C1 | Havoc at the Hasp Market | S1E2

• Suicide: 56:15-56:20, 1:42:53-1:42:55

Opening

Upbeat Techno-pop music plays

Kurt: Alright, and were back! It’s been a minute. Chuckles Session 2 of Tales by Daggerlight! We have our wonderful players sitting around the table. Go ahead and remind everybody who you’re playing. Kai?

Kai: My name is Kai, and I'm playing Severian.

John: I'm John. I'm playing Basagar, who, I will remind, survived episode one.

Cheers

John: For now, for now.

Kai: Barely. Barely.

John: Barely. I am currently at half my hit points.

Laughter

Jenn: I'm Jenn, and I'm playing Seraphina.

Kevin: Kevin, and I'm playing Zeph.

Geoff: Geoff, and I'm playing Pi N'kuwa, or just Kua for his friends.

Luke: I'm Luke, and I'm playing Ciaran.

Kurt: Thanks y’all, an without further ado, let’s get into tonight’s episode of Tales by Daggerlight.

Music Fades

Upbeat guitar strumming begins

Jenn: This episode of Tales by Daggerlight is powered by our friends at Luck Factory Games, the board game cafe where adventures come alive. Right here in Concord, North Carolina, Luck Factory isn’t just a place to grab dice. It’s where we first rolled into Daggerheart. We found our party, and kicked off the story you’re hearing now. The shelves are stacked with games, the tables are set quests, and the community it ready to welcome you with open arms… and maybe some snacks! Check out luckfactorygames.com and start your own campaign today.

Guitar fades

Introduction

Ominous instrumentals

Kurt: In every city, every kingdom, there's a story that never sees the light. The one that falls through the cracks, bleeds through the floorboards, and smiles when the sun finally goes down. Where heroic promises, broken notes, bad decisions, and desperate prayers all sit at the same table. Six heroes emerge out of the edge of the shadows. Ciaran;

Ciaran (Luke): No matter what, there will be consequences.

Kurt: Zeph;

Zeph (Kevin): That asshole didn't die.

Kurt: Pi N'kuwa;

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): You said we were talking, but you're not saying a lot.

Kurt: Seraphina;

Seraphina (Jenn): I have the voice of the angel and we all know it.

Kurt: Severian;

Severian (Kai): It's not a murder... if... he's food.

Kurt: And Basagar;

Basagar (John): We need to get to the castle.

Kurt: Together, they walk the line between mercy and ruin, rolling bones against hope and fear in a world that want's them obedient, or worse, dead. So lace your boots, check your blades, and hold your breath. Meet us at the blades edge. Once this story starts, it doesn't let you go. This... is Tales By Daggerlight.

Music Fades

Light, tingy music, nervous energy.

Kurt: The morning came to Verilia with the same ugly remind as always. The city’s bells rang seven times. Seven heirs are still alive, and everyone is listening for the day that it becomes six. You regrouped at the Blade’s Edge to take stock of what you uncovered, but it didn’t stay quiet for long. A Guid operative clocked you, tried to slip out, and when you confronted him in the back room he fought like a cornered rat. Basagar, you took a brutal hit, and the man chose death over answers, jabbing a needle into his own wrist and killing himself before he could be questioned. You searched what he left behind, guild gear, a wrist bracer with needles, a hidden mask, and enough proof to confirm the worst, the Guild is moving against you. Trying to clean up the mess, you attempted to dump the body down river, and it nearly turned into a public spectacle when scavengers and onlookers swarmed. The city noticed, whether you meant it or not, attention was getting drawn. With time running out and The Guild’s web tightening, you made your next move. Head to the Hasp Market, where information, fences, and The Guilds presence will all overlap, hoping to get ahead of whatever’s coming. But as you arrived, the storm hit hard and the ground split open. Vines and root-wrapped horrors erupted into the market , snatching civilians and turned the streets into a panic-chocked kill zone. And that’s where we pick up. The Guild eyes on your backs, monsters in front of you, and innocent people screaming in the rain.

Music picks up, faster paced string instrumentals.

Kevin: Well that’s not normal.

Kurt: Not normal indeed.

Kevin: As this might be a chance to ingratiate ourselves with The Guild though. Give ourselves some leverage.

Kurt: There you go. You see these three creatures, these massive.. I say massive, they're Basagar sized.

Kevin: Oh, ok.

Kurt: They're big to you guys, but they're just a normal dude for Basagar. 10 feet tall, which it does seem pretty big to a standard human of average size, especially towards our nice fairy Seraphina, are very big.

Jenn (whispers): Very big.

Kurt: But as they go through, I'm going to jump ahead of you guys. I'm going to spend two fear immediately to activate and spotlight these guys. As all three of these creatures are moving around, you see one person… one person…. one of these plant-like vine-y creatures turns over, is searching the area since it's ran out of civilians to hunt down and search, spots you guys. It is going to make a perceive check. But it looks like the rain, the flashing of lightning, it looks right past you guys, moves on. It goes over to one of the Hasp Market stalls and starts, you know, tearing it apart, looking as it is searching for something. But the other two see all of you standing there looking in awe at this. Before you can react, it's speed takes you off guard. It (shoop) almost burrows as you see it reach into the ground and another vine (crash) grabs you, Severian, as it pushes itself up. It is going to make an attack roll against you. That is a 15 against your evasion.

Kai: That hits.

Kurt: That hits. So as you are, you are now restrained by these vines. You can break free using a strength or agility role to get out of this against its difficulty whenever you want to activate or spotlight on your turn. But that is its action. It now restrains you. And the other creature that activates starts pulling itself. You see it walking closer to you. It walks within close range of, I'll say Zeph, it walks within close range of you. The third creature or, I'll say adversary. Let's get into Daggerheart lingo here. This third adversary goes up to Zeph, reaches out, and is going to do a piercing vine attack. That is a 12 against your evasion.

Kevin: Easy, yes.

Kurt: Hits? 12 against your evasion. As it goes through, you take, 15 points of piercing or, physical damage (crrsshhh). As this vine (ooof) kind of stabs into your chest. Are you going to mitigate at all?

Kevin: Yes. I'm going to use one armor to drop that to a minor wound.

Kurt: Perfect, yes. And now you use one armor to drop the severity by one. And you can only use only one armor per attack. So you take minor damage. You take some- mark one hit point as this adversary grabs you, pierces you, and finishes its movement by bringing itself within melee range to you. That ends their spotlight. What are y'all doing in response?

John: I would like to immediately as, especially the one that gets close to Severian and Zeph, we get a better idea of what these things look like now?

Kurt: Absolutely. Zeph, you get firsthand experience with this creature that looks like it has pierced you. This… no, they can't, no way. This looks just like Basagar.

Kevin: Uh, boy.

Geoff: Fuck.

Laughter

John: You know, all right.

Thunder

Kurt: It's not the same color. It's a different species of Fungril, if you will, but this is a Fungril person for sure. It's face is more non-present than Basagar's is. Basagar seems to be more humanoid kind of facial features, where this looks like if you weren't looking right, you don't even see a face at all. This is purely nature.

Zeph (Kevin): Friends of yours, Bas?

John: I would like to invoke my nature's tongue ability and try to speak and communicate to these things.

Jenn: If they're Fungril you can use your mycelian way.

Kevin: He doesn’t know that for sure.

John: I'm going to try. Oh, I do. I'm going to try and I'm just going to speak plainly and just in this nature's tongue;

Basagar (John): What is the meaning of this? Who… who are you? Where did you come from?

Fungril (Kurt, deep scratchy voice): We have come from the curse. We are seeking out the defunct. Background of nonsense deep voice, how the Fungril would sound to the others who can’t understand.

John: Do I know anything about what they're seeking?

Kurt: No.

John: Hmm. I look to you go;

Basagar (John): I… they're not of my kind, not of my family.

Zeph (Kevin): Well, I guess we need to chop down some trees then.

Jenn: So as he says that Seraphina, who-

Geoff: Mushroom for dinner!

Jenn: -as they rushed forward, she had kind of like flown back a little bit more and she glances at them. She goes;

Seraphina (Jenn, northern accent): Well, boys, this looks like it's a time to, uh, as Zeph says, cut down some trees. I know you guys have got this. You guys are strong. You're tough. I believe in you.

Jenn: And you each get a rally dice. So it's a d6 that you can add to any of your action rolls, reaction rolls, or damage rolls, or to clear a number of stress equal to what you roll.

Kurt: Nice.

Jenn: So, yeah.

John: This is like a one time roll?

Jenn: Yep. It's a one time. So, but you got that d6 that you can use.

Geoff: Feeling so motivated from this speech, I'm going to promptly leave the battlefield as I use my Caprine leap to jump-

Kurt: Peace!

Geoff: -out in a way, at least to a nearby stable structure. Not, you know, if there's any sort of like shanties or anything from the Hasp Market, I wouldn't want to trust those. I want to try and jump to something that's a little bit more stable. But as I jump away, I would like to use old faithful, vicious entangle, to try and help the party kind of lock down one of these seemingly very fast creatures.

Kurt: Absolutely.

Geoff: So make that spell casting roll. I want to keep that, but I'm going to reroll it cause it was cocked. I really wanted to keep it.

Kurt: Got to respect the cock.

Geoff: Got to respect the cock, yeah. So that is unfortunately, a 12 with fear.

Kurt: 12 with fear does not hit the DC, unfortunately so close. But I will gain that fear as immediately this adversary, what looks like a- I'm just going to say it, it’s a Fungril. It's not a adversary, like a creature. It's more like a Tree Ent, but it's more mushroom-y. It's more nature based Fungril than what you're used to. No, I'm trying to spin a name. No, it's not happening.

Geoff: So it's a Fent.

Kurt: It's a Fun Aunt.

Laugher

Kurt: Sorry. No, I'm not going to say that.

Geoff: Hey, I don't know about you. My fun aunt did shrooms.

Kurt: No, but immediately it is going to activate with that fear. I will spend a fear and mark a stress on this guy. It is going to do an action to do a barrage. And so as it does a spore barrage (roars) on you, it brings you forward, pulls you in as you watch as spores (whoosh) release off of it, start sticking to you as it looks in. It has like little tendrils, like mycelial tendrils that go into your body.

Kevin: Ew!

Kurt: And then you see what looks like-

Geoff: Like cracking through the rocks to find purchase.

Kurt: -and says;

Fungril (Kurt): You are defunct

Kurt: And goes to squeeze you. So that is against your evasion. That may not, that may miss. That is a seven against your evasion.

Geoff: That will miss.

Kurt: It misses. So you're tough clank fawn. What do you, what are you calling? What's your-?

Geoff: Onyx.

Kurt: Onyx.

Geoff: So hewn from Onyx Spire Mountain. So basically carved out of rock.

Kurt: Nice. Yeah. Your tough exterior just withstands to the pressure of the vines. That'll ends the spotlight. No damage.

Luke: As soon as I see this happen, I'm going to mark a stress to shadow step into its shadow and attack it with my dagger.

Kurt: Remember it is- but I don't think I said it before, but it is lightning. It is thunder. There's lightning going everywhere. Lots of shadows for you to choose from around here.

Thunder

Luke: Then I'll go, not immediately next to it, but close enough that I can throw my dagger.

Kurt: So within close range?

Luke: Yes, within close range.

Kurt: Okay.

Luke: With advantage because I am cloaked after shadow stepping.

Kurt: Beautiful. The roll of d6 and add it to your total.

Luke: That is a big number. That is a 20 with hope.

Kurt: Woo! That'll hit. Go ahead and gain that hope. Nicely done.

Luke: Because I was cloaked and an ally is next to it.

Kurt: Mmhmm.

Luke: I will roll my sneak attack damage on top of the normal damage.

Kurt: Yeah.

Geoff: You sneaky bastard.

Luke: Okay. That will be 10 magic damage.

Kurt: 10 magic. That does just increase to his major threshold. So he takes two points- or two hit points. As you sneak by them, your (thunk thunk) shadow steps pulling in. You notice that your blade just, oh man, it is so nice to feel the blade go through mushroom flesh.

Laughter

Kurt: It just- it feels great.

Geoff: For those at home, we all just immediately looked at John.

More laughter

John: Someone wants the mushroom to die today.

Kai: It doesn't have to be you.

Kevin: It didn't happen last time, so, you know.

John: True.

Kai: Were gonna get out pound of mushroom flesh.

Luke: As soon as the dagger lands and sinks into this creature's flesh, though. It dissipates into shadows and reappears in my hand.

Kurt: Nice. Beautiful.

Kevin: Well, with one in his face, Zeph will draw his sword, lighting the area immediately around him as it springs to life (schwing) and the runes (whoooop) begin to glow. And he will strike out.

Kurt: You hear a voice in your head. And it's so sweet. It tells you;

Sword Voice (Kurt): Now is your time, Zeph. Do as you must.

Kevin: Strike true…. so that is a dirty 20.

Kurt: With?

Kevin: With hope.

Kurt: Yeah! Get the hope.

Others: Nice.

Kurt: Nice. That hits.

Kevin: Take it.

Luke: As opposed to a natural 20 with 2d12?

Laughter

Kevin: I mean, yeah. All right. And so, that will be six points of magic damage.

Kurt: Nicely done. That is- he takes one hit point. That is his minor threshold.

Fungril growling

Kevin: So he will just slice down and there's like a trail of this bright white, almost divine energy that streaks through the sword as it cuts down through.

Kurt: I like to think that, with the runes that are highlighted on it, it almost looks like your light painting.

Kevin: Yeah. Yes.

Kai: I would like to try to break out of the restraints.

Kurt: Yeah. That would be a finesse or, no, sorry, agility or strength.

Kai: 16 with fear.

Kurt: 16 with fear. That is enough to break free. But as you break free (crshdunk) you break through the mushroom-like vines that are surrounding you, as lightning strikes right next to you (lightening pop, thunder crashing), you see rocks (crashing) come up and falling down (thumping). Well, luckily all around you. But, go ahead and mark a stress as you feel yourself tense up. Being underborne, not quite used to lightning. This might be a new phenomenon for you.

Kai: Yeah. He kind of arches his back like a cat, like gets as low to the ground as possible.

Laughter

Kevin: Um, so he had with fear.

Kurt: It was fear. Uh, yeah. I saw, I did my GM move for the lightning.

Kevin: Oh! Ok.

Kurt: So I'm not going to activate just yet.

Jenn: Uh, did you- are you using-?

Kurt: I gained one, so I'm banking that. I’m banking the fear. So I'm not spending it.

Jenn: I'm still trying to figure out what side is-

Kurt: Plus is- the plus is what you have, what I've gained. These are not.

Jenn: Okay.

Geoff: We're talking about this really cool tracker.

Jenn: With giant skulls that are staring at us.

Geoff: It's got a bunch of skulls across. Just staring at us.

Kurt (sarcastically): This is a very audio friendly tracker.

Others: Yeah.

Chuckles

Kurt: I'll try to make a zipping noise every time I (bbzzzzpppp low to high tone)

There we go.

(bbzzzzpppp high to low tone)

There we go.

Laughter

John: I think with… Basagar is just kind of frozen in a state off shock, not really expecting to see other creatures similar to him attacking people. His first interaction with a Fungril in this town was that of almost a calm, serene moment. With shortly hours later, come to ones who are more resembled like him.

Music intensifies

And I think as Severian breaks free from his restraints, almost like that snapping noise kind snaps Basagar back into the moment. And I'm also going to mark a stress and I'm going to shift into what looks to be the same appearance, you know black-ish bark-like skin. But where his hackles are now are the color of his mushroom cap as he transforms into a rather large wolf.

Kevin: Nice!

Kurt: Yeah!

John: Larger than normal as Basagar is also a larger than a normal Fungril, and is going to attack…. did you attack, Severian? Did you attack one?

Kai: No.

Kohn: But, I'm going to attack the Fungril that Karen attac- Ciaran attacked. So that is going to be at advantage, which is a d6, right?

Kurt: Yes.

John: Okay. That is a 19 with hope.

Others: Oooohh.

Kurt: That hits, go ahead and get that hope!

John: I'm also going to mark a second stress as I will make this target temporarily vulnerable.

Kurt: Nice. Okay. So everybody, all attacks have advantage.

John: So that will be a d8. I'm going to add another d8 as this target was just attacked by an ally.

Kurt: Okay. I want you to describe how you make this creep- this creature, this adversary, vulnerable.

John: Yeah. With eight points of physical damage.

Kurt: Nice.

John: I go for the area where I had recently got attacked a few moments before-

Thunder

John: -from the other, The Guild member and just go for basically the Achilles area.

Kurt: That fucking hurt

John: It did it and it pissed off-it pissed me off a lot. So I think just that same feeling I'm hoping to now invoke in this creature-

Kurt: Nice

John: - as I do eight points of damage.

Kurt: Yeah. As you extend your feeling to this mushroom creature, this adversary, you feel like he, like he looks down, he doesn't vocalize. He doesn't really have a mouth much unless he forces himself to. Whenever he does talk, he peels his mouth into like kind of stringy… like a mouth shouldn't be there. He is stepping lightly on his heels.

Fungril noises and growling

Luke: As someone particularly suitable for taking the most of their current vulnerability. How close are these creatures to each other?

Kurt: The two- remember there's still one adversary that's kind of off in the distance. He's looking, searching through the Hasp Marketplace. Adversary one and two are, I would say within close range of each other. They're not melee, not very close, but they're within close range between you guys moving about.

Luke: Hypothetically, if I were to be exactly between the two of them, would I be within very close of each of them respectively?

Kurt: Absolutely. Yeah.

Luke: Then I'm going to once again, shadow step and I'm going to spend four hope.

Kurt: Woah!

Lule: First to activate rogue’s dodge, spending three. And as you'll see these purple-y shadows almost become physically present around me. Almost like a cloak in and of itself as these blades shoot out from these. As I cast my spell reign of blades.

Kurt: Nice.

Kai: Heck yeah.

Luke: And I will use my experience… actually, I'm out of hope. I cannot do that.

Kurt: Yeah. You cannot. Yeah. Since you do have to spend a hope to use your experience. But this very, very wise spend of that hope. So I think this is pretty cool. Now do you have- you have to roll per, for each or does the spell attack?

Luke: Make a spell cast check against all tagerts.

Kurt: Ok all. Okay. So yeah, just roll once and then it counts for all of them.

Luke: So that will be 25 with hope.

Kurt: Yeah.

Kai: Wow.

Kurt: That'll hit.

Luke: So I will deal a bit of damage and the one that is vulnerable will take extra damage.

Kurt: Yeah, he will.

Luke: That will be 11 magic damage against the one that is not vulnerable.

Jenn: And don't forget, you still have that rally dice if you wanted to beef it up by another six.

Luke: And 15 to the one that is vulnerable.

Kurt: Oh, geez, 15 is it severe. So as your reign of blades come out of these magical kind of purple-like shadow blades that emanate from you, explain the mushroom tree? Mushroom ant? Mush ant? I'm trying to find it. It's not there. I just got to go with Fun Aunt, right? I mean, it's got to be the Fun Aunt.

Geoff: It was the first thing you said. We got to stick with it.

Kevin: I mean, so far they're not very fun. I'm just going to point that out.

Kurt: But no, the Fun Aunt, explain the first, how does the dissipate itself?

Sounds of knives slashing

Luke: As this barrage of shadowy blades rain into it, it is chipped apart piece by piece. Much like we're used to seeing Basagar as whenever he's wounded, like pieces of him fall apart. It is just eviscerated.

Kevin: Nice.

Luke: And with these physical shadows just ripping through it.

Kurt: Beautiful.

John: Was this the vulnerable one?

Kurt: Yes.

John: I spit the heel out. Is it dead?

Kai: The heel that you bit.

John: The heel that I was holding on to, yeah. I spit it out.

Kurt: Yeah. Bleh. You watch as the bits and pieces of this Fun Aunt that drops onto the ground. You see that the roots, the mycelial roots almost start growing out of the pieces and forcing it down into the ground.

Jenn: So there's still one that's up and then there's another one that's off in the distance.

Kurt: Yeah there’s one that’s in close range of you, very close to probably Ciaran and Basagar and probably Severian. I'll say the three of you are probably just within close range.

Jenn: Okay.

Geoff: Was I restrained whenever the reached out and grabbed me?

Kurt: No, it just kind of like grabbed you because you would have been if you would have hit, but… Yeah.

Geoff: Got it.

Jenn: So seeing the one go down, Seraphina is like;

Seraphina (Jenn): Good job, guys!

Jenn: And you guys are going to see her pull out one of those long, thin cigarette holders.

Chuckles

John: In the rain.

Jenn: That, you know, because it's magic, it has a lit cigarette on the end of it. And she takes it and puts it to her lips and takes a big draw (thunder) and blows it out while looking at the… funnent?.

Kurt: The fun-ent. The Fun Aunt.

Jenn: Yeah, Fun Aunt that's within close range. And you guys see the smoke come out and drifts toward it. And I’ll roll and see if I hit.

Kurt: Sounds cool.

Jenn: I completely missed my tray altogether.

Laughter

Geoff: There was a dice tray and then there was table and the dice went on the table.

Jenn: Yeah. So that is… 15 with fear.

Kurt: Yeah, there's that fear! You do hit.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: So go ahead and roll that damage.

Jenn: All right.

Luke: Let the record show that he does not need any more fear.

John: No, he's maxed.

Kurt: Makes zipping up sound for gaining fear.. There you go.

Jenn: It's four points of magical damage.

Kurt: Okay. Yeah.

Jenn: And with that, she flies back just a little bit more.

Kurt: Okay. That is a minor threshold. That fear, you see more lightning (crashing sounds) start striking the area around you.

Thunder

Kurt: A lightning blast strikes the staple of the old church ruins (thuncrshhh). As you watch, you see what looks like maybe wires, maybe metal of some sort that maybe is part of it, but almost light up (swnph) and like go down into the ground. Not quite sure what that was, but it kind of lights up. But then there's rocks and things that kind of go over. (Rocks crashing). Just innately, you take three points of bludgeoning- or physical damage. I'm trying real hard to get D&D out of my head. You take three points of physical damage just from the rocks itself, blasting with the shrapnel. You feel free to take an armor slot to mitigate that to zero because I'm hoping three is under your minor.

Jenn: Under, yeah.

Kurt: Well, yeah.

Jenn: Well, because I'm flying, so technically I could mark a stress to add a plus two to my evasion, which would bump it to a 13. Would they even hit me? If she's flying and ducking rocks?

Kurt: I'll roll for rock- for lightning strike.

Geoff: Roll for rock. Chuckles.

Kurt: I mean. Which is plus-

Lightening and thunder.

Kurt: -no. Sure. Yeah, I'll say because you're flying with your, if you want to mark a stress, they'll- I’ll let that mechanic slide there. That's where the move comes in. So you (whoosh whoosh whoosh) dodge out of the way by flying around where these rocks are laying.

I will take that fear to activate my boys. Number- this guy that's just been hanging out in the back. He's like, you know what? It's time to step up. He can't find anybody in the marketplace. You watch as his roots, he's going to mark a stress as his roots (zoom) go down in to the ground, much like you saw what happened with Severian. But he, his roots, like that is his like way of travel. So the roots go down and the roots pop up and he almost like transforms his body. It goes (woomph) grows right ahead of where you are.

Fungril language yelling

Kurt: Using all of the mycelial roots (sounds of roots moving and growing) that is growing in the city for God knows how long to activate and to use at his will move in front of you within a very close range.

Fungril yelling

Kurt: I'll say damn near melee. And is going to do a pummel attack against you.

Jenn: Against me?

Kurt: No, first he has to-

Jenn: I was going to say little old me?

Kurt: Little old you.

Jenn: Just little tiny little old me?

Kurt: Little old you. He will do a grapple. He's going to try to grapple you with a 19 to hit.

Kevin: Can I ‘I am your shield’ that?

Kurt: Yeah. Okay. What does that do?

Kevin: I am your shield. When an ally within very close range would take damage-

Kurt: Haven't- has not taken damage.

Kevin: Okay.

Kurt: This is going to restrain you. The vines wrap around you and restrain. Pulls you into its face as you watch the mycelial like roots grow out of his face and almost tickle you a little bit and- almost like it’s smelling you.

Fungril heavy breathing

Kurt: You hear this (speaking to John) just with your nature's tongue. I don't think anybody else does, but you hear him say;

Fungril (Kurt): You are defunct.

Fungril growls

Kurt: So that was marked stress. I'm going to spend that fear. Now he's going to try to crush you with advantage because you are grapple- or restrained.

Kurt: That was a 14 and a 1. So that 14, you are not flying so you can't mark that stress to get that 14 to hit your evasion.

Jenn: Uh huh.

Kurt: Okay. So now you'd be taking damage.

Jenn: Okay.

Kevin: I'll see what the damage is.

Kurt: Okay.

Kevin: Maybe.

Kurt: Yeah. So that is 11 points of physical damage.

Kevin: I am your shield.

Kurt: Okay, because- I want you to describe. Give me a narrative description on how you use ‘I am your shield’ to take this damage.

Kevin: So, as Zeph is faced and squared up with this one, he sees out of the corner of his eye this second one comes zooping up and get right into Seraphina's face. And as he goes to crush her, he will pivot, slash his sword down, and there's a bright line of light similar to when he slashed down in front of him. But instead of it being in front, it's almost like a sword trail that appears at a distance and knocks- basically knocks him off to where he-instead of crushing her, it just puts him off balance for a second and distracts him.

Kurt: Yeah. So you take that damage instead.

Kevin: I will use one of my prayer dice to knock it down to nine and use an armor slot and take no damage.

Kurt: Beautiful.

Others: Wow. Well done. Huge. Yay.

Kurt: Spend that mechanic. I will spend another fear to activate my other boy.

John: Shit.

Kurt: The other guy that has been in your face the whole time is going to attack Severian. Severian, now he is going to use a pummel strike against you. Yeah! That is a 19.

Kai: That hits.

Kurt: That hits. Pummel strikes, so he forms his little Fun Aunt arms into mushroom blobs. And he wraps these fallen bricks and fallen rocks that have come off the building and wraps his vines around the stones. And it's just (poom) going to pummel you with these stones.

Fungril grumbling

Kurt: That is 11 points of physical damage with the first hit. And then it's going to mark a stress to do a second strike. That may not hit. I don't know what your evasion is, but that is a 12 evasion.

Kai: That one will miss. I have a 13.

Kurt: Nice. Yeah. So you get hit with 11 physical. If you want to try to mitigate that by using a- by marking armor slot or take it. But the second one (kaboomf) swings just over as you duck out of the way. That ends my spotlight, back to y'all.

Geoff: I'm going to try and jump in and help everybody.

Laughter

Geoff: This time, instead of trying to use a spell, I'm going to use my short bow. So I'll knock an arrow and try and shoot at him. And before I jump away this time, maybe cowardice was the problem.

Laughter

Geoff: It was not, it was not the problem. But it is a better role. It is still with fear.

Kurt: Okay. What's the total? (Zip up sound for gaining fear)

Geoff: But it is a total of 18

Kurt: 18, that does hit.

Geoff: Okay.

Kurt: Yeah 18 hits immediately as you go in to strike, and your strike will take effect. And then there'll be something that happens after.

Geoff: And then remind me, what was the dice that you gave us? We can use that for damage as well?

Jenn: You can use that for damage.

Geoff: So I'm going to go ahead and use that rally dice to add onto my damage to at least make this count.

Kurt: Beautiful.

Geoff: So that's 9… 10 points of physical damage.

Kurt: That is major.

Geoff: And I do want to finish my turn off by trying to use my Caprine leap again to try and jump away back to that close range, to try and get some distance again.

Kurt: Yeah, that's what you would want to do. But-

Laughter

Geoff: So I imagine I start that jump and then turn it over to you.

Kurt: Yeah, as you start that jump, what happens is you are so surprised that you faint.

Thunder

Kurt: You freeze.

Geoff: No, I'm a fainting goat?

Laughter

John: Love it. Sorry for the table smack. Yes.

Kurt: You don't actually go unconscious. But this might be the first time you've experienced this, but you are so scared at this moment that your limbs lock up and you can't help but just fall over.

Geoff: Oh, no.

Kurt: And so you become prone. And that is my fear, my GM move. Absolutely.

Geoff: I’ve been reduced to a fainting goat.

Laughter

Kurt: He does activate. This Fun Aunt spins around. He is going to use- he's going to mark a stress to do ‘take root’. So his feet (roots crackling and vines growing) almost lock in place. You see his feet root into the ground. So he is going to settle in place and extend his roots. Any physical damage the Fun Aunt takes while rooted is reduced by eight. The Fun Aunt is restrained while rooted, but may still attack. And it can end its rooted state when it activates. So it holds itself in place and becomes this almost like a mushroom tree, if you will. And that is its action.

Kevin: So is that second one now within close range?

Kurt: Yeah.

Kevin: Would you say?

Kurt: Mmhmm

Jenn: Was that the one that's holding me or is that the other one?

Kurt: That's the other one. That's the one that came in. That was off- that's number three.

Jenn: I thought that was the one that grabbed me.

Kurt: Number three is the one that grabbed you. Two just got him.

Jenn: And one was the one that's dead.

Kurt: One is dead. Yeah.

Jenn: Okay.

John: I would like, or you got.

Kevin: Yeah. Real quick- well, hopefully. So Zeph's going to use his spirit weapon ability. I marked a stress. So he is going to once again, slash the one in front of him. But by marking that stress, I can attack a second enemy within close range. And again, that phantom line of the sword slice at the same time hits with both of them. Hopefully.

Kurt: Beautiful.

Kevin: At the same time.

Kurt: Do it.

Kevin: We'll see. Oh. (Sighs) That would have been a crit, but it was out of the box.

Kurt: If you mean to roll in the box, roll in the box.

Kevin: I did. A hundred percent. So, all right. So that's a 16 with hope.

Kurt: Good. Take that hope. And that hits.

Kevin: And I'm going to use the rally die on this to make it really count. Hopefully. Or not. That is five magical damage to each one of them.

Kurt: Each one of them. Didn't take much for number two. He was pretty injured already. Narratively describe his death for me, please.

Kevin: Which one was that?

Jenn: Number two

Kurt: Number two is the one that just attacked-

Jenn: Kua.

Kurt: N’kuwa

Kevin: Was that the one that rooted?

Kurt: Yes.

Kevin: Okay. So as it roots down.

Kurt: Magic damage?

Kevin: Yes.

Kurt: Good.

Kevin: As it roots down and thinks that it's, you know, making itself safe, it looks up and all of a sudden this thin, pale line basically crosses across its torso. And there's just a moment of stillness… before… that actually ends up being a line that cut all the way through. And you see it slide and fall down into pieces.

Kurt: Anime killed him.

Kevin: Yeah.

Kurt: Yeah. His top torso just (shhhh) slides off and (ka-splat) just lands on.

John: Oh, yeah. I would like to go next. As I hear the one holding Seraphina speak, I look back after spitting out the foot of the other Fun Aunt. And I'm going to flavor this and I can take the repercussions from what I'm about to say. But as I'm going to attack this other Fun Aunt, lightning strikes me.

Kurt: Hmmm

Lightening sound

John: And as I'm mid stride, as I'm leaping towards-

Kurt: Yeah, like that.

John: -as I'm leaping towards Seraphina's aid, I'm going to mark a stress as this lightning strikes me. I catch fire.

Kurt: Oh. Okay.

John: And what happens is the Castle Ghorelitch seal shoots out of my chest in this fiery appearance and starts to just go across my body in a way that's almost natural. And I go to attack the Fun Aunt that was just previously attacked. So let me roll.

Kurt: Are you still a wolf at this point?

John: I am still a wolf. Yeah.

Kurt: Now you're a flaming wolf.

John: I am a flaming wolf.

Kurt: Sweet.

John: So let me roll this. Add advantage, right?

Kurt: Mmhmm

John: I have advantage. Okay. That is 15 to hit.

Kurt: That hits.

John: Great. So now that is 2d8 worth of damage. And I have another d8 or d6.

Jenn: No, a d6.

John: A d6 for damage. Sure. We're just going to throw that on there.

Kurt: Yeah, add all the things.

John: Okay. That is going to be 15 points of physical damage.

Kurt: Nice. That is the severe threshold as you do all the damage.

John: And I'm just going to go ahead and keep like there's just too much like to process of what's going on. So I'm going to mark another stress to then make this target vulnerable.

Kurt: Nice. Okay. Yeah. It kind of looks, you see, it's frantic at this moment. It looks like- it almost looks confused, not knowing who to attack next because you are all kind of surrounding it at this moment. So it's going to take a interrupt. I'm going to spend two fear to spotlight this guy before y'all just fucking obliterate them. Yep (Zipping sound down for spending fear). Spend those fear.

John: And I'm like interposing myself between-

Kurt: Okay.

John: -Seraphina in it. So I'm like in the middle of it.

Jenn: He's still holding me, right?

Kurt: He is. Yeah.

Jenn: Okay. Okay. Alright.

Kurt: He is still holding you. You see him kind of like looking around. It is then going to try to grapple Ciaran at this point. And then, cause you know, just to bring you in. That is so close to a 20. That is a 14 against your evasion.

Luke: 14 will miss.

Kurt: Oh!

Luke: Specifically thanks to my rogue’s dodge, which brings it from 13 to 15.

Kurt: Oh, nice.

Kevin: Dodgey rouge!

Kurt: So as it goes and reaches out, you see the Fun Aunt vines, or tendrils reach out and you, almost like just like (shukum) almost bamf just like right next to it. It closes its arms- it closes its hands and it looks around. Well done. Yeah.

Jenn: So he's still holding me. So she's going to grab her whip out. So what this does is very close range, which I'm assuming he's holding me.

Kurt: Absolutely.

Jenn: Very close range.

Kurt: Can't get much closer. Well, he could, he could be inside you, but that's as close as that's more than-

Kai: Pause.

Laughter

Kurt: Evil Dead?

Kai: It's not this kind of show.

Laughter

Kevin: No. Like Evil Dead moment.

Kurt: Yeah.

Jenn: So I'm going to crack this whip. What it does is, if I mark a stress, when I crack the whip, I force all enemies within melee back to close range from very close. So how would that work with him holding me? Can I basically like hit him in the arm and make him drop me and back up or?

Kurt: I mean, if somebody- if he's big, especially because of your size, if he's grab,- if he's restraining you- if he moves, you just move with him. But if you want to target his arm to try to force him to let go, I'll say yeah. The difficulty might be slightly higher.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: It's difficulties normally 12 to do stuff.

John: Can I-

Kurt: No, sorry. 13 with these guys.

John: How can I spend a hope to help her?

Kurt: So you can spend a hope and have- and roll your d6.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: And then you can just add that to the total roll. So you roll your dice and just make sure you spend the hope.

Jenn: Hey, that's how I'm like- oh ewwwww.

John: That's a plus five.

Kurt: Ooh.

Jenn: Oh, that's- plus five is 14. Is that right?

John: Yeah.

Jenn: So then I rolled damage then still, right?

Kurt: Yep.

Jenn: Because it does do damage. I'm going to go ahead and use my rally dice for the damage.

Kurt: yeah you will.

Jenn: Just, hey!

Kurt: That's a nine?

Jenn: That is nine damage.

Kurt: That is major. Go ahead. Narratively describe this creature's death.

Jenn: Oh! Yay! So, yeah. So Seraphina like grabs her whip and she's like;

Seraphina: Unhand me!

Kurt: And she cracks it and like aims right for like kind of his elbow.

Kurt: Yeah. His hand falls off.

Jenn: Yeah, and she like flies back, I guess. And because Bass had just attacked too. So, I'm assuming that he's kind of right there.

John Yeah, I’m right there.

Kurt: You took a- you used your help action or your help die.

John and Jenn: Yeah.

Kurt: So, you guys, how do you do this together?

Jenn: Yeah. So, like, she basically knocks his arm off with the whip to, and kind of flies back away.

And then, I guess-

John: I think I just leap onto the Fun Aunt, pin it down, and just rip it to shreds.

Kurt: Yeah.

John: There's- yeah.

Kurt: Just growling, tearing this thing.

John: While on fire.

Kurt: While on fire.

Kevin: Sautéing as you bite.

Geoff: Oh, they're already roasted! Delicious.

Laughter

Kurt: Nice. Lightning strikes (crashing) around you guys. It is still raining. It's still pouring. But the immediate threat dissipates as the last of these Fun Aunts almost dissolve into the ground. You see, it's the mycelial roots are almost pulling itself back into the ground.

Luke: Is there anything left behind?

Kurt: There is nothing. There's probably still some mushroom bits left over that haven't forced their way through. But these weren't wearing any armor. They didn't have any weapons. They were all using themselves as the weapon.

Kevin: Sure.

Kurt: But, yeah. Nothing left behind, per se. If you wanted to try to grab some of the mushroom before it dissipated.

Geoff: I do want to, as soon as Basagar stops being on fire, fish Meesta out of wherever he's been hiding and just set him on one of the roast pieces of mushroom.

Mister (Kurt, rough but higher voice): Big gulping breaths You can't keep me in the bag that long. Continues gasping for air.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): Look, food.

Mister (Kurt): It's starving, man.

Kurt: And he goes (ravenous eating sounds)

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): I think Basagar forgot he had you.

Laughter

John: I am still in my fire wolf form.

Kurt: Yeah.

John: I am not dropping out of that anytime soon.

Kurt: Yeah.

John: But I can speak. I mean, does say I can.

Geoff: I’ll just reach between the waves of fire then to try and fish this rat out.

Kurt: I love that Daggerheart left that you can speak in your animal form, your wild shape. It just adds so much more story and narrative storytelling that you can do.

John: For sure.

Kurt: Like, in the other game, you were like, I'm just a fucking animal. I can't do anything.

Geoff (slow voice, joking): Oh, no. I'm a dumb animal.

Kurt: Yeah. You weren't a dumb animal. You still kept your wisdom stats, but you just couldn't talk.

Geoff: Eh, Debatable.

Kurt: Yeah. Depends on your wisdom stats.

John: Yeah.

Luke: Depends on the player.

Kurt: Yeah. Depends on the player. But I love the fact that they did that right.

John: Yeah, absolutely.

Kurt: Being able to talk, which is great.

Zeph (Kevin): Damn, Basagar, have you always been able to do that?

John: You see, he kind of looks around himself. He notices the fire. It's kind of like reaching from his paws and goes kind of just lying, just looks fucking badass. And he goes;

Basagar (John): This is… the animal. Yes.

Zeph (Kevin): Oh, shit. You can talk, too.

Basagar (John): Yes. This fire is... No. I don't feel hurt. This is different.

Zeph (Kevin): I mean, I kind of meant the entire thing, but okay.

Basagar (John): Yes. I can change my form into those of beings of nature.

Zeph (Kevin): Fucking sweet, man.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): People that spend so much time in nature often can take on these kinds of forms. I've seen it before. It's very interesting. He does it very differently, but it's very useful.

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah, that's cool.

Basagar (John): I don't know why.

John: And you can kind of see, the emblem is still, I mean, he's on all fours, but you can kind of see the glowing emblem of Castle Ghorelitch on fire.

Zeph (Kevin): Wow.

Basagar (John): I got struck by lightning, but I don't feel hurt.

Zeph (Kevin): I was about to ask.

Basagar (John): I feel fine.

Zeph (Kevin): Huh. Well.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): I say we don't ask any questions about that.

Zeph (Kevin): Seems legit to me. Should we see if we can find who's around?

Ciaran (Luke): Hypothetically, could you replicate this in the future? Not saying we're going to be striking with lightning over and over again to see what happens, but...

Basagar (John): Are you talking about the beast?

Ciaran (Luke): Nevermind.

Basagar (John): Or the fire?

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): He seems to have a very thin line of what's acceptable to do to people.

Ciaran (Luke): It clearly didn't do anything, so it's fine.

John: At this point, he will drop out of his wolf form, but let me just make sure I'm reading this right. For the above-the-table speak, this is the Warden of the Elements feature. This is my foundation. I'm not a healing druid. I am an elemental druid. Nope. Until I take damage on my next long rest, I am in this form. So, hell yeah.

Kurt: Nice.

Others: Agreement

John: And you see, so Basagar, as he drops out of this wolf form, you see the fire still kind of goes across his body, and the Castle Ghorelitch logo is visible and on fire on his chest. And you can kind of see flames just kind of spark out from, like, the little blood pockets of his mushroom cap.

Kevin: Is anybody around now that things have calmed down?

Kurt: Like I said, it's still raining. It's still in the midst of this electrical storm. The metal that was going from the steeple down to the ground is almost red hot at this point, just from the amount of lightning strikes that it's taken. Going from the steeple down into the ground, what looks like it goes down even further. But as far as people, not around anywhere close. There might be some people way off in the distance running and scattering or something. But you see the body of the person that the creature crushed. But all the other civilians that brought it up, they fucking split.

Kevin: Head further into Saint Kevarin's Hollow.

Basagar (John): Correct me if I'm wrong, but is the weather always this bad?

Zeph (Kevin): No.

Basagar (John): This doesn't seem like a natural storm, does it?

Thunder

Zeph (Kevin): Seems about as natural as your cousins here that we...

Basagar (John): I will do some meditation on that.

Zeph (Kevin): I'd be curious to find out what you find out.

Basagar (John): Me too.

Zeph (Kevin): If nothing else, there should be some cover from this mess if we go in toward the hollow. So that's probably where some folks are, I would assume, taking shelter.

Jenn: So you said originally this was kind of like an alley, right?

Kurt: Yeah.

Jenn: Sort of between... And then there was like the tents, like the Hasp Market was sort of set up like along the sides of the alley?

Kurt: Mmhmm.

Jenn: Are the tents all just like torn to shreds from these creatures?

Kurt: There are several of them that are. The market stalls were just tossed, you know, as these creatures were looking for civilians. But yeah, they're just... everything's kind of strewn about through everywhere. There's shredded awnings and just- once you get further into the alleyway, looks like that was kind of left untouched.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: Maybe a little haphazard that, as it said, that people were trying to flee and knocked over some stuff, but not nearly as bad as it is up front.

Jenn: And so the person that they squished, their body's still laying there?

Kurt: Yes.

Jenn: So Seraphina would like to kind of fly over and take a look. Like, is it like human? Is it male, female?

Kurt: It is indeed human. As you kind of like look over and roll it over. Human, male, looks like...

Jenn: Like your typical gutter run, like poor clothes? Or did it look more like the guy that we just had the run-in with from The Guild? Like, does this person look like his skin is peeling? Is he wearing like a similar cloak?

Kurt: It is a... it's a black cloak. It's not the exact same as the Guilded member that you dispatched of. But as you- he dispatched himself. I guess let's...

Geoff: Yeah

Kevin: Come on.

Kurt: Yeah. As you roll him over, you could tell that underneath this cloak, he is wearing wearing nicer garments.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: It looks like he is wearing garments of the colors that would be found in the Ashen realm- Or Ashrelm.

Jenn: So nicer...

Kurt: Nicer.

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: Obviously, yeah. Nicer clothes. But he does have a big old fat ring on his finger.

Jenn: Is it sparkly?

Kurt: I mean, it is shiny.

Jenn: Does it have a gem?

Kurt: It does not have a gem.

Luke: Does it have a sigil? Or signet?

Kurt: It has a sigil on it.

Jenn: So Seraphina would, since it's- he's- the body is probably soaking wet from all the rain. That ring should slide right off his finger super easy peasy.

Kurt: Yeah.

Jenn: So yeah, she will slide that off. Looking at his clothes, she's going to stick her fingers in, check his pockets. Does he- didn't the guild guys, didn't they have like a... like an amulet or a symbol or something that they were wearing?

Kevin: They usually have a mask.

Jenn: Or a mask?

Geoff: A mask. And there was like a medallion or something on the one that we found.

Jenn: Nothing like that?

Kurt: No mask, no medallion. As you rifle through this guy's pockets, you find that there... he has about three handfuls of gold.

Jenn: I will also gladly take that.

Kurt: He does have a ceremonial dagger strapped to his-

Chiming sounds

Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: - his, like a belt frog. And what looks to be a ceremonial saber on the other hip. All under the robe.

Ciaran: Seraphina…

Jenn: Does he look younger, older? Like just kind of rough… like is it like a 50-year-old man or like a teenager or just kind of like middle-aged or...

Kurt: He looks young-ish.

Jenn: Ish. Okay.

Kurt: Yeah. Not teenager but not 50.

Kurt: I'm going to say young because I fall in that line.

Laughter

Jenn: Yeah. Sera will kind of like motion you guys over and be like;

Seraphina (Jenn): Does he look familiar to any of you guys? Like Ciaran, do you know who this is?

Ciaran (Luke): Might I see that ring?

Seraphina (Jenn): Okay. Yeah. But if you don't really need it, like in the long run, I'd like it back because it's nice and shiny. Here you go.

Luke: I will look at this signet ring

Geoff: I stare intently at this man.

Kurt: It is the signet ring of the Virel family. This, as you look down at this person, this is Prince Rhydian's son.

John: Can we just stop being near nobles?

Ciaran (Luke): I'm sorry to inform you, Seraphina, but I think I do need it.

Seraphina (Jenn): Well…

Ciaran (Luke): Unless you would like to- go against the, well, Prince Rhydian.

Seraphina (Jenn): Oh.

John: Is that the same? Is the sigil on the ring the same as the glowing-

Jenn: Thing on his chest?

Kurt: There's slight differences. Like every generation has its take.

John and Jenn: Okay.

Kurt: This is slightly different than yours. You can see the resemblances. The foundation of the sigil is the same, but then it has like different filigree and stuff, I mean, there's stuff around it.

John: Little flourishes and things.

Jenn: So it's the son of Prince who?

Kurt: Prince Rhydian. If you would like to explain who Prince Rhydian Virel is.

Ciaran (Luke): Prince Rhydian is the brother of the king. And currently the pillar of war, one of the Ashen Rings that is, that currently helps rule the nation of Virelia.

Seraphina (Jenn): And this is his son?

Ciaran (Luke): And this is his son.

Zeph (Kevin) : Was.

Seraphina (Jenn): Um…shit.

Ciaran (Luke): He- that is correct.

Seraphina (Jenn): Why? Why do they keep dying around us?

John: I would like to-

Ciaran (Luke): For the sake of anyone who may be listening, this is the first time someone has died around us as a group.

Laughter

Seraphina (Jenn): Oh, no. I meant the tree guys. They just keep dying around us. That happens all the time. The bad guys, they just die around us. That's totally what I meant.

Kevin: Was he an asshole?

Jenn: I mean.

Kurt: You knew him very well. He was not an asshole. He- as- you (indicating to Luke) can fill in as much as you want. But, Wilhelm. So Wilhelm Virel is the son. He met with you frequently. You would take him, show him the ropes down here. You've never seen him down here alone until now.

Luke: Before I respond to any questions, I'm going to specifically look around and see if I can make out any of his guard, or the guard that should have been here, and any sign of them.

Seraphina (Jenn): Do you need me to look? Because I can fly up a little higher. I get a little vantage point.

Ciaran (Luke): That would be helpful.

Kurt: Yeah. Remember it's still raining.

Jenn: Yeah.

Kurt: You can hear the rain.

John: While she's doing that-

Jenn: So is that an instinct role. To look for any like-

Kurt: You're going to perceive.

Jenn: And I'm specifically looking for like royal guard that look like-

Kurt: I'm not going to make you roll unless you really want to. With it being rainy, there's… you know- your vision's already impaired anyways. You look around, there's no sign of any royal guard.

Jenn: Okay. Yeah.

Seraphina (Jenn): What is he doing down here?

Ciaran (Luke): That is something I would like answered myself.

Seraphina (Jenn): This is the Hasp Market, right? So like, this is kind of the last place he should be, right?

Zeph (Kevin): Depends.

Ciaran (Luke): One would think that such an individual of such high position wouldn't ever be found here.

Zeph (Kevin): Depends what he was looking for. But, well, there's a lot that one can find in this market.

Seraphina (Jenn): Well, could he have maybe been going to see what the- what did- you said it earlier, I don't remember.

Ciaran (Luke): The Guild.

Zeph (Kevin): The Guild Or Father.

Seraphina (Jenn): Well, yeah, maybe he was going there. Maybe he was feeling religious today.

Ciaran (Luke): There are other chapels throughout Ashrelm and the higher circles.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah.

Ciaran (Luke) : I don't believe would necessitate traveling this far down.

Geoff: Kua is just flipping through his notes at this point.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff) : So we don't eat him.

Seraphina (Jenn): No.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): We should maybe leave his things with him. Is that easier to deal with if he has his things?

Ciaran (Luke): Absolutely.

John: I kneel down beside him and I'm trying to remember what the Fun Aunts were saying. Find the curse?

Jenn: Defunct.

John: Find the defunct. Yeah.

Geoff: Do you translate any of that? Because I assume none of us.

John: Not yet.

Geoff: Otherwise would have.

John: Not yet. But as I'm thinking about this. I do kneel down and I do place my hand on the prince. It's twofold. What I want to do is I'm gonna use my fungal network to try to communicate through the prince and into the roots. Not gonna go through him, but put a hand-

Kurt: Okay.

John: -put part of my hand on his face as I try to just root myself with the rest of my fingertips down into the root. And I would like to use my- I will spend a hope and use my Warden of the First Blood experience as I try to do this.

Kurt: Okay. You need to roll.

John: Yeah, so I'm gonna communicate….

Kurt: Spellcast

John: So I'll make an instinct roll.

Kurt: Yeah, instinct roll.

John: Instinct roll with the d12. But I had a plus two from my experience and another plus two. Okay, that is going to be a 19 with hope.

Kai: Nice.

Kurt: Nice. Yeah. Get that hope back. What is it that you're asking?

John: What is this curse? Who are the defunct? How can I help?

Kurt: And is there a target That you're reaching out to?

John: Just the mycelial network.

Kurt: Okay. I didn't know. If you wanted to use this spot like, ‘I'm contacting my uncle.’

John: No. I think that knowing what I saw earlier this morning, of someone connecting. I never even thought to connect here.

Kurt: Sure.

John: So I think it's truly just, ‘who is here in this city and who can help me.’

Kurt: Okay. Yeah. It takes a moment.

John: Do I also get any kind of familiar-ness with this prince?

Kurt: It becomes a point where maybe you think your connection is not strong enough. Maybe you ask the wrong questions, maybe this guy is corrupt and maybe he's the one that's causing your miscommunication. But as a moment happens, I'm going to spend a fear.

John: I rolled with hope.

Kurt: I know you rolled with hope, but I'm going to spend this fear.

John: Love it.

Kurt: So I don't gain a fear back or do anything, but I'm going to spend this fear. Because two things are going to happen. You are going to get your answers, but also in doing so, in reaching

out through the city, through this moment where all this mycelial came up from that might still be in the ground itself, you get almost flash images of answers. You hear screaming, what sounds like human screaming, blood curdling pain constantly. It's becomes almost too unbearable for this time being. As you guys watch as Basagar is- has his hand on the prince. I guess he is more of a lord at this point.

Geoff: Has his paw I believe?

Jo: No. I am back to normal.

Geoff: Oh you did change back ok.

Kurt: Yeah. Lord.

Jo: I am still on fire.

K: As you watch he is his hands are reaching into the ground around. And kind of going around and in between the rocks where he can find any type of soil. His eyes go wide and become the blood red thats much similar to your blood spots. But almost glowing blood. And his sigil (woosh) glows bright. You feel this heat radiate off of your chest as you are you're holding it in. But just sheer amount of pain that you get. You get a sense of vengeance. You don't get any words. It is just screaming in your head. You feel like there is an angry spirit behind this. There is somebody, or something, that wants something dead. But this whole thing that you get out is vengeance.

John: I think after all that, my fire burns even brighter. To the point where it like pushes out. And then my fire disappears and so does the glowing sigil. And I practically collapse down to the ground. And I look at all of you and I go;

Basagar: This- this city is in pain. There's- I- This-…

John: And I kind of look at Severian. And I'm almost like it- I'm scared that this is. I kind of give you a look and I don't say anything to you, Severian. And I look back to the rest of you and I go;

Basagar: They were looking. The Fun Aunts, they were looking for the curse. They were looking for the defunct. They called me, and they called you, Seraphina, They called us defunct. Chiming. I don't know what that means. I didn't get the answers I needed.

Pi N'kuwa: What'd they call me?

John: Did they call-? They did.

Kurt: Yeah:

Basagar (John): They called you defunct. And, I don't know. This is- this- the state of this city is on the verge of death… it's probably beyond that. People are suffering, more than what we can see here in the Gutter.

Seraphina (Jenn): Do you think this has to do with the curse in your- Where you're from? Your home? Of why that's dying?

Thunder

Geoff: I think for the first time since being here, Kua might have like a moment of clarity of what should happen here. And he might hush you all a little bit;

Pi N'kuwa: There seems to be ears following us everywhere. Maybe we should be somewhere safer to discuss this.

Basagar (John): I agree.

Seraphina (Jenn): Okay.

Luke: And while they're discussing, Ciaran is carefully wrapping the body with his cloak and just trying to be as careful as possible. And looks to Seraphina and asks for the ceremonial blades.

Seraphina (Jenn): Oh yeah I didn't take those. I don't know, what am I going to do with a dagger?

Luke: I'll separate those so that I can keep them together with the body, as well as the signet ring. I don't take off immediately, but fully intend on delivering the body as soon as possible.

Basagar (Luke): I'm sorry for your loss.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah, was he your friend Ciaran? You seem like you definitely knew him.

Ciaran (Luke): He was a friend. An associate.

Seraphina (Jenn): I'm sorry.

Ciaran (Luke): We spent parts of our youth training together. Different circles, of course. But our paths converged on multiple occasions.

Seraphina (Jenn): So who would we need to bring him to?

Ciaran (Luke): The brother of the king. Well, if there's ever a time you wanted to go to the castle.

Basagar (Luke): Then let's go. He deserves to be with those who care about him.

Seraphina (Jenn): So are we all going to go and take him there?

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): We can certainly at least escort those that are able to go in. I mean at least as far as we're allowed to go.

Seraphina (Jenn): We're kind of the only people that saw what happened to him. Everybody else ran away.

Pi N'kuwa (Geoff): Do we all want to be seen together?

Ciaran (Luke): I think in this instance there's no escaping that.

Seraphina (Jenn): Well and like Kua said, I feel like there's eyes and ears around here. So regardless everybody probably saw it, this fight and what happened.

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah.

Seraphina (Jenn): Unfortunately we don't have any proof other than what we say happened. Because the things that did this to him kind of just disintegrated.

Geoff: I feel like Meesta's just in the background munching on whatever final pieces of evidence that we could have possibly taken.

Kurt: Watch as you all look back and he's like;

Meesta (Kurt): What?

Laughter

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah I think it's beyond the point of us not being seen together.

Ciaran (Luke): Yeah.

Zeph (Kevin): Definitely.

Ciaran (Luke): In a short amount of time I could make contact with individuals that would surely quicken our way to get the body and his effects to where they need to be. This will spread knowledge of us as a group, perhaps more than we'd like.

Zeph (Kevin): If The Guild knows about us as a group, it's already spread.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah.

Zeph (Kevin): Ciaran, you know that.

Ciaran (Luke): I know.

Basagar (John): If it would make it easier for you to deliver the prince to his home without us that is fine. I am in no-

John: And like Basasgar is still on the ground. Like he has four levels of stress, like half his HP is gone, and he looks beaten up. And he looks at all of you;

Basagar (John): I follow what you decide. Of course I want to go to the castle.

Geoff: Kurt, would this part of the royal family have been friendly to the king in a manner that perhaps I might have heard some stories or information about it? If you get at what I'm asking without sharing that information?

Kurt: Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Yes, I would say the king's brother, Rhydian, is not known for being hostile. I mean he is a pillar of the Ashen Rings, so…

Geoff: But like a ‘good’ Quote unquote. He's, you know…

Kurt: He would have been.

Geoff: Okay.

Kurt: Yeah he is known to be a benevolent prince.

Geoff: Okay. So I think having like learned the name of like who this is, having never known what they looked like, but having heard, I might… you all might see Kua be a little bit more reverent of him. A little bit softer than he's been to anybody else since being here. Not noticeably so, not going out of his way. But just kind of naturally more caring.

Kurt: Severian, what’s going through your mind? What are you doing at this moment?

Kai: Severian is just glaring at the body bag.

Laughter

Kai: He doesn't look very happy. While everyone else is having a great time.

Geoff: I don't know that's how that I would describe.

Jenn: Yeah.

Kai: But, well everyone else seems very reverent. And Severian doesn't share that emotion.

Kurt: Mmhmm. Your stomach growls a little bit.

Kai: Mmhmm.

Laughter

Basagar: I think it's best we decide what we do and converse some more. As you say, there- if there's truly unwanted ears, then we should find some place more-

Kurt: You hear what sounds like a disbarring of a door clunking behind the closed door of the chapel. The door opens.

Creaking

Kurt: Large, heavy, wooden and metal planked door. See a face pop out. Looks like tall, thin, deep violet skin, curling horns that kind of curl around the head. Zeph, you would probably recognize this as Father Ulrich Vane.

Jenn: So is the alley that we're in, the temple is kind of like one side of it?

Kurt: Yeah.

Jenn: Oh, okay. So, okay, I got you.

Kurt: Yeah, you guys didn't go officially into the alleyway yet. You were kind of like in front of it and like the alleyway is here. So the door opens to the front of the chapel.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt, deep smooth voice): Please come in. Save yourself from the rain.

Zeph (Kevin): Father.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Hello, son.

Zeph (Kevin): It's been a minute.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): It's been too long, Zeph.

Zeph (Kevin): We have, I don't know what you saw of what was going on out here, but we have a bit of a situation on our hands.

Kurt: He kind of looks down.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Please come in. You are safe here.

Zeph (Kevin): I, he's, this is good.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): I do.

Geoff: Is the body fully covered at this point? Like face?

Jenn: Oh, I think we should bring it in with us.

Geoff and Kai: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Yes, please, please. The only stipulation I have is no weapons allowed inside. I do have a check room if you want a check.

Zeph (Kevin): These are the rules, but it's safe here.

Ciaran (Luke): If you'll excuse me, then I will go make contact with certain individuals.

Zeph (Kevin): Do you want to take the body or do you want us to safeguard it?

Ciaran (Luke): Please take care of it and excuse the ceremonial weapons. They should not be taken from the body.

Zeph (Kevin): He can't use them, father.

Basagar (John): Zeph's father. This, this is a weapon, but I'm using it as a walking stick right now. I'm not in the best of shape at the moment.

Thunder

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): You do look worse for wear.

Ke: Zeph reaches over and uses Sparing Touch to give Bessigar two hit points back. And that's once per long rest.

Kurt: Beautiful.

John: Sets the stick down.

Basagar (John): I'm feeling a little better. Thank you, Zeph and Zeph's father.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): If you are friends of Zeph, you are friends with me.

Rain fades, door closes. Temple music begins

Zeph (Kevin): We'll discuss it later. He's, he's not my father.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): They don't look related.

Basagar (John) : No, I was confused.

Zeph (Kevin): No, we're not. He's, the father is a priest.

Basagar (John): I see.

Zeph (Kevin): It's a honorific.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt) Please, don't put that term on me just yet.

Zeph (Kevin): Of course.

Luke: And as they're discussing this, Ciaran's already stepped into the closest shadow and disappeared without a trace from the rest of the party.

Zeph (Kevin): How does he do that?

Kurt chuckles

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I don't know.

Kevin: So, Zeph will hand his sword over.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): How are you doing? It's been a long time too.

Kevin: And hands it down.

Zeph (Kevin): He is one of the few people in the city who I would trust with that blade, if it makes you feel any better.

Geoff: Kua just very, very reluctantly, starting with his sword, takes it off and fairly willingly parts with the sword.

Kurt: Yeah. He, he takes it. And you notice that he is like opening up a, like a cabinet and kind of putting some weapon, like the swords in there, according to like some bins.

And like, he's like, he's like jotting down like a number, giving you a number.

Kevin: Oh, rain check.

Kurt: Yeah.

Jenn: So it's like weapon coat check.

Kurt: Yeah. It's weapon coat check. But the thing that you pick up is there are other weapons in here.

Geoff: It is an uncomfortably long pause before he separates with his bow. And even so, like letting go of it, it is-

Kurt: He's like pulling it from my hand.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): You have to let go, son.

Basagar (John): Kua, Zeph's father is fine.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff, stuttering): But, I, uh, I, uh-

Geoff: And he's like, he's like leaning in, like just following the weapon.

Laughter

Geoff: And he will eventually let go. And he'll also similar, but less reluctantly hand over the quiver as well.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): You must put your faith in yourself and not in these tools. This tool does nothing for you.

Pi N’kuwa: I have put myself into this tool for many years.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Again, that is your proficiency. Not this.

Kurt: He puts it down, writes a number, gives you a number, the same number.

Geoff: Yep.

Kurt (Locking sounds): Locks them in. Does anybody want to hide some weapons?

Jenn: No, Seraphina will hand him her whip and her cigarette holder. And I'm assuming father probably like raises an eyebrow. And she goes;

Seraphina (Jenn): trust me, just put it in there. Chuckles.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Okay. All right.

Kurt: Hands you a number.

Severian: Bark.

Laughter

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Oh, um. Hello. I haven't seen you before.

Kai: Severian just splits his jaws and licks his jowls a little bit. Just doesn't say anything else.

Basagar: That’s Severian.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): You know, your pet has got wounds. Should I take care of that?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): They seem to close up pretty easily. He's okay.

Kurt: He's a super pale, a deep violet skin. His eyes are almost a bright yellow.

Jenn: Is he Infurnace?

Kurt: Oh yeah, so he is definitely Infurnace.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): Well, there is no bloodshed here in my temple. If you do come in here, you come in with the understanding that everyone is on equal ground. You know this to be true.

Zeph (Kevin): Yes.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): I am putting my faith in you as friends of Zeph. And that does not come lightly.

Zeph (Kevin): Just so you all are aware, if you were to break this rule, we would basically be out of Gutterrun. And with it pretty much out of this entire city. Because Gutterrun is the only place for most of us to be able to stay.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Hmm.

Zeph (Kevin): So please give this the reverence it deserves. As everyone else in here will as well. I promise you that.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): You may find refuge in my temple. And is it anything that you seek from me? Or do you just find refuge?

Zeph (Kevin): It depends. Who all is here, Father?

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): There are members of The Guild that have come in.

Zeph (Kevin): Perfect. Then this is actually the perfect place for us to uhave a bit of a parlay.

Seraphina (Jenn): Is there some place, um, kind of quiet off to the side where we could, um, put the dead guy? Hi, Father. I'm Seraphina. It's really nice to meet you. It's a lovely temple you have here.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): I appreciate that.

Kurt: He takes your hand and pulls you in and kind of kisses your hand respectfully.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): I am Father Ulrich Vane. You all seem different than those around this city. You glow with light of two auras that I have not seen in quite some time.

Zeph (Kevin): It's been a long day.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): But yes, there are members of The Guild here. I do not think they are expecting you.

Zeph (Kevin): I'd say that would be a first. They seem to know everything else about us.

Father Ulrich Vane (Kurt): So shall I stay present?

Zeph (Kevin): If you don't mind, I would feel better.

Kurt: He pulls in, takes his robes and puts his hands in the robe thing. And just walks behind you in here and like chanting some type of like, I don't know, priestly chant, whatever they do.

Geoff: Some mantra.

Kurt: Yeah, there's a lot of mantra.

Temple music fades.

Kevin: All right. Head into, uh, head into the-

Geoff: And what are we doing with the body?

Kevin: Is there like a body checker?

Geoff: Is there somewhere we get-

Laughter

Jenn: Yeah, that's what I was like.

Kurt: Yeah. You know what there probably is.

Jenn: Is there like cold storage?

Kurt: There's just like some more doors. Father Ulrich gets some of his staff to come over and bring a gurney out. And more like a stretcher and put the body on and take them into the back room. Yeah, there's a- they perform funeral rites here. So it's probably a good, cool spot to put it.

Basagar (John): Maybe I should stay with the body while you all handle this business, right? There's nothing for me to offer to this Guild.

Zeph (Kevin): That's, that's up to you.

Basagar (John): I'd rather keep an eye on it.

Zeph (Kevin): Fair enough.

Basagar (John): Come Severian.

Severian (Kai): Bork

Laughter

Kai: That was my plan anyway.

Geoff: I think with you two staying I would feel comfortable leaving him in your care and I would stick with Seraphina and Zeph.

Kurt: As you guys walk into the temple the first thing you notice is the smell. Smells like old rock. Smells like what's incense from the sensors that are being kind of like moved around.

Deity worship has been a slow going thing or a thing of the past here in Virelia. You're not sure what this temple is even anymore, what he's mantra-ing about in the back. It could just- who knows what it's in some type of fiendish chanting. But, the reverence, the tangible feeling of the deity that this used to serve is still very present in this room. You don't know if that's just cause it's a hallow and holy place or if there's something current going on. But you can feel almost like an electrical buzz, if you will. The smell of the incense, the rocks, you can almost, you know, you smell the ozone in the air. But the Lumora is thick in this room. As you walk in;

Issava Khelt (Kurt, gruff voice): Well, I'll be damned. Try to find you all throughout the city and you come in right when we least expect it.

Kevin: And who is this?

Kurt: This is a member of The Guild. This is not Valen.

Kevin: Okay.

Kurt: This is a man you haven't had much interaction with. He is a half orc. He is the enforcer of- that Vellen uses… Valen, sorry Valen uses. This is a Issava Khelt. Kurt chuckles in Issava’s voice. He's broad shouldered, short tusks, one of them is kind of like broke. That looks like he's been in a fight or two, or 500. Black leather clock, or coat with brass studs. He walks up;

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Figures we’d meet here.

Zeph (Kevin): Seem to go as place as any.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Your name's being thrown around the circles down here in the Gutterrun.

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah. Had a couple of your mates over in the Blade's Edge earlier. So they weren't very discreet. You really should get some better help. I was curious, what the fuck are you all thinking?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Chuckles What are we-? Laughs

Kurt: He looks back at it like his other guys.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): This guy, what's he, what are we thinking? Uh, no, actually, who the fuck are your friends?

Zeph (Kevin): Well, this is Kua.

Seraphina (Jenn): Hi, I'm Seraphina. It's lovely to meet you.

Kurt: He does not reach out his hand.

Zeph (Kevin): Any other questions?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Which questions do I ask first? I don't know. It's, uh, you've caught me at an awkward spot here. Uh, so if we're, if we're going to have a conversation, let's have a conversation. Why is your name being thrown around? Why am I getting a hit on you?

Zeph (Kevin): You what?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Yeah. I got a hit on you.

Zeph (Kevin): From who?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I can't tell you.

Zeph (Kevin): Oh, come on. Oh, fine. Yeah.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I know how this game's played.

Zeph (Kevin): Rules are rules. Sure.

Seraphina (Jenn): So is this the head guy of the guild you were saying, you were talking about?

Zeph (Kevin): No, no, he's not the head. He's not smart enough, but he's pretty far up.

Issava chuckles

Seraphina (Jenn): So is it worthwhile even talking to him?

Zeph (Kevin): I mean, he probably knows a few things.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): He's like the neck. I mean, he's thick like one.

Zeph (Kevin): There you go. That's appropriate.

Seraphina (Jenn): He's kind of rude, though.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You know I can hear you guys, right?

Zeph (Kevin): Oh, shit.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff: Yeah, no.

Zeph (Kevin): That's right. You do have ears. Fuck.

Seraphina (Jenn): Are those those weird things on his head? Those are ears?

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah.

Seraphina (Jenn): Oh, interesting.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Listen, doll, you might be pretty, but come on. You're lucky you're meeting me here.

Seraphina (Jenn): Maybe you're lucky.

Jenn: And she gives a little wink at him.

Zeph (Jenn): But I don't know why somebody would have a head on me. All right. Is it just me?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): It's you and anybody that you're affiliated with. That would include you, Miss Seraphina. Anybody that you've been dilly-dallying with. Says you and your accomplices. Your friends.

Seraphina (Jenn): There has been no dilly-dallying.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Listen, I don't ask questions. I just take the marks.

Zeph (Kevin): No, if they've got a hit, then they've got a hit.

Seraphina (Jenn): No, I understand that. I may not be from Virelia, but I know how things work.

Zeph (Kevin): You know a thing or two. I know.

Geoff: Kua raises his hand.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I don't understand. You said we were talking, but you're not saying a lot.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I don't think I need to. Why don't you tell them what it means?

Zeph (Kevin): It means somebody wants us dead.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah. Somebody paid money, apparently, to ask these guys to kill us.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Because they couldn't do it themselves.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah. It's kind of cowardly.

Zeph (Kevin): But I mean, somebody had a lot of money.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Would it really take a lot of money?

Laughter

Seraphina (Jenn): I would assume it's a lot.

Zeph (Kevin): I mean-

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): You should feel honored.

Seraphina (Jenn): I mean, for you guys, maybe not. But for me, it should be a good amount of money. I hope you're charging enough, sir.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Do you want to know what the hit is?

Zeph (Kevin): Well, yeah.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You know what happens. We did this last time. You want to clear the hit, and you know what it takes.

Zeph (Kevin): How much?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Two chests.

Zeph (Kevin): Fuck.

Seraphina (Jenn): That's all? For just him or for the whole group?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): For just him. If you want to clear your friends' names that's going to take at least four.

Seraphina (Jenn): Jeez. I would think I would be four alone.

Pi N’kuwa: You’re fucking expensive.

Seraphina (Jenn): Goodness. You're undercharging. I just have to say.

Zeph (Kevin): Are you? You're not helping, Sera.

Seraphina (Jenn): They're trying to run a business, but they're not doing it very well.

Zeph (Kevin): You realize we're talking about a contract on our lives, and you're trying to talk them up?

Seraphina (Jenn): No, I'm just saying that it's a little insulting.

Geoff: While they're talking, kind of not trying to be secretive, but kind of talking under them a little bit. Kua kind of turn to them and say;

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): How do you feel about royalty?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Fuck them.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): How do you feel about being the one to have killed them?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): He's saying that they... You guys killed royalty.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): No, you.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I didn't do anything.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Are you sure?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Are you sure?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Can you prove that?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Absolutely, I can.

Seraphina (Jenn): What if there were eyewitnesses, though?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): What are you talking about?

Seraphina (Jenn): I just...

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I don't know. I'm just saying if there were to be a hit on you from some royalty that happened to find a body on your doorstep...

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Do you know the eyes and ears that I have in this city? That we have in this city? You're going to go against us?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I'm going to refer you to my previous answer.

Laughter

John: Holy shit. What an Uno card.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Zeph you might want to inform your friend here who he's talking to.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): No, I caught your name. I do know who you are. You don't need to introduce yourself again.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Next time you bring these fucking hooligans in my place, or in Father's place...

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah, watch yourself. You know better than that.

Seraphina (Jenn): So, why are you in here? Why aren't you outside in the...

Geoff: Father’s just behind us ruffling.

Seraphina (Jenn): I have a question, though. No, really. Why are you in here in the chapel? I thought the markets was outside.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Yeah, did you see those fucking things that came out here?

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah, so you ran and hid?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Well, yeah, because they summoned them.

Seraphina (Jenn): Did you?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): You don't want to be out there watching things do your dirty work.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Better watch your mouth, son.

Seraphina (Jenn): No, I don't think he had anything to do with that.

Zeph (Kevin): It would be horrible if that tail were to get into the wrong ears.

Seraphina (Jenn): I think he ran away.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): Are you sure they weren't his?

Kurt: Make a... give me... What would be, intimidation? Presence. Give me a presence for all, please.

Kevin: I would like to spend a… hope I'm not using the right fucking thing-

John: This is very awesome.

Kevin: For Zeph's ‘Fast Talker’ experience to add in.

Kurt: Yep.

Kevin: 19 with fear.

Kurt: Ooh, 19 with fear. I would say that is a success with fear for sure. I'll take that fear. I'm just going to bank the fears for now. But he looks at you.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): It would be bad, wouldn't it?

Zeph (Kevin): Mmhmm. And you have the eyes and ears to know those who I've been associating with includes one who does have the ear of a lot of those in the upper levels of the city.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): What are we talking about?

Zeph (Kevin): If I have to tell you? Seriously?

Seraphina (Jenn): Oh, see, he thought he knew stuff, but apparently he doesn't know stuff.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): This is why they're not getting paid very well.

Seraphina (Jenn): I have- apparently.

John: This is great.

Kurt: You can tell he’s trying to put it together.

Seraphina (Jenn): It's weird because like where I'm from, stuff like this is run much better.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): No, no. But seriously, who the fuck are you talking about? You're talking about the shadowy fuck?

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I guess you don't need to know.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Who the fuck is he?

Zeph (Kevin): Who the fuck is he? You don’t know?

Seraphina (Jenn): Wow.

Zeph (Kevin): You don't know who that is?

Seraphina (Jenn): Those ears really don't work very good.

Zeph (Kevin): Holy shit. You don't know what you're wrapped up in, do you, pal? Holy fuck.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): And then you summoned those things.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You better tell your boy to shut up.

Zeph (Kevin): I mean.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I think he's threatening me again. Is he threatening me again?

Zeph (Kevin): I think he is. Holy ground, Highlander.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): I don't think you're supposed to do that.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I'm not threatening. I'm just saying you better tell your boy to stop talking. Once we're out of this building you're not protected by father's little magic here.

Zeph (Kevin): I'm just saying. Just be sure you're not getting in over your head. Like we could work out a deal.

Pi N’kuwa (Geoff): You don’t have very deep to go before that happens.

Zeph (Kevin): We could make sure this little- this little- You know.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Chuckles. This guy.

Zeph (Kevin): We could make sure that this situation that happened outside is-

Seraphina (Jenn): That we cleaned up by the way.

Zeph (Kevin): Yeah. We can make sure that gets buried. Never sees the light of day. And I think that's better all around. And yes, we did defeat all three of those fucking things that y'all brought into being. I still don't know how you did that trick. But you know.

Seraphina (Jenn): Yeah. That was kind of interesting.

Zeph (Kevin): We'll figure it out.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I'm just as curious as you are on this. All joking and threats aside.

Zeph (Kevin): All right. Fine. But we did save the market from a hell of a lot more devastation. That should be worth something.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I will tell boss that.

Zeph (Kevin): All right. That was the main thing I wanted to- we wanted to let y'all know. And figure out what the fuck is going on.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Listen. We just take the hits as we get them.

Zeph (Kevin): I know, but, ugh.

Seraphina (Jenn): So, was this hit- Did this person- Are they from this- Are they here in the city? Like, is it somebody in the gutter that's wanting Zephy dead?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You know I can't tell you that.

Zeph (Kevin): Like, rhymes with? Come on. Give me something to work with.

Seraphina (Jenn): Are they local. Just that. Are they local?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Of course they're local. Everybody here is local.

Zeph (Kevin): Okay. I mean.

Seraphina (Jenn): I'm not local, sweetie.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You've been around. I've seen your shows.

Zeph (Kevin): They're not bad.

Seraphina (Jenn): Look, I have the voice of an angel. We all know it.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): So, what are we going to do now?

Zeph (Kevin): I'm thinking.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): I got a hit on ya.

Zeph (Kevin): I know you've got a hit on me.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You don't have the two chests to pay to clear it.

Zeph (Kevin): Not right now.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You want me to spot ya?

John: What the fuck?

Zeph (Kevin): Fuck. How much is it going to cost me?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): You know I don't work like that.

Pi N’kuwa Geoff): Now. I have a question. Is this still a thing that you do here? What's information worth to you?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): Information is not worth any type of coin to me. A favor per chest, you know this.

Seraphina (Jenn): I have a question. So in your guild, if somebody were to come and be like, ‘Hey, I have two chests of gold. I would like to pay to have a person taken care of’, right? But this person happened to be a Guild member. So how does the guild handle that?

Issava Khelt (Kurt): We don't kill within our own.

Seraphina (Jenn): Huh. So I have another question.

Issava Khelt (Kurt): She ever stopped talking?

Zeph (Kevin): Eh- She does sleep sometimes.

John: You've seen her- I'm not there.

Geoff: I think at this point, Kua kind of extract himself from the conversation a little bit. He's clearly not getting through to this guy. He's not the one that's going to pick up on what he's trying to mind game with. So he's going to, I assume there's rafters or something, he's just going to mid conversation leap up into the rafters. Just (knock).

Kurt: You can see that. You got a good bird's eye view of the temple here. There's about five or six other lower ranking Guild members here. But, Severian and Basagar. What are you doing back there? You just guarding the body or?

Tense music begins

Kai: I want to talk to Basagar in private.

Kurt: Okay.

John: Yeah. I think we're in the room with the body.

Kai: Yes.

John: I think there's, if there were attendants, we would just dismiss them and be like, you know, we we’ll take care of this. Yeah, close the door and I sit down and just, I'm exhausted.

Severian (Kai): So will you tell me what the fuck you saw?

Basagar (John): I, well, that's the problem. I didn't see anything. I, I heard screams. I heard…

John: And kind of recount what the audible visions were.

Basagar (John): And I thought of- I thought of your home.

John: I would imagine we've probably discussed.

Kai: Yeah. Definitely.

John: Yeah. So I think he looks and goes;

Basagar (John): I feel, I fear that this city is headed towards the state of your home. And I have a fear that my home is down the same path. Something is happening. There's a reason why he-

John: And I motion to the prince.

Basagar (John): -there's a reason why he was murdered.

Severian (Kai): They looked a lot like you.

Basagar (John): They're, they weren't. I, they, I-, I-

John: And he just kind of stops and is, I think you can kind of just tell just by looking at him that he probably fears that this is what he could become.

Severian (Kai): There's an issue with the blood.

Basagar (John): I understand. But, there's a chance to heal it.

Severian (Kai): Not while they're alive.

Basagar (John): Well, we can't, we're not- we need to get to the castle.

Severian (Kai): We'll get there.

Basagar (John): And figure out what's happening.

Severian (Kai): We'll get there.

Basagar (John): The answers we seek are there. I thought I could find it. Apparently, there's, there's a network here. There's a connection to this city. But even I can't figure out how to communicate it, communicate with it. Like I said, I fear the city's too far gone.

Severian (Kai): I fear the same. And I hope that when we get up to the castle and find more information, you won't be too shocked to act on what we find.

Basagar (John): Look, the First Blood gave me life. The First Blood gave you life.

Severian (Kai): It gave me this.

Basagar (John): But yes, something caused… and I think that your, how it affected you is what's affecting my home, is what is affecting this city. And it's unfortunate that your home was hit first. That's why I'm here. That's why I left. I want to help cure it. Cause if it wasn't for the First Blood, none of us would even be here.

Severian (Kai): But what's your plan?

Basagar (John): Every disease can be cured. And if it means… I don't know. I don't know what it means. I don't have all the answers.

Severian (Kai): The best solution I've found to cure a disease is to kill all who are infected.

Basagar (John): So then why don't you end your life?

Severian (Kai): Because I'm not the root. The root is them.

Kai: Any points of the body.

John: I kind of unfurl the flaps of the cloth that's covering the prince. I'm not communicating. There is no mycelial network to connect to this body. So I would like to just try to do some kind of like instinct role. And I will spend a hope. And use my Warden of the First Blood to just see if there's any kind of similarities.

Kurt: Go ahead and give me that instinct role.

John: That is a nine with fear.

Kurt: Zipping up sound for gaining a fear. Nine with fear.

Geoff: He was already moving that before John said anything.

Laughter

Kurt: As soon as you put your hand down, you focus. Trying to feel something.

Music begins to swell

Severian, you notice that Basagar goes quiet. Still. Almost imperceivably still.

Music stops, only a high pitched ringing can be heard.

Kurt: Gasps. The body sits up. Deep Breaths.

Wilhelm Virel (Kurt): They're after the First Blood. They're all going to die.

Kurt: Looks at you. And that's where we'll end episode number two.

John: What the actual fuck?

Geoff: What the fuck just happened? And no one else knows.

Pop rock music fades in

Kurt: Yep.

John: We know!

Geoff: No one else.

Jenn: And Severian's sitting there going, ’Yeah, see, I should have eaten him.’

Laughter

Geoff: No fucking way.

Kurt: Alright we'll end there. Thanks for listening to Tales by Daggerlight. Make sure to tune in next time, because the fate of our adventures are TBD. Bye y'all.

Other: Bye-bye. Bye.

Pop rock music ends.