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matt: and welcome to tonight's episode of criticalrole, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play dungeons & dragons. travis: dungeons & dragons! matt: or that. we also do that, i guess. taliesin: that's the same embarrassment that youfeel about us; the way we're feeling about you now. matt: what the fuck was that?! sam: where we play dungeons & dragons! matt: oh my god. welcome. we're already loopy,what could possibly go wrong? so yes, welcome! before we jump into tonight's game, we have someannouncements to get through real fast so hold

tight for just a moment. first and foremost,continuing tonight's sponsorship with our friends at d&d beyond. our now long-term partner. we'resuper excited to be working with them for the foreseeable future for the time being with theshow. sam, you have some words, i believe. sam: to plug our good friends at d&d beyond, ineed my fellow castmates to help me. can we practice? can you all say, "boo"? all: boo! sam: can you all say, "yay"? all: yay! sam: okay, the official digital toolset forcritical role is d&d beyond.

sam: a great service to organize everything d&d.rules, spells, character sheets, and more, all with a pesky pen and paper? sam: no! you can access it digitally on yourcomputer, mobile, or tablet. sam: the cast is using d&d beyond every week,except for taliesin. sam: just kidding, he is! sam: i have to use both the boo and the yay orelse it doesn't make sense. he can do cool stuff like activate critical role content in hischaracter builder and create a blood hunter. sam: and do you think they charge an arm and aleg? sam: no, they don't!

sam: d&d beyond is offering a discount of $10 offany digital book in their shop. use code "beginnings" at checkout. sam: so check them out at dndbeyond.com. is that dand d beyond? sam: no, is that d-n-d beyond? sam: and this spot was written by sam riegel. (laughter) matt: thank you so much, sam. and thank you, d&dbeyond, for being our partners for this new campaign. laura: marisha, you yay'ed, good for you!

marisha: i did! it was a little complacent, but iyay'ed. i gave him one. matt: oh man. talks machina, of course, our aftertalk show about this episode will be on next tuesday, as it is every tuesday, after the show at7:00pm pacific here on twitch and project alpha, with our host brian w. foster. (burp) i alwaysburp when i say his name. i wonder what that says about him. i don't know why. laura: it's that cabbage smell. matt: it's the cabbage. so check that out. merch,laura. laura: so, you know, we talked about those posterslast week. they're still in the store on pre-order. some of them are getting shipped outright now, so you should be getting them soon.

laura: we're going to leave them on pre-orderuntil monday night, so if you're watching this on youtube after it's been aired live, you've got untilmidnight to put in that order. all: yay. laura: then they're going to be gone. well, wemight have a small overage that remains in the store. but the pre-orders will be done. you knowwhat i mean. and then hey, check out that other stuff like shirts, hats, and dice. we should begetting some more vox machina d20s. i know a lot of people have been asking about them. they'regoing to be restocked, hopefully within the next week. more will be coming soon if those sell out. youknow how it goes. matt: great, thank you, laura. podcast. episodeone of this campaign is already up. so those of

you following in podcast form or have friends whohave been waiting to listen to the podcast on their commute; it is available, the first episode.every thursday morning, we'll have the episode of the previous week available and we'll be keepingthose up consistently as the campaign progresses, and we also have the entire story of vox machinacurrently available on podcast. makes me happy. once again, we are firmly in support of ourlongtime charity partners, 826la. they do awesome work teaching creative writing classes forchildren who normally wouldn't have the opportunity to get involved. they do phenomenalwork. i recommend that you research them and if you can, either help with a donation or actually,you can donate your time as well to help teach and be part of the program if one is near you. gocheck it out.

marisha: we were talking to one of the heads at826la over the break, joel, and he was saying that they would love to do d&d, but no one on theirstaff knows how to dm or do d&d. so if there's an 826 in your area, and you're like, "i know, i'llstart a d&d club," i'm sure they'll be open to it, just go talk to them and go teach kids d&d! matt: yeah. run a game for a bunch of coolteenagers and show them how awesome this game is. marisha: or cool eight-year-olds who are equallyas amazing. sam: or dorky eight-year-olds or teenagers. matt: those are the same, sam. marisha: nerd is chic now.

matt: i like to think i was always cool. no, it'snot true at all. i'm still trying to get there. all right, cool! appearances. laura and traviswill be at emerald city comic con in seattle, march 2nd to the 4th. if you're up in that area,go over and say hi to them. i will be at lexington comic and toy con in lexington, kentucky march 9thto the 11th. as well as otafest in calgary up in canada, may 18th to the 20th, and akon in texas,june 7th to the 10th. sam: calgary is like the kentucky of canada. laura: is it? sam: i don't know. marisha: i'll take that as a compliment.

liam: i am also going to bak-anime, not to beconfused with sacanime, on february 3rd and 4th. travis: how do you spell that, b-a-k? liam: b-a-k, that's real soon. so i'll be there. matt: beautiful. and i believe-- liam: wait! comic book next week. issue four.comic book. matt: issue four on the 24th, i believe it is? taliesin: by far the most fourth of all of thesebooks. it's easily the most fourth. travis: like the blue hair. taliesin: thank you, this is new. just went forthis, it's going to slowly darken over time.

matt: into pure shadow. taliesin: it's going to be keyframed andphotoshopped, i'm aware. matt: the invitation is there, folks. screencap andphotoshop away. taliesin: i've already been told that's it's goingto happen. matt: on that note, that concludes ourannouncements, thank you for your patience. and i believe it's time for us to begin tonight'sepisode of critical role. [80s music] matt: and welcome back. last we left off, ourslowly gathering band of adventurers had begun to have their stories intertwine in the city oftrostenwald, on the southern reaches of western

wynandir on the continent of wildemount. here wehad nott and caleb who had been traveling southward coming and meeting, in the center of thetavern, the nestled nook inn, with jester, beauregard, and fjord. they were invited to anearby carnival that had begun preparing for their performance later that evening, in which they metyasha and molly. after swapping some stories, earning and losing some gold, they began to gatherat the outskirts of the ustaloch, the lake right on the eastern edge of trostenwald, for the firstopening performance of the fletching and moondrop carnival of curiosities. taliesin: traveling carnival of curiosities. matt: upon entering the tent, they saw a number ofperformances. however, during a musical performance

by this young dwarven girl whose voice was thismysterious, magically enchanting experience, a member of the audience rose up and began totransform into a terrible undead creature that began to lash out, killing another member of theaudience, who then began to become one of these same creatures. you all, grabbing your weaponsfrom yasha, who had been keeping them stashed away, leapt into the fray, slaughtered both ofthese terrible beasts, just in time for the crownsguard to rush in and ask you what the hellhappened. after information had been gathered of who was immediately available and responsible forthis carnival, gustav, bo the breaker, and molly were marked to be arrested. one of the guards wasescorted outside of the tent by yasha, who was going to show him where this young dwarven girlwas currently resting, and upon being led astray

to the wrong tent, she just ran into the distanthills and vanished. and that is where we left off. sam: so we're still at the carnival? matt: you're still in the tent. liam: with crownsguard? matt: with the crownsguard and with watchmasterjossyd. the crownsguard that had left naught but a moment before comes rushing in, his breathhuffing, sweat dripping from his brow, his eyes wild. he goes, "watchmaster! the big woman isgone! she's gone!" the watchmaster turns to him and says, "you three, go with him. search forher." they all immediately run out back out the performer's flap and he turns to the rest of youin the group, "shackle and drag those three down

"to the stockade." about five guards approach andbegin to press gustav, bo, and molly to the ground and begin to put chains and shackles on them. taliesin: i'd like to make a counteroffer? matt: he's in mid-speech, "the rest of you keep aneye on the performers here. ask around, see what "you can find. as for the others, don't go far." laura: the innocent patrons, you mean? matt: "you may be innocent, in which case you havenothing to worry about. however, we have an "investigation to complete, so i would ask that youstay in the city and wait until you are called in. "you will be questioned, and when thisinvestigation is completed, regardless of how long

"it may take, you are not to leave trostenwald." liam: if i could just contribute one word, the 40or so people who are outside and the rest of us will vouch for this one, the colorful one. hesaved many people's lives. don't take my word for it. there's everyone outside. matt: all the rest of the crownsguard glance toeach other, he goes, "well, unfortunately, that is "not for me to decide. the lawmaster would have tobe appealed to. if you wish to come with us, we "can bring you along with us to the stockade andyou can speak with her. then, perhaps, she may "grant you leniency, but i can give you noguarantee." marisha: why don't you just question us right now?i'm confused on why you don't just do that now.

matt: "well, we could do that instead. we'llhave you arrested, put you in the stockade as we "question the rest of you." laura: no, let's go to the stockade. travis: yeah, we'll all be in one place. laura: yeah. marisha: jails are not my favored terrain. justwant to point that out. not this go-around. no. travis: good to know. laura: i would have guessed that about you. marisha: not really comfortable with that.

matt: "we're leaving. the rest of you, stay in here.watch over the performers. make sure nobody "leaves. come if you wish. otherwise, we'll be intouch." the watchmaster gathers alongside the other five crownsguard, lifting up the shackles ofthe three that had been arrested and begin to drag them outside of the tent and into the night air. liam: i send frumpkin to follow. matt: okay. marisha: can i double back into the performancearea and see if i can find that little girl that they're looking for? before they do? matt: you may, if you want to. so you sendfrumpkin just to follow them. you guys are staying

behind, then? travis: are there three regular crownsguard thatare going with molly? or is the watchmaster going with them as well? matt: the watchmaster is going with them, or atleast he's exiting the tent with them. it looks like there are five crownsguard attending the threeof them that are shackled. travis: i'll go out the front exit of the tentjust to see if the watchmaster goes with molly. laura: i'll follow fjord. matt: okay, so the two of you are following.anybody with them? currently, it's you two and frumpkin.

sam: are we going with them or not? should we stayhere? this is not our affair, right? liam: i don't know. i'm having second thoughtsabout being here at all. sam: well, you sent the kitty, didn't you? liam: yes, and we're not going to leave withouthim. why don't we just--? sam: follow behind a bit? liam: that's right. sam: okay. sounds good. matt: all right, so as you guys exit, keepinga pace behind, watching the crownsguard guiding the current prisoners towardsthe actual city, frumpkin keeping a zig-zagging

distance behind and following. liam: dm? matt: yes? liam: is it possible for me, if nott is holding myhand and leading me, to go full third eye and walk blind and deaf here looking through frumpkin'ssenses? matt: i would say yes, but you are purely like--because all you're doing is walking forward and you need someone to guide you. liam: right. sam: and he can't communicate to me either so--

liam: i can talk, but i can't hear you. i can talkand hold her hand so she can stop me from prat-falling all over myself. sam: yes. but you can talk? matt: he can talk but he can't hear you. sam: got it. okay. great. liam: but we've done this before so you know tosqueeze my hand really hard if i should pipe down. sam: sure. matt: all right. so, first off, beauregard. marisha: yeah.

matt: as you back out of the performer's exit ofthe tent into the center of their encampment, the immediate exit, there are already four crownsguardcurrently searching around and setting up a watch perimeter around the different tents. they'regathering and making sure none of the other performers have fled and a lot of them are beingbrought out into an area where there's a number of tents all facing towards a large campfire in thecenter. there's a couple of chairs set up there, it's kind of the common area for the performers ofthe carnival and it looks like they're all being put out there so they can get a bead on it andmake sure they know where everyone else is. marisha: i'm going to try to be aloof, stealth alittle bit. i don't want to make myself completely known. matt: are you trying to stealth out of sight orjust trying to not draw attention?

marisha: no, just trying not to draw attention. matt: okay, all right. go and make a stealth checkjust to see if-- sam: wait, did we just all ditch marisha? laura: she just walked out. marisha: i ditched you. that's cocked. that'sbetter. 17. matt: 17. okay. as you kind of dart through theflap of the tent and move behind one of the large carts that currently is still affixed to a horsethat is currently just chewing on an apple, and you hear the crunch in its teeth, you glance overpast the edge of the immediate near tent and you can see this group gathering there and it appearsthat no one's immediately aware of your presence.

marisha: do i see the little girl whose name was--what was her name? matt: toya. you do not see her yet. the guard justgot out there and they're just beginning to pull people out. you do see the fire dancer brought outthere. you then see the two-- yeah, ornna. the knot sisters are brought out and pushed out thereand they're all looking very frustrated. marisha: are people being amicable? matt: yeah, they're not shoving them around,they're just calling them out to the front so they know where they are. marisha: okay. i want to look around. do i see anytype of movement in the shadows, anyone looking suspicious?

matt: make a perception check. marisha: ooh yeah! natural 18. 21. matt: 21. okay, as you glance about, you don't seeanything lurking in the shadows. what you do notice, though, is one of them bring toya out ofone of the-- the tent that's on the southern side and as he brings her out, there's a heavy thud sound,and you see coming out from behind the tent the large form of-- you heard the name kylre once, butthe ''devil toad." the obese lizard man who's stomping up behind. laura: is he a dude or is he a creature? matt: it looks like a lizard man, so scaled,humanoid, but extremely thick, bulbous belly,

large, almost frog-like legs-- travis: bipedal or on all fours? matt: due to the size of his form, mostly allfours and lumbering forward on all of them but sits back on a bipedal situation. marisha: so they're bringing the both of them out? matt: the toad is hiding behind the tent and assoon as toya comes out, comes up to the guard and puffs up its chest. the guard spins around andgoes for the blade and pulls it out just carefully. marisha: am i still next to that horse? matt: the horse is currently still up on the cart,but is about 30 feet from you.

sam: beast shape! marisha: i'm going to take my staff and give areally nice whack to the horse to get it to run. matt: you know what? let's go ahead and make ananimal handling check on that. sam: we never get to make those! liam: first of the show! marisha: oh my god, i'm so nervous right now. travis: you're good, you're good, you're good. marisha: that's not great. 11? matt: 11 will do. it wasn't a hard dc, but it wasmore knowing where to hit it to where it would

cause it to bolt versus just get angry. marisha: get pissed, sure, kick me. matt: so going for-- not to actually hurt thecreature but just enough to spook it, you hit it in the right place towards the back of itshindquarters to cause it to suddenly rear up (neighs) (cart clattering noise) and go into asprint. the cart begins to bounce and smash onto the ground. you can see the wheels clattering intothe rocks and the stone between the bits of-- marisha: i'm going to bolt in the opposite direction andtry and loop around to the south side of the tent. matt: make another stealth check, please. marisha: big dice, big dice. okay, 19!

matt: okay. you dart around the north side ofthese tents and you're pretty sure you weren't seen. as the cart begins to bolt off behind thishorse, you see all the crownsguard turn. the one that was currently staring at the devil toadglances off to the side. as he glances off, the devil toad takes toya and just pulls her to himprotectively and the guard puts his sword away. "check!" points to them and then bolts off to goafter the horse. the other three stay, watching over the group. marisha: okay, can i loop around, kind of come upbehind them? matt: i mean, they're scattered a bit butthere's-- marisha: the devil toad and toya.

matt: oh yeah. make another stealth check. you'rerunning through open areas each time you're doing this. marisha: yep. (yells) did you see that?! it leanedto a four. ten. travis: that is a bastard die right there. marisha: that sucked. travis: that's a tease. marisha: laura, put him in the dice jail. laura: i don't have my dice jail out yet. it'sokay, he'll chill there. matt: as you come up around the back of the deviltoad, the guard that runs past doesn't immediately notice you because he's focused on where this cartis running off and you can see another guard that

was far away from this encampment that's circlingback with him. the two of them are now bolting in the direction as the cart begins to slow. it's notjust going forward forever but it spooked him and it's starting to slow down. they're just going toinspect it. however, as you slink up behind, the devil toad's head curls back towards you and youhear this deep, guttural (growls). marisha: "okay. it's okay. toya?" and i look attoya. "hey, come on, let's get out of here, let's go." matt: at which point a voice says, "excuse me?!" and you can see the three guards are therestaring at you. marisha: fuck. you didn't say there were fuckingguards. matt: i did say there were three guards. the threeguards watching them.

marisha: i thought you said they left. matt: one of them left. marisha: one of them left. so wait. oh shit. matt: it's a bad stealth check, i'm sorry. butthere's now three crownsguard right there and they're like, "can i help you?" travis: time to go to jail. laura: oh, this is so exciting. sam: kill them all. marisha: ey! i was actually just looking for theloo?

matt: the guard that's closest to you glances tothe other guys and goes, "she was with the group, "right?" they recognize you, and they look at eachother. "you're going to the stockade, my dear." marisha: no! matt: the three guards slowly approach and theybegin to take out chains and manacle you up. sam: in an effort not to go to jail, you went tothe jail. marisha: i'm trying to get the girl. i was tryingto free the damn girl. matt: i know. taliesin: you'll be fine. matt: so you're shackled and begin to be draggedtoward the stockade.

marisha: it's just the two guards, right? matt: it's the two guards now. as you're beingbrought back, you can see more guards are coming from the city to the carnival. they're keeping itunder surveillance. marisha: so are they taking me away? matt: they're taking you to the city, yeah. marisha: what are they doing with toya? anything?are they leaving them behind? matt: they're leaving them behind currently withthe guards that are there. they're not arresting anybody from the carnival, but they're not lettingthem leave. but they're keeping them there. marisha: okay. i'm going to do a quick--

marisha: i'm in shackles? matt: you are. marisha: okay. i'm going to do some monk shithere. i'm going to elbow one of the guards. right in the ribs. and take the other one and bash theother one in the face and then i'm going to turn to toya and i'm going to say, "run! run! go! run!" matt: okay. go ahead and-- sam: make all kinds of rolls. matt: first, go ahead and make an athletics check. marisha and sam: this is a terrible idea.

laura: to not drag any attention towards her, youare completely shoving her into the limelight. marisha: trying to distract these fuckingassholes. that is a six. ten. matt: as you go back to elbow, you get halfwaythere before your chains go taut. they're both holding the chain at each side, and you see thetension of it; you can't even get him from behind. you imagine in your head; you go over it two orthree times. as you go through the first step-- (grunt) doesn't go anywhere. travis: tried to do the sherlock holmes. marisha: do i at least get the "run!" out totoya? matt: no. i'm sorry.

marisha: is she just standing there? waiting for aguard? travis: she sees you having a seizure in thechains. marisha: what is she doing? is she running? matt: no. honestly, the devil toad and her seempretty close. he is grabbing her in a protective manner. marisha: no, they can both run. run for your life!fine, whatever. she wants to get arrested at this point. matt: two bad rolls in a row. i know. level two. marisha: i go join my friends. matt: you will shortly. ahead of her, along theway, gustav is just quiet. bo the breaker, bosun, as you know him by his full name, is grumblingunder his breath and is trying to out-loud piece

together thoughts on what may have whattranspired, saying things like, "i don't know, you "think it's done on the inside? or is this somebodytrying to sabotage it?" taliesin: i think maybe it has nothing to do withus. i think maybe we were just caught in the crossfire. matt: it is quite possible. taliesin: sorry, sir. trying to keep my mouthshut. matt: one of the guards tugs on both of yourchains and says, "quiet now! save it for the "lawmaster." they bring you in-- you go in throughthe lochward into the hillsward, which is the southern portion of trostenwald. you are broughtto the outside of the stockade, which is a large single-story, tall, rectangular building of largestones and masonry. it's built for function. it's

not a very beautiful building, but it'sdefensible and it seems fairly well-made. however, there are the banners of the crownsguard markingthe double-door entrance. as you're brought within, you can already see there are two centralchairs where two current watch sit, just watching the front door. beyond the right, you see, is anoffice that you guys are dragged to-- and the rest of you eventually catch up to the group. you are allbrought inside this darkened office. inside, relatively simple. this isn't a library-type studyoffice. this is very much for function. there's a couple of small crates that contain materials thatare too far in shadow to see the details of it. look to be pieces of paper, probably gatheredevidence or weapons that have been reclaimed. there is a stone desk on the far end, and there,within this office, already accompanied by a

messenger dressed for immediate travel, is a tough-looking dwarven woman in her middle years rapidly scrawling on parchment. her black hair is streakedwith silver, tumbling past her red and gray leather armor. she finishes writing on thisparchment, rolls it up, and hands it to the messenger who immediately darts out of the roomwithout a word past you guys, giving you a brief look as he continues on whatever his business is.as soon as your eyes pass off the messenger, you hear a loud slam, and you glance back. she's puther hands on the table. she glances up, "all "right, what riff-raff have you brought in to methis day?" the watchmaster takes the chains of the three of you and pulls you to the front of thegroup and says, "sorry to be a bother, but we have "three individuals arrested in connection with, asyou have heard so far, the deaths at the carnival

"performance this evening." she rolls her eyes."all right, bring them forward." they go ahead and pull the chains up. the watchmaster bows his headand then leaves the room. she steps forward and goes, "i am norda. it is my job to keep this citysafe and keep shite like what happened tonight "from happening. i approved your second time on theoutskirts of our town and you have killed two of "my people. what have you to say about yourselves?" taliesin: exactly how did we kill them, exactly? matt: she glances over at you. glances over atgustav, "i have been told by my guard that you "gave performance, and as part of this performanceyou released two beasts into the midst of the "population."

laura: well, technically, he wasn't part of theperformance, technically he was saving everyone. technically. taliesin: thank you. yes, you see-- matt: gustav interrupts you and says, "i'm sosorry, my liege. please, i take full "responsibility for what happened this evening onmyself. these people around me had nothing to do "with this. they are not part of the carnival, theywere just merely helping. it is my carnival, and "whatever judgement there lies, i take upon myselfand my head." at which point bo the half-orc steps forward, against his chains and goes, "gustav,what are you doing?" he's like, "shut. up. please, whatever judgement there is, put it upon me," andhe bows his head low. "is that the case? is he the

"only one?" she takes a good, hard look at you andbo the breaker. taliesin: oh, are you waiting for me to speak?yes, he's the only one. matt: make a persuasion check. taliesin: natural 20. about fucking time, youlittle shit! matt: she gives you a look. looks over at bo thebreaker. shakes her head. "keep these two downstairs. this one let go. he seems to be free.we'll be talking to you very soon." at which point, the crownsguard drag the chains back andgustav gives you a quick look under his eye and goes-- as they're pulled out of the room, out ofsight. she glances to you, "well, you're out of chains! that's great. doesn't mean you're absolvedof the investigation. so, where are you staying?

you and your compatriots?" laura: well, technically we just all met,technically. matt: "well, technically, as far as i'm concerned,you're all together as part of this investigation." laura: we're a group you guys! matt: "so we're going to have our investigatorscome to wherever you're staying, which--," and she looks down at some papers here, "-- looks to bethe nestled nook?" travis: that's correct. matt: "all right. don't leave the city. we'll bein touch."

laura: great, i really like it here so that's goodthat we get to stay so long. matt: "do you have something to say?" taliesin: no. just shocked to see someone die infront of me not more than-- travis: i can assure you, we're here to cause notrouble. we will be as compliant as we possibly can be. matt: "good. dismissed!" she claps the edge of thetable. the remaining crownsguard, who's left there to keep watch, escorts you out off the stockade,escorts you onto the street. laura: her accent is really strong! it's hard tonot match her accent! taliesin: it's the one accent that i really havetrouble with.

travis: would you call it infectious? taliesin: bastard. matt: sorry. taliesin: the one that we know is a problem. liam: i'm going to call my cat back to me and idrop the telepathy and i just start tugging you back to the nestled nook. come on, we have to talkabout this. we have to decide what we're going to do. sam: right away. travis: excuse me-- laura: they're not with us.

travis: oh, i thought you were right behind us. liam: my cat was in there, but not i. matt: yeah, but you'd have to stay within 100 feetto maintain that. liam: well, we would've walked up to the building,the cat would've scurried around, if possible. so i'd like to think that i heard all that, which iswhy just i said all the things i did. matt: you did hear all that. okay, and i'd say, asthey're making their way out, you can probably duck around without them seeing you as they left.yeah, you can do that. so, you guys are jettisoned into the street. it's now probably just pastmidnight. travis: mollymauk, i don't mean to pry into yourbusiness, but has this ever happened to you

before? taliesin: this has never-- anything like this hasever happened before. and thank you. for the record, i don't owe any of you anything-- travis: oh, i don't know about that. taliesin: --i swear, but thank you, and i'm readyto help with this. laura: do you think it was the little girl? taliesin: no! that's an act, that's not anything.it's just a show! travis: right, the large toad that was with thegirl, what's the story there? taliesin: it's nothing special, it's just a guymaking a buck, all right? he's fine!

matt: you hear the footfalls of guards approachand the rattle of chains as you see beauregard-- taliesin: by the way, where's the obnoxious one?the really loud-- matt: as opposed the rest of you who are gingerlybrought up, you see beauregard being pulled forward but now the chains around her are beingpulled taught on two sides. she's being brought forward like a wild animal almost. matt: and she's just being led towards thestockade. marisha: help. laura: what happened? marisha: help. help help help. help help. helphelp help.

marisha: help. i'm with you, i'm with you. helphelp. laura: oh, i thought you didn't like jails. marisha: (clears throat) help. taliesin: is this part of the show by the way? iwas just curious. travis: unfortunately, no. matt: which is the last thing you see as she isyanked into the stockade and out of sight. taliesin: i'm going to be very helpful and not goin there with the two of you while you try and get her out. laura: so should we go in and try to get her out?

travis: well, yeah! laura: okay. taliesin: i'll stand guard. laura: we'll follow her in. travis: don't. leave. taliesin: i have nowhere to go. matt: you walk in behind her. you watch her beingpulled to the stairs. she's bypassing the office of the lawmaster right now and is being brought toincarceration before being questioned. they bring her to the stairs and a torch-lit, subterraneanbasement area. as you begin to approach and follow

behind, you can see one of the guards who iscurrently on watch. he sees you guys just exit and then walk back in, following another prisoner. andstands up and goes, "i'm sorry, where are you going?" travis: it was a busy day for us. unfortunately,we're partially responsible for this one as well. bad luck. laura: she was also helping to save a lot ofpeople. big misunderstanding. matt: "well, see her into her cell and please exitthe vicinity." travis: fair enough. matt: "appreciate that." he follows behind youguys. they're on high alert and they're a bit

scattered. you get the sense right now that theyhave a lot of their initial stock of guards off-site right now. so they're doing the best theycan to hold on to what they currently have in the stockade. travis: to the side i say to jester, i say: thisdoes not really fall in with keeping a low profile. we talked about this. laura: i know isn't it so weird? travis: yeah, it is. matt: you guys follow down to the basement portionof this. which there's a heavy locked door immediately that is opened from the opposite side.you hear a couple of keys turn and the shifting of

wood against metal before the door opens andreveals the rest of a long hallway that is flanked by two rows of cells. iron bars about maybe twoinches apart going across the entirety of this long hallway. you can't quite see the end of ituntil you step down to where the door frame is. and there is probably a total of ten cells to eachside. as you walk through, you can see in the off shadows in the corners a few huddled bodieshunched or asleep. keeping to the shadows and out of the light. the smell of mildewed wet compostand piss hits your nose like a wall. laura: it smells like caleb down here. matt: you get about five cells in where you cansee the guard that was previously in there just finish off closing the cell that contains bothgustav and bo the breaker. they move to the cell

just beyond that, open that cell, and then goahead and put beauregard into that one. travis: are they not going to take her to see thelawmaker? laura: i know, why doesn't she get to talk to thelawmaster? matt: as he closes and locks it, "because shedecided not to come helpfully." laura: what do you mean? marisha: ah, oh, no you misunderstood. see thatwas just, i have this spasm that has this twitch. it was an injury from, like, a childhood thing. laura: oh no, are you guys making fun of herbecause of her spasm? marisha: yeah that's actually-- (fake crying) itwas very sensitive for me. i had a really tough

childhood. i was just trying to find a bathroom. matt: the three guards walk away, not caring. whowere there previously and-- sam: spasm shaming. matt: at this point, a man who is on the far endof the hall walks up. and you can see him, he's a man with a heavy, bushy beard that obscures a lotof a dark leather mantle, over a general cloth tunic. he has burly arms, heavy torso, superscrawny legs, a widow's peak, and he looks to be the jailer. he walks up and puts his hand on thebars and goes, "oh well, if you want to be "patient, i'm sure the lawmaster will be heresometime in the morning and you can discuss "whatever this business is. but if you want to saygoodbye, now's the time."

travis: actually, we were just upstairs and itwould really help us if we could, perhaps, expedite the process. perhaps there's anarrangement we could come to if she could see the lawmaster now. marisha: yeah, i'm looking injured, man. i showhim my eight hit points of damage. taliesin: how many kittens is that again? matt: that's sixteen kittens. kittens have half ofa hit point, i don't think kittens have more than that. liam: that's eight frumpkins. travis: an audience is all we're asking for. nofavors.

marisha: yeah, this is just a wrong time, wrongplace thing. sam: use it. travis: god bless. 16. matt: he gives you a look and says, "all right,but if she gets angry, it's not on me." travis: i understand. thank you for yourunderstanding. laura: she's a very calm person. i've never seenher angry, ever. matt: he gives a whistle. another crownsguardcomes up and approaches him and he goes, "i'm "sorry. could you go and fetch the lawmaster? theyare requesting an audience. if she gets angry, "just add it to this one's sentence." the guardexits and a brief time by, you can hear the slight

muddled cursing of a dwarven female descending thestairs. you can see she has an overcoat on, was halfway out of the stockades finishing up herevening in her office. travis: beau, remember your little sister. sam: oh, what? little sister? what? liam: we're not there. matt: so, as the lawmaster approaches, now pullingthe coat over herself, she goes, "okay, so you've "returned, apparently, needing to poke into whatbusiness now before i go off and get some food?" travis: i do hate to trouble you again, twice inthe same evening. it's incredibly inconvenient. matt: "i hate being troubled twice in the sameevening."

travis: if we may, this sweet girl here was alsopart of our party and she is quite the protective one. i'm afraid that she was also providing aid toour fellows in that tent. i'm afraid her younger sister was attacked in a similar way. i feel it'sonly prudent to acknowledge that she was trying to protect this young dwarven girl that performed inthe circus. she means no harm. laura: it was an adopted sister. marisha: i practically raised her. it's asensitive subject. matt: okay. i would like a deception check. travis: oh, yeah baby. 24. natural 18. matt: modified by their answers.

laura: i was helping! travis: i'm new at this stat! don't fuck it up! matt: she gives a narrow look through her eyes,looks to one of the other guards that you can see standing in the back, a familiar one to you, beau,and goes, "is this true?" he goes, "it appeared to "us that she was attempting to escape upon ustrying to bring calm to a very tense situation, "but i'll leave it in your realm, lawmaster." shelooks back. "so your sister, apparently, is part "of this scenario as well?" marisha: adopted sister. matt: "okay. well, your sister's underinvestigation."

marisha: sure. laura: she's staying at the same place that weare. travis: indeed. and we can be found at any hour.the nestled nook inn is where we are. marisha: and i'm more than willing to be compliantwith the investigation. in fact, you can see the injury the beast left on my ribs, so if you wantto test it for any type of specimen samples, feel free. it's very painful, but i'm willing to do itfor the cause. laura: do you need me to heal that? marisha (through gritted teeth): no! for thecause! do it for the cause! matt: at which she looks to you now and goes, "areyou saying you might have been infected by this

"beast?" marisha: no. it's a separate issue. there was twothings going on. there was, like, the big angry toad beast and he got a swipe at me. and thenthere were people who were getting attacked. matt: "theeds!" and she looks over to the jailer,who goes, "aye?" and she goes, "could you have a "look at this wound for me real fast? i want tomake sure this isn't something that's going to "spread." marisha: yeah! yeah. uh-huh. travis: a great idea indeed. and thankfully therewas no flesh-to-flesh contact. marisha: nope.

laura: yeah. the big zombie beast especially wasusing a lot of, like, sticks and stuff to attack people more than any kind of mouth. matt: the jailer, theeds, takes a quick look atthe wound and he goes, "no, it appears to mainly "be just bludgeoning. i mean, we'll keep a closeeye on her." you can see now the lawmaster is rubbing her eyes in frustration and goes, "i justwant to sleep." travis: indeed. it would give us no greaterpleasure than to get out of your hair. matt: "fine. we'll have guards posted at theoutside of the inn. you're not to leave until this "investigation is complete. it may take days. untilwe find out who's responsible for these deaths and "bring them to justice, you are not to leave thetavern."

travis: understood. laura: like, at all during the day, even? just aquestion. if we wanted to shop or something. not okay? matt: "not until this is done." laura: cool. matt: "because otherwise, you're welcome to stayhere, instead." laura: it is really beautiful here, but i thinki'd rather stay at the inn? travis: indeed we would. this is most gracious ofyou, lawmaster norda. matt: "get them the fuck out." she turns aroundand sighs heavily as she stomps out of the

chamber. the jailer opens the cell door and allowsbeauregard back out, and he looks a bit confused but amused at the same time. the guards that hadoriginally arrested you escort you out, not leaving any element of their sight off of you.they escort you guys to the actual inn itself, to the bottom floor of the nestled nook inn, watchyou enter, and then post up right outside the main entrance to the tavern. laura: you should have spasmed a couple times onthe way here. marisha: aw, shit. laura: yeah. opportunity missed. marisha: my little sister? what the what?

laura: she's a dwarf! she's human! travis: what? no, i was trying to say she had alittle sister that had a similar incident and that made you try to protect toya. i was trying tothrow you a bone. laura: oh. you didn't make that clear at all. matt: are you guys up in your room, or are you inthe tavern? liam: yeah. we're having a talk. travis: we're under watch. marisha: i was just trying to go with what yousaid. travis: yeah. you did all right.

marisha: all right. i mean, it kind of worked. butyou're not entirely wrong! i was trying to go get the stupid little girl, who seemed to be stupid. travis: did you see anything? marisha: i tried to save her. i was like, get thehint, what's going on? laura: why would you save her? she turned thosepeople into zombies. marisha: (stammers) travis: we don't know that. laura: i mean, she could have. taliesin: she didn't.

laura: oh, hi! you're here. marisha: yeah, if anything, we should be lookingat this guy. why are we putting our neck out for you? taliesin: you're putting your neck out for toyafor some strange reason and i don't know why, she's perfectly capable of handling herself. travis: have you been to this town before? taliesin: not that i can remember. they all lookthe same after a while. matt: you've come through once, but that was awhile back and you weren't really paying attention.

taliesin: busy, yeah. travis: and you've never seen conditions like thisaffect any other carnival goer before? taliesin: nothing like this. hundreds, possiblythousands of shows. yeah, thousands of shows. nothing. never. it's not us. laura: so great! we're stuck in a city that haszombie issues, that's all. travis: where are the other two? taliesin: which other two? travis: the stinky one and the little one. taliesin: oh, your friends!

travis: yeah. can we look around and see if wespot caleb and-- taliesin: you call them stinky and the little one?all right. matt: you spot around the interior of the tavern.they don't appear to be nearby. travis: i wonder if they came back. laura: i'll go up and ask the tavern keeper. matt: okay. yorda? laura: yeah, yorda. matt: "oh, hi! everything all right? you had a fewbruiser types leading you in here, some of the "crownsguard, huh?"

laura: oh my gosh, there was this big trouble atthe carnival, did you go? matt: "i heard about that. i didn't go in there,but people are coming in here saying--" laura: somebody turned into a zombie and then-- matt: "i heard that! that's incredible!" laura: yeah! and then we're all underinvestigation because we saved them! these guards are weird. hey, did you see the wizard guy, thestinky guy and the little halfling? matt: "yeah, they came in not but a few minutesbefore you did. they went upstairs." laura: oh, great! they're here! travis: they are?

travis: good. matt: meanwhile, the two of you are upstairs inyour own chambers. liam: during all of that, i would have dragged youback here, brought you upstairs. and i whip off my ratty coat, throw it on the bed and sit down onthe ground so that i'm eye level with you, nott. sam: hi. liam: nott, you and i have to make some decisionsright now, okay? sam: now? liam: yes. sam: why?

liam: well, i know why we said we were cominghere. sam: get some booze, got some books, find a littletaste of civilization, maybe some better food. liam: yeah. i didn't say, i also had the idea--you know, you and i meeting and teaming up has been a good thing. sam: oh, yes, very good. i know everyone elsemakes fun of your smell, but i don't smell nothing. liam: that's what i like about you. i have beenthinking, and yesterday just furthers that thinking, that i don't think you and i are enough.i had the idea that we would come here maybe and find others that we could tag along with, or meetup the way you and i did. but now i think that is

a terrible idea! the people we spent the day withare lunatics. i don't think that we can do this. i've changed my mind entirely, and i think weshould go, but we can't now because we are stuck here for the moment. sam: under sort of holding arrest or something? wecan't leave the city. liam: no. sam: but i was thinking about this. the people wemet down there and spent the day with: they are lunatics, but they draw a lot of attention tothemselves, leaving us free to sort of slink back into the shadows a little bit. it might be sort ofthe perfect camouflage. no one's going to be looking for a little goblin girl anymore, becausethey'll be looking at the crazy people, the

tieflings running around smashing shit. liam: you know, i had not thought of it quite inthat way and that is a good point, but i am not convinced. i'm not convinced. and perhaps we'rebetter off-- maybe i was too ambitious. sam: well, let's give it a day and if things seema little bit, you know, skinky-doodie tomorrow, we can fritter away in the middle of the day orsomething. liam: all right. well, we'll wait and see. whilewe're here, one thing, okay? no money pot. no rat food. none of those plays. i have silver, we don'tneed it right now. sam: but we need to replenish the healing potionyou used. if we don't have that, then what happens the next you get in trouble?

liam: we're sealed here, and they are watching.we're with a couple of tieflings, a little person in a doll mask, and a dirty ginger. we've gotpeople staring at us every second of the day. we need to dial it back a little bit. sam: all right, but how on earth are we-- allright. we can cool it with the cons for a couple of days. but i can't promise that i won't get theitch again. liam: you just talk to me. you hold frumpkin. justkeep your hands full with frumpkin, okay? hold my cat, okay? sam: all right. liam: and then this is going to blow over becausewe didn't do anything! we did something good.

sam: no! i didn't do nothing, we just went to ashow. sam: it was a pretty good show. up until, youknow, the dead people part. liam: but it was a good show, wasn't it? sam: yeah! well, we'll lay low. should we pretendthat we're still friends with these people? liam: i was going to suggest the same thing. infact, i think we should go downstairs. they're going to be coming back. we don't want to cause astir with them, either. we just want to leave if that's what we're going to do. sam: don't worry! i'll turn on the charm. taliesin: thank god.

liam: okay. let's get a drink. sam: thank gods. liam: we head downstairs. matt: you guys head down. you get to the bottom ofthe stairs just in time to see jester, beauregard, molly, and fjord looking across the tavern, makingtheir way in your direction, and you guys notice them meeting you in the tavern room, as well. sam: oh, thank god you're here and safe! we missedyou! somehow we got separated! friends. laura: that happens, yes. marisha: can i insight check him?

matt: sure. sam and matt: her. marisha: her. sam. natural 20. sam: i'm lying! marisha: front butt?! you just saw that, too?! marisha: you guys peaced out pretty quickly. liam: we did, i did not come to trostenwald to goto jail. travis: what did you come to trostenwald for? liam: we are tired. we've been traveling a longtime. we've been saving. wanted to take it easy

for a few days. travis: sure, i'm not trying to pry. i was justcurious where you were going. marisha: just curious why you have a mask. taliesin: if i'm going to listening to somebody'slife story i'm going to need a drink. you, gorgeous, what's your name? matt: you look over and see a woman with darkerhair, the general barmaid. "adelaine." taliesin: adelaine, i would like a round for allthese terrible people and one for myself. what's the difference between these three beers? i'vehonestly got to admit, they all taste the same to me.

matt: "go with the von brandt." taliesin: let's get a round of von brandt foreverybody. tarvis: actually, if it's all the same i'm notreally an ale fan. do you have any fire whiskey? matt: "we can get you some liquor, aye." laura: can i have some milk? sam: two, please. matt: "all right." she walks away. laura: you think she heard that i wanted milk? taliesin: i don't know. i'm going to ask for oneof each of these beers because i want to have a

tasting competition. i'm not going to be drinkingalone. liam: i wander away from these two with theirquestions and i sit down with molly. laura: caleb, you want to see something cool? liam: i would love to see something cool. laura: i show caleb where i etched the dick in thetable a couple nights ago. marisha: yeah! bringing it back. liam: that's pretty good. taliesin: how'd you etch a deck in the table? laura: it's a dick.

taliesin: oh. liam: have you always been an artist? laura: i have actually, i've been an artist sincei was little. taliesin: you think that's what they look like? laura: i've seen a lot of dicks. that is what mostof them look like. taliesin: i'm already in my cups. laura: what? liam: so where do you two come from? laura: us two?

liam: yes, you two with the horns. laura: well, i don't know where he comes from. youthink we all come from the same place? that was really inconsiderate. liam: no, you are very different it's very clear. laura: he's purple. taliesin: she's blue. laura: which is pretty rare. liam: he's every color. taliesin: it's very true.

laura: i'm from nicodranas. liam: remember when we started the first campaignand all those places came in a split second and all that history. i'm from shrev`nam chicago. ohyes. taliesin: i'm from the circus. liam: so you're a traveler then? taliesin: oh yeah. quite a while. liam: since childhood? taliesin: long as i can reasonably remember at thevery least. it's been a while. it's nice. i like it. they're good people. work hard.

liam: you have a lot of scars. taliesin: that's a very funny story, actually. travis: i like funny stories. taliesin: me too. travis: you did some crazy shit with that sword ofyours. taliesin: thank you. these swords-- you buy adrink and we'll see. travis: you polish off that one already? laura: wow, that's a lot-- okay. travis: can we get another round? for the--

taliesin: how much i owe you for the first round? matt: they are keeping a tally of the table. liam: frumpkin scrabbles up onto nott's shoulder. sam: hi frumpy, nice to see you again. taliesin: mother always told me to never give astory away for free. travis: wise words. laura: my mother said don't give away other thingsfor free. taliesin: i already like your mother. marisha: my mother always said nothing in life isfree.

taliesin: i can tell. marisha: none of this absolves the dodgy goblinwho slinked past that first question. where are you from? what are you traveling from? why themask? travis: only because we seem to find ourselves inquite the predicament. sam: we're just a couple of friends, strollingaround the countryside looking for adventure. marisha: sure you are. liam: do you see many goblins walking aroundcities here? marisha: it has nothing to do with that. peoplewho move from place to place frequently tend to have other stories as to why they're doing it.

liam: well, let me make it clear: goblins are nottypically welcome in any cities, that is why the mask. marisha: well, you're going back to the goblinthing. i'm more curious about the travel thing. sam: we have a string of bad luck. we tend to getin trouble in places for various reasons. some of which is my fault. most of which is my fault. ihave sticky fingers. i can't help myself sometimes. i'm fascinated by little bobbles andfancy pieces of jewelries and i love trinkets so much! i just have to take them, and have themwith me, and put them in my pockets. it's gotten us in a few scrapes a couple times. caleb, he isfantastic. very patient with me, understands. but really it's my fault; it's not him. he's a smartman, a brilliant magician! have you seen? some of

his tricks are phenomenal, really. travis: no, i'd love to. sam: i feel bad to because we never stay in oneplace long enough for him to have a decent shower. travis: it's a moving story. marisha: i immediately check my pockets after thatto see is nott has lifted anything. is everything still there, all my coin? matt: make an investigation check. taliesin: i'm going to join you on this one. marisha: not great. not great at all. six.

taliesin: 16. matt: 16? everything seems to be in order foryou. marisha: wait that was a 15! right? that was thedice i rolled? 16. matt: everything seems to be in order. marisha: okay. sam: anyway, that's the long and short of it. laura: what do you do with the things once yousteal them? sam: well the nice ones i keep. i have a little-- laura: do you have a collection?

sam: i collect a lot of things, but in the lastplace we hunkered down, it was all taken from me. we were in one of those prisons before-- am isharing too much? i'm sharing too much, aren't i? we were in a prison, they took all of ourbelongings. i lost all of my collections. i had a lovely rock collection. i had a rare coincollection. i had a stick collection. yeah, it's all gone now. laura: what about shiny things, though? sam: i love them. i just don't have any rightnow. laura: because i think if you have sticky fingersfor sticks and rocks, i don't think that will get you in trouble.

sam: true. but they were like people's canes andthings. sam: i mean i call them sticks because i don'tneed them. but i suppose they really needed them. laura: yeah, that makes sense. taliesin: there's only one way to find out. marisha: wait, i'm sorry. i think i needclarification. if sticks mean things like valuable canes, what do rocks mean to you? sam: you know those rocks that humans wear ontheir fingers and around their necks and stuff. they're really nice rocks. liam: we don't have many of those at the moment.

travis: would it be fair to say that the moresomeone desires something, the more you're interest increases? sam: oh i don't care about the people who havethem. i just like pretty things. toys, anything really. laura: i'll keep an eye out for things that youwould like. sam: okay! can you help with that? laura: i can if you want me to. or i can point itout. marisha: is it the joy of taking the things or doyou just like gifts? sam: no, it's the collecting.

liam: it's like a nervous tick a little bit. travis: are you good at it? do you get caught veryoften? sam: well, would you like a demonstration? laura: yes! travis: now, jester, if i may, we are already in alittle bit of a pickle. laura: steal something from me! do you want me toclose my eyes? sam: sure! that'll make it really easy. are theyclosed? sam: all right. out of practice here. i'm going todo a shot. crack my knuckles. laura: just don't take the thing on my waist,because he'll be pissed.

sam: he'll be pissed? what? sam: he? sam: what's on your waist? taliesin: i'm looking at her waist. what's on herwaist? matt: what's on your waist? laura: my symbol to the traveler. sam: oh. all right, i'll go to her left buttcheekpocket and fish around. laura: i'm in a dress. i don't have a pocket on mybuttcheek. but you can try. sam: what pockets do you have?

laura: i would have pockets on the front of mydress, and maybe a little pouch on my hip. sam: i'll do the hip pocket. matt: all right, make a sleight of hand check. sam: three. matt: you close your eyes and feel a tug and ashake-- sam: plus eight. matt: what's your passive perception? taliesin: i'm going to guess ten. laura: no, it's 13.

matt: so, yeah, you totally feel-- laura: you're doing great! sam: this is not how it usually works! the personis not really expecting it. this is embarrassing, really. i have the one skill and i failed at it. laura: it's okay, you can keep practicing. liam: there is that one magic trick that you'reable to do. would you like to show them the magic trick that you can do? i pull out a small red clayceramic bowl. then i pull out a copper piece. here, you know the trick, right? sam: yes, i know the trick. takes a little bit oftime, doesn't it?

liam: you're good. sam: okay. (clears throat) i do know one piece ofmagic. feast your eyes-- travis: i take one step back. on the sacred money pot of school. if you place a copper piece into this pot and say the magic words-- what's the magic word again? liam: fibulous. sam: fibulous! it will turn into a silver piece. laura: should i say it? taliesin: i want to hear you say it, anyway.

sam: only i can say it. sam: for everyone has their own magic word, and itwon't work with you. (vocalizing, trills) by the ancient order of the school, fibulous! liam: that is a silver coin right there. laura: oh my gosh. wait a minute. does this meanthe silver i won from you was actually copper? sam: no, it only works up. laura: great! thanks for the silver. sam: well, no, we weren't giving you the silverpiece just showing you a bit of magic. this pot is

actually quite powerful. it can do that once aday, so if you'd like to purchase it. laura: can you turn this into a gold piece? sam: well, it only works once a day. laura: well, tomorrow can you make it gold? sam: i think it only does the copper to silver? liam: the magic is not that strong. sam: yes, it's a mild magic pot. but if you'd liketo purchase it from us, we can sell it to you for five gold. laura: five gold for one silver a day? thatdoesn't add up.

travis: by the end of the week you made your moneyback. laura: no. sam: at discount for friends, three gold. laura: three gold. sam: and for that, we'll teach you your own magicword. laura: that's pretty good. taliesin: that's 40 days. laura: 40 days? sam: you can do it once a day forever, you have itfor the rest of your life.

laura: yeah, but i have lots of money. i don'tneed it. sam: but this is free money, that you don't haveto work for. liam: also, you know, they basically helped us outtoday. you can do it for one, for them. sam: all right, one gold. laura: one gold. that's a really good deal. didyou hear how much he gave me a deal? okay! matt: do you give him the gold? laura: yes, i'll give him the gold. hold on, letme make sure i have it. where's my--? taliesin: it's the second button. laura: oh, currency! gold. okay, one down.

marisha: do i notice anything shifty about that,while we were looking at his hands? matt: perception check. laura: what's my magic word? liam: it can be whatever you want it to be. youhave to agree upon it and you have to focus on that word for one full day while you are inpossession of the pot. marisha: 21. matt: you watch that copper piece become silver,magically. laura: how about skinky doodie? liam: skinky doodie, that is unique. i'm sure noone else has possession of that arcane power word.

i could consider it yours if you focused on it allday tomorrow. but you really have to focus. laura: okay, i will. super a lot of focus. skinkydoodie. thank you for this. sam: it's a pleasure doing business with you. doesthat answer your question? i've got some for you. marisha: you have questions for me? sam: yeah! how does someone like you -- you'rehuman right? marisha: yeah, i am. sam: how do you come by learning halfling? marisha: my parents were in the winery business.the wine making business. and halflings really like wine.

sam: everyone likes wine! marisha: that's true. travis: some people more than others. marisha: some halflings just deal in wine a lot,and a lot did in the town that i'm from and then my parents wanted me to keep up with the books andall that stuff so it forced me to learn halfling. i was around it a lot. sam: what town was that then? laura: it's close by here, right? marisha: it's a bit aways. it's kamordah.

sam: hmm, haven't heard of it. marisha: it's a small farming town, it's no bigdeal. it's whatever. sam: nothing shady there! marisha: nope, just a wandering traveler just likethe rest of y'all. travis: well i mean i was really impressed withthe little trick, i sure would like to see a big trick. laura: i use thaumaturgy to open all the windows! matt: being about one o'clock in the morning atthis time, and the energy in the tavern has come to a quiet crawl, those who are keeping their cupsare either snoring or in the process of preparing

to go to sleep, you watch as adelaine, thebarmaid is walking around cleaning up tables and suddenly all the windows in the room slam openwith a heavy impact and there's a burst of wind that comes through. the two crownsguard that wereoutside flanking the opening doorway suddenly rush and look in and look about at the lot of you. taliesin: sorry! drinking! i did order two extra.two extra? matt: they both just slowly curl back to theirperimeter. taliesin: you're no fun. marisha: yeah, circus! woo, circus coming totown! travis: jester, i meant a trick from caleb.

laura: oh. liam: you want to see a trick? travis: i would love one. liam: i am well into my second trost at thispoint. i can show you a trick. young lady, if you would assist me please. step up onto the table. sam: absolutely! marisha: just don't break anything. liam: adjust your minds. i begin to weave one handin a slow circle around the other, and a globe of golden light poofs out.

sam: i put my hands and feet out in an akimbopose. liam: a second little globule of light comes out. sam: i feel it coming! hit me! liam: then two more at the same time come out ofmy hand. then they amass upon my little companion and form a similar sized little humanoid of lightthat then coincides with my little friend. she is glowing golden on a table in the middle of thenestled nook. sam: (sings) liam: the goblight, ladies and gentlemen. thegoblight! sam: thank you!

matt: there's some claps in the back rooms. yousee one of the drunken gentlemen has come to semi-consciousness and goes, "that's impressive!"(hic) then passes back out on the table. travis: how did you learn to do that? liam: i could always do that a little bit, as akid. i was always good with magic. i had a knack for it. that one's easy. travis: that's impressive. liam: well, thank you. marisha: aw buddy.

laura: maybe he can teach you how to do that. travis: is it something that can be taught toothers? taliesin: are you trying to learn magic? is that athing? travis: well, i'm just a little curious abouthow people use their magic. marisha: i've seen you have a few tricks up yoursleeve. you seem like you're not totally magic inept. travis: no, it's relatively new for me though, soi'm just trying to learn. liam: are you reading a lot? travis: no, i wonder if maybe i should be? liam: well, it could be helpful. although, i'm abit of an amateur teacher. i taught nott the one

trick you saw, but other things. we've beenworking together, i suppose i could try to help you. marisha: have you had your abilities your wholelife, like a kid? travis: no. again, fairly recently. marisha: something happen? travis: yeah. liam: oh, i'm sorry, do you two not know eachother super well? you seem like you do. marisha: we got a good 24-48 hours on the rest ofyou. travis: yeah, we're not super deep.

sam: where did you come from then? travis: well i came up from the town of portdamali. laura: that's where we met! travis: yeah, i met jester a while back and after iieft town, coming up to the northeast, i ran across her. i'd seen her do some of her magicbefore. that's what i'm trying to learn about. laura: if you need anymore displays, you just letme know. liam: we've seen that window thing a couple times.it's good. marisha: can i request a display? i think i have abroken rib. it might be getting more purple. laura: oh yeah, i mean i can ask, but i think i'mtapped.

marisha: i'll sleep it off, it's fine. laura: yeah. i can try! i'll put my hand out. i'lltry to cast cure wounds. i got shit. i got nothing. it's not happening. sam: it's past midnight! laura: oh, no. i've got to sleep. matt: you concentrate for a moment. make amedicine check. laura: okay! sam: natural 12! laura: that's 17.

matt: 17. you focus on the bruised area, exposedout of her monk robes. you watch as the slight bruising suddenly turns like a sickly green. sam: is that good? matt: in a very unhealthy way. laura: you know what? i think this might be worsethan just like a bruised rib. can i poke it? does it seem infected? marisha: does it hurt? laura: i'm not going to poke it with my finger,though, i'm going to poke at it with a fork. marisha: don't poke at me with a fork!

matt: right now, she's inspecting it. you take afork off the table and poke. marisha: no, you don't! laura: i'll use the blunt end, don't be such ababy! matt: she pushes it in and the bruise hurts a bit.you watch as this sickly pus liquid begins to pour out, with a thick viscosity and a lot of it. youall of the sudden feel like you've punctured a balloon that's beginning to erupt and you feelawful. then you blink a few times and it's just a bruise. you hear this distant (cackling). laura: oh, motherfucker, he's such a dick! sam: what? who? what? what's going on?

marisha: my bruise is in the shape of a dick? laura: that would be really cool. marisha: that would be fun! laura: i'm just going make sure, i'm going to pushon it a bit more. i think it's okay, you're fine. marisha: all right. i'll sleep it off. laura: i think i need some sleep, you guys. liam: gustav, the person who runs the circus, ishe your friend? taliesin: he's family. liam: he's family?

taliesin: we take care of each other. he's a goodman. liam: so what's your play tomorrow? taliesin: well, they have all my things and theyhave all my family. i'm going to figure out what is going on. try and find out what's actually doingthis. i assume since it's none of us, it's going to happen again. laura: but how can we because we can't leave thistavern? taliesin: well, i-- sam: were caleb and i not instructed not to leavethe tavern? we received no formal instruction. matt: no, you weren't part of that formalinstruction. the rest of you were told not to

leave the tavern until further notice. taliesin: i'm sure if we sleep on it, we'll thinkof something. laura: fjord! you and i could leave in the morningthe same way we got in. travis: that's true. sam: how'd you get in? laura: with magic. i would show you now, but i'mout of spells! sam: the fork trick wasn't very fun, was it? laura: no. i was making sure she wasn't a zombie.i thought she might be. taliesin: that's fair.

laura: she got clawed, right? taliesin: a bit, yeah. laura: all right. hey bitches, i'm going to go tobed. taliesin: where exactly am i going to be sleeping,by the way? i can sleep down here, but it might be nice-- travis: molly, if you would like to share my room,you can. taliesin: excellent. you don't mind? i'm going topull the swords off finally and start getting comfortable out of the performance clothes. marisha: i'm in jester's room, still, i think.sleeping on the floor on my bedroll. laura: as she starts to go to sleep, i want todraw in my sketchbook and tell the traveler all

about the cool things i saw for the day. i'm goingto draw the red faced guard as i pretended i was a zombie, and i'm going to draw molly's horns allfull of jewels and stuff! i'm going to draw the stack of books. sam: the monster attack? laura: and i'm going to draw like a zombie, butlike as an old man but as he's biting his dentures fall out and he's not no teeth! matt: all righty. fairly decent sketches,actually. you eventually find yourself to sleep. the rest of you, go to your respective rooms andfind yourselves falling into a night's rest. as evening comes to a close and the morning bringsyou to consciousness, you are rested. you are

healed up, your spells are restored. sam: i can use the long rest feature of d&dbeyond! marisha: you hit a button! laura: and all my spells back! taliesin: there is a button for it. sam: whoa, nothing changed! no spells. i lost tenhit points?! what the fuck?! i've done something terribly wrong. travis: d&d beyond's watching going, "fuck you,nott!" laura: wait no, you're putting temporary hitpoints on! what are you doing?

sam: we'll work on this during the break. liam: self destruct in 10, nine. marisha: he just throws the ipad. matt: coming to consciousness in your respectiverooms, cold morning air. it's a bit frosty. the windows to each of your rooms have a bit of thatcurled bit of frost on the outskirts of the glass. it's probably 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning at thispoint in time and the day is yours. what do you wish to do? marisha: as i wake up, i sit up and i go: jester? laura: hmm?

marisha: were you laughing to yourself last night?i just kept hearing giggling. it was obnoxious. laura: i'm sorry. marisha: uh-huh. i just get ready. matt: as a note, too, for all the drinks you guysdrank last night, that probably put you back about one and a half gold. travis: molly, that's your tab, right? taliesin: all but the one you bought me. travis: yeah, except for that one. taliesin: to be fair, i didn't give you thatstory.

taliesin: i very carefully start unfolding my robeand it has my swords very carefully laid out in there from the closet. i do a little prayer andput everything back on. travis: are you praying over your swords? taliesin: i am, of course. travis: is that part of your thing? taliesin: you seem honest. travis: i try to be. taliesin: well, the swords are magic. according tomy mum, they go back in our family generations to a very unusual rare line of tiefling that camefrom a demon of ice that lived inside a volcano.

our family, and i take this with a grain of salt,were royal guards, were entrusted with these magic swords and these swords can only be activated bythe blood of the royal family. so in honor of any fighting i ever do with them, i make sure my bloodis at least drawn once. travis: that's quite the story. can i insightcheck him? matt: yes, you may. travis: 15. taliesin: what am i fighting against? matt: this would be deception. taliesin: that would be deception. all right. i'mlying like a motherfucker.

travis: well thank you for sharing thathonest story with me. it means a lot. taliesin: i walk downstairs. matt: all right. laura: can i go knock on fjord's door? laura: ey oh ey, good morning! sam: she's a morning person too? jesus. travis: ey oh ey yourself. laura: hey, do you want to get out of here? travis: yeah, we said we were going to do that,didn't we? what did you have in mind?

laura: well, we sneak out and then we go find outwhy there are zombies. travis: that's a detailed plan. laura: yes. travis: i like it. are we taking anybody with us? laura: well, if they can make themselves not looklike themselves, then sure. travis: fair enough. do you want to ask any ofthem? laura: hey, beau. laura: do you have anything you can do to makeyourself not look like you? marisha: i take my robes and i flip them insideout and i take some dirt and dirty it up a little

bit and take my hair down and i steala scarf off of jester's stuff and i do a bandana around my head. laura: no, you look like you with a bandana aroundyour head. travis: yeah that's not going to cut it, not quitelike what we had in mind. marisha: what are you guys doing? you guysleaving? are you guys fucking leaving? you're not leaving without me are you? laura: no, of course, we're coming back. marisha: you're skipping town. laura: no. oh, but we could.

travis: she's right here. marisha: i could skip town with you, though. doyou want to skip town? laura: we'll be back. travis: let's see if caleb and his little friendare downstairs first. he has tricks after all. laura: right. matt: okay, the two of you come to consciousness.what are you up to? sam: get some breakfast, i guess? liam: yeah, we're already down there. matt: you've already gone down there?

taliesin: i've already gone. i'm having breakfast.i'm leaving a note with the barkeep for yasha if she comes back. marisha: i guess i go down and have breakfast aswell. matt: as you guys wander down you find caleb andnott already at a table and mollymauk returning from the bar after delivering that note. travis: y'all are downstairs? sam: (messy eating noises) laura: can i try to pick a piece of bacon off yourplate? sam: (growls) sure, for you.

laura: thanks. travis: it's like a little dog. the little backfoot creeps up. (growls) if we could we're-- did you just fucking? shit. we were thinking of maybefinding our way outside of the inn for a bit. i don't want to presume anything, but do you havethe ability to change the way you look? liam: to change the way i look? travis: yeah. you know liam: to leave the inn? travis: yeah, assume a different form. liam: why would i do that to leave the inn?

laura: so we can find out why there are zombies. liam: why wouldn't i just walk out of the inn? laura: well, because we were told we can't leavethe inn. sam: we weren't told that. travis: right. laura: huh. well, that's convenient. sam: but i can change my appearance. laura: wow. i would never know it was you. sam: yeah.

travis: molly, what about you? taliesin: well, i mean look at me. i go into mybag. i do have a disguise kit. don't i? i think i do. it's so weird to just have things now. yeah, ihave a disguise kit. sam: what does that mean? matt: it means he can use to try and disguisehimself. hide features. taliesin: it'd be a little tricky for me. i look like what i'm going to look like. but the rest of you could do a little work. travis: beau, i don't want to leave you behind,but i-- laura: it's true. i have a disguise kit, too. icould help you out.

marisha: would you do my makeup for me? laura: i'm really good at makeup. marisha: are you? marisha: let's do that. laura: i'm really shit at makeup. taliesin: we could just shower this one that wouldbe enough. laura: he can leave, apparently. liam: yeah, we could. but not town, we were toldto stay in town. laura: no, no, we're going to stay in town.

sam: what are we doing again? laura: we have to find out why there are zombiesso we that don't get arrested for being zombies. sam: so we solve the case to clear our own name. liam: why shouldn't we just wait for it all toblow over? we didn't do anything. taliesin: i tend to find these things don't blow overnecessarily as more they just eventually decide someone's guilty and take their revenge on them. liam: do you find yourself in situations like thisoften? taliesin: not this particular one, but yes. marisha: i mean, look at him. no offense oranything.

taliesin: none taken, really. a little taken, butthat's fine. travis: he makes a point. i think that the soonerwe find the cause of this, the sooner we can get out of here. taliesin: she's right, immediately the two of usare going to get hit with this. sam: if we solve the case we would be absolved.it's not a terrible plan. marisha: and you're so concerned with your goblinfriend. i mean he's in the same boat as the tieflings. liam: that's a girl. laura: i know it's hard to tell.

marisha: i said your goblin friend. laura and laura: you said he. marisha: whatever. sam: listen, we've all had a rough night. i knowthat my features aren't necessarily the most feminine. among goblin kind, i understand. it'shard to tell. laura: i can tell. liam: everybody can tell. marisha: i'm working on it. travis: let's get out of here. can i walk backinto a privy, washroom area?

matt: yeah, upstairs at the very end of the hallis the communal washroom. travis: can i use my mask of many faces to castdisguise self on myself? matt: sure, what form so you want to take? travis: older, white-haired, with a beard. justvery simple peasant's clothes. maybe a bit of a farmer or a land worker. matt: okay, easily enough. basic browns and tansand general farm worker's tunic and supplies. travis: smudges, dirt on the fingernails. matt: yeah, easy enough. laura: i'm going to help beau. you know what i'mgoing to do for you? i'm going to use my disguise

kit i'm going to give you a beard. marisha: oh, yeah! laura: yeah and i'm going to turn you into a dude,that's a good disguise, right? laura. yeah, and a mustache. and a hat. marisha: love it. sam: you really have to sell it though, and actlike a dude. marisha: (low, gravelly voice) i think i can do that. sam: oh yes! marisha: i'm going to go a step further and tapedown my boobs, bandage them down all the way, you

know wrap them. stuff my crotch a little bit. matt: all right. go ahead and make a dexteritycheck. taliesin: do you want assistance with this? laura: was he helping me? matt: if you want to. laura: sure. matt: so take it with advantage. taliesin: oh, with advantage. laura: good. okay, with the advantage. dexterity.15.

matt: 15, okay. you actually manage to sell adecent disguise. marisha: do i have some five o'clock shadow? matt: at a distance, at like three or four feetwould be passable and walking quickly by. upon close inspection, you could see through it. liam: is it like one of those old kids toys whereyou use the magnet to pull the little filings up? matt: more or less. marisha: mr. woolly? matt: a medieval version of that. liam: herr woolly.

matt: but impressive. using the kit and usingwhatever scraps of clothing you can find and amass you manage to get a relatively top-knot silverlakehobo version of beau functionally ready to go. laura: it's good, it's good. marisha: wait fjord how do you sound? say words,you're manly. travis and marisha: manly words. mirror image. igot nuts. laura: and i'll cast disguise self on myself, aswell, and turn myself into a human with blonde hair and she's going to be very clean-looking. sam: angelina. laura: yes! with big lips, and a couple jewels onher fingers.

matt: okay. just double-checking here, disguiseself lasts for, is it an hour? yeah, i thought it was an hour. so while they're doing that, are youusing your disguise kit on yourself? taliesin: i assume i've just got some very basicblack robe that just-- matt: yeah, with a cloak and hood and make-up, youcan probably pass for human as long as you keep the hood up, and keep most of your moreostentatious garb hidden. taliesin: i'm sure i've got a set. matt: go ahead and make a dexterity check for yourdisguise kit. laura: do you want help? taliesin: yes please, this is a lot of work. it'sa natural 20, that'll do it.

matt: all right. between making your skin tonemore of a natural tan, peach humanoid color, bring the hood up. you actually pull some of your hairforward and adhere it a bit around the horns so that it looks almost like a cluster of hair in thefront. you manage to tuck in and tie your robe behind you, your usual clothing, and then using anover-robe to hide most of the material, and you look like a dude passing through. so with thatyour disguises are complete, your spells are cast. marisha: is that your human face? liam: while they're doing all that, i want tostroll outside and see if there's crownsguard outside, or what. i'm just going to get a breathof fresh air and see what's on the street outside of this place.

matt: okay. as you exit, there are two gentlemenin full crownsguard gear. one is standing outside, the other is currently sitting in a chair, and assoon as you walk past, they both scan you up and down, continue to watch you pass by. liam: good. there's only just the two at thedoor? matt: just the two that you can see at the front,yes. liam: okay, all right. so i just take a minute ortwo. i go back inside. and-- on nott's shoulder and say we're good, yeah, i think we're good. sam: excellent. laura: should we try to do this, then?

travis: in twos, or singles. laura: yeah, of course, not all at the same time,that's obvious. travis: level two, trying to get out of a fuckinginn. marisha: it's so hard. taliesin: now i'm kicking myself. marisha: so anxiety-inducing. taliesin: no, never mind, i didn't do it at thetime, i can't do it now. no retconning, never mind. liam: i'm going to squat down over with you,privately. i still think that this is a bad idea,

but i can tell that you want to. sam: well it's just that-- listen, there's nooffense, i enjoy our talks and your schooling and everything, but i haven't talked this openly andfreely with other people in months. it's amazing. liam: it really is pretty nice, isn't it? sam: yes! liam: still, if this goes south, we leave. sam: we're the first ones out the door. liam: easily. sam: yeah. they'll never know who we were.

liam: caleb and nott. sam: well, don't say that too much. i mean, yes,they do know that we're caleb and nott, yes. liam: all right. sam: okay. liam: so we're doing this? sam: yeah, let's just go with, and see where itleads. laura: can i walk up to nott? sam: hi! yes, we weren't talking! laura: (high-pitched) do you like my outfit?

sam: oh! what are you? i'm sorry, i'm just a younggirl from the village. laura: and i'm just a young girl from town. sam: i don't know anything. i should go get myfather. travis: (high-pitched) new york is where i'drather stay! laura: nott, it's me! it's jester! sam: but you look like-- laura: i know! this is how good i am at magic!check me out. are we leaving here or not? sam: are you afraid you'll be propositioned on thestreet? laura: i am really attractive right now.

sam: those lips are very big. laura: i came over here to give you the blessing! sam: what is that? what does that do? laura: it helps you with your stealthing! sam: oh, the stealthy thing, yes, thank you somuch, i'll accept it. laura: you're welcome. okay, that's it. but i'llsee you outside at some point, okay? don't be scared, come up to me. sam and laura: okay. matt: okay, in what order are you leaving?

travis: should i go first? laura: sure! marisha: are we going out in pairs? like you said?(deeper) are we going out in pairs? taliesin: has adelaine noticed any of this? matt: i imagine you guys have been using yourdisguise kits in your own rooms and chambers. other than that, no one immediately seems to benoticing. make a perception check. travis: not command ops in the tavern hall. taliesin: let's call that a-- laura: 14!

taliesin: 14, thank you. matt: you do see yorda, the barkeep, in theprocess of wiping out some glasses at the end, she's occasionally giving a glance over to youguys as you're walking around. laura: (whispering) you go first! travis: you want to come with? travis: don't do anything stupid. mouth shut, eyesforward. show me how you walk. maybe a little less. that's nice. i also assume a little limp,slight. matt: i'll say for the purpose of this, each ofyou make a performance check. laura: oh, god.

travis: 20. marisha: 16. matt: okay. the both of you exit out, holding yourbreath. out of your peripheral you can see the deep reds and golds of the crownsguard armorflanking you as you breach the outer porch of the tavern, stepping down into the dust to the mainstreet. you curve to the left and see nor hear any reaction from either of them. travis: just keep moving to the other side of thestreet. taliesin: i go single just a little bit after, andi rolled a natural 20. sam: is that three for the night?

taliesin: yep. sam: oh my god. travis: what color is that die? taliesin: it seems to be iron, like my will. matt: it may not have been the snitch after all,you asshole. taliesin: me and my magic swords. matt: apparently. all right, you saunter bywithout an issue. by saunter, i mean you stumble through. you hear a cough at one point, and itcauses you a moment, but you just continue on without notice.

laura: oh, everybody's leaving and i didn't have apartner! marisha: it's fine, don't worry about it. sam: you can come with us, if you like. laura: but i feel like you guys are noticeable andwhy would i be this really beautiful woman leaving with the stinky guy? sam: it's quickly becoming canon that you justhave shit smeared all over you. you could travel with me! i could be your daughter. laura: you're my daughter! sam: yes! we're a couple, and he's our guard orsomething, i don't know.

laura: yeah! you leave after us caleb, okay? liam: isn't it simpler for you to walk on yourselflike a beautiful woman? laura: no, me and nott are going to go together.okay, come on, nott! sam: i'm sorry, she's very forward. laura: come on sweetie, let's go. sam: yes, mommy! laura: and we walk out. matt: you guys don't have to make a performancecheck because you've exited before, and you're completely visually a different individual, so youguys pass through without an issue. caleb, you can

follow up behind, as you are not currently underdirect guard in the tavern. they do notice you exit, and they're aware of your presence, but youare not confined to the tavern. so you guys all manage to slowly come together a few blocks downand out of the sight of the crownsguard guarding the nestled nook inn, and where are you off to? laura: we did it! where should we go? travis: let's just keep walking for now. laura: okay. should we walk toward the carnivalwhere the zombies were? taliesin: who was he, would be my question. laura: oh, right. we should find out where he'sfrom. how do we do that? should we ask around and

say hey, anybody know where the old guy came fromthat turned into a zombie? travis: that's a good point. taliesin: seems to be the most appropriate thingto ask at this point. liam: well, we could find some public places andjust gossip a bit, see if anybody has heard of him, if a friend has died at the circus lastnight. marisha: i mean, you mentioned no sick people. ifhe was sick, sometimes that word gets around. travis: maybe there is a morgue, maybe theyrecognized him. taliesin: these small towns, most everyone knowseverybody else. laura: let's go to, is there a market area?

matt: they don't have a large bazaar, but there isan area that is generally where a lot of the simple wares and vegetables and meats and peoplewho sell small things that they craft their own at, it's a small market. if you want to make aninvestigation check. laura: 16. matt: okay, by going around asking questions andinquiring and trying to prod people to talk about what transpired the night before, the informationyou gather involves the man who passed away. his name is enon brinjay. liam: grimjay? matt: brinjay. he's a standard human being in hisearly 80s. he's old, but healthy, it seemed.

travis: was he in good health? matt: seemed to be in good health for his age. liam: so our war against the old continues. matt: apparently. taliesin: we're the logan's run of d&d. matt: he seemed to have been retired for quitesome time, but had been making little bits here and there, helping the fishermen move fish to andfrom the outside of the lake. he wasn't really well known. the reason people are talking abouthim now is because the word is gotten around and gossiped about, but for the most part, he was oneof the many faceless people that live in the town.

a handful knew his name. taliesin: retired fisherman? marisha: he was helping. taliesin: do we know where he was retired from andwhere he was staying, maybe where he was drinking? he had to go somewhere. matt: actually, he was known often to be drinkingat the old mud hole tavern. taliesin: is that with the weird "e" spelling? matt: no, just "old." taliesin: i'm always a fan.

laura: "ye olde." taliesin: "ye olde" it's pronounced "the" when yousee the ye. travis: i should point out this is the secondconnection to the ustaloch. taliesin: the what? travis: well, before we met up with you two, wefought off a wicked, sick water snake. laura: it came up out of the lake for somereason. taliesin: is this a metaphor or is this actually areal thing? laura: it really happened. i almost died. marisha: i punched a snake to death.

laura: she did. sam: there were the snakes in the circus lastnight, but it wasn't related to the attack, i suppose. laura: a little different. liam: how long of a snake are we talking about? marisha: oh, it was a giant water snake, then thelittle girls were complaining about more and more instances of these snakes coming out of the lake. sam: and this fellow who died worked with thefishermen in the lake? laura: well, he took some jobs with them. didanybody see him the day of the carnival? was he

working with anyone that day? matt: you don't find any of that information. thatwould be an intense investigation. you would have to go beyond asking questions around a market. sam: is the lake within the city limits? matt: it's technically considered part of thecity. it might not be an issue. laura: where's ye olde mud hole tavern at? matt: the mud hole tavern, you've been to before. taliesin: i was doing my rounds. matt: yeah, when you first entered the city, soyou can--

marisha: the lochward, is that what we're talkingabout? matt: the lochward is where the old mud hole wouldbe at. the lochward is to the eastern side of the entire city. the lochward is the central one. liam: the wards border the lake. matt: so you make your way to the old mud hole.entering inside, this is a dark dive of a bar, you've been there once before. it smells heavilyof old, wet wood, ale stains, and peanut. it's a very small area and of the four tables that arethere, they are mostly empty, except for one old man who is sitting there in the process of playinga game of solitaire with his cards and a man in his 30s thumbing through a book, who would be thebarkeep if there were more patrons at the moment.

he's flipping through and glances up and gives youa look as you enter. "can i help you? are you "looking for drinks? can i get you anything?" liam: yeah, i would really love a drink and i sitdown next to him. what do you have? i need something heavier than a trost. i've had enoughtrosts to last me a lifetime. matt: "we have liquor." liam: i will take your liquor. matt: "i will get some whiskey for you then.whiskey, everyone?" sam: two please. laura: it's okay. she's my daughter. she loveswhiskey. i don't even remember what voice i was doing.

(laughing) matt: make a deception check. laura: i let her have any whiskey she wants. oh,that's pretty good. 17. taliesin: we've been doing a pub crawl. matt: he goes and lines up a few small containers,fills whiskey for all of you. "all right, that "will be eight silver for the batch." liam: i have that. i pull out eight silver. ohwait, silver, did you say? i do not have eight silver. laura: it's okay. i have it.

liam: you do? laura: sure. (high-pitched voice) i mean, sure. matt: he takes the silver and puts it away, slidesthe drinks to the rest of you and goes back to his book and starts thumbing through again. liam: honestly, it's been a terrible 24 hours. wewere at the circus last night and i did not know him well, but old man brinjay fell. matt: he looks up and goes, "enon, it's sad to seehim go and many of us were wondering what day it "was going to be." liam: did you know him?

matt: "he came in here most every day to drink.he's a lonely man." liam: it was a terrible way to go. i'm sorry. matt: "doesn't bother me one way or the other.just sad to lose a patron." laura: do you know who was talking to him the dayof the carnival? matt: "i don't recall. sometimes he would tellstories to whoever was willing to listen and not "most were willing to listen." laura: was he here that day? matt: "yesterday?" matt: "i think he came in briefly for a drinkbefore the carnival, but that was it."

marisha: you know, we should drink to old storiesof brinjay. travis: (shushes) taliesin: i down my shot. what did the man drinkout of curiosity? what was his final drink? i'm a bit of a macabre person myself. matt: "it's this very whiskey you just had." taliesin: i'll take one more, and i'll get one ofmy own. liam: i heard he was sick, too. matt: "i don't believe he was ill. i hope not. heseemed to be rather wasting away. you shouldn't be doing so much manual labor at that age."

sam: what labor was he doing? matt: "he carries stuff around from small tasksto-- sam: down at the docks? matt: "the docks, up at the north ward. he carriedcrates, boxes. just odd jobs, ways to get by 'til "the end of his days, which now that they've come,may he rest and not have to do odd jobs ever "again." he pours his own bit of whiskey. all: cheers. laura: do you know who he was doing odd jobs forthat day? sam: your lady voice is worse than mine.

matt: "to be honest, if he did, i wasn't payingattention." liam: i'm sure his family will miss him verymuch. matt: "there's nobody nearby. he had a son about35 years ago, but he got married and went up "north." travis: did he work for any of the particularbreweries around? matt: "i don't know. maybe." marisha: brinjay. laura: where did he sit in here? matt: he points over to the not the table the guyis playing solitaire on, but the empty table to

the right of him. "usually right there in thecorner." laura: i go sit in the corner. i'm going to lookfor anything i can find that looks like an old man was touching it. matt: okay, make an investigation check. laura: okay. i'm really good at these. 12. matt: 12. it looks like probably old persontouching has been all over here. yes. the table is very old and warped in places, stains all over it.it's not a very good table. it's seen some rough days. travis: if we were to go down to the docks and askafter a few people he worked with, is there anyone

you know that we should speak to, familiar ofhis? matt: "i apologize. i served him drinks andpretended to listen to him many times, but i "wasn't really paying attention." travis: i understand that. marisha: is there anyone who did? that wasn'thypothetical. matt: "maybe. i apologize. i spend most of my daysreading." he lifts the book. marisha: what's the book? sam: you read! liam: subtle, guys.

taliesin: we got a reader. while they're doingthis, i'm going to saunter over to the card player. liam: can i see what's on the spine of that bookfrom where i am? matt: at a glance at it, it's in zemnian, whichyou can read. the translation would come about to the rosed embrace. marisha: a romance novel. matt: probably. laura: is fabio on the cover? liam: how's your trashy novel? is it a good one? nojudgement.

matt: "it's not trashy. it's very tasteful." liam: oh no, i'm fluent in zemnian. i've read allof his works. matt: "have you?" liam: mutual fan. matt: "i didn't realize there was another samuelfan in here. which is your favorite?" liam: i love the farthing's embrace. matt: "i haven't read that one." liam: it's an early one. he actually did it undera pseudonym. he did a whole series under that pseudonym, short stories.

matt: "what is it again?" he goes over and grabs apiece of chalk in the back and starts, "it was--?" liam: farthing's embrace. matt: "mein gott, i did not know about this. i mayhave to send out zadash and see if we can find "some of those books. thank you." liam: you're a big reader or just samuel? matt: "just recently samuel. i read on occasion.it depends on what you can find." liam: i read a lot, but all i've been able to findin this town is that parchment place. matt: "the parchment place is good for trash. ifyou're looking for unique stuff, there's a few "places you can go."

liam: here in town? matt: "here in town, yeah. if you're having a hardtime finding a specific book, i would recommend "going to burnished bibelots." liam: burnished bibelots. which ward is that in? matt: "that is in the north ward, just on theoutskirts of the main market street. it's a bit of "a cluttered mess, but oglen would be happy to helpyou. liam: oglen? matt: "oglen." liam: that is good to know. thank you.

matt: "not to worry." liam: those are hard to find, the farthing'sembrace. matt: "i imagine so. it can't be that bad." liam: he wasn't as proud of them. early work andall that. matt: "of course. i have a contact in rexxentrum.if i cannot find it in zadash, i will get it from rexxentrum." liam: that would be the place. matt: "what's your name?" liam: my name is caleb. matt: "caleb. pleasure to meet you. i am vosna."

travis: thank you for the drink, vosna. i'll betaking my leave now. matt: "of course. if anybody else is a reader aswell, come by and talk sometime." taliesin: not there at all. liam: this has been quite a day. laura: is there pictures?(in high-pitched voice) is there pictures? matt: "pictures are up in here." laura: oh. sounds exciting. liam: i sneak my undrunk whiskey to nott. sam: i take out my flask from my leg, unscrew it,and pour it in.

laura: what do you guys think? should we stayhere? should we go somewhere else? travis: we got to get molly. taliesin: i just sat down for a moment with thissolitaire player. matt: correct. taliesin: they say that solitaire is the game forthe death-obsessed. there's inevitability to every hand, most of them are doomed from the start nomatter what you do. any interest to buck fate and try your hand at an opponent for once? no money,just friendly. i slide the rest of my whiskey over. matt: "are you a devil?"

taliesin: i've been called worse. matt: "i don't play with devils." taliesin: i'm just a man who saw another man dieyesterday. it's been heavy on my conscience and i was just wondering if there was anything you couldtell me about enon. matt: "enon wanted to go to that bloody circus." taliesin: i'm regretting it myself. matt: "i told him not to go. stupid, it is for thecommon folk and the young. he's always had his "head in the clouds." taliesin: has he? that's not what other peoplehave said.

matt: "other people are stupid." taliesin: why do you think he went? why do youthink that happened to him? matt: "he's lonely. don't trust the carnival.nothing but spooks and magicians and things that "want to take your life and take your money, takeyour family, whisk you away. fuck the circus." taliesin: fuck the circus. so that's what youthink happened to him, then? i feel like there's something evil afoot. matt: "says the devil." taliesin: again, i've been called worse. sure youhave in your time, as well. matt: he takes the drink, sips it. "don't come'round here no more."

taliesin: i take my cup back. down it. i lovesmall towns. marisha: shithead. travis: we head outside. well, that wasrevealing. sam: was it? marisha: we learned a few things, actually. he's aprime target. perfect victim, perfect candidate. no one really paid attention to him, he was old,he had no family, his son's gone. taliesin: awfully convenient. marisha: awfully convenient. still awfullyconvenient that your little circus doesn't allow the elderly, which you never fully explained, andhe happened to be one of the oldest people in that

circus. where did that rule come from?the sick makes sense, i asked you that before, but why elderly? taliesin: that rule's been around for as long as ican remember because it makes people think the show's dangerous. gives them a thrill. travis: you're worried about them having a heartattack or something? taliesin: we're not really worried about peoplehaving a heart attack; we want people to be worried about having a heart attack, because thenthey're more excited to come see the show. this is how these shows work. marisha: do you know who implemented that rule?

taliesin: before my time. laura: in his defense, every carnival i've gone tohas said no sick people, no old people. taliesin: it's a boilerplate. marisha: still a good candidate. taliesin: if you were trying to hide doingsomething to someone it's a great candidate. if i was trying to get away with something, terribleidea. marisha: or if you were trying to frame someone.seems to be a lot of pretty bigoted people in this town who don't like tieflings and other strangelots. jester, you actually said one of the smartest things of the night, which is-- you did,yeah. which is, guard's really weird.

laura: right? taliesin: wait, what? laura: the guards are really weird. marisha: the crownsguards. as you were saying, theustaloch? taliesin: what kind of weird? laura: like, you know, they-- what kind of weird? marisha: they seem to be the one connectingthrough-line. also, what's her name, norda? mentioned that she didn't want to let you lot in,but made an exception. i don't know, if i wanted to do something, and if i already knew a bunch ofpeople were upset and angry at a circus and

strange people coming in, it's easy framing, in myopinion. travis: she makes a valid point, actually. laura. oh. if people are scared of carnivals, theywon't want them in the future. travis: bingo. marisha: that, or if you're up to no good and youdon't want to get caught, blame it on the easy frame. the weirdos who just rolled into town. laura: great, so we just need to investigate theguards. travis: that might be harder to do. maybe we godown to the lochward. taliesin: start at the docks, but i'll keep thatin mind.

marisha: i don't know, it might not be theguards. there might be another through-line that we're missing. laura: do we need to question the guards? sam: that sounds terrible. laura: maybe we should tell them they can't leavetown. marisha: ooh, that's a good idea, yeah! maybe whenthey question us-- laura: we turn it around! marisha and laura: yeah! marisha: i like that.

taliesin: i was about-- nope, nevermind. taliesin: i was about to be very impressed, but itake it back. marisha: aw. travis: how far is it from where we are to thelochward? matt: you guys are technically in the lochward.it's a quick jaunt over to the edge of the ustaloch. marisha: so the ustaloch is the docks? it's whatthey called the ward, or it's the lake? matt: it's the giant lake that the docks are upagainst. the city is built against this giant, kidney bean-shaped lake. marisha: what does "usta" mean? what does "usta"come from?

matt: do you speak zemnian? marisha: you speak zemnian. liam: i do speak zemnian. taliesin: what does "usta" mean? liam: it means-- matt: do you know? liam: do i know? matt: i just wanted to fuck with you. liam: it's been a while, but osten means lake. no,it's not lake lake.

matt: essentially, it just means "an east lake." liam and marisha: east lake. taliesin: very good. matt: not too complicated. marisha: all right. taliesin: i'd like to avoid the guards for as longas possible. marisha: agreed. travis: let's head down to the docks. keeping aneye out for crownsguard. matt: as you guys make your way towards theustaloch and the dockward there, we'll go and take

a break. we'll be back in a few minutes. we'llcontinue to unveil this mystery. sam: this is exciting. gripping. matt: indeed. i suppose. little low level mysteryhere. we'll see where this goes. all right guys, back here in a few minutes. we're going to take aquick restroom break, pick it up from here. we have video at the break for this week's contest,so if you're watching on twitch, feel free to go ahead and pay attention to get the password andenter this contest, and we'll have the victor at the end of the break. we'll be back here in a fewminutes, and we'll see you then. [break] matt: welcome back, everyone. before we dive in,real fast, we do have a winner from the chat.

thanks, sam. congratulations to avilynrain,avilynrain in the twitch chat! you won the awesome wyrmwood prize package. danoba will be in contactwith you to get your contact information and get that sent out to you. congratulations. marisha: i love how we just went through everyrain song in about 30 seconds. matt: yeah we did! most of them. as you guys makeyour way across the streets of the lochward, you find yourself to the docks, which are about fiveor six main dock structures that protrude anywhere from ten to 30 or so feet into the loch itself.there are no major ships. the biggest river that exits the loch heads towards the mountains, sothere is no direct path to the inlet. all the boats in here are small fishermen's boats; they'redesigned specifically for the lake, for freshwater

fishing and whatever needs to be transferred frombank to bank. as you approach, you can see a good amount of the boats are still out on the water.you can look out and see the outline of them against the horizon. you see a couple of smalllandmasses in the center of the loch, that are barely out of view. you approach, and the firstcouple of fishermen that walk past you both look to be hardened in their years. their skin is verybattered by the sun, it's wrinkled and dark from constant beating of the sky upon them. they glanceover at this unique-looking troupe as they approach. they stop and don't say anything, theyjust look at you like "what are you doing here?" laura: do we still have disguise self up? matt: you have it for maybe ten more minutes.

marisha: oh shit. travis: do we see any king's guard? crownsguard? matt: crownsguard? make a perception check. laura: 11. travis: 11, same. matt: glancing about, you don't see anycrownsguard in the immediate vicinity of the lochward. you've seen them, they patrol the townand walk through, ward to ward, but you don't see any at the moment, no. laura: looks like we're ahead of them in theinvestigation.

marisha: hey, jester. do you happen to rememberthe name of that guy whose daughter we saved from the snake? laura: oh shit. laura: let's see if i wrote it down in mysketchbook. marisha: yeah, because i didn't write it down. laura: king bertrand? travis: no. laura: okay. what about-- no, i know that guy.nope, i didn't. marisha: damn it.

matt: you remember where he lives, mostly, becauseyou were there. laura: we could go by there. marisha: we could go by. he seems to like us. laura: he worked out there, right? marisha and laura: yeah. matt: you guys make your way along the edge of theloch to the outside of the fisherman's house. the house is currently being repaired. you can see inthe main doorway, the door is off the hinges, and there's a large pile of ruined furniture andcabinets that have been shifted out of the building. you can also see a long serpentinebody that is currently being skinned by a younger

man, probably 14 or 15. he's in the process ofcarving the skin off of it. this thing is about 20 to 25 feet long. marisha: that's the snake i punched. liam: that's your work? that's impressive. youtook it all by yourself? marisha: well, no. they helped me. i'm not anegomaniac. they fucking helped me. liam: but i saw your guns last night. you probablytook the lead. marisha: give credit to the whole damn group, moveon. travis: flattery got you nowhere. taliesin: i'm comparing the snake to the snakethat's tattooed on my hand to try and get the

heads to be the exact same size. liam: we have been in the woods for too long. i'veforgotten how to talk to people. sam: your game is really suffering. marisha: thanks for the damn compliment. matt: as you approach, the young man with thislarge, sharpened knife-- it looks like it may have been a heavy butchering knife that he's using tofillet and pull the skin off the snake. looks back at you guys and doesn't know what's going on. youhear a voice go, "hey!" you look up and you see the fisherman that you saw before, the one whocame to you guys in the tavern. he's up on top of the roof, and he's currently boarding someportions of it. it looks like a part of the roof

had been damaged in the fray. he goes, "hold on,"gets up, and comes down the ladder on the side and approaches. you can see he's sweating. "i'm sosorry, i didn't know you were coming. what can i "do for you?" marisha: sorry for dropping in. laura: do we look like ourselves yet? matt: no, actually. this is an interesting point. travis: damn it. sam: wait. none of you look the same. matt: that's right, no, thank you for remindingme. he comes out and he goes, "how can i help

"you?" laura: it's us! marisha: yeah, it's me. i pull the hat off andpull my hair up. it's beauregard. we killed your snake? laura: (in normal voice) pretend that i don'ttalk-- (in human accent) pretend that i don't talk like this. travis: fuck it, i drop disguise self. matt: he goes,"ah!" travis: i'm sorry to deceive you.

matt: i'm very confused. marisha: oh no. don't worry about it. what wasyour name, friend? matt: "rinaldo." marisha: rinaldo! that's what it was. i knew itwas an r! okay, rinaldo. travis: rinaldo, this snake that was in your houseis not the only strange occurrence that's been happening. we're trying to find out the cause ofit. have you seen anything else like this in the time that's passed? matt: "no, we've been doing repairs on the houseand getting everything underway. this is the first "thing that's come on this side. most of them livetoward the center of the lake and stay underwater.

"it's been two in the last few months that havecome up. it's a bit of a nuisance." laura: have you seen any zombies coming out of thelake? matt: "zombies? what are you talking about?" travis: we're asking after a man that helped downat the docks, named enon. have you heard of him? matt: "enon?" travis: enon. matt: "yeah, i worked with him a couple times. hecomes through, looking for work, asking to see what's available." liam: you obviously have not heard the news fromthe traveling circus in town. from last night.

matt: "no. that's the big blue tent, right?" liam: that's correct. matt: "no, what's going on?" laura: (whispering) enon turned into a zombie. sam: what? laura: (louder) enon turned into a zombie!(whispering) and was killed. matt: "i'm sorry to hear that. that's terrible.wow, that's really terrible. i'm sorry." travis: we were trying to see if he might haveworked with people that might have known what he was doing that day, earlier.

matt: "i haven't seen him at the docks in a while.not for a week, at least." travis and laura: really? liam: is there anything out of the ordinary fromthe past week or two that comes to mind? anything off about the run-of-the-mill stuff? matt: "other than a giant fucking snake ruining myhouse, but not that comes to mind, no. circus "coming into town, that's a little weird." travis: i see you're skinning the beast. can i askwhy? matt: "i'm not going to let it go to waste. that'ssome good meat. some good skin." marisha: you mentioned the circus coming to townas weird. why?

matt: "because there's a circus in town." liam: he just means out of the ordinary, yeah? matt: "yeah. we don't get many shows and travelingfolk. last time this was here, a year ago, it came "and went in a week." sam: you said you hadn't seen this-- hi. you saidyou hadn't seen this person in a week? was that unusual? matt: "no. i didn't keep up with him. he camethrough every now and then. i had a little cash "and needed some help hauling things around. iasked for his assistance. he was an old fella, and "it was less that he was helpful and more that wewanted to help when we could."

travis: if we went down to the docks where heworked, is there anyone that we should ask for, to speak to, who might have known him better? matt: "your guess is as good as mine. to be fair,although we're a community, we're also relatively "competitive. you understand." travis: i do. taliesin: you think anyone would have wanted himmarked or harmed in some way? matt: "i don't think so. he's an old man. ihaven't seen or heard anyone-- his disposition "seemed positive enough, if a little sad andlonely." travis: if you think of anything, or if you hearanyone speak about him, you can find us at the

nestled nook inn. we'd appreciate anything, if ithappens to reach your ears. matt: "of course. let me finish up here with theroof and i'll ask around, see if anything comes up." travis: much obliged. marisha: how's your little girl doing? sorry, icover my beard. matt: "it just wasn't expected." marisha: sorry. matt: "no, she's doing great. she's been a littlespooked, but she slept well last night. she's "doing fine. thank you again for what you guys didfor me." laura: you're welcome.

sam: what? for what? laura: we saved a little girl! sam: oh yes, that's right. laura: if you see any zombies, please let usknow. matt: "i will. you were so kind to help me when isaw a snake, i figure if i see a zombie, you'd "also be helpful." laura: we would, definitely. we already killed azombie too! taliesin: this is just a snake. this is a big,weird snake i'm looking at? matt: you can inspect it if you want.

taliesin: no, i've been looking at the snake thisentire time. laura: oh, we have one of its fangs. i pulled itout. matt: make a nature check. sam: ooh, don't do those much either. marisha: i have a fang too, right? taliesin: nine. matt: nine? you don't know much about snakebiology. it's hard to tell if it's out of the ordinary. it's just a big snake. taliesin: looks like mine.

laura: only bigger. taliesin: much bigger. travis: shall we? laura: fuck. sure. sam: we are the best detectives ever. laura: i feel like we are really doing bad at thisdetective thing. travis: we should probably wrap up whatever we'redoing. i imagine they're going to come by the inn soon and try and speak with us. not you two. sam: we didn't leave any sort of ferris bueller-ything?

travis: nope. no stuffed beds, no recordings onthe old vhs. matt: what are you guys doing? where are yougoing? sam: is there anywhere else that we need toinspect? the carnival or more docks stuff? laura: i feel like going back to the carnival isprobably a bad idea. taliesin: i'd say the docks are his home, if wecould figure out where he lived. sam: where he was last seen. taliesin: he was last seen at the circus! laura: rinaldo! matt: "yeah?"

laura: do you know where enon lives? matt: "i can't say i do. i'm sorry. my apologies.wish i could be of more help." laura: it's okay. taliesin: you don't happen to know what happenedto his son, by any chance? matt: "i didn't even know he had a son." laura: see? we're better investigators than thisguy. sam: but he's not trying to investigate! taliesin: i take the compliment. i'm putting it mypocket. i'm keeping it for later. matt: he climbs back up the ladder to the roof.

marisha: i'm starting to think that followingenon's story isn't necessarily going to lead us here. he seems like a random victim. laura: hey, 14 year old kid! matt: he has this puffy red 'fro going on. helooks pale, fresh to this, scrawny. he's stopped drawing his blade across the snake. "yeah?" laura: do you live here? matt: "no, i live about three houses up." laura: did you go to the carnival? matt: "last night? yeah, i was there."

laura: okay, where were you at the carnival? matt: "i actually snuck in under the tent after ithad started." laura: right, that's a good thing. were you closeto enon? in the show. were you on that side or the other side? did you see the zombie? matt: "i saw him a little bit. he was in the frontand i had people in front of me, but i think i saw "some of it. it was pretty cool." laura: it was kind of crazy, right? have you heardany ghost stories around town lately? about scary things happening? matt: "my grandma told me a ghost story years agoabout these giant badger creatures that live on

"the hills of the ashkeeper that can stand up ontheir hind legs, and they come down and they eat "kids that don't go to bed in time." laura: oh shit. those guys are scary, i've heardof them. you should be really careful. have you heard anything about zombies? matt: "no, not since that." liam: what's up? laura: caleb has seen some shit. matt: "i have to finish the--" laura: hey, listen, if you hear any other ghoststories, you come and find us, okay?

matt: "okay." laura: all right. marisha: are we just going from person to personin town telling them to come find us? sam: we are really terrible at this! taliesin: well, she's making friends witheverybody. i don't see any of you making friends. travis: i'm a little concerned that we've beengone for a while. marisha: yeah, maybe we should get back. travis: maybe let these two, that aren't underhouse arrest-- sam: continue the investigation? or go back?

travis: no, continue. i mean, if you're up forit. sam: yeah, yeah, we'll be a regular-- liam: yeah, we've done nothing wrong. we're notsweating it. i'm not sweating-- laura: yeah, i believe you completely. that wasvery believable. i'm going to give you another blessing before you leave, okay? liam: what are you talking about? none of us didanything. none of us! we protected the people of this town! laura: it's true. liam: it is true.

laura: i know. liam: that's easy. let's go solve a mystery,nott. taliesin: were you being sarcastic-- oh, no youweren't, okay. catching up on that. marisha: so, kids don't know anything about this,old people don't know anything about this-- travis: tavern-keeper doesn't know anything aboutthis. taliesin: only the pure of heart make their answerout of riddles. back to the tavern. marisha: but pure of heart! still going back tothe guards thing! back to the tavern, let's go. sam: were we just on the docks? matt: yeah, you guys were at the docks.

liam: we came up with bupkus. laura: we didn't ask anybody, we went straight tothe house. sam: okay, we'll walk around the docks and lookfor-- travis: we'll see you back at the inn. laura: should we run back, or should we saunterback? taliesin: you're going to probably, you know,poof. marisha: yeah, how much time does she have? liam: about a minute? matt: yeah, it's about to fade.

laura: yeah, i figured it had already happenedprobably midway talking to the kid. marisha: maybe super stealthily back? laura: all right. i put my hood up. taliesin: i can maybe put a rope through thewindow. marisha: yeah, that's a good idea. laura: is it a two-story? matt: it's a two-story. you guys are up in thesecond story. taliesin: i got rope. laura: let's do that, yeah. we'll sneak around theback of the inn, and try to climb up the upstairs

window. travis: i can keep them busy at the front door. taliesin: i'll go through the front like a properperson. matt: all right, so you guys are setting up a ropeto climb up the back? you go in, on your own, up to the top, you put a rope through-- marisha: fjord's distracting. laura: in the front. then we're going to try tosneak-- taliesin: right, and then i'm going to drop someof the rope out the back window for them. matt: easy enough to do, so those of you who wantto wait and can take the rope up, you wait for a

moment where nobody's watching and climb your wayup into the inn safely and get to your rooms. you two, what are you doing? taliesin: (singing) 50 feet of hemp rope, it's astandard! liam: hey kiddo, do you want a piggy-back? sam: sure, that sounds like a good idea. liam: scramble up, let's go talk to some people. sam: all right, i'll jump on caleb's back. liam: i'll wander down to where people areworking. where people are moving crates around. marisha: he's on caleb's back!

matt: okay, that would be probably closer to thenorthward. liam: okay, so that's the plan, is to look forpeople moving crap around, the same way that enon is said to have. so that's what we'll do. sam: shall i help, or no? liam: not that great. matt: you aiding him would give him an advantagein the roll. liam: oh! that didn't help. 12 for me. matt: you take a couple hours wandering throughthe northward, asking questions, and most of the information you get is, they have no idea who thatis, or like, "ah, he died? it's about time."

liam: and there's no point even asking questionsbecause we've asked them all for two hours, yeah? matt: i'd say yeah, based on that roll. liam: okay, well that's a big zero. you want to gobook shopping with me? sam: sure! liam: okay. i believe that gentleman said that theburnished bibliots was in the northward, correct? matt: i believe you are correct. yeah, it's in thesouthern portion of the northward by where it borders the lochward. liam: okay, so i'll start asking questions to getus there. matt: easily enough. you eventually are led to it,and you come to a closet that's affixed to another

building. the wood used are almost driftwood andheavily weathered, and the front door is closed as you approach. it looks like a glorified storageshed that has been bolted and put up against another structure. liam: all right, well i will walk up to the doorand knock on it. matt: okay. (knocks) no response. liam: is there any breaks in the door or thebuilding or cracks that frumpkin could fit into? matt: visual glance, there look like there's thatspace underneath the door. probably not enough for a cat to slip through. liam: are there any windows or anything or is itall a big, dirty, dingy mess?

matt: there are windows, but if you look at theback of the windows all you see is scraps of material, stacks of books, piles of boxes andcrates, it's literally blocked out with things stacked up against it from the interior. liam: how busy is the front of this place? matt: not busy at all, it's just the two of you,right now, standing at the front door. liam: no one's around us, though? matt: it's not on the main street, it's a littlepushed back, recessed about ten or 15 feet from the main road so there's no one immediately aroundyou. but there are people walking back and forth on the road behind but you're out in the open, perse.

sam: and no one's coming to the door? matt: no one's come to the door yet, no. sam: want me to break in? liam: yes. no. [knocking] matt: okay. a moment passes and you hear, "holdon!" the door opens. it was open. there's the sound of heavy sacks go tumbling down to theinterior of it and you glance around and you hear a voice go, "can i help you?" liam: hello?

matt: you look down, and there's thiscrotchety-looking scrawny old gnome who's sitting there in the doorway. he's got this vibrant puff,like a cotton ball, of hair around his head. but it's this perfect "u" of bald on top. no glasses,eyes are very small and beady, and he has this bulbous, round nose at the front with this littlebit of a tuft of chin white hair that matches the cotton ball tuft on the sides. he's sitting thereclutching the top of the knob on the inside which is actually affixed shorter on the door and hegoes, "well come in." liam: yes please, you're open for business i takeit. matt: "always open, come on in." matt: turns around and musters his way inside. assoon as you step in the door and look around, this

place looks like an episode of hoarders. it isjust floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, stacks of anything and everything: knick-knacks, smallstuffed animals, toys, books, glasses, and goblets. it is the biggest, crammed flea-marketinto a small shed-like space you've seen. sam: i start unscrewing my flask. liam: frumpkin climbs back up onto nott's shoulderand nestles in. matt: (meowing) liam: i am scouting the city for books, i amstarved for books. matt: "well we've got books here." liam: yes sir, i'm sorry what is your name?

matt: "oglen. oglen hornsblower." liam: oglen hornsblower. matt: "and welcome to my collection. you want tobuy something, let me know." liam: well i see you sell a great many things inhere, books included. this is just things you've collected throughout your lifetime? matt: "right. boughten, traded for, found." liam: i don't know what you just said, but i aminterested in books. particularly in the arcane realm, but any kind of book. do you have anythingthat you just outright know is out of the ordinary?

matt: "i'm sure we've got a few. look around! seewhat you find. it's half the fun, half the "journey." liam: all right, friend, let's-- it's likewinter's crest morning for me and i'm scanning the shelves. sam: can you give me something to look for? todistract me and give me a mission to go on, please? liam: yes. you want to find some sort of tool thathelps you do what you do best. liam: investigation check, that is a 21. matt: 21?

sam: i rolled a 21 investigation check. sam: i'm just looking for baubles to steal. matt: all right. in thumbing through, there areplenty of books that, within a first glance, "this is not of interest to me." you have to move thingsout of the way and push things aside. the smell in there is dusty and moldy and you do find there is some subtle water damage and some mildew growing in one far corner and you're like ugh, put thatback. however, you rolled really high. two things catch your eye. one, there appears to be theremnants of some sort of notebook, a sketchbook that is written in a language you do notunderstand-- what languages do you know?

liam: well, off the bat, i don't know where thatis in d&d beyond yet. but if i open up my binder i bet i have a paper version that i can verify with.i speak sylvan, common, and celestial and i also can comprehend languages as a ritual spell but ithink that takes some time. matt: it does take ten minutes. liam: ten minutes. matt: but you glance through the book, and whileyou cannot read the text you do recognize that there are elements at the back of the book thathave a hint of arcane nature. that's one of two books you find with that roll. sam: it's like the adult section for him.

matt: i know. the second book you find is writtenin zemnian, which you can read. matt: the title translates to fiends of folklore. liam: i'm so happy. you have quite a shop here. matt: "i know i do!" liam: you have some real treasures. i'mparticularly interested in both of these books. matt: "good choices, good choices." liam: i don't know though, i don't think that-- imean i'm rather tight on coin at the moment so-- matt: "that's too bad." liam: maybe my eyes are too big for my stomach.

matt: he's pulling the books away from you. liam: how much would you part with these for? matt: (sniffs) he holds of the fiends of folklorebook, "three gold pieces. this one, (sniffs)-- "ten gold pieces." liam: which one is which? matt: the fiends of folklore is the three, theother tome. liam: the arcane, weird one. matt: you're not quite sure what's in it. liam: okay. would you have any interest in a magiccat?

matt: "i'm sorry?" liam: frumpkin disappears from on nott's shoulder.reappears next to the little man. matt: (yelps) he like throws the books and grabsnearby this large sack and starts-- angrily beating the cat. liam: i'll take that as a no! travis: childhood cat, destroyed! matt: he does hit frumpkin. frumpkin takes onepoint of bludgeoning damage. liam: that might be it, i don't really know. ididn't think that this would happen so quickly. travis: faced with our own mortality.

laura: frumpkin point two. marisha: yeah, he updates overnight as long ashe's plugged in, right? liam: hold on, i have to see if frumpkin is stillhere. travis: must be plugged in and connected to wifi. marisha: type in your passcode if you agree to theterms. liam: one hit point of damage? matt: yes. liam: he's still here. matt: there you go. frumpkin immediately darts offjumps on your shoulder, turns around and

(hisses). liam: so you don't like cats, i understand that. matt: "sorry, it caught me off-guard." liam: well i was trying to sample the merchandisefor you. because if it was just a cat it was just a cat, but this one-- changes to my othershoulder-- he's a magic cat. liam: you can roll him in mud, he comes backclean. he disappears, he reappears, he brings you things. matt: "can you make him go away?" liam: gone.

matt: "thank you. now we can continue to talkmoney." liam: here's what i propose. i do not have tengold at the moment. but it doesn't feel like you get a lot of thoroughfare here, so i'm going tocome back to purchase this later. that's it. that's the end of my spiel; that's all i've got.i'm interested, and thank you for giving me the time. matt: "of course. sorry about your cat, friend." liam: it's okay. nott? sam: have i heard all of this conversation? matt: you've been hearing all of it, but you'vealso found, amongst the chaos, a brass baby bottle

that's fairly dented, but it's very shiny andpolished, you can already see on the inside. you find a new flask, actually. it's very tarnished,but you spit and rub it a little bit. it looks to be of very fine metallic material. you're notentirely sure, you'd have to clean it, but it looks like very nice quality material. sam: all right. i'll try to trade my flask withthat flask. matt: make a sleight of hand check. travis: indiana jones style. sam: 22! taliesin: how?!

sam: wait. more. no, that's right. 22. matt: now, your flask, which still has liquor init, is left behind for the empty flask you receive. however, without an instance of anyoneeven paying attention. it is yours. you can write in your inventory you are now the owner of aplatinum flask. all: ooh! sam: shit! okay! it's a baby bottle, or maybe arattle? what'd you say? matt: baby bottle. looks like it was used as abottle for a very upper-class family. taliesin: you're already so ahead, though! sam: i know. but i can't resist. i'll try to takeone more look and pocket that as well.

matt: make another sleight of hand check, please. sam: 20. matt: it just vanishes into your cloak! it's thecraziest thing! it was there and it's gone! travis: yes! sam: are we going to leave now? should we leave? ithink we should leave. maybe we should go. do you need some money? i could lend you some money, ifyou want. liam: maybe we'll come back tomorrow. sam: all right. lovely place you got here! liam: piggyback?

sam: yes, please! matt: "i'll hold these books for you! come backwhen you can!" liam: within the week, i promise. matt: "all right. have a good day, little girl!" sam: i will! matt: you guys exit the building. sam: i'm sorry! i did it again, i couldn't helpit. i took some things. do you think he noticed? do you think we're in trouble? maybe we shouldhurry back. liam: i don't think he saw.

sam: all right. are you cross with me? liam: no. just wait one moment, okay? wait for mehere? sam: okay. i heard you talking about money, by theway, i could lend you some, if you'd like. liam: wait right here. i cast detect magic justbefore i walk back into the store. i look all around. what are your hours, here? as i look tosee if there is anything besides that book, anything. matt: you glance throughout the interior, and youdon't sense anything magical, unfortunately, within the piles of rubble. liam: besides the book he put down?

matt: the book's not radiating any magical aura.but he answers. "oh! all hours! i don't really "close. i don't really sleep." liam: middle of the night, even? matt: "sure!" liam: all right. business is business. thank you! matt: "no worries. see you then!" liam: bis spã¤ter. matt: "pee shmiter!" liam: that guy does not speak zemnian!

matt: no, he does not. liam: let's go back to the hotel, shall we? sam: let's do it. matt: while they're away, you guys wait there fora bit, getting stir crazy in the process of waiting in your room. jester and beauregard,there's a knock at your door. laura: hello? matt: "please open, it's crownsguard." laura: hold on, i'm naked! (whispering) yeah, i don't know. do you want to put clothes on?

should we take our clothes off? marisha: did you say that because you wanted totell me something? laura: no, i just wanted to make them wait. okay,i'm dressed now! marisha: i like that. we're giving them--authority. got the upper hand. okay. laura: it's a power play. marisha: do we invite them in or are we goingto--? you open the door. i'm going to sit, unassuming, on the bed. laura: sit! come in, please. marisha: oh!

matt: the door opens, and there are twocrownsguards there, standing, shields to the side. laura: oh hello, i wasn't expecting you. marisha: oh, yeah, hi. matt: "we're here to notify you that theinvestigation is ongoing. you will not be needed "today. please remain in your premises. be backtomorrow." travis: jury summon. marisha: bullshit! jury duty shit! goddamn it! taliesin: we are at d&d jury duty.

matt: yes you are. marisha: seven dollars a day? what is this shit? laura: can i ask you a question before you leave? matt: "yes, what is your question?" laura: are you guys going to be the same peoplecoming back tomorrow? matt: "possibly." laura: what is your names? matt: they look at each other, look back at you."i am jonas." the other guy pipes up, he's a little younger, he goes, "i am lucas."

laura: jonas and lucas, very good names. marisha: you guys should start a band. like a boyband or something. laura: yeah, that'd be good. girls would go crazy.if you guys want to play some games tomorrow, we'll just be here! matt: "very well! have a good day." they look ateach other like, "what?" and close the door. laura: i shouldn't have offered the game. what ifwe want to leave and then they want to take us up on the game thing? marisha: i thought you enjoyed games. laura: no, i love games!

laura: but what if we leave and then they want toplay games? matt: onto fjord's door. taliesin: i'm sitting playing with the cards. travis: i open it. matt: same two guards there. lucas and jonas.jonas and lucas. "hello. the investigation is "ongoing. you'll not be needed for today. we willreturn tomorrow." travis: i shut the door. taliesin: any progress? matt: there's a pause and then you here the subtleshifting of greaves against the wooden floor as

they slowly walk away. travis: go take that game in the other room, whydon't you? taliesin: that was a power move right there. travis: thank you. matt: you guys return to the inn. sam: i guess we do. matt: yes you do. sam: well. that was terrible. no one found outanything. it was a waste of a day. we're all terrible at this. goodnight?

laura: what time is it? marisha: that's not true! i still say that some ofthe best information that you can get can be in the information that you don't find. sam: that is nonsense. marisha: i'm just saying! sometimes the lack ofinformation can be a process of elimination. travis: sure. marisha: it's super broad! taliesin: no, you know what? i'm going to takeit. marisha: i'm trying to be fucking silver lining,so i don't feel like a piece of shit for waste a

day, and you guys are shitting on that, but it'sfine. travis: you found nothing at the docks, zip,zero? liam: we spent hours there, no one knew anythingabout the old man. marisha: see? no one knew anything about him. thatmeans, prime candidate, someone's little experiment. little frankenstein. i'm telling you. liam: i don't really understand what she'ssaying. laura: i don't either. i'm going to run up anddown the stairs for a while. matt: (quick footsteps) taliesin: how long have you known this one?

marisha: who are you talking to? taliesin: anybody who's watching this happen. marisha: about 24 hours longer than you have. taliesin: that explains a lot. matt: at one point, adelaine the barmaid comes up."i'm sorry, can you please stop?" matt: "thank you!" sam: hey, dungeon master? sam: the other night, when nott was out carousinga bit while caleb was asleep. he saw some figures in cloaks dash by. was there any distinctiveanything about these three figures that

dashed by? matt: not that you noticed, unfortunately. sam: damn it. okay, i will share that informationwith the group. i saw some weirdos running around. laura: when? sam: the other night, when he was asleep. travis: how late? sam: two in the morning? liam: you were out that late?

sam: sorry. laura: maybe we should go out at two o'clock inthe morning and see if we can find them. marisha: ooh, that's a good idea. laura: follow them. marisha: you guys notice that it's weird that noone's actually really talking about this? this is a small town. i come from a small town. small townpeople gossip. taliesin: i feel like there should be some moregossip then there is, that's very true. marisha: someone is talking about this, we justhaven't found them yet. 2:00am field trip! laura: we can always leave through the window thistime.

marisha: mm-hmm, i like that. travis: i can be down for that. taliesin: i leave the rope tied in here. can weuse your cat? reel it back up in so that there's no trace of us until we need to get back there. liam: are you asking for my cat to haul up ourrope? taliesin: no, i'm telling you that your cat isgoing to haul up a rope. laura: how is a cat going to lift up a rope? taliesin: it's not that heavy of a rope, it's justhemp. matt: hemp rope can be pretty heavy.

taliesin: well, if i throw it back up there then iimagine you cat can knock it back down at the very least. laura: there, that would work, maybe. marisha: oh, is he like an asshole cat? taliesin: i assume he's an asshole cat. aren't allcats asshole cats? matt: this is true. laura: it might be down before we come back, isthe thing. taliesin: i assume he's going to-- that's fair. travis: where were you when you saw these cloakedfigures?

sam: i had gone out to do some window shopping. travis: at 2:00am? sam: yes, i wasn't very successful. i had walkedby the general store-- laura: oh, we went there. marisha: yeah, we did. sam: i passed by a place called natural remedies,herbs and medicinal things. i went by a spot named jackalwere, it's a smithy. laura: okay, but where did you see the cloakedguys? sam: it was between-- i don't remember.

matt: it was one block north of the naturalremedies. marisha: natural remedies. what was the other one?jackalwere? sam: i think that was what it was called. matt: yeah, jackalwere smiths. sam: we could do a little stakeout! travis: we could. marisha: that's true. how do people send messagesin this town? have we figured that out? sam: probably by foot or by horse, right? taliesin: not that big of a town.

travis: should someone stay up? well, i wasthinking someone should keep a lookout on the roof of the inn in case someone comes for us whileeveryone else is out. laura: how would we let anybody know? travis: i don't know. can you conjure those goldenorbs up into the air as like a signal? liam: it's pretty limited. they don't go thatfar. travis: maybe we just risk it. sam: yeah! laura: let's risk it. travis: it's 2:00am, i'm sure everybody will beasleep. let's risk it.

marisha: before we leave-- is there a window inthe hall? or are there only windows in our bedrooms? matt: there is no window in the hall, only in therooms. marisha: okay, that's fine. on our side of theroom-- matt: you have three rooms between you. taliesin: there's three rooms and they all havewindows. marisha: on our side of the door, i'm going totake out my healer's kit. do i have any bandages or medical tape or anything like that? matt: not medical tape, but there are clean stripsof cloth and some adhesive bandages, basic

general-- laura: no tape?! marisha: i'm going to tie a bandage ever solightly around one side of the handle onto something on to the other side of the door. ifthere's something like a lamp or some kind of pipe or something i can tie it to. laura: so that we'll know if someone tried to comein the room? marisha: correct. matt: you can pull one bandage out and affix toone of the chair legs nearby. you could do that. taliesin: oh for god's sake. i pull out a bigthing of string.

marisha: okay, yeah. i'll take some string andjust some twine and-- laura: what are we going to do? leave through ourwindow? laura: to their window? marisha: well, i figured we're all in the sameroom at this point. liam: what are you trying to do? marisha: i'm trying to make sure that if someonetries to come in our room we'll know if they come in. liam: i can take care of that. taliesin: oh, well then, i'm taking my stringback. marisha: what can you do?

liam: i have some magic for that. sam: yeah, he has a magical spell that alerts youwhen someone tries to break in your room. liam: that is correct. yeah. i will take a momentto do that and it will let me know. sam: best part is, it doesn't alert him when isneak in or out. liam: that you know of. sam: wait. what? liam: one mile of the warded area. sam: ooh! marisha: that's better! let's do that.

liam: i just need ten minutes. and i pull out alittle spool of silvered thread and stretch it out. where did you want this? over the window? marisha: well, i was going to say in the door, butif there's maybe a place in the hall. liam: well, i can do the entire room really, i cango doorknob to-- the funny thing about this thread, there's no end to it. so i start loopingit all the way around the room and tie it off, and take out one of my books from the holster, the oneon the left side, and i open it up. you guys watch as i spend ten minutes referring to the book andtracing symbols on the floor. along, underneath the thread, and about ten minutes of time, nothinghappens, but that's taken care of. laura: nice.

sam: see, he's really good. travis: didn't really look like much. liam: yeah, either that or i'm really bullshittingyou and nothing happened. laura: either way, i liked it. let's sneak out. taliesin: i'm going to do one last thing before weleave, which is just tussle the room a bit so it looks like it's been robbed. just in case they docome in. matt: okay, so you toss the room a bit, muddle upthe space, and you guys, one by one, climb out the back of the window, down the rope, and into thealley behind the inn. looking about, you're waiting until about post-midnight, you said?

matt: okay, so it's dark. the various lanternsthat dangle on the hook poles at different intersections of the street are lit. other thanthat, you have a faint bit of moonlight that's coming through the sky. there are some clouds, butthey're a bit broken up, so every now and then the moon cover can vanish and then return, but for nowyou have moonlight in the city. where are you guys going? laura: towards the north end. travis: i ought to be leading the way, i reckon. sam: yeah, i'll go to where i saw the threecloaked figures. matt: a little ways north of natural remedies?okay. i would like everybody to make a stealth

check, please. sam: stealth check. do i still have the blessing?no, i don't. laura: no, you don't. but i can do it toeverybody, one by one, if we get to an open area. sam: 21. marisha: 19. taliesin: 17. laura: 21. liam: forty-- 12. sam: 42.

matt: you guys, following nott, dodge betweenalleys, there are a few patrols of the crownsguard that you see passing by, and you wait for them tojust cross paths, and then move on. eventually finding your way to natural remedies, seeminglyunseen. it's quiet, you can hear the sound of crickets in the distance. the cold night air iscausing your breath to show every time you exhale, you all bundle your cloaks as you move on. themoonlight fades a bit, things get darker, but you follow nott's lead, travel from place to place.you finally get to the outskirts of natural remedies, and to the northern alleyway where you'doriginally seen those figures pass. you're there. sam: should we fan out a bit? cover a couplecorners, so we can still see each other? travis: good idea.

laura: yeah. i'm going to go with fjord. marisha: let's not spread out too far, though. sam: are you two like an item? sam: you and fjord, are you like a thing? laura: why, are you interested in him? sam: no, ugh, no! laura: no? sam: you travel together. laura: well yeah, he's a good friend. he watchesout for me, i watch out for him, you know. we're a

good team. like you and caleb. sam: not at all like that, but yes, all right. matt: as you guys fan out a little bit, everyonemake a perception check. laura: natural one. sam: 19. laura: i don't see shit. marisha: perception? taliesin: 12. travis: nine.

marisha: 18. liam: ten. matt: okay, so all of you, except for jester,manage to get a clear view of your vicinity. jester, you somehow get an eyelash caught in youreye and spend the next hour trying to get it out, but it's in the eyelid. laura: fjord, can you see it? travis: look up. yeah. marisha: to the left. travis: let me get it--

laura: no, no, no. okay, okay, okay. matt: occasionally, you can hear the crownsguardapproaching, and they carry their torches with them. you can see the light crawling forward, soyou all duck out of the way and let them pass. about an hour passes. two hours pass. around thethird hour, you get the sensation that whatever you saw the other night is not arriving on aclockwork time or not arriving at all. it's about three in the morning, in the center of the city byyourself. what do you wish to do? marisha: three in the morning? matt: yeah. marisha: i turn to caleb. any tingling from youralarm system?

liam: no, i wouldn't have brought it up ifsomething had happened. marisha: that's a good point. taliesin: i'm just going to try to meditate on thestrange death and see if i can feel anything. make an intelligence check. taliesin: all right. just see how this goes. sam: mediation check. matt: pouring over the details of what hastranspired and what you guys have done so far to find information, there are still things toinquire about. there are still things to wonder and discover and there are a few places youhaven't been to. a few places you haven't returned

to. a few people you haven't even inquired aboutcloser to the investigation. laura: oh, we should talk to the girl. sam: toya? sam: let's go wake her ass up. marisha: is she under arrest? we don't know. taliesin: maybe we have to go back to the circus. laura: maybe it was yasha. taliesin: it's early enough maybe we shouldjust-- travis: we have a few more hours and the cover ofdarkness.

sam: yeah, let's go wake her ass up. marisha: maybe we should go back to the circus.scene of the crime? that whole thing? taliesin: i hate to admit it, but maybe-- it's notus. travis: who's real stealthy? marisha: i'm all right. travis: maybe we don't all need to go. maybejust a few, and the others will hang back. sam: hang back close by though, right? ifsomething goes bad-- marisha: or if you see something. how far are wefrom the inn? matt: from the inn? about a 15 minute jog.

sam: so we can go to the circus? travis: an hour and a half. laura: while we're still trying to figure thisout, i'm going to take out my painter's kit and draw like a little piece of poop on the side ofthe building that we're next to. sam: tagging? that's good. marisha: a little tagger. travis: is it like a mound of poop or like asingle--? laura: no it's like a mound of poop. taliesin: it's like an emoji.

matt: make a performance check. laura: oh i rolled really low on this one. four! matt: it takes a little convincing to have themsee the poop in the drawing. you can see it, but you've seen better. travis: is it a worm? it's a snake. laura: it's poop, i should've-- liam: that's an oval. laura: i should have drawn a pile of poop. idraw a pile of poop next to it. matt: it helps, but--

liam: that's a triangle. travis: yeah, i thought it was like chocolatefrozen yogurt. taliesin: is math or something? laura: it's dark okay?! i can usually paint muchbetter than this. it's really dark and my hands feel a little numb. sam: let's move then. matt: who's going where? what are you guys doing? all: we're all going to the circus. travis: stealthily to the circus.

matt: all right, i would like for all of you toroll a stealth check. marisha: is no one staying behind or--? laura: fuck it! sam: some are staying away from the tent. travis: yeah, going in danger close. sam: 13. marisha: oh not great. nine! taliesin: seven. laura: 19.

liam: 15. matt: okay, you guys make your way through most ofthe docksward on your way to the large blue tent that still stands ominously in the distance.thankfully, the moon has come out and cast this rimlight against the structure, so it's easy tosee. as you guys are making your way outside of the lochward, you immediately see the approachingtorchlight of crownsguard. one of them you just faintly hear 40 or 50 feet ahead of you, "who goesthere?" sam: is there only one guard? matt: it's two guards, side by side. these watches,they patrol in pairs. marisha: are we in like an alleyway, or in thestreet?

matt: you guys are keeping off to the side. you'reall on the outskirts of the lake and almost made your way out of the city towards where the-- laura: go in the lake. quick, go into the lake! travis: i cast disguise self, and i turn myselfinto a crownsguard. liam: disguise self and follow suit. matt: you do as well? liam: yeah. matt: all right. so you both become crownsguard.you've all of a sudden are adorned in the goldish brass and red armor.

taliesin: i'm in my black hood. i've got my hoodup now. sam: anywhere to hide? matt: there are some small alcoves, but you guysare out in the open, now. they've seen you. marisha: all of us? matt: you don't know. they've seen you. they'vecalled to you, and then both of you guys disguised yourselves. what are you doing? laura: i walk into the lake and crouch down? matt: jester walks up and wades in about sixinches of water and just-- gives her best duck impression.

sam: i will take off my mask and start attackingcaleb in a convincing fashion. not to draw blood but-- yeah. sam: deception check? sam: oh. liam: can i start going (groans) oh get off, youlittle beast! to help with the illusion? sam: (snarling noises) matt: sure, make a deception check. sam: oh, my deception check was a three minusthree. liam: but roll with advantage.

sam: at advantage? liam: i'm helping you, you little-- sam: seven minus three! liam: oh no! matt: okay so as soon as these two crownsguard seethis, they go "shit!" they pull their blades and they start charging you, nott, to try and protecttheir other crownsguard-- liam: i take nott and slam her into a wall as hardas i can and say: down you beast! matt: all right, as you rush up in a jog, bladesdrawn, one of them is going to go ahead and attempt to strike.

sam: oh god! sure. matt: that is going to be a 14 to hit. sam: miss! matt: so you manage to (squeaks) and narrowlydodge the blade as it strikes through the back of your cloak and pins it to the side of a woodenpole that is on the outside of an overhang where some of the fish are being left out to dry andturn into fish jerky. it holds you in place as you're snarling and looking scared. the other onepulls out his blade and says "where did this thing "come from!?" liam: i have it! and i punch nott right in theface.

sam: oh! matt: all right, you take one point of bludgeoningdamage, nott, and blood just (flowing noise) from the nose. liam: i have this. we're taking these people acrossto jail. travis: (regal voice) indeed, stay our blade,please, obviously he can handle this. liam: don't you fucking move you little greenpiece of filth. sam: (spits) travis: right in your face! haha, incredible. liam: this one is mine, thank you. beat her withinan inch of her life.

matt: i need you to make a deception check on thatone. taliesin: we are just the worst. this is justterrible. marisha: oh man. liam: natural 20. (cheering) sam: we've practiced this before. we got thisroutine down. matt: you see a look of disappointment come acrossthe two crownsguards' faces in their inability to help you skewer this small, feral creature. theyboth put their blades away. "all right if you see "anything else, give a shout. (spits)"

sam: ugh. matt: they both continue their walk past the restof you. liam: the rest of you lot fall in line. i drag thelittle one off. sam: (snivels) matt: they look over at the tiefling-- partiallycrouched in the water. sam: she's taking a shit. laura: i really had to pee! matt: "hey! not in the ustaloch!" laura: okay. oh okay. i get out. i stand up andslowly dredge out of the water.

matt: your legs are soaked from thigh to foot, andthey both eye you warily and slowly walk past. laura: (sigh of relief) marisha: it's real cold out. liam: have they cleared the way? matt: eventually, they pass beyond a point whereyou feel absolute dread of their presence. travis: is that a natural thing for you guys tojust attack each other in moments of stress? liam: are you all right? i am so very sorry, i'mso sorry-- sam: no, i'm fine that was good acting. you wereperfect. i panicked, i didn't know what to do. i was trying to create some sort of distraction.

liam: let me see your teeth. okay. you look allright. sam: they're all over the place. travis: oh, i can't tell if that got worse orbetter. marisha: you fixed them a bit! liam: okay. who wants to go to the circus? marisha: yay. matt: all right, you guys are make the rest of thepath to the outskirts of the circus. you see at the very front flap of it you see a crownsguardwho's like (yawn) sitting there, his arms crossed to the front keeping an eye out, he is doinglate-shift. you do see the faint distant

flickering glow of firelight from the back side ofthe circus. marisha: what is that? do you guys have like anightlight? taliesin: it's where we camp. matt: yeah, you saw it earlier, you saw thecampfire. marisha: oh sure. travis: if you want to make your ways around, icould distract them for a moment, have a conversation with them. marisha: do they still look like crownsguard? travis: for an hour.

marisha: okay, yeah. liam: you you want to go with them? i'll go withhim. sam: sure, but will you be watching me or no? youdon't have to. liam: frumpkin will go with you. sam: all right. i'll go with you and-- who else isgoing? are you stealthy? laura: we'll take care of you. don't worry! taliesin: they're not going to talk to you withoutme, so i'm coming, too. liam: i'm a little jittery, do you want to be afront man for a little while? travis: sure i got it, yeah.

liam: okay. matt: all right, so what are the groups here? sam: the girls and the boys. travis: caleb and me-- laura: and molly. sam: and whatever molly is. taliesin: i'm fabulous. matt: molly, who are you going with? taliesin: i'm going with the girls, because thecircus kids won't talk to them without me.

matt: all right, so the three of you are goingforward. what are you doing? i guess i should ask. travis: i walk up to the guard. (regal voice) it'sa late night, not much action this evening. see anything unusual? matt: "eh, nothing yet. mostly i hate this. ugh, ijust wish this whole fucking circus would just go. "i need to sleep. regular hours." travis: yeah, have you heard heard? how long are they supposed to be here? matt: "until they finish this fuckinginvestigation. they keep bugging people for "information, but they're all just clammed up andnot saying shit."

travis: at least you're by the tent, they've hadus walking the perimeter of the lake the entire matt: "it's bullshit. i wish they would just goahead and execute them. that carnival master or whatever and get it over with." travis: did they find anything inside, today? tellme, something interesting, please. matt: "they investigated the corpses and foundnothing yet. still in there if you want to take a look at it." travis: would you mind if we popped in? matt: "i mean i suppose so." make a deceptioncheck. marisha: something good, something good?

taliesin: no. travis: where is it? jesus. oh! 13. matt: okay. he thinks a second on it. "oh isuppose so. go on in." travis: we'll be quick, super fast. matt: "please, get it over with." he stops you."if there's any way to expedite this, if you can "pin it on any of them, we can just kill them andtake care of it. let me know." travis: let's go. (as grog) that worked way betterthan i thought. like we should-- i mean--

(as fjord) should we look around for stuff or what? sam: yes. yes. liam: you are very good with voices. travis: well you know, i do a little mimicry hereand there. we should look, come on. check the grounds. maybe we can find where the bodies arelaying. liam: yeah, let's have a look around. matt: you guys look inside, the tent is dark.there's no light inside. liam: i take a rag out of my side satchel and icast-- what the hell is it called because i've only been a wizard for a short time-- one dancinglight underneath the rags so it's only dim.

matt: all right, so you have this self-made hoodedlantern with the hood you have over it. marisha: that's dope. liam: what the fuck are we looking for in here? matt: and nott, you're going with them? sam: i'm with the girls. travs: where did the bodies fall? over there,didn't they? liam: that's right, yeah. travis: well let's search the grounds. matt: you make your way inside, the smell ispretty bad. you can smell the flesh beginning to

decay. travis: have they moved the bodies or are thebodies still there? matt: with a bit of looking, the bodies are stillthere where they left them. they have not moved, you can see a couple of remnants of notes andsheets that have been crumpled, but the bodies have been left where they are. travis: can we check the bodies for anything? liam: is there anything arcane? from all mystudies, does anything here ring any bell? i have a photographic memory. matt: go and make a religion check.

liam: all right. that is a ten. matt: unfortunately, you don't have a lot ofresearch on the undead, or whatever might be the essence of this creature's creation, and the moreyou look at it, you're like, "this is not my specialty." liam: okay. what about the perimeters of here,where all the people were? there was a swarm of people. i spend five minutes seeing anything wasdropped of interest. matt: make an investigation check, both of you. travis: that's better. liam: i miss the twins.

travis: 16. liam: big ten. matt: glancing about, you can see the track marksof everyone fleeing. you can see the spatters of blood. you can see the place where thetransformation occurred. there is a horrible shedding of certain layers of flesh. you can seepreviously existing layers of flesh and muscle that were shed as whatever this undead thing wasfell to the ground. once again, you make a religion check as well. travis: okay. roll high. i did not. ten. matt: yeah. this is not your specialty. you havelittle experience with the undead and this type of

magic. travis: we can't spend that long in here. maybe wejust take a bit of it with us. do you have a pocket? liam: i have many pockets, of course i havepockets. travis: like a jar? i-i got no pockets! sam: you designed a character with no pockets?!why would you do that? travis: there's no pockets! all right, but i'llcheck. liam: he's just in the blue man group unitard andthat's it. marisha: i'm sure rob liefeld just got a nosebleedand he doesn't know why.

liam: so this dead thing is here in front of me? matt: two of them. there's the main one, theground zero one, which is where you were putting all your attention, and then there's the woman,who was transformed as part of the first. liam: i will take my dagger, and i will slice alittle bit off of the woman, and it's going to get dark in here and i will snuff out the light anduse the rag to roll it up and i'll put the little piece in my pack. matt: with a squishy sound you place it withinyour pack. liam: let's get out of here, i'm going to besick. travis: agreed.

matt: all right. the four of you, i need you toroll stealth checks, please. marisha: not that one. i don't feel good about it.oh not bad! 21. laura: 18. sam: 25. matt: without issue, you guys quickly dart aroundthe side of the tent and make your way right towards the central area where the multitude oftents to this back encampment is placed. there is a single campfire. the embers are burning out. ithas not been kept up. you do see two crownsguard who are currently keeping watch. one of them isslumped in a chair across from the fire and is nodding off. the other is doing a basic patrol andlooking around. other than that, you don't hear

any sounds, you don't see anybody else. just thetwo crownsguard. taliesin: which of the tents is currentlyoccupied? matt: there are four main tents. there are twovery large ones, one of which generally contains toya and kylre, the devil toad. that's on thesouth side. there's the north largest tent, this one contains the knot sisters and ornna. thenthere's a very small tent to the south side that would be bo the breaker's tent, but he's not here.then there's a medium sized tent on the north side. who would be in that one? taliesin: toya and kylre share a tent, that'sright. it would be desmond. matt: desmond would be the other one. it would begustav staying there as well, but gustav changes

between the tent and the cart. marisha: the cart? taliesin: we have a wagon. laura: molly, i have a question. what made youguys set up your tent here? taliesin: we were told to set it up here, if irecall. laura: in this specific area? taliesin: that sounds right. if i recall, we werespecifically told to set up tent right here. marisha: and it's by the lake, right? matt: maybe 150-200 feet away from it.

marisha: that's pretty close to a lake. laura: what if they set up their tent on a cursedland or something? marisha: it's the lake, it's common? taliesin: what's the easiest tent to get towithout-- matt: do you want to go to the north side or thesouth side of the main tent? taliesin: i want to go with whatever's furthestaway from the guards. sam: shouldn't we just go to the toya tent? matt: the toya tent's on the south side, that'sthe opposite side, you guys would have probably come in from the north end.

taliesin: what's the easiest to get to without-- matt: that would be the one that contains ornnaand the knot sisters. taliesin: i'm going to go back there and do ourtraditional (bird call) matt: okay. there's actually no response. laura: (bird call) marisha: i had mona and lena, but maybe it'slolie. taliesin: yuli. it's mona and yuli. i'm going totry one of the other tents. am i getting the sense that any of them are in? sam: look over here!

taliesin: over here! matt: the other tent you get to and you make thesame sound? this would be the one that desmond usually is in, too. there's a pause, and then youhear a very faint (bird call). taliesin: i'm going to very gently lift the backof the tent up and not go in through the front. and just-- matt: okay. you glance inside and you can see,leaning up from a bedroll, desmond who is half-awake, and glances over and sees you. he'sout of outfit, out of makeup, and he gives a nod. taliesin: (whispering) do you know what's goingon? (switches to normal volume) assume we're whispering, because this is bullshit.

taliesin: how is it? what's happened? matt: "they've come around asking a few questions,we're trying to figure it out ourselves. are you "okay?" taliesin: i could be worse. matt: "how's gustav? and bosun?" taliesin: they couldn't be worse. and then yashayasha'd. i don't know. did toya see anything? did she say anything? matt: "we're still trying to figure this outourselves. are you alone?" taliesin: no, i've picked up a few scragglers.they're idiots, but they're helping.

matt: "well bring them in." sam: we come in. matt: you guys all enter the tent and you seedesmond. previously you saw him in this very colorful outfit with the frilled neck piece andthe full facial makeup. now you see a man in his late 30s with a very scarred left side of hisface. it looks like it was shredded at one point in his youth, that the makeup hid during theperformance. as soon as you enter, even upon greeting him, he has a very sad presence to him.even though you're all under the cover of night and having this conspiratorial conversation, hehas this melancholy about him that permeates the space inside the tent. he says, "so you're all theones that helped earlier. thank you. it would have

"been far worse if you hadn't." laura: no problem. taliesin: what do they think happened? what arethey asking? matt: "they're thinking something about the show.they're thinking gustav made this happen. i don't think it's gustav, he's a good man. he makes poorchoices and it's plagued him his whole life, you can see it in his brow. but good intentions havegrave consequences. no one that good comes out of shady creek run without some mistakes behind them,but i don't see him doing this." taliesin: what would be the point? laura: has it ever happened like this before?

matt: "no." laura: anything weird ever happened before? matt: "weird things? all the time. we're a bunchof weird folk, work with a lot of weird people. bunch of strange freaks gathered to this show." marisha: was there anyone new here recently thatyou haven't worked with a lot? matt: "yeah, she apparently ran off." taliesin: yasha's the newest, but she can beflighty. marisha: what about mona and yuli? matt: "the sisters are bitter, but it's no faultof theirs."

marisha: why are they bitter? matt: "because the world is cruel." taliesin: you've never met it-- well, nevermind. matt: "i wish i could help them, but it--" marisha: (stutters) what happened to them? laura: are you drunk? what's going on? marisha: no, i'm trying to hear and whisper at thesame time. laura: you can talk at a normal volume. matt: magical whisper. cone of whisper.

marisha: matt cone of whisper! taliesin: oh god, that's a new thing now. marisha: what did they say? why do they thinkthat? why is the world shitty? matt: "have you been around? have you travelled tosee anything?" marisha: yeah. listen. the world has its own brandof shitty depending on whose eyes are looking at it, right? so what is their brand of shitty? taliesin: circus shitty. matt: "i don't know. ask them." marisha: where are they?

taliesin: in a tent over there. matt: "they don't seem to take much of a liking tome anyway, so i can't really tell you myself. i'm "sorry." sam: they don't like you? why? matt: "there's a lot of people that don't likeme." laura: i like you, desmond. i think you're great. sam: why? what did you do? matt: he looks at you and goes, "same reason folksprobably don't like you; you're different." sam: hmm.

taliesin: is everybody still here? they've nottaken anyone away other than-- matt: "other than those two, everyone else ishere. we're just keeping under watch until their "investigation is complete." marisha: molly, why did you laugh when i askedabout the sisters? taliesin: we're carnival people, we've all got ourissues. you don't end up here if you're not a little weird. laura: can i try something? i want to try to castdetect good and evil. liam: cleric shit! sam: on?

laura: on the area. it lasts up to ten minutes, soit's within 30 feet of me. travis: you ever cast this before? travis, taliesin, and marisha: first cast! travis and taliesin: first blood! matt: so you cast it. you concentrate. you reachdown and grasp the bottom of your symbol that hangs around your belt, and there's a faint rushof divine force given to your consciousness. you don't sense within 30 feet of you any fiendish, orcelestial, or fey, or undead, or aberration. laura: nothing that's been desecrated? matt: nothing from this tent or within 30 feet.

sam: does it follow her? laura: yeah, it follows me. matt: it's like a radial thing. sam: that's pretty cool, let's keep going then.maybe we'll see something? laura: yeah. am i close to the edge of the maintent? matt: there are two tents to the north. there's abigger one, and a medium one. the one that you're in right now is the larger one to the north, andas such contains-- actually no. the one that you guys are in right now is the medium one. the onethat contains desmond. the larger one contains both of the sisters and ornna.

laura: okay. and they're closer to the big tent?where is the big tent? matt: correct. the big tent is about ten to 15feet from the one you're in right now. laura: okay, cool. yeah, let's leave. i'll get upto the edge of the big tent, and i want to see if i can feel anything weird in that area. matt: okay. is everyone else staying inside or areyou going with her? sam: we're going with, but before we leave i'llask desmond: from one outcast to another, are there any questions that are bugging youabout all this? matt: he thinks for a second. "i don't want thisall to fall on gustav. he's done a lot of good for" "all of us, and the way they're talking about theinvestigation, they're looking to make a scapegoat"

"of this." sam: well, thank you. matt: "thank you." sam: (mimics bird call poorly) that's how theytalk to each other. that's how carnival folk talk to each other. taliesin: oh, for fuck's sake. i'm going to do mybest. taliesin: i'm going to quietly sneak out the backof the tent again and sneak into the-- matt: another stealth check, my friends. taliesin: oh god, i hate all of this.

laura: i'm going to give molly blessing, so youget advantage. marisha: 13. not great. taliesin: 13. matt: with advantage? taliesin: with advantage. laura: 12. matt: okay. you guys make your way up to the edgeof the tent. taliesin: i'm not going to make the noise i'm justgoing to-- matt: right. as you make your way over to the edgeof the tent where the sisters and ornna are, you

focus and concentrate. nothing, from the radialthing. one of the guards, who's standing up and making a patrol, looks over right as you duckbehind and you hear a "huh?" sam: uh oh. laura: quick, go in the tent. taliesin: we're going to go in the tent. laura: we all duck under the tent go and act likewe're sleeping. matt: you guys all dodge under the tent just asthe guard begins to pass around. you hear the footsteps around. as you step in you watch as thetwo knot sisters-- taliesin: (shushes)

matt: they both curl into a ball and stay reallyquiet. all of the sudden ornna comes to consciousness and (light footsteps) the footsteps finish the circleand then go back towards where the fire is. laura: that was close. matt: ornna leans in, goes like, "okay, what isgoing on." taliesin: that's what i'm trying to figure out,what the fuck is going on. they're with me, it's been complicated. gustav's in deep. bosun's indeep. laura: tell us you know something. matt: "what do you want to know?"

taliesin: what did you see? i don't know. sam: who did this? what was it? matt: "i don't know. i looked and i saw what yousaw." taliesin: this is ornna i assume. matt: this is ornna, yeah. taliesin: ornna is the fire dancer. marisha: right, okay. taliesin: for fuck's sake, they're goingto kill every last fucking one of us unless we figure this out.

matt: she's like, "right." taliesin: what do you think? matt: "well the sister's over here think it's ahit job, but this isn't a hit job with zombies? "are you fucking kidding me?" taliesin: i don't know. i think that they'retrying to cover something. matt: "that's not surprising." marisha: can i insight check the sisters? what arethey doing right now? matt: they're both just quietly curled up andwatching you guys talk. marisha: they're not saying anything, though?

matt: not yet. if you want to ask them somethingyou can. marisha: do they look nervous or are they justbeing shifty? matt: make an insight check to find out. laura: while she's doing that i'm going to try andsneak out the underside of the tent to go to the big tent. sam: i'll go with her. matt: this is a bit of a leap. this goes about 25,30 feet south of where you are around the campfire that's open. sam: no problem.

matt: go ahead and make your stealth checks,guys. taliesin: oh god. i miss pass without a trace somuch. sam: 23. taliesin: that's a number. laura: nine. matt: okay. what was your insight check? marisha: 15. matt: 15. they both look nervous, but justuntrusting of the scenario. you can't read anything deeper than that. there is definitely a,hmm, but you can't quite get a full bead on them.

you guys, as you curl around the outside, there'sthe one guard that's sitting in the chair by the fire that goes like (snores) and opens his eyes alittle bit and looks over in your direction, jester, and there's a brief moment where he's justlooking right at you. do you do anything? laura: i freeze. sam: oh god. matt: stands up. laura: can i use-- oh shit. i'm going shitballs,shit. sam: i'm just tucking around, getting ready. matt: you're around, you don't see anything.

sam: i don't see this? matt: sorry, he doesn't see you. laura: i'm going to cast charm person on the guardthat sees me. matt: okay. as he stands up, he goes toward youand he goes for his blade and he has to make a saving throw. sam: oh boy. matt: which he does not make. i don't think so,it's like a six. sam: no, it's like 13 or something. matt: so he goes like--

laura: hi, i'm not here. laura: okay. sit down. go to sleep, this is adream. taliesin: that's so good. laura: that's so close. this is so bad. five. matt: he doesn't seem to buy the dream thing, buthe's like-- laura: you want it to be a dream. matt: he doesn't go to sleep but he knowsyou're there and he's keeping an eye, but he's not doing anything. laura: okay, well it's good enough, i guess.

matt: but he's definitely aware that you'rethere. laura: i'm going to go towards the big tent justso i can see if i can sense any evil. matt: okay. really quickly, just to check becauseit's-- that's right, charm person is not-- laura: it's not, yes. matt: okay. it's at this point that you turn yourattention to the tent and focus. there is a hefty, radiating warm fiendish source from the inside ofthat large tent. sam: we found something! laura: i can sense something. let's go in thetent. sam: go in? but if it's bad, that's bad.

laura: what if it's just a dead thing? sam: oh god, will we have to fight a dead thing?should we get some help? i turn to caleb's cat and i say go! go get caleb! shoo! (hiss) go away!(hiss) i can't speak cat! go away! matt: the cat goes, (angry meow). sam: go away! go tell caleb we're here! matt: (hiss) liam: yes! matt: turns around and sprays you and then keepwalking. sam: okay, i've sent for help.

laura: okay. let's go under the tent. sam: all right, let's go. matt: you guys carefully maneuver under the tent.as soon as you curl into the interior of the tent you hear a very heavy (snoring). laura: this the big tent that you guys were justin? sam: no. matt: no, it's the one on the south side of it. sam: it's a different one. laura: oh!

marisha: toad guy. matt: you see the slowly expanding and contractingform of kylre from the back side. you see this giant, scaly, somewhat oily exterior of the body. sam: that's why you detected him, because he's afiend. laura: maybe he's a good fiend, can fiends begood? sam: i don't know, you detected-- laura: is he still sleeping? matt: (snoring) laura: he's still sleeping.

sam: we can wake him up and ask? laura: and ask if he's good or bad? sam: yeah? laura and sam: eh. sam: is anyone else in the tent? sam: one. laura: oh no, we suck at this. liam: this? everything! laura: 17.

matt: okay, that's better. you just stare right atthe body of this toad going, "nope." sam: this looks really big and scary. matt: you glance and see a faint bit of a whitishmaterial from the crook of the arm. you take a few steps forward and glance from the side and you cansee asleep, cradled in his large, lizardman arms, toya, dwarf girl is curled up and asleeppeacefully. sam: we should talk to her, but if we wake her uphe's going to be mad. i guess we have no choice, we should talk to her. she's a dwarf? do you speakdwarvish? laura: no, i don't. sam: maybe she speaks common. we'll be fine. she'sa circus person.

liam: i have that ability, it lets you knowexactly where the fiend is. which of those things is the fiend? laura: which of the things is the fiend? matt: it's the large source. laura: it's definitely the large fiend. liam: it could have easily been the little girl. matt: it could have been, yeah. laura: it's the big guy. sam: let's wake her up!

matt: the radiance is around the large creature. laura: and her name is toya? sam: toya. singing dwarf. laura: let's sit down on the ground and looknon-threatening. so we sit down cross-legged. just casual. like we're having a tea party. sam: put down my hair. laura: and then we go: toya! toya wake up! sam: wakey wakey! matt: the breathing stops and there's thisstillness in the interior of the tent.

sam: we should light a light or something?otherwise we're just in the dark. matt: you hear this faint sound of squeaking aslubricated folds of lizardman flesh twist over each other as the devil toad's head kind of curlsback to look at you quietly, the mouth slightly ajar. you can see rows of teeth and this bit ofdrool down the edge of the chin onto the ground. "what. you. want?" laura: we're here to talk to toya. matt: at which point the little girl (yawn) begins(grunt) (thumping) and rotates in his space. he takes up almost the entirety of this tent. andslowly rotates around inside. surprisingly quiet for his size. and still clutching toya, toya sitsup and is like "what's happening? (yawn)"

laura: hi! matt: "hi!" sam: sorry to disturb your slumber. matt: she takes her braids and holds them with herhands, it's almost a safety blanket she curls into herself. she looks about 11 or 12. this close youcan see she looks younger than she did from that distance. whether it be the presence or the maturevoice. but she seems pretty young. but she's not childlike. laura: oh hey! what's going on. matt: " well?"

sam: do you recognize us from the other night?last night? laura: last night. sam: last night? matt: "i don't remember, i got scared." laura: it was scary. you have a really prettyvoice. laura: did you notice how when you sang that adude turned into a zombie? matt: she begins to chuckle. and the big toad(laughter). "i did. it was really scary! i didn't "like it at all. i didn't do that, did i?" laura: probably not.

sam: has it happened before, or was that-- matt: "no. the guards are saying i probably didthat, they're saying i might have done that." it's interesting, you notice now listening to her, shehas this beautiful voice but her speaking voice is very crackly. it sounds almost damaged. laura: do you sing all the time, toya? matt: "i sing a lot. it's what keeps me alive,it's what gets me money." laura: right. i understand that. sam: was that the same song you always sing? matt: "yeah. it's the one song i know."

sam: did it feel the same coming out of you or wasit different? matt: "it felt the same." laura: what language is it? matt: "it's an old dwarven tune. my mother taughtit to me before she passed." laura: what does it mean? matt: "it's a tale of the angels and how they camefrom the realms beyond of the gods. they granted "each to us our sparks of life." laura: granted sparks of life. does that soundlike a familiar story that i've heard before? matt: it sounds vaguely religious, but--

sam: when you were singing, did you hear any othersounds or words that someone else was saying? matt: "no, not beyond the ordinary. then i sawthat poor man just start tearing through people. i "got scared and kylre helped me." she puts her armup and pats and (grunt). laura: how did you and kylre meet? matt: "they brought me into the circus. i was upin a city north of here, far north of the marrow "valley and i was just on the streets singing. andthis carnival came by and i met gustav and he "invited me to join and that's how i met kylre andi met all these wonderful people." sam: has anyone new come around and talked toyou? sam: asked you to do anything? it's so strange.

laura: man, we suck at this. sam: no, we're really good. matt: "the newest people we've had are mollymaukand yasha." laura: they're new? matt: "comparatively. mollymauk's been here almosttwo years now." laura: oh. okay. matt: "he came after i did. we both found ourvoice together. i was very scared and he wasn't "talking and together we helped each other learn tohave fun again." sam: and yesterday before the show you didn'tnotice anything weird, anyone creeping around the

carnival, setting up anything? sam: snooping around? laura: anybody in weird cloaks? sam: cloaks, cloaks! matt: "i didn't see anything." liam: dm, on a minor note, i put my hand onfjord's shoulder and say i'm going to be blind for a second, give me a little slap if anything goeswrong. and i tune into frumpkin who should still be-- matt: at this point in time you notice (laughter)nott going "shoo! cah! go find help!" and you hear a (hiss) (grumpy meow). yeah.

liam: and then frumpkin takes off? matt: frumpkin starts heading back around towardsyou. liam: so i'm looking at myself after a moment. matt: briefly, as you keep concentrating, frumpkinfinds his way under the tent and comes up to you. sam: is there anyone you think would want todestroy the carnival or hurt gustav? does gustav have any enemies? matt: "i hope not. i know him and ornna argue alot, but--" sam: him and ornna? it's ornna! ornna's the one.thanks very much, we're out of here. sam: hot lead!

laura: let's go! we've got it, we've solved thecase! taliesin: i'm going to have a tiny bit ofconversation with her. matt: yeah. so while they're gone, the two of youare in the other tent with the sisters and ornna. marisha: i would like to talk with the sisterswhile that is going on. matt: they're both sitting there, knees tucked totheir chest. marisha: i go and sit down next to them, puttingmy knees up, too. this whole thing is really messed up, right? matt: "yeah, you're telling us." marisha: yeah. man. like, why would we do anythinglike that? i feel like we're all being needlessly

persecuted. matt: "i'm sorry, who are you?" marisha: oh, sorry. i'm beau. the other bo, but ihelped fight the zombies the other night. i'm under house arrest. we're under the samesituation, just separately. not really. i don't want to compare myself to you, because that wouldbe rude. matt: the two halfling twins look at each other,and back at you. taliesin: her name's beau. she's helping, she'sawful, you have a lot in common. matt: "okay, well, i mean, whatever you want toknow." marisha: he's such a dick. why is he such a dick?

matt: "molly's great, why are you such a dick?" travis: reversal! marisha: oh, sorry, he's been talking shit aboutyou this whole time, i don't know, i just-- matt: make a deception check on that. travis and liam: oh. liam: stirring the pot. marisha: it's okay. 15. taliesin: i'm going to walk by the two twins,because i'm circling the tent, trying to get a look, and be like, i've absolutely been talkingshit. you're both terrible. i give them both a

kiss on the head and keep walking. matt: okay. they both, "all right, so what are youtrying to do?" marisha: what am i trying to do? i'm trying tofigure out who's behind all this so that we can keep moving on with our lives. matt: "all right, well, get it over with. soon asthis is done, we're out." taliesin: they may not let us leave. they may bekilling us all. matt: "they're not going to kill us all!" theother goes, "they're not going to kill us all." taliesin: they're weird out there. they're veryweird out there. matt: (sighs)

marisha: your guys' performance was amazing, bythe way. matt: "thanks." marisha: i loved it. sam: we're stealthing over to that tent, by theway. laura: i thought we were stealthing over to themain tent. sam: the one with ornna in it. taliesin: ornna's in the tent with us. matt: oh, you guys are going to the main tent. laura: i wanted to get to the main tent to see ifi could sense any evil in the big, main tent.

sam: oh, you want to swoop by the main tent? laura: but if it's really far away. matt: not too far away from where you were,because you're backing out the side of it. so you can go ahead and stealth around. make a stealthcheck. laura: oh, god. please no one, please no whammies. taliesin and laura: big money. sam: i'm fine. laura: natural 20! matt: nice, and what did you get?

sam: 22. matt: the two of you, without issue, make your wayaround towards the large tent without being seen. sam: any evil? laura: i'm sensing it. matt: nothing. sam: goddamn it. laura: no fucking evil! sam: it's ornna! we know who it is! we know whothe killer is! taliesin: while you're talking to the twins, i'llbe talking to ornna. oh, for fuck's sake.

matt: "to be honest, if it's any easier, it'sprobably gustav." taliesin: it's not fucking gustav. matt: "it probably is, you shut up. he's a prick,he doesn't know what he's doing, he's going to run this whole carnival into the ground. i don't wantto take the fall for it, we all get away on this. travis: little feet. liam: (snarling noises) travis: eats and shoots the same way. (snarls) marisha: so wait, it's probably gustav? what makesyou say that? matt: "because he's in prison, he's the leader,he's fucked this whole thing by letting this

happen." marisha: oh. wow. you have interestingperspectives. hey, weird question, how do you guys come up with your acts? is that something that youguys create yourselves, or do you guys workshop it? taliesin: it's like she's never experiencedboredom. it's very weird. matt: "yeah. it's impressive." taliesin: hey, ornna? matt: ornna goes, "yes?" taliesin: (sighs) i mean, i know your feelings onall this. what do you think? matt: (sighs) "i'd say bosun's a stand up guy, ifa bit of a self-absorbed dick at times. and we all

"knew gustav was going to shit the bed sooner orlater, i mean, this is his karma. i just don't "know how, or why, but i can guarantee you, if thiswas my carnival, this shit wouldn't have happened. taliesin: really? matt: "mm-hmm." taliesin: what exactly would you have done? matt: "well, first off, i would have made surethat we had better support from the guard before this all happened so nobody else got killed." taliesin: they were useless. matt: "secondly, i would have made sure that thereweren't any old folks that made it in to fucking

turn into shit." taliesin: well, that's on me and-- that's on me. matt: "i don't know." marisha: you feel the same way, knot sisters? feellike this is karma on gustav? taliesin: they would. matt: at which point, the flap of the tent opensup and it's jester. laura: it's ornna! sam: ornna, you have a lot of explaining to do! marisha: shut up!

sam: you have a lot of explaining to do! sam: we've talked to toya. she knows it's you whodid this! laura: we know you guys are in a fight all thetime. sam: you're the one behind the whole plot! you didit! laura: you! matt: the two knot sisters immediately go, "ornna?is it you? did you kill that guy?" ornna's like, "i don't know what you're talking about. what thefuck is this? who the fuck are you!" laura: why did you turn that guy into a zombie? sam: who do you work for!

taliesin: ornna, ornna. marisha: insight check on the knot sisters! matt: go for it. sam: they've got nazi in their name! marisha: what?! sam: knot seesters. marisha: natural 20! [all exclaiming] liam: whispers!

laura: the first whisper! marisha: give me that sweet whisper! sam: guys, i don't know about you. but my statsare so neat because of d&d beyond tonight. liam: there's no pencil smudges. sam: no, i know right now i've got 14 of 15 hitpoints. travis: it opens, it closes, you can see yourspells when you need to see them without flipping. taliesin: i've got a little ipad button on theback of my pen, it's quite nice. sam: start talking, or this gnome-- nope! goblin!starts biting.

matt: ornna goes, "to be perfectly honest, i haveno idea what's going on. y'all just came in here, started throwing accusations at me. gustav gotarrested. bosun got arrested. molly got arrested, i'm glad you got off that. but to beperfectly honest, this whole thing's a shit show. and the circus is probably not going to be thesame after this." laura: insight check on the-- matt: insight check on ornna. liam: my cat is on patrol because we've beenstanding with our dicks in our hands for a long matt: yeah, i'm sorry. liam: no! i'm not complaining, but i would havesent the cat out.

laura: seven. matt: kind of hard to read. she seems genuinelyfrustrated and caught off guard by this. laura: i think she's telling the truth. taliesin: ornna, you might as well come clean,this is classic you. matt: she looks at you. "molly." taliesin: i'm just trying to-- matt: "fuck you." taliesin: oh, fuck you, too. it's no secret thatornna and gustav have their differences, but this ridiculous. i mean, she knows damn well that halfthe circus would leave if he got fucking arrested

and died. matt: "you're for real worried about this? youreally think who it could be? let's play. gustav: he's an idiot. but he's not a murderer. bosun: bitof a dick. but he's a stand up fella. toya: absolute doll. couldn't hurt a fly. mona and yuli:they're cunts. but they're not going to kill anyone. desmond's a weird fellow. there'ssomething dark in his past; you can see it in his melancholy. taliesin: but this is not his style. sam: it's desmond. let's go to his tent! taliesin: i just grab--

matt: "there's some untrustworthy intelligence inthose lizard eyes of that devil." laura: i did get a very evil kind of vibe offhim. taliesin: what do you mean evil kind of vibe? laura: well, i mean, he's a fiend. taliesin: he's what? laura: the devil toad guy. he's a fiend. taliesin: that's just a name. it's not actually,like real thing. that just-- [stammering] laura: you guys know he's a fiend, right?

matt: there's this moment of silence, like, "he'ssupposed to be lizardfolk." taliesin: what do you-- sam: it's the lizard man! taliesin: i grab and push you down into the groundand hold you. (shushing sounds) not yet. sam: we're cracking this case wide open. matt: you guys, what are you doing? liam: i mean, just because we're standing here solong, i would have been nervous and again held on to this guy's big bicep and sent the cat out. travis: why are you going all catatonic on me?

matt: (laughs) nice. as the cat darts under thetent and makes its way through, you glance over to the fire and sees a large dark shape step out fromone of the tents and you watch as one of the guards who's sitting in the chair stands up andcrumples onto the ground without a sound. you see the other guard look over, go over and run up to himand start to check on him. you guys hear a voice in the back start saying, "damon? damon?" marisha: just a guard. one of the guards. liam: fjord, something bad is happening. matt: you watch as the dark figure spins and twoflashes of red in the shadow nearby and you watch as the other guard suddenly grabs his head andgrasps at his chest and falls on his back as his

legs curl up. marisha: what the fuck! liam: do i know where in relation to fjord and ithis is? matt: it is to the east of you, about 150 feet. travis: can you talk to me when you're lookingthrough the cat? liam: i can talk, but i can't hear anything wheni'm doing this. matt: correct. you watch as the shadow bounds likea giant frog-- liam: the frog is on the move. frog is on themove. matt: --northward.

liam: away from us? but i don't know where theothers are. matt: you guys hear the name calling, and thensilence once more. laura: (whispers) can we peek outside of the tentand see what's going on? matt: you guys go ahead and you look just as theguard on the ground is like (gurgling) and just stops moving. you see all the veins bulging. marisha: i run up to the guard and check hispulse. is he still alive or is he paralyzed? matt: as you come out of the tent, you watch asthe flesh on his neck and throat splits and a very familiar transformation begins to take place asboth of the guards begin to (growling). laura: oh no. we have to fight them.

marisha: yeah, but get under the tent! we can getthe drop! liam: i come out of it and i-- zombies. i startrunning towards the tent that i saw jester peek out from under. matt: as you guys rush underneath the big bluetent, you watch as the two guards that are quickly bulging and mutating, bits of their fleshdislodging from their body and falling. you watch now, up close, similar to the last time, but nowthat you are looking intently for this, you can see where there should be blood, it's almost likedust and sand begin to spill from the wounds. something you had noticed a little bit in the bodyof the old man before, but you didn't know if it was decomposition or just general dirt.

taliesin: girls, we're not supposed to be here.can you help us handle this? matt: you watch as the two halflings are like,"fuck no!" taliesin: (sighs) we'll do what we can. ifsomething goes wrong, nudity usually works. [laughing] matt: the two mutated guards now, their armorbulging and broken in places, turn to the noises in the tent where you guys are. sam: are we in the same tent or are we in twodifferent tents? matt: you guys are all in one tent with the othergirls. you are all jammed into the space. the two of you make your way outside of the large tent asyou watch these two bulging, zombified creatures

making their way towards the tent. and that'swhere we're going to pick up next time. (groaning) sam: bastard! matt: because it is 11 now. travis: but we're not supposed to be there! we'regonna get framed for it! marisha: exactly, we can't get framed! sam: can i just say, laura and i busted the casewide open! travis: that is true! sam: we solved the case. easy.

laura: totally. taliesin: which one's nancy, which one's drew? sam: couple inquisitions. couple little, uh-- following the clues. laura: that's right. taliesin: just one more question. travis: when that demon frog leapt, how high andhow far, approximately, did it look like it went? matt: it looks like it leapt about 20 to 25 feetin the air and traveled about 40 feet with the leap. it was a large arc.

laura: so we definitely can't fight that thing. travis: sure we can. laura: oh my god. travis: oh god. matt: you saw it escape northward from where youare. marisha: and did it look like the same figure? matt: yasha ran north, northeast. this is juststraight north of where you are. towards the ustaloch. marisha: towards ustaloch! it's the fucking lake!

[crosstalk] travis: oh man, this is good, dude! marisha: see, here's my thing. does anyone elsenotice that the zombie transformations seem like a serpent shedding its skin? because they alwaysslough off their skin? travis: it's also done without any contact. marisha: wait, what? travis: it's done without any contact. he nevertouches him. laura: yeah, he touched him, didn't he? matt: no.

laura: i thought he did. matt: no, they just suddenly began to erupt in-- laura: hey, bonus news, though. the charm spellguy isn't going to turn me dead! matt: look at that silver lining! taliesin: this season got dark. season got dark. laura: whoa. tight tight tight tight. travis: good shit. little damaged voice, fuckyeah. matt: that'll be fun. laura: i wanted to cough for her.

matt: we'll pick up there next week. the chase ison, apparently. thank you guys so much for being awesome. thank you guys for coming along andwatching with us. we'll pick this up next thursday where we left off, right in the middle of thiscampsite. until then, have a wonderful week. see you guys then. and, is it thursday yet? goodnight. [no audio] ♫

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