Welcome, dear listeners to Episode 17 of Campaign two of venture maidens. If you haven't already, I implore you to throw us a rating and review on apple podcasts, Spotify or whatever your podcaster of choices. It's a small but tremendous way to help us out, and we always love reading your exceptionally kind words and, of course, an extra special shout out to the people who ensure that we can keep creating content for you all our amazing patrons.
For everyone who donates on Patreon, we are eternally grateful for your support. Check us out at patreon dot com slash venture maidens to see the numerous rewards we bestow even at just the $1 per month level. Thank you to Emily Mayo for composing our theme song and thank you to tabletop audio for providing additional ambient music. For those of us who enjoy joining us live, we're moving our stream time to begin at six PM PST instead of 6 30.
So when we stream Episode 21 on June 15th, catch us at our new permanent stream time of six PM PST on our bi weekly Wednesday schedule. All right, enough with all that business. Let's get into the fun. Last time on venture maidens, Eva stepped away from the rest of the maidens to go on a hot date with Bert and Ernie's son, a young textile designer named Kell. The Seder and the fur ball hit it off quickly and headed over to meet Kells employer, a fashion designer named Mistress Silk.
Upon reaching smoke shop, the pair discovered the mistress was missing. Further investigation led to discovering an arcane mirror in the basement that acted as a portal between realms. The heroically step through the mirror to the designer's last noted location and were promptly attacked by the animated porcelain dolls. Keeping the mistress hostage After a painful fight, the three narrowly escaped back through the mirror.
Mistress Silk was grateful to the pair for saving her life and offered to a permanent place in her store as a designer. And that's what happened. Now make sure the safety bars are down and remain inside the vehicle at all times, for adventure awaits gather round travelers to hear our tale. At long last, we get a close look at the tragedy of young rock, but on we go. As the time grows small to heed the weird sisters back in call.
Listen carefully as we head into campaign two episode 17 stitched together Mhm, Mhm. Hello? Hello, everybody. Wow. Welcome back. It's another episode of Venture Maidens. Episode 17 17 That that weird age between 16 and being a working adult? Yeah, we're here. We've made it. Oh, my gosh, We're all back together. Oh, it's so good to see everyone. Some of us are literally together, literally together, you know?
You know, the seam and sage are currently sitting in the same room playing, so that's super magical. And last episode, it was just a one on one with me and stage. So welcome back, everybody. How we all doing? How y'all doing tonight? Super swell. A little crusty personally. Oh, this has been a long week opening week and come, come in here. I'm all out of my brain today I stayed up until six a.m. This lord Well, you don't use that.
You know what you can You can use it Method act Because last time we were all together, we were going through some ship and you were all very crusty and have have the bad stink on you. So Yeah, it's good. Yeah. Before we dive in, I do want to say this is a very adult themed stream. So you can expect, of course, swearing, fantasy violence. We always just keep, like, a body horror content warning just up in general for our stuff. Because he has the nature of fantasy storytelling.
There are no other specific content warnings for tonight's episode. But if any of those general triggers are things for you, you don't feel like you can handle tonight. This may not be the show for you to watch, but with that, let's go ahead and dive in. Hey, everybody. My name is Celeste Con Witch. And tonight I will be your dungeon master. Hello. I'm Katie, and I'm gonna be playing a very staff. Your drought rogue. I'm Nassim, and I am playing your Oh, my God. Fighter Tonia Silver tail.
I am sage and I am your blisters. Bart Flannery. Yeah. Oh, boy. Well, like I mentioned earlier, it was a hell of an episode last time. So, um cool. Great. We Yeah. We are coming off starting here for this episode. A very It's the moment after the high intensity action movie moment where you were down below in this like chamber, far below the sewers.
And like you had just defeated the Duke of Pudding, who apparently is a court here for the slithering court you had heard and that whole thing passed you by and there was fire. And there was this screaming living spell book who just named Index, who just has been panicking the whole time and a lot of action moments as you got the hell out of there, ran back through the sewers.
And finally, now, as we are picking up, you would just basically popped open this great and the night air of chassis Anna floods over over like the sweat and the grime and everything else you have accumulated crawling around through the sewers and you finally have a moment to breathe. So you're popping back up in the city?
Not, of course, anywhere near that original Great you were from It seemed like he was just trying to lead you up out anywhere out of the source just to get away from what's going on. So, Lou, as you're looking around, I mean, you're very familiar with chassis, and you think you probably know the district that you're in. It's vaguely familiar, but, you know, none of the names or anything are popping up to you.
So you think you probably have a bit of a walk before you're going to be able to make it back to book a TV where you should be and probably around. Now it's about one a.m. Because the deal was supposed to be at midnight. So you had made it there basically in time, you'd had to fight the big confrontation and winding your way out of the sewers and everything. And so it is. It is early. So there are not a lot of people around you as you emerge.
I know that it should probably smell better now, but we stink so badly that I can't even tell. All right, Lou, lead the way home. Please wait. Bartle Bee, how are we getting our stuff before we part ways? Because we fucking earned it. So he Yeah, he finishes, you know, crawling out of like, the manhole cover. Um, and the whole time, you know, this this spell book has been, um she This woman made out of paper has been like clinging to his back is like, still held around his neck.
Kind of like a cape. She still is there, and she, you know, he sets her down on the ground and she makes no sound other than, like, you know, turning a page. Uh, she rests there, and he pats at his you know, his like waistcoat and pulls out a red silk satchel, uh, and hands it to you, Lou, keep the bag as a tip. She just kind of, like, goes to, like, put it in her bag and opens it. And it's just, like filled with poop water. And she's like, Thank you. Hold it. So the red bag.
Immediately as you touch it, you can feel so apparently I was doing some research in D and D. Whenever you hold an item a magic item, you can tell it's magic. So you instantly get the feeling like the tingly feeling that this bag is magical and it's very small. It's like the size of a coin purse. Right? So you have no idea like, is this supposed to be what it is, is it? What? What are you being a kind of benevolent? I am giving you a bag of holding because you're level four now, everybody.
We forgot to cover our level stuff. We'll we'll cover it. We'll cover it in a bit. But yeah, you're level four. Now. I figured it's time to give you all a bag of holding. So thank you. And I hope you and your lady friends have a fine evening. Oh, yes, I'm Index. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Thank you for saving me. Wow, that was intense. How did you wind up kidnapped in the first place? Oh, well, I actually don't sort of know.
And she's looking at Bartle Bee, who's looking at her and kind of makes like a like a no head shake gesture. Uh, and he says, As I mentioned previously, there's been a bit of a turf war happening between my people and the sovereign courts. So they took her as an act of retribution. But they will pay for it with tonight, of course. But in other ways as well. And his eyes just seemed to get really read all of a sudden as he says this tonight. Oh, yes.
Well, you did kill one of their one of the court hears its. It's certainly a big deal. It's not something that people do lightly. I'm sure the sovereign will take note, perhaps think again about sending his courtiers to my city. Who? Yeah, you could just kind of, like, sucks on her bottom lip and just sort of nod slowly. Thinking, after hearing this allowed has definitely the look on her face of Oh, boy. What did we get involved with again? Well, we're not in. You're not in coven.
So what happens out of coven Stays out of coven. Mhm. But yeah. Apparently there's a sovereign who might be mad that you killed one of They're basically like lieutenants are the courtiers. Um, it's like a very small, you know, handpicked set of agents who control lots of other fae. So the Duke of Pudding was one such individual. That's a a problem for us tomorrow. That's tomorrow. But anyway, I do appreciate what you did here, and I'm pleasantly surprised with the results.
Other than the unpleasant exit, it was quite a performance. So if you're ever in the market for anything at all, you know where to find me. I'd like you. Your simple straightforward, much easier to work with. That's what I'm saying. Fiends over fe any day. Personal motto of mine. And he pulls out from another of these pouches. I guess you assume this this hat that he had on before, you know?
And he gives it like a no are you know, Detective Flip and then puts it back on his head And you see, his features go, You know, stony like chisel Jah Children, man. And he offers his arm to index and they stroll off into the night. So you wanna walk of shame through the streets of Chelsea, Anna back to worse than any walk of shame I've ever done. To be honest with, you smell like crap literally as you're moving through the streets. Yeah, making your way back.
So the walk will take you all about 20 minutes, right? So So we're going to arrive there. But I did totally forget at the beginning of this episode to talk about level four stuff. So before we, like, dive into the rest of the action, we need to do that real quick. We heard about Ifa's in our one on one episode, but real quick, you know you. You all are feeling so much stronger and more capable as you are on your walk. Uh, so, Nancy, why don't you tell us what's up with Tony? Level four stuff.
New stuff. Tony is keeping her friends close and took up the sentinel feet so that I get to hit a creature with an attack of opportunity. Or when I hit a creature with an attack of opportunity, their speed is reduced to zero for the rest of their turn. Um, I get attack of opportunity when they disengage. And if y'all are within five ft of me, I can react once you are hit. If you are hit with a melee attack, I get to hit them with a melee Attack. No, no, no. Stay right here.
That's great for you with all your all your other features. That super skills. Totally Well, yeah, Red. That's it. That's it. Solid, though. That's it. What's your new HP total? 48 Which is great because he is now 12 0 get me a new shield. Yeah, Yeah. Get you some magic, give you some magic junk. And Katie, What about Lou? What? We get level four. Um I did something far less exciting and gave myself two points and dexterity giving me what can you do? You know. So now I've got a 19.
So I got to start looking at feats that give you plus one dexterity for level eight. But it is nice, because now my armor class is 15 and my to hit is plus six. So, yeah, I mean, Dex is so good for rogues. It's like, why would I do anything else? Yeah, the choice is clear.
Sick. Alright, so you're reflecting on these choices and you know what you have learned and your journeys as you walk home the 20 minutes, uh and you make it back to bucatini, and you can see that obviously, the door is closed. The closed sign is out. The curtains have been drawn, but there are still some of the lights inside because you probably closed only about an hour ago or so.
So you know that, you know, wait, staff is still in there breaking things down, cleaning and setting up for opening tomorrow. But you have a key. Obviously, when we get in there, we just need to go straight upstairs because we are absolutely a health hazard, like completely we're discussing.
So just don't make eye contact and go just like look at your feet, You open up the door and you know the bell, the happy little bell goes off, and people just give you kind of a cursory glance and they see it's you, obviously, Lou, And they go back to, you know, folding rolling napkins, silverware for tomorrow, like wiping down mopping.
You know, all the chairs are flipped up and everybody's just moving about, so you are not impeded at all as you make your way up the stairs and open up the door to the main apartment. And as you step inside, you know, you move into your family living room. That's full overstuffed furniture and a million things on the walls. You see that there are two people up.
Frieda is sitting on the couch, kind of like a quilted blanket over her lap, and next to her is a very uncomfortable looking rook who looks way better way better than she did before. She looks like I mean, she looks tired for sure. She's been through something harrowing, but like all the black eye and like bruises and cuts, and everything on her body has seems to be just be gone. And she also does look a little bit older. It was hard to tell because last time you saw her, she was, like, 16 ISH.
You could guess, but her face was so damaged, like it was hard to really pick everything up. But now it's Yeah, definitely. She's She's older, um, and yeah, just holding, like like a ball of yarn for Frida right now. And as you step in the door, she goes, Oh, you're back. Great. Frida, this has been just wonderful, but I have to go. I really have to interest trying to, like, shove the yarn back into Frieda's hand. Who's like keeping it in her lap, and they're kind of squabbling over.
I'm free, just like Ah, yes. How did it go? How is everything? You look like Hell, you smell like hell, actually. Whoa. Uh, yeah. I mean, we're alive, so that's always good, right? That went well. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Good. No, we can finish this in a minute. You go. Go, go down the hall. You keep holding. That rook has stuck. There goes to pouty face on the couch while she's still holding br. Yeah, so I think we go. There's probably like one giant like tub room that they have.
And since we do have some extra funds for a couple of nice things, there's definitely like a spout that will give us indoor plumbing to, like, fill the tub. And I do so and I put all of the expensive bath salts in there. Everything we need, everything we got.
Yeah, if it will just start not being able to stand like another bloody second of being just crust crusty, we'll grab, like, you know, like mop buckets and we'll, you know, fill them up with some, like hot soap and water and so she can just start, like scrubbing on the floor. I think we need to call this episode crusty. Crusty. Uh, yeah, just immediately is, like naked, like, cannot get out of those clothes fast enough. She's just like, yeah, we'll never wear them again.
I think the sombrero has lived its life. You you didn't live. You're like, it'll be cute. I was like, I know it'll die. It'll die. Okay? Yeah. You can absolutely put the hook that into, like the garbage pile. Um, anything else you are saying or doing Or just like you just, like, want to get clean as soon as possible. That's it. That's the goal. After that, then we can have a little bit of self care. I could not imagine speaking about anything in this state.
I can't even believe we said hello to my mom like, Yeah, I really wish she hadn't been awake. But of course she's awake. You've actually never seen her sleep blue. So she's got too many things to worry about. Too many babies. Yeah, So you can all get clean and you start feeling, you know, humanoid again. Uh, once everything is is nice, uh, and I don't know. Do you have jammies or like, did you bring, like, robes or anything with you? You just got out of that.
Yeah. Frida will, if you don't have anything, she'll you know, she's got so many kids and people who come in and out, and you know, she's always helping other people. And so there's a whole wardrobe of strange bits and bobs, you know, laid out for you. I'm wearing one of Lou's like old childhood crop Top tees, and it's like a fitted baby t on shoulder. That's hot. Great. So, yeah, you all get suited up and stuff. And what do you What do you all want to do?
Apparently Frida and Rook are sitting in the living room still, But I think for rooks mental health, we should immediately give her a low down before you rescue her and give her the slowdown of everything that's happened. You come back in the room and rook looks at you, you know, with the captured, like help help me eyes, Um, And two Frida. Again, This has been so great.
But I just I really you know, they're my, um my team, you know, uh and I gotta just check, So I'm gonna you know, and and Frieda is just, like, smiling into the yard and like, Alright, alright. Just promise me you won't run off in the night. Well, let's at least have breakfast together before we all part ways. Okay? Blue. Okay. Oh, man. I can't wait to taste whatever your mom has got cooking.
If it's anything like her daughter ou she reaches out and grabs your cheek again, and she's like, Oh, you love her. You love this. Love this. Alright, well, goodnight, everybody. I guess I'll go to bed and I'll see you in the morning. Bright and early. Really early. Like why? No restaurant life really early. She pats you, uh, sympathetically on the shoulder before disappearing into one of the hallways. But yeah, Brooke will turn towards you all wild eyed like.
Okay, I caught some of what you were doing, but something with a demon and a and you're not dead. So that's great. Okay, good start. We got the ingredients in order to do the bonding ritual with the house. And we also got 200 gold, so bonus Great. Um great. Surprisingly great. Okay, great. We may have piste off some people in the shadow court in the process. The slithering court. Yeah. Sorry. Slithering court in the process of getting this stuff.
But wait, there were I don't think you mentioned there were fe involved. They were they involved in? This seems like there's always fae involved. Okay, this is a liable story. So we go down to where Luke's sister is a performer and a club called Soul, and it's run by this really nice gentleman who is apparently a fiend named Mr B and Mr B knows all about the house, knew everything about the ritual and was the one who ended up paying us the required ingredients and knows quite a bit about you.
It appears he's a a knowledge demon. Okay. All right, well, that makes sense. You had me really freaked out there for a second. I'm sorry. You know this guy? Your sister works for this guy? Apparently, it's new. I don't know. She sings at his club. Okay. And where did the fake come in? So apparently the slithering court and Mr B got into some kind of tiff, and they took his living spell book.
And so we, as payment for getting the ingredients that we needed, agreed to escort him onto the to this meeting, which was with the Duke of Pudding, and we killed him. And she like persons who like, yeah, and she she kind of stares at you for a minute and sort of mimics your expression, uh, and then goes So you killed a a court here of the slithering court. Really? And you didn't die? Aren't you proud? And What is the slumbering court doing in some beautiful city?
I don't know how proud is the right word. It shock is true, and I guess sort of I I'm Maybe I get I really can't believe you're alive right now in front of me. That is that is absolutely true. But, um, but I'm not surprised about the the slithering court. I mean, that's they're basically the only sovereign court that has. I mean, they have agents everywhere, but anyway, that's I'm I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. And I'm glad you're not dead use saved their lives.
If you would have seen yourself. You got the hair, right? Yeah. From your hand. Yeah. And you know, um, thanks also for that. I know you could have just left me, and you probably should have, but you didn't. And that's very nice of you think. Thank you. She kind of whispers, um, you know, the thank you trails off into quiet. Um, sort of. Hey, don't worry about it. You have been taking care of us since we met you. We're happy to help you.
I know I haven't always been the easiest to deal with so I appreciate that. Let's just this is clearly making you terribly uncomfortable. So let's just say friends. You're welcome. Thank you. And move on. Okay, that sounds good. I don't have a lot of experience doing that, but that sounds great. Okay, speaking on friendly terms now that you're better, though, I do think that we have a few questions for you. Yeah, that seems fair.
Okay. Um, yeah, should I'll just, um And are you, like, in the living room right now? Are you like, I mean, if if she's more comfortable, we can go to lose room, She doesn't want to be, like out in a common area. She would have followed you wherever you all eventually led her. So we're all on a giant king size bed?
Yeah, and she'll she'll look around the room then and, like, find a chair, scoot over to you while sitting on the bed and sits down in it and looks certainly, like ready, you know, to like sitting like on the towards the back of Luke. Bed has, like, sort of hunched over a pillow that she's holding in her lap, but they're like her head propped up on top, and she says, Well, I guess to start with your sister Tandy says Hi, and she says that she misses you. What?
Yeah, there's a big, big shock around the whole room and Rook says, How did that come up? Does Tandy know? Did you tell Tandy about me? You said you wouldn't. I didn't I didn't tell. I didn't tell her that we knew you. But when I was headed into the back of the house, I saw a portrait of you and her together hanging up on the walls. And I asked her about who you who she was to you. And I said, Oh, that's nice. Should I ever run into your sister? I'll be sure to pass on your love in rook.
She does. She has her hands, like on her face. You know, she's kind of rubbing her face trying to process this, and there's a lot of different emotions moving over her face. But she sort of lands on a like a steal, a steeled, almost like a trying not to. She's trying not to be emotional about it when she says, Um, I'm glad she's doing well, but if you don't mind I would very much like to not let Tante no, what has happened to me and where I am? I think she's safer if she doesn't know. Oh, sure.
I mean, she was definitely very sympathetic. And she had said that, you know, she always knew that you were a different one and just wanted the best for you. But of course, since things have changed, it's just easier not to. It's just easier not to. But you looked like a man. And but you're mortal as she like. Motions up and down Brooke's body like this is not a dream, Mark. Yeah, Yeah, I was. Yeah, as a fe once. And I am not anymore.
Lou reaches under her pillow and grabs a flask that she knows is there, and she passes it over to rock. Oh, thank God. She's like swings. Swings it back. Are you cursed? No. I wish was a curse. So I could do something about it right or anything, but no, this was just all my fault. Oh, girl, you gotta start from page one. I just thought there was one thing going on, but you were dry. Add, and now you're human. But also your aging for some reason.
And also you're not talking to your sister, which is just sad. I mean, she's not really my kind of person, but that's your sister. Yeah, I Yeah, that's a good summary of of everything. Um and, uh, yeah, I look, you don't have to tell the whole story now. We'll save you that. But I mean, is there something is it something that we should be we should be worried about?
Like, are you going to grow to be 110 days and then turned into a baby and like a phoenix like what your imagination knows no bounds? My God, you know, I wish I could say that's not exactly what happens. But that's very similar to exactly what happens. Let's let's just say I age a year every single day, and I'm new to all of this. So there have only been a couple of times where that transition happens, but it's not something I care to involve other people in because it's painful and disgusting.
So that's that, and one of the reasons you should never go in my room. So and also one of the reasons why I needed you all because I can't do this. I can't do this by myself, obviously, because there are times when I will be useless. And in those times I have made a lot of enemies and I'm vulnerable. That's one of the reasons it's just safer for me not to ever see Tandy again. If people know what happened and they know I get into these moments, there's nothing I can do.
And again, like I said, it's all my fault. I brought this on myself. I wanted to be mortal, and that's what the weird sisters gave me. Mortality lifetimes and lifetimes and lifetimes of it. What did you give them? Is that just what they got a big joke, ruining your life with it, or did they get something out of it? Other than that, I paid my price. This was just a fun side bonus, but that's why you have to really, really be careful around them are on the fe.
What's what's the oldest you've gotten to? Is it always the same year or I've only been through it twice now. one time it was 98, um, Another. It was a 104 so I don't know. What are you eating? 104. In this day and age, I don't know. What's your workout routine? I don't really know how it works. Okay, that's that's That's also part of why this is so fucking hard and like you have. I've never been human before, right?
And it's It's ridiculous And, um, hormones and feelings And your whole body is just taken over all the time by and you're always hungry or tired or you have to poop and like, Why is it like this? And she just she's she's freaking out and tears are streaming down her face, and she's not. She's not like crying. She's just like emoting all over the place. Well, for us, it's all exciting because it only happens once.
But if it keeps happening and you're not really working up to something, I could see how it's less exciting. Yeah, I know. Ship. We got your back, at least. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, I If, um, this is gonna work. If this is all going to keep working, there are just going to have to be times where I'm just not around. So logistically when you're a baby, do you? Should we just take care of it? Like I've changed a lot of diapers?
No, I absolutely do not want you to see me or I will go away. And I will deal with that because that is not something that I I do not want anyone close to me. Expectations. Now I think it's really important. Honestly, if we want to make a list of rules and like, hang them up in the kitchen, that would just be great for me. She has the expression of, like, a teenager who's like about to get the sex talk right now.
Like that is the like level of discomfort she is expressing around this whole situation. I mean, it seems like you have some sort of system worked out for when you're doing that, and I would really care not to be. Have anyone be involved in that? No. Do you know how horrific it is from going to be a cool badass fe that's thousands of years old to being a screaming, shitting little kid and you remember everything. You fucking remember everything. I don't know.
I think that I would want people that I can trust around to help me deal with that. No, I can deal with it myself. That's nothing new. At least that hasn't changed. The offer still stands, but you're free to accept it if you like. But anyway, luckily, now I'm kind of back at full capacity. So we've got another 50 good days. Whatever. We should do something fun before they run out. Mhm. I mean, I know that you've probably done much more than us.
You're, like, super old, like I'm old, not for an elf, but in general. But damn. Yeah. Being immortal and then not being immortals weird. So if you've only gone through this a couple of times, then it's only been like under a year. Yep. So, I mean, I'm not saying, like, get your hopes up or anything, but I don't know anything about this or magic in general, but who knows? Maybe we'll be able to figure something out in the long term. Get your back. How you were. Yeah, maybe.
Yeah. I'm sure there's still a lot to process about this. So maybe now we should show you what we got from Bartleby. You can tell us what this ritual involves. Yeah. Yeah, that'd be She kind of smiles at you gratefully. Tony. That would be great. Um, yeah. What? What'd you get? And we the bell from the carillon. We buried that a couple hours outside of to because we thought surely if the Carol had made this and we had it, we could probably use it to track us. And so we wanted to ditch it.
That was a good call. I'm sure Whistler already knows where it is. Feels good to have you say that. Because while we were making that decision, we had no fucking clue what to do for real. And those things are wild, wildly powerful artifacts, you know, handmade for H. Caroline. Of course, they have all kinds of magical sensors and screw eyeing. And I'm sure that's exactly why he left it. Good. You're more sensible than I assumed. That's good. Always with the backhanded compliments.
My God. Kind of starting to like it. You know, I kind of I kind of lost some ground here tonight, so I feel like I can have one. She says, Sure, you can have a couple have one. Yeah. Let me get in there. just like one thinks. Thanks. Uh, come on, What's in the bag? And then Lou just, like, pulls out this little red bag, and she's like, Okay, I think I know what this is.
They sell these a lot in chassis Anna and she, like, digs her arm, and she's like, Oh, yeah, totally Your bag of holding extra play space. Fuck, yeah. So for those of you listening who don't know, a bag of holding is basically it's It's a bag that, you know, it appears like a normal human sized bag, but it has a huge, extra dimensional amount of space inside it, so bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. Great for storing all your bullshit during adventures.
I will pull out all the junk because I don't actually know what it was like. A really weird ingredients. Yeah, So as you dig around inside, there's nothing in the pouch except for it's like a little a wooden crate, maybe the size of a shoebox, so you can pull that out and all the, you know, stuff is apparently inside and the size of the shoebox. And as you slide it open, there seemed to be a couple of these, like orange, almost rust colored like very lumpy candles that have a very weird smell.
There are, like, golden needles inside, um, and some herbs that have been, like, you know, put in like little baggies and very neatly labeled Everything is very neatly labeled with, like, stickers And, you know, Ziploc bag, like fancy Ziploc bags. So part of me has clearly arranged this all very nicely for you and the only thing inside, they all look pretty mundane. But the weirdest thing in there is like a glass vial with a stopper.
And you can see there are very long white, white silver threads that are very, very fine. They look almost like like hair that have been coiled up inside this this tube. Not this again. Yeah. Sounds like it's Yeah, the weird sisters hair. Maybe it's long. It's silvery. It's white. Um, maybe it's the granny's hair of the person who owned the chicken hut before, and rook rook looks over everything and wow. Yeah, looks like it's all here. That's great.
I mean, you did kill a court here so that I mean feels about right. But, you know, it's It's good, you know, having a demon you can dress. I guess that's that's you wouldn't say Trust. Everyone's nice to you when you have something they want. Yeah, at least it makes a fair, straightforward deal. Yeah, that's that is nice. Yeah. Whose hair is that? Oh, um, you know, I actually don't I just have the spell, right? I got it in a book when I got the house. Sort of like a user manual thing.
So I'm actually not. I think it was, like, some very long name of a mythical creature, and it is definitely the most expensive thing, so that's good, actually. Yeah. You're like a wizard, kind of right. And she points at us to and even kind of shrugs. Yeah, I've never actually done it. Sure. Yeah. So how are you bonded to the house, then? We'll have to do this. She she bonded me to the house when I got the house. So it has to be the owner, you know, transferring.
So and I was never much of a um I don't know, a nerd, so I don't really know, like, crosses her arms and looks really offended at being called a nerd books, and she just she you know, she's just like, she gestures with her hands. Like, annoyed, like past. All right, past me, everything. I'll read the instructions. I okay, don't worry about it, but but it's good that we have that. So when we go back, that's we should absolutely do that before we go Wherever we need to go next.
Probably back to coven, Right? Unless I guess we we actually have to get a bounty. Yeah. I mean, we got some money, but that doesn't also do us much good when we're in Coven. So right. Yeah. It's like waking up for a reason because Tony let you all know that Tony had a sweet dream and has from the Weird Sisters Network has not been informed about. Yeah, it was like, Hey, come pick me up from this party. I don't want to be weird.
Sisters are like, Hey, whenever you have a minute, so come back here and bring all your little friends is what they had said in that dream where they made you go smack out code on the floor of Lou's kitchen. Yeah. So Rook is looking at us going And she's like what? I was kinda I was kinda knocked out for a second and contacted by the weird sisters, asking me to return a favor along with all of you. Who? I forgot about that for a hot second.
Fun fact, I have a favor from the mistress of silks and covens. So you know, we get some, we pay some back, we clear our debts. That that's not good. You should know there's Did you not hear what I just told you? No favors. Ever, ever with them. Don't Don't do that. Just just don't do that. It wasn't okay. Listen, I understand this now. I understand this now, but I What did you take from them? What did they give you? They they gave me first of all knowledge of illegal animal racing.
Bring in the, uh what, like the catacombs of some city and also run by the slithering court. And they were torturing their animals like I had to stop that. So they just knew this was something you wanted to do. And they When did you talk to them? They came to me. One of them came to me in my sleep. I thought it was a dream. I don't really know what was happening, but it's not good. They showed me this vision of this horse. This and it was beautiful. And it was in pain Dream when you were asleep.
Yeah, that's not good. Okay. Um okay. They're calling in a favor. A favor? Wait, How many favors do you owe them when she's, like at you, like at your shoulders, Tony? Like looking at you with her very intense eyes moment. Well, when I was there to help the creature, they also provided me with two. Fuck, I'm unconscious for one day. One fucking day. Alright, okay, That's okay. So we all right? And look how much we managed to do and get into. Yeah, it's amazing. I saved a life.
Okay. This You know what? Alright. That. You know, this is fine. I'm sure it'll be fine. And I'm sure they won't want us to do anything that might lose a life. Right? I'm sure it'll all work out in the cosmic balance, because that's what that's what they love balance. They love when everybody gets a fair deal. That's so true. She slaps her hand like on her knee. Take it. Take another gulp of that booze. Because at this point, we can't do anything other than pay them back.
So whatever happens, we're just gonna try to minimize damage, right? Should we like, throw? Should we, like, burn the hair that you recovered? We weren't sure what to do with our hair because we were trying to make sure you're still like, should we, like, burn it to, like, throw it away? Yeah. I mean, as long as you have it back now, that's That's the important thing you can. I mean, certainly don't just throw it out in the world again.
You know, just once you throw it away, right, Once you choose to get rid of it, it's It's a choice you make. You're not giving it. It loses all its power. So and now you can throw it away. You can burn it or do whatever you want. It won't matter. It's it's not the object. It's the That's the way it happens. It's It's all very complicated, but I guess okay, I'm gonna write. I'm going to try to do better because we can't have this happening. She points at you, Tony like, just we That's so bad.
And I'm not okay. And I realize I do. I do. I do realize I'm not the greatest teacher in the world, but I'm a human trying to do, look, think the fe and trying to talk to other humans, which is something I just really don't have a lot of experience with, Right, So I'm I'm also learning, but, wow, this is high stakes game everybody. So tomorrow we'll wake up, and I guess we'll do breakfast with that woman who lives here. You can call her mom. She's your mom.
Yeah. Okay. The family resemblance is the kindness in our eyes. Hey, you've got weird ship going on in your life. You have? No. Yeah, I changed creature types. So, like, I get that I don't understand mortals. Um, okay. That's a mortal issue, I guess. Um Okay, so we'll have breakfast with your mom, and then we will go and see what the weird sisters want. And but on the way before that, we're going to bond you all to the House case.
This ship happens again, and then I will do I will answer questions and we will, uh there are books, probably in the house that will help you learn things so you don't die. Brilliant. Gordon will be so displeased. Yes, well, Gordon can suck it, so that's true. I'm kind of warming up to him personally. He's a little bit psycho, but I really I just There's something about him I'm really worried about. You're doing life. I don't like that. Yeah, I don't like that you feel that way.
Um, okay, that's fine. I guess you can talk to him. He's gonna like you even less now, after the bonding thing. So because I'll have to do what you say. So just be prepared for that. But that means we get to command the house, right? Yes, but But it is clear that you you all still work for me? Yes. Like that. I I am in charge. But like you said, there's times when you're not going to be around like No, no, I will leave instructions for where? Oh, like when you're bleeding on the couch.
All right. Good to know. And she kind of gives her, like, a playful, like slapping there at her. You know what? I'm going to go to sleep and we will talk about this tomorrow. She gets up and she, like, takes all the stuff in the bag and was like, I'm gonna hold this. They say laughter is the best medicine. Nope, I'm holding this. Good night. Good night. I'm fine. Uh, and you hear, like, a door open and closed down there. And she's like, actually, Lou, where am I staying?
I don't actually, no. I mean, yeah, you guys can all stay in here and or you can sleep on one of the couches if you want, but people might be coming in and out. Um, I'm gonna go share larks room so that you guys have more space. I'll sleep on the couch. Mom wakes up really early. She will need somebody to help with breakfast. Or just prepare yourself just like a banshee sound from down the hall and disappears, leaving you all to yourselves. Alright, Well, if you need anything, I'm down the hall.
Two doors to the right. So sleep tight. Yeah. Good night, everyone. Let's pass the funk out now. Hey, Venturers, You've made it to the mid roll. We've been dropping a lot of truth this episode, so let's keep the ball rolling with some updates. For those of you keeping an eye on the Venture maidens campaign guide, I've got great news as of a few days ago. The community version of the Venture Maidens Campaign Guide pdf, is live.
If you backed the Kickstarter, make sure to check your email or head to the Kickstarter page to grab your copy of the sweet, sweet initial version of the book. Though this copy is far from the final version, it gives you a glorious preview of all 230 pages of the dang thing. The community copy will be available until June 30, and in the meantime we invite you to read the content play, test the content and please, please let us know your feedback. This is the time to catch any typos.
Point out anything you find confusing, overpowered, un accessible etcetera. You can provide feedback via the Google form sent out on the Kickstarter. Hop in to our discord to provide feedback in the campaign guide channels specifically on the discord or submit play test feedback via the Google form.
On our discord, we want to make it super easy to get your thoughts and make this book the best it can be After the June 30 2022 date will no longer be accepting feedback as we will be starting our final editing and layout pass. After that, we'll be releasing the true final PdF. As of now, we're expecting that final PdF to go out to backers in late July or early August. And once it's in backer hands, it will be available for general sale on the to see gaming and the Venture maidens websites.
So go, go, go to check out all the glorious stuff we have been up to and let us know your thoughts. Other than that, I just want to say thank you so much for the continued support and for sticking with us through some podcast posting delays. As you might imagine, getting this book out the door has been an all consuming labor of love, but we are thrilled to give be giving it every bit of love and detail that you all deserve.
So until next time, make sure to follow us on social media everywhere at venture maidens to stay up to date on the latest news come on down to join our wonderful discord community, throw a couple of bucks at the patreon, leave a rating and review and, of course, never forget to venture away. Alright, kids, I'll let you get back to the episode and I'll catch up with you next time. So So you all go to sleep.
Uh, and it's all great and you are very tired after a very long day of adventuring and traveling and everything. So I imagine it is not too hard for you all to go to sleep. Um, blue as you do, you know, you post up in in Clark's room somewhere around three a.m. You know, in the middle of your trends, you you hear a door opening and you know, the clicky clacking very tall shoes.
Um, come in and, you know, as they get like, thrown off and you feel you know your sister's arm, like, like gets thrown around your side and she, you know, at some point she's like, good loopy kisses, your face, a whole bunch. Um, you can roughly smell like champagne and, you know, cigarette smoke from a from a club. But that passes through your trans like She's just like, uh, cuddles in a little bit too. Yeah. Yeah. And, Lou, what are you What are you meditating on this evening in your trance?
Is there anything particular that's happening with you trying to quiet your mind? Yeah, she's definitely normally she, like, thinks about all of, like, her family and friends that, like, soothe her. I think like being home and like being in her room has kind of, like, unsettled her after she had, like, all those strong memories. So she's just trying to clear her brain. Yeah. Yeah. So you're you're sort of like fighting.
Yeah, to get that that column, that centering with everything that's been happening and being back. And it's just also strange. Your life is so different, and it's only been seven days, but it feels like an eternity, Uh, at this point and as you're, you know, drifting through and, like, you know, thinking about those those quieting exercises, those meditative moments, maybe even those sounds, you know, that you always go to when you go to that meditation place and you start to hear something.
It's, um it's very dreamy. It's very musical. Ah, and you you realize you're You're kind of processing the sound before before you consciously realize it. It's that song that you had heard from that, that silvery giant thing. It now seems like so long ago that that song of that creature that you saved from that bell and do you realize as you're listening to it and and focusing on it, something about your consciousness has shifted again and you realize I'm dreaming.
It was like that same thing that happened to you were falling back into that exact same thing that happened to you back at that camp when you had your first dream. Ever as you're listening to the song and slowing you into whatever this confusing state is as an elf and the sound and everything, that consciousness starts to form images around you, and you find yourself in this place this unfamiliar place. But something about it is comforting. It's a greenhouse you're seeing around you.
There's lots of sunlight that's coming down and through, but it's nice and diffused through these smoky panels of glass on the wall, so it's not uncomfortable to your dark elf eyes and all around you you can see that there are tons of plants in this space, and they're all different fruits and herbs and vegetables and all edible things ingredients you recognize and some of them you don't. But they all look very exciting and fresh.
And as you swing your head around and take in the space, you realize you're not alone. That giant, that impossibly huge giant from before is standing by you, and they shouldn't fit in the space. But But they do as they're looking at you and again, they don't really have a mouth or anything. But you can tell they're smiling at you in this space and the giant offers you a ham. Do you take it? I think she, like, pauses for a second, not trusting the dream. And she like logics with herself.
I helped this fake creature so I can take something from it. Um, and so she'll reach out her hand and meet its Yeah, And as you do, and again because the beings body was made of this compacted mist. Right? So you're not really expecting to encounter much or solid flesh as you reach out?
But you feel the palm land, you know, your tiny palm and its giant one as it takes your hand and begins to lead you around the paths in this, this widening greenhouse and every corner holds just some some other delightful thing or something. You're like, Oh, that yellow that looks so good in a curry or like that smell like Whoa, that could make a million things with that. It's just it's very exciting. And the whole time the Giant is speaking to you, it's not words.
It's It's those melodic notes of the song, which you don't understand. But it's okay, you know, in the dream logic as you're moving through. And so it continues to talk to you, and it winds around until you come to the center of this greenhouse, where there is this tree that is just sprouting out from the ground, and it's huge and beautiful, the most green, vibrant leaves you've ever seen.
And there are, like hundreds of different multicolored fruits hanging from its branches, and the giant takes its hand out of yours and offers its hands like to lift you up to give you a boost so you can reach some of the fruit above. Yeah, she'll, like, brace herself with her arms and, like, hike herself up. Yeah, you do. And you're standing on mist, right? It's like standing on clouds. And there's that moment in the dream.
We're like, Whoa, and you realize you know how weird this is and how delightful. And the giant lifts you slowly, slowly up so you can filter through the branches here. And there are so many different things. What is dream loo looking for? I think she's looking for, Like that one special ingredient that she could use to make her food stand out in two realms. Um oh, yeah, dude, why, maybe more? I don't know. And so I think that, you know, she's like looking through.
And as she goes through the branches, she's keeping an eye out for some kind of fruit, but with a taste in mind in her head, Um, and she, like, passes things. She is like smelling too, like with their whole body. Just trying to find that ingredient. Yeah, and you're pushing through. And so many so many interesting things are passing you by. But you're like, No, that's not quite it. That's not quite it.
And you're like, I know if I keep looking I'm going to find something that something that I'm supposed to find is the sense I think that is going through. And you push and you push, you know, and impossibly long. You know, you're digging in this tree, though you're just standing in one place, and as you move your hands towards the latest grasp, you feel something odd. Something wouldn't, um, and it's not a branch.
It's it's almost manufactured, and it's It's different than anything you've been finding so far. And as you you reach, you can kind of get a hold of it. Feels like a canister of some kind. Do you want to pull it towards you? Sure, yeah, and as you do, you you reach and you know, you pull this thing, and from the branches you see something. It's it's not a fruit. It's not anything that should be growing on the street, it looks like a wooden cage.
It looks like a little bird cage, And inside it there are two people. You see Tony and you see rook tiny versions of them, like in this cage, and you can see they're like holding at the bars and like yelling, pounding at it for somebody to let them out. Oh, she kind of, like, looks backwards towards the things she's like. I'm going to let them out. I'm not going to eat them. Just so you know. And the giant star? Yeah. The Giants stopped singing and nods.
I had an agreement like it understands this isn't what I asked for, but okay, dreams are fucking weird. And she just kind of, like, tries to find, like, an opening on the cage. And if she can't find one, she'll just start pulling at the top to try to break it. Yeah. Yeah. And there is There is, like a little, you know, a latch with, like, a golden decorative lock, you know, on the front. And you're like, it's like those things that can hold a preteen girls diary close.
You're like, whatever, like child's play, you know, as you go. And you, you just, like, rip this thing off, you know? And so the door flies open and there's this flash of golden light and both, you know, little little rook and little Tony shoot out of this cage and they turn into these golden birds that flutter out into the greenhouse and the vision. Everything around you starts to fade into darkness as this is all going away and all kind of melting away.
And there's a voice that you hear and it's not a voice you've ever heard before, But it says, Do you know what kind of bird this is? Lou? Remember its name. The name is important and you, like, wake up with the whoa! As you come out of the dream and you're back, you're you're you're awake and you know it's it's morning. You can hear people walking around in the kitchen and and there's a sound of a glass marble rolls along the floor at your feet.
I'm just going to reach down and snatch it up and, like, peer at it fucking identical. That other one you have with nothing in it you can, like, hold them side by side. Identical. Those empty marbles. Son of bitch. Oh, I hate dreams. Why aren't they literal? That would be so much easier. She, like, puts that extra ball in her pocket. Yeah, and she kind of like, looks over to see if Lark is still there. Clark is there in the pillow. Clearly didn't like, wash off any makeup or anything.
So, like, has that trail you know, the mascara on the white pillow cloth and she's sort of drooling a little bit. And like the too much hairspray has now made her hair like sort of jacket and strange as you shift she's like, No, no golf. No, no Got slapped at you. Mhm. Yeah. So you just kind of gets out of bed and takes all the blankets and just, like, shoves it on top of her face. You hear from underneath at some point, but then quiet.
Um, and she's gonna tiptoe out of her room to the common area. Um, kind of like gonna ease our way over to, um, any kind of like book situation. I'm sure we have, like, a reading nook or something and just be kind of like looking looking for nature books because she's like, we're gonna make this make sense because dreams are stupid. What? The funk. What the was that? Yeah, it's so unlike your trans stuff where it's like it's always you. It's always in control, and you're like, What the hell?
I love being in control. This is terrible. And this is awful. Why people do this every night. This is horrible. Um, yeah, so you can start looking, and you're, like, trying to find anything you have on birds. And you're like, Oh, no, it's It's just you're trying your best. Um, And then we come over to, uh, so, Tony, And to what are you all doing? It sounds like people are staring clatter around down below. Um, and you hear, you know, the creak of a door, Uh, from further down.
So maybe lose up or someone else. This is morning now. Oh, I'm ready and well rested. She slept hard and is ready for this breakfast. Anything for you, Eva. How are you feeling? She feels like ass. She does her. Yeah, she does her typical thing where she just waits until to be in bed until the absolute last possible moment. Hell, yeah. And so it comes. It happens. Uh, you know, when?
When finally, there's, like, a sound of, you know, a wooden spoon on a pipe down below That Louis would recognize is like, get the hell up breakfast time. Um, you know the echoing that just comes right up through the floorboards into the common area. That's a very clear sign that your mom is ready for you to be here. You haven't seen either. So you assume that maybe if she got pulled into exactly what you thought she would Good. Yeah. Uh, yeah.
Blue is gonna, like, really quickly not finding anything. Just kind of, like write down what happened in her dream and kind of make a little sketch of the gold bird and just put it in her nightgown pockets because you got to have pockets. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Rendezvous. We all head downstairs for breakfast. Mm. Hell, yeah. Uh, yeah, it's there. It's in my mouth. It's gone. So yeah, you all You walk downstairs and there are a couple of staff members who are already there.
Um, I mean, the business is open so long, and you have so many friends and you're involved in so many other things. There are always people around, so you head downstairs already and like one of the largest tables, you know, in the in, the front room has been covered with a nice tablecloth, and plates are being set out and sort of like up on the counter. You know, buffet style.
There's, like, you know, team meal that they have set up that, you know, restaurants will do early in the morning and just all kinds of delicious, you know, eggs and toast and fruits and everything you could want Tea and coffee and pastries are laid out. And there's a very, very sleepy rook who is holding a thing of coffee and pouring it for people like a robot. As you know, she's staring off blinking. She's that soulless. McDonald's employee. Yeah, like like you want more?
Okay. Refilling you walk downstairs. She's like coffee. You need some to hear. I'll take a shift. You go sit down. Me 1st. Me 1st. I just need the image of her pouring the coffee in my head. You have to chase the coffee a little bit, but you get it, like in the mug? Yeah. Yeah. And she's like, Okay, yeah. I'll have something else. I'll sit down. Nice. Should I put it directly in your mouth, or do you want a cup? Oh, okay. Oh, right. Cup? Yep. Good. And she gets it sits down. Uh, yeah.
And so, Frieda, you know, comes out and, like, dumps you know some a big slather of gravy on something on somebody's plate, and she's like, Oh, my little baby's all yours. You were so cute sleeping. I just you know, I let you sleep for an extra 30 minutes. Not that rook, though. She's spicy. I like her and she like elbows you really hard in the ribs. Luso. She gives you, like eyebrows. Like her. No, no, She's a good friend. Little spitfire. She's such a little I don't mean okay.
Yeah. No, not for me, but thank you. I'm just looking out for you. What about that, Tony? Though? She's about that, you have to pick. You know, Tony is just like, oh, working up her ears. Here's her name living with these babes. I don't know. Oh, my God, Mom. And then she, like, lowers her voice a little bit. She's like, she's really good looking, but I don't think that our personalities much so don't talk about it. Okay, Sit down. Let me get you food.
Okay. Well, you know, I never sit down, but you can make me a plate. I'll be there, I'll be around, I'll be around And she, you know, disappears into the back for a bit, and it's helping with other things. And Lou makes a play, and she's like, She's never going to eat that. She's never gonna be back here. You've also never seen her eat. You've never seen her sleep. And you've never seen her eat in. Like all the years you've been together. Regulars. No idea.
Um, but yeah, you all sit amidst, you know, the restaurant staff and and other folks who are gathered here and you can have a truly fucking excellent breakfast, which is exactly what you needed. After a dungeon crawl and all the rapid traveling and the fear and just everything, it's been so much. And this is just so warming and lovely for you all.
Um, and Frieda will eventually at some point pull up a stool at the plate that you made her is is cold and whatever and she, you know, kind of pecks at it as she's talking to, um, So you all just heading right out? I know you were kind of on a crunches. Everything okay? Loopy. I wasn't able to hear much else Other than what I told you yesterday. Unfortunately, Yeah, I mean, still keep an ear out for that crazy, Caroline. You know, let us know if you hear literally anything.
Who knows if it could be useful? He's a problem, but I think the rest I feel capable in handling, Okay, hopefully, but I'll find a way to get in touch with you if anything comes up. Well, you know, you all know you ever need anything. I'm here. Don't be shy, okay? I'm certainly coming back. With or without Lou, anytime, Anytime we have, we have beds. We have food, whatever you need. Just you come here. You're in trouble. You come here, Ma, I'll take care of you.
I give her a big bear hug and I lift her off the ground a little. Thank you for everything. Frida's so good to meet you. Thank you for opening up your home to us anytime. Anytime. I love you know, now that all my kids going out into the world and just you know, it's a little lonely here sometimes. So do you ever want to come back? You were the one who told me to leave. I know. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. She says like, smooth your your collar.
It's a double edged sword, but no, you're doing good, good things, even if I don't understand exactly what you're doing with the fe or any of that. But me either, you know, follow your heart loopy. Hmm? Yeah, that usually ends up well, but yeah, let's finish up breakfast. And I need to grab. I'm really sorry I lost some of the knives you gave me, so I'm going to have to take some from the kitchen. Chef needs their tools. She she looks at you and there's, like, a flash of steel in her eyes.
And she goes, which ones you're not taking my good set. Are you gonna take my good set, child? Wherever I am too afraid to damage or lose them, To be honest with you, you love me. But you would kill me, Okay? Just not the ones with the white stickers. You know my policy. I know the ones. Nobody touches those. Alright? Okay, then. Anything else you want you to? You can ask for some of my knives. She says it looks at you know I would never date. I would never date to ask.
But Frieda darling, I am in the market for a new shield. And we did find a very, um, well stocked armory. They were kind of asked, There are a bit above my budget, but I really I stay close to the people around me. I intend to defend your daughter, my friends. And if there's anything you can do to help me out with that or even just let me know if there's a sale happening over here, just a shield. I mean, any, any special thing you just you just want to shield has been fucked.
I mean, I mean, a whole on upgrade is always a good idea, but I don't want to ask for too much. It just want to be able to protect everyone. Okay, Well, I mean, yeah, you know, I'll put out some feelers, and I'm sure I can find you something a very reasonable rate. And I mean, my rates, not street rate. So you're looking for something because I got just normal shields. But I'm assuming you want something magic. If you're defending my daughter's honor and all that.
Mom, um, thank you for your hospitality. We will take the generic ship for now. Stuff. Sorry, mom. Um, but, uh, yeah, I guess we got a lot of stuff to sort out. So I guess we're gonna be together for a while. So any better equipment that you hear word of would probably be useful. But don't you know if there's something bigger don't use, you know, your friends for that? Because in my daughter's life, there are bigger things. You're a good kid.
She, like, you know, pats your hand and says, Yeah, we'll get you. Just a shield, Tony. Just something to hold you over. But next time you stop by, I'll have something good for you. Okay, Maybe I'll send it through that. That that mailing service, That you've been getting my letters, right? Yeah. I don't know how it works either, but it's working so well. I won't keep you anymore. I know you're big world saving things to do, so All right, Come on. Come on, come on.
Help Clear the plates and everybody starts cleaning up, standing up and yeah, So, Tony, you can have a shield just like a normal shield. For now, they keep, you know, small armory of, like, non magical stuff here. Um and the offer is definitely open. You know, next time you come back in Louisiana or maybe she can get something if you can send her some money like she can get you Maybe something magic from that shop. Originals rarities that you you stop by before, too. Hell, yeah.
Anything else you all want to do before you load back into the chicken hut? No. Just give my mom a big, sloppy cheek kiss kisses, and she hangs on to you, and she's just like, Oh, maybe I'll just take you with me, Mom, You weigh nothing. Oh, you just try. You just try. Oh, no. But, you know, I got the restaurant and uber is coming back, and he's gonna be so upset that he missed you. And it's gonna be all about her about that, and I'll have to comfort him.
And, you know, I'm sure another kid will be back. I'm sure Charlie is not gonna last much longer out there without you. Adam. He's getting so bored. He's getting so bored. I'm sure he'll be back here soon. He was excited about a rabbit the other day. Yeah, that's yeah, That's our boy. Our boy Yeah. Sweet, simple child. Yeah, well, I It was good to see you. You're also beautiful. And she's, like, out in the street.
She's been following you for, like, 10 ft, you know, out of the restaurant, like this whole time talking to. And she's like Yeah, just leave. When are you leaving? When you leave. Okay. There we go. 15ft away, and she eventually walks back. I wasn't wearing shoes, was waving the whole time. And you head off, you head off into Paseana. So you returned back to the chicken hut. Time for this fucking ritual. Yeah. So you you make your way back out there. It's a short walk again.
Heading back in was about 1520 minutes or so outside the city. And you wind your way back. Another gorgeous day in chassis, Anna. And as you are making right back, it occurs to you like, Oh, boy, you're gonna be leaving the mortal realm again. Well, that's nice. Predictable, beautiful weather and things that make sense heading back into the wild, the realm of the Fae, where all that is waiting for you. And I think as you know, Rook pulls out the little jar Of gray, Chunky Paste.
Hands it around to all of you so you can see the fucking house again. Because it's been 24 hours. It really hits you what you're moving back into as you rub this ship all over your eyes. I told myself, Never again. No more shit. Well, at least it's actually the last time. No more of that. And you can drive when I give you permission to. So that's that would be good. Is there a learner's permit on this thing? You know? Yeah, sure. Yep. It, uh, that's how it works.
It will not work unless I say so. So that's what it's just better if you pretend that's true as you are, like hopping up to the house and, you know, you get inside and everything looks exactly as you left it. You know that the kitschy little like cabin vibe as you step inside. And I don't suppose that the weird sisters give you any kind of way to get back to them. Right? We're just supposed to go there. They didn't give you a fairy ring or anything.
I don't recall any method of getting back to them. It didn't specify. They just want us to walk. That's super nice of them. Mhm. All right. Should we should we Bond before we worry about that, that seems like that's all we need to get that done as soon as possible. Sort of thing. Great. Alright, yeah, let's do that. And then we'll worry about that. Next episode. Uh, tomorrow. Um okay. Yeah. So she she walks around the living room. She's like, right, right, right.
And she seems to be looking at, like, walls and under furniture. Like she's very actively looking for something. Uh, and then she she steps a foot down on one like floorboard in a corner of the room and there's like, a squeaking sound, and she's like, Yeah, and she she reaches down and pulls up the board and pulls out like a dusty shoebox. She blows off and, you know, get some of, like, the ash and four dirt off of. And she she puts it in the center here, uh, and opens it up.
And then there's Yeah, there's, like, a rolled scroll inside that she immediately hands to you. Eva? Yeah. People will take him, start studying it, and we'll motion with the hands towards the towards Brooke. Give me the ingredients. Yeah, yeah, and she does. And she's doing the really annoying thing where she's like looking over your shoulder like assembly instructions, right? And she's like, really wants to be involved, but she doesn't really want to read the instructions.
So she's kind of setting things up and, you know, like painting the lines on the floor like putting the candles. And you're like, No, no, don't do that like Wait, don't do it this way So there's a little bit of that going on.
Um, but yeah, you can You can get it set up eventually and you see that most of the stuff these ingredients are, you know, it's like the incense you need to burn and like, here's the chalk lines you have to put on the floor and the last thing and the weirdest thing that comes out of this box is a It looks like an ivory hoop that's a foot long or whatever, and it's got like canvas that's stretched taut in between it with these little screws that hold it in place,
and Rook sits in the middle of the circle here and she starts. She reaches for that vile with the hairs in it and the Golden Needle and she starts kind of trying to thread put them in the middle. She's like, Okay, you know, when you're ready to start, Yeah, and then, yeah, you know, use her her, you know, declaring a voice and, well, you know, start ordering everyone around to do things and what to say at the right time. You read, you have, like, this whole thing.
You need to read like, you know, during the ritual, and it takes a whole 10 minutes. It's a proper ass ritual, and you will have to sit in the right spots, and it's all very uncomfortable. And so are you ready to begin? According to those instructions, you know, you light the appropriate candles at the appropriate moment at moments, and the incense starts to move through the house, and it's all very like a tunnel.
Sharp smells start to drift through this place, and as you're going, And if a reaches a .2 or three lines in where you see the candles and the fireplace, all visibly like go to a deep, dark, dim, almost like the flames are being suppressed, as if a continues to read this chant. And as you all sit in the little circles that have been like sketched out around you on the floor, they start to glow with this ambient orange light in the smells and the light.
And it's all getting very heady and very strange. And you see, Rook is just like hyper fixated on this cross stitch that she's working on in the very center of this circle that has like and now you see it and you're like, Was it there before? Was it not, as she's like pulling this thread long and through on this little stitched image of a house in the center?
As she's like adding a very like shitty little stick figure on one side of this house with, You know, you see little horns coming out of the side and, like orange hair, vaguely FIFA. She's pulling the line through and she stretches. She stretches the thread really long. And if this is the point where you reach over and you're supposed to prick your finger with a knife onto the thread to drop some blood on there, yeah, nice ready as you do.
Yeah, the white thread of this, like silvery whatever this was like stains crimson, as continues to, like, complete this little person of you standing beside this house and she goes again. She, like, ties off the thread and you hear her going like this really hard. She likes, like, threads. Another one. She's trying to do this cross stitch and, like, you know, doing this big ritual chant just trying her best. And she reaches out to you, Tony, for you to repeat.
What if I just did my best attempt? So you drop your blood onto the onto the thread, so you do. So, uh, And then, you know, rook continues to make, like a green person that's very large with something like gold. Maybe those are cauldrons. And she's like, trying to hand stitch whatever the funk this is into, like the, you know, the cross stitch pattern. And she completes and ties this one off. And with the third and final thread, she like strings that and reaches out to you, Lou.
So you can drop the blood onto it. Yeah, he just cuts her finger over one of her many scars. Pops it down there. Yeah, The last thread turns red and rook continues to stitch this this little person, this little purple person with this, like, big white chunk of hair around the top here. And you can see, you know, as rook like pulls this through sweating and like cursing the entire time and, like, you know, cuts off that final thread with her teeth.
You see, now the picture of the house that she was cross stitching was it was absolutely the Chicken hut, like done by somebody who clearly knew what they were doing, like very beautiful in the center. And there's like, the banner that says, like home sweet home, you know, over the top of it. And there are these four figures now on either side of it all lined up and clearly what Rick was doing, they looked fucking terrible.
But now that you look at them and as the magic of the ritual is like taking place here, it looks like little cross stitch versions of each of you around the house here. And if, as you like, the thread is pulled taut and you say those final words there's like the final flickering and all of the fires in this house go out and there's like a moment. Copy it and you will feel at home in this place, and it's not. It's not a very intense feeling.
It's very subtle, but it's like that feeling you get when you walk into you know your house versus, like, a friend's apartment or like somewhere you've been before. It's just that feeling of peace. As you sit in this place, you know that this is now your home, and that's where we're gonna end the episode for tonight. We were we were on a weird cross stitch made by a hag, she said. It was so well, congratulations. Everybody made it through another episode.
This was a nice one with answers and stuff before we get into more horrible things and go see weird Sisters and go back into the wild and stuff. So, yeah, nice chatty episode roles were made. No, we gotta do it every once in a while. Venture. We had all our roles. We had We had a big fight was good. We earned it. Yeah. Yes. Well, thank you, everybody. So much for joining us for episode 17 of venture Maidens. You all rug are sucks. Yeah, Like we said, this is the venture maidens.
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Uh, so let's go around and say a big thank you to our knees cohorts starting off with Thank you. Cody Becker at Cody Rolls for on Twitter. Thank you, Debbie. I'm I'm, you know. Thank you, Debbie. Thank you, Curry. Thank you. Muffin at the Wanna Drew. Lame. Thank you so much, Nisa McKinnon. Thank you, Richie. 113 from our discord and in Farrah's drinking may tear. Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Mark. Ally. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you. I wasn't sure if it was my Turn it on and thanks, Tony.
Tony. Thank you, Tony. Oh, man. Y'all rock our socks. You're the bee's knees. We love you, so thank you so much, everybody. I have been your dungeon Master Celeste con witch. I am Katie playing Lou. Very Seth, your drought rogue. I'm not seem I was your half orc fighter. The very tired petunia. Silver tail. I am sage and I have been your baby barred baby barred. Yes. Well, thank you so much, everybody for joining us until next time, everybody. We're doing that like rounds. I love it. I love it.
Okay, Funny or like a brief moment. I was like, Wait, what's the thing we said, Okay.