Welcome to the Good Good Table: S1 Ep. 04 - Underneath It All

Down under Havenwatch the party goes in pursuit of the missing kiddos and the mysterious "grandmother" who seems to be at the center of it all.

Look for new episodes every Wednesday!

Content Warnings:
Course Language
Missing Children
The Occasional Bit of Innuendo
Being in a Cave
Irresponsible Adults
Creepy Holes
A cat in the background sometimes, just doing cat stuff

Our group uses Dungeons and Dragons 2014 edition along with some homebrew goodness to make things really fit in our storytelling. Feel free to ask us about how we do things, Alex especially loves a good lore drop!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Good Good Table is a podcast for grown folks with swear words and violence. Content warnings can be found in the description.

SPEAKER_09 0:42

Thank you for coming back. Thank you for for just being awesome and and listening. Hey, my name is Alex. I'll be your DM and your host today. We're starting real hot. Um, I am here with these wonderful people. We got we got Jenova. Jen as Jenova. Your name is Jen. Your character's Jenova.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Yes, yes. Howdy.

SPEAKER_09 1:00

Yay! We've got Elizabeth Delos.

SPEAKER_04 1:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 1:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:05

You had a second there.

SPEAKER_09 1:06

I did. I had to think about it for just a second. And we've got Courtney as Lunette.

SPEAKER_03 1:12

Lunette as Courtney. It is I Lunette. Yes. What's up? What's up? What's up?

SPEAKER_09 1:17

I am my character.

SPEAKER_08 1:19

And Brandon as Vernard.

SPEAKER_03 1:22

Oh, Brandon's name, you remember.

SPEAKER_08 1:23

I'm not a large woman and I cannot lie.

SPEAKER_09 1:25

Yay!

SPEAKER_03 1:26

Brandon's name, you remember. Everyone else is just their character. That's all we are to you is.

SPEAKER_09 1:33

We've got these three characters.

SPEAKER_07 1:36

Yes, because that's like a drag on my role-playing. So what you're saying is I need to embrace more. You need to embody your character for with for all your soul.

SPEAKER_03 1:47

I'm afraid method acting will be required, so you need to start pursuing large women.

SPEAKER_09 1:52

I need Oh no. Excellent. So previously at the Good Good Table, we were doing horrific things. Other things. Yes. Sad missing children things. Yes, pipe shit. Yeah, so. Party continued their investigation into the missing children of Ogin. Mercy House was full of children who were all distracted, humming, and all talking about wanting to go back to their grandmother. Yay. Uh the families reported children coming back home briefly, but then leaving once again in the night. Then, after reviewing the case file, Dromesh found a report of the area indicating there's something strange about the dense concentration of life underneath Havenwatch.

SPEAKER_07 2:31

He discovered there's something strange in the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_09 2:34

There's some there's some stuff down there. That ain't right. Yep. Uh Havenwatch, which is the large tower overlooking the market quarter. Upon further inspection, a hole was found hidden in the sandstone at the base of the tower, leading down into darkness. With all these pieces in hand, the party returned to Warden Keldora, who finally had enough pieces to pull the trigger, escalating their warrants to rank A, with the authority to dispatch whatever dwelled below Havenwatch and save the children. And here we are. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 3:06

Hello.

SPEAKER_09 3:07

Yes. So.

SPEAKER_04 3:10

Do we have torches?

SPEAKER_09 3:12

Do you have torches?

SPEAKER_04 3:14

I have candles. I have dark vision. I do not have dark vision.

SPEAKER_09 3:17

I'm just imagining Dalos having like a burning candle just resting on his shoulder.

SPEAKER_04 3:22

Like that I just need to make it known. I do not have dark vision. Oh wait, does everyone else have dark vision? Yeah. Dark vision. Okay. Okay. Then I guess I need the candle and no one else.

SPEAKER_09 3:34

There you go. Just like heat up one end of it and just stick it there.

SPEAKER_04 3:39

You're seeing eye elf. Dales goes, what do I need to hit? I need you to paint the target. I need you to glow it, please.

SPEAKER_12 3:48

Excellent.

SPEAKER_09 3:49

So, okay. You are you are there at the at the at the yawning mouth of the hole, going down underneath the tower.

SPEAKER_04 4:00

Does Dromash have dark vision? Dromash is a dragon board. Dragonborns don't usually go.

SPEAKER_07 4:03

No, but he's a he's a Demora Dragonborn.

SPEAKER_08 4:05

You're right. I don't think he does.

SPEAKER_04 4:06

Sorry, not to metagame. No, you're fine. Then Dromash and I can be blind buddies.

SPEAKER_10 4:11

I can't see down there, no, but yeah.

SPEAKER_04 4:13

Does Dromash have a torch?

SPEAKER_07 4:14

I yeah, I have a torch. Doesn't have it like an inventory. He just pulls his sword out and the materium glows. He's like, I'm brought up my fire.

SPEAKER_04 4:21

Are there stairs?

SPEAKER_09 4:24

It is a hole that has been weathered into the natural sandstone foundation of this area. So it is it is kind of slopy. Yeah. But it's traversable.

unknown 4:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 4:35

Ribbed, as it were.

SPEAKER_09 4:38

God damn it. Um I haven't even gotten into the blitz.

SPEAKER_04 4:46

I can't see very far under this area. Uh I don't think I should take the lead, but I'm more than willing to be second.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Uh Lunette can offer to take lead. Point. And I can be secondary. My dark vision reaches up to 120. Damn. Because of the words. So we should probably that's twice.

SPEAKER_07 5:05

That's twice. I was gonna say she's got she's got a mega dark vision.

SPEAKER_04 5:08

So what I'm hearing is we should have Jenova take point and then Lunette take rear. So that we can cover our faces.

SPEAKER_07 5:15

I was gonna say, and then um I'll But we have our tanks in the middle.

SPEAKER_04 5:18

That's so weird.

SPEAKER_07 5:19

Well, two two of the three tanks are blind. Yeah, I know. Um it's just weird. The squishy ones on the other side. Okay, I think with that, I like the idea of Jenova up front, because see farthest, Lynette at the back. I'll be in the middle, like physically between you and Dromash. Okay. And I'm just walking like with my hands on this Dromash's shoulders, like, it's gonna be okay, bro. We're all holding hands. Bro, we're we're gonna be good. We're gonna see the wizard down the hole.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Like going into a haunted house.

SPEAKER_04 5:47

I don't even think can we stand three wide?

SPEAKER_09 5:50

It is it is actually narrow but passable in single file.

SPEAKER_07 5:53

Uh okay, so yeah, we're gonna so Jenova, Dalos, Menaria, Dromash, Lunette.

SPEAKER_09 6:01

Excellent. Poife. Okay. So you head down underneath Haven Watch. Uh, in single file. The air is thick with humidity and the smell of damp stone as you're heading down in here. But it starts cooling as you descend. Uh as you're heading down, Dromash will kind of just say quietly, whatever's down here, we want to bring it in alive, kicking if we can.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

The archivists will want to crack at it, but also the pays a little better.

SPEAKER_09 6:34

But as you get down there, you you end up in an open two-tiered chamber. Appears to be the only way in or out of the caverns that you've seen so far.

SPEAKER_07 6:45

Uh so we're in this kind of antechamber. How how far down are we for this this initial chamber?

SPEAKER_09 6:51

It went down a ways. You're probably somewhere in the 10 to 20 meters. Yeah, like enough that like it is it is cooled down a little bit. The air being so humid and just the way games are, it is it is significantly cooler um than the three AC.

SPEAKER_04 7:10

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 7:11

It is energy efficient down here. Okay, and it and you said you use the word cavern, so it's like this this is not we're not seeing like stonework or anything down here.

SPEAKER_09 7:19

No, this is all natural. This this appears to be a combination of probably like rain water, runoff, uh, underground, like water channels, stuff like that. Like this is this is all naturally huge as far as you can tell.

SPEAKER_04 7:32

And we've never noticed this before. They didn't like be like structurally.

SPEAKER_09 7:37

It was it was pretty well hidden. The only reason you found it as quickly as you did was. Yeah, like something's here we need to look. Uh yeah, then it was it wasn't too hard to find. It was about how like uh like bushes. So, Dromash, we'll kind of look around for a minute. There should be some spiders here, but I'm not seeing anything.

SPEAKER_07 7:56

Are there any sound of webs?

SPEAKER_09 7:59

Um you you you can make a perception check.

SPEAKER_07 8:03

Oh, and then are we in uh in dim light or dark or are we in like complete darkness right now? You are in mostly darkness.

SPEAKER_09 8:10

Okay. You would need some kind of light to see farther than this kind of entrance area.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

How long does a torch last?

SPEAKER_09 8:19

I'm not going to I am not going to keep track of that. It lasts.

SPEAKER_04 8:24

You said Dromesh has torches.

SPEAKER_07 8:26

He does. Okay. Okay. How about you light one up, bro? Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:32

I just only have a candle.

SPEAKER_07 8:34

You're fine.

SPEAKER_09 8:36

Perception. Yes. Perception.

SPEAKER_04 8:40

Uh 23.

SPEAKER_09 8:41

23. Excellent.

SPEAKER_04 8:44

I mean, I I think that's right.

SPEAKER_09 8:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 8:52

That dice hates you. Seriously. Get a different D20. Before you die.

SPEAKER_09 8:57

She was a little distracted because she's thinking about her, you know, her grandpa was a cave elf, you know. Like getting in thinking about that, getting nostalgia for for the old days.

SPEAKER_03 9:05

Yeah, she's like worried about her family. She's like, man, I hope he's our I hope he's alright.

SPEAKER_04 9:08

He's in a nice cave somewhere.

SPEAKER_07 9:10

Not upstage, of course. She's also petting her rabbit as as yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:15

She's watching our six.

SPEAKER_09 9:16

Yeah. So with those rolls, you would notice there's yeah, there's no webs. There's no like there's there's some clear indication that stuff has moved through here. You you need to like roll survival to get like actual details on like the footprints and stuff, but it's Can I roll survival?

SPEAKER_07 9:35

Yeah. I'm gonna roll survival. Ooh, I got a 19 on the die.

SPEAKER_04 9:38

Oh, wait, guys, uh, you do have emboldening bond, which is a plus one d4. Plus nine on my survival.

SPEAKER_07 9:44

There you go. Oh, okay. Hold on. Okay, I got a 19 on the d20 and a four on the d4. Okay, so markedly better rolls this time.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

I got I got a 19. I got worse. Okay. Oh, it's 29. A dirty 30, if you will, if you will.

SPEAKER_09 10:00

Because it's not 30. All of you will will notice this. Um the there are footprints that go kind of in and out of this place. The most recent ones seem to lead north uh through a passage going that way, but there's also a passage going south, and the airflow drifting that way suggests the cavern extends further in that direction.

SPEAKER_04 10:19

But not in the northern direction?

SPEAKER_09 10:21

All you all you're getting is that recent footprints go north, but the airflow suggests south.

SPEAKER_04 10:27

It goes north to south, basically.

SPEAKER_09 10:29

Yeah, you you got this chamber, there's uh there is a path going north, there's a path going south. We were doing an old school text base.

SPEAKER_04 10:35

Yeah, so the northern way has an opening, and the southern way continues the cave. Do we go cave diving or do we find out the opening? Has anyone seen the movie that just gets it?

SPEAKER_07 10:45

Well, or rather, which direction did we come from?

SPEAKER_09 10:48

You came from the northwest of the room. Yep. And there is a passage to the north, and there is a passage to the south. The passage to the north has the most recent footprints. The passage to the south, uh, the airflow indicates that goes deeper into the cavern.

SPEAKER_07 11:03

Um, quick question on those footprints, because I got a 28 and I'm really excited about getting a 28 on any. They rolled so good. So are the are those fresh prints going north?

SPEAKER_09 11:14

Yes. Okay. Yes. There are footprints that are going both in and out, both animal and people or whatever. The most recent footprints are going north.

SPEAKER_04 11:23

Are human and going north?

SPEAKER_09 11:25

They are human and they are going north.

SPEAKER_04 11:27

Or are human.

SPEAKER_09 11:30

They are they are human humanoid foot-shaped.

SPEAKER_07 11:34

Okay, so we made we made the awesome worlds. We just verbalized like all of that. It's like, okay, let's follow the fresh.

SPEAKER_09 11:39

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so yeah, you you all head north. Um, so in this, this is a fairly large chamber. Um, it there is a wide pit in the middle of the room. Uh there is evidence here of like various forms of like trash, you know, just like food waste, stuff like that around the rim. This includes an overturned bucket with vegetable trimmings. The air around it smells like a damp cloth and old food, but not sharply rotten. Nothing that smells dead. There is a broom leading against one wall that has been worn down pretty much to the handle for use.

SPEAKER_04 12:21

What's in the pit?

SPEAKER_08 12:24

You are certainly welcome to roll investigation!

SPEAKER_07 12:29

Well, this would be the time to use the fire spirit because he can fly. Just have him fly down there. Even just to be a light source further down.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

That's a good idea.

SPEAKER_09 12:39

Oh, definitely get the default.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Send Fritter down there.

SPEAKER_09 12:42

Okay, so you're you you're so you're sending Fritter down into the pit.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

It was investigated.

SPEAKER_09 12:48

Let's say 10 feet. Investigation is what we're is the yeah, is it?

SPEAKER_07 12:51

Let's just say like 10 feet down into it. Like still within I guess 25. 25.

SPEAKER_04 12:59

I got a 21.

SPEAKER_14 13:00

Hey.

SPEAKER_07 13:01

I got a 24. Oh, no, I can need to add my intelligence on that. So 28. Headband blues. There you go.

SPEAKER_09 13:08

And an IQ 200 moment. Oh, fuck yeah.

SPEAKER_11 13:11

I was gonna say I used my wisdom for the initial calculations.

SPEAKER_09 13:13

Like, mm-hmm, plus four.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

What's up? Geneva rolled a nine.

SPEAKER_09 13:16

Rover, alright. So that you know that actually makes sense because you're talking about one news fritter, because you're probably a little more focused on the pit. Yeah. Um, so we'll we'll handle that here in just a sec. For the investigation roll, um, this up this place appears to be used pretty frequently. There's well-worn paths in the dust made with with like small footprints. One side of the pit shows markedly less wear than the other one, though. You will also notice there are warnings written, kind of like scraped into the wall and like kind of you know dug into the dirt around the pit. Um, they're very simplistic, very clearly in like a child's handwriting. But they say watch step, no push, trash only, you know, just just little warning indicators. Um to the garbage shoot, flyboy. So for Jenova, you're you're one to send Fritter down into the pit.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Yeah, just to take a look.

SPEAKER_09 14:15

You send for this give us give us a little flavor of you sending your little critter down there.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Okay. So I lean over and I'm like, hey Fritter. I need you to go check out the pit and um and just kind of nose around down there and see what's down there for me, will you? Aw, that's a good phrase.

SPEAKER_09 14:37

He kinda like like sparks like a little little puff of smoke comes on him. And he go, he like if you've ever watched little weasley type creatures run, it's it's more like their body just goes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 14:50

See, I just I just imagine him flying like the uh the otter Patronus, where it's like he's fly swimming.

SPEAKER_09 14:55

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so he gets over to the rim of of the pit and Fritter will stop, kind of sniff around a little bit. And then this kind of s like like they're walking down steps on in mid-air. Uh will start descending into the pit. Now, do you trying to trying to remember how the how they function? Do you get a lot of sensory information back from them, like you communicate with them?

SPEAKER_07 15:26

They're not f yeah, they're not familiars. The wording is is very much more like a summoned creature. Yeah, it's just a little beast. But I would say if we if like Venar is like gonna see him go over and she's gonna like walk to the edge of the pit and look down and be able to see him.

SPEAKER_09 15:40

Okay, so we'll we'll get kind of description more of like what's happening. So Fritter will start kind of descending, and yeah, it it there's there doesn't seem to be anything actually in the pit. It's just dark in there. But as he's doing that, he's just kind of calming down and just slowing a little bit. Doesn't look to be injured or or sick or anything, just stops feeling like he needs to continue. And then just curls up.

SPEAKER_04 16:12

Hmm. Carbon monoxide.

SPEAKER_09 16:14

And then he fades away. He doesn't breathe.

SPEAKER_04 16:18

Fades away, but fire needs oxygen.

SPEAKER_09 16:20

Yeah, not not in not in the way that like he's gone, but like you can you just need to summon him again. Oh, okay. But like yeah, it just it just kind of fizzles out.

SPEAKER_07 16:29

So he took poison damage over and over again on the way up.

SPEAKER_04 16:32

Fire needs oxygen.

SPEAKER_09 16:33

But yeah, I'll just you know uh the important thing to just take away from that is he didn't look to be in pain or anything. He just seemed to get tired and then oxide.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

He just kind of flickered out.

SPEAKER_13 16:47

I'll take everything I make and make it awful.

SPEAKER_07 16:50

So Venari sees that and just like, so we're not going down there. Canary in the line.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

We just watch the canary.

SPEAKER_07 16:56

Yeah, but the canary just died.

SPEAKER_09 16:57

Actually, yeah, so you get up close to the rim.

SPEAKER_07 17:00

Yeah, there's an area.

SPEAKER_09 17:03

You so I I I will stress this is not doesn't feel like a supernatural type of thing, but you do get a definite sense of discomfort as you get around the rim, especially in that area, like I was said, that's worn down less. It it's more an issue of like bad footing and awkward angles. This is this is this getting too close to the pit very clearly communicates to your body like ah, danger.

SPEAKER_07 17:28

Okay, as I'm gonna like do like an about face and just kind of do this, like, okay, everybody back from the edge.

SPEAKER_09 17:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:33

Yeah. So you said that Venaria specifically felt just in an unease of being at a high lip of something that might collapse.

SPEAKER_09 17:43

Yeah, it like it was not supernatural feeling in any way.

SPEAKER_04 17:47

Well, no, like it wasn't it wasn't air.

SPEAKER_09 17:50

What do you mean? Like, like it wasn't like ah, I I feel woozy because No, no, it was more an issue of like ah, I'm gonna lose my balance.

SPEAKER_07 17:59

I'm next to what's this is not this is a a use of convenience. This has not been reinforced or constructed.

SPEAKER_09 18:05

Yeah. Yeah, this is this appears to have been useful, but getting too close to it and hanging out near it is probably not a great idea. So, from here, seems like trash you have the the path leading back south into the entrance chamber, and then there are a couple uh paths back to the east. Uh one one kind of northerly, one southernly, but they both go east. Oh, yeah, so yeah, what the the impression uh that you might get on this, um you could roll inside if you wanted something more specific, but generally, yeah, this this looks to be probably where some some trash is getting known. And children appear to be using it frequently.

SPEAKER_04 18:46

Not a dead end. Damn it, guys.

SPEAKER_07 18:49

Well, not yet.

SPEAKER_04 18:51

Not yet.

SPEAKER_07 18:51

We're still alive.

SPEAKER_04 18:52

Um we're doing clockwise, I guess. So northeast, I feel, is best. We're we're doing maze rolls. We follow the left wall.

SPEAKER_09 19:01

Yeah, but put your hand on the left wall and go.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

Yeah, and just walk.

SPEAKER_09 19:05

And hope. So does that mean you're going the northerly east route?

SPEAKER_04 19:12

Delos will vote northerly east route. Yes. Consensus.

SPEAKER_07 19:18

Okay. Well, okay, um I would like would go with the group, but I that I think as we're like recognizing that we're start that we started at the southeast corner of the city. Um, as we start going east, um, I think she would start trying to gauge if like w at what point we are under the walls, at what point we are outside the walls. Roll roll inside.

SPEAKER_04 19:45

Havenwatch is also very on the edge.

SPEAKER_09 19:48

Yeah, it is literally one of the towers on the curtain wall.

SPEAKER_04 19:52

Would I be able to assist you knowing that Haven Watch is on the very edge?

SPEAKER_09 19:56

If you wanted to also roll the water. Yes, please, because I rolled an eight.

SPEAKER_07 20:02

Okay, did you roll higher than a one?

SPEAKER_04 20:06

I rolled a two and then a one at my D4.

unknown 20:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 20:10

Well, you're underground, so we failed the geography.

SPEAKER_04 20:13

Halos doesn't know this area. He's never.

SPEAKER_07 20:15

Well, neither does Venar. She's just that in general thing of like we started at the corner, so our natural pathways.

SPEAKER_09 20:22

I will give you, at least for your effort there, you may you don't know really specifics of it, but you are probably getting outside of the wall the further you go east.

unknown 20:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 20:34

So just just from sheer like understanding that the tower was the very edge of the wall.

SPEAKER_04 20:40

Cool, cool. Yeah. I'm I'm I'm down to do either, but I I think northeast do the the the maze thing. We gotta choose a path, and I don't want to backtrack.

SPEAKER_07 20:50

We're probably gonna backtrack.

SPEAKER_04 20:51

We're probably going to backtrack. We're hoping to read the biggest. We're hoping to backtrack, but I won't backtrack till we did it.

SPEAKER_07 20:57

Cool, northeast.

SPEAKER_04 20:59

So we go, damn it, we accidentally went the perfect correct way on the first try. What about secrets? That never happens, ever. No.

SPEAKER_09 21:10

So you had two northeast path. Yep. Um, here you end up in a room that looks pretty clearly like somebody's inserted effort to dwell in the cave. There is a makeshift bed, a desk with several candles worth of wax covering one corner, and a worn footlocker with a with a padlock on it. Like locked padlock? A locked padlock.

SPEAKER_00 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 21:41

There is also some stuff on the desk. If anybody would like to take a look at that.

SPEAKER_07 21:46

I'll check I'll check the desk.

SPEAKER_09 21:49

So on the desk is a mortar and pestle. There is a worn dagger. Looks to have probably been used more as a tool than a weapon. There are um those little Little you know those little paper medicinal powder dose packets, you know? There's a few of those on there. There is an old tea kettle, and then behold a prop. A worn leather journal.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

Oh whack! I've been given things to read. Um I hope you can read cursive. I can. I write cursive. Most of my notes are in cursive. I'm the one that can't read cursive.

SPEAKER_09 22:23

Oh yeah, there is a there's a little leather book on there, and if you would like to read it.

SPEAKER_04 22:27

Round robin it. Wow, okay. Don't look at it. I didn't read it at all. I just opened it and went. Wow, the journalist. I was I was being selfish.

SPEAKER_03 22:38

And then uh I will investigate the lock. So first I'm going to first I'm going to roll investigation on it to like see if I need anything special. Like I'm basically checking.

SPEAKER_09 22:49

Yeah, if it's like a mundane log, or if there's anything else going on.

SPEAKER_03 22:52

Is this like a double extra plus fuck you lock or is it like a normal lock?

SPEAKER_04 22:55

Are they trying to keep something safe or are they trying to keep something hidden? Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 23:00

Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and roll investigation. And while you're doing that, um the little the little book is made of red leather bound around sheets of rough paper. The spine cracks as you open it.

SPEAKER_07 23:11

Um I think Vin like okay, uh since I since I did this, I'm gonna say Venaria does this. Uh she reads the the first entry and then the last entry.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

I got a 19 on my investigation.

SPEAKER_09 23:22

Okay, so yeah, you you take a look. It seems to be just a mundane padlock. This is like like a civilian padlock. Just something somebody put on there just you know to keep people from rolling.

SPEAKER_03 23:31

Using my thieves tools, is there uh anything specific I would need to do to pick this lock? Do I need to roll for it? Just roll for it. Oh that'd be a 24. Natural 20. Okay. That's a Nat 20 plus four.

SPEAKER_09 23:42

That's your one. We'll resolve this and then we'll do the journal entries. So you yeah, you you you you get your thieves tools in there and you hear that satisfying little click, and you are free to rummage through the footlogger. Venaria, you said you're gonna read like the first and last entries. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 24:00

Uh, why don't you read those out loud for us? Let me double check how to say the uh the month, because it's in cursive. Octora. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

What month is it currently?

SPEAKER_09 24:12

It is currently uh up here. Uh April, essentially. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:16

Oh, so it's been a while.

unknown 24:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 24:18

Well, this actu the the date on it, I'll go ahead and read it off since it's the first time you're probably seeing it. October 19th, 4A219. That places it about a year and a half ago.

unknown 24:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 24:31

And this is the very first entry, and then we'll do the last one. Uh I've been working in triage at the hospital for the past few weeks with the Cordish refugees. My friend Alice said she would put in a good word since the ward needed an extra hand, so I jumped at the chance. I was so happy to get the chance to help people, especially all these children. But now I'm just so tired all the time. I can't seem to get enough sleep. That's how it is with triage, though. You have to find the energy where you can. The head nurse Ellis told me she would see about finding a day off for me to catch up on the rest, but she isn't sure when that'll be. I'll keep pushing for them.

SPEAKER_04 25:08

Oh no.

SPEAKER_07 25:14

And then final entry is uh Jenora 3 uh 4A221. So two years later. So this would be about three months out. The little ones are safer here. Many of them stay with me now. I watch them play. I watch them get to be little. Down here is safer than up there. They're better off with me.

SPEAKER_03 25:37

Are you sure you don't want to read anything in the middle? That's why.

SPEAKER_04 25:42

How did we get here, guys?

SPEAKER_09 25:44

Well, there's a lot. There's a lot.

SPEAKER_04 25:46

Yeah, yeah, that's fine.

SPEAKER_09 25:46

There, yes, there are several entries.

SPEAKER_04 25:48

We have we can intuit what has happened. The vi well and just go just summing through.

SPEAKER_07 25:53

The vibe is very much like was struggling at the beginning. There have been some like further downs and then some ups. One entry starts with finally some hope.

SPEAKER_09 26:02

Go ahead and read that one. Okay. That that's that's one we need to get.

SPEAKER_07 26:05

That's a Navor 84A219. So that's the third entry of the.

SPEAKER_04 26:09

So two months before the last one.

SPEAKER_07 26:11

No, no, no. This is two months after the first one. Oh, okay. First ones, first ones are two nineteen, last ones are two twenty-one. Okay. Finally some hope. One of the hospital administrators visited me on in the ward today asking if I needed anything. I tried to convince him I was fine. Didn't want to make it s seem like I couldn't handle my work, but he could tell. He landed me or he handed me a little package and told me it was an emergency measure to help meet the needs of the ward. He said if I just slept with it in my hand, I would wake up with more energy and be better able to understand my patient's needs. He mentioned there was a touch of enchantment involved, and that all it required to work was that I was willing to accept it. I just watched a child beg for the pain to stop to make it better. The whole ward is falling apart. You're damn right I'm willing. Then what would that be? It's okay, so March of the next year. This entry starts this entry uh starts with it's working. It took a lot longer than I had hoped, but whatever the administrator gave me, it's completely turned things around for me. I'm not tired at all anymore. In fact, I've been able to take a dull on double shifts here and there to cover for absences.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Every line cook ever.

SPEAKER_07 27:21

Ellis at the improvement shows, and he's happy to see me doing this so much better. I swear I can feel which patients are more at risk than the what than the others. It's like I can sense the exhaustion in their bodies. I'm so grateful to that man. I was never able to find out his name, but he changed my life for the better that day. I'll never forget it. I don't think it was well. It wasn't the end of the Jan, just like Janier 14, say uh 4A 2020. These fools! They don't understand how wasteful they're being. All this time and energy spent on nothing. Why are we wasting resources on guards and lanterns when there are children who need all the help we can give them? Then Ellis had the gall to tell me I'm humming too much. It's becoming a a breach of the words of word silence. As if anyone could hear me over the battles in the coughing. Or yep. Over the kettles in the coughing. Oh, kettles, okay. Sorry. I've been on the bottom of the cave. I've been spending less time in the hospital recently. Since the refugees have slowed down, they're needing less coverage, and the noise has been starting to irritate me anyway. It's nice to spend some time by myself. There's a little spot over by Haven Watch. Far from the hospital in the spindle fields where I can be alone and enjoy the silence. Junior 19, okay, this is uh I found a place of my own. There's a cavern underneath the tower with plenty of room and no spiders at all. There's even some water down here, so I can do my washing in peace. I've had enough of the hospital. Those fools couldn't help themselves out of a burlap sec. It doesn't take a hospital to take care of a few people in need, does it? Plus, there's nobody to stop me humming down here.

SPEAKER_04 28:59

Speaking of humming, can I make sure I'm really listening for if there's any humming ever?

SPEAKER_09 29:04

You are welcome to make a perception check.

SPEAKER_04 29:06

Okay, just just I I mean, I just like it's more like I want to make sure that that I am aware of whether or not summer is humming at any time throughout the whole time we're in here.

SPEAKER_06 29:17

It's okay.

SPEAKER_04 29:18

Okay. Set systems to scan for humming. I can't hear it right now, at least.

SPEAKER_09 29:24

Okay. What's your what's your passive perception? Just in case you mentioned that.

SPEAKER_04 29:28

17.

SPEAKER_09 29:28

17. Wow. Alright, cool. Damn.

SPEAKER_04 29:31

Uh yeah, uh, I rolled a 11.

SPEAKER_09 29:35

Okay. Um no, currently you do not hear any humming.

SPEAKER_04 29:39

Yep. But passive is 17.

SPEAKER_07 29:41

Oh, the next oh, the next to last entry is the children have started coming to me. A little one fell into the cavern. I fixed her up. She said she liked my song and she'd be back with her friends. I'll keep them safe down here.

SPEAKER_04 29:54

Granny. It's granny. It's granny.

SPEAKER_07 29:58

And then the last one that ends with they're better off than me. So okay, she's so we said this this last entry is three months ago. Correct. Okay. I just immediately show that last entry to Jeromash and she'd be like, when did is this does this line up with anything?

SPEAKER_10 30:10

Uh and he kind of flips through the packet, like Yeah. Yeah, actually, this this lines up. Um somewhere within the last six months. It it started slow, but it's been starting to pick up recently.

SPEAKER_09 30:27

Um, turning back to the footlocker. So, inside of the footlocker, uh, it it smells faintly of soap and contains assorted personal belongings. You've got some clothes in there, you've got a hairbrush, there is a purse with assorted coinage totaling about 12 gold. There is also a single imperial platinum coin. It looks to be worn from frequent handling. There is a hair pen, a mending kit with needle and thread, flint and steel, and several pouches of dried medicinal herbs. Just as a quick note, there is a name on the inside of that journal. It is signed Maris M-A-R-I-S. Gamwitch.

SPEAKER_04 31:16

Like gam?

SPEAKER_07 31:18

Like gam sandwich. I was gonna say man witch for man, gam witch for grandma.

SPEAKER_10 31:26

It's good just for me.

SPEAKER_11 31:29

Like they like they find ground the meat so she can eat it without her tooth.

SPEAKER_04 31:33

It's nice on my gums. It's the only way, like this is the only path into this cavern.

SPEAKER_09 31:39

Like there's not a way out, or the place that you are in currently, you can head back east back into the pit room. You can head south. Pardon me, yes, west. You can head west back into the pit room, you can head south. There is also a path to the east that heads kind of down. Ah, this was relating back to you were asking about if there's stuff in the footlocker. So this all looks to be Maris's personal effects. There doesn't appear to be anything uh from children in here, particularly.

SPEAKER_03 32:12

Uh, you mentioned a hairbrush, you mentioned uh what are the other things in the trunks?

SPEAKER_09 32:16

There are clothes, a hairbrush, a purse, a single Imperium Imperial Platinum coin looks to be worn with handling. There is a hairpin, a mending kit with needle and thread, a flint and steel, and several pouches of medicinal herbs.

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Okay. Uh I and in one of my spare pouches, I'm just gonna head and gather all of these little things into there. Okay. Uh I pick up the hairpin. Is there anything interesting about it?

SPEAKER_09 32:40

It it looks to be more of a utilitarian hairpin.

SPEAKER_03 32:42

Okay. Uh does anything in this stick out?

SPEAKER_07 32:47

The hairpin, literally.

SPEAKER_09 32:49

If you're looking for something it the the coin could be kind of important. Um, it looks like, like I said, it looks worn from frequent lose use. Kind of like like a worry stone, you know, will get kind of worn down in the middle.

SPEAKER_07 33:03

Can I check to see how long it's been since someone's been in here?

SPEAKER_09 33:07

Sure. Survival. Okay. Dirty twenty.

SPEAKER_08 33:13

Excellent.

SPEAKER_09 33:14

Um, so this room appears to be like over by Mer like I will just call it what it is. This is Maris's like kind of bed chamber. Um people appear to go through this area a lot, but not really towards the living area. It seems to be more just an area to walk through to get to the pit chamber.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

I vote northeast or east, I guess, is the path.

SPEAKER_07 33:40

Like the down. I feel yeah, I feel like if we if we're trying to confirm that like water course, I mean that's that seems like where that would be.

SPEAKER_09 33:46

Well, if you're looking for water, the the kind of breathing, you know, thing that was happening earlier as you were coming in, like the airflow. Yeah, sorry.

SPEAKER_04 33:54

I think I'm gonna describe it as breathing.

SPEAKER_09 33:56

I think of like it's an ominous shit. I don't know why. That's that's just a me thing. It doesn't feel like breathing, it's just air.

SPEAKER_07 34:04

Like something in there is big enough that their breathing is causing the airflow. Yes.

SPEAKER_09 34:08

We're going towards it. The airflow is heading to the south.

SPEAKER_04 34:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 34:12

So if you're looking for water, that's probably gonna be that way.

SPEAKER_04 34:16

Yeah, I I was just following the left wall.

SPEAKER_07 34:19

Okay, so you're heading east.

SPEAKER_04 34:21

If if that is alright. Simply.

SPEAKER_07 34:23

We don't have enough information to say no, really.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

Continuing to map.

SPEAKER_09 34:28

So you head down, you go down the series of ledges. Um this chamber is the largest that you've seen so far. It's actually quite sizable and looks to be divided into two sections. The northern area is wide and flat with a fire burning in the center. There is a thin bridge leading over a chasm that goes to the southern portion of the chamber. Uh, there's a raised area in the northeast with several cots and bedrolls, along with odds and ends, the children that are running around in here. Sorry, I kind of buried the lead there. There are kids running around in here.

SPEAKER_04 35:06

We didn't hear 'em.

SPEAKER_09 35:08

Yeah. Yeah. There are. Uh-huh. So, yeah, there's there's like odds and ends the children find appealing. There's wooden toys, painted pebbles, dolls, that kind of stuff. The larger children look to be tending the fire and trying to keep the smaller ones from tumbling into the chasm. Uh, but they are otherwise unattended. There are a couple dozen children in all. They all look to be relatively healthy, though some of them appear to be paler and and aren't moving around quite as much as the others.

SPEAKER_03 35:41

Oh shit!

SPEAKER_09 35:42

There is one of the children who's not quite as big as, you know, like the big kids, quote unquote. Uh, but he does look to be a little more aware than the other ones. Uh he's sitting on a crate tending a tending the fire, and he's keeping more of a watchful eye than the other ones. He sees us. He does, he sees you. Um as you're looking at him, he appears to be a scrawny young dwarf, around probably about 10 to 12 years old. Um he's wearing a patched vest and baggy pants with a simple iron nail on a string around his neck. And when you enter the area, he actually will kind of walk up to you quickly but quietly.

SPEAKER_04 36:30

Keeping their attention off of us, but keeping us away from them. We're being intercepted.

SPEAKER_09 36:35

I reckon you may be lost. The lantern hall is back to other way. But as he actually gets closer to you, he will lean in and whisper, something's wrong with her.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

And that's like with hoo-hoo!

SPEAKER_08 36:48

The hummin hag? Oh, that's what I call her on on account of all the hummin and the haggy way she looks.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

Of course. Of course, because nothing.

SPEAKER_08 36:58

Who?

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Maris? The hag.

SPEAKER_08 37:01

I'm talking back the hag.

SPEAKER_04 37:02

You d you don't know her name.

SPEAKER_08 37:04

No we just call her grandmother?

SPEAKER_04 37:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 37:07

Uh I d I don't think she means bad, but it hurts us all the same. I I've been doing my best to keep the others alive, but they wanna listen to me. They they don't want to be away from her.

SPEAKER_03 37:19

Okay. Um, where is she right now?

SPEAKER_08 37:23

I d I don't know. She's around. She's her her she's uh in the south across the bridge.

SPEAKER_04 37:30

Why haven't you um for lack of a better term left to go get help?

SPEAKER_08 37:36

Uh well I gotta stay and watch out for them. They don't they're they're all floaty, you know. They they don't uh they don't know any better. They need someone to watch out for them. Are they the ones walking off the ledge? No, no one's walked off the ledge. No, it's not like that. It's just they're uh they don't take care of themselves. You know? Someone needs to watch out for them.

SPEAKER_04 37:59

You couldn't leave for an afternoon. Don't you think?

SPEAKER_08 38:02

I could. Sometimes I gotta go out and get supplies, but I'm surprised you haven't told someone. Yeah. Yeah, I I've tried, but I'm 12 years old.

SPEAKER_03 38:11

I don't have I don't have disaster skills. I'm 12 years old.

SPEAKER_08 38:17

I try and tell one of the guards and they and they and they tell me not to bother them. Ah listen, I can I can help you, but you have to promise. We have to do it the right way.

SPEAKER_03 38:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 38:28

They will not leave while she's still humming.

SPEAKER_04 38:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 38:34

I can promise you that.

SPEAKER_04 38:36

Can you hear her humming right now? Can I hear her humming right now?

SPEAKER_09 38:40

You you haven't picked it up with your perception, with your passive perception, as I know we've been actively kind of keeping an eye on that. You're not getting anything from there. Um, your room feels kind of alive.

SPEAKER_04 38:56

Like an echo chamber. You know, yeah. It's like breathing.

SPEAKER_08 39:02

They they call me pickle. Pickle! Pickle iron wake at your service.

SPEAKER_04 39:05

Pickle is so little, he only needs one pop. Do you have any family uh in the city?

SPEAKER_08 39:10

Uh no. I uh I I I lost me ma and dad. Me, my ma and pa? Me, me, man, dad.

SPEAKER_09 39:19

Me da. It was me and my da. Don't hear.

SPEAKER_08 39:27

It was uh it was me and my d for a while, but I I lost him after we uh escaped the the under realm.

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Were you staying at the orphanage?

SPEAKER_08 39:36

Oh I was. But uh grandmother, she pulls people in and then they don't want to leave.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

So what is it that makes you feel like you can't leave?

SPEAKER_08 39:50

Well if I wanted to, I could, but the the little ones they they they can't they can't do it themselves.

SPEAKER_04 39:58

How many are there?

SPEAKER_09 40:00

Uh there's a couple of dozen in here.

SPEAKER_04 40:02

Do are there any fitting the descriptions of the parents that we talked to? AKA I'm looking for a little pink beret or maybe a canvas bag. Oh, that's right.

SPEAKER_09 40:13

Yeah, you did get a little bit. Yeah. Um roll investigation. Can I roll to assist? You absolutely can. This is stuff we would all know.

SPEAKER_07 40:22

Delos is looking between biologics.

SPEAKER_04 40:24

Uh 23.

SPEAKER_09 40:26

That's pretty good. Excellent. Okay, so yeah, even just with that, but you know, also even a little better with the Venaria helping out. You you do actually, yeah. Like all of the children that were reported missing are in here.

unknown 40:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 40:41

But they and they all seem fine. But they don't want to leave. Yeah, they don't want to leave. They're playing, or some of them are just kind of sitting around. Some of them are laying in bed. Uh some of them look a little, like I said, paler than others. But they're they're not hurt. They actually look pretty healthy.

SPEAKER_04 41:02

So the only passage out of here is the southern bridge.

SPEAKER_09 41:05

Yeah, so there's the way back out, which is kind of the ledges going up. But the yeah, the only way for you to go would be south across the kind of narrow bridge across the chasm.

SPEAKER_07 41:15

Um, I'd like to try to actively hear the humming. Because if if the because he said that the kids will not leave while she hums, so clearly she hummin'.

SPEAKER_09 41:25

Well, you're not. I mean, uh Dalos rolled for it a minute ago. Um you actually, yeah, go ahead and roll. Roll roll perception.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

What do you hear? What do you hear with your wolf ears?

SPEAKER_07 41:38

Okay, let's actually do the math, because that's that's two threes, but use your powers. But that's still a 15.

unknown 41:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 41:49

So you don't hear humming. Like, you don't hear humming. You get that same feeling I was describing earlier, though, of the of the cavern here being especially reactive, kind of feels alive. You know, not in the sense like, oh the the cave's alive, but like it there's there's a s there's something. Yeah, there's there's a there's a thrumming here and you're feeling it more than actually hearing it.

SPEAKER_04 42:16

How does the bridge look? It's pretty narrow. Is it sturdy?

SPEAKER_09 42:22

It looks like it, maybe.

SPEAKER_04 42:24

Maybe is it you're probably okay, maybe um is it is it okay for 310 pounds?

SPEAKER_07 42:32

Well, okay, my question is how long is the bridge? Because we have we can technically, if you have the otter, you can teleport everybody.

SPEAKER_04 42:43

Someone, someone, if if someone starts to fall, stab your uh stab your hand, because then we can teleport to you via the protective pond.

SPEAKER_09 42:50

So it is it is not so narrow that you have to like make a balance check or anything.

SPEAKER_03 42:56

But you just gotta think skinny thoughts as you cross it.

SPEAKER_09 42:58

Yeah, you you just you just want to make sure that you watch your step.

SPEAKER_04 43:01

Dalos is very wary of this bridge. I Elizabeth does not trust this bridge with Delos. Also, but truly, truly, we we're probably in our last few minutes of of our emboldening bond. If someone falls, stab your hand. Truly, it it's perfect. It's perfect. You just have to catch it within.

SPEAKER_07 43:27

So you want me to stab my hand?

SPEAKER_04 43:28

Like 40 feet. You gotta knife out.

SPEAKER_07 43:30

Yeah, well, no, no, not you, Dromesh. No. Actually, um I should have done this earlier. If you we could have we could have emboldened him and left Venaria out, because Vinaria has misty step.

SPEAKER_04 43:41

Ah.

SPEAKER_10 43:42

So don't stab my hand. Don't do not stab your hand. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 43:47

30 feet. You can use your reaction. 30 feet. Yeah. Just make sure you don't fall more than 30 feet away from everyone. Otherwise, it's foobar. Good luck. Good luck, Charlie.

SPEAKER_07 43:58

Otherwise, you find out the hard way that the chasm is. 40 feet deep.

SPEAKER_04 44:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 44:02

I can't see the bottom.

SPEAKER_04 44:04

Did you know they can't see the bottom?

SPEAKER_09 44:05

No, we can't see the bottom. So yes, are we going across the narrow-ish bridge?

SPEAKER_04 44:12

That follows the left wall rule.

SPEAKER_09 44:14

Um, okay.

SPEAKER_04 44:15

Can any of us climb?

SPEAKER_09 44:18

No.

SPEAKER_03 44:19

I feel like no.

SPEAKER_09 44:20

It's a strength-based skill check.

SPEAKER_03 44:22

Not me.

SPEAKER_09 44:26

Technically, yeah, a couple of you are pretty okay with it.

SPEAKER_07 44:28

Um, if we start falling, would it technically need to be a reaction to to cast a spell? Like we have to like prepare something, or could you would would we have time as a full action?

SPEAKER_09 44:39

I mean, yes, you would you would have time to be able to try and rack before I let you fall into a chasm that will pretty much kill you.

SPEAKER_07 44:48

Um, so Venari's just come in the back of her head like, okay, if if shit goes south, teleport and everyone else dies. Well, and good plan. I feel like I feel like Venaria is like just looking at this, like, there is zero reason for me to put my weight on this bridge. If the bridge is less than 30 feet long.

SPEAKER_04 45:11

Yeah, you totally should. I'm just gonna teleport.

SPEAKER_07 45:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

Venaria's like, uh, can we see you guys?

SPEAKER_07 45:18

Can we see the other side? Yes.

SPEAKER_09 45:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 45:20

Is there anything over there?

SPEAKER_09 45:22

It is a bigger area than where kind of the children's area is what I've been calling that. Okay. Um, it has a two-tiered rise. But that's about as much detail as you can see from where you're at. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 45:37

Um, it's like hand on each shoulder, good luck, good luck, good luck. Dragon rope, good luck. See you on the other side. And we're gonna miss you step. Okay. And then get then immediately step out of the path, like a like away from the bridge as I'm out of the way. Okay. Excellent. You make it over there.

SPEAKER_09 45:56

Step out of the way.

SPEAKER_04 46:01

I truly believe I should go last. Per chance.

SPEAKER_03 46:04

Per chance.

SPEAKER_07 46:05

Like with like with no one else on the bridge.

SPEAKER_10 46:07

Ideally. Uh well, I'm probably not too much lighter than you, so uh season.

SPEAKER_04 46:17

We we're we're the last two. It's bulk season for them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 46:21

It's like go-kart, go-kart's over first, semi's over. I'm in a bulk phase, so you know, I don't want to.

SPEAKER_10 46:28

Trying to go up a wake left. Uh, but um after you.

SPEAKER_04 46:35

Ladies first.

SPEAKER_10 46:37

Trying not me trying not to say ladies.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

Trying to beat the allegations.

SPEAKER_10 46:45

Uh I'm woke as fuck.

SPEAKER_03 46:49

Uh so Lunette's just gonna like look over to but uh to Genova. She's just gonna be like okay. She just kind of like shrugs. She just kind of looks up to like the ceiling of the cave, and she's like, if any, if any of you are listening, now would be a great time.

SPEAKER_07 47:07

Well, and Jenova, if you want to, just because I mean you have your wild circuit marks, but you could turn into something that flies, right? At level by level 10 for druids.

SPEAKER_09 47:15

I believe, yeah, level level 10 by that point you've you've beaten the flying.

SPEAKER_07 47:19

So you could just zoom into an owl or some shit, and that way there's even fewer people on the bridge.

SPEAKER_04 47:24

Drawmash and I together.

SPEAKER_07 47:27

Let everybody go.

SPEAKER_10 47:28

Give you like an arm grab, like, yeah, we got this.

SPEAKER_03 47:31

Yeah. Uh or you could like be something, you could just be something small and like ride on my body.

SPEAKER_11 47:37

Well, no, the idea is like if the bridge fucks up, the fewer people that are on it.

SPEAKER_03 47:41

Oh, so you just want me to die.

SPEAKER_11 47:43

No.

SPEAKER_04 47:44

We want one person to die at the time. I don't want to happen. We we only want, if it to happen, one person to die, because again, you can teleport to us currently. The only person that can't is Dromash, and I'm scared about Dromash. So he's going before Dromash.

SPEAKER_07 48:00

Okay, that's true. I'm on the bond. So and I am across, so I am the teleportation point.

SPEAKER_04 48:04

Yes, you have dagger ready, sword, you you're ready. Lunette is like, okay, great.

SPEAKER_03 48:09

So Lunette falls into the abyss and just fucking dies. This is gonna ruin the reaction reaction.

SPEAKER_11 48:13

I've got this jabbling out, like wait for the scream.

SPEAKER_04 48:16

And you don't have to take, like, you like literally, you could punch yourself. Yeah. Yeah. Take any damage.

SPEAKER_07 48:22

Yeah, I was gonna say, it's not even though it's damage, it's just if there's gonna be an attack.

SPEAKER_04 48:25

It's her no, you take one if you're going to take damage from an attack. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

So uh Lynette will take her clawed hand and she just kind of presses it against her palm. She's like, alright, you're ready fucking.

SPEAKER_04 48:34

Oh no, you you don't take damage. Okay. You need to teleport to someone who has taken damage. Okay. It's it's you as a reaction, choose to teleport to someone. Okay.

unknown 48:43

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 48:43

So so Venarian Jenova are over. So both of us are just like Jenova, you you teleport over with with fly. Don't use the freighter, because he he leaves an explosion in his wake. Just use one of your wild shape to turn into something that flies, and then you just turn to turn into an elf.

SPEAKER_00 49:03

And then freighter's. Actually, you know what? I believe I will turn into a bat.

SPEAKER_09 49:07

No, wait, I'm a bat. Emo Yes, our emo queen.

SPEAKER_00 49:12

She's back.

SPEAKER_09 49:12

Yeah. Okay, so you turn into a bat. Appropriate sound effect here. And then you flutter over. Yeah, yeah. So you're on the other side. So that leaves Dromash and Dalos. Looks good.

SPEAKER_03 49:26

Lunette? Yeah, so during this, like she sees the bat fly away. She sees Venaria Misty Step, and she's just like, really? Really?

SPEAKER_11 49:36

Venaria's over there, use your arm. Does it do that? I don't remember.

SPEAKER_03 49:40

How could I possibly get it? Use it like a grappling hook. Lynette's over here, like, how could I possibly use my arm together?

SPEAKER_11 49:46

Go go gadget elevator. It like splits into a helicopter.

SPEAKER_03 49:53

You can do it, Lynette.

SPEAKER_11 49:54

You hold on.

SPEAKER_03 49:55

Watch there be nothing wrong with this fridge. The two heavier scales are gonna cross at the same time.

SPEAKER_09 50:01

So you're over there kind of flailing your arm around, going, How would I do that? How would I ever do this? And your arm detaches, oh, and flings over to the other side and grabs on a rock. Oh, and pulls you bodily across the cabinet.

SPEAKER_03 50:17

The noise Lynette makes is not dignified.

SPEAKER_10 50:22

Roll the deck thing.

SPEAKER_04 50:25

See if you eat shit on something. See, the problem is now the now the two heavyists are the first ones to set foot on the bridge.

SPEAKER_09 50:33

Only people to actually walk on the bridge.

SPEAKER_03 50:36

Watch the bridge be fine too. That's a two deck. That's five, set fifteen.

SPEAKER_09 50:43

Yeah, you you the arm grabs onto just bare rock on the other side, and then you fly across to go back to where the where your arm is ended up. And you you you have to roll, otherwise you would have ran just straight into the rock.

SPEAKER_03 50:58

Oh god.

SPEAKER_09 50:59

But but you were there in a pile of dust.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

You just hear her groaning.

SPEAKER_07 51:06

I do like that all three of us use vent use completely different ways.

SPEAKER_11 51:10

It wasn't just about I misty step. I also missed you step. Be creative.

SPEAKER_03 51:14

Linda told like she was fully ready to just like, are you fucking serious? I'm the only one. I'm the only one. And it's like, oh, use your arm. How would I possibly It's the perfect moment for it too?

SPEAKER_09 51:27

Yeah. Yeah, you just you get yeeted by your own prosthetic arm. But you are now across.

SPEAKER_04 51:33

They also look a drum mesh. Clasp arms and clap them on the back and be like, Witness me after you.

SPEAKER_10 51:39

Uh no, I insist, after you.

SPEAKER_04 51:41

It's probably best if I go last.

SPEAKER_10 51:43

No, I'm I'm sure it'll be fine.

SPEAKER_04 51:45

I'm not being I'm not being polite. I'm saying that if the bridge collapses, I have the highest likelihood of getting across.

SPEAKER_10 51:51

Oh, oh, yeah, that's actually a good sure, yeah. No, I'll head across. Then I was like, you can do the bro.

SPEAKER_09 51:57

Yeah, and he he kind of like just hesitantly puts a foot forward.

SPEAKER_10 52:02

Okay, oh, oh, okay. I'm looking down. Holds the ropes. Okay. Death group. Yeah, he slowly but like gets more confident as he goes across. He's like, all right, okay, all right, yeah, this seems fine. Okay. And he gets across the other side, no problem.

SPEAKER_03 52:19

Okay, got nothing was wrong.

SPEAKER_10 52:21

Okay, no problem. No problem, Dalos gets across. No problem at all.

SPEAKER_03 52:31

You know what Lunette is like in the family guy death pose on the ground.

SPEAKER_04 52:37

All the chills. Pickle's looking at us and he's like, why did they do that? No, you can just walk, right?

SPEAKER_08 52:44

It's just it's fine.

SPEAKER_07 52:44

We are large larger and heavier, Master Pickle.

SPEAKER_00 52:49

We're scared. Kids just run across that thing. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 52:53

Uh but he doesn't actually cross uh he doesn't actually cross the bridge with you, but he he's he just kind of waves from the other side. The bridge was crossed the bridge and absolutely nothing happened.

SPEAKER_04 53:03

It was safe than sorry.

SPEAKER_09 53:06

A perfectly safe bridge that you all were very scared of.

SPEAKER_04 53:09

Better safe.

SPEAKER_09 53:11

To be fair, at least it wasn't a locked door.

SPEAKER_04 53:13

We didn't even look at it either. No, we didn't we didn't investigate it.

SPEAKER_09 53:17

You just assumed that the bridge was gonna fuck you over.

SPEAKER_00 53:19

There's a narrow rope bridge across at a beach that we can't see the end of. Yeah. We are the most safety consciousness. We have two people that weigh plus upwards of 250 pounds.

SPEAKER_04 53:30

I was like, okay, cool.

SPEAKER_09 53:32

Yes? Why am I going to discourage all for doing your creative stuff to get across this? Then we get across and there's a sign that says max weight 40 tons. Yeah. Yeah. Uh you get across there, and the main area of kind of the southern portion of this cavern is taken up by this semblance of a children's ward with bedrolls in neat rows and shells lined with various scavenge supplies. At the top of the two-tier rise in the south of the chamber that you kind of see earlier, there's a large pile of clothing scraps, twigs, and animal furs that kind of dominates the space up there. And as you move through the area, your skin begins to crawl a little bit. Delos not having skin, your core begins to crawl.

SPEAKER_04 54:18

My veins. My little veins at the tereum that holds.

SPEAKER_09 54:21

Yeah, your little chakra strings kind of quiver. So yes, you're uh there's no sign of Maris here, as far as you can tell. Nothing to indicate the presence of a big monstrous thing. No humming. There's Oh shit, that was remote. Like, wait, what did we get sound effects? Um there's nothing to indicate the presence of a monstrous. God damn it. The presence of a monstrous thing. No children in immediate danger. Uh there's just a soothing voice coming from the air of the stone around you. It kind of seeks you out.

SPEAKER_13 54:55

You're not little. You're not hurt. Why do you come here?

SPEAKER_07 55:03

Reaching for the hammer.

SPEAKER_03 55:04

No. We're holding hands now.

SPEAKER_01 55:09

Or Matthew's just looking around like, what? Where?

SPEAKER_03 55:13

Uh uh Luna is just going to kind of like. There's nothing else to do. We just have to like, I here we go.

SPEAKER_00 55:19

We're doing a wellness check.

SPEAKER_03 55:21

We're uh we're just here try we want to be we're checking on the children.

SPEAKER_13 55:26

The little ones are safe. They don't need to be scared anymore.

SPEAKER_00 55:32

Their families are missing them, though.

SPEAKER_13 55:37

She said that's not my problem. They came to me already afraid.

SPEAKER_07 55:43

It's a scary world, but it's less scary when they have their families.

SPEAKER_08 55:53

You are loud with certainty.

SPEAKER_13 55:57

Be quieter. They came to me already afraid of you broken. They are fair.

SPEAKER_07 56:16

They exist, they do not live.

SPEAKER_14 56:19

If you take them back, they will feel everything again.

SPEAKER_07 56:25

They deserve to feel, they deserve to become the people they will grow to be. But you have keeping them stagnant here.

SPEAKER_04 56:34

Don't people have to ex experience negative emotions to appreciate the positive ones?

SPEAKER_03 56:39

Uh can we like I'm just gonna like elbow Dromash and like can you do some like I don't know, is this your is this your jurisdiction?

SPEAKER_01 56:48

Uh Well, if you give me a target to point at, then sure.

SPEAKER_04 56:53

Do you have a place that we can rest? Like talking to the voice.

SPEAKER_03 56:59

Dylan's just like, what if I what if I'm sleepy? What if I'm a tired, sleepy little boy? I'm I'm fatigued.

SPEAKER_14 57:05

If you need rest, you may leave. They may not.

SPEAKER_03 57:11

Like this. Okay, uh, we need to figure out because we're trying to do this without fighting. So we need to figure out what that entails.

SPEAKER_00 57:20

Are you Maris?

SPEAKER_08 57:23

That is a name I used to use. Down here.

SPEAKER_03 57:30

Who was that? You were Maris when your administrator gave you something. Is that right?

SPEAKER_08 57:38

That lovely man helped change my life.

SPEAKER_04 57:41

What did he give you? How could we possibly change our lives?

SPEAKER_14 57:49

He gave me a package. And I held it in my hand whilst I slept.

SPEAKER_08 58:01

And when I awoke, it wasn't there anymore.

SPEAKER_03 58:04

I'm just like, Lunette knows the sleep spell.

SPEAKER_09 58:06

I can be like, so uh just just as kind of a check in in terms of uh where physically people are. Is anybody getting any closer to the rise? Or are you just kind of standing in the middle of the room?

SPEAKER_04 58:20

I feel like Delos stepped forward whenever he tried to talk with her, but like minimally.

SPEAKER_03 58:30

Who is in the web?

SPEAKER_07 58:32

Right. But we don't have we haven't had any indication that the voice is coming from anywhere in proximity, aside from I think Pickle said she's that she's in the southern area, but so far there hasn't been someone in sight to step toward.

SPEAKER_09 58:46

Right, yeah. Um and the voice seems to be coming kind of from everywhere. So it's hard to pinpoint where she might actually be.

SPEAKER_07 58:54

Oh, what's so is we said that there was a fire at the other end. Is there any light sources on this on this end of the cave?

SPEAKER_09 59:01

There are periodic torches enough to give you know some light to see by. Uh you Venaria. Let's get a wisdom save. Is the is the bull is the bond still up?

SPEAKER_04 59:13

Uh is the bond still up? It's 10 minutes.

SPEAKER_07 59:18

Okay. Um that's with my aura and air.

SPEAKER_09 59:27

You start kind of calming down.

SPEAKER_03 59:33

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_09 59:34

And feeling like everything's pretty chill.

SPEAKER_04 59:40

Uh, Daelos is going to look at you.

SPEAKER_00 59:43

He's gonna talk over the brazer so she can't hear us. Jenova hasn't wild-shaped back yet. Uh, can she use her echolocation as a bat to locate? Oh shit! Oh! Hey, yeah!

SPEAKER_09 59:56

Sounds coming up-of-the-box thing is. No, you absolutely let's let's call this making a perception check with advantage.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:06

Jenova rolled when he went.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:08

So, yeah, the the big lump there in what you could probably kind of call a nest. It it's reading as fleshy.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:18

It's chunk basement all over again.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:20

Dalos is going to panically well, panic to talk into Venaria's head and be like, are you alright?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:28

I'm just just just gonna just gotta take things mellow, man. You know, just we we're all just trying to relax and can can I can I just back of the head.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:44

A gods, just like a thump. You have to get close enough to Venaria to do this. You're right.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:49

Roll wisdom save.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:50

Okay. 17.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:53

You get about halfway, maybe about three-quarters of the way over to Venaria. Delos calms down. Yeah, you just damn everything's chill. Like 17.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:03

Why are you getting so worked up?

SPEAKER_07 1:01:05

So actual hag. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:07

Dalos just walks over and then just puts his hand on Venaria's shoulder. Doesn't really understand why he was in such a hurry before.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:15

Okay, Lynette threw the bracer. What? Delos, hey. What?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:21

I it it seems like Venaria's okay. No. At least physically.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:28

Have you ever known Venaria to calm down that quickly?

SPEAKER_04 1:01:32

Well, but sometimes you don't have to worry about stuff like that. Maybe she just she probably got tired of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:38

In our line of work? Venaria tired when? Whenever.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:44

Organics get tired all the time.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:47

Lunette's getting open. Now she's like, okay, so she's gonna go over and she's looking at Dromash and she's like, something's up. Something is up.

SPEAKER_10 1:01:56

They look pretty fine over there.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:57

No, that's the thing. Venaria's never fine. This fine this fast without external.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:01

She likes totally slower. She's like slowly turns like, I'm pretty sure I'm fabulous, but no, Venaria never chills out this fast ever.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:10

Like, nuh. And then Dalos is not nearly as concerned and overly analytical as he usually is. This is weird and it's wrong and it feels bad.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:18

Delos, you okay, bro?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:20

Yeah, I feel just fine.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:22

Venaria.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:23

Um just gotta take things slow, bro.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:27

I mean, it seems like everything's fine.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:29

Oh my god. Once again, the bro joins.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:32

He walks over there.

SPEAKER_11 1:02:34

Oh no.

SPEAKER_09 1:02:35

He walks over to the group.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:36

The compassionate pro bond.

SPEAKER_09 1:02:39

Oh no, he rolled a six. Oh the the pro bond has come into it.

SPEAKER_10 1:02:44

That's a six total. So yeah, he walks over and he's just like, oh yeah, welcome to the cult of cheese. Everything's pretty good over here.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:51

It's like, wow, this is way nice.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:55

At what point do you like unwild shape and start like letting people know?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:58

So before before I wild shape back or whatever, I'm going to fly around them real quick to try and don't do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:08

Yeah, we have no way of notifying you that like I was about to say, I'm gonna reach through the bracers and say, Am I on drugs? This is weird.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:16

This would be the cre this would be the most relaxed TPK ever. Oh no, we just give up caring.

SPEAKER_10 1:03:22

What is that?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:24

Uh I rolled a f Jenova rolled a four.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:27

We are so fucked.

SPEAKER_09 1:03:30

Yeah. So you you you I'm not sure how bats chill out other than just hanging off something. You you you you you land on on Dalos and then hang upside down and just chill. You do you have bat chill time.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:48

So I'm just imagining like the camera watching all of them like doze and be weird, and you just in the background you just hear you hear Lynette going, Are you fucking kidding me? Yep.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:58

Especially if we're all like clumped together, like we took three steps and then just mmm.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:02

Should I go pick up some rocks?

SPEAKER_07 1:04:04

You sure can.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:05

I'm gonna- Okay, so Lynette goes and but like back, she has not stepped forward. She gets backtracking a little bit away from whatever the fuck this is.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:15

Where are you going?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:17

That is none of your concern. La la la la. It's like you told me to leave. Oh, oh, now you know what? I was told to leave. Lynette, it's like that is none of your concern. And so she's gonna go, I'm gonna pick up some rocks.

SPEAKER_13 1:04:31

Um Don't you want to come and chill with your friend?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:36

No. Don't you all want to? I haven't had one, I haven't had one iota of time to relax with these motherfuckers. This is the first time you've seen all of us this relax. And once again, Luneta's the only one crashing out. This is my brand.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:50

See, and I just imagine that like through the bracers, it's like playing Kenny G music. Yeah.

unknown 1:04:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:57

No, she's just like, it's like psychedelic rock or something. She's like, absolutely not. So I'm gonna go, I'm gonna pick up some rocks. What do I have to roll to throw rocks at my friends' heads?

SPEAKER_09 1:05:07

Uh ranged attack. So that's just the straight up D20 plus your dex modifier.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_09 1:05:14

Who are you throwing it at?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:15

Uh I'm gonna throw it.

SPEAKER_09 1:05:17

I'm gonna say you get an advantage because all of them are really chill and aren't really doing anything. The bat.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:22

Hit the bat.

SPEAKER_09 1:05:24

Hit the bat. She's gonna she'll unwild shit.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:27

Yeah, so then she'll be back in Genova.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:29

I'm not gonna hit the bat.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:33

I feel like she's not gonna unwild shape while chill because she is a very chill bat right now. Also, that bat has ace hit in half.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:41

I'm gonna hit you. All of us have really high you unfortunately the tanks have stepped forward. Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:47

So the so hit the bat. It's got an AC of like minute, like like 0.5.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:52

Yeah, no. Wait, you said I was it advantage? Yeah, you got advantage because none of them are trying to do anything about this. Oh thank god.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:59

It's right. And run it. What? Hallelujah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:02

I've done a natural one twice in a row. Oh no. It's the only one I have.

SPEAKER_07 1:06:14

We have multiple.

SPEAKER_09 1:06:17

I'm just trying to like, that is such a catastrophic fuck up. Like, oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:23

I hit the massive twigs and flesh.

SPEAKER_09 1:06:26

Yes. Actually. So yeah, you're you're trying to throw with your prosthetic arm. And you're just like, okay, I'm just gonna bean one of my friends in the back of the head. Like, fucking wake up. And your arm suddenly kicks into like high gear and real loud. Yeah, it's like one of those anime scenes where like you go to just throw it, but then you like fucking slam your foot into the ground and it cracks and your whole fucking body moves through and slams it across the room. You're an anime baseball player. Yes, exactly. So yeah, the rock flies across the room and hits the nest, and a thrum shakes the room. You all you all snap out of it. Oh cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:11

Well, you know what? I helped one way or another.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:15

You apparently broke her concentration.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:17

I immediately wouch shape back. I I hit her so hard I knocked the concentration out of her.

SPEAKER_09 1:07:24

I'm assuming Dela's like so there's like So while you all are waking up out of the nest, you hear it kind of shake and twigs snapping and things moving around. The mass in the center of the nest shifts up, and you see the the graying almost white hair and yellowish green skin stand up and look down at you.

SPEAKER_12 1:07:54

Very well. We will be allowed together.

SPEAKER_09 1:08:24

If you like what you heard, please let us know by leaving us a review, rate the show, leave us a comment, or you could even just throw us an email if you prefer. There are social media links in the description, including our Discord. We just got our YouTube channel set up too, if you were of that persuasion. Subscribe to this show on your favorite podcasting platform, and then brag about it to your friends, your coworkers, that mysterious stranger that you suspect is into you but keeps running away when you approach. These shows grow through word of mouth, so the best way you can support our new adventure here is to spread the word by telling people about this show you like. Our wonderful players were Brandon Rose as Benaria, Courtney Craig as Lunette, Elizabeth Nichols as Delos, and Jen Walkup as Jenova. I have been your DM and host, Alexander Wright. Thanks again for listening, and we will see you again next time at the Good Good Table.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:24

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:26

So but yes, map small. You don't know what scale I'm drawing at, right? It's like each square.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:32

It's a perfectly average map. North being a bit small.

SPEAKER_09 1:09:35

It's the perfect size map. It's the way you use the map that matters.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:39

North being hot dog ways.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:43

Wow.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:44

Here we're wearing the thing.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:46

The timing on this is amazing.

SPEAKER_09 1:09:49

It's more of a corn dog, really. Do you descend into the yawning hole?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:02

I I I mean this is just an honest question. Do you want to go into the hole or do you want to?

SPEAKER_07 1:10:06

Do we want to probe it first or just go all in all at once?

SPEAKER_09 1:10:14

Sometimes it's good to get ready before you just go right into the hole.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:18

I don't want to do that.

SPEAKER_09 1:10:22

You gotta stretch first. You don't want to hurt yourself.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:25

No.

SPEAKER_09 1:10:26

Wow, you gotta go pull your hammies.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:28

Talos is mechanical. Talos doesn't have hammies.