After a long day of travel, Rou and Eight meet someone named Shepherd. They quickly find that Shepherd has some unusual manners.
Rou and Eight find a letter left by Arthas and begin their journey south. As they set up camp after a long day of travel, they ponder whether or not the “quest” Arthas has taken on is real. During their discussion, they hear a disturbance in the brush. Hidden in the foliage is a human, named Shepherd.
Rou and Eight ask Shepherd to join them for supper, and learn that he has been in search of someone named Hunter. His friend has been missing for quite some time, and he has no idea where Hunter went. It doesn’t take much before Eight and Rou decide they should help.
Follow Dax @GM_Dax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Wren @ThornyDryad and Gaynor @gaynorcott
Transcript by CJ Kallevig
Upbeat piano intro ends[00:27]
Gentle piano music fades in [00:28]
Dax: Rou and Eight, you have been traveling south of Ravenspire for, it’s been a little over a day. You had a wonderful party with Florence and her kin. You know, you were able to stock up and do a nice, easy, relaxing journey. The road you have been following has slowly disappeared as it’s been overtaken by nature due to disuse. But you know as long as you head south, you’re good. The reason why you know you have to head south is because yesterday morning, you, well Rou, you woke up. Eight, you headed down to the dining area to find that the innkeeper had had a note to you from Arthas that essentially said that he received a vision last night and he has to go complete some sort of trial? But he would meet you south of Ravenspire in a few weeks. And I mean, he’s eleven foot tall. It does not take that long for him to travel far if he needs to. You already know this. So, you already were kind of headed that way anyway.
You’ve been travelling south, it’s been pretty fair weather. Things have been sunny, the last day has actually been relatively pleasant. After a long day of travel, it is now dark and you’ve been setting up camp. How have the two of you been splitting up your duties without Arthas nearby?
Kappa: Well, I’m doing my best to just set up my own sleeping quarters. Gathering firewood for Eight to light with the, the magic and arcane prowess. I’m also filling the time with conversation.
Kappa (as Rou): What do you think this trial is? Like, is it an actual trial, or did Arthas just have another dream and believe that it was a trial that he had to take on?
Wren (as Eight): I cannot say for certain. This would be the first time Arthas has shared the fact that they had a vision. I would not be surprised if he had similar visions on prior occasions but, we’ve been so busy that I suppose he just did not feel he had the time to act on them. In most stories, true knights have visions of quests that come to them. Usually given in the form of dreams from beautiful maidens, I believe. Do you suppose Arthas saw a beautiful maiden?
Kappa (as Rou): Perhaps. I wouldn’t put it past Arthas. I’m a little skeptical about this whole quest… vision… assignment. Just, the concept in general. Like, I could have a dream and decide, ‘oh let’s let’s go to the ocean and pick marshmallows out of the sea’. That could be a quest vision, right?
Wren (as Eight): Uhhh.
Kappa (as Rou): There’s no, there’s no message that says ‘this is a quest’.
Wren: I regard you with a quirk of my eyebrow as I’m stooped over the campfire. Basically stoking the flames to make a real simple meal for us.
Wren (as Eight): I suppose so. I cannot say I’d ever considered the mythical importance of marshmallows in any time prior to now, but I suppose if they were just -
Kappa (as Rou): Not important.
Wren (as Eight): Well, if they were randomly in the sea, I suppose that makes them something a little more special.
Kappa (as Rou): I, I guess. Sure.
Wren (as Eight): Arthas is quite devoted to the idea of becoming a chivalrous knight. And, I suppose I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this.
Kappa (as Rou): Mhmm. Mhmm.
Wren (as Eight): He’s never broken his word, so I expect that we will find him at the appointed place, at the appointed time. Unless something untoward happened to him.
Kappa (as Rou): Maybe I might ask him why he believed it was a quest and not just a random dream.
Wren (as Eight): Have you ever had any bizarre dreams, Rou?
Kappa (as Rou): Most dreams are bizarre. They defy the natural logic of the world.
Wren (as Eight): How so?
Kappa (as Rou): Like, you, like say I’m in a library. Like, say I was in Kidohlva.
Wren (as Eight): You were in Kidohlva.
Kappa (as Rou): And, I was! I was, yes. We were. I had a great time. And, and so I walk out the door and then all of a sudden I’m back in Baukora.
Wren (as Eight): Like an instantaneous teleportation.
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, yes. But it wasn’t as if I was surprised. I almost expected it. It was only after the dream that I feel ‘oh, that was weird, that was not’. This dream logic. One day, I’d like to try and simulate a dream for you.
Wren (as Eight): I would like that very much. The closest I’ve ever come was the time that we had the vision in the library.
Kappa (as Rou): I feel like, yes, it’s very much like that but, it’s a surprise.
Wren (as Eight): Hmmm.
Kappa (as Rou): And there’s very little meaning to be drawn out of it, as far as I’ve experienced. Anyway, I don’t doubt Arthas will be meeting us. I just… the whole idea is strange to me.
Wren (as Eight): Well it is strange.
Wren: And I’m stirring a little bit of liquid in the pot.
Wren (as Eight): My carrots are sticking to the bottom of pan.
Wren: And I just start making this scraping motion.
Dax: I’m going to interrupt you there. Shepherd. You’ve been wandering the last few hours, heading towards the edge of your territory, looking for something. And as you get closer, you start to hear the sound of voices. How do you handle this? Do you approach quietly? Do you avoid the voices? What do you do?
Gaynor: Well, um, they’re not voices I recognize? They’re not, it’s not..?
Dax: Nope.
Gaynor: Okay. I’d like to get low to the ground and, and try to approach as quietly as possible. I, I need to make sure that they’re not trying to, to get closer and get farther in. So I’d like to approach as quietly as I can. Following what Hunter has taught me to, to try and stay as low to the ground as best I can in the state I’m in.
Dax: Sure. Why don’t you go ahead and give me a Stealth check? So that’ll be one green, one yellow, and make it one purple, because the voices are involved in conversation so perhaps they’re a little distracted.
[dice rolls]
Gaynor: That is going to be two Advantages, one Failure.
Dax: Okay. So you are going to fail with style. Now, how do you think this looks for you?
Music shifts to a more upbeat piano [08:04]
Gaynor: I think I am trying to, I’m not really sure how to be quiet as I am now. It’s not as easy, so I think I’m just doing what I would normally do and hoping it works as I am just on the ground, slowly, one arm in front of the other. But I don’t have as much padding as I’m used to, so it’s just, I’m just breaking sticks left and right. Every.. it is the loudest way anybody’s ever snuck forward. And as I’m getting close, I think I have the thought of, I think I’m doing this perfectly and that Hunter would be proud. So, at the same time, I’m also like shimmying myself slightly in excitement and it’s just a bad scene.
Dax: Alright. Yeah, sure. Now, normally with Advantages, you’d get some Strain back. But you’re not missing any Strain. Would you like to use them to notice something?
Gaynor: I would love to notice something.
Dax: Okay, okay. So I’ll say as you’re shimmying close and you know, you’re obviously making a little bit of noise, you are able to get close enough to kind of get a glimpse of what these people look like. You notice that there is what appears to be a human and then there appears to be a, something that looks humanoid but is covered in like this really white, shiny armor from head to toe. Like, you can’t even see their face. You also notice that in and amongst their donkey and their packs, you happen to get a whiff of something unusual. Almost like, if you were scenting the air and you could smell campfire smoke and you could smell sweat, you also get this very, very faint hint of… not quite human. But you can’t place what the smell is.
Gaynor: Do they smell angry? Do they smell like predators?
Dax: They smell pretty harmless.
Gaynor: Then I would just like to kind of, I would like to get as close as I can to see without revealing myself. Though I don’t know how that’s going to go, so we’ll have to see.
Dax: Eight and Rou, as you’re having this conversation, you, you notice, especially when you go to take a, a break to breathe in between speaking, there are lots of cracks and sticks. Stones, the sound of stones rolling around on the ground, like bushes? The wildlife in this area is very noisy. Very noisy indeed.
Kappa (as Rou): Eight, I don’t think we’re alone.
Kappa: And I will turn towards where, the direction where the sound is coming from. It’s not coming from all over, it’s coming from a certain direction, correct?
Dax: Yeah, it seems to be coming from one direction, mhmm. How hard are you, how hard is Rou looking right now?
Kappa: Like, I turned around and if I didn’t see anything at first glance, or if I didn’t see like a deer running away or anything, I’d step a bit closer and try and peer into the darkness and rub my eyes. And are they working correctly, no they’re not, okay hold on. Okay.
Dax: Go ahead and give me a Perception check, and I’m going to give you a Boost for it.
Kappa: Ooooh.
Dax: That will be Easy difficulty. I think you get another Boost because of Eight being pretty close.
[dice rolls]
Kappa: Okay, okay. That is one Success.
Dax: You lean, you lean forward. And as you’re peering into the darkness, you happen to notice that just beyond this thin brush or thin, like, little hedgerow kind of thing, you see a human, laying there on the ground, staring up at you.
Kappa: I turn back towards Eight really quick. Finger to mouth, just,
Kappa (as Rou): Hold on, wait.
Wren: I mimic the motion with a finger as well and nod.
Kappa: Not directly at this figure, but just towards the forest in general,
Kappa (as Rou): [slightly louder, as if calling out] Uh, hello? It seems as though you’re watching us and you have not attacked us yet. There’s still time to approach and make friends, yes? We, we have food. I probably can’t finish it on my own and my friend here does not require sustenance.
Wren (as Eight): That is true.
Kappa (as Rou): [slightly louder as if calling out] So, I mean, if you’re going to attack, do it now.
Gaynor: I think there is a deep stomach rumble that comes from just beyond where you can see the eyes coming from. I think I would, I think I have not eaten in a while and I think I am now smelling food. It smells like something Hunter would have made and I am just really, so I would like to, um, I think I very, almost like a bash, like bashfully stand up. Kind of leaning on a tree a little bit, and come out kind of with my head down. Not, not saying anything but I do come out and try not to look Rou in the eyes.
Dax: So as you stand, what do Rou and Eight see?
Gaynor: A fairly young person with sort of long, bushy, has a lot of volume to it, blonde hair. Wearing horribly misfitting clothes that are worn, like just quite not right. Like, a shirt misbuttoned by three buttons but still tight, and a jacket, worn but not quite on the shoulders correctly. Everything’s there, it’s just not put on with an understanding. And bright, huge brown eyes that just look out like very watery and, they have a genuine shame to them, as if there is a real honest sadness that they haven’t snuck up on you properly. I think Shepherd is just trying not to make eye contact with Rou because, I think he is, he has realized that he has lost this game and now Rou has the upper hand. I say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): [slightly softer voice] I, um, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’ve interrupted your meal. [stammers] If we’re going to fight, I’m, I’m ready. I’m ready to go. But I, yep.
Wren: Hearing this young boy, hearing this young lad say that, I turn to Rou.
Wren (as Eight): Rou, we aren’t seriously going to fight a random stranger, are we?
Kappa: Giving a puzzled look to Eight, and then over to this new character.
Kappa (as Rou): [trying not to laugh] Did you want to fight?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Um, um, um…
Kappa (as Rou): Because I personally would rather share a meal.
Gaynor: Again, there’s that deep stomach rumble and -
Kappa (as Rou): It seems you’d rather do the same as well.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I am hungry. I am hungry, but um, this is um, this is my territory and you need to know if you come any closer, oh, oh boy. We’re, we’re gonna rassle and I’m probably gonna beat you real good.
Kappa: Looking back and forth between this person and Eight.
Kappa (as Rou): I didn’t, I don’t think we knew this was your territory. So, sorry if we’re, we’re intruding. We’re, we’re travelers, we’re adventurers and we just didn’t know what signs to look for. There was no, like, this ‘territory belongs to -’ what’s your name?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Um, um..
Wren: I interject real quick,
Wren (as Eight): Rou, this person indicated that they called themselves hungry.
Kappa (as Rou): Oh, ‘this territory belongs to Hungry’. That’s not your name, is it?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): It could be, I don’t think so. Hunter always calls me Shepherd.
Kappa (as Rou): Shepherd.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Yeah, I’m the shepherd. I, I’m… travelers? Is that like hunters? Do you hunt?
Kappa (as Rou): Well, [stammers] hunting does come in hand in hand with adventuring sometimes. But, Shepherd, it appears that we are intruding. Let us pay for, for the, this short stay here with a meal. If you’re hungry, it appears we have not engaged in combat yet. So, so usually these things start right away, it’s a snap decision. We don’t mull over whether or not we should be in combat.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Quite honestly, I um, not used to making that decision for myself. I usually, if I need to fight someone, usually I’m told like, hey, go fight ‘em. And then I go do it. But, if you don’t want to fight, I would like to sit down and eat and sleep and also I am very lonely and I will, I would like to see people.
Kappa (as Rou): Here.
Kappa: And I’ll motion to a spot next to Eight and I’ll go over to Bessie and pull out an extra bowl.
Gaynor: I think I come up and I, I kind of try and sidle up near Eight and kind of look them up and down. Trying to figure out what is going on there, what is Eight, what is the scent that I am getting off of Eight? Is it human scent? Is it…
Dax: So, you get a very distinct scent of metal and slightly soiled cloth from the blue half cape that they wear. You also get something that smells like wood, but you don’t smell flesh or blood.
Gaynor: I put a hand on Eight and I say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): You are, you’re not meat.
Wren: I am crouched in front of the fire basically, my knees kind of splayed out as I’m hunched in front of the fire. As Shepherd is approaching, I do kind of turn my body so that I’m facing towards him. So I’ve just kind of been watching you smell and then put your hand on me. And in response to your comment, I simply reply,
Wren (as Eight): Oh, yes! That’s very astute of you. I am not made of meat. I have no flesh on me.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): [stammering] That, um…like a tree. You’re like a tree.
Wren: I nod my head once very curtly and protrude my lower jaw a moment as I take in that comment.
Wren (as Eight): That would be an accurate assessment. I am composed primarily of a darkwood core and interwoven vines. That makes up the quote “meat on my bones”.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Okay. I am, uh, I’m…
Gaynor: I simply just walk over to the side and lay down, I like to lay down next to the fire as, probably a little too close to the fire to be advisable. But fully lay down, and then just kind of look around waiting. I stare at the donkey for like, too long.
Dax: Since you’re staring at the donkey, give me a Perception check. Make it Easy difficulty again, so one purple.
[dice rolls]
Gaynor: Three Advantages, one Failure.
Dax: There’s something not quite right about that donkey, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Your donkey is a threat.
Wren: I respond,
Wren (as Eight): Pardon me?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Your donkey. It, the animal that pulls the, that’s a donkey, yes?
Wren (as Eight): In a manner of speaking, yes.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): It’s a threat. You should be wary of it.
Wren (as Eight): Oh I am always aware of Bessie. Bessie has been my most stalwart traveling companion. In fact, I have known Bessie more than anyone else in my entire life, since I have departed from my original home.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Do you, do you, do you love Bessie like a, is Bessie like a friend?
Wren (as Eight): I suppose you could say Bessie is my best friend.
Gaynor: While I’m hearing that, I think I move slightly closer to Eight and I say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): It’s, it’s good to, it’s good to be next to your best friends. I appreciate that about you.
Gaynor: And I lay my head on, right next to Eight’s foot and kind of sit and go,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Food? Is there..?
Kappa (as Rou): Uh, yes! Sorry.
Kappa: This whole time I’ve been rummaging through the packets, the sacks, and various packs that we have looking for the extra bowl and hearing the conversation about Bessie.
Kappa (as Rou): [quietly to Bessie] Bessie, you wouldn’t lie to me, right? No, of course not. The only reason why I still have my arms intact is because you’ve been protecting us. [normal voice level] Uh, but yes, yes! Food is on the way, as soon as, no that’s Arthas’s bowl, it’s gigantic. Ah, here we go. Of course! Yes, sorry, it’s usually just Eight and myself and our friend Arthas traveling together. We rarely have any more, any need for extra bowls but here, here’s one. I’ll just dust it off for you. [laughs nervously]
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I think, thank you, thank you.
Gaynor: I take it and I look in it and then I look at Rou and then I look at the bowl. Then I lick the bowl.
Kappa (as Rou): Please don’t eat the bowl.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I, uh, food? And that comes from…?
Wren (as Eight): This pot!
Wren: And in response, I take my ladle and dip it into the porridge that I have and just slop some into the bowl. It’s, it’s just kind of a, half pasty broth with some carrots and some green field herbs and a little bit of wild carrot. I already said carrot, that’s like wild carrot. It’s like, and a little bit of a tuber that I pulled out of the ground, and what looks like a little bit of water logged jerky. With my other hand, I just take a quick motion and flick my wrist, and a little spoon pops out, and I grab it and I hand it to you.
Gaynor: I take the spoon and I just kind of plop it into the bowl, and then I sit down on the ground and put it in front of me and then I look at Rou and Eight. Looking at them for approval.
Wren (as Eight): To eat with.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Is it time to eat?
Wren (as Eight): Would you prefer if we all eat together? It’s, absolutely, you have been provided with suste -
Gaynor: I’m immediately full face into the bowl.
Wren (as Eight): Oh. Uh…
Kappa: And I, I have the, my own bowl in my hand and the ladle scooping into it when this happens. And I just stop to observe. [laughs]
Gaynor: It’s getting everywhere, it’s in my nose, it’s on my eyebrows. I’m eating as much as possible as quickly as possible. I would say this food is gone faster than you would logically expect for it to be able to. I finish quickly and then make a face and then spit out the spoon. Say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I do not like that part. I apologize to my new friends, this part is not my favorite.
Wren: I nod my head.
Wren (as Eight): I agree, that is not an edible portion of the meal. That was a utensil, with which we typically eat.
Wren: And I look to Rou.
Wren (as Eight): This one almost eats as fast as Arthas does.
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, yeah. If not by enthusiasm, then at least by sheer volume.
Gaynor: Tongue comes out and licks as much of my face as I can get to, while just also staring you directly in the eyes.
Kappa: Is this right around the lips?
Gaynor: No. It’s, it’s less than I expect.
Kappa (as Rou): So…
Wren (as Eight): Would you like more?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Are we hunting tomorrow?
Wren (as Eight): We, we are traveling tomorrow. I cannot speak for what you are doing.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Then, then two bowls. Yes, second bowl.
Wren (as Eight): I always make plenty.
Wren: And I’ll just dole out another lazy slap into your bowl.
Gaynor: I try to stop myself from eating it while Eight is serving it, and then do the exact same process. Put it down on the ground, wait for somebody to say that it’s okay to eat, and then immediately stick my whole face in and eat it as fast as possible.
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, I, I thought I was unconventional in campfire food eating.
Kappa: And I, as, to demonstrate, I just kind of tip the bowl to my lips and not using the spoon very much, more of it to like guide it in.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Sorry, I um..
Kappa (as Rou): You don’t, you don’t see very many people, do you?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): No, no. I see a lot of deer and squirrels, and I saw a hedgehog today. And I, um, met a falcon and I have taken down a bear and I have, uh, seen many trees and plants. One time I fell in a river.
Kappa: Still somewhat frozen at how Shepherd absolutely has not seen very many people and is reveling in being able to share in conversation,
Kappa (as Rou): Well, so you, you live out here. There’s, like out here. There’s no like base of operations, there’s no guild or anything, it’s just you in this forest?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Well, um, no. Well, yes, no. Yes.
Kappa (as Rou): Oh.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I live here and I, my territory is, it reaches from here to where the birds live but not to where the bad birds live. Then it goes over the river and there’s a big tree and the tree has rock at the bottom, and that’s my territory but not the other side of the tree. And, but I don’t live here by myself. Me and Hunter live here.
Kappa (as Rou): Hunter?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Uh-huh. My Hunter. He’s not here right now. Yeah, um, he’s busy.
Wren (as Eight): Busy hunting?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): No, because I would be with him if he was hunting. Um, unless he’s hunting something very dangerous, but what, I don’t know what would be more dangerous than very large bear? But, if it was something more dangerous than that, but maybe, but no. I think that he perhaps, trapped in a cave, or captured by wolves or something like that. Because if I’m not with him, that means something bad has happened and it’s my job to go and find him.
Kappa: Gleaning the same information.
Kappa (as Rou): Shepherd, when you came upon us, were you looking for Hunter? How long has Hunter been gone?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Um, a long time, but um, yes. A long time, and I look for Hunter, and then I get tired and fall asleep and then I look for Hunter again when I wake.
Kappa (as Rou): And this is not normal?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Uh-uh. We, we’re a team. They’re the hunter and I’m the shepherd. I bring the prey close and, and Hunter hunts them. We do everything together.
Kappa (as Rou): Dynamic Duo, if you will.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Does that mean two people who love each other very much?
Kappa (as Rou): It could.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Then yes.
Wren (as Eight): A partnership of sorts.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Hunter is my best friend and we do everything and we go hunting and every morning we wake up and the Hunter has food and the hunter gives me some food. Then we hunt and then I, um, I.. I, one day I woke up and we were not.. I was... it was going to be a good day and they were not there.
Kappa (as Rou): No no no, no sort of note, no indication that they were going to be gone for an extended period of time?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Note?
Kappa (as Rou): Like a message.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Um…
Kappa (as Rou): An indication.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): No, no whistles, no pats, no knocking or making bird noise. So no messages.
Wren: As, as Shepherd has been talking, I’ve been craned forward, agreeing with every sentence no matter how absurd it was in, in keeping with Shepherd’s appearance. And, hearing Hunter might be in danger, I lean back and I look to Rou.
Wren (as Eight): Friend Rou, Friend Shepherd’s friend Hunter might be in danger.
Kappa: I look over at Eight.
Kappa (as Rou): We have some time before we need to meet up with Arthas, right? I say, you think we could help out, if not an extensive search, then maybe along the way south?
Wren (as Eight): I agree. I think it would be beneficial for all of us if we assisted Shepherd in locating their missing Hunter. After all, that is what friends do. Help friends.
Kappa (as Rou): And we’re friends now! We shared a meal together.
Wren (as Eight): Yes! And we did not fight.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): And now that we’re friends, we can go and hunt the rabbit together. And that will cement our friendship for life. Well, we’ll have to wait because the rabbits, they are, they are busy currently, at the moment.
Kappa (as Rou): Well, yes. One hundred percent agree with that. Exactly. I just ate, I’m used to sitting after a meal.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): You should learn to eat faster. It’s better for the hunt. Eat fast, and then rest, and then you go hunt.
Gaynor: I think after Rou has said we are friends, I scooch my way over to Rou and I, I nuzzle my head up against Rou.
Kappa: Rou is very puzzled and, is not rejecting it, just, looks over at the nuzzling and, brow furrowed, almost in, not angry. Just very confused. He’s smiling.
Kappa (as Rou): Okay. Yeah, that’s fine. No, to be honest I’m quite used to it.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Do you, are you outside sleepers? Like the animals?
Kappa (as Rou): When we have to be.
Wren (as Eight): I do not sleep.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): I envy you. I, I wish I could be alert at all times. Do you, do you want, do you want to sleep in the hunter, where the hunter slept? That’s where the people sleep in the woods.
Kappa (as Rou): Oh, uh, sure! Is it, is it safer than our little setup we have here? And is there room for Bessie?
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Um, is that the suspicious donkey?
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, the suspicious donkey. It… Bessie is mechanical. Much like Eight here. Although in that, there’s really nothing extremely outstanding about Bessie other than keen friendship.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Then, uh, if you call Bessie a friend, then Bessie shall come with as long as Bessie does not make any sudden or aggressive moves, in which case I can’t promise that I won’t defend myself or you, my new best friends. Other than Hunter, who is my bestest friend.
Wren (as Eight): That’s understandable.
Gaynor: I think I just get up and start walking into the woods.
Wren: I lift a finger like I was going to say something and just watch Shepherd trot off into the bush. I furrow my brows and I turn to Rou.
Wren (as Eight): It’s quite odd, would you not say so?
Kappa: I am starting to, one, starting to pack up the stuff to follow.
Kappa (as Rou): I am inclined to believe so. Though, there’s a bit of familiarity with this Shepherd in mannerisms. I know a few folks back home that acted quite similarly. Embracing the wild, as they were.
Gaynor: I think that’s when I poke my head back out and I say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Are you coming? Are we going? Is it time to go?
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, yes! Sorry, we just need to pack up all our stuff. We don’t want to leave it here.
Gaynor: I think Shepherd, I walk back up to the camp and I turn and I just start kicking dirt onto the fire to try and put it out. Just as, just as much dirt onto that fire as I can.
[Kappa laughs]
Gaynor: And I say,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): You don’t want the fire on because if you leave the fire on, then there will be lots of fire very soon. And Hunter says that even though the fire is good, that is bad fire.
Kappa (as Rou): Yes, of course. But I usually save that for last because now I can’t see where I’m putting things… It’s okay, I can feel around. Eight, do you, you can see in the dark, right?
Wren (as Eight): I am having a little bit of trouble.
Wren: As Shepherd started kicking dirt, I just took the pot with the rest of the food and quickly lifted it up out of the way. Probably got a little dirt in there before I was able to move it out. But I’m basically left standing with this hot pot in one hand and now it’s dark.
Wren (as Eight): Um, I, my vision is about as acute as yours in the darkness, Friend Rou. That said,
Wren: I will reach down to the ground and pick up the spoon with my free hand and I would just like to cast a Utility spell with it real quick and make it light up.
[Wren makes a boink noise]
Dax: Sure. Easy difficulty.
Wren: Always with the difficulty.
Dax: Well, you know.
[dice rolls]
Wren: At least two Successes, I dropped one on the floor. And you would see my dark figure in the evening air, just take that spoon and start shaking it a little bit. Almost like I was shaking a bottle, for a brief moment, and then the very tip of the spoon just illuminates like, like a torch would. But with more of like a daylight quality to it than a campfire quality.
Gaynor: I get as close to it as possible. I walk up and immediately press my nose into the spoon to get as close to it as possible.
Wren: There’s no heat or anything, and it smells like, I would assume, a combination of the food that you ate and also your own saliva because it came out of your mouth.
Gaynor: Not, not a single worry in my eyes as I go,
Gaynor (as Shepherd): This is incredible. You must give me the spoon so I can give it to Hunter.
Wren (as Eight): While I do like to share things with my friends, I unfortunately have to decline your request because this spoon is mine.
Gaynor (as Shepherd): Alright, we will fight for it in the morning.
Wren (as Eight): Regrettable.
Gaynor: Then I, I stand by the woods waiting for them to be done, anxiously pacing back and forth until they’re ready. And then I would like to head towards the hunter’s cabin.
Kappa (as Rou): Okay, so everything’s packed up. I believe we’re ready, I believe we’re ready to go. Eight, you’ve got the pot?
Wren: As an added measure, I would probably just make a quick barrier around the smoldering embers, just to like suffocate it before leaving.
Dax: Sure. And with that, and our PSA for always douse your fires, folks. Responsible fire usage, no matter where you are. So with that PSA, we will call that episode ended and we will see what this Shepherd has in store for Rou and Eight.
Music fades out [43:01]
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.
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. Arthas, Champion of Offam is played by Neil.
Shepherd has been played by our guest, Gaynor. You can follow them on Twitter @gaynorcott.
As of 2024 please find us on BlueSky! Our Twitter links have been replaced in the hyperlinked usernames