Hand & Wheel | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 19 Part 1

Why hello there, I'm Brennan Lee Mulligan and welcome to Campaign 4 of Critical Role. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we explore Oremon, a world of fractured kingdoms, tumultuous rebellion, and sorcery that rises from the graveyard of the gods. You're listening to Part 1 of this adventure, with Part 2 arriving this upcoming Tuesday. Our episodes typically arrive on the Critical Role podcast network a week after our initial Thursday night streams on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch. But if you'd rather listen to a full podcast episode of Campaign 4 right when it airs, without any ads, consider becoming a Beacon member. You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online Critical Role shops, pre-sales for live events, and so much more. Start your 7-day free trial today at beacon.tv. Now, without further ado, let's begin this episode of Critical Role. We find, on a snowy cliffside, parked safely, a carriage containing your sleeping companions, and the stone body of Tel Sidemyr Pride Sire. At the campfire, we find Teor and Catacyn, keeping watch throughout the night. You are on the king's highway, even in the dead of night, in this dangerous turn high in the peaks where, on the other side of the road, there is a steep drop, some 200 feet down, into icy darkness. It is still possible that there will be travelers traveling these icy highways at night, and so some watch must be kept just to keep yourself safe. What state do we find our twin cats of the Falconers' Rebellion in here keeping watch? I would have thought that after all this travel I would feel a bit more secure in what we are doing and feel a bit more assurance in our accomplishments, but it is hard to feel safe. How many, how much time has passed since the tavern with Tyranny? It's probably been about six hours, six or seven hours. Same day. Yeah, Catacyn is a thousand yard stair straight into the core of the fire, just locked in on the embers, but his hands are sort of working furiously and he's carving out fresh bolts for his ladeladel. My friend, Catacyn. Hm? You have always been a man of focus, but you seem particularly disturbed. Yeah, I'm just, um, thinking about a hunt I gave up on a long time ago. Gave up on? Yeah. My friend, I admit I have been hesitant to ask. It has been so long, so, so many years and of course if it is better not to then you can say the word and it will be forgotten. Come on, you have never won the Mince words, out with it. What I saw you around the Ozzy's body the last time we met you were off to find a new adventure with her, Mariana. Oh man, it's like a gut punch, twice in the same day and Catacyn hasn't heard that name in years, like half a decade. Fuck. It's twice in the same day. Okay, alright, okay. Oh, shit. I seem to have struck a chord. Sometimes you have to laugh the pain away. Yeah, yeah, adventure, sure. All those years we spent fighting together, I'll never consider myself an adventurer. You're supposed to see glory or treasure or something in I'll. Is it still an adventure if you find the treasure and you lose it? Or is it just a sad fucking life? No, there's no adventure. Lose it. Yeah, she's gone to you. I am sorry to hear. I know how much she meant and what it cost you in order to... Yeah, yeah. May I ask, what happened? I mean, you moved heaven and earth to change the entire course of your life. No. Oh fuck that, no man can move heaven and earth. A man can barely brush a tree branch aside. She was taken from me and there's nothing I can do about it. Can we leave it at that for now? Is that alright? Of course. Maybe another day, another campfire. But thank you for asking. No one has ever asked. Sorry it took so long. Yeah, well, it's alright. How do you think your brother's doing back there? Knock on the cart, is he still with us in the cart? Sid is sleeping soundly made of stone. I think he's probably catching up on some much needed rest. You need anything brother. No, I think he's alright. He was never munched for the finest things. I feel like I should at least take some inventory of what we have. I was speaking with Thimble earlier about heading back into Domakiad. It is not going to be easy. Stuck enough, I'm going to keep whittling away at my bolts. Can I grab just a little knapsack that I have that's got a collection of stuff and just kind of do a quick little inventory of what I've got? The torn banner, kept in its scroll case given to you by Lozeblade. That gets its old spot. Your lion's head emblem. You behold, I don't know if you're still wearing them after the bracers. Yes, I think I left them on after helping load up the bro. You had an attempt at attuning to them with Thimble on the road back in Timony and it did not go very well. You have to wonder if you haven't been somewhat cursed. Or if there hasn't been some period of unluck and the voice of a fairy comes back to you. It's bad luck carrying a dead man's letter. Oh shit, oh shit, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Viewers at home that don't mind a 12 episode callback. Oh no, wait, wait, wait. Wait, is he Jof? Jof. Jof, the balka, he's a sort of fairy that have a dedicated animal form they can take. Jof was, you met in Hawthorne's Glaive before you had even found the Wraith Tree, before you had even gotten to Slok. He had the owl cloak. He had the owl cloak, he had sort of a jacket, like a long jacket hung over his shoulders that was in the form of sort of an owl's plumage and an owl-like mask. So he had like a little porcelain chin that seemed humanoid, but then this sort of like owl covering over his eyes and nose. We were separate for that, right? Yeah, yeah, I fueled him because he had a kind of a fever or an illness or something. They had a broken wing. And in return he asked if we knew Theosy, we mentioned you passed, and he said it's bad luck to hold a dead man's letter. What's that? I forgot that this little owl fairy, he handed me a letter for Theosy. Were you ready yet? No. Then what were we waiting for? Well, what is worse luck, carrying a dead man's letter or reading the dead man's letter? Well, fuck you talking about carrying a dead man's letter is bad luck? Apparently. Where'd you hear that? I would explain the shit roles I've been in. I guess it can't get to the fucking words. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, okay. Shadow. True shadow. If all has gone well, you have the stone in hand, we'll need the steel, and you said you can convince her to reshape it into an anchor. If not, anyone in the family can make plowshares. Once it's done, the next step is to bring it to the field. Our wings are leading a charge across the border to draw the locals from the site. That hotshot I mentioned will meet you there and help prepare the arch from steel to stone. Please try to temper his confidence with pragmatism. Yes, I know you are precisely the wrong person for that. Still, remember until a stable trinity of bridges are built, it is vital that the blood be protected. I trust that you have disguised it well. With any luck the next time I see your face, we will have undone the damage of our first attempt. More than one door will be open to us from there. Until then I search for suitable anchors for the remaining four. We may need more hands soon after. Signed Professor. Professor? Well, it's pretty cryptic without any context, isn't it? Ever was good at riddles? What do you think it means? I... I don't know, but knowing that this came from someone of Thimble's background, I mean, we have to assume that it could be anything from fairy, it could be some sort of a connection. Some sort of subversion from... I don't want to... college, you know any professors? No. Right. And also in a letter they have to assume that it could be intercepted, so this is code. You think it's like a secret talk or something? It has to be. Bridges? Wings, steel to stone in archway? There's also the distinct possibility that we're not smart enough to figure this out. It's probably a fair possibility. We move out from this camp. As the snow blows over the two soldiers, peering into the depth of conspiracy. There it is. Between us, we're a dumbest fuck. I gotta check my stats. It's okay, it's worthwhile. Okay, good, good. However, Cadigan's instinct that the letter... Or sorry, I believe Tehr mentioned that the letter being intercepted would have had to have been the thought that occurred to the one writing it. And it occurs to you that a letter bound for the Ozzie Fang does not bear his name. Merely the word shadow. We will discover more of these secrets. Another episode of Critical Role. We'll see you then. Hello and welcome back to the Critical Role announcement playhouse. There I hit it. Before we get into tonight's episode of Naruman, we do have some announcements to get through. Tell us. Well, we recently announced a brand new partnership with the Wanderers board game publishers at CGE to create a critical role version of Codenames. This is a fully cooperative reimagining of the game where one player steps into the role of a GM guiding their party with clues through perilous missions, each with its own twists and challenges. You'll get to build your party with iconic heroes from all three Critical Role campaigns and journey through three separate adventures where you'll level up your characters, unlock unique abilities, and even equip items as you progress. Pre-order Codenames Critical Role adventures now over at chetchgames.com and look forward to expansion packs dropping at GenCon. Wow, so cool. Yeah. Thank you. Very logical. I think that concludes our announcements. So with that being said, let's all set a course. Oh, yeah. The things I do for this company. Looks like last of us three down there. Let's go back in to Aramang, please. Oh! Whoa! Perfect. Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Schema's Table. We are here on Critical Role. Literal call. Literal call. We return to Dol Makr. That's right. That's right, we return to the beginning of the same week that we started six months ago. Oh! That is so good. We're having slept in six months. We need a short rest. We don't take short rest. We don't take long rest. We don't take long rest, we don't take short rest, we don't take any rest. So it's good. Unbelievable. We return now to the seven stars. Looking down at Hallendeel Fang, who has just been playing the harpsichord for a laughing crowd of merry party goers who have returned from a strange reception at the Palazzo Divinos. The past 48 hours have been remarkably eventful. The execution of the Ozzie Fang, the holding of his furov, the quick departing of Categin Vale, Teor Pride Sire Thimble with Wiccander, Halivar, and Tyranny in tow after discovering something horrifying that they did not share before making their way north to seek revenge on Casimir Gavendale and to seek the rescue or recovery of Tal Sidamiar Pride Sire, Teor's younger brother. The Seekers' Table headed east with the mother of Hall and her children, Tiaisha Loy, heading with the late Octus Taconus in tow with Julian Divinos and the Elven Warrior Vaelis, headed east in search of the fate of the Royce family and the Divinos in the attack on their house by the dreaded House Taconus, as well as pursuing a vision across the Vale held by Octus Taconus of an Orcish warrior in a strange land in what looked like the ruins of old Obrademia, an Orcish warrior that Tiaisha believed might well be your and her son, Aligar. We return to those who hold some stake in this fair city. Employed table. The employed table. Welcome to the employees table. Yay. Um. Yay. Uh, where you guys have just had after the night where you discovered the empty Palazzo Divinos where Azune asked a melted candle to remember itself and followed the footsteps of a spectral fox to the loyal state where Murray and Bolaire on a portentous, literally and figuratively, Nat 20 created to be first, at least in your understanding of the history of Araman, the first revenant or hollow one, the first undead that while not living was fully possessed of its heart, mind, and maybe soul, TBD. You're welcome. Give us the Nobel Peace Prize. Give us the Nobel Peace Prize. After Dean Cora Kaplan Viceric's inauguration, Herondes Einfossens dismissal of the bulk of the Revolutionary Guard, the Lady Amaria Deysen Cormoré's investigation with her own very hands of the pariah blade that Sheikhla used to kill the God of War and Hal's day of rehearsal with his troop at the hallowed round. By the way, Hal, let me ask you something. I actually have a shout out to our incredible Lore Keepers, Danny Carr and also to Jared for putting together Jared, put together our amazing timeline here. Woo! The question I have for you is, how many days is it until your play's opening night? Is it like a weekend, is it two weeks away, a week and a half away? I think it's just over, it's like seven or eight days away. Seven or eight days away, I love that. I'll go ahead, yeah. Can we get box seats? I'm gonna go ahead and say, yeah. Can't know. I'm gonna say that, yeah, you've got it coming up, maybe like, maybe like eight, like yeah, between eight to 10 days away sounds good to me. Um, theater countdown. Theater countdown. Boy. Um, the, you are gathered here in this space in the seven stars to talk about what is happening to your city, but also, this has just come up, we're gonna return to the exact moment we left from our scene, I believe in episode 11, to Azunei and Murray at the top of the staircase, looking down at the common room where Bolers has pulled Hal away to speak of controversial changes to the play. Murray, you look at Azunei who has just gotten this big question, which is, Oris played a merchant of a potter's company here in Dolmakiar who just shared with you his suspicions around this strange gala at the Palazzo Divinos. Oris confided in you and said that there are many in the city who see Theazi as one of theirs and that his execution is a bridge too far to stomach. That essentially, you know, said, if I hear something, can I bring it here to Lockmere? As he said that, Azunei, you looking at him break that sea invisibility spell glyph. I had to ask yourself, how did Theazi know that the spell glyph was a dud if he didn't break it? What happened? I had to tech magic up as well. So yes, that was me and Azunei having this little moment. I have that glyph in my hand. And I show it to you, Murray. Through the seam that's at the center of this, that's the part that, it's there, so it's easy to break. Right. He didn't break it. I didn't go to the execution based on principle alone. What did you see? I saw him, he gave a speech in a way and he looked up. And then I kept waiting for him to disappear and it never happened and next thing I know, I see him hanging. Why wouldn't he try to break it? I need to talk to Hal and I'm going to go I need to talk to Hal and I need to talk to that guy that they're talking to that we just all break. Well, why don't we see if we can bring this guy upstairs? He seems like he could be a good ally, but we shouldn't talk about it down here. No, I don't want to be seen down there. There's too many people that are noble people that are normally here, I don't want to be seen by them. Is it smart to bring this stranger, this new guy, up into our little secret hideaway? I pull out that I believe I have on my person is the actual glyph that Thimble was supposed to deliver to Theosy. I need that man to take a look at these two glyphs and they can only happen up here, it can happen down there. All right, all right. I'll go get them, just go upstairs, okay? And collect yourself. You're clearly flustered, so just take a deep breath, give yourself a minute, all right? I go downstairs, do Hal and Dopey. It's been a minute, where have we left off? Am I still at the Harpsichord, or did Bolare pull me away? I think that Bolare maybe pulled you away at this point, but you see that Oris is preparing to leave, nods at you across the bar, takes Camilla, his paramour, and they head off into the night. Before he leaves, before he leaves, I go downstairs. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I kind of grab him. I am trying to help our beloved Lockmere get a fresh keg out of the top, and it is just so, it's a little too heavy for my dainty little hands. Can I, I just need a couple strongmen really quick to come and lift a box? Happy, go ahead and give me a persuasion check. Okay. Okay. I'm gonna use this, I'm gonna use a fan game this is a Murray day. Okay, first thing. Okay, what did you say, persuasion? Persuasion. That's not too bad, 15. 15, great. He says, I'd be happy to help. I think on a 15 he agrees, but you see that Camilla over his shoulder goes, need a big strongman to come help you. Yeah, I'm four foot two. Convenient. You got one strongman and I'm here too. You see Oris helps get the table up. Just real quick, if we can just go upstairs and just follow me really quick. Okay, top of the stairs, got it? Top of the stairs, it'll be three seconds, sweetheart. Mr. Fang, do you wanna take the, should I go back up or do you wanna go? I know this place, I'll go back first. Okay. And he gets up under you, it's going up with the table. Yeah, I've just gotta get it upstairs. I'm sorry, Blair, do you mind you helping us as well? It could have someone, just need someone to hold the door over for us. No, of course, yeah, one moment. All right, get this guy upstairs. You walk upstairs, he sees Azune up here and I think you, anyone who wants to give me an insight check. Oh, I'm always ready for that. Yeah. You guys go for it. Nope. Off of him? Off of Oris, yeah. Oh, look, that sucked. That sucked. I'm trying to make people lift tables upstairs. The one thing I do well and I did it seven. 16, 16. You walk in, here's the thing, you're ready for it because it's the look you see all the time. He walks in, this guy was just down there talking about hearing the Falcons cry with like a notable actor and has been asked suddenly to walk upstairs and there's a cop waiting for him. So you see he goes, oh. Relax, relax, relax, we'll offend you. Oh, come in. Please, Emily. Oh, got it. Hello. Trust this guy. Lieutenant, Captain, hello. Lieutenant, Lieutenant. But that doesn't matter right now, what's your name? And your name? My name is Doris, my name is Oris. I'm sorry to take you by surprise, but time is of the essence. What? I saw you activate something below. I, that's actually, that wasn't mine. That's okay, no one is going to report you. You are. Actually, okay. At ease here. Okay. We are friends. We need you to take a look at another one of those sigils that you have. If you don't mind. Tell us if you recognize it. I'm gonna pull out, well I'm gonna pull them both out. All right. What are we looking at here? He looks, he takes a look at both of them. The glyph that I found on Theosy, that is apparently the false glyph, the fake, and the real one that Thimble was meant to hand to him that would have activated the Misty Step. He didn't break it. Okay. Theosy didn't break it. Really? Why? Well, there's a lot of reasons why, if you think about it. Well. Investigating that right now. Well, this one's a fake, and he holds up the one that was on Theosy's person. Okay. And this other one? And I'm actually watching him look at it because I'm wondering if it was his. God, I made it. Go ahead, give me another insight check as you look at him in this moment. So, Murray, your Detect Magic is not up, right? It should still be up. Okay, so you would be able to see if something's in DMP. May I? It lasts for 10 minutes, and I just might be reaching the end, but it can't, yeah. So you would be able to see if something wasn't what it said it was. Correct. Since it's intentional, and I know that I'm inviting him up, would you allow me to guidance myself as I watch him? Yes, okay. Okay. Oh, no. That is a 10. A 10, okay. Okay. Okay. He's looking at the glyphs. He says, this one is a forgery. It's just a little bit too dense in the hand, but it's been made to look exactly like a spell glyph. Very high quality forgery. If I hadn't held a thousand of these, I wouldn't, it's a very high quality forgery. That's very strange. That's very strong one that has that ability. I know four people who have that ability. There's five if you can count me. The, well, it's just very interesting to put this amount of work into, the magic of, so both of these are meant to be spell glyphs for a short range traveling, a skating across the interplay between fairy and just outside of this realm where you can, my understanding is skate along the surface, and I'm not a magician myself, but I work with them to produce these. The issue is this one is a forgery that can't, this is too dense to hold this spell, but it's of a quality that it's meant to hold enchantment. So why wouldn't you just make it to hold the right, it's like this was made to be enchanted with not this spell. It was made to be enchanted with something else. I don't know, I don't know what, but it's strange to, this is an expensive forgery, and if you're making an expensive forgery, why not make the real thing? The people that would have the ability to make this, a forgery like this costs, I think, what, two gold pieces and five silver to produce, but the machinery needed to build it means you're losing money if you make less than 200. So in other words, not anybody with two and a half gold pieces could make that because you- You have to buy the entire infrastructure, or it taxes to it. Yes. Bloody 3D printers. So this on the other hand is, I think he just sort of tosses it in his hand and goes, this is hand and wheel, this is us. Hand and wheel. Hand and two wheel? Hand and wheel ceramic margins. Have any of us heard of them before? How? This is his family company. This is the, one of the many Blade families, because Blade is a very common surname, you wouldn't use it as your name of your merchant company. So is this like a well-known business in what sense? A well-known business, this is like hard-working Dolmakjar orcs that made, that had their own clay quarry, essentially, like off of Lake Nahani. This is like a, everything gets sourced from the lake, everything gets made in town, they pay good wages. Like it's a pretty stand-up thing. And they've begun to ship out further refilled. They have care, like Elodie introduced you to Oris's family at a gathering or a function because she works in the same circles as them. Do you know of anyone else who would have that type of infrastructure, or at least access to that type of infrastructure in order to be able to make something like this? My knowledge about it, Oris. I understand you're just applying the raw material to press glyphs into, but. Well, here's the issue. When we try to, for legal reasons, with the Sunder houses, with the Chamber of Lords advisory, we now have to bring everything in-house, and it has to get all approved. However, they have specifically forbidden us from continuing to make this spell glyph. So anything that's still printed, we can sell, but we can't make any new ones. However, about a week ago, we had a wagon get knocked over on the way from the kiln to the press. So a bunch of blanks went missing about a week ago. We think it might have been Crow Keepers, you know. But, you see, he looks at it again and says, there are some people in the arcane underground that pay a large amount of money for blanks. I'm sorry. By the way, I just feel like it should be said, we were friends of the Aussies, so we're not... We're trying to help, we're not gonna rat you out, or anything like that. So far, I haven't said anything other than public information, so I think that it's all... What I'll say is this, this glyph, he points at the forgery, at work areas to be able to produce. This one, if my theory is correct, and it's on a stolen blank, could get produced by just someone that knew how to carve the rune. I will also say, looking at this glyph work, there's a little bit of a flourish here, which I... The serifs placed on this, which is written in Runyani, the serifs don't normally go there if they're being done by an orcish spell artisan, an orcish magician. Reads a little fey to me. Right, right. And this is the fake glyph that you're referring to? Oh no, he's referring to Thimble Swung, the one that she got that was supposed to be the real one. Oh. Yeah, the fake. So the one that Thimble sourced, he's saying had some fey component to it. And he's just finished talking about how these are often used for skating back and forth between fey and... Yeah, he's describing essentially like a misty step spell, that this would have been like a short range teleportation. And that's on the forgery or on the real one? That's on the real one. The forgery's made to look like it's supposed to be misty step. Okay. The other one is a real misty step one. He says... I see. Essentially, this is the genuine article, even though it got made by a criminal. This one, this is someone's stole a blank from us because we're not allowed to make this spell anymore. And it is dangerous, long range teleportation will kill you. But the short range stuff is typically pretty safe. That is not our handwriting. So someone took a blank and put their own spell on it. And they did it, I would guess, sometime in the last week. This one over here is not a teleportation spellcliff. It's just made to look like one, but whoever made it has the ability to make real ones at scale. Okay. The fake one. The fake one is expensive. The forgeries, the real deal is stolen. I know that's sort of a cross. No, it's a tracks. To keep my wires from crossing, the wagon that got knocked over was where they stole the blanks to make the forgery, or was it where they stole the blanks? I would guess, Ozone, that the wagon that got knocked over, the blanks were stolen to make the genuine. The genuine. Like fake money. If you have the real printing pieces. Right, it might as well be real. I have another question for you. You clearly understand the weight of this fake one. It's very important that you don't break it, but can you assess whether it's breakable? He looks at it, looks at the perforation on it, says, it's impossible to say with certainty unless I break it, but that appears to be a completely normal, although unenchanted spell glyph that appears to be breakable to me. Okay. Okay. I have thoughts, but I'm going to save them for a moment. What do you do with those pieces that you discard once you've used it? Oh, the broken pieces? They are safe to discard publicly. They don't... There's no possibility of re-enchanting them once. Perfect. Can I have those? My shards? The ones that you've used up in your pocket. He sort of blanches. He's not going to arrest you. In fact, I want to make sure that this can't be traced back to you. Is there a way that you can scrub it a little bit so that it cannot be identified as something that came from your shop? Yep, absolutely. Yeah. And you see that he goes over, flips it onto the sort of, this backside of the mark. And you see that he looks over and you see how he saw all this in that his finished one has a small press of the sort of emblem of the hand and wheel, which is his merchant company. He scrapes that small thing off. And you realize the one that Fimble had with a real misty step cast into it, never went to the real printing press. And so it never got the official seal on it. You see, the other forgery also does not appear to have the emblem on it either, which is sort of a... So he takes this and scrapes his sort of emblem off, hands it to you. Are you a paranoid? I'm so proud of you. He looks at you and says, have I given offense to you in this moment? Not at all. Quite the opposite. Whatever this is, if hand and wheel is implicated in any of it, we will turn over our books. We have submitted records to the Revolutionary Guard of the wagon going missing. Everything we do is transparent and accountable to the city and to the Revolutionary Guard and council. Yeah, quite the contrary. Everything that you're looking at right now is very off the books. So I would actually appreciate it very much, Mr. Oris, if you did not talk about this moment to anyone. It never happened, you understand? I can see no advantage in sharing what has transpired as I helped move a table upstairs. In such a way. On that note, while he does that inside check, I kick a crate really loudly next to me. Just go like, oh man. You're going away. What a heavy bastard that is. And make a little bit more noise like we're still moving shit around. 12. 12 insight. Oris seems to be, on a 12 insight, Oris seems to be a pretty cool customer who's very flustered because he's speaking to people that he doesn't understand why they are associated with each other. He's speaking to one of the masked curators of the Archanaud, a member of the Revolutionary Guard. And I think that there's a little bit of him going like, he's in a state of peak because of this execution. And also you just heard to him, like yeah, he's like, Fiasse's one of ours. But also this guy just told you like, my company just had a source of income outlawed. We just got told that we can't print. What do you mean we can't print this? You know what I mean? So he's, you can tell he has a genuine aversion to the Sondred houses, but he's gone from being in like merchants quarters where they're like, well it seems these Sondred houses have no problems printing spell glyphs, what's good for the goose, clearly not so good for the gander. I think I have some strong words to share. And then came upstairs to a room where four people were like, what do you know about crimes? And he's like, ah, this was, I was more, I think on a 12 year like, this guy had more bravado talking shit before he was in a shadowy aviary with a bunch of people being like, how do you know about this broken stuff that was maybe, like, so you see, he is a man who shares your alignments and ideologies, but maybe doesn't share your similar temperature of conviction at this moment. I'm gonna plant my hand on his shoulder. Yes. Boris, from Fang to Blade, you have our trust and I hope we have yours. You are safe here. We are looking for answers. I am looking for answers at a time of tragedy in my family's life. I thank you for your time. Damn, that sounds so cool. Fang to Blade. And if you need anything. I assume you know where to find me. I owe you a favor and especially if anyone, if anyone wonders how strong you are if you were to carry a table or otherwise, up a set of stairs that they feel that you are not strong enough for such an endeavor, just let us know and we'll take care of it. He laughs. With a help action from Valera, give me a persuasion. Okay. Okay, that would be... And with advantage because of the help action. Yep. You weigh better. That would be 27. Pfft. Oris smiles at you and goes, I am very glad to know. The... I am not, I'm sorry to have not made your acquaintance, Madam, nor yours yet, sir. But the fact that there are professors, curators, merchants, and Vespians all here in this attic sharing common cause is testament to how truly lawless and reckless these Lord's advisory have become. So I wish you a pleasant, safe and fruitful evening. Thank you. And remember, if you say anything, I'm gonna tell your lady that you tried to kiss me. Hup, he turns around and walks out of the... I feel like he could do better. Huh? I feel like he could do better. Fuck off Valera. No, I mean really, that's barely a threat. It's not about him, it's about his jealous little, you see, little tater tot. Quickly heads downstairs. You guys, from the open aviary, see him walking out of the street, it came out as like, trying to find the best corner for that table. You're up there for a half hour. You see? He walks off. Yeah. It's important to support local business. It really is. Fuck. Anyone who, Oris walks away, anyone who wants to go ahead and give me a DC 20, or actually, I'm actually only gonna ask this from Bolare and Hal, actually. Give me a DC 20 history check. Come on. Hey, 25, 23. How much it? 25 and 23. As you guys look at that spell glyph that he scrubbed the emblem off of, he heads out into town, and you guys each have this moment. You've seen that emblem within the past two days, not on a spell glyph. Was it on the, was it on the paint? Or was it on the paint, or was it on the sarcophagus? It was not on the sarcophagus. It was not on the coffin, but you, the amphora of paint, were hand and wheel. Shit. There's, what's with the paints? There's something magic about the paints, aside from just the paints. We gotta dump these gallons of paints and see what's in them, or something. Marisha is saying, oh, for the table. This is Marisha. It's hard to tell because the energy is very similar. And I can hear the accent leaking through. Yeah. Good. Travis Ford vibe. They turn to each other, simultaneously go, the paint. It's the paint. Why wouldn't your brother give me a vat of paint? We have to figure out what the fuck is up with it. Have you been using those paints at all? My daughter has a little bit. She started painting over at the round. Interesting. I doubt he would give you anything dangerous. I don't have energy for another field trip tonight. Well, that's why we're not going to take a field trip other than to our beds. There is nothing good that can come of this. I'm so tired. But maybe it'll be good tomorrow. I feel like I haven't slept in six months. Again, Marisha or... It's hard to tell. Yes. Time. Time. Any projects you've got in your dwarf hours and wake up tomorrow? We take another look? What day would tomorrow theoretically be? Is it another work day? Do I need to be sitting at my desk? Tomorrow? I'm going to go and consult our wonderful timeline here. Hold on. And is it merely the evening or is it late late? Early evening? This is going to be... Hold on, one second, here we go. Okay. Today is Smith's Day, which means that tomorrow will be Farmers Day, which will be a work day. Of course it is. Fuck! Well, I can get you out of work if we need to, Marry. You know, honestly, I need to talk to Dean, Clef, and Vicerect anyway. I've got to apologize. Would you like a conscription to the museum for a bit? We could use the help quite a bit. We, of course, are packing up everything, and someone with your talents would be both useful and would keep you away from the school, which I imagine would be beneficial. You know what, actually, Belair, I think that's a great idea. Maybe you could write a little doctor's note for me, a little letter, say, you know, how valuable I am, and that I'll play nice. I'll make it believable. Thank you. I need an assignment. I'm sorry, but I can't keep up with you all with the kind of more abstract conversations that you're having about plans. I need a task. Well, your task was to continue to remain useful, remember? Yeah. We need to reconvene tomorrow morning. I would love to take a poke at that paint. How about this? You meet at the theater, perhaps. I'll go into work. I'll come crawling in with my tail between my legs to Dean Cora. I'll have a little, little chat, and then we can meet up with you guys afterwards. Azune. Yeah. We got to keep all of those Revolutionary Guards from joining this private military, whatever the hell the Ein Fossens are trying to do. I don't, I feel like you need to talk to your guys. I'm gonna do that. I'm gonna do what I can. I gave you someone. You did. I'll see if I can get in tomorrow morning, yeah? Varen? Varen? Bolare, we need money. I know that you, I know where you stand. I'm not trying to build an army, but I hear what you're saying. It's too soon. It will not take too long. I have a funny feeling that once I get the schedule, it's going to be quick. They need to know that they've not been abandoned, and at the very least, at least a small sum, so I can recruit some of them on our behalf. You're working under the radar for us? I'm not very liquid at the moment, but I'm sure that I can, I'm sure I can get some money out of them relatively quickly. If it's coming, the promise of it will be good enough, will have to be for now. It's coming, worst case scenario, we can sell something on the black market, or some such, we're already gonna be raided anyway. Speaking of, I think I need to get in contact with Dvorasi at some point in time and see if there's anything that's been moved, especially now that we know more about these blank spell glyphs. See if he's been able to track those. I mean, with the blank spell glyphs, depending on how many have entered into the black market, that could honestly end up being like a counterfeit currency that we can continue to track and see potentially figure out the veins and the rivers of where these things have been flowing. There's a lot of options there. Right. Out of curiosity, would the body I'm writing from what I know of him have any information, would possibly have any interconnection to any of this skull duggery? Quite possibly. All right, I'll have to irritate him later then. Sounds like we all have our own individual threats to pull that tomorrow to start. Why don't we... We'll be quick. Run errands and meet up in the afternoon or the evening. Make sure we have paintbrushes and smocks, I imagine. Early afternoon. All right. Meet up at the theater? Yes, I will make the pentevrol stop that I make tomorrow just to see how things are going with you in case you run into any trouble. All right, I can put up appearances. And... Blair. Well, I had on my list a couple other things, but I may be indisposed tomorrow. I don't know what's in store for me at work, and I know this is more of a silver arrow down the road, but I think that something to keep in mind, we have a Tacona Signet Ring. I think it's still a part of our plan. I think an important part is for us to exploit the houses and try to find a way to turn them against each other. I think a confession in the hand of a Taconus suggesting that they are turning on... A real one or fake one, or does it matter? Doesn't matter as long as it's convincing. My favorite guy. I would like Einfossen to think that he's next as they start to realize that House Royce has been eliminated. If they already know or not, I want them to believe that the House Taconus is going to eventually devour them. A confession may be in Octus' hand. Well, we first just need to know what they know, and that will be the first try. I know, down the road, a silver arrow. But yes, it's there. I do have my company member's sister, remember, working. Oh, yes. I do have samples of Octus' handwriting. Oh, yes. Might be too soon to make that move, but I trust your judgment. It's good to know what we have ready to fire when it's necessary. Well, this sister, I mentioned, maybe we'll have some idea what the Einfossen family is thinking, feeling good, before we monkey with their minds. Azune, you look like a trapped bird that's about to vibrate out of a cage and give itself a little mini heart attack. What is going on? You've got to calm down. I agree. Why don't you stay at the bookshelf tonight for old times' sake? You stay with me. Okay. Looks like your pants are gonna fall off of you because you are shaking so much. How would they fall? Dave, it's an expression. I got to teach you about creative expression. Pants have been undying this entire time, and I have been unaware of it. I'll really blush a little. Yeah, yeah, it means your flies are gone. Your breeches are exactly where they're supposed to be. However, the hours later, Murray, you are fucking exhausted. I've got, you know, like when you haven't slept and you're starting to get like halos, like you look at a light source and it kind of blurs and blends, so I've got, everything's kind of pulsing. I don't know if this is terrible or not. I'm still trying to remember what is appropriate. I could put you to sleep if you like. Could quit slowly. It wouldn't give you time to take care of everything. What would that entail exactly? That would be just, I would offer some advice of how to relax and fall asleep. Just very specific advice. Mm, tomorrow night. Please sleep, and know the perceived tomorrow night is available, but yes. All right, I'll see you all tomorrow. I'm gonna go. Let's all make sure we leave separately, give a little bit of a gap. Is there like a back exit, or is the only way to where we are, the stairs, that lead down to where we're at? It's the only one staircase that goes down, but you are sort of in an aviary that is under a dome that has open access to these slanted roofs down. It's hyper-dramatic, but you could slide down to the roof and drop down. There's a barrel on a large crate that is literally a step down from the roof's edge. That's my way down. I'm gonna catch Murray's tired shoulder before she exits the room. I don't know why my brother wanted me to help you, but I will. I don't know why you want that either, or with what. Seems even in death, that motherfucker's always three steps ahead of everybody, including us. Don't mention me when I was a kid, and he's doing it from beyond the grave. Well, I think we're just getting started. Getting started. I'm sorry for everything, Hal. All of this, it's not fair to you. Where's your brother being interred? You know. What a great question. Probably a family crept, I imagine. There are plots and family graves in the Tintasi wood, and there are some smaller graveyards in places like that, closer to the Rookery. I think looking at the map of Donat, I'm not the other guy. Would he have told me what he wanted? Or would the family have been? Mm-hmm. Fiazzi, frustratingly, changed his answer every time. He spoke to him. So when he was a kid, he was like, I want them to bury me under the guardian wall with the other heroes. And then the next time you asked him in the war of Aksan Vaat, when you guys were like kids, or fighting and it was like death was around the corner, there was a moment where he was blood, it was covering the entire side of his face, he'd been hit in the head by some kind of arrow or bolt that was glancing and you thought he was gone. He was sort of catatonic, and he was like, I'm not catatonic. And talking him back through it, you were like, if the worst were to happen, and he looked at you and went, I'm never going to die. And there's another time after that, there's another time after that, where he's, and then there was a time where he was like, where he was the most in love with Aranessa, he could be, and he said there's a beautiful tree, and they'll bury us there, and our souls will go to ferry together and we'll live with the fairies and all this. And then the last time you spoke with him, he was like, he said, the very last time he spoke, he'd probably said, near dad, who is in a small cemetery, I think probably closer to the Rookery, like up the Bright Brook, a little bit into the mountains. Well, that's an interesting question. Which location? Um... Gosh, I guess I have to make time for that. Yeah. There's a hill above the city. I have in mind. Fitting. He'll like that. Continue to watch over us. For us. All right, so tomorrow, at the theater early afternoon, the zoonite. Mm-hmm. Okay. Let's get you some rest. Go to bed. Bye. Murray stumbles out first. I hand you a piece of paper on the way out. Oh, thank you. It's close enough to finish, I'll give you the rest. All right, all right. Great. Murray, you head off back to the Pentevral. Fuller. I'm going to go to my apartment because I do not want to see the museum right now. I need a breather. What neighbor is your apartment in? That would be... It's not... What's upper middle class these days? I would say that probably a rose agar. Is upper middle class? Oh, yeah, look at that. Yeah, I'd say rose agar. Yeah, that's not too far from the museum either. Yeah. Right next to the door. Okay. Yeah, I'm going to go to my... Reasonable... Very... Sparse, well, what would be the phrase? Slightly modern. Minimalist? Minimalist? Yeah, it's a minimalist apartment. I keep my mess in my office. You would... Rugalist minimalist apartment? Do I live at the Brethren Hall? Looks like Kim and Keeley's in-house. I don't think so. I think you would have your own home. That would be so... Bleak. Oh my God, yes. Yeah, I think you have your own home. Okay. I think, yeah, Blair, you know, Murray, you head back to the Pentevral. You have, like, there are... There's free room and board for the... Like sleeping quarters. Yeah, sleeping quarters. That's the most expensive squares money can buy. That's what my... And I think you look down at... I think your little flat minimalist flat is probably within the bounds of Sir Ogre Mox Marketplace. Which, at this time of night, used to have a little, like, mummer's tree. Outside that would do little arcane busking and little bardic enhanced music. But it has been dreadfully silent ever since they outlawed arcane magic in the marketplace. For Hell and Azune. After a few minutes, you guys head off together. Headed towards the Rookery. Yeah. Great. As you guys are walking to the Rookery, are you guys engaged in conversation or what are you doing? I'm turning thoughts over in my head, but I'm not offering much on the way. I'm not talking unless I'm spoken to. You guys walk side by side. I'm not talking to you guys. I'm not talking to you guys. You guys walk side by side. Silent, for the most part, lost in thought. Azune, you only know how through his brother. I'm not looking at him. I'm walking next to him and I have him in my periphery. You turn the corner and see, there's a little wind. You can't see the road. It kind of winds too much in this part of town, but you can see the little top of Hal's house. And you can see that there's a little window to Shadia's room that has been closed up. And you can see that there is a small cloth bed sheet tied together hanging out of it, so she's headed out for the night. It's her little symbol to you, essentially, of I've dipped out of here and I'm on my way over to the other house. As an acrobat, she likes to show off by heading out over the roofs and doing her thing. I immediately feel 15 pounds lighter, seeing that she's vacated the house. Azune, you see the top of the house, where Fiazzi also partially grew up. And I think there's a moment. Let me ask you a question here. Who of the torn banner took in a young Azune when he first started the Falcons Rebellion in another mercenary company? Who was the person that got him, or that was? It collected me. It collected you, essentially. It was the Azzi. I think you just see this smiling, stubbly face as you've been, essentially, like the Gallows Choir, the mercenary company, started working with, basically left you abandoned at the first large place. They took a contract. They left with Maiali and standing there as, honestly, this happened quickly. You were still 12. You just see this handsome, sort of swashbuckling, orcish, who's aged out of being the young 19-year-old hero of the War of Axon Vine and is now the sort of mustier, seen-more-of-the-world hero of the Falcons Rebellion looking down at you in the midst of this busy marketplace. Like, busy cross-section where different mercenary companies are saddling up with different groups. Someone's saying, like, they'll be here on the morrow. The new company is coming. And you just see him looking at you going, soldier, how old are you? I'm old enough to use this, and I draw the sword that I have. He looks and goes, all right. Are you old enough to use this? And you see he points over at a small hand cart. We got to get a bunch of sacks of potatoes back over to the wagons, and they're stored in the screenery over here. He puts a hand on your shoulder. I don't doubt your bravery at all. You should not be here. I have nowhere else to be. I'm here. We need someone who can work quick and help out behind the lines, moving gear and equipment, food, all right? And if you need someone to help teach you how to use that thing, and he gestures to the sword. How long since that company left? Probably you've been standing on this corner for like a day and a half. I'll do whatever it takes. Looks down. It's going to take a lot of us feeling that same way. Come on, we'll get you some food. That, my eyes get giant, and I feel my stomach rumble, and I follow him, and that all comes to me as I'm looking at his house. You, Hal, give me a perception check. It's not very good. It is a 10. Okay. Azune, can you give me a perception check? Natural 20. Ho, ho, ho, what's up, baby? You hear a voice as you are lost in that memory looking up at the house that the man who saved your life, the man who saved your life again and again after that, the man who then, as you got older, you saved his life multiple times. You look up at the house where he and this guy next to you, who maybe you guys will get chances to save each other's lives, you look up and you hear a voice like it's present, like it's in the air, say, remember. On a nat 20, on a 10 perception, how you see that a bit of light is cast forward from somewhere, and as you look up, you could almost swear that some daylight was emerging from Azune's eyes, like a sun setting behind an ocean, and then the light is gone. On that nat 20, Azune, something bad is waiting around the corner from here, in front of the Fang home. Oh, I immediately take a couple of quick steps forward, put my hand slowly out low so it's not up and obvious, but just low, and I'll point towards how and send a message. There's danger up ahead. I don't say anything out loud, I just nod. Man, as soon as you point, I follow the order. I'm so used to it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, okay, good. Okay, here we go. I'm pointing for clarification, so let me do the face, too. How the message to you up ahead in the house or around the corner from the house? No, on that nat 20 perception, there was something, on that nat 20 perception, something's going on. You've been so, you've had a hard time keeping a handle on yourself. The weight is all too much. It's like you've been at attention for your whole life because some general forgot to say at ease, and you're looking out, and nearby there's something, there's danger, but also you said remember to that candle. Why did you know to say that? And then you watched Bolaire and Murray. You were, you're supposed to stay close to them. But that's not, that's something, the Aussie didn't tell you to do that, that's not, but the Aussie is gone, but you know there's something there. You just see them, it's like a feeling of deja vu. Like you're looking at them and you're like, oh, and you go back, and in this moment you look, and you know how sometimes you'll experience deja vu even when you aren't seeing the thing that you're feeling again? You have that thing of deja vu of watching Murray and Bolaire bring Octus back. And looking at that moment, there was this thing where Murray's teeth were buzzing and that glass scalpel in Bolaire's hand was buzzing at the same frequency, these crystalline things, and you were looking down, realizing like Murray knew there was something, Murray, things that are important can sometimes hold so much weight in the flow of time that they can be felt before they happen, like a stone in a river that sends ripples upstream. And I think you feel like your presence at what happened with Octus has rattled you somehow. You're in a state of heightened feeling. And on that 20 perception, without being able to physically see it, there is a carriage of House Halifar parked outside of Hal's home. Your mortal eyes can't see it, you can't hear it, you can't smell it. I feel it there in a way. Yeah. I'm, and that's where I get the sense of danger. Yes, and the danger I think you feel in that net on the highest possible role is a danger that is ambient but not acute. And I think you realize that they are dangerous people and it is a dangerous time, but it will not be dangerous for Hal to return home. He lives there. The danger you actually realize you've already prevented, which was just not walking around the corner together. Huh. Yeah. I'm gonna gesture to the doorway to your home. The carriage that I'm feeling is in front of that doorway, not in front of that door. Parked across the street. Parked across the street. So it's visible, it's not making no effort to hide. It's parked there for white horses, large carriage, just. That's out of our view at this point? Out of your view at this point. Out of your view, so we don't see my front door. You don't see your front door either. Okay. I grab your shoulder and then pull in very close to your ear. I don't have message and mutter very quietly. I am not my brother, but I have your back and on that word back, it reverberates at the base of your skull and you receive a bardic inspiration, a D6. Thank you. I wanna go, I wanna keep heading towards your front door and as I'm feeling this sort of presence, I'm gonna stand in the spot that that carriage delivered Theazi's body. And I'm gonna let myself actually catch up to myself in a way as I stand in the place that we brought him here. Just to feel whatever that reverberation is and just take a breath in. Also, there's a part of me that wants whatever that danger is. If it's watching me right now, I want them to see me standing there strong, unafraid. You walk by yourself leaving how, correct? Or no, you're both walking together. If Hal's accompanying me as he would normally head home, that's fine. Okay. I won't stop you. Well, what's the read? I'm playing this off of your reaction. I just give you a nod and I start to walk towards your home. Okay. But no communication that it's dicey, for me to go towards the home. No. Okay. All right, then I phone. You follow. Do you stay close behind Ozene or do you walk side by side with him? Side by side. You turn around, walk up the street and you see the carriage of the Halo farm. Halo farm. As you approach Ozene, you see that as you approach the door, I think you see that there's a coachman and a footman on the carriage who regards you as you walk up there parked on the other side of the street. What do you do? You get to your front door and you can smell the sweet flowers. Tisha's druidicism have filled your home with. And there's a coachman outside with the wagon? With the wagon and no one's at your door. They're just parked across the street from your home. They're technically in front of the home, one of your neighbor's homes across the street. The fucking feds are watching. It's dark out and there is a person there or there's no one there. I'm not sure if that's the case. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. There is a person there or there's no person there? No one in your front door. Oh, hell no. Your home is... That's like a man waiting. No, they're coughing donuts. I will send message to you how... and I will say, is it safe for you here? I doubt it. I can reply to these messages. You can reply. You can reply. Yes, you can reply. I just heard my voice say, friend, hello, fine, oh. If we run, they'll know something. Here's what I'd like to do. I'll just whip my head and I start to backtrack a little bit and go back around the other side of the house to below my daughter's window. And I give that sheet a good tug. Is it secure? It is secure, yeah. I'm going to scale the wall up to the window. Give me a DC... Can you call it DC-8 athletics? Or acrobatics? Okay, okay, okay. DC-8, you say? Yes. We're all right, folks. It is a 15. 15. Up you go. Ozenet, you're posted at the front, correct? Yes. As Hal goes to walk around, it's a little bit of like another... That path isn't seeable by anybody else. So you just sort of vanish around into another part of the rookery as you walk up. Ozenet, you post up at the front door. What is your stance as you post up there? It... I'm now kind of giving this sort of... It's like I'm at work. Yeah. Like I'm scanning this place, and I'll actually burn a spell slot and I'll use Detect Magic so that it looks like I'm doing precisely what I would do on a patrol, just assessing the magical signatures that are in this area. The door to the carriage opens as you post up two enormous hounds on chains. Oh my god. And a knight of House Halifar. I remember these targets. Come out the dogs. And walking across the street, filamental tattoos glowing, is an older knight of the House of Halifar. Halifar looks at you and says, Good evening, soldier. You are... a marshal of the Revolutionary Guard, yes? I am indeed. The gentleman you approached with. Is he the resident of this home? He is. Ah. Do you know where he has gone? I do not. I understand. I am Sophrlonius Halifar, a member of the Chamber of Lords advisory. May I ask, what business of the Revolutionary Guard brings you here tonight? Our patrols have been extended. Occasional knight patrols are now in order. I just do as I'm told. Go ahead and give me a perception or a persuasion or deception. Come on. They're the same score. I love that. I love it when it doesn't matter. I thought they were already in the house. 20. 20, dirty, dirty, dirty. Who let the dogs in? And just for flavor, deception. Oh. I mean, deception. Yeah, I love that. You see he nods and says, Good man, following orders. Well, that gentleman, the Hallendeel Fang, you were, were you set to accompany him to this point or is he under arrest? No, he's not. I saw an individual walking alone and as a part of my duty here to protect the citizens, I followed closely. As a part of my patrol, it was on my way anyway. Are you currently standing watch over this house and see gestures to Halle's house? No. Just doing my normal scans. Are you standing watch? Oh. Such as it is always. The light is ever watchful. Well, it's an exciting time. Candle Feast is almost upon us. It is indeed. I, uh... Do you celebrate? When I'm allowed. Usually I'm on duty. It is a godless town, yes. When we are allowed, that's exactly right. When we are allowed, they shun us. They do. You see, he clasps your shoulder and squeezes your upper arm. Good man, good man. What's your name, soldier? Azune. Azune. Good man. I can assure you this street will be safe. There's no need for you to guard the fine citizens here with your illustrious light, I'm sure. And you are an arcane marshal, yes? I am. We need more like you. More of the faithful that know that we cannot simply walk the path of the light. That we must be able to peer into the darkness. Good man. Thank you, sir. You flatter me. We do need more like me. It's just really hard to make more like me. Pride goeth before you. I'm sorry, it's an unbecoming of me and my job to just... No, no, no, no. A little bit of plain speech is needed from time to time. Well, I'll not keep you on your rounds. If that gentleman shows up again, please let him know that he is invited to come and speak. With her radiance, Photarch Yannessa, at the Villarora. Are you in need of an escort? He looks down at his dogs. Never! I am my own escort, so to speak. Well, I'll leave you to your rounds. Do let Master Fang know we are interested in speaking to him. You haven't by any chance seen a warrior of the Nama, a lionfolk? Not tonight. Whose name is so I can keep an ear out? The individual, I believe, may have many aliases, but the one which we are searching out is Pride Sire. Can you see he stops for a second? Teor... Or... Tal Sidmir, either. Good man. And, though we are not yet upon it, I hope that you have indeed a very blessed candle feast. Same to you, good sir. He turns around, gets into the carriage, and the carriage pulls away off down the street. As they're pulling away, I will make, like I'm walking, to continue my rounds, and as soon as they're out of sight, I will turn back around and head towards Hal. Hal, you get into your home, it's dark. Legend. Fucking... You gotta get the lights off, don't light the candles, bro, bring y'all home. In that lapse of time, if I didn't encounter anything, and the goal was to leg it up there and listen for anything in the house, but if I heard nothing, I would have been at a window on the second floor, halfway through that conversation, watching and listening. My man, one of the nice things about the way that you can tell this is an orcish city is that light is exclusively in places of beauty and community, because you do not need lights on to see in your own home. Oh, that's right. So... Get fucked, Lego. Not these trees, no, not these trees. I mean, I love Lego. Did I sound like it? Not the random ones on my floor. Not the random ones on my floor, exactly. I'm never stepping on a D4. I know, what's this gonna say? Step on one of these guys? Terrible, terrible. I love hard-edged dice, but if you're a dice maker, you gotta let people know if the D4 are also going to be at the sharp edge. Oh, god, they're the ones. Go ahead and give me a... Give me perception with... Actually, yeah, give me... Perception with advantage, yeah. Our vision is low-key one of the best abilities. It's amazing. Perception is like being the one person without it. 18. You catch... I think you catch that entire interaction from the point where, unbelievably to you, this guy, Filomrius Halivar, is like the moment that he squeezes Azune's arm and is like, good man, good man. And catch everything from that point on. Azune, the carriage takes off. Go ahead and give me a... If you'd be so kind of a stealth check. And you can do so with advantage here. That is only a 13. Okay. Copy that. You see that the carriage begins to pull away, gets to the corner, and you see that in the direction you walked, in the direction you walked, the guy gets out of the carriage down the street with the dogs, and you see the dogs begin sniffing around. I start to quickly tiptoe back through the house and I get to my daughter's window and I'm like... And pull the thing up? Yes. Great, hell yeah. As you pull the thing up, staying up there in the dark, like a few moments later, this guy, Filonius, comes to the alleyway with the two dogs. They get to the bottom of the wall, sniff where your tracks went, but suddenly there is no blanket there, and they go... and start to look up and around. You see Filonius down there, again, not being able to look up in the dark and then he just goes... Arcanists! Must have made his way away somewhere. I weave my hands in the dark from inside of Shadia's room and an illusion of a cat appears on the railing of her balcony and goes... And I create the sound of a cat scurrying up the side of the building. Hell yeah. Go ahead and give me deception. Okay. Oh, I'll roll an advantage because the lyre's played. Ooh, the lyre's played! Uh, is... 42. 22. 22. On a natural one, the dogs turn... Oh, god, you found us at After a Boys! And the dogs tear off after this illusory cat into the rookery vanishing from your doorstep. Oh, gosh. All just adrenaline dumping through my entire body, and I will slowly, kind of in a daze, walk down the stairs and creep to the front door. There's windows to look out, and I see Azune there and no one else. Azune there and no one else. Yeah, I would have definitely steered clear from him as the dogs go taking him in an opposite direction, but... I'm gonna quietly open the door. I don't know if we're gonna make it to opening night. Get inside. Follow him. I follow him. I follow him inside. You jump inside, and that's where we're gonna take our break. Ha!