C03 - Ep. 48 - Under Oondar Fire - Hot Cross Bunlap

What's up everybody, I'm Jimmy Wong. How's it? It's Josh Lee Quy. We're the host of the Command Zone podcast. You've probably heard of Magic the Gathering. Whether you're a new player or a seasoned veteran, or you used to play and want to get back into the game, you've got to check out Commander. It's the most popular way to play Magic, and for good reason. It's everything you love about board games, but with Magic cards. Deep rewarding strategies, infinite creative deck building possibilities, and it's multiplayer. So there are tons of opportunities for complex social interactions. If you can't tell, we seriously love this game, and we think you would too. I mean, why else would we talk about it for like an hour every single week? All right, so if you like Magic the Gathering, check us out at the Command Zone, the premier podcast for all things Commander. Available on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere podcasts are found. Learning English is hard. That's why I make easy stories in English, where you can have fun while you learn. You can listen to stories full of action, aromance, and mystery. Each episode, I tell stories for beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners, and there's a story for every mood, whether you want something to wake you up or relax before going to bed. Easy stories in English is the podcast for you. An assigned team of hand-picked operatives to lead on a mission ordered by the Imperial Regent himself. Her task is so secret that she's forced to operate under special condition. Her actions will be denied even by her own inquisitor. Ken Morgan become a true agent of the Inquisition, or will she and her team fall to chaos before their duty is done? Agents of the Inquisition is produced by Dum Dum's and Dice, Canada's number one TT RPG company, and his rule set is a re-skin of D&D 5.5E, so it's super accessible for listeners. Agents of the Inquisition is a great introduction to and celebration of Warhammer 40K, so it doesn't matter your experience with Warhammer, you're going to be thrilled. Spotify called it an instant hit in 2025, and it's already in the top 10% of video podcasts. Follow and listen to Agents of the Inquisition wherever fine podcasts can be found. The Emperor Commands it. [Music] Pleasant trees all you plain watchers, soaring into the sinky dragon and ingest our latest infusion, clear for takedown. It's a mixture of magic resistance, matcha, word bound water, celestial soy milk, a radiant lasso of ice cubes, and topped with an intervening blast of extra planar juices. One poor of this pinpoint quotation, and you'll be saying there's no plane like home. Previously, their adventures clashed with a conglomerate chimera, after a quick conflict, it cleared out into a cavernous canvas. B team them bound their way up a slippery slide into a body of water. They met mushroom minions, and their matron Grammy fungus. Finally, they flew down a flight of stairs into a facility of filigree and found a secret space beneath a cistern where a stud named Bunlap stepped in on them. Latch onto our libational and leap into our lower. [Music] Hello, everyone. Welcome to Tales from Stingy Dragon. I'm your dungeon master Gustavo Sorola, and I'm going to hit our four players with an arrow. If you were to create a charity, what kind would it be, and what would it be called? And that's from Zach, the street fighter. Can't wait to see you in new movies, Zach. Not sponsored. Not sponsored at all. That movie looks bonkers, and I want to watch it. I'm going to roll the D20. [Music] Five, sixteen, eight. Got this out of my system. Critical failure. All right, good. So, 12 Gunther Doug Nadi. Did you already ask the question? I'm sorry. [Laughter] Yeah, you did the chair. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. If you were to create a charity, what kind would it be? What would it be called from Zach, the street fighter? I know. We got a little distracted. That was the part of that whole thing that I got focused on. I was like, oh man, yeah, a duke, and yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, it's me, Blaine Gibson. I played 12, the male thomitech, Barbary, and you, oh, wow, first. That's a first. Okay, well, charities. I am going to start one that is near and dear to my heart. It has to do with recycling. And, you know, when you're like, you've got like an old piece of technology. And you're like, I don't know what to do with this. I throw it away. Should I recycle it? Well, you can donate it to my charity. It's called Toys for Bots. And we take old technology. And then we like use it for spare parts. Or, you know, refurbishing it to make it into like a cool little gadget or gizmo for us robot folks. Yeah, I got gadgets and gizmo's aplenty. I know exactly what he triggered with Barbara. I mean, he said it, Barbara inhaled. And I was like, I know what she's thinking. She's trying to, yeah. Is that beauty in the beast? No, a little mermaid. Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. Okay. I love the Toys for Bots. I'm guessing that's a Toys for Tots reference. Or am I going crazy? Toys for what? I know it's called Toys for Bots. I don't know what you're talking about. Oh, it's a true. I don't even know what Tots are. It's a voice for Tots reference. All right, 12. Doing good charity work there for up and coming bots. Yeah. Thank you. Up next. Gunter. Hi, I'm Chris. I play Gunter. The email Crockwell fighter. And for me, that is an important charity is that there are sometimes wooden people in my village. They get sick. They need extra nutrients and extra. And they do not have enough food. And so we need to, there's particular type of fish that we give that are very nutritious for them. But they are hard to find and hard to, hard to come by. And so I would start a charity to help to make sure that every child that needs one has one. They would be called Make a Fish. You guys and your puns and your plan words today, 10 for 10. Make a fish. So you like go to a body of water and you assemble like fish parts. And you make this, you assemble this. No, somehow he would do the charity to grow these, to, to, to start a fish, a battery, a battery, start a fish and then to grow them to let them. It's like, it's like a build to bear, you know, but with fish. Yeah. I do want to say Chris, you're Gunter, intonations and cadence are on point today. I was like, I was on that journey. The food. It was, it was, it was, it was good. In my picnic basket. Points for bots and make a fish. I can't wait to see the parade of puns continue. Doug, you're up next. Hello, everyone. It's Doug Boole and played by Barbara Dunkelman, the male bug bear artificer currently level eight. I'm sorry. You said played by Barbara Dunkelman, the male artificer. That's me. I'm the male artificer. I've had a, I've been working on it. But, you know, I did also some really good charities that you guys are starting, you know, some, some real good play on words. But, you know, Doug was thinking about how could he really help the people, you know, of, of this place, of Midris, specifically? And so he actually wants to start a charity called The Minds of Midris Initiative, also known as Mommy. That's how you have guards. You need to tell, like, really help people who are wanting to, like, expand their knowledge of science and just everything there is to learn in this world. So, yeah, The Minds of Midris Institute. Mommy will help. It feels like the, the birth of that idea started with the word and then went backwards. It actually didn't, no, I didn't. Okay. I was thinking of, like, something that I could involve the word Midris in and then, it's like, well, Minds of Midris. Good. I would love for their programs to be things, like, upies. Other things that is, like, it's just acronym, joke acronyms all the way down. Man. It's funny, you were saying that I was, like, in my head trying to figure out what the acronym was and what the joke was, I couldn't get there. And you beat me to it, so, yeah, that's really good. Although, all this talk of build a bear, I feel like that's a direction Doug should have gone in some kind of engineering charity. You'll get a bug bear. Build a bug bear. It's just, it's just like one of those things, bean bags or whatever. It's a fat camp for bug bears. Oh, John, we need to do a bug, oh, we need to do a bug bear bean bag chair. Yes, we can do that, right? It's like the big snorlax thing. Yeah, yeah, exactly. All right, thanks, Doug. Then last, definitely not least, we got netty. Yeah, definitely not least. It's John Reissinger here. It's your boy, John Reissinger. It's your, it's your 41 year old dad boy boy. We're all just boys and girls here. I play natty wonder, who is the drought warlocked drag queen mother of Mr. Giggle's worth. And I don't, you know what? Y'all are too clever. Y'all are too smart. Y'all too clever. Y'all too funny. And so since y'all are that while I'm describing my chair, I don't have a name for it. So now it's going to be a race to who can come up with a name or acronym or pun. But my charity that I had in mind was obviously going to be centered around my center of the universe, my baby, my angel, Mr. Giggies. And it's mostly about, I don't ever want to, you know, say no to Giggie, but I also am not ignorant to the trail of, we'll call it damages that Giggie leaves behind him. I'm going to say something else completely. He leaves the trail of all kinds of stuff, bodily fluids, mayhem. And I just, I just, you know, I love my baby, but I also love other people. So I just want to set up a charity that is all about replacing lost atoms and lost, well, mostly pets that Mr. Giggie eats along the way. So I can replace to the people who have, who've like, you know, been visited by Giggie. And maybe I have a little bit less than what they did before he came in and, and stopped by. And so yeah, my charity would be about replacing and, and helping people kind of find, you know, filling the hole that he left. Sometimes it's actually a hole in the wall. And I just need somebody to fill that hole in there. And they're, they're downstairs then. They would follow around behind Giggie. And it could be the march of crimes. There you go. See, I knew one of y'all did it. I knew it. I was wondering, like, Chris was raising his hand. I wonder why, like, oh, he's making sure he gets in there. I couldn't even tell though if he was raising his hand, because it was the most like, it was like kind of just a limp hand. I didn't want it. I didn't want to interrupt. I didn't want to make sure you got through before I, that's fine. Yeah. I'm glad it didn't matter. I'm glad that someone jumped in. I'm glad it was Chris. But yeah, that's, that's that's my idea. Yeah, I was thinking of, uh, some kind of insurance pun, like, I'm going to pay in two and get their damages covered. And Micah says that you, you kind of had rookie of the year hand when you were raising it there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, maybe it's like, you know, if he's eating a lot of people's animals, you know, that could be animals. He's eating like cows and goats and stuff. So maybe it'd be called state farm bar, but you can't sponsor them. What are you doing? Yeah. And the people can gather in the giggie hood. It'd be more like rein state farm is what it would be. Oh, that's pretty good. Okay. Great charreds. I can't wait to see the work you all do in the future really looking forward to you all making the world a better place. But on that note, speaking of worlds and better places, let's dive into the episode. To be clear, I'm just trying to leave in world in the same place it was before geeky was there. So that's, that's just to clarify. It's like the world gets worse and then you're making it better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, does it seem like someone has like been in this room recently? Yeah. You take a look around and you see like a sticky pouch in one of the corners of the room under a cushion. Let me pick it up. See what it is. What's a sticky pouch? It's like a pouch, but it's like sticky on it. Like it's like a pouch that you would an adventure would carry, but it's sticky. All right. Okay. You open it up. Take a look. And inside you see freeze dried flies. Oh, can I hold it up and show Gunther and ask if he recognizes this or if you know SponLab has had this work? Yeah. It looks delicious. Well, like, okay. I don't know how long he's been sitting here, but is this SponLab? Have you seen him wear this before? Yes. And the freeze dried is a way to preserve them and take them on long trips. Well, if he wouldn't mind you eating the rest of his snackies, then I think you could go. I would mind him eating the rest of my snack. What? Oh, that boy's high snackies. You'd look up and see a very handsome. This muscle's glistening with sweat looking down from the still-propped open door. He just had myself off. And he got startled too much and shoots him with an L.G. Flash. No, no, no. Save some of those for me. Gunlap has a few scrapes and bruises, but all in all, he still looks as dapper as ever. His height is accentuated at this angle, looking at him from below the cistern. His biceps and forearms ripple and glisten from the humidity. The golden flakes in his eyes peer into each of your souls and you know it within yourselves. You are safe. I see you found the same height out. May I join you folks for a spell? Unless I've been truting. How gracious of you. I am in need of nourishment of both body and soul. Well, sorry to interrupt, but I happened to have found this little pouch of freeze dried flies. I was thinking maybe I could cook some over the fire here and maybe make you a little meal. And feed them to you, massage your feet. Oh, I can see you have found my rations. What would you all say to a shared meal and fireside chats? Dog, he looks at you. Are you skilled in the culinary arts? Well, yes. The will-to-flowers smiles upon us. Perhaps we can cook a meal together for everyone. You and me together? Yes. He offers a winning smile to your dog and slowly removes his green plate armor. You notice a plate lid is missing, but what catches your eye even more is how the firelight of the hearth casts a playful shadows across his washboard abs. Now, what topic shall we discuss first? Maybe we should talk abs. I mean about my toes. I mean, yeah. And then, and then, and then, Doug just farts out of my ears. It is good to see you. I was worried we would not find you in time. Oh, fear not. We have been brought back together for a great purpose, I suspect. I hope so. I was very sad when you had left, because, well, if you may, what did the will-to-flowers say to you? By the way, I was more sad when you left, besides the point. She exclaimed she was growing impatient and desired for the will-to-sheel-to-be-returned at once, and that you are not the devoted croak-folk you once were, that you are no longer worthy of such a quest. Her words, not mine. Did she say why? Did I do? I humbly protested such a claim against a fellow croak-folk who bravely freed me from unwarranted imprisonment, but she insisted that you, I'm embarrassed to even repeat such an outlandish accusation. She insisted that you were fraternizing with other deities that you had given over to blasphemy. She must have been misinformed. Well, no, you see, I was fraternizing as a very strong word. There was just a commute. There was communication only in that means a doubt I was trying to get, to find more information, not about like we return the camera to see Nadi Nadi's got her arms crossed and is giving a scowl to Toll. A little bit of a disappointed mom look to Toll. I can't believe my ears. No, it is. No, I got the what made you associate with those other so-called gods. Surely you have a good reason. No, there was all the only reason was to get closer to finding out where there was a shield, might be. And if I may step in here, in Gunther's defense, he is like way too into the wilderness flower, like troublingly so he will never troubling. No, no, no, okay, hold on. My god, you're so muscular. He is so devoted that it has come at a great cost to his personal will being because of his devotion to the will to flower. There's no doubt in my mind that this man loves his deity. It's just that he is trying to pursue the goal of the will to flower, and that requires him to somehow interact with other deities, but not in a way of worship or like cheating. He's sacrificed, not a sign of faith. I mean, he's sacrificing, like, he's sacrificing his own health and his safety. I wish we had cams off for this show so that people could see both chris and plain, just like the spinning rainbow shoes. They started talking to me first. They give me first. They came to me. He's literally tried to use like a different persona and was like entrapped by other deities to talk to them and he was like my name's Noon Thur, you know. He doesn't wait. He doesn't want to associate with him, but personally, bun, bun lap, I don't think that there is a reasonable expectation from the will to flower, but that's just my opinion. Yeah, you know, I want to just back up with 12 of us saying here, like my friend Gunter here is, all he is devoted, and you know, I also could be very devoted to the right person, to my say, but I just like, you know, I would trust him. He never, you know, ever lost his face and he's always been so devoted to the will to flower and completing the mission. And, you know, I understand the confusion though. Gunter, it appears you have fast friends who are willing to watch your back in my absence. For that, I am very pleased. Yes, well, now you do not have to, now you can have But the same, you will watch your back. Watch your back? - Yeah, he turns around and his back is somehow even more shredded than his front. How was that possible? - Oh, I see you've already washed it. - What's the opposite of a bench press? Like, where are you going backwards? - Like, like, lap hold-downs, or? - I'm like trying to think of like, if you're bench pressing, but like-- - But press your butt behind you. - Oh my god, a bench push. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Bung up, my friend. Do you have any need in insight into how I might regain no good grace to Wilder Flower? - He puts a hand on your shoulder, Gunther. - I dare say, if it were me, dear friend, I would repent of my transgressions and seek the Wilder Flower's forgiveness. But perhaps there is something we can do to show that rather than tell. Perhaps retrieving the Wilder Flower will change her mind. - I hope so, but she said, do not do that. She did not do it, but I-- So I'm both very-- - Yeah, he found it like a week ago, and he had it further. So that, 'cause he was-- - He's not true. - He's not true. - He's not true. - He's a bit of a joker here. He's a community girl even in the group. - That is not true. I feel at odds because they have both said, to not come here. But I have to come here because I don't come here. If I do not retreat this, you'll have to not be able to return to home. - Since the hour I left your side, Gunther, I've done nothing but regretted. I know I was only doing the will of the Wilder Flower, but I owe you my life. The least I can do is stand by your side once more in your hour of need. It would be my privilege to assist you in retrieving the Wilder Shield. We will bring honor not only back to the Fly Flats, but to the Windbreaker name. - And with that, one lap reaches out his hand. - Yeah, Gunther does this handshake where they grasp each other's forms. - Forms? - Yeah, and then they-- No, that's too weird. (laughing) - Oh, man, now on. - Do they just curl like croak with their necks? Can you like, ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They do that. - I would think also like you grasp forms, and then you like interlock legs, and then like hop around on one leg each. - Yeah. (laughing) - Anybody else want to know where Chris was going with that before he stopped himself? - Just the neck, a little pulsating thing. - No, no. - We'll cut this part out. Just tell it, go ahead, tell us, you're gonna see this. - I was gonna say, it's like, oh, they like, grasp hands and then their tongues loop around, but I was like, that's a little weird. - No, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry, I'll try that. You don't want to be to demonstrate. - I don't think that's necessarily, from a meta perspective, I wouldn't think that's weird in the croak folk society, just because of, it seems like croak folk use their tongues almost like a utility, like, it's a worked out thing, and you use it in some attacks. So I don't know, and say that's necessarily worth it. I think that's human inhibition, creeping in. - All right, once again, too weak. (laughing) - I am curious, you know, Gunther and Bonlap, I don't know if we ever heard the story about how you two actually met. - Ah, yes, he's a humorous tale to be sure. - Maybe you guys could like tell it back and forth a little bit at a time, you know, like you tell some Bonlap, and then you tell some, going through having to be a fun game. - Well, let's see how this goes first. (laughing) - We were really froglets in fly flats, and quite wet behind the Tempana. I think you call them ears? A goggle bird came out of nowhere and I fell into the sacred oasis. What am I doing? Gunther can tell the tale far better than I was. (laughing) Go ahead, my friend. Oh, and don't forget the part about the fireflies. (laughing) - So yes, he fell into the sacred oasis, and he was like, you should know me there. And so I was like, what, it's a fool? I don't know who this guy is. And I saw, I used my tongue to grab hold of a heavy border and I repelled down in after him, I grabbed him, and then the part where the fireflies is the funniest, you tell that part. - Seems like you guys are passing the fireflies part back and forth here to tell me more about these fireflies. Then we came out onto the shore and we had to dry off. And as we were drying off, Gunther said, oh, I am packaged, how about you? And we turned and saw some fireflies and then, (laughing) or a name, we saw those fireflies and we said, huh, I'll raise you to see who can get one. And you got all of them. (laughing) - And then did he say, you would not believe your eyes. (laughing) - Oh, what a story. - Yeah. - So, one lap, I know that Gunther has a mate whom he loves very much, and at home, ooh, nah, what do you have a mate? I've caught in many a fetching croakfolk back in flyflats. - No, that's true. - But sadly, no, I haven't had much time for such a role, man, it's as of late, especially due to my incarceration. Though many inmates have expressed interest. (laughing) (laughing) - I was like, we just made this legendarily hot character. (laughing) - How big is, how big is bun lap? Like, I know he's bigger than Gunther, but he's still like a croakfolk, so is he like, still kind of small or what? - Yeah. - Yeah, he's definitely taller than most croakfolk and muscular. So, I would say like, maybe four feet tall, and just like four feet tall, but 200 pounds of just pure muscle. - Sounds familiar. - Mm-mm. (laughing) - That was Bart in the campfire. (laughing) - My favorite one was, Barbara's four feet tall. Bob, people don't know. (laughing) - And 200 pounds. - It's all those bench pushes you do. (laughing) - My fat pushes. (laughing) - So like, when you say, like, he's strong enough to like, like carry someone really heavy, like Doug or anything like that. Like, hold him in his arms and stuff like that, if needed. - Are you injured? - Well, yeah, I mean, I could be where, you know, pretty precarious situation here. - Just looking around for something to hurt himself with. (laughing) - I am strong, but you are a very tall bug bear, Doug. I don't know if I could pick you up. - Okay, that's fair. Maybe you and Gunther could work together and kind of, you know, we need to. - Yes, you are always, as always, not think high of yourself enough. - Okay, let's pick Doug up. (laughing) - Better wise, let's go where he could pick you up. - I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. - Well, you know, is there anything, like you said, you're not really that strong, but, you know, is there anything you might be wanting to like, learn or skill that you might want to improve? 'Cause you seem so talented and, you know, Gunther here was saying, you know, you shouldn't, you know, talk down on yourself. But is there anything that you wish you could improve? 'Cause, you know, Doug knows a lot of stuff and maybe Doug could help. - Learning is a thrill for me. Most folks don't know this, but I'm a bit of a book borrower. But there is one area that I haven't found much expertise in. - Blacksmithing. - I've always had to have professionals assist me with crafting my armor or weaponry. I'm ashamed to admit it, to be honest, but how else is one supposed to learn if they don't confess when they need help, right? - Wow. - Oh, we found some of your armor. - Oh! - I did, yes. Could Doug take out the piece that they found before? - Yeah. - He's been sniffing it a whole lot just to make sure it's up to snuff, I guess, I don't know. - And just making sure it's not on fire or anything like that. - Up to sniff, up to sniff. I mean, snuff. (laughing) - I could use assistance in reattaching this. - Oh, it suddenly, Doug gets pushed back by Gigi, pushing him back, tracking his knuckles and coming over. - How about that, how about that, how about that? (laughing) - It's a really funny visual. - Okay, I guess could Doug help him reattach it? - Sure. I mean, he can keep talking while you two work together to reattach this platelet to his armor. - It's a scene in ghost, but it's just Doug rapping as the arms are round. It's the other way, it's a good bun lap rapping his arms around Doug, but not getting all the way around him. (laughing) (dramatic music) - Night has fallen. The moon is full and you're invited to listen to Canada by night. A podcast where professional improvisers play Vampire the Masquerade. Vampire detective Everett Fry accidentally becomes the sheriff of New Haven, an experimental town where they're testing if vampires and humans can coexist. Stuck leading a rag tag group of vampire officers, can Everett keep the town running? Or will 14,000 people and vampires be liquidated by the Vampire Council of Canada? Trending on global fiction charts and produced by Dum Dums and Dice, Canada's number one TTRPG podcast company listens to Canada by night now to find out why it's been downloaded more than one million times. With a table made up of Vampire the Masquerade veterans and people brand new to the game, this is the perfect podcast if you've been playing Vampire your entire life or if you've never heard of Vampire the Masquerade before. Follow and listen to Canada by night, wherever fine podcasts can be found. It's interview with the Vampire if it had all the characters from Parks and Rec in it. Dum Dums and Dice would like to welcome you to the grim darkness of the 41st millennium in the Valentine Heresy of Warhammer 40K RPG podcast where professional improvisers play the Genesis adaptation of the dark Heresy role-playing game. Newly promoted Inquisitor Lucius Valentine has received visions of the death of the immortal God Emperor so he's forced to team up with high-bred criminals in anyone else he can find, all in an attempt to defeat a cabal of shadowy foes and save the galaxy. Trending on global fiction charts and produced by Dum Dums and Dice, Canada's number one TTRPG podcast company, the Valentine Heresy has already been downloaded more than three million times. So join the legions of fans already listening. And it's worth noting the Valentine Heresy is a podcast made for Warhammer 40K veterans and people brand new to the law. No matter your Warhammer experience level, this podcast is for you. The Valentine Heresy. Heresy, a Warhammer 40K RPG podcast. Follow and listen to it on your platform of choice now. Welcome to the strata. There's two of them following me. I know that for sure. And over the package and we'll let you go. You'll let me go. Oh, that's cute. The first bullet hits me in the chest, sends me staggering back a step. The strata. In a dystopian city, a struggling career is forced to go into business with an underworld ganglord in order to pay for the treatment that keeps him alive. Check out the strata anywhere you listen to podcasts. Banda Bay must ask what have you found so far since you have been here because I know you have been here and you have been you have been sneaking. Oh yes, I found a foyer entrance then I found a bizarre contraption that spins and takes you down and up. Oh yes, we have found that as well. Oh, very confusing. From there I found this lab in this area we are in and a great hall. In that hall I was able to travel to a room with riches, but there was a monster. So I retreated back to the hall and made my way back here to recover. Was it the chimera? I don't know what that is, but that sounds appropriate. Did it have but a bison on one side or raptor in the middle and an ostrich on the right with big, big wings of the mantle ray? Oh, and covered in mirror shards, yes. Yes. Now that wasn't the chimera, sorry, that was something. So bun lap, it seems like things are all patched up, right? Are you in Gunther like on good terms now, despite all the, you know, disagreement stuff with the world of flower? I owe Gunther my life. He has been a tried and true ally through all the years between you and me. And he leans in close to you told you, you know, he smells like fresh sandalwood and lemon zest and you whisper softly in your ear. I've always looked up to Gunther. He is what I would call a croak folks, croak folk. I don't know how he does it, but he exudes such confidence and strength without even exerting effort. Surely you've noticed this whilst traveling with him. Yeah, definitely, for sure. I don't want to blow up Gunther's spot bun lap, but he admires you very dearly as well. I think you guys are good, good friends, and I hope that nothing ever causes a rift between the two of you because clearly he admires you as much as you admire him. Oh, nothing could come between two fredds. The bond is extremely tight. Well, I can think of one thing, but we don't need to get into religion. That's a good little laugh. I like that. I want that sound. When we started these characters, we were like, you know, something that was like a thought provoker was like, okay, what are some missions? What are some objectives that you can get? I think one of Toll's new missions is to get Gunther off of the Wilder flower. You think? Because I see how bad they are for him. Anyways, I just wanted to state that so in case it wasn't clear enough. All right. All right. It's been pretty clear. When I've had you, have you seen or heard the six Toll's swordsman? I would say that's again for people who have broken speakers in their heart. We just looked down and Gunther just like leaps to the dirt just speaking. But they understand each other though. One one one's more or less based more trouble. That's it, sword. So it's been also known as the 11 Toll, depending on where you're counting from. I'm afraid not, but I will keep my eyes wide as if for flies. Smirk. Yeah, smirk. My last question for you, bunlap, you know, as we're getting to know you more, you know, we've had time to really get to know each other and what we want to, you know, achieve and stuff like that. But what is your goal in life? Like, what do you wish to achieve? I simply wish to return the wielder's shield back to fly flats and with it, the village's honor. Beyond that, I've had many a dream in my heart. But the one that soars above the rest is that which Gunther has already achieved. Love. He and Punia found each other and they made a family together. It is a beautiful life he has made for himself. I don't know how he stands being away from her for so long. I hope to experience such longing for my future love one day. It is not easy, I say this. I sometimes have to lie down because I cannot stand it. Oh, this beautiful kind of round. Oh, wow. Well, I think those cry go away. Oh, my God. I'm really so beautiful. Well, as good as this is, that we're all reconnected and, you know, talking and stuff like that, I think we need to get back to the mission at hand, find this darn chimera rara, and hopefully the will do shield so that you guys can get back to your village. So, how about it, gang? But first, a meal. I am quite peckish, are you not? Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. I will robot so I don't necessarily need food, but yeah, go ahead. Okay, well, I'm cooking us up a dish. I haven't really experimented with the freeze-dried flies before, so you're going to have to bear with me. Oh, this shall be it's free. Maybe we'll bug bear with you. Inspiration Diacompromise. Thank you. Okay, so we're going to start with this appetizer. It's a Caprese salad with the end. I never know how to say that word, ever. I'm not saying you said it wrong. Every time that comes up, I try a new way of saying it. Caprese? Yeah, it sounds like a cool 90s. I don't know. Jazz artists. Is it Caprese or Caprese? No idea. I just don't order it. Yeah, no idea. When I find out, I'll order it for the first time. I like the salad. I like that salad. Menus with the numbers are a blessing, because you can just point and say, "Yeah, number 14." And you don't have to still be your way to the pronunciation. And to be again, I'm very clear. I don't know if Barbie, you said it right. You just brought out that word every time I'm like, "I like that salad." I'm going to just try it. It's crazy. It's crazy. It's very good. But then for our main course, of course, we have Flight Achini Alfredo. I don't know if you guys like a cheesy sauce, but, you know, it's a dog's personal recipe. So here you go, eat up. [LAUGHS] It will be you who suffers later from the dairy. Where'd you get the cheese? You know, a dog likes to pack some cheese in his pack. Oh, old bun lap king croaking more than one way. [LAUGHS] Is it a far trip? Yes. Oh, okay. Oh! I think Doug will also just like, stay in there nervously watching everyone eat his dish. Oh, I think, yeah, bun lap is famished. I think this would be an excellent dish. But even, even if it was not, I think bun lap wouldn't care at this point. He just begins wolfing down the food. Ah, no, no, no, no, come, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh, chef, chef. Save some for others, the beer bun lap. Neutrians. You just don't know how to see how it comes out. That's all I'm saying. It's like Wally where it gets squashed down into cubes and then he can take it out. Exactly what I was thinking. Really? Yeah. That's so great. But do I have my skin? No, the grandkids still have it. Okay. They stole it. Was bun lap surprised by that? I don't know if he had met me with my. No, no, no, he probably had, because we were, we went to the. He knew, yeah, because during the breakout, the prison breakout, yeah. Okay. Doug, I am very impressed. You are skilled not only with the pan, but with the hammer as well. The quality of this armor repair is second to none. Well, thank you. It's an honor to get a compliment from you, bun lap. Ah, I have much to learn from you in the smithing arts. Is it possible to also, I should have thought of this earlier, but I don't know if we have the time to do it, to do some infusing of the item? Oh, yeah, yeah. What were you thinking? Yeah, I think I would have given it enhanced defense, which is for a suit of armor or shield. So I imagine this piece of armor could be infused onto you. So a creature gains a +1 bonus to armor class while wearing the armor or wielding the shield of the infused item. The bonus increases to +2 when I reach level 10, which is not yet. So it's just a +1 to his AC. It's pretty good. Doug, how have you made this even more effective? The quality is amazing. Well, you know, I've been studying for a while and we've had this piece for a bit and I've just been kind of tinkering with it on and off and thought if we ever went into, you know, you'd appreciate it. And you know, we want to protect all the hard work you put into it. It's muscles and stuff like that, you know. Perhaps we should hug frequently so that I can absorb some of your knowledge. That's a great idea. Wow, you're a smart guy. Okay, he was here. He is needless to say, Bun lap is very oppressed and very happy with the repair and the quality of the work. Doug is also very sweaty, by the way, right now. He's very nervous. Yeah, you look actually like trimmer. You know, like when you do those pomeranians get washed, lose half their volume. Is there anything else you want to talk about or wants to do? Or we can just count this as like a little bit of downtime and move on? I think told we're saying something about the plan. Okay, so right now we're going to go out to the Kaimi Rura, right? We're looking for the wielder shield off. V and what am I missing? I need to get my skin back and do you give my pop-up yorn? Yeah, am I missing anything here? Look for this swordsman that killed that responsible for so much of pain in our village. That's more like Okay, sure. We'll add that to the list. I don't know if that's gonna happen or not because I also have to find like eight brothers and sisters But I don't expect to find them in the next day or two. I do think you all also promised a golden rod You would fix the painting in the treasure vault - that is right. Yes. Okay, so I say we get out of this sister And we start to like, you know carrying on upwards to the the top of the tower because that's where the chimera rara is that's right were the what was it? There was like a vault or something that we're going to? Yes, just a quick refresher on geography You all are like just in this kind of secret room below the sister Which is under the lab from the lab. There are two exits There's one to the northwest Which is that archway you came through which had the trap with the beam of light and the water that turned you to gold And there's another door to the south which is dark and drafty and in the previous episode You all had concluded that you had been to the other side of this corridor That on the other side was most likely the banquet hall that you all went to when you first entered chimera key so Whole team leader. What's the play here? I think you you have successfully summarized your objectives And now it's just about figure out next step Not either now the gate or where are we going? I just want to head upwards Well, do we have to go bother those stupid pesky kids? Do I see my skin anywhere Bjorn skin? I mean you're all are still in that little secret lab sister in right area. So no not down here Okay, I'm gonna pop out then to get back to where the entrance of this place was Okay, yeah, yeah, well follow. Yeah, there's that archway You remember to avoid the beam of light in order to avoid Stripping the trap with that spilt that spills the water and turns you into gold and hanging from the archway You see your Bjorn skin. Oh, oh They folded it wow How is it folded kind of like with the arms across each other like Dracula style? I pictured it was hanging like they had pinned the the arms up into the Archway and it's just kind of hanging and flapping down in the wind something out of a serial killer movie. Yeah smells like sandalwood We could be a trap. Oh, health puts it back on and nanny can see that over the forehead. It's they wrote jerk and marker Is there anything different about it? Is there anything that I can tell Drew a mustache? Yeah, he's got a beard It seems like they didn't mess with the skin a bit and the feet are where the hands should be and the hands are where the feet should be It's in kid's pocket. I correct it and put it on. Okay. It's funny. You said that John Mike and I bounced a bunch of ideas off of each other for the grandkids could have done and one of them was right a swear on the face Just like trying to think of what like uh mischievous little kids would do just to cause trouble in a situation like this Okay, yeah, you're very adept at maintaining your skin. So it's not a big deal for you to be able to easily swap out the the hands and the feet and put it back in their appropriate place upwards and onwards Let's go if you continue on this path you'll end up back at the The room where you encounter the grandkids and granny fungus that like the forested lake room So yeah, you continue back up you walk up that stone path because you had walked down a stone path to get here So you do the reverse walk up the stone path and you end up back at that forested lake You still hear that distant singing and there's evergreen trees everywhere on either side of the lake with fog lingering on the tops To the north you see a rocky rushing river mouth which feeds into the lake and from here from this room There are a couple of different exits. There's obviously of course the Stairs that you just ascended on top of that there are ridges that continue up to the northeast and the northwest like forested slopes That go in either direction from the rich in the northeast you hear what appears to be the sound of grinding stone This is water splashing from the northwest you hear the sound of mellow music Let's head that way towards music music would we be heading the same direction? He said northeast is the music in the north is the sounding zone north west is the music north east is the grinding stone So they're both north is just whether you want to take more of a westerly path or an easterly path I mean I am a sucker for the tunes. Let's go check out the music Maybe pop by the jukebox joint huh. What kind of music are we here in Gus? Perhaps that'll become more clear in a moment when you when you proceed a little further I think they call this dubstep. Oh Oh, this is my second language Yes, it sounded me walking. It's a dubstep. Oh Very very very good Take a take a inspiration. I like it. All right, so you go into the northwest to the fuck sound of the music Those are alive with it You go Dole deer female deer you go up the northwest ridge and find a stone Collinate and the sound of mellow music There's a large painting chain to a tree that seems to depict a mermaid The blankets of gold silver trays of gourmet food and handsome folk enjoy in merriment and music in the air handsome Handsome. Oh, these are my kind of people like good-looking. Yeah, I would agree with that. That's for sure But like you'll fit right in I guess we go into approach and say hello Handsome people party people I don't know where I'm going with this and got their dances Oh Yeah, yeah Told's doing like a really aged dance like oh, I'm hit. I'm cool Yeah, you approach and there's gold food and merry folk there's a lavish amounts of gold coin rare jewelry and silk apparel There appear to be succulent meats cheeses fruit and delectable wine There's folks of all kind dancing singing laughing and eating. It's just a good time Wal-told is like raising the roof and like he'll spin around a boogie and he'll look to his gang and under his breath go Don't eat anything don't do anything that might be like cursed I got the hibi jibis about this place, but everybody at cool. What's up? Oh, wow Come and join the party be very clear giggie is already eating a whole plate of something Keep that child on a leash. He is It's just a very long leash Wow, you are one more time. Yeah, well here. We are well. They're all too much. Merry-Mint Grumbles what they say The singing and dancing why should say the dancing seems to accelerate and uh pick up the pace does it seem like they're actually speaking a language We understand but they're just kind of like sloring their words or is it does it seem like a different language? That's a good question. Doug, why don't you make me Yeah, I'm inclined to say intelligence check. Yeah, making intelligence check. Oh guy Uh, that is a 14 it's not coherent. It's almost like if it's a language. It's One you don't understand and it's slurred almost like drunken Call me call and be yeah, like like it's it's being slurred by drunk people or intoxicated people What's what's the mermaid painting doing? Is it a natural painting or is it seem to be moving? Yeah, one of the portal things Yeah, Gunther goes and to take a look and The painting has a frame of black pearl and there's chains wrapped around the painting and a cedar tree And it looks like it's a lifelike depiction of a mermaid playing the saxophone. What she do. Am I right? Did you guys come up with this painting using a mad lives? Uh, it's a stinky painting Gunther make me a Let's call it an investigation check. There was a painting of a noun Playing a musical instrument. Yeah, not great six. So I might call that bad Synonym not great. Yeah, you could swear you saw the painting move or like it's eyes look at you Gunther. Oh This is such a beautiful painting. I said investigate. I so look at it. Enjoy it closer. Can't I guess can you come through approach and be like? No, are you here? You're chained up. Oh help me. I'm in prison. I'm being forced to play music for these folk But I'm very mad It's a very good tune with that use play under the sea under the sea under the water. It's hotter. They get for me I love how we've had two little mermaid song references in this one episode. It makes my heart happy Just keeps popping up Gunther. You should kiss that girl Bring me and help me and I can reward you Can you to reward us with telling us how to go out of here to hop by to the top of the tower? I have not been there, but I'm sure I can figure it out Can nanny grab Gunther real quick like like like in an eight-day uh, not like a Bruder meanway, but kind of like put her hands around her shoulder and kind of take him away from the painting real quick Gunther, roll me a d20. Oh, no 15 Nadi comes in puts her hands on your shoulder to pull you away from the painting and you do not want to leave. Oh Oh, it's all sight of the siren sounds. Oh She's drawing you in Nadi is trying to stop you from helping this poor defenseless mermaid. Why would nadi do that to you Gunther? Why would you do this Nadi Nadi? Get you see that she needs us. She's a part of it. She's a mermaid She's being chained. She's in trouble. We must help look up look at that - Thank you. - Could Doug come over and cover Gunther's ears? - Uh, yeah. - I've already established it doesn't happen. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - That's exactly what I was saying. - I got a size of his head. - I was like, we just talked about this. Croak folk ears keep coming up in this episode for some reason. - Cover the holes that are receiving the sound. - Yeah, Doug, you walk over and do that, but I think Gunther has probably worked up from Nadi trying to grab him. He's gonna resist that. So each of you roll me up D20. High number wins. Five, 13. - You go over and, you know, put your hands on Gunther's head. He's like thrashing around because he doesn't want you to do that. However, you are able to put your hands around Gunther's ears. You got Gunther there thrashing around with Nadi's hands on his shoulders and Doug's hands over his ears. - Okay, everybody, everybody. Stay in meetin', stay in meetin'. (crying) - Don't, don't get over here. - Yeah, I've got my, I'm coming. It's just that Gunther's being belligerent at the party again. It's better be some cool new dance. - So I just want to clarify something 'cause I've been an oprianist assumption. But like you said, you've been to where the chimera was, right? - Yes. - Okay, so that means you could just show us where to go to get to the chimera, right? - No, I went through a passage in a painting in a grape hole. I have not been through here. - Okay, okay, yeah. Was there like a fish hook in that hole? - Yes. - There we go. Okay, all right. Well then, perhaps we should leave this party be considering the effects it seems to have on our croak-folk buddy over here. And yeah, this is John asking where are the egresses in this room since we came up into this colonnade. - Good question. There's the one of course that you came up from the southeast, which was the ridge. To the north, you see Ivy Tunnel, which appears to be long and straight, that's kind of damp and cold. And to the east, there's a rickety wooden footbridge. - Okay, well, team leader, you want Ivy or Footbridge? - Exactly, I am quite fond of precarious, scary bridges, you know? Sorry, I feel like Footbridge. That sounds like a lot of fun. - Sounds something, I don't know. There's just something about being around Budlap that I want to be a dangerous, adventurous thing, you know? Throwing caution to the wind. - He makes us all brave, I think. - Yeah. - She has that effect on people. - Okay. - Be as for pray, be as for footbridge. - Maybe Doug, you should just hold on to Gunther until you feel him like maybe get this out of his system. - I just have a feeling that maybe whatever music is coming from this mermaid painting is as if everyone kind of under like a spell or some type of trance. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - And everyone make a charisma saving throw. - Oh, that's it for Gunther. It's not Gunther, you already failed it. - Charisma saving. - Well, plus seven, 19, 12. - I rolled a five, but I'm gonna take it again with my inspiration diet, 19. - Okay. - Doug, you do not wanna leave. I think you take your hands off of Gunther's ears. - Nadi and told you're the only two who seem to want to leave. Doug, the mermaid painting starts talking to you. - It's not me who's keeping your hair. - It's these people. - Really, what are they doing now? What are they doing? - It's the same way they compelled me and trapped me. - The people are chanting. - Oh, how many people? - We'll say six. - Did you hear their language? That's how they get you. - What are they saying? - I don't know, but it's hypnotic. It traps you. - Yeah, I do feel pretty trapped. Gunther, are you enjoying this as well? - Oh, yeah, I didn't think this was a good song, but also, we have to help, or you have to help her. - I am Allison. - Allison? - Well, beautiful name. - Yeah, she's appears to be a teenage mermaid with red hair and a tank top of sail cloth. Her lower half is of shimmering emerald scales. - Teenage mermaid with red hair, huh? - Yeah, yeah. - Nadi and told you know that something here is trying to charm you. Both you were able to resist it, but something unnatural is trying to grab hold of you. - I'm pretty used to being at a party and wanting to leave and having fun with someone who wants to hold me. - Time for a speed run. - Yep, yep, yep, time for it. I wish goodbye. Okay, I'm gonna ask like with Nadi's connection to the arcana as a warlocked daughter of the priests of the temple, is there something that maybe Nadi could do to try to, I am convinced there's magic here causing, you know, charm? I wanna figure out a way to determine is it the painting or is it the people? Is there something Nadi could do? - I guess you could make an arcana check unless you have a better idea. - I don't have an ability so that's why I'm like, I'm fishing for just like Nadi's, no, it's magic. - Yeah, make an arcana check. - Okay. - 19. - Not bad. - Pretty good. - Using your spidey senses of arcana, you think that the source of this charm is coming from the painting. - All right, Nadi casts mode of hell on the painting. - Oh my God, we've been through this before. That's how you got like Captain Grumbles. - Yep, and what that does is that it creates that mode. It's a 15 foot radius, but I'll cast it in a way that no sound can leave. - Oh. - No light, no sound can leave the mode of hell. - It's very clever. - Oh, that is super clever. So it's totally dark and totally silent on the paint. - Correct. - Nadi says this ain't no disrespect to you, darling. You looking pretty and everything, but we got business doing. She casts it. - Where's Boss the Helper? - I did. - I can't hear her anymore. - Yeah, you cast mode of hell on there and Gunther and Doug, both of you like snapped you. You realize that you were under some kind of magical influence that was compelling you to stay here. And when that happens as well, all of you look around and you see all the people, the gold coin, the jewelry, the food, all of that's gone. Instead, you see a pile of garbage, rotten food and corpses. - Oh, so it's all like a illusionary face of you. - Yeah, that's why Gigi was so into it. Wow. (laughing) Gigi is still eating the food, even though it's garbage. - Yeah, he's just wanting to eat it. - He just doubles down, he just says, (laughing) He coughs up a tin can. - Sorry guys, I think I painted up myself into a corner there. (laughing) His party's dead, hey. (laughing) - So there are no people, they're all dead people. - Yes, it's corpses, yeah. - It would have been you guys if we just led you here. But why don't we go down that romantic bridge and see what's down that way? - Well, thank you, Natty, for saving us. I thought I was so enraptured by that painting. It was a very, you did a very good one. - Yeah, you guys make fun of me in my connection to death and hell, but you know, it kind of came into handy, didn't it? - Do we make fun of you? - I feel like we very much appreciate it sometimes. - You know what, you're right. It's mostly that robe it over there that gets that weird about my people's religion. - Told the staring off into the distance. He can't hear any of this, 'cause he's turned himself to mute mode or you just see, just deffense. (laughing) - He's got built in discord. - Yeah, yeah, deff. - So good. (dramatic music) (dramatic music) - Okay, so I think we would boot school to Boogie out of here. Let's go to the Rikini Bridge. - Okay. - Sounds good. - You depart this area to the east and you see what appears to be a rickety footbridge. That's about 60 feet in length, swaying in the wind. It's chipped with golden paint and it crosses over a rushing river below. In the middle, you see a coin purse hanging on the handrail. - Oh, God. I feel wasn't for the coin purse. I would've felt like this is a trusty bridge, but now it feels like a trap. - Maybe it's a towel. - Oh. - Oh, there's something about that, dear. - Oh. - Just to the west from here is the area you just left with the painting and the illusion. Then there's the bridge and then to the east. On the other side is the other exit. And from that side, you hear that familiar sound of grinding stone again that you heard in the previous area. - Interesting. - So across the bridge is the grinding stone sound? - Correct. - Oh, okay. - I worked out. - If you think about it, you were in one area and you went west to the illusion and now you're cutting east. And then from that, from the area with granny to the northeast was where that grinding sound was. So it's probably, you would think it all kind of connects. - Okay. Does anybody have a rope? Because I think we should probably send someone out attached to some rope. And then if this is inevitably like a trap, then we can catch them and pull them back and go the other way. - I'm pretty sure I do. - Natty just starts hovering off the ground. (laughing) - I just, I want to come up with some sort of way that we could safely cross this. - Natty is now just like turning upside down and like doing little like little slow rotations around Toll's head with her head. - And I feel like the safest way is to have like some sort of thing that we could grab someone pull their way to back, you know. She's now cast dancing lights around herself and it's just lights are all dancing or else she's flying and floating. - Natty, do you want to so attach rope to you? - Yeah, actually I would, you know, stuff can happen where you can't fly anymore. And so that's probably just safety first kind of stuff. - And let's some rope. - Yeah, let's do it. I'll grab hold of the other end. - Thank you. - Toll, can you actually help me tie a knot around it? - Oh, she's right. (laughing) - Talkin' to the right guy here, Doug. I have been reading your book, you've heard. books on it, but I you know figured I would watch from the expert of course of course. What kind of not you're doing? Oh, fuck you this. Come on. Google not. Oh, that's a really high number not. I want to do hold on. I know that there are some nods that can get tighter and then they become like dangerous because yes. Oh, yes. A garlic knot would be good. Yeah. Of course, Chris would say that. I'm kind of hungry now. Bull line not. What? Bull line knot. Okay. Yeah. Well, I couldn't I couldn't hear you. There's some other guy talking. Bull line not. There you go. This is not easier to understand when he did it in Toll's voice than planes. Maybe an anchor hitch. That's would be fun. All right. Now he starts to walk forward, but then turns around and goes, if they need money, I don't have any. Well, just call back if so. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I got some pretty fluid liquid. He's like our walking ATM machine right there. You try to put the bill in and it won't go in because it's not registering. So he's spitting it back out. Yeah. I crap out a doctor pepper and not a coke. He's a vending machine too. No, we already fought one of those. Yeah. Yeah. We went through that. Nadi. Yeah. Kind of just floats over to the middle of the bridge and investigates that little back. Look, rope, rope floats. Yep. So you have the rope tied around you and you float and you go out to the middle of the bridge. Yeah. You know, as you're floating over it, you can see that the bridge is very precarious. It's missing planks of wood and as the wind causes it to sway, it creaks at every slight movement. You float out to the middle and you know, you grab at the coin purse and it's pretty heavy. You open it up and you find five gold nuggets inside of it. Oh, chicken or okay. Nadi turns back to the group. There's five gold nuggets in the bag. Do you think I need to put one in there? I mean, it does typically come in a six piece or 10 pieces? I guess there are four pieces. Barbara, you are killing me today. It's so good. Just for safety sake, I'll flick a gold coin over to Nadi. I think I'd rather play it safe in the bridge not give way. Okay. So what check should I do, Gus, to see if I catch it? Yeah. Both of you actually make an athletics check. Oh my god. Good thing I have a plus six, 25. This could not be more accurate. Nadi has a plus one modifier and got an eight. Hold on, but flash of genius, but flash to give you a plus four to your role. So 12, which is lucky when you're doing stuff with 12. That's a 12. Perceo in your flash of genius. The gold coin flick is spot on 12. It's like spot on 12. Hold on, Gus. Just going to roll a dice real quick. Oh, Gigi would not, they're not even on the bridge today. I can't flow. You don't think I brought Gigi with me. He's on leash. Gigi's like carrying like Nadi adjusts it. So it's like one of those pepuses or something like where you're carrying it in the front. And Gigi's just like hanging there. Also, Blaine, we all float down here every episode, every episode. So many times so funny. It's a good one. I rolled a nine. And so that means Gigi's going to try to eat the gold coin. I was going to say that the coin spirals out and was going to hit Nadi in the forehead. But at the last second, Gigi kind of leaps up as much as he can and swallows the gold coin. Perfect. I take back my flash of genius. I need, I tell if I need another one. Oh, dang. Look at that. That was my last one. Oh, Shucks. That was your last one. 12. You're all out. What are the odds? No more. I guess you don't have to put the child in there. It should count fine. It's just cool. Nadi just tries to see what happens when she floats past the pouch. Yeah, you continue all the way to the other end and all right. Yeah. You're floating on the other end of the bridge. Well, there's a question though. You've been, you've been floating all the way across the bridge. We don't know if the bridge is going to hold up for people walking across it. For some of us, you can't float over here. Okay. Since, why don't you send somebody who's, who's dispensable over there? Put captain grumbles out there. Captain grumble steps on the bridge and dice. No. No. He steps on the bridge and dies. You don't tell us how he does this. He needs him. How about this? How about you do a buddy system? Hold hands and one of you hold each side of the bridge rope and you guys just come across. Or why don't you tie the rope that is on you to something on the other side and we could use it as an extra extra piece to do. Sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah. I do that. You guys tie something on your end and I'll tie it on my end and there's another like extra safety rope. Yeah. Then I, I, I, I tag Captain grumbles to me in a pop-whose type situation. Perfect. And cross the ropes, guys. Crash his car. Go. Crash his car. Go. I would also say that Doug is holding onto the rope on the other end of the bridge because he will make sure you guys get across fine and then just come with the rope so he doesn't lose it. You got to get the rope. And I did say that it was forced it on both sides. So now you're able to tie the rope around a tree on your side of the bridge, which extends now all the way to the other end. We're Doug holding it on the western side and now he may get a good nod. You've been reading my books, right? Not a link. So at this point it's healing to be 12 or Gunther who's going to go across, who's going to go. Okay. 12, you said it first. I assume you're holding onto the rope and trying to cross the bridge. Or why don't you paint the picture for me? Why am I painting it for you? Okay. Captain Grumbles over one shoulder and then I hold onto the rope with the other and it's taught between Nadie's tree and Doug and I walk across carefully. Okay. Yeah, you pick up Captain Grumbles. Step put on the bridge and make me a dexterity saving throw. Okay. Well, I have Vantage. So that's 7 and 17. As soon as you put the slightest amount of weight on the bridge, it immediately collapses. Oh, beneath your feet, you're able to like pull your weight back onto the west side of the bank. I got you guys. I got you. I got you. I got you. Okay. I'm just going to be burning all my slots. So if we have to fight something a little bit like maybe a chimera, I'm just going to be shooting Eldridge Blast. Okay. Not that I'm trying to direct you, but before you make any decision with that, don't forget in the previous area where the painting was, there was also an exit to the north. If you want an alternate route, just saying that there was another way. But this is such a cool, you know, like it's a crazy scary bridge. I'm not telling you to do it. You can stay here. All right. Let's just let's just let's just solve this puzzle with magic, the way that our DM loves us to solve everything. And Netty cast Shadow Portal. That's my last fourth level slot. So I don't got any of those spells for what's coming up ahead and makes two doors on each side of the bridge that they can just Shadow Portal cross. Why don't you do that to begin with? 'Cause I was trying to save a spell slot. Yeah. Netty opens up a Shadow Portal, which is way more convenient. And you all see it open on your side. You've seen this before. You know what it is. Yeah, I would get put Captain Gromble through for cargo, VIP, and then he takes grumbles and then drops the spell. No, sorry, spell stays up. The Tovel goes through. Okay. Same. Netty hugs everyone as they come through. Can you untie the rope there so I could grab it and come through the portal? Yeah. Netty does that. Thank you. Yeah. You all go through. Netty, I don't think I said it. Each of those gold now gets his worst 50 gold pieces. Oh, I didn't take them. Oh, you didn't? Okay, they're in the river then. Okay, cool. You're so bad with money. I thought he was cursed. You know, you got a bag of gold on a rickety bridge and like some sort of possessed. You're cursed. You're cursed. All right, I'm out of the spells. Next puzzle is on you guys. Okay. Yeah. So from here, you see that there is like a forested area to the east from here, which is the origin of the sound of grinding stone mixed with water splashing. Everybody's across, right? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I assume you continue in that direction. Yes. Let's go to the scary grinding stone noises. Okay. Yeah. You continue a little further east and you find yourself in a forest glades. The sound of grinding stone mixed with water splashing fills the air. There's a small home made of brownish red bricks and wooden beam flat roof. There's a wooden watermelon on the side of the home that flows with the river. From this area, their exits are of course back towards the bridge to the west. There is a ridge down to the southwest, which geographically you suspect probably goes back to where granny fungus was. And then to the north, there is a moist corridor. A moist corridor? Yeah. This corridor sounds pretty good. Yeah. Everybody, make sure you don't slip and slide. Bunlap any of the seeming familiar to you at all. He went to the painting. I know, but like maybe he also like saw other surroundings when he went through. Oh, like we're close. Maybe. No, I have never seen this before. Oh, okay. We'll stay close just in case. I will. Hold my hand. Doug, can I hug you? Of course. Bunlap attaches himself with like a one arm around you and a side hug and he draws his weapon at the ready. Doug, if you get tired, I can take over. I feel so safe. Something tells me you have a lot of stamina for this kind of thing though, so I don't know. I don't know if I'll get tired for a while here. Cool. Carry on through. What does that mean? That means I send Gigi ahead. Now we've We solved the last thing, you guys figured this out. - He's going through the, you said the moist tunnel area? - Yeah, the corridor. - Unless there, is there anything to, you said that we're like at this water mill, is it like a building or is it just the machinery? - There's like a little house. - Yeah, it's a small home made of brownish red bricks and a wooden beam flat roof, and there's a wooden water mill on the side of the home that flows with the river. - Okay, well then we gotta go into the home. - And then there's the corridor as well. - Okay, before we go to the corridor, I say we look into the home, okay? - Yeah. - Examinate, and it appears to be a quaint, beautifully built home. The bricks are defaced with obscene graffiti. Tell, what, what do you see? What, what is it, what is it that you see with your graffiti here? - It says like, "Fart face, inter-only." Do not pass unless you have poopy pants. - Do not pass unless you have gas. Mm-hmm. Doug, what do you see? - I just see like a big frowny face. - Oh, God. - It's so rude. - The gangs, yeah. - Maddie? - It, it's, I see, I just see a bunch of flowers, and rainbows, and bubbles, and puppies, and kittens. - Yeah. - The worst. - Oh, sorry, we're looking at this house over here. (laughing) - Notty to, oh yeah, that was disgusting. No, I see skulls, I see ghosts, I see zombies. They made a whole mural, looks like death metal just made of, and to a painting. - Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Underneath all of this graffiti, this terrible graffiti, you see small, deep-set windows, and a wooden cedar door that's open, and there's a ladder on the side of the building that leads to the flat roof terrace. - Okay, Nadi knocks on the door. - It's open. - Nadi walks in. - Yeah, you walk in, and you see what appears to be an art studio, and you get, mm-hmm, you get like the smell of paint, and inside there's a stone mill that's grinding. There's pipes and a hand pump that feed a basin, and there's a shelf of jars with different colored liquids, and a crate of brownish red rocks. It appears like there's a set of clothes on the floor. - Are there any paintings that we could see that are like in progress or completed in here? - Yeah, you see like a various frames set up and canvases around the room. It seems like one of them just has a, like it's, what if it was just being started out? Like it's got a wash on it, like a white wash of some kind. - This may be the paintings that create the transportation portals. - That's what I'm thinking. - Yeah, I was gonna say based on the canvases, the frames, and the paint colors, and things like that, does this seem to look like the other paintings we've encountered. - One of these paintings looks exactly like the forest outside that you just walked through. - Oh, that's true, Abie. Can I, can I Mario 64 this thing? - Yeah, you, uh, so four are younger listeners. (laughs) Just describe what that means. - God, how old is Mario 64? - Like 30 years old at this point. - I was gonna be at least like close to 30 years. - Just disintegrating into my chair. - Well, okay, well, I walk away 15 feet with my back turn to the painting, and then I go, - What, what, what, what, what, what, what, what? - And then I do that backskid that you can do in Mario to fast travel, and then I do a back flip, and he goes to the painting butt first. - What? (laughs) - And then there's a shimmer noise, kind of like, you know, yeah, it's like, - What, what, what? - Yeah, and then that, and then it says, how many stars we have to earn and then what the world's name is. Okay, we've made enough Mario 64 references. What happens? (laughs) - You jump into the painting, and the other three of you see told disappear. But you hear told screaming outside of the house. - What? (laughs) - Really? - So silly. - Tell all of you find yourself outside of the house. - Where did I exit from? Was there like another portal? Was it just like air? - Just air. - Okay. - Out in the forest near the bridge, near the side of the bridge. - Okay. - Bum lap, bum lap. Do you remember what the room looked like? - The chimera room? - Oh, oh, oh, oh, like the vault room? - Yes. - And if I met a game wise, you also kind of know what it looks like 'cause you did see that painting before you got knocked down. - Yes, I remember. - Perhaps we could draw it ourselves. - Oh my God. (laughs) This is gonna go bad. - Gunther, you know the only painting I can do is finger painting. - So this is a good one, no, for me. Or maybe someone who is good at painting. - But that would look at the party. Are any of you here skilled with the brush? - Well, yeah, one guy in our party that is cat phrase, I can figure it out. (laughs) - Doug looks around. (laughs) - Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, it's pretty, painting's gotta be simple, right? You see something and then you use, you know, your hand to recreate it. - Yeah. - You should put it straight forward, right? - You got like an identic memory, right? - Yeah, definitely. (laughs) - I don't know. (laughs) - Doug, you know, as you're looking around saying this, you see, and I mentioned that there were some clothes in the room, you see that they include a tunic, a paint splattered apron, pants and orange beret and a leather eye patch. Perhaps you could use like the apron to protect your own clothing and your fur? - I think I'd put on the apron and the beret. (laughs) But over here, there's actually just, there's a wig that's a afro. It's like a brown afro. I'm gonna put that on here instead. - To paint happy little trees. (laughs) - Didn't want to do them. We discovered a happy accident here. All right, Doug, you're gonna give this a go? - We, painting a magnifique painting, Gustavo. (laughs) - I love it. I'm here for it. - Yeah, does Doug have any experience painting, like stuff like this in the past? - Probably not. - I think he has experience drawing. When it's like he's like making a blueprint for something or like some specs and stuff like that. - Sure. - But I don't know if he has any experience actually with like colors and, you know, painting, but. - Yeah. - He's a good, I think he has a good idea of like visuals. - I think that, you know, Bundlapp, like I said earlier, was already attached to you. I think he would be very interested in this. And between your memory of the painting and then Bundlapp helping give guidance and description of what he saw and experience firsthand being in there, you know, you begin work on putting paint to canvas and trying to recreate what you think that the vault looks like. - Well, it'll take a few minutes for Doug to bang out this work of art. Is there anything anybody else wants to do in the meantime? If not, we can just continue with Doug. - Told this continuously running through the portal, ending up into the woods, running back in the house through the portal. He's just, this is amazing for him. He's like, whoa, no, no, no. He's playing with portals. - Well, they're painting. I just look around and see if he can find anything more about who this person is that's doing these paintings or if there's any paintings that show anything that could be important, that they're already drawn. - Yeah. - Hey, Gunter, come look at this painting. It's a bunch of frogs at a table and they're playing poker. - You can see that, you know, there's a mill in here that's powered by that water mill outside. It's a hand pump that seems to be connected to the river outside, which feeds river water into this basin. Various painter supplies and on the shelves and jars of almost every color dye imaginable as Doug comes and goes, you know, picking up various paints. You know, maybe some are missing. Maybe Doug's got him, I don't know. And there's clothes on the floor. - The fact that there's clothes on the floor, did it look like someone raptured out of here? Like it's like, it's in a way where someone fell down and poofed out of the clothes, were they laid out like that? - Yeah, I guess you could say that, yeah. That's what you picture it would look like. - Or is it the situation where it's like, you have tummy ache and you have to go to the bathroom and you get so hot and sweaty, take off all your clothes. - Oh my God, Barbara, you just described my morning. (laughing) - That was it this week. - Hey, Gunther, do you want to, while Doug's painting, do you want to check out the roof with me since there's a ladder out there? - I was gonna drop one more thing here for Gunther. - Yeah, and as on top of all of this, you find a leather-bound book with an ink well next to it on one of the tables. - Oh, did I read the book? - Yeah, you open it up and the first page says, the diary of and private property belonging to Jeremy Muthy. - Jeremy Muthy? - Jeremy Muthy. - Jeremy Muthy. - This was another one of those words. I've looked at a million times in the module and I'm saying it out loud for the first time, like, oh, that's an interesting word to come off the Jeremy Muthy. - Jeremy Muthy. - Yeah, I'm not gonna say that I had it right the first time. Jeremy Muthy. You flip through and it seems like it's the diary and the personal musings of an artist. - Do they say anything interesting or noteworthy or about what they're, why they're doing this? - Totally bummed today. Decided to cut off ear, did not go well. (laughing) Don't feel any better. Now I can't hear. - Yeah, you know, you read a couple of entries and there is talk of various topics. That only art but alchemy as well. Talk of something called hopelessite dust and color pigments. There's talk of being commissioned by King Meiser to paint part of the keep as a forested lake. - We're in the keep, right? Oh, no, we're not. - Yeah, we are. - Did we go through a painting to get here? - That's why, is that why we're in this forest? - I will say, it's been a little while since we recorded that previous episode, but Nadia, John, I think you were very confused about how there was a forest in the keep and you asked Granny Fungus if you were still in the keep when you were talking to her. - Yeah, no, I get, I'm deducing that this Jeremy Thie is like, not only creating like portals, but he's actually creating these like places. - Oh, can I try something out real quick? I just had an idea since I've seen the notebook. I said, "Dream Thie, are you in here, by the way? Like, if you're naked, we can like leave, get let you get dressed. We want to come in. in an opportune time that I recognize that you might be hiding because you're just like Buck and naked, you know? Anybody? You get no reply. Okay, I dream of these not here. And what was it? What was the king? Who's he drawn? In Miser. King Miser had commissioned him. That's M-Y-Z-E-R. Okay. What's, you said hopeless sight? Hopeless sight, yeah. Dust and what was the other thing? A lot of talk of alchemy, hopeless sight, dust, dyes and painting, Gunther. Anything else you want to look at or try to figure out? No, I ain't let Nadi raise the roof. All right, Nadi, does anyone want to accompany Nadi? I think she had reached out offer to maybe toll for someone to go up there. Gunther. Gunther. All right, let's just go. Let's just see. It's kind of weird, there's a ladder outside, a little terrace up there. Let's see. Yeah. Both of you climb up the ladder and on the rooftop you find a wooden stool and an easel with a painted portrait on a canvas of a human. What's he look like? The painting appears to be that of an androgynous young adult with a birthmark on their forehead wearing an orange beret and a leather eye patch. You recognize that beret is being the one that Doug is wearing right now. And there was an eye patch in the pilot clothes. It was like a self-porture. We got like a Norman Rockwell situation going here. Yeah, and there's a a palette and a paintbrush with dried up paint in front of the painting. And looking around you see a gaping hole in the roof roughly the size of a person. Wait, so Jeremy, they were up here painting their portrait. They fell through the roof and then somehow they gone, clothes not gone. Right. Hey, Jeremy, see, are you in there? Oh, is that Jeremy in the painting? It does not reply. Okay. But does it, but does it move? No, it does not move. Is any movement? It's not a mermaid painting. It's the whole. Okay. So told the still in the room is the hole? Can he see Nadi and Gunther up on the roof? Is that where the hole leads down to? Yeah. Yeah. Now that they're looking down, you see it. It's right above where the clothes were on the floor. What's underneath all the clothes? I want one. I wonder you made a comment in passing that I just want to circle back on earlier. 12. Do you remember how you described the clothes being laid out on the floor? They were like, I asked if they were laid out in a way where it's like they got I raptured out like as if they just poofed disappeared out of their clothes. So today, get summoned back into their painting and then I sucked up into the roof back into their painting. Can I tickle him? Can I tickle them? What, what, what, what, what, what are you doing? What are you doing? What's going on here, Gunther? Shall we take a second here? They start tickling the painting, but nothing happens. Can I look through the clothes? Maybe they got shrunken in size. Maybe a teeny tiny now. Why did you say it looked like someone got raptured? Blame, flesh told. What made you think about that? Just because like if the clothes were just in a way where it's just like they fell down and disappeared, it'd just be so strange. Otherwise, I feel like they'd be like folded or stacked on top of each other and put on like a chair. The fact that clothes are on the ground. So unceremonious means like, yeah. I thought maybe Cole was recalling a fairly recent experience he had witnessed in people getting raptured. The blood by there. Oh, remember that? He took the humans. The humans, yeah. I think Jeremy Thie was a human. Yeah, you know that they are human because you saw them on the painting. Oh, so then is that all humans, it wasn't just the ones that Fort Mito, it was like all humans. Yeah, we can write a book about what is like for us to be left behind by them eventually. I don't know I'm not there, but we recall if we'd actually seen any human sense. Yeah. Doug, you don't think you have seen any human sense them. Yeah. Wow. Okay. So they they were they were like in the middle of their their self-portrait and then they got they got taken away. Okay. But why would they have fallen through a hole and then poofed out of their clothes? You could think of it like maybe they had come back in for a drink of water or to get a supply or something like, why is there a hole in the roof? They got sucked up, maybe. There you go. Oh, God, how painful. Wow. Because that is how it came off when they tried to go through the hole. It's that is how you saw it happen at Fort Mito. The humans were extracted into the sky. Okay. Kind of horrifying. Okay. Well, no, they're they're they're okay. The blood bet is protecting them. They're fine. Yeah. Yeah. What is there left to protect but a broken neck? Who needs neck when you're in when you're in heaven? Let's check on Doug's painting. Yeah. Hope that he that he hasn't painted bun lap into the painting. I think you're putting the finishing touches on it and it looks amazing. Are you sure you've never done this before? Well, you know, I think maybe Doug picked up a new skill accidentally. That's really good. Well, you guys think how how how good does it look? I got a skill from 1 to 10. Should I roll? I was going to say it's really good. I was going to give you the benefit because you're working also working with bun lap. Let's say honestly, if I were to rate it on a skill of 1 to 10, it's like a eight eight and a half. So this is basically Doug's painting of bun laps recalling of the room that they were in and of the painting that we saw. Right. You all did see it a window into it as well when you were in the hall where you were talking to the golden rod. Okay, so he's guidance to Doug's has some inspiration. It's like someone who saw a painting and then tried to recreate the painting. And also talking to someone who was there firsthand to help guide the direction of the painting. I mean, I'm willing to be a guinea pig and jump through this portal painting if we want to give it a try. Doug, I am going to do something here before sorry, you can try that absolutely. But, uh, Doug, I want you to make me a performance check. Oh, no, why? Six. What's the six going to do? You get. No, you're going to get to stay with that. Don't want to use anything else. It's up to you. I use my inspiration, Doug. My performance is just so bad. Okay, 13. Can you flash your genius yourself? I don't think I need to. The painting's great. It's still 8.5 really great piece of art. I'm going to say because you rolled a decent performance role that you have gained proficiency in the painting skill. You gained proficiency in painting with these tools, I should say. Now, that's job security right there. Way to go, Doug. In awe, Nettie just whispers. He figured it out. I mean, if this works though, we've unlocked some crazy power. I mean, we could just paint like this is the infernis killing gun machine, you know, painting and then I walk in, I pulled out and then bad big butter boom will kill infernis. But for me, maybe it needs hopeless sight dust to work at tomorrow. Well, like a certain type of canvas or paint or something like that and maybe it only works in certain situations. You'll have to take well to find out more. You can get there, stick a finger and test the waters. Yeah, you stick your finger into the painting and it disappears. Oh, it's like, it's like through the painting. Wait, he pulls out his gun. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Is it like I punch a hole through it? No, no, no, no, yeah, it goes into the painting. You're the nine finger toad. It's a momentum situation. I think it is, it get worked. Shall we all hold? How big is this painting? How big is the canvas? He didn't make it to scale. 24 by 12 inch. We'll say like a 24 by 36 something like that. Okay, like movie poster size. That's that's not bad. We can't go in all together at the same time, but I have some 24 by 36 over there. Told you and I might be a little too big for this. You can fit into small places. You're a bug bear. You can squeeze through. That's true. Told you might have some issues with this. A good friend once told me I can figure it out. And he pulls out of power. Joe's like, we could take him hard and make you so just keep looking for the off. I swear to God, it's not going to happen. I will not tell you you're not going to find it. Shall we? I guess so. No time like to push it. I think we shall. Blues could do what order do you all go in? I'll go in first. All right. That's confidence. That's an artist's confidence right there. I was debating first or last because I'm like, do I go down with the ship or, you know, bun lap will follow you and go in right behind you, Doug. I'll go behind bun lap. I'll keep making sure he sees secure. I'll follow and then natty bring it up through here. Okay, you all dive into the painting and emerge in what appears to be a vast treasure vault. The floor trickles with gold coins reflecting torch light. All around the vault are arched caverns filled with mounds of unique golden treasures like weapons, furniture, and so on. On the ceiling, you spot a gilded frame painting and next to it is what you assume to be the chimera, but it looks different. All the heads and body parts have changed to different beasts and it stands upside down on the ceiling. Rollin' down. But not at you, but at a group of undarian toruses, clanging with cowbells and throwing Cadillac's at the enraged monstrosity. One torreous spots you all. Boy, that rope folks back and he's got friends with him, eh? And slam another golden door across the vault swings open and a posse of Goliath gold chasers bursts in. In the name of the golden rod, you should all vacate his vault at once. Gunther, that's when you spot it. Betwist the three heads of the chimera, lodged into its glass shard scales, is the sacred relic stolen from your village. The Wilder Shield. ♪ - Oh! - We found it. - We found it. - We've got a three-way standoff. This is going to get hairy. - Especially because they have three heads. [laughing] - Find out how it all resolves in the next episode of Tales in the Stinky Dragon. - I can't believe that that plan worked. - That's so cool. [laughing] - But well, let's see if it may have led to victory. It may have led to your death. We'll find out next time. - Well, it's fine with me. [laughing] - Summer is hot, but what's even hotter is our Patreon. And what's even harder than that? - It's our Patreon with memberships at 20% off. Get all your content and free tons of bonus shows and podcasts and access to our discord by becoming a member of our party. All memberships, both monthly and annual, are available for 20% off using code SummerStink. It's all one word, all uppercase. That's SUMMERSTINK at stinkydragonpod.com. Join our Patreon for 20% off any and all memberships. This is only available for the month of July, so join our party and kick off your summer with us. New episodes of Tales in the Stinky Dragon premiere every other Wednesday, wherever your streams of podcasts flow and on the Stinky Dragon YouTube channel. Tired of waiting for the next adventure and looking for a quest? Join the ranks of the Stinky Dragon patrons at stinkydragonpod.com to get early access to episodes and unlock a horde of exclusive treasures and powerful art of X. For example, every one of our patrons gets access to our members-only discord. That's like entering an adventuring guild where you instantly gain thousands of allies, fierce fellowship and incredible insights. Say goodbye to TPKs. You can also receive a coveted shout out on the show, just like onion rings of hell. Anderson Levine. Boris Sokolov. Sokolov. Sokolov. Carter Brewer. These putrid patrons directly support the show and get access to all of these perks and more on our Patreon. Stop missing out on the adventure. Become a patron at stinkydragonpod.com. Some NPCs were named after patrons from our stinky dragon discord and some of our friends provided voices in this tale, including Bun lap. Ooh, what a guy. Voice by Devon Finn at Devon_Cruothers. Halison named after Allie the Nerd. Voice by Chloe Nailer at Echo Clow on socials and Twitch. Oondariantorius. Voice by Ben Ernst at Halcyon_Ben. Goliath Goldchaser. Voice by Joel Rubin at the Joel Hole. This week's arrow question was submitted by Zach the Street Fighter. Look out for them. This episode of Tales from the Stinky Dragon was produced by Ben Ernst and Michael Reisinger. Written and composed by Michael Reisinger and edited by Alina Lakorshek. Join us in the tavern next time for another aromatic adventure of Tales from the Stinky Dragon. (dramatic music) - John has a question. What is sandalwood and why is everybody like how it smells? - Oh, I actually don't know what it is. - Is it a plant? - But it's a very nice like masculine kind of smell. - I think it's a tree, yeah, 'cause it has wood in the name, but I've never, I've never looked. - You all just been loving this smell. You don't know what it is. - It's like, yeah. - You smellers are weird. Everyone's Googling right now. - It is a fine grained wood derived from trees. - Okay. - In the santolum genus. (laughing) - I don't know what that word is. - Hi, there's a tree, it's a tree. - Yeah. - It's really nice. It's a very like masculine woody smell. It's very good. - Oh. - Smells like outdoorsy. - Oh, okay, thank you. - Put it in like a nice way. - Okay, yay, yay. - The lemons are a very tart fruit. They're yellow. - Thank you. 'Cause that was my follow-up question. Beat me to it.