[0.0s] Thanks for being here with us, friends.
[1.8s] Dumbgeons and Dragons will start in just a moment.
[7.9s] Alydin is sitting, yeah, I'm starting with you.
[12.0s] We got to capitalize on this, on this energy here.
[16.1s] In fact, it's just all you.
[17.3s] So like everybody just sit back and watch the show.
[20.1s] Sorry about your voice.
[24.5s] Alydin sits in her room, the comforting scent of home cooked food, wafting from below.
[33.9s] Everything feels warm and familiar and safe.
[42.5s] I'm like, I got to get the fuck out of here.
[44.6s] But the longer you stay there, the more something does feel off.
[54.6s] The paintings on the walls seem slightly blurred at the edges.
[59.3s] The music box plays a song from the dresser that you feel like you should recognize,
[68.3s] but you don't.
[69.2s] And when you look down at your hands, you can't quite recall the last time you felt the mood.
[80.2s] What?
[81.7s] It's like Ricky Bobby.
[82.7s] I don't know what to do with my hands.
[85.0s] I was thinking about like AI and how the hands are always like weird.
[90.8s] Am I turning into a doll?
[92.7s] Can I roll insight?
[95.0s] Do I insight that?
[96.2s] Do I fucking investigate my hands?
[98.5s] I want to move my hands.
[100.5s] Yeah, you lift your hands.
[101.3s] I want to Taylor Swift shake it off.
[104.5s] You lift your hands and it's more of a feeling of you don't know how long you've
[109.5s] a been in this room at this point.
[112.8s] And the hands is more how long you've been seated in this position.
[119.8s] Like you lift your hands, you can move them and you can feel them and you can
[125.6s] you can you touch the bed around you and everything feels real.
[134.7s] You hear murmured conversation coming from the floor below and you listen
[142.6s] as intently as you can.
[144.4s] But it all is it's all it sounds like is just like person next door kind of
[151.8s] kind of talking to Charlie Brown.
[153.7s] Yeah, you can't make out any you can't make out what they're talking about.
[158.0s] But there are the two voices of your your parents downstairs.
[165.4s] My parents.
[169.2s] Dumbgeons and Dragons is a D&D actual play podcast and I'm your dungeon master,
[174.0s] Russ More, he him.
[175.5s] Also with me today is Amy More as Alydin, she her.
[179.0s] I kind of want to see if I got roof access.
[181.0s] Carla Maxted as Bonwyn Everbane, she her.
[183.9s] I have no experience with disappearing.
[185.8s] That's bizarre.
[187.0s] Tom Laird is Kavlaran Goldweave, he him.
[189.7s] We'll save the community center.
[191.8s] And Kyle Claset is Bizard the Wizard, he him.
[195.1s] And I began leading us forward in a waltz like dance that I learned at my school.
[200.2s] Dumbgeons and Dragons is a Patreon supported podcast and it wouldn't be around if it
[205.0s] wasn't for fine patrons just like you.
[208.2s] Well, you can sign up today at patreon.com slash dumb dragon cast.
[211.8s] Get a seven day free trial and access to a whole bunch of additional adventures
[216.4s] that are ready and waiting for you.
[218.3s] And now fuck it.
[219.8s] Let's play.
[222.2s] Oh, God, I can't remember.
[224.6s] Do I have my bucket?
[226.6s] You have your bucket.
[227.4s] Okay.
[227.7s] Yeah.
[228.6s] So yeah, in the room, there are a couple paintings on the wall.
[232.2s] There's a dresser with a music box on top.
[234.6s] That's just playing.
[235.9s] That is just playing a song.
[237.9s] I have not wound this thing.
[240.9s] Not that you recall.
[241.8s] It's just playing.
[243.9s] Cool.
[244.1s] Yeah.
[244.6s] Yeah.
[244.8s] There's nothing ominous about that.
[246.0s] That's fine.
[246.7s] There's the bed you're seated on.
[250.1s] There are a couple candles lit and there is one vertical sliding window.
[260.2s] And when I look out the window, I see nothing but field, right?
[263.9s] Yeah.
[264.2s] You look out and you can see the front yard.
[266.4s] There's like a white picket fence, but beyond that fence is tall grass.
[271.8s] And that's all you can see as far out as you can see.
[276.2s] As far as my eye can see?
[277.6s] As far as your eye can see.
[279.4s] That's as far out.
[280.5s] Yeah.
[280.8s] That's all that's there.
[282.8s] I want to go in and investigate the music box.
[286.6s] Okay.
[287.3s] It's weird.
[287.9s] It's just playing and I don't remember doing it.
[290.4s] I'm rolling virtual dice.
[293.2s] Plus 14.
[295.8s] So you get off the bed and soft footsteps over to the dresser.
[302.1s] What are you doing to investigate it?
[304.1s] I want to pick it up and inspect it.
[307.0s] Look at the mechanism inside of it.
[309.3s] I like trinkets and things like that.
[312.6s] Is there a ballerina?
[313.9s] What's spinning?
[314.9s] Yeah.
[315.8s] There is a ballerina spinning on top.
[318.9s] So yeah, there's a ballerina with a pink tutu and hair done up into a high bun.
[326.0s] You pick it up and it is a carved wooden box.
[330.3s] Looks like it's a light brown in color and it's carved with...
[337.2s] It has floral patterns and as you look at it there appears to be
[344.2s] with like very intricately within those patterns there appears to be...
[350.8s] They're not characters but they look like they could be.
[359.0s] They look like something you've seen at the magic shop.
[361.8s] They look like more like runes.
[366.2s] And as far as the mechanism goes it does look like a crank mechanism.
[371.5s] But the song just keeps repeating.
[377.0s] Make an insight check.
[382.4s] Yeah, dude.
[385.6s] One and I have a plus zero.
[387.9s] So the break didn't improve rolling.
[391.4s] No.
[391.8s] No.
[392.3s] Okay.
[392.9s] Although I did well at the table.
[394.3s] You did?
[395.0s] That's true.
[395.5s] You did.
[396.3s] Do you need physical dice back?
[398.7s] I don't think that makes a difference.
[402.7s] Yeah, you look it over and...
[405.4s] Wow, this is curious and I put it back down.
[408.2s] I mean you see everything I described to you but
[411.7s] that's all you glean from it at this moment.
[414.6s] I want to go and open the window.
[418.2s] You walk over and you lift it.
[420.5s] It's a little stuck at first and you kind of lean into it and it throws open and
[425.7s] there's a cool breeze that comes pouring into the room.
[431.7s] Do you stick your head out?
[432.6s] Do you just look from inside the room?
[434.7s] Okay, there's no screen then.
[436.3s] Yes, I stick my head out.
[437.8s] Yep.
[438.5s] I kind of want to see if I got roof access.
[441.4s] Yep.
[442.0s] So yeah, you stick your head out and there is a small
[448.0s] five foot extension of roof that goes along what looks like you look to the left and right.
[454.4s] Goes along the entirety of the home.
[457.8s] You hear the wind out beyond the fence blowing the grass.
[463.4s] Beyond that, without actually going out onto the roof, that's all you can see.
[469.4s] I think I want to go out onto the roof.
[471.5s] Okay.
[473.6s] Yeah.
[474.2s] Yeah.
[475.5s] You toss a leg up.
[478.1s] It's a little higher than...
[479.5s] Just throw it right up there.
[481.3s] It's a little higher than is comfortable to reach up.
[486.6s] But yeah, you get up and you prop yourself up and out and your bucket kind of...
[492.9s] I guess, hold on, before I say that, are you trying to be sneaky about this?
[497.7s] Well, yeah, I think I'm definitely trying to be sneaky about it.
[501.0s] I'm trying to be sneaky about everything I'm doing here.
[504.5s] So just roll stealth.
[507.4s] So sneaky 18.
[508.7s] Okay.
[510.2s] Yeah, so it's a little tricky at first, but then you throw your leg up and you get
[514.7s] halfway through and then as your bucket's about to hit the wall, you reach back and grab it
[520.9s] and pull it slowly through the window with you and pull your second leg through
[526.5s] and now you're out on the roof.
[530.7s] I want to kind of scale along, not scale, I want to walk along the roof.
[540.2s] To see if I can see around the other side of the house.
[544.3s] Or if there are any other windows that I'm going to pass by.
[549.9s] You take a look left and right and the roof appears to...
[554.8s] Like it wraps around the side of the house, but as you get to either side,
[559.6s] that's where it terminates.
[561.0s] The actual roof part doesn't continue along the side.
[566.5s] Not a wraparound porch situation.
[568.2s] Not a wraparound porch.
[569.5s] So it is just extended over the front.
[572.8s] You don't pass by any other windows.
[575.1s] Your room appears to be the only one at the front of the house.
[578.9s] Looking over the roof down to the ground, it's 12 to 16 feet up.
[584.1s] So it's not a huge drop, but it is a drop.
[587.6s] Yeah, it could be a break your ankle drop.
[589.3s] Could be.
[589.9s] Yeah, with how Amy rolls, it could be a break your ankle drop.
[592.1s] Could very well be.
[592.8s] Could be a... you die.
[595.5s] Tragically.
[596.9s] You perish.
[597.5s] Tragically.
[599.5s] Okay, people fall down and die all the time, okay?
[602.3s] This could happen.
[604.0s] I go... I carefully make my way back to the window
[609.4s] and go in.
[611.1s] I want to shut the window and then...
[619.8s] You come back into the room and grumble.
[622.5s] And shut the window behind you, which...
[627.6s] I don't like being in this situation.
[630.0s] It's weird.
[631.3s] Yeah, you shut the window behind you, which does cause a small amount of noise.
[641.0s] And downstairs, you hear the low murmured conversation stop for a moment.
[649.5s] Hold your breath.
[650.7s] And then after not too long, starts back up again.
[667.5s] So the three of you, Bazaar, Kavlaran, and Bonwyn,
[670.7s] you've been pushing deeper into this forest that you've been walking down.
[675.6s] You've been walking down this pathway that had...
[678.7s] Bazaar, you found along the path,
[681.1s] and you continue to find them if you keep looking for them, that is.
[684.6s] Is like old ruins, arcane ruins,
[690.0s] that are going along the path that you've been following.
[693.9s] They're dirt covered.
[695.1s] Like the fact that you found the first one
[696.9s] and continue to find some along the way
[703.1s] is very lucky of you.
[705.8s] The three of you have been following the sound of banjo music,
[712.3s] which isn't a surprise.
[714.8s] And this seemingly endless path that you've been walking down,
[720.4s] almost to the point where maybe you stop,
[725.1s] maybe you turn back, maybe you try and find another way,
[729.1s] suddenly and abruptly stops and opens into a moonlit glade.
[735.8s] The air in this glade is thick with the scent of honey and pine,
[742.4s] and at the glade's center,
[745.4s] a weathered wooden stage stands upon a bed of mist.
[751.2s] Soft, ghostly music hums through the trees.
[756.2s] A slow, haunting waltz played on an unseen banjo.
[762.7s] The banjo waltz, of course.
[765.3s] Of course it is.
[767.1s] On the stage, five spectral children,
[771.5s] their forms flickering like candlelight dance in perfect unison.
[776.3s] Their faces are expressionless.
[780.1s] Their movements eerily stiff.
[783.3s] And the moment you step into the clearing,
[786.1s] the music surges and the children stop,
[789.8s] turning their hollow eyes towards you.
[793.0s] The music surges but does not stop.
[795.9s] The music surges but does not stop, yes.
[798.9s] Do we recognize any of the children?
[801.5s] Like, is sweet Cecil there with his lazy eye?
[805.8s] Or...
[806.3s] Cedric.
[807.0s] Cedric.
[807.6s] Oh, Cecil.
[808.7s] So close.
[809.3s] Cecil, so close.
[809.9s] I haven't even heard in a while.
[814.4s] From this distance, roll...
[818.7s] Roll an investigation.
[824.6s] Roll a squinty check.
[826.7s] Investigation.
[827.1s] I mean, I wouldn't recognize the child even if I...
[829.7s] 22.
[830.7s] He's been described to me many times in all of his unfortunate physical attributes.
[836.1s] The one with the eye that works too hard, yeah.
[838.5s] But these are hollow eyes, so you don't know.
[840.1s] That's true, that's true.
[841.2s] Are there even eyes inside those sockets?
[841.9s] Is one of the hollow eyes looking in a different direction?
[844.3s] It's 22 is what I rolled.
[846.5s] 22, yeah.
[847.7s] You take in as much as you can.
[850.5s] From where you are, these children do not look like any of the children from Winterfell.
[855.1s] Okay, so obviously, Alydin isn't there because we would recognize her.
[859.3s] And like, are...
[863.5s] Are they dressed in a way that they could be from where we are from?
[869.1s] Or is there like an anachronism in how they're dressed?
[872.7s] Or...
[875.6s] Many of them are dressed in a way that could be from the region, or at least from the same country.
[884.3s] They don't look old-timey or anything.
[886.7s] They're not in just white dressing gowns.
[888.2s] That's right, yes.
[889.3s] They look relatively modern as far as you are concerned.
[896.4s] All of the clothes look worn, but not tattered.
[900.5s] They look well used.
[902.6s] Not like they've been torn or thrown down or anything like that.
[908.2s] Okay.
[910.2s] Bazaar is going to step forward and look at his friends and be like,
[914.9s] well, I've kind of trained for something like this,
[917.1s] so I put my hands out to the side and say, just follow my lead.
[921.6s] And I begin leading us forward in a waltz-like dance that I learned at my school.
[927.0s] Oh, of course you did.
[929.2s] Yeah, you did.
[930.7s] God, we have a magical dancer with us.
[933.5s] That would be a 17 on performance.
[936.6s] Okay, 17 on performance.
[938.5s] So you begin dancing to the music.
[944.1s] The two of you behind also roll a performance for me.
[952.9s] Just to see how well you keep up with Bazaar.
[955.9s] 14.
[958.0s] That's pretty good.
[958.7s] That's a 12.
[960.1s] Well, that's not too shabby.
[962.0s] Yeah, the two of you are following in step,
[964.7s] missing the occasional one here and there.
[967.8s] Are you, Bazaar, are you dancing, moving closer to the stage,
[972.7s] or are you kind of staying in position and seeing what happens?
[976.7s] I think I'd start with staying in position,
[978.8s] and then once everyone's feeling comfortable,
[982.8s] we can, you know, move forward if we're feeling it.
[985.5s] I love this.
[986.5s] They're like, yeah.
[989.9s] In a little, just a three-person triangle as we approach,
[994.0s] but still, it's pretty good.
[1002.0s] Welcome to the middle, everybody.
[1003.1s] It's so great to have you here.
[1007.1s] We're doing it.
[1007.6s] This is how they always start,
[1008.8s] but sometimes I head it off a little bit off the top there,
[1011.8s] and then now Jess is seeing that, oh, shit, it is a train wreck.
[1014.8s] It's okay.
[1018.2s] We're going to get this train back on the track.
[1020.3s] We're probably not.
[1021.9s] Mostly self-deprecating.
[1023.9s] Competent self-deprecating is what we are.
[1028.8s] I gotta say, Jess stepped in there with a professionalism
[1031.5s] of getting it right back on the tracks.
[1033.0s] Yeah, she did.
[1033.9s] This is exactly what we need.
[1035.9s] And we just started throwing things on those tracks
[1038.3s] right in front of us.
[1039.3s] Immediately.
[1040.0s] There's a princess tied up.
[1042.8s] You gotta choose the path to one person.
[1045.0s] Exactly.
[1046.1s] The trolley problem, yeah.
[1048.4s] There is a right answer.
[1050.3s] There is a right answer.
[1051.4s] Hey, Jess is here in the middle.
[1052.7s] How come, guys?
[1053.3s] Jess is here in the middle.
[1054.5s] Welcome, Jess.
[1057.2s] You beautiful humans.
[1058.4s] What's up?
[1059.6s] We hashtag hired Jess as our new community manager.
[1062.7s] Yeah, we did.
[1064.3s] Like Carla said, manifesting really works.
[1067.0s] Really works.
[1068.3s] I think we all really made it happen.
[1070.7s] Great news.
[1071.4s] There'll be like some cool stuff happening.
[1074.3s] That isn't just the-
[1075.7s] We may have socials.
[1077.7s] We'll have like social stuff, guys.
[1079.9s] It's gonna be good.
[1080.8s] It's so exciting.
[1081.5s] Also, how did we get together five millennials
[1086.6s] who cannot internet and do not-
[1089.6s] We know.
[1090.1s] Like, what were the odds?
[1092.5s] What do you mean we can't internet?
[1094.0s] Well, I mean-
[1094.6s] Well, we can't social.
[1095.9s] We're not doing good on social.
[1097.4s] Here, we can't internet.
[1099.0s] No, I was like, I can log on to the internet.
[1101.5s] Yes, I can.
[1102.1s] You can, honey.
[1103.3s] I just dial up and I hit the old motor.
[1106.6s] You don't even know how many free hours of AOL I had.
[1109.7s] Right?
[1111.9s] Seven CDs worth.
[1113.1s] But yeah, no, we really need Jess.
[1116.8s] Because we were hopeless.
[1117.8s] It's gonna be really great.
[1118.9s] For two years, it's like Amy posts on Instagram every Saturday,
[1122.4s] and every Saturday, I did not post on Instagram.
[1124.5s] I was so happy when that got removed from the calendar.
[1127.0s] And now you'll just have a million notifications of me getting things approved to post on the Instagram.
[1134.9s] I love it.
[1135.4s] It's fine.
[1135.9s] That makes me so happy.
[1137.2s] That's easy, because basically, unless it's like,
[1141.9s] I can't even think of what it would be for me to not approve it.
[1144.4s] I mean, we could adopt a, you know, ask for forgiveness instead of permission policy.
[1150.5s] Okay.
[1151.2s] That is, I mean, that is always an option, too.
[1153.5s] As long as it's not political.
[1156.5s] Yeah, no, we don't want any politics or stuff in there.
[1159.1s] No, nobody wants any politics.
[1161.9s] Who talks about that shit?
[1163.1s] Yeah.
[1163.5s] That's gross.
[1164.7s] Weird.
[1165.4s] Hey, uh, we have a Patreon.
[1169.7s] We do.
[1170.6s] Yeah.
[1171.1s] What?
[1172.6s] And that's the next manifestation goal.
[1174.6s] We're getting those numbers up.
[1175.5s] Oh my goodness.
[1176.3s] Yeah, baby.
[1177.9s] This is just getting us on track.
[1179.6s] I love it.
[1180.6s] Uh, patreon.com slash dumb dragon cast.
[1184.7s] Lots of cool stuff going on over there, including a new thing.
[1187.5s] Or if you're a supporting producer and you want to watch us record the show, you can.
[1192.7s] And I'm sorry, but also you're welcome.
[1195.2s] Sorry.
[1196.2s] They would ask for that if they wanted it.
[1199.0s] Yeah, but you get to see like the good, the bad, and the ugly.
[1203.7s] Yeah.
[1204.2s] Yes.
[1204.8s] Yeah.
[1205.1s] Like, I'll maybe dress up for people for like the first couple weeks.
[1210.0s] And then it's, it's all jammies and no bra.
[1212.7s] Like, it's, you know, very catch.
[1215.8s] Yeah, yeah, no.
[1216.7s] Yeah.
[1217.3s] Yeah.
[1217.8s] Like, I mean, it's the end of, it's the end of the day.
[1219.6s] We're having a good time.
[1221.5s] I was like, what costumes are we going to wear?
[1224.3s] No, I just meant have, I just meant not have my jammies on.
[1227.9s] That's what I meant.
[1228.6s] Put on lipstick.
[1229.0s] That is dressing up for me.
[1231.2s] Well, if you're not going to wear jammies, I'm going to wear jammies.
[1233.5s] I thought that role was taken.
[1234.7s] Well, I always wear jammies.
[1236.3s] So I'm just saying if we have people in the background.
[1238.3s] I always wear clothes.
[1240.0s] That's why Kyle's always wearing a three-piece suit.
[1243.1s] Oh my god, yesterday in his suit.
[1245.8s] And the top hat.
[1247.0s] A little six-year-old dapper.
[1250.3s] So cute.
[1250.8s] Very cute.
[1251.5s] That's adorable.
[1252.4s] But something else that happens over on Patreon is you get an episode dedicated to you.
[1256.2s] Like, today's Patron.
[1258.3s] Pick Patron.
[1259.1s] Oh, I said that weird.
[1259.9s] Patron.
[1260.7s] Patron.
[1261.2s] Today's Patron.
[1263.4s] Killian Gray.
[1265.5s] Killian Gray.
[1266.2s] Thanks, Killian Gray.
[1268.2s] He's a dope ass name, by the way.
[1270.3s] Dope ass name, like a cool bad guy or a really cool, I don't know.
[1277.0s] That's like a spy name.
[1278.0s] Morally Gray.
[1279.0s] Morally Gray.
[1280.1s] Morally Gray, yes.
[1281.5s] Yes.
[1282.2s] Very here.
[1282.7s] I thought it was Killian Gray.
[1283.9s] Oh, of course.
[1286.2s] Yeah.
[1286.6s] But we're happy to have you here, Killian.
[1288.5s] We're lucky to have you here.
[1290.0s] We're lucky to have you here in your cool suave style, making us all look better.
[1296.1s] It's true.
[1296.4s] You too can be like Killian.
[1297.5s] Join us today at patreon.com slash dumb dragon cast, where we have all those great things.
[1301.1s] And now let's get you back to the episode that's happening right now.
[1304.8s] Love you, bye.
[1305.9s] Love you, bye.
[1313.2s] You begin dancing as you remember this waltz.
[1316.5s] And, you know, as you're kind of out of the corner of your eye and watching these children,
[1321.5s] they keep their focus on you and everybody in your group, but they begin dancing again.
[1332.1s] They begin their movement again.
[1333.6s] And it is, there's a similarity to it, but there are enough differences that you
[1340.5s] know that this is, you are not doing the same dance that they are doing.
[1345.7s] I should have paid more attention in class.
[1347.3s] Fuck me.
[1348.3s] Can we see anyone playing the music?
[1351.3s] You cannot.
[1352.5s] Is it just ethereal?
[1354.1s] Yeah, it appears to be like coming from everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.
[1359.9s] There is no one person playing a banjo in the corner.
[1363.1s] As you continue to dance and begin to feel confident and maybe move a little closer,
[1371.0s] I would assume that because the two of you are following behind Bizard,
[1375.1s] maybe you've got a closer look at the children.
[1377.6s] If you want to roll, as you're now watching the children,
[1381.6s] trying to pick up on what they're doing, roll Insight or Investigation.
[1390.6s] Insight would get me a 10.
[1393.2s] Dancing was not my strong suit.
[1395.9s] It was a mandatory class.
[1396.7s] You are thinking like one, two, three.
[1401.4s] Bonwyn, do you also want to roll Insight Investigation again
[1404.3s] as they begin dancing and moving again?
[1406.7s] Sure I do.
[1409.2s] That is a 22 once again.
[1414.1s] Bizard, you keep up with your movements and the three of you are progressing closer to the stage.
[1419.5s] We'll say you're about 30 feet from the stage and slowly moving closer.
[1426.0s] This is a larger clearing.
[1429.1s] Bonwyn, as the kids begin moving again on stage,
[1432.3s] the children begin moving again on stage,
[1434.7s] you're watching them and you're trying to keep Bizard in the corner of your eye
[1438.4s] and mimic his movements.
[1441.1s] You notice that each child gets to a point in the dance
[1449.1s] and it looks like they are struggling to complete a certain motion,
[1454.3s] hesitating as if they've forgotten how this dance progresses or ends
[1460.7s] or the portion that they're getting to.
[1462.9s] There's almost a stumble step that they all collectively kind of make.
[1466.8s] You pick up on that.
[1468.9s] At the same time or they have different?
[1471.5s] That's all more or less at the same moment.
[1474.2s] Like it's the same beat or two.
[1477.4s] They're all, yeah.
[1479.3s] Okay, so I jump on stage and I push them all the way
[1482.8s] and I start doing my amazing break dancing moves
[1485.1s] and everyone's like, yes, yes, Bonwyn, Bonwyn, Bonwyn.
[1489.8s] She's raising the money for the car wash.
[1492.2s] That's right.
[1495.1s] She's going to be in the Olympics.
[1497.1s] Isn't going to be shut down.
[1499.2s] We're doing it.
[1500.1s] We'll save the community center.
[1502.3s] JK, don't do that.
[1503.9s] That was the, that was the result.
[1505.5s] How you solved my riddle though.
[1506.7s] Oh no.
[1508.6s] This is the honey episode of Dungeons.
[1514.2s] Well, this is all very creepy.
[1517.3s] Can I like, since Cav and I are sort of like in a line in the dance,
[1521.8s] can I look at him and just be like,
[1525.9s] make a like WTF kind of face and see if he has any insight?
[1531.2s] Again, we're like, I feel so out of my element.
[1534.5s] I am from normal world and this is not normal world.
[1539.9s] Can I clarify something?
[1541.2s] Are the children solid?
[1544.4s] Like, or do they look like ghostly?
[1547.5s] I know the stage you said was misty.
[1549.5s] No, they are more, yes.
[1551.8s] How I described them were they were spectral children.
[1554.3s] So their forms are flickering like candlelight as they move around.
[1558.7s] They wouldn't have appreciated my sick moves anyway.
[1561.6s] They're probably not even there.
[1563.5s] Yeah. The closer you get, like those, those hollow eyes,
[1568.2s] like they are like shadows where their eyes should be.
[1572.7s] I don't like that much.
[1573.7s] Creepy.
[1574.7s] For us and the scary kids, it's just a never ending theme with this guy.
[1579.5s] Um, can I like, hmm.
[1585.1s] You guys can talk amongst yourselves too, right?
[1587.9s] Yes, I mean, Bonwyn is a practical dwarf.
[1592.8s] So like, she's probably trying to like keep doing the dance,
[1598.7s] but also like look around and see if there's anything happening
[1604.2s] or they're like mirrors that are making this work
[1607.0s] or is there actually a stage
[1608.5s] and it's just like a sick smoke machine
[1610.6s] or like she's going to be trying to see through the illusion
[1613.5s] because she doesn't, she doesn't believe it.
[1617.3s] I mean, it's so out of her experience.
[1619.7s] It would be like, if Carla saw that, like she is.
[1625.3s] Make a, just make a straight wisdom check.
[1635.5s] How is my wisdom?
[1636.8s] Oh guys, did you know that my wisdom is really bad?
[1641.1s] That's a 10.
[1641.7s] It's a minus two to Bonwyn's wisdom.
[1646.0s] You live in the world you live in.
[1647.1s] She presents as wise, I feel like, but it's a trick.
[1652.1s] You know the right things to say at the right moment.
[1654.3s] That's what you have.
[1656.1s] So you're looking around trying to figure out what the trick is here,
[1660.6s] trying to figure out what the magic piece is or the,
[1663.9s] like you said, the mirrors, the illusion,
[1665.7s] and you're looking around and the more you look around,
[1667.7s] the more real everything becomes.
[1672.3s] And as you're looking around, you're turning,
[1675.6s] you're looking for trees or light sources
[1678.4s] or another person like pulling levers or something like that.
[1682.1s] You see none of that.
[1683.5s] But as you turn, you also notice
[1686.0s] that the path you came in on is now gone.
[1689.1s] Oh, I'm going to like,
[1696.2s] I guess I'm like spun around,
[1697.9s] but like hit cav, like it's the path's gone.
[1701.5s] Oh, okay.
[1704.1s] Do we have any experience with disappearing paths?
[1706.4s] I have no experience with disappearing paths.
[1708.7s] Bizarre.
[1710.7s] Your dancing looks great.
[1711.7s] Solo waltzing up by the stage.
[1715.5s] The path's disappearing.
[1716.8s] And I feel like I've fallen back in line maybe.
[1719.8s] Stuck here maybe.
[1721.0s] Like path's gone.
[1723.4s] Is that cool?
[1724.1s] Is that cool?
[1725.6s] I would not say it is, but it's interesting.
[1731.4s] So is this entire experience.
[1733.0s] And you see him kind of like scratch his head
[1734.7s] and then like you see his like eye kind of twitch
[1737.7s] as he pulls this like silver strand
[1739.9s] out of the side of his temple.
[1741.5s] And he pulls out a little bottle and stop her
[1743.1s] and I just cast encode thoughts to remember this moment
[1746.3s] in case for some reason, if I leave it
[1748.1s] and I don't remember it, I have a memory.
[1750.5s] So I'm going to keep that with me
[1752.1s] because I do not want to forget this.
[1753.8s] Bizarre can do the coolest shit.
[1755.3s] I can't wait till I'm not level two.
[1757.1s] It's going to be dope.
[1759.4s] Bonwyn did he just like, what did he do?
[1762.1s] Yeah, did you see that?
[1763.4s] What was that?
[1763.9s] I don't know.
[1764.4s] I call them mind boogers.
[1769.1s] Okay.
[1770.2s] Yep.
[1773.4s] Well, how rude of us to not introduce ourselves.
[1777.1s] I'm going to turn to the children
[1778.7s] and in Elvish I'm going to say
[1782.2s] what dance are you doing?
[1783.5s] All of their heads at that moment.
[1786.7s] That sounds no, I mean, this whole thing's creepy.
[1789.5s] All of them turn to look at you
[1791.6s] and they continue the dance.
[1793.9s] None of them respond in any way that is
[1800.6s] that you can interpret as it responds to your question.
[1806.5s] They look at you and lock eyes with you
[1810.5s] and continue moving the dance,
[1813.0s] stumbling over that one step
[1816.1s] and continuing the dance and stumbling over that one step.
[1820.7s] And then as time passes, not too long,
[1825.1s] 30 or 45 seconds,
[1826.9s] their heads begin to drift back to each other.
[1830.3s] Can I just yell Alydin like so loud?
[1833.5s] Like, I hate this.
[1834.7s] I want to find Alydin and get the fuck out of here.
[1838.3s] You can do whatever you want, Carla.
[1839.8s] This is our world.
[1840.7s] It's true.
[1841.8s] Alydin!
[1843.6s] Alydin!
[1846.4s] I hear her.
[1848.2s] If only she hadn't closed that window.
[1852.5s] Can I try and replicate the step they're messing up?
[1855.8s] Yes.
[1856.2s] So I'll give a response to screaming out Alydin first.
[1859.7s] So you yell out and it,
[1864.6s] however many times you yell it,
[1866.3s] you feel it like echo off the trees.
[1869.1s] Like it is, it is not making it beyond this space.
[1873.9s] Right, okay.
[1876.3s] As you do that, you also,
[1880.7s] what's your passive perception?
[1886.1s] No, 10.
[1887.5s] Probably like 30.
[1889.9s] As you do yell out,
[1891.9s] realizing that this space that you're in is
[1896.7s] keeping that sound insular.
[1899.6s] You hear, you catch out of like off to the side,
[1903.9s] which causes you to turn like an unusual creaking coming from one of the trees.
[1909.9s] You turn your head quick and you don't see anything moving.
[1913.9s] Trees are moving with the wind.
[1916.3s] The mist is kind of roiling around.
[1920.0s] And then you hear it off to the left.
[1922.7s] There's a creaking noise that you hear.
[1925.5s] And then that fades away.
[1928.1s] Kyle, you wanted to check out the dance that you're doing.
[1931.6s] Yes.
[1932.7s] What kind of role would you like on that performance?
[1935.4s] Are you observing?
[1937.5s] You're continuing to observe the children.
[1940.3s] Have you progressed to the stage at all?
[1942.8s] Or are you still keeping a distance?
[1944.8s] Like what's your position that you want?
[1947.0s] I'm going to approach the stage as I observe
[1949.8s] because I need to like see what they're trying to do to understand what needs to be done.
[1954.6s] Sure.
[1955.7s] So you continue to walk up.
[1959.1s] Kavlarne and Bonwyn still following in step.
[1963.3s] I feel like, you know, the dance that you have been doing,
[1968.0s] you tell me if you've stopped, but like you could in theory stop it.
[1972.1s] And you're walking up to the stage and you're watching the children.
[1978.9s] Give me an investigation role
[1981.8s] as you get closer to this stage.
[1984.9s] That's a seven.
[1986.9s] Okay.
[1987.5s] You're just feeling the moves.
[1989.1s] You're just so into it.
[1991.1s] Thinking back to that dance you were at your second year.
[1996.5s] Get your lighter out.
[1997.7s] Yeah.
[2001.2s] Bonwyn and Kav, you two are also up near the stage.
[2007.4s] Like these children are not appearing to,
[2012.7s] they don't appear to be aggressive towards you.
[2017.5s] Like they turn at you at certain times,
[2020.4s] but they haven't made a move to come harm you in any way.
[2025.4s] Both of you also make an investigation role
[2027.8s] as you all approach the stage here.
[2030.3s] Oh my word.
[2031.7s] Kav, you got it.
[2033.0s] This is on you, bud.
[2034.3s] It's an 11.
[2035.3s] I mean, it shouldn't be on Kav.
[2037.1s] 10.
[2039.5s] The three of you are watching these children moving around this stage.
[2046.3s] Dumbfound it.
[2048.4s] Trying to figure out, like looking around.
[2051.9s] You move around the entire stage.
[2055.1s] You look around the entire perimeter.
[2059.3s] You are struggling.
[2064.3s] In game and out of game.
[2065.5s] Yes, correct.
[2066.8s] It's all just struggle.
[2068.8s] And as like a sense of defeat comes over you,
[2076.5s] like you lean up, like you lean on the stage.
[2079.7s] Like you're trying to like get a close eye and like you're watching them.
[2083.9s] And bizarre, you put your hand on the stage
[2087.0s] and you feel the grain of the wood as you slide your hand on there.
[2092.3s] And then you also feel underneath your fingertips an engraving.
[2096.8s] Mm.
[2101.3s] And we'll go back to Alydin as you run your hands over it
[2108.1s] and you feel something that requires further investigation.
[2113.2s] Yeah, uneven floor.
[2114.5s] That's why they're fucking up the move.
[2115.7s] It just doesn't make sense.
[2117.1s] It's got to be it.
[2118.9s] Shoddy carpentry.
[2121.2s] Alydin, you're back in the room.
[2123.9s] Music box is playing.
[2127.1s] I'm slowly going crazy hearing the same song over and over again.
[2131.8s] Which is?
[2133.9s] I am slowly going crazy.
[2137.4s] One, two, three, four, five, six, switch.
[2140.7s] That's so funny.
[2141.8s] Crazy going slowly.
[2143.5s] Am I six, five, four, three, two, one, switch.
[2146.3s] I hate it.
[2148.1s] Make another insight roll.
[2150.5s] How about a 10?
[2153.4s] 50% is a pass, is it not?
[2155.9s] I'm not really crushing it with the roll, so I guess that's been great.
[2159.1s] Yeah.
[2159.4s] Well, this is on brand for me.
[2160.7s] What's wrong with you guys?
[2162.3s] The more you listen to this song, yes, it is increasing your frustration.
[2168.3s] It is playing over and over again.
[2171.1s] This is meant to break me down.
[2174.3s] Something feels wrong.
[2176.1s] You can't put your finger on it, but something feels wrong about this song.
[2179.9s] Like, it's a song that should feel like you should know it.
[2185.4s] But something about the song, even though you've never really, in your own mind,
[2192.1s] you've never heard this song before today, it does feel memorable.
[2195.7s] But there's something about the song that feels off.
[2201.2s] Amy and Alydin are tired of this fucking song.
[2204.6s] She goes over and picks up the music box again.
[2209.0s] And are there any screws?
[2212.1s] Any nails?
[2213.3s] I want to take this fucking thing apart.
[2215.2s] I want to see its insides.
[2217.5s] It looks like the music box has been put together with an adhesive.
[2224.5s] Oh, they've fucking dovetailed joints.
[2226.2s] They've dovetailed those joints.
[2228.0s] This is a well-created box.
[2229.9s] There is the one mechanism, the winding mechanism.
[2233.3s] And as you approach the dresser and you're looking at this box,
[2236.8s] you look up into the mirror, and something is off about the mirror in front of you.
[2244.3s] It's almost like a waver in the image that you see.
[2248.9s] Then it settles back.
[2251.2s] Alydin reaches out to cautiously touch the glass.
[2258.7s] Yeah, you touch it and like your mind expects there to be something that you can,
[2267.1s] your hand is going to go through it.
[2268.7s] But as it approaches, your hand is solid on it.
[2274.8s] It's cold glass below your hand.
[2278.4s] You're looking up and seeing yourself in it, the music box in your other hand.
[2283.6s] If I hold the little dancer,
[2288.4s] will it stop the music like it does if I were to hold the little dancer?
[2293.0s] Is it a tiny dancer?
[2295.1s] Is it?
[2296.7s] How close are you holding it?
[2299.2s] You hold the dancer?
[2300.0s] Yeah, and I hold it closer.
[2306.8s] Whatever mechanism is inside the box that you can't see.
[2310.7s] Is it straining?
[2311.6s] It's straining, it's grinding, but it's not stopping.
[2317.5s] The dancer, you stop the dancer from moving,
[2320.2s] but it sounds like whatever gear on the inside continues forward.
[2324.7s] Is the little turnkey still turning?
[2327.6s] Yes.
[2327.9s] I want to hold that.
[2330.1s] Music slows down.
[2330.7s] So you're holding the dancer with one hand, holding the turnkey with another hand.
[2334.9s] Yes, I have two hands and I'm doing those things.
[2337.4s] The box itself begins to try and lift off the table.
[2341.9s] Like, almost like the mechanism is still trying to move it.
[2345.5s] Like it's now rocking back and forth.
[2347.8s] I'm turning it in the opposite direction.
[2350.7s] You turn it in the opposite direction.
[2353.5s] I'm fucking with this box.
[2355.5s] I'm doing everything that child Amy would do with her music boxes,
[2359.4s] which is turn it, wind it up really fast, and then try to get it to go back,
[2366.7s] and then do it so hard that you can actually unscrew the thing.
[2370.3s] 100%.
[2370.8s] Bop it, twist it, pull it.
[2375.3s] The tune begins to turn from that grinding into a distortion,
[2384.2s] and it turns, the song begins to play backwards.
[2389.1s] It's real Dilingo's electric moment here.
[2391.4s] Save once, save doesn't.
[2394.4s] The tune begins to play backwards,
[2398.2s] and it distorts into this eerie whisper.
[2403.2s] Repeating two words.
[2406.7s] Not real.
[2408.4s] Not real.
[2410.2s] Not real.
[2413.5s] No shit.
[2421.8s] Dumbgeons and Dragons Season 4 Episode 17
[2425.4s] Starring Amy More as Alydin
[2427.9s] Carla Maxted as Bonwyn Everbane
[2430.4s] Tom Laird as Kavlaran Goldweave
[2432.7s] Kyle Claset as Bizard the Wizard
[2435.1s] and Russ More as your Dungeon Master
[2437.5s] Dialogue Editing and Sound Design of today's episode is by Russ More
[2441.2s] Our Community Manager is Jessica Babyuk
[2443.7s] Music is from Epidemic Sound
[2445.6s] and Sound Effects are from Epidemic Sound and Boom Library
[2448.9s] Our Amazing Cover Art is by Matt Garbut
[2451.6s] And we'd like to say a huge thank you to our supporting producers,
[2455.1s] including Gabriel Lynch, Jessica Babyuk
[2457.8s] Cat Waterflame, Jacob Madden,
[2459.9s] Angaron Kiersen, Perry Matey,
[2461.9s] Old School Gamer D, Craig Zeiss and L.A. Branton
[2465.8s] We'd love if you joined us today at Patreon.com slash Dumb Dragon Cast
[2469.9s] for the amazing community, all the bonus content and so much more
[2474.2s] Patreon.com slash Dumb Dragon Cast will see you over there
[2477.5s] But until then, have a great week and we'll talk to you soon
[2482.0s] Okay, fuck it, let's play!
[2484.0s] Yeah, let's fuck this game
[2488.7s] That is an energy to start with
[2491.3s] This is what I'm bringing to the table right now
[2495.5s] Dumbgeons and Dragons is a Dumb Dragons production