BlackwaterDnD

Em:
Welcome to BlackwaterDnD, where good friends tell better stories. This series, Balance, is a miniseries using the Powered by the Apocalypse system, Godkiller, which was created by Connie Chang, now available on Itch.io for purchase, and is proudly sponsored by Hero Forge and Moonbeam. This tale takes us back, long before the end of the universe, to a time when we begin to explore & understand old divine wounds that run so very deep, and what happens when love is caught in the middle. This story encouraged us as creators to strive for genuine emotion and connection, relish the space we create at the table, and take big swings with the way we approached our narrative. For this story, your GOD, everyone else, and the thrum of the Cradle, is myself, Em Carlson, and my GODKILLERs are played by Gina Susanna & Jannes Wessels. As this game falls within a holypunk and dark fantasy genre, it may contain themes and depictions that are triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself and access safe support as you see fit.

Content warnings for this episode include: grief // loss // death of a parent // parent-child conflict // romance // heartbreak // threats of violence & persecution // systemic oppression and corruption

So sit back and relax, heretics. And welcome to Godkiller: Balance.

Episode 7: Remembering

Em:
As you begin your descent down into what you assume is the Alluvium, Tayo’s words about a trip underground echoing in your ears with the scent of petrichor and geosmin, you prepare yourselves for a feeling of claustrophobia, but it doesn’t come. It feels safe and comforting, despite the fact that it’s very clear that nobody has been down, or up, these stairs in a long while. While you did bring your own light with you, thanks to Rake’s torch, you see the sconces in the wall probably about five or six steps below where light gets lost begin to alight slowly with a small orange-yellow flame as you pass next to them. Your torch is infinitely brighter, providing a really nice illumination down here. You're not struggling to see at all, but the sconces would have given you some light adequately enough.

Deeper and deeper you go, and it's rich with the smell of upturned earth and the scent of peat hits your nose. It's a real cornucopia of smell, as if you're exposed to this untouched wilderness. You get hits of grass and seaweed and ocean, and the petrichor after a fresh rain on hard-packed clay. The darkness seems to amplify your other senses. If you place your hand along the wall for balance as you take each step, you'd feel gravel and hay and dust, and even fragments of bone, as the walls go down, down, down, the further you walk. Any worked stone that existed below your feet has now given way to dirt, and the temperature you've noticed, has started to rise, more humid. A thin layer of sweat sticks to your skin, with wisps of hair attaching themselves to your face and the back of your neck. The dirt compresses under your shoes, and it gives a little more and more as you place one foot in front of the other.

You finally, after about fifteen minutes, make it to the bottom. You are well and truly below the Chime, below the city, at this point. This area feels undisturbed by human hands, though it's fairly though it's very clear that this place was made for someone, though for what purpose you're not yet sure. You come out into an open cavern, about a hundred feet wide, thirty feet tall, and you can't judge its length. It just seems to go and go, and there's stalactites hanging from the ceiling. And in it you see three things. The first and biggest feature is a large pool of mud, which takes up most of the floor space of the area. It bubbles, and you see as the bubbles pop, Ever, it smells like potting soil. Nitrogen rich, slightly salty. Rake, you have a really keen eye for observation, that as you stare at the mud, you see brief parts of faces and hands within the viscous liquid, but it is not threatening or terrifying like that of the tar of the Flood, that you're used to. It's not seeped with death or horror or the dread of what lies beneath. This feels like wandering outside, in your bare feet, each autumn after your father had turned over the soil in the small garden for harvest. It feels like the memories and histories of lives lived in times past. And surrounding it, you see spaced out unevenly, anywhere between sixty to a hundred statues. All of them are humanoid in shape, primarily. They're in various different poses and postures, different heights, different body sizes and types. Some of them have beginnings of carved features, but most are unworked, and basically blank.

And finally, not far from you, you see a person. They stand before one of the more intricately designed and carved statues. You see them pulling various tools in and out of a tool belt around their waist, all small items designed for sculpting fine detail, and taking a large hand, and reaching down into the mud, to add to some of the sculptures and discarding away some of the unused mud back into the pool, if they'd carved it away. It's deliberate. Nothing is wasted. And you're instantly reminded of Tayo's gracefulness pouring tea. This is art. You are watching someone create. And, Luis, can you tell us what this wonderful person looks like, what they're doing, and maybe a little bit about the sculpture you're working on right now.

Luis:
Yes. Hmm. What you see could be described as… A dancer, almost. Someone who is fluid and connected, and in their body, and moves with a kind of grace. Everything is deliberate. The way that their arm glides through the air, and their fingers make contact with the instrument that they've been using. There's a gentle fluidity with how that hand with that instrument moves then through the air, makes contact with this piece of clay in humanoid form. The way this instrument lands on the cheek of this statue, and gently follows the shape of this face, down the cheekbone towards the jaw, carving a tiny amount of this clay away, pulling it from what is becoming a very specific and detailed face, of an old man with tired eyes. It looks… Real. But it is just clay. And there's a pause in that movement. The hand becomes still as it floats and glides through the air. And he turns around, and looks at the two of you.

Luis (as Myself):
“Is it possible that I have visitors? Or are you an illusion?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Apologies for the interruption. Your work is beautiful.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Oh, this is not my work. I am but an instrument, just like this."

Luis:
And he holds out that carving tool right before you.

Luis (as Myself):
“Come closer to me. If you have been able to find this place, then it is for some important purpose, I imagine.”

Gina:
I, I glance over at Rake before I move closer.

Luis (as Myself):
“Do you know where you are?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I think I half know where I am. We have a map to get here.”

Luis (as Myself):
“And how about you?”

Luis:
And he turns to you, Rake.

Jannes (as Rake):
“We are in the Temple of Tayo.”

Luis (as Myself):
“That is the truth. You are here, in The Hall of the Alluvium. Come closer. I must look upon your face. If I may.”

Jannes:
I think Rake approaches, and there was something about the way that they were working the sculpture, the way that they were making the clay into something more. That reminds him of his father. Of the way anything can be done with a sense of art, and as he steps closer,

Jannes (as Rake):
“Tayo has sent us.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Tayo has sent you here?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“He has.”

Luis (as Myself):
“When did you see them?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“We saw them, not about an hour ago.”

Luis:
And you see this figure's gaze drift away from looking deeply into your eyes, and looking past you, towards where you've entered.

Luis (as Myself):
“Has Tayo not come, with you?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Unfortunately, they have not.”

Luis (as Myself):
“What is your name?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“I am Rake.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Rake… I see. And you? What is your name?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm Ever.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Is that your true name?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I… I believe so? Yes.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Welcome. I am Myself. Hello, Rake. Hello, Ever.”

Em:
And this person, as their voice echoes softly through the chamber, as yours does, you do not hear anyone else down here. Your sense is Myself is entirely alone.

Jannes (as Rake):
“How long have you… Been down here by yourself?”

Luis (as Myself):
“Since as far back as I can remember. Have you been by yourself?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Not as long.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Hmm.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“But, neither of us are as alone anymore.”

Luis (as Myself):
“There are many illusions. I thought for a second you might be one.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“I might still be.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Hmm.”

Luis:
And Myself reaches forward, and traces centimeters away from your skin, starts to trace along your cheekbone, down towards your jaw, in almost identical movement to what you just saw Myself do with the statue before you.

Em:
And as you do that, Myself, we're gonna have you roll to recognize a god. So, when you want to recognize the signs or the influence of a god of the Cradle, you're gonna roll 2d6 and you're gonna add one for each true statement. You're in or near their domain. No. You're familiar with their gospel. While you as Luis might not be [Luis laughs], I think Myself might have some idea. So I'll give you that one. And it would be bad if you didn't know. I don't think it would be bad if you didn't know. So it's just a plus one.

Luis:
I rolled double threes. So six plus one is seven.

Em:
Okay. So on a hit, seven to nine, the GM will give you a clear interpretation of the omens, and you may ask your GM a single follow up question of your choosing, and I have to answer it honestly.

Luis:
Oh, my!

Em:
So as your fingers trace around Rake's cheekbone, the angle feels sharp. And as your eyeline draws across Rake's nose, this aquiline, Gallic nose. Strong, hooked. An artist like yourself might call it almost avian. You see the influence of a god in the creation of this person. Your mind racks through the gods associated with avian features. Nyxal? No. However, another settles for you. It’s the hair. Black, like oil, but also like raven's feathers. You see the influence of the Matron of Vengeance, formerly the Feathered Mistress, on this individual. And you could see, based on feature, age, and maybe countenance, and the thrum of divinity that hovers literally centimeters under your fingers, that this individual is a godling, the child of a god.

Luis:
Hmm.

Em:
And you can ask me one question, and I have to answer it honestly.

Luis:
[sighs] Okay. Myself stops in that moment, as all of that information is starting to come to light. You'll see their eyes narrow, and he moves closer to you. You're almost face to face. My question is, can I tell if his father wanted him?

Em:
Hmm. You spend so much time on the faces of the statues you carve, and you will redo something if it's not right. If a hair is out of place, if an angle is wrong. You study his face, and knowing what you know about the Matron, there is no way that those small laugh lines at his eyes would be present, if he was not wanted and loved by his other parent. You assume his father.

Luis (as Myself):
“Your face has a lot to say. Do you know how to read it for yourself?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“I've found myself more recently.”

Luis (as Myself):
“You have found yourself, and Myself. I am here.”

Jannes:
And if his hands were still… up in front of Rake's face. I think there would be a moment where… Rake closes his eyes, and he reaches up and he takes that hand and he presses it to his cheek. And he… For a moment he smells the… The earth on the fingertips.

Em:
Mhmm.

Jannes:
The calluses from the tools. And the look of someone, who when they looked at his face… They knew him.

Jannes (as Rake):
“Thank you.”

Luis (as Myself):
“For what?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“For knowing what I am, and knowing that's not all I am.”

Luis (as Myself):
“I know myself, and I see myself.”

Luis:
And with that, he gently presses on your cheek, one more time, and his hand leaves you, and he turns to Ever.

Luis (as Myself):
“I know myself. I am Myself. Who are you?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm... I'm Ever... Halassian.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Why are you so afraid?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I.. I'm not... I'm not afraid.”

Luis:
I approach.

Luis (as Myself):
“Have you come here willingly?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Yes, yes, of course.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Have you come here blindly?”

Gina (as Ever):
“No. I know what I want.”

Luis (as Myself):
“May I ask what that is? You can take your time. It's okay.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Guidance.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Is that it?”

Gina (as Ever):
“What I come here for? To you? Or in... More broadly?”

Luis (as Myself):
“They are linked either way. Whatever is the one that you know to be the most true right now.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Justice.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Let us find that.”

Luis:
And I take your hand, and I lead you towards the mud pit.

Em:
The second you touch her hand, I'm also going to have your roll to recognize a god. So once more, when you want to recognize the signs or the influence of a god of the Cradle, roll 2d6 and add one for each true statement. You're in or near their domain. No, you're familiar with their gospel. How long have you been around? Yes. Yes, you are familiar with their gospel, and it would be bad if you didn't know. I don't think so. So that's a plus one.

Luis:
With the plus one, it is a total of five.

Em:
Okay. This makes sense. So on a miss, six and below, the GM will tell you only the most common legends about them and nothing more. And you don't get to ask me that one question, which is a shame, but that's okay. So, as you feel your skin touch her skin,you feel something in her, a kinship of sorts. You are mortal, Myself. You are potentially the closest thing to a true being that Tayo made when first creating humanity, formed of the mud yourself, just like the original mortals that Tayo created. You are a chosen mortal, the high priest of this god, but you are mortal nonetheless. When you touch her, you feel someone who has divinity running through her bones.

Luis:
Oh.

Em:
It is like a live wire, [Luis gasps] a raw current. Divinity is sewn into the fabrics of the universe that make up who she is. Though she wasn't born with it, she didn't take it. She likely doesn't even know she has it. It was gifted to her,

Luis:
Ohhh.

Em:
The last essence of a god.

Luis:
I don't know which?

Em:
You try to place it and maybe that's why you missed. You try and figure out which god she has this power from. Was it a god who died recently? Instinctively, almost unknowingly, you flip her hand over, and your eyes draw down to the dirt underneath her fingernails. Your hand runs across it. You are intimately familiar with every piece of earth, even though you might not have touched it. You can place it. Temisset. Temisset. The patron city of Thielia. Goddess of the Wilds and The Maiden of the Deep Woods. You know Thielia is dead. She died just shy of twenty years ago. But somehow, someway, Ever holds the last shred of Thielia's divinity in her being, and she doesn't know.

Luis:
Oh, my. Um. Uhh. Wow. Hmm. Upon taking your hand, Ever, ah, Myself, freezes, and looks you up and down, scanning your body from head to toe, as if carving your shape with their eyes. Eventually his eyes land on your hand, and he takes up close to his eyes, your fingers, your nails.

Luis (as Myself):
“How old are you, Ever? Are you twenty? Are you younger, are you older? I can’t tell.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Twenty two. Is something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Luis (as Myself):
“Forgive me. I don't get visitors. Just when you think you may have seen all the faces that there are to see, surprise. There's always something new, or maybe, a new rendition of something that's already been. Come look at my clay, if you will,”

Luis:
And you see Myself light up, and suddenly he looks like a five year old about to go play.

Gina:
I think seeing Myself light up, Ever instinctively smiles to match.

Gina (as Ever):
“Show me. Please.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Ah, will you come as well? And with his other hand, he reaches out to you, Rake.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Of course.”

Luis:
Upon taking both of your hands, he starts to lead you towards the edge of this mud pit. And when we get to the edge, he starts to lower himself to his knees, and you can feel him pull your hands, your arms down, inviting you to lower yourself as well.

Luis (as Myself):
“I've been here my whole life. Do you know what it is I do? Has Tayo told you much about me, and what I do for Tayo?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“He has not.”

Luis (as Myself):
“Ah. Hm. I suppose I am… I know myself to be called the Hand of Humanity. This hand, or these hands,”

Luis:
And he lets go of your hands, and looks almost as though he's pondering them, looks at his own hands, and then very quickly grabs your hands again. And there's a tightness to it.

Luis (as Myself):
“What do you see, when you look? At the clay?”

Em:
Do the two of you look?

Jannes:
Rake does.

Gina:
Yeah, I will too.

Em:
Your immediate gut reaction, who are you looking for? Who are you looking for?

Jannes:
Now, this is an important question,

Em:
Mmhmm.

Jannes:
Because the way that it was phrased is, what do you see?

Em:
Mmhm. And I've asked you who are you looking for?

Jannes:
Rake would look for two things. I think in that first moment, being asked. I think in that first moment, knowing the way that Myself looked at Rake, and then watching him repeat that with Ever and seeing her. And I think that way that they looked at Ever, reminded him of the first time that he saw Ever.

Em:
Mmhmm.

Jannes:
And the way that he looked at Ever the same way.

Em:
You clock it immediately.

Jannes:
When he asks, what do you see? The first thing he sees is… Ever on the steps. The first time he beheld her, and the way the sun seemed to shine from her. And, then he thinks more about Myself, and about the way that his hand felt on his face. And he thinks of his dad.

Em:
Okay. As you stare into the clay, the wonder from Myself almost palpable and infectious. I think there's a moment where you let yourself feel it, that wonder. And that memory of Ever just over twenty four hours ago now. You see two things, less distinct, a bit more amorphous. But as you stare in the clay, it is almost like you can see a younger version of her. Maybe six or seven years old. It's a flash, it's brief. You see her face alight with joy. And then it's gone again. But when your thoughts move to your father, to Avisan, it is as if the clay in front of you can sense that, clock that, and respond to it. You see the clay in this kind of bubbling mass, non-Newtonian and viscous, start to pull itself together. You see a humanoid kind of shape begin to pull itself together in the clay, about his height. You see some of the features. It doesn't hold together very long, but it could. And you make the connection. You see the statues on the bank. You see the tools. You understand what Myself does. They see the figures in the mud. And he makes them and he finds them. He, like Tayo, finds the lost things. Ever. Who are you looking for?

Gina:
I think the smell in here... You said it smells like... like earth, like... potting soil.

Em:
Potting soil. You can almost smell the cut of the nitrogen in it, and the richness of, you know, decay that sweet smell of decay that comes from fertilizer. Knowing that it will truly make something alive.

Gina:
There's two people. There's two people that she thinks of when she smells that smell. The first being Verek.

Em:
Hmm.

Gina:
That smell of damp earth with orange blossoms. Sweet spice of fruit. How he'd shown her the groves. How she taught him in her garden about her own flowers. That smell always makes her think of him. But along with that, the… The depth of that smell the… She thinks of Davos.

Em:
Hmm.

Gina:
Of being home. Of those nights laying in the garden looking up at the stars, after he'd fallen asleep, after so many long hours of caring for him. Laying there at night. The smell of the dew and the grass and the earth. And she thinks of him.

Em:
Your mind draws to Verek first, and you see two very brief… A flash of him as an older man, probably in his fifties. You see him distinguished, looks very much like his father, who you've seen at market. But the kind eyes of his mother. And it's gone. Just as quick. But, Davos… It's as if you can see multiple iterations of him in the mud. You remember the man your parents left you with when you were five or six, in the midst of the war. You remember as he aged. Too quick. You remember, and you see a flash of the man that left before war, before the battle. And you see the man that came home. You don't see the Davos you saw at the end. The one sick with wasting sickness. And you put it together as well. This clay holds memory. It holds story, of the people of the Cradle. You both looked for individuals who are alive, and you both looked for individuals who are dead. The individuals that you looked for who are dead, you saw stronger and quicker than those who are alive. The Cradle remembers. So that the stories of the people who are lost, are never truly gone. And this is what Myself has been doing.

Luis:
And as that dawns on you, you see Myself, arms outstretched, and… Not yet faded images of those that you just remembered, that have been lost. Not yet faded images of them, remain in the clay.

Luis (as Myself):
“To know another is to know myself. To know myself, is to know you. Have you a question for Myself?”

Gina (as Ever):
“You can… I'm confused. You make them? Do you… You bring them? How did they... How did he…”

Luis (as Myself):
“We all come from the clay in some way. What question do you have for Myself?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Could I ever talk to him again?”

Luis (as Myself) [whispered]:
“Could I ever talk to him again?”

Luis:
As Myself repeats in a whisper what you say, his gaze goes from you to the clay before you.

Luis (as Myself):
“Listen. There is breath. Perhaps there’s an answer.”

Em:
So as you look deeper, hearing what Myself has said about asking questions. The image of Davos forms and solidifies in your mind, and you see the clay, as it is, become malleable to that. Take that image that is in your mind. Start to begin to put the form of Davos together. And you feel like you could either speak, or ask your questions directly to the mud itself. Or you could use some of the mud, and begin to sculpt, so that you may speak. I'll let you choose.

Gina:
And, what does he look like? Does he look like Davos?

Em:
Christian, I will have you describe what Davos looks like.

Christian:
The version of Davos that you see is a character who is somewhat larger than life, the broad shoulders, sort of standing at a tall six foot one stature. He's got this hair that's pulled back. Half of it's up in a bun. Half of it sort of spills down messily over his shoulders, his beard. But I think the feature that's the most recognizable, always about Davos, is this grin that always splits his face. The eyes, I think, are searching. The grin is kind of faltering in his brow furrows. Hands are large. Calloused, I think even with the mud, that you can see, it looks like this is someone who spent their life digging through plants, mud, and water. Just a bear of a human being.

Em:
Hmm.

Gina (as Ever):
“Is it really you?”

Christian (as Davos):
“It's me.”

Gina:
Can, can I move to him?

Em:
Well, it's up to you. Have you just spoken into the mud, or are you beginning to craft him? My sense is you're just speaking into the mud at this point.

Gina:
So he's… Half formed.

Em:
Yeah. It would take you more time to form him fully. But you recognize the voice anywhere. It's not a trick, an illusion. It's real.

Gina:
I turn to Myself.

Gina (as Ever):
“Can he, can… Can you make him like…”

Gina:
And I point in the direction of the statues.

Gina (as Ever):
“Is that possible? How do I..?”

Luis:
I reach out towards whatever little bit of clay started responding. And I dip my hand into the mud pit nearest, the part of the mud that's nearest that part of the clay. I scoop out some clay, and I start to walk towards one of the unfinished statues.

Em:
Mhmm.

Luis (as Myself):
“Is this what you want? Come with me then.”

Gina:
I follow.

Luis:
And I walk through the statues, until I stop at one.

Luis (as Myself):
“Ah, this is who you've been all along.”

Luis:
And I will take the mud in my hand, and, rub it on what will become the face,

Em:
Mmhmm.

Luis:
Of this statue, with a little bit of mud that's still on my hand, I return to you, Ever, and I take your hand and I rub the mud on my hand onto yours.

Luis (as Myself):
“However it is that you know them, that is for you to create.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Thank you.”

Gina:
And I start to I start to smooth his face,

Em:
Mmhmm.

Gina:
My thumb across his brow, smoothing the places where I… Back when he was so sick, where I would wipe the sweat from it, across this cheekbone. Over where the stubble of his cheek always was.

Em:
And I think, Ever, you lose yourself for like fifteen, twenty minutes. The time just passes. You don't say anything because you know if you ask another question, that will be part of it. It's as if your hands do the work for you. You don't sculpt with your eyes, you sculpt with your heart. You don't create from here, you create from something much deeper. And, almost in a blink, you have a very, very close depiction of that Davos. And as your hand leaves, maybe I'll have Myself tell us what happens, or what the process is like for when you're done sculpting and you're ready to talk. What does that look like?

Luis:
There is a kind of knowing. A stillness. A… An intake of breath, and, a deep breath that upon exhaling, the statue, in that moment, comes alive and exhales with me.

Em:
Hmm.

Luis:
And greeting, always the same. As the statue before you, Ever, exhales in unison with Myself, the words from Myself come forth, which are a greeting towards that statue that is now exhaled, I say,

Luis (as Myself):
“Hello, myself. It is good to meet you.”

Luis:
And I step back.

Gina:
I just, I just stand there for a moment. And looking at him, it’s been… Since I saw him like this… It's been so long.

Em:
Maybe a decade.

Gina:
I look back to Myself.

Gina (as Ever):
“If I, if I touch him, will it ruin anything? Can he, can he move?”

Luis (as Myself):
“If he wants to.”

Gina:
I look back to Davos and I... I instantly move in to hug him, and I wrap my arms around him. Hoping.

Christian:
I think you feel that same warmth. And I think, slowly, you feel very familiar arms move. To pull you in, to a hug.

Gina:
She instantly starts crying.

Gina (as Ever):
“I've missed you so much.”

Christian (as Davos):
“I've missed you too. I've missed you too.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Can you ever forgive me?”

Christian (as Davos):
“Why should I need to forgive you?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I… I couldn't… I was so close. I'm so sorry.”

Gina:
I pull back enough to look at you in the eyes.

Gina (as Ever):
“I’m going to make it right.”

Christian:
I think his brow is deeply furrowed, as it often was when he would think. I think if he can, he'll move his hands to your shoulders, to sort of move you.

Em:
Mmhmm.

Christian:
So that you're looking squarely into his eyes. And he'll say,

Christian (as Davos):
“There's nothing to make right. That's what life is. Things happen, and then you move on. The only thing I'd ever want you to be sorry for, is if you stopped living, Ever.”

Gina (as Ever):
“How am I supposed to move on without you?”

Christian (as Davos):
“I'm honoured that you think that highly of me. But the truth is, you were going to be, Ever, whether I was there or not. I want you to keep being, Ever. Do you hear me? I loved you because you were Ever. I did not die hoping you would chase my ghost forever. I'm gone, and that's okay. You're here, and that's okay.”

Gina (as Ever):
“But I don't want to be here without you.”

Christian (as Davos):
“I called you Evergreen. I still think of you that way, and I think in some ways that was not fair to you. I think evergreens are the loneliest trees. They watch everyone die. And there they stand. Silent sentinels, watching. But I did not love you because I thought you could watch over my body. I loved you because you were always moving. You always had something you were chasing. And it grieved me that you were chasing something to heal me, but it was something you were chasing. I want you to chase something for you, Ever. You have so much to offer, and so much to explore. And if you keep chasing me, you'll never find it.”

Gina (as Ever):
“What if I don't know how to let you go?”

Christian (as Davos):
“I don't think anybody ever truly let anyone go forever. That's just love. There's nothing you can do about that… But take me with you. Somewhere new. Don’t you want to see something new?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Yes.”

Christian (as Davos):
“You are wild, Ever. Like I was wild. And there's so much to explore, you wouldn't believe. Take me with you.”

Em:
Myself, as you see the two of them converse, you see… Your hands instinctively take a piece of mud, a piece of clay, and start shaping it into a bear. And it feels like Davos. You don't know this man, but a bear feels like him.

Luis:
I shape like I… Like a dancer in the wind.

Gina:
I hug him again.

Christian:
He pulls you in really close, really tight. Not just matching your hug, but sort of overwhelming you with one. Pulling you in real close like he would when you would get overly worked up about something you couldn't figure out. He puts his chin on top of your head for a second. And then he moves his head down so that his mouth is next to your ear, and he says,

Christian (as Davos):
“The Wilds don’t build monuments. Why would you make yourself into one? You don't have to. You grew. I shouldn't have been an end for you. I wanted to be a beginning.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You have been. You are. You always will be.”

Em:
You see them, I think Myself would notice this probably before it Ever does, you see the mud, the shape of the statue start to begin to loosen. You know it's coming close to the end of how long this usually lasts.

Luis (as Myself):
“It's not meant to last forever.”

Christian (as Davos):
“Nothing is. But that's the best part, isn't it?”

Gina:
I just, I hold him even tighter and I just say...

Gina (as Ever):
“Can you feel how much I love you?”

Christian (as Davos):
“Always, Ever. I have always felt how much you love me. There was not a moment that went by in my life that I did not know how much you loved me.”

Em:
And as he says those last words, you begin to feel the grip on you loosen,

Gina (as Ever):
“No, no, no…”

Em:
As the shaped clay begins to recede, and almost blank itself, slowly.

Luis:
As that happens, I step away from Ever, and what I absorbed, and turn to Rake.

Jannes:
I think through all of this, excuse me. I think through all of this, Rake has just been watching, and he sits still at the side of the mud pool, and I think, realizing it's his turn, he's going to stand, and he's gonna use his… He is going to wield the power.

Em:
Mmhmm.

Jannes:
And what he's going to do, is he's going to… Create a block of clay, approximately six feet tall, about a meter by meter, sort of rectangle of clay. And you watch him put his hands in his pockets. And when he draws them out, they're sharp, like the talons of a bird. His art is not one of adding clay. His art is an art of taking.

Em:
Hmm.

Jannes:
And you watch him start to move, and he has always been lithe and dexterous, and it mirrors Myself, in the sense that it appears a dance, as he starts cutting away at the clay to reveal a shape inside. And it is a dance of loss and sadness, but also of love, and as he works, the rough shape of a man starts to appear. As he carves his father from this block of clay.

Em:
Incredible. Rake, you shape, and you take away, you subtract, and you create this depiction of Avisan, your father, and you see the same thing happen that happened with Ever. A breath feels held, and you know Myself is part of this process. So I'll let you tell us how you include them in this.

Jannes:
I think once the carving is done, I step aside and I… Ever, you've known Rake now for a little bit, and Myself, you have a pretty good measure of him. And you see someone who… There's a shyness about him. He was very different, the last time he saw his father. And there's a moment where he acutely becomes aware of the fact that, he looks scared to show his father who he is, now. And he takes the gloves off, and he tries to make himself look less hard. The carefully cultivated image of someone who always looked to… Be ready to intimidate. He tries to soften that. And then he looks to Myself.

Jannes (as Rake):
“If you please.”

Luis:
Myself moves toward the sculpted clay and takes in deeply, a breath. And as he exhales the sculpture exhales as well and comes alive.

Luis (as Myself):
“Hello, myself. It is nice to meet you.”

Luis:
And I step back.

Jannes:
Rake would look at his dad, Rake would look at his father and he would,

Jannes (as Rake):
“Hello.”

Tim:
You would see Avisan smile wide.

Tim (as Avisan):
“Hello.”

Tim:
And he would, you would see his whole body move as if to take a step to embrace you, his arms wide, realizing he can't move.

Jannes:
And Rake would fold into that hug.

Jannes (as Rake):
“I've missed you.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“I've missed you too. There's a lot more of you to hug than I remember.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“I'm… I'm still working on the forgiveness part.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“We all are. It's alright. Don't be so hard on yourself.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“That's the person I'm having the hardest time forgiving, but, I want you to know, I found something real.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“Good. Hang on to it.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Um… Actually, if it's alright…”

Jannes:
And he would turn, and look to Ever.

Jannes (as Rake):
“Father, this is… This is Ever.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“Hello.”

Gina:
I would look up from where I'm sitting, having watched all of this,

Gina (as Ever):
“Hello. It's lovely to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“You've caught me at a disadvantage. This is the first time hearing of you. But… I can imagine, it's not every day, you introduce someone to their dead father.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Ever, Ever has been helping me, and we're going to try and… Make sure that she… that mother can't hurt anyone else.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“Hmm. I'm proud of you. You found something real. Maybe the most real thing there is. Love.”

Jannes:
And I think you would see Rake blush, and then quieter, in a sort of a hope as not to be overheard,

Jannes (as Rake):
“She was… A sunrise on a long night. She allowed me to dream again. And she's like me. She's too much.”

Tim (as Avisan):
“Perhaps you've met your match.”

Tim:
He smiles wide as his form begins to turn back to clay.

Jannes (as Rake):
“I love you.”

Tim:
He's already clay.

Luis:
I think as, Rake, as your, what was your father, returns to clay, you see Myself move towards the pile that Ever, you had been speaking to. And with one hand, scoops up a handful of that clay, and then from there Myself moves to the pile that was what Rake was speaking to, with my other hand I scoop up some of that clay.

Luis (as Myself):
“And now back to the mud. Come with me.”

Luis:
And I start to move towards the edge of the mud pit.

Jannes:
And Rake follows.

Gina:
So do I.

Luis (as Myself):
“I wondered why you were sent here. But sometimes when you think of the reason for something, you realize that you've always known the why. You've come here to get to know Myself. Yourself. To know another is to know myself. To know myself is to know you.”

Luis:
And with that, he takes the clay that's in each hand, and he brings them together and mashes the clay of what was each of your fathers and creates one mound.

Luis (as Myself):
“We all come from the same thing. There are no accidents. There are no mistakes.”

Luis:
And, gently, that now singular mound is put back into the mud pool. Myself will turn to look at the two of you. Where are you looking when that happens?

Jannes:
I think Rake is looking at your hands.

Gina:
I will be following wherever the clay went. Like it’s my last glimpse of him.

Luis:
Ahh. Myself moves towards the two of you and takes your hands.

Luis (as Myself):
“Of course, that's why. You're stuck in the past.”

Luis:
And he takes your hands and places them in each others.

Luis (as Myself):
“Look at yourself. Look at what's in front of you. At some point, some time, in another place, you were dust, mud, clay, waiting to be shaped. The answers you seek. You already know. Somewhere inside. Some of them. Others, well, they're hiding in plain sight right in front of you. And what, through some illusory trick, makes you believe is someone separate from you. Thank you. For letting me get to know myself a little bit more through you.”

Luis:
And Myself steps away, and turns towards the mud pit, and starts to walk into it.

Em:
Oh, wow. Luis, this is an above board question for something we talked about. Are you returning to it? Like permanently? Or is this a temporary thing?

Luis:
He moves, wades into, the pit. And as he gets deeper in. It almost looks like his flesh begins to turn to clay. And when he gets about way to deep, he stops. And he turns around, and he looks at Ever.

Luis (as Myself):
“Were you not coming? Ah, right. Not yet.”

Luis:
And then he stands still in the mud pit, waist deep, looking down. And doesn't say or do anything else.

Jannes:
I think Rake would call out, sensing that there's some sort of finality to his, to what they're doing, and Rake would,

Jannes (as Rake):
“Myself, before you go…”

Luis:
Ah, you notice his head that was looking down looks up, even though it's still turned away from you. There is a noticeable movement.

Jannes (as Rake):
“Tayo chose well.”

Luis:
Ooh. Stiffly, slowly, he turns around, twisting his torso a little bit so that his head can turn to look upon you both. Taking some time, he looks you each up and down as if sculpting you with his eyes once again. And he says,

Luis (as Myself):
“They've all chosen well, haven't they?”

Luis:
And he turns back.

Jannes:
And then Rake would, his hand still in Ever’s, look to her, and without saying a word. Give her a little tug towards the stairs.

Gina:
I'll glance down at our hands, and then up at Rake, with this growing look of confusion at what Myself had just said…

Gina (as Ever) [under her breath]:
“Am I coming with…”

Gina:
And I look back to him, and I call out,

Gina (as Ever):
“Then when?”

Luis (as Myself):
“The answer to that is not something I have, or rather, if I do have it, I have it through, through you.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Then how will I know? When it's time? Where… Where am I going?”

Luis:
There is no response.

Em:
Even though Myself's tone hasn't really changed, you hear the sound of finality. You remember Tayo saying that their Hand focused on the wrong things. You wonder what is wrong, what is missing. But if you're looking for more from the Hand of Humanity, it won't be today. Not now. What would you like to do?

Jannes (as Rake):
“Ever, we should find somewhere to talk, and rest.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Right.”

Gina:
And my hand is still in Rake's hand, and I, I squeeze it. And I look at him. And I open my mouth to say something more and… This isn't the time. And I just shake my head just, slightly.

Gina (as Ever):
“Let's find someplace. You said you had a place we could go?”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Yes, I can take us there now.”

Jannes:
And I, hand still in Ever’s, lead her up the stairs.

Em:
Okay. You make the slow trek back up towards the surface, hand in hand. Feels longer coming up than it did going down. Less anticipation about what you are going to find, and heavier with what you've experienced down below. As you get to the top of the stairs and you broach it, the door depresses inward and rolls to that side, the stone grinding again on stone once more. And with the light left in the day, it streams inward. You squint your eyes to adjust after having been solely in torch or candlelight for the last few hours stepping out. The door rolls closed behind you. And it seals the Hand of Humanity, Myself, down in their temple once more. You said you had somewhere to go. Where would you like to go?

Jannes:
Rake would have had spots all over Glass to lay low or hide out in case something went wrong. And he leads Ever to one of those.

Em:
Okay. The one that you recall is probably the most well suited for more than one person, is the attic over the bookshop that you mentioned before when you were attempting to leave the Wayfarer's Lamp.

Jannes:
And I think that's where we head now.

Em:
Okay. So you begin to orient yourself in that direction. And as you go to leave the center square that surrounds the Chime, you see a large number of people moving towards one of the other sides. You, towards you assume one of the other temples. There seems to be, like a buzz moving through the crowd. You see people of all walks congregating together, craning their necks in hopes to see something. You see people pushing through, trying to make space for themselves as they move collectively towards, and around, the base of the Chime. People are leaving their stalls and carts, and wandering over to whatever seems to be happening. What would you like to do?

Jannes (as Rake):
“Should we see what it is?”

Gina:
Does this look like something, as I'm not particularly familiar with Glass, does this seem like something where people are agitated? Or is this more like a gathering of people, like they might be looking at something entertaining?

Em:
Would you like to feel someone or something out?

Gina:
I would love to.

Em:
Okay, so when you want to try to feel out a person, place or thing, say what you want clarity about and answer one. The GM will give you the clarity you seek as they answer the other. So the two questions are, what feels welcoming on the surface, and the other is what is dark or unnerving as I peer deeper.

Gina:
I think what feels welcoming on the surface is... One, we'd been underground for a number of hours now, and being back out in the sunlight, and around bustling of people feels… As comforting as it was down there, this feels normal. And I think there is a comforting presence of having Rake's hand in mine, that also feels welcoming in this moment.

Em:
So what feels dark or unnerving is you peer deeper. Even just simply by moving in the direction that you were already planning to go, you find your eyes drifting in that direction, trying to get a sense of what is going on within this crowd. And you see that there is a semicircle of guards that are creating a space in front of Night’s Shadow, which is the temple to Ashmedai. There's a small stone table that has been set up with a bowl and some materials. And the buzz in the crowd is growing, and the guard seem to be filling in. This crowd is waiting for something to occur. They've seen movement from an otherwise quiet and very imposing temple. And now there's guards, and a ceremonial table.

Gina:
I think if I see those, are they the same Glass guards, like the ones we saw, the ones we encountered in the Lamp?

Em:
You see that these ones are not parading as Glass guards. These are guards and soldiers of Ashmedai. You assume now, putting that together that those back at The Wayfarers' Lamp were guards of Ashmedai wearing Glass guard armour.

Gina:
Right. Instinctively I… I think I let go of Rake's hand for the moment to pull my shawl up over my head, like I had it before to cover my hair, to hide my face just a little bit.

Em:
Mmhmm.

Gina (as Ever):
“I think we should keep moving.”

Jannes:
Rake glancing over at the things laid out on the table. Does he... I'd like to use a move.

Em:
Mmhmm. Yeah, what move would you like to use?

Jannes:
I'd like to feel someone or something out as well. I think Rake will make his, Rake will nod in agreement with Ever, and as we're moving past I will lean in to one of the, not the guards, but one of the people gathering, and I will like to use a renowned move.

Em:
Mmhmm. Okay, which move would you like to use?

Jannes:
I would like to use a vagabond move.

Em:
Okay. So, when you've killed or spared more than one god, you can ask one of the following once per session. The questions are, what aren't they telling me? What god has a hold on them? Or what do they know of me or my deeds?

Jannes:
And I think he would lean in and say,

Jannes (as Rake):
“What's going on here? What are they preparing for?”

Em:
And which question would you like that to fall under?

Jannes:
Well, based on their answer, I would like to press them for what they're not telling me.

Em:
Okay. So you see this middle aged woman, she looks to have been selling linens at a cart in the Market Square and she's come over with one of the other employees tending the stall.

Em (as Lemon Vendor):
“All of a sudden the guards came out, and they said that they needed to clear a space because, because the Lord Kerschel was going to come out, and there was going to be something happen in the square, and it was going to be an excellent display for everyone to see, and they wanted people around to come watch. So, you know, it was high time that we got to see something interesting happening from them. You know, they never come out and do anything.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“And you don't know what they're going to do?”

Em (as Lemon Vendor):
“No, they didn't say anything. We're just, you know, when does the holy folk do magic, it's really exciting. And you know, everything now, that everything is peaceful, and Glass is here and ready. When they do something that shows us how they're still connected to the divine, it's just really wonderful. And we don't get to see a lot of this stuff every day. We're just, I just sell lemons at a cart… Are you gonna come over and come see?”

Jannes:
And I would like to use my move, what aren't they telling me?

Em:
Yeah. Now I'm gonna ask you a question for clarification here. Are you speaking about this woman particularly, or are you talking about this situation itself? Because you get the sense she's being truthful.

Jannes:
For me it was more the… The invite that she extended to me felt very targeted. The fact that this stranger shared this information, but then also coaxed me to join.

Em:
Mmhmm. Okay. Mmhmm.

Jannes:
It felt as though there might be… some sort of other motive to them wanting me to approach.

Em:
Okay. So, I think what she's not telling you is less about what information she actually has, but that you get the sense in this moment that her motives are not truly her own entirely, and that's not her fault. You look through the crowd, and you see that this, and you feel it yourself as well. There is a desire for your feet to start moving in that direction. There's part of you that wants to see what's happening. You feel yourself, even as she's walking, you're walking alongside her in that direction, and Ever's hand is in yours, and you both are walking in that direction. It's clear that something important is happening.

Jannes:
And the guards are keeping the people from the table, correct?

Em:
Yes, there is a semicircle around that, basically around the front steps of Night's Shadow, and they are leaving the front steps of the temple open, so that if the doors opened someone could leave or someone could go inside. But the crowd has kept back, and there is a table at the center. And as you move over a little bit more with this woman, she's kind of chattering away about the things she's seen coming from the temples themselves. Whether that's processions of priestesses coming out, or augers or weavers doing magic or readings outside of the Temple to Allseia, you see that there is a bowl on the table, a stone bowl, next to it.

Jannes (as Rake):
“Ever, something feels wrong. Ashmedai came for us this morning. And now this.”

Em:
Ever, as you start scanning the crowd, you have now learned to recognize what the soldiers of Ashmedai look like, but you also see a number of soldiers wearing bright chrome armour. It's almost reflective like a mirror. Blue and white plumes on their helmets, and you see the insignia of a lantern with stars cut into it, emblazoned on their breastplates.

Gina:
And do I recognize them? The insignia?

Em:
I think… I think it would be hard not to recognize the insignia of Halinaea. She is the most prominent god amongst the entire Cradle. It's interesting to see soldiers of Ashmedai and warriors of Halinaea in the same place. The light and the dark together.

Gina:
And I nudge Rake, and glance over in the direction of those warriors.

Gina (as Ever):
“And Halinaea’s, too.”

Jannes (as Rake):
“Whatever they're about to do, something's telling me to stop it.”

Em:
As you stand here in the crowd, you hear the guard standing on the steps. Rake, you're taller so you can see. This guard at the top steps of the temple takes the bottom of his glaive and hits the stone step three times. The sound rings louder than it should, and the crowd falls silent. Attention immediately shifted forward to this guard. And you hear him call out,

Em (as Guard):
“Announcing His Excellency, Lord Avaris Kerschel, the Scion of Perdition, High Priest of Ashmedai and he who kneels only to the Clovenhoof.”

Em:
The guards who are semicircled, and seem to be keeping the crowd sort of buried from this space, kneel in deference and submission immediately as the door swings open. Dark smoke rolls out first, heavy and pooling down the steps one at a time as you watch a figure emerge from the inside. You see a tall, broad man in full plate, dark gunmetal with red accents. You see a crest in the center of the breastplate that is a flaming crown, this time over a large garnet stone that looks like it's alight from the inside. Affixed at his hip, expecting to see a sword, you see a piece of curved... it looks like horn, of some kind. It’s curved, moving from a wide blunted base to an extremely fine pointed tip. There is no handle to it. And this is where the smoke is emanating from, this horn that he carries with him. It pours from it like a running faucet. The smell now permeates this area, heady and thick, and it makes your head swim for a moment. It makes you drowsy. And you feel the urge to continue watching the display, like you're supposed to be here, amongst this crowd, supposed to witness what will happen next.

The figure strides down towards the steps, and his features seem obscured to you, as if the smoke may be encircling him as well, though through it you catch sharp eyes set within a face that carries the air of calculation, condescension, and cunning. A small smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. This delights him. This is the man who sent the guards after you. The man whose orders threatened your safety while you were sleeping. The man who almost outright had a Eutoches murdered in front of you. In broad daylight. He walks forward to the table. And as he walks, you hear the sound of low chanting begin from the guards, as more of that smoke pours out from the temple hanging within this boundaried area. The crowd begins to seem to sway slightly back and forth as you hear the high priest pick up this chanting, join in with it. It begins to swell, and you see him take out a small piece of fabric and open it, laying it in the bowl. You see within the cloth a black feather. And a hair ribbon. Ever, your hand instinctually grabs to the braid in your hair. It's missing. The chanting gets louder and louder. And as he places his hands on the side of the bowl, he closes his eyes, seems to concentrate. And you begin to hear laughter, what would you like to do?

[Unhinghed laughter of Ashmedai (Cody Heath) begins, and continues in the background]
Jannes:
As he’s, the chanting is happening, I think there's a moment of realization to Rake of what is going on. And he hands Ever the map. He looks at her.

Jannes (as Rake):
“I can buy us some time. But you need to go. You can use the map. You can find me.”

Gina (as Ever):
“No, no, I'm not leaving you. What are you going to do?”

Jannes:
He smiles.

Jannes (as Rake):
“I'm not leaving you. I'll be right behind you.”

Jannes:
And he hands you the map and the dagger.

Jannes (as Rake) [whispered]:
“Go.”

Gina:
I, I take the map, and if he hands me the knife… I take it, but I don't move.

Em:
Ever as you feel the knife hit your hand. Something is different. You have felt your power grow and grow, and there's something that I don't think fully clocks for you, but resonates. Myself saw something in you that you cannot yet see. But the feeling grows and grows every time you touch this blade. And you feel it. And simultaneously, this happens as that laughter continues. It starts low, and it chills you to the bone, and it begins to rise alongside the chanting, rippling through the crowd. You see the Scion look up, and open his mouth to begin to speak. But before he does speak, what would you like to do? Because if he kicks this off, then we're kicking it off.

[Laughter fades out]

Gina:
When Ever gets that knife in her hand, and feels the power of it, and the change in it, how she feels when she's holding it. I think, Rake, you see that change in her again. It's like a calm coming over her. She's a bit more steady. More sure of herself. Her eyes are just a little bit darker, and she looks at you.

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm not leaving.”

Jannes:
And he smiles at you.

Jannes (as Rake):
“Alright. Then best you get ready to fight.”

Jannes:
And he slowly starts backing away from you towards the steps. And he grins. And you see… There is a confidence in the way that he moves. This is something he knows how to do. And he turns, and he starts laughing.

[Ashmedai's laughter begins again]

Em:
Hmm. As you laugh, Rake, it ripples out from you, almost infectious, contagious, through the crowd, this crowd chanting and now laughing with you, that low, rumbly laughter rippling around you and circling you, heavy and thick like the smoke that lies on the ground. The Scion raises his voice, almost in a fervor above the chanting.

Brennan (as Avaris Kerschel):
“Though darkness conceals them, let his flame light up from below, piercing high heavens. Let it pour. And let us end this.”

Em:
You see the bowl ignite. A plume of smoke and ash immediately swirls up into a column towards the skies above at a lightning speed. The bowl and the table are now fully beginning to catch aflame as the Scion steps back, and he turns his eyes upward. The plume goes higher and higher as you see it touch the clouds above. That laughter rings out once more as a crack of thunder tears through, the chanting immediately ceases. And it begins to rain. The droplets start small. And then it is as if the sky lets loose. You see the rain start hitting the crowd, and those have come out of that trancelike state as they begin to scatter. You hear the Scion yell once more.

[Ashmedai's laughter fades out]

Brennan (as Avaris Kerschel):
“Follow the trail! Find them and bring them to me!”

Em:
And it's then that you smell the sulfur, and you feel a burning as the rain hits your skin. An acidic rain that touches your skin, and there is a palpable pain. Nobody else seems to be feeling this. Nobody else is exclaiming. There is nobody else who is showing any noticeable signs of pain. You each take one strain. What would you like to do?

[Light & Dark: Series Theme by Sean McRoberts]
Em:
Godkiller: Balance is performed by Em Carlson, Gina Susanna & Jannes Wessels. The voice of Davos Halassian is Christian Carlson. The voice of Avisan Eutoches is Tim Carlson. The voice of Ashmedai is Cody Heath. The voice of Avaris Kerschel, The Scion of Perdition is Brennan Lee Mulligan. This season’s dramaturge is Tim Carlson. Special thanks to our campaign artist, Mischi, who you can find @Mischiart on twitter! Our main theme for this episode, Light & Dark, was composed by Sean McRoberts. Character and location leitmotifs composed by Si Rutherford of Sounds of Adventure. Music and effects by Epidemic Sound. For more stories, come follow us everywhere at @blackwaterdnd, and make sure to check out our Main Campaign on Monday nights at 8pm PST at twitch.tv/blackwaterdnd. To play your own campaign of Godkiller and dive into your own divinity, go support Godkiller by purchasing the ashcan on itch.io today, with the print version published soon by Evil Hat Productions. This show is made possible by our sponsors who graciously support us playing pretend and having feelings about it. We are grateful to be sponsored by Heroforge, who offer fully customizable miniatures made with their online 3D character creator! Head on over and design your own Godkiller, and get them printed in a variety of materials, including colour printing options! With new content added each week, check out www.heroforge.com to start bringing your character to life! This show is also proudly sponsored by Moonbeam, a better and safer way to stream! Dive into Realms for vibrant community hubs where creators keep 100% of what they earn while protected by Pyxis, a revolutionary moderation tool that learns and adapts to your boundaries. So check them out and join Moonbeam today! Finally, we’re thankful for our Patrons for joining us on our second journey through the Cradle. You too can come join us on Patreon, where you can check out behind the scenes info, our talkback show Chatwater, as well as exclusive Godkiller bonus content and so much more. Head on over to patreon.com/blackwaterdnd for all the info. See you next time, heretics, and to all the gods out there, be safe!