Welcome back everyone to our Spring Fling OneShot part three now.
of what was meant to be a very short adventure, a side quest for uh new characters and different folks for our cast to play with and have some fun with.
And um
Let's go ahead and get started with some introductions.
So my name is Mick and uh my pronouns are they them.
I am going to be playing Violo Arlac, the underborn dwarf brawler.
And they are a lovable oaf that thinks that they're a spy.
But are actually really terrible at it.
Hi, my name is Eris.
Uh my pronouns are she they.
I'm going to be playing uh Sirkea Thornfound, an assassin from
Uh, the Shaded Grove.
Uh, I am Michael.
I go by revealing too much online, and I today am playing Bestet, a Qatari Wizard.
Um, I'm Jen and I'm playing Rowan Comp today.
She is a wild-born halfling guardian.
And I'm Rianth, and I will be your guest GM for today's session.
Hi, everybody.
Hello.
It's been a little bit.
Hello.
Welcome back to our
One shot that became a two shot and hopefully we'll get done today.
Um well I know about first one shot, but what about second one shot?
I don't think they know about third one shot.
All right.
Um
Usually I actually like to give my players a chance to summarize what they remember from the previous session before I actually give the the the official summary.
So does anyone want to try to uh
Uh remember what happened low these many months ago?
It is it is not me today.
I'm sorry.
flooded with everyone.
That's all I remember.
I think I went into a little bit of a f a flirt fugue.
I think I went had an out of body experience.
Yeah, flirt fugue.
I do remember you flirting with somebody and getting them into the back hallway and threatening them.
Yeah
Um I remember we were looking for masks because there's the Spring Equinox festival um happening and we were kind of going through the town trying to figure out
where the Jagged Knife rumors were coming from that the Jagged Knife was somehow having a presence here and we're gonna try to like take over Piraeus.
So we were trying to find information on that and uh we ended up at the Bear's Sun.
Is that the correct name for the for the tavern?
Um
And we ended up actually finding some of the Jagged Knife people.
They were arm wrestling in the corner.
And uh Vio, I remember, was underneath the table.
listening in on their conversation, tying shoes together, doing shenanigans, um, and ended up actually talking with the leader of
the jagged knife here in town, or presumably the leader.
Um and talking more about what their mission was.
And I I think they gave
them a token, uh a Jag and Knife token, uh of some sort.
And I I can't remember exactly what the next step was w where they were trying to get us to go, but that's the last I remember.
Okay.
That's that's pretty good.
Actually, that lines up with with with what I with it that lines up with my memory.
I just like to know what the players kind of thought was memorable about the sessions as part of that recap.
So
Thank you.
For for bearing.
Definitely the mushroom guy, for sure.
Cicaya and the fungrel, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
All right.
Um, so yeah, that's that's a good summary or like some of the high points.
Let me give a little bit of a of a deeper overview just to kind of
Help everyone get placed where they're at.
We're here at the village of Perez for the Equinox Festival.
You all met at the Temple of the Mother.
um some of you later than others, making uh Rowan kind of a de facto responsible leader of the group, where you were charged with
tr figuring out what was going on or more correctly stopping whatever was going to happen with a jagged knife.
You visited a few different places, uh taverns, shops.
trying to delve into the seedy underbelly of Piraeus, so to speak, and ended up running afoul of the lady of Piraeus, Jean, and uh being told to basically mind your own business.
It's all fine.
With the exception of Bastet, who um kind of I'm not sure if it was intentionally or not, um, weaseled a uh invitation
for the group to a an exclusive tavern club, which I think Bastet has the token for that.
Ended up literally stumbling into a fungal
Uh wasn't it Vio who literally stumbled into a fungal jagged knife character um who they ended up trailing after immediately after that encounter?
Off to the seedy underbelly town of or the tavern of the Bear Sun.
Where
Vio proceeded to one eavesdrop underneath the table and two beat a simia at arm wrestling.
To uh learn more all about, at least all about that.
The black main was willing to tell you about the situation here and
His claim was that they're actually here for noble purposes, to help out the villagers and to free them from the despot who has uh
kept them down.
And uh he left.
While that was happening, Serkea was grilling the mushroom, so to speak.
And uh I'm sorry she missed that one.
I know, right?
And um
Basically, uh, you guys are now having a chance to kind of talk at that tavern with those different pieces of information, figure out your path forward and what you want to do.
Keeping in mind it's about noon right now.
The festival starts proper at sundown.
So you've got, you know, six-ish plus hours to figure out what you're wanting to do, do it, and
um before the festival begins.
In well the real the real part of the festival.
The end of the festival?
Get started.
So we talked to the Black Main and I remember him giving me a token uh with the dragon knife symbol on it.
Um did we have any instructions from him on where we were to go next?
Or who we were to meet with?
No, actually he was pretty vague about that.
He was just like, hey, if you really want to join up, if you really want to do this, you know.
You can do it later.
We're not interested right now.
Here's a token to get you in.
We're we're busy.
Gotcha.
He was kind of pushing you off a little bit.
Um, but
He really did not give you any instructions.
Okay.
Um, where are the other party members?
Are they back at the table?
So Bastet, I think, had a table and Rowan was with them.
I think and I don't remember Rowan sitting with Best Tut, but
Man, it has been a long time.
I I I didn't have I didn't have Jen's audio to review what they were doing, so it was just my reaction to what they were doing, or Mick's reaction to what they were doing, so
Gotcha.
So I think they were at near the table, if not at the table.
I have the best set is not acknowledging Serkea.
Right.
Uh true.
I I was I was kind of acting like my intentions or Bastette's intentions, I guess, were to act like
she was there separately from everyone else just to keep an eye on things to see what happened.
Mm-hmm.
And especially since since you know this place doesn't get past that's class of people very often.
There was kind of a a
you know, a little zone around Bastet where people were like avoiding.
Um but but Rowan was nearby there.
Yeah was my understanding.
I think Rowan was nearby.
I don't know if she sat down
It has been some time, unfortunately.
Up to you, Rowan.
What do you want?
Yeah, time to rewrite the past.
Oh, and the uh the arm wrestling that the people challenged uh the O to arm wrestling since they were the reigning champion, but uh they bagged out and were
going to join up with whomever they could.
My assumption is unless Bastet like does something to like tell him not to, V V's just gonna Yeah, saunter on over.
They don't own any they they don't
Can't tell that you're trying to do something aloof.
They're just like, do do do.
They can't they can't tell that you're actually there to spy being a spy themselves.
Well while we've got everybody, if your hope is not full, I have a luckbringer at the start of each session.
Everyone in your party gains a hope.
Oh wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's what I was asking if there are any starting session things we need to to worry worry about.
I didn't ask it very well because I'm not awake.
Not awake.
So if there are any other other um
Start a session things that people need to know for their characters or need to do.
I don't think we have any paradise or anything like that, but
I do have the focus uh for my martial artist, but um I already rolled that last session and that says like per rest.
Um so I think that carries over.
Yeah.
So I have six tokens that I can use for that.
Okay.
Yep.
I that sounds seems right.
That's not the All right.
So the the let me let me go back for Eris of uh just a little bit.
Uh Vio is trying to get away from all the people wanting to uh give them challenge them at uh arm wrestling.
Um most of the people most of the people at the bar um are taking advantage of someone buying up uh buying a round of drinks because of the winnings they won when they actually bet on Vio.
Um, so it's a little raucous still, even though the the crowd's dying down.
Serke is coming out of the back and has talked with the with Tobuin, the tavern guy.
Talked, air quotes.
No no Tobin's the guy that they handed off the bloody uh bloody something to rag to.
Okay, okay.
And and he quietly incinerated it behind the counter.
Um so
She's at the bar and Bastad is at a corner table by themselves um with Rowan standing nearby.
So y'all can
Do what you would like to do from there.
Uh I think best that would be kinda she had ordered like a drink and she would be sipping it and
looking to everybody else because everybody else kind of had their own movements that they were doing.
So she's just kind of
I think she's learned a lot in her in her time in the in the noble courts that like one of the best things you can do is observe other people.
And so she'd be a she'd be watching the party, but
Is there anything just looking around that catches her eye that's that's interesting outside of what we've kind of
experienced already like is anybody looking shifty is you know seeing uh seeing Vio kinda do this with the jagged knife did anybody react I think she's just
Looking for anything that kind of catches her attention.
Oh, fair enough.
Uh you want to give me our first roll of the day?
I thought I assume you're doing an uh insight role for that.
Yeah, it'd be instinct, right?
Instinct.
Instinct, excuse me.
What did I say?
Insight.
I'm totally doing it.
You must be thinking of probably not some other game, that's for sure.
I I yeah, I've I I DM'd a different session last night and my head's probably still there.
Gotcha.
Uh they decapitated the DM?
Oh no.
Okay, I don't miss it.
That's not amazing.
This is how rumors get started.
That's an eleven with hope.
Eleven with hope.
Well take a hope if you're not full.
And um You actually do notice something in uh you do notice something out of that.
Um once uh Black Main left
There was a slight pause and at least two other folks left the tavern, uh, ignoring the free drinks that were going about at that point.
Um, but you didn't notice anything else other than that with that role.
Yeah.
Hmm.
All right.
I think Bestette would clock that, but because she is still
In the ruse of being unrelated to everything that's going on, I think she would probably just kind of take a mental note of that and keep sipping her drink while she looks around.
Can uh Vio catch the eye of any of the other party members?
Are they looking around?
And seeing it.
They could catch bastards for sure.
I'm gonna like go like this.
Like I'm gonna follow.
Sorry, I should say that out loud because this is a podcast.
I'm a professional.
Uh I nod my head in the direction that Black Main and the two people leaving the bar.
Um, and I'm just gonna indicate like I think I'm gonna follow them.
Um and I'll I'll try to do that to every party member if I can.
I don't is Serkea or Rowan, am I able to catch your eye?
Sir Kaya's definitely just she she's just come out the back, so she's she's she's looking around.
She she she she's observing with like a uh an amused smile on her face.
Okay.
Um if I start to follow, um, do I notice if any of the other Dragon Knife people
see me tailing.
Is so you're you're following whom?
Uh Black Mean and the two people that left with him.
Oh, you you just wanna you just wanna head out of the tavern right away?
I mean I misunderstood.
Yeah, I think so.
And I'm sorry, are you trying to be this is the one that Vio talked to that's trying to convince them that
Jack and Knife is here for a good cause and VO was like, cool, I'm in.
Yeah.
Basically.
Okay.
Just making sure.
Making sure I'm I'm remembering the story correctly.
Okay.
So, hmm, let me think about that.
I was I I was not ex Once again, I was not expecting you to just be like, let me follow up.
You could say that they left already previously and I wouldn't have time.
So I think if if you
Well, you you wouldn't have had time to follow immediately because again the crush of people around you and you're not exactly huge.
Um and if you started to go, um, that may have been what um
Bastet noticed because I think those two after would have kind of been like trying to s to
keep people from following right away.
Like just blocking the door a little bit.
And y you can try to get past them and and go
They're just trying to give um Blackmain a little time to get away or clear of of the things so far.
So you can certainly try to get to get past them before they go.
But they'll be just waiting outside the tavern.
See, that seems even more suspicious.
But they haven't gone full.
If somebody's trying to block me, then you can.
You certainly can attempt to follow.
I'd like to see what my party members
want to do because I feel like I've been kind of taking the lead on following people and stuff.
So I'm gonna I guess
saunter over to Cirkea and I don't know if Rowan is nearby.
We're just gonna say Rowan's hanging out at the table with Bustet.
Okay.
I'll go back to the table then, where the majority of the people are.
Hi Sokay's gonna grab two uh two drinks from the bartender and wander over.
Sorry.
No, it's okay.
Do do we know about the conversation between
V VO and the the cult member.
I don't think any of you were close enough to necessarily catch the the verbiage, but it was really clear that
They were having a conversation during and after the arm wrestle.
Arm wrestling.
Yeah.
So I don't know that any of you were close enough to catch it.
Um unless you have a what what's your does anyone have a uh really good instinct bonus?
I do.
You you already heard your conversation.
I heard myself.
I was gonna I was gonna say I was looking like oh VO could hear it.
Oh wait, never mind.
Wait a second
I mean Yeah, I've I have plus two.
Um for those of you that had a plus two, I'll say you caught little bits of it.
Um basically you you did hear that he was uh Jagged Knife.
Um and that he gave Vio some kind of a token.
You would have at least seen that because they weren't really trying to hide it.
They were just a little bit away and covered by bodies.
Bodies in between you.
I think when Vio sits down
Bastat's not gonna acknowledge.
She's gonna kinda take a a sip to a sip of her drink to hide talking to Vio and just kinda over the drink say
So what did you learn?
Oh I learned so much.
They said that they were actually here to do good things, not bad things.
Isn't that good news?
They're here to help the people.
They said that there was like a a despot that they're trying to free them from.
Is that Lady Jean?
I think uh Bastette
would have a really hard time believing that the local nobles were despots just due to, you know, material reasons that uh she she
Wouldn't believe that, so she would she would roll her eyes.
Of course they told you that.
It's ever everybody thinks
They're the good guy.
Even you?
Are you the good guy?
When it benefits me.
Okay.
Um Rowan So who do you think the despot is then?
If it's not Lady Jeanne.
Rowan would um
Uh pull out her notepad, flip it open to a new page, start taking notes about how what what else did they tell you?
Vio.
Vio, what else what else?
What other uh facts were you able to glean from your interrogation?
And they handed you something?
Yeah, this token, isn't it cool?
Yeah, it's got like these little like knives and what?
Just
Be careful, you know?
Kinda spy craft, right?
R Rowan kind of arm back down so that
It it's not reflecting off of all the lights in the tavern catching every eye.
What
What?
You're okay.
Keep going.
I'll I'll put it in my pocket.
I th I thought you wanted to see it.
You asked about it, but okay.
Um
His name was Black Mean.
Um, I think he's some sort of leader of the jagged knife
uh people in this town.
Yeah, he at least he seemed important.
And I beat him in an arm wrestling match.
Did you see that?
Yeah.
Very very impressive.
Yeah.
Arlo said that I'm not very strong, but I I disagree.
I I uh I believed in myself and I knew I would beat him.
Nobody else did though.
You saw that there was people betting against me and they they sure got shocked.
Um, what else did I learn
There's someone named Wickham Marsh.
Oh, while Vio's recounting this, um Cirquei's gonna be wandering over, acting as if she's still drunk.
Like cat kinda swaying a bit with a bit of a
Bit bit of pep in her step with with drinks in her hands.
Well if it isn't all my all my beautiful eye candies in one place
What have you learned?
I I plumped down the the drinks on the the table.
Did you see me beat him in uh arm wrestling?
Oh I'm sorry honey.
I was Is that for us?
A little preoccupied with uh
An a a uh an engagement.
I I'm very proud of you though.
I was a little preoccupied with uh prior engagement in the uh in the back.
You're engaged?
I'm so proud of you, honey.
How did you not tell us this?
Not like that.
Wait, not like that?
Well, you know.
You have your secrets, I have mine.
Oh, I don't have any secrets.
She winks.
Winks at Leo
And you want to tell me your secrets, I'll tell you all my secrets.
I don't think that's a great idea.
Okay.
But who knows?
Maybe I have to drink.
Okay.
Um, so who off the table, who is Wickham Marsh?
Because I had that name written down.
W Wickam Wickham Marsh is a how is how Black Man introduced himself.
The the fungal that
Sirkea mentioned only meant called him Black Main.
Mm-hmm.
And so I'm not sure I'm not sure he ever introduced himself as Black Main.
Okay.
Um, but yeah.
So you so Wickham Wickham would be how you talked about him because you you're on the first name basis.
We're friends.
So anyway, I don't know if they're actually the bad guys or if we're the bad guys or if the town is the bad guys.
I'm a little confused here, to be quite honest.
I don't know.
How do you guys tell who's the good guys and who's the bad guys?
Because if everybody thinks they're the good guys
Then who are we fighting?
That's a great question, Vio.
You smart little handsome devil you I've never been accused of that before.
Well, uh
Often it's whoever has the being smart, handsome, or a devil.
All three.
Well Yeah.
Devil can be handsome.
They tend to be.
So are you guys I found um money tends to tends to dictate allegiances.
It's very good for that, you know.
So do you think the dragon knife are here for money
I wouldn't I wouldn't be surprised.
Is Piraeus a very affluent town?
It seemed like there was maybe just the one big manor house and then everybody else is just kinda
Normal?
I believe the princess over there could answer that for us.
I'm fairly need to tell myself, but the the patrons I've had the pleasure of
meeting, um they've been well off.
They've been well off.
And she she If the Jagged Knife No sir.
No, no, sorry.
No, go, go.
Nope.
No.
Alright.
Uh uh if if the Jag and Knife are here, there must be something that they want.
They in my experience are not known for acts of charity.
So you think they lied to me?
I cannot tell you that for sure, but Maybe it wasn't the all of the truth
Would I have picked up on if they were lying about what their intentions were?
So I believe I believe there were a couple attempts for you to be like, uh, do I believe this guy or not a few times during the last session?
And at least to the best of your know of what you could tell, um, you believed he was sincere.
Whether or not he was honest, you know, it's harder to tell.
Well, where do we go from here?
We are burning through our time, and I'm afraid it doesn't seem like we're getting much closer to any answers.
It would help if we had a map, right?
She she reaches down her like her down her shirt and produces a slip of paper.
Just so happens my uh Is it is it big enough to be a map?
Could be.
Yeah, yeah it is.
Okay.
Um she she produces it and she slides it across the table like
That fungal was f was delightful.
Hmm.
Did you get this from him?
What do we see?
He was very kind.
It was um
It was a gish.
Oh, that's so nice.
I know, right?
He was such a sweetie.
Is there any special locations marked on the map?
What yeah, I was gonna say Rowan Rowan's like climbing up on the seat, sitting up on on her knees to to lean over the table to peer at the map.
What are we looking at here?
This is the
Map of a local camp of one jagged knife.
She she circles her finger across the table.
Across like in a circle across the table.
We should go there.
I have this thing that that we can show them.
And then we can get in.
And I hold up the token.
You know what, Vio?
That is a such a small idea.
Thanks.
Are we going now?
I think best that would answer by taking out a handful of gold, setting it down on the table.
Not coin.
And then walking out.
Call back?
That means we're going.
Alright.
After you.
A as you guys are leaving, you know, uh one of the serving mates comes by to pick up the gold, which
Um I assume includes some some sort of uh gratuity enough to cover the the drinks.
Uh are you a good tipper or or not?
Um I think she tips like she has money she doesn't actually have, so
It it is all very much very much a show, the act of putting so much money down.
Uh yeah, so the the the barmaid like comes over to pick up the empty mugs or
half empty, depending on how you left them, of glasses, whatever.
And like gasps as as they see the little pile there.
They were expecting a few coins and there's a little pile.
And Tobin
Of course, sees this and calls out to Bastet, oh yell, you'll come back, you know, anytime, anytime.
Always, always welcome.
Always, anytime.
Noah will Tobin.
You take care of sweetie.
Like he'd forgotten about Serkeya for a moment and then like, oh, oh yeah, yeah, you t you two.
All right.
All right.
Yeah.
Bring your friends anyway, any any time.
Best that would just turn and give like a little nod.
A very subtle thing.
And then step out.
Um Rowan, I assume you're going with and VO.
Yes, yeah, definitely.
We're all don't want to uh let anybody out of my sight at this point.
So the map is not like it's not a a map of the area draw driven by a cartographer, right?
It's the fungal in panic, scratching out locations like you're here, this is here.
So it's got
It's a pretty bare bones map, but it's better than what you had before.
Are you planning on heading off into the forest to go follow it, so to speak?
How how far do we think this is?
Like how much time is
How much of the paper is the line to the the next location, I guess, is the is the way they determine that.
I I guess the uh the the camp's kind of in the middle, right?
And and he drew he drew on the edge, not on the edge, but towards the towards the bottom.
The tavern um and kind of this da jaggedy, you know, zigzaggy line to where the uh um the camp would be.
Is this like a family circus type situation?
Do we have to like
A little bit like that, where it's it's not it's not going around crazy, but it's not a straight line.
There's not a straight path, right?
He's like you'll have to go around and zigzag through this through this space.
Do you think you can get there and back in time for the opening of the ceremony?
Probably.
Like it it's not if you're judging the landmarks that he has put in, he's got the tavern, the towns, you know, the town square.
It's a walk, but you know, it's not a backpacking day's hike.
And just to be clear, when we step outside, we don't see Blackmain or any of the people that were with him.
Good question.
Are you looking for them?
I think Vio would be
Give me a give me uh an instinct.
Oh ten and a two.
So twelve plus three.
Fifteen with hope.
Dang it.
I mean yay.
I'm article.
Um I'm a very hopeful being.
Oh, okay.
Um clearly.
And yeah, you don't see anybody hanging out.
Like there's lots of people milling around.
There's lots of people milling around because, you know, it's it's a party going on around here.
But the two people that in particular that were all that followed, they're not in sight.
And Wickham is nowhere to be seen.
Hmm.
Did we start heading there?
What you humming about, sweetie?
Can't I was debating using something, but I don't think it's worth it.
Alright.
Yeah, I think I mean unless somebody object best that would just start following the map.
Slightly moistened map.
Yeah.
Head to the town square and then head from there wherever the next point is.
Um, I would think that Vio is gonna be keeping an eye out for any other symbols of the jagged knife, whether it's like in on people's capes or if she sees any other tokens um that look like uh theirs.
Um just to see if there's any other presence here in the city.
Just like a passive, like as we're yeah, as we're walking along, if just they notice anything, they'll be
Specifically looking out for that.
The one thing you do notice, um, previously you had noticed that there were a number of guards around.
Like just city guards running around in the the enjamb colors.
There would haven't been as many in this area, which isn't a big surprise.
This is the C dear side of town, but as you kind of go back towards the
town hall and make your way through there.
Do you notice there aren't as many that that as there were earlier even in the day?
Guys, have you noticed that there's less?
armed guards around here?
Is that normal for this side of town?
Best I would look at Zirkeya, since Best Dad just got into town, so doesn't have an answer for that question.
Well I
W would Sokay know this?
Um Yeah, that I mean there's there's there's always presence around, but never this quiet
Especially not in the time of uh such a prestigious occasion.
Are they perhaps elsewhere preparing
for the events.
I don't know why they would the w the one thing I will say is is that you they did mention uh Jean mentioned that she did hire extra people and there were a lot more around.
Um
Now what they would be prepping prepping or planning for, you know, here hours before the big big party, maybe they're getting a briefing, maybe
Uh, you know, they found something.
They all got engaged on some activity while you were here, but there's really not a way for you to tell, probably.
Hmm.
Very curious.
Maybe we should keep an eye out and see if we see where all the guards went.
Maybe where the guards are is where we need to be.
Well if just a thought.
If all the guards are there, then what would they need us for?
Maybe the guards are doing something bad.
If what the dragon knife said is true, then maybe the guards are in on it.
And
I don't know what to believe anymore really, but I just think that where a lot of people are gathered, something is usually happening.
This is this is true.
Yeah.
But I digress.
I guess we should go to this camp and see what happens there.
Maybe all the guards are at the Jagged Knife camp.
I think Bastette would still just jis
Yeah, best out would just be heading that way unless there's a reason to stop.
Um down the pattern.
Just go like, Hi sweetie.
Um I t someone took one of my uh one one of my wedding rings.
Um
Do you know if there's a guard around?
Well, where they've where they've gone, 'cause I can't seem to find anyone.
She's playing up playing it up.
The uh
person you happen to grab uh looks at you like, oh, hi.
Oh, mm.
It kind of preens a little bit, like not used to this attention, but very pleased.
Ne never run around when you need one, is there, darn constables.
Um looks around.
Yeah.
And you grab the local because you know what you're looking for, right?
And uh goes well the the they're they probably are at the barracks if you can't find them anywhere.
They have a they have a barracks and you know he points.
Towards uh not not towards the forest, unfortunately, but more towards the river um to the northwest-ish from where you're at now.
So uh yeah, if you if you you need to make a report, uh, you know, we we could go there and
You know, he's offering to to go with you now.
I wouldn't I wouldn't want to take take you away from your busy v your business.
Would you mind um
Oh.
I I don't I don't mind.
Um would you
It's just out of the goodness of his heart he's offering to escort you.
Um Do you know why they would all be, you know, just away from their po their posts
He looks around like, I haven't heard anything.
It's been been pretty quiet.
Too quiet.
Somebody had to, and I I figure Bastad's got the voice for that, so he kind of glances at Bastad as they're walking by, like, whoa, hmm.
I've never had so much attention in my life.
He's you know, it's like all excited and happy.
Thank you.
Thank you, honey.
Um I'll
Me and my companions will head there uh shortly.
I've uh unfortunately the the ring I lost was um
It was one I was preparing to give to uh give to someone.
Anyway, thank you for your help.
And she she's just gonna turn and start walking off with a bastard.
Just gra grab her grab her arm like in the in the crook
Turns back to wink at the the poor random villager actually takes a step and then stops kind of oh like you know there were dreams coming true in his mind right there that that are gone now
So as you guys go, you know, the the the village kind of I would say fades away, but there's actually kind of a large dividing line.
Like this is the enjamb
uh n family forest so to speak that she was warning you out of, you know, that was gonna be very dangerous and you don't want to go in there
Um, who knows what you'll find.
And because of this, it's got a really very clear demarcation.
One minute you're in the village, there's brush, there's little paths, and the next, it's
forest and people don't tend to go through here.
So it takes you a little bit of time to go ahead and find a a workable path, right?
Despite the fung rolls.
scratchings.
But once you're there, um it looks like a kind of a game trail.
Like this is a haven for deer and uh rabbits and those kinds of things that
They can the the villagers don't get to poach them, so they get to kind of roam around.
And they're the ones that have created these trails that you're seeing here.
You're welcome to go ahead and follow them.
That would be Bastette's plan, unless anybody else has something.
I'm following Bastet.
Who's who's leading through the forest here on this on this one?
Sounds like Bastad.
Sounds it sounds to me like Bastad as well.
Which is wild for noble noblewoman.
I I but I think she's kind of standing up a little bit straighter as she's just kind of like gotten these people to just go along with her.
Like it it feel it feels a little bit like power, you know.
So oh very nice.
So what I'd like for you to do is um let's do a team a team roll to see how well you are navigating the forest
with Bastet and the lead.
So bat Bastet will take the take the the lead role on that.
And then um how well we do depends upon the roles added by your various compatriots here.
Okay.
Um
The forest is pretty kind of dark and gloomy and and like shaded from the sun even though it's midday.
And normally I would make this harder on you, but because you have the map.
Um that actually helps that uh the d difficulty of this of this thing.
So how does how does team roll work?
What kind of role?
So you get uh Bast I guess to roll um with hope and fear, and then your role either adds or subtracts.
from their roll depending upon your number.
I got 13 with fear, but it's a one on my hope die, so I get to re-roll it.
Oh no.
Which trait are we using?
Wow, that's a split.
What kind of role is this?
This is the it's the um group role.
Oh I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Uh you're you're navigating, so it's instinct.
Sorry.
That is a 12 for me.
I'm rolling both hope and uh I'm rolling two dice first, yeah.
Well?
Yes.
Uh that's 21.
I think uh nobody takes hope and fear from the additional ones, but it's just it's like it's like a reaction.
Correct.
Yeah, correct.
The only one they the only one I don't get any hope and fear from your your roles other than Michael and and Michael's making a face, so I never know what that means because
He he plays it up.
I'm just looking through a character sheet.
I'm up to 21.
I'm also on 21.
Alright.
Holy cats.
Okay.
This internal compass.
It's a halfling ancestry feature.
Let's you re-roll a one on the hope die.
That's pretty excellent.
Hmm.
Yeah.
That is that is pretty awesome.
You guys ready for my amazing role?
Let's hear your amazing role.
No way.
We totally got this.
Nine with fear.
I do have the support tank ability.
When an ally within close range fails a roll, you can spend two hope to allow them to re-roll either their hope or fear die.
Are both of them pretty low or would it be helpful?
There's a two on the hope die.
I can spend two hope.
I I will say you're welcome to do that.
Um, but we haven't heard what the all the other roles yet are yet.
And you haven't heard whether or not they fail.
Oh, that's interesting.
Just completely re-roll.
I begin to know how how Michael felt about some of our previous abilities.
He's like, nope, hang with you, GM.
Alright, I I will leave it up to uh I think as we get deeper into the forest, like the confidence that Bastette has starts to kind of like
You can tell she'll like start going one way and then go go back the other way.
So you start to notice that maybe she's not leading you on the best path.
Um and so if you guys want to spend those, I can reroll.
I am gonna spend mine and I'm going to flavor it as since I have low light living.
Do we hear VO's roll?
Twelve.
Okay.
So not too bad, but um since I have I I imagine even if all three of you pass, then it pulls us up to a twelve.
Cause there there's no way there's no way that I that a nine was successful.
So um since I have low light living, I can see really well in darkness and I imagine with all the like overhead
greenery blocking the sun, it's a little bit difficult for Bastette to navigate.
But I'll like at the last minute, like turn your body so you don't run into a tree or, you know, like
I'm helping to navigate you through the darkness while you find your way um through the forest.
So I'm just keeping you from like stepping on twigs and
Any stray rakes, you know.
However I can help.
Okay, so I'm re-rolling my hope die for that.
Yes.
Turn steps on another rake.
Come on.
Well the good news is this hope die almost can't be worse.
There's only really one opportunity.
So may the odds be ever in your favorite.
Oh my god.
Woo!
That went from a two to a ten.
So I am now sitting at a 15 with hope because of that re-roll.
Nice.
Uh what what's it what's it looking like?
Is this is this a success?
I I will re-roll the other one.
Don't think I won't.
Uh y so with the re- with with the Oh I'm so sorry.
That's a seventeen.
I forgot to add my handstick.
Seventeen with hope.
17 and and uh Eris, what was yours?
Yeah, we both got 21.
You both got 21.
Okay, so um yeah.
With Vio's help and a little nudging every now and then, you guys have been making progress.
You feel like you're actually like you've you've kind of come there's a little spot marked on um
the fungals map who I don't think we ever named.
I need to I should have done that.
Um anonymous fungal number one marked a little spot where there's like a a a a a tree like
this where it's like a two pr two trunked tree and you actually see that.
So like you've made it like a good, you know, halfway through the through the forest, you think?
I picture as we're moving, like best that's kind of like
looking at the map now and then and at at one point like Vio like reaches over and like flips the map upside down and Bastet's like oh oh
Although I guess Basset doesn't technically have the map, so Bastat would just be kind of glancing at it from Cirkeya.
And Serkea's just kinda wonder just occasionally just
Go to the side to pick some flowers.
Excellent.
You have you have some some some pretty flowers.
Um I don't I don't I don't know what kind of flowers you'd be finding, but you know, flowers that grow in the forest, they're shady flowers.
Wild flowers.
Um wild wild flowers, yeah.
Yeah, it covers it.
Okay.
Um can I get another uh another instinct rolled for the next as you're guiding them further along?
Is it still I was gonna say is it still best at or is uh I feel like I've rolled a lot if it if somebody else wants to
I if i i if best that's like never mind that was horrible I won't I don't want to be in the lead anymore.
Otherwise otherwise they're they're in charge unless they say otherwise.
The low light vision maybe could
Yeah.
Be in front if not taking the lead.
Yeah.
I think as we get deeper in the forest, I start to feel more confident because I can see better.
Um, because my eyes are actually well adapted to the low light, so I actually see better in in low light.
So I will I think take the lead
Um well that's not great.
Are we all are we all still adding to or adding or subtracting?
Nine would go plus three, so twelve.
Total.
I've rolled a one on my hope again, so I'm re-rolling.
Wow.
Um This would be a little more fun if you didn't have that re-roll ability.
I'm just gonna point that.
This is a real bummer of a time for this to happen, but it should have been you.
I think mine is too.
Nice.
Mine is not.
Oh my gosh.
Two crits.
Two crits in a two crits in a group actionable is an instant win.
Right.
You just Well see, and this is this is one like
I I feel like there isn't a rule for that, but I'm like I feel like there should be, right?
I'm like, yeah, I agree.
Like a plus two instead of a plus one.
Yeah.
I think at minimum it should be a plus two, right?
Yeah.
Or it could be equal to the number that you crit on.
So for me, a plus nine, you know, that'd be cool.
Okay, that's a little broken.
I mean I but I think an automatic success on a double crit for this thing, I think that seems pretty reasonable to me.
That's fair.
Um if it was a single if it was a single crit, I would be like
Yeah, that needs to get a bonus.
You know, if you're close like in my head, if you're close to the threshold, a crit would just bump it over no matter what the what the number was.
Um but two crits, I'm like, yeah, you guys are making it.
It's easy breezy.
Is that that counts?
Okay.
Yep.
Still a crit.
Still a crit.
Yep.
And I did check mines and some sixes.
I did look very closely at them.
Right?
You you're walking through the forest, you're following the path, and you come upon a large clearing
Um there's fallen logs that are kind of crisscrossing the clearing, leaving a low large open space.
Like for the first time in a while, you've got really clear picture of the sky overhead.
Um there's large rocks up around the ground.
Um and those of you, I think everyone, maybe not cirkea, everyone but cirkea, but um, because their instinct is not a plus one.
Um, you easily see the remains of a large campfire completely extinguished and covered with sand, um, but the stone circles of the pit are still there.
Um, and there's some flattened areas in the plants indicating the placement of tents or bedrolls.
Just from the number number of bed rolls
Without investigating any further, you can there's at least have been like 10 plus people here at some point.
To be clear, this is not the spot marked on the map.
You're you're not you're not that far in yet, at least according to the where the tree is and the other the other piece.
Stepping out of the uh the darkness into the sun, I think.
Best I would take a moment and stretch in the in a sunbeam.
So just kinda really enjoy the moment.
One of our experiences is a warm spot in the sun.
So I'm not using that for anything.
It was just I love it.
Just just categorizing the category.
Clap, clap.
Um so yeah, you've you've entered this abandoned campsite.
What would you like to do?
But we have no idea if it's Jagged Knife or if it's somebody else, right?
Um
Can we look around for anything that's left behind, see if we can find anything anywhere that might have told us who was here or why they left or anything like that?
Or if they left in a hurry.
Sure.
Sure.
Yeah.
Uh who who wants to do some investigating?
Yeah, why not?
Do some instinct roll.
I've rolled a lot.
I'll roll with a question to say I've rolled a lot, so I'm happy to pass that off.
Okay.
It's okay just when she enters the grove she's just like, oh son, oh how I've missed you.
She just kind of spins a bit.
Little spin
Um oh oh no.
Vio looks at you oddly.
Come on, Vio, it's fun.
Not good.
Um it's a ten with hope.
I do.
A ten with hope.
Okay, Tim.
Well take your hope if you if you got room.
Oh you don't?
Oh wait, no, I'm looking at the wrong car.
I'm looking at the w actually you do.
Uh yeah, there were the you you see there are spots for for for bed rolls.
You there definitely was a camp here.
Uh the fire is completely
uh cold.
Like this the place where the fire was covered.
It's been long enough that it's completely cold.
But that's all you can see with your woodman skills.
Many different types of wood.
Hey oh.
Wrong kind of wood.
Sorry.
Well I think Vio is gonna stay out of the grove, by the way, because I think they had just gotten used to being in darkness.
and they were they do not want to have the sun in their eyes.
Ah View does not want to be able to do that.
It will look from the edge.
But they're not gonna they don't wanna feel the sun on them because they already feel a little sunburned.
I yeah.
So uh do you wanna do you wanna do a roll?
You also you also do have an experience that you could add to that.
I spy with my little eye.
We will add that
Um, let's see, that's a five and a six with hope.
So that's eleven plus three is fourteen plus two for the I spy with my little eye, so that's sixteen.
With hope.
Oh, so I guess I can take the hope back.
16 with hope.
You notice two things.
Because you're on the outside, you're not you're you it's really bright in there.
You you actually count you can count all of the little spots bed rolls would have been.
And maybe larger ones where maybe a tent would have held a few different people.
Um, and you're like, it there's at least 15 people here, not just 10.
Uh, this was a really pretty sizable
bit of camp.
Um and you notice that on the opposite side of the clearing from you, um, instead of a there's a trail that kind of goes off basically straight through the camp.
But off from the other side, um, you see some trampled brush.
Like something was dragged or carried through that space.
Is there any like blood or anything like that?
I'll probably make my way around the clearing.
So I'm not gonna go through it, but I'm gonna go like around it in the trees.
So I don't have to be in the sun.
So I'm gonna go over to where the trail is and look for blood or anything that like might indicate a struggle, that kind of thing.
Do I see anything like that?
Could could we tell by the outline of where bedrolls and things were?
Is this like uh am I trying to say like professionals or or like
Yeah, uh a traveling family that just threw their things down around a campfire.
There was a very neat and orderly way to it.
So like there's there's not haphazard, like there's
Kind of not in rows, but in in groups.
Okay.
Um around the fire.
So yeah, it looks a little bit more organized than not.
Vio, you actually do see um some indications that maybe there was
Some shenanigans going on here.
Uh there you do see a little bit of uh like there's a a leaf with a little bit of dried blood on it.
Um and a little s like trail on the on some of the rocks.
And it's it it's clear someone tried to cover this over.
Like they were they were not uh
They were not and cover their tracks.
They were trying to be cautious.
Um, but there's just little little tiny yeah, they're trying to cover their tracks.
But there were little things that you can see from it.
I think motion over to my friends, my new friends, and uh say
Did you guys see that there's a little bit of blood here?
And it looks like maybe there is a struggle.
Um I know that we we have to go to the camp.
Is this trail
Going towards the camp or who has the map?
And I will kind of indicate that there's a trail here and kind of see where that fits on the map.
So I don't know if Serkea can bring the map over to me and the GM can tell us where if that fits, if we're able to
To see the case.
And Soka skips over with the map.
So the uh the map actually jags
It looks like following that trail um that goes out the other side of the clearing.
Uh so there's nothing there's nothing on the map this way.
Do I get any sense because I had a friend, Arlo, who used to train with me down below.
um, for the skyward path.
And I know that he came up with a few people spying, um, to kind of spy on Pereus and I knew he was around here somewhere.
Do I get any sense that this camp might have belonged to him?
In his group.
Um the the the bedrolls and things that you see are full-sized big people ones.
So
I was supposed to be watching Arlo.
I mean, not supposed to be.
I I intended to watch Arlo, and that's why I left.
Um, so I really hope nothing bad has come to him.
Right.
Well, I think maybe if it's alright with you guys, I know you like the sun.
But I think we need to start uh going towards the camp again and I really think this trail might lead to something and I think we should leave our eyes peeled.
I hate that expression, it sounds so gross, but I think we need to keep our eyes peeled
to to see if there's anybody in the woods because there's blood here and that means that some of these people might not be very nice.
That was a clumsy.
Are you guys with me?
Do we
Follow the blood or do we head to the camp?
Oh I thought he said that it headed in the direction.
My bad.
No, the the the map goes off to the right, the trail of blood goes to the left.
They're not going the same direction.
Sorry.
I w I wasn't clear on that either, so thank you, Bastet, for
Well if you were clear on it.
No no I wasn't
I wasn't clear on what Via was saying.
I I wasn't clear on what Via was saying.
I was trying to say they were two different directions, like that is tough then.
I
Say follow the blood.
This this is more immediate, right?
Like it's it's still fairly fresh.
Well, it's dried.
So I don't know how long it's been, but the grass is bent down where somebody was dragged.
And generally grass will, I guess, come back up.
after a few days, so it's at least probably within the last few days.
Is that correct, GM?
That sounds that sounds right.
Yeah, this was not immediate, right?
But it's been re s recent enough
That yeah, there's still signs.
But yeah, if somebody's in trouble, I I think we owe it to them to to try to help.
But I also know we're on a mission and I don't want to get in the way of that.
So but if you think Rowan, if you think that we should go this way, I trust you because
Uh, you've got a good head on your shoulders, I think.
I usually find that when looking for something, if one path leads
Despilled blood usually in the direction you need to travel.
I'm down.
I can help navigate us this way.
I I'm I'm pretty good at tracking.
Um, I mean I guess I was pretty good at tracking until I lost Arlo, but I've learned since then.
Shall we go this way?
And I start um following the trath the path of the the blood and the trampled
Dragged marks.
I'd follow.
All right.
Yeah, sure.
Let's go ahead and um let's go ahead and see if you can follow this trail.
We'll have we'll have Vio lead the role this time.
Are we all joining as well?
That's not good.
If you wish.
I just rolled a one on my hope die.
Um can I I have something for that.
Yeah.
Um what's the uh
what's it called?
Support tank.
An ally within close range.
I could spend two hope and allow them to re-roll the hope or fear die.
Yay!
Thank you.
Oh, that's cocked.
It sucks because the cocked one, it was so close to landing on six, which would have been a crit, but it was cocked.
So
Uh that's a six and a five, so that's eleven plus three.
Um so fourteen.
I wonder if I could use
Don't worry I've trained for this or I spy with my little eye.
Probably I spy with my little eye.
Do you think that's fair
I mean y it I think either way because you're like I'm I'm tracking I've been trained for tracking or you're trying to see what you're trying to see.
I think you could just my little eye because I'm trying to find traces of blood and traces of track marks
So I will spend a hope to use that.
Um, so that's 16 total um with fear, unfortunately.
Ooh, thank you.
I got an 11 with hope.
No fancy re-rolls this time.
Okay.
17 with fear.
Fair enough.
18 with fear.
Okay.
Yeah.
Wow.
Good thing.
Good thing we're wish I was getting all that.
Yeah.
Uh so what was your role again, Vio?
16.
With fear.
Sixteen, so with fear, but within a little bit of a bump, a little bit of a bump from your friends.
Um yeah, you guys walk through the forest, you're stepping over rot
And logs and you know, following these very thin signs of a trail.
Occasionally it disappears altogether.
Um, and Vio has to kind of search around trying to find something.
Um and it's not terribly far, but you you you you're walking away s you know for like 15 plus minutes down the down the pathways.
I or actually following the pat the trail, not a path, sorry.
Um and Vio, you're so focused on the signs of the trail that you almost miss that there's a crack in the forest floor ahead.
Um and uh whoever's behind you like literally has to reach out to keep you from stepping into this ravine.
Of course.
Um
There.
There's a a large stump kind of across the ravine.
Like it literally was like underneath this giant tree that no longer is there.
And it's, you know, only maybe two, two and a half meters across, and it cuts about 30 meters through the forest, like a sinkhole kind of almost, um, underneath this
This thing there.
Um the ravine is deep enough that you can't actually see the sh the bottom.
It's sh shaded
And you're back in the forest, so it's really dark down there.
You don't see any movement if you look in there.
Um, but a faint unpleasant odor rises from the darkness.
Does it smell like death?
Do you know what death smells like?
Can I use press press press the dig can I use my press-digitation to illuminate as far down into the ravine as I can?
Ooh, well I I that would be lovely.
I think I think Basta would kind of create a little light in her hand and then it just would kind of float down.
You can totally do that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So the light as it floats down kind of a takes a little bit.
And then um as it reaches
What is the what is the range of that light?
Let's say, you know, 15 feet-ish.
As it starts to sink down below the edge of the cavern, you can see down at the bottom.
Um there are bodies in this in this ravine.
There's uh a number of bodies in this ravine.
Um are you counting?
There's fourteen.
And they're completely naked.
They're stripped of anything identifying.
There's no um weapon, jewelries, anything there.
Um and they're mostly humans.
There's a few other ancestries like different
things, but they're all, like I said, large sized people, not um uh all the smaller very dead kind.
Uh there is no movement.
They are dead and yes, that unpleasant odor is bodies starting to smell.
I think when Bastette notices that they're all they've all been stripped, she would kind of quickly put the light out.
show a little respect for these uh these corpses and kind of turn to everyone
Well this just got a lot more complicated.
Did I miss something?
Because I only counted 14 bodies there, but there was 15 bedrolls at the camp.
And
Does that mean that somebody that was with them betrayed them all?
Or does that mean someone got away?
I hope that's the case.
Can I look around to see if there's any indication somebody escaped?
Or l otherwise left this?
Oh, you mean left the ravine?
Yeah.
Oh, okay.
Um sure.
Yeah, you can look around.
Is that also instinct?
Yeah.
Hope die you are letting me down today.
That is 18 with fear.
Okay.
Did you just sing the Rickroll number?
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
I did because the Rickroll number just went up.
Now there's a maximum I can have, right?
Uh 12, I believe, is the max here.
Oh dar.
I'm not there yet, unfortunately.
Yeah, I'll never I was just saying I'll never I'll never make it to the actual Rickroll number because if anybody's uh wondering what we're talking about, I believe our GM is using a a Rick roll-based
D20 to keep track of here.
Oh.
That is correct.
Yeah, I was wondering.
It's a very special D20.
So yeah, I had no idea.
We're up to nine now.
Oh, you're running that?
Oh, okay, yeah.
We went over that last time but yeah, I I I but uh Yeah, I found that at JumpCon last year and I was like re Anthony's list.
Alrighty.
So um I'm sorry, going back to what you said for your number.
Not the fear.
18.
Um, yeah, there's no sign, like there's there's there's
signs that things were dumped in here, but there's not a like without a rope or something down there, there there would be it'd be really hard to climb up.
The sides look not terribly stable and uh
There's no sign of anyone having left from that.
Were they like mangled in any way or like stabbed or
Did it appear that they were poisoned?
Like, did we get a sign of the manner of death?
They were they were, um it looks like
There were puncture wounds in in most of them that at least like you could see they're all stacked.
They're like just dumped in there, so it's kind of hard to tell.
Um, but you can see some very obvious
Stab wounds.
Did you say those stab wounds were jagged?
Subtle.
Were they jagged or were they flirtatious?
Do you know it's hard to say front there?
Hard hard to say from that distance and that quick.
They were not flirtatious stab wounds, no.
No.
Yeah, there were definitely some knives or s you know, swords involved.
So
What does this mean?
Why why would there be 14 bodies?
How is this related to Are the
Are the eyes closed?
Oh, uh yes.
Almost all of their eyes were closed.
I wonder if some of their camp at night when they were sleeping.
And they stabbed them in their sleep.
If I mean, if it was somebody that was betraying their party, they would know exactly when everybody would be asleep and they could just go around and kill everybody before she even knew.
Why strip them?
I assume it is so anyone who finds them cannot.
Or
identify where they're from.
I mean obviously unless you recognize a face.
Maybe identifying where they're from or maybe someone's trying to conceal their uh you know
Conceal their identity.
Always need spare clothes.
Hmm, you think maybe the clothes were taken as disguise?
What if
Is it and best that's mind is kind of like racing back through things.
If the jagged knife or
some other party were to want to infiltrate a city, would it not be best?
To disguise themselves as guards, and a good way to do that would be to eliminate the other guards.
But why would the guards be here in the woods?
I I don't know.
That is admittedly not a question that I can answer.
I'm
Simply thinking aloud.
You're cause you're right, why why would the guards not be in their barracks?
But if there was some way to lure them into the woods.
But
These also could have been the jagged knife, but then why would why would the fungrels map not note this campsite?
There's just
Talk to Lady Jean.
She mentioned something about the force, didn't she?
She said don't go in here and did she say if there were guards or anybody stationed to guard the forest
That is absolutely something that I remember, and you're gonna have to ignore me speaking to a disembodied voice for a moment.
Memory of it.
Hey GM, quick question for you.
Circa is correct.
What what she mentioned were, you know, haunted forests.
I'm sorry, what did I say?
I mean Serkeya probably is correct also.
Yeah, yes, agreed on that, but that was that was feeling.
You're good.
Oh, sorry.
Yeah.
Um that's fair.
Uh I was just proud I remember someone's name.
Let's be real.
Uh Wow, what a flex on T and he's not even here.
But it was good.
But it was good.
Okay.
Um, yeah, uh the the they did not mention anything about guards.
They mentioned, you know, ghosts.
Mostly apparitions, they mentioned supernatural things happening in the forest.
They basically trust the forest people to keep out of the forest because they'll get in trouble, not because they've had had guards.
uh keeping people out of the forest is what it sounded like.
I don't recall any mention of any battalions being sent into the woods, but she kind of lets out a big sigh.
Just
I was sent here to find answers, and it is so frustrating to only encounter further questions.
Are we should we keep investigating this ravine of bodies?
feels like a thing worth investigating, but we are running low on time and no closer to
anything as far as I can tell.
Rowan's kind of looking around the the snow with respect to the dead, there's no um
And nothing on them that's gonna give us any information and I don't think any of us wanna go down there to get a closer look.
My thought is that somebody had dragged these people here.
So somebody dragged these people and went somewhere else.
Is there a way that we can figure out where that person went?
um or or persons.
Um and I I look around and I see if there's any other indicator of like trampled twigs, any steps away from this.
Um GM.
Did you say there was a log over the ravine?
There is a log over the ravine.
It's a it would say it's a stump over the ravine.
Looks down and says.
I should hope it's not over there because I'm not going over that log.
Okay, that is not what I was expecting you to say.
Like, oh no, we're gonna add another body to the ravine.
I was thinking really expecting some innuendo out of that, but okay.
As we look around, do we I'd like to try something and I don't know if this is gonna do anything except maybe give you a fear, but I'm gonna try it anyway.
Um I have the ability reveal, which is if there's anything magically hidden within close range, the role would succeed against.
It is revealed.
And the reason that I'm trying this is you mentioned that it looked like somebody tried to cover their tracks a bit.
And I figure in a world full full of magic, maybe there's a maybe there's a chance they tried to cover their tracks with magic a bit
So I just want to see if I can determine where the people who dragged the bodies went from here using reveal.
So
If you'll like I love that idea.
Please, please go for it.
As long as I don't roll with fear.
In which case, you know.
I can have you re-roll.
Is your hope
Pretty high?
I mean it it the uh the hope it the hope is pretty low, but it could get worse
So right now I'm at an 18 with fear, which feels like a pretty pretty good method to actually maybe find something, even if I'm giving XGM a fear.
I don't know.
I would hate to re-roll and get my hope die down below a five and then all of a sudden we we don't find anything.
That would be unfortunate.
So let me let me see if we feel if there's anything magically hidden within close range to roll with Cisco.
Okay, yeah, so and that's with your plus three, right?
The eighteen.
Yeah, I rolled a ten and a five.
So cool.
So as you as you do this, right, there's nothing about the ravine itself that changes.
Um but um back the way you came, uh you can see that someone did actually use some sort of magic to kind of hide some of the worst
Like there's more blood leading back exactly the way you came.
Um all of the signs from your previous investigation um
uh VO point that they the whoever dropped the bodies here went back the same way trying to clean up their their tracks.
And they started by
Cause this was a messy spot.
Like it's hard to dump bodies in without leaving a lot of signs.
So the this area where you're standing has like
blood splotches and bits of hair, uh things that they were just like, we can't clean all this up.
We're gonna magic this away as the bodies were dumped.
So everything you found more evidence of foul play.
nothing saying anybody went this way that they actually went back the other way to try to cover their tracks.
Is that reveal for all of us or just for best that uh
It's is it says it is revealed.
So I would assume it basically that whatever magic was covering it just kind of
drops and suddenly that stuff is there for everyone to see.
And VO kind of like runs away from like the the gore that they just were standing in and did not realize.
I think best at having you know had this moment where we see that the whoever did this went back the same way, would just take off in that direction.
Like take off back towards the clearing, because we're
Yeah.
Because like, oh well I guess we're going this way.
Back through the blood.
Unless you'd like to go over that stump.
That's our other option.
You know
You make a very compelling argument, you you beauty.
Um you're certainly not just a pretty face.
Um lead on, please.
Yeah, go back to the clearing and then probably back to like probably look at the clearing for a moment then I think it'd just be on on the path back following the map.
I don't know less
There's something else to do.
Unless we've missed something horrendously important.
I don't think there's really a whole lot left to do there.
You kind of
You have a pretty good sense of what happened.
These people were ambushed, bodies were dumped, people left.
So that's pretty much it.
So you guys have been rolling pretty well at this point.
You haven't had any problems with getting through the forest.
So making good progress.
You're making good time.
despite the sidetrack.
But as you're going forward, you're realizing that as you're following the map pretty closely, you realize that you're getting relatively close to where the camp is supposed to be.
So Um So Ka's gonna take a quick look at the map again and pass it off to um Vio and just like uh
You take you hold on to this for me, will you?
I will um I just go take care of something.
And she
She takes off uh towards the outsk like circling round where she thinks the t the camp will be.
Basta it would just be like, I told you all to use the bathroom before we left town.
Vio is gonna place the map in their breast pocket of their jacket.
Um jokes aside, as we're watching, uh as we're walking, um Bastet is going to
use a just appearance to look more like a member of the jagged knife.
So rather than being a a tall
feline Jaguar Jaguar.
She'll be more like a kind of like sticking to the same body shape, so maybe more let's go with like a a a snow leopard.
So like
white with black spots.
Um one of the ears will be torn like it was like it was cut off in a fight.
Clothes will be more tattered.
Um we saw that all the jagged knife had like the the pins or whatever.
Is that is that what it was?
If I can add a a pin, a pin, a clasp, a brooch, something indicated.
If I can add that to my adjust appearance
Um, that would be pretty cool.
It literally just says you magically shift your appearance and clothing to avoid recognition.
So it seems pretty broad.
Yeah, I mean you saw it.
You can at least like in my head, my head canon, right?
You you have the basis for whatever it is.
So you can't change your your species or whatever.
But um yeah, you can totally make it like match, right?
Yeah, this is magic, right?
So you can change the color, change the look, maybe add some jewelry, like whatever you like.
Sure, why not?
And I think she would say, You're gonna have to forget what they told you.
Can change her spots.
I love that.
S some can.
Is anyone else doing anything to prepare as you approach it?
I think my plan is
to like investigate first, see how many people there are, but then also just kind of walk in like I'm a jack knife member.
Scope it out first though.
Mm, Rowan is not walking in.
She's gonna see wait to see the reaction to Vio.
approaching, but she's gonna go ahead and have her shield and axe ready.
Okay.
So I imagine we're trying to find some spot to scope from first.
Um on the outskirts.
Can we see in to see how many people there are?
Or if Black Main is there?
Sure.
One second, I'm trying to find my
I was telling Michael that I depending upon what I've been doing, sometimes it's in a location, sometimes it's in the environment, and I have to swap back and forth between them and I'm not very good at it yet.
So sorry, I apologize.
Yeah, so um who said they were looking they were approaching cautiously and looking at things?
That was that was Rowan and Vio.
Well Rowan wants to not be out in the open
Like Rowan's preparing to fight but doesn't want to give away her position.
Okay.
You're good.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Jerkeo's stealthing around the flank.
Is that is that my joke aside about you slipping off to use the bathroom?
Looking for anyone.
What?
Sorry.
Yeah, damn right.
The only thing I like.
Um hey oh okay, I kinda love.
Yeah, Sir Kaya's looking for any kind of lone tents.
Alright.
Um
So the first thing I wanna I wanna call out for people is that um a couple of our our uh
More uh wide open-eyed people um would notice that um there's a sound, or maybe ears, maybe ears.
Um there's a sound from above you, um up in the trees
What what type of sound, GM?
I love that.
Go on.
Just some guy shout, go on.
What type of sound?
Uh no, no, like like there's somebody like like there's somebody sh like up in the trees kind of
shuffling, uh kicking their feet bored a little bit.
Um there's scouts up there or or sentries that apparently haven't noticed you yet.
And why don't we go ahead and put the pause button here and we'll come back in next time and find out what you all are gonna do with this
Discovered Sentry and and find out what happens in the world's longest one shot at this point when we're breaking it into yet another session.
So we'll see you next time.
