C03 - Ep. 16 - Brig of Endridge Bay - Lost Souls & Lost Hulls

Summary

Tales from the Stinky Dragon: Episode 16 - Brig of Endridge Bay - Lost Souls & Lost Hulls

Episode Overview In Episode 16 of Tales from the Stinky Dragon, titled "Brig of Endridge Bay - Lost Souls & Lost Hulls," the adventuring party ventures deep into the cursed catacombs beneath Endridge Bay. This episode masterfully blends humor, character development, and gripping storytelling, providing listeners with an immersive D&D experience full of unexpected twists and emotional moments.

---

Entering the Cursed Catacombs The episode kicks off as the four friends—Doug Boone, Natty, Kristen, and Gunther—navigate the treacherous corridors of the cursed catacombs. Guided by their patient Dungeon Master, Gustavo Sorola, the party seeks to uncover ancient secrets and confront lurking dangers.

• Quote:
  Gustavo Sorola (03:51): “I'm putting this train back on the tracks.”

Discovery of the Box and Necklace Early in their exploration, Doug's character stumbles upon a mysterious box adorned with an anchor symbol. Inside, they find a charm necklace and a poignant letter from a figure named Bjorn, who speaks of gratitude and guidance.

• Notable Quote:
  Doug Boone (16:29): “Blessed Bjorn, you have been more than a faithful follower. ... Should you ever find yourself adrift, call upon my true name and the waters shall heed your cry.”

Emotional Revelations and Character Backstory The discovery of the letter leads to deep emotional exchanges, particularly as Doug reveals his character's tumultuous past. He shares his history with Ironclad, a tyrannical captain, and his relationship with Bjorn, a benevolent figure who introduced him to the Sea Drinker.

• Notable Quote:
  Doug Boone (17:33): “He was really nice. I love Bjorn.”

Challenges and Obstacles: Rising Water and Traps As the party delves deeper, they face escalating dangers, including rising waters and enchanted traps. Doug's character's emotional state becomes intertwined with the physical challenges, leading to a dramatic scene where he and Gunther attempt to navigate flooded passages.

• Notable Quote:
  Doug Boone (27:29): “We have entered the cove of lost holes. Like a ship hole? Not the other kind of hole that your brain went to.”

Discovery of the Antique Crystal Shield Kristen's character uncovers an antique crystal shield inscribed with the enigmatic words "Made in Vulgaria." This artifact seems to hold significance, possibly linked to ancient legends or the malevolent forces within the catacombs.

• Notable Quote:
  Kristen (66:45): “It's written in orc. I don't know if you can read orc, Doug.”

Final Encounter: The House-Sized Skull The climax of the episode arrives when the adventurers encounter a gargantuan skull with a gemstone eye, emanating deceptive illusions. As they approach, mysterious voices and unsettling sounds escalate the tension, setting the stage for an impending confrontation.

• Notable Quote:
  Gustavo Sorola (77:37): “As you get closer, you can see that the skull is a house-sized skull covered in moss and grime.”

Cliffhanger Ending Just as the party inches closer to uncovering the secrets of the skull, the episode ends on a suspenseful note. Voices and imminent footsteps suggest that a formidable challenge awaits, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating the next installment.

• Notable Quote:
  Gustavo Sorola (85:57): “What will the party do? What's the source of the voices? Well, we're gonna have to find out in the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon.”

---

Key Discussions and Insights

1. Character Development:

   • Doug Boone's Backstory: Doug's character reveals a deep-seated resentment towards Ironclad and a heartfelt reverence for Bjorn, adding layers to his persona and motivations within the group.
   • Emotional Depth: The episode showcases moments of vulnerability, particularly through the characters' shared emotional experiences, such as Doug and Gunther's tears, which symbolize their struggles and camaraderie.

2. Magical Artifacts and Lore:

   • Sea Drinker Necklace: The necklace serves as a pivotal item, hinting at mystical powers and future plot developments.
   • Crystal Shield from Vulgaria: This artifact introduces elements of ancient magic and potential curses, expanding the world-building of the campaign.

3. Challenges as Story Drivers:

   • The rising waters and enchanted traps not only serve as physical obstacles but also metaphorically represent the internal battles the characters face, particularly Doug's struggle with his past.

4. Suspense and Foreshadowing:

   • The encounter with the house-sized skull and the causative illusions effectively heighten suspense, foreshadowing significant challenges and revelations in upcoming episodes.

---

Conclusion Episode 16 of Tales from the Stinky Dragon masterfully balances humor, emotion, and adventure, drawing listeners into a richly woven narrative. With compelling character arcs, intriguing magical elements, and cliffhanger moments, the episode sets the stage for exciting developments in Endridge Bay's mysterious catacombs. Fans of seasoned D&D campaigns and newcomers alike will find themselves eagerly awaiting the next chapter of this award-winning podcast.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Doug Boone (16:29): “Blessed Bjorn, you have been more than a faithful follower. ... Should you ever find yourself adrift, call upon my true name and the waters shall heed your cry.”

• Doug Boone (17:33): “He was really nice. I love Bjorn.”

• Gustavo Sorola (77:37): “As you get closer, you can see that the skull is a house-sized skull covered in moss and grime.”

• Gustavo Sorola (85:57): “What will the party do? What's the source of the voices? Well, we're gonna have to find out in the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon.”

---

Looking Ahead As the adventurers stand before the menacing skull, the anticipation for their next move builds. Will they uncover the secrets it holds, or will darker forces thwart their quest? Tune in to the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon to continue this thrilling auditory adventure.

Transcript

[Natty]

Hey, Kristen, how's it tracking with Carvana Value Tracker?

[Doug Boone]

What else?

[Natty]

Oh, it's tracking, in fact.

[Doug Boone]

Value surge alert. Trucks up 2.5%, vans down 1.7.

[Gunther]

Just as predicted.

[Doug Boone]

Mm. So we gonna. I don't know.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Could sell.

[Doug Boone]

Could hold the power to always know our car's worth.

[Natty]

Exhilarating, isn't it?

[Doug Boone]

Tracking. Always know your car's worth with Carvana Value Tracker.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Nordstrom brings you the season's most wanted brands, Skims, Mango Free People, and Princess polly. All under $100. From trending sneakers to beauty must haves, we've curated the styles you'll wear on repeat this spring. Free shipping, free returns and in store pickup make it easier than ever. Shop now in stores [e-mail].

[Doug Boone]

Hello.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Dr. Gustavo Sorola here. Have you ever finished an episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon and become saddened that there's just not enough Dungeons and Dragons in your life? Well, I have the cure for you. It's called behind the Screen and it's an exclusive show for our Patreon supporters who suffer from D and D deficiency. In behind the Screen, we take a behind the scenes look at DMing home brewing and writing campaigns. Just go to stinkydragonpod.com to support our show and receive your prescription of behind the Screen today. Once again, that's stinky. Dragonpod.com warning may cause diarrhea.

[Doug Boone]

Greetings, all you gas grave callers.

[Natty]

Swag your stench into the stinky dragon and throw back our latest thirst quencher, six feet asunder. It's a mixture of blackened fallen tea leaves, cinnamon necrosis sticks, a claw full.

[Doug Boone]

Of orange, peeled flesh, and the stillest of icy water. One cup of this corporeal cold one and you'll have an earful of unfinished business opportunities. Previously, our adventurers were eye to eye with iron.

[Natty]

No, this isn't right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, skip me.

[Doug Boone]

I'll do this in post. We'll do it live.

[Gunther]

Do it live.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It is correct, isn't it?

[Doug Boone]

Our gang just killed. Yeah, you're right. It is, Big boss.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It is correct.

[Natty]

Yeah, okay, my bad.

[Doug Boone]

Let's keep going.

[Natty]

Keep some of that in Micah.

[Doug Boone]

Previously, our adventurers were eye to eye.

[Natty]

With ironclad Toll's formidable former captain. After some brief banter, the fearsome foe fled, and the foursome of our friends.

[Doug Boone]

Footed back to the first floor of.

[Natty]

The High Three to consume more complimentary.

[Doug Boone]

Cold ones in cuisine.

[Natty]

Eventually, they found Fismum and courageously crossed.

[Doug Boone]

Into the cursed catacombs in search of.

[Natty]

Pancak and Their imposter ran up a refreshment.

[Doug Boone]

Let's resume this rank recollection.

[Natty]

Something about my brother saying, swag your stench really highlights how I am literally a co owner of a company that's name is about smell and I can't.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, does Uncle Mike ever talk to the kids like that? Said, hey kids, swag your stench on over to your uncle's house.

[Natty]

Just trying to connect with them on some sort of colloquial slaying level.

[Gunther]

Have you ever met anyone else who can't smell and you felt like my uncle.

[Doug Boone]

Is he in jail? Because I heard the statistic that people that don't have a sense of smell are statistically more likely to be serial killers.

[Natty]

Oh, that did come out a while back, didn't it? Yeah, that did.

[Doug Boone]

He's like dragging a body away.

[Natty]

Yeah, I say that because I remember seeing that. I'm like.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Hello, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to Tales from the Stinky Dragon. I'm your dungeon master, Gustavo Sorola. I'm putting this train back on the tracks.

[Natty]

Choo choo, woo.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I'm gonna hit our four players with an arrow.

[Kristen]

Pew, pew, pew.

[Natty]

Can't put a train on the tracks. There's no tracks built. So we're going free.

[Gustavo Sorola]

We're building the tracks. What is your character's go to karaoke song? That's submitted by Tommy the Jester.

[Doug Boone]

I know yours. Crazy train.

[Kristen]

Rolling a D20.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's a good one.

[Doug Boone]

14, 18, 4, 16.

[Gustavo Sorola]

So we're going Blaine, John, Barbara, Chris, I think correct you who?

[Doug Boone]

It's me to explain. Dang it. I was. I had a. I was hoping I would get low initiative order because I wanted to do the. The. The. The joke answer, which was you hoots me 12. I'm a male orc barbarian, level five. And my favorite karaoke song is the PIR Caribbean theme song.

[Natty]

And you guys like oh, but tall.

[Doug Boone]

That doesn't have lyrics. And I say, yeah, I just, you know, hum along to it.

[Natty]

You know, it's actually, I. I don't know if everyone here will know this song. Although last time I made this reference in a crowd, people actually connected really well with it. The pirates who don't know anything. No one here knows that that's a Veggie Tales song.

[Kristen]

I thought you were a joke.

[Natty]

Don't do anything.

[Doug Boone]

Thank you, Micah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Thank you, Micah.

[Natty]

We are the pirates who don't do anything around. That kind of thing.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, I know that song. Yeah, I had a mild amount of.

[Natty]

Church indoctrination, Christian values and vegetables.

[Doug Boone]

Well, okay. I'm gonna update my. Okay, so my favorite karaoke song. I haven't had many chances to sing karaoke. If you guys want to go this weekend, I'm totally free. I'm totally game. Would be Holy Diver by Dio. Yeah, it's a big one. It's a bit of a Campaign 1 callback. Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know what Campaign 1 means.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, well, I thought. I thought this is a safe space in these confessional booths, and I could break the fourth wall. I guess not.

[Natty]

Is that the real title? Or what's the real title?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. Holy Diver.

[Natty]

Okay. Because I don't know. I don't know Dio songs.

[Gunther]

Yeah, it's not. If it's not veggietales John.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Correct.

[Doug Boone]

Correct.

[Natty]

Or Andrew Lloyd Webber.

[Doug Boone]

He was just about a guy in the midnight sea. What's becoming of me? He's just out in the ocean, and it's just. He's just having a tough time in the waves. Yeah, I can rel. There it is.

[Natty]

That's me telling on myself that every time Barbara did that. I didn't know that was referencing.

[Gustavo Sorola]

John Stane. I'm just now learning that that was a reference. I thought that was something we had made up in this group. I had no idea.

[Natty]

I knew as a reference, but I just never asked.

[Gustavo Sorola]

No, I didn't.

[Doug Boone]

You guys. Never. Ronnie James Dio. That's nothing to you.

[Natty]

No, I know. What. I know the name of the band Dio or. Or is he a solo artist?

[Doug Boone]

He.

[Natty]

So.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, God.

[Natty]

All right, so we're gonna get into it. I pull that question back.

[Gunther]

Thank you.

[Natty]

I just. I. I don't know these songs. That's all in the story.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. So, like, he filled in for Ozzy and Black, sadly, and it caused a huge divide in the metal.

[Gustavo Sorola]

We could talk about this on Second Wind. We're like. We got. We've got an episode we gotta get to.

[Natty]

I love it. I love it. Okay. Holy diva.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, my God.

[Natty]

Diver. Very good song.

[Doug Boone]

Lee. Diver. Next person.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Thank you, Tolf. Next up, I believe, is John.

[Natty]

Hi, I'm John Risinger, and I play the character that makes us. So we can't do this show. And we go on tangents the entire time that we're recording. Or I sometimes play Natty Wonder, who is a drow warlock. You know, I swap around those characters. And what song do I. Well, unlike my friend Tov, which I'm so sad to hear about this, I did karaoke all the time. My Village. We loved it. We just did it. All the time. We would do it, you know, even just around a campfire. You can do karaoke wherever you want. And my favorite song I like to sing was actually a song that was created by a local band. Their name was Muse, and they had a great song called Apocalypse Please. And it's just this great song about, you know, the end of the world, and it's got a great, like, opening rift. And it's just fantastic song. Love it. Anything about the end of the world? Huge fan, R.E.M. they made a great one.

[Doug Boone]

It's into the World as We Know It. Yeah, I feel fine.

[Kristen]

That's another good one.

[Natty]

Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Now you're speaking my language. Those are references I get.

[Natty]

Yeah, Yeah. I was almost gonna say I love Death Cab for Cuties. I will follow you into the dark because of both. They got. They got words in both of those things that I like, but, you know, I had to go with Muse.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Kristen]

That sounded really good.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, well, thanks. Thanks, Natty. We're gonna swap over to, I believe, our resident DJ Doug Boone, on the two. Up next, Dog in the Morning, which.

[Kristen]

By the way, if you haven't been listening to the very end of every episode, you're missing out on Doug in the Morning.

[Natty]

A fun fact. The Marvel Cinematic Universe stole that idea from us.

[Kristen]

We predated them. I was going to mention, too. It's funny. A lot of people ask us, you know, about the various campaigns that we record. Like, is there any connection? Like, do I have to listen to this campaign to understand this campaign, et cetera, et cetera? Or could I just jump in? I feel like the big thing people are missing is the references we make and the jokes we make that, like, cross over every campaign, like, diver. And that's. That's the big thing with jokes that.

[Doug Boone]

Transcend time and space and campaigns.

[Natty]

People are like, what is this Council of Barbarians? I don't get it. Who are these random voices? But good news. If you go to our store right now@swordstinky dragonpod.com, you can get a shirt that shows these characters. You can see who Elga is and who Gum Gum is. There you go.

[Doug Boone]

And if you buy that shirt, you wear it, and we make that. That reference. You look down at your shirt and you say, I know that.

[Natty]

And they wink at you. The shirt actually winks at you.

[Kristen]

I know that reference. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Doug in the Morning. It's me, Doug Boone, the artificial bugbear, played by Barbara Dunkelman. Hello, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon. And, you know, there's. There's really only one time Doug ever did karaoke. And so it's just the only song that Doug sang. And the only reason I was able to do it is because it was at the end of the night when most people had left. So it was closing Time by Semisonic.

[Natty]

Okay.

[Kristen]

But there was only, like, maybe two or three people left in the. In the club. And so, you know, I took a chance and I did it, and I felt pretty good, and everyone was maybe a little too intoxicated to pay attention, so. Felt nice.

[Doug Boone]

It's the perfect audience.

[Kristen]

Exactly.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Were you the last performer of the night on the way out and you bust out some closing time?

[Kristen]

I sure was.

[Natty]

There's a lot of words in that song that might be difficult for Doug to say.

[Kristen]

Listen, John, it was hard to find the K up that Doug sing.

[Natty]

I'm surprised that to didn't get the take a chance reference. What she said. She said take a chance a second ago, and all I heard was, take a chance.

[Doug Boone]

Take a chance on me. Oh, abba.

[Natty]

See, I make references to music.

[Kristen]

Wow.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Local band for you to abba, y'all.

[Natty]

We're gonna find out. That's his family. That's his actual biological family.

[Doug Boone]

Mamma mia. Here we go again.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Thank you for sharing, Barbara. Slash Doug. And up next, we have probably the most musical of the four.

[Gunther]

Yes. He needs no introduction. He is Chris da Barris, musician. I am also playing.

[Doug Boone]

Chris has a guitar in the background of his shot, which just adds to the. The house. Sorry.

[Gunther]

Yeah. Anyway, I am playing Gunther, the level five male croak folk fighter. We do not. Do you say karaoke. But there is some songs that my village sings together that have very special meanings that we sing.

[Doug Boone]

Oh.

[Gunther]

To bring us together and talk about our commonalities.

[Natty]

Did someone forget to put the batteries in Gunther today?

[Gunther]

No. And I do not eat batteries. I eat bugs, which I ate. But the song, it is such a special. Our village sings it together because it brings us together. It is. It's not easy being green.

[Doug Boone]

Oh.

[Gunther]

It's a very special song to my village.

[Doug Boone]

I thought you were going for a Village People reference.

[Kristen]

I thought you're more of like a. Like a yellowish green.

[Gunther]

Green is the shades of green. There's yellow, there's green, there's browns. It's. It's not easy.

[Doug Boone]

Clearly.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's. It's all the colors. It's just a rainbow connection of colors there for you, isn't it, Gunther?

[Gunther]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Why is there a guitar behind you? Chris, do you play guitar?

[Gunther]

Yeah. Not well.

[Doug Boone]

Give us a little. Give us a little taste. Come on, give us a lick.

[Kristen]

I just. I need to point out, if we're talking about Chris's camera. When Chris first popped up, his camera came into, you know, our chat. I thought he wasn't wearing a shirt, but just a little kind of like, shoulder jacket. Because the color of your shirt's almost.

[Doug Boone]

Like it's one of those baseball teams.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Very similar to your skin tone.

[Kristen]

I was like, is. Chris is wearing a little bolero.

[Natty]

Like, he's doing that thing that little kids do where they just pull their shirt up over their head but leave it on their arms.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, you go, Chris. Oh, he almost did it, too. You almost prompted him, John. He went for it.

[Natty]

He's very susceptible.

[Doug Boone]

All right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I think we. We learned a little bit about all of the. All of the players and all the characters today, so thank you. Thank you for sharing. We appreciate that.

[Natty]

Guzzler, what's your favorite karaoke song?

[Doug Boone]

Dart.

[Gustavo Sorola]

What was the voice for Guzzler going into the stinky Dr. Well, I'll tell you what. I'll sing Renegade by Sticks any day of the week.

[Kristen]

O. That was like a little Guzzler. A little colonel. What? No. What's his name?

[Natty]

Oh, stei.

[Doug Boone]

Stei love Sticks.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I have not done the Guzzler voice in years. At this point, trying to remember listening.

[Natty]

To it, you can get right into it by just going, it's.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's Renegade by Sticks.

[Doug Boone]

Do you like Sticks? Irl?

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know. Just. I mean, Sticks is cool. Yeah. But I figured that was, like, a good song for sticks is cool.

[Doug Boone]

Mr. Roboto.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, Natty, make me a dexterity check.

[Doug Boone]

That's a.

[Natty]

That's a natural one. That's a critical fail.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, congratulations.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You stub your toe and stumble and fall over on something on the ground.

[Natty]

What in tarnation was that?

[Gustavo Sorola]

You look, and there's a small box on the ground.

[Natty]

What's in the box?

[Kristen]

What's in the box?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It seems to be a very secure box made of some kind of weathered stone. And on the top of it, etched into the stone, is what appears to be an anchor.

[Natty]

I shake it, you shake it.

[Gustavo Sorola]

And it feels very heavy. And it sounds like there's something small rattling around inside of it.

[Natty]

You know what? I opened the box.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You open the box, and to your surprise and horror, and inside of the. It shimmers with white, pink, blue, green, and purple like the inside of a seashell. And as you open it, you see on the underside of the lid is engraved, a symbol of a chalice overflowing with water. And there are two things inside of the box. A piece of paper and a necklace. A charm necklace.

[Natty]

Describe the necklace.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It looks like it's a wavy chain made of silver beads and it's got a charm on it that's in the shape of a rowing oar and made of nacre nacrar. Nacre nacra. Mother of pearl.

[Natty]

And then the une foy de papier is. What's it? Is it folded up? Is it sealed? Is it a letter?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's just a single sheet and it appears to be brittle and bone dry. And it's got a note written on it in common.

[Natty]

Well, I speak common. I'm gonna say, little known fact about Natty, she speaks common.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, I learned something first.

[Natty]

Yeah, cool. What's it say?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Do you read common? I'm being difficult now.

[Natty]

I'm sorry, you are being difficult.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You run your eyes over the piece of paper and ow. Your eyes make the sun. Paper cut.

[Kristen]

Paper cut.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I'm gonna slack it to you so you can read it.

[Natty]

Oh, okay.

[Doug Boone]

I love that we do this.

[Kristen]

Give me that sweet southern charm, Natty.

[Natty]

Alright. That's the wrong window. There's the right window.

[Doug Boone]

He was in first campaign.

[Natty]

That's good. Blessed Bjorn, you have been more than a faithful follower. You have been a steadfast tide rising to meet every challenge, unyielding as the waves. Because of you, my lost love will soon be found. I am leaving to find her as soon as I finish this letter. As a token of my gratitude, take this necklace. It is a twin to my own, forged in the endless swell of the sea. Should you ever find yourself adrift, call upon my true name and the waters shall heed your cry. The sea drinker. Oh, that's your guide?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, I was gonna say I didn't want to interrupt you flow, but yeah, that's like totally. My God. The chalice overflowing with water. Yeah.

[Kristen]

Also, who is Bjorn? Was that the name that you said, blessed Bjorn?

[Natty]

Yeah, it seems to be someone important to the sea drinker.

[Kristen]

Do you know a Bjorn?

[Doug Boone]

I actually do know a Bjorn. Yeah.

[Natty]

Wait, you do?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. Am I like, is it cool to talk about this? Like I look in the air? Can I get a sign?

[Natty]

You do you?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yes.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, I heard a sign. So like, okay, we're good. I hate to bring down the mood cuz we're already just having such a great time in this cave, but when ironclad, you know, got rid of me and, you know, he abandoned me after a. What's that thing called?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Mutiny?

[Natty]

Muni.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. So when we mutinied against Ironclad. Oh, Ironclad. He so sucks. Um, you and your siblings. If I remember correctly, Ironclad is like. Like my dad, but like the lamest, poopiest dad in the world, you know? Sucks.

[Natty]

Anyways, he's like a. He's a bad.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, he's big bad.

[Kristen]

I see what you did do.

[Doug Boone]

So then when I made it to the mainland, I was taken in by a good person named Bjorn. And Bjorn was like. He was like kind of like a dad to me, to be honest.

[Natty]

Another one?

[Doug Boone]

Well, yeah, but like a real one. He took me in.

[Gustavo Sorola]

A dad?

[Kristen]

A good dad.

[Doug Boone]

A good dad. Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I gave myself an inspiration dad.

[Doug Boone]

Good for you. Yeah.

[Natty]

I don't know why that tickled me so much.

[Doug Boone]

He was a good person, you know, in having only really known Ironclad and then to be met by this beautiful, wonderful person, you know, it just. He was really nice. I love Bjorn.

[Kristen]

So what. What happened to Bjorn?

[Doug Boone]

He passed away.

[Natty]

Oh.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. We had a couple of good years and he taught me a lot of things and he took me under his wing and then. And then.

[Gunther]

He had wings?

[Doug Boone]

No, Gunther, he did not give. Have wings. He was. He was not an Aarakocran. He was. He was an orc, just like me.

[Natty]

Is he the one who. Who told you about the sea drinker? Or was that a prior faith you had while on the ship with Ironclad?

[Doug Boone]

No, there was not a lot of culture to be shared on a ship with Ironclad. Just a lot of like, death and swords and stabby Stabby. But yeah, Bjorn introduced me to the sea drinker. Yeah.

[Natty]

Okay.

[Doug Boone]

I don't really know his relationship with the sea drinker, to be honest, but.

[Natty]

From this letter, it seems like Bjorn was a really known and faithful follower to the sea drinker and is responsible for the sea drinker finding or being able to find their last love. So helped your God somehow?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, sounds like it. Yeah.

[Kristen]

How did. How did your new dad, Bjorn, die? What happened to him?

[Doug Boone]

I don't really know. I'm not like, you know, good with medicines and things like that. I think he was just afflicted by some sort of disease and he was taken, but sadly before his time. It was very hard for me, you know.

[Natty]

Why is this box down here?

[Doug Boone]

It's a great question. I have no idea.

[Natty]

This seems to be a gift that the sea drinker was trying to give to Bjorn and never Got this necklace.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. So either it was like lost in transit from Seadrinker to Bjorn, or Bjorn put it down here. I don't know.

[Kristen]

And maybe he was exploring this place too for some reason.

[Doug Boone]

Maybe.

[Natty]

Well, I feel like this necklace should be held. Held on by you for the moment.

[Doug Boone]

I appreciate that, Nadi. That's very kind of you. Yeah, I totally thought you were gonna be like, finders keepers, losers, reapers. And I was going to be like, wow, it's like that ice knife from Campaign 2 all over again.

[Kristen]

If I recall correctly. Things worked out just fine anyways.

[Natty]

You know what, Doug? I think. I think I figured out. I think to is plagued by some sort of past lives situation, which is what he's bringing the baggage from. To our relationships. Because I know me, Natty, and I'm not the kind of person to be like, finders keepers. But he seems to be putting that on me from some previous person.

[Kristen]

Oh, yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Hold on. I'm getting voices. Okay, I think I need to do a backflip. I just. I feel that. I don't know.

[Kristen]

Why is this necklace. Would you say is it movable or immovable?

[Natty]

Oh, stop it.

[Doug Boone]

Well, then I'm gonna add this to my equipment, if you don't mind, Natty. Again, thank you.

[Natty]

Yeah. Take this and the ladder. Why don't you hold on to the ladder?

[Doug Boone]

I will. I'll take good care of them. I missed Bjorn. He was a good guy.

[Natty]

Yeah. And don't forget that the. The necklace seems to have some sort of power meta speak.

[Doug Boone]

Is this anything that I need to find in inventory or do I just. Is it just simply a necklace?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Just call it mother of pearl necklace.

[Natty]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Guys, I don't care how low we get and how hard up we get for cash, I'm not going to pawn this one off. I'm just saying that right now.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's actually not. It's nacra necklace. I'm gonna slack you that word. How do you pronounce this?

[Kristen]

Nacra.

[Doug Boone]

I would assume that what you just sent me is some sort of spelling error or like it would have been something fancy like nacer.

[Gunther]

It's a mica ism.

[Doug Boone]

Mmm.

[Kristen]

Language all its own.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Mica has such a great vocabulary. I feel like I have a good vocabulary, but then I read some of the stuff here. It's like, man, that's next level, you know?

[Kristen]

I'm pretty impressed that Natty found jewelry and didn't keep it for herself.

[Natty]

I feel like y'all are getting a bad feeling about me. I'm Actually at the very.

[Kristen]

It's not a bad feeling. It's more of just, you know, someone here to, you know, appreciate some fine jewelry. It would be you.

[Natty]

Yeah. Just because I appreciate something. Being a hoarder, I appreciate that.

[Doug Boone]

I'm gonna. You know what? This is my promise to you. When it comes to your arc, I'm gonna find something real cool.

[Natty]

I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.

[Doug Boone]

I'm sorry. I need to stop being meta. I'm being ignored. But.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, I went ahead and. Blaine, I slacked you the letter as well. I just want to make sure that you. You got that okay?

[Natty]

Yep.

[Doug Boone]

I'm looking through it. I added it to the description, so I've got it. Cool.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Why don't you make me an investigation check?

[Doug Boone]

Okay. That is not my strongest. It's gonna be a nine.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. You realize that with the piece of paper specifically, you need to be very careful with it because it is very brittle and bone dry, and you feel like if you folded it or bent it too much, it might snap.

[Doug Boone]

I think this. This would also fit this kind of time and era or setting. Like an oiled kind of canvas. Like a wax oiled covered, like, satchel of some sorts. I feel like Tolv would have something like that on his person to keep things dry that are important.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Doug Boone]

So I'm gonna. I'm gonna put it in there, but I'm gonna wear the necklace because I. Yeah, Bjorn's my guy. He's my homeboy.

[Gustavo Sorola]

As you, you know, are securing the letter, you've noticed that there is something a little unusual about it. The piece of paper is fairly long and tall, but the note seems to be kind of scrunched up and written primarily in the top portion of the piece of paper.

[Doug Boone]

Hey, Doug.

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

You got that, like, cool, like, seussophone. What is the iscope? What do they call that thing?

[Natty]

Seussophone?

[Doug Boone]

I don't know.

[Natty]

Isn't that an instrument?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It is. It's like a tuba, right?

[Doug Boone]

I'm thinking kaleidoscope. That's what I was thinking. I'm sorry.

[Kristen]

Oh, you're thinking of the. The spyglass of zodiac.

[Doug Boone]

Spyglass of Zodiac killer. That's the one. Can you look at this piece of paper? I feel like there's something more to it.

[Kristen]

Only if you call it by its proper name.

[Doug Boone]

Spy. Class of Zodia.

[Kristen]

Thank you.

[Doug Boone]

Yes. The first of its name, Zodia.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Gunther is very tickled. You gotta respect the tool in order to use it.

[Natty]

His name Is Tov Got him?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Nice. That's a good one. So, Doug, you comply?

[Doug Boone]

Yes.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You pull out the Spyglass of Zodia, and you try to focus in on the piece of paper. And in the blank area, you can see what appears to be some kind of blurry text.

[Kristen]

Ooh, could I focus in to see if I could read it?

[Natty]

Put your glasses on, because I assume.

[Kristen]

That'S also potentially uncommon.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You know, you try to focus it and read it, but you can never. It never seems to come into focus. It looks almost like it's watery, like there's water in the way and you can't see the text clearly.

[Gunther]

Water.

[Kristen]

Hey, hey, Tolls, you seem to be an expert on water. So I'm trying to look at this thing here, and it seems like there might be some type of liquid or water on the paper. Do you know how to. You might remove that or something.

[Doug Boone]

Maybe it's such a touching letter that it makes you tear up, and that's why you're having trouble seeing it. Because that's how I feel.

[Kristen]

That's really possible. Doug is very in touch with his emotions.

[Doug Boone]

Do you mind if I take a look? Maybe I can see. Could be. You know, if Bjorn wrote it down, I might know his handwriting.

[Natty]

What if the paper needs to be quenched?

[Doug Boone]

Oh, it's very fragile. I mean, are you.

[Gunther]

He's thirsty.

[Doug Boone]

Does anybody. Yes, Gunther. Does anybody have, like a. Like a piece of flat glass or a bottle of some kind? That way we don't have to put water on the document, but we can look at it through. Through water.

[Kristen]

I. I mean, I have my glasses.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Gunther]

We could cry.

[Natty]

I don't think Gunther heard anything. You said look at it through water.

[Kristen]

I think. I think Gunther might just want to.

[Doug Boone]

Quiet.

[Kristen]

Maybe he's been holding on to it for a while. Gunther, if you need a shoulder, come on. Your buddy Doug pats to his shoulder.

[Gunther]

I don't want to cry on your shoulder. Gunther jumps up onto your shoulder.

[Doug Boone]

Gunther's definitely onto something. I want to try that, if you guys will allow me. I don't often do this, but I'm gonna get a little emotional, and I'm gonna summon the best tears that I can, and then I'm gonna look, Doug, if you'll let me. I'm gonna look through the Spyglass of Zodia through these tears and see if it changes things. I. I don't know. Give it a shot. You know what? Everybody's staring at me. This is awkward.

[Gunther]

No, I just think we should.

[Natty]

You're talking.

[Gunther]

I'm sorry.

[Doug Boone]

This is. Hey, I don't even need inspiration. I'm just gonna cry right now. This is enough to make me cry.

[Natty]

Hey, Doug, remember that time Tol said he never gets emotional?

[Kristen]

Yeah. It's weird that our barbarian who wages said he never gets emotional.

[Gunther]

I miss my village, and I'm still.

[Kristen]

Holding my arm out with Gunther crying on my shoulder.

[Natty]

Crying.

[Gunther]

I miss my wife.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. So now me and Gunther are just crying, I guess.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, you guys are killing me today.

[Kristen]

They're getting hemotional.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, stay in touch with that. Don't lose it. All right. So can I try crying?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. What. What do you think? About. To evoke these feelings, Toll to's brain.

[Doug Boone]

Tries its best to drift away from hatred. So he tries to put ironclad away and instead think of the few happy moments that to has had. So he thinks about his siblings and the time that he had on with them on their ships. On their ship. And then he thinks of his good times with Bjorn. He just does anything he can to see, like, happy tears.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, yeah. I like that. Yeah, that's really, really good. Okay, so, yeah, as you. You start conjuring up these fond memories to conjure happy tears. And then mechanically, just so I understand, like, what's the way you're doing this? You're crying, and then looking through the spyglass of zodiac. I just want to make sure I understand exactly what's happening here.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, I'll try crying. And then through those watery tears, look through the spyglass of Zodia onto the document. I feel like if this document is as brittle as you say it is, I'm afraid to put liquid on it.

[Kristen]

You know what they say, like, water plus water equals clear. It should work.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know the old saying, water equals clear.

[Doug Boone]

I'm being very vulnerable with you guys in this cave.

[Kristen]

Maybe your tear will kind of make like that bubble of water that almost acts like glasses, you know?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Natty]

Who knows?

[Doug Boone]

Who knows?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. You conjure these memories and start picking up the spyglass to look at the paper. And as you're doing so, you realize you don't need the spyglass.

[Gunther]

Oh.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Through your tears, you're able to see the. The text on the. On the paper.

[Doug Boone]

Oh. Oh.

[Kristen]

Doug grabs the spy glass bag.

[Doug Boone]

There you go. There you go.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You see the beautiful writing, but you're unable to make it out. It appears to be written in celestial. Does to know celestial?

[Doug Boone]

I do not believe so. No. Does anybody know celestial?

[Kristen]

I know celestial.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, my gosh. Okay. Gunther, I'm gonna need to make you cry. Oh, sorry, Doug. I know I mistaken the names.

[Kristen]

I feel like we've opened the floodgates on Gunther and anything. I'm just going to set him off now.

[Doug Boone]

I mean, guys, let's just, you know, team building. Oh my God. Private Parts. You can join if you want. I forgot you were here.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Private Parts is busy tending to Captain Mumbles.

[Doug Boone]

Well, there's a lot more people in here than I thought.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Captain Grumbles.

[Kristen]

Captain Grumbles. But Mumbles is great too, dog.

[Doug Boone]

It's very. This text is very important to me. It could be a message from beyond the grave from my dear Bjorn. Could you somehow summon some tears to see if you can read this?

[Kristen]

Oh, don't worry. Doug is very in touch with his emotions. Oh, wow.

[Doug Boone]

That makes sense.

[Kristen]

If you just ask me to cry. I just have to think about one thing and it starts working.

[Doug Boone]

Was that a thing, dog? Okay, here you go.

[Natty]

I just want to say Giggy is so confused.

[Doug Boone]

Is Giggy not crying?

[Natty]

Gigi is looking at the three of you making all these sounds and crying and just kind of looking back and forth and just not. Not kind of understanding what is causing all this.

[Kristen]

See, I picture Gigi seeing this and also crying because I feel like when you're a baby and other people are upset, you get upset. But it's the cartoon version where his head tilts back and tears spew out his eyes.

[Gunther]

Let us help you get on shoulder.

[Kristen]

Oh, wait, give me the Babel.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, there you go. Use the paper. Be very careful.

[Kristen]

Could I read the section through my tears?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, I'm gonna send you what it is.

[Gunther]

It is.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, okay, Doug, real quick, I'm gonna prompt you. If this is from Bjorn, I need you to read it in Bjorn's voice. Okay, that's my prompt to you.

[Kristen]

I mean, I don't know it. I don't know if this is from Bjorn.

[Natty]

Just a reminder. This was written by the God, not Bjorn.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, okay, okay, never mind. Continue. Read it in the voice of the God.

[Kristen]

We few know the true names of those who dwell in Hiwa.

[Doug Boone]

It's so good.

[Kristen]

And fewer still live to speak them aloud. There is power in such knowledge and peril in misuse. Guard this secret as you would your own breath beneath the waves. For to share it is to invite the storm. My true name is Nadjorda.

[Doug Boone]

Take that again. I didn't understand.

[Kristen]

Let me spell it out for you. Oh, it's M N J O O D A.

[Gunther]

It's good. Let it out.

[Natty]

It's probably got a. A silent J. N.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, that's beautiful. What about Bob? I go in the night, I take Natty in for a big hug. I just need the love and support of my friends. Okay.

[Natty]

I didn't know if you were forgetting a name again. Again. And calling someone else another name.

[Doug Boone]

Did you want to cry? Nativander, you can.

[Gunther]

I. I.

[Natty]

You know what? I'm too happy for. For all of this good emotional expression and discovery of lost, important people to cry.

[Doug Boone]

Okay?

[Natty]

But I pat. I pat Tove on the back.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. And at this point, Private Parts walks back over and just says, guys, I think should keep moving.

[Gunther]

We've made a lot of noise here.

[Gustavo Sorola]

And his gaze turns to. To what?

[Doug Boone]

What did I do? Huh?

[Gunther]

Nothing.

[Gustavo Sorola]

To.

[Gunther]

You're good.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. You are the leader.

[Gunther]

But it's okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Is told the leader.

[Doug Boone]

Still. No, this is. It's still Doug.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

[Gunther]

I'm so sorry. I forgot.

[Doug Boone]

It's okay. I get the names mixed up all the time. It's perfectly acceptable. I did not forget the name.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I just forgot the leader.

[Kristen]

All right, everybody, time to toughen up. No more tears. We move forward.

[Gunther]

Yes, sir.

[Natty]

Hey, everybody. John here, resident dad of the Stinky Dragon crew. And I'm here to talk to you as a dad, not your dad, but as a dad, we're going to talk about money. I know it's really hard to keep track of where your money is going, what subscriptions you're subscribed to and when they're coming in and when they're being renewed. So I'm here to help with that whole mess that is a part of all of our lives. And the help is in the form of something called Rocket Money. Rocket Money, it's this personal finance app. It helps you find and cancel your, like, unwanted subscriptions. It also monitors your spending, and it can even help lower your bills so you can do something very important. It's called growing savings. Okay, I know that's a foreign idea to a lot of people, but I'm here to help with that because Rocket Money has over 5 million users, and it saved, like, a total of $500 million in cancel subscriptions. That's crazy. That's saving members up to $740 a year when they use all the app's premium features. You can cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals. You can do it faster with Rocket Money. And you can do that all by going to RocketMoney.com Stinky Dragon today. That's once again RocketMoney.com Stinky Dragon RocketMoney.com Stinky Dragon I think you're on mute.

[Doug Boone]

Workday starting to sound the same. I think you're on mute.

[Natty]

Find something that sounds better for your career on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn job collections, you can browse.

[Doug Boone]

Curated collections by relevant industries and benefits.

[Natty]

Like Flexpto or Hybrid workplaces so you can find the right job for you.

[Doug Boone]

Get [e-mail] jobs finding where you fit.

[Natty]

LinkedIn knows how this episode is brought to you by State Farm.

[Doug Boone]

You might say all kinds of stuff when things go wrong, but these are the words you really need to remember. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. They've got options to fit your unique insurance needs. Meaning you can talk to your agent to choose the coverage you need, have coverage options to protect the things you.

[Natty]

Value most, file a claim right on.

[Doug Boone]

The State Farm mobile app, and even.

[Gunther]

Reach a real person when you need.

[Gustavo Sorola]

To talk to someone.

[Doug Boone]

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Gustavo Sorola]

With that being said, Cincinnati was the last one who went and found this item card. That means we are at Gunther and there are three cards in front of you. Or three paths, I should say in front of you.

[Gunther]

One, two, three. I declare the more.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I'm loving the energy today, Chris. The Gunther is really firing today.

[Gunther]

I had just enough time to let the coffee hit before.

[Natty]

Okay, good, good.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, I'm here for it.

[Doug Boone]

Get an IV of coffee.

[Gunther]

Can I scout ahead?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Is that available Mace notes and tables There they are.

[Doug Boone]

That's a good song.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You're buttering me up. Will get you nowhere.

[Doug Boone]

I need an inspiration. Die.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yes, they it is available. Sure.

[Gunther]

From the vantage of of Doug shoulder, the Gunther tries to scout ahead.

[Kristen]

You do have a very high advantage now.

[Gunther]

Yeah, that's a dexterity.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. So scout ahead. Yeah, it's a dexterity based check.

[Gunther]

Oh no. Here's the two plus five for seven.

[Doug Boone]

The tears are still in my eye. Start to see.

[Gustavo Sorola]

The tears have attracted cave dust and now you've got cave mud in your eyes.

[Gunther]

I can't see anything except.

[Doug Boone]

Except for sadness. Does he change into animals?

[Gustavo Sorola]

No, it doesn't. So yeah, because your eyes are too bleary, you're unable to really glean any further information about the paths laid out ahead of you.

[Gunther]

I feel that'd be one. I will go to the left.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Gunther]

Is that one available?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, all three are available. And are you still going on top of Doug's shoulders or are you leading the way here?

[Gunther]

I'll lead the way. I'll top off in shame. All right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Gunther hops off in shame and begins leading the way forward. And as you're doing so, you know, you're kind of slowly making your way, gingerly stepping through the cavern. And like I said, you know, you've got this, these tears in your eyes and, and maybe dust and it's hard to see and you feel like there's something actually in your eye. Like, you know how like you feel like a hair or something.

[Gunther]

I don't have hair.

[Doug Boone]

You were just on dog.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Presumably in your travels you've had some. Another. A mammal's hair.

[Kristen]

You were just on my shoulder. You might have hair on you.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, it's in your right eye. It's like really bothering you.

[Kristen]

Oh, you were crying. My hair got wet. You know, I might have just gotten you.

[Gunther]

I've always wanted hair.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Well, you've got one in your eye. You said leave the hair. There you go. Try to pull it out or anything. This is the bump.

[Gunther]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Gunther tries to pull the. It's a very long hair. I don't know where. You don't know where it came from, but it like pulls it out. It's like a six inch hair.

[Doug Boone]

It truly is nothing like getting something that is stuck in your eye out of your eye. And you just like.

[Natty]

I feel like personally getting something stuck out of my teeth is even better.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, wow. You pull the lock of hair out and as you do it, you realize it's really long. You ever get one of those like really long gross ones in your eye and it's a lock of bronze hair and as you pull it out and hold it in your hand, it takes the shape of a key.

[Kristen]

What? Oh, I didn't know my folk could do that.

[Gunther]

Your hair is magic.

[Kristen]

What? You got you a key.

[Gunther]

Is it like, how big is it? It's like an actual Gunther looks around for a door.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Make an investigation check. I. No, you don't really see any locks or doors. There is a spiral staircase that continues the path in this direction and continues your descent into the catacombs. But that's about it.

[Gunther]

So this is like a key, like that holds shape as a key.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's a key that holds shape as a key. What do you ask?

[Gunther]

Like, like I take it out and it's in the shape of a key and it's still like holding shape?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Like, is it still hair form?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, it was like a, like a long piece of hair and you pulled it out. Then as you were holding it, it transformed from like a long straight piece of hair into the shape of a key.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, that must have really hurt. Did you have, like, retinal damage or anything? Do you need some eye drops or anything?

[Gunther]

I have my own drops coming from my eyes.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, not again.

[Doug Boone]

We've moved past that part. Come on, Gunther.

[Gunther]

We shall go up the stairs, I suppose.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Down.

[Gunther]

Down the stairs.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay. You begin walking down the stairs, and as you step on them, they're very squeaky, like old, old wood. Just kind of squeaks and groans a lot. As you all walk down the staircase to the next level in the catacombs.

[Gunther]

You must be quiet. Stairs.

[Kristen]

Okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, that's it for Gunther. Up next, we have Doug.

[Kristen]

All right, so what I got in.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Front of me, you actually have three options. Yeah. Three paths ahead of you.

[Kristen]

Okay, remind me again. Do I choose a direction and then or do I choose an action?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Choose an action.

[Kristen]

Okay. Can I do careful consideration?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, careful consideration. So Doug stands at the precipice of this decision, and with fingers rubbing his chin, he ponders the possibilities in front of him.

[Kristen]

That's a wisdom check.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

15.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, that's a really good roll. Something about the situation rekindles an old memory, and you're able to regard the past in front of you and try to figure out which one is the best. So, metagame wise, you are able to reveal two cards in the river. So pick two directions to reveal.

[Kristen]

Let's do right and left.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You consider those directions.

[Kristen]

Hmm. Right and left. Right and left. Left and right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

With your. Your years of experience in burrows and dens, you feel like there is some kind of creature or animal in the left passageway, and you feel like looking down the right passageway. You get a sense of correctness and that being a better way to go. And then from a metagame perspective with the rules, you choose one of these to discard. And then we shuffle the remaining two and place them face down in the river.

[Kristen]

I'm getting a bit of the heebie jeebies from the left side, so I don't think we should go that way.

[Doug Boone]

You guarded.

[Kristen]

Let's discard that one.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay. We shuffle the remaining two cards and place them face down. All right, so you still have a left, center, and right path, but the heebie jeebies option is gone, as far as I know. Yes. The heebie jeebies you got from that is gone. Now, there are fresh options in front of you. Left, center, and right.

[Kristen]

I will go right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Kristen]

The Hebis and the Jebus.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Where'd you get those? GB's?

[Natty]

Creepies.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, creepies That's a good one. You begin making your way down the right path. And as you do so, you know, maybe it's because Gunther just found some hair, but you're looking around on the ground and you find some locks of magenta hair on the ground.

[Kristen]

Oh. Oh, didn't. Was it Pancake that had magenta hair?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It was. Good memory.

[Kristen]

We.

[Natty]

Yeah. Stout halfling with magenta here.

[Gunther]

What color hair was that key that I pulled from my eye?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It was like a bronze copper. Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, sorry. Wrong metal. Stupid, stupid guys.

[Kristen]

And Doug picks up the magenta hair. I think we'll want to something. This is probably Pancake's hair. Hopefully they're not like, cutting it as they walk because that, you know, you don't want to cut your own hair. I've done that before with mine, and it did not turn out well.

[Doug Boone]

Go to professional Yahoo.

[Kristen]

Yeah. Bangs. I always regret them.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Especially when you're walking. It's even more difficult.

[Kristen]

It's true.

[Natty]

I cut my hair all the time.

[Kristen]

Well, I feel like you're more skilled.

[Natty]

In the beauty department cosmetically inclined.

[Kristen]

Exactly. Plus 10 to cosmetics.

[Gustavo Sorola]

So with Doug's turn settled, that means we are upon toll.

[Doug Boone]

Yoo hoo.

[Gustavo Sorola]

What are my options? Dude, you've got all of the options available to you.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Natty]

Yeah, I don't. I. I don't think this is said explicitly, but it seems like we're not going by like, the actions table is limited.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Micah kind of updated the rules a little bit for this new iteration.

[Doug Boone]

Then let's do. Let me see if my dex is any good. Yeah. What the heck, let's do scout head.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Natty]

Roll for dex.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yep. Make your dex check.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. Oh, that's a 19, man.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That's also a good roll. All right, so you kind of forge ahead a little bit and investigate and try to, you know, ascertain what the best course of action here is. And from a metagame perspective, we're going to draw three cards from the deck, and then we choose one to place on top of the deck, and the other two are shuffled into the back.

[Doug Boone]

I put the Aesir in ascertain. It's a bit of a. Bit of a Nordic joke. Am I right, guys? Am I right?

[Gustavo Sorola]

What does that mean?

[Natty]

A Seer are a race of. Of creatures. Yeah, they're like.

[Doug Boone]

Am I right? Am I right, Micah?

[Natty]

Woof. Was Freya part of the Aer?

[Doug Boone]

I can't remember. It was the Aesir and the gods. They were two different.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Give yourself an inspiration. Die. That's.

[Doug Boone]

That was told by the way, Micah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Says that's over his head. All right, so, yeah, metagame wise, we've got three cards, and we'll choose one to place on top of the deck and the other two are shuffled back into the deck.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, then can I. Let's see those cards. Oh, wait, no. The Aesir were the gods.

[Natty]

Okay, okay.

[Doug Boone]

Odin was an acer.

[Kristen]

Gotcha.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You know, you scout ahead a little bit and, you know, you see two possibilities with chests of some kind and another possibility, ability with someone else who appears to be exploring the catacombs.

[Doug Boone]

Ooh, a stranger. I'm going to avoid that guy and go to the leftmost chest. So you choose that one and then lose the other two. They go back to the deck.

[Natty]

Right?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay, exactly. So then you are still faced with three options in front of you. Left, center, and right left. Why is that?

[Kristen]

I just.

[Doug Boone]

I just have a feeling in the back of my head. I don't know.

[Natty]

He's a big fan of Beyonce.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, I was gonna say she was.

[Natty]

One of the aer.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, yes. All right, so you. You go to the left and you're greeted with a passage with vents and small water puddles on the floor.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, I give a little splish splash.

[Natty]

It sounds like a splash zone. Is what you just described. Like what I would take my kids to when they were young.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, the.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That sounds fun.

[Doug Boone]

Until we die.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Well, except, yeah, it seems like as you're splish splashing around, steam begins rising and the puddles begin slowly bubbling and expanding. Okay, the water slowly rising tolve. Higher. Higher and higher.

[Natty]

Hey, to, why don't you do something?

[Doug Boone]

You seem.

[Natty]

You seem to be standing there as you are in danger.

[Doug Boone]

I'm gonna get out of that water. I'm gonna. I'm gonna go to the other side. Or. No, wait. This sounds like a dead end. Is it a dead end?

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know.

[Doug Boone]

I need something. Gus, give me an action swim. No. Run, lady. Indeed. Run.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Toll begins running to escape it. Make me a perception check to find out.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, 15.

[Natty]

Just Blaine listening to Gus like he's a. He's an audience member. Just wondering what.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, I hope to makes it out of this.

[Natty]

He was just. You know what? In Blaine's defense, he really. It's easy to get enraptured by your storytelling, Gustavo.

[Kristen]

He just wants to stare and listen.

[Doug Boone]

Sometimes I think I'm the audience.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You can see that there is an exit on the other side of the passageway. And as you begin running for it, boiling hot water begins exploding out of the puddles. Make me a dexterity saving throw.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. I think on dexterity saving throws, I have advantage.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yes.

[Doug Boone]

So that's a 21 and 13.

[Gustavo Sorola]

The scalding hot water explodes all around you. Doing it would do five points of damage, but you save successfully. You take half damage. So you take two points of damage as the boiling hot water falls on you and lands on your skin.

[Doug Boone]

Toll. Oopsie daisy. My bad. That hurts so bad. Oh, my gosh.

[Gunther]

Sewer is crying too.

[Doug Boone]

A lot of tears today.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Then once. Once you get across, the level begins lowering again. And the boiling and the eruption seems to be subsiding slightly.

[Natty]

Do the rest of us need to cross this obstacle now?

[Gustavo Sorola]

You do.

[Natty]

It's okay, guys, Because I brought it up.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Well, no, now, because to cross.

[Natty]

You made that sound like it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't brought it up. Hey, Tove, you all right?

[Doug Boone]

Oh, I'm doing great. Just a little scalding. Nothing too bad. Just run so, so very fast, and it'll be a. Okay.

[Kristen]

Okay. So you want to hop on my shoulder or you want to go yourself?

[Gunther]

I've never left. Wait. Yes, I did.

[Doug Boone]

I'm back on.

[Natty]

Actually, Natty wants to do something with Doug. Oh, hey, Doug, I have something really important to ask you to do for me.

[Kristen]

You're gonna make me quiet again.

[Natty]

No, it's not.

[Doug Boone]

Stop crying.

[Natty]

Could you hold my ring for me?

[Kristen]

Sure, I'll hold it. It won't fit on one of my fingers, though.

[Natty]

No, I just want you to. I just want you to put it in your fist and hold onto it.

[Kristen]

Okay.

[Natty]

Okay. I put the ring in Doug's hand, and then both Natty and Giggy disappear into the ring.

[Doug Boone]

Ooh. What? Oh, it's like the Flash.

[Kristen]

Do I see that happening?

[Natty]

It is. I never thought of it like that. Blaine. That's pretty good.

[Doug Boone]

I thought this was an engagement, but instead it's a ghosting meta wise.

[Natty]

To explain to you guys. That's the genie vessel for my patron and where Gigi is summoned from, and I have the ability to enter it if I want.

[Doug Boone]

That's cool.

[Kristen]

Okay, so do I know that you're in this ring now? Like, did I see you? Like.

[Natty]

Like, I feel like, in my head. Blaine wasn't off. It was in my head. It's like the Jumanji suck. Like when the kids get sucked into the game. It's like that in my head.

[Gunther]

Okay, so we would know in the.

[Natty]

Original Jumanji with Ron Williams and Bonnie Hunt.

[Kristen]

Okay, well, I got a gun. Throw on my Shoulder and I think the rest of the party in this.

[Gunther]

Ring, I want to hold up my shield over Doug's face so that, like, you know, like this protecting, like, so that while we pass the water, I'm blocking Doug's face from the water.

[Doug Boone]

Maybe like a hat. Yeah, yeah.

[Kristen]

Is it raining down? Like, how's the water coming?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Coming in right now. It's very low again, it is the small water puddles on the floor, but it seems to rise up, and then it went back down.

[Kristen]

Okay, guys, ready to go? Listen, daddy, if you're in jail, we're gonna run through the water, so just stay in the ring until I tell you it's safe. No response, of course. I just feel the ring kind of vibrate in my hand. Could Doug then, while carrying Gunther with the shield on him and holding the ring, just, like, run as fast as he could towards Tolve?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You begin running as fast as you can. And Private parts does his best to keep up as well as Captain Grumbles. You're running through. And as you begin running through once again, the steam begins rising and the puddle bubbles begin expanding and the water slowly rising higher and higher. Make me an athletics check.

[Kristen]

Doug, I was gonna ask. This might be one step too far, but as I see this happening, could I grab Gunther's shield and, like, put it under my feet while I'm running? So it almost acts as, like, a. Like a board.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Like a circle board. A wakeboard.

[Kristen]

Wakeboard.

[Gunther]

Yeah. Yeah. Gunther, I don't know how you communicate this, but somehow Gunther knows, and he flings it forward while you're running, so. So that you can just like, hopefully hop.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Kristen]

So you said athletics check.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, we'll still call that an athletics check to. To do that.

[Kristen]

It rolled from a 17 onto a 3. So it's a 3.

[Doug Boone]

I give you my inspiration. Die.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, nice. I forgot we can do that.

[Kristen]

Okay. Thank you.

[Doug Boone]

You're welcome again.

[Natty]

Oh.

[Kristen]

19.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I was really hoping for the three.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, yeah. So Gunther tosses his shield out front, and Doug hops on top of it and says, cowabunga or something.

[Gunther]

And, no, we don't want the Himmobile.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Speedily skims across the surface of the water, reaching the other side shortly before it explodes into cacophony of bubbles and exploding water.

[Kristen]

Nadia, I wish you could have seen what this happened.

[Doug Boone]

It was real crazy what a Captain Grumbles do.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Apparently, this is called skim boarding. I just learned from Micah, skim boarding, or skimming, is a board sport in which a skim Board is used to glide across the water surface to meet an incoming breaking wave and ride it back to shore.

[Natty]

They did it in California beaches all the time.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, Private parts. And Captain Grumbles did not get on there on the shield. So they're a little slower and the water explodes all around them. And they get a little. They're a little worse for the wear. They come out the other side slightly damp and looking unhappy about the whole situation.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. But look at the bright side, you guys. How about that exfoliation? Am I right? Those pores super open.

[Gunther]

It's okay.

[Doug Boone]

Private parts.

[Gunther]

You can say what you think.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Take an inspiration. Die. Chris, that was good.

[Doug Boone]

Called self care.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Natty, do you just come back out of the ring or. Doug, do you have to do something? How does this work?

[Kristen]

Natty, we're through the stuff. If you want to come out now. I don't know what to do. I'm still gripping onto the wing.

[Natty]

Natty appears outside the ring with Gigi. Thanks, Doug. Yo, can I have the ring back?

[Kristen]

Here you go.

[Natty]

And Natty puts it back on her finger.

[Doug Boone]

I was hoping it'd be like a Green Lantern thing, you know. In darkest night, in brightest day, I summon my friend who is like super gay.

[Natty]

It's pretty good.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right. Take an inspiration.

[Gunther]

Die.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That was good. Okay. That was tolve. Which means, Natty, it's. You're up now that you're back with us. Hi, Natty. Welcome back. You are up. Step on up. You got three paths ahead of you and a full range of options you can use.

[Natty]

Yeah, I'm just gonna go with boost morale for my action.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Natty]

And a roll charisma on that. That's a critical failure. Don't need to look at my. At my sheet for that.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Who were you going to try to boost the morale of?

[Natty]

I think Natty would have tried to do the whole team, but I imagine one person in particular would have been more inspired than everybody else and so they would have gotten advantage on their next turn.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Gotcha.

[Doug Boone]

Maybe you like uninspire someone because of your failure. You just pick one person. You just make a total little downer day.

[Natty]

That's a. That's a DM decision.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's like when you try to compliment someone, but you hone in on something they're insecure about or like you bring attention to something they would rather not talk about. So despite your best effort, they're like, oh, now they're self conscious of this thing that they don't want to really think about.

[Doug Boone]

This must have Happened to Gus really recently because he sounds very specific.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I watched a video online of this person who insulted another person, made a comment about their forehead, and the person receiving the insult, like, instantly, like, subconsciously, like, touched their forehead. And it was just. It was just a really weird, awkward encounter. That's what's like, standing out in my head. Anyway, so, yeah, you go up there and try to give a rousing speech to everyone, but every time you try to talk, Gigi's following along, mimicking you, making giggy noises, so nobody can really hear what it is that you're trying to say. But I picture Gigi, like, patting, walking back and forth, trying to give a rounding speech, and just no one can really focus on what it is you're saying.

[Natty]

Natty, he thinks he's translating.

[Doug Boone]

Go team.

[Natty]

All right, so I have three paths.

[Gustavo Sorola]

In front of you. A left, a center, and a right.

[Natty]

Natty wants to go right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, as you are heading to the right, you find another staircase. This one going up. And leaning at the base of the staircase as it goes up, you see what appears to be a small wooden crutch.

[Doug Boone]

Tiny Tim, who has a crutch? Oh, wait, someone did have a crutch. Hold on.

[Natty]

Did Pancake have a crutch?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, it was like a Keyser Soze thing.

[Kristen]

Can we do like a history check maybe?

[Natty]

Yeah. Can I explore the depths of my information, my knowledge?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, why don't we start with Natty, since it's her turn, and we can expand it to everyone based on how she rolls. But Natty, why don't you make me a. Call it a wisdom check.

[Natty]

This is much better than my last roll. 19. Who's Panak? Who's Pancake?

[Doug Boone]

Panak. No, no, they have crutches.

[Natty]

It was Pancake. Yeah, well.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Well, yeah, to remembered and to told you, but yeah, you do remember that. Something about Pancake using a crutch. Do you remember why?

[Doug Boone]

To Cuz they had magenta hair.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know.

[Doug Boone]

I know. Oh, have a half left leg.

[Gustavo Sorola]

There you go.

[Gunther]

Yeah, it's missing.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. Half of Pancake's left leg is missing.

[Kristen]

Yeah. And we asked what the leg was that we found in the wall that one time, but it was a right leg.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, there you go. Look at that memory. Yeah, and it's of a diminutive size. So you think this could theoretically belong to Pancake.

[Natty]

Okay, I'll hold on to this. Okay, I think we're going the right way.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Seems to be a good omen.

[Gunther]

Not for Pancak.

[Natty]

Yeah. So is that a correct path card?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. Metagame wise? Yeah, that is a clear path card.

[Natty]

I only ask because I can't remember where we're at. And number wise.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, that's the third one.

[Natty]

That's three. Okay. And we need five.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. There was one in the previous episode. Then Doug found the magenta hair. And you just found the crutch.

[Natty]

We're more than halfway there.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Look at that. Optimus Glass is half full.

[Doug Boone]

Living on a prayer.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I like that attitude. Whoa.

[Natty]

We're more than halfway there.

[Doug Boone]

I see what you're doing. This episode is brought to you by Peloton. Everyone has a reason to change.

[Natty]

Growing old, heartbreak, a fresh start.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Whatever it may be, Peloton is here.

[Doug Boone]

To get you through life's biggest moments.

[Natty]

With instructors that speak your language and workouts that move to your own rhythm. Peloton's tread and All Access membership help.

[Doug Boone]

You set your targets, track your progress.

[Gustavo Sorola]

And get stronger, making your fitness goals a reality.

[Doug Boone]

Find your push.

[Natty]

Find your power.

[Doug Boone]

Peloton.

[Natty]

Visit1peloton.com.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Don'T miss your chance to spring.

[Natty]

Into deals at Lowe's right now.

[Doug Boone]

Get five select one pint annuals for just $5.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Plus get a free 60 volt Toro battery when you purchase a select 60.

[Doug Boone]

Volt Toro electric mower. With deals like these, your yard wins.

[Natty]

Shop in store or online today.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Lowe's we help you save valid through.

[Doug Boone]

4:30 while supplies last. Actual plant size and selection varies by location. Excludes Hawaii. Hey there travelers. Kaley Cuoco here.

[Natty]

Sorry to interrupt your music, great artist BT Dubs, but wouldn't you rather be.

[Doug Boone]

There to hear it live?

[Natty]

With Priceline, you can get out of your dreams and into your dream concert. They've got millions of travel deals to get you to that festival, gig, rave, sound bath or sonic experience you've been dreaming of. Download the Priceline app today and you can save up to 60% off hotels and up to 50% off flights. So don't just dream about that trip. Book it with Priceline.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Go to your happy price.

[Doug Boone]

Price.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That was natty. Which takes us over to Gunther.

[Gunther]

Having failed last time, he wants to redeem himself and try and scout ahead.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Before you do that, I want to remind you of something, Gunther. You still have advantage on a charisma check. I think it was because of something you ate or drank at the high three.

[Gunther]

Oh, oh.

[Kristen]

Is it the. That slime or something? This. The slug.

[Gunther]

Oh, is it cuz. Yeah, I ate the. Ate the mushrooms or something or.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I don't know.

[Kristen]

You and I had something.

[Gunther]

Tea.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You both had some hallucinogenic effects for a little while that have since worn off. But I think Gunther also had something else as well that gives him a advantage on a ch.

[Natty]

That makes sense. I don't know why I had in my notes, but I had that. Doug and Gunther have an acid trip.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah.

[Natty]

And I was like, I don't remember this.

[Doug Boone]

You could boost morale.

[Gunther]

Gunther, who's next in the order?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Next after you is Doug.

[Gunther]

Doug, what you did with my shield was very inspiring. And I want you to know that it made me happy. And I think you are super neat.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That's so nice.

[Doug Boone]

Wow.

[Kristen]

One of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me. You're going to make me cry again. God.

[Gunther]

Oh, don't make me cry again.

[Doug Boone]

Are you guys making me cry now? Thinking about crying.

[Gustavo Sorola]

That should just be the thumbnail for this episode. Is everyone crying? It's like, which scene is it from? I don't know. It happened so many times in this episode. This is the one where everyone cries.

[Natty]

Yeah, just do it. Where it's the three of them crying and Natty's not in the thumb and people are like, what happened to Natty Clickbait?

[Doug Boone]

Oh, John can never deprogram that part of your brain, huh? Nope.

[Natty]

I'm just so good at thumbnails.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. So roll a charisma check with advantage. That's an inside joke there.

[Natty]

That I will never let die, I don't think.

[Gunther]

Two 15s. So 15.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right. Yeah. Doug, you feel really good about yourself. You feel like, you know, you're puffing your chest out. Standing up a little more straight. You know, you can figure it out.

[Kristen]

I can figure it out. Yeah. I like to think the second Doug stands up straight, you just hear all of his bones start cracking because he has such a hard.

[Gunther]

And then. Are all three paths clear or available?

[Gustavo Sorola]

They're all available. Yes.

[Gunther]

Gunther will move to the center.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You're walking forward in the path, and you know you're still holding that lock of bronze hair you found earlier. I imagine you're still, like, regarding it and trying to figure out what to do with it. And as you're looking down at it, you see something on the floor beneath your feet as you're walking through this passageway.

[Natty]

It's not a lock of bronze here. It's a key of bronze.

[Gunther]

Yeah, I know. I was just. I was just thinking that, like, I was like, there's a. This is a joke or pun in there.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You have visions of a lizard folk who is really into hair? No, no, no. But you, as you're looking at it, you know, you're looking down at the ground and you see there's a necklace bead on the ground and it's near an archway that continues the passage forward.

[Gunther]

And this necklace bead. Can I look closer?

[Gustavo Sorola]

I like to think that, yeah, Gunther just kind of leans over and puts his face close to the ground to examine it. And yeah, you see, it appears to be made of purple heart wood.

[Gunther]

This is pancakes.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Solitary bead.

[Gunther]

They have a necklace of purple heartwood. I have it in my mind.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You all took really good notes. I'm kind of shocked at this.

[Gunther]

I'll take it for pancake.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay. Do you. You convey this to the rest of your friends?

[Gunther]

Yeah, this is good. Let's go. And then. Yeah, continue.

[Kristen]

I'm guessing the necklace that Tolv is wearing, it's not made out of the same material, is it?

[Natty]

With silver? With a made up word that is like pearl nakur.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, yeah, it's like more like a mother of pearl is the necklace that Tolt has.

[Natty]

What is mother of pearl compared to pearl?

[Gustavo Sorola]

I think mother of pearl is more iridescent. And it's not necessarily a sphere, like a pearl is sphere, but mother of pearl is like. Can be flat and iridescent, if I understand correctly. All right, good job, Gunther. Up next, like we said a little while ago, is Doug on the threes?

[Kristen]

Doug on ones and twos equals threes. All right. Could I do a. It's elementary.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You absolutely can. I feel like that's Doug's favorite. And you have advantage on this because of Gunther boosting your morale.

[Kristen]

Well, what a sweet thing for a friend to do. For another friend. Don't think I'm gonna need advantage cuz I was 22, but I'll roll again. Okay, 22.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right. You, you know, bust it down scientifically. Logically, you try to figure out what your best options here are. Which metagame wise allows you to draw two cards from the deck. And we're going to choose one to replace a card in the river. So you, you know, using the process of elimination and logic, I would say like looking down one path, you see what appears to be an obvious trap of some kind. And looking down the other path, you can almost get a sense of fresh air.

[Kristen]

Go down the sense of fresh air path.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. So you can choose one of these and replace a card in the river with it. So you choose one and it'll go into the river.

[Kristen]

So which side was which again?

[Gustavo Sorola]

I would Say the left appears to be maybe a trap of some kind. It seems suspicious. And then to the right, you get, like, a sense of fresh air.

[Kristen]

I want to get rid of that left card.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right. Which means we will put the fresh air into the options that lay in front of you. So you can go either left, center, or right. And you know, one of them has. At least one of them has fresh.

[Kristen]

Air, which could be a trap. But we'll go right.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay. You walk down the right passageway, and as you're walking down the hallway, slowly becomes more reinforced with iron plating. And leaning up against one of the iron plated walls, you find what appears to be an antique crystal shield.

[Kristen]

Can I pick it up and take a look at it?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, you pick it up. And since you said you're taking a look, make an investigation check on it.

[Kristen]

Investigating. Darn. Six.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You pick it up and take a look, and you see that there is a colorful script written on the back. Oh, it's written in orc. I don't know if you can read orc, Doug.

[Kristen]

Guess what. I can.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You can.

[Natty]

Dang.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, then in that case, clear as day, you can read in, like, again, very flourished. Colorful script. It says made in Vulgaria.

[Doug Boone]

Oh.

[Kristen]

Did any of you guys know a place called Vulgaria?

[Doug Boone]

I think that's where Vuztago's gorilla is.

[Kristen]

Anybody? Anybody? Vulgaria.

[Natty]

Can I see if I know?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, make a wisdom check. Why not?

[Doug Boone]

I'm gonna add that as well.

[Gunther]

Can I? Yeah. Can I?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Kristen]

Like I'm saying to the whole group. So I would think like 16.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I'm waiting for everyone else's rolls, too.

[Doug Boone]

6. Hate my dice.

[Gunther]

20 plus 1. 21.

[Gustavo Sorola]

So 16. 21. 6. Got it. You ponder it and you think about it, and you're not quite sure if you've ever heard of that. It doesn't seem like a familiar land.

[Gunther]

None of us.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, none of you. It could be that maybe since it's antique, maybe it's a land from long ago that no longer exists.

[Kristen]

Vulgaria. How do you spell that?

[Natty]

Probably like Bulgaria with a V. Yeah, exactly.

[Kristen]

Okay. And it's a shield that you said.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It'S like some pearlescent antique crystal shield.

[Kristen]

Crystal.

[Gunther]

Does it look like a practical shield? Like, still usable?

[Kristen]

Yeah, like usable. Or more of, like, decorative.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's crystal, so it probably would not be super effective.

[Kristen]

Do you think we should take this with us, or should we just leave it here?

[Gunther]

I think so. I have traveled to many places, and I've never heard of Volkari. Yes. So it could be special. Old.

[Kristen]

I guess I'll hold on to it for now.

[Doug Boone]

Go for it.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, as Doug says that parts of his speech seemingly get bleeped out. Well, I guess I'll onto it for now.

[Natty]

Keep talking.

[Kristen]

Hey guys.

[Doug Boone]

Interesting new development. What is.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Where's that coming from?

[Doug Boone]

Okay, so here's a theory, gang. Vulgaria. The root word vulgar. I think it shields us from vulgarities. It's like a, some sort of joke thing, I don't know.

[Kristen]

But I didn't say anything vulgar.

[Natty]

Say a naughty word. Okay.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, all right.

[Natty]

Say, say a naughty word, Barbara.

[Gustavo Sorola]

And.

[Natty]

And don't push the button.

[Doug Boone]

Poop.

[Natty]

What happens?

[Gunther]

What do we hear?

[Doug Boone]

Okay, interesting.

[Kristen]

Gonna put this guy down.

[Natty]

Say a word for when you're going to keep carrying something.

[Kristen]

Huh?

[Doug Boone]

What?

[Natty]

I'm trying to figure out the word that got bleeped, but I can't say the word because Natty wouldn't have heard the word.

[Kristen]

I'm gonna hold on to this guy.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's intermittently I'm gonna onto this.

[Natty]

Okay, that's what I wanted to figure out. I wanted to figure out if it was. If it was random or specific. So it's a random censorship.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It seems to be kicking in randomly.

[Gunther]

Let us give it to Mr. Grumbles, Captain.

[Natty]

So it's basically the MPAA.

[Doug Boone]

Can we give it to Captain Grumbles? So he just goes, you can give it to him.

[Natty]

I don't care.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay, now I like Captain Grumbles, okay?

[Natty]

Captain Grumbles is very important. I need you to hold onto this shield and protect it with your own life. Okay? All right. Thank you.

[Gunther]

He's so angry.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, Captain Grumbles. Take it easy, man.

[Natty]

Well, he hasn't gotten to take a turn, so I think he just feels left out.

[Kristen]

All I know is I don't think I want to visit this vulgaria personally.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. Strict laws.

[Kristen]

Yeah. No. Freedom of speech.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, that was Doug, which means 12. You're up.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, yoo hoo. Let's see. I would like to forge a path. I want to use my strength.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay. Show us that strength toll.

[Doug Boone]

Ah, that's a 20.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, nice. So that adds two additional clear path cards into the discard pile. So you know, you go out there and you just kind of like clear some growth and clean some slippery moss off the ground and just generally try to make the path easier for your compatriots to follow. Which metagame wise, just increases the opportunity in general for people to make a correct choice.

[Doug Boone]

You're welcome. Hard work. Yep. Moving boulders hard Work. I guess I get to choose which path to go down.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, yeah. Left, center, or right?

[Doug Boone]

Let's give center a go. Let's get a shot.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right. Center square with Harvey Fierstein.

[Doug Boone]

What?

[Gustavo Sorola]

John got it.

[Doug Boone]

Celebrity Squares. Hollywood Squares.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Hollywood Squares. Yeah.

[Gunther]

Whoopee.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yes. Whoopi Goldberg was on there a lot too.

[Gunther]

That was just Gunther being excited about progressing.

[Kristen]

Whoopee.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right, so you begin proceeding, and as you are walking down the pathway. I'll tell you what, make me a perception check.

[Doug Boone]

Okie dokie. That's a 10.

[Gustavo Sorola]

As you are walking, you slowly begin hearing a sound. It almost sounds like the clinking of chains and a voice crying out in pain. And it's slowly getting louder and louder. And as you are walking down this passageway, it appears to fork to the left and to the right.

[Kristen]

You want to maybe hear where the clinking is going?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. Can I, Can I figure out which one, which direction is coming?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It seems like the sound is traveling down and coming from both of them. The same sound.

[Doug Boone]

Maybe this fort just goes around. It's just a big circle and it goes to the same place.

[Kristen]

Like this. Wow.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, just like that. Left. Let's go left.

[Gustavo Sorola]

All right.

[Doug Boone]

We encountered chains before they were vite chains, right? Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You take the left path, and after snaking around for a little bit, you come to what appears to be a cavernous underground cove flooded with seawater. There's natural rock walls and palm fronds and moss and a smattering of jagged rock sea stacks.

[Doug Boone]

Now, is this the kind of water that I could swim through, or is this the kind of water that's going to make me burn, hurt, and go ouchie?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It does not appear to be boiling steamy water.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, and does this lead to any place? Like it's just water in front of us and then it leads down? Okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I appreciate the questions. Thank you for asking.

[Doug Boone]

You're all.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You see where you have come out. You're on a dock that appears to hug the western edge of this cove. And you realize that this looks very different from the catacombs you were just in. Across the COVID on the eastern side, you see another wooden dock that also hugs the eastern edge of this cove. And in the middle between them is floating and sunken ship wreckage. To the north, you see what appears to be a menacing house sized skull with one eye replaced by a sharp gemstone.

[Doug Boone]

Ooh. Got a real, real goonies situation here. Yes, Natty, that's.

[Natty]

That skull is across the COVID where that other wooden dock is. Past the Wreckage.

[Gustavo Sorola]

The skull is to the northern end of the COVID Yeah. It appears like both of these docks kind of snake to the north towards the big skull.

[Natty]

Okay. And then there is a watery area in the middle with all the wreckage.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Correct. Between the two docks and south of the skull.

[Doug Boone]

Does anybody have like misty stuff step or like some sort of walk on water power, like lily pads that they can shoot out so that Gunther can hippity hop?

[Kristen]

I might be able to. To make something.

[Doug Boone]

I'm interested. Otherwise, I'm going to be honest. The only thing I can think of is I put like all of you inside of Natty's ring and then I skip it like a skipping stone and we just kind of see how it goes.

[Kristen]

Do we know how deep it is?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's presumably deep, but I wouldn't say super deep since there's like ship wreckage. You can see, like parts of ships are settled under the water, but parts of them are still protruding from the top. It's not deep enough for a ship, but it's deep enough to swim in. Is that narrow enough for you? Does that kind of answer your question?

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

I'm gonna be so for real. I am like terrified that there is going to be like a big sea monster.

[Kristen]

You know, I don't know if it's deep enough for that to be a monster.

[Doug Boone]

Is.

[Gunther]

Is there anything above the ship wreckage.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Or the things like in the ceiling?

[Gunther]

Yeah, or like that could be used as something to grab hold of to swing across stalactites.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's almost like a big cavern. So there is stealing. Stealing. There is a ceiling with stalactites up there, but it is pretty high up since it is like a cavern.

[Gunther]

Like how high?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Let's call it 70ft.

[Gunther]

Oh, it's high.

[Doug Boone]

If I can throw. Throw you. And then you could, I don't know.

[Gunther]

You could throw me.

[Doug Boone]

Catch you with your tongue.

[Natty]

Oh. I have a question. The house sized skull, does it have a door?

[Gustavo Sorola]

What I was about to say was if you continue on this dock, it appears to lead you to this house sized skull.

[Natty]

As in the docks were just like a. Like a boardwalk to the skull.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Correct.

[Gunther]

I just walked.

[Natty]

Natty goes, why don't we just walk right here on this little path made to walk to that skull?

[Gunther]

No, throw me.

[Kristen]

That seems to make just a little too much sense.

[Gunther]

Natty, throw me now.

[Doug Boone]

I let everyone win. We start walking and I throw Gunther in front of us.

[Kristen]

I was gonna say to give him a shot.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, Like Gimli and Lord of the Rings.

[Doug Boone]

Toss me Toss me and you.

[Natty]

Sorry, one last question about the skull. You said, like, one of the eyes was a gem.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Correct.

[Natty]

Which one?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's left eye. Which, when you're facing it, is the one on the right.

[Doug Boone]

Thank you.

[Natty]

What kind of a gem?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's just some kind of sharply cut gemstone.

[Doug Boone]

Okay.

[Gustavo Sorola]

When you get a little closer, you might be able to see, but from here it appears to be like, maybe it's a sharp gemstone roughly in the shape of an eye. You know, since it's in the eye socket, it's encased in some kind of brass frame, and it seems like light beams are casting out of it to the south.

[Doug Boone]

I know.

[Natty]

You made a Cooney's reference. This is a very restless Skewers is what this is. Oh, Natty starts walking the boardwalk.

[Doug Boone]

All right, same, same.

[Gunther]

I was thrown, right?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. I threw you.

[Kristen]

Yeah.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Did you really throw him?

[Doug Boone]

Oh, yeah, sure.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Docks, right?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Natty]

Okay, Roll for throwing.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I'm gonna give it to him.

[Gunther]

While he's flying through the air, he wants to pull out a sword and strike a cool pose.

[Doug Boone]

There you go. Everybody clap.

[Kristen]

Oh, yeah.

[Doug Boone]

This is so cool.

[Gunther]

This is patronizing.

[Gustavo Sorola]

The docks themselves seem to be planked walkways, and they're dimly lit by lanterns. This route you're taking seems to feed into the skull.

[Gunther]

And you said there was a door.

[Gustavo Sorola]

No, John asked if there was a door. I said that the walkway just kind of feeds into the skull. And as you get closer, you can see that the skull is a house sized skull covered in moss and grime. This planked path you're walking on feeds directly into the side of the skull and seems to proceed to the north.

[Natty]

Past the skull.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. Like the path leads you into the skull and beyond it.

[Natty]

Oh, into the skull. So now we are in the skull housing and heading north.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I wouldn't put you there. I would say you're at that precipice. If you want to walk in and continue, that's up to you.

[Doug Boone]

You know, I want to go inside of this skull.

[Natty]

I mean, well, point of order. We have a leader.

[Doug Boone]

Doug.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Ugh.

[Kristen]

It's still me, isn't it? You know, you can't just come across a giant skull and not go inside.

[Doug Boone]

That's what I'm saying.

[Kristen]

Yeah, but maybe one of you, if you have the ability to, like, check for twaps or something like that.

[Natty]

We all do.

[Kristen]

Could I check for twaps?

[Doug Boone]

Yes, you can.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, you can. Absolutely you can.

[Natty]

The look on Barbara's face as she realized she could do that for some.

[Kristen]

Reason I thought it had to be like a special ability.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Some classes are more attuned to it and have better checks for it, but anyone can look.

[Kristen]

I will check for traps.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Where are you looking like, exactly? What are you looking for exactly? What in your mind, what are these traps you're looking for?

[Kristen]

I would say I would kind of peek in. I wouldn't step in, but I would look for anything on the ground that maybe looks uneven, like it could be a stepping plate or anything in the walls of the skull that maybe have something sticking out.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

I'm going to look for the sword of power to raise above my head and say, by the power of Grayskull, I have the power.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Nice.

[Natty]

Are we walking into the mouth? What hole are we looking at?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It would be like the cheeks.

[Natty]

Okay.

[Kristen]

I rolled a 15 on my investigation.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, you do a pretty exhaustive search looking around and you don't see anything that appears to be a trap. Nothing. No pressure plates, no trip wires, nothing of that sort.

[Kristen]

Okay. Doug does that thing where he stays quiet, but he motions forward with his two fingers cool into the skull.

[Gustavo Sorola]

As you're looking around looking for these traps, you can tell that the skull is actually made of rock and not bone.

[Doug Boone]

Wow.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's the same kind of jagged rock as the sea stacks that are in the. The watery area out in front of it.

[Gunther]

They look carved.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, Potentially. Yeah.

[Doug Boone]

Or like a natural formation.

[Natty]

Natural forming skulls.

[Gustavo Sorola]

I will say, now that you're up close, you. And it's a good thing you're making this check. Doug, you're especially in tune with this. You recognize what the gemstone's doing?

[Kristen]

What's it doing?

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's kind of like the eyecaster you saw in the seesaw at Fort Endridge.

[Natty]

Seesaw is the trainer.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yes. If you remember, at the very beginning, you went through, like a simulated training.

[Natty]

So what's it simulating?

[Kristen]

I think he was just explaining that.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah. So it's like at the seesaw in your training, it created like a hollow, almost like a holodeck in Star Trek. Like, it creates like a holographic experience that you then use to train John, Natty is asking, well, what's this doing? Once Doug points this out, Natty, you know, your eyes follow it and follow these rays of. Of lights that are casting out from it into the waters of the COVID in front of you. And you see that out in the water, the light beams are casting visual and audible illusions of a safe patch of sea in the midst of a storm. But in fact, you know that there Are rocks and ships wrecked here?

[Natty]

Oh, it's a trap.

[Doug Boone]

That must be where the Ark of the Covenant is.

[Natty]

Yeah, no, it's a trap for ships to crash.

[Doug Boone]

Oh, okay, that makes sense.

[Kristen]

Yeah, because I thought it was safe, and then they. They go that way and then. Not so safe.

[Natty]

Is there an opening in this cave that would allow for a ship to come in and crash?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Well, there's that cove of water between the two docks that we talked about. Yeah, but no entrance big enough for a ship. Beyond the skull, if that's your question.

[Natty]

Weird. Then how those ships get there?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, oh, oh, I'm sorry. On the other side. Yes. That leads out to the sea.

[Natty]

So that would explain what the ship saw was a safe passage, and then they hid in and. Yeah, it's a fly trap. It's a Venus flytrap.

[Doug Boone]

How big is this room? I think I misjudged. It must be like a multiple football fields ver or something.

[Natty]

He said a cavernous cove.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, it's cavernous. It's huge. The ceilings are 70 foot high. The width across from the western and the eastern docks is probably over 100ft. It's pretty big.

[Doug Boone]

Cool.

[Gunther]

How big is the eye physically? The jewel that's doing this illusion, it's really big.

[Gustavo Sorola]

If you had to guess, it would probably weigh a couple hundred pounds.

[Natty]

Yeah, Skull's the size of a house. Imagine the eye scale.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's pretty big to.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah.

[Natty]

You ever heard of, like, ironclad? Either doing something like this or talking about a legend of something like this or anything. Like, is there like a cursed cove or something? Or is this what. What he does?

[Doug Boone]

Well, looking at my notes that I took, in real life, in the game, in real. In. In our universe, real world, you can.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Make a history check if you want.

[Natty]

You talk weird.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Oh, my God. Where's history?

[Natty]

It's outside medical order.

[Doug Boone]

I know I should know this 10.

[Natty]

I gave him an inspiration dice.

[Doug Boone]

I don't need. Oh, you don't need me to do that.

[Natty]

I. Do it. Give him an inspiration day.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It's his choice.

[Doug Boone]

Okay. History check with advantage. That was a good use because I just got a two.

[Natty]

God, you know, you win some, you lose some.

[Doug Boone]

No, this is good. I said. Oh, yes, I remember this place. Yes, it's. It's called the COVID of lost holes. Like a ship hole? H, U, L, L. Not. Not the other kind of hole that your brain went to, because this is in Jakarta, you know.

[Natty]

Wait, I can't tell if this is Blaine BSing or this is Tove actually telling the truth.

[Doug Boone]

This is Tove receiving a message from the beyond.

[Gustavo Sorola]

This is Tove recalling.

[Natty]

This is Tove recalling. This is Tove recalling.

[Doug Boone]

And I know from our experience at the Seesaw that that thing is called. It's Thaumatech.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Natty]

Okay, so this is something you've heard of.

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, yeah.

[Natty]

Okay. Okay.

[Doug Boone]

I don't know if it's Ironclad's doing or not, but, you know, you would not believe this.

[Gustavo Sorola]

It would be something of Ironclads.

[Doug Boone]

I don't think Ironclad is smart enough. He probably is. I'm just trying to insult him because he sucks so bad.

[Gunther]

Should we cover up the eye so that people do not not die?

[Doug Boone]

Yeah, that will, like, totally steal this giant gym and try to resell it. That would be an option.

[Gunther]

It is too big.

[Doug Boone]

How big is it?

[Gunther]

Giant?

[Doug Boone]

God, how big?

[Gustavo Sorola]

We just went over several hundred pounds.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, what if we shadowed it in.

[Gustavo Sorola]

My head, I was stuck. He talked about reselling it, and I realized Andridge Bay is ebay, and I was making myself laugh in my head while you were talking.

[Doug Boone]

That's so good.

[Natty]

Very good.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, how about then? In that case, Tolv takes a whack with the warhammer. It's still Toll's turn, so I think that this would be something he'd want to do.

[Natty]

We're not an initiative.

[Doug Boone]

I know, but, you know, I'm just. They said give us more story told. Don't just listen to the Gus. Tell stories with Gus.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, tell stories. How are you going to try to approach this? Are you gonna climb, like, the outside of the skull, or are you gonna try to go inside and then climb and go up there from the inside? Like, what's your approach here?

[Doug Boone]

I'll climb from the outside of the skull.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Okay.

[Doug Boone]

I have had experience climbing being on ships with sails and things.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Yeah, same thing.

[Natty]

That is totally something someone would say who knew things about ships.

[Gunther]

Yeah.

[Natty]

You sound like me talking about sports or cars.

[Doug Boone]

I have played with balls and things.

[Gustavo Sorola]

The ball successfully. Yeah. You put your hands on the outside of the skull, begin finding a foothold. And as you do that, you start to hear grumbling voices approaching.

[Natty]

Oh.

[Gustavo Sorola]

And along with it, you hear, like, sparks and zaps. It seems to be coming from the north, from inside the skull, and it seems to be getting louder.

[Natty]

Captain Grumbles, did you learn how to throw your voice? That's really. That's impressive.

[Doug Boone]

Impressive. Wow.

[Gustavo Sorola]

He's got the shield.

[Natty]

Oh.

[Doug Boone]

I favored everybody to get their attention stealthily, and then I say talking. I move my hand up and down talking inside and I point inside the skull.

[Kristen]

Oh, okay. Can we sneak in now?

[Natty]

He starts doing the chicken dance with the hands making the little shakes his hand vigorously.

[Gustavo Sorola]

As you all are signaling to each other, the voices suddenly stop for a moment. Finally, a voice breaks the silence and says, I think I heard something. It was over there. Footsteps slowly march towards the party's position, getting closer and closer with every second. What will the party do? What's the source of the voices? Well, we're gonna have to find out in the next episode of Tales and the Sneaky Drag. Thanks for listening everyone. Karaoke hey everyone, did you know you can help unleash the Infinites? This four new radical shirt designs have just crash landed in the Sneaky Dragon Store. Bart, Gum Gum, Kyborg and Mud are bursting onto the scene with their own vibrant te straight from their animated adventures. Choose your favorite or snag all four and become a legendary collector. Top off your look with the brand new embroidered Infinite Style Dad Style ball cap. It's the ultimate power move. Don't miss out on this epic drop. Visit store.stinkydragonpod.com today and bring home the magic of the Infinites. New releases of Tales from the Stinky Dragon premiere every other Wednesday wherever you stream podcasts and on The Stinky Dragon YouTube channel. Watch the show 48 hours early and ad free. Become a patron@stinky dragonpod.com or become a member of Beacon at Beacon TV. Both memberships support the show and receive access to our exclusive series Second Win and a Member Only Discord for their respective platform. Become a patron and unlock exclusive bonus content Sticky Drunk Community Events Our Discord Server and you can get your name shouted out just like Zarles Hakone Logi Arnason, who is also Hakonlogi420. There's a lot of accent marks on that one. Sungi, VMC Viking, who is also Kirimaruviking and Mari Schmid. These patrons directly support the show and get ad free episodes Access to our Patreon only Discord Server, bonus content like Second Wind behind the Screen and much more. In fact, here's a quick peek at a tavern tale. One shot available now. Journey to the center of Gum Gum's Mind When Gum Gum consumes a cursed soul stone, Bart, Cyborg, and Mud must journey deep into the illogical labyrinth of his mind to extract it before their friend becomes a vessel for pure evil.

[Gunther]

You now stand in a vast chamber, its architecture eerily reminiscent of an American Gladiator set.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Whoa.

[Gunther]

The air hums as if the arena itself is alive.

[Doug Boone]

Whoa. Stop there, my dudes.

[Gunther]

There's a blur of yellow as a figure jumps from an elevated platform and does 30 backflips before sticking a perfect landing in front of the party. Bow drawn, pointed at your heads.

[Kristen]

I see what's happening here.

[Gunther]

It's technically an elf, slightly shorter than Kyborg. He has flowing long blonde hair and a huge upper body that's rippling with muscles. But his legs are tiny, completely disproportionate. Kind of like Johnny Bravo, if you remember that show.

[Doug Boone]

Man, I'm pretty.

[Kristen]

So is this Gum Gum's version of you, Kaiborg?

[Doug Boone]

I want to do the Predator handshake and say, what up, dude?

[Gunther]

He high fives you so quickly that he takes his hand off the arrow, high fives you, and then grabs the arrow and pulls it back without it firing.

[Doug Boone]

That was impressive.

[Gunther]

Thank you.

[Doug Boone]

But also, I'm defying the laws of gravity and just stuff.

[Gunther]

Thank you.

[Doug Boone]

Hello.

[Gunther]

Hello.

[Doug Boone]

What's your name? Oh, hi.

[Gunther]

I'm Kyborg.

[Doug Boone]

You're Cyborg.

[Gunther]

What's your name?

[Doug Boone]

I am another version of Kyborg.

[Gunther]

Oh, sick.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, great. You're open to this. Great. I thought you were going to try to attack me, but no, we're like brothers.

[Gunther]

Yeah. Do you want me to attack you?

[Doug Boone]

No.

[Gunther]

Okay, look, you guys seem super cool, especially you, Cyborg. Thanks, Kyborg, but I can't let you pass unless I know you're, like, cool enough.

[Doug Boone]

What cool stunts do you want us to do, Kyborg?

[Gunther]

If I told you, then it wouldn't be cool.

[Doug Boone]

Okay?

[Natty]

I've heard so many stories like this. You have to challenge him to a competition. Oh, he can't resist that kind of thing.

[Doug Boone]

I can't or he can't?

[Natty]

Yes.

[Doug Boone]

Okay, got it.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Visit stinkydragonpod.com to show your support and make this show possible. A number of incredible voice actors lent their voice to the show, including Private Private parts, voiced by Ben at HalcyonBen. This episode of Testament, Stinky Dragon, was produced by Ben Ernst, Written, edited and composed by Michael Reisinger, with additional editing work by Katherine Arnold and David Saulnier. Tune in next time for another thrilling episode of Tales of the Stinky Dragon.

[Kristen]

Oh, like Doug Boone here on the ones and twos. I know I got a couple listeners listening in. Doug's on the ones and twos equals threes. You know, it's an interesting day today. You know, a lot of stuff's happening. We've got some boiling water. We Got some hair that we found belonging to Pancake. No, it's just we're on the case is how I'd like to say it, but, you know, we're not. Not making as much progress as Doug would want, but we're making. We're making moves. We had Natty turn into a ring. Somehow, I didn't know she could do that. It was pretty wild. We got Chris here doing a little dance on his camera. He's looking at me. He knows I'm doing this. Hey, welcome, Gunther, to the show. How. How are you today?

[Gunther]

I'm very cool.

[Kristen]

Very good.

[Gunther]

What's easier show?

[Kristen]

This is. This is Doug's on the ones and twos equals threes. How's. How's your afternoon going?

[Gunther]

Oh, it is good. I like afternoons because they have the sun and it reminds me of home. But then I also like night. I like all day time.

[Kristen]

Well, we love that positivity here on the dugs. On the ones and twos equals three, so thank you so much for that edition. Oh, hello. Gus is back as well. He's been listening this whole time.

[Gustavo Sorola]

You know it. I'm always here.

[Kristen]

He makes me feel like there's always someone watching.

[Gustavo Sorola]

Listen, no matter what, I'm your biggest fan, Doug. You've always got at least one listener out there, no matter what.

[Kristen]

Wow. Can we get a pew?

[Gustavo Sorola]

Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew.

[Kristen]

Doug's got to work on his soundboard. Coming soon to a new episode.