Venture Forth: A D&D Podcast
Venture Forth is an RPG based narrative podcast developed by a group of actors, entertainers, and friends. Through the use of detailed storytelling, committed role-playing, and a completely original swath of tone-setting music, our goal is to create an immersive and theatrical narrative experience without sacrificing the warmth and comfort of playing with your buddies. Thanks for checking us out, and may your adventures be epic! All music composed by Shane O'Loughlin.
Venture Forth: A D&D Podcast
C2 E21 | Kiss Thy Fair Large Ears
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The gang searches for the foreman in the Split Keel, but finds themselves employing unique strategies for success...
#dungeonsanddragons #podcast #dnd
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Venture Forth is an immersive Dungeons and Dragons actual play. We play 5th edition (5e) Dungeons and Dragons in a home-brew D&D setting. Our campaign takes place in the high fantasy realm of Elbor. A world filled with monsters, heroes and epic tales to be told.
Cast:
DM - Seth Fowler ig:@sethdanfowler
Players:
Il'lia - Kat Harris Mojica ig:@letmetellyouastory
Phillippa - Rebecca Hausman ig:rebecca_hausman
Vael - Rodney Campbell ig:@sirodnus
Shaw - Russel Bartek ig:@preposteruss
Ramsay - Shane O'Loughlin ig:@theshaneupstairs
Title theme by Shane O'Loughlin & Maxi Morales
Venture Forth is a Dungeons and Dragons podcast. We play 5th edition (5e) Dungeons and Dragons in a home-brew D&D actual play setting. Our campaign takes place in the high fantasy realm of Elbor. A world of monsters, heroes and epic tales to be told. D&D is a TTRPG, a tabletop roleplaying game, also known as an RPG. Our gameplay is perfect for beginners to Dungeons and Dragons from episode 1.
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SPEAKER_12Well, here we are. I'm Philippa.
SPEAKER_08Shaw Ilya Ramsey, and I'm your DM, Seth. Welcome to Venture Forth.
SPEAKER_09Gather around ye gentles, I've another tale to tell of woe-begotten heroes and repentant now duels, of villains and their scheming and the fools that heed the call. Sweet melodies to ensure that they venture. For they venture, for they venture, dueling dragons in a dungeon, toppling trolls till the tolls are peeled. Of course they venture. For they venture, thou mayest have to trust an archway when a devil's at thy kneels. When last we left our heroes in a tavern or a cave. They dispatched a doctor's laser, found some sun and soft to save. There's a mage with much ambition. There's a organ at the gate. The real friends of politician.
SPEAKER_00It's high and that's their feet.
SPEAKER_08When last we left our heroes. After a somewhat tense exchange in the parlor room of the governor's mansion, you left behind you a council of coin deep in deliberation about the immediate future of the town of Blackrock. Shaw and Ilya headed north toward the Red Thorn to gather food and drink, whereupon they learned from Gaz that someone had come around snooping after one of their party. And after helping calm the evening rush and getting a bottle of Red Thorn liquor, courtesy of Jimmy, you gathered food and booze and headed toward Soothes and Salves. At the aforementioned shop, Phil, Ramsay, and Vale gathered together to have a brief discussion about the events of the evening, take a small, quiet respite, but not before arguing over the state of Ramsay's clothing, or rather, lack thereof.
SPEAKER_10Should I arrived?
SPEAKER_08And together, you all mold over the evening's events, the creatures that attacked, the lattice key, its uses and significance, and the reason for its presence here in BlackRock. And after a lot of theorizing and having as many remaining questions as new answers, you all decided on your next course of action. Klas Verhig, the dwarvish foreman of Bavralda's claim, and the one who originally returned the Lattice Key to Blackrock, you know he is connected to all of this, and from your interrogation of the crew who attempted to steal that very same object in the governor's mansion, you know he set them toward the lizard folk who hired them to do just that. So, you gathered your things, made your way onto the first sprouting celebrations of BlackRock, and finally arrived outside of the split keel. You find yourselves on the spire of rock out in the middle of the bay. The smell of the sea is strong in your nostrils, you see the dark waters expanding outward and away, and across a very kind of rickety-looking wooden bridge is the massive war galley. You see shadows moving between the planks, you see again the pink and blue and sort of subtle white lights that are just emanating outwards, catching in the mist that comes in in the evening. You see that it is probably three levels or so down in the bottom, then there is, of course, midships, and then the topmost deck as well. Um there are people all over the place. It is it is in full swing. But you see uh a rickety bridge across from you that leads into the hull of said ship. What are you guys gonna do?
SPEAKER_12Alright, so we're looking for class.
SPEAKER_09Alright.
SPEAKER_12He's a dwarf.
SPEAKER_14Right.
SPEAKER_12Yeah, what does he look like?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_14Fill it around. Yeah, and also who knows what he looks like.
SPEAKER_04I know exactly what he looks like.
SPEAKER_08I think the two all three of the Black Rock kind of locals know know Class. You've seen him at the Red Thorn before, though it's not his favorite haunt. Sure. Um, and the two of you just know I mean, it's a relatively small town, you've seen him in passing. So Class, Class, sorry, excuse me, um, is a he is a dwarf. Um, he is um, this is kind of his favorite haunt, you know that somebody told you that it is his favorite haunt. I don't remember who it is. But um my dad. Yeah, it could have been, yeah, very well could have been your dad. But um he is so he's uh very I mean, even for a dwarf, he is like thick. He's short, thick neck, bunch of shoulders, have big arms, heavy hands. Uh he has dark hair that is shot through with kind of uh uh bits of gray and salt and pepper. He keeps, unlike most dwarves though, he keeps his hair short, like sh uh shorn, like almost to stubble. Um and he does not wear like a full plated beard, like is very common the fashion uh for dwarves. Instead, he has like a kind of a short, very well maintained beard. Um, and he usually is, you know, can be seen in town wearing relatively plain workers' clothes. Um he's um yeah, I mean, he's been to the fighting pits before. Um, so you guys are familiar with him. He uh um hard man, and you know, like a lot of people here, he came up through the labor camps and now is uh a foreman at uh at Boverald's claim.
SPEAKER_19From I guess uh dealings with the split keel and like my dad coming here a lot. Do you maybe I also know that, like, does Class maybe have a gambling problem? Is he is he really reckless with money?
SPEAKER_08Interesting. Um yeah. Uh Class's favorite game is Liar's Dice, and he usually likes to play it uh here at the split keel.
SPEAKER_12Well, um Glass is a dwarf dwarf, and he Okay. Glass is a dwarf. Um but he keeps his hair short and his beard is not overly long. Dark hair, dark hair, greying little salt and pepper going on, yeah.
SPEAKER_13Liar's Days. Love that game. Oh, is there a place here where that goes on in the back rooms or something like that?
SPEAKER_12I mean back rooms, front rooms, side rooms. I think that's our first business.
SPEAKER_09Uh first order as well. Take a look. Yes. Um great. Does anyone want a drink? Yes. Of course. All right.
SPEAKER_08Um right, awesome. Uh, you guys, yeah, you push through and you enter into the split keel. You see, uh, as you guys enter in, you see that it is a wash with this suffused light. And you can actually see, like, buried into all of the rafters and wood and all of the cross beams of the ship itself are these like sort of somewhat large crystalline structures that inside of them hold this sort of moving pink and blue and white light. Um, all of these different flavors and colors of quartz, and it is oppressive bodies in here. Um, you know, people are very much in their first sprouting revelie. The evening is getting on now, so a lot of people that you come across are rosy cheeked and big smile and dancing. Um, there is music that is is it's kind of weird, Ramsey. For you, it might be a little odd because you can like hear music coming from like down below and then also music coming from up, but it kind of clashes and it's like they're not playing the same song. Um button, it's kind of lost in the din to any but a trained ear. Um, as you make your way, so you can see uh uh with very practiced uh uh uh effort, you locate that at the back of the bar, um, which would be the aft. Yep, aft of the ship. So at the aft of the ship, there is a series of barrels, a long table, um, and uh just a setup of a bar. Um behind the which currently you see a uh squat, stout uh human male, looks like he's in his 60s. Um he has uh oddly, like weirdly thick forearms, like big ropey, muscled forearms, and what looks like a sailor's workman shirt that is like rolled up the sleeves are are not even rolled up past the elbows, but like all the way up to the to the shoulders. Um he is bald uh with a long gray beard um and has like very weather lined skin. Um and he has thick, thick gold hoops in his ears. Um and uh also wears um a sleeveless uh captain's coat. It's like a long sort of uh maroon purplish uh uh yeah, like beautiful captain's coat that is probably seen better days. Um this uh you would not know. Um, but the two of you, this is Harl Two-tide's mourn, and he is the owner of the split keel. Um and he's just slinging boos and um and yeah, he's he's uh as you do you approach? Yeah.
SPEAKER_14Happy Sprouting! Ilia, my dear.
SPEAKER_08Hello, and he like reaches across the way, gives you a hug, pat on the back. Um, everybody, uh, what would you like this evening?
SPEAKER_07Um we've got it's first sprouting, we've got it all.
SPEAKER_09We've just had quite a bit of wine, have we not?
SPEAKER_19Um We want to get sloshed.
SPEAKER_09Oh completely wrapped.
SPEAKER_12Not I. Just a glass of wine.
SPEAKER_08Oh, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_12Hello, darling, how are you?
SPEAKER_08Wonderful, wonderful. Uh somebody get hurt?
SPEAKER_12Are you No, just visiting.
SPEAKER_08All right, good. Good, good, good. I mean, no offense or anything. Love to see you here, but oftentimes when you're here at the end. Well, is anyone hurt that? Um so far it's been a pretty quiet evening, you know. Um uh, you know, my my guys are taking a look, and actually, I forgot to mention this as you walk in. Uh you see, off in the corner, you see two familiar figures. They're the guys you fought in the ring at the beginning. You see the half orc and a human male. They're both like a different stars and yeah, they're just kind of there sitting there in the corner, like posted up, keeping an eye on on the uh the festivities.
SPEAKER_19So not as exciting as last year. Um I hope it doesn't matter.
SPEAKER_08That was uh that was uh big middle. Uh but um, alright, so uh so sloshed. Oh uh whiskey. Excellent, all right? Whiskey is whiskey. Whiskey. Hey friend, uh right on. And nothing for you, Art.
SPEAKER_12Wine, please.
SPEAKER_08Wine, excellent. And he turns around, he starts slinging, you know, grab some cups and things like that. One at a time, he throws throws it over. Everything is very simple. It's like wooden cups, just like very simple wooden wood and clay. Everything's mismatched, none of it looks the same. But he hands out a series of cups. Um, he pours a very beautiful looking like amber liquid out of a unmarked bottle into your cup, your cup, and your cup. Um, and uh he pours uh wine for you. And what did you ask for?
SPEAKER_19Just something to get me wrecked.
SPEAKER_08Ooh, okay, okay. Uh, ooh, and he's like, and he reaches down. You see, he pulls out like a green bottle that has like one of those little nets over it, you know what I mean? Um, it is also unmarked, and he like he takes it off, and you can literally see the like vapors come out of like like the way that that heat mirage happens. And he's like, whoo! And he he puts like he gives you like a tiny cup. It's like this big, and he just like pours like a finger in. There you go.
SPEAKER_12Uh um pace yourself, darling.
SPEAKER_09I'm not that I'm against self-destruction, but I'll pace myself. Work to do, I suppose.
SPEAKER_19I'll save this right before we leave.
SPEAKER_13Or you can take it now.
SPEAKER_19I'll just sit. I want to do it. Make your constitution some place. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_06Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_19Umstitution? Yeah, yeah. And it's a safe. I know how to do things. It's been a while. Oh, plus one. Okay, so 15.
SPEAKER_0815. You manage to swallow it. Um you manage to swallow it. Wow. Immediately. Turpentine. It hits, it hits your eyes, nose, and mouth all at the same time. Like, and you're, I mean, like, even with the safe, you swallow it, but like you feel immediate warmth like spread throughout your chest and like your eyes water. Um, that'll um make you forget it. So, you know, uh, I made that. That's been down in the uh, well, it's been down in the hull for quite a while. Agent. Getting up, getting just right. Delicious. Oh yeah, glad you like it.
SPEAKER_19All right, well, um, real quick, have you seen like my dad or um I class?
SPEAKER_07Um, hmm, mm-hmm. Uh, your dad? No, actually, surprisingly, haven't seen him here tonight. Um, class, class. Um, hmm.
SPEAKER_08Hmm. Indeed. Haven't seen him tonight. All right. Um, you know, he uh he typically likes to um I mean if he is around, he he'd probably be in up one of the private rooms or something like that on the on the deck.
SPEAKER_19Yeah, I was I was just trying to like catch up with the city. What do you think him for?
SPEAKER_07I didn't know you guys were pals.
SPEAKER_19No, my dad needed something from him for some reason, and then he sent me on errands, and I've kind of been partying all day and forgot.
SPEAKER_07Don't tell him. Don't tell him I haven't found class yet.
SPEAKER_19Thanks. Mom's the word. Thanks.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah. Um, well, everybody, thank you so much for uh joining us here at the keel, and uh have a good night.
SPEAKER_08And he like switches over and just starts helping out other patrons.
SPEAKER_09So pri a private room perhaps upstairs. That's that's where we should start, I suppose. Doing a search.
SPEAKER_13Um should be uh yes, I was thinking that quieter among us.
SPEAKER_09Yes, of course. Um maybe you just enjoy the environs.
SPEAKER_12I'm not very quiet, so I'll stay down with you.
SPEAKER_13Yes, um. Um, do you want help?
SPEAKER_19Or um I'm I haven't drinken all of it yet.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, I'll look at you and I'll look at your cup.
SPEAKER_19See, it's like almost foster.
SPEAKER_13Alright, come on. I can also be elusive. But carry on.
SPEAKER_12No, no, come on. You should check as well.
SPEAKER_13Yes. Um I'd be I'd love to. Someone down here might have information. This is true. If you well, if you want to ask around, uh you guys stay here. I guess looking up, yeah, how copious does the upstairs. How does it look like it might be hoovas to search both up and down?
SPEAKER_08Uh yeah, so from your guys' current vantage point, so the the it is still enclosed. So you guys are on the mid-deck right now, that's where you like enter in. So you can't see the upper deck. But from outside, it looks pretty busy. Yeah, it's a ship. So um, but from the outside it did look like there were quite a few people. Um, you were able to see that like the deck has been partially converted into what uh could only be described as like a little bit of a like shanty town. Yeah, it's almost like atop the decks, there's like walls, curtains, and all these like bit different partitions that have been built into it. Um, and there were even like people like up on the on the sail and like in like little like it looks like somebody took a ship and just like literally like a kid like hammered a bunch of stuff on growing. So like the crow's nest is kind of expanded out, and there's people up there that you're just like drinking and cavortin'. Um, but yeah, you you saw that it was it appeared to be pretty busy, and there's open areas too where there's like dance floors and the like. Um, but yeah, from what you saw, pretty much every floor is pretty packed.
SPEAKER_09Okay. Yes, I'll join you and then um but yes, keep an eye out down here. May maybe he's below decks. Uh there's no way to know for sure.
SPEAKER_20Could be anywhere.
SPEAKER_19Could not be here.
SPEAKER_20Anything is possible.
SPEAKER_19You sure you haven't drunk in it took a sip and it won't try? Yes.
SPEAKER_02Okay. No, it'll take a little sip. I've thought I should have asked this before, but I'm curious. With my background and my job, do I have like any type of uh advantage on drinking alcohol? Not to say that bartenders drink on the job, but just to like sure.
SPEAKER_06I'll say I'll I'll give you sure, you can have an advantage on this save.
SPEAKER_08Considering you're uh uh I mean alcohol is poison, so tickle tongue.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's cocked. Uh have that got better. Damn. Wow. Oh loyalty. Uh I don't know. What do I add? Con save? Con save, yes sir.
SPEAKER_04If we fail here.
SPEAKER_0823.
SPEAKER_0223, yeah. You you do.
SPEAKER_08It doesn't, like you feel the same thing. You manage your eyes, don't water, and it's a little smoother for you going down. But it is this is some premium. Well, it's some very effective hooch. It's very effective.
SPEAKER_02That's damn good. Yeah, sip on that. Alright. I'm gonna come back for more. Anyway. Alright. Yes, I suppose I should.
SPEAKER_19I've been here. Yeah. So I mean, if if there's like a a a path forward, or do we wanna I mean we could split up and go up there?
SPEAKER_09Yes, well, there's only one set of stairs.
SPEAKER_08There are two. So um there are two like kind of those like uh actually there's three. There are two that like kind of just curl upwards, like um, what are those called? Rounded, I forget spiral spiral staircases down there. There are two spiral staircases, and then as you kind of Ramsey's tall enough to like, as you look up, you can see that um in the four, like on the port side of the ship. Hey, look at me. On the port side of the ship, there is another set of stairs that leads upwards onto the upper deck. So there's three ways to get upstairs.
SPEAKER_09So um uh I'll go on the external route. Do you want to split it up?
SPEAKER_19Oh, I meant split up once we're up there. Oh, because there's like places in the crow's nest, and here, just go that way. Go that excuse excuse us!
SPEAKER_08I understand what you said. All right. All the bodies you guys, yeah. So uh you start to kind of elbow your way through the crowd. Um, and you guys, are you all heading upstairs together? Yeah. Okay, cool, cool. You're going up. Alright, so the three, you go up, the two, you stay down. I would like uh why don't we go and roll some roleplay initiative? So everybody rolls. I insist you grab me by the way. Add your uh charisma modifier.
SPEAKER_13Not by the trips?
SPEAKER_08Charisma modifiers. Charisma modifier.
SPEAKER_02Why would you do that to this? I love that for us.
SPEAKER_12Um natural one. Or a one.
SPEAKER_02For me, also natural one for a one.
SPEAKER_11You were supposed to be holding the team up.
SPEAKER_02What's your dex? It is, yeah. Uh my dex is 16. Same.
SPEAKER_01What's next?
SPEAKER_08Uh with this one, well, I think I'm gonna group you guys.
SPEAKER_03So it'll be them and then G depending on who just gets who gets the highest. But eight for seven. Excellent. Fourteen. This is raw charisma. Just a charisma check.
SPEAKER_19Charisma check. Sorry, I thought you meant just initiated.
SPEAKER_08No, no, no. So it's it's D20 plus charisma. You're plus two charisma. Plus six.
SPEAKER_16Charisma.
SPEAKER_08Alright, cool. So yeah, the the upstairs crew is definitely starting. Yeah, I think there's an end.
SPEAKER_10Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the Riz table over here.
SPEAKER_06I was gonna say the sorcerer over here. Um, look at us. Oh, is it just the role?
SPEAKER_09Amazing couple of charmers.
SPEAKER_08The uh the three of you, uh, you guys, well, let me ask you this. Where are you going? Are you going to uh one of the spiral staircases in the middle? You're pretty close to one, and then there's basically like if you guys are midships, there's a spiral staircase behind you, there's a straight staircase ahead of you, and then there's a spiral staircase that's close by. Straight ahead. True. All right. So you're going all the way to the front of the ship and then going up through. And then walking through. All right. Awesome, awesome. Um nothing. You guys make your way through the um the uh uh press of the crowd. You see that there are, again, a lot of people here. Um, you guys manage to kind of squeeze your way through a dance floor where music is being lively played, and people are like you can feel the ship kind of like rattling as like feet are stomping onto the ground and everybody is uh almost everybody is barefoot. Um yeah, we are too. Like beer and alcohol is sloshing everywhere. People are sweaty, uh, it is smoky in here. The the smell is like you smell very sweet, like pipe tobacco, maybe some sweetness from some other things as well. And as you guys walk through, um, I would actually like everybody to make a constitution saving throw for me, please.
SPEAKER_11Everybody who's a constant throw.
SPEAKER_08Every actually the whole table, everybody. Constitution saving throw.
SPEAKER_17This is the holy ship.
SPEAKER_01Hey, that's actually so much better. We saved it for when we really
SPEAKER_05Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_10Consei.
SPEAKER_0321. 21. Whoa. 17. 17. 21. 21. 16.
SPEAKER_19It's like we all got it for 20 or something, guys. Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_08Um, as you guys, as the three of you make your way up and the two of you kind of start to make your way around the midship's area here, the smell, like the cloying sort of smoke in the atmosphere, like goes into your nostrils, and you feel a sort of sense of like a heady rush almost. Uh uh, and yeah, it's it's it's relaxing. Do I know what this is? Yeah. Make a medicine check for it. Can I also make it?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'd allow it. Is this a thing that I know that happens in bars? No. Or do I know of this difficult? Because of being here before? Yeah. Banana land.
SPEAKER_19Banana land.
SPEAKER_08We live in a banana land. No, because of your background, go ahead. Yeah. You can what is that again? Yeah. Uh this is a medicine check. No, probably not. Critical. Critical, critical. Bang it. Bang it, bang it. Okay, cool, cool, cool. Uh wow. All right. That is very, very good. You got this. Maria. You, um. It's funny that this is you. Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_11It's like, I think.
SPEAKER_0814 for and um yeah, you know too. Um, you know, too. Uh, this sort of sweet um scent and the the smoke itself mixed amongst the sort of normal scents of of tobacco and and the spice of that. You also feel that that uh signature sweetness, and you guys have smelt it elsewhere, but also in your shop. Um, it is moon petal flower. And um I have something. That's bad for you. It is it is a sort of uh hallucinogenic. It's a it is a not a hallucinogen, it is a soporific uh in a way. Uh doesn't make you sleepy, so I should not say soporific, but it does relax the body and reduce and kind of like dull the mind, uh, creating a sort of sense of just like pleasant contentedness.
SPEAKER_01Um there's no fights today.
SPEAKER_08It's mingled amongst the it is mingled amongst the smells and it's kind of a an undertone beneath most of the pipe tobacco. Um but you all manage to avoid the effects and you are immune to the effects for the next hour.
SPEAKER_20Yay.
SPEAKER_08Wow, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, I also have uh I have uh resistance against poisons.
SPEAKER_08So I actually I guess this technically would pro yeah, I I would classify it as a poison because it's a drug.
SPEAKER_01So I should complain about the page.
SPEAKER_08I guess you're rolling it advantage, yeah. But you guys all manage to pass. Um, but it's we're here for an hour and we have to do it again. Yeah, so good to know. Um but the three of you, as you walk through this this mist and smoke and sweat and booze, you ascend the steps and enter into a clearer, uh, cleaner night air. Um I would like you guys to all make perception checks for me, if you'd please, as you guys enter up to the deck.
SPEAKER_12How's that um loyalty going, Ruck? Hey, this is this is the time where you stay with it.
SPEAKER_19Critical, critical, bangy, bangy?
SPEAKER_17You could not. You get three in a row.
SPEAKER_01That is been a big are you just picking them up and dropping them?
SPEAKER_19I'm doing the little things.
SPEAKER_17Hey, save some of those.
SPEAKER_19I know, I'm like, why am I rolling good now? I'm gonna get ones later.
SPEAKER_08Well, that's when we'll come in and we'll the probability engine is gonna fuck you up. Um as you guys go upstairs, you are looking for a very particular person. Yes. So, and what did you choose, Walter?
SPEAKER_02Um, I got a f uh 12.
SPEAKER_0818. 18, okay. Well, let me ask you this. What are you guys- I mean, you're looking for that obvious person, but is there anything else you guys are keeping an eye out for?
SPEAKER_02I mean, I think I'm um it's probably in the same vein of that person, but I'm looking for people playing Liar's Dice. I'm looking for maybe people arguing about a game, or I'm trying to like catch on that. Okay.
SPEAKER_19I'm also looking for my dad.
SPEAKER_05Okay. Cool, cool, cool.
SPEAKER_19I'm looking for a good time.
SPEAKER_09Looking for the hotties. Uh, always. That's just the passive.
SPEAKER_19That's just like a passive. It's just an exact hotties.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, that's passive. Uh no, I'm looking for workers from logging camps. Uh I'm curious about that. That's something that we've kind of been our ears up for. Okay. Um, if we can discern that. Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_02I'm also looking for a dwarvish lady with scars and a jacket. Oh.
SPEAKER_19My dad and that. Okay. And then also class.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I guess any games going on. Okay, cool. Um, Shaw, as you, as you begin to look around, um. Could I be doing something too? What? Sorry, continue.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh you are.
SPEAKER_02I just thought of something that might be.
SPEAKER_04What do you want to do?
SPEAKER_02I want to pick some pockets on our way through. Because I know I have a debt to pay. Okay. And I want to decide. I know these guys are a little, these people are a little loosey-goosey. I'm just gonna try and get us in a place. As I'm bumping into people and pushing through the crowd, I'm like putting my hand in grabbing a coin here, grabbing a coin here.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. This is a what we call a target-rich environment. There are a lot of people here, and they are uh, like you said, it's the evening's in pretty good space.
SPEAKER_02Maybe it does it, maybe.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, maybe. Um, we'll see. Okay, what yeah. If you need me to do anything. You uh as you walk forward, um, you you kind of do you guys stake together? Do you kind of fan out?
SPEAKER_02With an eye shot, I'll stay.
SPEAKER_08Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_19Yeah, how how uh bar wide? How wide?
SPEAKER_08Wide is the ship?
SPEAKER_19Is the ship?
SPEAKER_08Uh the ship this is like a big war galley. So wide, it's about 30, 35 feet, um, with odd sections that kind of like increase that width a little bit. Um but uh generally about 30 to 35 feet wide. And then tall or long, it's really long. Yeah. It's also interesting because it's been like it's in like pieces. And it's in three distinct pieces, but then there have been like planks and things that have been laid across and hammered and nailed in to adjoin the various pieces of the ship. Um, but the total length from front to back is 160 feet.
SPEAKER_19Pooh.
SPEAKER_08So it's long.
SPEAKER_02We should zigzag as we go to the What we could do is we could have like one on one side, one on the other side, and one in the middle, and then just fan it through like that.
SPEAKER_19It'll be harder to do that because there's holes and stuff, and if we just kind of weave.
SPEAKER_09I'm gonna start uh climbing if there's uh there's ring and stuff again.
SPEAKER_06There's rings. It's still there.
SPEAKER_03And that's like that's how you get up to the like there's no stairs. It's that's how you have to start.
SPEAKER_09Try and get it over uh uh a bird's eye beat.
SPEAKER_08Okay, cool. So uh go ahead and because these are those like uh they're they're the they're sailing. So go make an acrobatics check for me. Um they are not exactly the most easiest thing to climb. Uh it's a 19 with with cat's grace. Um you you literally shimmy up the uh the the uh the shovel news. Yeah, I'm making a show of it. Yeah, you see is like as you go up, there's somebody who's like on their way down who's going real slow. Uh sorry. Um that's quite alright. Swing around the other side, slip past it, back around. Um for your uh for your metaphor. I'm gonna start with you because you rolled an 18 on your perception check, right? Yes, yes, I did. Although she did, you know, you got a natural natural 20 for sure. Okay. So you were specifically looking for like loggers. Um and as you with that high of a perception check, I mean, there are certain trades, right, that give away uh uh give away a little bit, right? Like loggers, very, very physical job. Yeah. Um, so you you start looking for people who are like bigger, right? Like broad-shouldered, broad chested, tall, um, and then groups of them specifically who are all hanging out together. Right. Um, you're also looking for like telltale signs of any like sap in clothing, or like maybe somebody who just came back from rotation and didn't have enough time to change. Right. Um, and with that high of a role, you do identify about um like down the down the ship a little bit, more towards the aft, um, about uh probably 80 or so feet away from you, you see what looks like a table of um men that kind of fit that description, as well as um, as well as a woman who are all uh most of them are human. Um you see them sort of uh uh around a table. Um like half of them are dressed in like what you would assume is like first sprouting wear. Okay. But there are three that are wearing like woodsmen's clothes, um, that have some of those elements you see like in the in the light of the torches and candles, you see glints of something sticky and viscous on clothing um with your again, with your bird's eye view. And you see, yeah, you see a table of five who are like playing cards um right now, and they look the other thing that kind of sets them apart is they're they're they're kind of quieter. They're not as it's like a sort of little sea of a little cluster of like uh relative calm as compared to the rest of the the group around groups around them. And they're just like playing cards and uh you know nursing nursing beers.
SPEAKER_09Do they do they do any of them look um uh injured or anything like that? Hmm.
SPEAKER_08Um from this distance, tough to tell. Okay. Yeah, from this distance you can't you can't tell if any of them are injured. Um not so much that it would it's clearly visible. Yeah, sure, sure, sure. Okay. No like bandages or anything like that. Okay, right on. So what do you what would you like to do with that information?
SPEAKER_13Um they're playing cards.
SPEAKER_09Um yeah, I'll slip down over. I don't know, I'm I assume I don't see class anywhere. As you look around for that specific figure, you don't see.
SPEAKER_08Okay.
SPEAKER_09Yeah, I'll I'll uh uh with that view, I will slide down, skip across to another rope, make my way sort of um hand over hand, uh laterally moving across the the ship to then sort of um daintily uh descend down and and and land nearby them. And uh if I can get in, uh I'll say what's a sand I got to do to be dealt in here.
SPEAKER_08Um you see as five faces kind of look up at you, um, and you see as the woman, she appears to be, she's mostly human, but you can see just like the faintest traces of like half-orcish heritage, like just a faint grayish skin, like so not full half orc, but somewhere in the lineage. Um and she sort of looks up at you and you got money? Uh I have uh yes, I have some coin to my name. And she kicks one of the chairs out, and it just like uh it it opens up to you. She says, feel free to sit. I'm happily, happily take your money, friend. And I'd happily give it for such a charmer.
SPEAKER_09What is that? Uh I I detect a sort of um brutal veneer, a sort of um I don't know, do you descend from some sort of godhood, some sort of um strength, primal element? Perhaps born straight from Sidriel's balls. Interesting paraphrase there. Sidriel. I never quite caught on with the the new gods. Is it uh um do uh Sidriel's balls come with any amount of uh benefit, or is it just sort of um legend has it, they're huge and made of brass, so that's what glass stroking was uh just uh a thing I've heard in uh channels.
SPEAKER_08The uh you know, worshippers they have all these odd ways of paying homage, but um uh as far as I know, it's not part of the official supplication, but uh, you know, I don't know. I'm sure um I mean when my religion comes about, it will be that we're gonna strike balls if you want, and she just points at one of the guys and he's like, shut the fuck up.
SPEAKER_09I mean, if Jace is uh open to it, you know, I'm uh curious about uh uh nether regions of all kinds. Oh, are you? All right, well, I know a few people you can talk to.
SPEAKER_08First you have to beat me in cards. Alright, fair enough. And uh they uh they basically say it's um it's a silver a hand. All right. And deal me in.
SPEAKER_09I'll chuck a silver out on the table.
SPEAKER_08They start passing out cards to me. Okay, okay. And I'm gonna cut over here.
SPEAKER_15Um so, uh, the two of you. So um Do you think they're gonna be successful?
unknownNope.
SPEAKER_12Uh well, it's possible, but only if um uh only if Harl is lying. And um, did I get any vibes that Harold was lying?
SPEAKER_08Uh yeah. Oh, oh, oh. Um, man, that's a good question. Um I will say you've interacted with him enough times. Um no, he didn't appear to give off any uh clear signs of discomfort or anything like that. He seemed genuine.
SPEAKER_12Okay. I mean it's a busy night, it's possible he didn't see him come in, but he didn't seem to have seen God recently.
SPEAKER_15Isn't that strange?
SPEAKER_12I mean I guess so. If this is the bar he pretends to paint and be a patron of, then one would think of old days he would want to be here. Unless, of course, you know, he did send that crew over to the Lizafolk, in which case maybe he's with Lizafolk tonight, waiting for them to return with the goodies.
SPEAKER_15Should we look down here?
SPEAKER_12Sure. Then I like my wine in my hand. I mean, I'm I'm perfectly happy to look around for a short dwarf in the sea of townsfolk.
SPEAKER_15Short dwarf. Short hair.
SPEAKER_12Short hair.
SPEAKER_15Short hair.
SPEAKER_12Short beard.
SPEAKER_15I'm just gonna scan and see if I see anybody that fits the bill.
SPEAKER_19Taylor, just like tall. Yeah, you actually are.
SPEAKER_06You are quite tall. Like hair still.
SPEAKER_01Um and I'm like sitting on the bar stool. Like I'm my elbow is leaning over the phone.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_19Like you're not even gonna try.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_08Sweet.
SPEAKER_19He might be here, but like, nah.
SPEAKER_08I would like you to roll your choice of perception or investigation checks.
SPEAKER_05Okay. As you guys you two look around. Yeah, let's do that.
SPEAKER_12Um you said perception or um investigation is uh 16.
SPEAKER_0716, okay.
SPEAKER_16That's pretty damn good. It ain't quite what it's closed. But it's close. Okay. Uh that'd be a 26.
SPEAKER_01No! Wow. Fuck yeah. Who else are you looking for?
SPEAKER_08Okay, and then what was your story? 16. 16, okay. That's also very good. Um, so okay, as you look around. Yeah, that's that's pretty good. So the two of you do see a number of dwarves, none of which are close enough to that description. Most of them have like long pleated beards or long hair. Um, you know, some do have short crowds, but they're too thick. Not that one. That one.
SPEAKER_12Not that one. Are you gonna point to every single dwarf in this room? Because it might be a little awkward. Please stop pointing. He's not here. He's not here.
SPEAKER_15How do you know? There's more.
SPEAKER_12I know.
SPEAKER_08As you guys are moving, you grab his finger, you're like, stop pointing. As some people do, like, you know what I mean, especially given how he's new, he's new in town.
SPEAKER_01Just ignore him. It's fine, it's fine. We all do.
SPEAKER_08And you see people like who like who kind of like bristle, you know, at being pointed out. They're like, All right. And you, you know, they they kind of give you uh a cheers. And as you guys are kind of walking through and you're looking around, um, you scan for for a number of people and you scan through a bunch of dwarves, um, and you don't see um class, uh, class, but there is one figure that you do notice um that is unfamiliar to either of you. Scary uh no, um, no, no, no. Uh you uh you nope, okay. Uh you see something that is just like very out of place. Um, someone that is very out of place sitting like at a table, their back pretty close to the wall, uh, there is a subtle aura of like just space around them. Like no one is quite getting close. You see a thickly muscled, gold-scaled, winged dragonborn. He has these sort of like drooping uh appendages, or rather like whiskers almost of his gold dragon heritage, but then intermixed, almost like between the golden scales, there's also what almost look like veins or or elements of uh like topaz. Like this sort of deep burnished golden uh and brown uh gem, like that is almost like intermixed amongst the scales. Uh his in the torchlight, you can see that it like his skin kind of sparkles. Um he has this beautiful uh like uh plate armor that is uh not fully doesn't go all the way down. There's no greaves, um, or or rather there are the the arms portions. Um it is just like a I guess a breastplate almost. It is this like sort of very fascinating, like interwoven bands of some sort of uh bronzish colored metal. And across well, sitting like right next to him at the table, leaned up against it, you see a massive, what looks like a scimitar, but greatsword-sized. So a huge, curved, like thickly bladed weapon. And uh he is sitting like very upright, and like I said, he has he is winged, which you have never seen before. Being native to Elbor, Dragonborn do not grow wings in Elbor. Um and he is he's like I like I said, sitting in this kind of like quiet zone of silence, or rather uh space, not silence, but around him. And he is there is a cup that is gripped in one hand, the other hand is flat on the table, and he just appears to be looking around.
SPEAKER_12Can I tell what he's drinking?
SPEAKER_08Uh you rolled a 16. Uh from this distance, you kind of try to look in the cup. Um looks like water.
SPEAKER_12Okay. Um Harold. Harold! Uh uh, yeah.
SPEAKER_07What's up? What's up, Phil?
SPEAKER_12Um, the gentleman over there. And I nod over to the dragonborn. Uh, what's he drinking?
SPEAKER_07Uh, water.
SPEAKER_12Could I have a pitcher of water, please?
SPEAKER_08Uh, sure. And he reaches down, you see, uh, takes a quick moment and hands you a big sort of a big wooden pitcher of water.
SPEAKER_12Lovely. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_08My pleasure.
SPEAKER_12Shall we go make a friend?
SPEAKER_08Yes.
SPEAKER_12Lovely. And I will make my way over with the pitcher of water.
SPEAKER_08Cool. Um, as you make your way over.
SPEAKER_12I quickly like finish my wine. Yep, finish my wine.
SPEAKER_05All right, cool, cool. I just bring mine. You just bring it again? Okay, cool.
SPEAKER_12I bought so that I have the empty cup with me.
SPEAKER_19He's not a dwarf.
SPEAKER_16Wait. And as we're walking, I'm like everyone. I'm like, just looking for it.
SPEAKER_08Um another one. You see, uh, as you guys approach, um, you have your pitcher of water in hand, you drink the last of your wine, and you weave your way through the crowds. He's sitting, like I said, back pretty close to the wall with a good view of the room. And uh as you guys approach, he looks up and kind of catches your guys's, um, you guys looking at him, and his eyes land on you. And he pushes back from his table and he stands.
SPEAKER_12We're both two weirdos in in this town, also.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, you both look very interesting. Uh, yeah, very, very much so. You guys stand out, but he he looks at you specifically, Vale. And pushes back and stands up. And pushes back and stands up. Doesn't it's not threatening. It doesn't look like he's like preparing for anything. He just stands up.
SPEAKER_20Your approach? Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_12Good evening. Might we uh Share your table.
SPEAKER_08Please. Join me. And then he like nods his head and in Gith for honor. He greets you.
SPEAKER_20Sorry, I don't I don't speak that language.
SPEAKER_07Uh it is a it is a greeting amongst the people of the Gith.
SPEAKER_15I'll repeat it back. Um how do you speak the Gith?
SPEAKER_07Your people, they were friends of me once.
SPEAKER_08When? When I had less cards and less scales.
SPEAKER_15Do you know where any are here?
SPEAKER_08And he sort of quietly, he has a very, I am not able to reproduce it, but a very, very deep resonant voice, the kind that like shakes your chest when he talks, right? Um and he he sort of thinks for a moment.
SPEAKER_07It has been many turns of the sun since I have seen your people, but um they are um there are a number of Kresh within the Sun Splitters.
SPEAKER_12I'm sorry, Kresh?
SPEAKER_07Yes. Um a place for raising some of the young and the sun splitters, that's part of um They are the uh mountains around Alrimon, my home.
SPEAKER_12Right. Uh in Verestra.
SPEAKER_07Yes.
SPEAKER_12What brings you to Elbor?
SPEAKER_07He looks at you for a moment. I have been sent, at the behest of my batters, to um observe.
SPEAKER_12Ah, well welcome. Observe away. Uh it's a very interesting town to Did you just arrive and and you're moving on from here?
SPEAKER_07I have been here for a number of days. Um it is a, as you say, interesting place.
SPEAKER_15Have you seen a dwarf with short hair?
SPEAKER_12Um there. I named Class. It's fine, don't worry about it. Uh we are on our own little expedition.
SPEAKER_08He kind of thinks for a moment.
SPEAKER_15Describe more of this dwarf. Um beard and short.
SPEAKER_12Yes, the beard the beard is quite short for a dwarf. And um thick, very muscled.
SPEAKER_15Grey, grey hair.
SPEAKER_12Black and grey. Like a dark colour and and some grey inter interspersed.
SPEAKER_07I have seen this man. Yes.
SPEAKER_12Oh.
SPEAKER_11Where?
SPEAKER_07When he arrived with someone I um did not like the look of. There is something about the way that a man who has taken life walks, and they um went upstairs to the uh deck tonight with another gentleman. Um gentleman he was not, but sure, another man. I um you would call him um Bugbear. Oh Bugbear. What? A goblinoid.
SPEAKER_12Yes. Okay, well, we have some companions that are upstairs. I'm so sorry. My name is Philippa.
SPEAKER_08Kardenak.
SPEAKER_12Hi, Kardenak.
SPEAKER_08And he reaches And his hand is like this huge golden scaled, uh, clawed, yeah, just like a shovel. Yeah. And it completely envelops your hand. And as his hand envelops yours, his hand is incredibly warm to the touch. Like it's it's very, very warm. Um, and it completely encases yours. Yeah. And it's firm but gentle. And he releases your hand. May you find shade.
SPEAKER_12Uh and this is Vale.
SPEAKER_07Vale. The Veil.
SPEAKER_17I see. Of the gift key. And when he reaches, I I grab his forearm.
SPEAKER_08And he like as he goes to shift he shifts with you like effortlessly. Um, Vale, make a history check for me, please.
SPEAKER_09Ooh.
SPEAKER_19Well. He's actually fetched friends.
SPEAKER_02Does he have an advantage because it's something with gifts?
SPEAKER_14Uh sorry. Oh no.
SPEAKER_02Sorry about that.
unknownSorry.
SPEAKER_06I don't like the story you're telling.
SPEAKER_08That's so valid. Um please, I would uh be delighted to share my water with you.
SPEAKER_12Wonderful, and I put the picture down on the table. Some more water for all. Yes.
SPEAKER_08And he like, as you offer the water, he like bows his head in respect. Um Yeah.
SPEAKER_12Karnak, um. I've I've been in Black Rock for, you know, uh 10, 11 years. If you have any questions about the town, please feel free to ask away. Um, do you plan to You don't have to tell me, obviously. Everyone can have their own secrets, but I would I'm I am curious to know why why they would send you here. It seems like there were some others that came from Verestrath recently who caused some trouble up with the governor's man's today, so he's curious if you arrived at the same time they did, and um he knits his brow.
SPEAKER_07These trouble makers. What did they look like?
SPEAKER_12Oh, um, you know, I saw them only from a distance. Um lots of different um one was that little wizard, right? The one who was doing the Oh the uh a gnome. The lyrics um um handskin and um a grey-ish. Oh at the door, right, right, a glia. And a goblin. Um there was a goblin. And I think there was like a a green uh dragonborn on a on a lyre. I didn't see that. Playing some music, walking through the party. Um, yeah, they're uh a series of disparate folks.
SPEAKER_08As you mentioned these descriptions, you see that um no recognition dawns in his eyes.
SPEAKER_07But he does say they are troublemakers and they are a restaurant.
SPEAKER_12Yes.
SPEAKER_07Where are they?
SPEAKER_12I think they are in prison.
SPEAKER_07That is best. I do not tolerate troublemakers well, particularly those from my home. Our cultures say must respect each other. We Sultana does not wish for um fighting.
SPEAKER_15If not them, what are you here to observe?
SPEAKER_08And he sort of like almost sweeps one of his hands out at the people.
SPEAKER_07Um I am um watching them, and he points Um, as I said, you are strangers to this land. I am a stranger to this land, but um there is um value in understanding each other.
SPEAKER_12I see, so uh a diplomatic mission, if you will, to see if there's anything worth parlaying with out here.
SPEAKER_15Of a kind. Yes. Um that kind. And I'm pointing at the scimitar.
SPEAKER_08Make insight checks for you, both of you.
SPEAKER_00Better better, loyalty. Let's go! Insight the fuck out of this. Yeah, I get it.
SPEAKER_02That's gonna be a good one. That's gonna be real.
SPEAKER_0116.
SPEAKER_02No way again. That's cool.
SPEAKER_19Um, hang on. That's perfect for you two. I love that we together. This is my this is my TV figure. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Okay. Those are good rules. As you, and his was very bad. As you point to the scimitar and you look at um, one, the way this man carries himself. This is not a diplomat. Uh-uh. He is a warrior. Um and he made that comment. Uh-huh. And the the the transgression of like breaking the law or making trouble. Yeah. Um, what his purpose is is is unclear. Um, but knowing, and then you especially, you know what diplomats are like, and what this is a he's here on reconnaissance. He's looking, um, judging and assessing. Yeah. He's a warrior. Um, but uh do with that information what you will. And he, when you point to the scimitar, when you point to the scimitar, you see his hand like his right hand like lift as if to like move towards it, not threateningly, but almost uh just like a slow kind of reach for it, almost habitual. Um it it stops.
SPEAKER_12Karnak.
SPEAKER_08Yes.
SPEAKER_12We are a simple people here, but we just got done fighting a 30-year war. We are not interested in any additional extended wars, be them at home or abroad. So I hope that you can share with the people who sent you here that we are but a simple people just trying to survive.
SPEAKER_07I appreciate your um honesty. Do you speak for all here in BlackRock and elsewhere?
SPEAKER_12I cannot speak for all, obviously. But I do know that the everyday people who are the ones who pretend to fight are not prepared or interested in any additional wars.
SPEAKER_07This is good. This is a good thing. Thank you.
SPEAKER_17Now reach into my pocket.
SPEAKER_15Since we've helped you before. Yeah. And there's two um modes of light.
SPEAKER_08You see, he reaches a hand, holds them, looks at them. And then yet he thinks you. And he puts them into a pouch at his side.
SPEAKER_15If you see the dwarf, don't let him leave.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. You you uh he looks at you as you have given me help.
SPEAKER_20I will grant it to you if you wish.
SPEAKER_08And we're gonna go to break.
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SPEAKER_12Somewhere.
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SPEAKER_08I would like you to go ahead and roll a sleight of hand check for me, please.
SPEAKER_12Am I within like a hundred feet of Ilya?
SPEAKER_08You would have been a second. It depends on some things.
SPEAKER_05Yes, you would be. What was the total?
SPEAKER_04Um wait, go ahead. We'll resolve this.
SPEAKER_12Am I a hundred within 120 feet of Ilya to send a message?
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_12Um, while like I'm gonna turn briefly away from Karnak, um, like as if I'm getting another cup from the bar, and I'm gonna tap um this like cuff on my ear. Um Ilya. Class is here with a bugbear upstairs. Somewhere. Good luck.
SPEAKER_11Nice.
SPEAKER_12Um with a bugbear. Uh okay, thank you.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Love that you have message. Let's make it.
SPEAKER_08Message be handy, and there's one of like because messages can go around corners and there's so many holes in the streets. It's just the directional thing, I think. Yeah, it's just like as long as they're within 120 feet. Thanks. So, okay, Ilya, you do receive that message. But Shaw, you as you uh sorry, thank you. No, because that I I appreciate it. That's actually a good idea because that helps me. Really? So Shaw, as you begin to move your way through the crowd, you see Ramsey scamper off into the rigging, you see you and Ilya kind of split, and you start making your way uh around through the press of people. Um, you go off to the left. Um, and yeah, what was your slide of hand check total? Go ahead and roll that for me. That is a 15. 15. Okay, cool. Um, as you wander through the crowd, you start to, you know, you grab, like you bump into people, and yeah, people are are running around, they're like laughing arm in arm, people are like giggling, um, and you you bump into a person and you feel your hand just like slide into a pocket. Um, I would like you to roll uh two D10 for me, please.
SPEAKER_02Nice D10. Uh the first one is a zero. Ten. And then a second one is a six. Six, okay.
SPEAKER_08Um, as you kind of wander through the crowd and and bump into a group of people, you grab like a quick, you know, you reach into a pocket, you feel a couple of coins. And you pull them out, you see it's one silver and like a handful of copper. Bump into another person, you reach in, you feel a heavier stack of coins. You get a couple more copper, a couple more silver. And as you kind of make your way through the crowd and gather and bump into a few different people, um, over the course of the next minute or so, you're able to gather 16 total sil uh uh coinage of 16 silver pieces in total, um, or you know, one and a half gold, basically. Um, as you are up here, most of the people here in this area in this area that you're in are not particularly uh are not particularly wealthy, but you do you grab 16 silver worth of uh mixed coinage over the course of the next minute. I should have done this up on the height.
SPEAKER_20All right, anyway.
SPEAKER_08All right, but you're able to gather that. As you are looking around, you said you were looking for what in particular?
SPEAKER_02So I'm looking for people playing the liar's dice, any type of uh gambling games. And then also I'm looking for that dwarf that Gaz mentioned to myself and him.
SPEAKER_08Right, right, right, right. Okay.
SPEAKER_02Um obviously class. So yeah, of course. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Um what was your perception check from earlier? 14? 12. That sounds right. It was 12. I'm pretty sure it was 12. Okay, as you look around, um, you start looking for, and you're just going based off of the description. So you start looking for that kind of the dwarvish woman that you you had uh Gaz told you about. You do not see her. Um, you see a number of dwarves, and you see a couple of people that you're like, and you know, you get that moment of like, oh, maybe. Um, but you you don't see, you dismiss them. It's like, oh, that's not a dwarf, that's uh uh just a short human or you know, a few other people. Um and you do not see them. Um and then as you are walking, you hear though, like as you get over to the left, and actually not too far away from where you were, you hear like a shh sh sound of like dice in a cup, and then them being like thrown onto a table. And it's coming from like there are there's this area of shit into towns, and um huh?
SPEAKER_09If only we had some kind of uh thing to demonstrate how that sounds like dice in a cup.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yachts.
SPEAKER_08Um but you see um you hear that sound, and it is coming from uh there's all of these different shanties and like bits and and uh you know changes in elevation as you go throughout this place, but you hear it coming from like kind of up high. Almost there's like a secondary, uh there's an element of the midship's area where these kind of shanties have almost been built into like a second tier. And it's like kind of next to the mast and like up, and and it's kind of as even as you look, there's like a few weird wonky staircases to get to it. Um, but you hear that sound coming from up there.
SPEAKER_02Um Is there a way to get up to investigate that area more without being like going up that front door kind of vibe? Can I go up like the next shanty over and kind of see an angle down from that?
SPEAKER_08There's there's two options there. You can either you can go up the rigging because there is like ropes and stuff like that. You can go up that way, and that will bring you kind of like up into one of these like uh the the the four yards um or the four four yards, the arms, the like arms of the sail that have again been like cobbled together with these like not necessarily the most well constructed um looking like little platforms and stuff like that where people are even currently like drinking and observing and stuff. It seems close enough. Also up there, you see like people kind of canoodling, you know. It's like a little quieter above the rest. So you see people, you know, in various states of embrace. Um so you can get up there by going up the rigging, or there are some other stairs and things like that. That's what he means.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. I'm gonna I'm gonna go up the rip. I'm gonna look to both of them and be like Ramsey could do us. And I'll go with the rigging. All right, make an acrobatics check for me.
SPEAKER_19Up very like 11.
SPEAKER_0811. I mean, it you could do it. You definitely do it. Um but it is like it's surprising, it's more difficult than you think it is. It is more difficult than it's like it's pretty. Mostly because like you're heavier than Ramsey, too. So like your weight shifts them weirdly as you go up them. So and you've got being slightly. But you get up to uh a second story or one of those like uh attached balconies on the four-yard of the sail. Um, and by that time you are uh yeah, you look down and you see, you see actually from your vantage point, you can see Ramsey actually, like you see the chair get kicked out and quickly happen. You see him sit down there. Uh not that table. That's not where the the shuka shuka coming from. But as you the shuka shuka. Different shuka. If you get up to this area, you do hear it more clearly, and it is definitely coming from this like central raised area. Okay. Um, and as you look down, you can see like uh you see that there are these small like private rooms, and you see that they are like they're open air in that they don't have like a solid roof, but you do see like a mix of a mismatch of different like curtains and materials that have all been like stretched over the top of them to create roofs effectively. Um and you can hear the sound of the dice coming from in one of those areas, or actually like from around this sort of central. There's a what looks like probably two the largest rooms up here. You see them.
SPEAKER_02Uh from this vantage point, I will scan the rooms that I can see into for class. Make an investigation check for me.
SPEAKER_08Or investigation of perception.
SPEAKER_20Okay. I'll let I'll leave it to your choice. Uh perception is better. Do I roll better though? No, I do not. Oh no!
SPEAKER_02What does a one get me? Oh, it's um it's a five. Five? I don't know if you can crit fail, but we'll find out. You can't crit skill uh crit fail a skill chip.
SPEAKER_05But roofs. Yeah, it's difficult.
SPEAKER_08Just get closer. Um yeah, unfortunately, as you look, you there's no like they're not sheer enough or anything like that. You do see like just the faintest bit of light like leaking out from around the edges, but you don't see any um yeah, with that check, you don't see any.
SPEAKER_02I imagine like I'm getting bumped by these people because you're not reading. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_08They're like dancing, like trying to be all romantic and they like bump into you, you know.
SPEAKER_03That's the worst, man.
SPEAKER_02Um, are there any ropes that I can slide down closer to that? Yeah. Let's fucking put the heads. I'm grabbing and must slide down.
SPEAKER_08You can see that like up to the sort of center of these balconies where you are, there are like all of these mismatched ropes and things like that. But yeah, as you're able to grab the rope, uh go ahead and make another acrobatics shut for me. And where you're aiming to go where? To like to the.
SPEAKER_02I want to get to like that shanty building. So not like on the table, but like I want to get to that area so that I can kind of start. Because I can't see anything from here. I'm I need to get closer. Okay, cool, cool. You know, just like to the yeah, outskirts of it. I gotcha.
SPEAKER_20Fuck, is that caught?
SPEAKER_02Tell me it's caught.
SPEAKER_12Put a thing on top of it.
SPEAKER_02There you go. No, these are D4.
SPEAKER_19I think it's fine.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's fine. Unlucky. Uh what was it again? Acrobatics? Yeah, acrobatics.
SPEAKER_08Nine. Nine. Um, yeah, I mean the the you slide down the rope. That's not the hard part. The hard part's the landing. Um which like you you kind of don't realize like as it comes up past you, you see the the like the there's a ledge that you didn't quite see, and you try to lift up your feet in time, and you definitely just like your shin just with the side of the banister.
SPEAKER_20Um, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright. Just rub it out.
SPEAKER_08And you and you you it's smart. It's smart. Yeah. Sure.
SPEAKER_14Runzy.
SPEAKER_10Immediately immediately. I was gonna say anything without paying attention.
SPEAKER_08You you you smash your shin into this, it doesn't, it's not enough to do damage, it just hurts. Um, and you find yourself like kind of on this uh this area where like you land kind of next to one of these rooms. Um and um hang on just a second.
SPEAKER_01Well, I forgot to tell you the guy was kind of murder looking. So I forgot that so am I.
SPEAKER_08Definitely had a murder walk. Um like the your shin connecting with the thing kind of makes like a like a loud noise. Um and you see like you land, and about you kind of land on this like narrow walkway. And to the right of you is um, to the right of you is like one of the rooms, and you can see like there are heavy, like one is like red velvet and one is green velvet, and they're both like heavy and kind of mismatched, but they're closed right now. And you now that you're this close, you definitely hear like shh shh and you hear voices and things like that, like people uh you know uh carousing. Yeah, but you see about 30 feet away from you, like which is odd, um, because you did not see him w from your vantage point, but you just see like a shadow like detach itself from the wall. Um and and you see a very tall, uh, very hairy, well-armed bugbear that is just like just just like kind of comes out and like looks at you.
SPEAKER_02Hello, friends. Sorry, there was going on up there. I figured best to just leave it there making all kinds of noises. I felt like this would be more fun.
SPEAKER_13Fun. Yes.
SPEAKER_02Yes, take that as a yes. What's your name, friend?
SPEAKER_08Make a persuasion check for you.
SPEAKER_02I'll walk. Could I even walk up to you and get my hand out as you walk up to him? Go ahead. Uh check, yeah. Persuasion. Uh 17 persuasion.
SPEAKER_0817? That's that's quite good. As you walk up to him, you extend your hand.
SPEAKER_07Crux. Grux. Strong name.
SPEAKER_08And yeah, he well, and he's got a very strong hand, too.
SPEAKER_20Ah.
SPEAKER_08Um.
SPEAKER_07Have fun.
SPEAKER_20What you doing out here? Why are you having fun yourself?
SPEAKER_07I'm having fun.
SPEAKER_20Surely. Thank you. Can I go in?
SPEAKER_02And I'll look towards the door. He's does he look like he's guarding a door, or is he just in the corner of the Megan insight check? I can't tell.
SPEAKER_08Actually, uh is he standing out front of anything? I don't think you need I don't think you need an insight check. You know what this looks like. He's he's guarding. He's guarding something. Yeah, he's just he's he's standing outside guarding something.
SPEAKER_02Um appreciate your help. And I'll just whatever one's the closest, I'll just like pull the curtain a little bit. Oh. I'll go to do that. I'll go to all the time.
SPEAKER_08As you, yeah, as you go to do it, his he he like reaches out.
SPEAKER_20Are we not allowed to play? Um is this a private game?
SPEAKER_02Private game. Is it a cost thing? Because I've made a little bit of money today. Try next door. And he points back the direction you came. Alright. And I'll head back that way. Okay. And I'll break line of sight. Uh-huh. And I'm gonna try and see if there's another way to see vantage point in that room specifically. If I have to shimmy around, if I have to go down and come back up around, another banana. I'm looking for another way to get into that room or at least see inside it.
SPEAKER_08There is a, I will say, like, with all of the like mismatched wood and everything around here, as you like walk that way and you you see the banister that you like banged your shin on, you see that like the walls, like the walls and the floor are not like flush. So like the planks go over, and there's like a there's a very narrow ledge that as you see it goes around the like, so you sorry, you're up at the banister, you know, there's ropes going up and stuff like that. And then like you see the there's curtains immediately to your left. And as you kind of look over the railing, you do see like an overhang of wood, probably about eight inches that's like and kind of mismatched. It varies between like five to ten inches at any given time, uh, like a ledge that goes and then it turns the corner and heads back towards the room you just left.
SPEAKER_02That's where we're going. All right. We're going with it. Okay. So we'll do it stealthily if possible. Like I don't want to let him know and hear or hear me if possible.
SPEAKER_08I would say go ahead and make a make a stealth check for me.
SPEAKER_16Do it good this time.
SPEAKER_02Get after it, brother. You got it, you got it. Let's go showing that is a stealth of 21. 21.
SPEAKER_08Like a wraith over the edge and onto the onto the thing. Yep. You shimmy and slowly. You shimmy slowly along the edge. The odd mix of candlelight and torch light and the sail provides enough of like contrast in light and dark. And again, up here, there's no reason for there to be light along this edge. You manage to blend in with the dark and go around the edge, and you get over to the other side. Same thing, all along the back wall, you shimmy. You see that below you there are uh additional ropes and things like that that kind of go down. You can hear from beneath you as well, like other uh games and things like that that are going on. Um, and you see that like uh straight ahead of you there is a bridge and one of those like kind of shadow, shoddily made bridges that connects the different pieces of the ship together. Uh below you're about 10 feet down or so. Okay. And then you you shimmy all the way along, and you start to hear, you hear the voices coming from directly behind you, and it's a mix of voices, and they're just it's kind of classic, you know, uh just carousing and people giving each other a hard time. This is the room that's immediately behind you, and you keep going, you know that there's it's one more down. You keep shimming, you keep shimming, and you hear the the tones change.
SPEAKER_20Take it easy, one step at a time, just like Shana said.
SPEAKER_08And the voices of the one room fade, and then the one uh to your left, you see there's not as much like carousing or like loud anything coming from this room. You hear a subtler like and you catch a snippet of conversation.
SPEAKER_07Well, if I do tell you, what do you think that's with me? What do you do? I have the information you need.
SPEAKER_08You hear a kind of gruff voice respond.
SPEAKER_07The Dyroch will make you fall. We will share in the spoils. And I'm gonna cut over to Elya.
SPEAKER_10What? That was so good! Stay, get more information.
SPEAKER_02So shy, you were on the other side of the wall. I'm like mission impossible. I'm just like right up against that thing.
SPEAKER_08And you can see there's holes in the wood and things like that.
SPEAKER_02But then yeah, we'll come back. I have some theory. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You see that.
SPEAKER_19Um here's what Elia's doing. And Elia. I do.
SPEAKER_08I wanna know. Elya, as you um look around and you're, you know, you're keeping your eyes out, eyes peeled for um a bug bear in the room. For at this point, a bug bear, which you just received word from Phil. Yeah. You rolled a natural 20 on your perception channel. I did. Yeah, you fucking did. And as you are like kind of you stop, Shaw kind of goes off, Ramsey takes off in his direction.
SPEAKER_19I know we were gonna do this together.
SPEAKER_08And you kind of like make your way slowly, and you're a little distracted because you're looking for your dad at first.
SPEAKER_14Yeah.
SPEAKER_08And as you look around, you see that there are any number of private rooms and anything like that. But then all of a sudden, as you're looking around, you look up and you see, like, again, like almost you see the outline of it before it moves. You're like, what is that? And then into the torchlight, you see Step, a very tall, long-limbed, well-armed bugbear. And he appears to be facing away from you. Like you see his back. You see the unmistakable sort of like dusky brown fur, the sort of tall, uh, almost bobcat-like ears with the tufts that come up, uh, the signature arms that like go that will we reach well below the waist, like down to the knee almost, almost mid-shin. Um, my arms just a little bit. Yeah, and I mean this thing is probably I mean, even from this vantage point, it takes you a second to work it out because you're like, okay, well, that's a door. He's probably like six foot nine, six foot sheep. She's yeah, and a moment later, you see, with that perception check, you see Shaw, and you see like a quick exchange happen, you see as the bugbear reaches out, and then you see as he points, and you see Shaw bid him goodnight and then walk away.
SPEAKER_02Does she see me do the no? Okay. Oh, out of line of sight. Out of line of sight, okay.
SPEAKER_19Okay. Huh. Huh. Okay. So if I see that happening. You got messages? No. That's why I was looking through myself. Just go home, Ilya! Why am I even here?
SPEAKER_11You are. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_08I'm gonna be getting more drunk. Just partying. You're you're definitely like, you're not intoxicated yet, which is a condition. Got a good pose. It's my it's my own little secret cell.
SPEAKER_19You're not there yet. I'm having a good time.
SPEAKER_11Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_19Um a part of me is just do I try and help Shaw? Because I saw you essentially get caught. Yeah. Yeah. And then I was like, okay, so that's where we need to go. And then how are we gonna get Ramsey? He is gone, and then these two are downstairs. How do I talk to and I'm just kind of watching it still thinking? I'm like, I mean, I guess I could go up there. What am I gonna do? Flirt with the bugbear, and then I'm like, I guess I could try the bugbear. It's not the worst thing that I've ever done. Give Sean out. But I need the dwarf glass is actually our target. Hmm. And I'll and I'll start climbing the rigging. Okay. And just be like, God damn it. Okay, how do I hold the drink and try and climb the same drum?
SPEAKER_03Maybe I'll make an acrobatics check it. Disadvantage. Or you can just finish it.
SPEAKER_19No, I'm gonna sit as I go. I'm holding it in one hand, climbing it with the other.
SPEAKER_09Okay. Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER_19It disadvantages. Natural 20. 8. Plus, but it's it's that is crazy.
SPEAKER_17You wrote another natural 20.
SPEAKER_19I'm like, I'm like Seth now.
SPEAKER_17This is great. Don't be like Seth.
SPEAKER_19Be like Seth.
SPEAKER_17You can't. Um can't be done.
SPEAKER_19And we want we want uh uh dexterity acrobatics. Acrobatics 13.
SPEAKER_02No round to climb a ladder?
SPEAKER_19Yeah, I'm I'm sneaky below.
SPEAKER_02Just don't hit your shin.
SPEAKER_19I have one arm and I'm just kind of like This is so much harder with just one hand. I've done this before at this bar. I just haven't done it. It while holding like holding a drink. Some red thorn liquor in the power.
SPEAKER_08This stuff doesn't even have a name. No name.
SPEAKER_06What is it?
SPEAKER_08Two arm, two.
SPEAKER_06This is some shit. This is two hands special brew. Two hands. Two tides. Two tides special brew.
SPEAKER_19Yeah, two tide.
SPEAKER_03One of the two ties.
SPEAKER_19This is the third diamond. I was gonna say this is the third diamond double shot, two touch.
SPEAKER_08You manage to not spill your drink.
SPEAKER_19Nice.
SPEAKER_08Nice. And you get you do after a moment, you get up to kind of the these the ropes that you're kind of climbing on, they don't really meet on that landing. They meet like on the sub-landing beneath it where there's like a series of stairs.
SPEAKER_19Yeah, because I'm not trying to go to the buckway. Yeah, because I'm gonna try and go to the tent though. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_08You and I mean you you get within probably 15 feet or so, and you're like on the way up towards that landing if that's where you want to be. Yeah. Okay. So you get there.
SPEAKER_19Okay, cool. I'm I'm looking for Shaw now.
SPEAKER_08Okay.
SPEAKER_19And do not I guess I could pretend to be drunk and fall into the tent. That could be something. And I can just die right there and then I go back and forth. Yeah. Yeah. I'll I'll just it's fine. And I'll try and s do a sneaky sneak. Similar to Shaw, where I'm just like, I'm gonna try and get to the tent as much as possible. And if something goes wrong, fall into the tent wall and be like, oh no, I'm just really drunk, and try and cut that off.
SPEAKER_02I support this.
SPEAKER_03If I fuck it up. Same. Okay. Yeah, pull it. Pull it. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, there's that lever right there. So only one thing I can think of is pulling it off like a damn wall.
SPEAKER_19You can have that lever.
SPEAKER_08So you, oh man, this is okay. You're trying to like, you're trying to sneak up there?
SPEAKER_19Yeah.
SPEAKER_08I figured like it's yeah, you're about to go.
SPEAKER_19If there was like, yeah, something about your tone of voice though, like where the platforms are, if I could like go on the under side and try climbing.
SPEAKER_08You know that switching up a very narrow set of stairs that only goes one way is like not gonna be really doable. Because it's like it's not like there's and it's pretty well lit, and there's not like a there's nothing for you to like obscure or hide behind in order to get up to where he is. Okay. So like you're like unless you the only way, right, would be to try to like climb up somehow and go around the back side or some other I'll try and climb up and go around the back side.
SPEAKER_19Okay, okay. And if I fall.
SPEAKER_08Okay, let's go flare with them.
SPEAKER_02That'd be fun.
SPEAKER_08Okay, as you go, so you kind of like you get up to the second landing and you're like a herring. You kind of do this assessment where you like look around the corner real quick and you see like a staircase that's like this wide that just goes straight up to like five feet away from where he's standing. And he does not appear to see you. Right. Um, but you're just like, uh, okay. And so, and you do see that there's like little wooden knobs, and then you see a few feet above your head, because you're in this kind of mid-stage, you see like a little shelf of wood that sticks out. So make an athletics check for me. Oh, those things? I'm so good at it. Because acrobatics is about staying on there. Athletics is about getting on.
SPEAKER_09Especially for climbing.
SPEAKER_19Not strong. I'm probably gonna get a uh splinter. No strength is athletics. Thank you.
SPEAKER_09Yep.
SPEAKER_19I don't know how to yep, that's uh two.
SPEAKER_02Okay. Okay. Uh you pull the whole thing down. She done rolled a three for a total of two. Oh god.
SPEAKER_19Yeah. Yeah, but negative. I am not strong. I'm very dexterous.
SPEAKER_08You reach up and you go to grab one of the planks, and you go to pull yourself up, and you do not account for like the mist and the condensation that's on the edge of the plank. And as you go to like pull yourself up, almost do like a, you know, do one of those like where you jump off the banister and reach, you grab it and your hand immediately slips off of it, and you fall straight backwards. Like not even like on the butt, just like flat on your back. Um you take one point of bludgeoning damage and your wind gets knocked out of you. Yeah. And it makes a very loud thumping noise. Uh-huh. Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. And you hear a series of footfalls that kind of move somewhat quickly. Uh-huh. And then as you're laying on the ground around the corner, you see towering over you a six foot nine buck bear that just looks at you on the ground.
SPEAKER_19Cool. Immediately I go into the plan that I have. Yes. Drunk as shit, and I'm gonna hit on this buck.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, let's go.
SPEAKER_19I'm just the dice. The dice wanna hide.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_10Yeah.
SPEAKER_19I got so drunk. Okay. Hello, handsome. You wanna help a girl now? Make a persuasion check for it. With my my drink is still, I put it here, so my drink is still there to hold up the thing.
SPEAKER_11Okay. Come on. Persuasion.
SPEAKER_19Let's go. Um, persuasion. Um, 19 plus 10. Yeah. Yeah, it's pretty good. Point of nine. Okay.
SPEAKER_08God damn it. Wow. He started with this. This is you. This is what you are. This is your build for this.
SPEAKER_14It's cool and sneaky.
SPEAKER_19But I I'm just a girl.
SPEAKER_08Didn't go well. Didn't go well. Um as he like reaches down. And you see, like, he doesn't actually he doesn't have to reach. His arm just kind of swings forward and like he doesn't bend at all. It just swings forward, and you he grabs your hand, and he kind of like, it's not gentle. He like yanks you up to your feet like quickly, and then he like releases you and he just like Wow, my knight and shining our oh.
SPEAKER_18And he grabs you by the shoulders and he likes it. What's your name?
SPEAKER_07Crux.
SPEAKER_19Crux?
SPEAKER_18Wow, you're just uh you come around these parts often no I would have seen you before, right?
SPEAKER_07Maybe.
SPEAKER_18Maybe so. This is your first Browning Festival here?
SPEAKER_07Yeah. First first one here.
SPEAKER_06It's your first time? And you see like his kind of like his lips kind of it's not a smile, but there's a twitch of the lips as the edges kind of curl up. It's he looks kind of like a grimace.
SPEAKER_19Oh my gosh, you should try some for your first time. I'm thinking of a name for it. It's two tides.
SPEAKER_08What? Um He does not reach for it. He like puts his and he like bends down and you gotta drink it for your first time.
SPEAKER_19I already had some, it was great.
SPEAKER_08Make a another persuasion. Yes, come on. Do it.
SPEAKER_19Drink on the job.
SPEAKER_08It'll be fine. Okay, 13 plus nine. 21? 21. 22. 22, 22.
SPEAKER_19Numbers. Um come on. You're so strong.
SPEAKER_08And he reaches out.
SPEAKER_19Do it. Do it.
SPEAKER_08And like with a surprisingly like delicate, he like and he goes to drink it.
SPEAKER_02Does he just accidentally drink the whole thing? Because he's so good.
SPEAKER_19Oh, he drinks the whole thing. This is my play. I want to get him drunk.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. He probably spit it up.
SPEAKER_19Who cares?
SPEAKER_07That stuff is like he's terrible. Whoa.
SPEAKER_19But it feels great.
SPEAKER_07I feel kind of nice inside. Thank you.
SPEAKER_19Oh.
SPEAKER_07Very much.
SPEAKER_19I just uh I don't know what to do with this, so I just toss it.
SPEAKER_07Um what were you saying? No.
SPEAKER_18Sorry.
SPEAKER_07Groxy poison.
SPEAKER_18I was just wondering what a guy like you is doing in a place like this up by himself.
SPEAKER_07Oh, I'm I'm watching my boss.
SPEAKER_19Oh, you boss. Oh it's a party. Why are you watching your boss?
SPEAKER_07I don't know. I gotta work.
SPEAKER_18But it's for sprouting.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it's not as fun. Everybody's having fun.
SPEAKER_19Yeah. Who's your boss? We should talk to him.
SPEAKER_07She's in there. Um her name's Bera.
SPEAKER_19Like Bira, but we're But it's an I.
SPEAKER_08Oh E Ira. We need this guy for every NPC.
SPEAKER_19Bye to Vira.
SPEAKER_07What do you mean?
SPEAKER_19I mean. Why are you? She sounds like, no offense, a bitch. Like, why is she having you work here?
SPEAKER_14She's got big ears.
SPEAKER_07Like me, she might hear you.
SPEAKER_19Wait, what is she doing?
SPEAKER_07And then he kind of looks around away. Watch her right now.
SPEAKER_08Two times takes effect, and Grux is now intoxicated. Which means he has disadvantage against charm effects. Yeah. Advantage on frightened checks against being frightened. Disadvantage on acrobatics checks. And advantage on athletics checks. I'm curious.
SPEAKER_02Am I like up here seeing this? Or am I around the other side? You're around the other side.
SPEAKER_08So you're about like 10 feet away. Oh my god. Or like you're about 10-15 feet away from this. So like at this, I mean, and they're not trying to be quiet. So you do hear it.
SPEAKER_19As soon as he starts whispering, I start whispering. And then I know.
SPEAKER_08You hear that, and then you hear them kind of like start to get into good.
SPEAKER_01And then I'm like, what is she even doing up here?
SPEAKER_07Oh, she's talking to a guy in there.
SPEAKER_19Talk talking or like talking? And I like run my hand up his up his chest.
SPEAKER_07Um, not that kind of they're they're talking the boring kind.
SPEAKER_19Oh my gosh, she's so boring. But like is is she like a big deal? Like, what are we what are they talking about?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, she's she's a big deal.
SPEAKER_19In what?
SPEAKER_07Our tribe.
SPEAKER_19Yeah. What? Your tribe? Oh my gosh, so she's like a diplomat? You're like the guard of a diplomat?
SPEAKER_07What's a diplomat?
SPEAKER_19It's like an important person who talks a lot.
SPEAKER_07Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's me. I'm gardener diplomat.
SPEAKER_19You're gardener diplomat? Oh, fancy. Oh my god, do you guys like does she come here? Oh no, this is your first time. Does she come here often?
SPEAKER_07I don't think so. This is a first for me.
SPEAKER_19Who's she meeting? The governor?
SPEAKER_07Mm-mm. No. He's a dwarf.
SPEAKER_19A dwarf?
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_19Like a like a talks funny. Wait, can you do an impression?
SPEAKER_07How long? I am glad.
SPEAKER_19I think I know him. Oh my god. You know him? Are you sure they are?
SPEAKER_07No.
SPEAKER_19No.
SPEAKER_08No, I don't think so. They're talking business. Like big business.
SPEAKER_07Could be.
SPEAKER_18Oh.
SPEAKER_07Maybe. Uh oh. But yeah, they're talking, talking business. I can't I can't. I shouldn't tell you that. I shouldn't have said that.
SPEAKER_18No, it's okay. Who am I gonna tell? I'm here alone with you.
SPEAKER_19And now I'm like, I'm like tweaking his ear a little bit, like, oh. Yeah, and I'm just trying to flirt, and in the meantime, I'm looking for sha.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I mean, you hear, you've heard most of this exchange.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so I'm hearing the things going on in this room, and I'm also kind of picking up on that conversation. I'll probably at some point maybe kind of like scooch to the side of the building so I can get line of sight on what's going on over there.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, you see, you see Ilya, and like he is, so they're like down now on this landing because she fell. So they're like directly below you. Like his head is like three feet away from the top of your like where your feet are and the ledge that you're standing on. And he's he's technically facing, he is facing you at this point, but he doesn't appear to see you. Because she's also very small, so he's looking down at her.
SPEAKER_02Do I um does Ilya catch me at all? Or am I still am I invisible to be? You're behind her.
SPEAKER_19You're behind her. He's okay.
SPEAKER_02Oh, there's no way to get behind.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. So think about it just well, there is, there is. So, okay, so uh gosh, I'm trying to figure out how to so like you are you're on this side of the wall. There's a wall here, right? There's stairs, landing, stairs, and then the room, like, so like the ledge that you're on is up here, and they're on the landing beneath you. So you're like back on this corner. Ilya is here facing him, he's here facing her. So like he's you're like up here to him for perspective-wise. You're like just above his head.
SPEAKER_19I'm keeping him looking down there.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'll try and like just do the go to the other side of him so I'm behind me.
SPEAKER_08As you as you begin to try to shoot me across, make a stealth check for me.
SPEAKER_02You get a really 12. 12. Total. Total. Oh. Oh he's really drunk.
SPEAKER_12He's really drunk.
SPEAKER_02I'm hoping he makes a disadvantage too.
SPEAKER_12He will. I guess that's just passive, maybe. Yeah, maybe.
SPEAKER_02So you want to stop looking at Elizabeth.
SPEAKER_08If you at disadvantage, yeah. Would it work? He does not notice as you and you run across and you find yourself on the landing outside of the curtains, and Grux is is down the little landing and behind you.
SPEAKER_02I wanna stay behind him. Okay. And uh uh, I wanna pull out a vial. Okay. Of like greenish, dark green liquid. Okay. And I wanna pour it onto the dagger. Okay. I'm gonna look, I'm gonna see if I can catch Ilya. Okay. I'll like try and catch her gaze. I'll I'll like lean out of the shadow a little bit since I'm behind him now. Okay. To like make myself visible briefly.
SPEAKER_19Do I have to make a perception ship?
SPEAKER_02No, if you if you mean to be seen, you she sees you. And I'll just you'll see me pop out of the shadows, and I'll you'll see me unsheath my dagger just a little bit, and I'll look to you.
SPEAKER_19Oh my god! And I'm like trying to like wherever their class's tent is, I'm like nudging towards it. I'm like, just go. I'm distracting him, just go. Okay. Like, go.
SPEAKER_02Oh man, make a performance check. This is a little weird. Could I have just like pulled the dagger out and not done the poison yet? Or is it fine? I would I'll check first. I don't know. You deserve this.
SPEAKER_09It's a natural 20. You earn this.
SPEAKER_19I had like five natural 20s. I had one. It's a one. But plus whatever but it's that's why you said you've I've earned this. Um my performance is a plus seven. So eight. But it's a one. It's a one. It's I deserve it. What do I get? What do I get from that? You're like, she's having a look or no issue.
SPEAKER_09It's just that really huge I would see. Okay. Oh, that's right. I mean What do I do?
SPEAKER_10Banana, banana!
SPEAKER_08Okay, okay. Um, Ilya, you're like, you kind of try to do the the wide eye, like, oh and you and with that with everyone, you see as Grux, like he like looks at you and starts to turn around.
SPEAKER_19I grab his face and I kiss him. What? That's the only thing you can do.
SPEAKER_14That's the only thing you can do in D.
SPEAKER_06Mega Strength check. No, he's strong and drunk. Strong and drunk only.
SPEAKER_19But he wants to be kissed.
SPEAKER_20That's uh that's 13?
SPEAKER_19Yeah, that's just I jump uh, I'll go with his head.
SPEAKER_08As Grudge begins to turn around, you reach up and his you grab his like thick corded neck and you pull his face down and you put it on on him.
SPEAKER_19More like a pull up.
SPEAKER_08And you're like, Yeah, your little feet are kicking you, like, ear and you kiss a bugbear right on the mouth.
SPEAKER_14And he's like, And this is you do that.
SPEAKER_06I'm doing that. Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER_17So Shaw sits down like I'm gonna go.
SPEAKER_02She wrote a one. What did I get from that? Nothing.
SPEAKER_19No, that was funny. I'm seeing him kissing. And now I'm kissing him. Now I'm kissing, and now you see my hand doing doing this behind his head as I'm making out with this guy.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, if I see that.
SPEAKER_19And then and then I like, but like I do it once or twice, and then I I go back to the Oh.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. Put my teeth in there, man. Gross. Yeah. Pointy.
SPEAKER_19I like it.
SPEAKER_02I'll leave them be. I'll leave them be and I'll continue on to get more information from class. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay. I'll sneak over that way.
SPEAKER_08You sneak over to the to the door.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I'll I'll kind of get a good ear to it and kind of pick up everything I can get. Because so far I've got Tribe needs info, the Dirac will make you fall, and then sharing the spoils. So I'm gonna try and catch more of this conversation.
SPEAKER_08Okay, okay. You've also been listening to, like you've been right outside on the other side of the code. So you're getting a little bit of both of these conversations. So as you as Grex and Ilia are down there, you walk over and you put your ear up to the curtain. And you hear like this, you hear like a like a paper, like almost, like the sound of a paper sliding across uh a um uh like a surface.
SPEAKER_07Here are listed all of the Keravan routes coming from the tide road. When they come in, the regular schedules where they are coming from. You and your people. You take your raids. Do what you do best. And I will take my cut.
SPEAKER_08You hear the voice respond. Hears the paper like gets lifted from the uh from the table. Hear it rustle and then it's uh slide against like sound of it getting put away somewhere. I think that's a minimal.
SPEAKER_07We will uh arrange a meeting then. Something in order to hand off your portion. Of course. I can meet you outside of town. I can meet you on the tide road if you'd like. Tide Road sounds like a reasonable place. I don't like being here amongst your stink. Fair enough. The tide road a ten day from now. Have a day outside the Black Rock. And you will deliver my portion. Yes? Of course. And this. You don't see what he refers to. I'll keep this as a good faith payment.
SPEAKER_02Does it sound like she gets up from her chair or anything?
SPEAKER_03It sounds like this is getting to an end. There's a moment of silence.
unknownFine.
SPEAKER_02When I hear that, I go into the same shadow the Bugbear was in.
SPEAKER_13Okay.
SPEAKER_08You hear the scraping of chairs. A moment later, as you uh slide into the shadows, make a stealth check for me.
SPEAKER_02You got this, bud. Yeah, bud. Is she just gonna check the shadows? You don't know. Okay, fuck it. This is where we're going. This is where we're going. Eleven. Eleven? Yep.
SPEAKER_19You are invisible. You're one with the table. You're boy. A creature of the shadows. You were born in the darkness. Shaw, born in the dark. That should be his title.
SPEAKER_20Not even born in the darkness.
SPEAKER_08No.
SPEAKER_20Just Shaw.
SPEAKER_08You hear the scrape of of a of the chairs. Skirt, skirt. You hear as a curtain is set aside, like thrown to the side. And you see as a bugbear, what appears to be a bugbear female, just a uh much leaner than Grux. Um wearing like surprisingly ornate leathers, um, carries no wet visible weapons, or sorry, carries a um like a small kind of curved sword on one hip and then an empty, there's an empty sheath on the other. And she looks to the shadows. And she goes around the corner.
SPEAKER_14You motherfucker. Yeah! Oh my god, that's our boy! That's our boy!
SPEAKER_08Yes, her Grux is the only one whose passive is high enough. Oh my god. And you see behind her two twin goblins, identical who come out as well. Get him. They're armed to the teeth. You see like bandoliers of like crooked daggers and stuff. You see as they kind of like look to the side, don't notice you. And you see as they round the corner, and you feel like sharp ones as they see you make it out with the show and he like flips around. We're leaving. And they stomp down the stairs as Grutz goes, and we're gonna pick up their next video.
SPEAKER_14I can't believe you're on the left. Why did I make such a shit passive for someone? Grux is the only one who has a passive that's high enough to see you. Hers is a 10, and the goblins are 11. There's a YouTube.
SPEAKER_01And he's preoccupied. Well, 11 beats it, beats it.
SPEAKER_08But uh, Grux is around the corner. He doesn't see.
SPEAKER_14Grux is pissing her.
SPEAKER_08So he's around the corner, he can see him at all. The fucking the lady only has a 10, and the goblins have a fucking nine because they're fucking idiot goblins. Yes. I love that for me. Oh man, I can't believe you fucking succeeded with an 11.
SPEAKER_14Anyway. Good job.
SPEAKER_08I was so ready for this.
SPEAKER_06I'm mad.
SPEAKER_08He just evaded my cooling camera.
SPEAKER_06Anyway, we'll see you next time. Bye now. Bye bye.
SPEAKER_09Hey adventurers, it's your friendly neighborhood editor Shane checking in. How are you doing? Hope you're doing well. Hope you had a great episode. We really enjoyed doing this one. So we hope you enjoyed observing it, perceiving it, uh, and ingesting it in some way. I don't know why I keep going to like you're eating the episode. That's my new thing, I guess. It's my new obsession. Anyhow, please do hit like, hit subscribe, follow us on Twitch. If you have the means, go to our Patreon and subscribe. There's lots of cool perks you can get out of that. You can do YouTube membership if you want to get access to the episode early. Twitch Prime also gives you that access. Please do hype us on YouTube. It's the first week of the episode being out. You go to your YouTube app on your phone, you swipe right down where the comments are, and you hit that hype button, and that gets us out to more people so that we can stop eating scraps off of the floor. That's how we survive in between the sessions. We just crawl around on the floor hunting for little uh crumbs of DD themed vitals. So if you can hit that hype button for free, that like button for free, that subscribe button, go to the Patreon. You can sign up for free and get that newsletter that Rodney makes every month. It's super sweet, super cool. Okay, bye vengers.
