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Episode: Part 47 "The Hand"

Author: Harlan Guthrie
Duration: 00:49:27

Episode Shownotes

In the 47th Part of Malevolent; John, Arthur & Yorick stumble upon the final piece needed for whatever Yorick plans to create with the Hag's hand. Arthur must decide whether he honours Yorick's request or puts a stop to the creation of an unknown and strange artifact... Support Malevolent today

at https://www.patreon.com/TheINVICTUSStream Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Full Transcript

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00:01:41 Speaker_04
Stop! Stop! Stop! What is it? I'm not sure. It's obscured by the fog. And you're sure we're still on the road? Yes. We've been on it since leaving the woods. Even though the fog is thick, I've managed to see that much.

00:02:09 Speaker_04
Feels like we've been walking through fog for... hours. Six hours and twenty-two minutes, to be exact. Thank you, Yorick. We'd be moving quicker if it weren't for this damned fog. There it is again. Straight ahead. Slowly. Here, here.

00:02:34 Speaker_04
There's... It's... A cage. A cage? A metal cage, maybe... 30 feet above us. Hanging from a wooden post. Bound around the body. of a dead man. A gibbet? Jesus. A what? A gibbet. A form of punishment. Were they put in there alive or dead? I don't know. It depends.

00:03:12 Speaker_03
On what?

00:03:13 Speaker_04
What this man did. A crime, no doubt. Perhaps Castle Carringford is nearby. If this fog lifted, we'd have a much better idea of where we are. Are you alright? Yes, yes. I'm just feeling a little... off. Take a moment. It's fine, it's fine.

00:03:38 Speaker_04
It's just the air around here, it feels... colder, sicker in a way. Just rest. We haven't stopped at all today. No! I'm- Take a moment. Alright. There. You're still recovering from your wounds. Yes. I suppose. I feel... light-headed a little bit.

00:04:09 Speaker_04
You are an apostle of Horig now, Master. You carry him with you. You carry his... sickness. Look, I told you, I'm not an apostle. And I'm not sick. You told it yourself, Yorick. You've heard nothing of Horig or its origins.

00:04:23 Speaker_04
I am merely reflecting on what you've told me, and- So you've looked through no eyes. You haven't seen anything in this world or the Dark World to support this. No! This is merely what I sense. Yes, you think I'm sick. We know. Leave it be, Yorick.

00:04:39 Speaker_04
If Arthur says he's fine, he's fine. Yes, I'm fine. Physically, at least. Physically? I-I just mean... What? I-I-I don't know. I just... I've... faced a lot of demons in the past few months. A lot of indescribable horrors.

00:05:12 Speaker_04
Beings of such immense power, such... presence, I guess. I feel like I've taken a lot of hits. Of course. We both have. What does this have to do with... Horik? I just... I folded, John, so quickly. You had no other choice.

00:05:44 Speaker_04
I know, but I was ready to follow him, to follow Horig, to become his apostle, willingly. Were you, though? What do you mean? Did you have any intention of fulfilling his request? To follow his will? I don't... I don't know. Bullshit!

00:06:13 Speaker_04
You said what you said because you had to. Not because you wanted to. I... tried to resist. And couldn't! Neither of us could. When you danced around those... mushrooms, you were under some sort of... You were influenced. You had no way of resisting.

00:06:32 Speaker_04
But once he was in my mind, I... Gave in, I... Fought to survive! The only way you could. So what if you bent the knee to live another day? So what if you... Sold your soul! No. Not that. But not entirely untrue, either.

00:06:59 Speaker_04
With Larsen, it was so easy to fight against him, against his ideologies, because in the end, he was just a man. But what can one do in the face of such overwhelming odds? We can say all we want, but in the eyes of Horig, I gave in.

00:07:27 Speaker_04
I offered myself to it. to survive. What does that say about me? I don't know. But one moment of weakness doesn't have to redefine your entire journey. Would you have done anything different? Should you have? Where would we be if

00:07:54 Speaker_04
If you had stuck to your guns, if you had spit in the eye of a god who had total and complete control over you, we'd be dead. I don't have an answer that will make you feel better, Arthur. That's not possible.

00:08:15 Speaker_04
And I think, based on what you've taught me, That's not a reflection of what we are as humans. Sometimes we go against what we stand for, to survive. Sometimes we're hypocrites. I won't be his apostle either way. I know. You're right. Thank you.

00:08:46 Speaker_04
It feels very better on my tongue to so easily fold when I've been so vitriolic to those who may have been in the same situation. Maybe it's a bit of my own medicine, eh? Maybe.

00:09:02 Speaker_04
Or maybe life is just shades of grey and a principle in one minute is questionable in the next. I think you've proven time and time again you know what is the right path forward. So thank you. Thank you? For keeping us alive, Arthur. Oh.

00:09:22 Speaker_04
Look, I- I was fast asleep. And you did everything you could to once again pull us out of the fire. And you did. I mean... It may not have felt as grandiose as me defeating the witch, of course. I know. But it was Perhaps even more impressive.

00:09:50 Speaker_04
You saved both our lives. Thanks. Anyway, I suppose we should continue on through the fog, and if you can- Master! Yorick? I... have a request. What? One that you have already agreed to. Which is? The hag's hand. You agreed to help me with it. Yes.

00:10:16 Speaker_04
You want help with it. Now. I require something. For it. For it? Yes. Something the man above us will provide. The man... You want me to... Yes. I need you to climb up and retrieve something from his corpse. Hold on!

00:10:35 Speaker_04
We agreed to aid you in altering it, not in... whatever this is. This is part of said aid. Yorick, it's thirty feet up. I don't even see how I- That's irrelevant. That wasn't part of the deal. This would be above and beyond what we already agreed to.

00:10:51 Speaker_04
I do not see it that way. Yorick, look. I agree to help. Then, fulfill this part of my request. Arthur, where does it stop? If we agree to this, he's only going to request more and more, pushing the envelope each time. We have to say no, now.

00:11:08 Speaker_04
If you deny this, I will consider this, you breaking your promise. Master. Breaking? That's not fair. It is. Arthur, don't give in to him. He's- Fine. Fine. Excellent. Look, but I don't agree that it would be breaking our deal if I denied it.

00:11:31 Speaker_04
I wasn't there when John promised you anything. But you were there when you agreed to help me. Look, fine. We'll honor it, okay? Wonderful! What exactly do you need from the body? His... ...eye. His eye? Surely...

00:11:55 Speaker_04
If they've been eaten or rotted away, I mean, does it even have... I don't know. I can barely see up to... It does. How do you know that? I suppose you wouldn't be asking if he didn't. I require only one.

00:12:10 Speaker_04
It should be loose enough to pry with your fingers. Jesus. And this is all for the witch's hand? Yes. What are you making? That is not po- Tell me! Look! We'll help you make it. We agree to that much. I'm not asking what it does.

00:12:28 Speaker_04
I'm not asking why you want it. I'm asking what it is. It is called... a hand of... malevolence. A hand... of malevolence. Arthur... Yorick... I... I have told you. We can't seriously be aiding him.

00:13:00 Speaker_04
I always told you that the Vanguard was not to be trusted. This is... Yorick, tell me this. Do you intend to use this to do us harm? Or to bring harm upon us? No. And you believe him? No, but at least I asked. Fine, look. You said this was 30 feet up. Yes.

00:13:33 Speaker_04
Well, this was my concern. I mean, how do we even... Yorick, I can't climb that. I am in no rush. Fine, fine. We can... We can sort this out. We still have light. Right? Not for very much longer. But we can do this. We've tackled harder issues.

00:13:59 Speaker_04
Look, the pole is wood. It's hanging over the road, almost. The pole? Well, it's straight up, and then a long piece of wood at the top swings out. Right, like a gallow. Okay. We don't need to preserve anything here. Maybe we can burn it down.

00:14:24 Speaker_04
Sorry, burn it, yes. Maybe. No? It's a bit drastic. But not a bad idea. There are no wrong answers in brainstorming. Unless you are helping! Shut your mouth! But you're not wrong that we have nothing to preserve here. It can fall. What about the wood itself?

00:14:45 Speaker_04
Is it rotting? Could I push it over, maybe? How old does it look? It doesn't seem that old. It isn't exactly new, of course, but the wood still seems rather firm. It would be very difficult and time-consuming to try to cut the base. Okay. Okay.

00:15:08 Speaker_04
What about the cage itself? The iron bars around the man's body? I mean, it's creaking quite a bit. As I said, it's difficult to see the top through the fog. It's that thick, eh? Yes. But it is moving, slowly. Like murky water.

00:15:27 Speaker_04
In a moment, I might be able to see the top. The man himself is fairly... fresh. But I'm still surprised his eyes haven't been eaten by the birds. His hair is dark, and his skin pale. His face is gaunt. Does it open the cage? No.

00:15:49 Speaker_04
And it's attached to the top... Wait... I think... Yes! I think a pin is loose on the top. The cage is being held to the gallows by an iron pin, but it's mostly pulled out. If we could pull it out the rest of the way, I think the cage would fall.

00:16:12 Speaker_04
Excellent hypothesis, my king. John! Yes, okay, but we still need to... What would a rock do? If you hit it, I think so. Yes, I feel... There are a few larger rocks, Spire. Yes, yes, there, there. About this size? Yes, that could knock it out.

00:16:34 Speaker_04
But Arthur, it's a tough hit. Well look, until we think of anything more concrete, no sense in wasting time doing nothing. You'll need more than a few to knock the pin loose. Right, right. There, there, okay. This isn't going to be easy.

00:16:49 Speaker_04
I know, just, look, I'll throw and you just tell me where to adjust. Not bad, Arthur! You hit the cage! And near the top. Just a little higher. Missed that time. You hit the pin! I did! You hit the pin, Arthur! Excellent. It didn't fall, but it moved.

00:17:14 Speaker_04
I saw it. Well done. The iron pin pivoted. One or two more good hits should bring it down. Get some more rocks. Right. Try again. I think I have the general locale. I just need to hit it a few more times. Take your time. We can do this. Higher. A miss.

00:17:42 Speaker_04
A little lower. No, still too high. Better! It's very difficult. I have no doubt. Let me get more. Who's that? Alexander. Alexander? That's impossible. The... Where have you been? We're so far away. He's sitting on top of the cage.

00:18:17 Speaker_04
How has this thing been following us since we first arrived? You'll need to move, friend. I don't want to hit you. He's biting the corpse! On its face! The eyes! Stop him! Alexander, no! Throw a rock! I'm not going to hit him. Then don't hit Alexander.

00:18:35 Speaker_04
Just hit the cage. Scare him. Do not let them eat the eye! Do it, Arthur! There! There! Did I hit him? No, no. You just startled him. He's fine. Ah, fuck. He's flown away. I scared him away. Relax! It was eating the eyes. Why? Why indeed?

00:18:58 Speaker_04
He followed us all the way here. Apparently. Yorick, that owl... You don't know any- THE EYES, MASTER! WE DO NOT HAVE LONG, AND I BELIEVE YOUR OWL HAS EATEN ONE OF THEM! Jesus, he's right. Fuck, okay. Miss. Damn. You know, I was never much for athletics.

00:19:28 Speaker_04
A little to the left. I was definitely more the... academic type. Nice! Again, you're practically there. I didn't really try to be the type to compete in any of the... To the left a little more. Games or anything. Truth be told, I was a bit envious.

00:19:56 Speaker_04
Envious? Oh, yeah. The companionship, the camaraderie, you know, the general... fraternity of it all. You wanted to fit in. Don't we all? Hmm. Truth was, I don't think I was any good.

00:20:14 Speaker_04
And I was far too... self-conscious to let my struggling be perceived by anyone else. Anyway... Again, almost there. If they could see me now. Arthur! You did it! Well done! Why wouldn't you know? Well done, master. Thank you, Yorick. I was... What was that?

00:20:51 Speaker_04
Might I suggest moving quickly? I agree with York. Quickly. Here, here, here. How do I open it? Don't open it. Reach in. Where? Here, here, higher. There. Slowly now. OK. Be careful not to brush up against him with your skin. Just the gloves, please.

00:21:11 Speaker_04
I'm trying, I'm trying. There it is again. Quickly. There. Slowly. Slowly. Careful. Careful. There. OK. OK. Something in the mist. Something is coming. It's closer, Arthur. It is drawn to our noise. We need to run. We need distance from this. Now. No, master.

00:21:42 Speaker_04
Hide off the side of the road. Quickly. Fine. We hide. Arthur. Where is? To your left. How would you- Quickly! Here, here! We're leaving the road, but if we can't get back- A ditch, Master!

00:21:59 Speaker_03
Arthur!

00:22:03 Speaker_04
Arthur! Arthur, are you okay? Fine, I'm fine. Now, Master, you are hidden in the fog. Removed from the road, and away from what stalks you. Okay. Just wait here until it passes. No. It is time to make the hand of malevolence. What? Yorick!

00:22:25 Speaker_04
We're not making your fucking hand right now! You must! No! I have waited too long. Yorick, there is a creature out there. Stalking us. Drawn to the sound. What on earth would possess us- Kill it. Now. The vanguard, Arthur. This isn't Yorick.

00:22:46 Speaker_04
I told you when we first... Shut up. Arthur Lester, I have followed you since the fire that covered the lake. Since my previous master was beheaded by her brother. You will create this artifact. Now. Take the hag's hand from the bag.

00:23:04 Speaker_04
Arthur, I... What am I supposed to do, John? Yes. Yes. It's out. Now what? Close its fingers to a point around the hanged man's eye. You can't be serious. Now, a raven's candle sits in her palm. Raven? A raven's candle? We don't have... A black candle. Hurry.

00:23:34 Speaker_04
Why are you doing this? Why now? A candle. Place it beneath the eye, in her palm. So when it is lit, it blackens the murky white eye. Hold it in place with melted wax. This is some dark artifact from what? How did you- From the dark world.

00:23:58 Speaker_04
From the dark world? Arthur, you must stop! Do not stop! We're creating a hand of malevolence from the dark world! This Vanguard is our servitor, not our friend! He works for something greater than us. Something more sinister. It is in place! Light it!

00:24:20 Speaker_04
Arthur, don't! You must! Light it! No! Light it! Now! Goddammit! What? What's happened? I don't know. Wes, why is it so quiet? Where are we? Where we were. At the side of the road, but... It's quiet. Deathly quiet. I don't hear the creature. Yorick! Master?

00:24:52 Speaker_04
What did you do? I did nothing. You lit the Hand of Malevolence, an extremely rare and powerful artifact, which I give to you. You may talk at a normal volume now, Master. She cannot hear you. She? The creature in the mists. Mother Darkness? No.

00:25:17 Speaker_04
York, start explaining. Of course, John. First, I will admit that my motivations are often not to go beyond what is asked of me. However, in this case, I made an exception. An exception to what? To my duties.

00:25:37 Speaker_04
As Vanguard, I serve the interests of my master in obtaining information asked of me. I do not offer it freely, and I do not aid beyond that. Until now. What is this all about? What's going on?

00:25:56 Speaker_04
The hand of malevolence, like its antithesis, offers an ability to its owner.

00:26:02 Speaker_04
While a hand of glory may give light only to its holder, this hand, while lit, suppresses any and all magical effects from those around us, and offers a small radius of... silence. What? Magical effects? So no one can hear us?

00:26:24 Speaker_04
The creature... As I said, that is no mere creature. Explain yourself. I mean... Thank you. I think... You are welcome. Yes. But what are you talking about? What is that creature? You said... You said you didn't know.

00:26:42 Speaker_04
You said... You have been watched since you first arrived here. Kane? No. Alexander. Correct. That fucking owl! It is no mere owl. What is it? I do not know exactly. She is not Mother Darkness, nor is she of this place or time. She comes from where you did.

00:27:08 Speaker_04
What? How? But it's not Cain. No. Surely it's some agent of Kain's then. Some being that's working with him. Quite the opposite, I believe. The opposite? It wants to help? No. Hold on, how do you know this?

00:27:29 Speaker_04
I have taken it upon myself to conduct my own research. Like you did when we asked you questions as the Vanguard, looking through the Dark World. And ours. In a way, yes. She arrived shortly before you did, anticipating your arrival.

00:27:48 Speaker_04
She has the ability to change her shape, her appearance, her... form. Alexander tried to stop you from gaining the Eye. She's... Smart. Extremely. But what does she want? Why stick to the shadows? Her motivations are unclear.

00:28:08 Speaker_04
She is following you, watching over, waiting for something. Waiting? I do not know. So she... let Arthur die? She wasn't there when the witch... carved him open. She didn't... stop it? No. She's not protecting me. Is she here for me?

00:28:32 Speaker_04
I do not know why she is here. Perhaps she will make her presence known. What is clear is that she intends to follow at a distance and maintain an eye on you, so to speak. She's... dangerous, then. Extremely.

00:28:51 Speaker_04
I believe she is close in power to Nala Thotep, or Cain, as he has come to call this version of himself. Jesus. Though she is in a weakened state, perhaps part of why she sticks to the shadows. But she didn't want us to find out.

00:29:06 Speaker_04
She wanted to keep up the ruse. The candle is burning low, Arthur. This hand can be reused, and should be, but- We have only two more candles. They will be difficult to find more. Well, we were lucky. Very. Why make this? Why help us in this way?

00:29:25 Speaker_04
Sure, I'm your master. But John had to convince you to stay on our side with the hag, so- The candle is nearly done. Okay... Jesus. Look, how do we stop her? I do not recommend you stopping her. She is motivated to remain with you.

00:29:43 Speaker_04
She would not be easily stopped. Perhaps impossible to. Okay, well- One final thing, Master. She is weakened because she has only recently become whole again. Alright. How? Wait- She has recently become whole again, thanks to you. What? Silver Eyes.

00:30:07 Speaker_04
The farm. Scratch. Yes. She is the entity that you released from the home in New York. The fractured soul without her memory that called itself Scratch. No. At the farm, she became reunited and is whole once more. And now follows you. The candle, Arthur.

00:30:30 Speaker_04
She swallowed us. All the way here. Arriving before us. You are her... favorite. So... Wait, so what do we do? What do you mean? Do we play along still? She knows we live this, right? She may. Yes, but do we pretend it was something else? Maybe bluff?

00:30:58 Speaker_04
Continue to keep her as a friend, as an owl? Or... Or confront her. Come out of this and confront what she is. Tell her that we won't be accompanied by her anymore. That we won't play this game. She can most certainly understand John as well.

00:31:16 Speaker_04
If you are to play along, you cannot speak about her unless your words are magically suppressed. Like now. Dammit. In other words, we both have to lie. Correct. Look, confronting her now doesn't benefit us in any way. Whereas lying... Successfully.

00:31:35 Speaker_04
Right, well... It could cause her to reveal more of herself. You know, perhaps... Show her interacting with us in a different way. How? Well, I just mean... She tried to eat the eyes. Before we could get them.

00:31:52 Speaker_04
We thought it was just an owl being strange, but... Well, now we know what was to prevent us from creating this hand. From suppressing her magic. Exactly. Being aware of what she, as the owl, may be steering us towards, or away from, could be helpful.

00:32:10 Speaker_04
Right. A wise call, Master. Besides, if she can turn into an owl, who's to say that if we expose her she won't just come back as something we don't notice? An insect or a fly. Right. We have the advantage now. No reason to lose it.

00:32:27 Speaker_04
And she can't... She can't see us, either, right? Not magically, no. Oh, right. Agreed. The candle is nearly done. It's darker outside, too. We don't have much daylight left. Okay. Well, is there anything else?

00:32:46 Speaker_04
I mean, quickly, we need to discuss behind this veil of silence. I... I suppose I should say thank you, Yorick. I'm sorry I doubted you.

00:33:03 Speaker_04
I'm sorry I made it difficult for you to... I may have been projecting my feelings about the dark world, about myself, frankly, onto you. From the moment we found you, I've been hesitant to acknowledge you as... anything more than a mistake.

00:33:31 Speaker_04
And I realize... perhaps I was wrong. I understand. You are not wrong, however. I serve you now, Master. That may not always be the case. My actions and deeds are defined by who I serve. Look, that's okay. For now, thank you again, from me as well.

00:33:54 Speaker_04
Obviously we can't let on that you told us anything. Of course. I am fine with that. Good. Cause I'll be right back to telling you to shut up when the veil drops. Purely for appearances. Alright. Well, if we need to speak again. If we need to, any of us.

00:34:13 Speaker_04
Say... Say the phrase... In the fell clutch of circumstance. Oh? It's unique enough that it won't come up and hopefully won't feel too odd being slotted into conversation. But who knows when we'll be alone again. Alright. Okay. I'll blow out the candle.

00:34:33 Speaker_04
Arthur. What? She... I don't know what she is. But something feels different about this. Dangerous. More so than Cain. More so than ever before. Something big is happening here. Between her, the Blackstone, Cain... Like... Like this is it. This is it.

00:35:07 Speaker_04
We are heading into something. Some confrontation between who or what yet I don't know, but I don't think it's just our lives on the line anymore. Or those we love. I feel like everything may be lost. Whatever's coming, it's big. I feel it too.

00:35:45 Speaker_04
I let Horig shake me. I was caught off guard and influenced in some way. And I let that weakness seep into me. I know that Colt is dead now. Malum saw to that. But I still folded. To survive, yes, but... I'm not gonna let that happen again.

00:36:12 Speaker_04
Whatever happens... Whatever we'll face... We'll stare it down. Together. Alright. I'm sorry for this, Yorick. What? ! I don't care what you say, you miserable rotted skull! I'm not going to light this! I knew you were lying!

00:36:39 Speaker_04
Arthur, we cannot trust this thing! Master, I... Enough! I will destroy this hand next chance I get, and you will never see this sick trinket brought to life. Do you understand me?

00:36:52 Speaker_03
Yes.

00:36:54 Speaker_04
Now, you will help us when we see fit. And that is it. Now, this creature. Well, it seems to have passed us by. It seems to have. Thank God. Arthur, it's nightfall. The rain is coming down. We need to find the road and follow it to the castle.

00:37:20 Speaker_04
Straight ahead. That's where we came from. The fog is lifting. Slowly. Here, here. The road. All right. Let's keep going. The direction we're heading, and put all this horrible nonsense behind us, Yorick. Hopefully the creature won't return. Yes, hopefully.

00:37:47 Speaker_04
Let's go. The moon is bright behind the storm clouds, enough to show the fog passing on our left. What do you see? To the left of the road is a river. And beyond that, the edge of a forest. Of course. But it's been clear cut. Clear cut? Yes.

00:38:10 Speaker_04
For as far as the moonlight allows me to see, the trees have been cut and removed. Someone is building something. Ahead, the fog parts as well. I can see the road. It stretches out before us, but it bends up ahead and turns to cross the river.

00:38:29 Speaker_04
To the left? Yes. Yorick Prince Warren, who you... were. Well, I'm pretending to be. Of Aravel, correct? Correct. Where is Aravel? I don't recognize the name. It is a region of this land. Is it? I didn't... I mean, I don't know my history very well.

00:38:52 Speaker_04
Prince was named in title after receiving the land from King Louis. What do you mean in title? Is he royalty or... No. Aravel is feudal land, but his family being loyal to the King of England, Louis VIII, was gifted him... Louis VIII? Hold on.

00:39:07 Speaker_04
I've never heard... That doesn't sound right. It is. King Louis. And prince in title only. Did something happen? I do not understand. You mean in this timeline? I guess, but Yorick only knows what Warren knew. I mean, I can't...

00:39:26 Speaker_04
When did this king's reign start? Nearly 40 years ago. Jesus! I would have recalled that. He took the crown after the murder of King John. Murder? Yes. Land barons under King John's rule murdered the king and his family.

00:39:44 Speaker_04
Thankfully, our salvation came from our true king's home in France. He has united our great country together.

00:39:51 Speaker_00
What?

00:39:52 Speaker_04
Is that not what happened in our timeline? No, no, no. I mean, it sounds like France has invaded England successfully over 40 years ago. So things are different. To say the least. That would explain why Warren is a prince, not loyalty.

00:40:13 Speaker_04
Perhaps customs of France have become commonplace here. Arthur. What? The fog to our right has parted, finally. I see it. The castle. Just as it was through the glass of Lang. Sitting atop a hill in darkness, lit by flashes of lightning. Castle Caringford.

00:40:43 Speaker_04
How far? Not far at all. The road passes right by its gates. Yorick, I need to know everything about this prince. What would you like to know? Everything. I know far too much. You will need to be more specific.

00:41:02 Speaker_04
More specific, well... If this is a different timeline, how would the politics differ? That question is not about the prince. Yes, I know, but still, did he know about... I do not understand. What are you asking, Arthur? What would I know of this era?

00:41:26 Speaker_04
You just said you do not know your history very well. I know, I know, I know, I know, but I mean, I don't, but look, this isn't our timeline, so knowing how the politics differ or maybe what they are could help us. With what?

00:41:46 Speaker_04
With understanding this time and place, so we could better fit in. All right, right. I understand. However, without knowing how politics are in your timeline, I have no way of knowing how they differ. Okay, then. What? We know there's a king.

00:42:07 Speaker_04
And that prince is entitled only, not part of a monarchy. Right, and... is the French influence everywhere? How much of the culture is... is different? Is it influenced by... I do not know! God damn it. Arthur, take it easy. I know, I know. I'm sorry.

00:42:26 Speaker_04
I'm having a tough time thinking clearly. York has no gauge in which to... I know, I know, I know. We want to know about Warren, Arthur. How he acts, what he does, what people know about him. He's the one you're pretending to be.

00:42:41 Speaker_04
If you don't know what they might- I know. I'm having a tough time concentrating. Fuck. Well then maybe we should wait. Camp out in the woods, rest up. No. No. I'm fine. And if I am sick- You are. I need to press on then. While I can.

00:43:04 Speaker_04
Look, look, I got caught in this notion of trying to understand the bigger picture, the bigger world here, what kinds of things are different. Etiquette and the like. Etiquette? For how the prince would behave? Yes. Yes, I think.

00:43:17 Speaker_04
That sort of- The other members in attendance would be waiting for him to arrive. Others may have arrived earlier, and more recently. You being delayed would mean you are most assuredly the last. They will show you to your room. A gift is customary.

00:43:32 Speaker_04
A gift? Fuck. Yes! What was the prince going to give us a gift? Livestock! But the prince did not know if our host had the ability to house said livestock. He decided on gold. Great! Great! Where is it? I do not know. Lost in the accident.

00:43:51 Speaker_04
Perhaps in the witch's lair. Will they be expecting a gift? Certainly! Alright, well... A ring. A ring in the bag. We have... From the Order? Yes. Where? Is it gold? It looks like it could be. It'll have to do. Arthur, we're nearly at the castle.

00:44:19 Speaker_04
It stands against the dark sky. Menacing. imposing as if leaning over the grounds beneath it. The peaks tower high above the barren lands. Black roofs stab at the sky like fangs.

00:44:38 Speaker_04
The castle is walled by dark grey stone, and the gates directly on this path are tall, black wood, almost as if they were burnt. Look, we'll have a room, a gift for the host, and... Arthur. And? York, what could anyone there know about the prince?

00:45:06 Speaker_04
That's the important... Hold on, hold on. What... what etiquette? What do we refer to the host as? The letter stated, amongst other things, the host is Lord Everard. The letter? So, Lord would be fitting. Lord Everard. You said the host was not known.

00:45:23 Speaker_04
Correct! Lord Ararat was not a familiar name to the prince. The letter detailed a number of things that caused the prince to question who this lord was. Arthur! Arthur, we need to know! Arthur, stop! Stop for a moment. You're just outside the gates. Listen.

00:45:45 Speaker_04
I don't think you're thinking straight. I just... I'm trying. I'm trying. No, you're not. Not the way you taught me. There are pieces here you're missing. Look, the letter would at least be worthwhile to know. Or anything about Warren.

00:46:00 Speaker_04
How he's received, how he would approach. I think you're mixed up and forgetting pieces. You need to pretend to be Warren. Yes, etiquette. The world is interesting. Arthur... Lean on me. Please, let me help. You're right, you're right.

00:46:24 Speaker_04
I can't... Yorick, answer John. All these questions, they're important. I'm just... I'm used to taking the lead, alright? I'm sorry. It's alright. Please. Yorick, answer, John, and when you... Arthur! The gates are opening. To the castle? Yes. Castle?

00:46:55 Speaker_04
Caring thud. No more, Yorick. Silent from here on out. John. Right. The gates are open, slow, and innocent like the jaws of some colossal beast of the past. A figure stands within the castle walls. He's lit by the torch he carries. He's walking towards us.

00:47:25 Speaker_04
Here we go. Greetings. He's approaching. Greetings! He's just before us. I hope... His mouth... I hope that... It's sewn shut. I... His face is pale. His eyes dark. He's wearing a helmet. A chainmail one. He doesn't look frightened or in pain.

00:47:56 Speaker_04
The stitches on his mouth are old and faded. Pieces of the skin around his mouth are fused together with time. I am here on the request of- He's turned around. I believe he wants us to follow. Right.

00:48:18 Speaker_04
We're crossing the bridge, entering the inner courtyard. It's pitch black beyond the walls, and the courtyard is scarcely lit. A few scattered torches on the far walls and the one this man holds seem to be the only light. It looks... deserted.

00:48:41 Speaker_04
The courtyard itself is an odd mix of what looks to be forgotten wood, debris, and... Some carriages that seem to be out of place against the more ramshackle inner workings of this castle. Perhaps it's not fair to say it looks deserted.

00:48:57 Speaker_04
Castle Caringford looks... ill-kept, maybe. What about guards? Only the one leading us. I see no others. But I doubt this castle has a need to defend. We've reached the far end of the courtyard. A set of stone steps lead up to a large set of double doors.

00:49:21 Speaker_04
They look as though they were once red, but... What? They... They seem familiar, almost. Like the ones that led into the city, within the dreamlands. Where we first met Cain. Cain? The man has stopped. I think he heard you.

00:49:44 Speaker_04
Though his face does not betray his true thoughts. Lead me inside. He continues to the doors. Stop! Stop! Here! He's opening the doors. Well, there it is, Arthur. The castle lay before us. He stands to the door. and gestures inside. This is it, Arthur.

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