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Runtime Break start
3h 44m 1h 26m

Episode 15: Flight to Castle Torch

We return here to Riesingürtle after epic combat on the Hachvallen Brücke. Having journeyed east from Dol-Makjar in search of a vision of an orcish warrior standing in an ancient tomb, in search of answers for the fate of House Royce and House Davinos, in search of questions surrounding the slaughter at the Palazzo Davinos and the undead nature of Occtis Tachonis, the Stone of Nightsong. Answers to all these questions lying to the east, our adventurers found themselves in Riesingürtle, momentary guests of House Einfasen, and more recently, guests of the Druids of Season, Stone, and Hunt.
On the high grotto of the Shongarten, a tense exchange between Thaisha Lloy of the Circle of Ancients and her fellow druids of the Old Path. Her success in representing her situation allowed for entreaty with the entire party (where Hannan, the Circle of the Hunt, beheld Vaelus, faithful of the Sisters of Sylandri). And before things came to blows, a nat20 Intimidation telling the elven druid to not resort to violence (lest it be visited upon him) was followed immediately by a nat20 Persuasion. At which point, Amadah (the elder druid of the Circle of Seasons) said,
“This must be recognized as the opportunity it is. I would see your journey continue as clearly you have access to knowledge that I do not, and the mission that lies before you is one of deep significance. How may I help?”
And offered to meet you at the aerie above the Schongarten, where you would be given passage (flight by eagle) to wherever you need travel.
Traveling from the Schongarten, you were waylaid on the bridge by soldiers of House Tachonis and Occtis’ older brother Frons.
Frons did not bedevil you for long, for indeed, Sir Julien Davinos hurled him from the high bridge to meet his watery death beneath the falls, as the rest of you tangled with incoming ballista bolts (foiled by a quickly-summoned Fog Cloud from Thaisha Lloy) as Vaelus left combat.
There were three that had a worse combat than Vaelus, and it was Enmity, Cruelty, and Agony. Who realized they should not be in this combat, in this city, or in this arc.
Rushing forward from the Hachvallen Brücke, you hear distantly (as your footfalls race up) now outfitted in some druidic garb. You had traveled the Dvalmar Pass in (some of you) the bloody clothes you were murdered in.
In the distance behind you, you hear some shouts elsewhere in the neighborhood surrounding, some screams, distantly. You even hear a spell being fired off behind you. You can only imagine where Petra and Ryah have gone, but you certainly do not hear them following you, (although that doesn’t tell you very much).
Ascending the staircase, you arrive at an aerie atop a craggy mountainside. The aeries’ nests are some 20 feet wide in diameter (many of them) and you see enormous birds of prey, giant eagles throughout. These eagles down below, many of them are 14 feet tall at the shoulder, towering above you, turning to look. Several of them here have small sheds with moss-covered roofs on the sheds with small symbols. There are some carcasses of livestock strewn throughout. There are some that even have chicks that are about your size. You look and see these eagles have white breasts with small black dots of plumage and mottled beautiful gray plumage across their wings that looks almost like rain moving down a slate slope as it spreads their wings.
Going up higher and higher, you see that in these small sheds, there are enormous saddles. You see that some of the saddles appear to be little more than a leather harness, and in the writing on some of these nests (there is some druidic writing). It appears that this is a stable kept by the druids of the Circle of Stone here.
The staircase ascends higher and higher as a voice calls from up above you,
“Come hither. Up here!”
As you arrive at the top, a druidic stone circle on the top of this summit that is partially removed from Riesingürtle below and very much of (not in the Schongarten but connected to it). There are massive druidic stone plinths (and there is a 40-foot-wide nest here as you look and see a 30-foot-tall eagle with white plumage who turns to look). Thaisha, immediately you can tell, bird is angry to be awake.
Angry, angry bird.
The summit has this massive 40-foot-wide nest, but a lot of other stone around it. You see there is a small armory section leaning up against something and there are munitions, arrows. You see that there is this huge, (for lack of a better word) it looks like a massive wooden carriage body. But there is a wooden box that appears to have a set of benches within it and a massive, collapsed, canvas folded thing on one side, a long, almost like condensed blinds or a curtain. This box, this carriage box rests on massive springs to four corners that almost are like table legs that you can see the carriage is suspended on springs from these four massive cornered legs of this “sky carriage”. Up above it this huge wrought-iron goes up to a massive crossbar (and the crossbar also appears to have two large lengths of leather-wrapped chain that go up to these enormous hooks on either side).
You see, standing by that carriage with some belongings in a knapsack under her arm is Amadah, who turns to you and says,

“Welcome. Are you all right? I heard some shouts down below.”

  • thisisdee@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    2·
    1 month ago

    I just started the episode and already loving Ashley, as always. “And also Vaelus was there” to “I forgot my dice again!” Never change Ashley!

  • Ultragramps@lemmy.blahaj.zoneOPMEnglish
    1·
    27 days ago

    ♪Episode Song References♪

    ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ

    Highlights

    • 00:21:44 Alex:“Lightning Crashes, Horses whinny.”
    • 00:25:15 Vaelus was also there.
    • 00:25:43 Demonic Team Rocket
    • 00:26:12 Alex:“Hold!.”
    • 00:26:45 The Closets of Castle Klippenblicke. The Schneffenkeep, in particular.
    • 00:28:39 Aabria:“5’11” chicks."
    • 00:30:33 Massive nest. Angry bird.
    • 00:33:08 Amadah:“I’m not frightened.”
      Julien’s bluster fades.
    • 00:33:30 Eagle named Altradler (Old Cyclist in German?)
    • 00:35:45 Sleepy cranky boi (both the eagle and Julien)
    • 00:39:10 `Walker’s Ward’ is the opposite of an Air Tag. That is for Occtis.
    • 00:41:58 The box is a source of both fire and ammunition. What a combo.
    • 00:43:39 All apologies
    • 00:45:00 Some silly seat belt miming
    • 00:46:36 Julien doesn’t like rollercoasters
    • 00:47:07 Flap Without A Trace
    • 00:48:24 Aabria:“Big birds at night. Impossible flight. My haiku of ‘please don’t kill us’.”
    • 00:51:50 Something is off
    • 00:53:30 The spirits and faces pushing through from the other side are reminiscient of the swarm of undead during the attack on House Davinos
    • 00:54:30 Thaisha sneezes out a Ray of Frost for 13 damage.
      Hannan:“Stop it!”
    • 00:56:19 Thaisha:“You’re doing great…maybe faster?”
      Great faces for Altradler’s speed boost.
    • 00:58:28 Fan Art Moment Altradler zooming through undead and lighting with one eye and carrying precious cargo.
    • 01:00:30 Sheesh, you blast someone one time…
    • 01:02:46 Fan Art Moment Sleepy buddies!
    • 01:05:42 Vaelus:“I beg to differ.”
    • 01:07:00 Why are you here?
    • 01:09:25 Vaelus’ meditation techniques
    • 01:10:30 Visual learning
    • 01:11:36 Valid parallel to being “pee shy”
    • 01:14:00 Sequoias are truly massive trees.
    • 01:16:38 Remembering prayers is hard
    • 01:17:27 Lore Drop Arthas:“You can’t say ‘bitch’ on a unicorn.”
    • 01:25:38 Vaelus’ vibrant reverie comes to a finish
    • 01:26:35 What’s in the box?

    INTERMISSION

    We return to the skies over Helvar. Occtis, you have spent the past several hours. Your companions across the carriage from you are yet asleep. Vaelus wakes up after four hours and you have spent the better part of an evening with your back up against Thaisha’s knees (the area in front of you) under the seat (and also on top of the seat) available as a workspace for you to look through these items.

    • 01:39:17 Three charms: Hare’s, Otter’s and Spring. Inside the box is an item known as The Embers of Arask (the primordial queen of fire).
    • 01:43:31 You can certainly try. But let’s not light the carriage or eagle on fire.
    • 01:44:39 The Kibbenimkedaz, the Book of the Names of Stones. Stones have long names.
    • 01:50:00 Occtis gets the bird cage cover treatment
    • 01:52:34 Thimble is Occtis’ Happy Thought
    • 01:55:50 Julien:“We are over the city and the bird is getting sleepy.”
    • 01:56:44 The Barrowdell appears as a dome of stars (showing that section of the night sky at all hours)
    • 02:00:06 Thaisha:“I love him. Get your stuff. We gotta go.”
    • 02:01:54 Too soon, Brennan.
    • 02:07:53 Julien:“Very astute of you.”
    • 02:09:09 Thaisha:“Wolf mode.” (Thaisha made a promise of meat for Altradler)
    • 02:10:31 Lore Drop Aranessa is not a fan of swimming. Matt mimes adjusting Julien’s gauntlet while Thaisha seeks compensation for the coming loss of goat.
    • 02:12:34 Julien knows of a couple contacts: Captain Phaedron and someone called “the High Ranger”
    • 02:14:06 Lady Alice Wolkschif leads Gerwyn
    • 02:16:19 Even if the goats prove to be prudish
    • 02:17:23 Thaisha:“Thank you for risking landing in the dark, but making it to the light. Safe journey! Learn to count!”
    • 02:18:25 Bird Drop Red-tailed Hawk (Hannan’s Wildshape)
    • 02:21:08 Locate Object on Hannan for later
    • 02:23:42 Abandoned public squares show defensive structures facing the direction of the Eternal Night
    • 02:24:16 Mage Armor on Occtis
    • 02:26:53 Occtis predicts a likely path for him into the Eternal Night
    • 02:27:23 Thaisha just recently left the Shadowlight Waypoint further north only 2 weeks prior to Dol-Makjar
    • 02:29:17 Unconscious mom energy
    • 02:30:13 Sir Tonweld Kerzingblad
    • 02:31:00 Mom hears about Alogar’s reputation with ale
    • 02:31:35 Aabria silently lore drops to Alex and Ashley
    • 02:31:56 High Ranger Bierza Kagrikovolek
    • 02:32:49 Kerzingblad’s mom is proud of him
    • 02:34:19 The Candescent Creed is already here with a wagon load of filament
    • 02:37:28 Vendala:“…without you here, they’ve all gotten a good night’s sleep.”
      Aranessa:“What the hell is going on here? We’re paying for all this.”
      Vaelus:“I’m sorry, is this a ‘fuck castle’? That’s wonderful!”
    • 02:39:22 Sir Castly Nural has glowing filament tattoos
    • 02:40:38 Hannan heads to the Shadowlight Waypoint
    • 02:42:57 Did you bang my son, Julien?
    • 02:44:25 Not That Kerzingblad
    • 02:46:20 Kerzingblad:“He’s not risking it every day. Sometimes we go to town.”
    • 02:47:05 Staff Sergeant Domnhell Fletcher is down
    • 02:49:05 Occtis gets the last shot in the shade thrown with Julien
    • 02:50:55 Dame Gaya Seremai with a sick snek tat which Julien seems to know in its entirety.
    • 02:52:45 The comeraderie around Julien is throwing off the rest of the party.
    • 02:53:05 Matt gets tummy rumbles
    • 02:55:18 Aranessa quick with a solid cover story
    • 02:58:45 The Seekers are a Motley fucking Cru
    • 03:00:42 The Seremai knight is staring at Occtis
    • 03:01:42 Aranessa should have an entourage of 30 men-at-arms, a guardian pixie, supply carriages, etc.
    • 03:02:32 Julien delivers the news of the attack on his house. Aranessa adds the confiscation of goods and imprisonment at Riesingürtle
    • 03:06:27 The Revolutionary Council has the power to remove Julien’s authority
    • 03:07:56 Occtis:“…you have some decisions to make.”
    • 03:09:40 It seems the Tachonis sent a missive resulting in the excursion to Tannesar that Alogar is a part of.
    • 03:13:47 Thaisha is ready to rescue Alogar
    • 03:16:24 Julien is highly motivated to stop any Tachonis plans
    • 03:18:45 Ain’t nobody got time for that (political bullshit)
    • 03:19:37 The Tiria Via, name of the road between
    • 03:22:00 Gaya’s crime reiterated; sending an official House missive without proper documentation.
    • 03:23:40 Aw shit, that’s the plan?
    • 03:25:39 Thaisha:“Nessa, who are you now?”
    • 03:27:30 Aranessa is clearly conflicted.
    • 03:29:25 A purpose.
    • 03:31:24 Aranessa decides to make way for the Golden Orchard as the party plans to travel into the darkness.
    • 03:33:26 Aabria requests a trusted adult after mystery dice rolls are discussed
    • 03:37:29 Not a liar, just lacking agency due to the pacts of predecessors
    • 03:38:25 Oh, Kerzingblad
    • 03:39:18 Aranessa:“In this life or the next, my sister.”
    • 03:41:05 Occtis is ready to dine and dash
    • 03:41:49 Vaelus’ letter
    • 03:42:23 Alex neck cracks when the legos snap in place
    • 03:43:55 Aranessa with a parting zinger