Pete/GM: Underneath my
fingernails were scraps of some

kind of meat I couldn't place.

Firm bits of flesh, slightly spongy,
and garnet red in the center.

There was no chance for me to taste
it again because even as I raised

my hand to my mouth, the flecks of
meat in the drying liquid evaporated

like fog in the morning sun.

I don't need to recount all the boring
details of how I stumbled home naked,

how I begged for the use of a cloak
from a passing farmer, how I sat

humbly in the sun outside my house but
felt not a moment of warmth under it.

The important thing to record here
is that the taste never left me.

How about no?

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah.

Yeah.

No.

This one.

Misfit/Mia: Although I did get
the distinct feeling that he

was like eating a bit of a lung.

I don't know.

The, the description was, that's a

Chris/Vin: lung.

Archedas/Varren: We're not quite at,
like, Hannibal Lecter vibes yet, but this

man's digging the cannibal hole still.

Yeah.

He's getting the pit ready
to shove the lady in.

He's,

Misfit/Mia: he's full on.

No.

No.

Archedas/Varren: Yeah.

Yeah.

He hasn't gotten the nice Chianti

Chris/Vin: yet.

Misfit/Mia: Nor will he.

Fuck this guy.

Can we kill him?

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, as
we said before, on sight.

Archedas/Varren: I'm sure
interviewing this man is just 100

percent trustworthy, Riddleson.

That man's doing his own thing.

He's doing great.

He's doing fine.

He's not going to

Misfit/Mia: get eaten.

He's not going to get eaten or nothing.

He's, he's, everything is fantastic.

He's doing great.

Archedas/Varren: He's all purple,
that's like a weird color for me.

Pete/GM: I get the feeling that
Riddleson can take care of himself.

Chris/Vin: Beat this man back

Aubrey/Freya: with a stick, like, no!

Misfit/Mia: No

Pete/GM: lung for you.

Welcome back to Ash and Snow.

Archedas/Varren: 14 FPS, 47.

Pete/GM: 43.

Needful

Archedas/Varren: information
has begun to be primed.

More information is needed, but all of it
may not be able to be obtained in time.

So far, all the first world legends
and ties, the thin lands farms, origin

point in the legends, everything
seems to be our end point there.

Threads and ties lead to a section of a
potato farm in the area, of all things.

And if the pattern holds, he
will be coming from Maia tomorrow

night, if we don't find him first.

And he thinks going after one of
my associates is his best idea.

Perhaps an ample distraction is to be had
in taunting and gaining his attention.

Saying his name enough should be there,
but I believe I've twisted his tails

into enough of a taunt to draw his ire.

We'll see how much he

Pete/GM: likes coming to the material
plane with cold iron in my barrel.

We return on scene in Vinehall,
in the city of Seven Arches.

It has been, for the first time in
several nights, a Peaceful for our

adventuring party as Vin Verin and
Freya stood watch over Mia so that she

could finally get some rest in safety.

But now they have a destination to go to,
but a full day until it's set to open.

Where are you going?

What are you doing?

Aubrey/Freya: I need to go
pick up my weapon or else I'm

gonna have a real problem when?

Uh.

It comes to actually doing the fighting.

And I'll probably, uh, have
drafted Mia to go with.

Just so, you know, we're
traveling in a buddy system.

Misfit/Mia: Oh yeah, Mia's for sure going.

She will not go anywhere
without one of the adults.

Chris/Vin: As you say that, Vin is
like, sulking in a corner a little bit.

And this like, climbs out
the window into the roof.

Misfit/Mia: Aww, why is Vin sad?

Archedas/Varren: Aaron just Going about
his morning, collecting his notes,

checking things over again, looking
for the gaps that need to be filled for

the day, and what time they have before
finding a particularly empty section that

hasn't had much investigation done into
it, uh, very minimal success on the route,

not a lot of details to be gathered yet.

There's gonna be a lot of words on that!

That's, that's not his handwriting either!

Just kinda gives it a look over,
just silently staring at it for

a moment while Freya and Mia are
getting ready to go for the day.

Pulls the sleeve of his arm up,
bird comes out of it, he's on the

roof, bring him here, and just
lets the bird fly out after him.

You hear

Chris/Vin: screaming from the
roof like 30 seconds later.

Archedas/Varren: I'll call
him off when you come back in!

Pete/GM: You could've

Archedas/Varren: just asked!

You could've not run!

I wasn't running!

Continued pecking.

Chris/Vin: Gets down with a huff,
probably tries to punish the

bird very poorly a couple times.

Archedas/Varren: Bird just tucks a random,
like, small little bead of metal at him.

Fluts away, flies back
over onto Baron's arm.

Immediately sinks back
into the tattoo on it.

Just kind of pats the arm,
pulls the sleeve back over it.

Holds the hand out to
the writing on the wall.

And, I'm sorry to say this, I
barely can read your handwriting.

I saw the name, though.

What is this supposed to be?

What?

This is, this is cursive!

Chris/Vin: Can't read cursive?

Archedas/Varren: I can read Riddleson's
handwriting, and I can't read this.

Chris/Vin: I'm, I'm from a temple bro.

We took calligraphy classes!

This is impeccable

Archedas/Varren: handwriting!

Well, what does it say?

It's,

Chris/Vin: it's, it's mine.

You can have it.

Archedas/Varren: You wrote it on my notes!

I

Chris/Vin: saw a spare
parchment, and I got

Archedas/Varren: bored.

It's tacked to a wall!

You had to physically
lean up and write on this.

Not on the table.

The, the pins haven't been torn out.

Why are you calling me out like that?

Pete/GM: You

Misfit/Mia: sucking dicks!

You

Archedas/Varren: Essentially, you
walked up to the Thorn Barracks, and

wrote, Vin did this on their wall.

Except it's to my property.

And I can't tell that you wrote,
Vin did this, just the Vin part.

Freya,

Chris/Vin: tell me this
looks like good handwriting.

Archedas/Varren: It
looks like handwriting?

Never

Misfit/Mia: learned TNJ

Aubrey/Freya: cursive?

No, I can't say I took that
elective at the Arcanum Miriam.

Archedas/Varren: That's an elective?

Yeah.

I hate

Chris/Vin: school.

Archedas/Varren: Freya would just,
noticing Varyn just kind of like staring

at this at the wall, looking over at Vin.

Staring back at it.

The bird kind of pokes its head out of
his sleeve and is like, thumping his

hand holding one of the little metal
balls he loads into the weapon of his.

Just like, take it, take it.

Bird just batting into his hand again.

Look,

Chris/Vin: I just had
some stuff on my mind.

I had to write it

Archedas/Varren: down.

Was it at least at all relevant
to the Kanipo investigation?

I can give it a pass if it's relevant.

Chris/Vin: Uh, you, you
really want me to read it?

I feel like I'm getting peer pressured

Archedas/Varren: here.

I would ask that you read what you
wrote on my notes so I can put it

into the relevant pile of things
that it would relate to and can

put the string in the right places.

Okay, can

Chris/Vin: I, can I

Archedas/Varren: untack it?

I would prefer that you didn't
since that's where it's going now.

I rip it.

Chris/Vin: Alright.

Okay, okay.

It's been a while.

Pete/GM: In

Chris/Vin: the depths of the
night, fear wraps its grip,

within my heart it takes its hold.

Dreams untamed, mysteries that slipped,
an enigmatic figure, unknown and bold.

Familiarity veiled, but I feel its trace,
a haunting presence, both near and far.

Unruly flames leap, my essence misplaced.

Trembling, I feel my torment's bizarre.

Within my soul a storm takes flight and
anxiety consumes my spirit yearns answers

elusive hidden from sight Seeking soulless
as my spirit churns yet I'll not surrender

to fears dark rain through uncertainty
clouds the path I tread I'll embrace the

unknown thematic strain for I am Vin fire
elemental undeterred through dreams and

flames I'll seek the truth Documenting my
journey my fears unmasked and poetic first

I'll find Strength for Sooth, and face
this mystery undeterred and steadfast.

And with that, I crumple it up,
light my hair on fire, and gone.

Alright, goodbye!

Misfit/Mia: Back to the roof!

That was actually a pretty good poem.

Mia's just clapping.

Archedas/Varren: Just takes out a
new piece of paper, writes something

on it, folds it up, and sets it on

Chris/Vin: Thin's pillow.

Uh oh.

I itch George's my pillow.

And then I take it, pretending
like no one noticed I took it.

And then I itch back, inch
back towards the window.

Archedas/Varren: Opening, if
you open it up, it just says,

VIN, O's, and a amount of paper.

Like, it's less than a
copper piece in total.

You'll replace the parchment.

Fair's fair.

I have to get that fixed now,
before we can go anywhere.

Chris/Vin: I throw a copper at the bird.

And then I run out the door.

Bye!

Archedas/Varren: Coffee

Aubrey/Freya: time!

Coffee does sound good.

What's coffee?

Can I get some?

This is

Archedas/Varren: going to be a morning.

Uh, I suppose I can catch him
up when he's back from coffee.

Uh, do not spend your whole day here.

Perhaps half the day.

We want sunlight.

Meet back here sometime in the afternoon.

Much to be done.

Yeah.

Uh, I'll be ready.

Just kind of looks down at the bird that
now has a piece of copper in its mouth.

Roughly shoving it into his hand.

Yes, thank you.

Sets it back into his pocket.

Looks back at the bird.

Pulls the sleeve back up, and
just lets it sit on his arm

rather than remaining as a tattoo.

Alright, now, where do we start?

Just kind of looks down at
the bird and lets it start.

Just sort of randomly, seemingly, go
to pages and set string onto the wall.

No, no, that one's not
going to match there.

Uh, oh yeah, this page.

Uh, just starts going about working
with the bird to make this conspiracy

Pete/GM: board.

Frightened Mere, you head
over to the Silver and Cold.

You head back to the Silver and Cold.

And the blacksmith, Cameron
Lee, greets you again.

Well, hello stranger.

Hey.

I got your rapier.

Thank you.

Aubrey/Freya: Uh, it's really,
um, it's gonna be really

Archedas/Varren: helpful.

Pete/GM: She pulls it out, and
says, Look at the craftsmanship.

And grabs your hand, and is touching
the top of it, while gently having

your hand caress the rapier.

Feel the cold.

of the iron.

This is gonna suit you very well.

Don't you agree?

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, no, I think
it's I think it's perfect.

I say as I, you know, run my hand along
the blade, just sort of in a way that,

um, I'm not running my hand along the edge
of it, but, you know, sort of the flat

of it, sort of feeling the the way it is
engraved, especially with that, uh, rune.

You know, take it after a second,
feel the balance in my hand, you know,

sort of let myself take a couple of
gentle swings with it, just sort of

feeling the heft and the weight of it.

So are you

Pete/GM: satisfied?

Aubrey/Freya: Very, very satisfied.

It is going to be perfect.

Misfit/Mia: It's just looking
back and forth between this,

like, what's happening here?

Pete/GM: She asks for the amount
of gold, which I'm entirely

Archedas/Varren: sure what

Aubrey/Freya: I'm not even sure
what it is, but I know have, I know

have taken it from my funds already.

So.

Archedas/Varren: As

Pete/GM: you hand the gold over.

There is maybe a little too much
hand contact with you dropping the

coin into her palm and her fingertips
caressing the bottom of your hand.

Well, I always seek to
have a happy customer.

That means they'll come back.

Aubrey/Freya: Uh, I mean, I imagine
I'm going to be around Seven

Arches for a while, so, you know,
you'll probably see more of me.

Pete/GM: I hope so.

Aubrey/Freya: Ugh, come on, Mia.

Um, I promised to teach you how to fight.

We're gonna do that.

Pete/GM: Yeah, bye cutie

Misfit/Mia: just like waves
thinking the whole conversation

was about her like, okay.

Bye

Aubrey/Freya: If somewhere like I don't
know the thornleaf barracks as a or

somewhere has a place that I Can sort
of set up so I can teach Mia how to

Pete/GM: fight Absolutely.

There is plenty of space in various
plazas, but absolutely the thornleaf

barracks has an adequate field
with like dummies Set up and hay

bales with targets on them for you
to practice whatever you're doing.

Aubrey/Freya: Take a moment, set
up, and turn to Mia and just be

like, No judgment or anything,
you've, have you ever, anything,

at least before the, the other day?

Mm mm.

We'll start off with
something super, super simple.

You know, just start off with
some hand to hand combat.

You know, get you comfortable
with the movements.

If you wanna move a little bit
closer, uh, and then With sort of

very gentle motions that Freya will
sort of show you the, the ideal

stance for how to fight hand to hand.

Walk you through how to do just, you know,
your basic punch and maybe a basic kick.

Misfit/Mia: She squares up and she, she
like, tries really hard to throw a punch.

There's probably zero force behind it.

She's just like, eh.

Like it's light and fluffy and
kind of goes real wide and is not.

It's not the greatest, but she's trying.

Aubrey/Freya: Everyone has
to start somewhere, Mia.

I didn't really do a lot of
fighting either until I got to

the, uh, the Arcanum Mirium.

That's where I kind of

Misfit/Mia: But you're so good at

Aubrey/Freya: it!

Yeah, I, um, I did a lot
of, I did a lot of that.

I worked really hard because I, I've
always wanted to be a Pathfinder.

Find a path?

Yeah, that's the deal.

Uh, find, be a Pathfinder, help people.

Have those.

Massive, globe spanning
adventures that they have.

Go to, find pyram like, delve
into pyramids in Osirian that

nobody's seen before, you know?

She's

Misfit/Mia: just looking
at you, like, dumbfounded.

Uh, uh, I We didn't do I didn't
really want to leave the village.

I mean, no, I didn't really want to leave.

I was I kinda had to leave.

You remember how I shot, like
She just bakes ray beam motions

with her hands from her eyeballs.

I did that and I said, I said the village.

I don't know how to control any of it.

And every time I do use it, I just
get real bad and I can't see for days.

Archedas/Varren: Interesting.

Aubrey/Freya: Well, maybe when
we're done with Kniepa, we can

actually look into whatever this is.

Misfit/Mia: She like slaps a hand
over your mouth when you say Kniepa.

I was like, No!

Don't say it!

Pete/GM: No!

Aubrey/Freya: Sorry, bad habit.

Oh, whenever we're done with this,
we'll look into whatever's going on.

I mean, I, when I was a kid, I,
I met this woman named Alina,

she's a, she's a Pathfinder.

She told me that if I worked really
hard, studied hard, and proved myself,

one day I could be a Pathfinder.

It's kind of what I was working on
when, you know, all that happened.

I was working with her, and I was
gonna take my entrance exam for the

Pathfinder Society, and all that time.

We were just looking at some
old ruin outside of Otari.

There was a moment where I God, it was
so obvious now, but I thought there

was this really famous Pathfinder guy.

He was hitting on I thought
he was hitting on me.

He offered me a drink.

I stepped through the arch and the
next thing I know it's weeks later.

Misfit/Mia: Sounds very similar.

I was off to see someone about my eyes.

Then I woke up somewhere
else with no answers.

But she like pulls out kind
of a nice walking stick.

I got this.

That's it.

Aubrey/Freya: Pull out the ring that I
have on the leather cord around my neck.

Sick.

Yeah, that's all I, all I
found that I came out with,

you know, besides the tattoo.

Yeah, how do I get one of those?

I don't want any tattoo.

The ring, uh, I was wearing
it on my, you know, left hand

when I came out of the portal.

So, you know, I apparently, I guess I got
married during the weeks I don't remember.

Well, I

Misfit/Mia: hope whoever you're married
to is okay, if that's what happened.

I mean, I don't know.

It's so hard to know these things.

Aubrey/Freya: It's kind of one of
the things I'm hoping to figure out.

You ever feel like

Misfit/Mia: we're in over our heads?

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, yeah I do.

But, uh, I always think about
what would the Pathfinders do?

What would Valeris and Mariciel do?

They would push on, they
would figure it out.

They win in the end in
all the stories, so.

Misfit/Mia: Mia just looks at you and
like, her, her tails start wagging

a little bit and she's like, Whoa.

Whatever, I'm scared.

I'm gonna ask myself what Freya would
do and then she like stands up and she's

like show me how to throw a punch again

Aubrey/Freya: Right.

Yes, you gotta make sure you you know,
you don't keep your thumb because

then you're gonna break something

Misfit/Mia: Okay, and she's like puts
your thumbs on the outsider for fists

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, and then, you know,
you want to go kind of cross your body.

She crosses

Misfit/Mia: her body and like,
throws a really weak punch,

but she's like, this is better.

Aubrey/Freya: It's getting better.

You're really getting there.

We'll keep at it.

Pete/GM: There is a soft
plop sound behind you, Mia.

And Freya, you see something
fall out of seemingly nowhere.

Mia's

Misfit/Mia: like, I'm not gonna Nope.

That didn't just happen.

I'm not scared.

Aubrey/Freya: I'm gonna just
be like, it's fine, it's fine.

What is it?

I'm

Misfit/Mia: not gonna cry

Pete/GM: or anything.

You adjust your vision, Freya,
so that you can look over Mia's

head and see what's behind her.

And there is something horrific.

There is a bird there.

With its wings broken in
several different places.

However, that's not the
spookiest thing about this.

It is so far midday when the
sun is highest in the sky and

this bird is casting no shadow.

Aubrey/Freya: It's fine.

It's fine.

Don't look.

Mia's

Misfit/Mia: not taking
her eyes off you at all.

She's

Aubrey/Freya: terrified.

Can I make any kind of like arcana check
to see if I understand what's going on?

This is the 19th.

Pete/GM: You think that somehow,
this is another gift from Kinipo.

Aubrey/Freya: Focus on the
training dummy, you know?

Do what I told you.

Don't look behind you.

Don't look around.

Don't turn around.

Misfit/Mia: Totally, like, turns around.

But I like to think that Mia's
having a slightly bad vision day.

So it's, it's a little fuzzy for her.

So she can't make out everything,
which makes it less Horrifying.

I think at this point, Freya's voice,
like the, the panic, the slight panic

in her voice is what's freaking Mia out.

What does Mia

Pete/GM: do?

Misfit/Mia: Mia would turn back into a
fox after realizing that she can't really

see and start relying on her other senses.

So she'd give like really
good sniffs, a bunch of really

good sniffs around the area.

Pete/GM: You definitely
smell the scent of death.

Yep.

Nope.

Misfit/Mia: Freaked.

Done.

Done.

Out.

Dope.

Probably, like, in between
Freya's feet, like, mm

Aubrey/Freya: mm.

Yeah, I think it's best if we
get back to the rest of the

group before anything else.

Pete/GM: Yeah, we're hiding your bag.

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna
put my bag down so you can get in it.

Chris/Vin: She just, like, gets

Misfit/Mia: in it and, like,
peeks her little head out, like,

Aubrey/Freya: mm.

Yeah, I imagine it's like the
videos of, like, the dogs in the

Archedas/Varren: bag.

Pete/GM: Back at Vine Hall,
what are Vin and Varyn doing?

Archedas/Varren: Varyn's
going over a lot of this.

paperwork that he's got laying around
here, reorganizing a couple things,

trying to find the gaps that need
to be filled yet before he heads

on out for the day, and he's using
the aid of the bird a lot more.

If N was still hanging around, he would
actively hear Varim, like, speaking out

loud to it, directing it where to go.

It kind of Seemingly, silently gesturing,
and him responding in kind of, Um, yes,

that one could work there, I suppose.

And we tie that to there.

Set the note.

Back to, back to the stint lens part.

Where, where were we on that?

Um, and fully just deepening his
work with this thing that he just

woke up with and never really
thought to try and figure out.

Pete/GM: And what

Chris/Vin: about Vin?

Vin He's creeped out about a lot of
things in this particular time of his

life and one of them is Varan talking
to a bird so he leaves pretty quick and

Gets breakfast somewhere in Vinehall.

He is mostly keeping to himself He's
lost in thought a lot of a lot of time.

He spends about an hour trying to figure
out this, this voice that he keeps hearing

as he tries to figure out what best way
he can quell that voice in his head that

nearly did some bad things, but he mostly
is keeping to himself this morning.

Especially if Varian starts talking to
this bird, which is almost equatable to

whatever Vin hears in his head, to him.

And

Pete/GM: it's while you're
thinking of trying to quell

this voice, that it comes back.

Finn,

Archedas/Varren: are we

Chris/Vin: not having a good time?

I'm going to try to ignore it.

Finn, you

Pete/GM: must advance.

This

Chris/Vin: line of inquiry a group

Pete/GM: has made.

There is something I need.

In

Archedas/Varren: the Thin

Pete/GM: Lands.

Chris/Vin: That you will retrieve.

I'm trying to keep my silence.

Maybe it'll go away if I don't look at it.

Remember, Finn.

Pete/GM: I may be far.

Chris/Vin: And

Pete/GM: you have this momentary
loss of control with your hand as the

utensils you were using to eat your
breakfast, you take one of the knives

and start to go across your palm.

As suddenly as it came,
control returns back to you.

As you look and see the damage
that you have done to yourself.

Chris/Vin: I will quickly take a
tablecloth or a napkin or something

and grip it with my hand and throw it
in my pocket like nothing happened.

And then I will pay if I
need to pay at Vine Hall and

Archedas/Varren: leave.

I think Vin would probably notice if he's
in his right mind, like aware of anything

happening around him after that moment.

He would notice Varyn's pervert just
like seating opposite side of the

room, just kind of staring at him.

I want to kill this

Chris/Vin: bird.

So bad.

Archedas/Varren: Just kind of, just
staring at you, just gives a single, like

it doesn't even call, it's just looking.

Chris/Vin: How important is
this familiar to your character?

Archedas/Varren: Apparently, Varyn
doesn't know how to load his own weapon.

The bird does it.

Chris/Vin: I ignore the bird this time.

It

Archedas/Varren: would not so much,
like, fly to, like, land on you, but

just sort of, like, flutter over near
your feet and just, like, look up, just

hop its way around and start going off
in the direction where Varen was at.

I run the other way.

Just kind of notices, starts to follow

Chris/Vin: you.

I run fast.

Archedas/Varren: Her just keeps flying.

Pete/GM: And eventually, you're
nearing the door when suddenly Freya's

body is right there in front of you.

The bird's trying to kill me!

The bird's trying

Archedas/Varren: to kill me!

The bird just kind of lands on the
top of the door as it opens and

just kind of looks down at Vin.

Aubrey/Freya: What did I walk into?

Misfit/Mia: Bird's trying to kill me!

So the

Aubrey/Freya: bird is trying to kill you
as I look between the bird and Varen?

Archedas/Varren: Varen's in the
other like, not even in this room.

Varen's like two rooms away
at this point, at least.

And just kind of bird just stares
down at Freya, just looks over at Vin.

Kind of leans its head a little
bit in one direction, and looks at

Vin's hand, stuffed in his pocket,
and then just looks back at Freya,

flies back off towards Varan.

Get your sword!

Chris/Vin: Yeah, yeah, I got it.

Vin's changing topics very obviously, and

Aubrey/Freya: I also worked
on teaching Mia how to fight.

She like, throws up some fists.

Just imagine Little Fox

Chris/Vin: doing that.

Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Oh.

Archedas/Varren: Are you ready

Aubrey/Freya: to move on then?

Yeah.

I definitely think we should, with
all post haste, because our friend

is now leaving gifts for Mia.

I

Misfit/Mia: didn't.

I

Chris/Vin: Okay.

Just like, you know, Varan's in a
mood, he's like, talking to himself,

and then talking to the bird, and
the bird's following me around.

So Varan

Aubrey/Freya: is just being Varan.

Chris/Vin: It's like Varan in Overdrive.

I don't know, I haven't known him
for very long, this is the first

time I've seen him so hyper focused.

Varan?

Yeah, you talk to him.

I'll, I'll wait outside.

Archedas/Varren: Bye!

You just kind of vaguely in the distance
as Vid is saying that can hear Varan not

like yelling or anything but muttering
speaking volume to himself Okay, um

Pete/GM: Okay,

Aubrey/Freya: it's just like
when I had to deal with Ranvi.

Okay, I can do this I'll just feel like if
you want off, they could put the bag down.

Yeah She's takin

Archedas/Varren: a nap.

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, I'm
guessing Mia's just takin a

Misfit/Mia: nap at this point.

Mia was, she like, pokes
her little head out,

Aubrey/Freya: like Okay, I was
asking if you wanted down, but if

you're just takin a nap, it's fine.

Well,

Misfit/Mia: I'm okay with
just hangin out in here.

I don't, I don't really wanna get out.

It seems kinda scary.

Aubrey/Freya: Ah, okay.

Alright, I'm gonna go towards
the sound of Aaron's voice.

Archedas/Varren: He's kinda
eventually getting over there.

It's not hard to find him, he's
not being secretive or anything.

He's got further expanded, these
pieces of paper on the wall.

The bird's just kind of sitting on his
arm, and he's just vaguely speaking to

it, and just, he didn't follow you back,
so that's interesting at the very least.

Either way, uh, he just kind of
finally notices after a moment of

you standing in the doorway, Ah,
Freya, man, fantastic you're back.

Actually, needing a hand with something,
I was hoping Finn was still here, so

I was trying to get his attention.

Why does

Misfit/Mia: Finn think
you're killing him, or trying

Archedas/Varren: to kill him?

Probably the anger over the, I
can't even say anger, the more so

annoyance over the parchment issue.

It just required a fair
amount of rearranging this

morning for me to manage to.

But I was actually looking to get his
assistance, uh, the higher up pages are

tending to get a hard to reach on the
stool I have to keep borrowing out of

the bar they're requesting back, so.

He can get on the roofs, he can
very easily get on the walls, simple

Chris/Vin: enough.

Well, um,

Aubrey/Freya: we do have, uh, I believe
we have an appointment in a potato field

Archedas/Varren: soon.

Before evening, yes, we'll want to be
there before the, uh, before night falls.

Yeah, I don't

Misfit/Mia: really want to be out before
night, so I'll, I'll go get, uh, yeah.

Archedas/Varren: You do want
to be out before night, but

you don't want to be out after.

Misfit/Mia: Yeah, that.

Everything's kind of

Archedas/Varren: dark.

Uh, before you go anywhere, along
with Mia, just kind of shuffles

around a couple of pieces of paper.

Where did I leave?

Oh, here.

Uh, he just kind of shoves a couple
of pages over and pulls out the first

little effigy that you were left.

But it's been sort of changed a bit.

The pieces have been like snapped
and broken and rearranged into,

they're clearly the same pieces.

But the little bits of wood have been,
like, rearranged into a weird symbol.

It doesn't really seem to
have any particular meaning.

But pressed into the center of
it is a little, probably about

marble sized, cold iron bead.

That has just been set into
the center, and all of the

points seem to latch onto this.

Something of a good luck
charm, I would think.

In a version of Kanipo's work,
plus a bit of anti fay cold iron.

At the very least, it'll piss
the man off, rather than having

Leaving you more presents, perhaps.

Deface enough of them
and maybe he'll give up.

Mia,

Chris/Vin: like, sticks

Misfit/Mia: her little paws out and
is just like, Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh.

Pete/GM: Grabby

Archedas/Varren: paws.

Eh, eh, eh.

Really, hold on.

Just kind of pulls out a little bit
of the bread string that he's been

using and ties it off to both ends
and sets it around the fox's neck.

That should do plenty well.

Looks at

Aubrey/Freya: it.

Sniffs it.

Our, um, lovely friend, Mr.

Slim, is, uh, leaving Mia presents.

Oh, what this time?

A bird.

It was

Misfit/Mia: a bird?

Me, I freaked out.

Like, what?

Archedas/Varren: It's a very dead bird.

This guy looks at the much larger
bird on his arm and just kind of sets

it to jump down onto a table nearby.

I hate to ask, but do you have it?

Aubrey/Freya: Uh, on me, it doesn't have a

Chris/Vin: shadow.

I think Vin will come back at this point.

Realizing no one followed
him out to adventure.

Archedas/Varren: Oh, Vin, fantastic.

Chris/Vin: I thought,

Archedas/Varren: I thought we were going.

Brief regrouping before
we head out for anything.

Again?

Okay.

You just kind of see Varen like,
look down towards Vin's hand.

Are you alright?

Uh, your

Chris/Vin: bird, your bird, your

Archedas/Varren: bird nicked me.

His beak is not nearly that sharp.

Unless you're standing there letting
him drag it across your hand, I doubt

it would make a wound that large.

Chris/Vin: How do you know it's
underneath this piece of cloth?

Archedas/Varren: Because you're holding
it so tightly and the stains growing.

Chris/Vin: That's what I thought.

You had no evidence.

Misfit/Mia: like you're acting awfully

Archedas/Varren: weird.

Then I've had this as
long as I can remember.

Quite lly comes out when I need help.

Chris/Vin: I cut myself while
I was I while I was eating,

I wasn't paying attention.

I was thinking about other
things and I cut myself.

I don't like the bird though.

Archedas/Varren: That's fine,
you don't have to like the bird.

That's good, because I don't.

But the bird seems to know when I
need to take my focus off something.

It distracts me, on purpose.

Have you ever been so focused on something
you've forgotten to eat or drink or

relieve yourself for hours on end?

Sounds like a you problem.

It has been, yes.

The bird helps with that.

It distracts me.

That's

Chris/Vin: needed.

I'm pretty good at using the
bathroom when my body tells me to.

Are you not?

Do you need to change your sheets?

Archedas/Varren: Varen just kind
of switches a little bit here, just

sort of strains himself a little bit.

Just locks eyes with Vin a moment
and pulls the bandana that he

typically is wearing off so
that his face is fully exposed.

He just sets his arms hand in hand
on his stomach, just staring at Vin.

Not a presence that Varyn typically
takes with a lot of people.

Vin.

This.

Is a serious situation.

I understand.

You didn't want to come
here in the first place.

I understand.

You wish to take a day off.

I've given you every
out that you've wished.

All I ask is a bit of honesty.

Something is wrong with you.

Not in a physical sense.

There is something eating at you.

And I know that from reading people.

It is what I do.

What is going on.

It is fine to ask for help.

But if you don't ask, we can't offer.

Mia came to us when her life
was threatened by an entity

we barely know anything about.

That we can barely even prove is real.

And you would sit here and debase me and
my work by walking in here and saying

that The knife wound across your palm
was from being absent while eating.

Do you think me a fool?

Do you think me a child?

I want to help you.

I want to help everyone here.

And you come to me with this.

I'm not annoyed with the poem.

I'm not annoyed with the parchment.

In the moment, yes, it was troublesome.

But all I'm here to do is help.

Give me the chance to.

This kind of settles himself back.

Misfit/Mia: Be as.

It's completely, 100
percent hidden in the bag.

Like, you can't even see fur.

Aubrey/Freya: Freya's just like,
this seems like a conversation

between the two of them.

I'm sure they'll be
outside when they're ready.

Just sort of gently walk
backwards towards the door.

Archedas/Varren: This
involves both of you as well.

He is to be traveling with us, and if he's
keeping secrets that could endanger us,

injuring himself, that is a problem for

Chris/Vin: all of us.

You are not the first person to lecture
me about what I know or don't know, and

I highly doubt you will be the last.

Baron, I do not know you.

I know you have a very recent
history, but I don't know who you are.

I don't know anything about your bird.

I don't know anything about your gun.

We are here.

All four of us are here on Happenstance.

I don't understand why Our
room is filled with parchments.

I don't understand, and I feel like
standing here is just avoiding a problem.

And you come And you want to lecture
me about what I think, what I do?

You mentioned you are so hyper focused
that you forget to do basic needs.

But you can't believe that I was
absentmindedly doing something?

That is no different
than your own actions.

How dare you accuse me.

Archedas/Varren: Fair.

The point taken.

You've saved my life on
more than one occasion.

You saved Maya's life and Freya's as well.

You've been nothing but trustworthy.

I've attempted to do similar to
you, give you every benefit of

the doubt in situations necessary.

From your response with what
happened at the massage parlor

with Mia, something is wrong.

You've cut your hand, seemingly one
way or another, accidentally or on

purpose, with or without your own
say, and that same hand is the one

that threatened to choke Mia from
her own recollection of the events.

I just want to help.

Investigating is what I do.

Give me some lead to begin on.

Something to look into.

Something to help you with.

I understand if you don't know me.

But know what I've been doing.

This work.

What we've been looking into together.

You've been a part of that.

This

Chris/Vin: trustworthiness.

You guys seem like nice people.

But we've all have met the nice person.

Or maybe not you Varan.

I don't, I don't know.

Well, who've you met recently, but
you, you think that we're entering

the city and we're talking to
all these people and everyone's

motivations are right in front of them.

They're holding their, you
know, emotions on their sleeve.

You think this Riddleson or all the other
people we met don't have ulterior motives.

You think that when we are asked
to deal with this druid problem.

That they didn't have
secondary motivations.

I don't know what is going on.

And, I will consider myself a skeptic.

I don't know what your intentions are.

I I don't know.

I just don't know.

I think we're all here because we got a
mark that somehow says we are connected.

How are we connected?

Maybe Maybe this is all we're all
just puppets in a larger scheme.

Maybe we have You know, all
went on a drunk binge and woke

up at the same tattoo parlor.

I don't know anymore, but we're
sitting here and saying, I am

proving this about X, Y, Z.

No, you shouldn't, you shouldn't trust me.

You shouldn't trust any of us.

We, we are, we are just trying
to figure this out together.

You know, we, we've had one
encounter with a weird creature

that almost got us all killed.

You know, we, we are
trauma bonding, at best.

So, I, I can tell you I
don't know what's going on.

I can tell you that we all
don't know what's going on.

We're all changing somehow.

And I don't know if this bird was
with you before the missing moment,

I don't know what is happening, but,
can this, this bird even be trusted?

Why are we not treating
this with more skepticism?

I have.

Archedas/Varren: You don't
think I've looked into it?

You don't think the moment I woke
up, With this thing in my arm that

I haven't been looking at at every
chance I've got you think I trust

Riddleson I certainly don't truly.

Do you think I trust that man?

He found me in a tavern.

He's a means to an ends He's a
mean to your ends You want to

know what happened just as much
as I want to know what happened as

Maya does as Freya does Yes, sure.

Call it trauma bond.

I felt we had plenty of bond the
night we were out drinking before

that ever happened Or, when we
covered for each other and getting

ourselves out of dodge when it
came to escaping the thornies here.

They weren't going to kill us.

At that worst, they
were going to arrest us.

I would say we bonded plenty,
but I'm not going to force you to

say anything you don't wish to.

If you don't want to tell
me something, that's fine.

I just want you to know that in
all of this, you did save my life.

I owe you a debt.

And, well, given the chance to repay it, I
would like to offer my services to do so.

Bye.

If you don't feel that you can trust
me, in that aspect, I understand.

I don't know if you can trust me either.

But, I do my best to be
who I've become so far.

And, well, that person wants
to see a solution to this.

A solution to Maia's issue.

The end of Kanipo, so that this
land can rest without its influence.

And, well, whatever's bothering you, I
hope we can eventually get to the bottom

of it and take care of it as well.

If you wish to be going, I'm happy.

Chris/Vin: Listen, I just want
to be free of any of this.

I want to be in the wall of heaven,
climbing, climbing those mountains.

I want to be in the forest, you know,
in a hammock eating, you know, fresh

blueberries that are not poisonous.

I want to, I don't, I
don't want to be here.

You are right.

But I.

I'm feeling like I am compelled to
do it, and now my body does weird

things I can't, I can't explain.

I don't know how else to, to tell
it to you, I just don't know.

You wanna see?

You wanna see what I can do?

You wanna see these new things
that just are happening to

Archedas/Varren: me?

Yes.

Eventually.

When you're willing to show them.

I'm not going to force you.

Chris/Vin: I activate my deviant ability.

We begin to see, like, my body kind
of elongate a little bit, and piercing

through that fur, we begin to see
bits and pieces of almost these, like,

small spikes, maybe about three inches,
envelop all around his body, piercing

through that fur, piercing around his
things, coming out of his knuckles,

his joints, all these different places.

So much so, where he can't
even walk on the floor.

When he tries to move forward, he
makes this deep, heavy, scratch.

Is this what you want?

Is

Archedas/Varren: this
what you want to see?

Well, it's certainly part of it.

I believe Freya earlier was, during
that fight, fading in and out.

I'm not sure what Mia
may have done to her.

I don't even know what's been done to me.

But, it's a start.

If you wish, and begin looking into
it, you can find out what's causing

you to not be able to control your
actions, or what's compelling you.

It's what I've been doing since I woke
up, is trying to find out these things.

We're all mysteries.

Every one of us.

Every person we've met, every
individual we've spoken to in

regards to this, Canepo, all of us.

We have our own stories to tell,
our own failures, our own successes.

I wouldn't let them define me.

And if there's something you
don't want to be happening, I'm

happy to assist in changing it.

Or at least, figuring
out what's causing it.

Every investigation
has to start somewhere.

I've had my eye on you since we met.

Creepy.

Oh, you're He just kind of gestures
to Beyond just the bone spikes

now protruding out of his body.

I've not met many Venarin themselves.

I don't believe most of
them are flaming as you are.

I don't believe most of them find
themselves compelled into action

that they don't wish to take.

I don't remember what or who I was.

Not being able to control your
actions, I think you could

understand how it would feel.

Not know why or

Pete/GM: what you may have done

Archedas/Varren: without your own memory.

I apologize for raising my voice, pegging
you into this situation against your will.

If you wish, I'll make sure the
bird doesn't go following you again,

and if I ease your attention, I
will come see you about myself.

If there's any other concessions
that you would like to be made, I'm

more than willing to discuss them.

But, as you pointed
out, there is work to be

Chris/Vin: done.

The bones retract into his body, they
only last for a short minute of time.

And as this happens, he's
visibly weakened by this.

Uh, part of my backlash
is that I get real hungry.

So he goes in there, he's like, I
need second breakfast, I'll be back,

and, and thank, and thank you Varan,
I appreciate the, the sentiment there.

Archedas/Varren: As much as I can do.

If you two are ready, let's have a meal
before we go, and we can be on our way.

There's a potato patch out in the
Thin Lands, that if records from

what I've gathered follow, that
is where I can eat a little TNX.

Or at the very least,
a way for reaching it.

Yeah, works for me.

As he's leaving the room, just, same
goes for both of you, by the way.

If there's anything that you need looking
into or that you're not sure of, I'm more

than willing to listen or lend a hand.

Yeah, I'll

Pete/GM: let you know.

You all share an early supper, and
then make your way to the Thinlands.

It is foggy there.

And The sun is starting to
go down, causing the scenery

to become noticeably dimmer.

As you approach the potato patch
Varyn has identified, you do

see a light through the fog.

It's not exactly bright.

It's almost the absence of brightness.

It's almost like a grey hole has formed
in the middle of this potato field.

As there's a zapping of some
kind of energy coming from it.

But as you start to approach
it, you hear growling.

What our adventures will find at
this potato field and on the other

side of the portal, you'll have to
find out next time on Ash and Snow.

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