Maz-ive Changes | 1x20 | The Naturolls

Hi everyone and welcome back to the Naturals, a Daggerheart podcast where any player at the table can take a turn in the GM seat. I'm Michael and I'm your storyteller and GM, at least for now. As we get started, we refocus our attention on the campfire, where, at the end of their journeys, the Tater Tots sit in fellowship and tell their stories. Sal shakes his head and smiles wanly. Maz, he says, your tale was an interesting detour, as was the adventure your disappearance set us on at the time. But you know mine isn't nearly done. There is much, much more to go before this story is through. So many things that we must endure and survive Sal looks over to an empty seat around the campfire, and for a moment he's quiet. There are enough miles between that moment in the endless forest saying goodbye to each other and now to cover this entire world we know. A world that might look different if it weren't for us A world that at the risk of sounding immodest, we just may have saved. But that's getting ahead of myself Already the night grows long, and as I've said, there is much left to tell. So perhaps I should continue my account. Sal leans forward and grabs a handful of twigs and leaves and throws them on the fire. Whoos With a sudden burst of light and heat from the fire hungrily consuming its fresh fuel, you are transported back. Back, back in time. You see, in the flash of firelight, the destruction of Skyland, the beautiful island in the air at the center of the Shatterlands, where all of you met for the hundred-year peace celebration You left to go help find a kidnapped boy in the woods, and realized too late that it was all a ruse to pull you away from the capital city. Even before you returned, you saw its decimation from afar You see in the flash of firelight the torches lighting the dungeon below Skyland where you searched for answers about what happened above. Where the fire grows especially hot. You see the purple of the simia friend you met there, Toko, and you remember the wizard who tortured him, who experimented on him. The wizard who escaped the dungeon in your clutches and who likely knows something about what happened to Skyland and what the Jagged Knife were hoping to accomplish in its underbelly. You see in the flash of firelight, the sun on the morning you woke up to realize Maz was missing and that if you didn't go and find her, something awful would happen. You see the burning visage of Verex Ashman, a Jagged Knife bandit revived by Svetlana and converted into a twisted version of her religion. promising to unite the world under the banner of Kor as the leader of the Scorchborn. You see your friend Toko leaping off the ashen crown to drag Verex in the depths of the ocean to save you all. You see the Scorchborn Temple hidden deep within the endless forest, where you fought through fire elementals and finally rescued your friend Maz. Forever changed, but at least for the moment, safe. Seeing all of this, remembering all of this, Sal continues his story And now we are back in the present of the story. As Sal says his goodbyes outside of the Scorchborn Temple. Hugging each of you in turn and promising to see you again soon, you, Tater Tots, are left to your own devices. You know that the journey back to the mainland is going to be long, and that there may be danger along the way. But the last you heard, the wizard who experimented on Toko was hiding in Cogsburg. And Sal made you swear to do something about that. And this is where I'm going to hand it off to you. Maz, do you feel that you are up for a long travel after everything that's happened? I look back and uh kind of glance at like the new kind of like cool like wings. that are are now having sprouted from uh, you know, either side and um kind of like shake the legs a little bit because um if folks recall, Maz went through like sort of like a metamorphosis in this as well and is now like taller, like well over six feet tall. It's kind of like, yeah, I'm not quite sure how these things work yet, but uh but no, I think actually I'll be okay. I I I I think so. Although I gotta say that this axe is looking a little bit long in the tooth, so I feel like I, you know, maybe want to see if I can get something a little bit better. Um, but um but no, I think I think I'm ready and I I don't know. I actually have more purpose and maybe drive in some ways. It's not all clear, but um than the than I uh than I had before. Core will give that to you and I anticipate many conversations. Um about your new bound newfound faith in the future. And uh regarding your acts, actually on our way to rescue you, uh, we came upon a store called Tots This and That. Um maybe we can stop by there a little bit. Um I could use a little bit of this as well as that. From Todd, but that doesn't really rhyme anymore. No, there's no alliteration there. And then uh as um I say that out loud, um then you see Maz uh put a hand to her chest, head down, kind of says some words like Wietly that you can't make out. Um and um you kind of see a um I guess like a a little bit of a glow from kind of like the center of uh Maz's um chest. And uh, you know, from outside it looks like Maz is saying some sort of um, you know, small prayer, but you can't quite hear what that might be. Um, and uh that's me also doing my prayer dice mechanically for for clarity's sake. May I join you, Maz? And uh Svetlana puts a hand on uh Maz's shoulder and bows her head and listens to to Maz's prayer Also rolling her eyes for the session. Maz, that is, seems to have incorporated this quite totally into his personality. Her personality. Whoops. Amazing. Um just because I like that, I like the idea of the the Well, the serif and the half seraph, I guess, uh praying together for the group and for the session. Uh everybody go ahead and add one hope. Just to uh you all feel a you you've spent a long time um hunting down the scorchborne, so you're you're used to heat, but this time you feel warmth. You feel the actual warmth of core rather than the Scorchborne version of that. And I only get three, but I will get two fours and three and day one. God, we have s we have so many paradise. We have so many paradise. Oh my gosh. What was the last one? So I was gonna say we've got with with the changes, uh, just for everybody listening, our our characters did level up to five. After the last session, um, and with the changes with the multi-classing, um this team is probably never gonna take damage again because Uh or and not miss any attacks because of all the prayer dice, all the all the abilities. We'll see what happens. Core is on our side. Does the is the rest of the gang Yeah, head go ahead. Shall we make our way back to uh to the cove, verdant cove and stop there for a rest, replenish our supplies, uh Maz may, you know, visit the shop And uh r uhr recover because we're about to set out on another long journey. Yes, I'm right behind you, Yuriel. Boga, would you like a ride? Uh I think I think I will walk beside. I I need the ground. Okay. Thank you. Very fair. You let me know if you change your mind. Thank you. She's getting grounded. Wow. All right. I have an important question for all of you. And I don't know if if how we want to do this. Sal led you here. Does anybody know the way back? Did Pazu do any scent markings? Annoying. It was it was roughly that way. Uriel points in the correct direction. Um as you as Uriel is pointing that way. Um you actually notice that there is a there's a tree near you. Uh kind of on the the outskirts of the land of the Scorchborn temple. There's a tree near you. And in the trunk of the tree you see a knife. stuck into it and there's a piece of paper stuck to it. Like the knife is holding the piece of paper to the tree trunk. Oh yay. Foreboding. That that can only mean good things. The aerial approaches. Uh how high is the knife? It is very much your height. Or Sal height, maybe. Uh Yaryl uh you know, grabs grabs the knife and pulls pulls stop, looks the knife over, catches the note tumbling, but she's more focused on the knife. Does she recognize it? Uh as you start to examine the knife, gone. Poof. It's like ri ripped away from your hand. Returning. Gone into the distance. Returning, you could say. Uh Hilo watches this fly away and wonders. I hope there's no one in between that. I'm really happy that that you understood exactly what I was going for here. That makes me that makes me very excited. And a dagger hit her in the face. Just a fli a flicker fly skewered on the way. Um anyways, the the piece of paper falls into your hand and it opens to a little note and you hear it in Sal's voice. Thought you guys might need a refresher on how to get back to the Verdant Cove and there's a little hand-drawn map and uh at the bottom of the hand-drawn map there's like little drawings of all of you and so there's like a little frog and A giant robot and uh Svetlana is like a lot bigger than everyone else. Like uh not in scale on the drawing, like she's a lot bigger than than Hilo And yeah, so um it's a it's a it's an artist. A poor drawing, but Sal did his best. Oh, okay. Good news Sal was thinking of us even as he left and uh he's he's given us a little map here. This seems pretty. pretty easy to follow and hopefully we won't run into any more giant bugs. Uh he's the hoping. They were only horse sized. I just wanna bring back that quote. Th those were the juvenile. Yes, they were now fully grown. I had forgotten about the bugs. Hilo says. He's like looking around as if he expects something to come out from behind a tree any minute. How could you forget? Svetlana says as she looks down at the like gross like bug slime covering her armor. He he holds up, he he like looks down for a second. And then he's oh I did note them. He's like roll uh has a little scroll just like going through real quick. So I didn't have to remember them. And then he rolls the scroll back up and puts it away. Oh, Hilo. Do you take notes of everything we do? Well, yes. Why do you mostly why do you do that? Well, it seems to be the makings of a particularly enjoyable story, though I haven't decided if it should be an epic poem. Or uh just something lyrical. Like a song? Or you know, just writings. Mmm. Well, you'll have to share it with us whenever you finish. That that will be a while. Potentially read by your friends around a campfire someday. Who knows? Could be He is the infamous Hilo the storyteller. That's the shown far and wide. I've been meaning to get a signature from you. I mean, it seems to be all the rage. Um Hilo ducks his head a bit at all this attention and uh Clanks don't blush um per se, but uh he looks decidedly uncomfortable. All the oil gathers to your cheeks. Does it look like rust for just a moment? I assume that uh some some extra vents open up on the side of the release each That's nice. Amazing. I was gonna say I assume I assume that we are uh chatting and uh walking. Walking, yes. Mm-hmm. Um weary lightheartedness. after an intense situation and we're all kind of like, you know, blowing off steam and and making our way back to the coast. Okay. Yeah, absolutely. And Sal's map is very like I think I've always thought of Sal a little bit like childlike. Like he's not necessarily young, but he's not really that grown up. And so Sal's map is like Um, you're gonna find a tree with big mushrooms on it. You wanna turn right at that tree, like it's very much like But don't eat the mushrooms. If anything sh Right. If if anything should happen to like particular trees, you'd be lost in the endless forest forever. Um But you just came this way, so there's a pretty good chance that his his directions are. I also imagine Svedlana and uh Hilo being the hulking creatures that we are that we m Probably would have snapped some twigs and things on our way, so there's probably a little bit of a trail. I just realized the whole party is is very Split. There's a bunch of really tall and a bunch of freely not tall. And M Maz is gimbo. Um Maz kind of like uh wings for a second just like um sorry, I was just kind of um trying to Think about uh Hilo's newfound fame that happened while I was gone, uh giant horse-size bugs that apparently you like to hang out with. Um I I I think I might have missed one or two things. I was just thinking, you know, hey, I remember back in the day when we just left some kid in the woods and lost him somewhere. Um, but uh the uh We don't speak about that, Rez. We left them in town, that with authorities. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, sorry, not listen. Give yourself some credit. Recently destroyed the city. So Right, you took him from the woods killing the people who were essentially babysitting him. Took him into the city that was destroyed. At least we know where the city is. In Hilo's story, they were reunited. See, you know. In his headcanon, his sister and him were reunited. Yeah. Obviously that we didn't see it. But but in sum, I mean the the weather up here is I've been telling you it's a whole new world looking at this thing. Although I feel like I still kind of like like you see Maz kind of like stumble over something because it's like Think about if you ever saw like a teenager growing up and then their arms are too long for the rest of their body, like they don't know where they are in space. Like it's a little bit like that. Um I I'm also imagining Maz doesn't know to duck as much when we're going through some of these trees. That's true. Yeah, and as uh I'm assuming did you say that out loud? Uh Hilo? Oh no, Hilo's just kind of glancing back at you to see how you're doing, but not actually giving you a warning. Just waiting to see. Kind of expecting it. But wanting to make sure he uh he he records it accurately when when it's like it's like a leaf that just like smack and it just kinda like gets into the eye a little bit and then Maz, you know, bats it away. Um and then the same thing smacks into a wing because now the wings are higher too. Like everything is just, you know, all out of uh, you know, whack a bit. And um You're not this close to the ground anymore, Maz. You gotta watch your step too. Don't Don't hit your toe on a root. You just had to bring it up. You just had to bring it up. And um As as that happens though, Maz um sort of like smacks a little bug that's flying um around away and uh is just like, you know, um so you know again smacking things by accident on purpose, getting hit by uh by stuff And uh she's like, wow, you guys uh you all must have had quite quite a trip getting over here. Ugh, you're telling us And just as a way to like kind of guide the conversation, you don't have to do this, but just kind of I thought I'd come up with a few like prompts, I guess, for For things that you could do. Maz doesn't know anything that happened on the way, but nobody else knows what happened to Maz. Really? Um, so there's definitely a lot you all could talk about if you would choose to. I was thinking, Maz. Maz, you might uh have noticed. You were gone a while. How did you Sorge bring bring this up, but how did you get here? Maz kinda like looks up and it's kinda like I uh I I don't actually really know where here is, if I'm being honest. I don't know where we are. Well Well, we we had to travel by boat to get you to get here. Does that mean we're on an island? We're not where we were. Um Maz kind of directs uh her attention or dri I direct my attention towards uh Boga, looks at her and says, you know, uh a a lot of the the the trip when I was moved from place to place uh I couldn't see I couldn't really hear what was going on because uh my vision was obscured be like a bag pulled over my head um so that way I didn't know where or when I was going, uh, nor even what time of day it was. Like a lot of times. Um, so I I I don't know exactly where we ended up. I knew I was in that temple, um, but uh where exactly that is in the world You know, I did not know. Hmm. Well, Sal told us that this place was called the Endless Forest. Oh. Have you heard of that before? Again, Maz by I look around and it's like That makes sense. That sounds right. Um then Maz kind of laughs or I laugh a little bit and then says, um Uh no, yeah, I I I have heard of this place, although I had never been here um up until now. Um I hadn't really been outside of Kraken's Harbor and uh Skyland. Um this is not a place where I had traveled uh previously. Um but uh last I knew before here, I was in Kraken's Harbor and when I was captured Um I I would have to assume that I was brought by boat, but it was hard to tell exactly what was happening to get over here because uh my vision again was obscured the whole time. I didn't see daylight um while I was uh you know um um captured at that uh moment. Although I did hear plenty of um, you know interesting conversations along the way uh from uh those who were scorch born, as well as those who were, you know, more like me, um, and some of those who just seemed to come all on their own. So all kinds of things. Do you know why they took you particularly? Uh n d no. I d I don't. Uh I I went to to Kraken's Harbor because Uh I was told that uh Maria Vex uh was in trouble. I don't know if if we remember. Uh Maria was the uh bartender at the Deadeye Saloon and She was sweet. She's very sweet. Um and uh let's just say we've had an on and off again relationship. Oh yeah, well Svetlana raises her eyebrows. Yeah, and then uh you see Maz kind of like make more like uh a furrowed eyebrow face and be like, well, it was a little bit more uh off last time uh we departed. Um, but uh I still had uh, you know, um a sweet kind of sweet spot and and and a deep love for her where You know, I was told that that she was in trouble with um, you know, the jagged knife itself, that there was uh issues with her and running the bar and, you know, making payments and uh keeping them at bay. And I wanted to go help um in any way that I could. And then that's what brought me um, you know, back to Kraken's Harbor. Do you think that is it was a ruse to get you there, or was there an actual issue? Oh no, it was totally a ruse. It was 100% Overooz because when I got there, Maria was completely fine. She was as confused as I was once I finally saw her at the bar. And um I realized that I was led there under uh, you know, false circumstances. And uh I kind of didn't trust the folks uh the entire time anyhow, but I didn't want to take that risk because uh I had lost I guess I shouldn't say maybe I'd lost, but I guess there's not a lot um in my life that I've felt like I've had. And Maria was one of the few things that although it was on and off was was something consistent, at least, even in all of its ups and downs. Uh she was, you know, in my life. And uh that was not something that I could let go. And uh so I felt like I had my guard up for these uh these people, but I knew that um I had to keep her in my life. Um and to make sure that, you know, she was okay. But um as I was in Kraken's Harbor, I was leaving the tavern one of the evenings, and that's when uh I uh I try doing the Mazzy thing, uh, you know, getting out, jumping around, things like that. Uh but uh you know they were able to overpower me and uh, you know, you know, take me down. And that's where, you know, the journey uh sort of started to begin, where I ended up in the uh in the temple. I know that oh Go ahead, Yuriel. Yuriel like sort of casually smacks Maz's arm. You know, I can't believe you left us a note. That's what I was going to say. You just left. And you put a note that said, don't follow me. So naturally we followed you because I can't help but notice we've known each other a long time and you do tend to attract trouble. And we weren't sure what the situation was, but we came on after as soon as we could and You know, we started asking questions around Kraken's Harbor, trying to find out where where you'd been, where you were going, what was going on. I know that uh Sal found uh a piece of paper with a list of names that were crossed out except for yours, Maz. And at the bottom it said sacrament prepared. And I'm feeling pretty confident that you were targeted for F whatever that means. Hmm. Well I don't know why it would have been me right now at this time and I you know I'm Trouble magnet. Well well I mean there there is always that and that's actually why I told didn't want everybody else to come with me. on the trip and and to be honest, um given my um relationship with Maria and the when we had last departed, it was not under good good terms. And uh There's, you know, actually some sort of some some shame in that one and some, you know, kind of embarrassment on um how how we've been and how, you know, quite honestly, I keep going back. And uh I don't, you know, I didn't wanna wanna share that with everybody. And, you know, I I didn't anticipate getting kidnapped, dragged to an island, tied to an altar, having my wings chopped off. Like that wasn't in the the overall plan of uh trying to go find, you know, basically make up make up and protect my ex. Do we ever anticipate the being kidnapped and having our wings cut off and all of this happening. I think hopefully we've learned from this that We want to be there for each other. I know like we haven't known each other all that long. You've known Yuriel much longer than us, but I've grown fond of you, um, in the short time that I have known you, and I can honestly say I would do anything for you, and I I don't want you to be ashamed of your past. And if you are ashamed, you can share that with us. I I I think I speak for everything everyone when we say we love you. And we love every part of you, even the parts that you are ashamed of. Yeah. Um, for anybody who I don't know, go ahead. Hey, she speaks truth. Uh I think going getting into trouble together's you know, better than separate going in alone, wouldn't you say? That's why That's why we're here. 100%. Exactly, Boga. Can anybody with how we're walking, can anybody see kind of like Maz's face right now? I'm sure Svetlana is looking at you as she's speaking. You're too tall. This is why you need to writhe on my shoulders. Um any anyone ki looking towards m uh Maz then would would see a um a distinct shift in in her her look, particularly right around her eyes, and you would see you know, distinct kind of like misty-eyed uh appearance, which you can see quickly kind of like is like pushed um down. You can see the Maz is extremely uncomfortable with what Svetlana said. And It says sort of quietly now, like uh well, the th thank you. Um and I can only say the same and you all are right. Um it's something that I've taken it's taken me a long time to even get, you know, this far. And um she kind of starts to or trail off a little bit and um you know you get the sense that she's very much appreciative of this but um you know has a lot of uh difficulty still talking about it Talking about herself, I guess, in that kind of way is what I'd say. Maz, I I know that it is hard to to talk about these things, but I see you pushing down your feelings. I see that repression. And I want to encourage you to let yourself feel because I I got to tell you when we lost you and uh when we lost Toko, and that's a whole other story we have to tell you. I've cried a lot the last couple of weeks, and I have to say the times that I've grown the most is when I've let myself feel the hard feelings. and learn from the shame and the mistakes that I've made. And you all have helped me with that. Honestly, uh I I wanted to wallow in it. to be honest, but I do think it is good to at least let yourself feel it. Amaz uh sort of breaks for a second here kinda like a um Like a little bit of like a stutter, like a like kind of like uh Maz might be on the verge of sort of tearing up a bit and kind of like tucks it back down. And uh s you know, you're you're right. And that that is That is part of my work now. That's it's what I need to do. And having that as a goal is is something that that feels better than I felt in a long time and makes me hopeful for where I am now and uh and where we're going. And so I thank you and you know all of you. Maz looks around um, you know, at everybody in the uh in the group. And um it's like then kind of opens up the question of like you you lost a toco? Like, where'd where'd you lose a toko? Hilo, you're good at telling stories and I don't know if I can bring myself to tell this one. Hilo actually stops walking for a moment because he's like visibly uncomfortable with this part of the story. And uh when he starts moving again He says it's it's a would you like the long story or the short version? I think I just want to know what happened. I I sorry to make light and you know, joke about it, but I now now suddenly I'm re I'm regretting my words with how uh how everyone's reacting. Uh now I don't I don't know that I need to make everyone um, you know, relive that 'cause I'm I'm guessing um that he's he's not coming back. Hilo thinks about it for a long moment. No, I don't believe so. They're they're We could not recover his body for some sort of revival if we wanted. He fell um facing an enemy on on ship traveling here. He did not just fall. He jumped to save all of us. Hilo shrugs a little bit and uh kind of stutters as he says, we I It was my fault and just keeps walking. I'm gonna jump in just for a second here. Um as that moment of the conversation ends. All of you hear the slight sound of static. You're not sure where it's from. You just hear it sounds like. A radio that is that's not tuned into the right station. Do you hear that? Just for a brief moment. Yuriel, you have the biggest ears of all of us. What is that? Uh Ariel is is stopped. I I think w we kinda all stopped for a moment, right? Because the the gravity of the conversation, uh, and tries to pinpoint the origin of the sound. Is it so surrounding us or is it coming from one direction is what she's trying to um Make an instinct roll for me? Can't see how much roll it is. Okay, and then I would would like to use my experience what big ears you have. It's an inherent in a lifetime spent uh living with keener ears than than the average mortal. Um that's gonna be six, seven, ten with hope. Okay, I'll take that hope. It's Not hard to get the general direction that the sound came from. You know from where you're standing. Um your ears kinda can your ears turn like can they rotate or do you have to turn your whole head? Like do you have the ability to turn the head? I think it's More of a whole head turn. Like, you know, maybe maybe they wiggle a little bit, but not like tuning. We'll say your ear twitches in the direction Um, and you kind of turn to follow the sound. It was a brief moment, just a little brief moment of static, but you know from where you were standing it came somewhere in the direction towards Svetlana. Did I hear it? Everybody heard it, yeah. Svetlana, were you carrying something that might be producing the sound. I kinda like wiggle in my ear a little bit and um Ask the corrector sprite that's in there. Was that you? What's the corrector sprite's name? Did you name it or anything? I don't remember. It's okay if you didn't. I don't remember. Okay, fair enough. And you kind of hear like a a yawn as the corrector sprite wakes up because I don't think it's been utilized at all. So it was it was having a cozy nap there. Um it's like, yeah, I was like, what? Are you talking to me? We're we're gonna call her um seven, uh short for seven up. That's good. And I will say hashtag not sponsored. Not sponsored, yes. Seven, um I heard a little bit of uh a static was are you listening to a radio up there or something Uh no, I I was asleep. Uh if you are trying to listen to things, I can hop out of your ear. No, no, you are fine there, dear. You go back to sleep. Okay You hear snore start, then I'm not gonna try to impersonate into the mic because that's gonna sound really bad. I'm gonna edit it out anyway. So I uh I look around on all of my like pockets and things. I have many pockets and many like little bags and stuff. And I pull out the Donstone Gym and I I put it to my ear. Sounds like a rock music. Sounds like a rock. Can you can you hear the ocean? Not quite. Do you want to try? No, no, we're not looking for ocean anyway. Hilo um scratches his head and says, do you have this the the the other rock? The glamour stone? And I pull it out. No, no, the other rock, the the talking rock. I think Sal had You are carrying sort of a large amount of rock. I mean, I didn't want to tell you guys this, but uh I had an old boyfriend, his name was Rarik, and he really liked Rox, and so I'm kind of obsessed. Oh Oh my goodness. Oh. Well. I'd like to hear more about that sometime. I mean, he had abs for days. But we'll talk about that then. I'm blushing. Oh, sorry. Did you did you Could I uh sorry, real quick, uh did Maz see the Dawnstone? Is that reasonable? Uh yeah, I I held it up to my ear. Yeah. And held it out to Uriel. Yeah. So um when you did that, Maz is like, that's not what that's for What? You've seen this before? And I hand it to Maz. Maz grabs it. Um is like, you don't know what to do with this? No. I was like, give give me your axe. Give me your axe. Trust me, trust me. It's it Hand the axie over. I rub a cloth over the the part that has a little bit of blood left on it and then I I hand it over to Maz. Be careful. I mean don't worry. I would never drop this thing because that's not how you hurt a toe. That's how you lose a toe. Indeed. And you'll lose all other nine if you do anything into it. I'm only starting with three on each foot anyhow, so don't worry. It's fine. It's fine. Um Maz um takes the Dawnstone and then um the axe and puts them together and then you hear like a little like bing and a little shimmer goes over the axe and then Maz hands it back. What just happened? Um Yeah, I saw one of those things uh laying around the temple while I was there. It's to make your weapon stronger. I can't believe you didn't axe first. It's stronger and I try to like hit a tree with it. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And um to just mechanically speaking, GM, if this is okay with you. Um I was assuming when I gave everyone that thing that people would maybe investigate it further and then everybody ignored it forever. Um but mechanically um I basically took what's um called a great stone in daggerheart stuff, and that's what the Dawnstone is, which means that you attach it to a weapon, it makes it, gives it the feature powerful, you roll one extra damage die and drop the lowest. If that's okay, GM. Wow. I mean the joy of shared GM is all of the stuff Unless you think it's cheating, but I also thought narrative lead fits because I may have seen it while I was on my you know I I I I love it. And I'm actually going to share something interesting with you that you guys weren't going to potentially discover for a while because Hilo's memory Got you somewhere. Um as you are kind of uh as Maz is messing with the Dawnstone and your axe. Um Svetlani, you're still digging around in your satchel and you actually find one of the speaking orbs in your satchel. And you remember back a little a little while ago when Sal was leaving, how he gave you just a little bit longer of a hug and kind of rustled up against your bag and it connects in your mind that Sal left you one of the speaking orbs. That sly little frog. He left us a he left us a speaking orb. Hmm, and I put it up to my ear. Do I hear anything? Alright now. So And I put it back up to my ear. You actually just kind of see like Maz standing there staring at like uh Svetlana, like, are you okay? Like, did she talk to rocks like this now? Like what happened? I mean, you don't talk to the rocks? Ah. Have you never had the pet rock? No, I mean it's just like a core thing I need to know about because I'm kind of new to this whole thing. No, it is not a core thing. Sal, um, our little froggy friend that that left us whenever we found you, he had these rocks. Um, he called them What were they called, Hilo? Speaking? Sending. . Sending stones. Sending stones. I don't know. Whatever it was. Um, and we could communicate with each other, but I'm not sure the distance that these things can cross But I'm trying to see if I can reach him. Hmm. And I put it back in my satchel. Okay. I will add just looks kind of like control drops a little bit, just like amazed by this thing. He's just thinking like I'm thinking like, wow, okay, and I thought that stone, the Dawnstone was pretty cool. I was like, that's that's something else. You just magically joined a rock to an axe, and now you're surprised by other magic rocks. Roxes? I'm gonna I'm gonna break the I'm gonna break the role play just a second and say you guys were absolutely not supposed to find that speaking or that I definitely thought that's what it was. That's why I asked if she had it. Jen is like all of my like subtle hints. I was assuming you were talking about the speaking of the stuff. The only thing I actually thought, I don't know if it's I was not. I thought I was being mysterious, you know. Like, oh yeah, we're just Joker. I don't know Joker. No, the DM was really mysterious and it's fine. Right. He's he's doing great. It's his first time The second time. My my first time, the second time, I love it. No no I just meant that usually then Boga chimes in with the uh the precious and the hobbitses and all that for us, but you know. Oh yes. It's gone. Okay. Well, it's good to know that we still have a connection to Sal, right? May may not may not always be active, but it's there. He's there. Do you keep moving? Do you y you guys kinda all stop to have a little bit of a serious moment? Does everybody keep moving? Yeah. Is there any um yeah is there an opening overhead or is it like super dense forest in this spot? Where you are right now is pretty dense, but um you actually you take a look at the map that Sal drew and you can tell that you're coming up to a little bit more of a clearing pretty soon. I think maybe I would sort of move close to Maz and speak more quietly, more, more direct about uh what happened, the the fight that we got into and the fact that uh Toko saved us, but it it cost him his life to do so, you know, and uh just as we're as we're walking, kind of explain more of what's been going on. So we're trying to bring m Maz up to speed Yeah as that's ha happening and in the course of Yuriel sharing those things, um, you know, Maz uh takes it in and um shares that um Toko must have, you know, found found one of the things that he he felt he was here for. And that's something to be admired. And although it's it's sad and tragic and a loss that it's something that I, you know, was looking for for a long time. And so I know I know how deeply, how how meaningful how much that can be and how much that could uh can matter. And you know, continues the course of conversation with Yorio getting filled in and and as like asked Yorio like, do do you guys have any other like cool shiny stones or like anything else? Like I mean I have this and I hold up the glamour zone and turn into a flicker flag. Maz actually just goes, So you're aware, this is what we fought on our way to go see you and rescue you. So two of these actually. Man's like So yeah, we're kind of calling. Ooh, ooh, ooh. And then looks at uh Hilo is like, oh, the the the the stuff I think you alluded to having like bug guts or something nasty on you or something like that. I was like, yeah, uh, that's That thanks. I I don't I don't need that in my life. No, no, no. You should see what I can burn up Just kidding. I'm not actually a flicker fly, so I can't actually um spew acid or gas or anything, but It was pretty gross, I must admit, and I and I go back to being Svetlana again, the Furbulg. By the way, Maz, we should probably check in with your friend at the tavern. There was a a bit of a incident. In the tower. Sure, yes. I want to check in and make sure you know they're not out like looking for people who left a lot of dead bodies. Like you mean you mean Maria? Yeah, that's the one. Uh amazing potatoes, by the way. I can't believe you never told me it's like their signature dish. You know I Oh, it's right up there with Padres. I gotta say, it's right up there with Padre's potatoes. There's few that uh can can meet the deliciousness of the Deadeye saloon. Are we nearing the the village now or I assume it's it's taken us a little bit for Yuriel to go through the story with Maz and everything. Yeah, you've been traveling for a bit. Um Maz mentioned wanting to potentially find a clearing. So I would say you're getting to A clearing. Um, Maz doesn't know anything about this clearing, but you do recognize it because there is a giant horse-sized flickerfly corpse. That is getting pretty ripe on the ground. The smell. Can you see the flickerfly corpse? I mean I mean it's huge. It's like a horse. I mean a horse-sized horse. It is a horse size a horse-sized bugs bug on the ground. I you tell me, I guess, if you want to roll it. No, because I was just gonna say it's the same thing. Does Maz think it's Svetlana for a second pulling a prank? You don't think I smell that bad, do you? No. No, no, no, no, no, no. That is not a Svetlana thing. Svetlana is not stinky. Thank you. Lance armor with like a concerned look. Um okay, maybe right now I'm a little stinky, but I am not that stinky Although I mean I guess you would know the best poga since you spend a lot of time riding on my shoulders. Please tell me, do I sing? It's fine, it's fine. We we'll clean up tonight. You've got the tongue. When we get to the the inn, we we'll we'll have time to You know, clean up repair, sort ourselves out. These things just happen when you're on adventures. Don't worry about it. I guess so. I I kind of pride myself on good hygiene though. Ugh. Sorry. I'm kind of uh Svetlana is a little bit insecure now. Wiping herself. I might still have a water grenade in here. Oh yes, please. All right. Well you got a that sounds like a PvP. That sounds like an you know a finesse roll, a finesse roll with that water grenade. Fortunately I've got this nomadic pack that It it's a a little bit Mary Poppins like. I'm I'm gonna reach in there and I'm gonna find something that that I need. Um so I rifle through and pull out my last water grenade that we prepared, Maz doesn't know, but we knew we were getting into a fight with Scorchborn after our experience on the ship. So I brought water to fight fire. So uh I I show it to Svetlana. Like, do do you want to take it? Do you want me to throw it? Just do it fast. Just do it? Okay. Uh that's a finest role. Okay, that's a 14 with hope. Congratulations on your additional hope. Oh, it's so cold. Please tell me you have a towel in there. Whew. I'm sure that I do, but it's got a recharge. And Svetlana is just shivering. Svetlana takes the cold conditions. The next portion of the one. And I also do the little like like shake like a dog does after getting wet. Everybody standing near Svetlana is also red light. And with a little hinge of fly stink. Uh just use use this cloth. Use just kind of wipe it wipe it down. Clean off the some of the the the gooey stuff. Thank thank you, Yuriel. Any time. Anytime you need me to douse you in cold water in the middle of the endless forest. I'm here for you. Do I do I smell a little better now, Boga? I think I smell a little Ariel nods. Yes, yes. Thank you, friends. Mals, was there something you were wanted to do in the clearing up? Oh Maz just gonna flex those uh wings and and just fly up into the sky and take a look around Okay. So you just actually see Maz kind of like now being much like larger. Um she makes like a jump and when she flaps those wings, because if she's over six feet tall now, it's like the wings gotta be probably about like eight, ten, twelve feet or something like that, like very large wingspan. Um so much so that now all of a sudden um I I guess Vetlana's like, oh it's still so cold. As like the air hits Vetlana. You can drive me off No, just electric. The wing the wings dry you slightly. Exactly. Um and then flies up and uh takes a look um both uh ahead what is the direction we've been going in, as well as a look behind back towards where we were leaving from and looks um around and um you know sees what we uh what what what she can see. I have to I have to imagine this this moment, the first time she fully flexes her wings and flies up in the air and like the light shines around her and there's We all just kind of like jaws drop. Yeah. Yeah. Remember, because now the wings are also supposed like feathered. now instead of like the more like insectile wings that Maz would have had before. And Ali even added just a little bit of like just narrative flares that you do kind of see like a little shimmer um kind of go over them and you can't quite tell if it's just like the light on there or if it's something, you know, related to core as uh she flies out. As uh Svetlana watches Maz her you see the shock of orange fur on her chest glow brightly and you see a little blush in her cheeks as she's like And she's kind of seeing Maz for the first time, like, oh my goodness. She's kind of cute. Maybe I need to get captured by Cultist. Um are I I I don't think I don't think Maz would recommend that. Oh she had a goose spirit and got wings. Are you wanting to I see nothing bad about this? Well I got Are are you wanting I think it was maybe a little painful Maybe maybe you should speak with Svetlana about some core exercises. Wow. Wow. Oh good. That was that was better. You are you are something else. Do we count that as your rally? Everybody reacting to that joke? Is that the rally for the session? That sounds good at the sound. Right, everybody has a D6 to add to roles. I feel an extra D six stronger uh after that. Well played. Man, that uh the naming of that deity is really just paying dividends for this show, isn't it? Um, Maz, did you want to actually like look for stuff? Do you want to roll to see what you see while you're up? So I I guess actually there was I I kind of had something in mind, but I'll sort of like If I look back towards the uh direction of what would ostensibly I'd assume be the Scorchborn Temple, you know, seeing you know, if I see anything off in the distance. Do you want me to roll or are you looking to see if anything has changed about the temple? Is there like smoke coming from the top? There's no there's no sm there's no smoke coming from the temple. You can I mean I'm not gonna make you roll to see if you can see smoke in the air, if that feels pretty Pretty intrinsic. Okay, so then there's no smoke coming off in in that direction and um then looking towards the direction we've been going, can I sort of can I start to see the town from here? Yeah, you're you're starting to get uh glimpses of the verdant cove. Um actually roll the roll those instinct dice for me. I want to see something or I want to see if you see something While Maz is rolling, I wanted to point out that at level five, the rally die goes for the I feel a D8 stronger now. There you go. Um I've got you said instinct. Now I have to find out what an English is. Yes, instance please. I have other dice that have have eight sides also, but they also have more. If you hit the number nine, you've gone too far. It's like two two four-sided dice stuck on top of each other. Together, yeah. Kind of. Whoa. True, it is. It is kind of it really is. Okay. I thought you were just being silly. Thank you for joining us on the number one dice identification podcast. We can't show you the dice because we're audio only, but trust me we're all holding one. Yes. I should post more of my dice because that's a good channel. Alright. What's your uh what's that instinct rule? Uh 14 with hope. 14 with hope, take a hope. I don't know if you can looking at your sheet, but take take just just feel hopeful for a moment. You guys have not rolled with anything but hope so far today, as a as a fun side note. Oh darn Um, so you actually you can see the the verdant cove off in the distance. And um You can't make out a lot of details because it's still it's still a little bit of a journey away, but what you can tell is that There are a good deal of people there. Okay. You can kind of just see people milling about. Okay. Um can't see what they're doing or anything from this part. And then as like a like a narrative piece, uh Maz looks over there and then looks up towards um in the direction kind of of like the the sun and just feels the the warmth of the the sun, I'm assuming the sun's out is out of is it out? I mean yeah. Um yeah. Yeah. It's like it's like it's like mid afternoon. the buttons out. Um feels the same. Always. We've never established that that Maz has pants. So there we go. There there it is. There it is. No wonder Svana's blushing. By the way, yeah. Yeah, when you fly up, it's a bad situation. Or a good situation, depending on who you ask. Oh true, true. feels the sunlight on her on her um, you know, body and um allows that warmth to travel, you know, throughout um you know, over over her skin, but then sort of, you know, then internalizes it and um for a moment, you know, feels that that oneness that, you know, she first felt most When Svetlana put her hands upon Maz and healed her in the the Scorchborne temple and suddenly is, you know, very briefly gets a couple of flashes and glimpses of the same kind of vision that um Svetlana had had and that Maz had kind of shared of um you know growth and connection with um with core And then uh flaps her wings and slowly descends down and as she lands, lets out, you know, like a nice kind of deep breath because Maz hasn't really flown. since this whole thing happened and had lost her wings and then got them back, which is you know a bit of a uh bit of a roller coaster and just looks around uh and then says um to everybody, you know, um I'm glad to be here And uh the town is over this way and uh Maz points in that direction and uh sort of starts to walk in that direction as a suggestion to move, but you know. Folks can certainly, you know, do other things as well. It's not like Maz is ordering anybody around. I'm glad you're here too. As Maz lands back to the ground and kind of walks off. uh towards the verdant cove. Well what you assume is the verdant cove, because that's where Maz is walking. Um it's up to the rest of you what you do. I think she had said something like, I'm glad I'm here. Is that what you said? DJ. Yes. Yes. And Svetlana kind of blushes a little bit and says, I'm glad you are too. And um She's a little bit more like shy now, for some reason. Um, as she follows along behind Maz. She's kind of Glancing at her wings, kind of tracing the shape of them, and just kind of quiet in in her head a little bit. Uh Ariel's not gonna be letting Maz out of her sight just now, so Ariel and and Pazu follow along behind Maz. Does anyone notice? Svetlana's change in demeanor. I mean you're behind me, so I'm assuming not me. Yeah. Yeah. I love Bobo. I reckon but I wouldn't be able to Probably not then. Short problems. Couldn't relate. I've got a secret. Nobody knows. Okay. All right. I was just curious. I mean Halo's Hilo's still occasionally pausing to take notes and and looking around at what's going on. So He might have missed what what happened to m to make you pause like that, but he's n he's he's not afraid to ask if everything's okay. Does he ask? Is everything okay? Uh um yeah. Um yeah. Why why do you say that? Uh he he cocks his head. And does normally you you lead and charge the front and you've you've kind of paused back here. I I didn't see your face, but Oh, uh yeah, yeah. I I just I think Maz has got this, you know. Um I sorry, I'm just uh feeling a little flustered. I'm not sure why. I I don't know. I haven't felt this way in a long time. My my heart feels light. I don't I don't know, Hilo. I know you probably don't understand what I'm saying, but. I don't know. Something has changed. Hilo nods. Not because he understands, but because he's agreeing with you. And and just makes a couple notes. And as he's as he's walking. Very fair. Are we walking in silence the rest of the way or does Yuriel and Boga have anything that they wanted to talk through? I'm curious, Svetlana. I suppose I suppose Maz can Chimanist too, but how did you find your religion? Did it did you go shopping for it or did it just kinda Well, I definitely did not go shopping for it. Um, well, I suppose you could say that I did because I was on the way to the shops whenever it found me. Um I'm not sure if I told you this story before, but whenever I was younger, a younger for Bog and I was working on the farm, it was my responsibility to go to the market and sell some of our our vegetables and our goods. Um and I was on the way to the market one day when I actually um broke my ankle and uh fell into a snowbank and uh a large amount of snow um toppled over me and I honestly was a goner. I I thought that that was in it for me and I reached out to whatever and the universe might save me and I hadn't known Korslight until then, but I felt him and he he made my heart grow warm So warm in the fact that um it melted the snow that had covered me and Somehow it healed my ankle as well, so I could stand. And um I heard him whisper. go and share this warmth with others and and that's um that was the start of everything for me, really. I I don't know, Maz, how was it for you? Um Maz looks back and looks at Svetlana and makes um you know eye contact for a moment, sort of like thinking to the sort of shared vision that they had had. Um and does you know that that I I I was I was near death. Both my wings had been chopped off. I I was writhing in pain. I I lost myself and when Svetlana placed her, you know, hands upon me and sent that healing light sent the healing light towards me, then I I I saw something greater than me for the first time. Like truly. I I've heard people talk about that and I've seen, you know, religious um people and and priests and followers, and I I I never really understood what that meant or what that was. And, you know, honestly, even now it's it's hard to put into words, but I I know what that means and know what it feels like. And I think I'm still trying to figure out And discover what that means for me and how exactly I live my life with that. But that that's the journey that, you know, now I'm happy to take. And I think I'm honestly going to be all the better for it. That might get cool like fiery stuff I can do, you know. So fiery stuff's cool. Yes. And we must uh use our powers for good and um to spread his warmth. And it's interesting. I I I didn't know how much it impacted you whenever I laid my hands on you in that moment in the temple. I felt it. I I just didn't know that you felt it. Yes. Yeah, it it it was transformative. Um it changed it changed me and uh who I am and before I just had seen it from afar and I remember at one point when man, I think it was does anybody remember that mirror we got uh really into in a dungeon way back A long time ago that somebody had smashed with an axe. Think Boga still has I think Boga still has a piece of it. Potentially. Where it is, I don't know. Um so when when that mirror, you know, had been uh when it had been broken. And uh when Svitlana had done, as I remember, a prayer over that, I remember uh sort of then starting to see the connection and the feeling and and how how that that gives meaning and purpose and and connects you know her to others and other people around us and that Um, I think was really when when I started to build that connection. And uh obviously it's only grown since then. Uh then Maz kind of flaps her her you know, fancy, fancy, fancy wings and is like looks looks over at one like, you know, and obviously, you know, uh gives me the means to spread this and it's pr spread spread the the the word and light of a core um and to travel with all of you. I do have to say, Maz, um I think I owe you um a lot of gratitude actually. I know that you think that I helped you to discover this, but um but really I think you helped me in return. I I think the last few weeks have been very difficult for me and uh especially with the loss of Toco and Really seeing the impact of my decisions um and how All of them may not have been the right decisions. And I started to doubt my relationship with Kor and whether I was doing the right thing. But you have brought me back. You've brought Core back to me. And I hadn't heard his voice in a long time since Since before Toko and um you helped me hear him again. When I laid my hands on you, I I heard him. I heard him tell me that This was his plan. This was his plan all along. That means a lot, you know. I hope you know how important that was for me. I didn't know, but I felt it. And now I know. And I think that's one thing that I found more than anything else is that connection with me and others, with you, with core, and then with everyone around us. And that's You know, that it is it reminds me that beauty and love, you know, still exist in um in this world, and it's really um a result of the people around us. And Maz looks at Svetlana as uh she says this, but then also looks at Yuriel, who she's known for a long time, and and looks at everyone else in turn, um, that this this this is why we are here, uh, to build and continue these connections. And with each other. Does that answer your question, Boca? It I I suppose it it sounds like this religion. is uh slightly contagious, does it not? Some might say that, yes. I mean I'm curious. Not that you have to share my beliefs. I of course I know it's not for everybody, but what do you believe? Do you have something outside of yourself that you believe in? Or I guess do you believe in yourself? I it's not something that's ever really I've never really thought upon this. I suppose I need to know what I'm believing in, rather than Trusting uh trusting in an entity. I've no I've not been able to see or not been able to hear. But who knows? I would like to believe in something. Certainly. What that is, I uh I know not yet. Maybe that will change. You know, we've known each other for a while now, Boga, and um I know how sweet you are and how kind you are and you know how ferocious you can be. Um when you believe in yourself. But sometimes I fear that you don't often believe in yourself I I know that you don't have an entity that you can rely on, a divine power, but there is a divine power in you, and I wonder why why don't do you see it? Uh because it's it's it's these are kind words, but simply it's not it's not true. I'm so I'm so weak compared to the rest of you. I I feel like I'm I'm just I'm here, I'm occasionally useful, but other than that, I'm just kinda more another body to look out for I d I don't have I don't have your divine might. I don't have the partnership that Ariel has with Pazu. I don't have the creativity. that somehow Hilo has, or even hell, even the bravery that Maz has. I'm just I'm just a little frog in A world that is too it's not for me. I'm I'm out of my depth and I'm out of out of place I think that you kind of hit it in the nail on on the head that we all have our different strengths. We I am strong, yes, but Do I make the right choices? No, not often. And sometimes I I act before I think. But I think together we We are strong and we counter each other's weaknesses and you often think before you act I know that helps me. I look to you to know if I am making the right decision, and I think you have a lot to offer this group. I just think you don't realize how much you do add to our little gang of Tater Dots. You are my favorite topping. And and and you mine. Dear dear dear Svetlana. I I and Bogle just kinda trail off. Unsure what to say next. I hope you ponder my words, and I know that it's hard to talk about, and that you don't believe in yourself, but I believe in you enough for the both of us for now. And I hope that that's enough. Uh sm smiles back gently. Just think suppose we should probably keep going. Yes, of course. I offer her my hand. Does she take it? She does. Oh, I was just saying we walk hand in hand, my hand kind of drooping down and Boga's having to like kind of be up in the air just to reach. Yeah, like a like a little toddler with a really tall human. Yeah. Maz is just like, only one person teleported into that thing and got me out, just saying. That's very true, Boga. You'd have done that. the same. You you would have found a way. But we can't. None of us can do that. Boga in this In this moment, you also remember, um, just slightly before rescuing Maz, when um Sal came across an old friend locked in a cage with None of them had a way to open. And you took something you had never done before and In a move that to the rest of your friends looked simple, saved her and let her escape. I suppose maybe there is may Maybe maybe there is something looking out for me. I guess I gotta find it. Yeah. Agreed. Yo I I know you travel a lot and I am curious. I mean, we've got some time until we get to the next place that we're going. Would you Tell us about some of your travels and your family growing up. I was kind of a homebody myself before I got to Course Light, and that's only been for a year or so now, but I I would love to hear your stories. Uh uh Uriel looks around and uh just trying to see how far it is to the cove. Like maybe we could all get comfortable, get cleaned up, get comfortable at an inn and You know, sit sit down around the hearth in indoors, not even a campfire. It's w it's a real upgrade for us. Uh How how far are we from the cove? As Svetlana asks this question, and as you're kind of looking around, uh you come to another clearing in the woods And almost like the sound is fading in. You hear the the din, I think is the right word, of a lot of people speaking at once And you realize that you have walked a whole day, essentially, and made it to the edge of the Verdant Cove, a little town, um, little port city at the edge of the Endless Forest. Where you started your journey on this island? Well, perhaps we should get an end then and in the morning we can go to top. It is evening. So there you know the if you look around as you kind of appro I assume you're gonna continue walking towards the Verdant Cove, uh correct me if I'm wrong there, but uh you look around and you see torches are lit. And um there is quite a few people milling about and Maz might remember like Flying up in the clearing and seeing how many people there were. You're not entirely sure because you were far away, but it there might even be more people. No, Maz. Are we approaching uh like a crowd? Is this There weren't this many people here before, right? I'm throwing this out to the the group that came came in this way. Were there? Hilo shakes his head and it was It is definitely busier than it was. Why s? What happened? Let's uh everybody kind of stay together, you know, so we don't get Jostled and separated and make our way to the inn. Uh see if anybody remember the name of the inn? Or there's room available and we can maybe find out What's with all the people? Okay. So Atlanta did remember the name. It is Larry's Libation. Because the entire session for that one was like alliteration over and over and over. So um as you walk down kind of the central the central pathway, I was gonna say street, but th these are pretty pretty narrow, not really made for vehicles so much as just people walking. As you walk down the central pathway, you're gonna pass uh tot's this and that, and Rini's Revelations, which still has a nail that's probably could be hammered in if someone would just take the initiative. Um so you you pass these places and um one thing you notice about the crowds is The it's not one group of people. It's a lot of small groups of people who seem to kind of be together. So I expect somebody in the inn in the tavern may have an idea of what's going on here. Shall we go in? I would like to get out. This crowd. In the inn? Yes. In the inn. In the inning. Yeah. So is it Is it overcrowded? It's it's yeah, I mean no, it's it's easy enough to do. So the bottom floor of the inn is what I would consider like the tavern area. Um, so there are are a lot of tables, there's a bar, the tables are pretty much m mostly taken up. There does seem to be one in kind of the back corner and in a darker corner. Um maybe not the most appealing table in the in Larry's libations. But it is that seems to be free. There's a bartender scrubbing down the bar with a towel, um, and also kind of slinging drinks. And like I said, just there's a lot of There's a lot of noise just due to the number of people, nothing that's like frightening or anything. It's just a bunch of people in a room talking and drinking and eating and laughing. And you also see a staircase that leads up and you assume that that is where the rooms are. I look around to the other tater tots and I say, can we afford a room? Because I spent all my money at tots this and that and I I think maybe some of you did as well. I've got a couple of handfuls of gold. I'm sure we could find something you do, poga. Oh I I'm so thankful for that. I my bag is empty, I say, and I like Turn it inside out and like nothing falls out. As you're talking about this, you actually see someone someone walks in behind you and you see them see the empty table in the back corner. You see them kind of look towards it. Here goes for the table. Slizen over the bar. Come on. Let's. Um Ariel's side-eyeing them moving through the the tables. I could see Pazu just weaving thunks her back. And like kinda like runs after Yuriel, which is hilarious because Maz used to be smaller and is acting like she was still smaller, but now it's like actually looks huge. It's awkward, right? Because it's like doom, doom, doom, doom. Yeah. She's bumping, smacking somebody with the wings. The drink gets knocked over, like Yeah. For a moment, Uriel, you were not sure that you were going to beat this this other group to the table, but with Maz kind of clomping behind you, um, Maz clips one of them with a wing just slightly and uh you happen to get to the table just before they do and you look up at them And they're like you kind of get some squinted eyes and a little bit of a and then they they kinda mill away to try to go find some place else to sit. Good good thing we're not making any enemies. The only tavern in in the village. Is the fire, the hearth, close to that table At all? Um, you're kind of in the back corner. So your picture when you walked in the door, the bar was forward and to the left, and then the hearth was next to that. And then your table is off in the kind of the right back corner if you're if you're positioning yourself from the door. So You're frankly, you you guys are kind of at the the table the furthest away from the hearth, which is probably why it was the last one picked. That's all right. Svetlana's gonna go over to the hearth and kinda like go and like warm her hands at the fire and kind of like shake off some of that coldness that she had the entire walk. Yeah, to kinda dry off a little bit. Um she removes some of her clothing and kind of like hangs it up on the not like she's not naked. She removes the outer layer of clothing. She's not that hangs it up on the heart. No, not um just in an attempt to try to like dry some of her clothes. I have an idea how to do this money. Once she warms up a little bit. Your earls like ostentatiously spreading out like her bag, you know, on on one seat and her cloak on another seat to make sure that nobody tries to steal those. Leaving all the seats. Yeah. I love it. Um once I warm up a little bit, I'm gonna head back and and help Yuriel save the seats. Okay. What's everybody else doing? I load, I load. was a little slow getting to the table because you know Maz and Uriel are obviously much quicker than him. Um but he can take up a large amount of space by lanking around with his arms and one leg stretched out. Which doesn't look very comfortable, but he doesn't seem to have a problem with it. Yeah. Hilo, can you make an instinct roll for me? I want to see if you notice something. Sure. No I broke our streak. Um instinct is zero. So it's a uh 17 with fear. Seventeen with fear. You notice that as you walk by tables, they get quiet for a second. I'm just gonna take that fear by the way and bank it. So Yeah, yeah. Um so Guriel and Maz are at the table and Isn't who else is at the table? Svetlana. Oh Pazu. Well Svetlana walked over to the park first. I probably got there after you. So Hilo's Hilo's watching Does that same thing happen with Svetlana going over there? No. Like, it's just us. Okay. He kind of lowers his voice and leans in to the people at the table. I think did did you notice things getting quiet as we came in? Ariel I did not notice because well I was busy eyeballing the Threat to our table. Maz is like, what? Um so so um He he we kind of asks Maz to go and and and get Svetlana and and watches as Maz goes by. I was like, uh-uh, okay. And Maz does the thing. Are you looking for the same thing? Yeah, I'm looking to see. I'm looking to see uh see if it's the same reaction. It's not. So um without waiting for them to come back. Um Hilo actually walks over to the bar. Okay. And and it's like waving to people as he kind of makes his way through, just kind of. You get a lot of blushes. Trying to catch you. You get a lot of blushes and people kind of like look away and everything. Huh? Hilo's famous here. I'm the problem, it's me. Wait a minute. Um Uh but uh Ariel is um looking for the other person who doesn't stand out over the crowd. Just just make sh make sure we stick together, us people. Who might blend in to the lower portion of the crowd? Around tables materials. Come on, come on. I've I've saved you seat. Feel free to move any of my stuff. Thank you. But don't let anybody take that one. Just do you walk up to the bartender, Final? Uh yeah, I was gonna w uh yes. I'll I'll continue to walk up to the bar bartender. Okay. Uh bartender is kind of polishing the the uh the bar and looks up at you and kind of goes, Oh Wow. It's you. Oh, sorry. Uh welcome to Larry's Libations. Uh, I'm Larry. Um Libations? Do you want any? Can I just say I'm sorry? It's delightful to hear Michael try to work with the dumb things that I've made. He's like, yep, this is what I got to work with. Uh hilo nods and and motions to the table back there. I'm sure my friends could use something. Um, what do you recommend? Oh shoot. I I think the note that you left for me about Verdant Cove is gone. Do you want the uh well first Oh no, I found it. I found it. I found it. It's in the wrong sector. There was a signature drink, right? Yes. Okay. Uh oh, there is. Yeah, okay. Sorry, we're gonna cut all that out. Um your verdant code notes were under the endless forest, and that's what confused me. Okay. Uh, well, most people who come here are here for kind of our signature drink. Um I gotta be honest with you, I didn't I didn't name it, but people started requesting it, and so I can strongly recommend the green juice. It's it's better than it sounds, let me tell you. It's Green. Green. It depends. It depends look. And he kind of leans over the the bar a little bit and he's like, I'm gonna be honest with you. It really just depends on what kind of what kind of mixers we have at the time. It's it's anywhere from a green to a teal, but you're gonna have to keep that to yourself. Oh my. Um and and and uh Hilo nods nods sagely and it's like okay I'll I'll check with them and and see if they want the green juice. What what news? If you don't if you don't like green juice, we also can uh you know mix you up something else. We have a few uh a few ales That we could uh get get going for ya. So you let me know. And he kind of gets back to polishing the the bar The bar is by the way like spickin' span. Like it is perfectly clean, but he's just kind of doing it like out of habit. Um So so Hilo Hilo nods and and looks like he ponders from it. So uh what what news, friend? News? How do you mean? Yes. Um there's a lot of people about. Not like the last time we came through. He kind of gives you a a knowing smile. He's like, well, uh, apparently we have Something a l of a little celebrity in our midst. ILO uh is is is a a portrait of visible confusion. Um He winks at you. Again the vents. Oh. Um you mean Ah. Hmm. Okay. And he's realized during this conversation that he actually has no money to buy drinks with. So he's he's not actually able to order the green drinks. And in fact, he he he pats at his uh at the money the the flaccid money pouch at his side and uh says I see well thank you friend um and and Gives a jaunty wave and heads back over to the table. As you do that, you notice that when you guys kind of walked in, the tables were taken up, but There wasn't like a lot of people standing around. As you walk back, you notice that people are starting to kind of file in to Larry's libations. And none of them are looking your way, but they're not not looking your way So ha have uh Maz and Svetlana returned to our table? As uh Maz comes up to to get me, I kinda blush a little bit and gather my my clothing and wrap myself back up and follow Maz back to the table. Uh yeah Maz Walks back to the table is like, well, I guess that's what Rorik was. No no never mind. Never mind. Never mind. Do you actually say something about Rorik? Um Ariel's kind of like elbow nudges Maz. I think we've got a a bit of a celebrity with us. You missed it, but when we arrived, Sal announced Hilo the storyteller and tried to pawn off an autograph as a bribe. It was amazing. I'm sorry you missed it. Maz looks at Yurio like a little dumbfounded and then kind of like stares for it's like, but but but did did did it work? More or less. Oh, it's one of those situ Okay. So p so like what what is Hilo famous for? Apparently telling stories. She hails, hails hilo, returning to the table. What what news? Hilo? She says loudly. What news? Hilo. We make sure that nobody misses. Every head in the tavern turns quickly to you and then like you can sense the moment where everybody's like, this isn't appropriate, and they turn back. But for but for just a moment after you say hilo that loudly, dead silence in the tavern. I don't think I can take this. Hilo completely ignores that. And Hilo completely ignores that and says, oh sorry, um I couldn't buy the drinks because I I I'm out of coin myself. And he he sits down. Uh but they do recommend green juice here, if anyone is so inclined. As you sit down, Larry comes up behind you with a round of green juice for the table. And sets it down, sets one in front of each of you. And you notice that the the it like it it's not just that it's green, it glows. It glows like the light of Kor? Kor's light? It's it's a Jeez. It's a little bit startling, but but it glows. Ooh, uh uh Hilo exclaims. And then and as you say ooh, uh Larry reaches into his back pocket Strikes a match, sets the green juice, like the top of it on fire, and does that for each one. Praise core, this is so cool. And then uh he says compliments of them and points to somebody at the bar who kind of like is looking at you until you guys look and then she turns away. Um Hilo actually does have a hat with a like a large feather on it that he's wearing and he tips it. giving it a little bit of a wave to the to the person there looking incredibly awkward to those at the table. But pretending to be very, you know, used to this kind of a thing for everyone else. Do we recognize the person at the counter at all? Do you want uh roll to try or sure Oh my gosh. That's uh well, is it in sync? Um You can do instinct or you can do knowledge if you think that might make more knowledge is probably more accurate. Okay. Uh that's a plus zero. So twelve with fear. What's a one on my hope die, by the way? You do not remember this person. I mean meanwhile, without like missing a beat, Maz just like Puts the flames out and takes a sip to this thing, this drink. Just like doesn't question it. Doesn't like think twice. Puts it back down. Would you like win as well, Naz? Maz just looks over, kind of like in a uh uh like just like a side eye kind of like lance, doesn't even shift her head and just like slides it on over and Maz's two. One so still has flames, the other one does not It's like, yeah. Svetlana giggles a little bit. Mass is like, light of core, right? Mm-hmm. Hello, Hilo kind of quints at it a little bit. It's like I d don't remember Cor's Light ever being green. I was like, well, you d you know, it's a cool Yeah, like it comes in many forms. It's like the part on top. It's the top part, right? Come on, Svetlana, help me out. Yeah, yeah, it's it's glowing mixer. Yeah, exactly. It's coarse like the fused with green. There's something green that's changing the color. Now that we've got our li libations, Yuria. Aria lifts hers. Yeah, Aria lifts her glass, sort of, you know, like A casual toast to friends lost and reunited. Friends lost and reunited. And Svetlana takes the empty glass that Matt's already downed and holds it up with like uh cheers Maz joins in. Bogger's currently frozen with fear because everyone's kinda everyone's kinda staring. She's like she's not comfortable with the same situation at all. Svetlana holds up Boga's glass in an imitation, like doing it for Boga. Clink. Clink. And then I mimic drinking it, but I don't actually, and I set it down. Yuriel, you promised me stories. And well, I don't know if you promised, but. I have stories. Yes, but I am at the moment Really interested in uh what's going on with Hilo's notoriety over here Very true. Maybe Hilo should regale us with some of his stories. Hilo, what what's going on? I could charge a cover. Charge a cover. As you say that, you look over and notice the the stage That is available in the corner of Larry's libations. Currently unused. Hilo um kind of glances at the stage and then glances at Uriel. and comments. Uh apparently Sal's stories grew in the telling. As stories do. And he sighs and he he like tries to shrink down for a moment like like he's uh reluctant to get up there just yet. Even though um w was there somebody playing up there at the at the beginning when we walked in? Because the last time we came in there was there was to a place there was somebody at the stage. There was there was nobody on the stage, no. It has been It has been empty. Reserved, you might say. Would you feel more apt to sharing if we all chanted your name? Hi look, hi look, hi. Garl smelled oh geez. They I I assume she did that out loud. Oh yes. She she didn't do it super loud because she knows Hilo's embarrassed and she didn't want to necessarily get everybody involved in it, but she like Does it for him to like ambient? That's what Svetlana did. You wanna know what Maz did? Oh boy. Maz just starts like doom doom doom like pounding on the table while Svetlana's trying to be somewhat discreet and just kind of encouraging. Maz just like You know, especially after downing one glass of the green juice is just like feeling herself, you know, and just like downing on the table. maybe Peter's out and is like, hi, hello gets quieter and Mass is still pounding at the same volume. And I'm like, ugh. Can I catch Larry before he moves away from the table? And Sure. So you've heard of my friend Hilo? There I hear some things working here. I I He he looks at Hilo. He's, you know, I I gotta be honest with you, I'm not entirely aware of your work. Um, but It does seem that you have a following. And he kind of looks around. I'm not complaining business-wise, that's for sure. Well, my good man, what if We came to an arrangement, you know, maybe this is your opportunity to to learn Hilo's work. And as he will be, you know, gracing your clientele with his presence, uh, we could Maybe make arrangements to have a place to sleep later tonight. He looks back at Hilo. So you're gonna tell us a story? And he kind of turns to the stage. And then looks back at Hilo. Hilo's voice actually like cracks a little bit as he says, sure. Ariel picks it up. That's that's what he's known for. Storytelling. And he turns back to Uriel and says, get a good story. If we get a story that kind of rouses the people up. Gets, you know, gets the drinks flowing a little bit better. We could definitely set you up with a room. We don't have a lot left. Um as you can see We're not exactly used to this many people in the in in our little our little cove. So I'm gonna be giving you the best room in the inn. But let us uh See see about, you know, uh we'll finish our drinks and and make ourselves ready. I um whisper into Hilo's ear, um, I could do special effects for you. I um I can make lights. Hilo kind of m nods agreeably and uh Unlike everyone else who blew out their drink, he actually just takes a drink from his. Mass has almost finished the second one by the way. Sets it down on the table for a moment. Kind of does this like he's cleaning himself off brushing away the road dust basically and uh using his a adjusted appearance skill. He actually looks now like he has been laundered and pressed like his He looks a little shinier than he did before. Like there's no those those of you who know him, you still see the dents in the armor. You still see the kind of the the wounds that are there, but they look clean and they look kind of nice. And his color-changing cloak changes to a bright orange that totally contrasts with the purple and group uh hat with the green feather. As he prepares to get up on to get up towards the stage. As um You notice that Larry goes and lights the torches around the stage, like kind of on the front. And they have little like hoods to kind of like angle the light towards you. And there's also some torches on the wall behind the stage that are lit. And the tavern gets quiet. As this is starting to happen. Anticipation. As Hilo walks towards the stage, Svetlana like uses her ability I burn with the light of a thousand suns and creates a spotlight with her hands and follows Hilo as he walks toward the stage and like just focuses the spotlight on him. Maz flaps her wings a bit to create a breeze going in that direction. Hazu like slips under the table. Hilo's the the feather in Hilo's cap. Yeah, yeah. Pazu slips under the table so that uh his tail catches the bright orange cape. It makes it flutter dramatically. The the cape flutters as Maz's wings cause the feather in the cap to kind of like Blow dramatically as well. Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you a question, Hilo. Are you we're we're putting you on the spot here. So a little bit, a little bit of the tail here Do you there's two ways we can do this? One way is you can tell a story or a poem or w whatever. Um just you say it Um and that will be that. Um, if that's something that you don't want to do, because that's a lot to to kind of to wing right now, the other option is we could do some rolls. Oh. Um as as you are as we're having you tell the story and see how effective those are. Or we could pause until next session if you want time to actually come up with something. That's true. I was thinking something in between. Okay. Meaning I could start with a little bit of stuff. I it's kind of part of the thing about being a bard storyteller is you have to have s be able to do something with it Um, but I d obviously don't have everything planned out or written down for this. So um I was thinking I would start Telling the story, maybe do a pause for a roll or two and then try to end the story rather than trying to do the whole darn thing. Okay. Um if that makes sense. Okay. Um, so Hilo actually gets up towards the stage and is there a stool there? Or is this a standing room? Right now it's standing, but Yeah, I was gonna say if you d does anybody in the party wanna wanna help out? Like you you'd have to ask them because they're they're gonna recommend. So he gets up there and he and he and he pauses for a moment. Looks around like he's expecting a soul because he is actually carrying his still flaming drink and instead um sets it in the air. And uses uses uses his um time lock ability on the drink, lets it go, and the the flame itself even stops. Wow. You hear the silence change to I guess what you would describe as a a a silent Or quiet, I guess, sound of awe as people are just like they're not doing it loudly, but you kind of hear like a Ooh. And uh he says he clears his throat. Which is sounds a little more metallic, clanky than than mine did, obviously. Let me tell you, my friends. The story of the two most spectacular ribbets I have ever met. One a master of the blade, the other a master of magic And together, they were nigh unstoppable. And he pauses for a dramatic effect. He pointedly does not look towards Boga. during this whole time. Fair. Is is that one of the the places you is that one of the places you would like to make a roll to see how well it's going over? Uh Sure. And I I would like to go ahead and I wasn't sure if that was what I wasn't sure if that was what pause for dramatic effect was supposed to be. So if if it wasn't it, it was just pausing for dramatic effect. For a for a reaction from the crowd more than a role. The reaction is that everyone is wrapped. They are watching you and listening to you and nothing else. Like people aren't even picking up drinks. They aren't eating their food. It is silent. And he he actually claps into the silence once just to try to, you know. Everybody jumps a little. Sal the valiant Came along looking to rescue our friend. Boga the mysterious. Brought magic and mayhem. I heard that these brave, brave ribbids. Led our group through the endless forests down to meet against the cultist lair where we found An old friend of poor Sal captured and caged. And he goes on to explain how um much more dramatically than than uh actually happened with a little soliloquy between Sal and uh um I forgot her name Amira. A slow look by Sal and then a response by Amira. Amira. Amira, yeah. Amira. Amira, that's right. She didn't get an axe thrown at her even though she was Umbira. That's how I remember that. Well played. Well played. Okay. Yeah, so so he just he he does it he he does a lovely soliloquy making up a backstory for Sal that they were romantically involved even if they weren't and uh how she's trapped behind this prison wishing for freedom, um only for Boga to come to her rescue and teleport her away and out of the of the cage. And he pauses at this tender moment when she flees to watch the crowd again. That feels like a good place for a presence role. Okay. To see how the to see how the crowd is feeling. Listen. to this boge's just like I'm gonna vomit. Okay. Boga takes three stress no. Okay, so presence roll. Okay. That is an 18 with hope. Okay. Take a hope. People are 100% focused entirely on you. You're telling a story of boga. They have no concept that Boga is sitting in some of the cases like a few feet away from them. Um so everybody is watching and listening and Enjoying your story. So uh Hilo then continues through the story, actually telling about the whole battle with the uh evil sorcerer. Um the the Scorchborne folks. But instead of highlighting Svetlana and and uh Uriel's giant contributions, especially the Pazu, you know. Um he does pilot pause you a little bit, but he's really trying to focus on the on the story of the ribbids for this particular instance, talking about how their bravery won the day and was was critical. to saving Maz, who he describes as in great detail about the torture and the loss of the wings and fiery cage. He's taking liberties um that that surrounded or her. And at that pivotal moment he describes as the heroes stood there. Confused and bewildered. One ribbid left it leapt into action. Literally. Teleporting again. The dear friend, the fairy, into safety, out of harm's way. And then Sal's reign of blades caught the malefactor. Slaying him and freeing our friend from the evil tyranny. And uh he pauses again, looking at the audience. Okay. Go ahead and do another instinct roll. Presence. Oh yes, I'm sorry. Presence. Thank you. Yeah, sorry, my brain. I was so locked in on that story I said the wrong thing. That is a 17 with fear. Okay. Everybody is still completely engaged with your story, except in the back Towards the bar, you hear a chair slide back and a very, very drunk voice. Go That's it? I've heard this one already And then he pushes his way out the the door. Wait, it was in the back in the back you say And he's making his way from the back of the room. Well, the back in ri sorry, that was a bad description. He was the back from relative Hilo. Hilo's stage is over by you guys. So in this case, the back is over by the door. So he was lucky for him. Heading heading out the door. Yes. Hilo has never been heckled before. And so he pauses. He like Freezes for a moment. In this moment and then grabs his I'm sorry, I was gonna say in this moment, can the rest of the party do anything to help? 'Cause right now I love been telling the story, everybody's locked in, and then this drunk guy, because of that fear Kind of kind of broke the spell for a moment. Not that there's actually nobody's casting a spell as far as I'm aware, but kind of broke the spell of that story for a moment. So I'm curious if the party has anything they can do to jump in. Can I Use my spirit weapon, but I'm gonna flavor it like I'm gonna use the brunt end of the axe, not the sharp end and push this guy out the door. Still, so I I free my weapon with one hand. The other hand is still maintaining the spotlight. On Hilo. I'm just trying to push this guy out the door before like anyone really knows what's happening. Ariel stands up and says That's just the intermission. Okay, I love it. Trying to create a distraction. Yeah, so the the next time if we have you roll again, we're gonna we're gonna give you advantage. on that roll because of the help from your party. So also you shove the guy out the door. He was on his way anyway, and he fall he falls through the door. Good. But he's out. Top top up your drinks. Somebody get him some water. Hilo actually like did kind of freeze like his like his drink in mid-air as the axe kind of goes flying and pushing the guy out and goes He kind of taps the with the finger the side of the glass, making it chime a little bit. Um, I assume it's glass. Maybe it's metal. Glass is fun. Okay. Uh so ch making a child. Although we did light it on fire, so maybe that shouldn't be glass. I don't know. I don't know either. It goes. Boy, the drinks today seem to be particularly strong. Bing. And kind of shrugs at the guy as he walks out. Um and actually ends the story with with a little with a little flourish and a bow, uh but before he bows he says, Thus will you know, whether by tongue or by knife, ribbets are your helpful friends And he kind of bows. Bravo! Signaling that he's despite what Jet despite what Yuriel said is is apparently done at least for the moment. Because he picks up his glass From the air and then takes a drink out of it. And um Svetlana aside, it is quiet. She kind of looks around self-consciously. And then everybody everybody leaps to their feet in a thundering round of applause. And um people are people are people are excited, they love your story, and as you step down from the stage, unless you're gonna tell another one. Okay, fair fair for listeners that was an enthusiastic no. There was head shaking that almost took my headphones off. Yes. Now get your libations for the rest of the night and enjoy. Your time with friends. And um everybody goes back to eating and drinking, and you get the sense that the the chatter that you were hearing before is actually louder than it was. Everybody is seems more lively and it's crowded at the bar And Larry takes a a quick moment at the bar to kind of walk you over a key to the room. And he's like, I can't stay, but it's all the way up the stairs. You can't miss it. And gets back to his bar and he's slinging drinks left and right and everybody is drinking green juice because of the fire um that they saw on on your on your on the stage So meanwhile, Hilo is as he sits down, like literally slumps, like he's run a marathon. Uh he's got the little the little embarrassment vent still going. Embarrassment? Yeah, well done Hilo. Well done. He actually like goes back. That was okay for a first time This isn't the question. It was more than okay. It was great. And as you sit there and kind of talk amongst each other, you notice that the the tavern is filling up even more and there are people waiting for tables. Should we make our way to our room so we can free up a table and maybe Well Larry could have somebody bring food up to us, you know, well when there's a a free moment. Yeah, that sounds great. I know I have some repairing to do on my armor before we get going tomorrow, so I should probably spend some of this evening doing that. I mean, the food sounds great, guys. Like Let's get up to the room. Fet Lana puts a shoulder under Maz to try to like help her up the stairs. Um Noticing how inebriated she is. Like, I got wings, I don't even need that shoulder. And then kind of still slumps over towards my line. We don't fly while intoxicated. Fly whenever I want. That's how we stub the other toes. How many drinks did Maz have while I was up there? All of them. Uh And as you move your way past the bar and one of you kind of gets Larry's attention and, you know, it's like, hey, can you bring us up some food when you have a moment? And he he nods and then just keeps Like he's he's kind of underneath it right now. Um, but he he will get you something later and you move all the way up the stairs to the very top room. And you put the key in, and you open the door, and you notice the bed is in the shape of a heart. And there's a bathtub that is definitely suitable for more than one person in the bathroom. And as you guys get settled into your room, I think that's where we're gonna call it for today. And we can do our long rest actions next time if you guys would like.