Welcome back to Legend Lunchbox. Last time, the crew opened the Uhbokt bundle and found rope and an air candle for the mine. After Rolo accidentally set Squawk on fire, they made it underground and found an old map pointing toward byproduct storage, where Aziron may still remain. Now the rails split. One tunnel is warm and still, the other broken and cool. And somewhere ahead, something scrapes and thuds in the dark.
Guide (Chris):So the tunnel opens up into a wide chamber where the rails split. Each of them goes down a separate branching tunnel. The left hand tunnel appears clear as far as you can see, but the walls seem damp and the air feels warm and still. The right hand tunnel has visible piles of fallen stone and broken timber. That way looks rough, but there's a hint of a cool breeze blowing down from it.
Guide (Chris):Both tunnels continue beyond the reach of the light and narrow significantly as they continue out on from the chamber. Somewhere further inside the mine, you hear a low scrape again followed by a dull thump.
CAM (Tito):Okay. So two questions. One, which direction does the map say is the byproducts? The left or the right?
Guide (Chris):The tunnels do not appear on the map, or at least worn out, and the byproducts just look to be on the further end of the map. Like, you can tell from the sections that you did see, the entrance and then the lockers and the the little work area. That was on one side of the map, And the byproducts is on the other end of the paper, but the... A lot of the stuff in the middle is missing.
CAM (Tito):But there's no way to tell if it was more to the left or right?
Guide (Chris):Nope.
CAM (Tito):This is a useless map.
Guide (Chris):Well, it's old. It's it's probably, like, 75 years old.
Rolo (Phil):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):It was such a nice scarf, though.
CAM (Tito):We have a clear looking path, or we have a not so clear looking path, but has air moving, which means there's probably an exit maybe that way. And this one seems like it's probably blocked off somewhere down the road.
Rolo (Phil):Blocked off by byproducts?
Lysander (Jay):Oh, maybe.
CAM (Tito):Could be. Could just be the storage area.
Rolo (Phil):So many byproducts that you can't get through the air.
CAM (Tito):I mean, it would make sense if they put all the storage into a dead end. So...
Rolo (Phil):Uh-huh.
CAM (Tito):I don't know.
Lysander (Jay):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Does someone have... Do... Somebody do a fancy spell where you can cast your sight forward. You spell people. Can't that... Isn't a thing you can do?
Rolo (Phil):I have familiar.
Squawk (Madeleine):Could it...
CAM (Tito):I mean, the the closest thing I would have to that spell is picking you up and throwing you down the tunnel.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm into it! Whatever it takes for my friends. I'm ready.
Rolo (Phil):I have a point of clarification on on familiar. It says if I lose sight of my familiar, does that count for darkness?
Squawk (Madeleine):Right. Because it's very dark. Yeah.
Guide (Chris):I'm going to say no.
Rolo (Phil):Yay! I cast familiar!
Guide (Chris):Well, I think it's almost as much as can the familiar see you? And I would think the familiar could see you through the dark, but there's still a line of sight type deal thing going on.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. So if it... If there's a turn or a curve or something, yeah.
Rolo (Phil):I think I should cast familiar.
Guide (Chris):Sure.
Squawk (Madeleine):Good idea.
Guide (Chris):If you would like.
Rolo (Phil):Yes. Have the familiar go on ahead. The familiar is a spectral creature. Doesn't even matter if it has oxygen.
Guide (Chris):It is a spectral creature.
Lysander (Jay):That's right.
Squawk (Madeleine):Creepy air. No problem.
Rolo (Phil):I I assume.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Guide (Chris):You're gonna cast familiar. Let's see see what you get this time.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm so excited.
Guide (Chris):Roll a D6.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, a D6. Good. Because my roll on a D20 was also abysmal. I'm just not... Oh, I rolled a five.
Guide (Chris):Oh!
Rolo (Phil):I'm feeling the D6 today.
Guide (Chris):Okay. Oh, gosh. Okay. So you cast your spell, and then suddenly you see this little wavering in the air in front of you. And then on the ground pops this little tiny spectral shrimp.
Rolo (Phil):Shrimp?
Squawk (Madeleine):Uh-oh!
Guide (Chris):Shrimp?
Lysander (Jay):Uh-oh.
Squawk (Madeleine):I haven't had snacks in so long!
Rolo (Phil):No. Squawk! Do not...
Squawk (Madeleine):I got burnt!
Rolo (Phil):No!
Squawk (Madeleine):I got burned!
Guide (Chris):It's kind of in the air. He's wiggling, and he's kinda looking at all of you at once. He's like, have we food? Is this food? Who's food?
Lysander (Jay):She's gonna have to make a will test.
Squawk (Madeleine):Guys, grab my wings. Hold on. Don't let me go.
Rolo (Phil):I start holding her back.
CAM (Tito):I mean, the shrimp fastest known land creature, obviously. So, I mean, this is a perfect animal to help us out in the mine.
Guide (Chris):I mean, it is kinda floating in the air.
Lysander (Jay):Oh...
Squawk (Madeleine):Floating shrimp is so tasty.
Guide (Chris):So it's like wiggling around all over the place. Looking at each of you real quick. It gets up as like... Because it's right in your face, Rolo. Food. Food!
Rolo (Phil):Yes. You're gonna be food if you don't back off.
Squawk (Madeleine):Someone's holding me back. Right? Right?
Rolo (Phil):Oh yeah. I'm holding you back.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. They they... I can't... I cannot be held accountable!
Rolo (Phil):Shrimp, what what is your name?
Guide (Chris):Briney. Briney, where's the food?
Rolo (Phil):Briney the shrimp. The food is coming once you fulfill the quest.
Guide (Chris):Quest. Quest. Okay. Food. Quest.
Rolo (Phil):Check down that tunnel.
Guide (Chris):Which one?
Rolo (Phil):That way, do not go around any corners. Keep me in sight, and let me know what you see down there or feel or sense.
Guide (Chris):Which tunnel were you sending him down?
Rolo (Phil):The one with no air.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So you see Briney, like, wiggle, and he's like, and just scooting down the tunnel. And it gets pretty far away, and it turns back and looks at you and just keeps looking.
Rolo (Phil):Does it glow in the dark? Like, is he like a ghost?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. I mean, very lightly. It's kinda like spectral. So, yeah, very ghost like.
Rolo (Phil):We could use him as a nightlight.
Guide (Chris):Very dim, but... yes.
CAM (Tito):Like a little firefly or something.
Squawk (Madeleine):There's nightlight.
Guide (Chris):Squawk, you see a glowing shrimp floating around.
Squawk (Madeleine):You're holding... I don't know who's holding me now. I can't. It's been so long since snacks. I I think I threw my shrimp at some bad guy, like, seven episodes ago.
Guide (Chris):You did, you haven't had shrimp in a long time.
Lysander (Jay):I know. It's been a long time.
Squawk (Madeleine):So I can't help it. I break free, and I chase after the shrimp.
Rolo (Phil):No. You don't. I jump on you!
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay, fine.
Rolo (Phil):One of us is gonna have to roll. I'm sorry.
Squawk (Madeleine):I am now flailing and wrestling with Rolo.
Rolo (Phil):We should roll... We... Roll off.
Guide (Chris):Highest one succeeds.
Squawk (Madeleine):Alright.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, I got a 15.
Squawk (Madeleine):I got a five.
Guide (Chris):Rolo pins down Squawk.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh!
Guide (Chris):And Briney comes flying back. And he gets, like, right in your faces. Food. Food. Food!
Rolo (Phil):No. Go. Over there.
Squawk (Madeleine):Why would you taunt me?
Rolo (Phil):Do not come any closer. Go back over there. Go. Go.
Squawk (Madeleine):I try to, like, stick out my tongue.
Rolo (Phil):Bad shrimp!
Squawk (Madeleine):To, like, get him... I have a long tongue. I try to breathe in fast to inhale him.
Guide (Chris):The shrimp is, like, kinda wiggling around, flying around your beak a little bit. Like, just trying to stay just out of range.
Squawk (Madeleine):Just... Why is does familiar so evil?
CAM (Tito):Oh, he's gonna get ate.
Lysander (Jay):Oh, yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):So evil.
Lysander (Jay):He's going, neener neener neener.
Guide (Chris):So as he's doing that, Rolo, he's like, tunnel still goes. Can't see much farther.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. Go and wait for us at the turn.
Guide (Chris):And he just, like, wiggles off and shew! And he goes backwards the other direction.
Rolo (Phil):Wait what?
Guide (Chris):And he waits at a turn.
Lysander (Jay):Towards the entrance?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):No. No. No. This way. This way. Right. This way. Over here. Over here.
Squawk (Madeleine):Your familiar is broken.
Rolo (Phil):The... Okay. And I'm pointing I'm pointing down that tunnel. That way. Go that way. Yeah. Go.
Guide (Chris):K. And he zooms down to the corner, and he waits.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. Wait. Wait. Stay. Stay. Briney, stay. Don't don't... Good, shrimp.
Guide (Chris):Food. Food?
Rolo (Phil):Food. You get food when you close the mission.
Guide (Chris):K!
Rolo (Phil):Food is for closers.
Guide (Chris):K.
Rolo (Phil):Shall we follow?
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):I just let Squawk up and then chase after as she races down the tunnel.
Guide (Chris):Squawk, what are you gonna do?
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, I think I should be tied up here. I think that's the only safe solution. I don't think I can be held accountable for my actions. I'm a hungry bird.
Rolo (Phil):Well, well, well, the tables have turned.
Squawk (Madeleine):Look, I'm asking for it. It's different. It's different.
Rolo (Phil):I say as I'm tying you up with the rope, look at you now.
Squawk (Madeleine):But I'm not saying... I mean, put me comfortably on Ferd, please. I don't wanna be... Don't drag me or anything. But, yeah, I don't wanna... I don't want any control.
Lysander (Jay):But but what if we need our fighter in a hurry?
Rolo (Phil):That will be a problem.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, it's either an eaten digested familiar or defenses. I mean, you guys pick in the moment. We'll see what happens.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, I know. I take the rope, and I tie one rope around one ankle. And then I tie the rope around the other ankle in a way that is so short, she cannot walk fast.
Squawk (Madeleine):This is so embarrassing.
Rolo (Phil):All she can do is just, like, shuffle really, then she still got her wings free for knife shenanigans.
Squawk (Madeleine):But we just have to hope that your familiar is speedy doesn't come close. If he comes close, I can't... I don't know what's gonna happen. I can't control myself.
Rolo (Phil):Well, then you... Now you're going slow, so we should be fine.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. Just keep them away from me.
Lysander (Jay):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):I'm a trying.
Squawk (Madeleine):I do not wanna live with that shame.
Guide (Chris):As you're doing that, Nixley's like, ah, I don't think the cart's gonna get down through these tunnels.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, Nixley, come on. Be a team player here!
Guide (Chris):He's like looking. He's like, they're kinda tight, and Ferd don't really like tight spaces.
Rolo (Phil):We got a lot going on, dude.
Guide (Chris):There's like an iron ring on the side. He's like, I I could tie him up over here, and we can leave the cart and everything. Ferd will be fine, but we're gonna need to carry the cradle and whatever else we got.
Lysander (Jay):Carry the cradle?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. So it definitely seems like one of you could probably carry the cradle, but it's gonna be challenging. So you might need two of you.
Lysander (Jay):Me and Nixley will carry the cradle.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, my feet are tied. I'm not carrying anything.
Guide (Chris):So we've got two people carrying a cradle. We got Squawk is tied up.
Rolo (Phil):And CAM's got the candle.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's for the best.
Guide (Chris):And CAM's got the candle.
Rolo (Phil):We'll call him CAM-dle.
Squawk (Madeleine):CAM-dle.
Rolo (Phil):To remember. Alright. Let's just get down this hallway.
Guide (Chris):K. So you follow the minecart and Briney the shrimp down the left tunnel, and the passage narrows even further. You see condensation coating the walls while drops of water fall from the ceiling onto the rusted rails. The air feels warm and still, and while the candle continues to burn, its flames seem shorter and weaker. Several roof supports bow beneath the weight above them, and you see some wall supports leaning at odd angles, leaving open gaps near the walls. So what do you guys do?
CAM (Tito):Guys, the the candle's flickering a bit. That's one of the signs of danger.
Rolo (Phil):We're fine. We're fine.
Squawk (Madeleine):Creepy air! Creepy air!
Guide (Chris):Briney is like, air fine. Air's fine.
Rolo (Phil):It's not creepy yet. It's just it's just a little shady.
Squawk (Madeleine):Questionable.
CAM (Tito):The thing's in a container. Right?
Guide (Chris):Yes.
CAM (Tito):I don't have to worry about water, like, dripping on the candle or anything like
Guide (Chris):No, it's like a little lantern...
CAM (Tito):Okay.
Guide (Chris):Box type thing.
Lysander (Jay):So so what exactly happens to us, Nixley, if the candle goes out?
Guide (Chris):Well, I mean, I don't know what'll happen. It just means the air is bad. Either there's no air or there's there's something bad in the air. So I guess it depends on what's in the air.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, CAM, I got a science experiment.
CAM (Tito):Uh-oh.
Rolo (Phil):This... It's it's... Take the candle, lower it slowly towards the ground.
CAM (Tito):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):Does the flame improve?
Guide (Chris):It does slightly.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. Now raise it up high above your head.
CAM (Tito):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):What happens to flame?
Guide (Chris):It flickers a little bit more and starts to go a little bit dimmer.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. So good air will be on the ground.
Squawk (Madeleine):We could crawl.
Rolo (Phil):So we can crawl to our destination.
Lysander (Jay):We need to crawl now?
Squawk (Madeleine):Not yet, but we we might.
Lysander (Jay):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):Good sciencing!
Guide (Chris):So what do you want Briney to do?
CAM (Tito):Did we make it around the bend?
Rolo (Phil):Yes. Are we at a bend yet?
Guide (Chris):He goes down to the next bit, and then he comes flying back. It's like, cart cart under beam, And where's the food?
Rolo (Phil):No food until you finish your quest. What does cart on the beam mean?
Guide (Chris):Cart. Up. Come see. And it flies forward.
Rolo (Phil):Well, that's not... You're not helping as sort of an advanced scout if you're not... If I have to go up to what you're talking about.
Squawk (Madeleine):Can you make another familiar?
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. You know what? I'm I'm tempted to let you eat this one. I gotta tell you.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, it would serve some purpose.
Rolo (Phil):I can tell you that Fiddy the crab did not work out much better.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, yeah.
Lysander (Jay):Why are all your familiars nautical?
Rolo (Phil):Why are your familiars nautical? Sorry. I overreacted.
Lysander (Jay):I don't have any familiars.
CAM (Tito):He is his own familiar.
Lysander (Jay):I am.
CAM (Tito):I'm gonna follow the shrimp with the with the candle.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. That's what we're doing.
Guide (Chris):So ahead down the tunnel, you see one of the roof beams is bent low across the tracks. An old ore cart is wedged underneath it, holding up part of the beam's weight. And there's enough room for each of you to probably squeeze around the side, but probably not enough for the cradle. So the ore cart looks movable, but you're not sure what will happen to the beam if you move it. The shrimp just flies underneath, and he kinda sits there.
Lysander (Jay):Is there any ore in the cart?
Guide (Chris):You look and it's dirt and stuff from the ceiling that has kind of bowed down and fallen in there, but you don't see any.
Rolo (Phil):We would not be that lucky.
Lysander (Jay):No. Hey. Worth a shot.
Rolo (Phil):It was a really cool idea, and I was like, way to go. I would have high fived you if that had worked out.
Guide (Chris):You guys can definitely squeeze around the side, but the cradle's probably too big. So how you think you're gonna get the cradle through here?
CAM (Tito):Well, we don't even know if we need the cradle through here. If there's nothing on the other side, then...
Guide (Chris):So you could peek down underneath, and it just looks like the tunnel continues on past it.
Squawk (Madeleine):And our familiar's useless. So...
Guide (Chris):What? No. And he flies right up towards your face. No useless.
Rolo (Phil):No. No.
Squawk (Madeleine):I start hyper... Hyperventilating.
Lysander (Jay):Eat it. Eat it. Just eat it.
Rolo (Phil):I squeeze through the hole and keep going.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm just took a tiny bite of him.
CAM (Tito):Oh, I guess I'm gonna have to go behind him.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah. I sure hope CAM comes.
Guide (Chris):So CAM did.
CAM (Tito):Also, if you went through the hole and you're on the other side and your familiar is back there with Squawk.
Guide (Chris):Well, I I heard Squawk say something about a tiny bite.
Squawk (Madeleine):It just took a little just a little a little bite.
CAM (Tito):About to say he's gonna vanish anyway. Right as she goes to chomp him, he's gonna go poof.
Squawk (Madeleine):That's just a taste. I just... His tail was nicely crunchy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Rolo (Phil):You know what?
Squawk (Madeleine):You left me a unattended.
Rolo (Phil):He was not very helpful. I think we're all just better off. Okay.
Guide (Chris):So, Squawk, there's just a slight taste of shrimp, but it just is not very fulfilling. It's just enough to make you want more shrimp.
Rolo (Phil):It's like a shrimp flavored air freshener.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):I know I'll feel bad tomorrow, but in this moment, I just... It would make me so happy. Can I please eat your familiar Rolo?
Rolo (Phil):I thought you just did.
Squawk (Madeleine):I I I took a little taste. A little taste of his tail, but he's still... I mean, now I gotta put him out of his misery. Okay. I ate him. He's... I'm sorry. Look. I'm sorry.
Guide (Chris):And Briney the shrimp is no more.
Squawk (Madeleine):Our friendship can withstand it. We'll get through this.
Guide (Chris):He did light you on fire. The least he could do is let you eat the familiar.
Squawk (Madeleine):Tiniest snack. Yeah. If I'm gonna be...
Lysander (Jay):You can always make another one.
Rolo (Phil):Oh, yeah. No. Great. We're even. Yeah. Let's call it even. Yep. Fair enough.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):I wash my hands of the whole affair.
Squawk (Madeleine):Moving on.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So how do you guys get the cradle past?
Rolo (Phil):I I don't think we do.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, if people could untie me now, I could be more useful.
Rolo (Phil):No.
CAM (Tito):We're kinda just looking on the other side of the cart just to see... You know, try to gauge how much further it goes or anything like that?
Guide (Chris):It goes far enough that you can't see. Like, it continues on down far enough that you can't really see.
CAM (Tito):Is the candle flickering more on this side of the cart than it was the other?
Guide (Chris):When you're crawling, it's pretty solid. But when you stand back up, it flickers probably a little bit more than when you were on the other side of the cart, but not not awful.
Rolo (Phil):I am going to cast Gate. And this is what happens. I bind myself to the room I am currently in, and I can later snap my fingers for the the absolute rest of my... I've been casting a lot of spells.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):And so the bind is one, and the gate itself is three, and that will be it for me for this effort until... But I can snap my fingers, and me and any willing party members can transport immediately back to this room.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):I will call the other side of the barricade the room.
CAM (Tito):I would say the opposite, the side that we came from.
Rolo (Phil):That's what I mean.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
CAM (Tito):Yeah. Put it there. We put the cradle right next to that.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah.
CAM (Tito):So if we have to, we could grab a bunch of Aziron, gate over, and dump it into the cradle.
Rolo (Phil):This is it. This you you read my mind.
CAM (Tito):There you go.
Squawk (Madeleine):I was gonna say that.
Rolo (Phil):That's the plan.
Squawk (Madeleine):All of that. I wasn't gonna say it.
Rolo (Phil):You also read my mind.
Lysander (Jay):I didn't read your mind at all.
Rolo (Phil):You did not read my mind.
Lysander (Jay):I have no clue what you're talking about.
Rolo (Phil):But we've all... Three of us have said it out loud now. So
Squawk (Madeleine):That's what's gonna happen.
Lysander (Jay):Still, something about a portal and another dimension.
Rolo (Phil):Just trust me. It'll all work out.
Lysander (Jay):Okay.
CAM (Tito):As long as he doesn't have to roll for the gate, we're fine.
Lysander (Jay):Oh.
Rolo (Phil):It said... It does not say I have to roll for the gate.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So you guys all squeeze around the cart, leave the cradle behind, and the tunnel continues on. And further down the tunnel, you find the rail bed ends at a deep break in the floor. The two iron rails still stretch across the gap, but most of the wooden supports between them have fallen away. One rail bows a little bit towards some water down below, and several loose boards hang between them.
Guide (Chris):The gap's about 12 feet across, and you see dark water running over broken stones about 15 feet down below. There's an old iron chain hanging from the ceiling on a hook near the edge, and one person could probably cross across the rails. And then somewhere beyond the gap, you hear scrape and then a big thump again.
CAM (Tito):Okay. So this is definitely the tunnel with the creepy sounds.
Lysander (Jay):Mhmm.
Squawk (Madeleine):Creepy sound tunnel. So is there any way I would like to find out... Did you say is a scrape and a grunt?
Guide (Chris):Thump.
Squawk (Madeleine):Ah, thump. That's not the same as a grunt. Okay.
Lysander (Jay):No.
Rolo (Phil):Is it worse or better?
CAM (Tito):I mean, it could be an inanimate object just waving around and smacking a wall versus a grunt is a living thing.
Rolo (Phil):Maybe it's the power trying to come back on.
Squawk (Madeleine):Could just be, like, a swaying beam broken thing.
Lysander (Jay):Yep.
Squawk (Madeleine):I don't know if it...
Rolo (Phil):Dinosaur.
Lysander (Jay):Rock monster.
Rolo (Phil):Zombie dinosaur.
Lysander (Jay):Yep.
Guide (Chris):I don't know if I wanna go down there. You guys keep saying all this stuff.
Lysander (Jay):Double werewolf.
Guide (Chris):I think I'll go back and guard the guard the cradle and Ferd.
Squawk (Madeleine):No. You will not, Nixley. You are one of the team. You... We have friendship powers bonding us forever. You're sticking by our side.
Guide (Chris):Well, how are gonna get across these rails?
Squawk (Madeleine):We're very smart.
Rolo (Phil):One at a time.
Lysander (Jay):That's it.
Guide (Chris):Oh, okay. Well, I'm not going first.
Rolo (Phil):No. I think I think Squawk has to go first because she's our fighter.
Squawk (Madeleine):I I have the wounds and the battle scars to show it.
Rolo (Phil):Well, you have scars. Not necessarily battle scars.
Squawk (Madeleine):But they look like maybe there was a battle. That's all that counts.
Rolo (Phil):Definitely.
CAM (Tito):Well well, if you're going first, you're gonna need this, and I just plop the candle back on her spike.
Squawk (Madeleine):I feel very uncomfortable. This is far too soon. But with my newfound bravery and courage, I take off and I fly across... It's 12 feet?
Guide (Chris):I think you should be able to make that.
Squawk (Madeleine):I I mean, I do bash against the walls a few times with a fire on my head now. But luckily, the little little lanterny thing seems to be strong enough. So I... My brains are rattled, but I I make it to the other side. Guys, it's easy. No big deal. You just gotta fly across.
Guide (Chris):So what do the rest of you do?
Rolo (Phil):Well, I don't fly across. I tell you that.
Squawk (Madeleine):Right. Oh, that's so embarrassing, sorry. I forgot. I forgot. You can't...
CAM (Tito):So you said one of the rails was still in good shape?
Guide (Chris):They both go across it. One of them is sagging down a little bit, and you think you might be able to get across. It's just... Unless you can figure out some sort of way to, like, brace them or support them or something, you're gonna probably have to roll.
Squawk (Madeleine):Hey. Don't we still have a rope?
Guide (Chris):Mhmm.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, I'm on the other side now, so you guys figure it out. But...
Guide (Chris):I think 29 feet because you ate about a foot of it.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yes.
CAM (Tito):And and there was a chain dangling.
Guide (Chris):Yes. There is, like, a chain from a hook in the ceiling kinda near the edge.
CAM (Tito):Can we reach that?
Guide (Chris):I mean, Squawk could reach it. She could fly up to it.
CAM (Tito):Oh, that's... It's, like, in the middle of the gap or something? Or...
Guide (Chris):Like, about a third of the way from the side you guys are still on.
Lysander (Jay):Maybe we can make a lasso on one end and swing it up there.
Squawk (Madeleine):That's fun times.
CAM (Tito):Go ahead. Go for it.
Lysander (Jay):Well, I'm just throwing ideas.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, I can help. I I... Here. Okay. I will come and get the rope, and I will fly it up to the hook. Is that what we're asking for? Because I can't lift you all across. I would if I could. You wanna get the rope to the hook. Am I right?
Guide (Chris):You can do that.
CAM (Tito):No. We were just wondering what the chain was there. Like, if we could use that, you know, to swing across. Can we do some, you know, something like that?
Guide (Chris):It's probably about three feet long. So it's not...
CAM (Tito):Oh, okay. So it's not usable for that.
Guide (Chris):If the ground was still there, you'd be able to reach it from the ground. You know what I mean? Like, it's just like a chain hanging from the ceiling, but it's...
Rolo (Phil):I'm excited for this rope swing that we're making.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's gonna be fun times.
Rolo (Phil):While Squawk has got that end, I'm gonna tie a big ball knot on the other end so you can sort of, like, you know, put it between your legs and then swing.
Squawk (Madeleine):I I wish I couldn't fly.
Lysander (Jay):Sounds great.
Squawk (Madeleine):That sounds way better than flying.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):It's a it's a little bit lower than waist level. So all you have to do is kinda crouch a little bit on the edge and then just, like, drop so that when you swing to the other side, you're pretty much at a standing position
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):When you're on the other side. See? Thought that through.
Squawk (Madeleine):And I will go to the other side to catch people with the power of friendship supporting them.
Rolo (Phil):You know what'd make this a lot easier is the gate spell.
CAM (Tito):But you would have to be at the other side.
Rolo (Phil):I guess that's... I can't afford the gate spell or or even blink at this point. So...
Squawk (Madeleine):Such sacrifices.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So, Squawk, you fly over. You grab the rope.
Squawk (Madeleine):Yep.
Guide (Chris):And you fly it up to the ring.
Squawk (Madeleine):I tie it up. Yep.
Guide (Chris):Yep. Tie it off.
Squawk (Madeleine):Which is hard for a bird, but I use my beak. So I tie it. I use my feet too. I tie it, and I go back to the side. Bonk, bonk, bang. Ow. But I make it.
Guide (Chris):Be careful that you don't knock the thing down into the water on your head.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, the light into the water?
Guide (Chris):Yeah. That'd be bad.
Squawk (Madeleine):Thank you, Nixley, for all your help...
Guide (Chris):Alright. Who... Who's swinging first?
Rolo (Phil):I shall swing first.
Lysander (Jay):Yeah. Show us how it's done, Rolo.
Rolo (Phil):I... Show them how it is done. Do I need to roll for showing it up?
Guide (Chris):So I will give you guys the option. You can roll or...
Rolo (Phil):I will not roll.
Guide (Chris):Squawk can roll to try and catch you. So you guys pick.
Rolo (Phil):I want Squawk to roll. See my rolls have not not been going well.
Guide (Chris):Alright. So you...
Rolo (Phil):And I feel this should this should be total karma if Squawk somehow lights me on fire.
Squawk (Madeleine):I don't want it to happen.
CAM (Tito):Squawk just throws a knife and cuts the rope.
Squawk (Madeleine):It's on a lot of my hands right now.
Rolo (Phil):I fall to my doom going, I forgive you...
Squawk (Madeleine):That's the main thing. Alright. I'm rolling. So is Rolo swinging right now?
Guide (Chris):Yep.
Lysander (Jay):Yep.
Squawk (Madeleine):Rolo swinging?
Rolo (Phil):I'm mid swing.
Squawk (Madeleine):I am ready to catch you like the supportive friend I am. I roll an eight. I roll an eight. So...
Lysander (Jay):Oh.
Guide (Chris):So you succeed, but they're one of two... You have to pick one of the setbacks. So the setback is is you grab onto him and either...
Lysander (Jay):He takes you with him.
Guide (Chris):He takes you back with him, or you guys get across, but the rope comes undone. So I'll let you pick.
Squawk (Madeleine):We get across, the rope kinda... What happens to the rope? What would happen to the rope if it were to come undone?
Guide (Chris):Well, it's gonna fall down into the water most likely. Rolo's still holding out to one side of it. But.
Squawk (Madeleine):I don't care. We'll just pull it back up. I'm a bird. I can fly. I can tie knots on chains all day. So that's what I want.
Rolo (Phil):I don't know if I get a say in this, but I agree with you. This is a good call.
Squawk (Madeleine):This is because if he knocks me... Yeah. That's less work than the other dumb thing. Let's do this.
Guide (Chris):So, basically, Rolo swings across, and as he gets there just as he's right near the edge, the rope starts coming undone. But, Squawk, you're able to reach out and pull him in just as the rope falls and splashes down into the water.
Rolo (Phil):Woah.
Squawk (Madeleine):I will save him. I pull him back, and he's he's he's looked so grateful. I'm touched.
Rolo (Phil):But I'm not. I'm actually just... that was indigestion.
Squawk (Madeleine):I interpret...
Rolo (Phil):I'm totally grateful.
Squawk (Madeleine):I interpreted his gratitude.
Rolo (Phil):I'm so thankful.
Squawk (Madeleine):And then we notice the rope that we are surprised to be falling down.
Rolo (Phil):And can you can you get your talon out of my face?
Squawk (Madeleine):I remove my talon from his face.
Rolo (Phil):Thank you.
Squawk (Madeleine):Quick as lightning. I can dive... I can fly down there. Right? I can just fly down and get the rope.
Guide (Chris):Or you can just pull it up. Rolo's holding one side of it.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh oh, no flying required. Okay. Pull it up.
Rolo (Phil):But you do have to fly to the back to the hook.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay.
Guide (Chris):You're still gonna have to tie it back to the hook again.
Squawk (Madeleine):Okay. We get the rope. I... Make sure Rolo feels safe on that side, and I fly back and I bang bang bang bash clunk, clang, and I tie it to the chain. It's tiring. And then I go and I hang out with Rolo.
Guide (Chris):Alright. Who's going next?
Rolo (Phil):I'm gonna start feeling around in the dark on this side while everybody else is starting cross.
Guide (Chris):Well, it's not too dark because Squawk has the the candle.
Lysander (Jay):Why don't you go, CAM? Because I could get across on my own.
Guide (Chris):Just because....
Squawk (Madeleine):What are you up to?
Lysander (Jay):I could just fly across.
CAM (Tito):Well, then you go do that real quick.
Lysander (Jay):But then you're stuck here on this side.
CAM (Tito):Well, Nixley's still here.
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting about Nixley. Sorry.
CAM (Tito):Let's let's send Nixley across on the rope next.
Guide (Chris):No. That's okay. You guys go first.
CAM (Tito):How are you gonna get across?
Guide (Chris):Well, alright. Fine. I'll go. So Nixley goes to go. Now he's gonna have to either roll or you guys on the other side can roll.
Guide (Chris):You'll get advantage because there's two of you now. I'll let you guys pick. Do want Nixley to roll or do you guys want the roll?
Squawk (Madeleine):My rolls haven't been great either.
Guide (Chris):Well, you'll both get the roll since you have advantage.
Squawk (Madeleine):Well, let... Let's go let's go for it. I believe in us. Here I go. I'm rolling.
Guide (Chris):Rolo and Squawk. You guys both roll one die.
Squawk (Madeleine):I'm rolling. Oh!
Guide (Chris):Rolo, roll real high.
Rolo (Phil):Rolling real high. Here we go. What did you roll?
Squawk (Madeleine):One...
Rolo (Phil):I rolled a six.
Lysander (Jay):Poor Nixley. We knew him well.
Squawk (Madeleine):He wasn't that helpful.
Guide (Chris):Six is a tough choice. So it is a success, but you got one of two setbacks. So I will give you... Here's the next option. You guys can either grab him, but the rope is now going to get tangled, and it's gonna be very difficult to get it off of the ring. But you could pull him across like you... he let's go of the rope, and the rope just kinda gets all mangled up on the the rails and and the rope.
Rolo (Phil):Yeah, what's the second option?
Guide (Chris):The second option is the rope will be easy to get back, but one of you go back out over the chasm with him.
Squawk (Madeleine):I mean, as long as it's not me, that's fine.
Rolo (Phil):And it turns out to be me!
Squawk (Madeleine):That one. That one. That one.
Rolo (Phil):And do we slowly come to a stop, like, swinging...
Guide (Chris):So you guys are just hanging right in the middle between the tracks. Oh, this ain't good. Why did I go next?
Rolo (Phil):Why... And I'm looking directly at Nixley's face as I'm holding onto him. Why, Nixley, did this whole adventure end up just crossing... I feel like we've spent years on this gorge, Nixley. What do we... Did you ever go on a swing when you were a kid? Nixley?
Guide (Chris):Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. So what we do is we we kick our... Now I'm facing the opposite way. We're holding on to each other. We're hugging. But you kick your legs out when we swing this way.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):And I'm gonna kick my legs out when we swing that way.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):And we're gonna see if we could start pumping the the swing until we can swing back.
Guide (Chris):Oh, okay.
Rolo (Phil):Okay. Kick Nixley.
Guide (Chris):Kick.
Rolo (Phil):Now I'm kicking.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Rolo (Phil):You kick.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
Squawk (Madeleine):You can do it!
Rolo (Phil):It's working!
Guide (Chris):You guys start swinging slowly back and forth and gain momentum and then are able to to swoop back over to the other side.
Lysander (Jay):I would say they were swinging the other way. Instead of swinging back and forth, they're swinging just...
Squawk (Madeleine):You can't swing one way.
Lysander (Jay):No. I mean, like, you know, instead of swinging back to both sides, you're swinging going all...
Rolo (Phil):Laterally and smashing into each wall?
Lysander (Jay):Yeah.
Squawk (Madeleine):That's so embarrassing.
Guide (Chris):So now that there's three of you on the other side, I will not require rolls for you guys to to get the rest of the way across because there's enough for you to...
Squawk (Madeleine):Just get over here.
Guide (Chris):Grab whoever comes across. Yeah.
Rolo (Phil):Phew.
Guide (Chris):Okay.
CAM (Tito):Swing.
Guide (Chris):Okay. So you guys are all back across on the gap.
Squawk (Madeleine):Woo hoo!
Guide (Chris):So you continue on and the tunnels join, and they open up into a chamber so wide that your light does not reach both walls at once. So the ceiling rises far above you. Gray daylight falls through several sinkholes overhead lighting separate patches of the broken floor. Thick roots cross the ceiling and push out through the walls, and many are wider than a minecart. Most end in wide flat cuts, and pale wood shows beneath old saw marks and dark rings of dried resin.
Guide (Chris):Three rail lines spread out across the chamber, and they run between deep holes, broken work platforms, and piles of cut root and rows of heavy support posts holding up damaged ceiling. So this chamber just opens up way out in front of you almost like a big... I almost want to say like a stadium. You can't see the far end, but it's just this big massive hall, and you just see all the roots chopped off.
CAM (Tito):Is is this where all the all the thudding has been coming from, the the ceiling caving in?
Guide (Chris):You don't notice anything right now, but it could be.
CAM (Tito):Well, are there large chunks of fresh dirt on the ground?
Guide (Chris):There's lots of areas where there's sinkholes have caved in, but you don't see anything nearby that looks fresh.
Squawk (Madeleine):Probably really, like, echoey. Right?
Guide (Chris):Very echoey, yes.
Squawk (Madeleine):So, like If we wanted to have a little dance party with some music...
Rolo (Phil):No...No!
CAM (Tito):No.