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Welcome back craftlings, to the 
Minecraft Short Stories podcast.

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This is episode 77, which is fun
because we have two sevens and 

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in this episode I will be 
reading a listener story by 

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Thomas. 
Thank you Thomas for subming the

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story. 
And if you would also like to 

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submit a story, maybe get read 
on the show, you can go to 

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minecraftshortstories.com which 
is this podcast website and just

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go to submit a story page filled
the form with your story and 

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your username or name. 
And then to make it around the 

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show. 
Anyways, talking about stories 

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being read on shows over on the 
Patreon I released like 2 days 

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ago or I guess yesterday at the 
time of recording the Part 2 for

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the Hidden Story series, 
specifically the Noble Quest for

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Salamar. 
And what the Hidden Stories is, 

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is it's just a series over on 
the Minecraft Short Stories 

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Prologue Patreon podcast where I
dive into more the stories of 

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the characters on this show. 
For example, the Noble Quest for

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Salamar is about Carter after 
the Ordeal of the Fortunate, 

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which is a story from a few 
years ago over on the show and 

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also ties a little bit into the 
quest for the Ancient Blade. 

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So go check that out. 
patreon.com/minecraftstories. 

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Ton of links in the description,
recommend checking them out. 

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Also the YouTube channel. 
Anyways, another thanks to 

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Thomas for submitting this 
story. 

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And this was 5000 words so I 
just cut it in half. 

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So Part 2 will be next episode. 
And then after the story I will 

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shout out some of the people who
got the answer right. 

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I can do absolutely everybody 
because I'll take too long and I

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probably mispronounce all the 
names. 

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Anyways, let's dive right into 
the story. 

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The Traveller by Thomas the 
Stranger came from the South by 

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boat. 
None of us had ever heard the 

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word stranger before, but it was
the word Priest had used and we 

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knew it to be right. 
We had never heard the word boat

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before either, but it too was 
right. 

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Priest had seen the stranger 
approaching the village from 

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atop the church just before High
Sun, and had called us together 

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to warn us. 
The stranger would not harm us, 

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Priest said, as long as we did 
not provoke it. 

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It would simply loot the Smithy,
harvest our crops, and be on its

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way. 
The farmers and The Smiths were 

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not happy about this, but the 
priest warned them not to 

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interfere. 
Apparently another stranger had 

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visited this village many, many 
moons before one of The Smiths 

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had attempted to block its entry
into the Smithy, and that 

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stranger had slain Smith where 
he stood. 

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So it was with more than a 
little anxiety that we watched 

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just a stranger steered its boat
up to the long wooden Rd. 

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jutting out into the sea and 
stepped into our lives. 

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As Priest had predicted, the 
stranger immediately began 

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harvesting our crops, but Priest
seemed surprised when it also 

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replanted them. 
The stranger's appearance was 

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frightening. 
It very much resembled the 

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zombies which would occasionally
invade our village, but without 

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the decay of these creatures. 
It was also clad all in leather 

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armor, just as the zombies would
sometimes be. 

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Then the stranger came within 
sight of the Smithy and stopped 

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harvesting it immediately, left 
the crops and headed for the 

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Smithy. 
Tool Smith cried out and ran to 

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block the doorway into the 
Smithy, and Priest called after 

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him and treating Smith not to 
provoke this dangerous creature.

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We all watched in horror, 
expecting Tool Smith to be 

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slain, but the stranger did not 
strike him. 

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Instead, with unexpected 
strength, I merely pushed Tool 

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Smith out of its way and 
proceeded into the Smithy. 

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After a short time, I left the 
Smithy, completely ignoring Tool

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Smith, and resumed harvesting 
and replanting the remaining 

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crops. 
We watched as it finished, 

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expecting it to return to its 
boat and depart heretofore 

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uneventful lives. 
Instead, the stranger entered 

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the church and descended to the 
top of the tower. 

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We all watched as a stranger 
placed several torches atop the 

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tower, then it returned to the 
ground floor and placed a few 

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more torches on the walls of the
sanctuary before ascending again

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to the second floor of the 
tower. 

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Priest mustered up the courage 
to enter the church and to peek 

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up to the second floor. 
The stranger has placed his bed 

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in the tower. 
Priest told us the stranger 

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intended to sleep in the church.
The stranger should leave in the

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morning. 
Priest assured us they must fear

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the night as we do now. 
Go and seek shelter for the 

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night. 
The thought of this terrible and

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powerful creature fearing 
anything seemed ludicrous, but 

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we did as priest asked and left 
to find shelter in the few 

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buildings we could enter. 
Warning came and I and the rest 

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of the village hurried out to 
see if the stranger left us as 

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priest assured us it would. 
Entire village watched as a 

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stranger first appeared on top 
of the church tower. 

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It looked in all directions as 
if making sure the area was safe

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and then disappeared from view. 
Then the stranger came out of 

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the church and began wandering 
through the village as though 

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searching for something. 
We all looked the priest, who 

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merely said Apparently priest 
was just as confused by the 

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stranger's behaviour as the rest
of us. 

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It was then that the stranger 
surprised all of us. 

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It took out a stone shovel and 
began flattening out an area 

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near the church. 
Once it had flattened a small 

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area and planted 9 Birch 
saplings in a square pattern 

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with three blocks between each 
sapling and placed torches in 

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the center of the four squares 
bounded by the saplings. 

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Then it moved into the village 
and began entering all of the 

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accessible buildings, leaving 
behind torches on the walls. 

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The stranger even placed torches
atop the two watchtowers in the 

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village. 
Is the stranger helping us? 

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I asked Priest. 
It was known that monsters would

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not appear where there was 
light, and now the village was 

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lit as it had never been before.
Not intentionally, Priest said. 

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These creatures work only for 
their own purposes, so it is 

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taught. 
I watched as the stranger 

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continued through the village. 
Once it had placed torches in 

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all the buildings it could 
enter. 

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Is it something even more 
unexpected? 

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The stranger took out a stone 
shovel and began to dig out some

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of the partially buried 
buildings. 

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A large house. 
As soon as the stranger exposed 

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the door, Armour Smith, who had 
been trapped in there as long as

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I could remember, ran out of the
building to join us. 

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Elder Farmer tossed Smith a loaf
of bread. 

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As Smith walked up, the stranger
freed me. 

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Armor Smith told us only because
I wanted to go into that 

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building. 
Priest insisted It cares nothing

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for us. 
I could not help but agree with 

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Armor Smith, though. 
I almost felt as though Mojang 

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itself as soon as a protector. 
That feeling grew when I saw the

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light that was now pouring out 
of the newly excavated building.

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Then I realized it was getting 
dark, and I looked up to where 

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the sun was sinking low in the 
sky. 

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The stranger must have noticed 
it as well, because it ran from 

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the large house and straight to 
the church, where it quickly 

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climbed the ladder to the second
floor of the tower. 

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The stranger was not only 
strong, but incredibly fast, 

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faster even than the great 
spiders that would sometimes 

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pass us on the plane. 
How long will it stay? 

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I asked. 
How should I know? 

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Cartographer Priest replied 
curtly. 

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We must all hurry to safety. 
Safety. 

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That word seemed to have a new 
meaning for me as I walked into 

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the brightly lit library and 
closed the door behind me. 

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I looked out the windows towards
the church and after the second 

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floor of the tower where light 
streamed out of its windows. 

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Mojang, protect us. 
The next day, the stranger 

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continued to dig out any 
buildings which were buried and 

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illuminate them. 
Then it spent some time 

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wandering the area around the 
village. 

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Once the stranger had searched 
all around the village, it began

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digging atop a large hill just 
to the north of the village. 

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Over the next several Suns, the 
stranger slowly cut down the 

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hill layer by layer, gradually 
clearing a large flat space 

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almost as wide as the village 
itself. 

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I found myself fascinated by 
this. 

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The stranger was doing something
which had never occurred to me 

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as possible. 
It was changing the map. 

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Each sun I watched, the stranger
would work on cutting down the 

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hill that I'd chosen for 
whatever unfathomable purpose it

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would break from that 
occasionally wander the edges of

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the village, sealing off the 
entrances to the many caverns 

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which surrounded our village 
with the dirt it had excavated. 

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It's every action seemed 
designed to increase the safety 

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of our village. 
This went on without 

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interruption until the sun. 
When the witch arrived, Elder 

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Farmer saw it first and came 
running to warn the rest of us. 

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Unlike the zombies, the witch 
should ignore us as long as we 

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did not venture too close to it.
I looked around to see where the

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stranger was. 
It had just emerged from the 

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church and was busy cutting down
its hill, a safe distance from 

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the witch, with room to spare. 
But then the stranger turned 

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around, and I could tell that I 
had seen the witch. 

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The shovel in its hand was 
instantly replaced by the stone 

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Mace it carried, and it ran 
faster than I'd ever seen it run

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before, but not directly at the 
witch. 

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The stranger moved until it was 
behind the witch, then charged 

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silently. 
Look, I said to Priest and the 

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other villagers around me. 
They looked to where I pointed 

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and saw the stranger charging up
behind the witch. 

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Oh no, Elder Farmer said. 
The witch will kill the 

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stranger. 
Armorsmith cried. 

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Yes, Priest agreed. 
I thought that priest sounded 

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oddly satisfied, and that filled
me with an inexplicable anger. 

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When the stranger was still 
about 5 or 6 blocks away, the 

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witch turned and saw the 
stranger charging at it began to

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throw its potions at the 
stranger, but the stranger did 

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not stop. 
We could see that the stranger 

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had now been slowed and 
poisoned, but it was still able 

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to close with the witch and 
strike it with its Mace. 

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The stranger's attack was savage
and relentless. 

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It's Mace never stopped 
swinging, driving the witch back

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with each blow, but the stranger
pressed forward. 

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The witch hurled potion after 
potion, but the stranger never 

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retreated. 
It was over in heartbeats. 

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The witch exploded into a blast 
of smoke, and I saw bright 

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lights flow from the cloud into 
the stranger's body. 

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Still, I could see the green 
miasma of poison which 

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surrounded the stranger's body. 
It could still die. 

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After witnessing the stranger's 
savage and lethal attack on the 

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witch, I suddenly wasn't certain
if that would not be for the 

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best. 
If the stranger ever turned on 

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us, none of us would survive. 
The stranger ate something, no 

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doubt in an effort to heal 
itself, and as we watched the 

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miasma of poison around it 
slowly faded. 

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It began to search the area 
around where the witch had first

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been seen. 
Apparently it found an entrance 

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to a cave, because we could see 
it laying down dirt, presumably 

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to seal that cave. 
Then the stranger simply turned 

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and went back to the hill and 
been cutting down for the last 

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dozen Suns or so as if nothing 
had happened. 

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That is what lives among us, 
Priest said. 

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Do you believe me now? 
This creature is dangerous and 

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terrible. 
We should all keep our distance.

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But it saved us from the witch, 
I said. 

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It saved itself, Priest 
retorted. 

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It does what it does for its own
purposes, purposes we cannot 

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know or understand. 
Keep your distance from a 

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cartographer. 
Yes, priest. 

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I agreed, remembering how 
savagely it had attacked the 

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witch. 
The next sun, the villager did 

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something new. 
It stopped flattening the hill 

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and began placing torches at 
even intervals. 

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After a time, it started digging
again, but it only dugout the 

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outline of a square near the 
back of the hill and promptly 

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filled it with cobblestone. 
The stranger then built a small 

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stone brick platform near the 
center of the square, and then 

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it disappeared. 
I watched for a while from a 

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safe distance, of course, but 
the stranger did not appear. 

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Finally, overcome with 
curiosity, I began to climb the 

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shortened hill. 
It was not a platform the 

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stranger had built, but an 
alcove a single block in size, 

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surrounded on three sides by a 
stone brick wall, only a single 

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block high. 
A trap door is on the floor of 

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00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,240
the alcove, and I could see a 
ladder leading down through the 

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holes in the door. 
The stranger had gone 

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underground. 
I was suddenly filled with 

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dread. 
Priest was right. 

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We cannot understand the motives
of this creature. 

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I backed away from the alcove, 
determined to get away before 

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the stranger returned from 
whatever alien task it was 

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about. 
But it was too late. 

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The trap door suddenly opened, 
and the stranger climbed out the

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00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,040
shaft. 
I froze in terror, but as 

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before, the stranger simply 
ignored me. 

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They closed the trap door and 
ran off toward the church. 

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Soon I could smell burning 
charcoal. 

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Priest had told us that the 
stranger had built a forge on 

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00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:47,440
the roof of the tower, along 
with the crafting table and some

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00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,960
chests. 
My curiosity returned fell 

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00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,360
still, too afraid to remain in 
this area the stranger had 

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claimed. 
As I headed back towards the 

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village, the stranger emerged 
from the church and returned to 

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its underground activities. 
Priest was waiting when I 

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returned to the village, his 
features stern and disapproving.

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Something in my manner must have
forestalled the lecture, for 

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Priest stern look softened. 
What happened? 

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00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,280
Priest asked to me. 
I told Priest what I had seen. 

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Priest looked as shaken as I 
felt. 

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Mojang, protect us. 
Priest whispered. 

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00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,480
Over the next several Suns it 
became apparent what the 

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00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,600
stranger was about. 
The outline of a large stone 

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00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,000
brick house began to take form 
as the top of the strangers 

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hill. 
The stranger fenced off the top 

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00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,240
of the hill and planted crops of
the zone inside the fence, 

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wheat, potatoes, carrots and 
pumpkins. 

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The sight of the pumpkins filled
me with thoughts of pumpkin 

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00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,840
pies. 
The house was 11 blocks on a 

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00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,880
side and a single story tall. 
A stone lip ran around the edge 

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00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,400
of the flat roof and a tower 
seven blocks on the side rose 

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another two floors from the 
center of the house. 

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00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,440
The roof of the tower was fenced
off like her own watchtowers. 

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00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,160
Sometimes I could see the 
stranger on the roof of the 

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00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:02,480
tower, looking out over the 
village as though we were 

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00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,520
keeping watch over us. 
Once the house was complete, the

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00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,320
stranger stopped coming into our
village. 

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00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,040
It had taken all of its 
belongings out of the church, 

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00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:13,760
including the bed. 
It stayed in the house, 

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00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,880
harvesting its crops and doing 
only Mojang knows what else, 

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00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:19,800
until the sun, when it stopped 
ignoring us. 

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00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,800
It had been several moons since 
the stranger had come into our 

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00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:25,680
village, and the rest of the 
villagers and I had settled back

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00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,880
into our old routines, paying no
mind to the stranger's massive 

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00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,840
home north of us. 
Oh, occasionally one of us, 

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00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:34,680
usually me, would wonder aloud 
to the others what it was doing 

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in there. 
The priest discouraged such 

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00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:39,280
conversation. 
One son. 

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00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,600
As I was wandering around the 
village, I heard some of the 

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00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,440
other villagers talking in 
frightened and excited tones. 

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00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,040
I turned and headed towards the 
disturbance and froze at what I 

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00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:50,120
saw. 
The stranger was standing with 

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00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,760
Elder Farmer and they were 
talking. 

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00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,000
What's happening? 
I asked as I walked up to the 

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00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,960
group of villagers. 
The stranger is trading with 

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00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:02,120
Elder Farmer. 
Priest explained. 

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00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:05,120
It can talk. 
I don't think so. 

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00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,320
Priest said. 
Be quiet, I'm watching. 

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00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,360
I watched as well. 
As I watched, the stranger took 

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00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,400
out a stack of pumpkins, and the
Elder Farmer held down Emerald. 

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00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,600
The stranger took some of the 
pumpkins back, and Elder Farmer 

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00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,880
shook his head and held his 
other empty hand. 

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00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:23,800
They were negotiating. 
Apparently they reached a price 

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00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,400
acceptable to the stranger 
because he gave the pumpkins to 

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00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:29,040
Elder Farmer, and Elder Farmer 
handed over the emeralds. 

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00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:31,680
The stranger wanted our 
emeralds. 

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00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,040
Why? 
The emeralds were something we 

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00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:36,320
never used. 
They merely appeared to each of 

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00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,560
us every sunrise and serve no 
useful purpose as far as any of 

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00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,600
us could tell. 
Perhaps, perhaps this was their 

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00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,280
purpose. 
Elder Framer walked away from 

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00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,960
the stranger and the stranger 
began to approach our group. 

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00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,440
We we looked nervously at one 
another and separated a little. 

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00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:53,960
The stranger headed straight for
Tool Smith. 

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00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,520
The rest of us moved away from 
him as a stranger approached and

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00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:01,240
held at a small stack of coal. 
Soon they were negotiating, just

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00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:02,960
as a stranger had done with 
Elder Farmer. 

311
00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,480
Once it was finished with Tool 
Smith, the stranger turned 

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00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,400
towards me. 
My heart pounded my chest as the

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00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,080
rest of the villagers moved 
away, leaving me alone with this

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00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,960
creature. 
Then I looked down at my hands. 

315
00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:16,800
My chest pounded for a different
reason. 

316
00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:21,200
The stranger was offering me a 
full stack of paper, more paper 

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00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,800
than I had ever seen in my life.
I held down emerald and began to

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00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,000
negotiate silently with it. 
Eventually we reached what the 

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00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,680
stranger considered an 
acceptable price, 27 sheets per 

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00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,280
emerald. 
He then sold ME3 emeralds worth 

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00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,160
of paper. 
I was stunned looking at the 

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00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:38,720
sudden wealth of paper in my 
pack. 

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00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,320
Silently, the stranger turned 
and walked back to its house. 

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00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,640
I looked over at Priest, who 
looked as stupefied as I felt. 

325
00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,040
Perhaps this creature is not the
same as the stranger I saw so 

326
00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,520
many moons ago, Priest said 
quietly. 

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00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,280
It is no stranger, I said. 
It lives among us now. 

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00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,360
Then what is it? 
Older Farmer asked. 

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00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:05,720
I do not know, Priest said. 
End of Part 1. 

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00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,800
Hope you guys enjoyed that story
and now I will shout out all the

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00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,040
people who got the right answer 
to the quiz. 

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00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,360
But before that, let's review 
what the quiz question was and 

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00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:39,120
what all the options were. 
The quiz question was which mobs

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00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:40,920
transform when struck by 
lightning. 

335
00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:46,000
In Minecraft, the options were A
witches, vexes, creepers, pigs, 

336
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,760
B vexes, pigs, villagers, 
creepers, mushrooms, C 

337
00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,920
villagers, pigs, mushrooms and 
creepers D horses, pigs, 

338
00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:59,280
creepers and villagers. 
So a witch is vex's, creepers, 

339
00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,920
pigs. 
Witches do not transform when 

340
00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,920
struck by lightning. 
A villager is struck by 

341
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,280
lightning will turn to a witch, 
not the other way around. 

342
00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,440
And then also I put two tricky 
ones in here that vexes is the 

343
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,160
first one. 
If a vex gets struck by 

344
00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,200
lightning, it does not turn into
an LA or the other way around 

345
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,560
either. 
You get those, it just doesn't 

346
00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,760
happen. 
And then creepers and pigs was 

347
00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,560
right. 
B Vexes. 

348
00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,840
Again, this one isn't right 
because vexes do not turn into 

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00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:25,120
anything when struck by 
lightning. 

350
00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:27,480
Pigs, villagers, creepers, 
mushrooms. 

351
00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:33,080
And then the right answer is C 
villagers, pigs, mushrooms, and 

352
00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:35,480
creepers. 
And a lot of you guys were 

353
00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:39,320
saying it's both C&D. 
But the problem with that is 

354
00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,080
that in D the options are 
horses, pigs, creepers, and 

355
00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,720
villagers. 
And though it really seems like 

356
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,000
horses should turn into skeleton
horses or zombie horses if 

357
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,840
struck by lightning, in fact 
they turn into neither. 

358
00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,800
Horses, if struck by lightning, 
only catch on fire. 

359
00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:58,440
So shout out to all the people 
who got CS the answer. 

360
00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,640
If I missed you, I'm sorry, but 
a shout out goes to E Illusion 

361
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,320
Neon, The Car Top Quibbly, the 
Sand Wing. 

362
00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:07,960
Adele, J. 
Elise X Gamer Kid 2023 Papa 

363
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,080
John's 2. 
James CJ 2013. 

364
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:15,080
Eden 2011. 
Utorius, Brianna P, Karuna, 

365
00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:20,080
Jacqui, Lola, Charmander, and 
Lucas, thank you for submitting 

366
00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:23,000
the question and you guys have 
some serious Minecraft knowledge

367
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,240
to be able to know that. 
Thank you guys for 

368
00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,720
participating. 
Thank you guys so much for 

369
00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:30,800
listening to this episode and 
thank you to everyone who 

370
00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,240
participated on the pole. 
Congratulations to everyone who 

371
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:36,920
picked C. 
That is some serious Minecraft 

372
00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,840
knowledge you have there. 
And especially thank you to 

373
00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,000
Martin for submitting this 
awesome story. 

374
00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:46,120
Part 2 coming up next episode. 
Make sure to stick around for 

375
00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:48,080
that. 
Make sure to check out the 

376
00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,760
YouTube channel for the video 
versions of this podcast if you 

377
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,920
just want to leave a comment or 
listen to it again on YouTube, I

378
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:55,960
guess. 
And then there's also the 

379
00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,600
Patreon if you want to check out
the state of the podcast, which 

380
00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:00,760
is just an update about the 
podcast bimonthly. 

381
00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:05,480
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this 
episode and I'll see you guys 

382
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,080
inside the next episode.