Good Tidings | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 24 Part 2

Summary

Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 24 Part 2 – “Good Tidings”

Date: May 12, 2026
DM: Brennan Lee Mulligan

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Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, the party continues their tense preparations for the upcoming gala at the hallowed round, while also unraveling the last mysteries left behind by Hal’s late brother, Thiazi Fang. The team juggles revolutionary logistics, a complex web of political intrigue, magical forensics, and deep personal reckonings. A clandestine meeting with the enigmatic pigment-maker Hollis offers revelations and ambiguity about dangerous magics at play, all while the city prepares for its most important social event in years—a gala that will bring together nearly every faction for a night that promises fireworks, both literal and figurative.

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Key Discussion Points and Developments

1. Setting the Stage: Business as Unusual

[01:09-15:42]

• The party wakes to a city preparing for Candle Feast, with celebrations led by the Quandesscent Creed.
• Administrative tasks dominate their day: the team discusses how to embed loyalists (“plants”) within the Sundered Houses and set up a discreet food bank for revolutionary sympathizers.
• Varen, a trusted contact, is assigned to coordinate worker infiltration and supplies.
• The team utilizes precious magical gems to fund their operations and create emergency support for those in need.

“A lot of today is probably just like dealing with Grotto’s illness...Varen is waiting for you at Falcon’s Rest that morning.” – Brennan Lee Mulligan [02:41]

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2. Gala Preparations & Financial Maneuvering

[11:06-14:28]

• Bolaire sketches out a lavish masquerade ball, “Convivium Hereticarum” (“Banquet of the Heretics”), where guests will receive elaborate masks representing the fallen gods.
• The group agrees the gala is a chance for both social maneuvering and covert operations, staffing their cause’s supporters behind the scenes.
• Financial exchanges include converting magic gems into gold and budgeting for food, bonuses, and staffing for both the revolution and the gala.

"Each mask is going to represent one of the falling gods...We've killed the gods. Now we get to party because men are now the gods. It's gross, it's disgusting, and these people will love it." – Bolaire [12:09]

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3. Underground Organization: Food, Loyalty, and Networks

[19:03-29:57]

• Plans are laid for a covert food bank hidden in a factory, managed via secure addresses and subtle symbols ("the bird" and the passphrase "Any good tidings?").
• Hal brokers funding and support from his partner Elodie Divine, who provides both resources and an emotional lifeline.
• Distribution of funds and careful selection of trustworthy insiders for key jobs reinforce the magpie network’s emergence.

“I want to help feed the people willing to draw a line in the sand as business goes south in Dolmakyar...Do you want to invest in the city's future?” – Hal [25:36–26:22]

“When we first got together, my grandmother ...made me make one promise...if you’re going to couple with an actor, you have to think now about what you’re gonna say when he asks you for money...” – Elodie [27:47]

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4. Magical Logistics & Spell Glyphs

[37:13–47:47]

• Murray leverages dwarvish jeweler’s skills to craft magical “glyphs” for Shield and See Invisibility, prepping for whatever may strike at the gala.
• Gems end up at both the school and in the revolutionary cache, keeping the party’s resources flexible.
• Party members divvy up magical protections, balancing risk and resourcefulness.

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5. Casing a Safe House & Investigating the Past

[54:48–83:05]

• The group tracks an address tied to mysterious pigment deliveries, uncovering a well-guarded, incense-filled atelier.
• They parley with the enigmatic halfling Hollis, longtime pigment-maker at “Knife and Palette.”
• Hollis reveals:
  • The paints were never tampered with; Thiazi intended them as a gift but never delivered them personally.
  • Information is currency—they barter requests for info with suggestions of introductions, especially involving the missing Lord Wakander Hailuvar.
  • Murray and others scrutinize his shadowy invocation magic, and Hollis hints at “ruining something that deserved to be ruined.”

"You are not here pursuing a contract. You are not in the business of buying paints." – Hollis [67:09]
“It was never supposed to come to you in the manner that it did...he wished to give it to you himself. He simply ran out of time.” – Hollis [77:02–77:30]

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6. Unraveling the Ritual: The Mystery of Blood Paints

[101:10–114:45]

• Murray and Bolaire sample the magical paints, conducting a forensic augury.
• The paint “tastes” of the same magic as the Stone of Nightsong, but as its negative—created from rendered blood, now transformed into dream-stuff and raw possibility.
• A crucial connection is drawn: these paints, the stone, and the ancient powers of crossing the veil are part of a centuries-old ritual apparatus. Terms like Govzidra surface—hinting at shaper (god) means of passage, flowing river imagery, and echoes of old celestial tragedies.

“It was rendered from blood. It is no longer blood, but it's like they rendered the paints from blood to create stories, to create dreams, to create figments, to create things that are not real...” – Murray [109:20]

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7. Emotional Reckoning and Doubt

[117:13–126:09]

• Hal, Azune, Bolaire, and Murray process a wave of grief, secrets, and frustration sparked by their findings.
• Hal grapples with his brother’s choices: “Why didn’t he tell me anything?...I am his family.” [117:37–118:51]
• Friends debate whether Thiazi was trying to thwart or further something dark, or if everyone is simply improvising in the shadow of lost gods.

“Lies die with you. But they don’t. They just... move themselves in on everyone around you.” – Bolaire [119:20]

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8. The Gala: Arrival and Rising Tension

[128:09–162:01]

• Gala preparations culminate: masks, hidden alliances, party assignments. Verin provides a short-list of loyalists embedded with the Sundered Houses.
• Guests arrive—King Augustus and retinue, Yanessa Hailuvar (the Fotarch), and all the main noble houses.
• Political currents swirl as Augustus immediately confronts the Fotarch about sedition and unrest, escalating tensions (see below).
• Bolaire detects (with a nat 20 Perception [160:53]) a crossbow being drawn in a corridor near the private chamber where the King and Fotarch are arguing, signaling an imminent assassination attempt.

“On a nat 20...you hear the unmistakable click of a crossbow string being strung up and notched into place just around the corner...” – Brennan Lee Mulligan [160:53]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Masks and the Gods:
  "We've killed the gods. Now we get to party because men are now the gods. It's gross, it's disgusting, and these people will love it." – Bolaire [12:09]

• On Revolution:
  “You are providing a service for me... Because it's worth a lot of money to know what needs to happen. The less I know, the better.” – Elodie [28:31]

• On Blood and Paint:
  “It has the same signature of the Night Song, but almost as if it's the negative of it. Like it's the photo negative energy of the Stone of Night Song...” – Murray [109:20]

• Grieving in Frustration:
  “Why didn't he tell me anything? Why did he wait until the city was falling? I don't understand. I'm unprepared. I work in the fucking theater.” – Hal [117:37]

• On Risk and Secrecy:
  "Was he bad? Was he good? Did he realize that some things were worth the cost? And were you all part of that cost? What if you were? And that makes him an asshole, but doesn't make him wrong. This is a big fucking mess." – Brennan Lee Mulligan [124:45]

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Timestamps of Major Segments

• Candle Feast & Revolution Prep: 01:09–15:42
• Gala Logistics: 11:06–19:03
• Magpie Network/Funding: 19:03–29:57
• Contracts, Spell Glyphs, and Administrative Progress: 37:13–47:47
• Hollis Meeting & Paint Investigation: 54:48–83:05
• Blood Paint Ritual Forensics: 101:10–114:45
• Grief/Shouting at the Gods/Tree of the Hallowed Round: 117:13–126:09
• Gala, Political Swirl, and Approaching Violence: 128:09–162:01
• Combat Cliffhanger: 162:01–end

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Cliffhanger Ending

The episode closes on a high-tension note:

• King Augustus and the Fotarch are mid-confrontation in a side room.
• Bolaire hears a crossbow cock outside, shattering the ambiance of celebration—combat is about to break out.
• The surprise round begins as the show cuts to black.

"I'm going to need everybody here to roll Initiative...and that is going to be all for this episode." – Brennan Lee Mulligan [162:22–163:00]

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Takeaways for Newcomers

• The campaign is at a peak of intrigue: revolutionaries lay groundwork, the city’s powerbrokers circle each other, and the boundary between mortal and divine is dangerously thin—physically and metaphorically.
• The upcoming gala is set to be explosive, with magical, political, and personal stakes entangled.
• The group is battered but determined, prepared for desperate measures in desperate times.

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For Next Time

• Will the party defuse—or survive—the imminent assassination attempt?
• Will truths about the paints, the gods, and Thiazi’s last moves come to light?
• What will happen at the gala, with so many factions and mysteries colliding?

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End of Summary for Critical Role Campaign 4, Episode 24 Part 2: “Good Tidings”

Transcript

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and you're listening to part two of this episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this adventure and the world of Ahriman. We return. Liam said deez nuts, right? Right at me.

[Hal]

You gave us all almonds.

[Azune]

You did give us.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And I'll. These nuts are delicious. Salty.

[Hal]

Salty.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Too salty. It takes a while to treat them. The important thing, that almond skin in the throat.

[Hal]

You played yourself.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Vamp. Vamp. Vamp.

[Azune]

Vamp.

[Murray]

I do more time jokes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great. We return to Joel Martin. I feel like I can always get Liam with a good.

[Murray]

We return.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We return.

[Hal]

You got me. Because you were like a chipmunk had almond balls on the side of your mouth. So cute. High intrigue.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The following day, all of you awaken in various neighborhoods of the city of Dolmakyar to see. Not overwhelmingly, but you go out and begin to see occasional storefronts or people walking dressed in white with small paper lanterns out on the street. And some giving these sort of cream, white, heavily sugared cookies out to people passing on the street. And as you walk by, you see someone with a little white gown on saying, and a happy candle feast to you all. The creed is out in force today.

[Murray]

Okay, My portents for the day. Oh, no, it's not okay. 7 and 14. Sorry. Keep going.

[Hal]

Oh, my portents.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

My poor tense.

[Murray]

I thought it was another one for a second.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

For those of you who are out to date, let's go ahead and give me a profession check for today as you guys go about your business.

[Azune]

Oh, I get to give somebody heroic inspiration. So I still have it after having that long rest. Blair, are you sure? Yes.

[Hal]

I get a D6.

[Bolaire]

Oh, I killed.

[Azune]

You get a reroll.

[Bolaire]

I get a reroll. All right.

[Azune]

And it could be any die.

[Bolaire]

It doesn't have to be any die.

[Hal]

This is the day of.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

This is the day. This is two days before the gala.

[Hal]

Two days before the gala. Okay.

[Azune]

That's correct.

[Murray]

Okay, so meaning the gala is tomorrow night or day after tonight. After tomorrow night.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Got it.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Bolaire]

It was bullshit.

[Hal]

Oh, ye.

[Bolaire]

That's much better.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What do we get here?

[Azune]

It is your. Your ability modifier. Not with proficiency.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

With proficiency.

[Azune]

Oh, okay. Well, then I got an 11.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

11. A completely average day. This is a day. Like, as in everything else, you've been pulling some sick moves and doing stuff. But we gotta catch up on paperwork. There's just. There's just Lots of admin. A lot of today is probably just like dealing with Grotto's illness and when he can get back to work and getting him up and back on his feet. Varen is waiting for you at Falcon's Rest that morning.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He goes. So look, people are eager. They're hungry. Yes. When should I look to heat? I don't know who the other people in that room were other than. I think one of them was maybe Theozzie, Fang's brother. But do you. What do you need people to wait for? Do you need me to tell people to hang on longer? Do you need. And even an answer that is hold is better than just going silent.

[Azune]

Here's what we need. Here's what I already have for you. This symbol is a good lookout. And I'm going to describe to him this very rudimentary drawing of a bird.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cool.

[Azune]

That is easy to scratch on a wall. That is easy to leave as a marking on a building. Specific enough, but not sloppy so that it can get mistaken for different things. And the phrase which was?

[Hal]

Was it any good tidings?

[Azune]

Any good tidings?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Always for a friend. He says. He says. All right. I'll communicate that out and let people know.

[Azune]

For now, sit tight. Meet me here tomorrow and I will have more for you, more specifics. But those that are eager to move or more desperate, we need people in position in the sundered houses. If they get employment there, remember that their allegiance needs to still be with us, their plants. You gotta get the right people for that. At least they'll get a paycheck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see? Varen nods and says, look what I have from these people. Azunay is interest. I'm not in a position to pass commands onto anyone. What I can do is tell you who's still got an opening at one of those jobs. I can get a list of those people like myself that were working private security for this 100 houses. Okay. And I can get you a list of those people that I trust. I'll meet you here tomorrow morning with a list of people that still have a day job somewhere.

[Azune]

Got it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And I'll give you that list and I'll give you the list of the people that I trust. All right, Sounds good. All right, let's see what other professionals we got.

[Murray]

14 for me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

14 totally uneventful.

[Murray]

Dean.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Cora is off, but she comes by at one point and says, gala cormorants are gonna be there. We want to be there.

[Murray]

Yes, absolutely. I'm planning on being there.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

This is for it's. Like a theater thing.

[Murray]

Yeah. So I also just inhaled some almonds.

[Hal]

These nuts ditch every time.

[Murray]

Vamp.

[Bolaire]

Good Titans for these nuts. Always for always.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

For these nuts.

[Azune]

Always for these nuts.

[Murray]

The almonds strike again. Yeah. So, grand opening of the Hallowed round. It's opening night here in, like, four days or whatever, but they're having a big kickoff gala. It seems like a lot of people are going to be there. I think it's good to schmooze.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

All right, great. We'll make a little appearance there. Maybe we're there celebrating the new internship program, because we have. Isn't one of the. Is one of our kids in the internship program involved with this theater thing at all, or.

[Bolaire]

No.

[Murray]

Okay, so you're thinking of Hero.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Murray]

Elodie's daughter, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. Elodie Divine.

[Murray]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Exactly. So Elodie is with. What's his name? Hallandir. Hallandir Fang.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

This is the proprietor of the.

[Murray]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hero is Hallendil's daughter.

[Murray]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. Wow. Okay. Web.

[Murray]

It's an updated web. Hello, Web.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

All right. Ooh. This is why. Okay, great. Good, good, good. Love this.

[Murray]

While I have you, I was just doing a little inventory stock the other day, and I realized that we were actually a little bit low on gems. You know, they are very necessary for the training of our students. I have a contact. He's got some that's ready to go. I was just wondering if I could get approval from you to take some of the budget to restock some of our gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Azune]

Absolutely.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Make sure we don't run out of gems. The gems are for just classwork.

[Murray]

Classwork. They're really good when it comes to anything involving transmutation or.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, that's great.

[Murray]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Thank you.

[Murray]

Fantastic. I'm the fucking bursar.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see? She looks slightly pissed that you talked to her about something. She considers that boring. She's like you.

[Murray]

She's like, this is below my pivot.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You solve these problems. Yeah.

[Murray]

Okay, so as part of this, can I scoop on the books? Like, how much gold should I scoop? And leave some gems in the.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You have all of those gems in your inventory. If you would like to forge some company you're buying them from and cash out, you are welcome to do that. As you might be well aware, as you further inspect them. These gems were stolen from the Penteveral. So the Penteveral has use for them. Right. Crow Keepers just robbed the school at some point and got these metamagic gems and Then went, we don't know what to do with this.

[Bolaire]

They're hot.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So how many gems would you like to convert? And do you want to convert them at the full rate?

[Bolaire]

Full rate, Absolutely.

[Murray]

I want to convert them at the full rate. Which is what? 300 gold.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

300 gold each.

[Bolaire]

How many do we have again?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We have quite a few.

[Bolaire]

18.

[Hal]

600 omen,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

but.

[Bolaire]

Cause we want to leave a few for. Because I want to make a few. What spells do we have available to preload if we wanted to?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Shield.

[Murray]

Yeah, I also have shield. Shield's always a good one. Because it's got to be Casting time of Self Detect Magic.

[Bolaire]

I have the one that would Invisibility.

[Azune]

I have Divine Smite.

[Bolaire]

And then Self. I have Understand Languages.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Comprehend.

[Bolaire]

Comprehend Languages. Thank you.

[Murray]

So if I did. What if I did, I can just start it off with, what, five gems. Now to give us 1500 gold. Do we want. What's a good goal set for cash right now?

[Bolaire]

I think 4 to 5 ought to do it.

[Azune]

I mean, if each gem is 300, two gems will give us 600. Oh, you mean four to five gems.

[Murray]

Yeah, four to five gems. It gives 15.

[Azune]

I think that's a very good amount.

[Murray]

And then that could be what? I'm still thinking that we, like, take some of that and have it as, like, food coffers so that, like, anyone who wants to be part of our cause, they can still at least be fed. And at the end of the week, maybe toss however many people that we feel that are in need.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Murray]

Five gold.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolaire]

If people need some cash to get them through, they can come to us.

[Murray]

Correct. So I am going to cash in hemorrhaging five gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell, yeah.

[Murray]

And go ahead. Make up a little receipt.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Go ahead and add 1500 gold to your inventory and get rid of five of those gems. You take care of that on your own.

[Bolaire]

So it gives us some emergency warehouse space, if we can.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Profession check from Belair. What did we get?

[Bolaire]

21.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

21. Incredible. I think the Gala is beautifully coming together. Describe for me what we should anticipate being the theme of the Gala. Well,

[Bolaire]

I figured this is such a grand opening of a theater with such a grand and exciting play that's going to be performed. I am very excited. And so it's going to be a masquerade. Not that anyone knows that yet. When our guests show up, they are going to be handed a mask. I've commissioned each individual mask to be just these beautiful, stunning, stunning pieces. Each its own work of art. The name of the Gala is the convivum erecticarum. Yeah, I think I got that right.

[Hal]

Which convivum?

[Bolaire]

Yeah, Convivum hereticarum, which is Latin. Apologies for banquet of the heretics.

[Hal]

Convivium.

[Bolaire]

I can send it to everyone.

[Murray]

Latin.

[Bolaire]

I love Latin.

[Hal]

Love em or conviv them.

[Bolaire]

Each of the masks is going to represent one of the falling gods and or their family members. And because no one knows which God they're going to be when they show up, it's going to be delightfully anonymous. We've killed the gods. Now we get to party because men are now the gods. It's gross, it's disgusting, and these people will love it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. Hal, what is your profession?

[Hal]

25.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

25.

[Murray]

Nice.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Thanks.

[Hal]

Hire charisma

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

on a 25. Spending your day at the hallowed round, the magpies fluttering over the sky. Your own sense of confidence and certainty in what you are doing. Tickets are moving like crazy and the play is coming together on a 25. Profession check. When opening night comes and the big performance check happens, you have that D4. But on a 25 DC you may reroll should you need to free roll.

[Hal]

Okay. The whole roll.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The whole roll.

[Hal]

The whole roll.

[Bolaire]

Any of us want to spend some spell slots today to make a few of these?

[Azune]

Oh my gosh.

[Hal]

That means.

[Murray]

Really? How long does it take to enchant these runes?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Once they're all prepared, they can be enchanted in a couple hours if you can get access to the workshop.

[Hal]

And I think with that day, we're in the equivalent of a fantasy tech rehearsal. We are doing cue to cues, and I am standing at different places in the amphitheater listening to the chorus and the cast use everything that they have learned in our institution to speak in a whisper and deliver to the very back row. And in that time that I spend making adjustments, making suggestions, I also spend plenty of time pausing to meditate on these paintings that my daughter has finished, I assume at this piano, and just wonder at what they contain.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

They look so beautiful.

[Bolaire]

Do we want to take a moment to enchant some? Well, not just. If we're going to go enchant a few things, we can also have a quick conversation at the paint.

[Murray]

Yeah, we could stop by hand and wheel, do a couple gems, and then bounce over to investigate the address. I like that.

[Hal]

And we're doing that before the sun goes down.

[Bolaire]

The notion is lunch break. If we can get you for one

[Murray]

lunch break,

[Bolaire]

I'm managing so I can walk away.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's much easier than directing in terms of when you would enchant these glyphs. I think you would probably need a process. I think it would take your whole lunch break just to get down to the workshop. Yeah. All right. This would be you guys doing your Fey. The little brownies come out at night and make the shoes while everyone's asleep. So you'd be up all night doing that. As night comes around, you see again, the Quandesscent Creed has not managed to crack Dolmachyar. It's a pretty godless city, all things considered. But it is candle feast, which is a big holiday. And the Quandesscent Creed obviously has a lot of people around the Via Aurora, which is their big massive holding up in the mid city. So you see that there are candles and singing and everything like that. Do you guys meet up that night?

[Bolaire]

I would love to have a talk. Yeah, I would love to have a talk because there's a few things that are now bothering me because of this fucking woman.

[Azune]

I think it's a good idea if you guys do to. And it looks like we're already sorting through some potential spell situations.

[Murray]

Yeah. And I. So I. I got rid of.

[Azune]

These are the ones that you sold, right?

[Murray]

Yes. I just got rid of five gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Azune]

In the party.

[Hal]

Thanks.

[Murray]

In the party inventory. So we should be okay. Okay. I think they just. I think the.

[Azune]

You gave one to Oris initially. Oh no, that was one of the. Never mind.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Sorry.

[Azune]

It wasn't one of these.

[Murray]

No, I gave. Or I showed Oris that I had a blank. Yeah. I think that was five gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Arriving at the seven stars that evening. You guys have the potential to get up to your normal covert shenanigans. You have an address, but you also have spell blanks and gems and everything else like that. What is the plan for this evening?

[Murray]

I think for the sake of a efficiency.

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Murray]

Cuz I know we have a gala to get to.

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Murray]

Do we want to maybe you speak to Elodie and get a little bit of like a food cash for some of our soldiers? Are we committing to that? Do we just want to hold on to this cash for now?

[Hal]

Seek an investment?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

If they need.

[Bolaire]

I almost want to say if they need it, they know that we can let them know that. That.

[Murray]

Can we let Von know if they need it.

[Azune]

They need a reassurance no matter what they're saying. I know in my gut that they need us to deliver something soon. And it's going to make everything easier for everybody.

[Bolaire]

We're going to need people to. We're going to need some other people to work the gala as well.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Azune]

So I can establish that tomorrow morning with him.

[Murray]

So what are we saying we're doing?

[Hal]

Well, I could certainly call on Elodie this evening if we want to split off. Or save that for me approaching tomorrow. Because there's one more day before the Gaul. Is tomorrow the day? No, Day after tomorrow.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Day after tomorrow.

[Hal]

Right.

[Bolaire]

And I would love to just know. I would feel far more secure if we had an answer about

[Azune]

whether or

[Bolaire]

not the thiazi's paint was tampered with.

[Murray]

We're about to find that out.

[Bolaire]

That would make me very happy.

[Murray]

Now, once again, I have a theory. But I'm going to hold my tongue until we go to this address.

[Azune]

So tonight, we make some spell. We write some spell glyphs.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right?

[Azune]

That's the task.

[Murray]

Address, make some spell glyphs. Do we yes or no on groceries, Grocery storage for soldiers, I think.

[Azune]

Let's do it.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Well, you can go to the warehouse.

[Murray]

You can talk to Elodie. How much do we want to throw for food so that people can come by? Almost like a food kitchen kind of food bank. Food bank. Basically make a food bank for the soldiers.

[Hal]

But we don't have. We're not installing a kitchen. We're saying we're taking a factory and having non perishable shelf stable stuff so that people can come and go. And it doesn't feel like some sort of a food bank with staff. It's just a secret address.

[Murray]

Just so that at least bellies are full and they know that they can come and at least put food on the table for their family. And I think that would be a little bit safer than a mass exchange of a lot of gold.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Hal]

And are we aiming for one of Oras's spare factories?

[Murray]

Like a back room in the factory?

[Bolaire]

It'd also be a good way of finding out who needs a little bit of work. Who can work the gala so that we have some security teams ready to go if they don't mind serving hors d'.

[Azune]

Oeuvres. I can just head that off, if that's okay. If, in addition to this, that'll cover some of the people that are more in need. If I just get a small sum of gold that will definitely fund this primary assignment, he will be able to. If I hand him just a small bit of gold, he'll be able to hire people and staff. I think the gala from there.

[Murray]

So let's see. What do we think? Like 5 gold for the gala per person. 3 gold.

[Azune]

5 gold is so much.

[Bolaire]

5 gold is a lot. I think. I even just think one gold for the gala is.

[Azune]

One gold per person for the gala is incredible.

[Murray]

So how about I'm going to divvy

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

how much gold you've got a chest with 1500 gold.

[Murray]

1500 gold.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You need a dolly for that?

[Azune]

Yeah, I think 100 gold worth of food for the warehouse. And then give me 20 gold and I'll let.

[Bolaire]

We should let the soldiers know that if something bad happens, there will be a significant bonus.

[Murray]

So. Yeah, sure. Yes. Hazard pay. I'm going to give 100 gold once again. Just kind of fast tracking a little bit. I'm going to give 100 gold to Hal so that Hal can talk to Elodie maybe, and we can can get our food bank. And then I'll give. How about I just give you 30 gold?

[Azune]

Great.

[Murray]

You know what? I'm just gonna give you 50 gold just in case.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's a lot.

[Murray]

And then we get all of that in motion.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You get 50 gold, Hal gets 100. I think with that, you guys spend that night. And the plan is for you to go to Elodie and for you to meet Baron the next morning.

[Azune]

The next morning with this plan.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I think that night with four of you, you're also getting contracts ready to pay people out of the Argonaut. So I think that night, you guys set all of that up. The one part of this that I think is a conversation is you go to Elodie, to her beautiful, sort of, you know, manor house. I think she's in. Where did my map of the city go? We have this one. Thank you. She's got a beautiful place in Nirzash where as you open the door, she goes. Ah, Hal. Good to see you. Oh, my God. How's everything been? Okay.

[Hal]

Sorry to not send any advance notice.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, no, no, no. Come in, come in.

[Hal]

Are the girls here?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I am so sorry that I wasn't able to make it the other night. Just up to Brightbrook and to the cliffside.

[Hal]

It's okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's been an extremely stressful time for a lot of reasons.

[Hal]

I can't imagine what you are juggling in the city with the shifting sand under her feet.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hey, well, speaking of juggling, it's been really wonderful to have Shadia here. Pyrrho's been extremely happy to have her older sisters.

[Hal]

Okay. Thank you. Yeah, of course.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Is everything all right?

[Hal]

Why don't we sit? Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She takes a seat.

[Hal]

I'd like to start talking about. About the future a little bit. I don't need to tell you

[Azune]

the

[Hal]

chill that's in the wind in our home these days. And the house is. I'm starting to hear things. I'd like to you to start thinking about a plan. Should things go so bad, so untenable that there's no coming back from it. And for all our years together as partners and friends. If you could take our daughters somewhere, somewhere safe. If and when. If and when. I don't know if you'd ever consider going home after all your years here. But I just don't know what's coming. And I would like to just know. We have a plan in place for you and for them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Point to me on the map, the land that escapes the reach of the sundered houses, and I will flee there.

[Murray]

That's fair.

[Hal]

That is not the only thing I've come to talk about. While there is more and more danger circling, there are a lot of people like you and me, who want better. I'm trying to help some folks in town who are bracing for the worst. And I am investing a little of the rookeries coffers. And we have some other funding in place. But something I want to broach with you, if you're comfortable with it, is it's getting cold out there.

[Bolaire]

And

[Hal]

I want to help. I want to help feed the people willing to draw a line in the sand as business goes south in Dolmak.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yar.

[Hal]

I don't know if you know Orus Blade with the hand.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, I know Oras. Yes.

[Hal]

Yeah. He's a new friend. And he is willing to give us use of one of his factories that are not empowered play at the moment.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Hal]

I've come to you with hat in hand. Do you want to invest in the city's future?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Normally I need to see a business plan before I make an investment. Give me a persuasion check.

[Murray]

Smart.

[Bolaire]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Damn it.

[Bolaire]

Money and sense.

[Hal]

Not so 26.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You mean rich dumb people. 26. She looks and says, When we first got together, my grandmother, when she was still with us, made me make one promise. The promise that she asked me to make. She said, elodie, you come from means. And though I did not follow the family business and I had to build my own merchants company myself, she said, if you're going to couple with an actor, you have to think now about what you're gonna say. And I said, grandma, what do you mean? She said, you need to think about what you're gonna say when he asks you for money. Dang.

[Murray]

It's personal.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

How much are we talking about? Hal.

[Hal]

Not too much. A few hundred gold.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, oh. A few hundred gold. My God. Okay. Yes. And you see that She. A few hundred million gold. She turns around and says, what are you. You're trying to help people that are looking for the gold.

[Hal]

Food seed money.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Seed money.

[Hal]

Seed money.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see that she. She looks and says,

[Hal]

I'd be more

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

than happy to help. You know this city, you know its people, you know who needs help. And the truth is, you're providing a service for me. And you see that she begins to take out a scroll of parchment, draw on it in ink, present it to you, which is a note of withdrawal from her banker's guild. Hands it to you and says, you've done me a service. Because it's worth a lot of money to know what needs to happen. The less I know, the better.

[Hal]

You are always too good for me. Your grandmother was a wise woman.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

If I see any brand new, very expensive. Look at this. Opening night. I'm going to be fair in the

[Hal]

house Puppets is so 10 years ago.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She says, well, best of luck, Hal. And you see that she's written you a note for 300 gold pieces. She looks out and says, and I'll see you at the gauntlet at the

[Murray]

Archonaut

[Hal]

behind a mask. You didn't hear it from me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Ooh. All right. You see? She says, well, that'll make things interesting. You got it.

[Murray]

Wait, are you gonna ask her to get groceries or is that something we're just gonna handle?

[Hal]

Ask her to buy the food stuff?

[Bolaire]

Yeah.

[Murray]

Just cause she's a merchant lady, right? Yeah.

[Hal]

I think I'm gonna take a big pile of money and I'm gonna go make it happen.

[Murray]

All right, cool.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That night, I assume, Murray, you get in touch with Oras about actually opening up these warehouses. But I'm gonna say with all of your past effort to sort of set up this network, all of you feel the turning of gears. Money turns to food. Someone turn who wants to help but doesn't know how, has spaces, fighters that don't know where to go have food. And something starts to spin into motion.

[Murray]

We talk like I mentioned, have to talk to Vraun. He spreads the Verin Vaerin tries to spread the word.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We'll actually move to the next day. We'll just keep moving forward towards the gala, which is the following day. You meet Veren back at Falcon's Rest. Yes. And everyone here can roll their profession check for that next day as well.

[Murray]

Oh, my gosh. And I have to roll because you roll portent at the stop of the

[Azune]

start of every day. Do you still have that heroic inspiration?

[Bolaire]

No, I used it.

[Azune]

You used it.

[Bolaire]

Because my roll was crap this day.

[Azune]

I'll give it to Marie.

[Murray]

To me?

[Azune]

Yeah.

[Murray]

Ooh, that's crazy.

[Hal]

What are your porties?

[Murray]

My porties are two 18s.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Nice.

[Murray]

Double 18.

[Azune]

Can I roll with luck on this?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'll use the luck.

[Azune]

Oh, I'll take that. That is 25.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

25. You have a sack of. Do you have that? 50 gold pieces. I have 50 gold pieces that she gave you. You meet Baron at Falcon's Rest, and he says, all right. What news of them?

[Azune]

A good amount of news. I'm going to hand him the sack of 50 gold, and I'm going to give him the address. There's a warehouse. There's a backroom.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Warehouse.

[Azune]

In the Fray. In the Fray. That's. Yes. So I'm going to give the address to that. Those that are in need, there's a food bank set up discreetly in a back room there. Our people need to know that they're taken care of and that we're looking out for them. And this is just the beginning. So let them know that no one here will go hungry. Their efforts will be rewarded. This gold is for an upcoming job, the Gala. This is hired security. So pick amongst those one gold piece for the job per person.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He grabs that from you, looks at it. He says, how many do you want me to hire?

[Azune]

I think this is a good proving ground. I'd like to see how many this can pay for.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He looks and says, this will go a long way. These men all know each other. These fighters all know each other. And some of them have sick kids. Others have problems that need to be solved today and not tomorrow. Few of these gold pieces placed in the right hands doesn't just buy us goodwill with those men, but the ones they know as well. I'll get to work.

[Azune]

We take care of our own.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He salutes. And you see, under his cloak, notched into his armor, is a small symbol of the bird being spread.

[Azune]

I think at this point, I've notched it somewhere myself, and I reveal that at the Galaxy.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And you see, he says, and the phrase was, any new tidings? Or any.

[Hal]

Any good tidings?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see, he says, any good tidings?

[Azune]

Always for a friend.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He looks, taps the side of his head, and walks away. And

[Murray]

we're awesome. We're doing it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We're doing it. We're doing it. And you realize as you're like, you're like, yeah, that's cool. Also lots of people can shape shift and do disguise magic. This is a really good idea to be doing this check in phrase. He takes off on a 25 profession check that day. I think that you. I think you become aware that couple things happening in the Revolutionary Guard under Lord Einfassen's directive. They are putting a pause into the search for Demodus Blix. They're not suspending it, but they're just not assigning any resources to actively keep looking for him. They are assigning lots of resources now to the search for Lady Cormory.

[Bolaire]

Yeah.

[Azune]

How many days has it been since I conducted the investigation at the Archenaud

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

on this next day? You conducted that one? I think you conducted that one one, two, three days ago.

[Azune]

Three days ago.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Mm hmm.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

But on a 25 you don't sense that coming back to you. It's basically just the sundered houses yelling at the Revolutionary Guard. Find her. Whatever you have to do.

[Azune]

Right, okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What else did we get on our profession checks for that day? Balir, what do we get here?

[Bolaire]

I got a 18.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

18.

[Azune]

Wow.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wonderful smell of day. The guest list is coming in on an 18. You see that? The Foltarch of the Candescent Creed has marked herself as attending the opening of the line. Oh, Botar, she wanted to talk to you.

[Azune]

She's been wanting to talk to you for so long.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Potrek is a contestant creature. Marked herself as attending and got on the list because obviously it's due to the patronage of House Hailuvar that this whole deal happened at all. So she was on some kind of missive about the gala and it's one of those things where you're like, well, we're never going to hear back from her. She's the fotarch of an entire religion. Oh, and she is coming and she requests requested a plus eight. Okay. No shit. She'll be coming with a red vitriol's deep.

[Bolaire]

She requested a plus eight.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Plus eight?

[Azune]

Do I have to give her a plus eight?

[Hal]

That is some sense on an 18.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You don't like your prospects on denying that plus eight. Fuck a duck. Murray, what did you get?

[Murray]

Also an 18.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Also 18. Delightful. You're beginning to get missives back from your interns at the Arcanade who are continuing to obfuscate and delay from this Kormoray project. But that's going very well. The gems went through totally fine and unannounced. And on an 18, I think you also find some workers tools that you could potentially use to. If you didn't want to use Oras's facilities. I think on an 18 you find some facilities at the pen Tevral. If you wanted to make some of these spell glyphs yourself.

[Murray]

I was actually going to ask that. You read my mind. I don't know if. Whatever time I have, basically bopping in and out, still doing my job, making sure my face is seen. Look busy, look busy. And then on an extended lunch break and maybe taking an hour or two at the end of the day when people are starting to thin out. I would love to make some spell glyphs, some cookies.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. Beautiful.

[Murray]

How much time would I have to

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

make some spell glyphs?

[Murray]

Or how many could I make in that amount of time of a few hours?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me a. Do you have any proficiencies? Any smithing or tool proficiencies?

[Murray]

That's actually. So what I do have. Let me check. So because where did I put this? Because of my dwarf stuff and coming from dwarf stuff.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Dwarf stuff.

[Murray]

Coming from a family of jewelers. I have stonecunning and I think I have a jeweler's kit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great. Jeweler's kit is exactly what you need.

[Murray]

Okay, great.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So you'll roll intelligence plus proficiency.

[Murray]

Intelligence plus proficiency.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

In one four hour block of work. On a 15 you'll make one. On a 20 you'll make two. And on a 25, you'll make four.

[Murray]

So it's gonna be intellect plus my proficiency.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Intelligence mod plus your proficiency.

[Murray]

My intelligence mod is five plus two. That's seven. You know what, it's a portentous day. So I'm gonna use one of those 18. Cause that puts me at 25.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. So the way this is gonna work is you have to. You can take. So here's the question about how sneaky you want to be. Do you want to use Penteveral gem resources if you're doing this at the Penteveral to make these spell slates. Do you want to rob the school?

[Murray]

I still have all of the other gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

So I put five gems in the school cache and I made the paper trail for that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Perfect.

[Murray]

So I'll take three gems from our combined stash.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And remember, it's one gem per spell level. So if you're just doing a shield spell, one gem gets it done. If you're doing a second level spell,

[Murray]

it takes two gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right.

[Murray]

So wait, that gives me three glyphs.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Actually, on a 25, 18 plus seven is 25. You can make four spell glyphs today. But you also need the spell slots for them all. So you need gems and a spell slot, and that's all you need gems

[Murray]

and a spell slot. I mean, I can make four shield.

[Bolaire]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You have the spell slots for, right?

[Murray]

I have the spell. Yeah. I haven't cast any spells today.

[Hal]

I'm real squishy.

[Azune]

And they have to be abjuration gems, right?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. They have to be juror's gems. That's correct. Which I believe you have four of.

[Murray]

Let me see. What did I get rid of? I was kind of thinning them out a little at a time.

[Bolaire]

Three.

[Hal]

I see.

[Azune]

That's the juror's gem.

[Hal]

I see three juror's gem on this list.

[Murray]

I might have.

[Azune]

I think we only had.

[Murray]

Maybe I might have gotten rid of

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

ones if the plan was to make SHIELD I'll allow you to retcon then, just because we. Yeah, I'm okay with that.

[Murray]

Do you want it? Or I could do three shield gems and something else. But it's also got to be a spell that I have, correct?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Azune]

I think we can blow through shields even if you. I don't know. Can you take one from the stash at the school?

[Murray]

Yeah, I'll just switch it out like you said.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

Four shields. Unless. Does anybody have any other requests? Like a see invisibility, like a detect magic. Are the others.

[Bolaire]

See invisibility seems like a good idea. Detect magic seems a little overcooked because everything.

[Azune]

I mean, like, everything's gonna ping.

[Bolaire]

It's gonna be a bunch of rich

[Azune]

people, and there's going to be people there probably already utilizing that.

[Murray]

So either. So do we want to do four shield spells or three shield spells and a C invisibility?

[Bolaire]

I think

[Hal]

three.

[Bolaire]

And a sea invisibility might be a good idea.

[Azune]

Yeah, that sounds good.

[Murray]

Okay, I'll do that.

[Hal]

One of us will be the eyes at this galactic.

[Murray]

Because I'm assuming this is at the gala Killer.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So that will take three juror's gem and. And two of the Viners gems. And that'll be you, Dan, second level. So, Murray, that day you are fucking back. Like you were when you were a young girl working in your family's gem mind, just grinding down gems into spelling, going into the tablets, casting the magic into it. It is a day of hard, practical magical work, all of which you see in your mind as strands of fate and destiny coalesce.

[Murray]

I've got my. Like my bagpipe jam that I put into my necklace. So I'm just like rocking out to my bagpipe jam.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As I'm working it, wiping sweat, sweet Appalachian bagpipe jams. I love it.

[Hal]

Sounds like home.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. Hal, what did we get for professional Brendan?

[Hal]

It's a 27.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

27.

[Murray]

How are you doing this?

[Hal]

I roll 19.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She got damn.

[Hal]

Professional is persuasion. I'm not performing. I am managing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Managing.

[Murray]

So are you adding? I've been adding my ability. My proficiency.

[Azune]

Two.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. So is Hal. Hal's adding his proficiency.

[Murray]

Proficiency?

[Hal]

No, not at all. Then. Then it's way less. Then. It's way less.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, no, no. Efficiency and persuasion includes proficiency for Hal. Right? You're adding your persuasion. That's proficiency and proficiency plus. Yeah.

[Azune]

Plus proficiency.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Murray]

Oh, well then I've been going way under because I've only been adding my proficiency bonus.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, no, no, no. Your ability mod as well.

[Murray]

And you're. So I would be also adding my intellect as well. Okay, so then it would have been like 23 for today. But I'm doing great.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

It's fine.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Perfect. Hal, you add another reroll to opening night. Another reroll. You have two now times two.

[Hal]

I would say that I would use this day to go further into producer mode. And again, rather than taxing Elodie Divine, I go to the merchant that I already know because of Elodie Divine, where I buy food barely above cost for my company of 80 something people. And I take Allgood with me and we go and turn that gold over into provisions, which includes lots of things like dried venison, huge sacks of almonds, of course. Dry goods. Dry goods, dry goods. And then I task Olgood and a few of the other company members with a pair of wagons to slowly go to an address worked out with Oras.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yeah.

[Hal]

On the outskirts of everything.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Unbelievable.

[Azune]

Can I request. I wanted to add something since I did so well professionally today. Yes. I asked about when that investigation was, because I want to do something with that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Azune]

We have this signet ring from Taconis, and I want to slip it into the evidence of what was discovered in that investigation.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

For the lady cormorant. Yes. Incredible. Go ahead and give me either deception or sleight of hand, if you please.

[Murray]

Use a jurors gems.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And with that high profession role, you can do so with advantage. Great.

[Murray]

Jurors gems. Fourth copy. I'm doing a little maintenance here.

[Azune]

Feel free to tell me. No, this is intentional. May I guidance myself in this?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, you may.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Hal]

Yes, please do.

[Azune]

I'll take that.

[Hal]

4.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Woo. And ooh.

[Azune]

Okay, so 17 on the die. This is deception plus 4.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

21.

[Azune]

21. Where are you?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

27 yos on a 27. On a 27. Towards the end of that day of work, Baleri, you get a message. The Cormoray would love to attend this gala and ask if any of the Taconis are expected to attend.

[Bolaire]

Are the Daconis expected to attend? I imagine they are.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Some invitations went out, but you haven't gotten anything back.

[Bolaire]

I'm happy to say I have no idea. But there are prepared for them. But they are neither expected or not expected.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible.

[Hal]

That night I had just a minor stadendum. I meant to get to it. The other thing I do with my own money, I buy a shit ton of sandwiches and I bring them to the hallowed round and with shoddy, I lay them out for the entire company. Because there's nothing actors like more than free sandwiches.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

People are psyched. They know this. Crafty, crafty. They know this. The actors like people. They're like, they're digging into it. Everyone's like, forget off book. You see, people are like having fun with it. They're making exciting choices, they're rediscovering, discovering stuff in the moment. The ring of those pariah blades keeps coming out and you can see that at the end of those sandwiches, you look out and feel the comrade of this moment coming together. At the end of that, Olgood comes back from delivering the food to the barracks as people are finishing up the sandwiches. Really good, tasty sandwiches and light so we can be up on our flight. You don't wanna do a heavy meal? No, no, no. Olga comes out and he comes back and says, hey, as your business partner, I got news for everybody here. It's news about opening night, folks, we just sold out. He said, I don't know what happened, but all the tickets flew out today. I mean, look, he says, we got fences out back, so we're not gonna stop the bargain crews. You know, we want people up against the. Up against the links. But all the seats are spoken for as of today. Oh my God.

[Hal]

I grab a fiddle out of somebody's hands and I just start fiddling. The fuck away she goes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Laughing, playing. Everyone's ecstatic that night. It's the night before the gala. You meet up and Murray, you come with a sweat of your brow and. And four finished spell tablets. Okay, okay,

[Murray]

who's going to be our eyes? I've got to see invisibility here. For anybody who wants a little bit of extra visibility at the gala, Baler, I feel like you are going to be glad handed.

[Bolaire]

Well, traditionally, I'M actually not. I don't actually normally glad hand at these. I tend to sit up and observe. But I will be running around for this one. Although, again, it's a masquerade. No one's going to know who I am.

[Murray]

I mean, I feel like our.

[Hal]

I have to glad handy, huh?

[Murray]

You'll be glad.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Handy.

[Azune]

I will be observing. But it turns out I have learned my own way of doing that.

[Bolaire]

I'll take it if no one else

[Murray]

will, because I can also do it in a pinch. So Belair.

[Bolaire]

Or I'll take it.

[Hal]

You're going to be eyes in the sky.

[Bolaire]

Well, I actually have a plan. But I will be running around, and I will decide who I speak to and who I do not.

[Murray]

I give you the sea invisibility glyph, and I will give the rest of us a shield.

[Hal]

I feel pretty good about that.

[Murray]

Great.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Everybody go ahead and just mark a shield glyph down in your inventory

[Azune]

to activate these glyphs. It takes a.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It takes the same action that casting the spell does.

[Azune]

Got it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay. All right.

[Bolaire]

I got a sea invisibility.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So for these shield glyphs. It's a reaction.

[Azune]

It's a reaction.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Makes sense.

[Bolaire]

And see, invisibility is an action.

[Hal]

Friends, you better be thinking about your look for the gala. I want to hear it.

[Azune]

What?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Thinking about your look for the gala. I only have one look.

[Hal]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Having. This is your last night before the gala. Is there any clandestine magpie business you guys want to get up to on this last night before.

[Bolaire]

I want to know about the paint.

[Murray]

I want to know about those paints.

[Bolaire]

I want to know about those paints. And if those paints have been tampered with. I want to talk to you to. I want to just.

[Murray]

Oh, wait, no. I just added a shield to my inventory. You know what? It's fine. I'll know what it is. I'll remember.

[Bolaire]

Yeah. I want to talk to a Crow Keeper. If I have. If the paint's been fucked with, then I want to interrogate a Crow Keeper.

[Azune]

You are a Crow Keeper.

[Bolaire]

I know.

[Azune]

Aha.

[Bolaire]

Oh, yeah.

[Murray]

Paint's been fucked with. I think this was the plan.

[Hal]

I want to talk to a Crow Keeper.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, me too.

[Azune]

He's screaming in you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Do you guys want to head out to the address you have that night?

[Murray]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, please. Okay, let's fucking go. Taking off from the. Taking off from the seven stars. Let me just make sure one thing here. Okay, good, good, good. Taking off from. This is correct. Good. My timeline is correct. Managing three various tables, just making sure that all the timelines line up okay. You see? Duh duh duh. Okay, copy that. Heading out from the seven Stars, your normal meeting place, you aware that Verin has his money, that Orys has the food stocks and plants. Elodie just signed over 300 gold pieces to you. You have your spell glyphs. Everything is moving along. You know that this effort, whatever you're calling this organization with its little magpie symbol, you are at the moment where a small handful of kindling has just started to spark and light. You don't have gold for this to last even more than a week, but it has started. And things that are the hardest step is for a thing to begin to move as it moves forward. You head off into the Tanners. You arrive at 17 Hanehdrash Lane. Tanner's is so named for the leather workers that have historically always been here and that the macerating of dead flesh is an extremely noxious business. So this neighborhood smells of leather working in industrial waste that oozes off the side of the mountain into the far eastern edge of Lake Nahumi. Lake Nahomi is incredibly beautiful, but the fast clean waters of the River Vrosh do land in that lake and then absorb all of the waste that runs out of the city. So what is bright frothing mountain rapid water eventually enters the deep murky green of Lake Nahami. And then the Tanners perched on the edge, walking in this neighborhood. Not only is this the place where Azune you came to find Thimble's body way back on the day of. Oh, this is where it was. This is where it was. This is the same neighborhood. You also see perhaps one of the strangest elements of the Tanners is the family that chose to build their manor here. Because up on the cliff is Obramis Manor. Oh yeah, the home of the Taconis. You are avoid the dimly lit, tall arching gothic windows of that manor house. Even absent any present family members, the windows of that place seem like eyes gazing out menacingly over this discarded footnote of the city. Moving through the Tanners, you arrive at Hanehdrash Lane. This lane is small. This neighborhood is one of the older ones in the city. It is not built for ease of travel, so there are a lot of Haneda Drosh would be something that no one would know where that was unless you'd grown up in the city. It's four blocks that curl around in a forgotten maze like corner of this neighborhood. Arriving there, you look and see where 17 Hana Drosh Lane should be, because you see 15 and you see 19 and there's just blank wall and there is a bricked up doorway.

[Hal]

Blank wall, bricked up doorway.

[Bolaire]

I want to look around.

[Murray]

Who'd be willing to bet that there's a secret door somewhere?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hmm.

[Bolaire]

What else is around here? I know there's a wall with a bricked up doorway. Are there gutters? If a cart had been put out outside, where could it be visible from?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You look up, we've established that you're someone with a book of architecture in your home. Looking up at the wall, you see that there are flat white granite lintel covers, which makes you think that this wall is not the wall of a structure, but the wall of a courtyard.

[Hal]

Okay, is there maybe you said, and I missed. Is there other anything across the road from this or are we in view of multiple vantage points across the road from you?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see there's a very small window with that diamond lattice, thick sort of almost opaque glass in a small doorway. You do see outside that door, the one that faces this blank wall, there is a small, wet and already disintegrating paper bag with a small burned out candle in it from someone who celebrated candle feast yesterday. Wow.

[Bolaire]

Okay, I'm going to go examine that little area. If someone was sitting there, I want to see. I want to see who lives next door across the street from this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me an investigation check.

[Murray]

All right.

[Azune]

While he's doing that, I'm remembering the safe house that I found Thimble in and that there was a kind of secret trigger. I'm going to start to look around here to see if there's something like that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me investigation.

[Bolaire]

Okay, 15.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

15. What do we get on this?

[Azune]

I got a six.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Six. Place is sealed up tight.

[Murray]

Yeah.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

On a 15 investigation after workout, you look at the door and see that hanging from the doorway here is a small braided cord on the latch that you recognize as a tool that halflings and gnomes often use when they are living in a place that is built for larger form. So it's an assistive aid for them to get into and out of where they are walking. So there's a halfling living in here with a small little candle feast thing, which is not unheard of for there to be halflings as part of the creed, but it's certainly not common. And on a 15, you smell coming right to the door. Incense.

[Bolaire]

Hmm. The lights are off. There's no candles in the house. There's no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The lights are off. Give me a history check if you'd be so kind.

[Bolaire]

Don't be a dick. Yay. This is 16, 17, 22.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You recognize the smell of this incense immediately? They burn this incense and see no evil in Potter's Field. The tavern where you traveled to meet Albris Dryme far earlier in this campaign. A secret where warlocks and demons and other creatures train.

[Bolaire]

And how fresh is this stale incense?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Or just active burning right now?

[Azune]

Okay.

[Bolaire]

Do we let them know or let

[Murray]

them know that we're here?

[Hal]

Yeah.

[Bolaire]

So do we just barge in?

[Azune]

Maybe we can sneak in.

[Murray]

I think a little sneaky. Sneaky is in order.

[Hal]

I plant a hand on Azune's shoulder and Balare's shoulder, flanking Murray. Let's get up to some mischief. Magpies. And the word magpies reverberates in the back of your mind. I cast a to each of you three. Not me. You three. Gain that additional five hit points and maximum up five.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Azune]

Max HP modifier.

[Hal]

Protect the green bean. Bard, please.

[Murray]

Yes.

[Bolaire]

How big is this building?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Would you say this is like an extremely small. This looks like some kind of retrofitted workshop or something else that's tucked into this larger squat building across the street. You think this building is no more than 15ft wide and probably goes deeper into the blood. Almost like those old tenement railroad apartment kind of places.

[Bolaire]

And it probably has something below is my guess.

[Murray]

Yes, I will. I'd like to just give a little bit of a disclosure that I spent a lot of energy building these glyphs today, so I'm a little low on my slots, a little low on gas. So I'm just letting y' all know that as we go into this. I don't think it's going to be a problem. I don't think it's going to be a problem. Okay,

[Azune]

hang back.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What do you guys want? Want to do?

[Bolaire]

I'm happy to knock on the door. Or do we want to sneak in?

[Murray]

Sneak in?

[Azune]

There's no window.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

There is a window. It's just opaque. It's like thick old amber runny glass. Of course.

[Bolaire]

Well, better safe than sorry. I'm going to detect thoughts again.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You cast detect thoughts, and I believe that detects surface thoughts than rather regardless of saving throw. Correct?

[Hal]

Yes.

[Bolaire]

And it also will tell me how many conscious creatures that are conscious creatures that know languages or are telepathic. I don't have to read, but I will know how many are within 30ft. Unless they're blocked by a foot of stone, dirt or wood, or 1 inch of metal or a thin sheet of Lead. And then I have to be able to see them to get more than there are people.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Directly on the other side of the amber glass is a creature who directly underside of the glass is a creature who immediately becomes aware that you are aware of it because it's casting the exact same spell that you are. You are suddenly dancing on the edge of the mind of a creature dancing on the edge of your mind through the glass that you should be able to see but can't. It is so close that but for this sheet of glass you could reach out and touch each other. And all of you watch as from nothing a paper pale, anemic and sallow looking halfling is standing looking out of the very bottom of the window. And in your mind bolair. As you catch their thoughts on each

[Bolaire]

other,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

you hear belated happy candle feast.

[Bolaire]

Belated to you as well.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Should I set out some chairs? You recognize this face? You've seen this guy at See no Evil before? I don't know that you would know his name or not, but you recognize his face.

[Bolaire]

I think that would be lovely.

[Murray]

Yep, there goes sneaky sneaky. Let's go.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He opens the door and you see there is a very small table with a halfling sized chair and he pulls a human sized kitchen table over it and gestures to some larger chairs that are lined up against the wall. It smells amazing in here. Rich incense and deep floral arrangements. It smells so good that it starts to set you on edge because there's only one reason to put this many good smelling things somewhere. And you wonder what you're not able to smell in this place.

[Bolaire]

I imagine I'm at this point getting the cursory read thoughts from him. I just want to see if there's any general ill intent, fear or otherwise. Again, I'm not going deep, I'm getting a no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see that he looks at you and says in your mind, would you like to mutually disarm? Certainly.

[Bolaire]

I honestly, I just want to make sure that you have an opportunity to see that we would much prefer for this to not end in violence. And I just wanted to make sure that you felt the same.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You feel an earnest sense of the same and a sense that you sense a feeling in his mind of a disruption in a routine that while surprising is not unsurprising in that he is a guard. He watches that wall. And so this was expected while unexpected.

[Bolaire]

Oh, well, that's lovely then. And I'm just making sure I don't. Oh, and is there anyone else here or is it just us?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Just us in this building. I have friends across the. Excellent.

[Bolaire]

I would hope so.

[Hal]

Insight check.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me an insight check.

[Hal]

It's 16.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It seems truthful. He sits in a smaller halfling sized chair. And as he sits, he leans backwards. And coming to a rest, he looks up and his eyes get brighter as his body starts to vanish. He closes his eyes and is gone. And then comes back and says, oh, jeez, I can't quite stop that. Let me. And you see, he takes out a small. Tapping a small gauntlet that looks like a fidget where it has little snapping metal bands in it. And he keeps himself moving as you get the sensation that if he remains still, he cannot stop himself from being cloaked in shadow and disappearing. Interesting.

[Hal]

Full on invisible or disappearing into darkness.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Darkness.

[Hal]

Okay.

[Bolaire]

Did you learn that or is that inevitable? That was so interesting.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Never look a gift invocation in the mouth.

[Bolaire]

Truer words.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm happy to meet you all. Have you come seeking knife and pigment? It says knife and palette pigments.

[Bolaire]

Actually, while we are very interested in your business, we were hoping to gather some information about a friend of ours who commissioned a special order some time ago. I know that's unusual, but we were hoping you would make an exception for a bit of a conversation.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I am, as ever, open to conversation. But I understand you are not here pursuing a contract. You are not in the business of buying paints.

[Bolaire]

Not yet.

[Murray]

Yeah, not yet. We might be interested.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Lovely. Well, what might I delay for you?

[Bolaire]

I can continue unless.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And harud. I am Hollis.

[Murray]

Hollis. Nice to meet you, Hollis.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Kinneywater.

[Murray]

Killywater.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Kinny Water.

[Murray]

Kinny water.

[Bolaire]

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I know I've seen you around before.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

We do frequent some of the steam establishments, yes,

[Bolaire]

much to my chagrin. We had a friend who commissioned some pigments six

[Hal]

weeks ago.

[Bolaire]

Seven weeks ago.

[Hal]

Five or six.

[Bolaire]

Specifically magical pigment. They brought over something to be mixed into a paint. It was a white paint, if I recall. With a very complicated magical build. It seems like very little, but it's just a surface read of it. It's actually quite a complex. Complex spell underneath it. Cards on the table since they would have had says.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm not acquainted with all of the workings of my mistress's endeavors. However, it doesn't sound unlikely the situation you're proposing. We have been very busy these past several weeks. He looks over at you and says, forgive the look of recognition, but do I speak to an honored member of the Fang family now?

[Hal]

I was wondering if you'd make that connection.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Well, our Dear beloved ones do leave a mess when they depart, don't they? I understand. Now that I look at the bereaved who must be here picking up pieces. My condolences. Truly. My mistress is a very private woman. Might I understand that you are seeking more than simply confirmation that we worked with your late brother. You are seeking to understand, perhaps, some elements of what that work entailed.

[Hal]

Well, I think when we lose loved ones, we often find hanging threads.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And I am

[Hal]

just trying to know my brother better.

[Murray]

You're correct, to speak plainly, but you already knew that, didn't you?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

How did you come to find this place, if I might ask? Not even the pixie knew that we were here.

[Murray]

Well, you see those hanging threads, if you just give them a little tug.

[Bolaire]

Yeah, A delightful mix of clever and desperate.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Dangerous combination. It seems that those great powers moving upon the face of Ahriman have made the desperate clever. And have made the clever desperate

[Murray]

well prefer the latter. Lord,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I would be more than happy to make introductions, but my mistress will be very cross with me if I do not give her ample warning. You. Information, as ever, is a valuable currency, and my mistress does not exactly truck in gold.

[Murray]

What might she be interested in?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He looks around and says, The mechanods came by See no Evil the other night in search of a lion man.

[Hal]

Yes, that's right.

[Azune]

How are they?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Terrible.

[Bolaire]

Excellent.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I think they've failed miserably. What? I would, I don't know if you saw the withered luminara outside my establishment here. It's important to keep up appearances, you know. My mistress is not from around here, and she is ever fascinated by elements of faith. She does not truck in gold, but perhaps in introductions, yes.

[Murray]

By introductions, do you mean alliances?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Well, that's her business, not mine.

[Bolaire]

I sell introductions. They are one of my favorite commodities.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I've heard that a very important young lord has gone missing recently. Rumor sounds like more than one half, but the one that I'm thinking of is Sion of the House of Halothar. Do you know whom I speak? I believe he played some role in the coming of your theater.

[Hal]

No, it's pretty public.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, well, those Hailuvars do like to stand on balconies and promontories and various lecterns and let their faces be seen by the wide, wide world. I think my mistress would be very keen to tell you everything you might want to know for a very special introduction like that one.

[Bolaire]

That would be a bit complicated at the moment, since the whereabouts, the aforementioned missing aspect of what you're Requesting missing is quite missing. Sadly.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He nods. Well, she will certainly grant an audience.

[Murray]

How does he know that? How does he know that? Is he in communication with her right now?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me insight. Check with advantage.

[Hal]

Is the mistress with us in the room right now?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, that's right.

[Bolaire]

That would be, well, likely.

[Murray]

Insight with advantage. It's not super great, but that's okay. It's 1212.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hard to read this little creep.

[Hal]

And are you the broker, or are you merely a herald?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm just a humble doorman, but I will pass along your desire to meet with her. And she's indisposed at the moment, but as soon as she becomes available, I'll reach out and maybe you can come by and get a tour of our workshop.

[Bolaire]

My last question, a question before we go that you might be able to answer is what is the likelihood of something of a commission getting tampered with? Considering that, from what I understand, ingredients are occasionally left outside so that they may not not know the proper entrance to this establishment. Has it ever happened before? And if it had, who would be responsible

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

would be quite impossible to tamper with the mistress's goods. Although I suppose it's a matter of semantics. Some might say that all my mistress has ever done is tamper. Mr. Fang, if I may recuse myself from my professional duties and obligations to knife and pallet pigments and speak as a matter of personal favorite favor.

[Hal]

Not all yours.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It was never supposed to come to you in the manner that it did. This gift. It is my belief, having heard it directly from his mouth, that he wished to give it to you himself. He simply ran out of time.

[Hal]

Thank you for your frank kindness.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I shall endeavor to place you on her schedule at her nearest convenience. But of course, spots do open up from time to time, and for all sorts of reasons.

[Bolaire]

Okay, well, for this, I will happily interrupt many of my duties over the next few hours. And there is a gala coming up, so that is always on the table to be discussed as proper payment for services rendered. If one does desire introductions.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, my mistress is in no condition to attend a gala. Shame.

[Azune]

It's gonna be a banner. Processing what he just said to Hal, it almost like replays in my mind as I'm watching him. I'd like to. Insight check.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, go for it.

[Azune]

That moment, I'm gonna use a luck point.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah,

[Murray]

I also have luck points. Let me start.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

16 on a 16. On a 16. There's something funny about this creepy little guy. Definitely. There's no way he's embroiled you in his Machinations. What? He was going to wait here in the Tanners until you guys stumbled by in the middle of the night while he, you know, he's here doing something that he's supposed to be doing. You sense a degree of earnestness in the response. And something foul is going on here. But you also don't know that foul means bad or that foul means wrong here.

[Azune]

Yeah, not all of that is my business.

[Bolaire]

I know that he comes from bad people. And we've already discussed bad people. Yes, very, very bad people.

[Murray]

The big question is like, I'm curious. She wants to meet Wakander. I wonder what her allegiances are. It doesn't feel like their allegiances to Halabar are that strong at all. If he's talking about keeping up appearances, do I get. Can I do. While all this is happening, Murray's been pretty quiet, scanning the room and seeing if anything jumps out at me. Anything that feels like a point of interest. I know I'm not being specific on what I'm looking for, but I don't know anything that even. Just

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

give me investigation or an arcana check. Whichever you prefer.

[Hal]

Eyeball that glove too.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It makes a very pleasant little noise every time he taps his thumb.

[Murray]

I'm assuming.

[Hal]

I want 1.

[Murray]

Investigation vs Arcana will give me different answers.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Theoretically, they'll give you slightly different answers.

[Bolaire]

I actually would love to hit arcana about the glove or about his condition. Okay, do that on the outside, though. I don't need it now.

[Murray]

I'm going to do investigation. It's a little bit lower, but that's kinda what I'm looking for here. Ugh, gross. 11. You know what? No, I have to say ahead of time if I'm gonna use a luck point.

[Azune]

11, do you have a row of inspiration still? Because that will give you a reroll and I think I gave it to you this time.

[Murray]

You did. I used it at the top for my profession. Egg action.

[Azune]

Check.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'll allow you to use a luck for a re roll here. If I'm feeling. I'm feeling kind.

[Murray]

You're feeling nice.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm feeling nice.

[Murray]

Something about that heebie jeebies. Oh, my God. Well, I guess that's good karma. 12. I rolled a six and then a seven, so 12.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

On investigations, you look and see sort of humble little apartment. There doesn't seem to be anything. It's so humble that it's disconcerting. Little cans of see, there's canned fish appear over a sink, some small cookware, a lot of arrangements of dark red roses. And flowers. There's incense burning. A lot of the tapestry is a big healthy carpet that soaked up a lot of the incense. Smell over time, a little bit soporific.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He looks and says,

[Azune]

and you wanted

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

to make an arcana or no?

[Bolaire]

Yeah. Just because this is interesting and I want to figure out if it's him, if it's the glove, if there's anything going on there. Because this is fascinating.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That's a 1818. The glove appears to be non magical. It just keeps him moving so he doesn't start to disappear.

[Azune]

Got it.

[Bolaire]

So it's just. It's a natural reaction. It's not even magic at that point.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It looks like he has a heightened version of an invocation that you're familiar with, which is to be one with the shadows. But he wanted one that didn't require active effort.

[Hal]

If he's totally still, he's invisible. Because if he wants to be present to talk to someone, he has to be in motion. Be in motion. And the fidget of the glove helps him. Keeps going. Fascinating. That's fucking awesome.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I want his hand.

[Bolaire]

How clever.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I want your hand. Who's the freak here now? This guy wants my hand.

[Murray]

Do you have any idea before we leave how long your mistress is going to be indisposed? Is she away on holiday?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She's made a pilgrimage for candle feast.

[Murray]

Oh, fantastic.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see? He says.

[Bolaire]

Bloody holiday.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Her intention was to return this coming priest's day.

[Azune]

How many days away from us is that?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The day after opening night.

[Murray]

Okay, so we need a little day of the week calendar.

[Bolaire]

You don't have any information about what. What that paint might have done or what sort of effect it is supposed to have? I can imagine that's very unlikely.

[Hal]

Yes. And Hollis, you've been very forthright. I appreciate it. As a brother seeking answers or clarity about a lost loved one, I beseech you. Is there anything you can tell me about my brother's business here?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me a persuasion check. And this I think I. Give me a persuasion check.

[Murray]

I wish I could help you some way.

[Bolaire]

This is phenomenal, but I don't have any.

[Murray]

Please. Roll high sense.

[Hal]

It's a 19.

[Murray]

Okay, that's good.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He. Dark and dismal were the places of this world that your brother tread. Well, you know it. Fearsome things did he see? I am not at liberty to share my mistress's business. Which was the business of your late brother. On this matter were their interests aligned. My mistress, your brother and those your brother worked with know this. Though I cannot share what is not mine to share. None of us have sought to put you or the people of this city in harm's way. We have ruined something. And the thing we have ruined deserved it. That is all that has given leave to me to say. But what you fear is ill placed in this regard. Just know that if he were here, he would tell you all he has friends left. Aside from my mistress, Mr. Fang, there are other places to look for answers that are not sworn to such secrecy as I. If you have not the patience to wait until the priest's day comes,

[Azune]

He

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

turns from you and on that 18, Looks out and says, but you did travel all this way. And he puts a thumb on his mouth and says. Saw the soldiers from the Brethren hall out clearing the cliffs of falcons nests the other day. Curiosity that. I wonder why. Goodness knows, there's enough pigeons in the city. Can't imagine the falcons were doing anyone any harm. You see that? He gestures towards the door.

[Murray]

The Aussie had a falcon with him. Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Good evening. Good evening.

[Bolaire]

And next we meet a drink.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I look forward to it.

[Bolaire]

Cheers.

[Hal]

The hospitality was appreciated.

[Bolaire]

What?

[Azune]

I'm ready.

[Murray]

Yeah, let's go.

[Bolaire]

That smell is divine.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You guys head out? Yes. With an invitation to come back inside. Several days time.

[Bolaire]

Phenomenal.

[Hal]

So that's a lead. And the falcon's nest's a lead.

[Azune]

The falcon's nest has been cleared for days. Interesting. Because I noticed it immediately.

[Murray]

Yeah. I remember this happened, right. This happened in game.

[Azune]

I remember this happened in game. The falcons had been cleared. And I immediately assumed that it was just another

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

knife.

[Murray]

Yeah. Like a symbolic gesture. Right.

[Azune]

And I didn't call much attention. I was afraid I was being watched. But I had always had this gut instinct that there must be some evidence there, which I doubt is still there. I didn't know that he had this falcon companion. And now I'm thinking that that's a loose end that they maybe were searching for 100%.

[Bolaire]

What happened? The falcons, when they're cleared, where did they go?

[Murray]

Yeah, where do they go? Do you know, Azune, if they killed the falcons or relocated them. There is the other element that we

[Bolaire]

were

[Murray]

rolling around in our heads. That maybe there was a falcon that was a shapeshifter. That maybe they were looking for somebody.

[Azune]

I'll take a look tomorrow morning when I go to find and see if I see any leftover evidence. But I assumed that they just killed them. But I was. It was the day after the execution. I don't think I had my head on right.

[Bolaire]

A lot's been happening. Can't catch everything.

[Hal]

Look to the sky at the end.

[Murray]

Just like your brother.

[Hal]

That's what I mean. I mean in the last moments.

[Murray]

Oh, you mean your brother.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Azune]

So many secrets.

[Murray]

And we're sure that we've. Researched and done as much digging as we can in Theazzi's abode that there's nothing left there. I mean, his house was tossed by the Crow Keepers.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Maria. I think it's possible, too, that Tim would know of other places other than his main dwelling place that he might have had hidden around the city.

[Murray]

Temple's not here. Okay, so we know that that's the same shit that was going on at See no Evil. See no Evil is also where Teor almost got his shadow chopped up and ripped from. From his body. Correct.

[Azune]

See no Evil is a tailor.

[Bolaire]

No, no, it's a pup.

[Murray]

It's a bar. It's a demon bar.

[Azune]

It's a demon bar. Did we go there?

[Murray]

I don't think we did. Okay, this is me talking.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolaire]

I'm a semi regular.

[Azune]

Got it.

[Murray]

So we know that it's a demon bar. We know that the Halovars have sort

[Azune]

of their turf in a way.

[Murray]

Right? And they have their. Yeah, what's the word I'm looking for? What tyranny is to wig.

[Azune]

Aspirin.

[Murray]

An aspirin. So they have their aspirants. So this is clearly some Halovar shit that's happening.

[Bolaire]

It's a good place to get something done when no one's really gonna pay attention professionally.

[Azune]

They've.

[Murray]

Also, we know that also he's burning a fuckton of incense, probably to conceal the smell of blood and decay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Bolaire]

Brimstone. Just like what we sure does a lot of things.

[Murray]

Do we go back and do a little pally stuff? Little, huh?

[Hal]

Is it too early to smell sense? Paladin sensei?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I can't.

[Azune]

I can detect magic, but I cannot.

[Murray]

I'm wondering if we go and take a closer look at the paints and do a little. Do a little divine sense.

[Azune]

I think we should do the paints. I think we need to taste the paint.

[Murray]

I feel like we need to drink paint. Do we go huff and drink paint?

[Bolaire]

Time for paint huffing has.

[Azune]

I'm gonna go on a limb in a way. Of course. As we're walking, I think we got a few answers for sure. That Theazi. Whatever happened here with the paints, it was all according to his plan, 100%. And so there was no tampering?

[Bolaire]

No, there wasn't anything.

[Azune]

It was exactly what he wanted. The one thing that he didn't get. Was he didn't get to hand it

[Hal]

to you, apparently, and explain it.

[Azune]

And explain it. But all of this was according to ruined 100%. They ruined something that deserved to be ruined.

[Murray]

Maybe whatever this ritual was that was going down. We have confirmation that a ritual was attempting to be put in place. We know. So here's my grand theory. A little bit going on. Here's what I'm working with.

[Hal]

After a little bit. Or in.

[Murray]

We're in. We're in. At this point, what is uncertain to me is how in the know Thiazi was of this grand plan versus how much he may have gotten himself into if he got himself into a sticky situation and started realizing it as it was playing out and then tried to pivot. So it's clear from what we know with Halvar and Taconis being frenzies frenemies. What we know is that there was a ritual attempt that happened at House Divinos that failed. That Octys was involved in. We know that. Sorry. Trying to get it.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Hal]

Yeah.

[Murray]

We know that Thiazi had beef with the Taconuses. He was clearly confronted by the Taconis guards. This was after. So he put all of this in motion with the paints that are clearly made for some sort of ritual. And then he went to go get that Stone of Night Song. Was he instructed or hired to go get the Stone of Night Song? Or did he start to realize what the larger machinations were of this grand plan and that he went off to go get the Stone of Nightsong before House Ciconis could find it? In an effort to try and thwart whatever this plan was so that this

[Azune]

was all efforts for him to undo what he then learned he was a part of in setting an right, maybe

[Murray]

unintentionally, maybe he got himself into a little bit of shit. That is giving a lot of grace. Right? That's giving a lot of grace to him. I hope it's not the opposite. That maybe he was an instrument in some sort of massive destruction. A grand plan from House Deconis. But we have the Stone of Nightsong, which is anchoring Octys body to this realm. And he's kind of. He's in between a realm of death in a realm of life. At this. We know he was also searching for this casket that we have this weird box that's got your sister in it. Apparently, that is also tied to. I mean, it's got a trapped God in it. A dead God in it.

[Bolaire]

No idea.

[Murray]

And from my vision, we know that they were probably trying to turn octys into some sort of angel of death. To go.

[Azune]

That was the stone of Nightsong's intent, right?

[Murray]

To go and wreak havoc on the Golden Orchard, on the faerie, on the realm of the fae.

[Azune]

I just think that.

[Murray]

Is Taconus trying to bring back a God, or is Takonis trying to enslave and capture and try and bring back some God? Is like an undead God of death that is under the control of Primus Taconus. And was Octis basically meant to be like a proxy? Was he supposed to be the anchor, like a soul anchor, like a vessel?

[Bolaire]

Oh, no.

[Hal]

Oh, no. That part seems pretty clear.

[Azune]

Yes, but the paints, how do they then relate to this? Seems like two separate things.

[Murray]

Well, because what we do know from my vision that we had on the candle, that was meant to fast track this ritual. But as we've already learned, there is still a way to go about that. Yes, but it's going to be a little bit more long and complicated.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Right.

[Murray]

And we know that the theater is. Some shit's gonna go down at the theater. Yes, there's something important at the theater. And we know that there's this. The paints are made of blood, as we just saw in some. Some Halovar den of paint and pigment secrecy.

[Bolaire]

We don't know that the paints are made of blood. Do I think you're making a big.

[Hal]

Enjoy the artist doing the red yarn drawings of Murray?

[Bolaire]

I know it was. I'm. It's getting a little. I think you're going.

[Murray]

You said that about my other theory about all of this with the paints and thiazi. And I was fucking right. I just want to tell you.

[Bolaire]

Not about all of it.

[Azune]

I wonder if these are two different. Because, look, here's the thing. The Aussie seem to be intent on thwarting what the Taconis family was attempting to.

[Hal]

No, he had no love for them. He had no love for any of the sundered houses. He wouldn't carry water for any of the sundered houses.

[Azune]

He seemed to be helping facilitate the transfer of the paints to the hollowed round. He didn't leave you a message to say, throw the paints out. He said, the paints are waiting for you.

[Bolaire]

Literally, apparently, is the last act.

[Murray]

I mean, what if the Azzy knew of what this plan was and was just trying to get there first? Just trying to do it first before it ended up in the hands of Primus Daconis also, I think. What do you mean? You did not. What do you mean? That does not Sound like him. All of you think. Especially coming from you, Belair, who hated.

[Bolaire]

I hated him and believed.

[Murray]

I don't know why you all think that he wouldn't get his hands a little bit dirty in this situation right now.

[Hal]

All I. All ideas welcome here.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Hal]

All ideas welcome here.

[Bolaire]

The casket.

[Hal]

I don't know how it changes what we do right now.

[Azune]

I don't think it does. I think we need to look at the cat.

[Murray]

I want to go lick paint.

[Bolaire]

You are more than happy to. Let's go the casket, though. That does make sense. With that in mind, that is what my sister would be for, is binding a God to a person. Yeah, that is. That makes absolute sense.

[Murray]

This is the Taconis house that we were talking about. Right. I don't think it's gonna be Lord Primus to Konis himself going and knocking on Thiazi's door and being like, yo, you wanna team up? Like he could have some sort of intermediary.

[Hal]

Yes, Several.

[Murray]

Several intermediaries that made Thiazi think that he was doing something altruistic. And then as he began to get. Get deeper into this, you realize, oopsies could be. I got played. Let's go lick paint.

[Hal]

I'm not arguing with you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No, no, no.

[Azune]

But I don't feel there's reason for both of those houses to be working with each other.

[Murray]

Correct.

[Bolaire]

I feel like either way, we're going to learn a valuable lesson in the next hour or so. So. I'm a big fan of. Let's go see what happens when someone licks paint.

[Azune]

Let's go do that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Heading to the hallowed round.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Hal]

I think I'm just gonna add that Hal is listening to these two especially bickering and kune trying to mediate. And Hal is just sinking inward and missing his fucking brother and doesn't want to hear any of it. And then we go for a walk.

[Murray]

Yeah, let's go for a walk.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes. You go for a walk.

[Azune]

I'm gonna take a quick little break.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

A little bite. Yes.

[Hal]

Go for it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, yes, yes. Do your thing, Marie. Go ahead. As you get to the hallowed round and see the delightful theater here in the moonlight, you go to the Amphora, which still has the paint within it. Tell me what you do.

[Hal]

It's definitely lead paint. You are definitely growing a second belly button.

[Murray]

That's fine. I got spells to fix. Um.

[Hal]

Magic mouth.

[Murray]

Okay, hang on. Let me look at my shit. Let me make sure that I'm not. I'm shaking right now. This is probably a bad Idea.

[Bolaire]

Well, we'll find out.

[Hal]

Working on my shit.

[Bolaire]

And again, I'm happy to. I'm happy to ingest some if that would make you.

[Hal]

You're not a bio organic porcelain.

[Bolaire]

No, I'll make Hindu. You just get another. Have you get another body.

[Murray]

So you have taste buds?

[Bolaire]

Yes, of course. Well, I borrow them.

[Hal]

He has taste.

[Bolaire]

I can borrow them.

[Murray]

Well, this is actually. This is interesting now. Fuck it. This is my thing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Tomorrow is the day of the gala. You guys are heading out. It's probably like about 1 o' clock in the morning as you turn.

[Murray]

This is gonna be our last.

[Bolaire]

I'm not going to sleep until I see her lick paint.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

All right. I'll go up to one of the emphoris.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

Take my pinky.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

Do a little. Little.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

What color do you pick? Cyan. Magenta.

[Murray]

Cyan.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Beautiful.

[Murray]

Yeah. I'm gonna do a little sniff test. And then. And I kind of want to do like an arcana check, but I want to taste it. What's it say? It does taste like.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me arana. Do you know what buck tastes like?

[Hal]

Wait a second. Wait a second. Wait a second. Wait.

[Bolaire]

I don't know why I even bothered.

[Hal]

Come here. Come here. I stand right in front of you and I basically just send. Right? This is like actor yoga shit. And I just brush away the bad feelings and touch my hands to your temple. I'm not arguing with you. And that burrows into your brain. And I cast enhance ability. And for intelligence. What are you about to do? You're about to do some investigation. Arcana advantage on investig and intelligence checks.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yeah.

[Bolaire]

All right.

[Hal]

So you're now at advantage to do it.

[Azune]

You're about to. You're at the paints.

[Murray]

I'm at the paints. I also. Well, okay. I have one last portent as well that's sitting in an 18. But he also just gave me advantage on intelligence checks.

[Hal]

What is.

[Murray]

Maybe I should save this in case this goes bad.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Portent replaces rolls.

[Murray]

Right? It replaces rolls.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So you can roll and dice.

[Hal]

So roll two dice. If they both suck, you get a third die.

[Murray]

All right.

[Azune]

I can help too. Is the paint just right in front of us? Are you.

[Murray]

I did a little.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You did okay.

[Bolaire]

I can help too.

[Murray]

I'm about to.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, good luck.

[Murray]

I'm about to do it. Good luck.

[Azune]

Here's what I do. As you're about to do it, I get right in front of you and I put my hand on your chest and I say, I'm already I'm learning about how things Remember not just, but things themselves. And what you taught me about the candle was that as we go back and try to remember the thing that was, we start to tap into the memories of those that made it. And along with that memory is the intention, the hope of what this thing was meant to do. I'm going to cast guidance on you. And you go through a Rolodex of memories that takes you right back to

[Hal]

the last time you.

[Azune]

You were looking at this paint and trying to dive into it.

[Murray]

Yes, When I did my last augury, when I was sitting in here and pulling all of that and pulling all that. So that gives me a D4.

[Hal]

Let's go. Roll the D4 first.

[Murray]

I'm gonna roll the D4 first plus one.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay.

[Murray]

Lame, but that's okay.

[Azune]

Something.

[Murray]

It's something. Okay, so that's gonna add a plus 10 to this roll with my. Because it's an arcana check, right?

[Hal]

220 with a third if you need. Come on, baby, let's go.

[Murray]

20. Come on, come on. Okay, it's a 16 and a 17.

[Bolaire]

Oh. I mean, don't fuck with me.

[Murray]

That's good. I'll take the 17. I'll leave my portent in case shit goes bad. So that's going to put me at 27.

[Bolaire]

That's very good.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, 27. Arcana check. Mm.

[Hal]

It tastes like Sour Patch Kids. Oh, man.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Blue paint, cyan mouth energy from your companions, your fellow magpies. You peer remembering the spell that allow you to detect the underlying act going on here in this place.

[Hal]

Is it whispers?

[Murray]

These are whispers.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hey.

[Hal]

Wow. This whisper, brought to you by Liam's sense of existential dread.

[Azune]

No, no.

[Bolaire]

Freeze frame.

[Azune]

Yep.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

It's so.

[Azune]

So it's the most.

[Bolaire]

This is fine Manha face I've seen you make in quite a while.

[Azune]

He's just not even breathing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, my God.

[Bolaire]

Yeah, no, he'll stay that way for hours. I've seen it happen.

[Azune]

It's like pro level disassociating, so.

[Bolaire]

Jelly.

[Hal]

I know.

[Azune]

You should give workshops on this.

[Hal]

Oh, man.

[Azune]

When do we start to worry?

[Bolaire]

20, 27.

[Azune]

When do we start to worry? Too late.

[Bolaire]

Yeah. No, worrying is passe.

[Hal]

I was in the 90s. It was great.

[Bolaire]

And you were there. And you were there. You weren't there.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

If you need any further context, you let me know.

[Murray]

I'm like, I'm shaking.

[Azune]

What?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh,

[Murray]

pull. Everyone, pull up every note you have about the Stone of Light song.

[Bolaire]

Oh, wow. We're going there, are we?

[Murray]

Oh, my God. Okay. All right, all right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I had A whole thing where.

[Murray]

Hang on, hold, hold. What did I learn about this fucking is. Okay, we can look at it. We can look for it meanwhile.

[Hal]

But then context is context.

[Murray]

All right? You see Murray visibly. Visibly shaken right now. She gets that white out look across in her eyes as she's. My voice is shaking as she's reaching back. And everything that Izuni just told her in this flood of memory. And everything is remembering and remembering and remembering. And so it's like a slideshow just smashes across her vision in her head. This is connected to the stone Nightsong. It's got the same buzzing frequency that we held that stone. The weight that. The gravitational weight. Oh, I remember as I held it aloft in the pool, the cosmic pool on space time. It's the same. These paints are the same. It's.

[Azune]

Is it blood?

[Murray]

No, but the blood was a key component. It was rendered from blood. It is no longer blood, but it's like they rendered the paints from blood to create stories, to create dreams, to create figments, to create things that are not real. And it has the same signature of the Night Song, but almost as if it's the negative of it. Like it's the photo negative energy of the Stone of Night Song. Interesting. Does any of this make sense? It's no longer. But it came from blood.

[Bolaire]

I mean, I have a theory, but it's just a theory.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, interesting.

[Bolaire]

I'm gonna walk over to the painting. Are we in the theater or.

[Hal]

If we're at the. Where the.

[Azune]

Where the paint's.

[Hal]

Where we ate raw paint.

[Azune]

That's where.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, we were like in the back

[Hal]

of the theater, then we are not. If we're at the hallowed round, that's all outdoor except for, you know, so like an ample. Is this big wraparound and built in the. So here's the stage where my hands are. And from the edges of the stage into sort of the sides of the amphitheater, we have built wooden structures for housing props and costumes and supplies for the theater. So we're in one of those.

[Bolaire]

Interesting, interesting.

[Murray]

I mean, we know that the Stone of Nightsong was. Was created by the Elven goddess who was used in the Shaper's War.

[Bolaire]

This is a very interesting tool.

[Murray]

It's like. And this is me jumping to conclusions. You can feel free to correct me. It's almost as if they have taken celestial divine blood that it was rendered from that is connected to this. Some sort of elven. We know, of course, that the elves are one of the longest living embodiments of the shapers. And it's. It's like they took the blood and turned it into endless possibility and the potential of dreams being turned into reality.

[Bolaire]

I'm going to. It's sitting here. There's several colors.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolaire]

Is there a wall?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Bolaire]

I'm going to dip my fingers

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

in

[Bolaire]

and I'm just going to paint a little chameleon on the wall. With the ink.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me a performance check or give me a calligrapher proficiency check.

[Bolaire]

Calligrapher proficiency. So that's. Yeah, that would be. Yeah.

[Murray]

Come on, art boy.

[Hal]

Mm.

[Bolaire]

See what happens. 22.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

A lovely, swiftly drawn image of a chameleon appears on the wall. And it rests there. Nothing happens. The theater is covered with many these beautiful murals everywhere. There's a tremendous potency and power. Anyone who wants to give me a religion check, if you'd be so kind,

[Murray]

use my religion. That's okay. I'll do it.

[Azune]

23.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

23.

[Murray]

Nine for me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Um.

[Azune]

1212.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The oldest of your number and probably the one most closely associated with religion. You. As Murray begins to state, this has an energy signature like the stone of Nightsong, but opposite. You think about Hollis's words where he said we ruined something that deserved to be ruined. Something about blood comes back to you on that 22 religion check. The coffin of old Ballad. That was the sister of Mist, Halfling Celestial with crossing the veil. Son of Nightsong Crossing the Vale. Taconis. Crossing the veil. You were built by halflings on a 22 religion check. What are the other shapers means of crossing the veil? And I think on a 22 religion check, there is something about a river. There is something that you recall seeing in the museum about a river.

[Hal]

River.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Maybe you saw it when you were in the Celadyne Wing talking to mw. And the name comes back to you. And the name that comes back to you is. Hold on one second. Govzidra. Godzidra is a name that comes back to you from the Celadyne Wing.

[Murray]

Godzidra. Govzeedra, Govzidra.

[Bolaire]

I'm seeing if I have it in any of my notes not popping up in my nose. Interesting

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gods.

[Bolaire]

I have thoughts and honestly, I could. There's a realm where this is good. There's a realm where this is not.

[Hal]

Hal picks up a porcelain mask off of a box and hucks it as hard as he fucking can against a wooden wall. And it shatters and sprays little bits of jagged porcelain cutting his cheek. And he just strides out of the room, out in the dark, in the middle of The. The round.

[Bolaire]

I'm gonna run look at a book. I'll be back. I'll see you in the morning. Unless you want to come rifle through the museum and not sleep.

[Murray]

We've got a gala tomorrow. I gotta figure out what I'm gonna wear. I haven't done laundry in like, three weeks.

[Bolaire]

I've already got a mask for you. You'll be fine. And just in case, I'm gonna dip a little bit more paint and I'm going to paint myself on the wall. Just the mask. You two keep an eye on everything.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Uh, you head out.

[Azune]

I gotta find out.

[Murray]

Zune.

[Azune]

Fuck.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Ah.

[Azune]

Wherever he is, I follow Hal.

[Hal]

He's right out in the open, in the dark, listening to the sound of the massive tree at the rear of the stage blowing in the night. When he's just standing there, arms at his side, staring at him.

[Azune]

I just walk up right next to you. I watch you.

[Hal]

Why didn't he tell me anything? Why did he wait until the city was falling? I don't understand. I'm unprepared. I work in the fucking theater. And you hear that echo through the arena. Maybe I could have done something if he had let me in. If he had pulled me in and explained things. He didn't have to protect me. I am his family.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm sorry.

[Azune]

I don't know what to say. I wish I could tell you that maybe he intended to, but there's no way to know.

[Hal]

All his life. All his life alone, he did everything alone. And now all of us are left to pick up the pieces because not any one of us had the full picture. And now we're all.

[Bolaire]

It's the trouble with living as deceitful persons. You. Soon your lies die with you. But they don't. They just. They move themselves in on everyone around you.

[Hal]

Oh, I give you a withering gaze.

[Bolaire]

I have done my best to hold my tongue about my feelings about your brother. But this, the part of him that he hid from you, this is almost kind for him.

[Hal]

You don't have a tongue. And you have hid everything from me.

[Bolaire]

Only under threat of him.

[Hal]

Maybe Murray's right about everything. I don't know. No, you don't know. She doesn't know.

[Azune]

None of us could be.

[Hal]

So what now?

[Murray]

I'm not there. I'm still in the theater, just like I can. I can hear the echoes of the argument.

[Hal]

You would hear like 70% of this because we're in an open air, coliseum style stage area and you're about. From where we were. You're probably like 80 or 100ft away with an open doorway.

[Murray]

I've kind of made my way closer to there. But I'm not intruding in this conversation. I'm just kind of listening.

[Azune]

How in the other room, whatever it is that he set in motion was a part of setting in motion. This is the place for it. Why here? And I'm now looking at that tree. What is the story again about this place and about that tree?

[Hal]

That tree is the Runyan. That tree is our people. It is the Itoro. The gods are gone. The Rangani persist. I hope he hid enough clues for us to find on our scavenger hunt, because we have 350 swords family, an entire theater troupe, a city full of people.

[Azune]

Hal, take me to the tree.

[Hal]

I just stride toward it, my hand along the needles of the lowest branches.

[Azune]

How old is this tree?

[Hal]

As old as history.

[Azune]

I'm looking at this tree and I'm tapping into the image of the dragon with trees growing out of it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

From Temelo's card.

[Azune]

Yes. Is there any connection to those trees that I saw in this one that is standing in front of me?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Give me a arcana check. Okay.

[Azune]

I'm going to use my heroic inspiration and reroll that. Okay. 17.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You look at the tree and feel a sense of exhaustion wash over you. This is a place that was sacred to a God, that was profane to a people that maintained traditions that were sacred in the face of this and tried to find meaning in the dances they did for a being that lorded over them. And how do you continue to find meaning when the situation is as dire as this? But don't you still have to dance? And don't you still have to find a way to be there for your family? And is this paint? Or is it blood? Or is it a dream? And how do we make it mean something when it started as something so very bad and you are all on a knife's edge, exhausted, pushed to the breaking point. And I think, Hal, you look at murals that were designed by your daughter weeks and weeks and weeks ago. You were always going to need to have to decorate. You were always going to have to put all this together. What a thoughtful gift from your brother to have taken this one thing off your plate and to have hidden from you where it came from, how significant it might be your life's work tampered with by a brother who always had a great idea for what other people should be doing. He didn't give you the full picture. And last night you all decided it was safer for nobody to know too much. So maybe you're like him after all. Was he bad? Was he good? Did he realize that some things were worth the cost? And were you all part of that cost? What if you were? And that makes him an asshole, but doesn't make him wrong. This is a big fucking mess. And on that roll, I can't clean it up for you.

[Azune]

I understand.

[Murray]

Marie still is keeping her distance, but she just. You can hear the echoes of her boots, heels clacking as she kind of walks onto the stage of the amphitheater. But she's kind of skirting around the edge like a dog who knows he's in trouble. Just starts slowly moving her way away from this. Very little by little.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I think all of you. Take whatever time you need and then part ways. It's an absolutely critical day Tomorrow, Murray, you head back to the pent up room.

[Murray]

As I walk out of the theater, I turn around, going up the voms and out. And I turn around and I run my nail across my gemmed teeth and I just tell Hal I'm sorry and I go home.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Are you paranoid or are you too paranoid? The next day comes. I don't think we make a profession roll today. I think today is a day of jitters, where it takes everything you've got just to get through the day. And I think the gala approaches at night. The work of the day comes. The Lord Horondas, Iron Fasan is once again busy dealing with with house duty. Gall is being decorated. Murray Pentaveral is busy. Korah's going to this celebration at the Arcanade. How? I don't know how late you stay at the hallowed round, but do you get any of your troop ready? Do they come with you to this gala the following day?

[Hal]

Yes. They've worked too hard. Yes, yes. And I have to keep up appearances. I run a place of entertainment, art and inspiration. And I can't let on that anything is wrong for all the eyes that are watching.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

As the gala approaches, Verin pulls a list of about 20 people together to come and work the gala that he trusts. And he gives you a list of about 8 names of people that are still working with the sundred Houses. That's the list of people he trusts. Okay, it's not a long list. There's more than that working at the sundred Houses, but not anyone he can vouch for personally.

[Azune]

Does he identify which house they're working for?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Most of them are working for vassals of Royce because he was Working for them. But there is one for the Cormorray and two for the Einfasten. Okay.

[Azune]

None for Deaconusen.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Nonphacona's done for Halevar. As people begin to arrive at the gala, I think actually you guys probably get there before and have a moment of coming together before this. With the weight hanging in the air of the visit to the Hallowed Round. As you approach, what condition do you find each other in? As people begin to arrive at the Archinaut?

[Hal]

Well, Hal is, I think, at the entrance greeting people as they come in. And he is wearing one of his finer outfits that he keeps in storage for moments like this. It is a very svelte black suit of sorts. And it has branches reminiscent he always has. The Tree of the Hallowed Round makes appearances in his home and in art. In his home and in his clothing. He's wearing this black jacket that has silver embroidered branches winding its way out. And he is. Since it was Balare planned a Shaper's gala where we're all wearing masks of the gods to present as Omar the Hunter, I have a silver fox's mask.

[Bolaire]

It has been adorned, by the way, with the image of a golden bird within the pattern for the silver fox's mask. Any of us who can be trusted will have that hidden somewhere on their mask.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Fawkes in aspect of Omra the Hunter.

[Hal]

Omra.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Excuse me, Omra.

[Bolaire]

Omra. I already had you down for that.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Omra the Hunter, God of or shaper of the Beastfolk. Fox mask on your face, greeting people as they arrive. And Bolaire, I assume you're there early as well, getting ready for the go.

[Bolaire]

I am also currently not quite greeting people, but I'm getting everything set up. Distributing masks to the people who are going to be working and also to the two of you as well, if you didn't already make a request. I've already picked masks for you.

[Murray]

Gray. I think Murray is definitely the last to arrive.

[Bolaire]

I have Menmir, Father of Winds. Enjoy it.

[Azune]

I think I arrived. I'm a part of the security, so I think I got there early and I don't know how to dress myself.

[Bolaire]

We have outfits for everyone who's working so that people can actually recognize you in a similar.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, well, that's good.

[Bolaire]

And all of the people working the event are wearing similar, slightly larger than normal white and black masks that are only adorned with red and gold. And all of them are a different shape and a different pattern. But all of them, at least our people, all have a golden bird worked into the pattern we all like.

[Hal]

Go ahead.

[Murray]

I was going to say. I know we all agreed that we were going to be early, but Murray is late. She's still early, but she is definitely late.

[Azune]

Early for Murray.

[Murray]

Early for Murray. And you can just hear, once again, her heels clacking up the street and her arms are out this wide, and she's just holding this. This massive fucking dress. And it's very like a little Venetian, a little carnival meets Kentucky Derby. So it's like off the shoulders, her tits are on display. They're out. And it's got, like, her classic kind of colors and harlequin patterns all on this, like, layered ruffle skirt. And she has, like, a bustle that's, like, on the front. Hiking it up. So she's like, like showing some leg. Peeking up with some nice little, like, garter belts and thigh highs. And she's just, like, sweating in this thing. And she's like, charming. Coming up the screen.

[Hal]

Any special attention to the beard tonight?

[Murray]

Oh, yes. Oh, and that's the other thing she has on every piece of jewelry that she owns. Fuck what Coco Chanel says. Do not take anything off. So she has just. Her chest is just layers and layers and layers of big, chunky jewels from the Magnussen family jewels. She's gotta represent. And I think she has taken her beard and instead of her singular braid, she has now two braids that are also. She's strung jeweled beads throughout the braid. She has put beads. So she has bedazzled her beard. Is she just sweating buckets already as she comes up?

[Bolaire]

We've set up one of our security people in the back in the living room.

[Murray]

Sorry.

[Bolaire]

Who will be collecting information for anything that our people hear. They will tell it to the person sitting with the wine as they go pick up new. That way there's just one point of contact. Everything works.

[Murray]

Do we need cranberry rolls?

[Bolaire]

And if we need to know things, we go in there and one of us gets to hear what's going on.

[Hal]

Last thing. We so rarely talk about fashion. I would say before people really showed up, Hal pushed you into an antechamber since you're in your uniform.

[Azune]

I'm just.

[Hal]

He still managed to find, like, a sort of like a half cape that's pinned at the shoulder. So you've just got, like, down the one side so you look a little more formal regalia with your normal uniform underneath. But I'm like a father dressing his son for first day of school as I go. Pin it in place with a little Brooch that Balare supplied me with that has a little golden bird motif.

[Bolaire]

I am, of course, setting up to make sure everyone gets their mask coming in. Of all the different gods, different versions of these beautiful handcrafted Venetian versions of classical images of the gods. A lot of imagination. They're very beautiful and large, and a lot of them cover quite a bit so that people can really decide if they want to be as anonymous as they choose.

[Murray]

What mask do you have for me? What did you say you have for me?

[Bolaire]

Oh, yes, I put aside Memnir, Father of the winds.

[Murray]

Father of the winds. So you're calling me gassy? Whatever.

[Bolaire]

Well, no, you just do.

[Murray]

I am winded right now. She cracks a fan that she bought

[Bolaire]

a little lace fan once I give my welcome speech. I am going to go up to the upstairs and I will change into something a little more anonymous.

[Murray]

This corset's so tight.

[Hal]

Hal spots you. His anger and anxiety from last night are gone. He has a huge grin on his face. I understand you enjoy the magic of being fashionably late. Come in, have a drink, make the rounds.

[Murray]

I just look at his.

[Bolaire]

Says he's bad at this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Do I look ridiculous?

[Murray]

You look fine. What's his deal? I thought he was gonna be pissed.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

The final guest list lands in front of you and you can see that the Haloboards are coming. Cormoray Einfassen. The Lord Horondas Einfassen has responded and is bringing what looks like a number of people that are visiting the Stahlkeep here in Dolmakjar. The names you see there are. Ser Dahlbric Orphaner is one name of Argosia, and Lord Minister Gorson Brightmane of Argosia.

[Murray]

I'll be right back. I walked all the way across town to be here. I have to pee.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Walking into the ceremony, you see, Elodie walks in with Harving Bowsprit. And a large unannounced retinue approaches Bolair, you see, Elodie walks up and goes, Hal. Oh, lovely. Good to see you. Hello. Hello and happy to come here and support my friend. Harving, who had RSVP'd, has had some guests staying with him who are crashing, if they can come, which would be His Majesty King Augustus Valiant and some of his retinue, I understand.

[Bolaire]

Thankfully. I had a sneaking suspicion it might happen, so I've had a couple masks prepared.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Splendid.

[Hal]

Outstanding. The more the merrier. You honor us. You grace us with your presence. Please help us celebrate tonight.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You know that Gus was supposed to be Gone by now.

[Azune]

Yes, he was right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Gus walks up, you see the king, he's got Martin with him. One of his hounds, one of his druids is here as well. Of the circle of the stag. A Circle 7 Tynes. He walks up and goes. Mr. Fang, pleasure.

[Hal]

You've extended your stay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I have. Is the Foetor going to be here tonight?

[Hal]

I think there is a decent likelihood of that, actually.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Good. Then I've not wasted myself. Sorry. I am a patron of the theater as well. I had never intended to stay in this city for that long.

[Hal]

I'll take my blessings where I can get them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He takes a mask along with some of his retinue and enters the. And enters the goblin.

[Bolaire]

Do you have an opinion of which either. I mean, all across the pantheon. But do you think he had an opinion or no? Did he just grab one?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He just grabs one.

[Bolaire]

Okay. Yeah. Amusing.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He grabs one and enters the gathering. You see, the Lord Dacen walks in and says, master Lothalia, have any of the Taconis responded that they'll be attending tonight?

[Bolaire]

I don't think we heard final word for any of them.

[Hal]

They tend to play things closer to the vest. Yeah. Just follow.

[Bolaire]

If you get a sensation of pompacity, just assume that you're talking to one.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

All right. You see, he enters and allows that open mockery to go unchallenged.

[Bolaire]

It was a compliment issue.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Game.

[Hal]

Me game.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see? Pronouncement. You see two massive, gleaming hounds as Felonious Haelovar rounds the corner and announcing her radiance, luminousness fo talk. Yanessa Haylovar of the Candescent Creed, lady of House Hailuvar. And you see Yanessa Haylevar rounds the corner.

[Azune]

My eyes are glued on King Augustus as she's being announced, and I want to try to get a sense of his demeanor.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He is waiting over by some of the refreshments and is just peering out. He's got his hounds next to him and is peering out, just waiting, just having a drink by the table.

[Hal]

They're in sight, entering this chamber Fotarch. You honor us,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Mr. Hallendilfang. It is a pleasure. And you see she sends her hand for you to bow and kiss her hand.

[Hal]

I do. The fox now kind of leaves a little bit of mouth and chin a little bit like a Batman.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah. She looks inside, says, I understand that your players, that your troupe, are performing with the beneficence of our grace as a creed.

[Hal]

We would not be here without your family. I can't help but Wonder, is Wakendra with you? Because he talks about this event and this moment for months and I haven't heard word from him.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Go ahead and give me deception. You're not saying anything.

[Hal]

That's right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm not pointedly wrong. So you will elude any magic to the Ultra. But persuasion or deception? Your call.

[Hal]

Oh, it will be deception.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Murray]

We're so good at lying.

[Bolaire]

Why'd you say that out loud?

[Murray]

Because it's true.

[Azune]

Oh,

[Murray]

he is staring for a long time.

[Bolaire]

Yeah, there's a lot he's. No, I just don't want to associating again.

[Hal]

Quick, quick.

[Bolaire]

Pat him on the back. Oh,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

six. Nice. She looks at you and says, it's so funny you mentioned that. The Lord Wakanda is not with me today and I had meant to come and ask if you had heard from him at all. He is a very busy young lad and it's quite possible that he is off seeing to one of the many areas of his purview and simply has perhaps, I don't know, had a pigeon go awry. We were expecting him this morning, but we've not seen him.

[Hal]

I share your concern. I haven't seen him for days. Not six. He paid his respects when we had our evening for my brother.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, he did come to pay us.

[Hal]

He did. He was in for a bit, yes. He was very kind, had many kind things to say and spoke very eagerly for this night and the night to come.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I understand. I'm glad he came to pay his respects. It is my utmost conviction that your brother is with and within and throughout all of the Light of our world. I know that he perhaps was not a devout member of the Creed, but I like to think that if it is possible for the Light to have reached him in his final moments, that it did, and offered him comfort and salvation.

[Hal]

Well, he traveled far and wide. But he's with me still. I say as I feel the liar's blade straps here, hidden behind a little capelet back of my outfit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She says. You watch as she moves on from talking about her son and says, and I did have a question as well. Well, do you know if. Have you had any contact with, I believe, a former associate of your brother's? I don't know if he's a family friend or not, but a gentleman named Teor Pridesire.

[Hal]

Pride, sire?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Did you not see him at your funeral for your brother?

[Hal]

Well, I was busy making the rounds that night, but no, I did not.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Go ahead and give me deception.

[Hal]

Yeah, Natural 20 for a 29.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, monster. She looks and says, damn. Well, I'm sorry to say that I must add you to my list of trails that have gone cold to lay eyes on my wily grandson.

[Hal]

I take her hand and she goes.

[Azune]

Is a.

[Hal]

Sing it, sister.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, perhaps I do see what he enjoyed about you, Mr. Fang. Well, I am ever so excited. If you wouldn't mind dropping by the Via Aurora tomorrow. I understand that your opening night is two nights hence.

[Hal]

That is correct. And if you find your lovable son. Grandson. We have seats held for him. Best in the house. It's only just for all of the attention and support he and your family have given you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

See? She smiles and says. She smiles and goes. Of course. If I see Wick, I'll let him know if you would come by tomorrow. I'm interested as Wick's absence has come to my attention. I'm so excited for your opening night. And I just want to make sure that we have a moment before your opening night for me to review the content and subject matter.

[Hal]

I am at your service.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Wonderful. See you tomorrow. She walks into the gala as soon

[Hal]

as she's 20ft away.

[Bolaire]

Hello, my lady. I'm so glad you attended. I know that the subject matter of the party may be a little complicated. I did my best. Normally we make you. The guests dive in for a mask, but I figured. Tansul.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She looks at the mask of Tansul. Give me Persuasion.

[Bolaire]

Doing my best.

[Hal]

Tonsil. Tonsil, Tonsil.

[Bolaire]

Trying to find both the most and least offensive answer. Not very great.

[Hal]

Come on, buddy.

[Bolaire]

Persuasion. That was 11.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

11. She looks and says.

[Bolaire]

I'll take whatever request you desire. It was just my best guess.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I love a theme, but this is blasphemy. And she hands the mask back to you.

[Bolaire]

Tell me. And I pull out.

[Azune]

Because I.

[Bolaire]

I pull out.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, wow.

[Bolaire]

A particular. And I wasn't going to do it. The blue and silver, not quite as ornate, but it is a very decent attempt. There's no flourish. It's very. Elegant. And simplicity of the correct color and painted lines of their religious belief.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

She takes it. Thank you. She holds it in her hand, walks away from you and hands it mindlessly to a servant. She walks into the party. I'm going to kill her.

[Azune]

A couple things.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

I would definitely have had a few of my arcane marshals along for the ride.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

So I'm periodically checking in with them as I have had them go out and do their own part of the security. Which is occasionally detect magic. Those that have divine sense. Any of that which was already properly in place. And I'm doing. I find this fascinating, the way these people are when they get together in this fashion. I'm watching Einfassen, especially when he arrived. Did he have a date?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Did Einfassen have a date? Yes. Einfassen brings his wife.

[Azune]

Okay.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

I don't know if I've seen her necessarily.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

No.

[Azune]

But I definitely would have studied her face before she was handed a mask.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah.

[Azune]

Kind of curious about everything about her.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Azune]

And. And felonious.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Are you masked? Currently, I am. Great. So he does not recognize you. Otherwise he would probably corner you and talk to you.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You're looking at Kitani. Kitani is the wife of Lord Harondus and Fossen. For those of you gathered here, go ahead and give me any kind of. Of check you would make as you're surveying the party. But I will say that your attention will probably go towards something that you see, based on your last piece of observation, which is Gus is making a beeline for the foetarch.

[Azune]

Yikes.

[Murray]

So we're making a roll to see what we can discern from anything. Really.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yeah, if you're trying to do an investigation. But you also, I think, just can look up and see that Gus is. Is just making a beeline for her. You see, he walks up as she enters with her retinue. He's got his retinue behind him.

[Azune]

I just want to get nearer to them. I want to hear what passes between them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

He walks up, takes off his mask and walks right up to her and goes. Your radiance. Hello. A word and you see, she looks up and says, your Majesty, King Augustus Valiant. It is I. You see, he says, I didn't imagine that you were going to be here at the gala tonight. You've been in Dormaga for such a long. I've been here for quite a while because it's been extremely hard to gain an audience. But it's my understanding that you were here to attend the gala. Could I have a word with you in private? You see, she looks and says, well, you, Majesty, we are here to support the arts. Certainly we can discuss. You see, he says, I have questions about the creed and exactly what you're doing in Timony, my kingdom. You see, it gets tense in this moment.

[Azune]

People starting to look at them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes, you see, she says, well, we are ministering mostly to the outbreak of bellows fever, your Majesty. We are, after all, a charitable organization, you see, he goes, so you know nothing of preachers and what they preach on the street corners there? You know nothing of The Lord of Gormaley. And you see that she goes, well, I'm sorry. I spend my days in prayer for the most part, you'll notice. But if any of our preachers have given you cause for concern in their conduct, then we must discuss it at once, you see. She turns to looking around at Hal for a moment and goes. Mr. Fang, do you. Is there somewhere that we might be able to have a private discussion? His Majesty the King.

[Hal]

Well, I would have to ask my colleague.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh, this gentleman, you. Yes.

[Bolaire]

I normally reserve an upstairs area for myself since I'm more of an observer, but please welcome to it. It's as private as we can get.

[Murray]

As soon as I hear him say reserve an upstairs area, Murray is going to start making her way into a private area, kind of heading upstairs separate of this. And then as soon as I'm out of view from the party, I'm going to cast some visibility on myself.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Azune]

Glorious. If you would like, I could escort them to that.

[Bolaire]

That would be lovely. I think I'm going to go change. Now that everything's up and running.

[Azune]

Maybe we can have someone supply them with drink or check on them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That would be occasionally.

[Bolaire]

Yes, we will have somebody very discreet, bring you anything you need.

[Azune]

Your Majesty, your radiance. I shall escort you to this private chamber.

[Bolaire]

Yeah, more of a balcony thing. It's nice and quiet.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You see that? Gus looks out and says, you have something more private. Banquet hall, something like that.

[Bolaire]

There's an office, I suppose.

[Azune]

I'll take them there.

[Bolaire]

All right.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You begin to lead them back up into those upper reaches.

[Murray]

As they pass, I'm going to give myself a wide berth and then follow. I'm going to listen in on this shit.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You turn invisible. You see that? Azune, you lead them to a small chamber. There are a couple of tables. This is like a retreat dining area for later in the evening. That's not being used right now. As you lead them there, you see that Gus walks down the Fotarch has a guardian come with her. Gus is accompanied by one of the hounds of the King and a druid. As they begin to walk down and you see Murray, you're invisible. You see that two Filonius goes and motions for a couple of the doors to be closed to this chamber to make it more private. But there's one big archway. You see two of King Gus knights post up there. As Philonius closes the door and waits on the other side, guarding this area, the Foorch turns over and says, you, Majesty, by all means. He looks and Says, I want to understand how it is possible for your preachers to preach sedition openly and rebellion, and for it to not reach your ears. You see, the fotarch looks up at Gus, crosses her hands and says, your majesty, each of our luxes is given to interpret the text of our holy book and to make what determinations they believe are right for their flock. I am happy to advise them as I can, but fundamentally, perhaps there is some error. Of what do they accuse you? You don't imagine it could be about anything to do with laws concerning. I don't know, what was it the council of all calleds or something like that? You see that? He cocks his head and says, what? What do you mean? She says, my understanding, your majesty, is that many of your lords are quite unhappy. I'm going to. Hal, what are you and Bolaire up to while this is going on?

[Hal]

Well, the two of you escorted them up, right?

[Azune]

I walked out, pointed me to where they should.

[Bolaire]

I went to change.

[Hal]

You guys are separate?

[Bolaire]

Yeah, I would have changed very quickly because it's not hard.

[Azune]

We are kind of in a similar area.

[Hal]

Because she's too goofed out though.

[Azune]

Yes.

[Murray]

I'm invisible, but I'm assuming in the room that they're in.

[Hal]

I think I would like to just rewind in time. And as before, you guys split and we see these two important figures starting to deliberate. Hal places his hands on both of your shoulders and goes, what the fuck? And I cast aid on the three of us.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Great.

[Murray]

Okay.

[Hal]

So at this forward moment, I'm still down in the party and anxiously keep looking toward where they disappeared. But I'm not running up there. I'm still keeping up appearances down below.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

So, Murray, you're in the room invisible.

[Murray]

Uh huh.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Azune, did who got aid?

[Murray]

All of us.

[Hal]

We three. Did we three?

[Azune]

Me as well.

[Hal]

Okay, got it.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Oh.

[Murray]

One, two, three. Not bulletin.

[Bolaire]

I'm.

[Hal]

No, not you. Because you're invisible and I don't know where you are.

[Murray]

Oh, not me. Okay.

[Hal]

Volare Azuna, Hal.

[Azune]

Thank you.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Okay, We are so, Azsuna, you escort them up to the upper chamber.

[Azune]

Yes, full.

[Bolaire]

I have just finished changing. I no longer look like me at all. Okay, I am, yeah, unrecognizable.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I would like a perception check from Azune and Bollaire.

[Azune]

I meant. No, I won't do that here. I can only feel right about guidancing myself to a certain extent.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Perception, Insight or perception from Hal.

[Bolaire]

Natural 20.

[Hal]

Natural 20.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Hell yes. Incredible.

[Hal]

Here comes the insight. For insight. It is 14.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Insight on 14, when Gus and the Fotarch leave, you see a group of people over with Einfassen that you recognize as a group of Argosian knights excuse themselves and head out of another hallway.

[Murray]

Argosian.

[Hal]

Argosian. Remind me.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

That is you fought in the war of Axe and Vine. Argosia is the nation that Timony rebelled against and seceded from. Oh, crap.

[Hal]

So beef.

[Azune]

Beef between King Augustus and them.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Yes.

[Murray]

And then when he. Did you say that, he said the photographer was like, oh, the council of. What did you say?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

All cults. All cults. A L, C, A L, D. A

[Azune]

L, C, A L, D.

[Bolaire]

So, yeah, that's 24. 24 for perception is 24 with the nat 20 on my end.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

On a 24. Perception. On a nat 20. Perception. Bolaire walking. I think you cross Azune just around the corner from the opening of this chamber that Murray is in invisibly with the king and his people. On a gnat. 20%. You hear the unmistakable click. You heard it all the time when you were fighting in the Falconer's Rebellion. The unmistakable click of a crossbow string being strung up and notched into place just around the corner on the other side of the opening.

[Murray]

Who heard that?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm there.

[Bolaire]

Okay, so how close am I to where this just happened?

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Probably 60ft.

[Bolaire]

60ft.

[Azune]

Crap.

[Hal]

Okay.

[Bolaire]

And I cannot see.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

You cannot see what it is. But you hear that and have a moment to act.

[Azune]

I am.

[Bolaire]

I am going to. Especially since no one can tell who I am. I'm going to start jaunting very quickly towards where I heard that to see if I can make eye contact with whoever it was that just did this.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm going to need everybody here to roll Initiative.

[Hal]

Oh, it's happening.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

I'm going to need everybody here to roll Initiative. And as you roll, I'll go ahead and mark that. And that is going to be all for this episode.

[Hal]

Oh,

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

give me your initiative.

[Hal]

Is a 15.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

15 for Hal. Great. Murray.

[Murray]

16.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

16. Great. Azune. 4. 4. And Bolair.

[Bolaire]

13.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

13. Great.

[Murray]

Wow. Very mid, very mid.

[Bolaire]

Very middle Y.

[Murray]

Okay, so wait. So I had the highest initiative. That's cr. I had a minus one to my initiative. Initiative. That's funny.

[Hal]

Okay, you're all good.

[Bolaire]

Damn, I had a great outfit, too. I'm very upset.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

Incredible. Okay, and that's all for this episode of Critical Role. We'll see you next time.

[Murray]

Crazy, crazy King Gus gonna die. Oh, no.

[Brennan Lee Mulligan]

And gang, let me tell you. Is it Thursday yet? Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Ahriman, Exandria and beyond. Or, if you want to hear what the cast discussed after the episode, head to Beacon TV and check out our exclusive show Critical Role Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say, is it Thursday yet? And experience our cast's post post show reactions. We'll see you next time.