Ep. 91 The Road Below Chapter Five

## Listen

Ep. 91 The Road Below Chapter Five

—Sayings of the Umbragen

Drakir, Crast, and Thorin make their plans to rescue Bala. Thorin is alarmed when Drakir says he wants to kill someone if the opportunity arises, and even more alarmed when he learns it's because his king is actually a fake king, and the real one has been hiding out with them. They poison what will soon be the king's wine. Dex finally has some justice, but will never know.

## Synopsis

### Undercover

Just a few short hours away from Commander Bala's trial, Drakir, Thorin, and Crast try to find a way to get in contact with Haydith ir'Wynarn. Thorin looks around for Eva, but can't find her. He does spot someone wearing a blue sash just like the Swords of Liberty, a burly gentleman with a not-to-be-trifled-with attitude and a bald head.

*"What I've learned is that there's no one not to be trifled with."
—Jeff*

Thorin walks up to the guy. He's not wearing any insignia, so he hopes to not be recognized. He puts on a voice and asks the man if he's seen Eva, and the man tells him to go away.

*"Come on man, I need a hit. She's my supplier, of drugs."
—Thorin*

Thorin describes the inky black liquid to the man. *"It's thick and it's got shiny stuff in it."* The guy reaches into his bag and pulls out two vials that look the exact same. Thorin knows he's being messed with and gets it out of the man that Eva's talking to one of their bosses. Thorin awkwardly leaves.When he gets about fifteen feet away he pulls the vial out of his own bag, calls back that he's found it, and runs off.

### Wine seller

Drakir wants to find a wine seller. Beric's been having a hard time and Drakir was told he needs support, and since he's not good at comforting, he was thinking poisoning the false king would bring him some comfort. When he's dead he'll revert back to changeling form, and that will also be a great distraction. Thorin goes along with it and hopes he's right about the king.

Thorin offers Drakir his wine, and Drakir clarifies. He wants a wine *seller*, not a wine cellar. He wants to offer wine to the king after he's poisoned it. The worst that could happen is his personal wine taster dies.

Thorin says he knows someone who sells classy stuff, and after figuring out what to say to Drakir to get him to not murder the wine merchant, they set out for district 5. They approach a gated manor with a sign reading "Cassalanter Fine Wines." They go inside and find Victoro Cassalanter.

*"The wine seller could be locked up in his wine cellar."
—Drakir*

Victoro has donated some money to the royal family, and as a reward the trial will be held in the courtyard in front of their establishment. There will be all kinds of dignitaries passing through, and then continuing on the the execution. He has wine set aside for the king and will be serving him personally while his wife tends to everyone else. They tell him that Drakir is a poison expert sent to approve the bottle, and Victoro hands it over.

Thorin asks Victoro to limit the number of people entering and exiting the building, but Victoro says the reason they donated was to draw in business. They agree on not serving the public until after the trial is over.

Drakir and Thorin step out to inspect the bottle. Thorin is hesitant to poison the whole thing, but Drakir tells him they'll have Three prevent anyone but the king from drinking it. Although it's very poisonous, so maybe they could poison the people around him, too.

*"Well, I suppose you should make that murder bottle."
—Thorin*

They putz around to make it look like they actually did something, Drakir poisons the wine, and they go back in and ask for some wax to seal it with. Thorin presses his signet ring into the seal, and they leave.

### Wine inspector

Outside is a dais. Drakir makes casual conversation with one of the workers and finds the spot closest to where Bala will be. With an hour left until the trial, Drakir lingers in the area, watching in case an actual wine inspector shows up.

He sees a fancily dressed man with a rolled up scroll marching towards the bridge, royal signet on his chest. Drakir activates his shadow shift ability and uses Disguise Self to appear as Cassalanter and cuts him off before he can get to the building. He directs the man to the back of the building, where he says the wine cellar is. As the man turns towards the cellar doors, Drakir summons a Shadowblade and stabs him from the back. He hides the corpse in a dumpster and takes his documents.

### Final preparations

Drakir goes over to the water's edge, looking for an aquatic animal that can be their escape plan. He finds a hunter shark and casts Animal Friendship on it. The shark was reluctant but then realized he understood Drakir on a primal level.

Crast suggests buying some potions of invisibility, but they can't afford it. Thorin says he's going over to be closer to Three, and Drakir makes his threat of killing him and everyone he loves before he leaves. Thorin is surprisingly okay with it when Drakir tells him he's killed the wine inspector.

People start gathering, and ropes are put around the benches closest to Bala. Drakir positions himself so he can be close to her but still see the door to the winery. A woman comes out with a tray of goblets, and Victoro sets the cask out. Bala is in shackles and being led up to a platform on a carriage. A horn is blown, signaling the beginning of the procession.

End of episode.

## Spells

* **Drakir**
	+ Detect Magic [0:35:51]
	+ Animal Friendship [0:51:59]  [0:52:24]

## Quotes

"I'm extremely persuasive and usually right."
*—Drakir 0:11:28*

"I don't really gain anything when someone is dead. I just no longer have to deal with them."
*—Drakir 0:16:26*

"I was affirming that you are correct in your assessment of yourself."
"I don't need you to do that."
"And yet I have done it."
*—Drakir and Thorin 0:17:19*

"Are you the proprietor of this [stutters] ehm…"
"Place."
"Place."
"That was Philip. Not Drakir. Drakir was gonna be able to do that, but Philip failed him."
*—Philip and Jeff*

"Well, I've never poisoned a giant, but—"
"I have."
*—Thorin and Drakir 0:33:20*

"If you have changed your mind and decided to betray us, I will kill you and everyone you love."
"Jokes on you; I don't love anybody."
"It will be a very simple task."
"Listen, Drakir—"
"If you don't think I will, go look in the dumpster behind the wine cellar."
"Drakir, what did you do?"
"I killed someone."
*—Drakir and Thorin 0:57:09*

## References and Footnotes

1. ↑ Not a wine cellar.
2. ↑ This would be an added bonus because it would also cause a distraction.
3. ↑ Drakir can poison the entire city. 14,000 giant corpses in poison.