Pete/GM: Welcome back to Ash and
Snow, level 2 of Gatewalkers.

Have you guys enjoyed
the adventure so far?

We suck.

Yeah, we're

Misfit/Mia: not great at combat.

Pete/GM: We die a lot.

Archedas/Varren: I only
hit the ground once.

I don't think Vin hit the ground at all.

I walked

Misfit/Mia: away with exactly 2 HP.

Archedas/Varren: Yeah, Freya walked
away with should have been dead.

Pete/GM: Yeah, she Yeah,

Misfit/Mia: my wounded track is full.

Yeah.

So if somebody breathes on me
a little too hard, that's it.

It's okay, you're the reason why
I'm, like, Mia is learning medicine.

Actually learning medicine.

Archedas/Varren: Which I have encouraging
words now, so I can tell you, Hey,

maybe stop dying and then you'll just

Pete/GM: feel better, which I really
enjoy because it puts into the perspective

that you all are people who have been
thrust into a situation that you're not

prepared for that is maybe bigger than
yourselves, more expansive than you

could possibly imagine and coming out
of it, bloodied, bruised, but Better

for it, I think, is a pretty solid
direction for this kind of adventure.

Like,

Archedas/Varren: Barret's got a name.

A description of a cryptid and a thing
that ties to the stuff we're looking into.

He's set for the next three weeks.

Pete/GM: Alright.

I'm going cryptid hunting.

Just

Misfit/Mia: three weeks.

That's all.

Pete/GM: If you don't

Archedas/Varren: find it by
that point, it's probably gone.

You gotta find another cryptid to hunt.

That's frustrating.

Sometimes you just go back to
Mothman as like your default state.

I do

Misfit/Mia: not envy Viren.

I don't.

I don't want to hunt
cryptids the rest of my life.

That sounds awful.

Pete/GM: I'll just I'll make
sure to throw the, uh, the

Sandpoint Devil in at some point.

Archedas/Varren: We're a long
way from there, but if he shows

up here, he's getting hunted.

Pete/GM: We begin at the outskirts
of the Wildwood, where our heroes

are now bloodied, bruised, but alive,
in front of seven basalt arches.

The real seven arches.

With Bolin now defeated, and
the unicorn Being freed from

whatever ritual he was planning.

They have been left with
one name, kpo, the Slim.

How do

Chris/Vin: you spell that?

Was it Tan The Slim or Kpo?

Kpo with AK.

Archedas/Varren: K-A-N-E-P-E-E.

I have it in my K-A-N-E-P-O, KA Nepo.

I was close and I was

Chris/Vin: way off when I closed.

Proud of myself.

Archedas/Varren: Weird shadow man.

Aubrey/Freya: All I know is Freya is
probably leaning on someone for support.

Misfit/Mia: Mia's just curled
up underneath you, and you're

just, I imagine you using her
as a pillow, and she's just, eh.

Yeah.

Aubrey/Freya: Just like, full flay.

Laying on the fox

Archedas/Varren: pillow.

Very unlikely gun holster at this point
if we get jumped by more Temiguirs, you

know what for asthma said it's our time
It's our time Collecting up Bolin's body

or at least some thing that looks Enough
of his something of his that would be

hey, we obviously we've dealt with Bolin.

We have this Dragging his body back.

Yeah, cuz when we left town we weren't
exactly We were exactly wanted, probably.

We were very, very wanted.

Just not in the right term of the word.

Misfit/Mia: So what you're hoping
is that we come back and be heroes?

More

Archedas/Varren: like, hey,
sorry we caused a problem.

We dealt with a guy trying to lead an
insurrection to overthrow your town.

Please let us

Aubrey/Freya: back into

Archedas/Varren: your town.

I want a bed.

Yeah, I want a

Aubrey/Freya: bed and a hot meal.

I'd

Misfit/Mia: like to see a doctor at
some point, that'd be real great.

Archedas/Varren: We have a name,
this weird key thing we need to get.

We know where the real arches
are now, there's not a dying

unicorn in the middle of them.

Yeah, what was up with that?

Some ritual thing, I think.

Either way, I have a cork
board I need to start making.

He needs more string.

I have plenty of string.

I just need space to set it up.

Aubrey/Freya: That's why we need the inn.

So you can set up your corkboard, and
I can just lie on a flat surface for

about seven days until my body stops

Archedas/Varren: hurting.

I'm sure there's at least some
sort of medical practitioner

in town that can assist you.

One can help.

Oh god, I'm also going to need
some They're druids, aren't they?

Yeah.

He just looks at all of

Aubrey/Freya: the holds from all of the
acid in my clothes, just being like, ah.

Archedas/Varren: Yeah, they're druids.

They should be able, he could
control them, the fibers, seemingly,

perhaps they can repair them.

Maybe when they're not on my

Aubrey/Freya: body.

Archedas/Varren: Strangled by my scarf.

There's a bandana.

Yeah, how do you feel about this now?

I'm not thinking about it.

I don't properly have an
issue with the bandana.

If it had been more of a problem,
I could have just slipped

a knife under and cut it.

It's not thick.

Meant to keep the wind out.

Vin looks towards

Chris/Vin: the party as
they're having this discussion.

It's like, we just, we're stuck
in the middle of this situation.

And we just killed a man.

What, what are we, what are
we accomplishing right now?

Archedas/Varren: Supposedly it had
something to do with the arches.

He was doing some ritual that would
have had them lost to us with ever this

weird shadowy static was coming about.

So, I gave him the option to stand down.

He chose to die.

He could have stopped.

I don't know, anybody who's But with the
amount of drugs we found on the man, hard

to say that he was in his right mind.

Yeah,

Aubrey/Freya: and he was trying
to bring about a curse that was

worse than Seven arches already
had and that was so bad that elves

Archedas/Varren: couldn't live there.

He was going to die From
his activities either way.

So yeah, definitely some to them
and his death is For win it and not

Aubrey/Freya: unfortunately saying
that like I want to wanted to kill

him It was a time where it is Either
he is going to die, or I was going to

die, and it was a coin flip at that

Chris/Vin: point.

I'm not arguing about the necessity
of self defense, I just ponder about

my placements in the middle of this

Archedas/Varren: incident.

Had you not been there, the unicorn
wouldn't have been freed, and likely

we would all be dead at his hand.

It's fine.

We're instrumental in all of us being

Pete/GM: alive.

If you're just willing to

Misfit/Mia: kill a unicorn, I feel
like there's something wrong with

you and that you need to do some soul

Chris/Vin: searching.

I don't know very much about
unicorns, to be honest.

I

Misfit/Mia: mean, I don't
either, but it looked big.

Archedas/Varren: It looked half dead.

Technically fey.

They're categorically beasts, but they are
fey in nature, it's a strange combination.

Where are

Pete/GM: those drugs?

Those do drug.

Archedas/Varren: Um, I would suggest we
at least, flaily if I could understand

plenty, at least un numb the pain, but
wouldn't suggest taking some of the other.

He had the shiver.

Unless Mia wants to go back
to her barely lucid state and

take down a spoonful of shiver.

Misfit/Mia: Maybe after a nap.

I could really use a nap,
and a shower, and a bath,

Archedas/Varren: and food, and

Misfit/Mia: everything.

Can we go back now?

My paws are tired.

Archedas/Varren: She just, like,

Misfit/Mia: paw crunches
her little toe beans at you.

Archedas/Varren: We can make our way back.

It's a fair while's journey
back to town itself.

We may have to hang about for the night.

I don't know how tired
everyone is feeling.

Are we done here?

Chris/Vin: Do we have everything we need?

Archedas/Varren: We've
gotten to the arches.

The best bet at this point is to
get back with our contacts and

see what we can do from here.

We found the real arches, the illusion
magic at the first, so now that

they're cleared out we can go speak
with Lemma and, what's her name?

Aubrey/Freya: Yeah, we can let the
professor woman know about where

these arches are so she can go

Pete/GM: study them.

Then, as you say that, you start
to search through Bolin's body.

And yes, you find all kinds of illicit
drugs that could do things to you all.

There is one thing there that is missing.

The one thing that you were
sent here to try to recover.

The Shade Wither Key
is not on Bolin's body.

You guys look

Chris/Vin: through this, his

Archedas/Varren: stuff yet?

Well, he mentioned beyond the drugs and
other things, he had the staff on him.

A few odds and ends pieces to
be picked up from the others.

The spider, might be able to
harvest some metamform, but I

didn't see much else of use on him.

Chris/Vin: But, shouldn't he have like a

Archedas/Varren: key of some sort?

Lemma did say he stole it, but...

Aubrey/Freya: He does seem
to be serving somebody.

Maybe he gave the key to this...

Canepo.

That's

Archedas/Varren: my...

He did say...

Just kind of snaps.

When I was attempting to keep him
busy to figure things out and...

Get him speaking.

Before he died, he mentioned that he
did give the key to Kniepo, that he had

it now, and it was out of our reach.

Some sort of deal he must have made,
this Kniepo fellow must have something

to do with at least this area in general.

If he had sent Bolin here to enact
this curse and bring this odd

darkness to the land, it has to have
something to do with one another.

Oh, is our objective even complete?

To the degree that it can be so
far at this point, I think, beyond

a chance to mend our wounds.

Aubrey/Freya: I think that is the
most important, and maybe when we get

back to town, we can see if anybody
knows anything about this Kinnipo.

Because right now, we don't know anything
other than it menaced Mia and her dreams.

Archedas/Varren: He did
reveal a few things.

Yeah, just like that.

He did reveal some information
in the combat itself.

Not particularly useful information,
but things that might lead

to places we can look into.

Folklore legends that might have
some more truth to them than thought.

Yeah.

Should we do

Chris/Vin: anything with the

Archedas/Varren: arches before we go?

I don't think they're going anywhere
and they're much too large to carry.

Well, I'm not

Pete/GM: saying we

Chris/Vin: knock them down and...

Carry them

Archedas/Varren: around.

Aubrey/Freya: Do you want to attempt to
walk through one and see what that does?

Yep.

Misfit/Mia: Wiggles out
from underneath your head.

But tries to do it very gently so your
head doesn't bonk onto the ground.

If you

Aubrey/Freya: feel that I'll lift
my head up so you can wiggle out.

And then just grab my pack
and put it there instead.

Misfit/Mia: Just like, big steppies.

Over and then bumps into a bark arch.

Or like a wall or something.

Blinks.

Oh.

Great.

I used my curse.

Oh, my eyes are going to be bad for days

Pete/GM: now.

Archedas/Varren: I'm sure they'll
be fine enough after a rest.

Pete/GM: Eventually, you
return to Seven Arches.

Outside the gates are the Oak Stewards.

But also, Lima.

The Oak Stewards initially
seem prepared to take you down.

But Lima interjects.

No, no, no.

I know them, I sent them away, and
by the looks of it, I think that

they have good news, do you not?

VB And when's your

Misfit/Mia: definition of good news?

Chip

Archedas/Varren: Just reach
into his coat and pull out that

yellow mask ball and hat on him.

I believe this was a problem of
yours that's no longer present?

VB

Pete/GM: She takes it and then
holds it to the other Oak stewards.

I told them you could get the job done.

Now look, I know that there was
a misunderstanding, I'm aware of

that too, so I'm going to ask as
a professional courtesy, can we

forget that troublesome business?

It was, it's the equivalent
of a prank, don't you think?

Oh, steroids look at each other, yeah
alright, but just for this once, this

doesn't give you a pass on other law
breaking you do in the city, understood?

Chris/Vin: It's like
picking his nose as they're

Archedas/Varren: talking.

We wouldn't have broken the law had
we not needed to in the first place.

I do apologize for that.

Aubrey/Freya: And we promise we're not
gonna mention anything about the arches.

What did we do again?

The arches are fine.

They're

Misfit/Mia: fine.

We drank stuff and did weird stuff

Pete/GM: in the woods.

So you are aware of our

Archedas/Varren: deception.

What deception?

We know nothing of what you speak.

Yeah, we know nothing.

Your arches are fine.

Pete/GM: One of the oak stewards
puts out his staff and parts

your hair, Freya, seigneur.

Elvish ears.

I growl

Misfit/Mia: at him.

This tiny little just errrrr

Pete/GM: Little

Archedas/Varren: personal space
I don't take you in a state to

We can all calm down a bit here.

Bite his ankles.

Don't do that.

Do the thing where you keep
a dog back with your leg?

No.

I'm the small one's always
the most aggressive.

Pete/GM: Bites him!

So you are at the Seven
Arches, but are not dead.

Ah, very alive, yes.

So the curse has been lifted then.

Yes, it appears so.

We move in.

interjects, and the key?

That's

Archedas/Varren: something
you may wish to discuss.

Just look around standing at the gate.

Less public quarters.

We don't have it on us is the short
story of it, but we can give more

details not standing about where anyone
simply walking by might overhear.

Pete/GM: Her brow furrows.

What do you mean he doesn't have the key?

And you don't have the keys?

You looked everywhere?

Archedas/Varren: On his person, in the
area around the arches, we did some brief

investigation to see what was there.

His associate didn't have it on him.

Uh, when he was passing on to whatever
place his dealings have sent him, he

mentioned something about a sponsor
of his that had been given the key.

And a particular name

Pete/GM: that may have come up.

You'll need to tell me all about it.

Of course.

She escorts you to Vine Hall.

And you recount your brief
adventure, your harrowing tale.

Aubrey/Freya: Really about
how much we almost died.

Misfit/Mia: Talk about how stupid that

Pete/GM: spider was.

When she reaches Vinehall,
she says, Bolin had indeed

corrupted a number of our order.

I, I am glad that he is gone,
but the larger issue remains.

He was trying to bring back Curse,
but expand it to kill more people?

All

Archedas/Varren: braces, essentially.

He rattled off a few, but I essentially
think his goal was for the curse to affect

all living things on the material plane.

Pete/GM: If the key to the Obnubilate
Curse is indeed the Shadeweather Key,

then it is of the utmost importance
that it, that it is recovered.

He only gave you a name of
someone who he handed it off to?

Yes.

Archedas/Varren: Someone is a strong word.

Being is more

Aubrey/Freya: appropriate.

The name Kniepo rang a bell.

Pete/GM: The Slim.

The story?

Yes.

Archedas/Varren: Yes.

He was quite insistent that
this was who he had given it to.

Uh, no attempted subtlety of the sort.

Uh, he either truly had gone mad and
believed the story to be true, and someone

is impersonating it, for their benefit,
or your boogeyman of lore is bit less

of a story and more of a folk tale.

Pete/GM: I'm sorry, I have
trouble believing true.

Even though this is a land of
magic, there are certain creatures

and things whose description and
power are still beyond belief.

Kniepo is one that has been around for
centuries, and yet no one has ever seen or

returned verifiable proof that it exists.

Archedas/Varren: If

Aubrey/Freya: it's not
Kniepo, it is somebody that...

He very much believed was Kanipo,
someone pretending to take

this legend to use for their

Archedas/Varren: own gain, at least.

We can't necessarily say either
that no one has seen him.

Mia has.

Bolin was quite insistent
that she was chosen by him.

Not in the sense, I believe, that
is similar to Vin's empowerment.

More of a...

I pick this one, of sorts.

Aubrey/Freya: Look, that, this
is our very cute fox girl.

He can't have her.

Misfit/Mia: It just looks at
you, and she's just flat ears.

Archedas/Varren: We have a few
clues to go off of already.

It's tangential, and I have no evidence of
it, but he was attempting to sacrifice a

unicorn when we arrived, so I would assume
that the Fae have something to do with it.

He was claiming that this thin
man Can you put the slim was

responsible for the Gorgas showing up?

We were assaulted by a few
Temagirs when we were there.

There was a odd Magical disturbance in
the area around where he was attempting

this ritual Darkness seemed to just be
soaking in and taking the life out of

that matter The plants are still dead
If you go out to the arches the grass

a good distance around is dead or in
the process of dying I believe it's

slow to stop since the ritual has been
ended, but there were Odd bits of dark

static in the air that leeched life.

Pete/GM: That is all extremely troubling.

Archedas/Varren: On the upside, it was
able to be dispelled by Freya's magic.

She was able to put a stop to it enough
for us to get past and an end to it.

So it's not insurmount.

Pete/GM: Yes.

Well, enough oddity has gone on
that we cannot discount this.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything
about Kniepo other than that he's the

product of Overimaginative minstrels,
and farmers afraid of the dark.

If there is any truth to this
creature's existence, you will

have to do more investigation into
who he is and how to find him.

I can think of a couple places to start.

Our library, the Quaking Stacks, is...

Archedas/Varren: You don't have to go
there, I'll handle the book reading.

Pete/GM: The stacks are quite a
sight to behold, but books are not

for you, that is, to each their own.

Though it is a very good
repository of knowledge.

There could be something there that might
help you uncover a bit more to this.

If the Gorgas are also attached to
Kniepo, you might want to ask one of

the latest victims of the Gorga attack.

I can give you their information.

His name is Papel.

Most people call him Pa, though.

He's one of our farmers.

There's also been a recent attack
where, unfortunately, the victim

was not so lucky as to escape.

Perhaps something at the scene of
that attack might shed some light.

And the place where all of this
legend originates is fairly

close, at the Thinland Farms.

Sounds like a tomorrow

Chris/Vin: task, guys.

Yeah.

Archedas/Varren: We are

Pete/GM: quite beat up.

If you

Archedas/Varren: have any healing magic to
offer, it would certainly be appreciated.

Some of these wounds are going
to be difficult to sleep off.

Pete/GM: Oh, absolutely.

Please feel free to
stay here for the night.

We can offer you some of our healing
magic to get you back on your feet.

And then you can take off.

Whenever you need to.

I would, however, say that if this
Kniepo is set on doing something worse

than bringing back the curse, the time
is of the essence to recover the key.

Of

Archedas/Varren: course, I don't
intend to be dragging feet on this.

Yeah.

And the longer we wait, the less
information those that have been evicted

of them in the scene have for us.

So, the sooner the better.

Pete/GM: Exactly.

With that, she bids you well.

And takes you to some
dormitories within the vine hall.

They are very comfortable.

The beds are mossy and soft.

And they each have a kind of unnatural
light behind these little waterfalls.

That kind of sparkle bits of
light all around the room.

Creating a nice watery effect
throughout the whole place.

It's comfortable.

And yet, feels almost like
you're outside in the forest.

Archedas/Varren: I

Aubrey/Freya: feel very much it's
a collapse into bed, kick off your

boots, go to sleep kind of exhaustion.

Like not even fully out of your
clothes, it's just boots are off,

pack is down, I am horizontal, I

Misfit/Mia: am out.

Yeah, does a couple circles, pats
down, and then just like flops.

Pete/GM: Absolutely.

Archedas/Varren: Baron Oggly doesn't, he
takes the coat off, but he leaves most

of his other clothes on going to bed.

It feels weird sleeping on moss to him
rather than like a straw or hay bed.

It's that uncomfortable kind of,
this feels wet, but it isn't.

It's a waterbed.

Chris/Vin: Something about
moss and a fire monk does not

sound like a good combination.

Vin pulls out his bedroll.

Decides not to risk fire, air, and moss.

Alright!

Like, stares at the moss for a
good ten minutes, and he's like,

about to ask the party about it.

And then they're all asleep.

Out,

Pete/GM: out

Misfit/Mia: cold.

Like, I would, I'm gonna venture
to say that Mia sleeps so hard.

When she wakes up the next
morning, she's a human.

Pete/GM: Have you ever
slept so hard you transform?

What

Chris/Vin: the?

Aubrey/Freya: Say

Archedas/Varren: bright.

And it's full cocoon
status, except it's a bed.

Pete/GM: You all go to sleep, and it
is that kind of deep sleep where it

feels like you shouldn't have dreams
that your body is heavier than stone.

And yet, you do have dreams.

Some peaceful.

Freya, though, you are having one of your
familiar, adventurous dreams with members

of the Pathfinder Society, Escaping.

Some kobolds who are chasing you through
a derelict dungeon, but off to the side

of your eye every once in a while There
is a hallway that extends out It's far

from the path that you are supposed to
be taking because you are following the

heroes Yoni Valeros as they need to get
out as soon as possible, but down these

hallways you do not see several times you
see A man, far down the hallway, wearing

a white mask and a fine coat that has
white fur and thick horns attached to it.

And he just keeps appearing, standing
there, though not running beside you, but

there as though he's been standing there
the entire time, but just brief flashes.

Aubrey/Freya: And it's like we're
almost running in a circle, passing

by these, uh, these hallways, or is
it like It's each subsequent hallway.

Pete/GM: It's each subsequent hallway.

You are in the middle of your adventure.

You are swinging across vines.

You're jumping across crevasses and
dodging hazards and traps and stuff

every once in a while throughout
the duration of your dream.

There'll be a place where you're not
going and this man will be there.

Aubrey/Freya: Oh, I think
that maybe after the.

Third or fourth time of seeing
him and being very sure that

it's the same person each time.

There's a moment where Freya
turns to the others and is, I

think I saw something this way.

Maybe there's a way out.

Maybe we can put some distance
between these kobolds and us.

As I turn towards said hallway.

Pete/GM: And Fumbus just grabs
your hand and lurches you away.

As soon

Misfit/Mia: as

Pete/GM: you seem to have Actually
acknowledged his presence.

He walks into a side hallway and you
don't see him for the rest of your dream.

It's one of

Aubrey/Freya: those moments where,
you know, when I wake up, I'm

immediately going to go to my
journal and attempt to sketch out

Pete/GM: what I remember.

Then you are in a darkness.

You're standing, you have solid ground.

Beneath your feet, but nothing
around you has form or shape.

Nothing is even reflecting around you.

It is just a pitch black.

And you hear a voice.

Fid.

Uh, uh, uh, hello?

You are

Archedas/Varren: weak.

Pete/GM: I, I know.

If you fail again...

I'll take you over and
see that the job's done.

O okay.

Understand the greatness of this, Vin.

You will either get
stronger, or you will be

Archedas/Varren: placed.

Chris/Vin: O okay.

Pete/GM: Your mission is proceeding

Chris/Vin: as planned, though.

Good job, Vin!

Yourself

Archedas/Varren: so

Chris/Vin: easily, yet.

Someone's got to.

You'll be the judge of that.

I was always told I do
better with positivity.

Pete/GM: You are able to wake up.

Varin, you have that familiar dream
of running around in a mountainous

landscape, snowy, a cacophony behind you.

But unlike that other time, there
is no one else watching you.

It is just you, excellent dream.

Full of rainbows and gnomes.

And other foxes to play with.

It's when you wake up.

Hovering above you is something
that was not there last time.

On a small string is a stick figure.

A literal stick figure.

It is like a fox made of reeds and
branches just dangling over you.

Super no.

Misfit/Mia: Do not like.

That is so creepy.

Does it Oh, okay.

Question.

Does it have three tails like she does,
or just, it's reminiscent of a fox figure?

Pete/GM: It's reminiscent of a fox.

Okay.

Misfit/Mia: Less creepy, still creepy.

On a scale of 1 to I'm
about to poop my pants, I'm

Pete/GM: at a like a 10.

And you all wake up with various degrees
of being refreshed the following morning.

Probably sore, but able to take a nap.

A day for yourselves.

Misfit/Mia: So do I actually, like,
physically have this little fox thing?

Pete/GM: Yes, absolutely.

In imagination, it is a physical

Misfit/Mia: object.

Okay, because that's what
she's going to think at first.

Like, blink her eyes open,
everything's still really fuzzy.

And then it gets clear enough for her to
see the figure of this little stick fox.

Mm mm.

Mm mm.

And not even realizing
that she's not a fox.

Like, totally human form.

Just, like...

Someone wake up.

Aubrey/Freya: Imagine...

Imagine you're just like hitting my
leg and I'm kind of already sitting

up like, sketching this figure in my
dream and I just like, I look over,

maybe, is Mia having another nightmare?

Uh, oh, no.

Mia appears to be awake.

What's up?

Misfit/Mia: Like, I just
shove this in your face.

Where did this come from?

Why is it here?

Who put it here?

What?

Aubrey/Freya: You can
ask one of the other...

Truth, does the shape or form

Pete/GM: mean anything to me?

Besides that, it looks like a fox.

Misfit/Mia: Okay.

Varan, Varan, you're like, up to
date on all the weird, creepy things.

What does this mean?

And she holds this little
stick fox in your face.

Uh, what does it mean?

Tell me.

I'm

Archedas/Varren: scared.

Looking over, Varan's not in his bed.

He's not there.

All right,

Aubrey/Freya: my

Misfit/Mia: eyes are bad.

Can Iepo get Varan?

But, like, Baron's not there, is he?

I look over, and I see Baron is
not there, and it's just like,

Archedas/Varren: Haaah, that's gross.

Like, the snow boots are on his coat,
does it look to be laid out anywhere?

Looks like he took it
with him wherever he went.

He's not there.

He

Chris/Vin: took off his
coat before he went to bed.

Does Vin see his coat anywhere?

Archedas/Varren: Uh, no, he would've,
if he were still in that same room, he

would've taken it with him when he left.

Doesn't look like he disappeared,
just looks like he got up

before everyone else and...

Pete/GM: You don't look like
he's like a bandit, do you?

He's

Misfit/Mia: probably somewhere nearby.

Yeah, I'm freaking out because
I think this thing like

kidnapped you or something.

Chris/Vin: His shoes are
gone and his coat is gone.

I think he just went for

Pete/GM: breakfast.

Archedas/Varren: Doesn't he strike you

Misfit/Mia: as an early riser?

Pete/GM: He

Misfit/Mia: strikes me as an early riser.

He strikes me as someone
who's a loner and needs a hug.

Like, all the time.

I think

Archedas/Varren: we all
need hugs all the time.

Misfit/Mia: Would you like a hug?

Yes, please.

Dean just offers hugs to everybody.

I had bad dreams.

I had great dreams.

I had a strange dream.

I wish I had a strange dream.

Because waking up from a strange
dream to something strange would

have been a little more normal.

But waking up from an awesome,
sleepy dream, and then that?

Aubrey/Freya: Resting for the night
does make my wounded go away, right?

Yes,

Misfit/Mia: absolutely.

Hey, get

Pete/GM: rid of

Archedas/Varren: that.

Once you get fully healed and rest
for 10 minutes, your wound goes away.

Sleep!

You wanna get some coffee?

Aubrey/Freya: Oh yeah, coffee
does sound so good right

Archedas/Varren: now.

A different kind of drug.

Come on.

Aubrey/Freya: Okay!

It's the acceptable kind of drug.

Archedas/Varren: Categorically, yes.

It's in the drug column
on Archives of Ethos.

Blood Eyed Coffee!

Chris/Vin: Varan as we look
for a McDonald's or something.

Pete/GM: So Varin

Archedas/Varren: walked through a bakery.

Galarian

Pete/GM: McDonald's.

So where is Varin?

As he woke up early.

Archedas/Varren: He would
have gotten up early.

These are druids.

They know about animals.

The connection in his mind.

He's got a weird bird
that lives in his arm.

That makes sense.

So he's gonna, he would have
gotten his chance to rest,

woken up before everyone else.

Not.

bothered to wake anyone else up because
they're sleeping and probably tired and

just gone out found one of the druids
who seems to work well with animals or

has an animal companion with them and
started to just discuss and like try

to figure out about this bird and how
it works because it's Obviously tied

to him in some way, shape, or form,
but he doesn't understand it at all or

have any way to communicate with it.

He just knows it can turn into a tattoo
and come out of his arm and knows

how to reload his gun with its beak.

Works as well as fingers, seemingly.

Just tries to get more of a handle
of, Okay, I finally have someone

that might know about this at all.

Pete/GM: Help.

Sure.

As you approach the druids and ask them
about these things going on with this

weird tattooed creature, they ask you
probably many of the same questions

that you have been asked before.

Are you a sorcerer?

Are you a witch?

Don't you just have some kind of familiar

Archedas/Varren: ability?

To my knowledge, I woke up and
this was a new understanding.

It may have been there
before, to all I know.

I forgot everything, but this felt
new, that there was no recognition,

even in the deepest parts of my mind.

It knew more about the weapon than
I did, it's hard to describe, but

no, at the time I don't even believe
it could fly, but it seems to be

able to free itself, so I think it

Pete/GM: can.

They look at it, and
it looks like a raven.

Would they It's not quite.

Yes.

Though there are many animals
that gain a white hue.

In nature, it is rare,
granted, but it happens.

Have you named it?

Archedas/Varren: Not particularly yet.

Again, I can't communicate with it, and
from my companions, she has a servant

of sorts that she's named Jormungandr.

Or maybe it was simply named
Jormungandr and gave the name to her.

I don't know.

Pete/GM: So, you have
never given it a name.

Have you tried to call out to it?

Archedas/Varren: Particularly, it's...

I haven't known how.

To be frank, it's a bird living
in my arm as a magical tattoo.

I understand none of this.

It simply just seems to be the way things

Pete/GM: are.

It's true.

Though, with any creature, be it a
familiar, an Eidolon, or a normal house

cat, building a relationship with it is...

A critical part of being
able to understand it.

If you simply accept it as a part
of your body, not talking with it as

you wouldn't talk with a hand, you
will no more understand it than you

would understand each of your fingers.

You would simply know that it's there.

Archedas/Varren: I've studied
those quite extensively.

You have to know the scars and
such in case you forget again.

But besides the point of
what you've I understand.

Pete/GM: This creature...

Whatever it is, however it came to be
attached to you, has a personality,

it is clear as day, it has a
purpose, and it is attached to you.

It is only natural that you try to
commune with it, and build a sense

of trust, build a relationship, view
it not as a pet, view it as part

of you, treat it I don't like it.

Like an equal.

Archedas/Varren: Well, it does
do the reloading for me, so...

At the moment, I still don't know
how this thing actually opens

up to put bullets inside, so...

Without it, I wouldn't be
able to much do my job.

Pete/GM: Yes, but be careful.

Don't just view it as a tool.

View it as...

A companion,

Archedas/Varren: as well.

We'll see if it wants to
come out more often, then.

Typically, it's more than happy to
stay below in the tattoo form, but...

Perhaps it wants to fly about

Pete/GM: now and then.

As you're having this
conversation, you see...

The rest of your party...

Coming down the stairs of Vinehall.

He's

Archedas/Varren: not like trying
to stay hidden or anything.

It's a man in full winter clothes.

Very recognizable.

Aubrey/Freya: Okay, good.

You haven't been kidnapped.

Mia

Pete/GM: runs up to

Misfit/Mia: you.

What's this?

Why was it above my bed?

Archedas/Varren: Coffee.

Chris/Vin: Coffee.

Archedas/Varren: I don't know
if the druids, they have tea.

Actually quite good tea, in fact.

Aubrey/Freya: Be sure we can find coffee.

Yeah, somewhere out in town.

It's gotta be somewhere.

Archedas/Varren: Just turn to the
druid that I've been speaking with.

I certainly appreciate it.

It's a pleasant conversation.

I'll certainly have to
give things a look into.

Perhaps Freya can give me
some insight with her serpent.

I may stop by again
with further questions.

I've never seen it eat.

Do they need to eat?

There was slightly a concern of
mine for the first few weeks.

It didn't seem to need to consume food.

It just existed.

Is that like a treat thing?

That they can eat, but they just do it as

Pete/GM: a treat?

I'm sure that it might
accept vittles of some kind.

It's up for you to discover that.

Archedas/Varren: We'll
see what it likes then.

But, for now, pull themselves up.

I believe breakfast is in
order, and then off to work.

Mia, well, take a look at
that while we're eating.

I'll see what I can discern.

Thank you!

Quite of the younger druids
just took a liking to your

fox form and made an effigy.

But I can look into it.

Aubrey/Freya: I think it's just creepy
that it was left in our room where I was,

Archedas/Varren: oh, what

Misfit/Mia: creepy face.

Sky did that.

Archedas/Varren: What
did you see him again?

Misfit/Mia: Trust me, let's do it.

You would've known if I
saw him again, I wouldn't.

I, the

Pete/GM: whole world would've

Archedas/Varren: known.

Ben, do you seem rather quiet this
morning besides the want of coffee?

You ever grow up and had
an imaginary friend yet?

I don't know.

Yeah, Sally,

Aubrey/Freya: I did.

Chris/Vin: Goddammit

Archedas/Varren: again, I'm sorry.

The whole full life amnesia for
this last six months and a few

weeks, it gets to you sometimes.

I understand.

It's hard to relate to.

I'm, I'm still listening intently
and wishing to know your story

yet, but I cannot compare it
to anything I've experienced.

Theoretically, you might have had
an imaginary, maybe I could have.

Maybe that's where the bird comes from.

I don't know.

You

Pete/GM: ever like.

Chris/Vin: Sorry, sorry, Baron.

Archedas/Varren: I forgot.

It's not like I have a problem
with it, I'm just making

sure you understand, I don't.

Nevermind.

Chris/Vin: Let's go get coffee.

Archedas/Varren: You can tell
us about it on the way there.

Freyja and Mia will be able to
have a more comprehensive idea

of what you're speaking about.

I can understand from context.

Misfit/Mia: Because someone left
this little stick fox, Mia is

spending the day in her dot fox form.

Because she's freaked out.

Aubrey/Freya: She wanted to hold a

Misfit/Mia: hand.

No, but she looks extra freaked out.

Mia spends the majority of her time
in her fox form because it makes

dealing with the world easier because
most people just leave her alone.

Because they're like,
oh, just a fox, whatever.

So as a person, she feels
like she has to interact.

So she's just like walking
around all wide eyed like, What

is even happening right now?

And probably walking through a
lot of like, doors and chairs.

She's just not, her eyes are bad.

That's another reason why

Aubrey/Freya: I'm afraid we'll have to
watch you walk into the fourth table.

We'll be like, come on, come

Archedas/Varren: on.

Aubrey/Freya: It's okay, Willy.

Archedas/Varren: Make sure
you don't run into any

Pete/GM: more tables or pedestrians.

The Riverlands are a
diverse land of trade.

And you are able to find a Kalish
merchant who is selling coffee.

Out of a heated sand contraption,
putting the coffee and the

water into just a vat of sand.

You see it starting to boil,
and then he pours it into cups,

selling it for five silver pieces.

Aubrey/Freya: It feels like
highway robbery, but Freya

will hand over the silver.

Pete/GM: Alright, give me
a fortitude saving throw.

Actual mechanics?

Archedas/Varren: Yep,

Aubrey/Freya: that's fantastic.

That's

Archedas/Varren: real strong.

I just want normal

Chris/Vin: coffee.

You know, poisonous coffee.

Just kidding, I want poisonous coffee.

I will drink my monster equivalent in

Archedas/Varren: coffee.

Jesus.

Okay.

Pete/GM: It is

Archedas/Varren: a poison.

So if you have stuff that gives you
bonuses to poison, it technically

gives you a bonus against coffee?

I

Aubrey/Freya: don't believe I have
anything that gives me bonuses against

Archedas/Varren: poison.

I think the only one that would
at this stage is Alchemist.

Because they've drank enough
poison in their life already.

There's a nine

Aubrey/Freya: to save against coffee.

Pete/GM: It's huge.

Why would I want

Archedas/Varren: to save against this?

I'm involuntarily ingesting it.

Yeah, exactly.

Pete/GM: Yeah, me against a cup.

You drink the coffee, but have
no positive effects from it.

Chris/Vin: Ew.

I would also like to roll
against coffee for five silver

Misfit/Mia: pieces.

I would also like to roll against.

Aubrey/Freya: It's that first
cup of the day where it just

gets you back to the left.

It's

Misfit/Mia: the obvious first
time having anything like this.

She smells it and it's
just, and you just drink it.

Like normal, it's not normal color.

This isn't, like, which
shouldn't be this color.

Pete/GM: Sixteen against coffee.

Alright, you reach stage one.

Actually, if you save...

You have the effects.

Yeah, if you fail, that's
when you get the effects.

Okay, so, Freya, I should have said,
You get a plus one item bonus to AC

and saves to which you are taking
penalties caused by the fatigued

condition for the next ten minutes.

So

Archedas/Varren: it still does nothing
to you because you're not fatigued.

Pete/GM: Then, you feel great, and...

Mia, you also have that item
bonus for the fatigue condition.

Mia's

Misfit/Mia: tail's just like,
flicking around everywhere,

like she is overly hyper.

Yeah, let's go do stuff!

Let's go ask things!

Like, Hey, what about this?

Have we figured this out?

Do we know what this is?

Do you think there's a book for this?

Can I go look at a book?

Archedas/Varren: It was a library.

Varan has, after I was getting coffee,
Varan has returned, like just after the

last person has gotten coffee from the
next stall over where he spent probably

the same amount of time as all three
of you getting an order and having

coffee made, trying to grab an ice cream
cone from a man flicking at a bell.

Matt's got good hands,
I've got to give it to him.

He had me going for a while and then I got
aggravated and nearly reached for the gun.

I paid money for it, I wanted it.

I've seen this

Pete/GM: YouTube video before.

Now, the Smoothing Toddy, the Egg Cream
Fizz, Dream Time Tea, Scholar's Drop.

Archedas/Varren: Are these all in
the poison category or are they

in the drug category or both?

Pete/GM: They're consumables.

There's a chocolate egg cream fizz.

It's level 5.

Kids don't have cho
It's a blood eye coffee.

The blood eye coffee is a level 0 item,
so you can have that whenever you want.

Chris/Vin: How much does a barrel cost?

Archedas/Varren: A lot.

I'll compense 5

Chris/Vin: silver.

I don't buy my plus 1 weapon, I
could probably afford a barrel.

Archedas/Varren: You walk into
a soda bar in Galarian and drop

The cost of a house on one drink.

It's a level 5 item that's 30

Pete/GM: gold.

So what is the party's plan for today?

So as

Chris/Vin: Vin takes his drink,
kind of perks up a little bit.

Yeah.

Almost a lighter as his fire
hair gets a little brighter.

So what is our plan?

I feel like we're...

We, we've done what we
are obligated to do.

Archedas/Varren: Yes and no.

There's still the issue of we
need to investigate the arches and

without the key we can't properly
do that so we need to get the key.

I stopped paying

Chris/Vin: attention after
yes so Baron agrees with me.

We have done our obligation.

Archedas/Varren: I'm going to go speak
Papel and see if I can't find any

information about that Golka attack.

That seems like a good
enough place to start.

I'm good enough with getting
people to spill stories.

Aubrey/Freya: Is that in the city?

Or do we have to leave the city for that?

Archedas/Varren: There's a
farmer, so I would assume

it's nearby at the very least.

Perhaps outside the walls, but...

Aubrey/Freya: If we're gonna
leave the city, I think we should

all do it at the same time.

I imagine there's a few things
that we want to all pick up.

We could get a little
bit of money from that.

Sell some of this gear
that we got off of Dawn.

And, honestly, probably
our best bet is the stacks.

We can get any information.

I mean, our best bet, like,
for any information is the,

Archedas/Varren: you know.

The fax is a good default for us.

That was my plan after
speaking with individuals.

I'd rather have the memories
fresh in their mind.

So y'all

Chris/Vin: are committing
to doing something today?

How about next week?

My schedule opens up in a couple days.

I was gonna go eat a banana

Archedas/Varren: for two days straight.

An awful long time to spend
eating a single banana.

The big banana.

Regret saying that out loud.

It's there now.

It's there.

Aubrey/Freya: It exists in the universe.

Um, and again, it's just, I'm going
to try to get my weapon improved.

I, I definitely, if we're going to
be fighting Fae, I would very much

like to, um, be able to deal with

Archedas/Varren: them.

And I would suggest if you have any means
to, Silver and Colt did seem to have

a fairly, while it was simple enough.

More than...

They might be able to get you
with simply a Cold Iron Dagger of

some sort, but dealing with a Fae
is certainly going to be useful.

Yeah.

At the very least, if they don't want
to stay down, those tend to work.

Yeah, there's

Aubrey/Freya: that, and then, yeah,
get equipment, I probably should train.

And, yeah, research
anything in the stacks.

That's gonna be my plan, I think.

Before asking anybody.

Just cause if we do have to leave the
town, I think we should all be together.

Just in case we encounter
anything on the road.

It

Archedas/Varren: seems fair.

I don't think there'll be much.

I wanna go to the I think we'll

Pete/GM: be seeing the
last Star thing that the

Misfit/Mia: lady was talking about.

Archedas/Varren: That would be the
same location I was looking at.

Where Poppelle was last seen.

The origin point, that definitely
we should go together with whoever

this legend originated that.

I'd say that's last stop
after we've gathered some more

Pete/GM: information.

I don't

Misfit/Mia: necessarily want
to be there at night though.

I'm just gonna, I'm gonna throw that out

Archedas/Varren: there.

Yes, that's a good idea.

Or

Chris/Vin: day drinking.

Aubrey/Freya: You do
drive a very hard bargain.

Misfit/Mia: I take like

Pete/GM: a

Archedas/Varren: day.

You're welcome to I've more than enough
to keep me busy here in town for a day

You all like to go about your business.

I can look into things were

Chris/Vin: Baron hear me out

Archedas/Varren: Playly Yes, I'm gonna
be going to speak with my pal now as

Pete/GM: our heroes venture off to
find out who meepo the slim is Will

they be successful in their task?

What is it that was
communicating with Vin?

And what insidious plan...

is there with the key to the seven arches.

Find out next time on Ash and Snow.

Maybe we'll also

Archedas/Varren: find out why my

Pete/GM: eyes are so itchy.

Allergies.

Misfit/Mia: Ash

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