Mark: 0:00

Welcome to RPG Blokes, the Lishmaster live play. We're starting off where the session zero left us. And it was quite a long time ago since we did that. And as you may notice, or you will hear is, uh, that we have our new RPG bloke here, uh, little Mark and, uh, he's.

Barry: 0:16

Welcome aboard Marky Mark.

Jon: 0:18

Hello, hello.

Mark: 0:19

Welcome to the table.

Stephen: 0:20

Hello.

Mark: 0:20

And so we've already done a session zero for Mark's new character that he's bringing in his alter ego.

Barry: 0:25

Nice to have someone added a bit of glamor to the occasion as well.

Mark: 0:42

Mark, your character won't come in straight away. And I just want to recap over the session zero briefly for Barry and Stephen's benefit. John, who's, let's be honest, he's not here because he's in Connections crap.

Jon: 0:56

He said that last time and he outshone you.

Stephen: 0:58

Didn't he? It's true.

Mark: 0:59

Yeah, but I've sorted my problems out. He hasn't sorted his out. I'm wired now. Dugs. Yeah, I'm not on drugs for this. John is going to stay in La Maison Talle, which is, if you remember, we picked up a letter which was a job opportunity to go to la maison tol and to seek out burial mounds to do with the blue-blooded bandits because the monk there the head monk john louis wants to write a book about these ancient bandits that were noble born but what the leaders were and a lot of them were and they terrorized the region they had pretensions above their station so when their leaders died they buried them in ancient burial mounds scattered about this area of the Grey Mountains. And they don't know where these mounds are, but they have great historical interest. And as part of research for his book, he hasn't long been the head priest of La Maison Tal, which is a remote monastery in the Grey Mountains. It's between Protonia and the Empire. It doesn't actually exist in either of those territories. And so it has a lot of autonomy. And it's a retreat. And it's dedicated to Tal. They live off the land. They forage. Although they do have livestock the majority of their food otherwise is just it's just from foraging around the mountains you reach there the dangerous road from ubers reich in the empire you made your way to la maison tall. Met with John Louis and the rest of the monks and were then hired to find some of these burial mounds. So the idea was, because you relate to the show and he's already hired a lot of people and he's divided the area into quadrants, because you're the last people he's hiring, you're going to the closest place. So the idea is that if he sent the first people furthest away and they complete their search and come back, by the time this is all over, people will start to return about the same time so because you're late to the show you get the closest place which is the frugal horn valley which is a couple of days walk um not an easy one but a couple of days walk from la maison tall up toward the frugal horn mountain and there's a village there and there's a couple of farms and there's a you know there's a community there so that's where you've been tasked to go and look into the region of the mountains and around that valley and look for the tombs of the blue-blooded bandits there are other tombs you might find but the blue-blooded bandits ones are the ones that you're going to get paid the majority of your money if you can find and locate, so your job is just to find the tomb maybe go inside it but in any way just take what evidence you can from it whether it be the doorway or if you go inside further in and don't touch anything but just come back out and then report back to la maison tall and you get paid very handsomely for it.

Stephen: 3:42

I can't remember how much they said.

Mark: 3:44

I can't either but it was old money it was old first edition wasn't it yeah we left it last time as you'd just had the meal with the monks and you'd spoken to padre pierre which is their librarian the old crotchety guy he doesn't believe it's a worthwhile endeavor we'll say that um fact hunt plays with padre pierre and spends a little bit of extra time in the library to research more before he joins you in frugal often off the frugal orn Valley.

Barry: 4:12

He's just putting off the inevitable going outside.

Mark: 4:16

Yeah. Yeah. Well, the journey wasn't great.

Stephen: 4:18

It's got the best deal. Yeah.

Mark: 4:19

Yeah. So that was it that evening. I don't really want to backtrack on any of that. So anybody that's listening to this or hasn't listened to the session zero, particularly the last episode of session zero, because we broke it down into nine episodes, the last one would give you everything you really need as far as what I've just described. Everything before that was real backstory stuff and character generation. so gonna press on from now which will be the next morning and the monks would want you gone i mean they'd put you up for one night but the idea is that they they then wake you up early and you're off and you have to make your way to the frugal horn valley which as they've described to you is about a two-day trek where you're definitely going to be staying overnight or going in the mountains.

Stephen: 4:59

Did we have um wayland with us the guy with plot armor remember him.

Mark: 5:03

Wayland yeah he's going to be with you but i'm just gonna sideline him as much as i possibly can i don't really want him to be a complication for me because he's another mpc but.

Stephen: 5:14

He was our um tracker stroke ranger cart guy wasn't he but.

Mark: 5:18

Yeah yeah he was but the the route to frugal horn valley is a little bit more straight and predictable it's just a difficult journey i think i'll leave wayland here looking after john looking after facton so it's just the two of us that headed out it's just the two of you yeah so.

Barry: 5:32

And not only does he get to avoid the peril, he gets a security guard for a while.

Stephen: 5:38

What have we done wrong? What have we done wrong.

Mark: 5:41

Silas? What have we done wrong? If he's going to want to join later, he can't do that on his own. So we split the party into two twos.

Stephen: 5:47

Why not?

Barry: 5:48

Okay. Nothing can go wrong.

Mark: 5:49

And you're assured that the journey to Frugalhorn, you can't really go wrong. It's a valley. So you're walking through a valley almost certainly straight away. And as long as you don't sort of go up either side of the valley and carry on along this route, you'll make it right there.

Barry: 6:04

If memory serves me correctly, there was a settlement of some kind right near where we were going and we were expected, right?

Mark: 6:12

You're not expected. There's a settlement and there's a place called, it's called Frugelhofen, yeah.

Barry: 6:17

I think we specifically asked for who we should ask for, didn't we?

Mark: 6:21

Yeah, two people. One person in particular, they said Hector Brioch is the de facto burgermeister of the village. And then you've got another guy that they would give you a little bit of...

Barry: 6:32

Did you say Hector Brioch?

Mark: 6:33

Hector Brioch. She's the miller.

Barry: 6:36

I will be calling her Hector Brioch from now on.

Mark: 6:40

Oh, it's a bloke. Yeah, but yeah.

Barry: 6:42

Okay. Sound difference.

Mark: 6:43

The other guy that they did say to look out for is Gunther Wernick, but he'd be in one of the farms. They know him very well. He's a very respected physician, and quite often the monks call on him to give them advice on how they can treat monks that are fallen ill, or they do bow to his wisdom, but he's not so easily accessible. He's an old guy. He's retired in a farm up in the Frugalhorn Valley. so he does come down to the monastery occasionally but most of the others don't once you get to frugal off and there you'll notice from there there will be a road that leads directly out into, grenarian um bretonia or paravan and a lot of their trade sort of flows back out of the frugal valley into into these towns and places in within bretonia not back into the empire it's not so easy to get back into the empire from there okay currently right.

Barry: 7:34

Now would just be silas and dorian as well right is.

Stephen: 7:37

That the dream team.

Mark: 7:37

You two sit off in the morning the.

Barry: 7:39

Dream team but perhaps perhaps our bard could give us a bit of a song on the way.

Stephen: 7:44

Well i think this is his origin story he's not a bard yet he's unfortunately you know i won't admit it but he's currently a thief if i remember right that's why that's why i'm looking around the maison tile for a few things to take with us um are they supplying us are.

Barry: 7:59

They souvenirs are you treating this like the toiletries in a hotel.

Stephen: 8:03

No no no no what i'll do yeah maybe because i'll take all the vitals like bits of food uh some rope maybe i can pick up things that you know.

Mark: 8:11

So the road to frugal often from la maison tall is about 35 miles but over slightly rough ground uh that means yeah a night in the open, And it's by road or rather track and rather like the journey to La Maison Talle, but none of those thousand yard drops and scaven and wandering. Do you remember that guy that was wandering the peaks, the old man of the peaks? He saw him one night in the storm. So you're at the eastern end of the basin, which shelters the monastery and the settlement. And you can see they're getting their water from the Vaswasa, which is the same place that Frugaloften will get their water from. and so you just have to follow the vaswasa you can't really go wrong you have to get out of this basin first which means you have to climb up beside this waterfall where the vaswasa flows over that and down into a small lake the first part of it is quite treacherous but as long as you're taking care then you can make your way up the side of this waterfall being sprayed with water cold water it's winter so it's it's not particularly pleasant and you reach the top eventually and you can see a series of rapids that lead up to the waterfall so looking back on the maison tall through the spray of the water that's the last you see of la maison tall i'm.

Barry: 9:30

Gonna miss that place.

Mark: 9:31

I know we got.

Stephen: 9:32

Distracted but did uh did i manage to steal anything borrow anything.

Mark: 9:35

Well you get given some food yeah.

Stephen: 9:38

I mean a rope and some grappling hook you know that sort of thing take more there.

Barry: 9:42

Was definite mention of wreckies to see what we could steal that would be useful, Mark.

Stephen: 9:48

Yeah, I mean, You were meant to come equipped. I know, I know it was meant to. That's why I was going to steal it.

Mark: 9:53

They didn't ask for vagrants or people running away from their problems, did they? They asked for professionals.

Stephen: 9:58

They didn't ask for it, but that is exactly what they got.

Barry: 10:00

What they forgot.

Mark: 10:02

They can give you a rope begrudgingly because they're stocked.

Stephen: 10:06

If they just leave it somewhere, I'd rather steal it. But yes, okay, yeah.

Mark: 10:08

They can leave it somewhere for you to steal if it makes you feel better about yourself.

Stephen: 10:12

Yes, it does. I feel like I'm part of my career. Okay.

Mark: 10:16

So I'll give you a rope. Barry, I'll give you one item you can... Filch.

Stephen: 10:21

Bloody Lord of the Rings.

Barry: 10:22

I had some fucking filch. I want a.

Jon: 10:24

Full plate armour.

Mark: 10:27

Don't listen to him. You're not here yet.

Barry: 10:31

I don't know how to read my character sheet. Clothing. What have I got? I've got clothing. I've got an axe. I've got a dagger. I've got a pouch. I've got something I can't read. I've got a knuckle duster blanket and a water skin. I feel like I've got everything I need in life, actually.

Mark: 10:47

Okay.

Barry: 10:48

I don't need nothing from these fancy people. We didn't really gel, did we? Do you know what I mean? Apart from the top guy who obviously knows class when it's easy.

Mark: 10:55

Well, I remember something you needed.

Barry: 10:56

What?

Mark: 10:57

Bath.

Stephen: 10:59

Do we not have that?

Barry: 11:00

No. No.

Stephen: 11:02

And we weren't able to carry the bath with us.

Barry: 11:03

When one goes into the wilds, one should smell of the wilds.

Mark: 11:09

Well, you definitely do. There's no doubt. Okay. So, yeah, you're up on that track then, making your way. it meanders quite a bit and the path doesn't always stick closely to the edge of it but, you make good progress and the weather's a bit better it's cold but nothing like the conditions you had to put up with on the way from ubers reich to la maison tall the journey is going well it's hard work so rugged tough on the feet but you you make it through to dusk and around Around about dusk time, you see two small figures leading a pair of mules down the track towards you. They're about a hundred yards off.

Barry: 11:49

I'm going to elbow Dorian and say words to the effect of, well, you're the charming one.

Stephen: 11:57

Yes. And look at these people.

Mark: 12:02

Okay, well, if you're just going to wait for them to get a little closer, you can see that there are a couple of dwarves with a mule each, and they're travelling down the path toward you.

Stephen: 12:11

Dwarves may be immune to my charms, but I guess they're just dwarves, and let's have a chat with them.

Mark: 12:16

Okay. Well, one of them howls you from a reasonable distance. Oh, there. Do you mind us making an hour camp with you?

Stephen: 12:25

That's a bit forward.

Mark: 12:27

Well, it's that time of night, you know. It's better to sleep together.

Stephen: 12:32

Wow this is a friendly neighborhood here.

Mark: 12:36

They don't understand but the empire's sense of double entendre they say no no no it's best best to sleep together in these in these wilds you.

Stephen: 12:45

Could be right.

Mark: 12:45

Cats and wolves what's.

Stephen: 12:48

Your names first.

Mark: 12:49

Let me just get your.

Stephen: 12:51

Names before we share camp.

Mark: 12:52

I'm grumbly stone and and here is my nephew falgrim he's the younger looking of the two that checks out.

Stephen: 13:00

They sound like dwarf names yeah.

Mark: 13:01

Brombley looks quite old equivalent of about 60 years old human terms and his nephew more like 30 something yeah he says it makes sense to stick together, what are your names Brombley.

Stephen: 13:14

Uh, well, uh, my name's Dorian and this is Silas.

Mark: 13:17

Oh, pleased to meet you.

Barry: 13:19

Greetings.

Mark: 13:20

You got your bedrolls and stuff, have you? We're set up just about here. You found a good place.

Stephen: 13:24

Yes, this is happening then. Yeah. Okay.

Mark: 13:26

Uh, you don't want to travel at night?

Stephen: 13:28

Yeah, then. Here'll do.

Mark: 13:30

Okay, he says. Let's do it here. Any points over somewhere else sort of nearby? And, um, you can see that that's a place that's been used previously that they may have been aware of. Uh, so it's quite a coincidence that you met just here. And Thalgrim is a bit quieter, but you can understand why, because his uncle, Grumbly, is a little bit deranged. He doesn't stop talking. He mumbles and he talks to himself and then he says things to you. It's not of any consequence. And quite a lot of it is in Casalid, which would be impossible for you to understand, I think. Neither of you speak Casalid, do you?

Stephen: 14:04

I can't remember your background. I don't really do.

Mark: 14:06

No.

Barry: 14:06

So we're setting up camp, apparently.

Mark: 14:08

It is that time of day. You've done well today. You've made good progress.

Barry: 14:12

Yep, I'm happy to camp with these guys. I'm happy to split watches for now. I'm going to try and talk to, what did you say his name was, Foulgren?

Mark: 14:21

The younger of the two, yeah.

Barry: 14:22

The younger of the two, and I'm going to ask, where are you travelling from?

Mark: 14:25

Oh, we're down from the mine. We're prospectors going to the monastery and then move on from there, back over the grey mountains toward Ubersreich.

Barry: 14:38

So how's it going? You making bank? Yeah.

Mark: 14:41

It'd be great to be honest with you. It's been hard going, he says, but we make a bit of money from this and that up at the mine, he says, yeah.

Barry: 14:51

Well, we're all just trying to keep our heads above water, aren't we?

Mark: 15:16

Yeah, he says, it feels like that most of the time these days.

Barry: 15:19

I nearly made a short joke then. I'm so close, is this fucking close?

Stephen: 15:23

Come on, don't do it.

Mark: 15:25

Make it before little Mark brings his character in, I think it's the best time.

Barry: 15:27

It's harder for some of us than others, but no, I was classier than that in character. Barry, on the other hand, was a dish who took the piss out of a dwarf.

Stephen: 15:38

How dare you?

Mark: 15:39

You two, you've got tents and bedrolls and things. I can't remember what your left hoop was right with. Nothing like that. You used to sleep under the open stars.

Stephen: 15:45

I don't think so. Yeah, I think a blanket is best I can do. A blanket. I've got a crowbar. That doesn't really help.

Barry: 15:52

I also seem to have a blanket.

Stephen: 15:55

Yeah, we've got blankets.

Mark: 15:56

All right. when it's freezing cold.

Barry: 15:58

And each other's body warmth.

Stephen: 16:00

And a candle. But we should light, well, there's four of us now.

Mark: 16:06

They do not lend body warmth to you.

Stephen: 16:08

Not spooning with the door. Can we light a fire?

Mark: 16:14

Yeah, they've started doing that already.

Stephen: 16:17

Okay, this is made us redundant now. I like it.

Barry: 16:20

I'm going to continue talking to him. In a rare example of perhaps over-trusting, I'm going to tell him where we're going, what we're doing what we've been assigned with and literally asking if you're coming from that road is there anything that we need to know.

Mark: 16:34

Are you heading down into frugal often yeah uh well we went we went through frugal often you won't you won't be um seen as unusual there people come and go quite often and yeah you might find that they're a little more accustomed to strangers than you'd imagine. Nothing to fear. They're a good, honest community.

Barry: 16:54

Beyond that, have you met any in the employ of the Mason Tarlers as well? I don't want to call them our competitors, but I also don't want to call them our teammates. It's tricky.

Mark: 17:05

Well, you're employed by them. They're not, they're your employers.

Barry: 17:08

Yeah.

Stephen: 17:09

Well, no, I think he means the other people searching for them.

Barry: 17:12

Yeah, have you seen any of the other teams that they sent out?

Mark: 17:15

Oh, so you thought, no, he says, no, I had no idea. That's what they were doing down there. we don't travel through that often we've got a bit of quartz here you see that we're going to try and sell on the open market it's not going for much in gruneira at the minute we're going to go off crossing to uber's right and see if conditions a bit there better for sale the monastery i don't know he says they kind of keep to themselves as you could imagine them being monks but they've been sending out people looking for these tombs yeah.

Barry: 17:42

Tombs of the blue bandits do you know.

Mark: 17:44

No never heard of them no I think.

Barry: 17:47

It's very historical but you know what these academics are like, We're far more interested in what happened 100 years ago than what's going to happen tomorrow.

Mark: 17:57

Well, we don't have time to worry about what's happened that long ago. We just need to make ends meet right now. It's a tough time. You know, there is gold in those mountains, but that vein has run dry, and it don't stop us from looking. But, you know, we make our money off quartz and a bit of hunting and trapping here and there.

Stephen: 18:16

Creatures. Any creatures in the mountains?

Mark: 18:18

Well, I say, yeah, that's why we should stick together. The wolves and the cats come out at night, and they'll be preying upon our camp. So if we've got four of us, they shouldn't come anywhere near us. They know what's better for them.

Stephen: 18:29

Yeah.

Mark: 18:30

Other than that, well, you'd be unlucky to meet anything else, he says.

Stephen: 18:35

Let's talk with travellers, I suppose.

Mark: 18:37

You might see some, I think.

Stephen: 18:39

But they can join our fire then, couldn't they? There could be more of us.

Mark: 18:42

Well, they're more than welcome.

Stephen: 18:44

Yeah.

Mark: 18:45

But I don't see anybody coming along the track this late at night. You'd have to be foolish to travel at night. Too many pitfalls and things to trip over. You've got to hurt yourself. It's best to lay low until the sun rises, especially getting cold now too. Those blankets aren't going to be good enough.

Stephen: 19:04

Have you got anything better?

Mark: 19:06

Yeah, we're wearing them. Or the fire. He says, yeah, we've got a bit of wood here. That'll help. So he puts that together. And he, well, Thalgrim, the younger one as well, then starts to make some tea. He's got a pouch.

Stephen: 19:21

This is a special occasion.

Mark: 19:23

Yeah, he puts on a kettle, and it's a herbal tea that he's making there. He also pulls out a pipe as they settle down, and there's a block of dried smoking herb from another pouch. He offers the tea out immediately. Happy to drink?

Barry: 19:39

I will certainly drink the tea.

Stephen: 19:40

I'll give it a sniff.

Barry: 19:42

No, I'm drinking the tea. These are good and honest dwarves.

Stephen: 19:45

No, I think Dorian would be incredibly sceptical about being offered stuff because he doesn't get offered stuff in his life. Nothing comes for free. Everyone wants something. So I'll pretend I'm drinking it.

Mark: 19:58

Well, they just throw it over your shoulder.

Stephen: 20:00

Yeah, they just lob it. You'd find it hard to trust anyone.

Barry: 20:03

Silas just isn't sophisticated enough to consider that. He just sees delicious stuff and is like, Yeah, it looks good.

Mark: 20:09

It is delicious. It's excellent.

Stephen: 20:10

I won't stop Silas drinking it.

Barry: 20:12

Is it amazing tea? Is it the best tea I've ever had in my life?

Mark: 20:15

It's the moment to drink tea like this, and it is fantastic. It's excellent tea. I prefer coffee. The pipe weed gets passed around as well.

Stephen: 20:24

Yeah.

Mark: 20:25

First, it goes to Silas, I think. It goes around.

Barry: 20:28

Yeah. Silas doesn't smoke.

Mark: 20:31

Doesn't smoke. Okay. So that means he's not going to try this. The older dwarf, Grumbly, says, Oh, here you go. you'll love it put ears on your chest.

Barry: 20:41

No it's it's it's it's a fighting thing slows me down.

Mark: 20:46

Well in that case then pass it on.

Barry: 20:50

I will pass it on the tea is fucking incredible though it.

Stephen: 20:54

Was awesome that tea.

Mark: 20:56

Valgrim looks pretty pleased at that he can tell he's chuffed so the Dorian you get the you get the weed come around to you are you gonna take some that's harder.

Stephen: 21:04

To not take that is what sort of weed is it is it tobacco is it something a bit stronger.

Mark: 21:09

Oh well Thalgam says tell him what it is it's black shag number four if smoking is not your thing you know we understand pass it by.

Stephen: 21:19

I've only done it passively the other people I've seen doing it the other dens.

Mark: 21:23

Give it a go go on.

Stephen: 21:27

Yeah all right i'll give it i don't know how.

Mark: 21:29

Okay uh so you need to make a toughness check straight away uh so you get some modifiers on that if you're a dwarf it gets easier i.

Barry: 21:37

Never thought i'd be the poster boy for just say no.

Mark: 21:40

But okay yeah i'm really surprised at that i know right.

Barry: 21:44

Silas takes his training very seriously i've decided.

Mark: 21:47

Okay uh so dorian does that mean you're a smoker well.

Stephen: 21:51

He'd like to be a smoker i think he's never had the opportunity to be a smoker.

Mark: 21:55

Okay in which case you don't get the i'm a smoker bonus and uh no he ain't a smoker no do you have don't let this one worry you do you have immunity to poison uh.

Stephen: 22:04

Yeah yes however i do have immunity poison uh i'll check.

Barry: 22:08

Don't let this.

Stephen: 22:10

Worry you.

Mark: 22:11

You.

Barry: 22:12

Are a bit of a where would.

Mark: 22:13

That be written no no okay yes i need to.

Stephen: 22:18

Find i need to find the character i've shut down the website accidentally but go carry on.

Mark: 22:21

Been doing this long carry on okay make a toughness roll you're at minus 20 oh zero five.

Stephen: 22:29

I made it.

Mark: 22:30

Freaking god i got 40.

Stephen: 22:33

Odd endurance yeah.

Mark: 22:34

So five they're impressed that's tough yeah i mean i.

Stephen: 22:39

Think that passive smoking helped me.

Mark: 22:40

You start coughing a bit believe me the consequences were far worse than that.

Stephen: 22:45

Got anything stronger okay.

Mark: 22:48

Look at him there's more to you than meets the eye he says no that's all we've got we've got a bit of number two held back but that's up at the mine it's.

Stephen: 22:58

Good shit as they say Ubers Reich.

Mark: 23:01

Shit what's you mean shit.

Stephen: 23:03

Well it's just a term it's an Ubers Reichian term for good stuff.

Mark: 23:08

You know he doesn't seem very happy with that word that term being used okay so you get a chance to a bit of small talk I.

Stephen: 23:15

Guess if we can get information about the barrows.

Mark: 23:19

You ought to go and speak to old Bardak up at the mines he'll know anything about those barrows I think he's probably been here longer than they have Bardak is our lawmaster you treat him with respect you treat him.

Barry: 23:32

And he'll be at the mine.

Mark: 23:33

Yeah, that's where he lives. Gimbrin's mine.

Barry: 23:36

We treat everyone respect Grumbly. You've learned that already, right?

Mark: 23:39

Yeah.

Barry: 23:39

Yeah.

Mark: 23:39

I suppose you're right. Bad for stretches.

Stephen: 23:42

Especially if they've got drugs.

Barry: 23:43

Is that what do we call tall people? Stretches?

Mark: 23:46

It's what we call you, humans.

Barry: 23:49

I like it. It's just derogatory enough to be sweet, but not completely offensive.

Mark: 23:54

Again, Thalgrim's looking a little bit embarrassed by his uncle, so looking about like he would be. That's that generation.

Barry: 24:00

I'm going to give him a little, I'm going to give him a little, a little wink in that kind of, yep, we've all got to race this uncle at Christmas.

Mark: 24:10

Yeah. That's that kind of vibe going on.

Barry: 24:13

Yeah.

Mark: 24:13

We've all been there.

Barry: 24:14

Yeah. We've all fucking been there.

Stephen: 24:17

A racist uncle that gives you drugs as well. So it's a, we've never heard that.

Mark: 24:21

Do we? Oh my God.

Barry: 24:23

It's like a window into my childhood.

Mark: 24:27

Right. Yeah. I mean, And if you want to pop any further questions off quickly, we'll recover then. They do have a bit of extra info, but you've got to ask the right thing.

Barry: 24:36

Are you expecting us to plan a watch?

Mark: 24:39

Yeah, we'll have a watch between us.

Barry: 24:40

I'm just going to split it. I'm thinking that you go with Dorian, and I'll go with the younger guy.

Stephen: 24:51

Yeah, we could smoke some more of that stuff.

Mark: 24:55

Well, we've got to make that last all the way to Uber's, right? And we ain't going to be buying any more there. So all the way back as well.

Barry: 25:02

I'm not sure it's entirely appropriate while you're on watch either.

Stephen: 25:06

Is it not? I thought it'd just make the night go a little bit smoother. And it is colder.

Mark: 25:12

I'll take the watch with Pretty Boy.

Barry: 25:13

No, no, Dorian.

Mark: 25:16

Who's taking the first watch out of the two groups? You can decide.

Barry: 25:21

I mean, I don't have any particular preference. so i'll go first with the young guy.

Mark: 25:26

Okay so it is during the first watch at about an hour after midnight that the quiet and darkness are shattered by a blazing light to the east bright enough to waken up any sleeping pc so it didn't really matter too much about 20 seconds later there's a deafening crash of thunder that reaches you a few seconds later anyone that's looking over toward the east which assumed the two people on watch are definitely thalgrim is they see the distant mounting there which you've you're aware of is called the thrugal horn it's shaped roughly like a pyramid and it's silhouetted by dazzling lightning and this lightning continues as those that are asleep well we say that thalgrim don't wake up he's old and sleeps deep but you can wake up dorian you know you can see that the entire scene is lit by this this lightning storm that's occurring over toward this, this mounting at the top of the valley. Thalgret is George Ops, I ain't ever seen anything like that. What the hell? That's up at the Frugal Horn, right on it.

Stephen: 26:30

What's that? What's the Frugal Horn?

Mark: 26:32

That's the mountain. That's a very good one. Yeah.

Barry: 26:35

You don't normally get storms like that here.

Mark: 26:37

No, look, they're just coming out of clear sky. There's no clouds around the mountain at all. We're not expecting anything like this tonight. Never seen anything like it. He scratches his head in perplexity. And then shrugs and just goes back to doing what he was doing, which was maybe carving a bit of wood or something. He turns his back on it. But it's still going on.

Stephen: 26:56

It's not moving. It's not coming this way, the storm.

Mark: 26:58

No, it's definitely just occurring around the mountain.

Stephen: 27:03

At least we won't get wet then if it's not occurring this way. It's tipping down up there.

Barry: 27:06

Just from looking at it, does it feel unnatural?

Mark: 27:09

It does. I mean, we pointed out the sky is completely clear. It's clear up around the mountains as well. There's no isolated cloud up there. It's coming directly out the sky and it's silhouetting the mountain.

Barry: 27:21

I'm talking to Dorian now specifically. I kind of feel like there's nothing we can do about this tonight.

Stephen: 27:26

What, about the lightning? in no i don't think you could do it any night.

Barry: 27:29

It's not lightning because it seems unnatural and correct me if i'm wrong mark it's also towards where we're headed yeah.

Mark: 27:38

The village is in the valley before the mountain.

Barry: 27:41

Yeah so when i'll.

Mark: 27:43

Show you a map in a bit and.

Barry: 27:44

Describe that a bit more but yeah i don't think it's unreasonable for me to have some concerns about walking into direction of an unnatural storm does.

Stephen: 27:53

Make things more interesting.

Barry: 27:54

The tourist in me can't wait to get there.

Mark: 28:00

I've just put up a new scene up on the Let's Roll. And you can see now, as described by the two dwarves, what you're looking at with the valley. So you've come along the Basfweiser. You're currently right at the base of this. So you're looking off to the east, up toward the Frugal Hall mountain at the very top. And then you've got Frugalhofen, you've got the couple of farms and Gimbrin's mine up there. That's it. So once you're through these mountains, you'll be within the valley itself and the last couple of hours walking to Frugalof won't take too long, be about two or three miles after you exit the mountains. And you can see a couple of, well, you will soon see a couple of farmsteads and the mine isn't too obvious, but the Vaswaza actually supplies water to the mine as well. And it comes down from the mountain, from a lake there too. You're heading in that direction.

Stephen: 28:56

Not a choice, have we?

Barry: 28:57

No we have no choice we continue to camp we continue to move and keep an eye on the weather i guess okay.

Stephen: 29:05

Well on the non-weather yeah after.

Barry: 29:08

A minute or two natural weather yeah.

Mark: 29:10

Well after a minute or two the lightning flickers for a while with reducing intensity and then stops altogether.

Barry: 29:18

Just the northern lights that's what all the fuss is about.

Mark: 29:20

So at.

Stephen: 29:22

Least we got to see it.

Mark: 29:23

It's pretty impressive yeah uh mark giletto he would see this too that's where you.

Stephen: 29:31

Come to earth.

Mark: 29:32

Underneath that's.

Stephen: 29:33

Me landing in a meteorite that.

Barry: 29:36

Would be the best character introduction.

Stephen: 29:38

Ever he rises up from this lightning storm.

Mark: 29:43

Yeah sorry i can't i can't do that for you, yeah yeah you're you're you're not with them but you're also making your way through the mountains you'd be on a slightly different trail but heading that that would be off to the east too so you're going to be going down into the valley and making your way through to frugalov and as we discussed in your session zero you're making your way to the mine uh so you don't encounter these two dwarfs but they they would obviously know you you know all of the dwarfs in the mind uh so you'd be sitting there on your own camp looking looking across and and seeing this too yeah you're making the journey alone be sort of out with a single blanket just under the stars exactly.

Jon: 30:23

That under the blanket one axe some alcohol and that's it.

Mark: 30:26

Oh yeah plenty of alcohol now after all the shit that's happened okay the night passes for all of you and these two dwarven prospectors wish you well and continue on their journey in the opposite direction to you and tell you it's not too far you've got about um about six or seven hours worth of journey until you reach frugal off and you should reach there by dusk but as i say if it gets dark before you get to frugal often don't worry because the you know the terrain is going to be easier to to walk along during the night so take your time he says you'll get there get there by evening without a doubt.

Stephen: 31:02

Appreciate the advice. Thank you.

Barry: 31:04

Yes, I'm going to thank them and shake them both by the hand.

Mark: 31:07

Yeah, okay.

Stephen: 31:08

Yeah, I'd say I'm not afraid to admit it, but I thought he was going to rob us when he first met us, so it's a pleasure.

Mark: 31:14

Why, because we're dwarves?

Stephen: 31:16

No, just because you're people on the road.

Mark: 31:19

Dwarves don't rob.

Stephen: 31:21

Right, I know now. I didn't know before.

Barry: 31:22

I'm going to come in and just say I never had any doubts whatsoever.

Stephen: 31:27

Yes, you did.

Mark: 31:29

I'm just pleased you're not elves, he says, otherwise this would have been a lot different if Algrim just apologises.

Barry: 31:35

I'm going to again I'm just going to catch his eye in a kind of look we've all got a racist uncle no one's judging you for the company you keep you can't help it.

Mark: 31:45

No they're obviously quite close and he is old it's like a slight bit of dementia as well creeping in there you think.

Stephen: 31:52

He's the first edition door.

Mark: 31:54

Yeah well they keep that going all the way to fourth edition don't they the amnesty but not quite as intense. This is the first edition of venture so it does play on the elfin dwarf intentions more than maybe a modern one would but i think that's all part of the warhammer world anyway i think it's fun so you come out the mountains and you'll make your way down the side of the the final steep incline down into the valley itself and you can see across the valley there first of all frugal often a few miles away and a couple of farms it's not getting dark yet so you can't really see the lights on or anything, And at the very top of the valley, you can see the Glacier and the Frugalone Mountain being the feature at the top. There are other routes out of the valley. As I said, there's one across into Bretonnia. but for you you're following quite a clear path now and as if you haven't had enough dwarves another dwarf is on the path not too far ahead of you as you make your way down down to this road so you'll walk a bit faster then because your movement rate's a bit quicker than the dwarf so you would eventually catch him up but mark if you could describe gelato please from from what would he look like from a distance here now or just even up close uh.

Jon: 33:09

Yeah so from a distance you see as a dwarf but the difference between this dwarf and others is he has quite a striking hairstyle he's got like a mohican down the middle of his head and it's bright right orange as well as his beard is bright orange and he's got some he's got some tattoos going on all he's got is a pair of stripy white and blue trousers and that is pretty much it and an axe.

Mark: 33:31

So it's bare tops even in this cold weather yeah.

Stephen: 33:34

Would we recognize that being from ubersrike.

Mark: 33:36

I'm happy to say that you've heard of what a Troll Slayer is, if you want to have that knowledge, it probably makes sense because you as a player are so familiar with them. Maybe Barry and Silas doesn't really know too much about them.

Barry: 33:48

I don't think that's unreasonable. I spent all my time training in the pit. There weren't a lot of trolls there.

Stephen: 33:54

No, I would tell Slyx, he's a Troll Slayer. And I would look for his impressive reply.

Barry: 34:01

Say again?

Stephen: 34:02

Troll Slayer.

Barry: 34:03

Is that banned?

Stephen: 34:06

They're they're kind of like mad dwarves get really angry about everything wait.

Barry: 34:13

Is there another kind of dwarf.

Stephen: 34:14

Yeah well this is a dwarf times 10 of angriness you can go talk to him go find out hey hey i'll shout to him.

Mark: 34:23

Okay you hear the shout um storm hammer.

Jon: 34:26

Yep turn around as though ready just in case something's going to attack me.

Stephen: 34:31

Hello traveler, see told you look he looks angry i'll start approaching so.

Mark: 34:39

Cold you two can describe yourselves to dorian um.

Stephen: 34:42

18 years old so he's a i mean a weapon snapper quite tall uh lanky not particularly well dressed he's got like a hood and a leather jerking on seems to be quite old maybe ill-fitting his trousers are all fitting as well sort of tied up with a bit of rope his hair is a bit of a mop and a mess but he's got dagger his his belt and a collar rope and a backpack on doesn't.

Mark: 35:03

Have his musical instrument.

Stephen: 35:04

He's not the entertainers yet no.

Mark: 35:06

Okay and barry describe silas please.

Barry: 35:08

Short and tough and he carries an axe and he's he's not happy about being short and he's decided that he quite likes the company of dwarfs.

Stephen: 35:20

Who's the tallest out of you two i'm.

Barry: 35:24

Five foot two.

Jon: 35:25

He is i'm five foot oh.

Stephen: 35:27

Wow hang on i am with.

Mark: 35:30

The hair you're definitely taller, Stormhammer.

Jon: 35:32

Yeah, I'm taller, yeah.

Stephen: 35:32

I'm six foot two.

Mark: 35:33

So they catch you up. You're heading in the same direction. I mean, you could be rude, Stormhammer.

Jon: 35:38

What are you going to do? No, I walk straight up to the length.

Stephen: 35:40

We met your friends during the evening.

Jon: 35:43

What friends?

Barry: 35:45

Balgrim and Grumpy.

Jon: 35:47

Mark, I'm guessing I know them.

Mark: 35:48

Yeah, you would do. A couple of decent dwarves.

Jon: 35:51

Yeah, I'm not going to acknowledge that I knew them, though. Seen any trolls?

Stephen: 35:57

See, I told you. I told you he was a troll, sir.

Barry: 35:59

Always working, bro. Always working.

Stephen: 36:02

Have you killed any trolls?

Jon: 36:04

Not yet.

Stephen: 36:05

Oh, it's good. So you're looking for trolls?

Jon: 36:09

Have you killed one?

Stephen: 36:10

No, I can't say I have.

Barry: 36:12

No, but we haven't added Troll Hunter to our name.

Stephen: 36:17

Well, Slayer, actually.

Barry: 36:21

Oh, so Troll Hunter would be more accurate right now.

Jon: 36:27

It's where you're off to.

Stephen: 36:29

A frugal hoffen.

Jon: 36:31

All right.

Stephen: 36:32

We're seeking our fame and fortune.

Barry: 36:36

We have work. It's tough work. We could use tough people.

Jon: 36:42

Depends. Any trolls there?

Stephen: 36:44

Say yes.

Barry: 36:46

Almost certainly.

Stephen: 36:48

I'll just nod. Loads of them.

Jon: 36:51

Loads of them, you say?

Stephen: 36:53

Yeah.

Jon: 36:54

Tell you what, I'll come with you. but if anything attacks us, I get the big one.

Stephen: 36:59

Yeah. Okay. Whatever is just the one thing and it's small.

Jon: 37:04

Then I get it.

Stephen: 37:06

Okay, cool. No, it's good. Deal.

Jon: 37:09

All right.

Barry: 37:10

Then come on. I think this is play. I think that might be the best deal I've ever made.

Stephen: 37:15

I can't believe it.

Mark: 37:16

These two are psychos. It's a pretty decent intro. I thought it was going to go bad there at one point and a bit of PVP.

Barry: 37:22

Was that my fault? Sorry. I can't help it.

Stephen: 37:25

I would say so who's the toughest out of you two who is clearly listen unless.

Barry: 37:32

I'm in the ring and getting paid the toughness thing is not it's not like you have to people have to pay to watch me be tough can.

Jon: 37:40

You run as quick with only one leg.

Stephen: 37:43

Who you talk to you I don't know I've never had just one leg so alright it's possible so anything about do i have to i.

Mark: 37:55

Think we move things on right.

Stephen: 37:56

Now guys all.

Mark: 37:56

Right we're going back towards the pv.

Stephen: 37:59

I will say silas he's tougher than you you've never just print the chop off my leg i am i am.

Barry: 38:05

Genuine um talking to galato in terms of we do have tough work against us and you look.

Stephen: 38:12

Hardy like.

Jon: 38:13

I

Barry: 38:14

Meant that sincerely mark.

Jon: 38:16

He would he would introduce himself with stormhammer by the way oh stormhammer okay.

Stephen: 38:22

Is that your real name?

Jon: 38:24

It's a name you can call me.

Stephen: 38:26

I wonder if it's your real name, that's all. Sounds like the made-up one.

Mark: 38:30

Sandy's pretentious.

Barry: 38:31

Silas is going to pitch in here as well. Technically, all names are made up.

Jon: 38:35

Got a problem with my family name?

Mark: 38:37

Well, he's called Dorian Duran, and he's calling you pretentious.

Barry: 38:41

No, I'm just saying.

Stephen: 38:43

Just asking.

Jon: 38:44

Stormhammer, name goes back generations.

Stephen: 38:47

Cool.

Mark: 38:48

Just as you begin walking off again together, the weather seems to turn. these dark clouds arrive over the over from the west and it starts to spit with rain gelato you would know it's hard to say gelato without saying it with a kind of a italian storm hammer gelato, you would um you would find that this weather because you'd be a bit familiar with weather in this region if this was to settle in you're not getting up to gimbrun's mine this evening almost certainly not you know your idea was to just take a beeline straight across the, straight across the valley to the mine but this weather says to you now otherwise is.

Jon: 39:28

There uh in frugelhofen is there a good bar would i know of a bar that's in there.

Mark: 39:31

No it's a village it doesn't have um a lot going for it really i've got another little map to show you um and also if you're if you're watching this on the youtube channel we do eventually get out there then you'll see these things or are we going to provide um some of these resources as well to you via the discord channel or via email so you so.

Jon: 39:51

There's not even a bar in frugelhofen then someone sells brandy.

Mark: 39:54

It ain't the worst place in the world any kind of experience you've had in in frugelhofen you've been treated well it's a kind place but let's just bring up the frugelhofen village as a map for you guys to see and then i'll describe it for everybody else so this is frugelhofen so So you would come in along the road, as you can see, as the Bas Waza meanders its way through the village. it's by the time you arrive it is around dusk and you can see the lights on and many of these buildings so you would go past a cairn which is a large pile of rocks that's there near that bridge and make your way across the the river there and into the village itself so you can see a lot of these houses are stone built quaint well well maintained there are a few villages around as well you can see a couple of them looking at you as you wander wander through they nod to you and, more visitors welcome to frugal often well we all seem to be popular all of a sudden.

Jon: 40:58

Who was here before.

Mark: 40:59

Some important bloke is here as well i forget where he's from he's from i've arrived another he's a tough not one of us he says we.

Stephen: 41:09

Come from the maison tall.

Mark: 41:10

Yeah i could see that because you've just come up from the Maison Talle.

Barry: 41:15

Oh, okay. I'm going to say to him as well, I'm going to say to him, well, if he's a Toph, he's clearly not important.

Mark: 41:22

There's some people in this village who think otherwise. You think he was the bloody emperor himself, the way some people fawn about him. Well, you'll have trouble getting bald. That's all I'm thinking. You ought to go up and see Hector. He might be able to sort you something out.

Barry: 41:35

I was just about to ask about Hector.

Mark: 41:38

He's up at the mill. He points that behind him I mean, you can see an orchard there at the base of a hill, and that is the mill, and that's where he suggests you go first.

Jon: 41:48

Have you built an inn here yet?

Barry: 41:51

Okay, the mill is number two. Where's number two?

Mark: 41:54

Don't need an inn. We don't need an inn. What's this business for now? We put people up in houses, and you want to drink. There's plenty of that. That's what you're after, and a bit of rest. I'd say, Hector, I see you're good there as well.

Stephen: 42:07

Sounds good enough. As good as an inn, isn't it? Don't get riffraff through, though.

Mark: 42:11

You can leave him behind and make your way up toward the mill. The mill, and you can see a hedged-off orchard there as well. You can make your way up to the front door of the millhouse. A man comes there. He's a very friendly, portly, young guy in his early 30s. And he seems pleased to see you. Welcome to Frugaloff. and he says, looks at you, the dwarf, and you think maybe for a second he recognises you, Stormhammer, but he doesn't say anything, and doesn't necessarily put two and two together and understand where you're from. So have you had a difficult journey getting it?

Jon: 42:48

Nothing a dwarf can't cope with. Don't know about these two.

Stephen: 42:51

That was the last bit. It was easy. The first bit, get into the Maison Talle. That was tricky.

Mark: 42:55

Ah, yeah, come from the Maison Talle. I see. What brings you here?

Stephen: 42:59

Fain and Fulton.

Jon: 43:01

I'm off to the mine tomorrow.

Mark: 43:03

Oh, you're going to go and see the dwarves? What do you say, young man?

Stephen: 43:07

Find me a fortune. We're here for work purposes. Very important work.

Mark: 43:13

You won't see much work here.

Barry: 43:14

We are completing the Blue Bandit surveys.

Stephen: 43:17

We're important historians.

Mark: 43:19

Oh.

Barry: 43:20

We can't be the first people to come through here that have been employed by Mason's Hall for this, surely?

Mark: 43:26

No, you are. I must say, I didn't know any of that was going on. well there's a lot of you around the area is there well.

Barry: 43:33

So we've been told.

Mark: 43:34

And you can see behind him in the in the millhouse you see his wife and he's got a few kids there as well young teenage girls and a young boy looking past him and trying to see what you're all about he says no no i didn't i didn't know that was happening that's being done from the empire is it you've been from the empire by the sounds of it no.

Barry: 43:55

It's more to do with what john.

Mark: 43:56

John louis john.

Barry: 43:58

Louis it's john louise prep project he's writing a book.

Mark: 44:01

Oh oh how very nice he says on.

Barry: 44:05

The historical bandits of the area.

Mark: 44:08

The historical bandits. How historical are we talking about? He laughs nervously. We ain't bandits. You won't find any bandits here, he says.

Stephen: 44:17

They're in tombs.

Barry: 44:20

Very historical. No contemporary bandits will be harmed in the making of this story.

Mark: 44:25

He says, you see the weather's closing. You don't want to be out on that for too long. Where can you stay? Oh, you know you've turned up at a good time as well. Tomorrow's stoning day.

Stephen: 44:34

Who's stoning?

Mark: 44:36

Well, it's called stoning day. we're not stoning anybody it's anyway you'll be here for stoning day and it's very rude not to get involved it's we get very superstitious about these things actually and anybody that's here will have to um play their part but it's not that hard he says you just pick up a rock from the river we walk around the perimeter of the town then we drop it on the can it's like a yeah and that kind of you know it's a bit of river management along with you know a bit of superstition I.

Barry: 45:03

Have never shied away from a local tradition, and I do not intend to start now. Bring on Stoning Day.

Stephen: 45:12

No matter how vaguely boring that sounds, I'm in.

Barry: 45:15

Bring on Stoning Day. The title already sounds significantly more exciting than the actual activity, but bring it on. Will there be ale?

Mark: 45:25

Oh, yes. He says we have a good party afterwards. He says, don't you worry.

Stephen: 45:30

No, no more importantly. Will there be brandy?

Mark: 45:32

Ale and brandy and good food. Oh, consider yourself invited to the whole thing. He says, yeah.

Barry: 45:39

When in Frugelhofen, do as the Frugelhofens do. That's what my father taught me.

Mark: 45:44

He likes that. It's a good attitude. He looks at you, though, Stormhammer, and doesn't seize the very stoic look on your faces. I suppose you might want to go up to the mine, but while you're here, you might as well just do your bit for the community.

Jon: 45:59

Where's the biggest rock?

Mark: 46:01

Well, you pick them up on the day, out of the river, in the morning.

Jon: 46:05

Where's the biggest one?

Mark: 46:07

I'm sure there's a few big ones.

Barry: 46:09

Do I need to explain here to Stormhammer that perhaps finding the biggest rock on your own might be more exciting than being told where it is?

Jon: 46:20

What are you saying? I can't see one.

Barry: 46:22

No, I'm saying wouldn't it be brilliant if you won without inside information?

Jon: 46:28

Let's just say my rock's going to be bigger than yours.

Stephen: 46:31

Well he's definitely compensating this still i'm.

Mark: 46:33

A grover.

Barry: 46:34

Not a shower.

Mark: 46:35

Hector sort of looks looks at you up and down he's he seems to like you two dorian it's not that he doesn't like dwarves but this one he doesn't he doesn't know about troll slayers but you look a bit intimidating to him and i'm going to give him an intelligence check actually to figure out who you are because there's a chance he he would know you or know that you're from the mine so let me just make his role oh he's critical it at that so he's rolled under his intelligence even with a modifier and he's rolled a critical it knows you very well so he recognizes you and hey the gelato.

Stephen: 47:10

What's your son like that for.

Mark: 47:14

It is it's gelato what you're doing what's what's all with the you went missing are you okay I'm fine, we say that you knew him maybe because you were sent down occasionally to get the brandy or something like that yeah, and you're the academic of the community weren't you so there would have been some renown with you you were sent off to no one to study university and learn I.

Jon: 47:41

Had things to do and I'm back to sort them out.

Mark: 47:44

Yeah well then you won't notice much has changed after the incident we heard that of course Yeah.

Stephen: 47:51

Incident?

Mark: 47:52

Oh, yes. Look, let me just try and find, think of somewhere for you to stay. The Paparns, they have a guest.

Stephen: 48:00

What incident?

Mark: 48:01

Yeah, you can see Hector is getting a little bit nervous.

Stephen: 48:03

I know, but he's pressing it.

Mark: 48:06

How are you reacting to the question, Stormhammer?

Jon: 48:08

I'm just absolutely silent.

Mark: 48:11

Okay. Shakes his head at you, Dorian.

Stephen: 48:14

Oh, that sort of incident. Yeah, fair play.

Mark: 48:16

Let me think. So we could always come and see the widow, LaRue. she owns a stables you see she might be willing to let you sleep there i think it might be the best we can do at the moment have.

Stephen: 48:28

You got nothing here.

Mark: 48:28

Oh no no no he says i i don't put people up here look i've got to go and check on the cider press but you head over to the widow laruse uh you walk past it as you're coming in so he points it out across the way get yourself inside quick this is not going to be a pleasant evening he points up at the sky and it's beginning to rain a little bit harder now, and he seems now in a rush to go.

Barry: 48:51

I've just thanked him for his, faux hospitality by not putting us up and sending.

Mark: 48:56

Us out thanking.

Barry: 48:57

For his hospitality and i'm looking forward to the stoning it.

Stephen: 49:02

Sounds more exciting than it's gonna be isn't it.

Mark: 49:04

You come back across and you see somebody over toward the top bridge and somebody's standing there um just looking looking out across the the valley and over toward the frugal horn mountain it's uh it's an elf oh fucking hell and well she's dressed like she kind of means business in some ways it's not business well not that business it's not like a pickup point for a prostitute he.

Stephen: 49:32

Should be very specific what sort of business his elf is in.

Mark: 49:35

Yeah the the notorious frugal often red light district up by the northern bridge a bit of respect.

Stephen: 49:44

You never know.

Mark: 49:45

No she's um she looks like a mercenary she's um yeah she's tanned healthy fair hair she's got a sword by her waist yeah she's just out enjoying the evening i'm.

Stephen: 49:56

From movements like all the women i see hanging around that.

Mark: 49:58

Oh that's all business on the slums yeah okay uh so she she's ignoring you she hasn't even she's not even looking over in your direction are.

Stephen: 50:08

We walking at us.

Mark: 50:08

No you're not going to be heading toward that i'll call out.

Stephen: 50:11

To her evening.

Mark: 50:12

She looks over towards you not.

Stephen: 50:14

Good weather we're having.

Mark: 50:15

She just turns back and then just drifts off toward across the bridge i'm.

Stephen: 50:19

In there that's.

Jon: 50:20

Right walk away.

Stephen: 50:21

I don't think she heard it she's gone.

Mark: 50:25

She she walks off and um but as you say that um storm hammer she you do see her rest her hand on her sword hilt did.

Stephen: 50:36

Here he didn't mean it.

Mark: 50:37

And you can head off um over to LaRue's house. She's called the widow for a reason. I mean, she's quite old, but she looks after herself. She's quite comely, actually. She's quite attractive and she seems to know it. And, You guys will be a little bit too young for her, perhaps. I'm not sure. How old is Silas?

Barry: 50:57

20.

Mark: 50:58

20, yeah. That's the old one. How old is Dorian?

Barry: 51:01

Hold on, hold on, 20, but.

Mark: 51:04

Okay, and Dorian?

Stephen: 51:06

18, and skinny as a rake.

Mark: 51:08

Immediately, she looks like she's flirting with Silas. She just says, oh, what the heck just sent you over?

Barry: 51:17

He led us to believe that you would be very accommodating.

Mark: 51:22

Oh yes yes i can be did he say it would be a stable um.

Barry: 51:26

I'm not sure he specified.

Stephen: 51:29

Staples were mentioned.

Mark: 51:30

Uh i can put you up in the stable but you have to be aware that uh we do have cows in it and they could sometimes wake you up early i've.

Barry: 51:38

Always been an early riser.

Stephen: 51:40

We don't need to have an alarm then do we.

Mark: 51:43

No she said no no we'll be milking the cows early is.

Barry: 51:46

The lap of luxury compared to recent times.

Mark: 51:49

My son isn't here at the moment he's out checking on his traps i'll introduce you to him so well at least he knows who you are not intruders he's friendly though don't worry my son my son won't hurt you his name is armand no one can hurt me oh not physically.

Jon: 52:05

Anyway yeah i'll take the bomb.

Mark: 52:08

And oh my name's katrina Welcome to Frootblotham. I hope I can make your stay a comfortable one.

Stephen: 52:15

Is it just cows you have here?

Mark: 52:18

Yes. Well, Amman has his sheep up in the fields. I can make something for you to eat. Why don't you go to the stable now, once you've settled, I'll bring some food.

Stephen: 52:31

Wonderful.

Barry: 52:33

Thank you so much, my lady.

Mark: 52:35

Yeah, she sees the buff nature of Silas. Are you returning any mutual attraction here, Silas, or are you just switching off on that?

Barry: 52:43

I think like a pit fighter, I would have been relatively well known. It's not the first time that I would have had an older woman's attentions. So I think he'd probably be okay playing it fairly cool and not getting distracted.

Mark: 52:57

Okay. Maybe I can tempt you. I've got a picture of her here.

Stephen: 53:00

Uh-oh.

Mark: 53:03

I'm going to show pictures that often, although we'll have a supply of pictures for people to see. Did that come up on the screen?

Jon: 53:09

Yeah, it did.

Barry: 53:09

Yes.

Mark: 53:10

Yeah, there she is.

Barry: 53:10

Is that red hair? the witch, no i'm i'm not going to be returning her affections but i want to be clear that was not based on the photo it was i'd said that before.

Mark: 53:26

Okay she's.

Stephen: 53:28

Not your type i'd stand i'll say as we're leaving.

Mark: 53:32

I could change your photo to something else if you prefer okay no like a cow.

Stephen: 53:38

What we'll be sleeping with those in a minute.

Mark: 53:41

All right so she uh while we're at pictures as well why don't you go why don't we show you Hector Brioche why not there's Hector can't go wrong with Hector a little.

Stephen: 53:51

Bit of halfling blood in them bonnets.

Mark: 53:53

Yeah okay so she leads you to the barn and there's a creamery in the barn and it's a separate thing and you can there's plenty of spaces there for you to sleep in the hay, very comfortable you can sort of take off your backpacks or whatever you got with you, take your boots off and inspect your blisters, and she goes off and starts to prepare your meal.

Jon: 54:17

Galato, even though he's a troll slum, he'd be quite polite around humans that are not going to kill him. There's no chance of actually hurting him. He'd be quite polite to them, yeah? So he'll ask if she needs any help.

Mark: 54:29

Oh, no, she says, no, I'm fine with the food. She says, but there are a couple of mules outside. They need to be brought in for the night.

Jon: 54:36

Have you got enough firewood for the night?

Mark: 54:38

Oh, yes, plenty. Don't light fire in here, though. we've got some tarpaulin if the roof leaks as well so you could always prop that up just make do she says it's the best we can do I do apologise of course we know I don't expect anything for this it's the very least we can do as frugal often it's just you weren't here soon enough for the more comfortable accommodation.

Stephen: 55:01

Who's got that? Oh, is that the noble?

Mark: 55:04

Oh, Shumli. He's from Albion, do you know?

Stephen: 55:08

Wow. That sounds like a long way away. I bet he's got a great accent.

Mark: 55:12

Oh, he's got some lovely stories. Yes. Shumli, we have an elf here as well. Shalia.

Stephen: 55:19

Who's that?

Mark: 55:19

Shalia.

Stephen: 55:20

What?

Mark: 55:21

Yes, she's very quiet. Very quiet.

Jon: 55:25

Sounds like a girl's name.

Stephen: 55:27

It was a girl.

Mark: 55:28

It's a girl. We've also got, oh, so we're very, very fortunate with visitors right now. She has an admirer, we think. They've been traveling together. Albrecht, his name, or Albie likes to be called.

Stephen: 55:39

Everyone's called Albrecht.

Jon: 55:40

Everyone's called Albrecht. Is he a wizard?

Mark: 55:43

Is it a common name in the empire?

Stephen: 55:45

Absolutely. I know 15 Albrechts. That's just in my close circle of friends.

Mark: 55:52

Oh, well, it's a lovely name. Who like it? But he's a bit lovestruck, bless him. it's an elf and i can understand these things oh i see oh i see okay yeah well we have we are we are busy and just in time for stoning day as well did hector tell you yeah.

Stephen: 56:09

It sounded great it sounded really really exciting it sounded twee.

Mark: 56:15

It does seem that way from the empire we take for granted our benefits here and the the comfortable and and ideal and tranquil life we have i'm.

Barry: 56:24

So glad you took it as a compliment because it was 100% meant as one.

Stephen: 56:29

I just wondered though, did people used to be stoned? Was that what it used to be called and it just evolved from it? Did people actually get stoned on stoning day?

Mark: 56:37

No. No, we've seen stuff.

Stephen: 56:39

You know, things left over. Because in Uber's like, I saw someone getting stoned to death. It was old Jimmy McKinnell down at the docks.

Barry: 56:46

I thought Dorian was meant to be the face of this party. You know, the one to be sort of reassuring and winning people over.

Stephen: 56:53

That's the future, Dorian. This is his origin story, Dorian.

Barry: 56:56

Right. So this guy's learning from his mistakes.

Stephen: 56:59

Gotcha.

Barry: 56:59

Got it.

Stephen: 57:00

He's a young fella.

Mark: 57:01

Oh, yeah.

Stephen: 57:02

Fresh from the docks.

Mark: 57:03

You're making Stormhammer look like he's got a personality and he's only got 12 fellowship, I think.

Jon: 57:08

19, thank you very much.

Mark: 57:10

Oh, go ahead. Yeah, so she walks off in a hurry and you get the opposite. Well, you've been asked to bring the mules in, Stormhammer. Are you going to do that?

Jon: 57:18

Yeah, of course I am.

Mark: 57:19

Yeah, a couple of manned mules outside.

Barry: 57:22

I would like to, I don't know how much help I'll be, but I would like to offer my help there, being as there's two of them.

Mark: 57:28

It's pissing with rain now too and they're not too happy with that. So if Silas is helping you, we'll get 10%.

Jon: 57:33

83, well, I fouled it.

Mark: 57:35

So you might need to get involved here, Silas, because Gialetto is making quite a, I picked you with this.

Barry: 57:41

So in grouped and advanced skills, I've taken one advance in animal handling.

Mark: 57:48

Okay. And in which case, then I'm not going to say that you need to roll on this. You can get involved and you can calm them down.

Barry: 57:57

And despite Stormhammer's failure, I'm going to do everything I can to make it seem like a team effort.

Jon: 58:05

Yeah, I'll nod to him like, thanks.

Barry: 58:08

Yeah.

Jon: 58:08

Give him a nod here.

Mark: 58:09

All right there we get them inside the barn and not too long after she'd return we'd be pretty pleased about this she's describes everything rabbit stew steamed fish she says we we fish up at the lake we've got um bone pigeons and then that's the starters and wow she um so when she says about fishing up at the lake you notice over in the corner of the barn a couple of um overturned boats, coracle boats, which are under tarpaulin. So your main course is herb-roasted beef, and this stuff simply melts in the mouth.

Barry: 58:45

Is she with us while we're dining?

Mark: 58:47

She stops and waits to watch you and your reaction to the food, yeah.

Barry: 58:53

With the cheekiest grin I can muster, I am going to say, oh, this is the finest meal I've ever eaten in a stable.

Jon: 59:02

Which is odds are true.

Mark: 59:05

You might as well just jump in a bed in a stable. No, she only hears the first half of that, just like I did.

Stephen: 59:13

Selective.

Mark: 59:13

Yeah, selective hearing for sure. So by the time you get to the dessert, it's fruit pie and a glass or two of Hector Brioche's apple brandy.

Stephen: 59:26

Oh, we'll definitely be drinking the apple brandy.

Mark: 59:28

She says, do you know about the open day or the open evening?

Barry: 59:31

My lady.

Mark: 59:33

Well, it's traditional, she says, on the eve of Stoning Day, that we all have a bit of a get-together. I don't know if Hector has told you this.

Barry: 59:41

Do you mean a shindig?

Mark: 59:43

Yes. She says, I've got the mill.

Stephen: 59:45

It's better.

Mark: 59:46

Well, I know it's going to be busy and crowded, but I will insist that you come along, your guests. Maybe he thought you were weary after the journey and would not like to partake.

Jon: 59:57

Is there strength tests there?

Mark: 59:59

I'd be surprised if you could drink much more of this brandy. It is quite potent.

Stephen: 1:00:03

That's a challenge.

Jon: 1:00:04

Challenge accepted.

Stephen: 1:00:06

Challenge accepted too.

Mark: 1:00:08

Do yourselves up. I'm going to take you along with me. Those that wish to come.

Jon: 1:00:15

Do we know her first name yet?

Mark: 1:00:17

Katerina.

Jon: 1:00:18

Katerina, it would be an honour if you'd let me escort you over to the shindig.

Mark: 1:00:22

She likes that.

Barry: 1:00:23

Yeah, for the first time ever, I regret not having a bath.

Mark: 1:00:27

There's no time. Well, it's pissing down outside.

Barry: 1:00:30

It's pissing down. So I'm, okay, that's it. No problem, right? So I'm just going to... strip off completely naked, walk outside, shower in the rain, come in and get dressed again. And then give it.

Stephen: 1:00:42

I pointed out the horse trough. Probably should have gotten that.

Barry: 1:00:46

That's where I'm going to rinse my hair.

Mark: 1:00:48

She hangs around for that as well, if you don't mind.

Barry: 1:00:51

Yes, I didn't have a problem with that.

Stephen: 1:00:53

It's like it's cold out there, Silas.

Barry: 1:00:55

Listen, I've already said that I'm a grower, not a shower. Don't make me repeat it.

Stephen: 1:01:01

I mean, it looks really cold out there.

Mark: 1:01:03

So you get yourselves ready and and she does too and getting across there without getting soaked through is going to be difficult anyway but she'll have a bit of tarpaulin to hide under and you make your way across and you see a lot of other people from the village are doing doing likewise so by the time you get there it has started hector is happy to see you he says of course of course come in and our other guests are here too he sells he says so we may as well have this one as an open house. And he just smiles and welcomes you into his home. So you see the place is busy. There are plenty of families here too, children running around. And you see a couple of people stand out. One of them is Cecil Shumley, who you've been told about. He's standing in the corner, lording it and regaling an avid audience of some of the more snobbish villagers with stories of a hunting weekend on these estates in Walternomshire. He's very popular. So he's there. And you can see Shalia's there as well. And she's got her back to the wall, looks like she's on edge, waiting for trouble. But Silas, you might notice that her position is quite a good one in case anything kicks off. She's got a good view of the doors and entrances and a little escape route to the side, where is the window. She doesn't look like she really wants to be here. but you also see a another man fairly well to do as well that's sitting quite close to and just staring hopelessly at her there's a halfling in here too an old one and he's close to the cider drinking with abandon it's speaking incoherently already and the evening is young and but widow does the introductions and acts like a good hostess for you and introduces you to as many people as you can and um you're it's not long before you're given either some cider or apple brandy both.

Stephen: 1:03:02

I'll have one in each hand.

Mark: 1:03:04

Hector brioche and his family are scurrying around being good hosts topping up mugs and glasses and making sure everyone's having a good time so.

Barry: 1:03:11

I just want to be absolutely clear i am a taking it very easy can i go and stand next to the elf please i'm not going to say march but i am going to say if it does kick off give me a heads up, just to let her know that I know exactly why she's standing where she is and what she's doing.

Mark: 1:03:26

Says, well, it's old habits die hard.

Barry: 1:03:30

And that's why we don't, And then I'm just going to walk off.

Mark: 1:03:35

You see the young bloke sitting with his back against the wall, staring up at her with a book. He's not looking very happy that you've approached her because you look, you're quite an attractive, small human being.

Stephen: 1:03:45

Is there any music?

Mark: 1:03:46

There isn't any music, no.

Stephen: 1:03:48

No music?

Mark: 1:03:49

No. Is this the moment?

Stephen: 1:03:51

It is the moment. I will just have a few drinks first.

Mark: 1:03:54

Brandies or ciders, I think it's quite important to know. Yeah, both. You're both. Mix the two of them together. Okay, there'll be some instruments. What's the instrument of your choice?

Stephen: 1:04:02

He can't play an instrument at the moment, but he's got perfect pitch and sing.

Mark: 1:04:05

Okay. Well, there'll be somebody else there with a lute.

Stephen: 1:04:07

I'd say, yeah, I'd probably point it out and go, well, what do you know? I know a few songs.

Mark: 1:04:12

You wouldn't necessarily know the same thing, but he says, if you sing, I'll play along. He says.

Stephen: 1:04:16

Yeah. And there's a few tavern songs that I know from Rebecca Nubesreich. A little bit salty. Salty. it should be okay.

Mark: 1:04:22

Well there's children around he says and he's looking oh it's okay yeah he says let's do it then yeah he says and he starts to so.

Stephen: 1:04:28

The horror of uber's right no no no.

Mark: 1:04:30

We'll try.

Stephen: 1:04:31

And turn it down yeah.

Mark: 1:04:32

Yeah okay try okay let's make a fellowship roll on it then see how well that goes i.

Stephen: 1:04:37

Will turn it down as best i can.

Mark: 1:04:38

I mean you've got a fantastic voice unless it really is very blue you're gonna be all right no i.

Stephen: 1:04:44

He will make the effort for the crowd but then occasionally you maybe accidentally slip then have to apologize.

Mark: 1:04:48

Okay so i won't you won't need to make a roll perfect pitch unless you're doing something risque and then it's a fellowship role to carry it off but if you're going to play it safe no.

Stephen: 1:04:57

It would be accidental if it was.

Mark: 1:04:58

All right so without having to roll a die then then it goes down very well and it adds to the atmosphere and people appreciate it if it's lively you look at a few people dancing like.

Stephen: 1:05:09

A jig or something yeah.

Mark: 1:05:10

Does stormhammer have a does his foot start tapping or no i'm gonna go over to the.

Jon: 1:05:14

Young lad that's trying to chat up the elf.

Mark: 1:05:16

Well he's sitting with his back against the wall so fairly close to her and he's got a book in his his hand and you can see that he's writing in it when when he's not looking up at the elf he does notice you come toward him it's hard to to not notice i'm.

Jon: 1:05:30

Gonna walk straight up to him yeah.

Mark: 1:05:31

And you notice the children sort of run away screaming as you sort of make your way through the room you're clearing the way quite quite well he is uh they don't know what to make of you but i think probably they'd be dragged away from you and well they would all know now who you are it's gelato, what's happened to him there's whispers and things going around but because they know you, they're not so scared of you but the kids perhaps still would be but this bloke that's sitting there with the book he'd be shit scared he'd see a troll slayer coming toward him am I sitting in your seat just let me move he sort of gets up, it's not a seat at all it's just a position by the wall and he says be my guest.

Stephen: 1:06:18

Even mark's frozen or he's very.

Mark: 1:06:20

Intimidating he's frozen otherwise it's fucking brilliant stoic role play mate i.

Barry: 1:06:25

Think i've lost him completely.

Mark: 1:06:26

I can't even see his video well i tell you what i'm going to continue playing this scene he um he just sees you there staring at him like fucking giving him the thousand yard stare and he starts to shit himself and shalia comes over the elf because she doesn't look too pleased with with albie really and he's she seems to be tolerating his obsession but when he sees him being intimidated like you're doing just there in.

Stephen: 1:06:49

All of us.

Mark: 1:06:50

Yes scary stuff mark if you listen to this on podcast marcus mark's picture froze for the last few minutes he's just actually disappeared now so what we do is um shalia comes over and we might have a little bit of a barney here between the elf and dwarf because she don't like.

Stephen: 1:07:06

Dwarfs is this during my performances.

Mark: 1:07:07

Yeah yeah i can always.

Stephen: 1:07:10

Yeah i thought.

Mark: 1:07:10

Like a fighting song okay and silas what what are you doing how who do you want to interact with if anyone i.

Barry: 1:07:17

Kind to feel like silas doesn't have a problem with elves or dwarves but he has been traveling with, stormhammer even if it's only for a day so he's for now he's going to step back and see how it plays out but he's going to be visibly nearby yeah i am ready to come in.

Mark: 1:07:36

The widow would come over to you though silas starts to get a little bit maudlin about how nice it is to have someone to talk to since she lost her husband oh.

Barry: 1:07:44

Well i don't know if i'm nice to talk to milady but I can talk.

Mark: 1:07:48

Oh my lady no you don't I've been very lonely it's lovely to see somebody who embraces nature and lust for life.

Barry: 1:07:57

Life is short and it's for the living.

Mark: 1:08:00

So she's had a few brandies now herself and she's very touchy feely.

Barry: 1:08:06

I'm i'm not gonna recoil or anything but i'm also not gonna be like going for it okay.

Mark: 1:08:11

Then at this point maybe the dwarves fighting the elf but i doubt it if mark's had a complete meltdown of his internet connection will he's not come back quick has he uh there we see yeah so you you're tolerating her anyway so you're not you're not making her feel uncomfortable not giving her no i'm certainly not making me uncomfortable.

Barry: 1:08:27

In fact i'm going to do everything i can to make her feel at ease whilst also giving off i am not trying to buck you vibes.

Mark: 1:08:34

I'm just being.

Barry: 1:08:36

Polite slightly flirty this doesn't seem like the time.

Stephen: 1:08:41

I'll change it to the most romantic song then as they're chatting.

Mark: 1:08:45

Okay what.

Stephen: 1:08:47

Is the opposite of.

Barry: 1:08:48

A cock blocker.

Stephen: 1:08:49

No it's for you two.

Mark: 1:08:51

Uh storm hammer's back i've.

Jon: 1:08:54

Actually moved back downstairs to the main road i don't know i don't know what happened there there you go.

Mark: 1:08:59

You um it was great because you froze in a very very intimidating place and i was i was playing we thought you were actually playing the character for the first two minutes so it was yeah okay so um so what happened was the elf come over because she doesn't like seeing her sycophant be intimidated even if she's not particularly endeared by his obsession she definitely comes across and sort of makes her presence known are you okay albie he.

Jon: 1:09:32

Doesn't need to be okay.

Mark: 1:09:33

Did i ask you i'm asking you, Shall we speak Casalid? Is it easier for you to speak Casalid? Because that was not a question, unless I misunderstood your bad Reichlander.

Jon: 1:09:49

The only question you need to know about is do we start fighting in here or out there?

Mark: 1:09:54

She would look over toward you, Silas, at this point.

Stephen: 1:09:57

This is it. What you asked about.

Barry: 1:10:00

I am going to attempt, and it's not my strength, I've got to be honest, but I feel like we're guests. it's a special occasion when you've invited into someone's home I am going to try and dissuade Stormhammer, that tonight's not the night the energy is not worth the spend let us drink and rest up for tomorrow do.

Jon: 1:10:27

You know what she may look like a troll but she's not a troll alright then I'm going to go find a brandy I.

Mark: 1:10:32

Suggest you get a chain and a nose ring for him.

Barry: 1:10:35

I'll have a nose.

Jon: 1:10:36

Around my ring.

Barry: 1:10:38

I'll miss that but i misheard it really funnily.

Mark: 1:10:41

Um so.

Barry: 1:10:43

I will i will i will i will put a friendly arm on the shoulder of storm hammer and walk to the bar and my resolve about not getting drunk may have been lessened by this experience.

Mark: 1:10:58

So it's.

Barry: 1:11:00

To the bar for apple brandies.

Mark: 1:11:02

Yeah it's a table it's a long table and you can see the kids there you can help yourself but quite quickly you'll be given something and and stormhammer you if you really want to drink here i mean there's there's plenty and it's the brandy is is strong so you if are you going to be drinking to excess i mean is that that's are we talking about a consumer alcohol role in order to see how it works out for you.

Jon: 1:11:23

No no no because i don't want to be the one that is weaker than a human and looks like he's more pissed you know all you've got to do is be the second most pissed person in the room so, i'll be i'll be he's right you know there's a bit of honor involved and we are guests for someone else so i'll hold it back but i'll just give every opportunity i can i'm going to give the elf a dirty look.

Mark: 1:11:40

Yeah she's definitely keeping an eye on you did you come with a weapon because i don't know whether you would probably be able to leave i don't think i don't think there's.

Jon: 1:11:48

Anything to be scared of here.

Mark: 1:11:49

She's got a sword i.

Barry: 1:11:51

Can i just say mark i love the arrogance of that as well that's a brilliant bit of role play he didn't bring a weapon because none of these people.

Mark: 1:11:58

Are worthy of.

Barry: 1:11:59

A fucking weapon.

Jon: 1:12:00

She might need it but i won't.

Mark: 1:12:02

That that level of confidence puts puts her on edge a little bit as well she understands what you are too she doesn't make any further move to annoy you it's just about how much people are drinking now i think um i'll start with dorian are you having a good drink i.

Stephen: 1:12:18

Suppose i can't drink while i'm performing as i will finish performing and see what reaction it gets to it.

Mark: 1:12:23

Okay um well let's make a roll then why not gonna give you plus 30 to the roll if.

Stephen: 1:12:28

He gets a bad reaction you will never want to be a, and entertain her ever again well.

Mark: 1:12:32

Maybe it's worth throwing a fortune at it because we're going to draw this this session to an end about half an hour so.

Stephen: 1:12:37

Oh he's failed all right was it plus 30 actually 79 he's got so i can use one fortune to make that work you've.

Mark: 1:12:44

Got the perfect pitch as well so it goes down like a storm.

Stephen: 1:12:47

Looks a bit surprised because that was his first public performance okay yeah he'll lap it up it'll take bows i.

Barry: 1:12:54

Haven't seen dorian perform before so that would have been even though we've been traveling for a while this would have come as news to me right hey i'm gonna give the biggest round of applause he's ever heard like literally what.

Stephen: 1:13:05

He will go a bit red consume more brands something's changed in his eyes at this point in time he's.

Mark: 1:13:10

Definitely got talent style quality that's the whole premise of the character isn't it.

Stephen: 1:13:13

So this is the turning point you go wow i can do it my mother voice i'd ever met but i can imagine she would have said i could do it but now now i know yeah people.

Mark: 1:13:22

Saying that lad's got that that's got another career in him for sure.

Stephen: 1:13:25

Right right i need some more apple brandy this is this is great any requests i'll just take a short break i'll i'll be back soon well.

Mark: 1:13:35

I'm assuming you're drinking a fair bit.

Stephen: 1:13:36

Yeah it'd be one of each yeah he's gonna get smashed silas.

Mark: 1:13:40

You're having a good drink as well.

Barry: 1:13:42

No actually because the only reason i said that having a good drink thing was to distract stormhammer and stormhammer has decided that he's not getting shit faced so i will be sticking with my taking it easy plan stormhammer.

Mark: 1:13:55

Is drinking though i mean he's.

Barry: 1:13:57

Just Very good at it. There's a difference between drinking and getting hammered, Mark.

Mark: 1:14:01

Yeah. Okay.

Barry: 1:14:02

Yeah? I'm not getting shit-faced.

Mark: 1:14:04

Okay. Yeah. Fine.

Barry: 1:14:06

I know how to pace myself.

Mark: 1:14:07

Yeah. And the widow, Leroux, is... more often than not, near you.

Barry: 1:14:12

Yeah, I get that a lot.

Stephen: 1:14:13

Blade magnet.

Mark: 1:14:15

Well, he did strip off naked in the rain and washed down in front of her.

Stephen: 1:14:18

And that didn't put her off.

Mark: 1:14:20

So all three of you make consume alcohol rolls. I'm going to give Silas a plus 40 to the chance.

Barry: 1:14:27

Is that D100?

Mark: 1:14:28

Yeah. So consume alcohol is a basic skill. I think if you don't put anything in it, I think it just runs off toughness.

Jon: 1:14:34

I'll re-roll that.

Mark: 1:14:36

Okay.

Barry: 1:14:37

Hold on, where is it then? No, I passed it. I'll give you plus 40 to it.

Mark: 1:14:45

Yeah, plus 40.

Jon: 1:14:45

Oh, critical failure.

Mark: 1:14:47

Well, unless he's made it, because plus 40 could be closer.

Barry: 1:14:51

I was gone. I was 66.

Mark: 1:14:53

You had a 66, yeah.

Barry: 1:14:55

My toughness is 38.

Mark: 1:14:57

Oh, you're good. That's a critical success. You're sober as a judge.

Stephen: 1:15:01

Did you drink any alcohol?

Barry: 1:15:03

Mark really had me worried there as well.

Mark: 1:15:05

Well, you'd have woken up in Widow's bed. especially.

Barry: 1:15:08

After me giving it all the no i'm gonna be sensible i know when to stop i was like.

Mark: 1:15:12

Oh it's.

Stephen: 1:15:13

At this point we point out he was on the apple juice.

Mark: 1:15:15

So you um everyone else feels seems completely drunk even the kids are running around you think they're pissed and at the end of the night you know the widow is stumbling along arm in arm with you and you do get invited back into a home.

Barry: 1:15:30

So I will help her to her front door and no further, like a gentleman.

Mark: 1:15:35

Okay. So people start drifting home. It's about midnight.

Stephen: 1:15:38

Yeah, I think I'll need to be carrying.

Mark: 1:15:39

We'd be slurring by the end of the night. Perhaps you don't remember your last performance.

Stephen: 1:15:42

No, I probably wouldn't remember. It was very baldy.

Mark: 1:15:44

You make it back to the stable. You can kip down for the night amongst the cows and a couple of donkeys that have gone to sleep already. So the next day, rise and shine. You are woken at dawn by the lowing of the cows and the dairy. Now, those that fail to consume alcohol, the morning hangover is a pretty bad one.

Stephen: 1:16:00

I'll get up unless I really have to.

Mark: 1:16:02

Well, you were quite an early morning person anyway, weren't you, Silas, remember, in the monastery?

Barry: 1:16:06

I am, and I'm going to be like a really, really annoying child as well. Oh, my God, it's stoning day. You guys, it's stoning day. Come on.

Mark: 1:16:16

Don't join in.

Stephen: 1:16:16

I'm going to chuck a stone at somebody, and I'll stick a pillow on the edge.

Mark: 1:16:21

Nothing better than reduce profile to keep characters from wandering off into dangerous territories. Dorian, your profile is reduced today for the majority of it. So it might even be to the point where you can't get out of bed. But it's a big faux pas not to go to Stoning Day.

Stephen: 1:16:39

Yeah, you will just lay in as long as possible on the straw. And then if he has to get up, he'll stagger over to the horse trough and just put his upper body in it, full sleep pass out on it, and we have to be dragged out of it.

Mark: 1:16:49

Yeah, that's what's going to happen. Well, not even the cooked breakfast of fried sausages and scrambled eggs. are you going to try it because you can make an endurance test to hold it down, you're not going anywhere in here uh free drink uh silas and uh and storm hammer you're partaking in the breakfast as well yeah yeah 100 yeah widow larue is just seems to have forgotten about the previous night she's he looks a little bit hungover but nothing too serious i'll.

Stephen: 1:17:15

Look i'll look up at I said, just so did you?

Barry: 1:17:19

Sorry?

Stephen: 1:17:20

Did you?

Barry: 1:17:22

Did I escort a woman safely to her front door? Yes, I did.

Stephen: 1:17:26

Oh, okay.

Mark: 1:17:28

So Stoning Day, the first part of it anyway, takes place shortly after breakfast. So everyone, she tells you, everyone's going to assemble in the middle of the village. And so if you're ready after breakfast, you can come there with me.

Stephen: 1:17:43

A bit bright out there. I'll tell her, have you got a hat I could borrow?

Mark: 1:17:48

Well, you really must come, because it could be bad luck for the village if you don't.

Stephen: 1:17:53

Can I borrow a hat?

Mark: 1:17:55

A hat. A hat.

Stephen: 1:17:58

Just one with a wide brim, if you've got one. Yeah, like that.

Mark: 1:18:02

No.

Barry: 1:18:03

Mine would have been a nice floral bonnet.

Stephen: 1:18:06

I'll take it and put it on.

Mark: 1:18:09

Yeah, she left something that she might wear. I'm on, there's some stuff, but I don't think she'd like me to give it to you.

Stephen: 1:18:15

I'll give it back. He's not giving it to me. I'll borrow it. That's all.

Mark: 1:18:20

Amand can get a bit funny about these things.

Stephen: 1:18:22

No, that's fine. I'll speak to Amand. I'll explain the situation to Amand. No problem.

Mark: 1:18:27

He spent the night out with his sheep. But he'd be here for stoning day. He'd be here soon.

Stephen: 1:18:32

No problem. I'll thank him when he gets here. I need a hat.

Mark: 1:18:35

All right. Okay, so she goes and gets you one of Amand's weather.

Stephen: 1:18:38

Yeah. If it's a bit of...

Mark: 1:18:40

Yeah, it's all of that.

Stephen: 1:18:41

A bit of shade.

Mark: 1:18:42

Yeah, it's wide print.

Stephen: 1:18:43

Yeah.

Mark: 1:18:44

Okay.

Stephen: 1:18:45

I can't ask for sunglasses. I guess they're not invented yet. That'll do.

Mark: 1:18:50

So yeah, everyone is assembling in the middle of the village and there's a solemn procession that's beginning. You would be at the front of it. And it goes down the banks of the Vaswaza and each villager then picks up the largest stone he could comfortably carry. And you don't need to embarrass yourself by picking up anything that's too heavy, Stormhammer.

Jon: 1:19:09

No, but whatever the elf's carrying, I'm carrying something bigger.

Mark: 1:19:14

Okay well yeah that might not be too hard i mean she's not going to break her back over it but yeah you're going to try and pick up the biggest thing you can bigger.

Jon: 1:19:22

Than hers yeah.

Mark: 1:19:23

Okay so you get to the um to the vaswasa eventually you guys would be just waiting for the line to to move on and then is it like a competition against everyone in the village or is it just a competition against the people that you know here everyone everyone okay so we'll make a strength check and we'll see, just how big a stone it is no pressure yeah.

Jon: 1:19:47

Oh, no, I failed. I'll have to re-roll it. My last fortune point. Here we go. Go on, you can make it. Glitter, you can make it. No, I failed.

Mark: 1:19:55

I mean, you wouldn't fail immediately. You'd pick up this stone. You'd think, I've got a good stone here. Look at me. And then as the walk progresses, you realize that this stone is a little bit too heavy. I'm just going to ask anybody else if they're taking silly risks like this with their dignity.

Barry: 1:20:11

I want to be absolutely clear that I'm taking a stone that I can fit in my pocket and walking like a normal person.

Mark: 1:20:19

Yes. Good. Yeah, he wouldn't be unusual in that. And Dorian?

Barry: 1:20:22

Okay.

Stephen: 1:20:23

Well, if Gelato is looking at me, I'll move over to a really large stone and just sort of like pretend I'm going to be picking up and as soon as he looks away, I'll go for something smaller.

Barry: 1:20:34

Stephen, that's brilliant.

Mark: 1:20:38

Is that what caused Gelato to take the bigger one, do you think?

Jon: 1:20:40

Wait a minute.

Mark: 1:20:42

Does.

Jon: 1:20:43

Being sturdy let me carry anything heavier remember the rule sturdy.

Mark: 1:20:46

It does doesn't it yeah so but this is still to your limit it's impressive you are you have the largest stone they've probably seen anybody give it a go at carrying but it's just not you're not going to get it around the village that's the trouble.

Jon: 1:20:59

I am.

Mark: 1:21:01

No, you picked up something too big.

Stephen: 1:21:04

Millstone.

Jon: 1:21:04

Is there a way when we're walking around the village when the elf's in front of me that turns like a kind of corner so she can't see me, I can put it down and have a quick bit of a breather?

Mark: 1:21:12

Could do. It'd be like the old people at the London Marathon that finish after like 10 hours and everyone's gone home. Don't worry. It's only your dignity.

Stephen: 1:21:20

That went a while ago, to be fair, as a troll slur.

Mark: 1:21:23

So the procession is led by Hector Briotch in his semi-official capacity as the village headman. As honoured guests, actually, you're treated quite well here. Cecil is there too, Shalia, Albi, and you guys come in quite near the back. At one point, even, and people sort of are impressed by this, there's a lady that comes out of one of the houses and she's wearing a veil and she's leaning heavily on her husband's arm. And she looks decrepit, but he looks, well, Silas, you might be able to tell, and maybe Stormhammer 2 although you're academic, he's got a military pose about him his gait and everything about him but he's middle aged and he's not carrying weapons or anything but you can tell there's something about him a warrior like about him he's got this, lady sort of got a veil over her face, And they come out and they together pick up a couple of stones and they also then carry them through the village to the can. This is really a measure of how seriously this ritual is taken in the village because this woman obviously doesn't get out very much. So let's deal with Ngelato and his giant rock. So you're not getting it to the can. So what are you doing? How are you going to style this one out?

Jon: 1:22:38

Like I said, I'm going to hopefully get the elf out of you and give myself a quick bit of a breather and then try again.

Mark: 1:22:45

Well, you're not right at the back, but the elf would be in front of you. But there would be a couple of villagers from behind, and maybe the widow as well. They were about to say something, but then they'd probably look at you and realise it's probably safer not to say anything.

Jon: 1:23:00

Yeah.

Barry: 1:23:00

Sorry, can I ask? I just want some clarification here. Is what Stormhammer's doing cheating in any way?

Mark: 1:23:06

No, but if he doesn't get that stone to the can...

Barry: 1:23:09

Would it be cheating if someone were to help?

Mark: 1:23:12

Yeah, you don't know.

Stephen: 1:23:14

Can you roll it?

Barry: 1:23:15

Could I ask someone? Could I ask someone who is more about the danger?

Mark: 1:23:18

Well, the widow is there and says, he needs help.

Barry: 1:23:22

I don't know if he'd accept it. I'm just feeling stuff out.

Mark: 1:23:27

It's worse if he doesn't get the stone to the can. That would not be good. People around here are quite superstitious. Yes. Help him, I think, yes.

Barry: 1:23:36

I will offer some help in the politest and I'll understand if you tell me to fuck off kind of way.

Stephen: 1:23:49

I thought you phrased it again. Fuck off!

Mark: 1:23:51

Just say the words.

Jon: 1:23:52

Don't you worry, son. I'll get it before the end of the day.

Barry: 1:23:57

No. I respect it, and I'm going to be clear that I respect it, and I'm going to put another stone in my pocket and go, I'm going to have two.

Mark: 1:24:05

It does take you a lot longer, Gelato. So by the time everyone else has finished, and it takes the whole procession, all in all, takes a couple of hours, it leads up to the second event of the day, which is in the centre of the village, but you would still be rolling this stone toward the cairn so you won't be able to play a part in pot stoning so the second event of the day which is in the late morning while food is being prepared a rope is strung across the ford and supported on long poles and about 20 sealed clay jars are hung from a rope and the village children stand on one side of the stream next to the pot so just to the side and on the other side of the stream a group of villagers and guests including you if you want to play a part are armed with small pebbles and they have to throw their stones and hit so a bit like a pinata and you've got to hit the jars and one of these jars are filled with candied fruit and other sweets but most of them are filled with sand and gravel and the idea is to break the jars until the sweets are found and the children then scramble for them in the river and then whoever gets the sweets and hits the right jar is the winner so do you want to play Silas and Dorian it's not compulsory I.

Barry: 1:25:16

Have entered into the spirit of things since the moment I got here I see no reason for that to change now.

Mark: 1:25:23

Okay yeah so you can you can join the line and we'll say by the time that you throw, Some people are hitting the jars and they're not breaking because they've not done enough damage to break them open and most people are missing. So you can make a roll on your bow skill, ballistic skill. I keep calling it bow skill.

Barry: 1:25:42

Which is crap. I don't know if you remember.

Mark: 1:25:44

Okay. Oh.

Barry: 1:25:46

Oh.

Mark: 1:25:47

Fuck me.

Barry: 1:25:48

I've made that.

Mark: 1:25:49

Yes. Okay, so you hit it.

Barry: 1:25:51

I like that.

Mark: 1:25:52

So now you need to do some damage to it. So you roll your D6. You've broken it with that. So now you need to roll a D20. I don't know if you can quickly set that up. There's been a couple of them broken before you. You scored a nine. So you needed to get a 17 or higher to have hit the one with the sweets. So you break one open and the kids get excited, but then all the sand and gravel fall out of it. Meanwhile, Stormhammer don't only feel left out here. you're still rolling the rock. It is, it's Dorian's turn.

Stephen: 1:26:24

Yeah, he'll move up to the mound, wherever it is, with his hat on. Sort of like sway a bit in place.

Mark: 1:26:30

Yeah.

Stephen: 1:26:31

Pick up a rock, but like feel the weight of it and then look across the thing and see double vision, I suppose.

Mark: 1:26:38

Okay, that's true. You're on minuses, so I'm going to give you minus 10. You're like, it's a fatigue condition, so you've got minus 10 to.

Stephen: 1:26:44

Yeah, okay, and then he'll try and throw it with all his minuscule might.

Mark: 1:26:49

Okay no flies wide okay silas you get another chance now a couple of the pots have been broken you've now got 14 of them left i've now got a.

Barry: 1:26:59

D100 again right.

Mark: 1:27:00

Yeah you got a hit that's a miss completely skied it and unless you want to use a fortune on such things no okay uh dorian you get your second chance as well no okay a little bit later one of the villagers get it and the Hey.

Barry: 1:27:15

Good game, good game. Can we go again? Can we go again?

Stephen: 1:27:19

You'll be down.

Mark: 1:27:20

So somebody during this process has taken a dim view to you, Dorian. And this bloke comes up. He's quite rugged. He looks like he sleeps outdoors a lot.

Stephen: 1:27:31

I'll peer at him.

Mark: 1:27:32

He's not a happy bunny.

Stephen: 1:27:33

Oh, you must be.

Mark: 1:27:35

My son, Armand.

Stephen: 1:27:37

Yes, you're every bit as big and strapping as your mother said.

Mark: 1:27:40

I lent this man your hats because he was worried about the sun. That's my favourite hat.

Stephen: 1:27:46

It is A very nice hat, it's i've never owned a hat and and to be to be fair it's really nice why'd.

Mark: 1:27:56

You give it to him i don't i don't appreciate people wearing my clothes without asking me.

Stephen: 1:28:01

He was not here i certainly would have asked if i could could have asked he's probably feeling a bit nauseous at this point in time you can see what's coming i'm gonna peek at his hat unless.

Mark: 1:28:14

If he doesn't nut you first.

Stephen: 1:28:15

Uh well.

Mark: 1:28:16

You'd be fairly close to him silas i suppose you could have some effect on the scene.

Barry: 1:28:20

Dorian, he's just gutted that you look better in it than he does.

Stephen: 1:28:23

Oh, I wasn't going to say, but it's probably true.

Barry: 1:28:27

Blindingly obvious that this hat was made for you and not for him.

Mark: 1:28:30

I'm going to share his image to everybody so you get an idea what he looks like.

Stephen: 1:28:34

He's a rugged, handsome man, isn't he?

Barry: 1:28:36

Why would you get a hat if you had hair that glower?

Stephen: 1:28:39

I don't know. Don't hide the face, my friend. I mean, look at it. It's the moneymaker.

Mark: 1:28:43

So you can make a fellowship role. I don't think Silas has made the situation any worse. So I'm going to give it an advantage from Silas being there and his physical presence.

Stephen: 1:28:53

Yes.

Barry: 1:28:53

Oh, that looks good. Was that 21? Nice.

Stephen: 1:28:56

21 from 40. It's probably two, I think. I've got something like that. Yeah. Oh, I've got Charm. I could use Charm, yeah. So it's a bit better. So it's about four degrees. No, sorry, two degrees.

Mark: 1:29:05

Make sure you don't run off with it. I can track.

Stephen: 1:29:09

I do not think I'll be running anywhere today.

Mark: 1:29:13

No, at all. I'll let you wear it. But I will hunt you down and kill you if you disappear.

Stephen: 1:29:20

I expect no less. I'll put it back on the wrong way around.

Mark: 1:29:25

The widow laughs nervously as if he's got a funny sense of humor, my son.

Barry: 1:29:30

I'm glad I narrowly avoided having him as a stepson.

Stephen: 1:29:33

Daddy!

Mark: 1:29:34

If you want it, it's there. okay so then um once the the pot stoning is done stormhammer returns and with with ironic applause just.

Jon: 1:29:44

Before i got in view mark i'd have made sure that i got rid of all the sweat and stuff so i looked a little bit like like it was nothing.

Mark: 1:29:49

Somebody says i'll pick up a smaller one next time if i was you, People would laugh and then stop if you're giving them the evil eye and a bit of intimidation. They don't carry on laughing for too much longer. So after this, then there's a meal put on, outdoors meal as well because the weather's cleared up. So it's a huge open-air feast in the middle of the village with wine, cider flowing freely. So those with a hangover, if they want to partake in the feast at this time of day, you can make another toughness test.

Stephen: 1:30:17

I feel like I need to eat something.

Mark: 1:30:19

Yeah.

Stephen: 1:30:20

I might puke in his hat. We'll see.

Mark: 1:30:22

Give it a go.

Stephen: 1:30:24

Yes i made my toughness roll.

Mark: 1:30:25

In which case the hangover disappears it's like a hair of the dog remedy yeah.

Stephen: 1:30:31

Can i start on the brandy and yeah side there again maybe i'll just pick one of them this time just one of them the brandy.

Mark: 1:30:37

So the meal lasts for several hours until late afternoon there's music as well and you can partake in that now you're feeling a bit better dorian people will demand it actually and there's dancing until dusk did.

Jon: 1:30:48

That guy give you some verbal about that.

Stephen: 1:30:51

Very fine hat isn't it not do.

Jon: 1:30:54

You want me to go and tell him that you shouldn't do that anymore.

Stephen: 1:30:58

No no no he's just he's just very protective his hat i mean he's a lovely item of clothing isn't it well.

Jon: 1:31:05

If he comes up to you again you point in my way.

Stephen: 1:31:07

Will do and what would you do to him.

Jon: 1:31:09

I'd make sure that he's more polite about people that borrowed his stupid hat.

Stephen: 1:31:12

Fair enough the concept of gentleman he was about the hat and i've still got it on right.

Mark: 1:31:18

And then so toward the end of this event a young boy comes running into the village from the northern slopes he starts shouting he says please somebody come it's leopold i think he's badly hurt hector brioche and alan gascoigne who's there without his wife in the veil they both seem to to be you know there's something happened or somebody is in trouble and people look to hector and alarm but also yourselves you're welcome to step up this boy looks very very upset he says he's he's asleep but, I threw a stone at him, but I couldn't wake him up. He points backwards over the slopes. He says, he's up there. I was checking on the rabbit traps, and I saw him lying there.

Jon: 1:32:01

I can carry him back. I just carried that rock. I can carry a little boy. Morning. Where is he, son?

Stephen: 1:32:06

I'll look towards the tougher fellows, but yeah, I'll be right with you.

Mark: 1:32:10

That's no boy. That's Leopold. Well, he should have been here at Stoning Day. He's about the only person that hasn't turned up, but we were used to that. He's a bit of a recluse. Let's go and see what's happened to him then, Hector says. And so he marches up and the boy leads you on. Alain Gascoigne's there, the middle-aged military type guy. And the two of them would go. The rest of the village kind of, it was coming to an end anyway, so they're beginning to pack up a beer and it takes the wind out of the sows of the rest of the event. People do seem concerned.

Stephen: 1:32:40

Yeah, I'll go.

Mark: 1:32:41

You say you're going as well, Storm Amor?

Jon: 1:32:43

Yeah, I'll go. Yeah, yeah.

Mark: 1:32:44

Yeah. Silas, are you?

Barry: 1:32:46

Of course.

Mark: 1:32:47

Yeah, you're going to be heading up there.

Stephen: 1:32:48

I can get out of the village with his hat then.

Mark: 1:32:49

So this is about a mile out of the village eventually he takes you to where the body is lying face down and you can see it's a ranger, he's used to sleeping outdoors himself and he's like a trapper of some kind you think, Hector and Alain move up to that and turn it over, and he's dead and the cause of death is plain, there's a massive wound in the stomach that's practically cut him in two and there's cuts elsewhere too.

Jon: 1:33:17

Being a military man, Mark, what sort of weapon looks like it's done that?

Mark: 1:33:21

Well, so you're not, are you? You're an academic, really.

Stephen: 1:33:24

I think.

Mark: 1:33:24

Yeah. So it does say an intelligence check to kind of have a think about it. Hector is saying maybe he's got by a wild animal last night. But Alain sort of shaking his head and thinking otherwise. You can make an intelligence role, Gillette, or anyone else who wants to too.

Stephen: 1:33:40

Yeah.

Mark: 1:33:41

Can have a little go there.

Stephen: 1:33:42

I've seen dead bodies.

Jon: 1:33:43

Not doing well tonight, me.

Stephen: 1:33:45

Down at the docks.

Mark: 1:33:46

Well, that's a great role from Silas.

Barry: 1:33:48

That's a great role from Dorian as well, isn't it?

Mark: 1:33:50

Yeah, but yours is a double, so a 33.

Barry: 1:33:52

Oh, of course it is.

Mark: 1:33:54

Did you make intelligence on that, a 33?

Barry: 1:33:56

I did, you know, by two.

Mark: 1:33:58

Okay. So I'm going to move with Silas when it comes to this narrative. It's what Silas thinks. You see a hell of a lot. It's definitely caused by an edge weapon, and he's been dead for hours. The blood in his wounds is congealed. The body is stiff from rigor mortis and completely cold. silas you you think he's died sometime during the previous night also i say dorian you would spot this so silas you really pick up on everything you can from the body dorian you see lying in amongst the the brush from where where he is not too far away a long finger bone like two fused bones of a finger and there's a smear of blood on the on the on the dried bone i'll.

Stephen: 1:34:41

Reach in and pick it up.

Mark: 1:34:42

Okay.

Stephen: 1:34:43

What's this? It's like finger bone or some sort. I'll show it to people.

Mark: 1:34:49

There's fresh blood in it, says Alan. It's not his, is it? And it's...

Stephen: 1:34:53

Like his fingers.

Mark: 1:34:54

The bone looks old.

Stephen: 1:34:56

An old bone in the woods.

Jon: 1:34:57

That could have come from anything. That could be a deer bone for all we know.

Mark: 1:35:01

That's a human finger bone, Alan says.

Stephen: 1:35:03

It's definitely human. Definitely.

Jon: 1:35:05

Are you sure?

Mark: 1:35:07

Well, look at the size of it. It's humanoid.

Jon: 1:35:10

Look at the size of me.

Mark: 1:35:11

And why has it got blood on it? It was laying nowhere near him. It's over there.

Stephen: 1:35:14

Is it quite sharp?

Mark: 1:35:15

Yeah, sharp as it would... Yeah, it would be. It's the last two joints of the finger that are fused together, so it wouldn't have been able to bend. It's an old bone, but it does have fresh blood on it.

Jon: 1:35:25

Well, it is, isn't it?

Stephen: 1:35:27

Probably.

Barry: 1:35:28

Is there anything else that stands out? Are there any traps? Is there anything that suggests that whether he died here or whether he's moved here post-mortem?

Mark: 1:35:39

You can make a tracking roll. Tracking is an advanced skill, though, so I'm not sure if you'd have it.

Barry: 1:35:44

I don't know. I suppose we're about to find out.

Mark: 1:35:45

It's possible. I know you'd have to be part of your career.

Barry: 1:35:47

We're going to find out together.

Mark: 1:35:49

It's not one of the ones you start off with. Where's Wound?

Barry: 1:35:52

No, I do not believe I do.

Mark: 1:35:53

Alan, though, looks at that, and he looks to you, Silas, and say, you have no idea what this bone might be? Because I have my suspicions.

Barry: 1:36:01

Okay, I'm going to have to do the meta thing here. Would my character have any idea what this is?

Mark: 1:36:06

I think if you as a player have an idea, then I'm happy to say your character does.

Barry: 1:36:09

I don't think as a player I do have an idea, or am I just being really dim?

Stephen: 1:36:13

I'm just skeletons.

Jon: 1:36:15

No skeletons around here.

Stephen: 1:36:16

I've heard tales of walking skeletons that roam around ripping people apart.

Mark: 1:36:24

However unlikely it seems, it does fit the evidence we have.

Stephen: 1:36:29

Told you.

Mark: 1:36:30

Well, Hector just shakes his head and says, well, no, no, no, we can't possibly be skeletons. I mean, that's not here. We mustn't speak of this. We'll worry people too much if we start saying these things.

Stephen: 1:36:43

Someone's dead. He should be worried.

Barry: 1:36:46

Exactly.

Mark: 1:36:47

Alain nods. Says yes. We must take this seriously, Hector. Leopold is dead. And we need to check. We need to check that there's not any of these things or whatever's killed him is still around.

Jon: 1:36:59

Don't worry. If there's any more around here, I'll be dealing with them. Is there any other people out in the wild?

Mark: 1:37:04

They point at the two nearby farms. So you've got the Wernicke's and the Kassenbrook's farms are nearby. perhaps we ought to just check they're okay. Most of them have gone back after the stoning day now, back to their farms. We could always check.

Jon: 1:37:20

All right, yeah, let's go.

Mark: 1:37:21

Alain says, no, no, no, no. We will handle our communities. You go and look after yours.

Jon: 1:37:30

Can I get to the mine before dark, Mark?

Mark: 1:37:32

Not before dark, but you could get there. I mean, it's a route that you know, and the weather isn't so bad right now, but you're more than happy to stay in the village, and they will circumnavigate the two farms on the way back to the village. So they're happy for you to come with them. It's just, they know they're not going to tell the mine and it makes sense that you do that. And if you don't do it, they would have to then assess in the morning how they would get that information up there.

Jon: 1:37:55

No, I'm going to have to go there tomorrow morning.

Stephen: 1:37:58

Has someone taken the finger bones? Has that been taken?

Mark: 1:38:00

You found it. So it's in your possession. It's up to you whether you want to hold onto it.

Stephen: 1:38:04

I'll hold onto it. Yeah.

Mark: 1:38:05

Yeah. Yeah, nobody takes that from you.

Barry: 1:38:07

Why wouldn't you hang on to a creepy finger bone?

Mark: 1:38:11

Well, exactly.

Stephen: 1:38:12

You never know. It hasn't got any rings on it, has it?

Mark: 1:38:14

Try not.

Stephen: 1:38:15

I'll look in the bush and see if there's any more bits of it.

Jon: 1:38:18

The rest of it.

Mark: 1:38:20

So you have a good look around here. There is no further pieces of bone that you can find.

Stephen: 1:38:25

Or jewellery that's been dropped.

Mark: 1:38:27

No, nothing like that.

Barry: 1:38:28

Do you think it was going to be Builder Skellington in one-handry 300 weekly episodes?

Stephen: 1:38:34

I can't remember to deliver to me.

Mark: 1:38:37

You can go back to the village or circumnavigate around the around the valley to the two farms, the the Wernicke farm is busy i mean they've got lots of children workers there and there's a dog dog that's barking before you get there but everybody appears to have got back home quickly enough they've got the healer there as well grandfather Wernicke an old guy that sort of takes a bit of interest asks to see the bone Dorian if if you're willing to to show it to him and the body as well. And, you know, he agrees with your assessment, Silas. He's quite impressed with the way that you've calculated that. And the bone, he says, is ancient. The bone has been lying there for some time, he says.

Stephen: 1:39:14

It's something of an epiphany from tombs.

Mark: 1:39:17

Don't show anybody else. It just worry people. They don't want to worry people. But obviously somebody's dead, and so you're carrying the body still, Mama. Is it something that, you know, proves yourself?

Jon: 1:39:27

Yeah, I'll carry the body.

Mark: 1:39:29

I'll make a strength check.

Jon: 1:39:30

Oh, for God's sake.

Stephen: 1:39:32

He's got a bad back. One of ten.

Mark: 1:39:34

No, don't worry about mine. Don't worry, I was just winding you up.

Jon: 1:39:38

I would have passed it.

Mark: 1:39:41

So eventually you'd make your way back into the village. It's dark by the time you do, but there's plenty of people up, and it's obviously distressing for those that have waited around to see what's happening. So we call the session to an end there. Okay. And so that's the end of it for session one of our Lishmaster campaign, and we'll be back in two or three weeks I think to go with the second session yeah okay guys all good all right cheers see you later guys cheers.