Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry - Vox Machina Ep. 43 - Return to Vasselheim

Episode Date: November 30, 2021

Now in the relative safety of Vasselheim, Vox Machina begin planning their first move against the Choma Conclave. Fortunately, some old friends turn up to offer their aid.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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entity called the Chroma Conclave a collection of allied chromatic dragons extremely powerful ancient across the board it seems just wreaking havoc across all of Tal'Dorei they managed to save a few allies make a few current tenuous relationships with the clasp and moved all of the refugees that they had been keeping within the Grey Scull Keep to White Stone to keep them safe at the time being, as that town has seemingly been passed over by the dragons that are still heading east across the continent. After that, the party made their way to Vasselheim, the distant city known as the cradle of faith, the oldest living beacon of civilization in the world that is currently known. and after making their way there, the party made their way into the guild of the Slayer's Take,

where they had previously signed on after a trial and are members of to seek more allies throughout the city of Aslehem in hopes of preparing themselves to retake Imman and possibly Tal'Dori some point in the near future. So that is where we left off. So, as you guys have spent some time resting within the actual, I think a whisper's going around over here already. You want to say? No. No. No.

No, no. No, no, thank you go. Okay. I'm gonna kill you first. Two can play, that came. So, as you guys take a little bit of time, kind of getting reacquainted with the Guild Hall of the Slayers take, setting your stuff down that you need to

to prepare for a short period of time staying in the city or longer if need be. You ran briefly into Merton, Sindhryol, the husband of Vanessa. who's the huntmaster of the entire guild, and had a brief conversation with Aldor, who was beating Torbier at cards. What a dick. Love that guy. He's a nice fella.

So. Not Torbier. He's great. There you go. Just not very good with dice. So, that being the case, what would you guys like to do at this point in time? I don't know, I'm just asking you guys. So we slept and we were

You just arrived now. It's midday-ish at this point. Early morning to midday. Yeah, we slept at the Slayer's take. We talked to Alder for a minute, right? We haven't slept. You've arrived, it's like morning, midday now. You've just situated yourselves in the guild. Yeah, you had evenings rest before you came here. Yeah, we got situated. But you still have, you have used your seventh level spell to get here. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. So what is the plan? Is that one?

I'm, at this point, just prepared for some decompression of some kind. It's been, no one can be expected to move at the speeds we've been moving at for the past week. Perhaps grab an early morning drink and find out how much news has actually reached this town about what's happening out in the world right now. That's a good idea, Percy. We need to find Lady Kima. That's actually an even better idea. That's a fantastic idea. Perhaps she will go to breakfast.

She's at the Temple of Bahamut? Yes. That sounds right. Yes. Percy, yes. Can I just remind you for no other reason than to be helpful to you in the game and no other reason that the black powder salesman lives here. I'm just throwing it out there you might need some spies. It's interesting because I sleep at night and these voices from nowhere consistently remind me that there's a black powder motion.

What game are you talking about, though? We don't have time for games. There are dragons that need dealing with the scandal. I think I know the voices you speak us. Stick to music, please. We don't need games. Kima, I think, is an excellent idea. Kima is. Great.

I heard Victor was blown apart. We also need, oh. No, you don't know. We also need supplies. Oh, yes, hell yes. I don't have anything. We need lots of post. Health potions. Yeah, but they sell those here.

They sell health potions here? I don't think they... Yeah. You purchased him in the past. Yeah, they sell them here. I remember that's where Grog did this fantastic, uh, bartering skills last time to acquire a few potions. I'm an investment banker. Oh, that merchant might be here still.

There's so many things to catch up on. I mean, we can also talk to the Slayers take as well, ideally. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we can do that. We're just waiting for Vanessa and Zara. for Vanessa and Zora to get back from their hunt. Am I right? Personally, yeah. Who? Vanessa and Zoh. Oh, the wife? Yes.

The wife, yeah. Merkle's wife? We never met. Merckle. I'm trying to be nice. I met Zora. I met Zorro. I didn't meet Zorro. No. No, you didn't. I heard about it. She's got a tail. She's quite wonderful. She's very powerful. She's actually related to, um, well, Percy, you would know. She's related to Percy? I don't see the resemblance. No, she's related to the little. They're actually, they are related. That is true.

Our friend from previously. Yes, our friends. Yes, our friends. From previously. Good friends. Yes. With that, let's find Kima, perhaps. That would be, I think that's the best course of action. Okay, so you guys are going to hit towards the... Do you think Kima wants to go potion shopping? Maybe we should go get some shit and then see Kima? I think Kima would be like

little impatient. That may actually be a good point. Alright, alright, right, right. Let's just go shopping. Like, really fast shopping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just healing potions. There's dragons in the world. We don't have time to shop. Can you slam down an hourglass for shopping? Um, consider. Sister, dear, uh, how much coin do we have at the moment? Well, not a ton. How many Pop-Tarts do we have? Is that including?

We have a lot of Pop-Tarts, but not very many gold pieces. In the party, if anyone's holding coin, because I don't have much I don't need much, but we do need healing potions. I have enough in the party funds to buy some healing potions, so I think. Is that including what we got from my sister? Yes, excellent. Okay, all right, let's buy some potions. You're in charge, let's go.

All right, as you guys head towards the front door of the Slayers-Tigild Hall, your feet from it before the door slams open as the cold winter wind comes pouring in. Oh, that's right. That's right. There standing in the door where you see the outer frame of a strong female form, dark brownish black leathers. You can see kind of tousled dark hair, piercing, pupil-less eyes. And there stands Huntmaster, Vanessa clutching a bag that seemingly dampened at its base in

her right hand as she steps into the main foyer, kind of looking about all of you gathered at the front area. Well, isn't this a nice surprise in the middle of the morning? Welcome back. A pleasure to see you all. Hold on. The rest of you, inside where it's warmer. And as she steps inside, you see two individuals step out of the shadows behind her.

One of which is another teafling female, white hair, red skin, and another individual, familiar to some of you. Human, short, brown shoulder-length hair, series of scars across his arm, carrying a shield in spear, as a shield. Kasha and Zara come in and company. It's all right, J-D-N-A. Look at the bear, Robb is. Hello, how's that?

Where do I go? Yes, yes, it's going right here. I go over. He's going right here. He's going right here. Let me sneak through here. Sneak it, sneak it. Sneak.

Oh God. He does that, don't work. Hello. Hello. You're here. Have you gotten bigger? Yeah. I think you'll be lifting lots of horses and stuff.

I have you. Oh my goodness. Hello. It's good to see you too. This is a difficult. Yeah, no, I keep going. Share to get into. Once you're in, you're stuck.

Hello. Hello. You said your name was Kashaw? It's Cashaw. Cashaw. Cash. Like Cash. We're most of you.

I like it. Cashaw. How are you? How are you? Cashaw. What are you doing here? This is kind of where I live. What are you doing here?

Just, you know, rolling through, passing by, not much. Okay, who are... Cash, is that? This is her, Zee. Is that what? This is the guy. Beck, this is the guy. This is the guy.

Bex, come here, Bex, Bex, vex, vex, vex. I just push Bex out of the way. You told you able to push me. Yes. You're a vet. I am Bex. Oh, thank, okay, thank the gods. Yeah, he said you guys looked very similar and thankfully it's not too much or I felt bad.

Yes, you do look very similar. Yes. Does that mean you're... He's my twin brother. He's so lovely to meet you. I whack him with my tail. Oh, gee. You are. You are. Who is that?

You are a big... I recognize you? You do? Wait a second. I won 75 gold pieces at the crucible when I bet on Kern and the Hammer. You did! There was money well spent, my friend. Thank you for that night, by the way.

You're very welcome. These are my lackeys. I have a band of, you know, wandering. He doesn't realize you bet against him. He doesn't know what from black. I would not bring, bring, good to see you again. I wouldn't bring that up. It was a wonderful fight, did you see it?

It was, gosh, you see me power bomb him at the end. It's a sore spot. It's been a complicated month. We'll get him to it. How are the weapons holding you? Quite well, well, um, liquefied, but mostly functioning. How are you? How are crazy?

So many things happened. I'm sorry. Dorel-Kawalski, Daryl of the Third. And you are? What? Confused. Can you say it again? Just call me person.

Okay. Hello. I'm Scalind Shorthol. Who are you? It's nice to meet you. I've heard many a tale of your wit and bravery. That, Kasha, oh. Yes, that one.

Yes. That guy. Yes, of course. It's so exciting. We've had so many people. things about you, Cash. Hopefully all good, thank you. Is he choking?

Yeah. Good. It does a very small. I am. And you are Keelis. That's right? Yeah, yes. Yes.

You are beautiful, aren't you? Oh. Sorry. Yeah. I told her. Yes. At which point Vanessa kind of groaned, staring at this to sign.

Oh, sorry. Sorry. I hope this has worked out well for all of So if you, I, however, have a bit of business of ours to finish, okay? Yes, we do. Hey, what's in that bag? Yeah, what did you catch? She walks up to the table where Merton's standing kind of reaches out to greet her

arms, you know, extended, and he just kind of throws it into his arm, he catches it, pulls it open, and you see within there's a head of what looks like a humanoid head, but the skin is kind of grayish and featureless. The eyes are just kind of whitish and milky. What hair is there, and wisps is kind of white in color. Go ahead. See who here's train in Arcana. Me. I think I am.

I am. You know what this is. You already know. I already know. Why don't we just ask you then? 21. This is the head of a doppelganger. This is a creature that spends a lot of its time infiltrating societies or being able to take the form and shape of other individuals to assume their position, to take their wealth, to

do all sorts of sometimes interesting or dastardly things. This one's tongue is... Yeah. It's a shapeshifter? Yep. What can you do with the head? Well, turn it in for the money it's worth. Spread the change and forgive about it.

How do you know when you have one? What was it posing as? And at that point, don't you just already have one at that point? Well, this is for me to worry about. Oh, well. Not for you to care. Vanessa, I have a question. Yes, please.

Do you ever hunt creatures just, you know, because they're evil and they're killing people? Generally, somebody will eventually be paying for such a creature to be hunted, so I do not feel necessity to do it without... What if lots of people are dying, and then you might be at risk as well? Then I think it should be very easy to convince someone to pay for it. Okay. What if the cost is the end of the world? Well, I imagine that would be quite a terrible thing. Sure.

Yes. That's what we're looking at here. Really? Okay, so. No point beating around. Basilheim is kind of unaware of what's going on, but a lot of cities have been destroyed. Cities? Multiple cities have been destroyed? Immon is the first one hit.

It's gone? Well, it's still there technically, just kind of crumbled. and in flat. And under rule by an ancient red dragon. So much has changed since Lilith was there. So much. How did this happen? He escaped.

He'd been trapped in the fire plane and... We're not entirely sure what happened, but he escaped the fireplane. Has somehow created a coalition of chromatic dragons and they are ravaging the countryside. What? Yes. Which is very strange. What color? How many?

Red, white, green, black, blue was one of them at a time. At a time. They call themselves the chroma concrete. They were eight of them. There were eight of them. There was four of them. No, you don't double them by city. It's just one city.

It's just one. No, never mind. Just four of them. Eight of them. That's right. That's right. That's right. Vanessa's crossed her arms and kind of thinks of her things. If what you say is true, this is very unfortunate.

And a bit larger than what our simple guild could even hope to really have an... This would be something to take to the various temples. Yes, and we plan on it, but we know that the sleighers take is full of very strong, very qualified fighters, and we were hoping to have you at her side as well. Well, let me put it this way. If what you say is true, multiple incredibly powerful ancient dragons roaming and destroying,

this is not something you can just throw yourself at until eventually one or the other faults. You have to find a weakness. You have to find a way to be on their level. Ask around, see what other allies you can find. Yes. A metallic dragon. What you say is correct. These are the first moments after us finding out. This is a first step. But being members here and seeing what your people can do. I know this is just a first step, and we're about to enter Vasselheim proper, but...

It should speak pretty loudly that we came to Eve first. That's how much we trust you. Can we count on you? I am hunt master of the Slayer's take. I... I deal in contracts, I deal in business, I deal in the hunting of relatively unorganized creatures. This is beyond me. That is not to say I would not be willing to help, but there are many things to consider first. Perhaps you should speak with Ossisa. What? Who? Ossissa. Ossissa.

Ossissa? She is this. The Sphids. Ms. Fence. Yes. Our patron, I've own. Okay. She would have a better mind for this than me.

How do we talk to her? Well, same like he did last time. Yes. Follow me. Before we go, I believe we have a little settling up to do. I'm cold and I still haven't been paid. Doppelgather. My apologies.

Merton. He's over there. He's currently putting the head into a small case, and he's posing it up. I'm not worry. I'm more than happy to give this for you. And he leaves for a second, comes back, because the contract reads a couple things, pulls out a large chest and begins divvying up coin and throws a satchel to each of you that contains,

for both of you, divided for this contract, that would come to 2,250 gold pieces. 2,200. Pleasure as always. 50. You, they have more than we do. No, they don't. Oh, seriously, it's nice. Thank you very much.

Of course, yes, with them here for. It was an interesting challenge, thank you. We had a rather good time with that one. Interesting, trying to track it down. That's for no, sure. What was it hiding at it, by the way? A plethora of different entities and beings. It was running around town, changing at will.

Isn't that kind of like that rock shawlsy you were talking about? Yeah, it sounds familiar. That does sound familiar. That was interesting and bloody. Yep. Oh. Thank you.

Yes. Shall we? Yes. Very well. She begins walking further to the back of the Guildhall where you come to the same doorway that you previously entered with her before. The chains in the side. It sets up a large slab that leads to a staircase that leads to the subterranean area right beneath the Slayer's Take. And you may have noticed it previously, but there is a structure above where the subterranean area is behind the Slayer's take.

kind of the Slayers take. And it looks like a very simple temple. You haven't really gone into it, but as you step down into this dark area underneath, you can see the sconces kind of lighting along with you as you step into this dark cavern. As it opens up, once again, you can see the remnants of this kind of hidden temple to Ayo, the goddess of knowledge. And what's curious about this temple is Ayn is a goddess of knowledge and openness. One of her main astute pushes is the fact that knowledge is to be shared and spread. So it's just curious to see that something of hers is kind of hidden. There's probably a purpose to that.

Pushing up the steps again, Vanessa puts her hand up and tells you all to stop and calls out again. Ossetza, I apologize to bother you, but we have a predicament that I believe required your attention. This moment passes where once again you hear the low, rumbling growl in the shadows. You hear slams of giant footfalls across stone as what little bit of light torches begin to spark to life around the top of this platform, this stone platform. And at the very top of this staircase that leads to the top of where this platform ends, you can see standing above it a very large female sphinx with a lion body, a female male head adorned with golden jewels around the neck, eyes that are kind of light sky blue and white

and color. Proud as these giant griffin-like wings kind of stretch out and the entity kind of comes to rest the top paws folded over the edge. Yes, I recall, so what do you need of me? Yeah, go for it, Max. Your help, potentially. The world is under attack. The head kind of sings for a moment. I've been watching by the heartstone, not but this past day. I've been keeping tabs and hopes that such a cataclysm would not find its way to my mate and has not. So, being aware of this, what do you ask? Is there anything that you know of that could help us defeat these ancient beings?

She kind of thinks for a second, steps up and closes her eyes. As her muscles tense, her eyes open again, that color flashing with this kind of luminescent blue color. And her voice falls even deeper into her register and almost has this monotone, informative projection that says, The vestiges of divergence. Relics wielded when the gods walked and fought alongside their creations. the light fades from the eyes for a second, and she catches herself and steps back. May I ask, what are the vestiges of divergence? Yes.

She shakes her head. I am a channel for this knowledge, but best I can understand, they are old relics of the war of the divergence, leading into the penance. the second spark. These were armaments, objects of great power that were used in these wars against the gods, good and dark. Many have been buried, entombed, lost, forgotten. The few that are recovered are passed on through bloodlines, through symbols of power and of seats of

great political importance. But the actual information is lost to me. Do you know of any one in particular? Concentrates for a second, not within my field of vision. Objects of this power, powerful enchantment are also prone to want to keep themselves hidden. Political. Oh, Caesar, if you are aware of this knowledge, then you know that Vasselheim is one of the only remaining cities still left standing.

Are there any other services you're still still standing? any other services you can offer to help us fight this. The danger that you run here is that Vasselheim has stood the test of time and survived two possible ends of civilization as we know it. But it has survived both of these events because those who guard it stayed to guard it. They may be hard pressed to convince others

to step beyond the wall. knowing that such a danger could use that to their advantage and destroy the greatest city that we know of. You are welcome to ask, but it will be a difficult journey. What I can offer, though, my mate is a keeper of much hidden knowledge. Over on his side of Tardore, I may be able to send you to him to seek this information. Much hidden knowledge. About these vestiges, perhaps? Does he serve your same God or another?

I am one of the chosen of Ayun. He does not serve her directly. Information is welcome and we are thankful. And we have been impressed by your wisdom. Very much so. The people you employ are chosen very carefully and very well, and we all have been. impressed. In addition to information, you provide a service with the Slayer's take to Vasselheim.

Do you have any interest in spreading that influence to Iman if we can save it? Her large paws cross once again and she looks at you with a stern expression. There is great danger and darkness in this world, and there are many fools that stand up in hopes that they could keep it at bay. If we were to lend our power to you, I would ask that you prove yourselves the ones that could carry this torch. How so? Perhaps find these relics. Gather other allies. Prove to me that I would not be sending my people to their doom, then return. Perhaps then, when you think you are ready, we could

lend our guilt to your service. And where does your partner reside? She closes her eyes and concentrates for a moment. South of the Frostweld, the mountain range that guards it, rise open again. Understand that it is our nature to present challenges. Part of his journey to seek him is to find him yourself. That is the first step. Does he have a name? It is his name to give. Small question, Osser, I'm sorry. No, no. You served the goddess of knowledge, of openness. And she steps back and you'd see the crystal sphere,

the heartstone that she once helped you look through before, to look about the world kind of glows beneath, kind of framing light under her form. Yes. Does that mean you would know anything of the god of secrets? Vecna. As you say that name, she snarls. Do you right to not mention that name in this place?

I apologize. Yes, I know of him. His touch has been felt in the north. Very close to here, actually. Would you know of a way to rid ourselves of his weapon, of his tool? If I did, we would have done so long ago. This creature was one of the few entities that shrouds my vision. The limits of our sight of the things we

seek to discover and unveil, how constantly balked at the veil of darkness he throws over the world. He may have been held at bay. Many thought destroyed hundreds of years ago, but no, his days. And he squeezes a stranglehold on everything we seek to accomplish. Well, then allow us to do you a service. We have had dealings with his underlings. We We have knowledge, which we freely give, freely if it does anything to help our case winning your aid, and we will seek your partner, and we will find your partner. We're not trying to score points. We are trying to do right, Percival.

What do you know? Dark creatures attempted to, as best that we can surmise, open a gate. beneath the castle of White Stone. White Stone. And she steps back for a second. Her eyes flare up with energy again, and you can see the heart stone embedded in the floor. The stone glow even brighter and brighter

as she puts her paws on the side and peers into it. She begins to mutter beneath her breath. I can see the snowy north of Tardore. The castle beneath corrupted temples that got me long ago. of your temples. The cigarats were not of his construction, but he took them. Her eyes kind of winced for a moment.

Her head turns for a minute, her kind of vision and face staring in the distance. I look out to follow the anger, the swath of death and hatred, those who took him on. They draw my gaze. Something is happening. Right now. What do you see? The path to western eastward. What's east to western?

Where's the mouth? Parts, mouldering and left behind, the path continues over the Lucidian Ocean. Eastward beyond the shores of Wild Mount. Her head looks up, still staring off into the distance. Into the Dremoth ravine, I see the floating islands of draconia falling. Crumbling. Diverious. Gone.

An army sundered. People ruined. The conclave sated returns towards your land once more. You can see blood pouring out of one of her nostrils now. The light dulls in her eyes, and the heartstone fades for a moment, and she kind of gathers herself. I peer too far beyond the veil that contains me. I'm sorry. She plops down, and it's kind of breathing a little heavy. Can I hear you? And she kind of takes a few steps down, the steps towards you. Brother Kasha, it would be appreciated. Just hand around the medallion, closes his eyes. Just hand out.

And she steps up and bows her head to you. She steps to the top of the temple once again. I have seen this darkness you speak of under White Stone, and I shall speak out to our brethren of Ayun in hopes of discovering the nature of this shadow. I'm sorry I must rest. Of course. We thank you for your time. We are your willing allies.

Retune when you've proven yourself. We shall. When you think this conclave could possibly be felt beneath your weapons and might and will. She whips around the wings, whoosh! As the torches atop the temple flare out, and you can see just the edge of Ossesha's form as she dives into the shadow to the back of the temple You can hear the impact of giant footfalls against sand and in silence. Zara. Yes.

You said we shall. Do you, have we convinced you? Knowing that there were four dragons, at least. At least. Four to eight dragons, according to Brock. Out there. And after our dealings with Rimefang, I cannot let this go.

You know I cannot cash. Cannot Cash. Zee, this is fucking happy fun bunch over here. No. They bring death with them everywhere they go. This isn't our fight. Not all of them. I don't kill very much at all.

Good to know. Don't you kill the king of what? Except for kings. All right. We just had a third party perspective. Yeah, I mean, she gave us a lot to Sphinx about, so we just need. Oh.

Wow. Wow. No. No. Two, too, too. still around. There's a very slow clap echoing into the cat. As her assay goes, and to think,

I might have briefly missed you. We should leave the temple. Wait, did she not, did Cisissa just tell us that she could possibly send us to her partner? She told us where he is, and we have to find. We have to make our way there. You have to find the no-name guy who's going to help you find the stuff that's hidden

that nobody knows where it is or what it is. I thought we were finding the stuff that's hidden while we were finding the no name. No, the no name to go and find her mate. He who is not named. As long as it's not convolut. He is south of the frost reeled in the mountains. I hate to say this.

Yes. But. Yes. Speak freely. Please. So these vestiges are ancient. are ancient, right, spread across the land.

Was it Tiberius looking for a bunch of objects of magic that his people had sent him to find? Perhaps that's the reason Draconia was hit. Maybe they were trying to hide these items. It's possible. That's a big what if. But he was looking for items that have been him. Do you really think the mending wheel, though,

would help? I don't know. Fodak? I feel like we'll know if it's an ancient vestige of... Divergous. This is a path for us to walk. Wait, so draconia is gone. Divergous.

Is that my understanding? Yeah, well, most likely, yes. What else is left? Vasselheim? Vasselheim. White Stone. Zora. Cash.

Potentially, singhorn. Even though it's hidden. Well, we can either stay here or we can... They're opting out of the conversation. Have either of you been near Pira in the mountains east of here? Have any of you been where the Fyrochari reside? I have not. No.

I'm going to have to make our way there eventually. A lot to do, more. It's a lot to do. Maybe we should split up into eight groups. Actually, 11 groups. That would be 12. How many is that, Grug? Four.

Do we know how far away the Frostwheel is from here? The Frostwield is back in... My western. It's south of Western. Like where we started, right? Stillbind. That was where you meant you got the heart of an imp. That's not far from the era, Shari, correct?

Do you think she's still there? Oh yeah. Trust me, when you have Grug, you'd never leave? Yeah, that's the expression. I'm pretty sure that's the in a bog. We need to find Kima. We need to go to the Temple of Bahamas. We need to talk to people that are capable of helping us. We need Kema. Potions first. I don't want to bore Kima, then Kima. Yes?

Yes? Hey, the Slayers take half potions we can just, you know, have? Don't they have like a supply room? Vanessa. It would be welcome. As you're saying this, but like, we have things we can as you are members. Yes. I'm not extremely active members as of late, but...

But we will be. Think about the giant amount of claws and teeth and eyeballs and leather wings and scales. We're going to be so fucking rich. Think of the armor. I could forge you from a red dragon parts. Make a persuasion check. Okay. With the gold.

Can I give advantage if I go like this the whole time? No. It's closer disadvantage. Oh, how about 12? Oh, she goes, yes, I'll provide you with what we can. Come with me. Thank you. I thought she likes it.

No, I think I could have gotten something really badass from her if I'd have rolled better. So you guys step up, you lead back into the Slayer's Take Guild Hall. She snaps the Merton, whisper something in his ear, and he comes out and offers a small chest to you guys that contains. Oh. Two potions of healing and one potion of greater healing. What is wrong with you? I was just wondering. Who needs poohs?

Oh, good. Two potions. No, two potions. Three. It's welcome. It's very welcome. Which way is the potion shop from here? Go to the quadroats. We know that.

We haven't been here. In quite a while. As you know. I'm afraid your symbols won't be getting dusty. Grog. You don't have any potions left. No, I'll go like three potions. Who doesn't have any potions left?

None. I never take them. None. Hey, I'm squishy as hell. Can I have one? You get the greater one. Yeah? You get one and you get one. All right.

May I speak with Vanessa very quickly? Laura, what can I do for you? Cash. Come with. Cash walks over with her. Vanessa, we've done many jobs together. And I think we've been very loyal to you. You've brought in a lot of money for you.

Oh, come on. My only request is, is there anything extra? Are there any spare potions, any amulets of protection? Anything. You know this is going to come to us. And there is a lot of great money that you've made like I can pay for these things. But our voice is so great.

I've given you already more than I needed to. You can afford it. If you were broke and asking me, maybe I'd be happy to ask. But I just paid you quite a sum of money. I know you, did. I feel like I'm being taken advantage. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what we mean.

You know that, come on. Just give us free stuff. I meant no offense whatsoever. It's great face. I mean you, no offense. I mean you, no offense. And none is taken. However, I would say there is business to be had deeper in the city.

If you wish potions, there are those that purchase them. I've already given you what I have and what you've earned. We thank you for that. Very well. Thank you, Vanessa. Vanessa, hey, I'm not asking anything. We're going to get you into her mom. That's a promise.

I look forward to you coming back and proving me wrong. We're going to double your fucking business. I'm going to bring you so many scales. I'll just wait. I've never heard this before. Never been disappointed by it either. The girl for persuasion. In all sincerity.

Leave. The gnome speaks because I don't have to. But no. Good luck and don't stay too far. Stay safe, please. I put a lot of faith in you. Should we ask me? Yeah, wrong. All right, to the potion shop, to the quad rose.

Wait, oh, wait, where's, wait, one thing. I know we're going. Mirrors. No. I attempt to read lips. Is Lyra around anywhere? As you say that, you hear a voice, and I'm not gonna go, whoa, is she?

You see Aldor, the back table is already like up with his bag, like ready to run. Alder, sit down, it's okay. Hey, not for the moment. She's currently helping her uncle. At the place where he is. In town? In town.

In town? The place where we got a lot of stuff. We got the horses, last. She is the ambassador. Cool. Thank you. As they're leaving, can cash pull Zara aside really quickly? Are you going with them, seriously?

What do you want to do? Do you want to stay here while the work, Burns? Yes. Why? Because we're here. It's warm. We make money. Not if not.

Nothing's left to protect, not if there are no monsters left. If these things get out, if they spread their fire across the globe, what's left for us? If, if, if any of the monsters we missed went out and spread, world's always ended, baby. You just took out draconia, darling. All of it, gone. I'll follow you anywhere, you know that. I know. And I'll follow you. Tell me what you want to do when I'm there. For a while.

Let's go. If we don't like it, we'll leave. If we find something better. something better. We'll leave. We'll leave. Okay. Leave half the gold here. They don't need to know everything that we have. Fuck that. All right. Well.

We might need it. Then hide half the gold. I don't trust the twins, like, as far as I can thread. Well, I can read your fucking lips. Apparently she reads lips. Oh yes, I forgot that. All right. She knows how much we have. We're going for a while.

Was I wrong, by the way? You see how hot keel? Yeah, she's fucking hot. I thought I was saying. Let's go. We'll shake it out. We're so nice. We need to go get a schmeney. What the fuck is that about?

All right, so you guys head out of the Slayers Take Guild Hall into Bachelheim, which is now a little more busting than it was when you arrived. It's about midday. The sun is still not visible. There's enough cloud cover where you can see where it would be in the sky, but it's still pretty gray. No rain, and there is still relatively recent snow that's still, you know, relatively recent snow that covers most of the city streets. Some of it's been pushed to the side to make walkways easier, but it's been snowing here in the winter rather often, as you two are both very aware. So what is the, you have multiple things you should want to go to the Potions shop, there's the Platinum Sanctuary,

I think last time you mentioned the Trial Forge. What do you guys want to do? Potions. Potions first. All right, so you make your way to the Quad Roads. Pull him aside as we're walking there and just ask. So, wait, I have this, I thought you We're interested in a key leave. Am I wrong? I mean, you're interested in King Dave, right?

I mean, I know you don't want to tell me. I know you don't tell me anything like this, but is it kind of weird? He's fine. And I am. Okay. Should I, should I take him out? No.

Because I can. No, he's. Destroy him. He's useful. And I don't have anything against him, and she's, why wouldn't he want her? Of course he does. Yes, yes, yes.

This is so fucking beautiful, I get it. Well, so are you, but what the fuck am I going to do with that? Jeez, you're fucking weird. And I walk off. Now we're getting somewhere. All right, heading back to the center of the Quad Road, you guys have been here before. This is where the center of the city's trade happens.

It is a major, imagine like the central Abadar's Promenadegh, as it once was, but condensed. and it is just hovels and tents and all these open shops that are just crammed into this heavy space. It looks kind of like the, what's it, from Hellboy II, the, you know, the underground wall, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just wall to wall, buildings, but people, not weird creatures. People shouting, people are, get some proper audio for this one because I can do that. Fresh, fresh, fresh. Exactly.

So as you guys are walking around, you eventually find your way up to the same area where you found the potion before. You can see him there. He's wearing what looks like a kind of an open red vest that falls to the ground behind them. Arms are revealed. He has these thick braces on that are like really finely scrolled with brass. He's got a fine Van Dyke. We're going on now and he's currently speaking with some after the side and it's like, yes, of course, I'm more than happy to, yeah. Um, I remember you. Oh, it's been quite some time.

You! Step on over here, sir, I would love nothing more. Push Grog out of the way. Oh, hey. You. Yes, can I help you. Sneaky, mother, is he the one? What?

Is he the one that haggled with you? The one that you traded on. I got a really great deal. You got a fantastic great. I'm sorry, are you doing my. I'm sorry, is there a problem? No, no problem at all. You'll be doing business with me. Just sit back love and watch of pro work.

Have we all walked into this store? He's a cart. He's a stupid cart salesman. We're all going to learn something very valuable right now. I don't know if you've noticed, but a lot of these twats below me I need healing potions, whatever. Whatever. Do you have anything like that on you? Do I? Do not worry, sir. Hold on just a moment. He disappears into this small kind of tent opening behind him.

Hold person or something to shut him up. Yeah, I mean it's funny, but we don't have that much gold, do you? We don't have anything. I've got 6,500 gold to spend, and I mean to spend quite a bit of it. You're just smithers, you hear from inside the tent as he comes out with this long, very, very well-carved wooden, kind of, looks like a test tube set. almost, but they're all various potions of different sizes and colors, and he sets it down and so potions of healing, you say. And he pulls out a few here. This here I have, two superior

healing potions, three greater healing potions, and ten regular potions of healing at your disposal should you require them. Grog, what about this? You are really strong and really good at killing things, and my left, left, yeah, not still as a dent in it. You are really fucking strong. You are the best there is at what you do. And by far a handsome and intelligent salesman. Please shut up. My sister is very good at, do you know what math is?

Mathis. Mathis? Vexhalier is very good at... Deal with this, d'nall. She is an excellent shopper. I'm telling you, you know how you take things skulls and turn them into like raspberry jam? Yeah, like a paste. Yeah, that's what she does with money. And I'm just saying... We love... There are differences, but I know you're stronger than me, and I'm saying as strong as you are,

That's as good as she is with shiny. And yet she was so abrasive when she arrived. I say shut up. You're lucky I don't. So Triggins. We can keep more shiny. Have you seen my pet bear? You know.

Trigot stumbles on to him to that. All right. He loves potion sets. You know, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I'm actually the current reigning champion of the Crucible. And with that title comes many of the crucible. comes many things like people that manage your shinies. I would like to introduce you to my shiny manager, Vex.

Buckle up, my friend. This one, really? Why was he holding your nut? No pressure now. It was a little bit of pressure. Like at all. Yeah, I didn't really hold it. It was like a flick.

Look, I'm willing to trade you some very powerful, magical items. magical items for some schmesely little potions that heal people. How many do you like? What do you want? What do you see? I want them. All of them. Bulk. Well then, let me do my math here and you kind of look through. All right.

By the way, as you're adding that up, I'd like to say you should tread lightly or I'm going to tell Vanessa and you'll have trouble getting anything from the take ever again. The take? Are you with the take? Oh! Oh, should not see these? These amazing... That's right. That's why we get union discounts. Yes, there is indeed a discount with the take. They've been...

I like you more and more, Kishaw, every time you speak. Well done. Most people do. Yes, Keeler. So with friendship discount, he told us have a bit here. You told us have a bit here. I walk outside. And I...

You have to do too much magic. There would be 6,500 gold pieces for the lot. I'm sorry, how much? 6,500 gold pieces for the lot with the discount. Right, with the discounts. That's crazy. Exactly what Grog offered him. That's what I have.

How about instead of that, I trade you. 7,000. Thank you, Grog. Stick to the Gilae. These magical items. And I pull out the knick-knacks that I took from I don't fucking know where. It's knickknacks, but they're magic.

Is knickknack a candy bar? Vex, no, you can't possibly trade that. It's too valuable. What are you doing? Well, I know, but I mean, where else are we going to find a vendor? Those are the knick-knacks of Carr. I know. And they're quite valuable, but he said 6,600 and we know this, we'll cover that. I can't.

I felt it. Please, sir. Please, don't take it. advantage of us by taking these things from us. They're too valuable. Please, I beg of you. What have you pulled out? The knickknacks of car. The knickknacks of car, no, not the knickknacks of car. Let me see. Now I'm doubting. No, you know what? Maybe I shouldn't trade these. Put them away. Put them away. Put them put...

I don't understand. I thought they were just like little nothing things. Make a deception, Jeff. I'd say, I would say, I'd say, you know what, if you wanted to... I know I like to. Assisting? You can assist on this, yeah. Oh, that's good. some too as well. What is the assist? That gives you advantage in the roll.

Oh wait, I don't get to roll. I don't get to roll any. No, I just gives her to go. That was a really good roll. God damn. That was good. He goes, no, no, no, no, put them on the table, please. I would like to have a look, just in case he's. I'll make sure no one is washing it.

As she places it down, can I do like a little gust can trip and do a little puff of air around it? Sure. Make a slider hand check. Fuck. Oh, man, all the time, Keyliff. I know. Oh, that's good though. That's good. I'm good. I'm good. Hang on, let me make sure I do it. 18.

Okay. As you said down, this little like all the dust on the front, a little bit of like the dampness is just... I take my hand away trembling like I don't want to give it out. Good. Is that a little glass eye piece in specs? I don't know the craftsmanship is decent. And as he's doing this, I cast thomatergy and caused the table to start vibrating. Thomiturgy?

No, are you going to have to go this? What are the components on that? I can cause minor tremors. On the spell, what are the standard components? Oh, wait, no. Nicknacks. NICNX is probably the component. V.

Opponents is V. Visual, yeah, so you don't have to actually do anything to do it. So yeah, it just happens. Yeah. Why do you even? Why do you even? Why not? This is the question I would ask.

Really, really quickly, while the thomagogy is happening, I'm going to cast minor illusion. Let's just go for it. What is happening right now? We're stacking the deck, man. We're stacking it. And any one of these can fail. That's a lot of times somebody could fail on something.

I would make a. It's going to be dope. The image of a beautiful woman briefly appear in the reflection of the objects and the advantage. Just a green. That's pretty cool. That's hot. Thank you.

If it works. Nice. Not as beautiful. You need to make a sleet of hand check. I need to make a slight a check. Don't you fucking fail at this. You're not going to fail. Roll that snitch.

Control 20. No, but it is a 19. Yeah, gang. OK. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. So you sit down which one of the knick-knacks now.

Set them. Just one of them. Which one? I... Are you asking me as Matt? Are these things that you pulled out of the... She puts down Nick and holds knack. There you go.

You literally said I gathered up a bunch of knick-necks worth 750 gold. Oh, from that, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about the T set and the Domino's... No, no, no, literally... No. No. No, we wouldn't be handed that shit over at that shit over at that. Sorry, I misunderstood.

This is like... dog. So yeah. Faberjeet eggs. Skip from an airploid. I'm serious shit. So what this is, it's like a really, really intricate ink well that has been like, you know, made out of gold and bronze. It's stuff you find in a sky mall, essentially.

The pocket fish on it. A really good story. This is Sting from Lord of the Rings. The one ring to rule him. That bass is sitting. $300 on a change. I said I wouldn't. So, so, so, so.

So, as the gust of wind fades, the table, begins to shake, and he glances in across the outside of this ink well amongst a bunch of other kind of just random impacts around it, he looks at it for a second, there's a flash in his eyes, and he goes, hmm, he seemed fair enough. I would say include these in the transaction of the willing to drop the cost by a number. about 500 gold pieces.

But it is even six thousand. I snatch it away and say. Snap. Do you have any idea how many these are worth? I do, actually. I'm quite the appraiser. I'm in a business. I know when somebody's trying to swindle me, darling. Then step away.

You don't need my business, obviously. Is this how your shiny manager deals with your shiny? Tell you what. Take 2,000, 2,000 off your asking price and we have a deal. That is ridiculous. No. How's your family? What does that mean? Just curious how everybody's doing. Everybody healthy, happy? Yeah, they will. In one piece. Have you seen you a wife? Make an intimidation check. With advantage because...

What is happening? What is happening? This is a number of potion. Roll D20 twice and take the higher of the two. Add your intimidation. And roll again. Please roll again. Yeah.

Wait, wait, wait, no. Oh, sorry. Pless and intimidation. 18. 18. Oh, yes. Negative one, intimidation. He's a human cleric.

He's a human cleric. What a novelty. He goes, um, they're fine. Quite fine. Yes. A thousand gold off the asking price. 2,000 gold off the asking price. That's ridiculous.

It's not even, what do you? Have you heard him talk about paste? I, you, I, I, 1,300 off the asking price. I take one of my daggers and looking at him, I stick it in Grog's arm, and I drag it down, and I never take my eyes off him. Neither do I.

He has a lip collection. He's looking like over you guys now towards the thoroughfare. Looking for gods, okay. Perhaps, Keep your voice down. I would need. There's no magic here, friend. 1,500 off the asking price.

That seems fair. That seems fair. Completely fair. 5,000 gold, nick-knacks, and we're all good. Yes? Oh, good the dog of bone. All right, here you are. Please, now, it would be wondrous after we complete this transaction that we never meet again.

Oh dear. I'm afraid I've already hunters marked you. I don't even know what that means. And this person waiting behind you is like, excuse me, says, we're closed! Of course, yes, let me just count up this little amount. Cash is all right, you should probably contribute. I should not count that? No, that's all right, yeah.

5,000 gold. You don't think I can get the 5,000 faster than you can? Oh, and here, these are very... You're going to have to be valuable more persuasive than that time. One, three, five thousand. Good day. Good day. It's been a pleasure. I should craft a little tulip and give it to her.

Him. Him. Him. He's a her now. Cash does have an effect, doesn't he? Debatable. Takes it confused and goes. Thank you. Wait, what potions did we just take?

You grab the potions that are on the table they push towards you. There is one superior healing, two. Wait, you said there was two superior. One superior, two greater, and ten. Yes, one superior, two greater, ten regular. That's a good... Greetings, adventurers. Spring has sprung here in Los Angeles,

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it's good. Yeah, that's a lot. That's too much. Yeah, that's good. Okay, cool. And we only had to threaten a shopkeeper bodily harmed. The first time I've ever intimidated

anybody in my life, it was fun. That was fun, I have to admit. You guys. I didn't lay a hand on me. That was fun, though. I'm sorry, but we make a pretty good team. That wasn't bad.

I could get used to that. Not that it's like, not for nothing. No. Will you take this fucking dagger up, mom? This is a terrible influence. I cast cute wounds on God. It means you're a good influence, but we're a terrible influence on you.

It only had done two points of damage to you, so that would have healed it was fine. Yeah, okay. Mark that off. Because I could have healed him. Vex already got there. Yeah. He said too superior.

He did say two superior. I knew he said two superior. Oh, look at that, look at that. Look at that. Did you see that? I chase after him. I'm coming to. No.

No. No. No? No. This is a downward spiral. No, no, it's brilliant. Okay. Let it play.

Actually, dear, I believe you left one of your potions off the table. He turns around. The superior potions are 5,000 gold apiece baseline. But you said you had two superior and you said all the potions for the amount we said. I said all the ones I had placed in the table before you. Oh, there's so much blood on this fucking. Are you going back on your words?

You've made a grand deal with what we said. If you continue to push this, I'm afraid I'm going to have to get the guards. Superior, Superior. I guess that he couldn't get to the front of the tent by the time we got to him. But that's up to you. We're just guests here. No, it's all right. I know they're expensive. And we've already taken enough advantage. Yeah, if they're what they say, they're. No! That's what I do, cross your fingers.

I'll be peeing those bottles. Can I like sniff and make sure it's actually a real potion that he gave us? Did he give us fucking fake potions? You can go back and take a moment and sniff, yeah. Go and make perception check. Is it like watered down gasoline? Make a exception shot. Um, 23.

Take uncorkent and kind of sniff. Yeah, it's a very familiar pungent, you know, herbal smell of... Watered down gasoline in the past. Yeah. Fine. Okay. We did very well and there are other things that we should think about purchasing. You're right, you're right, you're right. Do you need ammunition?

That lady. The lady is the worst. You need to get gunpowder. I could use a bit of a top up just because who knows when the next time we're going to be this direction. In our gasoline? No, let's go to the gunpowder. Let's get you some. Go back there.

And perhaps considering that we're going to be very mobile, a map would not be the worst purchase. Do we have a map that's like, have a good map of the world? You have a fair map of Taldore and you have what is a basic layout of the continents. Don't we have a map maker? We do have a map maker. Wasn't he here or was he in him? No, he's here. You met Tiriak here. Tiriok, yeah, yeah. Though you haven't seen him and he's been, he mentioned to you previously, he's currently traveling to finish his.

Oh. Yeah, that's right. We caught him in the tavern, correct? Yes. Don't you think the Slayers take one? Shall I run back and talk to Vanessa? Vanessa has to have maps somewhere. She's not going to have one somewhere.

She's never lost. You just need a basic map of Vasselheim. Is that what you're speaking about? It would not be a terrible thing to have considering we're going to be traveling. Of Vasselheim? Or of the continent. The continent. Alcansia is the larger countries.

She might not have around the continent. The continent is Isira. But Issylra is a very, it's a variety of very, very large continent. It's almost like the equivalent of Asia and Russia, like that whole whole. It's a very wide and a lot of it's very just wild and untamed land and wilderness. Let me top up a bit on what I need, so that will be. Well, I'll need you as well because you hold the purse strength. Who's got the potions? Who's got the potions?

I have the potions. Can you get me out, please? I'm so fast, but I'm really weak. Can I have another? I know you did, but I get from. but I get fucked up really easily. Could I have another one? I give, wait, how many people are there? Eight of us.

Yeah. So there was other regulars, yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll give you two normies. Two normies? Thank you. And everybody else gets a normie as well. I'll take a normie.

Oh, really? Thank you. Who gets the soup? Watch may not use this, ever. And the great. Who's our weakest people? Ehem. Yeah, you're pretty weak.

Take a greater, Scanlan. Yes. The two poor decision makers, I imagine. Yes. And actually, it should probably go to, it should probably go to other greater. That's one big inappropriate decision

as opposed to a series of small. Yeah, take the other greater. It seems like a series along with one big. I don't know. I cop to it. And then I have one superior. How many points does that superior? A superior heals.

Like a thousand. 8d4 plus 8. That's low. That's not that many. It's a lot. It's a lot. It's not. No. Healing potions are like generally a rip-off. What a waste. I know. Because the greater ones are-

Oh my god, I just buy healing to save my life. It's such a waste. Oh my god, there's like a whole trade of really talented magical practitioners that spend their time crafting and brewing up these potions What's this character called? What's this character called? It's true. I did buy a book to learn alchemy, and I just have to be.

haven't had time. It's a great read, trust me. They're the alchemy book, yes. Are we fucking buying anything else, and what are we doing now? Black powder. He needs the bang, bangs. You need to go to the bang, bang now. Let's go get some some black powder and whatever else.

Boomstick needs the bang. While they're buying powder, I'm gonna go get a fucking drink somewhere. Oh, hey. I'll go with Scanlan and Grog. I'm gonna go with the pub as well. Okay, no, you need to go. We'll be at the mid-n-n-breadth pub. I want to see, we need a map there.

I think I want to take care of finding a map. Okay, I'm still gonna go to the pub. Yeah, you are, you stand intimidating motherfucker. It felt good. It was good. I don't know, can you go to the midnight breath? To the abundant terrorist area. Yep. I'll see in a bit.

We close. Okay. Are you coming to the pub? No, I'm gonna help. No, I'll see you a bit. I'll take care of. We'll be fine. Don't worry about it. Dagan is the owner. He's gonna take care of her. There's, yeah, the two taverns you've been to

is that in the Bellas Respit Inn, which is in the Braving Grounds. So yeah, you can go to either one. To either one of those. Grog, would you rather go to the one near the braving grounds? Sure. Or this one? It's up to you. Don't stow many fights.

We have a dragon to kill. Come on, shot call. Pick one. Yeah, whatever's closer. We might have time for a few. Closer with him can be the billed's respite. That's also where the crucible was, like the one on the outside of it. Better ale.

Totally. All right. All right. So you guys go get drinks. What's going. Just agree. If you guys are going to get. Go ahead.

and I are going, and are you coming as well? I was wondering back to how far are we from the Slayer's taking? Is there any other place in town that I personally would know after being here for about three months to find a map? You could go back and just ask the Slayers take to have basic maps of the nearby countryside. A lot of the contracts require you to travel across this side of Offensia. So yeah, you go back and you talk to Vanessa

and you procure one of the maps that are usually applied during the mission. All right, and then I'm going to the bar to get a fucking drink. Yes, it was. All right, so most of them are drinking Vex and Percival head. You guys are all heading actually in the same area to the braving grounds outside of the Trial Forge, since that's where the bar is. That's also where Victor's little powder-covered hovel is.

Bring him out. Bring him out. So, as you approach the same area, you can see the building, you know, same as it was before, other than it's missing half a roof. Where it appears to be haphazardly covered with a series of boards that were just kind of nailed to keep things closed. But there is definitely, with the snow and the rain, it's probably not the best place to be staying or living. I'm going to remove my coat, as I've learned. Do we have a trinket with us?

Yes, of course. I'm going to put my coat on trinket for a moment, just keep it clean. A walking coat rack, that's what trinket is. Yes, that's so. They're trying to get the coat off. Thank you, Trinket. Hello? I feed Trinket of chocolate.

Here's some rattling, some movement, and you hear the shattering of glass in the inside. You hear that? Hey, Victor, are you in there? Just a moment! Suddenly the door, slams open, and there before you, you see Victor, half covered in soot, has a big old thick pair of glass. big, thick pair of glasses on his face, one of which is cracked. You can see his chin now has this kind of puffed out, partially burnt and curled bit of a goatee at the very tip of his chin, and he looks up at you with these giant eyes that are projected and magnified by his eye wearing.

Can't help you? Yes, it's Percival. Do you remember me? No! Excellent. Excellent. Is that all? I was hoping to procure some black powder again. We had a, we made a deal last time.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Do I have to? Okay. That's quite wise. Please keep my jacket clean. As you enter, indeed, a good half of the roof is missing and as you can see now, a lot of the things have been moved away, because currently there is just a bunch of pile of burnt and destroyed wood splinters that are also soaked through, and there's a little bit of mold and rot and mildew that has gathered in that far corner as well from the weather. I'm going to stand over here and fail to stay in character, okay? I'm sure for that. You're looking well.

Mostly. He turns around and you can see how you did what you felt to notice when you first noticed is that where once there was five, there is now three fingers. No, he has character progression. What will he do? That's impressive. Learn from my mistakes. You can learn three more times easily. I can.

Three more. Yes. Anyone is often search mumaging through a bunch of stuff. Victor, I was hoping you would have some black powdered for sale. Hymonic, hold on! He whips around with this kind of metallic cylinder. It is very well sealed. He's like, see, I learn from my mistakes.

That's very impressive. And he walks very carefully, like very gingerly placing it on the table. He pulls out like a small porous. Have to unseal the medals. Let's not do that. And I'm just going to try and back the thing down as quickly as I can.

Okay, you smack it out of his hand. That's, I trust you in place. Explicitly. He goes, It's coffee. Oh! That powder! I think you've had enough. I'm going to smell the coffee, and

it's really coffee? Yeah. It's kind of coffee. Sorry, trying to host. It's been a while since a bag of glass. Do you like some? Just one spoonful. It'll be quite quite. And he goes over to a small kettle and a little to a small kettle and begin straining it through and he's kind of making his own little coffee room the side so a real black powder wait I do know you yes just before I have returned customer not many of those not many have there been others he pours a couple of cups for you pulls it over to you

oh one months ago really who who would nice woman long long Good outfit, well dressed. Excellent. She didn't happen to say where she was going, did she, by any chance? No, no. Weeks, not months. Time strange. Weeks. Very good to know. Thank you. That's so helpful.

Did you talk about anything else with this nice young woman at all? No, she paid well. I'm sure she did. Kept her distance. I'm sure she did as well. That's I'm curious, I'm curious how have your own experiments been going,

going well? Then, uh, yes. You should get that looked at at some point. Three, three more. Three more. Three. Yes. So any black powder that you have, I would be happy to

help you pay for a new room. Maybe. Oh, I have to fix that. You do. Money can help. Explains the college. He just smears the black right across the front of his face. Doesn't it, though?

It's like gelled in with whatever, you know, mucus had been kind of captured in there as well. Just a streak across. Oh, that's not a mustache. That's so... Goes around. Comes around and he has these, these... He's now keeping previously, he was just kind of out in the open. He's learned his lesson.

He has these glass vials. Well, it's similar to what they put potions and abrued potions, but now he's filling them with powder and he brings out about four of them and he goes this is as much as I would spare I already sold a lot recently to the lady and I have my own tinkering to do but if you wish to buy these yes that would be lovely okay um I'll be um process of the steering trying preparing 250 gold. I think that's very fair. Wonders! Deal, deal, deal. Vax? Yes.

Two hundred and fifty gold, would you be so kind? That much. I'm going to make you something lovely. I love you. Hi! Hi! Hi! I give the money to Percy to give to him.

And I hand it out. Oh, no, he's a love. Victor, oh no. Victor, would you like some coffee? Victor, thank you, you're so kind. And if you would be so lovely, to not mention us, to my friend if she should happen back. 50 gold.

Oh, shit. Tell you what, Victor. Oh. I don't think you want to tell her anything. Make your persuasion roll. All you need is a five. Oh, wait, wait, wait. Oh, 12.

Given the circumstances, it's in a really low DC on this. So I'm glad this is the one-year-old 12 on. You like, for you? I saw nothing. I love you, darling. It quickly grabs like a glass of violin, kind of like things to put it in capels, cats it up. Keep it safe, dear.

Until we meet again. all of us until we all meet again. Always a pleasure. Ah, keep safe and, uh. Yes. Be safe. Thank you. Yes.

Bye. Waves with his three fingers. Oh, you're going again! If I may. Yeah. You're welcome, Internet. Yeah. That was amazing.

Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man. All right. Fire that fucking fool. This is so cool. So the rest of you, find your way back at the Bellow's Restit in with the rest of the party drinking.

Yes. Yay! Yay! Okay. Wow, you've been drinking. Grog. Grog. Yeah.

First time I ever saw you, you were fighting the hammer. Who are you fighting? Yeah, yeah, the hammer, hammer. You were fighting the hammer. So I went away. and I made you a hammer and I'm gonna give you the hammer you made me a hammer I did that's what I do I like to forge me a really I do so I made you so I made you so I made not very much that is amazing I love hammers and I'm gonna I put my my crest on it

it's a moon you you said she was lush you didn't say she was a is it like a moon hammer she doesn't have a lovely moon hammers She has a thing for drinking, apparently. We can have it. It's all right. You should have it. You gotta slow down. No, never!

We don't have to catch up. You don't have it now. Exactly. I'll get it before we go. Okay. I go and I sit next to Kasha. Keat. What?

How many of those have you had? What? Less than five? Two or three. Enough to where it's fun. It's blurry. You should join us. You all have to catch up.

Come on. Drink, drink, drink, drink, drive me hard, come on. Come on, Bert. As the Barbecue comes by, human gentleman, you recognized before is a once lucky Ned, who had originally given you some information the town comes by and press the drinks down. I thought it was you. Philip! Philip!

He didn't see you. No, no, it was Philip before, and now it was Grog. Oh, he beat the name out of you. Yeah. That's hard. No, I know, I know. That was the first time, and then I came back and won my vengeance, right?

Right, right. Yeah. I want to be known as I see. Yeah. I got you. I got you. Grog the Philip is in town. Did anyone wish to take the title of the crucible?

This would be the one to talk to. Ha ha ha. And he walks off. Yeah. Remember a face is turn. I'm going back to drink. Is Aron, the only one that glass? Earth glass!

Oh, Z. Shut up, Cash. I have missed you guys. I've never met you, but I've missed you guys. I've missed... I think we need to catch up a big... Jeez, no thank you. Vex, let's all have a toast to the inevitability of the universe.

Please, a cheer. Which one of us was that? Vex and Vax. Vex and Vax. We are having a toast to the inevitability of the cosmos. A toast? We're toasting? At a time like this.

We are. Never not a good time to toast. Better time to toast than when the world's gonna end. Exactly. We're about to lose everything, we might as well celebrate what we've got. I toast to celebrating the end of the world with the best friends that possibly have.

And us. And I have something to say to this. Oh, Percy, well. I have something to say. All right, come on, Percy. Come on. When one is born into gentry, one is born with an innate sense of destiny,

an innate sense that the world is moving in a direction. Fuck the dragons! We have been given a direction to move to actually defeat our foes. We have been given a sign. We have been given something to move for. There is an inevitability to the goodness of the universe. Inevitability. There is something to fight for, damn it. Fuck the dragons. Fuck the dragons.

Fiting for something more than just money. Inevitability. I would rather be with you all than the finest people in the world. Cheers. Cheers to that. Yes. Inevitability. When you find them, let us know.

Mm-hmm. I agree with the inevitability of the universe. There's an inevitable. The inevitability is that it's always shit. There are stones thrown it in the river. That is such a terrible way to look at this. But the river always moves. It's true, but you're not talking about the fish that's killed by the stone.

Can I go up and find the body? No, that rocks. We're the fish. Once lucky net is there, it's there. More like Pushah. Oh, there. So remember, right, it's just Grog. It's not like Grog, the Philip.

It's just grog. Oh, I apologize. No, it's all right, it's okay. So, um, does Earthbreaker Grood, does he ever come in here? Big God, mussely, long, walk, stringy. Oh, I know of them, but he doesn't come in and drink now. There's most of his days over there in that big trial forge temple to cool. I want ice cream.

He never comes out. I mean, he wonders this city on occasion, but he's one of them, um, how do I put it, meditative types. Meditative types. Meditative. Yes. I hear an ice cream. Spends a lot of time thinking.

Sleeping while standing up. It's weird. Well, I don't understand. How do you do that? I have to ask him. Meditative. Yes. Beating of the minds.

All right. Beating of the minds. I mean, does he like, all right. Thank you. No worries. I mean, for a call, he actually came and saw your last bout. Yeah, he did. I wanted to like go sing him, but I don't know anything.

about meditativeness, they're still like sleeping standing up. Go to know in the trial forge. He's seen you once, maybe you'll say hello again. Yeah. Or what shall I like bring him a gift? Oh, fuck somebody out. I don't know. I never talk to him. Is anybody here, like in the room right now behind me? Or there you go, like at the present at the trial forge very often?

That don't be so obvious. And I'll flip him a silver. That's like half a penny. No, there's still copper. We're just talking. What is it like noon right now? It's like day drinking. Well no, it's probably about 132 o'clock in the afternoon.

Oh, damn. Kashi and I just got back from the freaking and it's time to drinking. We haven't even eaten, yes. It's true. I lost a fourth of my seat. civilization. That is funny. I raise the bottom of Keelot's glass and just keep it good. I'm going to drink your person away. Should we find Kema next or should we spend

the day here? Oh, that's right. We still had work to do. Well, we do have some very inebriated. Yeah, I think we've accidentally gotten ship things. I could just walk and not do anything. Maybe we're going to. Yeah, no, she can manage. Maybe if we hang here long enough. We'll go up very quickly, actually. Kema will show up. No, we're drunk. Here's what we should do. I'm not drunk.

You're ready? I'm not drunk. Everybody else. We should go watch Grog. Fight. What? What? There are dragons in the world right now,

and we're fighting? We're going to watch a fight? We need, listen to me, we need Kima with us, but Kima doesn't have time for fucking drunkers. You might not be, but we're not be. but some of us are a little drunk. Yeah. So while that is going on, we wait a day, right?

And while that day is going on, we watch Grog pummel some person's face in, I think. Plus, when I was a little girl, we used to be taught that if you were ever lost in the forest to just stay and hug a tree. Think about it. And someone will come and find you. I like this plant.

So if we stay in one place, this ale, is like our tree. Okay, we just hug the ale, and chema will show up. That's my theory. While this is happening, Vex, you glance over her shoulder to the entryway to this bar, and you see stepping in a familiar, burly-looking half-orke gentleman. Oh, fuck. Damn it, I was hoping to miss Kima. No. That would have been hilarious.

He walks in, like wiping his hands from, you know, dirty mines, stops, looks over at your table, slowly backspout out of the tavern, and steps back out in the thoroughfare. Hey, look at that guy who went out the door. It looked like the guy you fought in that ring. Really? That guy, yeah, go get over, do it again. Hold on a second, and I'll run out the door. Just run after him, just out the door. Yeah.

Negative perception check. Oh, come on, go. 18. 18. 18. You step out into the front of the tavern, and immediately the left, you see him ducking into the alleyway by. Wait! Kurt! I take off, run it after him. Okay, you turn around the corner and you see him,

his back is against the wall, and he has, like, sweat dripping down his brow, and he's like, Oh, I see she goes, funny anymore. Hi. Funny seeing you here. I run up behind, girl. Why are they actually like this? Yeah.

Things been good. At this point, you have to. What? Did you guys date? Did you guys date? Ever, I was just saying. He was not ex-lovers. He looks down.

Take some, someone goes, still a little sore. Right, yeah. How about you? When I chew, my jaw goes to one side, it's fucking weird. Yeah. Yeah.

Are you guys all right then? Everything's fine? Yeah. All right, I'm gonna go. Have a drink. So I meant to ask you, that like big, mussely, long stringy white-haired guy that was watching our last fight. Yeah, yeah, the Earthbreaker.

Yeah, who is he? You know, I've seen him around. I haven't really... I think I did talk to him once. I'll love it with you. I went to him for a little training after our first fight. Yeah. Says I'm a little too angry to pursue his path. Angry? I got a lot of pent-up rage the way I was raised. Family issues? Tell me about. Yeah. I mean, half my folks are bloodthirsty wandering barbarians in the northern wastes. No way. Yeah. What, you think half looks great?

No, it's bullshit. Oh no, you think Goliath is any better? It's the same fucking thing. At least you're made for this weather. It's cold out here is. That's true. It is fucking cold. Yeah, it is.

I can only imagine. I'm really sorry I took your lip off, by the way. Sorry I took yours off too. That's true. But not you better. Yeah. When you train with him, because you were doing all that like yoga,

polotti stuff, did it help you out? Well, obviously not really. Right. What did he ask in exchange for the tutorial? He didn't ask for any pay. He just, um. Oh God, what he has? Uh-oh.

No, right. He told me I had to pretty eyes. Had to help someone. Had to help someone. I had to test someone. He still hasn't given me the proper details yet and hasn't called in the dead,

but he told me one day I was to help him test someone when he trained me. In that trial folder, they're like more of him, like a bunch of big jacked out guys in there. Not as big as him, no. But there's plenty of others that train under him. All sorts of warriors, weapons of all kinds. It's cord!

He looks over and you see like, You see in the distance the giant statue of court that sits atop the trial forge, and he looks over and he kind of, with a look of reverence, gives a nod, and you can see that this man, a glimmer of faith in his eyes, himself probably a follower of court as well.

And he goes, he's a great man. I'm of not the right temperament, it seems. But that's fine. These get me along okay. I won't take up too much more of your time, but if I could ask you one last thing, aside from the slagged, in the trial forge, if you had to find men at arms,

men to attack a very large foe, possibly quite dangerous. Where would you go? Probably the Platinum Sanctuary. Between them and the trial for it, that's most of the actual army. And most of it's trial boards. It's part of what the breathing grounds are about. They train the armies here, before they breed warriors. Yeah. Most of the bastions look over the city are trained here, so it's, uh, those are my best men.

That's at least. Not much of a political man. Well, it's been good seeing you, and now I hit quite as hard as you did. You too. The medal was a joke. I think it was... I was in a sore place, literally, very, very sore place. Uh-huh.

I wanted to apologize for that. Uh-huh. I should go. I'm gonna... And he starts walking past you out into the main street. Kern, poured strength to you, my friend. He doesn't even look back, he goes, Oh, you too. And he just keeps walking.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I'll go back in the tavern. Okay. Did you kill them, grog? Yep, yep. There's like pieces of them all over the alley.

That's my boy. Yeah, I like left nothing to find. What? It was great. All right. I walked out and they were making out. Shut the, it. It's not what we would do in.

Just mugging down in the alleyway. What? Grog. I didn't know you swung that way. It was interesting. Swung what way. Toward, never mind. Swing your axe.

Swing your axe, swing away. Towards the hammer. Yes. Of course, coming your way. No man's, you know, goes straight on. This is a little bit of left. Some men go straight on. I go sit down next to it.

I sit down next to it. I sit down next to. to the other side of Cash, in between him and Keylet. I'm going to sit and watch right next to you. All right. I'm going to try not the throw-up. Another drink! Have you, Keyleth?

Not another drink. Come! How about you have some water, dear? Oh, it's been a long few weeks. Can Ikeleth, darling? We'll get some coffee. No coffee, thank you. Excuse me, if I may.

All I want to say to you is that you are a very impressive man in many ways. You are handsome and capable. Your eyes are two different colors, which is very interesting. That's a little creepy, but other than that, you are very, very capable. Percival, I'm having trouble focusing, so if you can start talking behind cash shoes. I don't know what's happening. I don't know what's happening.

Is he hitting on me? What's happening? No, no, no, no, no. There's only one man for me. What? It's right over here. Carry on. All I'm saying is, we could use your help. All right.

I know you are a bit of a mercenary, but you are a very capable man, and there is a lot at stake. There is a lot at stake. There are dragons that killed. I'm not gonna get into it, but I just implore you to look past yourself and please try to think of the greater world.

I'm an admirer. You've said several times that you're an admirer of mine. Yeah. It's very sweet. Also, one one, One last thing. You know what, never mind. I don't want to talk about that. And then I want to roof into the other side of the room.

I have literally no idea what just happened. He's a complicated man. He goes to dark places. Killes? Kisholk in this closet. What is going on with Zara? What is going on with Zara? My brother.

Maybe you should go find out what's happening with my brother. How do you get this closet door open? I can't get back out of here. He's stuck in a closet. It's all right. Girl talk. So, Keelith. What?

What? I just heard a little, I wasn't sure, and then I saw you and I thought, oh, all right, well, you know, yeah, all right. So what, you know, with the what? I literally never even had this experience in high school. I'm throwing me. Come on. I don't know how to react to any of this. What is high school?

Was, uh... Keeleth, you am cashed. She's talking about you kissing, Kat. Yeah. Oh, right. He told me. He told me a love you. Funny, you mentioned that.

Um, yeah, you know. Wasn't he a first case? Do you like him? Isn't that so wonderful? I know it's wonderful. I, um, you know, okay, I'm kind of new to all of this. I don't really know what's going on.

What to talking? You're doing very well. Thank you. I'm new to that as well. No. Um, I'll give you a helpful little. I'll give you a helpful hint. Okay, yes. If you're interested in someone,

make sure they know. Oh, and if you're not, then stop fucking dragging them along because it's not fair. What if she doesn't know? What if she can't decide? Oh, you think I'm dragging cash along? Oh, no, no, no, no, no.

Sure, you're dragging cash along. I mean, he was just, I'm just, I'm just, I only, I spent a day with him. It was just a day. Vax, I can't get out of this closet. Jesus, this is he really, truly stuck in a closet right now? I tried not, I thought he was a lock yet. I go, I walk away.

I rolled a one. This is literally the only thing Vax is good at. He really can't get out of the closet. I just want to say I don't think the dragon's stamp shant. We've got them now. Not to get two women here, that's so ladies, right? I can't get out of this closet as hard as I try. What are you doing?

I'm really confused. No. Don't hurt him. He's wonderful. Cash? Okay. If you do. The war is over and both sides lost.

Kingdoms were reduced to sin. an armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time, and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job.

This is a brutal rules-light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the Shadow Dark every Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern on YouTube.com slash the Glass Cannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark. Oh, please, not that music.

That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter, some lighter music here? Are you a fan of True Crime TV shows? And what about Unsolved Mysteries? The show that jumped started all of our love of True Crime. I'm Ellen Marsh. And I'm Joey Taranto. And we host, I Think Not, a True Crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories

from your favorite true crime can't be TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries. Baby, you will laugh, you will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way, and you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics? New episodes of I Think Not are released every Wednesday with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday, you can listen to our True Crime Rundown, where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week.

So come and join us, wherever you listen to your podcasts. God, I love other people's problems. This is amazing. Sorry about this cash. No, this has been wonderful. I've had men and women telling me that I'm incredible. You are very attractive. That's, wow, that's two. I've just met you, and I don't know much about you,

but are you more of a Vaxman or a Vexman? Like, what kind of, how do you roll? How do you... I don't, again, I don't know what that means. Would you be interested in the Rogue or the Ranger? We're identical. Oh. Oh, I see what you're saying. I don't know you've...

No, no, I go... I go Taco, not hot dog. Okay. Yes, wow. Wow! Wow! Wow. Hi five it.

All right. Now I'm very uncomfortable. Respect. Respect. It's great. Are we sober yet? Can we go find out? Yes, we're sober.

I mean we need to go to bed. Yes. I think we're getting a break. After a brief time of coffee and a bit of sobering, you find yourselves, I've sound enough mine. 17 hours later. Meanwhile. Coffee, coffee. Metabolize things very quickly.

Two hours. Two hours. It's like four or five o'clock in the afternoon. Five o'clock in the afternoon. Five o'clock? Four o'clock. Four o'clock. Four o'clock. Four o'clock now, as you sobering up, the coffee's helped.

You found yourself clear of mind to continue on to your intended events for the day. But that we're going to go and take a break. We'll be back here. So as you guys exit the tavern, you look out into the raiding fields. Suddenly remember, go back and open the closet. Yeah. Oh shit, we need to get the rogue out of the closet.

There is that, yeah. So you're sitting in the center of the braving grounds. We traded a league for a travis. I don't know. Exactly. Grog, can you get the door open? It's the front door to the pub. It is open, darling. Come on.

So we're going to to Kima now, or are we going to go see Grog fight? Oh. Is there a dog fighting? There's a, to your left, around the heaven stair, the giant mountain that kind of bisects the northern portion of Baslehem, around that way. A little bit of travel, but that heads towards the Bahamette section of the city where the Platinum sanctuary is. To your vision immediately outside of the tavern, you can see the giant statue of cord with the trial forges, and to the south of you is where the quad roads are in the southern regions. What do you guys want to do?

I don't really, like, feel like fighting. I just wanted to go talk to, like, Master Splinter on the trial forge. Sure, sure. All right, we can do that another day maybe, or do you want to quickly stop off now? I'm not in a rush. Should we go to the Platinum sanctuary where Kima is, right? Let's go talk to Keehan. Yeah, right now. Dragon. Yeah, right. Oh, should we wait until some people are more sober?

No, I'm all right. The coffee helps. The coffee helps. Walking will help. Walking and coffee. Kima. Kima. Wow. We should take it and wait outside or something.

But I miss Kima. Is that what this is? Yeah. It's so clear. Now, it's been a few hours and you guys have had some coffee, so you can let you, you're still a little tipsy, but you're not useless. Put it nice to it. Use. All right, so where are you going to?

The Platman Sanctuary. All right, you guys make your way south, kind of southwest around the curvature of the base. the heaven stair. You can see up along the mountain itself, large, ominous, this monolith of Earth that looks over the entirety of Vasselheim. You can see embedded in the rock itself. There are various homesteads towards the base, and as you look up, you can see there's a number of stairways that just spiral around it in different directions. And you can see small cliffs and precipices that are built on the outside of it look to be either various places of individual worship, where statues are just barely visible cresting on the edge.

There's a number of constructs just built in this mountain that are probably as old as the city itself. You make your way around the south portion of it back into the actual area of Vasselheim, the Silver Town's Reach, which is where the largely Bahamets worship occurs. You make your way past the scattered temples, all the different huts and hovels that kind of build the central residential real estate of this territory, and, like, There are a few homes here to look at it. Like, this town is built on existing in hardship and difficulty. So a lot of people here are just stern folk that live amongst terrible weather,

and money and wealth isn't really presented or flaunted in this city. It's considered a very poor taste, as everyone here is some way shape or form to some level is pious to some degree to one of the deities that are worshipped here. You find your way to the base of the stair that you recall following when you first around arrived here in Vasselheim that leads up to the Platinum Sanctuary when you were delivering the Horn of Orcus. Oh, that's originally. You follow it up the side, and it is an extended staircase that curves up to these three silver spires that are pushing out from the side of the mountain quite a ways up in about almost 20 minutes of stair climbing. Your legs start to cramp a bit, but you managed to make your way towards the top. It's the outside of the large stone doors, and there you can see there are.

are two scale bears aboard in their silver armor, blue cloaks to their back, weapons at the ready, just looking out. And as soon as you guys approach the top of the stairway, they change their stance to be a little more prepared. God, it's hard to do with alcohol in your system. It's hard to do. Burn it. Burn it. A lot of horses and chickens around here, too. Yeah, everywhere. I didn't know this was a warming industry.

Hello there. Hello there. Excuse us. Hello. We are of the Slayer's Take. Is that a good thing? We are of the Slayers take and we would ask for entry into your platinum temple. Your business is with whom? Lady Kima.

Turns, I mentioned the kind of nods the other guy. They both grab these small handles and give like a tug and the door opens slightly and one of the guys disappears between the two doors. About 30 seconds past to a minute. Boris steps back out. Your presence has been accepted by the high bearer vord the silver touched. He will greet you in the central chamber, please. Thank you. How do we address him? High bearer could suffice.

All right. Please enter. Will Kima be there? He doesn't answer. Doors open. Hey. Lighter. No longer wall. More stairs.

More stairs for this one. So as you guys enter the chamber once more, this is close to where you flew in in bird form and almost got arrested by the high bears. Uh-huh. Right, those guys. So as you enter the chamber, you can see a number of the guards have already assembled, and they're kind of giving you a walkway path, both as a presentory kind of, you know, arrival, vigil, but also making sure that you don't wander off the predestined path to the main central meeting chamber. But it doesn't seem antagonistic in any way.

No, just they're protecting their temple. I'll make it that. Yeah, it's not yet anyway. So you guys continue inward towards the central chamber. The high stone ceiling before you, you can see there are holes carved throughout the ceiling and the stonework to cause beams of light just come shooting through from the sky. What catches your interest in here is the sky is cloudy. There is no specific source of direct sunlight, yet there are beams of light within the temple itself that form a pattern across

the kind of stone marvel floor of this central chamber. Can't do a nature check? Certainly. What's the pattern? What's the pattern look like? The pattern resembles a large shield. If you look at it, it's pointing towards the base of where you guys are walking in, and it fills most of the chamber in an oval spashen before coming together and align towards the back. 17. 17?

17. Okay. This definitely isn't a natural occurrence. The sunlight should not be projected in this way, which leads you to believe that there is something about the temple's enchantment or its construction that can either dissipate the veil of clouds to the sunlight or produce their own light to mimic it during all hours. Cool. Does any of us recognize the symbol on the floor? You've seen the shield itself is akin to the symbol of Bahamut, which is a shield with the silver dragon head on it.

You've seen Kima use it previously when you guys were looking after her in the underdark. We never got that stuff back. Her stuff? Yeah. So as you guys push to the center chamber, you can see there's a line of three heavily armored knights, Knights of Bahamahat that are all there standing shields at the ready, these big tower shields that almost touch the ground. And two of them separate at one side, and one separates to the other, and in the center, arriving before you is high bear of board the silver touch, too. For some of you seeing him for the first time, long, kind of light brown hair that presses down past his shoulders.

His features are very elven and very soft and ageless, but there is a kind of kind of a kind of, almost a bluish, very faint bluish hue to his skin and his eyes have no irises, no pupils, steps forward and extends his hands. It is good to see, said Friends, so I ask you once again to join me in this chamber. Can I help you? You can, actually. Well, we hope that you can, as it concerns, dragon matters. We know that you serve Bahamut, the great, the wonderful, the very metallic, and these very terrible, colored, chromatic, red, green, lots of different dragons. They've attacked.

How much do you know about the dragon attacks that have been raging across the world? It kind of looks about the rest of you with the dis... with a discerting glance, just kind of spending a beat on each of you, almost like you're being judged and read in that instant. You feel as if someone is prying into your personality with but a glance, and it's unsettling at first. But nothing too invasive, but just enough to catch you off guard. As he finishes the sweep of the party at hand, he says, I was given a vision in the night of a far city of man swathed in ice and flames. of colors bonded and unleashed, and I feared it was the work of our Lord's nemesis. The Lord of Nemesis? Yes.

Can you elaborate? Put his hand up. Sorry. However, with much prayer of mine my Aecolytes, we find no tremor of the Dragon Queen, nor the Stensha Bator on this business. The Stensha Queen? Dragon Queen, Bator. Is that what you said? Bouture.

B-A-A-A-T-O-I-I. Is the queen, I'm sorry, are the queen in Burtur the same? Make a religion check. All of us are just. All of you, sure. Who is, is making a religion shit? Yeah. Nah.

Nah. Yeah. Ten? 12. 15. All right, I'll be. 15. 24.

13. 14. 14. 24. Okay. None of these ring a bill except for you. Kashaa. The dragon queen is indeed the nemesis of the platinum dragon, Bahamit. It is an entity known as Tiamat and is essentially the patron of most chromatic dragons. She

resides in Vator, which is one of the nine hells. However, it seems that Dvord is speaking in a way that that through much disturbed interest and prayer into this matter, there doesn't seem to be the scent of Tiamat's doing in this matter. And strangely, you see a bit of the tension in his face relax as he tells you this. So if it's not the nemesis, the big nemesis, then you know, you guys could probably take

take out these dragons, like, no problem, since they're not the big bad, they're just really bad. While these entities do concern us, there is the ultimate vow that we've spoken, and that is to protect Lasselheim. The city has stood as long as it has because we have not left our post. And the moment that we would attempt to move even a minority of our people in the city to be of aid to you in this endeavor, this would be the moment that the Dragon Queen will be waiting for to attack our citadel. There are many more forces beyond these dragons that you speak of in this world bent against the destruction

of this city. Yes. And we stand because we hold vigil here. But sir, you should understand how close this destruction came from your doorstep. And yet it avoided our city, do you know why? Because even such creatures know better than to lend their talons against us. But how do you know that that will happen the next time? Is that always where you're going to place your bet? Do you think this would be the first time that ancient dragons have attempted to attack

our face city? How about four? I can guarantee you should they mountain attack on us. Four or not. They will fall. Wait a second. I'm sorry. Then I guess everybody in the world can just move here. Wait a second.

You said dragons have attacked before and they were defeated. How? Well, we have the aid of Bahamut at us at that time. He glances up and you look up and you can see the rays of sun that have come through here from your current position. You can see actually form a matching symbol, not of a shield, but of a giant winged dragon outstretched across the curved roof of this temple. All right, let's talk about this.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait. Please continue, I'm so sorry. My bad. We've been drinking. Drinking. No. Water. Long walk up. Well, understand. I hear your plight. And I understand that we must aid you in this endeavor best that we can. But we cannot swear to you, our army.

What sort of aid can you offer then? For now, while you seek out whatever your plot is to tear these creatures from their summit, you will grant to you from our place in the Don City, a finest champion. While I have no resources to offer at this time, this champion shall come to your aid. They help in any way that they can.

And once they can report their certainty That victory could be hacked. Perhaps we be able to send a little more of our power your way. Will we know the presence of this champion, or will it be a silent wash? The champion is here. And he steps aside and puts his hand out, and one of the armored knights steps forward. Full armor, this tall, kind of wide-chested, masculine form. You can't see the face as the helmet kind of protects it.

But shield comes out. comes out and slams the ground and goes to kneel on one knee. He says, your charge, platinum knight Udair. One of our finest warriors whom has had time and time again at which point you hear aloud as all of a sudden Udiar is thrown off of his feet. His shield kind of bent in and skis getting across the ground. You see stepping up behind a female halfling scar across the face. It's old trimmed armor, a blue cloak behind her, shouting out, Oh, no, you don't!

This is my home turf! I'm going! I'll take that one. We want that one. Hiberov-Word rolls his eyes in size loudly. Kima, you are in need of discipline and guidance. More than most who walk the warrior's path. Your foolish impulses will get you killed.

I think her foolish impulses are exactly what Vox Machina is looking for. She kind of grins as she swings her mall, slams it onto the stone ground. There's a little bit of a rumble as you see a flash of divine energy from that, and a beam from the sky kind of comes down and frames her form as she stands there, clutching the top of it. She goes, Girl? Better to die a fool for something and live in regret for doing nothing. Church. She's an awkward pause as Udar gets back up on his feet and pulls up the front of his helmet, and you can see there's like a very thin pencil stash underneath, a chisel jaw, and a man

who looks like probably an intent, you know, chivalrous type knight gentleman, except for there's a look of complete disdain and frustration, and he kind of gets up and goes, really, huh? And Bork kind of raises his hand and grumbles. Very well. Your new charges, Lady Kean, whom you are already affiliated, please keep her from doing anything stupid. I think we want her to do her stupidest. Udair, it would have been a swell adventure with you, maybe next time. Sir, thank you for granting us this aid that we will definitely

need on our journey. We also are new to this dragon slaying business. I would love your advice and any information you might have, especially about some specific items, something called the best The vestiges of divergence. His eyes kind of squint for a moment as he puts his hands in front of his face. To step against such powerful dragons

is indeed a death sentence. It's true that you need to prepare. Arm yourselves against this doom. While we are meant to stay here in the most holiest places, these relics you speak of from before the second spark, still I've forgotten. These armaments even balked the primorials of old.

of old. Blades that slew the children of the dark. Where these relics lie, only story in tome can tell, unfortunately. Know that at any given time you are not the only one seeking this power. Consider things of such great strength are perpetually in the minds of those who would make the riches off of them, or intend to take their own townships and peasantry under their own boot and conflict. Hmm. Do these vestiges help you control the dragons, and do you become their leader if you fight them?

I don't believe any of that such capability, but I also am not a scholar of ancient magic and artifacts. I merely have come across their whispers and books, and there is classes I took as a child. What sort of books? Ferry books, yes. There are tombs scattered throughout the city, and there are the Cobalt Reserve. Cobalt Reserve is gone. The dragons took it out.

That is unfortunate. You said these tomes might still be in Vasselheim? Perhaps. Where? I wish I could tell you. We had one such entrusted to us long ago, but that was destroyed as part of the last assault on Vasselheim that we would. withstood. Do you remember the description of any of the items from your stories?

Or how many there were? The stories save at least a dozen. I can be certain. I wish I have more aid in this, but this is not a path that I chose to learn much on. And are all artifacts necessary in defeating these dragons? I have no idea. We should have probably asked other people. Osses, Osses.

Though the warriors that once wielded these in the battles of old only seem to carry one or two each. How did you defeat them? The dragons that came to your doorstep. That was before my time, my dear. And there are no legends. There are no scrolls that might recount the tale of how that happens that you might still have somewhere.

The penance, the second spark. Second Spark. He takes a moment to blig out his thoughts. Does I take a moment to gather my notes? While you're doing that, Oudier stuck in his arm out over there. Dented in. He's just dented in, he can't get out. He's not happy at all about that. A dozen weapons. I have them. Go ahead. Sorry. Sorry. One moment, please. Righty, hold on.

Who are the children of the dark? A little more pregnant more over here. Just killed by the second. Okay. Second, Sparse. It's a long tale and I would recommend you research the history of self. But during the times of creation

when the gods first came upon this world, it was a place of chaotic energies, elements clashing. The very landscape itself was only the world. eternal turmoil, wrestling for no purpose other than the destruction of the others. There were no boundaries. Yet the gods still came, and they created the various beings and entities. As they came into understand what their purpose was, as they themselves were still uncertain as to why they came to be, they hoped that through their creations they could learn more about

themselves. And they began to watch the first burgeoning elves, dwarves, people. Within a short time, a very short time, the very chaotic nature of this landscape consumed and destroyed most of what remained. The only city that stood, the first city, Baslehem. The Titans have walked across these lands, great primordial elemental kings, beings of no-knowable mind sought to destroy any light or beauty. And thus the first war began. The peoples rose up, the gods' feet touched the ground. And alongside the creations, they slew the titans with the first of these vestiges. Name them to rest within the dirt, within the sky, casting the elements away from this plane, in separate to the Rome.

where now they remain, planes of fire, earth, air, water, and their muddy boundaries between. This came a time of great privilege and prosperity, and there also came to be discovered that some of the gods as part of creation during this bout with the Titans began to question the purpose of creation, to embrace the chaos that they fought in this battle, and they distanced themselves the ones that guide us to the stay.

They began to take the children of the gods and corrupt them, teach them the wonders of Arcana, magic's beyond the divine and the gifts of the gods, and for the first time the creations began to find power, separate from the creators. The arrogance to think that perhaps now, they were gods themselves. Now they were the gods' creations,

and they loved them very much. So they did not see this as a threat, but as the second expansion of civilization spread across the world, we saw rise to great new towns and cities and civilizations and cultures, as well as a new wave of insolence and selfishness. And these new dark gods began to prey upon this and build a force to take those who still stay true to the first. This terrible war.

This is what we knew as the divergence. This was when the people were split into, and the gods were divided as well. Bloody battles ensued, and it looked as though while all other cities fell to ruin, even Vasselheim would fall. But in this time, these vestiges were expanded upon, and those first few weapons many more were created. And the champions fought alongside the gods once more, and victory was had. and the dark gods banished to various planes, far from this plain. But it was then the gods also decided

that perhaps their delving had caused this, receded, leaving the mortals to find their own way, to rebuild a second time with the warning of the dangers of Arcane, which Vasselheim still to this day holds as one of its prime oaths. Only of these vestiges you seek were destroyed, But some were kept, some were lost, some were in-tombed, some were found and rediscovered and are used as symbols of power.

But since this second spark of civilization, the gods felt that the true penance was the destruction of all that people had built, and the gods leaving us to our own. Thus started the penance. But to this day, we still make up the infractions and sins of our arrogant brothers and sisters of that day. So, since then, we've had other new civilizations spring up. Wild Mount. Tal'Dore, Singon, Marquette. These are the newer cities of the Third Age.

I ask. Vestages, the wording of these legends, it seems vague. Does no one know anything about what they were Is there a stand-in for things we don't understand or know about? What are these vestiges? We know of them, but understand. Artifacts and relics of this power are very dangerous. And what better way to hide things of such power than to destroy the knowledge of where they may be or that they even exist?

Sir, I come from the Ashari people. Yes. We are here to protect those boundaries that we set several thousand years ago. Ago. Do you think that some of this knowledge might still be within my people? Is this possible? I am not a practitioner of the history of the Shari people. Objects with that much power have to leave some trace, somewhere, of anything you can think of, a place to start. Is there that the monks keep some of the most ancient of texts? We here at Vasselheim, keep watchful eye on things that relate to the wars of old,

the history of our deities, of our temples, to repeat the mistakes that we have. The monks are more eclectic in their collections. Perhaps they can be a morade. Maybe not all of the reserve was destroyed. Maybe they have secret rooms underground where they keep the most ancient of texts. It's true. You should at least check. It would be worth looking, the very least. Allura was on her way there.

Hi, Bearer. These dragons who are running rampant across the world, are them being chromatic dragons, you think they have pledged their loyalty to the Queen? If they have, it's a very, they would not be able to shroud the sight of the platinum dragon himself. Isn't it very strange for dragons to pledge their allegiance

to any other dragon. Cromatics it is. Then why are they serving the red one? The red one. The syndicate. Thor-Dak. That's what he calls himself. He's ancient.

He was in the fire realm, the fire plane, and broke free. And now he has other dragons serving him. Chromatic dragons respond to a few things. Gold, dominance, and strength. This red dragon is as ancient and as powerful as you say. Perhaps he, even he could bully lesser dragons. Or do you think it's possible that he's offering any one of those rewards? There are many possibilities.

We have to ask one of them yourself. Distinct feeling we'll get that chance. So if this is the third age, does that mean the fourth is upon us? As do I. But if it does it does it does? does. We will do everything we can to see that this city stands. It is the only link we have to the past. And should Vasselheim fall, my dear say all is lost? But the cost of everything else Vasselheim stays. That's my only question.

That is your question. From here, civilization in Springanoom, people can defend themselves and thrive thereafter. The rest of the world is scattered. Petty squabble. selfish, personal endeavors that lead to foolishness and treachery, should this city fall and one of those remain. That is a breeding ground for the dark powers that lie beyond the veils. It is only here that those who are the most devout could truly have the hearts and minds to guide us. Baham it forbid into a fourth age. Well, thank you for all your help. One more question before we leave you to your... Which is he, Kima slams her hammer on the ground.

I was like, oh my god, can we just go? I'm sick of hearing him rattle on. He put his hand out. Kema. On our journey we may have to travel long distances quite often. Is there any means of quick travel to other parts of the continent from Vasselheim? Perhaps he would have flying carpets that you have

lying around. Airships, teleportation circles, any means that you know. We do not deal in such teleportation, magics beyond the divine, provided ones, and those, I assume, are beyond most of you. However, there is still the Skyport, which I believe you arrived in when you first came to us. Other than that, if none around you are able to achieve any sort of distant translocation, then I highly doubt you have the ability to really stand up against these dragons you seek to destroy. We got it. It's fine. It's handled. Thank you for the vote of confidence.

We've had, I think we have everything we need here. Yes, yes. Unless you have any, you know, emlets or, you know, magical things like... How that horn of work is going, by the way? A good question, actually. Oh, sorry. Sney on the yae. Sorry. And with that... Suno on the magic items of protection.

I have business for the day. Cool. I'm not going to ask him. how his family is. No, don't do that. Don't do that. Kim up, show our guest tap please. With pleasure, slings her mall up on her shoulder.

Let's step outside first. Yeah. Okay. And she leads you all outside. The temple doors closed. As soon as the door's closed, and she tells the two guards, shove off, please.

We have to have a conversation. That was kind of frustratingly turn around and go back and close the door. As soon as the door is closed behind it, she goes, oh my God, guys! And rushes out and starts giving a hugged to everyone that she knows. She skips you. She asks to be introduced. And um. Zara? I don't believe we know. I'm Zara.

Nice to meet you. Nice to meet Kima. Kima. Lady Kima. Lady Kima. Mm-hmm. Lady. All right. And have you met Cash? Cash. Cash. Fesh. Hmm. You're brooding? I don't mean to be. It's been a rough... Yes, thank you.

All right, so I caught some of that discussion. Dragons? What are we after here? Big scary dragons. I tend to glaze over when he's talking. Elin's gone, Kima. Yeah, basically four big fuck-off chromatic dragons destroyed him on, and then Western, and... Elora was there, she was very upset.

She went. Is Ali all right? Is Ali all right? to Western to find out. Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement and modern leadership. I'm Mick Hunt, your host, and I'm here to challenge your why and fuel your because. This is where leaders, entrepreneurs, and go-getters come to level up. Each week, I bring you unfiltered conversations, game-changing strategies, and the kind of motivation that transforms lives and legacies.

I've learned from legends like Les Brown, Damon, John and Robert Irvine. And now I'm bringing their lessons, along with mine, straight to you. From modern leadership tips to creating unstoppable momentum, this is the podcast that redefines what's possible. Hit play, subscribe, and join the millions who've made Mick Unplug their go-to source for growth and greatness, because your next breakthrough is just one episode away. This is Mick Unplug, the voice and face of modern leaders.

entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, and self-improvement. Let's get started. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not-so-dark, not-so-stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the Intrepid Chaotic's detective agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high-flying action-packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can fight. It's one heck of a tale,

which is good, because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you. Wait, what? All will be revealed in.

Sonic the Hedgehog presents the Chaotic's case files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. on the case. About what happened. Yeah, Ali is fine. We just parted ways with her day.

I've got such a headache. A few days ago. My home temple's in Western. Oh. We should definitely go there. We need to look at the Cobalt Reserve as well. We need to meet up with Alura though. She was.

All right, well, I'm with you, wherever you need me. What are we? I just pass back. my water canteen kind of on the sly. And I very obviously chugged the entire thing. Oh, okay. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You started early.

I'm jealous. Kima, it's been very hard since we last saw you. I can see it on your faces. You all look a bit hairy. Hairy? You surprise me day after day, Grod. Oh, thank you. Don't have to hide it around me, so okay.

All right, where are we off to? That's a good question. Where are we going? What are our options? Fulbalt Reserve, he said twice. Yes, but there's a Western, so we... It's been destroyed. Not necessarily, I mean, yes, fucked up.

We still need to go talk to Earth Barrow Grood just to see what kind of messel was there. I also really need to check out the fire, shire. The fire shari are on the way. Let's... Let's... Too many. Count out the things that we want to do.

Not what we're going to choose, just what we have to do, and then we'll choose something. We've got the Cobalt Reserve, which may or may not be totally fucked, right? It could give us information about these dragons. Yes. You need to go by there regardless. We need to stop by Western. Okay. So there's...

A Shars mate. That's down by Western. Down by Western and the mountains. That's on the way. We've got your people. Also on the way out the door. It is. It's not far from here.

Three days, roughly three days travel southwest of Massacre. There's trees. There are trees. I can also pop through a tree. I can pop through most places. We can pop through a tree and get us to West Run as long as we take a nap. Or charter a ship.

Three options. Are we forgetting anything? And Grog wants to talk to... Earthbearer Master's... Master Sprint. Earthbreaker. While we chart a ship. Well. Percy really wants an airship.

Dear God, does he want an airship? What a perfect way to make our way quickly and efficiently. Let's just talk quickly, efficiently. You can go through trees? Pop through trees. Only trees that she's seen and knows very well. The Earthbreaker is here. Luckily, all places that we are going we've been to.

I mean, if we're spiraling out, right, the Earthbreakers here, the Ashara close by, and the Earthbreaker is here. and then we're talking about in and around western. Yeah, so let's go to the Earthbreakers. Let's go to the Earthbreakers. Follow by the Earths, followed by the airship. He goes. Earth Baker, isn't Don Marshall, the great Don Marshall of,

Ha Ha Ha ha ha ha ha. Oh, I've only seen him from a distance. He's a rough-looking fella. Yeah, Roy, he's got a pair of arms on him, didn't he? I'm excited to see this. Puts her up her shoulder and he's walking down her little legs kind of tch-tun-too-ching with the armor down the stairs. Well, hold up, Kima.

What do you mean you like? Have you spoken with him before? I've seen him punch someone's head clear off. Off of his body. That is so cool. You only turn him into paste. Level up. I'm excited.

Oh, oh dear. You're not the only one. And she continues rushing ahead. You get the feeling that Kima's been locked up and been doing temple stuff for quite some time. And is very happy to get it. out of her general duties. Lead the way, shit, kicker.

You guys head back down the outside of the Heaven's Stair, making their way back to the outside of the Trial Forge. And you can still see, now it's, it's middle of late afternoon. All the forges throughout the town are in full sting. You can see big plumes of black smoke pouring out of the various steel works. On our way there, I go, I kind of pace next to cash.

So, do you? No. I get the feeling that you guys knew each other almost. No, never met Kima in my life. She didn't seem to like me very much, which is odd because everyone else seems to think I'm an amazing guy. With the facts and vex, everyone telling me

they love my eyes and they love this. I don't know, it's weird. A bunch of your friends are just very weird. Oh. I used to really put off by it. I didn't know it was like so. I'm not used to being around people all the time. I have one real friend in that sea,

only with her because she saved my life. You can do anything for her. Everybody else is odd for me. Yeah, I feel that. There's one thing I wanted to say to you, though, about our kiss. I'm very happy that it happened, but I shouldn't have stolen it. And for that, I apologize. Um, I, you, you don't need to apologize.

Um, I, I also don't ever wanna hurt anyone. Of course. Physically or emotionally. Norma. Okay. I'm glad we got that cleared up. So as you guys approach the outside steps to lead up to the doors of the Trial Forge, you can see the large kind of rust-red-colored monument, temple to cord, very rigid and very much a temple built to withstand. It's a fortress more than a temple, and you see above it still. You can see it burst This is across the lip at the very top of the front walkway, a little bit of the cord statue,

kind of looking over the entirety of this section of Vasselheim. Oh boy. The doors are actually ajar. They're open. There are two Don Marshalls there in their armor with the colors of cord, and as you approach, they step out of the way. Yes. Clearly my present. presence is recognized at this great hole. Good day. Good day.

Wotst thou care to follow me inside. Let's do this. Verily. Verily. Verily. That's all I say. Good Lord. My Lord.

As you walk in the two dumb marshals that are out there, kind of put their arms together and they lower their head and bow. enter, they close the doors behind you guys. So the doors slam behind you and you feel like the stone kind of shift from the impact of the 25, 30 foot tall doors that mark the front of this. It's all right. Pocker up, okay. To echo of the stone slam kind of down the long haul and you can see there are large pillars that mark the run to the central chamber. And you've been here before, as you walk across the smooth, very, very simple stonework ahead, you can see there is the central portion. It's almost like a

giant cross, like both sides of the temple kind of meet to the center. And there there is a circular dip in the ground. A, not really a pit, it's only about four feet down, but it is filled with like a coarse sand. And as you guys walk up to that edge, each monk kind of acknowledging you as you pass quietly, you can hear the gentle chanting in the distance of kind of low, rumbling Gregorian voices, just kind of, wh- and there sitting in the center of this open circular sand patch is, Earth Bricker himself. He is sitting there, legs crossed, arms resting at the edge of his knees,

eyes closed. You can see, even from here, for those who haven't seen him before, he wears simple, free-flowing pants of a daze dark reddish color with like a gold trim on the sides, but they're tattered towards the bottom. He has what looks like a one shoulder wrap across the front there and these large prayer beads that hang around his neck. His skin is very dark and weathered by sun and training, and he is probably the most muscular human being you've seen for his proportional form. He is a human being built for discipline and discipline.

physical martial training in battle. Older though, still you can see his long gray beard that kind of rests about middle to his chest. The kind of balding in the front a little bit, the rest of his gray hair kind of rests to his mid back, and he just sits there quietly in the center. The rest of the monks have kind of gathered up and begun to form around the circle. Any monks would you say? Right now about 15? 15. One time.

Are they talking at all, or are they all super quiet? Super quiet. I walk up to within like 20 feet of Earthbreaker Grood. Okay, so you leap down into the sand pit? Yeah. Okay, so you guys inside, groggy leap off. How deep is it all the way? You don't know how deep it is, but it's not, it's hard sand, it's packed, so you just kind of...

You've been like the depression, is it like a couple feet? The depression is like an inch. Okay, cool. I mean the depression into the actual ground? Into the pit, yeah. About four feet. Oh, shit, right. Yeah.

So you're like vault into it off the ground. Does he move it on? No. He's still kind of facing a little bit away from you in the far corner. I put my fist in my hand and I bow slightly. The silence is broken immediately by a low rumbling voice that seems to have no particular source in the vicinity of where you stand that says, You come because your lands now harbor a terrible conflagration. How do you think Groom can assist?

We have traveled near and far, great Grewd. Like Sesame Street. And we would like to bequest upon you a moment of your time. Why is he doing the talking? Why is he doing the talking? his name is Groon, at which point he stands up. And, you know, we'll only come to about your sternum height-wise, but is just this tense, every muscle is seemingly, there's an ounce of fat on this body. Tate of protein shake.

Yeah. Paleo. It turns around towards you and says, You stray from the darkness that I warned you. But this current distraction is too great. Even your blood is drawn to the flames of promise and power. This shall be a test to see if you will break against the shadow. What shall be a test?

Does I know many things, Grog Strong Jha? You said my full name. But such knowledge. Knowledge is earned, not given. Where do you find your strength? As you're thinking, in a blinding instant, you see a flash of movement, and like a dagger in your stomach, his elbow is boom! Right feet in the instant and has slammed you right in the center of your abdomen.

The breath just escapes you as you fall back, unable to really catch your stomach. Unable to really catch yourself and just land flat on your back in the sand. Hanging back? Yep. Be careful. Just watching. Yeah. Strong jaw.

Where do you find your strength? You walk between worlds. Weakness in mind or weakness in conviction. What do you stand for? Where do you find your strength? At which point as you're getting up, There's another blinding flash for a second and your feet are left out from under you. Go ahead and athletics check, because you're now prepared for this one.

Going to get Smackdown. Light team. Your feet go out from under you as you slam onto your back. You just barely caught your breath before it's almost knocked out again. He's looking down at you this time. Once again, his eyes just white. Just choose. Choose the two here.

Who would save you? Who would push you to your potential? She's not. Choose your bloody muses. See me lost for them. Do they have to be here? He looks over to the rest of you on the side of the pit. Choose.

I choose my buddy Pike. She's not here. It's not here. I don't care. I'll just say it anyway. I choose Vax and I choose Scanlan. We give him his strength, sir. As you finish that sentence, two monks that you failed to notice were behind you, shove both of you into the pit. Make acrobatics checks, both of you guys.

Not my kind of fight. I got a 10. 34. Okay. You tumble, catch Grog's arm and lift him onto his feet as you land yourself at his side. Scaling his face down on the sand. Are we talking still? I would just like to point out that I'm mostly sober.

This will help. Groon takes two steps back and just close his eyes and put his arms at his side. No. Show me your connection. conviction. Oh snap. You three to roll initiative. Oh, he's ready.

Natural 20! Yes! Five! Up a natural 20. Oh, snap. Oh, look at the pretty. Oh, shit's getting real. The statues that are set at the edge of this.

Awesome. Wow. We'll put you, Grog, there. Look at the cobalt reserve first. Look at the universe. And... It's so cool. Oh.

Let's just so you guys can see. Wow. Here you go. Oh my goodness. You guys don't die. Yeah. All right, so let me get Grooen's sheet out here. Is it just us against one person?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he's gonna kick your guys his ass. Can you see? Do you want to switch this so you can see? No, I can. Okay. All right, so 25 to 20. 25 off a natural 20.

Oh, snap. All right, 20 to 15? 19. 19. Oh, wow. 16. 16. 16. Nice.

All right, perfect. Grog. First ups first. You, Vax. Just standing his arms out. Lick my boots of haste. And use my bonus action to hide behind Grog's thigh and hold my turn.

Till what? What's your trigger? Till Grog moves towards the Earthbreaker. Okay. That's what I'm gonna go with them? I'm gonna find him. Well, if your movement is in your turn, it's your action you have to hold. Oh boy.

Oh, boy. So, are you gonna wait behind him? Well, let me just think for 10 seconds only. You got, dude. Okay, so I use my bonus action to hide. Do I need to roll for that? Yes, you do. Yeah. That's okay, that's fine because remember I'm me. So that is at 25.

Okay. I guess behind raw. I want that shirt. You have no idea where you are. No, I'm going to throw fucking daggers at this guy. Go for it. Because I'm first. All right. That isn't been the dagger?

I'm first. I am, bugger. Okay, first is 20. Okay, first is 24. 24 hits. And then so I use my bonus section of high, which means I can get two, right? So, okay, and the second is not that great. I don't know what you're so worried about. Is luck? Better.

Second is a 30. Yeah, both hit. Okay, now that this is, I'm the first to attack, which means that it is, oh, and it's a 19. What's the range increment in this? I'm sharpshooter man. What's the max range? 60. Yeah, you're fine.

Okay, so I'm hidden behind Grog, so it should be sneak attack, and I'm the first to go, so it's a crit. You're the first to go, it is a crit. It is not a sneak attack. It's not a sneak attack, even though I use my bonus to hide behind Grog's a big fat leg. Where could you possibly be, Vax? He's huge!

Where could you have possibly hidden from the sight in the middle of this giant, open sandy arena? He's disappeared! I don't know! I'm drunk and fighting in the pit! That's okay. In your mind, you are. But it is double damage.

All right, so there's no sneak attack, but it's a crit, right? Because I'm the first to attack? Yes. Yeah, okay. So the first attack. Well, no, it's surprised, not first to attack. He's not surprised. He's not surprised.

Oh, God. I'm drunk. Tell me what's going on. You hit him twice. All right, fine, fine. I know, I'm so confused. And then eight and eight. Eight and eight. All right.

The first one, he deflects with his hand, and it kind of cuts the arm, and you can see the little flash about this, the damage. of the second one he's gonna use his reaction to do deflect missiles. Oh. Oh shit. That's cool. Some Bruce Lee should. Yeah. He reduces the damage entirely, spends one of his key points. He catches the dagger, and throws it right back at you. Okay. He's uncanny dodge. Not back at you though, because you're currently behind Grog. Oh.

Hi. Hi. Oh. What's going on? What's going on? That's 18 to hit? That hits. Okay.

Oh, it's just advantage. Oh my God, some big details. You take 12 points of piercing damage. As he chucks his dagger back at you, it sinks into your shoulder suddenly, before it vanishes and returns to your belt. Oh, I'm sorry. All I've heard was Scanlan. My buddy's Scanlan.

That's Drew, that is all you heard. All right. Now it is Groon's turn. It's so funny when you think about it. Groon is going to rush up to the front of grog. Actually, no, to the side here, so you're both in combat, technically. And is going to make a flurry of blows attack using another one of his key points. I don't think so.

We could, but we'd piss every. Just make four attacks. All against you, Grog. Oh, shit. So that's a 27 hits, I'm pretty sure that cocked. 26. 27 and 26. 16.

Oh, this is. 28. What the fuck is this guy's face? Damn. What? This is when you want to be fighting Will Wheaton. What's weird. It's weird.

Okay, you take... He's doing a lot of math. 31 points of bludgeoning damage. And his kick just whack right across the jaw. You haven't even raged yet, and the pain is intense. Your vision goes white for a second. And go ahead and make a Dex saving throw. Oh, man.

Seven. As his fourth action, who keeps you fit out from under you and you're not prone on the ground. Actions? Funks, man. That's his turn. Grog, you're up now. And we can't do anything. You sure? Get up, buddy. I want to get involved.

I would like to rage. I'd like to stand up, please. Oh, come on, Your Rock. I have to roll for that. No, no, you should have a movement for that. I take out Craven Edge, and I'd like to swing twice again. swing twice against. Go for it.

That's 25. 25 hits? 25 hits, that's good. And a 17. Misses. 21 points of damage. 21 points of damage, already. And roll through the DC.

Yeah, he makes it. Bitch. Oh, bitch. Sorry. All right, so. Can I move? Or is it getting out of moving? You can move if you want.

I want to move around. Just stay right next to him, but move around behind him. Right there you mean? Yeah, Vax is there, then that would be kind of your flanking potential there. Okay, cool. Then it's your turn. Scaling, you're up. Did Grog moving activate Vax? Didn't you hold your turn or something? No, you didn't? Okay. Chuck knives.

All right, I'll stand up out of the sand, and I will... I will... I will look extremely weak, and I will sing a song to him. I'll, I will attempt to cast with the horn, eye bite on him, and I'll sing, my, my, my, I bitin twice shy. Do do, do, do, do. Wow.

All right. It's a wisdom save. That's fight ever. I bite. Eye bite. Yeah, there we go. All right, so it's a, is a wisdom save? It's a wisdom save.

All right. What's the DC? It's 19. No, he failed. What are you doing? This is a good question. I don't know what to do. Come on, Scanlan. Should I make him fall asleep? I think no, because we want this fight to continue. That would sort of end it, won't it? I don't know. Do what?

I don't know. That's a great look. Do something funny. I want him to go to sleep in the sand. Okay. Just curl up in the fetal position. Wow. What happens is... He's going fetal. As soon as you move around Grog and you sing at him, he glances over you for a second and his eyes kind of rolled back and he just falls back in the sand unconscious. Yeah, I'm on short haul.

Ladies and gentlemen. Wow. At which point, all the monks currently are kind of gasping and immediate action. Currently, currently, fronches and affected by eye bite. All right, do you want to move or stay where you are in your turn? What his actions is? I'll, I mean, he can't swipe at me if I walk away. so I'm gonna get away from him.

Although he can move super fast. I'll walk a little bit away. Now you're a problem. Out in the middle of the room. And I'll inspire Grog in case this fight continues. And I will sing. Actually, you know what? No, go ahead.

I've read something. Go ahead. My own fault. I will sing, hail to the Goliaths. Hail victory. Blood on the warpath. Fight for Vax and me. Mike, right.

That's the basic, man. Take a D10. That's incredible. That's the Redskins fight song. Oh, thank you. I ain't using it. This game is turn back here. Grog, grog, do we really want to do this?

He's down. He's asleep. What do we do? Are we doing this? Are we really doing this? He's asleep. So if we hit him, does he wake up? He will, but you'll get a few licks in. We're not trying to kill him.

We want it, we want him to work with us. You fucking end him and you end him now. Yeah, kill him. Execution. Markers! All right, so I use dissing. No, I don't have to. No, he's asleep.

Yeah, okay. So, I got two daggers in my hands, and they spin around in my hand, and I just start beating him in the head. I assume this is a sneak attack since he can't see his car. Yeah, sneak attack. Yeah, so the first one. We'll wake up after this.

He'll wake up after this. Yeah, but he'll be weird to make a way, right? He rolls for it. An attempt to strike him? Oh, no. Have advantage on the attacks, by the way, because he's on the . Oh, well, then it is a, oh, it's a 32. Okay, good, that hits.

And then the second one is a 27, and the third one is a 17. First two hit. First two hit, and the first one is sneak attack with the point edge. Which is doubled because he is unconscious. Yeah, it is. Wow.

Oh, I'm so sorry. plus... Ooh! Two, three to four, seven is ten, sixteen, twenty ten, twenty three, twenty five, it's fifty, plus the fifty-nine. Fifty-nine for the first. Fifty-nine. Wow!

That's the wrong one, and then the second dagger does ten. Ten. So as you... Whack! Hit him in the head, he immediately comes back to conscious and he immediately comes back to conscious and And I'm going to use my movement to run around and roll around behind Grog's buttocks. Okay. As you leave the side, even on the ground prone, he swings his leg out to try and catch you as you're running past. Acrobatics? He has disadvantage on this anyway. That's still a 24 to hit.

What? To hit? Oh, that's an attack. Even though he was a conscious? He woke up. Hit. It hit. It hit. The actionary, he's just to rush off. He kicks his leg up and. manages to catch you. Yeah, I'm feeling that. It doesn't manage to trip you, but it does deal... Uncanny Dodge. So you deal half the damage on this. Yep. All right, so you take...

It would be 12 points of damage, you'd take six. Ah, fucking ankle. Got him. It was still uncanny. Yeah. It was quite uncanny. All right, then in your turn? Yes. All right, it's now his turn.

All right, so... So acrobatic. We're like waiting to see if he's awake. if he's awake or not. I was like, until the spell ends, you can use your action every turn to try and give him another effect if you want to do Scamil. So he still has eye bite, but he's conscious. Can I change the effect or does it always have been? You can if you want to when it comes to the next turn, but it has to be on your turn to use

your action to do it. He gets up using half his movement, which is fine. It's going to, as he looks over and you can see him kind of glance to the side of Grog and see where you are. As the giant crack in the side of his head and the blood that's trickling down in the side of his face, he just washes around, still in melee with you, so he doesn't get an attack opportunity, and he's going to go unarm attacks on you for three, a natural 20. Oh, yes. Oh.

That's a 17. Uh, no. With their haste, I guess it's bonus. So that's a miss. And that is a 25. That hits. Two of those hit. So the crit.

28 points of bludgeoning damage. Yeah, that's right. And the last one is going to be 14 points of bludgeoning damage. And is going to use three key points. As he comes around, elbows you to the side of the face. You just weren't expecting it cracks you, and you feel like a tooth crack and the pain sears through your jaw. And then he brings his lower hand and hits you right in the center of the abdomen.

And it hits you and it hurts you. But it's not as impactful as you thought it would be for the force, but you feel like this strange, like quivering vibration in your midsection, almost like the muscles are spasming uncontrollably, and you don't quite understand why. That is going to end his turn. Grog, you're up. No, and I go into a frenzied rage. If it's going to be an ass-beat and we take, we might as well just get on with it, and I'll use reckless attack and great weapon master against him. Okay, go for it. Which means it gets advantage on everything against me, but fuck A's hitting anyway.

Oh, 19, so close. 28. 28 hits. 23? 23 hits. 16. Misses. Damn it.

Those were high. You could have used your inspiration. You threw it in his glass. I'm not listening to any of you. 32 on the first one. Nice. It's hysterical. RG3 Canal.

4, 9, 17, 27 on the second one, and the third one missed. 3rd 1. All right. Succeeds in the first save, 18, and a 19, yeah. Saves both hits from Craven Edge. As you slam the blade into him twice, he's trying to parry them, and he's like catching the blade off to the side, but the strength is too strong, and you end up jamming it into his forearm, and as you pull the way,

the blood kind of streaks out. He, with each hit, he's still focused on you, and he's not showing any pain, he's not grimacing. You're just seeing the wounds being had, and he's just still intent, unmoving in his expression focused on you. He made both those checks, okay? Yeah.

And at that moment, he looks to you and says, You carry such a dark weapon with you. That's all he says. At the end of your turn? Yeah. All right. Scanlan. He's still eye-bitten. Correct, yes.

Actually, let's see if he has to save at the end of his turn. Which he rolled a one, so no. Right. Instead of sleeping this time, I would like him to just get sick. Be sick. Want him to be sick now. Kind of sick. Like, you more like the other one. Oh, like diarrhea. Oh, wow. Which is a good fight.

Oh, man. It's going to be a good fight. That's so embarrassing. Alrighty, so yeah. I want to see what color the ring is. As you can be focusing, you can see, like, his form shifts a little bit, and you swear you hear the cramping of someone's abdominals in the distance, like an unhappy digestive track.

You didn't sleep well, did you? Nope. Like a tree cracking in the wind on this guy. And I will turn to Vax this time and inspire him, and I will say, kill that monkey douche, white boy and kill that monkey douchebag right. Take out your daggers and kill that monkey douchebag till he dies. Take your deed. Got it, got it. Got it. All right, that brings up the top. Is at the end of your turn? You're going to move or anything else? I'll move a little further away. It won't really help.

All right? He's still pressed up against straw, right? Correct. All right, I'm going to use disengage and pivot around Grog, right? Run all around the circle and get behind Scanlan. Oh shit. Yeah. So I was trying to get away from him. Yeah, and I'm gonna throw two daggers at him. Go for it.

Yeah, the first one is, okay. Natural! Oh, wait, it's natural 20 on top of a sneak attack. What happens? That means you. Doesn't stack? Yeah, you double the sneak attack. It doesn't quite.

You double it? You double it? You double it? It's a critical hit. All the dice you roll for a critical hit. But you for a reason, add that shit up. And then you add the ability to modify it at the end. So yes. Let me take a moment.

Rokes, baby. Okay. Get the blood back in your head. Okay, that's a nine. I don't want to savor this. It looks giddy. It's great. All right. Oh my God.

Six. Yes. Eleven. 15th, 17th, 17th, 17th. 23 double, quadruple. Quadruple, double. 23, 28. Yeah, just double that.

It's doubled, not quadruple. Not quadruple. Oh, so sneak attack is not doubled then on top of it? No, it's not a surprise. So it doesn't stack. Yeah, but he's up against Krog. Which meaning you get sneak attack. This is sneak attack.

So you're doing sneak attack damage on him. Just take your any points of damage. It's not 160 points. Double sneak attack damage. Yeah. You said quadruple. It's not quadruple. It's just times two. The sneak attack damage is. 28 times two. 506. All right. Yeah.

That's good. There's no disappoint. Yeah, you look upset. And now your other knife. 68. 68? Because it was 50s. Oh, total is 68. It is the backer.

Got you. Oh. Got it, got it. Got it. Got it. He is going to use a key point to do defleck missiles. I'm going to use my last bit of luck so that he has to roll again. Okay. All right. It's not an attack roll on this yet. Just so you're aware.

Okay. This is him just reducing the damage he takes from it. Oh, all right. So that is a total of... He reduces the damage by 13. He still takes the impact, but he manages to slow the blade with his hands before it finds itself in his chest. He rips it out. You see the spray of blood that kind of hits in the sand across the front before the dagger disappears from his grip.

You're all right? I ducked behind Scanlan. All right. Very low. It's so high. Very low. Just the worst hiding place ever. And it's a, it's a four, ten.

No. This one. No, I rolled a bunch of times. Didn't I roll a bunch of times? Okay. All right, well. She rolled a 20. For nothing.

I rolled out. Oh, I did fine. It's a 27. Poor job. Wait, so you did a total of 60-something damage on them from the one attack? Yeah. Gotcha, yes. The second one does it.

So you have second one attack hits. Go ahead and roll for it. Or roll for damage. Nine. Nine. Okay. Cool. I'm scared to death, which is why the math is so bad.

That's good. Well, as it comes back to Groon's turn. Grun, you can say like the blood is just just. just like pouring out of the wound that you left. He takes one hand and just slams it really hard, and then just kind of the impact sears the wound. Wow, that's really amazing. Huterizing it.

Don't want to be fighting you. Still looking at you, he puts his hand out and does this, and that quivering in your stomach you felt earlier, begins to shake and the vibrations begin to spread out your entire body. I need you to make a constitution say, bro. Yeah. You've got inspiration still.

Does that work on stage? Yeah, that's inspiration? Yeah. I can visit. It's a 23. It's a 23. That is a success. Woo!

Okay. You manage to just stave it off as you can feel it about to tear your insides apart. And you just tense real fast and it kind of the vibrations slowly fade. No effect. No effect. What? Wow. It would have been 10 d10 acrotic damage.

10 d. Oh! 10 d10? And what happened? Oh. And a chestburster, like, came out? It's quivering palm. It's a monk ability.

Oh. It's the fight. It's in with Ermin. It's fucking killed. 10. Yeah. The dimmata. The three point exploding palm technique, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's going to use another key point of bonus action as he goes into a defensive stance. A familiar one that you've seen before. Yeah. Yeah. But it goes into this like fully defensive looking about and kind of keeping his eyes aware of entirety of his surroundings.

And is going to stay. stay right there. That brings us to Grog. Pee-ish, shit, I don't know what that stance is. I'm chopping him some more with Craig Medidge! No. Can I do like one great weapon master and the other two just regular? Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna do that. Are you doing worthless attacks or not? Yeah, reckless. Okay. He is in his patient defense gives you disadvantage null attacks, so it just nullifies it. It just said one roll for attack.

16? Misses. Foon! Just knocks the blade out with his own hand. And just he heard shing, off. off of the side. 16. This time actually catches it with the two sides of his hand and throws it back towards you. You could be inspired, god damn it! It's right there! To the cup!

Use my other D-10 that's not tainted to on this one. All you have to do is pledge allegiance to the Washington football team. This is the great matchup. Wow. 27. 27. He goes to try and catch it, but you change the direction of the blade at the last minute and find the side of his flesh. Go ahead and roll damage.

Okay. 19. He does make his save on it. 29. Damn it. He still has. 29. All that.

Got a decent constitution. All right. So the third blade finally sinks in about two inches into his kind of clavicle area. Probably would snap the clavicle bone if he hadn't put his hands up and caught as much as the impact as he could, and then throws it back again and just kind of kicks you away to get a little bit of distance. Shit, really? Wow. A little distance or? It's just like a foot, like it just kind of, wait from being clenched up.

Okay, now I'll, can I move opposite of where my two lads are so I'd stay behind him again? Right there? Yeah, you can do that. He's got to pick one of the other. Go for it. All right, then in your turn? Yeah. Oh, let me see if actually if he was this.

Nope. Nope. Still sick. Actually, I remembering this, because I kept forgetting to do it before, but that's fine. uses legendary resistance to automatically succeed, so he's no longer has I-vite. He's done. No more diaries? He's no.

He's not shitting himself anymore. No. But the stench is great. You can be great. I'm sure I can do something. The sickness fades. He spent last round not doing any actual physical attacks for that reason. All right.

Well, I'm far away from him, but Grog's right next to him, so I probably shouldn't do anything too terrible. Do it. Do it. He's a sponge. Do it. If you don't do it, he will do it. That's why we have grog around. I will just, I'll join in the Bludgeon Fest

and I will cast Big Miss Hound! And I will, I'll make it come right next to him, sort of between him and Grog. I can't get between him and Grog. Not between him, no, but you can put it next to him or behind them. To the side, to the side, to the side. To the side, to the side, to the side.

And just, yeah, just punch. Just a couple punches. Just throw it some punches. Stop hitting yourself. So make a melee spell attack. Melee spell attack. Got it. Melea spell attack.

What do I add? You add your spell attack model fire. It should be on your spell page. Spell attack, whatever. Spell attack bonus. I don't know them. 27. 27, that's a hit.

As the hand appears to his right, he's still focusing on grog and kind of glanced over for a second and tries to do a deflection. Technically, he's still in his defense stage. Technically, he's still in his defense stage. So roll twice, because it just had disadvantage for attacks on them. Oh, yeah. That's good. Okay, yeah. That was a natural 20. Yeah? So you have a disadvantage, so you don't get the actual 20, but you do still.

Yes. So do-d-d-d-d-do-do. Oh, wait, now I roll for damage. Yep. With biggie's hand, I rarely do this. That's true. 4D8 force damage. 4D8. D8.8. You need to do that more. That's pretty good.

Come on, scambo. I'll just roll this one four times, it's fine. 17? 17 damage. 4D8, right? You got that. Yep. So as Pliquy's hand pulls back with the giant fist, the finger is kind of cracking in an arcane echo.

Whack! Slamms into his side, he holds himself strong and actually slides about seven inches in the sand from the impact. And you can see him kind of like shake off his arm from the hit. Yeah, that hurt. Is it? And I will inspire Grog again with a little Diddy, I will say, You're a psycho killer with a bearded face. Grog, grog, grog, grog, grog, grog, grog, grog, grog.

That's my God. I take you need ten. The dancing was amazing. All right, back to your up. I just dropped to my knees so I can aim better and right over Scanlon's shoulder, dagger, dagger, dagger. Dagger. Go forth.

Okay, first one is one. Oh. So that misses. Second one is a 23. 23. 23. You're only disadvantage in all these, right? Disabantage for what? Well, for all these attacks, because he's still in his patient defense.

Oh, shite. Yeah, so what was this role you just got? Well, the first one was a one, a one. Yeah, first one missed. The second one was a 23 and what was your old... I don't remember what it was. Well, again, fine. All right, so this is the second attack.

That is a 17. Misses. Third attack is a 21. 21 misses. Aw. So, all three died. So all three daggers come out of me. He just like dodges one way off the head. Another one, he parries out of the way. And the third one, he does a crescent kick.

Whack! And knocks the dagger out of the air, that spins off to the side before it returns to your belt. And just under my breath, I say, so fucking cool. At the end of your turn before it's his turn, he's going to go ahead and use one action point to use like the wind, Where he moves his speed without taking an attack's opportunity. He turns and rushes up to Scanlan. Oh no. I'm a little boy! Starting his turn now, he's going to come for you, Scanlan. He's going to go ahead and do Flurry of blows against you. Oh no, Scanlan!

So, Scanlan, the first attack is 29. Yeah. Natural one, fails in the second one. Okay, I'll use cut. Okay, I'll use cutting words on the last one. Okay, well the third one is a 20, and the fourth one is a 31. Oh, Jesus. The last one, he said the last one.

He did. But I'm using cutting words on the third one to try to- He said the last one. No, I said the third one. It doesn't matter, it's gonna, they all suck. Whichever one you want to use it on. So the first one hits, cutting words to reduce the attack on the one that was a 20.

Yeah, so go ahead and roll your D-10? Okay. Yeah. Six? Six. What's your AC? 17. Yeah, no.

So you manage to, what do you shout out of him as he's doing these punches against you? I say, no, no, no, don't funk with my heart. It walks his head like a confused puppy for a second, and the fist just fits air above your head. You gotta be kidding, man. However, you do take 14 points of blood-juring damage from the first strike, and, uh,

another 14 points of bludgeoning damage. So a total of 28 points of bludgeoning damage from two hits and go ahead and make a Dex saving throw if you could. Dex. Dex. Dex. Four. 16. Oh, plus four? Really? Yeah. Okay. Oh yeah. For some reason there's a plus four there. 20. 20 is what you need. His last hit is trying to kick you square in the chest and knock you off your feet. And while it hits you, it actually forces you back into Vax and Vax holds you up and you manage to keep on your feet.

Oh, everybody. Oh, hi. I'm between two strong men. Uh, it's debatable. All right. So now you're doing. I'm lucky Pierre. Oh, no, it's Grog's turn. Is Grogrogh.

Supervisor? Yeah, I just keep swinging away. So you're gonna move up to him? Yes, please. Oh, and as a note, you need to make a concentration check for both of those hits. There were 14 damage each. So, and you have a warcaster, right?

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. So go and make, uh, for sure. Constitution checks. Constitution, uh, this. That's 11 plus 2. It's 13. Right?

Not great, not great. And 14. 13 and 14. Okay. Yeah, that's going in concentration. Bigby's hand off the table. His hand is gone. Oh, Bigby's hand.

Sorry. Shimon. Too much damage for you in that one. So from the impact of the blows, you just managed to spell fizzles from your mind, and the hand just dissipates into the distance. All right, now. At the end of his turn, did he go back into his defensive pose? No. Okay, great.

Let's attack. Okay. Okay. And let's make a great weapon master with the inspiration. 24. Any four hits? Ooh, thank you. You got to say great weapon master before you roll, by the way.

Should I do it for the next one then? Yeah. Okay. So that one can be like, oh, that doesn't hit. I'm not going to do a great weapon master yet. You have to get the penalty before you roll. Right, so it was a 20, no, I mean, it wouldn't, wait. So it was a 20, for that one, it would have been a 20, it hit regardless.

Okay. So the first one was just a regular hit. So we'll do the third one will be correct weapon master. Okay. This is just a advantage. Tell, come on, where are the damn crits? Uh, uh, 20. 20 misses.

Yep, okay, this is great weapon master with the inspiration. Yeah. So yeah. Oh, go. 28? No, minus five. 23.

23 just hits. Oh! So a regular hit and then a great weapon master hit. Okay. 11, 19, 19, 19, the first one. 19 damage, all right. 17. 27. 27, got it.

Both of the strikes makes a save. Makes a save. What? It's a 12 DC. It's not a very hard DC for us. Yeah, but he's got a real shitty sometimes. He probably will eventually. So anyway, as you're striking the blades at him,

he's just taking the pain to his back now, because he's facing Scanlan. Both times hack into the back of his shoulder blades, and the exposed muscle you can see as the blade draws back. You can see the muscle and the kind of the blood arcing after each draw of the weapon. However, he glances over his shoulder at you so finish your second blow.

At the end of your turn, he's going to use two action points to use whirlwind of blows. Can I move? Oh, you already moved. You already moved, yeah. I mean, you can keep moving if you wanted to move away. I wanted to move in between me and him and Scanlan. You can't move between, but you can get there if you want.

Okay, that would be good. Okay. So he's going to get an attack on everyone within range of his punches, which would be you and Scanlan. That is going to be a 26 against you. Yeah. And a natural 20 against Scanlan. That doesn't hit. That doesn't hit.

It's Dubrog. That is 18 points of legending damage. Halfed. Halfed to nine. And Scanlan, that is six, no, sorry. Double. 24 points of legend and damage. What about, actually? 57, 37, 36.

All right, now it's Scanlon's turn. Oh, shit. Is it? Is it? Is it? Where you at? Looking a little rough. I'm fine. Looking a little rough. Fine.

Monks got nothing on me. Last turn you missed all three strikes. I don't remember. Oh, thanks. So he's right next to me, he's very nice to all of us. Okay. I have a reminder for him. Well, I will, he's right next to me.

Yep. And no one's behind him. So I will just lightning bolt him from right there. Can I do that? You can, yeah. So as you're there in front, can I just reach back. Yeah. Oh, I've got something in my pocket.

Oh! All right. Let the lightning out of the bottle. What's the DC? Is this my spell DC? Is this my spell DC? So 19. 19 with the hang cones.

You're like, oh. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, little, little, lady. 19. Need some D6s, man? Yeah. going to take it, take it. Use another of his legendary resistance to make the save.

He has evasion, which means a deck save for half. He gets no damage on a success. So as you lightning bolt, he literally just goes into the splits as the bolt streaks over his head. He's van-dammed. He's . He's one of the nearby pillars. And as you realize that, you look down at him

as he squeezes his legs back together and lands right back on his feet. Took no van damage. That guy's . That's not a problem. Wow. Whoa. Marking it down. He's fast as lightning.

Daydeme. I mean, that's all I can do. You know what? I'll use my bonus action to heal myself a bit. Okay, go for it. I'll use healing word on myself at a third level, at a third level. Okay. That's a two, three, three D four plus five, right?

Mm-hmm. Ten plus five. 10 plus 5. 10 plus 5. Okay, 15. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, I'll take that. Sure, go for it. All right, then's your turn and backs you're up. You might already know this, but I'm wearing my cloak of displacement, so he should be a disadvantage to a hit me. Good to know going forward. Yeah, thanks. I want to use one action to grab Scanlon by his purple shirt and rip him and pull him away.

That's going to be your action. That's sure. So you won't have any attacks this round. With boots of haste? In order to get the additional, well, actually, you would get one attack from the haste. You would. Your offhand attack you don't get unless you're doing an attack action. That's fine.

I rip him, I yank him away and throw the little bugger. As I fly through the air, I'm looking up to see if Keshaw is like putting any moves on Kieleth or anything. Great fight, man. Great fight! Oh God! And then... And then... Throw a dagger past straw at him.

Oh, not that gross. 19. 19? That's it. 19? That's it. Okay, so I threw him, I threw a dagger and missed, and I just juke to the right and get behind Grog. Okay. So move there.

At the end of your turn, he's going to use his last action point to do an unarmed attack against Grog. That's going to be a 21? Pretty sure. It hits, okay. You take 10 points of bludgeoning damage. Half to five. He's going to use another key point to, I need you to make a Constitution save. 17.

17. As he turns back and slams his fist right in the center of your clavicle, you feel a crack in the sternum and your whole body all your muscles just seize up. And you are currently stunned from the stunning strike until the end of his next turn. We got this, guys. However, it's now his next turn, but you're still stunned. He is now going to, since you don't have a threat to him. It's going all to them. It's going to swing around, jump between the two of them.

He's going to do Florea of Blows, two punches against each of you. Against Scanlan. That's a 17? That's my armor class, 17. Second one is the 17 again. Can I use my cutting? words on that one. Do you have any more uses of your barriced inspiration? You have a limited number of barric inspirations per short rest that you can use and you've used

quite a few of this battle. Oh, that's considered a bardic inspiration, my cutting word? Yeah, you use one of those dice to reduce the damage. Oh. You've inspired at least. Oh. Me once, grog once. Gog twice now. Twice. So three. I have, cutting words. That's four. It says bardic inspiration. No, that's not it. Is it? One D10, five of them.

This would be your last one. Okay, I'm using it. All right, go for it. It's a D10, yeah? Yeah, although to be fair, it doesn't matter what you roll. Doesn't matter what you roll. You still. And you do.

Yeah, roll to six. Okay, so one of the attacks, as he's coming before, he hits you once and as he rears back for another kick to the side of your head, you shout, Don't hit me! I'm a little boy! Just not pause for you to, who, fuck out of the way. However, you said an urge me to spin back on Vax for a t's... 27? Uncanny Dodge. And 21. That hits. Okay. So, first one canny dodge.

The second one, full front. Stanlin, you take nine points of bludgeoning damage. Max, you take... Back. All right. No, no. Sorry, back. Every time. 14 points of bludgeoning damage, reduced to half. The other one is nine points. Nine points. Yep.

Okay. So a total of 16 points of damage. Okay. He's going to use a key point. Again, you need you to make a Constitution safer bro. Oh, no. It's going to be great. Come on.

Not the vibrations. 14. 14. Where is the end of his turn? Grog's stun shifts off of him. You feel your muscles tense up, and you almost fall to your knees as your whole body seizes. The muscle is just locked in place. You're a kill you.

Oh, because that five uses up. Okay. All righty. Uh, Robbie's your turn. Good enough. I'm gonna take Craven Edge, and I'm gonna stab him into the sand. Oh shit. I'm gonna take out the firebrand war hammer instead.

Okay. So you drop the weapon for free. You pull out the fire hammer and it burst into flames in your hands as you wield it. As you drop Craven Edge, you hear this voice screaming the back of your head. the back of your head. You fool, this fight is ours. As the hammer lights up, you just feel this cold dread run down your spine. I need you to make a will saving throw. What is some saving throw? Ten? Ten? You can't possibly let that blade go away, and you drop the hammer and pick up Craven Edge once more. This is the true weapon of a warrior.

You're right. And you are not going to relink. There is no way you could let go of this blay. No way at all. Reckless attack on all three swings. The process of picking it up, we'll say we'll take it away your bonus action, so you get two attacks. Two attacks. Fourteen.

That sucks. That's better. That's a stupid sword. 27. Second one hits. Okay. Six. 11.

19. 19. All right. This time as the hammer falls to the ground, the flames go out and Cravenant Edge streaks again. No. as it hits him, he stops for a second, puts his hands together. I need you to make another wisdom saving throw. Oh, it's Star Trek fighting.

Your vision goes dark as all the sight around you goes to black and all the entire vicinity of this fades, except for the earthbreaker before you, just staring you in this darkness. And he steps towards you, one step, second step. While his mouth doesn't move, you could hear his voice piercing into your head that just says, Grog, you are stronger than this. This thing that binds you, do you find your strength? My friends. The darkness around he immediately shatters, and you can see now your friends off the side, kind of keeping their weapons ready, the entirety of Groon's posture has dropped. And he just bows before you.

Wow. At this point, he takes a moment and closes his eyes and you can see there's this inner glow in his chest and a bunch of his wounds heal up in but an instant. And as those wounds can leave these scars, kind of looks across the body, I will wear these with pride. How awesome that was. I was really good. That was wonderful. You still have a little sand, right. At this point, he, uh, grooms, not even looking at you guys, just looking at Grog, he goes, You need not the strength of Vasselheim to aid you, nor is that strength any we have to give. What you need can be found. Recovered. Reborn. I can see in your face the path is already lined before you. I know of two. The rest you must find yourself. A gift from cord.

himself to this mortal plane carved from the corpse of the Earth Pomerial Titan that fell on this continent in the First War. These Titan stone knuckles are a symbol of power and leadership for generations here in Vasselheim until the last known keeper was slain two hundred years ago. The god that's taken. I don't ought of the whereabouts. The other, Leathers adorned by the champion the Raven Queen. This champion's tomb has since come to ruin, sunken beneath a lake to the west of here, known as the Merroglade Lock. Within that tomb lies the Death-Walker's ward. Now go. You found your strength. You know your path. I can help you no further. He turns around, walks back to the center of the sand, and just sits back down in the same pose and position he was as you entered.

He's so fucking cool. Yes. I bow as well. And I walk backwards, still facing him to the edge of the pit. And I hoist Vax up. And I throw Scandal. Oh, fuck! And climb out.

Kieleth runs over to Vax and just hugs them super fast and gives him a peck on the mouth. Tidley. And says, that was incredible. That was incredible. I look up. over at Zara. It was pretty good though. We'll talk later.

It was lovely. It really was. How you're okay to you're doing? I give him another hug and give him a cure wound level. Three. All right? Three. One.

One. Does it also make you sober? No. No. No. No. Potions have nothing to do with clearing alcohol away. No.

between healing and flushing wine system. Wait. I'm ready. We should leave. I'm ready. We should leave. Make a dexterity save. Yes.

Oh, nice. You've had this coming. You got burl. We've had this coming. I heal you for 12. Wow. I heal you 12. You can do this, Marisha.

That's not bad. Roll for dry cleaning. It's not. Yes. Twenty total. As you see his cheeks fill with the bile and liquid of your previous venture at the bar, you instinctually as the mighty speed and reaction of an air-based Ashari Druid, just dodge out of the way as he spatters the stonework on the outside of this.

I kind of hold his hair back a little bit. This long black hair. Two of the monks immediately rush forward with towels out of seemingly nowhere and start, quickly cleaning it up all staring at you very, very angrily. Come on. Sorry, we'll leave. It was their loincloths. Come on. Apologize. Sorry.

We should leave. I just kind of look at him and I'm like, he got hit in the gut a few times. He did actually. We're like a mile high. The oxygen's thin here. We should go. All right, we should go. And as Keylip helps me away, I say, it's a cord. It was an honor. Thank you.

Green. It's good. Whatever his name is. Or to the God that is a man. This is the place where I think either would work. All right. As you guys make your way outside of the trial forge, we'll go ahead and leave today's venture for that.

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