29. Legends of the Divine Labyrinth III

- Theme Song: Lyrics by Eric Silver, music by Brandon Grugle. Vocals by Brandon Grugle, Lauren Shippen, Julia Schifini, Roux Bedrosian, Eric Silver, Tyler Silver, and Amanda McLoughlin. Available for purchase here.

- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman

- Multitude: https://multitude.productions

About Us

Join the Party is an actual play podcast with tangible worlds, genre-pushing storytelling, and collaborators who make each other laugh each week. We welcome everyone to the table, from longtime players to folks who’ve never touched a roleplaying game before. Hop into our current campaign, a pirate story set in a world of plant- and bug-folk, or marathon our completed stories with the Camp-Paign, a MOTW game set in a weird summer camp, Campaign 2 for a modern superhero game, and Campaign 1 for a high fantasy story. And once a month we release the Afterparty, where we answer your questions about the show and how we play the game. New episodes every Tuesday.

Transcript

Eric: I remember a time before the Cascade dried up. Here in Verda Stello, the four nations of plant and bug people flourished and thrived. But the great waterfall that fed the land slowed to a trickle, revealing a vast Salt Sea and unknown islands. The only guide were the words of the 13 Dried Carvings. “The water will slow to fall, but the tides are turning. Find the Infinite Lake to replenish the world and discover the Salmon who will grant you a wish of whatever you desire.” This marks the beginning of the tide, as many Greenfolk hauled onto ships to find the Infinite Lake and maybe riches, adventure, excitement, and purpose along the way. And what exactly is a salmon? Is that a berry? That was 50 years ago, and the Tide rushes forward ever still. There are many stories caught on the wind between sails, but why don't we hear just one? Of a butterfly gunman with clipped wings, a ripened and explosive piece of produce, and a witch made out of tea. This is Join the Party Campaign 3, The Rising Tide!

[theme]

Amanda: Last time on Join the Party.

Eric: Well, first, Troy, Umbi, And Havana got all cut up by the Harvester, who is now very well acquainted with all of our players. Off by herself, Cammie ran into Panorama, the bleached sunflower who built the maze and has some thoughts about the birds involved. Cammie also got a special item from Baba Rutabaga to ward off the Planter's ire, a spirit lantern. Back with the group of bumbling fun people, Troy, Umbi, and Havana also ran into Panorama, the bleached sunflower who built the maze. It was interesting. Havana then tried to heal himself, but first, the Planter stepped in to give him the quest to get Cammie out of the labyrinth as fast as possible, by whatever means necessary. At the end, both parties got five navigation points and independently used them to head to the Grove in the center of the maze. So get ready to answer my riddles three. Let's get the party started.

Eric (as Stump): If you want to enter inside of the Grove, you're gonna have to answer the riddles three from me, the Stump of Riddles.

Julia (as Cammie): I love riddles.

Brandon (as Umbi): I love riddles, too!

Amanda (as Troy): This feels too advanced for me.

Brandon (as Umbi): Troy, you're gonna get every single one of them like— just watch.

Amanda (as Troy): Alright, because if— if riddling is like puzzling, I failed that chapter of school.

Julia (as Cammie): They have puzzling at schools in the Crags?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah. It's all about like if your brother wants to kill you, do you kill him first or do you kill your sister? What? Keep them guessing.

Julia (as Cammie): That's more like morality questions?

Eric (as Havana): Yeah, that's such a hard— that's such a hard thing to have to figure out.

Amanda (as Troy): Sorry, it's not about me. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Julia (as Cammie): Is Havana okay?

Eric (as Havana): Yeah.

Amanda (as Troy): You're good, bud.

Brandon (as Umbi): He got chopped in half a little bit, but he's—

Julia (as Cammie): He got— he got what?!

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, yeah. No, that's what—

Julia (as Cammie): What did you do to my sweet boy?!

Amanda (as Troy): Cammie, could you— could you like fix him up? Because he— he kind— he did get sliced, what, in half. And he— he did a really good job, really brave, field dressing, getting himself set.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah. I mean look at these stitches, they're wonderful, right?

Amanda (as Troy): They're beautiful. Havana, they make you look so distinguished.

Brandon (as Umbi): Great stitches.

Eric (as Havana): Look, I spelled my name in the stitches.

Julia: Does Havana need healing?

Amanda: Yes.

Julia: Okay.

Brandon: Well, he's stable, but yes, he would— he could use it.

Julia: Yeah. I'm just gonna use a— a Cure Wounds, I think. Hold on.

Amanda: Thank you.

Brandon: We had to choose between healing— taking the time to heal, and, like, rolling and getting— moving forward, so—

Julia: Okay. That's fine.

Amanda: He was pretty close to dying.

Julia: I'm going to use the first-level Cure Wounds for Havana.

Eric (as Havana): No, no, no, no, no, I'm fine. No, I don't— I'm fine. I'm— I'm good. I got it under control. Look at my stitches spell my name. No, it doesn't— it spells—

Brandon (as Umbi): They spell Hannah.

Eric (as Havana): It does. It spells Hannah. I was close but—

Brandon (as Umbi): You were close.

Eric (as Havana): No, I'm— I'm fine. Don't— it's— no, I'm— I love riddles. The—I— I took riddles, I was in riddle club in med school.

Amanda (as Troy): Whoa.

Brandon (as Umbi): Whoa.

Amanda (as Troy): Tight.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah me and my brothers were like, "Hey, what if there was a— a spook—what if there was like a flower coyote and— and a— and a—"

Brandon (as Umbi): Uh-hmm.

Eric (as Havana): "—and a hedge sheep?

Julia: Bag of flower? Yeah.

Eric (as Havana): And a hedge sheep and then like a bunch of grass, and you got to bring— to get them all over, but you can't keep the coyote and the sheep together, and the sheep with the grass, and then we figure it out.

Julia (as Cammie): That's a logic problem.

Amanda (as Troy): Coyotes gonna eat sheep, you know that.

Brandon (as Umbi): I'm pretty sure that was part of the prank as well on you, Havana.

Eric (as Havana): But then you put them on the boat.

Amanda (as Troy): Why did you take them at the same time?

Eric (as Havana): No, you don't. You got to do— well, you have to do one at a time.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh shit.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah. Yeah, no, that's the— you can't leave them together, and it's like you're bringing them across— across the river.

Amanda (as Troy): Ah.

Brandon (as Umbi): The boat is a barrel.

Julia (as Cammie): Ohh.

Julia: Can I do an inside check on Havana? This is fascinating, guys, but why is Havana being fucking weird to me?

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: [dice roll]

Brandon: Besides getting chopped in half.

Julia: 24.

Eric: 24?

Amanda: Shit.

Julia: Uh-hmm. It's an 18 plus 6.

Eric (as Havana): We— we just— you know— I don't— I think it would be best if we just kind of move on instead? It would be better for you— Cammie, if we just did this thing instead and we didn't— I— I'm moving on. It was trauma. It was the trauma that I— I— that happened so that I didn't— so, no, I'm— I'm all healed. I'm good. I'm fine. You got to save your magics for the labyrinth, so— and— and figuring out the riddles.

Amanda: Can we talk to Cammie?

Brandon: Are we allowed to tell Cammie?

Eric (as Stump): I— it's very interesting. This is all happening. I'd like if everyone could introduce themselves and tell me their favorite way to sacrifice for the Lord.

Julia (as Cammie): I'm Cammie. Is that a riddle?

Eric (as Stump): No, more of an introduction.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay. I'm Cammie. I make tea for people to make them feel better.

Eric (as Stump): That sounds interesting.

Julia (as Cammie): Thanks.

Eric (as Stump): Who else do we have here?

Brandon (as Umbi): I— I'm Umbi. I expend my mental energy as— as sort of a gesture of goodwill towards the Planter.

Eric (as Stump): Interesting. And that directly kind— and the Planter is aware of that, and it’s directive?

Brandon (as Umbi): I mean, the Planter is aware of everything. What do you mean?

Eric (as Stump): I guess if you think that. What about everyone else?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah. Troy Riptide, what up? I gave up all my earthly wealth and advantages in order to accomplish something for myself.

Eric (as Stump): Incredible. Incredible. Perfect.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, thanks, man.

Eric (as Havana): And I'm Havana Tropicana. And—

Amanda (as Troy): Doctor.

Eric (as Havana): I'm Dr. Havana Tropicana—

Amanda (as Troy): There you go.

Eric (as Havana): —and I'm re— I'm on the— the Path and I've been studying it. And I'm really into kind of my whole daily— my whole redemption as a person, and then finding my way upon the Path, and following it, and making sure my feet do not touch the— the outsides, and keep it on the insides. My whole— my whole way that I do it.

Eric (as Stump): Incredible. It seems like you're trying, but remember, it's not about trying, you got to do it. Okay. Who's ready for the first riddle so you could see if you could come inside of the Grove?

Brandon (as Umbi): Me, me, me.

Julia (as Cammie): Me.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Brandon: This stump is Yoda.

Julia (as Cammie): I mean, give us the first riddle, I guess. I'm having conflicting feelings right now, but—

Brandon (as Umbi): I'm excited.

Julia (as Cammie): Tallyho.

Eric (as Stump): I can understand—

Brandon (as Umbi): Tallyho.

Eric (as Stump): I can understand that you're having conflicting feelings.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Brandon (as Umbi): Is that the riddle?

Julia (as Cammie): Is that the riddle?

Amanda (as Troy): Do you know, Cammie?

Eric (as Stump): No, it's not a riddle. I just see and know. Okay.

Julia (as Cammie): Are you gonna ask us a riddle?

Eric (as Havana): Here's the first question, here's the first riddle. What are the five items the Planter created in the twilight of the third day of growth?

Julia: Can I roll Religion or History for this?

Eric: You can roll history, absitively.

[dice rolls, Julia laughs]

Brandon: Is that good or bad?

Amanda: Julia only laughs when she gets a Nat 20.

Julia: I know everything about the Planter.

Eric: You rolled a Nat 20?

Julia: Yeah, of course, I did.

Eric: Okay. Great. Oh, okay. Of course. Absolutely.

Amanda: Is that good for you, Eric?

Eric: Yeah, no, it's fine.

Julia: Is that good for you, Eric?

Eric: Here you go, Julia.

Julia: Uh-huh.

Eric: Cammie would only know this. Somehow by it being delivered to you in a rhyme that's like— you know how we all know that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell?

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Julia: Uh-huh.

Eric: It's like that, just burned into your brain. You only know this because you've heard it in sing song—

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: —at some particular way. Like, you know how you only know all of the states in a song?

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Julia: Yeah.

Eric: It's like that.

Julia: Yes. Alright. God, now I want to do it in a rhyme, though.

Eric: You— you're allowed to do whatever you want—

Julia: Okay. I know.

Eric: —in this improvisational fictional structure.

Julia: I know. I have to think— I have to go to rhyme zone while I fucking compose a rhyme for everyone.

Brandon: Yeah. Please take your time.

Eric: That's fine.

Julia (as Cammie): First, they made the carved stones for when Greenfolk face unknowns. Then the rainbow and the fig to fill a world that's vast and big. And finally, the barrel and the Salmon for Greenfolk to thrive and examine. These the Planter made on that third day and it is to them that we pray.

Amanda (as Troy): The barrel?! What?!

Eric (as Stump): Incredible. You knew that like it was burned into your brain.

Julia (as Cammie): It was!

Eric (as Stump): Would you like to share the circumstances upon your life that made it happen in this way?

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, I was raised in Open Fields and we follow the Path.

Amanda (as Troy): They were really mean to them.

Julia (as Cammie): End of statement.

Eric (as Stump): Iron sharpens iron. Okay.

Amanda: I love this character.

Eric: Alright. Cammie, give me a Perception Check really quickly.

Julia: Yeah.

Brandon (as Umbi): Cammie, that was really impressive.

Julia: Oh, my God.

Amanda (as Troy): Why can't all of school be in rhymes?

Julia: That is a 21, 18 plus 3. Jesus Christ.

Eric: Jesus Christ. Okay. Hey, Cammie?

Julia: Hey.

Eric: So—

Julia: What to roll worse—

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: —in these scenes.

Eric: Hey, Cammie, as you dove into your mind palace, and like a body dug up to be moved again from your garden.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: You brought up this information and everything is so quiet and still.

Julia: In the maze or in my mind palace?

Eric: In your mind palace, in your mind palace.

Julia: Okay.

Eric: Because that give you—

Amanda: Which is a kind of maze.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Yeah. Which is— I guess is a maze of— is a hedge maze when you think about it.

Julia: It's a forest.

Eric: Yeah, it's a forest. And in the forest, you're distracted by light catching metal.

Julia: Is it a key?

Eric: It's not a key.

Brandon: Goddamn it.

Julia: Oh. Oh.

Eric: Maybe over to your right. Maybe coming around the circle of the Grove. And maybe you hear the sound of something sharp slicing into the ground.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Brandon: Is this Stump just trying to distract us so they can kill us?

Julia (as Cammie): Hey— hey, Stump, if we leave and come back, do we have to re-answer all these questions?

Eric (as Stump): No. Any answers are kept here.

Brandon (as Stump): This is a checkpoint.

Julia: This is— this is a question for Eric. If we leave and come back, do we have to spend five more points to find our way back here?

Eric (as Stump): Not— not five, but you can return if you navigate.

Julia: Okay, I have a map that should make it a little easier for us to get back here.

Eric: That's probably helpful. I'm stuck in this voice.

Julia: Okay. I think Cammie goes—

Julia (as Cammie): I think we should leave and come back.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, yeah?

Eric (as Stump): Sounds good.

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah.

Eric (as Stump): Here's the second riddle. Where does the Great Salt Sea go at night?

Amanda (as Troy): Into his jammies for— for bed?

Eric (as Stump): Nope.

Brandon (as Umbi): Troy, it's gonna be some kind of like wordplay, you know?

Julia (as Cammie): Uh, we should go. Again—

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh, okay.

Julia (as Cammie): —I would like to stress—

Brandon (as Umbi): Why?

Julia (as Cammie): —we can think about this while we go.

Brandon (as Umbi): Why?

Eric: Hey, everyone, roll Initiative super quick. Just really quickly.

Amanda: No!

Julia: No, no, no, no. We're going. We're leaving. We're leaving.

Eric: Everyone roll Initiative really, really quickly. Go.

Amanda: No!

Julia: We're actually leaving.

Eric: And Cammie gets advantage.

Julia: You suck. [dice roll] With my advantage? 13.

Eric: 13?

Amanda: Dirty 20.

Brandon: Dirty 9.

Eric: Dirty— it's a really— it's a super Dirty 9.

Brandon: Cool.

Eric: Troy, it's your turn. Per— give me a Perception Check.

Amanda: A 2.

Eric: Cammie is super agitated, but like what— what are the— what did jammies look like for the Great Salt Sea?

Amanda (as Troy): Sleepy, feeties, jammies. I—

Eric: You have— you have a cha— you have one action, and you can do whatever you want with it.

Amanda: Did Cammie give any indication why she wanted us to leave?

Julia: Yeah.

Eric: I— you only heard— you heard what you heard.

Amanda: Yeah. Can I hold my turn or ready in action?

Eric: You can hold your turn if you don't know what's up.

Amanda: Yeah. Yeah.

Eric: And remember, if you hold your turn, you can hop in whenever you want.

Amanda: Yep.

Eric: Cool. Alright, Cammie, it is your turn. Hey, dude, the Harvester is fucking coming.

Julia (as Cammie): We're gonna die. We need to leave. The Harvester is coming. We can answer this riddle later.

Brandon (as Umbi): What? Fuck!

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, I hate that guy.

Julia (as Cammie): You guys saw him?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, he almost killed us.

Brandon (as Umbi): What do you think happened to Havana?

Amanda (as Troy): He got Havana.

Eric (as Havana): No, I want to keep— I don't want to be Hannah for the rest of my life!

Amanda: Troy scoops him up. Just hold him to his chest.

Eric: Okay.

Julia (as Cammie): Alright. We should go, we should go.

Julia: And Cammie starts, like, leading the pack out of the Grove.

Eric: Okay, Cammie, what is your— what's your action? What do you want to do?

Julia: I want to leave the Grove.

Eric: Great.

Brandon: To dash?

Julia: So I want to dash.

Eric: Go, sure. Sure. Yeah, give me a Dexterity Check.

Julia: [dice roll] Is it a check or is— it's not good either way. It's a 5.

Eric: Okay. Cool, cool, cool.

Amanda: Oh, boy.

Eric: Sounds good. Sounds good. Troy, you want to hop in, or you're still holding?

Amanda: I mean, if I know which way Cammie's running away from, then I'll just shoot into the direction she's running from, you know?

Eric: Yeah. Yeah.

Amanda: Yeah.

Eric: Cool.

Amanda: I'm gonna shoot my bomb arrow into the direction that Julia is running away from.

Brandon: Ooh.

Eric: Cool. Now, that Cammie has directed your eyes towards it. Yeah, the Harvester dragging their massive scythe behind them, stepping quietly with their weird root toes, is coming towards you. What exactly does the bomb arrow do?

Brandon: So, instead of normal damage, it deals damage as if a bomb has been primed and thrown. So I get to add my intelligence modifier instead of Dex, and it increases by 1D10 when I reach fifth level, so—

Amanda: So instead of the 1D8 piercing of a normal arrow, instead it’ll do--

Eric: It could be like 3D10.

Brandon: So, it'd be 3D10 plus 3.

Eric: Cool.

Amanda: Yep.

Eric: Cool. Alright. Let's see if it hit.

Amanda: Alright. So I rolled a 17 to hit.

Eric: Yeah, that hits.

Amanda: Yeah. Okay.

Julia: I don't like this.

Amanda: An 8 plus [dice roll] 8, 8, and 2 is 18, plus what?

Brandon: 3.

Amanda: 21 points of damage, please.

Eric: 21 points of damage, for sure.

Amanda: And that was only my one attack, Eric. Let's go again.

Eric: Oh, yeah, sure.

Amanda: With a normal crossbow.

Eric: Sure.

Amanda: Alright, it's another 17 to hit.

Eric: Yeah, that hits.

Amanda: Alright.

Brandon: Nice.

Amanda: And on top of that, let's just throw, oh, 4 points of damage and I'm going to use another risk die to do covering fire. When I hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, I can expend a risk die to cow the creature. I roll my risk die right here for another 4 and subtract it from the next attack roll the creature makes.

Eric: Okay.

Amanda: Before the start of my next turn.

Eric: That sounds—

Brandon: Tight.

Eric: That sounds great.

Brandon: That is cool.

Amanda: So 25 points of damage total and then minus 4 on his next roll to attack.

Eric: Alright. Explai— yeah, detail this to me. Explain this to me.

Amanda: Oh, yeah. So Troy grabs the chunkiest arrow out of his pack. I like to imagine, Brandon, that it's like we've somehow made the bomb itself kind of conical.

Brandon: Oh, hell yeah. I love that.

Amanda: And so it's just like— it's like almost a cartoon bomb or something where it's just like so round and almost Chibi-looking. Maybe we painted a smile on it.

Eric: I— yeah, you did.

Amanda: And so, yeah, Troy knocks it back, fires it right off into the— the hedge row that the Harvester is coming from and strikes true right in the middle of his body, big explosion. And through the smoke, another arrow whizzes and hits him again, middle of the chest.

Brandon: This happens so fast that Umbi is just like—

Brandon (as Umbi): What? Huh! Holy shit!

Amanda: And I think he's a little embarrassed, which is why he's cowed or he maybe— maybe he slips the grip of his scythe.

Amanda (as Troy): Yo, Cammie, I made him dropped that earlier. It was great.

Julia (as Cammie): That's good. That is good. He does not do well with the— with— without it. That's good.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Eric: Cammie says from 20 feet away.

Julia: Yeah. Hiked up, skirts running.

Amanda: Over her shoulder, yeah.

Eric: Yeah, I— I love that— I love that. Yeah, that's why you rolled a five—

Amanda: Tea leaves— tea leaves coming off.

Eric: That's why you rolled a five because you have to tie your skirt up first.

Julia: Yeah, Cammie does not do a lot of running.

Eric: Oh, my God. I love that— I love just like zooming in and watch— zooming in on the arrow with a bomb on it, with the smiley face on it—

Amanda: Yeah.

Eric: —like explodes right in the Harvester's face.

Amanda: Uh-huh.

Eric: And then— and then you hear [whizzing noise] just like cuts through the smoke, right in the middle of the chest.

Amanda: Yeah.

Brandon: Can I pitch to you, Amanda? Maybe it also says something underneath the smiley face, a little message that Troy wants to send to his enemies?

Amanda: Yeah. I think it's a— a smile and then a little kiss. I think Troy kissed Harold and then Harold kissed the bomb. And so it has a little, like, green algae glowing kiss.

Brandon: I love that. That's cool.

Eric: Oh, my God. It's like a letter from your baby in World War I, the big one.

Julia: Wink. Wink.

Eric: Jesus. Hell yeah. This is Havana's turn.

Amanda (as Troy): Let's go, man.

Eric: Havana is running away, but also fiddling with his backpack, pulling out his Path prayer book, flipping around into it, and mumbling to himself. It is now the Harvester's turn.

Julia: You shouldn't slut shame the Harvester like that.

Eric: It's the Harverster's turn. I'm just gonna do a quick attack here.

Amanda: Minus 4.

Brandon: How close is he? Is he within five?

Eric: To you?

Brandon: Yeah, to me and Troy. I think we're— we're pretty close.

Eric: No.

Brandon: Okay.

Amanda: So whatever this is, Eric, it's minus 4.

Julia: No, because he probably has reach on that scythe.

Eric: No, no, I'm gonna do—

Brandon: Oh.

Eric: I'm gonna attack four times for each of you, but I'm gonna apply minus 4 to each one.

Julia: For me as well?

Eric: Yeah, dude.

Brandon: Cool.

Eric: Troy, what's your AC?

Amanda: 13.

Eric: 13. Alright, that hits. [dice roll] Umbi, what's your AC?

Brandon: 13.

Eric: That hits. [dice roll]

Julia: Eric.

Eric: Yeah?

Julia: I'm gonna use a reaction spell.

Eric: Okay.

Julia: I'm going to use Intrusive Thought.

Amanda: Ooh.

Brandon: Ooh.

Eric: Ooh. What does that mean?

Amanda: My favorite— my favorite because it's the most relatable to me.

Julia: As a reaction, when a creature you see within range uses its action to attack or takes the dash, dodge, or disengage actions, they must make a Wisdom Saving Throw. On a failed save, the creature takes an action of your choice.

Amanda: Yes.

Eric: Okay. That's fine. What's your spell-casting ability?

Julia: My spell casting ability is Charisma.

Eric: Okay. Hey, make your Charisma Saving Throw for me.

Julia: [dice roll] Okay. That is Saving Throw and I'm going to add my 1D4 to that.

Eric: Do it.

Julia: Which is a 2. So that is 7 plus 6, plus 2, that is 15.

Eric: That's not going to do it. Okay. What does this look like when you're— for you doing Intrusive Thought?

Julia: I think it looks like most of Cammie's spells, which is a puff of tea steam surrounding the enemy. And in this case, like fogging their brain, so that they think they're doing one thing, but they're actually doing another.

Eric: Cool. Cool. Okay. And you brew that like with your tea stuff?

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: As you're pulling it together in the pot that Nonny's in, as you're ready to summon it, it smells rotten. It smells like something's growing in there.

Brandon: Oh, no.

Amanda: Oh, no.

Eric: So you made— you made your fail here, and the Planter has something to say about this. So I'm gonna go get a joken and there's a 50% chance that you fail. Straight up.

Amanda: Damn.

Julia: Okay.

Eric: Cool.

Amanda: Some kind of area effect on your magic?

Julia: Yeah, I had a feeling this was gonna happen.

Eric: Okay. Here's how it works. On this Wisdom Saving Throw, I'll tell you that the Harvester failed.

Julia: Okay.

Eric: But there's an intervention here. So if I get a joke, the Harvester pushes through. And if you get the Join the Party logo, this intrusive thought happens.

Julia: Cool. That's a real trick-or-treat situation there.

Eric: Oh, yes, it is. Okay. You ready?

Julia: Uh-hmm. [coin flip] Amanda?

Amanda: Join the Party logo!

Julia: Yes!

Brandon: Yeah!

Julia: Yo, fuck that.

Amanda: Let's go. Can I hold the joken?

Eric: Yeah, for sure.

Brandon: It's an intrusive joke.

Amanda: Oh, are these the— are these the Collector's Edition Black Pearl Jokens—

Brandon: Oh.

Amanda: —that we may or may not be, I don't know, making available in a game of chance to potentially win at some future engagement where people could, I'm not sure, see us perform the show live?

Eric: I mean, only if they see us in person, I would say.

Amanda: Only if they see us in person?

Brandon: Ooh.

Eric: Only if they see us in person. You'd have to go— go find us like we're Cash Cab.

Amanda: Yeah. Too bad there are only seven of them and we will be doing five to six live shows.

Eric: Oh, piss. Oh, piss. So, yeah, it's— something is growing in your pot, what do you do?

Julia: I think much like you might do when you are, like, cooking and you see something in there that you don't want, but it like— it won't— before it ruins everything. Like—

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: —you know, some onion skin got into the soup and you can't let the onion skin be in the soup. I think Cammie just scoops it out and tosses it

Amanda: Yeah.

Eric: You're just— you're just using— you're using, like, Nonny to get, like, eggshell out.

Julia: Yeah.

Eric: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Amanda: Yeah. Those— like, my grandma can just pluck a tea bag out of boiling hot water. Like her fingers just don't feel pain anymore. She's just, like, endured to it, just like yanks it out.

Julia: That's impressive.

Eric: Incredible. Alright. What is Intrusive Thought?

Julia: Intrusive Thought as a reaction when a creature you see within range uses its action to attack or takes the dash dodge or disengage actions. They must make a wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes an action of your choice.

Eric: Goddammit. That's a goddamn good spell. That's a— is that a witch spell from Valda's?

Julia: That is a witch spell from Valda's, baby.

Eric: Goddamn you, Mage Hand Mike. Goddamn you. Alright. Yeah. What do you want me to do?

Julia: You're gonna take the disengage action.

Amanda: Yay.

Julia: So at least you can't get Opportunity Attacks.

Eric: Oh, thank you.

Julia: You're welcome.

Eric: Oh, my God, thank you. You know what— you know what I think this is like? Because I think that there's— so the disengage action is an action, right? It's like— it's the idea of removing yourself from combat, and then if you were doing it not forcefully, you would then run away with no consequences, right?

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Amanda: Yeah. Like— like— Eric, like one of those audio interfaces where you have to push a button and then remove the XLR. Like it’s not just one action.

Eric: Amanda, that's a little too— I don't know if that example will be relevant to—

Amanda: Okay, okay.

Eric: —to people.

Amanda: Okay. Like— like— like an old— like an old iPod charger where you have to, like, hold the sides of the charger to, like, get little prongs out and then remove it.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Sure. Okay. Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think that what this is in fact is, like, the Harvester is put into defense mode, like in Yu-Gi-Oh! Like, I think that he—

Amanda: Right.

Eric: —that like the Harvester then grabs their scythe in a defensive stance and then hold—because here's what— here's what happened. Cammie is running away, Troy shoots a bomb that explodes, and hits the Harvester in the chest. Havana is try— is also try to run away. Umbi has done nothing yet, and now— and then all of a sudden, the Harvester does the big wind up with their scythe, getting ready to slash all of you. And then Cammie blows steam that envelopes their pumpkin seed mind— their pumpkin seed head, and they hold a defensive stance.

Amanda: Hmm.

Julia (as Cammie): No fighting, more running.

Eric: Umbi, you still have an action.

Brandon: Okay. Paparapap. How far away is this Harvester from us about, just roughly?

Eric: Not next to you, but not far away.

Brandon: Within 30 feet, probably?

Eric: 30 feet. Sure, sure.

Brandon: Okay. Yeah, I'm just gonna throw a smoke bomb over to him.

Amanda: Love it.

Brandon: And if I am successful, it deals no damage, but fills a 10-foot radius spear with smoke, which makes that area heavily obscure.

Eric: Sure. Do it.

Amanda: Hell yeah, dude.

Brandon: And we'll have fun, fun, fun 'till I throw a smoke bomb at his face. I believe that would be a 16.

Eric: Okay. That doesn't hit.

Brandon: What is this fucking AC? Jesus Christ.

Eric: Cool. What happens to your bombs when you miss? I forget.

Brandon: They just inertly hit the ground and don't do anything.

Julia: Bummer.

Amanda: Nice.

Eric: Nice. Hell yeah. Alright. The Initiative is over. Y'all can get out of there.

Amanda: Oh, yeah.

Julia: Run.

Eric: You run away successfully. Hell yeah. Okay. You're in the in-between phase here. You have one point. All of you have gone, so you can restart the cycle now, but now, it's with four of you.

Brandon: Cool.

Julia: Eric, can my item be utilized by anyone?

Eric: Oh, no, no, no. This— the— that only works for you.

Julia: Okay. So let me roll first then, just so we can hopefully accumulate some points.

Amanda: You're not going to hear me or Brandon complaining about that.

Julia: I think what Cammie wants to do is Cammie's like—

Julia (as Cammie): We'll just like do a loop, and then come back, and hopefully they go in a different direction. How does that sound?

Amanda (as Troy): Alright.

Brandon (as Umbi): That sounds good. Is that how it works? I don't understand them.

Julia (as Cammie): I don't know.

Brandon (as Umbi): Okay, cool.

Julia (as Cammie): I super don't know. Did you guys fight him?

Brandon (as Umbi): What?

Julia (as Cammie): Did you guys fight him?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, he really hurt Havana.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah. Remember he chopped Havana in half?

Julia (as Cammie): Well—

Eric (as Havana): I'm— I'm— was Hannah, but now, I'm not.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Havana, are you sure you don't want me to heal you?

Eric (as Havana): I'm fine. It's fine. I'm fine. I got it. I'm good. I'm fine.

Amanda (as Troy): I think Havana is worried about you, Cammie. We want to make sure you're okay.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Eric: Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay. Alright.

Julia: Let me roll. [dice roll] Okay. Great. I got 14 plus 3 for a 17.

Brandon: Cool.

Julia: So I am going to— basically, Cammie is just like trying to lead them around. Like if there is a path that circles around the Grove and then comes back to the front, that's what Cammie wants to do.

Eric: Cool, cool, cool, cool. Alright. Yeah. So you get one point, that brings your total up to two, including Cammie's remainder. Wonderful. You are making your way downtown. You're walking fast, your faces pass, but you're homebound. Yeah, you— y'all can also talk to each other. I think this is a perfect time to do so, now that you're out of— your out of riddles. You guys can do whatever you want.

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Brandon: Can we talk about the mechanics or only just, like, character stuff?

Eric: I would say character stuff. I tried to ask if you're going to—

Brandon: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): So you guys fought the Harvester?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): What— what happened?

Brandon (as Umbi): That's not important right now. What's important is— Eric, can we talk about the thing that Havana did not say?

Eric: That's not up to me.

Amanda: Okay.

Julia: Well, if you think Umbi would, then sure. Go for it.

Amanda: Do it.

Eric: Yeah. How about you guys can share one piece of information with each other as you're navigating through the labyrinth right now? Choose what that is. Start whatever conversation both groups necessarily want to— want to have.

Amanda (as Troy): While we're running, Havana, could you— could you share with Cammie what you saw, because Havana is like pretty worried that— that you might— you might be imperiled in this labyrinth?

Eric (as Havana): Yeah. Oh. Uh—

Brandon: Yeah, can I roll a Persuasion Check to help out?

Eric: What does it look like?

Brandon: It looks like—

Brandon (as Umbi): Havana, I know it's awkward and— and weird to talk about and difficult but like, yeah, I think Cammie needs to know.

Amanda (as Troy): Havana, this is what bruvs do, and I'm proficient in that.

Eric: Give me Persuasion Checks from both you.

Amanda: How's a Nat 20 go down?

Julia: Fuck yeah.

Brandon: Oh. I have a 17.

Julia: Amazing!

Eric: Jesus Christ. Okay.

Amanda: Troy looks deep in Havana's eyes. Bruvs, bruvs, bruvs.

Julia: Proficient in bruvs. Proficient in bruvs.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah. Well, um, I didn't want to say anything here in front of the Divine Grove and a stump.

Amanda (as Troy): Fair.

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah, he was a little weird.

Eric (as Havana): So, um, I'm just— I was just concerned that, Cammie, if you knew, you're just like super— being super chill about this, that you were in danger, being a witch person. A witch per— of the witch persuasion, of the witch magical lineage here in the Divine Labyrinth.

Julia (as Cammie): I mean, I had a feeling that it might not be great for me in here. What do you mean by ‘in danger’?

Eric (as Havana): Oh, well— okay. Well, I mean, you know—Troy—

Amanda (as Troy): Tell her what you saw. Tell her what you saw. Tell her—

Eric (as Havana): Troy, do I have to—Troy, do I have to do— Troy, do I have to do this?

Amanda (as Troy): I know. I know, bud. I know, bud.

Brandon (as Umbi): It's tough, I know.

Eric (as Havana): I don't want to— I don't want to—

Amanda (as Troy): It's tough coming out. It's good once it's out, just like upchucking.

Eric (as Havana): Well—

Brandon (as Umbi): Just pretend you're talking to us, but then look towards Cammie.

Julia (as Cammie): Or close your eyes, if that's easy.

Eric (as Havana): Alright, Troy, can you stand behind Cammie, so it's like I'm looking at you, but Cammie standing— but I'm looking at Cammie?

Amanda (as Troy): Of course, bruv.

Eric (as Havana): Okay.

Julia (as Cammie): This works great because Troy's so much taller than me.

Amanda: Yup. Troy stands in front of Cammie and poses with his chin on his fist.

Eric (as Havana): No, no. Yeah— yeah, Cammie, can you— no, Cam— no, Troy, can you go behind Cammie?

Amanda: Oh, Troy's— okay. Yeah, yeah. Alright.

Eric: Okay.

Amanda: Troy's behind, a full head taller than Cammie.

Eric: Yeah. So Umbi is, like, looking up at Troy and be like, "Um—"

Julia: Troy rests his head on top of Cammie's head.

Amanda: Yep.

Eric (as Havana): Well, the way— I mean the way— well, the reason why I know that is because when I was healing myself, I was sliced in half by the—by the scy— by the scythe. The um—

Amanda (as Troy): Uh-hmm

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah, the Harvester's scythe. Yeah.

Eric (as Havana): Oh, the Harvester. Yeah. Yeah.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, he's gonna die for that. Uh-hmm.

Eric (as Havana): That I was trying to heal myself and then I got, like, stopped in between. There was like a— a— I like a toll booth in my magic and I got pulled over by the Planter. And they were like— and the Planter—

Julia (as Cammie): Like the actual Planter?

Eric (as Havana): I thi— I mean, I—

Julia (as Cammie): Not like a servant of the Planter?

Eric (as Havana): I mean— I think— I don't know if the— no, it seems like the Planter is really a one-on-one, kinda.

Julia (as Cammie): Hmm. Okay.

Eric (as Havana): You know, they aren't— there aren't like in-bet— intermediaries, real hands-on boss.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Eric (as Havana): And I was told it— I was told that you— that you need to not be in here, and that was like a quest I was given.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay, okay.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah.

Amanda (as Troy): But, like, eventually.

Eric (as Havana): Well—

Julia (as Cammie): Havana, are you going to try to kill me? That's all I need to know.

Amanda (as Troy): 'Cause you said— I mean I'm not going— I'm not going to try actually because eventually, we're going to fulfill our quest, and then we're gonna be out of here, and that'll be fine.

Eric (as Havana): I don't know, um—

Julia (as Cammie): Havana.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah?

Julia (as Cammie): Are you going to try to kill me? Because that's all I really need to know before we, like, kind of continue on this.

Eric (as Havana): I don't want to.

Julia (as Cammie): Are you going to try? Because, Havana, I love you so much. You're my best friend. If you try to kill me, you're going down. You will die. You will die trying to kill me. And while murderism is very fun and nice, and we love a good murder, I don't think that's the Path for you.

Eric (as Havana): But what if I come back as someone, like, six feet— six— like sichen— six inches taller?

Julia (as Cammie): What if you come back as the Harvester? Hmm.

Amanda (as Troy): What if this is a test from the Planter? Being like, hey, if you get an order that you know is wrong, and you do it, that means you too are wrong?

Eric (as Havana): I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

Amanda (as Troy): I'm just saying maybe default to not killing your bruv.

Julia (as Cammie): Or trying to.

Eric (as Havana): I— I don't know—I — I understand that's an unsatisfying answer, but I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Eric (as Havana): There's nothing in this book--

Eric: He's— he's just flapping around his prayer book.

Eric (as Havana): There's nothing that says about this specific situation, so I'm just— I— I'm in between a rock and a divine place. I'm not sure what— I don't know.

Amanda (as Troy): When in doubt, how about you do what you think is right? That's kind of my Path.

Eric (as Havana): And that— that works really well for you, Troy.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Eric (as Havana): It just how it all kind of shakes out for you. Cool. I don't know if that's how my Path goes that— like on my Path, if you like trip over a tree stump and then you stumble, you're like, "Oh, my God. Look, there's some incredibly expensive truffles inside of this log I fell into." For me, that would be like, "Oh, my God. You tripped, and then a bunch of people you thought you were friends put you on a mattress and sent you out into the middle of the sea."

Amanda (as Troy): Then you got better friends.

Eric (as Havana): Well, I don't think that was like cause— I don't know if that was causation. That was—

Amanda (as Troy): I don't know.

Eric (as Havana): I don't know if that— I don't think that those were one after another.

Amanda (as Troy): That's where your Path led.

Eric (as Havana): Uh—

Julia (as Cammie): Um, let's keep going.

Eric (as Havana): Okay.

Eric: Julia, do you have something you want to share?

Julia (as Cammie): Re: the Harvester, I did, at one point come across him. I think he has to, like, rest or recharge occasionally. And, like, I don't know if that leaves him in a weakened state, but he was in, like, almost like sentry mode with the scythe kind of, like, circling around him.

Amanda (as Troy): Interesting.

Brandon (as Umbi): Hmm.

Julia (as Cammie): And I think if we wanted to, like, get the jump on him, we could be— like, that would be a good opportunity to do that, if we came across him, and we wanted to make sure that, like, he wasn't in the way anymore.

Amanda (as Troy): Slaughter them while they're sleeping. That's what we always said.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Amanda (as Troy): It's much— it's much easier.

Julia (as Cammie): Lot of death talk today. Lot— lot of murder talk today. Don't know how I'm feeling about that.

Eric: Tough.

Julia (as Cammie): Anyway, let's keep going.

[theme]

Amanda: Hey, it's Amanda. I had the great pleasure of hanging out with my sister's dog a.k.a. my nephew Coda recently. And I gotta say there is honestly nothing like the feeling of a dog choosing your foot to stand on as he surveys the city of brand-new smells and very cold wind that he finds himself in. So welcome to the mid-roll. God, I love those beans. I want to let you know right up front that our merch is on sale this week. November has turned into deal month at least here in the US, and we are offering 20% off our merch plus free US shipping on orders over $50 at jointhepartypod.com/merch. Now, it's always a great time to get our merch, but this one in particular, you can get that sweet discount. So if you haven't checked out the merch store in a while, you're gonna want to go ahead and do so, jointheparty pod.com/merch. Thank you and welcome to our newest patrons, Jackie, Hester, Luca, and Patrick, we so appreciate you making space in your budget each month to support the podcast. And if you want to chip in as little as five bucks a month or as much as lots, you can do everything from have party planning, and access to our Discord, and all kinds of bonus treats, all the way up to playing a custom one shot with the gang. We just got the chance to play again with our friend G, and it was so much fun, guys. It is truly one of my favorite things about doing this, is getting the chance to bond one-on-one with you guys, get to know who you are, and play games. So if you want to do that, come on over, come do it at patreon.com/jointhepartypod. This week in Multitude, if you wish you had more Multitude shows to catch up on, I have great news, which is that members of the Multi-Crew get a whole RSS feed of bonus audio, including not just Head Heart Gut, our weekly debate show, but also our newest monthly podcast the Multi-Crew Review. Now, this is where our own Julia sits down with another member of Multitude to talk about something they love, and they think you'll love, too. They talk about everything from video games to music albums, to activities like gardening, now that the SAGA and WJ strikes are over, we will soon talk about the movies, TV shows media we are enjoying. We just want to show our passion and love, and get into why this thing is so special to us. So you should go ahead and check it out, join the Multi-Crew, and get access to the Multi-Crew Review and Head Heart Gut, and more at multicrew.club. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. And this time of year, it's like it hits me for the first time every time truly how much having less daylight just affects my mood. And listen, I'm compensating in all the ways that I can, but I also talk about it in therapy. And that is a place where I can go and say, "Hey, I know this is silly, or I feel vulnerable, or weird, or weak sharing this." And my therapist can be like, "Okay. Yeah, that's cool." Like, he asked me the other day like, "Are you afraid that I'm judging you right now?" And I'm like, "Oh, my God. I am." And it is a wild thing that I can have that kind of, I don't know, admission and, like, be honest about what I'm feeling without worrying about kind of what— what he's going to think, because that's not his job. And truly, it is a real gift that I get to do every week and meet this person in person. But until I could find somebody who I liked, who was in person, who I could afford, who is taking new patients, it is a huge hassle. And if you are looking to get started with therapy or get back into therapy, and you need something that is convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule, give BetterHelp a try. So find your bright spot this season with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/jointheparty today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P, .com/jointheparty. We are also sponsored this week by Volante Design. Now this is one of my very favorite sponsors that we work with. If you're looking for gear, for clothing that makes you feel as badass in real life as you do when you, like, execute an incredible move in a video game, or hear us do something incredible here on Join the Party, hopefully, you got to check out Volante Design, seriously. They make high-quality handmade jackets, and they help you bring main character energy into your everyday life. They have official licenses from series like Assassin's Creed, Devil May Cry, and Star Trek, and tons of other original collections, like their Cyberpunk line, which is so beautiful. Seriously, I just look at the website sometimes just for fun. Their clothes are also ethically sourced and manufactured. They're really, really high-quality and will last you years to come. Several folks in the Join the Party Discord have said they have Volante Design products and loved them. So, you know, that doesn't happen every day. So if you go to volantedesign.us, that's V-O-L-A-N-T-E, design.us, and use the code JoinTheParty. They will very kindly give you 10% off your entire order. That's JoinTheParty, all one word, for 10% off your entire order at volantedesign.us. Volante Design, stay badass. And now, let's get back to the show.

[theme]

Eric: Amanda and Brandon—

Brandon: Uh-hmm.

Eric: —you can spend four points to get a clue on how to defeat the Harvester.

Brandon: Ahh.

Amanda: Hell yeah.

Eric: Wonderful.

Julia: So are they only missing the last one then, Eric?

Eric: You're missing the last one, yeah.

Amanda: Okay.

Julia: Cool, cool, cool.

Amanda: Alright. Someone else roll?

Brandon: I'm gonna assume it's kill the Harvester, maybe? I don't know. Let's find out.

Julia: Couldn't say.

Eric: I don't know. I— I wouldn't know.

Brandon: Amanda, do you want to roll?

Amanda: Yeah. [dice roll] Alright, it's a Dirty 20, 17 plus 3.

Eric: Alright. Wonderful.

Julia: Nice.

Eric: That is two more points.

Amanda: So I think— I think Troy is really proud of the bomb work, and he's been kind of studying the effects of the smoke, and just like getting more and more jazzed about, like, the smell, and just tactile nature of all of Umbi's explosions now that he's a part of some of them.

Julia: Aw.

Amanda: So he uses the smoke lingering—

Julia: That's so sweet.

Amanda: —in the air to help navigate as they continue to creep around this kind of circuitous path back to the Grove.

Eric: For sure. For sure. Did I say— I'm going to add this, there's a new thing that I'm adding. You can spend two points to go back to somewhere that you've already been.

Amanda: As a shortcut or we must?

Eric: As a short— as a shortcut. You can go there immediately.

Julia: Okay, cool.

Amanda: Got it.

Julia: So like for example, if we want to go back to the Grove?

Eric: If for example, you want to go back to the Grove, but it can be anywhere that you've already been.

Julia: Okay. Cool.

Brandon: Hmm. I still don't know the answer to this riddle.

Julia: Yeah, I also don't know the— I'm not ready to go back to the Grove yet. I think we should accumulate some points.

Amanda: I'm fine to keep going, yeah.

Eric: It should— do you want to— do you want to hear any of the riddle again?

Julia: Yes.

Eric (as Stump): Where does the Great Salt Sea go at night?

Julia: Where does it go at night?

Amanda: Great Salt sleepy?

Julia: I don't think it's a pun.

Brandon: I think it's— it's gotta be a wordplay. Like, is it like the letter C— where does the— like beyond the horiz— but, yeah, like, where does the sea—

Eric: Bed— bed on the horizon, is that it?

Brandon: No, I don't think so.

Julia: Is the answer nowhere? It stays where it is.

Amanda: I'm gonna look at the list of things we could spend points on again.

Julia: Oh! Oh! I think I know the answer.

Amanda: Thank God.

Brandon: What is it?

Julia: I think it's to the seabed.

Brandon: Ah.

Amanda: That's good.

Eric: Hmm.

Julia: I don't know, we'll see.

Eric: I can tell you again what you can spend points on.

Amanda: Thank you.

Eric: You can spend one point to find something valuable or useful, and you can spend two points for something both valuable and useful. You can spend two points to get a clue on where the Harvester is.

Amanda: Uh-huh.

Eric: You can spend two points now to go back somewhere that you've already been.

Amanda: Uh-huh.

Eric: You can spend four points to get a clue on how to defeat the Harvester, another clue.

Amanda: Uh-huh.

Eric: And you can spend five points to find an exit or blank.

Amanda: Okay.

Brandon: Is it my turn to— to act, Julia?

Julia: Yes. I just wanted to see if there was anything we wanted to use points on. Cammie is just very quickly going to ask you.

Julia (as Cammie): Did you guys meet anyone in the Grove besides the Harvester, obviously?

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, yeah, Panorama, scary, white sunflower.

Julia (as Cammie): Pan—

Amanda (as Troy): She said she designed the Labyrinth, had a bunch of notebooks around her.

Julia (as Cammie): Yes! Yes!

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): And she was really weird about birds?

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, I know.

Brandon (as Umbi): Well, she wanted the birds to attack us and kill us, I'm pretty sure.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, it was really weird.

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, that's— that— yeah. Well, I— I think she wanted the birds not to attack her, so having them attack us—

Amanda (as Troy): Would be better.

Brandon (as Umbi): Right, yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Has anyone seen birds?

Brandon (as Umbi): No.

Amanda (as Troy): Nah.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Eric: Well, Troy and Umbi, give me an Investigation Check.

Amanda: Oh.

Brandon: 21.

Julia: Damn.

Amanda: 14.

Eric: Umbi, you have not seen any birds. Troy, you were not paying attention, but you are pretty sure you haven't seen a bird.

Amanda (as Troy): No. I don't think so.

Julia: I don't like the way you're framing this as an answer.

Eric: Havana says—

Eric (as Havana): Well, do you not— when we were— and there was a lot going on, but like, did you see— wasn't there some on top of the tower?

Amanda (as Troy): Not that I saw, but I miss things all the time.

Brandon (as Umbi): I didn't see any.

Julia (as Cammie): I was on top of the— I was in the tower.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah, you would— but you— you were too far. I guess you were s-- but wasn't there, like, stuff? I mean, it was a tower, so like weren't there things surrounding the tower?

Amanda (as Troy): Maybe, bud.

Brandon (as Umbi): Possible, but I didn't see anything.

Eric (as Havana): I thought I saw it. I mean, there was a lot going on, but—

Julia (as Cammie): Maybe it's a, like, Planter thing.

Eric (as Havana): There were birds.

Julia (as Cammie): Maybe you have to be, like, divinely touched to see them or something.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah. I mean, the wild thing— yeah, they were— I mean, something Panorama said was— was weird.

Eric: Flips all the way back to the back of his book.

Julia: He's keeping little notes in the back of his book. That's so cute.

Eric (as Havana): There's a whole note section for when you have questions that are unanswerable.

Amanda: Aw.

Eric (as Havana): So you can talk to other people about whether or not they're answerable, right?

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric (as Havana): And then they say, "Why do you not know that? Why are you not so well-studied?” And then you hide it. That's where you hide it, in your notes.

Amanda: I think that's— that's really neat.

Julia (as Cammie): That's so sad.

Eric (as Havana): That's the religion. That's it. That's the thing. Yeah, I mean, like the— well, you know, there's some— there's some stories about, like, you know, creatures that are combinations of all of the different Greenfolk and then also different types of stuff. Like, you know, like, part— part-fruit and part-flower, and then some green stuff hanging off, and, like, wings of a bug, wings of a beetle.

Amanda (as Troy): Whoa.

Eric (as Havana): Well, so, like, if it's all— I mean, it's just kind of like an amalgam of the washout of whatever was planted— like whatever weird stuff grows up when it's planted, I wouldn't be surprised. I thought I saw— I guess I didn't— I don't know. I don't know.

Julia (as Cammie): Maybe you did.

Amanda (as Troy): You probably did, bud.

Julia (as Cammie): I'm not doubting that you did or didn't see it. I'm just saying I haven't seen any birds.

Eric (as Havana): I'm having a lot of— I don't know today.

Amanda (as Troy): I mean, this is kinda, like, confronting your whole thing, so I think that makes a lot of sense.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah. Your God told you to kill one of your friends, so like—

Eric (as Havana): I mean, it's all of our God.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yup.

Brandon: Yeah. I just mean like everyone's—

Eric (as Havana): I mean— yeah, it's like all of our— it's like— I mean, because, like, the— that's the God that created everything.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah, but you care about them particularly.

Brandon (as Umbi): No, I agree. I'm just, like, everyone's Planter relationship is individual—

Eric (as Havana): But ,like, you know, when you say your God is like our— I just want to be sure, it's like all of our God.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah, everyone has an individual relationship with their planter.

Amanda (as Troy): Is this about how I called it your hobby again? Because I'm really sorry.

Eric (as Havana): No, no, no, no. Like, you could not know like— but they— they did, in fact, plant everything and created everything that happened, so I just wanna—

Brandon (as Umbi): Right, right. But in Overstalk, we say like, "Your Planter, my Planter," because it's each an individual relationship with the Planter.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh.

Eric (as Havana): Oh, because of your personal-- sorry, I thought you were fucking stepping to me and I really needed to— okay, that's fine.

Brandon (as Umbi): No.

Eric (as Havana): Okay. No, you're from--

Brandon (as Umbi): I'll only step at you if you actually tried to kill Cammie.

Eric (as Havana): No, like a spiritual— in a spiritual sort of way. Okay.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah, yeah.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah.

Amanda (as Troy): Nice.

Eric (as Havana): Uh-huh.

Amanda (as Troy): Good conflict resolution, bruvs.

Eric (as Havana): Uh-huh.

Brandon (as Umbi): Here's a question that I have in my brain right now. Do you think if we went back to Panorama and took the seed and covered—

Julia (as Cammie): The what?

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh, she had big, like, burlap bag— burlap sacks full of birdseed. Well, I assume it's birdseed. She said seed, I think.

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, that's what— that's what she tried to give me, okay.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Cool.

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): I said, "No, thank you."

Amanda (as Troy): And we were like, "Nah."

Brandon (as Umbi): Right. We did, too.

Julia (as Cammie): Uh-hmm.

Brandon (as Umbi): But now I'm wondering if we took the seed and somehow got-- threw it on the Harvester or, like, got it to stick to the Harvester—

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, yeah.

Brandon (as Umbi): —would it be like Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds situation?

Eric: Brandon, what is that in the world of Verda Stello?

Brandon: Oh, Alfredo— no. Alfred—

Julia: It's not Alfredo. Alfalfa Hitchcock.

Brandon: Alfalfa Hitchcock.

Julia: Come on, guys.

Brandon: Thank you.

Julia: Jeez.

Eric: Oh, yeah, that was a puppet show I saw.

Brandon: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Yeah, it was— it was scary. I didn't sleep for three days.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: You could— I want to remind everyone here, no one here knows what's in the sack.

Julia: Yeah, it might not be birdseed.

Amanda: We don't know.

Brandon: Yeah, that's true. I just made an assumption, you're right.

Eric: No, I know.

Julia: I—

Brandon: Yeah.

Eric: You— you feel free— Umbi definitely would have made that assumption, but this happened to both groups of people.

Amanda: Yes.

Eric: You do not know what is in the— well, you do not know what's in those sacks, right.

Julia: Yeah, it seems sketchy, regardless.

Amanda: I think we should spend two points on something valuable and useful, because that'll leave us with two, and if Cammie hits a three, that'll get us a five.

Julia: Yeah, that's— I will say that is a very useful thing to do.

Amanda: What do you guys think?

Brandon: I’m into that.

Julia: Yeah. Let's use something. That sounds great.

Brandon: Let's do it.

Eric: Sure.

Brandon: Do you want to use one or two for both?

Julia: No, we should do something valuable and useful.

Brandon: And useful. Cool.

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Julia: Alright, I crossed off, we're back at two.

Eric: Cool. Yeah. What do you— what do you want? What would be useful for you at this moment?

Brandon: The solutions to the riddles, we could—

Amanda: A distraction?

Brandon: —get something to slow down the Harvester.

Eric: Sure.

Brandon: We could—

Julia: Ooh, maybe something to repel the Harvester.

Brandon: Yeah, yeah, repel the Harvester.

Amanda: Make us a little more incognito, yeah. That'll be helpful.

Julia: Like repels in Pokemon.

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Yeah, you could do a repel. Yeah.

Amanda: That, for sure.

Eric: You want a repel?

Amanda: I vote repel.

Eric: Cool.

Brandon: How many steps do we get, Eric, for this repel?

Julia: 500.

Amanda: Yay.

Julia: It's a super repel.

Eric: Digletts will show up regardless. And you can't— you can't stop the Digletts.

Julia: I don't care about the Digletts, man. I just don't want those fucking Zubats anywhere near me.

Amanda: They're the worst in Pokemon GO too, and it's, like, at least it's a consistent experience.

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: You know what people hate? Those fucking Zubats.

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Cool. I think that as you were making your way around the— you're doing like a big loop around the interior circle of the Grove area. I think that you're kind of working your way through. Troy, you kick something.

Amanda: (as Troy): Oh?

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh.

Amanda: That's what Troy says when he sees something.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Troy, your foot.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh.

Eric: And there is a burlap sack tied up with a rope.

Julia: Does it look familiar?

Amanda: Same burlap as before?

Eric: I mean, all burlaps look the same.

Amanda: That's fair. Troy's gonna hunch over so that the opening— almost like it's raining and I'm checking my phone, you know?

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Amanda: Like, his back is hunched over the opening, but he is going to crack it open to look inside.

Eric: Troy, inside is full of jagged, large crystals of salt.

Amanda (as Troy): I have a lot of salt here.

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh, that'll be delicious for our— our meals later.

Julia (as Cammie): No, this is good, because—

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh. Oh.

Julia (as Cammie): —I— I think when the Harvester is resting, he's like drawing nutrients out of the ground.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, tight.

Brandon (as Umbi): Uh-hmm.

Julia (as Cammie): And so maybe if we like, you know, put some salt down in the areas that we've been, he can't follow us there.

Eric: Also, Troy, as you look inside, you see that there's a little note in the sack.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, it's a helpful note.

Amanda: Troy picks it up.

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh, what?

Julia: Hopefully, it's helpful.

Amanda: Unfurls.

Brandon (as Umbi): We can also make like a salt circle. I've heard that works sometimes with certain things.

Julia: True.

Eric (as Stranger): If you are reading this, I know I'm going to come back— I'm going to come back as pollen pig poop.

Julia (as Cammie): Aw, they did a bad job.

Eric (as Stranger): I did a bad job with the whole life thing. Protect yourself. I will be slashed and put into the bag. Like a farmer pulling the first— the first produce co— that comes out of the ground. I am too small, wrinkly, and sour.

Julia: Aw.

Eric (as Stranger): I fucked it.

Brandon (as Umbi): Hey, same.

Julia (as Cammie): He fucked it?

Amanda (as Troy): This is really sad.

Eric (as Stranger): Spread it around you.

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, so it is a salt circle situation.

Eric (as Stranger): They hate that. Especially on their weird, wiggly root toes.

Amanda (as Troy): Thank you, stranger.

Eric (as Stranger): PS. I fucked it.

Amanda (as Troy): Stranger, you've really helped us.

Amanda: Troy kisses the note.

Eric (as Stranger): Turn— PPS, turn over.

Amanda: Troy turns the note over.

Eric (as Stranger): I fucked it.

Amanda: Troy kisses it again.

Julia: Ooh, wait. You know what I would like to do?

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: Can I read this note with the glasses just to see what happened to this person?

Brandon: Hah!

Amanda: Yay!

Brandon: More--

Eric: Yeah, dude.

Amanda: Troy is gonna sprinkle a couple of the— of the salt crystals.

Julia: Cammie goes—

Julia (as Cammie): Someone mean yelled at me for not using these glasses more recently, so I'm gonna— I'mma use them.

Brandon (as Umbi): Who?

Julia (as Cammie): Don't worry about it.

Amanda (as Troy): Cammie, can— can you give them a big hug for me, or like a little kiss, whatever you're more comfortable with?

Julia (as Cammie): I will give him a little kiss, not on the lips.

Amanda (as Troy): No, no, never.

Eric: Hey, Julia?

Julia: Hey.

Eric: Name a piece of produce.

Julia: A just scraggly-looking piece of garlic, like a head of garlic.

Eric: Yeah, good. A head of garlic, for sure. Okay. Alright. Yeah, you put on the glasses, and you feel the "Oooop" and it's all, like, very sketchy, very— everything looks rushed. Everything is also crinkled, almost like the background of everything is crinkled.

Julia: The air tastes salty.

Eric: Yeah. And the first thing— the first thing you see is like, "Oh, there's the Harvester." And it's kind of like a crude drawing of the Harvester, like it's a stick figure.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Like oblong head, weird, like, lines for the body. Big scythe, just a— like a half moon and a line as the scythe. After, you were like, "Oh, there we go.” You realize what the Harvester is doing. The Harvester is carving up a person with the head of a garlic bulb, just slicing them down the middle, and then in quarters, and then just mincing— mincing this person, as the person is screaming—

Eric (Garlic Stranger): I fucked it! I'm a bad person! Why am I here?

Julia (as Cammie): Why didn’t you use the salt?

Eric (as Garlic Stranger): Aaaaaah!

Julia (as Cammie): Where's your salt?

Eric (as Garlic Stranger): Aaaaah! I fucked it! I fucked it!

Julia (as Cammie): Alright.

Julia: And Cammie takes the glasses off. Cammie goes—

Julia (as Cammie): He really did fuck it.

Eric: Yeah. You also— you could see also that the— the edges of the Harvester of, like, where the feet and the arms are, are, like, erased away almost.

Julia: Hmm.

Eric: And in the middle of the dicing, this bag of salt is just kind of cast on the ground as the Harvester steps on it, they, like, recoil and with— [sizzles]

Julia: Ah.

Eric: And they kick it out of the way and go back to just, like, making a goddamn garlic paste out of this— out of this person.

Amanda: Tough.

Julia: Cool.

Amanda: Tough. Using the scythe, smooshing.

Eric: Now, they're using—using the scythe like a— like— like a—

Amanda: Medialuna.

Eric: Yeah, like a medialuna. Just like moving it back and forth, and really making a paste, then smoosh to get out, and smoosh to get out the other way.

Brandon: What does the Harvester do with the garlic paste afterwards? Just, like, making like a—

Julia: Snack.

Brandon: —like a nice pizza or something?

Eric: Yeah, like an arrabiata, yeah.

Brandon: Yeah, yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Okay.

Julia: And Cammie takes the glasses off.

Julia (as Cammie): He really fucked it, but the salt— the Harvester doesn't like the salt, I can confirm.

Amanda (as Troy): Hell yeah.

Brandon (as Umbi): Yeah. So we should, like, go back— I think we should go back to the Grove, make a salt circle—

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Brandon (as Umbi): —solve the riddles—

Amanda (as Troy): Yeah.

Brandon (as Umbi): —and then get whatever our prize is.

Amanda (as Troy): Alright.

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah. I think we have to keep going.

Eric: Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): But— yeah.

Eric: You have two points, though. Do you want to go back to the thing?

Julia: Do we want to do that, or do I want to do the thing that you guys haven't unveiled yet? Because if we want to do the thing that you guys haven't unveiled yet— ooh, okay. Do we want to deal with the Harvester first, or do we just want to ignore him? We don't want to do, like, any fucking combat with this guy, right?

Amanda: Now that we have the repelling, that will be my vote.

Brandon: I agree, yeah.

Julia: Okay. So let's use our 2 to go back to the Grove—

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Julia: —and then we'll try to solve these riddles.

Amanda: Let's do it.

Eric (as Stump): Welcome back. It's been so long. You still have— you've solved one of the riddles, but—

Eric: I gotta do more mouth.

Eric (as Stump): You have solved more of the rid— one of the riddles and I remembered. You— this was a safe point.

Brandon: Cha-ching.

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, good.

Julia: When we're approaching the Grove, is there like an entrance that we are, like, in?

Amanda: Are there paths we can block off?

Brandon: Just make a circle. I think the Harvester can go wherever the Harvester wants.

Julia: I know, but I'm just like thinking about— you know, this thing apparently has a very large reach, and so like just doing a circle, it would have to be a fucking big circle. You know what I mean?

Brandon: I don't think a scythe can go in the circle either.

Julia: Can I do an Arcana Check or something like that—

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: —on that?

Brandon: That's a good question.

Julia: [dice roll]

Amanda: You did see it in action.

Julia: That is a 16, 12 plus 4.

Eric: Wonderful. Okay, let me answer all these questions. You were kind of like in the center here, and there's like a clearing right in the cen— in a big circle, in the middle of the labyrinth, right? And then there's a smaller circle of this dense thicket that you can't get through except for that one entrance, which is protected by the stump, right?

Julia: Gotcha.

Eric: So there are— it's like spokes in— this is like the center of a— of a hub and spoke city like Lisbon.

Julia: Okay. Uh-hmm.

Amanda: Great. You're not wrong. You're not wrong.

Julia: Lisbon.

Eric: Yeah. To answer the other question, no, you can assume that the scythe also can't go into the circle.

Julia: Okay.

Amanda: Hell yeah.

Julia: I wasn't sure if it was like— 'cause it was a reach weapon, it would still be able to get us—

Amanda: I was thinking something like—

Eric: Like— oh, yeah. Like act— hmm, actually, this is a polearm, so I'm just gonna get you—

Julia: Yes. Exactly what I was thinking.

Eric: Yeah. No, no, no, no. You're fine. You're fine.

Brandon: I think it's more of like a ghost supernatural situation, you know?

Eric: I would agree—

Amanda: I'm into it.

Eric: I would agree with that. That's how I assumed that to be.

Amanda: I ain't afraid of no ghost.

Brandon: I ain't afraid of no ghost.

Eric: Cool. Cool.

Julia: Alright. So let's do a circle around us, and then we'll answer this fucking stump's riddles.

Eric: Cool.

Brandon (as Stump): I'm the fucking stump.

Eric: No, that's a different stump. Different stump.

Brandon: Oh, a different— a different thing?

Eric: That's the fu— that's from the fuck cut. That's the fuck cut universe.

Julia: Uh-hmm. Cammie goes—

Julia (as Cammie): If I remember the riddle correctly, I think the answer is the sea bed.

Brandon (as Umbi): [gasps]

Amanda (as Troy): [gasps]

Brandon (as Umbi): Ooh, that's such a good idea, Cammie. If that's not the answer, that should be the answer.

Julia (as Cammie): I agree.

Eric (as Stump): Where does the Great Salt Sea go at night? The seabed.

Amanda (as Troy): Yay!

Eric (as Stump): That's—

Brandon (as Umbi): Woo!

Eric (as Stump): —not the answer.

Julia (as Cammie): What?

Amanda (as Troy): Oh.

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh.

Julia (as Cammie): That's—

Eric (as Stump): I was repeating it, so that you could hear how wrong your answer was.

Amanda (as Troy): I mean, is the answer it does not go anywhere, on account of it is the sea, it is there no matter if it is day or night?

Eric (as Stump): That is not the answer.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh.

Eric (as Stump): Where does the Great Salt Sea go at night?

Julia: Can I roll something for this again?

Amanda: Yeah.

Eric: What would you like— yeah, you can roll— you can definitely roll a History Check—

Julia: Okay.

Eric: —Everyone can roll a History Check once, once per riddle

Julia: Once per riddle. [dice roll]

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Amanda: Alright.

Julia: How's a 4, Eric, do I get it? Do I get the riddle with a 4?

Amanda: 8 for Troy.

Eric: 8?

Brandon: Hey, Eric, how's a Natural 20 sound to you?

Julia: Oh! Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap.

Amanda: Umbi is old as sin.

Eric: You're so old.

Julia: Old as the sea.

Brandon: Woo! I am history, baby.

Amanda: Umbi was there when the Great Salt Sea went to sleep for the first time.

Brandon: I put it to bed.

Julia: He tucked it in. He kissed it good night.

Brandon: I told it a story.

Eric: I'm just gonna send you the answer and you could say it.

Julia: Yay.

Amanda: This is very fun.

Brandon: Okay, okay. Is there a pun here that I'm missing or is this just the answer?

Eric (as Stump): Where does— where does the— where does the Great Salt see go at night, is the riddle.

Brandon (as Umbi): Oh, wait, I think— I— I think I know this one. I think I know this one, guys.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, yeah?

Brandon (as Umbi): I'm— I'm remembering. Hold on, hold on. I think it's like, who knows but my ship is tied up.

Julia: Your shit’s tied up?

Eric (as Havana): The— that's it. You did it.

Brandon (as Umbi): Whoa.

Amanda (as Troy): When you get old, does someone just tell you these things?

Julia (as Cammie): Are these riddles or are they jokes?

Brandon (as Umbi): I mean, what's the difference, really? You know?

Julia (as Cammie): There is a difference.

Eric (as Stump): This was the favorite joke that the Planter and the Waterer would say to each other.

Julia (as Cammie): Sorry, the Waterer?

Eric (as Stump): Uh-huh. Here's the third one, the third riddle.

Julia: Wait, hold on. What the fuck is the Waterer?

Eric (as Stump): What— here's the third riddle, what's Billiam up to?

Julia: What the fuck is happening?

Eric: Right. Well, the thing is, is that it got translated from, well, modern Greenfolk to middle Greenfolk.

Amanda: Oh, my God.

Eric: And then it went to Greek, and then it was in Aramaic. So it just the j— the humor didn't translate through.

Julia: It's a real King James translation of the riddle, I got you.

Eric (as Havana): The Planter only hears your prayers when they’re in Aramaic. That's what the angels—that's what the angels speak.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Amanda: You must face backward. We're not gonna pander to the audiences by facing them. It's a real Vatican 2 reform joke for everybody out there.

Eric (as Havana): What is Billiam up to?

Amanda: Troy is gonna roll.

Julia: Yeah, I guess. Might as well.

Amanda: 15.

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Julia: I also rolled a 15 plus 1 for a 16.

Eric: Cool, cool.

Brandon: I rolled a 5.

Julia: Yeah.

Eric: Well, I was looking for a 25, so I can't— unfortunately, I can't give it to you.

Eric (as Stump): What is Billiam up to? That's the final riddle.

Julia (as Cammie): Are you Billiam?

Eric (as Stump): No, I said my name earlier. I'm the Stump of Riddles.

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah, I know. That seemed like your title. I thought you maybe had like, you know, a given name,

Eric (as Stump): No!

Brandon (as Umbi): What happens if we just try to walk past you, by the way?

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, yeah. We didn't try to do that yet.

Eric (as Stump): I wouldn't.

Brandon (as Umbi): Why?

Eric (as Stump): You— you need to know the consequences? It's not enough that you're here in the Divide Labyrinth, and I say don't do it?

Brandon (as Umbi): Yes.

Eric (as Stump): You can try. Though, I wouldn't.

Brandon (as Umbi): Okay. Okay.

Amanda (as Troy): Don't— don't.

Julia: Alright. Yeah. Did Havana roll?

Eric (as Havana): I don't— I— I don't know what it is. I'm— I didn't see it.

Julia (as Cammie): Did— is there someone in— named Billiam in— mentioned in the Path book? Also, Havana, you and I, you know, followers of the Path, both studied the Path?

Eric (as Havana): Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Who the fuck is the Waterer?

Eric (as Havana): I haven't heard— I haven't heard that one, either.

Julia (as Cammie): I think this— I think this—

Julia: Cammie pulls Havana to the side.

Julia (as Cammie): I think this stump is full of shit.

Brandon: Can I roll a Religion Check and see if I know the Waterer?

Eric: Sure.

Julia: Can I also do that?

Eric: You can do it. Yeah, you guys can do whatever you want.

Brandon: 15 total?

Julia: Nat 1.

Amanda: Good, Julia. Get it out. Get it out.

Julia: Uh-hmm. Get them out now, let's get them out now. Did something happen because I rolled a Nat 1 on Religion? Go fuck yourself.

Eric: Cammie, it's been so long since you've studied this stuff. Maybe there is a Waterer. Maybe the Waterer and the Planter have always been together. Maybe it has always existed. When was the last time you read one of these things? When was the last time that you were— you were on a Plot or you met— you talked to a Cresco? You should— maybe you just gotta refresh. Especially if you have someone in your life who's trying to find this.

Julia (as Cammie): But Havana didn't know who he was either.

Eric: But this is more about you, Cammie. Cammie, this is about you. And, like, you're pretty rusty, I feel like you should— I don't know.

Julia (as Cammie): I spoke to a Cresco, I fucking roasted him in a grocery store.

Eric: You know that doesn't count. Deep down inside, you know that doesn't count.

Julia (as Cammie): Hrm.

Amanda (as Troy): Billiam's up to two hands and a half.

Eric (as Stump): No.

Julia: What?

Eric (as Stump): Wrong answer.

Brandon: Does my 15 give me anything?

Eric: Yeah. Listen, there's like— I would say specifically from your education, there's a lot of like— I mean, it's a creation myth. There's alternative versions of it. Like what, only a Planter did all of that in three days? There had to be something else. There are other ideas, that there are two sides of the same coin, the person who puts the Greenfolk with the— with the spade, and the Greenfolk with the watering can. You know, it's all— whether it's all part of ourselves, or all part of the same myth, or also just like maybe— or maybe they are real. It seems like a lot of this stuff is real, so maybe it is. It's—

Brandon: Unclear still, yeah.

Eric: It was pretty wild when you saw Panorama earlier. Who knows, man? Who knows? Havana says—

Eric (as Havana): I'm gonna— I'll look for Billiam quickly. Okay, I'll flip through.

Julia (as Cammie): Yeah, like a quick cross reference or something like that.

Eric (as Havana): I got— yeah, I guess I have my other books. I have like a monster manual of people [murmurs to himself]

Amanda: Troy is going to pull a, like, rusty, old dagger out of his pack and say—

Amanda (as Troy): This dagger belongs to my fallen comrade, Billiam, and I think it is really fucking rude of you to bring him up like this.

Eric (as Stump): No, I didn't. You're a liar. Are we talking about different Billiams?

Amanda (as Troy): I suppose there could be more than one.

Julia (as Cammie): It's a very common name.

Brandon (as Umbi): Do you think I could light the Stump on fire? Is that the answer?

Julia (as Cammie): I don't think that's the answer.

Brandon (as Umbi): Violence?

Amanda (as Troy): Do you, like, tell us the answer?

Eric (as Stump): No! That defeats the whole purpose of me standing in the entrance area.

Brandon (as Umbi): Is the answer nothing? He's up to nothing. [long pause] Did I get it right?

Eric (as Stump): Billiam is up to nothing at all. Not ever again.

Julia: Jesus.

Brandon (as Umbi): Because Billiam is dead!

Amanda (as Troy): He is dead!

Brandon (as Umbi): Yay!

Amanda (as Troy): Yes!

Eric (as Stump): Hooray!

Julia: And Cammie just holds her head in her hand and is like—

Julia (as Cammie): [sighs]

Amanda (as Troy): Umbi, that was awesome.

Brandon (as Umbi): I'm so glad I didn't have to light the Stump person on fire.

Eric (as Stump): You couldn't do that even if you wanted to.

Brandon (as Umbi): I mean, you're probably right. That's why I'm glad I didn't have to try it.

Eric (as Stump): I'll get right up in that face and show you what time it is.

Brandon (as Umbi): What time is it?

Eric (as Stump): Time for— well, you won’t have to find out.

Amanda (as Troy): Time for us to go.

Eric (as Stump): Because you can go— yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): Alright.

Brandon (as Umbi): I mean, based on the sun, it's like, what, 4:43 something around there, you know?

Eric: Hey, everyone give me— everyone give me a Perception Check super duper quick.

Amanda: [dice roll] 10.

Brandon: 13.

Julia: 11.

Eric: Cool. As you're finishing this up and the stump says—

Eric (as Stump): Who wants a group hug?

Eric: You see coming all the way back, dragging their big, old scythe is the Harvester, who's taking real annoyed defined steps towards you. Real pouty, hard stumps towards the group of you.

Julia: Eric, do we still have salt remaining, or do we use all the salt on our circle?

Eric: It's a good question.

Julia: Thanks.

Eric: [dice roll]

Brandon: Roll for salt grains.

Eric: Roll for number of salt grains. Yeah, you got some salt left.

Julia: How much salt?

Eric: Like— well, let's see what you want to do. I think that you use the majority of it making the circle, but I think that you— you kind of deduce— that you can keep it pretty tight, so you have some left. It's not a huge bag. It's a regular ba— regular-sized bag, pretty decent-sized circle, so you'd have a little bit left.

Amanda: Well, load it into a bomb would kill 'em?

Julia: Well, what I would like to do is when he gets within 60 feet—

Eric: Okay.

Julia: —I would like to cast Petal Storm.

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Julia: The cloud heavily obscures the area, any creature that enters the storm or starts its turn there must make a strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3D4 slashing. As a bonus action, you can move the storm 30 feet in any direction and also picks up debris and the spell damage increases by 2D4. So what I would like to do—

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Amanda: Yeah.

Julia: —is I would like the debris that this thing picks up and heads towards the Harvester to be the salt that we have used.

Eric: The salt left in the bag?

Julia: How do we feel about the salt left in the bag or the salt that we are— yes, the salt left in the bag.

Eric: Okay.

Brandon: Well, we gotta move anyway, so we just might as well do it. Yeah.

Julia: Okay. So should I hold on to the salt that's in the bag, or should I use the one that's on the ground already?

Amanda: If it's debris— if— and Eric dibs it in play, I would prefer that. That way we have a little bit left.

Brandon: Yeah. Yeah.

Julia: Okay. So I'll use the salt that is currently in the circle on the ground to send towards him and then we will go away.

Amanda: Yeah, we lose the protection—

Eric: Okay. If you're using the salt on the ground, then we gotta roll Initiative. We gotta see who goes first.

Julia: Okay. So then let me— let me use it, the bag, to deter him.

Eric: I waited until you said the thing that you wanted to do first—

Julia: That's fine.

Eric: —and then I said the other thing, but fine, you can switch it. That's fine.

Julia: Okay.

Eric: It's fine.

Julia: Alright.

Eric: Alright. You want to use the salt in the bag? It will be less salt.

Julia: That's okay. It seems like even a little bit of salt deters this creature, so—

Eric: Cool, cool, cool.

Brandon: Well, if it's heavily obscured, also, he's— he has the blinding condition, so he—

Julia: Yes.

Brandon: —has disadvantage on Attack Rolls and stuff.

Eric: Well, that's why we're going to roll for Initiative, to see who goes first.

Julia: Okay.

Eric: Cool, cool. Does anyone else want to get in on this or the rest of you are going to try to just run into the Grove?

Brandon: I mean, I would love to just like, yeah, try to run to the Grove.

Julia: Yeah. You guys should go.

Amanda: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Yeah.

Amanda: Yeah.

Julia: Cammie will linger.

Eric: Okay. So the— the stump says—

Eric (as Stump): Yeah, come on— come on inside. Everything's super neat.

Amanda (as Troy): Okay.

Julia: Hmm.

Amanda: Troy runs inside. Holding Havana's hand.

Eric (as Havana): Yeah, let's go.

Brandon: Umbi's gonna follow as well.

Eric: Alright, cool. Cammie, let's roll for Initiative and see who goes first.

Julia: I rolled a 16 minus 1 for a 15.

Eric: [dice roll] I did get a 16.

Julia: Fuck you.

Eric: I did get a 16.

Amanda: Salt is still in place.

Eric: Cammie, make an Arcana Check for me.

Julia: I gotta get the juices flowing inside the liquid core.

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Julia: Alright, Arcana.

Eric Uh-hmm.

Julia: 14 plus 4 for an 18.

Eric: Cammie, the Harvester once again reaches their scythe way back, getting ready to throw it at you. And you noticed the vibes are off. You looked down, there's a footprint in the salt circle.

Julia: Whose footprint?

Eric: I don't know.

Brandon: Is the footprint old or young?

Eric: I don't know.

Amanda: Or of a blood orange?

Eric: I don't know.

Amanda: Shit.

Julia: I mean, I can't do anything now.

Eric: You want— you want to try to roll for it?

Julia: Roll for what?

Eric: To fix the salt circle?

Julia: Sure, I guess.

Eric: Yeah. Roll— let's try.

Julia: Alright. [dice roll] What am I modifying this number with?

Eric: Dexterity.

Julia: So it's gonna be a 2 minus 1, Eric, for a 1.

Amanda: Oh, no.

Eric: I— I rolled a 2 on my dice, too! Oh, my God!

Julia: What?

Eric: I beat you, though. I definitely beat you.

Julia: How do we keep rolling the same number?

Brandon: Holy shit.

Eric: This was like— I made this, like, slow motion.

Julia: Yeah.

Eric: Slow motion, so confident, totally fine, and have a salt circle. And then fuuuu-- and then oh, no, there's a footprint at the salt circle. And then the moment you try to— to straight it out with your foot, as the scythe comes slicing through the air.

[dice roll]

Eric: What's your AC?

Julia: 12.

Eric: That hits three times.

Julia: Somewhere Captain Copernicus Cobb is waking up.

Eric: Oh, boy. Cammie takes 35 points of necrotic damage.

Julia: Okay. That's not so bad. I thought it was gonna be worse.

Eric: It's not so bad?

Julia: No. That's only a little bit over half of my hit points.

Amanda: Don't tempt him, Julia.

Eric: That was 5D6, you motherfucker.

Julia: Uh-hmm. I'm a beefy, beefy, witch.

Eric: You’re a beefy witch. 35 points of necrotic damage as the scythe slicing through the air, cuts into you three times.

Amanda: Oof.

Eric: And is it starting to burn? Does it hurt?

Julia: I don't know.

Eric: Does it hurt?

Julia: Weird that a servant of the Planter does necrotic damage, but that's besides the point.

Eric: Yeah, fair.

Julia: I'm gonna cast Petal Storm with the salt from the bag and send it towards the Harvester. Am I able to fix the circle as a free action and then also cast a spell?

Eric: Yeah, yeah.

Julia: Alright.

Eric: This was more of a contest, yeah.

Julia: Yes.

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: So I would like to— I'll cast Petal Storm towards the Harvester and then as a free action, fix the circle.

Eric: Hell yeah. What do I do?

Julia: It's going to heavily obscure the area. Any creature that enters the storm or starts its turn there must make a Strength Saving Throw. On a failed save, it takes 3D4 slashing. And then as a bonus action, you can move the storm 30 feet in any direction and pick up debris and the spell damage increases by 2D4.

Eric: Hell yeah.

Julia: So now, it's 5D4.

Eric: Yeah. The wind picks up the leaves on the thicket, and the greenery of the hedges get picked up in your storm as you throw the salt from the— the remaining salt from the bag into the petal storm.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: [dice roll] I'm gonna roll with disadvantage. [dice roll] Well, I rolled a 5. Congratulations.

Julia: Great. Thanks.

Amanda: Yay!

Julia: I'm gonna roll 5D4 damage.

Eric: Cool.

Julia: 3— [dice roll] 3, 4, that's 7. [dice roll] Another 4, that is 11. [dice roll] Another 4, that's a 15. [dice roll] And a 3 that time, so that is an 18.

Eric: Cool. The Harvester recoils, the weir— the weird roots that are part of their body start to shrivel— physically shrivel up, and they are on their knees with the scythe clattering to the ground. And I'm sure that will last for an extended period of time.

Julia: Hmm. The scythe's on the ground?

Eric: Scythe's on the ground.

Julia: And we're still Initiative?

Eric: We— yeah.

Julia: Since the salt circle is repaired, I'm gonna wait until my next turn so I can do an action.

Eric: Sure. [dice roll] Okay. Cammie, where have you been keeping the— the— the tea lantern thing?

Julia: I think with the supplies that Cammie carries around for making tea in general. So I think it's like— I almost think it's— I love the— the tea cup holster that so many people have sent to me online—

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: —and stuff like that. So I think maybe there's like— not even like a utility belt, but Cammie has kind of like a bunch of stuff looped to her belt and the phantom light— the lantern is— is one of them.

Eric (as Baba Rutabaga): Chamomile, you are wilder than— than plants that grow when the birds poop out the seeds, and they grow out on their own. What are you doing?!

Julia (as Cammie): I just don't want anyone hurting me or my friends anymore.

Eric (as Baba Rutabaga): That is absolutely fair, but you know that— think about it for five seconds. You think that scythe could come inside of the good place?

Julia (as Cammie): Well, it's inside of the Divine Labyrinth already.

Eric (as Baba Rutabaga): I already—I — there's no— I do not have another aphorism to describe how crazy you are being. It cannot go inside of there.

Julia (as Cammie): Are you sure? Have you tried?

Eric (as Baba Rutabaga): I'm— I'm extremely sure.

Julia (as Cammie): Have you tried, though?

Eric (as Baba Rutabaga): No, I haven't tried. I'm speaking to you as much as [noise becomes garbled]

Julia (as Cammie): Oh, that's— that's good. That's helpful.

Amanda: So good. So creepy every time.

Eric: Okay. So now, it is the Harvester's turn. I'm gonna make a— do I have to make another save to do something?

Julia: Yes, because you're starting your turn in there.

Eric: Alright.

Julia: You have the Strength Save.

Eric: [dice roll] Oh, that's a 10.

Julia: Nah, man.

Amanda: Yay!

Eric: No! So what— what— what do I do?

Julia: It's gonna take another 5D4 damage.

Eric: Jesus Christ.

Amanda: Yeah.

Julia: [dice roll] 4. [dice roll] 4. Jesus Christ. [dice roll] 3.

Amanda: Yeah, 11.

Julia: Thank you. [dice roll] 1.

Amanda: 12.

Julia: [dice roll] And another 1.

Amanda: 13.

Eric: 13. The Harvester spends its entire time fighting the storm, trying to protect itself with their arms, and trying to get a hand on the scythe.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: The creature has one weird, burnt fingery hand on the scythe, but it doesn't look strong. It's trying its best. It's Cammie's turn. What do you want to do?

Amanda: Yeah.

Julia (as Cammie): [giggles]

Eric: Oh, God.

Julia: Cammie is gonna Scurry.

Brandon: Cammie is gonna Scurry.

Amanda and Brandon: Cammie's gonna Scurry.

Amanda: Cammie is gonna— Cammie is gonna— Cammie is gonna Scurry.

Brandon: Cammie is gonna Scurry. Cammie is gonna Scurry.

Eric: Alright. Where do you want the scythe to go?

Julia (as Cammie): Come here, baby. Come here, my love.

Eric: What do you want the tendrils on this one to look like?

Julia: Ooh, it's tendrils this time instead of little feet.

Eric: It could be a little tendrils, little— little whatevers.

Amanda: Little curlicues of pumpkin vine?

Julia: I like that. I was gonna suggest we do like— you know how a caterpillar has tiny, little feet and they all move at the same time so, like, it kind of go across the ground really quick?

Eric: I do know that, yeah.

Julia: That it's gonna grow a little caterpillar feet.

Eric: Li–

Julia: Little caterpillar feet.

Amanda: Little feet.

Eric: Little caterpillar—

Julia: Cammie makes grabby hands.

Julia (as Cammie): Come here, my love.

Eric: Alright. The scythe with the little, tiny caterpillar feet underneath it. So many— so many little feet on this giant scythe that scurries towards you.

Julia: I snatch it up.

Eric: Uh-hmm.

Julia: And then I turned, I tried to go into the Grove.

Eric: You're trying to go into the Grove?

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Like a too big of a stick blocking a dog from going inside of a house go, "Boing."

Julia: I turned it and I tried to go with it vertically.

Eric: Boing! And even makes the sound go boing.

Eric (as Stump): Unfortunately, you can't bring that inside of the peaceful Grove. It's kind of anathema to this whole thing.

Julia (as Cammie): Does that mean that the Harvester also cannot come into the grove?

Eric (as Stump): Also true.

Julia (as Cammie): Cool.

Amanda: Can you, like, stick it up inside the salt circle?

Julia: Ooh, that's a grea— Amanda, I love that. That's a great idea.

Amanda: Maybe it'll harm itself trying to get in, yeah.

Eric (as Stump): Ordinarily, people just walk in. This is highly irregular.

Julia (as Cammie): Alright, just give me one second.

Eric (as Stump): I— I gotta go back to standing in the liminal space between the labyrinth and the Grove.

Brandon: Is the stump, like, anchored into the ground like a stump, or is it like— does it have little leg that they use--

Eric: I mean, I assume the latter the entire time.

Julia: Eric, this is a magical item, right?

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: Okay. That's fine.

Eric: Julia, extremely.

Julia: Yeah. I'm gonna do what Amanda suggested. I'm going to— in the middle of the salt circle before I leave it and I make sure I take a big step when I leave the salt circle so that I don't disrupt the circle itself.

Eric: Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.

Julia: Cammie is going to like— like, putting an umbrella into the sand at the beach, is gonna really dig it in there to make sure it keeps on standing up.

Brandon: You could just— you could just— you could just lay it down.

Julia: It's fine. No, I don't want it anywhere close.

Eric: No, it's for— I —it's — I like it as a beach umbrella.

Amanda: Yeah. So what you do guys—

Eric: That's great.

Amanda: —is you stick it hard in the sand, then you lean it forward at like a 45-degree angle and then you woosh it left, whoosh it right. You're making an arc, okay? This is from my mother, the lifeguard. As you do the arc, you work the pole deeper and deeper into the sand. There's no stupid digging. There's no corkscrew technologies to try to put it down. No, no, no. You just use the momentum of the umbrella to get it about a foot down, then stand it upright, kick all that sand back in, your umbrella is not going anywhere.

Brandon: That was impressive.

Julia: That was very impressive, honestly.

Eric: Julia, you want to do that?

Julia: Yeah, that's exactly what I would like to do.

Eric: Okay, great.

Julia: Word for word, that is what Cammie does.

Eric: With salt piled up on the bottom, for sure.

Julia: Uh-hmm.

Eric: Yeah.

Julia: Cool. And then Cammie's gonna go into the Grove.

Eric: Cammie, as you walk into the Grove, you see the— the last glimpse of the Harvester run up to their scythe. And you see for the first time, they've opened their mouth of the pumpkin seed, and it sounds like— it sounds like a pumpkin getting ripped in half.

Amanda: Aaaaaaah!

Eric: Is there— as they wail and scream, trying to paw at the scythe which burns their weird hands and feet.

Julia (as Cammie): I'm sorry, but you did try to kill me, so, uh—

Brandon (as Umbi): Cammie, stop talking and come in.

Julia (as Cammie): Sorry.

Eric: Hey, folks, Grove's nice.

Julia: Oh.

Eric: Chill, so chill, so chill.

Amanda (as Troy): Oh, dappled sun, I love this.

Eric: Sun, trees, plenty of places to lay down. There's even like a babbling brook that cuts through. There's wildflowers growing. There's so many little buggies just hanging out and having a— having a good time.

Amanda (as Troy): Whoa.

Eric: But the thing I think that might catch your eye first is right in the middle of the Grove, in just the smallest, little plot of land, growing a stalk as high as an elephant's eye, is a key shaped like an ear of corn.

Brandon (as Umbi): [gasps]

Amanda (as Troy): Ohhh.

[theme]