Behind the Curtain

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Should we level up? It's 10 o'clock. Oh, yeah. I was having fun talking. I know, I know, but. And getting yelled at intermittently by Susan. Uh, who's feeling it? Who wants to go first? That'll be easy. All right. Oh, drag and drop. I'm going to take another level of Roug. Okay. How do you? Oh, yeah, right. I'm trying to remember how to do things down. I don't remember how to do this either. I refuse to do it. I'm going to make Jason do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, you feel needed. You go to the compendium. The compendium packs. You pick your class. You take your class and you drag it on to your Yes.

Then the little pop up comes up. Don't forget to click over to roll for hit points. Because we roll here. I clicked roll. And then I get a feature grant, a six level self-preservation. I get two of those. So I will be taking evasion, which when I make a dexterity saving throw, when you make a dexterity saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a success, you take no damage on a success. and half damage on a failure. So I'm basically just negating the half damage effect. And then I'm also going to take when a melee attack misses you, you could use your reaction to move up to half your speed.

It's basically just rolling away and I get no opportunity attacks. All righty. So I'm going to submit that. Like I said, mine's easy. Oh, you got a two on that hit die, which brings you up to a total of 46, because you've got a four for con. Holy shit. Yeah. Plus four, not a four total. It's because of that annual, like I wear. Yeah. But that is nice era. Uh, Jasper, you want to go next? Sure. All right. I'm going to go. Let me make sure I'm doing this right. So on depth. I just drop it over there? No. Right on the character sheet. Yeah. It popped up. Yeah. Hit points roll.

Feature Grant is. Sorry, let me get my notes. Hurricane walk. Boom. Feature Grant. Okay, so I have Hurricane Walk. Basically. Oh shit, where did it go? I picture Mime Walking. I don't think that's what that is. So. Hurricane, well, you're going to hate this. I can use a bonus action and spend one exertion to cast fly on myself. Yes. I also have advantage on stealth checks related to noise. Oh, hey, you need that with your boots. Exactly. So now I can, it would at least counter it for a little bit. Five and six is when we start stacking on the... Actually, you don't hit me.

And also, I get a dick. Like, it gets to that level of like, cool. It's flavor-wise, though, it's like it's one more ratchet up of all of the being really, really quick, really fast on the, on the field. So it's not like flying up in the air. Maybe. It's a jet pack. You're the rocketeer. There you. Oh. Oh. Oh, my God. Yes. That's my path now. There's absolutely my path. All right. Feature Grant is distant death dance. I love this one. Distant death dance. I want to tell you what this one does. As a bonus action, spend a couple of exertion to start what's called the distant death dance.

Until the end of my turn, my reach with unarmed strikes, increases to 60 feet. So I'm that quick narratively. I have disadvantage on melee attacks against creatures more than 20 feet away from you. So I still have a disadvantage, but if I wanted to be able to do an unarmed strike, I can start from 60 feet away. And then just be like just anime. Some dog and shit is what it is. All right. So I'm going to submit. And... Oh, another two. It's the number of the night. There you go. I think that's it. Is that everything I need to do? Oh, I will say one thing. This is, knowing that my...

What is it? My... Mnevers? No. Well, I know I get another maneuver in here, too. But I'll figure that one out later. No, I'm a Dara. caro, Daraara Kerala Keral. That means I'm the gun slinger, basically. That's my background. Archetype. That's my archetype. I couldn't remember the word. Right. At sixth level, my, this is really cool. I infuse my spiritual focus into my firearm. So basically, whatever's going on with what Ruby's doing, my attack with firearms count as magical for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance. immunity. So now. Does that mean, does that mean your punches are also magical now?

Only, only insofar as if, if something says, like, you can't cause damage unless it's a magical weapon. Right. So, yes, then. So, yeah, in that case. Yes. So your punches are no magical and reach out 60 feet. We can. Well, we can talk about this. because I think it's what it's saying is my attack with firearms, because the archetype that I have, narratively, your firearms are attached to. It's true. I feel we could limit that to any ranged, you know, bolt that's coming. I don't know that her punches need to be magical. I think that would be a step too far, but personally.

But I can see this. This could be a finally she's got around to an upgrade with some, you know, Adamantium or something. I feel like narratively you're due anyway, where it's time to, you know what I mean? Yeah, give her a little extra. If you're going to do something like that, it's the city to do it, I guess. Like you go. Ian? Yeah. Let's see if I do this right. Well, six. I'm going to take Warlock. Roll on the D8. I get an Eldridge evolution, which is something for my Eldridge Blast. There's a couple of options here, and I looked over him and I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

But Eldridge Spear is the one I'm going to choose because it means I can shoot an Eldridge Blast from 300 feet away, which is hilarious. We're going to do that. We're just never going to be near anything. Yeah. Two! Ladies gentlemen. All two. All twos, all twos. All twos. Okay, that puts you up to 43. I feel like you guys are getting cool shit and then making up for it. Yeah. You're welcome. Did that work? Did that happen? Oh, it busted. Yes. Okay. And then I get an archetype thing as well. As well as an additional spell. And I think, speaking of the fuck you, fuck you, you, you, you dig thing.

I mean, I'm going to take a counter spell as my next spell. That one's a little. little more. Silver barbs in here. Let's do it. Yeah. Well, it's interesting because that one's got a little more going on than your usual 5E. Because like, I think in you, I think in D and 5E, D&D, it's just counter spell. It's whatever. If it's a higher thing, then you have to roll for it. This one, that's all the same. But you get a chance to cast a spell that's like half as powerful, basically. I won't read all the wording here, but yeah, it's something like if you successfully counterspell and it's a higher spell, you can kind of take some of that momentum and throw it back or some shit?

Yeah, the person who gets counterspelled can still cast a spell. It's just a lower level spell. They still get a little bit of like something to do. Which I thought interesting. Yeah, it's a kind of a different version of counter spell. But it's a it's a different version of counter spell. But it's a, it's, it's, Cool. So I'm going to take it. And my archetype thing is called dogs of hell. When I kill a creature targeted by my curse or under the effect of one of my warlock spells, the patron conjures into your service, either a ghoul or a debt dog. And of course, it's going to be a dog.

I don't know why you'd want a ghoul when you can choose a dog. But the dog comes. Yeah. Well, per the rules, only. one. But a ghool dog sounds pretty cool. Yeah, but a death dog comes out. It disappears after a minute or if you get unconscious or when it reaches zero hit points. And yeah, when you get a little bit higher, it that levels up a little bit further down the road. But yeah, I get a little dog sometimes. And we did discuss this. Like, you know what we're doing with that dog. All right. Yeah. Excellent. Hey, Jameson. Yeah. We're going to do a little of a Marshall.

Am I doing it or you doing it? I'm not doing it. I'm busy. He's busy. He's usually rolling up, Jason's top. So I got a couple of things here. Only one decision to make, but everything else. I'll just read it real quick. Call to arms beginning a sixth level. Basically, anybody within 20 feet of me gets an expertise on their initiative role. Oh. So we all. I don't remember that. What is it? What is it? Where is it? If we, if you're within 20 feet in when combat starts, you get a expertise diet on your initiative role. Nice. So I need that. I need that. We don't need it.

Then I get a martial renown. Your deeds take root in the hearts of the people. As a leader, you are more famous than most adventurers. You had half your proficiency bonus to your prestige rating. Prestige isn't a system. I don't think we've really been doing. But, I was thinking about lumping it in because you guys have visited a few cities now. Well, so here's the thing is I get to choose between famous, infamous, or maverick. I have no idea with those meet. So famous meet says when you arrive in a settlement after you reveal who you are, local authority figures seek you out to make introductions and invite you to share a meal or drink.

In addition, you gain an expertise die on persuasion. That's weird that you get to pick it and it's not based on your... What we're done? I mean, it's not based on three and you can pick it because... No, no, no, no, no. It's just such a weird thing that, like, what if you've got it everyone you've ever met? And you're like, have a drink with us. I do it say, at the narrator's discretion, there may be settlements where you cannot utilize this feature. So... Okay, okay. So, like, yeah, like, if we went on a murdering, spree. You might be like, right port doesn't fall under that, you know, whatever.

Right. Yeah. No. And you guys have helped out pretty much everywhere you've gone. Or convince people that we have helped. That's the story is. My work here is done. So anyway, infamous doesn't fit and Maverick doesn't fit. So we're going to go with Famous. I think. That's fine. Can you just let me know what Maverick is? Maverick, when you arrive in a settlement after you reveal who you are, the local watch, starts keeping an eye. on you, heads of illegal organizations may introduce themselves if you have goals well suited to your talents. Guards expect you up to no good.

I don't know why you would pick this one. Why would you? That's the opposite. This is like, well, why would you? Yeah. So I guess if you want to be in good with the Assassin's Guild or something, you would pick that. Yeah, I was about. Maybe that would be a nice era if she announced she was Raven's breast. Yeah, that type thing. But I would make your life infinitely harder. Yeah. That's why she needs. That's why she needs. Never says who she is. Yeah. You don't want to be a famous. Yeah. And then the third thing I get is I get another lesson in war, but I also get versatile exploration, which means I can choose a martial lesson in war, or I can choose a fighter one, which is cool.

So I'm going to take a fighter one called Weatherbeaten. Exposed to all kinds of weather over your life. You are inured to all, but the most deadly effects. You gain advantage on saving throws against cold and hot weather as well as any adverse effects from wind or precipitation. That almost makes sense just because of the armor. You know, you're wearing a house basically. Like you are in a haven. That's kind of. I'm always trusting an haven. I bring my own with me. I'm a fucking periwinkle. All right. I'm going to hit submit. And we're going to roll. I get a real hit ice.

Oh. Yeah, let's have him roll it. Let's see what. Yeah, let's see what you would have rolled. But we're going with that. I'm stepping up to the plate. Yeah, we can go with that. You took up on yourself. I think we should stick with it. I know. Not too bad. I got to set. I didn't take it upon myself. It's part of the level up thing. If you think you're so fucking high and mighty, you're going. I'm saying I just rolled higher than three other party members. combined. That's all. Can I get an additional plus one to my hit points for being a dwarf, please? It factors that in automatically.

I don't think so because I had 48. No, wait, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, give me 11. I want another one, though. Can we do that? You didn't want to do it, but you're going to second guess my work? Come on. Yeah. Spook as like a real leader. Yes. I get some extra for being a... being a teethling too, I think. Definitely. I get some extra for being me. I get some for serving also for a serving. So yeah. And there's a guns out. There's a guns out bonus as well. Guns out. Yeah. Oh, shit. Which don't do again. Reiterate. Don't do it. Don't get in shape, guys.

You must be in my dream. I'm in pain. I hate it. Instagram looks great, though. You've had to have more powerful. Yeah, because I've got to get wet. I've got to get wet like yours. I got to get that flu. Right. I get that. Get me up off hours. I'll give you some tips. It's fine. Thank you. Behind you. We're going to get you real slick. Flim energy. We're going to give you that wet sock energy. That's really. Yeah. Anyway, that was great, guys. See ya. Yeah, good tush, good tish. We've leveled up, yay. All right. All right. You guys just killed a ghost. Yes, that's right. Poor.

Yes. So, Jesus, this spirit is a limit. You're not exactly sure. Did your kill it? Did it? You banish it or something. You're really sure that you hurt it. You're not exactly sure if you just destroyed it. Like, did you just like, how do you kill a ghost basically? Because it's, you've actually put a ghost to rest before. That wasn't this. This was way different. So I guess you got to ask, are there different flavors of ghost? Is this like a, like a halfway between? Everything you're saying. Everything you're saying right now is all of Ruby's thoughts. These are all of her thoughts.

This is not like the other ghost, but I thought, but maybe there's a ghost. Maybe there are different flavors of ghosts. That means I have to find more ghosts to find out. And you just like behind her, Kimer is just like, mm-hmm, it's true. There are. Yes. And he's just like, you're saying out loud. Yeah. Yeah. She's processing. What the fuck with that? Yes. Good question. And is that what happened to Oren? First of all, Lagrin, are you okay? I saw him grabbing onto you. Is everything okay? Is everything fine? No, yeah, it was just a ghost. I think it can't even touch people.

So it's fine. Just a ghost. It was just a ghost. Can we? Oh, I'm still smoking. Oh, that's right. Are you okay? We got you a, wait, we got you a potion, right? Like, above him, we got you like a potion, didn't we? Okay, good, good. Can we make that canon that you're all just so used to nice of your being okay? Yeah. Logger and it's like, oh, God, are you all right? Meanwhile, like smoldering flesh coming on. Longgreen is as sure, though, he's like, they definitely can't hurt you. Their only ghosts. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know what she's on about. You get a glare. And you lose a hit point from that glare.

Wow. That's a worse than the ghost. Okay. Okay. So Ruby's doing this thing where she's sort of pacing back and forth a little bit like, okay. Okay. Okay. Wait. So it was kind of. kind of cool that these things were kind of like popping up every once in a while kind of like a little bit of a mystery we don't really know what's going on let's not talk about it this is this changes the game completely this is every one of those things could be trying to hurt us and everybody else here and where's a war in I should just pacing pacing and pacing and pacing I have a theory I think he got grabbed by one of these things I don't know where they took him but that's my Working theory.

Do you think there's like a level of antagonism? Like, because we're no longer in, our host has been taken. Now we are considered out and this is a city defense. All he said when we first saw it, he said they were a little embarrassed by it. He wasn't worried about it or anything. So what's changed? Our host has been taken. We got to find him. She's going to look at longer. I know we got to go. I know. We got to find him. It's the least we can do. We can try. But if another ghost comes out and gets one of us, then we're just, we're going to leave. I don't. I will be right.

I'll be in front of you, racing to the gear heart. Well, you're much faster than me. I wasn't. That wasn't a dig. I mean, if I had thought of it. I mean, we're all much faster than him. That's the point. Anyway, I'll pick you up. Meet you at the gate. Can we pick him up? He makes it very serious face. He makes it very serious face. Like, don't threaten that. All right. Well, where are we going to look? We've all dressed. Like, we've all gotten our normal outfits back on. I thought we called. Oh, I think that was like the first thing we did. Yeah, we got that. Yeah.

I just like the vision of you fighting ghosts dressed in your finery. Yeah. Kimer would fight in his finery for sure. I just want the Therian village people. That's all. Like that. Should we go find that Taylor? We could. Yeah, we could see if the neighbors know anything, if they saw anything. If he was dragged out of here, maybe there's boot prints, drag marks. I still think a ghost got him. Am I crazy? We just got attacked by a ghost in the middle of a magical city where people don't even know what we're like and we're from like next door. Nothing's weird here.

Everything's weird here, I guess. Are any of his clothes around? like, raptured style? There's a smoldering pile of ash anyway. Yeah, no. The place looks tossed, but it doesn't look like... Yeah, it doesn't look like he turned into a ghost, I guess, if that's the question. No. Gotcha. Okay. I'll check with the... I'll check with the neighbors. We'll start there. Ruby would want to... to just head out into the street, not like guns blaring with fireworks or anything, but, but head out just to sort of poke around. Maybe he's, he was dragged behind, you know, the house or down the street or maybe this only happened a few minutes ago or something like that, just kind of scanning and scanning and scanning and scanning rooftops and down below and looking for, you know, they've been through the city a little bit, but not like looking into the, details.

Yep. Yep. Nitero will join Ruby in the searching of like alleyways and rooftops or nearby area for signs of him being dragged away. Give me an investigation check. I am going to join the session. What is your, uh, when you join? Yep. Give me. My investigation is four. And I guess one of us could roll and take the expertise since we're helping each other. Yeah. Okay. God. I think the plus one for teamwork. Oh, yeah. Are you outside? Auburn? Yeah. I mean, Lovern didn't stay. I assumed we all went outside, right? Okay. Okay. I'm just making it. Okay. It would be very funny, though.

I'm going to check the neighbors. And they're like, we're going to check the alley. And Lerner. I'm just open the window. Plus one. Let's go wait here. I'm just going to stay here. My investigation is four. Okay. Do you want to do it? Or should I? You can do it. No, you do it. Okay, I'll do it. Okay, I'll do it. Plus an expertise. And plus one. And plus one. And I'm just going to, we're just going to do the math, whatever that thing, because I don't know how to add one. Oh, wait, do I just add a one there? And also, I shouldn't roll because we're in a city. I just remember.

Oh, good point. Oh, there we go. Okay, great. This should be everything. All right. Here's my investigation check. I'm sorry. I helped. It's a 15. 15. Oh, that's actually pretty good. So, so it doesn't look like he was dragged down any alleyways or anything like that. It does, however, look like. someone was snooping around back here. Maybe listening to conversations or something like that. Because it looks like someone stooped next to a window or something like that. Like they were either peeping or spying or something like that. But you definitely see evidence of like someone crouching and like kind of, you know, mulling around back here.

Yeah, Ruby would be pointing it out to everybody and looking around for any what's next. Like, where did this person go from crouch? Was it going in a window? Was it how did they get in? And then knowing what that looks like, like maybe their footprints or something like that, then looking to see, well, if they got in, then now I know what it looks like when they got out. So just trying to piece some more things together. This is very Witcher 3, by the way, to me. This is very much like the... Just the red... The red... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I'm following a trail here, but...

Is there anything else that is being picked up? in terms of where we can go next or where this person might have left or was it just one person? It doesn't look like it doesn't look like more than one person. And while you're kind of stooped down, like looking, you're going to, you're going to hear movement coming back from down from down. the alleyway, the front of the house, basically, the front street. And you're going to hear someone call for you very officially. Like, they are both trying to get your attention and they are not screwing around. You there.

You guys stay here. You want a stealth. I'm not stelving. Longroom's going to go. You guys, you guys keep looking. I'm going to go find out what that's about. Ruby stands up and looks the other direction. direction. Like, it's not me. Bidt in shadows. Yeah. I'm here with three fucking people whose first instinct when their voice of authority is to run away. Yeah. It's like, it wasn't me. Yeah. Yep. So you're going back and talking to them. Yeah. Basically, like, if we're in trouble, I'm going to buy them time. And if we're not in trouble, I'm going to buy them time.

So. Come on. Hurry up. I am. I am trying so hard. They're going to kind of look at each other. Like, it's like he's fucking with us, right? This is not his top speed. It can't be. Like, that's, you know. And the one guard's actually going to like, cross his arms, like, waiting. Almost do the Sonic the Hedgehog rest pose. like just tap in its foot. I'll slow down. I'm that spiteful. I will go 10. You're also going to notice that there are five guards here. That is not an amount of guards they send for, hey, how you doing? What's going on? Can we help you today? That is not an amount of guards for that.

But these are paper people. Yes. Yeah, so he'll emerge from the alleyway and it'd be like, can I help you? I was going to address the slowness again. But where are your compatriots, we were told that there were more of you. Told by who? He goes to say. and the other guard like puts a hand on his shoulder and she'll speak up. Never mind who. The point is your visitors in the city and already you've disrupted things. Where are your other party members? Well, I'm only asking who because it seems like you might have been misinformed right now. It's just me. I'm the only one here.

Ruby is actually probably still looking for clues. but kind of just pretending that she's not doing anything wrong and just hyper-focusing a little bit. So she may be visible. Yeah. Okay. Give me a stealth check. Just to like. She's not trying to be stealthy. Sure. But give it to me anyway. Just see if you ask her. Accidentally stil. Accidentally still. Because there's kind of a wall standing in between you and. Yeah. Yeah. 19. Okay. So Logger just kind of blocks out like you crouching way down the alley behind. So can I get a deception check from Logren, please?

Sure care. You know what? I'm going to say Ruby, maybe partly for this, Ruby's climbing up to try to get a better view and like to look around. Not to get away from anybody, but to do a little investigation up there. So maybe she's not a visible. She climbs in the view the moment he's like, if just me. Hey, log, red. Well, it's also, you guys have been here for a day. They don't get many visitors. And it's really galling. It's like, what? I don't have friends. That's crazy. Just it's a pretty big lie to try and tell. Yeah. So this woman is going to become visibly impatient.

You're making this much more difficult than it needs to be. King Sarian wishes to see you and you do not want to keep him waiting. Trying really hard not to ask if I'm being detained. Um, I'm a sovereign citizen. Try that defense. That works great. I pay your tax. I pay my taxes. I pay your fucking. Your wages. Every once in a while I say something and I could watch. Susan implode because it's a law thing. And it's like, oh, I bet she has like stories or something. I can't wait. Damn. I love watching sovereign citizen things. They're so fucking funny. There's nothing funnier than a smart moron.

Smoron. So he'll change tactics a little bit. So he'll be like, all right, well, that sounds really important. But right now we're actually investigating a missing person. I don't know if you'd have any interest in helping with that. One of these guards is going to try and grab your hand. and put cuffs on you. They are officially trying to arrest you now. What fucking cuffs that they have are going to fit around my knee-ass wrists? That's a good question. Big stone armor around me and everything. He's going to be like, they're just going to use Chinese finger traps or something like that.

Oh, no. Just don't. So is he like initiating a grapple? Yes. Okay. You resisting? I'm not so much resisting as like, I think he's just going to stand there like, what are you doing? We're taking you into custody. Right, but you just heard the part where I said that one of your citizens is missing and we're trying to help. They're not missing. Oh, did you take them too? Once again, that woman is going to put a hand on his shoulder, and he's just going to go back to trying to arrest you now. Like, officially, if you are not resisting, they're going to cuff you.

So from above, Ruby on whatever. She's on the rooftop now. Yes. So at this point, she's just, she's up at the top. She's standing like wherever the gutters are. She's just going to say, you need help down there, Logran? Yeah, it seems like they're trying to arrest me. I'm not really sure what their plan is, but I don't feel like being arrested. She's just, she's just going to stare at them, just waiting to see what they're going to ask her to do. Up there. Oh, that woman's going to speak up again. Come down here, join your friend, and we're going to take you into custody.

Hello. Hey, I just have a question. Well, all of this is going on. Could Nithira, she stels, probably went down the alley. Could I have gone around and behind them? Maybe like cross the street and behind them? I, in my head, I have a, I have a way the streets laid out. So let me try to communicate that. Hold on. Yeah. Like, if you went down the alley, came out like a few houses down. down, then cross the street out of their point of view. Right. And then maybe behind the houses on the other side of the street down that alley. That's a lot of walk. That's a lot of stealth.

Maybe at some point which is far enough way running. Okay. That helps me. Like that's it. Yeah. I don't think a conversation was that long. Yeah. It's not like half movement sneaking. Right. Right. Right. Right. Let's say yes for now. Let's say yes. Not doing anything with that. I just want Niterra to be on the other side of the street behind them. Okay. Ruby sees that. I imagine. Oh, from above. Yeah. She's just standing there just watching at Lagerin, looking down at Lager and looking at Lager and looking at these people trying to like... Oh, you know what? Nizier might take out a hand mirror and flash it.

So you see like a flash. So you don't see her. Yeah. Yeah. Ruby knows. Ruby knows that night there is there. The only person she can't right now figure out exactly where he is is is chimera. Which I have a thing for that. When you finish your thought. I think the only thing that. I think Ruby would sit down, legs hanging over dangling over the side and just say, let me know what you want, boss. I mean, if I'm being honest, and he kind of looks towards the guards, like he's inviting them into this conversation, even as they're actively trying to arrest him.

So if I'm being honest, all we want to do is get out of here. And the only thing that was keeping us here was trying to figure out where that guy went. But now that you've so helpful, he told us where he is, we don't have to look for him. so we can just leave. We're just going to leave. While this is happening, I'm going to use my once-a-day disguise self and disguise myself as an elegerine guard. And I'm going to come. I hear this. And also, what was the name of their king again? Saurian. Saurian. I'm going to come running out from somewhere from this building.

And as soon as I see them, go, oh my goodness, thank goodness I found you. Orders just came from King Sarian. There's trouble up there. They need you immediately. All of this, orders have changed. This isn't happening anymore. Not important. Someone's been killed. We need your help. So they're going to stare at you for a moment. Don't just stare. We got to go. That woman's going to get a look in her eye. And this has been very, like, cutie and fun and stuff like that. And she's going to tap on the insignia on her chest. And it is going to start to glow along with every member of her unit.

And yours absolutely does not. Oh, no, I forgot. And she's just going to stare at you and wait for you. I said something. I ran here so quickly to find you. I forgot to put it on. I'm so sorry. Thank goodness I found you, though. We have to go. New Orleans. orders. Sounds like you got new orders. She's going to whisper something into the guards here next to, and two guards are going to step forward and actively just try to cuff logger now. They're done with that. She's going to start walking toward chimera dressed as, you know, disguised as the alladron. What's your name?

Bonzo. It's a proud of Lager name. We're going to be there. Banzas, yeah. And your guard here. And your guard here. Yeah. I am. The flattest expression? Like no. No smile, no grimace, no nothing. Just asking, like, it really disconcerting look. And I know you don't know me. I'm fairly new. But I know you. And I know you're important. But so you know my name. Well, I know of you. There's a lot we had to memorize coming up. In your training. Yes. And I certainly know your face. then you know I've trained every guard in the city. Except with one exception. She's just... Just digging that hole.

Keep digging. It's almost endearing. It's like the ball's on you. Like, does this usually work? Like, there's such a... It's that... It's the Eladron thing of like, the rest of the world must be fucking stupid. Like, really, this works? Like, this is a thing. And she's going to put her hands down and lean in. I really don't want to make this difficult on you or your friends. We don't mean you any harm, but you need to come with us. I'm actually really sad that you don't remember me. I'm Bonzo. I remember your training very well. Are you going to make me embarrass you in front of all these people?

That would be impossible. They're not embarrass a man without shame. I don't know. I feel like Ruby is watching this from above. Like it's a, just a really bad stage play, like the whole scenario. Does Logren let himself get cuffed? I don't think they can cuff me if I don't comply, right? Like, like, if they, like, string a couple of different cuffs to like to make a bigger cuff. They're a rope out. It's also a city of magic. They'll just use enlarge and something un-fucking cut. Like, it's a world of magic. Like, if you could find armor that turns you into jug or not, like, we can, we can make it work.

I'm sure they've had big people roll through before. Yeah, but like if I don't raise my arm. Sure. These paper people cannot make me raise my arm. My strength is 20. It's 18. I'm sorry. It feels like this one. So you're technically resisting because you're not letting them lift your arm. That's like, yeah. Like that's, that is a very Elon must defense. Oh, that's like, I just go away. Exactly. Same thing. Elon must six year old. Same thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I do a twuck. Like same energy. Right. So. Yeah. Yeah. You are resisting if you're not co-op. operating, basically.

So now it's the time to make that decision. All right, we'll go with you. But you're not putting handcuffs on me. So, uh, the guy. You're not really in a position to make demands. You're in Odysia. You're going to follow Odysseus' laws. I don't really want to make this more difficult than it needs to be. So why don't we just go? go when you're going to go. We'll talk to your king and then we'll get out of your air. So, okay. They know Ruby's on the roof. They have told Ruby to get down. Ruby's not getting down. Not till Lagrin said so. So imagine these people.

And imagine cops. So you take arrogance and then you take. And then you take, a position of of respect that you're not respecting. And it's getting to a point now where something's going to give. Well, fine, I'll go with you, but you can't cuff me. And I'm one of you. I am bonzo. Like this, this nonsense. And you're standing on a roof and they're even know about shadow lady. So like, it's getting to a point where, all right, tase them, fuck it. Like, it's getting. So. If this was the United States, we would have all been shot by now. You all would have been shot.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Ruby's staring at Logren looking for any sign from him to give her eyes, you know, like, come on down or something like that. If she's just waiting for a sort of orders. But if he were to, if he were to do so, she would. Yeah. I mean, he's like he, for him, he's like, we just want to leave. leave and it's like, okay, well, I'll go with you, but I don't, I'm not going to where you're not going to cuff me and he's like, well, we have to cuff you and he's not. You know, we're feeling that. So, um, I get it. Yeah. Right, sometimes you just don't want to be handcuffed, you know.

It's about consent. Yeah. It's about consent. And also, he's, Lagerin still thinks that these people are made out of paper mache. Like, he's afraid to start a fight. I've gotten that impression. Yeah. Like, he does not, like, whatever credible threat these five represent, he does not feel it because we are, we are over one. On touching these people and having them survive. One for one, you shook Orin's hand. Oh, that's true. Yeah. It wasn't very gingerly. Yeah. Also, we watched one of them drink poison. Yeah. That's true. That's true. That's true. But the data is all over the place.

I agree. It's not coelating. It was not liar and should have been counted. So the two guards in the back are going to Misty step up to that roof. Got to be on either side of Ruby. And now they're just like, let's go. She's just dangling her feet, right? She's just doing this. Like, just waiting and waiting and waiting. And if they go poof-poof next to her, she'll roll her eyes and just jump off the roof. and try to land like next to logger and wherever she can. Basically, she's just like, fine. You didn't even ask me how tall this fucking building is. I assumed, well, okay, fair enough.

Fair enough. If this is that tall, I assume that she was just enough that she could actually hear what was going on. It's the second story. It'd be fun. She'll be fun. Can I get an acrobatics check please? You certainly can. All right. Oh, yeah. Yeah, Jason, what was that? She'll be fine. She'll be a good. That's a crit. She swan dives off and does a triple flip. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. She's like, fine. Like, she doesn't even talk to them. Not even worried about them at all. They just pop up. She's like, fine. Boom. Critical success. I rolled on the skill of critical success.

But you were extra quick on your feet, helping you avoid danger. you may add a 1d4 bonus to your AC to the next attack that would hit you if that happens. So she's just feeling a little confident right now. With good reason, I mean, that shouldn't be. But yeah, sure, why not? All right, yeah. Loggin doesn't want this to escalate. So when Ruby hops down next to him, he's in the first real life, but that was really cool. And then secondly, he's going to say, You just be like, all right, listen, I don't want to turn this into a scene. You take us where you need to.

Naira, come on out wherever you are. You know, it'll just point to Camara. You stop doing that, please. Like there, she wants one dig. Right behind someone. Boo. Just one. I didn't even ask for a stealth check. And I... We got one. really cool moment. But you're inside a city and not currently fighting. Do you? I'm terrified to ask. Okay. I'll do it. I'll do it. Trips on a cobblson. So many knives just go. Just go. Oh, dang. I have inspiration because I rolled one last time. Do you want to use your inspiration on this? Okay. That was a deception. That was a deception. Whoops.

I didn't even roll stealth. I'm sorry. What is stealth but a lie? Oh, my God. Yeah, because I get advantage on stealth because it was one of my feats I took. I forgot. So that's another net 20. That's another net 20. So, okay. Reflects on these guys. This speaks to a level of invulnerability, you guys are feeling. And this is level six. And you are not taking this seriously. And this is being noted in my head. But Elandron mocked basically mocked us the entire time we've been here. Put us in like costumes and like belittled us the entire time. That's true. Give us this one moment.

I'm getting. I look. No one's attacked you. I'm just saying. Really? Because I still have damage. Okay, that's a ghost. Eladron ghost. Yeah. In the Eladron city. You didn't clock its race. It probably was. It was blue. It was blue. Oh, blue race. I don't see a car. But Nithera steps out from I perfectly positioned Allie that had like the sun like hitting it at the right angle where it was like very dark. And she'll step out right behind one of the guards who took up the back and just on his neck. He feels the air. She goes, boo. Just kind of like jump and look behind.

And now this guard's pissed. Like, like it's the Pat and Oswald bit. If you get scared by a butterfly, it's like now it has to die. Like I have to kill it. Like it's just so it not attacking you. But he is going to try and aggressively grab your arm and then put handcuffs on you. Yeah, and I don't give a motion like, like, it's fine, whatever. I don't want to fight these, these paper-mash-a-people in the street. I dropped the disguise. I say, for the record, that usually works. You know what, though? For the record of the four of you, she is the least mad at you.

Just because I think it's like, you know what? Somehow yours was the least disrespectful. But also, you had to have clock me as some kind of idiot. Or just assume everyone's an idiot. And she's just, so there's going to be just the tiniest little smile curl up on the corner of her mouth as she like, takes you by the shoulder and like turned you around and she was like, come on Bonzo. Let's go. Call me chimera. Oh my God. There's. I'm so sorry. Everything that could have gone wrong there just did. I will retrofit slightly because I do have that new feature where I technically, I can move so quickly that I'm effectively flying.

I do want Ruby to come off of that roof. And for there to have been some sort of steam, something, something happened somewhere. If you were watching her, she did a little acrobatics with a little bit of engineering to it. So I'm almost picturing like the velocispring, like the boots from portal. Like the ones that like, yeah. Something. Something's going on here. Your ankles don't shatter on impact. Right, right. There's just something going on here that maybe is just a precursor to narratively why she's got a little extra oomph later on. That makes me feel better.

Because of 31 jumping off the second story, it's like, and just. Well, it does fit that little level up. It's a little bit of, I didn't cast fly technically. That's how it works. But let's make that be more mechanical for Ruby, obviously, I think. But she didn't fly down. But she's trying a couple new things out. And as established, she's always messing with her machines. So there's always something next. So historically, right? Everywhere outside, magic is kind of looked at as at the very least, it's taken with a grain of salt. It is if you're a full on wizard, you are untrusted, you are.

If you have to study to get your magic, Gertz, Like, warlocks are in a position to be more trusted than wizards. That's where we're at in society. It's sort of the opposite here. So if warlocks are looked down upon, because it's like, you didn't learn that magic. You signed a, you know, you know, you did the Columbia house. You paid a penny and got 12 CDs. You did nothing. Like, fucking. I work. Smart. Not hard. Not hard. So machines and stuff like that are just, it's, it's, it's. Looked at as crude. Not like, wow, you really didn't want to put in the study to learn magic, huh?

Cool. Like, you did everything but. So it's kind of that. So they are going to take you into custody and handcuff you. And she is going to start doing a version of reading you your rights, essentially. And telling you why you've been apprehended and why you're going to see the king. But while she's talking, they're going to start disarming you. They're going to take your weapons. Your weapons will be given to you when you leave. Unless you resist. How many of them does it take to take the shield? That is. So these are... I almost want to say that like two or three of them, try to lift it up.

And then eventually they all cast a version of mage hand where they're just like using that to like lift the thing up. They just, it's like just cast empowered mage hand or something. It's like you don't want to use your knees. Oh, well, that works too, I guess. Medals and exercise you could do to really kind of bulk up a little bit. What does she tell us as the reason why we're being arrested by the way? I was just about getting into that. Susan, you wanted to say something? They do have, whoever's searching nice. this part of it has to roll investigation check with a DC-15 and with disadvantage if the weapon is being worn, which it is, and not deployed up.

So they roll an investigation with disadvantage and have to beat a DC-15 to find her assassin's blade. It's kind of the whole point of it, so it can't be found. Sure. Sure. Well... specifically an assassin's. Right. Okay. Let's try it. Investigation. And it's with disadvantage because it's being worn. Yes. Because it's not deployed. Ooh. Well, we'll just drop a five to take a four. So a 10. They're going to miss it. Okay. She'll help them even to, like, distract from the glove. She'll help them take the two out of her boots, take the two off her back, show the one up her sleeve.

Like, she'll be helping. Yeah. So while they're doing that, we have an ungood authority that, one, you have an incredibly dangerous and powerful artifact on your person that you got from Draven. but that's not why we're pulling you in. We're pulling you in because of your talk with Orin. Orin disclosed city secrets that he was not supposed to disclose. And you've seen some things you were not supposed to see. To be fair, and I mean this with all my heart, I wasn't listening to anything he said, and I don't care about anything we saw. I don't care. I won't think about. this place at all once we leave here.

I won't ever. In fact, I'm going to drink. Is there a lot of here? Yeah. Like, he's like, he's like poor. He's like, I will never think about this place again. I don't care. I don't care about you. Yeah. I already forgot your king's name. I don't care. Something that sounds like an apology. I don't know. That's our Canadian branch, Swarian. Yes. You know what? Give me a persuasion. I get advantage because I'm famous now. Oh. You're not. They do know you. Go ahead. Go ahead. This is already getting muddy. This is already getting muddy. We're all in 19. I believe. You just want to make it a crypt for fun and have him roll on the crit table too.

I mean, I might not change anything, but it's very clear that he's being 100% honest. Yes, no. I, I, and that's not insulting at all. We don't give a shit about you. We don't care about it. I forgot your King's name. I'm not going to, you know, like, the whole reason you're bringing me in is because like, oh, no, he's going to tell. Like, I don't, I don't. I won't tell anybody. I I promise you, I don't care enough to talk about this. at all. Please just leave us alone. So she's so she's going to tap her chest again. There's that glow, right? But this time it's going to attach to her hand and she's going to attach to her hand and she's going to hover over chimera.

And where he touched to that ghost, it's almost like a black light. Like, you can see, like, energy. And of course, it's hand. I want to put that on me too much. And then he's going to hover it over, over you, over Laubran. And there's almost like handprints over your chest, like almost like a handbrae where that ghost grabbed you. And then hovers it over Nithera. And Nithera is just lit up with energy that came crack. going off this thing. And she's going to do something very interesting. She's going to pull you into a room. Like a room where the police might question you or something like a very small room.

It's like an interview room. And there are these uncomfortable looking chairs. And she's going to ask all of the other guards. Please wait outside for a moment. And she's going to. usher you in and then close the door. Please have a seat. And while you're doing that, she's, she's, look, I 100% believe you that you don't care about this place or us or the immense problem you've stumbled upon. But Mr. And she's going to kind of hold out her hands like, like, what's your name? Oh, she's talking to me. Yes. Okay. What? The rest of us on. It's talking about her. Yeah.

I like thinking all of that was for her. Sorry, what did you say? I'm really. I'm done. No room with gas. That's it. Right now. I think there would be a beat because I thought out of character, I thought she was talking about a third party. Like Mr. Jones says or something like that. Right. Yes. Okay. So, yeah, there is a beat. He goes, oh, I'm crackboard. I'm crackboard. Mr. Crackmore. We've been a very isolated city for a long time. And we don't like to lean on the outside world. And more importantly, we need to protect ourselves on a way that no other city has to.

And information like the issue we're currently dealing with would be very valid. to certain people on the outside. I need to know what you and Draven discussed. Well, we discussed with Draven, the man in the tower. Yes. And, okay, I don't think you need any insight check whatsoever to get that. She's not that fond of him either. if that helps. Like, she's like, yeah. That guy. Like. Listen, I'm going to be honest with you. He just raved at us for a little while. We told him what we came for. He gave it to us. We listened for a little bit just to be polite. And then we left.

And he simply gave it to you. Yeah, yeah, he had it in a drawer. Okay, there's a look coming every, a fucking what? Like, a look's going to come over her face where she kind of loses that professionalism, that, that stiffness for a second. Yeah. In a drawer. Yeah, I was surprised, too. I am to understand you're carrying an orb of chaotic assault on you. We put it in a box. It should be safe there. It's fine for now. A lot of boxes. Yeah, a lot of boxes. She's going to point. Yeah, like, exactly. She's going to open the door. And I imagine they took your packs and stuff, just putting things aside.

Which one was your pack, ma'am? Mine? Yes. She's going to look at Logger and Roller eyes. Yeah, he'll nod. Here. Let me get it. Please let me get it. Please let me touch it. Not you. She has an organization system. She'll actually take off your cuffs. Oh, they'd like you. Hang on, I'm going to see if she already had them off. Hang on a second. I'm going to see if she already had them off. Hang on a second. Really trying not to kill you guys here, but Jesus, tap dancing Christ. 21. So she had already figured it out. And I want to be clear, this was not to escape. This was just she was fidgeting.

It just fidgeting. Oh, maybe. You. Maybe she goes to put him back on when you see. Oh, shit. Yeah. Oh, right. You want to take them off. Right. Click. Click. There you go. There you go. Exactly. Just growing up in the background for the scene before. I need to see something here. And if she wants to roll for like insight to see the intention, it's not mockery. God, no. No, no. No. And that's what the role is for. And I rolled a 13. So this is, there's two ways to take this at this point, right? This is either such a purposeful, go fuck yourself cop. Or you've never been frowned at in public before.

You've never been questioned. You've never been. Like, you're either so naive that this is how you act with with official city guards. Like, this is how this, this, this, this, this, this fucking clown show you have put on. is how you officially act. Most cities would have shot you by now. Like, definitely. All of the cities in the U.S. So, like, the second you jump off the roof and just, wah-ha, just think you better than me, like, you think you better than me? Like, but at this point, I think with a 13, it's, it's, she's going to assume naivete or, You know what I mean?

And she's going to just close her eyes and just Just please get the orb so that I can see it. Yes, ma'am. And she does very carefully pull this out. She does not pull it out of the boxes. She pulls the big contraption up. You want it out? For now, I just need to see it. All right. Yeah. She'll Frustratingly, but understandingly, all the brackets, all the straps, all, everythings. And then she will lift the lid for her to be able to look like she's just ready to put the lid back on. Yeah. Do you guys remember a couple sessions back? I had you roll for that artifact that you put the orb in?

Do you remember? I think Jasper would remember. Sure. Do you want to see what you rolled? Oh, yeah. The head and roll, yeah. That is right. Yeah, yeah, I want to see it. That I remember. Yeah, I'm just scrolling up and up. Hold on. It's just like an interdimensional box. Is it like a fucking chicken egg in there or something now? Tentical shootout. It's driven. It's driven. I got it. Yeah. Just screams like escape from the box. Oh, God. I am trying to find your role. Where? That would be really funny if it was like the improbability drive and it just like... Like changing different things.

Yeah. The pot of play. Mm-hmm. A cat pops out. It's rotting your box. Oh, it didn't make it. That answers that question. And then it immediately turns into your hellhound. Yeah. Oh, good. So, 14 days ago and 58 minutes. On a D100, I asked you to roll. And that's what you wrote in 18. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay. So I revealed that to everybody. I popped it out. I don't know if you could see it. But 14 days ago, 18. So as you are popping all these open, you're going to get to a point where you like, I, okay, hold on. It just keeps going into smaller. and smaller boxes.

Right. And then there's like a single, like a ring box. It's just going to have a baby clasp on it. And you're going to open that. And there is this tiny square void. Like it's absorbing light. And she's going to very quickly, like close that lid. It's like, hold on. What is this? box. The warp wasn't in this box originally. You said it was in a drawer. It was in a drawer. It was not necessarily the most safe looking orb. So I made sure that we found something to put it in to keep it safe. We are really trying our best here. We're not trying to be dangerous. We're trying to get it. get what we came for and leave.

Safely. That's what this is for. She'll point at the box. This is. She's going to, like, diffusing a bomb very carefully, close the lids again. Close the latches. She's going to open the door and call someone in. And someone in. Someone in these deep, like purple robes is going to very carefully pick up. the box and move it out of the room. No, no, no, no, no, rubies. You find we have paperwork for that. They're going to close the door. That man is going to find out what that is. And we're going to come back to that. Why do you need an warp of chaotic assault?

We're actually brokers for a private collector. who hired us to come locate one. It's being put on display. It is not being used in any way. It is a showpiece behind very thick glass. I'm told you'll find the documentation in Camara's bag. But I would have him dig it out for you. Yeah, trustworthy chimera. That's what that's place. I could never make the role, but I want to say that he also has. handcuffs off. Both the paper work out. I think you're going to roll a crick right now. I actually do it. I want you to. It'll never have been. Even rolling a crib, I couldn't.

I couldn't do it. So, okay. Give me, I need a deception check for that. God damn it. Okay, well, that's a nine. Can I assist in any way? Is there any way I can... I mean, it would be a D4. You can have a D4 to that. Yeah. The problem is, any words coming out of your mouth right this minute, are not going to lend to the credibility of something Lockrens saying. I mean, I think it would just be like, you know, front pouch, you know, right there. There's a folio. You can see it's all stamped and eyes dotted T's crossed. Give me a D4, just to see. I'm interested. A four.

Okay, it brings us up to a 13. That's more respectable at least. Okay. So she is going to look over this paperwork. And while it is, well, while it is like, who, what kind of museum puts? Why would you do that? That's exceedingly dangerous. Fine. Whatever. Doesn't matter. Draven did mention anything else about projects he was working on. No. I mean, no. No. Her shoulders are going to slump. This has been a very trying day. She's going to pull out a chair and sit down for the first time. And and... Whatever that thing is, that is Chloe. She's going to activate it again and then have it in, her hand, put it on the table and turn it off.

You get the sense. It's like, oh, shit, she just turned off her body cam. Whatever, whatever. Like, you kind of get a sense. It's like, oh, oh. Yeah, this is Agent Smith taking out as earpiece. Yeah, exactly, right. Yeah, yeah. Yes. I love that speech. That's so good. Yeah. Because me too. I'm at the order I get the more I agree with Aiton Smith We're awful you're right I'm right Go ahead sorry I was just going to say nice year Still wearing her cuffs Surprisingly It's going to gesture to her bag and be like There's really good scotch in there That would help this next part of the conversation conversation.

She will actually chuckle under a breath. I'm good. Thank you. Odysseus is facing a crisis right now. And Draven is supposed to be looking into a way to repair the artifact that is keeping all of this going, including me, every person you've met. It's been malfunctioning for decades, and it's only getting worse over time. And every time it malfunctions, we lose someone. We can't reproduce. biologically and losing someone from the city is incredibly painful. To find out that my worst fears have been confirmed and that Draven has gone completely mad is more than disheartening.

Everything in this woman's posture and position, Like, you get that she's very professional, everything, but everything feels like... She wants to just scream motherfucker at the top of her lungs. Like, it is, it is, like, your call is important to us, but underneath there's a stank that it's like, oh, you fucking hate me. Okay, like, it is, you know, and it's not directed at you, it's just... It's short... This city is dying and instead of doing something about it directly, we're relying on tradition. Like everything is as it was a century and a half ago.

The reason I ask is because I really need to know that he's working on something. And if he isn't, I need to talk to the king about this because the faith he has. placed in that man is completely unfounded. I don't want to sound like I'm not sensitive to what you're dealing with, but I don't understand why he would have told us about that if it were true that he were working on it. I think he would be good if he hadn't mentioned it, to be honest. The reason I ask is because it's supposed to be a sole preoccupation. And you mentioned he's just ranting and raised. and if it didn't come up once, and he just handed you an incredibly destructive artifact that wasn't even being kept in something that would have dulled the explosion, had it gone off.

All of these things are concerning, you understand. Maybe it was an act, I don't know. I mean, here's the thing. He had a lot of preoccupations going on up there. Maybe they were related. We have no way of knowing. We're just simple people here to do a job. and then get out of your hair. I'm sympathetic to what you're dealing with. But I think that it would be worth probably having a direct conversation with the man responsible rather than getting it through us. And I don't know if this is any help, but he did ask if we had a magic user in our party because he needed them for a test or something.

So you're going to see her eyebrows just like kind of pop up just a little bit. Did he say what? The purpose of the testing was? Night there will do the... No. No. Keeping a door open, kind of. Or the... magical equivalent. And Bonzo here's a magic user. No volunteers, I'm guessing. Would you have volunteered? Absolutely not. I'm not. That's not an insult. That was a use of common sense, which... And she's going to look at Khmer again. And that just move on. Like not say what she's thinking. It's like, all right. Yeah, it's safe to assume we were dumb enough to volunteer for something like that.

We just saw that man drink 400 proof alcohol. We weren't going to volunteer for anything. The king is absolutely convinced. That that man is. is the answer to all of our problems. And while he no doubt has countless decades researching artifacts and being exposed to magics that I will probably never behold in my lifetime, I think he is too far gone to help us. I think I agree. If I had my way, we would have marched up to his tower months ago. The king has decreed that Dravid is not to be disturbed. Honestly, I can't believe that Orrin sent you up there.

He put himself in a lot of danger doing that, but... If his story matches yours, I'm sure he'll be excused in good time. Insight on that. Please. That sounded to me like he is being tortured. Don't worry, folks. He's getting the help he needs. We are beating the fuck out of him. magically. Yeah, magically beating him senseless. You don't get the sense that they hurt him. If they didn't hurt you, they probably didn't fucking hurt him. Because they had every reason to hurt you. You guys are outsiders and assholes when they tried to apprehend you. Yeah, no. You're trying.

You're locked in here with me. I want everybody out there to know. If you picture the four-person panel I'm talking to, when I called them assholes, every single one of them shrugged their shoulders and went, you know, like, not one of them were offended. So just know that. Yeah. No. We're very weird. I'll say it out loud. Yeah. I'm standing in my truth. Yeah. Can I say the obvious thing here? And I don't mean any disrespect by this. But you all seem very isolationist. And that could be a detriment if you're having a problem. Why don't you look for help outside of yourselves for something as enormous as this?

Two reasons. One, and please don't take this the wrong way. Every time we run into outsiders, they are a reminder of why we don't talk to outsiders. Yeah, no offense taken. None. Two. We follow the king's law here. And our king is a traditionalist through and through. Some of us in the city at this point are desperate enough that we want to reach out. But our king believes that we would owe them too much if we did. Or slow down what progress we would be making without their help. Can I say the other obvious thing? Please do. Sounds like you need a new king. Okay.

My peer will move forward. Be careful, that's treason. Yeah. Some places they still hang people for that. Like, that's, you know. Well, he's not my king. Yeah. So treason. I didn't vote for him. Yeah. So yeah, no. Her eyebrow is just like. I would not repeat that outside of these walls after this conversation. And she's going to kind of point to the little gemstone thing that is on the table now. I had a feeling I should turn that off. And I'm glad I did. That being said, I... have to turn that back on very soon. If there's anything else that you know, that I should know, I would be incredibly appreciative.

Not so much something I know, but something I wanted to ask, is all this stuff you're talking about have to do with the ghost, the flashes, the... Poof. You know what I mean? If it were possible, she's going to kind of deflate just a bit more. And at this point, she's like leaning on her left arm. Like, this is the most relaxed you've seen her. They're not ghosts. They're citizens who are stuck in between existing and not existing. Why did one attack me? And Lagerne, I guess, but mostly me. But mostly me. Some of them have been trapped for decades. Our research shows that that picture it like blinking very quickly.

Every other blink you exist. the other blinks you're being torn asunder. They are here with us, wherever they first vanished, and they altogether don't exist at the same time. It is, from all accounts, an incredibly painful way to spend an eternity. And the only way to stop that is to even. either destroy the artifact that keeps us all alive or repair it somehow. Can I roll an insight here? Because what I would like to know, if I can discern this, I would like to know if she has been personally affected by one of these things, if someone she knows is trapped in this way.

I mean, she knows everyone in the city, but if someone, she knows everyone in the city, but if someone, close to her is, you know, a family member or something like that. Just in the way that she's talking. A family member and 11. It is Father's Day. So. Oh, God. Good. Good. Good. Good. This is Father approved. Father approved. That is a 22 for in. between this and what she said a little while ago, like, yeah, no, 100%. This is, this has gotten to her personally. Like a family member or someone very close to her, it doesn't take a lot to, yeah. Which is one of the reasons it's just so, it's like, oh, we're not getting any closer.

Like every day of the past, it doesn't seem like this is, this is not advancing. Like, this is not getting better. who were they the person that's trapped that you know again. there's just like a twitch of the eyebrow that kind of betrays her expression like, how the fuck? Like, how do you know? I didn't, you know, that type of thing. But secondarily, I... There's another. There's another. look that comes over, it's like, you're not a complete buffoon. Like, that's okay. Like everything are, okay, everything at first pointed to. But it's like, wait, you all have common sense and you, you, you're insightful.

Okay. I lost my daughters 15 years ago. Both of them were taken at the same time. to my knowledge we are no closer to. Ending this affliction. I have been both lucky enough and cursed that I've been both lucky enough and cursed that I haven't seen them since. She's going to stand up. I'm personally satisfied enough that you don't pose a danger to the city. I am going to release you and let the king know that I questioned you personally. And she's going to pick that jam up again and put it in her breastplate and turn it on. And she's going to start to undo all of your handcuffs.

If you do decide to take that orb out of the city or what? There's almost an expression. It's like, that's not my fucking problem now. Like, that is, like, I don't know what box you put it in. That's for the artificers to decide. I don't know. That's not my field. If you take that outside the city, please be careful. And wherever you take it, make sure the destination is safe enough to leave it in their charge. They're going to give it back, right? Like, he's like looking at that. the door where they took it out. I'll instruct them. There's everything in her voice is like, man, I shouldn't do this.

If there's a big explosion in the next couple of months over the horizon, like, I will instruct them to give it back to you once the artifact that's been placed and has been identified. Well, I know it's none of my business, and I know that you and your king and everybody else involved with this have probably thought of everything. So if you'll forgive a dumb outsider, just expressing his thoughts. But putting every ounce of hope in a single artificer. If it were me, dim as I am, doesn't seem like it might be the best plan if it were me. And I'm sure that you've already done this, but I would have multiple teams working on this.

I would be contracting other artificers. There's so much magical knowledge in this city. I'm sure you've thought of it to bring other people on board for this process. And not just rely on the one the king chose. I'm sure there's knowledge available outside of a single madman. There's a long madman. There's a long beat. And you get the feeling it's like, it's complicated. Like, you know what I mean? like, what's royalties involved in, you know, centuries of tradition and all that stuff, right? And again, it's the same civilization that, well, not the same civilization, but a copy of the civilization that literally trapped the gods.

Like, these people, common sense isn't as important as can we? Like, you know what I mean? It's about, you know, coulda, not shoulda, right? Sure. Like, could we do that? Like, yeah. So. I appreciate that. Thank you. I wish you luck wherever it is you're going. And she's going to hold her hand out to shake, which is not really an eladron thing. They don't, they've been quarantined for a while, so they don't like they don't like the touch. Yeah. He'll very careful. shake her hand. She'll be a little squeeze. Like this is like Oren's handshakes a little limp. Like hers is like and it's probably to match her energy like a like yeah.

Yeah. He's yeah. He'll let her squeeze. He's not going to squeeze. Sure. That's fine. That's fine. If. For whatever reason, you need to come back to this city, just tell whoever's guarding the gates. Just come get Viviana. I appreciate that. I hope you find what you need up there in that tower. Might take a few of you to get up there and sort things out. It was real messy. It was such a mess. He's insane. I'm sorry. Man, so, okay. Give me an insight check. Anybody who's trained in insight or anything like that, just give me an insight. Just give me an insight. I just cannot rule tonight.

I just cannot rule tonight. 23 for Kamera. That's an 11. Woo! Okay. Every time the subject of his madness or insanity or whatever comes up, there's just like a little tiny twitch in her eye. And she's... I haven't been up there in a long time, but I... I saw it heading that way a while back. I feel at this point it would be dishonest of me not to tell you. Draven is my father. And that should give you a bit more insight into why it's so complicated. All right. Can I ask you a question? Because this has been really eaten at me. What happens if you guys put like the least amount of pressure on one another?

Because like if somebody were to evaporate in front of your very eyes, like what does that mean exactly? She's, okay, she's going to look and she's like, what the fuck are you talking about? What do you mean evaporate? Well, I mean, and he kind of looks at night there. He's like, that's kind of how would you describe it? Dissolve, maybe? Yeah. His clothes were still there. Aphatically, like, if we were to see something like that, what would that mean? Who's close? It was... Looking back in some notes, sir. Maybe. Well, do we want to say his name? K-lith K-Born?

K-Born. S-Sell-eth-S-E-Born. S-eth-S-eth. C-Born. We may have hypothetical. aesthetically encountered someone named Salah and... We touch him. So... This realization's going to hit her like a freight train. Like you're going to see it come over her face. Oh. Was this outside of the city? Yeah, it was on the bridge. She's going to take the gem off again, put it on the table and turn that off. We all take a seat. She's going to grab that liquor now. It's like, all right. God, damn it. Okay. Good stuff. Which, too, an alladrid is like, okay. Like, you know, like, could be older.

I don't even know if that's... A young scotch. Young scotch. Oh. That idiotic child stole a handful of artifacts from the tower months ago. Under the guise of going up and speaking with Draven, he then took those artifacts. and left the city like a coward in the night. This child never had to work for anything, and instead of trying to help us understand the problem, he took resources that could have helped us understanding none of them. And I'm going to guess, that he did something that would provoke you into hitting him. Well, I didn't really, we didn't hit him.

So much as we kind of knocked him over and he wasn't there anymore. It could have been any one of the artifacts. He didn't know how to wield that we're in his person. Please don't feel bad. He was a waste. Oh, okay. So I will be honest with you. I thought that everybody was like that. I've been so afraid to touch anybody this entire time. I was so hard. I thought it was going to be like I didn't want to come in because I thought like if you laid a hand on me, you were just going to dissolve. We didn't even run into anybody in the street because we're still.

Yeah, we're being so careful. You don't understand. How do you think we would live? We don't know. I mean, it's like if you don't want to. outsiders in it made perfect sense to me right like if one of us could come in here and just pull in a china shop you know of the problems we have that's not one of them well that is a relief thank goodness that is a huge relief that being said do not retell that story to anyone within the city at the very least the key is an old one. And they wield quite a lot of power. That's why there was on a manhunt for their idiotic son.

Hypothetically, if that's true, and I'm not doubting you, then maybe that story could be used as blackmail to inspire them to begin an investigation for an artifact outside of your friend in the tower there. The word blackmail kind of like, she kind of scrunches up her face. I mean, I don't like it either. I'm just saying if I were personally affected by something like this, I'd be turning over every stone possible. Use every tool. Even the ugly ones. That's... That's not how I like to do things, but I'll admit that these are desperate times, and I'll take it under advisement.

If you would please, take that box in the orb inside of it and leave as soon as you can. I would very much appreciate it. I will have some guards escort you directly to the gate. and if you don't mind you could leave tonight. We're going to leave immediately, actually. Again, good luck. And to you. And thank you for treating us foreigners with such courtesy and grace. It seems very difficult to find in the city. I can't even imagine. and how many foreigners you get. Few. The next time you're arrested, and I'm getting the feeling there will be a next time.

Please be careful what city you act the way you acted in. Again, a repeat performance could become deadly in certain places. Lagerin does. does not say it, but in his mind, he said, oh, we only do that here. Oh, don't worry. We just respect you the least. Camar is going to, as we're leaving, if we're leaving, Kamara is going to grab her hand firmly now that she won't fall into powder and dust. And say, I hope your king sees reason. there is this micro expression, right? Just kind of a... She's clearly very touched by what you're saying. And she's also re-evaluating you on the fly as you speak.

Because his first impressions go, that was not a great one. But as you've talked, it's like, okay, you're a problem. person. All right. Like, you know. She is going to tuck a letter into your pocket. Good luck with all your dealing with as well. And she's going and she's going to give you a look. that like, kind of like, you know what I'm talking about. Come here, we'll just give her a nod. He knows something's going on here. So he'll just give her a nod, give her a squeeze of her hand. And yeah. Guys, I think that's a good time for us to stop for the evening.

Yeah. I'm gonna get you out of Odysseon. Wow. I just got her digits. Amira always gets a number. Just, Pygir's going to fuck his way across the area. Yeah. He needs a bard. He needs a bard.