Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey Al Hey Barry, what's a Rogue's favorite type of
Speaker 1 00:00:05 The metal steel it's time for compelled duel. <inaudible> hello
Speaker 2 00:00:26 Everybody. And welcome back to compelled duel.
Speaker 0 00:00:28 I'm Barry and I'm Al and we are
Speaker 2 00:00:31 Single-player Cody EMD, Dungeons and dragons fifth edition actual play pod.
Speaker 0 00:00:36 Oh, last time on compelled dual layer of L sign took refuge at the monastery of the order of the golden tusk and these Auburn principalities of Tordon with, uh, the mother and stepmother of his very good friend, Zed stone bloom figured out some stuff about his next steps. And next move is,
Speaker 2 00:00:58 Figure it out a little bit more than that too, but he's not talking about that
Speaker 0 00:01:03 And was involved in what was perhaps a very poor decision
Speaker 2 00:01:08 Time. Before that, the last time we checked in with Ferrara Val sign, she also was involved in some, maybe not so great life
Speaker 0 00:01:16 Choices after the
Speaker 2 00:01:18 Events at the silent city, outside of the city of OMA Groth. Once you got back to vellum tall financials tour, mayor handed in his resignation, and after a very tense conversation left the city. And a couple of weeks later, he was summoned by her new acquaintance Arivale and Mar and archeologists and self-described portal expert out to another silent city where she met a young Druid named Verity and entire enclave of worshipers of an ancient Australian goddess known only as the storm bringer and attuned to her new magic item fee also found out some information about her birth mother that she had not previously been aware of. And in fact had been actively lied to about. And the last time we left her was standing outside of her father's office back in the day.
Speaker 0 00:02:08 Sure was. So
Speaker 2 00:02:11 We are going to pick right back up where we left off
Speaker 1 00:02:13 With fi
Speaker 2 00:02:19 You are standing outside of the door of your father's office. It still has the scorched hole burnt in it from earlier that morning, when he got a little upset about some news about Leo and blasted the thing off the hinges, and you can see him sitting inside at his desk, he looks up at you and says,
Speaker 1 00:02:37 Oh, Ferrara, come in. I'm gonna walk in. He seems
Speaker 2 00:02:43 Calm. He's just sitting there working on some paperwork. It doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary. It's pretty Monday. And he seems like nothing's really,
Speaker 1 00:02:53 Theater's going to stay on their hands behind her back. Uh, hello father. There were a few
Speaker 0 00:03:00 Things that I wanted to discuss with you.
Speaker 2 00:03:04 Of course, take a seat
Speaker 0 00:03:06 Fees, going to sit down in the chair, just kind of fold her hands in her lap and then say, ah, I've been thinking about a few things recently. Um, I wondered if you could tell me anything about my mother role insight. That's a 12
Speaker 2 00:03:28 On a 12. You see his pen still about an inch above the paper. He very slowly puts his pen down and rests his hands down on the top of his desk and says, now why on earth would you be compelled to ask about that?
Speaker 0 00:03:52 Fi gives them a very tight smile and says, forgive me, my sentiment father. It's just that the situation with Fernandez has been bringing up some old thought processes that I would like to put behind me.
Speaker 2 00:04:10 And now I would like you to roll deception
Speaker 0 00:04:13 24. Okay, let me roll insight for Moreland. He only gets a plus four to this 11
Speaker 2 00:04:23 Visibly relaxes back into his chair a little bit and almost looks like he lets out a breath. He's been holding. He nods to himself and then says, I will lead into this with the very transparent admission that I am not a perfect person. I have my flaws. I have made my mistakes. I have let people down. I'm not sure how much you know about labels, mother or the war with vaudeville door. That happened before you were born. I cared for a Donna very much, but she had always been rather mentally fragile and the war took its toll on her. She started declining very quickly and very dramatically at that point layer was an infant. So between having to watch my wife slip away and try to maintain as stable of a family environment as I could for my child, I found myself lonely. I met your mother by chance out of social function. She was a brilliant major, charming, funny. And I gave into that
Speaker 1 00:05:58 Loneliness. I broke vows and I let people down. The original plan when you came along, of course, was for everything to be a little more in line with how things usually go when these things happen, he sort of waves his hands back and forth between the two of you. You would have been given the best education, the highest quality of life, obviously, but been kept away from the court and the scrutiny that would have come with it. I would have never wanted that for you. But unfortunately your mother also had certain problems with fragility and stability and could not cope with having a child with your, he taps at his forehead condition.
Speaker 1 00:06:55 You returned over to my care. I sent you with a <inaudible> for your education after that. And after showing your prowess at sorcery and your true to political mind, I came to the realization that you were a better fit for the throne of Australia than your brother ever was. He pauses again for a second and drums, a complicated rhythm on top of his desk with his fingertips and sort of just nod solemnly to himself. You and I are people with very unpleasant stories, Ferrara. I think we can understand that about each other. And I think that looking too hard back into those unpleasant stories holds us back from moving forward.
Speaker 0 00:07:58 I am going to roll deception because of what he just did. He is going to get advantage on it. Roll insight.
Speaker 1 00:08:05 You are going to need to beat a 24.
Speaker 0 00:08:10 That's a 13. I don't do it. The thought process
Speaker 1 00:08:14 That you have fee is very strange because your father tells you this story
Speaker 0 00:08:21 And there are parts of it that just logically
Speaker 1 00:08:25 Don't make sense with what you
Speaker 0 00:08:27 Now know.
Speaker 1 00:08:29 There's an earnestness in how he's looking at you and a frankness that he doesn't often speak.
Speaker 0 00:08:35 And for some fucked up reason you buy it fee brings up one hand to like brush her hair back behind her ear. And like defensively runs her fingers over from one of her horns. And she says, right, yes, I think it is best to move, uh,
Speaker 3 00:08:56 Onto the other topic of conversation I've been putting thought toward our problem with <inaudible>. I believe just looking at it from a political standpoint that the next logical step for him to take would be to go into vocal door. There is tension on the Tor dunian border, and it makes sense to me that dirt would shelter an enemy of the state that they're currently in conflict with. And it also makes sense to me that the Voltaren government and Lara himself would realize that our relationship with the Voltaren empire could be eased by having the end. She gestures at him, Voltaren war hero. Currently on the throne replaced with someone who is more susceptible to psycho Fantic flattery.
Speaker 0 00:09:59 Well, first things, first, 2000 miles away, your brother's ears Twitch. And secondly, you see where your father had relaxed a little bit, his posture stiffens again, and he frowns looking very concerned. And if that were the case, what do you propose that our countermeasures be
Speaker 3 00:10:19 At least nominally vocoder has arranged a piece with us and <inaudible> is extremely wanted on grounds of treason. I suggest that you send someone high ranking, possibly myself and a small entourage to get him personally.
Speaker 0 00:10:37 Absolutely not. He snaps like very clipped, roll me a perception check and a history check.
Speaker 3 00:10:50 So that's a 15 on history and a 19 on perception.
Speaker 0 00:10:56 So with that perception, you can very obviously see your father grip on the edge of his desk, go white knuckled. And there is a look that crosses his face that can only be described as just a split. Second of sheer panic. He looks like he's not even aware of the room he's in anymore for a second. And with that history check, you know, quite a bit about the Voltaren Wars that ravaged the country for about 200 years. It was disastrous. When I say that Australia was nearly wiped out, Australia was nearly wiped out thousands upon thousands of people died under the onslaught of a hostile invading Voltaren force that was there to try to secure parts of the country that were rich in natural resources, namely mines. So many people died. So many even Nobles and high-ranking officials in Australian society died. Your grandfather who was Archduke at the time was killed.
Speaker 0 00:12:04 Your father was not even first in line for the throne. He was not the oldest son of the family. Um, his older brother also died in the war. That war is what led Alicia to the injury that she is still dealing with to this day, the scarring and the loss of range of motion. On one side of her body, she was hit by essentially a bomb. Your father was the hero of the Boulder and wore his leadership when he was thrust into the position of Archduke and also his prowess in battle magic. Basically single-handedly brought the war to a stop. And until now I don't think you've ever kind of seen the exact degree of effect that that sequence of events had on him. He looks freaked for a second and almost as quickly as you see that happen, it is gone. He very carefully kind of puts his facial expression back together, rolls his shoulders back takes a deep breath, but repeats himself very firmly.
Speaker 0 00:13:08 Absolutely not. I will not send you into that level of danger. You have no scope of the lows of treachery and backbiting that Boulder ins will stoop to him. I will not send you into the belly of the beast for a hunch about layer Rose location. And if I'm right and he brings the wolves to our door, what then a role perception for me, one more time, 18. He sighs looks over to where he has a little like out chemical timepiece sitting on his desk and just sets his job very tightly and shakes his head again and says, I will not risk your safety or your life. You are the last hope Australia has. And if push comes to shove, this country has rebuffed and invading Boulder enforced before and we will do so. Again, that is my final word on the subject. You have my leave to go through the sets, her jaw and nods and gets up to go. And then, and then actually let me just roll a luck check real quick. Nope. Okay. Fi you are in the doorway. The door is open and you are ready to leave when the spell, where
Speaker 0 00:14:32 Weird kind of justification that you were doing, like just going around in circles in your mind, trying to reconcile the story that your father told you about your mother, with the information that you knew that made that impossible,
Speaker 1 00:14:48 All of that
Speaker 0 00:14:48 Justification drops, and you feel effect of
Speaker 1 00:14:52 Enchantment magic, leaving your mind. You realize that at least part of that story was bullshit and that he did something to make it sound like it wasn't magically. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:15:13 Doorway has a hand around the doorframe and her grip just tightens
Speaker 1 00:15:21 And without turning around, she says one more thing, father. Yes. I suppose if I can't wait, I would love
Speaker 3 00:15:36 To know what part of that story you told me earlier was
Speaker 1 00:15:39 The lie. There is a long pause and you hear your father respond in a very measured, calculated tone, a bold accusation. What reason would I have to lie to you? That's something I would love to know as well. I'm not an idiot. And as you yourself went it out, I am a very proficient sorceress. You hear it, your father hummed to himself, like he's figured something out. And in that same, very measured voice, he says Ferrara. I think all of this business with dress has gotten you a little on edge. I understand very well how painful it is when someone we thought we were close to decides to leave us behind, but throwing around baseless, accusations around people that are on your side seems a bit counterproductive. Don't you think now let's take a deep breath and really think about what we're saying here. I need you to make a charisma saving, throw. You are going to have advantage. You're trying to beat a 1925. Okay. 25 on a charisma saving throw. Yeah. He just fucking tried something again. I mean, yeah, you would probably know it was some kind of like calm emotions spell, but you handle the pass, the safe for it. You're not affected
Speaker 3 00:17:35 Now. Fi turns around still with that grip on the edge of the doorframe. She just whips around to face him. And very calmly says, I'm not a child that you can pacify send a way.
Speaker 0 00:17:50 I know what you're doing.
Speaker 2 00:17:54 His face is still totally impassive, but he does slowly raise an eyebrow at you.
Speaker 0 00:18:00 Are you
Speaker 2 00:18:01 Not? Because a rational grown adult would realize when to leave a situation alone before it becomes unproductive or dangerous
Speaker 0 00:18:12 And
Speaker 2 00:18:12 PHY in that moment, I think it's just like a series of flashbacks that you have of being various ages. As you were growing up, being around your brother, being around your friends and being around your father,
Speaker 0 00:18:28 As you're
Speaker 2 00:18:29 Just kind of running back through all of these times in your life, you start to realize a really unsettling pattern.
Speaker 0 00:18:38 Leo
Speaker 2 00:18:39 Always been an argumentative little shit and always had too big of a mouth on him for his own. Good.
Speaker 0 00:18:47 So
Speaker 2 00:18:47 You wonder why you never thought about how odd it was, how quickly your father could shut him up. When he started being argumentative
Speaker 0 00:18:57 And how
Speaker 2 00:18:58 Leo always seemed to take the farthest seat away from him in whatever room you were,
Speaker 0 00:19:05 You have a couple thoughts, free takes a very deep breath. And then that hand that is clenched around the doorframe detaches. And she slowly puts it down at her side where her wand is holstered, his other eyebrow raises. And he goes,
Speaker 2 00:19:27 I would tell you to carefully consider your next move. But given how irrationally you were acting, I don't believe that that's going to happen. So instead I will kindly suggest that you leave my office and you don't talk to anybody else about this conversation.
Speaker 0 00:19:47 You are now
Speaker 2 00:19:48 You have to roll me a wisdom saving throw with advantage. You are trying to beat a tonight,
Speaker 0 00:19:58 No way. So to beat a night team because I don't have proficiency and I have minus one to whiz, I needed to roll a Nat 20. And I sure did natural fucking 20. And I think as she shrugs off the effect of that spell, that hand closes around her wand. And if he says, I would advise you to be careful about your next move and this conversation,
Speaker 2 00:20:31 There is a very long and very tense
Speaker 0 00:20:34 Silence feed. Doesn't raise her wand. She just has her hand around it. And she is shaking
Speaker 2 00:20:43 Or stands up behind his desk. You guys are kind of okay, corralling it. When
Speaker 1 00:20:48 He said that things could get dangerous. You are starting to get the impression that that was a very real threat. You have heard him speak with anger towards Leo before he has never really turned to that tone on you. But with his jaw set and his lips in a very thin line, he snaps, I have had enough of the insulins and the insubordination for ARRA. You are going to leave the office and you are not going to discuss this with anyone. You are going to roll me. Another wisdom, saving throw. You still have advantage on it because it is a charm effect and you have resistance against being charmed, but you've got to hit another Nat 20 as a natural 19, which means an 18.
Speaker 1 00:21:41 You feel something much more unpleasant than whatever it was. He tried to do. Last time. It is like this sickening, pressurized grip on your spinal cord and you kind of lurch forward trying to fight it off. And it just seeps into your mind. You are under the effects of a dominate person, spell cast at seventh level, which means that for the next hour, you are incapable of taking actions that you are not directly told by your father to do. And he told you to leave the office and to not tell anyone about this conversation, you feel your body moving of its own accord. You turn around and like a zombie walk out of the office. You have no control over it. The command was very vague. However, you know, he didn't really tell you to do anything specific other than get out. Don't tell anybody about this. You're walking down the hallway, probably feeling extremely upset and off-kilter and you see a loss turn the other corner of the hallway and she takes one. Look at you. I'm going to roll you. Can't roll deception because you can't take that action right now. I'm going to roll insight for her. Just like a flat insight check.
Speaker 1 00:23:03 Yeah. So she turns the corner. She sees you rolls a 21 to insight. Immediately knows that something is up, comes up to you and gets a hand on both of your shoulders and goes fi Hey, Hey, Hey, look at me. What is going on? Do you make the attempt to tell her? Yeah. I think feet opened her mouth and tries to get the words out. You open your mouth to try to specifically tell her what just went down and the words will not come out. Just like a couple choked strangled attempts at speech. I'm going to roll for a Lasha again. Yeah, buddy. That's a 25.
Speaker 1 00:23:55 Uh, Lusha looks at you. They're like stammering and shaking and kind of arrested in your movement. And she looks back behind you to the door of your father's office. A very dark look crosses her face. She looks over at you and she goes, did he do this? I can't say anything. I think if you attempt to again, and you can't say anything, she squeezes your shoulders takes a step back and nods. You go somewhere safe. I'm going to go have a talk with your father. And she storms off past you down the hallway. You are out of the range of the office. Now you have movement back in your limbs. You only were given two commands, which were leave the office. Don't tell anybody about the specific situation that just happened.
Speaker 0 00:25:01 So as
Speaker 1 00:25:03 You're getting some of the movement back in your body, you realize that in his haste, your father may have given you some loopholes to what you can do. You just cannot directly
Speaker 0 00:25:13 The commands. I'm going to go find Colossae. Yeah. Around that
Speaker 1 00:25:18 It's time of day Colossus, usually hanging out in her. Family's apartments. You go
Speaker 0 00:25:21 You down there. Lady Petrus is in there though. She kind of gives you a weird look. Oh, hello, grant Duchess. Are you feeling all right? Are you here to see Colossae and you can talk,
Speaker 1 00:25:33 Can you have the capability of speech as long as you are not trying to
Speaker 0 00:25:36 Discuss the situation? I think one hand goes up to like, press at the base of her throat as he says, ah, yes. Yes. I'm here to see Colossae. Well, all right. She's in her room. Colossae you walk in and she's just like laying up. So
Speaker 1 00:25:55 Down off of her bed, like tossing a dagger at the ceiling,
Speaker 0 00:25:57 Catching it again. She sits up and goes, Oh, Hey fie. What's Whoa, did something happen? Fi tries to say it again. And they get stuck in her throat. So with that hand, like very firmly pressed, like her chest and the base of her neck, she says, I, I need your help with something Colossus
Speaker 1 00:26:24 On her feet. In a second. She sees how freaked out you are and is just up. You see her hike up, her skirts, get her daggers, shoved them in her thigh, holsters. And yeah, she's gone. She's going with,
Speaker 0 00:26:37 Where are you trying to take her back toward the office? Okay. You get to like the end of the hallway and you start to feel the spell kind of pushing on you again, like that kind of really uncomfortable, almost painful pressure at the base of your skull, kind of shoots down through your spinal cord and out through the rest of your body. And your movement is arrested at the end of the hallway. Colossae sees you stop and looks over and frowns at you. Wha what do you need? What are we doing here fee? I don't understand. I need you to listen in just in the name of fairness. Let me roll insight for Calissa to see if she can pick up what you're putting down.
Speaker 0 00:27:25 He has a buddy, that's another 21. She nods. And she goes, okay. So I'm going to sneak up there and I'll message you so you can hear what I hear. Got it. Yes. That's good. Okay, cool. You should get around the corner. So just in case I get caught, they only find me I'll make up an excuse. I'll say I was looking for my dad. You go, he goes back around the corner. And I think she just like slides down on the wall and sits on the floor with their head in her hands. Okay. The spell is not pushing on you as hard. Once you were around the corner, like out of line of sight of the door. All right. It's time for Calissa to actually be a rogue now. So let's use that good plus 10 to sell it and see if it gets us anywhere.
Speaker 0 00:28:16 That's a 29 baby. And Moreland's passive perception is a 25 Calissa, handily beats it. So you don't see this and really with a 29 stealth, you don't even hear it, but you do feel the little ping of a message can trip in the back of your head. Colossae is keeping the channel of the spell open. So you suppose she probably has one of her daggers out and is channeling the spell, just like as a stream of consciousness through her mind of what she is hearing. As she listens at this door, I am going to roll just a flat luck check to see how much of this conversation you guys have missed. Okay? So you missed a little bit, but not all
Speaker 1 00:29:08 You here and in
Speaker 0 00:29:11 Incredibly heated conversation between a Lasha and your father.
Speaker 1 00:29:16 Sure
Speaker 0 00:29:19 Tone that it is frankly, dumbfounding and frightening for a <inaudible> to be using with your father. You hear her hiss. You are so full of shit, Your father's size and says, there's no need to take that tone with me just because, and then she cuts him off. You hear something slam a desk.
Speaker 1 00:29:43 This is not about us. This is about her and the future of this fucking country. Are you out of your mind at the rate you're going, we're running out of children that trust you. What happens when you do your father's voice kind of hardens the way it did when he was talking to you and he says, you forget yourself, Martinez to Caren. Alicia, completely unbowed says, I don't forget anything. And you would do well to keep that in mind, Archduke, I have spent the last century and some change of my life cleaning up after your messages. So I remember quite a lot. And I remember the price that you paid the last time you made this mistake. I, I can't, I have nothing to say to you.
Speaker 1 00:30:38 You hear footsteps like she's walking across the office. You hear your father voice going a little softer Alesha. Oh yes. And one more thing Alicia says, and you hear footsteps moving away from the door where Colossus listening, you hear a rustle of fabric and like an unsettled noise from your father. Like she has just fucking grabbed him by the collar. You hear a lot, his voice dropped down to a very low level, like a very threatening, slow cadence. And she says one more thing. If you so much, as a prestidigitation within 60 feet of that girl ever again, I'll kill you in your sleep and make it look like an accident. And you hear footsteps coming back towards the door and Colossae fucking books at around the corner. The message spell goes dead. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:31:50 As Colossae comes back around the corner, fi is going to nod and like gesture at her and say, go, go. And then fee is going to slowly get up. I'm not leaving you. Are you crazy? Calissa go Calissa
Speaker 1 00:32:09 Stalls for a second at the corner. And she just reaches up presses a hand to the side of your face and then drops it. And she sprints down the hall.
Speaker 0 00:32:18 She's gone
Speaker 1 00:32:21 Warms down around the corner of this hallway. You hear your father's office door slam behind her. As she rounded this corner, she's got her hands running back through her hair, just like whisper, cussing to herself very intensely. And then she looks up and sees you.
Speaker 0 00:32:38 She sighs that I told you to get out of here,
Speaker 3 00:32:44 Just like shaking. And with her hand, like press the base of her throat. He says,
Speaker 0 00:32:49 Can we talk? Alicia looks exhausted.
Speaker 2 00:32:53 Did, and a little panicked. But as soon as she sees how shaken up you are, she very gently wraps her arm around your waist
Speaker 0 00:33:01 And says, yeah, sweetie. Yeah, come on and
Speaker 2 00:33:05 Leads you off down a wandering maze of hallways to her quarters. It's a familiar well appointed suite of rooms. You've been in here several times before you do a lot of your training with her
Speaker 0 00:33:15 In here, she sits
Speaker 2 00:33:18 You down on the couch, in her kind of living room area and bustles off into a little area on the side. You hear her start to get some tea ready and she just comes back and sits down next to you, puts the setup for tea on the counter and just holds your hand. And she says, it will probably wear off in about an hour if you want.
Speaker 0 00:33:40 I just wait it out. Yes. Let's wait.
Speaker 2 00:33:46 Time passes several minutes later, you feel that awful pressure, that painful press at the base of your skull dissipate and then leave entirely. And if you were to try to talk about the
Speaker 0 00:34:00 Situation you could
Speaker 2 00:34:03 Feasibly, like you feel that you are fully back in control
Speaker 0 00:34:06 All of your body
Speaker 3 00:34:09 Slumps and put the hand over her mouth and takes a couple of very deep breaths. And then very slowly puts the hand back down and sits up straight and looks at Alicia and says, I need to go to flop full door.
Speaker 2 00:34:23 Alicia freezes with her tea cup, halfway to her mouth role perception with advantage.
Speaker 0 00:34:31 You see that same
Speaker 2 00:34:34 Visceral panic that you saw on your father's face for a second, go across her face. She puts her tea cup down with a click on the table and reaches up and just runs one hand along the burn, scar down one side of her face. And why do you think you need to do that? I understand if you think you need to go, but that's a damn dangerous decision to make fee what could possibly be there.
Speaker 0 00:35:01 That would be worth it. I can't
Speaker 2 00:35:04 Won't. And wouldn't if I could compel the truth out of you on this, but I would hope that I earned enough honesty for you to tell me what's going on here.
Speaker 3 00:35:15 She takes a very deep breath and then says, I met with Arivale Anmar
Speaker 2 00:35:22 Elisha's eyes go really big and she'd nod silently to herself and says, so she's still alive.
Speaker 0 00:35:30 That's good to know. And how is this connected to vaudeville door? I assume you're aware of the broad strokes
Speaker 3 00:35:38 Of what her parents were raising
Speaker 0 00:35:41 Ancient teleportation lost rune lore. Vaguely. Yes. We don't know the details, but
Speaker 3 00:35:49 I don't know everything she knows, but I do know that there is an ancient teleportation network that allows for free passage throughout the country of Sharia. And I do know that that network is connected at, to an inactive portal in the mountains near GIM Tara. And I found out that Ms. Enmar was working with Soren Shaquana. So I would not gamble any of our futures on Leo, not having the information that I do. And several months of a headstart
Speaker 0 00:36:22 Elisha's eyes get even bigger. When you mentioned that thing about Soren and she puts her head in her hands and goes, shit, we, we can't, we can't, your father is never going to give us clearance to send anybody over there after him, without evidence. And evidence means telling him about the portals, which he could follow back to the beacon, which would be a goddamn disaster.
Speaker 3 00:36:49 I did my best to make a political argument that he could follow that would achieve the result we want, but it didn't work out well.
Speaker 0 00:37:03 She purses her lips and she nods. Do you think if you make it over there that you can stop them? Yes. I don't want this. I don't want you going over there A lot. She looks like she's really struggling to calm herself down. As she's talking about this thoughtful door is not a kind place. It is not a merciful place and it will eat you alive. If you go there alone, I learned the hard way that you don't run headlong into a war without people at your back, that you really trust to be there. Do you have people like that that you could take with you?
Speaker 3 00:37:55 I think I do. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:38:00 She silent for a moment. Kimra teeth. I can get you out of the country. I, no one's going to like this, but I have a way I can make it happen. I need seven days. So you have seven days to get all of your people in this city and have them ready to get the hell out fee nods.
Speaker 3 00:38:27 And she says,
Speaker 0 00:38:28 I can do that all right. Time for me to get to work. Then I guess Alesha gets up and she brushes off the front of her.
Speaker 2 00:38:36 She turns around to you and gets your face in both of her hands, where you're still sitting on the couch and goes to not die,
Speaker 0 00:38:44 Please. He says, I won't. And then nods. And her voice was like shaking. It says, Alicia, thank you. You have absolutely nothing to thank me for. But one more piece of advice.
Speaker 2 00:39:05 I wouldn't leave behind anything or anyone that you can't live without your father has a very effective strategy of keeping collateral,
Speaker 0 00:39:18 Right? Yes. Understood.
Speaker 2 00:39:21 She leans down and she kisses you on the cheek and leaves her quarters and leaves you.
Speaker 0 00:39:27 Fee's gonna sit there for a minute, collect herself, and then she's going to get up. She's going to go back to her own room and she's going to start writing a letter to Fen. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:39:41 And what are you putting in this letter?
Speaker 0 00:39:44 I don't think it's long, just a couple sentences to the vein of, we need to talk in person.
Speaker 2 00:39:55 You know, that Fenn is staying with his uncle and his aunt in the city of online, which is the seat of how Stormare, Oland's about three days out from Belen tall. But if you send the letter with a carrier, Raven, obviously, you know, it'll get there faster. So this is the resource gathering part of the episode. You now have seven days to make sure every buddy and every thing that you want leaving this country with you is locked and loaded. So I would like to know fees process and kind of how she's doing.
Speaker 0 00:40:32 As far as things, she doesn't have a lot. She has her wand. She has a couple of personal items, a favorite book, maybe personal items, as many changes of clothes as she can fit in a bag. Uh, her medicine, beacon coin, obviously. And Leo's ring because if that is found in her chambers, it's going to be a whole thing.
Speaker 2 00:40:52 They're all of those things. Um, who all would you like to take with you? I mean, obviously Arivale and Verity have both requested to come with you, but who, besides that?
Speaker 0 00:41:05 Yeah. Air van Bereday. She's going to send a message for them to stand by because she doesn't want them to be in the city. It's too dangerous and yeah, just those people and glossy.
Speaker 2 00:41:18 So how would you like to approach Calissa about this? Because we have to remember that Calissa doesn't know everything that's going on. Calissa knows about the beacon as an organization. She has met Sabine and been through that, went down
Speaker 0 00:41:34 At the Shaquana masquerade. She does not know about the portals. She does not know about the work that Soren and Arivale were doing. She doesn't know about any of that.
Speaker 3 00:41:43 She's going to try to get class out alone. And I think she's going to frame it as she needs Colossae to come along related to what happened at the masquerade. And she will explain more when everyone is together,
Speaker 0 00:42:01 I'm not even gonna make you roll persuasion for this Colossae is ride or die. She told you she was down and you just needed to say the word, you know, when you guys had that conversation, the day after soar and died and she made you promise that these people were going to burn for what they did and she would be there. And you just needed to say the word she's going to fulfill that promise. I think you guys are up drinking on the roof actually. And she kills this bottle of aldermen whiskey and throws it off the roof of the palace, nods to herself and goes, yeah. All right, cool. It'll be nice to get back to vaudeville dura again. I miss having fun.
Speaker 3 00:42:35 I'm not sure how much fun it's going to be, but we'll see what happens.
Speaker 0 00:42:39 She just reaches down and grabbed your hand. And I think you guys set up there for a little bit. It gets pretty down to the wire. Like the day before Alicia told you that your week was up is when Fenn rides back into tall,
Speaker 3 00:42:54 Then rides in. I'm going to meet him at the stables. I'm just going to stop and say, Fen, can we talk privately?
Speaker 0 00:43:07 That was what you asked in your letter and I'm here. Aren't I? Yes. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:43:13 And I'm just gonna gesture for him to follow me. And I'm going to go up to my chambers.
Speaker 0 00:43:18 Yeah. He comes in there behind you. He's keeping a social distance between the two of you that is appropriate for somebody that is interacting with the grand Duchess on a very surface level, which is weird for him.
Speaker 3 00:43:31 He lets him into the room, closes the door behind them and she just starts sobbing
Speaker 0 00:43:40 He's across the room. And has you in his arms by the time you even like lose stability on your feet, it's almost instantaneous. He's just got you wrapped up in this really big, tight hug and slowly gets you to sit down on the edge of your bed so that you're not at risk of falling over. And I think just holds you until you're ready to talk.
Speaker 3 00:44:06 It's going to take a minute. I don't think he really felt safe to process that whole thing that happened with her father until Fenn was there.
Speaker 0 00:44:19 He just lets you cry it out. He's just petting down your hair and telling you that everything's going to be okay.
Speaker 3 00:44:27 So I think some time passes and then feed sits and like pull
Speaker 1 00:44:32 Out of his arms wipes that are face and says, sorry, sorry. Um, listen, I, I shouldn't have left. I was being stupid and selfish and I've really fucking regretted fi okay. Everything's okay now, right? No, it's not. And I think she just tells him what happened. The whole confrontation start to finish. He takes in what you are saying to him with a very flat stoic expression. The more you tell the story and the longer you go on you see his hand drifting closer and closer to the hilt of his battle, ax and clothes around it in a white knuckled grip. And he just lets you tell him the rest of this story. His other hand is still on your back. Just rubbing circles between your shoulder blades. You feel his hand shaking. By the time you're done telling the story, he nods and says, I shouldn't have left you alone. Where's your father. Don't, it's not worth it. I am leaving the country for a bit.
Speaker 1 00:45:55 Leaving the, where are you going to go? I am going on a trip to vaudeville, Dar to handle some things. And I want you to come with me. I need you to come with me. Does eyebrows knit together and he frowns and nods. Like he's thinking it over. I mean, I understand that there's more at play here than I know right now, but fi running away from one dangerous situation into another, isn't going to keep you any safer. You saw what vaudeville Dort did. The Colossus mom. She almost died. I understand why this is a big ask for you. I am not running. I am taking time to regroup. And then I am going to handle this myself. You say that. And the hand that was wrapped around his battleax relaxes and reaches up and gets a couple of fingers under your chin and tilt your head until you're looking at him. And he says, I didn't say anything about this being a hard ask. Of course, I'm coming with you yet. Full sobbing. Fendra stays with you until you're calmed down. He's not leaving you alone again. Absolutely not. So Fen is your
Speaker 2 00:47:30 Shadow for the rest of the day. He is not getting more than five paces away from
Speaker 0 00:47:35 You. Leave
Speaker 2 00:47:37 Your quarters eventually. And as you are walking down through the entrance hall of the past,
Speaker 0 00:47:42 You see a big carrot
Speaker 2 00:47:45 Can have like Royal carriages outside and they are being packed up and loaded up with several Footlockers it's, uh,
Speaker 0 00:47:54 13. Okay?
Speaker 2 00:47:56 Okay. Yeah. If you get a little closer, I think, and really examine what's being loaded in these are all your father's effects. A bunch of your dad's stuff is getting packed into these carriages.
Speaker 0 00:48:06 Okay? Um, I'm not gonna talk to him about it. No,
Speaker 2 00:48:11 I think you hang back. You do see him exit the front door of the palace with like a small bag of his own effects and a Lasha is right behind him and sees him off at the door. He sees you nods to you and then just gets in a carriage and rolls out.
Speaker 0 00:48:26 I'm going to walk up to a Lasha and I'm going to say so where's he going?
Speaker 2 00:48:32 Alicia sucks in a sharp little breath through her teeth.
Speaker 0 00:48:37 Um, Fen. Good to see you by the way, Ben just goes like, huh? Fen makes a very stressed noise. She turns back to you and says, I
Speaker 2 00:48:51 Mentioned that no one was going to like my
Speaker 0 00:48:53 Methods, but you're fine.
Speaker 2 00:48:56 My father got a very urgent letter from up North saying that Lord and lady Shaquana are being less than forthcoming with some information related to this additional movement and that his particular talents would be of use and extracting that information. So he is headed North and we'll be back in a fortnight,
Speaker 0 00:49:20 Three flinches as she says that, but nods, right? Ah, yes, good to now. And then she nods again and she turns the fan and says, let's go, uh, let's find class-A Cola.
Speaker 2 00:49:35 So did not know that Fenn was coming back. She is walking down the top of the stairs. When you go back into the entrance hall and she shrieks and like runs down the stairs and does a jump hug, like gets her arms, locked around fence, neck, and her legs are swinging off the ground. Despite the tension of the situation, Fenn does kind of laugh and like give her a big squeeze and put her down and she goes, I've been so bored. Do you know what it's like, not having any impulse control around. I feel like I can't even rebel when there's nobody here telling me not to do stupid shit. I'm so glad you're back
Speaker 0 00:50:07 Back last a little bit to herself and then says that. Sorry to, uh, sober the mood. But there are some things that I should discuss with both of you. Coalesces expression goes much more somber. Yeah. Okay. Um, do we want to do gardens? Do we want to
Speaker 2 00:50:28 Do roof?
Speaker 0 00:50:29 I mean, the information is a bit sensitive. We should go. We should go back to my quarters. Yeah. You head back.
Speaker 2 00:50:40 Colossae flops back on your bed with no regard for your personal space
Speaker 0 00:50:45 As usual
Speaker 2 00:50:47 Sits down at like your vanity chair, I think. And they're just sitting there waiting on you.
Speaker 0 00:50:52 Fi recaps everything. That first conversation she had with Sabine about the beacon, the events of the masquerade, the silent city. I don't think she tells me that her mom, but she goes over everything else that happened when she met Verdi and she tells him about the portals and she tells them what she thinks. Leo was planning. The two of them processed this information. Colossal
Speaker 2 00:51:21 Looks shell shocked and a little hurt. Fen fully looks like his brain is about to melt and come out of his head.
Speaker 0 00:51:30 I understand this is a lot to process the, the, uh, the, the poor, the portals, the
Speaker 2 00:51:40 Fact that our entire state religion is a lie. Yeah. That's yo,
Speaker 0 00:51:48 I understand if you need a minute. Nope. Nope, Nope.
Speaker 2 00:51:52 I'm great. I'm good. I'm good. You know, it wasn't the most pious person ever anyway, like it's totally chill. Fenn says he looks like he is just barely biting back and absolute existential.
Speaker 0 00:52:04 I'll give you a second. Calissa. Um, Fen goes into a corner and just stares at the wall. He needs a minute. Um, Colossae do you need clarification on anything? Uh, no,
Speaker 2 00:52:25 I'm good. She says again, she looks a little shell shocked, but yeah,
Speaker 0 00:52:30 She's keeping it together. I, uh, just
Speaker 2 00:52:34 Wondering with this whole portal thing and the whole Leo thing, um, what exactly are we planning on doing
Speaker 0 00:52:45 Colossae he leads an army through that portal. Thousands of people are going to die.
Speaker 2 00:52:51 I understand that. And I'll help you however I can, but
Speaker 0 00:52:56 I'm not
Speaker 2 00:52:57 Going to help you kill him. I'm sorry. I, I can't,
Speaker 0 00:53:01 You can't do that. That's not my intention, but I have to stop him. And if he forces the issue, then I will just have to adapt to the situation
Speaker 2 00:53:16 She nods. And she has her hands kind of clutched in her lap together so that you can't see that they are shaking. Fen finishes processing his big, big feelings and comes back and sits on the bed with you guys and goes, all right. So, uh, what, now,
Speaker 0 00:53:36 Now I have two more people that are going to be involved in this, and we are going to get on a boat and go to GIM tomorrow.
Speaker 2 00:53:48 It's a very somber situation, but quietly to herself, Calissa, whispers.
Speaker 0 00:53:52 Fuck, fuck him. Tara rocks. Thank you. Colossae for the ringing endorsement. Oh my God.
Speaker 2 00:53:59 Gosh, no, we have to go to the nightclubs once we get there, like, I mean, I know there's the whole stopping a hostile invasion of the country by your brother thing, but like, we've got it set aside one night for clubs.
Speaker 0 00:54:10 I'll put it in my day. Planner. Are you going to message? Arivale I sent a message earlier in the week and told her to stand by.
Speaker 2 00:54:22 Okay. So are you messaging her again to tell her to get over it?
Speaker 0 00:54:27 Yup. Okay. Yup. You take out your beacon coin.
Speaker 2 00:54:31 You have 10 words. What message do you send?
Speaker 0 00:54:35 We are ready when you are
Speaker 2 00:54:40 Arivale messages back rather promptly. Understood. Give us two hours.
Speaker 0 00:54:47 Okay. And then I'm going to figure out contracting a boat to come to him. You
Speaker 2 00:54:52 That I think a lot of stops you as you go to handle all of that and kind of shakes her head and goes, I've got it covered.
Speaker 0 00:55:00 Fi nods says, thank you. I appreciate that. I've got you
Speaker 2 00:55:06 Sailing with someone that I've worked with before. I think that will be the safest way to get you there. We'll just try to keep it as low key as possible. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:55:15 Understood. Two hours later.
Speaker 2 00:55:19 I think Alesha has like cleared out. Most of the serving staff from the palace. They've all been sent home or back to their quarters relatively early
Speaker 0 00:55:27 And
Speaker 2 00:55:29 Two hours later, trotting up the back road to the stables comes an extremely large baby deer with Arivale and Verity, both sitting on his back and they jumped down and Verity runs over and just flings her arms around your waist and gives you a big hug and goes hi Ferrara. It's really good to see you
Speaker 0 00:55:48 Again. Hi Verdi. Uh, yes. It's wonderful to see you.
Speaker 2 00:55:56 Arivale looks tired as she gets down on out of the saddle and leads Phineas over to where he can drink and have something to eat before she walks back over to you guys, Calissa and Fen are with you. The Fen looks wigged the hell out at this deer.
Speaker 0 00:56:15 Fee's going to gesture at everybody. Uh, Fen Colossae. This is Arivale Mar Verity and Phineas. Arivale Verdi Phineas. This is financial Stormare and Colossae Petrus Colossae blinks and goes, Holy shit.
Speaker 2 00:56:37 Arivale I haven't seen you in heres
Speaker 0 00:56:41 And Arivale also looks a little surprised and goes,
Speaker 2 00:56:44 Oh wow. You look a lot different than the last time I saw it.
Speaker 0 00:56:50 Good here, acquainted that makes this easier. We're going to get on a boat. Verity, unlatches herself from around your waist and runs over and
Speaker 2 00:57:00 Gives Colossae who she has never met
Speaker 0 00:57:02 A big hug. Calissa,
Speaker 2 00:57:04 Very enthusiastically hugs her back.
Speaker 0 00:57:08 She goes, hi, I'm Verity. When's your birthday. Oh, don't please doubt. She's
Speaker 2 00:57:15 Already rattling off Colossus, entire birth chart.
Speaker 0 00:57:17 It's too late.
Speaker 2 00:57:19 And then she goes to like give fan the same treatment and give him a big hug. Even though she's never met him. And fend just very gently gets his hands on her shoulders and holds her at arms length and then just like claps her on the shoulder. And he goes, it's very nice
Speaker 0 00:57:34 To meet you. You don't need to know my birthday. Well said, Fenn, let's go. You guys
Speaker 2 00:57:50 Have to exit through the palace to get in a carriage,
Speaker 0 00:57:52 To leave Vera.
Speaker 2 00:57:54 He is like a kid in a candy store, walking through the palace. She is trying to just touch everything.
Speaker 0 00:58:01 Don't touch that. Don't touch that either. Oh, please. Don't touch that. It's so beautiful in here. Wow. Wait, is she completely
Speaker 2 00:58:11 Ignoring your request? She goes to touch other things.
Speaker 0 00:58:15 Oh, please. Don't touch that. That is so old. Arivale just
Speaker 2 00:58:18 Very, tiredly looks over at
Speaker 0 00:58:20 You and goes, I've been running around to
Speaker 2 00:58:23 Archeological sites with that for the past
Speaker 0 00:58:25 Couple of weeks. So
Speaker 2 00:58:27 You make your way out of the palace into a carriage. Alesha comes with you to the docks and actually gets on the ferry to STLR with you and takes
Speaker 0 00:58:39 That whole journey. At the time.
Speaker 2 00:58:41 All of you get across the Lake to the city of esta Lord Knight is beginning to fall. It's a really beautiful port city bustling high population seems a little more high energy than Velon tall. Actually. There's a lot of like bustling markets with Voltaren goods imported that have been brought in by the merchant ships. And it's a very active
Speaker 0 00:59:01 City. You all remained
Speaker 2 00:59:03 Very low key or as low key as you can with a giant deer in your party, as you make your way down to the docks and right before you,
Speaker 0 00:59:12 Um, did she say the cloak that I got has hood? Yes. It has a hood. Okay. Fie is wearing that with the hood drawn way up over her face. Okay. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 00:59:24 And right before you guys get down to the docks where all of the ship's headed out for vaudeville door or other ports in Australia
Speaker 0 00:59:32 Are Alicia
Speaker 1 00:59:33 Pulls you all into an alley behind.
Speaker 0 00:59:38 And she says, I have a
Speaker 1 00:59:40 Ranged your passage out of here. It is still going to behoove you. If nobody on that boat.
Speaker 0 00:59:48 Yes. Understood. Okay,
Speaker 1 00:59:51 Everybody pack it in. And she drops a pretty high level in visibility smell and
Speaker 0 00:59:56 All of you go invisible. You've all gotten it.
Speaker 1 01:00:00 Our with that, follow me once you're on the boat, find somewhere to hunker down until you make it to guitar.
Speaker 0 01:00:05 Okay? Invisibly,
Speaker 1 01:00:08 He's going to hug her. She hugs you back super tight in your ear. Very quietly. She whispers be safe. I love you. And she kisses you on the cheek and leads you guys over to this gang plank of this ship that has docked in the Harbor. Alesha does not get on the ship, but she has a very tense exchange. You see her pull a beacon coin out. She has a very tense exchange with somebody who appears to be the captain of the vessel. She's a tall willowy, Jade green infernal elf woman. This woman says something nods. And <inaudible> like behind her back waves you all onto the boat. Ah, yeah, we got under the boat. You are able to find a small hold where you can like shack up behind some boxes and things. And you see that there are provisions stashed back here. You assume from the person that Alicia just talked to. Yeah. Okay. Um, yeah, we just hunker down. You wait, you're there for a few more minutes and you feel the ship start to move. You hear this person that Alaya was talking to you, barking orders at people up on deck and you feel the slow rocking of the ship as it leaves the Harbor. As you leave, the only home you've ever known. That's what we're going to end for this
Speaker 0 01:02:00 Week.
Speaker 1 01:02:03 And
Speaker 0 01:02:07 Everything sucks, dude.
Speaker 1 01:02:10 Yeah.
Speaker 0 01:02:12 Okay. I'm normal again. That's not true. But
Speaker 2 01:02:20 So yeah, it seems that
Speaker 1 01:02:23 The pads of the Val signs are about to start getting a lot closer to each other. Doesn't it buddy sure does seem that way. But I guess we'll find out about what happens with that next time on compound duel.
Speaker 2 01:02:50 Hey, everybody Barry here with the postscript, just clearing up a couple of housekeeping things here at the end of the episode, as always, we are on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Tumblr and Tik TOK at compelled duel. You can also find us on Tik TOK at compelled dual adios, where we post audio snippets from the show. We have a Q and a show that we do every Monday at 3:00 PM, PST over on our YouTube channel. So if you head on over to YouTube and search compelled dual, you should be able to find us there. We'd love for you to come hang out with us. If you're interested in supporting the podcast, we ask that you consider pledging to our Patrion. You can find us on patrion.com/compelled dual. And we have lots of cool perks, including priority for questions in the Q and a access to exclusive Playlist's on our official Spotify account.
Speaker 2 01:03:36 And also the ability to get a letter from your favorite compelled dual character every month. If you're interested in helping us out in ways, other than pledging to our Patrion, if you're listening to us on Apple podcasts, we ask that you drop us a rating and a review because that will help us get promoted to a wider listener base. And as always word of mouth advertising helps us just so much more than anything else. So if you're enjoying the podcast, we just ask that you tell three friends about it and if they enjoy it, ask them to tell three friends to our next episode is going to be going up on Friday, April 2nd, 2021. Or if you are a member of our Patrion, you'll get early access on Thursday, April 1st boy. Howdy. What an April fools gifts this next one's going to be to all of you. Uh, take care. We'll see you next week.
