Episode 1: Normal Humans

Written By Tanner Massey

Transcript

Tanner  00:15

Hello everyone and welcome to the first episode of Nother Realm, a real play Dungeons and Dragons Podcast. I'm Tanner and I'll be the Dungeon Master leading our amazing party through an original campaign filled with action, mystery, drama, and plenty of comedy. We'll be playing d&d Fifth Edition, but we prioritize story above all else. So if you are looking for an epic tale, you've come to the right place. Some of the content will not be for children. But if that doesn't bother you, then settle in and prepare yourself for the first ever another realm campaign. The never there. Our story begins on a chilly spring dawn in the year 1190. A are the streets of Leylen, an old town on the eastern edge of Victoria are quiet on the far side of town and Elven male and a burgundy cloak unlocks the front door of his business. As he groggily trudges to the large window at the back of the building, he takes a small sip from his steaming mug of tea. Across the nearby Canyon, he can see the ruins of old Leylen. His eyes lazily traced the skyline of the dilapidated buildings before pausing on a small glimmering light. It flickers for a moment, and then goes out. The elf looks for any signs of movement in the distant ruins before turning to sit at his desk and dipping his quill and ink. On a thick piece of parchment he writes, experienced adventurers needed for Expedition to Leylen ruins, handsome reward offered Enquirer at 12 Edge Street. It is it is a pretty relatively chilly calm morning in the town of Leylen. Very few people have woken up and started to open any shops or businesses. We got a little glimpse of someone doing something maybe that's important. I mean, I don't know I wrote it so probably, but what we do see is a human male of imposing stature walking into town from the West, his cane clinks against the cobblestone street, as the rising sun casts a long shadow behind him. Bruce, please describe Archibald Theodore Cromwell.

 

Bruce  03:21

A large dent roughly six tonight to under 10 pounds, and just the same. He wears nice fine silk an overcoat with slight silver pinstripes on his neck, you can see the tattoo of a wolf's head. Finally done, not crude. underneath his overcoat, he has a burgundy waist coat no white noble shirt. Slim well fitted noble trousers and they're tucked into his black leather boots. He walks with a cane. The cane also has a Silver Wolf set. And on his back is a big fucking great axe.

 

Will  03:56

Okay, all right, let's chill for a second Bruce. Why was I not expecting your character to be dapper as a pinstripe suit? This dude's a gangster literally that's

 

Bruce  04:08

the point. Yeah, he's supposed to be like very clearly. Like Yeah. His hair is trimmed, trimmed neatly and close on the side disconnected from the longer hair that is on the top in a clear undercut fashion and he has a finely trimmed black be

 

Tanner  04:29

nice just to just a gentleman walking in from the west. You come into this town and everything is quiet. Is there anything in particular you're looking to do while you're here?

 

Bruce  04:43

I don't know damn. Is there anything particular I'm looking to do while I'm

 

Tanner  04:48

Leyland has a good source of operations for like adventurers looking to either go out into the eastern subcontinent across the wound and get sort of, you know a start and start building a name. It is also just kind of on the precipice of where certain business happens. They they export into a few imports and exports here that you really can't get anywhere else. A lot of its dealt in wounds stone. And wound stone is one of the primary exports of Victoria, which is the country where Leylen is located. So anything that you want to do here could be primarily business related or adventuring related. So it really depends on if you're trying to build contacts or trying to build up a reputation.

 

Bruce  05:37

Alright, so reputation is the focus right now.

 

Tanner  05:41

Mainly considering these kinds of on the lam.

 

Bruce  05:47

So, yeah, it would be a reputational journey for Mr. Cromwell. Here, we are focused on

 

Tanner  05:57

as this pinstripe man passes into town, you pass by a few villagers who give you some different looks along the way. You get the feeling that they haven't seen someone like you before, at least not the way you're dressed and styled and or even how you carry yourself. The people on in Leylen while there is a decent business quarter here and it isn't a small small town. They are kind of on the edge of things and one of the farthest towns away from the capital city in a tortilla. So you're making your way through the town to see if there's anything that you can find that would help propel you to get you some new context help you figure things out. As everything's waking up. You do notice in the center of town, a bulletin board it has certain things placed with certain quests, you know your stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons BS. Like I have rats in my basement, or I think a Trolloc stole my pie. But one note does catch your eye. And it says experienced adventurers needed for Expedition to Leylen ruins, handsome reward offered, inquire at 12 ed Street. And you can see this letterhead at the top that reads outward enterprises which you know, is a subsidiary of the adventurers guild of a Toria.

 

Bruce  07:27

Gotcha. Okay, yeah, I'm gonna pick my fancy cane up, tap that letter on the center of it, denoting them a character notice is it okay? At that point, the bright rising zone would probably cause the shading of the multiple scars that are on my hands that are clearly worn, as well as the large scar that goes across from my character's right here, crossing his nose, but halfway to the left, horizontally across his face, because I forgot to mention that in the actual description. That's why this is being talked about right now. He's going to tap that twice and look around, see if you can find street signs in this bumbling city here,

 

Tanner  08:10

you do see street signs marked around. You're currently on Main Street. But you really don't have any indication of which way to go from here. There's no current cross street that you can find. The one thing about Leylen that you would know is that it is directly on the edge of the massive canyon that splits the continent.

 

Bruce  08:31

My character would think to himself, edge at streets. Yeah, that's probably that's gonna be he's gonna go look for an edge. Okay,

 

Tanner  08:39

so you you had in a easterly direction, down Main Street, and eventually, you know, you start seeing some of the cross streets and you end up seeing edge street, you can see that if you take a left, the numbers counting upward, that you'll eventually make it to 12. But before you do, you suddenly hear a painfully sharp whistle followed by the screams of a few citizens. Do you continue on to 12 ed Street? Or do you go towards the disturbance?

 

Bruce  09:10

My character is going to look around. He's going to look towards the service and he's going to say, Well, I've learned me lesson about staying out of people's problems. We're not going to do this today. Keep walking. Keep walking towards yesterday. All right. Yeah.

 

Tanner  09:26

As you make your way stick me knows where it doesn't belong Abraham's as you make your way towards Edie street. You can see some people moving out of the streets and kind of trying to figure out what's going on. There's also a sound of commotion that comes back from the center of town, but you do eventually make your way to number 12. And you can see the sign hanging above it that says outward enterprises.

 

Bruce  09:52

There's I'm assuming like a door shop shop front? Yes, yes, it is the storefront. Okay, he takes his cane and he wraps on the door. Not looking

 

Tanner  10:01

there is no answer. No. Okay,

 

Bruce  10:04

is there a sign that says open?

 

Tanner  10:06

No, no signs that are that are listed nearby.

 

Bruce  10:09

Alright, I'm gonna wiggle the handle it is locked. Okay, then I'm just gonna kind of lean against the shop with my back and observe the alley as I hear the commotion heading my way I assume

 

Tanner  10:24

I needed you to follow that Okay, so as you're as you're sitting, you're waiting for some sort of answer or for someone to come to the door at 12 Edge street. You can hear some clamoring up the street from you. As you look down the street you can see two guards just breaking down the street I mean running as fast as they can in their, in their armor. Swords at the ready. And as they make their way down, one of them looks at you and notices you standing there and nudges his friend or his his co guard and points you out soon

 

Bruce  11:09

as he nudges his friend like fuck and Clank is not doing all this today, I find an alleyway and I slipped down it

 

Tanner  11:16

as you as you just kind of stretch and then you know make nonchalantly try move down the nearest alleyway between the between the businesses you hear them shouting behind you oh you get back here you start moving rather quickly but trying to keep your your noise down and you keep yourself low between these boxes and move behind the nearby businesses right now you're between these these buildings and the edge of the wound which is the large Canyon as you can see it and look over it. It is so far down a deadly drop where you to fall from here and it cuts sort of it cuts North more in the direction of where the guards would have been coming from and and then it also cuts down south which is where the commotion it there was the initial whistle that you heard, but now it sounds like the commotion has moved towards the center of town. So really the only options here are north and south or to dive yourself into the wound to certain death.

 

Bruce  12:23

Oh, you guys know what's happened before no character jumps off the cliff

 

Tanner  12:29

No. Another round.

 

Will  12:36

That was my first ever experience play with Bruce and he killed

 

Bruce  12:41

my character off of a cliff. Okay, so you said the commotion came from the south Correct?

 

Tanner  12:46

Get the whistle the initial sharp troll whistle which you can still kind of hear but it is certainly decreasing in volume. But the the whistle or the commotion at the center of town is definitely getting more commotion.

 

Bruce  13:01

He's gonna kind of peek back down the alleyway does he see the guards coming his way?

 

Tanner  13:05

You can see them kind of searching between the boxes and stuff thinking all right here.

 

Bruce  13:11

Alright and brav north south back down the alleyway to deal with the fucking clankers. Basically, the idea is to hide in plain sight. Let's go south. All right, he's headed south, okay, shimmying his way south.

 

Tanner  13:22

So you make your way along between the edge of the wound and these buildings. You can kind of see that a lot of these if you peek in the window, these buildings have emptied out. One of the buildings looks like it's a tavern of sorts. But as you continue going south, the whistling noise increases in volume, and you eventually hear what sounds like an older man pleading with someone. You can't really make out what he's saying from this distance, or who we might be pleading to. But it seems like the whistling noises coming from that same area. So I see this, you cannot see this yet. You only hear

 

Bruce  14:05

what Fuck if I walk into here. It's gonna keep growing.

 

Tanner  14:09

Okay. As you make your way forward, you can see a steeple with a shield on it rise above the other buildings. And so you now find yourself at the Church of Roderick, which you would know by the shield symbol. The sound seems to be emanating from the back of the church. And you can see plumes of smoke pouring out from behind it. You the pleading that you've heard a moment ago has stopped.

 

Bruce  14:39

Okay. Are there what? People wise what's around me?

 

Tanner  14:44

Everyone seems to have abandoned this particular area. Really the only commotion you can hear is coming from the center of town.

 

Bruce  14:54

I'm gonna go find this old man. You make your

 

Tanner  14:57

way around the back of the church and you can see where these where the smoke has been pouring from. What you see here is a raging Forge, and the structure around the Forge is badly damaged even the rafters hanging haphazardly from the ceiling. Amongst that smoke and wreckage, you can make out two figures. One is a human male pinned under a large fallen beam. The other stands nearly seven feet tall and is covered in metal from head to foot. This metal clad figure is tearing through the building, obviously searching for something. To the left of the forge, you can see the source of the whistling a massive metal pipe that has been bent and is steadily building pressure. If the raising pitch is any indication, this could soon be a problem. You have yet to be noticed by the figure. Okay, how close is he to the guy with the beam on him? This this metal figure is currently not paying attention to the the guy that's pinned it's tearing through the building. Seems like it's attention is currently been turned.

 

Bruce  16:01

Alright, okay, we're just gonna peek around the corner, he's gonna see the beam laying on the guy and the big metal figure and he's gonna take a deep breath, and he's gonna go well, I've learned my lesson from sticking my nose where it doesn't belong. I'm going to do it. Okay, so terrible idea. Kind of slink his way around the corner. We're all stealth. Yep, go ahead. Give me stealth. Natural 20 Holy shit. All right. Ah, first. Roll.

 

Will  16:32

Oh, I love it. It sounds good. It's great in the cases, Bruce. Yes. Great.

 

Tanner  16:36

All right. So you make your way around the side of the church and back to the forge. As you move to the side of the rubble and try and get yourself basically in a position where no one can see you. But you can get leverage on the beam. You realize that you haven't been noticed and you're able to get underneath the beam that's pinning the guy down. As soon as you go to move it. He does notice some form of commotion of course, it's the thing being lifted off his frickin chest. So he looks in your direction. And you can just see him just afraid, but like, now hopeful.

 

Bruce  17:17

Okay, I look at him and I put my finger in front of my lips like let's shut the fuck up.

 

Tanner  17:22

Okay. Okay, so you're gonna attempt to lift this beam? Yeah, give me give me that good old athletics athletics, okay.

 

Bruce  17:35

22 All right. 19 on the dice.

 

Tanner  17:40

All right, so you are able to pretty easily hoist this beam up, you can tell that most of the burnt parts have have made this a little bit lighter, to where you can get it yourself and this man tries his best to kind of push himself back and unpin himself. You can get a clearer look of him now he is a large guy with a long white beard and pretty disheveled hair at this point, but he wears the cloth of her Roderick just very simple robes.

 

Bruce  18:12

Like larger than jacked or Long's and

 

Tanner  18:14

even even underneath the robes you can see this man is ripped. Okay, all right. route he ripped. So he pulls himself out and starts to slowly try and inch his way over to you. Oh, boy, okay. He is. He is not being very quiet about it. But he is not noticed. As he moves himself out and gets over to you. And you're able to help him up and get back around the corner. The two of you.

 

Bruce  18:49

Alright, brother, did you a favor? What the fuck is that?

 

Tanner  18:53

I honestly have no idea. In August, it came in it started just wrecking the place. It just wrecked the Ford by Roderick. It's It's uh, it's making a mess at everything.

 

Bruce  19:06

All right, well, that's the exit. That's the way we're going. Let's go.

 

Tanner  19:10

I cannot leave this for if anything that like that pipe is about to explode. I can tell and and I've got to protect her. So if you need to get on out of here. I won't hold it against you. This ain't your fight, but I got to try and take this damn thing down.

 

Bruce  19:25

I have to lean back against the wall for a second. I'm gonna scratch his head. Rovers face. Real irritated look. Now Prof. Just want to make sure you're aware here. That's a big metal man. FUCK are you gonna do to it? Ah, well, I'm a

 

Tanner  19:49

big flesh man. And I'm going to do what I can. And you can see kind of flexes a little bit. You can see his chest kind of Ribble beneath his robes. And he picks up a new nearby beam in his hand and just by his sheer girth he's going to try and use this thing as a weapon. High Growth well

 

Bruce  20:07

is known yeah that leaf

 

Tanner  20:09

okay

 

Bruce  20:14

all right as I'm walking out I say you know she's stupid you save a man or those his life clean off the fucking cliff again.

 

Tanner  20:20

Okay as you leave you can hear this guy whoa and dunk and you can hear the sound of commotion and it does not sound like it's going well for this guy. As a matter of fact you can look back as you round the corner and he's just down in the dust again pushing himself back up and grabbing his beam as the metal man continues to march towards him the direction that you are now going is about the center of town where there does seem to be that's where that large commotion is coming from. The guy does look back over to you and yells out I'll be in your debt please.

 

Bruce  21:02

Okay, so my character because his name has not been said yet is going to take a very very deep breath just going to regret this so you know I am He lifts up the chain that he's using he slips it into a leather throng on his back to hold it and he rolls his great axe off of his shoulders and turns around he goes alright then let's kill the fucking thing. Okay, charge he charges

 

Tanner  21:35

all right as you as you charge and you can see this thing bringing back its fists to pound the priest on the ground and you run up quickly enough to block him with your great axe. Go ahead and roll initiative 17 Yeah, natural one. Okay, cool. Yes,

 

Will  21:58

this is going so well.

 

Tanner  21:59

So you you go up and you brace underneath this and you're able to lift back and press him away. Relative with relative ease, but you do feel the strength behind this thing is it clangs against the metal of your axe?

 

Bruce  22:13

Are you a hefty busted aren't you

 

Tanner  22:15

doesn't respond? I rage? Okay.

 

Bruce  22:19

All right. Cool. So that's aware of Yeah, I'm just gonna fuck the whack a mole with my axe to hand great axe.

 

Will  22:27

me daddy. Oh my

 

Bruce  22:32

a pain on the dose? No 18 Total sorry,

 

Tanner  22:36

that hits

 

Bruce  22:38

all right, cool. 16 damage.

 

Tanner  22:42

Damn, dude. Hell yeah.

 

Will  22:44

II got Alright, barbarians early.

 

Tanner  22:46

All right, as as you throw this guy back as it's, you know, lose loss of balance a little bit to your initial fight and you baseball swing when you've cut across it with this great axe you can actually notice that there's certain parts of it that aren't fully metal plated, that look like more organic material. And you cut into that and you can start to see this sort of gel sort of leaking out where you where you've hit it. It is significantly damaged from your attack.

 

Bruce  23:20

Okay, so it's like a jail or is it like,

 

Tanner  23:23

it is not blood? It's like It's like this viscous sort of, it's almost like this.

 

Bruce  23:29

Like my question is Is it is it affecting my weapon? That's what they're worried about. Okay, cool. All right. Continue on that your turn. I am not worried about Yeah, I just the man behind me is not a concern at this point. This thing in front of me is my sole concern.

 

Tanner  23:45

The man behind you does begin to stand up and he readies his beam but the machine in front of you. Rushes you and swings does a 16 hit? Yeah. Okay. So it connects with its fists. That is six damage

 

Will  24:09

yeah half damage those three Yep.

 

Bruce  24:11

This is blood and its resistance is half I that's what I was looking at. Yep.

 

Tanner  24:15

Yeah. All right. So then it will swing its second fist at you. Okay. And that is a 10 it is going to whip Okay, as we know, it tries to take a swing at you but only catches pinstriped coattails in its swing.

 

Bruce  24:37

does it damage my pinstripe coattails? No, it

 

Tanner  24:40

was really cool look, and it just kind of flowed over. Okay.

 

Bruce  24:43

All right. It was about a problem. All right, cool. Yeah, I mean, we're going right right back into Scooby Doo desk every day and I'm going to baseball swing this thing's head and the yesterday. Oh no, not foil.

 

Tanner  24:56

Okay. Yep. You'll take a swing and it will be to move enough to where you just kind of skim off the side of its armor. At this point, the priest does stand up and will rush with its make his makeshift weapon and try and make a swing on the dice no matter what I add to that ain't gonna happen. You see, this beam is probably a little bit too unwieldy for him. So he misses the machine, which now brings us to the machines turn. It's going to try and hit you with a fist again. 12 Nope. Okay, second fist 10

 

Will  25:40

Oh, keep using that nice.

 

Bruce  25:43

Back to my turn.

 

Tanner  25:44

Yes, back to you.

 

Bruce  25:45

I'm gonna turn to the to the guy did you say ever say his name? Nope. Okay, he looked pulled the thing out of me off me back here. You pointed the cane. Yeah, pointing of the cane. Okay, he will notice that when he pulls it off it will seem as if it is leveled and weighted correctly to be used as a nice

 

Tanner  26:02

Oh nice. Okay. He will do so on his turn.

 

Bruce  26:05

Alright, cool. So yeah, I'm just gonna baseball swing at this fucking thing again,

 

Tanner  26:09

go for it. No, not here. All right to the principal will come up he will drop the beam with a thunk and it will come up and grab the mace off your back the cane okay cane mace the case the main

 

Bruce  26:28

case, I mean

 

Tanner  26:31

he will take what best ignites Okay, he will grab it make a swing with the cane just one less than it needs to hit. So he will miss again. Obviously not. Not quite quite accustomed to this. This finally done.

 

Bruce  26:50

Not quite accustomed to pay him.

 

Tanner  26:54

He's just flustered. You do notice at this point that the whistling is getting louder the priests attention is very quickly drawn to the pipe that is just now busting out steam. You can see the pressure behind it sort of making it balloon a bit.

 

Bruce  27:09

I'm trying to shop boy probably if you could do something about pipe. You worry about that. I'll worry about this. He nods

 

Tanner  27:15

and prefers to do so. All right. The machine makes two swings at your face. Oh, one of them will hit that is nine damage halved. All right, that will end its turn. And it is again just strictly focused on you. As the largest at the moment. You can still hear the commotion from the middle of town as well. Just a massive clamor. It certainly does at this point sound like combat.

 

Bruce  27:46

Okay, I'm gonna throw out the wacky mix whacker. This thing again. Alright, cool. Here we go. Non natural 20 on the best.

 

Tanner  27:54

That'll hit it. Big damage.

 

Bruce  27:59

Yeah, it is big damage. 2017

 

Tanner  28:04

Holy shit. All right,

 

Bruce  28:05

IMAX, I got a 12 on the dice. That's

 

Tanner  28:07

That's fantastic. Okay, as you bring your axe down low to swing up at this thing back to where you can tell is the soft spot where the gel is pouring out. You've looked up at this thing and finally kind of try and take it in and can tell that it has like this glow to its eyes and this mechanical face. This jaw and brow everything made out of metal. Nothing about it looks human other than the form that it is trying to recreate. And then the lights and its eyes go dim. You bring the axe into it and you pull it back out leaving this gash in its side as it falls down. Lights out middleman Hello, dear listener, this is Tanner and I just want to jump in and thank you for listening to the first episode of another realm. If you're enjoying episode one, you'll be pleased to know that episodes two and three are also available right now. Please check those out and let us know what you think. If you want to learn more about the world of your set and the continent of leader, you can find a bunch of nerdy world building info at another realm.com Thanks again and I really hope you enjoy the rest of the episode

 

Bruce  29:40

All right, I turn back to the pre Steve MC cleric E mc giant dude.

 

Tanner  29:46

He has taken off towards the pipe. All right, cool. Yeah. And he's over there trying to trying to get this thing stabilized. He points over to some tools nearby. One of them is the clamp and clearly asking you to grab it.

 

Bruce  30:02

Yeah, I dropped my axe back into the holder on my back and grab the tool set and bring it over to him.

 

Tanner  30:09

Okay. He works and is able to tie this thing off. The steam slowly dissipates, and the smoke is starting to lessen. But this this Forge is it'll take a lot to put it back together.

 

Bruce  30:23

But catastrophe averted here at least.

 

Tanner  30:25

Yeah, yeah. For now. Yes, certainly. And actually, as you say that cheers also erupt from the center of town. And this priest finally takes a deep breath and size as he dusted himself off. He looks over at you and says, you've you've done me a great service. I know that you could tell you didn't want to be involved. But by Roderick, I mean, I owe you a great deal. Like if this thing had exploded, the whole church could have gone up the systems connected underneath it. And it's just, I'm sorry. My name is Father Dale, and I am in your debt. And he puts a big meaty hand out towards you.

 

Bruce  31:04

Today. I do shake his hand. But at the same time, I looked for my mace cane.

 

Tanner  31:09

He nods, forgetting that even had it in his hand and hands it back to you.

 

Bruce  31:12

I put it back in its little holder. And I say nice to meet you, Father Dale. But I've got a problem here. And that's that there's gonna be eyes coming this way. I don't do well with eyes on me. So I was never here. Good luck turn and I begin to mosey my way out. All right.

 

Tanner  31:28

He just kind of looks after us hands drop and he's like, Well, and he goes back to trying to fix things up. The main commotion now is coming from the center of town. There's cheers and no longer the sound of combat but sounds like people celebrating. Gotcha. Okay.

 

Bruce  31:44

When I walk out of the Forge church, weird place thing, I'm going to pull my cane back out as if you begin to use walking again. I'm going to fluff my coat to get the dirt off of it and we're going to reset my dress to make myself look presentable again. I'm going to go towards the cheering because now I'm curious,

 

Tanner  32:04

the looking pristine. You head towards the center of town where the tears are. You can see the citizens of Leylen gathered around a group of black clad warriors who stand victorious above the lifeless forms of three more of these steel beings. The most armored of the warriors a tall, pale skinned human with fiery red hair shouts above the cheering. Your safety has been provided by the black hold collective thanks maybe given in coin or ale. And then as he finishes more cheers erupt, as he brings his foot down on the head of the closest fallen attacker with a loud crunch.

 

Bruce  32:44

I'd say under my breath. That one thinks he's impressive I

 

Tanner  32:48

someone next to you. chuckles the Blackboard collective. And I really hate those guys. And they do think highly of themselves. Major prick energy. You, however, are not a familiar face.

 

Bruce  33:06

And I prefer to stay that way. No offense. Oh, well,

 

Tanner  33:09

you know, everyone in certain towns needs a man of buffering to stay that way. If you take my meeting,

 

Will  33:18

ID. Good. Well,

 

Tanner  33:24

I have actually had word from a mutual acquaintance that maybe you could be someone who has muscle and more importantly, trust

 

Bruce  33:38

or as possible. I need a bit more information before I throw my dice in here though.

 

Will  33:45

How does it drink sound? That sounds lovely friend,

 

Tanner  33:49

as you kind of turned towards the sky. You notice that he is a male elf and a burgundy cloak. He has tan skin and a sharp nose but his most noticeable feature is the two scars that cut diagonally across his cheeks. Okay. You give me a

 

Will  34:08

history check.

 

Bruce  34:13

On it is my my response to 12 total. Okay.

 

Tanner  34:20

You know what these scars mean? Especially given your background? He is a convicted thief. Okay. Yep. And he begins he kind of waves his hand and assures you over, straightening himself and moving relatively back towards where you started. He brings you to the nearby tavern, called the edge, opens the door and offers or assures you inside.

 

Bruce  34:49

I follow. Okay.

 

Tanner  34:51

He goes up to the counter, orders a couple of drinks and brings them back to the table and sits down he says listen I know things and I'm, I make sure that people that travel here can find good business look like the well okay, so I was going to say you look like the adventuring sword but you look like someone who is currently adventuring away from where you typically stay.

 

Bruce  35:21

Well, you know, let's say my birds of a feather

 

Tanner  35:25

drink together and he offers you a beer.

 

Bruce  35:28

I will take it. before sitting down my character pulls his coat off of his shoulders, flaps it to do the rest of the dust off fold it very neatly and drapes over that chair.

 

Tanner  35:39

Okay. All right as you settle in, is elf looks up at you. He says. Well, in order to gain trust, I suppose you probably did my name. I am Betsy shear. I run the local adventuring outfit here known as outward enterprises.

 

Will  35:57

Can I tell ya spelled that? Yeah, tell me how you spell it. Ba YTHESAYSH ir

 

Tanner  36:04

not the worst. Ba et eights SAE hyphen. S H AI R?

 

Will  36:12

Nope. You gotta leave it as base this year on my thing I know. Phonetically

 

Bruce  36:19

no offense might but not the best word names. If you don't mind, I'll just call you be

 

Tanner  36:27

alright, I mean, both can't do both. It's like saying bath but then like fucking it up.

 

Bruce  36:36

All right, that was a funny joke. I'll give you that one base. It is that

 

Tanner  36:38

Excellent. Thank you and your name, sir.

 

Bruce  36:41

My name is Archibald Theodore Cromwell but the bras call me it.

 

Tanner  36:46

Ah, that is difficult for me to pronounce. Can I just call you a sure. Now shit they thought I mean,

 

Bruce  36:52

I I know what you thought was gonna happen but right. Yes,

 

Tanner  36:57

I will. I will. I will call you if if you prefer Archie I do not mind saying Archie.

 

Bruce  37:02

Alright good that we can agree on one thing at least it I

 

Tanner  37:04

imagine we can agree on multiple things i coin.

 

Bruce  37:08

Absolutely great. I know

 

Tanner  37:11

it is. Word travels quick around town. And after the commotion. Father Dale sent me a message saying that someone helped him out reluctantly. But sometimes you need reluctance and a good head for specific tasks,

 

Bruce  37:28

though I do agree as being a little too zealous or have you marked if you catch my drift.

 

Tanner  37:36

He traces his fingers across his face. I know. He'll knock back a bit of his beer and offer a toast ad to new acquaintances and potential lucrative business.

 

Bruce  37:49

Sounds nice to me. Bruff. Click

 

Tanner  37:51

alright. It'll knock it back and hold down the whole beer.

 

Bruce  37:54

I said I'm back down.

 

Tanner  37:55

Okay. You drink some of it though. Yeah, but I don't know. Don't knock it all back. All right. You said First off, we need to set a base level right of trust. So what exactly brings you into town?

 

Bruce  38:13

Not so much. What brought me into town knows what sent me away from other towns. And what is this? People may or may be looking for me and I may not want them to find me if you catch me drift.

 

Tanner  38:26

Ah, well, you're more forthcoming than I was actually expecting. I guess I did not need the truce theorem. Probably wouldn't have worked. I don't know that the beer tastes funny. No.

 

Bruce  38:37

But I also saw the gentleman bring it out and I know you didn't do anything to it. Unless he's in cahoots. And if he's in the cutouts, I'm fucked anyway. So what's the point of resisting? Really?

 

Tanner  38:48

That is one hell of an outfit. Okay, you know, this screw the whole thing that I had planned. This is I think this is going to be great.

 

Bruce  38:56

Apologies, I'm a bit of a pragmatist. What can I say? You know

 

Tanner  38:59

what? I mean? That was 150 gold that I wasted. So, you know, fuck me, I guess. Okay, so you are you're running from the law. That's fine. Don't care.

 

Bruce  39:11

i Oh, I say I was running from metal men. I never said I was running from the law.

 

Tanner  39:19

Oh, like the metal men in town. You know, the motor? The?

 

Bruce  39:21

No, I don't know. I don't know what the hell they're doing.

 

Tanner  39:25

Well, that's fine. Either way. If you're looking to make money, I'm looking to make money I need that. I need things done using like a doer. But the whole thing that we are concerned about now, of course, is our own metal men who seem to have just been in town. Four of them if I counted correctly.

 

Bruce  39:45

Yeah, they seem clunkers clear and through but not the kind of clunkers that I'm used to running from anyway, that's besides the point what you need done.

 

Tanner  39:52

Well, we do. We do kind of want to figure it out. You know, the fuck

 

Bruce  40:01

Well, I can tell you they got a weird viscous liquid it leaks out of them.

 

Tanner  40:06

Oh yes there it is all over the center of town those those guys that were there the black hold collective they are probably the worst of the worst corporate is sort of adventuring assholes. But you know, they are effective in what they do. And they took care of those three in the middle of town. But like, you know, you took care of one on your own, not backup, which is pretty impressive. Father Dell said he didn't really do much, which is kind of sad. I mean, he is very big.

 

Bruce  40:36

But to be fair, above the saying did a rough on me coat a bit

 

Tanner  40:42

that they said, you know, we actually have a very good place here that that can do any work on your code to make it as good as new if there's anything wrong with it, or you can get a nice new one. It is a fantastic location. Let me give a second to my self to remember the name. Oh yes, it is doting doublets and other grateful garments.

 

Bruce  41:03

That's a mouthful.

 

Tanner  41:05

Yes, but it's also kind of fun to say you go ahead and try.

 

Bruce  41:09

I'm gonna be honest with you, bro. I don't even remember what you said.

 

Tanner  41:12

Alright, that's fine. It's they get like tailcoats and shit. They lose. Maybe you're kinda. I'll take a we get some inputs. But those guys outside that is the Onyx company of the black old collective. Again, assholes. The main guy Strickland. He comes by all the time and takes all the contracts, at least all the good ones. Unless you're interested in rat catching or the occasional rabid rabbit slaying.

 

Bruce  41:45

Alright, pause for one second, as you said Rabbit, rabbit Sloane.

 

Tanner  41:48

You've never seen a rabbit rabbit hole. I

 

Bruce  41:50

pay people for that here.

 

Tanner  41:52

I mean, we don't have like rat catchers, which is what would normally do that kind of vermin hunting.

 

Bruce  42:00

Or they just had the prisoners do it or on from,

 

Tanner  42:03

that must be nice. But we don't really have prisoners here. We get like one drunk that we lock up every once in a while, or some people trying to cross the wound. And they just kind of wash up in places where they shouldn't. So it's a big to do. I mean, it isn't really like it's like a handful of people every few years.

 

Bruce  42:21

This is a bit of a strange place you got here, right?

 

Tanner  42:23

I mean, it's right on the edge of nothing. And on the edge of everything else of the continent. I mean, we are on like the Western subcontinent, right? I mean, I don't know where you're from, but like, you know, this place. And then on the whole other side, it's like the wilderness and the edge cliff in the splinter lens and all of these places. I mean, if you've got if you'd like a good Ale, all Mir is a wonderful place to visit

 

Bruce  42:44

as he's going on. Archie sips his beer, and just looking at him was really taken in his monologue here.

 

Tanner  42:52

I digress. I have probably just, there's a lot of information, we don't really get new people in town, which is said, because I have a very, very good quest that I am willing to pay very well for.

 

Bruce  43:08

You've taken me years a bit, I'm willing to listen.

 

Tanner  43:12

Great. Specifically, it is to well, you know, I think first, if you don't mind, just sort of a trial in this whole sort of lucrative relationship that we could build. And I'll pay you for this. Of course, we'd like to find out I say we, I mean, the town would, but I would also like to find out what is happening within the town. Like what these things are that attacked, and where they came from. And if there is something that we need to do, as far as you know, protecting our people, because a few people got hurt, more buildings got hurt, no one died. But I mean, if it happens again, that could be very problematic.

 

Bruce  43:59

Well, that's fair broth, but I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm not much of a finder, I'm a bit more of a breaker if you catch my drift.

 

Tanner  44:05

Well, you see, that is the good thing, because we need someone to break the things that did this. And all you have to do is find it follow the path of the wreckage. And if you're used to breaking things you are used to seeing where things are broken. Yes.

 

Bruce  44:22

That's a fair summation.

 

Tanner  44:24

I thought so do you know I am willing to offer you 50 Either to figure out what's going on in town and where these things came from. That's it really

 

Bruce  44:38

was a very generous offer might tell you what you throw in a place where I can wash myself and maybe take a night's worth asleep.

 

Tanner  44:48

I thought you were going to say take a shit but yeah, that's fine.

 

Bruce  44:51

Maybe that too, with hope so

 

Tanner  44:53

you must stay regular. If you're going to

 

Bruce  44:57

poke jokes, everyone. We're real fucking talented. on this podcast a

 

Tanner  45:00

we're in it. We're in it

 

Bruce  45:03

for Yeah, you give me a place to stay for a night, when we tell wash myself, are we happy to care for you?

 

Tanner  45:09

I can I can talk to the end, keep here, get you a bedroom upstairs and see what we can do for that. Of course they will pay for it. Sure, we can set all of that up for them. This was very easy. No haggle just straight to it. I love it. And he offers his hand, Can I shake it? He thinks for a moment about the information that he's gathered for this particular task. So far, the only things I've been able to find out is that, like I said, Really, no one was badly injured in the attack. And not only buildings were damaged. We don't know how they got into the town unnoticed. Given how freaking large they are. It kind of seems like you'd instantly see them. And people would be like, hey, no, get away call the guards, you know, things like that.

 

Bruce  45:58

I can tell you how I do it. Yeah, how would you do it? Bring them in piece by piece, build them in the town and set them free? Well, that would require someone who knows how to build them. You're assuming people in town don't? They might. But

 

Tanner  46:10

that is that is not the bad point. That is actually very good. When you think about it finding look at these ideas. That's fair. I mean, if you want to follow that lead or any others, that is what we want to check on. However, there is also something that father Dell was not telling us. Particularly why the massive commotion happened in the center of town. And yet one went to him.

 

Bruce  46:44

Or I'm not quite sure either, but I'm sure I could go have a word with him. Problem is it appears whatever it was, was looking for something over in his Monastery Church. What would you call that saying,

 

Tanner  46:57

Hey, this is the church of Roderick in the back is the for every church of Roderick has a forge in the back. That is what they do. They are shield brothers.

 

Bruce  47:05

Sure. I don't use a shield don't know what that means.

 

Tanner  47:08

It's a thing that you use to block attacks.

 

Bruce  47:11

No, I know a shield is America. Oh, no, a shield brother is?

 

Tanner  47:15

Oh, it's a whatever the you know, like the brothers have a monastery door, I'd

 

Bruce  47:20

say. Yes.

 

Tanner  47:22

So that would be my suggestion to start, but this is your operation now. So you know, whatever you find out if it's conclusive, 50 Golden, free place to stay. Like I said, I will talk to pansy. Make sure you have a nice room here. And we will get you good to go.

 

Bruce  47:39

His face shifts to a look of confusion when you say pansy, but he doesn't address it.

 

Tanner  47:47

I do need to check on one thing. But I asked that you come to my place of business in the morning, and we will discuss more of this big issue that I have.

 

Bruce  47:59

All right, bro. What's up place your merchant?

 

Tanner  48:03

How are you can find me at 12 Edge street.

 

Bruce  48:05

Oh, you're right. You're the gentleman. If you'd have just been where I was looking for you. I'd never had to get involved.

 

Tanner  48:12

Well, now that you did, we wouldn't have to go through so many things that me liking you.

 

Bruce  48:15

Alright, that's also fair, also fair. All right, then. I'm gonna do what I do best. And I'm gonna go knock some heads, get some information, he stands up, pulls his coat back on and tucks his weapons back into his holders and finishes his beer and walks out. Okay.

 

Tanner  48:33

As you're leaving, you can see bathe, go up to the counter and talk to the woman behind it. potentially getting you set up for the night.

 

Bruce  48:42

Because otherwise he's gonna have a very, very angry enemy.

 

Tanner  48:47

You paid me but you didn't get me a room. Yeah,

 

Bruce  48:50

exactly. As you

 

Tanner  48:52

leave, you can see people are bringing the black old collective group beers from inside. They're sitting down in a table. The women and men are all gathered around in the pile of mechanical bodies have been dragged over to the side.

 

Bruce  49:09

So is there a place for me to sit? That's not like very not, inconspicuous, inconspicuous dish that would kind of seem like I'm just part of the crowd.

 

Tanner  49:19

Yeah, they're they're bait it's basically like family seating out here with benches and long tables.

 

Bruce  49:23

Okay, um, do you mind if I burn? My one hit die to take short rest and get my health back?

 

Tanner  49:30

Yeah, that's fine. You can we'll say you can you did it while you were inside as you were just kind of sitting there. It's kind of because it was just punches. Okay, so you're able to just kind of brush that off.

 

Bruce  49:41

Good, good, good. Good. I'm back for health. It'd be necessary for later and I Tanner would like to use my perception to sit here and just listen, I'm listening to see if any other any pertinent information for the next hour. are so about these metal man the direction they came from anything that I can find, I can roll or if you want, I can tell you my passive it's up to you

 

Tanner  50:10

know, since you're actively doing it go and give me a roll

 

Will  50:16

that would be

 

Bruce  50:17

on roll would be a 12. My passive is actually higher because of my

 

Will  50:22

skill, but that's fine.

 

Tanner  50:23

That's all is fine. Okay, you can, you can actually hear a couple of villagers kind of huddled together over on the side. One of them is saying something about two random men lurking about the town in the early hours of the morning.

 

Will  50:38

Okay, where it was, did they talk about where this person

 

Tanner  50:41

doesn't seem to know too much as you're listening in? Mostly about, you know, they saw some people creeping through town. They were sort of near the southern section when they saw them. But they didn't see where they came from, or where they went,

 

Bruce  50:56

Okay. I'm gonna ignore that. I'm just gonna, after an hour or so, listening and seeing if anything particularly damning as far as information comes up. If it doesn't, I'm just gonna go back to the temple and go find see if I'm gonna find further do

 

Tanner  51:13

you make your way back to the church, and you can quickly find them. He's just back in the back cleaning up the forage trying to put things together as best as he can. He doesn't notice you approach as he Whistles his jaunty tune,

 

Bruce  51:26

is there like a doorframe or anything like that? No, it's

 

Tanner  51:29

an open area behind the church.

 

Bruce  51:31

Okay, is there anywhere that I'm trying to find some are just a knock and make would like make noise considering

 

Tanner  51:38

on on one of the like, the pillars that holds up the roof over the forge, okay.

 

Bruce  51:45

We're gonna rack wrap my cane onto it as like a three, three knocks.

 

Tanner  51:52

It makes him jump. He dropped the board that he was using, you can see he's clearly still jumping from the experience a few hours ago.

 

Bruce  51:59

So that's why I tried to not before I came in, now,

 

Tanner  52:04

don't don't worry about it. I'm just a little rattled. It's been a while since I've seen some action,

 

Bruce  52:13

or as fair, as fair. And I don't think anybody particularly cares to have been dropped on their chest either.

 

Tanner  52:20

Yeah, it was a little uncomfortable to tell you the least.

 

Bruce  52:23

Seems fair. So you want to tell me what the big man was looking for?

 

Tanner  52:31

Um, I'm not, I'm not certain. I don't think he was really here looking for anything in particular. I mean, it's just a, it's just a thing. And you can he looks over to the body, which is kind of propped up over on the side. And he's cleaned it off a little bit.

 

Bruce  52:48

I'll say that here's the weird thing made. Three of them go in the middle of town, but one stays with you. And one here to kill you. Because he left you there. But he was destroying your Ford. And he appeared to be looking around. Well,

 

Tanner  53:03

I mean, you know, sometimes, sometimes things just find their way. I mean, it didn't seem like there was any rhyme or reason to me that any one of they would come in here at all for anything anyway. I mean, they just kind of attacked and this one just kind of attacked. I don't know maybe it was just like a just a thing that they do when we we we've never seen these things before. So I got I got no clue. He's clearly he's clearly flustered.

 

Bruce  53:34

I say interesting, rough. Oh, well, I'm just saying it don't make sense that one of them stays here and the other three days off. They want to destroy your temple, our fault

 

Will  53:44

state a look, I mean, to tell you the truth, I did ask bathe to reach out to you. I'm sorry to be cagey. But this is I don't want

 

Tanner  54:01

to feel responsible for all this and are very well maybe he stands up straight and kind of cracks his back and loosens his neck up. Look, I got something and it wasn't causing any problems. Up until the attack today, and then after the attack.

 

Will  54:24

And then you hear sort of this muffled incoherent

 

Tanner  54:30

sound that it almost sounds like a voice coming from behind the forge.

 

Will  54:35

Mm hmm. Yeah.

 

Tanner  54:41

I think it's probably best if I just show you and he moves his way to the back of the forge and begins to start messing with something and you can hear a click, and this sheet of metal lifts up from inside the forge. And he puts on a large leather glove and reaches in and grabs This this satchel this leather satchel that's placed in the back there far enough away from the heat where it isn't burned. And the the muffled talking is now definitely more audible so this thing it is, it's been still. And now it's just been this INCOHERENT BABBLE of words. None of them make sense. It's just a stream of of consonants and syllables. And well, he just he opens the bag and he pulls out this metal head that looks very similar to the thing that you would defeated earlier. And it is just rambling. random words

 

Will  55:47

Sarge dog. HELLO, CAT.

 

Tanner  55:52

It has been rated since I've heard these things attacked her earlier. And I listen. I'm here. He just hands you the head.

 

Will  56:02

August I don't worry. It's not a real month in this world. Hmm. The name

 

Bruce  56:09

Bravo I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news here. But it actually sounds like You shot yourself in the foot. I was told to figure out reason why I wasn't going to collect it. So I'm gonna go find both good luck with whoever the hell that thing is. I leave I begin to turn around to leave.

 

Tanner  56:29

Yeah, as you begin to turn the speech patterns start to actually make so

 

Bruce  56:40

with my mace knock, does he actually I bank it like not hard, but it's kind of like just like a little big. Yeah, like you know, like somebody will bonk your head with something like like that's kind of what I do to it very gently with a mace I just punk.

 

Tanner  56:54

Alright, as you don't get the speech comes becomes completely coherent.

 

Will  56:59

Hello, this unit is six. That's new.

 

Bruce  57:03

Sometimes you just got to smack something around friend.

 

Will  57:06

Thank you for hitting my reset button.

 

Bruce  57:09

Oh, how's it reset? But

 

Tanner  57:10

I've gotten no, no sometimes

 

Will  57:12

if you hit six hard.

 

Tanner  57:17

Well, that's probably not something you ought to be carrying.

 

Will  57:22

No, it's too late. I've already said it with my mouth.

 

Tanner  57:25

committed. Okay.

 

Will  57:26

So what do you see by the way just to give just to give my head a description, because we didn't really get there. What do you what do you have in your hand? If you are you holding sixes

 

Bruce  57:34

head high or not?

 

Will  57:37

Okay, that was the whole you see a very like a rusted gold head with. I don't know if the lights would have been lit up before you hit it. But when you hit it, let's just say they weren't when you hit it. The lights kind of come back to fruition and there's a big neon blue eyes and a big six in his forehead. And it's just neon blue glow coming from the head.

 

Bruce  58:02

I should have went east I don't know why the hell I went west fucking shouldn't flip that coin should have went a slug. My mother told me from my perspective.

 

Will  58:11

You came to the perfect place. Thank you for saving me.

 

Tanner  58:18

Okay, Dell turns your head six to his face his face. My name's Dale.

 

Will  58:29

You can call this unit six. All right. That is Ha six. What are you? i Huh? Six has never been asked that question before. Okay. It seems I am since I am made of metal and light

 

Bruce  58:54

is telling the truth at least.

 

Tanner  58:55

Yep, not a false statement. Listen. Um, and he looks back at you, Archie, which I don't think you've exchanged given him your name yet. I am not equipped for it. I was research I was looking at it and like, you know, tinker and figuring it this was given to me Sara

 

Bruce  59:14

is there like an area that look that looks like it can open up on his head. The

 

Tanner  59:22

only thing you really can kind of see that's a bit of a void is where his neck is.

 

Will  59:27

Did he turn me back to Archie? Yeah,

 

Tanner  59:29

he will have turned you back. Yeah, you're facing

 

Bruce  59:31

you. So there's no wear like that looks like a panel or that could open or anything on the head?

 

Tanner  59:36

No, no, no, the only the only insertion point is that where the next tower is

 

Bruce  59:39

definitely about to try to poke like poking his head with my thieves tools.

 

Will  59:43

You you reset me. You are my savior. Thank you.

 

Bruce  59:47

Archie blinks a couple times.

 

Will  59:49

Clearly,

 

Tanner  59:50

clearly, you are his you heard him say it. It's like it'd be of

 

Bruce  59:55

much assistance. Right but you touched it last. So I released

 

Will  59:59

Six version of this he puts it to your chest and brings his hand back. physically touched you let's now take backs

 

Bruce  1:00:11

hacky sack it back to him so it's him

 

Will  1:00:15

please do not kick. I will read. orange, green, green. Green. Should I bonk

 

Bruce  1:00:22

him again?

 

Will  1:00:23

Thank you for resetting

 

Bruce  1:00:28

Okay, both Alright first and foremost I don't know what the hell this is. Second of all, I don't want to be intandem was anything that's blown your village up here because I need to stay here right?

 

Tanner  1:00:42

I mean Okay,

 

Will  1:00:43

I would like to stay here too it's very nice yeah okay

 

Tanner  1:00:49

I'm gonna be I'm gonna be square with you here so I was looking at this and I like to tinker you know my whole life is metal. Yeah, now I primarily mess with wound stone and make stuff out of that for the town.

 

Will  1:01:02

only found in this part of the earth. So we think But ah, key bit.

 

Tanner  1:01:13

A ANC what I can do. Don't tell anybody about it.

 

Will  1:01:19

Hey, can somebody get my body?

 

Bruce  1:01:22

I didn't say your thing. Hello?

 

Tanner  1:01:25

deltans is the the head to his head again. Six. You ain't got nobody, buddy.

 

Bruce  1:01:34

Oh, oh, oh. Oh, yeah. Oh, I'm bad. Make a terrible decision. I go over to the dead thing. Oh, my thieves tools. Now you can tinker with its neck area. can I figure out

 

Will  1:01:46

how it is connected? Now? Yeah, go ahead and give me your role.

 

Bruce  1:01:50

What do you want me to just just they use tools,

 

Tanner  1:01:52

tools, so it's not 20 with proficiency? Okay.

 

Bruce  1:01:57

18 Total Matthews tools. Yeah,

 

Tanner  1:01:59

you can you can feel some mechanisms up in there. You really don't get how they work because they are thieves tools. And yeah, I

 

Bruce  1:02:04

don't know. Yeah,

 

Tanner  1:02:06

I don't bet you can. You can feel like there's some mechanisms that you can kind of get underneath and and get to unlatch while you're up in there. It takes you a moment to do it. But eventually you hear a clunk. And you can just pop the head off.

 

Will  1:02:19

A metal bruv

 

Bruce  1:02:22

Mosers name again six.

 

Will  1:02:24

You can call this unit six. What unit is this? I got my hand here. Hmm. Is her big number on his forehead. There is not? I have no clue. Alright, then.

 

Bruce  1:02:37

I just eat the other heads. Just toss it like nonchalantly away

 

Will  1:02:42

have you? Have you found my body? Ideal?

 

Bruce  1:02:45

Give me his head.

 

Tanner  1:02:47

Now I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to put throw some caution here. Because if that thing in this thing are the same things and that thing now becomes active.

 

Bruce  1:02:57

Well then just bonk it on its head apparently he's not built well.

 

Will  1:03:00

Greenough I've just parked me.

 

Tanner  1:03:03

Here he walks. Are you asking him to toss you the head?

 

Bruce  1:03:05

No, I'm just reaching out my hand like hand it to me. Okay, yeah, he hands it to you. Hi. Reverse what I did with the other head to get it to latch. Oh, yeah. Okay. All right. Cool.

 

Tanner  1:03:15

Good luck. Six. You feel more complete. As your synapses kind of connect with the tips of your fingers and the rest of your body and then you feel a sharp pain in your side looking down to see this big gash where you have been dead

 

Will  1:03:35

now. Oh, oh. Oh, this is not my body. What is this? No, a body is rough but I gave you on that. Where did the gas come from? No idea. I'm gonna need to get this repaired but this body should work. As he stretched his stretching out his arms and stuff. It can I move all my legs? Yeah, everything moves. Oh, no, this body has no penis. Okay, I'm just just getting 100% No wiener. So with his new body six stands about six foot five a little taller than Archie. And his entire body is that golden color which matches his head? Primo. Very good. The internals that you can see exposed to the little gash. They turn that blue light, bright shade of blue just like his eyes glow. And the six on his forehead still remains blue. And that's what you see when he's fully erect.

 

Bruce  1:04:42

Hi, Dale. Well, I saved you saved him. I don't mean good dates for the day. I'm gonna get out of here before anybody comes snooping.

 

Will  1:04:50

Wait. Now just a second. Nope. Hold on. No. I have a profit out now.

 

Bruce  1:04:58

Don't get out.

 

Will  1:04:59

Don't Today, I can be of great service to you, boy, fuck

 

Bruce  1:05:03

me.

 

Will  1:05:04

You're the one that saved six. From the bag. I saw you first when I opened my eyes and was reset you reset six. Let me thank you. And I go up to like hugging. Bonk green red sclerotia back and Ah, thank you for resetting six.

 

Bruce  1:05:25

No touching my issue to find out and you're not gonna mess it up where you met or greasy hands.

 

Will  1:05:30

I've never seen you before. Perfect. But thank you for saying thank you for resetting me. No touching. Got it and I follow him.

 

Bruce  1:05:39

Alright, Dale, I need something to cover this thing up.

 

Will  1:05:42

Why would you cover me? I'm very interesting. Got a lot to me. Yeah,

 

Tanner  1:05:48

let me grab you a cloak. And he'll run back to the back of the forge. He starts rummaging around some stuff and he's able to find like, one of his leather aprons and basically a set of monk's robes that you know, it might be able to fit over the machine. All right.

 

Bruce  1:06:06

This is like fucking this body's very clunky, or what I've used to is fucking dumb and dumber right here.

 

Will  1:06:13

It's very big. I'm doing my arms out and in just

 

Tanner  1:06:20

the two others try and get you in clothing as best they can while you wiggle about, huh. So you're now wearing a dance basically a burlap cloak

 

Will  1:06:30

and a leather apron. And the cloak as the code has a hood coat has a hood. Okay. So very nice. Do I look good? Sure. My, you know,

 

Tanner  1:06:45

I see this is a win.

 

Will  1:06:47

However,

 

Tanner  1:06:49

if I mean I am indebted to you and now it seems doubly indebted to you because I share the hell what and keeping that. So you ever need something from some wounds stone or anything else forged? You let me know on your man.

 

Bruce  1:07:05

I got an idea for you then that gosh, can you fix that?

 

Tanner  1:07:10

I can certainly try. And he comes up and he pulls back the rope and he starts looking at it. Yeah, I think I could probably patch that up with something. I mean, the internals are definitely different but they actually seem to be reconnected themselves somehow.

 

Will  1:07:27

I'll just put a metal plate away. Can I do this as they say that? Can I just cast your wounds on it? Yeah. No need and I put my hand on the on the wound. And I'm gonna cast Cure Wounds. And just

 

Tanner  1:07:42

yeah, the basically the same blue glow that is that is emanating from his eyes starts to come out of his hand. You can kind of see between the knuckles. It emanates outwards, and then just the organic material that was gashed starts to fuse back together very slowly, and then it's fully healed.

 

Bruce  1:08:01

Archie is gonna point at that with his cane. He's gonna go. Now that's a handy trick.

 

Will  1:08:06

I look at I look back at who I don't know your name yet. But I look back at who Bruce's character is.

 

1:08:13

I told you six can be of great service. Alright, six.

 

Bruce  1:08:18

You're going to stay here for a moment. I'll be back in a Jeff. Okay, father Dale, show some patients.

 

Will  1:08:25

Hold on. Sorry. Before you leave. I've given you my name. What is your name? He can call me Mr. Cromwell. Mr. Cromwell. Very nice to meet you. I turned to Father Joe, thank you for all your help and saving me my head from certain disaster. What is your name? Father bill.

 

Bruce  1:08:46

I'm gonna go find base. Okay.

 

Will  1:08:48

Please tell me of this great world father Dell.

 

Tanner  1:08:52

Take Take a seat, I guess. I mean, I, you know, yeah. All right. So he starts to just explain how the world works to you, to the best of his knowledge from a cloistered monks perspective, was now ventured out here. You do get a little bit of information from him, though you find out that he's from a place called the base of the first thing you mentioned is he's from a place called Edgefield. And then you just start asking a deluge of questions because you don't understand what the hell that means. Archibald Theodore Cromwell, you start heading back towards you go towards a

 

Will  1:09:28

base business. He

 

Tanner  1:09:28

basically told you to meet him in the morning. You tried to meet him earlier? Are you trying to go back to the end?

 

Bruce  1:09:34

Now? I'm going right? I'm going to that office where he was this is this is quite important.

 

Tanner  1:09:41

Okay. All right. So you make your way back. You were there earlier, and you're back at the storefront bank bank. As you knock. You can hear some papers shuffling in the back, and you hear a voice shout out. It does open,

 

Bruce  1:09:58

open the door and I go in Ah,

 

Tanner  1:10:01

if it isn't my favorite newcomer Welcome to outward enterprises.

 

Bruce  1:10:07

You should probably follow me. All right? No, trust me, you're really going to want to see this mate.

 

Tanner  1:10:14

He stacks up the papers he was looking at and puts it in his desk, grabs his keys and follows you out the door locks up by himself. Alright, cool.

 

Bruce  1:10:23

On the way back, I'm definitely kind of like scoping out around us making sure nobody's tailing us and following us and doing all the fun stuff.

 

Tanner  1:10:33

Yeah, is everything okay? You seem a little testy, tasty,

 

Bruce  1:10:38

or you know, just making sure none environment or friends designed to pop out of any of the woodwork.

 

Will  1:10:43

I was

 

Tanner  1:10:45

about to say, why would they pop out but they popped up before so I mean, that kind of makes sense.

 

Bruce  1:10:49

Trust me, you'll see why when we get where we're going.

 

Tanner  1:10:53

Right. So you lead him back? Oh, yeah. The church project. Yes.

 

Will  1:10:58

Edgefield. That's an interesting sounding place after all this project you've told me Father Dell, I'd like to visit there one day all right, Vice mate six. i This is why is this thing standing here? Inquiry what's on your face? Again,

 

Tanner  1:11:21

why is this thing standing here and talking

 

Will  1:11:23

significant marks on your phone? Oh, would you like to explain and why is it so rude? This units name six.

 

Tanner  1:11:32

This thing seems fine if not in quizzical we we've been having a nice conversation. I haven't talked to someone about my past in a while.

 

Bruce  1:11:43

Archie Feroz is brown and quizzical. Yes. Edgefield seems like a wonderful place.

 

Tanner  1:11:48

They flux over the situation. Dell, this is not what I expected. When you said you had something that you are hiding.

 

Will  1:11:58

Archie?

 

Bruce  1:12:00

What the hell? Well, to be fair, he was just hiding the head. I put it I put the head on the other body.

 

Tanner  1:12:07

Right read right. So you took the dangerous thing that you had killed earlier and put another dangerous thing on top of it. So it came back up six is not dangerous.

 

Bruce  1:12:15

Why? Saying that I could handle the earlier dangerous thing. And this one seems much less hostile and much more

 

Will  1:12:22

six is not dangerous, naive. At that. Right? Listen,

 

Tanner  1:12:28

we have to garner a certain bit of trust. So I will trust that you know what you are doing?

 

Will  1:12:34

However? What is it?

 

Bruce  1:12:38

Holy Fuck if I know you're the one who told me to find it.

 

Tanner  1:12:41

She okay. He turns to you six. What

 

Will  1:12:45

are you? You could call this unit six. I was made in a lab.

 

Tanner  1:12:51

Wait, so see, there are five more of you.

 

Will  1:12:56

At least. Oh, at least Yes.

 

Bruce  1:13:00

Fuck. Oh, wait. Oh, wait, wait, wait for dead. So that means there's only one left.

 

Will  1:13:05

Oh, no, those those had nothing to do with work with my laboratory?

 

Bruce  1:13:10

Oh, well, we'll go back to what you said before base fuck.

 

Will  1:13:13

It's okay. six units are not made for attacking the random townsfolk. If that's what happened here with these,

 

Bruce  1:13:21

you know, that sounds exactly what whatever you are, would say if you were something that wanted to attack random townsfolk.

 

Will  1:13:27

That may be true, but I'm telling the truth.

 

Tanner  1:13:30

So the answer that we have so far, is that the head that you were hiding, Dell was put on the body that now operates correctly. Am I this is what I'm this. I'm correcting these assumptions? Yeah, that is correct. So now the problem that we find ourselves facing is that

 

Will  1:13:53

he turns to you six. How did you get into?

 

Tanner  1:13:57

How did you get an A bag? They'll How did he get into town? And Dell? hangs his head. I'm sorry that I've caused this sort of trouble. But it was just a tinkerer and project delivered to me from another brother of the order. I was supposed to be nothing bad. Just Hey, look at this anomaly I brought from the east. Oh, are you right?

 

Bruce  1:14:24

Hold on. I've gotten our deer here. You know them fancy wizards can track things and save them. Yeah, maybe that's what is BROSCO day, somehow.

 

Tanner  1:14:36

You mean, because he's like them? He can then track the others.

 

Bruce  1:14:39

No, they could track him. I don't know what the hell they can do.

 

Will  1:14:42

I cannot track any other units besides six. I know where I'm at all the time. Well, that is

 

Tanner  1:14:50

I mean, that's beds next to useless to us. I think.

 

Will  1:14:53

I disagree. It's very nice to know where one is. I would like to be drunk

 

Tanner  1:14:57

right now. That would be far superior. In this situation, okay, look. So we have a a we almost have a what? But we don't have a who or a where? Or a win or a why?

 

Bruce  1:15:14

No but you do got 50 gold for me.

 

Will  1:15:17

And you do have a six.

 

Tanner  1:15:20

I do have 50 either for you and I don't have six for you. I don't know if we Why would we don't piss you it's not six. Okay six I am Betsy shear. Why am I introducing myself to a machine? Okay, listen. Hold on, and he reaches back first purse and he starts counting out the coins and hands them over to you Archie.

 

Bruce  1:15:45

Alright, I take them I put them in my pocket and I scan the room and I eyebrows. You have a good

 

Tanner  1:15:54

tomorrow morning. Much more lucrative for you. 750 of those. Oh, I

 

Bruce  1:15:59

am gonna wrap this. All right, where do you want me to be?

 

Tanner  1:16:03

Just come to my place of business in the morning and you have a place to sleep for the night at the edge. Take a good rest. And I'll tell you everything that I have gathered. Where's your

 

Bruce  1:16:13

place? Your places here? You can stay here for the Dell

 

Will  1:16:17

understood. I just want to know more about this city.

 

Bruce  1:16:20

Well see, here's the thing broke four of you just broke in nerded some people may be broke some things. So the other people probably wouldn't be too happy about seeing you around. So you should probably stay here.

 

Will  1:16:35

I see. I'm gonna go exploring. Hi, Brad has good luck, right. Bathe, but I think we got it. Baby see it? And it's okay, I'm noticing covered how to cover Do I look? I'm just kind of waving my arms around.

 

Tanner  1:16:53

Go ahead and roll. Well, it's not really a disguise kid. Just give me a performance on how you think you're going to be able to act natural.

 

Will  1:17:05

That's an eight. Okay,

 

Tanner  1:17:07

would you get a six plus two? Yep. They the two men bathe and Dell try and try and hold you back. Go ahead and give me a I guess a strength check to see how well you're gonna really

 

Will  1:17:19

struggle against some way. You want me here that that?

 

Tanner  1:17:25

Yeah, like if people saw you, it would probably be problematic.

 

Will  1:17:30

Understood? Is there a way that we could disguise me better?

 

Bruce  1:17:34

I hear this fade as I leave.

 

Tanner  1:17:36

Yeah, Archie's just thought dry off back to the end. And you do make your way there. And they have you set up in a room.

 

Will  1:17:45

Mr. Cromwell and I are gonna go on adventures.

 

Tanner  1:17:49

I mean, as long as you're out of town, listen, bathe. I'll take care of things here. Please figure out what the hell else is going on?

 

Will  1:17:58

Is there something I can help with

 

Tanner  1:18:00

Bayes net looks overdue? Yes, you can help us out by just

 

Will  1:18:05

being here for

 

Tanner  1:18:09

now. And then we can figure things out later.

 

Will  1:18:11

Ah, okay. And I don't know how this happens. But he opens up his chest and there's a chess board already set up ready to go if he can. He manifested it inside of the body that was already there. It doesn't matter. He did it. That is that should be kind of fucked up. Right. And Dell looks over? Yeah. Should be who's down for a game.

 

Tanner  1:18:38

Been a while since I played chess. They'll sits down with you and helps you set up the internal chess board and bathe then leaves all

 

Will  1:18:48

come standard with a chessboard. I mean, that's pretty convenient.

 

Tanner  1:18:54

I suppose. I listen. I think we're gonna probably be here for a while while people figure some stuff out. I'm happy to answer any more questions for you if you got him.

 

Will  1:19:05

Sure. Over the games of chess. By my calculations, we have enough time for 87 games.

 

Tanner  1:19:13

Well, depends on how quickly you play. You sleep on Prasad. And he starts playing. Do you do you have any questions for me just say

 

Will  1:19:21

a chess word that you knew. Yes. Okay. All right. It's fun. For my sake, what isn't on pissant it's chess move. You did it. You did it. Good job.

 

Tanner  1:19:35

I did. Thanks. It's the thing you do with pawns and capturing.

 

Bruce  1:19:40

Sure. Do you get them to the other side and you change them?

 

Will  1:19:44

Yeah, no. So what happens is if you get a pawn on oh my god no one cares in another pile on the next file and you move that pawn? No,

 

Tanner  1:19:53

no, no, it's a fucking it's an it's a meme. Just saying on BISAZZA meme. It's just me It's an actual move it's a real I know it's an actual move. It's an actual move but

 

Bruce  1:20:03

it's a me I'm gonna pass on my cane.

 

Will  1:20:07

Yeah, that's also on move.

 

Tanner  1:20:11

Okay, so yeah now it'd be a good time to ask any questions of del that you might want to know about the the town the world anything like that. You got a few that we can throw in there for a little bit of world building.

 

Will  1:20:22

So who's my dad?

 

Tanner  1:20:28

Well, I don't know that the only thing that I know is who brought you here? guy by the name of Brother Ganzel. Huh? Brother again? Maybe you can? Maybe you can find him and trace that down.

 

Will  1:20:42

Do you know where brother Ganzel hails from?

 

Tanner  1:20:45

I know that he came from the east cross the wound I think he headed west or

 

Bruce  1:20:50

should allow mark just came over as in fog and air very Godfather Dale. Here's a fucking mechanical head. I'm gonna get out of here now. All right. Perfect story setup. I love it. We

 

Will  1:21:05

got a reason for it. We just don't know it yet.

 

Tanner  1:21:07

Brother Gaines. You know, he's a he's a member of the Church of Roderick. These typically, you know, worshiping, but he was making his way doing a What's that saying when you travel?

 

Will  1:21:22

And you'd like for religious reasons. Oh, yeah. Missionary?

 

Tanner  1:21:28

No, that's his exposition. I'm sorry. Please disregard that. No, it's when you when you go. You're a boy by? God, thank you. It's a pilgrimage. Yeah, he was apparently on a pilgrimage. And you know, I mean, the house is always open to those who who shield each other's back for Roderick. So he stayed here and your head is what he gave me his thanks.

 

Will  1:21:59

There's, that's not a lot to go on.

 

Tanner  1:22:03

No, it certainly isn't. But honestly, most of us don't have a lot to go on when it comes to our parents. What is

 

Will  1:22:10

what is west of here?

 

Tanner  1:22:15

Well, the read the rest of the country and then the ocean. You don't know anything? Do you?

 

Will  1:22:23

Ah, every time I get reset, I lose more of my memory.

 

Tanner  1:22:28

We got to figure a way around that. And so you actually start tinkering with something. Yeah. And makes like, your back of your head is a little like exposed for the organic stuff. You know, some of the materials and wires and things like that. So he fast it's a bit of a plate to put on the back of your head.

 

Will  1:22:51

Okay, at this point six says, Wow, you're really good at this. Do you think you could make this for me, and he draws in the dirt in the dirt. And now though. He draws something in the dirt. Tanner. We talked about what this is. But it is a mask and it has something specific on it. I don't want to spoil the surprise yet.

 

Tanner  1:23:20

Yeah, so as you as you draw that out, it's like a perfect schematic of what you want. Yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah, like, like, and when you're doing it. It sounds like you remember old printers? Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what it sounds like. Yeah, I think I can probably do that. So he takes the next couple of hours to fashion this and periodically while things are cooling, or he's quenching things, he'll come back and continue playing chess with you. But eventually, he puts together this this mask with this back bit of leather that would cover up the sides of your face. And right on the front, per your schematics is this big, metal mustache?

 

Will  1:24:11

So my face my face looks exactly like Guy Fox.

 

Tanner  1:24:17

Pretty much fantastic.

 

Will  1:24:18

It's a Guy Fawkes mask. That's what it is the Guy Fawkes mask, just use this use you just use your imagination. Everybody knows what that looks like.

 

Tanner  1:24:27

Now I don't think this is gonna make you inconspicuous in the least. I mean, I'm not skilled enough to make it like you know, humanoid, but maybe it'll keep people from giving you too many second looks.

 

Will  1:24:41

Exactly. Do we cover these? A whole lot? My my phalanges. Oh, oh, yeah.

 

Tanner  1:24:48

He goes in he rummages through his stuff and he pulls out some basically 14 gloves, big leather, big leather gloves. We put them all Okay, so now you're wearing the robes of the church have Roderick leather apron on your front and leather, leather forged gloves. And you have this mask that's not really intricate, but it's really well made.

 

Will  1:25:13

I stand with my hands on my hips and back at father Dell during our game of chess. How do I look? Interesting. Would you think I was a robot?

 

Tanner  1:25:27

You know, here's, if I'm gonna be honest with you. There's these traveling circuses that come through town. And you would not be out of place with that group of people close enough. You know, to circuses. That's awesome. I'm so glad I didn't have to explain that. I have no

 

Will  1:25:46

clue what you're talking about. She had Is there anything else that you want to know from Father though, while you're here? One last question, Father Dale. Yeah. Have you ever heard of a lab that produces my kind? Through my travels as a head? I've kind of forgotten or maybe I never knew. I don't know.

 

Tanner  1:26:16

Ah, not particularly. I'm sorry, six.

 

Will  1:26:20

That's okay. I gotta find this brother. Cancel. Yeah.

 

Tanner  1:26:26

Dwarf, if that helps. Oh,

 

Will  1:26:29

that is good information. Yeah,

 

Tanner  1:26:31

that's really all I need to take stock of people's look. I've never had to explain how someone looks to someone else to search so they can hunt him down and be like, are you my daddy? But here we are, I guess. Maybe go back to the game. You guys play a few more rounds of chess. But in the next game, as the sun is setting and as the heat from the Forge is kind of dissipating and it's starting to get a bit cooler out. Farther Dell begins to nod off and eventually falls asleep.

 

Will  1:27:08

Thank you for the games father Dale. And I stand up and time to talk to Rome baby.

 

Tanner  1:27:16

I see the sights it as you're exploring it is um, it is darker. You know everything the sun has set. And the street lamps don't light up things too much. You can see a few people wandering around as they close up shop. But a lot of commotion as you're exploring is coming from the nearby tavern. You can see a sign from the distance and it says the edge

 

Bruce  1:27:40

arches in his room and he has a weird chill run down his spine feel like something real Bad's about to happen?

 

Tanner  1:27:49

Are you you weren't you got everything on the mask and everything? Oh, yeah. Oh,

 

Will  1:27:51

yeah. I know the situation. You know, he's pretty for for an inquisitive fucker. He's not he's not stupid. He knows that. Okay. He understands the situation. He doesn't want to be seen as a robot that's going to hurt people. So he's going to try to hide his identity and be as human like as he possibly can. Okay,

 

Tanner  1:28:12

do you just wait outside the edge? Or do you go inside?

 

Will  1:28:16

Guess I will go into the edge. All right,

 

Tanner  1:28:19

as you as you notice the commotion side the edge your curiosity gets the best of you. Um, how do you open this is your first door. How do you open the door?

 

Bruce  1:28:31

Clean off the I guess it is

 

Will  1:28:34

probably my first door isn't it? Oh, yeah. Okay, I feel like I will be smart enough to know how you're supposed to work. So I know you

 

Tanner  1:28:43

saw you would see people coming in and out but you wouldn't know like the force that they're putting into

 

Will  1:28:48

it. Okay, well, I use I use my full full robot force. And as like, Okay, here's, here's this thing here. Whatever happens to the door happens to the door. So I'm gonna use my full robot source and open the door. And what I say when I walk in is it is I normal human Jason. How are you People?

Tanner Massey
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Episode 2: Hounds on the Trail