKER_04 41:49

He's he's got like He's got like a tricorder, essentially. Like this this little box and like a little wand thing that's attached to it that he's kind of waving around. Uh Leo. The concentrations around here. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

What what what what is what's up with these rocks?

SPEAKER_02 42:10

They're too smooth.

SPEAKER_04 42:12

I see that. And he kind of like puts a hand on it, and like he his finger grazes the sharp corner, and he's uh Yeah, that's not normal. Wow, that is that is that that is sharp. Uh, how'd you do that?

SPEAKER_02 42:27

I said I find him like this.

SPEAKER_04 42:29

I yeah. Wait, what's my what's my accent? No, I'm Western. Yeah! Y'all know I don't know. I we had nothing to do with that. Ain't I mean I can I can make you a tool that'll that'll cut right through any rock you put in front of it, but it's not gonna be smooth like that.

SPEAKER_00 42:44

That's uh I I don't I mean, that would take a cutting force. Like uh more like a sword.

SPEAKER_09 42:55

So these are just being found at the site?

SPEAKER_04 42:59

Well, every time we every time we go over, there's this one particular part of the quarry, and we keep finding these cuts, like two, right side by side. And it goes through stone, soil, like nothing. Like there's nothing there. They'll just broadcast this in the brazier.

SPEAKER_11 43:19

There's a sword wielding bandit.

SPEAKER_02 43:22

That's like Jenova. Uh do you want to go look at it and check it out? Like, are you for or against going and looking at it? You know, I am adventurous.

SPEAKER_01 43:33

We we should at least take a bootle.

SPEAKER_02 43:35

I guess. If we see monsters, we run.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

Absolutely. No bravery. Listen, my people are great at running.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

They're the best at running.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

They're the best at running. Oh no, this was not intentional.

SPEAKER_09 43:49

Does this mean that I can just hop on your back if we gotta run fast?

SPEAKER_01 43:54

No, no, my body's not built that way.

SPEAKER_09 43:56

I'm just kidding. That's a wrong horse. I can shift into the

SPEAKER_01 44:02

I bet you make a pretty horse.

SPEAKER_09 44:05

Oh, I do. Yeah. Yeah. Actually I was in a horse show. Oh. Dressage. I think it was called Dressage. Yes. Oh, very nice. Fear.

SPEAKER_04 44:20

So I rolled a 22 on my strength. Yes, uh, so yeah, roll a D8.

SPEAKER_11 44:25

How about a 17?

SPEAKER_04 44:26

That just barely does it.

SPEAKER_07 44:29

Okay. So I have 26 right now, so you just got another six? Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 44:33

32.

SPEAKER_04 44:34

Uh heading over to the area in the quarry. So Tano and Lunette and Jenova head over to the quarry area. Um it's it's pretty widely spaced out because I mean there's just rock everywhere. So you know they don't they don't have to go that far, but on the farthest kind of northeast, um, you start seeing, yeah, there's two horizontal strikes and straight into the rock and into the ground, kind of in places periodically. But they're like exact, like like like a like an equal sign, essentially. But you see them kind of in several places over here.

SPEAKER_09 45:17

Huh. Same size.

SPEAKER_04 45:20

Yeah, what they had over in the yard was like they had cut out one of the cuts, you know, to just kind of like look at it. Um, but these are yeah, directly into the phone, and they they have that same like too clean property to them.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

I uh hey Tono, uh, your thingy, your box thingy, what is that? Is it getting anything?

SPEAKER_01 45:42

Uh well this this measures the uh the cell density. I haven't seen anything unusual. It's it's actually lower than it was last time we were here. This this all seems fine. The cuts are concerning.

SPEAKER_04 45:56

And then roll perception.

unknown 46:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 46:02

Jenova rolled a 13.

SPEAKER_02 46:03

So plus nine, yeah. To a natural twenty.

SPEAKER_04 46:08

Excellent.

SPEAKER_02 46:09

What do I perceive with my special eyes?

SPEAKER_04 46:12

So, you see real good. And Tana will notice this as well. Uh, Jenova, what what did you roll? You said a 13?

SPEAKER_09 46:20

13, yes.

SPEAKER_04 46:21

Yeah, you you don't quite catch this. In the distance, you see an armored person. They're a little farther off than you can actually like make out like full details, but they are wearing armor, and the there's a plume coming out of the back of their helmet that is this crimson red. Very, very bright red. And they are carrying these two single-edged gigantic swords.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

Can I have Hooney fly out to try and get like a better bunno vision on this? You're seeing great right now.

SPEAKER_11 47:04

Yeah. I'll point out.

SPEAKER_02 47:05

Well, yeah, but I need to need extra. Sure. I'll just see if we can get like closer up details.

SPEAKER_04 47:10

You you can absolutely have Hooney go out there and take a look.

SPEAKER_02 47:12

I would like him to like just kinda like stay high above and just see what he can see.

SPEAKER_07 47:16

Are you letting us know through the bracers at this point? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:19

I'm like, hey guys.

SPEAKER_04 47:21

And armor dude, let's go. You are actually farther away than the bracers uh will reach. Okay, so I pip Cheerio.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

Yeah, so I'm gonna like reach through the bracers and I feel, I guess, like kind of like a fuzziness because there's nothing to connect to. Yeah. So then I'm gonna be like, oh shit. Uh, and press like the lantern button. Does that work?

SPEAKER_04 47:42

Yeah, so you tap on it and basically you feel it waiting for you to load like a concept.

SPEAKER_02 47:49

Uh concept, weird stuff. Please come here. Come here. Weird.

SPEAKER_04 47:53

It needs to be yeah, weird. Like just yeah, simple it down to like a single concept. So weird.

SPEAKER_02 47:58

Weird, weird, okay, weird.

SPEAKER_04 48:01

Uh roll roll an intelligence check. Not not super high, but you're not used to using these yet. So it's just, yeah, you you get it across. So the the three of you receive the concept of weird. This is not and the this is clearly not coming from the bracer, so it's it is it is coming from Lunette through the lantern pin.

SPEAKER_02 48:22

Weird.

SPEAKER_04 48:23

But all all you're getting is that weird.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

Because I can't tell if it's dangerous yet, but it's not normal.

SPEAKER_04 48:28

Yeah. It's kind of like a yellow, the yellow light. Can can Delos respond?

SPEAKER_02 48:33

Question? Weird question? Weird statement.

SPEAKER_04 48:37

Yeah, that would have been one of the ones that they like actually, like Dromash had actually mentioned as like a request for more information.

SPEAKER_02 48:42

Just what?

SPEAKER_04 48:43

Like, huh?

SPEAKER_02 48:45

Weird question, weird statement.

SPEAKER_04 48:47

So yes, you also make an intelligence check. Or still kind of get used to the pins.

SPEAKER_11 48:51

Um six? No, seven.

SPEAKER_04 48:55

That does not work.

SPEAKER_11 48:57

They rolled a two and then a and then five on the You you get kind of a weird squeak back.

SPEAKER_04 49:04

I go, Through the lantern panel. I'll also try.

SPEAKER_11 49:07

You're like weird.

SPEAKER_04 49:08

Okay, yeah. Intelligence check.

SPEAKER_07 49:09

Wow, okay.

SPEAKER_11 49:10

Uh you do have a D4? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 49:13

And I also have this plus four uh headband, so I got a nine. Wow. You get a second weird three heads.

SPEAKER_11 49:20

I'm gonna send back the meatheads.

SPEAKER_02 49:22

Uh because I got a nineteen on that one, would does that translate to like she's adapting really well to it?

SPEAKER_04 49:28

Clarification to the lantern pin? I don't know. What are you wanting to do with that?

SPEAKER_02 49:32

I was just gonna send like like the concept of get over here, but like I guess that would be hurry. Here, now.

SPEAKER_04 49:38

I mean hurry words.

SPEAKER_02 49:39

Hurry.

SPEAKER_04 49:40

We are hurrying like um rendezvous or whatever. Yeah, yeah, you still need to roll for it. Well yeah, I'm just gonna. DC may not be as high though.

SPEAKER_02 49:49

That's an eleven.

SPEAKER_04 49:50

That'll do it.

SPEAKER_02 49:52

Scarry, scurry over here.

SPEAKER_04 49:54

So we go. Yeah, you you get you get the you get a message through the lantern pin, you know. Come, show, show up.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

Here, now, here. Here arrived weird, here. Weird here.

SPEAKER_04 50:07

Assemble. There we go. Assemble!

SPEAKER_02 50:10

I can just imagine uh if Drum Ash was here, weird is not in the codex. Weird is not in the handbook.

SPEAKER_04 50:16

Yeah. So we go. Yeah, you have Hooney go over there and take a look. And you're seeing pretty much the same thing. Um you get a little more detail though, like the the armor is kind of lion themed. Um this is a large person. They are watching from a distance. They are definitely looking over at you all. Um there there seems to be kind of like an imperial-ish kind of look to the armor.

SPEAKER_02 50:47

He's not looking like there's no like aggressive body language or anything. He's just looking.

SPEAKER_04 50:51

He's just looking at you.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

Can I like raise the arm up and just kind of like wave at him? Your hand is still. It's been a minute. It's been a few minutes. It's been a minute, yeah. It's it is unclenched.

SPEAKER_04 51:02

Okay, that would be funny though. Like, is she threatening me?

SPEAKER_02 51:05

I stand and I like wave my hand.

SPEAKER_04 51:08

Okay. Good job, roll for initiative.

SPEAKER_02 51:11

Uh what I was trying to see, like, did you tell me to roll for something? No. No. Okay, does anything happen? No. Can I like raise both hands? Like, do the things?

SPEAKER_04 51:20

You sure can.

SPEAKER_02 51:21

Anything?

SPEAKER_04 51:22

No. He's just looking at you.

SPEAKER_07 51:28

I will tell you if you were there or not.

SPEAKER_04 51:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 51:31

You say you wait, you be patient.

SPEAKER_04 51:33

This bigger bag overall. No, ma'am. But no, you you do you do arrive, but as you are arriving, Tano is squinting at the figure.

SPEAKER_01 51:41

That armor.

SPEAKER_04 51:43

Uh one moment. And he's gonna take out like a little hand-sized leather-bound book. And he starts flipping through the pages. Um, and eventually he appears to kind of find the section that he's looking for, and he slows down. And as he's skimming through the pages, if you kind of look over his shoulder, you can see each of these pages has like an image of a particular entity and then some information on it. Um, and he eventually gets to a spot and he goes, Okay, Zion Red.

SPEAKER_01 52:20

Ah. That would be a death knight. A what? That is Kouo Durage the Crimson Main. That's a confirmed command level threat. Oh, what? Oh. That's an S-Rake minimum.

SPEAKER_02 52:33

We should go, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:34

It is not recommended to engage him in the open.

SPEAKER_11 52:37

We should go. We should probably clear out the town.

SPEAKER_04 52:40

Well, as you were as you were kind of discussing this, he kind of disappears into the landscape behind him. He just melds while watching you, it just kind of just backs up. Yeah, just like an eyeball in you. But he he he disappears from view.

SPEAKER_11 52:54

Are they sentient? Like, like, can they speak, I guess?

SPEAKER_08 52:59

Death knights?

SPEAKER_11 53:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 53:01

You would have no way of knowing that, Baylor. Okay. That's a mechanic.

SPEAKER_11 53:06

The reason why I'm asking is um I think that's sending, and I was curious if I could talk to him. But that was what I was gonna do before we found out he was a death knight, but I yeah. But I was just curious as Elizabeth, but I won't, I won't.

SPEAKER_04 53:20

Uh no, at oh, over over the table to Elizabeth.

SPEAKER_11 53:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 53:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 53:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 53:25

They they tend to be that's part of why they tend to be pretty dangerous.

SPEAKER_11 53:27

I mean, Dalas would know that if he's read through the charter, and he knows. Oh, yeah, no, you've led through the charter.

SPEAKER_04 53:31

Yeah. So through the context of the charter, you know at the very least that the lanterns consider them very dangerous.

SPEAKER_11 53:38

Yay! I can talk to him now. Anytime I want. It's a limited range.

SPEAKER_07 53:45

You cannot escape 25. Oh god!

SPEAKER_11 53:50

Can Delos look at uh Tano and be like, do you have a list of all of the uh entities like that? I would much rather know what we're facing. Uh can we see a copy of that? Can we ask for a copy of that?

SPEAKER_01 54:04

This this is the Wick book. Uh it it has some like reference information, but then also key known threats. They're usually given out to witness archivists. Oh. You could requisition one, but the best way would be become certified.

SPEAKER_11 54:22

See, above the table. Elizabeth wasn't planning on making Dalos an archer a witness, but at this point It seems to fit with the way he's being played.

SPEAKER_04 54:31

I know.

SPEAKER_01 54:32

So then I was do we have a way to call?

SPEAKER_07 54:34

Do we have a way to call? Does anybody have some magic that we can call?

SPEAKER_01 54:37

The uh the protocol is I need I myself need to go report this. Then things will get mobilized. However, it is against the charter specifically to try and engage it or do anything other than report it's a good idea.

SPEAKER_11 54:51

We have no interest in no time even getting near that.

SPEAKER_01 54:55

So what what I need to do is travel back and report it.

SPEAKER_07 54:59

Okay, we'll go back with you. We got the material we need, but seriously, if if you can sending s if you can send a sending to Kildorah.

SPEAKER_11 55:05

Uh yeah, can can I can I do that just a real quick You sure can? Uh to Kildorah, I'll say Saw Death Knight, Death Knight, Crimson Main. Bringing witness Tonno to you now.

SPEAKER_07 55:24

Uh specify Oathstones. Because she we didn't tell her where we were going.

SPEAKER_11 55:29

Death Knight, Oath Stone. Saw, Death Knight, Oath Stone. Saw Death Knight, Death Knight, Red Mane in Oathstone. I didn't even death twice. Because Death Knight is two words. Bringing witness Tonno to you to report a situation.

SPEAKER_07 55:50

Okay, and then she can respond.

SPEAKER_11 55:52

I'm making sure. I don't know how many it's it's easy to go away with. No, it's it's okay.

SPEAKER_04 55:56

I just like the is that is do you have that many words?

SPEAKER_11 55:59

25.

SPEAKER_04 55:59

Yeah, 25 words. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 56:00

Yeah, 25 or less. I'm just really trying to make sure I'm not falling under or falling over that. Because message is less because of that, but I'm not using message makes sense.

SPEAKER_04 56:09

So it takes takes a moment. And of course she gets that opportunity to read.

SPEAKER_11 56:13

She gets 25 words. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 56:14

And the response you get is acknowledged.

SPEAKER_11 56:17

Beautiful. That's all I need.

SPEAKER_01 56:20

Still roll for an issue. Still, still, still, still need to head back. Um Do we tell anybody in town? Like we figured out how to do you? That's up to you.

SPEAKER_11 56:30

No, I don't think we do. Uh mass panic is uh bad thing.

SPEAKER_04 56:35

Keep that like lantern Tipi typically we don't immediately alert them unless they are actively in danger and he doesn't appear to be attacking.

SPEAKER_11 56:44

Would it be okay to let um the the dwarf that you all were talking to just let them know that, like, uh, we couldn't uh we you should probably keep clear of the area and we'll send someone to look closer.

SPEAKER_05 56:56

I could do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 56:59

Like i we're not lying. We're not telling them. It is well advised Luna, it's like it's it's in your best interest to avoid that section of the quarry until further notice.

SPEAKER_04 57:09

You know what? I think maybe I did find a l some higher levels over in that area of the quarry.

SPEAKER_01 57:14

I think I think it would be a good idea to just avoid that area.

SPEAKER_02 57:17

Maybe dump the quarry for a little while.

SPEAKER_04 57:19

Maybe, yeah, maybe, maybe just stay over on this side. Yeah. I can do that.

SPEAKER_02 57:23

Yeah, let's do that.

SPEAKER_04 57:24

Yeah. So you guys get everything?

SPEAKER_02 57:26

Looking at the the two tanks. Oh, we got extra. Oh yes. Oh, really?

SPEAKER_07 57:30

We just got these big bags on our shoulders. Like, yeah, we got plenty. Nice.

SPEAKER_04 57:34

Uh definitely. Sonna will go over and talk with um the the various NPCs of Oathstone and let them know, like, you should just avoid that area for now.

SPEAKER_11 57:45

Uh everything's fine. It's just kind of like, yeah, you know, no, we're not saying everything's fine. We're just saying avoid it. Saying everything's fine would be lying.

SPEAKER_01 57:54

So we should uh we should either we could head we could maybe head out in the morning, but we probably need to get moving. Yeah, we need to get moving.

SPEAKER_02 58:03

How about we go now? Yeah, quick, fast, in a hurry. We don't need to sleep anyway, it'll be fine. No, it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_04 58:09

Um but yes, it will it will still take some time to get back. It is uneventful. You're still gonna need to rest a little bit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 58:18

It'll be fine. We push through.

SPEAKER_07 58:19

Yeah. You you get back. I was gonna say just have Delos just watch in all directions at all times while everyone else is asleep.

SPEAKER_11 58:26

I mean I'm aware, but I can't move.

SPEAKER_04 58:28

Yeah. But no, you will you will basically take about the same time coming back, maybe just a little bit less. Yeah, you're you're moving with a quickness, so you get back a little earlier. But originally you were expecting to get back on like the day of bloomerite, um, but with heading back a little more quickly, you're gonna be getting back like the night before.

SPEAKER_11 58:51

Is there like a like a lantern like like a small I don't want to use the word salute, but that's what I mean. Like a gesture. Yeah, like a signal, like a little like a shake. Like a secret handshake. Like a secret handshake.

SPEAKER_04 59:08

Uh like specifically what I'm talking about is like uh an acknowledgement of like Are you talking about just like you know, just like a um go with her what you said, you know, tapping.

SPEAKER_11 59:17

Go with God.

SPEAKER_04 59:18

Like Yeah, like part of part of what marks a an experienced, respectable lantern is they make good use of their of their pins. Communication is key. So some something like that, like tapping like near the pin, but maybe not actually on it, you know, is kind of like a little like a yeah. Okay, you know.

SPEAKER_11 59:39

I I was just curious. That's a good flavor.

SPEAKER_04 59:42

Yeah, that's a good flavor. But yeah, no, you will you will arrive back in Ogun the night before Bloomerite. And the trip back was uneventful. Tano went with you, you know, he's a little worn out from the pace that you were keeping, but you know, he he managed to do it. Here are credit to your people. But as you arrived the during like the time you were gone, because it it was like three days there and about three days back, so it's been almost a week. Um, the city has transformed into a sea of greens and golds and pinks. The color of bloomerite. Um, so greens, gold pigs. The people of Ogin, as you were entering the city, they are brighter, notably happier than than they were before. Um it's still, you know, it's dark, so it's terrible. Um But as you are as you are walking up, you will you will see a newspaper lying on the ground. You are welcome to take a look at it or ignore this bit of lore.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:44

Yeah, grab it.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:46

Excellent. So this is dated from the day before. And the article on the front page uh is Haven Watch Humming Hag Halted. The the article itself is mostly accurate, but it's missing some information. None of the individual individual people are involved or named. They are referred to as simply lantern agents or assets. They do not mention who the humming hag was originally, only that she was associated with the missing children and that she was apprehended. It also mentions that the area immediately surrounding Haven Watch is going to be off limits for the time being, pending a coordinated investigation by the City Guard, the Lantern Hall, and the Eck 9 Nexus.

SPEAKER_11 1:01:35

And this is why we alerted them.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:37

No, Eck 9 Annex, god damn it.

SPEAKER_11 1:01:39

This is why we alerted them ahead of time.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:41

Well, this was this was dated Oh. Oh well, no, actually that would still line up. It doesn't seem to to mention anything about like what you reported. It's basically just like the city noticed that the humming hag thing happened. So, you you have arrived in the evening. Um you head back and Kildorah isn't there in the evening. Um, but Tano mentions I'm I'm gonna go get this reported and logged in.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:06

Uh do you don't there's nothing you really need to do right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:10

And I doubt the about I doubt the dwarf is open at this point in time.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:14

The what? The Ash Forge. No, no, it is like nighttime. So businesses are pretty much all closed at this point. Um I've I've got this part covered.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:24

You all go and blow enjoy Bloomerite.

SPEAKER_11 1:02:28

Thank you, Dono. I appreciate all your information throughout this whole trip, and I'm sorry that it ended it as it did.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:34

Oh, it's it's uh another opportunity to gather useful information. That's exactly what I do. But you all have a good night, and I will see you another time. And he drops off and then he drops dead.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:50

No, he kills over.

SPEAKER_11 1:02:52

He leaves the screen and apronizes into many seconds.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:55

Yeah, as soon as you all aren't looking at him, he no longer exists.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:59

We go, where's Tono? You're like, who? Tono died eight years ago.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:06

Tono was my great, great, great, great, great, and then we just leave.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:11

Are there is the I assume drinking establishments are open.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:15

Yes. Is the uh they are they are running specials right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:20

What's the one? The dancing mare? Is that one open?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:23

I'm gonna go see if uh their team is haunting the place. I really want to know if he has any information on my grandpa.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:29

They are they are not there.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:30

This is bogus.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:33

Hey, maybe they're doing a job or something. Uh you don't you don't see them there the night.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:37

That's Lunette, not me talking. She's like, I would really like to find out information on my grandfather.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:45

No. But unless there's anything else before the evening, you all have a good rest.

SPEAKER_11 1:03:52

Can I mess with the materium? But I mean, at at some point I would like to like try and move it and make it a little shapelier.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:59

No, it's okay. I mean, you have plenty of time on on the on the way home. You tried multiple times. This particular materium is very resistant to change of any kind. Um and Tono, while you were doing that, he he actually mentioned like that's that's part of what makes this materium effective against Necromera, is it naturally tries to enforce order. And Necromera are all about like wild, unchecked growth. So yeah, you you absolutely you tried, and it's just it's kind of the same, it's just harder to do it.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:36

But are there other forms of inhabit of imbued aligned material? I was gonna say imbued. Okay. And then it's just not used for this purpose.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:45

Yeah, well, when you get into that kind of materium, it's all very specific. It does specific things rather than act as a big thing.

SPEAKER_11 1:04:52

Okay, cool, cool.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:54

So you all finish out the night, have some drinks, have some good food, you know, it's it's bloomerite, so people are willing to you know party a little bit more, give you a little bit of a heavier helping of whatever you order.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:07

Um and then God forbid anybody order a cap stack, that shit is already so heavy.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:11

Oh no, if you if you all go to the Dancing Mayor, they have a different It's the MLT, that's right. The Dancing Mare's special is the MLT, or late night, since you all are showing up at late, they have an alternative called the Night Cut. It's thin sliced leftover roast mutton, pan seared until the edge is crisp, the middle is still soft. It's folded into warm bread with onions mellowed in grease, and finished with a smear of sharp mustard or herb paste.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:39

Or both.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:40

Or. Or both. That's your call. Damn it. And or they've got some good foods. You get some of that good comfort stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:50

Lots of pontification from the one character who came. Yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:54

I see you're pretty much y'all y'all get hit on by college dudes.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:58

Of course not.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:59

Yeah. Um it's just it's just how it is. You're at the university bar. One of them tries to hit on you. Not sure what to make of the air.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:16

Did you did you get dented when you fell? From heaven.

SPEAKER_11 1:06:20

No, Dalos immediately cringed. Yes, but normally I don't fall. Uh that's not usually a problem. My equilibrium's pretty solid.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:30

Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_11 1:06:32

Um Have you fall- do you fall a lot here?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:36

No. I um.

SPEAKER_11 1:06:38

Why did you ask if I had fallen?

SPEAKER_07 1:06:40

They they do fall typically, but these type of boys typically fall for the wrong kind of clockwork person.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:44

Lynette leans back from the bar and she's like, that's not armor. That is not armor. He is all clockwork. There is nothing there. What'd you like to see? And he'll open his arm.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:54

Oh Okay, you know, I think have a good night.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:00

Have a wonderful night.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:08

You get back, you have a good night's sleep, and then in the morning, as you all are waking up, you actually see a parade heading through the middle of town down Concord Avenue. Would you all like to follow the parade? Sure, yes. Excellent. Very good.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:26

Gotta get off this anxious energy. No, we're not biting down on this hook.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:30

Damn it.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:31

The one time. Come on.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:32

Venero just rolls over into bed. Like, you know what? I'm gonna sleep today.

SPEAKER_11 1:07:36

Actually, I'd like to talk to Keldora.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:39

You all, yeah, there's a parade going on down and Bowser shows up.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:45

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:46

Sorry. Uh so you will you will find yourselves as you are following the parade. It takes you to the parade grounds. Which is over on the northwest part of the city, uh, next to the city council building. And as you head over there, you see they've got a may pole has been put up. There are dancers circling the pole into rings with like colorful ribbons doing, you know, the normal may pole thing. You circle it. The weaving it up, and then you unwind it, and you do it again, you do it a few times. It's it's guess it's a staple, it's a fun thing that the community gets to do. As as you all watch this, the camera pans out, and we follow a bird as it takes flight from the um from the parade grounds, and goes out overlooking the city. We see people who are full of life. Is that a bird called life? That's pretty good, actually. Um but yes, the we see people who are full of life, they smile, they enjoy the energy of spring the best ways they know how, with the people that they love. The earliest harvests line long festival tables where children cram in next to each other to gorge on sweets. When the specter of death is always at your door, it's these moments of celebration that are cherished. And as the bird flies out east away from the city, we hear a roar, and the earth shakes as two tremendous strikes echo in the ruins outside Ogun's walls. And that's where we will end our session. Fear.

SPEAKER_11 1:09:28

No, you said you said a bird zooms out, and I was like, and we get to see the Death Knight destroying Oathstone. That would be so fucked. Yeah. I mean, that's kind of what just happened.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:39

No, or maybe the little dog follows you home.

SPEAKER_11 1:09:43

Oh no. I mean, that too.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:45

But I mean that is also black. Something is destroyed. Blackwheat!

SPEAKER_11 1:09:50

The black wheat! Blackwheel! The black wheat!

SPEAKER_04 1:10:10

Hey, thanks so much for listening! If you like what you heard, please let us know. Leave us a comment, rate the show, give us a like, thumbs up, the bell, all all the all the little things. Do those things. Yes. Subscribe to this show on your favorite podcasting platform, and then brag about it to your friends, your coworkers, that person down the block that's got that dog that you really want to pet, but you're afraid to just do it out of the blue. Let them know! Our wonderful players were Brandon Rose as Venaria, Courtney Craig as Lunette, Elizabeth Nichols as Dalos, and Jenny Walkup as Jenova. I have been your DM and host, Alexander Wright. Thank you again for listening, and we will see you again next time at the Good Good Table.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:15

That's what he said. A tall glass of royal tall glass of material.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:25

I didn't like that all through Daelos like steps behind his friends. Oh, did I put you too far? That's not armor.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:36

That's really funny. Is that armor or are you happy to see me?

SPEAKER_02 1:11:40

Is that materium in your pocket? Are you just happy to see me?

SPEAKER_07 1:11:45

Uh, hopefully it's not a situation of like we get back and it's like, yeah, Oathstones has been destroyed and gone. It's the last materium available. Exactly.

SPEAKER_11 1:11:59

You wouldn't do that to us, right?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:01

Alex?

SPEAKER_05 1:12:02

What?

SPEAKER_02 1:12:03

Alex, you wouldn't do that to us, right?

SPEAKER_06 1:12:05

What but I wouldn't. What?

SPEAKER_08 1:12:06

I don't know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:07

The granny tactic will not work in this situation. I don't give a shit. What? Who are you? I don't know you. That's my purse.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:16

I don't know you.