Session Zero Heroes - A TTRPG Actual Play Podcast
Speaker B: Jasmine oolong, green and white. Long ago, these four teas were skilfully brewed at the Blissful Brew. Then everything changed when the shop's popularity threatened its existence. All Mr. Okeron, the shop's owner and tea master, could do was to recruit four teenage orphans to learn his trade and staff his shop. A year has passed since the orphans were hired, and although their skills have progressed, they still have a lot to learn before they can brew anything. But I believe that they have the potential to make the Blissful Brew the greatest tea shop in the world. Last time on Benders and Brews an Avatar legends podcast.
Speaker A: I'm trying to get through an island as fast as I can.
Speaker C: Do, uh, you even remember why we.
Speaker A: Have to get to Whale? Yes, the treasure. Sure, it's treasure. Come on, everyone. Whale Tail Island, here we come.
Speaker D: And he throws the scale at the ground with all the force he can muster. As the scale hits the ground, fragments start to break off and shatter in every direction. And now we know that both the scales were fake. And these two points at both the mayors are the perpetrators of the whole thing.
Speaker E: Lei, would you mind taking these wonderful folks to Whaletail Island?
Speaker A: Oh, yes, of course.
Speaker E: Thank you very much.
Speaker C: Stop that letter that Mr. O'Brien gave you.
Speaker A: Yeah, I did. I might have cried a little when I read it.
Speaker C: Can, uh, you read it again? I kind of forgot what it's like.
Speaker D: And welcome back to another episode of Benders and Brews. We're back with episode five, everybody. Uh, just finished, and you'll hear this in the you heard this in the recap bit or whatever, but everybody just helped chin village slash Quinchao Village sort of helped them I don't know what you would call that. Yeah, we'll say you helped them solve the mystery of the missing scale.
Speaker F: Pulled the bandaid off. Yeah.
Speaker A: Oh, yes.
Speaker D: That's a good way to put it.
Speaker A: I like that.
Speaker D: Uh, whatever the case, welcome, uh, back for another episode. Uh, let's do our little round of character interesting facts. Who would like to start?
Speaker E: I guess me.
Speaker A: Oh, awesome.
Speaker D: All right, Michaela, who was here last time to clarify, um, just a little.
Speaker A: Bit on the quiet side as she.
Speaker D: Pieced together the puzzle in her head. What's the interesting fact about Mika?
Speaker E: Um, she would watch the fish in the river mhm, and she would make up stories about them.
Speaker D: Okay.
Speaker E: That's her fact.
Speaker D: Okay, were there any interesting stories?
Speaker E: Oh, yeah, it's not a story unless there's tales of death and long lost love and all that jazz.
Speaker F: Like this one's, the moon spirit. And this one.
Speaker D: I think there were just two halves of the moon. Right, all right. Very cool. Very cool. Um, Cameron, you got an interesting fact about Bill.
Speaker A: Yeah, I do, but I'm also debating because this one fact I've actually been wanting to say for, like, in character for a while.
Speaker E: Do we all need to plug our ears?
Speaker A: No, it's about his painting. It's, uh about his painting.
Speaker E: Paints.
Speaker A: Yeah. I think I revealed that way in the start of the he likes to.
Speaker D: Do, like, landscape m I do landscape.
Speaker A: Painting to relax me. Right. Yeah.
Speaker F: Ah, the paintings age and you don't.
Speaker A: I guess what I will say is, um, and I guess this is if it comes up in character, it comes a particular I never said where Bill paints. And that's important because he does not paint at, uh, the shop or anywhere near that. There is a spot, uh, I want to say woods. It's more like along the road. Uh, the same road that we actually took to go to that other city. Bill would go along that road and then there was an off side road he found off of it that went along a cliff edge. And along that cliff edge he found a tree that was, like, growing out of the cliff. And he would paint alongside that tree. And, uh, sometimes he would paint with the tree and the night painting. Sometimes he would paint other stuff. But something about that tree growing out of the side of the cliff gave Bill comfort.
Speaker D: Okay. Very cool.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker D: And it makes sense.
Speaker A: It fits. Yeah, absolutely. All right.
Speaker D: Uh, Dave, you got an interesting fact about Guo today.
Speaker F: I do. So Guo has a tattoo of, um what? Something whoa. Somewhere on his body.
Speaker A: Awkward.
Speaker D: And it's for us to find out.
Speaker E: Well, he's twelve.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker D: So don't PG. Yeah.
Speaker A: All right.
Speaker F: That's all I'm reviewing.
Speaker D: We'll see if that comes up at some point. Um, all right. And then last but not least, Connor.
Speaker C: Well, I could say that Brock also has a tattoo because that was in his character design.
Speaker D: It is in his character design.
Speaker C: But, uh, I will say that Brock, uh, has recently gotten into some, uh, expired.
Speaker D: Oh, okay.
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker C: So he had some expired tea before this journey.
Speaker E: Uh, things are a brewing.
Speaker D: Things are a brewing. If this was a game of Oregon Trail, uh, Brock has Dysentery, uh, speaking.
Speaker F: Give him a thunderbolt.
Speaker D: Speaking of Dysentery, I'm Skyler. And what I'm about to say doesn't really have anything to do with Dysentery. I, um, don't know. Less of an interesting fact, more of a story. I recently walked through a drive through and that was interesting. I did still get service. So anyone that tells you otherwise, i, uh, don't know, I might be trying.
Speaker C: That was your fact in episode.
Speaker A: Was it really? Yeah. Oh, man, now I have to have another one.
Speaker D: Now I feel like I do have to fall back on the Dysentery bit. Speaking of Dysentery, I enjoyed Oregon Trail. I actually played the fifth edition. I think it was, uh, many times on my PC. It was great.
Speaker E: How many times did you die from Dysentery?
Speaker D: I don't feel like I did, uh, but they had like, cut scenes and it was really weird because they had a whole underlying story about this guy that was trying to get these two kids, uh, through the Oregon Trail or whatever. And no, not just trying to get.
Speaker A: These after trying to get these two.
Speaker D: Kids, it's like every seventy s eighty s PG kids movie. Some guys try to get those kids uh, no, there's a good game, but there's like the one part where the kid gets bit by a snake, like a rattlesnake, and then the guy has to suck out the poison. And so my whole life I was like, oh, okay, that's easy enough. Take that, snakes. You can't even do anything to us. And then recently I found out that, uh, apparently it's almost equally as dangerous to try to suck the poison out because not only is it not super effective, but also if you swallow the poison, then you are now screwed.
Speaker E: Just don't swallow.
Speaker D: Well, you got to hope that you don't.
Speaker A: Uhoh.
Speaker D: All right, welcome back. Uh, you guys are sealing down the waters towards White. Uh, or sorry, Whaletail Island dialogue happens. And then we come back to the part where Bill, uh, is supposed to read the letter.
Speaker A: That's exactly where we stopped was right when I was, uh, Brock was like, why don't you read the letter?
Speaker C: I challenge.
Speaker D: To a read off who.
Speaker E: Can'T read at this table.
Speaker A: I know you're used to me playing the dumb barbarian who cannot read and that is typically my character. I'm the dumb, impulsive barbarian in this case. He's the barbarian. Zero remorse and he's done great at it. Readability as a person who plays barbarians my whole d d life. You're doing it phenomenal.
Speaker C: I'm doing role justice.
Speaker A: All right, bill, my boy, you're tired and true. I know I now bestow a gift to you when on the seas, a ship we met and pirate ship we were beset. You and I were taken captive on an island where we adapted. Although in danger, we resided and quietly our time abided until the moment of opportunity. You and I escaped in unity. Return yourself to island shores and the next clue will soon be yours. Return to the past. Look to the back. Use the flame in your heart to reveal the map. And once you arrive, don't forget about the tea. Bill, you remember when you were on that boat with me? You created a combo so strange in my mind it did imprint. So look to your creation. A mix of mango and mint. Mint. Yeah, we already knew that already. It just goes dot, dot, dot. Okay, anyways, that's what sets brock, are you happy?
Speaker C: Yes.
Speaker A: Okay, you can have the letter.
Speaker C: I don't care if you can't read it.
Speaker A: That's right. Sorry, Brock, I did not mean.
Speaker E: You can practice.
Speaker A: I just taught you what this is. It's got every word on there but mint. Uh, that's my name? Yes. Good, my boy.
Speaker D: And then I uh, believe if I am correct, you guys revealed the map that was on the back of this letter. Well, I think it was Guao that actually did it. You held it close to the fire and you started to see there was like drawings and stuff.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker F: Caged it.
Speaker A: So it was Guaohan I gave the map to. Okay.
Speaker D: That was way back at the shop though.
Speaker E: We all knew that.
Speaker A: Yeah. Why didn't you say that then, Mika?
Speaker E: Because you don't like me. I was like that's why I was saying you didn't give me the map.
Speaker A: Okay, well that might be true. But anyways, so that's what it says. You guys can look at it. I guess just for me, even though, um, I'm on the know, it says.
Speaker C: Right there island shores where we met. So is there any part of Whaletail Island that is distinct enough to know that's exactly where you met Mr. Okura?
Speaker A: Well, we met on a boat.
Speaker D: Um, as you look at the back of the letter, I mean you do see a pretty, it's a pretty straightforward map of Whaletail Island itself. Like in its entirety showing kind of a line of where to begin. Um, you wonder if maybe the concept of where we first met kind of just implies to the island itself. Um, and then ah, the map kind of guides you once you reach the island, where to start and then go from there. As you guys are approaching, the waves kind of hitting against your boat as you guys make your way towards this island and it gets larger and larger as it comes closer and closer to you, or rather you get closer and closer to it. Uh, you can see in the distance kind of off on the left coast of this island, uh, there seems to be a flagpole that outcrops from a sailing vessel. Um, you guys are not headed directly towards where this thing seems to have ported. Uh, you're a little bit more towards the uh, right section of this island's coast. Um, so you're not going to collide with this pirate ship or land where the pirates may be set up, but you do assume that there are pirates that are actively on this island.
Speaker A: Sick.
Speaker D: We're approaching.
Speaker A: Uh, do you guys have a preference on uh, where I leave you guys off?
Speaker D: Uh, lay asks leave lay.
Speaker A: No. What? You said leave. You said leave us off.
Speaker D: I can wait. Yeah, I just like wherever you want me to leave you initially.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker D: I mean, unless the pirates come, then.
Speaker A: I got to go. Well, uh, hopefully you take us with you. Mhm. Okay. Hopefully that's what they call you, right?
Speaker D: Yes, hopefully.
Speaker A: Uh, actually, it's lay. And they say, well hopefully doesn't make any sense. That's what I was then they say.
Speaker D: Yes, that's what I meant to say. I want to order a whole fillet and then I say, oh, yeah, no, I can help you with that because I'm a fisherman and I have fillets of fish.
Speaker A: So yeah, so when I eat a whole bunch of fish, they call me.
Speaker D: Fish Fill a or Fish Fill lay.
Speaker A: Boo lay's like, hey, it's not my choice. I didn't come up with it. It's what they tell me.
Speaker F: Uh, he's the real victim here.
Speaker D: After a few moments, you eventually do near the sandy beaches of Whaletail Island, or at least the sandy beaches where you're landing. Uh, a lot of the island is made up of sort of branchy fibrous, uh, trees, various kind of palm tree esque. It's got a very Piratey Cove kind of a feel to it.
Speaker F: Right.
Speaker D: There's a section that seems to feature a number of kind of outcropping rocks over, uh, a little bit further to the right of the coast of the island. That where you're landing. So, obviously, Lay, uh, being an experienced sailor, dodged those and ensured that those wouldn't be an issue for you guys. Uh, but otherwise, you land on a sandy beach section of, um, this island. And looking at your map, you're able to see where it is that you have landed on the map and where you need to go next. I'll just be here. I mean, if it gets really dark, I might head home, and then I'll just come back in the morning.
Speaker C: Uh uh, any collateral we can take from you to make sure you come back?
Speaker F: Well, I got more scales.
Speaker A: Alas, I'm scaleless. They've been destroyed. Your reminder has put me back into emotional and mental turmoil.
Speaker C: What about, uh, do you have, like, your fishing pot or your fishing rod?
Speaker A: Hold on. I'm really not planning on leaving. I just fish while we have the time. Yeah, let's get out of here, guys. Kel just jumps off the side of the boat.
Speaker C: All right, so where are we going? Where's the map say?
Speaker A: Um, are we supposed to follow the map, or, like, what the will's clues say?
Speaker C: Well, isn't the map part of the will?
Speaker E: They're the same thing.
Speaker A: I flip over the map.
Speaker D: There's that wait, you flip over the map?
Speaker A: No, the will to the map. Oh, you flip over to the map side? Yeah. Okay.
Speaker D: And then you see the map, and it's a very like I said, you can kind of pick out where you've landed on the island and then find.
Speaker A: How you would X on the map.
Speaker F: Yes.
Speaker D: Okay.
Speaker A: So Bill, I guess, starts leading the way. Um stuff looks familiar. Stuff looks familiar a little bit.
Speaker D: I mean, obviously, it's a bit more overgrown. You're in a bit of a different area than where you remember. Um, but you do notice that kind of where the pirate ship was that you guys saw as you guys sailed in. And you look at the map and some of the maybe rock formations or some of the details on the map you're like, oh, I think that's where we originally landed at.
Speaker A: Is there docks on the map?
Speaker D: Kind of. The pirates have sort of set up a makeshift dock where you guys landed was just kind of a beach section that Lay saw and said it's safe enough for us to land there. Um, but the pirates have definitely set up their own sort of dock because um, and as you might know, they seem to use this pretty frequently. It's kind of like a base or something for them.
Speaker A: And there was buildings, right? Yes.
Speaker D: That they've kind of made their own little pirate village almost.
Speaker A: Okay, so I'm going to explain that while I'm pointing at this map and we're walking, the forest is ahead of us, right? Mhm. So I stop and I go, okay. Is the X near like, the coast?
Speaker D: No, it's uh, actually kind of like sort of north of the middle of the island. The opposite of us more, um, like if you went straight in from where you're at and then took a sharp right and then not too far from that.
Speaker A: So could we just go around the outside along the coast and just like turn in there? Yeah, you could do that forest. Is that where the X is?
Speaker F: Yeah. Okay.
Speaker A: All right, so I'm going to explain that. So, um, in the center of this island I'm going to show them the map and I'm pointing in the center. That's where the pirates stay. That's where the buildings are. Um, that's where they sleep. They hide out here, they store their loot. Um, and there's this forest and I show them the whole forest near the middle, but around it I go. This is the forest where they hide stuff like the more special stuff. But um, they don't usually stay there. Um, and from what it looks like, the X is there in the forest. So what I'm suggesting we do is just walk around the outside of the coast so we don't have to go through the middle. Run into any pirates. Let's go along the coast. Pirates are going to be the middle. Let's just go around. We don't need to mess with pirates. Even though I was a great pirate, they probably remember me for how great I was. But I did also knock a guy out to escape them. So let's avoid pirates.
Speaker F: Wait, you were a pirate?
Speaker A: Yeah, well, for like a day or two, yeah.
Speaker F: Sweet.
Speaker A: Yeah, right? Yeah, I was a pirate. They taught me pirate. The guy gave me a pirate name. Um, I swabbed a deck.
Speaker F: I've always wanted to do that.
Speaker D: Swab a deck.
Speaker A: Trust me, it was not fun.
Speaker E: So what made you into the boring person you are now?
Speaker A: What do you mean? That's me, Mika.
Speaker C: You sleep with the Bow staff, man.
Speaker A: I mean, she's not but you guys see what I do with that bow staff? I hit people. I knocked out a pirate with that bow staff.
Speaker E: Yeah, but you should just quiet and don't talk. Now you're like, well, what do I.
Speaker A: Have to talk about?
Speaker E: I'm a pirate now.
Speaker A: You have this interesting thing about you. I've always said that you guys just never ask questions.
Speaker F: I have all your hands and your fingers.
Speaker A: It was a day, okay? Like, it hadn't gotten to the level of actually the funny fact, most of the pirates had all their limbs. I was also questioning that when I first got on the crew.
Speaker F: Is that like a religious thing with pirates?
Speaker A: I wasn't long enough with them to know that answer either.
Speaker F: You hear it's like, oh, you just assume it's like a shark. But what if it's something weird?
Speaker A: I'm going to be honest with you. I'm going to be completely honest with you. I was actually totally interested in joining the pirate crew back then because I was young, I had nothing to do. Right. I was on the run, and I figured, no better place to find me.
Speaker C: Than a pirate crew, right?
Speaker E: Pirate and on the run.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker E: Who are you? But is your name even.
Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Ah. My name is Door. But you hesitated.
Speaker E: No, it's more convincing.
Speaker A: It's bill dor. It's definitely Bill Dore. And it's not a name I definitely made up before I got put on a pirate crew. And the name that they gave me on a pirate crew. Why are you guys putting me on the spot all of a sudden?
Speaker C: You're the pirate expert, the runaway.
Speaker F: What kind of pirates are these? Are these like the juggling tell joke kind of pirates?
Speaker A: There was a couple of those. There was all sorts on the ship. I do remember that. And they were really friendly, which is another reason why I wanted to join them. They were all friendly.
Speaker D: You recall in your mind one very specific pirate that was incredibly well spoken?
Speaker A: Yes, I remember, uh, one specifically. The one I knocked out. He was in charge of guarding the boat when I knocked him out. His name was Kalconi, and he was very smart for being a pirate. He spoke really well and elegant, and he sounded like he was rich from the background.
Speaker C: So if the pirates are friendly and you were well respected among them, why do we need to avoid them again?
Speaker A: I knocked them out and ran away. You knocked one of them out? Yeah, but Calconi was like, one of their leaders. But this might not be that crew. That's what I mean. Not all pirates are friendly. Just the crew I was with. And I wanted to join them, and I was going to get to that. And the reason I ran wasn't because of me, is because of Mr. Okero. He really wanted off that ship, and I knew they weren't just going to let him because they had some of his heat. They loved it. He'd even cured the captain of his, uh, nightmares he was having, but he wanted to leave and go start his shop, and I knew they wouldn't let him, so I helped him escape.
Speaker D: Interesting.
Speaker A: And yeah. And my name is definitely Bill Dor. So don't question that again.
Speaker E: The more you say that, the less I believe you.
Speaker A: What else would it be? It wouldn't be anything else. Like dil bohr. It's definitely not dil bohr.
Speaker E: Does something like he just looked at something was like, eh, that's a good name.
Speaker C: We should have listened to your pre.
Speaker A: No, I definitely did not look at something and come up with the name Build Door. And Mr. Oakron definitely did not help me come up with the name as well. These are things that did not happen. We really should have listened.
Speaker E: The more you talk, the less convincing you become.
Speaker A: Maybe you should okay, fine. You want to know my real name?
Speaker E: Yeah.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker D: It's Ash.
Speaker A: Okay. My real name is Ash, but I don't want people who's ash catch them.
Speaker C: Like, before your time.
Speaker A: Yeah, okay. No. My name's Ash. Okay. But I'm not giving you my last name. Okay.
Speaker C: Lee.
Speaker A: Not Lee. I'm on the run, okay. And I don't want people to find me. Okay. It's important. Don't tell anyone you know my real. Okay.
Speaker C: So, Ash lamb. Because you're on the lamb.
Speaker A: Sure. You can call me that. Just call you Bill. Thank you. I prefer Bill. Please call me Bill.
Speaker F: I mean, at this point, it'll just be a big mess.
Speaker A: Yeah, okay. I would prefer Bill. Thank you. Uh, now follow me and Bill's just going to start walking down, uh, the side of the, uh, beach. Okay. They can still talk to you. I don't care very much. Just trying to walk away.
Speaker D: I figured that this conversation was happening as you guys were we're walking along, following the map, and eventually okay.
Speaker A: He speeds up his walk. Sure.
Speaker D: Following the map, you eventually find yourself, uh, near a cave. And as you enter the cave, because this is where the map is kind of leading you, it has an X over the cave. You enter into the inside of the cave and discover a large chamber with a massive hole in the center of the ceiling where sunlight enters through at the top. Uh, the cave is large and has giant gem like stalagmites, which refract the light that comes in through the top of this cave, uh, across the entire cavern. Although it's incredibly beautiful, to add to this beauty, there are plants that have sprung up thanks to this light, this sunlight, that's able to get inside of this cave, all throughout the cave, crawling up the sides of the rocky walls, as well as filling the entire floor with various foliage. Um, that seems to almost be organized in a really interesting way. There's, um, a small stream of water that comes in through the back of the cave and sort of flows down through into the opening from where you kind of came in at. Uh, the water itself actually seems to have been, uh, sort of dug out into smaller streams that break out along the sides to ensure that all the foliage that makes up the bottom of this cavern, um, sort of receives a small amount of water before it drips all the way out. And again, as I mentioned before, the plants seem to be organized almost, uh, by type in these little sections where the water sort of flows through. Although it does look like some of them have grown a little bit messily, as if someone had been taking care of this and hasn't been taking care of it anytime recently. Um, at this point, you've reached where the X in the map has led you. Um, but now you've got this massive, uh, foliage covered cave, and you're not sure what to do next.
Speaker F: You guys see an X anywhere? Is that how these things work?
Speaker E: Find a mint.
Speaker C: Is there any mint among this foliage?
Speaker F: And what are all these bushes here? Um, let's take a closer look. Yeah.
Speaker D: So as you kind of lean down towards it, um, glow, I feel like you definitely would probably recognize this as being somebody that probably helped Mr. Okaron a lot with the teas. Um, and kind of given your background a little bit, is that all of the plants that are in here all seem to be different kinds of herbs or plants that are often used in tea making in different flavorings or for their aromas, um, or whatever the case. So you recognize a lot of these plants that are in here, uh, as stuff that Mr. Okaran used in the Blissful Brew Tea Shop.
Speaker C: Um, I think we just start sniffing.
Speaker F: Till we find some mint. Oh, yeah, guys, just follow our nose.
Speaker C: To the fruity taste that shows.
Speaker A: So we're just going to crawl around on the ground just sniffing it away?
Speaker C: You got a better idea?
Speaker A: No. Okay.
Speaker F: I'm pretty sure I remember what a mint leaf looks like now.
Speaker A: I just feel silly down here.
Speaker F: Well, I mean, I'll try to look.
Speaker D: For that, but for fun, uh, let's have everybody roll. A rely on your skills and training.
Speaker F: All of us?
Speaker D: Yeah, why not? And we'll just see whoever we'll see.
Speaker F: Who rolls the highest.
Speaker D: It's, uh, going to be focus, apparently.
Speaker F: Focus.
Speaker C: Nine.
Speaker F: Nice.
Speaker A: Oh, my cow. You beat my ten.
Speaker D: Sure enough.
Speaker A: GuoHan.
Speaker E: Uh, three.
Speaker D: Mika. Just, like, dishes.
Speaker A: You don't recognize any of it?
Speaker D: I was going to say you're like me whenever I walk into, like, a bath and bodyworks where it's just like.
Speaker A: There'S too much smells.
Speaker D: Uh, but I like that better.
Speaker A: Yeah, you just watched, like, dishwater. Yeah, you go straight over to the.
Speaker D: Water and you're like, not the water I remember.
Speaker F: How much dishwater did she drink?
Speaker A: Just chugging in. Just the cotter.
Speaker F: The special that made.
Speaker A: For that drunk guy way back in the first episode.
Speaker D: That's right. Whatever the case, uh, Guo, you and Bill both manage to sniff your way over to the mint. And sure enough, as you approach it, you can see a small corner of what looks like a wooden box. Seems to be peeking out from the mint leaves that give off a delightful fresh smell.
Speaker A: Reach for it, and your hands touch.
Speaker C: And you lock eyes and music.
Speaker A: I think he gohan barely beats me. He beat my role.
Speaker D: Yes, he did.
Speaker A: Just barely beat you.
Speaker D: Uh, he's, uh, digging it up as you approach, pulling it out of the dirt.
Speaker F: Guys, I found something nice.
Speaker D: And sure enough, some sort of box. It is it is a small wooden box.
Speaker C: We'll open it up.
Speaker A: Yeah.
Speaker D: All right. Is it locked or? It is not locked. It has, like, a little latch on it, but you just kind of undo it. Uh, you open it up and inside you find a small stone tablet that seems to feature a map like, drawing on it. But when you look at the edges of this tablet, you feel as though maybe it's been broken and there might be more pieces to it. Additionally, you find a small letter, and on the envelope of this letter, or rather, the letter itself is folded. And then there's, like, a seal that keeps you from seeing what the letter says. On the back of this letter, it says, To Bill. And then there's another letter that's folded similarly with, uh, a stamp on it. Uh, and this one says to Guao And that's everything that's in the box.
Speaker G: Are you, like me, a fan of piracy or privateering, um, out in your d D campaign? Well, check this out. We have been working on a brand new airship combat system. That means you and your privateer crew can now take to the skies and pillage at new heights. Within this system, you will get three dimensional dynamic movement and combat rules. You'll get, uh, a brand new updated air crew system, as well as brand new spells, items, creatures, and example airships for you to use in your campaign, as well as crews to put on them. But I think the coolest part about all of this is we have a custom ship builder application that will allow you to customize and build your very own airship. It means you and your team can have exactly what you want as you take on the skies. If you're interested in any of that, check out our Skies Efforts kickstarter here at Hermione and the Dude.
Speaker H: Snyder's return is a tabletop roleplay interview and actual play podcast. We chat with content creators from both mainstream and indie publishers, and we release actual play episodes of systems like our City of Misgame, Meddlers Monsters, Ah and Mabin, and more games coming in the future. We also have a TTRPG review show on YouTube. Fly like a d six. Come and. Check us out. You can find us on Twitter at return snyder instagram snyder's underscore Return. You can find us on YouTube at, uh, snyder's return discord, and everywhere you get your podcasts.
Speaker B: Hey, everyone. Skyler here, your friendly neighborhood game master. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that we at Benders and Brews have been working our creative juices extra hard and pushing our artistic skills to the max in order to bring you some sick Benders and Brews merch. That's right, you can head on over to the Tea public shop we created where you can snag shirts, stickers, mugs, and so much more with your favorite B and B characters on them. Grab a Chibi Mika baseball t shirt. Or maybe you want a broccoli mug designed with the employee Blissful Brew Tea Shop logo. There's all of those and more and even more down the road when we come up with ideas. So head on over to T Public and search for Benders and Brews. Or you can follow us on social media, where we'll post the links that will be easily available to all of you. And, of course, if you get some of our merch, be sure to tag us in a photo of you with the respective BNB swag, because all of us at the studio would love to see it. Thanks for listening.
Speaker D: Let's get back to the show.
Speaker E: His two favorite children.
Speaker A: Apparently another one for me.
Speaker C: To be fair, I couldn't read it anyways.
Speaker A: He probably knew that. You guys, look at this. Look at this rock. Give that to Brock. Oh, wait, if that's for Brock, and that's for Guo, and this is for me. Oh, me.
Speaker F: Uh, here is a.
Speaker A: Sick. Honestly, if the stone was specifically for Brock, mr. O'cry, brock very well. He's a very wise man. Okay, I guess I'll open mine.
Speaker D: All right. Uh, do you want me to just read what it says?
Speaker A: Uh, Bill's going to read it privately again, like he did the first time.
Speaker D: Okay.
Speaker A: Go on.
Speaker F: Could read.
Speaker A: Yeah. You have it written down, I'm guessing. Yeah, I got to make it harder.
Speaker E: For everyone because he's a secretive guy. He won't even tell us his real name.
Speaker A: I just did.
Speaker E: You didn't start out that way.
Speaker A: You're like, oh, I'm totally Bill Dore. What are you talking about?
Speaker D: I, uh, can tell you right now. It wouldn't give away any kind of secrets or anything. It's more just like a sentimental thing.
Speaker A: Oh, no. Bill's reading it himself. Sentimentally first, and then he's going to read it to everyone. It's not like he wants to hide the letters. He just wants to, like if it's specifically for him. He wants to enjoy it to himself first, then read it to others. Okay, I will send it to you. Have that private moment first, because he's still grieving.
Speaker E: Well, I'm salty. I only got a box for, apparently, my fox.
Speaker C: Where's your fox dog?
Speaker A: Business.
Speaker E: There's something hidden following me around everywhere right now.
Speaker A: It's a little quieter than Dilbert, man.
Speaker C: Dilbert at least got a couple mentions.
Speaker E: Non dirty, um, dishwater.
Speaker C: You ever figure out his name?
Speaker A: What's his name?
Speaker E: Poe.
Speaker A: PO. PO. See, that is I remember you saying that before. Mika okay, fox dog.
Speaker C: Did a Kung Fu panda thing just come up on your feed?
Speaker E: No, I just like the one syllable sound.
Speaker A: It's a good name. It's a good name. I'm glad you revealed it now.
Speaker E: All right, my dad always said you have to name a dog one syllable. My real dad, so you can yell it.
Speaker D: Cameron and, um, I sent you the note so you can read through that beforehand. And then, uh, Dave Guao has his own letter. Did you, uh, want me to read it?
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker D: Okay. It says read it in Mr. Opelron's voice.
Speaker A: I, um, was going to add some.
Speaker C: Reverb so you can tell from beyond.
Speaker D: Well, then everybody has to be quiet so that I can edit it just right.
Speaker I: All right, it says you're up next, my friend. When we first met, you were still working for the carnival. I know that we all have things in life we look back on and despise or wish never happened to us. But always remember that those experiences are there to strengthen us. And the fact that we push on shows that we are stronger than the things that try to hold us back. Never let anyone or anything hold you back, Lo. The coming quest of this hunt will rely heavily on you, my boy. But don't think that doesn't mean you won't need your friends. I have three instructions for you. One, look down to the bottom for your next destination. Two, read between the lines and seek out an old friend of mine. And three, remember the tune you'll need it again soon. Pull some strings to hear the music ring.
Speaker E: Everything has to be in a riddle.
Speaker C: Yeah. Couldn't you have just said, hey, Guo.
Speaker D: Go to this place?
Speaker E: My old friend Bill.
Speaker C: Hey, Ash, you want to read it?
Speaker A: I told you guys, I don't want to be called Ash. I want to be called Bill, okay? I don't want to make this a thing, okay?
Speaker E: You made it a thing by not.
Speaker D: Making okay, if you guys want to.
Speaker A: Call me Ash, you can because you guys are my friends, okay? But if we're around other people call me Bill, okay? Because I don't want to get caught. That's all I ask. What about, like, Billy eye? Ash.
Speaker C: M-M-I tried to stretch it like Billy Eye ash. It's a stretch.
Speaker A: Who's that? Who's that musician that we know back.
Speaker C: In 6000 years from now?
Speaker D: Oh, um, real quick, something that I'll point out to Dave. There are a series of letters kind of randomly throughout your letter that are written in a red ink. Okay, what letters are yes, I'll tell you. Them in order as reading? Well, I guess in Avatar, I guess technically they do kind of like the kind of Kanji almost or Chinese writing where it's read up and down as opposed to left or right. But in my writing, I'll tell you I'm in order based on left to right. Um, so mayuyiny and U, as you note these you look back to the second thing, uh, sort of instruction that Mr. Okaran had left you in that thing, which said, read between the lines to seek out an old friend of mine.
Speaker E: Yeah, I thought that was weird.
Speaker F: There you go.
Speaker E: Thought you were reading your mistype.
Speaker D: Uh, but I didn't.
Speaker A: He's clever.
Speaker D: I probably had to go in and change the autocorrect for that.
Speaker A: Are you good for me to read my letter now?
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker A: Okay. Do you guys want me to read it, or do you want Skylar reading Mr. O'Connor's voice?
Speaker C: I think we might as well get our money's worth out of the reverb.
Speaker A: Okay, so Bill, um, clears his voice to read the letter and well done, Bill.
Speaker I: I, uh, knew you remember our first encounter. I'm a man who never forgets his tease. In this box, you will find a piece of the map that, when uh, placed alongside the rest of the pieces, will allow you to find the will that I have left behind. Also, once you do find the will, and I know you will and take the tea shop for yourselves, remember this cave. After you and I's fateful capture that brought us to this island and we escaped our captors, I returned in hopes that I might be able to retrieve some of the rare ingredients I had left behind, or at least what was left of them. Sure enough, uh, the pirates were gone, but they left me little left of the rare plants I had collected. As I was gathering it all together and taking it to my boat, I came across this cave and realized what an opportunity it offered. I decided that instead of making single use of the materials I collected, I would instead make an investment. Uh, I planned the various seedlings for my materials and prepared this cave to help with cultivation and growth. I returned back here in a couple of months to find it flourishing. The spirits of nature must have smiled upon me. So now I make an occasional trip to Whaletail Island every month or so to harvest some ingredients and cultivate my secret cave. I encourage you to make good use of it and always remember two things treat nature with nurture and kindness, and it will show you thanks. And always make sure to invest in the long term rather than make single use of your efforts.
Speaker D: Mika, you are holding the box that was given to you because people thought that was the only thing that was left from Mr. Okuron. Mhm um, as you I don't know what you're really doing with the box.
Speaker E: My fox dog is sitting in it.
Speaker D: Oh, okay. Um, as I don't know, you're helping it into the box, uh, breaks?
Speaker F: No.
Speaker E: Revealing a key.
Speaker D: No. Uh, you notice two things. You notice a, uh, small sort of like, um, extrusion at the bottom of the box, uh, that causes your fox dog to get uncomfortable and unable to sit in the box because it's kind of poking it a little bit. So it climbs out, and you see that there's a small metal, um, sort of insignia at the bottom of it.
Speaker E: Like, does it move in the box?
Speaker D: It doesn't move, but it does seem to have something written on it.
Speaker E: I'll try and grab it.
Speaker D: I guess, uh, it's, like, attached to the box.
Speaker E: I'll push it.
Speaker D: It doesn't push, but it does have something written on it.
Speaker A: Okay.
Speaker D: You're going to look at it? Okay. You walk over to, like, one of the gemstones that kind of shines the sunlight or refracts the sunlight, and you're able to see inside the box really well. And, uh, the small metal thing in the box seems to be one of those, like, made in whatever. And it reads Made in Yudao, which is a small city that you know of, um, that's in the Earth Kingdom. Uh, the second thing that you notice as you're bringing it over here is you can feel something on the side of the box that seems to kind of protrude ever so slightly. Another protrusion. Uh, you push it, and it sort of pushes in, and then it returns back larger. And there's sort of, uh, like a pull string, almost obviously.
Speaker F: Okay.
Speaker D: You pull it and you hear a small melody.
Speaker A: So we just hear we just see Mika wander off, and then we hear music, basically.
Speaker D: Oh, yeah, that's true.
Speaker F: It also said down to the bottom.
Speaker A: Of the crate, what's that sound? I'm saying, what's that sound? Mika, what are you doing over there?
Speaker D: Yeah, you do recognize the tune.
Speaker F: I recognize that, uh, too, from yours.
Speaker A: Why'd you whisper that?
Speaker E: Because I'm not supposed to know that, am I?
Speaker A: You read the letter.
Speaker D: It does ring familiar to something you remember hearing back in the day and even playing on occasion back in the day when you were in the circus. Kind of a common circus tune.
Speaker F: It's the ticket sales theme.
Speaker A: Ticket sales?
Speaker D: You suddenly feel the urge to buy.
Speaker F: Something.
Speaker I: With magical ability.
Speaker D: All right, so you have a series of letters that were in red. You have a small insignia at the bottom of this box that says Made in Udao. And you have a tune that what do you mean?
Speaker E: I didn't tell them about all that.
Speaker D: Oh, sorry.
Speaker A: What do you mean, ticket sales theme? Well.
Speaker F: Get your tickets here. It's the carnival in town.
Speaker A: Does that sound like it fits to the music? I hear it. I hear it. Okay. Yeah, that's not quite, um I hear it. Okay, I hear it. Did it work? Did the song work to get more ticket sales or something?
Speaker F: Yeah. The carnival is here to stay. Come get your tickets, laugh and play? Uh, something like that, yeah. I mean, honestly, sometimes we just made up the words as we went.
Speaker A: That sounds like a carnival thing to do.
Speaker F: Yeah, we had different people doing it. They would just hand you, like, this music box and you just crank it and they'd be like, Go sell some tickets.
Speaker A: How long were you in a carnival for?
Speaker F: All my life.
Speaker A: Your whole life?
Speaker F: Insert anakin skywalker there.
Speaker A: You were born into a carnival?
Speaker F: No, but, uh, basically my parents sold me to this carnival, so I just had to do whatever they told me.
Speaker A: They sold you because they saw his.
Speaker E: Pure raw talent and they said, this kid deserves to be seen by people.
Speaker D: But also we need some compensation for it.
Speaker E: I'm trying to make him feel better.
Speaker D: Sorry, I'm m the DM. It's like the trauma dumping episode.
Speaker A: Yeah, it really is. If you didn't notice, Skylar was trying to do something with these letters that, uh, would get us to actually talk as characters for once.
Speaker C: I guess we got to sit around a campfire whenever it gets dark and just reveal our secrets, I guess.
Speaker E: Ah.
Speaker A: Do you have secrets? What? Do you have secrets? I felt like you're a pretty open book. You fought in the Earth Rumble arena.
Speaker C: Yeah, I don't but I mean, we haven't heard anything from Mika.
Speaker E: There's nothing to hear about.
Speaker A: Uh, well, you have.
Speaker C: This fox dog that you've been hiding.
Speaker A: From us barely just revealed its name out of nowhere.
Speaker E: I literally found that in the maze with all of you guys.
Speaker A: Wait a second. Mika, I have to ask. I have to ask because this is a very Mika thing to do.
Speaker E: Yes, my name's?
Speaker A: No, no. Uh, did you reveal your fox dog's name finally? Because I revealed that I had a different name and you wanted to one up me or knew it. That's a very meeka thing. I knew it. Okay. Anyways, let's go. So they sold you to a carnival and you were in it till you met Mr. Okaron?
Speaker F: Yeah, pretty much. It was a whole thing. The guy, the owner of it, he went kind of he made this mad bid for power with the magic staff.
Speaker C: Magic staff?
Speaker A: Magic staff? Like what kind of magic?
Speaker F: Um, the dangerous kind.
Speaker C: It's very vague danger.
Speaker F: The mass hypnosis kind. Oh.
Speaker A: M, so were you hypnotized?
Speaker F: No.
Speaker E: Did you do the hypnotizing?
Speaker F: I did not.
Speaker A: Someone else did.
Speaker E: You could have stole it.
Speaker F: Everyone zombies or something.
Speaker D: Yeah, it was like a spirit magic. Like there was a spirit?
Speaker A: Literal.
Speaker E: Uh, yeah, I'm saying is he actually saying this in real?
Speaker A: No, I think that was Dave. Yeah.
Speaker D: M, basically it was it sort of like trapped the souls of people that had died or rather, it didn't trap them. It itself was trapped and therefore could not vessel people to the other side. And so it was able to sort of control what was left behind in a strange zombie sense.
Speaker E: Okay, curious and curious.
Speaker A: Okay, now you can continue. So what kind of magic staff?
Speaker F: Uh, spirit staff, to be precise. Spirit, but also vague.
Speaker A: Wasn't that what you got, Brock? Like a spirit and that rock?
Speaker F: No, this wasn't like, a band camp thing.
Speaker A: He caught a spirit. Didn't you?
Speaker C: Yeah, the gem from the mountain monster that you guys failed to help me with. Heart of the mountain.
Speaker A: So, like, that kind of spirit?
Speaker F: Kind of. But this one was, like, trapped against its will.
Speaker A: Like, who was trapped? The spirit or people?
Speaker F: Both. Uh, the spirit was trapped.
Speaker A: This guy doesn't sound like a nice dude.
Speaker F: Well, he bought the staff from somebody. Are you sure your parents exotic just.
Speaker E: Steal your parents body and was like, oh, let's orphan this kid and make him the next bad guy?
Speaker F: What?
Speaker A: That's elaborate. That's very elaborate.
Speaker F: No, I think it was more I don't know. I mean, I was a baby, so.
Speaker C: I didn't know, but I need to break this up. We do only have, like, two days to get this whole well, you have.
Speaker D: Longer than two days.
Speaker C: I thought we had to meet the guys with the will in, like, three days.
Speaker D: I think it was a week.
Speaker C: It was a week, so never mind.
Speaker A: Sorry. Continue.
Speaker D: Not to say that urgency isn't a fair point.
Speaker A: You have nightfall. But we've only spent one day.
Speaker C: Yeah, that is true. Okay, sorry. Continue with your trauma dump.
Speaker F: Well, now I don't really feel like sharing.
Speaker A: Sorry to kill you can talk, and then Meek is next.
Speaker E: I'm not next. I didn't get nothing.
Speaker A: I told you what my real name was. We all have to give something.
Speaker E: Wow.
Speaker A: What? Uh, we all have to give something. Okay, I gave you guys my freaking real name. Okay, what'd you do?
Speaker E: You gave us your first name.
Speaker A: You didn't give us your whole apparently you guys are blabbermouth.
Speaker C: Who else do we interact with? Really?
Speaker F: Nika, what did you do with that box? How did you get it to play that music?
Speaker E: I pulled a string.
Speaker F: Just like my letter said.
Speaker E: Do you want to look at it?
Speaker F: Um, sure.
Speaker E: It's made in Udao.
Speaker F: Udao? Wait a minute.
Speaker E: I lightly tossed it to him. Do you catch it? Are you.
Speaker F: Quick? Just like Fatima? Uh.
Speaker C: That one punch man.
Speaker F: No, it's Guo's favorite, uh, actress.
Speaker A: Um oh, yeah, I remember that. That was another fun fact.
Speaker F: Um, the letter said something about down to the bottom.
Speaker D: The, uh, letter said, look at the bottom of the box.
Speaker F: We don't.
Speaker A: Sorry.
Speaker D: It says, look down to the bottom for your next destination.
Speaker A: Well, now we know what that clue was.
Speaker F: This blue paw print doing on this dress. I'm, uh, sorry.
Speaker D: Look down to the bottom for your next destination.
Speaker F: Guys, looks like we're going to Udao.
Speaker A: Uh, where's that?
Speaker C: We're on Whaletail Island. That's at the very bottom of the map. Udao is in the Earth Kingdom, you said?
Speaker F: Yes.
Speaker C: So we're going to have doesn't look like it.
Speaker A: Hopefully it's not embasing say.
Speaker C: But there's no war in bossing say, at least. Well, bossing say that's why bossing SEI is at the top right ish of that map, because you can see the walls of the city. So that's Earth Kingdom ish so that's a good ways away from Whaletail Island.
Speaker A: I hope it's not there.
Speaker C: Well, that's where the Earth Kingdom is, so it's going to be in that area.
Speaker A: So we got to go to Udao.
Speaker C: You said it sounded familiar. Glow.
Speaker A: Uh.
Speaker C: What'S your history with Udao?
Speaker F: That's me.
Speaker C: Maybe just heard of the town in the Earth Kingdom. You are from the Earth Kingdom? I would have thought that.
Speaker F: Read between the lines. There's something in this letter. Think we're supposed to meet somebody there.
Speaker A: Oh, red.
Speaker F: Like a person.
Speaker C: Like the red letters.
Speaker A: Well, look at this letter. Oh, really?
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker A: And they spell something.
Speaker F: Yeah, it says, my union. You.
Speaker C: My, um union.
Speaker A: You sound like Brock reading the letter.
Speaker C: Okay, feelings. Let's not hurt feelings here.
Speaker A: So we got to go to Udao to find Min yin yin. Yin.
Speaker F: Or May.
Speaker A: Oh, it might be a girl.
Speaker E: Wait, did you actually write it down? No, like the poem.
Speaker A: Oh, he didn't write the poem down. Like a paragraph.
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker A: He just wrote the three clues.
Speaker E: And then that uh I know, but I want to see where they are in the letter.
Speaker F: Read it out.
Speaker C: Mayu Yinyu.
Speaker A: Does it matter where they are in the letter?
Speaker D: I gave them in order, but that.
Speaker C: Doesn'T mean that it's in order.
Speaker D: Do you want me to read this again?
Speaker F: Yeah.
Speaker D: Okay.
Speaker A: Whoa.
Speaker I: You're my friend. When we first met, you were still working for the carnival. I know that we all have things in life we look back on and despise or wish never happened to us. But always remember that those experiences are there to strengthen us. And the fact that we push on shows that we're stronger than the things that try to hold us back. Never let anyone or anything hold you back. Quo the coming quest of this hunt will rely heavily on you, my boy. But don't think that doesn't mean you won't need your friends. I have left you the following instructions. One, look down to the bottom for your next destination. Two, read between the lines to seek out an old friend of mine. Three, remember the tune. You'll need it again soon. Pull some strings to hear the music ring.
Speaker A: If we go to Udao and ask around, maybe someone might just recognize that. Or if we just spell it to them.
Speaker C: UU.
Speaker A: And may maybe they might have a missing scale as well. And we have to help them in our fish adventure.
Speaker C: If they do, we've got a foolproof way to, um, get them to yeah.
Speaker A: What was that? Brock?
Speaker C: Don't worry about it.
Speaker A: Okay, you'll admit it. One day.
Speaker F: One day.
Speaker A: Wait. I told you my real name. What'd you do to those people? It.
Speaker C: Was dragging on, so I decided to, against their will, kind of attach their feet to the floor and then lift the floor off the ground, flip them upside down and shake them until someone you know it worked. And we're here now, and that's all that matters. And we're better off for it. Only some mild trauma. Some guy to lee, actually.
Speaker A: Oh, the guy in the boat? Yeah, the guy who's in charge of our lives and not getting caught by pirates.
Speaker C: Yeah, that guy.
Speaker D: Just as you say those words, you hear a voice from behind you at the entrance of the cave.
Speaker A: Well.
Speaker D: Uh, a bunch of kids just chilling in a cave on my island. And as you turn around, you see a large group of pirates all blocking the entrance to the cave, staring at you.
Speaker C: Should have kept moving and not trauma. Dumped.
Speaker D: This wouldn't have happened. And with that, we will come back next time on Benders and Brews.
Speaker B: Thank you so much for listening to our show. Of course, don't forget to follow or subscribe to our podcast through whatever podcast site that you're using, such as itunes, Spotify, YouTube, and others. Additionally, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just look for the social media icons. Following us on social media gives you access to all news announcements and, of course, new episodes as they are released. You can check out our website, bendersonbrews.com, which will feature all of our episodes as well as news announcements and even cool character and player profiles. It's a great hub of information for the Benders and Brews podcast. And finally, we would be truly humbled if you would be willing to take the time to leave us a review. If your podcast site allows you to do so, such as on itunes or in the case of YouTube, you can hit the like and subscribe button and drop us a comment. Tell us about what you thought about our podcast episodes. It sure would mean a lot to us. Avatar Legends is a tabletop role playing game created by Magpie Games, Nickelodeon, Avatar, and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International, Inc. All rights reserved. I also want to thank the following artists who you can find on Fiver for their amazing creative work on this podcast. Character art was done by Alicio Papa. Draw background art by Konichi. Music by Joe Tims Two, one, five. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you on the next episode.