Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Hey Al Hey Barry,
Speaker 1 00:00:04 Why did the Dred get arrested? When they attempted to summon a bunch of crows?
Speaker 0 00:00:10 Why
Speaker 1 00:00:11 Attempted murder? It's time for compelled dual. Hello, everybody. And welcome back to compelled dual I'm Barry
Speaker 0 00:00:33 And I'm Al
Speaker 1 00:00:35 And we are a single player co DM to D and D five E actual play podcast
Speaker 0 00:00:42 Previously on compelled dual. Good morning. Sunshine. Are you aware that you almost took a Swan dive into the death hole?
Speaker 1 00:00:51 Oh shit. Is that what that was?
Speaker 0 00:00:55 What are you talking about? What's going on
Speaker 1 00:00:59 Whatevers in that hole, in the floor, in the tower. It's old and it's dead and it wants me,
Speaker 0 00:01:08 Well,
Speaker 2 00:01:09 Fuck,
Speaker 1 00:01:11 Just need your signature on that glass. It's the message to the pirate court.
Speaker 0 00:01:16 Well, midnight swim aside. I'm certainly well enough to sign a piece of portrait.
Speaker 1 00:01:23 Tell me what you really think said. Tell me about how you think I'm fucking crazy.
Speaker 0 00:01:28 You're fucking acting like it.
Speaker 1 00:01:32 They don't wanna come home and that's all I wanted after everything. I just wanted to bring them home.
Speaker 0 00:01:41 This isn't their home. It's your memory of it. Isn't it better that they're all places that have a future and not stuck in the past.
Speaker 1 00:01:56 I worry about Leo though. The thing that wants him, it's meaner and it's smarter and there's no bargaining with it.
Speaker 0 00:02:06 I'm worried about him too.
Speaker 1 00:02:09 You're dead. And it's my fault. And I'm sorry, but you don't get to take the people I love.
Speaker 3 00:02:18 It's a broken promise. Lara, you already know what you have to do.
Speaker 1 00:02:26 You see a huge multi-master multi mastered sailing ship approaching with a plethora of ships, backing it up. That's the Australian Navy He's coming Fee. There is a cold salty sea wind blowing into your face. The chill biting through your clothes and the gusts tangling up your hair around your shoulders. You are standing at the top of the tower of Luxal Golan next to your brother. As both of you look up from Leo's crystal ball to the horizon and watch the Australian Navy bear down upon you. Just logistically as a little PSA from your dungeon master, I'm gonna put some things in perspective for you right now.
Speaker 0 00:03:39 Oh good. What I really need right now is perspective.
Speaker 1 00:03:43 You have with you on this island, the entirety of your party, minus the captain, the teen squad, the higher event. And however many pirates are still left on the ship. And that is it. You have one ship and some change worth of people, and there are dozens of fully armed Australian warships coming straight at you Are Fucked. What are you doing, buddy?
Speaker 0 00:04:22 Trying not to have a panic attack. Thank you for asking
Speaker 1 00:04:26 Next to you. Leo appears to be in the same boat, pun intended. He watches this fleet of ships move closer and sucks in a breath through his teeth.
Speaker 2 00:04:39 Fuck.
Speaker 0 00:04:40 Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Speaker 1 00:04:41 Fuck. Okay. He reaches down and zaps his knife out of his Bracer and you see the blade of it. Start to glow. As he casts a spell,
Speaker 0 00:04:52 What are you doing?
Speaker 1 00:04:53 Shut up. The blade of his knife keeps glowing for a couple seconds and he shuts his eyes, tilts his head to the side as if he's listening to something and then straightens up and looks back at you. Okay? The captain is almost back with our backup, but we need time. They cannot land on the shores of this island fee. It'll be a massacre if they do, we need to hold them off. Somehow isn't the ocean and the wind and shit. All kind of your domain.
Speaker 0 00:05:27 Uh, I mean, yes, but I'm all the way up here if you hadn't noticed.
Speaker 1 00:05:33 Okay. And they're a little more than a mile off. So what could you do if we get you down to the beach?
Speaker 0 00:05:39 Uh, not much. Once they got closer, I could probably take down a few with boats. I could slow down a couple more. I, I, I don't think I have enough firepower to deal with this. I don't, I don't.
Speaker 1 00:05:55 Yeah. Me either.
Speaker 0 00:05:58 Oh, we're fucked. Oh, <laugh> we're fucked.
Speaker 1 00:06:03 We are. If we think like that, there has to be something we can do.
Speaker 0 00:06:08 <laugh> like what? Pick a God and pray.
Speaker 1 00:06:13 Leo's been turning his crystal ball back and forth between his hands frantically, but then pauses and slowly turns over to look at you. Pick a God and pray
Speaker 0 00:06:27 Leo. I hate it. When you repeat the things that I have just said back to me as if they are grand epiphanies,
Speaker 1 00:06:33 Then fucking stop saying things that give me grand epiphanies. Remember in the courtroom, back in V we did the thing. I was praying for any sort of way out. And then I grabbed your Cape and then Kimberly Kiva showed up and Zed us out of there. What if we try it again? He reaches the hand that is holding his knife out towards you and nods down at where your Cape is fluttering in the wind. You pick a God, I'll pray. I'm a priest. It's kind of what I do. And even if it doesn't work, it's worth a shot. Trust me.
Speaker 0 00:07:17 I do
Speaker 1 00:07:18 So fee what I'm presenting to you here is an opportunity for you, not a cleric to use Leo's divine intervention ability from his cleric step block, much in the way you did back in the courtroom in VUL dura. When your powers combined to suck you into the celestial Demi plane, where you found out everything about Kim role and Kiva and a Lander and justice, your powers and your brother's powers are now able to merge. And what that means is that you can role for divine intervention. So you can roll a percentile dice against your total character level, which right now is a 15. And if you make it, Kiva's gonna do something, you can also use your re rolls from the gift of the storm bringer, to try to do it again. If you don't get it on your first or second or third shot, but if you choose to do that, those re-roll will be gone for the day. Is this an option you would like to take, or would you like to try to find an alternative
Speaker 0 00:08:37 Fee, trusts her brother? She's gonna do it.
Speaker 1 00:08:42 Your hand wraps around Leo's where it is still clutching at the hilt of his knife. And he reaches down with his free hand to grab the hem of your Cape and wraps it around both of your, your arms. He starts to pray for all he is worth in Kimra light priest's tongue, which is, well, now I feel like I can say it's mechanically. Do you speak?
Speaker 0 00:09:11 Uh, I do not. I made the conscious choice not to give fi that language.
Speaker 1 00:09:16 Okay. So the words coming out of Leo's mouth are incomprehensible to you, but sound very ceremonial and professional. You don't know that he is just frantically saying, please do something. Holy fuck. Please do something over and over again. Your first role on this divine intervention is technically a free one. So go ahead and roll me a percentile D
Speaker 0 00:09:44 Okay. First 1 52.
Speaker 1 00:09:49 Okay. You have all three of your re rolls. Would you like to use one?
Speaker 0 00:09:54 Yes, I would. 57.
Speaker 1 00:09:59 Okay. You have two more re rolls. Would you like to use another one?
Speaker 0 00:10:03 Yeah, I would 14.
Speaker 4 00:10:10 <laugh>
Speaker 5 00:10:16 How, how did you get the luck to be this good at fucking D and D
Speaker 0 00:10:22 <laugh> I'm exquisite?
Speaker 5 00:10:28 Uh, yeah, I had
Speaker 1 00:10:29 Had a whole side quest planned for
Speaker 5 00:10:32 This, but
Speaker 1 00:10:34 Sure. You are standing there with your hand, clenched around your brothers as he is just fervently praying, and you feel a familiar sensation under your skin. It is the moment after you've been shuffling across a carpeted floor. And you're just about to touch a doorknob, that feeling of static electricity that you get just before it shocks you, It's the way you feel before you cast a spell. But in this moment, it is bigger and stronger than you have ever experienced. It's more than your body can handle you stagger forward, still clinging to your brother's hand. And your free hand comes down to grip at the metal railing of this long defunct lighthouse. And that static electricity sparks off There is a brief flash of light and an electric feeling that shoots through your entire body. And then that spark coalesces into a plasma like ball of electricity and shoots up into the sky. There's a scattering of clouds, overhead that suddenly get much thicker and that like grows and pulses. And then A massive bolt of lightning shoots down into the sea. The light is blinding. It whites out your vision for a second. And when you can see again and press an unprecedented weather event in Australia is happening
Speaker 1 00:12:37 Because overhead directly above this tower, Swirling in hurricane force winds, the clouds are intermingled with the soft Aurora like lights of keep ass mantle For a second. It's just the lights, But then there's the lightning. And then there's the thunder. And then there is the brutal torrential rain. Hoal rain that pours down out of the sky. You and Leo are both soaked to the bone in a matter of seconds, But more importantly, the Australian Navy looks like they are not dealing with this sudden development very well at all. Leo snaps his head over to look at you, eyebrows creeping very high on his forehead. Okay? Well that was a thing. Um, is this thing gonna help the folks that we have coming to give us assistance?
Speaker 0 00:13:45 The captain knows how to sail through a storm like this father doesn't
Speaker 1 00:13:51 You know what? I'll take it. We've gotta warn the others. Go, go.
Speaker 0 00:13:56 Yeah, he's going, he's running
Speaker 1 00:14:01 You head full tilt down this spiral staircase towards the bottom of the lighthouse. Leo is following you about halfway down. You see Sid kind of dart out of a room and start following both of you yelling what the fuck is happening.
Speaker 0 00:14:21 Congratulations, your holiness. The Australian Navy is beating down your door.
Speaker 1 00:14:26 Oh, son of a bitch
Speaker 0 00:14:29 Language.
Speaker 1 00:14:30 Do you see Sabine around here? No, I'll say whatever the fuck I want. And he starts following the two of you down the stairs. The three of you tripping over each other land on the bottom floor of the tower. And while you and Sid are both making a B line for the door, Leo stops at the bottom of the stairs and puts both hands up. Hold on. I need two seconds.
Speaker 0 00:14:55 That might be all you have. But go ahead.
Speaker 1 00:14:59 He dives off to the right through a big set of double doors that swing open to a gorgeous chapel, polished wood pews, soaring ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows. He runs up right in front of the altar. Brandishes his knife and a big tesselation of arcane ruins appears on the floor. He looks up at you and Sid down at the cliffs and nods, briskly word of recall, spell fathers coming after that thing out there, we might need to get back up here in hurry. I might not be able to cast a teleport spell, but I can get a couple people to a pre designated space sacred to Kimer. We're good. Let's go.
Speaker 0 00:15:53 Yeah. Fee looks at where Leo has cast this word of recall nods and then bolts out the front door of the tower.
Speaker 1 00:16:03 As you move away from your brother, a couple things happen, first of all, take a pallet and level up.
Speaker 0 00:16:12 Okay, cool. Uh, that puts me at pallet and level four instead of a sta increase. I am opting to take the shield master feet, which means that as someone who uses a shield habitually, if I take the attack action on a turn, I can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature with my shield. If I am not incapacitated, I can add my shields AC, which is plus three for the type of shield to any deck, save against the spell or some other harmful effect that only targets me. So not area of effect, but something that targets me that I make a save against. And if I am subjected to an effect that allows me to make a deck, save to take half damage, then I basically have evasion with my reaction. I could just choose to take no damage.
Speaker 1 00:16:59 So what you're telling me is that mechanically for AAL sign has been divinely ordained to no longer take her father's bullshit.
Speaker 0 00:17:09 <laugh> yeah, pretty much
Speaker 1 00:17:13 Amazing. Incredible good for her. And also you get another perk. As you move away from Leo towards the front doors of this tower, you feel that same static, electricity building up in your body. It catches in your chest and then spreads out across the scale mail of your Cape. And the gift of the storm bringer has now achieved its final level up. So you now have an additional ability once per day, you get one use of something called legendary resistance. And essentially what that does is it lets you say, if I failed that saving throw, no I didn't. Once per day you have the option to succeed on a saving throw that you failed
Speaker 0 00:18:10 That
Speaker 1 00:18:10 Rules.
Speaker 0 00:18:11 All right, <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:18:13 It doesn't fact rule. Let's get the fuck outta here.
Speaker 0 00:18:19 Leo, as your sister bolts out of this tower, presumably with you on her heels, Kim's blade glows and shimmers in your hand. And the hilt gets very warm, not uncomfortably. So, but warm, like you're holding onto something alive for a moment as it receives its final level up. And you have access to a little thing that I'm calling legendary on resistance, which essentially means that if you cast a spell that has a save against it, and one of the targets of your spell succeeds on the save, you can decide that in fact, they did not do that once a day.
Speaker 1 00:19:09 Okay. Very fun. Um, I'm following fee and Sid out of the tower, headed back towards the beach where the magnificent mansion is
Speaker 0 00:19:19 The three of you hurry down the island to the beach. The door of the magnificent mansion is hanging open. As your party are congregated on the beach, they are all sort of talking amongst themselves. You see ESA up on our tip toes with a hand braced on's arm, trying to like crane her neck so she can see the ships approaching better. You see Verity rubbing Rav's back as he rings his hands standing there, you see Sabine and a Donna and you think Celica based on the body language, all talking amongst themselves and you see Mia standing apart from the group, looking out at the horizon at these ships and slowly filing one of their nails,
Speaker 1 00:20:11 Leo shove past fee and Sid, and just charges into the middle of this group. Okay, great. We've all seen what's going on right now, Australia Navy here. Presently. We need to figure out what to do about it. Um, Sabine, you're the smartest person here. Mia, you have military experience. Let's figure out what's going on.
Speaker 0 00:20:38 M slips, a nail file into a concealed pocket. And Sabine turns from her discussion with a Donna and Celica nodding as Mia Saunders over and from behind Seine. Your mother says, um, excuse me, young, man. She steps around Seine holding one finger up in case you've forgotten. I know your father better than anyone here. Hell I know him better than he knows himself. And despite my difficulties, I am a decorated veteran of the VUL dura in war with over 50 years of experience as a military strategist, I'll be involving myself in this conversation.
Speaker 1 00:21:23 Yeah, no you're right. Okay. So mom, Mia, Sabine, we need your strategic input in all of this and Zed. I need you to hold my hand right now.
Speaker 0 00:21:36 Zed gives you a very casual two finger salute and says on boss. And then he is gonna grab your hand as Sabine a Donna and Mia, all huddle into a circle around you.
Speaker 1 00:21:52 Okay? Fee did a big, impressive, magical thing, which will keep the Navy at bay for a while. We think the captain is close. I couldn't get too much detail over ascending spell, but he's on his way. We need to figure out what we're gonna do. If the Navy makes it onto the island before our backup does
Speaker 0 00:22:19 Sabine takes a deep breath, says, uh, I could move the mansion further up the island. If we thought that would help put some distance between us and the shore, at least. And I can close the portal. Anytime I like
Speaker 1 00:22:34 For 24 hours though,
Speaker 0 00:22:38 It would be risky to step out and re-up it. But if I can keep doing that, then theoretically, we could stay in there indefinitely.
Speaker 1 00:22:49 No, no that's not a solution hiding indefinitely. Isn't an answer fee.
Speaker 0 00:22:58 The looks out towards the approaching ships and shakes her head. No, no, I, I don't think we'll be safe if we do that forever. And more importantly, I would hate to see what happens to the world. If we just hide too many people are counting on us to do the right thing, the brave thing.
Speaker 1 00:23:29 And we both know what our father's coming for the whole in the floor. The thing at the bottom of the tower, we have to stop him from getting there. I think
Speaker 0 00:23:42 Across this circle, Mia shakes their head and says, well, those are some pretty words, darlings, but all of the pretty words in the world, ain't gonna help anybody. When your daddy comes and busts down the door of that tower and pulls out enough magic to level a continent, just cuz he wants it. So what the hell are we doing about that?
Speaker 1 00:24:08 What we have to do now is keep that fleet from docking off the shores of the island. Because if they do we're all dead, It doesn't matter how talented anyone here is. It's a numbers game we're looking at <laugh> 10 to one. At least We don't know how long that storm is gonna hold back. The Navy. We don't know how soon the captain will be back. What we know is either we stop this here. Leo turns around over his shoulder and nods back up towards the tower or we accept that this is the hill that we die on.
Speaker 0 00:24:54 The other people in this group surrounding you all nod grimly. A Donna says, there's nothing we can do. That's going to make him turn around. So it seems to me that the best course of action is we hold 'em off. As long as we can. We wait for reinforcement to show up, we try and get the Navy pinched between two arms, as much as we can. You can. She smiles tightly and you see every second of her battle experience on her face. And then we sink every single one of those ships, Mia on your other side, GRS, Slow and sharp and full of malice. Well, darling, if you want me to pull out the big guns I can, but I'm sort of an ACE in the hole, not a party trick And the smile drops and they just look at you and say, if you want me to do this things are gonna get nasty fast.
Speaker 1 00:26:01 Well, I don't think anybody here would so much as shed a tear over the idea of something, getting nasty for my father. You go find somewhere to post up and wait for ascending. If we need you, I'll let you know. I think the rest of us should fall back to the tower.
Speaker 0 00:26:21 Mia inclines their head at you, eyes flashing dangerously. I'll be waiting on your word sugar. And then they spin on their heel and start heading up the road to the lighthouse. As they start to walk away, Sabine just kind of put the finger up and goes, uh, not that I'm doubting me as capabilities, but I've seen them fight. What are they gonna do? Jump in the ocean and just swim over there with a dagger between the teeth.
Speaker 1 00:26:55 Um, no,
Speaker 0 00:26:58 M is like a few steps away at this point and you watch their shoulders tens. And then they spin around and to the group at large yell. I'm a 75,000 year old dragon from the moon. Bye. And then they bolt <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:27:14 Leo takes a moment to just fully put his head in his hands. Okay. Let's just everybody up to the tower. We need the high ground so we can have a good vantage point to see what's coming.
Speaker 0 00:27:26 Everybody stands there in stunned silence for just a moment and then Sabine nods and goes, okay. And then she dispels the magnificent mansion. And from the space where the portal into it was all of the priests that you took captive spill out onto the beach at once. <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:27:50 They're all still like tied up, right?
Speaker 0 00:27:54 Yep. They're all still tied up. They just get spat out through where this portal used to be like a bunch of checks. Mix.
Speaker 1 00:28:04 Leo looks up from his hands to raise an eyebrow at them. Sorry about the weather boys. You can lodge any complaints with the lady with the shield over there.
Speaker 0 00:28:14 The raises her eyebrows at all of these priests and crosses her arms over her chest. Oh, I'm not taking complaints. I'll do it again.
Speaker 1 00:28:24 Leo just goes over and grabs Z's hand and walks away.
Speaker 0 00:28:29 Zed reaches awkwardly over himself to pat you on the head with his free hand as you're walking and just goes, uh, I feel like if I ask if you're alright, I'm gonna get punched.
Speaker 1 00:28:42 Oh no, honey, what are you talking about? I'm fine. My father's just right off the shore of the island, bringing the entirety of his military might to bear in an effort to kill us all and retake soul power over the giant hole full of dead people under the tower and plunged area back into 10,000 more years of darkness and deceit. I feel so normal.
Speaker 0 00:29:05 Yeah. Yeah. Well, uh, I mean if the worst case scenario happens, we're dead and it's not our problem.
Speaker 1 00:29:13 Zed. I love you more than anything. What kind of fucked up bizarro world are we living in where you are? The one painting doom and gloom and violent death as a silver lining and not me?
Speaker 0 00:29:29 Well, on the one hand, I'm proud of you for not bringing it up on the other. Yeah. There are gonna be global consequences, but like, oh, we gotta worry about is not dying. And uh, according to your mom, unless something unfortunate happened in the chapel the other night, we got a 90% chance of that.
Speaker 1 00:29:48 Unless something unfortunate. Oh fuck. We sure didn't. Yeah, because I don't have enough to be anxious about right now, Zed.
Speaker 0 00:29:57 You know what? Yeah, that's fair. I regret saying it. Let's let's go
Speaker 1 00:30:05 Fee you and your party head up this hill through the driving rain and frigid winds back to the tower. Leo and Zed are walking right next to you and Sabine. I'm gonna have to roll something for Leo real quick as you walk in. Oh God. Um, that was a 14. That just barely doesn't do it. Leo goes rigid next to you and wrenches his hand out of Zs. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, not now. He takes one struggling step towards the hole in the floor. Looking like he is fighting against his own body.
Speaker 0 00:30:51 I would like to roll a grappl check.
Speaker 1 00:30:54 Okay. Roll athletics
Speaker 0 00:30:58 18.
Speaker 1 00:30:59 Okay. I'm gonna roll acrobatics for Leo. Well, that was a three. So with his modifier, that's an eight. You absolutely rush up behind him. Brace an arm across his chest. You can feel Leo fighting against you still trying to walk towards this hole. But the whole time he is saying no, no, no, I don't want to, I don't want this. I don't want this
Speaker 0 00:31:27 Fee has still just like got him locked there. Um, I think she turns over N yells F do you wanna help me out here?
Speaker 1 00:31:36 F doesn't have a super accurate idea of what's going on, but he leaps into action. Nonetheless, hoist Leo under one arm, like a fucking football and very effectively keeps him from moving any closer to the ghost hole. Z's freaking out a little bit. He gets in between Leo and the hole and the floor and kind of crouches down to get on his level where he is clutched under F's arm. Hey, Hey Leo, look at me. You said it yourself. It doesn't get to have you. Okay.
Speaker 0 00:32:11 He gives Finn a weighted look and just like nods up the stairs.
Speaker 1 00:32:17 F schleps your brother up this spiral staircase. I don't think anybody tells him to stop much less where to stop. So he just heads all the way up to the Lanter room. Takes one step into this big circular hall, full of skulls and goes, huh? You know, I'm starting to see how our religion comes off as weird to other people now,
Speaker 0 00:32:43 Really? I don't see it. And then she's gonna lean around to look at Leo and go, okay, are you gonna walk all the way down the stairs and into the pit? Or are we good
Speaker 1 00:32:55 Now that you have gotten some distance from the ghost hole? Leo is just kind of hanging limply under F's arm. No, Nope. I'm good. Uh, if you wouldn't mind releasing me, you visibly see fend, consider just dropping him for a second, but then he decides to be nice and puts Leo down much more gently. Leo walks back out onto the balcony around the lantern room with Zed hot on his heels. What are you doing?
Speaker 0 00:33:30 I'm looking at Finn and exaggerating mouthing. Thank you. And giving him a thumbs up.
Speaker 1 00:33:37 Finn gives you a dubious look and a thumbs up back, but then turns around and heads out of the lantern room. Back down the stairs. He's not equipped to deal with this shit right now. The tower being a big stone cylinder has pretty good acoustics. You could hear the sound of a heated argument echoing from the very bottom floor. Even from all the way up here, Sabine is saying, look, the magnificent mansion spell is invisible from the outside. And we need somewhere to put you to keep you safe. It is too dangerous. And then you hear you snap back. You're outta your fucking mind. If you think I'm gonna hide like some scared those little girl pop, my brother is out there Sabine. The captain needs his first mate. And I can fight. You hear the clamor of pretty much all of the teen squad shouting over each other at Sabine in protest, you hear glasses saying something about how keeping the only ammunition specialist on this island tucked away in an extra plainer pocket.
Speaker 1 00:34:47 Doesn't exactly help win a battle. You hear sunshine saying something about how you're going to need all the healers you can get. And then you hear stomping footsteps coming up the stairs and Laura Eli's voice echoing. No, no. I am done being protected. I am done hiding when it doesn't help anybody. It's never helped you or the captain. It's never helped fee or Leo. And it certainly didn't help my brother. This is my fight too. Several seconds later, you see Laura, I emerge up the stairs into the lantern room. She barely pays any mind to all of these skulls and requi and grave goods. And you just storm straight past you out the open door, onto the balcony. After Leo,
Speaker 0 00:35:46 She takes a deep breath, nods to herself, and then she's gonna head out on the balcony too.
Speaker 1 00:35:53 You head out the store, back into the rain and the wind and the inclement weather and the Australian Navy is much, much closer. Now you do not need Leo to cast a clear Voyant spell to see the detail of these ships. They are coming for you as fast as they can struggling against the storm, but getting uncomfortably close, your brother has one hand white knuckled around the railing of this balcony. And the other reached up to wrap around Laurel I's shoulders as she comes to stand next to him. And he is just staring at these approaching ships
Speaker 0 00:36:37 Fee studies herself keeps one hand on the little knob to the door that leads out to the balcony and says, okay, I know we said Mio was the last ditch option, but I think now might be the time
Speaker 1 00:36:53 Leo is visibly shaking. You can't tell if it's from the cold or from his close encounter with the hole on the floor, but his jaw sets are very hard and he doesn't look at you. Not yet,
Speaker 0 00:37:08 Leo. I really think
Speaker 1 00:37:11 The ships are getting closer. You can see the detail of the Australian Royal crest on their flags. Leo still does not look at you. Not yet. Leo, not yet. The shifting purple and blue and green lights of Kiva's mantle, keep rippling across the sky. And then you hear something odd Feet, you know, storms, you know, the space between the flash of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And this is not a thunder clap, even though it sounds like one. And as you watch the Australian Naval flagship come within a quarter of a mile of the docks at Lux to Golan, you hear, And a cannon ball comes out of nowhere and completely takes the figurehead off the bow of the I Around the edge of a small spit of land. That is your view of the ocean beyond you see the familiar silhouette of the ban Chi expertly riding the wind currents of this storm, whip around and start gunning it for the Australian Navy. Woo
Speaker 0 00:38:54 That's my man. She leans out over the railing, just laughing. <laugh> told you he could sail through it.
Speaker 1 00:39:05 Leo also breaks out into an open mouth awestruck smile. Holy shit. With how close this Naval combat is to the shore. You can see the wind rippling at the sales of the ban and the shifting lights of Kiva's mantle. Reflecting off a shock of violently orange hair of the person behind the helm. The captain, like I don't know the exact verbiage for how U Tokyo drift a ship,
Speaker 1 00:39:46 But he does that right up alongside the Ileana and the cannons just start roaring artillery slamming into the hall. And then something even Wilder happens around this same spit of land that you just saw. The ban she emerge from the entire collected might of the pirate fleet of the Zeph Isles comes to back up their captain. And then behind them comes a fleet of massive steel, gray VUL, and steam ships, bellowing coal, black smoke into the sky. And then behind them comes a fleet of huge well armed Torian Gallions. And then behind them comes a modest, but formidable trio of O sky and long ships fee. You have done what you set out to do. You have bought your people enough time.
Speaker 0 00:41:02 Fuck. Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:41:04 Fuck. Yeah, indeed. This Naval battle is now pretty evenly matched. If we're looking at number of ships versus number of ships. But the thing about pirates is that they know how to take down Naval ships. You watch the Australian Navy start to take an absolute beating from this collected pirate fleet. You hear cheers from downstairs as most of your party appear to have exited the tower and look out to watch what's happening down in the water, but in between you and Leo, you feel Laura lies, hand, reach down and close, really tight around your own. She looks up at you eyes big behind her glasses with dark circles under them. Which boat is your dad on
Speaker 0 00:42:03 Fe gives her kind of a confused look and then points out at the, which has just gotten the figurehead knocked off of it. The flagship, I would assume
Speaker 1 00:42:16 Laura lies' posture goes very stiff and she lets go of your hand. Her other hand reaches down into the pocket of her dress and pulls out her wand with a white knuckled grip around it. Thanks for the tip. And then she casts teleport
Speaker 0 00:42:37 Laura like,
Speaker 1 00:42:39 Oh, she's gone. There is the ripple in reality that you have seen around a lot of Laura lies magic in the time you've known her and she disappears before you can do anything to stop her. I'm going to roll on the teleport table for her. The ban. She is a very familiar location to her and also she can see it. She's shooting for the crow's nest. So because it's a familiar location, she has a 75% chance of landing directly on target. I'm gonna roll a percentile dice, 87 baby. She lands squarely in the middle of the crow's nest. You and Leo, watch Laura. I disappear from in between you and then see a distant flash of light and ripple in reality in the crow's nest of the bane. And she's up there
Speaker 0 00:43:37 Fi looks at Leo and says, now, now tell me, I go, now
Speaker 1 00:43:43 Leo's face shifts from victorious to panicked in a second flat cut damnit Laura light. And he zaps his knife out of its Bracer and fires off ascending spell.
Speaker 0 00:43:58 And we cut to the deck of the IA, where there is a flurry of activity. Morlin Val sign is standing in full MAs armor, ready for battle by his side is Aasha. Decar also in major's armor, also ready and behind him stands Reese Tomer, his bodyguard slowly sharpening an ax and we see them all look up at the sound of a great beating of wings From the island of looks to Galen rises a massive gargantuan copper dragon. The light of Kiva's mantle dancing over their scales, their eyes big and luminous their wings beating furiously, kicking up a windstorm of their own. This dragon rises into the sky, looks at the Australian Navy and SWOS, a jet of acid coming out of their mouth and dissolving the front of three ships in one go,
Speaker 1 00:45:16 Marlon looks at the dragon and then looks at a Laha and then looks back at the dragon Is I'm sorry, is that a fucking dragon? Where the hell did they get that?
Speaker 0 00:45:32 Aasha also staring at this dragon snaps. Is that really the question to be asking right now
Speaker 1 00:45:40 As the dragon continues to swoop and I would assume start sinking ships and this Naval battle rages on around them. Morlin kind of checks out for a second. He looks out over the railing of this big Australian flagship with kind of a thousand yard stare. This is a weird day
Speaker 0 00:46:03 Aasha looks over Morland uh, looks over Marlin's shoulder eyes going wide and says, oh, it's about to get weirder,
Speaker 1 00:46:13 Darling. You know, I don't do well with cryptic threats. He turns around to look at where a Laha is looking and his eyes also go wide. Oh, what the hell is that?
Speaker 0 00:46:28 Ilaha sounding too stunned to be afraid says that's Laura Eli Sharan
Speaker 1 00:46:39 Over on the benchy Laura Eli Sharan appears out of a ripple in reality, stepping through the ether with her eyes fixed on the Ileana. It's a hectic situation right now. The captain is too busy trying to steer the ship around, to look up and see her there. The crew are too busy, Manning the cannons and getting ready to board the ship to look up and notice her. But the pirate Pelican who has been keeping a lookout up in this crow's nest snaps his head around to look over at her as does the bird on his shoulder. Young lady. Exactly. What do you think you are doing here? Laura? I elbows passed him, tightens her grip around her wand and reaches out to level it at the whole of the IANA. I'm making my brother proud The wrath of how Chiron condenses into one brilliant point of light that pulses and glows and intensifies and Laura like casts disintegrate at eighth level Eight, 10, a 10 foot square portion of the Ileana disappears. And the ship starts to sink
Speaker 0 00:48:17 Back on the I Aasha grabs Reese throws an arm around Marlin and casts teleport. She can see the nearest Asur ship. She has a 75% chance of making it 67. She teleports them off of the ship just as with a horrible cur
Speaker 0 00:48:38 Of wood collapsing in on itself. The, I starts to sink me the waves. So Leo, you and Fe and Zed are still standing at the top of the tower on sterol, the rest of your party outside yelling, you watch the gargantuan copper dragon. That is your friend doin Sandis swoop on the Australian Navy breathing acid and beating their wings furiously as Laura. I teleports you see, after a moment, a fucking laser shoot from the crow's nest to the ban to hit the IANA and then it just fucking sinks. There's another pause. And you see sailors on a different ship. Start to float into the air. You see another ship sailors just pour off of it. Like they've been fucking scattered, like billiard balls, wild shit is happening. Like even Mia pauses for a second.
Speaker 1 00:49:47 Leo puts both hands in the air and cheers.
Speaker 0 00:49:50 <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:49:51 That's my girl. Um, we are gonna have to roll on the wild magic surge table for Laura. I, or rather roll to see if she has to roll on that because she cast four spells. So one, Uh, that's a natural two, but it's not a natural one. So she's good on the first one, but she does surge on a two now second one, natural four. So she's good. But she surges on a three now. Third one, natural eight. So she's good. But she surges on a four now. Fourth one Natural one. So she's gonna have to roll on the wild magic surge as she casts this last spell. This could go either very good or very bad for us.
Speaker 1 00:50:46 Ah, okay. Leo and fi can't see this happening at the distance there at, so we cut briefly back to the crow's nest of the bane, where Laurel I is going full Rambo on the Australian Navy. She casts this last spell and then winds up to do another one. And there is that surge of charismatic, wild magic around her that we have seen before. And as she opens her mouth to let out the verbal components of a spell, no sound comes out, but a tide of fluorescent pink bubbles do she looks at the bubbles floating away and goes to yell. Fuck, but then more bubbles come out. Pelican. Who's been standing next to her this whole time looks over at her in concern, the bird reaches up to pop one of the bubbles with its beak and then goes, oh dear. And we're back at the tower.
Speaker 0 00:51:45 Yeah, Leo doesn't see any of that, but you've seen all this destruction, rain down. You are continuing to see Mia sweep down over the Navy. You are continuing to see a Naval battle rage on what are you doing?
Speaker 1 00:52:01 Yelling, jumping up and down, pumping my fist, like a football hole. Again, this continues for a minute or so, but eventually he adopts a more dignified composure and looks over at fee. All right, well, we've got some actual military bargaining power. Now I don't know about you, but in father's pocket or not, I don't feel great about the idea of the wholesale slaughter of people that are our people. Should I try to call it off
Speaker 0 00:52:37 Fee also trying to compose herself from yelling dust off her skirt and says, I mean, we know what father wants. We're not going to give it to him. So I, I don't think we're exactly in a position to bargain on either side.
Speaker 1 00:52:56 Maybe not strategically, but I know the old man, there's no time that he's more willing to make concessions than when his ego's bruised. And he just got his flagship sunk by a teenager.
Speaker 0 00:53:09 It's worth a shot. I guess
Speaker 1 00:53:15 There's gonna be bloodshed here no matter what, but I think it's my due diligence to make sure that there's as little of it as possible. That's how an Archduke supposed to act. Right? I'm gonna try, give me a minute. Leo's gonna turn around and walk back inside the lantern room. Can I count the time we've been hanging out here as a short rest so I can shift up my proficiencies through my rogue feature?
Speaker 0 00:53:43 Yeah, sure.
Speaker 1 00:53:45 Cool. I would like to take proficiency and deception please.
Speaker 0 00:53:49 You feel that familiar bolt of pain up your spine, your breath catches in your chest. You close your eyes. I think without meaning to. And when you open them again, your uncle valor is standing on the other side of the lantern room.
Speaker 1 00:54:04 Leo walks over to him raising an eyebrow. So, uh, that thing in my dreams, that was pretty fucked up, huh?
Speaker 0 00:54:13 Valin just Grimes at you and kind of spreads his hands. And uh, I do what I can type of gesture.
Speaker 1 00:54:22 There's a lot that I want out of all of this. I want justice for you. I want to stop. Whatever's going on in that hole. I want to fix 10,000 years of our family's mistakes. I don't want the blood of a civil war on my hands. What do I even say to him? I remember from back in V the only reason he was able to talk to me that one time is that I cast a message can trip at him and I had to roll or take psychic damage. Can I do that again?
Speaker 0 00:54:58 Uh, yeah, go ahead. That the was safe. You take two psychic damage. All right. The dice are with you today.
Speaker 1 00:55:13 Leo flinch is under that two damage against his max of one 40 and kind of just glares down at the floor under his feet where the ghost hole is ow, fuck you.
Speaker 0 00:55:24 And you are faced with that same torrent of voices, just roaring every soul in that pitch, shouting at you at once. Roll religion, to hear your uncle Val
Speaker 1 00:55:37 10,
Speaker 0 00:55:39 I think he's kind patchy, kind of in and out like bad cell reception.
Speaker 8 00:55:46 <laugh>
Speaker 9 00:55:48 You embarrassed him and you surprised him. Tell him you'll do it again.
Speaker 1 00:55:57 Leo smirks and TWIs his knife around his finger by the hilt. I like the way you think. I'm sorry that you didn't get to live to be my uncle. We would've made a good team.
Speaker 0 00:56:10 Valor's ghost wearing the pajamas that he died in with a big blood stain across his chest. Looking tired gives you a tight bitter little smile, nods and disappears.
Speaker 1 00:56:28 I'm gonna use my last spell slot to cast ascending to Morlin. I do have all my fourth and fifth levels though. So if I need to do it again, I still can. Leo tightens his grip on his knife. The blade starts to glow and he sends the following message. Clearly, this wasn't as easy as you thought it would be. You don't know what else I have up my sleeve. We should discuss terms.
Speaker 0 00:56:55 There is a long pause and then see thing your father sends back name a time and a place darling,
Speaker 1 00:57:07 Leo clenches his jaw so hard that his teeth creak, but then uses a fourth level spells thought to fire off another. Sending the docs, Don cease fire until after we've talked, I won't be alone. So feel free to bring your own backup. Let's settle this like men.
Speaker 0 00:57:30 You wait a while. There is no response.
Speaker 1 00:57:35 And he always said, I through temper tantrums, fucking petty power place, like a toddler son of a Leo uses another fourth level, spell slot and fires off ascending to the captain. Hold your fire. Bring the fleet to shore. My father and I are talking tomorrow. We'll make plans once you're back.
Speaker 0 00:57:55 The captain sends back. Hi, see you soon.
Speaker 1 00:58:00 Okay. He's gonna walk back out onto the balcony with fee and Z. Looking out towards the Naval combat we've gotten till tomorrow morning. Let's start planning
Speaker 0 00:58:13 As you and fi and Z make your way down the tower to join your companions. And all of you walk down to the docks of looks to go. You watch these combined pirate fleets form a circle around the island, just slowly sailing the perimeter and the Australian Navy sits at a standstill. As you get down to the docks, several boats pull up and people start to disembark. You recognize the other pirate monarchs as well as the captain. Of course, the familiar members of the crew, and two very large silhouettes of a seven and a half foot tall Goliath woman, completely bald holding a staff
Speaker 2 00:59:13 <laugh>
Speaker 0 00:59:15 And a large fluffy fear bulb riding on a giant rabbit disembarking from one of the sky and ships.
Speaker 2 00:59:25 <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:59:27 Leo starts excitedly smacking fee on the arm and just pointing
Speaker 0 00:59:32 Fee is smacking you back. Your entire party is looking at you funny because none of the rest of them recognize this one, inva,
Speaker 1 00:59:40 Okay, are they on ships or are they in like rowboats?
Speaker 0 00:59:44 They are disembarking from one of the O sky and long boats. You watch KA clan missed foot. She who wrote the snapping turtle. Also disembark from this long boat
Speaker 1 00:59:54 Running, running, Leo is running and just jumping into this one's arms. Scooby do style,
Speaker 0 01:00:03 You and fi both bold across the docks. Dis spun. The fear bog jumps off of the back of the giant battle. Rabbit cuddles, yelling babies,
Speaker 1 01:00:14 Leo just hugs them super tight and bears his face in their fur. I missed you so much. You're soap saved my life.
Speaker 0 01:00:23 This one pats you on the top of the head with their great furry hand. Ah, this one sees this baby's skin looks very good. Meanwhile, next to you, Elva has grabbed fee and lifted her fully off the ground. Just S smushed in her chest.
Speaker 1 01:00:43 I feel stupid that I'm tearing up right now.
Speaker 2 01:00:45 <laugh>
Speaker 1 01:00:47 What are you too, even doing here? Oh my God. Who's watching your cat.
Speaker 0 01:00:51 These ones, brother babysits.
Speaker 1 01:00:54 So true. We have so much to catch up on. We got kidnapped by pirates fees dating one of them. Now my father's about to try to kill all of us.
Speaker 0 01:01:03 Yo, gently sets feedback on her feet on the docks and then says Vina. We come for glorious battle.
Speaker 1 01:01:12 Yeah, you sure did. Leo climbs out of this one's arms make lead. Okay. So all of the pirate monarchs are also here, right? Is anybody else here that I recognize
Speaker 0 01:01:26 You watch all of the officers of the crew disembark from the ban after the captain and behind them, you see Lauralie scraping what looks like soap off of her tongue with her hands and next to her, you see your cousin LA Val sign yelling. It was so cool. You were like BA BA. And they were like, ha
Speaker 1 01:01:52 Leo puts a hand up to high five floor Elias. She passes and then gives Lark a little upwards. Nods
Speaker 2 01:02:00 Ups,
Speaker 0 01:02:02 Lark, just bouncing goes. I expected that to be really scary, but it was so cool.
Speaker 1 01:02:07 I'm really happy for you, but I can't match this energy right now. Where's ARA.
Speaker 0 01:02:14 ADRA is rolling down the gang plank behind them. <laugh> muttering to herself and behind her, you see your aunt Nora readjusting her armor with your uncle's Braze and Erin behind her. And from behind you, you hear your mom say, Nora,
Speaker 0 01:02:36 Nora just stops Erin. And Beres both run right into her. She looks down the docks and yells Addie, and she just jumps off the gang plank onto the dock. She's running. You watch her scoop your mom into a big hug. And once Beres hits the docks, he also hus off in a way that you know, is meant to look dignified behind them. You see Florian GVAs and you watch a blur go past you. As Ave runs onto this gang plank, like shoving people out of her way and stopping right in front Florian. She puts her braids back in place, kind of dusts off her jacket and says, just so you know, I didn't miss you that bad Florian Gorins at her, gives her a little kiss on the forehead and then says, yeah, but I know who you did miss. And then he whistles sharply. And from the deck of APIN of the red steam ship, a dire elk stands and shakes his head giant rack of antlers, almost hitting several pirates on the deck and Ave just, you have never seen her like yell before, but she yells
Speaker 2 01:03:55 Pious
Speaker 0 01:03:56 And much like your aunt Nora just did dives off the gang plank runs
Speaker 1 01:04:01 Leo bites, his lip to keep from laughing and then turns back around to look at where fian is still standing on the gang plank. Hey, Flo and long time. No, see got somebody down here. I think you'll wanna say hi to
Speaker 0 01:04:15 Flo and tilts his head at you. As he's walking down the gang plank and goes, uh, what are you talking about?
Speaker 1 01:04:24 Um, where's Sid
Speaker 0 01:04:26 Still standing at the end of the docks. Like your entire party has started to move down, but Sid stands alone dwarfed by his higher offense robes arms folded over his chest.
Speaker 1 01:04:39 Leo just sort of jerks his head towards him.
Speaker 0 01:04:43 There's a beat of silence. And then Flo and runs, SI and Sabine have been very careful to keep physical contact between the two of them as rare as possible. And you get the feeling that that is a dance they've been perfecting for decades. The choreography of which is hard to unlearn. Florian has never been a part of that. He gets to the end of these docs and just absolutely scoops it into his arms. There's a weird moment of cognitive dissonance because in the time that you have known him, he has never seemed like a child to you. Florian scoops him up and he resists for about a second and then just collapses in on himself and just puts his head on Flo in shoulder. And you hear an ugly sob,
Speaker 1 01:05:41 A first fee. Can I talk to Fe right now?
Speaker 0 01:05:46 You could try, but Fe has walked away and she and the captain and Sabine are like passionately making out.
Speaker 1 01:05:54 Yeah. Cool. Not interrupting that. Who's around me.
Speaker 0 01:05:58 This Boniva mostly, but Zed is crossing the docks to come up to you Flo and is hugging Sid. Your mom and Nora are chattering back and forth at each other while Beres stands there. Awkwardly you watch a Donna gesture, vaguely at Celica who just goes very stiff, various parts of your party. And all of the pirates are kind of congregating to catch everybody up. You watch Laura, I get hoisted up on used shoulders as glasses and sunshine, and just do like the jock fist pump.
Speaker 1 01:06:33 Leo looks around at all of these people, people who he has helped and have helped him in return people. He considers family and then looks back over. It said and breaks out into a slow, cautious smile. What do you know? I've got more people looking out for me than just you.
Speaker 0 01:06:58 Zed laughs and brings you in for a sweeping victorious kiss as all of your friends and allies stand on the docks of lipstick, Golan, enclosed by the collected forces of all of the pirates in the local sphere of influence basking in this small victory that has prevented the inevitable
Speaker 1 01:07:29 Leo nods at everybody, and then looks over at Sabine. Okay. Open that magnificent mansion back up. We've all got a conversation to have.
Speaker 0 01:07:40 Are you just taking everybody back up to the tower and the magnificent mansion?
Speaker 1 01:07:46 I mean the specifications on the spell say that it's capable of producing a banquet that can feed a hundred people. So if there's less than a hundred people down here, I'm assuming it can hold us all.
Speaker 0 01:07:59 You lead everybody on these docks up to the magnificent mansion, the various crews of the pirate Monarch ships accepting the captain's various officers go and row back into the protective line around the island. I think you get into the magnific St. Mansion and Flo and DVAs just stops in the entry hole. Slowly pushes his sunglasses down. His nose, very deliberately looks around and then says, uh, Sabine. And as spectra young, Saines run around trying to take everybody's jackets. The real Saines says, yeah, Flon goes, can we reopen a conversation about you seeing a therapist?
Speaker 1 01:08:50 It really does do wonder Saab. I mean, I can't really pontificate. I've only ever been to one session, but in that time I've picked up a constructive hobby and yeah, I still have weird ghosts of my past following me around, but that's not entirely my fault.
Speaker 0 01:09:07 Sabine pauses awkwardly, and then says, can I worry about surviving the week before you all pressure me into going into counseling, please?
Speaker 1 01:09:18 Yeah, not a popular opinion to have, but I agree. Let's put everybody's mental health on the back burner until we make sure we're not all going to die. Okay. So I am meeting my father at the docs tomorrow to discuss terms of engagement. We will clearly need to have measures in place if those talks fall through. So all of our pirate friends I assume, will be back on your ships, which brings us to the next point. I have a spell in place inside the tower that will let me and up to five other people teleport up there instantly if things get foggy, I'm sure father will be bringing back up to the tune of aha and Kim knows who else. So I need to figure out who my backup is. Fee obviously,
Speaker 0 01:10:14 Fee nods and says, yeah, obviously. And then she turns to Sabine and says, you and Leo are the best negotiators here. Would you be okay? Sabine sets her jaw and says, yeah, I'd enjoy the opportunity for a face to face with. Aha Derin and then she turns to you and says, if that sounds all right.
Speaker 1 01:10:44 Yeah, yeah. It would be beneficial to have you there for beacon reasons too, in case aha. Decides to try something. Okay. That's two, three more
Speaker 0 01:10:55 Zed raises at hand. I mean I'm fast and I can land a pretty good punch. If we're worried about things getting violent, I'm good to have around.
Speaker 1 01:11:05 You sure are. Um, and honestly, I'm gonna need you for moral support. Okay. That's three. I, uh, hate to bring it up, but F do you think your father's gonna be there
Speaker 0 01:11:20 F Grimes and kind of shuffles awkwardly? Uh, my dad's a lot of things, but he's a good bodyguard. Wherever your father goes, he'll be following.
Speaker 1 01:11:32 Do you think you could reason with him maybe get a few more people over onto our side?
Speaker 0 01:11:40 Honestly, I don't know. I could try if I could get him alone, but he's always been the, uh, for arch duke and country type,
Speaker 1 01:11:50 Even. So just from a political standpoint, having a, to on our side gives us a little bit more legitimacy. I think it's a good idea if you come as long as you're okay with that, not to mention you're, you know, yoed,
Speaker 0 01:12:07 Uh, th thank you. He shakes his head. Yeah. Yeah. I'll I'll come along.
Speaker 1 01:12:16 Okay. One more person.
Speaker 0 01:12:19 Your mom kind of clears her throat and says, obviously I should be the sixth person in this little party. We have more than enough muscle. We have negotiators. I'm the most likely to see it. If something's about to go wrong,
Speaker 1 01:12:36 Leo reacts with sheer panic for a second, but then carefully reigns it back in. Oh, no, no, no, no, no experience be damned. You're also the person here that's at the most risk and has already been hurt the most by the parties involved
Speaker 0 01:12:54 A Donna narrows eyes at you and says, LA, this is what I do.
Speaker 1 01:13:01 It's what you did. And look what happened to you because of it. What happens if father decides to try it again? I won't watch you get hurt anymore on my behalf.
Speaker 0 01:13:12 <laugh> and you don't think I've had my capabilities minimized quite enough.
Speaker 1 01:13:18 I didn't mean it. Like,
Speaker 0 01:13:20 I don't care how you meant it. This is my fight. As much as it is anyone's I am capable of filling a niche in this discussion that is necessary. And I will not be forced to sit up here while my son goes into negotiations with that monster,
Speaker 1 01:13:35 Your son, assuming that we all survived. This will be the Archduke of an entire nation soon, and does not need mama there holding his hand to help him make political decisions. You have expanded perspective on the situation. Sure. So does auntie Nora,
Speaker 0 01:13:53 Nora puts both hands up and takes a big step back. Oh, leave me out of this, please.
Speaker 1 01:13:59 You know what? No, I can't leave you out of this executive decision. Auntie Nora, you are person number six, and that's final everybody in the pirate fleets. Be back on your ships by morning fee. Do you mind figuring out the distribution of any infantry we might have just in case things pop off and the Navy managers to make landfall
Speaker 0 01:14:22 Fee looks between you and a Donna. Like she's watching a tennis match for a second. Yeah. I can do that. And a Donna visibly, see thing grabs your arm and just toes you away from the group.
Speaker 1 01:14:42 Uhoh, I'm grounded.
Speaker 0 01:14:47 A Donna drags you off into the dining room off of this hall. You can hear people discussing plans and low voices. And as soon as she's got you in this room, a Donna brings her hands together and then separates them with that glowing cat's cradle between them Looks deep into it and then looks up at you and says, there is a 5% chance he budges on this. There is a 50% chance someone dies during this negotiation.
Speaker 1 01:15:21 There's a hundred percent chance that that person is not gonna be you.
Speaker 0 01:15:26 I
Speaker 1 01:15:27 Lost you once. I lost you. And I just got you back and I'm not gonna lose you again.
Speaker 0 01:15:34 And you think I'm willing to lose you.
Speaker 1 01:15:38 This is my responsibility mom, and not just a personal sense of duty or guilt or what the hell ever. I am talking divinely, ordained responsibility. And I know that you're my mother and I know that you love me, and I know that you want to help, but I'm not a little boy anymore. I grew up And you weren't there to see it. And that is not your fault, but I am going toe to toe with the person whose fault it is. Hasn't he heard us enough.
Speaker 0 01:16:19 I'm gonna roll something. A Donna sets her draw nods and says fine. I'll just sit here and twiddle my phones. I guess. Roll insight, please.
Speaker 1 01:16:40 Well, that sucked. That's a 15.
Speaker 0 01:16:44 Yeah, she's pissed. She spins on her heel and walks away.
Speaker 1 01:16:49 Mom. Don't
Speaker 2 01:16:52 Damn it.
Speaker 1 01:16:55 Leo stands there and lets her go. And then feeling like an absolute pile of shit. He's gonna go check back in on fee and everybody else,
Speaker 0 01:17:05 Everybody else has mostly cleared out of the entry hall fee is standing there awkwardly. And you watch as a Donna brushes past her, go in the opposite direction. She Grimes looks at you and goes, uh, we got everything organized.
Speaker 1 01:17:24 Yeah. Great. Sounds like we have all our tees crossed and eyes dotted. We should all go rest up. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day
Speaker 0 01:17:35 Down to the wire. Is there anything else you wanna do
Speaker 1 01:17:39 As everybody else goes off to take their trance? I just stay down there with fee for a while
Speaker 0 01:17:45 Fee kind break fee kinda braces her hands behind her neck nods. Okay. All right.
Speaker 1 01:17:54 Yeah. You know, I really thought I was past the point of needing the validation of somebody telling me that I'm doing the right thing, but Do you think we're doing the right thing?
Speaker 0 01:18:09 I think we're doing the only thing.
Speaker 1 01:18:14 No matter what happens tomorrow. I love you.
Speaker 0 01:18:20 Yeah. Love you too. And he's gonna give you a big hug.
Speaker 1 01:18:27 Leo hugs are back just as tight for a really long time. And then he's gonna step back, go upstairs and go off to his Ned's room fee. You wake up the next morning to a conspicuous absence on one side of you in the bed. The captain apparently got up in the wee hours of the morning and left to go back onto the ship. And you are awoken to the sound of somebody pounding on your door and your brother's voice out in the hallway, going all right, rice and shine. Let's do this
Speaker 0 01:19:10 Fe groans and then rolls outta bed, gets dressed. I think at earliest possible opportunity, she's gonna grab Sabine and give her a long sweet kiss.
Speaker 1 01:19:22 Sabine actually stays in bed while you're up getting ready. You remember that she was up pacing the bedroom long after you laid down to take your trance. So she's still pretty drowsy, but eventually she gets up. Also gets ready for the day, puts on her black leather beacon armor and presses her coin into the breast blade. The members of your party that are going to these negotiations. So yourself, your brother, Zed, Sabine F and your aunt Nora, all sort of gather in the foyer of this magnificent mansion. And as Leo was getting ready to lead the charge out the front door, you hear a voice from off in the dining room, go, oh no, you all need to eat a Donna surrounded by a flock of little semi transparent spectral Saines comes out, holding a tray of breakfast sandwiches.
Speaker 0 01:20:27 I'm not gonna turn it down. <laugh> she squint at a Donna for a moment, grabs a sandwich and goes, thank you for thinking of us, even though it's sort of not the time, but
Speaker 1 01:20:42 Everybody here looks kind of awkward, but you notice that your aunt Nora has retreated into the farthest possible corner. As she nibbles on this bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, a Donna and Leo are very, calculatedly not talking to each other. And just before she turns around with her empty serving tray and heads back into the dining room, she reaches out and clutches a hand in a vice grip around your wrist for HRA. I want you to listen to me. Somebody has to,
Speaker 0 01:21:21 The grimacing says, I'm listening. You're hurting my wrist.
Speaker 1 01:21:27 Sorry, sorry. Her grip loosens and her hand comes up and goes white knuckled around the handle of this tray. Just when you go down there, use your voice. He doesn't get to take it away again.
Speaker 0 01:21:47 No he doesn't fee nods and leads for the rest of the group. Out of the magnificent mansion.
Speaker 1 01:21:58 As your party closes in on the beach, you see that the Naval blockade around looks to Golan is still pretty iron clad off in the bay between the island and the shores of Southern Australia. You see the ship floating on the waves, waiting for something to happen, but more pressingly. You see an Australian Naval vessel anchored just off the docks and a rowboat making its way towards the shore in it. You see three figures. Fe's father Reese Tomer, your father's bodyguard. And arguably oldest friend is just going at these OS, trying to get the boat to shore. You see Aasha sitting on one of the narrow bench seats, smoothing down her skirts and adjusting H cane against the side of the boat.
Speaker 1 01:23:01 And you see your father decked out in, in full MA's armor hair pulled back into an neat ponytail, trying to look composed and in control. But as they get closer Fe, you see that he looks rough. He has clearly not gotten as much rest as he probably would've liked to recently big dark circles under his eyes looks like he hasn't shaved in a couple days. Your party reaches the docks at about the same time that the boat pulls up to them. Fence, dad lashes it up onto the docks and they all disembark. It's like this, okay? Corral situation. As both of your parties, move to meet in the middle of these docks, you feel Leo next to you go very tense. Aasha stands there. Face pinched and worried. Sir, re to mayor is looming in the background with one hand on his great acts, desperately trying to catch his son's eye. While F is pointedly not looking at him. Your father looks back and forth between you and your brother and in his eyes is a level of barely contained and incomprehensible, rage, and hate that sends a chill down your spine feet. Do me a favor and roll a perception. Check
Speaker 0 01:24:38 14 because of reliable talent.
Speaker 1 01:24:41 Okay. I'm gonna roll something real quick. Okay. So you don't notice anything out of the ordinary, other than the fact that the entire situation is out of the ordinary. Obviously your father squints at the new gold circle that Leo's been wearing and is lip curls. That's not your crown to wear Leo, just smirks at him. Yeah. And technically that one's not yours, but I didn't invite you here. So we could split hairs your father's hands, clench into fists at his sides. And you can see inky tends of dark magic, starting to creep around them. No, you invited me here so we could talk. Go ahead. Talk. I would be enchanted to know how you two, think this is going to end
Speaker 0 01:25:42 Fee smiles tightly. <laugh> brave words from a man who holds none of the cards. Our terms are extremely simple. Father, you surrender quietly. You come with us back to Valenti hall and face, whatever justice the people of Australia think is necessary. And we stop sinking boats under you and let you hold onto what little dignity you have left.
Speaker 1 01:26:14 I am Australia's justice. You two are a pair of insulin children with no idea how the world works. He kind of jerks his head back over his shoulder at where aro the reds VDU steam ships are still blocking in. What's left of the Navy, Bringing VDU scum back to the shores of this nation. After everything they've done, just so you can settle a score
Speaker 0 01:26:42 When it comes to stopping you from causing more damage. And ally is an ally and there's no love lost between NIDA government and aro at the red
Speaker 2 01:26:53 <laugh>.
Speaker 1 01:26:54 Well, I guess I'm disappointed, but not surprised that you have friends in low places. Has it crossed either of your minds, how Australia's going to view this little farce. The two of you are putting on A band of pirates and thieves and traders threatening the hard one stability of a nation. That's known it for centuries
Speaker 0 01:27:16 Says the treasonous murderer. That's put gallons of blood on all of their hands. How do you think they'll view you In any case spare the grandstanding father, your disapproval means less than nothing and petty tos. Make it clear how much you are grasping at straws. Bring your own terms to the table or stop wasting our time.
Speaker 1 01:27:44 Oh, he takes a step towards you and simultaneously Leo steps in front of you. And Aasha grabs the back of his MAs armor and holds him back.
Speaker 0 01:27:55 Oh, that's sweet. You're trying to scare us to cover up the fact that we scare you. Neither of us are under your thumb anymore. Father, We're not frightened children or any of the women that you have used and discarded guarded. We're the people that are going to tear down everything you've built one way or another,
Speaker 1 01:28:20 That inky necrotic magic floating around his clenched fists intensifies and his eyes flash in kind of a weird arcane way. And in your head, you feel the ping of a message. Can trip go off. Leo's voice says, Look as much as I'm enjoying the antagonism, we might want to dial it back. He looks unstable and we're in a poor position for everything to pop off here. And now
Speaker 0 01:28:52 Fee sends a message back, says he's a bad negotiator on his best day. And you're a good one on your worst. I'm trying to soften him up for
Speaker 2 01:29:01 You.
Speaker 1 01:29:03 Your father still visibly and magically seething narrows his eyes at the two of you. You're welcome to try. I've been doing this for a lot longer than either of you. You think you are the ones holding all the cards. That's fine. I've seen them all. There's not a single one in the deck that can surprise me From the shore end of these docs behind you. A voice says I wouldn't be so sure about that.
Speaker 2 01:29:40 Yes.
Speaker 1 01:29:42 Fee you were not successful on that perception role earlier to notice a Donna following you in the woods with a pass, without a trace, spell on her, but she is clearly visible. Now, walking down the docks, elbowing you and Leo out of the way and standing between the two of you and your father. You can count on one hand the amount of times in your life that you have seen raw, honest emotion on your father's face. And this is one of those times He freezes and the magic dies around his hands and he looks shocked and guilty and a little bit hopeful. Add Ana moves a bit closer and you can see that odd, lost expression. Again, like she's unstuck in time. She closes the distance between them and reaches up one hand to press her Palm to the side of his face. And then you watch her regain lucidity. As she cocks her hand back, curls it into a fist and punches him straight in the fucking mouth. I'm
Speaker 10 01:31:14 Yes. Yes.
Speaker 1 01:31:20 Oh, there is justice in the world. My friends, it is out there. A Donna Val sign just rolled a fucking Nat 20 to punch her husband in the face.
Speaker 1 01:31:31 Oh, I love this. It's an unarmed strike. So it only does one, technically two from the crit plus a Donna strength modifier. So three damage. But because it was a Nat 20 flavor-wise, I'm gonna say she breaks his fucking nose. Yeah, shit goes completely off the rails. Leo yells and dives forward trying to pull a Donna off of your father. She is trying to scratch and claw and bited him like a wild fucking animal. Ilaha is yelling. Your father is bleeding profusely Reese to Ramirez, standing there holding his ax repeatedly going. What, what, what? And a Donna is just screeching. You PO a self-absorbed shortsighted piece of shit. I could have let you go. I could have forgiven you for what you did to me, but you fucked with my kid. You hurt our son. How fucking dare you. Leo is frantically trying to pull her back, but it's not working. Cuz he has negative one to and can't really do anything. He just starts yelling Zed help.
Speaker 0 01:32:46 I'm gonna roll to see if he's gonna help. No <laugh>
Speaker 1 01:32:53 Leo while trying to wrangle his mother gives you kind of a betrayed look, but then Zed shoves past you. And I'm gonna roll a grapple check for him
Speaker 1 01:33:04 15. Okay. I'm gonna roll acrobatics for a Donna to see if she slips out of his grip nine. She does not Zed picks her up and just slings her over his shoulder and starts jogging down the docks away from all of this. The entire time Aon is still glaring back at all of you pointing viciously at your father, you had better pray that lay real finds you on that battlefield. Before I do Morlin you'd better fucking pray. Zed and Aon disappear up the beach and there is a cavernous silence that follows your father stands up a little straighter, swipes a hand under his bloody nose. And then he stiffens his posture. Nods looks at once more broken and more dangerous than you've ever seen him and turns his focus back to you and Leo fine. You want my terms? My terms are the, the two of you surrender now and you get a clean, painless death, or you insist on continuing to push me and your deaths will be neither clean nor painless. I Elisa's eyes go wide and sheep pivots around to take a step in front of him. Marlon, that is not what we talked about.
Speaker 0 01:34:32 <laugh> great plan. All 10,000 years of family history that you are so desperate to pretend means anything ended here because you don't get your way.
Speaker 1 01:34:46 He looks fucking unhinged. His teeth are beared. His circle is crooked on his head from where a Donna just punched him in the face and he is attempting to stock forward towards you and Leo as Aasha keeps moving back and forth, trying to block his access family history. I have given everything to this legacy and where has it gotten me? Years of making the decisions that no one else would losing everything and everyone I cared about <laugh> and how was I paid for it With disregard and disloyalty? That's my legacy. A lifetime of being a weapon in other people's wars. I'm still a weapon, but now the war is mine. And as far as I'm concerned, Australia can burn once I'm done with it. And you, You could have both had it so easy if you had just listened to me, But now you can burn with it. Ilaha reaches up and gets him by the shoulders. Listen, you are not thinking clearly. Okay. Remember what we talked about. This is not the plan And your father just snarls back. Fuck the plan. Aha. Get out of the way. Fee, takes a step back and raises her shield
Speaker 1 01:36:27 Beside you. You see Leo's hand tighten on his knife and at your backs, you feel Fen, heft his ax and hear Sabine's bells start to jingle. Ilaha looks absolutely destroyed. She lets go of your father's shoulders and turns around. And there is a long moment where the two of you may eye contact. I am going to roll a D 20 and if I roll an even number, ALA show will do something. And if I roll an odd number, ALA show will do something else. Three Caught in the middle of the two war halves of her heart. IHA stands there looks at you and grimly nods. I choose you. And then she pivots on her heel, brings her wand arm up and casts harm on your father. She's gonna use three sorcery points to do he and spell to give Marlin disadvantage on this DC 18 constitution saving throw That's a 13, Not gonna do it. So ahas gonna roll 14 D six necrotic damage. And she's going to burn a further sory point to do empowered spell and reroll five of these Feet. Very suddenly as you watch this happen, you have a bit of a flashback to a long ago, magic lesson with aha. And remember her casting the spell on a dummy out in the training yard. As she told you that harm was actually a very merciful spell because it can do massive amounts of necrotic damage, but it cannot kill
Speaker 1 01:38:34 Mechanically. The spell cannot take someone below one hit point. Ilaha does 63 damage takes him down over half of his max, HP, And then Reese who has finally come to the understanding of what's actually going on here. And how far gone the situation is yells. Fend, get them out of here. And he's gonna roll three attacks. 13, 19 28, Marlin C is a 13. All three of those hit. And he lays into your father with his grade acts for a further 30 damage Marlin Val sign with 26 hit points left extremely bloody stumbles back from being hit with this great act, Looks back and forth between the last two people he had left, who have both turned on him And then fixes his gaze on a Laha After all this time, even you And then he uses his only ninth level spell slot to cast power word kill Ilaha is at max HP. She has all 99 of her hit points. But the text of this spell says you utter a word of power that can compel one creature. You can see within range to die instantly. If the creature you choose has a hundred hit points or fewer it dies.
Speaker 1 01:40:20 It is instantaneous. One second. Aasha is there still standing between you and your father wand arm raised and the next, The light leaves her eyes and she crumples down to a heap on the docks, dead
Speaker 2 01:40:40 Fe screams.
Speaker 1 01:40:43 She just yells no
Speaker 2 01:40:45 And tries to lunge forward.
Speaker 1 01:40:49 F is also yelling frantically and trying to Scrabble to the front of the pack. As you watch your father turn around and fix his attention on restore air. But before either of you can do anything, Leo uses his only sixth level spell slot to cast, word of recall, And you and F and Sabine and your aunt Nora and your brother all disappear. And that is where we end for this week. Wow. So, um, This is the end And we'll see where the end takes us next time On compelled dual.
Speaker 1 01:41:57 Hey, everybody Barry here with the post script, just clearing up a couple housekeeping things here at the end of the episode, as always, I'm gonna go ahead and plug our social media profiles. You can find us on Twitter, Tumblr and TikTok at compelled dual. We have lots of other cool stuff going on. However, an official website, an official Spotify profile, our official merch store, stuff like that. You can find all that stuff linked on any of our various social media profiles. If you're interested in supporting the show, we ask that you consider heading over to patreon.com/compelled dual, where starting at just $2 a month, you can get access to all kinds of cool patron perks, including early access to episodes, access to exclusive playlists and bonus content, and even handwritten letters from your favorite character every month. If you're interested in supporting the show in ways, other than pledging to our Patreon, we ask that if you're listening to us on apple podcasts or Spotify, that you leave us a rating and a review, since that helps the show get promoted to a wider audience, we host a weekly Q and a show on our YouTube every week.
Speaker 1 01:43:07 And we would love to see you show up for that. Ask a couple questions. We always have a really fun time. And as always, if you like what you're hearing on the show we ask that you just tell a couple friends about it and if they like it, ask them to tell a couple friends as well. Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal. The final combat of our first campaign will be premiering live on our YouTube channel on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at 5:00 PM Pacific time. It will be premiering at 9:00 AM Pacific time for our patrons. And if you wanna stick around and just listen to it on your local podcast, catcher, it'll be up on Friday, June 3rd at 9:00 AM. Pacific time. Here we go. Y'all we'll see you in two weeks.
