00:00:00Arctos:Howdy.

00:00:02Anzu:Yo, yo, how are you, sir?

00:00:04Arctos:I'm doing well.

00:00:05Arctos:How are you?

00:00:06Anzu:Pretty good.

00:00:09Arctos:How does it feel to be the only surviving member?

00:00:09Anzu:Oh, geez.

00:00:13Anzu:I've just been shaking my head about last session all week.

00:00:20Anzu:Questioning everything.

00:00:22Arctos:I was chatting with Josh.

00:00:23Arctos:I made some joke about he should let me bring in a

00:00:28Arctos:level 15 character.

00:00:31Anzu:Is that where the pug joke came in, or was the pug level 13 during the one shot?

00:00:31Arctos:And... No... That was Mike's one-shot character.

00:00:38Anzu:Got it, got it.

00:00:41Arctos:So I was saying, he should let me bring in a level 15 character.

00:00:45Arctos:And then... I'll be like, he'll be like the Paladin from the D&D movie.

00:00:51Anzu:Mm-hmm.

00:00:52Arctos:And then Josh was like, you guys don't need a GM-controlled character.

00:00:57Arctos:And I was like...

00:00:58Arctos:gotta look like we do.

00:00:59Arctos:And he's like, honestly, if a DM-controlled character would not have persuaded you away from that fight, he's like, the roles are just really bad.

00:01:09Anzu:Yeah, it's tough.

00:01:11Anzu:It was definitely like we were underdogs in that fight, I think, but the rolls really made it a steamroll.

00:01:21Arctos:Yeah.

00:01:23Arctos:I feel like we weren't as much of an underdog as...

00:01:30Arctos:I don't know.

00:01:31Arctos:I feel like if we played that necessarily better, it was definitely a hard fight.

00:01:35Anzu:Yeah, we would have to be pretty calculated.

00:01:39Arctos:Which is normally something that's like, yeah, I don't know.

00:01:46Anzu:Yeah, I've been wondering if my build is part of the problem.

00:01:53Anzu:I'm not sure if my damage output is high enough, but the problem is...

00:02:02Arctos:I think post-mortem, we didn't have enough healing.

00:02:09Arctos:And I think because my character couldn't do enough healing, your character and Noah's character and Mike all had to kind of try to heal themselves and other people.

00:02:23Arctos:So I don't know if your build's the problem, because you are a low-level mage.

00:02:27Arctos:I think it might have been you had to heal...

00:02:30Arctos:which then reduced your output, which then turned us into a worse situation because we weren't reducing their actions per turn.

00:02:38Anzu:Yeah, yeah.

00:02:38Arctos:They were getting extra shots.

00:02:40Anzu:Mm-hmm.

00:02:42Johnny:Yo, are we talking about how bad last session was?

00:02:42Anzu:Yo!

00:02:44Arctos:Yeah, yeah.

00:02:46Johnny:Oh, you're right.

00:02:47Arctos:Yeah, yeah.

00:02:47Anzu:Oh, wait.

00:02:48Anzu:I thought we haven't played since before Thanksgiving.

00:02:52Johnny:You're right.

00:02:54Arctos:Yeah.

00:02:55Anzu:Yes, we were talking about how bad this was.

00:02:59Arctos:And I was...

00:03:00Arctos:I was joking with Josh that my next character, he should let me bring in a level 15 character.

00:03:06Arctos:And I was like, it'll be like the Paladin in the D&D movie.

00:03:10Arctos:And then he's like, you guys don't need a DM-controlled character.

00:03:13Arctos:And I was like, I kind of think we do.

00:03:16Arctos:And then he was like, if you had a character, they wouldn't have dissuaded you.

00:03:17Johnny:I mean, I don't think, I don't think it was the heels.

00:03:20Arctos:I think it was heals.

00:03:22Arctos:I think that was the main issue.

00:03:24Anzu:so you think that we need like a more dead like someone that can heal like heavy but weren't you built for that in a way

00:03:32Arctos:Yeah.

00:03:38Johnny:I think it was that we rushed into a situation where we did.

00:03:42Johnny:I think I rolled poorly perception check and didn't see how people were actually in that room.

00:03:46Johnny:And if it had just been all the people we saw, I think we could have taken them.

00:03:48Johnny:But there was like two or three extra people we didn't account for, and we just got outnumbered too fast.

00:03:56Gamemaster:I mean, I did also roll a ridiculous amount of crits, which didn't help.

00:04:00Arctos:Yeah.

00:04:01Johnny:I think we were okay, and then you rolled like a nat 20 right off the bat, and Jorge went from totally okay to on death's door.

00:04:12Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunately, the problem with challenging you guys...

00:04:16Gamemaster:you're more often than not going to be in harder fights, is that when you start getting into the upper levels of, this is a dangerous fight, and you don't have all the information going in, and I crit a bunch of times, so you don't really have the chance to reassess or anything like that.

00:04:34Gamemaster:You're too busy trying to put out fires.

00:04:36Gamemaster:I think I just kind of took it a little bit over the edge.

00:04:39Gamemaster:Because when I was specking out that fight, I definitely had, this is going to be a hard fight for them if they just jump in.

00:04:47Gamemaster:But it wasn't built.

00:04:48Gamemaster:Like, you know, every once in a while... Actually, I'm trying to think about it.

00:04:53Gamemaster:I don't know if I've ever thrown a fight at you guys in an actual campaign where the expectation is that you just die outright.

00:05:00Arctos:Kharkov.

00:05:00Gamemaster:That has happened in one chops.

00:05:02Arctos:Kharkov.

00:05:03Arctos:The first time we met him.

00:05:05Gamemaster:The first time you met him, you probably would have died if you fought him, but I didn't think that you were going to fight him, so I don't know if that counts.

00:05:05Johnny:Who?

00:05:11Arctos:Yeah, we tried to jump him and we're just like, this was an instant mistake.

00:05:14Gamemaster:Right, but you, like, you backed off.

00:05:17Gamemaster:That happened.

00:05:18Gamemaster:This one, I don't think... What should have happened is Hlarf should have cast Timestop or something in the first, like, few seconds, and then you would have backed off.

00:05:29Johnny:I was thinking about it, though, and this is kind of fun because we've never had this situation before and it's been many years, so I'm kind of excited about it.

00:05:36Gamemaster:Yeah, no, it's, you know.

00:05:36Arctos:Yeah, no, I... It's part of the game.

00:05:37Anzu:We did have a pretty good streak going.

00:05:40Johnny:And now Tanner's going to be feeling left out because he's the only one that didn't die.

00:05:40Arctos:And there were times... You know, Tanner's character's already died before.

00:05:47Arctos:It's my first character death.

00:05:47Johnny:No, not this one.

00:05:49Johnny:This time, actually, this campaign, everyone dies but Tanner.

00:05:53Arctos:It's like the ship of Theseus.

00:05:56Johnny:If you die and keep bringing it back, are we the same party?

00:05:58Arctos:As long as we have one of the original members, we're fine.

00:06:01Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:06:02Gamemaster:So if everybody gets replaced... Well, see, that's the thing.

00:06:05Gamemaster:In this one, you guys are all part of Iconoclasm.

00:06:08Gamemaster:So we can just keep going with this Iconoclasm.

00:06:10Arctos:this is adding to his like a i don't know guantanamo bay torturing backstory yeah

00:06:11Gamemaster:You know.

00:06:12Johnny:Now Anzu is the grizzled veteran who lost his entire party.

00:06:13Gamemaster:But if... Well, I mean... Terrifying Mindberg torturing people.

00:06:16Johnny:We're Anzu's backstory.

00:06:28Gamemaster:I will say, like...

00:06:30Gamemaster:Pulling back a little bit, Anzu has known the rest of the party for like four days.

00:06:35Johnny:Yeah.

00:06:37Gamemaster:So I don't know, it's probably traumatizing, but I don't know if it's like, oh no, my best friends, I've lost them.

00:06:45Gamemaster:It's more like, oh, I kind of liked those co-workers.

00:06:45Johnny:Oh.

00:06:48Gamemaster:It kind of sucks that they got punched to death in that bar.

00:06:52Anzu:Yeah, I think that it's definitely somewhere in between what you're getting at.

00:06:56Anzu:Because, I mean, to watch everyone get absolutely rocked is not good.

00:07:01Gamemaster:Yeah, yeah.

00:07:03Gamemaster:I mean, really, when I'm thinking about it, I don't know what Anzu's feelings are, but if I can base any of the reactions off of the past parties that you guys have played, a bigger hit would be the fact that they took your car.

00:07:18Gamemaster:So, you left your car behind when you ran away.

00:07:18Johnny:Oh no, our car!

00:07:22Johnny:Oh no!

00:07:22Arctos:Oh yeah, that's going to be the most messed up, I'm going to be honest with you.

00:07:26Johnny:Oh, they have our car.

00:07:26Johnny:No, it's okay though because Anzu has my glasses and that's my only magical item.

00:07:31Gamemaster:True.

00:07:32Gamemaster:That did happen.

00:07:35Anzu:Now I'm going to be so beguiling.

00:07:35Gamemaster:I feel bad for Mike.

00:07:37Gamemaster:Mike's lost that crushing poly tool.

00:07:40Gamemaster:It's gone.

00:07:41Johnny:Oh no.

00:07:42Johnny:We're gonna wake up with no items.

00:07:43Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:07:45Arctos:I just got that shield too.

00:07:47Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

00:07:47Gamemaster:Immediately gone.

00:07:48Johnny:I realized after we finished that fight that they were all were-creatures, and if we'd just been throwing silver around, it probably would have been okay.

00:07:49Arctos:That's all right.

00:07:56Gamemaster:They did have weaknesses that if you had done a little bit of recon, you might have been able to go into the fight with.

00:08:03Gamemaster:But I don't think it would have been necessary for you to have won the fight.

00:08:07Arctos:I will also say a Thaumaturge with a vampire background right there would have fucked them up.

00:08:16Arctos:He would have been hitting them with silver.

00:08:17Gamemaster:Sure.

00:08:17Arctos:They would have been regenerating.

00:08:18Gamemaster:Sure.

00:08:19Arctos:And he would have been like, ha ha ha, and then using a mirror to dash around so they couldn't flank him.

00:08:25Gamemaster:I mean, these guys weren't regenerating.

00:08:25Arctos:Thaumaturges are the best characters.

00:08:28Gamemaster:They're not like the werecreatures of the previous campaign.

00:08:30Gamemaster:They have not drank beast blood, so they don't just regenerate all the time.

00:08:34Arctos:Well, there was one that we tried to kill and then he used his reaction to not do that.

00:08:38Johnny:We're aware of it.

00:08:38Gamemaster:Yeah, that's not regenerating.

00:08:39Johnny:Yeah.

00:08:41Gamemaster:That's like Orcish Fury.

00:08:44Arctos:Would silver have stopped it?

00:08:44Gamemaster:It's a thing that player characters get access to as well.

00:08:45Arctos:Actually, never mind.

00:08:47Gamemaster:Would what have stopped it?

00:08:48Gamemaster:Silver?

00:08:48Arctos:Silver?

00:08:49Gamemaster:No.

00:08:51Gamemaster:No, the silver does increase damage because they're lycanthropes, and so they have a vulnerability to that.

00:08:57Gamemaster:But it's for the same reason that if you stabbed an orc and they used Orcish Ferocity to not die, the silver wouldn't have come into play.

00:09:06Gamemaster:It's not a regeneration effect.

00:09:07Arctos:Yeah.

00:09:08Gamemaster:It was just like you, as a reaction, can choose not to keel over.

00:09:13Johnny:That's pretty cool.

00:09:15Gamemaster:It was specifically the wereboars as well.

00:09:18Gamemaster:That's the thing that the wereboar gets.

00:09:21Arctos:We should... Well, you guys don't know my next character.

00:09:21Johnny:The wig.

00:09:22Gamemaster:So you should have all failed the curse of the wereboar and become wereboars so that you also could have chosen not to die.

00:09:26Johnny:Instead of... Only I am aware... Only I'm aware crocodile now, maybe.

00:09:36Arctos:Or this character.

00:09:37Arctos:Maybe I'm bringing back Argyle as an alchemist bomber wereboar.

00:09:41Arctos:And he just bombs buildings.

00:09:44Gamemaster:Was it Johnny that failed the check to get the curse of a wereboar?

00:09:44Arctos:So...

00:09:49Gamemaster:Or was it werecroc?

00:09:49Johnny:It was the work rock.

00:09:52Gamemaster:Right, of course.

00:09:54Gamemaster:You know, Johnny is dead now, so I don't think that he can also be a werecroc, unfortunately.

00:10:00Gamemaster:But that is a good cheat code.

00:10:02Gamemaster:If you get some disease that you don't like, die, and then you no longer have that disease.

00:10:07Johnny:Wait, but I can't be the guy that I just sent a picture of?

00:10:08Arctos:So real talk, do pug creatures in this setting give birth naturally, or do they need another way?

00:10:14Gamemaster:We can roll you up a new character so you can be that guy if you like.

00:10:16Gamemaster:Johnny 2.

00:10:25Arctos:Just wondering.

00:10:26Johnny:Thank you.

00:10:26Gamemaster:Listen, I got scarred by reading 1D&D's Bestiary, which does go in-depth into the birthing practices of various monsters.

00:10:26Arctos:Just wondering.

00:10:36Gamemaster:I don't want to bring that into my settings.

00:10:40Arctos:Nice haircut, Noah.

00:10:41Gamemaster:So...

00:10:46Anzu:wait are you it's what is your vision

00:10:46Arctos:Was that from last time?

00:10:48Johnny:What did you say?

00:10:49Arctos:Was that from last time?

00:10:51Johnny:No.

00:10:52Johnny:I'm growing out the top minor, though, and so it...

00:10:56Johnny:It is harder to tell now.

00:10:58Arctos:Oh.

00:11:02Johnny:I don't know.

00:11:02Johnny:I've never... I like the size of my hair short.

00:11:06Johnny:And I've recently discovered a new product that I like when I put in my hair.

00:11:10Johnny:And so I'm just going to keep growing it out until... Like, this is too long.

00:11:14Johnny:And then I'll cut it.

00:11:15Johnny:We'll see.

00:11:16Johnny:Maybe I'll just come in and the size of my hair will be short, but my hair will be down to here and it's all curls.

00:11:17Anzu:I like it.

00:11:18Anzu:I like it.

00:11:23Anzu:Hell yeah.

00:11:26Anzu:I'm excited.

00:11:27Johnny:Stay tuned.

00:11:33Arctos:My oldest sibling used to grow out their hair.

00:11:39Arctos:They grew it out a couple times.

00:11:41Arctos:And they had a massive fro.

00:11:43Arctos:And then my mom was just going to his wife and was just like, tell him to cut it.

00:11:50Arctos:And she was like, if he likes it, he likes it.

00:11:53Arctos:And he had that hair for a long time and then started straightening it.

00:11:56Arctos:But then he also came out as trans.

00:11:58Arctos:So I guess there were signs.

00:12:03Anzu:That's life.

00:12:04Johnny:Jorge, this is not related to your sibling and their hair.

00:12:09Arctos:I didn't think so.

00:12:12Johnny:In the Discord for Plex, are you JNAR or is your sister JNAR with all the reviews?

00:12:20Arctos:My sister.

00:12:22Johnny:Okay, that's what I thought, but I was like, there's a world where Jorge is watching all these movies and reviewing them like this, and it's very funny to me.

00:12:29Arctos:No, my sister really likes movies, so that is why I made this Plex.

00:12:34Arctos:She had one of her friends from college that had a Plex, but...

00:12:39Arctos:his Plex was on a little computer and also you only have like a limited of like three movie requests to download per week.

00:12:46Arctos:So she's like, please, please.

00:12:51Arctos:So then I set one up.

00:12:54Johnny:Okay.

00:12:55Johnny:Because I've been going through all the reviews and I'm like, wow, Jorge Blake's really different movies than I would have expected.

00:13:01Arctos:No.

00:13:02Arctos:So on a side note, have any of you guys seen Red One?

00:13:08Anzu:No, that was the Christmas movie last year with Chris Evans.

00:13:13Arctos:And The Rock.

00:13:14Anzu:Yeah.

00:13:15Arctos:I really don't like The Rock.

00:13:17Arctos:Like generally.

00:13:18Arctos:I think he's kind of annoying.

00:13:20Arctos:And I didn't see this movie last year.

00:13:22Arctos:Because I was like this is going to be garbage.

00:13:24Johnny:red one

00:13:24Arctos:And then I saw it and I was like.

00:13:25Arctos:It's like the perfect movie.

00:13:29Arctos:I was like.

00:13:29Anzu:You like it.

00:13:30Anzu:I haven't seen it.

00:13:31Arctos:I was like this.

00:13:31Arctos:I was like this is the movie.

00:13:35Arctos:The Rock should be making.

00:13:37Arctos:Like just.

00:13:38Arctos:Just not serious.

00:13:40Arctos:They kept you entertained.

00:13:42Arctos:I was so surprised how many different scenes and visuals there were.

00:13:46Arctos:And I mean, it's a Christmas movie.

00:13:48Arctos:It's not going to be amazing.

00:13:51Arctos:But I actually had a lot of fun.

00:13:53Arctos:I was surprised.

00:13:56Arctos:The beginning was kind of slow.

00:14:00Arctos:But yeah, in terms of Christmas movies, it was a lot of fun.

00:14:05Johnny:okay i'll check a couple years

00:14:06Arctos:I was upset that it didn't get as much attention from people like me.

00:14:11Arctos:But it's because The Rock makes trash.

00:14:13Arctos:This was perfect for The Rock.

00:14:15Arctos:So, you know.

00:14:18Anzu:Good to know, good to know.

00:14:19Anzu:Liz really likes Elf.

00:14:20Arctos:Yeah.

00:14:20Arctos:Like, what other Christmas movies do you want to see?

00:14:22Arctos:Elf?

00:14:23Arctos:How many times can you see Elf?

00:14:27Gamemaster:Ooh.

00:14:28Anzu:But I've got my headphones, so.

00:14:30Johnny:A couple years ago, they did the Muppets at the Denver Symphony Orchestra.

00:14:34Johnny:So they did Muppets of Christmas Carol, but they played all the music live.

00:14:37Johnny:It was pretty great.

00:14:38Anzu:Whoa, that's funky fresh.

00:14:39Arctos:That sounds good.

00:14:41Johnny:I don't know if they do that somewhere in New York, but I'd recommend it.

00:14:45Johnny:It's pretty great.

00:14:47Arctos:Give it a shot.

00:14:49Arctos:In terms of plays, I also highly recommend Jaws.

00:14:51Arctos:I don't know if I've told you guys about it.

00:14:54Johnny:There's a play for Jaws?

00:14:56Arctos:It's a play about the making of Jaws.

00:15:00Johnny:Well, that sounds fun.

00:15:01Anzu:That's meta.

00:15:01Arctos:And one of the main actors is the one who wrote it, and his dad was the angry fisherman guy.

00:15:09Arctos:And he plays his dad.

00:15:11Arctos:But his dad also died super young, like in his 40s, because he was like an alcoholic.

00:15:15Arctos:So there's a little bit of, like, trauma there.

00:15:17Arctos:But great movie.

00:15:19Arctos:And the shark's, like, always fucking breaking because that's how it was in filming.

00:15:25Arctos:Filming Jaws made no sense.

00:15:27Arctos:Everyone was just like, why are you filming an animatronic shark in the actual ocean off Nantucket?

00:15:34Arctos:And he's like, it's gotta be there.

00:15:36Arctos:And they're like, no, it doesn't.

00:15:37Arctos:Put it in a pool.

00:15:38Arctos:And then it just kept breaking all the time.

00:15:41Johnny:The audience will know.

00:15:41Arctos:And people were like, it fucking sucks.

00:15:43Anzu:He's a purist.

00:15:45Arctos:Yeah.

00:15:47Johnny:That's like when I was watching Titanic and I was like, that water's not cold.

00:15:51Johnny:They're in Hawaii.

00:15:52Johnny:I can tell.

00:15:56Arctos:Did you see... Did you see what James... Did you see James Cameron refute the whole there was room on the door bit?

00:15:58Anzu:I wanna see them shiver.

00:16:07Johnny:No.

00:16:09Arctos:For like the 10 or 15 year anniversary or something like that, he like...

00:16:13Arctos:they rented out room in like the super cold water chamber where the water was like, I think 40 degrees, which is still slightly warmer than it would be in the Atlantic.

00:16:21Arctos:Then he had two actors, their size, try to like stay on this thing.

00:16:26Arctos:But in like all scenarios, if the guy was also on it, what ends up happening is one, it's really hard to stabilize, but when they do, they all just freeze to death in the water because it sinks too low.

00:16:38Arctos:But it like,

00:16:39Arctos:It keeps cutting to James being like, dunk him again!

00:16:42Arctos:Make it colder!

00:16:43Arctos:Because, like, in the original scene, too, they're, like, handcuffed for a little bit.

00:16:47Arctos:He's like, dunk him!

00:16:49Arctos:Dunk him!

00:16:52Johnny:That one.

00:16:53Johnny:That's crazy that he's like, they have to actually freeze to death to prove my point.

00:16:54Arctos:Yeah.

00:16:58Johnny:He's like, this is for Avatar 4.

00:17:00Arctos:Yeah.

00:17:01Johnny:Ice and doors.

00:17:02Johnny:That's the fourth Avatar.

00:17:04Johnny:But also, every time you see that whole, like, there's room on the door, it's always assuming that water is just a fully stable flat surface that you can't sink into.

00:17:12Arctos:Yep.

00:17:12Johnny:Maybe over by you.

00:17:13Gamemaster:Is it not?

00:17:13Arctos:Yep.

00:17:14Gamemaster:It's cold, so there's ice.

00:17:19Gamemaster:So you could just... Yeah.

00:17:19Arctos:Yeah.

00:17:21Arctos:It's thicker.

00:17:22Anzu:Not compressible.

00:17:22Johnny:Fair.

00:17:24Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:17:24Gamemaster:No?

00:17:24Arctos:Yeah.

00:17:25Gamemaster:Do you know what else isn't compressible?

00:17:27Gamemaster:Cement.

00:17:28Gamemaster:And cement's stable.

00:17:29Arctos:That's true.

00:17:32Arctos:Did you guys know that James Cameron's also one of the forefronts in personal submarines?

00:17:41Arctos:like deep sea submarines.

00:17:43Gamemaster:He went to the bottom of the Marianas Trench.

00:17:46Arctos:Like so many times.

00:17:48Arctos:And it's so funny because he had custom built his own subs.

00:17:51Arctos:So when the Titanic, you know, when the Titan thing was happening, he was just like, I told the guy multiple times I had to custom build my sub each time.

00:17:59Arctos:You can't just reuse it.

00:18:06Arctos:Oh, James.

00:18:07Gamemaster:It's a weird hobby for a director to have, but you know.

00:18:11Gamemaster:Better he spends his money on that than, like, setting fire to farms or something that other billionaires do.

00:18:17Anzu:true what's wrong with matthew lillard i mean come on he's a good guy five nights at freddy's

00:18:18Arctos:Have you guys seen the latest things with Quentin Tarantino?

00:18:22Johnny:Yeah, what?

00:18:23Johnny:Why is he?

00:18:28Johnny:He was great as Shaggy.

00:18:29Johnny:He was great in Scream.

00:18:30Johnny:I can't name another movie he was in recently, but he was good in those two movies.

00:18:34Johnny:Oh.

00:18:34Gamemaster:He's... Is he in the new Fallout 2?

00:18:38Gamemaster:I think he is.

00:18:40Johnny:Oh.

00:18:41Johnny:Well, now I definitely want to watch it.

00:18:43Arctos:He just really hates that guy.

00:18:45Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:18:45Arctos:And the guy from Batman.

00:18:48Arctos:The Riddler?

00:18:48Johnny:Oh, I love his name.

00:18:50Johnny:The guy who played the Joker.

00:18:51Anzu:like why why you gotta hate like just just do your thing

00:18:51Gamemaster:Paul Dano?

00:18:52Gamemaster:No.

00:18:52Gamemaster:Jared Leto?

00:18:53Johnny:No, no, no.

00:18:53Arctos:No, no, the guy who played the Riddler.

00:18:55Johnny:I think... I'm Paul Dano.

00:18:56Gamemaster:Oh, the Riddler.

00:18:57Gamemaster:It was Paul Dano.

00:18:58Arctos:Yeah.

00:18:59Arctos:They just caught strays for no reason.

00:18:59Johnny:I like Paul Dano.

00:19:04Arctos:Yeah.

00:19:06Johnny:Listen, Quentin Tarantino, everyone in modern culture knows you're a weird foot dude.

00:19:11Johnny:You made your movies.

00:19:12Johnny:Relax.

00:19:12Arctos:I mean, I also saw a clip of him on a podcast defending...

00:19:17Arctos:A guy that raped a 13-year-old.

00:19:21Arctos:And then he goes, it was statutory.

00:19:24Arctos:You know, it's not, that word's used for really violent things.

00:19:27Arctos:They were consenting.

00:19:28Arctos:And everyone's like, whoa, whoa.

00:19:31Arctos:Quinton.

00:19:37Anzu:There were signs.

00:19:39Johnny:I'm just really like the blurry S under Paul Dano kind of looks like a five and I'm not sure if that's a star, but it looks like it could be the inches signs, which says Paul Dano five inches.

00:19:39Arctos:There were sides.

00:19:39Anzu:Never say there weren't signs.

00:19:45Arctos:What do you think did him in?

00:19:48Arctos:He didn't show him his feet.

00:19:49Gamemaster:I don't know.

00:19:50Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:20:02Gamemaster:That's why he's so angry, because he's short.

00:20:12Anzu:Crazy stuff.

00:20:13Anzu:It's just like stay in your lane sometimes, you know?

00:20:14Arctos:Oh, Quinton.

00:20:17Arctos:You know, I wish Kevin Spacey wasn't such a creepy guy.

00:20:26Arctos:Because I thought he made good stuff.

00:20:29Arctos:And now I just can't watch it.

00:20:29Johnny:He did.

00:20:29Johnny:Oh, yeah.

00:20:32Arctos:And the problem is, every couple years I'm like, you know what, I can kind of... And then he's in the news again.

00:20:37Arctos:Like, he was recently in the news.

00:20:38Arctos:Did you see it?

00:20:40Johnny:He was like, I'm homeless in Cyprus.

00:20:43Gamemaster:Good for him.

00:20:44Arctos:He held a press conference to tell everyone he's homeless.

00:20:47Arctos:He has to live in hotels and Airbnbs.

00:20:50Arctos:And everyone's like, first of all, that is not what homeless is.

00:20:52Arctos:But then he's just like in this in the same press conference.

00:20:55Arctos:He's like, you know, I need the green light from a big director like Spielberg or Quentin Tarantino.

00:21:02Arctos:Give me a job.

00:21:03Arctos:And like that was the entire press conference.

00:21:05Arctos:Everyone's like, this is really weird.

00:21:11Johnny:I agree with you.

00:21:12Johnny:He made really good stuff.

00:21:13Johnny:American Beauty, House of Cards, Seven.

00:21:16Johnny:Terrifying movie.

00:21:16Arctos:Usual Suspect or Unusual Suspect.

00:21:19Arctos:Whatever it was.

00:21:22Johnny:He was usual suspects.

00:21:29Arctos:So.

00:21:29Anzu:Now, I have a question, and I'm embarrassed to ask, but I have no idea what's going on when you guys do these formulas with Knife That Teaches.

00:21:31Arctos:Yeah.

00:21:41Gamemaster:So Knife That Teaches has a stack-based array language that it is able to interpret.

00:21:42Arctos:Well, Josh keeps changing it on me.

00:21:45Arctos:I have to re-crack it.

00:21:57Gamemaster:And so I just, for fun, try and come up with more and more complicated, small, like, CodeGulf stack-based programs to print out whatever word we're looking for.

00:22:09Arctos:I have to keep cracking it.

00:22:09Gamemaster:And then I guess Jorge is, like, trying to reverse engineer my work.

00:22:16Arctos:So the last one, that was Wiwa?

00:22:18Arctos:Is that what that was?

00:22:20Gamemaster:That's the language.

00:22:21Gamemaster:The language is Wewa.

00:22:21Arctos:Yeah.

00:22:22Arctos:So it was, I got the letters right, the encoding, but then my second thing was the positions of it.

00:22:30Arctos:That's why I didn't say indeed.

00:22:31Arctos:It was like needle or whatever it was.

00:22:32Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:22:35Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:22:36Gamemaster:The most recent program, the one that I sent, takes a number in base 100.

00:22:44Gamemaster:reversed, and then parses that into a normal base 10 digit, and then subtracts that from the ASCII value for 0 in order to get the offsets, and then builds a separate array that is a series of numbers that are built from that base 100 number that, when turned back into ASCII, spell out tomorrow and then convert it to a string.

00:23:08Johnny:Hmm.

00:23:12Gamemaster:I just thought it was fun to have an interpreted language.

00:23:14Gamemaster:I didn't expect anybody to attempt to reverse decode it.

00:23:16Gamemaster:Like, if you want to play around with the language, you could just go to the language's website.

00:23:21Gamemaster:One second.

00:23:22Arctos:And then last time he did something, I was off because I forgot to put the correct substrips and only decoded a couple of the words.

00:23:29Gamemaster:Yeah, unfortunately there are subscripts in the language.

00:23:33Gamemaster:The one that I used was couple.

00:23:37Gamemaster:Couple subscripted takes that subscript's amount off of the stack and combines it into an array.

00:23:43Gamemaster:And so he copied my subscript 6 when he wanted a subscript 20.

00:23:47Johnny:It's food.

00:23:47Gamemaster:But it's fine.

00:23:49Arctos:That was an idiot.

00:23:49Anzu:Now, for the image that Mike sent today.

00:23:51Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:23:55Gamemaster:I have no idea what that is.

00:23:57Anzu:Well, is this my question is, is this a real life man whose name is Tom that we're supposed to know?

00:24:03Anzu:Or is it just a guy?

00:24:04Gamemaster:Well, so the star in the bottom right corner means it was generated by Gemini.

00:24:05Anzu:No, I understand.

00:24:10Gamemaster:So it's AI.

00:24:12Gamemaster:Are we supposed to know that his name is Tom?

00:24:14Anzu:Well, because it's Tom or Roe for tomorrow.

00:24:18Johnny:Oh.

00:24:19Johnny:Oh.

00:24:19Johnny:I really got stuck on contemplate or canoe.

00:24:20Gamemaster:Oh!

00:24:24Johnny:This is...

00:24:28Anzu:But I was trying to think, like, should I be, is this like a famous man whose name is Tom, or are we just supposed to take the leap from this is a man, perhaps his name is Tom?

00:24:34Gamemaster:I think you were the only one that successfully decoded it, but I do not know that man, if that man is Tom.

00:24:42Arctos:I'll dig...

00:24:47Anzu:All right.

00:24:48Gamemaster:That's atrocious.

00:24:50Anzu:He can't help it.

00:24:52Johnny:That's an impressive leap without knowing his name was Tom.

00:24:54Gamemaster:Yeah, I think you're impressive for having gotten it.

00:24:59Anzu:Well, and I was starting to... I was like, well, it must be Tom's, but am I supposed to... Right, but I was like, am I supposed to know inherently that this is Tom?

00:25:03Gamemaster:Because it's got to be tomorrow.

00:25:11Gamemaster:Except, of course, it's not tomorrow.

00:25:14Gamemaster:Oh, he was supposed to send it yesterday.

00:25:16Gamemaster:Okay, because I was going to say he sent it today.

00:25:17Anzu:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:25:19Anzu:He was just a little late on the draw.

00:25:19Gamemaster:But he was supposed to.

00:25:21Gamemaster:Gotcha.

00:25:22Anzu:Because he first sent it in, and I was looking at it, and it was small on my phone, so I'm zooming in to see if it's Tom Hanks.

00:25:28Johnny:Yes.

00:25:29Gamemaster:I mean, maybe it is.

00:25:30Gamemaster:Maybe that was an AI attempt at Tom Hanks and I just couldn't tell.

00:25:34Anzu:It's pretty far from Tom Hanks, I think, but...

00:25:34Gamemaster:It's possible.

00:25:36Arctos:New Gemini would not.

00:25:38Arctos:It would get Tom Hanks.

00:25:40Gamemaster:Oh, I'm sorry.

00:25:41Gamemaster:I apologize.

00:25:43Gamemaster:I used Gemini... I've been using Gemini to generate profile pictures for... That's the wrong term, but you know, for characters in the game, because...

00:25:53Arctos:Profile portraits.

00:25:55Gamemaster:Sure.

00:25:56Arctos:Character portraits.

00:25:56Gamemaster:There are pictures.

00:25:57Gamemaster:There are cameras in this setting.

00:26:01Gamemaster:Like, photo cameras.

00:26:02Gamemaster:So a picture is fine.

00:26:04Gamemaster:But they just don't really have profiles.

00:26:06Gamemaster:I think that's not true.

00:26:07Gamemaster:Anyway, it is still not super easy to get it to output exactly what I want it to.

00:26:12Gamemaster:Like, I'll give it a bunch of different things that I want it to do, and then it'll do like 80% of them, and then I'll say no, that's wrong.

00:26:19Gamemaster:and then it'll fix the thing that I told it to fix, but it will undo one of the other things it did.

00:26:21Anzu:you

00:26:25Arctos:Are you on the basic or pro?

00:26:25Gamemaster:So eventually I just give up.

00:26:27Gamemaster:And so now Tywelwyn is like furry, and is like a furry, sorry, and I don't like it, but I can't get it to generate what I'm trying to get.

00:26:36Gamemaster:So I'm on the basic.

00:26:37Arctos:Are you on the basic or pro?

00:26:41Arctos:The pro is a lot better at instruction following.

00:26:43Arctos:That's the main draw.

00:26:45Arctos:Also, what I found is if you find a picture you like, like one of our profile photos, I then send it to Gemini and I say,

00:26:54Arctos:Like, basically, I tell it to give it to me this, like, if you were to write a prompt to generate this image, what would you write?

00:27:00Arctos:And then I use that paragraph, and then I, like, change the small things I want, and then it, like, keeps the whole style.

00:27:06Arctos:But I'll say things like, smart lines and black light and things like that.

00:27:11Arctos:I'm like, I don't know what this means, but you know what it means, so.

00:27:13Gamemaster:Let's see if I can find a particularly dumb exchange I have.

00:27:23Arctos:Well, I guess Benny's dead.

00:27:25Gamemaster:Yeah, no, Benny is dead.

00:27:26Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

00:27:28Gamemaster:You missed the deadline.

00:27:30Johnny:This deer is just so jacked.

00:27:33Gamemaster:Right?

00:27:35Johnny:He's so jacked and also very tactical.

00:27:37Arctos:He looks like he was at January 6th.

00:27:46Anzu:I don't like it.

00:27:47Anzu:Personally, I don't like it.

00:27:49Gamemaster:Look.

00:27:51Anzu:And I know that this is how anthropomorphic characters work, but I don't like how normal his hands are with the deer head.

00:27:59Arctos:Could you give me the photo that you said massive grin?

00:28:00Gamemaster:Okay.

00:28:00Anzu:The fully deer head with normal human hands is freaking me out.

00:28:05Gamemaster:Look at this stupid exchange I had with Gemini.

00:28:17Arctos:I'm going to try it with pro and see what happens when it does that.

00:28:20Johnny:How do you get... What was it?

00:28:20Gamemaster:Sure.

00:28:23Johnny:What?

00:28:24Gamemaster:I don't know how it did that.

00:28:26Arctos:Also, if you give me the original prop too, because I'm curious how that works with context.

00:28:31Gamemaster:One second, so... You have met that goat guy.

00:28:33Johnny:He looks more like a serial killer in the first one.

00:28:35Johnny:Oh, that's Flint.

00:28:36Anzu:Who's this goat guy?

00:28:37Anzu:Have we even met this goat guy?

00:28:40Gamemaster:That's Flintlock.

00:28:43Anzu:Oh my god!

00:28:43Gamemaster:That's the...

00:28:43Arctos:Toboggan.

00:28:44Gamemaster:Well, that was, okay, so the last, what I ended up settling on for Flintlock was this one.

00:28:44Arctos:Toboggan.

00:28:57Gamemaster:That's where we ended.

00:28:58Johnny:Oh, that's scary.

00:28:58Anzu:Oh, he got the massive grin.

00:28:58Arctos:No, that's not Sora, then.

00:28:59Anzu:They figured it out.

00:29:00Gamemaster:Yeah, I had to prompt it a little bit longer, and eventually I got it, but I just, I didn't know what happened in the middle there.

00:29:09Anzu:And this is Sora that you've been using.

00:29:11Gamemaster:I've just been using it.

00:29:12Gamemaster:I think, I assume it's Sora.

00:29:14Gamemaster:It's just in the Gemini chat, like, whatever.

00:29:17Arctos:Sora is OpenAI.

00:29:18Gamemaster:Is Sora video?

00:29:20Gamemaster:Oh, Sora's open AI.

00:29:21Gamemaster:Whatever.

00:29:21Gamemaster:I'm in the... Yeah, this is Gemini.

00:29:21Anzu:Oh, so you've been using Gemini.

00:29:24Gamemaster:Gemini.google.com.

00:29:26Gamemaster:And Gemini apparently thinks...

00:29:27Arctos:And what was the original...

00:29:28Arctos:prompt you gave it to get the first tell one oh naughty when i when i said give him a master's degree and gave it to him he gave me this one

00:29:44Gamemaster:Sure.

00:29:46Johnny:Oh.

00:29:48Anzu:I mean, that makes sense given the question.

00:29:52Anzu:I assume, Josh, you had to specify more sinister teeth, right?

00:29:58Gamemaster:Nope.

00:30:01Gamemaster:After it gave me that weird bird, I just said, no, that image is wrong.

00:30:05Gamemaster:Give him a massive grin.

00:30:08Gamemaster:And then it said, okay, and it just gave me the image that I sent.

00:30:13Johnny:Just kidding.

00:30:13Johnny:Scary.

00:30:14Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:30:16Gamemaster:So, you know.

00:30:19Gamemaster:It works sometimes.

00:30:20Gamemaster:It works enough.

00:30:21Johnny:I saved that picture of the bird because that literally made me laugh.

00:30:27Gamemaster:I don't understand how that possibly happened.

00:30:31Gamemaster:Like, I don't know what kind of transformation happened on the back end for it to interpret give him a massive grin into generate me a nice picture of a bird by a lake.

00:30:41Gamemaster:Like, I...

00:30:42Anzu:I mean, is there a type of bird called a grin?

00:30:46Johnny:There's a peregrine falcon.

00:30:52Johnny:What?

00:30:52Gamemaster:There's a, no.

00:30:55Gamemaster:There's a snow goose.

00:30:57Gamemaster:Google, why did you bring this up?

00:30:59Gamemaster:Oh, because it has a dark line along its bill, creating a grin.

00:31:03Gamemaster:Is that a snow goose?

00:31:04Gamemaster:Is that what that is?

00:31:06Gamemaster:I don't think so.

00:31:11Anzu:I'm still just kind of upset about the deer.

00:31:11Johnny:I can't.

00:31:15Arctos:Oh my god, I gave it the prompt, Josh!

00:31:15Gamemaster:I'm upset about the deer, too.

00:31:17Gamemaster:Don't worry.

00:31:20Gamemaster:But that's staying now.

00:31:22Gamemaster:That's canon.

00:31:22Gamemaster:That's what he looks like.

00:31:26Gamemaster:The next time you fight Tywelwyn, imagine that.

00:31:30Gamemaster:Okay?

00:31:41Gamemaster:That's Flintlock!

00:31:42Johnny:you you

00:31:43Anzu:And his toboggan.

00:31:49Gamemaster:Yeah, you know what?

00:31:50Anzu:Okay, so now here's a question I have, Josh.

00:31:54Anzu:Your prompt, there must be some background information prior to this.

00:31:59Gamemaster:There is fur arraignment.

00:32:00Gamemaster:One second.

00:32:01Gamemaster:Let me see if I can go back to the original.

00:32:04Arctos:Ooh, okay.

00:32:10Gamemaster:Of course, it does forget some of the context, but this was the context.

00:32:21Gamemaster:And then I gave it some images in a style that I wanted it to generate.

00:32:25Johnny:That's pretty neat.

00:32:28Johnny:I mean, it's no real life goat person with a toboggan, but...

00:32:35Arctos:I'm going to try to create it.

00:32:35Gamemaster:No, it's not.

00:32:37Gamemaster:I have a few of these images on the heart.arrity.cc, whatever, just to try and put a face to some of the characters that you've been seeing.

00:32:48Gamemaster:I will say,

00:32:51Gamemaster:Gin Soaked Rag does not have an image, because try as I might, I could not get it to generate an image that doesn't look either very stupid or uncomfortable.

00:33:06Gamemaster:I will add the best two that I got, which we're not using for obvious reasons.

00:33:11Anzu:I'm not excited to see these either.

00:33:12Anzu:I have a moral issue where my wife and brother are both artists.

00:33:21Johnny:The second one's kind of fun.

00:33:21Arctos:So.

00:33:22Anzu:And so it's like, I don't know, can I use AI art?

00:33:25Anzu:I'm not sure I should.

00:33:25Anzu:Oh, these are fun, actually.

00:33:29Gamemaster:I just... I don't want that to be... It's just... Yeah.

00:33:37Anzu:The second one's not bad.

00:33:38Anzu:I mean, I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but it's decent.

00:33:42Johnny:The first one felt like a brown paper napkin that got wet.

00:33:42Gamemaster:I mean... A little bit, yeah.

00:33:48Gamemaster:Maybe that's his brother.

00:33:49Gamemaster:Gin Soaked Rag's brother is a brown paper napkin that got a little wet.

00:33:54Arctos:I don't know if non-pro Gemini has it, but you can make gems where you can give it a base prompt and images and things like that, and then you can activate that gem, and it'll have all that context.

00:33:59Johnny:Also, the picture that Josh has for Mr. Whiskers looks like one of the characters from the 2020 live-action Cats.

00:34:05Arctos:So you could use that to create a character.

00:34:06Gamemaster:to keep the context and stuff in mind.

00:34:11Benny:Thank you.

00:34:11Arctos:Yeah, they can create new threads that are like...

00:34:21Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:34:24Gamemaster:Mr. Whisker sounds like the name of a character in the 2020 live-action Cats.

00:34:31Arctos:Like, I tried creating a gem for it based off that context.

00:34:34Arctos:Obviously, I didn't have any base images to show it.

00:34:37Johnny:Oh, he's got a cool jacket.

00:34:39Arctos:But then when I gave him that base prompt, it didn't just make .. And yeah.

00:34:39Gamemaster:Yeah, I don't know if it's possible to recreate the nice little bird by the tree.

00:34:43Johnny:I hate to make that bird.

00:34:54Johnny:I really like that bird, though.

00:34:55Johnny:It's really nice.

00:34:56Gamemaster:It's not a, you know, it's fine.

00:34:58Gamemaster:I just... Let's see.

00:34:59Johnny:I can't really understand what's happening under its feet, no matter how hard I look, but is it standing on a reed?

00:35:07Johnny:What is happening down there?

00:35:07Gamemaster:Um...

00:35:09Gamemaster:It looks like it's levitating slightly off the top of a plant, but maybe its leg is the plant?

00:35:18Gamemaster:It's unclear.

00:35:19Gamemaster:Listen, you know, a problem with AI-generated art is that you just can't look too closely at it.

00:35:27Gamemaster:Just don't look at it.

00:35:28Gamemaster:Just give it the, like, 20-foot view.

00:35:31Gamemaster:It's a nice little bird by a tree.

00:35:34Johnny:Oh, a bird.

00:35:35Gamemaster:Yeah, and that's it.

00:35:37Gamemaster:Also, Mr. Whiskers is not a character from Cats.

00:35:40Gamemaster:It is, however, a character from Frankenweenie, which is close enough.

00:35:43Johnny:Basically the same thing.

00:35:48Gamemaster:It's apparently, spoilers, the primary antagonist of Frankenweenie.

00:35:53Anzu:Thank you.

00:35:53Johnny:Oh, no?

00:35:53Gamemaster:So, yeah.

00:35:55Arctos:Wait.

00:35:57Arctos:Is Franken really what I think it is?

00:36:00Gamemaster:I have no way of knowing.

00:36:02Johnny:If you think it's a live-action movie about a hot dog that comes back to life, not a hot dog, a dachshund, sorry, that comes back to life, a la Frankenstein, then yeah.

00:36:03Arctos:Oh, never mind.

00:36:04Arctos:It really is.

00:36:12Gamemaster:Is it live action?

00:36:13Gamemaster:I thought it was like claymated or something.

00:36:15Johnny:It's claymation.

00:36:16Gamemaster:Oh, okay.

00:36:16Johnny:Which really is live action if you think about it.

00:36:21Gamemaster:No, it's not.

00:36:21Arctos:I'm with you on this one.

00:36:23Johnny:I don't know.

00:36:25Johnny:Someone's mating my clay.

00:36:26Gamemaster:It's definitively not live.

00:36:29Arctos:Agree to disagree.

00:36:29Gamemaster:That's like a big part of the medium.

00:36:30Arctos:Agree to disagree.

00:36:33Anzu:I guess because it's still photos.

00:36:36Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:36:41Anzu:But it's still cinema.

00:36:41Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

00:36:42Johnny:Alright guys, I gotta go.

00:36:43Johnny:That's all for today.

00:36:44Gamemaster:Bye.

00:36:46Johnny:That's all I got.

00:36:47Gamemaster:Bye-bye.

00:36:48Anzu:Actually, I think that really I'm the only one doing the session with Josh today.

00:36:52Gamemaster:That's true.

00:36:52Gamemaster:The rest of you are just kind of spectating while Tanner and I have a session.

00:36:57Gamemaster:And it's just Anzu going through the logistics of putting together three funerals.

00:37:04Anzu:Yes, and Josh and I are going to have a deep exploration of the stages of grief, and it's actually going to be a pretty beautiful episode.

00:37:09Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

00:37:13Gamemaster:Roll for bargaining.

00:37:16Anzu:Three.

00:37:17Anzu:Looks like I'll be the Gin Soaked Rag.

00:37:18Gamemaster:Sorry, you're still at anchor.

00:37:22Johnny:Oh no.

00:37:23Gamemaster:It happens.

00:37:24Arctos:Mike's here.

00:37:28Arctos:Oh.

00:37:30Gamemaster:Mindbird becomes an alcoholic?

00:37:30Benny:Yeah, I'm almost home.

00:37:34Gamemaster:Oh, are you- you're not home yet?

00:37:36Anzu:No, he's on mobile.

00:37:36Benny:Now I'm walking.

00:37:38Gamemaster:Oh boy.

00:37:39Anzu:Hello, Michael.

00:37:41Benny:Yeah, like three weeks ago at work, maybe longer, maybe a month ago at work, they updated all of the web sockets to get better throughput.

00:37:59Benny:And they didn't do any of it correctly.

00:38:01Benny:So we've just had complaints for the past month on, like, poor features of the system.

00:38:02Johnny:Ugh.

00:38:08Benny:So then one team, like, slipped the fuck out today.

00:38:11Benny:And they're like, we need to fix this immediately.

00:38:13Benny:It's like, you guys needed to do it properly the first time.

00:38:20Gamemaster:But they let you go for the evening?

00:38:20Benny:So that's... That's what I was saying.

00:38:21Anzu:enough only

00:38:25Benny:It's also not resolved.

00:38:26Benny:We don't even have a root pause.

00:38:35Benny:Well, I mean, I could go kind of whatever.

00:38:39Johnny:The.

00:38:39Gamemaster:Well...

00:38:40Benny:I just didn't want to ditch other people that were staying.

00:38:45Benny:But yeah, no, it's also kind of insane because the two people that were responsible for this particular upgrade are my largest adversaries.

00:38:57Benny:And the ones who are constantly like, this guy is fucking up so much, he shouldn't even work here.

00:39:04Benny:And then they ruin a core component for a month, and I'm sure nothing will come of it.

00:39:12Anzu:I'm sorry that you have to have adversaries at your workplace.

00:39:15Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:39:15Benny:It'd be great if I didn't have people that seem to be plotting on my downfall every day.

00:39:21Benny:It'd be even better if they made their components work correctly before putting them in production.

00:39:27Benny:So I didn't have to fix them.

00:39:28Benny:No, they just work a bunch.

00:39:33Anzu:Are they Nepo babies?

00:39:36Arctos:than the worst.

00:39:41Benny:Uh, and they're like founding members of the team.

00:39:43Benny:So they have like some level of buy-in.

00:39:48Benny:Yes.

00:39:48Anzu:Right.

00:39:50Anzu:And clout.

00:39:50Gamemaster:So no.

00:39:51Johnny:We were discussing this.

00:39:53Anzu:I have an unrelated question for you.

00:39:57Benny:Sure.

00:39:59Anzu:Were we supposed to know that this man's name is Tom?

00:40:04Benny:You were supposed to guess.

00:40:05Benny:How did you know?

00:40:05Anzu:Okay.

00:40:06Benny:Uh-huh.

00:40:13Anzu:I knew because I understand the complexities of your thought process, so I was able to deduct.

00:40:24Benny:That's how it's supposed to go.

00:40:26Benny:To top off today, I was supposed to be receiving a package.

00:40:26Anzu:Yeah.

00:40:32Benny:I allegedly received a package.

00:40:35Benny:It is not at my front door.

00:40:35Gamemaster:Did you receive?

00:40:35Johnny:Oh!

00:40:36Benny:Nonetheless, I will check that once I am in the computer discord.

00:40:37Gamemaster:No.

00:40:37Anzu:Oh.

00:40:38Arctos:Oh.

00:40:42Anzu:Maybe somebody hid it in a corner for you so it didn't get porch pirated.

00:41:01Gamemaster:And Penny's dead again.

00:41:03Johnny:Oh no!

00:41:04Arctos:Oh.

00:41:04Arctos:Oh, Benny.

00:41:05Gamemaster:Anytime that Mike is, like, because he's a child, he doesn't have object permanence.

00:41:11Arctos:That makes sense.

00:41:11Gamemaster:So when Benny's controller isn't present, Benny doesn't exist.

00:41:16Gamemaster:That's how that works.

00:41:21Arctos:What if Mike just commandeered the other child we had in the one shot?

00:41:26Johnny:Oh, he's that level six child?

00:41:29Arctos:Yeah.

00:41:29Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:41:29Gamemaster:That child was not level six.

00:41:32Arctos:He was higher.

00:41:33Johnny:Sorry, level... No, Josh, when you turned away for a second, we all stabbed him a whole bunch and nothing happened, so he's got to be pretty strong.

00:41:33Gamemaster:He was level one.

00:41:34Gamemaster:Where did you get level 6 or higher from?

00:41:39Gamemaster:It was weird that he was level 1, but he wasn't level 400 or whatever.

00:41:48Arctos:He took like over 30 points of damage.

00:41:49Gamemaster:Oh, right.

00:41:50Gamemaster:Of course.

00:41:53Arctos:So he wasn't a level 1.

00:41:56Arctos:Unless he's a level 1 monster.

00:42:00Johnny:Oh, he's got a monster stat.

00:42:01Johnny:He's got an NPC stat block.

00:42:04Gamemaster:Well, he definitely has an NPC stat block.

00:42:06Gamemaster:He was an NPC.

00:42:08Johnny:No, he's Mike's next character.

00:42:09Johnny:Mike can only play children for this campaign.

00:42:10Gamemaster:Oh, yeah, I guess we'd have to translate it into Mike's character if that happened.

00:42:13Arctos:Yeah.

00:42:19Gamemaster:That's a Mike choice.

00:42:21Arctos:Ha ha ha.

00:42:22Gamemaster:Like, I did not approach Mike and say, listen, if you want to keep playing with the group, you need to be a child.

00:42:28Gamemaster:That didn't happen.

00:42:30Johnny:I don't know, Josh.

00:42:30Benny:Finally.

00:42:31Johnny:You're denying that pretty strongly.

00:42:34Gamemaster:Is that a he doth protest too much moment?

00:42:39Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

00:42:42Gamemaster:You caught me.

00:42:43Gamemaster:I forced Mike to play a kid.

00:42:45Gamemaster:Twice.

00:42:46Benny:Wait, what was discussed?

00:42:47Gamemaster:Actually, actually, actually, Noah, you were the one who forced everybody to play kids.

00:42:49Benny:My mic wasn't working.

00:42:54Anzu:Oh, yeah.

00:42:55Arctos:Got him.

00:42:56Gamemaster:Which is why Mike is a child now.

00:42:59Gamemaster:Because you made him play a child and he was like, ooh, I like this.

00:42:59Arctos:You're right.

00:43:02Johnny:I'm so sorry you guys couldn't be full-grown adults in the one shot I wrote where you were in eighth grade.

00:43:09Gamemaster:Yeah, you're the one who chose the setting.

00:43:12Gamemaster:Don't be like, oh, my hands were tied.

00:43:14Gamemaster:It needed to be in the eighth grade.

00:43:16Gamemaster:We could have been teachers.

00:43:18Johnny:You all could have been Billy Madison.

00:43:19Johnny:You didn't want to be Atum Sandler in eighth grade classroom.

00:43:22Gamemaster:I haven't seen that movie.

00:43:28Gamemaster:Is that, is that's the plot of that movie?

00:43:30Gamemaster:Atum Sandler's an eighth grader?

00:43:31Gamemaster:Oh, that's way better.

00:43:32Johnny:It's a fifth grade classroom.

00:43:35Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

00:43:36Gamemaster:I take back my incredulity.

00:43:43Gamemaster:Oh?

00:43:44Benny:Hello?

00:43:46Gamemaster:Hello?

00:43:47Anzu:Yes, hello.

00:43:50Benny:I am here.

00:43:52Johnny:Woo!

00:43:52Benny:My mic works.

00:43:54Gamemaster:No.

00:43:58Gamemaster:Jorge is sending me stupid AI-generated images now.

00:44:03Gamemaster:Stop that.

00:44:03Benny:Yeah, I opened the chat, and there was just an evil goat person.

00:44:08Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:44:08Benny:Several, actually.

00:44:10Gamemaster:Hey!

00:44:11Gamemaster:We don't know if he's evil.

00:44:15Arctos:Uncle Flint.

00:44:15Benny:I don't know if you've read up on... I don't know if you've read up on physiogamy?

00:44:20Benny:I've read it a bunch.

00:44:23Benny:That's an evil face.

00:44:24Gamemaster:But never out loud.

00:44:24Gamemaster:Yeah, that's Mr. Flintlock.

00:44:25Benny:Yeah, no, never mind.

00:44:27Anzu:Mike, that's Flintlock Toboggan.

00:44:32Benny:Oh.

00:44:32Gamemaster:Everybody's favorite goat demon.

00:44:36Benny:I found the package.

00:44:38Gamemaster:Did you see the deer, Mike?

00:44:38Johnny:On...

00:44:40Gamemaster:Because that's the more important one.

00:44:43Benny:I did see...

00:44:43Anzu:We're not happy about the deer.

00:44:44Benny:There's like a stripper deer in like a bulletproof vest or something.

00:44:48Gamemaster:I was trying so hard to get Gemini to generate a normal image of Dwellwind.

00:44:54Gamemaster:And that was the best I could get.

00:44:56Arctos:Mike thinks stripper.

00:44:56Benny:Get me a.

00:44:57Arctos:I thought January 9th.

00:45:00Anzu:Jorge has big plans for 2026.

00:45:00Gamemaster:January 6th?

00:45:02Arctos:Sick, sorry.

00:45:03Arctos:Dyslexia.

00:45:03Gamemaster:January 9th.

00:45:05Gamemaster:Jorge knows about a different insurrection that happened somewhere else.

00:45:08Gamemaster:With deers?

00:45:09Johnny:to that one.

00:45:13Arctos:Oh, yeah.

00:45:15Benny:All right, boss, I finished up making that sexy deer just like you asked.

00:45:19Benny:Or like, what is it?

00:45:20Benny:No, no, it's, did you finish drawing that deer that I asked?

00:45:24Benny:Yeah, I finished.

00:45:24Benny:He's all sexy like, just like you asked.

00:45:30Anzu:Oh no, he's hot.

00:45:31Anzu:Oh no.

00:45:37Gamemaster:We're all here.

00:45:38Arctos:Yeah.

00:45:38Gamemaster:Do we want to play some Pathfinder?

00:45:41Gamemaster:All right.

00:45:42Johnny:Yes.

00:45:42Benny:Yeah.

00:45:44Gamemaster:That sounds like we should probably do that, then.

00:45:49Gamemaster:Would anybody like to do a recap of the previous session?

00:45:54Arctos:Is it up?

00:45:54Johnny:You mean the one before Thanksgiving?

00:45:55Johnny:The one before Thanksgiving?

00:45:57Gamemaster:What?

00:46:00Johnny:The last session?

00:46:02Anzu:Yeah, I'm pretty sure last session we explored a mansion and rolled a bunch of D100s.

00:46:02Johnny:That was a joke.

00:46:05Johnny:That was Tanner's joke.

00:46:06Johnny:I stole that joke.

00:46:08Gamemaster:Absolutely not.

00:46:08Johnny:I did steal that joke.

00:46:09Arctos:Is Tanner obligated to do it since he's the only one who's alive?

00:46:09Gamemaster:That's fair.

00:46:14Gamemaster:Anzu's the only one that survived to tell the tale.

00:46:17Anzu:Last session we went to the police and we learned that Detective Brooks cares more about his bottom line than he does justice.

00:46:32Benny:Thank you.

00:46:34Anzu:And we didn't like that, so we just kind of called it a day.

00:46:35Johnny:Huh.

00:46:41Arctos:Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

00:46:44Gamemaster:Yeah, that sounds right to me.

00:46:45Gamemaster:No, we just hand-waved you, like, getting the equivalent of a full rest, but, like, in character, you guys didn't actually nap in the middle of the day.

00:46:47Anzu:You know, I think we went home and slept.

00:47:02Anzu:Sick, sick, sick, sick.

00:47:04Anzu:So we went right to their tavern, which I thought I had written.

00:47:10Anzu:Oh, the Crowded Flea, I do have it written down.

00:47:12Gamemaster:Yep.

00:47:13Anzu:And we scoped it out.

00:47:15Anzu:We're expert planners and strategists.

00:47:22Anzu:So we got on a roof.

00:47:24Anzu:We watched as the number of adversaries increased throughout the evening.

00:47:34Arctos:Ha ha ha.

00:47:34Anzu:And then late at night, we frickin' tasted the rainbow.

00:47:40Anzu:And then most of us tasted a lot of iron.

00:47:41Johnny:Ha ha ha!

00:47:54Anzu:And the mind bird rode one last rainbow, but he had some sunglasses to shade the way.

00:47:57Gamemaster:I...

00:48:06Anzu:Yeah, please add to this, please.

00:48:09Arctos:Not an ad.

00:48:10Arctos:If Josh let us go back in time to right before we jumped in, would you guys still jump in?

00:48:16Arctos:Low-key, I would.

00:48:18Arctos:I think I literally messaged Noah...

00:48:20Johnny:There was a chain.

00:48:21Johnny:Me and Jorge were messaging each other during that fight, and it started off with us being like, this is so cool.

00:48:25Johnny:I'm so excited for this fight.

00:48:26Johnny:This is so much fun.

00:48:27Johnny:Then an hour of silence, then us just going, this is bad.

00:48:31Johnny:We should not have done this.

00:48:32Johnny:This aides poorly.

00:48:37Arctos:I'm so glad we didn't overthink this.

00:48:40Arctos:And he said, me too, right when we jumped in.

00:48:44Johnny:That is a problem.

00:48:44Anzu:I was trying to overthink it.

00:48:48Johnny:followed by an hour of silence.

00:48:52Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:48:53Anzu:We lost the car.

00:48:55Anzu:We lost some valiant members of Iconoclasm.

00:48:58Arctos:Why was the car first?

00:49:02Anzu:Because Josh said that was more important.

00:49:04Anzu:Josh said it.

00:49:04Arctos:Loki was, we're going to go get that car back.

00:49:04Anzu:And I have no idea what's going to happen next.

00:49:14Anzu:I'm running home.

00:49:15Gamemaster:Yeah.

00:49:16Gamemaster:Absolutely.

00:49:18Gamemaster:So we left off with, and I'm taking advantage of this moment to correct my pronunciation of word from last time, coup de grace.

00:49:28Gamemaster:We left off with Hlarf pummeling the three bodies of the three party members that unfortunately did not make it out.

00:49:41Gamemaster:ensuring that you did not wake up after 10 minutes to 20 hours of unconsciousness.

00:49:49Gamemaster:At the same time, Anzu successfully, with the help of some rainbows, teleported outside of the bar and continued running into the alleyways further into Sableclutch, evading the members of the gang that had left the bar, chasing after them.

00:50:11Gamemaster:As we zoom out and see Anzu running into the darkness, into the alley, I assume towards the Sin and Tonic, unless there's somebody else, somewhere else Anzu would be heading instead.

00:50:11Anzu:Yeah, no, I'd be going home.

00:50:27Gamemaster:Absolutely.

00:50:29Gamemaster:Running through rain-soaked alleyways.

00:50:36Arctos:Does he just go to Belvedere and he's like, fuck this city.

00:50:39Anzu:I'm going all the way home.

00:50:41Gamemaster:We fade out.

00:50:48Gamemaster:Anzu running home, the other three of you dead.

00:50:59Gamemaster:There is... There's no feeling.

00:51:05Gamemaster:Are you guys okay?

00:51:09Johnny:What's that?

00:51:12Gamemaster:All right.

00:51:13Gamemaster:Atrocious.

00:51:19Johnny:I sent Jorge that.

00:51:25Anzu:Agreed.

00:51:28Gamemaster:Anzu, arms flailing in the wind, runs back towards the Sin and Tonic, towards Icon Clasm.

00:51:38Gamemaster:For the three of you,

00:51:42Gamemaster:Regardless of whether or not you've experienced death before, this ex- Regardless of whether or not you've died, this experience, or lack thereof, is a new one.

00:51:48Arctos:At least two of them did.

00:51:51Anzu:I don't understand the backstories at all.

00:52:04Gamemaster:The final punch, or the last gore,

00:52:09Gamemaster:from a were-bore tusk or whatever makes contact and you feel your consciousness fade as you black out, presumably to leave this world forever.

00:52:23Gamemaster:And there are different interpretations of what happens after you die, especially depending on which religious institution you follow and the like, but it is...

00:52:37Gamemaster:generally well understood that regardless of the journey that you take to get there, when you die, your soul travels to the Godhome and resides eternally next to whichever god you chose to worship in life.

00:52:54Gamemaster:So your last moments of consciousness definitely aren't at peace because you are actively in a lot of pain as you're being murdered.

00:53:06Gamemaster:but there is at the very least this thought of at least I'll end up somewhere hopefully nice.

00:53:17Gamemaster:There isn't a view of your soul going to hell or anything like that in the setting, so there's not much to fear necessarily.

00:53:25Gamemaster:And so consciousness leaves.

00:53:32Gamemaster:What you don't expect is that

00:53:37Gamemaster:After an infinite amount of time, and no time at all, you feel a spark of consciousness return.

00:53:46Arctos:Thank you.

00:53:48Gamemaster:And by you feel, I mean there is a gap in your memory, like you fell asleep.

00:53:54Gamemaster:And then all of a sudden, you feel like you are again.

00:53:59Gamemaster:And it's a hard to describe feeling, because as you...

00:54:04Gamemaster:You try to open your eyes, but you have no eyes to open.

00:54:07Gamemaster:You try to feel the air around you, but there is no air and there is no you.

00:54:12Gamemaster:You are just thought.

00:54:15Gamemaster:You don't see any environment around you.

00:54:17Gamemaster:You don't feel anything.

00:54:18Gamemaster:You're just kind of drifting.

00:54:20Gamemaster:But you can think.

00:54:22Gamemaster:There is some part of you that can hold a thought, which isn't quite how you would have expected death to be, especially without a body.

00:54:34Gamemaster:But there is...

00:54:38Gamemaster:There is something amidst the endless nothing that is outside of wherever your consciousness is.

00:54:47Gamemaster:Despite the fact that you don't have a body and don't have ears and therefore can't hear, there is a melody, a harmony reverberating around in your not-head.

00:55:04Gamemaster:Something...

00:55:05Gamemaster:tangential, not tangential, something tangible.

00:55:10Gamemaster:That's the word I'm looking for.

00:55:12Gamemaster:Something for you to focus on as much as a disembodied mind or soul or whatever you are can focus on.

00:55:23Gamemaster:And as you grab onto that, something comes along for the ride.

00:55:31Gamemaster:It's not just that harmony.

00:55:34Gamemaster:There's a voice underneath the harmony.

00:55:39Gamemaster:Something that is... Commanding's the wrong term.

00:55:43Gamemaster:Instructing is closer.

00:55:45Gamemaster:There is an insistence.

00:55:47Gamemaster:No actual words, but the feeling of words.

00:55:53Arctos:Yeah.

00:55:55Gamemaster:The intent present.

00:55:58Gamemaster:Instructions on...

00:56:01Gamemaster:pulling yourself together as the best way to describe that.

00:56:06Gamemaster:Some way of feeling the world around whatever you are and kind of shaping it into what you remember your body to be.

00:56:18Gamemaster:And at first, it's soft.

00:56:22Gamemaster:You don't really feel any insistence in it.

00:56:25Gamemaster:It's just, this is an option.

00:56:27Gamemaster:But...

00:56:28Gamemaster:The longer you sit, the longer you hear it, the more intent this gets, the more the instruction is pulling on you, almost providing a current for you to pull your body back together in whatever space you may be.

00:56:48Gamemaster:And if you choose to listen to it, you feel that you can actually will

00:56:55Gamemaster:pieces of your body back into existence.

00:56:57Gamemaster:Step by step, cell by cell, you can build yourself back from the endless whatever around you.

00:57:08Gamemaster:Do you choose to do so?

00:57:11Gamemaster:I ask that to... Well, Mike, I can't see if you're nodding or not.

00:57:17Gamemaster:Okay, so...

00:57:20Gamemaster:You take the time, and it does feel like it takes time.

00:57:24Gamemaster:You don't have any way to mark how much time has passed, because for a long while, you still don't have eyes.

00:57:32Gamemaster:But even beyond that, there's no change in temperature here, nothing that you could use to mark a day-night cycle.

00:57:39Gamemaster:It's just endless infinity.

00:57:42Gamemaster:So it could be very quick.

00:57:44Gamemaster:It could take a long time.

00:57:46Gamemaster:But for whatever reason, you spend...

00:57:50Gamemaster:intense concentration rebuilding yourself.

00:57:55Gamemaster:But eventually, piece by piece, you do.

00:57:59Gamemaster:You bring back what once was into what now is.

00:58:06Gamemaster:And as you've rebuilt your body, as you've brought yourself back, there is

00:58:16Gamemaster:You're in a space.

00:58:17Gamemaster:You know that much.

00:58:20Gamemaster:You haven't had the chance to open your eyes and look around, but you know that you are in some kind of physical space.

00:58:26Gamemaster:Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to actually rebuild your body in this way.

00:58:30Gamemaster:You wouldn't be able to re-coalesce into something.

00:58:33Gamemaster:And you know that there's something else here with you.

00:58:39Gamemaster:no real way to actually view the world outside.

00:58:43Gamemaster:But every once in a while, you might feel your concentration lapse and parts of your body start to lose their coherence again.

00:58:50Gamemaster:And then something will come by and help almost and keep the pieces of you in shape long enough for you to regain your focus, to rest and recuperate and then start again without losing all of your progress.

00:59:10Gamemaster:Eventually, piece by piece, you rebuild yourself.

00:59:14Gamemaster:And once everything is back, once everything is in its right place, you can finally open your eyes and see where you are.

00:59:25Gamemaster:I would like... I think Benny's the smallest, so he'd be done first.

00:59:31Gamemaster:Benny, roll a perception check.

00:59:36Benny:27 crit.

00:59:38Anzu:That's so funny, Josh.

00:59:50Gamemaster:Nice.

00:59:50Gamemaster:You are in a white, endless void.

00:59:59Gamemaster:You take a look around you and it is just nothingness in almost every direction.

01:00:07Gamemaster:There is this...

01:00:09Gamemaster:Thick white fog coming up to about your ankle on the ground such that you can't actually see the floor.

01:00:19Gamemaster:Similarly, if you look up enough, you can see motion above you of the white on white of some kind of fog presenting a kind of ceiling where you are.

01:00:28Gamemaster:But you can really only tell from the movements of the air above you, just seeing that motion.

01:00:36Gamemaster:There isn't a lot of contrast there to actually tell, including how far away it is.

01:00:40Gamemaster:You have no way of knowing how far up it is because there's no landmark there.

01:00:45Gamemaster:When I say it's almost white void in every direction, it's because there are a few notable exceptions.

01:00:51Gamemaster:one is to your side, a little ways off, upside down by the looks of it, or perhaps a little tilted so that their feet are kind of off at an angle that way, is the mostly reconstructed body of Johnny.

01:01:09Gamemaster:You do recognize that much.

01:01:11Gamemaster:And as you look over in that direction, you note that the act of turning moves you

01:01:20Gamemaster:because you had intent to turn, but at no point do you actually feel yourself touching any solid ground.

01:01:26Arctos:All right.

01:01:28Gamemaster:And you note that there's nothing holding you, like pulling you down, and if you want to, you could rotate in any direction in free space or move around in any direction in free space without any particular issue.

01:01:40Gamemaster:In addition, there is one structure that stands out, a something amidst all of this nothing.

01:01:48Benny:you

01:01:49Gamemaster:There is...

01:01:50Gamemaster:And there's no real way of knowing how far away it is.

01:01:53Gamemaster:There is a Giant...

01:01:56Gamemaster:concrete-looking structure, like a skyscraper of some kind.

01:02:02Gamemaster:You can neither see the top nor bottom of this structure because it is obscured by the fog, both on the bottom and the top.

01:02:10Gamemaster:And it's got this strange, blocky architecture to it that you wouldn't be familiar with.

01:02:17Gamemaster:It doesn't look like it has windows of any kind.

01:02:20Gamemaster:In fact, it doesn't even really look necessarily like a building.

01:02:22Gamemaster:It just looks like a Giant column of concrete.

01:02:24Gamemaster:But something about it to you, Benny, says, oh, yeah, that is a building of some kind.

01:02:30Gamemaster:That's a structure.

01:02:31Gamemaster:Although nothing immediately would tell you why.

01:02:35Gamemaster:The third thing in this area, the thing that you realize had been what held you in place to help you out with that last bit of coherence to keep going, is a person, by the looks of it.

01:02:51Gamemaster:They're relatively close by.

01:02:53Gamemaster:You would guess they're maybe eight-ish feet tall, just going off of how tall you are, but once again, it's hard to get actual distances and stuff in this place.

01:03:04Gamemaster:They are not wearing clothes.

01:03:08Gamemaster:They've got matte white skin on a cylindrical, thin-looking torso with very lanky-looking thin arms and legs coming off of the torso, ending in massive oversized feet and hands.

01:03:27Gamemaster:On top of the torso is a short, thin neck, and then on that neck is a Giant, perfectly spherical head.

01:03:37Gamemaster:no facial features on the head except for a grin going from one side of the mouth to the other um and then this was the because we're using ai to generate art because i probably could have drawn this myself actually but given how simple it is this is your view this is the creature that is standing above you grinning down at you

01:03:58Johnny:Hello.

01:04:06Gamemaster:And he looks at you and he says, well, you woke up.

01:04:10Gamemaster:That's good.

01:04:11Gamemaster:I haven't had visitors in a while, so this is exciting.

01:04:13Benny:Yeah.

01:04:15Gamemaster:How do you feel?

01:04:16Gamemaster:All your pieces in one place?

01:04:18Gamemaster:In the right place.

01:04:20Gamemaster:Yeah?

01:04:22Benny:Uh, does Benny feel that way?

01:04:24Gamemaster:Does Benny feel that way?

01:04:26Benny:Probably.

01:04:28Gamemaster:No?

01:04:28Benny:There's not that many pieces to keep track of.

01:04:30Gamemaster:That's good.

01:04:33Benny:Uh, so, uh, uh, what the hell?

01:04:39Gamemaster:I should be asking you that.

01:04:41Benny:Wild, wild case.

01:04:44Benny:You've never seen bad luck before?

01:04:47Gamemaster:Around this time, Johnny, you will also finish your coherence reconstruction and you are a full body.

01:04:57Gamemaster:You see the two of them, from your perspective, upside down, having a conversation.

01:05:03Gamemaster:And he says...

01:05:06Gamemaster:Luck usually doesn't come into play here, but that was spectacularly poor.

01:05:14Gamemaster:You know.

01:05:14Benny:I think it's a compliment given it's not an indication of my skills.

01:05:20Gamemaster:No, I really expected you guys to win that one.

01:05:24Gamemaster:Kind of just...

01:05:24Johnny:So I see Benny in this tall dude.

01:05:29Johnny:I'll just try and run over to Benny.

01:05:33Gamemaster:Okay, running is hard because there's nothing for your feet to grab onto, but if you just will yourself to move in a particular direction, you will find that you move in that direction.

01:05:43Gamemaster:In case it comes up, your movement speed is 10 times your intelligence modifier.

01:05:50Arctos:They're in the astral plane.

01:05:51Arctos:That's why we haven't been able to go there for three years.

01:05:55Arctos:I knew it the second you said you moved.

01:05:57Arctos:I was like, this is where the astral plane is.

01:05:58Arctos:All right, anyway.

01:05:59Johnny:When you say ten times, so if I have an intelligence modifier at zero, do I have no movements?

01:06:03Gamemaster:minimum of 10 feet.

01:06:05Johnny:I will slowly drift over to Benny and go, Benny!

01:06:09Johnny:And, like, pull him into a hug, and I'll rub his head, look around, and say, this is totally new!

01:06:14Johnny:Nobody wants me to fucking die, guy!

01:06:17Johnny:I'm never gonna die!

01:06:19Johnny:Woo!

01:06:19Johnny:Oh, I got Anzu out.

01:06:20Benny:Wait, wait, wait, wait.

01:06:20Benny:What happened to you?

01:06:21Benny:I know why I died.

01:06:23Benny:What happened to you?

01:06:28Johnny:Oh, yeah, where's, uh...

01:06:30Johnny:Do I see Argyle at this point?

01:06:32Gamemaster:You do not see Argyle at this point.

01:06:34Johnny:Oh shit, maybe Argyle made it out too.

01:06:35Johnny:I thought he was dead.

01:06:37Johnny:Me and Anzu ran for it.

01:06:39Johnny:I got him out, but I kind of had to sacrifice myself, so I guess we're dead.

01:06:48Johnny:Who the fuck are you, guy?

01:06:49Johnny:I'll look up at this tall dude.

01:06:51Gamemaster:He'll...

01:06:51Johnny:I'll try to shield Benny too, despite the fact that Benny is the one who usually shields me.

01:06:56Gamemaster:He sees that you're both looking up at him.

01:06:56Benny:Thank you.

01:06:58Gamemaster:And so you watch as he kind of just sinks two feet down into the ground so that he's face level with you.

01:07:05Gamemaster:And until, sorry, I level with you.

01:07:08Gamemaster:And he'll say, I go by a bunch of names.

01:07:12Gamemaster:Most common one is Aut.

01:07:13Gamemaster:I also go by John.

01:07:15Gamemaster:I've been trying that on for size.

01:07:18Gamemaster:You can call me whatever you like.

01:07:18Johnny:Ought.

01:07:20Johnny:Well, this ought to be a fun conversation, my guy.

01:07:25Johnny:You're neither of the other two people I expected to see when I died, so... Usually it's one guy, but last time it was a different thing.

01:07:30Gamemaster:Oh, you expect to see people when you die?

01:07:32Gamemaster:That's fun.

01:07:36Johnny:So, uh... Who are you?

01:07:37Gamemaster:Oh, I'm sorry.

01:07:38Gamemaster:If it helps, I wasn't the one who brought you back.

01:07:42Gamemaster:You kind of did that on your own, best I could tell.

01:07:45Benny:Okay.

01:07:50Gamemaster:I'm Aut.

01:07:52Gamemaster:You just asked that.

01:07:54Johnny:Sorry, where are we?

01:07:57Gamemaster:Well, we're here.

01:08:00Gamemaster:Like the name or the physical location?

01:08:02Gamemaster:Because nowhere is the best answer.

01:08:12Gamemaster:It's the Black and White.

01:08:14Gamemaster:Although it's really more of the white right now.

01:08:14Benny:Huh.

01:08:14Benny:Never been.

01:08:17Benny:I've never been nowhere before.

01:08:18Benny:Plenty of things that live don't eat or drink.

01:08:20Gamemaster:Most people haven't.

01:08:21Gamemaster:You don't really come back from something like that.

01:08:24Johnny:You live here?

01:08:28Gamemaster:Yeah, that's, you know, I don't really need to eat or drink or breathe, so live probably isn't the right term.

01:08:38Gamemaster:But I am here, most of the time.

01:08:43Gamemaster:You know, I suppose.

01:08:43Johnny:What a... Benny, I've seen you eat a lollipop.

01:08:50Johnny:I've seen you eat and drink before, so...

01:08:53Benny:Yeah, I'm not talking about me.

01:08:54Benny:I just think that he should feel he ought... I just feel like it should feel like it's living despite not having metabolic functions.

01:08:56Johnny:I don't know, the way you said it kind of made it sound like you were talking about yourself.

01:09:00Gamemaster:I mean, I'm not going to argue with you.

01:09:07Arctos:Thank you.

01:09:18Gamemaster:I don't think you're right, necessarily, but I don't have any particular insight into what counts as alive, more than you do, I suppose.

01:09:29Benny:I haven't yet, but I feel like I'll feel most alive when I'm able to short a stock.

01:09:36Gamemaster:Oh, finances.

01:09:39Gamemaster:We don't have a stock market here, I'm afraid.

01:09:41Gamemaster:I mean, I could start one, but I'd be the only person participating.

01:09:44Gamemaster:I don't think that's very fun.

01:09:46Johnny:It's just you here?

01:09:49Benny:Yeah.

01:09:50Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:09:52Gamemaster:Here, at least, it's just me.

01:09:55Johnny:How did we end up here?

01:09:58Gamemaster:Excellent question.

01:10:01Johnny:Oh.

01:10:01Gamemaster:No.

01:10:03Gamemaster:Listen, normally when people die, they kind of just go any, like, gestures back towards the big tower in the background, and they just take that thing all the way up.

01:10:11Gamemaster:But you guys kind of got stuck here.

01:10:11Benny:Thank you.

01:10:13Gamemaster:I imagine it has something to do with the music that's going on.

01:10:18Gamemaster:But, you know, I don't have any particular insight into that.

01:10:22Gamemaster:Honestly, I figured you guys would have some insight into it, which is why it was so disappointing when you, you know, when what happened to you happened to you.

01:10:33Johnny:I don't mean to be a rude guy, but what's your deal?

01:10:36Johnny:What is happening right now?

01:10:38Gamemaster:I don't know how to answer that question.

01:10:42Benny:So you're just sort of spectating, like we showed up here midway through death or something, and are we half back?

01:10:42Johnny:Are you...

01:10:53Benny:Are we all the way back?

01:10:54Benny:And you just said, hey, there's beings coalescing.

01:10:57Benny:I better go say hi.

01:10:58Benny:We don't get visitors?

01:11:00Gamemaster:I mean, that's kind of... I was watching you before you died, but I wasn't the one...

01:11:14Benny:Sorry, my internet just... Okay.

01:11:14Gamemaster:My internet also did a thing.

01:11:16Arctos:I think I was disturbed.

01:11:16Johnny:Oh, mine.

01:11:18Gamemaster:It might have been Discord.

01:11:19Anzu:It must have been Discord, yeah.

01:11:19Johnny:Thank you.

01:11:19Arctos:Yeah.

01:11:21Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:11:24Gamemaster:I was watching you before you died.

01:11:26Gamemaster:I didn't bring you here, though.

01:11:27Gamemaster:That kind of just happened.

01:11:30Gamemaster:I figured I'd say hi.

01:11:32Johnny:Well, great to meet you, Johnny Skyfall.

01:11:33Benny:Oh.

01:11:34Johnny:I'll hold out a hand.

01:11:36Gamemaster:He holds out his hand.

01:11:37Gamemaster:It is like three times the size of yours.

01:11:41Gamemaster:But he does offer it for a handshake.

01:11:43Benny:Benny will also shake his hand How many grown men does his hand feel like?

01:11:44Arctos:Arch.

01:11:45Arctos:Different.

01:11:48Gamemaster:He shakes her hand too.

01:11:57Gamemaster:There is very little pressure behind his hands.

01:12:02Gamemaster:They're solid, but they almost feel like paper mache, if that makes sense.

01:12:09Gamemaster:Like you could kind of squish it, crack it that way.

01:12:13Johnny:Um, you said you were watching us?

01:12:17Johnny:What is that about?

01:12:17Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:12:18Johnny:I know why I'm interesting.

01:12:19Gamemaster:You guys are real interesting.

01:12:24Johnny:Why do you think I'm interesting?

01:12:25Arctos:Thank you.

01:12:27Gamemaster:That's a very high opinion of yourself.

01:12:29Gamemaster:I'm not saying that's wrong.

01:12:30Gamemaster:It's good to be self-encouraging like that.

01:12:37Gamemaster:I kind of make a habit of...

01:12:42Gamemaster:predicting things.

01:12:43Gamemaster:I guess that's the best way of putting it.

01:12:46Gamemaster:Knowing what's going to happen.

01:12:47Gamemaster:Not by actually reading the future, mind you.

01:12:50Gamemaster:That's devil's work, and I'm not about that.

01:12:54Gamemaster:But I'm pretty good at predicting stuff.

01:12:58Gamemaster:But I can't predict you guys.

01:13:00Gamemaster:It's not just you, mind you.

01:13:02Gamemaster:It's just anybody who's heard the harmonies and stuff.

01:13:04Gamemaster:That's kind of the new variable.

01:13:05Arctos:Ah.

01:13:06Gamemaster:So I was kind of hoping...

01:13:09Gamemaster:I've been watching a few people who've been looking into it, and you were all just kind of promising.

01:13:13Gamemaster:You know, were, unfortunately.

01:13:16Gamemaster:Less promising now than all.

01:13:18Gamemaster:But, yes.

01:13:19Benny:Yeah, a question, Mr. Smiley.

01:13:22Benny:Is that a good thing?

01:13:23Benny:I feel like if you're used to observing and things are predictable and things become unpredictable, it feels like not a good thing from your perspective.

01:13:36Gamemaster:No, new variables are terrible.

01:13:39Gamemaster:I absolutely hate them.

01:13:42Gamemaster:But that's not your fault.

01:13:44Gamemaster:Like, you're not the ones.

01:13:45Gamemaster:You're not the reason I can't predict you.

01:13:48Gamemaster:No offense, but... Nope, never.

01:13:50Benny:Has this happened in the past?

01:13:53Benny:Something occurred that you could not predict?

01:13:56Gamemaster:This is new ground for me.

01:13:58Benny:So you've never run into something that you couldn't predict and then learned about it and then began predicting it?

01:14:05Benny:So this is like the first time you're attempting that, I imagine?

01:14:10Benny:You're going to try to figure it out and see if you can predict it, and it's not happened so far?

01:14:10Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:14:15Gamemaster:It's not working.

01:14:16Gamemaster:I've been wrong for the first time in a very long time because of whatever harmony is knocking around in your heads.

01:14:25Gamemaster:So, you know, I've just been kind of looking over your shoulder.

01:14:28Gamemaster:I hope you get to the bottom of it and figure out what's going on.

01:14:31Johnny:So, uh, your whole schtick is figuring out what ought to happen, then.

01:14:35Johnny:Am I right?

01:14:36Johnny:Oh.

01:14:36Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:14:38Johnny:That's clever.

01:14:40Gamemaster:cute.

01:14:40Gamemaster:I didn't name myself.

01:14:42Johnny:Well, you said you're trying John?

01:14:43Johnny:That's my name.

01:14:45Gamemaster:What?

01:14:46Gamemaster:I mean, different last name.

01:14:49Johnny:What's your last name?

01:14:49Benny:Yeah.

01:14:49Benny:Yeah, yours is knee.

01:14:50Gamemaster:Doe.

01:15:00Johnny:I got nothing on that.

01:15:02Gamemaster:I gotta say, I did not expect talking to people would be this weird.

01:15:06Gamemaster:Normally I don't do it like this.

01:15:08Johnny:Hey, listen, um, guy, we got a third who might be dead around here, tall fellow, um, smells like myrrh and frankincense.

01:15:16Gamemaster:I didn't really get the frankincense and myrrh.

01:15:18Gamemaster:You're talking about Argyle, right?

01:15:21Johnny:Oh, yeah, yeah.

01:15:21Benny:Yeah.

01:15:22Gamemaster:Yeah, I watched him go right past you.

01:15:25Johnny:Oh, shit, he's gone?

01:15:26Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:15:28Johnny:Oh.

01:15:28Gamemaster:It happens.

01:15:29Gamemaster:Sorry about that.

01:15:31Johnny:Dang, well... Hey, listen...

01:15:35Gamemaster:Some people just can't do it.

01:15:36Gamemaster:And by some people, I mean literally everyone but you two just doesn't get to recall less.

01:15:42Gamemaster:So there's something funky going on with you.

01:15:46Johnny:Hey, Benny, sidebar real quick.

01:15:49Johnny:Could we get a minute, John?

01:15:51Gamemaster:Oh, sure.

01:15:51Gamemaster:I guess I'll float slightly further away from you.

01:16:00Johnny:We'll go slightly this way.

01:16:02Gamemaster:Yeah, I can hear everything, so there isn't really much point to it.

01:16:06Gamemaster:But, you know.

01:16:06Johnny:Yeah, but sort of here.

01:16:06Benny:This is more theater for us.

01:16:09Benny:I've got plenty of cognitive dissonance.

01:16:10Gamemaster:Okay.

01:16:11Gamemaster:Absolutely.

01:16:11Johnny:Yeah.

01:16:12Gamemaster:He'll float further away, turn around, and you see he puts his hands just on the sides of his head.

01:16:18Johnny:So, uh, you want to go back, right?

01:16:22Benny:Yeah.

01:16:24Johnny:Me too.

01:16:24Benny:Yeah, I mean... Look at me.

01:16:29Benny:And Benny will angle towards... He has his pick?

01:16:33Benny:He will angle towards his pick.

01:16:33Gamemaster:No.

01:16:35Benny:He doesn't have his pick?

01:16:36Gamemaster:Of course he doesn't have it.

01:16:37Gamemaster:You thought you brought your weapon into the afterlife with you?

01:16:40Benny:It's an exemplar weapon.

01:16:41Arctos:He thinks he's a pharaoh.

01:16:43Benny:It used to be an aspect of Benny's personality at this point.

01:16:47Gamemaster:Okay, fine.

01:16:48Benny:Listen.

01:16:48Gamemaster:I'll let you have your exemplar weapon with you.

01:16:51Gamemaster:That's fine.

01:16:51Benny:Okay.

01:16:51Gamemaster:I'll give you your pick.

01:16:54Benny:I don't like getting one-upped.

01:16:57Johnny:Me neither.

01:16:59Johnny:That fucking half-Giant... Listen, Anzu's still out there, and I love that bird, but there's a lot of people chasing him, and we gotta go back and help.

01:17:11Benny:Yeah, the only way he's going to survive is they push him off a cliff.

01:17:16Johnny:I know, he's so light.

01:17:18Johnny:I saw him trip the other day and land face-first, and then he just got back up.

01:17:22Johnny:It was crazy.

01:17:24Benny:He's allowed to be clumsy.

01:17:26Johnny:Just bounces.

01:17:27Johnny:He's so light.

01:17:28Johnny:Well, I mean, I guess we gotta figure out a way back.

01:17:33Johnny:Should we talk to this guy?

01:17:36Benny:Yeah, I guess we talked to him.

01:17:40Benny:I have a couple more questions for him, though.

01:17:45Johnny:Go for it.

01:17:46Johnny:Is this the first time you've died?

01:17:47Johnny:Hey, welcome to the club.

01:17:48Benny:OK.

01:17:48Benny:Yeah.

01:17:50Johnny:Congrats.

01:17:52Benny:What a question.

01:17:54Johnny:You know what's crazy?

01:17:55Johnny:This is not the first time I've died and this is like the third afterlife I've been to.

01:17:59Johnny:Oh, I should.

01:18:02Benny:You should get a card and start getting them.

01:18:04Benny:See if Aut has a hole punch.

01:18:08Johnny:Okay, let's go talk to him.

01:18:10Benny:Yeah, we're good now.

01:18:13Gamemaster:He'll take his hands off of the side of his head and float back towards you.

01:18:17Gamemaster:Head, sorry, it's just one.

01:18:19Gamemaster:He'll say, I don't have a hole punch.

01:18:21Gamemaster:There's nothing, like, there are no things here.

01:18:24Gamemaster:So... Alright.

01:18:24Johnny:I'll make one myself.

01:18:26Johnny:Thank you.

01:18:26Benny:Yeah, he's got to write it down in some sort of an afterlife journal then, just to have written proof.

01:18:27Gamemaster:Sure.

01:18:32Benny:So you watch things here, you watch things

01:18:39Benny:Everywhere you watch things across the different voidward and starward, you watch past those.

01:18:49Benny:How much do you watch?

01:18:52Gamemaster:All of it.

01:18:53Benny:All of it.

01:18:53Gamemaster:This place goes everywhere.

01:18:55Gamemaster:I've got really good reception here.

01:19:00Benny:Huh.

01:19:01Johnny:And what's the big tower?

01:19:01Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:19:05Gamemaster:Oh.

01:19:07Gamemaster:You want to know about the big tower?

01:19:09Johnny:That is why I asked you.

01:19:12Gamemaster:Yeah, I probably shouldn't have expected that.

01:19:19Gamemaster:Shoot, what's it called?

01:19:20Gamemaster:One second.

01:19:21Johnny:Art Deco.

01:19:23Gamemaster:It's not Art Deco, it's Brutalist.

01:19:25Benny:The Clums of Arius.

01:19:28Gamemaster:No, I know what it is written down, but I forget how to pronounce it.

01:19:32Gamemaster:Give me one second.

01:19:33Johnny:A lighthouse.

01:19:35Benny:The Death Siphon.

01:19:36Anzu:you

01:19:37Gamemaster:The Death Siphon.

01:19:38Gamemaster:I don't remember how to say Death Siphon, unfortunately.

01:19:40Arctos:It's the Light Tower, the opposite of Stephen King's Dark Tower.

01:19:41Gamemaster:So, yes, that's it.

01:19:43Johnny:Oh.

01:19:46Johnny:That was a good poll.

01:19:49Gamemaster:Pharos is how you pronounce that word.

01:19:51Gamemaster:P-H-A-R-O-S.

01:19:55Gamemaster:That's the Pharos.

01:19:57Gamemaster:The old tower.

01:20:00Gamemaster:Goes everywhere in Færrin.

01:20:04Benny:Oh, so this is specific to where we're from.

01:20:08Benny:But are these other places where people die?

01:20:10Benny:Is this the...

01:20:12Gamemaster:What?

01:20:17Gamemaster:I don't understand the question.

01:20:18Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

01:20:20Arctos:Are there other pharaohs for different spheres?

01:20:24Gamemaster:I don't know what you're talking about.

01:20:27Johnny:Do we know what spheres are?

01:20:28Johnny:There's other places?

01:20:29Gamemaster:Nope.

01:20:34Gamemaster:Sure.

01:20:35Gamemaster:Like, Brithwyn?

01:20:38Johnny:You said this goes everywhere, so is there, like... Where?

01:20:40Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:20:45Johnny:But this is for all of... All of Færrin over there?

01:20:48Gamemaster:Yeah, all of Færrin.

01:20:50Gamemaster:He's got one of those.

01:20:52Johnny:So it's just a big empty nothingness, and then this one guy right here?

01:20:55Benny:They go up it?

01:20:56Gamemaster:Well, yeah.

01:21:00Benny:There's a lot of bodies flowing up it right now.

01:21:02Benny:Are there bodies or are there like...

01:21:03Gamemaster:Well, it's just your soul, really.

01:21:06Gamemaster:The body doesn't need to come with.

01:21:08Gamemaster:There are bodies in it, but generally when one dies, the soul goes into the Pharos and floats up to the Godhome.

01:21:17Gamemaster:It's the only real way there, so I don't know how else you'd expect them to get there.

01:21:23Johnny:Oh, so it's just like a tube into and out of the Godhome?

01:21:26Gamemaster:No, it's a building.

01:21:27Gamemaster:It's just, like, roof access gets you to the God Hall.

01:21:32Johnny:What's at the bottom?

01:21:33Gamemaster:You've seen a building before, right?

01:21:36Benny:several the ground floor that is if it did have a basement where on Færrin would it be

01:21:36Johnny:I have... Is that...

01:21:37Gamemaster:Okay.

01:21:38Gamemaster:I know you have.

01:21:39Gamemaster:I've seen you be in one before.

01:21:43Gamemaster:The bottom is the floor.

01:21:49Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:21:50Gamemaster:To my knowledge, it doesn't have a basement, if that's the question.

01:22:01Gamemaster:Well, the building's in the same place all over, Færrin.

01:22:05Gamemaster:Ground floor, door right ends in, what do you call it, the Aurideon?

01:22:09Gamemaster:13 Bright Street, I think is its address.

01:22:18Arctos:It's fucked.

01:22:19Johnny:That's great.

01:22:20Arctos:13.

01:22:21Arctos:I don't like that number anymore.

01:22:23Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:22:25Benny:Uh, so... You're the only one that watches?

01:22:31Benny:Does anyone else watch?

01:22:32Benny:Does that make you... Yeah...

01:22:34Gamemaster:I'm not the watcher, if that's the question.

01:22:36Gamemaster:That's a whole different guy.

01:22:38Johnny:No, I know you're not.

01:22:40Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:22:42Gamemaster:I mean, if you're asking if there are others like me, there are.

01:22:45Gamemaster:They don't all do the kind of just watching thing that I do, but they exist around.

01:22:50Gamemaster:That's the question.

01:22:52Benny:But you're not technically a god, or are you an unknown god?

01:22:56Gamemaster:No.

01:22:57Gamemaster:No, I'm not a god.

01:23:01Johnny:Listen, there's another question.

01:23:02Gamemaster:I mean, you can tell because I'm here.

01:23:04Gamemaster:I'm inside the firmament.

01:23:08Johnny:So, can we, could we take that and go not to the Godhome, but maybe back to Calaria?

01:23:09Arctos:you you

01:23:18Gamemaster:No, actually, there's the rub.

01:23:21Gamemaster:You can only go into the Pharos from here if you got here from the Pharos.

01:23:30Benny:I see.

01:23:31Benny:So are we watchers now with you?

01:23:33Benny:What?

01:23:34Gamemaster:No, I can push you back.

01:23:36Gamemaster:Do you a solid there.

01:23:37Johnny:So do we.

01:23:38Gamemaster:I mean, I have a vested interest in you guys not being dead.

01:23:42Gamemaster:Souls aren't really meant to go the way I'd push you, though.

01:23:47Gamemaster:I will warn you.

01:23:48Gamemaster:You will leave a little bit of you behind.

01:23:51Gamemaster:But that's not a problem.

01:23:52Gamemaster:You can just come back the regular way and pick it back up.

01:23:57Johnny:What does that mean?

01:23:57Benny:What's?

01:23:59Benny:Like, are body parts going to be left behind?

01:24:01Arctos:Thank you.

01:24:02Gamemaster:Know your potential.

01:24:06Gamemaster:You'll be whole, but you won't be able to improve.

01:24:15Johnny:What does that mean?

01:24:17Benny:We're frozen?

01:24:18Gamemaster:So you know a jug.

01:24:21Gamemaster:You're familiar with the concept of a jug, right?

01:24:21Johnny:Uh.

01:24:24Benny:And the real thing.

01:24:24Gamemaster:You know how you can put liquids into a jug and then it fills up to the top of the jug?

01:24:30Johnny:Uh.

01:24:30Benny:I've seen it, yeah.

01:24:31Gamemaster:I can put the bottom two inches of you as a jug back into the real world, but you leave the rest behind.

01:24:38Gamemaster:So the amount of liquid you can fit into it is much less.

01:24:41Gamemaster:You'd have to swing back and then pick up the rest of it so that you're whole again.

01:24:46Johnny:Is there a way to sort of circumnavigate that so that we still have all of our potential while being back in Calaria?

01:24:48Benny:I like water so much.

01:24:54Gamemaster:Yeah, if you just come back the regular way, then you can go back out that way.

01:24:59Johnny:Okay, so you push us in, we go back out, do like a little lap, and then go back out into Calaria?

01:25:08Benny:No, no.

01:25:08Gamemaster:Kinda?

01:25:08Benny:I think you sent us back to Calaria.

01:25:09Gamemaster:I don't... Yep.

01:25:10Johnny:I think not.

01:25:12Benny:We have to come through the Pharos way to pick it back up.

01:25:17Arctos:But I'll get sucked into the Pharos.

01:25:19Gamemaster:Uh-huh, and then since you're here from the Pharos, then you can exit back out the Pharos and get there without me having to do the whole push and break you up and all that fun stuff.

01:25:19Benny:Is there any way... Oh, I see.

01:25:28Johnny:So you push us into the Pharos.

01:25:29Benny:There's a piece of us that is going to be in the Pharos that we have to come back for eventually.

01:25:33Gamemaster:Well, the piece will be here.

01:25:35Benny:Gotcha.

01:25:38Gamemaster:No.

01:25:40Gamemaster:Nope.

01:25:41Johnny:You push the Pharos.

01:25:42Johnny:A piece of us gets left here.

01:25:43Gamemaster:Nope.

01:25:43Johnny:And then...

01:25:44Gamemaster:No.

01:25:44Gamemaster:I'm gonna push you straight back to where you were when you died.

01:25:48Gamemaster:Just chuck the soul back in the body, leave it as is.

01:25:51Gamemaster:You might be a little bit bruised, face caved in, all that kind of stuff, but you'll be there, and you'll be whole.

01:25:56Gamemaster:You just won't be able to grow anymore.

01:25:58Gamemaster:If you want to grow, if you like

01:26:00Gamemaster:seek that out as a professional, you know, ambition, then you'll have to come in through the Pharos, get back here from the Pharos, pick your stuff back up, and then you can get back into the Pharos and then go back to Færrin.

01:26:14Gamemaster:I'm realizing now that these things sound similar.

01:26:16Gamemaster:I don't think that was on purpose.

01:26:18Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:26:18Benny:So do we have to die to come through the Pharos?

01:26:22Benny:Or do we have to stop by 13 Bright Street?

01:26:22Gamemaster:No.

01:26:26Gamemaster:Yeah, go to 13 Bright Street.

01:26:27Gamemaster:I got some friends in there.

01:26:29Gamemaster:They'll show you the way.

01:26:30Gamemaster:That's fine.

01:26:31Johnny:Oh, so if we just say we're with you when we get over there, they'll let us in?

01:26:34Gamemaster:Yeah, I've got plenty of friends.

01:26:37Johnny:Can you let them know that we're coming by?

01:26:39Gamemaster:I mean, I don't really have a good way of reaching out to them necessarily.

01:26:44Gamemaster:I can give you guys a mark that lets them know that you're my friend.

01:26:48Benny:Yes.

01:26:48Johnny:Is it?

01:26:49Johnny:What's the mark?

01:26:51Gamemaster:It's three dots.

01:26:53Johnny:Oh, great.

01:26:56Benny:What did you think?

01:26:57Benny:It was going to be like a rival gang sign, Johnny?

01:27:00Gamemaster:No, three dots, you get to choose the location.

01:27:00Johnny:I don't know, I was worried it was gonna be like a Giant snake on my head or something.

01:27:04Arctos:Mm-hmm.

01:27:06Benny:That's...

01:27:08Gamemaster:And they're like, you know, the whole point of a symbol like that isn't to just start giving away that you're my friend or anything like that.

01:27:15Gamemaster:So it only reveals itself under certain circumstances.

01:27:18Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:27:19Benny:Does anyone else besides the people at 13 Bright Street know this symbol on Færrin?

01:27:28Gamemaster:I mean, I'm sure people do.

01:27:30Gamemaster:And plenty of people are in the Pharos that aren't my friends.

01:27:34Gamemaster:It's kind of a rite of passage.

01:27:36Gamemaster:Anybody who somewhat knows about it.

01:27:39Johnny:Oh, nice.

01:27:40Johnny:We're somewhat now.

01:27:41Benny:I just want to make sure that you're not putting a mark on us that some random underground cult who hates you will then try to kill us as a result of the dots.

01:27:41Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:27:50Gamemaster:I mean, there are people who dislike me.

01:27:52Gamemaster:That's for sure.

01:27:53Gamemaster:But you don't have to show them the dots.

01:27:55Benny:People know about you, Færrin.

01:27:57Benny:It's very interesting.

01:27:58Gamemaster:Yeah, of course people know about me, I've got friends, you don't think I wouldn't have enemies?

01:28:03Johnny:It does tend to work that way.

01:28:05Johnny:Well, I'm sold.

01:28:08Gamemaster:Absolutely.

01:28:10Benny:Yeah.

01:28:10Benny:Yeah, I guess you can set us back.

01:28:12Gamemaster:Hi, where do you want me to put the mark?

01:28:18Benny:Under my arm here.

01:28:20Gamemaster:Sure.

01:28:21Arctos:Very Percy Jackson of you.

01:28:25Johnny:I'll do the same spots we match.

01:28:25Benny:Who said that?

01:28:28Gamemaster:Okay, so he doesn't even have to physically touch you.

01:28:31Gamemaster:He just kind of motions.

01:28:33Gamemaster:And a set of three blue dots in a triangle formation appear at the place that you indicate and then fade out of view.

01:28:47Gamemaster:And he says, you can make them appear if you like, whenever you choose.

01:28:54Gamemaster:In addition, if somebody who's already seen that you have the mark on your arm sees your bear arm again, it will automatically show itself.

01:29:03Johnny:All right.

01:29:03Gamemaster:But if somebody who has seen your bear arm without the mark or who has never seen your bear arm sees your arm, it will default to hidden.

01:29:11Gamemaster:In addition, you can't explain the rules of how the mark shows itself to anybody else willingly, unless, of course, they attempt to do something like a binary search and ask you questions that you can't answer, at which point your tongue will no longer be bound if you can't answer them to lie, if necessary.

01:29:11Anzu:Thank you.

01:29:31Johnny:It was great meeting you, Aut.

01:29:32Johnny:Shake his hand again.

01:29:33Gamemaster:Of course.

01:29:34Johnny:I guess we'll see when we come back to pick up our specials.

01:29:34Gamemaster:Always good to make new friends.

01:29:36Gamemaster:Yeah, I'll... Absolutely.

01:29:39Gamemaster:And you can say hi to my friends for me when you bump into them.

01:29:42Johnny:Who are your friends?

01:29:45Gamemaster:I don't know, like, I don't have the full list of them.

01:29:49Gamemaster:There's a whole group of them.

01:29:51Johnny:Okay.

01:29:53Gamemaster:You'll meet them.

01:29:56Benny:Sure.

01:29:58Gamemaster:All right, you ready to go back now?

01:29:59Johnny:Let's do it.

01:30:00Benny:Yeah.

01:30:01Gamemaster:This will hurt.

01:30:04Johnny:Always does.

01:30:05Gamemaster:And he pushes you, and you feel your body ripping itself in half as you leave some of you behind.

01:30:14Gamemaster:And the rest of you makes the trip back to Færrin.

01:30:21Anzu:Thank you.

01:30:23Gamemaster:The two of you wake up, instantly suffocating.

01:30:32Gamemaster:I need fort saves for both of you, please.

01:30:37Gamemaster:And this is, you don't hear this anymore.

01:30:39Gamemaster:Give me something different.

01:30:42Johnny:Why is my fortitude so much lower than everything else?

01:30:44Johnny:What the heck?

01:30:47Benny:Very unfortunate.

01:30:48Benny:The reason I didn't send you anything updated with feats changed is because I couldn't find anything that was an easy change.

01:30:56Benny:And there was only one thing I was looking at to change.

01:30:58Benny:And it is immediately relevant.

01:31:00Benny:That is terrible.

01:31:02Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

01:31:04Benny:I have a mythic point of this session.

01:31:07Gamemaster:Everybody started with a Mythic point, so... Legendary Mythic.

01:31:09Benny:OK.

01:31:11Johnny:That would suck if we come back and immediately die.

01:31:13Benny:Expert.

01:31:16Benny:A master, legendary.

01:31:18Benny:That's a six.

01:31:19Gamemaster:If you're currently at Expert, it's plus 6.

01:31:23Benny:Jesus Christ, 18.

01:31:26Gamemaster:Okay, so both of you failed.

01:31:28Gamemaster:You immediately take a big gasp as you feel your bodies resuscitate and swallow a ton of water as it appears that you have been dumped into the river outside of the tavern, stripped of your belongings.

01:31:33Arctos:They're not us for this campaign.

01:31:50Johnny:Like, are we just naked?

01:31:52Gamemaster:You got underwear on.

01:31:53Gamemaster:They didn't really see the need to take that.

01:32:02Gamemaster:But yes, they did take your jean jacket.

01:32:04Gamemaster:They also took your weaponry or anything like that you had on you, any money that you might have been carrying on you and the like.

01:32:10Gamemaster:You're just in your underwear, struggling to make your way up towards the surface of the river.

01:32:18Gamemaster:And as the two of you are struggling to do that, I think we will hand over...

01:32:23Gamemaster:To Anzu, who has been making his way back towards the Sin and Tonic after the unfortunate failure at the tavern.

01:32:38Gamemaster:It probably takes you a good chunk of time, like maybe an hour or so, to walk back.

01:32:45Gamemaster:from where you were, fighting off any kind of exhaustion now that the adrenaline has left your system.

01:32:51Gamemaster:You've successfully did both the fight and the flight bits of fight or flight.

01:33:01Gamemaster:So, weary, a little bit bedraggled, you eventually make your way back to the tavern, back to the Sin and Tonic.

01:33:13Gamemaster:You just had Ned.

01:33:14Gamemaster:Did you have anything you wanted to do before you did so?

01:33:17Anzu:Anzu walks in the door and very obviously looks disheveled and distraught.

01:33:28Anzu:But beelines pass the bar to his room.

01:33:36Gamemaster:Absolutely.

01:33:37Gamemaster:Roll a perception check if you could while you do that.

01:33:51Anzu:Yikes.

01:33:53Anzu:14.

01:33:54Gamemaster:Okay.

01:33:55Gamemaster:Honestly, really focusing on just getting away from everyone at the moment.

01:34:01Gamemaster:You just beeline straight to the back of the tavern into the room that you have.

01:34:07Anzu:I just kind of sit on the bed and Othello is kind of on the bed post or something like that nearby.

01:34:20Anzu:And I'm just kind of like looking down and around and just muttering to myself like, oh, this is not right.

01:34:28Anzu:This is not right.

01:34:30Anzu:Oh, I should have stayed home.

01:34:32Anzu:I should have stayed home.

01:34:34Anzu:And then he kind of like knocks his forehead a couple times.

01:34:37Anzu:He goes, no, no.

01:34:40Anzu:It's a test.

01:34:42Anzu:It's a test.

01:34:43Anzu:Okay.

01:34:43Anzu:We stay.

01:34:44Anzu:We stay.

01:34:44Anzu:It's a test.

01:34:44Anzu:We stay.

01:34:45Anzu:Othello, we stay.

01:34:49Anzu:And just kind of sits and thinks and kind of just looks into the space immediately in front of him.

01:34:49Gamemaster:What?

01:35:01Anzu:There's nothing there, but he's kind of like moving his arms around and processing something.

01:35:10Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

01:35:12Gamemaster:I don't think anybody would like... Nobody!

01:35:17Gamemaster:No member of Iconoclasm would have seen you as you come in other than Ginny, and Ginny can't move.

01:35:25Gamemaster:So I don't think anybody would necessarily find you in your bedroom.

01:35:29Gamemaster:It's more of a when you feel ready to leave kind of deal.

01:35:37Anzu:Now, we did stay up late staking out.

01:35:40Gamemaster:You did.

01:35:41Gamemaster:At this point, it's like four in the morning.

01:35:45Anzu:So probably the first, like, Anzu would have fallen asleep, probably.

01:35:50Gamemaster:absolutely Anzu takes a much needed rest to kind of get rid of a little bit of the tension I don't think a lot of it would necessarily go away after one rest but enough to clear his head at some point and

01:36:10Gamemaster:Probably closer to noon the next day, Anzu wakes up again.

01:36:16Gamemaster:A little bit of bright light peering through the cartoned window that he has in his room.

01:36:20Anzu:All right.

01:36:28Anzu:Now I'll go down.

01:36:31Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

01:36:33Gamemaster:There is no down.

01:36:34Gamemaster:You're still on the first floor.

01:36:35Anzu:I'm so sorry.

01:36:36Anzu:You know, can I just say something?

01:36:38Anzu:I almost said when I walked in that I went up the stairs and then it was like, no, wait, there's no stairs.

01:36:38Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:36:42Gamemaster:I don't... I think it's my fault for only ever having taverns through the multiple floors and then switching to one-floor taverns.

01:36:43Anzu:Not going to say that.

01:36:52Benny:He heads downstairs to the party.

01:36:52Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

01:36:59Gamemaster:He does not.

01:37:02Gamemaster:He doesn't do that.

01:37:05Gamemaster:Okay, so you head back out into the...

01:37:11Gamemaster:into the tavern area.

01:37:12Gamemaster:And around noon, not many people are actually making use of the bar as a bar.

01:37:18Gamemaster:It is a little too early for the kind of clientele that tends to get here.

01:37:22Gamemaster:So instead, in the mostly empty area, you see Ginny is behind the bar.

01:37:27Gamemaster:It looks like he's practicing some kind of egg-based lunch dish.

01:37:33Gamemaster:And the only other two people in the bar in the main area is you can see Illmari is currently sat at a table in conversation.

01:37:47Gamemaster:Roll a will save for me, please.

01:37:50Anzu:Jesus Christ.

01:37:51Anzu:What have you done, Jorge?

01:37:52Anzu:Jesus.

01:37:55Arctos:You don't know it's me.

01:37:56Anzu:I know it's you.

01:37:57Anzu:I will save.

01:38:02Anzu:Okay.

01:38:03Gamemaster:Uh-huh.

01:38:03Gamemaster:Yeah, we'll save.

01:38:04Anzu:Jeez.

01:38:05Anzu:Oh, no.

01:38:07Gamemaster:Okay, with a 13.

01:38:09Gamemaster:You've suffered a traumatic event very recently.

01:38:12Gamemaster:So I don't think anybody can fault you for you are definitely seeing things.

01:38:20Gamemaster:Because it looks like he's sat at the table talking to a polar bear.

01:38:28Gamemaster:Not like a humanoid polar bear.

01:38:31Gamemaster:Just like a bear out of the forest.

01:38:35Johnny:What?

01:38:35Gamemaster:Or like off of an iceberg.

01:38:39Gamemaster:Jorge, can you describe who Illmari is talking to right now, please?

01:38:44Arctos:Yeah, so at the moment, he's wearing a trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat.

01:38:45Anzu:Oh no, pictures.

01:38:50Arctos:And you can still make it out the polar bear because he has bright white fur, massive, massive paws, and a long snout.

01:39:02Arctos:He's a very large bear, but he's sitting, like standing up.

01:39:06Arctos:Or he's sitting like a human.

01:39:08Arctos:Just two arms and everything, anamorphic.

01:39:11Arctos:And he's having a conversation.

01:39:12Arctos:He has a very deep voice.

01:39:16Anzu:I, before fully approaching them, I resonate.

01:39:16Arctos:Yeah, you might have heard of him before.

01:39:18Arctos:If not, you know.

01:39:26Gamemaster:You would pick up two pings in this room with you.

01:39:32Anzu:I guess I cock my head a little bit and approach the table.

01:39:40Gamemaster:Illmari sees you approach, and not knowing anything of what happened last night, is just like, hey, come, we've got a new friend for you and your group, the sleepyheads.

01:39:52Gamemaster:Anzu, this is Arctos.

01:39:52Johnny:Whoa.

01:39:54Gamemaster:Sorry, Sir Arctos.

01:39:56Gamemaster:Sir Arctos, this is Anzu, one of the members of Iconoclasm.

01:39:59Gamemaster:Make nice.

01:40:00Anzu:My very small hand reaches yours.

01:40:01Arctos:Greetings, small bird.

01:40:03Arctos:And he pulls out his paw to shake.

01:40:11Anzu:Arctos, I'm so sorry.

01:40:14Anzu:Can you give me a minute with Illmari?

01:40:18Anzu:I mean, no disrespect.

01:40:21Arctos:Whatever you say to Illmari, you can say to me.

01:40:24Gamemaster:Illmari looks at you and then looks at Anzu and is like, yes, we can step away for a moment.

01:40:33Gamemaster:Order any eggs you like, Sir Arctos.

01:40:37Gamemaster:You know, first ones on the house.

01:40:37Arctos:Very good.

01:40:39Gamemaster:Until he'll, uh...

01:40:41Arctos:And he stands up and it's a full polar bear standing up.

01:40:45Johnny:You're a polar bear named Bear.

01:40:51Arctos:And as he steps up, he starts to take off his jacket.

01:40:54Arctos:And you notice he has full pearl scent colored plate.

01:41:01Arctos:And he has a bastard sword at the side and a shield.

01:41:05Arctos:And a...

01:41:07Arctos:purple cape.

01:41:09Gamemaster:Bowler bear with pearlescent armor and a cape.

01:41:09Anzu:Okay, that does not all fit under that jacket.

01:41:14Johnny:How does that all fit under there?

01:41:14Arctos:It's a really big jacket.

01:41:17Johnny:What?

01:41:19Anzu:And how come he only has the monocle on when the jacket is off?

01:41:22Arctos:Well, it was hidden by the hat.

01:41:24Arctos:It's a stealthy hat.

01:41:26Gamemaster:Stealth monocle.

01:41:26Arctos:And as he pulls out of his bag, you notice he pulls these really big like

01:41:33Benny:you

01:41:34Arctos:bear bowl almost like a dog bowl but it says sir Arctos on it and he starts walking over to the kitchen

01:41:41Anzu:This is just nuts.

01:41:42Anzu:Um... Uh... Things... Things went really...

01:41:44Gamemaster:Blame Paizo.

01:41:45Gamemaster:This is not homebrew.

01:41:47Gamemaster:This is a real ancestry.

01:41:49Johnny:I'm so intrigued by what's happening right now

01:41:55Gamemaster:Illmari will look over at you and say, yeah, what can I help you with?

01:42:11Anzu:bad last night we got a little um

01:42:16Gamemaster:I think at this moment is the bit that Illmari's like, oh, okay, so maybe they're not all sleeping still.

01:42:27Gamemaster:How bad is bad?

01:42:36Anzu:overzealous and went uh full on attack at the crowded flea yeah except there were a lot of people in there and

01:42:49Gamemaster:You guys had been tracking down Dwellement, I assume.

01:42:53Gamemaster:That's where you mentioned he had been.

01:43:03Anzu:No one else got out.

01:43:10Gamemaster:Just you?

01:43:13Anzu:Johnny sent me out of there was the last thing he did and I pull out his sunglasses.

01:43:25Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

01:43:28Anzu:It just it went so wrong so fast that I thought we had a you know, it was

01:43:35Johnny:Thank you.

01:43:36Anzu:it was a plan you know but you know we we waited you know i thought we were going to get the jump on them and it just wasn't right it was really wrong actually yeah before coming here i never left home

01:43:50Gamemaster:Best laid plans at all.

01:43:53Gamemaster:Is this the first time you've lost a group?

01:44:08Gamemaster:Sorry that this is your introduction to the adventuring life.

01:44:18Anzu:But I won't be giving up.

01:44:27Anzu:Because the vocalist still needs me.

01:44:32Anzu:I know she does.

01:44:34Anzu:She teaches me things.

01:44:38Gamemaster:I don't think that she would want you immediately going back out or anything like that.

01:44:43Gamemaster:I think you can take some time to rest.

01:44:46Anzu:Right.

01:44:48Anzu:I need to be strong and focused.

01:44:54Anzu:Yeah, yeah.

01:44:57Gamemaster:I think what's important right now is take a day or two.

01:45:06Gamemaster:Or if you need it.

01:45:08Gamemaster:See if you can.

01:45:09Gamemaster:Let the world become a bit more normal first.

01:45:13Gamemaster:You're almost certainly still kind of in shock.

01:45:17Gamemaster:It's been less than 24 hours.

01:45:20Anzu:Do you think they're going to come for us?

01:45:25Gamemaster:I don't think the... I won't let them come into the tavern, if that's the question.

01:45:29Gamemaster:We're safe in here.

01:45:30Gamemaster:And if you're worried about them attacking you outside, I don't think that's any different than the situation before.

01:45:37Anzu:No.

01:45:39Anzu:Okay.

01:45:40Gamemaster:You can take the time to readjust.

01:45:46Gamemaster:You can talk to the polar bear later.

01:45:50Anzu:yes uh josh uh above table listener is the term is that correct he's uh he's a listener

01:45:57Gamemaster:Listen to somebody who has harmony in their head, like the voice off.

01:46:01Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:46:07Gamemaster:Stranger things, although not much stranger.

01:46:11Gamemaster:He's very well spoken for a polar bear, I must say.

01:46:17Anzu:Well, people do come in all shapes and sizes.

01:46:21Anzu:That's something I am familiar with, actually.

01:46:24Gamemaster:I do also want to take it back.

01:46:25Gamemaster:I don't know if he's well-spoken for a polar bear.

01:46:27Gamemaster:He's the first polar bear I've met.

01:46:29Gamemaster:I just kind of assume they're not very good speakers.

01:46:34Anzu:Now, Josh, I am pretty well studied.

01:46:39Gamemaster:Hmm?

01:46:42Gamemaster:You can roll a religion or an occultism check to see, or nature, to see if you know what's going on here.

01:46:49Anzu:With the polar bear.

01:46:50Gamemaster:Yeah, with the polar bear.

01:46:52Anzu:All right, shoot, I'll roll occultism if you let me.

01:46:54Anzu:I thought it was going to be society, but I'm down.

01:46:54Gamemaster:Nope.

01:46:58Gamemaster:No, there's no society check here to make for a polar bear that talks.

01:47:02Gamemaster:Like, you would know already that there isn't some collection of polar bears in the distance that talk.

01:47:08Benny:I thought he was rolling to see if he knew if polar bears were literate.

01:47:08Gamemaster:21.

01:47:09Gamemaster:Oh.

01:47:13Benny:But I guess technically he kind of is.

01:47:16Gamemaster:With a 21.

01:47:17Gamemaster:Okay, so first off, there is no...

01:47:23Gamemaster:There's no tribe of sentient polar bears off in the wilderness that you would have heard of, at least at Belvedere.

01:47:33Gamemaster:So I think you have two theories here for what this could be.

01:47:37Gamemaster:Either A, it's just a druid who prefers being wild-shaped as a bear.

01:47:44Gamemaster:That's not common, but it's not crazy.

01:47:47Anzu:you

01:47:47Gamemaster:It wouldn't be the first time you've heard of something like that before.

01:47:52Gamemaster:The other thing is you know that on occasion, animals and objects can be awakened just by latent divine energy or focused divine energy or something of that nature, and that would explain a talking polar bear.

01:48:08Gamemaster:Which of those two, you wouldn't be able to narrow it down without talking to the polar bear, but those are equally possible explanations for this.

01:48:19Gamemaster:Or, I guess, option three, it could be a very realistic bear suit, and it's just like some guy.

01:48:25Gamemaster:But I don't think you put a particularly high likelihood on that one.

01:48:28Anzu:Somehow the lowest of the three options.

01:48:30Anzu:Yeah.

01:48:31Gamemaster:Yep.

01:48:33Benny:Thank you.

01:48:36Anzu:Very well.

01:48:40Gamemaster:Arctos, around this time, I think Ginny would just be shoveling

01:48:45Arctos:Arctos will pull out some very fancy, fancy silverware and then just start eating out of his bear bowl.

01:48:46Gamemaster:Particularly dry-looking scrambled eggs into your bowl, if you like.

01:48:52Gamemaster:Because that's all he has on offer.

01:48:54Gamemaster:It's just eggs.

01:49:00Gamemaster:Of course.

01:49:02Gamemaster:Absolutely.

01:49:03Arctos:He puts a little napkin there and goes, this is scrumptious.

01:49:08Arctos:This is delicious.

01:49:08Gamemaster:Ginny will say, I've been working on it.

01:49:11Gamemaster:I've figured out that the eggs aren't supposed to be black.

01:49:11Arctos:Mm-hmm.

01:49:15Arctos:Oh, that's... You're a very talented young man.

01:49:15Gamemaster:So I stopped cooking before it gets there.

01:49:22Arctos:That's probably true.

01:49:22Gamemaster:I'm probably older than you, but sure.

01:49:28Arctos:And I'm just having a great time eating, drinking.

01:49:30Gamemaster:Absolutely.

01:49:33Arctos:Yeah.

01:49:35Gamemaster:Okay.

01:49:36Gamemaster:We did a little bit of a time skip there.

01:49:39Gamemaster:So would the two of you that woke up in the river do anything other than start heading immediately back towards the Sin and Tonic once you've wrestled yourselves free?

01:49:50Johnny:How far from where we are?

01:49:52Gamemaster:Sorry?

01:49:52Johnny:How far are we from two places?

01:49:57Johnny:One from 13 Bright Street.

01:50:01Gamemaster:Okay, so from where you are right now, you're about two miles away from the Sin and Tonic, which would put you about three miles away in the other direction from Bright Street.

01:50:10Gamemaster:You would know that Bright Street, because Aut told you, is in the Aurideon, which is that domed...

01:50:16Gamemaster:domed area that the church is in.

01:50:19Gamemaster:I would also note, no perception check necessary.

01:50:22Gamemaster:If you look towards the Aurideon now, there is a massive concrete building that extends through the dome upwards that you did not see previously.

01:50:36Johnny:I'll point that out to Benny.

01:50:42Benny:Yeah, that's new.

01:50:44Johnny:So you want to get... Are we both in our tighty-whities right now?

01:50:48Gamemaster:Whatever color your underwear is.

01:50:50Arctos:Yeah, you're going to go to the Vatican in your teddy wetties.

01:50:51Gamemaster:Yeah.

01:50:53Johnny:Yeah, mine's got hearts on them.

01:50:56Gamemaster:Go to the Vatican in your tiny whities, and it is four in the morning at this point.

01:51:01Gamemaster:We've gone back a little bit for when you first awakened.

01:51:05Johnny:Alright, Benny, I guess you gotta change your clothes at home.

01:51:10Benny:It's something like that.

01:51:12Benny:I don't want to think about it too much.

01:51:14Johnny:Okay, you good?

01:51:17Benny:I'll be alright.

01:51:18Johnny:Hey, this is the sort of moment, do I treat you like a nine-year-old right now, or do I treat you like an adult right now?

01:51:27Benny:I don't know if I'm in the right headspace to even give you the correct answer.

01:51:34Johnny:You want to walk home in silence?

01:51:37Benny:Partial silence.

01:51:43Arctos:Badoop, badoop, doo-pah, doo-doo.

01:51:43Johnny:Walk on back.

01:51:45Benny:Did we see Argyle's body when we were coming out of the sewer?

01:51:49Gamemaster:Okay, sorry, Juno, you weren't in the sewers.

01:51:53Gamemaster:You had just been jumped into the river.

01:51:55Benny:Oh, okay.

01:51:56Gamemaster:But Argyle's body would have been there, similarly stripped of all of its belongings.

01:52:04Benny:So I'm not going to be frontlining with Argyle anymore.

01:52:08Johnny:I don't think so.

01:52:13Benny:Have you ever lost an adventuring partner?

01:52:15Benny:So what do I do?

01:52:17Johnny:Um, yeah.

01:52:18Johnny:This is about the fifth group of people I've lost.

01:52:24Johnny:Sort of in different circumstances, but you say goodbye and you say thank you and

01:52:38Johnny:You don't forget, but you also don't let it drag you down.

01:52:44Johnny:And you remember the good about them, and you let that carry you forward.

01:52:53Benny:Okay.

01:53:01Gamemaster:Where are you going?

01:53:04Johnny:I'm going to stop and say goodbye.

01:53:06Benny:Send.

01:53:08Benny:Yeah.

01:53:12Gamemaster:It's a little bit of Viking's funeral in that if you don't fish him out of the water, he will continue to drift down the river further downstream.

01:53:23Johnny:I'll just cast Musical Accompaniment.

01:53:30Johnny:Play a little sad dirge.

01:53:36Gamemaster:You hold your morning funeral.

01:53:38Johnny:I'll put one arm around that.

01:53:39Johnny:And just...

01:53:44Gamemaster:The guile drifts further downstream until he fades into the darkness of the evening.

01:53:51Benny:Johnny, I have an idea.

01:53:52Benny:I think I know how to best honor Argyle's memory.

01:53:53Johnny:How?

01:54:02Benny:I'm going to murder the Giant and then he starts walking to the center.

01:54:09Johnny:This is the first time that Johnny has done this scenario with a nine-year-old.

01:54:12Johnny:He's going to go, okay, this is a different scenario for me coming back this time.

01:54:18Johnny:Kind of talking to himself.

01:54:19Gamemaster:And you guys can head on back to the Sin and Tonic.

01:54:27Gamemaster:The timings of this are a bit funky, so I think we're just going to have it so that you arrive back at the Sin and Tonic around the same time that Anzu gives the lowdown to Illmari.

01:54:42Gamemaster:It doesn't quite work out temporally, but that's fine.

01:54:45Johnny:I think somewhere around we started walking, Johnny started telling stories to Benny about like, hey, you ever heard the story of the first Hierophant?

01:54:56Johnny:Or have you ever heard the story of like this warlord?

01:54:58Johnny:And just kind of saying sort of nonsense stories to like histories to fill the time.

01:55:04Johnny:Nothing too relatable, but yeah.

01:55:07Benny:We take the long way.

01:55:08Benny:Scenic.

01:55:08Gamemaster:You do.

01:55:11Johnny:Watch the sunrise on the city.

01:55:13Gamemaster:You see the sun's rise, plural.

01:55:16Gamemaster:And you make your way back to the Sin and Tonic.

01:55:19Benny:Grab some rags if possible.

01:55:21Gamemaster:Yeah, well, I was going to say, so do the two of you walk into the tavern just in your underwear in the middle of the day?

01:55:28Gamemaster:That's fine.

01:55:28Gamemaster:You can do that.

01:55:29Johnny:I do.

01:55:29Gamemaster:You had your clothes stolen from you.

01:55:33Benny:I think Benny would prefer some level of poncho slash

01:55:37Benny:ragged cloak or something i imagine benny could probably beg for one or something and i don't know an old rich woman would give him his scarf yeah

01:55:40Gamemaster:Sure.

01:55:44Gamemaster:Yeah, I mean, he's a nine-year-old kid.

01:55:47Gamemaster:Yeah, you can find some fabric.

01:55:49Gamemaster:That's fine.

01:55:50Gamemaster:So also, similarly to Anzu, bedraggled, you guys walk back into the Sin and Tonic to see Anzu at a table and a polar bear sitting at the bar.

01:55:57Johnny:I think we walk off.

01:56:05Johnny:I think as we're walking there, as we're getting closer, Johnny's stories turn from just like stories into a courageous anthem.

01:56:13Johnny:And there's a half second before the door opens where Anzu feels the courageous anthem sweep over him.

01:56:23Benny:Benny will open the door.

01:56:26Benny:Kick open the door.

01:56:28Benny:Like, we've got to kill the Giant.

01:56:32Arctos:I mean, it's been very boring here.

01:56:34Gamemaster:Thank you.

01:56:35Arctos:You guys don't do anything all day.

01:56:38Benny:Anzu, we're back.

01:56:42Benny:Polar Bear.

01:56:44Johnny:Nobody wants me dead.

01:56:44Arctos:Oh, shit.

01:56:46Arctos:You guys look terrible.

01:56:47Benny:Good to see you.

01:56:48Johnny:Hey, guy.

01:56:49Johnny:That's true, but it's kind of rude.

01:56:52Arctos:Is that your son?

01:56:53Arctos:Did you guys get mugged?

01:56:56Johnny:No, we died.

01:56:56Johnny:Who are you?

01:56:57Johnny:Yeah, it happened.

01:56:58Arctos:You died?

01:57:00Benny:Yeah, why do you think he looks like that?

01:57:01Anzu:Yeah.

01:57:02Benny:Well, why do you think he looks worse than normal?

01:57:05Benny:And then he'll point it on Zu.

01:57:05Johnny:Now that you're seeing Johnny in just his skivvies, there's like so many scars all over his body and they are so nasty in places that you should not be able to heal from scars from.

01:57:20Arctos:Uh...

01:57:20Anzu:I don't understand.

01:57:24Johnny:I run over and I pull Anzu into a big gross hug because I am sure that I smell gross from the river.

01:57:24Benny:You know what might help?

01:57:31Johnny:Anzu!

01:57:32Johnny:Ah, you made it.

01:57:32Johnny:Good.

01:57:33Johnny:Argyle did not make it.

01:57:37Anzu:but how did this

01:57:40Benny:So we have to go pick up the rest of ourselves if you'd like to accompany us to 13 Bright Street.

01:57:49Gamemaster:I will also note, now that you guys are in the light of day, there are patches missing from your raiments.

01:57:56Gamemaster:Like, squares that have been cut out of pieces of the raiment that, as the light passes through them, it just ceases to exist on the squares.

01:57:57Arctos:Oh.

01:58:05Arctos:That's odd.

01:58:08Johnny:we got a lot to cover but first off i'm gonna go take a shower and get on a change

01:58:14Arctos:One second.

01:58:16Arctos:I'm going to walk over to them.

01:58:17Arctos:And as they're all injured, I'm going to try to help them out a little bit.

01:58:22Arctos:And I will cast Heal on both of them.

01:58:27Arctos:I don't know.

01:58:27Arctos:Do they have actual missing... I don't know how that works.

01:58:32Gamemaster:I mean they currently have one hit point.

01:58:32Benny:We're probably at one hit point.

01:58:33Benny:Yeah.

01:58:34Arctos:Okay.

01:58:35Arctos:So I will give you guys... This is first for the child.

01:58:41Arctos:28 hit points.

01:58:43Benny:Yes.

01:58:47Benny:Oh.

01:58:49Arctos:And then... You're the other man, 29.

01:58:54Johnny:Nice.

01:58:57Johnny:Thank you, Guy.

01:58:58Johnny:What did you say your name was?

01:59:00Arctos:And there's a massive bear mitt that just shakes your hand.

01:59:02Johnny:Sir Arctos.

01:59:03Johnny:Johnny Skyfall.

01:59:03Johnny:Great to meet you.

01:59:10Johnny:I'll resonate, just to see.

01:59:13Gamemaster:He resonates.

01:59:14Benny:Benny will also shake his hand.

01:59:17Gamemaster:I would also note, since you resonated, there is an amplitude to a resonance that usually scales based on how close somebody is, so you can kind of get a vibe there.

01:59:26Johnny:So.

01:59:33Gamemaster:When you do that, Benny resonates more than you would expect for how far away he is from you.

01:59:41Arctos:Oh.

01:59:42Gamemaster:And in turn, Benny, when he resonates, Johnny resonates with a greater amplitude than you would expect when that happens.

01:59:52Johnny:That is very interesting.

01:59:55Johnny:I'm gonna go take a shower, and then we got a lot of catching up to do, and a lot of me and Benny to go pick up.

02:00:00Benny:Yeah.

02:00:01Benny:And then we have a Giant to get.

02:00:03Johnny:Oh, one last thing.

02:00:04Johnny:I'll pluck my sunglasses off of Anzu and then lean in and give him a kiss on the forehead.

02:00:09Johnny:Thank you for holding these.

02:00:14Anzu:I slept.

02:00:14Benny:Did Benny end up with his pick?

02:00:16Benny:Or was that just in the afterlife?

02:00:17Gamemaster:No, that's just a soul thing.

02:00:19Gamemaster:He has a soul pick.

02:00:20Benny:Okay.

02:00:21Gamemaster:All of your stuff was taken before they dumped you in the river, unfortunately.

02:00:25Benny:Fair.

02:00:28Arctos:I'll also heal the Birdman now that I got a closer look at him.

02:00:31Arctos:He gets 35.

02:00:32Arctos:Oh, he got a nice rest.

02:00:33Gamemaster:Well, he got a night's rest, so he's actually at full health.

02:00:37Benny:Thank you.

02:00:37Arctos:Never mind.

02:00:38Gamemaster:Yeah.

02:00:38Arctos:Take it back.

02:00:39Gamemaster:Well, I mean, it's not necessarily full health, because that's not how healing works when you sleep, but it's close enough.

02:00:43Anzu:Yeah, yeah, I know.

02:00:46Anzu:I don't know how many points I had left.

02:00:49Gamemaster:They can just say at this point you're at full health.

02:00:49Anzu:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

02:00:55Anzu:Benny, I'm confused.

02:01:00Anzu:This is great, but I mean, it looked bad in there.

02:01:04Anzu:How did you walk away from that?

02:01:06Benny:Oh, I didn't.

02:01:09Benny:No, I died.

02:01:10Benny:No, we fully died.

02:01:13Benny:We were dead.

02:01:16Anzu:And then... Nice.

02:01:18Benny:As best I can tell, I just focused really hard on not dying, and some other thing helped me to put myself back together.

02:01:33Benny:And then I think...

02:01:34Benny:I think we talked with it for a bit.

02:01:36Benny:And then that's actually who we have to go pick up the rest of ourselves from.

02:01:46Benny:Yeah, he, oh, small side note.

02:01:50Benny:He pretty much predicts everything perfectly.

02:01:54Benny:And he can't predict us.

02:01:55Benny:And it's probably because of the Voidsong.

02:01:57Benny:So he is interested and concerned.

02:01:59Benny:It's the first thing he can't predict.

02:02:01Benny:And this would sound insane if I didn't just come back from the dead.

02:02:04Benny:So I would take everything I'm saying with no grains of salt.

02:02:12Johnny:just like Jim.

02:02:12Anzu:Well, I'm pretty sure that the vocalist

02:02:14Benny:The thing that helped us not die told us that it can't predict us.

02:02:20Benny:So we should be concerned.

02:02:24Arctos:felt is very bad for you gives you hypertension i would know this

02:02:41Anzu:must have i mean they're looking out for us in some way and maybe that has something to do with it what why why isn't argyle here i did question his beliefs but okay

02:02:50Benny:Maybe.

02:02:51Benny:I mean, didn't make it?

02:03:06Arctos:Okay.

02:03:11Anzu:Well, this has been very strange, but I'm glad you've figured it out.

02:03:21Benny:I don't know if any part of that statement is true.

02:03:26Benny:Figured it out?

02:03:27Benny:As in figured out coming back?

02:03:33Benny:We're going to stop by and try to get the rest of ourselves back and then see at the end here.

02:03:39Benny:I'm not naive to think that we're just going to go and grab our stuff.

02:03:41Anzu:Sir Arctos you're in.

02:03:45Benny:I don't know.

02:03:47Benny:Another worldly being was talking to us.

02:03:51Benny:People have motives.

02:03:57Arctos:Absolutely.

02:04:00Benny:Wait.

02:04:02Benny:Sir Arctos.

02:04:04Arctos:Yes, child.

02:04:06Benny:Do you have a car?

02:04:11Arctos:How did I get here?

02:04:12Gamemaster:Uh, you would have taken the tram.

02:04:14Gamemaster:Cerberus does not own a vehicle.

02:04:15Arctos:Yeah.

02:04:18Arctos:I've been driven around my entire life.

02:04:18Anzu:Thank you.

02:04:19Arctos:I've never had to drive.

02:04:21Gamemaster:Correct.

02:04:22Johnny:Our call.

02:04:22Benny:Do you think you can get us a car?

02:04:22Arctos:Close up.

02:04:27Gamemaster:Yeah, you could handle a cab.

02:04:31Benny:Do you think you can get us?

02:04:32Gamemaster:Uh, it would cost money.

02:04:38Benny:The bottom line is we have to go a decent distance, and I think we have to go through the area of the people that killed us.

02:04:46Benny:Is that correct geography, Josh?

02:04:46Arctos:They would never kill you under my watch.

02:04:47Gamemaster:Like, they're technically in the same neighborhood as you, but you don't have to go in front of the crowded flea, if that's the question, to get to the Aurideon.

02:04:55Benny:Oh, okay.

02:04:57Benny:Well, I'm thinking more... I just want to quickly get the rest of me.

02:05:03Arctos:So, um, do you have, like, is any of these people your father or mother?

02:05:08Arctos:Why are you here?

02:05:11Benny:I'm here because I heard the Voidsong.

02:05:13Arctos:Do you, like, do they know you're here?

02:05:13Anzu:Oh, wait, that reminds me.

02:05:17Anzu:Sir Arctos, what are your theories on the Voidsong?

02:05:18Arctos:Yes.

02:05:23Arctos:Well, as you guys know, the Heavenly Host is by far the most powerful god.

02:05:29Arctos:Therefore, for something to do something like this, it's probably a byproduct of her grace.

02:05:34Arctos:I always assumed it was her.

02:05:35Gamemaster:I will... The iridescent host is typically depicted as female.

02:05:35Arctos:I don't know if that's literature.

02:05:42Gamemaster:But also, at this point, you guys will note that this bear does have a pretty sizable raiment of the host.

02:05:42Arctos:And he uses his monocle.

02:05:52Anzu:He did.

02:05:53Arctos:Sorry, but does this kid know that there's – did you kidnap him?

02:05:59Arctos:How did he – can we just address the nine-year-old here?

02:06:01Arctos:That's messed up.

02:06:02Gamemaster:I do actually have an important question.

02:06:04Gamemaster:Benny, did you bring permission slip with you to the Crowded Flea?

02:06:09Benny:I feel like Benny would always have it on him.

02:06:11Gamemaster:Okay.

02:06:12Gamemaster:Benny, you no longer have your permission slip.

02:06:15Gamemaster:I'm sorry.

02:06:17Johnny:They do.

02:06:17Benny:I forgot my permission slip.

02:06:19Anzu:But he did have one.

02:06:20Anzu:We've seen it.

02:06:22Anzu:Someone who we think is his father signed it.

02:06:23Arctos:and someone just tried to kill this nine-year-old child.

02:06:28Benny:Someone did kill this nine-year-old.

02:06:31Arctos:That's crazy.

02:06:32Arctos:You see him going into his bag, and he's like, you need a gun, and hands him a gun.

02:06:38Arctos:It's an air repeater rifle.

02:06:41Arctos:And this is real.

02:06:42Gamemaster:That's why you wanted the gun.

02:06:45Arctos:I asked Josh if I could have a gun.

02:06:48Gamemaster:I'm sorry, I didn't realize.

02:06:51Arctos:Josh is like, why do you want a gun?

02:06:53Arctos:And I was like, baby and gun emoji.

02:07:00Benny:This is good.

02:07:01Benny:I do need to restart my collection.

02:07:02Benny:I think Benny would have been traveling with us.

02:07:05Benny:He's not expecting to die.

02:07:07Benny:He would have had both of his guns on him.

02:07:09Arctos:Yeah.

02:07:10Benny:What would be really helpful is if anyone has a pick.

02:07:11Arctos:It's only like a .22 caliber.

02:07:13Arctos:It's an air repeater.

02:07:15Arctos:But it's better than nothing.

02:07:16Arctos:And there you go.

02:07:22Arctos:Hey.

02:07:23Gamemaster:You can get a pick from the armory here at the Sin and Tonic.

02:07:27Anzu:Thank you.

02:07:29Gamemaster:They would have a regular weapon.

02:07:32Gamemaster:They wouldn't have a polytool, unfortunately, if that's what you're looking for, but they would have a pick.

02:07:35Benny:Well, I mean, the Giant will fall and we'll get the polytool back.

02:07:41Gamemaster:Sure.

02:07:44Benny:Luckily, Benita's fine with one or two picks, so...

02:07:51Johnny:Somewhere in there, Johnny will come back freshly showered in just the exact same outfit he's been in the past few days.

02:07:58Gamemaster:How many denim jackets does this man own?

02:08:02Johnny:You ever seen the first episode of The Bear?

02:08:04Gamemaster:Yes.

02:08:05Gamemaster:Okay.

02:08:05Gamemaster:Yeah.

02:08:06Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:08:09Benny:Benny will anoint the new pick his icon, and it vibrates more than normal.

02:08:17Benny:And he's like, man, this thing really wants to kill.

02:08:20Benny:What's the schedule?

02:08:22Benny:Do we have a second car?

02:08:23Benny:And he'll look at Illmari.

02:08:27Arctos:Do you have a spare key to the car?

02:08:28Gamemaster:Uh, Illmari will look over at you and say, first of all, I'm glad you're not dead.

02:08:33Gamemaster:Second of all, you lost the car?

02:08:36Benny:I...

02:08:37Gamemaster:Yeah, I guess it's not surprising if you were all dead a few moments ago.

02:08:40Benny:If I brought the car back... Yeah.

02:08:45Benny:I don't even know... Okay.

02:08:49Gamemaster:Uh...

02:08:50Arctos:Maybe we just go take it.

02:08:53Gamemaster:You can ask Dura for a spare key.

02:08:55Gamemaster:I think she might be very mad at you if she finds out that you lost her car.

02:08:58Gamemaster:That's where the spare key would be.

02:09:06Benny:I mean, well...

02:09:08Benny:We have to get ourselves back anyway because the car is going to be with them and we'll have to fight them for it.

02:09:14Benny:So are we heading to 13 Bright Street?

02:09:19Johnny:That's where I'm ready to go.

02:09:23Johnny:Sir Arctos, we're kind of down a member, and you're a bear in full play.

02:09:25Arctos:Yeah.

02:09:32Johnny:You doing anything right now?

02:09:34Arctos:No, I'm actually... I'd love to go back over there.

02:09:37Arctos:What's the name of that place again that we're going?

02:09:38Johnny:Great.

02:09:40Johnny:13 Bright Street?

02:09:42Arctos:What part of the city?

02:09:42Gamemaster:The Aurideon is the district.

02:09:44Arctos:Oh, I love that place.

02:09:45Arctos:That's where I was knighted.

02:09:46Arctos:Yeah, let's go.

02:09:48Johnny:We got a lot to catch up on.

02:09:49Johnny:Do you like poetry?

02:09:51Arctos:I like listening to it.

02:09:53Arctos:I heard it a lot.

02:09:55Johnny:We're gonna get along well.

02:10:00Johnny:Should we get a spare key and then go get ourselves, Benny?

02:10:04Benny:Absolutely.

02:10:07Johnny:Run over to Dura.

02:10:09Johnny:Hey, Dura.

02:10:11Gamemaster:You pop your head into the garage and I need a reflex save.

02:10:17Gamemaster:Because somebody has just thrown a wrench at your head.

02:10:21Anzu:Hey, if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.

02:10:24Gamemaster:It's true.

02:10:25Johnny:Hey, I died last- I died last night, so you know...

02:10:28Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:10:29Gamemaster:You stick your head in.

02:10:30Gamemaster:and a Giant wrench used to work on cars comes flying at your face.

02:10:36Gamemaster:You just kind of duck a little bit, and it makes a dent in the wall behind you and clatters to the ground.

02:10:41Gamemaster:And then she says, You better get my fucking car back.

02:10:46Gamemaster:Key's on the wall.

02:10:50Gamemaster:And you got better.

02:10:51Gamemaster:Yeah, it's on the wall, and it's not like it's any use to me right now.

02:10:52Johnny:Your bedside manner could use some work.

02:10:53Johnny:Do you have a spare key?

02:10:54Johnny:We're going to get it back.

02:10:57Johnny:Thank you.

02:10:59Johnny:Hey.

02:11:01Johnny:For what it's worth, I'm very sorry.

02:11:02Johnny:We'll get the car back.

02:11:04Johnny:Good to see you.

02:11:06Gamemaster:Good luck.

02:11:06Gamemaster:Don't die again.

02:11:07Johnny:I'll try not to.

02:11:09Gamemaster:And as you leave, you hear the sounds of maybe a hubcap hitting the door behind you.

02:11:14Johnny:I'll pick up the wrench.

02:11:15Johnny:Benny, can you do anything with this wrench?

02:11:18Benny:Keep it on me.

02:11:19Gamemaster:The wrench has a similar heft and damage profile as a club.

02:11:26Benny:Fair enough.

02:11:27Johnny:I'm keeping this wrench because you tried to brain me with it.

02:11:30Johnny:And then I'll toss it to Benny.

02:11:31Johnny:He's the John Wick of nine-year-olds.

02:11:32Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:11:34Gamemaster:This nine-year-old child entered a tavern with no weapons and leaves with three five minutes later.

02:11:42Arctos:Can he get any armor?

02:11:46Anzu:Benny, do we need to pick up any other kind of equipment for you to be fully comfortable?

02:11:54Benny:I mean, armor, yeah.

02:11:58Benny:Some heavy armor.

02:12:00Benny:I'm okay with the cheap stuff.

02:12:03Johnny:They don't have that here, do they?

02:12:05Arctos:Here.

02:12:06Gamemaster:Probably not hand me armor.

02:12:09Gamemaster:Let me double check.

02:12:10Gamemaster:What armor did Benny have?

02:12:13Benny:I think Benny had a breastplate.

02:12:17Gamemaster:Let me double check.

02:12:18Gamemaster:Let me see what's on.

02:12:19Benny:Benny had a breastplate, yeah.

02:12:21Gamemaster:Benny had a breastplate, which is eight gold pieces.

02:12:28Gamemaster:I think what we can say is that you can be loaned a breastplate.

02:12:34Gamemaster:from the armory, but they will expect it back.

02:12:37Gamemaster:So you'll need to either recover your stuff or purchase something else to use in your day-to-day.

02:12:44Benny:Perfect.

02:12:49Johnny:Excellent.

02:12:50Gamemaster:Okay, and also, I guess it's been a little hand-wavy about what time it is.

02:12:54Gamemaster:So we can assume at this point that, like, with the shower and the rest and all of that kind of stuff, Johnny and Benny, you guys have received the benefits of a long rest and any missing resources, if need be, are regained.

02:13:10Arctos:They're going to get a whole long rest.

02:13:12Arctos:I would not have healed them then.

02:13:14Gamemaster:Okay, that's fine.

02:13:15Gamemaster:Take back the heals.

02:13:17Arctos:I'm taking back those spell slots.

02:13:19Gamemaster:Just because I feel like, I mean, Johnny, do you have any spell slots left anyway?

02:13:23Gamemaster:Otherwise, like, would you go out?

02:13:26Arctos:Would you guys want to wait a day?

02:13:26Johnny:Yeah, I would not leave without some magic and I'm juiced out.

02:13:31Gamemaster:Okay, so if you have to wait, then we can say that you have this conversation and then you spend the day in the tavern resting from your near-death and slash or post-death experiences.

02:13:42Gamemaster:And then on the next day, you can set out with whatever you like to do.

02:13:45Arctos:Alright, so I did heal them.

02:13:47Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:13:49Johnny:Sometime in the night, if I was doing anything, I'd like to go to Anzu, wherever Anzu is.

02:13:56Anzu:Uh, yeah.

02:13:58Anzu:I mean, is it like late?

02:13:59Anzu:Like probably like went to bed late or like still just.

02:14:04Johnny:Probably still when things are happening, but later at night.

02:14:09Anzu:Okay.

02:14:10Anzu:Maybe I'm at a table.

02:14:11Anzu:Just kind of writing notes down.

02:14:15Johnny:Okay, I'll come over with two big beers or ales.

02:14:22Gamemaster:you

02:14:23Johnny:Slide one over.

02:14:24Anzu:Hey, Johnny.

02:14:25Johnny:Hey, Anzu.

02:14:27Johnny:I'm glad you made it out.

02:14:32Anzu:yeah that was uh the craziest thing i've ever experienced in my life so um thanks for sending me out of there i you know when i said i'll see you at home i was really hoping for a miracle and geez i don't really understand what happened but it seemed like maybe we got one

02:14:57Johnny:Yeah.

02:15:00Johnny:I've gotten a lot of those.

02:15:01Johnny:It's kind of amazing.

02:15:06Johnny:This isn't what you expected when you came here, was it?

02:15:14Anzu:I didn't really know what to expect.

02:15:18Anzu:I just felt like the vocalists needed me.

02:15:25Anzu:They reached out to me like they reached out to everyone else in this building.

02:15:31Anzu:I had to figure it out.

02:15:36Anzu:Really, Johnny, I'm actually not supposed to be here.

02:15:46Johnny:What do you mean?

02:15:48Anzu:My grandmother for many years now has forbade any of us from leaving Belvedere.

02:16:08Anzu:People that work at Belvedere sometimes go out and explore, work for other organizations, learn things.

02:16:17Anzu:But not us.

02:16:21Anzu:actually my grandfather was the last one to leave belvedere and he was this is kind of crazy he was in Raelion on the night of the midnight sun

02:16:46Johnny:I'm sorry about your grandfather.

02:16:47Anzu:I don't know why he was there on some kind of job for Belvedere.

02:16:54Anzu:But ever since then, my grandmother said, no one else is leaving.

02:16:58Anzu:And nobody had.

02:17:03Anzu:But the call was too strong.

02:17:05Anzu:I couldn't resist it.

02:17:14Johnny:I know it doesn't help, but the midnight sun was quick.

02:17:18Johnny:No one felt anything.

02:17:20Anzu:I, of course, didn't meet him as many years before I was born, but... No.

02:17:27Johnny:But, um, you're supposed to be here.

02:17:31Johnny:You know, if I've learned anything today, it's that.

02:17:34Johnny:So don't feel like you made the wrong choice about any of this.

02:17:41Anzu:No, I think you're right.

02:17:43Anzu:You're absolutely right.

02:17:47Anzu:I've learned a lot.

02:17:52Anzu:And there's a lot more to figure out, so.

02:18:00Johnny:You know, Anzu, if we went back and did that whole thing again last night, I just want you to know I would still get you out.

02:18:08Johnny:And that wasn't a mistake.

02:18:09Gamemaster:Thank you.

02:18:10Johnny:And I would do it all the same.

02:18:15Anzu:Well, it's good to have someone that has my back and.

02:18:20Anzu:I'm going to try my best to keep everybody safe too.

02:18:27Johnny:Benny's pretty upset.

02:18:30Johnny:I know he's physically the strongest of our group, although I don't know about this bear that we're hanging out with now.

02:18:40Johnny:Nine-year-olds shouldn't be going through this, so I don't know what... I think all we can do is... Me too.

02:18:48Anzu:No, he's still a real enigma to me, but

02:18:54Anzu:You know, it's crazy because sometimes he acts nine, but then sometimes he says some things that I really would not expect from any of the nine-year-olds I've met.

02:19:05Anzu:I've interacted with a lot of students.

02:19:09Anzu:None of them are like Benny.

02:19:12Johnny:I don't think anyone's like Benny.

02:19:15Johnny:Just Benny.

02:19:19Johnny:But, um... It's been a long time since I have had any goal other than to get myself killed to fuck someone else over.

02:19:32Johnny:And, uh... This is sort of new terrain for me.

02:19:37Johnny:So... I'm glad we're here together.

02:19:42Anzu:Indeed.

02:19:42Anzu:To Argyle, yes.

02:19:47Johnny:Raise my cup.

02:19:48Johnny:To Argyle.

02:19:52Johnny:Drink to Argyle.

02:19:53Anzu:Another enigma.

02:19:56Johnny:Yeah, I'm kind of bummed about that.

02:19:58Johnny:No idea what his deal was.

02:20:01Anzu:It's strange.

02:20:04Anzu:Yeah, the equation there is not fully complete, but perhaps someday we'll understand.

02:20:10Johnny:Yeah.

02:20:12Johnny:Someday.

02:20:12Johnny:He was...

02:20:14Johnny:I don't know why he smoked those cigarettes.

02:20:16Johnny:They were just so gross.

02:20:19Anzu:You know, some people's culture is a little different.

02:20:26Anzu:I don't know exactly where he came from.

02:20:29Anzu:It's kind of hard to understand anything about his background.

02:20:36Anzu:Maybe it's normal there.

02:20:38Johnny:That's true.

02:20:39Johnny:Who am I to say?

02:20:42Anzu:Well, the Voidsong calls.

02:20:46Johnny:The voice on calls.

02:20:49Arctos:As the night progressed, you'll notice Sir Arctos takes a special interest in Benny, just trying to make sure Benny's all cared for as a child.

02:20:52Anzu:you

02:20:58Arctos:He doesn't understand that Benny might not be a nine-year-old, but he's like, this is a scared kid type of thing.

02:21:05Arctos:And he would also like to use the phone to call home and see if they can send more food into the inn, because he's concerned he might eat too much food, and he's never had to think about that before.

02:21:19Arctos:So that's his ask.

02:21:23Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:21:25Arctos:Because I know in 5e, you get some money per your background to be used for living expenses.

02:21:25Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:21:31Arctos:If that's the case, he's using it for food.

02:21:36Gamemaster:I, like...

02:21:39Gamemaster:You didn't leave on a bad note or anything like that.

02:21:43Gamemaster:So they'd be, if this is what you're choosing to do, then they'll support you.

02:21:49Gamemaster:And if the way they support you is by sending produce to this random tavern, they'll do that.

02:21:53Arctos:Because he's desperate.

02:21:55Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:21:56Arctos:They could sense the first time in a while he seems a little nervous.

02:21:58Arctos:He's like, oh no, I can't afford this.

02:22:02Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:22:03Gamemaster:So you can put that order in.

02:22:05Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:22:05Arctos:Yeah.

02:22:11Arctos:And then I'll get ready.

02:22:11Gamemaster:absolutely you all get an evening's rest I'm going to take a little bit of a break while you're all sleeping to move perspective for just a half a second as you're all asleep there is one more member of the

02:22:12Arctos:Then I'll go to bed.

02:22:41Gamemaster:Um, Arga, you're in a lot of pain right now.

02:22:51Gamemaster:Roll a perception check for me, please.

02:22:54Arctos:I can pull this up.

02:23:08Arctos:12.

02:23:10Arctos:Does Argyle have a hero point?

02:23:10Gamemaster:Twelve.

02:23:12Gamemaster:He does not.

02:23:13Arctos:All right.

02:23:16Gamemaster:With a 12, Argyle feels this tearing sensation split right down the middle.

02:23:26Gamemaster:He can't tell where he is.

02:23:27Gamemaster:There's just this flowing...

02:23:31Gamemaster:color, but it's difficult to describe exactly what color it is in the area around him.

02:23:33Arctos:Thank you.

02:23:36Gamemaster:But as he tries to get his bearings, he notices that his arms and his legs are chained, wrapped in shackles.

02:23:43Gamemaster:The left arm, the left wrist, and the left ankle are grasped in these heavy-looking wrought iron shackles engraved with red glowing runes.

02:23:56Gamemaster:Attached to chains that descend down.

02:23:59Gamemaster:Deep down to somewhere out of sight.

02:24:04Gamemaster:And his right arm and right leg are encased in these golden, shining shackles.

02:24:13Gamemaster:Being pulled upwards.

02:24:15Gamemaster:And he feels this tension as both halves of him are being pulled.

02:24:20Gamemaster:And he screams.

02:24:23Gamemaster:And all of you wake up!

02:24:25Gamemaster:It is a new chapter.

02:24:26Gamemaster:day with the four of you, the three of you and your new companion, a bear.

02:24:29Benny:you

02:24:33Gamemaster:As you recover any health you may have still been missing, any spell slots or whatever that you've expended, to the smell of dry eggs and undercooked bacon.

02:24:51Anzu:So he overcooks the eggs but undercooks the bacon.

02:24:52Arctos:Praise to the host.

02:24:55Gamemaster:Correct.

02:24:56Anzu:Fascinating.

02:24:56Johnny:Hmm.

02:24:58Gamemaster:I'll get it at some point.

02:25:01Johnny:Ooh, fellas, it's a bright new day.

02:25:03Johnny:Yeah, guy, hey, what's a fun fact about yourself?

02:25:06Benny:Close.

02:25:13Arctos:I was knighted.

02:25:17Johnny:What's a fun fact we don't know already?

02:25:20Arctos:It was by...

02:25:22Arctos:The Pontifex.

02:25:25Anzu:Oh, actually, that's kind of crazy.

02:25:26Johnny:Well, yeah, that's cool.

02:25:28Arctos:Pretty cool, right?

02:25:30Arctos:I feel like you guys should be more impressed with the whole Sir thing.

02:25:35Johnny:I know you're very impressive.

02:25:37Johnny:Oh, really?

02:25:37Arctos:Thank you.

02:25:38Arctos:This cape was a gift.

02:25:39Benny:Yeah.

02:25:40Benny:Two of us died.

02:25:41Benny:I don't know how much... Like, if you, like, I don't know, grew an extra arm, we wouldn't be exactly fazed or impressed.

02:25:44Arctos:Yeah.

02:25:45Johnny:Angry nine-year-old Benny is awesome.

02:25:57Arctos:Well, if it's helped, they've stopped a child from dying before.

02:25:57Johnny:No, but he died.

02:26:04Johnny:Like, we were dead.

02:26:04Arctos:Yeah, but I'm just saying, when I was there, the other kid didn't die.

02:26:09Anzu:Thank you.

02:26:10Benny:Okay.

02:26:10Johnny:Okay, but I think he missed the point.

02:26:13Johnny:Let's go get our halves back.

02:26:15Arctos:Yeah, what I'm saying is, now that I'm here, statistically, and he, like, moves his monocle, the baby, the kid can't die.

02:26:23Johnny:But that's not really the point of what we're talking about.

02:26:25Johnny:We're in the tavern now getting breakfast.

02:26:27Arctos:Why would I be impressed by something that I know I could have stopped?

02:26:30Johnny:Well, no, it's because we died and came back.

02:26:31Johnny:You ever met someone who died and came back?

02:26:34Arctos:I was a wild bear.

02:26:37Arctos:And then I gained sentience of scripture.

02:26:37Johnny:Listen, guys, there's a lot of wild bears out there.

02:26:41Arctos:I'm not impressed.

02:26:42Anzu:Sir Arctos, are you from Hallia?

02:26:45Gamemaster:I heard it down.

02:26:48Johnny:Don't nod.

02:26:51Arctos:He looks at that and he's like, hey.

02:26:54Johnny:Do we sit down at the table and the two animal folk are on one side and the two humans are on the other?

02:27:07Anzu:Are you from around here?

02:27:08Arctos:Kinda.

02:27:12Arctos:I've spent most of... Yes, I've spent my sentient, well, divinely aware life here.

02:27:12Anzu:Recently, recently.

02:27:21Johnny:How old were you in sentient years?

02:27:21Gamemaster:uh,

02:27:23Benny:you

02:27:27Arctos:It's kind of rude to ask.

02:27:29Johnny:No, it's not.

02:27:30Arctos:You're not supposed to ask a bear how old he is.

02:27:33Johnny:But how long have you been sentient for?

02:27:34Johnny:Oh, shoo, you're... That's older than I expected.

02:27:35Arctos:Oh, around like 30, 35 years.

02:27:40Johnny:Wow.

02:27:41Johnny:You've been around for a while.

02:27:42Arctos:Yeah, I'm also bad at math, so there you go.

02:27:46Gamemaster:I was going to say, I just googled it because I wasn't sure.

02:27:48Gamemaster:And apparently the oldest polar bears in captivity live to around 40.

02:27:53Gamemaster:But usually they pass away, like, in the wild they live to 18.

02:27:54Johnny:So this bear is on death's door.

02:27:54Arctos:All right.

02:27:56Gamemaster:So... That's true.

02:27:58Arctos:Well, I'm a magic bear.

02:27:59Johnny:So we got a child, the oldest bear in the world.

02:28:00Arctos:I'm a magic bear who's probably like 15, but...

02:28:11Arctos:I can't really count, so that's on me.

02:28:11Gamemaster:Yep.

02:28:14Anzu:Thank you.

02:28:15Benny:Most bears can't.

02:28:16Gamemaster:He's 40, but in base 8, because that's how many fingers he has.

02:28:17Benny:Shall we?

02:28:20Arctos:Well, I'm 40 in Bear Years.

02:28:24Gamemaster:Right.

02:28:25Benny:I'm zero in bear years.

02:28:25Arctos:I was originally not from here, but they kind of brought me here.

02:28:29Benny:I've never lived a year as a bear.

02:28:31Gamemaster:Arctos, you would know that you were originally imported from Austrene.

02:28:35Arctos:Oh, I know.

02:28:36Arctos:They didn't ask.

02:28:36Arctos:Yeah.

02:28:37Gamemaster:No, I don't.

02:28:39Benny:Can we just do this talking on the way to the rest of my soul?

02:28:44Gamemaster:You can have this conversation inside of a taxi that you've hailed on the way to the Aurideon.

02:28:46Johnny:Yeah, let's go get ourselves.

02:28:46Arctos:You know, honestly, it's kind of refreshing.

02:28:48Arctos:Most people already know about me, so you guys are kind of... Are you from around here?

02:28:53Benny:We get a little treat to learn who you are.

02:28:55Benny:You mean?

02:28:56Arctos:Treat?

02:28:56Arctos:Did you say treat?

02:29:07Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:29:11Benny:Benny gets shotgun.

02:29:11Gamemaster:Atrocious.

02:29:13Benny:They have to sit in the backseat with the bear.

02:29:15Gamemaster:The suspension of the car does not handle a polar bear very well.

02:29:20Johnny:I assume the bear takes middle seats.

02:29:26Gamemaster:Normally, Arctos is transported in vehicles with the foreknowledge that a polar bear is going to be in it, so they choose ones that can handle that way in full play mail.

02:29:33Arctos:Full plate mail.

02:29:36Gamemaster:But instead, you are just in this sedan that's very clearly tilted towards the back because there's a bear in the backseat.

02:29:46Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys are now in a car.

02:29:48Gamemaster:You can tell them that you're going to the Aurideon.

02:29:50Gamemaster:That's fine.

02:29:51Gamemaster:So you're on your way over.

02:29:53Arctos:They love me over there.

02:29:54Johnny:Guy, are you important?

02:29:55Benny:Benny, you'll be reading a newspaper like this in the front.

02:30:01Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:30:03Arctos:Yeah, what's up?

02:30:05Johnny:Are you important?

02:30:06Johnny:Are you like an important guy?

02:30:07Arctos:Very important.

02:30:08Arctos:Very important.

02:30:09Johnny:Very important?

02:30:10Arctos:Very important.

02:30:14Arctos:Yep.

02:30:14Johnny:I pull out a piece of paper.

02:30:16Johnny:Can I go like this and scribble it, fold it up, hand it across the bear to Anzu?

02:30:23Anzu:I take a look.

02:30:25Johnny:It says, I don't know if I can bear this.

02:30:29Arctos:It's unbearable, huh?

02:30:29Anzu:On to giggles.

02:30:30Benny:Benny is reading the newspaper.

02:30:34Gamemaster:Can I get a, I guess a society check from anybody who would like you to know if you know about this bear?

02:30:43Anzu:Yeah, I'm gonna do that.

02:30:44Anzu:I'm not from around here.

02:30:47Johnny:I'm just going to aid Anzu in this bear check.

02:30:50Gamemaster:Sure.

02:30:52Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:30:52Gamemaster:Bear check.

02:30:54Arctos:Yeah.

02:30:56Gamemaster:29.

02:30:57Gamemaster:Okay.

02:30:57Anzu:Now I'm really going to have to rethink.

02:30:58Gamemaster:29.

02:31:00Anzu:Oh, no.

02:31:00Johnny:You really know a lot about this bear.

02:31:03Gamemaster:Okay, so you're not from here.

02:31:07Gamemaster:So I think you have heard of this bear before.

02:31:12Gamemaster:Specifically, while you were still at Belvedere, just like one morning, the morning newspaper, like page six, in the back there was a small article about bear receives medal citizenship in Calaria.

02:31:31Gamemaster:And then it's just like a little fluff piece about this hero bear getting an honorary medal.

02:31:38Johnny:Oh, it's just an honorary medal.

02:31:41Gamemaster:Yeah.

02:31:44Johnny:This dude is... This is like if I knighted my dog.

02:31:48Johnny:No.

02:31:49Gamemaster:Yes.

02:31:50Arctos:Have you guys seen Brooklyn Nine-Nine?

02:31:55Arctos:Well, there's a character called Sergeant Peanutbutter, which is a horse that just keeps going.

02:31:55Anzu:Shatter?

02:32:01Arctos:So.

02:32:09Gamemaster:So the car... Yeah.

02:32:10Johnny:We're right in the middle of a spot.

02:32:15Gamemaster:But it's sentient and wearing full armor.

02:32:19Gamemaster:The car proceeds through the stepwell over to the Aurideon.

02:32:23Gamemaster:As you approach, Benny, you're in the front seat, so you have the best view of this.

02:32:29Gamemaster:There is, as you had seen when you last exited the dome, sorry, last exited the river towards the dome, there is now a Giant...

02:32:38Gamemaster:skyscraper coming out of the dome where you had not seen it before.

02:32:43Gamemaster:And I think interestingly at this point you can see from this distance that the dome is built with the skyscraper in mind.

02:32:52Gamemaster:There is an open aperture that the building extends out of that is part of the dome that for whatever reason you couldn't see before and you can now see.

02:33:05Gamemaster:but you continue forward into the checkpoint.

02:33:08Arctos:And as you guys get there, Arctos is going to lean in and point almost at the tower, but then go, that's a dome that protects this area.

02:33:09Gamemaster:Yep.

02:33:18Arctos:And for a moment, you're like, oh, can he see it?

02:33:21Johnny:Oh, God, the third season?

02:33:22Johnny:Nope.

02:33:23Gamemaster:Arkados and Anzu cannot see the skyscraper.

02:33:25Arctos:Yeah.

02:33:26Gamemaster:It is just the dome as it was.

02:33:30Gamemaster:Uh, as you guys pull into the checkpoint, uh, the three of your names are still on the list, uh, because you're, you're working with Detective Brooks.

02:33:39Gamemaster:Um, but one of the guards will look in, see, uh, the polar bear in the, in the background and say, Sir Arctos, I'm a huge fan.

02:33:50Gamemaster:Uh, and then he'll, like, take out, uh, his, like, piece of paper and say, can you sign this for my daughter?

02:33:54Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:33:54Arctos:Absolutely.

02:33:54Arctos:And just like gives it a paw print.

02:33:57Gamemaster:And then he'll wave you guys through.

02:34:00Anzu:well I'm impressed

02:34:00Gamemaster:And you guys are now in the Aurideon.

02:34:01Arctos:Told you guys I'm pretty important over here.

02:34:09Gamemaster:So what did you tell the taxi driver?

02:34:11Gamemaster:Did you tell the taxi driver to go to the Aurideon, or did you give him the specific address?

02:34:16Benny:I think we should just give them the address.

02:34:18Johnny:Yes.

02:34:18Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

02:34:19Gamemaster:He will get to Bright Street, which is one of the larger streets that runs through the Aurideon.

02:34:24Gamemaster:It's a grid system.

02:34:25Gamemaster:They planned it.

02:34:26Gamemaster:So it's just one of the straight lines that runs right through.

02:34:29Gamemaster:And he'll say, sorry, boss, I don't think there is a 13 Bright Street.

02:34:37Gamemaster:And as he drives towards the area that you see the building, he says, well, there's 11 and there's 15.

02:34:47Gamemaster:It's pretty common here.

02:34:48Gamemaster:He might have gotten the address wrong.

02:34:50Benny:We'll be fine.

02:34:50Johnny:This is good.

02:34:51Johnny:Real platform nine and three quarters stuff.

02:34:55Gamemaster:I don't get that.

02:34:56Gamemaster:All right.

02:34:56Johnny:This is good.

02:34:57Johnny:Thanks, boss.

02:34:59Gamemaster:I hope you find where you're going.

02:35:03Johnny:Yeah, have a iridescent day.

02:35:09Gamemaster:and you guys can shuffle your way out of the car.

02:35:11Gamemaster:It's probably a little difficult to do with the polar bear, but you can get out.

02:35:15Arctos:takes a deep breath it's good to be back here

02:35:17Benny:Difficult for some.

02:35:19Gamemaster:Sure.

02:35:19Gamemaster:It's super easy for Benny, who does not have to contend with the polar bear, to leave the car.

02:35:24Gamemaster:And you are now all on the shining streets of the Aurideon.

02:35:25Johnny:Weren't you here like two days ago?

02:35:41Arctos:Yeah, it's really stinky by you guys.

02:35:44Arctos:I don't know if you guys can smell as much as me, but it's really stinky.

02:35:44Johnny:I got a lot of questions.

02:35:49Johnny:All right.

02:35:50Johnny:Is there just a skyscraper in the middle of this area?

02:35:54Gamemaster:Yep, from the perspective of Anzu and Arctos, they're...

02:35:59Anzu:Thank you.

02:36:01Gamemaster:11 Bright Street, which looks to be some kind of government building, some part of the church, like an administrative building of some kind.

02:36:07Benny:Thank you.

02:36:09Gamemaster:And then right next to it is 15 Bright Street, which it looks like is a kind of cute looking cafe.

02:36:16Gamemaster:And there's maybe six inches of gap between the two, like not even an alley, just a place for rain to flow between the two buildings.

02:36:27Gamemaster:And instead, the two of you, Benny and Johnny, you see that in between the two is a doorway that leads into the front of this massive concrete skyscraper.

02:36:27Johnny:Thank you.

02:36:31Anzu:Thank you.

02:36:42Gamemaster:It says in big lettering on the front, 13 Bright.

02:36:46Gamemaster:And you can see there is an entrance to go into the building from here.

02:36:51Gamemaster:There's a doorway in front.

02:36:52Gamemaster:There aren't people standing out front or anything like that.

02:36:57Gamemaster:People just kind of walk by it as if they don't even see it.

02:36:59Johnny:Yeah, exactly.

02:37:03Benny:So I guess we'll go inside, and you guys can wait here.

02:37:09Benny:OK.

02:37:10Arctos:Do you not like me because I'm a bear?

02:37:12Anzu:I agree with the bear.

02:37:16Johnny:I'll lean over to Anzu.

02:37:17Johnny:There's a building there, you just can't see it because you haven't died, but there's a building there.

02:37:20Johnny:I'll lean over to the bear.

02:37:21Johnny:Oh, you don't see the building?

02:37:23Johnny:You lived here your whole life, don't see the building?

02:37:25Johnny:No.

02:37:25Johnny:That's interesting.

02:37:32Johnny:Nope, nothing to do with it.

02:37:32Benny:Well, I mean, no one said... No one even brought that up.

02:37:39Benny:That... No one's even... No one's even suggested...

02:37:40Arctos:I feel like everyone's dancing around the fact that I'm a polar bear and it's kind of rude.

02:37:46Johnny:We have not danced around that fact at all.

02:37:50Anzu:This polar bear has withstood 40 barriers of microaggressions and he is done with it.

02:37:56Arctos:Do you know what it's like showing up at a court and people are just pretending to not notice you're a bear?

02:38:02Arctos:It's messed up.

02:38:02Johnny:Listen, guy, the first question I asked you was how long have you been able to speak?

02:38:06Johnny:I don't think I've been dancing around the question of if you're a bear.

02:38:09Johnny:I just said the word bear.

02:38:11Arctos:Did you use the word bear there?

02:38:12Arctos:I don't think so.

02:38:13Arctos:Anyway, lead the way.

02:38:15Arctos:I see the door.

02:38:15Arctos:Yeah.

02:38:18Johnny:You see the door?

02:38:18Benny:Anzu.

02:38:19Gamemaster:Thank you.

02:38:19Johnny:Lead the way.

02:38:20Johnny:Lead the way, directors.

02:38:21Arctos:That's rude.

02:38:22Arctos:I'm a guardian.

02:38:23Arctos:I protect you guys.

02:38:24Arctos:You guys lead the way.

02:38:26Arctos:I'll be behind watching your six.

02:38:26Benny:Anzu.

02:38:27Anzu:Yes.

02:38:28Benny:Just in case this is some sort of weird bait and switch.

02:38:31Benny:And Benny will go over and reach up to hug Anzu.

02:38:34Johnny:Aww.

02:38:36Anzu:I'll give him a hug.

02:38:40Benny:And if it's some weird bait and switch, I hope I get some weird powers from wherever we go.

02:38:45Benny:And I'm gonna...

02:38:46Benny:inconvenience you and you'll know it's me and then i'll go walk into the building

02:38:52Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:38:55Gamemaster:So the entrance to the building are just these kind of... God, were automatic glass doors a thing in the 60s?

02:39:03Anzu:I think they had revolving doors.

02:39:06Gamemaster:Yeah, you know what?

02:39:07Gamemaster:That's fair.

02:39:08Gamemaster:It's a big old revolving door that you can push through to get into the building itself.

02:39:14Arctos:Ark just is hugging Benny, trying to pretend he knows where the store is.

02:39:18Gamemaster:Wait, he's hugging Benny?

02:39:18Johnny:Thank you.

02:39:19Gamemaster:Like, he's holding on to Benny as he tries to... Oh, okay.

02:39:19Arctos:Not like actually hugging, just like right behind him.

02:39:22Arctos:Yeah.

02:39:22Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:39:24Gamemaster:So, something interesting does happen as Benny enters the building, as he goes into the revolving door that goes around.

02:39:30Gamemaster:Arctos and Anzu, you are watching him do this.

02:39:34Gamemaster:You blink, and there's a building in front of you.

02:39:38Gamemaster:Um...

02:39:39Anzu:Thank you.

02:39:41Gamemaster:The requirement to see the building is not having died.

02:39:45Gamemaster:It is having seen the building.

02:39:47Gamemaster:And so the act of seeing these other people see the building means that you see it too.

02:39:53Gamemaster:Notably, there are also like three bystanders who are in complete shock at what just happened.

02:40:02Benny:Does Benny notice these people being like... I wanted someone to have presence of mind and be like, I can do this again.

02:40:06Gamemaster:No, Benny's in the building.

02:40:08Gamemaster:Benny goes to the revolving door and that's it.

02:40:12Anzu:I will, uh... Anzu will, uh... This is crazy.

02:40:16Benny:Just give me a million dollars.

02:40:18Gamemaster:the Aurideon atrocious absolutely

02:40:19Johnny:I can make any million.

02:40:25Benny:I got a building.

02:40:27Benny:What's the name of this district?

02:40:31Benny:If you believe that, I got a building in the Aurideon to sell you.

02:40:37Anzu:I will look to one of the bystanders, point at the building, shrug my shoulders, and then walk in.

02:40:48Arctos:Arctos is following.

02:40:50Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

02:40:52Gamemaster:Arctos does not need to squish this revolving door.

02:40:54Gamemaster:It is large enough for a bear to fit in comfortably.

02:40:57Arctos:Finally, someone has thought about bears and their architecture.

02:41:00Benny:Signed free.

02:41:00Benny:for him specifically he's muted

02:41:02Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

02:41:03Gamemaster:Because he can see it the whole time.

02:41:08Gamemaster:And I assume Johnny goes in as well.

02:41:13Gamemaster:Or not.

02:41:15Gamemaster:Yeah.

02:41:18Gamemaster:Does Johnny follow?

02:41:19Johnny:Oh, sorry.

02:41:20Johnny:I was filling my water bottle.

02:41:21Johnny:Yes, I'm right behind Benny.

02:41:21Gamemaster:Okay, absolutely.

02:41:25Gamemaster:You head into the interior of this not Art Deco, brutalist, it's completely different building.

02:41:34Gamemaster:The interior is that of...

02:41:42Gamemaster:An office building, honestly.

02:41:46Gamemaster:Directly in front of you are a series of what look to be desks.

02:41:51Gamemaster:People are sat behind them.

02:41:53Gamemaster:There are stairways off to the right that appear to head up to a second floor.

02:41:56Gamemaster:You can see that that floor has a bit that overlooks the entrance hall where you currently are.

02:42:03Gamemaster:The sides, the walls here, and the floor are all made out of the same concrete as the rest of the building.

02:42:12Gamemaster:There's some strange art on the walls around here.

02:42:15Gamemaster:There are a few framed pieces.

02:42:17Gamemaster:It looks like people, like portraits.

02:42:20Gamemaster:But actually, you can make a site check to see if you recognize any of the people in the portraits.

02:42:27Arctos:Make a religion check.

02:42:28Arctos:Okay.

02:42:30Gamemaster:No.

02:42:33Anzu:19.

02:42:38Gamemaster:OK.

02:42:40Gamemaster:With a 19.

02:42:41Gamemaster:You don't recognize these people.

02:42:43Gamemaster:I think the only thing you note is that there are like eight or nine different portraits around on the first floor.

02:42:50Gamemaster:They don't have like plaques or anything on them that would identify who the people are.

02:42:54Gamemaster:But they are all raimented.

02:42:59Gamemaster:They have raiments.

02:43:00Gamemaster:of different faiths.

02:43:03Gamemaster:Despite the fact that this building is in the Aurideon, in the seat of the Iridescent Church, only like two of the eight have that shimmering rainbow raiment that you would expect from members of the Iridescent Church.

02:43:16Gamemaster:In addition, the other thing you would note is there is a seal on the floor here that is implanted into the gray of the concrete is this black stone.

02:43:21Johnny:Okay.

02:43:28Gamemaster:And there are three massive blue gemstones, maybe sapphires, set into that black stone in the same shape of that symbol that you had seen from Aut.

02:43:47Benny:Is there a front desk Benny can walk up to?

02:43:50Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

02:43:51Johnny:you you

02:43:53Gamemaster:There are notably a few people here, just like either sat at benches or whatever on the side or behind the front desk.

02:44:01Gamemaster:You can hear the sounds of writing and the like.

02:44:04Benny:They're just hanging out.

02:44:06Benny:Okay.

02:44:08Benny:Yeah, I'm here for the rest of myself, and then he'll...

02:44:13Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:44:15Gamemaster:You can show off the symbols on your arms.

02:44:19Gamemaster:And the person behind the desk, an older-looking dwarven woman, will say, Hi there.

02:44:27Anzu:Thank you.

02:44:30Gamemaster:I don't recognize you.

02:44:32Gamemaster:Are you new friends of aught?

02:44:34Gamemaster:Is that what's happened here?

02:44:36Benny:Other yeah.

02:44:37Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:44:38Gamemaster:Welcome to the club and all.

02:44:42Gamemaster:So let me see here.

02:44:44Gamemaster:And then she goes rifling behind the desk and finds one stack of papers and pulls it up.

02:44:50Gamemaster:Says, OK, so are you here because you have received a mission or a vision or other?

02:44:58Gamemaster:Other, OK, absolutely.

02:44:58Johnny:other uh we uh we

02:45:02Gamemaster:So what can the Friends of Aut do for you?

02:45:06Benny:So.

02:45:08Benny:We were told to come back for the rest of ourselves.

02:45:10Arctos:Thank you.

02:45:13Gamemaster:Most of that I have absolutely no context for, but it sounds like you're trying to get to the Black and White.

02:45:15Benny:We met way, way, way up there between here and the Godhome.

02:45:22Benny:We put ourselves back together, but he said he could send us down.

02:45:25Benny:We would just have to come back to get the rest of ourselves, if that makes any sense at all.

02:45:36Gamemaster:Is that correct?

02:45:36Johnny:Yes.

02:45:37Johnny:Yes.

02:45:37Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:45:37Benny:Yes.

02:45:38Gamemaster:Okay.

02:45:39Gamemaster:Yeah, that can be a ring.

02:45:41Gamemaster:Of course.

02:45:44Gamemaster:We don't have anybody available to guide you.

02:45:46Gamemaster:Will that be a problem, or could you find your way back to your souls, you said?

02:45:52Gamemaster:Okay.

02:45:52Benny:Oh yeah.

02:45:52Arctos:When's the next guide getting back?

02:45:53Anzu:Do you have any guidance on navigation?

02:45:58Anzu:What do the guides typically do, you know?

02:46:00Gamemaster:Um...

02:46:03Gamemaster:Well, usually they're the ones that have most recently been, so they know what the conditions are like.

02:46:08Gamemaster:I can see if we have any reports back that are more recent that might let you know if you give me a moment.

02:46:19Gamemaster:That is unfortunately a hard question to answer.

02:46:24Gamemaster:They kind of come and go when they have the availability to.

02:46:27Gamemaster:We're a little short-staffed right now.

02:46:30Gamemaster:A lot of them are out.

02:46:32Arctos:May I make a religion check?

02:46:32Anzu:Josh, does Anzu know anything about the Black and White?

02:46:33Gamemaster:You know how it is.

02:46:37Gamemaster:If you give me... Roll a religion or an occultism check.

02:46:44Anzu:Yeah.

02:46:45Arctos:I was going to say it's messed up you didn't help me, but I'm happy you didn't.

02:46:45Gamemaster:You may.

02:46:46Johnny:I would like to aid Anzu with a uplifting overture.

02:46:46Anzu:You'd know I'd be rolling a cult.

02:46:50Gamemaster:Sure.

02:46:54Anzu:Oh.

02:46:54Johnny:It's a fumble.

02:46:55Anzu:Do I lose points on that?

02:46:58Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

02:46:58Johnny:I think with this one, if it's a critical failure, you only get a regular failure.

02:46:59Arctos:No!

02:47:02Gamemaster:If it's only a regular failure, then you just don't get a bonus.

02:47:05Anzu:then I'm going to run with my 27.

02:47:07Anzu:Excellent.

02:47:08Arctos:I'm gonna, oh, you got a 27?

02:47:08Gamemaster:Okay.

02:47:09Arctos:Yeah, I'm gonna let you take that.

02:47:12Gamemaster:With a 27, you have no idea what the Black and White is.

02:47:21Gamemaster:Unfortunately.

02:47:25Benny:I think we should just go.

02:47:26Gamemaster:So the lady behind the desk will say, if you give me a moment, I can see if we have somebody with the most recent records.

02:47:27Johnny:Yeah.

02:47:37Gamemaster:All that stuff, I just need to call up, see if we've got somebody around.

02:47:42Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:47:43Gamemaster:And then she goes to a phone that's on her desk, dials, says a few words into it, closes it, and says, okay, Silas will be coming down for you momentarily.

02:47:51Gamemaster:He'll show you to the threshold, all of that fun stuff.

02:47:54Arctos:Yeah.

02:47:57Gamemaster:If there's anything else you need, feel free to let me know.

02:47:59Gamemaster:You can wait over on one of the benches while he comes.

02:48:02Benny:Thank you.

02:48:03Gamemaster:We do have lemon water and some pastries over, and she points at a desk over on the one side of the opening area.

02:48:14Arctos:Sounds good.

02:48:14Arctos:Thank you.

02:48:15Gamemaster:Of course.

02:48:18Arctos:I can be the spirit bearer for the group and guide everyone.

02:48:23Arctos:I'm sure I could figure it out with the help of the beautiful host, the creator of all.

02:48:29Arctos:And I'm going to start just eating pastries.

02:48:34Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys can hang out for a little bit, waiting for Silas, as she mentioned, to make their way down.

02:48:35Johnny:you

02:48:48Gamemaster:And eventually you do see somebody descending down the stairs, looking out over the crowd.

02:48:55Gamemaster:That you gather is Silas.

02:48:58Gamemaster:This is a man, maybe...

02:49:02Gamemaster:early 60s, late 50s, around their human.

02:49:08Gamemaster:Fully shaved, bald, pretty heavy scarring across the face and below from the neck down into what you can see he looks like he's wearing a three-piece suit.

02:49:18Benny:Yes.

02:49:22Gamemaster:He heads down the stairs.

02:49:23Gamemaster:It looks like he makes eye contact with the dwarven lady behind the counter who gestures over in your direction, and he walks over to all of you and says, New friends.

02:49:36Gamemaster:You needed some help getting to Black and White, yes?

02:49:40Gamemaster:Then we can walk and talk.

02:49:40Johnny:mm-hmm

02:49:42Arctos:the color of his room for what's his rain meant cool cool

02:49:45Gamemaster:He has a pretty intense-looking raiment of the host.

02:49:53Gamemaster:Similarly, the Dwarven lady that you saw behind the counter would have had a smaller but raiment of the host.

02:50:00Gamemaster:He will gesture for all of you to follow as he heads back up the stairs.

02:50:06Gamemaster:And he looks over at all of you and says, you're all new faces, new friends, I take it.

02:50:15Gamemaster:Did you have anything in particular that he wanted you to do or just grab your souls, is what I heard?

02:50:22Johnny:Yeah, we got some salt we got to get.

02:50:23Benny:I think that's just it.

02:50:24Gamemaster:Okay.

02:50:25Johnny:I assume if we both grab it, Benny takes it because he's much stronger.

02:50:26Gamemaster:It's a bit out of character.

02:50:27Gamemaster:He normally gives us directions and stuff, but that's fine.

02:50:31Gamemaster:He takes out, he has like this manila folder that he's carrying with him, and he takes a piece of paper out and gestures to hand it over to anybody who's willing to take it.

02:50:41Gamemaster:One of you can have it.

02:50:50Gamemaster:And he says, unfortunately, we don't have anybody back within the past few days.

02:50:57Gamemaster:This is a week old, but it looks like last we had a check-in, it was a city.

02:51:03Gamemaster:So keep your eye out for that.

02:51:08Gamemaster:Not much beyond that.

02:51:10Gamemaster:Watch out for the shadows.

02:51:12Gamemaster:Make sure that you keep your voice box on you at all times.

02:51:15Gamemaster:You know, standard protocol there.

02:51:18Gamemaster:And he gets into an elevator that's waiting at the top.

02:51:20Gamemaster:And motions for you guys to follow.

02:51:21Anzu:Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

02:51:23Arctos:Yeah, pardon me, I'm a bear.

02:51:24Anzu:Define voice box.

02:51:27Arctos:I don't know what a voice box is.

02:51:29Arctos:And then I kind of wink over at Benny.

02:51:29Gamemaster:Oh.

02:51:31Gamemaster:Sorry, I forget.

02:51:33Gamemaster:We don't get newbies very often here.

02:51:35Gamemaster:You'll see it when we get to the threshold.

02:51:38Gamemaster:Okay, so, you know, standard rule of three applies.

02:51:42Gamemaster:You don't know what that is.

02:51:46Gamemaster:There's like this ritualistic thing that has to go on with the Black and White.

02:51:50Gamemaster:Anything really to do with Pharos or anything of that nature.

02:51:54Gamemaster:Yes.

02:51:55Arctos:What's both of those things?

02:51:56Arctos:Black and White for us.

02:51:58Gamemaster:Black and White is the location you're trying to get to.

02:51:58Arctos:You keep saying he.

02:52:02Gamemaster:He is ought.

02:52:04Gamemaster:Well, I guess he's probably the wrong turn there.

02:52:08Gamemaster:Yes.

02:52:09Johnny:Yeah, so we met Aut.

02:52:11Johnny:Who is they?

02:52:12Johnny:Who are they?

02:52:14Johnny:What is that?

02:52:15Johnny:What's their thing?

02:52:16Gamemaster:Ought is ought.

02:52:19Gamemaster:I don't... What specifically are you fishing for, I suppose?

02:52:24Johnny:I don't know.

02:52:24Johnny:I was hoping you could add some descriptors there.

02:52:27Johnny:Like, oh, he's Aut, god of...

02:52:27Anzu:Well, maybe... What does he ask of you?

02:52:30Gamemaster:I don't think Aut's a god.

02:52:32Gamemaster:He doesn't ask for worshippers or anything like that, so... Usually he asks us to do little things.

02:52:44Gamemaster:You know, like...

02:52:45Gamemaster:make sure that this place is open on this day, or, you know, turn on the dam for an extra five minutes, or bump into this guy at this time.

02:52:56Gamemaster:Stuff of that nature.

02:52:57Gamemaster:Small stuff.

02:52:59Gamemaster:Every once in a while, he gives us direction on, like, what we as an organization should be doing, although not that much.

02:53:03Benny:Thank you.

02:53:05Gamemaster:He's a little bit hands-off in that regard.

02:53:05Arctos:And what organization is this?

02:53:08Gamemaster:Friends of odd.

02:53:10Arctos:Okay, cool.

02:53:10Arctos:So you can be friends of us and still worship.

02:53:14Arctos:It's not a cross.

02:53:15Arctos:I don't know what the host thing is, but do the signal of the host.

02:53:17Gamemaster:Um, yeah, I don't know.

02:53:19Gamemaster:I haven't made a hand signal for him, but like the logo, uh, would be like a shimmering line.

02:53:25Gamemaster:So I guess it'd be that, um, uh, he'd say, Oh no, I'm, I'm a Major-Chaplain in the church.

02:53:32Gamemaster:You can be at ease.

02:53:38Gamemaster:It's fine.

02:53:39Gamemaster:No, he's not a god.

02:53:41Gamemaster:He doesn't bestow power or anything like that, not in the sense that you'd be familiar with.

02:53:47Gamemaster:I wouldn't have gotten to the position I'm currently in if I hadn't listened to him.

02:53:53Gamemaster:He told me to apply for a position when I really wasn't planning on it, and I got it when I didn't expect to.

02:53:59Gamemaster:And he nudged me in the right direction so that I might stumble upon a scandal of some kind of one of my competitors, and I got promoted in a way that I wouldn't have otherwise.

02:54:01Benny:He claims to be mostly someone who watches and spectates, but he's creating, I guess serendipity would be a word that he would not like.

02:54:12Gamemaster:Small things.

02:54:15Gamemaster:Generally rewarding.

02:54:30Gamemaster:That's true.

02:54:32Gamemaster:It's always planned.

02:54:34Gamemaster:He has a big one.

02:54:36Gamemaster:But, um... You know, we're mere mortals.

02:54:38Benny:Okay.

02:54:39Johnny:you

02:54:40Gamemaster:We don't get to see the whole thing.

02:54:41Gamemaster:We just, uh... We're friends.

02:54:44Gamemaster:He asks us for favors and we do them.

02:54:46Gamemaster:And in return, we get small benefits.

02:54:50Gamemaster:Yes.

02:54:51Arctos:Are there enemies of art as an organization?

02:54:56Gamemaster:I...

02:54:57Gamemaster:I mean, they're not called that, but there are people who don't like the thing.

02:55:01Gamemaster:I was about to call them the men.

02:55:01Arctos:Oh, what are they called?

02:55:03Gamemaster:I don't know.

02:55:07Gamemaster:Occasionally, Aut will ask us to do something, and some other group will come and intervene.

02:55:12Gamemaster:But they don't stick around long enough for a chat.

02:55:18Benny:Hmm.

02:55:18Gamemaster:Anyway, there's a ding, and the elevator opens, and you find yourselves on another floor of this building.

02:55:25Gamemaster:And he says, this is the highest floor that we're able to access.

02:55:30Gamemaster:I know other groups have been able to get higher and all.

02:55:33Gamemaster:No higher offense, our friends yet.

02:55:36Gamemaster:But this is the threshold into the Black and White.

02:55:39Gamemaster:And you can see that you're in a rectangular room.

02:55:46Gamemaster:On one side is a shelf with a number of small boxes, wooden boxes with what looks to be a grate on the front and a small button on one side.

02:55:59Gamemaster:And he gestures over there.

02:56:01Gamemaster:You as a group can take one.

02:56:03Gamemaster:That's a voice box.

02:56:05Gamemaster:And then the rest of this long rectangular room is almost empty.

02:56:10Gamemaster:The only other thing in the room is at the far end of the hall, away from the elevator, there is a black doorway.

02:56:20Gamemaster:No door, just the doorway itself set into the wall on the far end.

02:56:26Anzu:What does the voice box do for us?

02:56:33Gamemaster:It's part of the ritual of the Black and White.

02:56:35Gamemaster:In order to proceed, you need to hatch sounds and then put them somewhere else.

02:56:44Gamemaster:I can't explain exactly what it'll look like because the terrain is ever-changing.

02:56:50Gamemaster:I imagine...

02:56:52Gamemaster:Guides that have gone through previously have said that it's relatively self-explanatory once you get in.

02:56:56Gamemaster:I just know the box is important to the ritual.

02:56:57Anzu:Okay.

02:57:00Gamemaster:Remember, rule of three.

02:57:01Anzu:And... Okay.

02:57:01Gamemaster:You have to do everything three times.

02:57:06Anzu:Now, how do we get back?

02:57:09Gamemaster:Same way you got here.

02:57:11Gamemaster:So long as you exit out this door, you can return from this door, and you can just take the elevator back down.

02:57:17Anzu:Oh, okay.

02:57:18Johnny:Okay.

02:57:18Anzu:So we'll just have to come back to wherever we emerge.

02:57:21Gamemaster:Correct.

02:57:22Gamemaster:I imagine if you don't come back to wherever you emerged, you'll be stuck wandering the Black and White forever.

02:57:29Gamemaster:It doesn't happen all too often, though.

02:57:31Anzu:But it does happen.

02:57:34Gamemaster:Yeah.

02:57:35Gamemaster:You have a voice box, so you should be okay.

02:57:37Gamemaster:If you were there completely unguided, it'd be a different story.

02:57:40Benny:Okay.

02:57:44Gamemaster:Anyway, I do have to be off.

02:57:47Gamemaster:I don't...

02:57:48Gamemaster:Venture out into the Black and White all that much.

02:57:52Gamemaster:Once I'm gone, just knock on the door three times, so you'll be there.

02:57:59Johnny:Cool.

02:58:01Gamemaster:Good luck.

02:58:03Gamemaster:And he gets back in the elevator, and there's a soft dip.

02:58:06Gamemaster:As you hear, pull away from where you are.

02:58:09Johnny:This seems a lot different than what me and Benny experienced the first time we were here.

02:58:14Anzu:Yeah, they said there's a city.

02:58:15Benny:Yeah.

02:58:16Anzu:Did you see a city?

02:58:17Anzu:Fascinating.

02:58:17Johnny:Nope.

02:58:19Johnny:We were just in a big expanse of nothingness.

02:58:29Anzu:Josh, what does the voice box look like again?

02:58:31Gamemaster:It is a small wooden box about the size of a baseball.

02:58:36Gamemaster:Most of the sides are just this flat, unfinished wood.

02:58:40Gamemaster:But the front of the box has a grate on it, like a speaker or a microphone.

02:58:45Anzu:Nice.

02:58:45Gamemaster:And there is a button on one of the sides adjacent to the speaker.

02:58:51Gamemaster:Yes, Jorge.

02:58:53Gamemaster:You're muted.

02:58:53Arctos:Can I attempt to resonate with the box?

02:58:56Gamemaster:Absolutely.

02:58:57Gamemaster:The box does not resonate.

02:59:00Arctos:I wonder if this is a void heart.

02:59:02Arctos:Jorge says, not the bear.

02:59:06Benny:So we have to capture something.

02:59:11Arctos:You guys, right?

02:59:15Benny:Well, doesn't anyone who wants to cross?

02:59:16Benny:I mean, I guess if you guys aren't crossing the threshold.

02:59:18Arctos:No, no, I mean, we have to catch you guys once we get over there.

02:59:22Johnny:I thought we were catching, I don't know.

02:59:24Johnny:Let's do this.

02:59:27Anzu:All right, who's taking the voice box?

02:59:31Benny:Benny will pick it up and then Benny will look over and be like, guys, I can only pick this up once.

02:59:42Benny:I bet he'll put it down and pick it up and put it down and pick it up.

02:59:42Johnny:I'll take it.

02:59:46Benny:Never mind.

02:59:46Benny:I just had to put it down first.

02:59:48Gamemaster:That's to go as well.

02:59:53Benny:Do you guys want to head through the door now?

02:59:55Benny:Is that to come back or is that to go?

02:59:56Johnny:Yeah, let's do it.

02:59:57Anzu:That one's got to knock three times.

03:00:02Benny:Okay.

03:00:03Johnny:Oh.

03:00:05Arctos:Do everything in threes.

03:00:07Gamemaster:You...

03:00:10Benny:we knock three times three times or just once three i think it's once we'll see that's too long i'm not waiting for that

03:00:14Arctos:Well, you could do three times three times.

03:00:20Gamemaster:So Johnny has already pantomimed knocking three times.

03:00:24Gamemaster:So Johnny knocks once, and all of the lights in the place turn off.

03:00:29Gamemaster:Johnny knocks a second time, and the lights turn on, but there's this pressure pushing down on you like you're at the bottom of the ocean.

03:00:35Gamemaster:He knocks a third time.

03:00:37Gamemaster:The lights turn off again.

03:00:38Gamemaster:And then the pressure leaves.

03:00:41Gamemaster:The lights come on again, and you're in a different location.

03:00:46Gamemaster:You're standing in the middle of what looks to be a plaza of some kind.

03:00:51Gamemaster:It is night, it is dark out, it is raining.

03:00:56Gamemaster:You are in the middle of...

03:00:59Gamemaster:A city.

03:00:59Anzu:you

03:01:00Gamemaster:Not Hallia.

03:01:00Benny:Thank you.

03:01:01Gamemaster:Or at least, if it's Hallia, it's not a part of Hallia that any of you are familiar with.

03:01:05Gamemaster:There are tall buildings on all of the sides around you.

03:01:09Gamemaster:Skyscrapers of some kind.

03:01:11Gamemaster:Not the first time we've seen them.

03:01:13Gamemaster:A light with neon signs and advertisements for movies and radio shows that you're not familiar with.

03:01:24Gamemaster:Um...

03:01:27Gamemaster:It is strange because it's raining, but you don't hear the sound of the rain.

03:01:33Gamemaster:It's actually surprisingly quiet here.

03:01:37Gamemaster:Just complete silence in this plaza in the middle of an unfamiliar city.

03:01:45Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check?

03:01:48Arctos:Does light affect us at all?

03:01:48Johnny:I got a 25.

03:01:53Gamemaster:Does light affect you?

03:01:54Gamemaster:What do you mean?

03:01:55Gamemaster:Oh, because it's dark.

03:01:55Arctos:I'm going to reroll it just because, you know.

03:01:57Gamemaster:The neon signs and the street lamps and the like around you mean that it's probably bright light.

03:02:03Gamemaster:That's fine.

03:02:07Gamemaster:Okay.

03:02:13Anzu:Thank you.

03:02:16Arctos:I got 34.

03:02:16Arctos:I have darkvision.

03:02:17Gamemaster:34?

03:02:18Gamemaster:OK.

03:02:20Gamemaster:The direct version doesn't really help in this particular instance.

03:02:20Johnny:all right

03:02:24Gamemaster:This is a square plaza, and there are four directions one could go on this plaza.

03:02:30Gamemaster:You can see from where you're currently standing, you could head left down towards

03:02:37Gamemaster:what looks to be a movie theater of some kind.

03:02:40Gamemaster:They're advertising a movie in these bright neon lights.

03:02:46Gamemaster:But the actual front of it appears to be closed.

03:02:51Gamemaster:You'd have to get a closer look to figure out what's going on there, but it looks like from this distance the doors into the theater itself are boarded up.

03:02:58Gamemaster:Directly in front of you is one of the buildings around you.

03:03:06Gamemaster:This one looks to be a hotel of some kind.

03:03:07Benny:Thank you.

03:03:11Gamemaster:And then to the right of you is a sign for a tram station by the looks of it.

03:03:19Gamemaster:Underground, there are stairways that head down.

03:03:23Johnny:Can we sense our souls anywhere?

03:03:23Gamemaster:Behind you is another building.

03:03:28Gamemaster:This building does actually have a sign on the front.

03:03:32Gamemaster:The sign says, Save Your Soul Incorporated.

03:03:36Gamemaster:And it does look like the front of that building is boarded up as well.

03:03:44Anzu:A little on the nose.

03:03:44Arctos:Probably head to this building.

03:03:51Gamemaster:Roll an Arcana check.

03:03:53Johnny:Arcana check, yeah.

03:03:55Johnny:Yeah.

03:03:55Arctos:But there's a building that says Save Your Souls.

03:03:58Arctos:Do we want to check that out?

03:04:00Johnny:We got a 19 on that Arcana check.

03:04:02Gamemaster:No, you don't feel your soul anywhere around here.

03:04:08Johnny:I hear the bear say we should head to the building that says save your souls, and I really try to hope that our souls are in a place other than that.

03:04:21Johnny:All right, let's go save our souls.

03:04:22Benny:Sure.

03:04:26Gamemaster:Okay, you can head down the plaza towards...

03:04:26Arctos:Well, when I see Johnny looking begrudgingly, I go, if it helps, I'm a very smart bear.

03:04:37Arctos:And I move my monocle.

03:04:44Gamemaster:You head over toward... Sorry.

03:04:44Anzu:Now... No, no.

03:04:47Anzu:I'm going to drop it.

03:04:48Gamemaster:Okay.

03:04:49Gamemaster:You want to know why a bear has a monocle?

03:04:51Anzu:No, no.

03:04:52Anzu:I'll circle back.

03:04:53Arctos:What are you going to ask?

03:04:54Arctos:What are you going to ask?

03:04:56Gamemaster:You head over towards the building that says Save Your Soul Incorporated on the front.

03:05:03Gamemaster:The entrance to this building looks like it's almost caved in.

03:05:08Gamemaster:There's debris from the roof piled in front of the doorway there.

03:05:16Gamemaster:It doesn't seem to permit entry.

03:05:18Gamemaster:Something of note, though, is there are...

03:05:26Gamemaster:what look to be speakers situated on poles in front of this building, three in all, aligned in a row directly in front of the building.

03:05:44Benny:uh we haven't pushed the button yet have we benny will push the button benny will push it two more times he's just being careful

03:05:51Johnny:Hello.

03:05:55Gamemaster:Nothing happens.

03:06:00Gamemaster:Nothing happens.

03:06:02Gamemaster:Okay.

03:06:03Johnny:Hello.

03:06:05Johnny:Hello.

03:06:06Arctos:I roar.

03:06:07Arctos:All right, wait.

03:06:10Gamemaster:Various sounds are emitted into the night.

03:06:14Gamemaster:No response.

03:06:15Benny:Are the speakers hooked up to anything?

03:06:18Gamemaster:Make a crafting check.

03:06:21Anzu:I can do that if you'd prefer.

03:06:23Benny:Yeah.

03:06:26Benny:Please.

03:06:29Johnny:giving him uplifting over with guidance circumstance oh looking over sure pretty sure this is a circumstance yes

03:06:30Arctos:I give you guidance.

03:06:35Arctos:Status.

03:06:39Arctos:You get a plus one.

03:06:42Benny:This guy's showing off.

03:06:52Gamemaster:A, the circumstance, if that's the question.

03:06:56Anzu:So they stack.

03:06:57Gamemaster:Yes.

03:06:59Johnny:Nice.

03:06:59Anzu:Alright.

03:07:00Anzu:And the 26 gives me a plus 1.

03:07:03Anzu:Alright, let's call it a 24 total for me.

03:07:06Gamemaster:Okay, I'm totally sorry.

03:07:09Gamemaster:What is this, a 24-4?

03:07:09Gamemaster:Oh, right, to see if it was hooked up to anything.

03:07:10Anzu:This was crafting to investigate the speakers.

03:07:10Arctos:25.

03:07:12Arctos:It's 25 because the plus one for the gutters.

03:07:17Anzu:No, I already did that one.

03:07:18Anzu:Sorry.

03:07:18Arctos:Oh, okay.

03:07:19Gamemaster:Okay, with a 24, looking at it, no, the speakers don't look like they're wired into anything.

03:07:24Gamemaster:They're just freestanding.

03:07:29Johnny:Interesting.

03:07:31Anzu:and the door is boarded up or collapsed or both.

03:07:34Gamemaster:You can't even see the door to this building.

03:07:37Gamemaster:It looks like part of the ceiling has collapsed in front of where the door would be without inventory.

03:07:50Benny:uh sure

03:07:58Arctos:I try to resonate.

03:08:00Gamemaster:Just the four of you.

03:08:04Johnny:Should we go check out the other three spots, see if any of them are in better repair?

03:08:08Arctos:Should we try making some tunes?

03:08:10Arctos:Alright, that makes more sense.

03:08:14Gamemaster:Okay, where are you going?

03:08:14Johnny:Do a lap.

03:08:16Johnny:Should we go movie theater, tram station, hotel?

03:08:17Gamemaster:There's the movie theater, the tram station, and the hotel.

03:08:25Benny:sure this one i imagine is not hooked up

03:08:26Arctos:That's good.

03:08:28Gamemaster:Okay, you go to the movie theater first.

03:08:31Gamemaster:This is Soundscape Theaters.

03:08:34Gamemaster:This door is also, this door is boarded up.

03:08:36Gamemaster:It doesn't look like the roof is actually collapsed in on this place, but it is definitely boarded up.

03:08:41Gamemaster:And there is a single speaker, a hole, directly outside of this location.

03:08:49Johnny:Okay.

03:08:52Arctos:What about the other two?

03:08:56Gamemaster:No, it doesn't look like it's hooked up to anything.

03:08:58Benny:Thank you.

03:08:58Anzu:And there were three speakers at the Okay, so we got to do something in here.

03:09:01Gamemaster:Hmm?

03:09:05Anzu:I was expecting one speaker each on the other two.

03:09:06Johnny:Speakers.

03:09:06Arctos:Well, do you want to check the other ones and see if the doors are open?

03:09:09Johnny:Yeah, see if they have two speakers and four speakers.

03:09:18Johnny:Maybe.

03:09:19Johnny:To the tram station.

03:09:21Gamemaster:Absolutely.

03:09:22Gamemaster:You head over to the tram station.

03:09:23Gamemaster:The tram station is underground.

03:09:27Gamemaster:There is a stairway that descends further down, but it doesn't look like it's boarded up or anything, like no collapsed area, just continues downward.

03:09:36Benny:Uh-huh.

03:09:37Gamemaster:You head for...

03:09:38Arctos:Where?

03:09:40Arctos:No wonder you two people died.

03:09:41Arctos:You're just going to go underground to some sketchy tram station.

03:09:47Johnny:How else are we supposed to see what's down there?

03:09:50Arctos:All right, let's do it.

03:09:51Arctos:I'm sold.

03:09:55Gamemaster:Okay, you head further down.

03:09:56Johnny:We'll slowly erode from there.

03:09:59Gamemaster:You pass signage that says that this is Vermillion Square Station.

03:10:03Gamemaster:Can I get a society check?

03:10:06Anzu:Look for the necessities.

03:10:10Benny:Make the bird roll.

03:10:13Benny:We want crafting.

03:10:13Arctos:I guess I'll roll.

03:10:14Benny:We want society.

03:10:15Benny:We want Arcana.

03:10:16Benny:We want... Get him.

03:10:17Anzu:Oh, I'm going to reroll it because I have an extra point because I did the recap.

03:10:22Gamemaster:Okay.

03:10:26Anzu:This was society trained, so I'm going to add eight to my roll.

03:10:27Johnny:Timber.

03:10:36Anzu:I'm doing it the mic way jeez 25

03:10:42Gamemaster:Okay, with a 25, you would know that there is no Vermilion Square Station at the Hallia train system.

03:10:53Gamemaster:There is a Vermilion Hotel in Hallia, and that naming strikes you as similar, but it's not the same location.

03:11:06Gamemaster:But you can continue further down into the station itself.

03:11:08Gamemaster:You descend down the stairs and then you hang a corner and you move down into what seems to be the boarding area.

03:11:17Gamemaster:There's like a little lobby area that you're currently in with what looks to be a ticket counter on one side and a number of turnstiles on the other side.

03:11:27Gamemaster:And on the other side of the turnstiles is the train station itself.

03:11:31Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check from up to two people who would like to?

03:11:36Johnny:Yeah, I will perceive.

03:11:38Johnny:I got a 26 to perceive.

03:11:38Benny:Benny will be peeping.

03:11:41Arctos:Do we need darkvision?

03:11:49Benny:Which is the highest?

03:11:49Gamemaster:26.

03:11:51Gamemaster:Okay.

03:11:52Gamemaster:With a 26, as you descend down in here, there is music coming from further into the station.

03:12:04Gamemaster:You can't quite place it while you're here, but it's definitely past the turnstiles from where you currently are.

03:12:12Johnny:Okay.

03:12:13Johnny:We approach stealthily.

03:12:13Benny:First sound we've heard.

03:12:17Benny:Yes, hopefully.

03:12:19Gamemaster:Okay.

03:12:20Johnny:Stealth over there.

03:12:21Gamemaster:I'd love a stealth check.

03:12:28Benny:16 to 4, Benny.

03:12:30Johnny:Twelve for Johnny.

03:12:35Arctos:So happy I rolled well.

03:12:37Arctos:I only have two modifier.

03:12:37Anzu:Crazy.

03:12:39Anzu:Crazy that you got the highest roll.

03:12:39Johnny:The bear.

03:12:41Anzu:Crazy.

03:12:41Johnny:The bear.

03:12:42Gamemaster:Very sneaky polar bear.

03:12:44Arctos:Very sneaky.

03:12:44Gamemaster:Everybody else not very sneaky.

03:12:46Gamemaster:Very sneaky polar bear.

03:12:48Gamemaster:Okay, so the turn styles are in the way, and it looks like they're currently locked such that they won't turn anymore.

03:12:59Johnny:Can we just leap them?

03:13:01Gamemaster:You could try.

03:13:03Arctos:None of you guys can pick locks.

03:13:06Benny:one of us can they don't have subway fare no

03:13:11Johnny:I got nothing.

03:13:14Anzu:Does it look like there's a coin slot or?

03:13:20Gamemaster:There's a ticket booth.

03:13:22Gamemaster:Like, is ticket booth the right term?

03:13:25Gamemaster:An area where you, yeah, a ticket booth across from the turnstiles.

03:13:26Anzu:Sure.

03:13:30Johnny:Walk over to the ticket booth.

03:13:34Gamemaster:Nobody's behind it.

03:13:35Gamemaster:It's just like an opaque window that should normally be translucent, but it's frosted such that it's opaque with a small divot for passing tickets and money and all of that kind of stuff between the two.

03:13:48Benny:Excuse me, we would like to purchase four tickets.

03:13:48Anzu:Yeah.

03:13:53Gamemaster:Did he cut out for anybody else or was that just me?

03:13:56Johnny:Hmm.

03:13:56Benny:Excuse me, we would like to purchase four tickets.

03:14:00Gamemaster:Roll a diplomacy check.

03:14:11Gamemaster:I can't hear you again.

03:14:16Benny:What even is going on?

03:14:18Gamemaster:I don't know.

03:14:19Anzu:It's weird.

03:14:20Anzu:Like, when you do come in, it's kind of weak, and then other times you're just not coming in.

03:14:30Anzu:Yeah, squeeze it.

03:14:31Anzu:Yep.

03:14:34Gamemaster:With a 10, no response is heard.

03:14:38Johnny:I'll knock on the glass.

03:14:41Johnny:Hello?

03:14:42Johnny:My friend said he would like to buy a ticket.

03:14:46Gamemaster:No response.

03:14:47Arctos:I place a silver into the little divot.

03:14:47Johnny:All right.

03:14:51Gamemaster:Okay.

03:14:52Arctos:Do I get any tickets?

03:14:57Arctos:I place a gold.

03:14:57Johnny:All right.

03:14:58Arctos:Do I get a ticket?

03:14:59Gamemaster:Roll the diplomacy check.

03:15:01Anzu:Thanks.

03:15:02Arctos:Damn it.

03:15:06Arctos:I wish my guy was dead.

03:15:06Benny:He hasn't been diplomatic in years.

03:15:17Johnny:You have plus one diplomacy.

03:15:19Arctos:I didn't know this was a diplomacy.

03:15:20Gamemaster:With a flash of motion, the silver and the gold are taken out of the tray.

03:15:20Benny:I'm not Aspen.

03:15:22Arctos:I thought I was buying it.

03:15:31Arctos:Damn it.

03:15:32Johnny:I don't.

03:15:34Arctos:They took our money.

03:15:36Johnny:Well, that sounds like we paid for fare.

03:15:38Johnny:All right, I'm gonna, should we go hop the turnstile?

03:15:41Arctos:Yeah, that's true.

03:15:43Johnny:All right, I'll look around.

03:15:47Johnny:I'll hop the turnstile.

03:15:49Gamemaster:Absolutely.

03:15:50Gamemaster:No athletics check necessary.

03:15:51Gamemaster:The turnstile is only like up to hip height.

03:15:55Gamemaster:You jump over.

03:15:56Gamemaster:You're on the other side.

03:15:56Benny:yeah benny will go under all or at most two

03:15:59Arctos:I follow suit.

03:16:04Gamemaster:Totally doable.

03:16:08Gamemaster:Can I get a perception check from people who have hopped the turnstile?

03:16:11Arctos:I will take a look.

03:16:14Gamemaster:At most, two.

03:16:16Gamemaster:Is Sansu staying on the other side of the turnstiles?

03:16:19Arctos:I'll reroll with the arrow.

03:16:19Anzu:No, I guess I gotta go too.

03:16:21Gamemaster:Well, you don't have to.

03:16:22Gamemaster:I'm not telling you to.

03:16:28Arctos:I got a 36 with my Mythic.

03:16:31Gamemaster:Okay.

03:16:34Gamemaster:With a 36, there is the sound of a piano.

03:16:42Gamemaster:on the side of the station.

03:16:45Gamemaster:I mean, you look around, you don't see a piano of any kind.

03:16:49Gamemaster:What you do see is that to the left of where you currently are, there's a tunnel that leads the station further into wherever these trams go.

03:16:58Gamemaster:On the right side, there's a similar tunnel.

03:17:01Gamemaster:There is a tram stopped so that its front is kind of flush with the...

03:17:08Gamemaster:with the tunnel that proceeds into the station, like it was pulling towards the station and stopped just before it actually got into the area where you'd be able to board.

03:17:17Gamemaster:And you see inside what would be the driver's area of this tram, there is on the window

03:17:27Gamemaster:on the on like the front window what looks to be a moth maybe um like a foot large across slowly moving its wings and you can see that the sound of the uh the sound of the piano appears to be coming from the wings as it flutters in addition uh who's the one holding the voice box

03:17:50Arctos:All right.

03:17:56Benny:Benny.

03:17:57Gamemaster:It's weirdly warm right now.

03:18:00Benny:Benny will press the button.

03:18:02Gamemaster:Nothing happens.

03:18:03Benny:He'll press it two more times.

03:18:05Gamemaster:Still nothing happens.

03:18:07Johnny:We gotta get closer.

03:18:08Johnny:I'll fall back just a little bit.

03:18:11Gamemaster:So as you guys head closer towards the train and the moth, the box is getting warmer in your hands.

03:18:23Arctos:I'll stay next to Benny.

03:18:25Gamemaster:You get to the edge of the station.

03:18:29Gamemaster:You can't get onto the train from here.

03:18:31Gamemaster:The train is still further into the tunnel.

03:18:34Gamemaster:So you've gotten as close as you can without figuring out an alternative way of getting into the train somehow.

03:18:41Benny:click click click uh

03:18:43Gamemaster:Nothing happens.

03:18:44Gamemaster:Still nothing happens.

03:18:50Arctos:Johnny, you want to try to?

03:18:52Arctos:do your word thing and talk to the thing.

03:18:56Johnny:To this moth?

03:18:58Arctos:I don't know.

03:18:58Johnny:Or the wolf?

03:18:58Arctos:You seem better with words than I am.

03:19:01Johnny:Maybe we gotta get the train to pull up?

03:19:05Arctos:You want to ask him?

03:19:06Johnny:Yeah, I'll try and... I'll go, I'll re-hop the turnstile, go back over to the chicken counter.

03:19:11Johnny:Uh, excuse me.

03:19:12Johnny:I'm so sorry, but we really need to get on that train.

03:19:14Johnny:Can we just get it rolling a little bit?

03:19:18Johnny:Please?

03:19:19Gamemaster:No response.

03:19:22Johnny:Please?

03:19:22Johnny:Hello?

03:19:23Johnny:Please?

03:19:25Johnny:We'll pay money.

03:19:28Benny:Can Benny try the door that is on the part that's flush with the tunnel?

03:19:35Gamemaster:You can't get to it.

03:19:35Gamemaster:The part that's flush with the tunnel is the front of the train.

03:19:39Arctos:We gotta go to the hotel.

03:19:39Gamemaster:The doorway to get onto the train would be inside the tunnel a little bit.

03:19:45Anzu:I'm sorry, where exactly is... Sorry, go ahead.

03:19:45Benny:Oh, okay.

03:19:46Benny:So there's no door on the flat face of the train.

03:19:52Gamemaster:No.

03:19:53Gamemaster:You've seen it like a subway train.

03:19:56Benny:Okay.

03:19:56Benny:Yeah.

03:19:57Gamemaster:Yeah, there's no door on the front.

03:19:58Gamemaster:There might be a door right next to the front on the side, but you'd have to pull the train forward somehow if you were trying to use that.

03:20:04Anzu:And where exactly is the moth right now?

03:20:07Gamemaster:It looks like inside the driver's cab.

03:20:09Arctos:Conductor off.

03:20:12Arctos:We gotta we gotta go to the hotel.

03:20:14Anzu:Are there any signs, like train schedule type?

03:20:17Johnny:You can break the glass.

03:20:22Gamemaster:That's a good thought.

03:20:24Gamemaster:No.

03:20:26Benny:The guy's going to be there forever.

03:20:27Benny:He doesn't even know when he has to show up.

03:20:29Johnny:You can just break the glass and catch them off that way.

03:20:32Johnny:Or if you are strong enough, you can pull this train forward a little bit.

03:20:37Arctos:I'm extraordinarily strong.

03:20:39Arctos:But I do think we should probably go to this hotel.

03:20:44Johnny:Go check that out.

03:20:45Benny:Sure.

03:20:48Gamemaster:Okay, so you guys can hop the turnstiles again, head back out into the plaza, and head over to the hotel.

03:20:55Arctos:Yeah, I was actually at the hotel a couple days ago.

03:20:58Arctos:Kind of crazy that it's a train station now.

03:21:02Gamemaster:This hotel is not called the Hotel Vermillion.

03:21:04Gamemaster:This hotel is called Horizon Gate.

03:21:18Gamemaster:It's the Horizon Gate Hotel.

03:21:21Gamemaster:Its front is boarded up, and there's a speaker up front.

03:21:25Johnny:One speaker.

03:21:30Benny:uh wait to do what oh yeah benny i'll pull a board down

03:21:30Johnny:All right.

03:21:33Johnny:Can bust it.

03:21:33Johnny:You want to bust the door down?

03:21:39Arctos:Maybe it does have to do with the train.

03:21:39Anzu:try to pull a board down no no i was suggesting that someone pulls the pulls the board down

03:21:41Gamemaster:Make an athletics check.

03:21:48Gamemaster:I mean, I don't know if Anzu was actually the one who wanted to pull the board down, but Anzu did say... Oh, okay.

03:21:58Gamemaster:Okay, athletics check.

03:22:00Johnny:I think what we got to do is go get the moth, use the moth to open one of the other single speaker places.

03:22:07Benny:Yeah.

03:22:09Johnny:Then there's another sound in there we got to capture and then do that until we have three and then go in there and go in the save your soul place.

03:22:15Arctos:Should we get them off?

03:22:16Gamemaster:Did you get a 13, Mike?

03:22:18Gamemaster:Okay.

03:22:21Gamemaster:With a 13, Benny does actually manage to pry the board off of the front of the door.

03:22:27Gamemaster:There's this terrible screeching sound, like a knife on glass, and then the board snaps back into place onto the door itself.

03:22:29Benny:Yeah.

03:22:37Anzu:And.

03:22:37Benny:All right, let's go.

03:22:38Benny:So... Save Our Souls... Was it the train station next?

03:22:41Johnny:and immediately.

03:22:47Gamemaster:So the Save Your Soul Incorporated has three speakers on front as caved in.

03:22:51Gamemaster:To the right of that is the movie theater, which is boarded up and there's a thing.

03:22:54Benny:Movie theater.

03:22:56Gamemaster:To the right of that, so across from the Save Your Soul Incorporated, is the hotel.

03:23:01Gamemaster:That has one speaker up front.

03:23:02Gamemaster:And then there's the subway as you complete the clockwise travel that doesn't appear to be closed.

03:23:09Johnny:I think we got to go get that moth somehow, trap it in the voice box, use that to get into either the movie theater or the hotel.

03:23:10Arctos:Makes sense.

03:23:17Johnny:There will be another thing in there.

03:23:20Johnny:Use that and capture all three, and then we use those three to get into Save Your Soul.

03:23:26Johnny:That's my hunch.

03:23:26Benny:The sun's pretty sharp too.

03:23:27Anzu:All right, let's get back on down there then.

03:23:28Anzu:Um, Josh, is there a door to the ticket booth?

03:23:29Arctos:You're pretty smart for a guy with sunglasses.

03:23:30Gamemaster:All right.

03:23:33Johnny:You're a pretty smart guy with a monocle.

03:23:37Arctos:Thank you.

03:23:38Arctos:That's why I wear it.

03:23:46Gamemaster:We will roll a perception check to see if you can find that next session.

03:23:51Anzu:Oh, oh, yeah, it's 11 o'clock.

03:23:52Johnny:We gotta pay.

03:23:54Anzu:All right.

03:23:57Benny:No, we're soul-saving.

03:23:59Gamemaster:You guys found, because you died, this building and the stuff around it got introduced substantially earlier than I expected to originally, but it's fine.

03:23:59Anzu:Yeah.

03:23:59Johnny:We're saving souls.

03:24:08Gamemaster:It happens.

03:24:10Johnny:We ran into the narrative so early in this campaign.

03:24:13Gamemaster:You did.

03:24:14Gamemaster:He's just hanging out.

03:24:16Gamemaster:He's just looking at stuff.

03:24:17Gamemaster:He's just telling people to do small things.

03:24:19Johnny:Yeah, that's definitely what this guy is doing.

03:24:20Gamemaster:Not that big.

03:24:20Gamemaster:No biggie.

03:24:23Johnny:No, the bifurcated man was the one who screwed everything up for us last time.

03:24:24Gamemaster:Hmm.

03:24:26Gamemaster:He's just helping out.

03:24:26Anzu:He's got his own plan that he wants to see laid out.

03:24:35Gamemaster:Completely different guy.

03:24:38Arctos:And the girl we thought was Lycia was following a different... Yeah, yeah.

03:24:39Gamemaster:No relation.

03:24:45Johnny:Renge, I think?

03:24:47Arctos:So I wonder if those are enemies of Oct, just the other narrative's followers.

03:24:52Johnny:I got, do I still have the list of them somewhere?

03:24:56Johnny:Let's see.

03:24:56Benny:It does feel frowned upon.

03:24:56Gamemaster:I mean, I could just tell you.

03:24:57Benny:I mean, I guess they are the narrative.

03:24:59Gamemaster:But if you have the list, you could have the list.

03:25:01Gamemaster:Yeah, sorry.

03:25:02Benny:I guess they are the narrative, so they steer it.

03:25:04Benny:But is it frowned upon to go outside of the narrative's discussion circle and be like, hey, go do this thing and just slowly tweak stuff to steer it in a direction separate from the rest of the narrative?

03:25:22Gamemaster:Would you prefer I just told you, Noah?

03:25:23Gamemaster:I don't know if you have, like, the list, but you guys have... Oh.

03:25:25Johnny:Oh, no, I do.

03:25:27Johnny:We got Renge, Aut, P'ter, Insuperlex, and the Menhir.

03:25:33Gamemaster:Oh.

03:25:33Gamemaster:P'ter.

03:25:34Gamemaster:Not peter.

03:25:36Arctos:And Mike.

03:25:37Johnny:I have P apostrophe T-E-R.

03:25:39Gamemaster:It is... It's spelled P-apostrophe-T-E-R.

03:25:41Gamemaster:That's true.

03:25:44Johnny:P'ter.

03:25:44Arctos:And Mike.

03:25:45Gamemaster:Peter.

03:25:49Gamemaster:You know.

03:25:49Arctos:Yeah.

03:25:50Gamemaster:You met one.

03:25:51Johnny:Did we?

03:25:51Gamemaster:He's friendly.

03:25:52Johnny:Wait.

03:25:53Johnny:Wait a second.

03:25:56Johnny:Did we run into Anaïs and Anouk last campaign?

03:26:00Gamemaster:I was waiting to see if anyone would connect to that.

03:26:03Gamemaster:Yeah, you did.

03:26:03Johnny:Wait, they were the twins at the, um, yeah, the costume contest.

03:26:06Gamemaster:On Syrin.

03:26:11Johnny:I know this because I own my list, and at the bottom it just says Anaïs and Anouk.

03:26:11Anzu:Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

03:26:15Johnny:No contest.

03:26:17Anzu:Where's my freaking notebook?

03:26:21Benny:Did they tell us their names directly, or?

03:26:21Arctos:It's messed up.

03:26:23Benny:Oh.

03:26:24Johnny:I think they must have.

03:26:26Johnny:Do we?

03:26:26Johnny:Wait.

03:26:26Gamemaster:On Syrin?

03:26:27Gamemaster:On Syrin, they told you their names.

03:26:29Johnny:Yeah, I just have at the... It's the very last note that I have, just Anaïs and Anouk spelled totally wrong.

03:26:29Anzu:Oh, which one's the right notebook?

03:26:37Johnny:No context.

03:26:40Arctos:I wrote it down thinking, wow.

03:26:40Gamemaster:Check it out.

03:26:41Gamemaster:They're going places.

03:26:43Arctos:See, I guess they do stuff.

03:26:43Johnny:Who are these guys?

03:26:46Johnny:No wonder they have such a big raiment.

03:26:50Arctos:Yeah, well.

03:26:52Arctos:You guys met Sir Arctos.

03:26:55Anzu:You are crazy.

03:26:55Gamemaster:Mm-hmm.

03:26:55Johnny:hilarious oh that's so funny that's so funny

03:26:55Gamemaster:The bear.

03:26:56Anzu:You are crazy.

03:26:58Gamemaster:It's just a bear.

03:27:03Gamemaster:It's just a bear in a full suit of armor who's been knighted by the Pope.

03:27:08Benny:Pope Bear, Pope Bear.

03:27:10Gamemaster:It happens.

03:27:11Gamemaster:No, it's not Pope Bear.

03:27:14Gamemaster:He is not the Pope.

03:27:16Gamemaster:He's met the Pope.

03:27:18Arctos:Yeah, yeah.

03:27:19Arctos:Which one was it?

03:27:19Gamemaster:Completely different.

03:27:20Arctos:Was it the one that was assassinated or the current one?

03:27:23Gamemaster:No, the current one.

03:27:24Arctos:Okay, cool.

03:27:24Gamemaster:Um...

03:27:26Gamemaster:Sorry, the Pontifex was not the one that was assassinated.

03:27:30Gamemaster:Aurelia VII, the current one, has been around for a little bit.

03:27:30Arctos:Okay.

03:27:36Gamemaster:The old prime minister got assassinated, and now we have Rhys Lawson, the current prime minister.

03:27:42Gamemaster:He likes fighting people and blowing up countries and stuff.

03:27:47Johnny:This is so funny because it'd be like running, if we lived in Pathfinder world, we ran into a guy and he was like, yeah, I'm a hardened criminal.

03:27:56Johnny:The president himself pardoned me.

03:27:58Johnny:And he was a Giant turkey and it was Thanksgiving.

03:28:00Johnny:Hero bear.

03:28:01Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:28:01Arctos:Yeah.

03:28:05Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:28:06Gamemaster:That's it.

03:28:08Anzu:I just don't have Syrin in my notes.

03:28:08Gamemaster:When... You're over there.

03:28:08Arctos:Except I'm a... Except I'm a hero instead of a criminal.

03:28:10Anzu:I guess I just stopped.

03:28:16Johnny:I like that he showed up in a trench coat and cartooned through it off.

03:28:16Arctos:Yeah.

03:28:21Gamemaster:The trench coat was news to me when we were like talking at the beginning of the session waiting for Mike.

03:28:27Gamemaster:He just sent me a picture of a bear in a trench coat.

03:28:30Gamemaster:I was like, oh, okay, sure.

03:28:32Gamemaster:I guess he's in a trench coat now.

03:28:34Arctos:I generated it, and then I was having so much trouble not laughing.

03:28:39Arctos:Because that was my legit conversation with Jeb and I. And I kept, it was on a screen, I had to tab away, because I just kept going to the tab.

03:28:50Johnny:Oh, funny.

03:28:51Gamemaster:Why is he posing on a pedestal?

03:28:55Arctos:You know, the family guy, when there's like the detective meme, where he's like, at the hat.

03:29:00Arctos:It makes me...

03:29:00Johnny:Yeah.

03:29:02Gamemaster:This bear is aura farming in that church.

03:29:09Johnny:A lot of good AI art today.

03:29:11Arctos:Oh, we're going to kill that guy.

03:29:13Anzu:Well, I'm glad that Johnny gave me his glasses so that they didn't get confiscated.

03:29:20Johnny:Me too.

03:29:20Gamemaster:Although, you guys do need to go kill Hlarf and take back your car keys and your poly tool.

03:29:26Johnny:Yeah.

03:29:26Benny:I think many reasonable guardrails for what should be eaten were broken the session before last, so Benny would probably have a bite.

03:29:27Johnny:We got to kill Hlarf.

03:29:28Arctos:And then we're going to eat him.

03:29:30Gamemaster:You're gonna eat him?

03:29:30Johnny:What?

03:29:32Gamemaster:He is a bear.

03:29:32Johnny:I mean, yeah, you're a bear.

03:29:35Johnny:Oh, yeah.

03:29:37Arctos:Polar bears do do that.

03:29:50Arctos:They started this.

03:29:50Gamemaster:It was pigs in blankets.

03:29:53Gamemaster:It was just some hot dogs.

03:29:55Gamemaster:I don't know what you're talking about.

03:29:57Arctos:Yeah, they started this.

03:29:57Johnny:It's so funny.

03:29:59Arctos:Benny's got a taste for flesh.

03:30:01Johnny:It's so funny to have a whole conversation with someone where they're like, so what's it like being a bear?

03:30:05Johnny:What's your experience being a bear?

03:30:07Johnny:And then five minutes later go, do you not like because I'm a bear?

03:30:09Johnny:Because you're not mentioning that I'm a bear.

03:30:12Gamemaster:Now that you've asked me all of these questions about being the bear, I think that you've decided you don't like bears.

03:30:19Gamemaster:That's what happened.

03:30:20Arctos:So, what Sir Hark does, I think, is like the first character I've played in a campaign with a negative int.

03:30:20Johnny:You're dancing around me being a bear.

03:30:30Anzu:Got a boost that with

03:30:31Benny:Like, um...

03:30:31Arctos:That's why I gave him a monocle.

03:30:31Gamemaster:He has a minus one.

03:30:35Johnny:You took a minus one?

03:30:37Johnny:Wait, did you choose a penalty to get another plus somewhere?

03:30:40Johnny:That's so funny.

03:30:41Arctos:Yes, because I didn't do the... Because for some races, you can either do the set ones, or you can not take the penalty, but you get a third boost, so of course I took the penalty.

03:30:52Johnny:I love this character.

03:30:52Arctos:Yeah, yeah.

03:30:53Johnny:He's a smart... He's really smart for a bear.

03:30:54Arctos:Josh literally is like, why does he have a monocle when he's dumb?

03:31:02Arctos:He's really smart.

03:31:04Anzu:It's because he has poor vision in his one eye.

03:31:04Gamemaster:It's just, this bear is so wise and so dumb.

03:31:11Gamemaster:I don't get it.

03:31:13Johnny:Is this... What is this bear?

03:31:15Johnny:Is he a cleric?

03:31:18Arctos:Yeah, yeah.

03:31:19Johnny:Okay.

03:31:20Arctos:So we have the same perception.

03:31:22Arctos:We have the same perception modifier, but I'm only trained.

03:31:27Johnny:Oh, wow.

03:31:29Arctos:Yeah.

03:31:30Benny:I'm Eric.

03:31:30Johnny:That's so interesting.

03:31:34Arctos:Yeah.

03:31:34Johnny:Wow.

03:31:34Johnny:I have Dawn's character sheet open and all the numbers are so big.

03:31:38Johnny:This is so sad.

03:31:38Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:31:40Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:31:41Gamemaster:Now you guys are level three.

03:31:41Johnny:I had a...

03:31:42Gamemaster:And two of you are currently locked at level three.

03:31:46Gamemaster:But you'll figure it out.

03:31:47Johnny:I had a plus 42 in crafting.

03:31:48Gamemaster:You'll get there.

03:31:50Johnny:That's, that's so, that's wild.

03:31:52Arctos:Well,

03:31:53Gamemaster:You don't even have a plus 42 now if you add all of your modifiers together, I don't think.

03:31:58Johnny:I had almost 300 hit points.

03:32:00Johnny:35.

03:32:02Gamemaster:You're close.

03:32:03Gamemaster:How many hit points does Johnny have?

03:32:05Gamemaster:35?

03:32:06Benny:you

03:32:07Gamemaster:You're so close.

03:32:12Gamemaster:You guys will get there eventually, maybe.

03:32:15Gamemaster:Unless you die again.

03:32:16Gamemaster:You're not making that trip a second time, so... Don't die this time.

03:32:22Arctos:Two of us can't die.

03:32:23Arctos:The other two.

03:32:24Gamemaster:Yeah, yeah.

03:32:26Gamemaster:Two of you have used your get-out-of-jail-free tickets.

03:32:29Gamemaster:Two of you are fine.

03:32:31Johnny:I don't know.

03:32:32Johnny:Everything that Johnny knows is that every time he dies, someone brings him back.

03:32:37Johnny:Nobody wants him dead.

03:32:37Gamemaster:That is true.

03:32:38Gamemaster:Johnny keeps dying, and then he keeps getting better.

03:32:42Anzu:By the hand of different people each time?

03:32:45Anzu:Question mark?

03:32:46Johnny:Okay, the first like 30 times is the same dude.

03:32:50Johnny:And then one time after that, it was somebody totally different.

03:32:53Johnny:And then it was another totally different person.

03:32:56Anzu:We'll explore.

03:32:56Anzu:We'll explore.

03:32:59Gamemaster:Although, lore drop, you learned that Benny hadn't died yet.

03:33:04Arctos:I didn't expect it coming out of Mike.

03:33:05Gamemaster:That's news.

03:33:05Anzu:Well, that is kind of how I go in when I meet people with the expectation of.

03:33:11Johnny:That was a really great scene, though, where Benny was like, what do I do now that Argyle's dead?

03:33:11Gamemaster:That's the default.

03:33:17Benny:thanks he does it is actually one of his exact character traits is going to cause him to murderously just absolutely slaughter the Giant he does not like it when people near him are hurt so

03:33:17Johnny:That was a really good scene.

03:33:18Johnny:I really liked that.

03:33:21Arctos:Good job.

03:33:23Gamemaster:And now you have to murder a Giant.

03:33:23Johnny:That was really beautiful.

03:33:25Gamemaster:Benny's got a blood grudge.

03:33:27Arctos:And then eat it.

03:33:28Anzu:And so does the pig.

03:33:30Gamemaster:Yes.

03:33:32Gamemaster:Picks Thursday.

03:33:47Johnny:Now we're just going to jump Hlarf.

03:33:49Johnny:Hlarf.

03:33:50Benny:Yeah, I just have to think of a one-liner.

03:33:51Gamemaster:Hlarf the half Giant.

03:33:52Gamemaster:Yeah, that is important.

03:33:53Johnny:I can get all my stuff back.

03:33:55Johnny:He actually has some important stuff.

03:33:58Anzu:Oh, yeah, we got to get that chess piece.

03:33:58Benny:It does!

03:33:59Benny:And the poly tool and the car...

03:34:01Johnny:Yeah, he's got my chest piece.

03:34:06Johnny:He's got a lot of important stuff.

03:34:07Gamemaster:Grappling guns?

03:34:08Anzu:I hope he doesn't crash the car.

03:34:10Johnny:My 13 gold.

03:34:13Johnny:He's got the grappling guns up now.

03:34:15Arctos:glass cutter.

03:34:16Arctos:Oh no, he's gonna turn into Batman.

03:34:18Johnny:Oh, God.

03:34:20Johnny:They're going through our stuff?

03:34:21Johnny:Why do they have so many grappling guns?

03:34:24Gamemaster:Why do they have more than one grappling gun?

03:34:26Benny:Were they on the roof?

03:34:34Gamemaster:Because they broke in through a window on the ground floor.

03:34:37Arctos:I will say, I'd be feeling so good about myself being drunk.

03:34:37Gamemaster:Next time you fight them, they might not be clumsy for being drunk.

03:34:41Arctos:Some people came out like leprechauns on a rainbow.

03:34:44Arctos:And you killed all of them.

03:34:47Johnny:They're probably really cocky.

03:34:47Arctos:Besides one.

03:34:53Gamemaster:Who knows?

03:34:54Johnny:But we got this polar bear now, so.

03:34:56Gamemaster:That whole fight, they had a minus one to all dex-based stuff because they were drunk.

03:35:04Benny:Next fight, they'll have a minus two because we hate them so much.

03:35:04Gamemaster:It happens.

03:35:08Gamemaster:Right, of course.

03:35:09Gamemaster:That's how that works.

03:35:14Johnny:Same time next bat week.

03:35:15Gamemaster:Same place?

03:35:17Anzu:I do have a question.

03:35:18Anzu:According to rumors I've heard, next Monday is the beginning of Hanukkah.

03:35:24Johnny:Oh, I don't think I have anything.

03:35:27Anzu:I don't know if that matters, but I figured I'd bring it up.

03:35:30Johnny:Hanukkah for me is not a particularly important holiday.

03:35:33Johnny:I don't know if we're doing anything.

03:35:36Gamemaster:Next week is not the first day of Hanukkah, so you're fine.

03:35:40Anzu:Really?

03:35:41Anzu:I thought it started on the 15th.

03:35:43Johnny:That's what I have.

03:35:45Gamemaster:Sunday, December 14th, evening of?

03:35:47Johnny:Oh, it starts Hanukkah.

03:35:48Johnny:That's Hanukkah night one.

03:35:49Johnny:Yeah.

03:35:50Gamemaster:Yeah, it's Hanukkah night two, so I'm fine.

03:35:53Gamemaster:I'm not doing anything for night two.

03:35:55Johnny:Thank you though, Tanner.

03:35:56Johnny:That was very respectful.

03:35:57Gamemaster:Yeah, I didn't know about it, so you're more Jewish than I am.

03:36:01Gamemaster:Congrats.

03:36:01Johnny:Hanukkah is, I feel like Hanukkah is the most commercial holiday.

03:36:04Johnny:So it's the one everyone knows about, but it's not that important.

03:36:07Anzu:Well, it's because it's the one that's close to Christmas, is what I would assume.

03:36:11Gamemaster:The whole spirit of the holiday is basically frugality.

03:36:15Gamemaster:We celebrate the fact that we thought we only had one day's worth of oil, but actually we had eight.

03:36:22Gamemaster:That's exciting.

03:36:22Anzu:Hell yeah.

03:36:23Johnny:Yeah.

03:36:23Johnny:We're like, oh my God.

03:36:24Gamemaster:Think about how thrifty you feel.

03:36:25Johnny:Every day they're like, how is it still burning?

03:36:27Johnny:This is great.

03:36:28Johnny:Oh my gosh.

03:36:29Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:36:29Johnny:Maybe it's every day.

03:36:31Gamemaster:When I was a kid, I didn't understand that the oil was in reference to lamp oil because it was for candles.

03:36:38Gamemaster:I thought they just had a really big pot of canola oil that they only expected to be able to make dinner with for one night, but they could keep reusing it.

03:36:48Gamemaster:And I didn't know why everybody was so excited about that.

03:36:51Gamemaster:But...

03:36:51Anzu:Let's go, more stew.

03:36:51Johnny:I had a very similar experience, Josh.

03:36:55Johnny:Nobody ever explained what kind of oil it was.

03:36:56Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:36:57Gamemaster:It's just oil, and they expect you to know what kind of oil they're talking about.

03:37:01Arctos:messed up that's messed up look at what it is right

03:37:01Anzu:So you guys were thinking, you're like, wow, they can make so much confit potatoes.

03:37:06Anzu:This is great.

03:37:07Gamemaster:Well, I was... I don't know if I knew what confit potatoes were.

03:37:10Gamemaster:The only thing in my brain was french fries.

03:37:13Gamemaster:French fries and chicken nuggets.

03:37:15Anzu:Ooh.

03:37:16Johnny:I was like, oh, they're just making a lot of latkes.

03:37:16Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:37:16Benny:wait wait sabotage like she like wrote it wrong or like this is what i've been making you

03:37:18Johnny:They're just reusing oil.

03:37:18Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:37:22Gamemaster:My grandmother, before she passed, gave me a bunch of her recipes, and she sabotaged all of them.

03:37:22Anzu:Like as a prank.

03:37:30Gamemaster:And one of them is her latke recipe, and I'm very mad at her for doing that.

03:37:34Arctos:What do you mean sabotage?

03:37:38Gamemaster:Yeah.

03:37:39Gamemaster:Yes.

03:37:40Johnny:What?

03:37:40Arctos:Why?

03:37:40Gamemaster:All of the proportions were wrong.

03:37:41Arctos:You sure she sabotaged?

03:37:43Gamemaster:What?

03:37:44Anzu:As a prank?

03:37:44Johnny:What?

03:37:44Johnny:If you want to talk to her about it.

03:37:45Gamemaster:I don't know if it was as a prank.

03:37:45Arctos:She doesn't know how to...

03:37:46Gamemaster:The proportions were wrong and she gave me the wrong kind of oil she uses.

03:37:49Gamemaster:And the only reason I found out is because I made them and they tasted bad and I told my dad about it and he's like, that's not how she made them.

03:37:55Gamemaster:What are you doing?

03:37:56Gamemaster:So, you know.

03:37:57Anzu:Josh, can you please kick Mike for the evening?

03:37:58Benny:I have a Ouija board.

03:38:04Gamemaster:Give her a piece of my mind.

03:38:08Gamemaster:Yeah, absolutely.

03:38:10Gamemaster:I'll see you all next week.

03:38:11Johnny:See you guys.

03:38:11Arctos:See you guys.

03:38:13Gamemaster:Bye.