transcript

Speaker 1:
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Speaker 2:
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Speaker 3:
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Speaker 4:
[01:19] Let us surprise you.

Speaker 5:
[01:23] Why hello there.

Speaker 6:
[01:24] I'm Brennan Lee Mulligan, and welcome to Campaign Four of Critical Role. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we explore Araman, a world of fractured kingdoms, tumultuous rebellion and sorcery that rises from the graveyard of the gods. You're listening to part one of this adventure, with part two arriving this upcoming Tuesday. Our episodes typically arrive on the Critical Role Podcast Network a week after our initial Thursday night streams on Beacon, YouTube and Twitch. But if you'd rather listen to a full podcast episode of Campaign Four right when it airs, without any ads, consider becoming a Beacon member. You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online Critical Role shops, presales for live events and so much more. Start your seven-day free trial today at beacon.tv. Now, without further ado, let's begin this episode of Critical Role. We return to the city of Dol-Makjar, which is beautiful, and the gray spires and proud stone arches of this wondrous metropolis shine with hope and promise, and of a different time, for indeed, it is not the year 71. It is the year 42, and two 19-year-old orcs walk side by side to a location we have already seen, though last we saw the Lloy estate. It was home to the animation of the corpse of one Occtis Tachonis. We see a Lloy estate bustling with activity, joyousness, frivolity, for indeed, this is the afternoon heading into the evening of Djarhas, the orcish holiday celebrating the end of the reign of Ostr the Conqueror. And more than that, the blooming of green life that came at this time 42 years ago to the land of Qad that changed overnight from a land choked by ash and the glowering fire of the god of war and strife to instead become a green growing land of promise, bounty and fellowship. Can we describe these two 19 year olds that approach this family gathering?

Speaker 7:
[04:07] You want to go first?

Speaker 8:
[04:08] No, but I will if you want me to. Go ahead. Hal is a lanky tall, but not as tall as his companion, young lad. He still carries himself with a smile most times at this age, even though he has been doing some bloody work far off from here. He is dressed in pretty simple clothes. He's the son of a soldier and he's the son of a foreign emissary who do not live together, and they get by and that's just about it. And behind that smile, which never really leaves his face, is a little bit of, if you're perceptive, a little bit of worry behind the eyes.

Speaker 2:
[05:05] Ooh.

Speaker 7:
[05:07] I think, unfortunately, Thaisha's not paying too much attention. She's just so excited. Wrapped around your arm and shoulder and leaning into you, young Thaisha has a bunch of very ornate braids that are woven through with bits of silver and ironwork jewelry. Her hands are covered with rings and she's got piercings. She's young and definitely looks softer than we've ever met her, because this is before any part of her life has called her to step away from this city or what she thinks her purpose is, which is to be a jewelry maker with a really cute boyfriend that she's so excitedly dragging across the river to her house.

Speaker 8:
[05:57] Do you have a page on Orxy? I do.

Speaker 7:
[06:01] Well, it's not so much a page, but I tell my friends to tell friends, and then it kind of happens that way, or periodically. It's not really about the money, I just need a creative outlet.

Speaker 9:
[06:10] How?

Speaker 6:
[06:11] Growing up in Dol-Makjar, the Lloy family, the Lloys, they built the Pariah Blades.

Speaker 8:
[06:18] The Lloys.

Speaker 6:
[06:19] The Lloys, and you met one.

Speaker 10:
[06:21] Now, meeting a Lloy is not hard.

Speaker 6:
[06:23] They're an extremely large, prosperous family. Your odds of meeting a Lloy go up with each passing generation, and you can hear the noise of an extremely large, gregarious family inside of the estate as you walk up here. But you are still meeting, there are members of Thaisha's family that saw active war in the Shapers War, and which at this point, again, is only ended 41, 42 years ago. Walking through the gate, about to meet your girlfriend's family, you turn around and you hear-

Speaker 7:
[07:03] Are we using labels? It's only been a couple weeks.

Speaker 8:
[07:07] Oh, we can do whatever we want. I'll follow your lead.

Speaker 11:
[07:09] Are you sure about this?

Speaker 3:
[07:10] Yeah, no, boyfriend, let's go.

Speaker 6:
[07:13] Turning around, you walk in. You see nearby your mother, Tana Lloy is directing something. She looks over and says, baby! Hi, hi, hi! And comes over and picks you up as someone else comes out and says, it's hot, it's hot. Put it down, keep it down, put it down, put it down. You see hands-

Speaker 7:
[07:30] Just hers to me, I grab it and then kind of put it in your hands.

Speaker 6:
[07:35] Hands in your tray, you see that the mother says, and you're how?

Speaker 8:
[07:39] I, I, that, I, guilty as charged, guilty as charged.

Speaker 6:
[07:42] Come on in, come on in. She sort of pushes you along. I'm actually pushing you from the back.

Speaker 8:
[07:47] I've walked past this building a thousand times.

Speaker 6:
[07:49] Why am I in it?

Speaker 7:
[07:50] It's not a building, it's a home, it's a home, it's a home.

Speaker 6:
[07:52] You walk in, you see that your sister, Kyasha, comes over and gives you a big hug and says- What's up?

Speaker 11:
[07:58] Hi, hi!

Speaker 12:
[07:59] Do you see him, do you see him?

Speaker 7:
[08:00] Okay. Look, he can like carry a whole tray, so cute.

Speaker 6:
[08:03] And this is Gazzaar?

Speaker 12:
[08:06] No, this is, no.

Speaker 7:
[08:07] No, oh my god, stop, stop. Hal, it's been literal weeks. What are you talking about?

Speaker 6:
[08:13] This is not Gazzaar, this is-

Speaker 12:
[08:14] No!

Speaker 10:
[08:15] This is, nice to meet you, I'm Kyasha, I'm Thaisha's older sister.

Speaker 8:
[08:18] Let's see if I can do it.

Speaker 5:
[08:20] Okay, woo, you're already learning, hello!

Speaker 6:
[08:22] You walk over, you see that Thaisha's sister is beautiful, she's got her hair tied up in a coil of braids on top of her head. Your brother comes over, Gorzav, who is a rotund, muscular, but you see that he looks like classic blacksmiths. He just hoists you up and makes the seat for you on his shoulder.

Speaker 5:
[08:45] He looks over and says, how's it going? What's it, Hollis?

Speaker 6:
[08:50] What's your name?

Speaker 8:
[08:51] Hallandeer.

Speaker 10:
[08:52] Hallandeer, what's up? Nice to meet you.

Speaker 8:
[08:53] Call me Hal, I'm gonna set these over here.

Speaker 5:
[08:56] That's where they go.

Speaker 8:
[08:56] Hey.

Speaker 10:
[08:57] Nice to meet you.

Speaker 6:
[08:58] He gives you a thick handshake, he goes, nice, you're serving in the Grey Battalion, right?

Speaker 8:
[09:03] Yeah, been back.

Speaker 5:
[09:04] You in Timmy or are you out east or where are you serving?

Speaker 8:
[09:07] Out east.

Speaker 6:
[09:08] Out east, you've seen some relaxant.

Speaker 8:
[09:10] Afraid so.

Speaker 5:
[09:11] Okay.

Speaker 6:
[09:12] You see he turns around and says, I got something, hold on. And you see that he puts you over, puts you on your dad's shoulder, who turns around and goes, as you see your dad is outside grilling on this massive steel contraption that you see he has built from as a smith himself. He looks in and you see that it is burning under this, as he like opens a crank on the side, this blast furnace comes out and flash fries a series of steaks. He goes, they only need about three seconds. Keep some red in the middle.

Speaker 13:
[09:42] Sweetie.

Speaker 7:
[09:44] I'm just kissing the back of his head.

Speaker 6:
[09:46] You see that.

Speaker 7:
[09:47] Still six four. Let me be clear. This is a giant woman being passed.

Speaker 8:
[09:51] It's probably his dad.

Speaker 6:
[09:52] There's not an orc here that's under six feet.

Speaker 5:
[09:57] You see that the Lloy family are prosperous.

Speaker 6:
[10:00] They were back in Dol-Makjar of the past. They were a fan. To have had the resources to craft the plan that they did, the city of Dol-Makjar relied on them. Not only for their smithing, their feats of engineering. So the Lloy family, if you're gonna have warriors, you have to have them be able to fight war, and the level of knowledge that the Lloy family accumulated back in the past was prodigious. You see this is a family that are proficient warriors and smiths and engineers. You see that, looking over, the brother, Gorzav, looks out and goes, oh, do you have a, are you have, do you have standard, standard issue? Your, can I see your sword for a second? Sure.

Speaker 5:
[10:50] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[10:51] You see he takes that out, looks at it, says, okay, we can do better than this. And you see he says, give me a second, and you see he walks off into a corner, and you see that he says, can you move the steaks over to the side?

Speaker 5:
[11:01] And you see that Dad says, don't smith on the grill!

Speaker 7:
[11:05] It's gonna make the steaks taste weird.

Speaker 6:
[11:07] You see that, But do it. You hear a voice behind you, Thaisha, say, Thaisha, who's this?

Speaker 11:
[11:16] Grandma, hi.

Speaker 7:
[11:18] Scramble off of my father, who's maybe three inches taller than me, so not that hard to do, and embrace my grandmother, Siva.

Speaker 6:
[11:26] Siva gives you a warm hug. As she does, you see that she puts your face against your shoulder, big, long embrace, and you can see that around you, you can hear the buzzing of bees going off to make honey, and you feel a sort of wind blow past, and you smell almost like every element of rich earth, wrought iron, green leaves, the wind blowing smell of grain and fruit.

Speaker 12:
[11:58] This woman is anchored to the heart and soul of Ahriman.

Speaker 6:
[12:02] She is 108 years old. She has seen the face of a god towering over her city, and right now, the only thing on her mind is her wonderful granddaughter.

Speaker 7:
[12:15] Hi. I think this is like the one time Thaisha pauses, and it's not that the smile drops because it's no longer sincere. But there is something when she's close to Siva, that she feels everything get louder around her. She becomes more aware of everything she can smell and taste in the air and the wind. And in those moments, especially when she's hugging her, she can't ignore it like she's been ignoring it since she was a little girl. And it's a little off-putting. But as soon as the hug breaks, she can kind of shake it off again.

Speaker 6:
[13:00] She pulls away from you, smiles, says.

Speaker 7:
[13:03] Hi, I brought Hal, who's very important to me and not like the other ones.

Speaker 6:
[13:10] She looks, you give me an insight check.

Speaker 7:
[13:12] With my cool 20 stat? I don't have that yet, yeah, there we go. That's a nine on the die, and I wanna live by the die.

Speaker 9:
[13:18] She says, are you bringing, oh, you're bringing only Hal?

Speaker 6:
[13:24] You see that she turns over and goes, it's very nice to meet you.

Speaker 8:
[13:28] Freeze frame.

Speaker 7:
[13:29] Yeah.

Speaker 8:
[13:30] I think that Hal in this moment is really, really out of body because he has been out in the shit for quite a while. He's back in the city, he has met this beautiful young woman and everything has changed. And in this moment, he's standing in the home of an institution in the city, and he is also doesn't come from a large family, doesn't have a lot of siblings. He's sort of drinking in all of the siblings' energy and all the hustle and bustle of this remarkable household. And the only thing that is grounding him and keeping him from floating away is this beautiful, charming, hysterical, beautiful woman. And in this moment in time, as her grandmother is coming over, he is can't help but have his glance pulled to the side. And he is suspecting that he wants to be with this woman for the rest of his life.

Speaker 6:
[14:37] Mr. Fang, it's very nice to meet you. I am Siva.

Speaker 4:
[14:43] I am Thaisha's grandmother. You're from Dol-Makjar, yes?

Speaker 8:
[14:49] Fang, born and raised.

Speaker 9:
[14:51] It's very lovely to hear.

Speaker 6:
[14:54] I am from Dol-Makjar, and I'm glad we could make it out here for this Dajah-Raz. Happy Dajah-Raz to you.

Speaker 8:
[15:01] Actually, catch her hand and place the hand on top of it. And it's an honor to be in your home, and an honor to meet the woman I have heard a great deal about, it is clear to me, where your granddaughter gets her streak of nobility and early wisdom.

Speaker 6:
[15:22] You see that she looks over to you and goes, I know, right? She gives you a kiss on the cheek and says, It'll get you fed. I know that you've probably been eating rations for some time. Let us not worry of axes and the vines they cut. Let us instead worry only of things that blossom and bloom. And you see that she takes you and walks away. As she does, you see that your brother and sister are talking. You see that Kiyasha looks over at you and says, they want to make another sword.

Speaker 9:
[15:57] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[15:59] And you see your brother turns to you and says, we don't want to make another sword, but the family funds are, you know, and there's a lord.

Speaker 2:
[16:11] There's always a lord.

Speaker 7:
[16:13] There's always a lord that wants a little sword.

Speaker 6:
[16:15] I'm saying that we don't have to make it a good sword. We don't have to make it a, we don't have to make, I'm not saying that we should arm these petty nobles.

Speaker 7:
[16:23] Then the sword that Hal came in with, if you just put your name on the back, it's fine.

Speaker 6:
[16:28] That is, that's a war of attrition. That's a losing proposition over time. The swords need to be good. And you see, Kyasha just goes, well, why do we need to do this whole bridge project anyway? And you see that he turns and says, if one sword could pay for all these bridges, that land needs to be irrigated. The river is flooding pretty much once a year during rainy season. And you see they begin talking. Your family engages in this big debate because basically anytime the coffers get dry, you guys make one sword and some king in a far off land pays through the nose for a loy blade.

Speaker 7:
[17:05] I definitely lean in and I'm trying to do the live translation of just keeping you caught up. The bridge project's actually very cool, but we're not getting a lot of other public funds, so we figured we could bootstrap it ourselves.

Speaker 8:
[17:18] Is this the day to day in here?

Speaker 7:
[17:19] Yeah, kind of. You know, we all get together and figure out how to spend the time. You're doing great.

Speaker 6:
[17:29] You see that in this moment, Gorzav looks over at you and says, our name is as famous as any noble's name, but we don't own castles and land and stuff, so.

Speaker 7:
[17:43] I feel like we could have one castle.

Speaker 6:
[17:45] We shouldn't, we don't wanna get in that game.

Speaker 7:
[17:47] I know, but like.

Speaker 6:
[17:47] We wanna stay in the work for money game, okay?

Speaker 8:
[17:51] Well, there's a lot in a name, and the law name carries much.

Speaker 6:
[17:58] I appreciate that, I appreciate that, Hal. And you see, looking over Siva, sort of dings a little glass together, you see there's two older uncles that are talking to each other. You see one of them, there's sort of like the politics conversation happening over by the wine, someone going like, well, it was the bloodiness of the war and because of that, the guilds, when the blooming happened, obviously, so many had died in the war, it's actually made their labor worth more. I'm sorry to say it, but it's the fact of being able to work meant a lot when suddenly the land was all, and you see over here, you see there's kids running through the tree, the sort of like the blood red leaves of the trees. Siva looks out and says, Family, Family, and guests, and wonderful friends of the Family, and beloved ones.

Speaker 7:
[18:49] I think the moment she says Family, I just instinctively grab your hand. She's already jumped so many steps, it's been weeks, it doesn't matter. You were always meant to be here.

Speaker 8:
[19:01] Just sort of looks over and stares unabashedly.

Speaker 10:
[19:10] Djaras, the Blooming.

Speaker 6:
[19:13] We are here to celebrate the day in which Qa'had bloomed. And I see many promising buds out here in this place. And you see that flowers grow around the garden, Siva being a member of the Circle of Ancients, and the only druid here in the family of Smiths. And you can see the Loi family with this intense pragmatism and curiosity and jocularity in this one matriarch who brings this kind of spiritual weight to these proceedings. Al, in this moment, you're here celebrating an Orcish holiday that is at this point only 40 years old. Circle of Ancients survived in hiding for thousands of years and has had to stand up on its feet and provide meaning and comfort for people in the span of less than half a century. Did Al grow up particularly religious? Did he observe a lot of druidic customs in the rookery or here in this big sort of urban place?

Speaker 8:
[20:20] I don't think that he landed on any one faith, certainly not of the Shapers, but he's so well read, both of our own history here and the history from afar, and his own mother has seen to that. She's brought him no shortage of materials to read from abroad. And it is so interwoven with the long history of Qahad that he, he loves the lore and the value of it to our people and our community. And it is intoxicating to see this whole family and this young woman who embodies the meaning of the land.

Speaker 6:
[21:19] You see that Siva looks over and says. After the fall of the Conqueror was a great furav given for the fallen soldiers, those that had surrounded and protected Shay Claw before she laid the smiting blow upon the dread tyrant's brow. There in that place, the druid Agari Shadow walked from the darkness and gave the first furav under the sky in thousands of years to celebrate the honored dead. As part of the furav, could any in attendance ask for a blessing as was the custom and still is? Blessings for the honored dead, for their family, the land, the mountains, the rivers, the sky. Tafkazi, dying on the field, the last war priest of Asgra. At the end of the furav, bellowed out, demanding a blessing for the fallen conqueror. Seeking in his last breath to despoil and blaspheme. Asking for the first druid to speak in front of a crowd of orcs wishing for a better world. He sought to ask for a blessing for the conqueror. To despoil that moment and bring ruin to it. Ash on the ground, fire overhead. Agari said, nothing could be easier. And you see that Siva looks out and looks to you, Thaisha, and with a moment of asking if you would want to do the reading here in this moment or not, I think there's no hesitation, but she also doesn't step forward in any way.

Speaker 7:
[23:53] She's still holding your hand. But I think there's something in that, like as she kind of goes away and isn't looking at her mom or her family, is just remembering this important memory of the world. I think whatever rings are on her hand begin to go hot in your hands, not in a way that burns or a way that she would even notice if you brought it up later. But yeah, she'll start. She's looking down in the grass and I think the wind kicks up a little bit. She's not a druid yet, but I think this is the beginning of the world speaks for her and with her. He that seeks to destroy you is your teacher. And so we bless the conqueror for his lessons, which were many. We bless the conqueror for his craft, for he shaped us not as children, but as weapons. And a weapon knows no doubt or hesitation. We bless the conqueror for his hunger, for his appetite, in his appetite, he saw Aramon forever change from what it was to what it might be. A blessing to him then that the Runyani reject peace in favor of a dream. And we bless him above all else for his honesty, because of all the gods of Aramon, ours was the only one who never lied about what he truly was. For his honesty, we bless him most of all.

Speaker 6:
[25:22] The garden blooms, the wind blows, Siva speaks. At the final word of the blessing, did the skies crack and peel in thunder. God knew rain that healed the land, light of sun and stars, and green and growing things bloomed here, as never before, in the world of Aramon.

Speaker 9:
[25:49] So we celebrate our blooming.

Speaker 6:
[25:51] She gives you a kiss.

Speaker 7:
[25:53] I think Al would have said it better.

Speaker 2:
[25:54] He's like a really good actor.

Speaker 9:
[25:56] An actor?

Speaker 2:
[25:57] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[25:57] Oh, I don't know.

Speaker 9:
[25:58] I don't know anymore.

Speaker 6:
[26:00] Oh dear. And you see she.

Speaker 8:
[26:01] Please don't hold it against me.

Speaker 6:
[26:04] Not at all. I'd be interested to hear what kind of shows you like to put on. And she smiles at you and says, I'm just kidding. And then she pauses for a moment and says, congratulations. And that's all for this scene.

Speaker 10:
[26:24] And that's all. Oh my god!

Speaker 5:
[26:27] We'll see.

Speaker 7:
[26:28] Incredible. Incredible. She's the best great-grandma in the world.

Speaker 5:
[26:35] And that's all for this scene.

Speaker 6:
[26:37] We'll continue with our schemers tonight on another episode of Critical Role.

Speaker 8:
[26:40] Wow.

Speaker 14:
[26:42] Hello friends and welcome back to the Critical Role announcement, pre-house. Tonight, we've got some quick announcements to get to before we jump back into our Araman. Liam, you're up.

Speaker 15:
[26:54] I'm gonna get the papers, get the papers.

Speaker 8:
[26:55] Coming next week on April 7th from our friends at Dark Horse, Vox Machina Origins Omnibus, series one and two. This omnibus includes series one and two of Vox Machina Origins, written by Matthew Colville, illustrated by Olivia Sampson, colored by Chris Northrop and M. Sassy K. And lettered by Ariana Mar. All in collaboration with us. Available at your local comic shop.

Speaker 16:
[27:21] When it first came out, this is the original set.

Speaker 8:
[27:23] Yep, it's the OG.

Speaker 15:
[27:26] He's too busy with other stuff.

Speaker 8:
[27:29] You shut your pretty face. Available at your local comic shop at darkhorse.com.

Speaker 15:
[27:32] Yeah.

Speaker 17:
[27:35] I'm pretty sure that concludes our announcements.

Speaker 11:
[27:37] I'm pretty sure.

Speaker 15:
[27:38] Pretty sure that closes our announcements, so why don't we all just get back into Aramada.

Speaker 17:
[27:42] That looks so gross.

Speaker 14:
[27:44] Slap it. Slap it. Thank you, Mr. Kale.

Speaker 8:
[29:11] Hey, hey, Liam here. Folks, I am a professional working nerd on the go. I usually have zero time to play when it comes to locking down lunch. My meals tend to be quick and easy as possible. But you know, sometimes I do want to slow down a tick and make something nice to eat for a change. And I've been able to use HelloFresh to do that. They've actually helped me whip up some home meals that feel like they were made by a chef who knows what they're doing, because I don't. With HelloFresh savoring new flavors from around the world isn't just delicious, it's simple and it's wholesome. Choose from more than 80 global recipes every month, including Vietnamese, Moroccan, Caribbean, and more. Nothing beats home cooking, both in the doing and the eating. I've been on a bit of a salad cake lately, and with the stuff HelloFresh has sent me, I have made stuff above and beyond the standard mix screen usual.

Speaker 17:
[29:51] Do you know you can put steak in salad? Who knew?

Speaker 8:
[29:54] And the recipes are still simple as heck, they just know what tastes good. So if you're curious, go to hellofresh.com/criticalrole10fm now to get 10 free meals plus a free NutriBullet Ultra plus 2-in-1 Compact Kitchen System. A $189.99 value on your third box. Free meals applied as a discount on the first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan. Must order the third box by May 31st, 2026. Get cooking, people.

Speaker 17:
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Speaker 14:
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Speaker 6:
[33:18] Hello and welcome back to another thrilling episode of Critical Role.

Speaker 9:
[33:26] We return to the schemer's table here with their schemie schemes here in the city of Dol-Makjar as the sun sets on the city of Shields.

Speaker 6:
[33:37] We find that our companions have been oh so busy setting up various internship programs, talking about obfuscating through paperwork and just liberating the arrested Master of Dramatis, Arkana, at the Hallowed Round. Misha Undragore, with a split lip, has been pulled from the holding cell at the Brethren Hall, having been arrested by an associate of Azune Nayar, Shemadi'l Kapsara, who had arrested Misha on suspicion of collaboration with Demetis Blix, who they got to report had been seen stealing from Obermus Manor, the home hall here in Dol-Makjar of the sundered house of Tachonis. Your adventures in our last episode saw an investigation within the Palazzo Divino, with some arcane, abjurative scrubbing of the magical events that you knew for a fact took place there, with some intercession on behalf of Lieutenant Nayar, and some quick arcane illusion work and enchantment on the part of Murray Mag'Nesson and Bolaire Lathalia. The Inquisitor Grotto was made to see a false vision of true events. And reported to the Lord Horandus Einfossin that there had been foul play. This, in fact, was no journey into faerie, but was instead something far more foul than murder.

Speaker 8:
[35:16] Amityville, horror than murder.

Speaker 5:
[35:19] I love a biopic. Love a biopic.

Speaker 6:
[35:23] Sometimes fiction must be rendered to find the truth. And speaking of fiction rendering truth, Hal released his cast early, having seen that everything's going well. Rehearsals are going well for the play, but Misha never showed up. On arriving, we also saw some investigation into this paint that was brought to Hal's doorstep by his late brother, Thiazi. And with a massive group effort, our actually unanimously arcane table was able to piece together that, under the minor illusory residue of some very high quality paints, the background hum of the Cosmos, Ahriman rippling with the powers of conjuration and necromancy. While the ultimate effect of this was not gleaned, some really interesting theories were posited that seemed to align with the available information. Our arcane marshal, Azune, said, some of this may be if it doesn't seem to be a finished spell, the nature of components, and seeing, in fact, before her divinatory eyes, Murray Mag'Nesson saw that, yeah, there was something missing from this, as after all, a stage can only be set, but the play's the thing that finishes the spell. Looking at the ripples of magical tapestry before her, Murray could only sit in awe and reverence and say, this is gonna be a damn good show. After which, you guys thundered out across the city to go and find, as we have stated, Misha Undragore, who had been arrested, and were able to piece together some pieces of this demidus blix mystery, this young gnome-shalusianist who we had seen in memory meet Bolaire, who he even named his little soapbox. He performed his Marketplace Solutions on the Bolaire Center for the Performing Arts. This lovely young gnome who you had offered to look after as best you could had lost his ability to perform in the Marketplace. And therefore, it seemed perhaps had maybe taken a job, one that he perhaps should not have. However, hope remains as if your enemies are searching for him, that can only mean one thing.

Speaker 12:
[37:50] They don't yet have him.

Speaker 6:
[37:52] We return to Dol-Makjar. Here, outside the Brethren Hall in the fray, just south of Rubblecliff. As you exit with Misha, who, Hal, you have invited to stay with you at your home in the Rookery. Misha looks out at all of you. Those marshals certainly meant business. Hal, are you certain it's all right for me to stay with you?

Speaker 8:
[38:19] Yeah, yes. In fact, it's sort of required. So, just for the foreseeable future, you and I are tighter than normal.

Speaker 9:
[38:30] All right, understood. I didn't do anything a...

Speaker 8:
[38:34] I had an old friend.

Speaker 6:
[38:35] I didn't even cast a... We were nowhere near the marketplace and I didn't even cast a spell. We were just talking about theory. That's not illegal.

Speaker 8:
[38:42] You're just a stepping stone to what they're after. They're grasping at straws, trying to find somebody else.

Speaker 4:
[38:51] The kid?

Speaker 8:
[38:53] I'm not going to pretend to know exactly what's going on, but I know you.

Speaker 12:
[39:00] Oh, I don't like this one bit.

Speaker 6:
[39:05] Lieutenant, for whatever it's worth, I'm sure if Demetus was somewhere that he shouldn't have been, in Obramish Manor, it has to have been a misunderstanding.

Speaker 9:
[39:16] I'll say anything if I hear anything, but he's a good kid.

Speaker 6:
[39:20] He grew up in the city. He's been coming to shows since he was, I don't know, before he was even a teenager.

Speaker 18:
[39:25] We're not doubting the character of him. We're going to see what we can do. I think the less you talk, the better. If you need to, if anybody comes, tell them you've already spoken to me.

Speaker 9:
[39:43] All right, I'll tell them exactly that.

Speaker 19:
[39:45] And if you do hear anything, keep it between everyone in this room, for starters. Don't spread word to anyone that we don't know.

Speaker 9:
[39:58] Give me a persuasion check, Bolaire.

Speaker 12:
[40:06] 25.

Speaker 6:
[40:09] You see that Misha nods and looks around. He has a sort of furrowed expression on his brow as he looks at you saying, keep it just between the people in this room. He's looking at a museum curator and a university professor and an officer of the law and his old friend and employer and the leader of his troop. So there's a lot of institutional openness and who doesn't like museums and universities and playhouses and someone who's trying to detect arcane threats in the city. But there's a way in which you are communicating, tell just us in this room that makes him look around in that way where you're like swimming and you're like, I assume I'm in a pond, I'm in the ocean. I'm in, like, it's the same treading water, but a sudden feeling of impossible depth and how sort of haunting that request is washes over him.

Speaker 9:
[41:13] Got it, I'll tell, just us, all people I can trust. Oh, that makes sense, that makes a lot of sense.

Speaker 6:
[41:23] All right, well, should I keep company with you or am I all right to?

Speaker 8:
[41:30] Where are we going now? I know I have to keep that appointment with Roundtree. See if we can figure anything out about where Unfastened is coming from in all of this.

Speaker 19:
[41:43] I would like to stop by my apartment, leave a message for Blix in case he decides that my home would be a place worth crashing out in.

Speaker 17:
[41:54] I may need you for that.

Speaker 13:
[41:57] Yeah, I could slide by his dormitory. I'd be willing to bet money he's not there. That would be incredibly stupid of him, but we might be able to uncover some clues as to where he's gone.

Speaker 19:
[42:12] We were talking about if he went deep underground.

Speaker 12:
[42:17] That's where I would go.

Speaker 18:
[42:19] It's the only place to go if he's on the run from those people that are in power?

Speaker 8:
[42:23] Aisha, what would they say about the young man? Places they've already looked and failed? Anything stand out?

Speaker 4:
[42:31] They threw me around the room.

Speaker 6:
[42:33] They said that they already knew that he... At first, they were talking like they already had him in custody, and they were trying to ask me questions about how I had helped him. Then they started to ask if I knew his whereabouts, and then I was confused, because it seemed like they had already had him, but, you know, they might have just been saying that to try to get me to say more. Okay. What they seem to know already... There was a... They said that they knew that he had been at the Tachonis estate, at Obermus Manor. And I asked where, and they said it wasn't my place to ask any questions, so I stopped. But I'll be honest, to whatever degree, I can be a judge of character. They didn't seem to have any details. They seemed frustrated. So I said, what was he there trying to steal? And they told me to shut up, but I don't think they knew what he was there trying to steal.

Speaker 19:
[43:51] I don't know how worthwhile his dormitory would be at this point. I'm sure it's already been flipped. If anything, they would probably be watching to see who stopped by.

Speaker 12:
[43:59] Yeah.

Speaker 19:
[44:00] That would be my thought.

Speaker 13:
[44:05] You have any tea?

Speaker 8:
[44:07] At home, yeah.

Speaker 11:
[44:08] Aren't we home? Are we here?

Speaker 8:
[44:09] Are we home?

Speaker 6:
[44:10] You can be, yeah. You guys can walk on back over to the rookery, right? Which is like, it's near seven stars where your meeting's going to be. So if you guys head back to the rookery and drop off Misha there.

Speaker 18:
[44:21] Yeah, let's escort him.

Speaker 13:
[44:22] Let's assume, yeah.

Speaker 12:
[44:23] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[44:26] You, yeah, you go and escort Misha. Do you do anything as you're approaching Hal's home?

Speaker 13:
[44:37] I had seen visibility up at the end. I don't know how long that lasts, so let me look right now.

Speaker 8:
[44:46] I mean, I think probably it makes sense to try to stay kind of low key upon approach and at least try to see if any of our old, our friends from the other night are casing the spot.

Speaker 15:
[45:00] So we're being followed.

Speaker 18:
[45:03] We might be.

Speaker 13:
[45:04] See if visibility lasts for one hour.

Speaker 6:
[45:06] Okay, go ahead, anyone who wants to give me a perception check.

Speaker 18:
[45:10] I mean, might as well. Yeah, I mean, I imagine on approach, we already have precedent.

Speaker 12:
[45:18] Cool.

Speaker 13:
[45:19] 20 total.

Speaker 12:
[45:20] 20 total.

Speaker 6:
[45:21] 30, 20. With that, see if visibility, you guys head up the street and do not see a carriage parked outside. See, invisibility doesn't register anything for you, but it's more just the practice of realizing there may well be someone waiting for you there. Doesn't look like they are, which means that there's also those two mercenaries down at the corner appear to be gone as well as you walk up here. So, as you guys approach, you drop Misha off, says, all right, I'll make myself at home.

Speaker 9:
[45:56] And she walks in and says, oh, Theazi's body is...

Speaker 8:
[46:02] We're going to see two things tonight.

Speaker 9:
[46:04] All right, that sounds good.

Speaker 8:
[46:06] Smoke, going to keep it with the family.

Speaker 9:
[46:08] Yeah, understood, understood.

Speaker 6:
[46:11] And he leaves you guys to your business.

Speaker 8:
[46:13] You know what, do me a favor. I think we should all assume that we're being watched pretty much all the time, so just be a homebody, help yourself to whatever food you find in the kitchen, relax, there is tea.

Speaker 12:
[46:26] I'll put on a kettle.

Speaker 6:
[46:29] He goes and gets a kettle up, started with some tea.

Speaker 18:
[46:36] Hal, returning to this place where I had that encounter with the member of the Candacean Creed, it reminds me of the meeting that you've been summoned to with House Halovar. And I have a sneaking suspicion that since we have Tachonis taking the Penteveral, Cormoray taking the Museum, Einfossen taking the Revolutionary Guard, someone who is the head of a cult might take great interest in where stories are told, in where theater happens, think they're going to try to lay claim to you.

Speaker 8:
[47:18] A little bit feels like walking in the lines down at that place, after our visitors the other night. But that's every side, every side now. What time of the day are we at, Dish?

Speaker 6:
[47:33] Last few minutes of sunlight, probably getting close to like 4:35 PM, sunset's a little bit early here.

Speaker 11:
[47:40] Okay.

Speaker 8:
[47:42] And I'm trying to remember where we arranged the roundtree meeting.

Speaker 6:
[47:48] Seven stars.

Speaker 8:
[47:48] Seven stars.

Speaker 19:
[47:49] All right, so I'm looking at the map. We're there. There's your house.

Speaker 18:
[47:54] Seven stars is not far?

Speaker 19:
[47:55] Yeah, no, you're right around the block.

Speaker 18:
[47:56] Yeah.

Speaker 12:
[47:57] Where's my place?

Speaker 18:
[48:00] Where is your place?

Speaker 19:
[48:03] Oh, is it on the map yet?

Speaker 6:
[48:06] Put it on the map. You're in Sir Ogremok's marketplace.

Speaker 5:
[48:09] Yeah, we're, da, da, da, da, da. Yep, there we are.

Speaker 19:
[48:17] Okay, that's not too terribly far.

Speaker 6:
[48:20] You see, yeah, the rookery is, and also the rookery is on the east side of the river, which tends to be the much quieter side of the city. The highway on the western side is, A, that side of the city is much larger. There's a lot more action there. So this is a nicer, quieter place to go.

Speaker 19:
[48:35] I love how there's a map.

Speaker 6:
[48:36] I know.

Speaker 19:
[48:36] The map is so nice.

Speaker 6:
[48:37] It is really nice. Shout out to, I believe, I think Jared put this working together. It's really nice.

Speaker 19:
[48:42] It's perfection.

Speaker 6:
[48:43] It's great.

Speaker 8:
[48:44] I feel like talking to Remina Roundtree about the estate she works in is the easiest thing to check off the list. And I want to just clear decks. We can start talking about bigger swings after that, whatever they may be. Do you all want to come with, or are you talking about heading by school?

Speaker 13:
[49:04] I guess that's a question for you. Like, do you feel like she might not be as open and minimal to sharing secrets if it's to a council of four of us. Well, we could do two and two.

Speaker 20:
[49:19] We could split the party.

Speaker 19:
[49:21] I'm getting more and more concerned about us getting caught in something by ourselves. Right. Staying together.

Speaker 13:
[49:30] I'm also getting concerned about us running out of time.

Speaker 19:
[49:33] They have both points. Well, how long do we have before this meeting?

Speaker 8:
[49:37] I mean, it's soonish, right?

Speaker 6:
[49:39] Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 18:
[49:40] Well, we can be waiting for you soon.

Speaker 6:
[49:42] I'll say too, you guys do actually, I mean, it's very funny to bring this up in a D&D campaign. You guys do need to eat dinner.

Speaker 5:
[49:48] Like, you guys have been running around all day. Seven Stars has food.

Speaker 6:
[49:51] I mean, some of us need to eat dinner, but he.

Speaker 18:
[49:55] He's constantly snacking.

Speaker 6:
[49:57] But in other words, stopping by The Seven Stars to take care of business and get a quick bite is on your way to pretty much everything else. You could make the decision to even split the party after doing that.

Speaker 20:
[50:07] I could use a short rest.

Speaker 18:
[50:11] Then let's.

Speaker 8:
[50:12] Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't you guys just, because I am a little concerned.

Speaker 18:
[50:19] Yeah.

Speaker 8:
[50:19] To approach this situation with even a small crowd around. This could be a total dead end, but if it isn't, she's going to be trepidatious, even if it's just me. So why don't we just keep it me and you three grab something to eat downstairs.

Speaker 19:
[50:38] We'll be right outside. I will say, and I hate to put this in your head, but if you get the sense that she's holding back, I might be able to help if, as a last resort. In fact, I could probably help as a last resort.

Speaker 8:
[50:59] Okay. Just in a benign manner.

Speaker 19:
[51:05] Ah, I suppose that depends on one's perspective. It wouldn't be terrible. In fact, she wouldn't feel bad about it at all if I do it properly.

Speaker 8:
[51:15] All right, noted. Noted, but she is one step removed from family, so.

Speaker 19:
[51:21] Which is why I ask and don't just. Thanks, thank you.

Speaker 18:
[51:27] So we should all head to The Seven Stars, give you space with her, and we will rest up a little and gather our thoughts.

Speaker 8:
[51:34] Yeah, why don't I head in ahead of you?

Speaker 18:
[51:37] All right.

Speaker 8:
[51:37] By a few.

Speaker 18:
[51:38] Okay. I would like just one moment to, before you walk in with you, just to help you with something. Let's head there together. You can enter on your own.

Speaker 8:
[51:50] Okay.

Speaker 18:
[51:52] And I'll follow you towards The Seven Stars.

Speaker 11:
[51:54] Okay.

Speaker 19:
[51:58] And I need your help with a candle during food.

Speaker 18:
[52:02] A candle?

Speaker 19:
[52:03] Yes, we need a candle of a particular color.

Speaker 11:
[52:06] Okay.

Speaker 18:
[52:08] The flame or the candle?

Speaker 19:
[52:10] Not the flame, but I would like to let it burn as much as it needs.

Speaker 16:
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Speaker 11:
[54:14] All right.

Speaker 8:
[54:17] All right, I assume we're nearing the spot.

Speaker 6:
[54:20] You guys head out from your house, leaving Nisha to set up some tea, make himself at home, and head around the corner towards the Seven Stars. Once again, a lovely theater district establishment, where you see there's a lot of people out here playing and gallivanting. The Seven Stars always manages to have a pretty broad assortment of folks in here. It's like a lot of, you know, well-to-do orcish working people in the city. And there are also, I think, a lot of off-the-beaten-path types. The Rookery still has plenty of eccentric that live here, so this tends to be a pretty lively and colorful establishment. You walk in and you can see, as you have been walking ahead of everybody else, that Inez is waiting near the door. This is a muscular, athletic, seasoned orcish woman who you see as you walk in, looks to you and says, Hal, I just heard about Misha. What the?

Speaker 8:
[55:30] He's fine, it's not good, but he's all right, he's at my house.

Speaker 12:
[55:34] Okay.

Speaker 6:
[55:37] Romina's here.

Speaker 11:
[55:38] Okay.

Speaker 6:
[55:41] I just told her that you wanted to talk, not about anything.

Speaker 8:
[55:44] Sure.

Speaker 6:
[55:45] So I want to let you get the first, however you want to describe what it is you want to talk to her about.

Speaker 8:
[55:50] Well, I thought it'd be good if we talked to her together.

Speaker 6:
[55:54] Yeah.

Speaker 8:
[55:54] Would you sit with me?

Speaker 6:
[55:55] Yeah, absolutely. Do you want to sit here in the common room or do we want to go somewhere more private?

Speaker 8:
[55:59] No, I have a private room here. I think this is better without eyes and ears.

Speaker 12:
[56:04] Great.

Speaker 6:
[56:06] She walks over. You see that they're sitting at the table is a woman who is clearly related to Inez facially. They have some familial resemblance, but is maybe like eight inches shorter than her. So like one of them got all of the athletic prowess and the other sister got almost none of it. She looks like much, still kind of broad shoulder and she's got like, you can tell her hands are like calloused. She's been like working her whole life. But you see she looks up and has a bag next to her that clearly has her change of clothes. She has like a maid's uniform in a satchel beside her, but now it has been done up for like a night of drinking. She has like some earrings on and has some nicer clothes on. She looks up as you approach and says, Hal, a long time no see.

Speaker 4:
[57:00] It's a pleasure to see you.

Speaker 8:
[57:01] Miss Roundtree, thank you. Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice. Been a few months.

Speaker 6:
[57:06] It has been a few months. Oh, and oh god, I'm so sorry. You know, there's nothing I can say, but I...

Speaker 8:
[57:22] Minute by minute, taking it as it comes.

Speaker 6:
[57:26] You know, I always remember growing up in the neighborhood, there was one time that I got picked on, because I wasn't, you know, I had a hard time, we were playing hopscotch and I couldn't make the last big jump and I was getting teased, and your brother threw a rock at Gregor's face and hit him in the nose and it got a bloody nose. And I was, I screamed and was horrified, but after, I don't like that kind of violence, but afterwards, it was very touching.

Speaker 8:
[57:55] He, I love my brother, I have a lot of good stories. He definitely could be a bit of a shit.

Speaker 6:
[58:01] Yeah, but he was our shit and we'll miss him very dearly.

Speaker 14:
[58:05] Our shit, indeed.

Speaker 8:
[58:10] Pardon me, I'm so sorry. I am going to step out just for a second. I want to, I have a lot on my mind and I just want to get all my ducks in a row. Inez, would you take your sister, ask the proprietor. There's a room upstairs, he'll know what I'm talking about and I'll be there in two minutes. Have you eaten, do you need anything, would you like?

Speaker 4:
[58:33] Oh, well, I was planning to eat back at home.

Speaker 6:
[58:35] You see Inez sort of takes the cup and he says, please, no, Romina, let's have some food here, they have a wonderful kitchen. I'll get us something order, we'll do it upstairs.

Speaker 8:
[58:44] Okay, I scuttle back out and pop out, and I assume you're still out there.

Speaker 18:
[58:52] I'm probably with a menu in hand.

Speaker 8:
[58:54] Oh, you're in, okay.

Speaker 18:
[58:56] Just looking at what they might have since we're here to eat.

Speaker 8:
[58:59] Yeah. Okay, well, I walk over near the table, but I don't look at you at all and say, all right, I'm going to figure out what I can figure out. Anything on your mind before I go in?

Speaker 18:
[59:11] How come just, you got something on your, and I'm just going to brush your forearm, and in doing that, I'm actually casting Guidance on you. You feel like a Rolodex of Memories go through your mind and you settle on one that calms you, and you feel it absorbed in your mind and your body. I'm Guidancing your Persuasion.

Speaker 8:
[59:36] Okay, I'm remembering a time where I had to talk my little shit brother out of a real bit of trouble in the neighborhood after he broke somebody's window and pulled it off. That's what comes to mind. And then I turn on my heel and swing by the bar, pay for a bottle of wine, and carry it upstairs with me.

Speaker 6:
[60:00] Beautiful. Lockmeyer's here and says, ah, there you are, one of our fine, vintage middle shelves. And you head upstairs. For the three of you, where do you head? There's a big, common area with some tables. Tables are rapidly filling up as it's approaching dinnertime. Where do you guys all sit?

Speaker 13:
[60:23] Is there one that's in the corner or someplace, a little bit off the way?

Speaker 6:
[60:28] Give me a, I'll say, give me a little investigation check. Low DC, we'll call it DC 10. Okay.

Speaker 13:
[60:38] Dirty 20.

Speaker 6:
[60:40] You look around, I think there are two places. There's a little corner with a window that's facing the street, which is always nice, you can see who's coming or going, but you'd be visible to people on the street. There's another back corner that hasn't filled up yet that you'd have to probably like sweet talk your way into because it's like for a bigger party and it's like about to be a dinner rush. However, that one also has vantage on this lower sunken area. This place has a main dining room, a couple outdoor seats and then around a corner, there's a little sunken level which has sometimes live music and they also have, there are no dealers here, it is not a casino, but they permit gambling between people in the back room. So you can play your own game of poker. They have a table for billiards back there and stuff like that. And that corner table sees both rooms.

Speaker 13:
[61:32] Okay, and that's the bigger one you said?

Speaker 4:
[61:33] It's the bigger one.

Speaker 13:
[61:34] All right, I'm gonna go to Lachmir.

Speaker 2:
[61:38] Lachmir, how are you doing?

Speaker 12:
[61:40] Professor, how are you doing?

Speaker 13:
[61:41] I'm great, we would love a little bit of dinner.

Speaker 4:
[61:45] Is it okay if we take that back table?

Speaker 13:
[61:47] You say I've got, I think I got a little bit of a cold.

Speaker 12:
[61:52] Bellows fever, it's going around, it's deadly.

Speaker 13:
[61:54] Is that true?

Speaker 12:
[61:54] Yes.

Speaker 4:
[61:55] Oh my goodness. You got bellows fever?

Speaker 13:
[61:56] I don't think it's that bad yet. I just don't want to, you know, I think if we're a little bit off of, you know, away from the crowds, I wouldn't want to get anybody else sick.

Speaker 4:
[62:05] Go ahead and give me a persuasion check.

Speaker 13:
[62:06] Okay. Don't let anyone touch my nasty persuasion, you said?

Speaker 11:
[62:15] Wow.

Speaker 13:
[62:17] We're going to get in a fight and then we're going to roll terribly. Dirty 20.

Speaker 4:
[62:21] Dirty 20.

Speaker 6:
[62:22] Yes.

Speaker 4:
[62:22] He goes, of course, so take the big table over in the corner.

Speaker 13:
[62:25] Oh my goodness, thank you so much.

Speaker 11:
[62:27] Of course, of course.

Speaker 6:
[62:30] Don't cough on me.

Speaker 4:
[62:32] Please.

Speaker 18:
[62:37] I'm looking at the menu. I approached with you. I'm looking at the menu as you're leaving. Lock my hair. Do you have, I'm looking at the items that you have. Do you serve ass? Yes. Good.

Speaker 20:
[62:48] Do you serve ass?

Speaker 18:
[62:50] Right. A palate for that, don't you?

Speaker 11:
[62:54] Oh.

Speaker 18:
[62:55] I figured I'd get, you've had a long day. I figured I'd get you something that is to your liking. Two ass steaks.

Speaker 11:
[63:02] Lovely.

Speaker 4:
[63:02] I'll cook that right up. I'm not sure if Bolaire.

Speaker 18:
[63:05] Enjoy that.

Speaker 10:
[63:06] Just why?

Speaker 4:
[63:06] What a callback. Man, I could eat some ass.

Speaker 15:
[63:12] I would say I love a good ass as much as the next man, but.

Speaker 18:
[63:16] Three ass steaks.

Speaker 10:
[63:18] And one for you, chef's recommendation or temperature?

Speaker 18:
[63:20] I don't know if that's a house liking, so.

Speaker 4:
[63:22] Certainly.

Speaker 18:
[63:23] He can have some of mine if he.

Speaker 19:
[63:25] I'll have a plate as well. Try to spend money on it, using the table. Try anything once.

Speaker 5:
[63:30] Should I?

Speaker 18:
[63:31] Or twice.

Speaker 4:
[63:33] How did you get the table?

Speaker 18:
[63:38] Well done.

Speaker 13:
[63:39] Talking real good. Yeah.

Speaker 19:
[63:42] I would have just said I had bellows or something.

Speaker 8:
[63:44] Yeah.

Speaker 18:
[63:49] I take my seat.

Speaker 5:
[63:50] You take your seat.

Speaker 11:
[63:51] Why do you join the boys?

Speaker 19:
[63:55] I may take a quick, if you think it's a reasonable idea, I may take a quick walk outside and make this vanish for a moment.

Speaker 18:
[64:02] Yes.

Speaker 19:
[64:03] Yeah. So I'm gonna find a, I'm gonna step outside for some air and many faces myself into something a little less, I'm gonna keep the face I had earlier.

Speaker 15:
[64:14] Great.

Speaker 19:
[64:15] And just make, I'm basically just gonna do a palette swap with Hal's outfit, more or less.

Speaker 15:
[64:24] Great.

Speaker 19:
[64:25] Just a little, just still in the black and red, because I do love it, and just still with a little bit of the curl, but it's much head back inside.

Speaker 6:
[64:35] All three of you, with these lovely ass steaks coming to the table, can take a short rest.

Speaker 15:
[64:39] Wonderful. That's ass.

Speaker 10:
[64:42] What do I get from this?

Speaker 15:
[64:45] Well, you certainly, you get ass, so good start.

Speaker 20:
[64:50] Do a little arcane recovery situation.

Speaker 10:
[64:53] Lovely.

Speaker 6:
[64:53] So jealous. How, as you, also let me know if any of you, by the way, don't want to, for whatever reason, take a short rest, if there's anything, if some of you are like, it doesn't make a difference to you.

Speaker 18:
[65:05] It doesn't make a difference to me. And honestly, I don't know if he is, got the right temperament to be able to relax enough.

Speaker 6:
[65:14] Relax enough, cool.

Speaker 19:
[65:15] I, it doesn't, it does nothing for me either, so, but.

Speaker 12:
[65:19] I'll recover.

Speaker 6:
[65:20] How? Heading upstairs, you get up to the beautiful little aviary, and you see there's some candles lit. Romina and Inez are up here. Lockmeier follows you in to take everyone's dinner order.

Speaker 12:
[65:34] You see that Romina looks up and says, I'll get the pot roast, if that's okay.

Speaker 6:
[65:40] And you see.

Speaker 8:
[65:42] Don't hold back, anything on the menu.

Speaker 6:
[65:43] Oh gosh, can I, ah, I'll do the grilled sprouts with bacon. And you see that she says, this is so kind, Hal, thank you so much for treating. It's very, very, I very appreciate it.

Speaker 8:
[65:57] It is the very least that I can do. Boy, Inez, thank you for facilitating this. I'm almost embarrassed of myself to even broach this with you. So thank you for taking time out of your week to come by. And yes, it has been a trying couple of days. I'm juggling everything at the Hallow Round, of course, but much larger on my mind is the loss of my brother. And, you know, I'm hanging in, family's hanging in. So all that to say, I appreciate you helping me in this moment. So as much as I'd like to spend the week just reflecting on family and my brother, I have to worry still a little bit about my business.

Speaker 4:
[66:47] You're opening night is in like a week, right?

Speaker 8:
[66:49] Very, very close. And I'm just going to say outright and confess, my motives for bringing you here tonight are absolutely selfish, or at least for the theater, for the troupe. I'm sure I don't need to point out how unstable things have felt in recent weeks. I mean, it's just sort of coming out of the stones of the city. And I've been working many years to reach this very week to put on this very show. And a lot of things have been put in place, and contracts and agreements with the city have been put in place, and I've had an understanding. Sorry, I don't want to bore you with the details. With the city, for the type of stagecraft and the small amount of magical sprinkling we do work here, and everything has been given a go-ahead. But it feels like in the last few weeks, that is becoming a little more slippery than it's been, and I just don't know, I haven't known if I could rely on that, and with so much at stake, I'm trying to understand if we're good to proceed. And I maybe would have hung back, but today, my main instructor from the Rookery, who I believe you've met through your sister once or twice, Misha, was hauled in. SAM and MARISHA and SAM and MARISHA and hauled in today and put some hard questioning put to, and we got him out, but it was pretty unpleasant. And I am trying to get my brain wrapped around where the guard are at. And I know it is asking a lot, but I know where you work. I know you serve in an Ionfossum estate, and if you don't know anything, we can share this bottle of wine and have a meal, and I'll look for it. I hope to see you at the play in a week. But, if you would feel comfortable sharing anything you might have heard around the house about the guards' headspace or the Ionfossum family, I'm just trying to protect, and I look to Inez in this moment, I'm just trying to protect our family. Our theater family.

Speaker 6:
[69:49] Go ahead and give me a persuasion check, and you can also give me an insight check, too.

Speaker 8:
[69:55] Insight check, too. And you had guidance.

Speaker 18:
[69:58] Guidance on persuasion.

Speaker 8:
[70:00] Okay, so I'll put that on persuasion, yeah. Okay, that is a total of 25 persuasion.

Speaker 6:
[70:19] 25 persuasion.

Speaker 8:
[70:23] Back that up with a much worse insight. Ten.

Speaker 18:
[70:27] Ten insight.

Speaker 6:
[70:28] Typically, I set difficulties. A good guideline I go by is bronze medal at 15, silver medal at 20, and gold medal at 25. With a 25 persuasion, Ramina looks at you. You have a very hard time reading her and realize that Ramina has a plastered-on face of polite acceptance, and realize that that's maybe why she's been able to hold down a job at the Ein Faseln estate for about seven years. She looks and goes. You're nervous, you're coming to me because the Lord Wicander has gone missing, right? I mean, I know that he was who, all of the clearances that the, I only hear a fraction of what goes on, but I know that you got approved for the Hallowed Round because House Halovar was pulling for you. That effectively, there was one, that the young scion of the house, the heir to the photarch is, was a friend of yours, or?

Speaker 8:
[71:59] Sure, yes. A new colleague, we'll say.

Speaker 6:
[72:07] If he has suddenly stopped answering your messages, or you can't get him on call anymore, get audience with him anymore, you may not have lost favor with House Halovar. He's been missing. He's been missing for about two days.

Speaker 8:
[72:25] Two days?

Speaker 12:
[72:26] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[72:27] I know this is insane, but the family, the photarch came by, the Stahlkeep came by, the Einphasen estate.

Speaker 12:
[72:38] It's chaos.

Speaker 6:
[72:39] They don't know where he is.

Speaker 8:
[72:41] Are they floating any reasons to why or who?

Speaker 6:
[72:43] Well, they're pretty upset that their scion has gone missing the same day that the Royce family decided to return to Faerie.

Speaker 12:
[72:56] No one knows, what the, forgive the language, what the, what the F is going on.

Speaker 8:
[73:08] Does Ainfauzen have a response?

Speaker 6:
[73:11] I have never... I think that any Ainfauzen resp... In my time working with the Ainfauzen, responses are delayed until they can be overwhelming. They are not gonna do anything until they can do it with such overwhelming, you know, decisiveness and force. So this is where and how they hate to operate is not knowing. There was an arrest made at the... Uh, sorry.

Speaker 5:
[73:47] How...

Speaker 13:
[73:48] I...

Speaker 8:
[73:59] I don't want you to divulge anything that would put your bacon in the fire.

Speaker 6:
[74:14] I'm not, I can't always be the best. I was talking to Greta about this, about gossip and everything else like that. If word came back to you, I just need you. I want to tell you what's going on, but if anything ever comes back to me, I'm in a tremendous amount of danger.

Speaker 8:
[74:49] Maybe we don't need names.

Speaker 12:
[74:52] Okay.

Speaker 6:
[74:55] Maybe the thing would be, if I tell you something, who else knows about it?

Speaker 8:
[75:04] Meaning if you tell me where is it being shared?

Speaker 6:
[75:06] Where is it being shared?

Speaker 8:
[75:11] If you need it to be kept to me, it will be.

Speaker 6:
[75:17] What I would love is if I tell you something and you think that it is going to spread beyond you, please tell me that. And I'll just try to say, maybe if you tell people how you know something, make something else up. There was an arrest in recent girdle of the forces of House Royce, Davinos, Elbrendi, several of the Royce vassal houses. They were arrested at the behest of House Tachonis. They said that there was a traitor in their midst, and my lord's uncle, the lord Herondas' uncle, Lord Otto, the head of House Einfossen, has been trying to work out a follow up on where that information has come from, and it's been a few days. There's already been a pigeon back from recent girdle, and there's a, but within all of it, we had, there was a visit that was paid to the Stahlkeep, which was from the young Lord Etherand Tachonis, who was apologizing because Lord Primus, who had been in residence at Obermus Manor, had to leave the city suddenly and won't be back for several days in the midst of all of these goings on. But the Lord, Lord Otto has requested an audience, that an immediate audience is needed with the heads of all of the Sundered Houses.

Speaker 8:
[77:01] Any idea of how soon that would be transpiring?

Speaker 6:
[77:04] Well, I think that's what the young Lord Etherand was responding to, is he said that he can't even get in touch with his father. So there's incredible urgency from one of the heads of the Sundered Houses, and the response has been effectively a polite way of saying, we don't know where our head of house is. Which is staggering. I mean, the Sundered Houses have holdings over the vast breadth of Pasitar. The amount of coordination that's required is staggering for people, for your own child to not know where you are or how to find you. So I don't know that Lord Herondas frankly believes that, but why the stalling, I don't know, I don't know.

Speaker 8:
[77:47] So a little bit of unrest at the top there.

Speaker 6:
[77:49] Well, and a little bit of unrest and a little bit of what do you need time for? I think the Halovars are, forgive the pun, incandescent with rage.

Speaker 8:
[78:07] That was pretty good.

Speaker 4:
[78:09] Thank you.

Speaker 6:
[78:11] You know, if you ever need a writer, she says, I also know that Ward, never mind.

Speaker 5:
[78:25] Sorry.

Speaker 6:
[78:29] I also know that Ward, I've been, I've been bidden to report the minute that a pigeon comes back from the Golden Orchard, of reaching out to the lady, Maya Davinos, who's in residence there, while the lady, Aranessa, is traveling. And there's been no pigeon back from the Golden Orchard. Not even one to say that the lady, I mean, just no response. So, you know, it's very, the time is very, very short. It's possible that there's been a storm, a patron was waylaid. We're still within a reasonable time frame that maybe a response is still on its way back.

Speaker 12:
[79:23] But...

Speaker 8:
[79:27] And as you said at the beginning of this conversation, the Halovar home, one of the Halovars, has become a bit of a patron of the arts. Apparently, it's missing now. So I would hope that his opinion holds weight with the family, but I'm again trying to weigh what we're allowed to do at the theater, and it feels like the law is starting to tighten around the rules and practitioners. Have you heard anything about any kind of friction between Halovar or my patron? Stems from and end.

Speaker 12:
[80:11] The police.

Speaker 6:
[80:13] Oh, from House Halovar?

Speaker 8:
[80:14] I'm fastened to Halovar or reverse, or both. Just trying to understand the forces around me.

Speaker 6:
[80:21] Well, I... All I know, how... I don't know where the Lord Wicander has gone, but I know that he was the loudest voice within the Halovar family for the arts. Rumor has it that he actually fell in love with an actress, if you can believe that.

Speaker 8:
[80:38] That's a bit of snow, but that's... It can happen.

Speaker 6:
[80:45] She says, but in terms of friction between the Einfossin and the... Well, there had been some meetings about the Sons of the Dawn, which I had overheard the Lord Philonius talking to Lord Einfossin about. There was going to be a... There was to be a delay on one of the Lord Einfossin's plans until the Halovar family was prepared to... I believe that the Halovar family was gathering financial resources together to be able to acquire a tremendous amount of mercenary contracts. Okay. But I don't, I'm, you know, every... Coordinated. Yes. Relations between, I would say the relations between the Halovars and the Einfossin are quite positive. From, from my reading, when the, the Fötark, I only overhear bits and pieces. I never stay in a room long enough to hear the full context of a conversation. But I know that the Fötark was upset with Lord Einfossin in a way that, to me, registered as honesty, if that makes sense. I've worked around nobles for seven years. When it's all smiles, that's when I stay out of the way.

Speaker 8:
[82:19] Well, that is, that was a lot. Very, very helpful, Ramina. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 6:
[82:31] I will keep an ear hot if I hear anything about this lord. Without the Lord Wicander, how I don't know how easy it will be to protect the theater. The rumor that I've heard going around from staff everywhere is that the Lord Wicander was a deeply kind and conscientious man, that he treated his staff and servants with kindness, that he, some of the other Halovar cousins, don't exactly follow the rules of their faith very diligently, and that is not what I've heard of the Lord Wicander. SAM and TALIESIN and SAM and MARISHA and AABRIEL So you had someone in your corner that you've lost, and if you can't get him back, I think that there's going to be trouble, because I don't think, from what I've heard, the Lord Wicander's older sister is not in the practice of doling out favors without expectation of an extreme return on her investment.

Speaker 8:
[83:39] Well, that is not the reassuring news I've been hoping for, but it does confirm some suspicions. Though, him missing, this is the first that's reaching my ears. Are they keeping this on the down low?

Speaker 6:
[83:58] Yes, they haven't announced anything to the guard or anything like that. I... When the Foetarch was speaking with Lord Herondas, they were mentioning the last that the Tachonis had communicated to everybody, they were desperately searching for a wayward son of their family, I think, who's actually a student here in Dol-Makjar. And people were putting out fillers for that, and there had been a rumor that came, actually from a friend of mine, who had been dropping off supplies for the gala over at the Plaza de Vinos, that someone had seen Occtis Tachonis there, I don't know if that's actually true or not, but suffice it to say, a lot of nobles have gone missing in a very short amount of time. The Lady Aranessa Royce appears to have returned to Faerie, and I just heard the Foetarch mention the doors to Faerie opening, and there was a aside she made to the Lord Horandus about her grandson and what the Tachonis might know. I don't know if it was true or not true. Have you seen a lion man?

Speaker 8:
[85:27] I have, yes.

Speaker 6:
[85:29] I mean, not just like out in the world.

Speaker 8:
[85:31] No, no, I just, fresh in my mind, an old friend of my brother's came to pay his respect when we had everyone over at the house.

Speaker 6:
[85:42] We had to, we actually had to explain to the Candescent crew, to the Lord Philonis Halovar, who's been searching for, I didn't overhear the name, but they've been searching for Anama Warrior, because we actually have Anama staying at the Stalk Keep right now. The Lord Horondus is hosting a small envoy from Argosia at the moment, that just got into town. And there's one of the Lord's minister is Anama diplomat. But that, I'm rambling, I'm just so nervous, but...

Speaker 8:
[86:32] Well, I tell you what, obviously, if you feel like you've given me so much, and I would sooner give over my own tongue, then betray the trust you've placed in me, and I don't need to share it with anybody, it's just trying to get a better footing for Inez and the family here at the Round. But if you think of anything, you can always send word through your sister.

Speaker 6:
[87:01] Well, I'll be back there later tonight, in the dead of night, for a little graveyard shift, not that they'll be paying me overtime hours, but we'll be on a, yeah, I'll be back there a lot. I've been cleaning Falcon shit off of Ein Fassen uniforms for what feels like 48 hours straight, so I'll be around. All I can see in my mind's eyes that rock sailing through the air, the one that hit that bully in the nose, and just thinking about... It's been so awful. And the other maids, while we're in the laundry room, they keep talking about how it's gone too far and it's all gonna swing back. And they keep saying it like it's an article of faith. Like it's too far, something's gonna happen to push it back. And I just think about the Ozzie throwing that rock, and I wonder if, um... It doesn't push back on its own. Someone somewhere picks up a rock. So if this is me picking up my rock, then I'm happy to do it.

Speaker 8:
[88:35] I appreciate your honesty and your bravery. Please, please be safe. Um, as far as tonight's concerned, you and your sister just came here to get it by teed.

Speaker 6:
[88:51] I won't mention anything to anyone. And maybe, uh... Yeah, I won't mention anything to anyone. And if I hear anything, I won't send word to you.

Speaker 12:
[89:03] I'll send word to Inez. Okay.

Speaker 8:
[89:06] All right, well, hopefully everything's all smiles, at least to the end of the week. And we can get this show on its feet. And, uh, please come join us.

Speaker 9:
[89:18] I will.

Speaker 12:
[89:19] Um, I'll come join you.

Speaker 6:
[89:21] Lash, that's the, he is playing the main character, right?

Speaker 8:
[89:26] Merzad. Merzad himself.

Speaker 9:
[89:29] He's great.

Speaker 21:
[89:30] Is he, um...

Speaker 8:
[89:31] Merzad or Lash?

Speaker 6:
[89:32] Lash.

Speaker 8:
[89:32] Lash, yes, yes.

Speaker 6:
[89:34] Uh, I haven't, I actually don't know the history super well, but yeah, it's a, if there's, let me know if there's a, if there's gonna be something after the play as well.

Speaker 8:
[89:41] Ah, there, there is, there always tends to be.

Speaker 9:
[89:44] Great.

Speaker 8:
[89:44] I'll introduce you to Lash.

Speaker 9:
[89:48] What?

Speaker 6:
[89:49] Where did that come from? Okay.

Speaker 5:
[89:51] Uh, well, that's really sweet. Um, that's great.

Speaker 10:
[89:55] Uh, thanks, Hal.

Speaker 8:
[89:57] Thank you, all the gratitude is mine.

Speaker 6:
[90:00] Um, you see that Inez says, thanks, Hal. Uh, if you, if you're busy, we can finish up dinner here.

Speaker 8:
[90:08] Yeah, I'll, I'll head to, I'll head downstairs.

Speaker 6:
[90:11] Um, we cut from there back down to our table with our friends who are, uh, short resting, or who is not short resting here?

Speaker 18:
[90:19] I'm, I'm not. I think I'm just, uh, um, if I would have done anything with time passing, I would have very anxiously sat at the table, eating a little bit, a little bit of ass, and looking around.

Speaker 5:
[90:35] Just a dollop.

Speaker 18:
[90:35] Just a dollop.

Speaker 5:
[90:36] A dollop of ass.

Speaker 18:
[90:37] How is it, how is your ass tasting?

Speaker 13:
[90:40] Very tender.

Speaker 17:
[90:42] Yes, mine's undercooked.

Speaker 20:
[90:43] Oh no, you want to send it back?

Speaker 18:
[90:45] It's a little too raw.

Speaker 5:
[90:46] A little too, too pink.

Speaker 11:
[90:53] I would've tried to.

Speaker 5:
[90:55] I can't even recall the first beat of this, so this is all new to me. It's Marisha's fault.

Speaker 10:
[91:01] For the record.

Speaker 5:
[91:02] For the record.

Speaker 20:
[91:03] For the episode ago or something.

Speaker 8:
[91:05] Excuse me, could I please get a different ass with a little more seasoning?

Speaker 10:
[91:08] Yeah.

Speaker 18:
[91:13] Yours looks really buttery.

Speaker 8:
[91:16] That's how I like it.

Speaker 18:
[91:18] If I could have managed it, I would have tried to have a Detect Magic ritual activated, but I don't know.

Speaker 6:
[91:26] Killer, I think that's no sweat. You can have Detect Magic up.

Speaker 10:
[91:28] Okay.

Speaker 4:
[91:32] Give me a.

Speaker 15:
[91:33] I am keeping an active look on people.

Speaker 6:
[91:36] Give me, both of you give me either a perception or insight.

Speaker 8:
[91:39] It's really hard to eat ass when you wear a mask.

Speaker 19:
[91:43] Don't knock until you try it.

Speaker 11:
[91:45] Okay.

Speaker 8:
[91:48] So what's the rest of the game is about?

Speaker 19:
[91:50] Honestly, it's the undertone. 22.

Speaker 10:
[91:55] 21.

Speaker 6:
[91:57] I think both of you looking around on that perception can see that Murray's fundamental, I think Murray, you're doing your arcane recovery, so you're reviewing some spell stuff. You might even be reviewing some of those internships as EOD.

Speaker 13:
[92:14] What's an internship? Oh shit, it's step two by the end of the day by EOD, baby.

Speaker 10:
[92:18] EOD. But for the two of you, you look around.

Speaker 6:
[92:23] The game room is actually quite, the game room is actually quite smoky. There is not only a small fire burning in a little sort of like chimney area, but a lot of people just are happy to be like smoking pipes and it's a little bit sunken. You can see that there are even some like stone archways along the ground, like it was an old, maybe like wine cellar that got bricked up back here or something like that. You see that there, it's a rowdy room. There are a few people playing billiards. There are a few people playing billiards here and there are, the card tables are all full. You see there is one four-person card table. There's one four-person card table that's right sort of in the back. On that 21 and 22, I think you guys look and see a kind of staggering amount of money has been put out on that table. There's like a lot of coin riding on that table. There looks to be four people that you can see playing there. There is what looks like a sort of dashing, either a human merchant or aristocrat or something like that. To his left, there is this hulking kind of bruiser's, thick biceps, thick forms, looks to be human as well. It's sort of like leather vest. He's got a broadsword at his side. Around the table from him, there is a gnomish smuggler, who, Azuna, you would actually recognize as Pimley Morn.

Speaker 11:
[94:18] Pimley Morn?

Speaker 6:
[94:20] Pimley Morn, who appears to be putting up some pretty serious lucre. He's got a big stack behind him. And then, across from the big human bruiser, there is an orcish woman, who looks to have a spell book at her side. It looks to be a traveling wizard. I think you just see this sort of game being played here, in front of everybody. And I think what, you know, there's a lot of tables filled with all sorts of eccentrics here in the rookery here at the Seven Stars. What catches you is that this human aristocrat is sort of speaking very openly to the bruiser. You see the bruiser has got like salt and pepper beard, a sort of shock of like salt and pepper hair, and a big scar that runs over an eye deep down into his cheek.

Speaker 10:
[95:18] You see that the aristocrat talking to the bruiser goes like, goes like, and what of, and of course, I mean, you know, in the Marketplace, something like this occurring, you have magic being cast openly, you're trying to sell your wares, and someone is reading your mind or otherwise enchanting you.

Speaker 9:
[95:37] It's really untenable. I think that the Chamber of Lords' Advisory was completely within their right to outlaw magic in the Marketplace. Do that at the university if you're going to do it anywhere.

Speaker 6:
[95:45] And appears to be having a very political conversation at the table.

Speaker 18:
[95:52] Do those on the receiving end of that conversation seem to be on board with what he's saying, or is there like, or is it tense?

Speaker 19:
[95:59] Or are they looking paid?

Speaker 18:
[96:02] Yeah, Matt too.

Speaker 6:
[96:05] You see that they do not, actually give me insight checks, both of you. Okay.

Speaker 13:
[96:19] 18.

Speaker 6:
[96:19] Thank you. Azune, no one looks paid. They all look fed up with this human aristocrat.

Speaker 10:
[96:24] Okay, great.

Speaker 6:
[96:25] You see that the bruiser goes, it's fascinating that he's, do you, so they're outlawing it because it's fundamentally dangerous.

Speaker 12:
[96:33] How do you feel about that on this show?

Speaker 9:
[96:35] Because you said you're from Dol-Makjar originally.

Speaker 6:
[96:38] And you see that the woman across goes, I spent some years here as a young girl, but I'm not from here originally. You see, she says, do you agree with this outlawing of magic in the marketplace? See, she shrugs and says, as a wizard, it is probably not best for me to say openly how I truly feel, but I will just say that the law and its majestic equality forbids the rich and poor alike from stealing bread. And you see that the restaurant goes, exactly. You see that she sort of rolls her eyes. And you see that the bruiser turns over to the gnome and goes, and my friend, Pimley, you see that Pimley's sort of sweet-talking and goes, I'm a merchant.

Speaker 9:
[97:28] And you see, he says, merchant, yeah.

Speaker 6:
[97:30] So this is probably for the best for you that they've outlawed magic in the marketplace.

Speaker 10:
[97:37] Or do you not work in the marketplace?

Speaker 6:
[97:39] You see Pimley says, no, I work around.

Speaker 4:
[97:41] I work in the marketplace sometimes.

Speaker 21:
[97:43] Sometimes I'm elsewhere. You know, I work where work comes along. But I say to the Lord, you know, let the Lord do. You got to let the Lord do what it's going to do, you know? This is the rules.

Speaker 6:
[97:57] So you got to follow them.

Speaker 10:
[98:00] Let's play cards. Guys, what do you say, huh?

Speaker 6:
[98:03] And you see that the big bruiser guy looks over at him and says, you get to get there because you got a winning hand, don't you? And you see that the gnome looks at him and you see that the big bruiser goes, yeah, a little bit of you get to get back to play.

Speaker 10:
[98:17] All right, I fold and puts his cards in and you see the gnome goes, God!

Speaker 6:
[98:24] And you see as he goes, as he says that, you see the bruiser again looks at him and goes like, you shouldn't have yelled like that because it's actually stilted on Nisha, you could have taken more of her money. And yeah, so that's the conversation you see unfolding at the table.

Speaker 19:
[98:37] Interesting, I will want to fuck with it, but yeah, hold on.

Speaker 18:
[98:41] Well, you're seeing what I'm seeing, aren't you? Across the line.

Speaker 1:
[98:44] Oh, yes.

Speaker 18:
[98:46] I wonder if they're underbelly of the city types and if they might be able to answer some questions about where someone may have gone off to.

Speaker 19:
[98:55] Underbelly of the city types?

Speaker 18:
[98:57] Well, maybe all minus one, maybe two of them for sure.

Speaker 15:
[99:01] Hmm. Do you play cards?

Speaker 19:
[99:05] Me?

Speaker 18:
[99:06] I play. I didn't pick.

Speaker 4:
[99:12] Dude, you don't have to.

Speaker 15:
[99:13] You don't have to look at that.

Speaker 18:
[99:14] No, but I always make it a point to make sure I'm proficient in a gaming set.

Speaker 6:
[99:19] In a gaming set.

Speaker 18:
[99:20] And I'm not.

Speaker 8:
[99:21] Are you proficient in Yu-Gi-Oh?

Speaker 18:
[99:24] No, I don't play anything. Apparently, I don't have any fun. We're not allowed to have fun.

Speaker 6:
[99:29] I will allow you to be proficient in a gaming set.

Speaker 5:
[99:31] Oh, thanks.

Speaker 18:
[99:32] Thank you for doing your best.

Speaker 19:
[99:33] I'm taking Beyblades.

Speaker 5:
[99:34] I'm seeing a thousand comments right now going, OP, OP, the GM, Alas, Azune Nayar, I'd be proficient in gaming sets. How did I miss that?

Speaker 6:
[99:43] Yeah, you'd be proficient in cards, if you like.

Speaker 18:
[99:45] Okay. I am proficient in cards.

Speaker 5:
[99:49] I will probably say it just like that to you, actually. Clearly.

Speaker 18:
[99:53] Yes, I've played a game or two. You want to challenge him to a game?

Speaker 19:
[99:57] I don't know, I'm so curious about this. Part of me just wants to humiliate him terribly.

Speaker 18:
[100:03] Well, go for it. I don't know how much they'll like an arching archer approaching them and asking them to play some cards.

Speaker 15:
[100:14] How much money do I have on me?

Speaker 19:
[100:16] That's a question. Probably a bit, but not a ton. How much money is being thrown at this table?

Speaker 6:
[100:23] You can see on that last hand, like 20 gold pieces went up.

Speaker 19:
[100:33] I know I'm going to look, just because I'm curious if I actually have anything in my, money-wise, if I actually have anything in my box or if I've not dealt with it. I don't think I've dealt with it, that's okay. How much, oh, actually I do, I have 38 gold.

Speaker 12:
[100:50] Yeah, okay.

Speaker 8:
[100:52] Anything left in your box after eating so much ass?

Speaker 19:
[100:55] I was hoping. Thank you, thank you for being you.

Speaker 15:
[100:59] I need it so often.

Speaker 19:
[101:02] Yeah, keep an eye out.

Speaker 18:
[101:04] Okay. I mean, I feel like you are demonstrating interest in them and that's satisfying me enough, if you have something that you want to do with them, by all means. Is there any candlelight here?

Speaker 6:
[101:20] There is, there's a lot of candlelight here, actually.

Speaker 18:
[101:24] I'm just going to see. I'm going to sort of lean back, take the room in a little bit more, and I'm going to cast Control Flames. And I'm going to, whatever source of light is more central in the room, I'm going to change the color of it to blue, the same blue that we saw.

Speaker 6:
[101:42] Lovely.

Speaker 18:
[101:42] And I just want to see if anyone reacts to that.

Speaker 6:
[101:46] Give me an Insight check.

Speaker 18:
[101:50] 16 Insight.

Speaker 6:
[101:54] The gnomish smuggler, his eyes, his eyes dart frantically in a way that is not filled with whimsy and delight. Everyone reacts to it. It's like a sudden, like, oh, a little lovely illusion happens. But it just seems like there's a, this is like a theater bar for magical bards. So people are casting dancing lights here and color change-y stuff and little prestigitations all the time. There's like a guy working at the stage in the back room right now who's doing sleight of hand. There's like, but that shade of blue, the one you pick, on a 16 insight, Pimley Morn looks at it with a look of recognition.

Speaker 18:
[102:32] I, you here in your mind, I'm bringing that to your attention, that gnome knows where the gnome that we're looking for, he knows something about him, he knows something about Blix.

Speaker 19:
[102:43] Mm, Pimley, you said the name was.

Speaker 18:
[102:45] Pimley.

Speaker 19:
[102:45] All right.

Speaker 18:
[102:46] Pimley Morn.

Speaker 19:
[102:47] Keep an eye out, let's see what happens.

Speaker 20:
[102:51] And he's like a smuggler merchant, is that what you said?

Speaker 13:
[102:54] Would I know who he is, Pimley?

Speaker 6:
[102:57] Give me history with...

Speaker 8:
[103:00] Right, because you tapped the black marker.

Speaker 6:
[103:02] Yeah, give me history with advantage.

Speaker 8:
[103:04] Okay. Let's go.

Speaker 20:
[103:09] Okay, 21.

Speaker 6:
[103:12] You know Pimley Morn. Pimley is a... Pimley's a smuggler who specifically helps get arcane components into the city for big spell casting. He's someone who you, if you look up and clock him right now, I think you'd be surprised to see him at a high rollers table. That's not like Pimley.

Speaker 18:
[103:49] And I will have messaged into your mind exactly the update that I gave him. He knows something about who we're looking for.

Speaker 13:
[103:57] I'm just going to look at Pimley. See if you're like, look at him long enough to see if he makes eye contact with me eventually. You know when you're at a party and you're trying to get someone to pay attention to you, but you don't want to.

Speaker 8:
[104:13] Just waiting to catch their eye?

Speaker 13:
[104:15] Yeah, you're just waiting to catch their eye. So I just keep looking up at them as I'm going through my papers.

Speaker 6:
[104:22] You look up, Pimley does actually look up and make eye contact with you at a certain point and freezes there for a second, looking at you.

Speaker 13:
[104:33] Just give him a little head nod and a wink.

Speaker 6:
[104:37] He raises a tankard to you, drinks it, and goes. And like nervously laughs and goes back to playing his game. Give me an insight check.

Speaker 4:
[104:51] Okay.

Speaker 13:
[104:58] It's gonna come back to haunt me. I hate that I'm rolling this good. I know that sounds weird.

Speaker 4:
[105:05] 18.

Speaker 6:
[105:08] Moment of fear on his face as he saw you were looking at him that appears to have been dissuaded by the pleasant looks you gave him. He was reading you very closely. He wanted to see if you were suspicious of him. And he's not someone that knows you well. This is a guy that I think you guys did business 15 years ago when he was a lot more honest and you were a lot dirtier. Does that make sense? You know, like the Pentegral was on the up and up and whatever he was doing was on the down and down and it has only continued in that way.

Speaker 13:
[105:49] Do we want to talk to Pimley?

Speaker 18:
[105:51] Well, I think one of you two should. I'm not sure if the Arcane Marshal should take point on this one, but I will be standing at the ready to back you up.

Speaker 19:
[105:58] Do you want me to go to the table or do you want to try and get him to leave?

Speaker 13:
[106:01] I think you should leave the table. I don't think we want to mess with these guys, personally.

Speaker 19:
[106:12] If he knows you, you can bring him into a corner.

Speaker 13:
[106:16] I'm going to get up and go to the loo.

Speaker 4:
[106:20] Lovely, you go to the loo.

Speaker 13:
[106:21] And as I walk by, I'm going to just run my nail across my teeth, and I'm going to cast Message to Pimley. Meet me in the bathroom.

Speaker 6:
[106:33] Oh, give me a persuasion.

Speaker 1:
[106:37] Poopies, is that what you said?

Speaker 18:
[106:39] Every time, I'm like, oh, I should have, I could have touched you, given you a guesstimation.

Speaker 13:
[106:46] Okay, 18.

Speaker 5:
[106:48] Wow, wow.

Speaker 19:
[106:49] As a great part of it.

Speaker 13:
[106:51] No, no, no, wait, I was looking at performance. I was looking at the wrong one. Dirty 20.

Speaker 19:
[106:57] There is a play that has the line, there is an art to the building of suspense, though it can be done by luck alone.

Speaker 5:
[107:06] It's a key of good plays.

Speaker 6:
[107:08] Pimley.

Speaker 10:
[107:08] Yeah.

Speaker 6:
[107:12] Pimley, you guys are watching outside, see Pimley look around, check around places, gets up and goes, right, well, it looks like I buffed it anyway, just won the fucking Annie, so I'm going to go, I'm going to go piss. You see that the bruiser looks at him and goes, he goes, we already dealt the cards, mate. Hey, your cards. And you see he says, whatever, just put them back in the deck. Bruiser goes, it's not how it works. And you see that Pimley looks up at him and goes, all right, hey, anyone want to play my hand? And he looks over, and I think he looks up at your guy's table.

Speaker 15:
[107:59] Oh, I'll come in.

Speaker 6:
[108:00] Yeah. Good.

Speaker 19:
[108:01] Oh, there's an open seat.

Speaker 15:
[108:03] God, I was hoping it would be one.

Speaker 6:
[108:08] You go and sit at the table as Pimley gets up and moves to the bathroom. You see across, you are now sitting across from the aristocrat who looks at you and says, pleasure, welcome to the table.

Speaker 10:
[108:23] Thank you for playing Mr. Mourn's hand for him. The seat is yours for as long as you'd like it, given that he rudely excused himself from our game. I'm Drusbin Fortunada.

Speaker 15:
[108:34] Drusbin Fortunada?

Speaker 4:
[108:36] Wow, Drusbin.

Speaker 9:
[108:41] And what might I call you, my good man?

Speaker 19:
[108:42] Oh, you can call me Delix.

Speaker 4:
[108:45] Delix.

Speaker 15:
[108:45] Delix Blix, it's pleasure.

Speaker 9:
[108:47] You see he looks and says, Delix Blix, pleasure.

Speaker 6:
[108:50] Give me insight.

Speaker 4:
[108:52] Blix, what?

Speaker 19:
[108:53] You heard me.

Speaker 9:
[108:55] Why not, why not?

Speaker 19:
[108:57] No, well, that was cocked, I'm gonna, that was cocked. That was not cocked, insight, dirty 20.

Speaker 6:
[109:05] Dirty 20, the name Blix doesn't ping any of the three people here.

Speaker 5:
[109:11] No, it wouldn't.

Speaker 9:
[109:13] So you see that he says, well, Mr. Blix, we're delighted to have you play with us. Are you familiar with this version of the game?

Speaker 10:
[109:22] We're playing Aziri Holden.

Speaker 19:
[109:25] Am I familiar with this version of the game? I'm familiar with this version of the game.

Speaker 9:
[109:28] Splendid, well then, you'll play the cards as they were dealt to Mr. Morn, do you accept? Oh, of course.

Speaker 10:
[109:32] Before looking, Morn.

Speaker 15:
[109:34] Oh, of course, what is the buy-in for this?

Speaker 6:
[109:37] The ante right now, you see that the bruiser looks and says, Small is one, big is two, gold.

Speaker 19:
[109:47] Well, go big, I suppose, and I throw two gold down.

Speaker 6:
[109:51] You see that the bruiser sort of smiles and says, Welcome, it's a lively game. We're not playing like we got a great sense of urgency, mind you, but we're here mostly to enjoy each other's company and play a little bit of game fortune. You see that Arnesia, the wizard, sort of says, I don't know about you, this is not true. I am extremely trying to, Wizardry does not pay the bill, so I'm trying to try my hand as a professional gambler.

Speaker 19:
[110:20] Oh, how is that working out so far?

Speaker 10:
[110:21] Deliably, I'm down 40.

Speaker 19:
[110:23] Oh, dear.

Speaker 15:
[110:26] And you, you brick wall of a man, what is your name?

Speaker 10:
[110:32] Ooh, la la, you flirt that hard, you're gonna get in trouble.

Speaker 9:
[110:36] Gus.

Speaker 19:
[110:37] Gus, pleasure. If Delix is too much, you can call me Del.

Speaker 12:
[110:42] Del, I love the name Del.

Speaker 19:
[110:44] Mr. Blix goes as well.

Speaker 9:
[110:45] Mr. Blix, all right, Mr. Loos, well, you're big.

Speaker 10:
[110:48] So, bet and see you on the show, let's kick us off.

Speaker 6:
[110:51] And you, we're gonna move to the bathroom.

Speaker 1:
[110:57] I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing.

Speaker 5:
[111:00] Seem like you knew what you were doing.

Speaker 19:
[111:01] You start setting up a line.

Speaker 10:
[111:03] You see, you see, you see, you see Pimley Moran walks in.

Speaker 13:
[111:11] Yeah, it's single, single stall, single room bathroom, I'm assuming.

Speaker 6:
[111:14] There's a small area that has three single stalls, but they have a little washbasin, so there's space. It's not just a toilet behind a door. It's a washbasin and a toilet and a little towel hanging from a, a little bit of linen hanging from a hook.

Speaker 8:
[111:27] Dol-Makjar got inside plumbing?

Speaker 9:
[111:28] Inside plumbing, baby.

Speaker 10:
[111:30] The whole city is built on a slant with a river.

Speaker 9:
[111:33] That's easy, get this shit out of here.

Speaker 1:
[111:35] I do not want to live down there.

Speaker 13:
[111:38] Shit does, in fact, roll downhill.

Speaker 1:
[111:41] Aqueduct.

Speaker 13:
[111:41] Of course, I'm going to do a quick check and make sure we are alone.

Speaker 6:
[111:44] Hell yes, give me a perception check.

Speaker 13:
[111:47] Just open all the doors, make sure no one else is in here. Okay, 15.

Speaker 5:
[111:53] Skadoosh.

Speaker 6:
[111:56] 15, you don't detect anything toward in here.

Speaker 13:
[112:00] I am going to position myself to where I'm going to be up against the wall so that when the door swings open, I'm a little bit hidden.

Speaker 9:
[112:12] Cool.

Speaker 6:
[112:13] You tuck behind out of line of sight. Pimley walks in, turns to you. He, you know, sees you and goes, Oh, hi, Murray.

Speaker 13:
[112:27] Shut the door and lock it.

Speaker 6:
[112:32] Roll initiative.

Speaker 3:
[112:34] Are you fucking for real right now?

Speaker 6:
[112:35] Roll initiative.

Speaker 11:
[112:36] Whoa!

Speaker 8:
[112:40] It's giving me a lot of things. Did you roll high?

Speaker 13:
[112:43] I did roll high. I did roll high. My initiative is bad though, cause I'm clumsy.

Speaker 10:
[112:56] Oh god, I didn't know what I'm doing. Okay, 16.

Speaker 6:
[113:00] He also rolled a 16, so it's going to be rollies again.

Speaker 17:
[113:04] First roll is it?

Speaker 5:
[113:05] Five plus two is seven.

Speaker 12:
[113:07] Ten minus one is nine.

Speaker 6:
[113:10] Murray, you guys are acting a split second apart.

Speaker 10:
[113:15] All you know is that he's about to cast a spell.

Speaker 20:
[113:17] He's about to cast a spell.

Speaker 6:
[113:20] You go to lock the door and he's about to cast a spell.

Speaker 8:
[113:22] Doesn't necessarily mean aggressive spell, but it could.

Speaker 13:
[113:28] Hold person.

Speaker 5:
[113:29] Oh.

Speaker 6:
[113:30] Here we go.

Speaker 5:
[113:31] Okay. Okay, your difficulty on this spell is a 14. It's a wisdom.

Speaker 8:
[113:41] Never shit where you eat.

Speaker 6:
[113:42] It's a 14, which means our dear friend, Pimley, with a minus one to his saving throw, needs to hit a 15 or higher on the die.

Speaker 11:
[113:53] Okay.

Speaker 5:
[113:55] 14, one away, he is held. Whoa!

Speaker 6:
[113:58] Describe what happens as Pimley, you see, as you go to lock the door, he started suspicious, and that suspicion was allayed by you smiling from the table like everything was okay. Seeing a hand go to lock a door, this smuggler has not kept his skin for 20 years of doing dirt by not acting fast. However, you're acting a little bit faster.

Speaker 13:
[114:20] I imagine it's like a quick draw moment. Like, as soon as I see his fingers twitch, I'm just gonna be a little bit faster.

Speaker 6:
[114:26] Yeah.

Speaker 13:
[114:26] And just hold them.

Speaker 5:
[114:27] Yep. You and watch him give me Arcana with Advantage.

Speaker 8:
[114:35] Keep rolling that same die, might change.

Speaker 4:
[114:38] Yeah, right.

Speaker 5:
[114:39] Oh, oh.

Speaker 13:
[114:39] Arcana with Advantage is gonna be 20 total. Nope, 21 total.

Speaker 5:
[114:43] 21 total. Our good friend Mr. Mourn is halfway through the components of a Misty Step spell.

Speaker 13:
[114:52] Ah.

Speaker 6:
[114:54] But he is frozen, so.

Speaker 13:
[114:58] Now why are you trying to leave so soon? That's rude. Look, I just wanna talk. I know we've had our times in the past. It's been a while. It's been a while. But I honestly just wanna talk. I don't have any beef with you.

Speaker 6:
[115:17] His mouth is unable to move, but you do know that the Message Cantrip will bypass the condition that he is currently in.

Speaker 13:
[115:25] All right, well, hold on a moment, I'll send him a message.

Speaker 12:
[115:27] Cool.

Speaker 13:
[115:28] Where's Jiménez?

Speaker 9:
[115:31] What the is wrong with you?

Speaker 13:
[115:45] You know, Emily, so many things, I think somebody asks me that at least three times a day at this point.

Speaker 9:
[115:53] I don't know shit about shit, okay, Murray? The kid is gone.

Speaker 4:
[115:58] I don't have him anymore.

Speaker 13:
[115:59] If I let you go, if I drop this, will you promise not to fucking leave?

Speaker 20:
[116:04] Promise.

Speaker 6:
[116:06] Give me a persuasion check.

Speaker 8:
[116:09] Oh, man. Have him anymore.

Speaker 11:
[116:12] Oh.

Speaker 13:
[116:15] I will use my, can I use my portent now?

Speaker 20:
[116:17] I have to do it post, pre?

Speaker 6:
[116:19] No, you can replace a roll with portent.

Speaker 13:
[116:21] I will replace this roll with portent.

Speaker 20:
[116:24] You said this is a persuasion check?

Speaker 9:
[116:26] Yeah.

Speaker 13:
[116:27] Okay, so I'm going to use my last portent for 16.

Speaker 5:
[116:30] Okay.

Speaker 9:
[116:33] He says, I'll talk, drop the spell, drop the spell.

Speaker 20:
[116:39] You fucking promise?

Speaker 9:
[116:40] I fucking promise.

Speaker 10:
[116:41] What do you want me to do?

Speaker 20:
[116:42] Drop the spell.

Speaker 13:
[116:45] Why were you trying to run?

Speaker 9:
[116:47] Trying to run?

Speaker 6:
[116:47] You could have locked the fucking door.

Speaker 13:
[116:49] I just wanted a little bit of privacy.

Speaker 9:
[116:52] Well, who's pulling the blue candle shit?

Speaker 13:
[116:55] Well, I saw you had a little bit of a reaction to that now, didn't you?

Speaker 6:
[116:59] Well, I didn't fucking know who was after the kid, did I?

Speaker 13:
[117:03] But you know something's going on with them. You know, for sitting at a high rollers table playing as a whole, do you have a real shit poker face?

Speaker 9:
[117:12] Yeah, yeah, fuck you. We want to fucking, okay, fine, get your shots in.

Speaker 6:
[117:17] Why, because now you're fucking running for the Tachonis, you got the big guys at your back, okay? Full court press to find this kid, look.

Speaker 10:
[117:28] What do you want me to say?

Speaker 6:
[117:30] Okay, look, I've been doing some work with the fucking, he looks over and goes, I've been supplying some stuff for Tanvon Nendash over at the Toadstuffer. It's an apothecary, I mean, it's not a licensed apothecary, but they do some apothecary work. And the kid comes in there a lot for... He's got the fucking iris thing, the iris, you know, the middle part of his eye is see-through, right? So the kid gets crazy fucking migraines. And especially if he's doing a lot of magic. So he comes in there, he gets some eye drops for the migraines. And he gets the, he gets a little, when he can afford it, he gets the shit for growing a beard in a little bit. But, you know, he knows that I get Tanvar, the stuff that he kind of can't get for himself. And he knows that I have ways of getting around the City Guard, especially with the fucking new marketplace laws. So he showed up at the Apothecary after closing time. When did he show up? It was, this would have been last night, I think? He looks and says, he goes, yeah, this would have been last night, which you know would have been the night of the...

Speaker 13:
[119:00] The clean up?

Speaker 6:
[119:00] The clean up.

Speaker 9:
[119:01] The hottest, the roasting.

Speaker 6:
[119:04] He showed up around one in the morning, asking...

Speaker 13:
[119:08] After the clean up?

Speaker 6:
[119:10] Yeah, after the clean up. Okay, okay. Yeah, showed up around one in the morning. Looked fucking, you know, terrified. And he was exhausted, he had been casting spells all night. And he said, I need you to help get me out of the city, I'll give you any amount of money. And I told him, there was a misunderstanding, I said he had to pay up front, he said he couldn't pay up front, you know, I said, all right, we'll figure something out, you know, I'll help you out.

Speaker 1:
[119:38] So, I got him in the, I got a secret compartment in one of the carriages I used, we were going to move him out of the city, and as I had him in the back there, Tanvar came out and told me that some news had come in that they were looking for this kid, that they were Tachonis looking for the kid. Now look, I don't stay in my line of work for just any old fucking reason, so I turn the carriage around. The kid had borrowed money from the Crowkeepers, all right? So I knew that he had that loan to them. I took him over to Zaggy, who, you know, I'm not fucking proud of it, all right? But I had it.

Speaker 2:
[120:29] I left him out to dry. You turned him over to the Crowkeepers, is that what you did?

Speaker 1:
[120:34] I wasn't going to turn him over to the Tachonis. Kid wants to get out of Dodge, go deal with the people you owe money to, all right? And I wasn't going to take him out of the city because he couldn't fucking pay me. What, I gotta be a charity now? I gotta take people that have the fucking sundered houses coming after him and I gotta ferry him out of the city myself?

Speaker 2:
[120:50] Keep your voice down, please.

Speaker 1:
[120:55] Kid comes to me and turns out he's fucking glowing like a beacon, calling every fucking horrifying power the city has to offer. Yeah, I dumped him. Couldn't pay me, already knew that the Crowkeepers wanted him, so I collected a bounty from the Crowkeepers and I fucking took one.

Speaker 2:
[121:16] Jesus.

Speaker 3:
[121:18] Okay. Oh, Pimley.

Speaker 2:
[121:28] All right, so you said you dropped them off with Zoggy?

Speaker 1:
[121:32] Zoggy, yeah.

Speaker 3:
[121:33] Zoggy?

Speaker 2:
[121:36] Is Zoggy like one of the leaders of the Crowkeepers?

Speaker 1:
[121:40] Yes, I think you would probably, you've heard that name, but go ahead and give me a history check.

Speaker 3:
[121:43] Okay.

Speaker 4:
[121:47] So it begins.

Speaker 2:
[121:49] 11?

Speaker 1:
[121:50] I actually don't think you might have heard of Zoggy, which means that they're probably not big in the arcane. You're dealing with the underbelly as fully arcane.

Speaker 3:
[121:58] Okay.

Speaker 2:
[122:01] All right. Did he happen to tell you anything else? I mean, you just rattle off a bunch of shit without me even asking you a question, so clearly you're in the thick of it.

Speaker 1:
[122:13] Well, you fucking froze me. I don't know. I want it communicated to, you tell your bosses that I don't know shit, okay? I don't have them anymore. As soon as I found out they were looking for them, I got rid of them. I would have brought them to the Tachonises, but they can't know what I'm doing, and everything I'm doing is against the fucking law.

Speaker 2:
[122:36] Yeah, that makes two of us mutually assured destruction between the two of you, so you understand that, right?

Speaker 1:
[122:46] I love working with everybody.

Speaker 2:
[122:48] Pimley?

Speaker 1:
[122:50] I got no, I have no, everyone is my friend. I don't have any enemies. I love what everybody does.

Speaker 2:
[122:56] Yeah, everyone being your friend is exactly why I'm a little bit nervous that you're going to run your mouth, you understand?

Speaker 1:
[123:05] Nobody can keep a secret like me. I don't just run my mouth and say a bunch of shit, okay?

Speaker 2:
[123:09] Confirmed absolute bullshit.

Speaker 1:
[123:12] What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do, all right? The Crow Keepers saddle me up with the bounty they had on the kid. If they want to turn them over to the Tachonises, that's their business.

Speaker 3:
[123:24] All right.

Speaker 2:
[123:26] Besides, what's a lowlife like you sitting at a table with Dresspin Fortunata?

Speaker 1:
[123:34] Oh, well, I was trying to clean him out of his fucking money, but it keeps getting pointers from this Gus character.

Speaker 2:
[123:43] Got any aces up your sleeve cheating a little? He's lying, right?

Speaker 1:
[123:53] No. I don't have an ace up my sleeve. I have a jack. Ace is obvious. You don't want to throw too many aces around. Look, the point is this.

Speaker 2:
[124:04] I agree.

Speaker 1:
[124:12] I made some money keeping my house in order. I gotta work with the crowkeepers every day. They get protection money from everybody. There's not a smuggler in the city that doesn't have to run things by them. They just got a bet. They just had their fucking guild master assassinated in broad daylight. So, you know, they're on the back foot. They're looking for a win. Okay. And they're going to try to find friends where they can. And if they know they can count on me, that's for the best. I heard Tachonis and I said, I got this kid off my hands like a fucking hot potato. And I did. I'm sorry. I'm not a hero.

Speaker 2:
[124:52] Yeah, I don't think there's room for heroes in Dol-Makjar right now.

Speaker 1:
[124:58] So you called me in here for this?

Speaker 2:
[125:03] What did you think I was calling you in here for? A little happy ending?

Speaker 1:
[125:09] I thought we had, a couple years ago, I thought we had a flirtation. I thought we had a, I don't know. I thought we had, I thought we had, I thought it was nice. You got a nice beard, it's cute.

Speaker 2:
[125:28] I'm going to go around, I'm going to turn, I'm going to start to unlock the door.

Speaker 1:
[125:32] So that's a no. Okay, I asked.

Speaker 2:
[125:37] Not over my head, fucking body. Hey, I'm going to close the door again, though, and I'm going to get up in his face. If you fuck me, Pimley, and I don't mean in the way that you wish, if you fuck me. You're going to have Tachonis's on your head faster than anything that you've ever witnessed before, you understand?

Speaker 1:
[126:07] Give me deception or intimidate.

Speaker 2:
[126:13] They're the same, so I'm going to go with intimidation.

Speaker 5:
[126:15] Let's go.

Speaker 1:
[126:16] Here we go.

Speaker 2:
[126:19] You want this to go with the fuck me, fuck you die.

Speaker 1:
[126:20] Let's see.

Speaker 3:
[126:21] Okay, let's go. Nine.

Speaker 1:
[126:26] Nine. He looks at you on that nine and goes, why would our destruction be mutually assured?

Speaker 2:
[126:46] I imagine just by having this little clandestine meeting, puts me in a little bit of a vulnerable position, wouldn't you think?

Speaker 3:
[126:56] Why?

Speaker 1:
[126:58] People not know you're doing this? Don't kid a kidder, all right? I didn't make you walk off to the straight and narrow. Now you're trucking around with academics and bureaucrats. That's your world. Don't stay out of the stye for 10 years and try to roll around in the mud with the rest of us like you ain't got rusty. You gonna let me out of this bathroom, or I'm gonna finish that spell?

Speaker 2:
[127:35] Can you hold my neck a little bit? It's a pleasure catching up, Emily.

Speaker 1:
[127:42] Likewise.

Speaker 2:
[127:44] Open the door.

Speaker 1:
[127:45] And he scurries out very quickly. Hal, I think you make your way down at this point. Okay. And see Azune alone at the table with Bolaire playing. Go ahead and give me a gambling check, if you'd be so kind.

Speaker 6:
[128:07] What is a gambling check?

Speaker 1:
[128:09] I'd like you to give me, it's either wisdom or charisma, depending on your play style, plus proficiency, if you're proficient with this gambling set.

Speaker 6:
[128:18] I am not proficient with this gambling set.

Speaker 1:
[128:21] So this will be raw charisma.

Speaker 6:
[128:23] Raw charisma.

Speaker 1:
[128:23] Raw charisma or raw wisdom?

Speaker 6:
[128:25] Raw charisma. Ooh. Seven.

Speaker 1:
[128:31] Seven. You draw, you draw a queen in your first two cards. Before the first spread hits the table, the common cards, what does Bolaire bet with a queen in his hand?

Speaker 6:
[128:50] I'm going to bet another two gold.

Speaker 1:
[128:52] You go for it. A couple different cards land and you get, there is a king and an ace and a 10 on the board in the opening three cards, which means with a jack, you would absolutely, with a jack, you would absolutely clear, but you have a queen and a four. You see that, but there's going to be some more common cards drawn and if any of them is a jack, you're going to have a straight.

Speaker 6:
[129:31] So Dresbin, that's the name?

Speaker 4:
[129:35] Oh, Dresbin.

Speaker 6:
[129:36] Dresbin, excuse me. New money or old money?

Speaker 1:
[129:40] Ha ha ha! What a forward question. Would it be gauche to say both?

Speaker 6:
[129:48] Ah, it's fascinating to say both. It certainly, I feel, leads to a bit of a story. I've never heard that before.

Speaker 1:
[129:55] Well, let's just say that I don't sit on an ancestral fortune idly. I've put mine to work.

Speaker 3:
[130:03] Hmm.

Speaker 6:
[130:04] What sort of work, if you don't mind me asking?

Speaker 1:
[130:07] Uh, haberdashery, fine clothing. I work with tailors.

Speaker 6:
[130:13] Oh, you know, I know a few tailors in town.

Speaker 1:
[130:18] Really?

Speaker 6:
[130:19] Yes, what were their names? Oh, dear. A pair of brothers, if I recall?

Speaker 1:
[130:25] You don't possibly mean the twins, do you?

Speaker 6:
[130:26] The twins, that's right. Yes. It's very difficult. I can never tell them apart.

Speaker 1:
[130:31] The mercenar, oh, delightful. What gentlemen, yes, absolutely.

Speaker 6:
[130:35] Do you work with them out of curiosity?

Speaker 1:
[130:37] I do. I supply many of the fine fabrics that they use in their tailor shop, but many of the finished garments. As tailors, of course, they often fit to size. We just, I just sold them the longest vest I've ever seen. I've seen one of my own two eyes.

Speaker 5:
[130:51] Oh, I think we know about that.

Speaker 1:
[130:54] It's essentially a gown.

Speaker 3:
[130:55] Oh, yes.

Speaker 6:
[130:57] Perhaps there's some sort of sentient, charismatic snake in town. I have no idea.

Speaker 1:
[131:03] Ha ha ha, you're a god.

Speaker 6:
[131:06] Oh, bless you. Sadly, at the moment, that is to be seen.

Speaker 1:
[131:12] You see that the gust turns to you and says, what's your trade?

Speaker 6:
[131:17] Antiquities, actually.

Speaker 1:
[131:19] Antiquities? Fascinating. That's a very fascinating trade. Do you work in a private shop or with a collection?

Speaker 6:
[131:29] Mostly with a collection, although I'm sort of in between collections at the moment. Things are a bit topsy-turvy, times being what they are. But I do a little bit of business with mostly above board. And that's what I'll say about that. You are also a fascinating character.

Speaker 1:
[131:50] Who, me?

Speaker 6:
[131:50] Yes, did you come in with Ms. Despin or are you...?

Speaker 1:
[131:55] No, no, I've only just met. I came in here to play some cards. Traveling through town, I'll be here for a short time.

Speaker 6:
[132:00] What for, if you don't mind me asking? Reasonable if it's not my business.

Speaker 1:
[132:05] Traveling for some business with the Revolutionary Council just in town for a short time. No, oh my. I formed a soldier, but now I've gotten myself involved in politics.

Speaker 6:
[132:16] So you've decided it's time to get your hands dirty.

Speaker 1:
[132:22] That's exactly right. I believe Miss Vane is waiting on you to make your bets, sir.

Speaker 6:
[132:26] Oh, yes, two gold.

Speaker 1:
[132:30] The betting continues around. Another common card comes up. This one's just a five. The betting's back to you. You still have another chance to make that straight.

Speaker 6:
[132:42] I have six gold in. All right.

Speaker 3:
[132:45] Hmm.

Speaker 6:
[132:46] I haven't played in so long. And it was either way, this is a little nerve wracking. Dressipin, what would you do in my situation?

Speaker 1:
[133:03] Well, that's hardly sporting. I'm playing against you.

Speaker 6:
[133:07] Well, I just assumed you would have a decent opinion.

Speaker 1:
[133:11] You see, he says, well, I think that Gus is bluffing. He seems a shady character to me. You see that Gus goes, excuse you. And you see that Arnesia looks and says, perhaps it is best for you to fold, huh? And you see that Gus looks and says, only you can play your codes, mate.

Speaker 6:
[133:36] See, I was worried about her, because she seems like the smart one.

Speaker 1:
[133:42] What, she's 40 gold down? I don't know.

Speaker 6:
[133:46] Well, sometimes it's about taking a risk, and I put in four more gold.

Speaker 1:
[133:52] You put in four gold. It goes around the table. It gets to Gus, and he calls it, you're now the only two in the hand. The last card comes up, and it's a seven. You don't have the jack.

Speaker 4:
[134:09] Mm-hmm, because we know who does.

Speaker 1:
[134:12] Correct. Looks at you. Betting to you, my friend.

Speaker 3:
[134:18] Hmm.

Speaker 6:
[134:20] Now I'm afraid I must fold.

Speaker 1:
[134:23] He says, terrible. Height when a light, he breaks your heart. And he puts his hands out and draws all the gold into himself, correctly guessing that you had a queen in your hand. And you see that, Hal, you enter and see Azune.

Speaker 5:
[134:43] Yeah, so I'm going to say, you threw in that I came in a little while ago, so I would pitch that I came in, and as soon as I left the Round Trees sisters, instantly starting to feel anxiety about even asking, and I'm absolutely worried for her safety and worried that I'm going to bring doom down on somebody's head. But I've had time to take in the room, and I see Azune at the table, but I catch Bolaire deciding to be at a gambling table tonight, and he's seated with Motley Crue. Can I ask you something? Is there anything that stands out about Gus, because Liam believes this is King Gus from out of town, from Timone. Is there anything about this man?

Speaker 1:
[135:31] Give me a perception with advantage.

Speaker 5:
[135:43] That is a 12.

Speaker 1:
[135:45] On a 12, you overhear the name Gus. This man does not seem Riegel. He has thick biceps, broad back. He really, and he has a fucked up face like he's been in combat. Like, he looks like a mercenary. I would allow you to give me another check, but you'd have to move to the table to get a better look.

Speaker 5:
[136:07] I will go and sit with Azune, who I think that's in like 10 or 15 feet.

Speaker 1:
[136:12] Yeah.

Speaker 5:
[136:12] Yeah, okay. If I'm hearing the name Gus, I think Hal's, his thought process is like, oh, that's weird. I just met King Gus's retinue. I just recommended this place. There's a guy named Gus, couldn't be. And I sit down at the table.

Speaker 1:
[136:28] You sit down at the table and watch these guys continue to play. Azune, you've also been probably overhearing the conversation. Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[136:36] Yeah, I've been trying to. And I've been having an eye on where Murray went towards the bathroom. As soon as you join, I'll just quickly catch up to speed.

Speaker 5:
[136:45] How did this happen? Why is it happening?

Speaker 4:
[136:47] There's a fourth member that hopefully is about to return from the bathroom after having had a conversation with Murray, who is a gnome that knows something about blicks. Murray went to have a conversation with him in the bathroom.

Speaker 5:
[137:01] There's someone here in this room tonight.

Speaker 4:
[137:02] Someone here, the person that was playing cards with them that Bolaire stepped in to play on behalf of. Yeah, a lot happened while you were gone.

Speaker 5:
[137:15] And I can't process all that, so I just go back to watching this card game for a moment, and I'm staring at this guy with the scarred face.

Speaker 1:
[137:26] Give me one more perception check.

Speaker 5:
[137:29] Come on.

Speaker 1:
[137:31] Come on.

Speaker 5:
[137:32] Support me.

Speaker 1:
[137:33] Support me.

Speaker 5:
[137:35] Yeah, it's 21.

Speaker 1:
[137:37] The pommel of his sword is a snarling dog's head.

Speaker 5:
[137:48] It's busier tonight.

Speaker 3:
[137:51] Wow.

Speaker 5:
[137:53] Okay, I'm not going to interrupt. I just walked in. I don't know what's going on.

Speaker 1:
[137:58] You see that as the character continues, Gus looks over at you, Bolaire, and says, Mr. Blix, I'm a traveler in town. This is my first time in Dol-Makjar in a while. We've been conversing politics and faith and all those things that strangers are supposed to avoid.

Speaker 6:
[138:16] Dull.

Speaker 1:
[138:18] Dull. What's of interest to you? I'm acquainting myself with your lovely town.

Speaker 6:
[138:27] Art, philosophy, history, storytelling. I like knowing the core of what people think, not the things that hide them. I like the truth, especially truth that is wrapped in a tail or a lie.

Speaker 1:
[138:51] My word. But this is a town of academics. Well, then here's to the truth, hidden or plain to see.

Speaker 6:
[139:03] Cheers to that.

Speaker 1:
[139:04] Cheers to that.

Speaker 6:
[139:05] If my money has to go to anyone at this table, I'm glad it is you.

Speaker 1:
[139:11] Money hard to come by in the antiquities business or is business good?

Speaker 3:
[139:14] Uh...

Speaker 6:
[139:16] Business is chaotic at the moment. No one knows what heads or tails are. Things are... Things are complicated. There is an order to the... There's an order to the world, and when you shake it, for good or ill, people get hurt. I'll ask a question of you. I tend to find that this is a fundamental way of understanding anybody that you're at a... At a dinner party with or table. If you had the power to command very fundamental forces of the universe, to say that anybody caught committing a crime who was guilty was punished and caught and had to pay completely for their crime, whatever appropriate amount that might be. But in return, one out of every 50 of those people were, in fact, innocent. Or would you have a world where every innocent person who was caught and convicted of a crime is let go and found to be innocent, except one out of every 50 of those people was, in fact, guilty? What world would you want to live in?

Speaker 1:
[140:46] Mr. Blix, if we lived in a world where only one in 50 guilty men walked free, what a marvelous world that would be. My care is always to the innocent.

Speaker 6:
[141:06] Anyone else at the table care to weigh in?

Speaker 1:
[141:08] I wasn't paying attention, what did you say?

Speaker 6:
[141:11] That does not surprise.

Speaker 1:
[141:14] Murray, I think you leave the bathroom at this time. You guys see Pimley mourn. You recognize Pimley, who sees you and just goes, ah, fuck, and then darts out into the, just like gets, he's out.

Speaker 2:
[141:26] He'd leave?

Speaker 4:
[141:26] Okay.

Speaker 1:
[141:27] He leaves The Seven Stars.

Speaker 4:
[141:28] And Murray, you return.

Speaker 6:
[141:29] Oh, I'm...

Speaker 2:
[141:30] I think I'm gonna come out of the bathroom and I just kind of lean up against the door, jam a little bit, and I just look at Azune.

Speaker 4:
[141:37] How far away are you? 60, 80, I'm gonna...

Speaker 2:
[141:41] Maybe 20 feet, maybe?

Speaker 4:
[141:42] Message to your brain. How'd that go? Should I chase him?

Speaker 2:
[141:51] But I know where Demidus is.

Speaker 4:
[141:54] Oh, I will nudge Hal and direct him to Murray, and I will just whisper to you, mission accomplished, Murray knows where Demidus is.

Speaker 2:
[142:08] And I'll say back.

Speaker 4:
[142:09] What are you, are you okay?

Speaker 5:
[142:12] I think so, I think so.

Speaker 4:
[142:16] How are you?

Speaker 5:
[142:16] Sorry, there's just a lot of moving pieces in this.

Speaker 6:
[142:19] Is it what happened to you tonight?

Speaker 4:
[142:22] Is it because of what happened to Misha?

Speaker 5:
[142:26] That is a big part of it, yes, yes.

Speaker 4:
[142:28] Do you want me to do something to him? The lieutenant.

Speaker 5:
[142:34] Oh, I don't know, let me mull that one over. Bolaire?

Speaker 6:
[142:42] I actually don't even know if you would know it's me.

Speaker 5:
[142:44] I'm actually, oh, are you changed out?

Speaker 6:
[142:47] Yeah.

Speaker 5:
[142:47] Oh, okay. Then I won't say that if you're not.

Speaker 1:
[142:50] Yeah, I don't actually.

Speaker 4:
[142:50] Well, I did point you out today.

Speaker 1:
[142:52] Okay, so you know that it's Bolaire, but you wouldn't call his name out because you know he's a disguise. Yeah.

Speaker 5:
[142:55] Okay.

Speaker 6:
[142:57] Well, I think I may have to take my leave. I was only supposed to be here for a hand or two on your friend? I'm not even going to assume.

Speaker 1:
[143:07] You see that Drossbin says, where is Mr. Mourn? You see that Gus just goes, he's run off and left quite a stack of gold on the table to do so.

Speaker 6:
[143:16] I think that belongs to all of you. I will take my leave. Dressbin, it's been something. My lady, I hope your luck does change and Gus, was it?

Speaker 1:
[143:30] It was real.

Speaker 6:
[143:33] I hope that politics do not stain your character.

Speaker 1:
[143:37] Amen. That's a worthy prayer, my friend.

Speaker 6:
[143:41] I have a friend at the museum, if you're ever in the mood, to take a look at a few things. I have many friends there, but just look up Bolaire Lathalia. I'll, I think it'll be worth your time, if you ever want to see things around. Get a sense of things.

Speaker 1:
[144:07] No?

Speaker 6:
[144:08] Eight.

Speaker 1:
[144:09] He says, well, the Reven of Antiquities, I shall be sure to take you up on your offer.

Speaker 2:
[144:17] I'm going to look at Azune.

Speaker 6:
[144:19] Goodbye, goodbye, and you.

Speaker 1:
[144:24] You guys join at the table.

Speaker 2:
[144:25] I'll, I'm not even going to sit down because I don't want to implicate them, just in casey's. So I'm going to just message Azune and say, meet me in the alley out back. I'm going to head out back.

Speaker 1:
[144:42] Cool.

Speaker 6:
[144:43] I'm going to head out the front door if I see everyone.

Speaker 1:
[144:47] I think you two guys are about to head out from your table, presumably. Yes. You guys see, walking through the door, an extremely put upon hound you recognize earlier as Martin, walks in looking around, and walks into the back room, right past your guys' table. As he does, he goes, Oh, Mr. Fang. Hello.

Speaker 3:
[145:08] Oh.

Speaker 5:
[145:09] I see you've taken me up on my suggestion. Welcome to The Seven Stars.

Speaker 1:
[145:13] Yes, thank you. I wasn't planning on coming here tonight, but that's fine. And you see that he says, excuse me, walks into the gambling area and goes, Ahem, your majesty, your presence is required back at the estate with your sister, the duchess, and the prince, your nephew. If you'd be so kind, we should be on our way. Thank you, your majesty. And you see that Gus stands up as Dresspin goes, What the devil is the meaning of this, your majesty? And you see that Gus says, Most pliant. And just shovels the gold into a bag. Like his guy. And turns around and walks past. You see that Martin, as he's walking past, with the guy out the door says, Your majesty, this is the benefactor who spoke to your sister, who gave that recommendation that she absolutely should not have, knowing that you would immediately take her up on it when we have pressing matters. And you see that Gus turns and says, Halandil Fang, is that right?

Speaker 5:
[146:17] Augustus, King Augustus.

Speaker 1:
[146:20] As in the flesh.

Speaker 5:
[146:21] Come from Timony.

Speaker 1:
[146:22] Yes.

Speaker 5:
[146:24] Well, that is the great thing about Dol-Makjar, sir. We get the most fascinating guests in all the world within our walls. Most of them make a run for the finer neighborhoods. The smart ones spend some time with us common folk.

Speaker 1:
[146:41] He puts a hand out.

Speaker 5:
[146:45] I take it.

Speaker 1:
[146:46] He shakes your hand. It's a pleasure, Mr. Fang. I appreciate the recommendation. The finer neighborhoods are filled with some of the most gifted and studied liars in the world. It's nice to come to a place with a little bit more honesty.

Speaker 5:
[147:05] Come and see us at the theater in a week.

Speaker 4:
[147:06] We'll try to deal you some truth.

Speaker 1:
[147:09] I will do the best I can. I'm afraid that my time here will hopefully be more limited than that. If you see me in a week, it will be because things have gone horribly awry.

Speaker 5:
[147:18] So your retinue told me. Well, here's hoping against hope.

Speaker 1:
[147:21] I appreciate it. You see that he looks over and says, we are staying at the estate of a merchant, Harving Beausprit. Feel free to send some tickets past. Perhaps some of my retinue will stay in the city and we'll wish to see the show. The name Harving Beausprit is familiar to you as someone that knows Elodie.

Speaker 5:
[147:43] Elodie, okay, got it. Your Majesty, for your visit, I would be doubly on guard. The city's a little tense.

Speaker 1:
[148:05] You recently, if I'm understanding, worked with the Chamber of Lords' advisory to come by the Dee to your theater.

Speaker 5:
[148:14] That's correct, yes.

Speaker 1:
[148:19] Your work with the Candescent Creed, it's a positive relationship?

Speaker 5:
[148:25] It's newer, I have still been feeling it out, but I have a few there who are supportive of what we do in the Hollow Realm. Should have read the fine print, but it's true of the world around.

Speaker 1:
[148:45] It's always the way, innit? Well, a kindness, deeply appreciated. And yes, I'm sure some in my retinue would actually love a chance to see a great work of theater here in Dol-Makjar. So the kindness is appreciated, even if I'm not able to make it myself. He looks over and sees you, the two people that are standing here with Hal, he nods.

Speaker 4:
[149:09] I give him a very deep and respectful nod.

Speaker 5:
[149:13] I turn and go like.

Speaker 4:
[149:16] How tall is he?

Speaker 1:
[149:18] He's like 6'4. He's a tall, he's a very tall, muscular looking dude. He's a, he's a, looks a little bit old, like probably like early 50s. And, or maybe, yeah, maybe like mid, mid, yeah.

Speaker 5:
[149:39] This is a soldier turned monarch.

Speaker 1:
[149:41] Soldier turned monarch, yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[149:44] If I can study how, I think I'm looking at his, whatever, battle scars. I can read off of him, like, there's stories there.

Speaker 1:
[149:54] Yeah.

Speaker 4:
[149:55] That's a language I speak.

Speaker 1:
[149:58] Give me a investigation check.

Speaker 4:
[150:00] Okay. That's cool.

Speaker 1:
[150:01] Do it with advantage, because you're doing it on battle scars.

Speaker 4:
[150:08] Oh, 23, 20, 30, 20.

Speaker 1:
[150:12] A lot of things you'd expect to see, the one across the face should have killed him. It's wild that he survived that. Wow. That's a last minute turn, that's someone going for the head and catching a corner of the helmet at the last minute and glancing off to the side. You see that he's got a bad burn on his arm that you recognize as not a battle scar. It's a square, it's a rectangle that comes to a finer point, it's clearly a poker, a fire poker. Oh. He looks to you and says, soldier, part of the Revolutionary Guard.

Speaker 4:
[150:55] Yes, Lieutenant of the Arcane Marshals, Azune Nayar.

Speaker 1:
[151:00] Good man. Appreciate the amount of arcane goings on in a city like Dol-Makjar, so imagine that's not an easy job. Also understand that you probably just wish to farewell to a lot of your comrades, yeah?

Speaker 4:
[151:14] I did, yes. There's quite the dismissal that happened.

Speaker 1:
[151:19] Understood. Well, best of luck to them and appreciate the recommendation very well. And he smiles and takes off with the hound in tow.

Speaker 4:
[151:37] Good boy.

Speaker 1:
[151:41] And I think Murray, you're also standing there. Oh no, you went outside already.

Speaker 2:
[151:44] I went back. I'm waiting in the alley back.

Speaker 1:
[151:47] So they head out. You two guys, I think, join your companions outside.

Speaker 4:
[151:50] Absolutely.

Speaker 6:
[151:52] I've already cracked my glass face off, so I'm back to normal.

Speaker 4:
[151:58] And I will, if we're not at the alley yet, I will lead everybody to the alley where Murray told me she would be.

Speaker 2:
[152:05] I think Murray's just swiped a bottle of wine off of the table on her way out from someone, and it's just like taking big swigs from the bottle of wine, like stress drinking.

Speaker 5:
[152:17] I walk up and take it from you. Belt it back. So much happened in the last hour.

Speaker 2:
[152:23] That was so much.

Speaker 3:
[152:26] Okay.

Speaker 5:
[152:28] Notes, compare notes. We're in a, is anyone around who wants to kill us?

Speaker 6:
[152:32] Always.

Speaker 1:
[152:33] Go ahead and give me a perception check.

Speaker 6:
[152:36] Throw one in there.

Speaker 5:
[152:37] It's a 14.

Speaker 1:
[152:38] 14.

Speaker 6:
[152:40] Not better. Well, actually, 15.

Speaker 4:
[152:46] We have a room upstairs. If we need to confer, maybe that's better than the alleyway.

Speaker 6:
[152:52] Or just to save time, we could start heading to my apartment just to get that going. And you said something about a lead.

Speaker 2:
[153:03] I know where Deminus Plex is.

Speaker 6:
[153:06] Well, there we are.

Speaker 1:
[153:07] And with that, we'll go to break.

Speaker 5:
[153:10] Keyword.

Speaker 1:
[153:11] Keyword. Deminus Plex. Break.

Speaker 4:
[153:16] Okay, okay. Crowkeepers, huh?

Speaker 2:
[153:20] Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. We're gonna have to try, I'm gonna get everything in order in my head.

Speaker 1:
[153:24] Get everything in order in your head. We'll come back from break. You sneaky Pete! And that's where we'll leave our story for now. Part two of this episode of Campaign 4 drops this Tuesday. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you soon for more Critical Role.