Chapter Five: Over and Over and Over | Sagas of Sundry: Dread

Summary

Podcast Episode Summary: "Chapter Five: Over and Over and Over | Sagas of Sundry: Dread"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry
• Host/Author: Geek & Sundry
• Episode Title: Chapter Five: Over and Over and Over | Sagas of Sundry: Dread
• Release Date: July 28, 2025
• Current Season: Ten Candles: Eclipse

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Episode Overview

In "Chapter Five: Over and Over and Over," listeners are plunged deeper into the tragic horror world of Sagas of Sundry: Dread. Guided by storyteller Ivan Van Norman, a rotating cast of players navigates a land cursed by darkness and undead horrors. This episode focuses on the characters' quest to cleanse their land from an ancient curse, revealing deeper connections and escalating tensions among the group.

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Key Plot Developments

Descent into Darkness ([01:16] - [05:00])

The episode opens with the Game Master (GM) setting a somber tone:

"Consider a moment in your life when you thought you felt fear. Fear is a great equalizer..." ([02:00])

This introduction underscores the perilous journey ahead. The players find themselves navigating treacherous tunnels threatened by an undead horde. A critical decision arises when the team faces a dead-end with potential to pull rubble to escape. Tensions mount as failure to act decisively could mean their demise.

Encounter with the Goat Man ([05:00] - [12:26])

Darby, a pivotal character, performs a ritual to summon a mysterious Goat Man, successfully attracting his presence:

Darby: "I was right." ([08:52])

The Goat Man reveals a cursed history, explaining that the land's darkness stems from a shaman's vengeful curse:

GM: "...he is the shaman who cursed this land and brought all of this despair..." ([06:00])

He provides Darby with crucial information and a location for an ancient medicine wheel necessary for the final cleansing ritual. This revelation propels the group toward their mission's next phase, binding their fates to the land's redemption.

The Mission to Cleanse the Land ([12:26] - [27:40])

With newfound purpose, Darby convinces the hesitant members to embark on a mission to cleanse the cursed land. Internal conflicts surface as Kaden considers leaving, highlighting the emotional strain:

Kaden: "I don't have a home anymore. I gave up everything..." ([17:05])

Tanner, motivated by the desire to resurrect a fallen friend, pledges to support Darby:

Tanner: "I have to save Tanner. I have to." ([17:53])

The group unites, committing to Darby's guidance despite uncertainties, setting the stage for a perilous journey toward the well.

The Desolate House and the Well ([19:18] - [33:42])

As the party approaches an abandoned house, they encounter eerie silence and signs of recent undead activity. Choosing stealth, they navigate inside, facing a skull's fleeting presence:

Darby: "No, no, no, no." ([21:13])

Upon reaching the Victorian gazebo's well, Darby descends into a pool of gore to retrieve mysterious numbers (0, 4, 26) etched into rocks. This discovery is pivotal for unlocking the ritual's next phase:

Darby: "I have three numbers. 0, 4 and 26. I don't know what order they go in." ([31:10])

Struggling with the ritual's complexity, Darby's determination wavers, reflecting the group's emotional turmoil:

Tanner: "I chose the wrong thing. This is not..." ([34:17])

The episode climaxes with Darby attempting to enact the ritual, unveiling a spider and a cryptic book containing ritualistic instructions:

Darby: "It's a spider on it. It's like a clock." ([32:23])

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Character Interactions and Development

Darby’s Transformation

Darby evolves from a reluctant participant to the group's beacon of hope. Her unwavering belief in the Goat Man's guidance drives the mission, even as doubts and fear plague her:

Darby: "This goat thing has been a new purpose for me." ([27:03])

Her emotional journey is marked by vulnerability and redemption, especially in her interactions with Tanner, reflecting deeper personal stakes in the quest.

Tanner’s Despair and Redemption

Tanner's arc delves into themes of loss and guilt. His desperation to revive a friend underscores the high emotional cost of their mission:

Tanner: "I have to get him back. Because if any of this is actually real, like then he can totally come back to life." ([17:53])

His internal struggle adds depth to the narrative, highlighting the human cost of confronting supernatural darkness.

Group Dynamics and Tension

The group's cohesion is tested as fear and uncertainty threaten to divide them. Kaden's contemplation of abandoning the mission introduces critical tension:

Kaden: "I don't have a home anymore. I gave up everything..." ([17:05])

Yet, shared purpose and the pressing need to cleanse the land ultimately reinforce their unity, showcasing resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.

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Critical Moments and Challenges

Ritual Interpretation

Interpreting the ritual's symbols presents a significant challenge, requiring both ingenuity and collaboration:

Darby: "I was gonna say rain." ([32:27])

The ambiguity of the ritual's instructions propels the narrative forward, emphasizing the theme of uncertainty inherent in their quest.

Facing the Undead

Multiple encounters with undead beings heighten suspense and underscore the ever-present threat:

GM: "They are sitting in a pool of water that maybe was once the groundwater of this well, but now it's a sticky quagmire of gore and filth." ([27:37])

These moments serve as constant reminders of the curse's pervasive influence and the stakes involved in their mission.

Emotional Climax

Tanner's breakdown marks a poignant emotional peak, highlighting the psychological toll of their journey:

Tanner: "There is no hope. Tanner's gone. There's no life without you guys." ([35:00])

This intense moment deepens the narrative, illustrating the fragile line between hope and despair.

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Insights and Themes

The Cost of Redemption

The episode explores the sacrifices required for redemption, both personal and collective. Characters grapple with loss, guilt, and the hope for salvation, reflecting broader themes of resilience and the human spirit's capacity to endure.

Fear and Courage

Fear is portrayed as a great equalizer, challenging each character's courage and resolve. The juxtaposition of personal fears against the group's mission underscores the internal battles that parallel their external challenges.

Mysticism and Ritual

The reliance on ancient rituals and mystical guidance emphasizes the intersection of faith and desperation in combating supernatural forces. The ambiguity and complexity of the rituals symbolize the uncertainty and complexity of their quest.

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Conclusion and Next Steps

"Chapter Five: Over and Over and Over" culminates in a tentative breakthrough as Darby discovers enigmatic ritual instructions. While the immediate goal remains elusive, the group's commitment solidifies, setting the stage for further challenges. The episode leaves listeners poised for the next chapter, eager to witness whether the characters can harness the ritual's power to cleanse their cursed land.

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Notable Quotes:

• Game Master: "Consider a moment in your life when you thought you felt fear. Fear is a great equalizer." ([02:00])

• Darby: "I was right." ([08:52])

• Kaden: "I don't have a home anymore. I gave up everything..." ([17:05])

• Tanner: "I have to save Tanner. I have to." ([17:53])

• Darby: "It's a spider on it. It's like a clock." ([32:23])

These quotes capture the emotional and narrative essence of the episode, highlighting pivotal moments and character revelations.

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Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully weaves tension, character development, and supernatural horror, engaging listeners with its intricate plot and emotional depth. As the characters inch closer to their goal, the stakes intensify, promising an enthralling continuation of their tragic quest in Sagas of Sundry: Dread.

Transcript

[Dan Casey]

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[Game Master]

Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

[Reina]

Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts.

[Darby]

In time for this class.

[Reina]

I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.

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[Tanner]

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[Mr. Ren]

Consider a moment in your life when you thought you felt fear. Fear is a great equalizer. You see, we value our courage, our goodwill, our capacity to face the evils of the world head on. You must consider yourself brave for staying this long, that you've managed to sit and watch as terrible things happen to these campers over and over and over and over. But no, my darlings, you are not brave. You are not strong. You are not. You simply haven't felt true fear yet. Now I invite you to prove me wrong. Can you turn your fear into a bubbling pile of mush and crush it underneath your heel? Or will you crumble like A pile of discarded bones in the cave of the monster of your fear. A campus certainly have faced their fear. They are diving straight into their terror in order to crush a greater evil. But will they succeed? Or will we find their bones on the cave of their own monsters right next to your bones? These are the sagas of Sundry. I am Mr. Ren, and this is Dread.

[Game Master]

As you were running through these tunnels, you saw a light at the end of the tunnel, only to realize it's a dead end. But the rubble seems to be loose enough that you could pull. There's a horde of undead behind you as well. Tanner, at this circumstances, your team is gonna have to make five pulls. If you can hit the head, this will reduce two pulls, this will reduce one. You hit the torso, that's one less pull.

[Kaden]

Nope.

[Game Master]

Well, that's gonna mean four pulls from the tower, and that's my fault, so I'll take the pulls. Tanner, this is your last pull. You do this, you fend off an entire horde of undead. I love you. Set. As the skeletal forms pile on Tanner, you watch as body after body land on him.

[Mr. Ren]

Run.

[Game Master]

As you make it for the treeline, just the four of you, you go not but 100ft or so before you see a goat skull fixed into a giant stick. And you can see dozens of them.

[Darby]

I could get the Goatman here. I'm convinced he doesn't want to help us. He might.

[Tanner]

Well, then, why don't you make a decision? New leader.

[Darby]

I lay our names down in front of the door, light the candle, set the candle on top of it. 5, 6, 7, 8.

[Game Master]

Darby. You turn around and you see a 6 foot 8 giant beast of a man with horns on his head. You were right, Sam. Welcome back, everybody, to our little story of dread. There is only four of you at this table now, which means that someone in our story has left us. When we last left you, Darby, you reluctantly decided to enact this ritual to allow the goat man to come into your presence. And previously, you had thought that you had felt him when you had lifted a goat skull out from the ground. But this time, you felt his claws digging deeply into your shoulders. And you screamed. And as you looked up to see this figure standing above you with its magnificent curled horns and its long canine snout and its furred legs wrapped out and about it, you looked up at it and knew exactly what it was. And as a result, when you looked at it and made eye contact with you, you heard something. And I'm gonna tell you what that is right now. So come Take a walk with me, everyone. You didn't see a goat man? There was nothing behind her. She just screamed, looked up, and that's it. So you've been touched by your mentor, your prophet, your deity. Your deity, if you will. And he tells you that this land is cursed. That a great darkness infests this land and it craves death, and it has been hungering for it for nearly a century. And it's his fault. He brought this curse upon the land when his two tribes came into conflict. And he was the shaman who cursed this land and brought all of this despair across his two people because the bloodshed was so stupid. And in this bloodshed, he wished for the land to crave death forever. And this darkness granted it to him. And even worse, it cursed him with the form that he is today. And he has been protecting this land this entire time. But the darkness has been pushing him away. And Simon and Agatha and everyone else who's been in this land have been feeding it and listening to him. It's been giving them a long life, and it's been giving them powers that they didn't know or even understand. But you broke the ward by taking the skull off, and as a result, he can now help you. Okay, I know. Right? No prompting at all, and you fucking got it. So. And more importantly, he has something for you.

[Darby]

I was right.

[Game Master]

Yes, I know. I can't believe it.

[Kaden]

You're totally right.

[Tanner]

You hate me.

[Game Master]

I hate you so much. But he's hidden something for you. It's on the other side of this boulder. And the secret to this gift, it is where the river runs still and water is not meant to bring life, but only drink. Death. And that's the vision he gives you as he shows you where this parcel is that will help you and gives you the location of an ancient medicine wheel that he has prepared off on the mountain's summit of which to prepare this final ritual that will cleanse the land.

[Darby]

Oh, he cleansed the land. He tells me there's this.

[Game Master]

The secret to your heart's desire. And the way to make all of this undone is in that satchel. Good luck. All right, Darby. Your head flips up to the front, and you look out in front of you, and your friends are all staring at you.

[Darby]

It worked. He was here.

[Game Master]

What? Where?

[Darby]

He was right here. But he's good. There's so much I need to tell you. We can fix this.

[Tanner]

What are you talking about?

[Darby]

We can cleanse this land of the death God that has been plaguing it. Look, this is proof. He has given me a location in my mind where I can find a tool to help us. Let me go get it. It's not far. What are you talking about? I know, but it works. It worked. That's all I can tell you. It worked. Everything happened. I was right. One second. Just give me one second. I'll be right back.

[Reina]

No, no, no.

[Kaden]

We can.

[Darby]

Rena, do you trust me? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't go. Don't go. Come on, you guys, we're going.

[Game Master]

We can't split the party.

[Tanner]

We can.

[Darby]

It's right. If you just. It's right here. It's.

[Kaden]

Oh, I don't like this.

[Game Master]

What?

[Darby]

What.

[Tanner]

What are you supposed to do with this?

[Darby]

This is. Is my heart's desire, apparently.

[Tanner]

What's inside of it?

[Darby]

I don't know. Maybe it's that. Let's try it. Let's try 614 something.

[Kaden]

Where did you get 614?

[Tanner]

From the date of all of them.

[Kaden]

What was the first one? Am I helping four?

[Darby]

Yeah, I think 24. No. Okay. I don't know what code, what the code is. Oh, there was one other thing. There was one other thing. He said the key is where the water lies still and the water no longer gives life, but drinks death instead.

[Tanner]

The well in the back of the house?

[Darby]

Yeah.

[Tanner]

I mean, that's.

[Darby]

Yeah, I think so. I think that's it. Back to the house, stay locked. Back to. In the. I think the backyard. Right.

[Tanner]

Well, if we hurry, then. Oh, man.

[Kaden]

We're not that far away from it.

[Tanner]

Not cool.

[Darby]

No, but this will cleanse all of that.

[Tanner]

This is going to cleanse the well.

[Darby]

Well, there's another ritual we have to do. Sorry. It was a lot of information. At the top of the. There's a medicine wheel and more instructions on how to complete the ritual that will cleanse the land.

[Tanner]

So we have to go to a mountain eventually. There's a lot trying to help us.

[Darby]

He really is. I think the first time, he was trying to scare us off this land because he knew we could die.

[Tanner]

I don't know what to do.

[Darby]

But I was right. It's real. I swear. I swear. Believe me, I only, like, 75% believed it. I just have been pouring my heart and soul into this. And he did speak. Speak to me. You have to believe me. It could bring Tanner back. Could what? I don't. It'll cleanse the land.

[Tanner]

Then, yes, that's what we're doing. Let's do that. As long as you promise you're Gonna bring him back.

[Darby]

I can't.

[Tanner]

If you have this magical goat man, he's gotta bring him back.

[Darby]

I will try, I will try. Just trust me for once.

[Tanner]

Fine.

[Darby]

Okay, let's go to the well.

[Kaden]

Let's pack up what we need.

[Game Master]

You realize that by looking at what little amount of gear you have left, which is mostly what's in Kaden's bag and the few assorted items that you've managed to collect as a part of this, that, well, Kaden, you actually remember because you looked at a few maps on this the first time and through a few small landmarks, you can actually tell that you are on the other side of the bluff leading towards where the original burnt out cabin was, which is the first landmark you knew from where the house would be. So you're going to have a walk ahead of you in order to get back to the other side of the mountain. So let's go. I would like for each of you to keep your resolve in this mission that Darby has laid out before you with, might I say, not a whole lot of physical evidence except for a red box. Now that's fine because with you, everything you have is up in here. But these three, I would like you to make a pull to keep your resolve in this.

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[Reina]

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[Darby]

Hi not. Maybe my friends put themselves in danger if I can help it.

[Game Master]

You can always leave, Kayden. You've got, well, presumably everything you need. You have your stuff. You could go home right now if you wanted to. Why should you embark on this crazy mission?

[Kaden]

I don't have a home anymore. I gave up everything. There was not really much to give up, to be honest. I had nothing going for me. I didn't have any fucking friends, Worked at a fucking video store. Badly. I've been dead for a while. Fuck it. If I'm gonna go out, let's do this the right way. Even for a stupid red box.

[Game Master]

Thank you. How about you, SAP? You said some pretty mean things to Darby. Why should you go back on your word now and go out on a limb to try this mission?

[Tanner]

I have to save Tanner. I have to. He's my oldest friend and I just didn't believe in him and I pushed him too far and he sacrificed himself like an idiot. I just have to get him back. Because if any of this is actually real, like then he can totally come back to life. I just need to see him again at least.

[Darby]

I'm okay Making this mission for Tanner.

[Tanner]

You have to. That's the only reason. Fuck your goat. I know I can't mean it.

[Game Master]

Well, for all of you, one reason or another, you stay with Darby and Reina, who's holding the red box that presumably holds the key to this land. It takes a while, half a day, to get around the bluff back to where the burnt mountain was. And by that time, it's already starting to be past the peak of the day again. And the afternoon is starting to creep in. And you can see that the sun is past it's zenith and it's already heading towards the western sky. Giving you fresh precious hours left before the night comes back.

[Darby]

Now.

[Game Master]

You get close enough that you can see the house in sight. In fact, you were surprised to see the door is still open. And whether you are hiding or brashly walking out through the front, what would you like to do? As you go through the front door, you are immediately hit by that fresh death and mold and gross that is so staple of this house at this point. And you walk in through and it is not quiet. You can hear the sounds of something moving through the house. And there could be something around any corner. But you need to get to the gardens. So what are you gonna do?

[Darby]

Go through the window?

[Tanner]

The window that had the garden out back.

[Kaden]

Did the window open?

[Game Master]

Window was not open, but it could open.

[Kaden]

It wasn't like a sealed window.

[Game Master]

Or you could break it.

[Darby]

I could try.

[Kaden]

Or I could break it, yeah. That'll make noise.

[Darby]

Sure. I think. Try opening it. Okay.

[Game Master]

The four of you stealthfully creep through the house. And you feel the wet carpet underneath. You continue to squish as you make your small but carefully planned out steps into the main hallway. And you look around your corner and you see a skull look past you ever so slightly before it turns around and comes back around the other way, leaving its back open to you. All four of you. You can dart across into that still sitting room right now, but someone's got to make a pull for it.

[Darby]

No, no, no, no.

[Tanner]

I'm doing it. I'm doing it.

[Game Master]

Sat. As the skull that nearly saw you continues to lumber past through the hallway, you can see that it is the disheveled body of an old woman who seems to just be wearing tattered clothing. And it stops to look up at the moment before it brings its attention back and heads towards the kitchen where it continues to stalk around. And you run up to the window, the big bay windows in that main sitting room where you first saw the radio. And you're hiding behind the couches that are part of this slowly darkening atmosphere as a result of the large drapery cutting light in the space that you're in. Kaden. You reach your hand in and you attempt to pull open this window. You can open it easily if you wanted to with a pull, or you can break it and not make a pull.

[Kaden]

Open with a pull.

[Game Master]

As you quietly lift your hands through through the drapery, you look and listen for anything that could potentially see you as you creep along in the main part of this building. You haven't seen a sign of Simon yet, but these creatures seem to be patrolling, stalking everywhere. And you have to duck briefly in order to watch as one passes by. So walks by through the living room, you continue to put your hand through and pop open that window. This is an old house, so there's no screen. All four of you can easily rotate yourself out and come back through the main porch of the garden. Now, as you get out to this walkway, you can still see that there are a few still forms meerkatting as they look across the garden. And yet still no sign of either Agatha or Simon. But it's surreal to see These walking corpses, the things that ate Tanner, just existing in front of you. And you can see the old stone laden well that is in the center of a beautifully wrought, classic Victorian gazebo. Do you all want to go to the well together or does one of you want to rush over there?

[Tanner]

We're gonna stick together.

[Darby]

I think we stick together.

[Game Master]

If you want to cross the lawn as a group, I'm gonna have to ask for another port. Pull. You're creeping, Reina. You can pull if you wish for the group.

[Kaden]

Oh, it's a little scary in there. There's some bad things happening in here.

[Darby]

Why do we always pull from the bottom and then do that?

[Game Master]

I don't know, Reina. As you look to and fro and are trying to spot, it is extremely distinct that there is one looking directly at you, or at least in your general direction. And you're hoping. You're hoping, Reina, that its senses are not so acute that it can see you across the lawn. And as you move forward, you motion the group ahead of you to make a mad dash for the space. And you can feel the crutch of each dried leaf as it makes a sound above a whisper. And these creatures seem to be looking at you but not really understanding that you're there. And all four of you make a mad dash for the well and cross the boundaries of the garden without issue and find yourself in the midst of this beautifully wrought stone well. As you look down the well, you can see that it is dry and empty. But you also see a small glimmer of something water, something shiny. The sun is high, so there's something reflecting in there. The question is, it's only big enough for one person to go down. Who's going to go down the well, but the rest of you. All right, the three of you can lower her easily using the bucket, and you can hold it and easily be brought down. Now that you're in the gazebo, you have the benefit of the latticework providing a small amount of COVID from the creatures that are looking. So, Darby, are you going down the well?

[Darby]

Yes. Darby, no. Yes. Yes. This is what I know. I'm the. The vessel for whatever reason. Hey, I've gotta. Hey. Promise me you're planning to come back. Yes, Reina. Now I have a purpose. That's what I've been trying to tell you. This. This goat thing has. Has been a new purpose for me. That's why I cared so much about it. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. That's okay. I told you that I was in love with you. I meant I still am. Good.

[Game Master]

Darby, as you push yourself into this banded iron bucket, you slowly see the forms of your friends as you climb slowly down the well. And after what seems to be forever, but it is probably only a few moments, you hear a thud as the bucket hits the bottom of the well and you spill out onto the concrete stone floor.

[Darby]

Am I okay?

[Game Master]

Yes, you're fine.

[Darby]

I'm okay.

[Game Master]

As you fall onto the stone floor around, you look, and you see. Oh, God, more bodies. Piles and piles of fresh corpses.

[Darby]

Oh, my God.

[Game Master]

They're sitting in a pool of water that maybe was once the groundwater of this well, but now it's a sticky quagmire of gore and fill, and you have to reach into it, which will involve us getting a little messy. Okay. Shall we? This is our next little skill challenge. Now, Darby, you know there's something in that gory pool, but you need to find it.

[Darby]

Oh, God, Darby. It smells like soup.

[Game Master]

It's death soup.

[Darby]

Okay?

[Game Master]

Is what it is.

[Reina]

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[Game Master]

You can Venmo that.

[Reina]

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[Darby]

Okay. I don't know what I'm looking for.

[Game Master]

Where is it? Darby, what do you feel in there?

[Darby]

It's really wet, and it's cold. I don't feel anything yet.

[Game Master]

Darby.

[Darby]

It's okay. I think there's, like, some solid stuff in here. Ah. Ew. It's like somebody squeezed one of the things, and it's a little bit squishy, like a very tiny grape. Wait, I feel it's bigger than everything else, and it's hard, and it doesn't feel shitty. Oh, no. I found a rock that says 26.

[Kaden]

26.

[Game Master]

26.

[Darby]

Okay. I'm gonna go back in. Okay. There's another rock. Okay. It's not as scary anymore. The one that says four. Ah. Okay. Wait. That wasn't anything. Oh, God, it's warm.

[Kaden]

It's okay. It's okay. 26.

[Game Master]

Larby, as you fish around, you see these pictographs that seem to be carved into these stones that appear maybe to have been thrown and have settled at the bottom of this well after so many years.

[Darby]

Starry, can you hear me? Yeah, try. I have three numbers. 0, 4 and 26. I don't know what order they go in.

[Game Master]

All right, Darby. Well, you've managed to find the three numbers amidst the giant pool of blood. You could probably go back up the bucket if you wanted to.

[Darby]

Okay.

[Game Master]

Or you can stay down here with all the decaying bodies.

[Darby]

No, thanks.

[Game Master]

I'll go up the well now. Let's head back.

[Darby]

What is. What's in there?

[Game Master]

It's the decomposing corpses of bodies. What do you think it is? As the bucket lifts up, a few of you come and find Darby, who pulls herself out from the back of this banded metal bucket.

[Darby]

I gave her a giant kiss. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay. We're trying your numbers, but I think.

[Tanner]

You'Re just doing it wrong.

[Darby]

It's not working. I might be doing it wrong. Try. Have you tried them in all the different orders?

[Tanner]

Yeah, she's just not spinning it right.

[Darby]

Do you want to try it?

[Game Master]

Yeah.

[Darby]

Oh, I just.

[Game Master]

Da, da, da, da, da, da, da.

[Darby]

What was the order? What was the order?

[Kaden]

2604. Or was it. It was 0264.

[Darby]

Okay, open it. Go. Open it. This is from the Goat Man. He said it would contain my heart's desire. Oh.

[Kaden]

What is your heart's desire?

[Darby]

Let's see.

[Kaden]

You don't know what your heart's desire is?

[Darby]

I was gonna say rain.

[Tanner]

So cheesy.

[Darby]

Okay.

[Game Master]

Oh, boy. A spider jumps out from the top of it as you watch as a large crawling thing comes out to the top of it and runs down and screes away. Outside of the gazebo.

[Darby]

There'S a bowl and a tiny book. A little book. And this.

[Tanner]

It's got a spider on it.

[Darby]

It's like a clock. This looks like morning and noon and evening, Right?

[Kaden]

And twilight.

[Game Master]

Now, inside the tiny book set, you see in small, small writing, pictographs that seem to dictate a step by step process of initiating some kind of ritual. And you can try to interpret them, but it will require a Pull.

[Tanner]

Yeah, you know, six and six. Okay, well, we gotta do this. Cause it will obviously bring Tanner back, and that's what has to happen.

[Darby]

Okay, well.

[Game Master]

Sad. As you open the book and attempt to read the pictographs that are inside of it, you have this feeling of foreboding that is looming upon you. As you gaze into the pictographs more, you can gleam at least some kind of recognition of what each one may be. This is Darby's place. She's the one who spoke. Oh, man. You don't give a shit about this wayward creature, if he is even real. But as you said, if it brings Tanner back, you will do what you can to interpret the knowledge as you best can see fit.

[Tanner]

I chose the wrong thing. This is not. I hate you guys. I should have just stayed in the hospital. I should have just. I should have just died when I was supposed to.

[Game Master]

And when were you supposed to? Where are you supposed to die? Sat.

[Tanner]

I was like an idiot trying to recreate all this stuff. And I did a little bit too much drugs with my little sister and brother in the room.

[Darby]

There's still hope. That's the point.

[Tanner]

There is no hope. Tanner's gone. There's no life without you guys.

[Game Master]

There's a delicate balance between madness and death, and you are riding that lion. Sat. There is something in this that doesn't make sense. But looking at it more and gazing upon it, you can tell that these pictographs, these symbols, there's something that you've seen, seen here before. Could it be the past, the present, and the future? And in that black circle lies darkness. Is what Darby's saying about invoking a ritual to be true? Wouldn't it make sense that they would want to embody all of creation and time, as this day, more than any day, seems to be important? June 14th.

[Darby]

What was in the book?

[Game Master]

What is in the book, indeed? You say you'll never join the Navy, never climb Mount Fuji on a port visit, or break the sound barrier. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Learn [e-mail] America's Navy. Forged by the sea.

[Mr. Ren]

Trip planner by Expedia.

[Game Master]

You were made to outdo your holiday.

[Mr. Ren]

Your hammocking, and your poo. We were made to help organize the competition. Expedia. Made to travel.

[Josh Horowitz]

Look, we all know there are a lot of celebrity interview podcasts out there, but there's only one happy, sad, confused. I'm Josh Horowitzon. Yeah, I'm the host of the show, so I'm a little biased, but truly happy Sad Confused is the place for nerdy and intimate conversations with all your favorite actors and filmmakers, from Andrew Garfield and Scarlett Johansson to Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. For over 10 years and over 700 episodes, Happy Sad Confused has broken movie and TV news every single week. That's because I ask all the questions I want to know. And more importantly, you want to know casting, what ifs, backstage stories, acting, pet peeves, and much more. So whether you're into superheroes, prestige tv, or just the coolest actors and directors alive, you're going to learn something in every episode. Listen to Happy Sad Confused on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.