SE05 EP07 - More Pressing Matters

[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome, friends and adventurers, to another episode of Dungeons and Blackguards. I am your dungeon master, Robulon. Joining me in no particular order, are the players. [00:00:15] Speaker B: Tomo. [00:00:17] Speaker C: I am playing Steve Tehuman, Level 5 Gloomstalker Ranger Fighter, Level 2, Rogue, Level 1. I have an owl. [00:00:27] Speaker B: Brandon. [00:00:29] Speaker D: I am Ikarutpuislay, Level 8 Blood Hunter, Half orc. And I have breast enhancements. [00:00:39] Speaker E: Brayden. [00:00:41] Speaker F: Hey. I'm Braden. I play Beleague Dagar, half elf. Hexblade warlock, level eight. [00:00:47] Speaker B: Eric. [00:00:49] Speaker D: I'm Eric. I play Dr. Zozo brightfeather, a level eight narakocra artificer. [00:00:54] Speaker B: And last but not least, Caleb. [00:00:59] Speaker E: I am the construct, Kaito Hatata. And I am a level 8 warforged barbarian. [00:01:12] Speaker B: Previously on Dungeons and Blaggers. The escalating skirmish at the canal bridge over South Main street in Polb is chaotic. Beleg loses control of the hunger of Hadar, but is rescued by Zozo, who also is swept in to the fray. Steve's grappling hook. Kaitoa's pink axe. Rook on crowd control on the south side of the canal bridge, or where there used to be a canal bridge. Bellak dashing away into an alleyway as a procession appears. Right. As a crowd develops. Although on the south side, the crowd has dispersed. Rook, you're. You're pretty much left there alone. With Engo and Bergen's blade drawn, there is no bridge back to where Kaitoa hunches over the wrecked cobalt pontoon boat. You know, other items that mask, that pouch, I believe Zozo, you know, inspected and Steve, you are also. You are off to the other side of 7th Main Street. But it is only really Kaitoa and the good doctor who are witnessing this procession. [00:02:43] Speaker E: Right away, I definitely want to check the little pontoon. The pontoon, right. My. My notes were like, check the pontoon. [00:02:59] Speaker B: You're thinking about the other section to the boat. [00:03:04] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:03:06] Speaker F: The human sized section. [00:03:09] Speaker B: Okay. [00:03:10] Speaker D: The hunger is gone, isn't it? Or is it still slurping? [00:03:14] Speaker F: It's gone. [00:03:15] Speaker E: I think it's gone. [00:03:17] Speaker G: Go away. [00:03:19] Speaker C: You're ruining everything in front of my friends. [00:03:22] Speaker E: You always do this. [00:03:25] Speaker F: Babadook. [00:03:27] Speaker B: Rook, who were you talking to when you said the hunger's gone? Me. I'm up. Remember You. You pommel struck me. [00:03:40] Speaker D: Oh, well. Good of you to join us. How come you're taking a nap? [00:03:47] Speaker B: Yeah, he looks terrible. But you are reminded that the Hadar about five minutes ago, receded back into where it sprang. Then Kaitoa here crack that open. So go ahead and roll again. And Zozo, you therefore will see who is coming down the street before anybody else. [00:04:09] Speaker E: I'm gonna use my usual. The same shocking technique I used with Vodag or last time. [00:04:17] Speaker B: Okay, that is just a roll on AC. [00:04:20] Speaker E: I got a 19 plus 6. [00:04:24] Speaker B: A 19 plus 6 cracks this open right away. And it is not, you know, carefully hinged. It has been fastened with locks all around. Watertight locks, but you've just busted them all off, and they go springing off and clattering onto the cobblestone. Zozo, as these little metal bits clatter at your feet. Beside you, Kaito is shucking pond boats. And you see two wagons coming down the street. It is a mayoral procession. Who other than Mayor Gentley on the first wagon? And you can tell the sounds are already reaching your ears. There seems to be a band on the second wagon. There's the usual retinue of guards, About a dozen guards, six per wagon. They are about 120ft from you and Kaitoa here, right in the middle of South Main Street. [00:05:29] Speaker E: Okay, what's in the pontoon? [00:05:33] Speaker D: Yeah, I think I'm a little distracted with the pontoon as well. [00:05:36] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:05:37] Speaker B: As both of you look down. [00:05:39] Speaker E: What's in the box? [00:05:41] Speaker G: What's in the box? What's in the pontoon? [00:05:46] Speaker B: How long I can possibly play this out? And as the birds chirp in the morning, Beleg and Steve, you're on opposite sides of the street here, each in your own way. Beleg, we know you're in an alleyway. Steve, we know you're also off to the side. Where is your view? Would you be looking at what Kaitoa and Zoza are about to see? [00:06:06] Speaker C: I'm certainly looking. I positioned Steve so that he's, like, north of where the bridge and the pontoon and all that last little hunger for Dar used to be. So I would be assuming I'm looking back towards the pontoon boats and all that sort of stuff. [00:06:22] Speaker G: Okay. [00:06:22] Speaker B: Just want to make sure your eyes are there and Beleg you in the alleyway. Who just dashed your summoned Pact weapon. What are you doing? [00:06:33] Speaker F: Once I'm done having my little fit of bashing the shit out of my glaive on the ground, I like stand up straight. Re summon my dagari, brush off my. Straighten out my clothing and my cloak, and I would walk back out to rejoin everybody, hoping that nobody noticed my brief disappearance. [00:06:57] Speaker E: Everyone's talking about it. [00:06:59] Speaker F: Nope. You didn't even notice. Roll perception. [00:07:04] Speaker D: We're all too preoccupied with this pontoon? [00:07:06] Speaker F: Exactly. [00:07:08] Speaker B: Well, two things happening then. Beleg. As you reenter the scene, the procession approaches. The sounds of music are reaching your ear. But most importantly are the pieces of destroyed Naphrey's construct guards now seemingly jumbled and stuffed into the pontoon portion. [00:07:34] Speaker C: Oh, I want those. [00:07:36] Speaker B: They are moving. They seem to be animating. [00:07:44] Speaker C: Awesome. [00:07:45] Speaker E: Uh oh. [00:07:47] Speaker C: Do you guys know what this stuff is? [00:07:49] Speaker E: Uh, me. [00:07:50] Speaker F: We've fought it before. We kicked their asses. [00:07:58] Speaker D: It looks like they've had their asses kicked. Can I see this, Rob? [00:08:03] Speaker B: You would be able to see everything going on now. You're just, unfortunately, about 90ft away over the canal. [00:08:13] Speaker D: Is there a bridge nearby that I can see or anything hanging over that I can get across? [00:08:22] Speaker F: Too bad you're a fat ass and Zozo can't come and get you. [00:08:25] Speaker D: Oh, you're saying that because you're across the river right now. I'm standing right through. [00:08:34] Speaker C: The hand trumpet. [00:08:36] Speaker B: Are you smack talking using the stone of near speech? [00:08:39] Speaker F: That's probably the better idea. Yes. [00:08:45] Speaker D: I've got my longbow. Is there a stick around that I can aim at? [00:08:49] Speaker B: Freaking ballet here. Well, you do have. [00:08:52] Speaker F: I mean, there are more pressing matters in range. [00:08:57] Speaker B: Yes. You are thinking about how you might cross back over. Well, can I ask a question? Speaking of inventory, who has Nafrey's amulet? [00:09:11] Speaker D: It's not. [00:09:12] Speaker F: I. I have his mortar and pestle, I think, and I've got. Yeah, I've got his papers and his mortar and pestle, but I don't think I've got the amulet. You have a kitella? [00:09:23] Speaker E: I think I. That way. He dropped it in the hurt locker, right? Yeah. Then I have it. [00:09:28] Speaker B: Nice catch. Goes. Yes. Kantua. [00:09:31] Speaker F: He pulled something out of it right. [00:09:32] Speaker B: Before he started to melt these animated pieces. What you now know to be some rare type of wood fused with metal parts is shaping up and kind of moving towards you and your thigh compartment. [00:09:52] Speaker E: I. I'm gonna try holding up the amulet and tell it to start. [00:10:00] Speaker B: Well, as you take this small, wooden cylindrical amulet out of your thigh compartment, speaking to it seems to have no effect as you hold it out, but all of these pieces are sort of jumbling and animating slowly, but they are. They're moving towards you almost like, you know, magnetic filings drawn to a magnet. [00:10:29] Speaker E: Can I try to. Can every. Yeah. Zozo, do you want to come? Yeah. [00:10:36] Speaker D: How the. The amulet might work? [00:10:38] Speaker E: Yeah, can we. Yeah, I, like, hold it out and have Zozo take a look at it. [00:10:43] Speaker F: What is this? Like, what's this? All this animated gear look like right now, just like a pillar of floating construct. Rubble. [00:10:51] Speaker E: Construct rubble that's slowly forming together. [00:10:54] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:10:57] Speaker E: But yeah, I'd like to pull it out and just quickly get someone with a little more intelligence than me, Rob. [00:11:04] Speaker D: As they're doing this, I want to make my way back to the bridge area and knowing that we've crossed without using the bridge, cross that back to where all the lads are and I'm going to bop that belly on the head. [00:11:20] Speaker B: And what, sorry, what method have you chosen? [00:11:24] Speaker C: Are these Lincoln Logs? [00:11:28] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm gonna go logger style with cleats on and just hop on logs across the water. [00:11:36] Speaker B: Oh, you're. You're aiming for some narrative deluge. [00:11:40] Speaker F: Roll a 1D4 so I can frogger this. [00:11:45] Speaker B: Yeah, four. [00:11:48] Speaker F: Yes, maybe. [00:11:52] Speaker B: Wow. It's powerful thing, that. Four it is. What month of the year is it, guys? It's not January. It's Jeb Ruery and it is the Jeb Ruweri melt. And there is ice, little chunks of ice up from the orchards and kind of the highlands coming in to the. The town and the city gates here. Obviously, ice has broken off. And Rook, there are about three pieces of ice. You're gonna have to frogger this. This will be three sequential acrobatics. Athletics or strength rolls. Roll them in in sequence, all three of them. [00:12:33] Speaker D: Or just. [00:12:34] Speaker B: Just roll. [00:12:35] Speaker D: Choose which one. [00:12:35] Speaker B: Three twenties plus your choice of skill. [00:12:39] Speaker E: Do they all have to be the same skill or can you switch it up each jump? [00:12:44] Speaker B: You can switch it up each jump. [00:12:46] Speaker D: So my first one's a 16. My second one is a 12. My last one there is, ooh, 19. [00:12:58] Speaker B: Okay, I will tell you acrobatics, you've lost some footing. But party. Exact time that he sort of needed it to happen. A small broken ice floe is coursing down the little canal here. And Rook, you are jumping. You have slipped. You are in up to your knee on that second jump. So you now have the soggy bottom. [00:13:22] Speaker F: Hey, Rook's soggy bottom. [00:13:25] Speaker B: But that 19. I mean, can you describe now though, how you somehow vault up out of the canal? [00:13:34] Speaker D: I think as I'm hitting the water, I've got my backpack. Companion surges to life after feeling the cold water and gives me an extra little bit of jolt. Almost like a Mario jump across the rest of it. [00:13:54] Speaker A: Inspiration. [00:13:57] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:14:02] Speaker B: And yeah, Ango half soaked, you are just up on your fingertips. But you've rejoined the party. And guys, you said, zozo, you were coming in to look a little closer. Imagine These parts assembling up towards you trying to form a limb. [00:14:23] Speaker E: Okay. [00:14:23] Speaker F: I think my notebook doodle is all wrong. [00:14:27] Speaker E: I'm going to take a step back away from it just because I feel like they're maybe trying to grab it. I'm going to see what happens. So I'm going to move back here. [00:14:38] Speaker B: Kaitoa, as you step away, there's still these beasts aiming for and reaching towards the wooden amulet. [00:14:50] Speaker F: How far away are they from Belak? I'm seeing this right now as well. Right? [00:14:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Beleg, you are exactly 30ft from where you dashed. You know, the South Main street is a very easy street to picture in your mind. Nice cobblestones. 60ft across, two to three story buildings, alleyways every block. Zozo, you know you're really now with Kaitoa right there in the middle of the street as the carts are coming to a halt now only 90ft away. And the two horses drawing the first cart neigh and come to a halt. [00:15:30] Speaker F: How fast is the construct animating towards Kaitoa and Zozo? Like at an attacking pace or really slow. [00:15:39] Speaker B: You'd roll a perception. [00:15:40] Speaker E: I guess it's a blob forming itself. [00:15:44] Speaker F: Yeah. Deciding if I should intervene while you guys are looking at the Rob, there's. [00:15:49] Speaker C: Still like a bunch of people watching this. [00:15:51] Speaker F: Whoa, whoa. [00:15:52] Speaker C: We've got an audience. [00:15:54] Speaker F: That's a natural 20 on a perception check for Beleg. I didn't even use my new dice. That's Beleg's dice too. [00:16:02] Speaker C: The curse is lifted. [00:16:05] Speaker E: They felt like they were going to be replaced, so now they're performing. [00:16:09] Speaker F: Yeah, exactly. [00:16:10] Speaker E: Okay. [00:16:10] Speaker B: Beleg, you feel it is non threat. It is not rapid. It is slow and blob esque, as Kaitoa said. [00:16:22] Speaker G: Steve. [00:16:23] Speaker B: Yes. There are crowds. The same crowds that didn't quite disperse on the north side here who were distracted by the goings on of the party have now joined this procession of two wagons. So you'd say there's about two dozen kilometers, a dozen guards, the mayor's cart and the band's cart. [00:16:47] Speaker C: Okay. [00:16:47] Speaker D: I think I'm gonna fly up like 10ft in the air and ask Kaitoa to hand me the amulet. [00:16:57] Speaker E: I'll keep it away from them. Yeah, Kaitoa's not gonna do that. I just like. [00:17:06] Speaker B: Nah. All right, who is holding the am? [00:17:12] Speaker E: Kaitoa. So Kaitoa feels a bit of reluctance because of the whole Goldfang incident and. [00:17:20] Speaker F: What will be forever known as the Goldfang incident. [00:17:23] Speaker E: And I. I'm also. I'm also like, thinking more like, if this is a construct with some wooden features, there is a chance that maybe I can control this thing. [00:17:35] Speaker F: And I'm waiting for it to fuse around you. [00:17:38] Speaker E: Yeah, that or like, all right. [00:17:40] Speaker F: And then I also think I'm preparing to fight you if it fuses around you. [00:17:45] Speaker D: So. [00:17:45] Speaker E: So I'm just gonna yell out, like, I, I reached my hand out and told it to stop, and it started forming an arm. So I don't know if it's mimicking my movements. So I, I, I just like, Zozo, stay put. I might toss it to you, but I just want to see if I can control this thing. [00:18:04] Speaker F: We play a hot potato with a giant hand. [00:18:09] Speaker B: Dr. Zozo, can I ask one thing, Kaitoa, when you showed it to Dr. Zozo, how were you letting her inspect it? [00:18:16] Speaker E: I definitely was, like, just opening my hand with it in to, like, a quick look at. [00:18:22] Speaker B: Okay, well, in your chaotic good nature there, Dr. Zozo, I mean, you could always make a sleight of hand check and just have snatch. [00:18:29] Speaker E: Damn it. [00:18:31] Speaker D: Yeah, No, I don't think I want to. [00:18:33] Speaker B: Okay, steal it then. Kaitoa, the outreach of parts, let's call it, is hovering in the air. And Kaitoa, as you kind of grab it back towards you, how are you holding it in your hand, in your fist? [00:18:47] Speaker E: Exactly how I'm gonna. Well, I had it outreached in my hand, and I'm definitely gonna, like, pull it back into my hand. And I'm going to just because I'm wondering if it's mimicking my movements. So I'm just gonna grasp it between both hands, kind of like in a PR Almost like. Or like, just grasp me in a fist between. In front of my chest. [00:19:12] Speaker B: In the exact moment that you attempt to put this thing in between the palm of your metal hand and the palm of your other metal hand, crowds start to gasp because they are looking at what is happening here. Okay, there's a bridge missing in the road. [00:19:34] Speaker F: Well, get Porco to fix it. [00:19:41] Speaker C: Fix this. [00:19:43] Speaker E: I love it. He's like the. He's the red green. [00:19:46] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:19:47] Speaker E: Like, of this town where he's just like some duct tape and slap it together. [00:19:54] Speaker A: I can help with the framing, but I'm a carpenter. Not so stone worker. [00:20:01] Speaker B: And there is Porco. He is one of the people in the crowd. [00:20:05] Speaker F: He heard us talking about him. [00:20:08] Speaker A: A one and only Porco. At your service, porky. [00:20:14] Speaker B: Did it. [00:20:15] Speaker E: Did the construct react at all when I, like, grasp it between both fists and. [00:20:20] Speaker B: Yes. [00:20:21] Speaker G: Back to you. [00:20:23] Speaker B: All of the pieces fall, fall back into the pontoon. A couple of them clatter out onto the cobblestones because you have, as I understand it, you have encased it in your hands like a prayer. [00:20:37] Speaker E: So I'm gonna. I'm gonna put it away and hide it in one of my compartments, out of sight. [00:20:47] Speaker B: Well, the moment that you try and open any part of your clasped prayer hands, they start animating again. [00:20:57] Speaker E: Okay. So it reacts to sight. And what about when I like, put it away in a compartment? [00:21:05] Speaker B: Okay. As you quickly stow it away, it seems like the moment that it's back in to your thigh compartment. And as long as it is closed tight, the parts settle back down. [00:21:22] Speaker E: By the way, I put it into my card piece. [00:21:25] Speaker B: The card package. [00:21:27] Speaker E: My bulge. [00:21:29] Speaker B: That ancient bulge now has a little Lincoln log in it. [00:21:40] Speaker C: Awesome. [00:21:42] Speaker E: It's a grower, not a shower. [00:21:48] Speaker B: Dr. Zozo. As you look on, they're pretty interested. [00:21:52] Speaker E: In this whole thing going down. [00:21:54] Speaker B: And so in goes the amulet behind the codpiece. And then the pontoon boat is filled with the jumble of pieces. The reanimation seems to have ceased, but the gasps of the crowd have not ceased. Some have run up. And in the crowd of maybe six or seven people running up to see that this bridge is gone is Porco and Beleg. He has caught you off to the side, remarking that they will need some help to rebuild. [00:22:28] Speaker F: Good man. [00:22:29] Speaker A: New sign too. You saw, we took the initiative. [00:22:34] Speaker F: We'll deal with that later, Porco. [00:22:37] Speaker A: It's all I care about. In general pay and the fate of my establishment. Borkidoo. Big world changing events aren't for me. [00:22:49] Speaker B: Ur, Borki can. [00:22:52] Speaker E: Porco, Is he on our side of the bridge or is he on Rook's side of the bridge? [00:22:57] Speaker B: Rook's side is your side. [00:22:59] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:23:00] Speaker F: Oh, you mean that side is our side. Rookie side is your side. [00:23:04] Speaker E: Porco, we're gonna need a cart or something to take these pieces away. [00:23:09] Speaker A: The construct pieces I would be calling a cartoon. [00:23:17] Speaker B: And he starts walking back up towards the white chain. I mean, you guys probably have a cart or two around the side. So you've dispatched him? [00:23:25] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:23:27] Speaker G: God. [00:23:27] Speaker E: Like after you bring some lumber to fix this bridge. When you unload it, use the cart to take these pieces back. [00:23:36] Speaker F: And we've got what, the mare's cart and what else coming towards us? [00:23:41] Speaker B: Okay, party, as your view follows the back of Porco's head, through this crowd of about two dozen people, there is the mayor hanging out the side of his covered wagon. You can. You can Hear him mumbling away. So you're confirmed in that bellic. And the sounds of music coming from the band playing in the wagon behind. There are varying heights of people. I mean, again, this is Pole. So you have rather tall figures, rather small figures. There's some. Some dwarven figures. [00:24:17] Speaker E: Can I see if the mayor is surly drunk out of the window? [00:24:22] Speaker B: You don't deserve me. [00:24:27] Speaker G: You don't. [00:24:28] Speaker B: You don't deserve me. [00:24:32] Speaker E: He's wasted. [00:24:33] Speaker D: Can I step forward and just say. Mayor, this is your quartermaster. We've got the situation under control. [00:24:43] Speaker F: Psst. [00:24:45] Speaker E: Rook. [00:24:46] Speaker H: Down here. [00:24:47] Speaker D: Rook, look down. [00:24:50] Speaker B: Who's down there is Gurm. [00:24:56] Speaker E: Gurn. [00:24:58] Speaker H: Right. [00:24:59] Speaker D: Keep it down. [00:24:59] Speaker H: It's great comfort. See, the mayor here has allowed me to get out of the castle. I think there's eyes on us, boys. Eyes on Hughill Castle. [00:25:10] Speaker D: Okay. Do you. Should we rendezvous at our. Our establishment or Lieutenant Dance? [00:25:16] Speaker H: I don't know. But don't open any correspondence. Wax seals on everything. Now, you'll need to pick a seal, though. Wax seals on everything. [00:25:28] Speaker D: How. [00:25:30] Speaker B: And Rook, your voice is lost in. In the crowd here. I mean, Gurm comes up to like your belt line and party. You guys all see that? You know, Rook has been sharing some words with Gurm. Mickey, you know who you've appointed as administrator. Gurm. While you guys were gone and most of the crowd here. Now almost all of them have moved on to look aghast at the bridge and the stonework that is missing. So now it is just kind of you and the two wagons, the 12 guards, the drunken mayor. It looks like he's got a knight or two up with him in his sort of covered part. And then you and Gurm in between the wagons. So you do have a moment here. Party. [00:26:18] Speaker D: Well, I'm gonna let the mayor keep doing his thing based on what Euron is telling me. [00:26:25] Speaker H: Good idea. Let the commoners go on here, the unwashed masses. Let them move on. Oh, who is this? [00:26:33] Speaker D: Hey, Gurm. [00:26:35] Speaker H: I see you are working together now. [00:26:40] Speaker E: Yeah, apparently. [00:26:43] Speaker H: Well, watch your feathers. [00:26:47] Speaker D: I will. [00:26:49] Speaker E: Germ, what happened to your voice? [00:26:51] Speaker H: Ooh, Gotta keep this up. [00:26:52] Speaker B: Oh, Administrator. [00:26:54] Speaker G: Oh. [00:26:55] Speaker H: Terrible at grading. [00:26:56] Speaker E: Right? [00:26:58] Speaker G: Really, boys. [00:26:59] Speaker B: Okay, come in close. Come in close. [00:27:01] Speaker G: Then you. You know who I suspect? [00:27:04] Speaker F: Who? [00:27:05] Speaker G: The Kenku Masterman. Quor. Quirk. [00:27:10] Speaker B: Qu. [00:27:11] Speaker G: You. It's. It's a lot of ours. It's quite ridiculous. [00:27:14] Speaker B: Right? [00:27:14] Speaker G: Not a nice bright name, easy to pronounce like Zozo here, you know, Quirk, But I suspect. Oh, that's. Oh, that's terrible. It's butchery. [00:27:25] Speaker E: It's butchery. [00:27:26] Speaker G: It's terrible. But I suspect him in league with the emissary from the Wizards Guild. I don't think they're coming tomorrow. I think they're coming today. [00:27:39] Speaker E: Of course they are. [00:27:41] Speaker D: Classic. [00:27:42] Speaker E: Man, the fuzz. They always show up whenever they want. [00:27:47] Speaker C: I want to park. I want to park Stolas on the shoulder of one of these guys. So I can hear this conversation. But I also don't want to leave my hidden spot. [00:27:57] Speaker B: Okay, Steve, you have not joined the party. Beleg. I assume you have joined the party. You are in between the wagon conversation. [00:28:06] Speaker F: Yep, I see the mayor. I was curious to know if there's anybody else with him, though. [00:28:12] Speaker B: Okay. As you peek over behind, you see Stolas has swooped over and has landed on the shoulder of one of the mayor's personal knights. [00:28:27] Speaker F: Nice. [00:28:29] Speaker D: Can I ask Gurm? [00:28:32] Speaker E: Gurm. [00:28:33] Speaker D: Do you know which side of town the wizard skill will be entering? [00:28:39] Speaker G: I say, boy, have your breasts gotten bigger. [00:28:45] Speaker D: They are enhanced. [00:28:47] Speaker G: I say, it's the coming of age, this orc, eh? Look at the broad shoulders and the backs on this. [00:28:54] Speaker B: Look. [00:28:54] Speaker G: I have to say, in the castle. [00:28:56] Speaker D: Admiring my breasts. [00:28:58] Speaker E: He's lactating. [00:29:00] Speaker G: Shake it off, shake it off. In the castle. The Canku has a tower, right? The observatory. Here's what I heard. A message coming from the Wizards Guild. The emissary was here already. [00:29:16] Speaker F: It seems they surprised you all here already, eh? [00:29:23] Speaker G: I saw, I fled. I put Mayor in for the morning wino. The wino Rhino. He loves it now. He thinks he's doing great, and the people like him. He's really the only entertainment in town. So off we go. Great cover. And here I am. [00:29:39] Speaker E: Did you get us an eye on the. Like, a description of the person? [00:29:44] Speaker G: I did not. An emissary from the Wizards Guild caused him. It could be anyone. The last Wizards Guild emissary before they installed themselves in Pole permanently was, as you know, Nafre. [00:29:59] Speaker D: Hmm. [00:30:01] Speaker E: It's not you, is it, Zozo? [00:30:06] Speaker C: No. [00:30:08] Speaker E: You just showed up at about the same time. [00:30:14] Speaker D: No, I'm in the Alchemist Guild. [00:30:16] Speaker E: Yeah, I know. [00:30:18] Speaker D: We don't get along with the Wizards Guild. [00:30:20] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:30:21] Speaker G: I see you've been reunited with some of your handiwork there, Zozo. Look at that little frozen spigot thing over your shoulder there, Kaitoa. Is that gonna deal you some damage? [00:30:32] Speaker E: No, it's for chilling beer. [00:30:35] Speaker G: Right you are. So what is that behind you that the crowd is starting to poke at? [00:30:41] Speaker E: I'm working on figuring that out. [00:30:44] Speaker B: Yeah, so Steve, you would have prime view of the crowd, you know, poke. [00:30:49] Speaker C: Prodding, starting to fall upon the pieces of our. Of our earnings, our winnings. [00:30:55] Speaker B: So they're not taking anything away, but, you know, they're scratching their chins and some of the women are kind of holding the children back because there are strangers marks on this boat. And oh, no, they've noticed the bloated, disgusting bodies of the kobolds inside. They're noticing the pink stain and the entrails. [00:31:17] Speaker E: I'm gonna say, everyone stay back. The pink, it could be harmful and contagious. [00:31:26] Speaker F: This is a crime scene. There's an investigation to commence. [00:31:31] Speaker E: Don't get the pink on. [00:31:32] Speaker B: You run beleg. As you come out from one side of the wagon, you're realizing something has to be done. And you say in that very nice police inspector voice. And then Kaitoa, as you come out from the other side with your arms wide open, telling them, you know, pink quarantine. Can you both roll persuasion? [00:31:53] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:31:55] Speaker B: So Dr. Zozo and Rookie, you have been left with, you know, Mickey there just quickly for a moment. Steve, now you see the party trying to do a little bit of crowd control. Stolas, of course, is giving you sort of Stolas insight into the conversation happening here. [00:32:14] Speaker E: Thank God. [00:32:15] Speaker F: Oh, fuck. You rolled something. I burned an inspiration and I rolled a six and then I rolled a four. That's my spiral. [00:32:24] Speaker E: My persuasion is zero, but I got an 18. Thank God. [00:32:29] Speaker F: Mine is plus three. [00:32:31] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [00:32:31] Speaker F: I got a nine. [00:32:32] Speaker B: Beleg. What do you think it is that is hampering your efforts? [00:32:38] Speaker F: I'm still just getting over the frustration of the hunger of hadar. Still getting back to myself. [00:32:45] Speaker B: Are you also holding your ancient elvish dagari? [00:32:52] Speaker F: Probably. [00:32:53] Speaker B: Well, then maybe that's why people see you coming at them with sort of a big polearm. You're just not striking the right pose. Whereas Kaitoa is exuding caution and confidence and people are listening to him and you're actually successful. Kaitoa, Most of the people now have dispersed, but you have recordoned off the crime scene. Is that what you guys want to do? Yeah. Okay. [00:33:20] Speaker E: The rest are gonna get an intimidation check. [00:33:22] Speaker B: So, Steve, you are at the perimeter of the crime scene now, and a couple of commoners have flee'd right into the area where you are. Can you make a stealth check? [00:33:34] Speaker C: Yeah. That is a 18. [00:33:40] Speaker B: Okay, Steve, your urban poncho camouflage, you just press right against the wall. And these couple of, they might be wheelwrights of some type. [00:33:52] Speaker C: They go right past you I will let them pass. They don't have to die today. [00:33:57] Speaker F: Ever the kind soul. [00:33:59] Speaker C: Steve. [00:34:02] Speaker B: So as you turn back then, Steve, you would see that your party now continues the conversation. We don't have much longer here, boys. [00:34:12] Speaker G: Gotta keep up the charade. We were gonna cross the bridge here, but I see you've done a little bit of your Andi work. Need I ask? [00:34:21] Speaker F: No. [00:34:23] Speaker G: Alright then. [00:34:24] Speaker B: Very well. [00:34:25] Speaker E: The streets aren't really the place to talk about that. [00:34:28] Speaker G: I did not imagine you'd be back so soon. Anyways, my friends, we have much to talk about. [00:34:35] Speaker B: There. [00:34:35] Speaker G: Shall we turn around? [00:34:37] Speaker B: Play on. Hold on. [00:34:40] Speaker G: Oh, play on, band. [00:34:42] Speaker B: How about that Honeybee tune that usually. [00:34:45] Speaker H: Puts the old mayor to sleep? [00:34:47] Speaker B: Loves that one. And Gurm resumes his ridiculous act and jumps back onto the mayor's cart. So you guys are left between the carts and they start to turn around at his command. [00:35:08] Speaker F: Should we go to the castle? [00:35:11] Speaker E: It sounds like there's a. Well, the watchtower with the Kenku spot is an option, but also like we need a meeting with Gurm. [00:35:23] Speaker D: Yeah, we gotta figure this out. [00:35:25] Speaker E: But. [00:35:25] Speaker D: Well, in the Wizard Skill, would they be at Nafre's old dwelling? [00:35:31] Speaker F: Quite possibly, yeah. [00:35:33] Speaker D: So there's kind of a couple things we need to venture off and do. [00:35:37] Speaker F: All right, what's order of priority? [00:35:39] Speaker E: All right, I. I say we schlepped these construct parts into the Hurt Locker, seal it up. [00:35:46] Speaker D: The last time we did that, it got away. [00:35:49] Speaker E: Yeah, but they weren't alive. It was Nafre. But I think these things are okay. In the old Hurt Locker, we. We don't have another safe other than that, so. [00:36:03] Speaker D: Fair enough. [00:36:04] Speaker E: Let's do it. [00:36:05] Speaker D: And then we got rendezvous with Germ. [00:36:08] Speaker E: Yeah. What are you gonna say, Steve? [00:36:10] Speaker F: Can beleg. Can beleg. Flip. I was gonna flip Girma Stone on your speech, but he might be too far away just like for us to use it effectively. [00:36:21] Speaker B: Well, as you guys chat right now, I mean, you. You have seen the wagons do a 180. So now they are taking off back towards the castle. I'm sorry, Steve. I just saw you later. [00:36:32] Speaker C: Oh, I was just gonna message. Message Kaito and agree that we should get the parts back to a place that we can control. [00:36:40] Speaker F: Yeah, let's do that first. [00:36:42] Speaker E: Hurt Lockers are only like armory. [00:36:46] Speaker C: Yeah. I assume Nafrey knew his way out of the Hurt Locker because he'd been there previously. [00:36:52] Speaker D: If we need to beat on Gurm too, we can always go to Lieutenant Dan's, right? Yeah. [00:36:57] Speaker E: And then we'll go from there at Least now that we have this Naphrey's amulet, we can control these things a little bit. As far as we know. Turn them off seems and we can draw them towards us. Yeah, let's take these back and go from there. [00:37:16] Speaker D: Sounds good to me. [00:37:18] Speaker B: So are you traveling along with the. The little caravan of two wagons here? It no longer has any followers around. It's just the guards and the two wagons and so very soon you'll be passing the T junction to the white chain and then very soon up to Pol Plaza and then up to Hugo. [00:37:38] Speaker C: Castle and then we'll go visit Captain Kirk. [00:37:46] Speaker E: Captain Kirk or I don't know, Captain K. Captain Kanku. [00:37:51] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:37:53] Speaker C: Captain Kenku. Kenku Kirk. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:37:56] Speaker F: Okay, so Kenku is the guy where. [00:37:58] Speaker C: The is Kenku in the tower? [00:38:01] Speaker F: In the guard tower. When did we meet him? Why do I not remember this? [00:38:06] Speaker E: Alcohol. [00:38:07] Speaker D: Well yeah, he's the dude. He's the dude with the crazy name. Tons of Rs. Yeah, starts with K, ends with K. Lots of Rs. [00:38:17] Speaker F: Kookaraka kukarak per. [00:38:21] Speaker E: Okay, I. I think the, the question was is Zozo following along? [00:38:27] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm following along with you guys. [00:38:30] Speaker B: Okay, along with the caravan you go. [00:38:35] Speaker E: And away we go. [00:38:38] Speaker B: Okay, it is now the mid morning. And just as you hit that T junction where you would go left over, no longer a toll bridge tower to South Polby you see the meat wagoneers. [00:38:58] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:38:59] Speaker B: Riding along with them is Porco. [00:39:03] Speaker G: Nice. [00:39:05] Speaker C: Well done. [00:39:09] Speaker E: What. [00:39:10] Speaker A: What better wagoneers than these who you pay on a daily basis for Corpse patrol. [00:39:18] Speaker F: Ah, every child in Polb's favorite cartoon. Corpse patrol? [00:39:24] Speaker A: I thought that was gnoll patrol. [00:39:27] Speaker F: Also that there's a lot of spin offs. [00:39:31] Speaker B: And with a solemn gray hood, Matthias seems in a somber mood today. There is no low grumble from Matthias and he simply leads the two work ponies down towards the bridge guys so that they're going a hunting. And the fellow on the back there, Tobias, well he also in a solemn mood but off they go. [00:39:57] Speaker F: Oh, we should probably flip them a silver or two. [00:40:05] Speaker E: You're the bank. Yeah, it's totally up to you dude. [00:40:08] Speaker C: You're Mr. Coinverse here. [00:40:12] Speaker F: I'll happily flip my couple silvers. [00:40:14] Speaker E: Go Morin. [00:40:16] Speaker C: Oh, gonna have some of my gorp. [00:40:18] Speaker G: Hello. I just heard the flip of coin. [00:40:23] Speaker F: Yeah, I flip them a silver each. [00:40:27] Speaker A: Thank you, Melodes. He's not being paid or underpaid. It's the lack of good meat. [00:40:35] Speaker F: Well, there's a bunch of kobold meat here, but no, that's exactly what we. [00:40:42] Speaker G: Mean the sausage king of South Polby wanted nothing to do with that disgusting pulp that you had us mop off the canal. Ooh. Where's the canal bridge? [00:40:54] Speaker B: That was here nine hours ago. [00:40:57] Speaker D: It's no more redesigning the city. [00:41:04] Speaker A: Work, work, work. Very good, me lords. No questioning your hours of operation. Come on then. Let's clean up. [00:41:14] Speaker G: What shall we find? [00:41:16] Speaker D: You know what to do when you find it. [00:41:20] Speaker G: Oh, that looks like the wreckage of a little boat. If I use my eyes to look all the way down there. What shall we do with the wreckage? We can haul off all that stuff back to the White Chain. [00:41:32] Speaker B: But ble. [00:41:33] Speaker F: All we really care about is the construct pieces here. [00:41:37] Speaker E: We just care about the metal parts inside the pontoon. The rest of the boat you guys can salvage. [00:41:45] Speaker F: Yeah, do what you want. Unless there's something else that you think would be of interest to us. You know what we like by now. [00:41:54] Speaker A: Yes. Lots of metal in a little boat. I will pound it to the crossed axes. [00:42:01] Speaker B: Very well. [00:42:01] Speaker A: Melod. [00:42:03] Speaker B: And off they go. Once they've been given a list of things to harvest, off they go. [00:42:10] Speaker C: And I have a list of things that Steve needs. Oh, and I could flip a few. I got a few. I'll clink together a few more silver pieces and hold the list up. Oh, beautiful. Thanks. But if you bring these back for me. [00:42:28] Speaker G: Very well. [00:42:29] Speaker C: Silver pieces are for you. [00:42:30] Speaker G: Oh, this sword. Two more parchment here. Oh, fine. Oh, coin too. [00:42:36] Speaker E: Yes. [00:42:36] Speaker G: The cross taxes the spitting gentleman. Okay. Negotiate with him on your behalf. [00:42:41] Speaker C: Yeah, Bring me nice things, please. [00:42:43] Speaker G: Thank you. [00:42:45] Speaker B: Off they go. And the wagon wheels now are going in both directions. You know, you sent the meat wagoneers back down to the no longer canal bridge. Clean up the scene. And you guys are now passing your White Chain. Are you doing any stopping there? As Porco nods at you and says. [00:43:05] Speaker A: I must get back to work fixing the new chain and selecting a nice new piece of wood for the new sign. [00:43:15] Speaker F: Should we stop at the White Chain and wait for the construct parts just so we can lock them away? [00:43:21] Speaker E: Yeah, I wouldn't mind. And also we need to get a hold of our bar staff to. I don't know. Are we hosting anyone? [00:43:30] Speaker A: Very well. Sharva will be happy to see you. She's working. [00:43:36] Speaker D: We need to re up our supply. Especially with being out of ale. I can't be out of ale. [00:43:46] Speaker F: Hey, Zozo, can you brew? [00:43:50] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:43:51] Speaker C: Distill. [00:43:54] Speaker F: Into the hard stuff. [00:43:57] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:43:57] Speaker B: What do you need? [00:43:59] Speaker F: We just need some ale. [00:44:01] Speaker D: Sure. [00:44:01] Speaker F: We could send someone to get the ingredients we need. [00:44:04] Speaker E: To build a homebrew war craft brewery. [00:44:07] Speaker F: Now. [00:44:10] Speaker D: Sure, yeah. [00:44:12] Speaker C: We need an ampersand in our name. [00:44:14] Speaker E: You've got the supplies I can brew. [00:44:17] Speaker A: Will your new Owl Sage friend need accommodations or are they staying at the Guild Hall? [00:44:29] Speaker E: If I can stay at the stay. [00:44:31] Speaker D: Here, it would be. Looks a lot more comfortable than the Guild Hall. [00:44:35] Speaker A: Sharva will be thrilled. Our first guest owners. Do we have permission to open on a provisional basis for your friend? [00:44:48] Speaker F: Yes. [00:44:49] Speaker A: We have not been given a permit yet from acting administrator Garm. [00:44:55] Speaker F: Oh, we can get a permit. That's easy. [00:44:59] Speaker A: Very well. Owl Sage. We have accommodations. [00:45:06] Speaker B: And guys, you now have. You know that choose your adventure. Where as far as I can hear it, the camera pans from up to Polb Plaza. The big statue of Bergen and the Hugill Castle behind. And now you're panning. Right, right, right. And you have chosen the path back to the white chain. That's what you're doing. [00:45:28] Speaker D: Yeah, we are. Because we're putting the construct pieces into the art locker. [00:45:34] Speaker B: Right? [00:45:34] Speaker C: Okay. [00:45:34] Speaker D: That's what you guys want to do. [00:45:36] Speaker B: Another chain. First reason I ask. Just making sure. Gotta move my chess pieces around the board there. I will leave you guys. [00:45:47] Speaker F: Belloc's gonna try and get a short rest in. [00:45:50] Speaker D: Yeah. Rook's gonna run to his for una room and you know. [00:45:54] Speaker F: Yeah. Nap if I can get one hour down. I got all my spell slots back, so I'm gonna try it. [00:46:00] Speaker C: Where are the. Where are the parts again? We've got them. The Wagoneers. [00:46:05] Speaker F: Yeah, the Wagoneers are bringing them to us. [00:46:09] Speaker C: Hey, Rob, would I be able to backtrack a little bit? [00:46:13] Speaker B: Always. [00:46:15] Speaker C: Steve wants a part piece of those parts. [00:46:19] Speaker F: A part of the pieces. [00:46:22] Speaker B: Remember when the crowds went to look closer at what was in the pontoon? [00:46:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:27] Speaker B: When you guys had not cordoned it off and identified it as a sort of scene, you were able to sneak in with that crowd. And remember when you rolled that stealth roll? [00:46:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:39] Speaker B: Well, we'll just carry that over. [00:46:41] Speaker C: Do you even cast diself? And I am one of the crowd. [00:46:46] Speaker B: Bingo. Well, you know who. Which one? You were one of the two people who walked out of the crowd. [00:46:53] Speaker C: Sounds good. [00:46:54] Speaker B: And do you have. No. [00:46:56] Speaker G: What do you use to disguise self? [00:46:58] Speaker B: You're not a finger snapper. [00:47:00] Speaker C: Oh, I am. I also have disguise self. I can't cast it as awesome as Bella can because it actually does cost spell slots for me. But I do get disguised self as a first level spell. [00:47:13] Speaker B: Okay, well, in this retroactive scene, would there be any particular part you were looking for? [00:47:19] Speaker C: No. No, I'm just particularly interested in. In getting a better closer look. I like collecting these things and I like, like kind of spending time and understanding them. [00:47:32] Speaker B: Well, you would have picked off. Can you roll a 1D4? Yep. That's a 4 you can pick off. You have been studying these things. So you will pick the Holy Grail of whatever you were searching for. Some piece that you thought you wanted, you found. What was it? [00:47:54] Speaker C: Well, in my mind, I want to know what is critical to these things. Keep it on. So if it could be like an internal organ or an internal part of some sort, that if it's like an energy source or something, that would be critical to these things kind of being what they are, if that's at all possible. [00:48:18] Speaker B: Okay. As you root around, you put your hand right in between some of these sinewy cracks in this exotic spirit wood and retract out where you feel that power source or the heart would be. And it is a small black lodestone. [00:48:43] Speaker F: Oh, shit. [00:48:44] Speaker C: Sweet. [00:48:45] Speaker F: We've seen lots of those in little spell pouches. [00:48:51] Speaker D: Yeah, I found some in the Kobold worm wizards pouch. [00:48:54] Speaker F: Yeah. Had some all the way back to when we met Chris Blick. [00:49:02] Speaker E: So do we know that Steve has taken this? [00:49:05] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, I do. [00:49:09] Speaker E: We want to test to see if these things can operate without the lodestone. [00:49:13] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of tests that I want to. I want to do with these. [00:49:18] Speaker E: Well, like what? I was thinking, now that they're in the Hurt Locker, I can pull out that Nafrey's amulet and see if it reacts. Now that you don't, or now that it doesn't have the lodestone. [00:49:29] Speaker C: Well, I'm kind of looking at it this way. Like when Steve has learned how to fight goblins and hobgoblins and gnolls and all the sorts of things that he fought in the wilds, like all the humanoids that he's specifically good at fighting. He could tell you where to place the right shot to hit something in the heart. What he's good at, we specialize at. I think the idea is that he's looking to specialize at herding these constructs if he needs to. So that's why he's kind of systematically kind of trying to break down these things. It's just what he's done before previously with humanoids. And I think in the fights that he's had with these constructs, he hasn't been particularly useful. So he's trying to figure out a better way to end them. If he needs to, to end them. [00:50:17] Speaker B: Right. [00:50:17] Speaker E: So are the. The construct parts in the Hurt Locker. [00:50:21] Speaker B: Now, there is a knock at the threshold of the door. I assume you guys have sort of come in as Porco has been showing you this gorgeous new square shaped wooden piece for a new sign. But boy, it's a really gorgeous piece of wood. And as he's showing you that there is a knock right beside you. It is the meat wagon and they are full of junk. [00:50:50] Speaker G: There's not a bit of flesh or. [00:50:53] Speaker B: Fat or sinewy here. [00:50:56] Speaker D: Ah, well, you win some, you lose some. [00:50:59] Speaker B: Well, we have been paid. [00:51:02] Speaker A: Where shall we dump it? [00:51:05] Speaker E: Follow me. [00:51:07] Speaker B: Okay, where are you taking them? [00:51:08] Speaker E: Locker? [00:51:10] Speaker B: Well, you would be able to take a huge handful and Matthias is very stout man, so maybe like four or five big bundles of construct stuff. And into the Hurt Locker it goes. [00:51:23] Speaker E: Huzzah. [00:51:25] Speaker F: So wait, did we just show them what the Hurt Locker looks like? [00:51:28] Speaker E: No, no, I want to take them upstairs and drop it in the room and then say I got it here, and I will. [00:51:35] Speaker G: Okay, very well. We'll just turn around here. But what an interesting little third floor owner's floor you have up here. [00:51:45] Speaker E: You know, this is where we hurt people. [00:51:51] Speaker A: Sounds about right. [00:51:53] Speaker B: Yeah. They're unfazed, Kaitoa. So they're walking down the staircase. Guys, you've seen Kaitoa, now help your wagon servants there essentially lock away these bits. But you kept the amulet, as I understand it, Kaitoa, in a. In a thigh compartment. [00:52:08] Speaker E: Yep. [00:52:08] Speaker B: Okay, and then Steve, as you were speaking aloud about your interest in finding the ways to, you know, kill and take down these things. Yes. The morning has ended. Now. There is the bell coming from the temple of Jebda. You know, that's the temple with the bell here in town. It is noon because as I understood it, two of you were taking a one hour rest. [00:52:43] Speaker D: Yes, sir. [00:52:44] Speaker B: Okay, anybody who didn't take a rest, what were you doing in that hour? [00:52:49] Speaker E: Once the guys are gone out of the upstairs and I know it's safe, I'm gonna put everything in the Hurt Locker and seal it up. [00:52:59] Speaker B: Okay then, Zozo, what did you do during this hour? [00:53:04] Speaker D: If you let me, I would help. Help with the. The construct hearts? [00:53:09] Speaker E: Yeah, sure. Okay. [00:53:11] Speaker D: Yeah, I help out. [00:53:12] Speaker E: So what does the. [00:53:13] Speaker D: The Hurt Locker look like? What is it? [00:53:18] Speaker E: Oof. Now I'm beginning to regret this. [00:53:25] Speaker D: Yes, Kaitoa, what is the herd locker? [00:53:30] Speaker C: This is the room where we have conversations with people that we like other people not to hear. [00:53:38] Speaker E: It is a secret room with. With no light. There is a crude drawing of a window that I may have drawn like a child's, like crayon drawing of a window with trees outside, but there's no light. It is a sealed secret. [00:54:02] Speaker C: It's almost. It's a vault in a sense. Right? [00:54:05] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:54:05] Speaker D: Okay. [00:54:07] Speaker E: But I'm maybe gonna hold off showing how it opens and closes for now. [00:54:14] Speaker D: Okay. [00:54:15] Speaker B: Dr. Zozo, can you roll your choice of a wisdom or an intelligence based skill? As you realize, yes, there is a third floor. It's the same level, of course, that you peeping owled into. [00:54:33] Speaker D: Okay, I'll roll investigation. I got 12. [00:54:41] Speaker B: Okay. Kaitoa, can you roll deception. [00:54:46] Speaker E: Nine? [00:54:47] Speaker B: Kaitoa. [00:54:51] Speaker C: Hey, look over there for a minute. [00:54:54] Speaker F: Crank, crank, crank, crank, crank. [00:54:59] Speaker B: As you're simultaneously asking for the help of this character, she sees you go into another room and operate some sort of foot pedal to close it. She sees that you're very concerned with making sure that everything closes tighter than the drum. And as you come out and sort of say, oh, you didn't see that? You feel you have not been effective. Yeah. [00:55:26] Speaker D: Okay, well, I make a note of that. [00:55:30] Speaker E: Yeah, nudge, nudge. [00:55:33] Speaker D: No, I pretend I didn't notice. [00:55:35] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah. [00:55:38] Speaker C: Steve retreats to his danger room to. To focus on more on this thing that he's found from the. From the construct wreckage. [00:55:47] Speaker B: Okay. [00:55:48] Speaker C: Has his stuff shown up? [00:55:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Now your grocery list as well. At the end of this hour is delivered. You hear another knock on the door. And it is the familiar voice of Dante. [00:56:08] Speaker F: Dante. [00:56:10] Speaker C: Hey, man, what's up? [00:56:12] Speaker G: Ah, out of breath, running. [00:56:16] Speaker B: And then behind Dante, you hear another voice. [00:56:21] Speaker G: Hey, don't go up to the owner's barkadoorva. [00:56:27] Speaker B: Yeah. Running up from the lower levels, through the guest level, up to the owner's level door. Seems Dante, the messenger and Shorva are knocking at the door. And Steve, you're the first to answer. [00:56:42] Speaker C: I guess. I guess so. Well, I'm in the danger room. [00:56:46] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say you could. [00:56:48] Speaker C: You could be. [00:56:51] Speaker F: Has. Has my resp been up yet? [00:56:54] Speaker B: Or it's beleg. I mean, you guys tell me who gets to the door. [00:56:58] Speaker C: Well, am I. Was I there to receive the. The stuff that I had ordered? [00:57:03] Speaker B: No, this is that happening. So. No, let's say your stuff is gonna arrive without your knowledge. So Beleg and Rook, it would be one of you. [00:57:14] Speaker F: Okay. [00:57:15] Speaker D: What's going on? Dante? [00:57:17] Speaker B: Okay. Are you opening the door? [00:57:19] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:57:20] Speaker B: Okay. Can you roll a Deception? [00:57:25] Speaker D: Deception? What is that, seven? [00:57:30] Speaker B: Thank you. Shorva stands there right beside Dante. Dante, he's holding a package. It seems like he has a rather heavy package that he slumps down. Shorva's trying to catch him by the back of his cyan tunic. And they both stumble into the room. [00:57:50] Speaker F: Whoa. What's going on? [00:57:52] Speaker D: I'm gonna quickly shut the door behind them. Lock it. [00:57:57] Speaker G: Ah. Owners. I told him not to go further than the concierge desk. [00:58:05] Speaker F: It's okay. This is Dante. He does Dante things. [00:58:12] Speaker D: Have you never met him before? Shorva? [00:58:15] Speaker G: He's the messenger from the castle. But my. I swear fealty to my paycheck. Owners are the king. [00:58:24] Speaker F: He gets a pass for now. What did you bring Dante for? [00:58:28] Speaker G: Master? Master Ranger. There was a parcel on the way. But more importantly, you guys have an early visitor. [00:58:39] Speaker D: Is it the Wizard's Guild? [00:58:41] Speaker G: Perceptive. There's an emissary. [00:58:45] Speaker D: We're. [00:58:47] Speaker F: Are they coming here or are they at the castle? [00:58:50] Speaker G: I was told to send them here. It's just a day earlier than I thought. So all of a sudden, at Hugel Castle. And your friend Gurm told me, of course, to run and notify you. From the Kenku's tower came this emissary. I don't know how they got there. [00:59:09] Speaker D: Hmm. So you've sent them here? [00:59:13] Speaker G: They're on the way. And, oh, they brought some muscle. [00:59:18] Speaker F: Hmm. [00:59:19] Speaker D: What do you mean, muscle? [00:59:22] Speaker G: Well, I ran from the castle, you see. I mean, I'm not even supposed to be here today, but that's who I was. [00:59:30] Speaker C: It's never. When are you actually supposed to work here? [00:59:35] Speaker G: Well, very infrequently. It's a day on, it's a day off, so it's hard to tell what my schedule is. But it's very large. [00:59:45] Speaker D: Seems like it's an hour off, an hour on. [00:59:47] Speaker G: Very, very large. [00:59:49] Speaker F: Hmm. [00:59:50] Speaker G: The whole tower shook. [00:59:53] Speaker F: Oh. [00:59:53] Speaker D: What do you mean, very large? Is it a giant or. [00:59:57] Speaker E: I don't know. [00:59:59] Speaker F: Well, Sharva, can you prepare a spread? [01:00:03] Speaker A: Very well. [01:00:04] Speaker G: We are well stocked. [01:00:06] Speaker A: You know. [01:00:06] Speaker G: The tankards came from Chintadou. [01:00:10] Speaker D: Do we have lots of ale? [01:00:12] Speaker F: Wait, what? [01:00:13] Speaker G: Verily, just this morning. [01:00:16] Speaker F: They came from Shintadu. [01:00:19] Speaker G: Yes. You asked me to order them. And they have shown up on this morning's vessel from Shintedu. [01:00:29] Speaker F: Interesting. Cool. Sounds wonderful. Bring us all around so we can taste this new ale. [01:00:37] Speaker C: It's a roque beer. [01:00:40] Speaker F: Yeah, no shit. [01:00:43] Speaker B: Party of five, then. As Shorva goes downstairs, ostensibly to at least prepare, maybe some sort of spread. It is noon. What are you doing? [01:01:01] Speaker D: Yeah, we gotta get ready for this. I don't think we want to be caught without Being having a game plan here. [01:01:07] Speaker F: Yeah, I agree. What do the rest of y'all think? [01:01:12] Speaker C: Steve can set traps? [01:01:14] Speaker D: Yeah, I think so. [01:01:16] Speaker F: All right. Kevin McAllister. [01:01:21] Speaker D: I wonder what the muscle is. [01:01:24] Speaker E: Yeah, I'm interested in that. [01:01:27] Speaker D: What do you guys think? The whole castle shakes. [01:01:31] Speaker E: I'm thinking potentially a giant. I speak giant, so that helps when. [01:01:38] Speaker C: You wield the axe. You can talk shit. [01:01:41] Speaker E: Yeah. So I. I definitely want to be present that one. [01:01:46] Speaker D: So should we have Kaitoa man in the door when they arrive, or do. [01:01:51] Speaker F: We want to Kaitoa or Lurch? [01:01:56] Speaker D: Yeah. [01:02:00] Speaker E: I'd like to maybe sit back and see if. If it is a giant if they talk to each other. Because then I could like, sit back and just listen. [01:02:10] Speaker F: I was curious to see. I. Yeah, we're all ready. We're all full health, full spell slots, except for Steve, who just. [01:02:17] Speaker E: I doubt they're gonna like, come in the door and start swinging. [01:02:21] Speaker F: No, I just want to be prepared. [01:02:23] Speaker E: But they're definitely. They won't. They're coming to demand something, that's for sure. [01:02:28] Speaker F: Yeah. Steve, do you have any idea what they're coming to demand? [01:02:31] Speaker B: Nope. [01:02:32] Speaker C: No idea. [01:02:35] Speaker D: Well, especially when they came so quickly. Right? They came in day early. [01:02:41] Speaker E: I do want to say, Steve, like, I would at some point love to see if we can. If I can pull out that amulet and without that stone you took, see if the still has a reaction. [01:02:55] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, like, I guess the part that I ripped it out of. Yeah, I don't. I guess like, it must have been like a. Like a torso piece or something though, so. [01:03:08] Speaker E: Head or a chest? Yeah, but. But that's what I wondered. Like, it'd be a good way to devise. Like if you rip that out, it's totally just because, like, if I bust out that amulet again and the thing doesn't even move, then we know that. Yeah, it's that stone. You have the brain. The brain. But I definitely don't want to do that now and have the Wizards Guild showed up while we're all like upstairs playing around. [01:03:38] Speaker F: Yeah, you don't want the Wizards Guild to show up when you've got your thigh compartment open. [01:03:42] Speaker E: Yeah, exactly. My hand in my pocket. [01:03:47] Speaker F: Yeah, caught with your thigh compartment open. [01:03:50] Speaker E: I guess there's not really a ton we can do other than, I don't know, do we want to get Gurm. [01:03:56] Speaker D: Over here for this? [01:03:58] Speaker C: It may be worth keeping them separate from. From this. This business because we do have them installed as the. The so called leaders of Polb right now. [01:04:11] Speaker F: We can always just reconvene with them later. [01:04:14] Speaker C: It's better. Yeah, I think it'd be better to keep it separate so that if, if there is something they have a problem with. [01:04:20] Speaker E: Yeah. The other nice thing is that Steve taking that lodestone, if the Wizard's guild is able to track that now that it's separated from the construct parts, they won't be able to find the construct parts, the lodestone, or hopefully not. So it won't lead them to the Hurt Locker. So that might be nice as well. [01:04:46] Speaker C: Yeah. What, what we. I think what Steve is going to impress upon the rest of the party is that this is our house and we call the shots here. They can come in, but this is, this is our place. They don't. They don't push us around. [01:05:04] Speaker B: Ominous words. And that is where we will have to leave you. Until the next time on Dungeons and Blackguards.