Before this episode starts, we had a week of downtime where party members did various different things. About midway through the week, around midday, the group is at a strategy meeting with Thulrum, who kind of just describes how big of a win taking that gate was.
Thulrum gives us 3 options for our next quests: taking out another outpost (10 gold each), taking over the dungeon library deeper in the rebellion stronghold (30 gold each), or eliminating a druid camp with a manaspring (45 gold each).
Ianoth:
“We should choose the library. Perhaps that way, we wouldn’t have to attack the next outpost by going head-first with our pants down and frantically flapping our willies around; wouldn’t you say so, Dayne?” (???? HELP IDK)
Dayne:
“…what?”
“If you could minimize the amount of words you say to me, I’d appreciate it. Unless. of course, it’s ‘I’m sorry’.”
Aelin:
“As long as we don’t pick the first option, I’m fine with anything.”
Lorin:
“I’m okay with the library idea!”
Olwynn:
“I agree. I’m not… eager to meet more druids.”
Dayne:
“Why not? Aelin’s pretty good at taking them out.” (she failed to take down that druid last ep and almost died)
Aelin:
“Uh-huh… you’re real funny, Dayne”
Dayne:
“I have my moments.”
Ianoth:
“Indeed. The druid at that last outpost gave me quite a good beating. I haven’t received such a good beating since my younger days.”
(awkward ahh silence)
Thulrum:
“So it’s settled then? You’ll delve deep into the dungeon and unlock the mysteries of the library? We feel that the mage’s research could be very useful in aiding the rebellion. We’re not sure what’s down there ourselves, but we know that if we let them grow any further, it’s not going to be the best for those living down here.”
We all sign the contract and agree to complete this mission.
At another point throughout the week, Dayne finds Lorin in the sparring gym.
Dayne:
“Nice form. Where’d you learn to fight?”
Lorin:
“Self taught. Fully.”
Dayne:
“That’s impressive. I wish I could say the same.”
With Dayne’s arms exposed (he’s just wearing like a regular black tshirt and pants for training), Lorin can see these kind of runic tattoos down his arms.
Dayne:
“If you’re self taught, you must’ve had a reason to start fighting, right? What was it?”
Lorin:
“I guess you could say that. It’s just been a rough past few years for me. They haven’t been the easiest, with all these riots and stuff.”
Dayne:
“Are you from a city where they’ve been getting bad?”
Lorin:
“I guess you could say that…”
Dayne:
“You must be good at fighting if you plan on quelling these riots on your own. Is that why you’re out here?”
Lorin:
“Yeah.” (awkward silence) “What, um, what are those thingies on your arm?”
Dayne:
“I got these when I was learning how to fight. I wasn’t self taught — I actually come from Silverhold College. I was accepted into a… program, I guess you could say. And they gave us these to make us… better at our “homework”, you could say. I have matching scars to go with them.”
Lorin:
“Yeah… don’t we all.”
Dayne challenges her to an arm wrestle to test out her strength, each agreeing to buy the victor a drink — Lorin smokes him the first round, literally just smashing Dayne’s hand through the table.
Dayne wins the second round, and to break the tie… Dayne barely wins the last round!
Also sometime during the week, Aelin talks to a drunk Greg at the bar and taunts him, saying “Greg, I thought you had a bracelet earlier? What happened to it!”
Greg convinces Aelin to drink with him, and they both get blackout drunk during the afternoon.
They reach the end of the week and prepare to start the library quest, Aelin still slightly hungover from her drinking two days prior.
After about 2 hours of walking through the dungeon, the party arrives at the library and sees a massive golem in the center of the room, along with two mages who are conducting some form of research.
Dayne casts bless on Lorin and Aelin and himself, and fire manifests around all of their hands as his power affects them.
Ianoth suggests blowing up the pillars around the goliath, saying “that beast is much bigger than you, Dayne.”
Olwynn:
“…Well I think it’s much bigger than all of us…”
Ianoth:
“But especially Dayne.”
Aelin:
“…Dayne’s like the tallest one here”
Ianoth then suggests Aelin goes in to try and assassinate one of the mages, to which Aelin responds “I don’t know if that’s a good idea after what happened last time”
Ianoth:
“Indeed, your performance in combat was quite embarrassing…”
Aelin:
“Oh? Why don’t you go in then?”
Ianoth:
“Well — I would be needed to plant the dynamite, so…”
Aelin:
“Why don’t I plant the dynamite?”
Ianoth and Aelin bicker back and forth, and Dayne steps in, saying “Lorin, you take one and I’ll take the other. Sound good?”