EP. 66 Night Terrors

[00:00:05] Speaker A: You are listening to an atomic broadcasting production. [00:00:08] Speaker B: So sit back, relax, and enjoy the feature presentation. [00:00:13] Speaker A: And remember, do your part, such as like comment rate. And don't forget to tell a friend to tune in for an atomic time. [00:00:31] Speaker C: Now, where did we leave off? [00:00:35] Speaker D: A. [00:00:38] Speaker C: As night fell, Zafir called on the bogeyman to ask about their unholy arrangement. But the boogeyman seemed less stable than before and threatened him that the next time they meth, there would be a body. Zafir, we're going to pick up where we left off. You have just woken up in your room, laying flat on your back on the floor. All of the doors and windows are closed. There's no light sources. It's pitch black. But with your dark vision, you can still see, of course, in the room. [00:01:20] Speaker E: I immediately get up as fast as I can and run to the door. Try to. I don't even pay attention to the things that I've blocked the door cracks with and just pull them along with the doors. I throw it. I don't really throw it as much as a door can open. And I start to run directly for the common area because I know that he's probably going to be there. [00:01:47] Speaker C: As you descend the stairs back down into the common area of the tavern, you immediately notice that your vision hasn't switched back from dark vision to regular sight. As you realize the common area is just as dark as upstairs would have been. There's a brief moment of confusion, maybe just a hint of just like, fear, before you realize it's just nighttime. There's a slim, slim glimmer, a shimmer, a sliver. There's a sliver of moonlight coming in through one of the windows. And it sets your mind at ease that there's no supernatural darkness going on. It's just night. [00:02:33] Speaker E: I'm gonna give the air a quick sniff. [00:02:35] Speaker D: And what time is it? And is the stew still boiling? [00:02:43] Speaker C: You'd guess that it's probably around 230. Are you casting time sense with your sniff? Okay, it is 237 and a half am. [00:02:53] Speaker E: It's good to know because if it was 236, this could be completely different. I don't remember which room is our words, but I am going to turn around and start heading that direction. [00:03:11] Speaker F: As you turn, roiling down the hall is this pale green mist that starts flowing right through and around you and starting to fill up the whole common area. I'm going to stop, and from behind you, you heard. I see you're still playing the hero's affair. [00:03:41] Speaker E: You see, probably the weirdest reaction that you've ever seen. Half tighten up immediately. Slump, tighten, just like a spasming muscle as I start to slowly turn around. [00:04:04] Speaker F: As you turn around, you see figure moving through the mist, very silhouetted at the moment, kind of just walking around the tables, and there's just this extra kind of, like, tapping, clacking noise, like something sharp just happening along each of the tables. I've come to check in on our arrangement. [00:04:34] Speaker D: Hymir, is that. Is that you? [00:04:42] Speaker F: Yes. We're here. [00:04:46] Speaker D: I was half expecting something else. [00:04:51] Speaker F: In this darkness, still plagued by your dreams? [00:04:57] Speaker D: They're far more than dreams at this point, a mere. I don't think that our arrangement plays any part of my journey at this point. [00:05:12] Speaker F: That's unfortunate. And he continues to get closer as the mist also follows along. But even as he gets closer and closer, it's still hard to see him and make out. And this, like, praying mantis sort of arm jabs itself into one of the stools by the bar, seemingly stretching out from Hymir's silhouette. [00:05:39] Speaker E: Upon seeing that, Zafir is slowly kind of drawing his fingers over the amulet that he had put around his wrist, the one that can become a weapon. [00:05:51] Speaker D: What's happened to you, Hamir? [00:05:54] Speaker F: Nothing that wasn't already done. And you hear his chain start to, like, uncoil on the ground. I've been searching and searching more for Hertha. The gods don't seem interested in letting me do my work. I've gone through a lot of seers, clairvoyants, wizards, many people who claim they can find things for me. Things have begun to change. I need you to be focusing for me on where earth I is. I don't have the time or the ability to waste anymore on this blockade put before me. [00:06:53] Speaker D: Are you sure? Are you sure that you're searching for the same thing that you started? [00:07:00] Speaker F: Oh, yes. Yes. If they're keeping me from finding her, like they've been doing all my life, getting in my way, taking me from my family, using me like a toy. Well, now it's time to shift focus, get them out of the way. [00:07:24] Speaker D: Who? Who are you talking about? [00:07:25] Speaker F: The gods of fear. All these fake things that pretend like they know what's going on and pretend like they know what's best. [00:07:35] Speaker D: Amir, as much as I am not a religious man, I. I know people use these gods as something to rely on. You can't just. [00:07:46] Speaker F: We understand what they are, and we know they're just in the way of everyone, of everything that needs done. [00:07:52] Speaker D: We? You keep saying we. Who are you talking about? [00:07:56] Speaker F: As you say that, there are other silhouettes moving around in the mists. And he starts to move forward a bit out of the mist. And you see coming out of his back right shoulder, is that long praying mantis like limb. And out his right eye, near his tattoo. Growing out of his tattoo are like these fungus y, corally eye shapes growing over his right eye and all around. [00:08:28] Speaker D: Amir, you said that what happened to you is. Has always been this way. Or at least was happening when I last saw you. But this. This is not right. [00:08:43] Speaker F: It's all the same. The chains are just loosened a bit. Ever since I died, what we've been together. [00:08:53] Speaker D: I don't understand. [00:08:54] Speaker F: You don't have to understand, Zafir. It's not your place in life. [00:09:00] Speaker D: What is it that you want me to do now? [00:09:05] Speaker F: I want you to uphold your end of the bargain. Just like before, we need you to find my daughter. Because the gods won't let me. [00:09:14] Speaker D: And do what? [00:09:16] Speaker F: Bring her to me. And on failing that, tell me where she is and we can be together again. That's why all this is being done. Family is the most important thing. They come before everything else. Doesn't matter what has to be done for it. [00:09:40] Speaker D: And what if that family is already gone? [00:09:46] Speaker F: I would know if it was already gone. Severe. [00:09:49] Speaker D: What about those who are my family? Hymir has been gone for many years. And I can't put my family first unless they're able to return. [00:10:05] Speaker F: What you do about your family is your own business, Zafir. If they're dead and rotting, then it's just you. [00:10:14] Speaker D: Why aren't you dead and rotting if you've already died? [00:10:17] Speaker F: Cause I was given an opportunity for something more. To defy the gods. To find my daughter. To have a second chance. To have redemption. [00:10:32] Speaker D: I don't think this is redemption. [00:10:37] Speaker F: Yours is not to think, Sophia. You're just got her trash. You're just a weapon for me or anyone else to use. Sophia, you don't have to understand. You don't have to think. Yours is just to do. I give you money. You do your thing. Here, you hear? Like some chinkling. I got this off of the last man who told me he failed. If you need more incentive, Amber. [00:11:11] Speaker D: I don't want your money. I don't want to be. I don't want to be your weapon. I'm not going to be the one to deliver someone to something they probably don't want. [00:11:32] Speaker F: The mold's got a conscious now. You cared about those people in jail, about those arids and hurting them. Seemed important to do. You sit still. Are the lives of others growing more useful to you? [00:11:56] Speaker D: I'd say they're just as useful as they've always been. [00:12:03] Speaker F: So do you care about Nazareth? If you don't care about the money, if you don't care about the people, what do you care about now? [00:12:16] Speaker D: I think I care about doing the right thing. [00:12:22] Speaker F: What is the right thing, Zafir? Is that what you think? Every choice you're making is for the right thing? [00:12:31] Speaker D: Hey, Mir, look out the window. Do you see the moon? Do you see the stars? How far can you see? [00:12:45] Speaker F: I can see further than you've ever known. [00:12:48] Speaker D: This haze, this mist that you're putting out, that you're covering things with. You're blocking yourself from seeing the immediate, the present. Amir, listen. You look up those moonshi. However many there are in this universe, the stars, how far does the sky go? Where does it stop? When it comes to doing the right thing, you have to draw a line somewhere. [00:13:26] Speaker F: Stops nothingness of fear and less nothingness. A line? The line is my family. You. You don't get to philosophize a fear. You're well past that point in your life. I need you to do this one simple thing that none of the others could do. And if you don't want payment, then how about a threat? You travel with these people, grows a bond. Whether you want one or not. Ayuver is already gone. So I can't say anything about him. [00:14:11] Speaker D: How do you know that? [00:14:13] Speaker F: We know a lot of things, Saphir. I know that if you continue to fail to look into this, if you fail me, I'll treat you like every one of the others. And the praying mantis arm recedes into the mists and you hear it like a soft squelching as it, like, jabs into something and it starts coming out of the mists and there's just like a rotting severed head. Perhaps if I did this to your friends, to our. To his family, to that woman you're traveling with. A new one? Or maybe I take some things from you. Will that motivate you enough? Zafir? [00:15:04] Speaker D: Hey, Mir. If I learn something, I will be sure to tell them to find you. What they do from that point on will be their decision. [00:15:27] Speaker F: You could have made this a lot easier as a fear, you know. You could have just known your place, been yourself. [00:15:36] Speaker D: I'm making this promise to you. [00:15:38] Speaker F: It's not what I asked you to do. [00:15:41] Speaker D: You asked me to bring them to you. Having them go there on their own volition would be easier now, wouldn't it? [00:15:48] Speaker B: Hmm? [00:15:49] Speaker D: At least alive. That's what I do, Hymir. I kill people. I don't bring them places. [00:16:00] Speaker F: The mists start to shrink in, closing you in more as these figures are moving about around you, you hear the clattering of the chain more and more. Hamir kind of steps back into the mist. The chain lashes out, wraps around your arm, and you get pulled toward the mist as this praying mantis like appendage comes down across your face, and we just see a splattering of blood. [00:16:37] Speaker E: You can hear the fear wincing in pain. [00:16:41] Speaker F: Bring her to me. And if you can't manage that, tell me where she is, and I'll make sure you can keep on going and keep living, and then maybe you can figure something out with your conscience once it doesn't affect me anymore. We're tired of it. We have big things to do. Now, I give you some time to fear, but if you take too long, I'll come back and take payment. [00:17:15] Speaker D: Just go. Stop following us. Go find your gods and kill them, whatever you have to do. I will do what I can. [00:17:28] Speaker F: You'll do what you were born to do. The mists all start receding, and it's empty and dark again. [00:17:40] Speaker D: I need to talk to Val. [00:17:50] Speaker C: So, Einar, now that you're back in the room with us, you came back in and told Alward that Zafir wasn't going to make it to dinner. And despite Al Word's disappointment, the rest of the party was able to enjoy the stew that he had made, which was honestly not too bad, given what he had to work with. And after dinner, you were wanting to head out to town to purchase some things, is that right? [00:18:18] Speaker A: Yeah, he'd probably go to, I don't know, local library, or whatever they use for. [00:18:27] Speaker C: Yeah, the town's not quite big enough for there to be a library, but asking around, the town folk are friendly enough. They point you to a local wizard who has a collection of books and maps and other accoutrements of knowledge acquirement. [00:18:47] Speaker A: Um, I'd. I'd go over there and knock on the door. Excuse me, sir. I'm. You see, I think I've lost my map of the area, and I was wondering, do you have one I could use or borrow or buy? [00:19:06] Speaker C: And the wizard with a sort of, like, pinched moolish face and a little pince nezda set of glasses, just. Well, I have one, but I can't lend it out for long. I'm going to need it for my studies. But I could pass it over for the night. [00:19:26] Speaker A: I'll copy over the stuff that I need. [00:19:31] Speaker C: Is there anything you could leave in trust so I could be sure of receiving it in the morning? [00:19:39] Speaker A: I don't have anything of great value, but I do have this. And he takes off his cloak. It was a gift from my mother. You can be assured that I'll come back for it. [00:20:00] Speaker C: He takes the cloak from you, and at first is just kind of handling it carelessly, but then very quickly, like, changes his demeanor and looks more closely and is like, hmm, yes, this is a very fine make. Good craftsmanship. Yes, this will do nicely. And he gently folds it up and tucks it under his arm. I will fetch the map. You are free to wait here in the foyer. [00:20:26] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:20:28] Speaker C: We go ahead and have a crossfade and the next thing we see is Einar sitting in the dark in his own room, in the dancing fairy, hunched up over this tiny little desk. Einar himself having to duck even when standing in this small fairy sized room, just crouched in front of this desk with one small candle, shedding just enough light for us to see what he's working on. [00:21:01] Speaker A: Okay, so, okay, this spot's different. And this, this over here. And we can go here. And. Oh, when they said fieldwork, I didn't realize I'd be doing so much homework. [00:21:18] Speaker C: And so you're copying information off of the wizards map onto your own map. Right. It had some like blank spaces that you're working on filling in? [00:21:27] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So next to the wizards map is actually what looks like kind of a hand drawn map. And as you said, there's blank spaces on it. And what he's doing is he's referencing the wizards map and kind of filling in those blank spaces of like topography or whatnot. But he's also referencing, up right above the hand drawn map is this old book that he's been flipping through and looking at the book, it's written in Dwarvish, but in between the lines there seems to be a translation and a very spidery handwriting of that dwarvish. And he's taking notes from it and the map and then filling in those blank spaces. [00:22:13] Speaker C: The camera pulls in for a close up on the candle, and we watch as the candle quickly melts down closer and closer, almost threatening to gutter in its own wax as we transition forward deeper into the night. [00:22:28] Speaker A: Okay, so that's pretty much all the information I can get. All right, so we can go here, or we can go here. Or we can go there. Alright, that's finished, finally. So where can we go would be best. We can either go there, or we can actually take this route and go. [00:22:55] Speaker D: Here. [00:22:57] Speaker A: Over there, anywhere, really. There's so much more unorganized than I thought they were gonna be. Oh, listen to me. I'm turning into you. [00:23:15] Speaker C: At that moment, you hear a thud of a sound, almost as if someone just, like, fell against the wall in the hallway outside of your room. And with that drawing your attention, you tune in your senses a little more closely, and you can hear the footsteps of two people heading down the hallway. And it sounds like one of them is a little bit unsteady on their feet. [00:23:41] Speaker A: The thud startles Einardhead, just it being so early in the morning at this point. And he quickly closes the book, folds up his map, and just stuffs it in his bag, just out of habit and him being startled and then realizing that one, it's not somebody coming through the door and hearing those footsteps. He just frowns and just decides to go. Can just take a peek. [00:24:16] Speaker C: All right. And with that, I need to go back and see what Alward and Zafir have been up to. So, Sven, would you go ahead and send those players in? All right, petite, go ahead and set the scene for us. [00:24:34] Speaker E: So you're peacefully sleeping, and you hear, not sure if you wake up, some quiet tapping at your door, and it starts to get louder and louder until it becomes pounding. [00:24:55] Speaker D: Owood. Owood. [00:24:59] Speaker B: Can you say that one more time? [00:25:01] Speaker D: Oward. [00:25:02] Speaker B: Thank you. Ours gonna wake up. Summon his unseen servant, who's going to open the door, and he's, like, gonna, like, start putting on his clothes. [00:25:12] Speaker E: How aware of things are you right now? Like, are your eyes open? Are you usually pretty? Do you wake up quickly, or are you still pretty groggy? [00:25:22] Speaker B: He typically wakes up pretty fast, but he has routines that he goes through in the morning. He's assuming you're waking him up because it's morning. [00:25:30] Speaker E: So when the door opens, you see Zafir drenched with sweat and potentially humidity. And on his face, you can see a fresh lesion coming down his face. Jordi, can you describe that a little bit for me? [00:25:56] Speaker C: Yeah. So, on Zafir's face, on his right side, there's two gashes into his face that go horizontally at first, and then turn and cut down in a vertical line. You immediately recognize these gashes. They look very similar to the tattoo that Hamir had on his face. [00:26:21] Speaker B: Are you. What's going on? Are you okay? Do you need to see Val? [00:26:25] Speaker D: No, I need to talk to you. [00:26:27] Speaker B: You're bleeding. [00:26:28] Speaker D: Never mind that. I really, really need to talk you outward. I have for. For a very long time now. [00:26:38] Speaker B: Um, okay, Ed, I'm just gonna have my unseen servant stand in front of you to catch your blood so it doesn't get on the floor. [00:26:47] Speaker D: Oh, that's disgusting. [00:26:48] Speaker B: Bloodstains are really hard to get out, even with prestidigitation. [00:26:52] Speaker E: I put my hands kind of over my face just to kind of COVID where the blood is coming out, hopefully to catch most of it. [00:27:01] Speaker D: Do you have any rags or anything I could. [00:27:05] Speaker B: No, but I have this. And he sort of hands you some scratch parchment. [00:27:10] Speaker E: As you hand that to him, you see in his hand, hilt facing towards you, the dagger that you've seen him use many times. And he's kind of doing emotion, just holding it out to you, as well as taking the parchment. [00:27:28] Speaker D: I know you've looked at this before, but can you please tell me anything further about it? [00:27:37] Speaker B: That's not how that works, Sofia. [00:27:41] Speaker D: Please, just try. For me. [00:27:45] Speaker B: Howard's gonna have his mage hand take it from you and touch it with his finger. [00:27:53] Speaker C: As before. You immediately get the sensation of grief with just, like, a touch of anger and confusion mixed in. [00:28:06] Speaker B: It's been forever. Which ones of those are new? [00:28:10] Speaker C: None of those are new. That's very similar to the impression you got last time you touched it. If you wanted to delve further, you could, you know, maintain contact for a full minute and really focus. [00:28:22] Speaker B: It seems to be the same thing. I don't. [00:28:25] Speaker D: Please, Howard. I need something more. Hold on to it. Just put the hilt in your hand and just try, please. [00:28:36] Speaker B: Which one do you want? There's multiple emotions going on. I don't know. [00:28:39] Speaker D: Anything. Anything further than something I get by just looking at it. [00:28:44] Speaker B: I don't know what you get by. You know, you've been really rude to me in the past couple of days. Why? Also, it's not morning. Why did you wake me up? [00:28:56] Speaker F: I've. [00:28:57] Speaker D: I needed to come to you as soon as possible. I've had some interesting conversations in the last. I don't know from what it feels to me. A few hours. I don't know how long I was asleep. Albert, the things I've said to you, I won't take back. You. You don't realize how hard this is for me. There are so many things that I have denied just for the sake of keeping my morals. But I tell you this with all certainty. I do have a price for anyone. And as much as it may anger you to hear, that includes you and your family. [00:29:55] Speaker B: I'm not mad. I'm more disappointed than. And if you have a price for anyone, then you don't have morals. Really? But that's one thing or another. [00:30:09] Speaker D: But I didn't say I didn't have morals. Albert, you know that money that you owe me? [00:30:16] Speaker B: It's not that much. [00:30:17] Speaker D: Can you consider that the price for your family? [00:30:24] Speaker B: You would kill my mother? Family for 45 gold and five silver? [00:30:29] Speaker D: Possibly. [00:30:32] Speaker B: It's not a lot. [00:30:33] Speaker D: No, it's not. [00:30:36] Speaker B: So you burst into my room demanding a favor of me? [00:30:42] Speaker D: Yes. [00:30:42] Speaker B: And you've done nothing, and then stand there and say you're going to kill my family if I don't pay you money? [00:30:48] Speaker D: Howard, you not realize it. It's not about your family. [00:30:55] Speaker E: Zafir is getting closer and closer. What's that we're doing? [00:31:00] Speaker B: I don't know the dimensions of this room, so I don't know what I'm able to do. [00:31:04] Speaker C: It's pretty cramped. [00:31:06] Speaker B: Okay. I guess I would try to be maneuvering to where I'm at the door. And you're nothing. Keeping the unseen servant in front of you. [00:31:14] Speaker E: Since I came in the door, I'm trying to stay with my back to the door with you in front of me. But as I'm getting closer and closer to you, as close as I possibly can, I too cast telekinetic hand. And I go to reach for the dagger and start moving it hilt forward towards you. [00:31:38] Speaker D: Howard, I need you to feel what I feel. [00:31:43] Speaker B: You know, there are nice ways to go about things. Zafir. [00:31:46] Speaker D: I don't have time to be nice, everyone. You don't realize what I've been through the last hour. [00:31:53] Speaker B: I mean, you can explain. [00:31:55] Speaker D: I don't have time to explain. You don't realize. I need to know this. [00:31:59] Speaker B: In the five minutes we've been talking, you could have explained instead of saying you'll kill my family again and insinuating I'm not worth anything to you. But fine. It takes a lot of focus. So I'm going to lock you out of my room, because you're being very aggressive. But I will look at the dagger for you. [00:32:22] Speaker D: Howard, listen to me. My face, it's very bloody. Hamir did this. [00:32:29] Speaker B: He's in the town. [00:32:30] Speaker D: He's in the inn. [00:32:32] Speaker B: Why didn't you lead with that? [00:32:34] Speaker D: He's not my main concern right now. [00:32:36] Speaker B: He's kind of my main. Wait, you know who's here? [00:32:41] Speaker D: Yes, of course. But he didn't seem to care. At least he doesn't realize who she is now. This is what is important, right? [00:32:48] Speaker B: But I'm still gonna lock you out of my room. [00:32:51] Speaker A: I just said I'd look at it. [00:32:53] Speaker D: I can't be out there. You can't leave me without my dagger. [00:32:57] Speaker B: You have a bow in a rapier, and magic. [00:33:01] Speaker D: Not how that works. [00:33:03] Speaker B: Pretty sure that's how that works. [00:33:04] Speaker D: No. [00:33:08] Speaker B: Fine, but go stand in that corner or something. [00:33:13] Speaker D: Fine, I will. [00:33:15] Speaker B: I'm gonna go in the other corner. The unseen servant's gonna shut the door, lock it. If it has a lock. [00:33:22] Speaker C: Yeah, it's got, like, a slide bolt. [00:33:24] Speaker B: So, yeah, I'm gonna do that. Let's focus on the confusion, I guess, because I don't remember that last time, but, Al, word. [00:33:32] Speaker C: As you're holding the dagger in your hand and you focus in on that sense of confusion, slowly, out of the darkness, a face appears. And you see the face of someone who is undoubtedly Zafir. As a child, as usual, you see it from the perspective of if you were the object seeing the face, and you're looking up at the childish zafir's face, just tears coming down his face. Eyes red, both in the natural sense from crying, but also in the zafir sense of being full of emotion. And you can just see written all over his face, just anguish, confusion, fear, as if something terrible has just happened. [00:34:24] Speaker B: Okay. Nothing different. I don't. [00:34:29] Speaker E: When you look up at Zafir, you see that he's holding an identical dagger, except one that's not been bloodstained. [00:34:42] Speaker B: Howard, where did you get that? [00:34:45] Speaker D: This dagger is meant for your family. [00:34:49] Speaker B: I don't like how you have a specific dagger meant to murder my whole family. [00:34:54] Speaker D: I'm only telling you because I want to see your reaction. [00:35:00] Speaker B: I mean, my reaction is I want you to throw the dagger out of the window and not speak of it and not murder my family. [00:35:05] Speaker D: Oh, I highly doubt if I threw it out the window window, it wouldn't come right back to me in some way, shape or form outward. Does this upset you? [00:35:14] Speaker B: I mean, yeah, you're trained killer. [00:35:17] Speaker D: Does this not make you mad? [00:35:19] Speaker B: I mean, I don't know what to feel. I'm very confused right now. [00:35:23] Speaker D: Do you not want to get rid of me? [00:35:26] Speaker B: I want you to stop trying to kill my family. [00:35:28] Speaker D: Alwood, listen to me. I want to know how you feel about this. [00:35:36] Speaker B: This moment right now. [00:35:38] Speaker D: Yes. [00:35:39] Speaker B: Scared. A little frightened of someone who I've been traveling with. I really want to check on Val. [00:35:48] Speaker D: This blade is not meant for you. [00:35:53] Speaker B: Right. [00:35:54] Speaker D: But as soon as we see your family, a decision will have to be made. [00:36:01] Speaker B: I mean, you could choose easily to not make that decision of murder. Um, is this about whatever you have going on with whatever deal you made, with whatever deity Zafir is going to. [00:36:16] Speaker E: Stand up and start moving towards you? [00:36:19] Speaker D: This blade is not meant for you. [00:36:25] Speaker E: I'm holding the dagger as close as I can to you. [00:36:29] Speaker D: Albert. I know you don't like to fight, but I know you have avenues to other fighting arrangements. I have seen you do things that I can't explain. [00:36:42] Speaker B: I can't explain them. [00:36:43] Speaker D: I have seen time reverse itself. [00:36:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it's kind of scary. [00:36:48] Speaker D: I know that you can change outcomes. [00:36:51] Speaker B: Not really. [00:36:52] Speaker D: How would fight me? [00:36:54] Speaker B: No. [00:36:55] Speaker D: How would. [00:36:56] Speaker B: I don't. I don't want to. [00:36:58] Speaker D: This is the only way I can do things. [00:37:01] Speaker B: It's by fighting. [00:37:02] Speaker D: Have you ever seen me try to talk my way out of a situation? [00:37:05] Speaker B: Yes. At least once. In fact, I was part of a way that you were. It was the ball. You didn't want to harm that girl, and we didn't want to harm Ziggy. We did. We were a pretty good team, I thought. And now you have a dagger specifically. How did you even craft that thing? Can I make a crafting check on that dagger? [00:37:28] Speaker E: Zafir takes a swipe at you with. [00:37:32] Speaker B: That, I think the unseen servant is going to go up and be the thing that you swiped at, and Albert's going to sort of shimmy around you and out of the corner more to the open room. [00:37:49] Speaker E: Seeing that, he turns around quickly, sweat throwing off of his hair as it swipes through. [00:37:56] Speaker B: Why are you so sweaty? [00:37:59] Speaker D: Why are you asking all the wrong questions? [00:38:02] Speaker B: Why are you attacking me? [00:38:04] Speaker D: How would. You are the hardest person to get through. Through? I need you to fight me on your own terms. [00:38:14] Speaker B: On my own terms? We wouldn't fight. [00:38:19] Speaker D: If you don't do this. The decision is already made. [00:38:28] Speaker B: Look, we will do it on my terms. I've only done this once on my terms, and it was when I was very unstable. So I want to try a different way, and I think both of us will. Well, I won't get what I want, but you will. And if that will mean you stop attacking me and trying to murder my family, then it's a win win. [00:39:07] Speaker D: Do what you must. [00:39:09] Speaker B: Okay. Um. Howard's going to find a table in the room and, like, move it to the center, and he's going then to get a chair for you. He gestures you to sit down. Then he's going to have his unseen servant brew some coffee, and he's going to sit down, and while the unseen servants brewing the coffee. He's like the first time I was at a coffee shop that I quite enjoy. So I would like to do it like this. So just wait for about three more seconds, and we'll have coffee and do this as civilly as possible. [00:39:53] Speaker E: Zafir takes the dagger, and he puts it in his left boot, noting, of course, every time he's taken out the other dagger, he's always pulled it out of his. [00:40:02] Speaker D: Right. [00:40:03] Speaker B: Now, can I make a crafting check in the three? [00:40:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, while the coffee's brewing, go ahead and give me a crafting check. [00:40:09] Speaker B: Cool. [00:40:10] Speaker E: This is not at all how I thought this conversation would go, but at least we're getting somewhere. [00:40:14] Speaker C: 28 with a 28 hours. Do you recognize the these daggers craftsmanship as being both of elven tradition and of using the crafting style and materials that would be more commonly found in southern Avistan, more around the area of Cheliaks. Furthermore, you note that the two daggers are a matching set. They're not exactly identical. From what you could see, they look like they're meant to work as a pair of hours. [00:40:47] Speaker B: Reflecting on that while we're sort of both waiting, I'm assuming you're staring at our impatiently. [00:40:52] Speaker E: Daggers. [00:40:53] Speaker B: Yeah. I didn't want to say it, but, you know, and Howard's, like, very, like, he's sitting up straight and, like, very, like, focused and, like, not really paying attention to. He's just avoiding your gaze and eye contact. And then the unseen servant comes with the cups of coffee, and he's doing his best not to show that he's shaking a little bit. And he's like, okay, we'll try this. And he's gonna try and reach out to your mind to see if he can't engage. He's basically trying to mimic what the dwarf did to him at the coffee shop to, as an exact of a. [00:41:32] Speaker C: T as possible and al word, as you begin to reach out and do your best to psychically open your mind, you feel sort of a sense of maybe some sort of openness. [00:41:47] Speaker E: And then Zaphir is not only staring daggers, but he's got both of his hands on the tables, and he's just slightly trembling. [00:41:57] Speaker B: I'm glad we're both trembling. [00:41:58] Speaker E: With an extremely stoic expression. [00:42:02] Speaker D: Why isn't anything happening? [00:42:05] Speaker B: I don't know. Like I said, I don't know. So what I'm, what we have to do is we have to connect our minds. Place kind of. Not really, but yes. [00:42:18] Speaker E: Zafir stands up, and he head butts. [00:42:19] Speaker D: You. [00:42:22] Speaker C: As Zafir's head collides with alwards. We're watching from the side, and we see an explosion of color that quickly fades to gray as all of the world around them seems to just freeze and become timeless and indistinct in the background. And now we're focusing on just Alward and Zafir, seemingly freed from whatever postures they were in before the table with the coffee, just an indistinct shape in the background, as now, the two of them are standing face to face in the mindscape. [00:42:55] Speaker D: Alwood, now, before you do anything, I don't want to fight. [00:43:00] Speaker B: Oh, thank goodness. I didn't want to fight either. I think there are rules of this that we have to. I don't know. [00:43:06] Speaker D: That doesn't matter. If we have to fight, then we'll figure something out. But I want you to know that I did not mean anything that I just said. I was trying to get you angry. That's the only thing I know to do. [00:43:17] Speaker B: I don't like being bad. Things happen when that. Wait, you don't know how to have a conversation with someone? [00:43:25] Speaker D: It's not about the conversation. It's about the location. I'll. But as you know, I'm being hunted, right? And this is my only attempt to get away from him. [00:43:39] Speaker B: Wait, so is he mere actually here? [00:43:41] Speaker D: It's not hamir that I'm worried about again, but I. Val, he was here, but he left. Okay, the boogeyman. [00:43:51] Speaker B: Right. [00:43:51] Speaker D: He can hear me wherever I am, and my only assumption is that being in this type of space cuts me from that. [00:44:02] Speaker B: Um, can he hear your thoughts? [00:44:05] Speaker D: I don't know. [00:44:07] Speaker B: Because if he can hear your thoughts, that's what this is, right? [00:44:09] Speaker D: He's never expressed that to me, and he doesn't express a lot to me, but Howard, I spoke to him tonight. [00:44:17] Speaker B: Oh. [00:44:18] Speaker D: I summoned him. [00:44:19] Speaker B: What? [00:44:19] Speaker D: In my bedroom? [00:44:20] Speaker B: Why? [00:44:21] Speaker D: In the darkness? [00:44:22] Speaker B: That sounds detrimental to everyone's health. [00:44:25] Speaker D: Because the last time I spoke to him, he gave me this dagger and charged me to murder your family. And even though I've told him that the decision hasn't been made of. I'm not going to do it. I can't. It would be like killing my own family all over again. [00:44:47] Speaker B: Honestly, that's very pleasant to hear. I've been in a wreck for a couple of days now because of this. Um. Does he just give you daggers to kill people with? [00:44:58] Speaker D: This is the first time this has ever happened. [00:45:01] Speaker B: What about the other dagger? I know where that came from. Never mind. I don't want to relive that. That moment. [00:45:07] Speaker E: I'm coming to you because I know. [00:45:09] Speaker D: That you possess more power than any of the others. Not necessarily physical, but you seem to have abilities that may change things. [00:45:22] Speaker B: Um, so Val has direct connection to two deities that grant her unfathomable power. And also, she's part angel. [00:45:31] Speaker D: Have you. We will put a pin in that. Albert, I've seen the things that you've done. The flowers, the book. I know that something happened. I was very confused at the time, but after thinking about it, I know something happened and it was reversed, but I don't. [00:45:53] Speaker B: I. It's not something I. Let's say I flip a coin twice. There's no guarantee that either time will land on heads or tails. I am just allowed to try again. Do you understand? I'm not choosing anything except to attempt a second time. [00:46:20] Speaker D: But you can take the other choice. [00:46:25] Speaker B: It. It isn't another choice. It's another attempt. I can still fail. I have before it. [00:46:35] Speaker D: How would. I was told last night when I talked to him that the next time I see him, there will be a body. And that could be me, that could be your mother, your sister, or him. I don't have any control of the next time I see him. But if what he says is true, I don't see much of a choice. [00:47:10] Speaker B: Did you make a deal with this thing? [00:47:13] Speaker D: I made no deal. But he made it very clear to me that if I don't, I may not be alive again to make another deal with anyone else. Neither would you or Val or Einar or Neros. [00:47:30] Speaker B: The mindscape changes to looking like a very detailed bedroom with, like, a bookshelf. And it's a very fancy bedroom, too, like, upper class bedroom. And you can kind of see the look on Howard's face of just sort of like that sinking in and, like, just fear and terror, and he's like, um. Right. But wait. What do you want me to do? I don't. I can't. [00:48:01] Speaker D: How would. I should tell you the other part to this. And I don't think that it's a reality, just judging on the conversations I've had. But he's promised that if I do this, I will see my family again. [00:48:18] Speaker B: You know that's a lie, right? [00:48:22] Speaker D: As I've come to believe, yes. How would. I need help. [00:48:28] Speaker B: I'm more than willing to offer it, but I don't. [00:48:31] Speaker D: I need a way to do this without doing it. [00:48:37] Speaker E: I thought maybe you would offer, or. [00:48:39] Speaker D: You would be able to offer, the ability to make it happen and then reverse it. [00:48:45] Speaker B: And whenever I make something happen, it in revert, it reverses it. There is no. I mean, there's remnants. [00:48:52] Speaker D: But if he gets what he wants, I can be free of what he's asked for. [00:48:58] Speaker B: And then as the conversation sort of shifts to his time abilities, the room sort of starts fading away. And it's just like a golden web, but not really a web. Like threads of everything start appearing all around us. And they're, like, interlocking and tangling, passing through each other. It's like a confusing mess of just threads. It would be like giving him something and then immediately ripping it away. And he may have no idea it happened. Also, I don't want to see my family die in any aspect. [00:49:38] Speaker D: How would I. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. [00:49:45] Speaker B: Don't be sorry. You haven't done anything. [00:49:47] Speaker D: But I considered it. Well, I truly did. I'm sorry. I know that you will remember everything after we and this duel. I don't know how else we can discuss what we can do with the boogeyman without him hearing us. And I'm worried, Albert. I'm scared. And that doesn't come by easily. [00:50:19] Speaker E: The white or gray of the area shifts from that to darkness and then to the middle of a forest with towering trees, the leaves just covering with barely a trickle of light coming through. And Zafir is sitting there in the woods, blood on his hands. And he looks back up at you. [00:50:47] Speaker D: And says, I'm so scared, Albert. This happened to my family many years ago. And I never in my life would have thought that this would happen to someone else. [00:51:02] Speaker B: We still have time, you know. [00:51:04] Speaker D: Not much. [00:51:06] Speaker B: You don't have to see my family. You don't have to. [00:51:11] Speaker D: How would I talk to someone else in this town? And they said that if. If somebody's had a meeting with one, then I don't have much time left. And I figured that from the beginning, but I feel like if I. If we don't do something soon, each of you are going to be picked off, and it's all going to be my fault. [00:51:34] Speaker B: It won't be your fault, Zafir. You had no control over this thing. Its own fault. It just happened to choose you for some reason. Don't put the blame on yourself where it doesn't need to be, Albert. [00:51:51] Speaker D: I would be the only one left before I was killed, too. He would pick them all off one by one before taking me. And I don't want to be the last one left again. [00:52:03] Speaker B: That. [00:52:05] Speaker D: That's a what if I am always the last one left. What if he just keeps coming back and killing everyone around me that I know? Howard, that's no life to lead. I've spent so much time without family or friends that I don't think that making more friends would and well, at all. He would just start the cycle over again. He would take down those friends and then my next ones. And then sooner or later, I would just end up dying alone in a cave somewhere, trying to stay away from anyone. [00:52:49] Speaker B: Howard's eyes sort of well up a bit, and he's not. He, like, prevents any tears from coming out or anything. The leaves on the trees are starting to come back and. More thing. And then the darkness doesn't go away. But it's now raining. If you told me just two months ago that I would be taking on a large crime syndicate and preventing a possible apocalyptic future, I would have broke down in hysterics, laughing at your face. I have gained so much knowledge, and as much as I hate to admit it, power in the past two months that I'm positive whenever we have to deal with this thing, we'll be able to take it. And even if it does kill us all, you'll be able to take it on eventually. [00:53:58] Speaker D: As long as my friends are still with me, I hope to have a chance. [00:54:05] Speaker B: I don't know how much longer this lasts. Normally, it's a couple seconds because combat. [00:54:16] Speaker D: Then before we leave, I have one more request of you. How would that dagger that you're holding in your hand. [00:54:24] Speaker B: Howard looks down at his body. [00:54:28] Speaker E: When we wake up, I want you. [00:54:31] Speaker D: To stab me with it. [00:54:33] Speaker B: Does it matter where I stab you? [00:54:36] Speaker D: I need you to understand that this is going to be the signal of the end of my cycle. This dagger that I've given you has seen the blood of all of my family members but me. And I was meant to be one of them. When you stab me with that, I can lay it to rest. [00:55:07] Speaker B: I've never stabbed someone before. Um, I'll. I'll. You're not gonna stop me, are you? [00:55:15] Speaker D: I promise. [00:55:16] Speaker B: Okay. I'll. I'll try. Um. You are weird. Guys of here. [00:55:23] Speaker D: I know. I know. After. After you do it, take me to Validore. [00:55:31] Speaker B: Yeah. Are you right or left handed? [00:55:32] Speaker D: I'm. I'm right handed, but I'm sure she can take care of it. [00:55:37] Speaker B: I hope. [00:55:38] Speaker D: But afterwards, I'd like to put the dagger to rest, as I said. Yeah, I know it's early, but we've had our coffee, and I think it would be time. We can go out back and bury it. [00:55:55] Speaker B: That's understand, understandable. Um, I don't. [00:55:59] Speaker D: Best get on with it. [00:56:01] Speaker B: I don't like, um. I don't, uh. And then Al word's just gonna, like, hug you awkwardly, like, get down to your level and give you a hug. [00:56:11] Speaker E: You can feel Zafir is not tense in the slightest. He's just open and accepting. [00:56:21] Speaker B: And I think the mindscape would shift slightly to the kitchen that Albert has called home forever and sort of the dining area, sort of like the peace and calmness of it. In that moment, Zafir's eyes are completely shut. [00:56:43] Speaker C: And just as you almost think that you can catch a whiff of the smell of freshly baked bread drifting in the, from the kitchen, everything begins to ripple and waver and eventually dissipates. And both of you open your eyes to find yourself sitting back at the table with your cups of coffee in front of you again. [00:57:05] Speaker B: Without. Without any warning or precaution, Alwards very just like, ah. And stabs you in your shoulder. He misses the arm by quite a bit, but he gets, like, right under the clavicle bone. Ouch. I'm sorry. [00:57:25] Speaker D: It's fine. [00:57:27] Speaker E: And Zafir smiles, and you can see that the deep red that was in his eyes is now fading to gray as it originally was. [00:57:39] Speaker D: All right. Please take me to vow now. Thank you. [00:57:42] Speaker B: Do we remove the dagger? [00:57:43] Speaker D: I don't know. [00:57:44] Speaker B: Okay, let's keep it in. And then gonna escort him to Val. [00:57:49] Speaker C: And that's where we'll end this scene. This has been an atomic broadcasting production. Pathfinder, Galarian and the lost omen's world setting are copyright of Paizo more [email protected] music in the show is from Monument Studios collection, as well as assorted artists with some original tracks composed by Jordy Hake. More details in the description. If you enjoyed the show, please remember to share with a friend, and we'll look forward to seeing you again next time. [00:58:24] Speaker E: I didn't expect to cry, but I did tear up a little. [00:58:27] Speaker B: I was about to, and then I was like, I have to hold it together, otherwise, we're not gonna leave.