S2 Ep3: Shadows

[00:00:30] Speaker A: Hello, I am Bookkeeper, and I will be playing Lou. [00:00:35] Speaker B: Hi, I'm Gavin Cash, and I play Clint Brazas, the scion of the Morgan. [00:00:41] Speaker C: Hello. I'm sticker and I play coda. Massacoy the scion of bastet. [00:00:47] Speaker D: Hello. I'm Gary Play. Oliver Bright, the scion of OGMA. [00:00:53] Speaker E: Hello, I am heretic. I play Stefan Varger. [00:00:59] Speaker F: Hello. [00:01:00] Speaker G: I am Stabikins and I am playing Lucas Gwynn. Scion of Lou. Or am I? [00:01:08] Speaker F: And I'm bloodied porcelain. I'll be your storyteller for the evening. Lucas, Oliver, and Clint, in our last episode, you completed the first of nine labors expected of the band. In order to shorten Stefan Vargar's, stay in the tender care of the acer, you fetch the dragonstone. Clint may have touched something he wasn't supposed to and may have found himself under the effects of a new gas. Oliver may have puzzled out some hints regarding Lucas's reason for being here in true identity. And you manage to return to Ireland, where you were all bathed probably multiple times, in order to get that stench off of yourselves. And then, as well know, fed, given drinks, and allowed to finally sleep, not having realized just how exhausting what you had been undergoing was until you were somewhere safe again and able to relax. Come morning, your host is up and putting together once more a full Irish breakfast. Coffee fills the small apartment above her pub and your and you can tell that she has already set the breakfast table for the three of you. [00:03:20] Speaker B: Thank you, ma'am. Smells great. [00:03:23] Speaker F: You're welcome. Figure you might be needing it. [00:03:28] Speaker B: Yeah, we definitely worked up an appetite. [00:03:31] Speaker D: I can agree with that. [00:03:33] Speaker G: All the bacon, possibly. [00:03:35] Speaker F: Equip. [00:03:36] Speaker D: No, not doing that. [00:03:41] Speaker F: She looks a little confused. [00:03:43] Speaker D: Don't ask. [00:03:44] Speaker G: It's an inside joke. It's really funny. [00:03:47] Speaker D: Is it a joke? [00:03:49] Speaker B: I mean, I really just asked one time if you could equip bacon because we were planning for something and hey, now you're in the joke, too. [00:03:58] Speaker G: Yeah, joke buddies. [00:04:02] Speaker F: Doesn't look like she understands it anymore than she did a moment prior. [00:04:07] Speaker D: I give her a very empathetic look because I, too, do not understand it. [00:04:16] Speaker F: I feel like I might be missing some context, but that's all right. [00:04:20] Speaker D: No, you're not. [00:04:23] Speaker F: As she sets plates in front of you, I got to call my understanding is you all have some travel to do today, so eat up. Well, the keys to your rental car are over there by the door. [00:04:43] Speaker D: Thank you. [00:04:44] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:04:45] Speaker F: Speaking. My understanding is there are already plane tickets waiting for you. [00:04:51] Speaker D: Good. [00:04:52] Speaker B: Are those in the car or are those in here somewhere? [00:04:55] Speaker F: No, you'll get them at the airport. ISO. [00:04:57] Speaker B: Yeah, that makes sense. [00:05:01] Speaker D: Speaking of traveling, though, how are we going to get the giant rock through customs? Exactly. [00:05:11] Speaker F: Yeah, you bring it in your carry on. It's just a rock. It's not like they've got a reason to tell you no. [00:05:19] Speaker B: Yeah, Oliver, you kind of look like one of them rock persons. Surely we can just say you're a geologist and they'll look the other way. [00:05:27] Speaker G: Oh, you know what we could do? We could buy like a big old bowling bag and put it in there. [00:05:37] Speaker F: You could just put it in your carry on. [00:05:39] Speaker D: Yeah, I was going to say that it'll probably just fit in the regular. [00:05:42] Speaker F: Bags, but I definitely keep it in your carry on and not in a checked bag. It's likely to go missing if it's out of your sight. [00:05:52] Speaker D: I agree. [00:05:56] Speaker F: So how did it go? [00:06:01] Speaker D: Fine up until the end. [00:06:04] Speaker B: It weren't quite as fun as being here with you, but it weren't so bad. [00:06:09] Speaker F: That's why MIDA was so frosty. [00:06:18] Speaker B: Yeah, there were some mishaps that happened while we was out there. [00:06:24] Speaker G: Complications involving a chair? [00:06:30] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:06:32] Speaker F: Didn't think you'd have to get anywhere near that. [00:06:37] Speaker B: I was just trying to remove it from its location. Did not realize what it signified to move the chair. I tried to remove it from existence. I tried to break it down a little bit. [00:06:49] Speaker D: With his fist. [00:06:51] Speaker B: With my fist? [00:06:51] Speaker G: Yeah, he tried to punch it. [00:06:55] Speaker F: She sort of blinks a little bit. You tried to punch a giant sized chair out of existence? [00:07:02] Speaker D: Yeah, I was there. I should have told him not to do that. I even saw the fact that the chair was glowing with big bad magic energy BME. [00:07:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:07:13] Speaker G: And I'm pretty sure it was like super impressive to look at, except that I was actually looking in the opposite direction because I was dying of allergies at that point. [00:07:23] Speaker F: I see. All right, well I'm sure it'll be fine. I'm sure you've got nothing to worry about it. She just sort of reaches over and claps Clint on the shoulder as if to try to be reassuring and then afterwards thinks twice about it as subtly as she can, which is not terribly subtly tucks her hand under the table and very clearly wipes her hand off on her jeans. [00:08:01] Speaker B: Oh no, we already took care of all the stank. It's okay. [00:08:07] Speaker F: I'm sure. All right, well, I know that what you did was important, even if I'm not entirely sure why. They didn't tell me much. I've been trying to put together a band to reclaim the plane of joy, but it's been slow going with things like what you got trapped over there. So I'm glad that's got removed. [00:08:43] Speaker D: Well, assuming you don't get that band together before I handle these labors I have to do with the rest of these fine gentlemen and others. I'd be happy to join you on that mission. [00:09:02] Speaker B: I'd be mighty interested too. I think it might have something to do with getting rid of that chair in one way or the other. [00:09:12] Speaker F: Well, I'll keep you in mind, but you're a bit spoken for for the foreseeable future is my understanding. [00:09:19] Speaker D: Yes. [00:09:19] Speaker F: Great. [00:09:20] Speaker D: It might take some time. [00:09:21] Speaker B: Only for tasks. [00:09:26] Speaker F: She visibly blushes at that because she hadn't really thought about how what she had said sounded like until you said that. [00:09:35] Speaker B: Sorry. We'll be back through before you know. [00:09:39] Speaker F: That's fair. All right, well, I've got to get downstairs and get started on prepping for the lunch rush. You all enjoy your meals, and as soon as you're ready, head for the airport, I suppose. I don't know exactly where they're sending you. I just got a call, said that they'd made arrangements. [00:10:02] Speaker B: We're heading out west, aren't we? [00:10:05] Speaker D: I think we've already come west. I think we're going back east, assuming it's the same airport. [00:10:11] Speaker F: She sort of shrugs a little bit. [00:10:13] Speaker G: Well, either way, I am 100% down for another road trip. [00:10:18] Speaker B: Yeah, we can listen to another audiobook or two. [00:10:22] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:10:28] Speaker F: She leaves, and you all are able to finish your breakfast. Do any of you have anything that you want to do. [00:10:40] Speaker D: While we're eating breakfast? As covertly as I can. I want to take out my phone, like, look at it from underneath the table. And when we first got to the plane of joy, I took some photos, and I would like to send those photos to a specific ah. [00:10:56] Speaker F: Is this person a conifer? Is that what I'm hearing? [00:11:00] Speaker D: They might be. I don't think it's been confirmed yet. Or not. [00:11:04] Speaker F: Excellent. All right. Yeah. You send them off, you don't get an immediate answer. But it is morning in Ireland, which means it is the middle of the night where she is. [00:11:22] Speaker D: I probably realized that after the fact and then just kind of whisper, oh, I've done it again. [00:11:30] Speaker B: What was that? What did you do again? [00:11:32] Speaker D: Nothing. [00:11:34] Speaker B: Okay? [00:11:36] Speaker D: I was just saying I had too much to eat again. [00:11:41] Speaker B: Oh, so you're not going to finish that bacon? [00:11:44] Speaker D: No. Have at it. Just put it in your mouth and not on your body. [00:11:48] Speaker G: I'll fight you for it. [00:11:50] Speaker D: Don't fight each other. [00:11:52] Speaker B: I mean, we could arm wrestle for it, dude. [00:11:55] Speaker G: Hell, yeah. Let's go. [00:11:56] Speaker B: All right, let's do it. [00:11:59] Speaker F: Oh, no. Okay, well, I guess if we're doing this, I need both of you to roll strikes at athletics or strikes at brawl. I'll allow either one. [00:12:16] Speaker D: Service referee. [00:12:20] Speaker F: Sure. Wits of perception. All right. [00:12:30] Speaker B: 1234. And then one from epic strength, and. [00:12:34] Speaker F: Then it's not even not even closely. [00:12:40] Speaker D: Whomp. [00:12:41] Speaker B: You okay? [00:12:45] Speaker G: I'm broken forever. [00:12:49] Speaker B: Just your pride that comes back. It'll be okay. You're better at other things. It's okay. [00:12:55] Speaker G: I'll ever feel in that arm ever. [00:12:57] Speaker B: Again, it's clear that you need this bacon more than me. Here. You go ahead and eat up, dude. [00:13:03] Speaker D: Thanks. [00:13:03] Speaker G: He's going to use that same arm to just eat all the bacon. Shovel it into his face. [00:13:12] Speaker F: I love you guys. All right, with that having happened, you all finish eating, gather your things, and head for the airport. We're going to skip ahead through the travel stuff, because what happens is not terribly important. It's just travel. When you get to the airport and you head up to the counter to get your tickets, you find out that you all are flying north and slightly west towards Iceland. [00:13:49] Speaker D: Oh, well, all right, then. [00:13:53] Speaker F: And there is a message along with your tickets that the woman at the counter looks a little confused as to how she knows this. I was told to tell you that you're meeting the final member of your party once you get to Reykjavik. [00:14:17] Speaker D: Oh, good enough. [00:14:19] Speaker B: Sounds like a good time. Thank you. [00:14:21] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:14:24] Speaker D: Check the tickets. What class are we seated in? [00:14:31] Speaker F: Coach. [00:14:36] Speaker G: First the arm, now the legs. [00:14:38] Speaker F: You don't get upgraded to business until you're until you're Debbie Gods fair. You need more space to house all that legend. [00:14:46] Speaker D: I guess we can't complain too much about free tickets. [00:14:50] Speaker F: Um, you get onto the plane a couple hours later and later on, it is basically nighttime by the time you land in Reykjavik. And we're going to pause you guys there and pivot over to Koda Massacoy. [00:15:27] Speaker C: The very same. [00:15:29] Speaker F: The very same coda you are in Egypt when you get word you're finishing up a project that you were working on for your mother. Nothing hugely important. She apparently is a patron of an animal rescue and in the wake of a particularly nasty monsoon season, she had you head out there and help head up a team in establishing the rescue efforts for displaced animals and families that didn't have anywhere to keep their pets for a while. [00:16:23] Speaker C: Yeah, she's working hard. Working hard and learning to keep her temper when some people are being a bit more troublesome, difficult. They're going through a lot, so I'll be patient. [00:16:42] Speaker F: Excellent. You've been there for almost a month at least. Off and on. She did fly you back and forth a few times to deal with school stuff and personal projects back home, that sort of thing. But off and on for the past month, you've been flying out and helping with setup and checking in and whatever efforts you could put forward. On the one hand, you've gotten incredibly used to having to put in the kind of, like, travel time that you have. And constantly being jet lagged has just kind of become part of who you are now, which might be a little bit concerning, at least for normal humans. Thankfully, you're pretty sure that scions don't necessarily have to suffer from the same level of damage to their sleep schedule that normal humans do. You received word yesterday that Gary or Gary Oliver sorry, Oliver was paired up with a new member of your band whose name you don't know yet, but a new member of the band was brought in. All you know is that he is a scion of the Morrigan, who she has agreed to loan you guys, as well as another Irish scion that kind of gets mentioned as like, an afterthought. Your understanding is that he's not going to be staying with the band. He was helping with the first of your labors because that labor was a very Irish centric thing, and he stepped in to help take your place because you were too busy for your mother to part with you right away. But now it is time for you to meet with the rest of your band, and she's bought you a ticket to Iceland. [00:19:08] Speaker C: What is going to look up? What's the weather there after being in such warm weather? [00:19:15] Speaker F: Oh, it's it's cold. It's cold, goddamn it's. It's fall in that part of the world. So, yeah, it's on the chilly side. [00:19:32] Speaker C: Okay, well, with a gritted smile or gritted teeth and a very casual smile, she'll go, okay, I guess I'm going to Iceland. [00:19:50] Speaker F: What I would like to know is did Coda take any time to visit with Stefan during the two months after the trial? [00:20:01] Speaker C: Oh, definitely, like, at least to see what his setup is, to kind of be like, all right, what exactly is this guy going through? Because I know we kind of were like, we'll stand and support and so on and so forth, but she's also like, I have no idea what's actually going on. So she's like, let's see what's actually happening to this guy. [00:20:24] Speaker F: Cool. Well, we'll talk more about his situation and how he's been living once you get there, because that's something I'm sure everybody is curious about. So the next time you see Stefan, everybody will have the opportunity to understand what his life has been like since the trial. [00:20:46] Speaker C: Copy. [00:20:48] Speaker F: Is there anything you would like to do? Anyone you would like to call or anything like that before you leave? [00:20:55] Speaker C: For the most part, I mean, she'll say bye to her mom and any other people she's kind of bonded with, which probably wasn't much, but people that she's bonded with while out here. She'll go get Mr. Cat when it's ready for us to go. And of course, she checks her phone to see if Net has responded to anything. If Net doesn't respond, she still sends pictures of cute cats that she found or she'll send updates on her day, and then she'll be like, so how are you doing? Stuff like that. [00:21:40] Speaker F: So you have been getting responses from Net, but not a lot. Most of Net's responses have been at sporadic hours and very short. They're only a couple of words long most of the time, and every text is ended with a period. [00:22:08] Speaker C: Not the period. [00:22:10] Speaker F: Yes, the dreaded text period. But she is answering, and she wasn't doing that in the first couple of days to weeks after the trial, so at least she's answering a little bit. [00:22:30] Speaker C: Yeah, coda's ecstatic about that. [00:22:36] Speaker F: Have you at all tried to look into what Ned is up to so that you at least have some awareness of what's going on with her life? [00:22:44] Speaker C: Oh, a hundred percent. [00:22:48] Speaker F: Okay, make me a let's go charisma and let's go charisma presence. Check to see if you can, how much information you can get out of people. [00:23:16] Speaker C: All right, 1234. And then I have two epic charisma. Five, six. [00:23:28] Speaker F: Very nice. Yeah. So weirdly. It doesn't take a lot. You find out that Net and Kareem have paired up with a new Scion, who everybody has made very clear could never replace Moira, but has filled in the hole in their ranks the best that he can and that they've kind of become the new front line for the efforts against the wolves. Since you all are being pivoted to other things, you were given a little bit of a break to kind of address your personal lives, and now you have the labors to crack on with. And they have taken on the role of dealing with the menace because the wolf attacks have become far less tactically planned, but also far more overwhelming and vicious. There have been more just normal human deaths than there used to be. Not just scions. They're a little less discriminate than they used to be. And part of the reasoning with the gods taking you and yours off of it is, frankly, the attacks have stepped up and become so much more vicious that they are concerned that you guys aren't necessarily strong enough to deal with them. Now it's very clear that where Stefan's approach was like a scalpel, Gwen's is like a hammer. [00:25:24] Speaker C: Yeah. So I'd say finding out information like this, she tries to play off being her, oh, we're cool, we're fine, we'll figure this out. But she does get worried when she doesn't get a response after a bit. But then she's also like, oh, but I'm not going to text her and be like, are you okay? Because that would be too clingy or something. But also I'm really concerned. But also I can't believe we got put on the sideline because we're not strong enough, but if I just fought more, then I would be more strong if I was able to fight more. But also I kind of get what they mean. So she's going through all of this. [00:26:01] Speaker F: But she's also like, okay, yeah. You get the feeling that, sure, you could in theory end up getting stronger. You could also, in theory, end up getting debtor, and that's what they're concerned about. And you do get answers. It's just that occasionally it's a day or two between answers, and the answers are never particularly long or warm. She hasn't sent any pictures or anything like that. So you don't know who this other person is or what they look like, just that they've jumped in and filled in that spot, helped flesh out their rank. So it's not just the two of them anymore. You do know that they are still of a higher legend than you are. And from what you have figured out from doing all of this is that it's not always about physical strength. Sometimes it's just about how well known you are and the stories that are being told about you seem to feed pretty heavily into the power that you've garnered. They've been at this longer and have more stories told about them. So it's reasonable to assume that they're probably still stronger than you guys, though, by how much you are unsure. Yeah. You gather up your things, say goodbye to the couple of friends that you've made. Just to be clear, bestette isn't like here. You've seen her maybe once since you started this project and that was like when she gave you the assignment. But you gather up your things. You say goodbye to your friends that you've made here. Pele is annoyed when you walk into his room and wake him up and force him to shuffle out of the shaft of sunlight that he was asleep. You know, it's not unusual for Pele to be annoyed at a lot of things, so just another day for him. Really. [00:28:14] Speaker C: Seriously though. [00:28:18] Speaker F: While you are packing up, he jumps down off of the windowsill and kind of like weaves like a figure eight between your ankles, kind of rubbing along them. Don't forget my treats. [00:28:38] Speaker C: How could I ever? They have their own carry on. [00:28:43] Speaker F: Good, you're learning. [00:28:46] Speaker C: I guess I am my guide. Overlord. Which one do you prefer these days? [00:28:54] Speaker F: Tiny god. [00:28:55] Speaker C: Tiny god. Yes, noted. Tiny god. You know we're going to Iceland, right? [00:29:07] Speaker F: I do. [00:29:09] Speaker C: Okay. [00:29:10] Speaker F: I have fur. [00:29:12] Speaker C: I'm not worried now. [00:29:16] Speaker F: I will be in my palanquin should you need me. And he jumps up into what is actually a cat carrier. But because it's Pele and he's convinced that he's a tiny god, it is also the thing that his serpent carries him in. Thus polingquin. [00:29:33] Speaker C: She'll just sigh and laugh and put a treat, a couple of treats inside his carrier and then start to close it up and head out. [00:29:43] Speaker F: You hear him audibly purring as he noms down on his special treats. And you all head off. Yes, dear. Okay. Much like the boys, you arrive at the airport. You have a couple of stop layovers before you make it to Iceland because you're further away. But eventually you all find yourselves in the airport in Iceland. The boys get in first. When you land, your phones light up with text letting you know that your companion will be joining you shortly and that you should make yourselves comfortable at the bar and grill outside of the gate. [00:30:57] Speaker B: You see that they know where to send us. We're going to go eat some food and get some alcohol just like last time. [00:31:04] Speaker G: Hell yeah, that sounds great. [00:31:07] Speaker D: Maybe just food. [00:31:09] Speaker B: Why is it only just food? [00:31:12] Speaker G: We got to have the drinks too. Come on. [00:31:14] Speaker B: Yeah. We're about to embark on a task, aren't we? [00:31:17] Speaker D: Yes, which is why we shouldn't get drunk. [00:31:20] Speaker B: I didn't say drunk. Just a little tipsier, you know. [00:31:25] Speaker G: Yeah, smooth over the nerves and everything. [00:31:30] Speaker D: I don't like how you feed off of each other like this. You make bad ideas sound compelling from either end of the spectrum. [00:31:38] Speaker G: Hey, that's just how you know that those ideas are actually kind of good. [00:31:43] Speaker D: No, no. [00:31:44] Speaker C: Not how it works. [00:31:45] Speaker G: I'm pretty sure it's how that works. It's peer reviewed. We're scientists. [00:31:49] Speaker D: You see? [00:31:52] Speaker B: We even have lab coats. I didn't say we have them with us. [00:31:58] Speaker G: Yeah, geez, Oliver throwing around all these accusations and stuff saying we don't have lab coats. That really hurts. [00:32:09] Speaker D: We met a couple of days ago. You do not already have lab coats. [00:32:15] Speaker G: Maybe I had a lab court before we met. You ever thought about that? [00:32:19] Speaker B: Yeah, I had to take science classes. I got one hanging up somewhere. [00:32:24] Speaker D: Yeah, they don't give you a lab coat just for taking a science class. [00:32:28] Speaker G: Well, do you have a lab coat? [00:32:30] Speaker D: No. [00:32:32] Speaker G: Yeah, that's what I thought. [00:32:33] Speaker B: You should get one. They're real useful to have. [00:32:36] Speaker G: Utterly coatless. [00:32:38] Speaker D: I don't spend any time in a lab, therefore, why would I need a lab coat? [00:32:44] Speaker G: Got to shape up, bud. [00:32:49] Speaker F: I would like the three of you, as you are settling in and ordering meals and perhaps your first drinks of the day, I would like the three of you to all roll me perception and awareness. [00:33:05] Speaker D: I'm so good at this. One success. [00:33:25] Speaker B: That is three successes. [00:33:27] Speaker G: Hey, two successes. [00:33:30] Speaker F: All right. Do none of y'all have epics and perception? [00:33:34] Speaker D: No. [00:33:37] Speaker F: Man. Thank God Kodish joining you. All right. Because those tens are kind of the only thing saving any of you right now. Oliver, as usual, you notice nothing. Clint? [00:33:55] Speaker B: Yes. [00:33:56] Speaker F: And, Lucas, you all, the waitress has just walked away and you were having this discussion about whether or not getting tipsy right before another labor should happen when the bag at Oliver's feet seems to. [00:34:26] Speaker B: What is that? Oliver, bring something weird? [00:34:29] Speaker G: Did you steal some gremlins from Magmel? [00:34:34] Speaker D: No. It's probably the dragonstone. [00:34:38] Speaker B: Oh. What you doing? Yeah. [00:34:41] Speaker G: Pick it up. [00:34:41] Speaker D: I don't know. I don't know if we should open it in an airport. [00:34:48] Speaker B: Why not? Where else are we going to open it? [00:34:53] Speaker D: I don't know. I'll take a peek. I'll pick it up and just kind of sort of open it and look in. [00:34:58] Speaker F: How are you holding it? [00:35:01] Speaker D: Kind of like with both hands. Kind of up to my face. Just the zipper? Kind of a little bit. Open it's. [00:35:08] Speaker F: Like in your lap in front of you. Okay. [00:35:10] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:35:12] Speaker F: Okay, cool. I need you to roll me as many dice as you have in your legend score, please. Not your legend points, your score. [00:35:23] Speaker D: Okay. [00:35:26] Speaker B: What you got this. [00:35:32] Speaker D: That's nothing. [00:35:34] Speaker F: Oh, boy. Okay, well, I didn't expect that to go that poorly. [00:35:41] Speaker D: I'm debating using a legend point or not. [00:35:46] Speaker F: This is not something that you could spend legend points on. Unfortunately for you, Oliver, you don't realize what's happening until it's too late. You open up your bag and there is a puff of what can only be described as, like, somewhere between smoke and steam. And it hits you in the face. And by the time you finish, like, blinking and trying not to sneeze, you look down and you realize that there is a red scaled face poking up out of the hole in the bag and staring directly at you. [00:36:36] Speaker D: I zip it up very quickly. [00:36:38] Speaker F: Okay, so the neck is sticking out of the back. [00:36:42] Speaker D: Never mind, then. [00:36:44] Speaker G: Oh, my God, he's so cute. [00:36:47] Speaker D: Like you've maintaining eye contact. Okay, so the dragonstone, I think, may have been a dragon egg, and now we have this, and I don't know what we do about it, because there's. [00:37:01] Speaker B: People well, we feed it. We don't just let it give. [00:37:05] Speaker G: It, like, neck scratches and stuff. Lucas will go ahead and cut off a bit of his ham. He's going to hold it to the dragon. You little guy. [00:37:20] Speaker F: Lucas, roll me just a straight dexterity check, please. [00:37:26] Speaker D: No bite. You. [00:37:32] Speaker F: Okay? [00:37:32] Speaker G: Straight dexterity. [00:37:34] Speaker D: Here we go. [00:37:34] Speaker G: Good thing I have epics in that we'll get okay, that's four successes with my epics. [00:37:49] Speaker F: Okay, well, your epics, unfortunately, don't feed into this because there's no skill with it. [00:37:54] Speaker G: Okay. [00:37:56] Speaker F: But three is not bad. Three is not bad. So you hold out a piece of we'll say that there's almost, like, a little charcuterie basket at the table, and you hold out, like, a piece of dried meat to this tiny, tiny baby dragon, and it snaps the meat from your fingers and also kind of catches the tip of your pointer finger. You manage to pull back before he does any real damage, but you definitely got scraped by teeth. And he sort of gives us a noise that is somewhere between a chirping and a growl at you and then leans in his head to Oliver's chest and nuzzles against. [00:38:53] Speaker G: Like, oliver, you're a dad now. [00:38:57] Speaker D: Don't say that. [00:38:59] Speaker B: It's too late. [00:39:00] Speaker G: It's too late. [00:39:02] Speaker D: This is a magic wild animal. It could still very well attack me. [00:39:06] Speaker B: It looked at you first. That's just like birds. [00:39:09] Speaker G: Yeah, it's imprinted now, dude. Man, I can't call you professor now, Oliver, because now don't say what I. [00:39:18] Speaker D: Think you're about to say. [00:39:19] Speaker F: Gosh. And that is the moment where Coda walks up, is just in time to hear Lucas call Oliver daddy and to see a tiny reptilian head nuzzling into Oliver's chest and neck from inside of his bag. [00:39:39] Speaker C: So Coda's, like, leaning on one of those railings that's usually, like, where people walk past, and you usually have, like, a glass panel to separate people. She's kind of, like, leaning on the top and looking over at their group and is like, mr. B is a daddy. Excuse me. Not how I wanted you to thing that's happening. Oh, my God. I'm gone for what, like, two months, and suddenly this is the thing that's happening also? What's? Daddy your oh, sorry. Hold on. Hey, nice to meet you. Koda matthew. Well, I think nice to meet you so far. Unless you're like, nice to meet you. [00:40:24] Speaker B: Nice to meet you, too. I'm Clint. It's a pleasure. I just want to clarify, generally speaking, when birds imprint, it's not so much a father figure. So I think we might be better off calling it was Mr B, you said his name is. [00:40:40] Speaker C: Yeah, Mr B. [00:40:41] Speaker B: We might be better off calling Mr. B mommy. B. Well, there you mean, that's fine, but he's going to be looked at as the caregiver for a while. [00:40:53] Speaker D: I don't like this conversation. [00:40:56] Speaker C: Okay, so Clint. [00:41:03] Speaker G: Other Lucas blinks asymmetrically for a moment. Oh, yeah, me. Sorry, I'm still coming off of a lot of the allergy meds. I'm Lucas Gwynn now. Nice to meet you, Lucas. [00:41:16] Speaker C: Glenn. Clint. Mommy. B. [00:41:22] Speaker D: It's nice to see you again, Coda, but please do not feed into their lunacy. [00:41:28] Speaker C: She's just going to look at them and then be like, they seem kind of. [00:41:34] Speaker B: Clint extends a fist for a bump. [00:41:37] Speaker D: I look around for whoever just cleared their throat. [00:41:39] Speaker F: You don't hear that? Coda hears that. [00:41:43] Speaker C: She will fist bump Clint and then be like, right. And this is Pele, my tiny god. [00:41:51] Speaker F: Coda holds up a small but ostentatious cat carrier that is like it's not actually gold, but it's obviously been painted to look gold. And the inside of it is lined with this kind of red velvety fabric. And inside is a beautiful Abyssinian cat. [00:42:18] Speaker G: Baby. Oh, my goodness. [00:42:22] Speaker F: He hisses at Lucas. [00:42:24] Speaker G: Oh, spicy baby. [00:42:27] Speaker B: Clint fidgets with a ring on his fingers before. That's a real cute kitty you got there. What's his name? [00:42:35] Speaker C: Pele. It's a tribe in Liberia established. [00:42:41] Speaker F: He may call me Tiny god. [00:42:44] Speaker C: He says that you may call him Tiny God, but Pele is also fine. She'll wrap around to sit down and give Oliver a side hug. But then also look at this critter that's now sticking its head out and go, so what's the deal here? Also, it is brick like, I know it's going to be cold, but it is like, brick cold here. [00:43:11] Speaker G: Well, hang on. Before we get too carried away, Oliver, you got to introduce us to your new son or daughter. [00:43:23] Speaker D: I'm still sitting very awkwardly with back arched, shoulders back like hands kind of up, like I don't know how to feel about this thing. [00:43:31] Speaker G: What are you doing? Both hands in your lap. [00:43:35] Speaker B: Be careful. [00:43:36] Speaker D: This thing could still attack me. [00:43:38] Speaker G: Do you not know how to hold a kid? [00:43:42] Speaker D: Well, no, but I don't think that's pertinent to the current moment. [00:43:47] Speaker G: Oliver. Douglas. Hold that kid right now. [00:43:52] Speaker D: Where did you get Douglas? [00:43:54] Speaker C: Yes. [00:43:54] Speaker G: You don't know? You look like a Douglas. [00:43:59] Speaker B: It's got to be something with a B. But Arthur bugless. [00:44:05] Speaker D: What are you talking about? [00:44:09] Speaker B: I don't know. I got distracted. Sorry. [00:44:14] Speaker D: Very slowly, put like a hand down towards the small reptile creature and just see what it does. Ready to pull back. [00:44:23] Speaker F: Just in case it tilts its head towards you with its chin, like, upward and kind of does it's almost catlike in the way that it sort of, like, rubs its jaw along your fingers. [00:44:38] Speaker G: Oh, my God, that is so cute. [00:44:43] Speaker D: Okay, fine. Admittedly, it is kind of cute. [00:44:46] Speaker F: And it churs in the back of its throat like it's pleased when you rub at it. [00:44:51] Speaker G: Now the other hand. Just hold it gently like hamburger. [00:44:56] Speaker D: Okay, I'll bring the other hand in, but not hold it like a hamburger. [00:45:05] Speaker F: While this is happening and Oliver is learning how to hold the dragon baby properly, ian and Pele are staring daggers at each other. [00:45:21] Speaker B: Ian, don't stare. [00:45:25] Speaker F: Ian is not in a cage. Ian is up on Clint's shoulder. And it's clear that Pele is annoyed that he's having to be in a cage. But you also get the feeling that it might be for the best that Pele is trapped because he is growling at Ian, who is occasionally leaning down and snatching food off of Clint's plate. [00:45:56] Speaker G: This is great. It's like a big old pet. [00:46:01] Speaker B: Just it's buddy. Here, here, have another piece. [00:46:07] Speaker C: Pilly. It's not polite to, I don't know, growl at chickens. [00:46:19] Speaker B: He acts like that sometimes. His name's ian. He's technically a raven, but he acts like a chicken sometimes. It's okay. It's okay. [00:46:34] Speaker F: Your ear gets pecked hard. [00:46:37] Speaker B: It's a joke. [00:46:42] Speaker F: Respect. [00:46:45] Speaker B: Yeah, I would appreciate some. [00:46:48] Speaker F: You're not showing any well, you're not. [00:46:51] Speaker B: Even using your manners. You're just taking food off my plate. [00:46:55] Speaker F: This is what we always do. [00:46:57] Speaker B: Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Ian is not a chicken, nor does he act like one. He's a very good friend of mine. [00:47:07] Speaker F: That's better. [00:47:09] Speaker C: I apologize, Ian and Clint. [00:47:17] Speaker B: That's okay. He doesn't really mind too much, I promise. Well, at least he never minds me, that is. [00:47:26] Speaker F: Ian sort of, like, puffs up his feathers a little bit and then adjusts his wings and returns to settling on Clint's shoulder. He's taking less food. You get the feeling that he might have been doing that specifically to piss off Pele. But occasionally, as you guys are talking, you'll notice him kind of lean around Clint's head to look at Pele out of one of his eyes, which makes Pele annoyed, like, visibly annoyed. And you hear a little growl from the carrier, and then Ian will set back like he didn't do anything. [00:48:12] Speaker G: Man. Starting to feel a little left out. I should have brought, like, my pet rock or something. [00:48:18] Speaker B: Didn't you bring your shovel? [00:48:21] Speaker G: Oh, that's right. I got my shovel. And he's going to pull out the. [00:48:27] Speaker F: You'Re going to pull out the giant shovel in the middle of the airport. [00:48:31] Speaker G: Big old snow shovel. He's going to take a little marker from his pocket, pop the cap. He's got dot a big old smiley face on the head of it. There we go. Now we all got pets. [00:48:47] Speaker B: That's a really unique pet. I think I can dig it. [00:48:53] Speaker F: The waitress, by the way, is headed back and I'm not going to make anybody roll for that. You all notice because especially Oliver. Because I imagine Oliver is paranoid. Yeah, because there's a fucking dragon in his lap. [00:49:07] Speaker D: Yeah. Is she going to see this as a dragon or just like a regular lizard? I don't know how the disregard at. [00:49:16] Speaker C: Least I would vote dragon. [00:49:18] Speaker B: Yeah. I want to cover it up with your wing. I mean your jacket. [00:49:22] Speaker F: Okay. [00:49:23] Speaker D: Hey, I'll just grab some meat off my plate and kind of put it back inside like the bag, hoping it'll duck its head in. [00:49:32] Speaker F: Okay. He does. Ed, you are able to zip the bag up. I'm so sorry. And you feel and hear feel as much as hear the annoyance from inside the bag as he begins to twist and turn and is trying to find his way back out and is not sure why. The lights got turned off. [00:49:58] Speaker D: I know, I'm sorry. Just 1 second and I'm going to track. Very natural for when the waitress comes back. [00:50:04] Speaker F: Okay. Make me. Manipulation and there's subterfuge. Just me not being able to remember what anything is. Manipulation and presence. [00:50:21] Speaker D: Yes, I say there's presence. [00:50:24] Speaker F: Okay. [00:50:24] Speaker D: I'm assumingly good at this. Pretty solid 1234-5678. [00:50:37] Speaker B: Wow. [00:50:38] Speaker F: Damn. Yeah, you managed to play it off pretty perfectly. She kind of eyes in. And then as she is talking to Clint, she is looking over at Lucas and the giant snow shovel in. Sir, pets are supposed to be in cages while inside of the airport oh, sorry. [00:51:04] Speaker G: Yeah. I forgot to cage the big boy up. That's my bad. [00:51:08] Speaker B: It's all right, lucas, it's hard to find a cage the right size for that thing. [00:51:13] Speaker G: I know, right? [00:51:13] Speaker F: It's so big and bulky. I meant the bird. But it's not a bird. [00:51:21] Speaker G: It's a shovel. [00:51:22] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm just looking at her. [00:51:28] Speaker F: She's still staring at the snow shovel in confusion, but she is pointing towards Clint and Ian. [00:51:38] Speaker B: I mean, he never really behaves well when I put him in cage. I promise I'll clean up after him, if that's okay. [00:51:48] Speaker F: Don't hang out here for too long. Or am I able to lose my job for not calling security? [00:51:53] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, of course. I promise you won't even know we're here. [00:51:58] Speaker F: Yeah. Okay. She looks like she doesn't believe you, but finishes setting down drinks and food and then turns to leave. [00:52:08] Speaker D: Soon as she's gone, I'll unzip the bag again. [00:52:12] Speaker F: The dragon this time does not accept just his head being out of it. Like full bodily clambers out of the opening as soon as it's available to him. [00:52:25] Speaker D: Not making this easy. [00:52:27] Speaker B: You just got to have confidence. It's okay. [00:52:30] Speaker F: And he climbs up towards the top of your chest, and it tucks himself up underneath of your chin. [00:52:39] Speaker G: That is so adorable, Ollie. What are you gonna name what are you gonna name him, bud? [00:52:46] Speaker D: I don't know. I don't even know if I'm supposed to keep this. Weren't we supposed to take this thing to someone? [00:52:51] Speaker G: Listen, that thing is clearly imprinted on you. That thing is your scaly baby bud. You got to name it something. Don't you got some famous philosopher bookie kind of guy in the back of your head, like Dr. Seuss? [00:53:10] Speaker D: No. Yeah, that's not going to be it. If I do name it. [00:53:15] Speaker B: We can call him One Fish, two Fish or Redfish. [00:53:21] Speaker G: Redfish? Yeah. [00:53:22] Speaker D: If I promise to think about it, will you all stop? [00:53:26] Speaker B: No, not really. [00:53:31] Speaker G: Redfish is a great one, though. It's like oh, yeah. Red One, Red Two, Red Leader. [00:53:36] Speaker B: Redfish. We should use code names. [00:53:41] Speaker G: I never even thought of that. [00:53:43] Speaker D: Why would we need code names? [00:53:46] Speaker B: Well, I don't know, but they sound cool. Hey, if we're ever on the radio or talking to each other on the phone and we don't want our names to be spilled out there, we use code names like they do in the movies. [00:54:02] Speaker D: Yeah, I suppose I'll leave that to you, then. [00:54:10] Speaker G: That reminds me. What are we supposed to be doing? [00:54:13] Speaker D: That's a good question. [00:54:14] Speaker C: That's what I was wondering. Because while it's great to see that you have a new pet, where did it come from exactly? [00:54:23] Speaker B: It came from an egg. [00:54:25] Speaker C: Oh, an egg. Fine. [00:54:27] Speaker D: Funny thing, which, now that things out of the bag, can I check to see if the dragonstone is indeed what this thing came out of? [00:54:35] Speaker F: Yeah, you can, and it is. You open up the bag, and what it looks like is that the Dragon stone was a particularly thickly shelled egg. It feels like a stone when you touch it, but there's definitely just pieces of it now. [00:54:56] Speaker D: Okay. Yeah, so it definitely came out of what we thought was a very big rock, and we found that rock in the Irish underworld that's kind of been overrun. [00:55:13] Speaker C: Is this one of our gigs? [00:55:17] Speaker D: Yeah, it was supposed to be one of our labors, which is, again, confusing to me as to why I'm supposedly keeping this thing. I thought we were supposed to take it and bring it back to the Morrigan or someone. [00:55:31] Speaker B: Hold on. How long has it been there? That might give us a clue why we had to get it. [00:55:39] Speaker D: Yeah, they mentioned there was, like, a battle or war or something, and it got left behind, and no one was able to go by and get it for, I don't know, hundreds, thousands of years. I don't remember exactly what they said. [00:55:50] Speaker G: It's been there long enough for a big old stony chair to be plonked on top of it. [00:55:57] Speaker B: And it didn't exactly hatch and go and terrorize any sort of castles or cities as far as we've seen it. It waited until you had it, oliver. [00:56:08] Speaker D: Again, why am I slowly becoming a Knight of the Roundtable? Can someone explain that to me? [00:56:17] Speaker C: Isn't that, like, the guy who pulls. [00:56:19] Speaker D: The sword from the Arthur? Yes. You're very. Am I? Then? I don't know. [00:56:30] Speaker C: Galahad, I guess. Galahad. Of course. [00:56:36] Speaker D: Thank you, Coda. [00:56:39] Speaker F: Clint, your phone is vibrating in your pocket. [00:56:43] Speaker B: Excuse me. I might have to take this. Clint will pull his phone out. [00:56:47] Speaker F: You have a text message from your mother. [00:56:50] Speaker B: Oh, it's mom. Let's see what she says. [00:56:52] Speaker D: Let's see now, is the contact ID mom or Mommy? [00:56:56] Speaker B: It's mommy. [00:56:57] Speaker F: Yeah, great. It's a text message, and it just says, your ride will be outside in five minutes. [00:57:10] Speaker B: Well, if I recall correctly, we were supposed to be meeting someone here, and that someone should be here in the form of a ride in about five minutes. [00:57:19] Speaker F: To be clear, you were supposed to be meeting Coda here, but now you are being picked up. [00:57:25] Speaker B: Clint will respond with, is Coda the person we're supposed to be meeting, just to confirm? [00:57:34] Speaker C: I believe so, because I did just meet you. At least you two. Mr. B. I've known for, like, ages. [00:57:41] Speaker G: Oh, really? [00:57:43] Speaker F: There's a solid, like, two minute pause before you get a response, Clint, and then all you get back is yes, three minutes. [00:57:55] Speaker B: Okay, it looks like our rat's going to be here in three minutes. [00:57:58] Speaker D: Then we should probably get on out. [00:58:00] Speaker G: There after we pay the bill. My shovel. Lucas will take his bag, and he's going to start stuffing the shovel in. It does not look like it should fit at all, but mysteriously, it does, and he manages to get it zipped up. [00:58:18] Speaker F: Lucas in the Mary Poppins bag. I love it. [00:58:22] Speaker G: Mary Poppins y'all. [00:58:25] Speaker B: You know, I've seen too much to question that. Yep. [00:58:29] Speaker D: I feel like it's just par for the course at this. [00:58:34] Speaker C: Huh? [00:58:35] Speaker B: Clint's going to send back a thumbs up to mommy and then get ready. [00:58:42] Speaker F: All right. Unfortunately, because you guys spent so much time talking before you actually managed to pay, you have to basically sprint for the front door. [00:58:53] Speaker D: I'm going to try to position it so, like, my jacket is over the small dragon creature. I'm kind of rubbing it alongside the neck to keep it calm. [00:59:03] Speaker F: The dragon will happily crawl inside of your jacket. However, as you are running, I need you to make a stamina and fortitude check, please. [00:59:13] Speaker D: Okay. Where's my fortitude? [00:59:17] Speaker B: There. [00:59:23] Speaker D: Pretty good. 123456. [00:59:26] Speaker F: Yeah. You feel claws digging into you because as you are running, he is bouncing. But being a scion has its perks. Apparently, dragon claws don't hurt that much when they're baby claws. And you're a scion. [00:59:47] Speaker D: I need to figure out if you can retract those like a cat or not. [00:59:54] Speaker F: You all bolt out of the front doors of the airport, and you get out in time to realize that. [01:00:09] Speaker C: It'S. [01:00:09] Speaker F: Technically night here, but it's Iceland, and there's a sun right now. There is also a unusually vivid rainbow stretching off slightly into the distance and behind a hill. And behind a hill is where it disappears. [01:00:38] Speaker D: I pull up my phone. Take a photo. Same. [01:00:42] Speaker B: You all ever wonder if it's true that there's a pot of gold at the end of them things? [01:00:47] Speaker C: There definitely has to be. But it's probably no offense, we think it's going to be like the Lucky Charms person and instead we're going to get jumped and have our guts sold or some shit. [01:00:59] Speaker G: Double rainbow all the way. What could it mean? [01:01:03] Speaker C: Do you think the person who made Skittles is actually a scion? [01:01:07] Speaker B: Oh, you know, isn't that what the commercial is about? That fella that touches everything and it turns into message. [01:01:15] Speaker F: Your phone chimes with another text message. [01:01:18] Speaker B: Let's see. [01:01:19] Speaker C: Let's go. [01:01:19] Speaker F: Let's go. It just says, you're late. [01:01:22] Speaker B: Oh, shit. All right, Clint will respond with Sorry, Mommy, and then move on. [01:01:31] Speaker F: So what are you guys going to do? [01:01:36] Speaker D: Yes, we're looking for the vehicle we were supposed to be in already. [01:01:40] Speaker F: There are no vehicles that look like they are waiting for you. [01:01:43] Speaker B: Oh, shit. [01:01:45] Speaker D: Do we actually need to follow the window or the rainbow? [01:01:49] Speaker G: I think we do. [01:01:50] Speaker F: Oliver, make me an intelligence and academics role, please. Cool. [01:01:54] Speaker D: My book gives me a special thing that we'll see that is yeah, that's more than five, six, seven. [01:02:09] Speaker F: It takes you a second to realize that she probably is indeed talking about the rainbow, because in the legends, one of the ways to reach Asgard is the bifrost, which is the rainbow bridge. [01:02:22] Speaker D: I don't know if we're just going to be falling or literally walking on a rainbow, but I think the rainbow is the way to go. [01:02:31] Speaker B: Do we go to where it's the end? Past them mountains and such? [01:02:36] Speaker F: It's not past a mountain. It's just on the other side of a hill, it looks like. [01:02:40] Speaker B: All right. A really little mountain, but still. [01:02:42] Speaker D: Let's just follow and see where that takes us. [01:02:46] Speaker C: Yeah, let's just go. [01:02:49] Speaker F: Okay. Not going to make you roll. Not hard to get there. You could see where it is. It's weird because it seems like as you are walking past other people, they notice the rainbow, but it doesn't strike them as odd how close to the ground near them it seems to be. Because you know how rainbows never look like they're that close to the ground? Unless you're like at a waterfall or something. But it's not far at all, as far as you guys can tell. It's like your perception of it is different from theirs. And you all hurry down the sidewalk and eventually off into grass. You climb over this small hill and on the other side of the hill is a tall woman with long, pale white, almost white blonde hair. And she is in armor and looks annoyed. [01:03:48] Speaker B: Is this that leprechaun? You said we're going to have to fight? [01:03:54] Speaker F: Sorry, did you just call me a leprechaun? [01:03:58] Speaker B: No, you don't look like one, which is why I was confused. I'm not exactly. I'm glad we could agree. Hi. I'm Clint grazis. It's nice to meet you. These are my friends. [01:04:10] Speaker G: He's gonna step partially away from Clint. [01:04:15] Speaker D: Sorry for the tardiness. [01:04:22] Speaker F: Ah. They told me that you were like this. I didn't believe them. Should have believed. Believed them. [01:04:36] Speaker C: So you know about us? [01:04:38] Speaker F: I've heard a few. You're the reason why he's there. [01:04:43] Speaker G: We are pretty incredible. [01:04:45] Speaker D: So, Lucas, now is probably not the best time. [01:04:51] Speaker F: I'm Bernhilder. [01:04:53] Speaker B: Nice to meet you. Brunhilder. [01:04:56] Speaker F: And she puts out a hand. [01:04:58] Speaker B: Clint will extend his. [01:05:01] Speaker F: Rather than shaking your hand, she grabs you by the forearm. [01:05:05] Speaker B: Oh, okay. One of these. All right. [01:05:08] Speaker F: Clint, this woman is as tall, if not taller than you and has a grip that is stronger than yours. [01:05:15] Speaker B: Clint beams up at her, doing his best to match her grip. [01:05:22] Speaker F: Follow me. Don't lag behind. Heimdall doesn't leave the bifrost open for. [01:05:37] Speaker B: Know they got this bifrost? They ever get the pan frost or anything like that? [01:05:42] Speaker C: Oh, my gosh. [01:05:45] Speaker D: Yes. Coda. I've been dealing with this the entire. [01:05:49] Speaker C: I was wondering, and I was going to ask you, but wow. Like, you know what? Good job, Mr. B. That's what you get for teaching a high school for however long you did. You're prepared for stuff like this? [01:06:00] Speaker D: It's the only reason I probably have not been reduced to a comatose state yet. [01:06:04] Speaker C: Oh, okay. [01:06:05] Speaker G: You're destined for this, dude. [01:06:09] Speaker F: Renalder leads you or she turns and steps onto what looks up close to somehow be even less substantial than what you saw in the air, but somehow more solid in a way. And she steps up onto it like it is a physical thing and not just a play of light. And then starts walking and after a few steps, realizes that nobody is following. And she will kind of turn and look back at all of you. [01:06:45] Speaker B: Oh, sorry. We were enjoying the view. Sorry. We'll be right there. [01:06:51] Speaker D: I'm just kind of, like, put my face in my hand. [01:06:54] Speaker F: She rolls her eyes. And Clint, you get the feeling that your lines do not have the effect on her that they did on your friend back in Ireland? [01:07:04] Speaker B: It's all right. Distracted from us being leaped. That's all the goal. [01:07:09] Speaker G: Yeah. Probably should have hit her with the conifer line. [01:07:12] Speaker B: Yeah, you really should have. Let's go again. [01:07:16] Speaker D: What happens to Tuatha house stays in Tuatha house. That counts. [01:07:20] Speaker B: I mean, it was outside. [01:07:25] Speaker C: Try to walk beside Brunhilder brynn. [01:07:29] Speaker F: Hilder. Yeah. [01:07:30] Speaker C: Brun. Hilder. Yeah. And kind of be like so do you walk here all the time? So how does this work exactly? [01:07:39] Speaker F: Only Lord Heimdall could open the bifrost. It does not happen often, but this was the easiest way to get you here. It was this or make you climb igdrazil yes. So what the first time? [01:08:02] Speaker C: Trying to educate myself. So what is Iggtrazil? [01:08:06] Speaker F: World Tree. [01:08:08] Speaker C: Oh, yes. World Tree. I do know it by that name. Layman's terms, as I've learned in my. [01:08:18] Speaker B: Studies, is that the same one from them Marvel movies. [01:08:25] Speaker D: The what? [01:08:28] Speaker F: No, we don't have time for history lesson. [01:08:32] Speaker B: Exactly. We can just move and talk at the same time. That's okay. [01:08:37] Speaker F: You all ascend on this rainbow that is also somehow a bridge up into the air and cross. And you're able to look down and watch as the world falls away beneath you until it until you pass into clouds and you can't see the ground anymore. It's like walking through the air itself. There are times where it's even hard to see the rainbow bridge that you're actually walking on. It's barely more than faint ideas of color. The dragon, Oliver, crawls out of your jacket and is, like, perched up on your shoulder and has begun to nibble on your hair. [01:09:36] Speaker D: That's a new sensation. [01:09:40] Speaker F: And occasionally, like, tugs at it. [01:09:43] Speaker D: Okay, how about we don't do that? [01:09:48] Speaker G: I got some pocket bacon here. [01:09:52] Speaker D: Okay, for once, I'm actually thankful for that. [01:09:55] Speaker G: Lucas will take a big old bundle of pocket bacon and sneak it over into Oliver's hand. [01:10:02] Speaker D: I'll take it and kind of hold it away from the other side of my head so it has to look and let go of my hair. [01:10:12] Speaker F: Make me a manipulation in animal ken. [01:10:18] Speaker D: Oh, good. [01:10:20] Speaker F: If you have animal ken. [01:10:22] Speaker D: I do not. [01:10:24] Speaker C: Manipulation. [01:10:25] Speaker F: And you don't get any. [01:10:32] Speaker D: One success. [01:10:34] Speaker G: Hey. [01:10:35] Speaker F: Well, thankfully for you, he was literally born today. Yeah. He turns and snaps at the pocket bacon. [01:10:43] Speaker D: I'll only let him have like a little bit at a time to keep him from biting my head. [01:10:48] Speaker F: Every so often as he is eating, he'll make little noises and little puffs of smoke will escape from his nose. [01:10:57] Speaker D: Wait, if you want more, then you have to behave. [01:11:00] Speaker G: I just realized is asgard, like, are their customs, like, cool with dragons? Do we have to declare him or anything like that? [01:11:09] Speaker D: It's Norse, so they probably will be cool with it, but maybe. I don't know. I've never been here before. [01:11:16] Speaker B: Ain't the head honcho there fond of birds? [01:11:21] Speaker D: I don't think this counts as a. [01:11:22] Speaker C: Birds are kind of like bird cat looks like. [01:11:26] Speaker F: I wasn't asking for you. [01:11:30] Speaker D: Well, fair enough. And how do they like bird cats? [01:11:41] Speaker B: You got the best of both worlds. [01:11:43] Speaker G: You don't have any problems with my pet shovel. [01:11:47] Speaker D: Okay, let's keep moving. [01:11:50] Speaker F: You all ascend towards what looks a little bit like something out of a video game. It's this spot in the air that is somehow reminiscent of what you would expect from a magical portal and entirely different because it's more like the shimmer of a mirage. Brenhilder does not seem at all put off. She marches directly towards it. She walks with purpose. Kind of forces Coda to hurry along next to her because her legs are significantly longer than Coda's. [01:12:24] Speaker C: I keep them. [01:12:27] Speaker F: You do? I'm just saying, for every one step of hers, you have to take two or three and eventually she steps through that shimmer and she disappears from view. And you are all able to follow her relatively easily. [01:12:48] Speaker B: Before Clint passes, he'd like to stop and look over the sides. [01:12:53] Speaker F: You can't see a lot. It's kind of in clouds. So you see a lot of clouds. You get the occasional glimpse of the world below and it is way below. It didn't feel like you were walking as far as you apparently were because you're significantly high above the ground now. You're like up above, up on par with where planes end up flying. [01:13:23] Speaker B: Yes. Real glad I don't got a fear of heights. And then he'll go through the portal. [01:13:30] Speaker F: Is anybody else stopping or is everybody stepping through? [01:13:34] Speaker D: I'll take a moment to look it over. Sigh. Great. Another leap of faith and then I'll walk through Kodo. [01:13:43] Speaker C: Already went through. [01:13:45] Speaker F: Kodo is hot on the heels of the pretty Valkyrie. I got it. [01:13:49] Speaker G: Man, I hate portals. And Lucas will go ahead and toss himself on through. [01:13:57] Speaker F: All right, you all come in behind her. You turn back in time to watch that shimmer. Solidify. And it looks like huge wooden gates that are etched with imagery very similar to the world tree that you've seen before. Even those kind of shimmer and dissipate and they disappear. And you are left standing in a I'm sorry, left standing on a beach. There is a rolling sea behind where the doors used to be and the beach extends up towards thick waving grasses. The beach extends off in either direction. You see craggy rocks off to either side. In the distance you see what looks like a massive meath hall. And standing there is Brynhilder and a tall powerfully built man that has all of the bearing and presence that you would expect from a god. [01:15:23] Speaker B: Nice to meet you sir. We're here, as expected, a little late. Apologies for the tardiness. [01:15:34] Speaker F: And you are? [01:15:35] Speaker B: Oh, sorry. I'm Clint Brazas. This here is Mr. B, affectionately known as Oliver. We've got coda over here. We met today. And then we've got Lucas right here. And held gesture to each one. [01:15:50] Speaker C: Coda massacoy, scion of the stack. [01:15:57] Speaker B: Oh, we're supposed to be doing the formal. Right? You're right. [01:16:01] Speaker G: I'm Lucas Gwynn, scion of Lou. [01:16:08] Speaker D: I'm Oliver Bright. [01:16:14] Speaker B: You're not going to say who you're a scion of? [01:16:17] Speaker D: Is it necessary? [01:16:19] Speaker B: I don't know. The other two did it. [01:16:22] Speaker D: I think they know we're scions. [01:16:25] Speaker B: Yeah, but who your parent is might be important to them. [01:16:29] Speaker D: I'm the Scion of OGMA. [01:16:32] Speaker C: I just did it because I think, well, I love repping my family, so that's the only reason why I did it, really. [01:16:43] Speaker F: The man standing before you looks over all of you. He has dark hair that's probably about similar length to Oliver's, but isn't pulled back at all. His eyes are sharp, golden, his very strong kind of rugged features. His gaze lingers for a long moment on Lucas before he looks at the rest of you. I am heimdall. Welcome to Asgard. [01:17:31] Speaker D: Thank you for allowing us enter. [01:17:34] Speaker B: It's nice to be here. Thanks for having us. [01:17:38] Speaker F: Two of you at least have been here before. He looks between Oliver and Coda because you guys have you didn't come in this way normally. You went through some trick entrance, like a doorway from a biker bar, that sort of thing. And you usually got spit out closer to where Stefan has been staying. You've never come in just on a beach and able to see as much as you have before. Renhilder will take you to the prisoner. I'm told that you will be met there. [01:18:19] Speaker D: Right. [01:18:21] Speaker B: All right. [01:18:23] Speaker F: I should make it clear that you are all expected to behave while you are here. You may be scions of other pantheons, but if you represent them poorly, there will be repercussions. [01:18:40] Speaker B: All right, Ian, I'm going to have to let you do the talking for me for now. Okay? [01:18:45] Speaker D: I always can offer the same thing, Clint. I'll just pat him on the shoulder. [01:18:50] Speaker B: Yeah, thank you. [01:18:54] Speaker F: And he'll nod to Brynn hilder. Who will nod and turn and lead you down the beach towards those craggy rocks in the distance. You draw in, and you realize after a moment that the closer you get, the higher the rocks seem to go until you can eventually see a cave opening. [01:19:21] Speaker B: Is that where we're headed? [01:19:24] Speaker F: It is Loki's prison. [01:19:28] Speaker B: Oh, well, that sounds like a good time, then. [01:19:32] Speaker D: No, typically, prisons aren't yeah. [01:19:35] Speaker B: I'm sorry. Maybe I should have done better inflection with the sarcasm. That's still above the ground, right? Like he looks at the cave entrance from a distance. [01:19:49] Speaker F: Are you concerned about drowning? [01:19:53] Speaker B: Not so much on the drowning, no. It's not like there's no earthquakes or anything that happened while we're here, is there? [01:20:01] Speaker F: There have not been earthquakes in Asgard since I came here. [01:20:05] Speaker B: We should be fine, then. No, it's okay. Clint wipes his hands on his pants and then walks along following. [01:20:15] Speaker F: For those of you who have not visited the prisoner before, there is a serpent who is also trapped in this prison. Do not touch it. Do not touch anything that comes from it. [01:20:30] Speaker D: Understood? [01:20:31] Speaker G: Right. [01:20:34] Speaker D: I'm going to look poignantly at Lucas. [01:20:39] Speaker G: And he'll just smile and give a little wave. [01:20:43] Speaker F: The prisoner is under guard by fellow Valkyrie, but we largely stay out of his chamber unless required to be inside of it. You will have time and privacy. This is being done as a favor to your parents, allowing this access, so remember that you represent them while you are here. [01:21:13] Speaker B: Clint puffs up a little bit and pockets his hands. [01:21:17] Speaker D: Understood. [01:21:20] Speaker F: She walks you into the cave, and the first thing that you realize as you draw into the cave is that the sound in caves changes the deeper in that you get. And it goes from you can hear waves on the shore to the deeper in you go, the more those waves sound like thunder. And you wonder if perhaps that was a little bit on by design, considering that Loki used to be kept here. She walks in. The cave is damp until you hit a certain point, and then it's like oliver feels this more than anybody else. There is very clearly some measure of enchantment that's been woven to keep it a little bit more on the dry side, at least in the parts where guards will be standing regularly. You draw in and Brynn Hilder walks you up to a place where there are four Valkyries standing outside of another smaller tunnel that branches off from this one. And Oliver and Coda having been here before, you know that that branch is what extends back into the chamber where Stefan and the last time you saw her, Sarah, were. [01:23:08] Speaker B: All right. [01:23:11] Speaker D: Are we still following anyone or are. [01:23:13] Speaker F: We she's stopped for now. And you have a moment to either confer or continue on. [01:23:23] Speaker D: Well, I believe things have been made clear for us. We are to be respectful and not do anything ridiculous. [01:23:37] Speaker C: Yeah, because this is actually our butts on the line here. Again. [01:23:49] Speaker B: I'm not going to touch anything. Just fine. [01:23:55] Speaker G: Hands to myself. [01:23:58] Speaker D: Good. Let's head in. I'll give Clint a reassuring pat on the shoulder and then continue on. [01:24:10] Speaker C: Okay. [01:24:13] Speaker F: You walk by the other Valkyries who are standing like statues. Brynhilder watches you go before she turns and seems to walk back out of the cave herself and leaves you behind. You draw in to the chamber in the back, and as you do so, the first thing you see is that Stefan is climbing off of a large tall, almost as tall as Clint rock that he has clearly been laying on, on his back. He is bare from the waist up. There are marks on his face that show that there were moments where the venom from what proves to be a massive serpent that is chained to the top wall or the ceiling of this cave. Its mouth is held open by hooks and there is venom dripping from it. And it becomes clear that at some points, the venom either splashed or Sarah, who is also here and is currently turned away and looks like she is dumping a bowl out into a crevasse behind the stone. Looks like there may have been moments where she couldn't stop the venom from hitting him or it splashed against the bowl and got on him. Anyway, sarah, for her part, looks a little worse for wear. She looks tired more than anything. Looks like she hasn't had a haircut in a hot minute, and she is dressed more like she belongs here. She's wearing a very traditional Viking dress. It even looks like somebody has, like, hand embroidered parts of it in blue. You've never seen her out of slacks before, but it seems like maybe she doesn't go home very often. So they gave. Her new clothes. Stefan, as you are climbing down off of the rock and reaching for your perhaps out of habit, reaching for a shirt to pull on, you realize that there are four people who have filtered into the chamber. [01:27:06] Speaker E: Well, I'll be. [01:27:10] Speaker D: Stefan. [01:27:13] Speaker E: It has been a while, Mr. Bright. [01:27:18] Speaker D: I ask how you're doing, but I know the answer is not particularly well. [01:27:25] Speaker E: I am peachy. [01:27:31] Speaker C: Peachy. [01:27:32] Speaker E: I think the first day this has happened, you don't really get used to it. But it's over. For now, at least. [01:27:46] Speaker D: Take moments of brevity. Suppose that's good. These are some new friends of ours. This is Clint and Lucas. [01:27:56] Speaker B: Nice to meet you. [01:28:01] Speaker D: We were told to come meet you. I'm not sure if perhaps you know why. [01:28:10] Speaker E: Well, it's good to see you. Didn't know you'd had to be told to meet me, but at least I'm being thought of. [01:28:24] Speaker D: There are times for visitation and there are times when the gods tell us what to do. And this is one of those. Fortunately, I think it's tied to helping you not have to do this anymore. [01:28:41] Speaker E: Well, that is good. Now, Clint and Lucas? [01:28:53] Speaker B: Yeah, that's us. [01:28:55] Speaker F: Wow. [01:28:55] Speaker G: He knows me. [01:28:57] Speaker D: I just said your name. [01:29:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Nice to meet you, Stefan. I'm Clint. I don't want to say happy to be here, but we're here. We were tasked with something. Are we supposed to be talking to you about that? [01:29:23] Speaker E: I'd be out of here. They could be split if I was giving you the. [01:29:29] Speaker B: Okay. [01:29:32] Speaker F: Um, Clint, just to be clear, you have had it explained to you in the past exactly why the labors are necessary. You've never met Stefan, but you know who he is and you know what he did. And you know that he's why you're here. [01:29:51] Speaker B: Clint is also feeling quite fidgety and keeping his hands in his pockets. [01:29:56] Speaker F: Understandable? [01:29:58] Speaker E: Yeah. Don't worry. I don't bite much. [01:30:03] Speaker C: Well, anymore. [01:30:06] Speaker E: I didn't bite back then, either. [01:30:11] Speaker B: Oh, I ain't worried about you. You seem like a nice enough feller, but I'd really just like to do our beating and get out of here if we can. [01:30:23] Speaker G: Yeah. This is kind of awkward. This vibe is pretty tense. [01:30:28] Speaker B: Yeah, the vibes. Yeah. [01:30:31] Speaker F: Sarah, for her part, kind of looks over everybody looks over towards Oliver and. [01:30:41] Speaker D: Nod. [01:30:42] Speaker C: Hey. [01:30:46] Speaker F: I could really use a shower. You mind keeping the prisoner company? [01:30:53] Speaker D: Sure thing. Also, you look like you might need one of these as well. And I kind of reach into my coat, pull out the carton of cigarettes that I keep on spare for my friends, and just toss it to her. [01:31:04] Speaker F: Fuck, yes, please. [01:31:05] Speaker C: Something stronger, too. Right? You're working? Yeah. [01:31:14] Speaker F: It'll make me want to go to sleep. And as much as I would love to do that, I'm still on duty. Yes. [01:31:19] Speaker C: Got you. [01:31:20] Speaker D: Look at God. [01:31:20] Speaker F: Thank you. [01:31:21] Speaker D: You did get that to the airport. [01:31:24] Speaker C: Listen, teach, there's a lot you still have to learn. [01:31:30] Speaker D: Yeah, I'm learning that day after day. [01:31:32] Speaker G: Now the professor becomes the sensei. Wait, no shit. [01:31:37] Speaker F: If you could leave some of that koda, I'd appreciate it. [01:31:41] Speaker C: Yeah, I got you. [01:31:43] Speaker F: I'm going to go shower and get some coffee. You all enjoy your visit. Oliver, you have a dragon on your shoulder. [01:31:58] Speaker D: That is something I'm aware of. [01:32:00] Speaker F: Yes. [01:32:01] Speaker D: It's a new development. Very new. And I'm still getting used to it. [01:32:05] Speaker G: It's his kid. [01:32:07] Speaker D: No, that's not true. [01:32:09] Speaker E: He's mommy b. Congratulations. [01:32:12] Speaker D: Haven't accepted that. [01:32:16] Speaker C: Cute. [01:32:18] Speaker D: I will admit that it is. [01:32:22] Speaker F: Well, I'll see you guys later. And she'll make her way out. Leaving the five of you. The dragon is still fascinated with Oliver's hair. [01:32:40] Speaker D: Just going to put my hand up, kind of rub its head. Bram, could you not what was that? Bram as know Bram Stoker name. I'm trying out. [01:32:55] Speaker B: It's a good enough name. I LAXit it. [01:32:57] Speaker G: It sounds like ham. I approve of this. [01:33:01] Speaker D: Okay, now I need to rethink it. [01:33:02] Speaker C: Yeah, I thought graham, like graham crackers. [01:33:06] Speaker D: Bram with a b. [01:33:07] Speaker C: The guy that wrote yes, yes, dracula, I know. [01:33:11] Speaker B: Yeah, I heard that book. Kind of. [01:33:15] Speaker C: True. [01:33:16] Speaker D: I look at amazed. Wait, say that again. Lucas, that's not true. Isn't you've read it? [01:33:26] Speaker C: Yes. [01:33:27] Speaker D: And you liked it? [01:33:29] Speaker C: Yes. [01:33:30] Speaker D: Coda. I've never been more proud of you in my life. [01:33:33] Speaker C: I have a few books actually in. [01:33:35] Speaker F: My backpack right now. [01:33:39] Speaker B: I'm just about a vampire. [01:33:40] Speaker F: Awestruck, Oliver looks like he's on the verge of tears. [01:33:44] Speaker D: Lucas. [01:33:48] Speaker F: Lucas. I need you to roll let's say yeah, okay. I would like you to roll me stamina and integrity. And you can add your courage rating if you would like. [01:34:18] Speaker G: I think I will. Give me just a moment. I get that all put together. [01:34:22] Speaker F: In order to add your courage, you have to spend a point of legend. Or willpower. Sorry. Spend a point of willpower. [01:34:41] Speaker G: And spent. That be a dice pool of eight. Go ahead and get that rolled. [01:34:48] Speaker F: Let's see how it goes. Wow, real well. Do you have any Epics and stamina? [01:34:59] Speaker G: I don't believe I do. Let me double check. Yeah. No, no, epics. [01:35:06] Speaker F: Okay, so that's five successes, which is still really good. You are standing here in a cave that was home once to Loki. This was Loki's prison. There is a giant incredibly venomous serpent. So venomous that it harms a god. When the venom hits him and you feel something wet hit your face. And for a moment there is blind panic because you are sure that it is going to start burning holes into your skin. And you jump for just a second and then you realize that it's not burning, but your face is all wet. [01:35:59] Speaker G: Geek goes to wipe it. Is it just like condensation? [01:36:03] Speaker F: Yeah, it's condensation. You go to wipe at your face and you realize that your fingers aren't quite going to be enough. And you reach your hand into your pocket and you pull out a piece of kind of thread bear, blackish brown shroud, and you go to wipe at your face. And as the shroud passes over your face, everybody in the room watches as Lucas's face seems to warp and shift. And when he pulls his hand away and tucks that fabric back into his pocket, an entirely different looking man is standing there. [01:36:59] Speaker B: Looks like you might have wiped your face off there, Lucas. [01:37:05] Speaker E: You smelled familiar. [01:37:11] Speaker A: That does happen from time to time. [01:37:14] Speaker B: Well, you've changed a little bit. [01:37:17] Speaker D: Oliver looks very unsurprised. [01:37:20] Speaker A: Right. Where are my Menners? You all did the formal introduction, so shall I. I'm Lou Lonfada, son of Kian, daughter of Atheni once and probably future king of the Tuata de Danan. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. [01:37:43] Speaker B: Clint is slackjob. [01:37:46] Speaker E: Yep. [01:37:51] Speaker D: Give Clint another pat on the huh. [01:37:55] Speaker A: Lou inclines his head to Stefan, says, I see you've met my boy. [01:38:03] Speaker E: At least a few of them have. [01:38:08] Speaker B: Wait, when we arm wrestled, were you just putting on a show? [01:38:16] Speaker A: It's complicated. It's a bit like meta acting. You really have to kind of bury yourself in the part. [01:38:27] Speaker B: Okay. Are we still, like, best friends, though? [01:38:32] Speaker A: Oh, without a doubt. [01:38:33] Speaker B: Oh, hell yeah. Clint will extend. [01:38:35] Speaker E: The. [01:38:40] Speaker A: Will get a he will get a fist bump. [01:38:43] Speaker D: I'll lean over Dakota. Lucas was a god the entire time. [01:38:49] Speaker C: Why? [01:38:54] Speaker A: I wasn't going to send these two yokels into magma by themselves, not with my boy's life on the huh. [01:39:04] Speaker B: Remember? [01:39:04] Speaker D: Because Lou said he was going to adopt Stefan. [01:39:08] Speaker C: Oh, okay. I see. I just have trust issues when people are suddenly not who they say they are. All know, with the sudden waking up and being chased by wolves, know, suddenly becoming a scion. And so when people are like, oh, I'm this, and then they actually become something else, it makes me go, oh, is it time to fight now? Fight or flight? Or is it I don't know, koda. [01:39:38] Speaker A: Masakoi, calm your heart. We're all different people moment to moment. Some of us are just more different people. [01:39:46] Speaker C: Yeah, but you turn into an entirely different person. When I'm a different person, usually it's like, oh, I'm being nice today. You got an entirely different bone structure. Like, you go to the gym now versus, you just carried a shovel around. [01:40:05] Speaker A: What's wrong with my shovel? And he takes the shovel, he wipes the little happy face off of it and gives it a little bit of a shake. The blade shifts, and it is this spear with this white crystal head. And he lays it gingerly against the wall. And where there's moisture on the wall, there's a little bit of a sizzle. Usually I got to throw it in some water somewhere, but I think the ace here get all wound up if I did that. [01:40:39] Speaker C: Okay, well, it's a pleasure to meet you, then, I guess. Respectfully. [01:40:44] Speaker D: Take this shock that you have right now, Koa, and then imagine you were involved in a Dwarven party with this man and saw him doing Irish River dances and being way more drunk than everyone else was. Including yourself somehow. [01:40:59] Speaker A: I make it a policy to do whatever I'm doing. I do it more than ever. Anyone else? [01:41:05] Speaker C: Yeah, I could see. [01:41:09] Speaker E: Have you heard the tree joke yet? [01:41:13] Speaker D: How do you know the tree joke? [01:41:18] Speaker E: A blank stare. [01:41:19] Speaker C: He's got not much to do here, so he's probably heard it. [01:41:24] Speaker D: No. Unless it's not what I think it is. I'm not sure how he would have heard it. [01:41:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it was supposed to be at the Tuatha house. [01:41:31] Speaker D: It stays at the and it stays exactly. Thank you, Clint. [01:41:37] Speaker E: I am assuming that many of his jokes are reused. He is old and it is part of fate. [01:41:49] Speaker B: Well, yeah. I mean I get a fewer jokes offline too. Yeah, it's okay. Just because it's an old joke don't mean it's bad. [01:42:00] Speaker D: Felt very spur at the moment. [01:42:02] Speaker B: It did spur like the nevermind. [01:42:07] Speaker A: It's all in the delivery. No. Oh, two things real quick. First of all, he looks at the hand he fist bumped Clint with and still got the shroud in it. I got to take care of this. 1 second. And he shakes the shroud for a second and lets it fly. And as he does, there's this smoke that sort of emanates first from his hand and then from his chest that coalesces into how should I describe this figure storyteller? [01:42:48] Speaker F: Well, I have a question for you. [01:42:50] Speaker A: Yes. [01:42:51] Speaker F: As you are pulling her from inside of the aura of your godliness, are you pulling from her the darkness that was left behind, from being abandoned and kind of becoming warped in that place? [01:43:08] Speaker A: This seems a fantastic place to leave it. So sure. [01:43:11] Speaker F: Excellent. So you pull this young woman and she looks to those who were in Magmel very similar for a moment, kind of know deep circles around her eyes. Her hair is stringy. She looks pale and one and almost gaunt. And then Lou kind of reaches out and passes a hand in front of her face. And as he does so, you realize that he's glowing. And it starts off like a very kind of faint, barely there glow. And it grows and it grows and it grows until all of you are kind of forced to turn your heads and shield your eyes because he's glowing with almost it almost seems like the full force of the sun coming off of him. And then it fades. And as it fades and you look back, there is a young woman with long chestnut, silky curls, kind of flushed cheeks and bright blue eyes. She looks vaguely transparent but somehow more alive than before. And she's looking around with what seem like fresh and relieved eyes. And she turns to Lou and babbles to him in a language that only Oliver and Lou will be able to understand, which is the ancient, ancient dialect of Irish Gaelic. Where am I? [01:45:01] Speaker A: Where you won't be for too much longer. I'll ask you to be silent, and I'll explain everything later. Right now, consider yourself fate. Singed to me until I can deliver you to someone more responsible. You understand? [01:45:16] Speaker F: Thank you. And she hesitates for a moment. And then, kind of without thinking about it, you can tell that she's overcome by emotion. She turns and hugs Lou around the waist tightly, almost like a child that is clinging to someone who makes them feel safe. [01:45:47] Speaker A: There you are. [01:45:49] Speaker F: And there's a little bit of a sob. And as that happens, there's another faint glow around him, and she shrinks down. And you guys watch as a gold and silver band forms around his right middle finger. [01:46:10] Speaker A: There we are. I couldn't just leave her all bound up inside of me. That wouldn't be polite, right? [01:46:22] Speaker B: Does that mean you're married now? [01:46:29] Speaker A: I think my wife would have words with me. And I'm brave, but I'm not that brave. [01:46:36] Speaker B: Okay. [01:46:39] Speaker A: But that's the thing about letting yourself get tangled up with things when you act before you think. Is that all right, Clinton? [01:46:52] Speaker B: Yes. I ain't used to you talking to me like that. [01:46:59] Speaker A: Don't make that mopey face. No one told you. You didn't know. [01:47:06] Speaker B: You're right, I didn't. And I ain't moping about that. More a little upset that I feel a little gypped. [01:47:19] Speaker A: Why is that? [01:47:20] Speaker B: Surely there's a table around here somewhere. We got to put this to the test. We can't just let you walk away. Haven't had your hand slammed down to a table all disrespectful like. [01:47:32] Speaker A: Benton Brazos. If you had fought one wit below your abilities, I'd have considered that disrespect. You and I are fine. [01:47:43] Speaker B: Okay? [01:47:44] Speaker A: My biggest concern, actually, is with you. And he points to Coda. [01:47:53] Speaker C: What did I do? [01:47:56] Speaker A: You took possession of a boy's true name, or have you forgotten that? [01:48:04] Speaker C: No, I didn't forget that. [01:48:08] Speaker F: Coda, it is worth noting now that it's been pointed out to you that you, since the trial, have been walking around with a heaviness on you, that it's not like depression, but it is intense and pretty heavy. It's like a weight on your shoulders, a weight of responsibility that you never had before. And you didn't really notice it at first because you were so caught up in the moment. But now that it's been pointed out to you, you realize that you feel different, and you have for months, and you couldn't really figure out why. [01:48:50] Speaker C: Yeah, obviously I can't forget it. Is that why I feel like I've had, like I don't know, I've been feeling like I've been sleeping wrong or like I've not been doing enough. [01:49:08] Speaker A: Mr. Bright, if you would be so kind as to cast your gimlet eye on Pasakoi, my boy Stefan over here and tell me of the fate bond between them. [01:49:24] Speaker D: Sure. I can't really do it as easily as you gods can, but why not? And, yeah, I'll use unlited eye. The good eye will flash purple, so I look between the two of them. I got to make a roll. [01:49:41] Speaker F: Of course you do. [01:49:43] Speaker D: Just make sure getting it better. Yes. Willpower not legend. All right. Four. [01:49:58] Speaker F: Yeah. So you open up unlited Eye, and this is the first time you've used it to look at Coda since before the trial. Looking at her and Stefan, you realize that they both have a fate thread running between them. But this isn't like any fate thread you've ever seen. It's strange because it looks like a golden chain almost, but it is interwoven with vines. And rather than it, like, connecting their wrists or their ankles or something like that, which you see pretty commonly in fate threads between people. This extends directly from the center of his chest to the center of hers. And you can see where the chain meets with their chests. There is a faint glow that is not dissimilar from the glow you have seen on your fellow scions when they bear a pretty intense wound, like you saw it on Clint during the fight against the wolves, where the blood itself is magical. And it's like this chain is so intrinsically linked to them and to their souls that you can see manifestations of their ICAR. [01:51:53] Speaker D: That's unique. [01:51:56] Speaker B: What do you see? [01:51:57] Speaker C: I mean, I am unique. [01:52:00] Speaker D: That you are. It's a chain connecting the two of them. It's special. And not connecting them how? Normally, they do it's straight to their chest. Their souls, I want to say. [01:52:18] Speaker C: What's, like our hearts are connected or something? [01:52:22] Speaker D: Something to that effect? [01:52:24] Speaker E: I wouldn't go that far, but thank you. [01:52:30] Speaker A: You have his true name. That means you have access to the innermost part of him. Now, I don't know how much you know my history, but I had a son, Kukulin. And so I get a little twitchy when my children's fates are placed in the hands of strangers. [01:52:57] Speaker D: I glance down at the sword. [01:53:00] Speaker C: This stranger, though, decided to take this. [01:53:04] Speaker D: On so that not knowing what it. [01:53:08] Speaker A: Would involve or with the responsibility it. [01:53:12] Speaker C: Would bear, which is why you should maybe be a little bit nicer about it. No offense. Not to be disrespectful to a god, but, yeah, I did take this. I'm sorry. Okay. [01:53:37] Speaker D: If I may go on, please. [01:53:41] Speaker C: Okay. I'm just saying, yes, I took this responsibility, and, yes, I took it without knowing what that meant. But that's how dedicated and determined I was to see him get a second chance. [01:54:01] Speaker A: And RA used that to his own petty. [01:54:11] Speaker C: The. Why is this being directed at me, though? Am I not also a pawn? Although I really don't aim to be a pawn for anyone. [01:54:23] Speaker B: You're a rook. [01:54:24] Speaker C: At least, I'd like to say which one's? The one that goes diagonal. [01:54:30] Speaker D: Bishop. [01:54:30] Speaker B: Bishop. [01:54:31] Speaker C: Bishop. I'd like to say no. A bishop. Yeah. I'd like to say I'm a bishop. I like to go diagonal, technically. [01:54:39] Speaker A: Well, then, Bishop, consider your vows, because here's the way it is. You, right now, are in possession of access to my son's soul. Every god in creation knows this, which means as long as any of them were dissatisfied with the results of the conclave that put my son here, eventually your enemies will know it as well. Think of it as walking around with a key. A key that you don't know how it works. You don't know how to defend it, and lots of people, much mightier than you, may come looking for it. [01:55:33] Speaker C: Okay, let them come. I don't give a fuck. Let them sorry. Excuse my language, but, yeah, I don't give a fuck. Let them come. Teach me how to protect it, then, because I didn't take this responsibility. Not thinking, not stepping up to the plate. I will step up to the plate, but you got to tell me what I need to do. Or at least point me in the direction, because I know gods don't really just say, hey, this is what you do. I get a riddle, then they say, hey, figure out what to do. So, sir, if you want me to protect your son's true name, which I'm willing to do it, I will step to the plate. But you got to tell me what to do. [01:56:14] Speaker F: I will do it. [01:56:16] Speaker C: Okay, but you got to tell me what I'm swearing, though, because I have learned from my mother. I can't just swear stuff. [01:56:24] Speaker A: Will you swear to me to protect Stefan Varga's true Name with your life? I admire your fire, but you might want to pass about 10% of it over to Oliver. [01:56:43] Speaker D: Why am I kidding? [01:56:44] Speaker C: Getting him mr. B's got his own fire, okay? Because Mr. B, he's the one that gave me my fire. So maybe don't come at them, because, you know, he's the one that taught me when I was younger, he was the one that said, coda, you keep pushing forward and keep writing. So I got my fire from him and I will guess light his, too, but in a different way, because that's kind of weird. [01:57:08] Speaker A: If he's going to bear my son's sword, he might want to stoke his a little bit more. [01:57:13] Speaker C: Yes, sir. So going back to my swear, I will definitely swear it. But can I also have, like, a little condition of yes. I swear to protect as long as I'm given some kind of information that will show me how to protect it. Can I add that little addendum? [01:57:32] Speaker A: The only thing I can tell you about getting stronger is it takes. [01:57:36] Speaker C: Oh, well, then, yeah, I know that. Yeah, sure. I swear to protect your son or what's his name again? Stefan Varger. Yeah. Sir, I swear to protect your son, stefan Varger's true Name, with my life, so help me, one of the gods. [01:58:15] Speaker A: I accept your vow and thank you. [01:58:21] Speaker C: No problem. [01:58:23] Speaker F: Oliver as this vow is sworn, you see a addition almost seeming to grow into that fate thread between Coda and Stefan. A new a new addition to the vine, and that is golden flowers and bright green buds. But somehow, as the vine grows and flowers, it becomes more robust, and it wraps itself more firmly around and into the lengths of that chain to where you can almost not see the chain at all. [01:59:18] Speaker A: And so I'll tell you a secret now that RA would probably rather you didn't know. Possession of a true name is different than knowledge of it. You have it within you, but you don't know it. You couldn't. Like, if I asked you, what's his true name? You couldn't think of it off the top of your head. Now, there are ways and means by which you may eventually conjure knowledge of his true name. I would ask you to avoid those. Because anything you know how to say, you can be made to say. You understand? [01:59:52] Speaker C: Crystal clear, sir. [02:00:02] Speaker B: As someone who will be running with Coda, I have to ask, because what she is tasked to do may not be a promise of mine. However, I'm not going to let a promise get broken on my account or in my lack of action. Is there anything we need to be keeping an eye out on or any way we can help her if something happens? [02:00:31] Speaker A: Most of the ways and means of digging out a true name involve magic, so I would look to Mr. Bright as your early warning signal on that front. [02:00:45] Speaker B: All right. Yeah, I can do that. [02:00:48] Speaker A: Lou goes into his coat, pulls out a very large bottle of some sort of amber liquid that should not have fit under his coat, and a stat of five glasses that also should not have fit under his coat, pours them out, and passes them around. [02:01:09] Speaker B: Oh, thank you. [02:01:12] Speaker C: I just want to say that I am technically 20 years old, but I will gladly throw this back. [02:01:23] Speaker E: I'm not sure what we in a pose, kill. [02:01:25] Speaker A: I'm not sure what the drinking age is in asgard, but I'm pretty sure no one cares. [02:01:30] Speaker F: Perfect. [02:01:30] Speaker C: I will pinkies up. [02:01:40] Speaker F: Lou, what exactly did you provide them? Drink wise? [02:01:45] Speaker A: Whiskey I brought with me from home. [02:01:50] Speaker F: Oh, boy. Okay. So does everybody drink? [02:01:59] Speaker B: Yes. [02:02:02] Speaker A: Watch it. [02:02:04] Speaker D: Oliver stares at the glass for a good couple moments, but then it does indeed drink. [02:02:12] Speaker F: Stefan. [02:02:14] Speaker E: Stefan will drink and then look to the rest as he goes for another. [02:02:20] Speaker F: This is strong whiskey. But as you drink it, you realize that it's not like any whiskey most of you have ever had before. Stefan, you recognize the taste. You've had this before, the first time you met your father. The rest of you realize that you taste hints of apple and honey, that it is somehow both strong as a mule's kick to your gut and smooth as silk going down. And it warms you through all the way to your toes. And there is a sense somehow that whiskey, or at least this whiskey, has the power to change the world. And maybe already has in some ways. [02:03:31] Speaker B: Stuff's so good you don't even need a chaser. [02:03:35] Speaker C: Yeah, you do need a chaser. Another shot. [02:03:38] Speaker B: Oh, you know what? You're right. [02:03:41] Speaker C: It's the chase that never ends. [02:03:44] Speaker A: And I'm done being an angry pratt. So let me say some nice things for a bit. You, too, he says, pointing at Oliver and glint. [02:03:57] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:03:59] Speaker A: I came to see whether I could trust you with my son's future. I believe I can. Oliver, don't let OGMA just keep talking down to you like the professor. You should know that the first time I met that man, the great academic, the father of Druids, the inventor of algum know what he did? He challenged me to a rock throne contest. [02:04:30] Speaker D: I believe I had heard of this. I don't know the full story, though. [02:04:36] Speaker A: Well, I came in and I'm sure you've heard the story. If I show up and I say, Well, I can do this, this, and this, they say, well, we can have people who can do this, this, and this. I said, well, do you have someone who can do all of them? And they went, well, no. And so they let me in. And then OGMA says, to demonstrate my prowess, I have to throw a rock. He picks up this enormous stone, he hurls it halfway across the land. And I being a cheeky bastard that I am, I walk down, I pick it up, I threw it right back. So it landed right where he picked it up from. [02:05:21] Speaker B: Yeah, that sounds like you. [02:05:25] Speaker A: He likes to play like he's living nothing but the life of the mind. But dig a little deeper and there's a scrapper in there. [02:05:40] Speaker D: I'll keep that in mind. Thank you. [02:05:50] Speaker B: I told you you'd be a leader. [02:05:52] Speaker D: That's not relevant. [02:05:56] Speaker C: I don't think you're a leader. [02:05:58] Speaker B: You're a leader. [02:06:01] Speaker E: You're doing pretty good. [02:06:07] Speaker D: I'll take your words for it. [02:06:11] Speaker B: So how do we get out of this here cave? [02:06:16] Speaker A: The way we came in. But before we go. [02:06:25] Speaker D: Oliver yes? [02:06:28] Speaker A: I'll need my son's sword. [02:06:32] Speaker D: I figured that made sense. And I'll take it and hold it out to him. [02:06:38] Speaker A: We'll take it, look at it. He will look over at Stefan. I'm not allowed to parcel these things out yet, but when this is done, these heroes, he says, gesturing back. Dakota, oliver and Clint have fought out your freedom. This will still be my son's sword. You understand me, Stefan? [02:07:19] Speaker E: I do. [02:07:23] Speaker A: So, you know, work on your grip strength. Maybe buy some sunglasses. [02:07:29] Speaker E: It is quite dark down here. [02:07:39] Speaker F: Stefan. You say that. And as Lou is holding the sword, he has this moment where it's like he's examining it, like he hasn't seen it in a long time. And he slips it just slightly from the sheath. And you notice that there is a very faint glow around the blade. Very faint until he kind of like, lifts it up and he again still examining it, looking at the blade. And as it gets closer to that serpent, it lights up like a beacon. And it's not dark down here anymore. It's uncomfortably bright. [02:08:24] Speaker E: Could have warned me. Old bastard. [02:08:27] Speaker F: The serpent thrashes in its chains and hisses, makes noises that make it very clear that it's not super thrilled with the light, but it can't go anywhere. [02:08:42] Speaker A: Oliver's not the only bright one down here, you great lizard. [02:08:48] Speaker D: See, that's one of the better jokes you've actually made. [02:09:00] Speaker B: With all the movement inside the cave. Clint is a little inattentive to the humor looking towards that exit. [02:09:13] Speaker A: We can leave when all of you are ready. Oliver? [02:09:18] Speaker D: Yes? [02:09:20] Speaker A: I'll ask you to remember something and maybe a little plan for the future. That scaly new friend of yours, right? He's an excellent judge of character. How many people are going to have to believe in you before you do? [02:09:49] Speaker B: That's a really good point. [02:09:54] Speaker D: I think we ought to get out of this cave. [02:09:58] Speaker A: Just be sure to take him to Cardiff eventually. He'll like it there. [02:10:02] Speaker D: Cardiff? [02:10:07] Speaker A: You're a scholar. Look it up. [02:10:09] Speaker D: That I will. Just make sure I got the name right. [02:10:16] Speaker A: Lou will walk over to Stefan, put his hand on his shoulder. Better see you soon, my boy. [02:10:24] Speaker E: Don't go having too much fun. [02:10:29] Speaker A: How can I? You're keeping all the fun here, I. [02:10:32] Speaker E: Can tell you fucker. You know what's happening in here. [02:10:36] Speaker A: I do. And I won't forget it, not for one moment. [02:10:44] Speaker E: All right. Good luck with the rest of you. Don't die. [02:10:52] Speaker D: Appreciate it. And good luck to you as well. I know what you're doing isn't easy. [02:11:01] Speaker C: I think Coda's going to wait for everyone to kind of step a little bit further out the cave when she's going to talk to Stefan. [02:11:08] Speaker B: Okay, before we go then, Lou can I still call you Lucas? Or do you prefer Lou? [02:11:18] Speaker A: Lou is my name. [02:11:21] Speaker B: Lou it is. [02:11:22] Speaker A: You can go Long Arm if you like. [02:11:26] Speaker B: A what? [02:11:27] Speaker A: Long Arm. Long Arm stretches out his arms. Hi. [02:11:31] Speaker B: Okay, noted. That's a little creepy. Just as a heads up. Don't much care for that. [02:11:41] Speaker A: Well, then, best stick to Lou. [02:11:43] Speaker B: Lou it is. It's been a pleasure. We're going to talk some more. Right? Like you have a phone, right? [02:11:52] Speaker A: I'll see you when I see. [02:11:56] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Yeah. I'll see you around, Lou. [02:12:04] Speaker F: Okay. All of you with the exception of Coda and Stefan, file out Oliver and Clint trailing behind the god Coda and Stefan. [02:12:26] Speaker C: So I guess this true name thing is pretty serious. [02:12:33] Speaker E: It does look that way. [02:12:40] Speaker C: Well, I mean, what I said to your dad or whatever, I'm, like, serious about it. Though I am getting stronger and working on getting stronger and whatever. So I guess don't worry while I'm out. There or whatever, and you just focus on your thinking about what you did or whatever you're doing in here, I guess. [02:13:10] Speaker E: Well, thank you. It is a lot to be bound to somebody, so don't die. [02:13:25] Speaker C: You don't die. [02:13:30] Speaker E: I've been doing this for a while. [02:13:37] Speaker C: Huh. Well, you got any advice? [02:13:46] Speaker E: Yeah. The gods might seem kind of big and scary, but they're all fuckers on. [02:13:52] Speaker C: The oh, well, I know that. That's not advice, Stefan. I know that like good. [02:14:01] Speaker E: Know that was good. [02:14:05] Speaker C: Sorry. [02:14:05] Speaker E: They're about the only thing that can really spook you. The Titans spawn are fucking weirdos. Anything can be killed if you try hard enough, I guess. [02:14:23] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:14:25] Speaker E: Same goes for you. So don't try to be a shield. You're weak and spongy. [02:14:35] Speaker C: All right? Don't forget who's holding your true name. Maybe don't call me weak and spongy. [02:14:46] Speaker E: Fine. You are strong and still susceptible to things like wolves. [02:14:57] Speaker C: That's better. Okay, well, keep it up here and I guess can't wait till you get out. [02:15:10] Speaker E: Yes, you know it. I will be here. [02:15:18] Speaker C: See ya. And she'll do as gentle as she can punch to the shoulder. [02:15:28] Speaker E: You wound me. [02:15:34] Speaker F: There is a little clear of clearing of a throat at the doorway. [02:15:43] Speaker C: Yeah, him. [02:15:49] Speaker F: Mr. Varker. [02:15:55] Speaker E: Oh. [02:15:59] Speaker F: Hello, Stefan. This isn't someone that you have met before. She is holding a clipboard and has a messenger bag on her hip. And as she makes her way in, she steps kind of daintily, and you look down and realize that she is wearing these, like, silvery gold sandals with laces that go all the way up to her knees, that have teeny tiny little wings coming off of the side. I have a delivery for you from. [02:16:47] Speaker E: Thank you. He will look at Coda for a moment. [02:16:52] Speaker F: Natanay, I don't oh. I also have a message for you, but I was told that I have to deliver yours with your friends who don't seem to be here. Right. [02:17:07] Speaker C: Yeah, that's from Net. A message? [02:17:14] Speaker F: No, I don't know who. [02:17:22] Speaker E: Awkward. [02:17:25] Speaker F: She hands Stefan an envelope. [02:17:32] Speaker E: It is not the same person if it. [02:17:40] Speaker C: You know stay strong, Stefan. See you. [02:17:49] Speaker E: Of course. [02:17:53] Speaker C: Never mind. Okay. See ya. And she'll look at person that delivered message and is like, see you later, and then run out the have to I have a message for me. Okay, yeah, sure. I'll take it. [02:18:13] Speaker F: Is it but you have to be with your friends. There's a Mr. Bright and a Mr. Brazos. [02:18:23] Speaker C: Oh, there's two Mr. [02:18:24] Speaker F: Bees. [02:18:24] Speaker C: Well, there's a Mr. B and then there's B. Figure that out. Yeah, they're actually right out this door hallway. You can walk with me. [02:18:34] Speaker F: Okay. Nice to meet you, Mr. Burger. [02:18:40] Speaker E: I guess nice to meet you as well, Miss Slippers. [02:18:47] Speaker F: She kind of looks down at her very pretty sandals and smiles a little bit. And you see that she hovers just above the floor for a moment, flashes you a bright smile, gives a little wave and then turns and follows Coda out of the cave outside. Lou has already parted ways with Oliver and Clint, saying that he was headed up to he said he was going to go have a stiff drink with someone and walked up the beach towards where you saw that massive meath hall in the distance. Comes out of the cave, trailed by a young woman that you didn't ever see go into the cave. She has short black hair that's kind of curly. It's those kind of curls that have all that volume, so it looks like there's just as much hair on the top of her head as there is anywhere else. And bright green eyes, olive tone skin. And she's wearing like a cheerleader's uniform, except for her shoes, which are those silvery gold sandals that I mentioned. And she's carrying a messenger bag and a clipboard. [02:20:24] Speaker D: Hello. [02:20:26] Speaker F: Hi. [02:20:26] Speaker B: Howdy there. [02:20:30] Speaker F: Which one of you is Mr. Bright? [02:20:33] Speaker D: That would be me. I'm going to kind of look at her outfit and look down at the sandals. Sion of Hermes, I'm guessing iris, actually. [02:20:42] Speaker F: But uncle Hermes made these for me. Do you like them? [02:20:46] Speaker B: They look real good. [02:20:48] Speaker F: Thank you. And you must be Mr. Brassus. [02:20:52] Speaker B: Yes, ma'am, that is me. [02:20:54] Speaker F: Perfect. So you're all here. Good. I have been tracing you guys down for like two weeks, so it's nice to finally have you all together. This is great. [02:21:07] Speaker D: Sort of in a different plane for a second. [02:21:11] Speaker F: Oh, like a terra incognita. [02:21:14] Speaker D: Yeah, that excited. [02:21:15] Speaker B: One of them makes sense. [02:21:19] Speaker F: Okay, well, these are for you. And she pulls out these large you guys have seen the manila envelopes, like the big ones that hold like eight by eleven sheets unfolded. It's that size. But they are all made of very high quality, like paper. Not even paper. Like, most of it looks like it's. Cotton weave, cottonweaf papers, very high quality, all very clearly written by hand in different types of calligraphy. Let's see. For Mr. Bright, this is a message from oh, goodness, I've had it for so long, I've gone and forgotten the name. One moment. And she's like flipping through the pages on her clipboard. [02:22:34] Speaker D: No worries. [02:22:39] Speaker B: So this is like fan mail, right? [02:22:42] Speaker D: I think it's like regular mail. [02:22:44] Speaker B: Okay. I had my hopes up. [02:22:49] Speaker D: I mean, would you have fans? What exactly did you do before being dragged into scion business? [02:22:59] Speaker B: Oh, before the whole scion business? Well, I tossed trash bags into the back of a truck. [02:23:07] Speaker C: What was in the trash bags? [02:23:09] Speaker B: I'm assuming trash. Yeah. [02:23:11] Speaker C: Well, it's like when people say they work in waste disposal is they either work in waste disposal or they work in waste disposal. [02:23:23] Speaker D: They're saying he was part of the mafia. [02:23:27] Speaker C: You're the one saying those words. Listen, I didn't say anything like that. I said waste disposal. [02:23:34] Speaker B: I was paid by the government. That's fair. It was city job, but we would just drive around and take care of people's trash. It wasn't one of them. Where you even hopped off the front, know, get the weird bed frames and stuff. We let other people handle that. [02:23:52] Speaker F: Oh, I found it. Okay. Mr. Bright, your message. This is from Huang D, the Yellow Emperor. [02:24:04] Speaker D: Oh, goody. [02:24:11] Speaker F: She'll hand it over. Miss Massacoy, you have a package, actually and she pulls out a thicker envelope, just as big. This is from Mithras of the mr. Brazos. Yes. This is from Ganesha. [02:24:45] Speaker B: Ganesha. Okay. Thank you. [02:24:50] Speaker F: Okay, well, it was real nice to meet you. If you guys have any needs for a messenger, please feel free to contact me. Here's my card. And she hands you each a card that smells like daisies, smells like wildflowers, and somehow the middle of a summer's day. I'm Meg, daughter of Iris, and I am a messenger to, well, everybody. Whoever needs my help, really. But it's real nice to meet you, and okay. I'll see you later. And she, unless anybody stops her immediately, back off into the air. I'm sorry, what? [02:25:40] Speaker D: I was just saying thank you. [02:25:42] Speaker F: You're welcome. [02:25:43] Speaker B: Yeah, if I had a message, I mean, he already walked away, but do you know how to track down Lou? [02:25:50] Speaker F: I know how to get messages to gods. It's a little bit more complicated than scions, but I can make it happen. [02:25:56] Speaker B: If I need ever you know, if we're ever anywhere. And I get a postcard. I just want to send them something. [02:26:04] Speaker F: I'll see what I can do. You have my card? [02:26:07] Speaker B: Yep, you got it. Thank you, Meg. [02:26:11] Speaker F: And those little wings on her sandals are flapping real, real hard. And she takes off into the air and flies off into the distance. [02:26:23] Speaker D: I'm willing to take a healthy guess to say that these are going to be our next three laborers. [02:26:31] Speaker B: Well, who wants to open it up first? [02:26:35] Speaker D: I think if we do that, we're somewhat deciding which labor we're going to do next. Unless we want to read all of them and pick. [02:26:46] Speaker C: Yeah, maybe we look through all of ours. [02:26:54] Speaker B: Yeah, that might be a good idea. That way we can plan and prepare a little bit. [02:26:59] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. [02:27:02] Speaker D: Let's start off Ganesha. I actually liked him. [02:27:05] Speaker B: All right. Yeah. Let's pop this open, see what's inside. [02:27:09] Speaker C: Quick question. Where exactly are we right now? [02:27:12] Speaker F: You're on the beach outside of Stefan's Cave. [02:27:14] Speaker C: Okay. Is there, like, a table we can go sit at? [02:27:18] Speaker F: No, but there's a bunch of big rocks that you could go sit on. [02:27:21] Speaker C: Yeah. Dakota will be like, let's go. I don't want to sit in the. [02:27:26] Speaker F: Sand because Pele is, like, pawing at the gate of his carrier. He looks even more annoyed than he did before, that he's trapped inside. When all of the other animals are outside. [02:27:45] Speaker C: She'S going to have a moment of, like, oh, my God. Hi, Pele. So sorry me out pronto. Sorry. [02:27:56] Speaker F: I will shit on your pillow. [02:27:59] Speaker C: We're on the beach. This is the biggest litter box you could possibly have. Yes. [02:28:03] Speaker F: And I have to use it. So open the thing. Okay. Sorry. [02:28:05] Speaker C: Here. She'll open it and go. Here you go. [02:28:09] Speaker F: The cage is opened, and he is gone. Just in a second. Takes off. [02:28:14] Speaker D: Now that we're not doing pressing God business, at least at the very moment, I am going to take out the phone and take a few photos baking. Sure. Not to include the cat that's taking a shit. [02:28:24] Speaker F: What's really funny is that he is taking a shit, and he is staring at you aggressively as he's doing it. Like full eye contact. Like, all of us or me, anyone. Three of you. There's a good enough angle that he could get all three of you in his limestight. [02:28:40] Speaker D: Gotcha. [02:28:40] Speaker B: Don't go harass them now. He's just using the restroom. [02:28:46] Speaker F: Ian just ruffles his feathers and hops off your shoulder and soars away a little bit. And you notice that he is mingling with a number of other corvids that are perched nearby. [02:29:00] Speaker B: A real social butterfly. I'm proud of them. [02:29:07] Speaker D: Yeah. [02:29:08] Speaker F: Love that. You're not thinking about the fact that those belong to somebody. [02:29:12] Speaker D: I was about to say. So. I'm pretty sure that means we're being watched by Odin, but makes sense. We are really on Asgard right now. [02:29:21] Speaker B: Yeah. He likes, right? [02:29:24] Speaker D: Yes. Yes, he does. [02:29:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Then we're all set. Ian's a real good bird. He'll handle it well. [02:29:30] Speaker D: All right, let's get these letters cracked open. [02:29:34] Speaker B: Yep. First ganesha. [02:29:38] Speaker F: Okay, so we are opening Clint's first. [02:29:42] Speaker B: That is correct. [02:29:45] Speaker F: Excellent. Clint. There is a letter inside. It is from a smiling, slightly portly man. I shouldn't say portly. He's got, like, the ultimate dad bot. Like, he's got muscle, but he's also got a little bit of a belly that shows he lives well. And there's a picture of him along with the letter. The letter says, Dear Mr. Brazis, I recognize that we have never met before, but I have been reliably informed that you have joined the band of Scions who are laboring to release Mr. Vargar. [02:30:31] Speaker B: That is correct, he says, as he's holding the letter. [02:30:35] Speaker F: It's just like he's not here for you to talk to. [02:30:39] Speaker D: He's speaking as he's reading. [02:30:40] Speaker F: It completely threw me off there. Sorry. Now I gotta find my place again. Damn, it. [02:30:54] Speaker D: Looking really confused. Like, why responding to the letter. [02:31:00] Speaker F: You have joined the band who are laboring to release Mr. Varger. It has also been brought to there has been much oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I keep losing my place because I'm too busy giggling. This is your fault, Gavin. [02:31:17] Speaker B: I'm not sorry. [02:31:19] Speaker F: There has been much debate among the members of my pantheon as to what labor we should give you. Ultimately, after a game of chance that went my way, I am able to assign you your labor. It has been brought to my attention that you are from a lovely land called Texas and that this land is known for its barbecue. [02:31:44] Speaker B: Yep, that's correct, too. [02:31:46] Speaker F: Unfortunately, I'm a staunch vegetarian, so I cannot eat meat. However, I very much wish to experience Texas barbecue. I am given to understand that you have some skill in the culinary arts. Please find a way to allow me to enjoy Texas barbecue with a vegetarian bent. If you can do this, I will consider one of your nine labors, the one assigned to my pantheon as complete. Yours very truly, Ganesha, lord of Flock. And then there's a string of other titles and names. [02:32:31] Speaker B: Clint will read each of those names out to the crew. [02:32:36] Speaker D: Do you read the rest of the. [02:32:39] Speaker C: Wait, so wait, we just have to make vegan barbecue? [02:32:47] Speaker B: Yeah, that's not going to happen. You're not supposed to do that. [02:32:52] Speaker D: Vegetarian Texas barbecue as well? [02:32:55] Speaker B: Yeah, that is quite difficult. [02:32:59] Speaker F: Fit for a god, no less. What you get from Pele as he returns? [02:33:07] Speaker C: Well, yeah, but that's the thing, though. Well, it's not a thing. But it's a thing, though. [02:33:14] Speaker B: Coda, do you eat barbecue? [02:33:18] Speaker C: Excuse me? [02:33:19] Speaker B: Do you eat barbecue? [02:33:22] Speaker C: Do I breathe air. [02:33:24] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay, good. We're starting from the same page now. I'm going to go another page deeper into this big old book of barbecue. Okay. Have you ever cooked barbecue? [02:33:36] Speaker C: Well, no, because I was in a foster home, so no. [02:33:41] Speaker B: Okay. There's a pretty big gap between cooking barbecue and eating barbecue. We're talking about low and slow. We're talking about three days braze. We're talking about a pit big enough to cook a whole hog on. If we're making food for a god and we're making Texas barbecue, that's already a really tall order. You see, we have cookouts every weekend. We've got bars and grills and restaurants and all sorts of places that get together just to have cook offs and compete on barbecue. And it's hard with meat, which is the whole centerpiece of Texas barbecue. The meat is the dish. And now we're adding. Not adding. We're making it vegetarian. I don't think you understand just how big of a task this is. [02:34:36] Speaker C: I think I understand it very clearly, actually, because, you see, I may not have eaten Texas barbecue or well, I mean, I've eaten it, probably, but I may have not cooked it, but I know from where I was or the food that we ate. Well, I ate growing up. It was a lot of greens, and you just cut greens the right way it could work because also, Texas is not too far from Mexico, too, right? So if you look at southern part of Texas and Mexico, we got that nice Texas border. Texas and Mexico border. So think about this cactus, grilled cactus. If you could do, like, a slow roast on some cactus. Oh, my gosh, that's got to be good. There's a lot of foods, like a lot of vegetables and stuff that can replicate. I don't know like a meaty substance. It's possible I'm just not the best at cooking, technically. But I have great ideas. [02:35:54] Speaker D: I think it's worth stating that not only do we need to find the bridge for this authentic Texas barbecue and the vegetarian, we also have to make it good enough for Ganesha. Have you heard the stories about him when it comes to eating? [02:36:14] Speaker B: I haven't, no. [02:36:17] Speaker C: But I just know food should just always be good. [02:36:20] Speaker D: Let's say it's a tall order. [02:36:27] Speaker B: Okay. [02:36:27] Speaker C: That we're going to take one. [02:36:29] Speaker F: Might even say it's worthy of a labor. [02:36:32] Speaker D: Yes. [02:36:34] Speaker B: Let's all right. [02:36:35] Speaker D: See what else we have on our hands. Maybe. [02:36:38] Speaker B: Hold on. Yeah, we need to progress. I get it, but I need 1 second. I shoved my whole foot into my mouth thinking that I knew a lot more than I did and that I knew better. So sorry. First coda. Your insights will be vital to this task. I cannot handle this alone, and I'm going to be relying on you for a lot of it. Your expertise is going to be essential. And I am sorry that I opened my mouth in such a way that made it seem as if I did not have confidence nor trust in your capabilities. I will work on that. [02:37:21] Speaker C: I was fully talking out of my ass, so thank you. [02:37:27] Speaker B: Well, then I couldn't be any more prouder. [02:37:29] Speaker C: Holy hell. [02:37:30] Speaker F: That's a real text at work right there. Clint, your phone buzzes. [02:37:36] Speaker B: Oh, shit. Hold on. Let's see. [02:37:38] Speaker F: There is a text from an unknown number. Says, you can reach me here. Go get him. And let no spruce pass you by. [02:37:48] Speaker B: Clint POG faces just immediately. [02:37:51] Speaker F: Oh, my God. [02:37:52] Speaker D: Did Lou give you his number? [02:37:54] Speaker B: I think so. I think this was lou. [02:37:57] Speaker D: Oh, dear. [02:37:58] Speaker B: It's the only one who knows about the conifer. Well, now it's been spread around. Well, hold on. [02:38:05] Speaker D: And we're going to not have it spread any further from our mouths. [02:38:10] Speaker B: Yeah, we'll let Lou handle the spreading part. Clint will respond with thanks for the vote of confidence. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. Much love, Clint. [02:38:23] Speaker D: Koda. What's in your letter? [02:38:28] Speaker C: Oh, she will open up her package. Letter. Such. [02:38:39] Speaker F: ODA. Inside is a sheaf of papers, on top is a letter handwritten. Miss Massacoy, we do not know each other. I am Mithras of the Azada. It has been left to me to provide you with a task on behalf of my pantheon. Enclosed, you will find the deed to a piece of property. Your task is to find its rightful owner. Best of luck, Mithris. And then a bunch of his names and. [02:39:18] Speaker C: Huh. Okay, so we gotta look at Ancestry and Zelle for this one. [02:39:25] Speaker D: Oh, that sounds like it could be fun. [02:39:30] Speaker F: The deed within does not say exactly what it is, but it does have a address to Will. You will have a direction to go, at the very least, copy. [02:39:40] Speaker C: And she will share this information with everyone, and then yeah, all right. Your turn, Mr. B. [02:39:49] Speaker D: All right. I'll crack open the envelope. [02:39:54] Speaker F: Oliver, you open the envelope, and there, as it turns out, is far more paper here than you thought when you first got the envelope. Somehow, maybe they talked to Lou and they figured out how his bag works. Because you pull out, like, a stack, a thick stack of paper from what looked like just an envelope that couldn't have possibly held more than a page or two. [02:40:23] Speaker D: Luckily, I have the speed reader neck. [02:40:26] Speaker F: You do? [02:40:27] Speaker B: We're going to have an audiobook. Let's listen. [02:40:34] Speaker D: No, put that down. [02:40:39] Speaker F: The top page is a letter. It is in a very small, very precise handwriting. Mr. Bright, after much deliberation among our pantheon, we have decided that you must provide a more thorough answer for the actions and decision of your band to defend the mass murderer Stefan Vargar. Provide? So your labor is this. Provide a report on what actions violate the mandate of heaven to a sufficient extent to warrant execution, and an explanation of why this child of Loki's behavior did not rise to said standard. Enclosed within, you will find the necessary forms to be able to send back this report, which must be provided in triplicate, in black ink. [02:41:40] Speaker C: An essay? [02:41:44] Speaker D: I would say that sounds fun, but it's for the celestial bureaucracy, so think of that like every teacher you've ever had coda that wrote red ink on your essays and just dial up their lack of care to an eleven, no, higher. A 50. [02:42:06] Speaker C: I mean, I can't knock that pantheon too much nets from it, but yeah, but I know what you mean. [02:42:16] Speaker F: Oliver it is worth noting that the second page is basically a list of rules on exactly how to write. Like spacing, what formatting rules you should be using, what style guides you should be following. They're very detailed. [02:42:36] Speaker D: It could have just said APA or Chicago or MLA. Just give a list. [02:42:40] Speaker F: It doesn't follow any of those. This is a divine style. They're very, very exacting. They're far more specific than any of the ones that you are accustomed to. [02:42:57] Speaker B: So we're clearly all been given tasks that's going to require the expertise of all of us. Like my abilities of research and in depth attention paying for that essay writing. [02:43:11] Speaker D: Yes. [02:43:12] Speaker C: Was that sarcasm again? [02:43:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, it was. I'm struggling to think how I can help on that one. [02:43:19] Speaker C: Motivation? [02:43:21] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. You got this, Oliver. [02:43:27] Speaker D: If it means anything, I don't see how I'm going to be of much use when it comes to Texas barbecue making either. [02:43:34] Speaker C: Research. [02:43:35] Speaker B: Oh, I already have that figured out. We saw how good I am at paying attention and keeping times of cooking before. I'm going to need you to tell me what to do. I might have to write it down for you, but you're going to need to be in charge and make sure I don't fuck up. [02:43:50] Speaker D: All right? [02:43:53] Speaker C: And then I just need you both for both of those things for my place, for my task. So this is going to be great. And I'm sure somewhere along the way, we're going to have to protect ourselves. So we'll be the muscle, right? And she's going to look at Clint and go, you're strong, right? [02:44:16] Speaker B: I mean, I worked out every once in a while. Yes, ma'am. Puff up. [02:44:23] Speaker C: Great. So then we'll be the muscle and the brain for the most part, and you'll be the extra brain and the attention span for the group. [02:44:37] Speaker D: Fair enough. I can see potentially needing help with this essay. Might need you to fetch sources from me if we're in a library. [02:44:46] Speaker C: You got it. [02:44:51] Speaker B: And I'll cheer you on the whole time. [02:44:54] Speaker D: Great. If we're lucky, we might be able to do some of these simultaneously. For instance, while we're traveling to this address for the deed, I can begin work on putting an outline together for this, so on and so forth. What I'm saying is, if we play our cards right, we can potentially do all three of these at once. [02:45:23] Speaker B: You have high faith in our capabilities, and I will do my best to live up to them. [02:45:30] Speaker D: All right, then. I don't know how long we're allowed to stay up here or if they'll kick us out when it's time, or even how we do leave, seeing as the door we came through is now. [02:45:55] Speaker C: She's going to look at Flint and go, can Ian talk to the other birds up there and communicate with the other can those birds communicate with their scions to say, hey, we're done here? [02:46:15] Speaker B: I imagine so. He's been pretty talkative with me. I don't see why he wouldn't be talkative with them. [02:46:22] Speaker C: There we go. [02:46:23] Speaker B: Yeah, I can ask Ian to help us out. [02:46:29] Speaker C: Question over the table storyteller. What state is the address for the deed to the house in? [02:46:39] Speaker D: Country. Oh, yeah. [02:46:41] Speaker C: What country? What state? Yeah, that's true. [02:46:45] Speaker F: The address is on a road called Cypress Lane, and it is located in the US. In Virginia. [02:47:02] Speaker C: Virginia. All right, cool. Could we do a Texas barbecue in Virginia while we're on that land that we have to figure out who the rifle owner is for? [02:47:17] Speaker B: Yeah, we can do Texas barbecue anywhere. You got enough room for as long. [02:47:21] Speaker D: As we have the Texans. [02:47:22] Speaker B: Yeah, that helps. [02:47:25] Speaker F: Brom is growling and hissing, and Pale is also growling and hissing. [02:47:36] Speaker D: I'll try to at each other. Yes, go at each other. [02:47:41] Speaker F: Yeah. Pale tried to get close to Coda and the dragon got puffy bram. [02:47:48] Speaker D: No, let's not do that. That's a friend. [02:47:53] Speaker F: Make me charisma and animal ken, please. [02:47:56] Speaker C: Yeah, she's also looking at well, she's looking at pele, but she's also looking at the dragon being like, come on, man. Or, Come on. [02:48:07] Speaker F: Are you trying to or are you just watching? Are you trying to intervene at all? Or are you just watching? [02:48:17] Speaker C: Intervene? Yeah, intervene, but not like because I also want Oliver to get a power dynamic, but she's also kind of like, I'm not the one to mess with. So she's holding crossing her arms and looking at it like, what are you doing? But she's also like, I'm not going to step in between this as well. So it's one of those things. [02:48:43] Speaker F: Okay, let's go with manipulation and presence for you, Oliver. Krisman animal pins. [02:48:48] Speaker D: Okay, that's zero. I wonder if I could burn a legend. [02:48:57] Speaker F: You can spend a Legend point and reroll. [02:48:59] Speaker D: Let's give it a shot. There goes another one. [02:49:05] Speaker F: Much better. [02:49:07] Speaker D: That's coda me. [02:49:14] Speaker F: It was better than zero. [02:49:15] Speaker G: It is. [02:49:17] Speaker F: All right, Coda, how many successes total is that for you? [02:49:26] Speaker C: Four. [02:49:27] Speaker F: You square up a little bit. You don't really say anything, but you square up and kind of put yourself in a position where you are close enough to Pele, where it's clear that you're taking a protective stance. And the dragon kind of slinks back a little bit at the same time that Oliver kind of reaches up and wraps his arms around the dragon and draws him down into his lap. And the growling starts to subside. He's still watching Pele, but it's clear that it's a little bit more like it was aggression from a place of he's a baby, and it's like a baby kitten. They fucking growl and hiss at everything. You know what? Say he was just bored a couple of hours ago. That's what that was. [02:50:20] Speaker D: I'll just stroke his head and neck. Bram, that is a friend. That very helpful friend. You should be nice to them. [02:50:29] Speaker F: He churs at the petting and kind of like, settles against you. Pele sits and proceeds to lick at his paw and then clean behind his ears like nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. He had it all totally under control. [02:50:54] Speaker B: I don't mean to be a buzzkill here, but Oliver, you know you're going to have to play with that thing, right? [02:51:03] Speaker D: Play with it? [02:51:05] Speaker B: Yeah, you're going to have to get it to expend energy and probably really speak to its instincts for hunting and eating so that you maximize the time in which it's digesting at the right time as well. If it don't play, it probably ain't going to eat its food the right way. [02:51:29] Speaker D: Okay, noted. [02:51:31] Speaker B: I mean, assuming it's anything like animals out there. [02:51:36] Speaker C: And you're going to have to step it up with your dominance because that's a dragon now. That's a dragon. So you can't be like, oh, I'm sorry. No, you are going to have to be strong, Mr. B. You have a literal dragon on Earth. [02:52:01] Speaker F: The dragon is like lizard tongue flickering at Oliver's cheek, by the way. He's giving kisses. Do we know dakota the most terrifying creature ever. Truly? [02:52:24] Speaker D: And while we're on the topic, I suppose Koda, did you mean what you said back in the cave? About me and having my class and all that. [02:52:46] Speaker C: Ah. What part what are you what are you talking about? I don't remember. What do you mean? [02:52:56] Speaker D: How I was the one that gave you some of that fire. [02:53:00] Speaker F: You mentioned. [02:53:06] Speaker B: It. [02:53:07] Speaker C: I mean, like yeah, but, you know, like, you mean yeah, because, you know, like, you were like, oh, my God. Well, you didn't say, oh, my God. But I don't know coda. You're not dumb, Coda. You're actually a pretty good student, so you should and like, oh, Coda, if you just worked hard enough, you can really get good grades and stuff. And I was kind of like, who the heck does this guy think he is? But then, obviously, when that one kid made fun of you, and then I broke their arm, and then I got put in therapy and almost got put in juvie and all that stuff, and I was kind of like, okay, well, maybe this guy's correct, and maybe I shouldn't slack or whatever. And maybe you've been telling me something that I've known all along, and I probably wasn't hearing it from the adults that I needed to hear it from. [02:54:01] Speaker F: So I heard it from you. [02:54:02] Speaker C: So, yeah, maybe you gave me fire than I needed, but that's, like, old stuff. Why are you bringing this up right now? Thank you, weird. I mean, you're welcome, Mr. P or whatever. [02:54:23] Speaker D: Anyway, right? [02:54:29] Speaker B: You all know it's okay to be friends with each other, right? [02:54:35] Speaker D: I consider us friends at this point. [02:54:40] Speaker B: Yeah, you all can be a little more open with each other once you all are friends. Why are you all so awkward? [02:54:47] Speaker D: I think that's just my natural state and what she said. [02:54:52] Speaker B: Why am I awkward? Because I'm waiting on my bird to come back down and talk to us. And I don't want to step my foot between y'all, but now y'all have finished talking, it's clear y'all respect each other. Ain't no need to be awkward about that. [02:55:09] Speaker D: I just wanted to tell you thank you for saying something I probably needed to hear, Coda. [02:55:15] Speaker B: There we go. [02:55:18] Speaker C: Sure. I mean, you're welcome. Thank you. Who brought this guy here? She's saying, like, pointing at Clint, and. [02:55:27] Speaker G: She'S going to that would be the Morgan. [02:55:31] Speaker B: Yep. The Morgan sent me. I'm here to solve all your problems and make sure you become best of. [02:55:35] Speaker D: Friends and also create new ones. [02:55:38] Speaker B: That, too. Best friends. [02:55:40] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:55:41] Speaker D: Which you are included in. [02:55:44] Speaker B: Thank you. [02:55:47] Speaker D: And I don't mean to pry too much, Clint, but you seemed a bit shaken once we entered that cave. Is everything all right with that? [02:56:03] Speaker B: Okay, well, since we're already best friends, I suppose I can let you in on a little secret. Now, don't go telling anyone this, but I kind of don't like it so much when I think I said it already, but when we're underground and you don't see the sky, you don't see the air. That you can breathe, and there's a chance that there are rocks that will fall, and you'll be trapped in there forever and ever, suffering a fate that's almost as worse as death until you starve and dehydrate and nobody remembers you. Yeah. Caves. And I don't like them so much. [02:56:52] Speaker D: You're claustrophobic? Yeah. [02:56:55] Speaker B: I don't mind the tight spaces, but every time I go into a cave, I get the heebie GB's. [02:57:03] Speaker D: Understand that it's all right to be afraid of things. [02:57:07] Speaker C: Yeah. We'll try our best to get you. Not in a cave. [02:57:13] Speaker B: I appreciate it. And if we ever get anyone, I'll put my hands in my pocket and pretend I'm real brave. [02:57:22] Speaker D: From what I've experienced so far with you, Clint, I don't think you really need to pretend that. [02:57:31] Speaker B: Well, thank you. I appreciate that. I always followed the life theory of fake it till you make it. And I guess if I appear like I'm in control, it works. [02:57:43] Speaker D: Well, bravery is not really about being in control. It's about knowing you're afraid and doing what you have to anyway. [02:57:52] Speaker B: Yeah, that sounds about right. [02:57:54] Speaker C: It's like writing a paper. [02:57:58] Speaker B: Well, no, that's just you lost me. [02:58:02] Speaker C: It's fine. We'll figure it out later. [02:58:04] Speaker B: Okay. [02:58:07] Speaker F: It's so wholesome. [02:58:13] Speaker D: So do we flag down and God to get out of here, or does he anandely? [02:58:20] Speaker B: Yeah, let me call Ian down, see what the happening is. And it's summoned down Ian. [02:58:28] Speaker F: Ian's head looks up from where he is talking to two other large black birds. [02:58:37] Speaker B: Come on down, big guy. We need to talk to you. [02:58:42] Speaker F: And then he ruffles his feathers and flaps his way over. Yes. [02:58:50] Speaker B: We'Re thinking we're pretty much done here. You wrapping up your conversations? [02:58:56] Speaker F: I can be, yeah. [02:58:58] Speaker B: We were also wondering if you could help us find the way out. [02:59:04] Speaker F: Um, you want to try and leave on your own, or do you just want to ask somebody to show you a door? [02:59:14] Speaker B: Showing us the door would be great. Up there. [02:59:18] Speaker F: I could show you how to get out, but it's not no, no, it's okay. [02:59:24] Speaker B: We'll take the more fun way. [02:59:27] Speaker F: Yeah, let me go ask. [02:59:29] Speaker B: Awesome. Thank you. Wait, what? [02:59:36] Speaker F: And he flaps off back to the birds. You see the three of them going back and forth for a moment, and then Ian comes back. Seth, heimdall has a place to send you. Already? You have to go see the Japanese next. [02:59:55] Speaker B: Ian, did you just say Hugen? [02:59:58] Speaker F: Yep. [02:59:59] Speaker B: Now, I'm not very well educated on all the different pantheons and all the different parts, but I remember famous birds names when I hear them. Can you put in a good word for me before we leave? [03:00:15] Speaker F: To hughan, I mean. Yeah. [03:00:18] Speaker B: To know the people that he works for. [03:00:28] Speaker F: Sure, I guess. And then from what MOONIn said, lou's up in the meat hall talking about you guys. [03:00:42] Speaker B: What, you think Lou is enough? [03:00:45] Speaker F: I think Lou is probably a better spokesman than me. [03:00:53] Speaker B: I can't have you putting yourself literally. Come on, Ian. You're great. You have one of the best singing voices I've ever heard. You can sing our praises and it'll be like sweet molasses know summer, so it actually flows through. [03:01:12] Speaker F: Maybe I should just take you to Heimdall. [03:01:14] Speaker B: Yeah, we should probably go to Heimdall. [03:01:21] Speaker F: And he flaps up away from you guys and leads the way down the beach. [03:01:33] Speaker B: All right, we're going this way. Heimdall is waiting for us. [03:01:40] Speaker D: All right, follow. [03:01:46] Speaker F: It takes a little bit to get there. You walk down the lengths of the beach and then up along a path that winds through a massive plain field. Probably the flattest expanse of land you've ever seen. At least the biggest and flattest at the same time. And you look out and it's a war zone. It's just people from one horizon to the next and they're all fighting. And I will allow Coda and Clint to make intelligence and academics roles. Oliver, you're smart enough. You don't need one of these. [03:02:39] Speaker C: That's funny. [03:02:44] Speaker F: Remember that if you do not have dots in academics, you do not get any epic intelligence bonuses. [03:02:51] Speaker B: That'd be a zero from me. [03:02:53] Speaker F: Clint, you don't know shit. You're like, wow, that's a really big war that nobody has freaked out about. [03:03:00] Speaker C: Ro one, five eight. [03:03:13] Speaker F: Coda, you have heard stories that when Viking dead are taken to the afterlife, they spend the rest of eternity fighting during the day and then feasting at. [03:03:29] Speaker C: Huh. Sick. [03:03:32] Speaker F: Oliver, you know that these are yar. You see men in uniforms from World War II and Vietnam fighting alongside, like, proper Vikings. [03:03:49] Speaker B: The hell is going on out there? [03:03:52] Speaker D: It's like a big mixing pot of every single war and battle and scuffle that's ever existed all thrown into one. [03:04:02] Speaker B: Well, that sounds like hell. [03:04:06] Speaker C: But they're happy about yeah. [03:04:08] Speaker B: Oh, they like to fight. [03:04:10] Speaker F: They're training for Ragnarok. [03:04:15] Speaker C: They're training for Ragnarok. [03:04:20] Speaker B: Well, I mean, if they're having a good time, who am I to yuck? They're young. [03:04:26] Speaker F: Okay, you all walk past the training fields. [03:04:31] Speaker D: I'll take a photo. [03:04:33] Speaker F: Of course you do. Oliver is like the most typical tourist right now. [03:04:41] Speaker C: Yeah. [03:04:45] Speaker F: You walk past and up into that massive meathol that you saw nearby. There are still warriors inside, but significantly less. And there's also a number of Valkyries who look like they are feasting and generally kind of hanging out. You get the feeling that they train, but not in the same way. And it looks like they're just as much on duty right now as they are taking a break. [03:05:26] Speaker B: Oliver, you could go test out your riz on them. [03:05:29] Speaker D: Nope. [03:05:31] Speaker F: Oliver is like, these women are twice my size. Isn't that no, thank you. [03:05:36] Speaker B: Oh, come on. What's wrong with a little practice? They're training. Why aren't you? [03:05:41] Speaker D: They could crush me with a thumb and forefinger. [03:05:47] Speaker C: Yeah, with that attitude? [03:05:49] Speaker B: Yeah. That's a problem for you? [03:05:56] Speaker D: No. [03:05:57] Speaker B: All right, then go talk to them. [03:05:59] Speaker F: No. [03:05:59] Speaker D: I said no. I'm not doing oh. [03:06:03] Speaker C: I mean, I'm going to talk to them. [03:06:04] Speaker B: Yeah, let's go. [03:06:06] Speaker D: That's great coda. You go do that. [03:06:10] Speaker F: As you all walk in, you see someone familiar. Well, you see a couple of people who are familiar. Lou is inside. He has a huge drinking horn and is drinking alongside the man you recognize as heimdall. Bernhilder is nearby and is kind of tossing in random interjections into their conversation. But you can tell that it's more that she's just making observations while Lou is doing the lion's share of the talking. [03:06:51] Speaker A: I know you saw me. Yes. You're very clever. [03:06:56] Speaker D: I'm not. [03:07:00] Speaker F: Listen, all I'm saying is you should really announce yourself if you're going to come dressed up. [03:07:06] Speaker D: I did. [03:07:07] Speaker A: Eventually. [03:07:11] Speaker D: Okay. Step forward. I mean, I sort of figured it out. [03:07:15] Speaker C: I was surprised. [03:07:17] Speaker B: I was really surprised. [03:07:20] Speaker F: This isn't about being surprised. It's about being polite. What if the Allfather had been present? I might not have had an issue with it, but the Allfather doesn't take kindly to people who don't make proper introductions when they're supposed to. [03:07:37] Speaker B: I mean, it's Lou. Come on. He's a good feller. [03:07:42] Speaker F: He is. [03:07:45] Speaker A: I have the finest of character witnesses. [03:07:50] Speaker D: Hmm. [03:07:53] Speaker F: Are you children ready to leave? [03:07:55] Speaker B: Yeah, we were getting ready to head out. Just checking in with you before we did. [03:08:01] Speaker F: Are you planning to go the long way or do you want me to open the bifrost? I swear I've never opened it this many times in one day. [03:08:08] Speaker B: Yeah, we were hoping for the bifrost option. [03:08:14] Speaker F: Well, I'm sending you to Japan. [03:08:19] Speaker B: Why are we heading to Japan? If I may be so bold as to question. [03:08:24] Speaker F: I would assume to receive another labor. They did not give me reasons. I was just told that a representative would meet you there. [03:08:34] Speaker B: Yep. [03:08:34] Speaker G: Okay. [03:08:35] Speaker B: That makes sense. That checks out. I'm going to go look over here and feel a little less silly. Okay. [03:08:44] Speaker C: Brim Hill there. Yes, this is really random, but I was wondering what's your training regiment like as a Valkyrie? [03:09:03] Speaker F: We spend 12 hours a day doing drills, interlaced with our time when we have to go and fetch the dead from battles. That happens far less often than it used to. [03:09:22] Speaker C: Okay, cool. Thanks. Trying to build my training regiment, pulling from all pantheons. So I was just wondering anyways cool. [03:09:41] Speaker A: Not at all motivated by the thought. [03:09:43] Speaker D: Of, could I claim a Valkyrie? [03:09:47] Speaker B: Can you get out of my head for a minute? [03:09:49] Speaker D: No. [03:09:50] Speaker C: I'm happily taken the answer is no. [03:09:55] Speaker F: From Brynn Hilder Boilersport. [03:10:00] Speaker D: I'm staying very quiet. [03:10:02] Speaker F: I said they couldn't. I didn't say you couldn't. And she sort of winks at Lou. [03:10:08] Speaker A: Y'all have fun. [03:10:12] Speaker B: Definitely not jealous of the riz of a god. Definitely not. No. [03:10:17] Speaker D: You keep using this word. [03:10:21] Speaker B: What, god? [03:10:22] Speaker D: No, riz. [03:10:24] Speaker C: I mean, it's in a dictionary by now. [03:10:26] Speaker F: Yeah, just look, I don't know what riz means, but I know that. He looks spruce. [03:10:33] Speaker D: I take it back. [03:10:37] Speaker B: Clint just levels his eyes at Oliver. You hear that? [03:10:45] Speaker D: I heard it. [03:10:46] Speaker C: A lot of tree jokes in us. [03:10:48] Speaker B: Things are lou. [03:10:49] Speaker D: Is that one you've used before, or did you just immediately spread it after using it? I'll never tell because we made an agreement. [03:11:03] Speaker F: Come on, long arm. Let's see what things other than stones you can throw around. [03:11:09] Speaker B: Yeah, you can show them. What else is long ay lou? [03:11:13] Speaker C: A yo. [03:11:19] Speaker D: Good boy. Have fun. [03:11:24] Speaker F: Brynn Hilder throws an arm around his shoulder and drags him off somewhere. You don't know. Heimdall just sort of shakes his head. [03:11:37] Speaker D: I'm shaking my head in sink. [03:11:38] Speaker B: I got to give me a shovel. [03:11:45] Speaker F: All right. Onward to Japan, then. Nothing you want to see or do before you leave? [03:11:53] Speaker D: Do you recommend anything? [03:11:57] Speaker F: Heimdall shrugs. It's not every day you get to go to an overworld before you're even a demigod. [03:12:06] Speaker D: Are there any attractions of interest? [03:12:13] Speaker F: There are a great many things in asgard and other overworlds, but if you don't have anything specific, it might be best for you to move on. The longer you spend here, the stronger the ties of fate become and the more the gods pay attention. [03:12:33] Speaker D: That's a very good point. We should be on our way. [03:12:38] Speaker C: Thank you for having us. [03:12:42] Speaker F: Of course. This way. And he moves towards he moves out of the meath hall and back down to the beach, not quite to the exact spot that you were. He kind of walks along the coast for a while, and you could see him looking out at the horizon. You guys can't see anything. It's just horizon to you. That's where the sky and the ocean meet. But eventually, he stops, and his hand goes to a horn on his hip before it shifts upward and grabs a slightly smaller horn that, rather than being carved of ivory, is carved of some sort of wood. And he puts it to his lips, and he blows on it. And there is a flash of bright light and another instance of the bifrost. The rainbow bridge shoots out from where he's standing into the distance to a place where there is a shimmering spot in the air. [03:13:59] Speaker B: It's got to be so bright every time. [03:14:02] Speaker D: I think so. [03:14:03] Speaker B: All right. Hurts my eyes, though. [03:14:10] Speaker C: Japan. [03:14:11] Speaker B: To Japan. I'll take the lead, I guess. [03:14:20] Speaker F: Perfect. You step onto the bifrost, and you follow it. Follow it along to it probably takes a good hour of walking to hit that shimmering spot. And do you all just step right through. [03:14:43] Speaker B: You know, this reminds me. Y'all ever played Mario Kart? [03:14:52] Speaker D: No. [03:14:53] Speaker C: I think so. Once in an after school program. [03:14:58] Speaker B: Okay. All right. Never mind, then. Nothing important. [03:15:03] Speaker C: Well, are you talking about rainbow road? [03:15:05] Speaker B: Yeah, rainbow. [03:15:06] Speaker C: I know. [03:15:09] Speaker B: Okay, good. I'm not the only one. [03:15:11] Speaker D: Yeah, I've played road. [03:15:17] Speaker C: It's a road of rainbow that you drive. [03:15:19] Speaker D: I gathered that much. It's just make it an OD image. [03:15:24] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a really weird level for the racing, but it's a fun one. [03:15:29] Speaker C: I mean, it's kind of like what we're on right now. [03:15:32] Speaker B: Yeah, my brain just connected those weird dots. I'm sorry. I got distracted. Yeah. Let's walk on through. [03:15:43] Speaker F: Okay. You step out of the bifrost in front of a multilevel Japanese style building that sits on a peaceful lake. The building is yellow with those very traditional kind of sloped and pointed roofs, and the bottom level is white and black like rice paper. There's a small island kind of in the middle of the lake with a couple of trees growing. It is surrounded by what almost looks like a wall of trees all around. It's quite possibly one of the most peaceful places you've ever been. There's very few people that you can see, which is OD, because you would assume that something like this would have a lot of visitors. But for right now, at least, where you are across the water from it, you don't see many people at all. [03:17:01] Speaker B: Ian, go ahead and scout around. Look. See if you can't see anything interesting. [03:17:07] Speaker F: You mean other than the golden building? [03:17:13] Speaker B: Yeah, other than that, you silly bird. I'm just saying spread your wings. Enjoy it. Air smells nice here. [03:17:21] Speaker F: Okay. And he takes off into the air. While he's doing that, what are the rest of you going to be doing? [03:17:33] Speaker C: I think Coda's really just taken in the scenery at this place, but she's also kind of, like, amazed. But she has learned at least a bit about being respectful when you're in other pantheons. I don't want to say domain, but you know what I mean. Like their areas. So she's kind of like, okay, I don't want to do anything too disrespectful, so she's kind of, like, head on a swivel. Like, there's got to be someone around here watching us. [03:18:13] Speaker F: Oliver, you still have unlimited Aya? [03:18:19] Speaker D: Yes. I believe it lasts for a scene. It was considered the same scene. [03:18:25] Speaker F: Technically, no, but we're just going to say that you have it because it was a pretty short lived scene, and I don't want to make you burn, like, willpower and shit. For something that only lasts for a. [03:18:33] Speaker D: Couple of minutes, it's been more expensive than legend. [03:18:36] Speaker F: The building across the water from you is caked in legend and fate. Like, this place radiates it, even though you can't tell if there's anyone or anyone or anything in particular that's in there. It's like the place itself has its own power. [03:19:04] Speaker D: That place is very special, from what I can gather. [03:19:11] Speaker C: I mean, it's golden. [03:19:13] Speaker D: It's also deeply steeped in fate. [03:19:19] Speaker B: It makes sense while we're here, right? [03:19:24] Speaker C: I guess we should go over. She'll go over, but before entering, she'll take her shoes off. [03:19:31] Speaker D: Smart. Before I will take over, you guys. [03:19:35] Speaker F: Get closer before you go taking your shoes off and assuming that you're going inside. Yeah. [03:19:41] Speaker C: Before she even tries to enter the place, she will take her shoes off if we get that far. [03:19:50] Speaker D: On the way there, though, I will also take out my phone and take a photo. Not the building itself, but kind of like the scenery. [03:19:59] Speaker F: You make your way along and find yourself. So you realize that as you round the water, it's not that there's nobody here. There are people here. There's a lot of people here, but they were all kind of congregated around this around this temple. They're all being very quiet and very what's the word? Respectful. And there as you're standing there and kind of trying to get your bearings and figure out what to do, an older man approaches. He's wearing a suit. He's clearly Japanese. He's wearing a very, very well made, well made suit. He's got, like, a gold wristwatch on polished shoes. His hair is perfectly coiffed and slipped and slicked back, but he looks sad, and he kind of, like, approaches you guys but doesn't really turn towards you. He just sort of stands next to you and looks up at the temple itself. [03:21:47] Speaker B: Are we supposed to speak first? [03:21:50] Speaker F: Oliver, the man next to you is keeping a very tight lid on it, but is very clearly defined. [03:22:03] Speaker D: I take it you're the god that sent for us. [03:22:11] Speaker F: Wouldn't it be sad for you and awkward if I wasn't? He says. And he kind of turns his head and looks at you, and there's a very faint smile on his kind of wisened face, but it doesn't meet his eyes. His eyes look perpetually like he is drowning in grief. I am Izanagi, first man of the Amatsukami, the creator of all the lands and islands of Japan. [03:22:51] Speaker D: I'm sure you know. But I am Oliver Bright, and I allow my fans to introduce themselves. [03:22:59] Speaker B: Yep. I'm Clint Brazas. Nice to meet you. [03:23:04] Speaker C: Koda Masakoi. Nice to meet you. [03:23:08] Speaker F: He kind of frowns a little bit. You do not use your proper titles. [03:23:13] Speaker B: All right, formal introductions. I messed this up last time. It is an honor to meet you. I am Clint Brazas, the a scion of the Morrigan, and I don't have any additional titles to add to that yet, but we're working on it. [03:23:35] Speaker C: Koloda Masochoi, scion of Bassett. Pleasure to meet you. [03:23:43] Speaker F: He looks expectantly at Oliver. [03:23:46] Speaker D: And I am Oliver Bright, the scion of OG. [03:23:56] Speaker F: I didn't expect to see him with you. And he gestures at the little dragon on your shoulder that other people seem to be conveniently overlooking. [03:24:06] Speaker D: Bram is a new addition. [03:24:10] Speaker F: Interesting. Odd that he is drawn to someone who does not take pride in who and what he is. [03:24:19] Speaker B: We're working on that. [03:24:22] Speaker F: Unlike him. Never mind. I expected there would be more of you, but you will have to make do. I suppose I am. To give you your next labor, you must find your way to our underworld. To the underworld. And fetch back a relic left by one of my children. Know that the underworlds are not a safe place. Since the Titans began to break out of their prisons, they are no longer clearly delineated. They are rife with danger, of which there are too many to count, let alone to tell you. My child died and left behind a priceless. A priceless relic. There may be others that you could fetch, but this one is your quarry. [03:25:28] Speaker B: Can you tell us more about the relic? [03:25:33] Speaker F: He hands Oliver a Polaroid picture. [03:25:38] Speaker B: Good choice. [03:25:39] Speaker F: Of a beautiful katana. In the hands of a young man who looks like he couldn't be any older than 21, with a huge smile on his face. My son. [03:26:06] Speaker D: I see. I'm sorry for your loss. [03:26:16] Speaker B: My condolences. [03:26:22] Speaker C: Work hard to get it back. [03:26:25] Speaker F: See that you do. Bring this back to me and the Amatsukami will consider your labor for us fulfilled. [03:26:36] Speaker D: All right. How do we begin? [03:26:40] Speaker F: Find a way to the Underworld. And he turns and walks away. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where we are going to end for the evening. Thank you for joining us. I hope you had as much fun as we did. We will see you back here next week for a fun and uncertainly, lively jaunt into the Japanese world of the dead. Good night. Bye.