Speaker A
The wheels have shifted in Algar. Once Colonar Shore, a beacon of pride and glory.
The Last Ideal Chapter 12 follows four diverse characters navigating intrigue and danger at a grand ball in the city of Algar.
Key Takeaways
- The Last Ideal is a narrative-driven Cosmere RPG actual play focused on character-driven storytelling.
- Chapter 12 centers on a high-stakes social event requiring stealth, diplomacy, and careful planning.
- The party must navigate political intrigue and criminal threats while protecting a key NPC, Lady Azure.
- Character backstories and relationships heavily influence the unfolding plot and player decisions.
- The game master integrates community engagement and immersive worldbuilding throughout the session.
What the video covers
- The setting is Algar, formerly Colonar Shore, now a city weighed down by despair and shadowy threats.
- Four main characters—a truth-seeking investigator, a fierce mercenary thief, a radiant fabricator, and a defiant Voron wolf—are drawn together by fate.
- The group gathers at the Spark Flicker to plan an operation involving escorting Lady Azure, a mysterious newcomer, at the queen's ball.
- Documents grant the party official guest status as part of Bright Lord Raor's retinue, with strict instructions to get Lady Azure safely to Raor's carriage.
- Previous events include political and criminal tensions involving the network, Navali, and a local crime lord named Rave.
- Berdelar confronts Rave after his family’s financial security is threatened, escalating local tensions.
- The party prepares for the elegant ball, discussing attire, roles, and potential dangers.
- The narrative blends high fantasy elements with espionage and social intrigue in a richly detailed urban environment.
- The transcript includes live commentary, community interactions, and roleplay dynamics.
- The chapter sets the stage for a complex social encounter with hidden agendas and potential conflict.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Setting the Scene in Algar
- 10:47Reviewing the Dossier and Mission Briefing
- 21:50Character Interactions and Roleplay Moments
- 29:24Preparation for the Elegant Ball
- 37:07Entering the Ball and Initial Observations
- 46:38Social Dynamics and Encounters at the Ball
- 55:28Ongoing Intrigue and Character Development
- 62:08Closing Scenes and Setup for Next Chapter
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Now its towns grow beneath the weight of despair. Its people whisper of shadows moving in the rain.
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Of oaths long broken beneath the thunder's roar. Four souls drawn together, bound by threads unseen.
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An investigator, chasing truth through a city drowning in secrets. A thief. Mercenary by name, but fierce of heart, determined to save the whole that scorns them.
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A fabric cloaked in falsehood, shaping light and metal, seeking to forge a better tomorrow before the storm consumes the present.
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The Voron wolf staring defiance into the eyes of destiny, striving to become more than her world dares to allow.
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The city trembles. Cults old and forgotten whisper beneath the weeping stone. And from the tempest comes a call for those who would speak the last eye to you.
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Hello internet. Hello www.twitch.tv/anotherworldtabletop. How are you doing tonight? How are we silent? You hear the tragic complete lack of a soundtrack right now. For the watchers on YouTube, uh, no, you don't. I added it. I added the music in post and
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you're totally fine and you probably don't know what I'm talking about. But for the live viewers right now, you people in particular, specifically Spoony, actually, because you're the first noncast member to say hello in chat, uh, there's no music for you. Um
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and, uh, we apologize for that. Um, on behalf of Kenku, um, because as our wonderful talented Bonita Craig of inspiration has said, uh, there is chatter on the internet that has said Ku's down. Um, feels a little [ __ ] up. Feels a little
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[ __ ] up to be directly on our night, uh, to play The Last Ideal. Mr. Kenku, if you're in chat, I know you're a big fan.
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Uh, and I just want you to know that I think this is [ __ ] up. Um, and I will be speaking to your manager. Um, so, and your dad.
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And your dad. Yeah, absolutely. Um, I'm calling, I'm calling your mom. Um, to be honest, wonderful pillars of the community. We love your work with Albert Rodeo and also Kenku.
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Yeah, 100%. We're a, we're a huge fan. We're upsetty. Yeah, we're, we're huge fans. We love your product. We love what you do. Uh, it just, and it, and it actually sucks and takes away from us when it isn't
Speaker A
working, but we love you. Uh, we love you very, very much. Um, kisses. So, we are on chapter 10. Chapter 12. Sorry, I'm all [ __ ] up. Uh, we are on chapter 12. Uh, of The Last Ideal, our Cosmir RPG
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actual play. And to give a little bit of a recap of what had happened last time, our, our lovely radiance had made some interesting and very dynamic choices.
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There was a lot of experimentation. Our else caller Feranial going and making a very concerted effort to explore their own power set to look beyond the physical realm and into the cognitive in one of the most, uh, diverse and busy places
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of Colonar and our Alstrm having had an encounter, uh, with a certain set of, uh, network individuals, two of the youths, uh, that operate underneath Navali.
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Uh, than Navali themselves making a, uh, making a pretty big announcement, um, getting a consensus, uh, to truly, uh, find a home for the network, uh, these sort of weward, uh, these, these weward youths that had followed, uh, Navali into the brereech so
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to speak. And after Navali had slayed, uh, Qatar, leaving the network without a head, uh, it was decided that they would go back to their, to their traditional stomping grounds to the, the Warren that had served as their home for so long. These
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carved out soulcasted, uh, sections of stone, uh, that act as sistns and slleways for Colonar's rainwaters were to be once again repurposed into a home for the network to operate within. Now Berdalar made a series of, of choices. Uh
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there was a few revelations that Bertoar's sister Miala had been in contact with operatives of Rave, the owner of one of the local gambling halls, um, an organized criminal of some renown and clout.
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And it had come to light that his family, uh, by and large were being, uh, browbeat and, uh, forced into a sort of oppressive financial situation. The small fortune that Berlar had provided to, uh, sort of be a safety net, a cushion
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for his family's, uh, comfort and safety for the near future was essentially robbed right out from underneath Miala by these operatives of Rave's. Now, Berdelar being the reasonable and long-term planning individual that he is, uh, not one to fly off the handle or, uh, take
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anything too terribly personally. Uh, he immediately stormed, uh, to Ra's location, his own hideout, uh, made a series of daring illusions and intimidations and, uh, uh, incredible threats, uh, towards Rave in the form of, uh, direct, um, and
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open threats against, uh, Ra's life, uh, with, uh, the use of a Pilford shard blade and, uh, recently revealed radiant powers.
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Uh, Rave in M in return, uh, rather than be cowed, made a sort of open declaration of opposition towards Berdalar, putting them in a very tense, uh, future Tet.
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Whether that was Berdelar's intention, uh, remains to be seen, but it was the actions that he decided to take. Uh, drawing a line in the sand when it came to his family and not allowing, uh, anyone to simply step all over, um, you know the
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little Herdian, uh, uh, paradise that he has carved out for himself and his immediate circle in Little Herd has. So where we sat at the very end was our group coming together and meeting at the Spark Flicker in order to
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sort of have a, uh, uh, a discussion about the, the operation that was offered to them by, uh, Tonavir, uh, all the way back.
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This sort of arrangement to go and collect a newcomer to the city. Uh, that being the lady known as, uh, Lady Azure.
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Uh, someone that was apparently coming from very, very far away and making their first appearance within Colonar at this, at a Sedan the queen's, uh, ball. Uh, now excuse me. So what we sit in now is the sort of
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few hours to like half day of planning and collection of, of the, the last minute items, the going over of the dossas, uh, and the package that was, uh, delivered by, by Clim. So, seeing as none of you have
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went your separate ways yet, um, we can, we can go over, um, the specifics of said, uh, dossier.
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So, you sit within the environs of the, uh, the, the basement of the Spark Flicker and we can presume that you open up the, the folder and put the collected items onto the, uh, onto the table.
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It is a collection of documents, uh, for the most part. Two of them being for the dark-eyed individuals within the, the party, uh, that being Navali and, uh, for Aniel. Now these documents are for attendance.
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You are official guests recognized as the retinue, uh, of Bright Lord Raor. And you read these documents as scratching at the door of the basement, uh, is a cat, uh, that is let in by, uh, one of the friend
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tithe everyone. I'm so sorry. So now looking over these documents, uh, it has a, uh, placard of attendance. Um, a small, uh, a small paper document that, uh, dictates that you are in, uh, you are in attendance as one of the member of the
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retinue of Bright Lord Reor. Uh, Bright Lord, uh, Reor is a detailed in this dossier as an agent of Tonavir. Um, this, uh, bright lord is going to, uh, essentially the plan for you two is to very tangentially
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uh, see to the needs of this of this bright lord Raor your requirements the two things that you are required to do this evening outside of, uh, uh, collect Lady Azure one attend the dinner sitting to the sides of Bright Lord Raor
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and two to be in attendance at Bright Lord Recor's carriage at the end of the evening. This is to be your method of egress.
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The way that you can leave undetected, you may take Lady Azure and get her into this carriage.
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There is an agenda at the end of this, uh, at the end of this small dossier and writeup saying that should you choose to refuse these roles and these titles, uh, you may go about this, uh, task as you
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wish. However, getting Lady Azure to the carriage at the end of the evening is a point of non-negotiability.
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And these personas have been given to you, uh, as are such the names for these, uh, two positions, uh, are completely interchangeable. Either of you can take either one. Uh, one is attendant Melen a
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Other than that, go make merry, hang out with the other attendants. There will be many other attendants there for the evening. Uh there will be a plethora of dark eyes that will be mingling and gossiping. Uh and you know, making
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merry. Uh other than the actual formal dinner, uh the roles of the dark eyes attendance are usually those of uh information gathering gossip. Uh you know, they are uh seen as sort of like the left and right hands of who whatever
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bright lord they are uh supposed to be attending that evening and they're used as the eyes and ears. Uh so, but feel free to maneuver and do what you wish and and maneuver throughout the the uh the palace. Uh
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a separate dossier is provided for the two mask uh uh light eyes. Um those being Berdalar and Olstrm.
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You are uh very formal uh uh escorts for a completely different Bright Lord. This is High General Our High General Our is a direct member of the organization which goes unnamed within this dossier.
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You will be taking on the role of guards. These guards wear the traditional casual garb of a serving staff member.
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But it is understood that these serving staff can be armed. You may be uh uh seen as a representative of the palace itself in the uh in in any matters dealing with dark eyes in any matters dealing with uh narwells of the of the
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household. You are seen as an extension and a representative of bright lord ot. You have not two but one single goal this evening. Bright Lord Our has his own agenda.
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You may conduct yourselves in any single way that you wish this evening. But there is an individual who is hiding their identity and this is Bright Lady Baylor.
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Bright Lady Baylor and it is you are given a portrait of this woman. She is apparently a complete fraud. She is masquerading as a bright lady of Asadan's court and your bright lord would like her revealed to him
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as the scion of a household that was disgraced and in debt from Yakaved. He needs this information brought to him and he believes that she will be carrying markers of that station on her this evening in order to pass them off
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and have them destroyed by palace members. Besides that, your agenda for the evening is none of Bright Lord Otur's business and you will have much time to operate as you would like.
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These are the things that you've been given in exchange for essentially attendance to the palace in order to go and collect Lady Azure.
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So besides that there is a dead drop of uh of disguises um you know the garments of the uh of the uh station that the two mask individuals uh will need the garments and uh uh dresses or or what have you of
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the uh fem uh individuals has been left to their own devices. Seeing as the uh the actual um fashion of uh darkeyed lady attendants is uh sort of less important as long as you don't overshadow your uh bright lord. Uh so
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that is that is it. A map of the palace is provided which uh you can all see within the campaign resources uh tab if I'm not mistaken. Yes, it is on the bottom there. Um there is of course the um
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the vast majority of the uh of the evening will be taking place in the gardens uh for the pre-dinner uh uh social mingling period when everyone is starting to arrive. After that fact, you are to attend in the ballrooms for dance
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and socializing and the sort of formal uh greeting and meeting of the uh uh bright lords and ladies and their attendance of the uh of Queen Asadan's ball. There is then the uh there is going to be a fantastic dinner that is
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being thrown within the eastern gallery. And then at the very end of the evening within the sunwalk itself, there will be a presentation by Queen Asan of herself to the entire court in order to make an announcement.
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Beyond that, it is up to you what you would like to do. I um I think my disguise makes me look stupid.
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Uh, you hear um, Tila pipe up. What you usually wear makes you look stupid. I think you're actually going to look quite dapper.
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I feel like I look stupid. Why do you feel that way? Because I'm all, I don't know, pressed.
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Astrom, you you'll be honest with me. Do I look stupid? You're on mute. Could you speak up?
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Sorry. I was mothering to myself. Uh, you don't look stupid, but you don't look smart though either.
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Okay. I don't think you look stupid. No. Fear is right. Fear is right. You look you look great. I I think that stepping outside of the usual uh uh trench coat and and and scowl will it'll be it'll be good. You can get outside of
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that box and maybe you'll like it. Maybe you'll like it. I think you dress up great.
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Okay. But how does it make you feel? Stupid. No, it doesn't make me feel great. It just it makes me feel like the person that I've been trying to get away from for most of my life. So, if it makes you feel any better, it is
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truly a disguise. You get to go in there and you get to use their own fashion sense against them. Does that feel good?
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Does it feel good that you get to weaponize their own sense of fashion and and and decor to to, you know, help take them down from the inside?
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Yeah. Do you think it's going to be comfy? I have not. Okay. Well, I mean, right.
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Uh, Jez pipes up in Navali's ear. Uh, and if no one else can can hear anything else and says, "Are you going to wear a dress?" Is that what's happening right now? Are you wearing are you going to
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put a dress on? Well, I mean, attendants of Bright Lords aren't usually men. No, but like you can't, you know, you're not going to be able to wear armor under that thing.
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It's just like sitting there having a [ __ ] existential crisis. Um, fully like I guess. So, I can tell you tactically speaking, this is coming from a complete place of honesty, the greatest assassins that I have ever
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known in the entire history of pitched combat and armed warfare have worn dresses that are absolutely coated in blades on the inside. A man's garb can only fit so many. There's a lot of pockets inside those dresses. You won't
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be unarmed. I'll tell you that much. That does make me feel a little better.
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Also, I guess also blending in is blending in. Gender roles be damned. Stealth tactics.
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Hiding in plain sight. I think you're doing the right thing, even if I think you're going to look stupid.
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They look so incredibly uncomfortable. Jez Jez is not a huge fan of this. Jez is I you should be out there on the battlefield wearing, you know, three layers of metal and and flying above the troops, you know, rallying them to a
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common cause, but if we need to get I mean, I guess I'd rather that than wearing a dress, but I still don't want that.
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He very very fun. Very, very like jokingly. He's like, I'll wear you down. I'll wear I'll wear you down. Plate mail's comfy. You'd be you'd be shocked.
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All right, whatever. Just like like you know how in anime when somebody's got like the little dark purple lines over them storm clouds?
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That's Nev right now. The despair lines. The despair lines. Yeah, despair lines. Yeah, absolutely.
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Makes eye contact with Nev and just nods. Yeah, we're handshake emoji right now. Wait, what's that? I don't know what an emoji is. Um, uh, frame is in the back of, uh, FRA's ear. I have several incredibly robust
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ways to describe color theory to you in regard to the fashion sense of bright ladies of of the current age of colonar.
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If you would like to hear them, they are actually rather uh they're they're quite uh in-depth. I'm I it's a special interest of mine.
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Maybe not right now, but yeah, you can tell me about it um when we leave.
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I can write them down. Okay, that sounds good. Uh but fear is going to lean over and be like, "Does does anything say when she's supposed to arrive in the schedule?" Uh I can say verifiably no.
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Uh there are a few things that like the details are unfortunately thin. You have like the location that you're supposed to be, the times that the times that you are supposed to be there, and like when the times are like you spend about an
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hour and a half uh within the uh the gardens, you spend about about 30 minutes within the grand entry uh arriving. Um, you know, you spend about, you know, an hour, hour and a half in the ballroom actually dancing and having
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a good time. Uh, and then like it's about like an 45 minutes to an hour of meal. Uh, and then like a 30 minute sort of uh uh um appearance within the within the sunwalk. Um, there is not a single mention of who
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else is going to be in attendance and there is not a single mention of when or where Lady Azure is going to be appearing.
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Uh, Barelar is going to hold his hand out in front of him. Uh Taylor, uh Tila, this little this little like red geometric shape uh like dripping um into your hand uh appears before you.
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Yeah. Yes. Show me and I will try and activate future sight. God, right now. Right here. Serious. And then she like expands your consciousness and you feel like your brain opening up.
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Uh yeah. Okay. Um if I'm not mistaken, that is a straight up uh deduction test.
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Deduction test, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Uh 17. Uh, I would like you to raise the stakes, please, before we get the actual result.
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I'm going to reroll that once. Okay. Yeah, for sure. Opportunist. Uh, so that is a 22 plus two and a complication. And so a total of 24 in a complication.
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A total of 24 in a complication. Okay. So in your mind palace uh this sort of like causeway of your own consciousness, you start taking a walk. Uh this, you know, the the the city streets and the buildings uh containing windows uh
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looking into like potential futures. At this point, it's it's it's a little odd cuz it's more clarity than you have. You aren't suddenly shunted into something else. This is the first time that you're very directly asking for uh precognition um in a meaningful
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unpanked way. And Tila's there walking beside you. And you see in this mind palace that Tila looks completely alien to the way that you have seen her before. Either the sort of faux uh fem figure that you had seen
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before uh sitting about like waist height or the more uh abstract geometric uh almost snowflake shape uh dripping the the the red liquid. Uh this is a crimson uh gown uh uh covered feminine uh individual standing maybe 69
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610 uh toweringly tall and um broad shouldered, incredibly powerful looking, large traps, large biceps, uh big forearms, a very beefy uh individual like a warrior's build wearing this dress as uh she walks with her hands behind her back uh beside you and you
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hear her and she says, "I don't know where you got this, but your clarity is is is rather impressive this evening." Um I guess you know when fate calls and she leads you through the streets of this um
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pseudo colon arm um walking past windows where you get flashes of like a face without features. Uh you get, you know, a weathered a weather pattern passing over hills uh that you don't recognize.
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Um you get the the face of a shin man that you don't know. Um, and then eventually she leads you to this gigantic pool uh that is in the middle of colonar. You you recognize it as a reflecting pool um you know that people
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will gather around etc etc but it's something that you've spent enough time in that it is like crystalline within your mind and you see a scene playing out in the reflection in the sky above.
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There is nothing but reflected in this placid water is a rather uh stark scene in front of you and it you don't get to ask for the exact details like when is Lady Azure appearing or anything like that but what
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you do get is um you have rave he is present and you see almost through a third person him looking uh and then you sort of shoot into his uh his first person view and he's looking daggers at you out
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on the dance floor. You are doing gosh knows what. Uh and he's just he's just watching you. You see him he's whispering to his own attendants and you feel it. You feel it. It's very direct.
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This is about as much concrete evidence as you've ever received from precognition. He's killing you tonight.
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He's absolutely killing you tonight. It's not a question of if. It's not a question of of a potential that's going to happen unless you stop it. Rave is going to find you. He's going to cut you in half with a shard blade and then he's
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going to ram it through your head. You're going to die. He follows you. He watches your every move. He waits for you to be alone for even one singular moment and then he makes his move and you are dead.
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Besides that, uh it would seem that the rest of the evening goes off rather without a hitch. Um your entire crew seems to be pretty good at what they're doing without uh you know um you see a bit of foggess around Nev. Uh things
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can go good, things can go bad. You see a little foggess around FRA, things can go good, things can go bad. Um you see a bit of foggess around Alstrom. Uh you see Wave uh darting in and under doors
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over things. Uh you see them like sitting on the back. There's one very interesting moment where you see Wave uh undulating upon the dress of Queen Asadan. Uh, and then you notice that uh you see that figure, you see a woman
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dressed all in blue, wearing a brilliant gold breastplate with a sword of pure silver uh appearing within the gardens of the palace of Colonar. If that isn't Lady Azure, you would eat your little news boy cap. Uh, so
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those are the starkkest images that you've ever received from precognition. you've seen a lot, but rarely have you seen a playbyplay like that. Um, as far as complications go, uh, the the reading is exactly that.
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You see your death and it very much rattles you. You feel it. You feel yourself stabbed, your eyes smoke out of your head, your body goes limp, the bottom half gray, the top half flailing while he enters the blade into your
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skull. It's unsettling. It's horrifying. And you know that if you are not on the absolute best that you have ever been this evening, if you walk into this palace and you don't do every single thing within your power to stop that
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from happening, Rave is going to kill you. Tila looks to you. She's a storms.
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I um I think I might have made him mad. Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
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This soon in the palace. I they're your visions or whatever. So, no, they're your visions. These are your visions. You did. I'm I'm like a I'm I'm like a a a looking glass. Like I'm like I'm like the I'm I'm like the the lemon
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that reveals secret ink. I'm the like you're it's not like I'm not I'm a facilitator. This is you. You're seeing this. I'm I am I'm the I'm the brush that paints the picture. You're the hand.
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Okay. All right. Yeah. I guess we'll just um guess we'll handle it then. Or don't go.
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No, we're going. Why? Because I'm probably safer around those three than I am by myself. So, you see that the faux worry that you hadn't noticed on her face fades away and she just looks at you. Those are the
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wrong words. And then your vision fades. Okay. Okay. Good news. Tonight it's going to go great.
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And did you see the future? Yeah, pretty much. So, I think we're going to be set. Good as gold. As long as, you know, you all don't screw it up, I guess.
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Well, what did you see? What happened? Yeah. Um, so I saw Wave is going to be friends with Queen Asdan.
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Um, and is going to be being a little spy and, um, I'm going to be dancing with somebody, I think.
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and um Azure is going to show up and we're going to take care of it. So really it's that simple insight.
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Yeah. Uh yeah. Uh you can roll that with advantage. uh uh because piping up from uh on Alstrom's face um because he has no sense of personal space whatsoever. Uh Wave goes lies, lies.
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So, is that deception versus insight? That would be deception versus insight for sure. Yeah.
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Mhm. 20 on deception. Okay. Hold on. I'm going to roll my advantage. I got this.
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Please beat me. No, actually please beat me. I got an 11. Yeah. Yeah. Well, seems like he's telling nothing else.
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No. Yeah. No, wait. Some other stuff happens, but I'm not going to go into the entire detail of my whole vision.
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We're going to be here all night. We got stuff to do. Well, are we going to since we're going to be serving different Bright Lords, do you think we're going to be able to work together at all?
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What did you see that? Did we come up with some like signals that we can use?
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Yeah. How are we going to coordinate? Don't know. Wave is just like whisper or something.
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Me? Oh yeah, but like can you only talk to like us and not talk to other people or like and you communicate with us but have not other people hear it?
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Yes. Only you. Can you try it right now? No. It's a good lie. Thank you.
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You're welcome. Um, maybe we should focus on our benefactors, our covers, whatever you want to call them until we can get away.
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Jez pipes up. He They They do say that you're going to have a lot of downtime. Like, you're only required for a certain number of things at night. Like, you're also given autonomy, right? Am I reading this wrong?
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Seems that way. Yeah. Like you can walk away from your attending bright lord. Does it say what time the general is arriving? Like do we have to go in with him or can we like are we arriving later?
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It's it's assumed that you'll be arriving near the beginning of the uh the beginning of the evening. And like the general and the bright lord are both going to be arriving like within, you know, 10 15 minutes of each other at the
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very beginning of the evening during greeting period within the grand the greeting hall. Um like yeah, you're all you're all arriving roughly at the same time. If you want to say exactly at the same time, we can we can definitely
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accommodate that. But like it's so close to one another. Like it's the it is a it is Queen Asan's ball at the Palace of Colin. uh like it's super important people aren't showing up fashionably late like folks aren't uh going to be
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you know uh disrespecting decorum like you know if anybody does it might be like a second dawn highrince like we're talking about like the most important people in the entire realm are going to be here um people will be on time they
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will be dressed appropriately and the evening will go off without a hitch unless the queen herself dictates otherwise Mhm. Mhm. Mhm.
Speaker A
Well, strategywise, we should probably make it so no one's by themselves completely at any point. And she's going to look at Bear when she says that.
Speaker A
Oh, yeah. No, I completely agree. We should always make sure at least one of us can see someone else, you know?
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Yeah. Like a buddy system. Yeah. I don't know what exactly I'm getting into. Yeah.
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Um, you want to be my buddy? Yeah, of course I'll be your buddy. You both are working with the same.
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Yeah. But uh, wave and tila, can you memorize the image of this person we're supposed to find? And if you see them before we do, can you let us know?
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Wave is uh still on your face and um you feel him like sort of undulate for a second. It's like very much a a pattern that you recognize as like him thinking.
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Uh at at this point you feel like your face dimple a little bit and then vibrate and he's like yes but humans look the same.
Speaker A
Two arms, two legs, different other bits, but you have to look underneath the clothes.
Speaker A
It's hard to tell. Yeah, you don't need to do that. Please don't do that.
Speaker A
How will I know? Please don't do that. Fine. Tila says, "Yeah, I can I can just memorize the faces for sure." What was that? Sorry.
Speaker A
Yes, I can. I can I can memorize the faces for sure. I can do that.
Speaker A
What about you, Jez? What about me? What do you mean? Well, can you remember the faces?
Speaker A
I will be standing on guard and looking for any threats. Excellent. Yes, of course. Anyone who who dares raise a weapon in your direction will be laid low through my exacting acumen of fail. That's not what I asked you, my
Speaker A
friend. Well, what do you need? I point to the portraits on the table. Remember these faces?
Speaker A
but also all the other stuff too, you know, it's very important. A vanguard is the very first spear to respond to a threat. It is the the the sole purpose of of members of the team of reconnaissance to memorize faces and
Speaker A
loc I'm not and then you hear like and then his his his uh voice shifts to like really low and just in Nev's ear I'm not super good with your faces yet. It's been a really long time since I've been
Speaker A
on the on the material plane and it's it's a little it's a little it's a little hard for me still. So, I'll try to memorize it for your sake, but I'm trying to save face.
Speaker A
I I'm also doing that. Okay. All right. I'm trying to save face so that they don't think that I'm bad at this.
Speaker A
Thanks so much, Jazz. You're the best. Thank you. I can you say that my guardianship will be more than enough?
Speaker A
Can you say that out loud? He's so mean to me and I'm a short of God and you're going to do this to me to find the disrespect and just like just like pout turns around on your shoulder
Speaker A
and pouts in the direction of the wall indignant. And Bear, did you say you saw where she arrives?
Speaker A
Uh, I did. Right. Yes. The garden. Mhm. Yeah. No, I did. She shows up in the garden wearing a gold breastplate and looking very azure. Sir, maybe we can agree to try to keep checking in on the garden
Speaker A
then since we don't know when. Right. I'm just trying to think of a plan.
Speaker A
Be escaping out there as often as possible with me buddy system. Right. Right. Outside away from the people.
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah. Be like a like a windmill frame. I mean, if you know where I'm going to be, technically that is body system.
Speaker A
Uh frame very suddenly grows to be about like 7t tall like hunching down in the basement of this looking down very intensely at Berlar.
Speaker A
Did you hear what time she will be arriving? No. Do you think you could extrapolate from any of the clues from your vision, your precognition of the future?
Speaker A
That's it's an addon deduction. Can I figure out what time she Not a clue. Not a singular clue.
Speaker A
I didn't see the suns or moons or stars or anything, so going to go with no. uh frame begins to shrink and then says, "It would seem as if Feranial has greatly exaggerated your abilities as a detective.
Speaker A
You're just kind of mean, huh?" And that's not nice. I was being honest. Oh, boy.
Speaker A
Remember what we were talking about though? sometimes it seems as if everyone is uncomfortable by what I said because it was mean.
Speaker A
Oh, you know, I am sorry. And what's your opinion? I'm sorry you're bad at being a detective.
Speaker A
I'm sure you'll I'm sure you will get better with time and effort. You're right. It's you know, practice and perfection are one and the same. So perhaps finding one of the myriad other detectives that are better than you will
Speaker A
help. There are none. I'm actually I'm actually the best in town. That is disheartening to hear.
Speaker A
I know. That's why I became one. Ah, a necessity due to the complete lack of others.
Speaker A
I look to Fra. I I like him actually. He's It's kind of refreshing. So I've got stuff to do.
Speaker A
So, oh, have to go shopping. I think I think you're a great detective there. Don't Yeah, but yeah, shopping definitely gotten better in recent years.
Speaker A
Yeah, like I said, stuff to do. Bye. Tila uh Tila whispers in in Bear's ear.
Speaker A
He hasn't gotten any [ __ ] better. He was like this before, too. And it's sort of like at this point that Bear, you like as much as everyone as as much as everyone in the room has just
Speaker A
heard that you're a terrible detective, something clicks a little bit. This isn't the first time that multiple of the friend have spoken about knowing one another and that's just sort of something that you log away for now.
Speaker A
Berdalar thinks all spread know each other for for the record after genuinely thinks they all know each other.
Speaker A
All of them. Yeah, they just they all go home to the Sprren house and hang out with one another. Um, and that's and that's just it.
Speaker A
Fun fact. Fun fact, that uh that little device that uh uh Jeem is playing with right now, that loading screen thing, that's known as a throbb.
Speaker A
What? Uh yeah, that is the that is the official name for a loading a spinning loading uh symbol. It's called a throbber. And never in my ruining it for all of us. Thank you. Thank you. If I can't ever unhear that or unthink it
Speaker A
every single [ __ ] time I see one of those now I'm sorry all of you have to see it too. Yeah.
Speaker A
So it would not be wrong to call it a buffering throber. Yeah. Yeah. The throbb is what shows you that something is buffing.
Speaker A
Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry everyone. I just I I learned that like three weeks ago.
Speaker A
[ __ ] up my day. Uh anyway, shopping. Yeah, shopping time. So, I think we're going to we're going to zoom out from this uh from this scene within the spark flicker um within this actual secret room uh containing
Speaker A
weaponry and and equipment, etc., etc. Um I do want to ask a single question though before everybody leaves because I know it's something that's a little bit important. Are there any like tools of the trade that you would like to snag
Speaker A
before uh heading out? These are things like rope. These are things like uh pittens. Um it is um various various uh tools for escaping and uh gaining entry to places. Grappling hook, rope, uh pittens, uh uh climbing boots, um like
Speaker A
the little spiked climbing boots, things like that. Um there's a few there are a few uh like sort of tools of the trade when it comes to those sorts of things.
Speaker A
And if not, that's totally okay. if you don't feel like you can carry it on your person.
Speaker A
Uh, forgive me if this is completely off base because I actually don't know the answer. Are ball bearings a thing in this game?
Speaker A
Yeah, ball bearings are absolutely a thing in this game. Yeah. Yep. 100%. Okay, cool. Yeah, I want some of those.
Speaker A
I would say I would say actually due to the fact that I would say marbles would probably be actual H. You know what?
Speaker A
We're going to do a little bit of world building here. And this is solely this is solely for my own uh benefit because I only just thought of this. The method for creating spheres is largely uh uh not delved into within the cosmir.
Speaker A
I've read multitude of uh Stormlight Archives books. I'm almost uh halfway through Wind and Truth. I've I've read almost all of them. And the reality is they never really get into the manufacturer of spheres. They're just currency. So, I would imagine in the
Speaker A
casting of spheres that like there's plethora of marbles that are made, little glass marbles with like imperfect gems or like uh you know that can't hold storm light or just little glass beads that have taken on colors, things like
Speaker A
that. So, I would say marbles and ball bearings are something that are like very easy to get.
Speaker A
Uh, sounds great. So yeah, you definitely have a bag of ball bearings or bag of marbles.
Speaker A
Is there um is there a small hand mirror? Yeah. Yeah, totally. Yeah 100%. And yeah.
Speaker A
No. Okay. Uh, the only thing I don't have on me that I would like is a very like a small knife.
Speaker A
Yeah. Like a dagger, but like like a pocket knife. Yeah. Like a like a little pen knife kind of kind of situation. Like a letter letter or opener affair kind of.
Speaker A
Okay. Yeah, for sure. Small. Absolutely. Totally. Oh, yeah. for for being a strategist. I don't think FA would like know what to grab for something like this. This is not her wheelhouse.
Speaker A
You know what? I think that I think it would Yeah, this this would make sense. Uh frame uh frame whispers into the back. Uh, FRA, I don't know if you can you can decide if you're starting to get used to it or not, but
Speaker A
like Frame very much hides on the back like as a very tiny version of himself.
Speaker A
He hides on the back like an ink blot of your ear. Um, so that he can whisper into your ear very very quietly and have you hear it. Uh, and Frame just says, "You should have some sort of weapon.
Speaker A
If someone would try to kill you, your bare hands are not very deadly at all.
Speaker A
Um, I was planning on getting a dress I could hook my sword under the skirt.
Speaker A
I was going to suggest some sort of virulent and deadly poison. Perhaps a black bane leaf. You could blow the powder in a face and it would kill them incredibly quickly.
Speaker A
Uh that seems effective. I know. Oh. Oh, that as well. Yes. Perhaps it is also harsh. He sounds like legitimately uh legitimately unc unconcerned with it.
Speaker A
Mhm. Um I can Yeah, sure. Where would I get that? I don't know. Oh, okay. A black bane plant would likely be a good place to start.
Speaker A
Well, I will look for one of those. Do you think that poison is too much?
Speaker A
Uh, I don't want to kill anyone. You have already killed one though. is going to be quiet at that.
Speaker A
Do you think that you would not be able to make that decision again? I don't know.
Speaker A
I think it would depend on what's at stake. To be fair, I don't think I even made that decision the first time. It just Yeah, it just happened.
Speaker A
Frame goes silent for a second as like you're standing and and having this conversation.
Speaker A
I would be sad if you died. Thanks for saying that, Frame. I really hope I don't die at this party or anytime soon. Um, yeah. So, we're going to try our best.
Speaker A
Okay. Yes. And before we zoom uh out, he just gives this same blunt reminder. I would like you to recall that your best in the past has been far from good enough.
Speaker A
But I respect that you are trying. Yep. I'm just got to keep trying to get better.
Speaker A
Uh, but I need a dress first. So, we can start there and I'll look for that plant.
Speaker A
He gets a little animated. No, seriously. I have so many notes on color theory for the bright ladies and bright lords of Colonar. I would like very much for you to read them.
Speaker A
Yeah, let's do it. Um, and then we're going to zoom out from there. Uh folks, this is where we are going to take our human break. Uh we've sort of crossed the Rubicon of the first half of our evening. Uh and then
Speaker A
we are going to get into this quick little shopping montage between Navali and Faniel. Uh and then we are going to get to the ball.
Speaker A
Stick around as always. First of all, we love you. Second of all, tell your mom, tell your dad, tell your sister, tell your brother, tell your cousin, tell your local congressperson, tell your local delivery clerk, tell your Door
Speaker A
Dash driver, tell your Uber uh your Uber driver, uh tell your mail delivery person, tell your local librarian. Uh that Another World Tabletop is live right now telling Cosmir RPG stories. Um and most importantly of all, as we say
Speaker A
every single episode, tell your dog that we love them. Uh we will be back in 10 minutes. We will see you then. Don't miss this.
Speaker A
Hello, internet. Hello, my friends. Did you tell your dog that we love them? I God, I hope you did. I so hope you did.
Speaker A
We are going to jump right back into the action. And the fashion district of uh Colonar is, you know, it it is a I wouldn't I wouldn't call it, let me find this scene. I would not fall I
Speaker A
would I would not call it uh Spartan by any sense of the uh by any sense of the of the word. But the reality is that fashion within the uh within Alithkar uh within the foreign uh religious nations you know Yakaved uh
Speaker A
Carbon um Alithkar uh Herdaz to an extent um you know they all uh they all subscribe to fairly to fairly strict lines of fashion. Um, the feminine population wear havas in most formal uh uh occasions a little bit
Speaker A
dressed up but the left hand of the garment bears a safe pouch. Um, it it has the longer longer sleeves to cover the the safe hand of the attending individual. Um, the garments are by and large a uh a sort of longer, more
Speaker A
conservative affair. Um, very little skin being shown in general. Um, if there is to be really any skin being shown, it's usually not along the arms, it's along the legs. Uh, and you know, but that that being said, the plethora
Speaker A
of colors that can be mixed and worn and uh accented by different uh, you know, different accent pieces like your uh, necklaces and uh, wrist jewelry on non-safe hands. Uh, the buttons being different uh, colors, etc., etc., etc.,
Speaker A
um, are all things that can be customized. So um I will ask the question of um uh uh of Feraniel and of Navali. Where do you start? How do you bring up this conversation? Where do you go? Fanial is I think a little
Speaker A
uninitiated herself and Nali is a uh scruffy individual. the two be kind. Uh, so Fra doesn't know like the stores to go to, but she still knows her way around the city and so she's like past the places. Um,
Speaker A
she remembers one that had like a dress in the window that was this like sky blue color that she really liked. And so that's gonna be the first thing she offers. Um, want to go there?
Speaker A
I mean, yeah, I guess any place is as good as any other, right? Yeah, of course.
Speaker A
Uh, if Jez and Frame could exchange looks in this moment, uh, they certainly would.
Speaker A
Frame pipes up. Not having a real throat to clear, but clearing his throat perunct in a peruncter way.
Speaker A
Oh my god. Categorically, there will be shops that are demonstrabably better than other shops.
Speaker A
Oh, okay. But I I remember seeing a dress I liked in the window of this one.
Speaker A
Or at least it was pretty had a pretty color. You were telling me about the colors.
Speaker A
Uh Frame doesn't say a a single word uh after that fact holding his tongue uh after being chided a while back for being mean. Um and Jez Jez says I think sky blue is an excellent color on uh a lady such as yourself. I I think
Speaker A
that if we found something equivalent to Nvali, I think something sky- toned with, you know, uh accents of of greens and and perhaps uh you know, brilliant whites would would be quite good. I think the the colors and the uh
Speaker A
different accents of the sky would be brilliant on the pair of view. Really blue. I don't I don't want to wear blue.
Speaker A
Well, we can see what looks good. Yeah, we'll try things. I don't really want to be here probably any more than you do. So, let's just get this over with please.
Speaker A
I'm kind of excited, but Oh, Nev looks so disappointed. Like, I thought I had somebody on this with me.
Speaker A
Okay. Um uh the pair of you walk within the shop and uh it's a little overwhelming but in a good way to FRA in a bad way to Navali.
Speaker A
There are bolts of fabric of every color under the sun. Designs of uh of Hava uh that are, you know, there's there's more conservative with the double buttons leading up to the neck. Uh there's the less conservative uh you
Speaker A
know, uh split leg on either side leading uh you know uh being a little bit more uh revealing and scandalous perhaps. Um there are designs that are mostly monochrome uh with you know a brilliant sky blue or uh a a simple sort
Speaker A
of you know like a uh like a like a a saffron yellow. Um and to to sort of grander designs with like floral patterns and sky patterns uh um you know um details of the wind or of clouds of
Speaker A
of uh uh paisley designs, vines and leaves um etc etc etc. There's there's uh uh there's hava that uh contain um colors that fade from bright down to dark towards the leg. It's it's really a wonderland. And it's obvious that the
Speaker A
different uh textile stores of uh colonar contain even at a glance, even just walking into a shop that looked okay, contains like multitudes that would be uh uh more than good enough for an attending uh an attending dark eyes
Speaker A
to a to a bright lord. there like an attendant in there in the store or anything like that?
Speaker A
Oh my gosh. Yeah, absolutely. There's there's multiple staff members. Uh there's a few other customers that are being uh that are being helped. Uh this is like a fairly reputable shop. You're within the fashion district itself. Um and a uh a young uh a young female
Speaker A
attendant uh brighteyed uh or sorry, a lighteyed uh uh woman walks up to the pair of view. Um, she's wearing uh one of the signature pieces of the of the store, a uh a window within the within the chest and uh very stark like bony uh
Speaker A
shoulder pads on either side and an incredibly decorated uh safe handpiece. She she's she looks like she'd be on the cusp of fashion within the city. She looks to the pair of you. My deers, may I be bold for a moment and say that
Speaker A
perhaps you need a little bit of help. Yes, sir. We need um need outfits for a very fancy party. Can you help us?
Speaker A
A very fancy party. You know, I happen to be specialized in helping out fine young ladies in attending very fancy parties.
Speaker A
Perfect. So, what is it that you were looking for this evening? Were you looking for something that is going to be more utilitarian? Were you looking for uh a piece that is going to make an impression? Uh is there some blend in
Speaker A
between? Did you want a safe hand piece that is going to stand out? Uh jewelry that goes with it. Do you have any accent pieces that you would like to focus the garment around?
Speaker A
Uh uh Ne is fully hiding behind Fier right now, even though they're the same height. I think Fra is like trying to put off this air like she knows what she's doing. Um and like she's done this before and like
Speaker A
shopped like this before, but she definitely hasn't. Uh, she's gonna be like, "Well, we can try on the dresses, right?
Speaker A
Many of the dresses are available to be tried on." Yes. Okay. Um, she's going to think back to the one she saw in the window and she's like, "Uh, can I can I try that one um first and
Speaker A
then I'll decide the rest later?" Oh, you're looking at the Yes, that is actually a signature piece uh that was uh custom sewn for one of the bright ladies that attends a sedan's court. She came in, she made the custom order, it
Speaker A
was forgotten to time, the bright lady got too busy and she said, "Please just sell it." And so we are selling it for the regular off the rack price, but it is a specialty custom piece. And she says this all while uh you know taking
Speaker A
the garment off of the rack and or sorry off of the off of the display and bringing it down. We have a few changing rooms if you would like privacy. Um so please go ahead and take your time.
Speaker A
Uh, Nev, did you have um a color you were looking for? The lady puts her hand on your shoulder.
Speaker A
My dear, please go take your time. I'll take care of your friend. Fear's going to hesitate and then like slowly look so uncomfortable.
Speaker A
Slowly walk to the dressing room, but then like peer behind Also, I'm standing like Nev is standing there looking like they would rather like just meld into the rack of clothes than be physically visible in this space. Uh,
Speaker A
and has her arms crossed to hide the fact that she's not wearing a glove on her safe hand in this very proper looking store. um and is just kind of looks is is doing the most to appear as
Speaker A
uncomfortable and standoffish as possible. So, this lady leaves her alone. This uh this lady uh uh grabs Nev's ey line uh and and looks at you, my dear. Um, what is it that you need to go and do?
Speaker A
Uh, I I don't normally wear nice clothes like this, so I might need extra help. I don't I don't know what anything's called. I don't know what any of this is. I just want to be a good attendant.
Speaker A
Can I ask where you'll be attending? Uh you know that thing that uh the queen is throwing soon.
Speaker A
Uh Acedan's gala. Yes. You're going to be attending Queen Asadan's gala. Yeah. Who do you work for?
Speaker A
Uh, does it above table does it say anywhere in the dossier that we should say that we shouldn't say who we're working for outside of it? Like is there any everything on paper? You were told everything is above board.
Speaker A
You were Yeah, you were told by Tonavir that all of the documents and all of the attendance was totally above board.
Speaker A
Um, uh, Bright Lord Raor the woman's face like she has this like very beused uh, sort of like half smile on her face.
Speaker A
No, my dear. Who do you work for? Oh uh oh no. Uh, oh, I guess I I probably look pretty obvious, don't I? Um, I actually, can I insight this lady?
Speaker A
Oh my god, please. I I don't want to. Yeah, and Nev is not does not have res uh insight. Okay, great.
Speaker A
Hey. Okay. 21 total. I got an 18 on the die. Okay. Lucky me. Uh it would seem as if there's some sort of like duplicitus uh like double speak going on. Um this woman you've been made before. Uh like you
Speaker A
this this is not the first time that someone has like clocked you for what you are. Uh Nev kind of like wears that on their sleeve. Um, so what do you mean? I'm not all scarred up and weird anymore.
Speaker A
Yeah, that's right. That has to be it. Uh, you're not just like wearing a thieves garb and also like not wearing a safe hand glove and all these different things. And so, okay.
Speaker A
She looks at you, she's like, "No, no, no. Who Who do you work for?" Uh, I'll just like rattle off a random.
Speaker A
No, actually I won't do that. Um, have you ever heard of Actually, I I will use it. Have you ever heard of the Phantom Dreer?
Speaker A
being a little bit uh koi and um you see this woman like sort of socially navigating what you're trying to say.
Speaker A
She gestures to the sign uh and it is a splatter of paint uh that seems to make a very cool design in uh a lethy script. Uh and it is the ink blot.
Speaker A
We here at the Ink Blot uh cater to a very discerning clientele. When there is a an instance for individuals to need a certain garment for a certain job.
Speaker A
uh we've been known to acquies to that and customize to the uh to the attendees.
Speaker A
She uses the word like very intentionally needs and wants. It's obvious that you've walked in here.
Speaker A
I don't believe and I wouldn't believe if you told me that you had worn a dress once in your entire life.
Speaker A
That means absolutely nothing to me. and I can educate you in all of the things that you're going to need in order to to attend this this gala of Queen Acadans.
Speaker A
So, uh, sorry, you're cutting out because you're Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I will be more than willing to walk you through all of the things that you need in order to attend Queen A Sedan's Gala.
Speaker A
And it matters not a wit to me that you do not know how to wear these garments whatsoever.
Speaker A
I can customize them to your specifications. Your friend seems to have a different idea of what they need and that is fine.
Speaker A
It is okay to dress up pretty and be an attendee. I presume that is not what you need.
Speaker A
I don't particularly enjoy standing out in general. something plain, something form fitting but in fashion.
Speaker A
Something in fashion, something that you can use to blend in but isn't going to stand out and something that I'm cringing when they say in fashion.
Speaker A
And I'm assuming within your safe hand glove, which you will wear. Oh yeah, definitely going to do that.
Speaker A
You're going to want something for hiding. Correct. Ne just nods slowly. My name is Tennial.
Speaker A
Tennial. I'm Nali. It's nice to meet you, Nali. I see how awkward you feel. And I can tell you that it is a delight to be able to help you. I believe your friend is going to be coming along any second now.
Speaker A
I think it would be best that it make it seem that we did not have this conversation whatsoever and we'll make it seem very organic that I am helping you pick out what you want and heck, you might even seem like a
Speaker A
natural at the end of all this now and then like with an exacting gaze looks over towards the changing room.
Speaker A
What does Feraniel look like? So Faniel is struggling to put this thing on. I think she was kind of also waiting for for Navali to like come and try something on because she's like, I don't know if this is right. Uh this is
Speaker A
like this feels weird. Um so she's like kind of just waiting like with the dress half on and like trying to listen.
Speaker A
Okay. Okay. Uh then yeah, time time passes and the uh Tennial uh uh brings Navali to the to the dressing room. Here's something for you to try on.
Speaker A
Uh and the the woman looks you up and down and just says, "I can't teach you how to walk and I can't teach you how to act, but there's three things I'm going to tell you. One, absolutely. You're going to have to
Speaker A
unwrap this and then points to your uh to to your torso. Two, you're going to want to learn how to walk on tiptoes cuz you're going to get shoes to match and it's going to make your butt look great
Speaker A
and that's going to be something that you have to deal with. And three, and then she gently puts a hand on your thigh and says, "This is going to be the easiest place for you to hide a blade."
Speaker A
And then points you towards the change rooms and where Feraniel is. I think Nev, like a disciplined student, is just like nodding and mentally taking note and wishing that she had something to actually take notes on cuz she
Speaker A
doesn't know what's going on. Uh goes over to the changing rooms. Uh Vera, do you need help?
Speaker A
Nev. Yes. Um okay. I feel like a cupcake. Oh no. Uh, I think I'll uh I'll walk over to wherever I hear the voice. Can I come in or is that weird?
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah, fine. Um I Is this right? And she's going to like open the curtain or whatever and like can you can you help me? This feels awkward. Well, I'm not a big dress person, but I know buttons are mismatched when I see them,
Speaker A
and I'm like, can I help with the buttons in the back? Um, because that's probably how a lot of things are are fastened in in on Roshar. There's not a fashion guide for Roshar, you guys.
Speaker A
We're really making stuff up as we go. Uh, Brandon Sanderson, we know you're a huge fan of the stream. Give us a damn fashion guide.
Speaker A
Yes, Brando, we know you love us. We know you love us in particular. Uh, please fashion guide just for us.
Speaker A
So, and and look look um this one it's it's like bigger. It's bigger on the bottom.
Speaker A
And I like what I was saying, I think I could have my my sword on my underneath because it's a little bit it's a little less form fitting on the bottom.
Speaker A
Yeah. If it flares out, it could hide. I mean, how are we going to stop it from jingling?
Speaker A
Well, Uh, walk carefully. Okay. Yeah. You know, proper ladies walk slow, right? So, I don't know what I'm doing.
Speaker A
I don't know. You look more like a proper lady than I do. I hold up the dress that I've been assigned to attempt to try on.
Speaker A
I have to figure out how to put this thing on. So, I mean, you're you just help me. I can I can help you as well.
Speaker A
And then maybe we'll both kind of look like proper ladies. Uh yeah. Okay. Uh give me a second. Just gonna hide in the other changing room. Uh really really just cuz Nev doesn't actually want uh Veronial's help is just
Speaker A
hiding in the other room to try and change. Dexterity to put the stupid dress on.
Speaker A
uh very noticeably uh uh Jazelle is like up in the top corner of the of the dressing room looking into the the corner of the dressing room uh completely just like just like hands behind his back doing every single thing
Speaker A
uh he can not to look uh upon uh uh Navali. Should you need any help, I do encourage you to call for Feraniel.
Speaker A
Well, yeah. I'm not going to ask you to help me put a storming dress on cuz I'm like taking off my regular clothes. Uh, and putting on the dress. Uh, I I I do probably struggle far longer than than
Speaker A
necessary to get it on. Well, while you're struggling, I think FA is going to wait there awkwardly for a while while you're getting dressed.
Speaker A
But as it's like taking time, um I think she's going to walk like close to I'm assuming they're like curtains or something.
Speaker A
Yeah, like two curtain two curtain uh dressing chambers. They're very very like casual. Nali.
Speaker A
Yeah. I I know you don't like me, but can I ask you something? I think this kind of hits Nev out of nowhere. Um, I'll I'll like move the curtain aside because I've got the dress at least mostly on at this point.
Speaker A
Uh, I don't I'm I'm not good with people, Fra. It's not that I don't like you, but you don't have to correct it. You ask whatever you want.
Speaker A
It's easier through the curtain. Um, and she's going to whisper, uh, you told me a few weeks back that that that killing or ending a life changes you. Um, when when you when you end someone's life, do you ever stop seeing their face when
Speaker A
you close your eyes? She's going to look really uncomfortable asking this question. I expect it's different for everyone, but yes, eventually you do.
Speaker A
I just I I keep replaying the moment before and it's like all I'm I'm seeing every time I try to sleep and I did what I had to do. Uh but I don't regret saving bear. I I just don't know what
Speaker A
this makes me. And then she's going to look up at you. It makes you a warrior, Farah.
Speaker A
Unfortunately, it comes with the territory. I I don't want to become someone who can just do that without feeling it.
Speaker A
I'm definitely not that. I don't think you have to if you don't want to. I think that's a choice people make to hurt other people and not feel anything about it.
Speaker A
I think that's a choice and you don't have to make that choice if you don't want to.
Speaker A
Yeah. Um you look great in in that dress. Uh does do I look ridiculous in this?
Speaker A
Uh no. You look like a storming high princess. Uh, that's very sparkly. Do you think you're going to stand out a lot or I mean, I guess it doesn't matter, right? We can wear whatever we want.
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah. Like Farah has already decided on this dress. Like, she's she she likes it. Um, so she's not going to change her mind.
Speaker A
Uh, yeah. Uh, this looks functional. I look down at the dress that I'm wearing. Uh it's different.
Speaker A
It is uh it's like a a traditional hava. So high collar uh tiny cutout in the upper chest area so it doesn't show anything. Um buttons that are like brass going up the side. long uh on the right
Speaker A
hand long uh cut half cut sleeve that flows down like past the like hip area.
Speaker A
Uh actual safe hand uh sleeve uh dress that has the pouch uh and different uh I guess it would be a ley embroidery cuz we are in Alithcar. Um uh you say that but uh it I Alithcar very much borrows from all of the
Speaker A
neighboring kingdoms. Uh Adelin, Adelin himself within the first three books mentions it quite a bit that the current high fashion borrows from all of the nations around. Yakaved accents uh Herdazzian uh uh filigree uh you know um uh Carbranthy
Speaker A
uh uh neck pieces, etc., etc. would be well in fashion. Yeah, it's got like subtle embroidery on it that doesn't stand out too terribly much, but it's still like fashionable even if it is a little bit more on the
Speaker A
simple side. Not that it's plain, it's just more simplistic than FA's dress. This This is probably fine. I'm only going to wear it once.
Speaker A
Well, I think it looks great. Is it too boring? Do I have to do more?
Speaker A
No. Okay, great. I don't want to I don't want to do more anyway. We should get um what what was she saying? Shoes and adornments, right? We have to get the whole look.
Speaker A
I I am I think she said I don't know. She said a lot of words to me and I'm still trying to remember them. I look helplessly out into the sea of racks and racks and racks of dresses on various
Speaker A
fashion pieces to see if our if our attendant is still around. Uh Tennial is standing out amongst the racks and she is holding a uh a a wooden case in her hands waiting for you.
Speaker A
Oh. Uh, I think we're I think we're I think we've got ones that might be good.
Speaker A
Yeah. She walks over. Uh, Miss, yours looks fantastic. She's pointing at uh Ferananiel. Yours looks fantastic. Uh, excellent job choosing the choosing the dress. a uh a high lady would be would be proud to be wearing something like that. Uh and nali
Speaker A
you um will you are going to be quite prefuncter. Uh this will this will do.
Speaker A
Uh you the the the your attendance and your appearance will not be questioned. Right.
Speaker A
And then she opens up this uh this box and it's just an assortment of earrings and bangles and uh necklaces uh small diadems uh hair uh hair pieces for holding hair in place etc etc etc. Um Miss uh I didn't get your name.
Speaker A
Uh Faniel. Veranial, if I could suggest, you have a wild man of hair. Uh, and while it is beautiful and incredibly uh spectacular colored, here you go. I would suggest a headpiece of some sort. Uh and for uh you my dear
Speaker A
uh I would suggest bangles, uh things to adorn in the wrist that will not get in the way perhaps. Uh uh something functional upon the ankle.
Speaker A
Uh, and of course I would h something sturdy to be worn about the neck.
Speaker A
Yeah. Okay. And you go through this, you buy a couple of pieces, uh, necklaces and earrings and, uh, a very sturdy neck piece for, uh, Navali. Um, Navali, you have held weapons in your hand the vast majority of your wife your life,
Speaker A
especially uh considering like your line of work. This feels like a dressed up garage wire.
Speaker A
Oh my gosh. So cool. Uh, she takes When I realize that, I'm just like, "Oh, cool." Um, this is a side of like high society and fashion that Nev hasn't ever really thought about, but like this is a side
Speaker A
of like stealth and espionage that I mean it's the other side of things, right? Um, and she rings you up. She takes the spheres that were allotted for the the the task that you were given. Uh, you have more than enough. And
Speaker A
just before you leave, she just says, "Good luck at the gala. If you do get a chance, I presume you're working with a man named Berdlar.
Speaker A
Is this correct?" I'll nod. Just tell him I said hi. Do you uh do you know him?
Speaker A
Oh, please tell me you don't know Bear. We know one another. Okay. We work in some of the same circles. He may not recognize the name at this point.
Speaker A
Got it. Uh, and as I as I say that, I'm sliding over the little slip of uh like parchment or paper or whatever uh that has the notes of what kinds of like inside pockets and things I want. Uh
Speaker A
like like vague ideas. I'm like uh if these don't work, that's fine. I trust you to come up with an alternative.
Speaker A
Uh what it comes down to is that uh should you need uh you'll get this to your specification. It'll be exactly it.
Speaker A
Um seeing as you already have expertise in thievery um regardless of whether someone is looking into you, it will take quite literally a supernatural edge in order to find a hidden item that you choose bringing into the gala.
Speaker A
Nice. Okay. Mhm. Love that. All right. Neb looks a lot less uncomfortable by the end of this. Just like, okay, this wasn't this wasn't as bad as I anticipated.
Speaker A
On on the way out, Fier is going to be like, "What was that about?" With Shino's beard dollar.
Speaker A
Yeah, he probably, you know, he's buying dresses. Nope. He might like women who sell dresses though, you know.
Speaker A
Oh. Oh, that wasn't even like Fer's first thought. Uh frame in the back of uh on the back of Feranial's ear. I believe that Navali is speaking about culation.
Speaker A
God damn it. Fra turns bright red. Nali, am I correct? Oh, uh, not strictly that, but yeah, worked with her. Who knows? I mean, I mean, and I kind of lean into fear. I mean, there was this as we're walking as
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we're walking uh you know, there was this one time where we were doing uh we working a job together and we had to go into uh a brothel. Uh that was my idea.
Speaker A
I do regret it even to this day. I saw things I don't want to ever see again.
Speaker A
Um, but you know, it's it's fine. You know, he seemed a little too comfortable in environments like that.
Speaker A
That's all I'm saying. Fear looks like shell shocked at all this information at once. Just bright red.
Speaker A
Uh, Jez turns a brilliant shade of ceruan and just looks looks directly to to Nev. Are we working with a horish man? Is that what we He is a He is He is a Bright Lord. He He is He is supposed
Speaker A
to be a a a bastion of of of high society. He is He's a detective. He's a man of the law.
Speaker A
Nobles are like the actual worst of the worst. Bear is the exception. Of course.
Speaker A
I've seen the way that they treat sex workers in this in this nation. If he is soliciting them, then he should be working on taking the institution down and creating a a form of legalization and not soliciting bear.
Speaker A
Bear and you hear the indignation in his voice. Uh I didn't say I didn't say that. I didn't say any of that.
Speaker A
Nali, we will be having words with your friend. I don't want to have words with Berlar about anything like that ever.
Speaker A
Yes. Well, sometimes life is about the things that you do not want to do, Navali. And then uh we are going to we're going to fast forward uh uh at this point. Um folks, it's time.
Speaker A
Can I grab Alstrom for one like one very quick scene before we meet with the uh the general?
Speaker A
Please. Yes, of course you can. Quick change. Where are you grabbing him? Uh, honestly, I've just been waiting for for him near the palace just before we Yeah. before we meet up with General Our to enter. I just want to catch him
Speaker A
somewhere. Alley road wherever. Oh my gosh. Yeah, it could be honestly it could be like near his shop. Uh, it could be it could be wherever you would like. Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah. I'll I'll catch him. I'll catch him halfway. Like while he's on his walk, I'll just kind of like glide up beside him.
Speaker A
Hi. Oh, bear. What? Uh yeah. Where did you come from? Oh, I was just um taking care of some things, but I needed to talk to you before we go in.
Speaker A
Mhm. Someone's going to try and kill me tonight. What? Wait, what do you mean that? I mean, um, someone with a shard blade is going to try and put it in me tonight. So, that body system thing, I I
Speaker A
really need you to be my buddy tonight. Yeah. How do you know this is 100% for sure? How do you know this?
Speaker A
I mean, I don't know 100%, but I died, so I don't think I like dying.
Speaker A
No, I don't want to see that happen. So, yeah, I got your back. Okay.
Speaker A
Okay. Do you know what the Do you know who it might be? Brave. Do I know who this is? Um, you are largely unaware.
Speaker A
Yeah. Can you um describe them to me? Oh, make a little I Yeah, I turn to Alstrom and looking like Rave. Like I put his face over my face.
Speaker A
Oh, hey, warn me before you do that, please. Uh, okay. And then drops just as fast.
Speaker A
Same height. Taller, shorter. I think he's shorter than Bear. I'm not sure. We'll say a little shorter. We'll go with that.
Speaker A
Uh I have Rave described as short for an Althy. Uh so yeah, six sitting at about like 6'2.
Speaker A
Okay. Okay. I will um I'll make sure to keep an eye out. Okay, great. And um yeah, if you see anything weird or strange, just let me know.
Speaker A
But we'll do. There anything else we should be worried about? Anything else? I don't think so. I hope not cuz that's a lot to worry about for me anyway.
Speaker A
No, I just uh I'm worried actually to be honest with you. I don't uh our little group split up. I just uh I hope everything goes okay.
Speaker A
We're all going to be in the same room at the end of the day.
Speaker A
Yeah. All right. Oh, yeah. We got this. We can do this. All right. Just a little nervous.
Speaker A
Okay. About what? I find it hard to It's the big groups of people. It's hard to I have a much easier time bending the truth when it's just one or a few people. But having to put on the whole persona for a large
Speaker A
group. I just uh I'm nervous. So, you're telling me that Olstrom is afraid of large groups?
Speaker A
Well, like there's going to be so many people of all the like very important ones, too. Yeah.
Speaker A
I'm not going to laugh at you. That would be insensitive. At this moment in time, you have opened up to me and so I will not do that. But I do find it a little funny.
Speaker A
I mean, I agree. It is a little funny. Yes. But we can make fun of me later.
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah. I will. I promise. Okay. As long as I'm not dead. So, hey, we can make fun of me later. Yes.
Speaker A
Yeah. But no, seriously, just don't be you. If you're worried about, you know, the people, just pick somebody else to be for tonight, right?
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, um, try this. Hello, my name is Geredan. A pleasure. Hello, my name is Geridan. A pleasure.
Speaker A
How was that? Awesome. All right, I got your back. Okay, me too. Let's go. um ruin this high lady's reputation. I guess that actually sounds like a little fun, not going to lie. But we also got to find this Azure. Yeah.
Speaker A
Something tells me that is not going to be the hard thing to do tonight.
Speaker A
No. All right. Let's do it. Yeah. Let's go. Um, that's actually pretty convenient. Um, we're going to start with you two then. Uh, that makes the most sense.
Speaker A
Um, as you make your way to the courtyard, uh, the gate of, uh, of the palace. Now, one of you is largely entirely unknown to the population of the uh palace colon. So, my question is uh because this will set the um the precedent for a
Speaker A
large majority of the night. Does Berdalar try to appear as anyone else for the evening or is Berlar going mostly as Berdalar but in plain clothes?
Speaker A
I think Bear is going to try to go as somebody else. Okay. Who would you like to go as?
Speaker A
Um, oh um one of the like he's going to try and recall like one of the other lighty kids that he went to school with who he knows left town.
Speaker A
Okay. Right. like went to the shattered plains, went to war, all of that stuff.
Speaker A
He's going to try and try and recreate somebody who is from Colonar but is not Berlar.
Speaker A
Okay. Uh Light Eyes, right? Correct. Yes. Yeah. So, uh you summon up this uh you summon up this vision of this individual, a man that's roughly around the same size as you. um you know to prevent bumping into people or anything
Speaker A
like that. You hope that you have the height uh correct and that they did truly leave town. Um you know there's a lot of there's a lot of details um that could go wrong with taking on the the
Speaker A
the face of this other individual. Considering the fact that taking on your face uh is an even more frightening prospect tonight is it it makes a lot of sense.
Speaker A
You have the description of your of your Bright Lord and uh where you're supposed to find them, which is within the courtyard before you head into the uh grand entry hall. Um, so the pair of you sort of in tandem. Uh, one wearing the
Speaker A
face of a stranger and the other wearing the face of an alstrm. Uh, that's two that's two full costume changes tonight. I'm sorry. I just want to point that out. Y'all do the most.
Speaker A
That's That's so dope. That's so so cool. And then Craig's just going to strip.
Speaker A
I love it. I love it. Losing the vest actually does a lot uh shockingly. and and uh Bear is just wearing a totally different costume. So, um I love that a lot. I love that a lot. You guys are you
Speaker A
guys are fantastic. So, the reality is that the pair of you are wearing the guises and the garbs that you are. And you eventually hunt down uh the lady who's uh I'm so sorry. I had the name written down and then I took my notes
Speaker A
out of the uh uh I took my notes out of the room uh when I went on break. So I think I had them.
Speaker A
Oh, the the the lady we're trying to find. Ber Baylor. Baylor. Right. Right. Right.
Speaker A
Right. Right. Uh which is actually spelled B A E L Y R. Um, so, uh, but yes, you you meet up with, uh, High Lady Baylor.
Speaker A
Um, High Lady Baylor is a woman who's wearing her hair in a tight bun, uh, with, uh, two very decorative sticks uh, sticking out of either side, holding the hair in place. She is wearing a bright red uh hava um from the neckline all the
Speaker A
way down completely covered. Um and she looks upon the two of you. He said that my retinue would be handsome, but I wasn't expecting two particularly stunning individuals such as yourself.
Speaker A
Uh, thank you. Pleasure, Brightness. It's our pleasure to accompany you, Brightness. All right. Come with me. Come with me.
Speaker A
Very quick. Very quick. And she takes you aside away from the small conversation that she was having just moments ago and and takes you into like a little private corner of the courtyard.
Speaker A
Okay. So, you two, I presume that you have your own agenda tonight. I'm going to try not to get in your way or need you too terribly much.
Speaker A
I would like to check in. You are aware of my agenda for the evening. Correct.
Speaker A
Sorry. Just to just to just to make sure. We're we're meeting. We were going to meet with General Oour and try to uncover Lady Baylor's identity. Is that Oh, yes. You are attending Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, you're attending UR. The
Speaker A
other two are attending the uh the the the the other lady. Yes. So, this will be general ur. I'm getting so confused.
Speaker A
I had these written down and then I'm getting the genders mixed up. I'm so sorry. I have the I have the roles mixed up. I literally lost my notepad from earlier. Um so, forgive me here. Um yeah, so General Our is the one that you
Speaker A
are meeting with. I'm so sorry. Stick with me, people. Walk with me. Walk with me here. Walk with me. Walk with me here. uh UR um comes with uh comes out and meets you. Um gentlemen, you'll take I I'd like to take you aside
Speaker A
for a moment. May I have your attention for just a short period of time before we head inside?
Speaker A
Uh General, handsome, aren't we? Uh General Our uh is a very statuesque man, strong jaw, broad shoulders. Uh he's actually wearing a capelet uh that has the uh banner of uh high lord Sabariel uh or high prince Sabariel upon
Speaker A
the back of it. Um and uh he says to you both very handsome gentleman, very handsome, incredibly good-looking uh the pair of you. I can't believe he gave me two stunners uh like yourselves. What a what a treat. Uh come with me very
Speaker A
quickly, please. Please. And he takes you aside. You have your own agenda. I don't want to get in the way. Please tell me that you understand what I need you to do tonight in regards to Lady Baylor.
Speaker A
Yes. Yes. There is something that you should know about Lady Baylor. Uh she is a rather duplicitous fiend and she will do anything to keep her secrets safe. But I have under good authority that this evening that she is going to
Speaker A
be uh bringing with her uh several uh accudments of her um uh of her former identity. Um markers of station uh a signant ring and a piece of jewelry that uh contains a gem that holds storm light like no other.
Speaker A
I need these. I need these off of them. I'm going to prove her wrongdoings and it's not so much your own business.
Speaker A
But you know what she looks like? Yes. Okay. Tremendous. Your names? I was given them, but have you taken on aliases? Am I to call you anything different?
Speaker A
Uh, you can call me Marin. Marin. Marin. Call me Brindle. Brindle. Brindle. Brindle's my cousin's name.
Speaker A
All right. Uh, we'll we'll go off of that. Um, Brindle, Marin, uh, it's nice to meet you. You'll attend me at the dinner. And, uh, uh, other than that, you have my agenda. You don't need to attend me at the dinner. Uh, just let me
Speaker A
know if you need any extra time for your own devices. I Gosh. Okay. Are you all right, General? You seem nervous.
Speaker A
Well, you had the names Meen and and Seven. I'm uh I'm I'm correcting that. This is the only chance that I've had.
Speaker A
This is the only chance I've got. She's This woman's hurt people. Oh. Oh my god. God, I'm getting all the names mixed up. My notepad went [ __ ] awol. I'm so I'm so sorry, folks. Uh I wrote these names down like this
Speaker A
morning. Would it would it be helpful if I tell you what I have since I'm the Oh my god. Yeah, please. Someone else who took notes, please. Yeah, absolutely. Uh so my understanding is Nevin and Fra are working under Bright
Speaker A
Lord Rayor who is an agent of Tonavir and we were given the names attendant mail me and attendant uh seven beer bear I keep wanting to say beer bear and alstrm I don't know why uh working for high general otour aka bright lord
Speaker A
yes who is the ghost blood as guards you are attending oh Perfect. I don't know that names were and names weren't given for the men.
Speaker A
Yes, that makes sense. Whether names were given or not uh and you had to follow his agenda, which is to figure out who Bright Lady Baylor is.
Speaker A
Yeah. To reveal the the identity of Bright Lady Baylor. Okay, perfect. Yes. Uh the Bright Lord looks to you and says, "I will not need you." uh for anything other than emergencies uh for the majority of the evening. Uh
Speaker A
I would ask that uh you try to be in attendance during the sunwalk. Uh when Queen Asan is present, it is good for me to have my attendance in attendance.
Speaker A
your employer. He's a rather intense individual. I paid a great deal of spheres to have you here. I'm going to trust in your abilities and when this is all said and done, trust that you will have a boon from my
Speaker A
house and that I will try to help you in the future. All right, Brindle. Let's get to work.
Speaker A
We got your back. Okay. Uh, and then he gives his head a shake. You see him wipe a little bit of sweat off of his brow.
Speaker A
Take a deep breath. Okay. Well, I have Do you have like a signal or something if you in case you need our help?
Speaker A
Oh, typical typical Bright Lord uh uh typical lighteyed symbols of of uh need and then he like just assumes that you know what he's talking about and then walks away.
Speaker A
Earbolt. Got it. Yeah, I do unfortunately. Berdelar wood. Yeah, 100%. Mhm. Um but you know what do you know what he's talking about? Do you know what he's talking about?
Speaker A
I'll let you know. If he if he needs anything, I'll come get you. Okay.
Speaker A
We are going to zoom out from you two for just a sec and we are going to have the introductions of the uh of Navali and Feraniel.
Speaker A
the pair of you uh unless you'd like to say otherwise walking a little awkwardly uh one strapped with a sword to their side, other bristling with knives likely uh and other tricks of the trade and uh uh uh you know having what have you in
Speaker A
your safe safe pouch. I would like to ask Navali, what is the item that you would like to keep in Yeah. Uh uh infinitely hidden?
Speaker A
Uh probably a Oh, I haven't I haven't had the opportunity to get a sword, have I?
Speaker A
No. Uh okay, then uh then probably one of my favorite like larger daggers. Okay, for sure. Um, as dark eyed attendants, you are not given the same courtesies as a uh as a pair of light eyes. Um, you are brought
Speaker A
to a servant's entrance after you arrive at the gate. Uh, and you are patted down by one of the uh the guards of the palace. Um, and I would very much like you both to make thievery checks.
Speaker A
Okay. Uh, Nev, please roll with advantage. You have expertise. Uh, for Annaniel, please roll with whatever the opposite of advantage would be.
Speaker A
Just kidding. Just kidding. But, uh, just a regular roll from you. Yeah. It's like the poofy.
Speaker A
That's indecent. Yes, of course. A dirty 20. A dirty 20. Okay. 14. And a 14. Okay.
Speaker A
The guardsman that is uh patting the two of you down. Uh is an ardent. Um one of the uh few uh female ardents that uh attends. You see that they wear a sword on their back. They seem to be some sort
Speaker A
of uh uh trainer within the the palace here and they are taking their job intensely seriously. Um they pat the pair of you down. Uh they they find like a pair of the daggers that Navali brings, bringing the grand total of uh
Speaker A
daggers upon Navali's uh person to somewhere uh above eight and less than 10. Um, but they they they they act as if it's very normal. They're just like they they look to the volley. Now you know the rules, dear.
Speaker A
Above table. Do I know the rules? You have no idea what the uh what the what the regular rules for palace attendance would be, don't you?
Speaker A
I Yes. No blades above 6 in. Measure them first. Gosh, you'll get these back at the end of the night.
Speaker A
Apologies. By the almighty girl. And uh she very swiftly finds the sword strapped to Feraniel's side, patting it down, holding on to it.
Speaker A
What are you trying to pull? Nothing. I'm sorry. That was above front. Why do you think you can walk into Asadan's gallow with a sword strapped to your leg?
Speaker A
I just want to be safe. Do you think you won't be safe at the Queen's gala?
Speaker A
I did see her kill an ardent in the street. Then should I be worried or should you be worried?
Speaker A
I don't know. Who do you attend? Bright Lord Recor. This will reflect poorly on Brightlord Recor, and I hope that they will punish you with every bit of malice that they can muster. If this would have gotten out
Speaker A
that there was a dark-eyed attendant walking around with a side sword strapped to their leg, the scandal would be monumental.
Speaker A
So, what's your name? Uh, attendant Malin. Malin. Mal. Well Mal she says with like just dripping contempt.
Speaker A
It would serve you well to be on your best behavior this evening. Not only have you embarrassed your bright lord, but you now have my eyes upon you.
Speaker A
Tread carefully. Visibly see Fear shrinking. As spectacular as the pair of you look this evening, that will not save you from my gaze. Now be gone. Get out of my sight.
Speaker A
As soon as she's out of earshot, Holly, I didn't know what to do. I freaked out.
Speaker A
Uh, I mean, I'm not good at talking my way out of things easy either, so it was probably better that I didn't say anything. Um, he's he's he's not even my bright lord, and I still feel guilty.
Speaker A
I didn't think we would get patted down. Is that something that happens to people?
Speaker A
Not to my knowledge, but I don't know. I don't go to balls. I've also never uh worked for a bright lord before, so I don't know what I'm in the military.
Speaker A
Is I do they not pat you down in the military? No. Oh, okay. Um well, uh can't really take it back unless frame can help you do that.
Speaker A
I cannot. Well, so much for that. Right. So, we should find a Bright Lord Recor.
Speaker A
Yeah. From the servants's entrance, it's very easy to find your way to the courtyard.
Speaker A
uh you know the description for uh Bright Lord Recor and you see uh the thin uh hawkishfeatured uh high cheekboned visage of Bright Lord Raker.
Speaker A
They notice you having been give uh given descriptions. Come over here. Come over this way. Get over this way. over this way and they're like motioning with their hands very quickly.
Speaker A
Oh, I you know pick up the pace. Yeah. Uh you hustle over to to recor. I've made a terrible mistake. I've made a series of terrible mistakes. I need you to get me out of this hot water. I I
Speaker A
have I have immediately put my foot in my mouth. This is going This is going horrifically. I This is going horrifically. I My carriage was taken away. I need to I were going to have to uh procure another one. I there I was I
Speaker A
didn't know that there would be no stapling here uh for any of the attending Bright Lords. I didn't I didn't know that. And then I threw a really big scene and I put a whole bunch of eyes on me. And now now I you are
Speaker A
you're the one you're the killers. You're the killers, right? You're the two that are the killers. You're the murderers. are the ones that I was sent from from the what's his the the the the what's his face the from the secret
Speaker A
people that I I bought. I paid a lot for you. I paid so much for you.
Speaker A
Calm down. Right Lord. Uh yes, we are here to attend to your needs. I need a carriage.
Speaker A
I need I need a whole carriage. I need I need an entire one. He said, he said, "If I don't, if you aren't, if you don't have the carriage at the end of the night, and I aren't I'm not able to get
Speaker A
you out of the way, then I don't get I'm not going to get what I need." And that is that's bad. That is very bad for me.
Speaker A
That is horrible for me. So, I need a carriage. I need you to get me one. I can't leave. I can't leave here, Queen accidental. No. Oh, so I was turned away and then suddenly my entire household is
Speaker A
seen as as the muck of the muck. Perhaps there is a way that you can smooth things over.
Speaker A
You smooth them over. We will we will certainly try to acquire means to carriage and smoothing things over.
Speaker A
Um, who may I ask? Did you offend? I offended Queen Acedan's Major Domo. He told me that I was to park the carriage outside of the grounds.
Speaker A
I attempted to buy him off and then I may have threatened him physically, but he's a worm. He's a little worm.
Speaker A
He's a dirty little snake. He's a He's a He's a He's a Kremling crawling in the mud of Queen Asadan's court, and I need your help.
Speaker A
I am sure he knows all of those things. Um, but right now I think it would be best for us to focus our attention on solutions. Uh, you could kill him.
Speaker A
How much time do we have until dinner? Uh, if my if if my time fabriel he like looks to his to his uh the the back of his wrist where he has like this rather intricate uh fabriel on. Um, and he's
Speaker A
like if my fabriel is right, then we are about 30 minutes away from the entry hall. Uh and then from there we are 30 minutes away from uh the uh garden. Um uh and then then after after that we
Speaker A
have about an hour. So so we're about we're about 2 hours away from dinner.
Speaker A
About some time lord I will attend to this matter immediately. You're going to kill him.
Speaker A
I look at FRA. I've heard of you. I know who you are. I am not sure what you mean. Bright Lord. He like he like leans in and he gets like super close. Nev the knife.
Speaker A
I've heard about you. Last I last I heard. Bright Lord. Nev the knife was a man.
Speaker A
Last I heard Nev the Knife. You killed brighteyed lords in their home. Uh what do you want me to roll to uh maintain face? Uh should be discipline.
Speaker A
Probably discipline. Yes. All righty. I'm going to do that then cuz I'm not I don't like having those things rubbed in my face. My discipline is terrible. I did bring this upon myself.
Speaker A
It's a grand total of 10. That's tough. Can you please describe to me how Nev gives a tell? Uh, I think uh in that moment when he says something about who she's killed, she gets that look in her eyes that she gets when
Speaker A
she's thinking about hurting somebody. Can Fra catch that? It with the lack of discipline uh the complete like obvious tell. I don't think you even need an insight. It's like rather painted on Nali's face that they would like to do a violence.
Speaker A
No, not directly like to this guy, but like No, no. In general, like not in like just looks indiscriminate the thug that she is.
Speaker A
Totally. Yeah. Indiscriminate. A street level thug. Yep. Um um at that I think realizing that will grab like reach to um the bright lord's arm and lean in like she's whispering a secret and go bright lord. You need to calm down
Speaker A
right now. If we're going to get out of this you need to not say any of these things. You need to keep quiet. You need to not offend anyone else.
Speaker A
And we will see what we can do. Give me a leadership role. Yeah. And I would like you to raise the stakes.
Speaker A
Mhm. What is a four? I don't have it in front of me. Oh, a four on the on the raise the six dice. That is That is a nothing. That's blank. Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah. So then that's a dirty 20 and a four. A dirty 20. Okay. Okay.
Speaker A
The bright lord is like looking to you with wild eyes. Uh but he like meets that gaze and like a drowning man clinging to a piece of floatsome. You definitely feel that his his body language like shifts and his shoulders shrink down
Speaker A
and the sort of tremor in his hand goes away. He looks You're right. You're right.
Speaker A
I apologize, Nev. If that is your name, I believe attendant seven is the correct name. Bright Lord.
Speaker A
Attendant seven and attendant uh mail. Men, I have been crude. Uh my panic overtook me.
Speaker A
And it is unbecoming of a bright lord to act as such. The major domo, as much as I exaggerate, overstepped.
Speaker A
I have attended the palace on multiple occasions, and it was a shock to me that I would not be able to stable my carriage here.
Speaker A
It would seem as if something strange is a foot here at the palace. There is no stapling. No one has been offered guest rooms and allegedly the crowds inside have already started to gather which is very odd. the nobility.
Speaker A
We've been gathered on the outside and there is already some sort of festivities that have been going on for the majority of the day. I don't know what to make of this, but Queen Asan has not been seen and she
Speaker A
has not attended any of us here in the courtyard. And I must admit, it is a little bit unsettling looking at the symbol on the ground where that Ardent was slain those nights ago.
Speaker A
So I do not want you to kill the major domo. What did I say?
Speaker A
You are correct. Just assume assume there that there are ears everywhere. Yes. I do not have the means to gain another carriage or access to them. I know that the queen holds a fleet at all times. And if there's any way that you
Speaker A
can gain access to one, I would be very deeply in your debt. I And he like he like swallows and you see the sweat pooling on his brow. I I try to be a good man.
Speaker A
I am worried for our city and your employer, forgive me, unsettles me deeply. It does not It is not with a small amount of reticence that I work alongside him, but I have heard that you are the best at what you do, that there
Speaker A
are special qualities about you that make you more than qualified for what I ask this evening. So please attend me during the dinner, attend me during the sunw walk and ensure that I get out of here in one
Speaker A
piece. That part we can assure you of my lord. Thank you. I believe it's time to enter the hall.
Speaker A
It's at this point that you two clock Berlar and well I guess you clock Olstrom uh but not but not Berelar and you yeah you see Olstrom walking with like a strange lightyed individual that you don't recognize.
Speaker A
Um, you've seen Bear take on the the form of another before and you can make whatever assumptions that you want.
Speaker A
Uh, it's a little bit odd for sure. Um, you hear Jez in behind you though. Uh, Nev Fra, you don't see uh, Jez. He's keeping himself completely hidden to you. This is uh just Nali hearing uh the nobility of the city or I've I've
Speaker A
watched for some time here. I know that you're uninitiated and I know that they are going to try to whisper honeyed things to you and you're going to want to rip out their throats for doing so. They have done you wrong
Speaker A
many times. But this is your first time walking among them so openly. It's dangerous to show it on your face.
Speaker A
And I've seen you staring evil at them all night already. Under my breath, I go, "Is it that obvious?
Speaker A
I truly wish it wasn't, Nali." Great. Great. Love that. Love that. Love that for me. Awesome. of it.
Speaker A
I will try to pretend better. Just I know you well enough to know what it looks like when you're just about to stab somebody and that look hasn't left your face since you walked through the gate.
Speaker A
I try to smile and it looks very stiff. Just like, oh, oh no. Oh no. Very toothy. Like a very toothy.
Speaker A
Is this Is this working? I'm scared. Do I look pleasant now? Um Oh, sound. Okay. I'm so sorry. Uh I could up my gain a little bit. So now it's it's about that time that you you all start flooding into the uh uh
Speaker A
you start flooding into the um into the grand entry hall. For a few of you it is not the uh most wild thing. Uh uh you understand the opulence of the light eyes uh grand chandeliers with uh uh
Speaker A
spheres of insane value. There is not a single sphere in this building that is anything less than a broom. many green spectacular arrays of emeralds casting this uh very intense uh this very very intense uh like vidian glow across the entire uh across the
Speaker A
entire uh room. It's portraiture. It is tapestry. It is uh hanging strips of cloth. It is so so very much decadence.
Speaker A
You are brought beverages uh upon entering the uh entering the location. Um each person seemingly presented with almost their own tray of of uh of of alcoholic beverages. Um little orurves that uh have been have been presented.
Speaker A
Um there is not a single curry or chowder wrap or bowl of lavvice in sight. They are little crunchy delicate things. They are they are little soft shelled crustation uh puffs and uh the the the fish of the oceans of Roshar
Speaker A
after being emulsified into into various foams etc to be smeared across a cracker. Uh it's it's difficult for a few of you to to look at it and experience this kind of ridiculousness.
Speaker A
It's it's almost garish. And this is supposed to be a place of uh plainness. You could almost call it. Um a sort of reserved Spartan existence.
Speaker A
And it's fairly obvious a lot of these pieces of decor, a lot of these sphere lamps are recently installed.
Speaker A
The long bolts of cloth hanging from the ceiling of the multitudes of colors are fresh.
Speaker A
The serving staff are bringing things on platters made out of precious metals, a rarity upon uh Roshar across the entire world. It's odd. It's very odd. But you see all across the entire uh the entire room a plethora of who's who from uh uh
Speaker A
culinarian uh nobility. Um it's a little daunting. Uh you see some very high ranking military figure fig figures for Aniel. Um you almost have a little bit of a moment of panic. You've seen them in all sorts of rooms. You have noticed them in all
Speaker A
sorts of spaces and you hope against hope that they would not notice who you are as you're in attendance of someone non-military. You you're just you are a dark tie a dark eyed uh logistician.
Speaker A
um a low non uh kind of nothing burger of a of a uh military individual, but here you are in a brilliant dress uh attending a Bright Lord.
Speaker A
Yeah, Bardelar. He's not hidden. He's ostentatious. He's wearing a long cape, brilliant, ridiculous, crimson colored garb, a red uh uh coat, uh golden buttons, uh sharp uh incredibly immaculately pressed pants, uh a cape uh that comes off of his
Speaker A
shoulders, and a pair of golden epolettes on either shoulder. It's rave looking as ostentatious as he has as he has ever had.
Speaker A
And you feel like just for the barest second of seconds, he notices your eyes and you think to yourself, "Is your disguise good enough? Did you remember the eyes?
Speaker A
Could he remember any of the other details about you?" It's told that he'll kill you tonight.
Speaker A
and that you need to directly stop it. Is an illusion enough? Is looking different enough? And then his eyes move and a million things go through your head but you just don't notice if he truly clocked who you were.
Speaker A
So now we sit and it's wave is upon your back. Lots of people. No, I don't like it.
Speaker A
It's very bad. You saying this out loud? No, it's just to you or like Okay, they're not like inking sprint. He can just communicate just with you. Just to you. Yeah.
Speaker A
Yeah. Wave. It's going to be okay. We got this. Let's just be normal. Okay.
Speaker A
I want to go to the the food and start making a plate, but the whole time I'm looking for Bright Lady Baylor.
Speaker A
Give me a perception, please. H. Oh 10. A 10. You're looking, you're watching, you're trying to figure it out, and you're trying to find this this lady that you have the description of, and you cannot seem to find her whatsoever.
Speaker A
Yeah. Completely. I get distracted trying to make like a lunchable with all the food.
Speaker A
Yeah. You get a you get a cracker. You get a little piece of cheese. You you snag a little a little a little uh you know, a little crustation puff. Uh you put them all together into like a a sort
Speaker A
of like stacked uh little little shakuderie bite. Uh a selection of those. Um you try to make a sort of sandwich concoction, you know, two crackers and then a filling. And uh uh while you achieve it, it tastes
Speaker A
Fancy negative not the same. Not enough salt. You hear an attendant uh beside you, one of the staff members. Oh, is that not to your liking, Bright Lord?
Speaker A
Um, do you have anything um any with more flavor, more spice to it? Well, these are simply the orurves for the evening. If you would wait just some time, the the meal will be served after the our little garden party.
Speaker A
Oh perfect. May I have your name? I don't believe I've seen you within the palace walls before.
Speaker A
Uh, yeah. Hi. Uh, my name um, sorry uh, Rindle and I'm here with High General Our and I try to like scan the room and see if I can find him to point him out.
Speaker A
Ah, yes. Hi, General Oour. I I am familiar with him. I am uh, you you may call me Major Domo Caresh.
Speaker A
Ah, Major Domo Caresh. Pleasure to meet you. And your last name? I don't believe I caught it.
Speaker A
Um. Um. Uh. Um. Have you forgotten Brindle? Your surname. It's It's so uh Failen I have a hard time pronouncing it without, you know, I want to make sure you get it.
Speaker A
Oh, I see. And then he rattles off uh the phrase uh is your surname from the central of the land or perhaps is it is it coastal? I know your island nation is one of uh uh a a plethora of uh of
Speaker A
microcosms of of cultures. Uh so please if it is from the mainland or from the shore and it's just in it's rattled off in perfect.
Speaker A
Yeah. Yeah. Oh wow. Oh brother, it's so good to talk to someone in the Oh my god. And I like grasp his like elbow in like a friendly gesture.
Speaker A
Um my family um we were fishermen for such a long time and um yeah. Uh Vickle, have you heard? Um uh Brindle Vickle.
Speaker A
Brindle Vickle. Ah yes, I I I have heard of the Vickles. A uh family of some repute upon the high seas. I I had a runin with a Vickle once.
Speaker A
They were Doesn't surprise me. Well, yes. I uh I remember them coming in and pilfering things at one of our fancy balls here at the uh at the palace, assuming some sort of fake name or another. Not that you
Speaker A
would do that, right, Printle? No. Why? No, that's Who would try to get into a lovely party like this?
Speaker A
Oh, you would be surprised. Yeah. So, do you think the intruder is and I just like point out some random person?
Speaker A
What about them? They look like they got something going on. I didn't say that there was one.
Speaker A
Oh, I'm sorry. I was just having a game. You never did this. Trying to make up stories for people in a crowd.
Speaker A
I don't usually joke when I make formal accusations, and it is very smart to not not give me a reason.
Speaker A
Have a good evening, Brindle. Cheers. What was his name again? Uh, Kavesh. Major Domo Kavesh.
Speaker A
Cheers. Pleasure to meet you, Major Domo Kavesh. He turns on heel. Notice would Bear have noticed that interaction?
Speaker A
Oh my gosh. Yeah, of course. If you if you want to say that he was that you were that you were nearby, it's assumed that you're doing the buddy system. Uh, so if you'd like to have been like
Speaker A
nearby 100%. Well, I'm I'm I'm working off of the assumption that the uh that you guys are working in pairs, like within within earshot of one another, if not like arm length.
Speaker A
Great. Mhm. Just going to slide up to the orurve table. Yo, that sucks. That was bad.
Speaker A
This is bad. I think we'll be okay. Mhm. You sound like Wave right now.
Speaker A
Wave. Was that guy lying? I don't know. Yes, I believe that he was lying in the ways that he said things that were untrue.
Speaker A
Okay, there we should keep an eye out for him. This pastry thing is good.
Speaker A
your ward uh walks up to the table and uh grabs a a couple of orurves.
Speaker A
I I hate I hate these little chill puffs. They're so gross. They're so absolutely disgusting. And they serve them at every single function in this stupid palace.
Speaker A
God, it's what they're called. They're horrible. Yeah, it's not even They're not made from chole. They're some little groundling crab from the rivereds outside of the city. They're so disgusting. You have to get the sand out of them. It takes forever. They're They
Speaker A
look like fleas every time. But Acedan has reportedly loved them for years. Were you speaking to the Major Domo?
Speaker A
He came up to me. He came up to you. Yeah. Oh, and um asked my name.
Speaker A
Okay. And who I was here with. Seemed pretty innocuous. Uh have either of you gotten eyes on Baylor?
Speaker A
No, not yet. I've been looking. Have you, General? No, unfortunately not. I think she's already made her way into the interior of the palace. She always had a way of weasling her way into wherever she needed to be.
Speaker A
Storming woman, I'll look a little deeper. Uh, General, do you know that man? And Bayer is going to very nonchalantly as he can um signify to rave. Uh, I would love for you to make a deception check.
Speaker A
Holy [ __ ] Uh, 23. 23. Okay. Uh, yeah. With all the subtlety that you can muster, you nod and and gesture over to to rave.
Speaker A
Yes, I am familiar. Well, since we're working together for the time being, I think it's important for you to know that if he sees me here, he's going to try and kill me.
Speaker A
Rave is a financier for several mercenary groups that operate in the shattered plains. He is also a relentless violent gambling enabler here in Colonar.
Speaker A
What did you do to make him angry? I'm afraid that's irrelevant to our current mission. General, I would love to discuss it after.
Speaker A
I would be willing to. I just wanted you to know. I have my own uh bones to pick with that band. So, understood.
Speaker A
I would stay close to me then. So, we should go deeper in and enjoy the festivities, my lord.
Speaker A
Yes. Because I will tell you right now, if it comes right down to it and then he like leans in and uh and whispers into your ear into your ear, if it's his blade versus mine, I doubt he comes out ahead.
Speaker A
Very good, Bright Lord. And a little bit of time passes. Uh, Navali Feraniel, you're also within the actual um the actual location. I would love uh for uh you two to give me give me a sort of uh a temperature check on
Speaker A
exactly and exactly what you want to get up to uh within the the Grand Hall. Is there anyone that you're scoping out? Is there anything that you're trying to do specifically?
Speaker A
So, oh, you can go first if you've got it, Mandy. I was just going to be trying to not be noticed. That's really all this one.
Speaker A
Uh, that's actually that is a non that is a non uh uh simple task. Um, you are trying to to blend in, to look invisible, to blend into a crowd. It's it's something that you're not, you know, the the the most wildly adept at.
Speaker A
So, um I would love for you to uh make a stealth check for me.
Speaker A
I'm good at stealth. That's that's something I can do. Yeah, absolutely. Um no, I don't know. My rolls today have been mostly not great.
Speaker A
Yep. 11. An 11. Okay. This is the worst I've ever rolled as Nev. So, this is so fitting.
Speaker A
Yeah. I was gonna say the fact that you are so entirely Nev is completely out of her element. Uh the the dice are on my side for storytelling purposes.
Speaker A
Yeah, narratively the dice are telling this story 100%. So you try to blend in and you're so used to trying to blend into like crowds of of uh individuals on the street. you know, you you understand the crush and the
Speaker A
flow of of of humans uh with within the streets of of Colonar. You you've you've you know, you've you've looked down with your hood up at a fountain uh before as people crowd around you. You've blended into a into a a restaurant or a fest
Speaker A
hall or two and uh you know been lost in the crowds inside. This is different.
Speaker A
These are people milling around. These are people having conversations. This is gossip. This is small talk. This is um yeah, you instead of being able to just be silent and go and blend in and and duck in under people, you like try your
Speaker A
tried andrue methods of like being unseen and like other aspiring attendants come and like grab your arm and are like, "Oh my goodness, are you in attendance of uh Bright Lord Raor? I saw you with him. He's he's he's famous.
Speaker A
Like that's that's that's incredible. He just came back from the the shattered planes on a merchant uh uh mission. What was that like? Were you with him then?
Speaker A
And you just get like this absolute bombardment of questions and uh and interest. And uh Feraniel, is there anything that you would like to do uh in order to uh try to pull Nev's bacon out of the fire?
Speaker A
Yeah. Like save me. Uh, FRA will come over and scoop her arm around yours and be like, I believe I see our bright lord over there. He seems like he he might need some help.
Speaker A
Yes, we'd best get right to that. Nice meeting you. Just like back up in a way.
Speaker A
Um, okay, perfect. Yeah, absolutely. So, can I please get I think this is going to be in a um I want this to be a perception from FRA in particular.
Speaker A
What? That's Isn't that Isn't that the question? Isn't that definitely the question? Because Because FA had her own like thing that she was looking for before before Nev was doing this. So now I'm curious.
Speaker A
All right. Oh, that's a good roll. 17. A 17. So Ronniel probably sees one of the most unfortunate things that she could possibly see walking into here this evening.
Speaker A
You look across the crush of people and it's all unfamiliar faces and and military lieutenants and you just see it's it's Guard Captain Tyel here in the here in the in the palace itself. And as you're looking across, he just makes eye
Speaker A
contact with you and his eyes just go stark open wide, holding arms with Nef, who I said I was wasn't going to hang out with.
Speaker A
And then he comes striding up to the pair of you. Uh, do we make evasive maneuvers? I say before he gets into earshot too late. I whisper.
Speaker A
Well, I'm not going to leave you. So that's fine. I'll just I'll handle this.
Speaker A
Captain Corporal Ne just looks down at the ground. I find it very strange seeing you here this evening.
Speaker A
I I do have somewhat of a social life outside of work. Oh yes, you have been.
Speaker A
you have. He like he like the words are just lost on his lips and he's like he's like looking you up and down in this like fancy gown and your hair is done up and you have jewelry on and you are so
Speaker A
alien to the uniformed uh well prim proper logistician to that he know has known for so long. I should have time tonight for Rananiel, I would love to have a private discussion on how it is that you have
Speaker A
found your social life to be intersecting with the affairs of the palace of Queen Asadan.
Speaker A
Captain, I I don't know if it would be professional for you to ask about my dating life.
Speaker A
He like grits his teeth and like stares down at you in the same way that you have seen him absolutely glare daggers through privates that have not finished their physical training for the day.
Speaker A
I do not think that your dating life is what I will be inquiring about. Corporal TV.
Speaker A
Then we will find some time to discuss. I will be available to you all evening.
Speaker A
Please come and find me at your soonest convenience. and then turns to Nev. I grip the arm her arm a little a little tighter.
Speaker A
I'm like gripping back like you're my life preserver. I'm so scared of this man.
Speaker A
Ne just kind of looks at the floor. Doesn't really directly look at him because she's she's you know dark eyed.
Speaker A
know he just he just looks down to you towering but right lord he gets like within 8 in of your nose if you hurt my corporal I will grind your bones into dust and make sure that your memory
Speaker A
is only that of the most foul cremerusted rock within the shattered plains. I would wish the same for you, right, Lord?
Speaker A
I'm glad that there is one thing in this life that we can agree on.
Speaker A
And then he turns and stalks away. Nev definitely sticks her tongue out at this man as he leaves.
Speaker A
I don't like him. That did not go well. How does he know what I look like?
Speaker A
How does he know what I look like? He's asked about you before. Don't answer questions about me.
Speaker A
I didn't. I said I was helping you and you were a lost soul and I was saving you.
Speaker A
That just makes his face like what? But doesn't say anything. We I don't like him and he's scary.
Speaker A
Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that discussion. I thought it would throw him off by saying I was here as someone's date and that did not work. So, um, we should try and find Alstrom and Bear to tell them about the
Speaker A
carriage. That seems we we we need their help, I think. I don't even know where to begin.
Speaker A
Okay. And we're moving around the crowd. Uh, I I I do want to perception is not my strong suit, however. I want to look around to see if I could be insight, could be perception. I want to see if I'm picking up any vibes
Speaker A
of like someone watching us, specifically Fier and I. I think that that could be in a situation like this where like it's not always just eyes on. I think Insight could definitely be a replacement. Um, I would almost put it down to like I I
Speaker A
could hear an argument for deduction as well, even though that is usually like notes, clues, and like connecting dots.
Speaker A
There's like so many moving parts here that you might be able to be like, we're being watched by the merit of I I can see through the SCE of people plotting here.
Speaker A
Uh, if I can argue for insight, I'd like to do that because it's insight for sure the better of the options for me by a little bit.
Speaker A
Yeah, that's an add 20 plus three. Okay. Uh, that does give you don't don't forget that gives you an opportunity to use at a later date.
Speaker A
Yes. Mhm. Mhm. Okay. For sure. For sure. I love that. I love that. Okay. Uh so, Nev, there's really only two people that you clock uh that are watching you and FRA in particular.
Speaker A
One of them is the exact same person that was speaking to Olstrom a short while ago, that being uh uh Major Domo Kavesh.
Speaker A
Okay. You see him, he's walking around, he's wearing all black, he's got a pair, he's got a set of robes on, uh, a set of dress robes, uh, so to speak, and then you you see him, he's he's watching you
Speaker A
with the same intensity that someone who runs an entire household of the of the of the royal palace would. Uh, it seems it's his job to go.
Speaker A
It seems like it's his job um to be to be watching you. Um, and the other uh seems to be a Shinman that is gazing at the pair of you with big wide eyes. uh sort of like sheepishly
Speaker A
looking over from time to time with like a rather like a little nervous, little like uh I don't know what I don't know what to make of the two of them and all of this. He's kind of like watching
Speaker A
you uh in a way that you're you you're trying to clock it. You're trying to clock exactly like the gaze like he's not looking with scrutiny. He's not looking with like any sort of like real intensity um uh that would like denote danger to
Speaker A
you or anything like that. You've seen a plethora of people that have like you know looked upon Nev as like uh you know an object of of uh prey, right? And he's just kind of like getting scant glances
Speaker A
at Nev and at FRA. Um but you're unsure because we're dressed so starkly differently. Possibly also it could be you're not sure but you know that he's watching you. Um and there is another individual that you see Hawk
Speaker A
watching within the room. You see Rave. You see the exact same uh individual that you have heard of so many different times. He's wearing a stark crimson outfit. He is incredibly [ __ ] ostentatious within the center of this
Speaker A
room. He's loud loud colors. Uh you're not sure how he would have even gotten an invitation here, but um ooh, you are worried. Um he he's just dagger staring at everyone. Um he looks like a bird of prey. Uh very much
Speaker A
looking for something to kill and eat. Um his sharp features. Uh you know, he he's looking like above. It's It's hard to describe, but he looks like he's like a head taller than everyone else at any time, and he can just watch everything
Speaker A
at once. It's just unsettling the way he looks through people. I wear freaking platforms. Like, what the hell? Um, 10-in heels.
Speaker A
He's just a tall monster boots. Um, I'm so sorry. Uh, so the major domo, but he's watching everyone. Shenman very specifically looking at us, but not in a particular intention kind of way.
Speaker A
And Rave just looking at everybody the way he looks at everybody because he's a disgusting man.
Speaker A
Yes. Okay, cool. Uh, nobody else. Nobody else. Okay. I think when I clock Rave, uh, I will, uh, definitely maneuver FRA and myself to face the other direction. never directly looking at Rave, just in his general vicinity, cuz the second I
Speaker A
recognize, I'm like, "Oh, Stormmit." Who Who are we avoiding? Um, did you see that hawkish looking gentleman in the very garish red? Yes, that's Rave.
Speaker A
Yeah. Oh, yeah. I uh he will he will recognize me. I don't know. I don't actually above table. Nev has never met Rave in person. Correct.
Speaker A
Rave. If if Rave notices uh Navali, it is definitely going to be based off of reputation and description and absolutely not through personal meeting.
Speaker A
Uh the only person in this group that Rave has personally met is Berglar. Uh I guess I'm going to rely on the fact that I'm dressed nice and not I don't have a scar on my face anymore. So,
Speaker A
he's dangerous. Extremely. Yeah, I I remember. I would love to take this opportunity, but now is not the time.
Speaker A
This is scary. Um, can I scan to see if I see Astramm because I don't.
Speaker A
Oh my gosh. Of course you do. Yeah, you definitely see Astro. And the person who Yeah, the person who I saw Astramm walking with, who I'm going to assume was there.
Speaker A
Do you go and meet up with Holster? Oh, yeah. Uh, Nev Nev. Um, they're over there.
Speaker A
Oh, okay. Yep. We should go. Yes, please. Yeah, we should update them. As we walk by one of the servers with those trays of like all like the like the little hand foods, little pastry puff things, whatever the equivalent of that is on
Speaker A
Roshar. I definitely like grab a handful and chuck it in my pocket. Chill puffs. They're chill puffs.
Speaker A
I'm making it cannon. You're just going to grab a glass. Neb also grabs a glass to hide the fact that she just shoved a whole lot of food in her pocket.
Speaker A
Just loose in the pocket, too. Yeah. I don't care about this dress. Yeah. You walk over Olstrm and uh uh Berilar, you're sort of waiting.
Speaker A
Um you started wait you're just waiting to to head up to the garden, which should be in the next like few minutes, like maybe two to three minutes.
Speaker A
Um, but you see Veronial and Nev come and make your way. This is the first time that you two have also seen Veronial in something so elegant and seen Navali in something so anything.
Speaker A
Uh, so it's, you know, like Nev has forever worn something that speaks to not being noticed and like whatever the most like dower non-coled blend in garments are with a little bit of like, you know, like a blade attached or
Speaker A
whatever. Like you notice that Nev has a figure and uh has uh no obvious weapons on them and their hair is done in in a in a way that isn't just greasy and unwashed. Uh uh Fra is wearing this
Speaker A
ridiculous gemcovered uh uh sky blue dress. Um and they walk up to you. Evening gentlemen.
Speaker A
Good evening. Uh, you Oh, I'm muted. No. Oh, no. Bear. Yeah. Collect's breath. My goodness. Would it be so bold of me to ask one of you uh uh lovely um uh ladies for a dance?
Speaker A
Nev looks at FA helplessly. Uh fear is suddenly like questioning like is this bear? And she's going to look over to Alstrom for like Oh, here. Brindle, hold the girl's drink.
Speaker A
Hold the girl's drink. Yes. Yes. May I? Uh, and yeah, Bear will pull FRA just a few feet onto like a dance. I I assume there's dancing happening in this court.
Speaker A
Like uh in the entry in the entryway at the very beginning, like there's very Yeah, of course. There's like casual dance, of course. Yeah. Like it's not the ballroom yet, but like Yeah, there's casual dance.
Speaker A
Um Yeah. Well, while we wait. Um I don't know. You don't know what? How to dance?
Speaker A
I don't know. No. No. Well, I will lead and you follow and you can tell me what uh what you've gotten up to this evening.
Speaker A
Okay. Uh uh and Bolar, bust out real dance moves because he actually knows them, unfortunately.
Speaker A
Yeah. Fra don't know how to dance. Uh just let's get a let's get a quick little roll here. Let's see. Let's see how this is going to look.
Speaker A
Um Berlar, you will absolutely uh give FRA advantage on this. Um, but FRA, we're going to ask for an athletics and uh the because there's a certain natural amount of uh of uh uh prowess that can go into something like this.
Speaker A
And I feel like that would be what fear would lean into. I almost want to argue for something that's worse for Oh, feel free to throw something else into the Yeah, because I feel like she's got like two
Speaker A
left feet. Um, she So, I feel like this would be more agility for Is it going to be okay? Yeah, absolutely. Um, maybe worse on my No, no, for sure. Give me the Give me the roll. Give me the roll.
Speaker A
Oh, okay. Dirty 20. Dirty 20. Okay. Uh you two start uh going through the motions. Uh Bear, you can you can give the des uh the description of how exactly it goes, but with the uh with a small modifier of uh
Speaker A
you hear frame in a very quiet way in the just on the back of your ear. You just hear ah yes it is time to dance. I am quite acquainted with the mechanics of dancing. And then actually does uh
Speaker A
give a fairly good like one and two and three and four and one and two and three and piouette and spin. Take his hand and here he will put his hand on your hip. I will continue to talk like this on beat.
Speaker A
Stay with me. Like it's a lot of that. Um Yeah. Yeah. I think it's probably Bear would do some like classic ballroom, you know, with some simple lifts, knowing that Fra clearly doesn't know exactly what she's doing. Um some simple spins, you know,
Speaker A
but like following, you know, like like do like doing his very best to do a a simple yet elegant dance.
Speaker A
FA is like a cute like probably never been more aware of herself ever. Like focus on me. Focus on me. Tell me what you've been up to.
Speaker A
Oh yeah. Um it's sorry it's weird. All of this is weird. Uh and you you're this face is strange and unfamiliar. Uh, we need to find a carriage.
Speaker A
Yeah. Uh, ours did not make it to the grounds. Okay. The major Domo is on to Brindle.
Speaker A
He's He's on to um my Bright Lord as well. Oh, excellent. This is great.
Speaker A
So fun. So, you need a carriage. Yeah. Uh, and I don't have a sword. It got taken away. Um.
Speaker A
Oh. Oh, dear. Um. Okay. And we're going to do a little spin. Uh, and with with pickpocketing as my expertise, can I slide FRA a knife uh while we're dancing? Is that possible?
Speaker A
Yeah, absolutely. With an expertise that's like and the fact that you're uh 100% like uh in that close proximity.
Speaker A
Absolutely. Yeah. I Yeah. I like pull her right in. Um I pull her right in close. Um and then uh I just go crasp your left hand.
Speaker A
There is now a knife in it. Somehow that actually does make me feel better.
Speaker A
She's going to put it in her safe hand pouch. Okay, great. There is some really weird stuff going on right now, Fra.
Speaker A
Yeah, the palace does not feel right and I think we need to look into it, but we've also got a job to do.
Speaker A
Um, Ra's here. You're I know person talking. Oh, okay. I know. He you you work for him, right?
Speaker A
Not so much anymore, but that's all right. Okay. Um, what do we do? What where do we start?
Speaker A
Um, we still need to find um the bright lady. You need to find a cart. Uh, and smooth things over with Major Domo uh, for Bright Lord Recor's sake.
Speaker A
Oh, dude, that that's not great. Okay. Um, perfect. This has been so lovely. This has been so this has been so fun. Um, but I I'm afraid I really should get back uh to my to my bright lord. Uh,
Speaker A
have have you met? Uh, no. Why don't you introduce me before we I believe we we're headed to the garden next. Um, but yes, I'll follow.
Speaker A
Yes, come. Um, I I didn't even get your name. That was so rude. Malin.
Speaker A
Malin. Uh my my name is uh Marin Reie. Uh this here is uh Brindle Brindle Vicle.
Speaker A
We don't need to worry about last names of course. Uh and this is um this is High General Our nice to meet you very lord. You see him like give you just the most like brief of scrutinizing gaze.
Speaker A
What did you say your name was? Mine sir. Yes dear. Melon. Melon. Yes sir.
Speaker A
Are does do you have family in the city? Not this city, sir. Right. Do you I can't ask that. That is so That's improper. You cannot ask that at a at a at a public function.
Speaker A
I'm sorry. It's just there's somebody who looks a lot like you at one of the brothel that a friend of mine visits very regularly. Um instant red.
Speaker A
Perhaps, General. Maybe that's maybe that's where you recognize her from. His face has gone completely stone.
Speaker A
No, actually, I don't think that I've ever recognized anyone less in my entire life. Perhaps we should move into the garden. And then he just like walks so directly into the garden.
Speaker A
Uh, a bell is called and up at the top of a set of stairs uh, for the first time uh, this evening you see her.
Speaker A
It's Queen Acedan. She's looking very almost effervescent. A bubbly sort of smile upon her face. Uh a look of uh amusement as she looks across the gathered.
Speaker A
You hear her project into the good acoustics of the grand entryway. My lovely gathered nobles, bright lords, ladies and various attendants. It is my auster pleasure to allow you within my home, the palace of all of Alithar, the jewel
Speaker A
of our great city of Kolinar, the palace, the place where the sun maker himself once sat at the head of our great nation. I am more than happy to have you here and to eventually share with all of you why I've gathered
Speaker A
you here tonight. If you would all please finish up your conversations and join me within the garden.
Speaker A
I have delights for you. And she turns and swishes this absolutely stunning stormlight glowing sphere embedded lavender dress.
Speaker A
This I would like to I would like to mark Queen Asudan as my quarry.
Speaker A
That's insane. That's an insane thing to say out loud. That's an insane thing that someone would say. That's a crazy thing for a person to say. Uh yeah, of course it works immediately. So just want to put that out there.
Speaker A
Yeah. No, that's something to put out there. Uh so folks, before we head into the garden, I must say I think that's where we're going to end for the evening.
Speaker A
No. Well, at least no one asked me to dance and survive this far. yet.
Speaker A
You're not even in the ballroom. What do you mean? Uh, okay. Well, folks, this is lovely. This was a lovely time tonight. It wasn't stressful at all. Is anyone stressed out? Are you feeling a little stressed out this evening? I'm
Speaker A
not. Um, you don't get to say that. I'm having a fantastic time. I haven't dropped a drip of sweat. Uh, so 11. Yeah. 111. That's insane. I want I I want nothing else. Hey, while we're doing stars and wishes tonight, what I'm
Speaker A
going to ask my wish to be is um continual heart rate updates from Jam.
Speaker A
Post it every time it changes. Yeah, absolutely. Just need a quick heart rate update. Um yeah, fantastic. So everybody, for the folks at home that joined us this evening, from the new people that joined us this evening, the folks that have
Speaker A
entered the community for the first time, uh what I want to say to you is that you can check out the rest of our socials uh at the links below. Um and it's so [ __ ] cool that we get to tell
Speaker A
this story with all of you. I have assembled the most stellar cast in the entire world. Uh one of them happens to be uh literally the most wonderful person on the entire planet. Um I I feel pretty biased. They're my spouse. So uh
Speaker A
a little biased, but no, it's it's it's actually a pleasure to play with these players. Like it's uh it's absolutely incredible to be able to experience the cosmir with people that are passionate about it in the same way that I am. So
Speaker A
it's been it's been a delight telling this story. Um I want to encourage you to uh if you if you've missed any episodes that uh the vast majority of them are posted on uh YouTube, uh you can catch up on the very first season
Speaker A
now. and uh join the Discord where you will get the most uh recent updates uh for all of our content, when we go live, what our next uh uh campaign plans are going to be, um you know, community
Speaker A
involvement, you can chat with the cast members, you can ask questions, etc., etc., within reason. Um and yeah, um we will uh catch you next Tuesday for uh the next episode of The Last Ideal.
Speaker A
Sanguin Dominion is still off for one last week and then we will be back back with the final season of Sanguin Dominion. Um I know. I can't believe it's been this long. Um and yeah, we'll uh we'll we'll see you all on the
Speaker A
internet, folks. We're just going to find somebody really quick to raid out to. Uh that's what we're going to do really quick. Uh I I'm always so unprepared for this. Uh is Tay live?
Speaker A
No, it doesn't matter because he doesn't let us [ __ ] rate him anymore because he, you know, he fell out of love with us and that's okay, you know, like um he's just a club husband and we don't
Speaker A
hang out at the club. Um shout out to the deep cuts cuz I know his music cuz I actually love him. Tain, let me love you. Let me show let me share my community with you. I think you're
Speaker A
amazing. Uh we are going to we're going to we're going to raid into um Captain Roar. He's actually live. Uh so yeah um we are absolutely going to do that. Oh wait no bam bam. So touch off for now everybody. Uh
Speaker A
thank you for sticking around. Thanks for thanks for playing along with us and thanks for going along with the bits and enjoying the story even a [ __ ] absolute sliver the way that we are cuz I have to say these are some of the best
Speaker A
[ __ ] characters and players and stories that I've told in a long time.
Speaker A
These people are [ __ ] great. So, first of all, follow them all. So, all right. See you on the flipflop. Bye-bye.
Topics:CosmereRPGactual playThe Last IdealAlgarColonar Shoreroleplaying gamefantasysocial intrigueTolkien-inspired
