Welcome back to Legend Lunchbox. Last time, the crew left Willowfoot Stands with Nixley, Ferd, and a cart headed for an abandoned mine in search of Aziron for the S.S. Distress. Their first night on the road brought magical night vision, a runaway donkey, an enormous fire, and one very bad snack choice. By the morning, Rolo is asleep beneath the cart feeling better, but he's still tied up. Now the crew must gather their supplies and continue toward the Weeping Mother.
Guide (Chris):You wake the next morning under a gray sky. Cold mist hangs in the trees, and a light drizzle taps on the leaves above your head. As everyone starts to pack up camp, you now notice you still have Rolo tied up, and he's sleeping underneath the cart. What do you all do?
CAM (Tito):Well, guess it's time to get ready to head out.
Lysander (Jay):I guess so.
Squawk (Madeleine):Do we... he's still asleep? I think we should wake our buddy up. With a long stick from a few feet away.
Lysander (Jay):You gonna poke him?
Rolo (Phil):Ow! Hey... What? Woah. Dude, what's going on? Oh, no. Did I turn into a werewolf again?
Lysander (Jay):You sure did.
CAM (Tito):Wait. Again?
Rolo (Phil):I mean, nothing.
Squawk (Madeleine):I don't recall any werewolves, but there was some crazy business.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, I had this dream last night that I was a werewolf, and I was flying through the moon... sky and howling at the moon and riding the moon, and then I was eating the moon. A lot of moon in that dream.
Squawk (Madeleine):Stuff like that sort of did happen. Not all those things.
Rolo (Phil):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Just who's gonna tell him? Should we just not talk about it ever again?
CAM (Tito):Let's just say don't eat the mushrooms again.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, no, dude.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yep. Yep. It was a little embarrassing.
CAM (Tito):Let let's see if the these effects have actually worn off. I'm just gonna examine Rolo. Check his eyes.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, man. That light is bright.
CAM (Tito):Oh, open your mouth. Stab him with a tongue depressor.
Squawk (Madeleine):That is not nice.
CAM (Tito):No. No. It it looks like it's all worn off. I I think it's safe to let him go.
Rolo (Phil):My tongue?
CAM (Tito):No.
Rolo (Phil):It tastes like it.
CAM (Tito):I mean, as much as you talk, I'm surprised it isn't worn off.
Rolo (Phil):That's true. Can we undo the ropes now?
CAM (Tito):I'll untie him.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. So helpful safety tip, no more eating the mushrooms.
Squawk (Madeleine):No mushrooms.
Rolo (Phil):Copy that. Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):No riding donkeys.
Rolo (Phil):Are we going to take the rope off? Or...
CAM (Tito):Yep. I'll untie him.
Squawk (Madeleine):We will stand back.
Lysander (Jay):Yes.
Guide (Chris):Everybody stands back.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. Thank you.
Guide (Chris):Alright. You all ready?
CAM (Tito):We'll head out.
Squawk (Madeleine):Think we're good, yeah.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So as you finish getting ready, Nixley starts checking the cart, and he moves some of the ropes, and he looks underneath it. And then he looks towards the woods where Rolo ran off. And he says nervously, Ah...has anyone seen Trevor's really important, really heavy box that we definitely shouldn't lose?
CAM (Tito):It was in the cart.
Squawk (Madeleine):Trevor's box. Trevor.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. So he he's digging through the cart, and he pulls a, you know, pulls the tarp back, and it's not here no more. I don't see it. Oh, man. We need that we need that cradle.
Squawk (Madeleine):Trevor's ornery guy. Right?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):Right. Well...
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):It wasn't me!
Rolo (Phil):I have no recollection of what happened, but I assume you guys were looking at me while I was doing weird stuff. So I'm pretty sure I didn't take it.
CAM (Tito):You said it was a pretty heavy box. Right?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. It's not too it's not too light. I I thought we had it.
Squawk (Madeleine):Can you remind us, please, what was in the box?
Guide (Chris):Well, the box the box is empty. Right now, it's for us putting the Aziron in.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes. Okay. We need that box.
Rolo (Phil):We need an empty box?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):I'm confused.
CAM (Tito):It was a special empty box. I had a special lining.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah. To keep the Aziron...
Guide (Chris):Aziron from causing problems when we're when we're transporting it.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, okay.
Guide (Chris):We really need that or we're gonna have some problems trying to get it back.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well.
CAM (Tito):So let's look around the cart and see if there's any footprints or anything walking away other than ours.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, yeah. We were sleeping. Yeah. Right.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. So as you start looking around the cart, there's a lot of footprints and a lot of hoof prints as well. You don't see any weird footprints other than Rolo's kinda going in circles around the cart.
Guide (Chris):It just looks like when Ferd took off, the cart disconnected from him and fell off to the side. So Nixley is looking around in the woods like, maybe it fell out somewhere. Help me look. And he's just digging around through the trees and the roots and...
Lysander (Jay):Yeah. I'll dig around on the other side.
Squawk (Madeleine):This is a big box, though. Right? Like, big, for pulling planks.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. It's about the size of, like, a cooler, if that makes sense.
Squawk (Madeleine):So we so we need a big box.
CAM (Tito):Now when when Ferd took off, this cart didn't really go anywhere. It was still in this area. So...
Guide (Chris):It went a little bit.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. So it should be around here.
Guide (Chris):You would think so.
CAM (Tito):Somewhere if it fell off the cart.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the cart really hasn't moved from where it came off of Ferd last night. I mean, there wasn't really any reason to it wasn't that far from where you guys were camping.
Squawk (Madeleine):So...
Lysander (Jay):I walk back a little bit down the trail we came from just checking that.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So as you walk back under a big pile of leaves, you see what looks like a piece of worked wood.
Lysander (Jay):Check it out.
Guide (Chris):You walk over there and buried in leaves and roots and a bunch of grass, you see the the cradle is laying half buried upside down stuck in the mud.
Squawk (Madeleine):What?
Lysander (Jay):Hey, guys. Over here. I think I found it. Somehow, it's stuck in the mud.
Guide (Chris):So Nixley runs over, he's like, oh, yeah. That's it. We gotta get it out of there and get cleaned up. Should be fine. So Nixley goes over and he grabs the side and he starts pulling. He's like, oh, I can't. Somebody will gonna help me?
Squawk (Madeleine):Step aside, young man.
Guide (Chris):Alright.
Squawk (Madeleine):I this is where I step out. And I lean forward and I use my talons and I and I can't move it. There's no way. I fall over. But I looked really cool trying.
Guide (Chris):You did.
Squawk (Madeleine):I think we need some friendship powers. Let's all just all do it together. Teamwork.
Lysander (Jay):Oh, I wade on in there.
Rolo (Phil):Alright. Let's do it.
Squawk (Madeleine):One, two, three, friendship power!
Rolo (Phil):Now go!
Lysander (Jay):My hand slips on the mud, and I splat to the side.
Squawk (Madeleine):Not good. We're still pulling, though.
Guide (Chris):So you guys pull it in a it pops right out of the mud.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes, togetherness.
Guide (Chris):It just kinda flops up in the air, and you bring it down. Kabang! Down on the ground. And Nix is like, oh, we gotta clean it up. Thank gosh. We didn't lose that, man. We would have to go back to town. And, man, if you if you thought Trevor was ornery before we left, you would not have been happy if we lost this thing.
Squawk (Madeleine):I did not find him very ornery at all. I was excited for the orneriness, but maybe maybe next time.
CAM (Tito):He was when you called him ornery.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, that's true. I forgot about that. I'm just saying I've seen ornerier. Anyway, moving on. We got our box back.
Guide (Chris):Nixley wipes the mud off the lid, and you guys notice the box is squat and heavy, and it's got, like, these dark resinstone ribs around the corners. And then scratched onto the lid as he wipes off the mud, you see three simple warning pictures. There's a jagged stone with little motion lines around it, some sparks, and then a bare hand that's crossed out. And then Nixley lets out a breath and says, it's still shut. That's good.
Guide (Chris):So he heaves it up and wedges it back into the cart and straps it down. If we find Aziron, we gotta make sure we put it in here. It's not something we really wanna carry around in our pockets. So we definitely gotta make sure we don't lose this again.
CAM (Tito):What what what are these symbols on the top?
Guide (Chris):What? Do you mean the symbols up here? Well, it's like the Aziron. Like, it may move. It might spark. Don't touch it. And it's kind or at least that's what Trevor told me.
Lysander (Jay):It moves?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Aziron. It can.
Squawk (Madeleine):Is it alive?
CAM (Tito):I mean, it's used to make things float. So
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
CAM (Tito):You know?
Squawk (Madeleine):Just has powers. Okay. So we have everything we need now.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Let's get going.
Squawk (Madeleine):Let's go!
Guide (Chris):So with the cradle back in the cart, Nix leads you away from the main trail out onto a smaller path. Cart barely fits, and the wheels bump over roots and brush against the small saplings along the edge, and then the forest closes in around you. For a while, the only sounds are the cart rattling, Ferd snorting, and the rain dripping through the branches above you. So do you all ask Nixley anything or talk amongst yourselves as you guys are are walking through the forest?
Squawk (Madeleine):We definitely, I think, ask Nixley things because he's a new friend.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. What's favorite color?
Squawk (Madeleine):That's exactly what it is. What what do you eat for breakfast? What do you do in your spare time? Who's your best friend? What music do you like?
Guide (Chris):Wait. Wait. Hold on. Hold on. Maroon?
CAM (Tito):Trying to get into his accounts or something?
Rolo (Phil):Maroon is a really weird maiden name.
Guide (Chris):No. No. That's my favorite color. I I like eggs and sausage for breakfast. My favorite my best friend was Jimmy. Oh, man. I forgot. What were the other questions again?
Squawk (Madeleine):What do you do for fun? How many other donkeys do you know? Are we the coolest people you've ever met? What's your deepest, darkest fear?
Guide (Chris):Oh my gosh. I answered a bunch of questions. Let me ask you guys a question. What's your favorite color?
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. Fair. Pink, obviously.
Guide (Chris):I guess that makes sense.
Rolo (Phil):Ocean blue, dude.
Guide (Chris):Oh, that makes sense too.
Lysander (Jay):Amber for me.
Guide (Chris):Oh, huh.
CAM (Tito):I'd have to go with blue as well.
Guide (Chris):Man, no surprises for you...
Rolo (Phil):High five!
Guide (Chris):That's for sure.
Squawk (Madeleine):I think it's okay if you don't answer all our questions. We just wanted you to know we cared.
Guide (Chris):Well, I appreciate it. I appreciate it. You all seem like nice folks. I mean, little crazy sometimes, but that's okay.
Rolo (Phil):Perhaps we should ask plot relevant questions.
Guide (Chris):Oh, yeah. If you want, sure.
Lysander (Jay):How far are we to this mine?
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. There you go. There's one.
Guide (Chris):Well, mine would probably probably got, like, a day day and a half depending on how fast we go. And as long as we don't run into any more troubles.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, wait. Riding the donkey was trying to go faster.
CAM (Tito):No.
Rolo (Phil):Which I've learned not to do.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. No. And besides, we couldn't all ride him. I mean, if we want to, there's five of us.
Rolo (Phil):Oh. Oh. When we put the Aziron in the crate.
Guide (Chris):Uh-huh?
Rolo (Phil):The cradle?
Guide (Chris):Yeah?
Rolo (Phil):It should be called crate-tle. Because it's a crate. Alright. Sorry. Alright. When we put the Aziron in the cradle
Guide (Chris):Uh-huh.
Rolo (Phil):Will it float?
Guide (Chris):No. That that's why you have to go into this box, special box that kinda keeps it under control. I don't know exactly how it works. It's just it's a special box just for Aziron.
Squawk (Madeleine):We know.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, so it keeps it, like, sad. So it doesn't wanna float.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Lysander (Jay):So this Aziron, if it makes the wood float.
Guide (Chris):Uh-huh.
Lysander (Jay):Then how come we could be on the boat with the Aziron wood and it not affect us.
Squawk (Madeleine):Woah.
CAM (Tito):That's treated Aziron.
Guide (Chris):Well, it's it's on it's on the wood or the planks. It makes the planks float. It don't make everything around it float.
Rolo (Phil):Does that make the planks dangerous?
Lysander (Jay):That's what I was asking.
Squawk (Madeleine):So much science.
Rolo (Phil):Like, if I lick the boat, would that be bad for me?
Lysander (Jay):Are you hungry, Rolo? Are you hungry?
Rolo (Phil):I think I well, you know, all I had is a mushroom.
Squawk (Madeleine):We did not have breakfast.
Rolo (Phil):We did not have breakfast. I don't think I had dinner.
Lysander (Jay):No. Well, you had a mushroom for dinner.
Rolo (Phil):I had a one single mushroom, and I think I burned a lot of calories.
Guide (Chris):Well, then you got sick to your stomach too because we gave you that those leaves that made you get sick.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, Nixley, do you have any...
Rolo (Phil):I don't remember that. But yeah. Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Does Nixley have any snacks? What kind of guy doesn't bring snacks?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. I got some I got some food.
Squawk (Madeleine):Snacks, snacks!
Guide (Chris):So as you're continuing to walk down the trail, he Ferd and the cart are moving slow enough that he can pull the tarp back, and he's got a couple of boxes with some food rations, dried biscuits, and stuff. So he hands them out. Nothing special, but it fills you up.
Squawk (Madeleine):Dried biscuits. I am a bird, but I will do what I must. Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, come on. Polly don't want a cracker?
Squawk (Madeleine):If you call me Polly, one more time! You don't think I've ever heard that before. I stomp off ahead on my own, chomping my biscuits.
Rolo (Phil):Are you gonna eat yours?
CAM (Tito):Who's Polly?
Rolo (Phil):That's a saying where I come from.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, he was my best friend back home, and we're not friends anymore, and I don't wanna talk about it. And I'm not gonna repeat things just because I'm just because I have feathers. Okay? We're not all the same.
Rolo (Phil):That's a real coincidence that you actually had a friend named Polly.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well yeah. I mean, there's a lot you don't know about me. Maybe if you would ask, if we had that campfire circle I've been trying to make happen, we would tell some secrets.
Rolo (Phil):Alright. Tell me all of your secrets.
Squawk (Madeleine):No. We have to go find some flying wood. Okay? I'm let we'll do that. And then...
Rolo (Phil):Now you can't say I didn't ask.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Fine. I do feel a little...
Guide (Chris):Nixley's like, what are you all gonna do once you get the Distress flying again? What are are you gonna go?
Rolo (Phil):Oh, we're gonna keep arguing.
Lysander (Jay):Yes.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm still stomping.
Rolo (Phil):But we'll be going a lot faster.
Guide (Chris):Oh, man.
CAM (Tito):We haven't really planned that far yet.
Lysander (Jay):We actually haven't even gotten really anywhere yet.
Guide (Chris):Well, you got to town. That's good. I mean, do you guys have, like, a home port or something, or do you just crash into places? Like, what's the...
Lysander (Jay):Lately? Yes.
CAM (Tito):Well, we left the planet that was being attacked by scarabs kinda hastily.
Guide (Chris):Oh.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
Lysander (Jay):Mhmm.
Guide (Chris):What are scarabs?
Rolo (Phil):Yeah, That's how we all met. It was, like, during the bug wars.
Guide (Chris):The bug wars?
Rolo (Phil):Well, that's what I call it.
Guide (Chris):You guys soldiers?
Rolo (Phil):Nope. It was a it was a very large defeat...
Lysander (Jay):Yes.
Rolo (Phil):For our side.
Lysander (Jay):Yes.
Squawk (Madeleine):Big fail. I probably lost my job.
CAM (Tito):We we basically ran away.
Squawk (Madeleine):With style!
CAM (Tito):But we we got kinda blown off course when we were following the evacuation route, and we ended up here, and and we crashed.
Lysander (Jay):Oh.
Lysander (Jay):We were actually following the route?
CAM (Tito):We were attempting to.
Squawk (Madeleine):I do not recall attempting any route.
CAM (Tito):We were following the other evacuation ships that were taking the evacuation route.
Squawk (Madeleine):I was just trying not to die.
Rolo (Phil):In that they went into the air, and we also went into the air. I remember that.
Guide (Chris):Well, didn't wasn't there a crew or a captain or something that helped you guys?
Lysander (Jay):We thought we had a captain.
CAM (Tito):I just kinda look over at Rolo disappointed.
Squawk (Madeleine):We just had a guy with a hat.
Rolo (Phil):I just look I just look embarrassed.
Lysander (Jay):So, no.
Guide (Chris):So you all flew the ship by yourselves, and you don't know how to fly a ship?
Lysander (Jay):Yes.
Squawk (Madeleine):Mhmm.
Guide (Chris):Oh.
Squawk (Madeleine):Which is pretty good, I guess, when you think about it. We should be proud of ourselves.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. I mean, you you landed.
CAM (Tito):We tried looking for a manual.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):Are we still walking right now? Yeah. I hope we have not stopped.
Rolo (Phil):Maybe when we fix the ship, we should sort of, like, form some kind of team.
Squawk (Madeleine):I thought we were a team.
Rolo (Phil):A ship team.
Squawk (Madeleine):Are we not a team?
Rolo (Phil):What do you call that?
CAM (Tito):You mean like a crew?
Rolo (Phil):Oh, a crew. Thank you. That's the word I was looking for.
Squawk (Madeleine):Like friendship plus. Okay.
Lysander (Jay):But we need to have a captain's hat.
Rolo (Phil):Well, I have the captain's hat. It's just not with me right now.
CAM (Tito):Did didn't it get fried? I thought it got...
Rolo (Phil):That's what not with me means.
Guide (Chris):I bet you could probably get a new captain's hat back at the city.
Rolo (Phil):Excellent. I've got some long johns to trade.
Guide (Chris):Oh. You probably get a nice captain's hat for one of those.
Rolo (Phil):There you go. Captain Rolo. That's what I'm talking about.
Guide (Chris):Yeah. Like one of the tricorn ones with the points on each side.
Rolo (Phil):I'll take as many corns as I could get.
Guide (Chris):You have to get it from Jimmy.
Squawk (Madeleine):Octocorn..
Rolo (Phil):Jimmy.
Lysander (Jay):Jimmy?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Lysander (Jay):Jimmy Crack Corn?
Rolo (Phil):Jimmy, the Tricorn.
Squawk (Madeleine):Is Jimmy ornery too?
Guide (Chris):No. No. He was my friend. Remember you asked me who my best friend was? It was Jimmy.
Squawk (Madeleine):I did not listen.
Guide (Chris):Oh, Jeepers.
Lysander (Jay):Poor Nixley.
Rolo (Phil):I remember your favorite color is maroon.
Guide (Chris):Oh, that's nice.
Lysander (Jay):And you like eggs and sausages.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):I know more about you than I know about these guys.
Squawk (Madeleine):Like I said...
Guide (Chris):Not good if you're gonna be a ship team.
Rolo (Phil):We didn't. Yes. Well, we didn't do a lot of backstory.
Guide (Chris):Oh.
Rolo (Phil):We've been busy.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Guide (Chris):Alright.
Rolo (Phil):And some of us won't won't tell any secrets even though we've asked.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm just waiting for campfire. It has to be the right vibe.
Guide (Chris):So the rain slows, but not much warmth reaches the forest floor. The trail bends around a few large trees and then opens into a wide clearing. Knee high grass and wildflowers cover the ground, and small insects move between the flowers as a dragonfly zips close to your face, hangs there for a second, and then darts away. In the middle of a clearing stands an ancient Weepingwood. Its trunk is wider than a small house, and its thick roots push through the grass in every direction.
Guide (Chris):Some roots cross the trail, others rise from the ground like low wooden walls. You see small offerings hanging from the lower branches, bits of cloth, handmade trinkets, shiny scraps, and little bundles of food tucked near the roots. The tree is not the tallest Weepingwood you have ever seen, but its branches spread wide over the clearing. Birds and small animals move through the branches, and as you step closer, many of them stop to watch. Nixley lowers his head, and he touches two fingers to his forehead and says quietly, good day, mother.
Guide (Chris):What do y'all do?
Lysander (Jay):I go over, and I leave a little offering at the base of the tree, a little offering of water and food, and I pat the tree. It's a nice tree.
Squawk (Madeleine):I am already hugging the tree.
Rolo (Phil):I give it Squawk's cracker.
Squawk (Madeleine):I don't mind. I love this this tree. I feel that this tree and me, we have a connection already. It's such a nice tree. So I'm happy about this tree.
Rolo (Phil):Is this tree covered in sap?
Guide (Chris):No. The the tree is not. So...
Rolo (Phil):Unlike the other kinds of trees that those are the sappy trees.
Guide (Chris):So it is the same type of tree, but this is just old and ancient. And as you guys get closer and examine it a little bit, you do see that there are some repairs to the tree similar to what you saw on the other tree, and they're layered almost like sutures and some armor wrapped around it. The patches are definitely the same material you found before, but it almost feels a little bit more stone like and, like, more hardened than some of the resin you've found before.
Lysander (Jay):So, Nixley, what's up with all these trees and the patches? We saw some on the other side of town.
Guide (Chris):Well, when the trees get damaged, they do secrete this the the sap, the resin that will harden. Sometimes if it doesn't get patched quick enough, like bugs and stuff will get in it because it's really sweet smelling. So there are people that go around and they try and patch the trees to seal them up real good so the trees stay healthy and and safe and stuff. I mean, sometimes the Uhbokt do that and, you know, sometimes some folks from town do that too.
Lysander (Jay):The who?
Guide (Chris):The Uhbokt.
Lysander (Jay):What is that?
Squawk (Madeleine):We heard about them.
Lysander (Jay):We have?
Guide (Chris):You haven't heard about the Uhbokt?
Squawk (Madeleine):I think we did.
Rolo (Phil):But just in case, give us a refresher.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes.
Rolo (Phil):On the Uhbokt.
Guide (Chris):Oh, they're they're the folks that have been around Lazuno. I guess they were here before the guild was formed.
Squawk (Madeleine):I like people in armor. It's my kind of people.
Guide (Chris):Oh, you guys are soldiers, so that makes sense. Oh, you're from the bug wars?
Rolo (Phil):No. We're civilians. We we ran from the fight.
Guide (Chris):Oh, I won't tell nobody that. I'll just tell them you were in the bug wars.
Lysander (Jay):Thanks.
Rolo (Phil):Good. Good.
Squawk (Madeleine):That works. That works.
Rolo (Phil):Yes. That better better PR. So okay. So, like, the Uhbokt, are are they with us right now? Are they here in the clearing?
Guide (Chris):No. I I mean, I I only seen them a, you know, a handful of times.
Rolo (Phil):Are they magic?
Guide (Chris):No. Well, I don't know. I don't think so. There's been a few altercations with them and the folks in the town in the past, So they kinda keep to themselves.
Lysander (Jay):Why? Why are you altercating with them?
Guide (Chris):Well, I I haven't personally been, but there was a couple years back, a kid got hurt in the Clankyard and, you know, people said the Uhbokt did it. You know? I don't I don't know if that's true, but, you know, people just don't really trust them.
Guide (Chris):So, Lysander, as you're sitting near the bottom of the tree and you put down your offering, you get this feeling that the clearing is almost like breathing. It feels to you like you feel it just sensed in your bones and your blood. The roots feel like they're not just deep. It feels like they connect out beyond the clearing, if that makes any sense. It's just this this feeling you get.
Lysander (Jay):Okay. I'll keep that to myself for now.
Squawk (Madeleine):I wanna get a feeling. How come I don't get feelings?
Guide (Chris):Well, so, Squawk, higher in the branches, you spot a little tiny bell that seems to be wrapped around one of the branches.
Squawk (Madeleine):I obviously fly up and get it. Ow. I bonk some branches. I get the bell in my beak, and I bring it back down for my friends.
Guide (Chris):Do you bring it down, or do you just unwrap it?
Squawk (Madeleine):Did you say unwrap it?
Guide (Chris):Well, yeah, it's wrapped around the branch. It's a string with a bell, and the bell is, like, kinda wrapped all the way tight around the branch.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, first, I bonk it with my head a few times to make it ring. Ding ding ding because that's really fun.
Guide (Chris):Yep. And it rings.
Squawk (Madeleine):And then I think I unwrap it, and I bring it down because my friends can't fly, and I want them to experience the bell.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So you come down, and Nixley goes, oh, that... Did you take that off the tree!?
Squawk (Madeleine):It's shiny.
Guide (Chris):You're not supposed to take offerings off the tree! Oh, man.
Squawk (Madeleine):I was gonna put it back.
Guide (Chris):Oh, yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):I just...Ohh... should I put it back?
Lysander (Jay):That could be somebody's wish.
Squawk (Madeleine):Right. Okay.
Guide (Chris):So Nixley's looking around nervously.
Lysander (Jay):Do do I feel the tree react from the ground? I start, like, I start, like, putting my hands down on the ground, like, feeling it and getting really in the zone, like, just feeling the ground and laying down nice and rubbing my cheeks on the ground.
Rolo (Phil):I start backing away slowly.
Lysander (Jay):Like, really getting into the dirt and, you know, like, rubbing my face in it and rolling around on my back.
Squawk (Madeleine):I meant to put the bell back, but the dinging is so nice. So I'm having, like, a bit of a bell dance party, just, like, playing the bell. We haven't had a of tunes lately.
Guide (Chris):You better put it back, look it's making your friend crazy. You better put it back in the tree. He's pointing at Lysander as Lysander's kind of flopping around on the ground like a...
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay.
Guide (Chris):Like a fish.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. So I fly back up, and I quickly wrap it around the tree. I give it one last ding, and then I fly back down. Everything's fine.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So as you fly that back down and land on the ground, you land right next to Lysander. And as you land, something drops from the branches and lands softly in the grass right next to you.
Squawk (Madeleine):What is it?
Guide (Chris):So you look, and it's a it's a big pine cone.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, that's okay. Pine cone
Guide (Chris):And Nixley looks like, oh, man. That's a Weeping mother pine cone.
Squawk (Madeleine):Why are you freaking out about a pine cone?
CAM (Tito):Is that is that a big deal?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. They don't usually fall out of the tree.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, okay. Okay. Listen. We didn't have willow trees in my lagoon. So are you saying, is it my fault?
Guide (Chris):No. That's actually... I'm confused. So that's a good sign. Those are that's like good luck.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, check it out.
Guide (Chris):Like, the the mother doesn't usually give up the pine cones.
Squawk (Madeleine):Thank you, mother. I give mother another hug. I knew we were...
CAM (Tito):Are we supposed to bring it with us, or do we just leave it there?
Guide (Chris):No. You can I I mean, if it's so we give offerings to the mother sometimes, and, occasionally, she'll give something back? Doesn't happen that often, though, especially after you took that out of the tree. Maybe maybe mother's just happy you brought it back and put it back up there.
Squawk (Madeleine):And she just likes me. She senses we're...
Guide (Chris):Maybe.
Squawk (Madeleine):You know, kindred spirits. We're we're best friends.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):That's fine.
Rolo (Phil):So I take the pine cone
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):And I use some of the rope that I have because, apparently, I've got a bunch of rope just hanging around here. I'm gonna make a lovely little necklace, and I put it over Squawk's head. And they go, there you go. The pine cone of luck, Squawk.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh my gah.... I feel so fancy!
Guide (Chris):It's probably bout as big as, like, your head.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's okay. I I am so I feel so fancy and beautiful, and and then and I, like, strut around a little bit trying it out. And and this is this is great. I'm, like, chosen. I've been chosen by the Mother Tree. This is, like, my destiny. I don't know what it means, but it feels great. I'm gonna do big stuff.
Lysander (Jay):You're now the protector of the Mother Tree.
Squawk (Madeleine):I guess so. I sort of just figured we were friends. But, sure.
Rolo (Phil):I wonder if you have, like, amazing luck now. How do we test that?
Guide (Chris):Oh, no.
CAM (Tito):We don't test it.
Rolo (Phil):I take a little rock, and I throw it at her.
Guide (Chris):Okay. Roll a D20.
Rolo (Phil):Just a little like a pebble. Not a not a big rock.
Guide (Chris):Let's see what happens.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. This is more feels like more my luck than her luck. You know?
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah, I don't think this is fair.
Rolo (Phil):I rolled a three. So...
Guide (Chris):So Squawk, the pebble goes right past your head. Whew.
Lysander (Jay):Woah.
Rolo (Phil):Wow.
Guide (Chris):So lucky.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. So lucky.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh my god. I can nothing can harm me. Nothing can touch me. Alright. This is perfect.
Rolo (Phil):I think you should go first into all the dangerous places now.
Squawk (Madeleine):I was gonna anyway! But now I will for sure extra first.
Rolo (Phil):Now we'll be less worried.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
Lysander (Jay):That's right.
Squawk (Madeleine):You guys worry about me. I knew. Okay. Yeah. Don't worry anymore. I got tree luck, and I look fancy. Alright so...
Rolo (Phil):Love it.
Squawk (Madeleine):So are we ready for me to march into danger, or do we need some more tree moments?
Lysander (Jay):I could always use more tree moments.
Squawk (Madeleine):Are you still on the ground?
Guide (Chris):He's got streaks of dirt all over his face and his skin.
Squawk (Madeleine):He's having a serious moment.
CAM (Tito):While they're all messing with the tree, I'm just kinda checking out the crate that's in the cart.
Guide (Chris):Okay. What are what are you gonna do? Like, try and open it? Or...
CAM (Tito):I wanna check out the resin and stuff that's on there.
Guide (Chris):All the corners of the box have, like, the solidified resin, and it's just super hard. And it looks almost more for protection than decoration. And then if you flip open the lid, which I mean, it just has, like, a simple latch on it. But it is does have a latch where, like, it will clamp shut or clamp open. You open up and inside, it's got this fabric lining that goes around the entire thing, and then there's these slots and little pockets that you it looks like that are built to, like, just put stuff into and keep them a little almost separated, but, like, cushioned, if that makes sense.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
CAM (Tito):I'm just trying to get some more info about Aziron and inspecting the box to figure out how it works.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's a very fancy box. Okay.
Guide (Chris):So Nixley just goes up to the tree, and he leaves a little offering down at the bottom. And he, once again, does that sign. And and thank you, mother. Appreciate your protection while we're out in the woods.
Lysander (Jay):Thank you, mother.
Squawk (Madeleine):Thank you, girlfriend.
Lysander (Jay):I pat the ground again.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yeah.
CAM (Tito):Let's head off to the mines.