Favor, Episode 38: Fox Tale

Hey, Venturers, welcome back to another Soul Tree episode of Venture Maidens. The Maidens are currently busy bees traveling for Gencon. So we're gonna keep announcements brief and get right to the action before we hit you with that recap. Thank you as always to Emily Mayo for our fa our favorite campaign theme song to tabletop audio for additional background music and to the wonderful beautiful souls who donate on Patreon to keep Venture Maidens going year after year.

Now, here's the recap of the previous episode. Last time on Venture Maidens Arm Maidens along with the Serena in the guise of Sain sprang to action as the shattered fragments of the cathedral windows took the shape of hostile stained glass moths. The fight went from bad to worse as a new opponent took the field, a gigantic glass gole who itself to be another incarnation of the same mysterious thread construct that attacked the Serena during Afa's fashion show.

Eventually they brought the golem down but not before it threatened to return one day. Now, free to open the chapel doors. The party raced outside to find a very undead looking Jada standing over Rook's body as Jada escaped into the night. The group ran to their companion only to discover Jada had freed the unconscious rook from her bonds and slain the wizard responsible for summoning the golem and that's what happened. So now here's the show.

Get around travelers to hear our tale with one royal ally, one another deal must be done if there is hope to win the day. Listen to what the fox does say. Keep your wits about you as we head into favor. Episode 38 Fox Tale Live. Hello. Hello, everybody. Welcome back. It's another episode of Venture Maidens episode 38. 0 my gosh. We're getting so close to 40 y'all. Oh man. So exciting. What an age, what a time to be alive. But for those of you who don't know us, hey, we're the Venture Maidens.

We're D and D fifth edition actual Play podcast, dual street stream and podcast before we dive in. I want to say this is a very adult themed stream. So this may not be suitable for those under 17 or so. Uh We usually have some content warnings that we just keep up on the show. Uh in general, we have our body horror content warning just because of graphic fantasy violence descriptions, things like that. I don't anticipate anything else coming up for this episode in particular, but you never know.

So just keep your eye on the chat in case we add something and the show notes, of course, Uh I also want to say this is not affiliated with wizards of the coast in any way, this is just content permitted under the fan content policy. So I just want to get that out of there. But yeah, let's do it. I'm very excited to be here. Hey, everybody. My name is Celeste Kano and tonight I will be your dungeon master. Hello, I'm Katie and I'm gonna be playing the very South. Your draw rogue.

Hello, everyone. I'm Nasim. Oh, shit. Everyone's having technical problems. You made, you made Katie disappear. Uh Yes, this is uh she nasim and I'm playing your fighter, the tough Tony silver tail. And hi, I'm sage. I will be your boastful bar. Eel Flannery. 00, I like it. We've got tough. We've got boastful. We've got she Tony the tough um loving that, loving that. Oh boy, you guys, we did a lot of stuff. Last time we brokered some hot, hot deals.

Uh you know, met with the queen goddess of an entire empire. Probably the biggest deal we've brokered so far. Yeah. Yeah. Really put in the favor, in the favor uh campaign uh lately. But, you know, we'll go over that uh in, in quick recap detail and then we're gonna go ahead and we've got some exciting news after that. We have to take care of some business because our, our characters leveled up uh after the last game. So we're gonna hit you with that.

But before we can do any of that dive back into the story, let's do that. Recap kids last time. Uh We started off, we had a very big two part episode. Uh You all basically made a plan um on how to deal with, how to deal with the Heavenly court, figure out what the hell they're up to because it's clearly not good. Uh So you all are taking preemptive action basically against whatever is to come. And so you had decided on this big path. Basically, there had been two choices kind of offered to you.

Do you side with the Empire, seek help from the Sarina uh or do you side with the blossom court, seek help from her to potentially get allies amongst the other sovereign courts? You all decided to pick the hard path and try and work with both, try and bring or a piece there. So the first part of that plan happened last time you went and you talked to the Serena, everything went well, you got a lot of headway and basically you have a lot of support coming in from her and the empire.

So part one secured great, part two of this plan you would put together is making sure that you get this big favor that is hanging over your head, taken away. And you have done that. You've done some research in previous episodes. You've heard of a basically a fay named Reynard who he's not an arch Fay, not that level, but he's not allied with any of the courts. He's sort of a powerful free agent Fay, something called an animal lord that has come up.

So this is that episode part two of this plan is an action. So we're gonna go talk to Renard and try and get this favor off our backs before heading to the blossom court and seeing what we can do there. So we're picking up after the events of last episode, this arena was gone. You have gotten Rook back into your, you know, care.

She is conscious again, she is safe and all of the the injuries and just events of the night are are behind you as you are making your way back, of course, to, to the chicken hut for the next part of this adventure. So I will say uh you all have probably, I don't know, take the night or if you want to take the day, you know, whatever to rest recover.

You don't have a lot of time before the Serena is going to get back to you with her emissary and you know, things are gonna pop off the Blossom Court is expecting you. So you have a couple of days here to get to Reynard. You have to find him for one and then somehow get this favor brokered away from you. So turn it over to you gang, you're back in the hut. Everybody's safe. What's the plan. How are we opening on? What state is um Rem in right now? Is she conscious? We don't know Jesus.

We don't know who, who? Oh God, fine. Don't worry. Thanks for asking Rook. She's thriving. Um, Rook is pretty fucked up. You think she's more embarrassed than anything though? Um, you know, the way she heals, it's very quick. And you also did a, I think you did a cure wounds and, you know, she's ok, more, more embarrassed than anything. Like I said, when you found her, she basically had a huge like conk like wound on the back of her head.

Like somebody probably snuck up behind her and knocked her out before slamming the door. So other than that, she seems relatively unharmed. Uh a little foggy on what happened. Uh Do we want to talk about our level real quick? Oh Right. Yes. Fuck. Thank you. Before that happens before it all happens. It's been a week. It's ok. We're all, it's all happening. Yeah, it's been a week y'all. Uh Kickstarter. It's been a week anyway. Yes. Before we dive in as we're sitting there licking our wounds.

Don't worry. We learned it. We earned a level, everybody. Yes. So we are officially leveling up to level seven now. So before we pick up on that hot, hot action, we got to go around and just chat a little bit about what we picked anything new happening. So who wants to, who wants to start talking about. Sweet, sweet level seven. Mine's like super easy. So I'll go first. I got six more hit points, putting me at 50 hit points.

I have evasion now which will be super nice for dexterity area of effect. Keep me alive longer. Hopefully, fingers crossed. So if it's a dexterity based area of effect, if I make the save, I don't take any damage at all. If I don't make it, I take half freaking rogues. And then the only other thing that I got was uh adding an extra D six to my stick attack damage. But the only thing, only thing meanwhile before the stream, I was like, oh, let me just take out 10 D six in case I quit.

Yeah, I'm like, is she still talking? But that's all for me. Mine is truly the simplest. I think I took another level in my fighter class. And so I took, I chose to take another feat which was tough. So I got a whopping 95 hit points at the moment when she's fresh. That's a tank. We love it. So six levels of fighter. One level of Druid officially. Yes. Yes. Very nice. OK. Very cool. And a a what did you get? Yes. So for level seven, we got four more hit points because we have no constitution.

So we're at 38. Yes. Speaking of people who need to take the tough, she's not tough. That would be a lie. That would be a lie. I got a and then uh I got it. Boy, I finally unlocked level four spells, which is very exciting. So I also decided to swap one spell for another. So I decided to swap bain for a spell from the Venture remains campaign guide. Both of my spells that I'm picking are from the campaign guys. Here it is. I'm holding it up for our podcast audience. It's shiny. Oh, look at it.

Look at it. So pretty today during prep, I finally was able to get use the physical book and don't worry, everyone who hasn't received it. I just got this book because I was there at the shipping facility. So don't worry, it's coming to you, but it was very nice to actually be able to hold the damn thing and prepare for the game. Most definitely. That's going to be wild. I'm still like, I can't believe there are people out there that are not me who have it. Yeah. Right. That's the mood.

I'm, I'm just uh holding on to my butt to see if it comes before I move. Oh, yeah. If it doesn't, we'll figure it out, we'll figure it out. Yes, indeed. Indeed. All right. So the spells I'm taking one, I'm slopping bain for one called Hither Thither, which is a second level spell. Uh So it is an action to cast and it has a range of 30 ft and I can choose a huge or smaller creature or object I can see within range and I can forcibly move it.

So if they're unwilling, they have to make a strength saving throw. And then I get to decide whether to push or pull them 15 ft uh directly towards me or away. Mm. That's so good force movements. So good. Pull them right into my sword. Hell, yeah. And even if they do succeed, they take a little bit of force damage. So that's cool. And then the new spell that I'm taking is called recast form.

1/4 level spell and it relies on concentration so I can forcibly revert the form of one creature back to its original form. So if it's a shapeshifter or if it's using a spell or ability like the sky itself, in order to change its form, it has to make a save and if it fails, then it changes back and then regardless of whether or not it saves on the spell, it's gonna take some psychic damage, 3d 10 on a, on a fail or half that on a success. So I'm height.

I mean, I'm sure that will never be useful against Fay because they always stay the same and never shape change. Right. Yeah, I'm not reading about it now more than ever. Let's make sure lives. Let's keep, uh MV PE M 35 points alive. So that is all good for her. Wonderful. OK. So while you were all you know, strewn across armchairs and licking your wounds, you realize you have these new powers and it doesn't seem so bad. Congratulations, you leveled up.

So now let's talk about the endgame business. What you doing, kids, Tony just is like, I'm gonna make Rook a bath. I think they deserve something nice after having gone through that. And I can only imagine what I would want to do after that. I don't want to be around anyone and I need to clean myself. So Tony is drawing Rook a bath. OK. Uh Brooke will just like skulk around and like roll her eyes a lot.

But you know, when you're done, she'll close the door and you hear a grateful sign sort of come out of her mouth. I nod my head and I walk away for like a shoe is wedged. Yeah, wedged, wedged in the door. Nobody come in, pass her a, a flag of ale to enjoy while she's in the bath because there's nothing better than hot bath, cold beer. Yes, I know what I'm doing after this. Not in your bathtub though. And I did you know that the styrofoam container will flow in the tub. Now, you do know that.

Do you know that I have actually eaten buffalo wings while taking a bath? I love. Now, you know, you all are so adventurous. I know. All right. Adventure. Adventure, right? Yes. OK. So Rook is in the bed. Um I think that Lou would do her best to try to track after Jada after, you know, she make sure everyone's ok and everything and we all split off right after the fact. Yeah, I will say long story short. It's almost like this was told to you by a divination wizard who was kind of a butt.

You search and you search and it's just like there's no, there's just no trace, there's none of the traces that somebody should have. There's no footprints. Like you even talk to some of the vagrants that are in the area. You know, you have to hold your knife up to a couple of them to like keep from getting robbed. But because again, a very bad part of town now the Acropolis has been largely abandoned.

There's none of the military presence or police presence that you would expect in, in, in the capital here. They truthfully have not seen anyone come through and it's, it's like she's a ghost. I don't like that journey for me, but ok, I will return home. So then lou probably walks in a little bit after the fact, still bloody and fucked up because you died kid for a second there during that fight. Yeah, I'm gonna go in my own bath and be silky.

The best thing about having a magic house is you can all you can have four claw foot, big ass bathtubs in your own rooms. Amazing. That was the first thing that was the first thing Lou imagined into her room. Her number one concern and we don't have to worry about draining the hot water tank. So it's like extra, extra fantastic. Yeah, it's magic. It's magic water. Everyone can have hot water. I feel like it was the Tony Drawing. Roa ba bath. Lou immediately going for her own.

I think AFE kind of gets the hint that. Oh, ok. I think we all need some alone time to process some feeling. It's bath time right now, otherwise known as bath time. All right. So you all have bath time and chill. Is there anything in particular uh concerning the plot that you all want to describe as you are chilling? Anything you are doing before we fast forward to the morning and make a plan for what's next? Uh No, I'm not mentally ready to have a conversation with Brooke.

So I'm ready to proceed. I was gonna say after, after we all have our time to decompress and whenever we all reconvene again, whether that's tonight or the next morning, I think a would start off with. All right, Lou, now that the fashion show is over, I think it's time we really talk about what's happening here. I mean, what, what can we do? How can we help? I, I mean, clearly this affects all of us now, great questions don't have answers.

I mean, I, I know the only thing that I know now compared to what I knew after I spoke to that divination twat is that I'm more confused than ever because I thought based on a fucking knife in my door that Jada wanted to kill me. But then she nods at me. She has the audacity to nod at me after cutting ropes, holding my friend down and stabbing someone trying to attack them. That sounds like my fiance. Yeah, I'm just gonna chime in and say honestly doesn't seem bad from my point of view.

So that's, you know, I'm pro whatever dead chick and she like snacks on something. Rick, what happened out there? I don't, OK. I was just standing there and it was all dark and shit. And then I, I just remember a lot of fucking pain and I think I saw something out of the corner of my eye and I don't know, maybe it was like magic or some shit. I didn't, I didn't hear anyone. I didn't see anyone but clearly someone snuck up on me, I guess.

And that's honestly all I remember until I remember you all like screaming and, and that's, that's that. So honestly whoever did it must have had a lot of powerful magic to sneak up on me because that's not something that happens a lot crosses her arms and sinks deeper and deeper into the chair out of character. I don't think I quite understand what happened in the, in those like last five minutes. So Rick was outside, got knocked unconscious, do we think by Jada?

No, there was someone out there who Jada stabbed before cutting Rooks bonds. Oh, and they were holding the little Idel of the glass creature that in order to attack the arena? Yeah. And there was a rapier stab wound. Yeah, you didn't see Jay to stab this person, but it is safe to assume. Looking at the body that a rapier was pierced right through the heart of whoever. And this was like the shitty down on their luck wizard looking person who had that.

Yeah, that effigy of the glass glum in their hand in character. Why did Jada stab them? Like it? It's weird that she was helpful in a moment after she stabbed a knife into our door. So it seemed a little suspicious and it makes me question to what extent her will is being controlled because we, we had surmised that perhaps she was being controlled by ate. But if she could choose to help, I'm not sure where I fall. I mean, I'm not convinced that that was helpful.

It still could have been self serving. It was beneficial to us. But I think I've seen the kind of vengeance where someone will knock someone else from winning so that they can be the one to win and the prize being lou Fair. I don't know. I, I feel like to me it seems like she has to do what she's told which may be knife moment. But during the, in between times when she's not being told what to do, perhaps she can do what she wants to do and she was able to protect me in some way.

But I mean, I don't know, she didn't talk to me and I feel like we need to get some additional information to Cassie because I mean, you guys saw her, she looked dead, like, like dead dead. And so I mean, I'm not an expert but Heavenly Court. That's not really their thing. You know, that sounds like what was it? The the withering court? Was that dead stuff? I dead stuff. Winter frost, the march of time. Anything that's frosty, cold dead. Yeah, that's, that's, that's pretty much their bag.

Yeah. Question, wait, wait, wait, wait. So we're all this like danger thing, right? This, this dagger in the door. We're assuming that was like a uh fuck you to lou what? But didn't that, that, that that thing, right? Wasn't that there also? Like after you got the dagger thing, are we, are we sure that dagger was meant for you lou? The divination wizard said so and it, you're sure it's like I'm gonna kill you thing. I mean, where I come from, it means I know where the fuck you live.

So typically it's not kind, I mean, Jada knows how that lingo works, threatening to say the least the only other way that I could interpret that would be if somebody else had, who was in control of Jada had the knives and they were basically saying, I know where you are and I have your fiance. That could maybe be a thing. Well, I'm curious. Do you have another theory, Brooke? Well, I mean, you know, if I put a knife in someone's dad, like fucking door, right?

I'm like, watch out, you know, something's coming, you're being watched, you know what I mean? Like that's what I would put a fucking dagger in the door, right? Rather than just kill a dude. I want that dude to know that there's something coming, right? If they fuck up, that's what I would do. Us. I mean, does seem more like a warning personally that that something is usually me. But yeah, well, I mean, there's been no, clearly, no shortage of people trying to kill you.

Us, everyone, we do have a lot on our plate. I don't know. Yeah, we're not exactly making a lot of friends wherever we go. Uh Honestly, except, well, except a, I mean, who could look at her? She's got friends everywhere. I know people and uh I don't know, Tony, you've been making some friends along the way, I would say, I mean, but it was her dagger, right? So it's for you. But maybe it was just like a warning. I don't know. I mean, it's been two interactions, one seemed threatening from her.

One seemed like she was trying to help. I have a feeling she's gonna be back. So it's really hard to tell. And to be honest, it's not really, um easy for me to talk about. And I would rather focus on something where I know where it is. Such as Renard, we can proactively do something about that. So maybe we stopped talking about my, maybe dead controlled by my mortal enemy fiance before I start drinking or crying or both. All right, we'll, we'll table this. Thank you. I'm pro no crying and that.

So then how about we just update Rook on what we've accomplished so far with uh sorry. Uh I assume you gave her the broke the breakdown of what happened because you also had to explain to her that Jada was even there, she saw nothing. She was out fucking cold. She remembers a figure standing over her, right? And her bonds being freed and then you all getting there. So I assume that all like came out.

So yeah, so talking about Reinard, you all have learned something very important about how to find him because you don't actually know where he is, but you do know how to find him. Do we remember what that was? We must find, well, someone to cast an animal messenger spell on some kind of canine like a dog or a fox because he is an animal lord and he is in communication with them or they are able to find a way to talk to him.

So we need to find someone who can cast that because I sure as hell can't. That's, uh, that's even, even that even you drew it, baby Tony, that is a little bit beyond your realm. Uh, to second level spell. It seems like a Tandy thing. I feel like Tandy would be able to do this. I can say with certainty, you can probably find someone to cast the spell for you in, in Kevin. Certainly. Even if Tandy can't do, it, sounds like a good place to start to me. How do we feel about going to coven?

I'm always down for coin. Yee Plan Rook claps her hands is like, I'm gonna go just research how to kill undead just in case finger guns. Uh and she kind of walks upstairs totally miss just not reading the emotional situation. And then so yeah, so we can head back to coin. And so I will let you know that uh as per the Venture maintenance campaign guide, you can secure uh spell casting services from folks. It's relatively easy to find spell casters of lower levels.

Basically, the the higher you get, the more expensive it gets, the harder it is to find somebody to cast these spells for you. So I took the liberty of looking up what it would cost to get somebody to cast a second level spell for you. So to cast animal messenger, you would need about 100 gold pieces to find somebody to do that for you to hire a professional spell caster. We've got 100 gold. In fact, we've got 1000, 156 gold. Oh, shit.

I would also mention that perhaps those among you who have the ability to call in favors might be able to secure something of this nature as a minor favor. Oh, using my future. If you want, this would count as a minor favor. 00 OK. I was gonna, I was gonna ask if that would apply. Yeah, that would be fucking sweet. Let's go use that shit. So you could talk to Tandy and Tandy could get you one of your her friends to be able to do this for you.

And that would be like your minor favor for the week or a day per day. Fuck. Yeah, I will say you can get this at a discounted rate. You don't have to do any of the work to find someone and you'll be able to get them just like a 25 gold fee for doing it. Like covering the basic components and shit sick because you have to find somebody who has like a fox also. That's probably the hardest part of this uh whole process. So yeah, so no problem.

Uh You know, you can head talk to Tandy at the witch's brew one day. You can all assemble down there and you know, you have, she introduces you to a friend of a friend who's actually a local habitat keeper around because they don't have zoo. But they do have basically these big tracts of land where mortal creatures can just run around. It's pretty fucking chaotic as you might imagine. But they're fine. And they're like, oh, yeah, I have a pet like arctic fox. So cool. Is the name Jingles?

Oh, I don't know. Sure. You're like, are you candy clone? Weird. So this person can't cast this spell for you. An messenger. I believe you have to actually compose a message. So what are you gonna send to our dear Reynard? A message of up to 25 words. So gang compose a message. What you wanna say? Hey brother man, what, what to do? Not what to do. Hey brother man, what it to do? Ok. 6 25. See, this is, this is your shtick greetings, Reinard.

We require your assistance in resolving a favor with some fay. What else should I say? So I would probably mention the size and who the favor is with. Maybe. No, no, I don't think we need to say that. No, if that shit gets intercepted. Yeah. You say who you are or where to meet, where to meet might be good. Meet us at the witches brew. Oh yeah. The, the busy, the witches brew. Comma the bushy, bro. We'll just get the bushy brew.

Ha. Because that'll get it then we have five more words to discuss the terms tonight. Time doesn't happen. There is no concept of time. Yeah, it's on his time. So, I mean, dope. All right. 24 words, you basically speak this words, uh, these words to like an insured kind of, uh, white snowy fox that's just staring up at you this whole time with like an unnatural intelligence.

And Tandy's friend waves a hand and says, go, uh, and the fox just like, like, just shoots off, uh, like a lightning bolt, like out and like scrabbles underneath the gate out of like the back garden area and just like into the streets of Kevin. And she goes, ok, that's done. So, um, get back to you in, in, uh, like about 24 your mortal hours, I think, or 240. I'm really bad at the math. God, I hope not. But thank you. The first one sounds right. Yeah, cool. Um, money.

We will take out a bag of holding and get the 25 gold and pass it out. Oh, my God. It's so cute. Look at it. It's so cute. She holds up a gold coin. It's like, do you guys feel like this might have been wasted on her? Well, no, no, no, it's cool. It's cool. I have a mortal boyfriend who's like, really into, um, money. So it's like, totally fine. But don't we have like, a percentage of her business because we opened the busy.

This is, this is a friend who just sounds remarkably and looks a lot like Tandy. Um, but is not, actually I see. Ok. It's the accent. Yeah. Uh, like this, you know. Uh, so, yeah, she's, she's basically out of there. She was just somebody who Tandy knew could cast the spell. So, no, cut just the 25 off the top. You already got a super discounted rate. So, it was all good. That's right. So you're going to kick it around uh the the witches brew today. Keeping an eye on the bushy brew.

Ha, I'm assuming I'll maintain the garden while we wait. I'll do a bit of upkeep. And maybe how long does it take to brew a potion if I wanted to brew a couple more health potions an entire work day? So I will say you will not have that long before you will get a response back. We can work together on planting my garlic bulb, right? Yeah, you're magical from the princess. The thing and my carrot seeds from Simon.

Yeah. So you have your magical carrot seeds, heirloom, generations of hair and gone have worked together to breed the finest carrots in all the land. How do you deal with planting the garlic just as a thing? Because do you remember the warning that came with that? So how do you deal with this Tony and lou Well, remind me this warning. Basically, it's just gonna fucking go nuts. If left unchecked, it's fay. This is fay garlic, like it will take over everything. Imagine bamboo on crack.

Like that's how it grows. Do we have like a little like? Is there, can we find within this basically big greenhouse? Like a little terrarium sort of thing that can contain it? Maybe. Yeah, if you want to like, build a box or some kind of structure to make sure it doesn't, like touch other soil. I mean, I assumed it being vade of a raised like plant bed wouldn't do much in terms of stopping it. But if you're saying that's enough, then sure we can, I can.

As long as it has a bottom, like a raised plant bed that still connects to the earth will do nothing because it will like like go up and under, right? But like if you can keep it from touching the soil, right? Keep it isolated in its own system. That's acceptable. We can do that. We'll make that happen. You will have to check on it. I will say yeah. And then my normal but very delicious carrots can go in. Yes. Yes. Those will be fine to go in the ground.

Maybe chicken hut can just like make a new terrarium room for us. Little greenhouse. Oh my God. If you want to grow it in there, that'd be a good way to definitely make sure it stays contained. Yeah, that's it. We can make little stairs that go up to like a glass ceiling room. I'm here for it on the top. Yeah. So, now a chicken hut has like a little hat. It looks like a little glass hat. Oh, my God. I love it. The little top hat that's actually a greenhouse. Amazing. I love him.

Yeah. So you can absolutely do that. Take care of things. And it's one of those moments when you're back at the witch's brew, you know, taking peeking out where you see suddenly in the middle of like the dirt patch, maybe like where tables are. A couple of them just disappear as you see a big ass hole just opens up in the ground and leaping from it. Is this this little white fox from before who proudly sits at the edge of the hole and waits. Oh, such a good boy. You've got mail.

Yeah. Little script of the chin. Oh God. And it's got the little baby chin because foxes are so cute as it closes. Go boy. And it await the message. Yep. And then out of its mouth, it opens up and you hear a very fucking human sounding voice, just blah, blah, blah, like a megaphone coming out here. And it says dear mortals, what an intriguing proposition I am eager to discuss. Further, consider this a formal invitation to my humble home in exchange for my invitation.

I request a gift of one of your delicious mortal beverages. Any vintage will do simply travel into the foxhole and you will reach Murti Reynard ps dress for a dinner party. I need help. How exciting and the, the fox will bark in a normal fox way and that it disappears back into the hole and the hole remains just gonna go down there later. I don't know. He said go into the fox hole. I don't know. Is that what it said? Consider this a formal invitation to my humble home? Oh, did I not?

No, simply travel into the fox hole and you will reach mel? Oh, ok. Unless you make a knowledge check. That is certainly not a word you have heard before. I'm sure I haven't, I don't, I'm not gonna rule for that because I don't even know why I wouldn't know that. So, yeah, I just assume it's like the name of his manner because a fox has to live in a manner. The good news is, I don't think you guys understand how many bottles of wine I stole from that wedding in my bra. Oh, my God. It was a lot.

You guys have been drinking good since that, that Eldred wedding. Oh, I'm surprised you didn't drink them all with Cassie. But yes, continue. I mean, it was only, it was a good night but it was only one night. You needed to keep some of your wis back. You don't wanna be sleepy for the day. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. No. Um, any anyway, guys, I've got the wine. We just need to get dressed. It seems.

And also we should probably have a little mental p out of how, what we're willing to do to get rid of this because we really need to be on our toes. I mean, I have no concept of what a fox creature might ask of us to pay off this favor. A pretty, it's a big sized favor, isn't it? Oh, yes. It's a big favor and worse than that. It's an unnamed, big favor, which is the hardest and up most upper echelon of favors. I will, I will say so. We're gonna have to just stay flexible.

I think I've not been known to be good at that. But I know. What's your deck score physically? Yes, mentally. Literally. Not at all. So, a follow your lead. I hate that, but I'm nervous. I'm just putting that out there. We should get dressed. I'm a soldier. We should get dressed and discuss this as we're putting on our panty hose. This seems like a pantyhose situation. Curl. Yeah. Putting with the, the curling iron in the hair rook sits down is like, I'm, I, this is all I own.

So that's what I'm wearing. Tony's also like, I don't, this is what I wear. I mean, you don't want to wear something fancy if you're eating dinner or perhaps it's just that much, uh, incentive to work on table manners. No. No. Ok. I didn't think so. Ok. Oh God. All right. Well, I'm gonna put on this outfit that you made me Aoife because this is the only thing that I have that's nicer than anything else.

So, and I mean if did make outfits for each of you to in order to meet this arena and since we weren't meeting her like at the palace, you know, we were just dressed in our, we our 11. So you have those to wear, you have fancy outfits. Shit. Oh, tell me, tell me about mine. Oh, yes.

So it was, it had like a very structured top and sort of like looser kind of like wide leg pants and then like like pantsuit and then there was like a draping sort of sash portion that made it look like, you know, give it some like flowy form to make it look skirt like and then all black and white with like little gold buttons. I'm in love. Rooke will put on her uh the body guard slash guard jacket and made him be like they're fine. Please stop asking. Oh OK. Well, a thank you.

We won't look just like the worst. Yeah, thanks, thanks. Thanks. OK. I'm nervous. Somebody just uh let me know when we're ready to roll because I'm just gonna keep talking. Ok, let's go. Let's go. God. Every minute we have this favor is a minute closer to death. So please let's go here. We go. I got the wine. All right, Tony will dive into the hole first. Yeah. So you like, you fall down a hole. You can like climb on the side.

It's just like a rough hole in the dirt that happens to be, you know, humanoid sized. So you feel kind of stupid. Honestly, in nice clothes, climbing down a hole with a bottle of wine for a hot minute. But eventually you, you get down into the dark and it's not like pure dark, like you would expect from an underground dirt hole. It's got an ambient glow about it and you're looking around, there's no clear light source of where this is coming from, but it's dimly lit. It's actually quite warm.

The dirt isn't that nasty kind that like gets under your nails and stuff. It just somehow like slides to the side. It's a really easy climb. You're like weird. This is just very strange and eventually, you know, you do see the top of the hole just kind of op it like closes up behind you. And as you do so, actually some of the patio furniture that had fallen in actually like rises up to the surface and you see a moment as it like boo boo boo and resets and the hole closes like zoo behind you all.

And you're in this very strange dirt tunnel walking forward and you move forward a few steps and you see just a round door in the middle of this tunnel here and the door is made of elaborately painted, like blue and gold embellished wood and there's like a handle on it that has the shape of a fox, uh, that's holding the ring in its teeth. Give a knock. Yeah. Yeah. You give a knock. Uh, and you hear, come in from the other side and the sound of music coming from the other side, open that up.

I'm walking on in. Yeah. So you go to like open the door and it actually tugs on the other side just as you like go to turn the handle and you see that there is a small, well, actually a large sized red fox that is tugging open the door here. He's got like a golden rope in his jaws and he's just like tugging it open. So you all can step inside and just beyond the door, you see a grand sort of lounge in front of you, there aren't any windows. So you do still appear to be underground.

Uh But this is what you would expect of a nice like game room in a manor house. You see like musical instruments strewn around the room. There are like darts on the walls. There's a big roaring fireplace that's full of this like great flames and comfortable looking chairs all around this place here. And the sound of a violin can be heard from somewhere off beyond you see a couple of doorways that lead off on separate ways.

So clearly, this is a, a big sprawling structure and you hear sounds of laughter and conversation coming from like this pathway on the right where some golden like candle light is coming from. And the fox at your feet yips and then bows its head and stands up on its hind legs and offers a paw. Is it, is it asking for a tip? The wine? No lou I think it wants the, the wine. You're unsure. It, it sort of, it could be like go this way, hold my hand or give me a tip. It's unclear.

He cocks the head expectantly. We will gingerly kind of like move the wine bottle towards its little paw. Like is this what you want? And it do, it cocks its head again and holds the wine bottle to its chest and like spins it around and kind of looks at the label and then nods to you all and walks off on hind legs into the doorway on the left blue light covers her face and she looks at her and she goes, what a dapper little gentleman? Oh, it's so cute.

OK. And you hear, and I uh is that our uh our mortal guest? I, yes, it is. Is that Reynard? Uh Yes, yes, yes. Come, come, come this way. Come this way, please. You're missing an incredible story. Immediately. Flock. We walk in and guided by this, the voice of this person um step into this next room uh that is clearly eliminated here. And you see this is a, a dining room, a formal dining room set up. There are several guests already seated around the table.

You see there are uh two or three other of these like foxes walking like people uh that are just like serving up platters or filling beverages, scrambling up the table legs to get to where they are uh seated at the head of the table. You see Reynard, a figure you have seen in passing before. Uh but now he is there full before you. So again, he has like the the face of a fox, a red fox, but the characteristics of of a human.

So he's got, you know, the red furd hands uh of a person and he's dressed in this like fine green forest green tunic that just really sets off the red. It's got like a jaunty, almost like Robin hood style cap on his head with a long feather. And uh he's swirling a glass of wine and just laughing as he listens to the conversation uh with his other guests. You see there are three of them, one, a female figure who Tony seems very familiar to you.

When you look at her, she's got like the green skin and her hair is like long and flowing almost like vines. Something about her just seems so familiar. Also drinking wine listening to the story that is coming out of a mouse, a a white mouse with a long pristine tail wearing a tiny golden crown and like blue sash. He is like standing up on the table like saying something clearly animated uh in his his gestures telling some kind of story to the room.

And then, and then sitting beside him is an ox like figures. He's got the long horns uh of of cattle ox and out to both sides. And he is dressed into actually a very humble sort of sorry piece of clothing. But he is listening politely to what the mouse is saying on the table and Renard stands up as you all step in the room. Ah These are the guests I mentioned everyone um hoping to do a little business, mixing business with pleasure. I hope you all don't mind too much.

Uh He winks and they all kind of laugh. Please have a seat, join us. Uh Can I offer you a drink? Oh, no, thank you. Oh, no, no, it's fine. I promise no favors earned from this. Please enjoy my hospitality. Nothing expected in return. Well, in that case, I don't think we could say no. And also we'd also like to thank uh thank you for inviting us to your home. Uh Yes, yes, of course. Uh Please. What uh should we call you while you're here? My name is Marie. Marie Pleasure Franny. I am Frannie.

Yes. Thank you and uh lovely, lovely. To have you all in attendance. Uh I may not need introductions for all these fine people around me, but I shall state them any way. And again, he like gives you kind of a knowing uh nod to the side. Of course, we have the magnanimous mouse king amongst us. Truly needs no introduction. Your majesty and the mouse turns to you all and says, yeah, it is good to see you mortals. Well, you smell better than I remember to be quite honest.

Uh And the uh the Agnan brother Ox and the ox person raises like nods to you all very politely. And of course, um Rhiannon Duke of the Forest court. Wonderful to have you with us. Uh I, I do apologize. I was in the midst of a, a bit of a party when I received your invitation, but I figured, uh you know, a friend to one is a potential friend to another and let us all meet and greet and drink and then do some business. Now, that's my kind of business reaching for a glass of wine.

Yeah. Yep. Yep. Uh And a fox is there serving you the wine that you brought, of course, and then going around the table here and pouring it into the glasses and the fox does go and there seems to be a pause by the way, as everybody has the glass of the wine and then the fox goes over and pours it to Reynard and looks expectantly and Reynard will like, look at the bottle and then sniff the wine and can swirl it and sip it. And then, uh says, hm, good, good stuff from the Empire. Yes, indeed.

Eldred make. We got it from a beautiful wedding, uh uh from a wedding even better. A celebration to uhh the flavor. Wonderful. Thank you. Yes. Uh acceptable. He says to the fox who nods their head and then like stands back in the corner with the bottle, you know, ready to pour out the rest as needed. So, welcome to my home. Thanks for the kind. Welcome. Oh, yes, yes.

Uh Many of my kind don't seem to understand that uh, a little company goes a long way as you might imagine, we're quite new to the wilds. So, is this like your own domain as part of the wilds? Oh, not an official domain of sorts. I mean, if you're talking in terms of the arch, uh he looks around and everybody seems to laugh at that. Like it's some kind of joke. Uh We've uh carved out AAA comfortable little uh piece for um the animal lords maintaining our neutrality.

Of course, we have to have our realms, our safety politics being what they are. Sorry, Rhiannon, nothing against the courts and she nods and stuff. I know exactly what it is to uh to have a den of one zone. It's um a great pleasure. Often missed. I would say when you dwell within a court. Reynard says here's to that uh I will continue to be a pirate of my own. As long as you allow me, Rhiannon is which one speaking? So this green skinned woman who you seem to recognize?

Ok. Anyhow, uh we are of course in enjoying the evening here, but uh I didn't receive much in the way of detail. So if your business is urgent, we are willing to deal as long as of course, the other guests don't mind. I know business can be a little bit boring and they, they, you know, talking and the mouse king will actually scurry over to all of you and say some kind of favor you owe. Yes. Can you tell or is it just all mortals?

No, I can, I can tell there's always a smell of desperation, you know about the people who step through Reinards door and you me. Oh, a favor. Uh No, I am the king of mice. I can't tell you how many, how very many favors I end up with. It's something about mortals. They always underestimate a mouse, but we're everywhere. Millions strong. I would say even more so than some of my larger brethren. Right brother Ox. And uh uh will, I suppose that's true. Yes, that's right.

It doesn't count for much when you're big and you're slow and people eat you. Honestly, people don't eat my kind. They even never notice a mouse on and on, they talk and they talk and they talk and we just happen to know so very much. Don't ever underestimate a mouse. Are you all animal lords then? Who dwell in this neutral place? Oh, well, I'm an animal lord, certainly king of mice and all that. So, his brother Ox who says, yep.

And then across the way, um, Rhiannon says, I know I serve the forest court. I am um not strictly affiliated with the animal lords though, of course, we do work in tandem with them quite frequently. Uh The forest court is home to many animals of great and small intelligence. It's uh always a pleasure. Of course, Reynard. Uh and nods and he nods back gratefully. Well, if you don't mind us stealing away the host for a bit, there are urgent matters we'd like to discuss. Yes. Yes, of course.

Honestly, it would do them all some good to walk around before we pour yet another round. Uh Come, come. Uh We shall speak in my study. Sweet. Yes, I imagine it's lovely. Yes. Yeah. I, I do try keeping up with the uh immortal trends. Of course, is always a little bit strange, but I do my best. I have all manner of individuals come through. If you don't mind, I will be bringing my wine with me just oh God, please. Business without wine. What's the point? Bring the whole decanter. Let's go.

Yeah. Also not stingy. Yeah. Sorry, everyone for my cat again, Don of the dead just screaming at the kids. Uh This entire time, she's very jealous that she's not all good. Let her in, let her in. Ok, so you all are led into a separate study uh off of the main dining room here and it is just as nice and like cozy as the room you just left. There is like an official desk seated in here, but most of the decor is very similar to that like game room drawing room.

You walked into plush carpets, uh tapestries hanging on the walls again, no windows here so clearly still an underground place. You can see there are like 10 doors leading off of this room. No idea where they're going, but a ton and they're all different assortments, different painted colors made of different materials.

But he uh skips over uh and almost twirl falls into, you know, the chair behind him and uh takes out a very large book and kind of slams it down on the table there and then rests his glass on top of it and uh leans back in his chair and says, all right. Well, uh I don't think you've come here before to broker a favor, but you must know a little bit of something of what I do. Uh since you have come here, I suppose, do you want to start or should I?

Yeah, I guess I am interested in your process, your price points and generally the time frames you tend to operate in. Sure. Sure. Well, uh, a lot of that is contingent, I suppose upon what you need, especially in terms of timing. Most of the time people are quite desperate by the time they reach me. So turnarounds need to be fast. But, uh, in general, what I do, if you owe a favor, I can perhaps take that and pass it to someone more suited or more willing to do that favor.

And in exchange, you, of course, would receive the favor, ode of another individual looking to reallocate said favors. You do understand. Of course, that there is a small fee that is taken just for the work I do on my end after all, rearranging these favors, earning the ire of those who originally grant them. It does put me at great personal risk. You understand. But in general, I hear what favor is owed and I, uh, try to offer a reasonable exchange. All right, I think that's fair enough.

And that's, mm, doesn't sound like there's much of a limit on the sorts of favors you trade. No, uh, no limit, but of course you do understand the more difficult to favor, the more difficult it might be to match something up. So, if it's a small thing, a trifle, you'll probably have a lot of options to choose from if it's not, which I'm rapidly assuming is the case, uh, you might have a more limited pool, but I'm sure there's something we can do.

Well, I hope there is because we're dealing with a big favor. I'm really dealing with a big favor that is owed to a member of the celestial Court. Uh Heavenly Court. Oh, heavenly Court. My bad. All right. And do you know who of the Heavenly Court holds this favor? That would be. We've already, well, I have already paid one large favor to her and it's proving to be a bit of a disaster.

And I don't need that slowing us down and trying to move on with things we need to accomplish because of that first favor. So we would rather have a cut off of our backs. I can imagine. It is, uh quite remarkable that you are still here in one piece after having completed a big favor. Uh Impressive people keep saying that I am. Well, let's say I've been in this business a long time. Uh And I frequently big favors don't go well for those who perform them.

But of course, this is one of the reasons why my work is so important. Uh People often find themselves in the position, saddled with a big favor that they are in a position they cannot accomplish. And he, he gets a sour expression on his face and says, I can't tell you how many times I have had to step in on behalf of a child or a weak creature or some other poor mortal who simply cannot perform what is given to them.

People who simply do not understand the ramifications of what my kind means as he is talking particularly about this, if would definitely like to do an insight check because I'm very curious as to whether he is being genuine in his inflection of that, of that, you know, that he has had to like, honestly step in for Children and he feels like their plight or if he's maybe putting on a show to get us to gain sympathy and trust for him, you know. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Good move. Let's do it.

Oh, that was so bad. So, we're gonna use our heroic Destiny feature to make that an 18 inch instead. So a total of 25. 00, shit. Yeah. Oh jeez. Ok. 25 right. A total of 25. You are watching this fox so carefully and there does not seem to be a single hint of deception in his mannerisms or what he has told you so far. He seems incredibly genuine from the moment you've walked through the door.

He has seemed nothing but genuine and as she is studying all of his gestures and his glances and his body posturing, she's gonna give a quick nod to Tony to give the like he, he's a straight shooter kind of nod and be like, I think we can trust him. She will give a subtle nod back. Oh, and you know, I mean, with a 25 insight, you can see that you are watching him and he is watching you watching him and he sort of smirks the chess match.

Yeah, he smirks and raises an eyebrow and says you are lucky Franny to have such friends at your back considering you owe such a huge favor. I know it. Trust me. Yeah, these, these guys don't need to be here, but they've proven enough to me that they're doing it for, for more reasons than their own safety or gain. And I think we'll be able to accomplish a fair exchange for the favor we have.

It is a rare thing to have such friends and a very good thing to get rid of a big favor ode when you have such friends, potentially bargain away out of character. How much do we want to divulge to Reynard about the situation because we have seen him saddling up to and the weird sisters previously.

So, so how are we looking to divulge this plot to gain him as per potentially an ally against her in order to get maybe intel or do we want to try and keep him as far removed as to the circumstances as possible? I don't see someone like him having much loyalty to us or anyone for that matter. But yeah, if we could buy it. Yeah. But I, yeah, I feel like that would, that would be the case. And if anyone can buy someone like him, his favorite. It would be someone like Kate.

So I don't feel like competing with someone like that. I'd rather, I'd like to be a straight shooter back, but I giving more than we need to isn't what I'm planning on. All right. Being minimalist on the details. All right. Good to know. Yeah. And uh, Reynard will chime in and say, all right. So you owe a big favor to Haka. Uh What is the favor? Well, we haven't really been tasked with it just yet. Oh, And you see his like claw sort of titan on the book, you owe an unnamed big favor to.

Yes. Ah, this will be uh he says, and sort of flips open the front page of his book kit. Uh He says another round please. And a fox comes in uh like pokes their head in and pours the remainder of the glass, the bottle of wine. Uh you brought and refills glasses. I do hesitate to ask this because you realize I won't have much in the way of options here. But are there any restrictions on the kind of favors you are willing to perform? You don't have a lot of choice.

So I would recommend you keep these restrictions light. Well, I personally uh would prefer that we didn't murder any innocent Children or people in general would be great. You see, it makes like a little a couple Xs on some things on the page he's looking at, that's my number one personally. If I'm gonna be a part of this in terms of the execution of the traded favor, I'm curious, is it significant given that I'm the one who owes this other favor?

If I'm to trade, it's really my responsibility to accomplish the traded favor. Correct. Of course. Yes. If you are willing to murder, um, I can certainly uncross these. Well, I'm just that, that would have honestly been my only rule. But I figured, like, if it's, if, if that's the only thing we can get, I'll do it, I just wouldn't want to make lou do it. You know, is what I'm thinking. I respect that. So that's, that's what I'll say to Renard.

I, I agree with Lou. I would prefer that not be the case. So, if I could list a preference, that's my preference. But I understand the sit in that situation that we're in and he's, he's looking over his papers and for an unnamed favor. Certainly, certainly it's going to be at least one big favor owed. I, I don't think there's any bargaining room on that one big favor owned, but I think I can do a named big favor for you in conjunction with several smaller favors.

That's, that's the best case scenario. Do we think that's something several smaller favors I think is definitely something we're willing to take on. Well, and the one big named, I see, there's no way around a big, there's no way around it. At least one big favor. I'm sorry. Did you disclose what your fee is on addition? Oh. I will simply ask a small favor in addition that involves no murder, no murder. No, that has been made clear. It is a small favor.

Uh, I'm not sure how you are familiar with my people but, um, generally murder is, uh, out of the scope of small favors. All right. All right, here's ok. I could do a named actually, actually, he sort of, uh, underlined something. There is a pending big favor that no one else so far has been, uh, capable of dealing with. But you all seem to have some sort of team work here and whoever that is and points to Rook who's like, been standing in the corner and looked like the bodyguard outfit.

A named big favor and I could do two small favors. Yes. And then of course, the small favor for me for my cut. So three small favors. One big named favor. That's probably the best I could do. Seems reasonable. Ok. I think we accept that. Sounds agreeable. I won't make you sign any contracts. Of course, anything until you hear the nature of these favors, that's just how I prefer to do business. Appreciate it. I am nothing.

If not a, uh, uh, a of the people, I see that expression on your face young say, don't worry. Don't worry if you get too hot, too powerful, uh, too up there, I will likely be sending favors against you as well. So, anyhow. All right. Uh, the big named favor. I have a poor young gnome who has been tasked here with plucking a rose from the labyrinth, uh, or sorry, the, uh, the hanging gardens of Teus. So, if you were to take over that favor, that would be the big named favor.

Can I roll a history check on these gardens? Plucking a rose from the hanging gardens of Teus? All right. That's OK. That's uh 14. Ok. You have heard Hanging Gardens of Teus before. It's sort of like when people in our world talk about Atlantis, right? Like, oh, this, the lost city of Atlantis from mythology, you know, that city that totally didn't exist that was mythological and, you know, beneath the sea. That's sort of the same thing. The Hanging Gardens of Teus.

Apparently it's in, in mythology, this sky like Citadel of just like hanging plant life in like rivers and all this like super magical stuff from some ancient time long ago that clearly doesn't exist anymore. If it ever actually did. There's also been some mentions like, maybe it was a, I think in, in what has shaken out in the last few years, the words Titan would, would maybe like maybe this was a Titan place or something. But the Titans are also mythological. Like before there were gods.

It, it's all very fantasy is what would come to your mind out of character. Gasp. Yeah. So some kind of titan wonder of the world from ancient long ago in a fantasy world. Yeah. So we will like, kind of like give a and Tony who side and she's like, looks back at Renard before we're signing for that. Do you happen to have confirmation that that place is real? And we're not just screwed if we take this?

00 no, it is a very real place, incredibly hard to get to part of the issue there, but very real. The ruins of it anyway, still exist to this day. My concern is if you're able to answer this before we also sign off is who is this favorite ode two? Oh So uh you would be taking this in place of this individual as a broker there. I cannot mention exactly who this is going to, but you will return the rose to me and I will ensure it goes to the party.

This is mostly to protect the other individual just as when whoever is sided with your favor performs it. I shall not disclose if possible, who did indeed perform the favor on your behalf. Again, I cannot guarantee that it will not be known, but I do try my best to ensure my, my client's safety and anonymity. And do we know what this rose does? I have to imagine it's not just a pretty flower.

I truly do not know if it is anything beyond a rose, I imagine because of the horrendously difficult nature of reaching this location. And of course, I'm sure you know the famous hazards that now guard the hanging gardens. Uh, it was more of a death sort of task put on this individual than something more about the rose themselves. Yeah. Remind me of those hazards if you could. I, I, again, I, I know very little beyond what the legends say, but of course, uh Titans, right?

The strange constructs and hazards. And then I believe te she was uh some sort of uh control of rivers or something. Was that her ordeal? So I assume, I don't know, going to a flying fortress and you know, those Titans all about their mazes and such. So uh probably horrendously difficult, but at least you know what it is and to be quite frank, this is the only big favor named that I have anywhere close. Uh that will qualify what you are dealing with. Tony sticks out her hand to shake.

I will accept these, these terms. Oh, hang on, hang on. We got some small favors as well. But I do appreciate your uh earnestness. Now. I hope you don't mind before you came. I did do a little looking into your background and what you might be able to provide directly. Of course, it is good to know one's clients. So these might seem a bit specific be tailored to all of you, but I do have a small favor. A, a seed delivered to me from the pumpkin king. Oh, shut up.

I mean, excuse me, I'm quite serious. The request has indeed come through. There are many missing the pumpkin king's reign and um looking to procure an heir, but since he serves you now and is completely uh at your beck and call, this is a trifle, simply command him to give you one and deliver it to me a small favor. Indeed. Oh, yeah. The favorite selfie is small for sure. I mean, I'm still willing to shake on it. I don't really love the idea of more of Gordon's in the house in the world.

But sorry, Gordon, is that, is that what he is going by these days? Indeed. That's, that's what he's going by I will. Um, he wasn't always so strange, you know, he has, uh, uh, many cousins, uh, who are quite, um benevolent in nature. I think it was something to do with that witch made him quite mad if that makes you feel any better. It does a little, I mean, who's to say that they're gonna turn out? I mean, there was always the sacrifice, right?

But there was a, a lot more, um, I would say consent given in the old days. Uh, let's hear these other little favors. Oh, well, that would be one. in addition to some of these, this would be a favor I would request from one of your friends if you are comfortable. Um You have my intention. Um Not you my dear. Um You lou actually, uh this one is uh uh my personal favorite.

You see one of my, one of my Children, uh just a wayward little kit trying to make their way in Sasana and just, I worry so about them petty crime. It's they, they're very lost. Uh, right now and I would deeply appreciate some kind of interview or introduction. Perhaps the family could take care of them. I, I worry about them. So if you could arrange that for me, that would be a small behavior.

Uh, on behalf of one of my kids, Tony is visibly worried about this small favorite, staring deeply at Lou simply an interview or a conversation that is all. Can I host the interview? No, I would prefer it would be with fri. Oh, it's so disturbing that, you know, all of this. It is my business. Uh, yeah, I mean, I don't, you're good at what you do. I'll give you that, but I still don't like it. I assure you, Breyer is a very talented individual if a little lost.

You see, I have many Children and I have not exactly been the most involved in most of their lives. Unfortunately, it's, it's so hard to make it to the mortal realm, you know what I mean? Sure. I suppose I can take this favor on the condition that sure it will be with mom, but we get to pick the location and the terms of the interview. Of course. Absolutely.

Um, and I will say Breyer has no idea I'm making this favor on their behalf and in fact, it would probably be better if it was some sort of staged thing on your own terms. What kind of trouble have they gotten into? My motherly instincts are kicking in. I'm worried too, not too much now, but I see it. They're cutting a purse here, they're cutting a purse there and, you know, spending a couple nights in, in the drunk tank and it's just, they, they just really need some direction in life.

So, II, I think hooking them up with someone of your morality is that, um, might be beneficial. Sure. Cut a purse, but cut it for a good reason from some douche bag. If you're gonna do it, do it right. Yes. Yes. Pre precisely is, uh, your family does a lot of work after my own heart. I will say so. I would be interested in perhaps a level of that guidance. Ok. I'll do it well, then, um, good. I think on that behalf, those two favors. Uh, and then that named Big favor.

The rule of three, we have our deal. I thought it was three small favors. Well, if you do want some direction and guidance to this hanging garden and you could of course say no, I can offer such assistance to you as that third small favor. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we do have someone in attendance here who is an associate of someone you've worked with before I figured they might be able to bring some help to the situation, flying to a hanging garden and all that.

It looks like that's something we're interested in. You went out of character, Katie tell the scene what's going on. Uh I'm just thinking that there's going to be a lot of alicorn action in our future. And that really excites me. I hope so. It's been a minute. I know, but I'm just thinking flying. It's like you're the only one who hasn't gone to tier two of your heroic destiny and we need to advance it somehow. But of course, that is an optional, a small favor.

Yeah. Well, Lou takes a big swig of her wine. She's like, I think you should just do it, you know, get a, get a little hustle on the that forward momentum. Yeah, I mean, we don't have a whole lot of time to waste here. So I think we're in agreement everyone and we accept these favors, these terms. Let's shake it up. I have not yet named that third small favor, but would you like to tailor that on to our agreement as well in exchange for information? Yes. What, what, what would you have us.

Do I, for this one have a simple task, kit and kit, like whoop comes back in, uh, stands up. I would like you to take care of kit and keep him in your possession for the foreseeable future. And kit looks and like, drops his jaw open and, like, looks at him and, uh, Reynard nods and kit goes. Oh. And looks at all of you. I, that's rather open ended. Oh, no, you simply care for him and, um, and keep him around. He's mostly self sufficient. Uh, but he needs to see more of the world.

Kit, like nods, kind of shameful. And, and can you communicate with Kit when they're away from you? Can you see through their eyes or use their senses? Well, I don't have to tell you that, but in the interest of perfect honesty. Yes. Now, more spies in the house. That's fantastic. Aoife looks at Rook. It's just like, hates all of this stuff being promised, but she's here to, she's here to get rid of the favor. Not that I don't think that you're wonderful so far and extremely helpful.

But could we say maybe at the point that we've finished executing all these tasks then Kit goes home. I don't like the idea of there being no end to their, um, crashing on the couch. We'll say, I suppose that's fair. Kit, what do you think? And Kit looks over at him and they seem to stare at each other for a while and like slightly nodding as if they're like, psychically communicating with each other kid would like to stay for you with you for a, a couple weeks and see how, how it goes.

Why do I feel like we're being tested as Ruben kit is very particular? I, I do I have to mention. Oh, well, that I understand. I mean, a few weeks. What do you think? Ladies? Sure. I also don't like the idea of someone else watching us in the house. But yeah, Rick is like, I don't, I'm not cleaning up any anything. I'm not cleaning up anything. You don't clean up anything now we can give them their own room. Yeah. Well, I'm just making it extra clear. Ok. Yeah, that's fine.

You don't need to clean up. I'll watch, I'll watch the kit kit. Seems uh pleased that uh he will be getting his own room. Yeah, for what that's worth. That's good. I'm glad he's happy for nothing. If not accommodating. Wonderful. Well, then all favors are named, shall we call this deal? And finally offers that paw to you that you've been uh extending your hand. Tony. Tony will extend her hand. Well, then we have a deal. I will say this big favor.

Of course, as I mentioned, time is growing very short for the original uh broker of this deal. So I would suggest you find your way to the hanging gardens with as much haste as possible. You are welcome to stay here uh for the evening if you wish no favor expected uh in return, just a simple offer of hospitality. Uh and I will talk to Rhiannon about our mutual friend who will be able to help you on this way.

In fact, as another token of your small favor, I in fact have already prepared a door that will take you directly where you need to go. Well, that does make things quite a bit easier. Well, in that case, I think we might have to go return and gather our belongings to get prepared given that we arrived in our formal way, which I do appreciate what you guys aren't wearing your armor under here. What armor? Of course. Right. Yes, of course. Uh retrieve whatever you need to.

You're welcome to return here at any time. Um Kit can lead the way another benefit of his company. You will be able to reach me quickly and I will be able to hear whatever you wish me to hear messages. Communication will be free flowing. Right? Kit Kit Knot out of character is absolutely Alexa. And here's everything, no matter what, we're gonna start seeing ice cream ads after we talk about Haagen Dazs like, oh, no. Uh Anyway. All right. Well, we'll return in the morning and be on our way.

Tony. Do you wanna speak to uh Rhiannon? I can arrange things if you wish Rhiannon is uh a good friend, let's say of your, uh your alicorn arrow, I believe is the name he has been wearing it quite proudly since his return. When have you seen him? Oh, I've not had the pleasure personally but uh, he dwells within the forest court and, you know, Rhiannon presides over such things. Uh, well, uh, if she's here tomorrow, I'm sure we'll have things to talk about.

It has been a pleasure having you in my home. And, um, I hope we get to meet under better circumstances. Indeed. The first time was when we turned in a big favor for her at her little garden party. Oh, you were there quite an event. She has a lot to celebrate these days. I hear she's sovereign. Thanks to all of you, I presume and will be off. I, uh, I guess reading between the lines. That was one hell of a book fast reader. But with that, I think we should be on our way.

Let's get you set up with the room kit. Yeah. So you all can, uh, head out and kit will lead you back and out, out of the way. But that went well, uh, you know exactly what is owed of you and once you perform all of these favors written into the contract, that is when you will be free of the big favor to. Not a moment before I will remind you all. Oh, I was, I forgot I was gonna ask before we would depart since Reinard is being an expert in as he is a broker.

Does death release you from a favorite oat or does that get passed down from the lineage? Is that case to case basis? What is, you know, like it's a magical agreement? But I, I imagine there are loopholes. It's depends for lesser say. Uh sometimes death truly is the end of a favorite ode. But for those who have magical meanings of still communion with the dead or perhaps raising them. Hm. Death is no escape a favor. Ode is a favor old until a soul is destroyed. Interesting.

But of course, that's only with mortals pre do not have souls as mortals possess interesting. Good to know. It does make you a hot commode commodity. Honestly, a deal with immortal is everlasting is a deal with a fay is merely temporary in most cases. Well, we'll see you tomorrow. He gives you felt so grossed out to be special. Oh, hate that. Thanks. Bye. I don't want it. So, souls are nuts. All right. So you all um have a good conversation. Um and head back to the chicken hut to grab your gear.

You know, sleep the night, prepare for the day ahead. Going to what if the hell this hanging Gardens of Te is this mythical places? So you all, you know, do your business turn in for the night? Do we have to stitch kit's name into the, uh, into the embroidery of the house, into the, I assume you do not want to make him a full controller of the house. So, no, I assume you want him to be in. No, we are renting out a room. That's all you can bring in a guest. No problem.

Kit won't be able to get in or out or tell the house to do anything without all of you, unless you stitch his name into a pillow. But he can, like, you can have overnight guests. It's just probably a bad idea for secrecy. Right. Like, it's like giving someone your a key to the apartment. I wasn't sure if we'd have to, like, I was about to make this little, no, I was about to make this little fox guy my best friend and then it turns out he's a spy so we're not gonna be friends.

Oh, no, I was just wondering if we would have to rub shit on his eyes every day so he can see the house. He's not leaving the house. He seems fine like he'll just sit on you or like, care. He doesn't seem disturbed by the fact that he can't see the house. You don't know if that's because he can see the house or if there's some other way he can sense it or he really genuinely doesn't care. He's just sitting on you, like, when you go in and out of the house. But ok, doesn't seem concerned.

He gets a nice spacious room with like several doggy beds in it and like a ramp and a big old ball and like a little treat dispenser. There's a lot to do in there, but he can't see any of it. So, you know, what does it matter? Well, once he's inside the house he seems to be able to see things normally. Yeah, we couldn't see the house first. It's like pursuing. But once you're inside anyone, even without the shit on their eyes can see what's going on. I understand.

Ok. There's like a veil around the house. Why didn't you just guide me and r why did you make me rub the shit up my eyes? You know, Rook, I don't know, maybe it wasn't talking to her or maybe it wasn't mean trick. You don't know. I had to do this and so interesting. This is how I was taught initiation day bitches. Perhaps uh an animal can smell the house. You don't know. I was like chicken because you have no idea what happens when a creature has like keen senses or blind sight or true sight.

Can they see the house? It's very possible being a fox, it's already had chicken shit in its eyes at one point or another. So true. We literally brought a fox into a hen house, y'all. We're the worst at this. It's literally eating so many chickens. All right. Um So we are back in the house and kit is all set up and all ready to go and da da da. Um And do you all anything like any last notes you wanna say before? We, we had to sleep now?

No redo my compost lime jar just in case and then go to bed. It's good. I'm so proud of you. You used it so good. Um I thought I would, you, you were like 4000 gold pieces for this thing and I was like, but I want it. No, I know. II I deeply, yes, I love it. So you won't go to sleep and it's been a long day. Uh It's been a long couple of days. Uh So I, I don't think going to sleep is a problem for most of you.

But lou you experience that horribly uncomfortable feeling once again of what you now know to be a dream of this horrible thing that you should not have uh because you don't go unconscious like normal people, but you find yourself frozen in this surreal world once again and it comes to you slowly with a noise like the sound of dripping water and it's like a deep chasm because when the water hits whatever that surface is, it echoes around just that drip, drip,

drip and it's so dark wherever you are and you can smell seawater and the, the smell of something rotting. Like those few times you've been to a beach, you know, like that horrible seaweed smell and around you. As your eyes begin to adjust, you see ships wherever you are broken, smashed against rocks, not moving anymore. Just drowned in this cavern all around you. This vacuous dark cavern full of the drip, drip, drip of water.

Forgotten alone, somewhere deep beneath the earth and that smell around you and you hear something behind you. Someone breathing very close behind you lou like slowly turns her head and then jerks it to and jumps around like so that she can't be surprised by anything hands out defensively. Yeah. And you do and you, you spin yourself around and you seem to have quite a bit of control where you are.

You know, sometimes in these dreams that you've been having, it feels like you're stuck in a moment in time, but for whatever reason here and now you feel very much in control of yourself. And so as you spin around and like hold out your hands defensively, this person behind you reacts and they kind of cringe away from where you are holding up their own hands in front of their face and a familiar voice. Jada's voice says, don't, don't look at me.

Lou takes a step forward and reaches up and takes the hand in both of hers and looks up at the face. Mhm She swats it. She, she swats it away. No, no, don't stop. Let me look at you and she lets you lower her hands and you see what you saw before that figure, that kind of pale pad, almost bluish skin of like a drowned corpse. And those kind of like the, the weird, the crusted barnacles and sea salts like that has grown up and out of the side of her face.

And these sort of flat, almost filmy gray eyes look about you who takes both of her hands and cups Jada's face and just takes a step and closer. What happened to you? So cold, not a trace of like warmth left in her. And she shudders like at your, at your touch. But she doesn't pull away. Doesn't matter. All that matters is what I have to tell you right now and I need you to listen. You can't trade away this favor the moment you do, she won't need you anymore.

And what she doesn't need, she discards. We already shook on it. I don't, what do we just not do it? What do you, what are you saying? We can't just have an open ended favor. We don't even know what that means. How could that possibly be better? We, what I mean? It's not you lou it's not you, you don't owe anything. I can't let you do this. Do you just want me to leave people behind? I don't know. But if you're not part of this, she can't do this to you.

She says, and grasps your hands desperately. I can't lose another person because I didn't do something. I don't have that in me anymore. You took that with you. I didn't go with you. I should have gone with you. Then we would just be gone together and it would be fine and it wouldn't hurt like this. And she closes her eyes. She's clearly fighting something clearly holding something back but tears don't come to her eyes. They can't anymore. I'm not gonna let you do this.

I'm not gonna let you throw your life away. She is to powerful Lou, you have no idea and no matter what it takes, I'm gonna keep you here. I'm not going to let you help them. It's not your choice. What I do. It's not ever been your choice. We've worked together and we've talked together and we support each other and we always believe that the other person could do whatever they put their mind to. So help me or get out of my way. I'm not that person anymore. And there's a third choice.

Are you talking about? I'm gonna keep you here. You, no, I don't want to be here. Look around you. This isn't a place to be. Come to me, be with me. I wish I could try for me, please. And as the vision ends for this episode, but it certainly won't end for a while. Lou doesn't wake up, Tony Aoife. I think, you know, you wake up in the morning, you perhaps get start getting ready for the day noticing that Lou isn't there. I'll maybe take you a while to find her, but she is not.

She can't be woken up. You've never seen her like this, but she seems to be trapped in sleep and you can't wake her up and that's where we're gonna end the episode for today. Oh, that's crazy. Snap. You couldn't tell Lou uh slash Katie can't, can't be playing with us next episode. So she will love you. So, I did this to myself. Oh God, that's a problem for future Tony and Aoife. Um How are we all feeling good? Well, we got some, we had some major progress gang. Indeed. We did. Did we?

I don't know that we did. I feel a little stuck actually. Oh, really? Oh, weird. I don't know. I know. I'm really excited to watch her feeling a lot of regret. Honestly. Now I'm just kind of like, why did we decide to trade favors in the first place? I get ha sucks. But now I'm like, shit. We have so many other things to do now and we don't have Lou, was it worth it? I mean, you couldn't have known this was going to happen. I don't know.

You know, it's just rolling the dice being a hero trading favors. I don't know. It's, uh, that's how I feel. I feel complicated. It's the name of the campaign. Yeah. Don't worry. You're level seven. You can handle anything. Oh, yeah, I'm tough. That's right. I'm tough. So tough. You got feet. So, but anyway, that's, yes, you all did. Great. Uh This was great. Thank you all so much for joining us for this episode. We will be back in two weeks.

Uh Unfortunately, without our, our darling Katie who will be lou will be wrestling with Devens of her own quite literally uh that episode. But um yeah, yeah, excited to have you all. Uh We don't have much in the way of announcements this time, but I just want to say again, thank you all so much for being here. Uh If you enjoyed the show, please do that are subscribing if you're on Twitch. Uh giving us a like if you're watching this on youtube, subscribing to the channel.

Uh If you're listening in podcasts, please hit that like uh give us a rating, give us a review. It really helps folks find the show. Um This has been tumultuous times I think for the cast all around. Uh If you haven't heard, I have been working my ass off this entire year on Tales of the valiant, which is 1/5 edition redesign, Remaster Re Envisioning from Cobalt Press. So go and check it out if you are interested in a five E future. Basically not under the control of a big corporate giant.

Uh Go ahead and kind of check that out, see what we have to offer a five E with a Cobalt spin. We're calling it with teeth is a big uh like rallying phrase we're using. So go and check it out. I'd love uh if you were to do that, but otherwise that has been keeping me very busy. So thank you all so much with your patience uh and understanding lately uh with, you know, some episode delays and then of course, we're also fulfilling our Kickstarter. Uh So all of you more and more all the time.

Uh Venture Maidens, hells Bell Zines have officially reached our shipping center. Uh So folks should be seeing limited editions and standard editions of the hardcover uh reaching your mailboxes soon. Um But do keep in mind there is literally one person who on his days off from work is fulfilling these orders. So things are happening, but they are going out at a measured pace so soon soon. You should all have those beautiful books in hand. But uh it is, you know, an ongoing process.

So other than that, just again, thank you so much. We always like to take some time at the end of our shows to thank our Patreon donors. Uh those who donate at the highest tiers. You guys keep the lights on for us. We make no money on this show other than from your wonderful beautiful donation. So we cannot say enough how much we appreciate you, uh your faith, your support, we love you all. So let's go around and say some thank you. So I want to say thank you so much to Debbie. Thank you, Curry.

Thank you, muffin the one on Jury Lane. Thank you, Nisa mckinnon. Uh Thank you so much, Nadia. Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Mara. Thank you fable. Thank you so much, Tony. Thank you sheepish. Thank you, Destiny. Oh, if it's, it's, and it's Destiny and I'm sure they've never heard that before in their lives. And thank you, Scott. I'm sorry. Yeah. Anyway, I canceled. Listen. Uh I'm sorry, Destiny. We love your name. Thank you.

Thank you so much for being here and thank you, Ben A K Flower at Crown gaming. Thank you so much. Oh, you wonderful, wonderful, beautiful folks. Thank you. Thank you. We can't wait to uh show you what happens next as we descend into or I'm sorry, ascend into a floating Titan labyrinth from the past. So glad we're not gonna have our rogue the check for traps next time. Um And until then, uh everybody, I have been your dungeon master, Celeste Kowit. Hello, I'm Katie.

I have been your very, very sleepy rogue. Very sad. And hello, everyone. I'm, I'm nasim and I was your fighter slash uh brokering maybe problematic deals, but it's Tony Silverdale and I'm sage and I have been your blissful barred. Efa Flannery. Yes. Well, you know, next time, perhaps we'll be out from under all these deals and everybody will be free and clear and there'll be no problems ever. Uh, so until then everybody, then taking away everybody.

I know it might have been the most defeated a venture win.