S3 Ep2: I'm Coming For It

[00:00:30] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Gavin Cassandra, and I'm playing Clint Brazos, psion of the Morrigan. [00:00:36] Speaker B: Hello, I'm Gary, and I'll be playing Oliver Bright, the scion of Ogma. [00:00:44] Speaker C: Hello, I'm sticker and I play Coda Masikoi, the psion of vistet. [00:00:50] Speaker D: And I'm bloodied porcelain. I will be your storyteller for the evening. Welcome back, players. [00:00:58] Speaker B: Thanks for welcoming, Miss Beck. [00:01:00] Speaker C: Hello. [00:01:02] Speaker D: Y'all are entirely too excited considering how banged up most of you are. [00:01:07] Speaker B: We're fine. [00:01:08] Speaker D: Last episode, you were on the beach of guinea looking out at the liquid that makes up the ocean for an underworld that exists entirely under the ocean. It's weird. And as you were standing there, you began to see these ships in the distance before a massive tentacle rose up out of the water and lashed out at you. Up on the beach, Clint attempted to engage with it, only to find that it was very, very hard to damage. Though he managed to hit it a few times, it just didn't really do any good. In an effort to save her bandmate from getting bludgeoned by something that he couldn't seem to muster the strength to be able to do any real damage to, Coda utilized the sun purview and her sword, I believe, to effectively create a light beam effect at this table full of food off to the side. The tentacle followed and lashed out at it and nearly crushed bram the dragon in the process. But that ended up proving to be an interesting and worthy idea because shortly afterwards, Clint hurled his spear out across the water while Coda used her abilities to propel that beam of light at the spear and make it light up really brightly, Clint aimed for one of the ships. And you all watched as this massive tentacle rose up out of that liquid and came down on one of the ships and crushed it. And you got to hear the screaming of men being plunged into a watery grave. Not long after, a fog began to roll in and you all heard the ominous howling of Fenris wolves. Moments before, the wolves themselves came out of that mist and fog, that obfuscation. And on the back of one of them was Gwen. You all engaged in a brief battle. I believe Clint hurled his spear again, put a hole in Gwen's shoulder, which seemed to tick her off a little bit because the next thing anyone knew, she jumped at Clint, hit him once, and he was on the ground. Koda answered that strike with one of her own, which knocked out Gwen before her own wolf began to drag her back out of the fray to safety. There was a little bit more back and forth with wolves harrying all of you and Oliver using the juice of the apples of the hesperides to bring, bring Clint back. And then Clint got the bright idea that rather than fight the wolves, he would just throw one. He'd just hurl one out onto the water and see if he could feed a Fenris wolf to whatever it was that those massive tentacles were coming off of. And it worked. At which point Gwen and her companion and her wolf companions decided it was time to make a tactical withdrawal. Live to fight another day. And I believe as she was parting, she used a knack overt order and told Clint to punch Oliver, or, I'm sorry, to stab Oliver. Thankfully, there was some clever maneuvering by Clinton Oliver to help make it as non damaging as possible. Unfortunately for Oliver, Clint still hits really hard, even when he tries to stab him with a toothpick. And Oliver is currently unconscious on the ground, having been hit in the shoulder by his friend hard enough to send his body into shock. And that's where we will pick up. Oh, and Coda is facing a small horde of zombies that are shuffling her way. [00:06:27] Speaker C: Very fun, mister B. [00:06:31] Speaker A: Come on, wake up. [00:06:36] Speaker C: Are you guys okay back there? [00:06:38] Speaker A: I mean, I hit him. I didn't mean to hit him that hard. [00:06:43] Speaker C: Did he really go down? She's, like, still fighting itself. [00:06:47] Speaker D: Oh, he absolutely did. Like, if you glance over your shoulder, Oliver is unconscious in the sand. [00:06:53] Speaker A: Clint's on his knees beside him. She's trying to shake him awake. Come on, get up. [00:06:59] Speaker C: Do you have smelling salts? [00:07:01] Speaker A: Uh, no, not on me. Do you? [00:07:07] Speaker C: I'm a little occupied. [00:07:09] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay. Oh, shit. All right, I'm gonna come help you out real quick. [00:07:15] Speaker C: No, I'm good. [00:07:16] Speaker A: Okay, cool. [00:07:20] Speaker D: Let's let Koda. Let's see just how good you are. These are zombies. They're not difficult to hit, and you don't have to do very much damage. In fact, I'm pretty sure if you just hit hit them, your sword's base damage is enough to knock any of them out. Make me. Make me, like three decks and melee rolls. [00:07:46] Speaker C: Three decks and melee. Okay? [00:07:48] Speaker D: Yes, ma'am. [00:07:50] Speaker C: Three, four, six. That's one. That's two, and that's three. [00:08:14] Speaker D: Excellent. You are going to handle this pretty, pretty easily by yourself. Would you like to describe to the people at home how you deal with this small horde of zombies all by yourself? [00:08:29] Speaker C: Yeah. So Koda is going off of her high. I don't want to say it's bloodlust, but this refueled fire in her. So she's just kind of, like, slashing. And then as she slashes, we'll switch to a bat again and, like, just start, like, bonking a whole bunch of them, like, knocking their knees out, and she just kind of almost, like, dancing through them in the way that she's fighting. So it'll be like a slash swing, and then we'll, like, bounce her back to her other hand and, like, bonk their knees out, and, like, she's really just having fun at this point. So it's, like, truly, because I believe her sword, besides the name she gave it, the name it was given to her with, is called desert dancer. So she is truly dancing in this moment. Only thing, it's not the desert sand. It is a tropical beach, underground sand. But she's dancing underwater. [00:09:25] Speaker D: But that's good. That's awesome. I had a thing I was gonna say, and I don't remember what it was, so it obviously wasn't that important while this is going on. Clint, what are you up to? [00:09:42] Speaker A: Clint is just trying to wake up his friend now that he takes a moment to shake Oliver and then looks over to watch as there's just a lovely display of dexterity and acrobatics and death. He kind of nods for a second. That was really good, Mister B. Wake up. And he'll slap him across the face. [00:10:10] Speaker D: Just smack him. It's fine. Excellent. I would like you. How mean do I want to be. [00:10:25] Speaker A: If the damage overflows? Surely that'll make him wake up. Not doing. Yeah. [00:10:29] Speaker B: You're just going to make me take lethals now? [00:10:31] Speaker D: Well, that's not what I was going for. I was trying to figure out if I'm going to make you roll intelligence or not. Yeah, roll your intelligence. Unfortunately, you don't have anything in medicine or science, so I could help with this. [00:10:48] Speaker B: But I'm unconscious. [00:10:50] Speaker D: Correct. It's a bad day when the keeper of the brain cells is unconscious. [00:10:58] Speaker A: On my one dice, I got one success. [00:11:02] Speaker D: Well, that's something. Okay. You do not have smelling salts or anything like that, but it occurs to you, as you were kneeling there over him, that there is the remnants of. Of a table of spiced foods and sweet tea and things. There might be something over there that you could use to kind of wake him up with, whether it be to pour something liquid on his face or to hold something particularly spicy under his nose. [00:11:35] Speaker A: All right. So Clint grabs what he assumes to be a bucket and fills it with if we've got drinks there, right? So there's got to be ice in the bucket to keep some drinks going. [00:11:49] Speaker D: So here's the problem. You guys exploded the table. There isn't a hole like everything is there, but it's kind of in pieces and a mess. And Bram is there and looks incredibly annoyed. He's still kind of half buried under the table because nobody has bothered to try and, like, free him from his prison of discarded table fragments and things. [00:12:18] Speaker A: So sorry, little friend. We'll get you out of there in a second. Hold on. And Clint will just grab bottles of whatever still has liquid in it and rush back over to Oliver. Just start pouring them as many as he can onto his face. Come on. Wake up, mister B. Oh, my God. [00:12:37] Speaker D: I love that there isn't even, like, a process. It's not like a couple of drops. It's just dumping bottles onto his face. Face. [00:12:44] Speaker A: He's like going for the splashing with a bucket of water. But we don't have a bucket of water. We just got bottles of booze. [00:12:51] Speaker D: Oh, I love everything about this. Okay, Oliver. [00:12:56] Speaker B: Yes. [00:12:57] Speaker D: Roll me. Stamina and fortitude, please. [00:13:00] Speaker B: Okay. Or to use the skill that's right there. Two successes. [00:13:22] Speaker D: All right. Your eyes flutter open. You are awake so you can mark off the incapacitated box. But the others are all still full of damage. It's going to take time to recover. [00:13:37] Speaker B: Yeah. Why is my face sticky? [00:13:44] Speaker A: Oh, well, that was probably the raspberry liqueur, but, I mean, it looks good on you. It's got a nice shade to. We'll wipe you up real quick and we'll start wiping them down. Come on, mister B. We got to get you up. [00:14:00] Speaker B: Everything hurts right now. I'm gonna need a second. [00:14:03] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Well, you just sit right there and here, let me turn you on your side so you can watch. And he'll point Oliver towards the zombie decimation or what remains to be seen of it. [00:14:21] Speaker D: I love everything about this. [00:14:23] Speaker A: The way she works. [00:14:26] Speaker D: She is very impressive. Oliver, you've seen Coda fight before, but it's always been a little bit. It's almost kind of feral usually. And this is like, she is kind of in her element. It reminds you a little bit of when you all tried to find, tried to fight net on the roof of that building. When she gave you all kind of some lessons and training in how to scion combat, where it all felt. It all seemed very effortless to her, no matter how hard you all, like, worked at it. And that's a very similar vibe to what you're getting from Sam or, I'm sorry, Coda it's all right. Yep. [00:15:20] Speaker B: Yeah, she's doing really good. [00:15:23] Speaker A: Yeah. You just sit right there. We'll make sure nothing bad happens. I mean, she's got it handled. [00:15:28] Speaker D: There is a half hiss, half screech from behind you guys. [00:15:36] Speaker A: Oh, shit. What the hell? [00:15:39] Speaker D: Clint looks back. It is once again Braum, who is still half buried under the table. And, yeah, at this point, it's no longer smoke coming from his nose. There are little puffs. There are little shocks of fire being released from his mouth. [00:15:55] Speaker B: Clint, can you do that for me, please? [00:15:57] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Come on. You want to come with me? And Clint will just start dragging all of her along. [00:16:06] Speaker D: How are you dragging him? [00:16:09] Speaker A: By the foot, of course. [00:16:12] Speaker D: So just dragging him through. Through the silt sand. I love it. [00:16:16] Speaker A: Yep. Come on. I'm going to need a hand getting your friend out of there. I don't think he's gonna take kindly to me. [00:16:25] Speaker B: Okay. [00:16:26] Speaker A: Okay. And then once they're there, Clintle gotta hop down onto his hands and knees and start digging like a dog trying to push as much sand and debris out of the way for Braum. [00:16:37] Speaker B: I'm going to very slowly roll over to my front and just, like, very slowly crawl to where the wreckages and start helping clear it out. To unstuck my dragon. [00:16:53] Speaker A: Just be careful. You don't want to put your hand near his face right now. He looks mighty upset. [00:16:58] Speaker B: I can see that. I'll make it up to him. And with funyuns, I think those were the ones he likes. [00:17:06] Speaker A: That was Cheetos, too, right? [00:17:09] Speaker B: Right. The Cheetos, too. [00:17:11] Speaker D: Oh, my goodness. I've been muted. So, yeah, you guys drag him. Drag you drag Oliver over to the table. And the biggest issue for Bram right now is the fact that most of it is the pieces of the table that have kind of collapsed in on him and made it hard for him to crawl out. As you recall, he had kind of started to dig out his own little, like. Like, hidey hole or cave under the table in the sand. And you imagine that he was nestled in there and probably feeling pretty snug and comfy, and then the table exploded over his head, and everything came down on him. And it has made it very hard for him to get out on his own. However, with Clint's epic strength and Oliver's willingness to do the thing that makes him uncomfortable and in pain for his baby dragon, you all are easily able to free him from his little prison. [00:18:19] Speaker A: There you go. [00:18:22] Speaker B: Lay next to him. Oh, go ahead, sir. [00:18:24] Speaker D: As soon as he is out, he almost darts rapidly up and out of the hole that he had dug for himself and out of the wreckage of the table. He snaps at Clint's ankle as he goes. [00:18:45] Speaker A: Watch it, little guy. [00:18:49] Speaker D: And as if in response to the. Watch it. He lets out another little huff of fire at you. [00:18:56] Speaker A: I'm sorry. I was trying to protect your dad. Clint will kind of dance, trying to get out of the way of the smoke and the biting. [00:19:06] Speaker D: But he'll kind of look back over at Oliver when you mentioned that you were trying to help him and then make his way over and kind of nuzzle his little scaled head up underneath of Oliver's chin. [00:19:23] Speaker B: I'm okay. Just need a. I just need a little break and it'll be fine. I'm sorry about what happened. I'll make it up. [00:19:33] Speaker A: Just, just be a good little pillow, buddy. [00:19:39] Speaker D: Hoda? [00:19:41] Speaker C: Yes? [00:19:44] Speaker D: After a few moments or a few minutes, you find yourself standing in what's left of a bunch of half decayed bodies that are no longer moving. [00:19:59] Speaker C: She'll. [00:19:59] Speaker D: It doesn't smell great. [00:20:01] Speaker C: Yeah, I think for a moment she's standing there is just, like, breathing and is like. And then we'll then, like, kind of finally settle and then go, God, this shit stinks. And then we'll go, like, look back to the group and kind of be like, I'm hungry. Is there still any food left? Oh, mister P, you're up. [00:20:25] Speaker B: That's one way to put it. [00:20:28] Speaker A: I mean, there's some food, but it's mostly covered in sand over there. [00:20:35] Speaker C: How much longer do we have to defend this place? [00:20:39] Speaker A: Say a couple minutes at least. [00:20:42] Speaker D: You guys were tasked with defending it for 12 hours, basically from sundown to sun up. It has been probably close to eight by now. [00:20:54] Speaker C: Okay, cool. Um huh. Well, I guess we chill until. Or not chill. We're still working it. But anybody else feel, like, exhausted? [00:21:14] Speaker B: Like, I need at least 14 tylenols. [00:21:18] Speaker A: I could use a drink and a bite to eat, but I'm ready to keep going. I'm doing fine. [00:21:25] Speaker C: I saw you go down. Like, down down? [00:21:29] Speaker A: Yeah, for a second. Then Mister B. Here gave me some magic juice and I was right back up. No problem. [00:21:39] Speaker C: Just gonna raise an eyebrow, looking at the two of them and then looking at herself, because she's definitely been all chewed up. And she'll go, some magic, very special limited apple juice. And Mister B looks like. [00:22:00] Speaker D: Well. [00:22:05] Speaker C: Yeah, well, Mister B looks like he could use a napkin for sure. [00:22:10] Speaker A: Yeah, we'll prop them up in the. [00:22:12] Speaker B: I just need, like, 30 ice packs. [00:22:14] Speaker C: I'll be good that's a good idea. Let's just prop them up and give them, like, what's what's those things that people yell into at, like, stupid football games? [00:22:26] Speaker A: Yeah, megaphone. [00:22:27] Speaker C: Yeah, megaphone. And then all the words that you say to us, that usually makes me feel really great. So you can keep, like, yelling stuff at us, and we just have to make sure not to get hit. [00:22:37] Speaker D: Right. [00:22:38] Speaker C: And she'll look to Clint. [00:22:40] Speaker A: Yeah, easy enough. I mean, with, uh, most of the bad folks already gone, should be easier, right? [00:22:47] Speaker C: And with the kraken, at least I think that was the huge ass calamari in the ocean, um, under sea. [00:23:00] Speaker D: Out. [00:23:00] Speaker C: There with that kind of busy destroying ships off in the distance, I think we're good for now. [00:23:08] Speaker A: Oh, all right. Well, hell, let's all take a break then. Maybe, maybe we could use that. Not a long one, mind you. Just maybe 30 minutes or so. [00:23:18] Speaker D: Yeah, but I'll keep. [00:23:19] Speaker C: I'll keep an ear and an eye and a nose out, please. [00:23:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Just stay on alert. Maybe have Ian keep flying around. [00:23:27] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Ian, you can. You can go back to just being yourself again and just keep an eye out for us. [00:23:36] Speaker D: There is a cacophonous cawing from the nearby trees. And you guys look up, and there are probably close to a hundred crows perched among all of these palm trees nearby. They almost sound annoyed. And then when Clint says that he can go back to himself and go back to making the rounds, there's a shift of wings and this loud, mad, fluttering noise. Before almost all of these crows seem to dart into one central space, like they're going to collide with each other head on. And there's like this burst of feathers and things. And then after the feathers all kind of drift away, there is one lone crow there. [00:24:46] Speaker A: There you go. Is that. That feel weird to do? [00:24:50] Speaker D: No. [00:24:52] Speaker A: All right. I mean, just make sure you eat like this. I don't think we have enough seed for all of you. [00:25:01] Speaker D: He sort of snaps his beak at you and tilts his head, swoops down to what's left of the table, picks through it with his beak for a moment until he finds something that looks good to him. And then. Clint, can you make me a charisma and animal can roll, please? [00:25:26] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:25:30] Speaker D: I want to see how annoyed he is. [00:25:44] Speaker A: That is seven successes. [00:25:47] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. Okay. He looks vaguely annoyed with you, but you're unsure if he has simply decided that it is best not to argue or if he's just kind of too terrified of your mom to not take the order. Snaps up what looks like another oyster cracker. And then takes off. [00:26:12] Speaker A: Thank you, little guy. I promise I'll make sure you get better stuff after this. [00:26:16] Speaker D: You owe me. [00:26:18] Speaker A: I do? Shinies and nuts. We gotta find some quarters and stuff. [00:26:31] Speaker C: All right. I got something in my pocket. [00:26:35] Speaker A: No, not yet. He's gonna be greedy if he sees it now. [00:26:39] Speaker C: Oh, okay. Okay. [00:26:41] Speaker A: Yeah, let him finish his rounds, and then as he's done, it'll be a reward. [00:26:46] Speaker C: Huh. So when you went down, did you feel yourself, like, drift or some shit, or were you just, like. Because Teddy. I'm not. I don't remember if you've met Teddy, but Teddy just kind of, like, turned into a ghost. So, like, did you feel like a light calling towards you, or were you just. [00:27:19] Speaker A: It all happened so fast. All I saw for a second was Gwen's face, and then it went dark, and then I got. I was feeling like I was drowning, and then I woke up because I felt like I was going to drown in some juice. The in between is fuzzy, and. I don't know, I'd have to think on it for a little bit. [00:27:50] Speaker C: Well, I'm glad you're not dead. [00:27:54] Speaker A: I mean. Me too. [00:27:56] Speaker B: Me too. Also, what did it taste like? [00:27:59] Speaker A: Oh, it was good. You ever had, like, a good apple cider? Like, not a spiced one, but just, like, where the apple really, really shines? It's not too sweet? [00:28:12] Speaker D: No, it tasted like apple, but it tasted like more than that. It tasted like. What a. Imagine the most perfect apple you've, like, ever even heard of at the, like, that perfect moment of ripeness that's just been plucked off the tree on, like, a perfect summer's day. [00:28:46] Speaker A: It was not just like, an apple. It was the apple. You know what I'm saying? [00:28:54] Speaker C: No, no. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Oh, man. So. [00:28:58] Speaker C: But I hope I don't ever have to. [00:29:00] Speaker A: Yeah, maybe we should give it a sip. We don't have to drink a whole one of them, but it was really good. [00:29:07] Speaker B: No, I think we should save every drop. Who knows how much of it we'll need? [00:29:13] Speaker A: Okay. [00:29:15] Speaker C: I mean, did some trip in your shirt or something? I'm kidding. That'd be weird. [00:29:19] Speaker A: That probably a little bit here. [00:29:21] Speaker C: No, I was. I was literally. I was. I'm not sucking your fucking shirt. I was kidding. [00:29:27] Speaker A: I was just gonna squeeze it into a cup, but, I mean, I'm pretty. [00:29:30] Speaker B: Sure that's gonna be, like, 60% sweat. [00:29:32] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I don't think it'd be that good. You might get a hint of apple. [00:29:41] Speaker C: I was. I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're alive. [00:29:45] Speaker D: Sounded like Koda regrets opening her mouth. [00:29:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. She'll start cleaning off her sword. That thing. [00:30:01] Speaker D: Her couch. Yeah. [00:30:05] Speaker C: I just don't know what form she has it in right now. But it would probably be best to clean it while it's a Kopech. [00:30:17] Speaker A: His toothpick into his mouth and just node. [00:30:20] Speaker B: Anyway, though. Does anyone have any Advil? [00:30:24] Speaker C: Oh, wait, hold on. She'll look around in her backpack. [00:30:32] Speaker D: Hold on. [00:30:33] Speaker C: I think I got some good stuff. [00:30:36] Speaker D: Roll me a d ten. D ten? [00:30:39] Speaker C: I was just gonna give him weed. Let's see. Roll a d ten. [00:30:44] Speaker A: It's the Advil you can inhale. [00:30:48] Speaker C: It's that body. Hi. [00:30:50] Speaker D: Oh, you do, in fact, have both. Some of Damon's weed. So the good stuff and a bottle of Advil. [00:31:08] Speaker C: The toughest decision in this game ever. So, mister b, I think I have something that can help you. [00:31:19] Speaker B: Okay. [00:31:20] Speaker D: So. [00:31:23] Speaker C: You'Ve smoked before, right? [00:31:26] Speaker B: Yes. [00:31:29] Speaker D: What's your. [00:31:30] Speaker C: What's your opinion on smoking right now? I mean, because you can't move anyways, right? So. [00:31:40] Speaker B: I'd rather not. [00:31:43] Speaker C: All right, here. I got Advil. What? [00:31:47] Speaker B: Wait, you said you have Advil? [00:31:48] Speaker C: No. What were you saying? [00:31:50] Speaker B: No, no, no. I definitely heard you say you had. [00:31:51] Speaker C: Advil at the same time. [00:31:56] Speaker B: Just give me the Advil, please. [00:32:00] Speaker A: That's going to take at least an hour or so to kick a can, ain't it? [00:32:03] Speaker C: Exactly. Maybe even 30 minutes. Because we're scion. That's so long. Think of the high body. High. No pain, immediate. And Damon's good stuff. [00:32:19] Speaker B: I need to be able to think if we get attacked again, how likely. [00:32:24] Speaker A: Is it we're gonna get attacked again? Surely we'll be nice. [00:32:26] Speaker C: And I'm grabbing the Tylenol. [00:32:28] Speaker A: Okay. [00:32:33] Speaker C: She'Ll grab whatever and toss the bottle over to him, but then feel bad that she tossed it because she's like. Right. You're in pain. [00:32:40] Speaker B: Like, just barely out of reach, reaching for it. [00:32:44] Speaker D: Make me a let's go with the Dex and awareness roll. And because you're. But also remember that you're really begged up, so you're, like, a negative four. [00:33:06] Speaker C: Oh, wait. [00:33:06] Speaker D: Yes. [00:33:07] Speaker C: Oh, my. [00:33:09] Speaker A: I'm doing fine. [00:33:13] Speaker B: Upon getting the bottle, I will open it and just pour out like, you have to. [00:33:17] Speaker D: You have to roll me. I want. I want Dex and awareness with your negative four. [00:33:21] Speaker B: My bad. I did not hear that. X and awareness. Negative four. Fun. Where's awareness? Where does that exist? There it is. Oh, okay. That's gonna make my pool, zero. But I have that. [00:33:42] Speaker D: Oh, really? Well, roll. Well, you have epics, right? How many epics do you have? [00:33:48] Speaker B: If it's Dexia, too? [00:33:51] Speaker D: Okay. I forgot that you had. I forgot that you had two epics in Dex. You do, in fact, manage to catch the bottle, but it's one of those things where your fingers are almost numb as you go to try and catch it. So you fumble it a little bit, and it sort of bumbles from one hand to the next and then falls into the sand right beside you. But at least it's close and easy to grab. [00:34:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I'll take it. And then just pop it open. Probably pour out, like, seven of them and just immediately down the gullet. [00:34:34] Speaker D: I mean, it doesn't do anything for you right now, but. [00:34:37] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:34:39] Speaker A: Clint stares and waits. Let us know when it works. [00:34:44] Speaker B: I'll let you know if it does. [00:34:49] Speaker A: You know, if the other stuff, you'd have known right away. [00:34:54] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's part of the bad downside, because like I said, I need to be able to think. [00:35:02] Speaker A: All right, all right. [00:35:05] Speaker B: Once we're done, ask me again. [00:35:07] Speaker A: Okay. I'll hold you to it. [00:35:15] Speaker C: Goodness. So Gwen's like, I know this is gonna fucking sound stupid, but, like, gwen's, like, a serious problem. Yeah. [00:35:27] Speaker A: I mean, she's not that bad. She. She kind of hurts, but people hurt. So maybe if we just make her feel better about herself and her life and no help. No. [00:35:39] Speaker B: Nope, that's not gonna work. [00:35:42] Speaker A: Okay. [00:35:43] Speaker C: I don't know. Cause we gave Stefan the opportunity to want to change. Yeah. And he took it. Yeah. [00:35:52] Speaker B: We gave her the same opportunity, and she did the exact opposite. [00:35:57] Speaker A: Y'all did. [00:35:58] Speaker B: Yes. [00:35:59] Speaker C: And you keep doing it, which, you know, I applaud you. [00:36:04] Speaker B: I'm more angry. [00:36:06] Speaker A: I mean, surely everyone deserves a 52nd chance. [00:36:10] Speaker C: That's true. Everyone does deserve a second chance. [00:36:14] Speaker B: He said 52nd chance. [00:36:16] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:36:18] Speaker C: Now, I don't know about that. Cause that's like. That's, like, nuts, right? A 52nd chance. [00:36:25] Speaker A: Yeah. I don't know. [00:36:28] Speaker C: 53Rd time, third chance could be you dying. Right? [00:36:33] Speaker A: I mean, that could happen on the third one or even on something completely unrelated. [00:36:42] Speaker C: I don't know how you find it in you, Clint. [00:36:47] Speaker A: I don't know. I just think folks can change if you give them a chance to. [00:36:53] Speaker C: And if they don't take the chance. [00:36:56] Speaker A: There'S gonna be more down the road. Unless they die. And hell, even die. I mean, if I die too, sure. But they're still living. They can make more choices in life. [00:37:07] Speaker B: And if those choices are bad ones. [00:37:11] Speaker A: Well, that's a shame, because they wasted their opportunities. [00:37:16] Speaker C: I think people can redeem themselves, but I think they have to be able to take the step forward to do it. [00:37:23] Speaker B: I have to. [00:37:24] Speaker A: You never pushed him, huh? You never had to push him. [00:37:31] Speaker C: No, you. I mean, you offer it, and I guess pushing is a part of it too. I don't know. My grandma always said, you can. [00:37:42] Speaker D: What is it? [00:37:42] Speaker C: You can. You can't force a horse to drink out of a water or something like that. I don't remember how it goes. [00:37:51] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. You can't force a horse to drink out of water, but you can. You can guide a horse to the water. [00:37:58] Speaker C: And now, what if the horse bites off your whole hand? [00:38:02] Speaker A: Well, shit, I got two of them. [00:38:06] Speaker D: Clint. [00:38:10] Speaker C: I adore you so much, but what do you do if we didn't have that juice? [00:38:20] Speaker A: I mean, if we didn't have that juice, I'd be laying out on the floor right now. [00:38:25] Speaker B: And then I'd probably be laying on the floor right now. [00:38:27] Speaker A: Yeah, that's true. [00:38:30] Speaker C: And then think of all the people that would have gotten hurt if Gwen made her way with her dogs up to that party. [00:38:39] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. You're not wrong there. I've learned that with Gwen, it's going to have to take a big, big push. Maybe a real serious hard core, knocked upside the head kind of pushed to kind of shake her awake, but. [00:38:52] Speaker C: Yeah, like a push into the underworld. [00:38:54] Speaker A: I mean, hopefully it don't take that long. [00:38:58] Speaker C: Like a permanent push into the underworld? [00:39:01] Speaker A: No, I'd rather not go that far. [00:39:06] Speaker C: I don't know. I think that's. I think when. If we encounter again, it's either. [00:39:17] Speaker B: It'S her or us. And personally, I'm choosing us. [00:39:22] Speaker A: I mean, I'm gonna choose us too, but I'm still give her the opportunity to make a choice too. [00:39:27] Speaker C: Okay. Well, I'm happy there's at least someone on our group that will. As long as it doesn't end up getting us killed. Or yourself. [00:39:36] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Cuz if I get killed and y'all are left alone without someone to protect you, I get real worried. [00:39:48] Speaker D: Big lug. [00:39:53] Speaker C: I really don't know how you ended up being the way you are. [00:39:58] Speaker A: I mean, I've seen a lot of dead folks. [00:40:01] Speaker B: What? [00:40:02] Speaker A: Well, when you. You deal with a lot of ghosts and you talk to them and you learn that, I mean, life don't stop after death. Well, and you kind of realize that things are different than you might expect. You gotta change your choices to match or else you're just being stupid, right? [00:40:21] Speaker C: Wait, you can see ghosts? [00:40:24] Speaker A: I mean, yeah, y'all can. [00:40:27] Speaker C: Uh, no, only when we're, like, down here, but, like, in general. No. [00:40:34] Speaker A: How did y'all talk with your friend? [00:40:37] Speaker B: He sort of chose to appear to us. It was just. [00:40:42] Speaker D: You were given a temporary blessing. [00:40:45] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. It was a special circumstance. [00:40:50] Speaker A: I mean, that. Okay, I thought. I guess that makes sense. For a while there, I thought that was just a thing that happened. Like, you know, youre. You. You get wakened up one day, you realize kind of the powers that you're given. You talk to your parent, and then suddenly, bam, there's a whole other world happening right in front of you. [00:41:09] Speaker D: Wait, wait. [00:41:10] Speaker B: So, Clint, were you going on the basis that all silence could see ghosts? [00:41:15] Speaker A: I mean, kind of, yeah. [00:41:20] Speaker C: Yeah. I can not fall easily and shine lights from my eyes. I mean, I could do a lot of great things. I could do a lot of great things. I'm just saying I can't see ghosts. [00:41:36] Speaker D: Oliver. [00:41:37] Speaker B: Yes. [00:41:40] Speaker D: Roll me wits. And is insight the thing in this system? I'm spacing. I'm sorry. [00:41:56] Speaker B: There's empathy. [00:41:57] Speaker D: Empathy. That's what I was looking for. [00:42:01] Speaker B: I'm good at that. Six successes. [00:42:13] Speaker D: That's with your negative four. [00:42:15] Speaker B: Damn. Oh, yeah. So, no, I forgot to include the negative four. That's my badlandhouse. In that case, you can ignore the last four dice. Yeah. [00:42:25] Speaker D: The last four dice, that's four successes. [00:42:28] Speaker B: Yes. [00:42:30] Speaker D: Okay. It occurs to you, as you were sitting there, you've kind of always known that Clint isn't exactly the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. But it occurs to you, as you are sitting there having this discussion with him, that he might be way dumber than you ever gave him credit for. [00:42:50] Speaker B: Oh. Oh, no. [00:42:56] Speaker D: And suddenly you find yourself maybe questioning some of the decisions that you've made to allow Clint to make his own calls. [00:43:07] Speaker B: Um, clint, just quick, you know, random question. Nothing to it. Uh, did you graduate high school? [00:43:22] Speaker D: Um. [00:43:24] Speaker A: Not. Not really, no. [00:43:29] Speaker B: But you got a ged later on, though, right? [00:43:33] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. I had to take a test, and that way they would let me, you know, on the back of the garbage truck, and I sling the. The trash bags in there. Yeah. [00:43:41] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:43:42] Speaker A: Yeah. Government jobs, as far as I know, you gotta have at least a little something, and that one had the least requirements. [00:43:50] Speaker C: Oh, well, school sucks anyway. [00:43:52] Speaker D: Well, uh. [00:43:55] Speaker C: Wait, wait, hold. Don't hold me to that. Um, school doesn't entirely measure all of your intelligence. [00:44:08] Speaker B: Agreed. [00:44:11] Speaker C: And it's based upon a certain group of people that can succeed and maybe doesn't account for the learning styles for multiple other people. And let's just say, yeah, so I'm. [00:44:28] Speaker A: Never had a problem with it. I try to be real upfront with folks about, you know, I'm not the brightest crayon in the knife drawer sometimes, but that's why I have no problem following y'all's direction. Y'all know what the hell y'all are doing, too. [00:44:43] Speaker C: Crayon in the night drawer. [00:44:45] Speaker A: Well, yeah. You don't want to. [00:44:47] Speaker B: Yeah, it's kind of excellent and genius in your own very, very unique, special way. [00:44:56] Speaker A: At that. Clint squint. Oh, no. That felt a little. A little wrong there, mister B. Is that. [00:45:07] Speaker C: Oh, it is. Laughing at the crayon and the knife drawer in the background. [00:45:11] Speaker B: Think of it this way. You know how when you throw your toothpick when it's large and you're aiming to hit something? Well, when you're doing that, you have to account for a lot of different factors, and that's math you're doing in your head in a split second. And you're very accurate with that. That's a sign of intelligence. [00:45:34] Speaker A: So whenever I got the toothpick and learned that it could do things like that, I did. So I do have the GED. And then I went to the library a couple of times and learned about parabolic physics, you know, the ballistics, and there you go. Yeah. [00:45:53] Speaker B: Like I said, everyone, in their own unique ways, are. It's very smart, and that's just one way for you. [00:46:01] Speaker A: Yeah, I got no problem with that. There are folks that are way smarter than me that are doing things way different. And I realize that my intelligence is more of a physical kind. [00:46:18] Speaker B: Exactly. But just as a little note just to hang in the air from now on, if we ever run into anything, like ancient texts on a wall or some sort of tomb or a really big chair, for instance, how about you, you know, tell us what you're thinking before you do it, just in case. [00:46:44] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:46:48] Speaker B: Also, my fault with the whole chair thing. I was literally looking at it. It was glowing with evil magic, and I told you it was fine to try and destroy it, so. Also my fault on that one. But it's just a general baseline. [00:47:02] Speaker A: I mean, I ain't gonna blame you. Yeah, I stated my opinion. You gave me the go ahead or my intention. You gave me me to go ahead, and I did it. And bad things happen. We all make mistakes. Not. No. Nope. You're the brightest person I know, and you still make a mistake here. And there. It's okay. [00:47:20] Speaker C: Mm hmm. [00:47:22] Speaker B: That's true. That is true about the mistakes part. [00:47:27] Speaker A: Yeah. No, you're. You're pretty smart too. [00:47:30] Speaker B: Well, yeah, but I'm not the brightest person in the world. [00:47:33] Speaker A: No, not the. In the world. Just the one that I know and deal with on a day to day basis. [00:47:39] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:40] Speaker B: Okay. [00:47:41] Speaker D: I would like everybody to roll me perception awareness, please. [00:47:47] Speaker C: Reception. [00:47:48] Speaker D: Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Oliver. [00:47:53] Speaker B: It would be a negative one. [00:47:54] Speaker D: Yeah, you have enough negatives that you don't. You wouldn't have dice anyway. [00:48:00] Speaker C: Five, six. [00:48:00] Speaker B: I would owe you dice. [00:48:11] Speaker A: On a pool of five dice. I got six successes. [00:48:14] Speaker B: Oh. [00:48:19] Speaker D: Come on, Koda. Make him look like a fool. Let's do it. [00:48:22] Speaker C: I'm only rolling three because I get minus four dices. [00:48:25] Speaker D: Oh, wow. Two's not bad. Oh, yeah. There we go. [00:48:28] Speaker C: Two. [00:48:30] Speaker D: So, Cotta, what you notice, what occurs to you is that as this conversation has been going on, even though it's been nighttime this whole time that you've been here, it is darker now rather suddenly. Like, this was not a subtle shift. It took a couple of minutes, but it went from dark but still relatively easy to see to. You guys are kind of having to, like, you're pretty sure normal people would have to squint to be able to make out outlines of each other if they weren't really, really close the way that the three of you are. Clint, what you realize standing there is that not only is it suddenly way darker than it was, but you're pretty sure that you hear thunder coming from way, way, way up. It's kind of muffled in a little wishy washy, like you're under because you're underwater, but you can absolutely hear thunder. [00:49:55] Speaker A: Clint looks around and froze his brows. Yep. Y'all hear that too? There's a storm somewhere. Like, real far off. Maybe up above us. [00:50:09] Speaker B: Now, they pointed out, I guess. [00:50:11] Speaker A: Cody, can you use your eye flashlights and help us out here? [00:50:17] Speaker C: Yeah, I can use my eye flashlight. [00:50:21] Speaker A: Kind of hard to say. [00:50:24] Speaker B: Hold on. As I reach into my satchel and hand Clint a single glow stick. [00:50:29] Speaker A: Clint will pop it and shake it. [00:50:34] Speaker D: I love that those are still happening. Y'all went shopping for that stuff back in season one every second to the motors? No. Every so often, Oliver pulls out another random thing that y'all bought at the store. [00:50:48] Speaker B: I write down what's in that satchel, and I'm going to use the stuff in that satchel. [00:50:54] Speaker C: Um, is it enough light that I don't need to do my eyeballs thing or should I stay? [00:51:01] Speaker D: As long as you guys stay really close. You can see. You can see each other or at least see. See, you can see them, but you suspect it's probably getting harder for them to see each other because they don't have the same perfuse you do. [00:51:16] Speaker B: Right on my own glow stick as well and crack it and then pull out a third one handed Dakota just so we can keep track of each other. We can't see like you can. [00:51:25] Speaker D: So for you having one, yes, you all can see each other. If you get far enough away, though, it's going to be hard. And you guys are limited to a very small space because of the. I mean, they're glow sticks. They don't have exactly. They don't exactly give you a ton of ambient light. [00:51:44] Speaker C: He's going to sigh and then just go, all right, hold on and just do the divine radiance. I just spend one more legend on her kopech and just will kind of run her hand over it and it'll just be like a high powered flashlight, and she'll just kind of, like, hold it up like on, like how she usually holds her bat, like, over her shoulder and then just kind of go, um. I mean, it is kind of dark out here. There's probably just a storm happening up, up above. [00:52:27] Speaker A: Clint looks over to see the glowing weapon and tries to hide the fact that he's been tying the glow stick to the end of his extended toothpick. [00:52:37] Speaker D: I love that so much. [00:52:39] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, that looks. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that makes sense. There's a storm up above. I heard the thunder. But do you think it'll cause anything to happen down here? [00:52:49] Speaker B: I don't. [00:52:50] Speaker D: Well, we check. [00:52:52] Speaker B: It seems relevant somehow, like it might be related. At least that's how it tends to go of our luck. [00:53:02] Speaker C: Yeah. And I can't look above anymore because of that person that, well, shattered my vision for up there. Well, does it sound like the thunder is coming from a specific area or does it just feel. Sounds like thunder is all around us. [00:53:24] Speaker D: It sounds almost like it's directly over where you are. Directly over us. Okay. But it's that. It sounds like it's directly over you because. Which kind of makes it sound like it's coming from all over, if that makes sense. [00:53:37] Speaker C: Yeah, that makes sense. [00:53:38] Speaker D: When a storm cloud kind of parks itself over your house. Yes. You could tell it's directly over top of you, but also kind of sounds like it's coming from everywhere around you. Yeah. [00:53:47] Speaker C: Cause it reverberates. Okay. Yum. Cool. Hmm? Yeah, I guess. [00:53:58] Speaker A: Chill. [00:53:59] Speaker C: Perception awareness. Is that a thing I could do or not? Perception awareness? What's awareness? Is that what I'm saying? [00:54:07] Speaker D: You already did. Perception awareness. What are you trying to do? [00:54:10] Speaker C: Oh, I see. Like, to, like, look around us to see if there's anything has made its way here. [00:54:17] Speaker D: Ah. Would you like to maybe take a walk around the island and see if you run into anything? [00:54:25] Speaker B: We should probably get back to our patrol. [00:54:27] Speaker D: Yeah, that's what she'd like, to stand. [00:54:29] Speaker A: Up the whole time. [00:54:33] Speaker B: No, don't carry me. [00:54:34] Speaker A: Oh, I can carry you. [00:54:35] Speaker B: I just slowly stand up. It's fine. I'm just really sore. [00:54:42] Speaker A: Well, if you slow us down too much, I'll carry you. Okay? [00:54:45] Speaker B: Okay, sure. [00:54:46] Speaker A: Okay. [00:54:51] Speaker D: All right. Um, are you all walking together, or are you splitting up? [00:54:56] Speaker A: Hanging out together? [00:54:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I think with Glenn not being able to see too well in the dark, we. We ought to stay with Koda. [00:55:03] Speaker D: Okay, well, then I will allow one of you to make perception. And, uh, let's go for perception and awareness. And I will allow a plus. And I will allow a plus one for the two people helping you. A plus one for each of the two people helping. So who's gonna make the roll? [00:55:31] Speaker A: I mean, I'm not affected by the. The damage penalty if y'all are. [00:55:36] Speaker B: Yeah, I'd say you go for it. You have the most or the largest pool right now. [00:55:39] Speaker A: Cool. [00:55:40] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:55:42] Speaker A: So that's two additional on top of it. [00:55:44] Speaker D: Yep. [00:55:58] Speaker A: There we go. That is three successes. [00:56:03] Speaker D: Okay. You guys don't really see much that is of overly active concern to you. What you do notice is that while the liquid that kind of makes up the, quote unquote like, beach water for where you are, that kind of like, eerie, calm black water or liquidity, not. It's still not moving in and of itself. But occasionally, as you guys are walking by, you kind of cast your gaze out in that direction just to make sure that there's nothing in the horizon that you need to be worried about. And you will see every so often what looks like in, like, these. As lightning flashes overhead, you see what looks like the outline of maybe, like, hands reaching up out of the water, and then they disappear, but they're gone by the time the lightning comes back again. [00:56:59] Speaker A: Don't like that. Don't like that. Their hands in the water. Don't like that. [00:57:03] Speaker C: Oh, wait. [00:57:09] Speaker D: Is it. [00:57:12] Speaker C: Wait, he said he's justice and drums. And doesn't Shango do storms too? Or is that. [00:57:24] Speaker B: I believe he does. [00:57:26] Speaker D: Anybody who would like to can make an intelligence and either academics or a cult role. Yikes. Okay, don't forget your negatives. Yeah. [00:57:39] Speaker C: Intelligence and academics or. [00:57:42] Speaker D: Or a cult. [00:57:42] Speaker C: A cult. Yeah, this is funny. [00:57:49] Speaker A: Hey, I got one. Horse testes much better than me. [00:57:54] Speaker B: Most of the culture of ethics. [00:57:56] Speaker C: I can roll one dice. Doesn't hurt. All right. [00:58:06] Speaker D: All right, so you each got one. Oh, no, wait. Oliver has four because he has epics. Um, you guys are pretty sure that he said something. I mean, he's got of a few things. It's hard. Like, I don't know, maybe he's got of, like, big dad energy. It's hard to tell. Um, however, Oliver, you remember, uh, not only talking to him about this, but. But, like, also at times, like, reading about. Especially when you were teaching, like, american literature, reading about stories that were written in the deep south and around New Orleans and whatever. And you are pretty sure that you remember reading that Shango is not only the Loa lord of thunder, but he's, like, their priest king. He is a God of initiation and justice and royalty. [00:59:15] Speaker B: Right? Yeah. I'm almost certain this has something to do with Shango. [00:59:22] Speaker A: Is it something to do with the party, too, you think? It's, like, a part of it? [00:59:28] Speaker B: He's in attendance, so I imagine so. He's sort of like king within the low. I don't think that means he's in charge, per se, but he is regard as a royal figure. It's part of who he is as a God. So this could be some sort of show of authority, or it could just be a light show. Who knows? [00:59:53] Speaker A: Can we take a peek? [00:59:55] Speaker B: I don't think we're supposed to. [00:59:57] Speaker A: Okay. [01:00:00] Speaker C: Yeah, but this is kind of cool. He's, like, going off up there or down. He's going off. [01:00:11] Speaker A: I think it's a chance he might. [01:00:14] Speaker B: There's a chance he might have even left the party to handle some of the. Some of our not so friendly friends up on the surface or outside of the confines of this island. [01:00:29] Speaker A: Clint pulls out his phone and sends a text to Shango. [01:00:34] Speaker D: What would you like the text to say? [01:00:36] Speaker A: He's just asking, was that you. [01:00:41] Speaker D: You don't get an answer back, of. [01:00:43] Speaker A: Course, and then he'll clarify. The storm. I mean, was the storm. [01:00:47] Speaker D: You, uh. You do get an answer back to that. And the answer is nope. [01:00:54] Speaker A: Oh, shit. That. That. That don't. That wasn't Shango. [01:00:58] Speaker D: Sometimes storms just happened. [01:01:00] Speaker A: He says sometimes storms just happen. [01:01:05] Speaker B: Well, hopefully that's the case here. [01:01:08] Speaker C: Well, at least he knows what we're talking about. [01:01:13] Speaker D: As you all are talking, and I assume still walking along the, along the beaches, you all don't notice anything out of place at first, but after a while, and it's specifically Clint that notices or that realizes what's happening literally as it's happening. Clint kept glancing out at the water because the sight of the hands reaching up out of the water made him nervous. And at some point, while you guys are focused on things and Clint is texting on his phone, it's as Clint turns off the screen of his phone and goes to stick it back in his pocket that a wet hand grips his ankle. [01:02:12] Speaker A: No, don't like this. Help. Clint starts kicking his foot. [01:02:21] Speaker D: Clint, make me a let's go Dex. And let's go Dex and fortitude roll, please. [01:02:41] Speaker A: You got it. That is six successes. You might be muted again because we cannot hear you. [01:03:14] Speaker D: Oh, my bad. Sorry. You look down as you manage to rip your foot away from this thing and you realize that it was trying to pull you towards the water. And it's mostly your ability to stay on your feet, that strength of yours. You were able to kind of plant yourself pretty firmly with 1ft while kicking away with the other. And you look down and you realize in the light cast by Coda's kopech that there is a kind of waterlogged, bloated, but still very obviously in a state of decay, corpse kind of half formed and crawling up out of the water like it is trying to claw for you. [01:04:06] Speaker A: Come on, get back in there. You don't belong up here. [01:04:10] Speaker D: And as you, as you were having that moment, Coda instinctively lifts her kopesh a little bit higher so that she can get a better look around. And you realize that there are a number of bodies that look very much like that, kind of crawling up out of the water towards the beach. Some are missing limbs, some are mostly whole, but obviously kind of, you know, rotting and waterlogged. Some are, some are in clothes from different eras. It's hard to tell, but there's a lot of them. [01:04:52] Speaker A: Y'all can see these too, right? [01:04:54] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:55] Speaker D: All right. [01:04:56] Speaker A: They're not ghosts then. Okay, we need to get these things out of here. [01:04:59] Speaker B: Agreed. [01:05:03] Speaker D: All right, we are going to treat this as another skill challenge. There are a number of these things. It's hard to tell exactly how many you guys can see, at least ten just in the area where you are. But looking up and down the beach, you can tell that there's probably more that are crawling up out of the water and the ones that are not near you look like they are crawling towards the center of the island, like they've angled themselves towards that large house that you saw in the distance. [01:05:47] Speaker A: Oh, they're party crashers. [01:05:52] Speaker D: So it is going to take, it is going to take a total of, or a minimum of 15 successes on extended rolls in order to, at the very least, make sure that you head off the worst of any disruptions. But if you want to completely head it off and not have them get there at all, it'll take 20. Each of you is able to contribute. You can contribute to help each other. You can act on your own. It is up to you. [01:06:36] Speaker C: Hoda will look to the group, especially to Clint, with kind of like a mischievous glint in her eyes, and go, how big can you make that thing? We can make some shish kebabs. [01:06:52] Speaker A: Ooh, I ain't never tried to make it that big, but I think we can get a few of them on there. [01:06:59] Speaker C: And then she'll look to Mister B and go, you got any advice you can give us on that? [01:07:06] Speaker B: I can direct you and provide optimal angles to shish kebab them, see if I have any other tricks. [01:07:20] Speaker A: Figure once we get them all on the stick, I can just fling them back out there? Yeah. [01:07:24] Speaker C: Yeah. And then wait, when it comes back to you, does it come back with what's attached on it? Because what if you fling it out and then you, let's just give it a try. [01:07:33] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it had some ink and, and stuff guts on there last time, but it was okay. [01:07:43] Speaker C: Yeah. So shish kebab, y'all. [01:07:48] Speaker A: Shish kebab. [01:07:49] Speaker D: Okay, so Clint is going to attempt to shish kebab things with his spear. What are Oliver and Koda doing? [01:08:00] Speaker B: I'm giving command roles to help him do that better. [01:08:04] Speaker D: Okay. [01:08:07] Speaker C: She is going to try and quickly and carefully kind of guide to the, what are they called? The critters to get shanked, essentially. Not shank to get shushed to get, to go into the sphere. So she's gonna. [01:08:32] Speaker A: Shush real good. [01:08:38] Speaker D: How do you propose doing that? [01:08:40] Speaker C: So, yeah, like what Oliver said, I am gonna try to sheepdog them. So I'm gonna kinda, she'll just kind of be like, oh, like, like, get attention, but then try to, like, whip like cats, grace slash, untouchable opponent. She's gonna keep trying to, like, weave and dodge and, like, kind of get them to, like, follow her, but then when it they, like, go for a lunge, she'll, like, duck out the way and have, like, and let Clint, like, okay. [01:09:07] Speaker D: Okay. Okay, hang on. This is. This is a skill challenge. You get to pick one. You don't get to throw all of the things at me. [01:09:14] Speaker C: Oh, that's just my plan. [01:09:16] Speaker D: If your plan is to sheepdog things, I'm gonna say that that is a wits and presents role. Remember, you do have your negative. [01:09:28] Speaker C: Wits and present. [01:09:33] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it's just like herding cattle. It's pretty easy. [01:09:38] Speaker D: On the bright side, you do have two epics, so. Yeah, I think you're mostly just gonna be rolling, like, one die, and then adding your two epics to whatever you get. Yeah. [01:09:48] Speaker C: And I believe with appearance epic, I can reroll a presence dice if it. [01:09:55] Speaker D: Is wits and presents, not appearance. [01:10:01] Speaker C: Oh, I see what you mean. I see what you mean. Never mind. Oh, wait. Okay. Yeah, I see what you mean. [01:10:07] Speaker D: Okay, so should I roll now or wits instead of. Instead of, uh, appearance, because you are, um, thinking on your feet, and you made it very clear that you want to be able to, like, dodge and not get grabbed, so you have to be able to think quickly. [01:10:24] Speaker C: Yeah, no, I fully follow that. [01:10:27] Speaker D: Go ahead and make your role so that I can see. Oh, are you trying to add to Clint's thing, or are you trying to. Are you doing your own role that you want your own successes to stand on, to stand alone? [01:10:44] Speaker C: I would say I'm trying to add to Clint. Yeah. So, yeah, yeah, I would say I'm trying to add to Clint. [01:10:51] Speaker B: Okay. [01:10:54] Speaker C: And I would like to say, can I add my harmony virtue? Because I'm trying to us to work in tandem to get something done. [01:11:07] Speaker D: No, that's clever, but, no, that's not something that harmony does. [01:11:13] Speaker C: Then. [01:11:15] Speaker D: I would allow for duty, because you're trying to fulfill your labor. [01:11:19] Speaker C: All right, there we go. Okay, so duty. [01:11:25] Speaker D: I've used it twice while she is making that role. Oliver, I know you're using command roles, but what are your commands? What are you doing exactly? [01:11:34] Speaker B: I'm more or less directing Clint on the most optimal way for him to skewer these undead, like, where they would be the squishiest and most easily impaled, what angle he should come in at, and, like, which ones he should select strategically so it makes it easier for us. [01:11:55] Speaker D: All right, give me intelligence and command, please. [01:11:59] Speaker B: Before that, I would like to spend a legend point to do bona fortuna on myself to hopefully help counteract some of my negatives here. [01:12:08] Speaker D: Four. [01:12:09] Speaker B: So first, I'll make a roll there to see if I get any extra dice, which will also give me negatives. Okay, I'll get two extra dice helps a little bit. And you said command plus what? [01:12:32] Speaker D: Intelligence. [01:12:33] Speaker B: Okay, cool. So same thing. [01:12:43] Speaker D: Koda, you gonna roll? [01:12:46] Speaker C: Yeah, I'm counting how many dice I need to use. I'm trying to remember what. How I set up my virtues, but. [01:12:53] Speaker B: I think five successes used it two. [01:12:56] Speaker C: Times, so I have. [01:13:06] Speaker B: Now, do I have to give those to Clint, or could I count them as my own successes as well? [01:13:11] Speaker D: You already said you were giving them to Clint as a commander. However, because you rolled five, that means Clint gets three extra dice. [01:13:21] Speaker A: Ooh. All right. [01:13:23] Speaker D: And Coda will add one extra die to Clint's die pool for a total of plus four. [01:13:33] Speaker A: Awesome. Taking advantage of tactics given by a leader, Clint would like to utilize piety to add to whatever role would get these things up onto his stick and then back out into the ocean. [01:13:51] Speaker D: Huh. Let me. Let me look at something that's, um, an interesting interpretation of piety. [01:14:00] Speaker A: Solving a problem with tactics. I don't know if they're well worn enough, but hopefully. Does. Does Oliver count as an ancient that I am pulling wisdom from? [01:14:20] Speaker B: No, I highly doubt it. [01:14:25] Speaker C: Oh, I didn't add my modifier. So that's three successes. [01:14:28] Speaker D: I'll allow it. I'll allow it. Employee employ well worn ideas or tactics to solve a problem and act in accordance with the wishes of one's God or family. Yeah, no, that fits. [01:14:38] Speaker A: I will use it then. [01:14:40] Speaker B: Oh, really? [01:14:42] Speaker A: That is six extra. And you said you got additional from your modifier there, Koda. [01:14:47] Speaker C: Yeah, I have two epic wits, so I forgot to add that. So it's three successes. [01:14:52] Speaker D: Ah. Then you get two dice from coda instead of one. [01:14:58] Speaker B: Five from two of us to you. [01:15:00] Speaker A: Yep. And then two from piety. Cause that's what I'm spending. [01:15:04] Speaker D: Are there any. Is there anything in particular fancy that you were trying to do, or are you just, like, you know, acted like the dude in the old movies who's, like, outd picking up litter with, just, like, the pointy stick? [01:15:19] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a little bit of that. But instead of it ending with, like, just shimming them off into the ocean, he would like to kind of whip it back sideways like a baseball bat and kind of take a good swing just to see how far out into the ocean he can get them to launch off the end of his spear. [01:15:38] Speaker D: Okay, I will allow. I'll say that's a. Mmm. [01:15:49] Speaker C: Could we say that this is a stunt? [01:15:51] Speaker D: That's what I'm trying to figure out is how many dice you're gonna get for this. I'll say this is, I'll say this is like a one die stud. It's not huge, it's not hugely over the top, but it is a stud. [01:16:02] Speaker A: Okay. [01:16:03] Speaker D: Don't forget, you get legend back for stunts. [01:16:07] Speaker A: Oh, awesome. Take that back. Cool. Okay, so with that, I've got seven extra dice. [01:16:15] Speaker D: Oliver and Koda also get legend back. This is a group, group effort. So everybody gets legend for this. [01:16:21] Speaker B: Yippee. [01:16:23] Speaker A: And what would be the base dipole I'm using? [01:16:27] Speaker D: Oh, let's go. Strength and athletics. [01:16:32] Speaker A: Awesome. So that's six base dice plus the seven extra. That's 13 dice. [01:16:38] Speaker D: Uh huh. [01:16:42] Speaker A: I have a two epic strength. So that's two modified. [01:16:49] Speaker D: Do you or do you not have, like, hurl to the horizon and stuff? [01:16:54] Speaker A: I have hurl to the horizon. I also have mighty heave. So if it's anything heavy enough, it counts as six times as far instead of just three times. [01:17:03] Speaker D: Excellent. Okay, let's do it. [01:17:06] Speaker A: All right, that's only ten successes. [01:17:12] Speaker D: Only ten successes. [01:17:16] Speaker C: Only ten. [01:17:17] Speaker D: Goodness. All right, describe what this looks like. It's gonna work. You're gonna get a good number of bodies onto your sphere and start hurling. So describe what this looks like. [01:17:31] Speaker A: Yeah. So Clint at first is like he's watching Oliver and listening and nodding along. Kind of watches for a second longer. Stabs the stick through one of the corpses and then moves on to the next. And he's keeping the pattern going of. Okay, it has to go here. Perfect. Perfect. Until he's got a stack on a six foot spear that is just compressed zombies in as much space as he could on the stick. And he kind of trudges over to the edge of the sand. Okay. And stretches out one way, reels back like he's about to swing the biggest Granville slugger he's ever swung and just swings and lets loose at the very end to see how far his spear and these many zombies can go. And as soon as he sees it's at the apex of the, the kind of the toss, he'll resummon it at that point, hopefully without the bodies attached. [01:18:31] Speaker D: Okay, just roll me a single detent. [01:18:36] Speaker A: You got it. Oh, that is a nine. [01:18:48] Speaker D: Your spear comes back covered in gore but free of bodies, most of them anyway. [01:18:57] Speaker A: Spear in one hand, he raises the other hand up to see as they kind of separate, like a smattering of zombies off in the distance. [01:19:05] Speaker D: Yeah. You guys watch and you see the moment when the spear gets recalled because not only does Clint's hand go up as if he is recalling the spear to catch it, but the bodies all seem to kind of break apart and all fly in slightly different directions and at different trajectories because they are different weights and everything. It's a little bit like watching a really gory firework, but it's made out of bodies instead of pyrotechnics, where they're all together until that. That moment where they, they reach like, the apex of their arc and then they split apart. [01:19:52] Speaker A: It was beautiful. [01:19:55] Speaker B: Shit, that actually. [01:19:55] Speaker D: Let's keep it up. [01:19:57] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. [01:20:02] Speaker B: Nicely done. [01:20:03] Speaker D: All right, well, unfortunately, you, you haven't hit the full number to completely keep them away from the house yet. [01:20:13] Speaker A: Oh, shit. All right, we still got to clean up the rest of. I don't think we can keep up that slow process, though. [01:20:19] Speaker B: No, I have an idea. So what I'm going to try to do is while watching the zombies kind of move up the beach, kind of gets in a line with them and do some, like, mental calculations with angles to see if I can find an angle in which Clint can throw his spear to make it just, like, skewer as many of the zombies as possible. [01:20:45] Speaker D: Ooh. [01:20:46] Speaker A: I have a boon for this. I've got trick shooter or a knack. [01:20:59] Speaker D: Trick shooter allows you to aim and double the bonus that you get from your aiming. [01:21:05] Speaker A: Exactly. [01:21:06] Speaker D: The problem is that aiming requires actions. [01:21:10] Speaker A: Oh, fair enough. [01:21:11] Speaker D: The longer you spend aiming, probably the higher I'm going to make the DC for keeping them away from the house. [01:21:20] Speaker A: All right, we won't wait, then. [01:21:22] Speaker B: So I'm just going to see if I can find the angle, do quick maths in my head for Clint to throw his spear and just get as many as possible with one throw. [01:21:30] Speaker D: Okay. Do you want to add this to Clint's thing, or do you want your successes to just add to the ten that you have? [01:21:40] Speaker B: In this case, I think I'll just want to add to what we have because that's fine. More sense instead of having it and giving it to Clint. [01:21:48] Speaker D: Coda. [01:21:51] Speaker C: And I'll say, while they're doing this, I think she's just going to be chopping off any stragglers that are not in the trajectory that Oliver has come up with for Clint. She'll just go, all right, I'll chop a few over here. [01:22:07] Speaker D: All right. Coda, I need a Dex plus melee. Oliver, I need intelligence plus science. And Clint, I'm assuming you were going for spearing more things. [01:22:33] Speaker A: That's right. I'm gonna throw this stick at him. [01:22:37] Speaker D: Dex plus. Dex plus throne. [01:22:44] Speaker B: Then I'm gonna do another bonafortuna first. [01:22:47] Speaker D: Okay. [01:22:50] Speaker B: Because I need them. [01:22:54] Speaker D: Nope. [01:22:54] Speaker A: Beans. [01:22:56] Speaker B: Another two successes. I'll take it. [01:23:01] Speaker A: I got four. [01:23:02] Speaker D: Could have got three. [01:23:04] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:23:05] Speaker A: But I did not apply my epics to this. So that goes from four to six. [01:23:10] Speaker D: Coda got three, Oliver got two. So that was just for Bono Fortuna. [01:23:15] Speaker B: So I'm still doing mine. Technically. Six down two. Okay. Yeah. Successes. [01:23:33] Speaker D: All right. So six plus six is twelve. So that takes you to 22. And Coda got three, which takes you to 25 even, which is exactly what you needed to completely clear the island. Yes. By the time this is over, I need Oliver to make me a stamina plus fortitude roll. Okay, same with Koda because you are both pretty fucked up already. [01:24:06] Speaker B: That's gonna drop my pool down to zero. But I have one epic stamina. [01:24:11] Speaker D: Okay. [01:24:13] Speaker C: Or it's just 3d. [01:24:17] Speaker D: I'm not gonna make Clint roll because fucking epic stamina. [01:24:23] Speaker C: And the fact that. [01:24:24] Speaker D: The negatives don't apply to him right now. [01:24:26] Speaker A: Anyway, I'm doing fine. [01:24:31] Speaker C: That is one. [01:24:34] Speaker D: Excellent. Okay. By the time this is over, Coda and Oliver, you two are sore and winded and probably more than a little annoyed that Clint is running around like nothing's going on because he definitely got hit harder and worse than either of you two did. But he doesn't seem bothered. And you two are just struggling to keep, like, catch your breath. Yeah. [01:25:06] Speaker C: Koda is sitting in the sand and it's just like, okay, yeah, she probably will try to light a joint while doing all this, but she's just like, if the. If it's not lighting, she's just gonna be like, man, fuck this. [01:25:24] Speaker A: Clint tosses the last leg into the water. Oh, come on, y'all. It wasn't that bad. [01:25:31] Speaker D: As you are sitting down and you are struggling with your lighter, which does not seem to want to light, probably because you're underwater. Technically, a skeletal hand reaches out and taps the end of your joint and it glows brightly as if it had been lit the whole time. [01:25:55] Speaker C: Hello. She'll, like, look at the skeletal joy. [01:26:00] Speaker D: You look up and there is a skeletal figure standing beside you in a top hat, leaning on a cane. And even though the face is absolutely a skeleton, you get the sneaking suspicion that it's smiling at you. [01:26:19] Speaker C: Bless you. She'll take a big inhale and then go and, like, let it out through the side of her mouth and go, wait, sorry. I'm Koda Zion of Bessette next to. Thank you. [01:26:40] Speaker D: There is a laugh that comes from this body that doesn't seem to have lungs or vocal cords. For that matter. And that hand kind of reaches up to tap the edge of the top hat. Thank you, Miss Masakoi, for keeping an eye on my home. Yeah. [01:27:04] Speaker C: No problem. It was fun. [01:27:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I had a great time. Clint is grinning ear to ear. [01:27:14] Speaker D: Something tells me you have a good time no matter where you go. [01:27:18] Speaker A: Well, I try to at least. [01:27:20] Speaker B: I'm just like pinching the bridge of my nose. [01:27:25] Speaker A: It was a little bit of a workout, but I mean, hell, it was worth it. We got to see some of the cool things going on. Heard some things happen. And heard some music even. And the food weren't half bad neither. [01:27:38] Speaker C: Food was so good. [01:27:41] Speaker D: Glad you enjoyed. Sorry to say that Shango cannot make it to send you home. But it's all right. This is always. Travel has always been my forte. More than his anyway. [01:27:57] Speaker A: I mean, is it time to go already? We were just getting settled in. I thought we still had some time to go. [01:28:04] Speaker D: No, this is uh, we just about finished up. Everybody's heading home now. Well, you've been out here for 12 hours. More than that. Really? [01:28:21] Speaker A: Well y'all, you think you can handle another twelve? Surely we can do more. Y'all can keep partying now that not. [01:28:27] Speaker D: How to how the fed game works. [01:28:30] Speaker B: I'm gonna turn to our new friend here. So how are we getting back? [01:28:37] Speaker D: I will send you home. [01:28:40] Speaker C: Also. Who are you? No offense. [01:28:45] Speaker D: Ah, nonteke. Share. And he lifts off his top. Head and bows. I am Berhoamdi. [01:28:56] Speaker B: We met your wife earlier. [01:29:00] Speaker D: Yeah, she told me. She quite a woman, eh? You again get that sneaking suspicion that he has a wicked grin on his face. [01:29:11] Speaker C: Yeah, Koda will buy her name. [01:29:15] Speaker D: Might even be wiggling his eyebrows. But he doesn't have eyebrows, so. [01:29:23] Speaker C: I'll bite my tongue already. Yeah. Don't you remember the baddie? That was the lady. That was. [01:29:32] Speaker A: That was her. Holy shit. How does that work? Do you? I don't. Nevermind. [01:29:43] Speaker C: I also. We also met your kids too. Some of them at least. [01:29:48] Speaker D: You met a full of a few of them. Yeah. [01:29:53] Speaker C: They were nice. [01:29:55] Speaker D: He kind of like tilts his head and looks at Clint. How does what work? [01:29:59] Speaker A: I'm not sure I really need to know how it works. But I mean like a skeleton and a real pretty lady and kids. How does you know? [01:30:11] Speaker D: Oh, I see. And there's again that kind of disembodied laugh. And he lifts that skeletal hand up towards his face. It kind of passes it from his chest up towards his top hat. And as he does so rather than a skeleton, you see the rich, dark brown skin of a honestly, genuinely handsome mandev standing in front of him. Standing in front of you. [01:30:42] Speaker A: Oh, no, I get it. You're handsome too. I see. That makes sense. [01:30:48] Speaker D: This isn't my preferred form, and I usually end up the way I usually. The way I most enjoy being when I'm here. I sometimes forget when. And Scion's not from my pantheon. Come here to get a little upset, get a little disconfitted. [01:31:12] Speaker A: I mean, y'all are fine. It was a great time. I just didn't. Now I understand how that's. I was just curious. [01:31:21] Speaker D: And he kind of, like, adjusts this swallow tail coat that he is wearing, which looks like it belongs on an undertaker, and pulls a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and slides them onto his face. Shango out there dealing with the troublemakers, and he kind of points upwards at. [01:31:46] Speaker A: The sky under his. See, I asked him, and he said no. Storms just happen sometimes. [01:31:54] Speaker D: Oh, no. He wasn't the one caused the storm. He's out there dealing with the troublemakers. Who did? [01:31:59] Speaker A: Oh. Oh. I mean, he's got a handle. He's got that right. [01:32:07] Speaker D: He and his, uh. He and his children and some of mine dealing with it. No problem. The party's over anyway. At least this party is over. I'm going to an after party. Once I get you wherever you go and where you want to go. [01:32:23] Speaker A: Well, I mean. I mean, if there's an after party, we could do that, right? [01:32:27] Speaker B: No, I need someone to lay down. [01:32:30] Speaker D: I don't think your friend is ready for my kind of after party. [01:32:36] Speaker C: I'm ready for a hot bath, another joint, and some toasta strudels. Not gonna lie. [01:32:44] Speaker B: Fresh toaster strudels. [01:32:47] Speaker C: I'm not doing this with you, mister B. [01:32:50] Speaker A: Why would you buy more? You've already got a briefcase full of them somewhere, don't you? [01:32:54] Speaker D: No. [01:32:55] Speaker B: Okay. All right. [01:32:58] Speaker A: Sounds like a waste of money for. [01:33:00] Speaker B: Like, four days straight. [01:33:06] Speaker D: So where you going? [01:33:08] Speaker C: Damien? [01:33:10] Speaker A: Yeah, where you go to Daniel? [01:33:14] Speaker D: I know, Demo. You come. You come home, all right? [01:33:20] Speaker C: I. Coda's gonna look around for mister. For Pele, and go. Pella, where are you? We're leaving. [01:33:30] Speaker A: He's probably hanging out with Ian on. [01:33:33] Speaker B: My dragon as well. [01:33:34] Speaker D: Pele slinks out of the brush that is a little bit closer to the center of the island. It's up at the top of the beach. He kind of. He kind of comes out and makes his way over to you. Bram has mostly been with you most of the time, I assumed. And Ian. Ian kind of swooped. Down as soon as the baron showed up and will perch himself on Clint's shoulder. [01:34:09] Speaker A: You know, Ian, we got to talk. You got to get a little bit better about warning us things has happened. [01:34:16] Speaker D: You told me to fly, and it was dark. What did you expect me to do? [01:34:20] Speaker A: I thought you had better vision than me in the dark. [01:34:24] Speaker D: Not that much better. [01:34:26] Speaker A: Then why the hell did I send you up there? [01:34:29] Speaker D: I don't know. You just told me to go, so I went. [01:34:33] Speaker A: All right. Okay. Well, next time, you can tell me that you ain't gonna see nothing, and we'll just hang out together. All right, fine. [01:34:49] Speaker C: She'll take out her quarters and hold it out. [01:34:53] Speaker D: Ah, he will happily snatch a quarter. [01:35:01] Speaker C: Owe me $0.25. [01:35:03] Speaker A: Yeah, I'll hook you up. I'll buy a couple of twinkies or something on the way back. Oh, speaking of Baron, do you have, like, a phone number I could reach you at? [01:35:15] Speaker B: Oh, good. [01:35:16] Speaker D: Great. There's this long pause, and he kind of looks over his shoulder at you and arches a little brow, shrugs. Sure. And if you hand him your phone, he will. He will enter a number into your photo, hand it back. [01:35:38] Speaker A: Here you go. And Clint will hand it over, and he. [01:35:42] Speaker D: He taps away at it for a minute, and then hands it back. [01:35:47] Speaker A: All right, I'm gonna send you a text. That way you know it's me, and that way, you have it saved, Clint will send a text of, hey, this is Clint. [01:35:58] Speaker D: Uh, you don't see him pull out a phone or anything. Um, you assume he has a phone somewhere, uh, and that your text just went to it, but he doesn't seem to have it on him at the moment. [01:36:09] Speaker A: That's fine. I mean, I wouldn't check my text if the person who sent me a text was right in front of me, either. I get it. Yeah. [01:36:18] Speaker D: You all ready to go? [01:36:20] Speaker B: Yes, please. [01:36:23] Speaker A: Yep. [01:36:24] Speaker B: I'm following the baron. [01:36:26] Speaker D: Excellent. He will lead you all up towards that house. As you get close, you realize that it is big and grand and kind of imposing. But while all of the windows were lit up and this place sounded like it had just a ton of life, given that it's in, which was weird, given that it's in an underground world earlier. By the time you get up there, it's dark. Most of the windows are anyway. There's some of the ones on the lower level still have some light coming from them, but it's very quiet. There isn't any music anymore. And as you guys walk along, you see some of those ghosts that you saw headed up to the house are drifting away from it now. [01:37:24] Speaker A: Y'all see those too, right? They're hanging out and going bye bye. [01:37:28] Speaker D: We see those ones, they live here, they just go home. [01:37:33] Speaker A: Yeah, it's nice to see some that aren't all upset or anything. It's a good thing. Look happy. [01:37:42] Speaker D: Yeah, most of the time they just move around. But during the. During the fate, when they. When they eat and everything, they remember who they used to be more. [01:37:57] Speaker A: I mean, it makes sense. Good food, good music. It's hard to forget after that point. [01:38:01] Speaker D: Well, that and the ancestors are dead ancestors to people who remember them in the. In the world of the living, which returned some of the memories. [01:38:15] Speaker A: Wait, so if. I mean, just theoretically here. Big word. I know. Thank you, mister B. If I were to pass away while in service of the gods and making sure things are going right and folks remember me, is it just like I get to be a ghost as long as folks know I was there? [01:38:37] Speaker D: No, that's not exactly how it works. Day ghosts, whether they remembered or nothing. But when people remember them on their holy days, they remember more about themselves. [01:38:47] Speaker A: Okay? [01:38:49] Speaker D: So in between, they tend to become like shades of who they were. [01:38:56] Speaker A: Gotcha. Okay, so, like, is that gonna happen to me too, you think? [01:39:01] Speaker D: I don't know how your world works, my boy? [01:39:05] Speaker A: Oh yeah, it is different, I guess. Yeah. All right, I guess I'll ask mom. [01:39:12] Speaker D: Dad's probably 40 best. He might be a better option. [01:39:23] Speaker A: You got his phone number by chance? [01:39:28] Speaker D: Of course I do. [01:39:30] Speaker B: I don't think he's too happy with us right now. [01:39:34] Speaker A: I mean, probably not, but I mean, I don't have to send it right now. [01:39:40] Speaker D: I think you want that number. You better ask your ma. Yeah. [01:39:43] Speaker A: Oh, I mean, if I give you a five or you think you could, you could slip me the number? [01:39:49] Speaker C: I think it would be great if we went to Damon's. Yeah. [01:39:55] Speaker D: I tell you what. You have a drink with me before you go. I give you the number. [01:40:01] Speaker A: You got them, I'll drink with you. [01:40:03] Speaker C: What do we drink? [01:40:04] Speaker B: Excellent plan. Bottle. Okay, never mind. I was gonna say that we were told about making deals, but sure. [01:40:12] Speaker A: Okay, but it's a deal I started for a phone number. [01:40:17] Speaker D: You guys walk inside. You see Brigitte is in the. You walk like down this long, uh, foyer and into this. This huge, um, kitchen that looks like at one point it probably took a staff of like six to ten people to run this efficiently. Um, or it would have, uh, but it. At the moment it's only Brigitte. That's in there. Um, there are like leftovers, uh, still around that haven't been cleaned up yet. And before you guys even really get into the room, Brigitte has. You see her pouring what looks like some sort of rich, dark rum into a pair of glasses. [01:41:08] Speaker A: Is that a hint of coconut? [01:41:10] Speaker D: I smell this. Got a great many tings in it. And she kind of pushes it, pushes it towards you. And the baron, who picks up his. [01:41:24] Speaker A: Clint will pick up his and extend it in good cheer. [01:41:28] Speaker D: To the dead and the memories of the living. [01:41:32] Speaker A: To the dead and their memories. Yes, lentil, give it a hesitant sniff for just a second. [01:41:41] Speaker D: God. Drink it all. [01:41:42] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, that's fine. [01:41:44] Speaker D: And then the baron knocks his back without a hesitation. [01:41:47] Speaker A: Oh, okay. Seeing you do it. And Clint will knock his back as well. [01:41:52] Speaker D: Excellent. Clint. [01:41:54] Speaker A: Yes? [01:41:55] Speaker D: I need you to roll one. Die. [01:42:01] Speaker A: Oh, okay. [01:42:08] Speaker D: That's a watch. Excellent. So, Clint, you open, like you do that thing where you open the back of your throat and kind of pour the liquid into your mouth and it passes over your tongue. And it is like this rich. I don't really know how to describe it. It is like this rich, full flavored kind of rumen. You taste coconut, but you also taste like sea breeze. And the way sunlight feels on your skin in the heat of summer in New Orleans. And the sound of music on the caribbean air, like all of that kind of hits you all at once. But it's weird because it's like having synesthesia. Because like, this is a drink and you should really only be tasting things, but you're pretty sure that you're tasting the way things sound and the way things feel. And you have this moment where you're sure that you're fine. And that. That was just really yummy. And then you feel yourself falling. [01:43:42] Speaker A: Oh, this is really good. [01:43:46] Speaker D: And your eyes kind of close as you. You're pretty sure you're about to. You're pretty sure you're about to impact the ground. And when you open them, you are sitting in what looks like a bar. And from the sound of the music coming from outside the doors, this kind of like raucous, jazzy medley. You think you might be in New Orleans and sitting next to you is that skeletal figure. And he has a thick cigar trapped between his teeth. And across the table from you is a man. And he kind of gets this slow, wide, wicked smile on his face. [01:44:45] Speaker A: Well, this ain't the same place I was before. Oh, hello, sir. How are you? [01:44:53] Speaker D: Well, I'm fine. Nice to meet you at last, Mister Brazos. Clint. [01:45:02] Speaker A: Yep. [01:45:03] Speaker D: You are sitting in what seems to be a bar in New Orleans. This bar is somehow both crowded and empty. You kind of out of the corner of your eye, get the sense that there are people sitting at the bar itself and not at the table that you're at, and they might be at other tables around you, but anytime you try to turn your head to look, there's nobody there. The lights are kind of dim and dark, and outside you can hear the sound of a street party unfolding. [01:45:47] Speaker A: Okay. Weird place, but okay. I mean, I like it. [01:45:53] Speaker D: The baron is beside you and is drinking and smoking from a cigar. And there is a man across from you who also has a cigar, although his is not as. Not quite the same type. [01:46:12] Speaker A: I mean, do y'all got one for me, too? I don't want to be left out here. [01:46:23] Speaker D: You again. Get that. Get that. Same disembodied, slow, thick as molasses chuckle from the baron. And he kind of gives a little twist of his fingers and a cigar forms between them, and he hands it over before the man across from you reaches over and makes a movement like he is flicking a lighter to turn it on for you. But when you look at his hand, you're pretty sure there's no lighter in it. But there is a flame coming up from the tip of his thumb, which he holds to your. Holds to the end of the cigar for you. [01:47:11] Speaker A: Oh, thank you. And Clint will kind of nip off the tip instead of using whatever nearby scissors or any kind of tool, and then start puffing. That was mighty kind of you. Thank you. I mean, you said, nice to meet you last. Who are you, friend? [01:47:28] Speaker D: Oh, you already know funny to make jokes like that. Clint. [01:47:37] Speaker A: You don't look like the Morrigan. [01:47:41] Speaker D: I should hope not. But, uh, we've only got. We've only got the one night here. Let's, uh, let's party. [01:47:53] Speaker A: Oh, I mean, I've got friends. Or are they going to be okay while we party? [01:47:59] Speaker D: While your friends aren't here? [01:48:02] Speaker A: No, but still going to miss them a little bit. All right, let's party. What do we got going on tonight? We got darts, we got, you know, cornhole. What's going on out here? [01:48:15] Speaker D: Oh, you've never had a proper New Orleans party, huh? And the Barrett, the baron kind of is. Is laughing at that. Um, no, I don't think he has. We show him good time. Yeah. [01:48:30] Speaker A: I'm be honest. Last time I was in New Orleans for a party, it was, you know, the Mardi Gras festival with lots of beads and. And folks without shirts and I don't. Something tells me it's not the same kind of party, is it? [01:48:43] Speaker D: Well, that's the tourist attraction. We. We have better parties than that when they're not here. [01:48:48] Speaker A: Oh, good. Okay. If we're gonna have a better party than that, I'm real excited. Then. [01:48:54] Speaker D: Um, clint? [01:48:57] Speaker A: Yeah? [01:49:01] Speaker D: I need you to make me another single deten role. [01:49:05] Speaker A: You got it. That is a fail or a three. [01:49:16] Speaker D: Oh, you rolled in the wrong channel. I was like, where is it? I don't see it. Yeah, no, that is a fail. You get swept up in the moment where you and these two other guys go out on the town, and it's kind of a dizzying blur. Like, you know that you're having a great time. You feel like you're having an awesome time, but things are happening so quickly that you can't really track a lot of it. It's hard to. It's hard to keep up with what's going on, but at the same time, you're not entirely sure that you need to keep. Keep up with what's going on. I mean, you've been out partying before. You don't always need to be aware of. Sometimes it's fun to just go out and lose yourself for a while. [01:50:11] Speaker A: Clint has the feeling that that's the vibes going on with this kind of party. We've already had the drink, and we've been whisked off to a super party. We're just going to vibe and go with it. Yeah. [01:50:23] Speaker D: In the middle of all of it, you run into what was the terminal coda used, the baddie when she was talking about the baron's wife. [01:50:35] Speaker A: Yes, that was the term used. [01:50:38] Speaker D: You guys kind of bar hop for a while and eventually end up in a completely different bar than the one that you started in, and she is there. And the man that you and the baron had been with, he kind of broke off on his own for a while, just promised that he'd see you soon. But he has a man he has to go talk to about something special for you. [01:51:06] Speaker A: Oh, okay. I'm excited for that. All right. Yeah. I mean, take care. If you need anything, just holler. [01:51:13] Speaker D: And he sort of gives you a little half wave and a coy smile and disappears into the crowd. As you arrive in this final, or in this bar where Maman Brigitte seems to be, the baron kind of claps you on the shoulder. I'll be right back. [01:51:39] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I guess I'll hold the fort down here until you guys get back. [01:51:45] Speaker D: And as he wanders off, mom, Brigitte kind of walks over and hands you another glass. [01:51:51] Speaker A: Oh, thank you, ma'am. Is this, uh. This rum? Is. I don't need to know. And Clint will start sipping at it. [01:52:00] Speaker D: It is, in fact, rum. Um. And she kind of. She kind of throws an arm around your shoulder. You are an interesting one. [01:52:15] Speaker A: Well, I like to keep from being boring. Yes, ma'am. I appreciate that compliment, man. [01:52:23] Speaker D: You'd like. You'd like partying in New Orleans? It suits you. [01:52:27] Speaker A: Well, yeah. I mean, there are the people, the music, the food, the sounds. I'm the music. I tell you, it's hard to get enough of that jazz. [01:52:41] Speaker D: Tell me, Clint, if you could have anything your heart desired right now, what would it be? Oh. [01:52:51] Speaker A: I mean, right this moment. Well, y'all got ribs. [01:52:59] Speaker D: We can get ribs if that's what you want. But that's. That's a little ting to ask for when a God asks you what you want for one. [01:53:09] Speaker A: Oh, well, um. Hmm. [01:53:12] Speaker D: Don't think about the superficial. What do. What do you want most in life right now? [01:53:21] Speaker A: Kind of. Kind of want to help my friends. [01:53:27] Speaker D: Your friends are fine, Clint. [01:53:29] Speaker A: No, but I get worried when I'm not with them. But if it was, you know, just. Just me, I suppose, ma'am, I'd take kindly if. Well, if I. Ma'am, I don't rightly know what I want. [01:54:00] Speaker D: That's not a good place to be. A man who don't know what he want. His soul is unmoored. [01:54:09] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, it's. I never really feel like I really need much myself. I've. I'm always trying to make sure other folks get what they need. [01:54:27] Speaker D: Is there's something you should tink more about what you want from life, or you're gonna spend all your time giving and giving and giving and getting nothing back until there's nothing left at you. [01:54:43] Speaker A: Is that a. Is that a bad thing? [01:54:48] Speaker D: You want to help your friends? Yeah. [01:54:50] Speaker A: Well, yes, ma'am, I do. [01:54:52] Speaker D: You keep pouring yourself out like there's no bottom to who you are and what you can give. Eventually you're not gonna have anything left to help them with. [01:55:03] Speaker A: But that means I've done everything I can to help them, don't it? [01:55:08] Speaker D: Not necessarily. They tell you when you on a plane, you put on your mask before you put on everybody else's for a reason. You gotta take care of you before you can take care of everybody else. [01:55:21] Speaker A: But if I take care of me, ain't that like being selfish and. [01:55:27] Speaker D: No, if you only take care of you, that's selfish. And being selfish isn't always a bad thing, you know? But, um, you take care of you enough to get what you need, it lets you be a better. Be better at helping other people. [01:55:47] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. [01:55:52] Speaker D: You can't fight the wars that your friends need you to fight if you starving. [01:55:59] Speaker A: It's true. I mean, if I could, I'd just. Well, if I said I want more friends, I'd just mean more people that I'm trying to look out for and care for. [01:56:15] Speaker D: But also more people that would look out for you. [01:56:19] Speaker A: That's true. Is it. Is it possible to get more friends? Is that. Is that a deal on the table? [01:56:31] Speaker D: She kind of smiles. I take you the type who's gonna make friends whatever he goes regardless. [01:56:39] Speaker A: Yeah, but I mean, folks that can help me help others make a difference and maybe help me sometimes when I need it, I've got mister b. I've got, you know, Coda, and they're great folks. And sometimes I put myself on the line to make sure they need. They get what they need. And I've been saved by them at least once. Now, I don't really have a lot of folks that I, you know, just talk to. [01:57:08] Speaker D: I think I can help you. I think I could help you with that. Help you find people who can help you help others. [01:57:17] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, if I. If I could tell at a glance who's better to make friends with, that'd be best, right? You know, if I could judge someone at a glance and be like, that person's a good person. I want to be best friends with them because they're going to help me and help others. [01:57:33] Speaker D: Oh, that's a little harder to do, but I can help you with what you asked for the first time. [01:57:40] Speaker A: Yeah. I'll take friends only. [01:57:41] Speaker D: So many wishes I can grant you. Take another drink. And she refills your drink for you. [01:57:47] Speaker A: At the mention of them being wishes, Clint's eyes widen as he realizes he's been misinterpreting the whole thing. [01:57:56] Speaker D: Take another drink. [01:57:58] Speaker A: Yes, ma'am. Yes, and I'll take a drink. [01:58:03] Speaker D: You down this drink. She does that thing where you go to take a. Where you go to take a swallow and she puts her finger on the bottom of the glass and, like, pushes it upwards so that you have to keep drinking. And as you empty the glass and finally lower it from your lips, she leans in and kisses you and everything goes black. [01:58:32] Speaker A: Hell. [01:58:34] Speaker D: And that's about the only thing you have. The time to think. And I'm gonna contact your fellow players and tell them that they can rejoin us. [01:58:44] Speaker A: Clint's just gonna be blushing no matter what happens next. [01:58:50] Speaker B: Hello. [01:58:51] Speaker D: The two of you watch Clint down this drink and his face goes a little blank. He looks a little slack jawed for a moment and it's a long good 30 seconds to a minute. And when you start to look a little concerned, my mom Brigitte kind of holds up a hand. You give him a minute. Sometimes the shock takes a minute to weigh off. [01:59:23] Speaker B: Is he okay? [01:59:26] Speaker D: Ah, he fine. Fine. Nectar to gods and all. [01:59:32] Speaker C: I see. [01:59:34] Speaker B: Okay. [01:59:39] Speaker D: He's just learning some valuable lessons right now. [01:59:43] Speaker C: Oh, like taking shots of gods. [01:59:49] Speaker D: That would be the first of them, yes. And she kind of, she kind of chuckles a little bit. Clint, you come to. And as you watch Clint come to, his face goes from kind of slack jawed and his skin tone is very even to he is suddenly blushing up. Bright, reduced. [02:00:14] Speaker A: Oh shit. How the fuck. Hello again. I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I? [02:00:23] Speaker B: No. You just there for a while. [02:00:26] Speaker C: Yeah, what he said. [02:00:29] Speaker A: Oh, it's not so bad. Okay. [02:00:32] Speaker B: What you do. [02:00:34] Speaker C: Are you okay? [02:00:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I feel fantastic. I'm sorry I was the end there. Kind of got. It was so, I mean it was. He'll turn to look. Is, is the baron still there? [02:00:49] Speaker D: The baron is still there. Looks nonplussed. [02:00:53] Speaker A: What the hell was in that drink? [02:00:58] Speaker D: Everything you needed. [02:01:03] Speaker A: And that happened, right? I'm not imagining any of that. That was real. [02:01:09] Speaker D: What is Rita? What is not? Henka sort of shrugs a little bit and. Come on, I gotta get you, get you to Damon's house. [02:01:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:01:19] Speaker B: Imagine like you saw something. [02:01:21] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, yeah. Let's go. I'll tell you on the road. [02:01:24] Speaker C: Okay. [02:01:26] Speaker D: You all have a moment to kind of say goodbye to maman. Brigitte. [02:01:32] Speaker A: She gives as he sees her. [02:01:35] Speaker D: She gives you a saucy little smile, Clint. And as you guys like Pat like leave the room, she smacks your ass. Doesn't seem at all fazed by the fact that her husband is in the room with you. He also doesn't seem particularly fazed though, so maybe that's just how they are. And you all pass through the kitchen and into a back courtyard. And the baron kind of looks around and rolls his shoulders and you guys hear the kind of like creak of bones rubbing against each other, even though he's in like fleshy form right now. And then he reaches out and traces a hand in like this tall arc in the air. And you guys watch as the outline of an outline of like. Almost looks like an arched doorway starts to form. And as that happens, this huge, tall, and like five foot wide tree kind of seems to grow up and out of the ground right in front of you. And then he reaches out and he taps the side of the archway and it swings open. And you can see the kind of shimmer of a portal beyond it, but you can't tell where it's going. [02:03:17] Speaker A: Well, I mean, it's not a van. Are we just going to walk out of be there? [02:03:24] Speaker D: Well, yeah. [02:03:27] Speaker A: Oh, okay. [02:03:29] Speaker D: I've got a crossroads I never have to go far to get to where I'm going. [02:03:36] Speaker A: After. Crossroads is that Clinton kind of taps his forehead as he's trying to recall a name. The guy with the guitar made songs. [02:03:51] Speaker B: I'm too tired for this. I'm just gonna walk through it. [02:03:54] Speaker D: I'm not a devil waiting at the crossroads for you. But I do stand at the crossroads when my people will come looking for the God of death. Now go. [02:04:03] Speaker A: Oh. Okay. [02:04:04] Speaker C: Thank you for having us. [02:04:07] Speaker D: Thank you for doing your job. Consider your payment or your debt to the lower pantheon paid. [02:04:18] Speaker A: Thanks for having us. [02:04:20] Speaker C: And she's gonna put her joint in her mouth and walk through. [02:04:25] Speaker D: Clint, as you're about to go through, there's a sharp little whistle behind you. [02:04:32] Speaker A: Uh oh. And Clint will turn. [02:04:35] Speaker D: And my mom, Brigitte, is leaning in the doorway and still smiling, got her arms like folded over her chest. And she just sort of winks at you. [02:04:43] Speaker A: Clint runs a hand through his hair and kind of sheepishly grins at her and gives a little wiggle finger wave before he steps back towards the portal. He looks to Barron. Oh, Robert Johnson. That's the feller. And then he'll go through the portal. [02:05:00] Speaker D: As soon as all of you are through the portal, you turn to look back and it's. There's just a big ass tree behind you. No doorway, no barren. Just a tree. And you all are standing on what you realize, having been here, some of you having been here for months during some downtime last season, you realize that you are standing next to a tree on kind of like the outskirts of Damon's property. You've got a good 20 minutes walk or so up to the house, but you're not far. [02:05:36] Speaker A: Well, I guess we're not driving, but this counts as being on the road. I suppose I could tell you about what I. What a drink saw thing. [02:05:44] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm curious now. [02:05:48] Speaker A: Stun of a bitch. You see, Clint reaches down for his phone and frown. He never gave me the number. [02:05:58] Speaker B: What? [02:05:59] Speaker A: We made a deal, right? Did you. [02:06:02] Speaker D: Are you checking your phone for the number? [02:06:05] Speaker A: Yeah. At this point, Clint will start flipping through, trying to find the contact. [02:06:08] Speaker D: Clint, not only is there a number for menon McClear in your phone. There are like 50 new numbers with a bunch of names you don't recognize in it. [02:06:18] Speaker A: Holy shit. I. You recognize this one and he'll just point to a random name? [02:06:31] Speaker D: Nope. [02:06:31] Speaker B: We know her. Look at. Briefly, you can look over. [02:06:34] Speaker D: None of these names are recognizable to you? [02:06:38] Speaker B: No, not a single one. [02:06:42] Speaker A: Okay, I suppose I'll give them a try later. But there's man and Manannan right there. Okay. [02:06:52] Speaker C: You live quite. Quite the life. [02:06:54] Speaker A: Yeah, well, yes. Speaking. Living. And finally, he'll put his phone away. Sorry. God. Distracted a little bit. So I made the deal. I said I'd take a drink in exchange for the number. And the baron handed me a drink. And I just tried it and I drank it all. And it all went dark for a second. And then I woke up and I was in a ball. And there was. There was the baron himself. And there was the baron's friend. Who I didn't. I don't recall his name. He had a cigar too, though. He seemed to know me. So we talked for a little bit. We went bar hopping and drinking and dancing. And there was music and there was a little bit of food, but it was mostly drinking. And then after a while, they brought me to one of the other bars that got real quiet. And then there was just me and my mom. Brigitte kind of had a conversation about what's best for me. And what I should be doing a little bit better. Well, then she kissed me and woke up. And at the kiss. Mention of the kiss, he'll blush again. [02:08:11] Speaker C: Coda was half listening until that. [02:08:15] Speaker B: Let me make sure I got this right. You essentially had a whole night's worth of partying in less than a minute. [02:08:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:08:27] Speaker D: Could make me just a raw wit. Roll. [02:08:34] Speaker A: We'll do it raw. [02:08:37] Speaker D: I should have thought about that before I said it. Why? [02:08:40] Speaker A: One success, two successes. [02:08:42] Speaker D: It should be two, as you are trying to describe this. And they start asking questions for clarification. You realize that the more you talk about it, the less and less you remember. [02:08:52] Speaker A: Yeah, she asked me a question. I don't remember what, but that was a good time. Do we got any plans to go back to New Orleans anytime soon? I kind of want to visit them next time. [02:09:11] Speaker B: Clint, once we handle everything we need to handle in regards to the labors, if you want to go party in New Orleans. We can go party in New Orleans. [02:09:21] Speaker A: We like. Really? [02:09:23] Speaker B: Oh, I say we. Yes, really? [02:09:27] Speaker A: Yeah. We're gonna party so hard. [02:09:32] Speaker C: That would be nice. Yeah. But we have a lot of stuff. [02:09:37] Speaker D: To deal with first. [02:09:39] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we'll. We'll handle that stuff and then we'll go and we'll party and then we'll have a great time. Folks will know who we are and celebrate us. It'll be a good time. [02:09:57] Speaker C: I can't wait to see David and his weed. [02:10:06] Speaker D: She says as she's, like, barely keeping her eyes open while she's actively smoking Damon's weed. Yeah. It's around this time that you guys get close enough to the house that you start to see the various dryads. And there's a look of, like, confusion and surprise from most of them when they see you guys. But it doesn't take long for them to sort of all flock your way. And Clint immediately has a small crowd. [02:10:40] Speaker A: Hello again. [02:10:41] Speaker D: Of pretty ladies hanging off of him. [02:10:44] Speaker A: Hey there, Amber and Fern. And I'll just start listing off the name he remembers. [02:10:51] Speaker D: You are not entirely sure that that's the right name for these girls, but they all seem quite pleased to see you regardless. [02:10:58] Speaker B: Is that face in hand? [02:11:05] Speaker A: It's nice to be back. Get a little relaxing restoration in and some cooking again. Oh, it's gonna be nice to have some. Some homemade food. [02:11:16] Speaker D: We didn't think you'd. We didn't think you'd be back. [02:11:22] Speaker A: Why not? [02:11:23] Speaker D: Well, I mean, not so soon. [02:11:28] Speaker A: Oh, I mean, we. We went and handled business. Babies. [02:11:32] Speaker D: Well, you poor thing. And they're. They're, like, looking at how, like, fucked up all of you look. You need, like, food. Like, lots of food. And sleep. [02:11:45] Speaker A: Well, sleep can wait. [02:11:47] Speaker C: Definitely sleep. [02:11:48] Speaker D: Oh, sleep. Certainly gonna wait for you when she kind of winks. [02:11:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I got some things I gotta work out. I'll appreciate your assistance. [02:11:58] Speaker B: I mentioned that I need, like, 30 ice packs earlier, right? [02:12:01] Speaker D: Yeah, I mentioned that. [02:12:03] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:12:04] Speaker A: We'll put you in an ice bath. [02:12:07] Speaker C: Oh, that sounds so good. All right, let's feed this walking. [02:12:15] Speaker D: They kind of whisk you guys up towards the house where Asterope meets you all at the door. And she kind of looks over at Oliver and her eyes go really wide. Hi. [02:12:31] Speaker B: I am hurting all over. [02:12:33] Speaker D: I can tell. Let's get you inside. And I think I'm gonna withdraw some of Damon's stash when you need it. And then you're gonna take a real long nap. [02:12:50] Speaker B: Thank you. [02:12:52] Speaker D: And she kinda loops her arm with Oliver's and hurries him up the stairs into the room that is usually reserved for him before disappearing and going to get some of Damon's stash. [02:13:07] Speaker A: Take good care of him up there. [02:13:09] Speaker D: I always do. Koda, what's your plans now that you're here? [02:13:18] Speaker C: Another great question, honestly. Smoking more and, like, actually, like, taking a resting bath, like, the baths where you, like, soak in them and. Yeah, one of those. And she'll just, like, smoke while doing it. And if there's food that she can be munching on while doing that, she'll just be, like, in the bath munching on food, smoking, and then probably will, like, watch the moon for a bit and then eventually go to sleep in one of the rooms. I think she still feels odd about, like, doing stuff with the, what are they called? [02:14:02] Speaker D: The dryads. [02:14:03] Speaker C: The dryads. So she's like, no, thanks. And we'll go into our room and, like, chillax. [02:14:12] Speaker D: Well, one of them will at least get you settled. Yeah, she'll show you into one of the. The bathrooms. There's this. This really deep claw foot tub that she fills up with, like, hot water and, like, epsom salts. And she'll bring you up, like, you know, bring you up, like, another, like, rolled joint and some snacks and probably, like, a drink if you want one. But she'll leave you to your own devices once she's gotten you kind of settled in. And she basically just sort of pauses at the door, goes, I'm gonna come back and check on you in, like, an hour to make sure that you haven't drowned, but otherwise, I'll leave you alone. [02:15:03] Speaker C: Thank you. Yeah. And that will be it. [02:15:11] Speaker D: Excellent. Clint. [02:15:14] Speaker A: Yes. [02:15:16] Speaker D: What's your plans, my guy? [02:15:19] Speaker A: Well, I mean, rest on his mind. [02:15:22] Speaker D: You have a number of pretty ladies who would love to spend time with you, but if you would rather just go nap, they'll also let you do that. [02:15:31] Speaker A: Clint feels over his, you know, his physique. Check in. I don't feel any holes. I don't feel any bruises. There's a little soft spot here. I think we're good to go, ladies. [02:15:43] Speaker D: Listen, just because you don't have negatives doesn't mean you don't feel the wounds when you touch, like, your chest. [02:15:50] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. He is putting on the act as if he does not feel them. [02:15:54] Speaker D: Okay. Okay. Just. Just to be clear, in that case, I think a role is in order. [02:16:00] Speaker A: Absolutely. [02:16:04] Speaker D: Let's go with manipulative manipulation and presence. [02:16:14] Speaker A: You got it. That is five successes. [02:16:28] Speaker D: Excellent. All right. Yeah. No, they buy it. Hook line and sinker. You end up with three of them hanging off of you as you like. Trudge up the stairs. You're practically having to carry them. And before you get to the room that you normally stay in, you are mostly naked. [02:16:48] Speaker A: Well, that was quicker than I expected. Oh, here. Get rid of them, too. Shimmy out of his drawers. [02:16:57] Speaker D: And that is, like, the last thing that Oliver hears from behind his closed door before your door closes. Oliver? [02:17:12] Speaker B: Yes. [02:17:14] Speaker D: Asterope leads you into your room. She rolls a blunt for you herself, hands it over, lights it, and when you try to kind of beg off, she kind of gives you that firm. Don't. Don't argue with me. Look, okay, you're not going anywhere. This is just gonna help you sleep and help with the pain, all right? [02:17:42] Speaker B: Thank you so much. [02:17:46] Speaker D: You have to hold it in. Don't. Just. Just breathe it all out immediately. Okay. [02:17:56] Speaker B: There we go. I think it could be worse. I could be bleeding a lot right now. [02:18:04] Speaker D: Yeah. What happened? [02:18:07] Speaker B: Uh, Clint sort of punched me, but it wasn't him. Well, it was him, but he was under the influence, not like of a substance, of, like, a person. We fought Gwen, and she, while leaving, told him to stab me, and I sort of convinced him to stab me in a less stabby way. [02:18:32] Speaker D: So he punched you instead? [02:18:35] Speaker B: Yeah, mounted to a punch. He basically stabbed me with his toothpick when it's small, and that most of the force was in his fist, so it was like a punch with a little bit of stabbing. [02:18:48] Speaker D: I see. But you're okay? [02:18:52] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm great. I just. I just need to sleep and hope the pain is gone in the morning. [02:19:01] Speaker D: Okay. [02:19:05] Speaker B: How have you been? [02:19:07] Speaker D: Worried about you. [02:19:11] Speaker B: I am sorry that I have not done much to alleviate those worries right now. [02:19:16] Speaker D: You're a scion. You're never gonna be able to do much to alleviate my worries. [02:19:21] Speaker B: I suppose so the upside is that we complete the labor and we didn't screw it up this time. So that's good. [02:19:32] Speaker D: That is good. [02:19:34] Speaker B: Yeah. Just two more to go, and they're the ones I'm kind of most scared about. [02:19:42] Speaker D: Uh, why? [02:19:44] Speaker B: Well, on the one hand, we have, you know, the. The greek pantheon. That's sort of, like, the quintessential origin for labor. So just tons and tons of myths about them, and they're. They're myths for a reason. There. There's some pretty strenuous things in there, stuff I'm scared of even having to repeat or if they come up with something new for us. I just know it's going to be something challenging. And then for the, uh, ced jets, their pantheon. I don't know a whole lot about them. I'm not really sure what to expect. But the few things I do know leads me to believe it's going to be probably something dangerous and maybe sand related or maybe not. Like I said, I don't know. [02:20:32] Speaker D: Well, you're not wrong about the dodecatheon. I mean, that's the pantheon I'm tied to, and it's a lot. But you'll be great. You're great at most things. [02:20:54] Speaker B: Thank you. I try. [02:21:01] Speaker D: Do you want me to leave you alone so you can sleep? [02:21:04] Speaker B: Absolutely not. I want you right here, because that's how I'm gonna be the most comfortable. [02:21:13] Speaker D: Okay. [02:21:16] Speaker B: I'll try to manage a smile, but it's very. It's more of a pained grimace. But I attempted it nonetheless. [02:21:25] Speaker D: She ends up kind of crawling into curl up, like, beside you, and she's got a book in hand, and if you will let her, she's basically going to get you settled so that you're, like, curled up with your head, like, against her chest, and she is going to read to you. And you realize after a few minutes that she is basically reading a story in ancient Greek to you. And it is a story about a hero taking on a series of labors. Not Hercules, though. This isn't one that you've heard of. [02:22:06] Speaker B: Very interesting. In that case, I will be very enthralled about in regards to it up until I probably pass out. [02:22:14] Speaker D: Yeah, it won't take long for you to pass out. She doesn't get terribly far, but you fall asleep to this hero's tales kind of being woven through your dreams and, like, one hand kind of playing with your hair as you doze off. [02:22:35] Speaker A: All right. [02:22:40] Speaker D: Okay. Some of you are more hurt than others. [02:22:53] Speaker C: Valid. [02:22:55] Speaker A: Who's hurt? [02:22:57] Speaker D: Literally all of you are hurt. [02:22:59] Speaker B: Really hurt. [02:23:01] Speaker A: No, I'm doing fine. [02:23:06] Speaker B: You write my bed. [02:23:14] Speaker D: Uh, so let's see, Coda, what kind of damage did you take? Did you take lethal or aggravated? [02:23:21] Speaker C: I took lethal, I believe it was just an attack from the Fenris wolves, so I think it was lethal. [02:23:31] Speaker D: Okay, and you're at negative four for your wound level. Like, just. Just above incapacitated. Yeah. Okay, so it's gonna take you about a week to recover. [02:23:43] Speaker C: Bet. [02:23:47] Speaker D: Clint, what are you at? [02:23:50] Speaker A: Clint is at three, which would be the end of negative one. [02:23:55] Speaker D: All right, so it only takes you a couple of days. [02:23:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [02:24:01] Speaker D: And Oliver recovers faster than everybody else because his was all bashing. [02:24:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [02:24:15] Speaker D: Normally. Let's see. Yeah, you're basically back to normal by about noon the next day. Oliver. [02:24:32] Speaker B: Right on. [02:24:34] Speaker D: In fact, you wake up pretty much at the point where you're. You know, you feel much better. When you wake up in the morning, you're a little bit. Bit stiff, but it only takes you, like, a couple of minutes of, like, rolling your shoulders and stretching to feel perfectly normal again. [02:24:56] Speaker B: Good for me. [02:24:58] Speaker D: Is there anything in particular any of you would like to do while you're here? Because you know you're going to be here at least a week. [02:25:11] Speaker A: I mean, I don't mind helping Damon out. I understand that there's hard work here and there. [02:25:17] Speaker D: Okay, here's the thing. You can't be doing a bunch of heavy labor if you want to heal in a reasonable time frame. The more, like, the more you pretend you're not hurt, the longer it takes you to heal. [02:25:30] Speaker A: Okay, in that case, quintal, just try and get a little bit better at cooking while he's there. [02:25:41] Speaker B: I will take advantage of whatever sort of reading materials daemon has in regards to the dodecathion and sejet just to potentially help give us a little bit of a leg up in what to expect that we might be dealing with in the future. [02:26:01] Speaker D: He doesn't have much in the way of the piseget. He doesn't even really have a ton of reading materials about the dodecathion beyond the stuff that you've already read, like the odyssey and things like that. However, you are on a farm surrounded by dryads, some of whom may have been alive back when all of that stuff was, like, current. [02:26:26] Speaker B: Yeah. In that case, I'll probably, like, go into sort of, like, interview mode and sort of have, like, a journal and a pen as I go around an interview, probably starting with astrope and then the various other dryads first, just, like, confirmation of stories that I'd already read before, like, the Odyssey and. And such, just to see, like, what lines up and what was different or what actually happened and things like that. And then also just after that, just additional information of how things were, what to expect. [02:27:01] Speaker D: Okay, well, the first thing. I'm not going to make you roll for this. The first thing you realize from talking to the Dryads is that all of the stories are true, but not necessarily the way that they're written down. [02:27:14] Speaker B: Right. [02:27:16] Speaker D: Most of them have been simplified and are far less. They happen far less easily and far less safely than the stories imply. You know, the nemean lion story kind of implies that he went a few rounds and then figured it out and slaughtered the lion. And they're like, oh, no. It was closer to, like a month. [02:27:48] Speaker B: Okay. [02:27:48] Speaker D: Of this, like, constant back and forth. And he got really hurt a couple of times and had to retreat before he went back and tried again. Like, it was a much more involved and painful and nearly fatal affair than it is in the story. But that doesn't make for a great story. [02:28:03] Speaker B: So I'm writing all this down. It's like, all right. That is actually kind of reassuring. [02:28:10] Speaker D: Is it? [02:28:12] Speaker B: Well, in a way, that's if it takes us more effort than it seemed that Heracles and the other heroes did it's to know it's not us. And that's just sort of the normal way it tends to go. It's just we don't see that in the stories. [02:28:31] Speaker D: I suppose that's fair. I mean, I'd feel better if I knew that it was something that would be, you know, handled easily. But I guess if it makes you feel better to know that it wasn't as easy as the stories make it sound. [02:28:46] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. It can go either one of two ways. From the way I see. Either it's easy for us and good on us. I guess we're ahead of the crowd then, or it goes a little bit more to how it actually was. And we don't need to feel bad because that's how it actually was. [02:29:02] Speaker D: I suppose that's fair. The biggest story that you hear from asterope in particular actually isn't anything to do with Heracles and his labors or anything like that. By the time you get around her again to go a little bit more in depth and your second wave of interviews you've already heard most of the stuff about the labors and Heracles and whatever. So she's like, I need you to understand that Odysseus was a dick. [02:29:47] Speaker B: Okay. [02:29:50] Speaker D: I don't really have anything that I can add that the others haven't already told you. But I can tell you that Odysseus was kind of a jerk. And I'm really over the fact that the stories all sort of are hyper focused on the guys. It would be nice to see them, you know, talk about how clever his wife was and not make it this, like, desperate attempt to, you know, justify her still being around when he got home anyway. [02:30:15] Speaker B: But, I mean, you make a good point. Penelope held off over 100 suitors for nearly 20 years. That's impressive, right? [02:30:24] Speaker D: But most people don't think about that because of the way the story is told. [02:30:29] Speaker B: Make a solid point. I won't lie and say it is a little bit of a culture shock knowing that Odysseus sucked, but I 100% believe you. And it's, I guess, not too strong. [02:30:40] Speaker D: I mean, don't get me wrong, he was very impressive. He was just also a jerk, which. [02:30:44] Speaker B: You know, makes sense. People with impressive resumes sometimes have an inflated ego and that leads to a spiral or maybe just like that from the beginning. [02:30:58] Speaker D: Here. I guess my biggest point, and the thing I want you to remember is that the women always played much bigger roles in the stories led on. They were much more important to the stories than then the mortals who wrote them would make you believe. [02:31:19] Speaker B: Nod. Write that down. Gotcha. That is very helpful and I will keep that in mind. [02:31:29] Speaker D: You want lunch? [02:31:30] Speaker B: Yes. [02:31:32] Speaker D: Okay. Koda, is there anything you're doing with your time? [02:31:44] Speaker C: Yeah, she's, after what happened with them, she's doing some more deep thinking. But now with the deep thinking, she's doing some actions in response to those deep thinking. So she definitely messages Shango on the side, text him a few things she's been feeling, and then she's going to try and leave a message for net. [02:32:13] Speaker D: Okay. Yeah. What's the message? [02:32:18] Speaker C: Okay. [02:32:20] Speaker D: I kind of feel like I wasn't gonna ask. Come on. [02:32:23] Speaker C: Oh, no, no, no. I got it somewhat ready, but not really. I also felt like this is something she was going to try to write. [02:32:30] Speaker D: While she was in the bathtub. [02:32:32] Speaker C: So it definitely got, like, smeared and she's like, shit, why did I do this high in the bathtub? But, okay, so message. She'll go, okay. Hey, so, um, take two. That conversation we had didn't go the best, but. Okay, this is. I'm so fucking stupid. Okay, well, I'm not fucking stupid. Okay, we've been. Or I guess I've been walking around on. So. Okay. When we deal with animals at the shelter, I promise this is going somewhere. When we do have animals at the shelter, sometimes they get like. Like they have like, their little bones or, like, break or something. And if people don't pay attention to it, they heal crookedly. And I feel like we, our relationship was kind of like a fractured bone, but specifically like a green stick fracture, which you probably don't know what that means. A green stick fracture is typically like a fracture that when it breaks, it still kind of stays apart, attached in some other places because the bones are still soft. And it usually happens in younger kids or things of flexible bones. But, um, I. Anyways, we have been walking on a green stick fracture that healed. And I felt like the conversation we had was us breaking it so it could be set properly and so we could actually heal. I'm sorry for hurting you. We fought Gwen yesterday or some time ago. I don't remember. I've been crazy. But I'm sorry for hurting you. And I really would like if we could talk again. I'd like to meet in person if we could, but if we can't, I'd like for us to talk. And in the moment that I was fighting, I kind of felt renewed in a way. I've been dancing and going around and figuring out who I am, what I am. And I hope that I can bring you Gwen or bring Gwen to some kind of judgment or justice or whatever. I know I'm not able to do this, really, with Stefan. And because he was given the option to change and he took it, Gwen didn't. And she's hurt you a lot too. So I'm hoping that maybe this could possibly fix what's happening with us, but also just talking. Anyways, I never meant to hurt you, Nat, so. Holy shit, this message is really long. Um. Oh, God, I'm sorry for hurting you. And maybe we should fight or something. I think that would have get out a lot of the stress between the two of us. Anyways, I. I love your face and you and your fire and conviction, and, um, I really hope we could talk again soon, maybe. Anyways, stay safe out there. Bye. And it'll end, the message, I guess, and then just be like, holy shit, that was really long. [02:36:04] Speaker D: So here's my question. [02:36:06] Speaker C: Yeah? [02:36:09] Speaker D: Was that written or was that like a voicemail? [02:36:12] Speaker C: It was like a voice. Voice memo situation. [02:36:16] Speaker D: Oh, my God. Okay. Amazing. [02:36:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [02:36:21] Speaker D: So that whole rambly mess, that whole. Oh, poor Koda. Okay. Sweet, sweet girl. All right, is there anything else you want to do? [02:36:36] Speaker C: I mean, she messaged Shango, but that is. [02:36:39] Speaker D: That's. [02:36:39] Speaker C: We can deal with that when Shango. [02:36:42] Speaker D: Okay. Yeah. [02:36:44] Speaker C: Or unless you want me to read what he. What she wrote. [02:36:46] Speaker D: But you get the feeling. You get the feeling that Shango's a little busy. We'll probably revisit that next session where we'll go over the text conversation between Koda and Shango. Yeah. [02:36:59] Speaker C: So that's all she's really doing. And reflecting. And by reflecting, I mean she's smoking a lot. [02:37:08] Speaker D: Excellent. Well, you're laid up for the better part of a week, Clint. After, like, day two, day three, you're able to kind of get up and help out around the farm. [02:37:20] Speaker A: Excellent. [02:37:21] Speaker D: Damon. Always has. Well, I shouldn't say, Damon. The Dryads always have heavy things for you to lift. [02:37:31] Speaker A: I was. [02:37:34] Speaker D: I was going to have you roll, but I'm looking at your sheet. I don't think you're aware of the fact that they are doing it purely for their own enjoyment. After a while, like, it started out where there was genuinely like, oh, no, this really does need to be moved. And we're, you know, you're a lot stronger than us, but after a while, it's just for the sake of getting to watch the rippling pectorals. [02:37:56] Speaker A: Oh, and Clint is super into it, too, given his recent acquisition of new Mac and the ability to just lift things effortlessly. He's out there shirtless, moving things around, having to act like something. Things are heavy every once in a while, but he's living it up and loving the attention. [02:38:16] Speaker D: Love that. Amazing. [02:38:20] Speaker B: I like to imagine that this is also while Oliver's trying to interview them and constantly has to stand in the way to block the view from Clint so he can get actual answers, because otherwise they're just not paying attention. [02:38:31] Speaker D: Yes. Absolutely. Love that. That's awesome. [02:38:34] Speaker A: The background of this mockumentous documentary being made. There's Clint and, like, skin tight jeans and no shirt and just walking around and boot carrying two bales of hay on either shoulder. Ladies, gentlemen, excuse me. Pardon me. Every time. [02:38:54] Speaker D: Oliver, at that point, he gives that heavy sci, at the same time, there's, like, five dryads that all kind of do that. Cut us high. [02:39:05] Speaker A: Oh, Clint. Mister B, I didn't know you felt that way about me. [02:39:10] Speaker B: No, that. Okay, back to my questions. [02:39:16] Speaker A: Pardon me, ma'am. [02:39:18] Speaker D: The girls all, like, draw straws. The one who gets the. Who draws the shortest, the shortest one ends up having to. Having to interview with Oliver while the rest of them drag Clint away for a roll of the hay that he just pulled out of the barn. [02:39:32] Speaker B: I'll try not to be hurt by that. [02:39:35] Speaker A: Oh, another mess I'll have to sweep up. Oh, don't mind me if I do. [02:39:41] Speaker D: And to be fair, none of the ones that who draw straws are asterope. She's always happy to answer questions if you've got them. [02:39:50] Speaker B: And for that, I am thankful. [02:39:55] Speaker C: You. [02:39:55] Speaker D: Guys do get to spend time with Damon. He is happy to teach Clint some more recipes and to learn from Clint. More recipes. Probably on about day four or five, he ends up putting on a big barbecue for everybody because, frankly, it's not often that he has a bunch of other scions around. [02:40:25] Speaker A: We're starting to become regular best friends. [02:40:28] Speaker D: And on that day is when a familiar face arrives. It is the daughter of the baron that you all saw who was in that gothy, victorian esque look. She. What did you say? [02:40:50] Speaker C: I said swoon. [02:40:58] Speaker D: She shows up around that time, joins you guys for the barbecue, what you can pick up, because when she first gets there, her first day or two, she spends most of her time of holed up in Damon's office. You don't know exactly what's going on, but you know that they seem to be having some pretty, like, intense and very private conversations at times. But on, like, day seven, when you guys. When. When Coda's finally starting to feel better and everything's good, you know, you have another cookout, and she sort of comes up to join all of you. [02:41:40] Speaker B: Oh, uh, Charlotte, right. [02:41:43] Speaker D: We. [02:41:47] Speaker B: Better to see what brings you around these parts. [02:41:55] Speaker D: Damon is an old friend. He also mentioned you might need a ride. I'm not as efficient as my father, but I can get you most places you want to go. [02:42:06] Speaker B: That would be appreciated. [02:42:12] Speaker D: Oh, by the way, when she arrived, she arrived in the car that you guys had had. You get the feeling she might have driven it back from New Orleans for you. [02:42:22] Speaker C: Oh, amazing. [02:42:24] Speaker B: Thanks for that as well. [02:42:31] Speaker C: Hmm. We do have, like, two tasks that we have to hand in. [02:42:43] Speaker B: That is true. We do have that. [02:42:45] Speaker A: Y'all finished the writing, and y'all figured out what was going on with that property, right? [02:42:50] Speaker B: Mm hmm. We just need to sort of turn them in now. Yeah, if you like, do your first coda. I wouldn't mind, I. The few extra days, just to go over it for a couple more drafts of editing. Just minor changes here and there. [02:43:03] Speaker D: Who you all need to talk to? [02:43:07] Speaker C: Um, Koda will look through her stuff and then go. Um, I needed to talk to Mithras from the, let's see. [02:43:20] Speaker D: Diazada, the isada. [02:43:23] Speaker C: Thank you. [02:43:23] Speaker D: I knew king. King of the whole damn pantheon. [02:43:27] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, I knew that. [02:43:34] Speaker B: And I need to speak with the celestial bureaucracy, specifically long d. [02:43:43] Speaker A: And while they're talking to other folks, I suppose you and I could talk. [02:43:51] Speaker D: You want to talk to me, big man? [02:43:53] Speaker A: I mean, just get to know you a little bit while we wait around for them to do their stuff, you know? [02:44:02] Speaker D: I suppose. Well, I suppose we start with, uh, supposed to be start with. I gotta make a phone call to make sure I know where I'm going. [02:44:18] Speaker C: Okay. [02:44:19] Speaker B: Uh, take your time. [02:44:20] Speaker C: Yeah. Pretty set on my decision, so. The best if we did mine first. [02:44:26] Speaker D: Well, you gotta make sure you are fully set. He not gonna like it if you show up and you start changing your mind, getting wishy washy. [02:44:34] Speaker C: I'm not. I know. I'm confident in my decision. [02:44:40] Speaker D: Okay. She steps outside, makes a phone call for a few minutes, and then comes back in. All right. You got your tings. [02:44:58] Speaker C: Mm hmm. [02:45:00] Speaker A: I got most of my stuff. 1 second. Let me go get my backpack. Wait, I don't have a backpack. I'm good. Yeah, I'm good. [02:45:17] Speaker B: Yeah, I have everything I need. [02:45:21] Speaker D: All right, give me one moment. She kind of taps away at this, at this smartphone that she's got. It looks kind of vaguely like yours, but hers is like, this sleek silver that makes you think more of, like, chrome than anything else. But it's weird, because when the light catches it in certain ways, it takes on, like, this colorful, shine, like sheen to it where it's not like, a static silver anymore. All right. My understanding is that he is in Atlanta owned business at the moment, so that's an easy trip. [02:46:26] Speaker C: I like Atlanta. [02:46:29] Speaker A: Yeah, they got fine faces out there. Some cool shops, too. We can. We can have a good time there. [02:46:39] Speaker C: Yes. I grab mister hat or pele and head to the cardinal. [02:46:52] Speaker D: She leads you out to the car and then climbs into the driver's seat while waiting for everybody to climb in. And once everybody is in and you guys all kind of wave goodbye to Damon and the girls, she pulls out onto the road, and you see that she's like, put her smartphone up onto the holder that's up on the dash where you would normally put it up if you wanted to use your gps. And she actually taps on the phone and pulls up what looks like a GPS program, but it doesn't look like any you've ever seen. There's weird symbols that you haven't seen before, and everything is in this really odd kind of color palette. And she reaches over and she taps a couple of the symbols on the screen, and these odd maps that don't look at it don't look like normal maps at all. Kind of flash up, and she'll tap something. It'll go away, and it'll go back to a normal map for a minute before she hits another one. And after a moment, I need everybody to make me. Perception and awareness. [02:48:11] Speaker B: Oh, my. [02:48:18] Speaker C: Um. [02:48:18] Speaker D: What? [02:48:19] Speaker C: So I'm fully healed now. [02:48:21] Speaker D: Everybody is fully healed. [02:48:22] Speaker B: Okay. Successes, perception and awareness. [02:48:32] Speaker D: That is. [02:48:37] Speaker A: I got two successes. [02:48:48] Speaker D: Wow. Wow. [02:48:50] Speaker C: Also two successes. [02:48:51] Speaker D: Two, two and two. All right. The thing that you guys realize, and you realize it almost a little too late, is that as she is driving, she has picked up speed almost to the point where it's a little concerning. And then she is. I. Y'all hold on now. And then she, she grabs the wheel and yanks it hard to the left and the back tires kind of squeal across this backcountry road as the back of the car whips around and the front turns hard to the left and she kind of drifts and it looks like y'all are about to go into, like, a deep, deep ditch on the side of the road. And then you realize that there is like this weird kind of shifting shimmer in the air as she hard left turns into it. And you all kind of close your eyes tight, expecting to go into the ditch or run into the tree that's just on the other side of it or something like that. But instead, you feel the ride even out really suddenly, and you can actually feel the car decelerating. And when your eyes open, you are on, um, looks like an interstate, and you could see the, the skyline of Atlanta in the distance. [02:50:26] Speaker C: Oh, my goodness. [02:50:27] Speaker B: I'm never going to get used to that sort of thing. [02:50:31] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a neat trick. [02:50:33] Speaker D: Yeah, sorry about that. I don't normally, I don't normally have to do it so suddenly, but, um, the. Because of all the magic around Damon's farm, the, uh, the ability to fold space and everything to get to where I need to go, it's a little bit more difficult. And sometimes the portals can pop up in weird places. [02:50:58] Speaker B: Interesting. We've met a scion who does something similar with his car, and we sort of had to force ourselves to space out for work. [02:51:08] Speaker A: At the mention of that, Clint pulls his phone out. [02:51:13] Speaker D: Okay. [02:51:15] Speaker A: He's just gonna start texting the friend that has that car. [02:51:20] Speaker D: Okay, Kareem. [02:51:22] Speaker A: Yeah, he's just sending a text to cream. It's like, hey, how you been? Just checking in with him. [02:51:31] Speaker D: All right. You do not immediately get an answer back. [02:51:35] Speaker C: Um, Hoda will ask. So being able to do that, is it just something your pantheon can do, or did she? Or is your phone, like your birthday gift for becoming a scion? [02:51:51] Speaker D: Oh, my phone is my birthright, I think. You, you all got phones, too? [02:51:56] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we got ours in anvil. [02:52:02] Speaker D: Yeah, I didn't get one like that. Mine, um, mine was from my pops. But, um, the ability to travel like that, that's not a pantheon thing. That's, um, this is called cycle pump. [02:52:22] Speaker C: Still, look at Pelle and go, oh, he can do that, or you can do that. She says to pele out loud. [02:52:34] Speaker D: But in kind of swishes his tail a little bit and. Hold up. [02:52:40] Speaker A: Matt, your cat can drive? [02:52:42] Speaker B: No. Okay. [02:52:45] Speaker D: No. It means he can travel between worlds. [02:52:48] Speaker A: Oh, okay. [02:52:53] Speaker D: Yeah, I don't know a lot about the. But my understanding is that cats can travel between the underworld and the overworld. In ours. [02:53:10] Speaker C: They'Re a viking. [02:53:16] Speaker D: I think you would know if you had psychopompat. When I first got it, the thing I knew was that I could. I could always find someone if I needed to find them. I could call them on the phone, and then I would know where they were. [02:53:32] Speaker C: Oh, wow. [02:53:35] Speaker D: And it just got more than that, you know? I always know how to find home, no matter where I am. And now that I've been at this for a good while, I can travel across the world if I want to. [02:53:54] Speaker C: So no one can hide from you? [02:53:57] Speaker D: It's not quite that easy. Not everybody gonna answer their phone. Not everybody gonna have a phone. [02:54:02] Speaker A: In our line of work, I always check mine. [02:54:07] Speaker D: Well, then I will be able to find you as long as you can, you know, pick up and I can hear your voice. But. [02:54:16] Speaker A: Keep that in mind. If I need a ride or if you ever need help, just give me a call. [02:54:25] Speaker D: Yo. Okay. Um. Do I. I'm not a. Not typically a taxi service. I came because I would take them in a favor. [02:54:34] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, like, if, you know, later on, we decided to go out and get drinks or something we'd be able to keep in contact, you know, just. Here's my phone number for you. [02:54:44] Speaker B: And there it is. [02:54:45] Speaker D: Yeah. She takes a little slip of paper and pockets it. I'll keep this in mind. Yeah. [02:54:55] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. If you ever need it, just give me a call, text me, whatever you prefer doing, it's fine. [02:55:05] Speaker C: Oh, Clint. [02:55:08] Speaker A: Yeah, what's up? [02:55:10] Speaker C: Nothing. I just. Every. Every second of the day, I just think Oakland. [02:55:20] Speaker A: Based on what I was hearing back at the farm, you ain't the only one. [02:55:25] Speaker C: Ugh. I don't need to hear that. Ew. Co just put her headphones in, Clint, like, damn conversation. [02:55:37] Speaker A: I don't understand what happened there. [02:55:39] Speaker C: I don't need to hear about your doings and don'ts. Like. She's, like, muttering to herself. [02:55:46] Speaker A: Clint's just, like, confused. [02:55:49] Speaker D: Oh, boy. Okay. You all drive into Atlanta, and after a while, she pulls up outside of a, like, a one story building, and the sign says divan restaurant and bar. [02:56:16] Speaker A: Oh, we're gonna have drinks and food again. All right. [02:56:23] Speaker C: Okay. [02:56:24] Speaker B: Here on business. [02:56:25] Speaker A: Coins. That's right. Sorry. [02:56:28] Speaker D: I wait here with the car. Thank you. Last time I went in last time I went to a place with. With hookah. I was there for a long time, so best not to tempt myself. [02:56:45] Speaker C: Partying must be in the family. But. [02:56:50] Speaker D: Well, the bone is my. Is my dog, so. Yeah. [02:56:57] Speaker C: Sick. All right. Business it is. Thank you for bringing us here. Yep. [02:57:06] Speaker D: You don't take too long. I got things to do. [02:57:10] Speaker A: Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. Right. [02:57:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Let's get to it. [02:57:16] Speaker D: Um, you all head inside. The. The first thing you notice when you walk into this place is that it has the look of a place that has probably won awards. It's kind of fancy. Seems pretty high end, very homey in its own way. There are signs. One of them that points upstairs or to a back room. Sorry, not upstairs to a back room where it talks about, like, that's, you know, this is bar and hookah this way. And then there's another sign that points off to, like, this kind of. This dining room where you can see, like, these beautiful, like, crystal, like modern, but crystal chandeliers and what look like handcrafted dividers are set up to give some. To give tables a little bit of privacy and things like that. You're certainly not dressed for where you are, but it's beautiful and it smells amazing. You can tell just from a glance at what are on people's tables is that this is, like, mediterranean and mediterranean food, that sort of thing. [02:58:41] Speaker A: We got enough time to get a euro or two. Right? [02:58:45] Speaker B: Well, see about that afterwards. [02:58:47] Speaker A: Okay. [02:58:52] Speaker C: Code is a little nervous, but also excited to do this. So she's like, rubbing her hands on the side of her pants and stuff. [02:59:02] Speaker D: There is a hostess who kind of makes her way over to the three of you as you walk in. She kind of gives you a once over. Can I help you? [02:59:17] Speaker B: Look, Dakota, you're the one charged for this one. [02:59:21] Speaker C: Yep. I'm here to talk with. Huh. Can I just say Mithras? Um, I have a meeting. I'm. I'm here to meet with someone important. There should maybe be a table for us. [02:59:43] Speaker D: Um, do you. What are your names? [02:59:47] Speaker C: Uh, I'm Koda Masikoi. Um, yep. We have Clint Brazos and Mister Bh. Oliver Bright. [03:00:01] Speaker B: Okay. [03:00:04] Speaker D: She makes her way over to her little. To her little, like, podium stand thing. You see her tapping on what looks like a tablet? Oh, I see. Okay, follow me, please. [03:00:23] Speaker C: Thank you. [03:00:24] Speaker A: Yes, ma'am. [03:00:28] Speaker C: God, I hate fancy places. She mutters under her breath, but to. [03:00:33] Speaker B: The group, just take a breath. You're doing all right. [03:00:38] Speaker A: It'll be fine. It's they're just same people. They're eating food and drinking like you or me. [03:00:43] Speaker C: It's not the same. [03:00:46] Speaker D: Sorry. [03:00:47] Speaker C: It could be the. [03:00:51] Speaker D: You are led through the hookah bar, which has that kind of distinct smell that only hookah bars could have. I don't know how to describe it. It's like a mishmash of these kind of heady, smoky smells. Some are almost sweet, some are spicy. It's not unpleasant. It's just a lot. And you move your way through there and into what you realize is a private dining room that is back beyond that. She opens the door and steps to the side and then gestures you all in? Mister Attar is at the table over there. And she points to the only occupied table in the room where a slender. A kind of slender, but very strongly built swimmers build kind of thing. [03:02:08] Speaker C: Uh huh. [03:02:10] Speaker D: Uh, man, um, sits at a table. He's got, um. He's, he's clean shaven. There's a little bit, uh, he's got very dark hair, but there's just a tiny little hint of pepper at the temples. Um, and, uh, he's got a kind of, uh. He's got very, very like, deep, dark brown eyes and a very deep tan. [03:02:44] Speaker A: Is this the filler? [03:02:47] Speaker C: I believe so. She has her hands in her pockets, but as she walks closer to this person, like, clear her throat and go. Nice to meet you, Mister Attar. I'm Koda Masikoy. Sayona. Best step. [03:03:14] Speaker D: He kind of looks up and he has a kind of slow, very subdued dude smile kind of spreads across his face. And it hits all of you as he does it. That despite the fact that it is a very kind of subtle, not overly in your face, beaming, ear to ear kind of smile. Despite that, he still looks, he still kind of lights up a room. And it's hard to look at anything but him when he starts to smile. But he stands and kind of holds out a hand to coda and speaks in these very, like, deep kind of soft tones. And in, in this way that is very kind of. I don't want to say practiced, but he comes off very, like, polished and like he was born to a certain class or with a certain amount of class without really trying. He's wearing a very well tailored suit, but the tie is a little bit loose at the neck. Like he may have just wrapped up a very long day at the office and has just sort of. Just sort of relaxed just a little bit. It's nice to meet you, Miss Masikoi. [03:04:59] Speaker C: She'll try not to judge, but, yeah, she'll shake their hands, shake his hands, and then go. And this is the rest of my band, or the band that I'm in. Y'all can introduce yourselves. [03:05:19] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. [03:05:20] Speaker A: Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Clint Brazos. I'm a scion of the Morrigan. [03:05:26] Speaker D: And he'll. He'll. He will shake Clint's hand and give it return. Another smile before he extends a hand to Oliver. [03:05:36] Speaker B: Take it. Shake it, Oliver. Bright sign of Ogma. [03:05:41] Speaker D: Good to meet you. I am Mithra. Or Mithras. I go by many names. I am the Yazada God of contracts and the preserver of truth of the law. Please sit. [03:06:05] Speaker A: Don't mind if I do. [03:06:06] Speaker C: I'll sit. [03:06:08] Speaker B: Of course. [03:06:13] Speaker D: He will also sit. You realize as you sit down that there are already meals in front of each of you. Clint has a gyro in front of him. You guys would have whatever on that sort of menu. You would. You would have liked. It's. You just didn't notice that it was there until you sat down. [03:06:35] Speaker A: Oh, thank you for getting everything ready for us. And Clem will start tucking in. [03:06:44] Speaker B: Grilled chicken and plain white rice, my favorite. [03:06:49] Speaker C: Really? [03:06:51] Speaker B: Yes. [03:06:54] Speaker A: You know, you could put salt and pepper on there, at least add some flavor at least. [03:07:00] Speaker B: But it's perfect the way it is. [03:07:04] Speaker D: Yeah. [03:07:08] Speaker C: So, business. [03:07:13] Speaker D: Yes. I am eager to hear what you, um, decided. [03:07:21] Speaker C: So this was honestly a pretty perfectly assigned labor for me. I'm really passionate about shelters and animals and such. I went through a few people. Pretty all pretty great. Not gonna lie. All pretty great. But the one I settled on, she'll dig in her backpack and pull out a fold and show a picture of a person and, like, whatever information she was able to gather on them. That's legal, I guess. And we'll say, this is Ky reads 55. Their current employment is, well, I guess you could say odd jobs. They've been a pizza box folder, food deliverer, taxi driver. They also collect bottles for recycling anything under the sun. They've had difficulty keeping a job because they were for a bit, um, arrested for. Where did I write for, um, dog fighting? Which I know you may wonder, how could I? How could a person who was put into jail for dogfighting and such be the person that can rightfully take care of animals in a shelter and such? But I worked with them for a bit, and they said when they were, you know, put away and such, they felt finally they felt themselves in the place of what they put their animals in, the dogs in. They were now locked away in prison pit against other inmates, and in a way, felt lesser than, I guess, themselves. And I don't know, I was able to hear their story. And furthermore, their program, the people that they, the group that they were with kind of led an initiative program, I guess, where inmates worked with retired or recovering dogs that were formerly, like, abused or injured and such like, and stuff like that. And she ended up keeping one of the dogs. I actually. Here's a picture, and she'll pull it. Picture. And it's a, like, three leg pit bull that's like, kind of battered. Um, and she's like. She calls him tripod. And ever since she's left prison, because she's not in it anymore, she's been volunteering at kill shelters. I can show you the records. Anytime she works at a kill shelter, the kill rates drop significantly. A lot of these dogs are going to homes. Money is being raised to take care of them. She's pretty passionate and something that really stuck out with me. She said that she's hoping that. 1 second, where did I. Yeah, so she says she's really hoping that at some point, while helping these dogs and doing all the work that she's doing, she can work towards redeeming herself by helping the same animals that she was once hurting. And I felt like she was trying hard. And this is someone who actually saw what they did and is willing to change themselves and is putting an effort to change themselves. So this is who I chose. [03:11:18] Speaker D: Do you hand over the folder? Yeah. [03:11:21] Speaker C: The whole, like, she's like, first just going through it and showing, and then she'll, like, put it all back together and slide it over and go, here you go. [03:11:29] Speaker D: He takes a folder and looks through it, especially as you continue to talk. I see. And she was imprisoned for her acts within the dog fighting rings. Yes. She served her entire sentence. Yes. [03:11:53] Speaker C: And the second she left, she's gone into, well, the various jobs that she's been doing, but she is regularly working at kilt shelters. Animal shelters were anywhere that's helping animals. And she even took in the dog that she kind of was a part of the program, the rehabilitation program that was at her facility. [03:12:24] Speaker D: You have a soft spot for redemption stories. [03:12:31] Speaker C: I sure do, but. Yeah, I have a soft spot, but also I have a soft spot for seeing people actually move towards redemption, not just the idea of redemption. [03:12:50] Speaker D: Set aside the raw facts, which you spelled out admirably, and I appreciate that. Set that aside. Tell me about what about her as a person made you decide that she was who should receive such a gift. [03:13:17] Speaker C: She is someone that shows that she can, that she can analyze problems she can trouble solve. At first she said she was only doing the dog fighting for money and she was good at training animals and such. It was just for money at first, and then it evolved into what it did. I think this is a person that understands business. This is a person that understands their, the consequences of their actions. Um, I believe she has the ability to be, um, not humble. [03:14:05] Speaker D: What's the. [03:14:06] Speaker C: When someone, uh. Humility. [03:14:10] Speaker D: Humility reticent. [03:14:13] Speaker C: Yeah, that, and I also just see in her and I felt it in her that this is someone who actually has a deep love for animals and a deep ability. [03:14:42] Speaker D: To. [03:14:45] Speaker C: After what she's done, I think she is able to see who is a good, who could be a good match and a good person for animals to go home to after seeing, because she knows the signs and I think she'll have a good judgment of character after everything she's gone through, done and such. I hope that makes sense. [03:15:17] Speaker D: It does. Oh, very well. You seem to have done your research. Is there, were there others that you looked at or did you just get lucky and find the right one on your first try? [03:15:34] Speaker C: Oh, no, no, no. I would never just choose one person and go, this is really important. An animal shelter. Yeah. So 1 second, let me go to that part of my notes. [03:15:48] Speaker D: Yeah. [03:15:49] Speaker C: So there was a few other people. There's a guy I ran into, not ran into, but looked into. Spencer Bradley, 41. And at this point she's now pulling out other folders because she only grabbed one folder because she's like, we only need this person. Spencer Bradley, 41 widow, father of three. He runs a pop up animal care center. He does grooming outside of his family rV. His employees are volunteers and his kids who are all involved in the program. Do you want to hear about these other people I've found or do you just want. Are you okay with me? Just. [03:16:26] Speaker D: You seem excited to share. I'm happy to listen. [03:16:30] Speaker C: Okay, well, so I worked with all these people I worked with as well, mind you, because I used to work in many animal shelters, kill shelters. I mean, I was, I still technically am becoming a vet even though I've been pulled away for all this stuff. Anyways, so Spencer, his late wife, she started the organization as a pastime, but it slowly kind of evolved into being their life. So it's kind of his form of coping slash honoring. His wife is continuing this program and I felt he was a good option. He definitely cares about the animals, but I think he already has his family backing him up with this organization. I think he already has a setup. I think he has a setup, he has a place. He's moving forward. I don't really think he's looking forward or he would benefit from having a whole building. And I feel like that's not what they wanted to do. They want to be able to pop up and go anywhere with animal care, but not have a set building. So that's why I didn't really go with him. And I think he'd be more beneficial with his family being able to go around, pop up and take care of animals. Now there's Saoirse Welch. She's pretty cool. I believe she was a poli sci major youtuber, vlogger, such. She kind of led a movement in her town and towns around her to encourage the TNR. So, like, trap neuter release practices to control the population of strays. She was pretty cool. She raised money to purchase money for, like, local shelters and low income individuals, and she's volunteered a lot. I liked her energy and she has a very attractive personality, but I. I think she'd be a great addition to helping others who are not being heard. But I really don't think this is another person who I think needs to be on the go and not just settle down in one place, which is why I chose Kai, because I think Kai is someone who needs to be in a place, has a place and builds and grows from there. They need a place to root and grow, and that's why I didn't choose the other two and I chose Kai. Oh, sorry. I guess I got really passionate about that. [03:19:08] Speaker D: No, it's good. I am glad that you are passionate about the things you have asked to do and that I made the right choice in giving you this task. Very well, Miss Massikoi. You can consider your labor for the isottapanthion complete. I will ensure that Miss Kai is provided with the appropriate legal documentation and support to open the rescue. [03:19:44] Speaker C: Amazing. And what did be too much if I keep checking in to see that they're doing well? Because, I mean, I would love to see how the shelter and stuff is going along, but I get it if you want me to, like, step away, because now it's, I know, no longer need to work on it, but I think it'd be fucking awesome. Excuse my language. [03:20:06] Speaker D: Well, no, it would be great. You are welcome to go wherever you would like. I should warn you that it won't be clear that this is coming from us. This will all be handled through a shell corporation that will provide her with the means and property rights I want to do. My pantheon wants to do good in the world, but we don't necessarily need our names stamped on everything. [03:20:45] Speaker C: That makes sense. [03:20:47] Speaker D: So feel free to stop in check on her, help out, volunteer as much as you like. Just don't expect to find me there. [03:20:55] Speaker C: Amazing. [03:21:00] Speaker D: Is there anything else I can do for all of you? How's the food? [03:21:04] Speaker A: Oh, food is great. [03:21:06] Speaker C: Oh, I haven't even eaten. [03:21:10] Speaker D: Feel free to dig in, or I can have them bring you a to go box. [03:21:18] Speaker C: Are you nourished? Oh, yeah. [03:21:23] Speaker A: Oh, go ahead, dig in. [03:21:25] Speaker B: I mean, I'm good with what I have. I don't think I'll need a go box, but thank you. It's been excellent. [03:21:35] Speaker C: Coda's just gonna dig into her food. [03:21:38] Speaker D: Okay. Well, as you all dig in and have your meal, what you all don't see is that a worker from the kitchen takes out a to go box to your friend who is waiting in the car for you while you all are eating. And I think even though it's a little bit early, we're gonna go ahead and call it there. It's the cleanest break I can find. Thank you, everybody, for joining us.