Session 1 V5

Serafina Dumal sends a letter to her old friends, Mordred, Idaho, and Doran, asking for their help in finding her missing sister, Hope. Mordred and Idaho meet up and reminisce about their past, while on their way back to their hometown of Beirul. When they arrive, they encounter guards who ask for a toll to enter the town. They pay the toll and wonder if they should tip. Welcome one and all to For the Trees D&D. We're going to get started with the reading of the letter. Helen, take us away. Dear Mordred, Idaho, and Doran, I know it's been a while, six years actually, since we all graduated from high school, but I hope this letter finds each of you well. Mordred, you've been incommunicado since you set off with that druid to hone your powers, and supposedly went traveling on your own to see all the beauty Mother Nature has to offer. I really miss hearing about all the new animals you've encountered. Idaho, I appreciate the quest sponsorship flies from your military-trained platoon you keep sending me. A little impersonal, but it is nice to know that you're doing alright. Now, well, that leaves you, Doran, my best friend. You moved to the Great Stave immediately after grad, and I haven't heard from you at all. You're probably living the life in that big magic city, pulling off schemes and heists that dwarf our childhood pickpocketing antics. I don't even know if you'll get this, but hopefully you can take a bit of time out of your busy city slicker schedule to help out an old friend. Anyway, I'm reaching out because I need all of your help. As of two months and four days ago, Hope went missing. One afternoon, she didn't return home from elementary school, and I've been frantically searching in and around town for her ever since. That is until yesterday, because I think I may have gotten the lead. I now realize that I can't do this on my own, and I need the three of you to come back home and help me find my little sister. Hope needs you. I need you. Godspeed, Serafina Dumal. Hello, everyone. I'm Christian Spence. I'm going to be your DM for this game. Welcome, everyone, to For the Trees D&D. First off, we're going to meet our players. Hi, I'm Carlos Garcia. I'm playing Mordred Wilhelm, and I am also in the trees. I'm playing from my treehouse. Hi, my name is Idaho Manifont. I am also here in the trees, and I am not in a treehouse. I am under the tree. I think we were meant to start with your actual name. And I'll be playing Wyvershare during the parts where D&D isn't happening. They actually got me from the Forgotten Realms, but I'll be playing Wyvershare when we're not in Fantasyland. Hi, my name is Samuel Hahn. I will be playing Doran Greychild, and he's a little bit of a bad boy. Ooh. Hi, I'm Helen Antoniak, and I will be playing Serafina Dumal. And unfortunately, unlike my counterpart, I don't have huge horns. That we know of. To be clear, you really want them, right? This is an unfortunate state of affairs. You wish you had giant horns. And with that, let's get into some D&D. It is evening time on a rural road. We see a single cart strolling down the path. There's an old man sitting on the front with two horses guiding the way through the evening. There's a single door on the side of the cart, and if one were to open the door, alongside they'd find a peculiar fellow. Wyatt, would you like to introduce your character? Hey everyone, my name is Wyatt Vershare. You guys are going to see in the cart, Idaho Manifond. Idaho is 5'10", and also 5'8", sitting down. A lot of upper body, not much leg. He's got a bowl cut, and he's just covered in these kind of faded scars. His bowl cut is slightly balding. He kind of looks like one of those monks from the 1600s. You know, that really, really hot haircut that they had. Idaho is a cool kid. You know, he grew up the most popular kid in school. He was saving kids from bullies with his mighty sword. The hero of the school round. That is according to his diary. That's not actually true. He was kind of a loser, but now he went to paladin school. He's back. He's an Oath of Freedom paladin. A slightly home-brewed Oath of Devotion. And he is going back home because he's on leave. And he got a letter from his old school friend, Serafina. Yeah, and as you, Idaho, are sitting in this closed-off Victorian-style passenger cart, you hit your head a couple times as it goes over bumps, as it's strolling or meandering through the countryside, when suddenly the cart comes to a stop. You hear voices outside as the old man seems to be talking with someone. And then coin is exchanged. And then suddenly, the door opens. And behind it, you see... Well, Carlos, would you like to explain your character? Yeah, I'm Carlos Garcia. I'll be playing Mordred Wilhelm. I am a Circle of the Moon druid. I am a young half-elf. A young man who has just kind of come home from adventuring around, learning all that life has to give for being a druid. As you see him, you see him having a long robe. And, yeah, you do see him as he walks up. He's got a notepad and he's just viciously scribbling on it. He seems kind of more into whatever he's writing than the rest of the world. Until he looks up and sees his old friend, Idaho. Someone who, presumably, we haven't seen in a long time. The moment he sees Mordred, Idaho leaps to his feet and then back down. To anyone, it would look like a mock bow, but it's definitely a real one. Mordred, my sword is yours. Hi, Idaho. It's been a minute. I see that you've upgraded swords, for sure. Yeah, I got a real metal one now. They finally let me have one. How are you doing? It's been so long. Yeah, you know, it feels weird to be going back home after so long. I'm really sorry for not really communicating with you guys. It's really hard to get any messages out in the middle of nowhere a lot of the times. But I'm just excited to see everybody. I know it's not under the best context, but it'll be nice to have each other again. Seraphina needs us, and we're going to be there for her. I'm excited to see everyone again. You'd think owls would be better at communicating letters. They're not. They just rip them up and eat them. So, it'll be nice to talk with everyone. The to-from line is just who. You can't send it anywhere. Sweet. So, as you two keep talking, the carriage begins lurching on forwards, heading back to the town of Beirul, the place where both of you are from. After about an eight-hour trip, you guys finally arrive, exhausted because it's hard to sleep on a bumpy road. And as you look outside, it's evening time, the same time it was when you left. Why? Because Beirul is known as the City of Eternal Twilight, a place where it's always beautifully even. Now, what are you guys talking about as the carriage, like, pulls up? We're going through, like, the last ten years of Murderball. Really, like, very intricate history of every year we've been. Do you guys hear when John Jacobs the Wizard really took it to those fucking, uh, Griffins in the last season? Oh, it was great. The stage blew up. He was taking magic steroids. And with that, the cart suddenly stops. And outside the door, you guys see where the town should be, a large wooden wall encompassing the town. And you hear the voice of the cart man go, Get out of my cart! We're here! Right, yeah, uh, yeah, uh, thanks for the ride, old man. Hey, and as they say where I'm from, good luck in your future! That man has an in- I think that guy has a lot of interesting backstory, and I really wish we, uh- I'm sure we'll meet him again. You spent the entire night talking about Murderball, but you have no idea. We should have talked to that guy, shit. And as the cart rides away, your attention is pulled in the opposite direction as you hear the voice of a stout man go, Oi, stag your business! We are but weary travelers returning to our hometown of Berul. And you hear a second voice go, Oh, is that so? And in front of you is the shorter stout man and a tall, lanky man, both wearing guard insignia of the Grey Kingdom, the kingdom that does rule over this area, but rarely ventures this far out of the core. Hi, yeah, we're just coming home. I mean, we've both lived here for a long time, and yeah, we're just kind of hoping to see our families and a couple of people. The big one waving his head back and forth as those limbs aren't fully connected goes, I've never seen you around! Yeah, I'm- You two seem frazzled. My voice changed, don't worry about it. You look much more approachable now. You've changed something about you, and yeah, I'm more than well home. Hey, thank you. Maybe a little gold can help you get inside, you know what I'm saying? Wait a minute, this is a bribe? Are you shaking me down? Yeah. Yeah, we're shaking you down! Idaho, should we let him shake us down? I mean, like, if they just are asking for the money, is it really a bribe, or is it just- Yeah, is this just, like, a toll? It's a toll, like, is it even really a bribe at this point? Like, we're not, like, bribing them to do- Like, I'm sure that their guard duty isn't, like, to keep everyone out of the town, right? Yeah, that's impossible. It's not like we're bribing them to break the law, it's just asking us to- I guess we can pay a toll, like- Yeah, sorry, kind fellow! What's the toll for the toll booth? Three silver pieces! Yeah, three silver pieces. Is this, like, coming out as well? Or just, like, total? What? Like, if I want to leave. No, uh, yeah, it is! He looks uncertain, but also hugged. He looks uncertain, but also hugged. You get a stamp as you leave the town. I guess I just reach into my bag and look for some silver pieces. Perfect, yeah, you pull out six silver pieces you've gotten on your travels. Yeah, and I give them to him and I go, Thank you for your service? I don't remember you. Yo, welcome! We're new! Yeah, we new! Don't let the critters get you down, okay, buddy? And I'm going to give a pat on the shoulder. I really appreciate it. These guys love physical touch. I turn over to Morge and I go, Maybe I've been away from people for too long, too, because I don't know what the hell- this is odd. Yeah, I don't remember them. Should we tip 15%? No, no, neither one of them were Colin, right? I think I remember what Colin looks like. I don't think neither were Colin. Colin was a short guy. Yeah, that's not him though, right? Yeah, right, he was like a little mouse guy. Never mind, that's not them. Okay, we should go. We got things to do. Yeah, we skedaddle to the bar. Sure thing. You guys head over to the bar, you walk over to this podunk establishment, if that word isn't problematic, I don't know. But you walk into this old, fallen apart bar, kind of shambles and garbage out front, and as you enter, patrons clank their drinks and do shots. Honestly, it's a better vibe than probably most taverns any of you have ever been in. And part of that reason is a bartender that's been here a little while. Helen, would you like to introduce yourself? Behind the bar, you see a burgundy-haired chiefling woman with magnificently broad brown horns, slinging bottles of liquor and glasses, serving her patrons, a disarming yet sweet smile plays on her freckled face as she chats with all of the patrons. And off the clock, this chiefling is a College of Elephants bard who specializes in painting vibrant images in people's minds and telling stories, although her usual audience is comprised of one person, her little sister, Hope. And she looks up to hear the racket near the door, and her purple eyes light up, and she greets her old friends. Idaho! Mordred! What are you doing here? You guys came so quickly! Well, yeah, we were just gonna leave you hanging, but... This letter sounds wild! Are you okay? Um, not entirely, but... It's just good to see you. I figured it would take longer for you to get here. Hi! And she tries to... This is a really fast cart. She's running up to give you both the biggest hug. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, give a big hug. Yeah, we hug Serafina back. How was the journey here? You know, I wasn't... Has there always been, like, a big fence around this whole town? It's... I just feel like a little stuffy. There's, like, a toll booth. There were people asking for money outside. Yeah. So, Serafina, you would know that this fence went up about two months or so ago, and that the two fellows outside are named Stink and Sweet, because they are frequent patrons of this establishment. Oh, okay, okay, okay. Yeah, um, it's been up for about two months, and, um... The guards you probably met are named Stink and Sweet, and I'm also not exactly sure which is which, who's who. Um, I've literally never seen them without the other, so... They usually come into the tavern, though. Lightweights, but they tip well. But it seems like there's been a lot of changes. Yeah. I can't look around, and I see probably a bunch of faces I don't recognize. But you do know that it's been six years since you guys left, so of course things are going to be different. It's been a while. It has been, huh? I... I guess I just kind of lost track of time. Yeah, I don't recognize anybody around here. I'm sure there are some flocks in the forest, though. I can't really blame you, can I? Have you seen Doran? Like, is he around? Is he still, like, you know, putting poo in mailboxes and stuff? Or is he up to... You know, I actually... I haven't heard from Doran since he left for the Great Sage, for the big city. Um, yeah. I've heard that he's back in town, though, so... I've left a letter in his mailbox. Or maybe what used to be his mailbox, but maybe he'll be joining us? I'm not too sure. I really... I have no idea what happened. Oh, yeah. I mean, it would be a shame to have a whole reunion and not have him around. Um... But yeah, I mean, regardless, well, we have to find Hope, right? That's the number one thing. Yes. Um... Yeah. I, uh... I really appreciate you two being here. She... I mean, as you know, was pretty much the entire reason for my being. And, um... I'm a little more calm now, because it's been a while, but... Uh... She's been gone for over two months, and... I haven't been able to find her. I've checked in town. I've checked the surrounding towns. I was adventuring through the forest. She just... Well... Maybe we can, like... You can walk us through where you've looked, the last place that you've seen her. Yeah. Cool. All those kind of things. We can get started with that kind of thing. Yeah. But, you know, I think that fits pretty good. Yeah. Can we have a drink? Yeah. Um... Gosh, we've not even seen each other since we could drink. What do you two take? I'll whip it up. Oh, I will take an orange juice. And I'll have apple. Wow. Me too. Never as ever. Okay, coming right up. And Seraphina starts to whip up the apple and orange juice. So... I guess she just starts telling Mordred and Idaho about the last known whereabouts of Hope. Um... The day that she went missing, I got a dress to school and sent her off. I went to the elementary school and it was just like any other day. And then, when it was time to pick her up, she didn't come out of class. So I went inside. I talked to the principal and to the teachers. And they hadn't seen her all day. And nobody knew where she was. And so I went to the general store. I went to the park. I even came here to work and nobody had seen her. As though she'd vanished. And I've not been able to find her since. It's not like I can get contact with Sprinkles or the old gang. It seems like they have the whole thing walled off. That would have been helpful. Can I attempt to go out a window and give a big whistle? You know what? Hell yeah. Carlos, do you want to do the first roll of this campaign? And give me an animal handling check. I would love to. I rolled a 14 plus my animal handling proficiency gives me 5. Extra points to a 19. Oh my god. Let's go. Okay. Good first roll. You let out a loud whistle. Yeah, give a big... I can't whistle that well in real life. Wee-wee. Two people look over. I'll have what he's having. Alright, so you got a 19. It's a familiar sound to the ferrets. The ferrets hear a familiar sound. And you hear the whispering of ferrets going... As they scurry on over to you. You see two little ferrets running under the windowsill. And unfortunately, you know a ferret's lifespan isn't very long. So you do not recognize these ferrets. But what you do recognize is a unique striping on them. Very reminiscent of your childhood ferret sprinkles. Yeah, I wipe a tear. As they are the kid that's left behind. And I am going to... Can I attempt to, like, touch it? Yeah, you reach out your hand and you see a ferret goes to nuzzle your little hand. I want to cast Beast Bond. Okay, yeah, you cast it. Alright, we now have a telepathic link to communicate simple emotions and concepts. The ferret communicates that it's happy to see you. Alright, I'm going to lift up the ferret and then point it towards Seraphina and be like, Have you seen someone that looks like her? But younger. But younger, smaller. And you can only respond in emojis, right? That's great. Let me find some emojis I can respond with. Can you read these out for us? Actually, can you read them out? Yeah, I would love to. I would love to, Christian. So, hearts, heart eyes, heart eyes. The figure on a bathroom. Three houses and a tree. So is it like in a building with a tree on it? Could be the person was in a house in a tree, a tree house. Okay, well, okay, buddy, here's what we're going to do. Could he be a person in the bathroom? Well, it's like a silhouette, you know, you see on a bathroom sign. Alright, I think I know how I'm going to play it out regardless now what the emojis are. Okay, so you've got those emojis. How do you react? I'm going to look at the small ferret, very confused, and I'm going to go, Okay, buddy, I don't know how many of you little guys there are now, but, yeah, if you, if any of you see someone that looks like her, but smaller, come to me, okay? Tell all your little friends, I knew Sprinkles, I don't know if I smell familiar. Yeah, you see the ferret, nods, and it gives you like a little army salute. Yeah, alright, buddy, yeah, go, go tell everybody. And I'm going to go drop him out again. Perfect, yeah, you take your little ferret and you lean out the window and you drop him off and he scurries away. But while you're out there, you look to the right near the front entrance of the bar and you see a familiar face. Sam, would you like to explain your character? Well, my name's Sam and I'll be playing Doran Greychild. As Mordred looks out the window, he sees a shaggy-haired drow man with three sparrows in flight tattooed on his left cheek. He's clearly been pacing back and forth, examining the letter in his hand. Doran Greychild is an orphan, raised as a foundling by Lady Patricia Ashmead, a wealthy widower in the town of Beirut. A troublemaker as a boy, Doran has spent the last six years working for the Sparrows, a thieves' guild in the Great Stave. Now, with a childhood prophecy looming over him, he has returned to his hometown to prepare himself for what is to come. Mordred, is that you? Doran, what are you doing out there? Come inside! And I'm gonna...just...try to balance myself out this window, like... Come on! Is Doran one of the ferrets? Do you have a ferret named Doran? Mordred, did you say Doran? Yeah, right there! And I... Obviously, you can only see my legs, so it's like me kicking my legs. Teresina turns and hides out of view of the window. Okay. It's really him. It's really... Doran! And I'm gonna start reaching out for Doran. I feel like, ethically, I have to grab Mordred's legs here, just to stabilize, just to, like, hold the legs. I'm like, okay, I got it. Now that I feel extra stability, I'm going to reach. I feel like, it's been so long, buddy! It's good to see you too, Mordred. Now, why don't you just get back in the window, and I'll be right in. I'll be right in. I look over Mordred's whole body. Hi, Doran! Hey, Idaho! You wanna pull him in? Pull me back in! Oh, yeah, okay, I can do that. And I pull him back in. You should come in, it's warm, and there's less ferrets in here. Unless, I mean, you do you, but... Is Seraphina in there? Yeah, she works here. And she's our friend! Well, I got her later. Seraphina, Doran's here, you should come say hi! Shut up, Idaho! Okay. I'll walk up to the door, and open it. You walk up to the door, and you open it. Seraphina, are you still hiding? No, I have turned around to the bar, and I am seriously cleaning glasses, because I didn't think he was actually going to show up. Okay, and that's the scene as you walk into the bar, Doran. Mordred, Idaho, good to see you guys. It's been a long time. Yeah, it's been so long, oh my god, it's so great to see you, we're all here! I mean, except for Colin, but... He's in the great tunnel. Well, I mean, I can see Mordred's still... He's on a nice tunnel farm. He's playing with all the other rat people. What has happened to your hair? Oh! So it turns out that baldness runs in my family, and mine is quite acute. It comes on very early. And this is actually a really trendy look at Paladin Academy. The circle, it represents a halo, do you know what I mean? It's like the angels, what's holy and good and free and just, you know? So you are a choir boy? I like to think of myself as the best soprano in the choir. You can always sing back up to me anytime. You look like a no-name mountain-reach vulture. That's the most amazing thing I've ever heard, we'll come back to that. I'm going to walk up to the bar and order a drink. What can I get you? I'll have an ale. Any particular kind? Your best. They're all pretty shitty. I'm going to put a gold piece on the bar. I pick it up and flick it back at Doran on the house. And I walk over to the tap and I pour a very, very foamy ale and slide it across back to Doran. Thank you, that looks delicious. Bottoms up. I turn to Mordred, wow, it's so good to see good friendship. Free ale, extra foam, you really love to see it. Don't you just? Yeah, they look like right where we left them off. Seraphina is kind of ferociously looking at Doran, but also there's so much sadness in her eyes. Doran is looking everywhere but at Seraphina, mainly into his extremely foamy beer as he tries to get a drink out of it. I walk up behind noticing a lot of tension and I go, well Doran, are you here to give us a hand? You know, we're all back together, you know, a team once more. Yeah, I mean, I heard about your sister, it felt like I had to come. Hey, I heard that you were in town and, well, you didn't say hi, but I guess that's not really surprising. But what I'm trying to say is that I'm surprised you're here. No, I guess it isn't. What's that supposed to mean? Yeah, well, you sounded desperate, so. I am. Hope is missing, Doran. These other two, they came of their own volition, they came quickly. And firstly they did find me and we're going to find Hope together. You're in? Yeah, I'm in. Good. Good. We can go sit down, though. We... Okay, just while we're here, Mordred, Idaho, do you want refills on the juice at all before we can sit down? Oh, I'm sorry. One juice, you know, I'm... I might have to go on the cart later, you know, I don't know. I could use a refill. Apples are of the earth, so I'll have one more. Yeah, I'll top it up. Take the glass, top up the apple juice. I could use a refill, too. I hold up my now-empty foam glass. That's impressive, honestly. Seraphine takes the glass and properly fills up a very, very liquid-filled glass, hardly any foam, and hands it back to Doran. Thank you. I love it when they order a drink and they get a drink. Yeah, that's usually what happens. Man, isn't it great to have the gang back together again, guys? Oh, love it. Gosh, I know. Just friendship everywhere. It's good to see you. It's good to see you, too, Farboy. Yeah, let's go sit down. Here, Mordred, why don't you go in? There's a booth right here. I gesture at my newly-found friends again. Yeah, so you're all sitting in a booth. Yep. There's a kind of palpable tension in the air between Seraphine and Doran, but also between every single one of you, as the thought of the letter and of hope hangs over your head. So where do you think we should look for hope? Well, until recently, I didn't have much of an idea. I've been searching around town. I've told the boys that there's nothing in the general store, in the forest nearby, the park, any of our old places, but I found out that around the time Hope went missing, so did that old time druid. That guy? That weird guy from our childhood? Yeah. Weird. Weird? He wasn't weird. He was psychotic. Weird includes psychotic. He summoned a giant ferret. I liked that ferret. That was a good guy. Not semantic. He was for sure kooky. Well, it's the only lead I have currently, and I don't know what else to go off of, so it's what we have to work with. Well, I think... Of course. I think I still know how to get in there. We could go to where he lives. That would be really good. Also, Doran, you probably noticed when you came in, but there's a wall of fence around town, and that was established shortly after Hope went missing, and I guess now that Druid went missing. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were. Hey, Mortimer, do you know the time druid? You know that guy? I mean, yeah, he did show me the early stuff and did drop me off with the first circle I stayed with, but to be honest, he wasn't like the rest of them. Like, the stuff that I really learned from him was just kind of off the wall, not sort of traditional druid grove traditions and stuff and how to do magic. So that wasn't just, like, druid stuff. That was just a weird guy. That's not just how druids are? He was a druid for sure, but not like any other that I've ever seen. Well, maybe we can find him. I remember when we were young. I don't know if you guys remember this. We, like, found his house in the forest. Oh, I remember. The weird stone house. Oh, man, those are good memories. Hey, Doran, do you remember that? Yeah. Yes, Idaho, I remember that. I remember that very well. That was also my first day of school when I met you guys for the first time. We got up to old age. Oh, yeah. Oh, man, those were such good times. I mean... Good, good, good times. Not all of us. Those were not good times. Hey, any day where I get a couple more friends is a good time to me. It's also the day I met Sprinkle. There were some good things, and there were some bad things, yeah. I don't think we can just focus on one and negate the other. I don't think it really matters. At this point, Doran is fully pouting, like, literally grinding his teeth and staring at his beard. Well... Doran, I'm sorry. I sense that I've misstepped here, and I want to buy you a drink. I'm sorry. Well, I'll take your drink, but I don't need your apology. Let's just figure out what we're going to do. Okay, I go to the bar to order him an orange juice. This is, let's say, the usual. Therapina's literally sitting down behind you. Yeah, I want to get an orange juice for him. I guess I'm still... The vitamin C really can't be... Coming right up, and Therapina walks up to the bar, pours an orange juice, and walks back to the booth she was sitting at with you, and puts the orange juice in front of Doran. She does charge Idaho. She gets involved in the house. And hands... Holds out her hand. I put... Thank you. Thank you for that. That's great. How much is an orange juice? Two copper. I put in three copper. Thank you, Idaho. I didn't realize you were such a good tipper. It's true. Thank you. Thank you, Idaho. This is great. This will really help me with the scurvy. I appreciate that. The smallest increment of your money is... When the drink is only two of the smallest increment, it's hard to not tip a lot if you want to tip. I think Therapina does just think that's your normal behavior. You just like... You tip 50%. Anyway, I know it's not your favorite place, Doran, but maybe we should check it out. I think it could be a good idea. You can still get us in, right, Mordred? Oh, yeah, I know that place like the back of my hand. I really don't see where else to start, so why don't we check it out? Sure, fine. Maybe he can help. Doran, can I ask you something? Is it the druid you don't want to meet again, or is it the temple you don't want to go to again? Both. I guess it's... Frankly, I should have killed that druid a long time ago. Well, um... Fine. I'm glad you didn't. We learned at the academy that murder is generally frowned upon. Yeah, I learned about that, too. Well, on the lighter note, you know, keeping it light, keeping it fresh, So we head tomorrow? It's getting pretty late. Yeah, you look outside, and the pinks and purples of the evening have kind of faded into the dark, dark blues. And you know Idaho's already had one orange juice, and you've had two apple juices. Yeah, I got a night when I go back and say hi to Ma. I'm buzzing. I'm on a sugar high. Let's hit the night. We'll head to the weird forest temple first thing tomorrow. Yeah, we could even meet up at the school. Yeah, we could do that. Sure. Why not? Yeah, you guys all go to your homes. All right, everybody, the team is back. You're all heading to bed? I continued drinking after everyone left. So I would have had to have served you. I like to think I went home to my big empty mansion and drank alone. I also don't think Serafina's been sleeping well because it's the home that her and Hope shared. So I imagine that she also would not be very well rested. Probably hasn't been for a while. Some of you wake up early. Some of you wake up late. Serafina, you don't get much sleep. And Mordred, you sleep great back on that farm with your mom. Yeah, I see how my luck is with the horses nowadays. They still hate you. I figured. Just pure hatred emanating from them. I generally don't like to think that animals like me, it's just these animals fucking hate me. Is it all horses, or just- The animals that know you. Just the ones in the farm. I'm sure there's just you horses that have been taught hatred. You know, violence behests violence. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Thanks. Bye. Yeah, I know. I wake up, do the Morton chores with Ma, and I head out. Hell yeah. You do the chores with Ma, she gives you a big kiss. But she's very loving, and she's just missed you. She's happy you're doing well, and she sends you off on your way. As you head back out to that old stomping ground, the high school that you all met at. You all meet at about the same time at the end of things, after Idaho's done his morning routine, Mortred your chores, and as a slightly hungover Doran walks on over as well. And you all go to where there used to be a school, and now there's just a plaque reading, In Memoriam, The High School. Man, they really- Do they not have any more kids? It's kind of weird they never rebuilt it. I guess they're sitting here. I don't really know why they never made a new one. The neighboring town's close enough, I guess. I guess if they're not having any more kids, they don't need to do it. But Hope would have needed to go to high school. Eventually, yeah. Maybe she went to high school. How old is she now? Hope's 11. Hope's a brilliant young girl, but she couldn't have skipped all the way to high school. Maybe we can hope, and then be pleasantly surprised. I really don't think she's at high school right now. Serafina? Yes, I am. I know she's not at high school. And please, I promise you, I don't mean this in any kind of facetious way, but don't give up hope. That's the first step to anything. And if you're not willing to look forward to the bright side of what could happen, what's the point of doing it in the first place? Quick question, Idaho. If you tried really hard, do you think you could be any softer than you are right now? I mean, at least he has a heart and can feel emotions for his friends, like he's doing. Yeah, that's nice. It is. It's really nice that friends care for each other. It is, isn't it? Thank you, Idaho. This is really nice. No, but we're not talking about me right now. I want to talk about you, Serafina. Serafina, it's really important to me that we find hope. And I just think it's really important that we go into it thinking that good things can happen. I do appreciate it. I hear how I'm sounding right now. I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know. My mom decided on the name before she passed in childbirth, and I think it's kind of fitting for her. But it's a common word. I understand. I know you're not trying to be facetious. I get it. But I appreciate it. To his credit, I don't think he's capable of being facetious. So, probably in the clear on that one. Yeah, I think we should really skedaddle towards where the druid used to live. I hate to say it, but I agree. Okay. Can I try to find the clearing that we found as kids, or just the general direction that I've been through, presumably multiple times? You know you've walked so much on that path that it had turned from like a deer trail to a full-on path. And in the past years, I'm going to say the foliage hasn't fully recovered. So you know the way, and you guys begin walking on up the mountain. Mortred, you went here a lot as a kid, right? Oh, yeah. This is kind of the guy you trained with originally when we were growing up. Yeah, I mean, this guy's the one who showed me a lot of the early druid books. You know, Druidic for Dummies, Old Beastiaries, that kind of stuff. He also showed me Sprinkles, which, to be honest, aside from the fact that there's lots of little guys like him around, I've never seen outside of here before. Is there any weird druid stuff that we should be warned of in here? Do you think that there's going to be druid traps? You know? Druid animals? Druid signposts saying do not enter? Oh, Idaho. Druids wouldn't set traps. We'd be mauled by now if they were trying to stop us. This druid would set traps. What would a druid trap be like? Like bears? Yeah, I am curious. Well, actually, so druids used to have this trap called the Boar Slam, where you put a bunch of boars really high up and you drop them on people. And it's called the Boar Slam, and you have four or five boars and they charge at you. Yeah, it's kind of crazy. Sometimes they even also turn into boars, so there's like ten of them. I do not like boar slams personally, but... That sounds... Well, it's like a... In the circle that I came in, it's kind of an initiation ritual that everybody gets boar slammed once. It seems kind of a ham-fisted ritual. So what do boars do when they're not slamming people? Are they up in a net, or do they live there? Well, yeah. So they're conditioned to live up in trees. These are actually specially bred boars that live up in trees and eat berries up there. They're actually quite beautiful creatures. I'm here, and then I'm going to flip over and I'm going to show a sketch of what is a boar eating a berry on top of a tree. You see the boars have evolved to have very, very small wings on their backs. Yeah. When pigs fly, right? I didn't really think I'd ever see that. What other kind of hazing do they do during your circle training? Well, there's that, and then we're sent to train and to go out there and have no contact with the outside world for multiple years at a time. And as you say that, you walk up to a pair of old doors. Surrounding the doors is teal stone protruding from the mountain, covered from dirt as though a rock slide or mud slide has fallen. I point at the dirt slide, and I kind of nudge more because I'm like, oh, sky boars. Above, right? I look up, but I don't see any trees. Are there any really tall trees? Yeah, there's a lot of really tall trees. We'll be fine, I think. I'm going to investigate quickly for traps or anything like that. Yeah, do me an investigation check. There's actually the boar trap above. That'll be a 15. A 15? Okay, with a 15, you notice there are no traps outside, but you do see tracks going into the door that look vaguely humanoid. Like shoes. Can I walk up to the door and see if there's any, like, druid runes or something, like anything written? There isn't. Alright, I'm going to just try to open that door then. Hell yeah. You open the door, and as it creaks open, you see inside this place, Mordred, that you haven't been in in years. Inside, you see this cozy little interior, a kitchen, a table, some cozies for tea. There's some cool doors leading up to antechambers, and one other door in the back that you all feel the ominous presence coming from. And you, Doran in particular, know this door all too well. Doran, you alright? Are you okay? You've kind of caught your breath here. Do you guys feel that? I feel something. There's something coming from behind that door, right? Yeah. Do you guys notice that? Uh, yeah. Is that the rune from the first time you were here, that you keep hearing things? Yeah, that's the one. Doran, I don't, it seems like you're reliving a moment here. I want to ask you, if Hope ran off and ended up here in this temple, would she be safe? From what you, because you know this place more intimately than we do. Well, aside from maybe Mordred. I've never been behind those doors. Safe is, safe is really a matter of speaking, isn't it? I mean... She's more likely to see something she shouldn't than, I guess, be physically harmed. I guess he wouldn't kill her. But, because you saw something that you shouldn't have seen back there when we were kids, right? Yeah, I, uh... Okay, so she's probably not dead. She knows better than anyone that people can live through things that make them want to do. Maybe she's at high school. You know, it might not be this. I don't think she's at high school. She's not at fucking high school, choir boy. I'm sure she's safe. I can understand the sentiment. I appreciate the sentiment that you think that she's safe. But, I'm going inside that fucking door. And, Doran, I don't ask that you come with me. You should not. But, I have to go into that door and I have to find Hope. It's not up for debate. You can join me. You don't have to. But, I have to go through it. I don't see what he could do to me now. I want to blow a spell slot and I want to cast Protection from Evil and Good. Okay, what does that do? It's going to be for ten minutes. Until the spell ends, one willing creature that you touch is protected against aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. And, it goes on to describe stuff, what that Protection means. I think I'm just saying a prayer. Clearly, Idaho is misstepping a little bit in these conversations and wants to feel like he's actually being helpful in some way. So, I think I'm going to cast it on Seraphina. If you are willing to receive this. Would I feel anything? Well, I think because we're going heavy on the choir motif here, I think, hey, No, no, no, hold on, hold on. Wait, no, no. I kind of gesture towards Seraphina and I go, Seraphina. Don't let me join in. Okay. No, that was... It was just for... Doran just is shaking his head. You can trust Seraphina. We will find... We're all going to go through that door if you're going to go through that door. We're not going to let you out of here. Okay. Together then? We go through the door? Yeah, let's go through the door. Yeah, you guys are my number one. Let's go. I'm right behind you. Okay. Seraphina walks up and she tries to pull the door open. Behind the door is a humongous chamber. Almost as though the inside of the mountain itself has been carved out to make way for this room. It is cylindrical in nature, leading up to a dome at the very top, about a hundred feet up. And in the center, there's a circular platform with some sort of pedestal on it. And surrounding it, there's nothing leading down as though the chamber leads down much further. Doran, you would remember that this pedestal held the controls. And Mordred, you can read druidic, right? Yeah, I can. You see the lever in front of you is set to one of three positions. Forwards is the future. Backwards is labeled the past. And in between is labeled the forest. And next to the lever, a large button exists. What is it set to currently? It's currently set to the forest. The UI on this is really good. Like, that's very intuitive. Okay, um, yeah. So, I think we pull this lever and hit a button and something should happen, but... Um, do you remember what he did last time when you didn't hear him? What did we pull, what did we press? It was... it was already on when we came in. I mean, I can't read what these say, but it was... Wait, Mordred, can you read this? Yeah, so that one says future, forest, and past. And the lever is currently set to the forest. Um, that makes sense. Well, we're in the forest, I guess. I think I can pretty safely say that last time I saw it, it was set to future. Okay. Well, we could try to hit the button. Everybody comfortable with that? The button? You don't know what it does? But... Go ahead. We gotta find hope somehow. That's not right. Hey. You only live twice, right? I'm gonna press the button. You press the button. And the podcast ends! Good job, guys! We all die. You can't give us a button, and it says it's not a present. You all hear the sound of singing. Like wind through trees. Like humming far away, like a choir. Then a slow beat starts to beat in your mind, and you feel it in your heart, and you feel the echo of it in your soul as it reverberates through your body. And it gets faster and faster and faster, and the choir you hear getting louder and louder and louder, like more voices are being added, and energy is being added. And Doran, this is not exactly what happened to you last time. This is something slightly different. And with a flash, you feel the room begin to spin, as all of a sudden what was stone walls becomes color, and becomes almost visions and almost shapes of things that you've almost recognized or seen once or expect to see, and as the beat in your head goes on and on and on in your heart, it goes faster and faster and faster. You all feel this feeling of weightlessness, and as you look down, there is no floor, there is nothing around you to anchor you. Oh, fuck. It's just the four of you floating in this one space of color. And then something feels wrong. Oh, it's a bad trip? The beat going faster and faster and faster and faster and feels good, but the choir seems discordant as though one singer has fallen out of pitch. Mordred, you feel yourself being pulled backwards and then forwards suddenly, and you guys begin to watch as Mordred begins being pulled in one direction, away from the rest of you. Can I try to grab onto somebody? Yeah, give me an athletics check. I think I reached out my hand as well. Mordred? I do as well. Okay, you all reach out your hands for Mordred. Don't speak for me. Wow. I rolled a 19. Same old fucking Doran. A 19, dang. I'm deep in my trauma, guys, so I'm not thinking about anything. Mordred, you grab onto Seraphina and Idaho, but you feel this force, it's pulling you so hard, all you've got is a couple seconds. It feels like it's going to rip you in half or you let go? I'm going to let go if it's going to rip me in half. If it's to the point where it's either going to be like I feel myself in mortal danger. Yeah, yeah, for sure. I think I would let go, yeah. Yeah, yeah, you feel yourself about to be torn asunder, and you look in the eyes of your friends, the gang that just got back together. And Mordred, Mordred, you are gone, and the rest of you feel yourselves also being pulled away from each other, just seconds after Mordred was spun off into the horizon, as this discordant melody gets more and more off-key until it's almost like a beautiful chord in a language you just can't quite understand. Who do you guys grab onto? Doran. I reach for Seraph. Sorry, Idaho. I think that I can't decide if it's funnier if I reach out for Doran. I think it's way funnier if I don't even notice people are reaching for each other. I'm looking the other way, do you know what I mean? Yeah, and with that, you all fly away from each other, but Doran, Seraphina, you hold hands, and as you all fly off, you feel yourselves get closer and closer to unconsciousness until you're out. But Mordred, let's go back to you. Yes. Mordred, you feel yourself about to vomit, feeling lightheaded, being spun around, you feel unconsciousness coming on, when suddenly you feel everything stop. Initially, you feel nothing. Then you begin to realize it feels like, almost like waking up. You feel cold, but numb and wet. Tingly, and all of these dull yet strong sensations. Oh. Yeah. Oh, this is a real bad combination. And as you try to open your eyes, you can't open them at first, but you squint and it looks like it's snowing. But as you open them more and more, you see the cause of this snow, or rather, ash, are the bodies of creatures, beasts, monsters, the trees, little huts around you, various things that are burning. And dead center among them, you see a woman, clad in golden armor, blonde hair flowing, in a wind that does not blow the still falling ash. A humongous hammer as tall as she is in one hand, blood pouring from a wound on her face, just under a small piece of cloth that covers her eyes. She seems to notice you. She turns around quickly and approaches you, and as she does, you realize she is also massive, about ten feet tall, the same size as the hammer that she wields, and she appears to look directly at you, peering into your soul. Uh, uh, hi, I'll, uh, take a few steps back. Hello? You take a few steps back and bump into a pile of what feels too close to flesh to think any more about it, and in this moment, you begin to come to realize that feeling that you're touching is the same feeling that you feel when you touch your face, of being burnt. And it feels like it's almost sticky to your hand, and as you feel your face, you see the woman silently, wordlessly take her hammer and point it at you, and she gestures at everything else behind her. And then she gestures back at you. Look, I don't, I don't want any trouble, I'm just, I'm just here with my friends, I just, I don't, look, I don't, I just want to go home, okay? With that, she looks at you silently, her lips, and she extends a hand towards you, covered in blood, so that it's mere inches from your face. And your vision clears a little bit as she does this, and you see three bodies on the ground become much less blurry. You first recognize Idaho, arrow tips jutting out of his back. You then see what's left of Serafina, burnt and broken. And finally, you see Doran, a gaping hole through his chest. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No! And I want to, I want to wildshape into a brown bear, or the biggest bear I can possibly... Hell yeah, you turn into this monstrously huge brown bear you saw, and with a flick of her hammer, she dismisses it, turning you back. Uh... Ah! And I'm gonna, I'm going to just run at her with my quarterstaff, I guess. Well, I mean, you can certainly try. What is that to hit? Forty-one to hit. Okay, at the last second, she does manage to deflect your club, but she stops and looks at you for a second with pursed lips. And then in a flash, she moves right in front of you. She looks at you, she stands tall, she glances behind her, and then she hurriedly dashes over to the dead Doran. And in a flash, she expertly sews up the hole in his chest with some sort of thread. And you see Doran kind of animate. It sluggishly kind of gets up and walks over towards you, till it gets close to you, and then you see it nod its head down and bow to you, but moving like it's being controlled by strings like a marionette. It looks up at you, reaches into some sort of pocket, and pulls out a dagger. It takes the dagger and holds it out towards you, and then flips it around so that the hilt is facing you. I'll take the dagger. You take the dagger, and it feels cold at touch first, but the cold steel flashes in your brain two images. The first image is of a man with graying hair in a black suit, and the second image is of Idaho. Okay. Ah! The bearded man? Black suit? Idaho? What? Who are you? He steps forward and Doran steps back, and she takes her hammer between the two of you and outlines an F with fire tracing her hammer. Can I reach out to touch it? Yeah, you touch it, and you feel a cool burn that fills your head with thoughts of mercy and forgiveness and the desire to do right, but not necessarily the feeling of the outcome being accomplished. Yeah. Okay. She nods to you with that. I nod back. And she takes her hammer, raises it up into the air, and she strikes it down. Yeah, you feel a blinding light fill you up and wash over you, and you fall unconscious. That makes sense. I'm not going to try to resist that. No, no, it's overwhelming. The next thing Mordred feels is waking up again, but you feel like you have the worst hangover of your life as you begin to open your eyes. What do I see? Actually, do you guys want to explain what Mordred sees? You see a perfect formation of three mighty warriors who've encircled the perfectly coordinated attack on a portal in the middle, and they are charging you. Or I'm charging you. Seraphine is just standing there, like, ready. Like, at me? Yeah. I let out a blood-curdling scream. And that's where we're ending the session. Thank you, everyone. This has been For the Trees.