C03 - Ep. 32 - From On Hyra - Double Trouble, Oil and Bubbles

Summary

Tales from the Stinky Dragon

Episode: C03 - Ep. 32 - From On Hyra - Double Trouble, Oil and Bubbles
Release Date: December 10, 2025

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Overview

This comedic actual-play D&D podcast episode brings together the lovable, bumbling adventurer party and their witty Dungeon Master (Gustavo “Gus” Sorola) as they unravel metallic mysteries, rediscover long-lost siblings, and face peril below the Boiling Bluffs. The episode focuses on the group's ongoing investigation into stolen Thaumatek parts (magical mechanical body pieces), the growing Stinky Dragon “family,” and delightful world-building moments—blending fourth wall-breaking, character-driven hijinks, and narrative action. The show also showcases their innovative card-based "Deck of Dungeons" mechanic to create random dungeon encounters.

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Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Community-Submitted "Arrow Questions" (05:30–11:18)

Purpose:
Kickstarting four-episode series where characters (in a bit of meta-fun) pose questions as if they themselves were podcast patrons, sparking engaging roleplay and insights.

• Natty Wonder's Question (John Reisinger, 04:22):

  "If the world was ending tomorrow, what would you do today?"

  • Sets the tone of introspection, motherly melodrama, and curiosity.
  • “You just seem to be interested in the end of the world..." (Barbara Dunkelman, 05:05)

• Doug Boon's Question (Barbara Dunkelman, 06:01):

  "If you could master one skill, which would you pick and why?"

  • Fosters party bonding and showcases Doug’s friendly, curious nature.

• Tolvia Mail-Or-No's Question (Blaine Gibson, 07:27):

  "Tell me about your perfect first date."

  • Reveals Tolvia’s lack of romantic experience and desire to connect.

• Gunther's Question (Chris Damaris, 09:43):

  "Do you think your parents are proud of you? Why or why not?"

  • Gunther reflects on parental shame, adding depth and a dash of real-world podcaster humor.
  • “My parents don't think podcaster is a job.” (Michael Risinger, 10:03)

The team jokes about internal family/cast nepotism and meta-commentary on their own “over-index” of Reisingers and Gibsons (10:18–10:32).

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2. Reuniting and Meeting Thaumatek Siblings (11:44–28:34)

Action Focus:
Picks up with Doug, Gunther, Natty, and Tolvia in the tunnels under Boiling Bluffs, on the hunt for the source of stolen magical machinery.

• The Party Navigates a Sewer Fork (11:44):

  • Doug uses smell to follow the trail of missing metal.
  • Mysterious voice (Teo), later revealed to be Tolvia's sibling, is heard.

• Meta-Jokes on Dialogue and Siblings (14:11–14:38):

  • Blaine’s extensive family headcount leads to realization: "At some point we're going to have 12 people doing voices... like a choir..."

• Reunion with Thaumatek Siblings (23:00–28:34):

  • The party meets Tio (a blue-gray metallic head, no body) and Neo (a large, headless body with glowing energy veins).
  • Tolvia’s emotional, funny reunion, including cosplay—removes his disguise, blurts “It’s me, Tov. Your brother.” (24:48)
  • Family quirks: Each sibling has lethal combat power, may or may not be friendly (“He is highly lethal, as is all of the rest of us. So if he is not on your side, you will die.” – John, 20:37)
  • Plan to reattach missing parts foiled: Neo's body refuses Tio's head (physically pantomimes ‘no’).

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3. Exploring the Boiling Bluffs: Geography & Plot Choices (32:01–41:22)

• Regional Overview:

  • Landmarks include the Font of the Fire Eater (temple), Crude Corral (tavern), Sora Sump (mine), and the boiling river.
  • The party debates logistics for returning to the surface or heading further into the mine, using a magical "shadow portal" to rejoin paths.

• Preparation for Mining Hazards:

  • Doug ensures everyone dons miner hats and vests (“Safety first!”– Doug, 41:22), even sacrificing Natty’s hair (“It’s okay, safety first… I do not have hair!”).

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4. The Deck of Dungeons: Procedural Mine Crawl (42:21–91:33)

Mechanic:
A custom deck randomizes encounters. Players use abilities to manipulate draws, seeking clear path cards and dealing with obstacles, monsters, wanderers, and items.

Memorable Segments:

• Stealth Check Past “Sinbad,” the Sleeping Mole Dog (47:32–48:54):

  • Close call, Giggy the creature roll saves the party.
  • “Holy moly, look at the size of those teeth.” – John, 48:14
  • The animal has a collar and name tag; “Sinbad” is a running punchline.

• Discovery & Roleplay Encounters:

  • Quacks (fellow Kindle Kin) tries, fails, and gets thoroughly oiled while changing Giggy’s diaper in a slapstick chase (60:01–61:41).
  • Batsona, the distracted dwarf geologist searching for his missing, bearded daughter Zatbana (74:08–78:38).
  • Soft, funny moments of party mutual praise:
    • "Doug, I really do think that sauna did wonders for your hair... You’re looking quite dapper!" – John/Natty, 57:04

• Item and Path Discovery:

  • Tolvia discovers a strange “ice cube” (gemstone), party finds clues of dretches (demonic, gorilla-type monsters).

• Comedic/Meta Banter:

  • Running inside jokes about Patreon content, random podcast family members, and chaotic sessions.
  • Numerous puns: rude oil, “smell that smench," and extended asides about moldogs, centipedes, and the mechanics of uncrustables.

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5. Lead-up to Combat: Big Monster Reveal (88:16–91:33)

Cliffhanger:
Doug discovers tools under a minecart, and three armored dretches ambush the group, setting up the next episode’s battle.

• "As you turn to convey that to your party, the minecart gets overturned and three armored dredges jump out from under the minecart..." (90:55–91:04)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Meta Fun and Fourth-Wall Play:
  “If your character was a patron, what would they submit as an arrow question?” – Michael/Dungeon Master, 03:30
  “You broke my brain because I was thinking characters, and then you started saying player names…” – Michael, 04:13

• On Family and Identity:
  “Each of my brothers and sisters have unique combat powers. He is highly lethal... Best of luck!” – John/Tolv, 20:35

• On Being a Parent:
  “Do you think your parents are proud of you?” – Chris/Gunther, 09:43
  “My parents don’t think podcaster is a job.” – Michael, 10:03

• Comedic Banter:
  “Holy moly, look at the size of those teeth.” – John, 48:14
  “It seems like Quacks just wanted to be helpful in any way they could.” – Barbara, 62:48

• Party Dynamics:
  “Doug, I really do think that sauna did wonders for your hair... You’re looking quite dapper.” – John/Natty, 57:04
  “Everyone needs compliments.” – John/Natty, 58:02

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Timestamps by Segment

• [03:53] Recap and "brew" introduction by John/Stinky Dragon Innkeep
• [05:30–11:18] The group answers community-prompted, character-based questions; explores player backstories and party chemistry
• [11:44–15:17] The party investigates the drain, encounters mysterious voices
• [23:00–28:34] Reunites with lost Thaumatek siblings, character reveals, and playful roleplay
• [32:01–41:22] Boiling Bluffs orientation and party logistics
• [42:21–43:17] Introduction to the Deck of Dungeons system
• [47:32–48:54] Group stealths past Sinbad the mole dog
• [60:01–61:41] Quacks (NPC) comedy diaper-changing bit
• [74:08–78:38] Interaction with Batsona the dwarf geologist and missing child quest
• [88:16–91:33] The monster card triggers: ambushed by dretches under the minecart
• [91:33] The episode ends on a cliffhanger before the big fight

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Tone & Style

• Humorous, Self-Referential, and Warm:
  The cast blends D&D storytelling with stand-up style riffing, gentle party teasing, and a parade of quirky, fully-voiced NPCs.
• Fourth-Wall Breaks & Meta:
  Characters express awareness of podcast form and game mechanics, bringing listeners into the fun.

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For New Listeners

This episode showcases the heart and humor that defines Tales from the Stinky Dragon: quirky characters, deepening bonds, absurd mishaps, inventive homebrew tools, and a loving embrace of both the D&D game and the actual-play podcasting format. Newcomers will find the story accessible thanks to strong recaps, approachable tone, and the cast’s commitment to fun above all.

Transcript

[John Reisinger]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

You get the car you want, choose.

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

Delivery or pickup fees may apply. Limitations and exclusions may apply. See our 7 day return [e-mail] this.

[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

What's the word? All you wake worms swim on into the snaky dragon and imbibe our lettuce. Blend true through crew brew. It's a mixture of a swallow of seawater, a tidal wave of tea bags, a snapping of sweetened sailors, a lashing tale of limeade topped with cherry sized chunks of chum. One sip of this serpentine sauce is enough to satiate your lips from sinking ships. Previously, our adventurers were startled by Sergeant Steel Eye and sent on a mission to Mito by way of Boiling Bluffs. They found Firemaster Flak at the Fount of the Fire Eater, who frantically filled them in on metallic monsters who filched the fire opal of Fireballs. The Natty nipped her tongue in a Newcomer Kindlekin initiation. And Doug and Gunther crawled into a constructive drain to ran out of steam there. Almost did it. Almost did it. It was impressive. Alright, here we go. Natty nipped her tongue in a Newcomer Kindlekin initiation. And Doug and Gunther crawled into a construction drain to close in on clues of the crime in question. Pour yourself a potation and let's proceed with this punch in pot. Boile.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You do this to yourself.

[Michael Risinger]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Tales and the Stinky Dragon. Your dungeon master, Gustavo Serola. And I totally forgot Natty mutilated her tongue last episode.

Yeah, that intro is like, oh, right, Natty, you got into some stuff. Anyway, I'm going to hit our four players with an arrow.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Do it. I dare you.

[Michael Risinger]

If your character was a patron, what would they submit as an arrow? Question? We'll spend the next four sessions answering each of these. And that was submitted by boogie52 and blacksnight.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, that was actually a suggestion from the community to do. That's a good one. I say that might be my favorite suggestion so far. I like that. It's clever. It's meta.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Also, shout out to Buggy. Yeah, I believe they are smart supporter.

[John Reisinger]

Thank you so much. Buggy. Buggy.

[Michael Risinger]

You can be just like buggy@stinky. Dragonpod.com everyone could roll a D20 order. We're doing this four.

[John Reisinger]

16.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Also 16.

[John Reisinger]

Roll off 17. New roll was eight.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

14. So goes John, Barbara, Blaine, Chris.

[John Reisinger]

Yes.

[Michael Risinger]

You broke my brain because I was thinking characters, and then you started saying player names like, ooh, what? Who? John slash. Natty, you're going to be leading us off today.

[John Reisinger]

Hello, my name is John Reisinger and I play Natty Wonder who is a drow, warlock, mom, drag queen, lover of music.

Has a three pronged tongue now. Ooh, nice.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

She's a.

[John Reisinger]

She's a cool mom. She's a cool mom. Yeah. Like Amy Poehler and Mean Girls.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

And if I had to ask a question, which I ask a lot of questions, but if I have, I was, you know, put on the spotlight and said, you got to come up with a question for an arrow. My question would be, if the world was ended tomorrow, what would you do today? I feel like that's a pertinent, important thing to come to terms with now.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You do. You just seem to, like, you know, be interested in the whole idea of the end of the world. So that. That does seem very part, of course, for you.

[John Reisinger]

I mean, it's a pretty interesting thing, the end of all things.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, I would say so.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. It's like there's not much more interesting than the beginning in the end of everything. I feel like if Natty says, oh, you want to go fishing on your last day on Earth? And then I'm gonna retake that. I feel like if I said I wanted to go fishing and then suddenly Natty shows up with fishing rods, I should be worried.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

She knows.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, yeah, like everyone said, that tracks.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

What would we. What do we want to do? That's a thinker. Thanks, Natty.

[John Reisinger]

I appreciate it.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

We'll find out the answers next time on Tales from the Stinky Dragon.

[John Reisinger]

Maybe.

[Michael Risinger]

Anyway, thanks for listening.

[John Reisinger]

This episode of Sneaky Dragon was brought to you by by Buggy52 and Blackest Night.

[Michael Risinger]

Barbara, Doug, I believe you were up next.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yes. Hello, everyone. I'm Barbara Dunkleman, and I play Doug Boon, the artificer Bugbear. And my question is, if you could master one skill, which one would you pick and why? And the reason I'm asking this question is because I feel like our team is very skilled at a lot of things, but I never really wondered if they could just pick one to be really good at, maybe the best in the whole universe, which one would they pick? And I'm just, you know, I'll be curious to know their reasonings because it's a. It's a good way to get to know people and to make some friends.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, it's a good icebreaker. Are we not already friends?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I would hope so. But, you know, I. I think we're always trying to make those friendships stronger.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Learn more. Get to know each other.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Exactly. And also, if I was a patron, I would say, wow, what great content this group of people is putting out on the daily. On the Weekly. Man, am I happy. I am subscribed@stinkydragonpod.

[John Reisinger]

Wow.

[Michael Risinger]

The value for starting at only $5 a month. You can't beat that.

[John Reisinger]

So much promotion going on here.

[Michael Risinger]

Listen, health insurance.

All right, thanks, Doug. Appreciate that. We're going to go ahead and move on, I believe. Tov, you were up next.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. Can you. I'm so sorry, can you repeat the.

[Michael Risinger]

Question one more time? Sure. Tove, anything for you. If your character was a patron, what would they submit as an arrow question? And we're going to spend the next four sessions answering each of those. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

Hello, it's me, Blaine Gibson. Yoo hoo. I play toll via mail or no automatic barbarian. Micah fix this way. Will not have this mistake anymore. And the reason I needed the question repeated is because. Wow. Just like Doug, I am gobsmacked by the sheer value of these Patreon offers. Jesus.

[Michael Risinger]

Wowie.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Zowie wowie.

[John Reisinger]

Get your.

[Michael Risinger]

Put that.

[John Reisinger]

Don't. Don't face palm yourself trying to make money here, man.

Okay, so here is my question. I would ask contestant one. Tell me about your perfect first date. And the reason I asked this is because I have never known you Know, I love life. I have always been on a ship with my brothers and sisters. You know, going to war, not a lot of time for romance then and there. So, you know, I'm kind of exploring, you know, maybe the dating scene, you know, going out about town and in seeing who I can meet and things. And I'm just so curious about all of the meet cutes of my friends.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I have a question about detolf.

[Michael Risinger]

Yes.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Do you think that, like, if you were to find someone, they'd also have to be a Domitech?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, you know, no preferences really. You know, on my dating app I just say anything and everything.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay. Because. Because if you need something built, you know, your companion of sorts, I can maybe help you out.

[John Reisinger]

What about Gambot?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

No, Gambit's off limit for that thing. No.

[John Reisinger]

Thank you so much, but no, that's fine, that's fine. I. I'm going to find something like organic, you know.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Nothing artificial you want, you want, you want it to happen organically? Okay. Okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah. No artificial intelligence or anything like that?

[John Reisinger]

No.

[Michael Risinger]

It's funny because, you know, we ask, you ask these questions and we've been doing this and I keep waiting for the answer. I'm like, okay. And then we're gonna segue into the answer. It's like, oh, no, wait, no, no, no, we're not doing that. We're not doing that.

[John Reisinger]

They'll have to tune.

Are the answers couple of days early if they, you know, set up for a Patreon. Stop, stop. They've gotten it. They've gotten it. We have a Patreon and ad free.

[Michael Risinger]

Thanks, Joel.

Last up, we've got Gunther. Gunther, hit us with your best shot.

[John Reisinger]

Hi, I'm Chris Damaris and I play Gunther the crook folk fighter. For Gunther's question. He asks, do you think your parents are proud of you? Oh, why? Why not? And I asked because I want to.

[Michael Risinger]

Know more about you because my parents.

[John Reisinger]

Said that they were ashamed of me.

[Michael Risinger]

My parents don't think podcaster is a job.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Prove them wrong by going to Stinky Dragon.

[John Reisinger]

My parents hope it is because they had two children trying to make it happen.

[Michael Risinger]

We definitely are over indexed on Reisingers in this company. It's. It's a little weird.

[John Reisinger]

Over indexed? What?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Very much.

[Michael Risinger]

No.

[John Reisinger]

There are two of them.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Listen, two out of seven is a pretty high amount.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, let's get down to about one and a half.

[John Reisinger]

Chris, we're gonna have to marry. Make it two Gibsons.

I like in that scenario, Chris has to take your name. Yes, I'M not taking damaris. People of the Swamp.

[Michael Risinger]

These corporate mergers are getting really weird.

All right, thanks. Thanks, Gunther.

[John Reisinger]

This is a weird episode already. Ye.

It's almost like a few of you have been cooking inside of a garage for the last three days and your brains are a little warped. Three days? Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

We're recording at an unusual. On an unusual day at a different time.

[John Reisinger]

Friday.

A little, like, loopy.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah. Feeling good? Feeling great. Ready to play D and D?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, let's do it. Let's dive in.

You go down or you're crawling. It's a very tight space through the drain. Normally, Doug, it's a miracle you can fit in here. I don't understand that ability of yours, but you, Andy, defrain it for a while. And as you're crawling through in the tunnel, you reach a fork. A fork? Yeah. Not a utensil, Chris. The tunnel goes to the left and to the right.

[John Reisinger]

And the little droplets, we don't see them anymore.

[Michael Risinger]

No, not at this point. They're exhausted.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Can Doug hear any sort of, like, noise or like the smell that that little piece of metal was in the puddle?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Is that smell coming from either side more strongly?

[Michael Risinger]

Why don't you make me a perception check?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I meant to reroll that because I was a one. I'm going to use my inspiration. Die. Okay. Sixteen.

[John Reisinger]

Not bad.

[Michael Risinger]

That's pretty good.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

You feel like that smell that you're looking for seems to be coming from the left. So as you're sniffing, you smell it. You know, I imagine Doug, like, kind of furrows his brow as he smells it. You hear a voice coming from the right side.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh.

[John Reisinger]

Oh. Hello? Is someone there?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Uh, yoo.

[John Reisinger]

There is such a strange question. Are we really here in life, or are we just. Is this mortal coil here nor there after?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Runto is thinking of all these really deep questions. He just wanted to ask more questions.

Hello?

[John Reisinger]

Who's there? We are not here.

[Michael Risinger]

What?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

No, we're. We're very much here. We're. And we're asking who you are before you we tell you who we are.

[John Reisinger]

I don't want to give away our position.

That's something you say before you call.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Out, natty, are you here?

[John Reisinger]

I'm calling down the drain. I can hear you guys trying to be sneaky, and it ain't working. Also, I heard you say, yoo hoo. Is that for me?

[Michael Risinger]

Yoo hoo.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I guess sound does travel really well in a long tunnel.

[Michael Risinger]

What?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I said, I guess sound travels really well in a long tunnel.

[John Reisinger]

To summarize no, we are gone.

[Michael Risinger]

Yoo hoo.

[John Reisinger]

It's me, Teo. Who are you?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Tio, do you happen to know someone named Tolv?

[John Reisinger]

Uncle?

[Michael Risinger]

Take an inspiration. Die. I was waiting to see if anyone would say it.

[John Reisinger]

Oh yeah, indeed. And how do you feel about tolf? Good or bad? Are you there? You said you were not there, sir. No, I'm just asking. Do I have to be here to ask a question? Oh yeah. 12. Old friend.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Old friend.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, sorry, a completely tangent. Just, it just crossed my mind that Blaine has set up with his character that there are going to be 11 siblings potentially that are. We're going to have to cast with voices. So at some point we're going to have 12 people doing voices for Blaine's family. And it's like it was like a choir of people that will be like voice. And it just struck me like, how many of our friends we're going to need to get to do voices for.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Just get a couple and then.

[John Reisinger]

Should have had Blaine just do them all. That would have been funny. Anyway, sorry, sidetracked. Continue to talk to Tio.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay, so Tov actually is a good friend of ours. I guess. Like we got. We're trying to figure out what's going on here. Are you guys trying to steal something? Something? Or did you steal something from here? Are people looking for you? Introduce yourself. Oh, I'm Doug Boon, by the way.

[John Reisinger]

Hi. I'm not here. Oh my God. Oh, dog Bo and not here. Oh, wait, no, no, I'm Nonther. Hey, Chris, keep up with this joke. Blaine loves it.

[Michael Risinger]

I, I, I.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, I admit, I am here. I am Nonther. Is that my name?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Is that last time?

[John Reisinger]

The web of lights are so sticky. I'm Monster.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, monster, yes. Yeah, I am looking for stuff.

[John Reisinger]

Am I looking for you?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I don't know. Do you by any chance have the fire opal of fireballs with you?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, no. What's that? It sounds scary. Okay, well, why are you in the train? This is a little awkward, but perhaps you could come over here.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I do like an insight check here.

[Michael Risinger]

Absolutely. Vibe check.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Maybe see if like the they're telling the truth or if this voice is actually like, real.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, vibe check.

[Michael Risinger]

Typically insight is like, you want to get the motivation behind what someone's saying. If you want to check, like if it's real or an illusion or something, we can do a different check for that. I'm not sure like, exactly what you're looking for here.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I did want to see if they were truthful first, but my insight roll was Very low as a sequel 6.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, yeah, sorry.

[John Reisinger]

You got Monthr there. He reads people.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It's true.

[John Reisinger]

I guess I could check too.

[Michael Risinger]

Go for it.

[John Reisinger]

I roll the one. Oh my God.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

He's just so caught in his web of lies that.

[Michael Risinger]

I don't know.

[John Reisinger]

I don't know who I am anymore.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

A month. Didn't you receive an inspiration Time moments to go.

[John Reisinger]

And I want to kind of want to see where this goes.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, you. You both think that they're being very forthright.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Could I now do something to see if it's like an actual real voice or if it's like an illusion?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, you can make an investigation check, I guess.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Ooh, 10.

[Michael Risinger]

It seems real. You know, a bit of a funny accent, but yeah, seems to be a natural source, I should say.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Why don't. Why don't you crawl your way over here? Because we found actually like the. The place we came in is a pretty good exit.

[John Reisinger]

Yes.

[Michael Risinger]

I'm afraid of the dark.

[John Reisinger]

I think they're broken.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Are you not able to move?

[John Reisinger]

Well, it is a little awkward. Maybe it is best explained if you come over here. Okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Can we start crawling towards. I guess it would be the right side.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Can I check on Natty's tongue because I'm not able to hear any of this.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, why don't we. We'll do a quick little cut just to see what the other two are doing.

[John Reisinger]

They've already been cut twice on the tongue.

[Michael Risinger]

We don't know. Doug and Gunther, proceed to the direction of the voice.

Natty and Tol, what are you doing? You hear the sound of Doug and Gunther crawling away and it's becoming more faint in the distance.

[John Reisinger]

So you see, if I do this, I can have the things on the side go out their own different directions and I can have the one in the middle go thray forward. It's pretty cool. Do you think you are able to whistle and sing at the same time and maybe like TRA la la as well? I haven't even thought of the musical applications to this change. Oh man.

[Michael Risinger]

Think of the possibilities. Oh my.

[John Reisinger]

Imagine if I learned a yodel. Oh, that's. You're gonna be a like. What's less than a quartet?

[Michael Risinger]

A trio.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

You're gonna be like one of them.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

For someone who has like whole family's based off numbers.

[John Reisinger]

Very good.

[Michael Risinger]

What's the number that's smaller than 4?

[John Reisinger]

I want to applaud Blaine's vulnerability. Okay. As someone who forgets the most insane things myself, I want to. I thank Blaine for his realness.

[Michael Risinger]

I love it.

[John Reisinger]

I can tell you about the entire cast of the Predator.

I can tell you the most stupid information about Pokemon and X Men, but I can't remember, like, someone that I knew five years ago. That's all I needed. Sorry. I just wanted to check if Nettie's tongue was. Yeah, you work on that Yodel metagame.

[Michael Risinger]

Wise, just for me. So I know what's coming ahead for me. What is Natty and Tove going to do here? Are you going to wait to see if they come back? Are you going to try to meet them somewhere? Just so I know how to pace, like cutting back and forth between you guys.

[John Reisinger]

I mean, Natty, I have a shield that I can like, kind of sense. Like, we can almost use it like a. Like a metal detector, you know, like, we can walk around and try to find, like an entrance.

[Michael Risinger]

You may have done that last episode and it's. You did it by the drain here. Which one of the reasons I think that Doug and Gunther went in. Sorry? Doug and Munther went in?

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I guess I also don't know that Tio is down there yet. So. I don't know. I mean, we could find another entrance in.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

What if I said to. I think Tio's down here.

[John Reisinger]

Tio? Oh, my goodness. So convenient that you found my 10th brother after my 11th sister. Hold on, hold on. I bet after this we are going to find Nil. Is it Nil? No, no, no, no. Nil. Zero. Hold on.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You know the names of your own siblings?

[John Reisinger]

It's been a while.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Neo.

[John Reisinger]

Listen, if. If after Tio comes. Neo. He's got to be nearby.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Absolutely. The Oracle has told me that they are nearby.

[John Reisinger]

Take good care of Tio. He is so friendly. Unless he's still under the control of Ironclad, in which case he may try to kill you. Hope that helps.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Thank you.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Say hello to him for me.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You got it.

[John Reisinger]

All right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Monto, are you ready?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, yes. Let's just go. Also, all of my brothers and sisters have, like, unique combat powers. He is highly lethal, as is all of the rest of us. So if he is not on your side, you will die. Best of luck. I'm going to. I'm so excited to see him again. I can get us down there. How? I'll make a portal. You can do that? Yeah. Why didn't you do this last episode?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

There's also another pathway. We didn't. We're not taking that. Kind of smells like stuff that it. We've been looking for it is a.

[John Reisinger]

Sewer, so that makes sense.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It's like the metal, right?

[John Reisinger]

The metal. Yeah. Yeah. I. I wasn't gonna do it because meta wise, I didn't want to spend the spell. Stop. But I don't care. Let's do it. Nettie Cast shadow portal, which basically is like a portal gun, which I'm. I'm rereading the. The spell, and it doesn't even have to. I can do it to any wall. I don't have to do with a door. Oh, do you need to see where you're going or. Yeah, I can see down a drainage. If you fit down the drain, I can look down the drain.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

But would you be able to portal in there and still, like. Because you might not be able to fit.

[John Reisinger]

What do you mean?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, so reading it, it says that the distant door could be one you can visualize or you can describe by stating distance and direction. I think once Doug and Munther get down there, they can describe it and then Natty can use that. Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay.

[John Reisinger]

Natty does it.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

All right, hold tight, you guys.

[John Reisinger]

Or Natty doesn't do yet.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Well, because I think we've got to get there.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, we're going to do Doug and Munther getting in first, maybe a little bit of dialogue, and then whenever they're ready to describe it to Natty, then Natty can use the portal.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Cool.

[John Reisinger]

Proceed.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, Back to Doug and Gunther, who continue to go down the tunnel, and then eventually it opens up.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay, what do we see?

[Michael Risinger]

You come out to what appears to be like a bank on the side of a river, and the river bubbles with a mixture of water and boiling oil.

[John Reisinger]

First national or like, is it Chase? Wells Fargo?

I'm just gonna click that heroic inspiration.

[Michael Risinger]

We're losing you, Blaine. Your Internet's going out, breaking up, and you see a little bit of campfire smoke coming out from behind some brush, and there's a metal ore that lies on the shore here by the campfire, you see what appears to be a metallic head with no body.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, hello.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, hello. You must be Doug.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

How did you know?

[Michael Risinger]

We were just talking.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, yeah, but I could be. I could be monster as well.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, because you guys sound so familiar. You look like a dog.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, thanks.

[Michael Risinger]

I think you look like you've gotten ahead in life.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, Manta, you're such a jokester.

[Michael Risinger]

What happened to your party? Did you have a body?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

We were attacked by some dretches, and.

[John Reisinger]

They stole Thermatec parts from both me.

[Michael Risinger]

And my sibling, Neil.

[John Reisinger]

Sorry, I'm not there, but I'm.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh.

Could I go ahead and yell down the drain back at Natty and Tol to describe this place?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, absolutely.

[John Reisinger]

Natty cast shadow portal.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

And that's what it looks like.

[John Reisinger]

And yeah, we. We travel that way.

[Michael Risinger]

Sure.

[John Reisinger]

And we. And it can last for a minute. So for quick, we can use it to get back. Hey, Tov, how much do you want to talk to your siblings? Lots and lots and lots and lots. Okay, we might have to find a different route back. It's fine.

[Michael Risinger]

Minutes.

[John Reisinger]

I can make that. I can do that. I'll speed run now. Go.

[Michael Risinger]

So, yeah, all four of you are there at the bank of the boiling river.

[John Reisinger]

Told just beelines for Tio's head and just picks it up like gingerly. Oh, dear brother, it looks like you've lost your head again. No, it's right there. It's the rest that is missing.

Oh, you must be told. Yeah. Okay, real quick. Does he. He knows it's me, right? My memory is a little fuzzy lately. Oh, Tio, my dearest brother.

[Michael Risinger]

You talk like me.

[John Reisinger]

And you seem familiar. I know. Tolv is a friend of mine and.

[Michael Risinger]

You seem like you might be him.

[John Reisinger]

Well, maybe I should give you a friendly face to remember. And then I rip off my. My face. My skin. Bjorn skin. It's me, Tov. Your brother. Oh, yeah, that seems very familiar. How are you, Tov? I was doing so good, but I have to reprimand you a bit. You are just calling out willy nilly to strangers. Us Thaumatex, we need to be careful. Tio, what happened to you? Why do we need to be careful? Oh, because a lot of people don't like Thaumatex. In fact, these are all my friends. This is to Natty.

This is. This is to my new face. So I hold up the Bjorn mask. Natty, Doug and Munther. His actual name is Gunther. And yeah, I had to lie to them for so long because, you know, Thaumatex, we're not, you know, looked at very kindly, you know, out here because of all the things we did for Ironclad.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It sounds to me like Teo might have a little bit of memory loss.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, that's right. I need to speak slower and more baby like to hoodies to close some apps.

[Michael Risinger]

You're attacked by dretches. What are dredges?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, dretches are evil creatures. Undarians. They are nasty looking and they took our thermotech parts. I turned out okay. Look at Neo over there.

[Michael Risinger]

And he like, he kind of nods with his head over towards the camp, and you see what appears to be another Thaumatek laying there. However, it is missing its head.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Aw, that solves the VO issue.

[John Reisinger]

Do you know if Neo is still alive? Like, were they able to communicate still?

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Neo is fine, just unable to speak. They took his head and all of his armor. Oh, no. I think I have a solution, at least for short term. Why don't we take the head of Teo and put it on the shoulders of Tol? Oh, God. All right, that's. And then Mr. Act is good.

[Michael Risinger]

It's pretty good.

[John Reisinger]

Idiot. That's a great idea, Gunther. I don't know if you would be comfortable with that, Teo, but it is a solution to help you get around better. Are you okay with that?

[Michael Risinger]

Putting my head on.

[John Reisinger]

On your body? No, Neo's body. That works too.

[Michael Risinger]

Neo's body stands up and gives you, like, a no sign with its hands and then crosses its arms.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I think the most impressive part of all of this is Tio being able to nod his head without anything attached to it.

[Michael Risinger]

It, like, rolls it.

[John Reisinger]

Wow.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

How does that work?

[Michael Risinger]

It works through the magic of storytelling.

[John Reisinger]

Usually, Neo carries me around.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, I'm kind of liking his arms instead of on his neck.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. Well, Neo, I'm so glad that you were able to join us. For the most part as well. Tolv wants to go in for a hug. Neo, Little family reunion. Sure.

[Michael Risinger]

You go in for a hug, make a. Let's call it an athletics check.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, he's a wily one. 10.

[Michael Risinger]

I'll say you go in for a hug, but Neo's not expecting it with no head. So, like, as you get close, Neo kind of turns at the last second, and you end up hugging a. A big chunk of shoulder.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, my goodness. Neo, it's your brother. It's me. Don't be so silly.

[Michael Risinger]

The body turns around to face you. Now that you're up close, you hear, like, a. A bit of a humming and whirring sound coming from inside Neo's body.

[John Reisinger]

Gang, I know we have so much on our plate already, but, I mean, can we help my. My siblings here? They seem to be in some dire straits, and we need to find their respective parts. Oh, they're missing stuff. And we smelled stuff that are. Doug and Gunther smelled stuff that smelled like them the other direction. That is true. I think that that's a good lead. Maybe we should go there and then. Doug, I may have to ask for your expertise in helping maintain my. My dear siblings, if that's okay with you?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I can figure it out.

[John Reisinger]

I love that saying.

[Michael Risinger]

Love it.

[John Reisinger]

We need to make a shirt with Doug on it that says that that's a great idea. You know, after the dredges took our parts, they went back across the river. Perhaps they went into town.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Into town.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, so we're.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

We went through a drain, and we're here in kind of like this space where. Where would be town? Would we have to go back out the drain? Or is that somewhere else in here?

[John Reisinger]

I believe there is an exit over on the other side of the river. Okay, so geographically, is that in the same direction as the smell, or is the smell of the metal in a completely different area?

[Michael Risinger]

It would be in a different area.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I think it'd be like going back the way we came, but then instead of going right, we'd go left.

[Michael Risinger]

Correct. So it'd be, like, through, like, another section of rock wall, essentially. Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Well, Tio, do you know what's in that direction of the smell?

[Michael Risinger]

I don't know.

[John Reisinger]

Perhaps that is where the mine is.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

The mine?

[John Reisinger]

Oil mine. Okay, so can we pull out that piece of metal that we found on the ground?

[Michael Risinger]

This look familiar to you? Is this part of you?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, very good, Gunther.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, I guess Tia would look at it. Or would you hold it, like, close in front of. In front of his face?

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's see. It's possible, but I don't think so. Could it be Neo's armor? Perhaps it is part of Neo instead.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Maybe get me, Neil, to, like, feel around it and see if it feels familiar to him.

[John Reisinger]

Neo, come here. Is this you?

[Michael Risinger]

Neo comes over, hands outstretched, kind of grabbing randomly at air.

[John Reisinger]

Any. Any recognition or is this just.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Neo eventually clasps his hands around it and seems to get very excited about it and begins trying to, like, attach it to his own body.

[John Reisinger]

So maybe we go the smelly armor route and then we follow the other direction where Teo indicated earlier to go to town where the dretches are. Gunther's in charge.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. No, I mean, I think that some. Gunther, you're talking funny. No, sorry. Yes, I think that is a good idea to go back. You have a good head. Follow it.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I just worried that we might have to split the party again because you guys can't fit through that drain that we came through.

[John Reisinger]

And we don't need to go through the drain.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

But if we wanted to go check the other side of where we had to smell.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, is that the case?

[Michael Risinger]

So you all are in this area called boiling bluffs. There are Several landmarks in the area. The only landmark you all explored last time was the font of the fire eater, which is the temple. In addition to that, there's the crude corral, which is a tavern. There is Sora Sump, which is a mine, and the boiling river, which of course you all are in now at the moment. So these are landmarks that are known in the area. So presumably you'd be able to get to them. Video game talk from the overland map.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Gotcha. Okay. I thought this for some reason I was picturing all this like underground through like a series of like tunnels. Yeah, we'd have to like navigate and go through.

[Michael Risinger]

There may be a way to do that as well. But at the very least, you at least have this option from once you're in like the town at large.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Gotcha.

[John Reisinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

All.

[John Reisinger]

Well, maybe we should disguise Neo and.

[Michael Risinger]

Teo so as to not alarm any.

[John Reisinger]

Potential thieves that we are on their trail.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Or we could just leave them here.

[Michael Risinger]

Perhaps we might be a burden.

[John Reisinger]

We could wait here. Okay. How long have you been here? I think we have been here probably 5,000 years. Yeah, that sounds. Sounds about right.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, goodness.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Is that correct?

[Michael Risinger]

No.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. We call this an unreliable narrator. Yes, it is. Very good, Natty.

[Michael Risinger]

Neo.

[John Reisinger]

Hold up your fingers. How many.

[Michael Risinger]

How.

[John Reisinger]

How many months have you been here?

[Michael Risinger]

Neo whirs and kind of gives like a shoulder shrug with palms upright and then holds out a number one.

[John Reisinger]

Well, if you've made it this long, and if you guys are going to be okay, I better come back and you, you better still be here.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. You get two enthusiastic thumbs up from Neo.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. All right. Well, here's Tio Neo. There's this character. There's this joke in Muppet Treasure island where they're calling the roll call of the ship. And they go Headless Bill. No one answers. And they go Headless Bill, no one answers. And they turn around a corner and there's like, just headless dude. He just does a very enthusiastic salute to no head whatsoever and puts his hand down. And that's all I can imagine right now.

Just for my sake. Is Neo bluish grayish.

[Michael Risinger]

Teo is a small, metallic humanoid head made of blue gray metal missing their body. Neo is a large metallic humanoid missing head and armor. He is naked with multicolored energy veins running throughout his body.

[John Reisinger]

When you say naked, no coverings.

[Michael Risinger]

Right? They took his armor.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, the panel on your computer is open. What's the color of that then? Multicolored.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, there's multicolored energy veins running around.

[John Reisinger]

He got rgb. Interesting. Okay, okay. And to. To. Is he him? Neo is also he him.

[Michael Risinger]

Great.

[John Reisinger]

Let's go to the mine, y'.

[Michael Risinger]

All.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Which mine is yours?

[Michael Risinger]

Hey, Monthr. Yes.

[John Reisinger]

Yes. And just because I'm going to leave a weapon with. With them, I think I have a hand axe or something just so that they can protect themselves, because I'm not sure if they have any axes or weapons.

[Michael Risinger]

So you leave one hand axe.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, Vats.

[Michael Risinger]

None for me.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, just kidding.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, I see they have your humor, Tov. Yeah, you know, I see your family relations.

[John Reisinger]

Us Thaumatechs are known for two things. Our sense of humor and our ability to murder and kill. Ah, you know. Oh, great. Okay, let's go.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. What is your marching order, Gunther?

[John Reisinger]

I'm happy to go first and then Tolv, you want to follow? Oh, use your shield. We'll use your shield. So you go first. So you're like, if we see Thaumatek, it will glow. And then I'll follow behind you. And then Natty and Doug. Does that work?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. You all, you know, begin marching over to the river. You know, you have to cross it to get to the exit, as Teo indicated. And as you get close, you see that the river doesn't seem to be much good for drinking, you know, because it has a lot of oil floating around in it as well. But it does appear like there are, you know, there is a good amount of tropical plant life growing on this side of the river. So you all begin trying to cross it. And like I said, it's gross. It's like a oily water mixture. Not good for drinking water, not good for oil. Disgusting mix of both, but not even a mix. A disgusting combination of the two. You wait across the river, come to the other side, and sure enough, you find a tunnel that appears to lead out and up back up to Boiling Bluffs.

[John Reisinger]

Cool.

[Michael Risinger]

You follow the tunnel for several minutes, and eventually you find yourself out once again in the area of Boiling Bluffs with all of the different areas available to you. And you all said you were going to head over in the direction of the mine. Is that correct?

[John Reisinger]

Sure. Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

That's what Tio said they would be. Right?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, he said possibly. I think he said that he saw them leave, going back out to town, and they probably went to the mine.

[John Reisinger]

And this is a separate place than the smell of the other ore that we. Well, it might be the same.

[Michael Risinger]

You don't know. Okay. All right. Yeah. You never went down the other path, but I think you all are speculating that that is the same location.

[John Reisinger]

Great. Okay. Just making sure.

[Michael Risinger]

I know you got video game brain. You want to make sure you go to all the different areas.

[John Reisinger]

Yes, 100%. Oh, I'm about to trigger a boss cutscene. Let me go back to this weird room that probably has ammo nest.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

You find yourself back out on the surface of Boiling Bluffs. And you know, there's signposts throughout the area that kind of lead you in different directions. You find one that points in the direction of Sora Sump, which is, you know, the. The name for the mine area. You follow the signs and head over in that direction. And sure enough, you find a mine entrance framed by caution tape. There appears to be safety signage. Every two feet. There's a shelf of art hats and high vis vests. And the shaft heads underground.

[John Reisinger]

And what does the sign say?

[Michael Risinger]

The safety ones, they say, caution, low ceiling, falling rocks. Enter at your own risk. And others say do not enter furiously. Kind of mixed messaging going on here.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Doug would go over and start grabbing the hats and vests and handing it out to everybody. All right, guys, you read the safety signs. There could be falling rocks. I don't want anyone getting hurt. You know, your head is where your brain is, and that's the most important part of the body. So everyone put on a helmet. Here you go to. I don't know if this one's going to fit you, but just try it on for size. Natty, I'm sorry. It's going to maybe ruin your hair a little bit.

[John Reisinger]

That's okay. Safety first. I do not have hair safety first. I wear all my stuff. I put one on Giggy and it just covers him wholly.

[Michael Risinger]

Aw.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Doug would put on a hat and a vest as well.

[John Reisinger]

Let us proceed.

[Michael Risinger]

Proceed with caution, as the sign says.

It also says do not enter. Oh, no. So the party enters an underground labyrinth of oil mining tunnels. You smell the familiar stench of the blue gray armor, and you hear large scuffling sounds rumble in the dirt ceiling overhead, and the mine support beams begin to quake and tremble a little bit.

[John Reisinger]

No, no, that's not to going. Maybe we ought to proceed with caution and quiet.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yes. Don't use any loud booming voices down here or high pitched shrieking voices either.

[John Reisinger]

Tolv. What? What? What?

[Michael Risinger]

What?

Well, in order to proceed here through the mine, we're going to use that mechanic we use every now and then. We're going to use the deck of dungeons in order to generate the maze that you all are going to go through. We've done this a few times in the past. If it's your first time hearing this, as we are doing this right now, there's going to be a deck of cards and we're going to be picking through them. And the party's ultimate goal is to.

[John Reisinger]

Have a good time.

[Michael Risinger]

Find clear Path cards. To find clear Path cards. There's. There's several different cards. There's clear Path cards, monster cards, obstacle cards, Wanderer cards, and item cards. As they draw them from the deck, these create different actions that are going to happen. And the party's ultimate goal is to reveal clear path cards that will guide them in the right way. If this sounds interesting to you, or if you've heard us do this in the past and you like this, you can head over to our patreon@sticky dragonpod.com There's a free download. If you just follow the Patreon at the free level, you can get access to the rules that we use and the cards. And if you want to, you can incorporate them into your own home games.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, I love this meta game thing that we do.

[Michael Risinger]

So great.

[John Reisinger]

Feels like the most comfortable boxers in my boxer drawer that somehow sunk behind and I found them again and I put them on and they're just as comfortable as usual.

Weird but descriptive. Yeah, I'm glad you thought it was weird too, John. Hey, Chris. At least some of us wear underwear. All right, so yeah, very true. I'm not wearing underwear right now.

[Michael Risinger]

Ooh.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, now it's gotten weirder.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

All right, so just to be a little more formal about it, the deck represents the progress and perils waiting for the party in the past. That Lie ahead. So we're gonna all roll in, or you guys are all going to roll. Initiative. And we're gonna go based off of that Initiative. Taking turns. Each of you will take one turn per round. On your turn, there's gonna be three cards dealt out. Face down in the river, left, center, and right. And this represents a juncture of different paths the player can take while traveling. On each of your turns, you can take one action, then pick one card from the river. Of course, I went over the categories. Clear Path Card, Monster Card, Obstacle Card, Wanderer Card, and Item Card. Whenever a player picks a card in the river, the card will not be revealed explicitly to the players. Instead, I'm going to present you with a scenario that represents the card chosen. We'll explain the cards as they're drawn just because it's going to be a mouthful to go through right now. And you can use your actions to help kind of give you advantages when it comes to it. You can use strengths to pioneer a path, dexterity to run, recon, constitution to get gutsy, intelligence to optimize your options, wisdom to peruse, pitfalls.

And charisma to bolster. Buddy.

That is the gist of it. All right, why don't you all hit me with that?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Those initiative rolls I did.

[John Reisinger]

11, nine, six, three.

[Michael Risinger]

Wow.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Low rollers.

[Michael Risinger]

And everyone write an order from. From first to last. All right, so the orders could be Doug, Tol, Gunther, and Natty. So that means, Doug, you are up first. There are three paths before you. Left, center, and right. You can use an action and pick a card. You should have all those actions available to you.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I would like to optimize options.

[Michael Risinger]

So that's an intelligence based check that allows you to draw two cards from the deck. Choose one to replace a card in the river, and you shuffle all the remaining cards and place them on top of the deck. Okay, Doug, you come to what appears to be an intersection in the tunnels in this mine before you, and you're going to try to use your brain power to figure out which way to go. Is there, like, something Doug does? Or how does Doug try to. To. To think about what's in front of him?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Doug would reach down on the ground and kind of feel it and feel like, where the rumbling might be coming from to see which direction might be the safest, the smoothest.

[Michael Risinger]

Ooh, very smart.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah. The Pocahontas song. Will I choose the steady course?

[John Reisinger]

That's exactly how she sounds. That was a Barbara.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Thank you. I've been practicing. All right, so my intelligence roll was a 12.

[Michael Risinger]

All right. You try to put your hand down on the ground to feel some rumbling, but you feel what appears to be rumbling from every direction. And you're not able to, to really ascertain any additional information, including in your tummy.

[John Reisinger]

Ooh, someone hasn't had lunch.

[Michael Risinger]

So it seems like you're unable to divine any further information about what the correct course is here.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay, so I pick a direction.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, pick a direction.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

All right, well, you know, based on my experience and you know, we found tall siblings going right, so I'm going to go right.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay.

[John Reisinger]

I hope that's the right answer. You step on a landmine.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You step on a crack and you break your mother's back.

[Michael Risinger]

You follow what appears to be, you know, what you think is the, the rumblings on the ground tracing a line in the path in front of you. And you come upon a small alcove filled with dripping stalactites and what sounds like skittering noises in the distance before you. Blocking your path, you find a large sleeping animal. It seems, seems to be a mole like creature that's the size of a large dog. It's got a thick barrel shaped body and a ring of tentacles sprouts from above the mouth of spade like incisors. Currently its eyes are closed and it appears to be sleeping, snoring gently.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Do I have any like, existing history or knowledge of what this creature is or if it's dangerous?

[Michael Risinger]

Make a nature check.

[John Reisinger]

Hey, look, it's Gunther's mom. Got him.

Do not say that about my mother.

[Michael Risinger]

Thirteen, you're not familiar with this exact animal, but it does appear to be some kind of. Maybe like a, like a mole, like some kind of subterranean animal. Based on its incisors and based on the teeth you can see when it snores, you think it could have a very vicious bite.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay, guys, this guy could be kind of dangerous. So I think we should quietly sneak past, test him and continue forward. Okay?

[John Reisinger]

Okay.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Everyone be stealthy.

[John Reisinger]

Holy moly. Look at the size of those teeth.

[Michael Risinger]

Everyone makes stealth checks.

[John Reisinger]

Stealth.

[Michael Risinger]

Stealth checks.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I also think I have advantage on stealth.

[Michael Risinger]

I think you do. It's that same ability that allows you to squeeze down to small.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

Basis.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, I'm glad you reminded me that I have disadvantage on stealth, but it's okay because I rolled a 15. Not the worst. 25.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh my God.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

My higher role is an 8.

[John Reisinger]

You're making me feel good about my 9.

Let me see what, Let me see what Gigi rolled.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, yeah, there we go. That's the tiebreaker.

[John Reisinger]

Gigi rolled an 18.

[Michael Risinger]

Normally, you know, when we do group stealth checks like this, I just require half to pass, but you all were right on that line. Giggy pushes you over the line.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, that's what you meant Literally. He was gonna break the tie.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

He is the tiebreaker.

[John Reisinger]

That's my little boy. Good boy. Boy, boy. Let me roll for Captain Grumbles real quick. Just.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, my God.

[John Reisinger]

I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

[Michael Risinger]

Diggy looks angrily at you all, furrows his brow, and puts his finger to his mouth to indicate.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, he's growing so fast.

[Michael Risinger]

Those of you who rolled well. So what was that? Gunther and Tol, you both rolled well. Why don't the two of you make me? Let's call it investigation check.

[John Reisinger]

17, three.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, Gunther, I think you're probably focused on looking at your own feet, trying to be super quiet, but told as you're walking past this creature that's sleeping, you see it has a collar and a name tag. And you see that the name tag reads Sinbad.

[John Reisinger]

Sinbad. Wow. He was in that one Shazam Kazam movie, was he not?

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, and yeah, you all managed to to stealthily sneak by without waking the creature, who continues snoring and growling in its sleep.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Sounds just like Iggy, but harder. So do we successfully get by him?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, you successfully navigate this encounter.

[John Reisinger]

I love your work in Jingle all of the Way. He was actually really good in that.

[Michael Risinger]

Up next is Tolls. Hello.

[John Reisinger]

I'll be doing run recon.

[Michael Risinger]

The dexterity check, it allows you to draw three cards from the deck. You choose one to place on top of the deck, and the other two cards are shuffled back into the deck. You come across a gap in the ground, there may be a fissure that has opened up in the ground and trying to figure out if it has any information for you. How do you want to approach this?

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, I mean, I guess I go up there and. I mean, do I have, like. Would there any, like, tape measurers with all of the hiviz and safety materials and things?

[Michael Risinger]

Sure. Yes.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, well, I'm gonna just take some measurements, write those down, jot those down, communicate them to the group. Kind of rough estimate on how wide of a gap it is, how deep of a gap it is. I drop my tape measure down into the gap. It's very deep. Can I just communicate that to the group? I guess. I don't know.

[Michael Risinger]

Sure, sure. Yeah. Go ahead and make a dexterity check to see if you're able to hold on to the Tape measure and not fumble it and drop it as you're making all these measurements.

[John Reisinger]

Eight.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Maybe you're still nervous from walking back past that animal. You mean? Your palms are a little sweaty. And as you pull out the tape measure to make your first measurement, it slips out of your hands and falls down the fissure, unable to provide any further insight.

[John Reisinger]

But could Gunther listen to see how long it takes to. Yeah, if we listen in, we can hear.

[Michael Risinger]

Wait till your turn. Gunther, sit down. It's not your turn you're after. Toll.

[John Reisinger]

Can I hear. Can I hear this skablook or whatever?

[Michael Risinger]

No. You failed your check. Tolve no further information for you.

[John Reisinger]

It's never ending.

[Michael Risinger]

So you've got three paths in front of you.

[John Reisinger]

Center.

[Michael Risinger]

Center. You got it. You pick your path and begin leading the party down that way. Toll. And as you're walking, make me a. Let's call it a perception check.

[John Reisinger]

22.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Nice.

[Michael Risinger]

Ooh. Something catches your eye on the ground in front of you. It looks like an ice cube of some kind. Oh, why would there be an ice cube here?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I mean, Sinbad was here.

[John Reisinger]

That wins the best one of the episode. That one got me.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Ice cube Sinbad. Who else are we gonna find? Eddie Murphy's down here. A lot of great 90s comedians. Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Ice cube. Should I investigate it further, or is it just kind of note mental note to self?

[Michael Risinger]

That's up to you. You tell me. You're the player.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, well, I get up close to it. I look at it. I get real close without touching it. I ask why War of the Worlds was so bad to it.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. You get close and begin, you know, trying to investigate it up close. You see, not only is it an ice cube, but it looks like it's an unusually colored gem of some kind.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, okay. I'll take it. Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. Yeah, I'm gonna slack you something for your inventory, so you know what to put in there.

[John Reisinger]

Gus just said plutonium.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, no. So you have this strange, unusually colored gemstone. Slash. Ice cube.

[John Reisinger]

All right, put it in my inventory.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, that's it for Toll. Gunther, you're up. I'm gonna.

[John Reisinger]

I'm gonna.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm an.

[John Reisinger]

I want to bolster, buddy.

I want to choose a player, grant advantage on their next checker save.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Risinger]

That's a charisma. Check. So that I picture you're walking down the corridor. And who are you to try to bolster Gunther?

[John Reisinger]

Natty.

[Michael Risinger]

What nice things do you say about Natty to try to bolster her. Natty. Natty. Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Just their name, huh?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Natty. Natty.

[Michael Risinger]

Daddy.

[John Reisinger]

I'm afraid of the dark right now.

[Michael Risinger]

But being near you makes me less afraid.

[John Reisinger]

I know that you will keep us safe. You seem really emotional in this mine. You okay, my dude? I am afraid of the dark right now. You, a subterranean creature. I don't understand it either.

[Michael Risinger]

He had that effect from the last episode that we recorded.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, all right.

[Michael Risinger]

That fear was only for that session.

But Chris, give yourself an inspiration back for remembering that and sticking. Okay, yeah, that's. I appreciate the. The commitment and that was a very nice thing to say to Natty. Why don't you make a charisma check, okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

As he's crying.

Make me feel brave.

[John Reisinger]

Ah, shoot. 5.

[Michael Risinger]

You have all these nice intentions and things you want to say to Natty, but you become tongue tied. Like I would think as a frog, your tongue can literally tie itself into a knot and you just can't get the words out. And you have to spend a few moments unlacing your tongue.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Risinger]

So you've got three paths ahead of you. I'll go left, you go left to do what's right.

You go to the left. And you find what appears to be a miner who is sitting down on the ground, nursing an injury on his left arm.

[John Reisinger]

What are you doing down here, small child?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Working.

[John Reisinger]

Hello there. Are you okay? Do you need assistance?

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, no, no, I'm. I'll be okay. I. I was attacked, I guess while I was down here.

[John Reisinger]

What?

[Michael Risinger]

It went that way. And he points down further in the direction of the mine.

[John Reisinger]

By what?

[Michael Risinger]

Some kind of demonic creature? It was some kind of greenish gorilla like Undarian. It was disgusting.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, no. Does that sound like a dress?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Based on. Yeah, your previous discussions, you would think that he is describing a dredge.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. Do you know your way back?

[Michael Risinger]

Are you okay to stay here? What do you need? I just need to rest a little bit and I'll be able to regain my energy and. And find my way back to town to get to a healer. You must get those dretches for me. Make them pay. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

How much? Medical bills? Of course.

[Michael Risinger]

Do it in my name. Renee.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You know someone named Renee Seuss, by any chance? Any family connection?

[Michael Risinger]

No, I'm just a humble patron [e-mail].

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Shout out to Rene.

[John Reisinger]

So they pointed a particular direction that said that's where it went.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

And that's where we want to follow.

[Michael Risinger]

Correct.

[John Reisinger]

So does that mean we got a right path?

[Michael Risinger]

Correct. Metagame wise, that is indication of a clear path card.

[John Reisinger]

All right, cool. That's one. Only need ten more.

[Michael Risinger]

No, no, it's only nine more now. Okay, that was it for Gunther. Next up, we've got Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Natty pays forward and also goes for bolstering a buddy.

And is going to bolster Douglas.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It's not my actual full name. My full name is just Doug, Doug.

[John Reisinger]

Doug with seven U's.

[Michael Risinger]

How do you want to do that?

[John Reisinger]

That's a good question. What would Natty want to talk about? Doug? It's Doug been up to that's been commendable.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Doug's just putting his little fists under his his chin and doing, like, the big blinks with the big eyelashes.

[John Reisinger]

Doug, I really do think that that sauna did wonders for your hair. You got so much body and just the waves and the curls. It's very really giving you this exotic look to you, and I think it's working for you. You're looking dapper. I think that's the word I'm looking for. You're looking quite dapper.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, well, thank you. You'll notice that some of my hair stays straight. Some of it stays curly. I don't know how to get it all even. So I might need some hair care tips from you, Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Happy to help anytime.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay. Just whatever you do, don't brush it. That's disaster.

[John Reisinger]

I know you don't brush curly hair. I ain't new.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I will double in size if that happens.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, Natty, why don't you make.

[John Reisinger]

That charisma check is Natty's charisma modifier plus 4. That's 18.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, yeah. You really help Doug with his confidence. So, Doug, you get advantage on your next check or save.

[John Reisinger]

Ooh, everyone needs compliments.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, so before you, you see three paths, Natty. Left, center, and right. Which way do you want to go?

[John Reisinger]

Natty's going to go the way that she shoots, which is straightforward. She's a straight shooter.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, you pick the center path. And as you are walking down the path, you hear what appear to be the shuffling of feet. And before you, you find a fellow Kindle kin acolyte who seems startled at you walking up.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, you scared me.

[John Reisinger]

Hello, fellow acolyte. And I stick my tongue out.

That's what we do, right? We just see each other. I'm classic. Who are you? I'm Natty Wonder. Pleasure to meet you, Natty Wonder.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I don't recognize you. Are you a new acolyte?

[John Reisinger]

I'm brand spanking New, like, maybe two weeks ago.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, you see, the blood is still there from when we got.

[John Reisinger]

That's what. I was laughing. I was just ratcheting, going.

Wow. Are you also down here searching for the fire opal of Fireballs? I mean, yeah, kind of. Are you?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah. Why else would I be down here in this cursed place?

[John Reisinger]

Is that, like, a saying, or is that a literal thing? Because we do live in a world with literal curses.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, no, it just stinks down here. It's hot and disgusting.

[Michael Risinger]

Ugh.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I'd much rather be back at the font.

[John Reisinger]

Why'd you come down here to find the fire? Is it cause you. You just believe in the cause that much? You want to help?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, absolutely. We must do whatever we can do.

[John Reisinger]

To get to the fire opal of Fireballs. Is there anything I can do to help you?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

As a fellow acolyte?

[John Reisinger]

I can help you or your friends.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Are you. Are you hungry?

[John Reisinger]

Do you need water? Yeah. You know what?

[Michael Risinger]

Cracks.

[John Reisinger]

Come here.

[Michael Risinger]

Come here.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, I got. I got big favor. I know we just met, but I feel like I can trust you. Okay. Huh? You see that little something something over there? He needs his diaper changed. Oh, God.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Are you pointing at Gunther, or.

[John Reisinger]

I'm pointing at To.

Yes, I'm pointing at Gigi. You know, I'm gonna be straightforward. I just don't feel like doing it. You know, sometimes moms just don't want to do it again. And you know what? You offered to help, and I'm gonna take it.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, okay, sure.

[John Reisinger]

I'm happy to help. Natty, do you have a fresh diaper? Yes.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I mean, you got your diaper bag on you, right?

[John Reisinger]

I do. I always. It's in my hair. Like any responsible mother, yes, I do have a diaper. And I would say whatever you do, stay away from the teeth, okay? Don't worry. It's not my first time changing a diaper.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah? This is gonna be a new way for you. This is gonna be a new experience.

[Michael Risinger]

Quex takes the diaper. I'll make a check here to see how this goes. Three. Great.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, God. Oh, my gosh. It was a number three. That's way worse than number two. That's exactly how I would imagine Gus would roll if Gus were to change a diaper.

[Michael Risinger]

Absolutely. So Quacks takes the clean, fresh diaper with a lot of enthusiasm and approaches Gigi and begins trying to change Gigi, but Gigi is having none of it.

[John Reisinger]

Gigi, before Quacks approaches, notices that what's gonna happen? And Then, like Jason Statham in transporter rolls around on all the oil that Giggy can find so he can't be held onto.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, it's like a greased pig at a rodeo. Or Jason's taking him in the transfer transporter. Quacks is running around chasing Giggy with a. A clean diaper, trying to get him changed.

[John Reisinger]

You damn good.

[Michael Risinger]

Eventually, Quacks would give up and come back to you covered in oil with the diaper, which is no longer clean.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

As well, and be like, oh, I'm sorry, Natty. I tried.

[John Reisinger]

I failed you. You know, what you did accomplish, you kind of tuckered him out a little bit, which. That. That's also a boon for any mama.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, okay.

[John Reisinger]

So I did help then. Great, you did. And he's gonna sleep good tonight. Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

What about you three? Can I do anything to help any of you?

[Michael Risinger]

Do you know the way forward?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Have you seen anything like. Cause you seem to be coming from the opposite side of us. Is there anything we should look out for? Anything? Any dangers or monsters? I'm all turned around. There's a sleeping dog mole somewhere around here. I'd be very careful around him. Oh, Stinbad.

[John Reisinger]

You saw him?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

We did, yeah. We actually just passed him a little while ago. I'm gonna give you a little bit of insider information. If you run into Sinbad, you can distract him because he loves playing fetch. Oh, good to know.

[John Reisinger]

I've learned to just let sleeping dog mole slide. So we. We just passed him by.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Well, if it comes to it, and you need a bit of knowledge. There you go.

[John Reisinger]

Thank you.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Thanks, Quack. All right, well, I feel like I did my part to help you all be safe out there. I'm going to keep looking over here.

[John Reisinger]

For the fire opal of fireballs.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

If you find it, take it back to the font. You got it. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

It was good meeting you all.

[Michael Risinger]

And Quacks wanders off.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It seems like Quacks just wanted to be helpful in any way they could.

[John Reisinger]

I feel like Quacks isn't their given name. It's a nickname. And whenever they walk away, it's like.

There goes Quacks again. Those classic shoes that do that.

[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

Quince.com dragon I have a question for you. Have you ever been charged some stupid fee from your bank where you're giving.

[Michael Risinger]

Them your money and they get the.

[John Reisinger]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[John Reisinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

Company, not a bank. Banking Services A secured Chime Visa credit.

[Michael Risinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

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[Michael Risinger]

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[Barbara Dunkelman]

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[John Reisinger]

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[Michael Risinger]

All right, that was natty. So we're back up to the top of the order with Doug. I almost said Douglas.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Douglas. You call me Douglas if you want Douglas Fir. Okay, so what options do we got right now?

[John Reisinger]

Any of them?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, you can use any of them.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, let's do Peruse the Pitfalls.

[Michael Risinger]

Peruse the Pitfalls. You can reveal two cards in the river. You choose one to discard and shuffle the two remaining cards and place them face down in the river. This is a Wisdom check. So I'm trying to give you a scenario to set you up to use your wisdom here.

[John Reisinger]

He's painting a tapestry.

[Michael Risinger]

You come into a room that appears to be a railway with minecarts, and it's an intersection with tracks heading in several different directions. And the wind is whistling down from seemingly all the different tunnels and possibilities in front of you. How do you want to approach this?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I would want to go stand where there's, like, an intersection and see which way the wind is coming from.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, okay.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

Why don't you make me a wisdom check? And you do have advantage on this check. Thanks to the bolster, buddy. Hey.

[John Reisinger]

Ooh.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Good thing I have advantage, because that was a one.

Oh, my gosh. Seven.

[Michael Risinger]

Seven.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

They keep rolling into, like, from 18 to 4.

[John Reisinger]

Well, tell them not to.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I know. I'll use my inspiration.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay. 17.

[John Reisinger]

Nice.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. It seemed at first like the winds were coming from random directions, but after, you know, observing them for several seconds, you're able to determine that it seems to be coming predominantly from one side more than another. Which allows you basically, metagame wise, to reveal two cards in the river. So which two would you like to reveal?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Let's reveal left and right.

[Michael Risinger]

To your left, you ascertain there must be a. An item of some kind. However, to your right, you ascertain there's difficulty in an obstacle of some type.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Which one? Let's. Let's keep that item.

[Michael Risinger]

All right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Potential.

[Michael Risinger]

So you discard the one on the right, and you shuffle the two remaining cards and place them face down in the river.

[John Reisinger]

So, just. So, because we can't see, does that mean that there are two options now for Doug, or do you put a third one down to replace the one.

[Michael Risinger]

You got rid of? A third one comes in to replace.

[John Reisinger]

So Doug knows that one out of the three is an item. Correct. Just doesn't know which one.

[Michael Risinger]

Correct.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, thank you.

[Michael Risinger]

Thank you for asking. This is good for our listeners, too. So you've got three options in front of you. Left, center, and right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

And those all got shuffled right?

[John Reisinger]

Yes.

[Michael Risinger]

It has been reshuffled.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Let's go down the center.

[Michael Risinger]

Ooh, Ooh.

[John Reisinger]

Gus gets so excited when we make decisions.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. You say, oh, I know what's coming. And then it's like, okay, now I have to load all the stuff to. To. To be prepared to convey that information.

[John Reisinger]

Funny to have the pause of just you. You just delighted. You just. That's just a nice little moment of delight for you. It's very tio.

It's Very family of to.

[Michael Risinger]

I do have a couple of nieces and nephews, and I am teal Gus to them.

[John Reisinger]

That's true. That's true.

[Michael Risinger]

So I do have. I do have. I've experienced being a teal. Okay. You've determined which direction the winds are coming from. And as you're looking down that path, you see what appear to be a trail of small clawed footprints heading in that direction. Perhaps these are dretches. Who knows?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Okay.

[Michael Risinger]

All we know better game wise, is that is a clear path.

[John Reisinger]

Let's do it. Only 12 more to get.

[Michael Risinger]

I know you're at eight at this point. All right, next up is tolve. Then after 12 is Gunther.

[John Reisinger]

I didn't like how my last thing went with my bad roll, so I'm gonna try run recon again.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. Before you. You see a mine shaft that appears to have a rickety lift and pulley system. You said you want to run recon, so you're gonna make a dexterity check of some kind. How do you want to interact with this?

[John Reisinger]

You said it was like a rickety lift.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, rickety lift and pulley.

[John Reisinger]

Hmm. How rickety is this? I'm gonna lift. Sorry, blame Brank.

[Michael Risinger]

But. But.

[John Reisinger]

Brain blank, Blaine.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Brain blank blank.

[John Reisinger]

What's your child's name? The demon one? Yeah. Can I put Giggy on to the. The thing to just see if it can hold it like a claw machine? Almost Sure.

[Michael Risinger]

I won't. I will not even make you make a Gigi roll.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, like test the strength of the pulley system with Giggy's weight. Yeah, but also, like, what was that game that used to play on the playground where you had the ball and then it was on the pole and you just kind of. Tetherball? Yeah, you know, just. It's a fun uncle Tolve activity. You know, I'm a wacky uncle.

[Michael Risinger]

Gigi wants ups right now, so he's. He's willing to be amenable to your experiment.

[John Reisinger]

Well, I gotta roll that. Actually, I gotta roll that. No, no, we're playing by the rules here.

[Michael Risinger]

Normally. Yes.

So Giggy begins resisting a little bit. Make your dexterity check to see if you're able to wrangle him and get him onto the place like you want.

[John Reisinger]

14. There you go.

[Michael Risinger]

You. You wrestle with him a little bit, but you're able to. Easy. It's very close. But you're able to overpower him and get him onto the pulley and you're able to test it.

[John Reisinger]

Isn't that fun? Oh, swingy roundy. You just hear that, like, sound of like.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Is he just like. It's like going for anything in the air. This is just a pendulum. That's like, whatever. He's like, close enough.

[Michael Risinger]

Giggy's just in a mood today. All right, so, yeah, you were successful. That allows you to draw three cards from the deck and choose one to place on top of the deck, and the other two cards are shuffled back into the deck.

[John Reisinger]

Cool. Let's look at those three cards.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, Your three cards from the top of the deck are Wanderer, Obstacle, and Item. Ooh.

[John Reisinger]

And I get to choose one to place on top. Basically one to keep and two to get rid of Jeff. Yeah, I'm gonna lose the obstacle for sure. And then. Hold on. Reading. Wanderer represents travelers or lost souls met along one's journey.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, meta, game wise. Quacks was a Wanderer copy.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Ah.

[John Reisinger]

So was Renee Zellweger.

[Michael Risinger]

Correct.

[John Reisinger]

I'm a Wanderer. Let's leave that item card.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I'm a joker.

[Michael Risinger]

All right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I'm a smoker.

[John Reisinger]

Who's the Wanderer?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

All right. I'm a Midnight.

[John Reisinger]

We've had good luck with Wanderers. I don't want. I don't want a bad Wanderer.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, there can be bad wanderers.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, Also.

[Michael Risinger]

Also, meta, game wise, in a. The previous time you did this, you encountered the. The duel.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, oh, the Ghost duel.

[Michael Risinger]

Right. The Ghost duel. Made a.

[John Reisinger]

Pop a video out of it. Yeah, right. Oh, I think you're talking about Obi and Smash.

[Michael Risinger]

No, no, no, no. This campaign.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You think that's the last time we did this was in campaign one?

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. If memory serves, that seems about right.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, so before you. You see three paths. Which direction do you want to go? You got left, center, and right, left. Ooh, I'll do that every time.

Give it away.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

Great. Sound good?

[Michael Risinger]

You go down that path, and before too long, you come upon a dwarf who's standing with his back to you, and he. Butt to butt, he appears to be staring intently at the. The cave wall or the tunnel wall.

[John Reisinger]

So then I came face to butt with him.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay.

[John Reisinger]

I make my presence known. Yoo hoo. What are you staring at?

[Michael Risinger]

He turns around and looks at you.

[John Reisinger]

Hi there. Who are you? I'm Batsona. What's your name? Batsona. What a cool name. Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it? My name is Tov.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, it is. And this is my gang, my party, my crew, my homies, my friends, my dogs.

[Michael Risinger]

He goes around introducing himself to everyone. Natty. He Sticks his hand out.

[John Reisinger]

I'm Badzana. What's your name?

[Michael Risinger]

Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Natty Wonder. Natty, good to meet you.

[Michael Risinger]

He walks over to Doug.

[John Reisinger]

I'm Batsona. What's your name?

[Michael Risinger]

Hello.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Pleasure to meet you. Doug Boone.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, pleasure to meet you, Doug Boone.

[Michael Risinger]

And finally, Gunther, he walks up to you.

[John Reisinger]

Hi, I'm Batzana. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting? Gunther. Sup, Gunther?

[Michael Risinger]

Sup.

[John Reisinger]

Well, nice to meet you.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Excellent.

[John Reisinger]

Batsonna, what were you looking at? At that wall there.

[Michael Risinger]

Maybe we can help you.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, some curious mineral deposits in these walls. I fancy myself a bit of a geologist. Oh, I'm so interested. Like are we talking iron or other metals that are minerals or. Name another metal. Name another ore.

Silver. Okay.

[Michael Risinger]

There you go. Yeah.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I just wanted to say being a geologist that rocks. That's good.

[John Reisinger]

It's very good.

[Michael Risinger]

All right. My Internet's going out.

[John Reisinger]

Oh. Just all kinds of various minerals.

[Michael Risinger]

There's some iron ore and some copper.

[John Reisinger]

Ore here as well.

[Michael Risinger]

Various deposits of different kinds.

[John Reisinger]

Nothing extraordinary, very mundane. But while I'm down here, I'm also.

[Michael Risinger]

Looking for my child. I have misplaced her. Have you seen her?

[John Reisinger]

I mean we did find a miner earlier named Rene. No, no. We also found a person named Quacks, but I don't think that that's your person either. No. What does your child look like? Oh, she's the spitting image of me. Just smaller.

[Michael Risinger]

Puts his hand like waist high.

[John Reisinger]

What does Batson look like?

[Michael Risinger]

A very disheveled looking dwarf with a matted beard.

[John Reisinger]

So does, does your daughter also have a beard?

[Michael Risinger]

Well, of course.

[John Reisinger]

Silly me. Okay. How do you feel about children?

[Michael Risinger]

Told.

[John Reisinger]

Are you a fan? Me? Oh, you know, we. We've got a giggy. I've got, you know, that's.

[Michael Risinger]

That's more than enough for me.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

He's a funkle.

[John Reisinger]

I'm the fun uncle. That's right. Yeah. So we got our hands full. We're not looking to adopt. Thank you. But you never thought of having your own? I don't know if I'm capable of having my own.

[Michael Risinger]

I don't know if that's on it necessarily. Knows that.

[John Reisinger]

Probably not. You know.

[Michael Risinger]

Huh.

[John Reisinger]

So is it a deal breaker in a relationship if you meet someone and they do have a kid?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

This is getting deep.

[John Reisinger]

I didn't know that this was that kind of interaction. I mean, no, I don't. Are you making lovey dovey eyes? It's me or.

I'm not into beards. You know, I'm the beard guy.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You know, I forgot to tell you. I set up a dating app and then I had the meetup spot be exactly this location.

[John Reisinger]

A blind date in a cave.

[Michael Risinger]

Wow.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, guys, thank you so much. How thoughtful of you all.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, you're welcome. Just trying to, you know, do it solid.

[John Reisinger]

Right, Right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Help you meet someone with a kid.

[John Reisinger]

I. We will keep our eyes out for little bats. Batsona.

[Michael Risinger]

What's.

[John Reisinger]

What was her name again? Zana. Z.

It's a family name. I see, I see.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Which part? The at part. Because that's the only consistent.

[John Reisinger]

Anna.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Anna.

[Michael Risinger]

Ah.

[John Reisinger]

Taznoba. Or family. What about you, Gunther?

[Michael Risinger]

Sup?

[John Reisinger]

Do you like kids? I love kids. I think about my kids now that you bring them up, and I am sad. I am also missing children, but I know exactly where they are. It's the opposite. That doesn't seem like a problem.

[Michael Risinger]

I miss them.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, I see.

[Michael Risinger]

I see. Yes.

[John Reisinger]

How many children do you have?

[Michael Risinger]

Shoot. Did I have.

[John Reisinger]

What did I say, 46? Or was that my.

[Michael Risinger]

I haven't met someone. Was that how many kids I had or how many wives I had? I can't remember.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Hard to keep track.

[John Reisinger]

51. Oh, wait, no. Those are my siblings. Shoot. Anyway, yes. Kids are great. Wow, that's a lot of children, Gunther. Good luck with that.

[Michael Risinger]

I hope it works out. I hope you find yourself yours. Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Zadana.

[Michael Risinger]

Yes.

[John Reisinger]

We got a weird vibe.

[Michael Risinger]

Yes.

[John Reisinger]

We gotta get going.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Enjoy those minerals.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, okay.

[John Reisinger]

Well, if you see Zatbana, send her my way.

[Michael Risinger]

Okay. It'll do. Of course. Later.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, bye.

Was there a light source or were they just in the dark, staring at the wall? Kind of like Blair Witch Project style.

[Michael Risinger]

It's dimly lit by torches that are very far apart. But of course they have dark vision. Okay. They're at home in. In tunnels underground. In mind.

[John Reisinger]

They watch us walk away.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, I'll say. Benzona's waving enthusiastically as you all walk away.

[John Reisinger]

I like them.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Me too.

[John Reisinger]

Bad vibes.

[Michael Risinger]

Benzona comes running up. Oh, you like me.

[John Reisinger]

Join the party. Let's go.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, my.

[Michael Risinger]

No, no. Do not want that.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

NPC of NPCs and peace.

[John Reisinger]

See you later.

[Michael Risinger]

Nice. And again. Metagame perspective. That's another wanderer. Got it. Just so you get an idea for what you're encountering.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Bad sauna and Sadvanna.

[Michael Risinger]

That's it for Tol. So, Gunther, you're up. Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. I shall also run recon. Gunther's gonna skitter ahead sneakily.

[Michael Risinger]

Check out the ways you come into a room that seems to have a pool of crude oil that that boils and bubbles every so often. I'm gonna go ahead and try to run recon and scout ahead and figure out the best way to go. So why don't you make me a dexterity check?

[John Reisinger]

With pleasure.

[Michael Risinger]

I rolled a 9.

[John Reisinger]

I've had such bad rolls.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Me too.

[John Reisinger]

We find the Skellington of Zatvana.

[Michael Risinger]

I've had the wrong slack channel open for a long time, Blaine. Were you not going to tell me I sent you a random slack about an npc?

[John Reisinger]

I don't know, man. You're getting up there in years, and I just. I just kind of go with the flow.

[Michael Risinger]

I was like, man, Mike is really not telling me he hasn't responded to my NPC thing. I just like, oh, he's been talking to me this whole time. Okay, Gunther, you made that dexterity check. And what was that check?

[John Reisinger]

It was a lowly nine, Gus.

[Michael Risinger]

Ooh. Yeah. You try to get your way around the various hazards, you know, this pool of crude oil, but you accidentally get, you know, stepping it a little bit, and it gets a little bit. Gets on your foot. It distracts you, and you're, like, sliding a little bit. Because of the. The oil, you're not able to really figure out any additional information. Rude oil.

[John Reisinger]

More like rude oil.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Very rude.

[Michael Risinger]

Very rude. But you still do have three paths in front of you. You can go left, center, or right. Right. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

So help me if this is another Wanderer.

[Michael Risinger]

I like the Wanderers. You're looking at all the different options, and you look to the right, and you begin sniffing the air, and you catch a whiff of what appears to be some kind of fetid odor coming from the path to the right. You recognize it as the foul smench. Foul smench? Foul stench from earlier.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

What a smench that was.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. And you feel like you're getting even closer to your goal. So, yes, that is a clear path.

[John Reisinger]

Let's go. Also, we found our new big bad Sminch.

Sminch Quinch.

[Michael Risinger]

That is Gunther. So next up, we have Natty.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, we do. None of the cards in the river are revealed right now.

[Michael Risinger]

None are revealed. You walk into a room, and you find what appears to be a craned platform dangling over a chasm.

[John Reisinger]

Let's do something weird. Let's optimize our options.

[Michael Risinger]

Optimize our options. It's an intelligence check. If successful, it allows you to draw two cards from the deck. Choose one to replace a card in the river, Shuffle the remaining cards and place them on top of the deck. What of Your intelligence. What of your brains are you going to use here, Natty?

[John Reisinger]

So there's a crane over, like, what, a chasm? Is that what you said?

[Michael Risinger]

What did you say? Yeah, chasm. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, Natty. Well, Natty is from the underground drowse. And so Natty will actually get to. To the edge of the chasm and really use her drow vision to see, like, what's going on. Is there, like, is there a bottom to this chasm? Is there something across the way we can get to? Do we have to cross this chasm? Just kind of, you know, using She's. This is more like recon, but I'm doing. Optimizing my options of what we should do with my eyes.

[Michael Risinger]

That's smart. See? Intelligence. Smart, Smart.

[John Reisinger]

Ooh, Makes you real decent. 18 plus 1. 19.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, yeah. That is a success. So that allows you to draw two cards from the deck. Those two cards you draw are a monster and a wanderer.

[John Reisinger]

I keep one. Kill them both.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, you can choose one to replace a card in the river.

[John Reisinger]

Take the monster card, please. No more wanderers, please. Okay, I'll take the monster card. No, no.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, so Natty takes the monster card, and you replace. Place a card in the river. Which one do you want to replace?

[John Reisinger]

Wait, what?

[Michael Risinger]

Left, center, or right?

[John Reisinger]

Oh, oh. I was like. I didn't think you were asking, like, which position. Unless you're like, I don't know what the other cards are.

[Michael Risinger]

Left. Left. Okay, place the left with that, and I'm gonna shuffle the remaining cards and place them on top of the deck. All right, so that leaves you with three options. Daddy. Left, center, or right.

[John Reisinger]

I think I'm confused. I don't know what just happened. Happens. So I picked the monster.

[Michael Risinger]

You.

[John Reisinger]

Where'd you put the monster?

[Michael Risinger]

Where you said, which was left?

[John Reisinger]

Is that what we did? I thought we shuffled the cards in the river after you did the optimizing option.

[Michael Risinger]

The remaining cards and place them on top of the deck. So, like, the others that were off to the side. Okay.

[John Reisinger]

Okay, cool.

[Michael Risinger]

This is good because I love having these clarifications for people who are listening who may want to play this on their own at home.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, I'm doing it for them.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, we make sure that we pretend not to understand things so that we can explain it better for you guys. That's.

[John Reisinger]

Chris is the best at that. He is a total lens for the audience.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah, like, when you guys forget someone's name or any details, he's got you covered.

[Michael Risinger]

Difference between blinds and a window.

[John Reisinger]

We weren't rolling there.

[Michael Risinger]

That's an inside joke. That's for us.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I pick right?

[Michael Risinger]

Okay, you pick right.

[John Reisinger]

So don't say it.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, no, no, no, no. I'm laughing about something else, which I love.

[John Reisinger]

Okay. I was gonna be like, if someone's like, hey there, stranger. It's like, get out of the caves.

[Michael Risinger]

So, metagame wise, you pulled a monster card, which does not trigger a monster to appear immediately. It's meant to represent menacing individuals or creatures that are lurking in the shadows, closing in on you guys. And when drawn, the monster card is discarded. But the party receives one strike. And a strike represents the party's presence being made known to monsters nearby. And once the party receives two strikes, they encounter a threatening monster. So I'm just writing down baseball works. Two strikes and you fight.

[John Reisinger]

That's Canadian baseball.

[Michael Risinger]

You. You. You're proceeding down the path, and you feel like in the darkness behind you and ahead of you, you can hear growling and snarling and guttural sounds. It sounds very menacing.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I have a feeling we shouldn't go that way. Maybe it's another mole dog.

[John Reisinger]

We're not alone in this cake. Well, clearly we're not. We've met, like, 50 people.

A convention in this cave. I don't think that caution tape or signs did anything.

[Michael Risinger]

No, but it didn't stop you guys.

[John Reisinger]

We should have listened.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, that's it for Natty. So we're back up to the top with Doug. And after Doug is told, we've got three clear paths. Correct. You have three clear path cards. Okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

And I could do any of them.

[Michael Risinger]

Correct.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Let's do Getting Gutsy.

[Michael Risinger]

Getting Gutsy, you walk into a room that has a pitch black pit in it with heat rising dangerously from up inside of the pit, and you choose to get gutsy, which is a constitution check. What do you use that musters up your constitution, Doug?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I close my eyes and try to use the best of my, like what I've learned from meditation and calming myself, but also to muster the strength of going, okay, you're not going to be afraid. What you're picturing in your mind is probably a lot scarier than what is actually in real life. So you're going to go forward and you're going to take a big old jump.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, look at that. I like that. That's really good. Really descriptive. Yeah. Why don't you go make that constitution check?

[John Reisinger]

Fear is the mind killer. You're right, Doug.

[Michael Risinger]

Ugh.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

10.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. You do your best to try to convince yourself and muster up the strength. But that fear still is sitting inside of you. It's difficult to quash, especially with all the scary sounds in the distance.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

That feels part of the course for old Doug Boone here. I'm working on it.

[John Reisinger]

It's a process.

[Michael Risinger]

You'll get there.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, so you're left with three options. Left, center, and right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Let's pick right.

[Michael Risinger]

You pick the right.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.

[John Reisinger]

Gastro rolled a one.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I saw that.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, I roll lots of things.

[John Reisinger]

What do you roll a one for? What he's gonna have for lunch. He has a D6 and six different things. Pizza, sandwich, hamburger.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I'm gonna use a real die from now on for these.

[John Reisinger]

A box of uncrustables.

Macaroni. The other box of uncrustables. If you were to build a giant uncrustable out of uncrustables with the edge of the giant un. Uncrustable count as a crust of the giant uncrustable.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

There's no crust.

[John Reisinger]

Is that like a vocal warmup? Like how many wood could a wood chuck chuck?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Yeah.

[John Reisinger]

I think it's a gas leak in Chris's house.

[Michael Risinger]

There's a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide.

[John Reisinger]

How long's that gas leak been going on, Blaine?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Maybe he should close his window. Slash curtains.

[John Reisinger]

That's the stupidest inside joke ever. It's the dumbest thing, but keep it in. I like how dumb. I want the community wondering, what's this whole blinds and windows thing?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, no.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, Doug, you enter a room that appears to be a huge round cavern with an overturned minecart in it with small child sized burrows dug throughout and what appears to be a giant centipede corpse blocking your path.

[John Reisinger]

Aw, gross. Very descriptive room. Yeah. Rest in peace at Bonna.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Because they're child sized.

[John Reisinger]

This is where we learn that Tolv has, like, face blindness and can't actually tell, like, organic creatures apart. Oh, my God.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It feels a little dangerous in here, but. Hey, Gunther, you're very familiar with burrows.

Can you take a look at those and tell me if. If you think anything might be under there or do you think they're empty?

[Michael Risinger]

I would be proud. Can I assist with that? Yeah, make it an investigation check.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, 16.

[Michael Risinger]

16. Yeah. You go over and take a look at the burrows, and it seems like these were, you know, obviously dug from the room that you're in. They're dug down pretty shallowly. And I'll say you do find something, you know, as you dig around you find various other small pieces of smaller centipedes in each of these burrows. Like babies, like legs.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, this is a weird room.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I don't. I don't feel so good about being in here. Maybe we should get out of here. Let's pretend we have a bunch of legs like a centipede and roll out.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah. Is the centipede like, looks like it was attacked.

[Michael Risinger]

It looks like it's been attacked and chopped up. Ooh, yucky.

[John Reisinger]

The pieces were buried and then these.

[Michael Risinger]

Pieces, pieces that are in the burrows. They don't look like they belong to the giant centipede corpse. These look like pieces from smaller centipedes.

[John Reisinger]

Weird baby centipedes. Can.

This is Doug's room. Doug?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

No, I mean, we're all in here together.

[John Reisinger]

Well, I was gonna say. What about that overturned minecraft?

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, yeah. Let's go look at that. Could Doug go take a look at the overturned minecart?

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. What do you want to do? Like, you want to like, look under it, see what's. What it's covering, or you want to.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Like, I assume, like without having of.

[John Reisinger]

A lot lift it.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

If it's something that's like mate of a few pieces, there's probably cracks I could peek into to see if there's anything under it.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Without actually like releasing anything that might be under there.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Make me an investigation check.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

I have a plus four. That is a nine. So that's a 13.

[Michael Risinger]

13. Yeah. You go up and. Yeah, there's a, you know, a small hole punched in the side of the minecart, probably from years of use. And you know, you put your eye up to it and take a look inside and you see some tools, you see a hand drill and a pickaxe in there and what appear to be some various chunks of metal.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, actually this stuff might be kind of useful.

[Michael Risinger]

And as you're looking at it and you turn to convey that to your party, the minecart gets overturned and three armored dredges jump out from under the minecart farts.

[John Reisinger]

Monster card.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Holding up weapons and menacing you all. Everyone go and roll initiative.

And we're gonna pick up that fight on the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon. Again.

[John Reisinger]

Fight.

[Michael Risinger]

Yeah. Metagame wise, that was a monster card.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

[Michael Risinger]

All right, thanks for listening, everybody. We're going to find out what the status is, how this fight's going to go and learn a lot more in the next episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon.

[John Reisinger]

We're here to fight the evil smench.

For Zadana and Renee.

[Michael Risinger]

Yes. And quacks. All right, thanks for listening, everybody.

[John Reisinger]

Quacks. I could take or leave.

Felicitations, my foul smelling fans. I have some news to tell you. We are releasing a new tavern tale called Mealwalkers and the Crystal shards. It is GM'd by myself, Michael Risinger, where we dive into a different RPG and we're gonna release the episode zero, which is like us creating characters and we play some of the game, we talk about the rules a little bit, and we kind of get to build the world as we go, which is really, really fun. You get to check that out publicly. You don't have to be a patron on December 3rd. It's free for everybody, people.

[Michael Risinger]

Everybody.

[John Reisinger]

You can't say no to free. That's so awesome. Anyways, beyond that, the next week we'll release the official first episode of Mealwalkers on December 10th. And that's exclusively, only privately, exclusively for patrons@stinky dragonpod.com so if you want to watch the rest of the show, you got to go there and you got to sign up. And what's cool about that? The same night we're gonna do a watch party. So if you want to hang out with us as we're like all listening and watching the episode together, it's gonna be so much fun. You're gonna want to be a part of this. Trust me. It's a really fun adventure. I love GMing it. Everybody loves playing it. So come check it out. New episodes of Tales from the Stinky Dragon premiere every other Wednesday wherever you stream podcasts and on the Stinky Dragon YouTube channel. Want to listen to the show 48 hours early and add free free, free, free. You can support us by becoming a patron like I [e-mail] or you can join us as a member on Beacon tv. Both give you early ad free access and a members only discord for each of their respective platforms. Looking for even more stinky content and community perks, our Patreon offers exclusive bonus shows behind the scenes content access to the Stinky Dragon. Discord. Discord. Discord members only. Live streams stinky community events and a shout out on the show. Just like vulgar Marcus. Donug it. Nope. Donug Cat dough nug cat. Got it. Rob. There's three B's. Lauren. Pretty simple. Thank you Lauren and Grantee doctor one. Grantee doctor one. Something like that. Anyway, like those patrons, they directly support the show. Get ad free episodes access to our patron only Discord server bonus content like second Wind and Behind the screen and other stinky perks once again@stinky dragonpod.com stinky dragonpod.com we are incredibly grateful for your support which makes this show possible. Some of Our friends voiced NPCs in this episode and listeners who interacted with us on the Sneaky Dragon Discord had NPCs named after them to voiced by Will Earlendshortz. Sinbad, named after Sinbad. Sinbad III. Rene, named after SlimBoy025. Quacks named after Mr. Happy Duck, voiced by Emily Hatfield at emilyhatfield from the clutchmypearls podcast, you can listen to Clutch My Pearls on podcast platform. You can follow them at clutchmypearlspod everywhere on the Internet and support them on Patreon Batzana, named after Bat D Y K E voiced by Jeff Ramsey Flramsey from the Regulation podcast at the Regulation Pod, available on podcast platforms and on Patreon. This week's arrow question was submitted by Buggy 52 and Black 5 Night. This episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon was produced by Ben Ernst and myself, Michael Risinger. It was written, edited, composed by me, Michael Risinger, with additional editing work by Katherine Arnold. Listen up, tune in next time for another thrilling episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Hello everyone. Welcome to Doggone the Ones and Two. As I was waiting for everyone to leave the room before we started today's broadcast because I'm a little shy going into another recording.

It sounds like Blaine forgot to mute his mic and Dutch has followed him out as always. Anyways, hello, welcome to Dug on the Ones and Twos. Coming at you, you know, mid episode. We're about to explore some mines and maybe play a little bit of cards. But we mentioned a deck of Dungeons which is available for free download on the patreon. That's sticky. Dragonpod.com Little plug for you guys. And you know, some of you might have heard that Doug is actually trying out a little bit of a show, a little pilot episode for Dug on the Ones and Two. So, you know, maybe at the time of this episode coming out, that's available. If not, it will be on the patreon. That's again, stinkydragonpod.com oh, hello, Micah. You've been listening this whole time?

[John Reisinger]

The whole time.

[Michael Risinger]

Oh, that's.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

That's only a little creepy.

[John Reisinger]

It's cause we're about to go to the Deck of Dungeons.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

The Deck of Dungeons.

This is where lightning strike and thunder are happening.

[John Reisinger]

Oh, that was lightning. Okay.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Oh, yes. Doug's not as good as the sounds as you are. Even though he has a radio show.

[John Reisinger]

I thought it was exploding for a second.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

It's indecipherable sound effects really. Oh, very excited. It's going to be perilous.

[John Reisinger]

This is me going through a door.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Wow, that door needs some oil on the hinges.

[John Reisinger]

Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Back to the show. Or in maybe this case, the end of the episode.

[John Reisinger]

Yeah.

Oh, the car from Carvana's here.

[Michael Risinger]

Well, will you look at that.

[John Reisinger]

It's exactly what I ordered.

[Michael Risinger]

Like precisely. It would be crazy if there were any catches. But there aren't, right?

[John Reisinger]

Right. Because that's how car buying should be with Carvana.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

You get the car you want, choose.

[John Reisinger]

Delivery or pickup and a week to love it or return it. Buy your car today with Carvana Deliver.

[Barbara Dunkelman]

Your pickup fees may apply. Limitations and exclusions may apply.

[John Reisinger]

See our seven day return [e-mail].