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A show hosted by Jenn, Tay, and JJ, good friends who met online that share a love for most things "nerd." Join them as they talk about their favorite comics, movies, and even video games while also providing a different refreshing take on a lot of topics. ALL HAIL THE QUEENS (of Nerdom)!
Hello, and welcome to the Queens of Nerd and podcast. I'm Black, and I play Machidas in our first RPG or role playing game. This is not a dungeon and dragons game, but a home brew game created by a very own doctor awesome, aka Eric, who is the game master. This game takes place in the world of Sariva, and we're currently playing act 1 fallen star. Hope you enjoy.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Good evening. Good evening. Welcome back to Sareva and the fallen star saga. And tonight, we have Mara Elderwood and Melody. There are some other adventures that may arrive, may not.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):This is kind of a unknown factor at the moment, but we do know certain adventurers. Dolion is under the weather, so he's going to be absent for this session. So when we last left our our brave adventurers, you were still in the city of Balanford, so not much has changed there. You guys got some room and board because this is going on, I think, like maybe the 4th or 5th day you guys have been in the city.
Melody (Tay):Yeah.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So, room and board though, they gave it to you for a really fair price.
Melody (Tay):99999.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yep. I mean, they were I think that they were charging 3 gold a night, so now they're just gonna charge you 1 gold because you guys are, you know, heroes in some of their eyes right now. Things you've done for the people. So so you're here. Now the port that was talked about, I know the the party had met and, had more of a campfire debrief time with each other to kinda discuss what they wanted to do, and, Machidis had mentioned that he needed to meet someone at the port.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Now the port here for Ballinforce, if you look at Ballinforce sits on the where the 3 the rivers come or the 2 rivers come across each other here. Or no. There's 3 rivers. That's what I thought. 3 rivers come across, and then basically over in this area towards this gate would be where a minor port is because that port is for, you know, just shipping things out to a larger port which would be closer to the actual Bay Area.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You know? Just but it wouldn't make sense to actually, you know, take the take all the goods and the supplies and stuff by by land and then I mean, some people would do that who can't afford to put it on one of the, flat, like, I guess, like rip rafts. They're not they're not like ships, they're more like river rafts. So the port here is kinda small. It's more like loading up cargo carrying rafts, and then he would take it out to the ocean area where the ports a little bit more a little bit larger and can can accommodate actual sailing vessels.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So but, anyway, Machidis, as you guys wake up in the the following morning of your discussion, campfire discussion of what are we going to do kinda a planning situation, because everybody has goals and stuff that kinda came out and sharing information between each other, trying to figure out how the puzzle fits together, which pieces you are, what parts of the puzzle, you have already discussed and figured out. In the morning, come to the surprise of Mara and Melody, Machitus had already left, possibly to go find this, traveler that he was told about. D'Oleon was telling you the night before that he was under the weather, but he wanted to go city, but he's kinda just going place to place to try to follow in the footsteps to see where if this guy is his son, and if he is, where did he go? Jer is around. You heard Jare had to gather some basic basic needs kinda thing.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So he probably went to the general store and such because he had almost nothing except for, like, combat equipment, his weapon, his armor. So he needs to gather some normal stuff, especially if you're gonna be adventuring. So the 2 of you and Genjiro are the only ones of the party still hanging out at the end that you've been at. You guys have given this in a lot of business. So like I said, they've cut it down to like, hey.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):A gold piece a day. You guys can use the room and go back and forth whatever you need. Although you did burn a huge hole in his wall and into the floor when you melted that guy, and the lady burst in the fire right next to one of his tables. Other than that, you know, he's just appreciative that you didn't kill him and that business is still good. You know, people are coming in to eat, and some just come in to watch you guys eat, and they whisper and point, you know.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You gotta think about the the level the the city just went through a whole bunch of stuff, and you guys got a minor amount of celebrity from everything that happened, You guys had it comped from the more luxurious area. They You guys had a comp from the more luxurious area. They've come and gone, people watching, hobnobbing to say that they ate in the same place with some of the heroes that fought the night before, the couple nights, and, rumors are bound about taking out a cult in a who were worshiping a fallen elder god that nobody you know, an old god nobody remembered. So hordes are bound and it you know, things been thrown around and exaggerated where you guys fought like a hydra and all this other stuff, and you guys are like, just let them think it. You know, there's no reason to to downplay that.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But, oh, actually, as we start, drink toast, Dolion, feel better, everybody.
Melody (Tay):Cheers. Cheers.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Cheers, Fonsai. Alright. Okay. So, Gintero never seems to be short on money, and he constantly tells you guys that he sent here from a he's, you know, the mission that he's on from the temple to find Alina, he was given enough money to pretty much be gone for years. So he says he doesn't mind paying for things here and there, but, now that everyone's gone gone off and doing little tasks around the city, what little tasks or what other things do you think we can accomplish while we're waiting for everyone to regroup here?
Melody (Tay):I actually do have a quick question. So for, the 2 prisoners that we had rescued, Lelia and Alina, where did they go after we rescued them?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Gungero says he talked with Alina extensively, because that's the reason he one of the reasons he was here. After that, he had got he had paid for her to get on a raft, take the raft out, and she was getting on a boat to go back to the Eastern Empire. Okay. As far as, Leila Leila could do whatever she wants. She was just grateful that you guys rescued her, so she was willing to help any way she can.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She's an entertainer. She's, you know, not a warrior, but she's willing, you know, if information wise or anything. And she's staying in the same end as you guys right now, you know, trying to recover from her captivity. She could only answer so many questions, and most of the stuff you guys knew more than she did. Like she said, she they were grabbed by accident, and she just made sure that you knew, Melody, that they were actually looking for you is what her and Alina figured out because you guys were all on the stage together.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So she's like, I think they just grabbed us because they were, like, for any woman on the stage.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Cool. So I think Mara and I were in agreeance, so we were gonna go to the library, because I wanted to do some research about, the goddess that I keep seeing in my dreams.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Alright. You guys have to sit head into the central area of the city. Basically, what is, the area that, like, the keep would be, which is the military, you know, stronghold, the library, anything like a court where they would hold court with the royal family. But remember, the royal family is not in charge anymore.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):It's the imperial alliance, so they have, like, a council. And that council's in the center. Now if you wanted to, you when you're heading there, you could pass by the, grounds that belong to the royal family or the duchess and her daughter and stuff if you wanna remember. They said that they they owe you favors, and you're always welcome to come by if you need anything. So, if you wanted to, you could go there as well.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):They would also have an extensive library, and they may even have a a a sage or a scholar on hand that's a historian or something if you needed more information. Because, you know, tutoring and everything for the duchess's daughter would have been done in house. So, Gintero says I'll I'll tag along whatever, if you guys don't mind. I'm actually, I need to stop somewhere, but it's gonna be outside of the city, so I'll wait for everyone when we're all regrouped.
Mara (Jenn):Okay. Sounds good.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright.
Mara (Jenn):We could swing by for the Duchesses because I think she might know a little bit about you. Okay. You wanna stop by hers on
Melody (Tay):the way to the library? Yeah. I would I would love to do that. With them. Yeah.
Melody (Tay):We'll we'll try there first.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Alright. So the the 3 of you guys wanna leave a note or anything for the others to tell them where you're heading or leave it with the bar the barkeep?
Mara (Jenn):Yes.
Melody (Tay):Yeah. We'll leave it with the barkeep just jotting down that, we're headed to the library.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Barking. He says, I'll make sure to get your message to your friends. He says, I'm surprised you're not trying to leave town. I mean, I know you're heroes and everything, but, it's confirmed that that horde is just on the other side of the river to the east.
Melody (Tay):You said a horde? Yeah.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):A horde of, mixed creatures. I mean, everything from gnolls, minotaurs, ogres, all on the other side. They said they're numbering in the 100, so could be a they could be planning to storm the the east wall. We don't know. But if you notice, a lot of people have fled.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):When you get outside, you'll see. He's like, even my wife took the kids. They've gone off to, Lockmore, and then they're gonna head more, north to Shadows Bluff. Not the safest, but it's safer than a city being besieged by hordes of monsters.
Melody (Tay):Does he know what kind of creatures they are?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):The majority they said are gnolls, a couple of flins. Gnolls are, hyena men. It's the best way to describe them. Some, humanoid hyena. They're very, tribal and nomadic, and they eat they they eat meat.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So pretty much they'll raid villages and take people as food, or slaves. Minotaurs aren't usually seen amongst, monster hordes. So to see a couple of minotaurs is strange, because minotaurs are usually considered a cursed kind of creature or kept, to their own society. So if it's a humanoid curse, then they're usually they're usually in servitude of some sort of sorcerer or sorceress. If it's part of a society or or, like, a group of minotaurs, that they would they wouldn't be associating with gnolls, so it's kinda weird.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Not a lot of creatures associate with gnolls. Flynn's are like bigger versions of a gnoll. They're still jackalman or dogmen of some kind, but Flynn's are like a just in the border of being, like, cat like and dog like. It's but they're just a little bit big. Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Ogres, they're not or or aren't like Shrek, but they're, they're usually, 7 to 8 feet tall. They're some can be a little bit larger. They're very strong, not very bright, but they can, soak up lots of damage. And, they're usually known to travel more with, like, orcish armies like goblins and stuff like hobgoblins, but this seems more like an army you would, just from the sound of things, a paid for army, which is strange with the monster horde, but someone paid to have the certain types of creatures, it seems, or whoever's in charge of them is powerful enough to bring different types of creatures together that normally wouldn't form an army.
Mara (Jenn):K. So don't dabble. Got it.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I mean, this place is packed now. When you guys are exiting the inn, you see there's, imperial regiments of soldiers everywhere. You know them by their standards, you know, by the red, gold, and, silvers, prime their primary colors. Their symbol is a shield. It'll have like a crown over the top of it, and it'll differ on the shield as to what family house of the alliance it is.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But, they're all over the place here. You would say that they've probably increased their numbers 2 to 3 fold for the city just in the last couple days. You see a lot of riflemen, and it it's kind of a new thing to see a lot of firearms, but you see I mean, these regiments have, you know, just, you know, columns and columns of riflemen. They still carry the traditional weapons. Like, they probably still have a short sword, maybe a spear or something, or they can fix a a long long bayonet to their rifle.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But their armor seems a little lighter than what you're used to with infantry, and their battle hardiness. It's hard to judge or or hard to say, but when you look at people or soldiers that you know have seen combat or have been, they usually have signs be it their equipment or, you know, expressions on their face. These guys, your your your best guess is these are a lot of fresh troops. It looks like brand new gear, young people probably in their very late teens, early twenties, if any. Any in their mid twenties.
Melody (Tay):Can I, like, confront one of them and ask them, like, where they came from?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Sure. Closest to you guys is their regiment's passing. You see someone that's probably like a a sergeant of some kind. He's you know that because he's kinda barking out the marching orders. Like, alright.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Call him to the right. Call him to the left so you can ask him. When you when you approach, he kinda looks at you for a second and says, can I help you, citizen?
Melody (Tay):Yeah. I would like to know where you came from. Like, what city you came from?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Most of these the units that are here are from Gedrick Falls to the North.
Melody (Tay):Why are you here? Oh.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):We're here to help defend the city against the hordes on the other side, but we haven't been given orders to move against it. So now we're just hardening the city and breading for defense.
Melody (Tay):Is there any other reason why you're here?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No, ma'am. That's it. Anything more than that is above what I would be told.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Mario, you got anything? You wanna ask him?
Mara (Jenn):No. I'd rather just get to the duchess and get what we need and leave.
Melody (Tay):I go.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Alright. You guys passed by and you guys are heading towards the central part of the city. So you as you're going, you do see a lot of what the man was talking about wagons full, supplies, gear, equipment, food, munitions, stuff to put up tents for all the troops. But the barkeep was right.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):A lot of it looks ghost town. If there are people, they're all heading to the, the e or I'm sorry. All this is happening on the west end of this city. The people are heading to the east end of the city to try to get out of town and head either to Shadows Bluff or whatever. Probably not to Lockmore because if you look at the map, you see Lockmore is like a little rankydink town.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):If Balanforce gets, taken, Lockmore would probably just be a a stepping stone for them to move on to Shadow's Bluff or wherever they wherever they're heading. So okay. You guys are making it towards the central part of the city. Like I said, this keep right here is where their council and pretty much the heads of their military would be located is the central, but you pass by the duchess's estate as you guys enter the central part of the city. So basically through a gate, arched gateway that leads into the central part of the city.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And once you get in there, you could see just up on a hill to the left side of you, basically, to the north end, is in a state. It still flies the banners of the old old alliance. So it has a white line on a blue shield on a, with a silver outline on a a banner, like a a blue long rectangular banner with a silverish lion shield with a white lion blue background. Dark with themselves. That's the sign that this that the, they held here at Ballonfort.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So, you see one guard outside. He's very lightly armored, but he's wearing the marks of the old, alliance. He's maybe, say, mid twenties or late 30 or mid to late twenties, early thirties. You can't it's hard to tell. He seems a little bit concerned, but, obviously, they don't have a standing army of their own.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So as you guys approach, though, they he already recognizes you from the other day, especially since, Gideon had told him to keep an eye out for you guys to ever come. You are more than welcome to come to the estate. Can I help you, ladies?
Mara (Jenn):I request an audience of the duchess, please.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Absolutely. Give me a second. I'll call for a messenger to, to take you in and present you.
Mara (Jenn):Much appreciated. Thank you.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So he goes in a little, like, guard booth next to the state gate. He opens the gate so you guys can walk in. He says, as you walk up the trail towards the main house, that it you'll see that it's all, cobblestoned. Up to the right is stables. To the left is the main house.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Someone will be waiting outside near the fountain to escort you in and present you to the duchess. Understood. Alright. He says, have a good day, ladies.
Mara (Jenn):You as well.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. It's a beautiful estate. I mean, the lands the the grounds are well kept. You don't see much in the way of soldiers or kinda defenses, which is worrying. But, hopefully, the the city won't be attacked.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):As you reach the top of this short hill and get to where the flat the flat ground is for the fountain, there you see sir Gideon standing there, the gentleman with the hammer that was fighting the night before, I believe he's on your MPC list. Okay. He's standing, and he, you know, he he salutes and waves as as you guys approach.
Mara (Jenn):I'll I'll bow to him as I walk up.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):It says, ladies, good to see you.
Mara (Jenn):Sir Gideon, it's good to see you as well.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Anything I can do to help you ladies is, would be my pleasure. Are you in need of anything? Food, drink?
Mara (Jenn):I never turned down food, but, we actually had some questions for the duchess and anybody who has been in Ball and forth for quite some time. We're looking to find some information about my friend Melody.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Absolutely. Says, the duchess is doing really well. Thank thanks and, great part to the efforts of you and your friends. Come with me. She's, in the rear of the, main house in the garden, just enjoying the sunlight and everything outside.
Melody (Tay):Great.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. He walks with you guys. Surprisingly, he doesn't ask for your weapons or anything, which is normal commonplace, but seeing as you guys fought side by side against creatures and saved your life, he probably feels like, he's more welcome to have you guys here. It looks like almost a relief because he and that one guard up front at the gate, maybe all that's in this place. So, you could tell that he's definitely keeping tabs on what's going on in the city as you guys are walking.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He, you know, he mentions, oh, you know, there's so many imperial soldiers here now, but he's like, I I can't help but feel whatever's outside the eastern wall is is a
Mara (Jenn):distraction. What do you think is the primary reason then?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I don't know. But I feel like if it if the imperial forces are too are too preemptive and head outside of the city, head east, and try to confront them near the river, I feel like that's being they're being drawn out for a reason, and I couldn't tell you why. If I had more resources, scouts, something, I would tell you, but I haven't even been able to get in touch with, oh, no. I gotta look up his name. Landon.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Landon usually work helps me out in situations like these in times like these, but now it's just me and 22, soldiers protecting the estate. Of course, there's, you know, the the 2 guards myself and, Raelena. Raelena is a very accomplished warrior. I can't take that away from her, but she is part of my duty is to defend her. So, you know, it does make me uneasy, especially since, that commander Rickard or he just he comes back and forth here all the time to ask the duchess if she has any funds to donate to the defense of the city, and he's kinda just worthless.
Mara (Jenn):Why does the duchess stay?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):The duchess has given a good portion of, money to help defend the city, but she also said that the majority of the money she wants to donate will go to helping people flee the city safely and helping refugees find somewhere safe to get to.
Mara (Jenn):But why does she stay?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She says that this is where her husband fought and died, and he is buried. So she said that she's going to defend the city and stand by it as he would if he was still around.
Mara (Jenn):It's no good.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But I don't wanna speak for the duchess. Trust me. He he looks at you, Mara, and he says, I have had these discussions with her in-depth.
Mara (Jenn):Understood.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But I am her servant. So he he walks you guys through I mean, it's a beautiful foyer area. It goes through the central part of the main house. I mean, you could tell they are not hurting for wealth, and they pass through the, the, entertaining room, like, basically like a living room, and it opens up to these, you know, multiple glass doors that open to to the the garden out back. And you see the duchess sitting there, and, you know, she's looking over some of her her plants and flowers and, you know, adding adding honey and such to, like, the bird feeder.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And, she sees you in waves. She invites you guys over. She has a table. There's a, large tree that shades the area. So she calls you over, and she points to 1 of the, the house the housekeepers or the butlers or whatever their position is, and they bring over just, you know, water and she's she asked, would you like anything else?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Would you like some wine?
Mara (Jenn):Obviously, when I first get to her, I'll bow.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay.
Melody (Tay):I'll ask her if she's any tea. I would like
Dr. Awesome (Eric):to see Absolutely. I have a, herbal tea that I brew myself. So she she does another signal to them and says, sit. They'll bring it to us, and, I'll pour you some in a moment. What brings you to see me?
Mara (Jenn):How are you feeling?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Much better. I'm glad. Even better than I was probably draining my energies before then.
Mara (Jenn):How so?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Thought of it.
Mara (Jenn):How do you suspect that?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Finding out that he was in league with that cult and preying upon the lives of those innocent people, which you guys all say, that was a wonderful thing. I feel like maybe he was using his abilities to not only confuse us and shield his activities, but maybe even drain us of our powers. I don't know. Because at one time when I was much, much younger, I was I was a a priestess of summer now.
Mara (Jenn):Oh, I've never heard of this. I'd love to hear.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):It was a it was a long time ago. Maybe 50 years ago. 50 or 60 years ago.
Mara (Jenn):So you've been here for quite some time in Ball and Forth?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Much long much longer than most. I was here when the duke came. I caught the duke's eye and we were married. And shortly after, you know, we had our first born our son who passed away as well in the wars. And,
Mara (Jenn):I'm sorry to hear that.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Thank you. She says it was a tough time, but, thing things, you know, things have changed so much now and a lot of that has passed, but I can't say it's it's all for the better. As you've heard from Raylena, she she believes in all these wonderful things about the old days and wants to return things to the old alliance. I don't know if I want her to pursue that because I want her to, you know, survive me at least.
Mara (Jenn):She made very well. How well was your memory about 20 years ago? The Melody, do you wanna ask her about?
Melody (Tay):So I would like to ask her if she knows about a goddess, with the name of Ariana.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Oh, the goddess Ariana. Well, I was a priestess of the creator. So my specialty is more in the creator and and Sariva, but Sariva is very well known in the in the texts, the religious texts that the creators their creation that Sariva created 4 sisters, Ariana, the goddess of the sky, Pyrites, the goddess of fire, Serena, the goddess of, the planet of nature, and Azura, the goddess of, the sea or water, all bodies of water. Her 4 sisters basically are a branch off of what the, elven people have always believed in. So it could be a a convergence of the 2 religions and beliefs.
Melody (Tay):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But, Ariana is, was is one of the few gods spoken of that people have actually witnessed and seen in the first war against the the death knights, the dark knights of, Decimus and Deimos, that she came in physical form as an avatar and helped fight the death knights.
Mara (Jenn):Did she?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And helped destroy the dark knights that ruled the the dark lands. And Deimos was sent to chaos, and Divinius lived on, but, was, their empire was greatly reduced. That was during the times of king Silas the first. His his right hand men, you know, famous, lord Ares covenant, the champion of blades. At that time, those those warriors set out in a quest, and, with Ariana's help, got found the child of light.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Sareva came and took her form and brought the light of God or the light of the creator into the dark lands and helped wipe out the, the scourge of the dead.
Melody (Tay):Does she know what happened to this child of light?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Every generation that has a child of light, the child of light is born upon a certain time, which a lot of the priests and stuff can show you using texts and star charts when they predict a date that the child of light can be born. You gotta understand that child of light is not just one person. A child of light is a a moment any child born in that specific point in time, according to the star chart, has the potential to be the avatar of Sariva. So if they achieve divinity through the steps that they they go through, basically, they'll reach a point where they've, amassed enough power themselves or energy and understanding that they become one with the spirit of Sariva, and then they then they are fully Sariva in in, living form on the planet.
Mara (Jenn):Have they predicted that recently?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):To be honest, I have not been much with the temple in the last 15 years, but, there has not been, according to the star chart this may sound really strange, but there are portions of the star chart that are no longer there.
Melody (Tay):How so?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):What's your understanding of astronomy and astrology and stars?
Melody (Tay):Somewhat there. Like, I know that, like, planets can or stars can burn out and then it's no longer there.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So according to our religion, our belief, the gods, their presence is no is always asserted to you by the stars The presence of the stars are either the elder gods fall or ancient dragons, or they they dictate planets or a, significant point in time. So just as just as simplest to simplify it, the constellation of stars that represents the goddess Ariana is gone. What? It's been gone for probably a 100 something years. 100 some odd years, before my time.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But the old star charts show where her constellation was. It shows lots of constellations that we don't see anymore today.
Mara (Jenn):What other constellations are gone besides Erianas?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Tyrus, Caelon, the Corellian King. Kitamir, the first or the champion of the north. She's like, I'd have to go to the library to tell you for sure. The only way to the only way you can find it is if, someone had the actual star charts to look at, of course, the night sky, and was aware of the you know, where we were positioned at what time because you can only see certain constellations at certain times in certain parts of the planet whether or not you're facing the right night sky.
Melody (Tay):Does she have a priest in her library?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):There's a priest there. I'm not certain of his name. Let me see if I can. She calls over the servant. The servant brings the the the stuff for you guys to start having the tea, and she makes you some tea, adds a little bit of honey.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And she's talking to a servant, and then she turns to you and says, there's a priest there, but, he has been given that position due to his political standing and friend and friends and family. Nepotism, basically. But, he has
Melody (Tay):a friends and family discount.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He he has an assistant, a young woman. What is her name? Irene. Irene still works there. She is his assistant, but she's very knowledgeable.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She might be able to get you the the right books in order to compare star charts to the days of before.
Mara (Jenn):Who has the power to imprison a goddess?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):A more powerful god? Much more power I mean, if you're talking just like, the elder gods, are you talking about, like, the elder gods?
Mara (Jenn):Anyone. Who has that who has that sort of power?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):This is, honestly, it would take someone as powerful as Sareva to imprison 1 of the elder gods.
Mara (Jenn):Could someone, the child of a fallen, do it?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. I don't know if they're that's a very good question, Mara, but the child or the fallen. I only know of 2 fallen and both of them are male. How would there be a child?
Mara (Jenn):Some unlucky girl.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And then it would only be half the power of fallen, which should make them much less powerful.
Mara (Jenn):Unless they were gifted more power.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That's possible.
Mara (Jenn):Say one of them was imprisoned and then gifted part of their power to their child. That's
Dr. Awesome (Eric):It's possible. Cannot say that I know all the inner workings and powers of the gods. But what you're saying is something that is it would take a minute. I don't know. I she says I couldn't answer that with an I'm not knowledgeable enough.
Melody (Tay):Do you have any other questions for her, Mara?
Mara (Jenn):What are the 2 fallen that you know of?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I know of Lordran and Decimus. Decimus being the deceiver, the great deceiver, the king of chaos, and then Lordran being Lordran never been to chaos. Lordran was only an ever an angel who decided that he would bring powers of war upon Sariva, and in doing so, eventually got the wrath of the creator brought upon him, and he was imprisoned in Jarai, which actually the elder gods took part in. The elder gods defeated him and with Sariva, they imprisoned him in the moon.
Mara (Jenn):Does it not concern you that the moon of Dra is in the sky?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No. I mean, the moon of Dra is every 4th month is in the sky.
Mara (Jenn):Don't you think it's a coincidence as if there's a horde?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That is bad. Here. Very bad timing. Yes.
Mara (Jenn):Seems a little bit more coincidence for me.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):It's possible, but all we can do is pray that that's not the case.
Mara (Jenn):Is there any way I can convince you to leave Ball and Forth?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No. But I would I would I do have a favor to ask of you, even though I owe you both a favor, if you could get Raylena to leave balance forth. I have lived more than one lifetime, and I would like to end as if my life is to end, I want it to end where, on my on my terms where I want to be. Mhmm.
Melody (Tay):Do you think Rilina will leave without you?
Mara (Jenn):Probably not. If you order her?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She would have to be convinced to leave by someone else.
Melody (Tay):Well But
Dr. Awesome (Eric):if this city is to be attacked, I would just ask that you would try and make your way here to to my estate and bring Railina with you.
Mara (Jenn):Do you not owe me a life debt?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I do?
Mara (Jenn):I call upon your debt. I I want your daughter in my charge.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Very well. I can I can definitely accept that? I can inform her of that, but as you've seen, she is very headstrong.
Mara (Jenn):Agreed. But at least that would ease her mind that it wasn't her choice to leave her mother. She can blame me if she wants.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):True. True. I'm going to also charge that sir Gideon protects her, So, hopefully, he would head with you.
Mara (Jenn):I will also protect her. I don't take her life too lightly. I hope you know that.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I appreciate that.
Mara (Jenn):Always, duchess. Amazing. You're a honorable woman.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Thank you. She may be the future sure we didn't even know could be. I mean, if the old guard, the whatever. Imagine having a a queen above them. She is of the royal blood.
Mara (Jenn):I will protect her like a queen. She certainly fights All that
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I have is yours. She sure does that she got from her father. I'm hoping she got some of my temperament.
Mara (Jenn):You honor me with this.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She says, if you go to the library, ask for Irene Anaras. She's a scholar and, a young priestess and scholar, and she's she's very knowledgeable.
Mara (Jenn):You said Aneras?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Anneris.
Mara (Jenn):She is old blood as well? Yes. Will you inform your daughter? We will return for her.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. I will.
Mara (Jenn):Alright I'll how about to the Duchess
Melody (Tay):And I'll tell her thank her. I'll thank her for her tea
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. She leans she leans in when you guys and, she she holds your hand, Mara, and she says that, our our blood and our family do not define who we are, just where we're from. And then she leans in, and she says, Melody, if only I knew more about if only there was more you could tell me. You look so familiar to me. Of course, you're a grown woman, but you look familiar to me.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Maybe from my younger days. This is when I'm when a you reach a 140 some years old, let's see how well you remember things. But, honestly, you do look familiar. I know it's strange, but I once had a captain under me under my charge. His name was, Dolyon, and he's a he's a great and honorable man.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But his wife used to care for my daughter and a young girl as well from a nearby farmstead. You remind me of her for some reason. I know it's probably not possible because that area was destroyed in a war many years ago.
Melody (Tay):Can I ask her if she knows anything else about this young girl that was at that firmstead?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I know that the old woman, the old widow, survived. She'd lost her husband to the war, but she was raising a a young man and, a girl. She couldn't have been more than 2 or 3, maybe 20 some years ago. Where is this wonderful woman.
Melody (Tay):Where is this widow now?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I believe she still lives in Lochmore, but if she is, she is alive. She's a wonderful person, but she would never accept my charities. I offered her to come and stay with me as after she lost her family.
Mara (Jenn):What's her name?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Hi. You'd have to give me time to remember. Hold on. Oh. Let me see if I can bring it up.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. She says I I I can't I can't remember. I'd have to look at some journals just to remember her name.
Mara (Jenn):Why did she lose her family?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Her husband served under my husband.
Melody (Tay):What was her husband's name?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I will find it for you. Give me just a second.
Melody (Tay):Are you still drinking?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That was not the list. Oh, what did I do with it? It's so wonderful when you lose things.
Mara (Jenn):Her name is Paprika.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. Paprika. Paprika.
Melody (Tay):No. That shall be my name and their name shall be salt and pepper.
Mara (Jenn):I like to be basil or basil.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):What's the
Mara (Jenn):name in that folder? Wait, wait, wait. I take it back. I'm gonna be cinnamon. Cinnamon.
Melody (Tay):You make people gag? Why? Yes.
Mara (Jenn):It's true.
Melody (Tay):I will be cilantro because I am not like parsley.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That's true. I don't like parsley. In a bad way.
Mara (Jenn):She's essential to every Hispanic dish. You must have the cilantro.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You do.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Have you ever actually added cilantro to like spaghetti? Because it's delicious.
Mara (Jenn):Oh, I can't say that I have.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):His name was Dory or sir Dorian White Hawk. Him and his wife. So she's widow White Hawk. She should still be living in Lochmoor if she's still alive, but, they they live there by choice to take care of those less fortunate because, Dorian was a, cleric. A warrior pre or a warrior priest.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He served under my husband, and he lost his life in one of the wars against the, northern, clans, The Hytherians. Sorry. It's just a really old sheet. Took me forever fine.
Melody (Tay):No. You're fine. I'm glad that you found it.
Mara (Jenn):Let's circle this view.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Does she remember anything about this, widow? Like, what her job was? Like, what she did for a living?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I believe that she was a, an herbalist. She was very good with medicine. She was also a midwife to the the people of that town. So
Mara (Jenn):What children did she have?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She had a, son. Mhmm. His name was Liam.
Mara (Jenn):Liam?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Liam. K. He's a teenager, when he died. And, the young girl, the little girl, she's
Mara (Jenn):too many 3.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I can't remember.
Mara (Jenn):Why did they take her?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Would remember would be Dolan's wife, but she is gone now too.
Mara (Jenn):Why would they take her? I couldn't
Dr. Awesome (Eric):tell you. They took a lot of people as slaves from Lochmoor when they when they took over Lochmoor. It's kind of the way of the aetherian clans. If they if you surrender and they find you, you know, worth taking, they'll take you and make you slaves. Some slaves get sold off.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Some become part of their clans. I don't know. It's just their it's just their way, the way they believe that the, you know, the strongest take what they want.
Mara (Jenn):I don't know. I'm, I'm suspicious that Melody is her daughter.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I'm telling you, Melody, your your face looks so familiar. It would not surprise me. You would you seem about the right age. Mhmm.
Melody (Tay):Well, I thank her for her time and Start heading away to go towards, like, the library.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Sounds good.
Mara (Jenn):I'll bow to the duchess and tell her again that you honor me with the, trust in the life of your daughter.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She says that I will owe you even even more.
Mara (Jenn):No need. It is an honor.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Back to this.
Mara (Jenn):Okay. Oh. I'll be right back.
Melody (Tay):Okay. We're on pause.
Mara (Jenn):I gotta
Dr. Awesome (Eric):pee.
Melody (Tay):I mean, that's what I thought was that this woman is somehow related to me or at least, like, knows my background. Like, if I fell from the sky, like, or whatever.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You were born in a pot of peas and carrots.
Mara (Jenn):Oh. Oh.
Melody (Tay):I was wishing upon a star and all of a sudden that star fell and it was you.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. You just popped out of the sky. Well, it's hard sometimes. I mean, I recognize some people, you know, like but it'd be really hard to recognize certain people after, you know, 20 years, especially if they were kids.
Melody (Tay):Yeah. I have the same face when I was a kid. A very strong features that way. My face literally is the exact same.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Your family all kinda have similar features? Yeah.
Melody (Tay):I get that from my mom's side.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):She has strong genes.
Melody (Tay):Yeah. She does. Dad.
Mara (Jenn):Sorry, I'm much not a bluey. Yeah.
Melody (Tay):Can't say I've done
Mara (Jenn):that. Well, I didn't until recently.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):For about 8 minute episodes, and about the intellectual equivalent of
Mara (Jenn):Mushroom?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah.
Melody (Tay):So, Jen, exactly what you had said is exactly why I started asking questions because she was like, you look like her and I was just like, give me all the information.
Mara (Jenn):Tell me all your secrets.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Share with me. Alright. So you guys are leaving. Gideon comes back to escort you guys out and, walk with you, and, he says, is there anything you need? Do you need horses?
Melody (Tay):We're going to the library though. Right? Oh, the library is not on her estate. It's outside. Oh, no.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. The library is further in the sea. You could walk there, but when when it's time for you to go further in your in your, journey, if you need horses, saddles, and
Mara (Jenn):Gideon, we'll we'll need, 4. You're gonna be coming with us with Ralina.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That would be wonderful.
Mara (Jenn):The the duchess is gonna be the duchess is gonna be talking to you, but I called in a favor, and the favor is that Raine Leon will come in and quote unquote serve me as payment for the duchess's life.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Well, by her honor, she'll agree to it. So,
Mara (Jenn):I figured that was the only way to get her to leave.
Melody (Tay):Can I look at him and, ask him to, like, pack snacks? Because we're gonna go into
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I can get I can get you the best rations there are to take with you. Put them in a bag and have them ready with your horse and saddle.
Melody (Tay):Awesome. And then also if you have any extra bandages, around Okay. Bandages and dressing. We'll take those too.
Mara (Jenn):I'd like to leave before nightfall.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. They will be ready in here. Everything will be in the stables. You're welcome to come back on your way from the library if you wish to grab them. I have 8 horses.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):One is a little bit old and one is, not broken completely, so I would say 6 that are are usable.
Mara (Jenn):That'll work. Well, if you could get all of them ready, just for immediately, we'll be leaving. We can leave, the other 2 if you would for our companions that are dealing with other things in the city, but we will need to leave before nightfall. I don't think the horde is gonna last much longer, staying on the east side of the river.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Mhmm. Now we shall see.
Mara (Jenn):We won't be long in the library.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Well but as the city empties, the only people that'll be left are mostly the lawless. Remember, you may have killed off the leaders of the cult and stopped it, but some of those people and those mercenaries may still be around. So keep your head on about you.
Mara (Jenn):Understood. I
Dr. Awesome (Eric):will do what I can. One thing that I I feel we may boil down to is Rilena may not agree to leave unless I stay with the duchess. She'll know that I could tell her that I'm keeping the duchess safe. Hopefully, I could get the duchess to leave with me eventually. But if if Ralina thinks that she's just going to help you guys and come back for her mom shortly, and I'll be here with her mom, it's a much better chance to get her out of the city.
Mara (Jenn):Understood. We'll probably be heading to Souda's Bluff first if you wanna rendezvous there.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. And, if it if it comes down to it and the city's about to burn, I'll just have to pick the duchess up and carry her, and she can fire me or say terrible things to me the entire way.
Mara (Jenn):Sounds good. Only way to work with the royals.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. Good luck. Alright.
Melody (Tay):You're safe. I'll see you
Dr. Awesome (Eric):this weekend.
Melody (Tay):Mara, should we leave one of the horses here for him and the duchess then?
Mara (Jenn):Yeah. I figured we'll just take,
Melody (Tay):we'll take the 5. 3. Oh. You said there were 6 of them. Right?
Melody (Tay):Or did I miss? Okay.
Mara (Jenn):I figured if you, me and Raelena Lee are so I'll be 4 and then leave 2 for Gideon and the duchess.
Melody (Tay):Okay.
Mara (Jenn):Something like that.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright.
Mara (Jenn):Because Kenjiro would need 1. Alright. Let's go
Melody (Tay):to the library. Let's go.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Guys are crossing the the street towards the library, and, both of you rolled 10 sided I.
Mara (Jenn):Oh, god.
Melody (Tay):Just 1?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. Get hit by a city bus. No, I'm just joking. What'd you get?
Melody (Tay):A 7.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):What'd you get?
Mara (Jenn):A 2.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Mara? A 2? Okay. Mara, you see it. I'm sure you're probably gonna tap Tay, so both or Melody.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So both of you guys notice the alleyway to your right, there's you see, the legs of an imperial rifleman sticking out from the alleyway, and you see another imperial rifleman laying on the ground there. There's blood on the ground, and you guys see some people standing over them, but the the alleyway is kinda the sun is blocked, so it's hard to get a good look at them.
Melody (Tay):Can we see, like, their wounds from where we're standing?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No.
Melody (Tay):Are they on the way to get to the library? Nope. I say we leave them.
Mara (Jenn):I'm gonna look. Okay.
Melody (Tay):Damn it. I'm sorry.
Mara (Jenn):I gotta know. I'm like, what happened?
Melody (Tay):Alright. Well, I guess we'll go over there and we'll go and investigate.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright.
Melody (Tay):Okay. So what are you what are you looking for?
Mara (Jenn):What do I see?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I am bringing it up for you.
Melody (Tay):Okay.
Mara (Jenn):Sorry. I got very, like you said, city bus, and I was like, why is there a bus? Sorry. It's stuck in my mind.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Totally thrown off. You're like, oh. It did. It threw me off. That was my fault.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):That was my plan.
Mara (Jenn):It threw me off. I was like, wait, what?
Melody (Tay):Damn it, doctor Awesome. This is all your fault. Like, we could've we could've just gone to the library, done our research, and gotten the fuck out of dodge, but now we gotta go look at some bodies.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. Not
Melody (Tay):in a full way. They're dead.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Dead bodies. Okay. I don't know why that's not showing.
Melody (Tay):Mario's gonna go over there and go talk to a dead body, poke it with a stick. Hey. How did you die?
Mara (Jenn):What killed you, sir? Try not to freak people
Dr. Awesome (Eric):out. Okay. So there's 3 of these gentlemen standing in the alleyway over the bodies. They have blood on their weapons. There's 4 dead soldiers in here, and they're going through their stuff, and they're collecting their weapons and stuff.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):One of them points his sword when he sees you and says, get the hell out of here, bitches.
Melody (Tay):First of all I'm gonna assess the fuck out of this dude and see what kind of armor he's got on if he's got any other weapons
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He's got some, leather armor, maybe some padded armor with it. He's got a long sword, maybe a dagger. Nothing crazy. Now one of them is picked has picked up one of the rifles off of the, dead rifleman, but, you don't even know if he knows how to use that.
Melody (Tay):Alright, Morris. Since you decided to come over here first, what do you wanna do? Start off our plan of attack because it's happening.
Mara (Jenn):How many of them are there?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):3.
Mara (Jenn):3?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes.
Mara (Jenn):How many dead bodies are there?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):4.
Melody (Tay):Perfect. Are you gonna reanimate their dead bodies?
Mara (Jenn):I Fuck. I am. I'm gonna, I'm gonna animate the 4 corpses.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Good idea.
Mara (Jenn):Thank you. So they have a 150 damage per attack.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. 2 of the 3 men scream and run off down the alleyway. Only one of them stays, and he gets mobbed by the 4 undead that are now killing him.
Melody (Tay):Very good.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright.
Melody (Tay):While he's, getting attacked, can can I ask him questions or is he, like, almost dead?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He's probably gonna die screaming because, 4 dead guys are tearing him apart.
Mara (Jenn):Well, alright. Carmen. Cool. Is he weakened enough?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):For Well, I
Mara (Jenn):don't want them to totally kill him.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Oh, you can make him stop, but he's probably gonna die shortly after this anyway.
Mara (Jenn):That's perfect. Okay. Okay. I'll tell the dead to rest.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. They fall back down to the ground. They deanimate, and he's laying there. He's got some pretty bad gouges and stuff, and one of his eyes are hanging out. Part of his cheek's been torn off, so he talks a little funny.
Jer (Joe):Like, I'm gonna die.
Melody (Tay):Yeah. Yeah. You are.
Mara (Jenn):Why did you kill the soldiers?
Jer (Joe):Someone died.
Mara (Jenn):Can I see his face?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):What's left of it? Yes.
Mara (Jenn):Do I recognize him? Any insignia? Any anything?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You check him out. Like, move his Yeah. Okay. He's got a tattoo of 2 cross daggers on his on the left side of his neck.
Mara (Jenn):Two cross daggers?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Mhmm. Point it down.
Mara (Jenn):Can I roll can I roll my history to see if I know what that means?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Mhmm. I'm trying to make a v.
Mara (Jenn):They make it a v. V for Vendetta. Hang on. I'm looking Where's me?
Melody (Tay):I was looking for history too. Where is history? I have a search and investigate book. I have law and government, religion and lore. You
Mara (Jenn):know my history. Can I just roll my lore, maybe? Not lore.
Melody (Tay):Oh, Jer's here.
Mara (Jenn):Can I roll my lore? Okay. Yay. I got a didn't get it. Just kidding.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):What up, bro? Yo. Oh, what?
Melody (Tay):So are we are we rolling through a wall right now? Is that what we're rolling?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Mara failed her role.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Did not So I'm trying to get underneath the 45. Right?
Mara (Jenn):If that's the number. Okay. May the 42 with you.
Melody (Tay):Blowing on them. I had a 55. Dang it.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. You're like, I've never heard of this before in my life.
Melody (Tay):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright.
Mara (Jenn):Wow. Any anything else that I can
Melody (Tay):see? Can I like investigate his body while she's like looking at him to see if like he's got anything on him that's
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He's got about a a 120 gold?
Mara (Jenn):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):A dagger, a knot, the the long sword, a carving of a horse
Mara (Jenn):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And what looks to be, iron key.
Melody (Tay):Okay. Well, I'm gonna take that a 120 gold and the iron key. I'm gonna hold up the horse tomorrow and be like, is this a Trojan horse? No. But
Dr. Awesome (Eric):There's dudes inside of it. Tiny I
Mara (Jenn):knew it.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):And sets out.
Mara (Jenn):Tiny antmen.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Take over the city.
Mara (Jenn):Oh, shit.
Melody (Tay):Well, I mean Oh, bullshit. So is he still alive? Barely. Okay. Can I ask him if he was trying to go kill the Duchess?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No. I was looking for some men and a couple women who killed some of our brothers.
Melody (Tay):Why?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Vengeance. No one of the action baggers.
Melody (Tay):Jokes are not good to us.
Mara (Jenn):What that means.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. He dies.
Mara (Jenn):Bye. Yeah.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He was bleeding out pretty bad.
Mara (Jenn):Well, you know.
Melody (Tay):And, since he's dead, now I'm gonna look at the other 4 dead guys that are on the ground and just, like, search their bodies for gold, already.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He had picked it all up.
Melody (Tay):Oh, damn. So
Dr. Awesome (Eric):but you guys can recover one of the rifles.
Mara (Jenn):Actually, I have a rifle. So
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay.
Mara (Jenn):Jer, do you have a rifle?
Jer (Joe):No.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You want one here?
Melody (Tay):Do you want one?
Mara (Jenn):You want a rifle? You we got
Dr. Awesome (Eric):a rifle for real.
Melody (Tay):He's not here yet.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. Well, I'll I'll catch I'll catch Jarett real quick since you guys got done with those guys. You could like I said, you could see the library across the street. Okay. So you guys headed library.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Jerry, you were going about the city and trying to get some common good because one, the clothes you were wearing were barely holding together. We needed to get some common stuff. You had armor and weapon, but, you looked more like like a bum than anything, and you needed, like, at least a backpack to carry some stuffs, some clothes, you know, basic necessities. The room at the inn was paid for. You guys only had to pay a gold because some celebrity and notoriety is following you guys after the events of the last couple days.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):When you go out and get your stuff, you went early in the morning, you get back to the inn just before noon. When you get there, the barkeep says, the 2 ladies and the easterner had gone to the library. They said if you want to join them there or they'll be back here later tonight.
Jer (Joe):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He says, your big friend the barbarian went to the harbor but that was before dawn and then the The masked one said that he told the ladies he was gonna go find any information he could about his son. But everyone's still in the city, so they said they'd all be back here around dinner time, but the ladies went to the library, so you've got a a while before they'll be back. Okay.
Jer (Joe):Can you point me in the general direction of the library?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Sure. It's in the center of the city, so you'll pass through the, eastern facing archway. Once you get through there, there'll be the Duchess's estate on your left. Directly across the street is the library.
Jer (Joe):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. So I'll
Jer (Joe):head that way.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Are you guys get to the library? And there's 2 soldiers standing out front, imperial soldiers. They say, we have to notify you that the library will be closed down pending the situation with the horde outside of the western wall. Western wall.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Trying to getting disoriented because I don't see the map. Let me get the map back up again Get rid of this guy because he's dead. Mhmm. So let's say stops me. We'll bring the map back up so at least I know so I'm getting I'm getting discombobulated on where where the, the map is.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. So outside this, which would be the west wall, across this river is where the horde is. K. Right on the other side of this river. So, yeah.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Jerry, you'd be passing through the east archway to get into the central part of city. You guys are already here. The soldier says what's going on in the outside the west wall is gonna make the entire city kinda shut down in what would be a martial law situation until it's resolved. You can check out the library for the next couple of hours, and then we'll have to have you leave because we're gonna be, barricading and safeguarding it for against a kind of attack.
Mara (Jenn):What's going on in the West Wall?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):The West wall is what I meant. I kept saying east earlier. It's the west You see
Mara (Jenn):oh, okay. Sorry.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. I was I was completely
Mara (Jenn):Show us around and fuck.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. See, like here is where they're at. And I kept saying East the Arcmores to the east. I was getting
Mara (Jenn):So the the port is towards the west.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah, right on the other side of that river The So they're less than a
Mara (Jenn):Northern Northern River than Middle River.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):This the one that goes north.
Mara (Jenn):So they're in between that way.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):They're right here. Yep. Can you see my pointer?
Melody (Tay):No. No.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Oh, well, probably hope I did that on the
Melody (Tay):There we go. Right here.
Mara (Jenn):Right there. So they're right there in the west.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Right. Right here. Okay.
Melody (Tay):X marks is
Mara (Jenn):forward. So the It helps when I use
Dr. Awesome (Eric):the right screen.
Mara (Jenn):Okay. So the monster horde is right there.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes.
Mara (Jenn):Well, shit. Okay. Well, actually, that's good because we wanna go to Shadow's Bluff. Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No. You guys wanna head that way.
Mara (Jenn):Okay. We cannot dally long. We must go to the library and get the reading done and go As
Dr. Awesome (Eric):you as they open up the library doors, you do see them. They got, you know, like, when you see them, the what is it called? Like, the barn, wooden plank over the door kinda thing.
Mara (Jenn):Okay.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):They got a couple of those. They moved it out of the way. They moved the doors and, the wooden crates and stuff they had locked in. They said, remember, we're gonna be hardening this place, so unless you wanna get stuck in here, you gotta be out of here in the next 2 hours. Understood.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):While you're talking, Jared is coming up the street, and Gingero waves to you from the stairs, Jared. He says, hey. We're heading in the library.
Jer (Joe):I don't think I've met Jerry yet because he had fallen.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. He's fallen in the hole. Before No. You met him that night. He came he came back for Alina.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):So you got to see him back. So
Melody (Tay):Who are you,
Mara (Jenn):sir? Where guy
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You guys don't know each other well, but he does recognize you as part of the group. So he did wave for you to come over there. So the 4 of you head up the stairs. The guards say you have 2 hours. They're gonna lock it down, and they they let you guys in.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):But then they do close the door and put those wooden bars back where they were. So you have to have these guys let you out. Library is very dimly lit when you get inside.
Jer (Joe):Wait wait a second. Like, so what's barring the door?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You know, like, those those big planks they put down.
Jer (Joe):Right. Right. Right.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yeah. So they've got 2
Jer (Joe):of those really hard really hard to get out?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. It'll be very hard to get out.
Mara (Jenn):Cool. No.
Jer (Joe):Can I can I turn on my switches?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Oh, God. Switch is on.
Melody (Tay):So while we're walking up the stairs, can we see Irene yet?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I'm bringing up the location for you guys.
Melody (Tay):You're good.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Close that one.
Mara (Jenn):We got it because I don't know if
Dr. Awesome (Eric):she Refresh the screen.
Melody (Tay):Did it ask Juan do if I did?
Mara (Jenn):Because I don't know.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Alright.
Melody (Tay):Oh, a library that's dimly lit. Mhmm.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You see how dimly lit it is. Okay. So if you guys are running the library, there's bookshelf you know, bookshelves and stuff on on the different sides. But as you guys get in there, up ahead, you see a priest. He's probably in his late forties, so he's kinda you know, he's not an older man.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):He's got a book open on a table. He seems to be getting a bunch of stuff and putting it in boxes or, bags to be taken away. His back's too, so he doesn't really notice, but, he is casting a spell of light in order to see to to read, and it's just floating right next to, you know, him, and he's looking through the books and stuff. But he his demeanor and his and his comes off as a as a nervous energy. I mean, everybody's a little nervous.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):The city could be sieged here. But his seems to be a little bit more immediate, and he's with he's talking to himself.
Mara (Jenn):Okay. I'll walk up to him and introduce myself.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. He turns around and says, oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, my lady. How can I help you?
Mara (Jenn):I was actually, looking for an individual that goes by the name of Irene.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Oh, I have Irene stacking more volumes in the if you go to the right side of this room all the way towards the back, she's over there stacking volumes to be loaded for a wagon that's gonna be leaving. So she's working over in that section. Is there anything I could help you with?
Mara (Jenn):Actually, I I know Irene. She's an old friend. I wanted to actually go and speak with her if that's alright.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Absolutely. Alright.
Mara (Jenn):You have my gratitude.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Alright. So you guys basically walk around, and you see a cart over over on this side, piles and piles of books, and you see, Irene, which I'll share with you if I can here. She's wearing a blue dress with a dark top and some furs that hang around to for warmth. She has she's a brunette, late twenties. She's stacking books over there, but she's actually, occasionally, you notice that she's using what appears to be a form of levitation or telekinesis to to stack the books.
Jer (Joe):Are they taking books from, specific sections?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Good question. She's actually pulling a bunch of books from the, historical records of the city.
Jer (Joe):And they're just leaving all the rest of the books. Oh, did did the the gentleman what was he, a priest? Did he give his name?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):No. He did not.
Jer (Joe):I'd like to ask him, sir, why are you choosing to preserve these books among the many that this library holds?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):You wanna ask her or do you wanna go back and ask him?
Jer (Joe):I mean, if we're all with her, then I can ask her.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. She says, oh, I'm sorry, sir. I'm only stacking or stocking with the my, the scholar says I need to do. He's actually in charge of the library. I'm his assistant.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I have already put what I thought was necessary into 2 crates, but, he says this section is more important, and I do as I'm told until, the end of the day.
Mara (Jenn):Are you Irene Anarist?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I am. Who's asking?
Mara (Jenn):My name is Mara Elderwood. The duchess sent us and told us to speak with you specifically.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Oh, I I the duchess is a lovely woman. How can I help you?
Mara (Jenn):I'm actually looking, for any information that you have for, the goddess Ariana. And then if you have a record of ages, I need to read that.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I do have a record of the ages. As far as the goddess Ariana alright. She she kinda leans and looks over to where the to look for the priest, and she looks around the room real quick. And she she kinda waves to you guys to come over to, this section. And then she she has you guys following her towards the back.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Once you get back behind these stacks over here, she's she looked she's carrying a few books, and it's obvious she's making it look like she's putting stuff up or whatnot. But she says, not very many people talk about the goddess Ariana here. But it's funny that you mentioned that because Ballen forth historically is a city of great tribute to Ariana. Her main temple was here 200 years ago.
Mara (Jenn):Where is the temple?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Beneath your feet, actually. If you go through the catacombs actually, have you ever seen the Hori temple?
Mara (Jenn):Yes.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Beneath the Hori temple, you go underneath the graveyard past the catacombs, and the sewer there actually leads to what used to be an old temple. That temple was the primary temple on the continent of Serenia dedicated to the goddess Ariana.
Mara (Jenn):Well Why was it below ground if she is the goddess of the sky? Back
Dr. Awesome (Eric):according to the to the city records, back about 200 years ago after Ariana had helped the chosen of her day, the chosen warriors for to and the child of light defeat Deimos and Divinius and Kargus and the death knight. When they were defeated and, the dark lands were were, purified, Ariana was part of that great battle. Well, in retribution for her journey helping the child of light, part of Deimos', dead undead army and death knights came through and destroyed a lot of battle and forth, including her temple. It said that she returned to it many years later, but you understand, like, not too long after that according to the record of the ages is some of the elder gods like Ariana, Kaylan, Kitimir, Durinmir, they all helped fight against Lordran and, with with the child of light, and they imprisoned Lordran in the moon of Jirai. But Is
Mara (Jenn):that right
Dr. Awesome (Eric):after that? That there's no more to Eriana's story because her main temple here was destroyed, which is what kept all the record for her achievements and all the events of her time. So with that died off a lot of the the knowledge of Ariana, but they wanna keep it that way. And she looks down the aisle again, and she says, with the new holy order of light, speaking of the old orthodox ways is, frowned upon.
Melody (Tay):Does she know of any charts, for different stars in the sky?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Yes. We have one intact star chart here.
Mara (Jenn):Can we have it?
Dr. Awesome (Eric):I put into that box with the historical stuff. Alright. While she's talking to you guys, you hear commotion up towards the front of the, library.
Mara (Jenn):You guys stay here, I'll go look. Keep talking to her and get that constellation chart.
Melody (Tay):Okay.
Mara (Jenn):I'll go look.
Dr. Awesome (Eric):Okay. Of course, in front of the library. You hear stuff getting knocked over and you hear a man yell.