Arthas receives a visit from Vuldarin, the God of Luck.
After an eventful day rescuing a Jerboamin, followed by a long celebration at their family’s shop, Arthas heads to bed in the stables. As he drifts off and begins to dream, he receives a visit from a figure that is half-human and half-goat.
The figure introduces themselves as Vuldarin, the god of luck and so-called “Bringer of Chance”. He claims to have a quest for Arthas, one that only the Giant-Kin can help with. Something has infiltrated a mage’s tower to the south of Ravenspire, and due to its size Arthas is the best person for the job. However, he is told he must leave his companions behind if he is to take on this challenge.
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Transcript by CJ Kallevig
Upbeat piano intro ends[00:28]
Music shifts to a dreamy piano tune [00:31]
Dax: Welcome back to Roads Uncharted. Where we last left our party, they had just rescued a Jerboamin near the town of Ravenspire. Benny had been kidnapped by somebody thinking to sell him as a pet. A member of his brood, named Florence, had helped the party in the rescue. Florence, as thank you for helping her out, had asked the party to join her family in the celebration that she had been working so hard to prepare for when the party arrived.
Arthas. After assisting Florence and their family, you’re able to rest peacefully at the inn’s stables. Thankfully it… they had enough space and it’s actually a really clean stable. There is fresh hay and it’s actually nice and warm, considering your location in Eulela. And as you drift off and begin to dream, what do you dream about?
Neil: I imagine I’d be dreaming about, like, I’d be running the events of the day through my head and just sort of like centering myself a little bit?
Dax: Anything in particular that you think comes to mind? In either you reliving your dreams or exaggerate, I guess? Because sometimes we exaggerate in our dreams.
Neil: I’d probably be thinking about the Jerboamin being, like, trying to wonder why they’re so small?
Dax: Yeah, I guess compared to an 11-foot tall Giant-Kin, they must seem pretty tiny.
Neil: Yeah, like, are they okay? Who did this to them? Am I going to have to figure that out soon?
Dax: As you’re experiencing these dreams, there comes a point where things start to get a little fuzzy. A little blurry. You start to see that the imagery around you almost starts to fade into black. Everything goes dark with the exception of yourself, which you can see as if you were standing outside your body. There appears to be a single light that shines down from somewhere, illuminating you. And it’s very cold. You can feel this sort of moistness, this cold moistness on your skin. You watch as fog starts to envelop around you. It starts to get a little lighter, a little greyer. And not so much dark, harsh black. You hear a voice emerge from the fog.
Dax (as the fog voice): Ah! Arthas. Champion of Offam, Triumphant of Azarra, and Blessed of Gnodda. We finally meet.
Neil: So, I’m having an out of body experience, correct?
Dax: Well, you were dreaming. So…have you ever had a, a dream where you actually see yourself doing stuff?
Neil: Me? Not really. Arthas, maybe?
Dax: Who knows? [laughs]
Neil: I feel like I would maybe try and turn around to see if I can see myself?
Dax: Okay. I will say that you watch as this Arthas that you’re watching turns and looks around, but you don’t see anything. You don’t see the source of this voice and you don’t see another you.
Neil: Okay, alright.
Dax (as the fog voice): Uh, you’re going to have to look down here.
Neil: I look down there.
Dax: Suddenly, standing in front of you as you look down now is what appears to be a short human. However, this human has elongated ears and a pair of horns and goat feet with hairy legs.
Neil: Are they being uppity?
Dax: They’re standing there with a smile.
Neil: Alright. I’ve handled a ton of goats before, I know exactly how to take care of this if it goes south.
Dax (as the satyr): There. You know, looking at me like I’m your next meal is not the best way to start off this conversation.
Neil (as Arthas): Okay. More words than I thought would come from you.
Dax (as the satyr): Why is that?
Neil (as Arthas): Great question. Where am I?
Dax (as the satyr): Well you’re, you’re in your dream. Where else would you be?
Neil (as Arthas): Also a good point. Who are you?
Dax (as the satyr): You mean you don’t recognize me?
Neil (as Arthas): Mmmmm, no.
Dax: At this, the half goat person kind of puffs their chest a little bit and lifts their chin almost defiantly and says,
Dax (as the satyr): I am Vuldarin. The God of Luck? The Bringer of Chance? You can’t tell me you’ve never heard of me.
Neil: I narrow my eyes a little bit and do my absolute best to wrack my, to wrack my brain on this man…goat… person?
Dax: Arthas, give me a Lore check please.
Neil: Lore check.
Dax: You can make that at Easy difficulty, so one purple.
[dice rolls]
Neil: That’s a Failure.
Dax: Just a single Failure is left?
Neil: One single Failure.
Dax: Okay. Yeah, uh, the name doesn’t ring a bell.
Neil: And they had said my full name, right?
Dax: Your full name and all of the titles you have accumulated so far.
Neil: So clearly I must have met them before. Time to save face.
Dax: And how do you do that?
Neil (as Arthas): Was there a bar I saw you in?
Dax: At this point, this almost blank look comes over their face and you watch as their eyes kind of go to the left and right just a little bit, like they’re thinking. And then you hear,
[Dax brays like a goat]
Dax: And they start laughing. It becomes this raucous laughter that starts to echo in this foggy abyss that you find yourself in. After a couple moments, they start to slap one of their knees and they go,
Dax (as Vuldarin): Oh! Man, they didn’t tell me you had a sense of humor Arthas. Nah, we’ve never met.
Neil (as Arthas): Good.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Here, why don’t you pull up a seat?
Dax: And at that, suddenly there is a large wooden chair, a couple of pillows on it, that is actually just your size and a smaller one appears just behind this figure who calls themselves Vuldarin. And Vuldarin sits down, and waits for you to do the same.
Neil: I will take a seat.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Are you thirsty? Hungry?
Neil (as Arthas): Not particularly. I believe I am asleep.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Mmm. Good point. Do you mind if I..?
Neil (as Arthas): Go for it.
Dax: In one hand manifests a pint and in the other hand, a block of cheese. Vuldarin takes a large bite out of the cheese, takes a swig of the beer. Lets out a very large and disgusting belch and then looks at you.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Since you clearly do not remember who I am, I’ll give you a little introduction. My name is Vuldarin. I am the God of Luck, they call me the Bringer of Chance. And I have a quest for you, Arthas.
Neil (as Arthas): What kind of quest?
Dax (as Vuldarin): You’re studying to become a knight, right? [slurps]
Neil (as Arthas): Correct.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Ahhh. Perfect. You see, I, I have a lot of people that pray to me. They want good fortune, they want wealth, you know, they want harvest to be successful. They want children, I mean, whatever they choose to pray. I, I there’s some things I don’t deal with. It’s just not, it’s not luck related. You know? But there are other things where sometimes good luck can be too much and bad luck can be just enough. I have a, uh, one such person that has prayed to me recently. A mage, if you will, seeking the help of some adventurers in reclaiming his tower. Apparently the fool left on holiday and didn’t set all of his spells? I’m not entirely sure, I didn’t ask. It’s not really my business. He needs a little help. And I think you might just be the person to do it.
Neil (as Arthas): If I may, why me exactly?
Dax (as Vuldarin): Well… I’ve looked at this thing that’s in the tower and I think between your size and your battle prowess, that you’d be the perfect one to take care of it. And besides, you do a favor for me by accomplishing this, I can offer you a little luck in the future.
Neil (as Arthas): And will I remember any of this on waking?
Dax (as Vuldarin): Oh indeed. You will wake and you will know exactly where to head. See, the location of the tower is south of the town you are in now. It’s a few weeks out. But considering your size, you can get there in half the time if you hurry.
Neil (as Arthas): Well, who am I looking for exactly? Who owns the tower?
Dax (as Vuldarin): A mage named Archimedes.
Neil (as Arthas): And what magic does he perform?
Dax: Vuldarin takes another large bite of this cheese, and you can watch as the chunk of cheese kind of like, pushes out on his cheek as he’s chewing.
Dax (as Vuldarin): [imitating a full mouth] Well, you see, [gulps and swallows] transmutation.
Neil: That, hearing that makes Arthas, his brow furrows a little trying to run through his, his memory of what magic is what or what school. His one experience of magic with the Elves quite some time ago has him, uh, less than eager about magic. But a little curious.
Dax (as Vuldarin): [back to normal voice] You seem confused, Arthas.
Neil (as Arthas): And transmutation does what?
Dax: Vuldarin puts an elbow on this, on one of the armrests and leans forward.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Ever wanted to turn stone into gold?
Dax: Waggles his eyebrows.
Neil (as Arthas): Not personally, but I can see the point.
Dax (as Vuldarin): What about pulling water out of thin air?
Neil (as Arthas): I can see where it would be useful. So… I would just have to go to a tower, reclaim it, and then you and I are square?
Dax (as Vuldarin): Ah! It’s not so much squared, it’s not like you’ve offended me in the past. It’s not like I’m asking you to do this as compensation. It’s just, if you could do me this favor, and provide an answer to this mage’s prayers - just make sure you tell him Vuldarin sent you - I will bestow the gift of luck on you.
Neil (as Arthas): And, what is your icon? Something I can show to the mage to prove that I’m speaking with some authority?
Dax: A sly smile comes across Vuldarin’s face.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Hold out your hand. Whichever one you choose.
Neil: I hold out my right hand.
Dax: Your palm starts to itch and you look down and you start to notice it’s getting a little pink right in the center. And then suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a dark red, stylistic V forms on your palm. It’s not like it’s burned or anything into your skin, it just looks to be a raised mark. As if you had an allergic reaction.
Neil (as Arthas): Neat.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Show the mage that when his tower is freed and he will know that you are not lying. And with any luck, he might give you some gold.
Neil (as Arthas): Well, then I see no reason to object to any of this. I accept.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Perfect. Now, there is one catch. You can’t bring the Human and the Warforged with you.
Neil (as Arthas): Would they compromise things?
Dax (as Vuldarin): Let’s just say that this thing that is in this tower could perhaps be their demise. They don’t have your, hmm, what’s the word? Resilience to damage as you do. And besides, their legs aren’t as long. They’ll only slow you down. And furthermore,
Dax: And with that, Vuldarin hops out of the chair and spreads his arms wide, and you watch as ale sloshes out of this pint mug.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Furthermore, whoever heard of a knight that went off and did everything with assistance? Every once in a while, you got to do something by yourself.
Neil (as Arthas): I suppose, but..
Dax (as Vuldarin): But..?
Neil (as Arthas): Still, as long as nothing happens to those two while I’m gone.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Oh no no no no.
Dax: And Vuldarin kind of gives this very gracious bow, and even more ale sloshes out of the mug.
Dax (as Vuldarin): I give you my honor as a God, no harm will come to them.
Neil (as Arthas): Then, I accept.
Dax (as Vuldarin): Perfect!
Dax: The mug, the hunk, the remaining hunk of cheese, and Vuldarin’s seat all disappear.
Dax (as Vuldarin): I expect you’re going to be a little groggy in the morning, but that’s fine. Just follow your instincts, you’ll know where to go.
Dax: And with that, you jolt awake and you find yourself in the stable. You can hear the horses whinnying softly, you can hear the clunking of their hooves as they kick in their dreams. It is still very dark out. What do you do?
Neil: I look at my hand.
Dax: The mark is there, but it is nowhere near as pink. It almost, if you didn’t know to look for it, you would almost think it was a natural scar. As if it had been there for years.
Neil (as Arthas): Well, it’s convincing at least.
Neil: I guess I’m going to sit up and try to get a read on what time it is.
Dax: Sure. Give me an Adventuring check. Give it to me at Easy difficulty again.
[dice rolls]
Neil: One Success and one Advantage.
Dax: You sit up, you look around. You notice that in the buildings around you, lights are off. You can hear, the streets are pretty darn quiet. You look kind of out towards what little bit of sky you can see and it does seem to be kind of like a navy blue color with some stars. So I mean, we’re probably talking really early morning, maybe four or five o’clock. Probably closer to four.
Neil: I’m going to make myself vertical, get my bag, my weapon, and probably try and track down a piece of paper and a piece of charcoal.
Music shifts to a dramatic nordic tune [16:41]
Dax: I will say, as you’re, you’re looking, you do notice that you, over the scent of hay and horses, you can smell fresh bread coming from the inn nearby. So perhaps somebody is awake.
Neil: I will poke my head in. Is this the same inn that the party is staying at?
Dax: Mhmm.
Neil: Alright, fantastic.
Dax: Yeah, there wasn’t enough space in Tails and Tufts for you to stay with the Jerboamin brood, so. [chuckles] You, you open the door to poke your head in and the little bell jingles above your head. The scent of bread is much stronger and you can actually now also smell bacon frying. A voice rings out,
Dax (as the innkeeper): [higher pitched femme tone] Just, just a minute!
Dax: Out walks the innkeeper, a young blonde girl with bright, large emerald eyes, walking over. You can see that there’s some grease splatter on the apron she’s wearing. She’s got a rag, wiping her hands with it.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Oh! Arthas! What can I do for you?
Neil (as Arthas): I need a piece of paper please.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Sure! Do you, do you need like a pen and ink? Do you need charcoal? Do you need any writing implements at all?
Neil: I hold up a little chunk of charcoal out of, that I retrieved from my pocket.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Oh, okay! Yeah, give me just a second.
Dax: She goes into a side room and comes out shortly with a couple of sheaves of parchment and sets it down on the bartop for you.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Do you want some breakfast while you’re up?
Neil (as Arthas): That would be beautiful. Thank you.
Dax (as the innkeeper): You’re welcome!
Dax: She heads back into the kitchen. And what does this note say?
Neil (as Arthas): [writing the note] Dear Eight, had dream. God told me to go to a tower and sort a thing out. Sounds weird now that it is coming out of my mouth and onto this page, but I don’t really have a charcoal eraser. Please keep everything safe. Be back soon. Question mark. I will see the two of you in two weeks south of Ravenspire, near the big rock.
Neil: Then I’ll flip the page over.
Neil (as Arthas): [writing note] Love, Arthas Boston Wapon Dynevy Marston Thurlow Lilford, Champion of Offam. Triumphant of Azarra.
Dax: As you’re writing out your very long name, with all its titles, the innkeeper does come out. She comes out with a large hunk of freshly baked bread, a couple of slabs of fried bacon, and a few hard boiled eggs.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Is there anything else I can get for you? Do you want something to drink? I don’t know if you drink ale this early in the morning.
Neil (as Arthas): I should be alright, thank you.
Dax (as the innkeeper): Hmmm. Of course, just let me know if you need anything.
Neil: With that, I’ll probably pay the.. pay for breakfast and my stay and go find a place to put that letter.
Dax: So you have a couple of options. You could leave it with the innkeeper for delivery. You know where Rou and subsequently Eight, because Eight usually sleeps in the closet. Sleeps, quote-unquote, in the closet. You could slip it under Rou’s door. You could also post it on, they’ve got this big bounty board near the door to the inn and there’s a couple of open spaces. So you could pin it there too. So it’s just a matter of what is your preference?
Neil: I’ll probably pin it there, and use one of my sheets of paper, pin next to it “Eight, read me” with an arrow pointing at that piece of paper.
Dax: Perfect.
Neil: And then I’m off.
Dax: You leave the town of Ravenspire. As you hit the edge of town, the lamp lights start to dim. You can see the sun is starting to just poke the edges of its rays over the horizon. Do you casually walk or do you start at a jog once you’re clear of the city?
Neil: I’d probably start at a jog once I’m clear, just to, I think my mindset is trying to get the quest done as quickly as possible.
Dax: Yeah. You know exactly what your heading is, you know it is due south of the city you’re in. You know that that big rock that you referenced is just outside the outskirts of the city where the mage has his tower. So you know it will be a really recognizable landmark. It won’t be hard for Rou and Eight to find you. And as you head off into the distance, you kind of feel this weightlessness take over you. You feel like your feet almost barely touch the ground. It’s almost as if luck is speeding your way. And that is where we will end this session.
Neil: Neat.
Music fades out [22:01]
Dax: Thanks for listening! We hope you’ll join us next time but in the interim, follow us on Twitter @RoadsUncharted.
The “Roads Uncharted” podcast is GMed and produced by Dax, who you can find on Twitter @GM_Dax. We use the Genesys RPG system published by Fantasy Flight Games, and music licensed by Epidemic Sound.
Arthas, Champion of Offam, is played by Neil.
Eight is played by Wren, who also composed the music for our opening theme. Follow them on Twitter @ThornyDryad.
Rou is played by Kappa, and you can follow him on Twitter @TheKappaChris.