Latest / Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama / Episode 28 (S3E28)

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Episode 28 (S3E28) · Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hi, I am Terry Ironwood, author of the Great Forget
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Fantasy series. You are listening to Tale of the Manticor.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: The following podcast is intended for a mature audience. Listener
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: discretion is advised. Welcome back to Tale of the Manticor
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Season three. Like the creature from which it takes its name,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Tale of the Manticor is a mashup, a cross breeding
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: between two different species of storytelling. Here you will find
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: the unpredictability of old school paper and dice games with
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the story craft of a dark fantasy novel. No character
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: is sacred and none will be spared if the dice
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: decide their fate is at hand. According to Laura, the
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Tale of a Manticor is barbed with cruel irons. There
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: will be much pain in the days ahead. Last time
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: on Tale of the Manticor, in chapter twenty seven, the PCs,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: who are running low on food, have some good fortune
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: and manage to kill a black grouse. The bird will
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: provide sustenance for a couple of days. However, as the
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: miles go by, Water claims the title of most pressing issue.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: The companions have just finished the last of theirs when
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: something unexpected happens while in a forest of spruce, maple,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: and birch to come across a clearing with a fallen
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: log a top. The log is a broken arrow during
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: he recognizes it right away as an elfin peace token
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: or friendship marker. When he picks it up, an unknown
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Elf walks into the clearing from the other side. He
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: introduces himself as Cullin and warning the companions that he
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: has two dozen archers hidden in the trees, proceeds to
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: question de Renni. Before long, they meet a second Elf, Zotopi,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: is Colin's sister and the only other female of her
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: race that Achillea has ever seen. When the pair question
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: fair Wind, asking if he comes from a place called Droth,
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: Achillia suddenly remember something. Chapter twenty eight, Part one day
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: twenty four, one week from their destination evening mythic event
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: meaning transform wounds. Party status. Achillea nine of nine hit points,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: Court fourteen of fourteen, de Renni twelve of twelve, ten
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Tier thirteen of fifteen, fair Wind eighteen of eighteen supplies.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: The companions have eight portions of food and no water.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: Remaining spells available. Achillie can cast shrink times two and
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: glitter dust court can cast, entangle and slow poison.
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: Once upon a time, the small village of Drowth, there
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: was a fletcher named Tobar who spent long hours crafting
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: arrows from dawn and to thems.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Poppy's voice was as clear in Achilia's head as if
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: he were standing right beside her.
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: What is this place de Roath, she found herself asking,
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: isn't new here to the north.
• 3:39
  Speaker 4: It is a human settlement built into the caves to
• 3:42
  Speaker 4: the northwest, replied Calin the dorothi are said to be
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: unpredictable folk, though my sister and I have never been there,
• 3:49
  Speaker 4: nor have we met any of their number.
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: Achillia grew hopeful this de Roth could be where Odok lived.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: In fact, that seemed very likely. She thrust her arm
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: into her satchel and pulled out the sketch book. The
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: elf named Klin had already said he didn't know the
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: name Odok Zygog, but he might well recognize some of
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: the places illustrated within his book. Flipping from page to page,
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: she showed the bemused pair of elves, each drawing in turn,
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: but every illustration received only puzzled shakes of their heads.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: Despite that her optimism was undiminished.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: How far away is dress?
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: She asked? Four days? Was the Toby's reply, four days,
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: and to the northwest, not the north And the distance
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: was a little less than Valken had given them to expect,
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: But it was not so far off Valkin could have
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: overestimated or misremembered. So Toobe's beautiful moss green eyes were
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: now fixed on Achillia. Her mouth bunched up into a pout,
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: as though she were deciding whether or not to ask
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: a question. Finally, her curiosity must have won out, because
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: she suddenly asked, forgive my ignorance? But her gaze flickered
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: from Fairwind to the Elvin brothers, than to Chord, and
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: then back to Achilia. What manner of being? Are you this? Again?
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: Achilia felt her face flush. She really did not have
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: an answer. What made it so much worse was that
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: she was standing beside an actual man made of wood.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: How could they be more unsure of her than him?
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: Words aside, Zytope's features in shape made Achilia hurt inside.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: This was the first female elf she had ever met,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: and while beautiful and exotic, Zotope did not look anything
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: like herself. Achillia's sense of identity had been slipping for
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: some time, but meeting Zeotope threatened to dislodge it completely.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: For this reason, Achillie was silent while the brothers talked
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: with Colin and his sister Over the next little while
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Cordon Fairwind, who could not understand the elving tongue, were
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: necessarily excluded from the conversation. The four elves exchanged information
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: about the topography of the surrounding area, including directions to
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: a nearby lake. They also discussed potential threats and even
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: made a trade. Tantier gave his elegantly curved Elvin sword
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: to Colin and receive several packages of food in return.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: When their business was settled, everyone said their goodbyes, and
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Colin and Zotope walked off into the woods. Achillie watched
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: with renewed amazement as the young woman's elaborately woven cloak
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: made the illusion of the undergrowth and surrounding woods, swallowing
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: her up. I wasn't sure what the pieces would learn
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: from Colin and Zotope, but it seemed reasonable after that
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: reaction role that they would come away with some information.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: So what do do this? Brother and sister know that
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: they'd be willing to share. Determining that at random wouldn't
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: make much sense because I'd already committed to a number
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: of truths. They knew where to find a growth, but
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: they didn't recognize Oduke's name or his drawings. This tells
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: me that they're familiar with this region, but only up
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: to a point. The seven of them are about the
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: right size for a scouting party, so I can also
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: say that the Novar Wood tribe's home is not too
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: far away. It follows that they would nowhere to find water,
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: and also about any dangers the party might face on
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: their travels. To represent this, I'll give them advantage on
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: the next couple of wandering encounter rolls. They also give
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: some food, eight portions of preserved rations, sounds about right,
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: and directions to a lake. If you're wondering why Colin
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: and Zotope were not especially shocked to meet Court, I
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: actually do have an answer, but I'm keeping that card
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: face down for now. With all that said, I'll proceed
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: with the hex's crawls for the next day, as the
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: pieces change course and head northwest for weather on day
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: twenty five, The fifteen is a fair summer day, stumble
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: upon ten nothing there for foraging. That two means they
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: do find some food, a handful of brown mushrooms growing
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: out of a rotten tree trunk. Four portions of food
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: are added to the PC's supply. The next check is
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: for wandering encounters, but this one will be made with advantage,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: rolling two D six and taking the lowest A three
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: and A four no encounters. The party reaches the lake
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: on the evening of day twenty five, unhindered and more
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: or less in good spirits. Chapter twenty eight, Part two,
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Day twenty five, three days from deroth evening mythic event
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: meaning transform wounds. Party status achillea nine out of nine
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: hit points, court fourteen of fourteen, dur any twelve of twelve,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: ten tier fourteen of fifteen. After receiving one point of
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: natural healing fair wind eighteen of eighteen supplies, the companions
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: have sixteen portions of food and no water. Remaining spells
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: available Achillea can cast shrink times two and glitter dust
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: cord can cast entangle and slow poison. The lake lay
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: shimmering under the declining summer sun. It surfaced a deep
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: crystalline blue that mirrored the cloudless sky. A few lonely
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: pines and spruces lined the shore, with their branches swaying gently,
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: and wild flowers clustered in shades of purple, yellow, and red.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: The shoreline was a rocky one, but this did not
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: stop the companions from pulling off their boots, shaking them out,
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: and stepping into the cold water, making sounds of shock
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: and relief. A Cord observed this, and he too waded
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: into the lake, choosing a flat rock by the edge
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: to sit on. Robin, always on his shoulder, jabbered trills
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: into his painted ear. Companions had refreshed themselves and slight
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: their thirst. They each took a seat on the ground
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: by the bank, even with a few hours of daylight remaining.
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: By unspoken consensus, it was clear that they would end
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: the day's travel here in this place of tranquil beauty.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: During the last hours of daylight, they kept their own
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: counsel with dur Annian tent here, choosing to swim while
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: Fairwind and Achillie read from their respective books. Achilie found
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: it hard to concentrate on hers, however, as her mind
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: kept drifting back to Aldvay. Had he used the name
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: de Roath in the Fletcher's fable as a kind of
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: private joke. It wouldn't be much out of character for him,
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Achillie decided. Just then the thought crossed her mind. Might
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: Altvay have traveled the same route she had had he
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: drank from miss Lake, visited to Kymore Ruins or the
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: lands of the Black Cloud tribe on his way to
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: the place he eventually called home. No, she admitted to herself,
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: it was unlikely he would have had no reason to
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: go from one place to the other in a straight
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: line as she had. More probably he would have followed
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: the river as long as possible, perhaps even by boat,
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: and by his nature, Aldve would have taken pains to
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: avoid any encounters. She looked over at Cord, sitting with
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: his wooden feet in the water. Robin was still prattling
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: at him, and the sight made her smile. Gratitude welled
• 11:19
  Speaker 1: up in her breast. How lucky she was to have
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: such good friends. In the morning, Achillie awoke to find
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Cord still sitting in the exact same position on the
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: natural rock seat he had taken up the previous evening.
• 11:42
  Speaker 1: He had one hand held out over the water with
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: his first and second fingers spread in a v. Upon
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: hearing Achille awake, he twisted his body to look over
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: and approached her. Immediately, she could see that his appearance
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: had changed. His feet and right hand now had small
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: leaves sprouting from them, and light patches of bark had
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: appeared on his body in random places. Overnight, Cod, you've
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: changed again, said Achilia, looking her friend up and down.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: She touched one of the leaves on the back of
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: his hand. It was while she was admiring his newest
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: transformation that the others roused and began to roll up
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: their packs for the day's travel. When Achilia went to
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: pick up her water skin, Cord took it from her
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: and threw it away. Cord, I need that, you know,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: she went and fetched it.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: What has gotten into you?
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: Cord could not give an answer, but once again he
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: took the water skin from her hands and threw it away.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: By now the rest of the party was watching Cod,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: Achillia said again, reproachfully. When she turned to once again
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: fetched the discarded container, Cord stopped her with a firm
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: hand on her shoulder. He motioned to her to follow
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: him as he walked on twenty paces away from the
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: lake shore, spread the fingers of his right hand in
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: a V and passed it over the ground as if
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: scanning for something. After a moment, he stopped, touched the ground,
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: and before Achille's eyes, a little spring of water spurred
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: it up from the ground. Let's talk about Chord for
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: a moment. Today is an important episode for the Man
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: of Wood, because today he achieves level four, he'll get
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: a D six of new hit points. Rolling for that
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: a four could be worse fourteen hit points improves to eighteen.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: The construct doesn't have stats, so there's no chances for increase,
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: which brings us to Druidic special abilities and spells for abilities.
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: He's supposed to get a new Sylvan language for each
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: level above second, but since that doesn't make much sense
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: for Cord, I'm going to make some minor improvements in
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: his connection with Robin. Since reaching level three, Cord has
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: been able to understand Robin when the bird talks, but
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: for this level, I'm going to allow him to talk
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: back telepathically over very short distances. I should mention that
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: at the point Robin still doesn't have much intelligence and
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: can't carry out complex tasks but it might be able
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: to communicate a warning if there was danger nearby. Something
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: like that. Okay, that brings us to new spells. Rolling
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: a D eight for this gives me create water. Well,
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: I bet you guessed that one, and yes I did
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: go back and write the previous section after rolling up
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: this spell. A quick reminder here that I am not
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: allowing Cord to pick and choose his spells the way
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: an actual druid could. Every day his spent powers renewed
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: the same as the day before. Although the companions were
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: reluctant to believe the sanctuary of the lake with all
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: its beauty and comforts behind, by late morning they had
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: done just that. They resumed their original single file marching
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: order would tendere in the lead. The young elf, who
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: was now fully healed, albeit wearing scars and carrying himself
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: with a somewhat less imbuilliant demeanor, had insisted The day's
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: march passed with that incident, and the sun had shriveled
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: to a red dot above a ridge to the west.
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: By the time the companions came together to talk and
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: make plans for the near future. Three more days should
• 15:10
  Speaker 1: do it, said der Annie.
• 15:12
  Speaker 5: We've nearly reached the end of your quest, Achilia. I
• 15:15
  Speaker 5: was wondering, have you thought about what you might say
• 15:19
  Speaker 5: to this odo oak person when you meet him?
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: Achilie I realized she hadn't.
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: If he's willing to talk, I'll listen. If he isn't,
• 15:27
  Speaker 3: I'll make him.
• 15:29
  Speaker 6: I would like to talk with all of you.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: Ferwind had declared once they made.
• 15:34
  Speaker 6: Camp, Achilia, if you would be so kind as to translate,
• 15:37
  Speaker 6: she said she would.
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: I how should I begin, said the cleric in an
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: unsteady voice.
• 15:44
  Speaker 6: Achilie and Cord, you will remember that the wraith of
• 15:47
  Speaker 6: Queen Anaya spoke a name. It was a name I
• 15:51
  Speaker 6: did not wish to hear. Harlowe was a novice who
• 15:55
  Speaker 6: was assigned and indeed entrusted to my care and tutelage.
• 16:01
  Speaker 6: The Queen accused me of failing this person, and perhaps
• 16:06
  Speaker 6: perhaps I did. But I wish to.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: Have no secrets from you. Sherwind waited while Achillia translated
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: the words to DURRANI intent here. Then he continued.
• 16:17
  Speaker 6: When I came to the land of the Camors and
• 16:20
  Speaker 6: took up residence in the ruins of the chapel.
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: Harlow was with me but.
• 16:27
  Speaker 6: Ah, he died on the very first night we arrived,
• 16:32
  Speaker 6: and after that I lived there alone with his memory
• 16:38
  Speaker 6: and the knowledge that I am. I might have saved
• 16:42
  Speaker 6: him had I only been more careful. It is a
• 16:48
  Speaker 6: thing that weighs heavily upon me and I I just
• 16:55
  Speaker 6: wanted you all to know.
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: Later, when they had all unfurled their bed rolls and
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: Tenter and Fairwind were snoring softly, achillea poke to Rennie
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: with a finger.
• 17:11
  Speaker 5: Are no, I'm awake, What is on your mind?
• 17:16
  Speaker 3: I too have something to tell, but only to you
• 17:19
  Speaker 3: De Rennie.
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: The elf turned over so that he faced her, and
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: their noses were only a few inches apart. All right.
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: After Fairwind had made his confessions to the group, Achilia
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: had decided that it was time to unburden her own conscience,
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: at least to De Rennie, who she knew had been
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: upset with her since the battle with the dire Wolves.
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: Even though she had rehearsed it in her head for
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: the last ten minutes, the truth was harder to say
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: than she expected. When it came to saying it aloud,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: De Rennie, you know.
• 17:48
  Speaker 3: I have a confession. I guess it's a confession.
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: De Rennie said nothing and simply waited for her to continue.
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: The thing is that I'm quite a bit younger than you.
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: Intent here there was a pause, and then I know, No.
• 18:05
  Speaker 3: You don't understand. I mean, I'm only twenty one years old.
• 18:11
  Speaker 5: I have known for some time. I heard you tell Valcan.
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: When he asked, Achilia had not expected that. She was
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: silent for a few seconds before she asked, does tend
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: to no?
• 18:23
  Speaker 5: No, I have said nothing.
• 18:25
  Speaker 3: But what do you think it means?
• 18:28
  Speaker 5: I wish I knew, Achilia, But I am afraid I
• 18:32
  Speaker 5: have no idea.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: He turned away so that he was looking straight up
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: at the sky and said.
• 18:38
  Speaker 5: I suppose it does not really matter. Try to get
• 18:42
  Speaker 5: some sleep.
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: And just like that, I'm back to making X rolls,
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: although this time around I am adding a wrinkle. When
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: I roll for weather, a fifteen or bitter will trigger
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: some thing in the narrative. Here comes the role the
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: nine decent summer weather. But that's all, okay. Next up
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: is stumble Upon. I've got an eighteen no result for
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: foraging A one means the companions are lucky yet again.
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: Ten Tier manages to shoot a squirrel for their dinner. Finally,
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: the chance for a wandering encounter. The party still benefits
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: from Cullen and Zotope's advice and will get advantage one
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: last time. Rolling two D six and taking the lowest
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: number gives me a two and a six Luckily no encounter.
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty eight, Part three, Day twenty seven, one day
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: from drowth after noon mythic event meaning transform wounds. Party
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: status Achillea nine nine hit points, Cord eighteen of eighteen,
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: de Reni twelve of twelve, ten Tier fifteen at of fifteen.
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: After receiving one point of natural healing fair wind eighteen
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: of eighteen. Supplies, the companions have twelve portions of food.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: Water will no longer be tracked so long as Cord
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: is able to create it magically. Spells available. Achillea can
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: cast shrink times two and glitter dust. Cord can cast
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: entangle and slow poison. Somewhat dubious. Both Durni and Tantier
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: had held onto their water skins after Chord's demonstration, but
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: the construct had repeated the trick the next day and
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: the day after that too. Finally, the siblings had allowed
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: that Cord really could provide for them, and their skins
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: now hung at their belts empty. Presently, the party was
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: making their way over a hillside strewn haphazardly with boulders,
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: legs and backs ached, and stomachs grumbled. Lunch had been
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: the last pieces of Dernnie's grouse, that, despite having been
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: blessed by fair wind, no longer tasted very good. When
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: the group redged the top of the hill, they stopped
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: to catch their breath. Even though Tantier had the best
• 21:20
  Speaker 1: eye sight, it was Achillie who noticed it first.
• 21:24
  Speaker 3: Now, that is truly something.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: In the distance. Cutting a jagged line against the sky
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: was a mountain range, its outline soft and indistinct, pale
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: purple peaks dissolved into the clouds, floating like memories on
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: the horizon. Even from so far away, the mountains held
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: an air of mystery and familiarity. Achillia knew the shape
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: of those mountains well by now, after having studied the
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: sketches in odok Zagog's book of drawings so many times.
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: This view was not represented among the pictures in accolation,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: but the shape of the mountains was unmistakable. All the
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: party members agreed that it was truly something to behold,
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: and for a few minutes, they simply stood and took
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: it in. This brings us to day twenty eight, once
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: again rolling for weather, with the same chance for a
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: trigger event at nineteen. Okay, noted next is stumble upon.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: A twelve is nothing forging. A six is a failure,
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: but the pieces have some supplies now, so this is
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: not particularly worrisome. A wandering encounter roll is next, with
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: no advantage this time, so a five or six means
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: potential danger. Here's the role. Well, okay. Then the mountains
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: came back into view every time they crested a hill
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: all that day, lifting the companion's spirits with every reappearance.
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: At night, Durani chose a huge spruce for them to
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: sleep under. The companions pushed its fall needles into soft
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: mattresses and slept soundly while Cord and Robin kept watch.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: In the morning, the party members collected their belongings and
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: continued their trek to the northwest. Hilly landscapes rolled and dipped.
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: The air was freshly tinged with the scent of earth,
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: and the quiet sounds of nature filled the space. There
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: was nothing but the occasional chirp of a bird or
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: hum of a bee, and the sound of their steps
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: in the grass. Late in the morning, a great forest
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: came into view. Like the previous, it was a mix
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: of spruce, maple, and birch. The trees here were huge
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: and ancient, and they clung to a dramatic terrain of
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: steep crests and deep gullies.
• 23:41
  Speaker 3: I think that's where we'll signed de.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: Ros, said Achillia, smiling and pointing up at some hills
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: a few miles off. Her heart was full with optimism
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: and resolve. She would find this Odok and make him
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: undo whatever he had done her Vopy. She just knew
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: she could do it. They were trudging up a steep
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: ridge when auready up ahead suddenly exclaimed Chief Chins Breed Dad.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Burst was immediately followed by the sound of the elf
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: drawing his sword. Thank you for listening to Tale of
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: the Manticord. If you would like to help to support
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: the show, there are lots of ways to do so.
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  Speaker 1: You can recommend the show online or to friends. You
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  Speaker 1: could like and repost episode announcements on social media. You
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: can pick up one of my offerings on drive through RPG,
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  Speaker 1: like my new one Shot in the Dark expansion module
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: or maker kit You can also buy a Tale of
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: the Manticore t shirt at www. Dot bear Arts dot store,
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  Speaker 1: and there is now a second design available in response
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  Speaker 1: to listener requests to have one without all the blood. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: you can rate or view the show on your podcast
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  Speaker 1: of choice. I'm very grateful for your support. At this point,
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  Speaker 1: I'd like to share a listener review.
• 24:48
  Speaker 6: This one was.
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: Left by Obadiah on Castbox. Obadiah writes, I love this show.
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: I've binge to listen to the first season, but then
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: had to take a long break before I could switch
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: to the second, as I'd grown to love the care
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: aracters in the first now nearing the end of season
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: two and am dreading its end. Keep up the gray work.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: You're inspiring a long time player of RPG's to keep
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: on with trying my hand at solo play. Hey, Obadiah,
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: I can't tell you how much it inspires and encourages me.
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: Why reader of you like yours? In a medium where
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  Speaker 1: most communication goes one way, it means a lot to
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  Speaker 1: hear that my stories and characters are striking a chord
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  Speaker 1: with listeners out there in the world. So thanks for
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: giving me that validation. I really appreciate it, and of
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: course good luck with your own solo games. I am
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: also indebted to my amazing cast of actors. This episode
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: features Ky Ellen and David Cooper as Dorenni and Ferwynd,
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: and in the role of Klin and Zotope. It's Moses Boyagian,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: the creator of Willowna's Cave YouTube channel and morg stromer
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: of Crypti Creations. Thanks to all of this episode's actors.
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: For those curious to learn a bit more about Tale
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: of the Manticor, I keep a blog where I post
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  Speaker 1: all kinds of show and ARPACH related stuff like art, maps, tables, crafts,
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  Speaker 1: the Manticor dot blogspot dot com. To get in test
• 26:02
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• 26:15
  Speaker 1: Please have a look and sample something new if you're
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  Speaker 1: so inclined. The adventure will continue on the next episode
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: or Tale of the Manticor It's the story. We're Chaos roles.
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