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Episode 6: Hot Heads and Fast Words

Last time you began in the forest. Kelnys, Dolly and Endellion disguising themselves in the cloaks and masks of your fallen foes. Raidion and I (the character, not the me) hiding among the branches of nearby trees. After hours of waiting, and Raidion and I sharing a hammock nap, someone finally arrived. It was an exhausted, hungry, masked dwarf who refused to give her name. She passed on a message that you were to “return to the caves”, but as Dolly questioned her further on those caves and probed for more information, she became wary. She suggested that you should make your own way without her; that she needed to rest and recover her strength. High in the trees, I made a gesture to rell Raidion to say silent, though after a poor insight check, Raidion let fly with a Mind Spike which both harmed and terrified the dwarf. As Kelnys and Dolly attempted to intimidate her, she fled towards the tree line. Raidion casting Web before an arrow to the back from Endellion’s longbow snuffed out the dwarf’s escape. Chalk one up to experience.
You headed towards Baruun and stashed the cloaks and masks beneath the grate in one of the sprawling shanty towns that spreads out from the city walls. Kelnys spotted Raidion replacing his cloak and mask in his pack, and though making his disapproval clear, the dragonborn did not prevent his companion from doing so.
At the gates of Baruun, your bags were summarily searched. One of the guards moaning that someone called Grenwyrd (a member of the Council of Equals) was throwing his weight around unnecessarily by insisting on checking the packs of travelers who entered the city.
You gained entry to The Depths, the lowest level of Baruun, and hive of industry and activity. At its center you found a great staircase with a mural of The Virtuous scarred by the words “The Shadow Will Flood” in black paint. Raidion spoke to a guard called Marcus about the group you had encountered in the forest and demanded a reward for this information, swiftly being shot down in that request. Marcus took the party’s names (though Dolly referred to herself as Pamela) before you made your way up into The Deal (the second level of the city).
After filling your bellies with meat skewers, you approached a tavern called The Wise Walker. Endellion, Kelnys and I headed inside, but Raidion spotted a hooded orc beneath a half-finished web symbol scratched into the tavern’s exterior wall. He revealed himself to be a member of The Web. Telling Raidion and Dolly that The Spinner sends his regards.
The others were retrieved from the tavern and you all followed the orc, Casper, to his hideout beneath an abandoned apothecary. There you met Juno (Casper’s lieutenant) and Goff (a silent soldier who stared unblinking into the middle distance). Casper informed you of your new mission: to break out a member of their chapter, a halfling called Madea from Baruun jail. You headed out to case the joint before midnight when a guard change would give you a chance to spring and escape.
Down in The Depths again, Kelnys Wildshaped (it was a big moment for everybody really) into a cat and searched the walled jail complex (making friends with a guard and discovering a sickening act of violence that had been perpetrated by a female inmate that day). He also spotted a halfling matching the description of the one you were meant to rescue locked in a basement by looking through a grate in the jail floor. This done, he returned and explained the layout. “I” took up a vantage point overlooking the area and resolved to make his entrance via the roof planning to shimmy down on a rope secure to the outer walls of the city.
The plan for the others involved a Disguise Self-ed Radian and Endellion posing as guards while Dolly played the part of a prisoner, though Endellion wisely decided that her skills lay elsewhere, so she would keep a watch from outside. Kelnys turned back into a cat and slipped again into the jail complex. Raidion and Dolly put on quite a show at the gate, gaining access on the condition they were accompanied by another guard. As they made their way towards the jail, “I” misjudged his distances, crashed into the ground (alerting the guards to his presence) but a swift clamber back up the rope afforded him a chance to stay unseen on the outer walls of the city.
Kelnys entered the jail before dropping his cat form and trying to open a large door that gave access to the basement. Here he was spotted by a prisoner who begged to be released, though Kelnys snuck away as Raidion, Dolly and the other guard entered. Raidion convinced his guard companion to go home for the night, though not before lending Radion his keys. As you passed his cell, the prisoner made another plea, this one to Dolly. She recognized him as Indie, an old acquaintance and agreed to release him. He was too scared to help with the escape of the halfling however and instead snuck away towards the gate house.
By now “I” had made his way down to the ground behind the jail house (taking some falling damage in the process) before he scaled the building and shimmied down the chimney, joining his companions as they relieved the guard on duty in the basement.
There you met Madea. Bloodied, bound, and unafraid. Chained in a cell between grates in the ceiling above and the floor below. As you heard the sounds of Indie being recaptured in the courtyard, you quickly removed the grate in the floor allowing access to the fast flowing sewer water beneath. Radian unchained the halfling but triggered a glyph which left him briefly paralyzed. Madea insisted on having a weapon and having been lent Kelnys’ scimitar, thrust it through the throat of another inmate who “had been looking at her in a way she didn’t appreciate.” Heaving Raidion’s paralyzed body with you, you all jumped into the sewer. As Raidion regained the use of his limbs, you negotiated protruding pipes, sudden drops, and a near-death experience for “I”. As Madea managed to swing herself clear of the water, the rest of you were catapulted out of the sewers into a lake beyond the city walls.
Stinking but alive.
Endellion, you have watched your companions (as cats, disguised as guards, and as rope-toting Kobold rogues) disappear towards a prison complex. Then you have started to hear shouting. You can’t hear names, but you hear that someone is being recaptured in the courtyard. You are at a distance. There was a kind of collection of buildings that you were near. “I” had gone up and got a vantage point and looked into the compound. You, for now, have stayed on the ground floor.

Previous Episode: The Girl in the Cell

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  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    12 days ago

    ♪Episode Song References♪

    ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ

    Highlights

    • 00:09:55 You hear a voice. A male voice. You think it could be Raidion.
      Endellion:“Hmm. Not my favorite…”
    • 00:10:57 Raidion sings under pressure?
    • 00:13:20 Endellion heads to Casper’s hideout for reinforcement.
      Great reaction from Alex. His visual enthusiasm is a sure sign of an invested player.
    • 00:14:02 Music Change! The four of you are waist-deep in detritus and waste (shit). As you approached, you saw these various cultivations that are starting to spread out from the city. This is an area where, clearly, no one wants to live to close to it. So you have a little bit of privacy for now.
      Essentially it flows out into this wide, shallow, rancid reservoir.
      You can see some of the shanty towns have been there for quite a while. The city is about 100 years old and you reckon it probably would have met its capacity about 50 years ago (in terms of the housing they have there). There’s no reason why some of these smaller areas (that are closest to the city walls) couldn’t have sprung up 50 years ago and so have been there for quite a long time. You can see smoke curling out of chimneys. There’s signs of life. There’s torches lit. Like the streets of a village, think of them as a series of villages that are outside. It stands to reason while you can’t immediately see anything that there would be wells. There would need to be a facility for these people to have fresh water.
    • 00:17:42 “I” obtains a novelty children’s shirt that says “I love my mummy and my mummy loves me.”
    • 00:20:21 Raidion gets some cloth to fashion a baboushka hood
    • 00:21:47 Raidion:“Not our problem.”
      Dolly:“Our fault, but not our problem.”
    • 00:22:10 Fan Art Moment “I” speaks for the first time in a while uttering only the word “misadventure” in his children’s shirt
    • 00:25:21 The hideout magic fails for Endellion and she realizes that she’ll have to wait in the dark now.
      Endellion:“Shit.”
    • 00:29:14 Harry:“…and speaking of having been through enough crap, we cut back to the other four of you.”
    • 00:31:05 Kelnys:“I eat weird things in the woods all the time.”
      Kelnys obtains “grey meat” covered in paprika.
    • 00:33:42 Harry:“Okay, you smell two things. First you smell the faded smell of things that have been in people and that have come out the other side. Then you smell something that shouldn’t go in a person.”
    • 00:34:30 The grey meat is disposed of and the smell of burnt hair and paprika fill the hideout
    • 00:35:06 Casper:“How’d you get out?”
      Dolly:“How do you think?”
      Casper:“Poo pipe?”
    • 00:45:00 Raidion’s tragic and mysterious backstory
    • 00:46:40 Raidion finally whips his deck out
    • 00:50:00 The Council of Equals is the government of Baruun. Rather than it being an autocracy what happens is almost like aldermen (sort of tribal or political elders from various places; like mayors almost, are elected and then they serve for five years on the Council of Equals. They’re all called “advocates” and the “High Advocate” is the minister in charge. They serve for five years and then they’re replaced, so you never get the idea of people staying for too long.
      Casper explains that there was a dwarf on the council, Rashiid. A month ago he went missing. In lieu of an election, they drew lots from all the land owners. Grenweard’s was the name that was pulled. (Casper fails to pronounce another name starting with R-I, then mentions something Endellion is familiar with named Mouse (a small town to the southeast). No one knows anything about him yet. He’s such a minor noble, the family people don’t even know the family crest. They’re still trying to work on his seal. We hear rumors that he’s trying to make himself of use, but doesn’t realize he’s part of running the largest city in the now. You know? He’s not running three fields, sheep, and a tanner’s
    • 00:54:08 Casper:“…there’s a son, don’t know the name.”
      Endellion:“Yeah, there’s a lot of sons (speaking of her brothers back in Mouse).”
      Casper:“Bit of a beefy lad, a bit dim.”
      Endellion:“Could still be any one of them.”
    • 00:56:20 Tribal spoon gift
    • 00:56:36 Endellion cheers “I” up with a bit of magic
    • 01:01:12 After stashing his deck in Dolly’s bag, Raidion meditates to his favorite Elven Trance Music
    • 01:03:05 Raidion’s half-hearted apology
    • 01:04:11 A wild Doug Cockle appears!
    • 01:06:45 What you would know (those of you who’ve been here before) is that the three tiers of the city are split along class lines to an extent. You have The Depths, which is heavy industry (a few people would live there, but that was not what that area was created for; it was there to keep the crap away from peoples’ lungs and such. You’r working class, laborers, and your industrial workers (poeple who are mass-producing armor or weapons). They would live in these sprawling towns that are outside the city walls.
      Then, where you are at the moment, The Deal, it would be Artisans. Then the prime real estate in Baruun is closest to the exterior walls because you get more light. you’d have the estates of notable scribes and low-level town officials. Ombudsmans (i don’t know exactly what it means, but it’s such a good collection of sounds) who would have their estates there.
      Then up in The Crest, which is the very top, that is where there’s this extraordinary suspended park with a lake in its center. There are estates of the rich and powerful. There are separate plazas that are accesed by walkways. It would stand to reason that the Council of Equals (which is the government of Baruun) that is positioned up at the crest. The major religious sites would be positioned up there. It stands to reason that Grawnoth would be somewhere up in The Crest. I also think that’s more than reasonable that he would have told you of his destination.
    • 01:10:07 Raidion feels comfortable enough to whip out his strange deck and show it to his companions
    • 01:11:11 Simply touching the pouch containing the deck causes “I” to take psychic damage
    • 01:11:37 Ben describes something similar to intense umami flavor reactions.
    • 01:14:19 Alex:“Out of character (OOC), I touch the bag.”
      Hollie:“‘I’ the me, not the character.”
      Alex:“Dammit! It was Right There, Alex!”
    • 01:15:30 Ben Starr, hand model for the mysterious deck of cards
    • 01:19:01 One more magic trick for “I” before we leave. Kelnys’ high passive perception lets him in on the gag.
    • 01:20:50 Ben’s “triple-take” head swivel may be him insinuating that Endellion and Casper had a flirty farewell.
    • 01:23:23 Onward to Grawnoth’s estate
    • 01:25:02 Alex:“‘I’ steps forward and puts a hand on Raidion…”
      Harry:“-says fade.”
      Alex:“Goddamn, that’s good!”
    • 01:25:53 Patreon Ad featuring teasers for Endellion’s Diary, Klaaks the Broken Pebble, early access to Action Surge! and more! “What do you say? Me, you, some baths, some skiing? Some hog wrestling? Tesco’s? Come on.”
    • 01:28:18 You were taken in through the gates into a courtyard which leads to a small humble single story building (which is Grawnoth’s residence). You’re led through these double doors. Embossed into the floor is a set of golden scales (balancing scales) much like the ones you saw tarnished and twisted in Ullin’s tower. There’s a small wooden font with a foot pedal, again, the type that you saw. Brunhilda turns to the five of you and says,
      “I will take you to see him. He is very tired.”
      She leads you through a doorway and then into a study which is full of scrolls and books. There’s a chair that was once black leather, but has been patched and repaired innumerable times, so it’s more patches than it is anything else at this point. An ancient-looking desk carved from a single piece of wood, broad with spilled ink speaking to centuries, even millenia of use. Then a curtain beyond.
      Brunhilda opens this curtain and at the far end of this space is a window which looks out towards the sky and Reliquiae beyond. The drapes are half-closed and there’s a great four-poster bed. Sat in that bed, propped up on pillows, is Grawnoth. There’s dust hanging in sunbeams as they come through the window and there’s a sense of stillness in the air. The smell of beeswax, pine needles, and fresh linen. Before him on the bed are strewn papers. A quill and ink on a bed table beside him. As you look at Grawnoth he’s changed. The piercing blue of his eyes has faded almost to gray. His hair and beard are white and thinning. He raises a hand in greeting to you and you see his fingers are crooked and arthritic. His knuckles are swollen and his cheeks have thinned. His eyes are ringed with red and when he breathes in, you can hear his breath ragged in his chest.
      You notice Brunhilda doesn’t want to spend too long looking at the figure in the bed. She says,
      “They have come as you said they would. I will leave you to your discussions. You call for me if you need me.”
    • 01:32:49 Raidion:“You’re dying.” (Mr “Your gods are dead” strikes again)
    • 01:33:50 “I” produces the letter indicating Barabask’s betrayal for Grawnoth.

    (continued)

    • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
      1·
      13 days ago
      • 01:35:24 Grawnoth:“The Virtuous were not victorious. There was a truce called. Long ago, in Sentiasa, in the plane before (which was always and endless and plentiful) the gods (first The Vile and then the others) saw that footsoldiers could turn the tide of the conflict and so they began to create and to breed and this is how we find ourselves here. But as they created, the gods (all of them) realized that their own power was contained within those they bred. As they multiplied and spread and fought and died and were renewed, so the power of the gods faded. There came a time that they saw that the power of mortality combined was greater than the power of those gods. So it was agreed that the planes would be split; barriers placed between them so that mortality could not ever unite under one banner and destroy those who brought them into being. The Virtuous created Reliquiae, The Wild created the Fae Wild, and The Vile created the Shadowfell.
        The tree beyond (I have no doubt you would have seen it) is the Feywild. Beyond futher, the Shadowfell.”
        Raidion:“Reliquiae is a lie.” (and strikes again)
      • 01:38:47 I:“You know who is The Child?” Grawnoth has no knowledge of this.
        100 years ago, the gods began to fade (The Virtuous faster than before). They decided when they created Reliquiae that their penance for the crimes they had committed upon their people was that they would allow them to flourish uninhibited. Knowing that they would one day fade themselves (as their power was diminished by those they brought into being), they made Alvelion an open city. They trained. They knew that their absence would come and they wanted those people to flourish.
        (On that unknown day) 100 years ago there was a sudden change in them, a weakening almost overnight. It was then that they abandoned Alvelion, seeing their condition they did not want their people to fear the weakening of their gods and so they made their home in Atria. We started The Deference so that only we could see them, only we could speak with them, and understand their teachings so that no fear, no panic would grip the people. Perhaps it is this child. Perhaps the child is a demigod.
      • 01:46:50 Alex remembers the damage the cards dealt and puts his head in his hands as if to say “Ben are you really about to kill the dying, kindly old priest with your cursed item?”
      • 01:48:42 Grawnoth explains that Genevieve and the other Antiqua are likely in the human capital of Caressian and also they are unhappy with his plans to inform the Council of Equals of the events on Mt Atria. Additionally:
        • Parvus would’ve gone to The Sanctum (a tower on an island known to be a seat of dragonborn power/authority, they are a smaller population) along with Carvilius.
        • Roona would’ve returned to Brack
        • Malakine to Vale
        • Arbuthnot to Pondin
        • Barabask to Escalon
        • Damilo (halfling) has perished
      • 01:51:22 Grawnoth:“You cannot hold back a tide alone, but you had a right to know. Many more will be told. You were the first (outside of the Antiqua) to see. It was right to me that you were the first to know.”
        more gentle bedside manner from Raidion
        Raidion:“We’re tied to this. We’re going to be alone. We’re underpowered and you are going to die.”
      • 01:52:50 The leader of the Council of Equals is an orc named Trusk (a name one of the masked forest crew wanted to “bleed”)
      • 01:55:45 Grawnoth:(to Raidion)“You are impulsive. You worry me.”
      • 01:56:50 Raidion:“He is dying. He will be dead in-”
        Harry:“He is in the room…”
      • 01:57:00 Kelnys:“Grawnoth, as a Druid of the Circle of the Wildfire, please accept my promise that we will do what we can to stop this happening.”
      • 01:58:25 Grawnoth confides to “I” that he doesn’t believe that Themself was responsible for what happened on Mt Atria.
      • 02:01:21 Lore Drop The Old Dark: The place where Kobolds are thought to have come into existence. There are versions of the story where it is a tangible place and versions where it’s a metaphor.
      • 02:02:50 Grawnoth gives permission for the team to speak to the Council on his behalf.
      • 02:06:35 Raidion pouting as visibly as possible poking around at objects around the study. “He’s walking for the back row…Is no one going to ask me what I’m thinking?!”
        silence
      • 02:09:35 Endellion:“I wonder if The Web has more information.”
        Dolly:“Of course it does. It’s The Web.”
        Raidion:“They wouldn’t tell us anything.”
        Dolly:“Of course they wouldn’t. It’s The Web.”
      • 02:10:10 Dolly:“Raidion, for gods sake stop pacing and just say what it is that you’re thinking.”
        Raidion: lets out a breath like he's been holding it for a contest “Thank you!”
      • 02:12:27 Raidion:(to Endellion)“…and you’re just grumpy all the time.”
        Endellion:“Cheap, coming from you.”
        Raidion:“I think I’ve taken enough licks today, thank you.”
        Endellion:“Hot heads and fast words.”
      • 02:23:17 Subtle music change. Cool bells section.
      • 02:25:57 “I’ve seen the film.”
      • 02:29:13 Harry:“…but there was a kind of lackadaisical-”
        Hollie:“Love that word.”
      • 02:33:18 Alex has “I” wave and grin at the clerk while Aoife rolls a natural 20 on persuasion to get them an audience with the High Advocate Trusk.
        “You must be Pamela…”
        Ben can hardly contain his enthusiasm for a while.
      • 02:37:48 Dolly recognizes the halfling guide as Riodhir Grenweard, the Reeve (lord/primary landowner) of the town of Mouse.
      • 02:40:25 Hollie:“Wind’s howling” (Witcher catchphrase)
      • 02:44:32 Trusk describes Rashiid as an interesting missionary advocating for underrepresented rural populations.
      • 02:50:01 Trusk:“They came down. They gave the messages from the gods like they always do.”
        Raidion:“Except they didn’t.”
        The smile on Harry’s face.
      • 02:50:41 Raidion:“Your god is dead.”
      • 02:56:22 Short DM break
      • 02:58:35 Dolly:“You can’t go around telling people the gods are dead.” Mean Girls reference.
      • 03:02:11 Harry:“Roll me persuasion or deception. Don’t tell us which one.”
      • 03:09:45 “I” is still in the “I love my mummy” shirt and it must be part of accurate fan art for the serious governmental beauracracy dialogues.
      • 03:11:50 “He wants to see you…The Spider Prince…”