This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Mythic Thunderlute: Mythic Thunderlute is brought to you with support from 11th Hour Theater Company, Philadelphia's only all musical theater company.

[0:07] Mythic Thunderlute: Visit 11thhourtheatercompany.org for more information.

[0:11] Mythic Thunderlute: If you'd like to support Mythic Thunderlute, join our Patreon by going to patreon.com/mythicthunderlute.

[0:17] Mythic Thunderlute: And with that, here's episode five.

[0:22] Mythic Thunderlute: Mythic Thunder.

[0:38] Jake Blauck: Hello, and welcome to Mythic Thunderlute, an evocative Dungeons and Dragons musical podcast adventure saga experience.

[0:49] Lillian Castillo: My name is Lillian Castillo.

[0:51] Michael Darty: I'm Michael Darty.

[0:53] Steve Godalunas: I'm Steve Godalunas.

[0:55] Leigha Cotto: And I'm Leigha Cotto.

[0:56] Jake Blauck: And this is Mythic Thunderlute.

[1:00] Lillian Castillo: Can I tell you something funny that happened today?

[1:01] Michael Darty: What?

[1:02] Steve Godalunas: Do it.

[1:02] Lillian Castillo: Please.

[1:03] Jake Blauck: I had a Zoom audition.

[1:04] Michael Darty: Okay.

[1:04] Jake Blauck: And so when I popped up, my name was Edgar Hawk.

[1:09] Steve Godalunas: Oh, that would have happened to me.

[1:14] Jake Blauck: And the lady was like, um, uh, Jake?

[1:15] Lillian Castillo: I'm the guest.

[1:17] Jake Blauck: Yes, this is Jake.

[1:18] Lillian Castillo: I am he.

[1:18] Michael Darty: Somebody didn't let me into a Zoom room multiple times because they didn't know who Roscoe Chubb was.

[1:24] Jake Blauck: Well, after that engrossing conversation, thank you, everyone. We'll hand it off to our game maker, Michael Darty.

[1:24] Michael Darty: Thank you.

[1:32] Michael Darty: Today on the pod we have special guest Brian Vaughn.

[1:36] Michael Darty: Brian is a theater actor and director and educator whose work has been seen all over the country.

[1:42] Michael Darty: For 15 seasons, he was a company member at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, and since 2011, has been the artistic director of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

[1:51] Michael Darty: And we are so thrilled to have him on the pod. Brian, welcome.

[1:55] Brian Vaughn: Hello.

[1:56] Brian Vaughn: It's good to be here.

[1:57] Lillian Castillo: So lovely to have you, man. So obviously, this pandemic has affected theaters in such a significant and devastating way. Can you talk to us a little bit about how it affected Utah Shakes in 2020?

[2:12] Brian Vaughn: It was hell. I mean, as it was, you know, for I think most, if not all, theaters across the country. Uh was incredibly bleak. You know, this is a very relatively small community, and um, you know, we bring in hundreds of artists every season, and so not having anything on the boards uh was incredibly uh depressing.

[2:33] Brian Vaughn: Of course, and really became about um survival mode and what we're gonna do and begin to strategize for for the future.

[2:41] Michael Darty: So, what were some of those uh strategies and survival tactics?

[2:45] Brian Vaughn: We like I think a lot of theaters did, we went online, we did a lot of virtual programming, a lot of seminars that we did that were conversations, um, podcasts like this, conversations with artists, and just trying to keep keep some active engagement with our audience, and then it became about um, you know, seeking contributed help.

[3:05] Michael Darty: Right, right. So, what was the response from the community?

[3:08] Brian Vaughn: We were incredibly lucky. We have an incredible audience base, donation base, and people really rose to the challenge.

[3:16] Michael Darty: So now here we are in 2021, and you're producing a full season with a full company of artists in the pandemic. How has managing that been?

[3:24] Brian Vaughn: That has been surreal. I mean, our whole motto has been well, what can we do? Let's try. Let's just try to keep our doors open. And inside of that was how how can we do this safely?

[3:39] Lillian Castillo: Right. And it seems in terms of that the safety of your audience and artists, you've managed to navigate that very successfully.

[3:45] Brian Vaughn: I would say yes, it has been incredibly successful. We've had very, you know, we've had a couple instances of things that we've had to adjust to, uh, but all of our safety protocols have been in place to sort of weather that.

[3:56] Michael Darty: Well, keep up the good work. I'm super proud to be a part of the company this season. Friends, uh, if you'd like to support Utah Shakespeare, you could hop on Bard.org to make a donation. Uh, friends who live near Southern Utah, you've got two more weeks to check out all of the shows and their fall season.

[4:13] Michael Darty: Brian, what a pleasure having you here. Thanks so much for doing this episode.

[4:16] Brian Vaughn: Absolutely. I am thrilled to be here. Very excited.

[4:19] Michael Darty: With that, I'm gonna explain how this works. Here's that deal. Our four players will improvise their way through a fantasy style role-playing game of my making. After we record, we add sound effects, underscoring, full-fledged musical numbers, and special guest voices.

[4:40] Michael Darty: And boom, there you have an episode. Sound good?

[4:43] All: Yeah, it sounds perfect.

[4:44] Michael Darty: Still not sold.

[4:45] Lillian Castillo: Too bad.

[4:46] Michael Darty: Let's play Mythic Thunderlute!

[4:55] Michael Darty: Previously, on Mythic Thunderlute. After being summoned to stand trial for crimes committed days earlier, the newly named rock band Mythic Thunderlute and their groupie Herman the Monk are escorted to the courtroom of Borstead. Their newly appointed defense attorney Simon Crab preps them for their trial by walking them through their charges and hashing out a defense strategy through arguments of wrong place, wrong time, circumstantial evidence, and having no intention of murdering the 50 plus soldiers the night prior, the group makes a compelling case.

[5:22] Michael Darty: However, the prosecuting attorney makes their jobs quite difficult. Under extreme pressure from the prosecutor, Pugface fails to refute that the group resisted arrest from the Borstead Kingsguard last night. After a moving and last minute character testimony from Sheriff Gutendell and a rocking closing statement from the defense, the jury deliberates. The verdict is finally read, and while the group miraculously dodges most of the charges leveled against them, they are found guilty of resisting arrest.

[5:45] Michael Darty: While Crab the lawyer marvels at their luck, the group is brought before their sovereign King Cyrus for sentencing. Oh yeah.

[5:52] All: Cool.

[5:53] Michael Darty: And we begin. As you stare into the wild eyes of your sovereign King Cyrus, tension fills the air while your fate hangs in the balance. The Herald speaks.

[6:06] Herald: You stand in the presence of his majesty. Cyrus the bold of the Halath Mag.

[6:11] King Cyrus: No, no, no, no, no. You can skip the epithets. Thank you. Think they know who I am.

[6:17] King Cyrus: So, um your singers, then, yes.

[6:21] Lillian Castillo: Er.

[6:21] All: Yeah, we sing.

[6:22] King Cyrus: That's right, sir. Yes, we're quite the band. Did you ever have a band called Elf Mother?

[6:26] King Cyrus: Oh, here we go.

[6:27] Lillian Castillo: Well, yes, of course.

[6:30] King Cyrus: And you, Elf. Were you not once the lead singer of Elf Mother?

[6:35] Jake Blauck: Yes, Edgar Hawk, can I? I must say, this surprises me.

[6:39] King Cyrus: Only because I could hear your little performance.

[6:42] King Cyrus: Oh closing argument, echoing through the holes. And yet, you do not seem to be quite the vocalist you once were.

[6:52] Lillian Castillo: Wow.

[6:53] Jake Blauck: Boy. That's a long story.

[6:54] King Cyrus: Uh oh, do tell. Did something happen?

[6:58] Jake Blauck: You don't have time, trust me. It's a long you know, he It takes us back to a long time ago in Kakatara.

[7:03] King Cyrus: Here we go.

[7:04] Lillian Castillo: Oh Lord.

[7:05] Jake Blauck: When I was just a young uh lad.

[7:07] Brian Vaughn: Oh, I didn't know it was gonna be this involved.

[7:09] Brian Vaughn: Well, I do know of an older elf in town who does voice lessons.

[7:13] Brian Vaughn: That would be great. His name is Aldous Groove. He runs Borstead gemstones just down the way. I could put you in touch.

[7:19] Jake Blauck: But you know what? When we all sing together, it actually sounds real good. Maybe maybe just Edgar needed the right group.

[7:27] Lillian Castillo: You're completely right about that, Tacosta. But wait your Your Majesty, if I if I may say Aldous Groove is here in Borstead.

[7:33] King Cyrus: Well, yes. He runs Borstead gemstones.

[7:36] King Cyrus: A ballstead. And you would be willing to make an introduction?

[7:39] Jake Blauck: Absolutely.

[7:40] King Cyrus: Well, provided, of course, I don't sentence you all to death. Now then, you stand accused of murder?

[7:46] Lillian Castillo: Was it No, no, it was uh Jaywalking.

[7:48] Steve Godalunas: I don't think we should lie right now. He actually has people that'll tell him the truth.

[7:52] Lillian Castillo: Yeah.

[7:53] Lillian Castillo: I believe it was resisting arrest.

[7:56] Pugface: Herman?

[7:58] Brian Vaughn: Oh, yes, right. Of course. Resisting.

[8:01] Brian Vaughn: Yes, yes, yes. And quickly, quickly, what was the whole business about awakening the elven god in our soul?

[8:07] Jake Blauck: That was not our fault.

[8:08] Lillian Castillo: No, it was not. I mean, his reaction was not our fault. We did intend to wake him up, but we were we were looking for help.

[8:15] Brian Vaughn: Yes, yes, I understand all that. I heard the trial. But are we in imminent danger now?

[8:21] Lillian Castillo: Yes.

[8:21] Pugface: Probably, yeah.

[8:22] Lillian Castillo: Let us not forget that we have three days.

[8:25] Brian Vaughn: Three days before what?

[8:27] Lillian Castillo: You know, a couple plagues and some things that are gonna happen.

[8:30] Jake Blauck: Hey.

[8:30] Lillian Castillo: No, no, no. Trust me, everybody's gonna be okay. But here's the thing. What is it that Elven gods are threatening to do?

[8:35] Brian Vaughn: You have five seconds to answer me.

[8:37] Lillian Castillo: I mean the end of the world.

[8:38] Pugface: Yeah, the end times, but it's a big one.

[8:40] Brian Vaughn: Well, I always knew that the elven gods were powerful, but this is ridiculous. So now they'll only stop in their path of destruction if what?

[8:48] Lillian Castillo: We need you to like send word out to the people, okay, that they need to um go back to the old ways a little more and not be so selfish. Like little bit more of a focus on nature conservancy.

[9:01] Pugface: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And uh specifically, if I'm not mistaken, friends, we need to stop the digging of the Talia Shire mines.

[9:10] Lillian Castillo: Yes.

[9:10] Pugface: That's really what it comes down to.

[9:12] Jake Blauck: Thank you, Herbert. Gemstones are the backbone of our economy. Plus, it's creating jobs.

[9:17] Lillian Castillo: No, no, no, no, no, no, no. There must be another way to stop these elven gods.

[9:22] Brian Vaughn: There's not.

[9:22] Lillian Castillo: No, there's not. Plain and simple. Do you want the end times to come, Sovereign? Is that what you want?

[9:27] Jake Blauck: You're telling King Cyrus of Idenia that there is no way to put a stop to the Ilven threat.

[9:35] Brian Vaughn: You goddamn right I am.

[9:37] Lillian Castillo: Excuse me, excuse me. Isn't there a way to like recycle the gems we already have?

[9:42] Pugface: No, no, no. Once they lose their magic, they are useless.

[9:46] Brian Vaughn: I will put an end to this, even if I must do it myself.

[9:52] Lillian Castillo: Wait.

[9:53] Pugface: Self?

[9:54] Lillian Castillo: That's it. What do you mean?

[9:56] Pugface: No, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The god of self.

[9:59] Lillian Castillo: Why else do we worship Venetias if not for protection from other gods?

[10:03] Brian Vaughn: This is the opposite of the direction we want you going.

[10:09] King Cyrus: We must to the temple of Venetians. Now wait.

[10:12] Michael Darty: King Cyrus swivels around and heads back out the door he came in, and the guards start shoving you toward him.

[10:19] Pugface: What is this? Does anyone else feel like we are just terrible at our jobs?

[10:23] Lillian Castillo: We're the single worst group in history.

[10:26] Pugface: But no, this could be good.

[10:27] Lillian Castillo: This could be good.

[10:28] Pugface: This could be good.

[10:29] Lillian Castillo: As you follow King Cyrus out of the throne room, Crab the lawyer runs up from behind you.

[10:35] Crab: He kind of silos up next to you with a piece of parchment and says, Alright, alright, really really quick before I go, uh, who's taking care of this?

[10:41] Lillian Castillo: What is that?

[10:42] Pugface: Joe Casta and Pug Face, you look at the piece of paper and see that it's a listing of legal fees.

[10:48] Lillian Castillo: And at the bottom of the right hand corner of the page, you read services rendered, five thousand Gelder.

[10:55] Crab: You're a publicly appointed attorney, Krab.

[10:58] Crab: Whoa, whoa, whoa, you thought that I was appointed by the court?

[11:01] Pugface: Yes!

[11:02] Crab: They want you dead.

[11:03] Crab: No, look, I saw the first big case of its kind, and I smelled Gilda. Can you blame me?

[11:08] Pugface: I'm sorry, one second, one second, one second, one second. When did you do a single thing?

[11:10] Pugface: We did all the work. We did the talking. You did nothing.

[11:15] Crab: All you can charge us for is price.

[11:17] Pugface: Yes, our paralegal fees.

[11:19] Crab: Is that a fact?

[11:20] Pugface: Yeah, it's a fact. I'll tell you, my friends, I will give you a week to pay your legal fees. And if not, I will be taking legal action myself.

[11:27] Pugface: What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do? What are you gonna do?

[11:29] Crab: I'll take legal action.

[11:31] Brian Vaughn: I'll put you back in that courtroom. That's what I'll do. I'll put you in the ground. Oh, now you're threatening my life. Listen, I don't know if you notice, but we're real good at saving ourselves in a courtroom. Well, we'll see how you fare without the guidance of me. Please, we fill out of here. At this point, you find yourselves outside of Orion's keep and heading toward the square. Just ahead of you, you see the pristine chapel known as the Temple of Venetius. Well, that's my time. K Run me the guilda, will ya? Otherwise, they'll be held to pay. We'll see. Goodbye, everybody. I hope you get taken out by one of these plagues. And with that, Crab the lawyer slips past the grip of the King's Guard and disappears into the crowd that mingles in Borstead Square.

[12:10] Jake Blauck: I don't like him at all. Can you believe me? I was up there. I look like a fool. His fault. Lawyers, am I right? Finally, you near the temple, and you find yourselves passing the long line of villagers waiting to get inside. Gasps and murmurs erupt as King Cyrus brushes past them, leading this entourage of U five and the platoon of King's Guard. At the front doors, two high priests dressed in white silk robes guard the entrance. They see their sovereign and bow. We wish to speak with the Almighty.

[12:41] Brian Vaughn: One of the priests disappears inside, and after a moment, the doors spring open, and a peasant is flung into the street.

[12:49] Michael Darty: Hey, I wasn't done! The two priests hold open the doors and say, "Fight this way, your majesty." King Cyrus goes within, and one of the king's guard gruffly barks at you. Follow.

[13:04] Lillian Castillo: Once inside, the doors get closed behind you. You find yourselves crammed in a tiny vestibule with Herman, the king, and two cardinals in long red robes. It's just Bob Gibson and Mark McGuire. Before you, a giant golden curtain is closed, concealing what you assume is where the worshippers convene with Venetius. One of the cardinals speaks.

[13:30] Steve Godalunas: Only one may enter at a time. Who among you wishes to speak with the Almighty Venetius?

[13:38] Jake Blauck: King Cyrus turns to you surreptitiously and says, "Uh, alright, so here's the thing. I don't like him very much."

[13:45] Brian Vaughn: And so you what? What do you mean?

[13:47] Jake Blauck: I don't like Venetius. I'm not a fan. He can be a bit blunt and, you know, a bit off-putting. Really controlling the situations. Um, any one of you may go in and request protection from the elven god. Who among you shall do it? Uh, could we just have a sidebar real quick?

[14:04] Lillian Castillo: Yeah, can we have a sect, please? Can we just confer?

[14:06] Brian Vaughn: Oh, absolutely! Take your time. We just need to like discuss. Who? Should we send Herman?

[14:11] Steve Godalunas: Herman? Is this the time that we can send Herman?

[14:14] Lillian Castillo: That's great. Oh. Well, I can give it a go. I know historically I tend to freestyle when I'm nervous, but we can't have that.

[14:21] Michael Darty: Nope. But I was thinking of trying out a little beat poetry.

[14:25] Brian Vaughn: Put it away.

[14:26] Lillian Castillo: Ooh, the heat flash when it goes into my eyes. Put it away. Put it away. Make that elegance. Come on, bro.

[14:35] Steve Godalunas: It's all right. You know what? No. You are a treasure that no one should have. That's how precious you are.

[14:42] Lillian Castillo: Joe Costa, that's the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me.

[14:45] Michael Darty: I bet it is. I don't know. Uh, Pugface is sort of the most, uh, you know, pure of spirit. Uh, but I fall apart under pressure, and we all know that.

[14:54] Brian Vaughn: That's true. Okay, not Pugface, aren't we? Uh, I mean, you know, I got away with words. Roscar.

[15:00] Steve Godalunas: You've a silver tongue, my friend. And you're lovable.

[15:03] Lillian Castillo: Yes. Okay. You know, thank you. And you don't mind a certain level of bluntness. Just remember that you're speaking with the deity, so try to like maybe the whole anger thing, not so.

[15:14] Michael Darty: I'll do my best. All right. Who among you is doing this?

[15:16] Steve Godalunas: That'll be me.

[15:17] Michael Darty: All right. My name is Roscoe Chubb.

[15:20] Brian Vaughn: Right. Roscoe Chubb. Very good. Remember, we need protection from the gods of the ills.

[15:26] Jake Blauck: Yep. King Cyrus nods at the Cardinals who part the glimmering golden curtains just enough for Roscoe to enter.

[15:33] Lillian Castillo: Okay. Roscoe, you find yourself in an empty room with a white marble floor. And gleaming and towering before you is an enormous mirror. Your reflection stares back at you.

[15:46] Michael Darty: Damn, I look pretty good today. I might have lost a pound or two. Uh, as you say this, Roscoe, you notice that the lips of your reflection do not move. And suddenly it speaks.

[15:56] Brian Vaughn: Oh, well, you're not looking too bad yourself, Dad.

[16:00] Michael Darty: Thank you. I appreciate that. You're Venetius, yeah?

[16:03] Brian Vaughn: Yeah. Like I'm you, Venetius, god of self. You see, you see what how this works here?

[16:08] Michael Darty: No, yeah, I kind of picked up on that.

[16:10] Brian Vaughn: Yeah, yeah. Same dialect, same kind of affect. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, I reflect back what you see.

[16:14] Michael Darty: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a question for you.

[16:17] Brian Vaughn: Yeah, what's up?

[16:18] Michael Darty: I need you to do me a favor.

[16:21] Brian Vaughn: Okay. You're a good guy, yeah?

[16:23] Michael Darty: I am a god, after all.

[16:24] Brian Vaughn: Good deity, I guess. You're not really a guy.

[16:26] Michael Darty: Yeah, I'm a deity of sorts, yeah.

[16:28] Brian Vaughn: Yeah, okay. So here's what I need you to do. I got three really close ball three really close friends, and then Herman. He's uh, he's a traveling companion.

[16:34] Michael Darty: Say no more. See, here's the thing. Me and my friends are trying to stop, you know, the end of the world. You know what I mean?

[16:42] Brian Vaughn: Oh, sure, sure, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You get it.

[16:44] Michael Darty: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So basically what I'm trying to do here is we need your help to accept the old gods again.

[16:51] Brian Vaughn: Can't you just say, Roscoe, uh, a little offended as the current god you're technically supposed to be worshipping?

[16:57] Michael Darty: No, definitely. And I thought that's I thought that's what would happen. I just want you to know something. This is not personal.

[17:02] Brian Vaughn: Okay.

[17:03] Michael Darty: I'm just trying to save the world here.

[17:05] Brian Vaughn: Well, let me ask you this. Do you think that you personally possess the power?

[17:13] Michael Darty: Yeah, yeah. I feel this power rising in me. The four of us in her, and there ain't nothing that I just didn't see it. Either to believe in me the way that I believe I am.

[17:40] Brian Vaughn: I'm seeing things in a new light now, Venetias open up my eyes. And the minute's in the sky. Could be a god and god. All you gotta do is just believe how seek. Could there be a god of me? You can do it to it, season. You just believe and say, I see the God of me.

[18:17] Michael Darty: Alright! Well, if you think you have that power, then uh yeah, go forth and do your thing.

[18:23] Brian Vaughn: Oh yeah. Just just okay, like that, like that's fine. Well, I mean, I I don't quite know how to put this, but buddy, uh, the only magic I have is the magic that's inside of you.

[18:35] Michael Darty: Of me. If you can't do it, I can't do it. You see what I'm saying? You see how this works?

[18:39] Brian Vaughn: Yeah, I definitely see how that works. Like, but I got it.

[18:42] Michael Darty: You got what?

[18:42] Brian Vaughn: The ability to stop the end of the world. It's all on us, this saving humanity. I met a real mench, and he helped me out in that pitch. My self-esteem was really up on the shelf till I pulled back the curtain on my name and the god of self. He showed me that we're all we got, but we're all we're gone in. Now I see staring back at me. A stone cold deity. Now I see the God of me. It's coming through so clearly, NASA. Now I see the God and meet me was always right here. Right here for me to see. See the God of me!

[19:41] Brian Vaughn: Oh, okay, well good, good. Then what do you need me for then, right? So off you go.

[19:45] Michael Darty: No, no, no, no, no. I mean, but here's the thing. I do need your help. I don't know what else to tell you, buddy. Look, I mean like if you can do it, I can do it, sort of a thing, but like, if you can't do it, I can't do it. So if you're asking me for a favor, do it yourself is kind of all I can really tell you.

[19:59] Brian Vaughn: Alright. I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ross.

[20:04] Michael Darty: How could a god like you ever let me down?

[20:11] Brian Vaughn: I won't forget what happened here.

[20:19] Michael Darty: Now we see the god of me. I love a small person. Now I see. Now I see the god meeting. I just gotta trust. I just gotta do it. I just gotta move in the daddy!

[20:42] Brian Vaughn: Well, I'm gonna go ahead and tell them that now. You might you p they're not gonna like what they hear. I can tell you this now. Hey, you know what I always say, Roscoe?

[20:49] Michael Darty: What do you say?

[20:50] Brian Vaughn: Can't please everybody.

[20:52] Michael Darty: You know, you can't. It's been a long time since somebody's reminded me of that. Thank you very much, Venetius. I wouldn't have thought it if you hadn't thought it yourself. Well, you know, they're probably waiting on me, so I'm gonna go now.

[21:03] Brian Vaughn: Okay, you should go do it. Got it me! Meanwhile, on the other side of the curtain, King Cyrus turns to the rest of you and says, No, no, no, no, no, tell me. You'd mentioned something of uh plagues that will unfold. Could you tell me more about those?

[21:19] Michael Darty: Yes, first was the dense fog that kills all the um crops.

[21:22] Jake Blauck: Kills all the crops in Edenia?

[21:25] Michael Darty: Yes.

[21:25] Jake Blauck: Okay. No matter. I'll send word to every province to harvest all crops within next twenty-four hours, then there'll be nothing to be lost when the fog arrives.

[21:35] Brian Vaughn: That's helpful. I mean, sure, but how will you grow any more?

[21:38] Jake Blauck: Well, we we'll simply plant them again after the fog lifts.

[21:42] Lillian Castillo: Yeah. Jocasta, if I recall, your mother doesn't properly live in a province, correct?

[21:48] Michael Darty: I mean, she lives in the stormwood.

[21:50] Jake Blauck: The storm you mean the small forest outside of Talia Shire?

[21:53] Michael Darty: Yes.

[21:54] Jake Blauck: All right. And her name is.

[21:56] Michael Darty: Her name's Minerva.

[21:57] Jake Blauck: Minerva. All right. We'll send her word as well. What else? Herman, what was the next one?

[22:01] Michael Darty: Second plague was oh, oh, the progs, yes.

[22:05] Jake Blauck: And what are those exactly?

[22:06] Michael Darty: They're frogs that play progressive rock.

[22:09] Jake Blauck: Oh my word.

[22:09] Michael Darty: Yes, they fall from the heavens and.

[22:11] Jake Blauck: Very curious. Well, we'll send word as well to safeguard all the doors and windows. And for added measure, we'll secure all borders until the plague's conclusion.

[22:20] Lillian Castillo: Yes, and best to outlaw uh any sort of irregular time signatures.

[22:24] Jake Blauck: Oh, I love that, Edgar. Very good. Uh what else? Herman.

[22:28] Michael Darty: Um, the third plague was oh, the locusts that block the sun.

[22:32] Jake Blauck: Uh, the locusts that block the sun.

[22:34] Michael Darty: That's right. The three days of darkness leading up to the eventual Edenian destruction, as they said.

[22:41] Jake Blauck: Yeah. I see. Well, we shall inform our people of this as well, and instruct them to uh stock up on torches to get us through the darkness. By which time, Venetius will come and protect us all from At this moment, Roscoe emerges from behind the golden curtain.

[22:59] Jake Blauck: Ah, yes. Well, what did he say?

[23:02] King Cyrus: First of all, I gotta tell you, you should have told me that Venetius was a pretty stand-up dude. I mean, I like him. All right, y'all. This is what he said to me. We got it inside of us. What? We have we have the ability to stop this plague ourselves. So it's up to us to go and do it. That's it? That's what he said. He didn't say he was going to do it himself. No, no, because see, he's the he's he's the god of self, so he reflects back to you. Fuck! I always knew that the worship of self would come back and bite us in the ass. Oh forgive me, Venetius! What am I saying? Let's get out of here. With that, King Cyrus dashes out of the exit, leaving the cardinals in shock.

[23:43] Pugface: Did he ever pardon us?

[23:45] Crab: No.

[23:45] Pugface: Did he ever sentence us?

[23:47] Crab: I don't believe he has.

[23:48] Pugface: Let's get the hell out of here now.

[23:51] King Cyrus: As you leave the temple, the two high priests outside rush inside and close the door behind them. As spectators of the square are now loudly speculating about what's happening. King Cyrus beckons you toward him as a messenger approaches.

[24:04] Messenger: Um, sir.

[24:05] King Cyrus: Not a good time, messenger. Now then, we need to think of a way to protect Idenia. Any ideas?

[24:12] Pugface: Huh? From the peanut gallery?

[24:14] King Cyrus: Yes, we have told you okay. Listen, you need to turn your ways back to the old gods, and you need to close down the mine.

[24:22] Crab: Now don't be so foolish. Our entire economy would crumble.

[24:26] King Cyrus: And Venetius doubled what we said. Basically admitted that he was powerless! Because it's in us, it's in us. It's in us!

[24:34] Pugface: We can't take on a pantheon of gods by ourselves.

[24:37] King Cyrus: We don't have to take them on if we embrace them on the beer.

[24:42] Crab: Not now. If we stopped the sale of gemstones, the monarchy would crumble because we would have no economy left.

[24:49] Pugface: You don't understand how this works.

[24:51] King Cyrus: You're not gonna have anything left.

[24:52] Crab: I'm sorry. Do you not have any other exports other than jams? Is that what you're trying to say?

[24:57] Messenger: What? What is it, Messenger? They can't possibly wait until I finish talking with my friends.

[25:04] Messenger: Well, um, just that I've received word from North Talia Shire, your majesty, and it appears some ominous looking clouds have recently appeared over the dragon nation of Vritrania.

[25:16] King Cyrus: The messenger points behind you all, and you see to the west, dark yet shimmering clouds hovering just beyond the Vitranian mountains.

[25:25] Pugface: This isn't one of the plagues.

[25:28] Crab: No, it doesn't really look like fog so much as shimmery clouds.

[25:32] King Cyrus: King Cyrus's face lights up. Kismet! Oh do you realize what this means?

[25:41] Pugface: I mean, this is a sign from the dragon gods that we can use them for protection.

[25:46] King Cyrus: Vinicius has told us we're on our own. We are powerless, and they are our only hope.

[25:52] Crab: No, no, see, that's where you're wrong. Venetius didn't say we were powerless.

[25:56] King Cyrus: No, don't you see, you foolish, foolish halfling? Long ago, during the Great War, the Draconic and Elven Pantheons warred against each other as the former human nation fought the dragons.

[26:09] Crab: And the elven pantheon lost. That's why the red gods stayed entombed in that shrine all those years.

[26:17] King Cyrus: Venetia said the power is within us. Within us to go and get on the side of the draconic gods.

[26:24] Pugface: Now listen, I have to say, I have a little experience with the Draconic gods and uh their magic, and I have to say, it is some potent ship. They are very powerful indeed, Edgar.

[26:35] King Cyrus: King Cyrus beckons over to his king's guard. You there, summon Sir Aiden.

[26:40] King Cyrus: Alright. I hereby quest you five into the dragon nation. You must go find the underground city of Kuravi.

[26:46] King Cyrus: It is written that there lies the lost cathedral of Ritrani, head of the Draconic Pantheon. Once summoned, he shall protect us from the elven gods.

[26:56] Pugface: You cannot. I'm overwhelmed. Be fucking serious.

[27:00] Crab: Why can't we just do the simpler thing?

[27:02] King Cyrus: What's the simpler thing, in your opinion, Joe Castor?

[27:05] Pugface: Closing down the mines!

[27:07] King Cyrus: I refuse to do that, and I will have you hung if you mention it again.

[27:11] King Cyrus: I hear no more of your big hot dregs. Say one more word, and I'll hang you by the neck.

[27:17] King Cyrus: You all seem to think my plans to save it, then you stink, but forgot one thing. Only Agony Key.

[27:28] King Cyrus: When the subjects question me, it doesn't turn out well. If I hear any more doubts from you, I'll flee your rack man straight to hell.

[27:39] King Cyrus: For entertainment's sake, I could just burn you at the stake. You see this ring?

[27:46] King Cyrus: It means I am the king. I am the state. Isn't it great? I decide your fate, which can be whatever nasty thing I like.

[28:02] King Cyrus: Taller there, the tangulather drawn corn to pressure, shorter iron maiden, tanner, brings in water, torture dragon, scorcher, or I don't know. Something. Something else really nasty. I'll figure it out.

[28:13] King Cyrus: Big on it, my friends on that antagonizing in pain. I think you'll see nothing.

[28:31] King Cyrus: It's good to be the king.

[28:33] King Cyrus: Oh, Sir Aiden, so glad you're here. You turn and see a knight in shining armor. He appears to be in his late fifties.

[28:40] King Cyrus: I present to you Sir Aiden Brock of North Point, decorated soldier, and my most trusted confidant. He shall be the one who will escort you to Corale.

[28:50] King Cyrus: Let me confer with Sir Aiden for a moment and get him up to speed.

[28:54] Pugface: Joe Costa, Sir Aiden Brock, the knight kind of looks at you like he recognizes you as he's pulled away into a huddle.

[29:01] Crab: Herman says to you all, um, so what are we doing here, guys?

[29:07] Pugface: That is you know what, for once? That is a great question. We're going to the dragon land.

[29:11] Crab: Why?

[29:12] Pugface: We are being blackmailed into doing this.

[29:15] Crab: Because it's gonna be great for our career.

[29:16] Pugface: Our career is a song and a half. If we say no, he'll probably sentence us to death.

[29:21] Crab: I was gonna say, do we have a choice?

[29:23] King Cyrus: King Cyrus interrupts you and says, As Sir Aiden has so graciously reminded me, it seems I've offered you the stick without also offering you the proverbial carrot.

[29:35] Pugface: So what's the carrot?

[29:36] King Cyrus: After you enlist protection from the dragon gods, in exchange for Edinian worship of the draconic pantheon, of course. You shall be handsomely rewarded.

[29:48] King Cyrus: For starters, more riches than you could possibly know what to do with.

[29:52] Pugface: It's like a thousand dollars.

[29:54] Crab: Could you take care of our legal fees, perhaps?

[29:57] King Cyrus: Oh, Herman. I don't feel you should give that thief a penny.

[30:01] Pugface: Yes, just have just have your men kill him.

[30:03] Crab: Who do we need to kill?

[30:04] King Cyrus: Oh, uh uh Simon Crabbe's is an attorney.

[30:07] Crab: Kill seem extreme. Maybe just put him in jail for being a extortionist.

[30:12] King Cyrus: All right, he shall be committed to prison. Anything else pressing right now?

[30:16] Pugface: Well, we do actually want to eventually start making music, so I suppose very good then.

[30:21] King Cyrus: As you are a band, I can indeed offer you a recording contract with Aldus Groove at the Ball State James Station.

[30:27] Pugface: That's great.

[30:28] Crab: Could I throw in headlining the uh the festival in two weeks' time?

[30:31] King Cyrus: The Founders Day Bicentennial.

[30:33] Pugface: Yes.

[30:33] King Cyrus: It's now only twelve days away.

[30:35] Pugface: Yes.

[30:36] King Cyrus: You shall be the opening act at the Founder's Day Bicentennial.

[30:39] Crab: Very well.

[30:39] King Cyrus: Closing.

[30:40] Pugface: Uh, yeah, opening that's disrespectful.

[30:42] King Cyrus: Very well. You shall be the closing performance on Founder's Day.

[30:46] Pugface: If the world survives.

[30:48] King Cyrus: Very good.

[30:49] Crab: Yes.

[30:49] Pugface: Maybe I can get a single track on each gemstone where I get to just sort of.

[30:54] King Cyrus: You're not welcome in the studio.

[30:57] Crab: Then you you gotta learn when to very good.

[30:59] King Cyrus: Then you accept. Sir Aiden, travel with these five to Fritrania by way of North Talia Shire.

[31:06] Pugface: I need to go find a K Ran ASAP and send a message to my mama.

[31:09] King Cyrus: Oh, I I I I can take care of that for you. What do you need to say?

[31:13] Pugface: Harvest her crops, of course, and I'll send her, I don't know, uh, five thousand gelder for her troubles.

[31:18] King Cyrus: That's generous. Thank you.

[31:20] King Cyrus: Very good. Now remember, should you fail or should any harm befall Sir Aiden, you shall be killed. If not, glorious riches and eternal fame await you.

[31:29] King Cyrus: Sir Aiden, send me a Karen immediately upon your return to Edenia with the details of your adventure.

[31:35] Sir Aiden: I will, sir.

[31:36] King Cyrus: Off your pop, then. As King Cyrus leaves you, he shouts to his men.

[31:40] King Cyrus: Send word to every province in the land and send word to Minerva Stormwood to harvest her crops.

[31:47] King Cyrus: Send her five thousand. And as his voice trails off and overwhelming presence fades into the distance, you find an immediate relief.

[31:55] Pugface: Oh I can breathe now.

[31:58] Crab: Goodness.

[31:58] Pugface: Who voted for that guy?

[32:01] Crab: You know there was no voting for that mess.

[32:03] Sir Aiden: Sir Aiden approaches and says, You there, bear woman. You seem awfully familiar.

[32:06] Pugface: Have we met before?

[32:10] Sir Aiden: I was thinking the same thing about you. We shall get to the bottom of this bear woman.

[32:15] Pugface: What?

[32:16] Sir Aiden: In the meantime, shall we aware? Sir Aiden whistles, and a snow white stallion gallops forth.

[32:22] Sir Aiden: This is Mayonnaise, my steed. Behind Mayonnaise, gallop Nick Foles, Delilah, Smelly, and Tutoroso.

[32:31] Pugface: You are reunited with your horses.

[32:37] Crab: My big baby boy.

[32:39] Pugface: Friends, I suggest we work out all the moral, religious, and socio-political ramifications of what just happened later, yes.

[32:46] Crab: Oh yes.

[32:47] Pugface: Yeah, Herman, what do you think we're gonna waste time doing that right now? Let's get to Dragonland and back because we have a record to cover.

[32:52] Sir Aiden: Very well. To Vitrania!

[32:54] Pugface: You mount your steeds and you gallop west.

[32:57] King Cyrus: You leave Borestead, whiz by the ostentatious houses that line the King's Road of Kingsrong, and after an hour or so enter the meadows.

[33:06] Sir Aiden: Sir Aiden pulls Mayonnaise's reins to get your attention in points. If we ride northwest, we'll make a beeline to North Talia Shire, and just beyond it, the entrance to Vitronia.

[33:17] Pugface: Oh, North Talia Shire.

[33:18] Crab: It's either that or scale the mountains that now fuck it.

[33:21] Pugface: Let's scale the mountains.

[33:22] Crab: Nope, no, no. Roscoe.

[33:24] Pugface: That will add days to our trip.

[33:26] Crab: Okay, okay. Then shall we sally forth?

[33:29] Pugface: Yep.

[33:30] You set off once more against the setting sun.

[33:33] Pugface: Hours tick by as you race across the grassy fields.

[33:36] King Cyrus: Everyone roll perception.

[33:38] Pugface: Oh my god.

[33:38] Crab: Uh oh.

[33:39] Pugface: I forgot we have to do that in this game.

[33:41] Crab: I got a 15.

[33:42] Pugface: I got a uh 21.

[33:44] Crab: I got a 23.

[33:45] Pugface: Roscoe got an eight.

[33:47] King Cyrus: Okay, everyone but Roscoe. A sound catches your ear.

[33:49] King Cyrus: Though very faint at first, as you head further west, you realize it's someone singing a song.

[33:57] Pugface: I don't hear anything.

[33:58] King Cyrus: You continue west, and before long, you come upon a cave. The singing voice echoes within.

[34:05] King Cyrus: It is at this point, Roscoe, that you now recognize it as the unmistakable voice of Cindar the Righteous, lead singer of Necromantica.

[34:15] Roscoe: Oh my fuck.

[34:17] Roscoe: Do you hear that?

[34:19] Pugface: Is that Cinder the Righteous?

[34:21] Roscoe: You are goddamn right it is.

[34:23] Pugface: From necromancy?

[34:24] Roscoe: I haven't heard about them in years.

[34:26] Pugface: I'm not sure why.

[34:27] Roscoe: They're the greatest band ever.

[34:28] Pugface: Yeah, but they kind of fell off, didn't they?

[34:30] Roscoe: No, they didn't kind of fall off.

[34:31] Unknown speaker: It depends on what childhood you had.

[34:33] Unknown speaker: They are right on, if you ask me.

[34:35] Unknown speaker: Why is it coming from a cave, though?

[34:37] Unknown speaker: That is mysterious indeed.

[34:39] Unknown speaker: I don't know, we gotta go.

[34:40] Roscoe: And I Roscoe bolts.

[34:41] Unknown speaker: What?

[34:42] Unknown speaker: What?

[34:42] Unknown speaker: What, Edgar?

[34:43] Unknown speaker: What?

[34:44] Unknown speaker: What?

[34:44] Unknown speaker: This is the cave of the forgotten.

[34:47] Unknown speaker: No, no, Roscoe.

[34:48] Unknown speaker: I can't hear a thing he's saying.

[34:49] Roscoe: I'm I'm already, I'm already, I'm I'm like off of Tutoroso and heading into the mouth of the cave.

[34:54] Unknown speaker: Joe Costa's screaming.

[34:56] Unknown speaker: No, stop, stop!

[34:57] Unknown speaker: This is where Mythic Sundaloot decides right now.

[35:00] Unknown speaker: If we are uh interesting, you know, challenging later years project, or if we're just a desperate grasp at being cool again.

[35:10] Pugface: Puckface grabs Edgar and slaps him.

[35:13] Pugface: Calm down!

[35:14] Unknown speaker: What the fuck is going on?

[35:15] Unknown speaker: It's where one hit wonders go to die.

[35:18] Unknown speaker: I'm gonna go try and stop Roscoe.

[35:21] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[35:21] Unknown speaker: Let's let's let's go.

[35:23] Unknown speaker: I suppose I should just set up camp here and watch after the steeds while you roll ghost belunking within.

[35:30] Unknown speaker: Yes, make yourself useful, please.

[35:31] Unknown speaker: Please do that.

[35:32] Unknown speaker: You enter the cave.

[35:33] Unknown speaker: Meanwhile, Roscoe, as soon as you step within the cave, you hear a whisper that arrests you, and it says, Roscoe.

[35:43] Unknown speaker: That's within.

[35:45] Unknown speaker: Your destiny awaits.

[35:48] Roscoe: Oh, shit. This is not what I wanted.

[35:49] Roscoe: Do I have to go?

[35:52] Unknown speaker: And while you deliberate Roscoe, you finally find yourself met with Edgar, Joe Costa, Pugface, and Herman.

[35:59] Roscoe: Oh, hey, Yuz.

[36:00] Unknown speaker: Where's Cindar?

[36:01] Unknown speaker: Uh you hear Cindar's voice echoing further deeper within the cave.

[36:05] Roscoe: Yeah, I don't know, but I gotta be honest with you, I got a creepy voice that said, Roscoe, come within.

[36:10] Roscoe: And I I I don't know. That kind of stopped me in my tracks.

[36:12] Unknown speaker: That's not good.

[36:13] Unknown speaker: You hear the whisper again, and it says, Rosco, your family needs you.

[36:18] Unknown speaker: Do we hear it too?

[36:19] Unknown speaker: You do hear it, but to you guys, it just sounds like this.

[36:28] Roscoe: Got this overwhelming sense that my family needs me.

[36:31] Unknown speaker: Give me a constitution check, Roscoe.

[36:33] Roscoe: Oh, sure.

[36:33] Unknown speaker: 15.

[36:34] Unknown speaker: You really can't resist the whisper.

[36:37] Unknown speaker: Something about it is like pulling you forth.

[36:39] Roscoe: I gotta go, Yuze. I'll see you later.

[36:42] Unknown speaker: No, no, no, no.

[36:44] Unknown speaker: Can I get in front of Roscoe and try to charm him?

[36:46] Unknown speaker: Sure, yeah, absolutely.

[36:47] Unknown speaker: I got a 12.

[36:48] Unknown speaker: What do you say to charm him?

[36:50] Pugface: Rosco, your family doesn't need you.

[36:54] Unknown speaker: I just push his face out of the way.

[36:56] Pugface: This is ridiculous.

[36:57] Pugface: She grabs him by the face and goes, snap out of it.

[37:01] Unknown speaker: Give me a strength check.

[37:03] Unknown speaker: Oh no.

[37:04] Unknown speaker: That's a forward.

[37:05] Unknown speaker: So he doesn't snap out of it.

[37:07] Unknown speaker: And I I I also just pushed Jocosta's face out of the way, like I did Edgar's.

[37:13] Unknown speaker: Very gently.

[37:14] Unknown speaker: Roscoe you continue to hear this whisper.

[37:17] Unknown speaker: Roscoe.

[37:19] Unknown speaker: Great treasure.

[37:21] Roscoe: Yep, that sounds great.

[37:22] Unknown speaker: So at this point, you are at a fork in the cave.

[37:25] Unknown speaker: To your right, the tunnel seems to lead toward a source of light and the voice of Cindar.

[37:31] Unknown speaker: And down the tunnel to your left, utter darkness, and the source of the whisper.

[37:36] Unknown speaker: Rosco, step into the darkness.

[37:40] Unknown speaker: Retrieve your reward.

[37:41] Unknown speaker: Puck face, say something to him.

[37:43] Unknown speaker: Snap him out of it.

[37:44] Unknown speaker: No, no, no.

[37:45] Pugface: So yeah, Puckface grabs him and she starts singing our best friend's song.

[37:51] Pugface: Hey, Bud, can you hear me say, bud?

[37:56] Pugface: Think about the days, bud.

[37:59] Pugface: A hazy room, and you and I are baking up a new tune.

[38:05] Pugface: No time to stop. We won't give up till the right bee drops.

[38:10] Pugface: It's magic. When we lock in, you know the way we fit together like a gentleman.

[38:18] Pugface: Face. I count you in you keep the piece.

[38:23] Pugface: The bottom to a solid tune. Let's rock another rain after.

[38:36] Pugface: Hey, bud. Get back to the days, bud.

[38:41] Pugface: When you played on my bass, bud, I'd drop along in you and I would chase the feet through a rock song.

[38:51] Pugface: The bass is home, and you tell me you can't fake drama than magic.

[38:57] Pugface: And we look in we find a way to fit together like a drum and face.

[39:12] Pugface: Let's rock another rainy afternoon.

[39:19] Unknown speaker: A sader story when a gold plays it all.

[39:28] Unknown speaker: Kick it off and bring it home.

[39:55] Unknown speaker: Let's run the rainy afternoon.

[40:02] Unknown speaker: Let's play to rock another afternoon.

[40:09] Unknown speaker: Be free to rock another afternoon.

[40:23] Unknown speaker: Give me a constitution roll for that song to see how much your will affects him.

[40:27] Unknown speaker: Alright.

[40:28] Unknown speaker: Fuck.

[40:28] Unknown speaker: Five.

[40:29] Unknown speaker: Pugface, I'll say this. Your song is is soul stirring. It is heartwarming. It is totally beautiful.

[40:36] Unknown speaker: And it does nothing. Nothing.

[40:38] Unknown speaker: I also just push Pugface's face out of the way.

[40:42] Unknown speaker: No!

[40:43] Unknown speaker: Herman is going to follow Roscoe.

[40:45] Herman: I'm gonna make sure he's okay.

[40:47] Unknown speaker: And he steps into the darkness with Roscoe.

[40:49] Unknown speaker: You know, when has Herman never let us down before?

[40:52] Unknown speaker: Are you suggesting we leave him alone to save our friend?

[40:56] Unknown speaker: No, let's go.

[40:57] Unknown speaker: Come on.

[40:58] Unknown speaker: You know what, Edgar, I'm I'll speak your language for a second.

[41:00] Unknown speaker: Where are you gonna find a better drummer?

[41:02] Unknown speaker: Let's go with Roscoe.

[41:03] Unknown speaker: That's what I thought.

[41:04] Unknown speaker: You step into the darkness until eventually you cannot see at all.

[41:09] Unknown speaker: Roscoe, the whisper guides you this way.

[41:11] Unknown speaker: You're so close.

[41:13] Unknown speaker: Until you come upon a one-foot-tall rectangular metal box on the ground, which appears to be giving off a soft mossy green glow.

[41:23] Unknown speaker: The whisper seems to come directly from the box.

[41:26] Whisper: I am yours, Roscoe. Solve the puzzle. Win the prize.

[41:32] Roscoe: Oh, this is mine, but it's a puzzle.

[41:36] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[41:37] Roscoe: Do I'm gonna pick up the box.

[41:39] Unknown speaker: Nothing happens immediately.

[41:40] Unknown speaker: Just upon the box, you notice an inscription in a language you do not recognize.

[41:45] Unknown speaker: Perfect.

[41:45] Unknown speaker: And just below it, a phrase in common, and you're illiterate, correct, Roscoe?

[41:50] Roscoe: Yeah, I can't read or write.

[41:51] Unknown speaker: Yeah.

[41:51] Herman: Herman appears over your shoulder and reads it for you.

[41:55] Herman: And he says, gaze upon the letters below and rearranged to ones you know. Speak the words in any tongue, and then the prize is finally won.

[42:08] Unknown speaker: Now, carved below in capital letters are the words herb, money, swig.

[42:16] Unknown speaker: Okay.

[42:17] Unknown speaker: At this point, the rest of the team sort of arrives as you sort of hear Herman reading that mysterious poem.

[42:24] Jocasta: Is there anything else on the box? Anything that suggests a pen.

[42:28] Unknown speaker: If you inspect the box, Jocasta, you see nothing else other than this mysterious language that you also don't recognize, and that other carving, which appears to be some sort of translation of the other language, which is written in common.

[42:41] Jocasta: I see. My friends, maybe this is a puzzle better sussed out over the warmth of campfire and food.

[42:47] Unknown speaker: Food?

[42:48] Roscoe: Does Roscoe snap out of it for a second when you say food?

[42:51] Unknown speaker: Yeah, absolutely.

[42:52] Roscoe: Oh, good God, Herman. You you couldn't be more right. Let's make our way out of here and see if we can't figure this thing out.

[42:58] Unknown speaker: You take the metal box with you and you head back down the tunnel.

[43:01] Unknown speaker: You soon come back to the fork.

[43:03] Unknown speaker: You can now head toward the exit or head toward the sound of Cindar's voice.

[43:07] Unknown speaker: Edgar, there's something so familiar, and it's not your familiarity with Cindar.

[43:11] Unknown speaker: Roscoe, you're a necromancer fan.

[43:13] Unknown speaker: Come on, they're right over here.

[43:15] Unknown speaker: You wanna meet Cinder?

[43:16] Roscoe: Yep.

[43:17] Unknown speaker: Yes, I do.

[43:18] Unknown speaker: Jocasta Puckface, are you gonna follow Edgar and Roscoe down this tunnel toward the light?

[43:23] Jocasta: Oh god, yes, I'll follow.

[43:25] Pugface: Yeah, I guess I'll follow.

[43:26] Unknown speaker: Alright, you all head toward the light at the end of the tunnel.

[43:29] Unknown speaker: As Cindar's singing voice grows louder, you start to hear the full heavy metal band known as Necromantica.

[43:37] Unknown speaker: Before long, you find yourselves in a large opening in the cave filled with luminous yellow orbs that float in the air.

[43:44] Unknown speaker: Before you, a group of undead hotties, all rocking out and facing a large stone platform upon which performs the band Necromantica.

[43:54] Unknown speaker: Front and center is the elven wizard and lead singer Cindar the Righteous.

[43:59] Unknown speaker: And dangling from their neck, a silver chain affixed to a citrine gemstone, which Edgar recognizes as the necklace of Octock Tune.

[44:08] Unknown speaker: And that's where we will end our episode.

[44:17] Unknown speaker: Tune in in two weeks on Monday, October 11th for episode six, The Forgotten.

[44:23] Unknown speaker: And don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe.

[44:26] Michael Darty: Mythic Thunderlute was conceived by Jake Blauck, Michael Dharty, and Steve Goodalunis.

[44:31] Jake Blauck: Jake Blauch serves as our guitarist and the voice of Edgar Hawk.

[44:35] Lillian Castillo: Lillian Castillo is the voice of Jocasta Stormwood.

[44:38] Michael Darty: I'm Michael D'Arty, the editor and head writer, aka The Game Maker.

[44:42] Steve Godalunas: Steve Goodaloonis is our resident drummer and the voice of Roscoe Chubb.

[44:46] Leigha Cato: Leah Cato is the voice of Pugface Doodalop.

[44:49] Unknown speaker: Dan Cazini does our underscoring, arranging, synth, keyboard mixing, and mastering.

[44:55] Unknown speaker: Alex Kuyper is our co-producer and chief story editor.

[44:58] Unknown speaker: She did the sound effects for this episode.

[45:00] Unknown speaker: The writing consultant for this episode was Dennis Dumas.

[45:04] Unknown speaker: And the voice of Cindar the Righteous is next episode's guest star, the brilliant Bethany Thomas.

[45:09] Unknown speaker: The God in Me and Only I Can Be King were written by Jake Blauch.

[45:13] Unknown speaker: Drum and bass was written by Dan Kazimi.

[45:16] Unknown speaker: The drums for this episode were mixed and tracked by Rob Kaplowitz.

[45:20] Unknown speaker: Our production manager is Molly Foy.

[45:22] Unknown speaker: Social media assistants from Sarah Royds, marketing consultation from Judd Mellinger Blau, imaging by Lee Cortapassi and Daniel Kantz, and web design by Campbell O'Hare.

[45:32] Unknown speaker: A shout out to our newest Patreon supporters, Joshua Bentley, Selena Knight, Sebastian Farcione, David Vass, Dan O'Neill, Mackenzie Peterson, and my parents, Bill and Cindy Dherty.

[45:45] Unknown speaker: Also, Josh Grubb.

[45:46] Unknown speaker: Join us on Patreon to get an early glimpse of our next episode.

[45:50] Unknown speaker: Or find us on Bandcamp.

[45:52] Unknown speaker: We'll catch you next time on Mythic Thunderloop.