EP. 81 A-Hunting We Will Go

[00:00:05] Speaker A: You are listening to an atomic broadcasting production. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the feature presentation. 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 B: Now, where did we leave off? Ah, yes. Neros was arrested by the guards after causing a monkey riot in the marketplace. Meanwhile, Zafir set out to find a rabbit, hoping to comply with a threatening note he'd received. And Vel Fe forcibly followed him. [00:01:00] Speaker C: So there were four Monkeys. And when you Google the Monkeys, you have the names. You have Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz. That's an L. And Peter Tork. But they're all labeled, except for Davy Jones. Now, I understand that he is probably the singer, but all of them are labeled. Michael is piano. Mickey is drum kit. Peter is piano. Davy Jones has nothing. [00:01:25] Speaker B: He plays the locker. [00:01:29] Speaker A: I am very confused. There's a band called Monkeys. [00:01:33] Speaker D: The Monkeys. [00:01:35] Speaker A: There's a band called the Monkeys. [00:01:37] Speaker C: One of their more popular songs is I'm a Believer or hey, hey, we're the Monkeys. [00:01:44] Speaker A: Wait, like, I'm a believer. [00:01:47] Speaker E: I believe so. [00:01:48] Speaker A: It's not that one. [00:01:49] Speaker C: I mean, I could press the button and see. [00:01:51] Speaker D: I guess it was. I didn't realize that was the Monkeys with two E's. [00:01:56] Speaker B: They started it, and then Smash Mouth did a cover for Shrek. [00:02:00] Speaker D: Oh, no. [00:02:01] Speaker C: I thought Shrek's saying that. [00:02:02] Speaker B: You know what's really weird about the Monkeys as a band is they started as a fictional band. There was a sitcom called the Monkeys that was, like, based on the popularity and the idea of the Beatles. [00:02:16] Speaker C: That makes sense. [00:02:17] Speaker B: I always get one news, and the four actors who were portraying the Monkees in the show started performing music for the show. And then when the show got canceled, they're like, we're a band now. Yeah. Called the Monkees. [00:02:30] Speaker D: Wait, I see. I'm a Believer. Written by Neil Diamond. Well, they say performed by the Monkees. Written by Neil diamond and performed by the Monkees. What a mix. What a combo. [00:02:40] Speaker C: It's definitely interesting. So many people writing so many different sites, like, most of the. So there's so many, like, pop singers that all have the same songwriters. There are some singers that write their own songs, but so many of them, like, you go back and you can see who actually wrote them, and they're just like a web of. [00:02:57] Speaker F: I think it's like the past, for, like, the past decade that you can attribute, like, 90% of all popular songs to, like, four people or something like that. That's probably incorrect, but, like, the vibe. [00:03:08] Speaker C: I mean, it makes sense. [00:03:10] Speaker D: It's like movies too. The directors always get the credit. People don't talk about the movie writers. [00:03:15] Speaker C: Yeah, unless the writer and the director. [00:03:16] Speaker D: Are the same person, which does happen on a fair amount of occasions. But a lot of writers are in the movie industry are also typically overlooked by the audience. But if you know a good movie writer and you start following his movies, like, you know, usually won't be disappointed. [00:03:33] Speaker C: It's the true fans that appreciate their writing. I was watching the newest Mike Flanagan show, who wrote the Haunting of Hill House and I was interested. Hey, there's a lot of reoccurring actors. He's like to put a lot of reoccurring actors in his projects. And I looked it up to see if somebody had made a chart. Nobody made a chart. I mean, there was one at one point, but was apparently taken off of Wikipedia because they thought it was an April Fool's joke or something. I don't know. But then I was like, you know what? I'm gonna do it myself. So I did that. And there's like a good 30 or 35 actors that have just been introduced throughout the series and some. There's not one actor that have been in all of his Netflix series. But it's really interesting just to see how often they pop up. [00:04:20] Speaker F: You should make a Wikipedia page about the lost Wikipedia chart. [00:04:24] Speaker D: That is something people like about Quentin Tarantino movies as well. He often also uses almost all the same people. Same with Wes Anderson. There are many big directors that like to just use the same actors. You get to kind of notice that and it's kind of fun. [00:04:38] Speaker A: Yeah, that makes sense. You find the people that jive with your vision and you stick with them. [00:04:43] Speaker D: Like the dark pictures, anthology video games, those story games, they actually use the same models. They have like actors as models with specific voice actors and they reuse the models in various roles. Sometimes they're just background characters and sometimes they'll be one of the lead characters you control. [00:05:00] Speaker A: Interesting. [00:05:02] Speaker B: Speaking of having a consistent cast that plays different characters in different shows. You guys ready to jump back in? [00:05:07] Speaker D: I'm pretty sure that one of us was at least recast during this show. [00:05:10] Speaker B: Alright guys, we got a fresh amount of money dumped into our graphical budget, so I'm gonna dump it all on this opening shot. [00:05:17] Speaker A: Oh boy, oh boy. [00:05:18] Speaker B: We have a drone shot from above. [00:05:21] Speaker F: But what about catering? [00:05:23] Speaker D: Get your own food. [00:05:26] Speaker B: The camera swoops down and swings in and does like an over the shoulder shot of Sigurd as she's flying through the town. Flies over the disordered destroyed marketplace with people still trying to pick things up from the chaos. Soars past a road where we see Neros being led down with an enforcer on either side of her just like holding holding her arms with them shackled behind her. And Sigurd flies up and hovering in place begins pecking on the front door to the Helvig house. [00:06:07] Speaker F: I was listening so intently and for some reason, even though I knew she had a letter for me, I didn't. [00:06:16] Speaker D: I was not prepared for like a six foot tall bird to peek back at your front door. [00:06:22] Speaker G: People never really are prepared for a 6 foot tall bird to what would. [00:06:26] Speaker C: The knock sound like? [00:06:29] Speaker B: Insert Foley. [00:06:30] Speaker D: You think she's not a woodpecker? [00:06:32] Speaker F: No. [00:06:33] Speaker C: Knock knock wing wing. [00:06:36] Speaker D: Knock knock wing wing peck. [00:06:42] Speaker F: Alward is going to get up from wherever he's sitting in the house. His unseen servant that he summoned in the house is going to go open the door. As he walks up and just sees the six foot tall bird standing there. I don't Sigurd. [00:07:04] Speaker B: She sets the letter down on the ground and then kind of nudges it towards you with her beak. [00:07:13] Speaker F: As I go to pick it up, the unseen servant goes into the kitchen and gets like a little fruit like an apple. And I just like try to hand it to Sigurd as like a treat as I pick up the letter to read it. [00:07:28] Speaker G: She's not a horse. [00:07:29] Speaker F: Alward doesn't know these. What do you give a six foot tall bird for being a good bird? [00:07:34] Speaker G: Corn. A big corn. [00:07:37] Speaker F: Didn't have any. [00:07:38] Speaker B: She politely takes the apple like in the point of her beak and then just kind of looks around like what do I do with this? [00:07:49] Speaker F: What's this letter say? You didn't actually give me a letter. [00:07:52] Speaker D: It's very hastily written and it says Albert Zafir says that you need to danger. You should get your parents out of the place now or else. He said bad things will happen. And she like really like she kept her the pen going like she was trying to think of another word. But she didn't. But she kept her hand moving. She's like, sorry for the rush. I'll be back sometime. [00:08:32] Speaker G: It makes it sound like you're leaving town. [00:08:34] Speaker F: I know I'll be back sometimes. Ah. Alward's going to turn around just like mom, would you want to come to the meet RayQuest with me? We could bring Lina with us. In fact, we probably should not return here. [00:08:57] Speaker B: All right. I mean it would be good to see Rayquist again. I mean, he's that nice gnome you used to work for, right? [00:09:04] Speaker F: Yes, he used to be my direct superior. I know Lina's in the forest right now. Do we know how far? [00:09:14] Speaker B: She usually doesn't go too far in. Do you think Val's bird could deliver a message to her for them to meet us at the tavern? [00:09:23] Speaker F: I don't know if Val's bird can. [00:09:27] Speaker B: She walks up and kind of like hands on her knees, kind of crouches down, looks at Sigurd. Is just like, hi bird. [00:09:35] Speaker G: A six foot tall bird. [00:09:37] Speaker B: She crouches. [00:09:38] Speaker A: How tall is outwards mom? [00:09:40] Speaker F: 9Ft tall. [00:09:41] Speaker B: She's crouching down not to get on the bird's level. She's crouching down to not appear imposing. She's trying to be like hi, little animal. [00:09:49] Speaker F: Canonical facts. [00:09:51] Speaker B: You know, like when you talk to a horse or a cow and you're. [00:09:53] Speaker F: Just like, hi, my incredibly sick mother. Looks very opposing, imposing. [00:09:59] Speaker B: She's just like, hi bird. Could you deliver a message for us, Sam? I'll let you take over, Sigurd. [00:10:08] Speaker D: Oh boy. Sigurd tosses the apple and it knocks over like a lamp. And she just stares at Albert's mom dead in the eyes. And then one of her little Pete reaches out like you can put something in it. [00:10:31] Speaker B: And Valia reaches out and takes the foot and shakes it and then looks at Alward. We're making friends. Alward. [00:10:37] Speaker D: I. Sigrun looks at Alward very confused. [00:10:41] Speaker F: Alward looks at Sigrun very confused. I don't normally deal with the bird. I can just go get Lena starts. [00:10:51] Speaker D: Like opening and closing her talons, like put something in here. [00:10:55] Speaker B: Oh. Valia picks up the apple and puts it back. [00:11:03] Speaker C: I thought she was smart. [00:11:05] Speaker B: Now you see where Albert gets his awkwardness from. [00:11:08] Speaker F: Ah, you think it was from my adventuring heroic father second just drops the apple. Oh, I think it wants a letter or a thing to take. [00:11:21] Speaker B: Oh yes, I'll write one really quick. And she heads into the house. [00:11:27] Speaker D: Sigurin looks over and sees a shiny rock and also takes that. [00:11:33] Speaker B: We'll do a wipe transition. And we see as Alward and his mother are stepping out of the house and closing, locking the door behind them. Sigern flies up and starts heading off towards the forest. And the camera pulls back with Sigern. But as she turns to go towards the forest, we kind of stay behind. And the camera turns and looks down. And now we're looking just north of the market square where we see the headquarters for the enforcers as Neros is being walked up to the front door and into that door. The camera keeps pulling down and down. And we. Now the camera pulls down and is looking over Einar's shoulder as he's just walked around the corner to watch Neros being led into the enforcer's base. [00:12:25] Speaker A: Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Einar rounding that corner, he seems lost in thought and he looks up and he sees Neros being led into the headquarters. And contrary to what anyone might think, his reaction isn't, oh, no, or what happened. He just sighs and he just has the look of, oh, Balda, can you see the market? [00:13:06] Speaker B: It's actually just south of you, so if you look to your right, you'll. [00:13:09] Speaker A: See that he looks over at the market and he sees the aftermath of what happened. And once again, contrary to what somebody might think, there isn't a look of confusion or of what happened here. It's more of, oh, oh, boy. And he squares his shoulders and starts walking towards the headquarters. [00:13:44] Speaker B: There's an enforcer standing there with his scarlet uniform and brass buttons, all highly polished, firearm at the ready. And he just nods at you, citizen. [00:13:54] Speaker A: Hello, sir. I'm here to post bail. [00:14:01] Speaker B: Post bail? [00:14:02] Speaker A: Yes. [00:14:04] Speaker B: Well, we've only got one person in the hold right now. [00:14:08] Speaker A: Yup. [00:14:10] Speaker B: For that you'll have to talk to the captain. [00:14:13] Speaker A: Figured. [00:14:14] Speaker B: Come with me. [00:14:16] Speaker A: Thank you. [00:14:17] Speaker B: Leads you inside. And again you just see, like, just the last bit of a door closing as they're leading Neros into the back of the building. But he takes you up to the counter where a clerk is standing there and just looks up and, oh. Oh. And he just, like, keeps looking up at Einar. Can I help you? [00:14:36] Speaker A: Yes, I believe you have a person that I'm trying to postpail for. [00:14:42] Speaker B: Oh. Starts looking through his papers and is like, yes, she had a warrant out for her arrest. So she's been arrested. [00:14:53] Speaker A: I saw. I watched it. Well, more watched the aftermath. [00:14:59] Speaker B: Let's see. So her bail. Her bail, it would be 200 gold. [00:15:08] Speaker A: Golly. [00:15:11] Speaker B: You seem surprised. [00:15:15] Speaker A: It does seem like a lot for what looks like happened. [00:15:21] Speaker B: Oh. Oh, what happened? Did she kill somebody? [00:15:28] Speaker A: I was hoping you'd tell me. I think we're on different pages. Maybe we have the wrong person. Well, what's the warrant for? [00:15:36] Speaker B: Well, let's see. And he pulls out a wanted poster and he hands it over to you and has a reasonably good likeness of Neros drawn on it, and it says, wanted for murder. [00:15:48] Speaker A: He just looks down at it, looks up at the clerk, looks over at the guard, looks down at it. Not what I was Expecting. [00:16:01] Speaker B: Mm. Did. Do you. Do you know her? [00:16:06] Speaker A: Not that well, apparently. [00:16:07] Speaker B: Oh. If you've been traveling with her, maybe you could help find some of her accomplices. And he starts fanning out some wanted posters with likenesses of Val and Alward and Zafir. [00:16:20] Speaker D: I wasn't there for talking about David. [00:16:23] Speaker B: And then he's looking at one that he hasn't pulled out yet. And he looks at you. He looks at the paper, and he looks at you. He starts squinting. [00:16:35] Speaker A: He just grabs the paper out of his hand, looks at it. I don't know any of these people. Unfortunately. In fact, I think I have the wrong person. I only saw the back of her. [00:16:48] Speaker B: I'm gonna need a deception check. [00:16:50] Speaker A: Sure. [00:16:53] Speaker D: He's good at lying to us. I wonder which murder they're getting us for. [00:17:00] Speaker F: Probably David. [00:17:01] Speaker D: I know I wasn't there. [00:17:02] Speaker F: You actually murdered someone? How dare you? [00:17:06] Speaker D: It could be the chief. [00:17:07] Speaker G: That's for me to know. [00:17:08] Speaker B: Sven is turning in a hero point card. [00:17:11] Speaker A: What, did you roll a one? [00:17:12] Speaker F: Oh, no. [00:17:14] Speaker D: That would have been excellent. Roll it again. [00:17:17] Speaker A: 15. I roll a five. [00:17:20] Speaker B: He just looks skeptical, and he's like, h, could I. I mean, obviously you're not wanted for anything, so I wouldn't want to apprehend you or anything, but could I take down some method of contacting you in case we have any questions once we get to the interrogations? I know you're not. [00:17:43] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:17:44] Speaker B: Yeah. I know you're not from in town, so just wherever you're staying. [00:17:48] Speaker A: Um. Bother. Where was I staying? Only came in a few days ago. [00:17:57] Speaker B: I'm sure we could find some space for you at the company public house. And if you mention my name there, you could probably get a discount company. [00:18:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, where is the company one? [00:18:08] Speaker B: Oh, it's not far. To the north of here, closer to the mine. [00:18:11] Speaker A: The mine? Oh, the name. The mine. That makes sense. Certainly. Belinor Soski. [00:18:22] Speaker B: Belinor Saski. All right, I've got that. And he takes the paper from you and starts, like, collecting the pages back together. [00:18:32] Speaker F: I just want to be clear. The mining. The company tavern is not the miner's pick. [00:18:41] Speaker A: I know. [00:18:41] Speaker F: Okay, you said. [00:18:42] Speaker A: I said the town name. [00:18:44] Speaker F: Okay. I was confused, so I wanted to make sure. [00:18:47] Speaker A: As for that girl, I don't think someone I was looking for. Unfortunately, she's more of a. The one I'm thinking of is more of mischief, less of the murder kind. [00:19:00] Speaker B: Right, right. Would you like to put in a missing persons report or. [00:19:05] Speaker A: No, she'll turn up eventually. [00:19:07] Speaker B: That's fair. If she is as mischievous as you're saying. [00:19:11] Speaker A: I'm surprised she's not here already, honestly. Oh, well, I mean, it's little stuff like thrown a bucket of water over a door. [00:19:24] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. We would not arrest someone for that. [00:19:28] Speaker A: It depends on how cranky the person is that gets the water on them, honestly. [00:19:32] Speaker B: Well, then we might. Never mind. I appreciate your help, Mr. Saski. [00:19:38] Speaker A: Absolutely. I might see you again. We'll see. Until then, have a good day. [00:19:47] Speaker B: Of course. You too. [00:19:48] Speaker A: And he just turns around and walks out. [00:19:51] Speaker B: As you're walking out, the camera is just kind of pulling back with you. And we watch over Einar's shoulder as the clerk is just watching you leave. [00:20:04] Speaker A: He walks out of town. [00:20:08] Speaker D: Still doesn't know anything that's been happening to us the last little bit. [00:20:13] Speaker B: And now we'll get to meet Sven's third character. [00:20:16] Speaker D: All right, this is too much work. [00:20:18] Speaker A: Specifically, he walks out of town and then walks back. He takes time in case anybody follows him. [00:20:26] Speaker B: Oh, okay. It's like walks out of town, stops, turns around, walks around. [00:20:31] Speaker A: It walks out of town. But specifically, walks out where there's a clearing before doubling back in a different route and coming back in. It's going to take time. [00:20:40] Speaker B: Gotcha. We're going to switch angles now as we go back to the Enforcer's headquarters. And the Enforcer is just like, slamming the door behind Neros as she's put into one of the holding cells. It's stone walls, stone floor, and just like iron bar grating wall leading out into the hallway. You know, classic medieval prison type setup. And the Enforcer who closed the door, he's just kind of like scowling at Neros. What, you really thought you could get away with it? [00:21:18] Speaker G: I mean, it's just some monkeys. I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, and this is probably one of the nicest cells that I've ever been in. Good job, guys. [00:21:26] Speaker B: Look, I know you ain't human, but that's no way to talk about our kind. [00:21:29] Speaker G: Excuse me? Listen here. That was kind of rude, you know? [00:21:38] Speaker B: It's rude. It's rude. It's calling my people monkeys. [00:21:42] Speaker A: What? [00:21:43] Speaker G: What are you talking about? Look, I just. The market. The monkeys. I'll admit, that was me. I don't know what you're talking about. [00:21:53] Speaker B: Don't play dumb with me. [00:21:54] Speaker G: What? I'm. No, I'm. Look, I know I'm dumb, but I don't ever play dumber than I am. [00:22:00] Speaker B: He like, leans up against the. The iron bars. What? [00:22:04] Speaker G: You want kiss. [00:22:09] Speaker C: Charm him, charm him, charm him. [00:22:11] Speaker B: He had opened his mouth like he was gonna say something, and then he just spits at you through the bars. Oh, gross. [00:22:19] Speaker F: Gross. [00:22:21] Speaker G: She, like, reels back and it's like that. I was extremely uncalled for. [00:22:28] Speaker B: That's disgusting. [00:22:29] Speaker G: What did you have to eat last? Garlic. [00:22:32] Speaker B: You are wanted for the murder. Murder of Brenger Aaronson. [00:22:40] Speaker G: I didn't murder Brenger. [00:22:43] Speaker B: We have it on good authority. [00:22:44] Speaker G: By who? [00:22:46] Speaker B: One of his kin. [00:22:47] Speaker A: His. [00:22:48] Speaker G: His cultist friends. [00:22:50] Speaker B: I don't know what sort of religion they're in, but he came back from the woods and said that you and four other accomplices had come straight to his camp, killed him, and called blood. [00:23:01] Speaker G: We. That is not how that happened. She's, like, starting to sober up a little, getting a little angry. [00:23:09] Speaker B: You know what? Save it for the judge. [00:23:12] Speaker G: I didn't kill him. [00:23:15] Speaker B: He kind of starts walking out. [00:23:16] Speaker G: I've. I've done a lot of stuff, but I've never killed anyone in cold blood. [00:23:20] Speaker B: He. He is walking away from you, kind of just ignoring what you're saying. And then he stops at the door and kind of just tosses over his shoulder. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd be on the gallows by tomorrow. And with that, he walks out. [00:23:38] Speaker G: You just kind of see Neros look around the cell, and she has this very childlike terror look in her eyes. [00:23:49] Speaker B: And with that, we do another Star wars style wipe transition, and we are out in the woods. Zafir, where are we going? [00:24:00] Speaker E: The hunting grounds. [00:24:06] Speaker C: So I'm leading valley, using my expert hunting skills to find the nearest clearing where there may be rabbits. You know, it's crazy. Whenever I'm thinking about how Zafir would be, I think, yeah, sure, kill one, two, several people. But I don't want to go out and kill animals. Personally, that feels very mean. However, I digress. I'm looking for a rabbit. [00:24:40] Speaker B: Make a survival check. [00:24:45] Speaker C: It's a good thing. I have a plus 12, so that's 14 total. [00:24:54] Speaker B: So with your arm handcuffed to Val, it's just kind of awkward. It's not as easy for you to get down, look for tracks, and check for things as it normally would be. And every time you feel like you might be onto something, you're just kind of distracted by that, and you're having a lot of difficulty getting any solid leads on a rabbit. [00:25:14] Speaker C: Is there anything else that I can possibly run into? [00:25:18] Speaker D: Zafir, do you need me to look for the rabbit? I can find a rabbit. [00:25:24] Speaker E: I was kind of hoping it would be more symbolic myself. [00:25:27] Speaker D: I can wait. [00:25:30] Speaker E: If you'd like to offer. That would be fine, I guess. [00:25:35] Speaker D: Sure. Yeah. It's a 28. [00:25:38] Speaker B: Val. You do see, you know, you're shackled to a shorter person, so it's kind of drawing you closer to the ground instead of away. And you do find some rabbit tracks leading actually closer towards the edge of the forest. Forest than you are right now. [00:25:53] Speaker D: Well, you should just go that way. There's a track here. [00:25:58] Speaker E: Well, it appears you've found something. [00:26:01] Speaker D: Ah, yeah. You can take it from here if you want. [00:26:04] Speaker E: Okay, I'll try. But if. If you. If you see me going off course, please direct me the right way. [00:26:12] Speaker D: I would hate to make you feel like you didn't get to find the rabbit. [00:26:18] Speaker E: Not off to a great start. [00:26:20] Speaker C: And I follow the path the best I can. [00:26:25] Speaker B: As you are heading down the path between your survival skills at A12 and Val's assistance, now that she's pointed out the tracks, at the very least, it's not too difficult for you to follow them. But as you're moving along, you start to hear voices up ahead. [00:26:41] Speaker C: Wait, does she hear the voices? [00:26:42] Speaker B: Val? Yeah. You both hear the voices? [00:26:45] Speaker C: I kind of stop and kind of tug on the handcuffs a little bit. [00:26:50] Speaker E: Do you hear those voices? [00:26:52] Speaker D: What voices? [00:26:53] Speaker E: You hear the voices, right? [00:26:55] Speaker D: What do you mean? Yes, I do. Sorry, I was trying to be a little levity. I realize it's probably not helpful right now. [00:27:02] Speaker E: Keep your voice down. [00:27:03] Speaker D: Oh, sorry. Yeah, levity. That's what I tried to do. [00:27:07] Speaker C: What do the voices. [00:27:08] Speaker B: Voices do. [00:27:09] Speaker E: I recognize these voices. [00:27:11] Speaker B: As you're focusing, the first thing you realize is it sounds like children. Second thing you realize is it sounds like a boy and a girl. And at that moment, that's the exact sound and face that Zafir probably makes when he realizes he hears Lena and Diedrich on the path up ahead. [00:27:31] Speaker D: Children, we have to go now. What are they doing out here by themselves? It's searching. [00:27:34] Speaker E: We have to go now. [00:27:36] Speaker D: To the children or away from the children? [00:27:38] Speaker E: Away. [00:27:38] Speaker D: Oh, okay. Yes, sure. [00:27:39] Speaker E: The other direction into the woods. I don't care where we go, just out. [00:27:42] Speaker D: Should we tell them to go? No, away from the woods. [00:27:44] Speaker E: Don't talk to them. Don't acknowledge them. Just go. [00:27:46] Speaker D: Okay. All right. [00:27:47] Speaker E: We've got to go. [00:27:47] Speaker D: Okay. All right. Sure. [00:27:48] Speaker C: And I immediately about face and go the opposite direction that the tracks were leading. [00:27:53] Speaker B: As the two of you are making your way back the way you came, I'm gonna need each of you to make a will Saving throw. [00:28:00] Speaker D: Oh, no. Lena's gonna to die. [00:28:03] Speaker F: Don't kill me. [00:28:04] Speaker D: That's going to be all fierce felt. [00:28:07] Speaker C: I did nothing. Good grief. I'm rolling really bad. [00:28:14] Speaker F: Use a point what you get. [00:28:16] Speaker C: That's right. [00:28:17] Speaker E: I do have those. [00:28:17] Speaker F: Don't I have so many of those. I need to get rid of those. [00:28:21] Speaker B: Okay, I'm going to reroll what you get originally. [00:28:23] Speaker C: A three. [00:28:24] Speaker B: Ah. [00:28:28] Speaker C: Can I do that? [00:28:29] Speaker B: No, you can only use it once. [00:28:30] Speaker F: You get to keep the higher one. [00:28:32] Speaker C: I rolled a three again. [00:28:33] Speaker F: Oh, gosh. [00:28:35] Speaker D: Oh, I'm also spending a hero point, by the way. [00:28:37] Speaker F: What'd you roll? [00:28:38] Speaker D: I rolled like a five in my reroll. [00:28:40] Speaker F: I need one of you. [00:28:41] Speaker D: I rerolled and got a 16. [00:28:43] Speaker F: Okay. Thank goodness. [00:28:45] Speaker D: My total is 31. [00:28:48] Speaker B: As the two of you are turning around and heading back the way you came, you remember that scene from Snow White where she's going through the forest and, like, everything starts looking scary. There's, like, the trees with faces and everything. That kind of thing is starting to happen, and everything around you is just shifting into the nightmarish. Like, trees have faces. Branches feel more like they're grabbing at you. Everything's just getting darker. And Val, as you're focusing on this and realizing what's going on, I'm gonna undo our handcuffs. As you're undoing the handcuffs, you kind of, like, look up and you're starting to see through the faces on the trees. And the more you focus on just a normal tree and the reality of the situation, the more you're able to just see through things. And they're all just looking just like they always have. You're just in the woods. But Zafir, the images stay for you, and you are frightened one as everything around you just seems horrifying. [00:29:48] Speaker C: Okay, what is that thing that you gave me has something to do with fear effects. [00:29:57] Speaker B: So you could trigger this as a reaction. And then for the next three rounds, you gain a status bonus. Instead of penalty to your spell DC and spell attacks equal to your frightened level. [00:30:11] Speaker C: Then that's what happens, right? [00:30:15] Speaker B: Yeah. You can do that as a reaction. And just so you know, you can only use this once before you have to spend 10 minutes to, like, settle yourself down. And then that recharge is the ability to use it again. [00:30:25] Speaker C: That's fine. I just immediately go at it. [00:30:29] Speaker B: So you start channeling that fear into magical potential, and you're. As long as you're frightened for the next three rounds, you're going to be getting a status bonus to your spells. But There doesn't seem to be anything else. The woods around you are just taking on that ghoulish appearance. But there's nothing coming at you out of the trees. There's just an oppressive presence. [00:30:54] Speaker C: I draw my rapier and I look at Val and I say. [00:31:00] Speaker E: I'm so sorry. [00:31:02] Speaker D: It's okay. I'm here with you. [00:31:04] Speaker E: Val, I don't know what's happening. [00:31:07] Speaker D: There was some sort of illusion, but it faded away. [00:31:10] Speaker E: Val, I don't think it's an illusion. [00:31:12] Speaker D: What? [00:31:13] Speaker E: It's here from me. It may not be affecting you, but. [00:31:19] Speaker D: I felt something, but I shook it off. I pull out my glaive as well. I may the life for Asma, our guardian, our shepherd, and the eternal rays guard us tonight. [00:31:32] Speaker B: Zafir, you hear as a whisper in your ear. Although, Val, you don't hear this Zafir, you just hear a voice. Not yet. No. They need to be together. They need to be together when it happens. Bide your time, little hunter. [00:31:52] Speaker E: Together. Only together. [00:31:57] Speaker D: Yeah, we're in this together. [00:31:59] Speaker E: No, not you. Oh. [00:32:00] Speaker D: Okay. [00:32:06] Speaker E: Val, you run to them and tell them to leave the woods. Find their family, the kids. Yes. [00:32:19] Speaker D: What are you gonna do? [00:32:21] Speaker E: I'll stay here. I'll wait for you to return. [00:32:25] Speaker D: Do I get the feeling you're telling the truth? [00:32:28] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:32:30] Speaker D: Okay. I'll be right back. [00:32:32] Speaker C: Saphir, I don't know who Diedrich's family is, but I don't want him involved. [00:32:38] Speaker F: We will never know. [00:32:40] Speaker C: So I stay behind while Vel runs that direction. [00:32:45] Speaker B: So as Val turns to go, she heads away, further down the path. And the camera stays behind. And we're watching Zafir as he's still there in the forest with it, still having this frightening, oppressive appearance. And none of that fades. And Zafir, you're just alone, surrounded by these leering trees. [00:33:10] Speaker C: Zafir just continues to mutter to himself, just saying together. [00:33:18] Speaker E: They have to be together. I don't know if that's going to happen. I don't plan for it to happen. I don't know if you can hear me or even if you're listening at this point, but I don't think that things are going to play out the way that you expect them to. I hope. I hope that you're ready for surprises. [00:33:43] Speaker B: And from somewhere in the forest, you can't tell exactly where. Seemingly from everywhere and nowhere at once. You just hear a hunting we will go. A hunting we will go. [00:34:04] Speaker C: He takes his rapier and he throws it down, sticking into the dirt, just straight down, as hard as he can. And he just flops down and just sits. He says, I'm not going anywhere. [00:34:19] Speaker B: And as that is trailing out, the camera pulls back a little further to reveal that Val is standing on the other side of a tree and has been listening in. [00:34:33] Speaker D: She looks very concerned and worried, breathing a little heavier. And after just a little bit of knowing that he's not moving and he's staying there, she's gonna head off to the kids. [00:34:49] Speaker B: Val, when you catch up to the children, they're both like picking blackberries and they have a basket almost overflowing with berries by this point. And they both look very surprised to see see you come pushing your way through the underbrush of the forest. [00:35:05] Speaker D: Hi, I. You need to start heading home now. [00:35:09] Speaker B: Oh, sorry. Is it. Is the sun going down already? [00:35:13] Speaker D: What time is it? [00:35:15] Speaker B: No, it's more like 3:30. [00:35:18] Speaker D: No, not yet. It's just that there's something out here and might be a bit dangerous for you, so need you to it back home safe. [00:35:29] Speaker B: And Diedrich opens his mouth to reply when suddenly you hear the sound of wings. And Sigern flutters into the clearing next to Oyal. [00:35:39] Speaker D: Oh, Sigern. There you got. She puts her hand out and heads over for the message. Seems like there's a letter on her. [00:35:50] Speaker B: And the letter reads, lena, don't go. [00:35:54] Speaker F: Back to the house. Come to the tavern. We'll be waiting. I guess would be probably the most concise way from mom. [00:36:02] Speaker A: Which tavern? [00:36:04] Speaker F: You know the one. [00:36:06] Speaker B: That's what it says. P.S. you know the one. [00:36:11] Speaker D: Okay, Lena, this is for you. Your mom's saying you need to get to the miner's pick. [00:36:18] Speaker B: Oh, okay. Did she want us to bring the berries? [00:36:21] Speaker D: Definitely. That'd be great. [00:36:23] Speaker B: Alright. Dietrich, will you help me? And he nods and takes one side of the basket and they start heading back into town. [00:36:30] Speaker D: She kind of watches them go off for a little bit and then starts hurrying back to disappear. [00:36:36] Speaker B: And I imagine Sigrun comes with you. [00:36:39] Speaker D: Yeah, I'll have Sigrun start like going up high and looking to see if she sees anything in the surrounding forest around us as best she can. [00:36:51] Speaker B: Zafir. Just as you're beginning to hear the underbrush wrestling with Val's return, the oppressive surroundings seem to dim and lessen. And by the time Val has caught up with you again, the woods and forest around you are just totally back to normal. [00:37:10] Speaker C: When Val comes up to the area that Zafir is at you, she sees him just with his eyes closed. Every once in a while he opens them up to Just look around him and then closes them. And every time he opens his eyes, she can see that his irises have turned to a light blue. And then they shut again. Each time he opens it, light blue. Closes again. She also sees that he's waving his telekinetic hand just up into the air. Just kind of waving it above his head and in the forest, just seemingly aimlessly. No real reason for it, but that's how you find him. [00:38:07] Speaker D: She'll walk up, put her glaive in the ground next to your rapier. [00:38:14] Speaker E: How are the kids? [00:38:16] Speaker D: They're safe. With a lot of blackberries. How do you know they were picking blackberries? [00:38:28] Speaker E: How do you know they're safe? [00:38:30] Speaker D: I watched them head back to town. [00:38:33] Speaker E: I don't think that's a good indicator. [00:38:36] Speaker D: I have faith, Zephyr. And she's gonna sit down next to you. [00:38:43] Speaker E: I have no faith. I've expressed before that I have no interest in deities or higher beings. They just get in the way of things. I have faith in myself, but that's dwindling, Val. I don't even know if I'm scared anymore. I think I'm just done. I don't want anybody else to get hurt. I saw those children and immediately felt like retching because I knew. I knew what their fate was meant to be. [00:39:24] Speaker D: Well, we are in a time where fate is sort of up in the air these days. They are what we make it. [00:39:37] Speaker E: But why do we have to make it? Why does it have to be us? Why can't somebody else do the dirty work, so to speak? [00:39:47] Speaker D: Somebody broke it, so to speak. Beforehand there was someone in charge of those sort of things. And now. [00:39:57] Speaker C: Now they're gone, right? [00:39:59] Speaker D: Yeah, now they're gone. Something was broken. [00:40:02] Speaker E: So how do you keep a faith in something that goes away so easily? [00:40:07] Speaker D: I don't have faith in knowing a future. I have faith in trusting that I'm working towards the right future. [00:40:20] Speaker E: Why do we have to work towards it? I never imagined that I would get into this sort of situation. Yeah, sure, I killed many, many, many, many people. But the second I start to draw connections, that feeling of freedom and the ability to get things done just feels alien to me. I've lost all ability to make my own decisions just because I have something else telling me what to do. And if I don't do it, those connections I've made will be gone forever. [00:41:07] Speaker D: Did it tell you to quit being a hired killer? [00:41:13] Speaker E: No. [00:41:13] Speaker D: Seemed like that was a choice you made. [00:41:15] Speaker E: Yes, it was. But I don't know if I'm allowed to make that choice. [00:41:19] Speaker D: You think I'll be first to steal? [00:41:22] Speaker E: Kill if it saves the lives of others? I used to think it was easy to choose between those who could live and those who would die. But when it involves me specifically, it's the hardest decision I've ever made. I just wish I could run away from it all. And even though that wouldn't solve it, I would put you all out of danger. Alwood's family, our friends, you. We could all go back to the way things used to be. Except maybe the impending doom of the Mad King. Deal with that in another way. [00:42:03] Speaker D: There. Is that the way things used to be? It's not always better. [00:42:11] Speaker E: I used to be able to control things, do things of my own accord. [00:42:17] Speaker C: Now. [00:42:18] Speaker E: Now it feels like there's nothing that I have it helps anymore. [00:42:25] Speaker D: That could be the case. Or perhaps it's because you're just now discovering those choices and that freedom that you have that you haven't before. It's often easy to feel comfortable and like we're doing the right thing when we're not making our own decisions. And it's hard and scary when we finally hit that point in our lives where we can make the decisions. But it's so foreign to us that it doesn't feel like we are. [00:43:00] Speaker E: He keeps calling us little rabbits. I don't know if he's referring to you all or just me or an easy prey. The hunt. [00:43:19] Speaker D: Zafir, I know you're not a religious person, so I will say this. It's up to you how easy of prey you're going to be. If you're going to be a rabbit or if you're going to be sufficient. Or Zephyr. [00:43:41] Speaker E: I think I'd rather be Zephyr. Tell me, are there still any Blackberries around where the children were? [00:43:53] Speaker D: Probably. [00:43:55] Speaker E: I'd like to gather some. And as long as Howard and his family have left the house, we meet there. [00:44:07] Speaker D: They said that they are going to the tavern. [00:44:10] Speaker E: Good. I think by the time we're done picking berries, we should be able to head that direction. If you think that might be the case. [00:44:20] Speaker D: Yeah, we can do that. Zafir. [00:44:23] Speaker E: Alright. Time to make some decisions. [00:44:27] Speaker D: Yes. [00:44:28] Speaker C: He gets up and he pulls his rapier out of the ground and sheathes it. And then he attempts to pick up the Glaive and just puts his hand on it. And he tries to hand it to. [00:44:39] Speaker E: Valens and say, are you drop this? [00:44:42] Speaker D: She'll get up and she'll take it and then she'll Pull you into a hug. Our past is not who we are anymore. It's on us to dictate our future and what we believe. [00:44:57] Speaker E: So much talk of faith. I think what I need is hope, Al. [00:45:04] Speaker D: Let's go find something to give you more hope, huh? [00:45:08] Speaker E: Berries is a good start. [00:45:10] Speaker D: Barry's hopeful berries. [00:45:14] Speaker B: And as a tree passes in front of the camera, we do a wipe transition as the camera now is pulling out of the corner into the prison and we see Neros in the cell. At that moment, we hear the squeaky hinges of the prison door opening and a guard starts walking in. Abby, I'd like you to pick a number between one and 12. [00:45:37] Speaker D: Oh, that's a lot of numbers. [00:45:39] Speaker G: Seven. [00:45:40] Speaker D: A good one. [00:45:41] Speaker B: A nameless guard walks in. [00:45:46] Speaker A: Not Bob. [00:45:48] Speaker B: Not Bob or whatever his name was. His name is Bob now. He rotates. [00:45:54] Speaker A: Let us know if we're correct in the bottom, please. [00:45:58] Speaker B: But this one, he's wearing an oversized name tag that says Jeremy. [00:46:02] Speaker G: Oh, okay. [00:46:03] Speaker A: Oversized. So we remember it better. We won't. [00:46:07] Speaker B: And he walks in, just kind of looks at Neros for a minute and he's like, dinner time. He's holding a tray of bread and water. [00:46:19] Speaker G: That's not a lot. [00:46:22] Speaker B: From what I've been told. It's more than you deserve. [00:46:26] Speaker G: You've been told wrong. [00:46:29] Speaker B: That's what they all say. Now step back from the door and I can slide the food in. [00:46:34] Speaker G: She takes a step back. [00:46:37] Speaker B: He sets the tray down outside the door and slides the little tray door, starts pushing the food tray in. [00:46:45] Speaker G: Listen, Jeremy, right? [00:46:48] Speaker B: How did. Oh yeah, the name tag. [00:46:51] Speaker G: We can all be friends here. Can you help me out? And I need a will save. [00:47:03] Speaker B: And what's your DC26? Jeremy stops sliding the tray partway through and he looks up at Neros. And that's where we're gonna end this episode. [00:47:23] Speaker G: That's so unsatisfying. [00:47:27] Speaker F: It's Geordi's job to be unsatisfying. [00:47:30] Speaker B: I will tell you, the results from my die are very interesting. [00:47:36] Speaker G: I'm sure they are. [00:47:38] Speaker B: Alright, so the hero point for this episode goes to Petit for his very detailed, character oriented how he's handling the scene. Really exploring what Zafir is going through. Makes for really good storytelling. [00:47:57] Speaker C: Well, thank you, sir. And everyone else who definitely had a hand in that decision. I. Was it blackberries? [00:48:07] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:48:08] Speaker C: I'm gonna go eat some blackberries. [00:48:09] Speaker G: Good choice. [00:48:10] Speaker B: And we will see you all in the next episode. [00:48:12] Speaker D: We can mug those kids and take their blast. [00:48:14] Speaker G: No, Sam. [00:48:15] Speaker F: Say no to mugging. [00:48:17] Speaker B: This has been an Atomic Broadcasting production. If you enjoyed the show, make sure to give us some support by liking, commenting and following. These things really do make a difference in getting the word out and helping our community grow. Also, make sure to check us out on threads and check out the Discord server where you can chat with other fans and discuss all the recent developments and happenings. Links to all these good things in the description below. The Written and the Lost is an original story that uses trademarks and or copyrights owned by Paizo, Inc. Used under Paizo's Fan Content Policy. Atomic Broadcasting and the Written and the Lost are not published, endorsed or or specifically approved by Piezo. For more information about Paizo, Inc. And Piezo products, visit piezo.com Hope to see you all in the next episode. Until then, have an Atomic time. [00:49:05] Speaker E: Wow. [00:49:07] Speaker G: Wow. [00:49:09] Speaker D: Wow. [00:49:10] Speaker G: Bless you. [00:49:12] Speaker D: Oh my Wow.