The Toymaker's Regret Part II

0:03 Tonight's episode of Crit Happens is sponsored by Scribe Quill. Miss a plot thread in your last session? Scribe Quills got you upload your TTRPG session recording and Scribe Quill transcribes it, turns it into an engaging recap, and narrates it with text to speech. Dial in the vibe with thematic background music and pick from a range of voices to match your world. Share it with your party and kick off your next session perfectly In Sync. Preserve the essence, keep the momentum, Search Scribe Quo and start recapping today. Scribe Quo Remember better play faster. Last session, the holiday adventurers arrived to a holiday hamlet wrapped in warmth and absence. Snow fell the way stories promise. Hearths glowed and songs drifted like the town's steady breath, yet empty chairs and shuttered windows lingered in the corners of sight.

0:59 At Branagh Coyle's Tavern, a single seat was kept for Merrick, a widower who never missed a bowl of Stew. Until he did. His friends spoke of him returning lighter each time, happy and content, as though vanishing were a gentle mercy rather than a wound. At Town hall, 1/2 elf clock with ink stained fingers pulled a weathered Ledger and a pair of maps. She had tracked a private pattern. The 1st to go were those least checked on. She named Gelvin Crick, the old toy maker whose shop once gave company to the lonely. On the older map, Crick's Emporium sat on East Lane. On the new one, the shop had been removed as neatly as an entry crossed out.

1:45 Lord Crumbleton Molassica, a gingerbread noir with a sugar dusted hat and a candy cane sidearm, took the case with a hard promise. Santa doesn't handle the hard cases. I'm what happens after you get cold? A stop at the bakery turned uncanny. Millie Sandbake, served from a room, paused mid moment, an ovens loaf perfectly between raw and done. The timer stopped as if the air forgot how to tick. Sailor. The Baker had finished her morning's work, wrapped tomorrow's dough, and declared she was done being kneaded before leaving with a relieved smile. Outside, the streets bent subtly. Wrong corners drifted. Lantern light shortened, and a warm draft carried pine and varnish toward an address that shouldn't exist. Crick's Emporium stood ahead, windows, gold toys in perfect rows, it's sign promising.

2:41 Everyone has a purpose. The snow stirred with motion that felt prepared, not hungry. Tin choir boys rose, ribbon gremlins unfurled, and the alley erupted. Crumbleton expanded to a towering silhouette and opened with ruthless precision. Simo stepped into the line, shield high as his summoned snowman smashed into brass and paint. Fiery's hand borne lightning seared A gremlin to stillness. Twiggy, high on a broom, let fire bloom and rattle the shop's pains. Indiana slid through the drift and finished a gremlin with a clean shot while Amelie's arrow and Estella's dire wolf form pressed the attack. When silence returned, toys lay as if carefully set down, not broken.

3:31 A small brass gear stamped JK glinted in the snow. Inside the emporium felt like a place that had pulled out a chair for them hours ago. The door clicked shut. Warmth pressed in, and from deeper in the Golden Isles a fond and tired voice said Oh good, you made it. The toy maker's regret waited past the shelves, and with it the truth of where the missing had gone and why the town felt relieved to let them go. Stop, let's write this story. I don't need the allegory. Please just tell me what's real.

4:13 But nothing ever seemed to be real. But she's some colors that don't exist. Painting my painting counterfeit. Bless every truth I knew just starts to twist. Can from a calm in a world like this. I've been my tongue till the words went dry, warm, old like a chief disguise. See the truth when I close my eyes. The hardest part was a great goodbye and safety ache and master pain. I've been lost inside my name. All the mirrors look the same, but I don't see my face. Face.

5:17 Welcome back criticism to another episode of Crit happens here on Spotify, iTunes, player.fmpoddirectory.com, stitcher.com, TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, also now on SiriusXM and Pandora. Want to welcome back our holiday adventurers? Say hello, adventurers. Hello Adventures. Oh, hello. Hello Ventures. Hello. Did you say I just got to ask, did you say criticisms? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the thing we came up with weeks ago. Well, I missed it in time now. Yeah, So you might not have been there actually, now that I think about it. Yeah, Yeah, that's that's something we came up with a few weeks ago.

5:57 And actually, I love that Archie came up with it. We were, we were mulling over nicknames because of course critters is taken. And I was like, oh, we got to come up with something. And just off the cuff, he's like, what about criticism? And we're all like, Oh my God, I love that. It's perfect. So we are here once again to finish our holiday. We call it a one shot, but typically it takes us 2-3 episodes to get through. But to our holiday session we'll call it. So again, as the recap stated, you guys have just entered the the Emporium, Crix Emporium and we left off the session with the oh good, you're here.

6:40 So do we have any questions before we start? I don't think I ever changed out of direwolf form and that stays for an hour, but I think I'm so a wolf. That would be correct, yeah. So that'll be cool. That'll be fun. Cool. I'm still meeting. Her people. Oh yeah, yeah. Wait, yeah. Aren't you like 7 feet something now? Quick. That's right. I forget. Yeah. How large? Yeah, yeah, you're going to need to duck on your way in, but all right, so the doors close behind you with the sound too gentle to be a lock.

7:25 Warmth settles in, not rushing, not pressing, just arriving, the way a blanket finds its weight after you stop adjusting it. The noise of the street fades, not cut off but politely dismissed. Snow light becomes window gold. Shadows soften the air. Smells of pine, old wrapping paper, and something sweet that never quite names itself. Rows of toys lined the walls, not chaotic or crowded, each one placed with care, angled just enough to be seen. Soldiers at rest, dolls with folded hands. Animals mid stretch, caught between motion and stillness. No one rushes to meet you. A long hearth runs the length of the far wall, embers glowing low and steady.

8:13 People sit nearby. Some talk quietly, some sip from mugs that steam without thinning. Others simply sit, eyes closed, breathing like they had finally found a place that does not ask anything of them. They notice you, but they they don't react. No Fear, no surprise, no relief. Just the mild curiosity reserved for someone who has arrived early or late, never on time. A tall figure tends the fire. His movements are practiced, careful, unhurried. He sets the fire poker down, straightens and smiles the way someone does when guests finally find their way in from the cold. Oh.

8:55 He says, voice fond and worn thin in places. Good, you made it. He gestures, open handed, towards the warmth. Please sit, there's time. You telling me what to do? No, not at all. It's just there's, there is room for everyone. So there's like a fireplace. Yeah, you think of it kind of like if you any of you have been to like a ski resort or like a ski hill, you know, like there's like the inside, there's just everybody's huddled around the fire and, you know, drinking coffee or a warm. So in order to get to the fireplace, do I have to like pass by him?

9:45 Yeah, you would be, you would be kind of centered around the, you know, the other patrons there. I mean, you would be centered, but you would absolutely be around them. OK, well, I mean, I'd like to kind of in my wolf form still just take a little sniffer around, you know, and make my way towards the fire. But I would definitely like to just, I don't know why I would like to go past him and sniff. Sure. I mean, you know, this is not the first time I've asked for a role for Sniff in this camp or in this this podcast. So what the hell, give me a I'll call it an investigation check. OK, Oh, how's A9?

10:48 With a nine there's. Have extra yeah. With a nine, I mean, there's nothing out of the ordinary that catches your sniffer. You you smell the you know what you would expect the smell. Oh, I have keen hearing and smell so I have advantage on perception checks. I'll let you. I'll let you roll advantage again. OK, come on. Worse. I got an 8. Perfect. So with the 8 and the nine, you, you smell exactly what you would expect to smell, you know, with a fire going and people kind of having their own hot drinks and you know, the the standard holiday smells of, you know, again, pine, peppermint, hot chocolate, you know, things along those natures. Like a whiny type thing and shrug and I'm going to go like curl up in front of the fire and like, look around and observe. Sure.

11:57 Yeah, I mean you'll hello curl up in front of the fire and the patrons around you don't seem to be reacting. They it's just another day at the office for them. Patty, you were asking if there were baked goods. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Awesome. You know, think of this place as a, we'll call it a welcome hall of sorts. You know, it's, you know, think if you were to walk into a potluck that you weren't expecting to walk into, There's people huddled or you know, people are around eating food, drinking drinks, having some, you know, conversations at the fire, although the conversations that are occurring here aren't very prevalent almost, you know, sometimes they're talking to themselves or they're, you know, with a hushed whisper, kind of whispering to each other, but nothing about anything. We'll call it stressful.

13:01 Emily's going to look at the guy and be, like you said, time. Time for. What exactly? There's always time to to warm up and sit where you'd like and just enjoy yourself. Is that a baking joke warm up? It was not meant to such my friend. Emily's going to kind of like slip by this guy and she's going to sit next to the fire and open a book that has a sprig of mistletoe as a bookmark, and she's just going to kind of lean back and read. OK.

13:47 I'll take a listen to the conversations that are going on. Yeah, same. Sure. Also, can I go cuddle up to Amelie? Sure, what the hell. Yay. You're under the mistletoe though. Oh shit, I'll give her a lick. Thank you, I still appreciate the texture of your tongue on my cheek. The. Texture of your tongue. What a compliment. What a sentence. Holy crap. I'm going to for no reason. I'm just going to hit the marker key and I'll do the audition for that one. All right?

14:27 Jesus. OK, so anybody that wants to listen for conversations can go ahead and give me a perception check or they can take their passive if you wish. Do I do the set advantage? Keen hearing, I will say yes. Yep. I'm a 25. OK. 15. 24. Got a dirty 20? Is a 3020. 3020 all. Right. So everybody that rolled above a 12, which I think is everyone, the conversations that you are hearing between these patrons, again, some of them are even talking just a little bit to themselves. Otherwise they're not really speaking at all. They're just enjoying the atmosphere. The conversations that you do hear aren't anything that worrisome are important.

15:25 They're more just kind of talking about things that they enjoy in their lives and, you know, their family members and kind of talk with each other about how good it feels to kind of relax. I want to go up to the ones that are having a conversation about family. Oh boy. OK, sure. So you'll walk up to there's a couple different, there's a an older gentleman and there's also an older woman. You know, they're kind of converse, you know, conversing with each other. Sure them then.

16:09 Say again sorry. Said them then. Yes. That's that's who I'll go up to, OK. You'll so you'll. Are you still in large form? Yeah, I'll, I'll be medium. OK. So just standard, standard height, you just walk up to them and you'll just stand there. I'll say that's a pretty nice conversation you're having. I I had a family once till they were eaten. Now, I don't suppose you ever had a cookie or two in your life, have you? The, the, they're not a couple, but the couple will, they'll kind of glance at each other and smile, look up at you and says, my goodness, I mean cookies, especially during the holiday season or one of the best treats that you can get, especially down at the bakery with, with the, the, you know, the Baker we love, we love the cookies here.

17:10 Going to unholster my candy cane pistol and just kind of like slap my hand on the table with it under my hand and say when's the last time you had a gingerbread? Give me give me a give me an intimidation check with disadvantage that. Is a 1717. OK. Oh, disadvantage. Sorry. Yeah, yeah, that is a, that is a 14. 14 OK, well, the 14 they will, you know, kind of look at your candy cane pistol, kind of look at each other and they're the smile starts to fade just a tad when you when you kind of bang your hands on the table with the pistol and say how many gingerbreads have you eaten in your life?

18:07 You kind of hear from the far end of the room by the by the fire. You say you you don't need to do that here. No one you can put that down. It's it's all right some. It is down, can't you see? Please, there's there's no need for hostility here. Fighting is usually the last thing people are ready to let go of. Well, if it's the last thing they're willing to let go of, then it's the first thing they're willing to do. I I must ask that you put that away. There's there's no need for hostility. I'll pick it up and I'll just hold it in my hand at my side. I'll turn around and walk away. And as I'm walking away under my breath, I'll say gingerbread eating sons of bitches. OK, what's everybody else doing?

18:58 What did did I hear? Anything interesting from the perception? Just like trying to listen in on conversations around us. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, everybody that rolled. First of all, hello, Buggy. You are the most handsome boy in the universe. Audio listeners, we love you to death. Discord is we're being shown a dog. Hello, Finnegan. Thanks for making your appearance on Critical. Critical happens today. You are a good boy. Spencer almost got us cancelled. OK, so to answer your question, no, I mean nothing that you wouldn't expect. I would say nothing out of the ordinary. You know, like I said, they're talking about family, they're talking about relaxation, letting go of of stress and things that are bothering them.

19:53 Nothing. Like I said, nothing necessarily out of place. Well, wasn't this like a toy shop slash factory? Are you, are you asking me that? Are you asking me that out of game? Well, I don't know how I'd ask you in game. Well, I I didn't know if you were asking 1. Of the what part? Bark, Bark wolf. I guess. Yeah, OK. Yeah, you're right. You're still in wolf form. So it more come like a ger. Uh huh. Well, because I just, I thought last session where we ended was fighting outside the like factory or toy shop and that's what we went inside and now it's like this resorty type thing.

20:47 Yeah, I mean, I tell you what. Give me give me an insight check. OK. OK. I get the sense we're in more of a lobby. Which is 12 first. Room. You said 12, OK, With a 12, I mean, there's not necessarily anything on the door or the sign that says that this is exclusively a toy shop. It just says Crick's Emporium. Huh. OK, interesting. Noted.

21:30 Indiana's going to find a table and like, try and make herself make herself at home with whoever's whatever table she randomly picks and try and see if she can grab some snacks. OK, yeah, tell you what, give me a Dexterity check to check to check for grabbing snacks. I'm feeling feisty tonight. You get 3 cookies. You. Had it. All those bad rolls 6. 6 you you successfully grab one cookie, but as you go for the second cookie, you kind of accidentally knock it off the table.

22:15 Wait, can I get it? Give me a. Give me a precise. Rule. I'm gonna dive and go 5 second rule. Oh boy, I'll tell you what. Give me, give me, give me competing Dexterity checks. We'll just call it a straight Dexterity check. What is this dex? OK. Plus 41. Did you say 40? 21. OK, well, I got 12, so I'm not very good in my wolf form, by the way, but I'm enthusiastic. By the way, great song by Rush 2112. OK, yeah, Patty.

23:06 Well, you'll absolutely pick up the cookie 1st. And as you pick up the cookie and begin to eat it, you see this wolf just coming, just ready to pounce, trying to grab the cookie, and she misses. I get sad. I'm going to like, taunt her a little bit with it, like, oh, it's so good. And then eventually like break off a piece and throw it down to her, OK. And as you guys take that in, the warmth around you is settling in again, and somebody nearby kind of exhales like they've been holding in their breath of a long time.

23:57 What? Wait, where someone's holding in their breath? No, somebody exhaled like they were holding in their breath. Right, like they were holding in their breath. Where'd it come from themselves? Where? Oh, there's, there's people all around you remember? But I it was, but I can't tell who. No. Huh. Who did that? Who? Breathed. Which one of you exhaled like that? It was who? Breathed. Are you? Are you saying that to me? Like are you saying in circles? Are you saying that with your gun? Yeah, I pick it up just like pointing straight out. Give me an intimidation check.

24:47 Matt, 20. Jesus. Christ, Oh my God. It's the only check 20 I rolled like making them. Crumble. Where's the? Cookie got riz. I have questions. Jesus for the natural point. Something suspicious in here and one of you is going to tell me what's going on. And you hear. Baked I will have more riz. Yeah, you hear or you see, you know, a woman stirring, you know, her mug answer is kind of without looking up, she goes, I did. And she kind of gestures vaguely towards the the hearth and says the fire does that to people. You can, you can put that down, dear. No one's sneaking.

25:38 I'm not a people. The fire does that to everyone. What do you mean the fire? Emily's going to say, and she looks over her book at this lady. Say it again. You, you're kind of cut out. What do you mean the fire? Emily is going to kind of look over her book at this lady. I mean she she again kind of does like the have you ever seen that that Tik Toker, I forget his name, Kabe Lami. I think his name is where he puts his hand up and he points at something with both of his hands. Like she kind of like gestures towards the fire a little bit more and she's like this, the fire it, it brings out something in people that they don't necessarily know is there. As this is going on, I'm going to be loading my my weapon with a different type of of candy cane ammunition. OK.

26:48 I'm sniffing the fire. What the My spells, never mind. My ears perk up and I go and I'm just like looking around very alertly. Your character doesn't hear that, by the way. Oh no. Oh, then I'm sniffing a fire. Would any of us hear that? All all of so that noise is for out of game purposes. I can't really tell you what it is, OK, but just know that that nose is not necessarily a good thing. Oh. Love that for us. I'm going to, I'm going to unload my gun into the into the hearth, the fireplace. Where I'm standing in front of.

27:36 Using my frostbite cane. OK, let me let me understand this correctly. You are putting ammunition into a fire. No, I'm putting frostbite cane into a fire Sugar ice hard and spiked that deals cold damage and leaves in its place a 10 foot radius of difficult ice terrain. OK, when you I'm putting the fire out, sure. When you empty your ammunition into this fire, the frostbite cane. Can I say empty? I mean, shooting, I'm shooting it. I'm emptying my gun into it, unloading it, emptying it, right, You know?

28:23 I I thought you were saying. Bang Bang, Bang, Bang Bang. Do the smart thing and not do the gun thing. Jesus Christ, someone. Does. And run as you begin to fire this gun into the into the fire, the shots kind of crack through the entire room, sharp and completely out of place. The flame butters embers are scattering and then the fire settles again just continuing the bullets and the the frostbite gun.

29:12 What was it? Frostbite cane just vanish into the coals without any spark, smoke, any change. The warmth remains unchanged, steady as a breath. And that there's a magic fire, y'all. After a moment, one of the patrons near the hearth kind of murmurs, almost kindly, and it says it doesn't mind you talk. Like it's living. Sorry, it the fire. Eyes are very wide now, both from fear of being shot at and that statement. Fear of being shot? Which one are you fearful more of? I'm going to be honest, probably the shot at because I was just in front of that fire like. I'm a real good shot.

29:58 Actually, you weren't. You were back by the table with I. Had gone up to go take a sniff, Sir, I had said that right before. Oh, did you? I I missed that, but OK. OK. Yeah. So your your eyes are like shot up to the sky and you almost have like red eyes, like you're scared to death. Yep, there's a little shaking wine going on here. Magic fire. I can tell, can feel it can feel. It was that before or after you shot at it? Well, I knew after I shot it.

30:40 Wouldn't have known without the shooting. You're welcome. Oh, sure, Indiana's going to finish her cookie off and like, dust off the crumbs and she's going to walk over to the gentleman we first kind of met and be like, you know, I'm sorry, I don't know where my manners are. I mean Deanna Stones, I'd love to know who my host is. And as you walk up to the gentleman, the echo of the last shot is still kind of ringing in the air. For a moment, nobody's really speaking. And you then walk up to the individual and as you are introducing yourself, he's kind of looking side eye at Lord Crumbleton.

31:41 He almost gives like a long measured look, not judgmental, but more familiar. And he shakes Indiana. He shakes your hand and says, I'm pine. And he looks over as he's shaking your hand at Lord Crumbleton and goes, usually people try yelling first. Gums come a little bit later. And he turns back to you, Indiana, and says, I help keep things moving when folks arrive. And again, looks over at Lord Crumbleton and says loudly. And he glances at the fire and then back at Lord Crumbleton and says, are you done testing it? Guns come later.

32:23 Is that a threat? He raises his gun a little bit, not at him, but like in front of his feet, kinda. He kind of nods at you once, like he was expecting that answer, and he goes. Fair that that won't work, though. Nothing here does if if you're trying to scare it. I don't need to scare, I just need to kill. Killing is not necessary here. Is it necessary for someone to have created a 7 foot gingerbread cookie? That can talk and shoot.

33:06 Is it necessary for me to drink my own urine? No, but I do it anyway because it's sterile and I like the taste. For the players in my lobby right now that have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm referencing dodgeball. Oh yeah, I felt you. Can dodge a wrench. You can dodge a ball. Punk. Still one of my favorite movies anyway. Yeah. So again, he he feels 0 intimidation. You know, he's 100% not fearful of anything.

33:49 You speak about the fire as if it's living, as if it has its own consciousness. Why is that? Say again, you were kind of cutting out again. What was that last part you said? I hate this phone sometimes, I said. You speak about the fire as if it has its own consciousness. Why is that? Well, I mean, the fire itself represents warmth and happiness it but it it doesn't choose to have a conscience. And there's a small beat and he says it holds what people give it.

34:45 High 5. He'll immediately just give you 1 back. Nice and soft though, because you are a cookie. What the hell, right? Fire and I are friends. Oh I'm sorry, were you were you giving the fire a high 5? I apologize, you said it holds on to what it's given so I gave it a high. Pine, I apologize. I thought you were talking about pine. You just for a moment just stick your hand in the fire and you have just a small singe on your on your, you know, your hand. It smells a little bit like burnt cookie. Under Why suspicious?

35:34 Give me an insight check. That one. It's definitely not you. Something smells like burnt. Cookie in here. Somebody in this room farted and it smells like burnt cookie. Just like cock, my head is cocked to the side this staring at this damn cookie man. You're like, I'm so hungry. A little bit, but also still petrified, like he just shot at me. I don't think he's got all the parts in his brain.

36:14 He is a cookie. Are you sure he even has a brain? No, and as as Lord Crumbleton is burning himself and Estella is about ready to start just like. She's having a mental break. Indiscriminately killing people. Pine kind of looks all at all of you. He saw all of you enter with each other and says, just so you know, nothing you've done so far disqualifies you from being here. Disqualifies us as if this is a competition. No, no.

37:00 Disqualifies you just from being here, from being in this place and being in this, you know, in this building. You know this building represents happiness and the ability to let go. How come this place isn't on the map anymore? Well, that depends on your your answer to this question. You know, most people start with letting go of just very easy things, but everyone has their stressors in life and has their attention.

37:43 What? What would you let go of? I'm a living cookie. I've been around for four days and I'm pissed off, so I suppose maybe I'd give up a little bit of the anchor. Any kind of gestures to the rest of you as almost like to represent, you know, what about you? Simo's definitely feeling a little Grinch like with all of this warm familial atmosphere and holiday spirit. That's not Simo's vibe, but he might give it a chance. He can give up his miserliness.

38:43 I'm sorry I zoned out for a second there. What was the question? Question is what would you give up essentially? For what? What would you let go? Stressors in life to. Ease your mind. Right to clear your head. All right, now it'd be this cookie. The cookie stresses you. Yeah, it shot at me. But she said it like this girl. Woof woof rah. Literally I put more of a wine honestly like I I I'm I'm shaking it just to smidgens. Yeah, yeah. You'll look at Lord Crumbleton and just kind of let out that stereotypical wine, like I'm afraid of it.

39:27 Want to say I think she likes me and I'll go pat her. I'll pat her on the head one time. Like my head is like, my head is going into my shoulders. The more you pat. Like I'm like, you know, like you're touching me. Yeah, I tell you what. I tell you what. Give me a SO give me an insight check. OK, don't. Worry little puppy, I won't let anybody hurt you. 12. 12 Yeah, you're kind of indifferent. Not necessarily like you're about to shit your drawers, but also not like, you know, stop fucking touching me. Brenna Nope, here I am.

40:29 The dawn of the third day. Hold up, hold up. Do we hear that? No, we didn't hear it the first time either. And we definitely didn't hear it this time. Not in game, no. No. All right, Sir, how exactly do we let go anger and holiday resentment? Well, I mean, I said. It and I don't feel like it happened. What's the trick? I mean, well, he and he kind of has like an almost like an apologetic smile and he kind of gestures deeper into the shop where the aisles are narrow and lights kind of softening.

41:19 And he goes, depends. Most people start with the wardrobes. Some skip ahead. A few just sit until they're ready. He kind of looks at all of you as a whole and he goes, all of you don't strike me as the sitting type. Ready for what exactly? What lies at the end of this? Truth, happiness, stress free, you, Everybody has their their answer to that question. But in order to answer said question, you must understand what this shop is and what this place is. Mine, Sharon.

42:21 That's not my story to tell. Whose story is? Well, that would be. Yours I'm not too interested in telling stories. I think I've had about as much of these riddles as I can take. I'm going to go check out those wardrobes. I'm not sure Simo's ever heard of a wardrobe before. You've never been to Narnia. What the hell? He's a Yeti. He's a. Yeti. He's a Yeti. What's the guy's name is Crick? Is that who we're supposed to? It's Crick's Emporium.

43:01 What's the guy's name from the Tavern? The one we're talking to. Rick, are you? Who's the miss? What's the name of the missing guy? Merrick. Merrick. And Stella, Stella the Baker and Merrick. OK, where's Stella and Merrick? We don't know each other by names per SE. We know each other from experiences and. Where's the Baker then? The Baker is here with the rest of us. Yeah, where?

43:43 He kind of points to right over there and you see the Baker just kind of sitting there smiling, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, you know, a cookie, a fresh bun. Damn cookies and I'm not supposed to be pissed off. Well, I say we get her out of here. We need Merrick too. But all these people, what are they doing here?

44:24 The people that are here are all here for the same reason, you know, the the ability to let go of life's miseries and stressors in life and just to have a happy life. Did they forget them entirely? They forget what they want to forget. But that's life. Misery comes with a living. I'll fetch up a female. I'll go check out those wardrobes too.

45:07 OK. Excuse myself and go to Stella where she was pointed out and go try and talk to her. OK, so you'll just got to walk up and she'll just kind of smile kindly at you. Indiana Scones offers her hand out to shake and says, I'm Indiana Scones. I hear you're you're Stella the Baker. Yes, I'm I'm Stella. Does she try to shake hands or no? Oh yeah?

45:48 She happily shakes your hand. All. Right. Do you mind if I sit? Go right ahead, she sits. Down and kind of straights out her outfit and says I just had some of your delicious wares at your bakery, but people said you went missing. Are you all right? Oh dear, I'm fine. I I wouldn't consider it missing. I feel more at home here than anywhere. Else. But what about your family? What about the bakery you left loaves in the oven? The bakery and home, that's where I worked, this place.

46:33 And she gestures to the you know, the room that you're in currently. This place is where I stopped. She kind of glances at her folded apron on the on the table. She says. I didn't come here to nap. Sorry, she didn't come here. To what? Nap. Nap. OK, So what did you come here for then? I've spent my whole life setting timers, kneading dough, helping everyone that I could.

47:21 I know what I owe people. I've just finished paying my responsibility. So what will you do here then? Well, here I'm happy I'm I'm not about to go and start another timer, she says. That kind of is like a more of a euphemism than the actual meaning of the word timer. Give me an insight check. Yep, it'll be a dirty 20.

48:17 Is a dirty 20. You're able to see with a dirty 20 that she means every single word of what she's saying. You kind of get the the feeling that she's not missing in her eyes, she is more home. So you don't miss anyone from your life before. Well, of course your. Family. Your rough ones.

48:59 You know, I know they missed me, I know they miss me, but they would understand why I've come to this wonderful place. Are you here to die? Not per SE, more of I'm here to let go of a life that was draining and demanding. And I was asked very, I was asked of a lot.

49:41 But you brought undeniably such joy to the the people around you with your baked goods. And surely the people who you cared for, who care for you still are missing. You are are wanting you and wishing for you to be there. Do you expect them to join you here? And she kind of takes a moment after that question and she says, I, I hope they don't follow me here because if they ever wanted to come here, I would want it to be because they chose to come, not because I, I made it look easy.

50:32 She kind of tilts her head slightly at you and says, you, you don't bring family here. You come when you've already loved them enough. Could you leave of your own volition or is this a forever space? I could absolutely leave anytime I wish, but why would I leave this place that brings me nothing but joy and there's nothing to worry me? Except the pain and and lost you're causing the people you've left behind.

51:25 And if if they truly understand who I am, and if they, as you say, truly love me, they would understand my decision. Indiana kind of gives us creeped outlook and she backs away, OK. You're you're back your way completely like leaving. Yeah. Oh yeah. OK, first time. Are you joining everybody else?

52:07 Go heading towards the wardrobes. OK, OK, so as you are leaving this welcoming area, the warmth doesn't follow you so much as it almost allows you to leave. As you step away from the hearth, the hum beneath the floor shifts. Not louder, just a little bit closer, like a thought you've almost remembered. The air changes first, less of a pine smell and more of a linen and old paper lavender pressed thin. By time the light begins to narrow, the shelves give way to tall wooden frames lining a quiet corridor.

52:53 Wardrobes, each one standing open just enough to be inviting, their interiors draped with soft fabric, velvet or wood cotton, worn smooth by hands that knew them well. Mirrors are set between them, not polished for vanity, but just angled and observant. They catch you from the side, from behind, from moments you weren't watching yourselves inside. The wardrobes are not clothes. They are more versions. Outfits neatly arranged, tools set just where muscle memory would reach.

53:36 Coats worn thin at the shoulders, aprons folded clean, uniforms pressed and ready. Lives almost simplified. No one's blocking your path, but no one's urging you forward. Pine's voice kind of drifts after you, not following, but just drifting after you. Most people slow down here. Please take your time. I'd be inspecting a couple of these closely and kind of like recoiling at how fancy and proper they are. I don't think that's for me.

54:25 So you're inspecting the the wardrobes as kind of a whole, correct? Yeah, like one at a time. Just kind of like looking at the setup inside each of them and being like meh. Can I look through pockets for cookies and snacks? We'll come back to that in a minute. Dang it. As Simo as you step closer, the air kind of surrounding the wardrobe begins to change. It's not colder, but more still, the fabric inside the nearest wardrobe stirs not from wind, but more recognition. The mirror beside it adjusts its angle with a soft, almost polite Creek, catching your reflection kind of at a slant. And how do I look?

55:12 Are you going to look in the mirror? I'm going to look in the mirror. OK, for just a moment it doesn't reflect what you are wearing and what you look like now. It reflects a version of you that looks almost finished. Your armor. What kind of armor are you wearing currently? Leather armor. So leather, OK, And you're holding like a shield or a sword, correct? Yeah, shield in the short sword. Your armor is much simpler but maintained, no longer polished for inspection. However, your shield is resting against a wall instead of at your arm. Your posture is much more relaxed in a way that suggests nothing is coming next inside the wardrobe.

56:00 Where's the fun in that? Inside the wardrobe as you inspected further. Give me an investigation check. 17 Inside the wardrobe arranged in very careful precision as you look into this mirror kind of angles down so you can see the the wardrobe as a whole. You you see your gear cleaned and stored rather than carried, your boots placed side by side, scuffled but repaired, your shield properly maintained, leaning against the ward, the inside of the wardrobe and a cloak folded neatly, worn thin at the collar.

56:51 Everything is ready for someone who has stopped standing watch. And what was your investigation? You said 15, correct 1717. My apologies. A small tag is hanging from the inside with a from a hanger with no name. Interesting. I guess I would pull the tag closer and inspect. Sure, there's really nothing like nothing on this tag. Yeah, I mean, I'll use your 17 roll on the tag. It's just a single word written very plainly. It says reliable.

57:34 I do like the sound of that. Yeah, the the warmth here now is gentler than it was at the hearth. It's closer, almost more personal. You don't feel all of a sudden for the first time for justice split moment. You don't feel any sort of pull towards any danger. You don't feel compulsion. You only get the sense that this version of you would be enough. So what does? What do you do? Seems to me we're here to figure out what's going on, right? What better way than to immerse yourself, take in the sights, try out the activities. This cloak looks pretty nice.

58:20 Let's try it on. OK, so as you touch the the clothing, the fabric is warm, not magically so much as just used. When you pull your hand back from touching the you said the cloak that you were touching, correct? Yeah. OK. When you pull your hand back, the the fingers, your fingers kind of tingle slightly like they do after setting something heavy down. For the first time in a long time, I'm going to send you something in DMS that you can use as a little bit of a whisper. Sounds good.

59:05 OK, what does everyone else do? I'm searching pockets. I'm gonna ask, you know, what the hell he's doing. I I don't, I don't think this is a good place to be. I think they're trying to kill people or something else. I don't know. But it's not good. Why are you putting that stuff on? I'm skeptical, but I haven't seen anything too nefarious yet. I've seen cookies and a warm fire. People who are happy. They are, but they're giving up their lives entirely. They're leaving behind everyone they love and care about. That doesn't seem entirely innocuous to me. It's suspicious, to be sure.

59:57 I'm remaining skeptical. Don't worry about me. Well, we're here to figure out what's going on, right? So let's let's Estella go through hockets with cookies. Give me So as you're kind of searching through the pockets, you're kind of running your fingers along the pockets. The fabric gives easy, well worn, softened by years of use. Whoever owned the the clothing in the wardrobe that you're looking through didn't carry much.

1:00:40 Whoever owned Inside this pocket you find one small, ordinary thing, a single scrap of paper folded and unfolded so many times the creases have lost their edge. It isn't the letter, it isn't the spell. It's a list. Not long, not dramatic. It says bread on Tuesdays. Mend the hem, check the latch before bed. And at the bottom, kind of written more lightly than the rest, it says remember to rest. Remember to rest. Who has to remember to rest? I'm assuming I'm out of dog form now. Yeah. Well, we'll, we'll say at this point you're on a talk form. So what would you do with the paper? Well, I'm going to hold on to it, OK, But I'm also, I'm going to like, I'm going to turn to everybody and be like, do you guys have to remind yourself to rest? Occasionally Indiana cash drugs and so I, I suppose I get a little bit of tunnel vision sometimes about following what I'm going after, but on a rare occasion, yes. So, and this definitely seems like a note that was probably written to themselves, right?

1:01:59 It's not addressed to anybody. Give me an insight check. OK Yikes. How about an 11? So this paper definitely looks like it was written for somebody for themselves. As you're kind of reading that paper just a little bit more, the wardrobe starts to feel just a tad bit warmer and more inviting than it used to be.

1:02:43 Can I go in the wardrobe? Yeah, I mean, you certainly can as you go to step in the mirror kind of shifts fully and shows your your reflection. So it's not necessarily happy, but more like relieved. Not colder, but quieter, the sounds of the room dull, as if padded by fabric and memory. The door doesn't close behind you, but the world outside all of a sudden feels respectively distant.

1:03:26 The clothes inside are already arranged and give me a perception check. 19. As you look down, the clothes inside are already arranged for your height, your reach, your hands. You recognize these clothes, this clothing, as absolutely yours. The armor or not the armor, the clothing is yours, you see. What are you using for a dramatic focus?

1:04:09 Probably like a stick. A stick. I think OK. Let's say that you're using a branch of a, like a small branch of a pine tree from. Like I have the corner staff. Sure. Yeah, we'll, we'll say we'll use that. So the, the, the the quarter staff that you have is made out of the branch of a pine tree from your childhood village, we'll say. And this druidic focus is very worn, but also in pristine condition at the same time. You have the sense that your druidic focus was used many, many times in this instance. And as you look at through this in in this mirror, throughout the wardrobe, all of this, all of these belongings are yours. And they don't have, they show you Estella almost without urgency.

1:05:05 It doesn't show you what you are now. There's no armor tugging at your shoulders, no weight that needs to be distributed for balance, no feeling of wolfing out if you say. Your stance now becomes much more relaxed, feet planted because there's nowhere else you need to go. Your hands are not empty, not because you lost anything, but nothing's required of them any longer. A quiet kind of quiet thought surface is kind of at the at the forefront of your head and you have this not so much words, but in feeling you have this thought of you've done enough and it's almost a personal permissive thought. Can I just sit down?

1:05:56 Sure. Actually, you know what? I want to lay down, Just stare at the ceiling. There might not be enough room. What the hell? We'll say this. Yeah. You'll just kind of lay down. I'm short, I'm short. I'm like. Oh, that's right. Yeah. Sorry. You're the short one. Yeah, Yeah, that's true. You got to keep in mind there are three, four different characters for every player in this in this show. So it's like I I got to keep track. I got to start writing shit down anyway. Yep, I'm 22. Sorry, I choked on my DM juice. OK. As you as you lay down, you almost feel the world outside again, respectfully more distant than you remember it. And from outside the wardrobe you kind of hear Pine's voice carrying softly, not urgent or not like a warning. It's and he goes, my you.

1:06:57 You can stay as long as you like, just remember why you came. Do you step back out or do you linger a little bit more? I'm a linger a little bit. Sure, I'm going to send you a quick DM. OK. I hate everything about keyboards. OK, OK, so you'll just kind of remain inside the wardrobe. Nothing closes, nothing tightens. Instead the fabric settles more fully around you, like the space is learned that you're not leaving quite yet. The mirrors reflection softens further. The version of her inside or the version of you doesn't change expression.

1:08:03 It simply stops waiting. And for a moment you feel something almost rare and dangerous for yourself. You feel not peace, but permission. You know, permission to stop reaching, permission to be exactly what you are without momentum. Wow that hits. That's like IRL hits deep. Ouch from outside of the wardrobe, you pine doesn't interrupt your your moment. He just simply says gently. He goes all right and also you will gain an inspiration. OK.

1:09:01 And what does everyone else do? While Estella's kind of lingering in this wardrobe, she found I. See the odd behavior? Yeah, I'm a little freaked out by this because Sima was putting on these old like worn out clothes and. They seem nice to me. Estella is just going inside the wardrobe to hang out and these people are just like leaving their families behind. Like Indiana's freaking out a little bit. She's she's going to leave the the wardrobes behind and go back to the to Pine to talk to him. OK.

1:09:48 So as you as you kind of leave the area, Pine is not necessarily back where he started. He's more kind of a slow guide, if you will, kind of hanging back. So he he's just right outside the room and he notices you before you actually reach him. He will kind of shift his weight a bit, kind of giving you some space without stepping back. And before you can even say anything, he kind of looks at you and gently nods his head and says yes, the wardrobes do that. I knew you said your job was to keep things moving. What exactly are we moving towards? You're you're moving towards something that's able to show people what it would look like if nothing else was asked of them.

1:11:04 His voice is kind of low and practical, but yet soft. That that tends to scare the ones who still want things. So what is the end goal here? Do people just stay here forever? No, they they don't. They're not forced to stay here forever. Not unless they forget why they came. What happens to those who forget why they came? Well, they they stay here in in almost a a relaxing bliss.

1:11:55 And if I wish to leave? You may leave at any time but. But any kind of creatures that attacked us? Well, those were the the souls of of those who weren't quite respectful of others. And he kind of looks at you and he goes again. You're, you're free to leave at any time. But this building doesn't take people. It waits to see who wants to let go. So after people have their tea and their cookies and they go to the wardrobes, what happens next? Where do they go after that?

1:12:57 They go where they please. Some people leave, but most of them do not. They they keep. They keep their place warm. They keep themselves unbothered and not be needed by anyone. So there's just these rooms and that's it. Yes, and he he looks at you and it's that's a very honest and he's like, yes, I mean, you're free to explore and understand this place if you wish, but you know, sometimes not the answer may not be worth the question.

1:13:54 Indiana kind of hums to herself, and she heads back towards the rest of the group back in the the wardrobes. OK, OK, what is everybody else doing right now? Left. We have Lord Crumbleton and Amelie left. I feel like Emily is still in the wardrobe. She's just kind of like wandering. Her hands are brushing over the wardrobes and she's just looking for names on the wardrobes.

1:14:37 OK. So as you're kind of searching the the wardrobes more closely, you notice something almost subtle that you hadn't noticed before. There are in all of these wardrobes and ones that you're looking at. There are tags, stitch marks, small carved grooves along the wood, but no names, no family crests, no titles, no ownership marks. Instead, each wardrobe appears to bear almost a single word, worked into the grain so gently it's easy to miss unless you're looking for it. They're not identities, but descriptors. OK, can I take a closer look at those? Give me investigation check.

1:15:43 That would be an 18. With an 18 you kind of go from one after the other and the ones that are left, one says steady, another says kind, another says patient finished and enough. I think Emily is going to stop with the patient one.

1:16:23 Give me an insight check before you do that. OK, come on, 19. 25 Sorry, ignore that. OK, on a 25, you kind of understand clearly that this place does not record who people are per SE.

1:17:04 It records more of what they finally believe about themselves. OK. And then you said you were going to stop at which one? Patience. OK, so at the Patience wardrobe, the wood. The wood is carved deeper than the others, not sharper, but more worn, like it's been traced over many times by hands that needed it to stay.

1:17:48 The door is already open. Inside, the clothes are plain and durable, nothing ornamental and nothing hurried. A long coat with reinforced seams at the elbows, gloves mended carefully again and again. Boots resold more than once, built for distance rather than speed. The mirror beside it in the wardrobe does not rush to show you any sort of reflection, and when it finally does, it shows you standing still in a in a storm. Not untouched or not unhurt, just unmoving. The version that you see in the mirror is older. Not age per SE, but seasoned.

1:18:38 The kind of, you know, the kind of person people lean on without realizing it. The kind who waits because someone has to. Inside the wardrobe, neatly folded, is a small cloth wrap just kind of off to the to the side. Is there any way can I take the mirror out of the wardrobe? The graph all together. Can I take the mirror out of the wardrobe? You can give me a strength check.

1:19:32 26. Did you hear me? Yeah. Well, I heard you. I wasn't expecting a 26. So you'll kind of grip the frame and just pull. And for the first time since you've entered this room, there is. Resistance, not angry, not violent, but more of a surprise. Resistance. The mirrors kind of shudder at its anchor as its anchor is kind of protest.

1:20:17 Wood groaning softly like something that would expect it to be left alone. And then you just hear a slight as the fast means give way. The mirror comes free. The sound it makes is not glass breaking, it's more of a deep, hollow note, like a breath being knocked loose from the room itself. Pine closes his eyes and just for a moment, and he says quietly. That doesn't happen very often. And the mirror in your hands is now much heavier than it should be, not physically, but more in a meaningful way. It Are you going to look in the mirror again? I am indeed.

1:21:11 It no longer reflects the room, it reflects just you as you are now. No simplification, no completion, just motion, choice and tension. If you angle it towards the wardrobes, they do not appear in the surface of the mirror. I think that Amelie at this point would call out to Indiana Scones and to Lord Crumbleton like, hey guys, something's going on here.

1:21:53 Oh no shit. Enough with the SASS cookie. Sorry. We need to leave. I say we torch it all, burn it to the ground. There are people in here. They have free choice to leave. I don't think they'll leave with that kind of violence. I don't know if anything will convince them to go. Little bit of force we. Were sent here to do a job. We should get it done, figure out what's going on in this place. I'm ready to proceed to the next room, I suppose, Delve deeper into this bizarre building.

1:22:43 Hi. We know where where we are. We know this building exists. People are looking for them. They're choosing to be here. I mean, we could just leave and tell people where they went. Are you still here? About this. Yes, I'm always here. How many rooms is this place? As many rooms as you wish. Is there a last room? There's always a last. Room. I'm gonna go there. Point the ray. He gestures to the only door doorway out. I'm walking.

1:23:27 Actually, I'm going to run. I'm running. You're running OK? OK, so the corridor narrows without feeling smaller. The wardrobes fall away behind you, their doors settling softly, not closing so much as no longer needing to be opened. The hum beneath the floor changes pitch again, slower, deeper, like a breath that's being held on purpose. The warmth thins, not gone, focused. The floorboards are here. I'm sorry. The floorboards here are bare, scuffed by years of careful movement. The air smells less of pine and fabric and more now of oil, wood, dust and old hands. Work smells, human smells.

1:24:15 Stella, your your nose is going crazy right now. Ahead, light spills from a single wide doorway. Inside, you can hear. You can hear it before you see it. Not music, not machinery. Hands at work, measured, delicate and unrushed. Whatever weights beyond this threshold is not resting. It's finishing something. Pine stops a few steps short of the doorway. He doesn't follow you in because he doesn't need to. This is usually where people decide what they're actually here for, he says. After this will be very hard for you to pretend you didn't know.

1:24:59 And the room beyond the doorway waits, not patiently, but intentionally. And with that, we're going to take a quick break here on Crit Happens. We'll be back here to finish up this story here in just a few moments. Ever Con 2026 is almost here and this is a convention built for gamers of every stripe. Ever Con brings together tabletop role-playing, board games, card games, retro gaming, live events and a packed shelf floor full of creators and fans. Open board gaming runs throughout the weekend. Magic the Gathering table stay active day and night. Cosplay welcome and encouraged.

1:25:44 Whether you go all out or keep it simple, make time for Artist Alley where handcrafted and hand drawn art, dice, prints, minis and custom creations are available directly from the artists who made them. If you love supporting creators or taking something unique home, this is where you need to be. Retro gaming stations bring the classics back to life, giving you a break from the dice while still keeping the competition alive. This year Crit Happens is proud to announce we will be recording a live episode at Ever Con 2026. No edits, no do overs, real dice, real consequences with a live special guest joining us at the table.

1:26:25 You are not listening later, you are there while it happens. And if competition is your thing, step into the ever con gamers gauntlet. 20 competitors, 4 rounds, randomly drawn board games, 3 rounds and four player pods, followed by a final showdown between the top four point earners. Games are announced Friday night at 8 on the Ever Con stage. One hour rounds, a lunch break between rounds 2 and three, and a champion crowned at the end. The winner takes home a trophy and an Ever Con swag bag, with swag bags awarded to 2nd, 3rd and 4th place as well. Spots for the Gamers Gauntlet are limited to 20 players, so registration fills fast.

1:27:07 Ever Con 2026 is community, competition, creativity and chaos under one roof. Get your Ever Con badges now at evercon.org and we will see you at the con. Welcome back to Crit happens here on Spotify, iTunes, player.fmpoddirectory.com, stitcher.com, tuneinradioiheartradio.com, SiriusXM Radio, and Pandora. We are back to finish up the holiday special as we have now begun calling it because it is way past Christmas at this point. Welcome back players, how was your break? Yeah. Popcorn. Yeah, popcorn, man.

1:27:47 I was thinking about getting popcorn and then I was like, that's going to take too long and now I'm regretting it. It's 15 minutes. Are you are you cooking popcorn on Neptune? Yes, no, but we don't have we don't have like ready made popcorn. You just pop in the microwave. We have to actually like hand pop it like the good popcorn. So. I tell you people, I tell you people that live in the middle of nowhere, just. I have like a plastic or it's like kind of rubber can popper thing that goes in the microwave. So I use just kernels, the micro ribbon. I want to see this magical kernel thing you have, but that'll probably have to wait till after. I just put I'll just send an Amazon link. Do it not sponsored by the way.

1:28:38 All right, so as we again left, you are just entering the the room that smells more of wood and working hands, and the room is already awake. Long work tables stretch between warm hanging lights, their glow steady and exact. Tools are laid out with reverent precision, scissors sharpened and aligned, needles threaded and waiting, wood shavings swept into neat curls, not discarded but saved. This is not a place of rest, this is a place of finishing.

1:29:20 And at the far table someone is working. Not curried or slow, but more of a measured. Hands are moving with the confidence of long practice, adjusting seams, tightening joints, smoothing edges that no one else would notice. Whatever is being made is nearly complete. And then small boots Thunder across the floor. Lord Crumbleton bursts into the workshop, gun raised, breath sharp in his chest, coat flaring behind him like a challenge thrown too early. But the sound is wrong here. Every tool on the tables stills, not magically, but more respectfully.

1:30:02 The hands at the far table. Pause, just pause. The figure does not turn yet. A quiet voice speaks, calm and tired, carrying easily across the room. You're late, but not too late. Only then does the figure straighten and turn to face you. The toy maker stands revealed, old, careful and intent. His eyes flicker briefly to Crumbleton's weapon, then back at the workbench, as if noting an interruption rather than a threat. Please, he says gently, try not to break anything.

1:30:46 And he gestures to the tables around him. Everything here is almost done and I'm going to start with what is Lord Crumbleton do because you are bursting into this room. What's he look like First off? So the figure that stands in front of you is smaller than you expected. He's not hunched, he's not frail, he's just unassuming in scale. His hair is iron Gray, pulled back loosely and tied with twine that has clearly been reused too many times to count. A few strands have escaped and fallen into his face, and he hasn't bothered to push them back. His beard cleanly trimmed, short, practical, flecked with sawdust and thread lint.

1:31:37 Rather than neglect, he's wearing a long, worn work coat layered over simple clothes. His hands are the things that you notice last, and then you can't stop noticing. They are scarred, nimble but steady. Burn marks run across his fingers, small cuts that heal cleanly. Callus is softened by constant use, and these are the hands that have made things, not destroyed them. When he looks at you, there's no longer. When he looks at you, there's no hunger, no malice, No Fear. Just a a craftsman's quiet attention. You say almost done.

1:32:23 Are they making toys? Yeah, he's clearly making toys. You said there's like a bunch of tables and is it or is it just him? It's just him. Oh OK, well it's almost done. It should be a shame. Someone. And then he'll knock a toy off one of the counters or the table or whatever. Like hard enough to make it break intentionally. So you are doing that? Yeah. So the toy tips. Wood meets floor.

1:33:06 The sound is small. A light clatter. A piece meant to be handled, not dropped. It breaks away. A seam splits, a joint twist wrong. Something that took hours to align is suddenly off, and for the first time since you entered the workshop, Crick reacts almost immediately. Not with anger, but more reflex. He steps forward, kneels and gathers the pieces with careful hands, as if they were fragile in a way that had nothing to do with material. He kind of exhales through his nose, a long practice breath, and he looks up at you and just says yes, that would be a shame.

1:33:47 He sets the broken toy on the table, aligning the pieces out of habit even though it won't help. But you did ruin it, you. You've just proved why it is here. And he meets your eyes fully now. You think breaking things is leverage, but I think it's more of a confession. And he gestures around the room, not accusing, but more explaining. Everything you see here arrives, arrived, already cracked. I don't punish them for it. And he gently pushes the broken toy aside.

1:34:29 I finished them. The tools on the table settle again. The hum beneath the floor deepens. A soft chime sounds once Crick kind of straightens, brushing his hands on his coat. You can keep breaking things, he says calmly. Or you can tell me what you're afraid. Or you can tell me what you're afraid of will happen if you stop. No, Crick. What was that? How would you finish me?

1:35:11 Oh, I'm no more than a toy. He kind of begins. No real soul. He doesn't. He doesn't answer right away. He studies you in a way that a Craftsman studies a warped joint, not to judge it, but more to understand how it ended up that way. And he just takes a deep breath. I wouldn't, he says. You're already finished. He gestures gently to your gun, your posture, your your urgency that hasn't yet found a place to land. You're made of alarms.

1:35:58 You go off before anything actually happens. If, if you were here, he says, almost choosing his words carefully. I wouldn't sand you down. I wouldn't take anything away. I'd I'd take the noise out. No gun, no case, no reason to keep standing between the world and disappointment. He tilts his head, just a bit slightly. You'd sit, you'd breathe, and eventually, and he says with a small shrug, you'd stop needing to be so sharp. Then he says, very plainly.

1:36:43 And that's why you won't stay. Never planned on staying, I'm glad we agree. And he kind of gives a half, like, chuckle, nods once. I know, he says. There's no disappointment in it. There's no relief in it either. People who plan on staying don't announce it. He turns back to the work table and begins to adjust the half finished toy again, hand steady. You came here to make sure you still had an exit. That's not defiance, that's fear doing its job. He glances over his shoulder, not quite meeting your eyes. We do agree on one thing.

1:37:46 You never were meant to stay, you're meant to leave changed as he sets his tool down, whether you notice it or not. And while Crumbleton and the toy maker are standing there, what do the rest of you do? I'm anticipating this breaking out into a fight, so I would be sneaking into the room as close to the toy maker as I can get with my Bugbear Stealth.

1:38:32 I'm just like cautiously, I mean, I'm are, we're in the room with him at this point. So as of right now, like I said, Lord Crumbleton was Usain bolting it into the room. The rest of you are, you know, can sense a lot of you have a lot of nerves. I will say, you know, especially of what, you know, Simo, Estella and Amelie had just experienced in the wardrobes and Indiana Scones was kind of speaking with pine. You're a little leery of the rest of this place. I mean, but Stella didn't.

1:39:15 I mean, she's weary, but also what she experienced was nice. OK. So like, she's not necessarily all that negative about things right now. So she kind of will just walk in looking around I guess. OK, Amelie in Indiana. Indiana is kind of approaching, approaching really cautiously because how to put this, have you, have you seen pluribus? I have it yet it's on my list to start. I just got Apple TV last night.

1:40:00 OK crap. How to put this? It. There's definitely creepy vibes. There's definitely something, but it's not overtly ridiculously malicious. It's, it's almost a subtle lack of just giving a shit about the lives they left behind for all these people and what's happening to them while they're here and where do they go from here? Like, so she's, she's definitely suspicious. She's not trusting it and she's sneaking up towards towards that door. OK, Amelie.

1:40:42 I feel like Amelie would kind of hang back kind of like in the doorway, not like in the room and just kind of like observe because I don't think that she wants to be up close and personal. She's not a big crowds person. OK, so let's kind of break this down 1 by 1. The workshop, all of you. The workshop does not feel guarded. It feels more attentive not watching for danger. It's watching more for imbalance. Let's start with Simo.

1:41:27 You're attempting to stealth your way. More or less. Sneak into backup, sure. Crumbleton, yes. Sure, go ahead and give me a stealth check. Right, we got. I got to check my modifier, I think 21. OK, so you'll move in actually. OK, so you'll move in closer than feels reasonable. The toy maker does not look at you, does not pause, but one of the tools on the nearby table suddenly rotates, no longer pointing towards your path.

1:42:15 So you are, as of right now, unseen but not unknown. I'm going to send you a quick DMRT. OK, next we'll move to a Stella. You're going to enter cautiously, but you're also carrying the memory of how good it felt to be in that wardroom. But just kind of stop for a moment. Give me an insight check please.

1:42:56 That one. Oh boy. Oh, I got to pull out a table. Give me give me AD 12 roll please. 3. So you as a Stella would not notice anything different, but you as the player you're calm or you're, you're almost mistaken calm for safety.

1:43:54 So you are going to have disadvantage on the next insight check that relates to either the toy maker or the workshop in general. OK, I'll just give you a. Quick reminder. Here Thanks. Oh, I sent that to Archie. Hey, congratulations, Archie. I'm in the loop. You're in the loop now. All right, there you go. OK, let's circle back. So that is absolutely a fail, by the way. So you're the familiarity kind of unsettles you not because it's wrong, but it's it gets more comfortable Indiana you are reading the space for danger that isn't like obvious to you right away. Give me a perception check please that. 'D be a 15. 15 it meets it beats all right so I'm going to send you a a message I don't want to advertly state this out loud but I want you to keep that thought in your head as we continue going all of our audio listeners. I've quickly deafened.

1:45:19 I have just sent Indiana a message that says no one here is restrained, no one is begging, and that's what's wrong. All right, so you also notice that there are no exits that are being blocked because no one has tried to leave there. There is no exit. You also will have the ability to notice any shift, sudden shift in the room or anything of that nature. I've also sent you as Adm Amelie. You're kind of just Alistair leaning in the threshold, kind of.

1:46:07 You're just kind of there to observe. So I'm going to give you a choice. I'm going to have you roll either an investigation or an insight check, whichever you wish to roll. I'm going to go with insight. OK, that's a 21. 21 OK, So this you, you kind of are taking a look at the area in general of where you're about to enter. And this isn't a factory, it's more of a threshold because nothing leaves unfinished.

1:47:07 You realize that this room exists to answer one question. Is this who you are when no one needs you? OK. OK, And we'll circle back to Lord Crumbleton. Do you have anything else you wish to do? Say again sorry.

1:47:53 I think I will look this dude in the face like he's sitting at his little table, right? Correct. So I'll, I'll lean over the table and attempt to catch his eyes, right, to catch his his gaze. And now I'm going to whisper. I'm going to send it to you. Sure. Well, I just. Can like maybe roll A roll of whatever. Yeah, let's, let's do this. Everybody give me a perception check. I could roll stealth too maybe, I don't know it's. Would this be my disadvantaged 1? Double check.

1:48:45 I could roll perception. No, this is this is perception. Yeah. So just the insight one for you, for the next for the disadvantaged 1. So everybody give me a perception check. Let me know if you roll underneath a 15. Me. Who said me? Stella. Me. Yeah, Stella. I got a 12 but I am also getting as close to him as possible. I will give you advantage on the roll, Simo. All right. Kind of Nat 20. OK, Nat 20 for Patty. What did you roll, Archie? Then Devin, 16. OK, that succeeds. Amelie, what did you roll? 18. OK so she doesn't know it yet but I have server deafened A stylist so she cannot hear this.

1:49:33 Go ahead. And Lord Crumpledon, what are you wishing to say? Oh OK, I just need purpose. What am I and why do I even exist? How do I get to where I belong and how can I get rid of this feeling of just wanting to kill everything? I don't know these people. They've not done a thing for me. So do I just abandoned them? OK, I just need to live.

1:50:16 OK, so you kind of lean across the table. And I'm going to unmute Katie now, so little Crumbleton. You lean across the table, just close enough that you could smell the oil and wood mix mixing in with cornite and sugar, and you force the toy maker to meet your eyes, not violently, but desperately, like someone bracing themselves against the edge of something deep. Your voice kind of drops. Your words are quiet, but the room hears them anyway. The tools stop moving, the hum beneath the floor falters for like, the first time, and the fire you can feel the fire almost seemed to lower its breath. And everybody hears it, except for Estella. The toymaker doesn't pull away right away. He doesn't flinch, he doesn't correct himself. He listens, and when he finally speaks, his voice is barely louder than Lord Crumbleton's was. You feel that because you were made to stop things, endings, threats, messes no one else wants to touch. And he's holding your gaze steadily now, and no one ever taught you what comes after, so

1:51:46 you keep mistaking motion from meaning. And he kind of straightens to slowly. You don't want to kill everything, you want the noise to stop. And he kind of gestures gently to your to your chest. That feeling doesn't mean you're broken. It means you've outlived the role that kept you alive. And then he says purpose isn't something you find, it's something you stop hiding behind. And he looks at you not as a Craftsman now, but more as a man who has watched this moment happen time and time before, and belonging that comes after you decide who you are when no one's in danger in a single chime.

1:52:46 Sounds soft, acknowledging no one reacts to the sound except for Pine now, who closes his eyes for 1/2 second longer than necessary. And what do the rest of you do, having heard that? Hurry, bye. Exactly. I'm gonna look around the room at the toys, OK? I feel like Emily would be startled a little, like he'd kind of jump a little and her head would kind of whip towards Kirk and then towards Lord, Lord Crumbleton, and then like look around for where everybody else is located in the room, OK? So there's nothing really to notice as per SE right now. The workshop doesn't necessarily rush to answer or react to what was just spoken.

1:54:09 It doesn't recoil, it doesn't react. It simply accepts the truth as something that has finally been placed on the table instead of being carried on the back. The toy maker exhales slowly, the way that someone does after setting down a tool they've been gripping too tightly for too long. And he steps back, giving you, Lord Crumbleton, some space. Not retreating or yielding. More just making room. And around you, the workshop is changing a way that's almost imperceptible. The tools on the table are no longer laid out for work, they are now laid out more for decision. The half finished toy on the bench now turned outward.

1:54:53 It seems visible, its flaws unhidden. It's close enough to completion that anyone here could finish it, or ruin it or leave it exactly as it is. The toy maker speaks again, but this time he kind of addresses all of you. Not just as the man, or not just the man who spoke. This is where it always ends up, not with what someone deserves, but what they're willing to carry next. And he kind of gestures once, encompassing the room, the fire beyond it, and the people who chose to stop. No one here is trapped.

1:55:37 No one here is rescued. His eyes kind of settle on each of you in turn. Someone stays, someone leaves, and someone decides whether the work continues at all. So tell me, what do you believe happens to people who are finished with who they were but not ready to disappear?

1:56:26 Indiana kind of speaks up a little, and she's like, do they just work here? Do they rot away? Are they suspended in time? And he kind of takes the toy maker Grand takes a look at you Indiana, and he doesn't answer right away. He looks down at the workbench, at the the half finished toy, and at the careful joints that will never be seen once it's whole. They don't rot. He says quietly. They don't work either. Not in the way you mean.

1:57:06 Finally, he looks back up at you. Indiana, and he says they they finish. He gestures gently towards the warmth beyond the workshop, towards the rooms that you've already walked through. Some of them sit, some of them talk, some of them help the person, the next person who comes in shaking from the cold. Some of them leave once they remember how, and some of them stay until they don't need to be anyone anymore. Nothing here decays, nothing here is preserved.

1:57:53 Time doesn't stop here, it just stops demanding things. And he kind of studies you, Indiana, not unkindly. And that's what scares people in the workshop. Homme studies again, no chime, no shift, just confirmation. Indiana kind of froze her brown. She goes kind of, you know, hums to herself a little. So where does this all come from? The food, the drinks, the fire, the wardrobes, the clothes? Where does this all come from?

1:58:52 Do you make it all? Is this your creation? He let's have a small breath through his nose, not necessarily a laugh, but more recognition. No, I couldn't even if I wanted to. He kind of runs a thumb along the edge of the work table, feeling a a nick in the table that he's felt 100 times before. Nothing here is created from nothing. He kind of gestures loosely towards the room behind you. The food is what people remember how to make.

1:59:35 The drinks are what they know how to pour. The clothes are what they stopped needing to wear out. Every thread was once carried in. Every button belonged to someone who decided it didn't anymore. Then he taps the table lightly. I don't supply this place. I I rearrange it. People bring in what they have too much of time, skill, care, objects they don't want to throw away but don't want to carry. And he meets your eyes again, Indiana. That's how it sustains itself, not by taking, but by being where things are finally set down. You asked a question, I'll answer it there A fire in this place, like a fireplace.

2:00:46 Yeah, there's just a slight fire, not nearly as large as the one that was in the beginning room, but yes. Lord Carmelton will approach it and kind of stand, stand in front of it like silhouette ish. Very cinematic, right? You asked what do you think happens when people who are finished with who they are but not ready to disappear yet? Well, when a soul's done wearing its old name but refuses the comfort of a grave, it wanders into a place the map forgets.

2:01:28 You can find him at the edge of the fire light like I am here, where the road turns quiet and the wind starts asking personal questions. Not a ghost, not yet, not a hero, not anymore. Not even close to a villain in the Taverns. A Bard might call it losing yourself. Clerics, a trial, Wizards call it metamorphosis because they they're allergic to normal words. But a Ranger, A warrior, they might call it Chrysalis Rd. I'm not who I was.

2:02:13 I'm not who I will be. I have shed my skin but kept my bones. I fear the void, yet I refuse the mask. What am I? I'm someone in the threshold and I'm looking for permission Permission to move forward. Do I have it? And as you stand in front of the fire, he doesn't interrupt. He lets every word finish settling like a dust after a long walk. And when you fall quiet, the the fire between them, between you, lowers, not dimmer, but more attentive. The toymaker steps forward to to you, Not the fire. You're right about the threshold. That part you named perfectly.

2:03:11 He kind of studies your face the way he would study a piece that finally might be ready. You're you're not lost, you're not unfinished. You're between. He gestures once, not at the fire, but the floor underneath you. This place doesn't exist to give permission, it exists so people can hear themselves asking. If I told you yes, you'd still be waiting. If I told you no, you'd still be angry.

2:03:52 The moment you named yourself as someone in motion, that was the answer. He kind of stops back. Even you some space. The threshold isn't something you cross. It's something you survive. You don't need permission to move forward, you just need to stop asking places like this to hold you still while you decide. And the fire pops once. Not as approval or refusal, just acknowledgement. And what do you do when you realize no one is stopping you? What do I do?

2:04:55 Well, I suppose I've been treating this doorway like a judge when it's just a doorway. The guards, they're imaginary. The real villain here is choice, responsibility, the terror of freedom, and not having an enemy to blame. Suppose I pick a direction, forget destiny, and take that single small irreversible step. And the toy maker nods just once at you, and he says that's it. Not as approval, but more identification. You're right, Doors don't judge.

2:06:09 They just remind people they can move. And you kind of glances briefly at the fire, then back at you. Choice feels cruel when you're when you've been pointing at enemies for a long time. Freedom feels like a threat when no one's left to blame. But the moment you named responsibility as the thing you're afraid of, you've already took the step. He gestures not forward, not back, but down to the floor beneath your boots. Irreversible doesn't always mean loud. Sometimes it's just deciding who you won't pretend to be anymore.

2:06:56 He gives a small, tired smile. You don't need to walk through anything dramatic. Just don't turn back to who you were to feel safe. A couple things just going to sit on the ground kind of just in thought. And as you sit down on the ground, crossing your gingerbread legs, you're just choosing not to stand. The cold of the stone reaches you first and then fades as your breath kind of evens out. You're frostbite gun resting now beside you, not discarded, not gripped, but simply just there.

2:07:48 And for the first time since you've known him, it isn't doing any work. The workshop is standing still. No tools are moving, no doors are opening, no chime sounds. The toy maker watches you for a long moment and then turns back to the table. He resumes his work, not because you no longer matter, but because the question has been answered. Pine is remaining where he is, arms folded loosely. Say nothing, Not guarding but witnessing. The fire.

2:08:29 Holds shape and time for once. Doesn't ask anything of anyone. So as Lord Crumbleton sits there thinking, what are the rest of you doing? How did I find of the toys? Give me an investigation check. 12. With a 12. Wrong. So mid today it's not even funny.

2:09:09 Mid or low? With a 12, I mean nothing that you haven't already witnessed. There's really nothing extra toy wise. There's just, you know, pieces of different parts wood, you know, the little wood jimmies that they make, the joints, they put the joints together with just your standard kind of Christmas workshop materials, if you will. Simo Amelie, what are you guys doing? I think I'm still just hiding and observing more or less. Sure.

2:09:58 I don't know about engaging with this old man shenanigans. I'm a skeptic of the things he's saying. Sure. I feel like Emily would take a couple steps into the room. She's still keeping her distance, but she's more curious about this man now. OK. So Sima, you're just getting kind of stepping around, you know, slower and not necessarily hiding from sight, but more from disruption.

2:10:47 Give me a stealth check please. 3020. Is a 3020, so you're able to get close enough to the toy maker without, again, necessarily causing any suspicion or alarm. But you notice that the toy maker's kind of favoring his left hand slightly when aligning the pieces. Every tool is returned to the exact same place it was before, and his breathing never changes, even when people are moving behind him. And then you realize, give me an insight check. It's pretty low DC, but I'll have to make the check anyway. We got a 1313.

2:11:41 OK, the toy maker's not necessarily watching the room. The room is more adjusting around him. Oh boy, I don't know the best way to communicate that to the team, so I'm probably just going to keep. Yeah, watching. OK, well, I'll say we'll come back to that in just a moment. Amelie, you take a few careful steps into the workshop. The air feels a lot different than it was in the threshold. It's less symbolic and more but more practical. You're close enough now that where you can see the toy maker's hands clearly.

2:12:22 The scars, the steadiness of the hands, the care taken was something no one else has yet claimed. I need you to give me an insight check please. 21. OK, you understand almost immediately that no one in this room has actually asked who this person is. This man is not hiding his name, he simply doesn't lead with it. You don't sense any deception, No performance, just someone who assumes people will ask when they're ready. OK, heads up in your in your DMS, Kenzie. OK, And the the toy maker himself, he just continues working.

2:13:29 After a quick moment, without looking up, he says not to anyone in particular, but more just the room. He goes. You don't have to sneak, but I won't stop you. Some people think better when they move. He doesn't ask any questions, he doesn't demand attention. He's just letting the truth sit where it landed. Like.

2:14:17 Simo would take. Oh, sorry. Go ahead, go ahead. Go ahead. Because Simo would take a deep breath and step out from his hiding place and be like, all right, then explain to me, if I already live alone in a cave, I wouldn't be here. If I wasn't needed, I would be back home. So how? How does this benefit me in any way? I don't see the point. Bah humbug. And as you step out from your hiding, he looks fully up, this time at you, not startled or defensive, but more just attentive.

2:15:03 He studies you, Simo for a long moment, the way someone evaluates weights and balance before speaking. You're right, he says. If you already live alone, if you've already chose quiet, then this place isn't for you. This doesn't benefit people who know how to leave. It benefits people who don't know how to stop being needed. Any gestures around the workshop? Everyone here came because the world only ever wanted one thing from them, and they couldn't figure out who they were without that demand. And he meets your eyes directly now. You don't belong here because you're lonely. You belong out there because you already know how to be alone. This place doesn't give purpose, it removes obligation. And if obligation isn't what's breaking you, then you're wasting your time.

2:16:17 But that's not but. You see? But that's not a failure. Oh, OK. What do you mean by that? I didn't come in here thinking that I had failed, frankly. I came here to investigate some mysterious disappearances and I have a strong suspicion that you are at the center of them. He tilts his head kind of back at UC MO, and he doesn't soften his voice any more than he already has. That this place doesn't need to justify itself to you, and you don't need to justify yourself to it. Failure would be staying somewhere that solves a problem you don't have.

2:17:14 Failure would be mistaking quiet for emptiness or thinking usefulness is the same thing as worth. You've already chosen a life where being alone isn't a punishment. That means you learned something most people don't. So if you walk out of here and feel nothing pull at you, that's not rejection. That's proof this place wasn't meant to keep you. And then, almost as a an aside, some doors are exits, some doors are mirrors. And he looks back down at his work. You figured out which one this is. I'm afraid I can't just leave alone, though. Others are counting on me to bring the people who have called volunteered to stay.

2:18:23 And yeah, until we've gotten that sorted, I think I am needed here. This is the place for me for now. And he kind of half chuckles at himself. That makes sense, he says. He doesn't smile, he doesn't frown. He simply just adjusts his understanding of you, Simo. The way someone updates the plan when the variable changes. You didn't choose this place because you need it. You. You chose it because someone else might. That's different.

2:19:10 He gestures towards the room. Not inviting, not excluding. Then yes, for now, this is a place you can stand. But don't confuse staying with belonging. Belonging would ask you to stop watching. You haven't where others are sorted. As he turns back to the table and resumes working on the the toy, you'll feel it, and you'll leave without asking, and the floor in the workshop begins to steady. The hum begins to steady a bit more.

2:19:55 With that said, what I think we had Indiana left. What? What would What would you do? Indiana kind of crosses her arms and looks at him and she goes, Who are you exactly? And he sets his tools down and he doesn't answer right away. He finishes what he's doing, aligns the seams, tightens the joint, wipes his hands clean at a cloth that's been that's seen better years. Only then does he put down his tool and look up at you. Indiana, My name, who am I? I'm Shelvin Crick.

2:20:46 Just that. No title, no flourish. I used to make toys for children who still believed someone was coming for them. Then I started making things for people who realized no one was. And he glances around the workshop, not proudly, not defensively. I don't run this place. I don't own it. And he meets your eyes again. I stay here because someone has to be willing to finish things without deciding what they worth. That's that's all I am.

2:21:35 The townspeople told us that you leave and then come back. Does someone take your place in between those times? He he nods once, kind of acknowledging the accuracy without the pride. Yes, he says. I, I leave and yes, I come back. He got to rest his hands on the edge of the table, thinking how to phrase the rest of it without dressing it up. No one replaces me.

2:22:23 He kind of glances at the door that leads back to the the the warm rooms with the wardrobe and the fire. Because nothing here needs a keeper. Every moment when I'm gone, the place does what it always does. People sit, people talk, people decide. I only come back when someone reaches the part where finishing matters. A quieter admission. Sometimes that's a person, sometimes it's a question. He kind of shrugs. There's nothing to finish.

2:23:06 Well then I become unnecessary. This place doesn't fall apart when I leave, and it doesn't belong to me when I stay. That's why I can go. If someone ever needed to take my place, it would mean I stayed too long. Does that satisfy your your curiosity? She's a kind of not. Oh, she's a Bach I. Got her. Indiana kind of rubs her chin a little and says I think that's the best answer I'll get.

2:24:01 And she turns towards Simo and says, I think we need to take these people and leave. Sounds good mate to me. And as you say that to Simo, he doesn't argue, he doesn't try to keep, he doesn't try to keep anyone. He only nods once, slow and deliberate, the way that someone does when a conclusion has finally been reached. That's usually how it goes, he says, kind of quietly. He looks past you, toward the room, the warm rooms beyond where the others sit and wait. Not trapped, not resisting, just present. You can tell them you're leaving, he says, or you can just open the door, and he meets Simo, your eyes for a brief moment longer.

2:25:02 Either way, they'll choose the path back is exactly where it's always been, but he returns to his work. Well, I think are we just going to try to, like, physically carry these people out of here? Yeah. That's what that's my goal is to to, to drag them out of here 1 by 1 if we have to, at least the people we're looking for. Well, I can see what I can shape into.

2:25:42 I got Bayer nice strong. Zemo's big enough to carry one person over each shoulder, and then Snowman Zemo could probably do the same. On the way. What were you doing? She's following along. She's not going to drag nobody. She's going to try to convince somebody to go with her willingly because these people came here willingly of their own volition. She's not going to force them to leave if they do not wish to leave. Lord Crumbleton.

2:26:32 Lord Crumbleton, I'll stand up, kind of brush off his his coat holster is weapon for what seems like the first time in a long time, Undo his belt and toss it and the holster and the gun in the fire and just say, I get it, you can take them. Maybe we should, but they'll just find their way back.

2:27:19 That's what I did. That's what I'll do. I think I'll stay. If that is your choice. OK, so Lord Crumbleton, we'll start with you.

2:28:00 You will. Actually, we will end with you. So when all of you return, you leave the workshop sans cookie. You all return to the first room where you met Pine and the rest of the patrons that are in this establishment. When you go to, when you move to lift them, the resistance is immediate. Not a struggle, not panic, but more of weight. The kind that comes from someone who has already decided to stay. No one is screaming.

2:28:54 No one's fighting back. That's what makes it hard. Estella, we'll start with you. I need you to give me and you. You are wild. Shaping into a bear, correct? Yeah, I mean, there's no point in me trying to stay. Sure, you're just going to make me move? Go ahead and give me an an athletic check please. 14 OK, so you know that you can physically lift and carry two people that are not actively resisting. So the people you try to lift don't cling, they simply just go limp.

2:29:45 Not unconscious, but more of a resolution. If you wish to carry one person out, I will allow you, but it will cost you a level of exhaustion. Can you repeat that? Which? If I want to try. Yeah, if you wish to still try to carry one person out, I will allow you to, but it will cost you one level of exhaustion. I'm pocket, let's go for it. OK, Simo, I need you to make me an athletic check as well, please. All right, we got 15.

2:30:38 OK, so one of the people you lift gently remove themselves from your grip. Not with a shove, not angry, just with a quiet Please don't. You still may carry one person out, but not 2. Sorry bud, shops closed, time to go home. I start carrying the guy outside again. OK, and then Amelie, you are going to give me a persuasion check.

2:31:22 Now I tell you what, before you give me a persuasion check, let's role play this this part out. What would you say to the person? I think I would look at them and say, come on, there are people out there who miss you. There is more life to be lived. I understand that here is where you are comfortable, but sometimes life is not comfortable. Sometimes we have to do hard things in order to see the good. Let's go. OK, time to go back to reality.

2:32:03 Give me a persuasion check please. Who? That's a Nat 20 + 2 is 22. OK. Hell yeah, babe. Now as who was first was that Estella, as Estella begins to lift the person to carry them out, Lord Crumbleton, you will straighten, and everyone else. For the first time since you met him, there's no weapon in his hands.

2:32:51 He's undone, undone his belt. Slowly, the leather creaks. The holster comes free, and he weighs at once, thoughtfully, and then tosses it into the fire. The leather blackens, the metal warps. The fire does not flare. It accepts. He gives a long and even exhale, and he says, I get it. He looks at the people being lifted, the ones resisting without struggle. You can take them. Maybe we should, but they'll just find their way back. That's what I did, that's what I'll do, and I think I'll stay.

2:33:33 No one stops him. No one asks him to. Who do you actually succeed in taking with you, and who do you leave behind? And as all of you begin the process of taking people out almost against their will, when you move to take them, the room does not resist you. They do. Estella.

2:34:14 You reach for 2/1, slips free, just stepping back, eyes gentle and resolute, not unconscious, just decided, and you haul them up anyway. Your muscles burn immediately, your breath growing heavy. This isn't how you wanted to use this strength. The exhaustion sets in even more even before you can take a second step. But you don't let go, and you carry 1 Simo. You lift 1 cleanly when you reach for the second the person gently takes your wrist. No anger, No Fear, just a quiet please don't and they step out of their grasp on their own.

2:35:01 Simo, you carry one out and know that in your bones that you could not have carried more without breaking something that mattered. Amelie, you don't reach, you just speak. You don't promise safety. You don't promise consequence. You offer choice about leaving, about leaving being allowed, about staying, being real, about how deciding later is still deciding. The person you're speaking to listens. They really listen. And then they nod.

2:35:44 They stand up on their own, and they walk out beside you. Amelie not rescued. But choosing. This matters more than the others combined. There's no alarms, no pursuit, no judgement. Lord Crumbleton stays behind. That's because no one argued. No one needed to. What about Indiana? Did I miss Indiana? I'm so sorry, Indiana.

2:36:24 What is your action here? Sorry, I was trying not to interrupt you. This would be a persuasion I would go for. OK, what are you attempting to persuade exactly? To to leave. Specifically to leave. OK. Are you're attempting just with one person or? I'm going to try with one person, yes, because I can see that how everyone else is struggling. OK. Are you doing a person particular or just any one person?

2:37:07 I'm going to do it with Stella. The Baker was missing. OK, what would you say to her? I kind of, I'm pretty sure, so I don't have to bend down to get her at my level. I pause and I look at her, and I say The beautiful thing about choice is that it is continuous. The choice to be here will still exist after you leave. But wouldn't it be better to say goodbye, To explain yourself to the people you love, to those who care? Life has so many different options and choices, and if you feel burdened by the one you've made, you can always change it. You can always come back here.

2:38:10 But leaving is more difficult. I hope you'll consider going with me. OK, give me a persuasion check. That's a 23. OK, so as you are speaking to Stella, Merrick overhears you as well, and you speak where they can both hear and Stella's hands still smelling faintly flour. Merrick mug cradle but untouched eyes call them in a way that took years to earn. They don't argue that Stain is wrong. Stella talks about unfinished connections, about towns that don't collapse when one person rests but do hollow out when too many never come back.

2:39:09 I won't pretend this place didn't help us. I just don't want it to be the last place anybody remembers UPS. And Merrick is almost slower. He stares into his mug for a long time, then finally sets it down. I didn't think anyone would ask me to come back, he admits to you, and he kind of glances at the door. Not because they needed me, but because they remembered me. He stands, not hurried, not regretful. All right, I'll walk, just not fast. And both Stella and Merrick leave under their own power. Indiana kind of slowly walks with them and quietly tell tells them both how they were hired to find them, that people cared that they were missing, but they people are waiting for them to come back, that they worry for them. And they just kind of nod with you, Indiana, as you all walk out of the Emporium together.

2:40:32 And as you exit the emporium, you all of you feel this almost weight of a burden per SE that were they truly happy? Were they? Were they finally succumbing to someone who was no longer needed? And that weight kind of stays with you for quite a long time.

2:41:19 And weeks pass. Snow is still falling in the hamlet, but it's it no longer lingers in the same places. The chairs and Branacoil's Tavern are no longer kept empty on purpose. Some nights they are filled, some nights they aren't. The town has learned to live with that again. Stella the Baker opens her shop late now. Not every morning, not every day. When she does, the bread is simpler. Fewer loaves, fewer promises. People learn to arrive when the door is open instead of expecting it to be. The oven runs slower.

2:42:06 The timer's tick still tick, but she lets them ring for just a moment longer. She never pretends the work doesn't tire her. She also never pretends she didn't choose it. One of the people you carried out never quite settles. They try, truly. They sleep, they eat, they laugh when they mean to. But eventually, on a morning with fog too thick to argue, they leave again. No note, no apology. They find their way back to warmth. That doesn't ask the town. I'm sorry. That doesn't ask. The town learns that rescue is not the same as return. The one Amelie spoke to, the one who walked out under their own power.

2:42:52 They don't go back. They just take longer routes home. They sit in the cold. When asked about the emporium, they only say it helped me remember how to decide. And that's enough. Estella feels the exhaustion for days, not the ache of muscle, but the deeper fatigue that comes from carrying someone who didn't want to be moved. She recovers, but she remembers the cost. Simo, you never speak of this moment when a hand gently stops yours. But from then on, when you choose to stay somewhere, you, you do it. You know you do it with your whole body, not just your strength.

2:43:36 Indiana You're remembered by name, not as a savior, but by someone who asked the question out loud when it mattered. And somewhere beyond the edge of town, where the Lantern light ends and the roads narrow into something less certain, the Emporium waits. Not open, not closed. Just there. And inside, Lord Crumbleton Molassaker sits by a fire that does no longer judge him. He is not finished, but he's no longer running. He thinks that, for now, is enough.

2:44:19 And not every door is meant to be closed. Some are meant to be understood, and some are meant to be walked away from without ever needing to be locked. Behind you, snow falls softly outside. The Carol drifts on, gentle and endless. Somewhere, a toy clicks into place and Christmas stays warm. And that's where our story ends. The snow keeps falling, the fire stays warm, and the choice that was made will never stop echoing. Thank you for listening to Crit Happens and for sharing this special holiday story with us.

2:45:09 The toy makers regret the tale about comfort, exhaustion, and the quiet weight of deciding when enough is enough, And we're grateful you stayed with us through every moment. This concludes the holiday special. Thank you so much for listening. We will be back next week to finish up our UNIT episode as well as moving on with our main campaign with new stories to tell, but for now, we hope this one lingers a little bit longer than most. From all of us here at Crit Happens and the P3 Podcast Network, I am Spencer Hart wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

2:45:53 Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and remember, sometimes rest is a gift too. Good night everybody.