Welcome back to Legend Lunchbox. Last time, the crew followed the crash trail through the Weepingwood forest, collecting emergency biscuits, ship parts, and a surprising amount of long underwear before stopping to rescue one very small and very stuck bird. With one good deed behind them, they discover an old sign pointing deeper into the trees toward a place that might have the lumber they need to fix the S.S. Distress.
Guide (Chris):So, Lysander, as as you're standing there talking, you notice there's an oddly shaped bundle of moss stuck to one of the trees nearby. It's not too far away.
Lysander (Jay):Hey, look at this oddly shaped bundle of moss stuck to the tree. I go over and, I go over...
CAM (Tito):What makes it oddly shaped?
Lysander (Jay):It's... Look at the shape. It's odd. It's not like the rest of the bundles of moss. So I go over to the bundle of moss, and I gesture with my hand. Look at this.
Guide (Chris):So it's kinda shield shaped sort of. And that's...
Lysander (Jay):Shaped like a shield. I don't know what that is, but it's shaped like a shield.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh.
Guide (Chris):So you brush aside some of the moss, and underneath that, you see what looks like a pair of it looks like a little sign. And there's, like, a pair of crossed axes on it. And just underneath that, you see some letters kind of barely legible. And it's Willowc... and then there's, like, a couple of the characters that have faded away.
Guide (Chris):And then a few more characters, m b r and, like, a missing character. And then c dash dash p and then No. and then two, like, two faded away characters.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah, so that's here.
Squawk (Madeleine):What?
Lysander (Jay):On this sign thingy shield moss covered thing.
CAM (Tito):Was this, like, the the helm decoration maybe?
Squawk (Madeleine):I did not know there was going to be so much reading. I am a bird.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah. I'm glad he said it because I can't read.
Rolo (Phil):Stand back. Let the wizard take care of this. I have, unfortunately, spent a lot of time reading things, tomes, books, scrolls.
Lysander (Jay):So what does it say?
Rolo (Phil):So Willow...c.
Guide (Chris):And then it looks like there's four faded characters after that.
Rolo (Phil):C dash dash dash dash m.
Guide (Chris):There's then there's two faded characters and then m b, a faded character r.
Squawk (Madeleine):Willow. Cromwelleh...
Rolo (Phil):There's nothing between the m and the b? I feel like there should be can I buy a vowel?
Squawk (Madeleine):Luma.
Rolo (Phil):M mbr...
CAM (Tito):Well, unless it says chamber.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh.
CAM (Tito):M b space r.
Squawk (Madeleine):No. Yeah. M...
Rolo (Phil):Space space M.
Squawk (Madeleine):Mab.
Guide (Chris):And then it's C dash dash P.
Rolo (Phil):C dash dash P.
Guide (Chris):Then NO, period.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm awesome.
Rolo (Phil):N-O.
Guide (Chris):Two characters that are fuzzy. And then as you're looking at, you also see there's a little direction point that points off towards the trees.
Lysander (Jay):Not not towards our away from our ship.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Pointing away, like, further into the forest.
Lysander (Jay):Now is there a trail that this is...
Guide (Chris):Now, now that you mentioned it, you do see that there looks to be like an old overgrown road.
Squawk (Madeleine):Is it oddly shaped?
Guide (Chris):No. It's not moss covered either.
Squawk (Madeleine):We all feel like oddly shaped things here. Okay. We could just forget the reading and follow the arrow. I don't like all this reading.
CAM (Tito):Well, this sounds like a trail marker.
Lysander (Jay):Mhmm.
Squawk (Madeleine):I know, but I I don't have much patience for this.
Guide (Chris):Rolo is still looking at the sign.
Rolo (Phil):I'm I'm figuring it out, man.
Squawk (Madeleine):You can't! You're not allowed to use other things.
Lysander (Jay):You have to use your wizardly school that you went to school for to figure this out.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah. You went to college.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):Wizard. Wizard. Wizard.
Rolo (Phil):It's not chamber. It's not remember. No. It's too long. Wait. Wait. Wait. Lumber. Lumber!
Squawk (Madeleine):But there was a space between the m and the b. Right?
Rolo (Phil):No. There there wasn't l u m...
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh.
Guide (Chris):Between the b and the r.
Rolo (Phil):B e r. Lumber.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh.
Rolo (Phil):C c c dash dash p. Clap.
CAM (Tito):Corp.
Squawk (Madeleine):Corp.
Guide (Chris):Clap.
Squawk (Madeleine):Willow Lumber Corp. Coop.
Rolo (Phil):Camp.
Squawk (Madeleine):Camp.
Rolo (Phil):Camp.
Squawk (Madeleine):Camp. I said camp first! I said it first.
Rolo (Phil):Willow something lumber camp. C dash dash dash...
Lysander (Jay):Wait. The lumber camp?
Squawk (Madeleine):I never went to summer camp.
Lysander (Jay):Maybe they could maybe they got the wood that could fix our ship.
Rolo (Phil):Creek. Willow Creek Lumber Camp. Done!
Squawk (Madeleine):Lumber Camp? I really hope it's a sleepaway camp, and then there's smores.
Rolo (Phil):And then No's the No means number. Willow Creek Lumber Camp number, and then there's a thing. I guess it's irrelevant what number lumber camp it is.
Squawk (Madeleine):Good wizarding!
Rolo (Phil):Yes!
Squawk (Madeleine):You did it.
Rolo (Phil):I take a deep bow.
Lysander (Jay):We all start clapping. Very nice. Good job.
Squawk (Madeleine):Amazing.
Guide (Chris):See, Rolo had a spell for that.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah. You did.
Squawk (Madeleine):Have some shrimp.
Lysander (Jay):We got biscuits in the crate too.
Squawk (Madeleine):Mhmm.
Rolo (Phil):I sit cross legged and put shrimp on biscuits.
Guide (Chris):I was just thinking that. Shrimp and biscuits.
Squawk (Madeleine):I blow some bubbles in celebration. They waft around him.
Lysander (Jay):If we only had the butter, we could cook them in the frying pan.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, you're right.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. Biscuits are kinda dry without butter.
Lysander (Jay):That's right.
Squawk (Madeleine):Complain. Complain. Complain.
Rolo (Phil):Are you...
Squawk (Madeleine):You guys.
Rolo (Phil):I'm just learning, that, now. Well, there it says Willow Creek, so maybe there's a river around here somewhere.
Guide (Chris):So there is that kind of does look like an overgrown road leading off in the direction that the sign was pointing.
CAM (Tito):So we can probably find more lumber for the hull over there maybe.
Squawk (Madeleine):Or we go to camp!
CAM (Tito):Might wanna take this stuff with us so we don't lose it. Plus, since we got this floaty platform now, we can kind of stack more wood on there.
Lysander (Jay):That's a good idea.
Rolo (Phil):I'm in.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes.
CAM (Tito):Alright. So let's let's grab our stuff, and we're gonna drag it and follow this trail.
Guide (Chris):Alright.
Squawk (Madeleine):Allow me to drag with my extreme muscles.
Guide (Chris):Nice.
Squawk (Madeleine):I cannot do it. So we all do it together?
Guide (Chris):You should be able to do it. It's it's only
CAM (Tito):It's almost weightless.
Squawk (Madeleine):Listen. I am fierce. My might comes from within.
CAM (Tito):She was pulling on the rope that was tied to the tree instead of the one that was on the sled.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh my gosh. So embarrassed. So embarrassed.
Lysander (Jay):Like she says, it's all inner strength, not outer strength.
Squawk (Madeleine):So, listen. Okay. So I pull it just fine. Thank you. It's making lots of straining noises to elicit...
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Sympathy.
Guide (Chris):So you guys follow the hint of the road in the direction that the sign pointed, and it leads away from the crash trail and winds slowly to the forest. The road clearly used to be a lot wider, but undergrowth and smaller trees have begun to crowd in from the edges. After a short time, you pull up short when you go around a bend and you see a human man standing at the edge of the road, and he's got one hand raised up like he's trying very hard not to startle anybody.
Guide (Chris):Middle aged and lean, he's got a warm looking cap sitting on his head. He wears patchwork clothes and an old coat repaired with scraps of cloth and bits of bark. His gloves are mismatched, and his boots are darkened with old sap. A coil of cord hangs over his shoulder, and his belt hangs low with multiple pouches and an old knife. And his face looks friendly, and he kinda offers a smile, and he's like, well, now aren't you a motley bunch? So what do you do?
CAM (Tito):There's people here.
Squawk (Madeleine):Motley is not a very nice word.
Rolo (Phil):Based on what his clothes look like, I slowly and carefully hide my long underwear, which would clearly be the best piece of clothing he would ever own.
Guide (Chris):Possibly.
Rolo (Phil):Maybe I will use it to barter later.
Guide (Chris):Oh, good idea.
CAM (Tito):Well, I thought your goal was to sell these things anyway. Right? So, obviously, that there's a potential customer.
Squawk (Madeleine):He does not look like he has funds. I would agree for based on the patch. We want we want a high price.
Rolo (Phil):Who's gonna who's gonna go talk to him?
CAM (Tito):I'll go talk to him.
Rolo (Phil):Alright.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Lysander (Jay):We're we're right behind you.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. We'll we'll be waiting here.
Squawk (Madeleine):I will allow you to make this brave gesture even though normally I totally would.
Guide (Chris):So what do you do, CAM?
CAM (Tito):So I'm gonna gonna walk up and wave to them. Hi there, sir.
Guide (Chris):Hello.
CAM (Tito):Do you do you know where the lumber camp is?
Guide (Chris):Oh, yeah. Yeah. You all you guys crashed down into the woods a little while ago, didn't you?
CAM (Tito):Yeah. We had a we had a little airship troubles.
Guide (Chris):Well, you ain't the first to fall here, but you definitely were the loudest.
CAM (Tito):We we strive to be great in everything we do.
Guide (Chris):Well, you seem real great. I guess somebody ought to welcome y'all to Lazuno before you go and get lost.
CAM (Tito):Is that the name of this place?
Guide (Chris):Yep. And you found yourself on the world of Lazuno.
CAM (Tito):Is it a very populated place?
Guide (Chris):Oh, yeah. I mean, we got a few places. I mean, most of the world's covered in trees, but, you know, ships don't really come around here all that often, mainly because of the debris and stuff. We're kinda stuck in this cloud of that junk up there.
CAM (Tito):So how many of the ships have made it out of here?
Guide (Chris):Oh, recently? Past year or so? Two, I think. But only two showed up. So...
CAM (Tito):Oh, okay. So that's that's a, you know, pretty good percentage.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
CAM (Tito):So we have a good chance of getting out of here?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Well, you know, I mean, used to be a lot more people come here.
CAM (Tito):Why did they stop?
Guide (Chris):Oh, well, because it's stuff up in the sky. You know? And I don't know. We got... stuff got all weird for a while. I mean, this was before my time.
Guide (Chris):What I hear, like, the sun was all crazy and left, and and the planet flew off. And and now we're here, and there's just junk in the sky. And I don't know. So I'm more worried about on the ground.
CAM (Tito):Where did all this junk come from?
Guide (Chris):I guess from out there somewhere.
CAM (Tito):And you said the sun left?
Guide (Chris):That's what people say.
CAM (Tito):Just got tired of being here and just said bye?
Guide (Chris):I guess so. I mean, you ain't never been somewhere and got tired and said, alright. I'm out.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. But I guess I'm not the size of a sun.
Guide (Chris):No. No.
CAM (Tito):Interesting.
Lysander (Jay):Do we hear this conversation?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. I mean, you you I mean, you're a little bit further back. What...
Lysander (Jay):Is there a sun out now?
Guide (Chris):I mean, there's light in the sky. You don't see a specific sun, though.
Lysander (Jay):Oh.
Guide (Chris):I mean, you did notice that it was night earlier too. So, I mean, there does seem to be some sort of cycle day and night.
Squawk (Madeleine):I guess I just wonder why this guy doesn't know more about his planet. Why don't you know more stuff, mister? You seem very relaxed.
Squawk (Madeleine):You seem... Okay. Well, do you do you know anything about repairing ships?
Guide (Chris):Oh, no. That's not me. I I mean, you well, I I mean, you got the standers down at Willowfoot. They might be able to help. They they kinda keep the old port going.
Guide (Chris):And then, you got the Uhbokt up under the trees around Shallowhall, but I I don't see them that much, but I think they might be able to help too.
Squawk (Madeleine):K.
Guide (Chris):You know, folk like me, we just try and stay between them and, you know, stay out here.
Rolo (Phil):I I got my book. Hi. Hello. Nice to meet you. So I need to take some notes.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Because apparently, I'm the only literate one in the party.
Squawk (Madeleine):Sorry.
Rolo (Phil):Name of the planet again is...
Guide (Chris):Oh, you're on Lazuno.
Rolo (Phil):Lazu oh, hey. That's Spanish for the zuno. And the the wait. The towns, where were they?
Guide (Chris):Oh, there's Willowfoot Stands.
Rolo (Phil):Willowfoot Stand. Ah huh.
Guide (Chris):Yeah, that's where the Standers are.
Rolo (Phil):Where where the what are?
Guide (Chris):The standers.
Rolo (Phil):The stand the Standers.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Lysander (Jay):They just stand there?
Guide (Chris):Well, that I mean, people call them the Standers because they're from Willowfoot Stands.
Squawk (Madeleine):Is this a specific family or a population, like, of a city?
Guide (Chris):I mean, it used to be a real big town. It's not so big no more.
Squawk (Madeleine):So there's not a lot of Standers? Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Can I just clarify standers or standards?
Rolo (Phil):Stannnndeeeeers.
Rolo (Phil):That's not a word, dude. That's not a there's no such word as Standers.
Guide (Chris):Standers? What do you mean?
Squawk (Madeleine):Maybe they stand a lot.
Rolo (Phil):People have standards, but you can't have Standers.
Guide (Chris):People from Willowfoot Stands, they call them Standers because they're from Willowfoot Stands.
Squawk (Madeleine):Rolo, you're being offensive.
Rolo (Phil):Standers...
Guide (Chris):Hey.
Squawk (Madeleine):That's what they're called.
Guide (Chris):Are those long johns under there?
Rolo (Phil):Look.
Guide (Chris):Is that a pair of long johns you're wearing?
Rolo (Phil):My family spent a thousand gold on my education.
Guide (Chris):Oh. That's a lot of gold.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. You should see the debt I'm in. Alright. Willowfoot Stands? And where is it?
Guide (Chris):Oh, it's about a day or two from here. He kind of points off in general direction of away.
Squawk (Madeleine):The general direction of away?
Rolo (Phil):Can we get a a cardinal direction?
Lysander (Jay):Can we take this road here to get there?
Rolo (Phil):Is away close to east?
Guide (Chris):Can't take this road anywhere. It's gotta stay right where it is.
Lysander (Jay):I slap my forehead.
Squawk (Madeleine):Do you ever just need a hug, stranger, man?
Rolo (Phil):What's the other town?
Guide (Chris):Oh, well, there's Shallowhall.
Rolo (Phil):Shallowhall?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. That's where the Uhbokt are.
Rolo (Phil):Let me guess. No. No. Let me guess. We call them haulers.
Guide (Chris):No. No. That's the Uhbokt.
Rolo (Phil):Well, that there's no naming convention that seems to fit.
Guide (Chris):I mean, sometimes people call them Gaths.
Rolo (Phil):Who?
Squawk (Madeleine):Why would they call them that?
Guide (Chris):Gaths. Because they gather stuff.
Lysander (Jay):Gather stuff? What kind of stuff do they gather?
Guide (Chris):Oh, just these things here and there, whatever they come across. So what y'all doing out here? I mean, you're not it sounded like you guys crashed pretty far from here.
Lysander (Jay):We're gathering up our stuff.
Guide (Chris):Oh, that's what the Gaths do.
Squawk (Madeleine):Trying to fix our ship.
Guide (Chris):Oh!
Squawk (Madeleine):We're having some ship problems.
Guide (Chris):Well, if you're trying to patch up your hull, you probably wanna go to that timber camp.
Lysander (Jay):Do they have this special kind of timber there?
Guide (Chris):I I mean, no one really heads out that way no more. You know? And I think the forest has kinda settled in pretty good around it. But, I mean, if you just stick to this here road, it'll take you right there.
Rolo (Phil):So what you're not from the camp?
Guide (Chris):No.
Rolo (Phil):What are you doing here then?
Guide (Chris):Nobody in the camp.
Rolo (Phil):Well, why why are you here?
Guide (Chris):I just... we just live out here. There's a few of us that don't like going. We don't wanna be Stander or, like, you know, we don't want to live in any of the towns or nothing.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, you don't seem busy. Do you want to help us with our ship?
Guide (Chris):Oh, I I'm real busy. I was actually on my way somewhere right now.
Squawk (Madeleine):You were just standing on a path.
Guide (Chris):Well, no. I was walking down the path and ran into you, and I didn't wanna scare you or nothing because, you know, you people fall out of the sky, get all crazy and stuff.
Squawk (Madeleine):That is nice.
Lysander (Jay):And what is your name, sir?
Guide (Chris):Oh, my name? My name is Tobin. What's your names?
Squawk (Madeleine):My name is Squawk. I am a fighter.
Guide (Chris):Nice to meet you, Squawk, the fighter.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes. I'm sorry that we got off on the wrong foot.
Guide (Chris):That's alright.
Squawk (Madeleine):You seem okay.
Guide (Chris):Well, thank you. You seem quite nice yourself.
Squawk (Madeleine):Thank you. These are my friends.
Rolo (Phil):We're all waiting for the hug.
Lysander (Jay):We're waiting for the hug.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. So I jump in for a quick hug. He smells pretty bad, but I...
Guide (Chris):Hey you just came out of the sky. I don't know you.
Squawk (Madeleine):Listen. Just go with it.
CAM (Tito):Oh, there's no stopping the hug. Just just go with it.
Lysander (Jay):Just go with it. Yeah.
Guide (Chris):Oh, alright.
Lysander (Jay):My name is Lysander.
Guide (Chris):Hi, Lysander.
CAM (Tito):I'm CAM.
Guide (Chris):Hi, CAM.
Rolo (Phil):And I am Rolodex Moonspiral.
Guide (Chris):Oh, nice to meet you, Rolodex Moonspiral.
Rolo (Phil):Mmhmm.
Guide (Chris):I'm gonna ask again. Those long johns you wearing right there?
Squawk (Madeleine):What should we do?
Rolo (Phil):I'm not wearing them. I'm I'm I'm sporting them in a holster like fashion.
Guide (Chris):That's new. Is that a new fancy thing?
Rolo (Phil):Would you happen to be in the market for a lovely pair of of long underwear?
Guide (Chris):Well, yeah, it gets kinda cold out here.
Rolo (Phil):It, it does?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):Oh. Oh. I didn't realize that.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, we do have...
Guide (Chris):I mean, it's a summer right now.
Rolo (Phil):Ah. Well, I would be happy to trade you this fine pair of long underwear.
Guide (Chris):He scratches his chin. Trade?
Rolo (Phil):Yes.
Guide (Chris):Well, I mean, I ain't got much other than maybe some more info, I could tell you. I I mean...
Squawk (Madeleine):We like more info.
Guide (Chris):I already gave you a whole bunch. I mean, that's more than I normally tell folks, I just seen fall out of the sky. I mean, no offense or nothing.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah. But we're hugging so we're friends.
Lysander (Jay):No offense taken, but it's okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):We're still hugging.
Squawk (Madeleine):You can just tell me whisper some secret good info in my ear. Some really good info. Some intel. Something really useful. Come on.
Guide (Chris):He he leans over. He's like, make sure you don't get... I got sap on my pants and on my jacket. Make sure you don't get stuck to it.
Squawk (Madeleine):Do not see that I do not wear pants?
Guide (Chris):Well, I know your pant... I mean, your feathers.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, fine. This hug is over.
Rolo (Phil):Sounds like everybody a new pair of long underwear.
Guide (Chris):As you pull away, like, couple of your feathers are stuck to his jacket.
CAM (Tito):So you mentioned a town called Shallowhall where the Uhbokt are?
Guide (Chris):The Uhbokt. Yeah. They're up at Shallowhall.
CAM (Tito):And you said they collect things from the forest?
Guide (Chris):Well, from all over the place. I mean, stuff falls out of the sky all the time. It's not normally just people and ships. Just all sorts of junk up there.
CAM (Tito):Oh.
Squawk (Madeleine):They might have some useful stuff.
Lysander (Jay):Maybe a sail or an anchor?
Guide (Chris):Maybe. Why, you don't have an anchor?
Rolo (Phil):Or an anchor for sale.
Guide (Chris):Woah.
Lysander (Jay):Technically, I guess we still do have it.
CAM (Tito):Part of it.
Guide (Chris):Oh, got broken in the crash.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. Let's go with that.
Lysander (Jay):Something like that.
Rolo (Phil):Probably will be less useful than it used to be.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's not very anchor-y.
CAM (Tito):It lost some weight.
Guide (Chris):Well, that's not no good. I mean, you just put a big old rock on the end and throw it overboard.
CAM (Tito):And these this Shallowhall place, is that the town that's up on the side of the mountain there?
Guide (Chris):No. That... you you talking about the tower?
CAM (Tito):Yeah.
Guide (Chris):No. Yeah. That that's just the old abandoned tower. I I ain't been up there, but I heard about that.
Rolo (Phil):So we saw a town somewhat to the north of where our ship was. What Yeah. What town is that?
Guide (Chris):That was probably Willowfoot Stands.
Rolo (Phil):Okay.
Guide (Chris):I mean, it's real big. It's just there ain't as many people as there used to be there.
Rolo (Phil):Yes. But you know what I really enjoyed about that information is it gave me a cardinal direction for where Willowfoot Stands could be on this lovely map that I made.
Guide (Chris):I ain't got a compass or nothing.
Rolo (Phil):Willowfoot Stand...
Guide (Chris):I know it's off that way, and he kinda points past you back towards the ship.
Rolo (Phil):Which I now know is north.
Lysander (Jay):So so are there any large creatures around here in this here, forest?
Guide (Chris):Oh, yeah. There's all sorts of creatures around here. Gotta be careful. Guys probably shouldn't be running around the woods like this, making all sorts of noise and looking at everything.
Lysander (Jay):What about those little sap squirrelly things?
Guide (Chris):Oh, man. The Sap Runners? Well, you gotta watch those guys. They take all your stuff. I hope you made your your ship was alright and all kinda...
Lysander (Jay):Well, yeah, it's locked.
Guide (Chris):Oh.
Squawk (Madeleine):We locked some doors.
Guide (Chris):Good. That's good.
Rolo (Phil):It's locked-ish.
Squawk (Madeleine):Also, I'm obviously very fierce, and do not worry. I can defend my friends, by the way. But anything we should know about these creatures, about their how they attack or how we could defend against if
Guide (Chris):Sap Runners?
Squawk (Madeleine):No. I was thinking of the bigger ones.
Guide (Chris):Well, the bigger ones. I mean, there's all sorts of stuff. I I mean, you know, I I don't know. There's just you just gotta be careful if you hear something real big.
Squawk (Madeleine):Stab it?
Guide (Chris):I I suggest go the other way.
Lysander (Jay):Okay.
Guide (Chris):That's generally what I do, and I'm still here.
CAM (Tito):Willowfoot Stands is that way in a point north.
Guide (Chris):Uh-huh.
CAM (Tito):And you said the lumber mill is that way?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. He kinda points behind and back up the road. He's like, I I mean, I don't know exactly where it is, but I know this road leads to it eventually.
CAM (Tito):So it's the opposite direction. Okay.
Lysander (Jay):Eventually, it leads to it?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. I mean, it it's not like right around the corner. It's it's it's a good half day or so.
Lysander (Jay):A day?
Guide (Chris):No. A little bit less than that.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, we gotta stop talking to this guy. He is we gotta go somewhere. This guy is not very useful. You do seem very nice, and I enjoyed the hug. However.
Guide (Chris):Oh, well, thank you. I enjoyed that hug too.
Rolo (Phil):Sir, one more question, if I may. If I was, say, to wanna go to Shallowhall to visit the the Uhbokt or or or Gaths, where where would I go? Which way would I?
Guide (Chris):I I ain't been there, so I don't know. I don't rightly know. They're not usually too keen to have strangers show up.
Rolo (Phil):Well, that would be a great place to avoid if only we knew where it was.
Squawk (Madeleine):Do you have have some useful family members that...
Guide (Chris):Oh, no. I ain't got no family members.
Squawk (Madeleine):Stuff? Oh, sorry. Sorry.
Guide (Chris):No. That's alright. I mean, my mama's somewhere out here in the woods, but I I don't know where she is. She she wanders around too.
Rolo (Phil):So you just kind of all wander around the woods?
Guide (Chris):Well, We just...
Rolo (Phil):Just sort of spread out and just wander...
Squawk (Madeleine):Without any knowledge.
Guide (Chris):I mean, there's few of us. I don't know.
Lysander (Jay):And what is it exactly you do in the woods, wandering?
Guide (Chris):I I don't know. What are you doing in the woods? You're just kinda surviving. Right?
Lysander (Jay):Well yeah. But...
Guide (Chris):Yeah. That's what we do.
Lysander (Jay):We weren't put here on purpose.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Well, I mean, some of us don't like being in town, so we just go out of town.
CAM (Tito):I'm just gonna kinda look at Rolo and be like, I think we should go now.
Rolo (Phil):I think you're right.
Guide (Chris):I I don't mean to be rude, but I was kinda late before you guys fell. So I I good luck to you guys. You know, be careful.
Rolo (Phil):You've got plenty, I'm sure, of many very important appointments to get to.
Guide (Chris):I do. I do.
Rolo (Phil):Wandering in the woods. I will hereby give you this smallest pair of long johns.
Guide (Chris):Oh! This is excellent.
Rolo (Phil):It's one size fits all, but, you know, the smallest ones
Guide (Chris):Alright.
Rolo (Phil):Are really the most valuable.
Guide (Chris):Excellent. I will...
CAM (Tito):Get a nice snug fit.
Rolo (Phil):Mhmm.
Squawk (Madeleine):Mhmm.
Guide (Chris):I see. Oh, and I see they're inflammable. Does that mean they catch on fire?
Rolo (Phil):We still haven't figured that out yet.
Guide (Chris):Oh, you you before you sell some more, you should probably figure that out because that might adjust the price.
Lysander (Jay):Please send us your comments on on how you feel they ah they work for you.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. See this see this longer tag? That's how you can contact the the user help department.
Guide (Chris):Oh, man.
Lysander (Jay):If you figure out the inflammable part, please send us a line.
Squawk (Madeleine):As long as you're not on fire.
CAM (Tito):So should we keep going down this trail towards the lumber mill then?
Rolo (Phil):I say we wave goodbye to Tobin. Bye, Tobin.
Squawk (Madeleine):Bye.
CAM (Tito):See ya Tobin.
Guide (Chris):You guys stay safe, be careful.
Rolo (Phil):Thanks for all your deep knowledge.
Guide (Chris):That's that's what I'm here... And he just walks away.
Squawk (Madeleine):I am worried we gave away the one size of underwear that might have fit me, but the one that...
Rolo (Phil):No. I got this skinny long pair that I've been saving for you.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Look at this. Look at how long they are.
Squawk (Madeleine):Alright. Okay.
Rolo (Phil):I hold them up, and they still drag on the ground.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, so that's like a gown. That could be a whole gown situation. Alright. I will save it for any fancy events that, you know, you never know.
Lysander (Jay):That's right.
Rolo (Phil):Can I get a ruling on just how many pairs of long underwear? Yeah.
Guide (Chris):Yeah, well, there was 12 originally. Well, there was 12 bundles.
Rolo (Phil):12. Okay.
Guide (Chris):So...
Rolo (Phil):Shall I name them? No. I will not name them.
Guide (Chris):If you'd like.
Rolo (Phil):Well, one I left on the pile of stuff.
Lysander (Jay):That's right.
Rolo (Phil):One, I have given to Tobin.
Guide (Chris):Yep.
Rolo (Phil):And one is my satchel.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So there's nine left.
Rolo (Phil):Carrying nine pairs if I can do my math correctly.
Lysander (Jay):And didn't Squawk throw one on the bush? Didn't she had didn't she?
Rolo (Phil):No. I picked that one back.
Lysander (Jay):Oh, you picked that one up, Oh, okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):We Alright. Oh, yeah. We put one on the pile. Yeah. Yeah.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So you guys watched the guy kinda disappear off into the woods. Do you guys wanna continue up the trail following that road, or do you wanna head back towards the ship?
CAM (Tito):No. We gotta find this lumberyard, I think.
Rolo (Phil):We need the lumber.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah. Lumber all the way.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So you guys make your way and follow the old road to the best of your ability. And a few times, you lose it in the undergrowth, and you have to backtrack before you can pick it back up. Eventually, though, you start to see the trees thin out. You see a large area that seems to have been cleared some time ago and leaving mostly old rotten stumps interspersed with a few smaller trees that have started to take root again.
Guide (Chris):The road is more apparent here, and it makes its way towards a packed earth clearing that contains about a half a dozen buildings in various states of disrepair. What are you guys gonna do?
CAM (Tito):So this place is deserted then?
Guide (Chris):It... It appears to be, yes. I mean, there's definitely a lot of the areas kinda overgrown and you don't doesn't look like anything's been kept up pretty well.
CAM (Tito):Are there any, like, large stacks of wood or logs or anything?
Guide (Chris):So, I mean, if you guys approach camp, yeah, I mean, you could probably dig around. Did you guys wanna just head right in, or what do you wanna do?
Squawk (Madeleine):We should call to see if there's anyone here. I don't wanna offend or surprise anyone. Hello! We just I just like to my friendliest voice.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Just making sure so we don't...
CAM (Tito):At the same time, I guess, you're also letting all the predators know that we're here.
Squawk (Madeleine):I know, but friendship first. Right? You just you never know.
CAM (Tito):Okay?
Squawk (Madeleine):You don't know who could be here. You just don't wanna...
Guide (Chris):You just hear an echo. Hellooo....
Squawk (Madeleine):Hellooo! Try a big squawk! I just don't... people might be napping.
Guide (Chris):You don't hear any response or anything.
CAM (Tito):Not anymore!
Squawk (Madeleine):We're fine. Alright.
Guide (Chris):So you do see there's like a old split rail fence that goes around most of the clearing and appears to be an old timber camp. The road passes underneath a warped overhead sign that you can just barely make out the words. Willowcraft Timber Camp Number 12.
Lysander (Jay):Willowcraft.
Squawk (Madeleine):Number 12. I wonder if the other 11 or more well kept.
Rolo (Phil):Willowcraft?
Guide (Chris):Willowcraft Timber Camp.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, man.
Squawk (Madeleine):Your wizarding.
CAM (Tito):I thought there was a P at the end of the sign?
Guide (Chris):Camp.
Rolo (Phil):Camp.
Squawk (Madeleine):But Craft not Creek.
Rolo (Phil):Look. Leave the puzzles to the guy writing stuff down in his wizard tome.
Squawk (Madeleine):I could, okay. Alright. We won't we'll let you go this time.
Guide (Chris):So in the center of the camp, you see a large wooden cistern surrounded by, like, a muddy morass around it, and there's water definitely seeping out of the seams.
Rolo (Phil):What the heck is a cistern?
Guide (Chris):A cistern? Like a big...
CAM (Tito):Big thing
Guide (Chris):gigantic..
CAM (Tito):holding water.
Guide (Chris):Yeah, a big water container.
CAM (Tito):A big water tank.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, okay.
Guide (Chris):I I mean, it's probably taller than your head height, you know, and about as big around.
Rolo (Phil):Big bowl.
Guide (Chris):Yep.
Rolo (Phil):Gotcha.
Guide (Chris):So also in the yard, you see a large log cutting frame next to a stack of moss covered logs and cut timbers. And then beyond that, you see what some sort of winch or like a lifting rig that's on wheels that's partially sunken to the ground.
Squawk (Madeleine):That all sounds like useful stuff.
Guide (Chris):It does.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, not the mossy business, but the winchy thing.
Rolo (Phil):I go over to the winch.
Guide (Chris):Okay. Well, as you walk in, you see a bunch of other stuff in the camp too. You see there's a lean-to with a bunch of old rusty kettles hanging from chains.
Squawk (Madeleine):Kettles.
Guide (Chris):You see another medium sized wood and metal shack on the left side. And then on the opposite side, you see a partially collapsed A-frame with a whole bunch of junk scattered around it, a pile of scrap wood and metal, and then a small shed completely made out of metal panels. And then on the far side of camp, you see the largest structure. It's kinda long and narrow and it has... it's not really a full building. It's more of like a roofed work shed with two open sides.
Guide (Chris):And then beneath it, there's a pair of long enclosed chambers, like drying chambers or something. They're built out of, like, dark planks with dull metal bands. And then you see a bunch of vents and wheels and pipes and chains kinda running along their sides and sticking to them. And then there's a tall smokestack sticking off the back, and there's a little... just a faintest wisp of, like, smoke or steam or something coming out of it.
Guide (Chris):Where you gonna investigate first? You've got the wooden cistern, the cutting frame, the lifting rig. You see a bunch of planks and logs. You've got the lean-to, you've got a medium shack.
CAM (Tito):There's a bunch of camps and stuff like people were living here at some point.
Lysander (Jay):But if something is still actively producing steam
CAM (Tito):Yeah. If there's smoke still coming out, we'd probably need to go see what that's all about.
Guide (Chris):K. So that's on the far side of camp.
Squawk (Madeleine):How far is the far side?
CAM (Tito):Going through the camp.
Lysander (Jay):We ah walk through the camp.
Guide (Chris):So as you were walking through the camp, you walk past the cistern and kind of you notice it's like a big open top cistern. It's wrapped with metal bands, and there's a pipe coming up out of the ground that's reaching over the top lip of it, and there's kind of a slow drip of water coming out of it and just hangs over the top.
Guide (Chris):Clearly, there's a bunch of water leaking out of the gaps and the seams, and then areas just become a muddy mess. And now that you're close, you see a whole bunch of large claw prints embedded into the muddy ground around the base, and you see these big deep scratches and gouges in the wood.
CAM (Tito):Well, that's a problem.
Lysander (Jay):Mhmm.
Squawk (Madeleine):I immediately get one of my knives out.
CAM (Tito):But where was the smoke coming from then?
Guide (Chris):So it's from that long building, like, behind you. And now that you are looking, you see that...
CAM (Tito):Oh, like closer to the cistern to get towards that.
Guide (Chris):Right. Like, when you walk into the entrance, the cistern is like, in the middle of the camp. You do see that these paw prints seem to go towards that big building.
Lysander (Jay):K.
Squawk (Madeleine):So everyone get behind me again. Again. Spread my wings out protectively.
Rolo (Phil):Wait. Tobin said that nobody's been here for years.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):So who's lit lit the fire in the drying chamber if there's smoke?
CAM (Tito):Hopefully not the same thing that made these claw marks.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. Maybe that thing is inflammable.
Lysander (Jay):Maybe.
CAM (Tito):Hopefully, they need a pair of long johns so we can negotiate with them.
Guide (Chris):You guys step forward and and there's this long narrow structure. It stretches along the backside of camp, and it looks less like a normal building and more like the roof built over the old machinery. You see several wall sections are missing and open to the air, and then you see these two long drying chambers running the whole shed.
Guide (Chris):The chambers have a bunch of pipes and everything like I mentioned earlier. And strangely, after the chill of the forest around you, you feel like a hint of warmth kinda coming from somewhere inside the building.
Guide (Chris):Near the open end of the building, the ground is all churned up with deep muddy prints, and the tracks continue inside disappearing into the shadowed space between the drying chambers.
Lysander (Jay):Can I discern what this what the tracks are? Like, is it something that I would know the shape?
Guide (Chris):I don't think it would have been anything you've seen. It's big. I I mean, they're definitely two, three times the size of your handprint.
Rolo (Phil):I look around and go, ah...who wants to go first?
CAM (Tito):I step back.
Lysander (Jay):We all kind of step back.
Rolo (Phil):Not it!
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, I'm...
Guide (Chris):So who's gonna go? Anybody?
Lysander (Jay):If, if we only had a fighter!
Squawk (Madeleine):I would... I am so ready. I was I just didn't want anyone else to feel bad about my extreme bravery. So it's obviously gonna be me. I've go I've got all my my sparkly, pointy things out.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So as you get closer, the air gets warmer and drier, and the floorboards, as you step up on them, start to creak underneath you. And you see really deep scratches gouge across the woods, some, you know, old and pale and then some dark with fresh dirt.
Guide (Chris):Above you, you see a whole bunch of slack belts hanging from overhead wheels, a bunch of loose chains dangling. And then somewhere deeper in the shed between the long chambers, you hear, like, a low rumbling sound kinda rises and falls slowly, almost like a growl, except that it's got, like, a steady rhythm of something that might be asleep.
Squawk (Madeleine):I definitely tiptoe.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):I get further and further into the darkness. My weapons are ready.
Guide (Chris):Okay. Inside the shed, rows of dried planks rest on slatted racks along the drying chambers. They're far straighter and better preserved than anything you've seen else up to this time. Most of the machinery is still. Vents sit open, old gauges sit steady, and near the middle of the building, a squat metal housing gives off a dull steady heat.
Guide (Chris):The metal around it is stained dark and the floor nearby is cleared of dust as if something large has been moving around it. Next to the heat housing, you see a large bear like animal, easily three times the size of any of you curled up on the floor. It has thick dark fur, a broad blunt head, and smoky gray ridge across its back. Its long claws are tucked under one paw, and for every slow breath, it ends with a deep rumbling.
Squawk (Madeleine):Can I use size up to get a little intel on this thing? I'm not sure.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, it looks very cuddly. To cuddle or not to cuddle?
Rolo (Phil):I come up quietly behind Squawk and go, Squawk, this is the perfect opportunity. The one you've been waiting for. Bear Hug...
Squawk (Madeleine):My whole life! My whole life, I've been waiting!