After Arthas agrees to travel with the others, the company finishes preparations for a long trek into the blistering sands of the vast desert. While checking his traps for food, Jokul may have wound up catching a bit more than he bargained for.
Arthas learns that Jokul, Rialla and Eight are on a quest to save missing children and, as he is on his own quest to obtain knighthood, immediately agrees to help them.
The party sets off the next morning but before they do, Jokul tries to get some fresh meat for their supplies. He manages to trap a sentient creature, a Jerboamin of the canyon.
Deciding to let the Jerboamin free, the party’s kindness is rewarded with assistance from the Jerboamin and their clan.
Transcript by Dax
Upbeat piano intro music ends [00:28]
Relaxing background music begins [00:29]
Wren: I’m sitting next to the uh..the fire, my legs crossed and my hands on my knees. Just kinda sitting and staring at everyone across the fire and uh, I’m looking up at Arthas.
Wren (as Eight): Simply Arthas, where did you come from?
Neil (as Arthas): The mountain.
Wren (as Eight): The mountain?
Neil (as Arthas): Yes-
Wren (as Eight): Or a mountain?
Neil (as Arthas): Well I know there are more now.
[Cole laughs]
Neil (as Arthas): But originally, the mountain.
Wren (as Eight): The mountain.
Neil (as Arthas): Yes.
Cole (as Rialla): Do you know which direction you came from?
Neil: And Art just looks and points behind him.
Dax: Art is pointing north, by the way.
[Cole laughs]
James: That is useful to know.
Wren (as Eight): So you left the mountain to travel. I’ve never seen-
Neil (as Arthas): Well I was...pushed off.
Wren (as Eight): You..w-what?
Neil (as Arthas): The exiling cliff.
Wren (as Eight): Did you say..exiling cliff..?
Neil (as Arthas): Yes.
Cole (as Rialla): Did you do something wrong?
Neil (as Arthas): Oh! I was just very eager about one of my hobbies.
Wren (as Eight): And what hobby is that?
Neil (as Arthas): Knights.
Wren (as Eight): Knights…
Neil: And as Arthas says that, he pulls out a very - to him very small, but average-sized book all about knights.
Cole (as Rialla): Why would you be exiled for a hobby?
Neil (as Arthas): I was, as Theamin said, “very annoying”.
[James, Wren and Cole laugh]
Cole: That’s an out of character laugh. Oh, sweet-
James: I will have that laugh be in character!
Cole: God damnit!
[Neil joins the other three in laughter]
Wren (as Eight): I feel like I can relate to that.
Cole (as Rialla): But..uhm..what did you do that made you annoying?
Neil (as Arthas): Oh! Well I enjoy telling people about the things inside of this book, and I would like to be in this book. And after bringing this up to the Aerir more than once, I had to write the crime of being annoying on the stone..and then I was pushed off of the cliff.
Wren (as Eight): How far of a fall off of the cliff was it?
Neil (as Arthas): Quite far!
Cole: I start looking at him up and down, kind of scanning to see any lingering injuries? Bones that were not set correctly...
Neil: Art looks like he’s healed up pretty well, but there are definitely a lot of bruises under that tabard.
Neil (as Arthas): And on the way down I found this!
Neil: And he hefts his club.
James: Which is..heh..which is a small tree to the rest of us!
Neil: It is a...large chunk of masonry, which seems to have been chipped away a little bit by..several repeated blows to other people, with a sword sticking out of one end of it. I open my book up to start flipping through it, and find a page.
Neil (as Arthas): This one!
Neil: And he points, showing the book off with an illustration of a young man pulling a sword out of a stone.
Neil (as Arthas): That’s how he became a knight. And...I tried. Didn’t budge the first time but over time I got it out myself with the rest of it and I kinda think that counts.
Wren (as Eight): I see. So you pulled the sword in the stone, from the stone...
Neil (as Arthas): With the stone.
Wren (as Eight): Yes.
James: That’s one way of doing things.
Neil (as Arthas): Ergo, knight.
Wren (as Eight): Can’t say I’ve ever met a knight before.
Neil (as Arthas): I’ve met one. He was great.
James: I stand there scratching my chin and being like..”I ride a horse. Am I a knight? I don’t know...”
Dax: Are you thinking that to yourself?
James: Yeah, Jo-Jokul’s just kinda like...he’s got that perplexed look of like..
[Cole and Dax laughing]
Dax: If Jokul had a beard..he’d be scratching it right now.
[sound of James laughing]
James: Hmm..yeah.
Dax: But for now all of you look over and you just see Jokul for some reason like, rubbing his chin in deep thought.
[sound of Neil laughing]
Cole: Umm-
James: Poor elves, no beard for me.
Cole (as Rialla): So...are you looking to become a knight?
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely! I don’t think uhh..I don’t think this is as official as it has to be. I’m not quite sure what the rest of this is..or what the real procedure is? I just know I need a lot of titles...and a sword.
Wren (as Eight): And to do good.
Neil (as Arthas): Yes.
Cole (as Rialla): A lot of titles…
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely. Every knight has like, a billion names along with their actual name. Ergo, I need more.
Cole (as Rialla): Is that why...what was..did you add the names to your name?
Neil (as Arthas): Not all of them.
Cole (as Rialla): But a few of them. By-
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely.
Cole (as Rialla): I see. Well, did you have a uh..a destination in mind?
Neil (as Arthas): Not really, no.
Wren: I lean in, or I lean towards Rialla and Jokul. Granted I’m still sitting across the fire, but…
Wren (as Eight): [in a loudly whispered voice] My friends! This is perfect! Simply Arthas is looking for good deeds to complete. We are looking to rescue missing children. Perhaps he would accompany us, on our noble quest?
Neil: All Arthas heard was “quest”...and is immediately on board.
Wren: I certainly didn’t whisper it very quietly.
Cole (as Rialla): I think that could be helpful. I know we could use all the help that we could get.
James (as Jokul): He could certainly carry a lot of them home.
Wren (as Eight): [still in loud whispers] And you saw the way he pulped that ogres head! It would make quite sturdy defense.
Cole (as Rialla): Luckily for us it seems that uhm...we might all be travelling together since ya know..
Cole: Gestures to the open expanse.
[Cole laughs]
Cole: Of nothing but canyon and desert.
Wren (as Eight): That’s true. If we can all get out of the desert that would be perfect. I would hate to have to leave your bodies behind as you die.
Neil (as Arthas): That-
Wren (as Eight): I would give you a tasteful funeral!
[James guffaws]
Cole (as Rialla): I don’t know if I appreciate the word “tasteful” being used..to describe-
Wren (as Eight): Would you prefer I do a disrespectful one?
Cole (as Rialla): Disrespectful and respectful are different...from...“tasteful”..given, uhm..your hobbies.
Wren (as Eight): What, cooking?
Cole (as Rialla): There it is.
[James laughs louder]
James (as Jokul): Please don’t eat me.
[Wren and Cole laugh]
Wren (as Eight): Never-
James (as Jokul): Or serve me to somebody else.
[Cole laughs]
Cole (as Rialla): All I know about where we should be going is to follow the canyon. I couldn’t gleam much more than that though.
Wren (as Eight): Were you asking your...patron deity for assistance?
Cole (as Rialla): Yes.
Wren (as Eight): I see. Well, one lead is better than..no lead...so...we will follow your lead.
Cole (as Rialla): I just hope we find something...ya know.
Wren (as Eight): We-
Cole (as Rialla): Before we run out of supplies. But, we shall see! I trust her, so...
Wren (as Eight): We still have some food left. And..it might not be much but I can continue to hone my skill in creating decent food for my friends. Although with-
Cole (as Rialla): That’s-
Wren (as Eight): The addition of another large mouth, it may prove more difficult.
Cole (as Rialla): It’s much appreciated Eight, thank you. And the stew is definitely much better than your last one.
Neil: May I say that I spent my last four gold on more sausages?
Dax: Yes, that’s fine.
Neil: And may I produce these from my backpack?
Dax: So you, after loudly whisper discussing about possibly feeding another mouth you see your new-
Cole: No we’re just discussing.
[Cole laughs]
Cole: It’s not even-
Dax: Oh! You-you’re just you’re out of the whisper stage, you’re just discussing now.
Wren: We’re just talking, yes.
[Wren laughs]
[Dax and Cole start talking at the same time but Cole stops]
Cole: I figure that he heard it but not-
Dax: So you’re in the middle of a discussion about possibly figuring out food and you turn and you see this giant person reach into this...not quite appropriately sized knapsack...pulls out a long string of smoked sausages. At least thirty sausages in all.
James: That’s a lot of sausages.
Neil (as Arthas): I forgot to eat lunch.
Wren (as Eight): How many of those sausages counts as lunch?
[Cole laughs]
Neil (as Arthas): I mean...last time was like...fifty-ish?
Wren: My eyes widen, somehow. At that-
[James imitates noise of robot eyes popping out and adjusting, Wren and James laugh]
Wren (as Eight): You..must be joking.
Neil (as Arthas): No? I was hungry.
Wren (as Eight): Feeding this one will prove..excessively difficult. But I suppose I’m up for the challenge! Mother would not have approved of me letting a friend go hungry.
Neil: And Arthas is just...happy to be there.
[Cole and Wren giggle]
Cole: Such an innocent bean!
Wren (as Eight): Arthas would you mind travelling with us? As we try and find our way out of the desert?
Neil (as Arthas): Absolutely! That seems pretty, uh...or like a great idea for me too.
Cole (as Rialla): I’m sure travelling alone got lonely.
Neil (as Arthas): Oh I would just read the book.
Wren (as Eight): Books do make excellent companions. But-
Neil (as Arthas): Agreed!
Wren (as Eight): They don’t really talk...back.
Neil (as Arthas): That’s why you read it out loud.
Wren (as Eight): Interesting.
Cole (as Rialla): That’s one way-
Wren (as Eight): I usually just talk to myself.
Neil (as Arthas): Hmm.
James (as Jokul): That makes you look crazy.
Neil (as Arthas): That’s like reading out loud...minus the book!
Wren (as Eight): [sadly] I am not crazy...I am just...talkative.
Dax: You awake the next morning and the sun has not yet risen high enough that it is above the canyon wall so...it’s still for the most part dark, down where you are in the valley. But you can see that the sky is starting to lighten above you. It’s still quite cool in the shade..and..as you’re packing up, is there any particular task that you individually are taking on or...any conversations you might be having?
Cole: No. I...I can’t think of anything. I do my prayer in the morning and then-
James: Umm...
Cole: Set about cleaning up camp.
James: Given that I only trance for four hours and I’m allowed to do light activity-
Dax: Mhmm..
James: For the other four hours...and..considering our food situation...would be setting traps and checking them be considered a light activity so...Jokul’s like prowling around in the like, the dead of morning? Just-
Dax: Yeah I’d say you walking around setting snares - I mean especially since you had already set some the day before...you’d basically just be going and...checking the traps that you had reset.
James: Yeah.
Dax: So I-I would say that’s fine. So go ahead and make another survival check to see if you caught anything this time.
James: Yay!
Cole: Uhhhhh...sweat!
James: C’mon food! Cunning...so..and no difficulty dice or..one difficulty dice?
Dax: Go ahead and make it the easy difficulty.
James: Okay.
[sound of dice hitting the tray]
James: Oh right! I have one success and the....the targeting thing is cancelled by the advantage, and an advantage. So one advantage, one success.
Dax: Alright. You..manage to get a few..rabbits in a couple of your snares but...you also notice that you caught some sort of creature that you’re not familiar with. And as you are stalking up to the snare you notice that this creature is...struggling to untie the snare.
James: Untie like it’s got hands or is it just struggling against the snare?
Dax: It is actually reaching forward and messing with the ropes that are at its feet. And...when you get close it stops! And turns to look at you, and its eyes are wide.
James: Did..I catch a monkey?
[Wren laughs]
Dax (as the creature): [in a high-pitched voice] Don’t come any closer! Don’t come any closer, don’t hurt me!
Cole: Ho!...Ho! What?!
[James starts laughing]
James: Jokul’s just as confused just like, “what?”
Dax: This creature that you see is...very small. From head to tail it is about two feet long. You see that it is wearing robes that are dark mossy greens, and browns and beiges, and you see that from the...poking out from the robes is this long thin tail with a little white tuft at the end. And the head almost looks like the cross between a mouse and a squirrel..but the ears are much longer. Almost like a rabbit. And you can see as you’re staring at it and you’re inspecting this..this creature that just spoke to you, that the hands are not human hands? They are little animal paws-
James: I caught a furry-
Dax: And it’s looking up at you and it’s ey- big, black, round wide eyes and it’s starting to shake a little with fear.
Neil: Where I stand up after hearing that very small voice trying to figure out what it was.
James: You must not be a very deep sleeper..
Neil: Not really-
Cole: Oh is this in the middle of the night?
James: Well like this is during his trance hours I assume.
Dax: Yeah. So, the rest of you are sleeping, Jokul is out wandering and catching up snares so I was trying to determine would Art have been a deep-uh, light enough sleeper that he would’ve heard that? That’s why I was pausing, I was thinking...umm..so I guess that’s your call.
Neil: With all of the horrible cave gribblies that could be in the mountain, yes.
James: Yeah, fair enough.
Dax: Alright so you, Art, you hear this high-pitched squeaking..from your distance. And you hear it coming off in the direction of where you...saw Jokul heading when he left the campsite not too long ago.
Neil: I pick up my club and start going that way. That could be trouble.
Dax: It doesn’t take you long to find Jokul standing there looking over at a creature caught in one of his snares. You see the same thing that I have just described to Jokul and..and now that it sees you its ears go back and its eyes go even wider and it really is trembling.
Dax (as the creature): Don’t hurt me! Please..just let me go!
Neil (as Arthas): Oh my it can talk...
James: [laughing] Jo-Jokul’s just - I look back in.just in surprise to see Arthas there and I’m like,
James (as Jokul): I know right? It surprised me too!
Neil (as Arthas): Maybe it’s magic. Do you grant wishes?
Dax (as the creature): N..n-n-n..no?
Neil (as Arthas): Oh. Well I’m-
Dax (as the creature): Uh...sh-should I?
Neil (as Arthas): I don’t know..I’m out of options or ideas.
James (as Jokul): Well it’s not..it’s not food per se...
Neil (as Arthas): It talks! I would feel bad.
James (as Jokul): [laughing] By my definition...to my understanding cannibalism is eating sentient creatures so..
Neil (as Arthas): Hmm. I don’t know what that word means, but I’m not going to try to eat it.
James (as Jokul): If you think, you’re sentient. Or I guess..speak. So..
[James and Neil try to talk at the same time]
James (as Jokul): Stop struggling. Here, hold on.
James: And he’ll prowl forward and he’ll-
Dax: You-
James: Basically untangle the creature from his snare.
Dax: Okay so you’re gonna go forward and..untangle the creature. As you..so as you get closer the creature stops and covers its eyes with those little paws and you reach forward and you untie the snare, which is caught around an elongated hind leg. And the paws at the end of it look very similar to those that are on its arms, and it hears the..the moving of the rope and it..it peeks out from its hands and it looks down and as soon as its free it hops away. But it stops, a few feet and it turns and looks at you and says,
Dax (as the creature): You..you’re letting me go?
James (as Jokul): Yeah. I-I didn’t mean to capture you. I-I was...we were hunting for food.
Dax (as the creature): How..how..the..the two of you?
Neil (as Arthas): No-
James (as Jokul): Four of us...plus horse. I guess..five?
James: Jok-Jokul would count Maeve as a person at this point.
Dax (as the creature): Oh..uhm..you’re friendly then?
James (as Jokul): I don’t see why not.
Dax (as the creature): Uhm..where are you camped?
James (as Jokul): This way. Care to join us?
Dax (as the creature): Uhm..I’ll be right back.
Dax: And it..it hops off.
James: We have rescued a sand..monkey...thing.
Cole: Sand-
Dax: Not quite. So, it takes a few minutes..and Jokul, I imagine at this point you’re collecting the snare.
James: Yeah.
Dax: You see this little thing come hopping back, and behind it are more of its kind and they’re all dressed in similar robes and, some of them have their hoods up with their ears poking through the hoods. And, uhm, it comes up to you and it comes a little closer and it holds out a little paw-
James: Jokul will-
Dax: As if to shake a hand.
James: Yeah, Joku-Jokul will kneel down and..
Dax: So you kneel down, you accept the paw and it does a little shake and it says,
Dax (as the creature): Since you have been so kind to me, me and my people would like to..offer you something as thanks. My name is Ilham Al-Amin. I am part of the Jerboamin and uh...these are my family. My brood.
Dax: And you look behind the creature and the other Jerboamin are holding little baskets of what looks to be fruits and vegetables? Of some sort? And he says,
Dax (as Ilham): Because of your kindness we would like to share what we can as thank you.
James: I-I bow and..
James (as Jokul): Thank you! It’s an honor to...meet such..creatures as yourself. Please, follow me.
[Cole makes soft “aww” noises]
Dax: So Rialla you and Eight are cleaning-finishing up cleaning the camp and Rialla’s..I would imagine probably giving Maeve some breakfast and you turn and see Jokul and Arthas returning from down the canyon. Behind them are hopping these creatures. These two foot tall creatures that are carrying baskets of some sort. Maybe fifteen of these creatures.
Wren (as Eight): It appears Jokul has...caught something.
[James laughs]
Cole (as Rialla): I’m hesitant to...call it that but uhm..
Cole: I’m like staring..trying to..I don’t know what to do with that information!
[Cole and Wren start laughing]
James: Well-well, on the way back to camp uh..I ask the lead..Jerb-jerboaman? I’ll ask for a name, I’m like,
James (as Jokul): What may I call you?
Dax (as Ilham): Uhm..I am Ilham Al-Amin. And this is my brood. The...well...this is my brood.
[Dax and James are laughing]
Dax: And all of a sudden it starts naming off like...all the different brood members but to you it’s really gibberish. ‘Cause he starts to talk really fast and it just becomes this high-pitched [imitates mouse noise] as he’s talking.
James: Just let me introduce you to every single one of my..my kin.
Wren: [laughing] You asked!
James: Well..I-I blanked over the first one’s name and I was like “jerboamin”...like I was focusing on getting the name of the race rather than..[pauses]. I wander back into camp and find Rialla and Eight and introduce them to...
[Cole laughs]
James: I..Jokul still has that like look of confusion on his face just...
Cole: I don’t really know what I found either, but here we are!
[James laughing]
James: Like, Rialla’s known him long enough that she can read the expression of, “I-I don’t know what I’ve done”.
[Cole and Wren laughing]
Dax: So, Ilham Al-Amin walks..err hops rather..past Jokul, past Arthas and up to Rialla and Eight and its little paws are wringing together and it looks up at the two of you and says,
Dax (as Ilham): I am Ilham Al-Amin. I am of the..I’m a Jerboamin and uh..your...your companion over there...both of them, spared me. I was caught in a trap and as thanks, my brood and I would like to offer you some food. Anything that we can.
Dax: And it waves and the brood members all hop a little closer. Rialla, you and Eight now see that they are holding these flat, rounded, woven baskets and they’re full of little berries and..and uhm..some dried worms. And-
[Dax laughs]
Wren: Mmm!
Dax: Dried insects.
Wren: Mmm.
Dax: And then a couple of little..things you’re not really sure what they are. They look like potatoes? But who knows if that’s actually what they are. And they all are raising their baskets up toward you in offering.
Cole (as Rialla): Oh! This is so very kind of you but uhm...are-are you sure? We don’t..we don’t want to take...too much.
Dax (as Ilham): Kindness must be met with kindness.
Cole (as Rialla): That-
Wren (as Eight): Rialla, that would be rude to not accept such wonderful gifts.
Cole (as Rialla): Only if you’re sure.
Dax: Ilham nods. And you see his floppy ears, flop, with each nod.
Cole: Uh, I will take one of the baskets and I’ll give a very deep bow and uhm..
Cole (as Rialla): Are you uhm..are you all from..around..here?
Dax: Ilham looks around themself and you can see them...[makes sniffing noises] Sniffing the air. And they’re holding their paws close to their chest and they look up at you and say,
Dax (as Ilham): Well, this canyon is our home, yes.
Cole (as Rialla): Have you been outside of the canyon at all?
Dax (as Ilham): Sometimes. There are different clans that live out...that way.
Dax: And it..he points down the canyon towards where you have not yet been.
Cole (as Rialla): Uhm-
Dax (as Ilham): We try to stay closer in the rocks, it's safer but..sometimes we have to make the journey.
Cole (as Rialla): I see. We haven’t uhm...travelled this way before and I was sort of curious as to what we might find outside of the canyon.
Dax (as Ilham): Oh..
Dax: And it raises a paw up to its mouth, almost as if in contemplation.
Dax (as Ilham): Well...if you go that way…
Dax: And it points again towards where you have not yet been.
Dax (as Ilham): Then, that’s the desert. If you go that way…
Dax: And it points to where you came from.
Dax (as Ilham): There’s a...a oh what’s the word, what’s the word…? A uh...a confusion? Of rocks? Uhm...difficult to pass through? Tsk Uh..and at some point down that way, we don’t...we don’t go that way very often ‘cause there are people and..and big scary monsters and it-it’s much safer down this way.
Cole (as Rialla): That’s good to know. And...there’s no people headed this way?
Cole: Pointing in the direction we’ll be heading.
Dax (as Ilham): There are people. They come to the edge of the canyon...once in a while. We try to avoid them, when we see them coming. They like to...take our brood members away.
Cole (as Rialla): That’s awful.
Dax: And you see at this that his ears droop ever so slightly.
Cole (as Rialla): That’s terrible. I’m sorry...I don’t know why they would do that. You’ve been very kind to us.
Dax: One of the brood members hops up a little closer and this one is holding a basket of dried insects.
James: Maybe Maeve would be very interested in the dried bugs.
Dax: They look up at you.
Dax (as the brood member): [also in a high pitched voice] Uhm..we have had one member come back and uh...she told us that..we were being captured to be sold as...pets. I don’t know if that’s the fate of all of our brood members that get taken away but…
Cole (as Rialla): I’m glad that she made it back safely. I..I hope unharmed?
Dax: You see this one look over at Ilham, and they both droop a little bit.
Dax (as the brood member): She...she had to...chew off her foot to escape. But yes, she made it back alive.
Cole: I’m going to shuffle through one of the pouches on my side and I’m going to pull out one of the many salves that I make, it’s in a little tin can. And I’ll crouch down and I’ll hold it out to Ilham?
Dax: How..how big is this tin can?
Cole: Uhm..in my hands about..[makes gesture]
James: I’m thinking like a mint-
Dax: Okay so...four inches diameter?
Wren: [chuckling] A mint container..
[Neil mutters something in the background]
Cole: Yeah.
Dax: Yeah so Ilham reaches his paws forward and takes the tin and it’s..decent sized considering how small these creatures are and he looks down at it and then looks at you.
Dax (as Ilham): What is this?
Cole (as Rialla): Uhm..it is, uhm..a healing ointment. Uhm it helps with pain..uhm..any wounds that um..one might have. And it prevents infection. I don’t have much but ah, I do make these and if you should have need of it then..at least that..you’ll be well in case anything like that happens again. Hopefully not..but..
Dax: Ilham looks down at the tin and then looks at the brood member next to him and then looks behind at the other brood members. The other broods members all put their baskets down, and you see this little array of tiny little baskets laid out in front of you. And the brood members, they all start talking and it’s this high pitched..uhm..very rodent-like sound. It’s not intelligible words, as you or I would know them. And you hear Ilham - you see Ilham chime in every once in a while. And then the other brood members leave, except for the one that had come up closer with the dried bugs. That one takes the can before heading off and Ilham turns and looks at you and says,
Dax (as Ilham): You’re lost, aren’t you?
Cole (as Rialla): [laughs gently] That obvious?
Dax (as Ilham): I will gladly lead you out of the canyon, in return for your kindness.
Cole (as Rialla): Oh we couldn’t take you away from your family.
Dax: He waves one of his paws.
Dax (as Ilham): We won’t be gone that long. It’s only a day’s journey to the end. But the end can be...difficult...if you’re not used to the terrain. You did not have to save me from the trap.
Dax: He looks at Jokul and Arthas.
Dax (as Ilham): You did not have to offer a healing salve.
Dax: He looks at you, Rialla.
Dax (as Ilham): So therefore this food is not enough. I will gladly escort you, and then make my way back to my family. If you will accept it.
Dax: And with that, he bows ever so slightly.
Neil: I just lean in and ask, any of the party members nearby,
Neil (as Arthas): Do all animals talk like this?
Wren (as Eight): I can’t say I’ve ever heard of an animal that talks, but..this is obviously something with great customs and..intelligence.
Wren: If I might, redirect for a moment? Uhm when-
Dax: Yeah?
Wren: They were discussing that their people were being kidnapped, to be sold as pets..
Dax: Ah-huh.
Wren: My eyes go from violet to red hearing that. And I step close behind Rialla and kind of lean in and-and I..I kinda actually whisper to her, because I can whisper I just normally don’t.
Wren (as Eight): Perhaps we should track down these people and make them pay for hurting these creatures.
Neil (as Arthas): I agree.
Cole (as Rialla): We can certainly try.
Wren (as Eight): No creature deserves a life of servitude.
Cole (as Rialla): I agree.
Cole: After Ilham makes that..uh that offer I kind of look to my party members to see what they think.
Wren: I nod in agreement.
James: Mhmm.
Dax: Eight are your eyes still red at this point?
Wren: Uh, after I make that statement and calm down a little bit they turn back to the usual color.
Dax: Okay.
Neil (as Arthas): I’m on board.
James (as Jokul): It’s certainly something that we can do.
Cole: Oh I was looking for...uhm..what your thoughts were on Ilham escorting us.
James (as Jokul): She-she’s a..native of the desert area and knows clearly how to grow food and supplies out here so..I imagine her expertise to be invaluable.
Cole: I’ll-
Dax: Ilham looks up at you Jokul and-and says,
Dax (as Ilham): Well, to be fair I’m..I am of the male persuasion. Uhm...
James (as Jokul): Sorry!
Dax (as Ilham): But-
Cole: Yoinks!
Dax (as Ilham): Just going forward...if you don’t mind.
Dax: And his ears twitch just a little bit.
Cole (as Rialla): Well, if it’s only a day’s journey then..uhm...we would much appreciate the assistance. And, thank you so much for offering and..for the food as well.
Dax: Ilham nods his head and then gestures at the baskets.
Dax (as Ilham): Well, eat up. I’m going to uh..go grab some quick supplies. I’ll be back by the time you’re done.
Dax: And you see him hop away.
Wren (as Eight): Well friends, we have baskets of…[clears throat]...insects to eat. Would-
Cole (as Rialla): We also have berries though!
Wren (as Eight): Shall I grind them up into nutritious paste for you?
Cole (as Rialla): Uhm..no I think they should be fine..as is. Uhm..do you think Bessie would like the..dried insects?
Wren (as Eight): Bessie does not eat.
Cole: [out of the side of their mouth] It was worth a shot.
[Cole laughs]
Wren (as Eight): But we-we might be able to store them on her person.
Wren: I just pull out a..a little satchel and dump the contents of the bugs in there.
Cole: Do horses eat..bugs? What eats bugs?
Wren: Well..I-
James: I-
Wren: Well, we will. Er, you will. When you don’t expect it. And I..
[James snickers]
Wren: I tie them..tie the bag with the bugs in it on Bessie’s side, near some of the other foodstuffs that I have there. And uh..I use some quick magic to finish cleaning up the pots and bowls from the night before and stow those back where they need to be.
Cole: Yeah we’ll finish..um..packing away camp and..I’ll definitely save the berries more for later. Make them last a little bit longer.
Dax: What about Jokul and Art? What are the two of you doing while..Eight and Rialla are parsing out the food?
James: Just...checking my other snares and...seeing if Maeve likes the dried bugs..to make sure she’s being fed as well. That sorta stuff.
Neil: Considering eating a handful of the bugs to see how it is. And if they are different from mountain bugs.
Dax: They don’t taste much different, they still have that crunch and that...because these are sizable desert bugs they do have that weird chalky flavor to them. Once you get through that initial crunch. But they don’t taste terrible!
Neil: And they’re not poisonous, my favorite!
Dax: Very important distinction yes.
James: I was gonna say.
Neil: Well I’m content.
Wren (as Eight): Well, Simply Arthas. You do not appear to have problems eating much anything, do you?
Neil (as Arthas): Oh gosh, no! It reminds me of home.
Wren: I smile so wide right now, and I look at Rialla and I say,
Wren (as Eight): I am going to like feeding this one.
[Cole laughs]
Cole: Rialla will chuckle and shake her head before finishing tying things on..I don’t know..Maeve’s saddlebags and finishing-
James: Just wherever things are stowed.
Cole: Yeah, wherever they go. I would know..Cole doesn’t know. Rialla would.
Dax: So it doesn’t take you long to finish cleaning up camp and you nibbled on your foodstuffs or what foodstuffs you were willing to nibble on now and the rest you kinda packed away. Perhaps hoping that once Ilham is no longer in the picture you can dispose of what you don’t want to eat.
Wren: Not gonna happen.
[Dax snickers]
James: Gonna eat all the strange bugs..
Dax: The little Jerboamin returns and this time..uhm, his hood is up and you can see his ears are poking through holes in the hood and he’s got a little staff with him that he isn’t really using but he’s got it. And when he stops short of your camp he sets the staff down and he looks at you and says,
Dax (as Ilham): Are we ready?
Cole (as Rialla): I think so. We’ve finished packing away camp.
Wren: I grab Bessie’s reins.
James: I grab Maeve’s reins.
Neil: I pick up the cart.
Cole: And then Arthas just picks up Maeve and Bessie and off we go!
James: Away!
[everyone laughs]
Wren: Come Bessie.
Dax: Ilham starts to head down the canyon. And he leads you through most of the day over rocky turns and little short drops. The one large drop that you come to..he stops short. And he looks to his left and right. And then he turns to look at all of you and he sets his staff down on the ground and leans on it a little bit. He looks up at you and he says,
Dax (as Ilham): I uhm..forgot about something.
Wren (as Eight): Is there a problem?
Dax: He looks down, behind him, over the side of the wall.
Dax (as Ilham): There’s an easy way for us Jerboamin to get around this drop. Are you all able to make it?
James: How big of a drop are we lookin at?
Wren: I look over. How steep, yeah?
Dax: So, Eight and Jokul you two walk closer to the edge where Ilham is standing, and you look over the edge and you see that this drop is probably a good fifteen feet. Uh it’s..pretty steep.
James: [laughing] That’s one step for Arthas now? Just like “oh no! Some..three feet shorter.”
Neil: Yeah it’s like-
Cole: So what we should do is send Arthas down first, and then Arthas can just reach up…
James: Yeah.
Cole: And then it’s a two foot drop! Into Arthas’ big arms..which are big enough, and perfect for hugging.
[James giggles]
Wren: Hm..
Cole: Yes?
James: Yeah!
Neil (as Arthas): I’ve thrown myself down steeper cliffs.
Wren: [laughing] I think-
James (as Jokul): You don’t have to throw yourself..you can walk.
Wren: I believe that would be a..a..it sounds like a positive on that plan.
Neil: Arthas just gets to the edge and starts making his way down. I do.
Dax: Okay. So, Art you walk over the edge kind of go “Pfft..” You sit down on the edge of the cliff, drop and you kind of just do that little butt hop that you can do when you’re trying to get down something just a couple feet lower than yourself. And you turn and you look up and the edge is now only a couple feet over your head, and there stands the rest of the party members looking down at you.
Neil (as Arthas): I’m ready!
Dax: So whoever would like to go first may do so.
Wren (as Eight): Ladies first.
[Cole makes an uncomfortable groan]
Cole: Umm..
[Wren snickers]
Cole: Rialla will just like nod to herself and like peek over the edge and like,
Cole (as Rialla): Ohh..shit.
Cole: And uh..I’ll attempt to..well I don’t know what I’m doing. How close is Arthas? Am I like..I’ll start to like climb down and-
Dax: Yeah, well I’ll say you don’t have to make a check for this-
Cole: Okay.
Dax: ‘Cause you literally would just be sitting on the edge and Arthas could reach up and..
Cole: Grab me?!
Dax: Help you down..yeah.
Cole: [laughing] Okay, cool.
Neil: I do so. Pick them up, set them down next to me.
Cole: Rialla is tense. Does not like heights.
Neil: That’s fair..
Dax: It doesn’t take long for you to sort yourselves out and get everybody down off the drop. And Ilham just stands there and watches as this happens and then says,
Dax (as Ilham): Hm. Well that’s something you don’t see every day.
Dax: He turns and he hops along one of the rocky edges that lead on the side of the cliff. Small enough to make like a little walkway for Jerboamin but..way too small for any of you to have used. Once he gets to the bottom of the...walkway and he turns and sees the rest of you and he’s like,
Dax (as Ilham): Well! We better get going it’s only..
Dax: He looks up at the sky. And by now the sky is..the sun is over the canyon walls and it’s almost at its zenith for the day.
[Wren makes a disgusted noise]
Dax (as Ilham): Well, we’re about mid-day it’s..it’s time to keep going.
Wren: As we’re walking, uhm, I start pulling bugs out of the bag and like, trying to f- pass them off to people as food.
Wren (as Eight): You must keep up your strength! Here..
Dax: Like popcorn and mixed nuts?
James: Heh just..eat the food!
Wren: Yeah…”here”..”here”..and like...pushing it towards everyone in turn.
Cole: I pointedly grab a bag of the..the little thing of berries that I’ve separated and I just say,
Cole (as Rialla): I think I’m okay. I-I’ll snack on these instead.
Wren (as Eight): Mm...
Neil: I inhale that thing.
Cole: Eats the bugs.
James: Just inhale those bugs-
Wren: All the bugs.
[James laughs]
Dax: This gets to the point where Eight probably just gives Arthas the bag of bugs and be like “here”.
Neil: I’m kinda just goin’ to town.
Wren: I’ll figure out a way to make you guys eat those bugs I swear..
Cole: Terrible.
James: I mean I assume that these bugs are like the..the uhm..locusts. Or like grasshopper things so..
Dax: Yeah.
Neil: That’s kinda what I thought.
Dax: Yeah.
Cole: Isn’t that a delicacy somewhere?
Wren: Probably.
Dax: In a lot of places.
James: In Mexico I think they’re common.
Dax: So the rest of the day passes without issue and even though the shadows are getting longer in the canyon because the sun isn’t directly overhead, it’s still bright enough out that you can tell evening has not yet come upon you. And soon you start to see that the rock wall is getting shorter, and shorter, and the sparse vegetation of the canyon has become...even less frequent. And before you know it you’re at the edge of the canyon and out ahead of you, Rialla you see a sea of sand dunes. Just like it was in your vision. And Ilham turns to you and says,
Dax (as Ilham): Well, that’s...that’s...that’s the end of the canyon. Uhm..
Dax: And he starts to look around and he’s very alert and nervous. You can tell because he’s starting to move very jittery and he’s constantly looking everywhere but at you.
Dax (as Ilham): I wish you luck on your journey. And I hope that you find...yourselves not lost next time.
Cole (as Rialla): We...hope for the same. And..thank you so much for helping us. We appreciate it.
Neil: Before-
James (as Jokul): Indeed.
Cole: And I’ll give a very polite, deep bow.
Neil: Before he goes, I speak up.
Neil (as Arthas): What do the people who were capturing you guys, what do they look like?
Dax: Ilham rubs his little hands together and turns and looks around and says,
Dax (as Ilham): Uhm..I’ve never seen them..up close. I know that they wear..they wear robes? And they have large..large beasts with long necks and...weird looking backs. And they spit. But whenever they start to come over the horizon we usually run and hide.
Cole (as Rialla): Is anyone else from your family missing?
Dax (as Ilham): The last one captured, was the one that got away...with some struggle. Everyone else..have been missing for a few years now.
Cole (as Rialla): I see.
Wren (as Eight): If we run into these strangers, we’ll see what we can do to help your people.
Dax: Ilham turns to you, Eight, and gives a very deep bow.
Dax (as Ilham): Thank you.
Cole: I’ll hold out my hand and just say,
Cole (as Rialla): It was very nice to meet you.
Dax: He reaches out a paw and puts...puts it in your hand and this little paw fits perfectly well in your petite hands, Rialla.
Cole: I give a very gentle squeeze.
Dax: Once the squeeze is done he removes his paw and turns to all of you and says,
Dax (as Ilham): May the gods watch over you.
Dax: And he turns and he hops away.
Wren (as Eight): We have an endless expanse of...sand...in front of us...shall we?
James (as Jokul): Just don’t get too much sand in your...gears..
Wren (as Eight): Oh no..I’m about due for a tune up. [sighs]
Cole (as Rialla): Should we do that tonight at camp?
Wren: I flex my arms a little bit, you can hear them grinding a little bit.
Wren (as Eight): Probably be for the best..
Dax: You have been left by Ilham and you are now alone at the edge of the canyon and ahead of you is a sea of sand dunes. You look back and Maeve is kicking at dirt and Bessie is standing there still attached to the cart.
Wren (as Eight): I suppose we defer to you, Rialla. You had a good idea of where we were headed? Or, an idea-
Cole (as Rialla): Sort of.
Cole: I’m going to follow my instincts and...kind of remember that vision and just kind of...start walking. And allow, if I feel guided in any sort of direction, I’m just gonna follow that.
Dax: Alright. Why don’t you roll me...a divine check. Just straight divine.
Cole: Three successes and one advantage.
Dax: So.. [giggles]..you start walking out onto the sand and you..you start out very slow, very tentative. You feel the sand starting to give way under your feet with each step. It’s not that sturdy rock that you’ve been walking the last few weeks, and you look out and you see nothing. Absolutely nothing but the sand, billowing in the wind, as it crests the top of the dunes. But yet, even in the heavy, heavy heat, of the desert air you feel..a coolness touch your right hand. As if fingers were entwining with yours. And you feel another coolness reaching around your right arm, and this feeling as if somebody were tugging you. Your arm doesn’t move when you look at it, but you still feel that tugging towards the right. And you look out to the right and you see the wall of the canyon expanding beyond you. And you still see desert, you see nothingness, but something is telling you to go right, to go to the north.
Cole: Then that’s the way I start walking. And-
Dax: The rest of you-
Cole: As I start walking I take my holy symbol and give it a kiss. [makes a quick kiss noise]
Dax: The rest of you just see Rialla walk out into the desert, stand there for a moment and then she just, with determination she walks to the right.
Neil: I follow along.
James: Rialla’s got a vision-
Wren: Right behind him.
Wren (as Eight): Bessie and I will be a little slow, but we’re right behind you!
Calm piano continues during the outro [44:52]
Dax: Thanks for tuning in to Roads Uncharted. We hope you’ll join us next time!