The Naturolls is a Daggerheart TTRPG actual play podcast, just like you'd play at your own home games. We hope to bring you stories you care about, characters you love, jokes that make you laugh, and a world you want to live in for a few hours every other week.
Hey everyone, welcome back to another brand new episode of The Naturals.
00:00:52.02
revealingtoomuch
Some of our cast is ah currently performing some downtime actions, but I wasn't ready to stop releasing new new story episodes.
00:01:03.70
revealingtoomuch
So we're going to keep the story of the Confident Three going forward. and of course, to do that, as is our custom by now, we're going to go back.
00:01:16.46
revealingtoomuch
I'm joined today by Tiddly and Marilyn Maverick, aka Almathara and Alakrans, the Moondown twins. And we're going to start in their present, or at least moments before it.
00:01:33.47
revealingtoomuch
Run, warned the Qatari called Unak Antharo, and you listened. You stepped out of the range of the wizard's spell just as meteors fell from the sky.
00:01:48.53
revealingtoomuch
Alecrans, as you saw this happening, you threw yourself to the ground and covered your head, afraid for your life.
00:02:00.25
revealingtoomuch
Almathara, you chose something different. You reached into yourself and out to the natural world around you and used the wind to pull the meteors down harder and faster.
00:02:18.11
revealingtoomuch
Kranz, in that moment, how did you feel about your sister?
00:02:26.44
Mav
Kranz definitely thinks and feels about Almi a sense of insecurity in that he has always been um felt like the lesser of the two twins, like the less powerful, the less strong, the less suave.
00:02:41.66
Mav
um And he knows some of that is just deeply ingrained insecurities that he picked up from their you know horrific parentage. um But there are moments that he's reminded that it's not without base. And this is one of those. um He's a very talented fighter, but he is limited by his, you know, the physics of how a sword works and how, you know, chainmail armor can turn aside a blade or ah a hammer. He's limited by the breath in his lungs. He knows his sister has none of these limitations.
00:03:14.01
Mav
um And so there's a deep level of respect that he's learned over the years for what she can do. And there are times it's pretty fucking scary. So there's there's some fear.
00:03:22.55
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
00:03:23.98
Mav
There's a there is ah a reminder that he. ah certainly is now and may always be ah the the the less powerful of the two twins.
00:03:35.17
revealingtoomuch
Okay, so I wasn't initially going to ask you that question. I was initially going to describe what I thought Kranz was feeling. So let me read that sentence that I wrote down just to see if I i got a good summary.
00:03:47.15
revealingtoomuch
Kranz, in that moment, I think you were terrified and in awe of your sister. that a pretty good way to... Okay. It's fun that i that i that I had that right, but I think it it was more fun to have you describe it.
00:03:55.00
Mav
Dead on.
00:03:59.42
revealingtoomuch
So in that moment, as Kranz... powers on the ground. I almost feel bad saying that about Kranz, but yeah.
00:04:08.38
tiddly
Yeah, that's a little bit of a pejorative connotation.
00:04:10.14
Mav
That's accurate.
00:04:10.50
tiddly
Yeah.
00:04:10.66
Mav
That is accurate.
00:04:11.54
revealingtoomuch
yeah
00:04:13.18
tiddly
Accurately so
00:04:13.78
revealingtoomuch
Yes, yes. It's a little offensive, but accurate. In that moment, we're going to flash back to your past. I'm talking years back. So for people listening, what we've decided to do while we have a few party members who are out and we can't record a full episode is we're going to go to
00:04:36.38
revealingtoomuch
years and years in the Moondown twins life to their home in Ildegar.
00:04:52.82
revealingtoomuch
And we're going focus our attention on the training grounds in just a moment. But before we do that, I would love it if the two of you set the stage for the people listening. So this is the first time any of our listeners will get to hear about Eldegar. We'll get to hear about where you grew up, about the house where you lived, what it looks like, what it feels like, what's where.
00:05:23.67
revealingtoomuch
i just want to know from your perspective, each of you decide how you you know want to answer this and What is it like? What's the manor like?
00:05:35.06
revealingtoomuch
Who lives there with you? What are those people like? Those kinds of questions. there's There's no wrong answers here. We're just learning more about these characters.
00:05:45.26
Mav
Ladies first.
00:05:47.29
tiddly
So I was picturing the manor being this overly spacious, really, really old castle-like dwelling with lots of cobblestone, lots of musty um tapestries hanging up on the walls, um probably a million books, some secret passageways that they probably explored as children. um we also picture um the the bedrooms being separated into wings and the Lord and Lady of the Manor sleeping on ah in opposite wings of the manor. um
00:06:26.78
tiddly
There's also an extensive stable and grounds and and and staff to match. um I picture it surrounded by forest um and with probably a very, um like with a beautiful road leading up to it and and, you know, just really manicured trees and lawns and Just like this beautiful, beautiful, really, really old, very well kept, but, um you know, kind of lots of history, but also it a little stuffy. a little stuffy. I would imagine the staff to be well kept and loyal to the manor.
00:07:05.62
tiddly
um all All manner of, um I mean, with house this large, it probably requires a lot of people working there, not just the the tutors for the children, but also people to to take care of the horses, to take care of the cooking, to take care of the cleaning, um cetera. And I also picture the manor being close to the town.
00:07:28.06
tiddly
And because Lord and Lady Moondown um have sort of their... their um I guess their kingdom, right? So I pictured sort of like the town that's nearby that they oversee and rule over and probably lesser nobility um and there and sort of like their constituents.
00:07:48.34
Mav
Yeah, I think as as kind of ah major players in the Elvish court, they are required to be close to the capital because they can be called upon by the royal family at any time and frequently do attend court um for matters of state for.
00:08:06.14
Mav
you know, there's no, there's no like judiciary. It's, there's not a court system. It's, it's the local Lords, you know, handle all of the disputes of, of kind of everybody below them. And so they have a position that demands a lot of respect, but also requires a lot of their attention.
00:08:22.14
Mav
um I think that there is, I love the idea of like it being very natural, but also kind of stuffy or like it's,
00:08:29.24
tiddly
Yeah, yeah, the house is stuffy. the the what The surroundings are not stuffy, but the house itself is just very old and kind of, you know, you feel like the history, but also kind of like the weight of that, like feels kind of constrained in a way.
00:08:42.90
Mav
But you might you might get a feel.
00:08:43.22
tiddly
um I'd also love how you're, I love how you as the lawyer are coming up with the judicial system for the kingdom.
00:08:47.35
Mav
ah Of course. Listen, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
00:08:52.06
tiddly
Mav is like, well, we we need to start off with how they they ah practice law.
00:08:52.12
revealingtoomuch
ah
00:08:52.20
Mav
ah ah
00:08:56.41
tiddly
Obviously, this is the most important thing.
00:08:57.42
Mav
It's like, are there are there state courts here or something? Yeah, no. it's ah I think...
00:09:01.59
revealingtoomuch
So the first article of their constitution If you you bear with me, there's only 48 This will be quick This will be quick
00:09:03.22
Mav
yeah
00:09:07.26
Mav
ah got... Yeah, listen. ah i'll We'll get right through it.
00:09:10.16
tiddly
In Article 2, Section 43 of the Constitution of, of you know, Ildegar.
00:09:16.83
Mav
of Eldegar. So I think one of the things that would give you a sense of how um wound tightly this household is, is how you know the elves have a connection to the natural world.
00:09:29.21
Mav
you know One that Almi has begun to express through magic, but that all of the elves have have a feeling and a and a cultural history of being connected to nature.
00:09:29.90
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:09:39.41
Mav
um And that the nature outside of this home is vibrant, but it is directed. like all of the trees, the like the brush and under like the shrubs around yeah on this like long manicured line, they're all guided.
00:09:55.12
Mav
They're not left to you know grow freely or or in kind of whatever direction they will. They are shaped and they are shaped purposely for a cause. And so everything in this space um is, even though it has the appearance of being natural, it has it is rigidly controlled.
00:10:05.46
tiddly
Correct.
00:10:15.65
tiddly
Rigidly controlled. Yeah, there's there's expectations, there's history. Growing up in this household is not easy um because because of that, because the children are essentially are those manicured trees. Like it's it's essentially they're elves, so there's they have sort of like a really primal connection to nature, but they've been molded in a very, very constrained manner, like basically shaped intentionally. Yeah.
00:10:45.11
tiddly
You know, yeah, I think that's a nice metaphor.
00:10:46.72
revealingtoomuch
Hmm.
00:10:47.49
tiddly
No.
00:10:48.40
revealingtoomuch
Yeah. Would you say that the manor, mean, I guess I don't know that your characters would know any different, but would you say that the manor feels like a home?
00:11:03.38
tiddly
no
00:11:03.54
Mav
Oh, man, that's a good question. i It's externally, i think, and I think perhaps we'll explore more that of this this episode, but externally to the court, um the house is ah like Lady and Lord and Lady Moondown are a united front.
00:11:05.18
tiddly
i
00:11:23.96
Mav
But internally, this is absolutely a house divided. And because it is a house divided, it can't possibly really be a home.
00:11:33.06
tiddly
Right.
00:11:33.14
revealingtoomuch
OK.
00:11:34.06
tiddly
I picture i picture um sort of the formal dining room where they eat every night as being um massive and cavernous and echoing and that they don't sit close to each other.
00:11:48.86
tiddly
They all sit... far away from each other on this, but ah in this massive table. And sort of that kind of like distance and coldness, it's a house, but it's not a home, right?
00:12:01.40
revealingtoomuch
okay
00:12:01.74
tiddly
Because there's that disconnection, there's that distance, there's that formality to it.
00:12:06.78
Mav
Let's, and you know what I think I, I love that you brought up the dining room because I envision it not being in like the kind of, I think we're evoking a little bit of like beauty and the beast kind of style of home here a little bit.
00:12:06.92
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:12:17.14
tiddly
Yeah, yeah, a little bit, yeah.
00:12:17.69
revealingtoomuch
ah
00:12:18.65
Mav
But it's not, it's not a long thin table. It is a table that is made of like, like a live edge wood table of a massive, like redwood equivalent style tree.
00:12:29.04
tiddly
That's beautiful.
00:12:33.00
Mav
So that not only is very long, but it's also very wide. And that while the parents sit at either end, the heads of the table, all me and Kranz sit in the middle.
00:12:44.47
Mav
And even though, you know, if this was a long, thin table, they would only be a couple of feet apart because of this tree, because of the the enormity of this tree that was made into this table. They're actually kind of far apart, even though they're equal across the table from each other.
00:12:57.88
tiddly
Yeah.
00:12:59.93
Mav
And like, it's such a, such a,
00:13:00.12
revealingtoomuch
ah you guys are
00:13:04.12
Mav
it's almost like everything is built by their parents to be a wedge between them.
00:13:10.46
tiddly
Mm-hmm. Yep.
00:13:13.15
revealingtoomuch
I like that. I like that. You guys are killing this. um Now that we kind of have the wide shot of of the manor a bit, we kind of have it an image of what we're what we're looking at.
00:13:29.43
revealingtoomuch
I want to zoom in a bit to the two of you in the training grounds.
00:13:39.69
revealingtoomuch
You're on opposite sides of the arena, maybe the same way you're kind of on opposite sides of that dinner table.
00:13:47.67
revealingtoomuch
And each of you has some of the family healers restoring some minor wounds that maybe you've taken over the course of your training. over the day. So you have people who, I don't know if you two take the time to learn their names or anything like that, but people who work for the family casting minor healing spells on you to make sure that before what's about to happen, you're, you're kind of both at your peak physical conditions.
00:14:25.34
revealingtoomuch
You two have trained separately. Almathara in the magical arts and Alacrans in the martial arts. And this, this little mini episode that we're doing right now, is going to be the first time that you are ever pitted against each other in the training grounds.
00:14:47.83
revealingtoomuch
Reynold... The quartermaster, who Alacrans has probably spent more time training with since he's more of the the trainer of the the the martial arts, is waiting in the center of the ring for both of you to take your positions.
00:15:07.58
revealingtoomuch
Is there anything either of you would like to do before stepping forward?
00:15:13.53
Mav
I think one of the major questions I have here is who else is present? Because if our if our parents are present, the attitude that certainly Kranz and imagine Almy would take would be very different than if they're not.
00:15:19.80
tiddly
yeah.
00:15:26.87
tiddly
Different, right?
00:15:28.31
revealingtoomuch
Well, that that's ah that's fantastic, and I didn't put that in my notes, but that's because I prepared late and I forgot. So that's a great question. So the training grounds is a kind of a dirt ground arena surrounded by...
00:15:47.93
revealingtoomuch
a Wood barrier and then at a raised level on a on platforms all the way around seating and so not only are your parents sitting there watching this moment But you also have other high elf figures who are sitting and watching as well and You might, you know, you recognize them from from formal events and political events and those things, but you have a scattering of people with quite a bit of power all watching this moment.
00:16:26.30
Mav
So this is this is a very public test. This is not this is not something where they were like you know just messing around and playing.
00:16:33.69
tiddly
This is not no.
00:16:34.92
Mav
like this is There are stakes here.
00:16:37.14
revealingtoomuch
Right, yes. Both of you have been in training for, probably say years at this point. You have demonstrated a ah prowess for each of your kind of chosen paths.
00:16:52.70
revealingtoomuch
And at some point, it wouldd be really interesting to maybe explore how how one of you ended on the martial path and one of you ended on the the magic path. That'd be an interesting thing to explore.
00:17:02.49
tiddly
Yeah.
00:17:02.78
revealingtoomuch
But both of you have demonstrated that prowess and... you got word not from your parents, but seeing them there, you realize now that the word was from your parents.
00:17:17.78
revealingtoomuch
You got word in in your chambers that there would be a a duel of sorts. And so we're in the moments before.
00:17:31.54
Mav
I think Kranz would be if if Reynold is in the middle of the the arena, Kranz would be kind of nervously pacing back and forth. and This is a younger Kranz. He's not as big.
00:17:43.18
Mav
He's not as he's he was kind of a late bloomer physically. So while in the present, Almi may have like half an inch on him, she probably has like three or four inches on him right now.
00:17:54.10
Mav
um
00:17:54.28
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:17:55.26
Mav
And so he's scrawnier. He's not as big. um But and like you can kind of see that and like the neck of his, you know, of his like shirt is a little too big. Like his gambeson is maybe a little not quite like the right size for him.
00:18:11.29
Mav
And so he looks small compared to certainly compared to Almey, compared to Reynold, like he looks smaller.
00:18:14.24
tiddly
Mm-hmm.
00:18:19.19
Mav
um But you also like but somebody watching would note that he already has, you know, present Kranz has a couple scars on his face. Those scars are already there at this age.
00:18:32.85
Mav
And something he could have had the healers address and and essentially erase, and he has chosen to keep.
00:18:38.80
revealingtoomuch
Do
00:18:41.94
Mav
um And so the the impression that he's like he's nervously pacing, he's kind of bouncing back and forth on his on his toes, um that there's a lot of anxious energy, but he's actually... you know, he looks like a scrappy young man and that he may have a little more grit than maybe his size indicates.
00:18:59.64
revealingtoomuch
you have a weapon, Kranz?
00:19:02.81
Mav
He's got two.
00:19:03.93
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:19:04.22
Mav
He's got a a dagger in one hand and a broad sword in the other. And so he's from the very beginning trained in you know two weapon fighting dagger and sword as a duelist.
00:19:09.34
revealingtoomuch
Okay. Perfect.
00:19:15.80
Mav
And so those are he's trained with other weapons, but like these are his home. This is where he's comfortable. This is what he would pick if given the option.
00:19:25.05
revealingtoomuch
perfect
00:19:26.35
tiddly
Okay. So Almi is on the other side of the ring and she is taller, as you said. um She's A little awkward looking, though. She hasn't fully grown into her height, like ah maybe a recent growth spurt. um But I mean, her height is definitely imposing and she looks very adult. um She gives off the appearance of being very composed and self-possessed. um But you notice a few beads of sweat on her brow. And so there's there's there's obviously she's not, there's something kind of churning beneath the surface with her. um She reaches into...
00:20:06.65
tiddly
a pocket and pulls out ah a small silver flask and takes a quick drink um in a very intentional way, looking at her brother straight in the face. And then she reaches into her other pocket and looks over to her father, who is looking at her with a lot of like intent. like he he He knows what's going to happen. She pulls out a ring.
00:20:35.54
tiddly
And this is not just any ring. This is the ring of the manor. This is the the moonstone ring. It is essentially this beautiful old filigree ring that has a moonstone that's been engraved with the crest of the household.
00:20:51.67
tiddly
And um it has on the inside engraved the names of all of the rulers of um of of the manor. ah Historically, over hundreds of years, all the names are are engraved on it. It's also magical.
00:21:07.74
tiddly
um And so it has a lot of um import and meaning. She pulls out the ring and she looks at her brother. She looks at her father and she puts it on her finger.
00:21:21.62
tiddly
right in front of him.
00:21:24.79
Mav
I think grants clocks it. Absolutely. And just you see his like jaw clench. Like he's not going to say anything, but like his teeth grind. um And then he looks at his mother.
00:21:37.72
Mav
um So who I think probably for for the purposes here, I think the Lord and Lady Moondown are probably sitting together now.
00:21:46.82
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
00:21:46.97
tiddly
like a show of unity. Yeah.
00:21:48.38
revealingtoomuch
Right.
00:21:48.66
Mav
hmm.
00:21:48.82
revealingtoomuch
Absolutely.
00:21:50.17
Mav
um I think he would pointedly look at his mother, who is the leader of the family, the current matriarch of this household. And, um, as he kind of steps into with maybe a little exaggerated swagger, maybe, you know, trying to put on a bit of a show and not really feeling it, but like trying to do, you know, uh,
00:22:10.42
Mav
trying to attract some attention, respond to this obvious provocation, um steps into the ring and gives his mother only his duelist salute and then turns to all me, scrapes the blades down each other and then steps into his into a stance and waits for her to join.
00:22:23.19
tiddly
yeah
00:22:32.41
tiddly
I would say that Almi would notice and she would she would give him a small stilted bow, like probably not deep enough to indicate respect, like just short of being respectful as in she's intentionally mocking mocking him at this point. um and She would step into the ring and and she's carrying, um she has her wand and she also has her her favorite weapon, which is a dagger that she keeps strapped to her thigh at the ready.
00:23:04.64
revealingtoomuch
Okay. So as the two of you step to the center, Reynold looks at the both of you. And I think he knows the both of you well enough that he can feel the tension in this moment.
00:23:22.26
revealingtoomuch
And he gives you each a bit of a terse nod. Before we get this started, what does Reynold look like?
00:23:33.50
tiddly
That's good question.
00:23:36.47
Mav
So we're thinking this is probably...
00:23:40.16
Mav
40, 50 years ago. Like this is kind of in the, in the adolescence of the the twins.
00:23:42.48
revealingtoomuch
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:45.77
Mav
um I'd say at this point, he's still kind of, he's not in the prime of his career, but he's like just out of it. Like he's, he probably has joined the house, you know, within the last like a couple of decades, you know, he spent some time with the twins.
00:23:59.67
Mav
He knows them decently well, um but he's still very fit. Like he is, he's big. He's got like, imposing musculature. um He wears kind of a ah like a sergeant at arms um kind of brocade vest over like that, that he doesn't need armor because nobody would ever dare take a swing at him.
00:24:22.82
Mav
Um, if for nothing else than just kind of his imposing physicality. And I, I always envisioned him as having like, as having one eye as having like a patch over one eye that he, that he like lost in prior conflict.
00:24:33.26
tiddly
that's cool yeah yeah he's definitely battle-worn like I picture him as like being like I don't know having like an imposing beard and like scars and just being like a massive man like
00:24:36.69
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:24:36.63
Mav
Um, and,
00:24:47.90
Mav
The toughest guy in the building, no question. like there's And it's not even close.
00:24:51.06
tiddly
Yeah, like they like, you know, he walks in and no one messes with this guy.
00:24:54.68
Mav
Yes.
00:24:54.79
tiddly
He's just, he's just, he's, ah and I would say that if anything, that affects his personality because he doesn't have to, he doesn't have to be violent to get respect.
00:25:05.46
tiddly
And so it means that he can carry himself with a certain amount of softness, right?
00:25:11.21
revealingtoomuch
that's That's so funny. When we were talking about this beforehand, little little backstory, one of the descriptions I got for Reynold was that he was gruff. But in my mind, I pictured him as gruff, but also with...
00:25:28.79
revealingtoomuch
he He might be the most caring person in the house for the two of you out outside of each other.
00:25:32.92
tiddly
Right, right. Yeah. He's the one who knows them the best, I would say. Like, he's actually spent time.
00:25:37.27
revealingtoomuch
Right.
00:25:38.28
tiddly
he actually cares about them. So there's he has a gruff exterior, but there's there's definitely a softness to him like he doesn't. Yeah, yeah. Especially towards the twins, I would say.
00:25:45.68
revealingtoomuch
yeah yeah
00:25:47.11
tiddly
i think that's probably good. Yeah.
00:25:48.60
Mav
i think he's I think he's very hard on them, but hard on them because he knows that he will have to harden them to do what is necessary to survive living in a place like this.
00:26:00.60
tiddly
ah Yeah, he knows the environment they're in. He knows their parents. He knows that in order to make it that they're going to have to be tough. And so he's he's trying to prepare them in that way.
00:26:11.64
tiddly
um But there's there's a I think there's definitely like a care and concern behind all of it for him. Yeah.
00:26:18.74
revealingtoomuch
Awesome. So as you step up, he gives you this, each of you a terse nod. And then he says, You two, shake hands.
00:26:34.62
revealingtoomuch
There is no finer battle than one with another you respect.
00:26:35.11
Mav
Oh.
00:26:43.70
Mav
Krantz hates that, but he's like, ah all right.
00:26:47.18
tiddly
So, Almi is going to extend a hand and it's absolutely going to be the hand that has the ring on it.
00:26:54.68
Mav
hmm.
00:26:55.32
tiddly
And she's going to make a point of putting it in in his face like like he should kiss it.
00:26:55.48
Mav
Yeah.
00:27:03.45
tiddly
Not like, not you know, so yeah.
00:27:05.56
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
00:27:05.66
Mav
Mm-hmm.
00:27:05.96
revealingtoomuch
Oh my gosh.
00:27:07.70
Mav
So I think...
00:27:08.02
tiddly
So she's she's provoking him essentially, yeah.
00:27:08.22
Mav
cause
00:27:10.97
Mav
So I think as they would walk toward each other, Kranz would get within, you know, ah handshaking distance. He'd still get his blades out, and he'd take his his broad star, which is in his right hand, and jam it down into the sand, and then and then take her hand. And I think maybe there's a...
00:27:30.70
Mav
There's a moment where like he's looking at her at their parents and then at Raynaud and then he looks at her and she sees like a moment of fear in his eyes where there there's like this moment of vulnerability where he realizes what's about to happen here.
00:27:48.06
Mav
And he's confident in himself. And he actually this is the one of the only people in his whole household that he feels a connection with. And he's about to fight her. um And so there's a there's absolutely a moment of of just pure incandescent vulnerability that I think only Almi can see.
00:28:07.93
tiddly
Yep.
00:28:07.90
Mav
And then he...
00:28:08.05
tiddly
She notices.
00:28:08.34
Mav
he
00:28:08.85
tiddly
yeah she notices it instantly. And something in her softens. um so When she takes his hand, she gives it a ah small squeeze like this is going to be OK.
00:28:19.38
tiddly
You know, this is I know like like she knows that this is that this is also for show and that she loves him. So she she gives him a small squeeze.
00:28:28.57
Mav
He squeezes back.
00:28:28.82
tiddly
But she but immediately hardens after.
00:28:31.16
Mav
Yeah, he's he's like covers it up immediately.
00:28:31.26
tiddly
yeah
00:28:33.72
Mav
But there's there I think there's a shared moment.
00:28:34.30
tiddly
Immediately, like it's just a small moment, but immediately they both harden.
00:28:41.14
revealingtoomuch
Immediately after those squeezes, Reynold puts a hand on each of your arms, the hands that are that are shaking, right above your wrists.
00:28:55.80
revealingtoomuch
You feel a light squeezing sensation and then a clasp clapping shut. When he pulls his hand away or his hands away, you see that you're now each wearing a small metal bracelet cinched shut right above your radius, like right the right in the place where someone would take your pulse.
00:29:19.50
revealingtoomuch
That's where the clasp is.
00:29:25.14
revealingtoomuch
This bracelet will protect you from the damage you would otherwise inflict on one another. It will simulate the damage, and it won't necessarily stop the pain.
00:29:37.66
revealingtoomuch
But I promise you, as long as these bracelets shield you, you are in no real danger.
00:29:49.21
revealingtoomuch
And so you actually feel in a moment as this the magic that powers these bracelets kind of spreads across spreads over you and it's just a moment it's almost like a like a flutter all across your body and you look down you look at yourself you don't see anything differently but this is the the dueling bracelets that have been set up for for this moment infused with some magic from from the house
00:30:20.87
Mav
I think this is like a certainly something that Kranz has experience with because he's he's like dueled before, at least practiced dueling and tried to in the past. um But he recognizes that the reason Reynold is saying this is it's ceremonial.
00:30:35.22
Mav
that the Like, you know, this magic is not.
00:30:37.31
tiddly
This is for the audience.
00:30:37.54
Mav
ah
00:30:38.22
tiddly
Yeah.
00:30:38.51
Mav
That's right. This magic is not new to them.
00:30:39.48
tiddly
Right.
00:30:40.07
Mav
They understand how it works.
00:30:40.78
tiddly
They're both familiar. They both fought each other before.
00:30:45.11
Mav
ah But that the. um That this is a like. a jumping off point that like we are now engaged, like this you know we're about to begin.
00:30:57.40
revealingtoomuch
With those words, you both take a step back. And Reynold takes quite a few steps back.
00:31:06.65
Mav
Smart man.
00:31:07.74
revealingtoomuch
Yeah, and Reinald has seen what...
00:31:09.72
tiddly
He doesn't have bracelet on, does he?
00:31:11.03
revealingtoomuch
Yeah, he no, he does not. He's seen what you two get up to. um And you begin. Since there's no other fair way to decide this, I want you to each take your hope die, just one d12, and you're going to roll that hope die.
00:31:29.53
revealingtoomuch
And whoever gets the higher number is going to get to act first.
00:31:35.60
Mav
I got a six.
00:31:39.69
Mav
Oh, OK. It's not bode well. Yeah, right.
00:31:47.80
revealingtoomuch
All right.
00:31:47.73
Mav
All right.
00:31:48.98
revealingtoomuch
So, Omathara, you get the first action against your brother.
00:32:00.42
revealingtoomuch
What you want to do?
00:32:03.70
tiddly
Okay. Um,
00:32:08.31
tiddly
my goodness. Hold on, let me make sure I have this right.
00:32:12.33
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:32:13.72
tiddly
Okay, so.
00:32:19.32
Mav
This is going to be fun. We haven't had PVP and dagger heart before. This should be interesting. ah
00:32:25.40
tiddly
I guess the question is, since I rolled with a hope die, do I get a hope from rolling?
00:32:31.40
revealingtoomuch
Um,
00:32:31.93
tiddly
Or do we have any hope to start with, I guess, because we redid the character sheets?
00:32:34.71
Mav
That's a good question.
00:32:35.54
revealingtoomuch
you each would start with two, and we'll say because and because we'll say because you got that healing from the the family healers, let's actually just make that three for each of you.
00:32:37.43
Mav
Okay.
00:32:37.56
tiddly
Two, okay.
00:32:41.30
tiddly
Yes. Yes.
00:32:45.66
tiddly
Three. OK, great. OK, just checking. um
00:32:49.16
revealingtoomuch
Yep, absolutely. I should have mentioned that at the top. For those listening, we did we did create younger versions of the character sheets for Alocrans and Almathara.
00:32:58.87
tiddly
Correct.
00:32:58.96
revealingtoomuch
So going to be some different things on there, lower levels, that sort of thing.
00:32:59.38
tiddly
Yes.
00:33:03.90
revealingtoomuch
so Okay.
00:33:05.21
Mav
different experiences.
00:33:05.84
tiddly
OK. um all right i think she's just going to um try to attack him with her air magic just gonna start off with her wand so so she she's wearing leathers but she always has with the leather she always has silks and so whenever she's using her air magic
00:33:16.18
revealingtoomuch
What does it look like? what is What is about it?
00:33:30.62
tiddly
you feel you feel like the you feel the the wind stirring and that's reflected in her garments. Like you can see physically manifest like that the power that's just kind of flowing through her um and her as her like as the silks in her garments start to move and shift. um She pulls back her hair in a stance and points wand at brother tries to send a gust of wind to take him off his feet.
00:34:02.63
revealingtoomuch
Okay. As you roll that, Almathara, I'm going to take you back just a moment in the preparation before the fight.
00:34:16.95
revealingtoomuch
I assume would have been getting ready in something like your chambers or something like that, and your father let himself in, kind of announced himself in.
00:34:33.08
revealingtoomuch
with just a little bit of a cough as you're kind of putting your gear on and preparing.
00:34:42.62
revealingtoomuch
And he said, Almathara, you know what we've already discussed. Your mother's time to rule will eventually come to an end, as all things must.
00:34:59.03
revealingtoomuch
You are the one to take the throne, and I'm afraid that nothing besides total, unadulterated victory today in the battlefield will convince your brother that it is your birthright.
00:35:15.70
revealingtoomuch
Your mother's coddling of him will not change that.
00:35:23.67
revealingtoomuch
And in that moment, as you roll to attack your brother, you are thinking about that, those words from your father.
00:35:33.34
tiddly
Yep. Yep.
00:35:38.66
tiddly
Oh my goodness. So, um so okay
00:35:45.24
tiddly
Let's do it. um So it's Felcastro, yeah?
00:35:46.17
Mav
Roll away.
00:35:48.73
revealingtoomuch
Yeah, absolutely.
00:35:50.26
tiddly
Okay. Let's see.
00:35:54.99
tiddly
All right. Let's see.
00:36:08.48
tiddly
Okay, that is an eight with hope.
00:36:12.14
Mav
misses. misses
00:36:15.41
revealingtoomuch
Wow, interesting starts.
00:36:19.37
Mav
Trans sees it coming, knows that she's immediately going to fire off her hip um and ducks low and like scrambles underneath it across the sand to try to get as close to her as he can.
00:36:32.09
revealingtoomuch
Is it a dignified move?
00:36:32.25
Mav
But she rolled with hope.
00:36:33.53
revealingtoomuch
Is it a dignified move or is it okay.
00:36:35.22
Mav
No, it is a scramble. It is like ah it's not he has not been.
00:36:37.46
revealingtoomuch
okay
00:36:40.79
Mav
Present Kranz is much smoother, much more refined in his style. This is a younger, less experienced Kranz.
00:36:45.46
tiddly
Younger Kranz.
00:36:46.67
Mav
And yeah, he's ah he's he's just, he managed to dodge it, but not smoothly.
00:36:46.93
tiddly
He's scrambling. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:36:54.46
revealingtoomuch
So you you kind of hear the crowd with like a, ooh, as the as the this burst of air goes flying. And Kranz, I think in the in the moment that you kind of duck under, like, you know that even if you look undignified, there's dignity in surviving.
00:37:14.82
revealingtoomuch
There's dignity in not getting hit. But... there's a bunch of very powerful people watching you and appearances are everything. And you, you, you kind of hear a little bit of like a, like a, yeah, like a, like just, just a little bit of a snicker of like people kind of
00:37:29.05
Mav
Like a titter.
00:37:38.10
revealingtoomuch
what you assume they're doing, even though you can't necessarily hear the words is, is ribbing you from the, from the cheap seats or in this case, the very expensive seats.
00:37:48.34
Mav
am i Am I marking a stress for this?
00:37:48.76
revealingtoomuch
So,
00:37:49.82
Mav
am i am i Is it that much?
00:37:51.03
revealingtoomuch
No, no, no, no.
00:37:51.86
Mav
OK.
00:37:52.29
revealingtoomuch
I was just setting scene.
00:37:52.69
tiddly
Just, just, yeah.
00:37:54.51
revealingtoomuch
So um unless we have a compelling reason to not do this, we're probably just going to go every other.
00:37:54.81
tiddly
Flavor. Yeah.
00:38:02.07
revealingtoomuch
there there There might be something happen happen that I'll change my mind.
00:38:02.07
tiddly
Yeah, that's fine.
00:38:06.07
revealingtoomuch
So Alakrans, what is your next move?
00:38:12.41
Mav
I think as he slides, I think he knows that Almi was immediately going to go for his face.
00:38:17.42
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:38:17.56
Mav
ah Because, you know, they're both very, they're they're twins, right? They look almost identical. And they're both very proud of how they look. um And he knew that he was, she was going to try to hit him in the face. And at least, even if it didn't damage him, like muss his hair up.
00:38:31.73
Mav
um because there could be no greater insult in this place.
00:38:33.48
tiddly
He's so pretty. Yes.
00:38:34.57
Mav
That's right. There could be no greater insult. So he's great, like slides underneath it and he runs in low, um like dagger and broad sort to one side.
00:38:47.16
Mav
And I'm going mark a stress to gain advantage on this attack and use reckless um because he knows that he he needs to hit all me quickly and hard.
00:38:52.50
revealingtoomuch
Oh.
00:38:58.14
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:38:58.78
Mav
So I'm going to add a D six to this.
00:38:58.94
revealingtoomuch
Okay. Okay, so but as you roll Alokrans, you also prepared for this moment.
00:39:05.10
Mav
Mm-hmm.
00:39:08.66
revealingtoomuch
And right now is what I want to tell you both and the listeners that I actually DM'd you both privately to ask you who you thought of your parents would be supportive your your machinations, I guess, to be the dominant twin.
00:39:28.76
revealingtoomuch
And i was curious if I DM'd you separately, i thought it'd be really interesting if I got the same answer from both of you. So, Alakrens.
00:39:39.15
tiddly
And?
00:39:40.79
Mav
We find out.
00:39:42.28
revealingtoomuch
Alakrens, as you... As you're preparing, you're putting on your armor, you're taking up your sword, probably limbering up because I imagine at least you're probably using your physical muscles in a lot more ways than than Almi is so
00:40:01.40
Mav
his His preparation is very much like a locker room. Like it's it's like, you know, that the same kind of place that a prize fighter would expect to to prepare it. There's like a table where he can stretch out and get, you know, like if any of his muscles are sore and get massaged.
00:40:17.32
Mav
There's, you know, like essentially a ah place for him to like undress and and, you know, put all of his armor on and make sure it's all you know tight.
00:40:25.40
tiddly
How many mirrors are there in his dressing room?
00:40:25.38
Mav
Sharpen his swords. Several. OK, several.
00:40:32.47
Mav
Um, but no, there's a, uh, there's like, it's very much a, a like, you know, high school or college, like locker room feel to it.
00:40:42.17
revealingtoomuch
So as you're doing this, as you're preparing, your mother quietly slips in.
00:40:52.21
Mav
Do I hear her come in or am I like, is my back turned?
00:40:55.13
revealingtoomuch
You don't hear and she stands quietly and waits for you to notice.
00:41:00.69
Mav
So I think he's he's like strapping on his his arm guards. You know, he's got his. You know, sore belt is sitting on the bench like this long wooden kind of worn benched seniors and years of use.
00:41:13.91
Mav
um And as he like cinches his armor tight, he kind of puts his hands on his hips and like. breathes really, really deep in and then holds it for about like 10 or 15 seconds and then just slowly like lets it out.
00:41:32.34
Mav
And you can hear like his mother would hear like a shudder in his breath and know that like there's a part of him that is very anxious about this, that is like almost shaking.
00:41:44.66
Mav
And that's why that there's like a flutter to his breath as it comes out.
00:41:48.67
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm. Hmm.
00:41:48.73
Mav
um But then he then quiets it And steps up to the to the bench, takes a sword belt on starts to tie it on. um And then as he's turned as he's tying it on, he would like turn and see her in the room and like start like freeze.
00:42:06.74
Mav
Because this person rules this house with an iron fist and he had no idea he was having um an unguarded moment in front of her.
00:42:17.66
revealingtoomuch
So she stands there for a moment, kind of giving you gaze that I think you've experienced a lot of times in your life of evaluation, of judgment.
00:42:36.66
revealingtoomuch
And then finally she says,
00:42:41.66
revealingtoomuch
my child. I expect you're ready for this silly game that awaits you.
00:42:52.41
Mav
And he would like he realizing he's like halfway cinched his sword belt, he would quickly finish it and then bow and say, i am my lady.
00:43:03.49
revealingtoomuch
It would be prudent for you to prevail. You know how your sister is. She's not fit to be the head of this family.
00:43:20.95
revealingtoomuch
It should be you. And that, Kranz, is what you are thinking about as you roll... to attack. I can actually tell from your face that I interrupted a thought you had. Do you want to hit that before we move back?
00:43:36.44
Mav
I think there would be a moment of where he almost protests. There's like, there's like the word, but forms on his lips and he like staring into the like basilisk stare of his mother's deep green eyes. It dies on his lips.
00:43:58.17
revealingtoomuch
She is very...
00:44:01.57
revealingtoomuch
unmoving she is as in that moment she is she hardly moves to speak let alone to like after she's done it's just eyes and a face watching you
00:44:14.36
Mav
she like Is she like partly in shadow? Like just.
00:44:17.33
tiddly
I know, I'm like picturing like a snake with like glowing eyes in the darkness or something, like just really...
00:44:19.58
Mav
o I think that's exactly what she is. She's a viper. She is. ah Maybe the most dangerous person in the building.
00:44:31.90
Mav
um And Kranz is very aware of this.
00:44:32.32
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
00:44:33.90
Mav
And so his protest dies on his lips and he kind of nods curtly. um And then waits for her to either address him again or leave.
00:44:44.57
revealingtoomuch
I think that's all she would have to say. I think she would slip back out.
00:44:51.48
Mav
see what happens. Okay. That's 13 with hope.
00:44:59.82
tiddly
That hits.
00:45:01.14
Mav
Okay.
00:45:01.50
revealingtoomuch
Oh,
00:45:01.53
Mav
All right. ah
00:45:05.37
tiddly
Oh, I have three armor though. So as have my evasion 12, have three armor. So is that 15?
00:45:10.71
Mav
so you
00:45:10.81
revealingtoomuch
it will It will be...
00:45:12.55
tiddly
How does that work?
00:45:12.86
revealingtoomuch
our Armor is for when you take damage. You can use it to reduce the HP.
00:45:16.07
tiddly
Ah, okay. Gotcha.
00:45:17.98
revealingtoomuch
So just to kind of mechanically clarify, you will still be marking HP and armor slots and all those things as typical, but due to the the bracelets, the dueling bracelets that you're wearing, it won't actually be damage that you're taking.
00:45:25.16
tiddly
Okay.
00:45:35.64
Mav
So I think as the gust comes over his head, he scrambles underneath it. And like there is a this is a reckless attack, but there is a form that as he's scraping up from the sand ah goes from like startled cat to like.
00:45:53.50
Mav
like leaping Panther, like in that half second of change from like, Oh shit, I'm about to hit back to like, I got underneath it.
00:45:58.86
tiddly
you
00:46:01.82
Mav
And now I'm like, I'm inside her range and I can really do some damage. And so there's some nice, very nice form to his hit. Um, maybe shuts down a little bit of the, the Twittering there, are the tittering in the, uh, the Glebe and I rolled really well. Holy shit. Um, that's 21 physical damage.
00:46:23.22
revealingtoomuch
Okay, so just to clarify, you compare that to your thresholds on your on your threshold chart, your damage thresholds, tiddly. And that will be if it's at or above one of the thresholds, that'll determine where we're at.
00:46:38.83
tiddly
Yeah.
00:46:40.06
revealingtoomuch
So what are your damage thresholds? You have a major eight and 14, so that would be severe damage.
00:46:41.75
tiddly
Eight and 14.
00:46:45.85
revealingtoomuch
So you can either mark three HP or you can mark... two HP and an armor slot unless you have an ability that would let you reduce this.
00:46:54.49
tiddly
I do have an ability, actually. So, Almi is going to touch the ring that's on her finger, and it's going to start to glow.
00:47:04.70
tiddly
um and Essentially, the magic that that this ring has, it's imbued with protective magic. And so she's going to try to use the ring to mitigate some of this incoming damage that she's going to receive from her brother.
00:47:20.61
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:47:20.86
tiddly
So I'm spending one hope and I'm doing rune ward. um And that is... um Basically when' distance reduces the damage by three total, which is still severe damage, so she will still take, how many, I guess I can mark an armor slot, right?
00:47:33.91
revealingtoomuch
Okay, got it.
00:47:41.74
revealingtoomuch
Yep, an armor slot will reduce the HP marked by one, so it'll either be three HP or two HP in one armor slot.
00:47:45.74
tiddly
Okay.
00:47:48.76
tiddly
Great, we'll do two HP and one armor slot.
00:47:51.13
revealingtoomuch
Okay. Perfect. All right. All me it's in your hands now.
00:47:55.92
tiddly
All right, she is going to, okay, so he, how did you attack Almi? with with Was it with the like the sword or the like two-handed strike? Was it from above? Like how how did that happen?
00:48:04.79
Mav
Yeah. So he he slides underneath this gust of air.
00:48:06.94
tiddly
So she threw the gust of wind at him and then he slides underneath it.
00:48:09.34
Mav
he He goes low. He's like, I think his hands, like he swung with both sword and dagger at the same time because his hands were in the sand getting under this and then came up like up from the side with both blades like in a cross slash.
00:48:11.51
tiddly
Yeah.
00:48:13.91
tiddly
Yeah.
00:48:22.57
tiddly
Mm-hmm.
00:48:24.31
Mav
So he's like face to face. You're on melee range now.
00:48:27.51
tiddly
Okay, great. So, Alni is going to sidestep um and she's going to try to hit him in the back um so with Reign of Blades.
00:48:35.32
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:48:38.52
tiddly
um So, um one of her experiences is dad said it's okay to fight dirty. So she is going to try to fight dirty.
00:48:50.94
Mav
I love that.
00:48:51.03
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:48:51.00
tiddly
So she's going to try to stab him in the back.
00:48:52.37
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:48:53.82
Mav
I love that.
00:48:54.14
tiddly
um
00:48:55.22
revealingtoomuch
Perfect. So.
00:48:56.38
tiddly
So let's see.
00:48:58.33
revealingtoomuch
spen spend a hope to use that experience?
00:48:59.86
tiddly
so I'm going to spend a hope to use the Reign of Blades.
00:49:03.66
Mav
That's outstanding.
00:49:05.27
tiddly
And then I can do I spend a hope to use the experience also? OK, so another hope for the experience.
00:49:09.24
revealingtoomuch
You would, yes.
00:49:11.11
tiddly
OK, and that adds plus two to the role. Is that essentially correct?
00:49:14.33
revealingtoomuch
Correct, with hope, so put a hope put up put a hope back on, put a hope back on that character sheet.
00:49:14.43
tiddly
OK.
00:49:17.27
tiddly
right, and that is going to be a 14 with hope.
00:49:20.02
Mav
That hits at Lance. That Lance. Well, hold on a second. um Just one second. i want to make sure I don't have something that can might be able to reduce my or increase my edge or my evasion.
00:49:33.21
Mav
um This is we're in melee range, right? You didn't leave melee.
00:49:37.73
tiddly
Correct. No, I'm i'm with i'm when i I basically I'm just sidestepping and trying to stab you in the back, literally stab you in the back.
00:49:38.58
Mav
OK, then, yeah, that's that Lance.
00:49:44.73
Mav
That lands it, sir. It certainly lands.
00:49:47.77
tiddly
Okay, so the Reign of Blades is throwing blades. So essentially what she's going to do is she's going to pull the dagger that pull pull the dagger that's strapped to her thigh and magically it's going to turn into 15 daggers and she's going to send them, try to send them into his back, right?
00:50:02.65
Mav
ah that's fucking cool.
00:50:03.48
revealingtoomuch
ah
00:50:06.39
tiddly
um
00:50:06.71
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:50:07.57
Mav
That's sick.
00:50:08.89
tiddly
All right, and that is 13 damage.
00:50:11.35
Mav
I love that.
00:50:12.47
tiddly
yeah, 13 damage. and yeah yeah thirteen damage
00:50:13.82
Mav
That is serious. A question. A minor damage threshold 13 is if it, if is it meets it beats. So I would have to mark two.
00:50:21.62
revealingtoomuch
Yeah, so that would be that would be your major damage. Yeah, so that'd be to to HP or one in one.
00:50:25.11
Mav
Okay. Um, yeah, he eats that. I, he takes it full on. Like that's, I think he, he, I'm going mark an armor slot. Um, you know, so his, his armor on the back is less, uh,
00:50:42.83
Mav
doesn't have his full coverage um um and so yeah some of that lands he's gonna take an hp
00:50:44.44
tiddly
And she knows this because they fight frequently.
00:50:44.54
revealingtoomuch
Mm hmm.
00:50:55.83
revealingtoomuch
Right. Where do we go from here, Alec Rands?
00:50:58.17
Mav
okay um i think with a like a dirty hit like that um He he whirls around and there is a like where there was vulnerability in his eyes. Now there is ferocity.
00:51:13.85
Mav
um And he you she could hear him growl like very low only so she can hear maybe Raynald is close enough, but she's really the only one that can hear this. and He goes, oh, playing like that. Oh, wait.
00:51:25.75
Mav
And I'm going to use three hope. um To activate my warrior feature. I'm going activate my warrior feature, no mercy, um which gives me a plus one bonus to all of my attack rolls until my next rest.
00:51:36.24
tiddly
Oh my God.
00:51:43.22
Mav
So big swing on using this, but he is like getting so like basically got steps, sidestepped and then slapped in the back of the head by his, by his taller sister. And he's like, noh we're not having that.
00:51:57.24
Mav
Um, um, I'm going mark another stress to gain advantage on this attack. He's going to, he's going to like kind of so like he's going to zigzag in and she's going to, he's going to like slide his sword into his belt and flip the dagger through the air to distract her like from one hand to another um underneath her reach to try to come at her from the side with a, with a dagger slice. Yeah.
00:52:27.99
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:52:31.48
Mav
Okay. That is... 17, 20. 21 with hope.
00:52:40.38
revealingtoomuch
Jeez.
00:52:40.57
Mav
ah um so he's only doing...
00:52:40.95
tiddly
Yeah, what can I do about that? That's all I do, it's for sure.
00:52:46.75
Mav
be less damage because he's like he's you know only using one weapon here. um
00:52:52.87
tiddly
Are any of the plus factors you did magical? Like the bonuses you just did?
00:52:57.18
Mav
all physical
00:52:58.23
tiddly
All physical, okay.
00:52:59.00
Mav
um we're we're just meat out here baby so I rolled an 8 and a 2 but in the moment um as he's landing this attack there's a voice in his head and it's his mother's and it's it's that sinuous venomous voice you
00:53:02.58
tiddly
You're meat, baby.
00:53:03.11
revealingtoomuch
you
00:53:04.31
tiddly
Yeah, you're meat, baby.
00:53:24.47
Mav
can land a shot better than that Kranz And I'm going to reroll this too, because I have the not good enough ability. When you roll your damage dice, you reroll any ones or twos.
00:53:34.63
revealingtoomuch
Jeez.
00:53:35.93
Mav
And that's a four. Okay. So it's going to be 12, uh, 16 physical damage.
00:53:41.70
tiddly
Oh my God.
00:53:44.86
tiddly
Okay. Well, I guess we're going to mark another armor slot and another two.
00:53:48.47
revealingtoomuch
ah
00:53:49.42
tiddly
So, okay. All right. Oh man. Okay.
00:53:56.06
Mav
I think, I think Chris is feeling pretty good about himself.
00:53:56.31
tiddly
Um,
00:53:57.98
Mav
He's like, he, he one twos her and then like steps back. He's still melee range, but like he steps back, um, draws a sword out and kind of like raises his hands around to the crowd.
00:54:09.06
Mav
little bit of flair. Like, come on. Nobody here is impressed. He anything. just like, you know, kind of looking around the crowd, like anybody like that.
00:54:19.90
tiddly
Okay, so, so, so Almi is like, this this can't stand, right?
00:54:20.31
Mav
Uh, and then that's the end of my turn.
00:54:25.87
tiddly
She, she, um Basically takes a guarded position and steps a few steps back from her brother, staring at him square in the face.
00:54:37.24
tiddly
um She knows that he's he's getting cocky, and she knows when he's cocky, then that's when he makes mistakes. um and she Because she's really smart, and she's smart with him many times before.
00:54:48.95
tiddly
So she can tell that he's really feeling himself right now, and this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of um how well she knows him.
00:54:58.66
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:54:58.65
tiddly
She's going to...
00:54:58.76
revealingtoomuch
Right.
00:55:00.22
tiddly
um use her air magic to try to bring down there's this um chandelier above them in the arena. It's made out of um ah antlers, right? So it's antlers, candles, kind of this like elven, like beautiful, intricate, but it looks like it makes sense, right? It's not like a fancy chandelier. it's like ah It's like something that would exist in this kind of like setting that's like you know, this Elbin kind of chandelier.
00:55:31.74
tiddly
So she's going to try to use her air magic to bring that down on her brother's head because he's not looking up. He's looking all around him. She's going to take a look at her father and um and
00:55:41.42
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:55:44.73
tiddly
give him a nod um Like, ah this is what we discussed, right? And she's going to use her experience, which is heir to the throne. Like she's self-possessed. She has this knowledge that she's the rightful heir.
00:55:58.07
tiddly
And she's going to try to bring down the sky on her brother.
00:56:01.56
Mav
So I have a question, Mike.
00:56:01.97
revealingtoomuch
OK. OK. okay
00:56:03.67
Mav
um are we Are we doing reactions here? Because I think I heard my sister say she was stepping away from him. And if she's leaving melee range,
00:56:13.97
revealingtoomuch
Okay. Okay.
00:56:18.55
Mav
warriors, particularly called the Slayer Warriors, have attacks of opportunity when ah enemies attempt to leave melee range.
00:56:25.37
tiddly
I didn't know that was dagger heart thing. that's toxic. All
00:56:29.88
Mav
It's not for everybody.
00:56:30.17
revealingtoomuch
okay
00:56:30.72
Mav
It's just for this particular class of warrior. um I have options. If she's leaving melee range, I can prevent her from leaving.
00:56:35.64
revealingtoomuch
okay
00:56:40.14
tiddly
Well, then don't have to leave melee range, do I?
00:56:40.18
Mav
I can.
00:56:42.33
revealingtoomuch
Wait, wait, wait, hold on, hold on, hold on. I think that would be a fair call, but my question is, if Mav is goading the crowd, does he...
00:56:53.05
Mav
does he have the wherewithal?
00:56:53.66
revealingtoomuch
Is is he...
00:56:54.44
tiddly
He's like looking around being like, look how cool I am.
00:56:54.89
Mav
Is he paying attention?
00:56:58.81
Mav
do you want to give me Do you want to give me a roll?
00:56:59.90
revealingtoomuch
That's...
00:57:00.89
Mav
Like, I'll i'll roll for it. but What do you think?
00:57:04.38
revealingtoomuch
How about...
00:57:04.68
Mav
Would it be would it be a presence roll?
00:57:07.48
revealingtoomuch
um
00:57:07.82
Mav
It's going to be a flat roll. It's it's literally, my presence is zero. but Plus zero.
00:57:11.39
revealingtoomuch
Sure.
00:57:11.68
Mav
Okay.
00:57:12.23
revealingtoomuch
Let's go ahead and do a presence roll and see how see how that goes to see if you are caught up in your gloating so much.
00:57:24.18
Mav
All right. That's a crit.
00:57:28.74
revealingtoomuch
Jesus.
00:57:30.07
Mav
I rolled double nines. I rolled double nines.
00:57:35.36
revealingtoomuch
All right.
00:57:35.76
tiddly
I'm trying, man.
00:57:35.77
Mav
ah
00:57:35.86
revealingtoomuch
All
00:57:39.77
Mav
So if I think, I think he is.
00:57:39.93
revealingtoomuch
right.
00:57:44.38
Mav
um So it, I have options with attack of opportunity.
00:57:49.55
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
00:57:50.14
Mav
Um, I think, and it's, you can't they the person moving can't move from where they are. um I can deal damage them equal to the primary weapons damage, or you move with them. I think in in what makes sense in this duel is he is um so cognizant of how much stronger she is that he knows that she can't get out of his grasp like he has to stay close and so while he's gloating she he sees her start to dart back and he would in a very very like maybe like a very nice prescient vision of how smooth crans eventually becomes at this um like steps into her movement and stays with her as she backs away and so he like matches her movement perfectly
00:58:42.20
Mav
And he knows her you know almost better than he knows himself. He sees her trying to get away, and he stays right up close with her so that there's still almost nose to nose.
00:58:49.13
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:58:51.58
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:58:51.80
Mav
It doesn't do any doesn't do any damage.
00:58:51.84
tiddly
That's not fair because I already told you I was going to do.
00:58:51.98
revealingtoomuch
So...
00:58:54.62
tiddly
That's so uncool.
00:58:56.26
Mav
Doesn't do any damage, but he stays right with her.
00:58:58.66
tiddly
That's so uncool.
00:58:58.74
revealingtoomuch
Well, I think... I think that that was what you were planning on doing, Almi. But I think when your brother moves with you, I think you still have an option to...
00:59:10.22
revealingtoomuch
You didn't roll your dice. You can recalculate you can you can recalculate and make a different decision.
00:59:12.06
tiddly
I haven't done anything yet.
00:59:16.55
Mav
Who's playing dirty now?
00:59:16.92
revealingtoomuch
and And one thing that I want you both to do
00:59:16.98
tiddly
Okay.
00:59:22.74
revealingtoomuch
is Give me an instinct roll, both of you. I want to see if the two of you see something.
00:59:36.17
Mav
I've got 14 with hope.
00:59:40.86
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:59:41.37
tiddly
18 with hope.
00:59:43.93
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
00:59:45.50
Mav
It's good roll.
00:59:48.38
tiddly
Yeah, finally a good one for me.
00:59:48.66
revealingtoomuch
cra Kranz doesn't see this, but Almi does. Almy, as you take a step back and your brother moves with you, out of the corner of your eye, you see your father, the Lord of Moondown, exchange a look with Reynold.
01:00:17.24
revealingtoomuch
And in this just fraction of a moment, you see Reynold's head lower slightly.
01:00:35.83
revealingtoomuch
And then something happens.
01:00:42.72
Mav
Yeah, what happens?
01:00:42.90
revealingtoomuch
You don't see you don't you don't see that.
01:00:43.42
Mav
Tell us.
01:00:46.14
revealingtoomuch
You don't see that, but you know that Reynold and your father have exchanged a look.
01:00:57.23
tiddly
All right.
01:00:57.41
revealingtoomuch
So it is your turn on me.
01:01:00.61
tiddly
Okay. I am going to, since he's right next to me, i am going to, let's see. I'm going to stay within melee range.
01:01:12.61
Mav
I can only use one reaction.
01:01:13.14
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
01:01:13.91
Mav
can only use a reaction to turn. So I also have no hope left.
01:01:16.42
tiddly
I'm staying within melee range.
01:01:17.34
Mav
I've I've I've used all of my hopes. So it's I can't do anything.
01:01:22.07
tiddly
I'm gonna stay within my melee range and I'm gonna try to attack him with my dagger. I'm goingnna roll i'm gonna roll and I'm gonna try to slice his ankle.
01:01:26.39
revealingtoomuch
okay
01:01:29.78
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
01:01:30.69
Mav
Like that.
01:01:34.74
tiddly
That's a 17 with hope, and then I'm going to use my plus two for error to the throne.
01:01:37.08
Mav
That lands.
01:01:42.36
Mav
that you You should save your hope because that lands.
01:01:44.34
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
01:01:44.39
Mav
17 hits.
01:01:44.92
tiddly
Okay, all right.
01:01:46.17
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
01:01:49.43
tiddly
And that is a 10 damage.
01:01:49.89
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
01:01:54.50
tiddly
Can I reroll that and mark a stress? I think I can, think I have, let's see.
01:01:59.42
revealingtoomuch
Is that thing?
01:02:02.20
tiddly
Oh yeah, I can spend, and that's magic damage. Okay, nevermind. So we'll just say 10.
01:02:06.42
revealingtoomuch
Okay. Okay. So, Kranz, as you take this damage, it feels the same as the rest of this duel has felt so far, except
01:02:27.03
revealingtoomuch
you start to feel... blood pooling in your boot.
01:02:32.95
Mav
in my boot.
01:02:39.35
revealingtoomuch
And you look down at your your dueling bracelet
01:02:46.58
revealingtoomuch
and it's still on your wrist.
01:02:52.98
revealingtoomuch
But you don't think you're supposed to be bleeding in these fights.
01:02:58.55
tiddly
but god
01:02:59.70
Mav
I think canonically, I would not mark an armor slot. I think that gets through everything. So he just takes an HP damage. um And he looks down and like and then up at Almi, who's kind of like coming out of a roll, I think.
01:03:16.24
tiddly
Yeah.
01:03:16.30
revealingtoomuch
Yeah.
01:03:16.38
Mav
um
01:03:17.24
tiddly
Yeah.
01:03:19.00
revealingtoomuch
And Almathara notices the blood too, and you also...
01:03:19.13
Mav
And then...
01:03:25.43
revealingtoomuch
Kranz, you don't know what's going on, but as you see the blood, Almathara, you remember a moment ago that look between your father and Reynold.
01:03:38.68
revealingtoomuch
and the reaction that Reynold had.
01:03:44.06
tiddly
Almi's going to um step back out of malayration. I'm just kidding.
01:03:51.10
Mav
and You can.
01:03:51.19
tiddly
but
01:03:51.54
Mav
I got no hope left. I can't. I have no reaction. So, you know
01:03:54.42
tiddly
No, no. She's, she notices the blood immediately at clocks. It immediately remembers the look and she steps back and um looks at her brother um and drops her, and drops her knife.
01:04:05.40
tiddly
She drops her knife. And, uh, and puts her hands down. she's She's done.
01:04:11.36
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
01:04:12.04
tiddly
she's This is not what they agreed to. She's not gonna fight him anymore.
01:04:18.23
Mav
I think there's a shared moment of like, of puzzlement and then anger, but then Kranz looks around at what is supposed to be like essentially a consecration. Like he knows what he is supposed to do here.
01:04:35.35
Mav
um He has, he's not a terribly bright guy, but he's smart enough to know that Almi is, supposed to be the the next leader of this house. And that one of the the many theatrical performances that he has been required to take part in over their lives.
01:04:53.53
Mav
um This is just another one of them. And so he like, he looks down at his boot. He sees blood kind of coming out of a slice in the heel of it.
01:05:05.08
Mav
And he grinds his foot down into the sand so that it's hidden. And he hisses at her. he goes, pick it up.
01:05:15.66
Mav
like gesturing at her knife and then crouches down, like ready to attack.
01:05:23.54
tiddly
she She bends down into the sand and picks up her knife and then holds her brother's hand and looks at him and squeezes it and then holds the knife to his throat and says, yield.
01:05:39.89
revealingtoomuch
Ooh.
01:05:44.38
Mav
Shifty.
01:05:46.84
Mav
I think that is. ah Wow.
01:05:54.04
Mav
Yeah, that gets through. i mean, he. I think he like he would be puzzled by the fact that she was taking his hand. And he's like trying to goad her back into like, no, we have to do this.
01:06:05.80
Mav
And then all of a sudden the the blade is against his neck and he like up on his, almost his tiptoes kind of back and raises his hands and drops his blades.
01:06:06.33
tiddly
And she's, yeah.
01:06:17.53
tiddly
he sees He sees her in in her eyes and they have that that sort of like shared twin mind. And so he sees the panic behind her eyes like as she's holding his hand and she's trying to communicate to him that this is not what we want. Like this is not for us.
01:06:34.33
tiddly
You know, she's hoping that he'll agree to like end this, you know.
01:06:38.84
Mav
I I think he she did exactly the right thing. She makes it not a choice. ah She bests him in physical combat. There's no way that he's fast enough.
01:06:51.36
Mav
Knowing now that there is no more shield. Yeah,
01:06:53.91
tiddly
Yeah, and she doesn't want to continue. So she's trying to tell him how she's terrified and terrified that like they'll take this too far. and She doesn't want to do that. So...
01:07:04.02
Mav
yeah I think he he would he would drop his blades.
01:07:04.12
revealingtoomuch
And in this moment, your father's your father stands up and is like, what are you doing? Continue! Continue!
01:07:15.70
Mav
ah there is like the blade of his neck. Crans would say, my lord father, I have been, um
01:07:28.44
Mav
well, I believe the term is bested. i must concede.
01:07:36.02
Mav
And starts to like, try to like edge, like slowly step away. ah
01:07:42.05
revealingtoomuch
Okay.
01:07:42.36
Mav
but But understanding that like he has to officially say that he yields. And so he he looks her in the eye. You can see the same panic, the same like
01:07:52.44
Mav
lack of understanding, the same lack of of the same puzzlement. um
01:08:01.94
Mav
And he sees it reflected in her eyes and says loudly, ah yield.
01:08:04.83
tiddly
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:08:07.49
Mav
I yield.
01:08:11.93
revealingtoomuch
And as you back up from that blade and look up to where your father is kind of standing outraged and the rest of the crowd is...
01:08:23.18
revealingtoomuch
there's all these mutters going through and you can't really make out the words, but you do hear kind of like snippets of like pathetic and like, this isn't what we were here for. And all these sorts of things, just kind of little little glimpses of what's being said.
01:08:42.30
revealingtoomuch
and as you look up to the seat where your father is, you notice that your mother is gone. She's no longer in her seat.
01:08:52.94
Mav
I think Kranz would immediately like flush like deep embarrassment and shame. um And like he there are ways in which he has been taught to to properly duel. And there are certain certain niceties and societal expectations that must be observed.
01:09:13.97
Mav
And so he bows to his sister because she's beaten him.
01:09:18.98
revealingtoomuch
Mm-hmm.
01:09:20.02
Mav
um And then turns and strides quickly, maybe a little too quickly away back to his changing room, leaving his sword and dagger in the dust.
01:09:32.74
tiddly
Almi would basically bow deeply to her father. um She's terrified of him, honestly. like And she's not scared of anything, but her dad is really scary to her. She would bow. She would pick up his weapons and not in a rush, but she would after Krantz.
01:09:53.40
revealingtoomuch
Okay. And in that moment of betrayal, I think, in this important moment in your journey, but also of finding each other, I think, in the middle of the betrayal, like you youtube two started that that moment kind of outraged at each other and you found each other at the end of it in that moment our flashback ends and we will pick up with Alakrans and Almy's story and the next episode of the Naturals
01:10:48.66
revealingtoomuch
To be clear, we're going to pick up with the rest of the cast too. But we're going back to that. i didn't want i didn't want to make it sound like we were just we got rid of we got rid of everybody else.
01:10:53.51
tiddly
just dies.
01:10:57.43
Mav
ah
01:10:57.51
tiddly
The cast of two, the confident two.
01:10:58.05
revealingtoomuch
It's just these two now. The trio's down to two.