Ep. 4 The Open Road

## Watch

The Open Road | Khyber Shards #4 | D&D 5e Actual Play

—Casey

The group makes the eventful trek across Khorvaire. One night, Shade tries to leave them, but is convinced by Ari to stay. They get mugged, but they don't have anything of value anyway. Finally they get on the boat to Xen'drik, and Ari is set upon by a grumpy dwarf who doesn't enjoy finding Ari in bed with his partner.

Eventually they make it, and settle into their new treehouse home.

## Synopsis

The party begins making their way across Khorvaire. Only Ari is filled with dread at the thought of traveling in the wild, and they often make camp outside.

One night, while traveling through Thrane, Shade starts packing her things up. She does this not particularly quietly, and so wakes Ari up in the process. She and Ari talk about the group, and what it means to stay together. He tells her they're safer with each other, and that her fears of being a liability are wrong—she saved them at Blackwheel. With their talking they wake Pog and Esri; Pog is ready to pack his bags and leave with her, and Esri scolds them for disturbing his beauty sleep. Shade is convinced to stay.

During their travels, they're set upon by a group of bandits. They don't have much to steal to it's rather uneventful, but none of them make it out completely unscathed. Ari shows everyone how to wash their clothes, thinking it's a bad idea to go around with blood all over them. Shade doesn't like this, thinking it's easier for predators to find their natural scent, so Esri gives her a courtesy splash.

They arrive in Sharn and find it'll be about a month at sea to make it to Xen'drik. Ari has never been to sea before so doesn't know what to expect—turns out he doesn't like it. Pog isn't a fan, and Esri and Shade both feel out of their elements, Esri having nothing to draw upon and feeling trapped, and Shade being away from the trees and the forest and everything she considers nature.

They get their low class tickets and board. To distract himself from the sea, Ari starts surrounding himself with people. He plays his instruments, socializes…and one day is kicked out of a room, wearing nothing but his underwear, by a grumpy looking dwarf with a sword pointed at Ari's throat. Pog simply checks the room and walks away(though is quite impressed by what he sees). Esri manages to diffuse the situation by claiming that Ari just wandered off without his pants and pretending that he's just confused. Shade just watches.

They pass by Shargon's Teeth, learning about the terrifying sahuagin. Pog is horrified, but Esri just takes it in stride. Finally they land in Stormreach.

They end up living in a treehouse near the edge of the forest. It's not technically theirs, but owned by the Swords of Karrn.

## Locations

* In this episode they flee across Khorvaire. They pass through Thrane and land in Sharn at some point, and head off by boat to cross the Thunder Sea for Stormreach, passing by Shargon's Teeth and the sahuagin as they do.

## Quotes

"My mother's oatmeal is enough to make a Droaam troll cry with how delicious it is."
*—Ari 0:21:55*

"Philip, why is oatmeal like a baked potato for you? I can have it done in ninety seconds. This dude with a silly hat really has the thing figured out."
"Colin, we're gonna have to introduce you to the wonder of steel-cut oats, cause I can tell you don't know."
*—Colin and R.A. 0:30:44*

"I…I need my clothes. I left my clothes in there."
"Those clothes are dead to you. Go away."
"That's my favorite shirt. I love that shirt."
"*Was* your favorite shirt."
*—Ari, Esri, and Pog 0:49:36*

"Listen, before we set roots here, can we move again?"
*—Colin 1:10:44*

"I'll dial it back."
"No, dial it *off.* And keep it *on.*"
*—Ari and Esri*

## Trivia

* Casey's video was down for much of this episode.
* Some of the choices of a place to live that Philip offered to the group were:
	+ A derelict ship moored in the river
	+ A ruin on a bit of floating rubble above the roofs of the city, inhabited by sahuagin that have a diplomatic relationship with the city
	+ Under the city in a subterranean chamber off one of the lower levels
	+ Something classic like an apartment above a shop
* This is the first episode that Ari loses a shirt.
* Eric does the recap.