0:03

Maybe it's my overactive imagination,

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In June's journey, you step into the

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I can get pretty competitive, so playing

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games.

1:20

America's

1:23

real history is one of giants

1:25

who overcame all odds, overcame

1:28

slavers and robber barons. And

1:30

what did we do? Well,

1:31

everyone knows we invented the internet,

1:34

but we also invented the middle class, the

1:36

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1:39

the automobile, and the space race, and

1:41

we're just getting started. We've

1:44

been through far more chaotic times than

1:46

this one, with some of the most incredible

1:49

leaders on the planet,

1:50

and they're ready for us to pick up where they left

1:53

off. Our real origins connect

1:55

us back to reality, each other,

1:58

and a whole new cinematic universe to unravel.

1:59

power and inspire. My

2:02

name is Matthew Cook and I'm the host

2:05

of American Origin Stories, now

2:07

playing wherever you get your podcasts

2:10

or you can learn more at realm.fm

2:16

Shailis de Pase, Salis.

2:20

Do you seek him? Do you seek him?

2:22

Do you seek him? Do you seek him?

2:27

Do you seek the nameless

2:29

God? You have found yourself

2:31

among those who roll the dark dice. What

2:33

you are about to hear happened long ago, a story

2:36

brought back from the edge of oblivion, dutifully

2:39

transcribed and enhanced orally

2:41

to better captivate your attention. Previously,

2:45

the willows wake survived and attack by beasts

2:47

from the deepest depths. As artifacts

2:49

vanish and prisoners dream of freedom,

2:53

they reach their first destination.

2:57

Dark Dice, Shores of

2:59

the Silver Thrum, Chapter 4,

3:02

The Sunken Bulwark.

3:23

As Ajay Ogun, the shaman of the

3:25

Sangoma, ascended through the mess

3:27

of the willows wake, he was relieved to see

3:29

no one around and took a short time

3:31

to scribble a note on a piece of bark paper

3:34

he had brought with him. It was just then

3:36

that his target, Convo, emerged

3:38

from the galley, two buckets of awful

3:40

in each hand. He nodded hello.

3:59

because frankly, it smelled awful, and he just

4:02

wanted it off the ship as soon as possible. Oh,

4:05

thanks.

4:06

They proceeded up the stairs, pouring

4:08

the innards overboard. Then each took

4:10

their leave to carry on in their respective

4:12

days.

4:13

While the days are going by, every time I see

4:15

Ajay, I make extended eye contact with him,

4:18

and think really hard, your suspicions

4:21

are right, act on them, your suspicions are right,

4:23

act on them. He's probably all freaked out because

4:25

I'm just staring

4:26

at him. I think Ajay

4:28

is meeting, I think every time you look

4:30

at Ajay, Ajay's already looking at you,

4:32

just like, it's like a hard stare, but

4:35

also very confused. Your

4:37

suspicions are right,

4:38

act on them. I'm just thinking it, I'm just thinking

4:41

it over and over, I'm doing what the religious guy

4:43

in the whole told me to do, and that's it. On

4:46

the early morning of the fifth day, on

4:48

the deck, under the heavy clouds of a cold

4:50

winter day, Kanfou thought to steal some

4:52

time to ease his worries. So

4:55

much had happened on this voyage already,

4:57

and he wanted answers, or at

4:59

least some assurances, before they

5:02

reached their first destination.

5:03

Um, so

5:05

basically after the funeral, especially

5:07

after the death of a crewmate, I think it's kind

5:10

of important to highlight some of the things

5:12

that have been happening before we get into a new

5:14

environment.

5:15

So I approach the second mate who sends me

5:17

to the captain the next shift. I

5:19

have a serious talk. Hey.

5:24

So just everybody knows, I've been seeing this

5:26

one individual trying to sneak in on a regular

5:29

into the cargo area, and we're trying

5:31

to hold the alibear and the prisoner, so I wanted

5:33

to bring to everybody's attention. Also,

5:36

just so you know, I wasn't aware that when you

5:38

said we had a prisoner, that you actually

5:40

meant a person. I thought you were being

5:43

funny about the alibear.

5:44

So is there anything I need to know about him? Ah,

5:48

well, he's a criminal,

5:50

and he's done some fairly terrible things in the North

5:52

Realm. He fled to the Bright Vale,

5:55

was picked up by bounty hunters, and now he's on his way

5:57

to what will likely be an execution.

5:59

There is to be a trial, but I believe it's

6:02

just a formality. Be

6:04

wary of him. He'll probably

6:06

say and do anything to get out of his death sentence, which

6:08

is why the cage has the runes. And I've

6:10

asked the... Wait. Who

6:13

was the person that was going in? It's

6:15

that rich tiefling girl, sir. She's

6:18

been snooping around and I caught her red-handed

6:20

a couple of times. She seems very curious

6:23

about the guy down there. Oh!

6:26

And this is actual proof! I think.

6:29

Somebody slipped me this note without me noticing.

6:31

And according to Yara, who was kind enough to read it for

6:33

me, it's pretty good evidence, sir.

6:38

Look, aside from the visuals, I don't trust V. Do

6:41

not let her near the prisoner. They've been speaking

6:43

and she might try to help him. That's

6:45

very upsetting. But

6:47

it's in line with what I thought. Come

6:51

in. Captain. Ah.

6:57

I've said you were looking for me. Yes.

7:01

I have a request of you when we reach the sunken bulwark.

7:04

I... I would like

7:06

to assign both of you to, um... Follow

7:09

Lady Viviana. Copy, sir. You

7:12

can say that you're protecting Lan, but

7:14

really you're there to learn more information about

7:16

what Lady Bloodchamber's intentions are. With

7:19

her family's history, can't be overly cautious.

7:22

Also, make sure she

7:25

doesn't cause any trouble on the bulwark.

7:26

Aye, sir. Sir,

7:29

at any point in time, should she not make

7:31

it back into the ship? That's rather blunt.

7:34

She should make it back to the ship. With

7:36

all due respect, sir, we lost a crew B.

7:39

I'd still like to believe she was not involved.

7:42

She actually... She most likely

7:44

saved more lives than she could potentially hurt if

7:46

this ends up being a case of youthful curiosity.

7:50

I'm curious as well about how this is all

7:52

tied together and who wrote this note.

7:57

Hmm. I don't recognize the handwriting.

8:01

But I will say that for now Lady

8:03

Viviana Bloodchamber is a paying customer. She's

8:06

on the Willow under my care and she has to make

8:08

it to Winterport unharmed. Our

8:10

reputation is important and we don't want to make

8:13

someone disappear. Especially

8:15

someone so high profile unless we can prove there

8:17

is substance to these allegations.

8:19

Her family are among some of the best spies

8:21

and assassins in Helendria. Oh, sir.

8:24

I didn't mean it like that. I just said

8:26

not make it back to the Willow. I didn't mean

8:29

like down with sleeping with a fish in

8:31

a sort of situation. I just mean

8:33

a person that didn't make it in time to the ship

8:35

and it sailed away. That sort of... No, that

8:37

would also affect our reputation. Just

8:41

keep an eye out. Learn what you can. Copy,

8:44

sir. Eyes and ears. But no

8:47

muscle. And please, once we get to the bulwark,

8:49

make sure that her curiosity stays

8:51

clear of the bloody cave. Oof. With

8:54

a name like that, we would want to go there. No,

8:56

no, no. Not called the bloody cave. It's

9:00

a myth from the bulwark. But it's also

9:02

a real place. The divining conch

9:04

cave. It's a tidal cave. Quite dangerous,

9:07

so just stick clear of it. That

9:10

goes for both of you and double from this

9:12

blood chamber. Aye, sir. Absolutely.

9:15

I'll have it. I'll

9:16

have it. You're dismissed. That a

9:18

girl. Hey, Yara.

9:27

Over the last

9:29

few days, I've seen you doing a lot

9:31

of whispering to Celie. And

9:33

I think I saw her nod just now.

9:36

Can you communicate with Celie?

9:38

Is it just kind of like talking one way

9:41

street when you talk to her? Like does

9:43

she tell you things? I

9:46

don't know if you've been around animals

9:49

that much, Campbell. And I'm sorry to say this

9:52

as bluntly as I do. But they

9:54

don't really talk to people. That's

9:57

not how it works. But she does understand.

9:59

And in ways

10:02

that we may not understand,

10:06

she'll help me out from time to time.

10:08

If you... Hey, no judgement,

10:10

no judgement.

10:12

In my time, I've seen some weird shit.

10:15

I'm just gonna say she's

10:17

not just good at picking

10:19

out rats where no rats should

10:21

be, but she's

10:23

also got good eyesight. So

10:27

if you need a second

10:30

set of eyes over your shoulder,

10:32

she's there for you. For me. I

10:35

think we both may need a second set of eyes.

10:38

Or in this case, a third set.

10:40

Yara does a special kind of pat on his shoulder

10:43

and silly takes to the sky and

10:45

starts circling. A

10:48

few moments later, the owl gave out a high-chittered

10:50

screech, indicating to Yara what he

10:52

wanted to know, that she saw land.

10:55

It takes a knowledgeable sailor to

10:57

find their way to the sunken bulwark. Luckily,

11:00

the Willow's Wake had such in number. The

11:02

ancient vessel flew across chopping waves,

11:04

bearing towards a sheer rising cliff face of

11:07

ink-black rock. Those stone

11:09

shards, a great reaching hand, thrusted

11:12

above the waves in a final grasp for

11:14

life. Closer and closer

11:16

now, the Willow's Wake didn't slow, and

11:19

its steady, sturdy navigator stayed the course.

11:22

Surely, if the rocks were approaching too quickly,

11:24

if there was danger

11:25

fast at hand, the galleon would slow

11:27

turn or drop anchor. Closer

11:30

still, the black cliffs wrapped around the ship as

11:32

the Willow sailed into an enclosed bay.

11:34

Open the hatch! Wood

11:37

and rope were already in motion. The

11:39

hatch opened, metal crashing to

11:41

the deck. Inside, a small

11:44

space was already created and deckhands

11:46

leapt down. From above the top sails

11:48

and mast peaks, through a layer of fog,

11:51

lowered a heavy net suspended by thick jute

11:54

rope, its origins somewhere far,

11:56

far above in the rocky cliffs remained

11:58

shrouded. It descended into the water. the cargo

12:00

hold and after loud clattering and quick

12:02

work the rope ascended yet again. Atop

12:06

the netting, small hand around thick

12:08

rope, Av rose out from the cargo

12:11

hold standing atop the net filled with barrels,

12:13

crates and more. Before the net

12:15

had risen too far she jumped to the deck and

12:17

the rope continued its ascent, vanishing

12:20

up into the fog above. What's

12:22

all that about? Offerings

12:25

to the sunken priests and the faithful who live

12:27

in service on the bulwark. Still

12:29

more to go though?

12:30

Long moments passed in the dark bay,

12:33

the roar of the sea much lessened by the enclosure

12:35

of tall, unyielding cliffs. A

12:39

whistle and all could then see the

12:41

rope descend yet again moments later, ready

12:43

for another haul.

12:44

Let's get it off my willow! Captain

12:47

Victor Gelmaine of the willows wake stood

12:49

next to Lan, Vind and Viviana. All

12:52

watched in anticipation as from below

12:55

a loud screech and roar rose

12:57

from the willows belly. The

13:00

rope whipped then pulled taut. As

13:02

it rose the disconnected net was resting

13:04

atop the cage, the hook locked

13:07

to the cage's top. Within

13:09

the owl bear hollered and growled as

13:11

it looked up to see rocks, the sea

13:13

and the

13:14

dark sky. It briefly

13:16

locked eyes with Vind, snarling

13:18

before it rose through the fog and out of sight,

13:21

its howls soon vanishing with

13:22

it. Up above the line

13:25

of the masts, a flickering light came into view,

13:27

clearing the willow to dock. Navigator

13:30

Looper and the ship's sea sorcerer passed

13:32

the ship on slowly, all but

13:34

one sail now furled for a smooth approach.

13:36

Over

13:39

the following 20 minutes in eerie silence,

13:41

the willow left the small inlet and moved

13:43

on toward parts of the fog-shrouded island.

13:46

Eventually, for those with keen night eyes,

13:49

a worn wooden dock faded into

13:51

view. They had arrived at the

13:53

sunken bulwark. On

13:55

first impression, it seemed like a

13:57

dead place.

13:59

No plants.

13:59

no small fish feeding

14:02

in the dock waters, no noisy

14:04

dock hands working or laughing. Nothing.

14:08

Except for the other wooden holds, quiet

14:11

as husks docked nearby.

14:14

And even they barely appear through the

14:16

fog.

14:17

As the crew threw ropes and secured the willow

14:19

to the dock, Captain Gelmaine broke the silence.

14:23

None of you have ever been here before then. Well,

14:27

welcome to the sunken bulwark. The

14:29

sunken faithful are the only ones living on these barren

14:31

rocks, which is why seafarers like us drop

14:33

off offerings. Well, not

14:36

drop off really, since they lift them into

14:38

the sky.

14:39

Captain Gelmaine pointed towards a section

14:41

of dark rocks among the rolling clouds of

14:43

fog. Now, when

14:46

we disembark, there's only one path,

14:48

one way to go. He'll take

14:51

you north and loop back south and a switch back

14:53

up the cliffs, leading to one of only

14:55

two places on the islands, Sorrow's

14:57

Edge. On the other side of Sorrow's

15:00

Edge, a bit further up, the path leads to the sunken

15:02

temple. Sorrow's Edge is the

15:04

public house if you need a meal, drink or

15:06

just want to sleep on solid ground for the night. And

15:10

the sunken temple

15:12

is where the ritual will be taking place today or tomorrow.

15:14

I'm pretty sure it's today. Now,

15:17

I expect all crew to be there at the temple

15:19

for the ritual, the observance of last light.

15:22

And if you're planning to attend, don't

15:24

be late. When the faithful, all

15:27

the people wearing blue robes start walking, just

15:29

follow their lead and we'll have the

15:31

observance of last light to see through together. Well,

15:37

I have preparations to make. Yari

15:39

and Convo here will take good care of you.

15:43

Convo, wait. So what's

15:45

a sunken faithful? So

15:47

the sunken faithful are priests and priests

15:50

who worship all Naldiche, the sunken

15:52

one. Oh, so

15:54

it's like a cult. No, it's

15:57

not a cult. It's an official religion

15:59

for people who

15:59

who dedicate their lives to the service of the

16:02

Sunken One, a goddess who is also

16:04

worshipped by mostly all religions, and

16:07

especially sailors. She's

16:09

the god of the sea, the ocean, the flow

16:11

of the tides, and rumbling earthquakes deep

16:13

beneath the ground. She's also

16:15

the goddess of fortune for both wealth

16:18

and travel, and forbidden love. That's

16:21

cool, I guess. Yes,

16:23

very cool indeed. The Sunken

16:25

Bulwark, and along with the Sunken Temple,

16:28

have been here for at least a thousand years.

16:29

And like the captain said, the island

16:32

is inhabited entirely by the faithful.

16:35

Totally a cult. Just everything

16:37

you're saying. Very cult. Totally

16:39

not. Totally not. Thank

16:42

you. And the people here

16:44

cannot farm anything. They only collect food

16:46

that the ocean provides and use offerings

16:48

given to them as alms, like those

16:51

taken from our boat, the barrels of oil,

16:53

boxes of dried fish or dried pork, all

16:55

very common offerings they could receive. Spices

16:58

and everything else, those are common as well,

17:01

because otherwise there will never be sustainable

17:03

life on the Sunken Bulwark. I

17:05

didn't know you were so knowledgeable about this place.

17:09

It's my family's job to know these sorts

17:11

of things.

17:13

Historically, people come here as part

17:15

of a larger pilgrimage dedicated to multiple

17:17

gods. They'll stop here at the Sunken

17:19

Bulwark to give a personal offering to

17:21

Nell Deitch, then travel further north

17:24

through Winterport like us to see

17:26

the seat of the Storm God, the second one's divine

17:29

brother, Al Deitch, and give

17:31

an offering there too.

17:32

They might also come or go from

17:35

somewhere else as part of a bigger pilgrimage.

17:37

Exactly right, Lon. That's our plan. We're

17:40

hoping to receive better weather and bountiful harvest

17:42

this year by undertaking a journey

17:44

almost identical to the one you just described.

17:46

And as Gao Ming and some of

17:48

the other crew members explained, every 10 years,

17:51

ships will often come here to either receive

17:53

their first blessing or renew their blessing.

17:56

And we're in luck. Really

17:58

quite lucky because... We're here

18:00

for the observance of last light! Everyone

18:03

keeps saying that, like I know what it means.

18:06

Do you remember how I mentioned that my homeland is

18:08

covered in endless darkness and never sees the

18:10

sun? Um,

18:13

no. Did you say that? Well, every

18:15

year, lands this far north have several

18:17

months where there's no light during the winter. No

18:20

sunrise, no sunset.

18:22

The observance of last light is the ritual

18:24

held on the last day before that happens. It's

18:27

a celebration of sorts with the morning lord Celagon.

18:30

And most people who live this far north say

18:32

goodbye to him with the hopes of not seeing him for

18:34

a few months.

18:36

Why would they not want to see the sun? Because

18:38

if they do see him, it means they've died and seen

18:41

the sun on the other side. Ah,

18:43

that makes sense. And your worship

18:45

was Celagon, right?

18:48

Correct. So this day holds a

18:50

special and personal significance to my family,

18:53

and by extension, me. We shouldn't

18:55

avoid getting into trouble or doing anything that will

18:57

risk us missing the observance ritual.

19:00

I actually want to make an offering too, just

19:02

like the captain. Because I am

19:04

not like superstitious, but I am

19:06

a little stiches. Just saying. So,

19:09

uh, really quick. Viviana, Lon,

19:12

you're both dressed kind of formal right now. Like

19:15

a noble and a bodyguard. And I'm worried

19:17

that we might draw some attention here. Given

19:20

the kind of creepy reputation of this establishment,

19:22

might I recommend that you ladies maybe

19:25

dress down to draw less attention?

19:28

This is an island of priests who literally

19:31

live in caves. Nobles come

19:33

here all the time to bless their ships. There's

19:35

nothing to worry about. Unless you're

19:37

worried about maybe being converted. Huh,

19:40

kind of old things priests are thieves. I'm

19:44

not afraid of the thieves, those that pretend

19:46

to be. You know, I agree with you,

19:48

buddy. I think, uh, yeah, religious

19:51

will never really get into religion. Um,

19:53

awesome. Okay,

19:57

Viviana's gonna like kinda like sculpt.

20:00

near and at the back of

20:02

the line, you know, wherever that is, just, you

20:04

know, slowly trailing behind.

20:06

So as Viviana actually starts

20:08

kind of skulking and getting into the line, Convo

20:11

actually gets right behind her and

20:13

kind of taps her on the shoulder really quick.

20:15

Mm-hmm. Viviana, sorry

20:18

to bother you. Can I talk to you for a moment? Oh,

20:20

yeah, sure. What's up, my man? I mean,

20:23

Ork. Sorry. Is that offensive?

20:25

I couldn't care less. To be honest, I've

20:29

been a bit of a pain in your ass, and you've been

20:31

a little bit of a pain in my ass. I kind

20:34

of want to set the record straight. I'm

20:36

concerned about your behavior on the Willow. We

20:39

are a small crew and the orders and

20:41

rules we have exist to ensure everyone's

20:43

survival. As you saw,

20:45

we already lost someone. What

20:49

I'm trying to say here is, I've

20:51

been hard on you. It's not because

20:53

I think you're a pain in the ass. It's more so

20:56

that I kind of think that we need

20:58

to be respectful of the order of the ship so

21:01

that everybody can get home in one piece. So

21:04

yeah, I just want to apologize on

21:06

my behalf about my behavior.

21:09

I know I've been a little bit rude, and

21:11

I know you've been very curious. So I'll

21:13

tell you what. If you're curious about something

21:16

and want to know about what's going on behind closed

21:18

doors, things like that, just let

21:20

me know and we'll figure it out together. But

21:22

you know, for your safety and

21:24

for everybody's safety, it's better

21:26

that we stick together and work together. Wouldn't

21:29

you agree? Oh,

21:32

Convo, I forgive

21:34

you for being rude. Um, yes,

21:37

that is I'm so glad you finally

21:40

like see. And I feel

21:42

so much more understood. I will definitely

21:45

hit you up if I'm curious about something.

21:48

You know, we did get off to the wrong start,

21:50

didn't we buddy?

21:51

Convo extended his arm hoping to shake the V

21:53

on his hand. Truce. I

21:57

give him a friendly fist bump in

21:59

lieu of a- handshake. Yeah,

22:01

we are told we're friends now. As

22:04

the handshake fumbled into a fist

22:06

bump, Convo honestly believed

22:08

he and Viviana could be friends,

22:10

though he was not really sure what her definition

22:13

of a friend was. Viviana,

22:16

in kind, was satisfied knowing

22:18

that Convo had apologized for his rudeness.

22:22

You know, I feel slight pressure

22:24

off my shoulders in regards to things. Thanks

22:28

for that. I need to go get

22:30

something real quick from below deck.

22:32

Hold on a sec. And Convo

22:34

runs to the mess to grab something.

22:36

And Viviana's gonna take this opportunity

22:39

to just go somewhere else, and yeah,

22:41

she thinks the conversation with Convo went well

22:43

enough.

22:43

Yeah, spots Convo going down

22:46

to the ship and follows him. He

22:48

catches up to him right as they reach the boxes that

22:50

hold their personal belongings, and he tries

22:52

to quietly pull him aside.

22:55

Uh, Convo,

22:58

can I can I speak

23:00

to you for a moment? Yeah, what's up,

23:02

buddy?

23:03

Um, there's something and

23:07

this is not easy to say for me because

23:10

I don't easily trust people. There's

23:14

something I need to come

23:17

clean about.

23:19

What happened, man? It is no

23:21

mere coincidence that I'm on

23:24

this ship, actually. Because

23:29

where we're going or where

23:31

we are about to go. Uh huh. So

23:35

on this island, there are some people that

23:37

the captain just told us about the the

23:39

sunken faithful. Yeah.

23:42

They may very

23:44

well have a piece of information that is

23:47

very, very important

23:50

to me. Okay. And

23:53

I don't know if they, well, if

23:55

they can actually tell me what I need to

23:57

know and I don't really know these

23:59

pre-

23:59

will part with the information willingly

24:02

or where to find it. So

24:05

if you could trust me on this,

24:07

and I know this is hard after me just telling you, but

24:10

I'm

24:10

not really asking for backup

24:13

here, but in case I need

24:15

to disappear for a quick moment.

24:17

And Captain has just told us that we should

24:20

be taking care of our guests here. And

24:23

as you are very by the book, and

24:25

I respect this,

24:27

perhaps you could just cover

24:30

for me if I needed to

24:34

make a quick exit. Alright,

24:37

tell you what Yara, we've been in here

24:39

kind of learning the ropes together on the

24:41

willow. I already gave you a good amount of respect

24:43

based on the shit we've been through. Let's just

24:45

come up with a code like, you

24:48

told me, hey, I really need to

24:51

use the bathroom. Yeah, yeah, that'll

24:53

be your code. I need to go somewhere. How's

24:56

that sound? And yeah, without trying

24:58

to laugh, saying yeah,

25:01

sure, the bathroom. Are

25:03

you really sure? Convo is not a bright

25:05

man. I'm just saying Convo is not

25:07

a bright man. Don't think for like great

25:10

level of strategically here. Let's

25:12

make that the outhouse. Outhouse,

25:15

got it. I got to use the outhouse.

25:18

Then he gives you a thumbs up and

25:20

a wink. Sure. Thank you.

25:22

By this time, the two men had returned to the

25:24

deck and stood near Lan and Viviana.

25:27

Convo, who had almost exclusively not

25:29

been seen wearing a shirt even during the winter nights,

25:32

was now wearing chain mail with a broad sword

25:34

affixed to his hip and a shield of salvaged

25:36

wood slung across his back. Viviana

25:39

spied carved and painted lettering on the shield,

25:42

connecting the words Crimson Hollow, which

25:45

looked aged, bleached, and water beaten.

25:48

The willow rocked once more and a call from a

25:50

deckhand indicated that the galleon was firmly

25:52

affixed

25:52

to its slip. In

25:54

a moment, the gangplank had been set up, though

25:57

some deckhands had already jumped the dock. A

25:59

well-prepared

25:59

practiced feat. The rickety

26:02

docks constructed from salvaged shipwrecks

26:04

spanned far enough to accommodate up to six gallions,

26:07

or an array of smaller ships. Currently,

26:10

only a few vessels were lashed. The

26:12

round nag, a warship flying the

26:14

sea in storms of Vinalhaven. Gentile

26:16

winds, a medium-sized schooner

26:19

dotted with blue-robed pilgrims. Blackburn,

26:22

an elven merchant gallion. Unsalted

26:24

grounds, a small vernascan merchant

26:26

schooner, and the willow's wake, the

26:29

galleon at Viviana,

26:29

Lon, Convo, and Yara

26:32

had disembarked. Ajay,

26:34

Vind, and Nimble, slightly distracted, fell

26:36

behind. Alright, I'm

26:38

ready to go. The boss told us to

26:41

be kind of guides, sort

26:43

of, you know, watch and be careful

26:45

with you and Lon as we go out there. I

26:49

know it's a new place for everybody, so we're

26:51

just here to support in case you guys need

26:54

us for anything. So with that,

26:56

he kind of claps his hands. He

26:58

goes, alright, ladies,

26:59

lead the way. Where are we going? I

27:02

think we should check out Sora's Edge first. It

27:05

should be down the path. Viviana

27:08

goes and looks at the island. Oh

27:10

my god, this looks like such a miserable,

27:13

depressing, gloomy place. I

27:16

love it! It truly did appear

27:18

as a most miserable, depressing, and gloomy

27:20

place. The murmurs from the Willow's

27:23

crew betrayed their anxiety. Such

27:25

thick fog was a foul omen. First

27:28

Mate Lurs had already left the ship. Standing

27:31

on the creaking boards, he discussed

27:32

something with a dour-faced aquatic

27:34

elf who wore long, thick blue robes

27:37

and a simple hempen rope belt.

27:39

The First Mate quickly waved a hand to Convo

27:42

and the others to indicate that they had been cleared to disembark

27:44

and continue on ahead.

27:46

As we're leaving, I look

27:48

over at Mason, the First Mate, and I see that

27:50

he's elbow-deep in a conversation with

27:52

the dockmaster I want nothing to do

27:54

with.

27:55

stretching

28:00

paws and look back at everyone

28:03

and go, someone definitely died

28:05

in this island by the way. It's awesome.

28:07

Smell

28:09

that air. What a fucking

28:11

shittle. And he kind of taps lawn

28:13

on the shoulder and just walks away.

28:15

Mind your language, please.

28:18

Hey, I'm a sailor. It's in the job

28:20

description. Fine, whatever.

28:23

And despite what this place looks

28:26

like, you can see Yara as he's

28:28

stepping off the ship. He has a new

28:30

sprite to his step. He looks a lot happier

28:33

and it

28:35

might... To most people it will

28:37

just look as though, yeah, this is

28:39

him being on holiday because

28:41

he doesn't have to fix anything at the moment.

28:44

But also as he steps off the ship and some

28:47

of us might already know this, the Yara

28:49

has disappeared from his shoulder, taken

28:52

to the foggy

28:53

skies to do her thing.

28:56

Oh, and just for clarity, Yara

28:58

also took his backpack along for the ride.

29:01

The rough docks sided up to jagged

29:03

and slick rocks. There was no beach

29:05

here nor much space to roam. Yet

29:08

with Viviana's passive perception, she spotted

29:10

what looked like the only opening through the rocks

29:13

ahead. Against the eastern side

29:15

of the docks, a path through the dark rough

29:17

stone appeared to have been chiseled by hand

29:20

and not in the way Lady Viviana or

29:22

Lan had seen in extravagant noble

29:25

homes or even in the great halls

29:27

of dwarves. No, this

29:30

looked crude, utilitarian, and

29:32

the only way to safely navigate to whatever

29:35

laid in wait on the other end.

29:37

This place looks terrible. Let's go

29:40

see more. Viviana

29:42

began walking before the others could even

29:44

react and so they simply followed

29:46

her to avoid being left behind.

29:49

Watching the others swiftly depart from

29:51

the deck of the Willows Wake, the Elven Prince,

29:53

Vind Greyview, the half-orc shaman, Ajay

29:56

Ogun, and the halfling hero and pathfinder,

29:58

nimble-rimble, trout-spine-trout.

29:59

assembled on deck. Each had

30:02

just reassessed what gear they would bring ashore in their

30:04

small adventure, and Mr. Trout's fine

30:06

trout eagerly awaited their expedition.

30:08

Oh no no no no don't get

30:10

me wrong I believe we all have... How

30:13

can I put this? It's just that from where I

30:15

come from we don't like to

30:16

do this god thing you know? So

30:19

it's it's all so very interesting

30:21

to see because for us modern

30:23

nature is all around us

30:25

and we don't separate or personify

30:28

her because it's like the wind and

30:30

the rain and the earth. Don't

30:32

get me wrong the beans we heard to appease are important

30:35

but it feels a bit weird to call them gods

30:37

and I'm sorry I don't want to be

30:39

rude like if you believe in this god. Like

30:42

Vint's shadows where I come from

30:44

in Sangoma we believe in many

30:47

different gods but I

30:49

will not deny that some gods can be true

30:51

and others less so. Oh

30:54

yeah like people. Vint

30:57

Graview, vidgeted with a small charm in his wrist,

30:59

he wordlessly whispered hoping that whatever

31:01

was listening took pity on him and saw fit to grant

31:04

him a small boon. Perhaps

31:06

among these waters and stone it was

31:08

only Neldage who could hear him but

31:10

could she hear his prayer to be a better

31:13

leader to be supplied with the strength and

31:15

bravery needed to lead his people. Here

31:18

among the crashing waves and salty air

31:21

his giving god was nowhere to be seen. So

31:25

I think we have an opportunity here. Perhaps

31:28

before the observance of last light ritual we

31:30

should explore the sunken bulwark.

31:32

Even barren rocks may hold a treasure or two.

31:35

Let's see what there is to find or perhaps

31:37

we could speak with some priests. Someone

31:40

may have knowledge useful for our communities.

31:42

This is a well-known pilgrimage site after all. You

31:45

think one of you might like to join me for a bit of

31:47

adventure? I would rather

31:50

not go alone. Well don't

31:52

you worry Vint. Here for that I

31:54

slightly tap him in his

31:57

whatever my 3.2 foot high. I

32:02

felt that on the back of my kneecap, I appreciate

32:04

that, Dimple. I would be glad to accompany

32:06

you, Vindh. You

32:10

have already shown yourself to be a better hunter than

32:12

your brother. May his spirit guide

32:14

us. May his spirit guide us.

32:17

And after a moment of silence, Vindh scratches

32:20

his head and quickly changes the subject, visibly

32:22

still quite sad when Aleph's is brought up. So,

32:25

I don't think this is something we've talked about

32:27

at length, but I wanted to

32:29

ask. I've never really

32:32

traveled much beyond the greater Blackstone

32:34

Forest, except for this trip. All

32:37

this stuff with sea travel, boats, deep

32:40

beasts, foggy islands, it's just

32:42

very strange to me. Unpredictable.

32:45

Like, I have no idea what to expect

32:47

next.

32:47

Have either of you done much traveling?

32:50

Beyond the woods where I was born and Dimithria

32:52

beneath, no. But this place

32:54

is quite... interesting. Very

32:59

new for me too. And wet. Well,

33:04

so that's make three of us. Good.

33:07

Water at home is pretty much more calm than

33:09

this. Point is waves,

33:12

crushing on rocks and stuff. I will be honest,

33:14

I am still trying to understand

33:17

what it is when this water

33:19

is never ending. It is quite

33:22

a lot to take in. I agree. I

33:24

agree. And

33:26

we do have a lot in common. More than just

33:28

our forest home. Yes.

33:29

Hearing these friendly words,

33:32

Ajay swiftly broke eye contact and shifted

33:34

his weight to crack his stiff neck. Soar

33:37

from always ducking beneath the willows' low rafters.

33:40

He surveyed the docks and landed ahead, unaware

33:42

as Vin noticed his shift in behavior.

33:45

This deflection, intentional or otherwise,

33:47

made him uncomfortable. What did the

33:49

shaman know that he wasn't sharing? Ajay's

33:52

expression told Vin all he felt he

33:54

needed to know. When

33:55

the time was right, Vin decided, the

33:57

two of them would speak privately. So,

34:01

where do we go first? The

34:04

captain mentioned a temple, do you remember the

34:06

direction? Well, if we are trying

34:08

to find the temple, perhaps we should follow

34:10

the people in the

34:12

ceremonial-looking robes, huh? Oh, makes

34:15

sense. Vind realized he was still frowning

34:18

and forced himself to smile. Ajay,

34:21

it might be wise if you let our group, seeing

34:23

as you're quite a bit taller than the rest of us, and

34:26

you can see over the shrubs and trees, uh,

34:29

rocks.

34:30

There is a single path, so I

34:33

think it is going to be relatively easy for us

34:35

to find our way. Why don't you lead,

34:37

huh? You seem to be fitting

34:40

of the role. Well, I am quite

34:43

used to being in a leadership role. However,

34:46

amongst my people, I'm quite

34:49

large and the strongest and biggest

34:51

of my group, and here I'd like to think

34:53

that, um... Perhaps now you are,

34:55

yes. Well, you

34:57

know,

34:57

looking at you and your size, I know

35:00

there's very

35:04

few people and things that may want

35:07

to approach us. Okay, I got

35:09

it, I got it. And then I start walking.

35:13

Ajay does a big sigh of relief.

35:16

Stop talking!

35:22

Vinned lingered a moment longer, sliding

35:25

his bracelet up and down his wrist, then

35:27

under his sleeve. He had instinctively

35:30

said, see over the shrubs and trees,

35:33

as he was accustomed to being surrounded by greenery.

35:36

But here on the sunken bulwark, the wind rustled

35:38

neither leaves nor grass, but

35:41

swirled the heavy gray fog. This

35:44

was a lifeless place. They

35:46

continued, nimble, carefully inspecting

35:49

interesting stones as they came into view. He

35:52

led the trio without much fanfare, content

35:54

to forge a path through the gray with a feeling of adventure.

35:57

In the back, Ajay leaned to and found the

35:59

path.

35:59

Fro skirting his antlers on overhanging

36:02

rocks and outcroppings that neither nimble nor

36:05

vind need notice. The

36:07

path wound left and right, up

36:09

small inclines and down short scrambles.

36:12

A path carved not for ease of use, but

36:15

ease of creation. Well,

36:17

not the

36:18

most inviting name, but it's the

36:20

only way, right? I guess

36:22

so. But it is nice

36:24

to be away from the noise of the willow, though, is

36:27

it not? What? Exactly.

36:33

I felt as though I might be going partly deaf.

36:36

But in seeing these rocks,

36:39

seeing this sunken ballwalk in

36:41

person, I feel though we may need to

36:43

stay vigilant for dangers. Well,

36:46

I believe if we stay out of the water, we'll

36:48

be safe.

36:49

Yes. Let us not try to fall

36:52

in, huh? That feels

36:54

like it would be not

36:57

so fortunate for us.

36:59

Very, very wise of you to point

37:01

that out. I think that is pretty

37:04

obvious. We want to avoid the edges

37:06

of this cliff and stay

37:08

as inland as possible. Vin

37:11

then takes a moment to bend down to

37:13

the ground, places his ear against

37:15

the ground and takes a listen. Watch

37:17

out for all that shrubbery, Vin. Just

37:20

in case you don't want to get lost down

37:22

there. Hmm?

37:23

Just thank you. I figured

37:25

I'd listen. See if I can hear

37:28

anything different in the... I

37:30

think Ajay feeling a little petty

37:32

and upset right now just

37:34

like

37:35

takes his staff and just like as he presses

37:37

his ear, as soon as he closes his eyes, he starts like scraping

37:40

the staff just really like

37:42

subtly against the floor next to his head.

37:47

Just to put him off. Ah! Oh.

37:53

You scared me there, Ajay. Wow.

37:58

Oh. But are you...

37:59

Are you not concerned about what we could run into

38:02

up ahead? Our

38:05

path in life will always hold trials.

38:08

The best we can do is try to be... welcoming

38:11

of such challenges and focus

38:13

on the one directly in front of us. I

38:16

believe the angry halfling woman on the willow

38:18

said, figure it out as we go along.

38:22

Trying to predict a place or a future

38:24

is a fool's errand.

38:25

A hunter must be prepared for anything.

38:30

Ready for anything, huh? Seems

38:32

this rock is not as dead as we thought.

38:41

I would like to say, Nimble, if

38:44

there are any areas you cannot jump over, I

38:46

would be more than happy to carry you across.

38:49

I like small but I can do my... all

38:51

my jumping, all my, you know... not

38:54

falling on definitely rocks through

38:56

the sea thing, I hope. Nimble,

38:59

you look... perfectly... Nimble

39:03

to me. Sorry, I do not know

39:05

a better word for it. That's a pretty good word.

39:08

I don't know the kind of bats are kind of... weird.

39:11

What do I expect in something like that here? And

39:14

speaking of the unexpected, I can't

39:16

imagine this place if it gets much darker, but

39:19

as we're nearing the literal hour of last

39:21

light, nothing but night for the next

39:24

couple of months.

39:25

I think it might be prudent to ask what skills

39:28

you both might have if things go horribly

39:30

wrong in the next few hours with,

39:32

uh...

39:32

an unexpected terrain or creatures.

39:36

I will say this.

39:37

If we should find ourselves in trouble,

39:40

please do not be alarmed if I change

39:43

a little. My

39:45

other form can be a little frightening,

39:47

shall we say.

39:48

But do try to hold it together,

39:50

and fight by my side if such things should come

39:52

to pass. Well, we

39:54

were just attacked by a couple flying sharks with

39:56

tentacle faces. I think we're

39:58

through the...

39:59

Horror and being afraid stuff. Yes,

40:03

absolutely. I think what the flying sharks

40:05

and bats have shown us is that there will

40:07

be surprises in store for us.

40:09

And I think that we need to be prepared to tackle them together.

40:13

Nimble, you're amazing with that slingshot

40:15

and Ajay, you are a great hunter

40:18

and a bridge to your people's ancestors.

40:20

We were caught by surprise earlier individually

40:22

while we were separated. And I think that

40:25

when it really comes down to it, we should

40:27

really focus on having each other's backs. Our

40:29

communities, our families are relying

40:32

on us. Well said. I

40:35

can say with some confidence that I will do what

40:37

I can to avoid surprises

40:39

in the night. And

40:42

I will make direct eye contact with Vind and

40:44

continue to walk onward in silence.

40:49

Further up the path, Lon, Convo,

40:52

Yara and Viviana had almost reached the dull

40:54

wooden exterior of Sorrow's Edge. Though

40:56

they were engrossed in a conversation of their own. So

41:00

Lon,

41:01

you mentioned doing an offering. Just

41:04

what kind of offering are you thinking about? I

41:07

want to offer something of my personal belongings

41:09

that was given to me by my grandmother. Honestly,

41:12

us delirians, we have our own

41:15

very personal devout faith to Celagon. Different

41:17

even from other sculptures who worship him.

41:20

However, it is also taught to us during our

41:22

travels that if we trespass on another

41:24

deity's domain, it is very

41:26

rude to not give them a gift, you know, to

41:29

show that we respect our gracious hosts and mean no ill will. That

41:31

kind of stuff. Since

41:33

we are going to need all Nelthi just help

41:35

to not be murdered or get lost

41:37

as we venture through her waters, it's the right

41:39

thing to do. At least for me. Yep,

41:41

that makes sense. In case of emergency,

41:44

never hurt anybody. Yeah, I mean,

41:46

you guys are seafaring, um,

41:49

whatever languages you guys spoke. Veno,

41:52

I don't understand, but you guys are seafaring

41:54

folks, so surely you must believe in those traditions

41:56

that will ensure safe passage on the waters.

41:58

Uh, well... Well, some

42:00

of us are a little bit more superstitious than others.

42:04

I know the captain's very much into his offerings

42:06

to Nel Dij, and he is a devout guy.

42:09

I, myself, am not too

42:11

concerned with Nel Dij, per se. I'm not into

42:14

gods all that much, to be honest, and if there's

42:17

one god I'd say I'd follow, it's definitely

42:19

not that one.

42:20

What god do you follow, pray tell? Because

42:22

I've noticed from your tattoos that you've definitely been

42:24

to a lot of places. Your skin

42:26

is like a book or a map.

42:28

Yeah, I've been to a lot of places,

42:31

but the tattoos don't necessarily come

42:33

from those places. If

42:35

you had to call me a follower of a god, I

42:38

would say Tuligah, the stone lady. But

42:40

she's more of a muse, if you will.

42:43

Oh, I see. To what

42:45

does she bless or inspire

42:47

in you? Hmm.

42:52

Art, beauty, she's

42:54

the god of inspiration. Interesting.

42:58

Everything that I

43:01

wish I had in life has been taken from me.

43:03

That is a story I like to hear over marshmallows

43:06

and campfire. It's

43:09

not a story I'm ready

43:11

to tell, but thank you. It's

43:13

good to know that you

43:16

are

43:16

willing and wanting to

43:19

share. Definitely. I'll

43:22

give it some thought. How's that?

43:23

I would like that, Kombu. As

43:26

Yavuz hears Kombu's hesitance to tell

43:28

that story, Yavuz is getting a little

43:30

more anxious about his surroundings. Lady

43:35

Viviana,

43:37

with this observance of last

43:39

light happening, I

43:42

think we should pick up the pace a little. If maybe

43:45

you want a chance at grabbing some food

43:47

that... And he's looking

43:50

around him so that Uda is not in earshot.

43:53

Um, that Uda

43:55

hasn't cooked? I

43:58

hear they have a nice... spit roast

44:01

down there. Some of the crew were talking about it. You

44:04

might be able to grab something more

44:07

substantial at Sorrow's

44:10

Edge, however. Yare!

44:13

You know what? The best food that I can eat right now

44:15

is a sense of adventure, you

44:18

know, man?

44:18

Well, that

44:21

foggy path looks very

44:23

promising for such fare.

44:25

It does, doesn't

44:28

it? That's what I was thinking. It

44:30

might even offer some dessert from what I

44:32

can tell. Oh, I hope they have ice

44:34

cream. I love ice cream. Yare,

44:37

or copper, and I won't tell Uda what you said

44:39

about her cooking. Ha, that's not nice,

44:41

bro. That's not nice. Let's just get stitched.

44:46

Again, maybe I should have rolled a deception

44:49

check because Yare thinks the world of

44:51

Uda is cooking. I

44:54

honestly wish I'd asked her for a small

44:56

portion to take with us, but I just

44:59

know Lady Viviana is not too fond

45:01

of her cooking.

45:03

Through heavy fog, a flickering oil light

45:05

shone through the dense haze, and the dark

45:07

shape of a building slowly took form.

45:10

As they stepped closer, the meager flaking

45:13

sign above the door came into view, which

45:15

read, Sorrow's Edge.

45:18

Dipped into a narrow shelf along a rocky

45:20

cliff, Sorrow's Edge was a peculiar

45:22

kind of creature, naturally curving

45:25

to fit the cliff face, which was only

45:27

about 15 feet across at its widest

45:29

point.

45:30

The southern-facing edge stuck out over

45:33

the cliff, clawing for extra space

45:35

that didn't exist. The

45:37

wood of the rickety building, which seemed to creak

45:40

and groan in response to the roar of the waters

45:42

below, had clearly been salvaged

45:44

from shipwrecks and driftwood. The

45:47

whole of the inn hugged the blackstone

45:49

as if fleetingly grasping for life.

45:55

The

46:00

door might be dropped, give me a second. And

46:03

Lon delicately searches the door's

46:05

frame and handle, taking great care to make

46:07

sure that we don't trigger any- Onward! And

46:11

Viviana opens the door.

46:12

To the surprise of the party, Viviana

46:14

Bloodshamber opened the door to Sorrow's Edge,

46:17

indifferent to the dangers beyond. Dark

46:21

Dice, Shores of the Silver Thron.

46:24

Chapter 4, The Sunken Bulwark. Created

46:27

by Travis Vengroff and K.A. Stats. Featuring

46:29

Lillipichu as Viviana Bloodshamber, Eric

46:32

Nelson as Vindgravehue, Jasper William

46:34

Cartwright as Ajay Ogun, Danilo Baraschini

46:36

as member Rumbletraps by Trout, Florian

46:38

Seitler as Yara, Enrique Perez as

46:40

Convo, Sophie Yang as

46:42

Lon, K.A. Stats and Travis Vengroff

46:44

as co-Dungeon Masters. And featuring

46:46

Kareem Crownfley as Captain

46:47

Gelmaine. This episode was produced

46:49

and edited with sound design by Travis Vengroff. With

46:52

dialogue editing assistance by Kayla Shue, Mixian

46:54

Mastering by Dane Lenardsen, Transcriptions by

46:57

Xian Francois, and executive producers Dennis

46:59

Greenhill, Carol Vengroff, Ajay Pumpkin

47:01

and Myko Viegas. This episode features

47:03

music by David Wise, Potoshi Sakamoto,

47:06

Stephen Melin, Brandon Boone and Travis

47:08

Vengroff. To support this production and get ad-free

47:10

access to bonus releases, music, world

47:13

lore, art, and early access to future adventures

47:15

and demi materials, please join our Patreon

47:17

at patreon.com slash fullinscholar.

47:20

This is a fullinscholar production. Thank

47:22

you for listening.

47:27

August is here and summer is winding down,

47:30

but there's still time for one more great

47:32

trip. Especially if you come with

47:34

us on the podcast Strong Sense of Place.

47:37

In each episode, we explore a different destination

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and discuss what makes it special. We

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talk about the natural landscape, the cultural

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history, and the local food.

47:46

And then we recommend five books we love

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that took us there on the page. Ron

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and said our show offers the kind of book

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or solid company on a road trip, we

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So what are you waiting for? Binge more than 50 shows

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