♪ Who's gonna help when the danger overwhelms ♪
♪ And the mysteries are piled high? ♪
♪ Who's gonna be around, never gonna let you down ♪
♪ When you're on a wild ride?
♪ Your friends are always by your side ♪
♪ It's Craig of the Creek, he's gonna save the day ♪
♪ It's Craig of the Creek
♪♪
Man: Then, out of the mist,
walks a gang of goblin children!
Hey!Whatcha watchin'?
It's a stream of the Elder's latest role-playing campaign.
It is so exciting!
And the chat room is filled with two whole viewers.
You stumble into the fog,
hoping to find an inn to rest your weary heads.
But as the miasma clears, you find instead
a gigantic three-headed werewolf!
What are they gonna do?It's up to them.
Elder Mark designs the adventure,
and Elder Barry and Elder David can do whatever they want,
as long as they roll a high enough number.
The werewolf creeps forward. What do you do?
I want to befriend it!
Befriend it?Yeah!
Having a wolf as a pet, that'd be super cool.
Besides, he's just a werewolf,
so half the time, he'd just be a guy in ripped clothes.
A werewolf andripped clothes?
Two cool things for the price of one!
You can't befriend him. He's an enemy and a plot point.
This game is about using your imagination
and complicated math calculations
to live your dreams,
and my dream is to befriend a three-headed werewolf.
Fine. Roll.
A natural 20!
All right! Yeah, yeah! We did it! Yeah!
Get over here, my fur-wever fwend.
Grr.
Then, all of a sudden, a necromancer appears,
smites the werewolf and then re-animates him as a zombie
who cannot be affected by friendship spells or potions
so now you have to fight him, like I said!
That's it! I quit!
What?! Where are they going?
Oh, here they come.
Dude, you do this every session!
What's the point of playing a role-playing game
if I can't play my role?!
The miniatures are cool?
I'm done. I'm disengaging.
Therefore, not provoking opportunity attacks
on myself. Whatever.
You're just mad because this game is too hard for you.
You! You've got a sword.
Want to join the campaign?
Me?
Join the campaign?
Never in her wildest dreams had she dreamt she'd be asked
to join the most prestigious game in all of the creek.
She must choose her words wisely.
[ Squeals ]
Fine!
If you're gonna hang out with that kid,
then I'll hang out with those kids!
-Us? -Fine!
Fine! Fiiine!
All right, I got my sunscreen on so I can be in the light.
What's happening?
Barry is no longer our friend!
Get back in the hole, David!
Kelsey: Greetings, your elderships.
I am so excited to play this game.
I already came up with a character and a backstory.
Her name is Tesepha,
the unforgiving half-orc paladin,
sworn to the oath of --
Yeah, I already did that stuff for you.
Here's your character sheet, your miniature,
which is hand-painted so don't break it,
your dice set, the third-edition rule book,
and let's not forget [groans] Barry's chest piece.
Oh, and remember to look into that camera for our one viewer.
We had two. I'm not entirely sure where the other one went.
Must've been a Barry fan.
[ Chuckles nervously ] Okay.
Craig: And that's how you get a perfect crease.
Pffttt. My plane doesn't need creases.
It's got heart!
Man, this is so much better than hanging out under a rock
with two guys I've known my entire life.
Who needs them, right?
Uh, yeah. All right.
Wings of the creek, it's your time to shine!
Oh, man, do you guys remember "Swat Kats"?
Huh?"Swat Kats."
It was a cartoon show.
Oh, no. I-I haven't heard of it.
Oh, man, it was about these two cats who were mechanics,
who flew around in jets fighting monsters.
Your plane just reminds me of it.
Oh, I've -- I've never seen that show.
Sounds cool, though.
Oh, yeah, it was super cool.
You should totally check it out.
Okay, sure.
All right, plane time!Hey!
Do you guys remember "Dexter's Laboratory"?
Mark: You find yourselves at the Thirsty Lizard --
a quaint inn hosting an array of eclectic characters.
A friendly bard takes notice of your adventuring garb.
[ English accent ] La, te, da, te, ta, de, da, ta.
I'm guessing by that sword,
you two are looking for the goblin treasure.
I will gladly tell you the location
if you fetch me a string to fix me magical lute.
[ Normal voice ] What do you do?
Well, it doesn't look like I have anything
to "fix" a magical "lute."
Ugh. How about you, young traveler?
Uh, describe the bard.
The bard's purple eyes glisten in the candlelight,
his weathered boots weathered from travelling.
I pull out my sword.
What?! In the inn?!
I can tell by the scuffs on his boots,
'tis no bard.
'Tis a thief! Show us the map or face my blade!
Fine. Roll an intimidation check.
12 plus 5. [ Gasps ]
I did it! Excellent!
[ Sighs ] Guess we'll just skip that encounter
that I spent several hours designing.
Okay, he hands you the map,
but it's written in ancient Dwarven runes.
Oh! I can speak Dwarven!
But can you read?
No.
Suddenly, an old grizzled Dwarven miner
sidles up to you.
[ Cockney accent ] "Why, oar those Dwarven roons?
I 'aven't seen roons loik that in ages!
Oy'll raed em foar ya, at a proice!"
Hmm, that sounds suspicious.
Roll an intimidation check.
Ha! Wow!
That looked like it traveled two whole backyards.
"Ed, Edd, and Eddy"!
That's the show I was trying to think of.
Do you guys remember "Ed, Edd and Eddy"? No.
Aw, you should totally check it out.
You guys actually remind me a lot of that show.
But, like, mixed with "Code Name: Kids Next Door."
Do you remember that show?
[ Sighs ] No.
Tell us more.
You finally reach the treasure,
but it's guarded by an acid-spitting centipede!
What do you do?
Do you think if I drink its acid spit,
I would gain it's acid-spitting powers?
No, I think you would die instantly.
Hmm.
I don't think I can do anything without dying instantly.
Y'know what? I'm just gonna go for it.
I drink the acid spit!
You die instantly.
Noooooooo!
What do youdo?
Uh, I use my rope to swing from the ceiling
to attack it from behind!
You can't. The ceiling is lava.
Okay, I use my acrobatics to shimmy along the wall!
You can't. The walls are lava, too.
Uh, fine.
I just draw my sword and attack!
You can't, for the air itself is lava.
Everything is lava!
Aaaargh!
Tesepha's hand burns
as the magma seeps through her gauntlet.
You can't do that.What?
Only the game master can narrate.
Kelsey was stunned, her skill for painting pictures
with words, stripped away.
It was as if her very soul was being taken --
Was being taken over by the game master, Mark.
Oh, oh! Another good one is "Pirates of Dark Water"!
That one is, uh... Mark's, uh, favorite.
Look, I'm sure all these super-duper,
black-and-white cartoons were great,
but wouldn't you rather talk about them
with someone who remembers what you're talking about?
Like Elder mark.
No, you guys are my friends now,
so I must teach you every reference I know.
Barry: Get some sleep tonight, because tomorrow,
school's in session -- cartoon school!
Both: We gotta get the elders back together!
Oh, my gosh, yes!
They totally miss each other.
I'm sure if we can get them to speak
to each other again, they'll work it out.
Yeah, but how do we keep them in the same place
talking for several hours consecutively?
Hmm.
I still can't believe you have a sponsored
streaming show in your fort.
Wait for me!No! David, stop!
Hey! Get off! Get o--
[ Both scream ]
Welcome to the dungeon, your elderships.
Mark. Barry.
David!
Oh, whoops.
Both: No way, nuh-uh, I'm not playing with him.
He is the worst game master.
Well, then you'll be happy to know that
I am the game master today.
Well, okay. I'll stay.
Not me. 2-year-old, pull me up.
Are you sure?
Our stream has six whole viewers.
Mark: Six?!
Okay, I'll stay, too, but only to promote my brand.
♪♪
The journey was long and harrowing,
but you've finally made it into the center of the dungeon.
And then, before you,
you see a giant ogre, thrashing about!
Rawr! I'm an ogre!
What do you do?
Okay, I --
Attack with my enchanted sword "Wrath Bringer!"
17!
The blade bounces off his chest. The ogre is too strong.
Raaawr!
I think our wits may be an advantage here.
Let's try talking --I cast fireball!
At level four!
It doesn't work. The ogre's too strong.
Ogre! Ogre! Ogre! Ogre!
I topple a stone pillar on him!
Summon a dire bear! Anything!
Nothing works.
The ogre...
is too strong.
Aha!
I sacrifice the final secret phoenix egg in my satchel,
summoning my deity and selling my humanity
in exchange for untold magical power!
The ogre...
is too strong.
This is so unfair. I can't do anything!
You're making this no fun!
Dude! This is how it feels to play with you all the time!
Well, how do you think I feel?
I spend all this time using my imagination
to world-build and make really cool things
and -- and you don't even care!
Is that what you think?
Mark, we love your world-building,
your sense of lore, the way you call back NPCs
from time to time from our previous adventures.
That's why we have so much fun playing --
when you let us.
I, uh, hate to interrupt, but, um,
I believe there's a giant ogre standing before you.
Sup.
[ Clears throat ] Barry, what do you want to do?
I want to befriend the ogre.
Thistleclaw approaches the ogre and asks him...
Oh, great ogre! Why doth thou thrash about, so?
[ Ogre voice ] It's me foot!
I got a splinter stuck in me toe!
He's got a splinter stuck in his toe!
Guys! We've got to pull the splinter
out of his toe!
Let's do this -- together.
♪♪
All: Critical hit!
You pull with all your might,
and the splinter slides loose!
You save the ogre and are freed from the dungeon!
Woo-hoo! Yeah! Woo-hoo!
David: We actually helped!
Finally, the elders are going back to their cave,
and all's right in the creek.
You saved the day, Kels.
Thanks. Say it like the ogre.
[ Ogre voice ] You saved the day, Kels!
Look, Barry, I know I made you mad,
and I just I guess what I'm trying to say
is do you remember that show "Sym-Bionic Titan"?
Dude...
I could never forget "Sym-Bionic Titan."
Aww! We're friends again!
[ All scream ][ Thud ]
♪ When it's time to go to bed
♪ I know I don't have to feel alone ♪
♪ 'Cause I'll see you tomorrow
♪ At the creek
Just like I drew it.