Roads Uncharted

CW: Reference to previous episode’s risk of drowning/storm at sea at 2:04 to 2:12, and 18:21 to 18:30. Please skip this if it would be triggering for you. As always, your safety and enjoyment are important to us.

After a turbulent night of storms, the party has abruptly arrived on an unfamiliar beach. The ship has been beached and Captain Lucy is furious that the trio has become a sign of bad luck for the crew. She demands they head into the jungle to find clean water and scout the area while the crew tends to the wounded and she tries to determine where they are. Trix heads to the trees with Elaith and Rou walking below them. They quickly come upon a stream and, after having their fill of the cool water, they fill the waterskins and sacks that had been provided to them.

They return to find Lucy and Sam poring over maps and it doesn’t take them long to realize the pair have no idea where the ship has landed. After distributing the water, the party heads back out to begin scouting as they’d been instructed. While exploring, Trix notices a flash of light in the distance and the group follows it to find the trees giving way to reveal overgrown ruins below. This ruined settlement sits on the shoreline with a neglected dock, and beyond the ruins they spy a mountain where the glinting light seems to shine from a large, domed structure. It isn’t until they head into the ruins that they find they’re not alone.

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

CW: Thalassophobia/sea storms/risk of drowning. If this would be triggering for you, please skip 35:22 to 42:34. As always, your safety and enjoyment are important to us.

Realizing they need to give the crew a reason to avoid the rest of the island, the group decides to deceive them by claiming dangerous creatures live beyond the beach. Elaith poisons Trix and even pokes them with a fork, the trio pretending Trix has been poisoned by a snake. Rou carries them into camp, the party putting on a big show to convince Captain Lucy. They present the dissatisfied Captain with the compass and coins, claiming they set off a trap that caused Trix to get bitten and that the rumors of other treasure were merely lies.

The party helps to repair the ship over the next two days, doing their best to prevent further discourse with the crew. The day they prepare to leave, they notice the Captain seems nervous. When Rou questions her, implying the storm on the horizon might be the cause, she denies it. As the day progresses, the peaceful journey soon turns into a deadly fight for their lives when the storm arrives.  

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

CW: Thalassophobia/underwater exploration. This episode revolves around the party swimming in deep water to explore sunken ruins. If this would be triggering for you, please exercise caution when tuning in. Additionally, there is a reference to ingesting blood at 28:42 to 28:44, so please skip if this would be triggering for you. As always, your safety and enjoyment are important to us.

Umé casts a spell on the party to transform gills onto their necks before transporting them into the deep lake where they first learned of Ashaña’s history. Ashaña shifts into an eel, following along as Umé guides them into the cold, dark depths toward the ruins of Velar. They are led to the remains of the palace, up through the halls and into the Queen’s chambers. Umé instructs Ashaña to open a doorway hidden within a bookshelf and leads them further into the depths of a hidden chamber. It is very clear that Ashaña is surprised by this revelation.

Within the chamber, Umé surrounds the party with a bubble so they may converse. Ashaña quickly shifts to a dog to shake the water from their body before Umé leads them all to a large mural. The deity reveals that it contains information that answers life’s mysteries, and he is showing Ashaña so that xe may guard Nadros with the full understanding of its secrets. The deity doesn’t seem concerned that the party sees it as well, believing they couldn’t use the knowledge even if they wanted to. Furthermore, he warns them that if they try to use anything from the mural that they would not be able to fathom the true cost of the rituals described within.

Trix decides to take Umé up on the offer of free knowledge and asks about their blood oath. Umé is able to discern the nature of the oath and shares it with the party. It appears that Emperor Dinai has an extremely important dragon as a hostage, and in order to remove him from Trix’s life they need to kill the dragon first. Umé transports the party back to Ashaña’s home, visibly drained from the energy and magic spent to share this knowledge. After excusing himself for rest, Ashaña offers gifts as payment for Captain Lucy and her crew and then escorts the party back to the beach.   

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue, Wren @ThornyDryad and Nala J. Wu @naladraws.com

Check out Jae’s work at https://naladraws.com/ 

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

The mysterious figure is revealed to be Umé, much to the astonishment of Ashaña. Despite her confusion, anger and frustration, Umé is gentle and patient. They ask for tea and Ashaña springs into action, hastily providing an excited Elaith with a bundle of Everdrake root before heading into their dwelling. The sound of clattering plates and doors heard from within. Umé sits and takes Trix and Rou’s badgering in stride, including Rou’s implications that the deity has hurt Talbain. Umé assures Rou that Talbain is being taken care of and has been very helpful as he reintroduces himself to the material plane.

Ashaña eventually returns to the group with tea and snacks, and begins to instruct Elaith on ways to use the Everdrake Root.and what uses it can have. Xe shares that they use it for dreams that allow him to remember those xe loved who are now lost. As Ashaña does so, Rou and Trix notice an odd reaction on Umé’s face. The pair also learn that Ashaña once loved someone they know. 

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue, Wren @ThornyDryad and Nala J. Wu @naladraws.com

Check out Jae’s work at https://naladraws.com/  

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Ashaña expands on her tale while Rou and Trix begin to question Umé’s intentions. Ashaña is adamant that Umé wants what is best, insisting that it was their misunderstanding of Umé’s warning that caused the destruction of the people of Nadros. Rou and Trix are forced to reconcile their interpretation of the events with Umé and Talbain against Ashaña’s story. The more the party prods at the details and counters with new information about the deity, the more Ashaña seems distressed.

In turn, the group updates Ashaña on who the Emperor is and why Umé might be interested in destroying him. In doing so, they provide Ashaña with some insight into why Umé has gone silent. However, the news seems to bring no comfort. Ze goes on to share that not all were destroyed, as the Princess and their shared lover left with some survivors to start anew. Ashaña stayed behind to watch over the island and the weapon that dwells there. When Rou asks if it’s possible that the survivors brought knowledge beyond Nadros, they insist it’s not possible and escorts the party to his home. Upon arriving, they find a mysterious figure perusing Ashaña’s gardens.

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue, Wren @ThornyDryad and Nala J. Wu @naladraws.com

Check out Jae’s work at https://naladraws.com/

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Ashaña leads the party deeper into Nadros, to a valley seemingly lost to time. Over the course of their walk, he has shifted from an element of nature to more humanoid in appearance. She summons roots from the depths of a pond to create chairs for everyone to sit on. As they pry into the party’s reason for being on the island, Ashaña shares a little insight into the history of Nadros.

Ze reveals that the people that once made this island home repeated some grave mistakes of their past, and ultimately were the cause of their own destruction. When he mentions Umé’s name in her tale, the party’s interest becomes piqued. They realize the once imprisoned deity’s involvement goes deeper than they knew.  

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue, Wren @ThornyDryad and Nala J. Wu @naladraws.com

Check out Jae’s work at https://naladraws.com/

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Trix rushes to aid Elaith, who has been suddenly pulled up toward the canopy and an awaiting man-eating plant. As they make quick work of the predator, Rou maneuvers to catch his new friend when they fall. Unknown to the party, an unseen figure watches the scene from the shadows. As the smoke clears from Trix’s arrow and Elaith lands safely, the figure reveals themself.

Standing over 8 feet tall, the figure demands they return to where they came from and insists the island has nothing for them. When Elaith pushes back, and even goes so far as to give a thorough description of the plant they need, the figure seems to relax a bit. Rou and Trix chime in, helping to convince the figure to at least talk with them - preferably in a safer place. The figure, who shares she’s named Ashaña, leads them deeper into the jungle. What strikes the party is that the plants seem to react to his very presence as ze walks through the foliage.

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue, Wren @ThornyDryad and Nala J. Wu @naladraws.com

Check out Jae’s work at https://naladraws.com/ 

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

Freshly freed from quicksand, the party returns to the river to clean off the grit and wet sand, making a quick plan before continuing their journey. They decide that Elaith and Rou will forge ahead while Trix leaps among the branches to spy the trail ahead. With the humidity too high to dry their clothes, the party dons wet clothing and gets back on track.

As they push through the underbrush, the party hears the sound of a child crying. They veer off course to check out the sound and find the sound comes from a mass of tangled vines. Trix peers down from above and sees what appears to be a small form wrapped in something purple, the form shaking with each sob. Rou and Elaith head into the vines to help Trix get a closer look, and quickly realize it’s a mistake when Rou is grappled by vines that draw him closer to a gaping, toothed maw.

Trix is able to make quick work of the vines with their explosive arrows, which causes the plant to disappear into the brush. Returning to their original path, the party experiences a moment of peace before Elaith is grabbed by a draping vine and pulled up into the canopy. 

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad 

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

CW: Snakes, threat of being swallowed, quicksand, buried alive. If snakes/threat of being swallowed would be triggering for you, please skip 3:04 to 17:08, and 38:32 to 57:17 for quicksand/buried alive. As always, your safety and enjoyment are important to us.

Trix is dragged toward the river by a giant snake, and decides to shoot it to escape. They fail, but the ensuing blast from their rune alerts Elaith and Rou to their plight. The pair charge out of the waterfall and come to their friend’s aid, but unfortunately lose some of the data in the journal in the process. As a trade off, the party is able to extract some poison from the snake’s mouth for future use. 

Deciding to continue upstream, they attempt to climb up the hillside by the waterfall. Unfortunately, an incident at the top causes everyone to tumble back to the ground. Changing course to cross the river the party pushes forward into the dense jungle. As they forge ahead, suddenly Trix disappears into the ground below. Trix has fallen prey to lightning sand, and it takes everyone’s best effort to save them.

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad 

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!

CW: Snakes, threat of being swallowed. If this would be triggering for you, please skip 30:14 to 32:02. As always, your safety and enjoyment are important to us.

Before setting off into the jungle, Rou makes an agreement with Captain Lucy that she should give them four days before deciding to leave without them. She agrees and tells them her crew will make as many repairs as needed to get the ship to Azarra during that time and she will set off on day five, for better or worse. 

Following the footprints he noticed the night before, the trio head eastward before losing the trail when they arrive at a river. They follow the river northward until they arrive at a waterfall. Convinced there might be something behind the waterfall, Rou and Elaith leave Trix to stand guard on the riverside. While the pair search the remains they find hidden there, Trix is surprised when their legs are swept out from under them by a massive snake.

Follow Dax @gmdax, Kappa @TheKappaChris, Sebastian @sebastianyue and Wren @ThornyDryad

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced by Dax

Opening theme music, editing and mixing by Wren

Logo Artwork design by Jessie

Character Artwork design by Riyuski

Segment music and sound effects licensed through Epidemic Sound

LINKS:

Be sure to follow and tag Roads Uncharted on Bluesky!