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. This series 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:
Romance // heartbreak // conflict between romantic partners // death of a parent // withholding information // religious overtones // grief

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

PROLOGUE: Leaving

Em: [an enchanting piano melody begins to play to set the scene]
So here we are, once more. Welcome to the Cradle. But different than the last time we saw it. Not at its end, nearing its close, driving the twin-souled priests together towards their beloved oblivion. Not with the empty god winding down the moments before it folded in on itself, allowing space for the universe to start anew. And not with the exalted breath of a new iteration of what has occurred time and time again, able to fix the mistakes of the past that barred the magic from the world and left the gods stranded, frantic and desperate.

No. We have seen and learned about the end, so you are now ready to know. This time, to understand what came at the end, and why the Godkiller was the gift the universe gave unto itself, we must go back.

Once upon a time, in a time that now feels so very far away, the gods loved the mortal world. They loved it for what it gave to them and the strength they wrought from the worship. While not every god lived in harmony with the rest, they observed a civil respect for the others. Power must at least acknowledge other power. Divine councils were formed, alliances drawn, and accords observed. Each god got a piece of the cradle as their own, a dominion over some aspect from which they drew their power, to feed the hunger that kept them sustained and whole, in addition to perhaps land that fell under their purview and protection. Some claimed towns and cities, with mortals eager to worship the gods or goddesses that kept them safe and brought them bounty. It's easy to love the hand that feeds you, even if the other hand holds something far more powerful and destructive. Divinity, like all beautiful things, can and should be terrifying.

A select few mortals in this time understood divinity, the true power of the gods. These chosen were often speakers for the entities they loved so much and kept the people of the cradle well tended to. Resources were bountiful and the land thrived under a watchful pantheon who sought a forevermore of… something. Something to keep their attention. Something to spend time on. Something to bring meaning and importance to the work that they were essence bound to do. When you are created from the very thing that you must tend to, to sustain your existence, it would behoove you to see that it is brought to prosperity.

While the strife and conflict between the worshippers were present, the gods could spend their time both on and away from the material plane. The river, the font of magic of the universe that flowed across the skies, allowed easy passage from these realms through the liminal space of the Caesura. This body of pure energy, mixing the magic woven into the land, knowledge, and lifeblood of the cradle, stood proud, a testament to the glory of civilization, a well-deserved award for a world that had withstood the tests of time, and still could flourish in spite of itself.

But when the river dried up, a fluke of pure random chance in this iteration of the universe, a something that was strongly not supposed to happen, not this time, not now, not here… we saw the seeds of the end planted. The gods of the Lyrician pantheon, to their credit, held on for as long as they could. Barred from their seats of divine power, they scraped and scoured and dredged the material plane for everything that it was worth. Magic was no longer an endless font. The gods began to feel their limits. And when resources are finite, sometimes you take swift, determined action to take what you believe is yours by right.

Though this knowledge is lost to time, the universe remembers, and keeps the score. It keeps the meter. The first god to die was Acletolem, God of the Sun. Born out of the nova of his predecessor, Acletolem held a peaceful place within the pantheon, an heir to the skies and, in some aspects, all that fell below it. Many needed him, relying on him to feed their domains, the very people of the Cradle in need of warmth and his radiance to simply exist. The death of Acletolem was quick and vicious, a dark figure streaking across the sky, seemingly piercing the sun itself. It was said that the world got so bright, blindingly so, and then dimmed, never regaining its previous luminescence. Now dead, his body had nowhere to go and began to waste away. The first god to begin to irradiate and irreparably change the landscape of the Cradle. So there it hung, in the sky, and served as a warning. No one is safe, and power can be taken.

While no god took credit for this stroke of innovation, the other gods witnessed, and they learned. Killing another god brought power, and magic, and pleasure. Some gods started slow, killing one and revelling in what they garnered. Some dove in with fervor, taking one after another after another. A few never killed any, maybe because they didn't need to, didn't want to, or were simply too busy trying to save a world that was itself limping towards an end that, as we saw, happened beautifully and all at once. The gods lost faith that the river was ever going to come back. Maybe, after what they had started, they realized they didn't deserve it anymore.

As the gods began to die, The Fallaway encroached from the edges of the Habitable World, a growing series of dead zones that eventually joined each other, where nothing would take root, and no mortal life could be sustained. Massive corpses of dead gods litter this ruined tract of land, making it barren and desecrated. While it's speculated that this is what would have happened to the world with the River drying up anyway, the process was certainly accelerated every time the divine body count increased. There is an unnerving beauty to it, both in the deafening quiet of the broken land and the terrifying entities that remain, a monument to what has been lost. The remnants of humanity then came together and formed the valley, a small vestige left of the glory that was once the landscape of the world of Teris.
And for a while, there was a lull. About a hundred years where no gods were slain, and for the first time in a while, the Cradle and its denizens felt hope. Twenty-two gods remained, keeping to their work and their domains. To call it peace would have been a lie, but it was called that anyway. Everyone and everything waited and watched. But what we know of the world is that it tends towards entropy. And left unchecked, with the birth of the Godkiller still well in the future, something was bound to push it over the edge.

While every god's death held tragedy in its own way, the loss of Thielia, The Woodland Mother, Goddess of Nature, Growth and the Tempest, left an unparalleled absence. Patron Goddess of Temisset, a town within a deep and wild forest. Thielia brought bounty to plant life within the Cradle. Crops were healthy, people were fed. Everyone in Temisset was blessed with boons from their goddess, often in the form of small hedge magic to foster the growth of the land around. Some could converse with plants and animals while a very select few, those who held Thielia's ear, could shift and change their bodies into the very creatures they held in high reverence. The Wild One's blessings were plenty, and required no tithe other than a love and respect for the land they tended. Her death came as a shock. Why would anyone kill a god so beloved and needed? But therein lies the answer. Preciousness comes with a cost. Upon her death, she did her utmost to shield what was left of the valley rather than to destroy it, the only god whose body did more good than harm.

And finally, it took one death to push the Cradle to its breaking point. Two years after Thielia, Buloch, God of Lies, The Soured, The Poisoner of Ears, was killed while he slumbered by not one, but five gods, who sought to take the essence of one of the most powerful within the pantheon and redistribute his resources to themselves. Though they overpowered him easily, they did not exploit the Poisoner's downfall, and thus lie responsible for the curse that Buloch released unto all of the universe in his dying moments: “Until this place is a wisp of dust, thou shalt not tell lies from truth.” A grievous mistake, thinking that if the God of Lies was dead, their power would remain unchallenged and unopposed. The gods involved, Ashmedai, Halinaea, and the Strix, comprised of the trio of Kivok, Vosh, and Nyxal, vowed never to take credit and let the mortal world reap what they had sown. With the Godkiller prophecy hanging over their heads, having shown their hand with the Devoid Massacre just over 400 years before, it was time to rise above the rest. It was time to take a play for control and to see themselves as the major gods of the Cradle, once and for all.

As a reasonable consequence to Buloch's anathema, the Valley descended swiftly into mass war and conflict, with thousands of mortals slain in the name of Divinity. They went to war in the name of gods, both alive and dead, to make their mark on what remained of the world. It was better to fight together for something than die alone for nothing. After 15 years of loss that tore its way through what was left of humanity, with most never making it home, the war ended with no clear victor, as seven gods stepped forward, with only three of the devious five finding seats on a now presiding council. Peace was declared and the construction of the City of Glass began. The valley needed a beacon, a sigil that this peace was going to last. That everyone, even the divine, was going to do whatever it took to make it work.

Outside of this new metropolis, the rest of the Cradle set out on the long road to recovery, knowing that the wounds left from the Great War would never fully heal. While a system of trade was established within the major towns around the Chord, allowing for mostly fair allocation of resources, a few towns kept to their own. Temisset remained in mourning, having suffered deep losses with only 20 of those who went to war in the name of their beloved dead goddess making it home. And here is where we find ourselves, about a year and a half after the war has ended, on the last night before the Autumn Festival. The turning of the seasons is always cause for celebration in Temisset, honouring both Thielia and her daughter, Thlaspi, and their sacrifices for the good of humanity.

We close in on a large, but quiet farmhouse on the edge of town, surrounded by a vast garden of late blooming flowers, giving a rich floral scent that will slowly fade as we move into the winter months. Most notably, a blush coloured foxglove that runs the edge of the property. Three hive boxes stand quietly in the yard - a small apiary meant to act as tenders to this prolific garden. Closer still, we see lantern light flickering inside and movement, deliberate, slow. As we approach, we drift through a slightly open window, over a window box of pale blue violets, to find someone inside. Gina, who do we see?

Gina: [Music shifts to a delicate, flowing piano theme]
We see Ever, like forever, or the Everlight, or Ever After. She's young, hardly 20, with fair skin, warm blonde hair that waves, suggesting a curl, but more defiant. She wears it loosely braided back. Her face is soft, illuminated by the candlelight, the lantern light, with curious grey-green eyes, usually, but in this moment, darker. And a small nose that turns, up turns just slightly, a constellation of freckles across her cheeks… which are a bit flush now from the purposeful activity you find her in.

Em:
And what are you doing? As you move around the house so late at night, it's the Autumn Festival tomorrow. Generally people would be preparing for the day's events, but not you.

Gina:
No, I am… [sighs quickly] Focused. I'm putting the final touches on the decorations for the Autumn Festival, the garlands for the fireplace, which I lay carefully, and for the stone wall entrance to the property. I leave that by the door for now. The wreaths I'll hang on both doors of the farmhouse, each one done carefully to look like the work of two different people, as we always did… He was so much better at making these than I was. So that's what I'm doing. I’m- I'm setting the house… and arranging things.

Em:
And as we follow you around the room, setting things just so, our eyes linger on packed bags next to the door. There are still things strewn about the room. And you pause. This house has held so much for you over the years and now it is empty. Though it has been only about a month that you've lived in it alone. We hear a slight groan as the house settles like a bear preparing for hibernation. We see your books. Some spread over the tables and there's no way that you'll be able to take all of them with you. Shelves and shelves of jars and packages, sorted and labelled in your small neat handwriting, meticulous, their contents catalogued for when you return. Is there anything sentimental that you're going to take with you?

Gina:
So many things I'd like to… I think I would look over all of my things and the bags that I've got packed and… move into his bedroom.

Em:
Mm.

Gina:
And making sure that I rearrange a few of his things as well, just subtly, as I'm practiced to do. I arrange his room to look as if he's just packed for a trip as well. I have preparing to be gone for some time, and I think as I'm arranging some of the items on his desk I come across one of his rings.

Em:
What does it look like?

Gina:
It was too big for him by the end. His hands were so... It kept slipping off his finger. It's a brass signet ring, just with the letter DH on it. A floral inlay on the sides. And I hold it, standing there, just pouring my warmth into the metal of it until it feels like he's just handed it to me. And I slide it onto my thumb. I'm going to take this with me. And I'll go to his wardrobe and pull out one of his shirts. It's his favourite one that's faded. It used to be dark red, thick fabric shirt meant for colder months, but his favourite to wear during the Autumn Festival. He would have wanted to wear it tomorrow, so I'm going to take it with me. And everything in this house smells like the gardens, like the herbs hanging across the windows, but this, I smell it and I tell myself that it still smells of him and that's enough for me. So I'm going to bring that with me as well.

Em:
You were so careful to cover the smell, to make sure that everything smelled as it should, rich and alive, warm and floral. There was always something cooking in the kitchen, always something new being planted. The house became almost overgrown unto itself near the end.

Gina:
I'm going to miss it. I think.

Em:
And while Temisset has yet to have the cold snap signifying the descent into winter, you're going to be travelling alone, not with the caravan that passed by about a month before. This is truly your last chance to make it to Glass before the weather would make it unwise to travel. Why now? Why leave everything behind like this?

Gina:
I have to go. I can't be here for this. Without him I can't. I have to see her. I have to ask her why. And if I don't go now, then I don't know if I can. So it has to be now.

Em:
You meander your way downstairs, letting your feet lead you. Something he always told you. One foot in front of the other. Let your feet, let your feet feel the ground and it will lead you where you want to go. Where you need to go. You finished tidying the last of the room, looking around. And you're just about to head out the door reaching for those bags, and your eyes drift over a portrait in a simple frame affixed to the wall. Davos stands in full battle regalia next to Cassian Goldfield, the former High Priest of Thielia. You remember the day they stood for this portrait, both complaining about having to wear full plate and the hot summer sun. And while you just knew him as Uncle Cassian, you'd often heard him referred to as The Wrath of the Gentle Wild. Davos teased him about it mercilessly. Is there anything you do in this moment before you leave?

Gina:
I walked to that portrait. And I think instinctively I start to smile as I remember that day and all his complaining. And how he complained about it for weeks afterward. I think I would just kiss my fingers and press it to his face.

Gina (as Ever):
“I love you. I miss you so much. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”

Gina:
And I will turn. And I think before I leave, there's a table in the middle of the room strewn around it, journals and bottles and notes and things and books. But in the middle of the table is a large wooden bowl. And in that bowl is… Just a number of beautiful oranges.

Em:
Hmm.

Gina:
And I take one. And I get ready to leave.

Em:
Okay. You put your bag on, getting used to its weight. You'll be carrying it for some time before you get where you need to go. Your hand draws to the door handle and you're about to pull it open when you hear a knock. [four knocks] It's late, well after sundown for this time of year, probably about nine or ten at night, and you aren't expecting anyone. You didn't tell anyone you were going. What would you like to do?

Gina:
I um… I suddenly feel very nervous because I'm... no one is supposed to know that I'm leaving in this way. I think the idea of a visitor at this hour is… I think I would put my bags down and sort of slide them away from the door in case anyone is there that I don't want to have to explain. And I'll open it.

Em:
As you open the door, you see someone very familiar on your porch. And our eyes are drawn from the oranges behind you to a basket of oranges held under their arm. Someone you haven't seen in well over a month. Christian, who do we find here?

Christian: [music shifts to a wistful piano melody]
You find Verek Firesong. And I think it's just cold enough that he has a shawl over his shoulders. And these oranges are different. They're opalescent, almost. And inside you can see what appears to be flames dancing in the centre of these oranges. But what you would notice, he's holding a blush coloured foxglove. But it too is opalescent and there's flame dancing in the centre of it. And he says to you,

Christian (as Verek):
“Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?”

Gina (as Ever):
“What are you doing here?”

Em:
And Verek, it strikes you as very, very strange that Ever is dressed for travel. Though she's usually a night owl, staying up late amidst her studies, you're used to seeing her awake at all hours. She looks like she's going. Going far. For a while.

Christian:
Well, I think, I think Verek, who is this ombre coloured, sunset ombre coloured man with these almost elk-like horns, and he softens a little bit and I think he realizes immediately that something is different, and that she's leaving. And I say,

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to tell me, but if you want to, we can talk about it.”

Gina:
I think it's when he says that that she actually realizes that he's… come here, that he's standing in front of her and… you would see her take a visible breath.

Gina (as Ever):
“I’ve missed you.”

Christian:
I think he laughs a little bit and just,

Christian (as Verek):
“I've written you, a few times, and no response. I… Can I come in?”

Gina:
She thinks about it, for longer than she should.

Gina (as Ever):
“Okay, sure. Please.”

Gina:
And I'll step back from the door to let him in.

Christian:
It feels… I walk in, I'm asking, it feels… cold in here. It feels like everything, like the life is… I've never been in here, right?

Gina:
Mm-mm.

Em:
I think this would be the first time you're ever stepping inside the Halassian household.

Christian:
And that, what do I see? Do I see that picture?

Em:
The picture would be next to the door, on your right, and the inside would be as Ever has described it. The... It is… Well placed, but it looks lived in.

Christian:
I notice the picture and I say,

Christian (as Verek):
“Is that, is that Davos?”

Gina:
I follow his gaze and smile just a little bit.

Gina (as Ever):
“Yes, you've... Have you not met…”

Christian (as Verek):
“No.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You've never met him.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I was a little scared actually. Coming in.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You know, he can be quite intimidating. He would... He would love you... though.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Is he- Is he out? Will he be back? I mean… Should I not be in here with you without him here?”

Gina:
At that question, when you say, “is he out?” you would see a visible pain cross her face, and she quickly covers it as best she can.

Gina (as Ever):
“No, you've never... No, he's... He's not... here. I'm realizing you've never been here before. I apologize. I am sorry- I'm sorry about the mess. It's um…”

Christian (as Verek):
“It's not messy, this is, this is lovely.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I have a lot of notebooks and things. I haven't really had time to clean. Since I've been covering for, you know, with everything that he's had going on, I've sort of taken over doing a lot of things for him, just... You didn't get my letter? Then?”

Christian (as Verek):
“You sent me a, I, I know I didn't get your letter, I sent you, a few letters.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I- I know.”

Christian (as Verek):
“So you did respond.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I had sent you… one. I'm sorry for it being so late. I've just had… I've had a lot of bad news lately and I've been…”

Gina:
And as she says that, her eyes start to well with tears and she starts looking- breaking eye contact and looking around the room and,

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm sorry. I feel like, I feel like…”

Christian:
I think I just slowly, I'll put the oranges down, and the flower down, and I'll just kind of...

Gina (as Ever):
“How did you make those?”

Gina:
She says looking at the flower.

Gina (as Ever):
“So beautiful.”

Em:
And as that question leaves your mouth hanging between you, we are brought back to the first moment you met. It was during the war. How long ago was it that the both of you met?

Christian:
I feel like it's a year. It kind of feels like, because I'm of an age, maybe a year or two older, and we feel sort of young and… in the spring of our lives, if that makes sense. So I feel like it's been a year, maybe. And it's been about two months since I've heard from you, right? Is that true? Yeah.

Em:
Mm-hmm. So we see the market stalls in Temisset. The market itself is a large two-story structure filled with booths and stalls of all kinds. Both wares and food are sold and while many of the shops and services are available anytime, the market is held three days a week as a practice for the town coming together. Families move through, tasting delights, stocking up on a week of provisions. We find you, Ever, meandering your way through the market, a bag in hand to carry what you needed. What would you have been seeking, walking through the market?

Gina:
I think I would have just been looking for something… new and unexpected.

Em:
Hmm.

Gina:
I think I've been to this market many times and seen a lot of the same things, which is wonderful and comfortable. But I think this day I would be looking for something… Bright.

Em:
Hmm. Okay. You have a nose for things and are well trained in the art of apothetique and herb craft. You catch a smell on the breeze, something spicy and rich with a sharp tang of citrus. And while in this memory, it is early spring, but this smell is like an explosion of summer. You follow your nose through the market trying to catch it and lose it and navigate your way around other stronger smells that seek to throw you off the trail. But at the end of the bottom row of the market, you spy a small stand. And you see four people standing behind it. You see an older woman, probably in her mid to late 50s, the equivalent of, with pink, pale pink skin and long gray hair braided. She's laughing and looks like she is chiding a daughter who is almost a spitting image of her. There is a small boy probably about the age of 13, who is desperately trying to stack the oranges in a way that is visually appealing, but they keep falling off the table. And he won't let that slide. He keeps picking them up and trying to stack them again. There is a jovialness to this family, all with those same horns of various sizes, with the varying skin colours, the shades of a sunset, and these beautiful, bright oranges on the table. Coming around a corner, you see a young man about your age carrying a box and he places it down on the table.

Christian:
I think I look up and I look very disinterested in what I'm doing, kind of bored. And I kind of look up and wipe the sweat from my brow. I'm exasperated, and I see you. And I can't help but say,

Christian (as Verek):
“Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Hello.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Hi… uhh, hi.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Hi.Those are beautiful. How did you... Do they grow like that?”

Christian (as Verek):
“We sing to them.”

Christian:
And then you sort of realize that he is realizing the absurdity of the statement he just made, because these oranges look like, well, they're opalescent, they're almost like a geode, and you can see the flames flickering inside of these oranges.

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, we sing to them.”

Christian:
And I think he reaches behind him and pulls out a tiny vine and it looks to be like an individual little tiny pot with something growing, a little vine growing in it. And this is the very beginning baby of a tree. And I think he starts to sing, but you hear nothing coming out of him except maybe an almost imperceptible whisper maybe, but what you do see is that the vine begins to sort of smoulder as if it's almost on fire from the inside. And you swear that you can see flickers of flame on the insides of these vines and then he stops and it stops. And he says,

Christian (as Verek):
“Well, that's a baby. But after a long time, if we keep singing to them, they look like this -”

Christian:
And I hand you one and I say,

Christian (as Verek):
“There is a perfect amber inside every bite.”

Gina:
As you describe that and as you are singing and watching my gaze flickering from the orange to you, to the baby tree to you…

Christian:
I'm doing the same [laughs]

Gina (as Ever):
“Incredible.”

Christian (as Verek):
“We just kind of do it. We've always kind of done it. That's my family. That's my mom, and my brother, and my sister. What is... Who are you? Who are you?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm Ever.”

Gina:
And I hold up my, I switch the orange from one hand to the other, and I hold it up to you.

Gina (as Ever):
“Like, Ever, like forever, everlight. [laughs nervously] Um… Its… And… You are?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Ever as in forever... I am Verek, Verek Firesong.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Verek.”

Christian (as Verek):
“It is so very nice to meet you. You should try it.”

Christian:
And I'm looking at the blood orange.

Gina (as Ever):
“Oh, I’m- I'm not much of a singer, unfortunately.”

Christian (as Verek):
“No, no, no, don't. Well, you couldn't actually sing. It's a family thing. But I want you to try the orange.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Oh - okay.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I promise you are going to love it.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You promise?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Well, now I'm nervous because you said it like that, so no, I don't promise... It's like 98% guaranteed that you will love it.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Those are pretty good odds.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I think so.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Alright, I'll try it.”

Gina:
And I take my thumb and I gently press into the orange and begin to peel it, and when I see the colour and the flame… I just smile.

Gina (as Ever):
“Wow.”

Gina:
I take a slice, pull off a segment of orange. And I take a bite.

Em:
The flavour explodes in your mouth. It is both warm and crisp and has notes of cinnamon and spice, but a sweetness, a deep, deep sweetness. Your mind instantly goes to all of the things you could cook with this orange, juicing it… They are delectable and you instantly want to have another bite.

Gina (as Ever):
“Wow.”

Christian (as Verek):
“It’s good, right?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Incredibly… You're right, I... love it.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah. It never gets old, watching people try it for the first time.”

Em: [music fades into a peaceful piano and string theme, with birds chirping in the distance]
There is a smile mirrored between the two of you that catches, and we linger on that, holding here holding that smile between the two of you, because we want to remember what it looks like. Before we return to the porch, we see time move around you. A season goes by. Moving from that spring into… a late summer. And we see here in Temisset, the two of you on a walk together that you took in the Saileach, the willow grove within the Wildwood where it is said that Thielia's soul found its way home after her death. The Grove is rich and verdant, greener than green and teeming with life. We see the two of you walking together here, first in silence, hearing birdsong in the crunch of the forest floor under your feet with some of those leaves already beginning to turn. Ever... You would have brought Verek here. There's probably little reason at this point why he would have come here himself. Why?

Gina:
I would have wanted to share this place with him. This place is so special to me. It's a place where I come to clear my mind. It's a place where I come to find clarity. And I think that at this point… I would have felt something similar with him. Clarity, comfort, peace. And I would want him to know what it feels like to be here, to see it for himself.

Em:
Verek, as you walk next to her, it's almost as if you can see or hear the cogs turning in her head. What are you thinking about as she leads you here in relative silence? You've heard of the Saileach. Very important to the people of Temisset.

Christian:
I am thinking that she looks so beautiful at this very moment. And my hand sort of twitches a bit because I want to hold her hand, but there's also solemnity to this space. There's a hollowness to it. But I see that she's thinking, and she's an overthinker, I think. But then again, I don't think I think enough, I think. So, I stop thinking and I grab her hand. And I say,

Christian (as Verek):
“Thank you for bringing me here. I know it means a lot to you. So it means a lot to me.”

Gina:
Feeling his hand slip into hers, I think she would hold it a little bit tighter, and squeeze it as he says that.

Gina (as Ever):
“This is one of my favourite places. I'm so glad you're here with me. I... I… I'm glad you didn't think it was weird for me to bring you here. You know, some people might find it solemn or somber or… like they don't know what to say or what to do, and I don't really know what else to say except thank you, for coming here with me. Actually -”

Gina:
And I will stop walking, and I think I'll stop first and you sort of walk a little bit longer and I hold your hand to stop.

Gina (as Ever):
“There is a place here, actually, that I'd like to bring you if…”

Christian (as Verek):
“Another place, a place within a place?”

Gina (as Ever):
“On the edge of this place, there's, you know, there's the inside the grove, and where we're walking now.”

Gina:
And I'll turn and just sort of point a little ways off.

Gina (as Ever):
“Do you see those two markers over there?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yes.”

Gina:
I start to say something and stop myself, and I just start walking, and bring you along with me. And we walk.

Em:
You walk with her, Verek, and it clocks for you. The Saileach is a place of remembrance.

Christian:
Yeah, I stop.

Gina:
I’ll… stop.

Gina (as Ever):
“Sorry, is this, this is too much. It's weird. Is it weird? Should I not have?”

Christian (as Verek):
“No. It's…”

Christian:
I just take your face in my hands.

Christian (as Verek):
“I will follow you wherever you want to go. There's nothing weird about you. I think you are pretty much the most phenomenal person I've ever met. I just… I wish I would have brought flowers.”

Gina:
I just look into your eyes as you say that and it's feeling the warmth of your hands on my face.

Gina (as Ever):
“Come with me.”

Gina:
And I'd bring a hand to cover yours, and take it gently and lead you over to where the markers are.

Christian:
And you can swear that you can feel like I am on fire, and it's kind of like I always am on fire. There's a warmth to him that's… different. And you think it might be magic, or it just might be that he's in love with you.

Em:
As she leads you over, you see clusters of those pale blue violets that she has placed in boxes outside of her home. And they seem to move as you walk, lining pathways and making natural walkways between the areas of the grove. Verek, something that strikes you is that this is so different from how your people pay respect to their dead. You know what your parents believe, and how you've been raised. There is so little presence of what you know here, but with what your parents gave and what they did, it isn't shocking that they would travel so far from any outright display of those customs. Temisset is about as far and sequestered as you can go. As you follow her, you see that some of these places are graves, and some are simply small odes to individuals who have passed with no body to bring home. Here in the Saileach, it is said that their spirits are said to infuse the land as an homage to Thielia, rather than any decomposition.

Gina:
And I bring you over to two small markers, just simple stones, that sort of jut out from the earth, around the grass and the clovers, and all of the green and all of the flowers that are sort of speckling around them… I turn back to you.

Gina (as Ever):
“My mother and father are buried here. I come here sometimes. I don't really remember too much of them. And I say my mother and father, because they are my mother and father. But Davos has been my father ever since I was seven years old, and I come here to remember them, but also to thank them for leaving me with him and for everything I've found since. And you. You are one of those.”

Christian:
I... I will kneel down, and I will say,

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't know me at all, but your daughter is incredible. And if she is anything like you two… I'm sure you're incredible too. So,”

Christian:
And I'll turn to you and I'll say,

Christian (as Verek):
“Thank you for leaving her with Davos. And thank you for bringing her to me.I'm not sure if that's the right way to do that, but I think that's how you say a prayer here, right?”

Gina:
You would see just surprise on her face, and she did not expect you to do any of that.

Gina (as Ever):
“Th- That's pretty good.”

Gina:
And, and she'll kneel down next to you, and take your hand, and with hers lay it on the grass, so both of your fingers are sort of… the grass and the clovers and the flowers are in between your fingers.

Gina (as Ever):
“You said you didn't bring flowers, but…”

Gina:
And I believe all of the people in Temisset have this power, but Davos had taught me more, given me more, and I'll close my eyes, and you'll see the flowers around us bloom and open, more of them sprouting out around us, small white wildflowers, pink, yellow. Reds. More the colours of the sunset.

Christian:
I will start to sing to them. And as they're blooming, it's like they become opalescent and flames start to dance within the flowers that you're blooming as I sing to them in an imperceptible note.

Gina:
I don't think she would see this just yet, because her eyes are still closed. And when she opens them, I'll turn to look at you.

Gina (as Ever):
“So beautiful. You are so -”

Christian (as Verek):
“Don't make me blush.”

Gina:
I don't think she would know what to say in this moment.

Christian (as Verek):
“I… have a secret. I have a secret. You shared this with me. This is a…”

Christian:
And I feel like you can see the impulsivity in his brain, and there's like guilt that immediately [snaps for emphasis] set in, but it's because he realizes that you shared this super important thing with him. And he would follow you anywhere. And he meant that. And he would do just about anything. Really, I don't think he thinks there's anything better than you. But he hasn't told you everything. He hasn't told you something as special as this. And I think that hits him immediately. And he says,

Christian (as Verek):
“I had an older sister. You met my other siblings, but I had an older sister, and she was, she's pretty important to us. All of us, really. Yeah, now you know.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You… had… an older sister. I -”

Christian (as Verek):
“Ummm… Well…”

Gina (as Ever):
“I thank you for… for telling me.”

Christian (as Verek):
“No, it's not like that. It's not like this. This is, this is special. It's… She's more... She's not here. She's not with us. In, in Temisset.”

Gina:
I'll sit back on my heels just a little bit and turn to look at you more face to face.

Gina (as Ever):
“What's her name?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Alaisa. Her name's Alaisa.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Alaisa.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, yeah. She… I have a place like this too. But it's at home. And, well, come to think of it, it's really not like this, like this, at all. It feels like this. But it's not like this. This is much… prettier. And feels… It feels like home at the same time. But we have a place, where we pray, our way. And I think about my sister there, all the time. Whenever I'm there, I think about her. And I imagine it's similar to this. You come here, and you talk to them. It's like a shrine. It's like a... We pray… Have you heard of Nepthysaket?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I have.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, we pray to Nepthysaket, and Alisa serves Nepthysaket. But that place feels like here. That place feels like here. It feels like prayer. You feel like prayer. There's like, there's that place, there's this place, but when I'm with you, you feel like both of those places, and figuring this out now, I'm talking a lot, but when I say your name it's like I'm saying a prayer. I don't know if that makes sense.”

Em:
Does he see it? Ever? Does he see that catch?

Gina:
I think so. I think when you say that I open my mouth to say something and… I don't.

Christian (as Verek):
“I talk too much.”

Gina (as Ever):
“No. You're perfect.”

Gina:
And I think in that moment, I reached for his face and I kissed him.

Em: [music becomes smooth, flowing, and subdued]
A sweet, comforting, wonderful, first kiss… And I wish we could stay there, in that moment, but with one final flash before we return to this time where we are, on the porch, we find ourselves not more than three months ago. Ever, you've been staying close to home, as much needs tending to. You've had to be so careful. Stocking up on supplies for as long as you could to limit how much you had to venture out. It was too risky, with how quickly things were progressing. We find you on one of the days you did have to venture out, just as you're closing the front gate and beginning the short walk to town proper. Verek, you haven't truly seen Ever in maybe two months. You've seen glimpses in the market, you've come calling with little response, and you've left letters, but haven't received anything in reply. So when you catch her, probably 150 feet from her as she's closing her gate and walking up the road, it's as if your heart catches in your throat. How would Ever look right now? And what would Verek see that was changed?

Gina:
I don't look good. I... for the last... I think at this point it would have been probably for the last week. I've hardly eaten, barely slept. If you're close enough you'd see my hands are stained from tincture making and ink, that my eyes and nose are tinged red from crying. I look like a ghost.

Em:
Verek, do you call out to her?

Christian:
Is she in a market space? We're outside, she's -

Em:
You're close to her home.

Christian:
Just on the road, close to her home. And she's moving away from her home, right?

Em:
Yeah, she's, it looks like she has a bag under her arm that's empty and she's hustling. She's kind of head down and, and walking, would be walking towards town. It's about a 10 minute walk into the town centre.

Christian:
And there's no one else around?

Em:
No one.

Christian:
I say loud enough for her to hear me,

Christian (as Verek):
“Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?”

Gina:
I would stop, and my heart begins to race, and I can feel the tears coming. I can feel the urge to just run to him, and then I'd have to explain.I'd have to lie, and I don't want to lie to him.

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to tell me. But… I would like to kiss you one more time.”

Gina:
I turn to look at you.

Gina (as Ever):
“Hi.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Hi. You look great.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I - I don’t…”

Christian (as Verek):
“I'm lying, you don't look great.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm sorry I haven't been… I'm sorry. I've just been so busy. I… There's been a lot of things to do lately and, I - I don't know. I'm barely hanging on, as you can see. I'm sorry.”

Christian (as Verek):
“So hang on. You don't, you… You don't ever have to apologize to me.”

Gina (as Ever):
“No, I - I do. So… I, when I'm with you, I feel… like myself, and I have had to be so much more. And I am at the bottom of this well, and I just need more time. I just need, I just need time. I just need, I'm so close. I'm so close. “

Gina:
And she looks, I look at you.

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm so close. I'm sorry.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to apologize, really. I can't imagine what you'll look like when you're done. I mean, this is, you're already pretty amazing, so… Can I help you? That's all that really matters to me. How can I, how can I help you? We'll start with this…”

Christian:
And I'll hand you a handkerchief.

Gina (as Ever):
“Sorry, yes, I'm quite a mess. Bad day. But it's getting better.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to tell me, but… What are you close to?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'll tell you… I'm working on a new remedy.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Okay…”

Gina (as Ever):
“I think I'm so, so close to getting it.”

Christian (as Verek):
“For what - for what? This is ironic because you're working on something to heal people, and it's hurting you. It's just a little ironic, you know? But, what is it for?”

Gina:
I think you can, you would be able to see the thought, the questioning, the weighing of options across her face, she's looking at you.

Gina (as Ever):
“For… Wasting sickness.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Okay… okay…”

Gina (as Ever):
“I've been getting some requests lately for those looking for palliative treatments, perhaps something to ease their passing and I think I might be onto something that can actually reverse it… I don't know, I hope, I think.”

Christian:
He looks surprised, but in the sort of proud way when someone tells you they got a new job, or like, that they're expecting, or they're getting married, or something, it's shocking but incredible. And there's confusion almost immediately after, because you're so, you look like you've toiled away at this, like, too much, and he's worried.

Gina (as Ever):
“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Christian (as Verek):
“I just -”

Gina (as Ever):
“I know, I look awful.”

Christian (as Verek):
“No, it's… You, you couldn't look awful, ever.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I very much could.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You couldn't look awful ever, Ever. You just-”

Christian:
And I kiss you. And this might be the most passionate kiss we've ever shared. And then I pull away and I say,

Christian (as Verek):
“I have never met anyone like you. I don't think I'm ever going to meet anyone like you. And you're… You're just the way people should be. Always. You don't, you don't. You said you're just trying to hang on, you know? I just, when you can't. You know, hang on. You can hang on to me. You can always hang on to me. You don't have to. If you don't want to. And I know you like to do your thing. But… I can't do this whole, I can't do all of this without you, you know. This. I don't want to do any of this without you. Where are you going?”

Gina (as Ever):
“to the market just to... God, how are you so… You are perfect.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Oh, I’m not -”

Gina:
And I'll pull you in and kiss you once more. Just quickly.

Gina (as Ever):
“You are perfect.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to say it… Say it again, though.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You're perfect. Verek.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I think I'm pretty cool. Okay, let's go to the market. Can I come? I want to come. Can I come?”

Gina (as Ever):
“You can come.”

Em:
We see the two of you walking off to market together. And Ever, while Verek doesn't see this, I think we do. Your head turns to the side and hangs there for a moment, knowing that this will probably be the last time this happens.

Gina:
Yeah.

Em:
And maybe one of the last times you'll leave the house, for a while. So, now we return to this moment, this time, on the porch of the Halassian farmhouse, with Ever wearing travel clothes, bags in hand, the house dark behind, save for a small lantern.

Christian:
And it makes sense, right? And I say out loud,

Christian (as Verek):
“Wasting sickness.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Wasting sickness.”

Christian (as Verek):
“How long ago?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I wanted to tell you.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You don't have to tell me.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I wanted to tell you so badly… About a month. A month tomorrow, actually.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I wish I could have been here with you, but I understand. I do, I do understand. I understand you. I'm so sorry. I know you loved him.”

Gina:
I think hearing how he just… He just, without a second thought, didn't question it, didn't blame me, didn't… Fear being in this house, didn't, didn't look at me with distrust or… Revulsion. Like I'd so feared. He just looks at me with… Love. And I just, I think at this point, all the walls that I'd had up, all the lies that I had prepared that I didn't want to say, all of the excuses and all of that just drops and… I think I just throw my arms around him and just cry.

Em:
Mm-hmm.

Gina (as Ever):
“I'm so sorry, I didn't want to lie to you. I didn't want you to be here and just didn't, I didn't for so long, I didn't know what I could carry, I didn't know what was, I didn't know what I could pass to you, I did so much, so many tests. I did so many tests about who, how long…”

Gina:
And I pulled back enough to look at him in the eyes.

Gina (as Ever):
“I met you and I couldn't… I couldn't stay away from you, even when I tried so hard. You always found me. But.. I have to go.”

Gina:
And I pull back just a little more and brush the hair out of my face.

Gina (as Ever):
“I have to go.”

Christian (as Verek):
“You did it again. You did it again. You did the thing where you showed me a secret. Now I gotta show you a secret. It's.. It’s not fair. I was gonna do it first. But I'll follow your lead…”

Christian:
And I pull out this little prayer book.

Christian (as Verek):
“Are you absolutely positive that you have to, you have to go?”

Gina (as Ever):
“What is that?”

Christian (as Verek):
“This is how we do what we do, my family. It's all the songs we sing, and how to sing it. And this has been in our family for so long and we're the only people who've ever seen it, or sung them. I was thinking about, in all the time that we didn't talk, I'm not blaming you or anything, but it was a long time. I was thinking, if I saw her again, what could I give to her that she could have a piece of me forever, in case I didn't see her again? And it's this. This isn't just like… a song, right? They are songs, but it's like, it's our history too, for as long as we can go back. So if you're absolutely positive that you have to go, I want you to take this with you, and that way you'll have a piece of me forever. It's a... It's a hymnal. It's a... Nepthysaket’s hymnal.”

Gina:
At that name…

Em:
Does he see it there too?

Gina:
He sees it. Her face falls at that name.

Christian (as Verek):
“I know it's not, I know, I know how you feel about her, but, uh…”

Gina (as Ever):
“Do you?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Well, not exactly. I mean…”

Gina (as Ever):
“Verek, she… She took him. You... You know that.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I don't think that's... I know you believe that. I know you believe that.”

Gina (as Ever):
“She did, she... Verek, she chose to take him. That's what she does.”

Christian (as Verek):
“That's what life does. That's not what she does. She does... She does something different. Life, life takes... Life is…”

Gina (as Ever): [music swells and string lead melody begins]
“She is the goddess of the moment between life and death. She… she is the arbiter of that. She chooses. She chooses. She chose. Power and superiority of these. What does… In all of this, in all of this, where wasting sickness comes from, where we… what it does to us, what it is from… Does she know of sacrifice? He went to war. For them. For Thieria, for the Cradle. And it was a gift. She sacrificed herself for us, for him, and she sent him home. She sent him home to me. And we're supposed to revere her. This goddess of the moment between life and death, this judge, she has that power then, to choose who to stay, who to go. She took, she took that which was given. Was sacrificed.”

Christian (as Verek):
“We chose. We chose. We choose. The Firesongs. People like the Firesongs who choose to leave our flesh and blood at her steps. She's not a… She's not going to intercede in every moment between life and death. The natural progression of life is death. She's there to see it through, not to intervene. I love you. I love you more than life and death. But it's a bit selfish of you to be so… Angry.”

Gina:
She’ll take a step back.

Christian (as Verek):
“I'm sorry, I don't…”

Gina (as Ever):
“Selfish…”

Christian (as Verek):
“Your father… It's just, it was, you did all you can do. And… That moment between life and death, that moment that you're angry about, you were there with him. You gave him the most incredible moments between life and death. You were heroic.”

Gina (as Ever):
“…Incredible moments?”

Christian (as Verek):
“What is, what am I saying that's wrong? I don't, I just, I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I just, I think you did the right thing. And now you have to be brave for him, not angry at her. I don't understand - this is the first time I don't understand you. Where are you going? And I know I always say you don't have to tell me, but I think this time you really do.”

Gina:
I look down at the prayer book,

Gina (as Ever):
“I - I have to find her… to go to Glass, I have to go and… I have to make her see. What balance is that?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Okay. Okay, I am sorry that I called you selfish. You're not selfish. I'm selfish. I'm being selfish right now. Because that was harmful, that was hurtful. I didn't want to hurt you. That was silly of me. Here's the thing. I don't care. I don't care, if I'm right or you're right. It doesn't matter. I love you, so… So go. Go, go find her. Go find her. I have a sister in the City of Glass. Show her that book. And she will know that you came from us. Might be a little bit of a shock for her. Uhh… Yeah, I will be, I will be here. I will always be here. There is no one here that could even come close to making me feel anything. So… Go prove me wrong. Go prove me wrong. I really want you to. I'm sorry I called you selfish.”

Gina (as Ever):
“It's okay. I - this is… a lot. I'm sorry, I… I’m sorry I didn't tell you.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I really get it. I really understand. You don't have to apologize. You never have to apologize. Do you have to leave like, now? Because I did come all the way here. And, uh, maybe you could just leave in the morning?”

Gina:
She's really going to think about that.

Christian (as Verek):
“I'll sing to you. Like I'll actually sing to you.”

Gina:
What time is it? Em?

Em:
As of this point, with the conversation you've had, it's probably nearing close to 11 o 'clock. If you leave now, you will be travelling at night. Which was your plan anyway.

Christian (as Verek):
“But that's so dangerous. You should not travel at night. It's really dark out.”

Gina:
What time does the sun rise? This time of year?

Em:
Probably about... Like 6:30am.

Gina:
In my mind right now I'm weighing how long can I stay, and still be able to live in the dark. Could I get up early, before the sun rises and still make it.

Gina (as Ever):
“Verek…”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah. Yeah… It's okay. I won't, I won't make you say it. I'll go. I'll go.”

Gina (as Ever):
“No, please don't go yet. I’ve missed you.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Okay, I'll tell you what, how about I walk with you to the edge of town, or as long as I can walk, and then I'll turn around. Let's do that. I'll walk with you as far as I can go, and then I'll turn around, and I'll walk back, because I've missed you too. And I just got here.”

Gina:
I'll hug you again. Tightly. Bury my face in your neck, and just say softly into your skin,

Gina (as Ever):
“Just stay here with me, for just another moment, and then we can walk.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yes. Yes. If I would have asked him to marry you, would he have said yes?”

Gina (as Ever):
“Without question.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah.”

Gina (as Ever):
“And so would I. We can talk about it when we get… home... So…”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, ‘cause that was like hypothetical. I - I would too. I don't mean, I would totally ask you, I just don't have a ring, and I was, it's ‘cause I talk too much. This is ‘cause I talk too much.”

Gina (as Ever):
“You don't... You…”

Gina:
As he says that, I will kiss him.

Gina (as Ever):
“You never talk too much. You say all the right things. Usually.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Well, now you really have to come back.”

Em:
So the two of you set off. Hand in hand. It's dark and quiet. Most of the revelry in town has died down, with people getting ready to go home, prepare for an early morning. The town is alight for the Autumn Festival. There is a breakfast that almost the whole town attends on the first morning. When leaving Temisset, you can take one of two pathways. The road, of course, will be safer. It leads from Temisset out and around the Wildwood, stopping quickly through a forestry outpost before heading south to pass through Volim and then traversing through the fertile crescent of the Cradle before ending at your destination of Glass. There is a road further east from the forestry outpost, but it is generally considered unsafe to travel at this time of year, due to its proximity to the mountain ranges of Eastfall. And you also know that that's where the processions go. Once a month, a silent procession travels north with no visible people, just horses in closed carriages heading to Astuce, the heavy incense and oils that linger on the road to cover that sickly sweet smell of decay. But then again, nobody has to remind you what Wasting Sickness smells like.

Alternatively, there is an unpaved but moderately well-travelled path through the Wildwood itself that passes through the Saileach. It's a shorter journey, but the Wildwood is largely unmapped and has a heart of its own. Things are said to change quickly, with landmarks never quite in the same spot twice. You'll save about five days travel, if the forest leads you right. What would you like to do?

Christian (as Verek): [yearning, melancholic string music fades in]
“It's gonna be pretty cold whichever way you go…”

Christian:
And I take the shawl I have off,

Christian (as Verek):
“Its all I have, so take that with you, that was my mother's, she doesn't know it's gone yet, so bring it back.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Thank you.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I wouldn't presume to tell you which way to go, but like, that way is clearly safer.”

Gina (as Ever):
“Now I feel like I have to go the other way, just because you told me to go this way.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I knew that's what was gonna happen as soon as it left my mouth.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I think we both know I have to go this way.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I have to say goodbye, for now. You know I have to go.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, I do. I do. I know. I do know that you have to go.”

Christian:
I'm just gonna step back, and just take you in one more time.

Christian (as Verek):
“Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? I will see you around.”

Gina (as Ever):
“See you around.”

Gina:
And as he starts to turn I’ll call out,

Gina (as Ever):
“Verek?”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah? Yes?”

Gina (as Ever):
“I love you.”

Christian (as Verek):
“I know, I know. I love you too.”

Gina (as Ever):
“I'll see you when I get back, then.”

Christian (as Verek):
“Yeah, we have a wedding to plan.”

Em:
And he starts walking the path away from the edge of the Wildwood. You are at the tree line. You hear the rustle of leaves and branches shifting in the night air. The loud cicadas and crickets. The forest thrums behind you, ready for you, on your journey towards Glass.

[Light: Ever’s Theme by Sean McRoberts]

Em:
Godkiller: Balance is performed by Em Carlson, Gina Susanna & Jannes Wessels. The voice of Verek Firesong is Christian Navarro. 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. Music and effects by Epidemic Sound. Cartography for this series by Chaim Holtjer of Chaim’s Cartography. 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!