Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry - Vox Machina Ep. 45 - Those Who Walk Away

Episode Date: November 30, 2021

An exhausted Vox Machina spend some time hashing out their pent up frustrations and examining their spoils of victory. They then journey to the Fire Ashari, hoping to find survivors of the red dragons escape from the fire plane.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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allies and find these items called the vestiges of divergence, these artifacts of ancient wars that carry great power and seem to be the best way you can prepare yourselves for going up against these terrifyingly powerful entities. In searching for this, you made your way to Vasselheim, where you reacquired and reestablished friendships with Zara and Khashaw to allies from previous installments of Our Wonders' adventure, as well as getting Lady Kima on loan from the Platinum sanctuary of Bahamut. And you all went to seek the first bit of information you discovered about one of these vestiges, not too far from Baslehem, this seemingly of the champion of the Raven Queen's armor that had been entombed within this temple that had sunken beneath a lake.

After traveling to this lake, finding your way through this subterranean watery location, you found the location of the tomb upon which a series of fish creatures called Kotoa had seemingly been worshipping another denizen of this temple, a rather strange slime-covered beholder that then surprised the party. The battle hard fought, you came out victorious, and upon going to retrieve your spoils, a trap was set off. in the tomb, dodged by one, survived by a bear, and claimed the life of our beloved Vexalia. After a resurrection ritual attended by Khashah, the party helping. They were successful in bringing her soul back from the other side, restoring her to life. And the party then figuring out what their next step and their journey was took their new allies via keyliff's teleportation via plant spell,

back to White Stone, which seems to be building as this kind of defensive bastion, this currently not on the radar of the conclave location that needs defenses and a good place to keep your allies at the time. And that was where you left off, as you guys had just stepped back into White Stone. We haven't actually slept yet. Then. Nope. It's late. What time is it here? I'd say through the evening's travels, we guys slept all night the night before. We went to the temple. The temple's probably been...

That's true. We did sleep, actually. We camped out. We did. Remember, you talked to Zara and I talked to Cash? Yeah, you guys did camp out. Oh. I didn't know if we camped. I thought he talked. Talk? Well, at least chilled a little bit. Regardless. You found your way to White Stone. We'll say for For the sake of the current setting, you've come in in a rather overcast mid-afternoon in White Stone. You may have spent some time there kind of gathering yourselves as your allies kind of scope out their new surroundings.

The people of White Stone accepting you as you arrive, you can always see people walking by and kind of catching a glance at the group of heroes known as Vox Machina that helped liberate them from the oppressive Briarwoods not long ago. It's always weird. Not crawling out of trees that people like us. Should we inspect our spoils? I was gonna say we should take the armor and the necklace to the consul and have it inspected. Is Lady Allura here? Kima of which are with you is like, is she?

No. Well, she was on a way to Westram. And we haven't heard from her yet. You haven't heard from her since. You say Western was under attack as well? Yes, but she knew it. She was going in secret. A prideful woman. She slings her hammer, kind of off her shoulder and sams at the ground and says, Well, if she doesn't arrive in the next few hours,

I'm going to gather a party and learn to go to Western and find her. Kima. Wait, what? Why? Wait, there's a dragon there, Kima. A very large one. And she was being very, very stealthy. Her hammer slams into her metallic arm and she goes, I have a much bigger dragon backing me up. She looks up to the sky for a second and grins. Lady Kimi don't give a fuck. We'll wait, Kima. Going in loud, going to cause more trouble.

I'll wait a few days. She should be here by then. I can always attempt to scry and see if I can check in on her. Okay. Not a bad idea. Okay. Okay. I need a tweak. I need a drink.

Let's get some more safe. She trudders off looking for the nearest tavern to go ahead. Here, I guess. I forget it's not overrun by vampires. I'm sorry. Sorry, I forgot. It's clear. It's fine now.

Like right here. Sorry. What's going on. Zara, Keshaw, kind of looking around expectantly as you, between this conversation, Cash kind of crosses his arms, goes, great place. It's a lot of, um, a little white. I love which is that working with some of the pit disorder and goes like,

Don't worry, darling. So, sleeping arrangements, I hope. Yes, the castle. We'll be putting you up in the castle. That's what I'd like to hear. All right, for the castle cash? Sure. It's better than, well, it's better than anything.

Let's go for the castle. They both kind of make their way towards Weystone Castle to find a comfortable place to get themselves situated in their new surroundings. So we're healed up. We are healed up. We are not running the risk of dying at any moment because we've been healed. What is that? What is that blur of green? It's a fucking lebracon! Get it!

Sorry. Sorry. Sam. You should be. Your shirt. Is that new? Because I love it so much. Thanks. But I'm also wearing a tie because it's a special night. Right. It's a special occasion. So is Alura dead? Kima just left, so...

She's on her way to a tie. She's on her way to a tavern. Kima's drinking it up. Crom, Kema's drinking it up. Are we heading to a tavern? We're heading to the castle. We're going to our friends. We're going to take a look at... Corpse armor, hello.

Oh, Coops armor. What we found in seeing. You know, the thing that almost killed our friend over here. It did kill me. According to you. It, yes. Yeah, but me you're here, so. You didn't die.

But you did. But you didn't. But you did. But you did. And then you didn't. Thanks, Frog. Yeah. All right, so you guys are all heading to the castle?

Yes. You headed the castle. Cassandra isn't there at the moment, but Kiebriyan is currently there with a few other members of the makeshift council you guys put together towards the end. One of the heads of the entire farming establishment here in Whitestone is with him and they're having a conversation. As Zara and Kashaw burst in first, he's like, I'm sorry we're not currently taking visitors. Listener, could you... Oh, friends of yours, I presume. Good friends.

Helpers, actually, they're going to be here for a while. Hopefully. Gracious. Oh, I see you yourself carry the vestments of a man of the cloth. Who brings your power this day? And Kash kind of gets them looking and goes, You don't even want to know, buddy. He just walks past them.

He's really good, good job. Very well. I assume they're staying there. here as well. Yes, and we appreciate it greatly. We'll be taken care of, Perksa. They won't be well worth your time. We also have something that needs a bit of study. We found something. We found two objects of power that we think may help us turn the table against the dragons. Two objects. Two objects. What was the same? It was a necklace. There was? There was. You were dead.

Oh, I must have missed it because I was dead. That's right. It's been a very long day. Mostly dead. Be very careful when handling this armor is what we're trying to say. Oh, don't handle it. So the armors were killed you? No, no, no, no. No. No. No. Don't skip. That Percival set off is what killed me. Yes, the trap was a bit, it was a bit, there was a trap. It was well protected. What?

What? What? What? Yes, what. What? He didn't know that. What? So these vestiges? Vestages. These leathers.

These, these things. Oh, and he kind of... He puts a couple of small armored, like, stud leather gloves on and decides to carefully reach out for the vestments as you put him out. He grabs them. Give me a bit of time with him. Perhaps I need to clarify what this enchantment may be. Do you mind staying around just in case?

Not at all. Don't feel strange that I don't trust this, but based on your history with it, I would like a little backup. So he carries you off down the far hallway. You didn't get this far into White Stone when you initially came through towards the back. There was a small study area that seems to be converted into a research establishment largely set up for the Zygorop in city.

He kind of clears off an area of the table and sets this down. He takes some time. working with the vestments before he eventually kind of, and this is kind of awkward quiet of hearing a muttered himself and bring out his symbol and going over minor enchantments to reveal information, kind of tearing into the divinity, the divine magic that is granted to him, before he says, This carries the mark of the Raven Queen. A very strong mark. I've not seen power like this and had not seen power like this and but an object.

It was worn by one of her champions. The great Pervon. That's a strange name. No. Regardless, it appears that this armor does help fortify one's defenses from any sort of physical damage, as well as give you a chance of surviving even the most dangerous of near-death experiences.

is it also grants a kind of fluid resistance to the elements here. And he hands it over. And who would like to take this card to look at it? Well, you kind of died for it. It's the leather? I'll just look at it. It's leather. So to give you the specifics on it, it's plus, plus two to AC. It's magical on top of the set of leather armor. Plus two to AC.

Plus two to the Chapman beyond just the set of leather armor. It does give you advantage on death saving throws. You'll need that. Advantage. As it is called the Death Walker's Ward. And once per short rest, you can set it to be resistant to one of the five types of damage on. You choose which one.

You choose. You can change it all in one, but if you want to change it during a short rest, you can shift it from fire or cold or lightning. Acid or necrotic. You're like indestructible now. Do you have fancy leather arm? What is your armor do right now? What is your armor do right now?

It's acid resistant. My armor's acid resistant. I sort of stole it from my brother. Um. Because my... You got your acid resistant armor back then. So you want to tell him. Such a so mood lately.

Well, yeah. Well, um, what about the necklace? A necklace as well. I'm handed over. It takes it. He goes. The chain on this necklace is not actually part of the enchantment. It's merely to hold the crystal itself. The crystal is the item of particular interest here. There's, oh, wait a minute. He takes it and he stands over the table and pulls up a small jeweler's eyepiece and kind of inspects it closely.

There's something inside this, Jim. Uh-oh. Not again. What is it? Oh, God. Why do things like living in gyms? It can't be comfortable. It might be a worm. It's like tequila. Yeah.

I can't actually ascertain the nature of whatever being is encased within this, but it's... There's a being. It's a being? Encaised. Is it a soul jam? Like something... put it in there. He takes a moment and kind of concentrates on his holy symbol of Pellor, and you can see as he puts aside the eyepiece, his eyes kind of glaze over with like a grayish, almost a frosted white color, at which point he inspects Jimbury closely, and there's this...

like light vibration in the air around him as soon as it fades about a minute later, pulls back, this is referred to as the Raven slumber. It's actually a small gateway to a tiny pocket plane. A pocket plane? Ooh. It can contain one creature. You'd have to contact whatever it was and it can't be too big, but it can essentially contain something indefinitely within this. Something's already in there. Something is already in us. Oh, awesome.

Awesome. Something that we can summon? Anything we can find out what it is before we possibly summon it? Unfortunately, I do not have that capability. It was buried with... I'll take that. Oh, that's really smart to give the Scanlan. You said not too big though, right?

The confines of the space, at least as part of the enchantment, seem rather small, a bit larger than you maybe, but not much more than that. Right, right, okay. Please. Does it, you know, change? Can we please take it out? Maybe the worst thing that Scamon's ever held outside of that gun that you have. What are you talking about? Can we take it in the woods, open it up, and if it sucks, we kill it, and if not, we've got a new pet?

We don't even know how to open it up. Do we know how to open it up? Oh, we won't find it. It was buried with the Raven Queen's Champion. I mean, it could be incredibly dangerous, or it could be incredibly good, and he trapped it. Wait a second. And they're bad, right? Mm-hmm.

The same could be said about your new pajamas. They are so beautiful. I do like feathers. What do they smell like? Like, um, must, mold. Things like this all, right? And birds, really. And birds?

Eesh. So is that all you require of me? I require Percy to tell us what the fuck so I'll whip with the necklace is reading about. Just what he said. Yeah, he already told us it. Once we release whatever is inside of it, we can use this necklace as a weapon.

It's a cage. Trap people. Hang on, hang on. Let's think about this. What do we remember from the great Pervon's story? Well, let me look at my book. What did he fight? I just remember that Pervon's story touched me.

Do it. Touched me in inappropriate ways. Is there any... No. You know what I like about this? This particular piece of paper is that you made it on cardstock, so it's like extra special instead of like the regular paper. Oh, you're talking about.

Oh, yes, who are you? Legendary cardstock. Can we get purple? Can we get purple? I'm talking to mad, bitches. Okay. Oh, I forgot what I was going to say. Oh, my book, my 30 gold book.

Does it say anything about what Pervon fought? You read through. It's, there are many, many things throughout the war that were fought. Entities from the Nine Hells. There is a faction of the abyss that came in as a third. a third bit of evil in this whole conflict. While not an alliance against the other forces of chaos, there were many forces of chaos just lashing out of what was nearby. So the champions, there was no specific entity that was this chosen, or at least what you can ascertain

to be a specific being of hatred. Although it does speak of Pravon, the champion of the Raven Queen, keeping with him an ally. An ally. It doesn't say the nature of the ally. It just says the dangerous and respected Galdrick. Well, there's some options here. What? No, that won't work, damn it. Well, say it, come on. Well, I was thinking we could find a safe place, surround it, let it out, and if it's dangerous, take care of it. We could even take it down into it.

to the pits beneath the castle so that if it's a magical creature, it would be harmless. Well, hang on. What if? Except I don't know if we could actually release it down there. I don't know if it would work. Oh, what if it touches the thing? But there's also magic resistance down there.

Yeah, which means it wouldn't work in the first place. What if he's front? I mean, he talks about being an ally. It might be an ally. Well, then wouldn't we want to save it? An ally of Pervon. An ally of Pervons? Yes.

Is Pervon a good guy? Yes. I thought the Raven Queen was not good. No, the Raven Queen. She's kind of like neutral. Can I kind of, kind of. Can I make a roll for this? Make a religion check.

Okay, thank you. Oh, no, it's St. Patty's Day. Don't kill anybody. Yeah, with these green dice. Religion or history? Religion. 11. 11.

I mean, the general essence of the Raven Queen, she is both loved and feared in equal parts. She does not lord over the afterlife, the underworld, whatever you may call it, she lords over the moment and the transition of death, which is the largely considered neither a good nor evil, just a natural force. It could be accepted either way. Many men fear it and fear her for that reason, and there are those that instead embrace it as the inevitable. As to the true nature of her intent,

no one really knows. It's part of her mystique. So look, even if we let out the glorious ball lick or whatever his name is, if he's bad, we can't really put him back in, right? We actually can. We could. We can't put him back in. Well, we just touch him with it and he goes back in. Correct. Oh, but maybe we should just say and release him when he'll be valuable to us? So would a trap, we could also trap other creepies.

Is he like a pokeball, right? Is like a, is like a Pokemon? Who knows he'll go back? Yes, it's exactly like a pokeball. Who knows he'll go in willingly? You don't have to go in willingness. You can kind of technically use it that way, yeah. What would we rather be friendly with him

than, you know, him be angry? at us the next time we released him. I'm more excited about the idea of carrying around an empty trap. But what if we could win both? Like a ghostbuster's containment box. But we could have a trap and a friend. And a friend. I think Percy is right that we should let it out now because it's a question mark no matter what,

whatever, it's all just theories. We don't know what we're getting into. And better that it pop out now on its own and not while we're facing a fucking beholder. I think we should do it in the forest outside of Bassahide. I think we should do it in the forest outside of Bassahy. Or the forest outside of White's down. Yeah, we're here. Why don't we try and do a little bit more research on Goldrick first?

That would be too careful. Yeah, come on. Come on. Just open it. First of all, are there any libraries here? No. Really any more. What about a personal collection of your family?

We're building one. They sort of, they sort of, didn't they ravage? It didn't mean ravage most of our connection. Elements have been ravished. Elements of family history been destroyed so that there couldn't be large connections or the end of the line being, end of the bloodline itself being too prominently displayed

within the castle itself. There is still a library there, though, from your knowledge, and you've read through most of those books growing up, a lot of them are loose history books, a lot of them are more encyclopedia-like, just general knowledge. She wasn't a revered deity in this part of the world. We don't have a lot.

All right, let's do it. Woods. Woods. Woods. Woods or Vaseline. That's actually not a bad idea to get far away from Whitestone. No, because there's somebody else who come along and kill it. Well, they don't like magic there. This is sort of our secret and we should perhaps keep this.

Okay. Well, we were going to go take a look at it. What if? You'd shut your mouth. We go. Sorry. Glibious saliva. Snacks.

We go to those Goliath caves right outside of white stone. That were abandoned in... Stone giant caves. Those. Shit. It made me feel like I had to poop for a second there. Goliath caves. Fuck. Sorry. I just remember you recognize them.

They were empty and abandoned. We could go there. Yeah. Is that close to your family? Your family? Nope. No, we saw it on the way into White Stone. It's just a couple hours away, correct? Oh.

It's, I'd say, roughly three, three and a half hours in the last of here. Yeah, it's where the forest of this Alastro Sierra's ends, and the actual Alastro Sierra Mountain Range begins. Is where that seems. We can take a day and do this. All right. Sure. Do you see it? All right?

What do you think? Good idea? Yeah, Luggett. Yes. Yes. Kielath had a good idea, yes. All right. So. We're healed, yes? Yes. We're healed, right? Did we sleep? Do we need sleep? What we do? I thought we rested before we were just down under the water, though.

No, we did. We didn't rest since then. I don't remember resting after that. I don't either. I remember I peed on the lake and then we went on the lake. Yeah, I think you guys decided instead of resting to come to rest here in white stones. You haven't actually slept. Let's take a sleep and we'll do it in the morning. What time is it about? I'd say by now there's much time you you spend in the temple from waking up in the morning. It's getting four in the afternoon, five in the afternoon. The sun's starting to come down, so. I'm just going to cast cure wounds of myself. Just, you know, just... Aren't we gonna sleep?

But it's four in the afternoon. There's other things to do today, like drink. Like find out how Gilmore's doing and see Pike. And I should probably scry and check in on a little bit, right? I've got some work to do. It's up to you guys. Yeah, you're starting to push towards the bottom of your ammunition stack anyway? I need to see, have to do a little pull, and I've got a little thing I want to work on. Cool. All right, so who's doing what first? I'm going to take Vax aside very quickly.

Let's do that first. So I had a careless moment and I apologize. And you're the first apology I'm putting forward. I don't know if I would have done anything different, but I hope you know that I would have Never forgiven myself. What are you talking about? I rushed in and triggered the trap that I almost killed your sister.

They killed my sister. Can't say that. What do you mean? I was careless. Well, what happened, Percival? I felt the danger had passed and I moved too quickly. Opened the casket without thinking. That's all.

He just didn't think. You just opened it? Just like that. Wasn't thinking. Sometimes we just move too quickly. But I want you to know that it would have... I'm very glad that she's alive because I don't think I could have lived with myself.

All right. Could you do me a favor? In the future, if there is anything that your little heart desires inside of a box, in the future, could you check with my sister or myself, That's the hope.

That was more of a lesson than I was hoping for. Thankfully not too much of it. Well, none of us are beyond mistakes, but that is a mistake that I am going to be thinking about for a very long time. We are going into dangerous territory, and we all have to think a little bit more. She especially, I couldn't.

Well, listen, Percy, I... We are not playing a game. No. And we will all make mistakes, and I wager I will make my fair share. I've little doubt. And Percival, I want to apologize. I'm sorry. But, and I punch him in his no-it-all fucking mouth.

Do you attempt to move out of the way or take it? Let's take it. All right. Dextre. Decks you swear in the, you know, for as hefty as a punch it was, it doesn't hurt quite as much as you expected, but it's not the physical pain that hurts more than the action and the knowledge that there are more repercussions to your rash decision than even you initially anticipated. Good night, first of all. Good night, thanks. It's four in the afternoon. I'm going to work. I'm going in my studio. All right, who else wants to do something?

Where'd Kima go? Kima is actually, she's begun day drinking into the night. So yeah, she's currently just kind of by herself, and one of the few functional taverns in White Stone. It's fairly empty at the moment, but especially at this hour as the sun slowly sets. She's not a heavy drinking, but she's definitely nursing a tanker and just kind of quietly contemplating as she sits at the edge of the the bar with their hands around the tank are just staring at a reflection as she spins it slowly on the wood. You can hear it kind of on the wood grain.

Is anyone else going with you? Just like a few other random patrons, but no one that catches your eye, no one specifically. Actually, wait. Grog, what are you doing? Nothing yet. I'm hang with Grog. Okay. So the two of you into the tavern. She doesn't notice you guys. I go up and put my hand on her shoulder.

Keyleth. Hey, how's it going? Better. Yeah. Oh. And you know up against the bar next to you guys? I want to check in on Allura. Let's do it.

Is there an empty room around here? She looks over to the bar keep. You all kind of stare over in the bar keep is currently there kind of like wiping down the bar section. Um, for how long? For, you know, a couple hours. No, it doesn't either that much. Too silver. We saved your life and the entire town.

You are fine to use it as you please. We remain there as soon. Just don't mess it up, please. Sure. We'll try really hard to find better things to do with our time. Okay. Make your way up and the place is fairly vacant. There are a couple of rooms that are currently partially,

partially like the doors are ajar and you hear voices in there. And you recognize it's a couple of the refugees that you guys brought over from your keep. They seem to be currently holed up in this tavern. Like an in-floor on the second floor. But there are a number of open rooms right now that you can go ahead and step into for use. Just pick one. Okay. So you're going to go ahead and tempt a sky ritual? Yes. Focusing on... The flower that I gave her before we left.

Ooh. Okay. Cool. Yeah. All right. So as you all sit down, you know, you know, Kima kind of sitting across from you arms and closed. She just looks at you intensely with this kind of, this really direct glare, waiting for some sort of sign of an answer or information. As you complete the ritual preparation of the scrying, your vision transcends your form jettison through the ceiling and into the clouds. The clouds rush past. You can feel the wind pushing across your face, your hair, and as the clouds part you see below, you see below, you're

you see Western. And from Western, you can see most of the city, as you recall. And a large portion of it currently looks like toppled over and pushed into ruin. There are no longer burning black clouds, but just like white smoke, long after a fire or some sort of an impact, just lazily drifting off some of those ruins. It focuses even closer, and you see what looks to be very little populous in the streets. Most everyone's either indoors or not visible at the moment.

Your vision clicks in once again, and you can see currently what looks to be some sort of dark room hidden in Western. You see for a brief instant a flicker of light, a flicker of light. and you see Drake Thunderbrand and Allura both gathering a few small books under their arms, just kind of silently waiting, quietly. You hear some heavy footfalls above. They both just stay quiet and stay quiet. We're going to stay still for a moment. She looks over at Drake. They both take hands and then convert into that same energy form you saw that jettisoned out of, of the Grey Skull Keep, that echoes down a long hallway that you previously didn't see was attached to this room. It leads to a stone spial staircase that goes upward before the two dual sparks kind of travel through the small crack between where the edge of a trap

door and a wooden floor is. As the sparks course upward into the now setting sun, you can see amongst the sparks the mostly collected. of the Cobalt Reserve, the large library in the center of Western. You can see dozens of corpses that have been largely dissolved. You can see what remnants of their bodies have been eaten away by some sort of caustic material. Their arms and fingers tightened up as the muscles pull into these horrible gnarled visage of what once were the living residents of the living residents. of Western. You do see as the spark comes to a stop for a second in its movement, and you hear briefly over head, and you see rush overhead, wings fully spread the black dragon

that you had briefly encountered in Iman, streak upward, roaring loudly towards Gat Shadow. tall, dark spire mountain just north of Western. And as it heads up there, the sparks continue their trek through the streets, and at that point the ritual fades its vision unable to maintain its focus. Your vision is pulled back up into the clouds and then thrust back into your current position and with the shock you find yourself back in the tavern. What did you see? Is she all right? She's alive. Her and her and Drake both are alive. Good. Where are they going? They're at the Colbert... Colbolt Reserve, which is In ruins, as well as the rest of Western.

Did you see the dragon? Yes, the black dragon is there. Looks like he's taken up residence in the black spire. The tower. What was it called? Gats shadow. That one. Gat shadow. Could you communicate with her when you scry?

I don't know how it works. No, I can just look in and see. She was grabbing her, it looked like, last few important times. important homes, remnants left from the Colbott Library in the reserve. Are they staying in Western? It didn't look like it. Where are they going? I don't know. I didn't see you.

We left Word and told her we were coming here. Here to Whitestone. Yes. If you wait, she'll be here. Who else is coming here now? Drake. Drake? Anybody else from the council coming? We brought some council members, right?

Were any among our interests? You're not there, you're with girls. Oh, that's right, I'm sorry. Oh, I'm not there. So, Gross. Wanna play some Bacciball? Um, I don't know who else could. I don't know, who else could.

Yerile. Dead. Well, that's great. That's fantastic. What about the rest? His wife and children are here. Here, okay. As well as Gilmore.

Yeah. Gilmore's glorious goods. Right, right, right. Wonderful place to buy all sorts of products if it was still standing. Huh. I've only heard things. I've not met this, Gilmore. I haven't met Gilmore. I just kind of assume everyone knows each other.

No. Anybody else? Tofur? Yes. Maybe. Yes. Tofur. It might have been saying which one? Which one is Tofo? Yes, Tofo. She's on that 70s show.

I think Tofo. is definitely maybe here. Last you heard, two council members that were confirmed still alive by Gilmore when you found him, or confirmed by Uriel's wife and family, thank you, sorry, blah, were Tofur and Osum. Both were two of the ones that were saved by. of the ones that were saved by Gilmore, and then once he was too wounded to continue, they left to seek for survivors in Yomon. That was last you heard of them.

Oh. They're not actually here, then. Yes. They're looking for other survivors, Tofur, and assume. In the place where this... What's this dragon you keep talking about? Oh shit. You don't know anything. Thor-Dak! Big, terrible, red! As you say the name again, you can see her eyes. eyes kind of resonate with the clarity and where once was this kind of very intense, this expression and air of her of demanding information suddenly recedes into this look of sudden fear and she's briefly lost in thought. Yes, you defeated him once. He escaped the fire arm.

Not only did he escape, he tore a giant tear in the roofs between the flaming Sorry, the fire realm and ours. Thorac. And you can see she's starting to hyperventilate suddenly. Like for all of her strong exterior, this is the first time, aside from the brief hit of the beholders ray earlier, you see fear in her eyes and she starts like standing up.

I need to get some air. Kima, it'll be the, you want to sit down? We're preparing. I need to get some air and she just kind of storms out of the room. Actually, Kieleth. I shut the door behind, Kima. Okay. I want to talk to you.

Yeah. I would ask my brother, but knowing him, he would walk away. What happened? Keeleth has a hard time looking her in the eye. Look at me, Keelith. Be strong. Your royalty. Tell me what happened.

Fex, I don't want to ever see you like that again. I don't want to ever see anybody like that again. Um, I grab both sides of the face and force her to look at me. I'm all right. I'm still here. Okay? I need you to tell me what happened. Because between us, Vax is off. Something's... something's wrong. And I need to know what it is.

I all watched you die. Yes. Is I got... How did I get back? Who brought me back? Sure? Zara, my brother, anyone else? I guess you could say probably an unseen entity, an unseen force. I'm lightheaded.

Sit down, there's a bed, sit down. Uh, uh, Percy. Percy helped. Um, um, let's skip that. Uh, When we brought you back, because Shaw performed a resurrection ritual. Like we did with Pike? Yes.

Yes. And he called upon a deity, and at first he was afraid that it was Vesh, which he was quite terrified about. His wife? Yes. And, but that I don't believe is the presence that answered his call. Okay. Pluttery words here, darling. Get to the point.

I thought I was gonna lose you both. I thought I was gonna, I thought I was gonna lose you and Vax. Why Vax? Did he get hers as well? No. What did he do? He, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what he did. He, he just, he's, he's said to take him instead. is what he told the entity. He offered his life for yours. And my biggest fear was that neither of you were gonna come back.

He offered his life for you. For all we know, that offer was accepted. If I had a guess, it was probably the Raven Queen herself. It's rather suiting, isn't it? Seems to do that quite a lot. Keeleith? Thank you, Dan. my leaf. I stay behind and burst into tears.

Okay. Roggit Scanlan, what you guys doing? Go fish. What do you want to do? I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. Do you have any games with you? No. Anything in the bag of holding? I think there's some orc parts in there that have been in for a couple months.

Doesn't sound very fun. I got all nervous when they mentioned a Goliaths cave, so I kind of need to go boom boom. I play a song so no one can hear it. Might help, like stand guard outside the door. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. A little musac. What you mind?

What I'm here for. Can I go drop some more here? drops of mornings. And as you find, one of the few local kind of ramshackle outhouses, none are quite Goliath's size and it's an uncomfortable experience. But thank God you brought a bard along, or you would have woken up half the populace just going to bed as Scanlan. Nothing to see here, everybody? Nothing, nothing to see here.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. Oh my gosh. No, no, no, no, no. Now, the music's playing, right? Yeah. It's just like a stall, just me. Yeah. All right, can I take out Cravenage?

Oh, my gosh. All right. In the house? Sorry, keep going. Keep in mind how tight and... It's the palace. This is where all the best thoughts and conversations happen. I don't know how it is at your house.

Keep in mind how confined it is, okay? Yeah. And go. I think I have enough. Sounds like a rough one in there, buddy. As you see one of the woodboard splinter out the side for a second. Yep, that's tacos. You might want to play a bit louder and maybe take a few steps away. It's about to get violent.

No problem. At that moment you focus in, as you can feel the blade itself so cold in your fingertips. You can see what looks at the blade itself so cold in your fingertips. You can see what looks at the little. A little bit of light that filters through the bright orange-ish red color that's coming from the sunset. You can see a reflection in the obsidian blade as a voice comes to your ear and says, you fed me well. Yeah, right, I did, right? I mean, we are really doing well.

Question. So, when we were fighting that big Earthbreaker, Groot-looking guy, he called you a dark weapon. Is that, do you have feelings and did that hurt them? There's a brief pause before you hear this long drawn out. Right, hold on, no, no, listen, oh, and I take my thumb and I run it against the blade real quick. Okay, as you do, all of a sudden the voice goes, Right, yep, sorry, listen, so my question is, as much as I love opening up people to feed you, I kinda wanna know like, what's in it for you?

Grok, are you talking to your shit? Yeah, no, you gotta let it know who's boss? Voice creeps in again this time. There is no feeling more terrifying than hunger. And I hunger forever. You help satiate that hunger. That is our arrangement. I give you the strength of those you cut down and I feed upon them.

If this is unsatisfactory, I can and have found others who are more willing to be part of my surroundings. No, no. Greetings adventurers. Spring has sprung here in Los Angeles, and that means it's a brief period where it's only 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees. I'll take it. And that means I've been outside a lot more. Walking around, occasionally galloping, after a toddler hopped up on juice boxes, traveling a bit. You know the vibe. And after doing some spring cleaning, my wardrobe, I gotta say, looking a little bit sad. I want clothes that can keep up with me and my son, but updating my wardrobe every spring sounds pretty expensive. So that's why I wound

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Greetings, Adventurers. Lately, I've been getting a bit more intentional about what I wear from day to day, because instead of just falling out of whatever laundry baskets nearby, I've been leaning into pieces that feel easy and comfortable, but still put together because it just makes getting dressed simpler when I have a plan. Quince has been my go-to to help with that, because the fabrics feel elevated, the fits are clean, and everything just works without me needing to overthink it. And Quintz has all the wardrobe staples you need for spring. Think 100% European linen shorts and shirts from just $34. They're lightweight, they're breathable, they're comfortable, your legs and torso will thank you, and he will still look put together. And,

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actually use. Head to quince.com slash critical role for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com. slash Critical Role for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash critical role. No, I'm a big fan, really. I mean, I'm yoked out when I'm using you. It's fucking amazing. I mean, people are flying apart.

It's like a dream. But listen, can you ever be full? I've never been full before. Perhaps you're the one to find out. I bet I am, actually. You're really lucky you found me a lot of these other blokes, not even half the man, I am. But listen, so there's no like end game,

just to be clear, you just want to drink and drink, because I've seen the blood, right? And usually I wipe it off, but you like, suck it in, and that's a little unsettling, I'm not gonna lie. My hunger grows, but the air tarnishes my blade. Perhaps we can continue this conversation elsewhere. Right, yeah, well, look, I like the way you cut people open, so we'll continue this another time. And I'll sheave him.

As you sheeded the last thing it says is, don't forget, I hunger always. I like, kick the door open. I'm like, if you're within 200 feet, back up! No one's out here, girl. Oh. Just me. Are you all right? Yeah.

I heard you say something about blood. Yeah, no, in my sweating, it was like a real workout that one. At some point you said, are you full? Are you talking about, did you fill it all the way up? The privy, you know, it was starting to give me bummer tickle. Wow, you talked it off. Yeah, because you know you don't want to like dip in the muckets. Boul.

Not at all. Yeah. Did you want to? I think I'm good. Are you sure? I think I'm good. up for you, it's like ready to go. I love a good deuce, but not today, I think I'm sure.

Fair enough. I'm feeling so like vacated. We should go get a bite. I think you're right. All right, let's go. Okay. You guys have to get a bite. Personal, if you want to go ahead and make a tinkering check

with dexterity modifier to create my ammunition? Tinkering check with dexterity modifier? Yes. Okay. It should be plus 11. 16. 16. Okay. We'll say in the time that you've had here, Weapons print this with the materials you purchased, and White Stone's pretty open to applying you.

I've got a thing. Yeah. I'd say you're able to create roughly 40 or so simple bullets in the time that you have. Do I have time to poke at a modification to the explosive arrow? I want to try and build a rock breaker. I'm curious to try and build a... an arrow for taking down walls or taking down the road? Like a siege arrow? Oh. A light form of siege arrow. It's just basically, basically I want to have a

that actually manages to breach stone and then an explosion that goes outward, so it's just a shattering. Breach ero! All right, this will take the remainder of your evening. You're not going to be able to do much else after this. I have nothing else to do. All right, go ahead make a tinkering check with your intelligence modifier. Okay.

So that's a... 8. 23. 23. Okay. At the cost of roughly 150 gold pieces, so you have to go through a few different attempts to finally get the design right. And the metal working you have here is not perfected. You're not at your workshop back at the keep, unfortunately, so you kind of have to work with whatever you have here. Nothing here is designed for the...

No, I've got an okay workshop here. Yeah, the one that you used before previously, but that's mostly kind of discarded and the time that you've been gone, it's been cannibalized for a lot of. cannibalized for a lot of different uses. But it's makeshift. You manage to complete what you think could function. You're not entirely certain as to what the final effect will be, but it all seems to be in place. All right. So you can write down explosive siege arrow. Siege arrow. And we shall find out in time what it does. Siege arrow. All right, so.

Oh. You guys resting for the evening? Anything else we should accomplish? You'd probably be smart. I'm pretty tired after dying, so I'm going to go. Okay. Max, anything you want to accomplish? Dying takes a lot out of you.

God the guilt. Okay. Yeah. Can I buy a torch somewhere? Just a torch? Sure. Yeah, torches are relatively easy to find. Do you want to buy one?

Three. Three torches. I'll stick with rag. Three copper. Trinket is coming into the castle. Trinket is coming into the castle. After all this has happened, Trinket has been like almost locked to you. Even you see you going upstairs into the tavern trick.

It was like, mm-hmm, kind of stayed out front, because drink it's learned at this point. You can't really go into all the taverns. It's hard. It's hard. It's rough being a bear. And wherever we're eating, does this happen to be near James and the Painters workshop? No, but it's about a 20-minute walk if you wanted to go find out.

It'd be nice to check in with him. Grog, do you mind walking with me? Absolutely. Right, so we'll just truck on over to Jamison's. Okay. You guys head up to it. And you know, the gentleman is a painter as well as a stable hand, so you find your way to the facility, knock on it, and immediately as the door opens, the smell of, you know, fresh manure, hits your nose and Jameson steps out. Can I... You! Yes, hi!

Hi! Hi! I've come back. I meant to deliver, but they told me not to, because apparently it's not there anymore? The town you mean. Town, yeah, we were supposed to remove it. It was wise of you to keep this precious artifact here because it would have surely been destroyed on route or when it's... It's just the canvas.

I don't have it. It's a bit too large for my specifications of framing. I'm sure it's huge. Did you finish it? Yes, yes, come, come, come. Can I look? Oh, please, oh please. Okay, let's go look.

He takes one of the hooded lanterns and kind of, you know, turns up the oil wake on it, and as he turns away, brings you into the back stable area where it's been sectioned off, and you can see there's paints that have been drawn dropped all across the ground in the hay. It's kind of multicolored spattering, this kind of rainbow vomit across this section of hay floor. And there, in all of its glory, stretched across and nailed at the corners to this far, far wall. You see a fantastical landscape of rolling hills and tree lines rising up at the edges. You can see a mountain scape in the distance.

The lighting he uses is magnificent. You can see why many people in the city specifically requested that you go to this gentleman. And there atop this fantastic green hilltop you see on this fine white and gray steed as it raises up, hooves in the air, is yourself shirt open, chest. Just slightly fuzzy and muscular. As you look off your hair blowing in the breeze.

How's the face? The face is pretty damn spot on. Yes. Best likeness you can find for somebody who only had a brief reference, as he sketched you quickly before he left, and there behind clutching you from the side, you can see Pike wearing this long, kind of grayish, silver, and blue robes that are also flowing behind a long train, longer than it needs to be, stylistically. It was a choice in the artistics point for this. And it is everything

you hoped it would be. You paid good money for this piece. I'm going to request Grog. I need a minute here. No, yeah. I understand. Just weep. Take all the time you need. So I just regard it for a few minutes, just taking in the beauty and the wonder of all I've accomplished. I have a question.

Would Keyleth and Scanlan be crying in rooms at the same time? Right now, yes. For different reasons entirely. Somewhere. Look at the air. Look at the air high five. There it is. Oh, I'm so white.

That was the whitest of white high fives ever. The miss and then airlock. I imagine just a canvas of Lisa Frank majesty, by the way. Like just the greatest Lisa Frank trapper keeper cover. Oh, man. After I just weep for a few minutes, I thank Jamison again. How much do I pay him for this thing? I don't recall, he already marked it off.

A driver keeper. I feel that you've gone above and beyond Jameson. and beyond Jameson, and I know that you're a humble man, and you don't want me to spread word of your accomplishments, but please allow me to write you an epic poem or a song and tell of your artistic gifts and talents, please. That would be a fine tip, sir. Please, yes, do so. I'll get right on it. Send them back to Whitestone, please. That's for Jameson. The more work this, then hopefully I can make my way out of this dung hole.

Don't worry, you'll have lots of commissions after this, I promise you. Great. And I'm going and give him an extra 50 gold. Whoa! Wow. Mother. That's more than the price of a book. Sir, I... I...

Thank you. Thank you. For art supplies to get your shop up and running. Of course he looks down and he's got a little bit of paint on the coins. He puts it aside somewhere. Thank you. Wipes his hands off a nearby rag. Thank you and takes your hand and shakes it vigorously.

So, can... He goes in... He takes his little... as a little claw hammer down, it's pulling the nails out from the sides and gingerly rolls up the canvas. It takes a good like three minutes to roll the whole thing up, and it's quite heavy as he hands it over you. In your hands, yeah, it almost takes you off your feet. Brog, can you hold this for me? No, it's you. I mean, you're so magnificent in it.

No, I can't do it. I don't know if I really... Brog, I watched you shit for an hour. That you're right, hoping you're all right. All right. You guys find your way out. At this point, has taken, you can hear the crickets starting to spend throughout the city as the rest of the blue night sky takes on. Evening is ready. Do you guys have anything else accomplished before the evening comes too close?

I'll wait till the it's quiet and I leave the room that I've been given at White Stone. And I find my sister's door and I stand outside it and I stare at it for a minute. Vax? Is that you? And I stop away. I open the door. Roll stove, check, all perception check. Shit. 25.

Oh, 22. Damn it. Nothing to be seen. It must have been your imagination, Vax. Shit. Good. And I'll wait for the door to close. And then I walk to Keelith's door. And I knock. You hear a knock at your door.

And the clock. And horse the same. There's hooves in the distance, apparently. Open it. You okay? Come in. Sit down. I'm going.

How do you feel? All I know is that I felt her. I don't know magic. I don't know anything. I open doors and only when the wind is blowing in the right direction, sometimes I think. I don't know what happened, but I felt her. Do you still feel her? Make a perception check fax.

As you're sitting there, looking down at the ground, as she asked this question, you notice the symbol of Sarenre that you have stitched from the back of your glove. What was once a very vibrant, goldish brass color has actually very heavily tarnished, and the metal itself seems to have cracked in three places. It was not this way a day before. I don't know if I did anything in there, and I wouldn't take it back if I did, but I don't Know what I'm doing? No, if it was very noble or very stupid, to be honest. Probably a little bit of books.

I can attempt a restoration, a greater restoration spell, and see if I can sense anything. Think about any of that. I'll let you. Canna? Yeah. So as you prepare your mindset for the cleansing ritual that is the greater restoration.

Just lay back. As soon as the dull green energy begins to cross across your fingertips and as you touch the edge of his shoulder to impart his body with the cleansing energy, it courses through his shoulders. The spell completes. You sense no difference in your current physicality, mindset. And there's this pause, this silence of no realization that is suddenly shattered by the sound of a You look over and at the stone edge of the window you guys are staying and you see stepping there a single dark raven, and it just takes off and flies into the night. I think this goes beyond any natural realm that I have any bearing over.

And I just hug him. I'm going to lose you. And I'm terrified I'm still going to. I love you. I think I love you. I just don't know if I can allow myself to. I'm terrified to allow myself to. You do realize that if by some crazy chance, and we all somehow make it through this domination

alive with the chromoconclave, and I complete my aramente, I'll still watch all of you die. Everything could go phenomenally well. By becoming headmaster, we enter a bit of a realm of mortality where I could live for a very, very long time. I'm afraid every time I look at one of your faces that it's gonna be the last and I feel like deep down I know that day is coming so because of that I'm afraid to let myself feel anything deeper than I Already do.

Quickly leave a room. The door closest behind Vax. And for the second time today, Kulah's bursts into tears. Oh, why do people be leaving me in roller rooms alone? All right. Stop in your wasting water. Most of you find sleep. We're in a drought, God damn it.

It's been a while. Make him's been a right. It's a little water elemental. It's the only way. It's the only way. All right, as you all find yourself coming to rest for the evening, some of you easier than others. Eventually, you get your full rest. Those who heal up to, say, full hit points for a good night's rest here, get your hit dice back, so not a whole lot we're spent.

I lose my strength, though, is it? Morning comes to you all. I am. I am. Sorry, just one detail. from there. I went and fell asleep in this idiot's doorway. Okay. All right. We will go ahead and take a quick break. Show my face.

Welcome back, everybody. I think that was too close. That was too close. That was all right. That was pretty close. Oh, there was Ace. That's all good. Welcome back, guys. We're going to go ahead and, Jemagin. So as you all, after that, for some emotional evening,

whether that be conversational emotion or, you know, have to go drop an emotional deuce, you know, it's important. You find yourselves waking up to a fresh morning in white stone. Hints of blue sky breaking through the cloud coverage. That's rare for this area because of its northern portion of the continent. You know that especially being so close to the ocean, a lot of the cloud, heavy, heavy precipitation makes its way in the direction of your town. So it's nice to have a little break in that.

Nonetheless, as you guys come to consciousness and gather yourselves your things and your plans for the day, what do you wish to do? We are a city of seasonal affectation disorder, so. Well, I open my door and find my brother falling through it. Mm-hmm. I'm wait. Oh, good morning. Hi.

Comfortable bed, I see. Yeah. Sorry, I couldn't find my room. Yeah, it's confusing. I couldn't find my room. All these doors. I have no idea. My nature check tells me it's roughly eight, nine, seven,

Nine, seven, seven. You shit, Ed. Can you fucking do that again. That's not like I did it. Fucking do that again, all right? Don't fucking do it again. I can't breathe. You're about to kill me again.

You'll live, you'll live. Jesus, whoever that is. So, um, I heard rumor that you sort of saved my life in a really creepy sort of way. I talk to people. I've talked to so many people. I find out things. But the secrets aren't safe. Are you talking to grog?

When vex is around. Is there any coffee in this fucking castle? Wait, wait, wait, I have a present for you, because I feel like you're gonna really like it. Would you like it? That's random, all right. Alright? I have this armor that I think would be really great on you.

It's really expensive. If you don't take it quickly, I might change my... I don't want it. That was expensive card stock. Give you a leather armor after I have a chance to change. I love you. I know. Let's get my best.

Yeah. Not long from that point, the smell of coffee begins to fill the air from the inside of the White Stone Castle Halls. The servants have prepared breakfast, and a meal is ready for you, Grog, jumping to attention as the scent reaches your nose. The rest of you slowly find your way back down. You eat. Enough with the poo humor. Do we come out and see Vax in the armor? I know. Are you putting on the armor? I'm just looking at it in the whole way.

So I guess I step out and see how I'm looking at it in the hallway. I'll be honest. Yeah. Some of you guys step out and you see Vax kind of just standing in the hallway clutching in his hands, looking over all the various, like, pushed in-graved ruins across the leatherwork, the raven feathers that kind of adorn the bottom of the mantle. Careful, it smells a lot like must and mold and birds. I just walk by and briefly lock eyes and keep going without saying anything.

Okay. Oh shit, you got the armor now? He stole it, but can I say he is a really sneaky, stealthy kind of guy. Nice. Fair and square. I just took it for fashion purposes, I suppose. Oh, you need all the help you can get. Yeah.

Should we go out in the woods and unleash an undead beast that will kill us all? Yes, Christmas morning. Who has that, by the way? I do. Oh. It's safe. Where'd you keep it? Uh, oh, hold on. Got to pouts yourself. You know it? It's back in my room.

All right, you go retrieve it. Got it. Where's Percy? Where's Pike? You should bring her with us. Can we bring Pike? Where's Pike? I know she's taking care of Gilmore, but... That's possibly more important.

I think this thing will be fine. We need some... We need some sort of somebody that can heal. I think we've learned this for a scale. I can heal. Here we go, potions, we're fine. It's probably like a big Saint Bernard. What's the big deal? Ah, okay. We learn nothing. Where's Percy? I'm right here. Oh! Shit, you're quiet. Hello.

Hello. Good morning. In any coffee, an enema. What? A coffee enema. What? No, I'm fine. Good morning. I'm fine. I walk off on this shit. And we go outside with the necklace.

Yeah, where we had it? The woods. No, the caves. I thought we were going to the, like, it's well. Oh, yeah. We're going to go through the woods. Same cave. You're going to go through the woods.

Into the woods. You were into that. All right. So you all gather together and make your way northwest of White Stone towards where you found the stone fortress in the series of caves that are in the mountain behind it. You get there, it's still seemingly abandoned. You kind of cased the area for a while.

No noticeable movement other than a few with an entity. With an entity primable awareness. Mio, meo, meo, meo. Okay. That doesn't have the sound it makes every time you do it. I like it. Yeah, so hold on to that one. I make the new ringtone sound for you guys. What are you looking for? Oh, there's so many things I could sense. Yeah. Um.

What about sirens? Sirens? Wait, what are those things called the things that took our horses the last time we were over here? Harpies? Harpies. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Sure. How many miles is it?

Six miles. Six miles? Yeah, there's a few blips on the far, far western side of you. You get the essence, like, kind of way off in the mountains, there's maybe a small nest. Nothing that's immediately dangerous. But I said for one more minute, and I think if I can sense any giants, You do to the far, far north. You just get the sense that there is some sort of giant-based life form, maybe two, three miles north of you.

Okay. As a look. Well, I mean, clear are the things I checked for. Sweet. Let's go. Up to the cave. All right. To a fortress or the cave's behind it?

Oh. Fortress of cave. Were they both empty? I don't remember. The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders, an army 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 campy 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 podcast. Everything was empty if I recall. Yeah. Small space, little. Let's do the caves.

All right, sure. Cave. Yeah, cave. All right. If we stick to the woods, it's my favorite terrain. If we go into a cave, not as much. So, what would be? Okay, sure, why not?

So is it like cave fortress? Are they the same level? It's a pathway that leads up into a small ravine in the mountain pass where you guys originally walked down into White Stone. Up against it. to the north side of where the mountain meets that ravine, there is a big stone fortress that is built into the side of the mountain, and then around that there are a series of smaller caves. Anything can happen. Let's go on the fortress, then we got more room to move in case it does suck.

All right, fine. Fortress. You guys find your way inside. Still, the cold morning air still has encompassed the stone floor itself. You can see there are still the scattered and slowly decomposing bits of meat and flesh in the far corner. You still see the spiders of blood that have turned blackish. and kind of cracked as it dried. No corpses here, as the corpses were retooled by the Briarwoods while they were in control. But the fortress other, that is still empty and seemingly untouched since you last left it. All right, well, I'm just going to do it then. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, no.

Wait, are there, is there, there's doors open to the cake, right? We're in a fortress. Fortress. Fortress. Whatever. Coffee's just starting to kick in for you guys. Just barely. Just barely. Just. Do we have any like buff spells or some shit that we should like, you know, cast? Should I, like, throw a wall up? Do I like cooler?

A wall for what? Do I need to bar the entrance? We don't know what it is. You don't know what it is. Beautiful on you. There are vex, by the way. There are partially a jar where you left them. Put it on.

It's useful. I'm not having this conversation. Vex, by the way, I've got something for you. Yes, dear. And I pull out the arrow. Ooh. What is this? This is an evening of unbridled guilt.

Come here. Let me show you. In theory, this is a siege era. Okay. Shattering stone, shattering doors, breaking things that should not be broken. Breaking hearts left and right? That is what you're after. It should work. Never forget you're my favorite, and I'm so sorry.

I kiss him on the cheek. Thank you, person. That was much nicer than your brother. Is that a black eye? I didn't sleep. This is lovely, I can't wait to use it. There'll be more. All right, in three, two.

Wait, hold on, hold, hold, in a circle. Aim it into the center of the circle. Wait, is it, and is it three, two, one. Three, two, one, you do it, or three to one, on the one. It's Jenga, one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand, four, one thousand. Should one of us leave the room

in case it comes out and paralyzes all of us? Just gonna throw that up. Oh yeah, we should What do you call it, spread out? Grog should go. Yeah, definitely. Let's all surround it and make sure we're not in love. If only someone had armor that could make them immune to peril.

That's not a bad idea. You get controlled by things. Maybe you could just wait just a little bit further back. This was somebody's pet, all right? It's probably not smart enough to take control of our minds. That's a big if. I don't mind stepping out, but I would like to be able to see. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You won't shut the door. I just want you outside of any potential... That's just spread out in the sense. Spread out in a circle. All right. We'll let it loose in the center. That way it can't even see all of us. I like it.

Actually, it only gets to see it. Vax, do you want a stealth? Scanlan. Can see me. I think you should talk to it. I'm going to stealth. Well, you know, when a thing is born, it latches onto the first thing it sees like it's mama.

I'm going to hide. I'm going to hide. I'm going to hide. All right, stealth check from both of you guys. So we're going to try and talk to it. Yeah, Scanlan is going to talk to it. Scanlan, you prepared? Natural Twin.

To talk? Yeah. You just tell it, like, there's a phaser. 25. Speak with animals. The two of you back off and find some of the nearby shaded corners. I also have some of the, you know, the haphazardly tossed hides and fur as we're in the corner. You can just vanish behind now. Cubs keeping a watch.

Trinket, don't stand next to me. It gives it away. Codrick. Go stand next to Keylitz. Is there a doorway in the fortress? Yeah, there is the main doorway you guys enter between two. Can I just stand in that then? Sure.

stand there kind of, and the entranceway that's pushed open, which is wide enough for a giant to push through. You got a little bit of room to each side, but you're there. Vax, is this good? Vax. It's fine. You're fine. Here we go, guys. I'll just kind of, um, so those two are stealth. You're just going to be. I'm at Scanlan's left shoulder, kind of back a bit. And trinkets next to you. And trinkets next to me.

He's left shoulder is very low. All right. There's perchee. I've got a little bit of distance. He's like a good. He's good. here in the circle, and Travis is off this way. Good to know. Okay.

So. I will, I don't know how to use this thing. Yeah, we don't know how to use it. You're a magic. By the power of Raven slumber, I command thee. Awaken, a beast, cruel or otherwise. Face your new master and know his name is Scallad. Holy shit.

Never could have been better. As you spend your bonus action to release the gate hold on the crystal, you guys see as you thrust his hand forward, there's a burst of shadow energy that's kind of, almost like someone throwing a big pot of water, just kind of this blackness goes out of it, and then as it hits the ground, it spills into smoke on the ground, and as that dark form stops, it is into the form of a about waist to a lower torso height creature. As the form kind of coalesces into its normal self, you can see before you shaking its head a rather large, dark gray and black wolf.

Oh God. Easy. Easy. Oh, garlic. Galdrick. Galdrick. Easy. Galdric. Easy. We're friends. We're backing up a little bit, snarling. You see Trinket starts growling. It can be nice. As you say that, it looks over at you in the far corner. I'm not going to tell 20. Still doesn't see me. I kind of pet, Trink it as that like, chill, chill, be cool.

Trinck kind of backs up a little bit, but still locking eyes. You can see this wolf now. Gums and teeth are barred. It's fur is all puffed up, its tail is, you know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, definitely holding its ground and trying to make itself look as intimidating as possible. Is this a small beast? This would be technically borderline medium. It would be medium, technically.

I can only speak with small beasts. She just swatted me and said, put your arm on. I do it, so I'm doing that. Okay, that'll take you about 15 minutes. Oh! That's what I'm doing it. It's intricate. I'm doing it.

You can't just like, you don't just slip on leather armor. I get that. Spandex armor. Can somebody check to see if it's actually a wolf or just looks like one? Like, check it. Can I use my perception? You're a bit far away from it right now. You can try and get closer if you want.

Can I sneak? Yeah, make it on stealth check. Do I get advantage? Oh, I do get advantage because of my cloak. You should yell out, I'm stealthing. I'm stealthing! I'm stealthing! 19?

Okay. As you begin making great forward to since seem to notice you? It doesn't? No. Can I see it better now? See if it's a boy, right girl? Looking at it, and from your experience in the wild as well, and Keel, if you're

getting up, this does not appear to be anything beyond than just a large, a large wolf. I'm going to get on my knees. Scanlan, can you talk to it or no? I don't know. I'll put out my hand and call it. Goldrick? Goldrick. Goldrick.

Go ahead. Go make an animal handling check. Animal handling, we've never done that. If I help my brother get on the ombar, will it happen faster? Probably. You should have been put on the armwork. You should have to the most random thing I have.

Ow, ow, ow. Well, you're not the same size. You're dinked. That was not much better. Yeah, that's a little bit better. Ten. Ten. As you put at your hand, Gald are kind of snarls.

And as you see. Here, boy. It lashes out at your hand. That is going to be. It's a 20. 21 to hit? Um, I'll, I'll bite you. I'll take it.

You take six points of piercing damage as its jaws clenched on your hand, and you tear your hand away. You can feel the kind of the warmth flowing under the glove. I'm gentle with it. I cast speak with animals. I click my boots of haste. You do? Yeah. Are you getting dressed?

You can dress faster. Speed change. All right. Seven and a half minutes. You guys all become immediately aware of the creaking of leather in the distance as the two siblings are in the process of fast changing one of the other. Okay, I can't speak with animals and I kind of get down, crotch down to the ground and kind of bow down a little bit and I say, Are you the one they call Goldrick? Kind of looks over at you for a second, the growl stops, and its posture changes a little

bit than raising his nose. Was Pervon, your master? Looking at you as, you guys hear, Heel is not giving the series of just growling sounds. Trinket totally understands you, though. Strangely not, Tricket does. It's like, hmm. Trickett to Scokey-Doo, apparently. Brimbers. Oh, oh.

Shibbles, take, you're going that way. Got it gets me. Ah! But. There are several items that are sold out at the store. If you'd like to go on and see what items have already sold out, check it out. We need to get more t-shirts in stock. Yeah, we know that.

We know. That needs to happen. We're... But there is still the Critical Rule logo t-shirt available. What is happening? Is there a ring or something? Or something? Is the ring still available? I don't know.

If the ring is still available, does you're in the ring? I respond. I can respond back. Mm. Your master died a great champion for the Raven Queen. He has been paid a great honor. And now the Raven Queen has chosen a new master. I push facts forward. You're like, you've gotten

be part of the tunic on. Is he Donald ducking it right now? Practically. There are undergarments, but not much. Like bare legs and knees, part of an arm, exposed. Yeah, it's, you got to rest of the change room about 20 seconds into it. Nice. I still walked toward the wolf. Waddle.

Yeah. No, no, I did the top. I did the top. Come on. The wolf kind of turns his head a little bit, curiously. I continue to speak to the wolf. I kneel. I'm about my head.

A great darkness has fallen upon our lands. Bon Athanasia. We could use all of the assistance that we can achieve. Would you be willing to find a new purpose? Join Vaxildon. Kaileth? Yes? Tell him to...

Tell him to come forward and look into my eyes. Tell him. Goldrick, please approach your new master and look into his eyes. Give him some chocolate man. The wolf kind of looks towards you, looks towards the loosely half-dressed half-elf. I say look into his eyes. They're quarter-dress now. And see the touch of the Raven Queen inside of him.

Wolf kind of slowly stalks towards you. across the stone floor. You can hear the claws of the wolf kind of clattering against the stonework. As you can see, it's partially digging into the stonework with each step and has purpose with each stride. As it's coming, I'm taking daggers on and throwing them on the ground. The wolf stops and looks up at you, turns around, and just walks towards the door where you are. Where who is?

Where's Grogis? Grogh. It's now in the, like, at the door, at the egg, It. Goldrick. Galtrick. Galtrick. Just keeps walking.

Goldrick. Gouldrick. You're going to stop him, Grog? In the doorway. Grog. Just don't move. Don't move. Look at the dog.

Just don't move and don't hurt the dog. Please just look at the dog. I pull out one of my treats I have for trinket. Okay. Trinket says I'm bringing up towards you. Wait, wait, Trinket. This is for your buddy, Goldrick. Goldrick.

She keeps walking, doesn't even look at you in the face, just walks. It's from the traitors, hurry! It scatters across the stone, walks between your legs, and exits out. I pivot on my back foot, I take out Craven Edge. No, no, no, don't, don't. No, I do. I take out Craven Edge, and I sink it into the earth right beside his head, and I say, HEAL! Oh!

Oh! Make a hand will handling check. Oh, is it good, or good? Oh. 20. As the sword f f f f-f into the rock outside of this fortress, it probably embeds itself a good foot and a half into the mountain. You guys all hear the grog shout echo through the inside of the fortress itself, causing little bits of dust and small pebbles to dislodge from the roof.

Slowly fall down. The wolf has stopped and spun in its place. and reach out and lash the blade with its jaws and k-ing. As it releases it, it sits. We will. Dog whisper. Are you its master now? No, no. I don't think it has a master.

This is a very powerful beast. But it needs a firm hand, and I think it needs a job. Oh. So, what do we plan to do with, Goldrick? Said his name right. Yeah. We plan on having him help us kill some dragons? I think he's a wolf. I think perhaps something a little less ambitious. Well, he can...

He can... He joins our... Very well when dragons are around. Our mighty, like, and... I think perhaps joining the White Stone Conclave might be a... Are they talking? They're talking. Having him God white stone, perhaps.

I like it. I reach into the bag of holding and I pull out some orcableness. One thing of dry food rations and a probably pretty rotten chunk of dark elf brain. Ew. Where did we get that? There's a variable Walmart of shit in this bag. That's a point of copier. I'm kind of like a hamburger patty just kind of like smash it all together.

Yeah, the only reason you even know this was at one point Dark Alphraim matter is because that's what you willed to reach in and find. It does not at all visually match your memory of its... Does it have a little bit of a viscousy ooze mostly? Oh yeah, no, it's... That'll soften up the dry food. Gray chicken mic nuggets. It'll soften up a lot of things. It's pretty terrifying.

I'll make the wolf vomit. So I'll throw that on the ground and I'll pour little ale on top of it. Williams well. It means Gordon smells it. Yeah, no, it wouldn't the best. I can do better. Okay. Drink it goes up and starts eating it.

He's going to barf that all around the carpet. Yeah. I need to carry beef in this bitch. It goes bad. We have a dork. We've got nothing a dork left. So is, is, oh, you know what I have, by the way. I still have like a cooler bag of holding that we got from the Slayer's take.

Oh! It's really good food and stuff. I pour into a little chalice, some ale. It keeps things cold. Like a man purse of holder? Yeah, it's like a little bity one, but it keeps like parts from going back. She's never as large as a bag of holding, but it does, it has a kind of a slow stasis for organic goods. She keeps some food on here next time.

Totally. Chicken. I offer them some ale just to see if you even likes it. Some dogs like beer, some others don't. Wolf doesn't seem to be interested. Yeah, all right. I chug it. So are we telling this wolf something or just commanding it to come with us as we return to town?

I think he would be helpful to just guard the town at this point. Well, he'll follow Grog, I suppose. Let's go back to town and bring him with us. All right. You guys return to White Stone. It's another like three hour track to find your way back down to the city. This kind of stalks up next to you. Definitely seems to be attentive to your commands. It doesn't appear to be, you know, a bond per se.

per se, but of everyone that it's encountered so far, you're the only one that really gathered its respect. I threw a treat at it. I don't understand. Yeah, that's a great thing to throw a giant 400-pound ballmaster. Apparently, that's not good enough. Communicating. Right, so we're walking back to town.

We've got a giant fuck-off wolf with us. No. Vax looks like Edward Cisorhands. I'm peeling that off as we all. What? No! Leave it the fuck on! I'm peeling it off. It's really expensive, but you want to damage it?

I'm peeling it off. All right. So you take what little bit of the armor you had on off, and are you putting your other armor back on? He doesn't have any other armor. I took his other arm. I have regular fucking armor that I grew up and with you, you fucking shit.

Do you want to trade with me, Vax? I've got some armor you could take. Yeah. You're a funny man. All right. So you're back at town. Do we find like a holding pen for the wolf? I don't think we need to.

I think if we can just communicate to a. Tell him not to like, you know, attack villages. Ask him, ask him if he, if he would be willing to keep the town safe, to help keep the town safe. Do it in a really aggressive way though, Keylet. Very aggressive. Stern. Okay, okay.

Ooh. Oh, we should find some food for the thing. If I turned into a dog. If I turned into a wolf, do you think he'd like respect the wall? No, he'll probably attack you. Or he'll mount you. Or he'll burn you. Do it.

I'm not ready for that game. Do it. Let's just be clear. Scanlan. Man, like, mm-mm. Oh, you're sour to be him. To be fair, that's happened, I mean, like, what kind of happened before.

Yeah, I remember. With the troll. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Okay. No, it wasn't me. Was it you?

I don't know who I had. Who was getting humped on? I don't remember. Oh, that's right, yeah, yeah. Okay. Let's finalize this wolf so we can kill something. I say, take my step. And I say, Galdrick.

I'm being assertive. Yes. She's the alpha. Yes. I'll go stand behind. You want a task. I'll give you one. All right, how long does speak with...

I don't know. I asked for 10 minutes so that you can cast it again, first level. Oh, has it not been 10 minutes? It has been more than 10 minutes. It's three hours while we walked back to town. Okay. I'll cast it again. All right.

Palleloo! Can I speak with animals on all the people? I can't, right? No. All right, as you shout, go ahead and make an animal handling check with advantage because your ability to speak. With advantage? Yes. We'll take the, what is that, six?

Yeah, we'll change it. It's six, so 22. Okay. Galdrick turns to you and... Essentially, it leans towards you and you get the essence, the idea of a message across. and keep me from having to walk behind now at this point, as you guys have managed to make seeming amends at the moment, employs the idea of,

I'll listen if you give me a task. Galdrick, only a beast of your great fortitude. Just fucking tell him to do it. Right, okay, sorry. Would you like to guard the command it? The town, Whitestone. Guard this town, this town, Dog.

Geeleth, repeat out to me. Yes. In exchange for food, protect these lands. Galdrick. In exchange for food, shelter, and a cozy fire, everyone's there. I didn't say that shit. I didn't say that. He's a wolf.

He doesn't need those. Patrol these lands. Protect these lands. Protect these lands. For how long? There he has. I know. Ladies, you want details.

As long as we need you to. No, no. A great danger approaches. Until the danger is past. You'll know it when it comes. A great danger. Approaches. Approaches.

Approaches. A great danger approaches. Your service is required until that danger has passed. It is no longer in effect. You'll know when it comes. You'll know. You'll know. You'll know.

Because they're fucking dragons, man. You'll know. Protect. I walk over and put my hand over, Keyless mouth. You stay. We feed you. Is there a tavern or a butcher shop or something nearby? There is a butcher.

As you're having this thought, however, the Galdor turns back over to you and says, Yeah, roll the 22. Yeah, it says, I can feed myself. Oh, yeah, you can. Yeah, you can. Yeah, dude. But I will watch until this danger is past.

Awesome. Then am I free to go? Then you are free to go. Very well. I go tired of service. I wait too long, and the wolf just looks at you, gives you kind of like an acknowledgement, and then walks off into the woods.

Hi, buddy. Thanks, Galdrick. Appreciate it, man. Appreciate it, man. Man, that's a cool looking wolf. Hi, look at Grog. How's that? Does that sound okay?

That was the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You did good. I thought she did very well. Thank you. I'm, I'm, I'm, okay. It really liked you. You should learn how to talk to animals. What is that?

What's that you have? What is that? I'm holding on to the Raven slumber jewel at the moment. The thing that can capture people. Oh, it's empty now. It's empty now. and do you know what I bet would fit in it very nicely? Me.

And we can carry him around and then pop him out. Aww! Okay, wait. Is it gonna hurt him? Does it hurt? No, no. Not only does it not hurt. No time.

No time. No time. No time. Need not make a saving throw. It's automatic and no time passes. Okay, I'm gonna try it just and I'm gonna try it and just to see how he likes it if he's okay with it. Okay.

Hey buddy, come in. As you turn around and look, You see there's a small puddle in the ground where Trrika is vomited up. It's just kind of like pushing dirt over it. What is that? What is that? You've got a teacher to quit rummaging.

What was that? Trincky out of gruel. Don't eat the puke. Do not eat the puke. Come in. Trigger's like straight dirt over it. You got a little carrot on your chin. Trinket. Do you want to go for a ride?

You like rides? You want to go for one? All right, sit still. This will be fun. I don't know how to use it. Just say it to them. I point to him. Should probably say something cool.

By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you my Pokemon. Words be damned. The wheel, and it takes you the clovement of action or so to activate the crystal, but as you do, Trinket gives a confused look before Trinket's shadow seems to crawl up his legs until it forms into this just circle, this dark core. Roughly half the size of Trinkets form before it shoots into the crystal. Is he about this size? But I don't like that one. Is it about this size? A little larger than that before it goes into the crystal, then once it's in the crystal, it's just the crystal. Oh, it's a little crystal? I choose you.

Oh my gosh. That's really fun. Okay, how do I let him go? Duh. I think you just kind of, yeah. I release you! Okay, as you do that, once again, the same dark energy you saw earlier

just spills out and hits the ground in front of you, and from that dark shadow area, trinkets form emerges. Stating, looking really confused. How was it? Did it hurt? Can you talk to him? You can still talk to him, talk to him, ask him if it hurt. Oh.

It's a little bit more on the ground. Well, that's not good. You know, sometimes just the teleportation that Dia makes you lose his own. Ask him how he's doing. Drink it, you're all right, buddy. You're all right there. You're being sick.

Ask him how the little car ride was. Ask him if you liked the ride. How was the ride? Did you feel all right? How was. Yeah. Would you mind, ask him if you'd mind doing that on occasion, you know, whenever I need him to.

What was it like in there? Was it? I don't remember. Okay, that's good. That's good. Would you mind. Ask him if he cares again. Ask him if he cares.

Would you mind to you care. doing that, you know, kind of frequently on occasion? If she wants me to, okay. What did he say? What did he say? He looks really cute when he said something. What a sweet pee. You have a lot of men who will do anything for you. Oh, buddy.

I go and hug a pretty tight scratchy. You do and avoid the little bit of... Vomid on. I don't even care. Oh my gosh, thank you. Oh, God. This is the best. This is the best how we can try. with him, we can climb with him, we can sneak around.

If it isn't in it, you can also use it to capture baddies. I know, it's great. And because of the way that the projection works, you could also, in theory, capture a baddie and then just let them loose off a cliff and watch them drop. You're right. It's very convenient. Oh my gosh.

Okay. So, you have a crystal? You've set a wolf on a path? Where are we going next? Where are you going now? You're home, I imagine. We need to... Oh, yes.

What's our to do list? Oh, you know, we have to worry about it. We can... It's fine. Fire Ashari did. Wait, wait, wait. What are the things that we need to do, right? We need to check in on...

Cobalt Reserve, Ashari. Grog's family. Did we already take care of Issa's mate Frost-wield? No. But that's down... That's the other vestige, correct? Yes, that's over by Grog's family. There's information about the vestiges.

the vestiges. We need to steal an airship. I agree. That's still very... I'm the list. I can't remember where, what... They were by Craghammer. Thank you. I have a terrible hiccups. What about... We need to find Kaylee at some point. We also need to... Who's gone? Where's Key? Where's people? Allura should be here in like a day. She should be here very soon. What's close to here?

Nothing's close. We're specifically for. far away from everything. But we can go wherever we want as long as we've been there before. Well, we should definitely go to like the Fire Ashari. We should go to Fire Ashari. Oh, God, I'm immediately nauseous. Well, that's two of us. Oh, Trinket, buddy.

What time is it? It's still with the travel to and from, it's a little afternoon, like 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Okay, good. If we're going to go, do we need anything before we're going to go? Do we need anything before we leave? We got everything we need, potions and stuff? Pretty good. Want to buy some meat for your cooler?

Yeah, let's get some meat. It's pretty easy to go ahead and procure five gold of meat will fill that thing. Yeah. It's going to mark five gold off your paper. How much could I buy a medical kit somewhere? Yeah, you could find a general store and purchase a medical kit. How much is that?

Look that up right now. All right, whatever. I've got it. It's nifty that you have a book that tells you how much something like that costs. Imagine that. It's like it's a handbook of some kinds. Crazy. Does anyone have any fire resistant items?

He does. He does. Put it on. Put it on. Put it on. It would be like, uh. I have this black iron plate that I haven't used ever. While wearing this heavy plate armor, the bear gains resistance any fire damage.

I've gold. Oh, plate armor. None of us wearing a pike. Give that to Pike. Can not sterilize people? Statenylize people? If used with the medicine check, yeah. Okay.

Okay, I have this, which I can't wear. What is that? It's a purple and black robe. It was Lady Blyerwood's robes. What does it do? Clinges to nearby darkness as you walk. While wearing this robe, you gain resistance to piercing damage.

Anybody need pierce resistance that can wear robes? I'm pretty reasonable. Do I wear robes? Robs would be worn instead of your armor. No face. What about gloves of missile snaring? What does that do? Missile snaring?

What does that do? These gloves seem to almost meld into your hands when you don't them. And when a ranged weapon attack hits you, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1D10, plus your dexterity modifier, provided that you have a free hand. If you reduce the damage to zero, you can kill you to catch the missile if it's small enough to hold in that hand.

Does it require tuning? They're first leased. Yes. It requires two. No, it just requires one free hand. No, does it require tuning? Yes, it does. It requires a tune out at this point.

Anybody? I've got that could be cool for you, Scanlon. I think I can take it. What's your dex? Your dexterity is not very, actually, it might work out well for me, weirdly not. Are you fully a tune? Do you fully a tune?

I can undo something that I'm not using. Do we want to, Percy, you have access here in White Stone to alchemy supplies, correct? Matt, I have access to alchemy supplies here in White Stone, correct? I mean, there are elements of your initial workshop. Like I said, a lot of it's been cannibalized, but there are things can be pieced together. Plus, there was a lot of alchemical elements and tools that were utilized in the subterranean tunnels in tunnels as part of the refinement process for the white stones residual, the large vats of acid that were distilled by the briar woods, so they were here, and there are other

elements of their own tinkering and the alchemical arts that remain scattered throughout the castle. So yeah, like you can definitely find enough to tinker with if you want. I mean, we can take the rest of the evening and then I can attempt to make some fire push or some fire resist potions. I'm like, here's my thinking, right? Like, if we go after my herd, we're in for a fight. A big one.

If we go to your fire ashoree, we're like doing recon and hopefully learning something, right? Well, we're going to be in for a fight at the fire shari as well because there's a giant thunder in the fire plane, and last time I checked there were fire imps and elementals

pouring through the tear. Oh, that was bad? Yeah. They're annoying. We can, as long as were quick, we can go about it, I suppose. Well. What's our mission?

Yeah, what's our, I mean. We really want to get the rest of the testicles. We could theoretically see if there are survivors and I can attempt to close the terror in the plane. I don't know if I can do that. However, I don't know anyone else particularly more qualified to attempt it. What are we doing? What's happening? That bearded dude.

We're talking about the fire shari and possibly what to do there. I can either go and look for survivors and someone should probably close the tear. You know that feeling when you hear one interesting thing and suddenly you want to know more. Well, that's the idea behind my podcast, something you should know. Every episode starts with a question you've probably never thought to ask, like why people do or don't like you, why certain habits stick, or what everyday advice is actually wrong. I'm Mike Carruthers, and I talk with scientists, authors, and experts,

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In the fire plane. Should we wait for a lure then before we go? Well, if they're survivors, they might not be that way for very long if we don't go. They've been there for a while already. If there are survivors, then they've survived. Yeah, I agree. It's not going to be pretty. I know you don't want to go. I agree we don't. But we need to go. I say we take the rest of the day, make your potions. We leave first thing in the morning. Wait for Laura. I hope we should be here again. Maybe Laura will join us by tomorrow morning if we teleport over. Okay, you guys are going to rest for the evening?

Well, hold on. Is there like a house of entertainment? in Whitestone. I know it's just getting back on its feet, but, you know. There'd be a question more for Percival. Percy, I'm having a bit of a soul struggle, and I'm wondering if I might bend your ear for a moment. Sure. Yeah. Could I speak to you over here? Yes, of course. So, look, I want to get my freak on. I don't feel that way about you.

No, yeah, I'm sorry, but you're very attractive. It was very unclear. I really... So I know this is like your home and stuff and you might not have been like aware of it, but they have these houses with like... Oh, where you get your freak on? Yes. Yes.

Yes, we have them. Oh, good. Do you think they're still in order? Oh, I imagine so. Could you point me in that? No, I have no idea where they are. I just do know that they exist. I actually had things to do here.

I didn't have time for the other. Oh, no, yeah, me too. Important things. I was just thinking for Scanlan in case he gets bored, you know, you gotta keep them not focused. I wouldn't actually. I wouldn't actually know where any of these places were, would I? No, and those that did exist in this town have not been...

I figured as much, I just'm fucking with them. Okay. No. Oh, okay. I'll let Scanlan know. Just keep it between you and me, because he's very sensitive about these things. I... Secret is safe with my indifference. Oh. That's fine.

Well, my indif... I know you do. Yep. You're wonderful. Can I start telling this? to people in real life? Yes, you can. I do it all the time. All right, I'm good to rest.

Before we set off on this, is there anything closer or more pressing? I don't actually know why we're going to her place, but I'm fine with it. We're going to try to look for survivors and close the giant's hair in the fire plane. That evil, well not evil, just, you know, fiery entities are pouring into this realm. It's either that or we go Goliath hunting. That's next. But this is a quick, this is just something that we can just something that we can just. just knock off the list.

All right, let's knock it off. Sure, just check it off. Yeah, fair, see, just knock it off. Just check. Just check this. As we're walking through town, do I see any weaponsmith? Make an investigation check. I'll help you make the potions.

Okay. That'll help cut down on the time. Yeah. 21? There are two functional smiths left in the town. There were two more than that overall. Overall, they're more like blacksmithy and, you know, but they both unfortunately lost their lives in the insurrection. But there are two functional blacksmiths in this.

And one's nearby will pass through? A ten minute diversion. I'm splitting off the group. Okay. We've got to get out of here. One's in front of me now. You find your way to, and it's a small blacksmith. Most of it's outside, and the the day is growing a little late, you do see, looks to be an older gentleman, a long, tighter gray hair pulled into a very, very tight bun in the back, and a beard that's actually

tied off at the side, otherwise it would be hanging down in the middle of his work. He's wearing soot-covered clothes, big leather apron, leather gloves, and he's currently in the process of just, ping, png, turning over and hammering out a piece of orange glowing steel. Excuse me. Sorry, you interrupt. I have very simple requests. He doesn't stop. He just acknowledges your presence, but he's just still working while he's listening. I have six gold burning a hole in my pocket. I'm not looking for anything simple. Do you have a short sword?

Regular old short sword? That looks over at you. If that's what you're looking for on that wall over there, we've got two short swords. The difference between the two? Two. That I can see. But you can see? Yeah.

Interception check. Uh, 22. Looking over them both, consistent. No, they're both made with different hilt designs, different pommel designs. Their grips are a little different, other than that, the blades are pretty much identical. Grab one off the wall, I slap down six gold, which I know is way too much,

and say, thank you, sir. Pellor lives here, and I walk away. Okay, as you start walking away, he goes, Hey. Yeah? You're going to pay proper for that short sword. Oh, I'm sorry. How much does it cost?

12 gold pieces. My apologies. 12? 12 gold pieces, Fred. So I put down six, I put down another 14. I really apologize. I was just confused. It's all right, no arm or no foul.

Takes the gold and scoops it and puts it into his pouch. Have a good day. Now walk down the street going like, Peeh. It's much bigger than you're used to, but it's got to find balance to it. It's well made. All right, so as you guys have all right,

We're going to make our potions? Yes, yes. All right, so. I have another question. What is your other question? Before we all go to bed tonight, can we get like a thuck ton of the green stone under white stone? There's really not a lot of it. Say like a thousand dollars worth and maybe have like a real nice hero's feast before tomorrow.

Why is this book? Or in the morning? Hero's breakfast. I got to do it at night because I have to treat stride in the mom. You can choose either to create the potion or to mine the residual from the evening. You cannot do both. Both are time. I'd like to pull that material from, most of it that remains, has been already embedded within Ziggurat beneath. Tell you what. You would have to actually physically chip it from the structure. I have a plan, Keelith. Yes.

We will cover the thousand gold in our own party funds and have someone here, mine some shit for us and give it to us later. I like that plan. Yeah. Sounds good to me. How about the wolf? So potions. Percival, do you have people here that can mine?

Looking for work, people. Yeah, sure, why not? I'll let them know that they should start trying to pull the residual out of the wall, but it's dangerous down there. Tampering with it is. definitely should be taken, should be ginger. It would just try and keep everything ginger down there. So maybe we should take a thousand gold just from your family stores then, huh?

We're... They might be smarter. We currently have a thousand gold from my family stores that are in the group treasury at the moment. Oh, we too, no, it was just 500. I feel like it was more than that. No, it was just 500. Hey, Dorolo, do you remember what happened yesterday?

He's not there. Isn't he though? I was going to do such a nice thing to you, but never mind now. No, no, no, do something really nice. You're ready to buy a short short short. No, never mind. You went to buy a short sword. I don't know.

True, dear, dear, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Do nice things, all right. I'm trying to be gentle at my family right now. They're taking on an awful lot. You're right. They're taking on so many people. And we'll see what we can do. I'd like to think you hear me in your mind.

Always fucking hear you in my mind. Let's just use the dad-party in the amazing. It's fun, do it. This is a really important feast. Kind of busy making potions. All right. All right. So you prepare Hero's Feast before you begin this potion creation process.

Is that what I'm going to understand or not? Can I make some potions and like, you know, I make dinner for us before we go to bed? It's going to take you about the length of a day to create the potion with his help. with his help, it takes it to about half, so it'll be about 12 hours of... So there's no sleep. Eight to 12 hours. So... Pick one.

Pick one. I'll do a damn feast. No potion? Nice. You can do the potion as well. The feast only takes a moment to cast. Alright, okay. Yeah. I'm just saying be aware that you guys will probably have, if you want to get a full rest after that potion creation process, you're going to have to wait to like this time tomorrow, like late in the day to make your journey.

Which is fine. to be patient about it. Sure. Yes, no. Say one. Just say one. Yeah, let's do it. Let's do it.

Let's go and prepare and then we can always rest on that side. Cool. For a fine, fine dinner. Just want to make sure we feast right before we leave so that it's most useful. All right, so you, everyone else goes to sleep while you and Percy work tire of the seats for the night. If I could have you... Just for the sake of it.

I want you to go ahead make her eye on top. Come on Arcana. Do I get advantage because I got my little, am I skilled in alchemy? I'm skilled in alchemy. Yeah. Oh, you are, no mind. Go ahead do that. Oh, there, arrows I forgot.

So I, so I... Proficiency bonus. Are you proficient in alchemy? Yeah. Yeah, so use a proficiency bonus, and for this use intellect modifier. Okay. Inelect which stills are opposed to seven. Do I have a bit?

Ooh. I ruled a natural 19. Okay. We'll say for the fair cost of reduced to the roll, 450 gold pieces. You create a potion of resistance of your choice of resistance. Just one? Just one. It's a long time, man.

Fire! Fire. All right, you create a potion of fire resistance. The materials cost you 450 gold to create. You finish it by about sunrise the next day. Everyone else begins slowly waking up after the night's rest as you guys both bags into your eyes. Bagged into your eyes. Oh, that was a good night sleep.

Oh, seriously. What? Oh, God! Oh, you snuck up on me. Could you make me some tea real quick? Scanlan. What? Go fuck yourself.

What? You were up before me, I thought. All right. All right, this is fine. This is fine. This is good. This is great. Yes.

You're doing a Heroes Feast for breakfast then? Is that how it's working there? I'll take it out. I'll cook breakfast guys good morning good morning why don't you sleep during the day we'll all take our feast to then blast off at night because I have to teleport and cooking this feast are both six level spells and I can only do one of those a day man it's hard being a druid can anybody else make a feast that's here pike pike Pike with Gilmore she's not here I miss Pike do it's

I cook breakfast No, I'll cook breakfast. No, I won't have breakfast. That's the good idea for you to not cook breakfast. What's the plan? I'm cooking breakfast! Are you cooking breakfast or are you summoning breakfast? That's my question. Are you summoning breakfast and then you're sleeping and then we're leaving?

Yes, I'm summoning breakfast and then I'm sleeping. Okay. Okay. That's what I was wondering. We got the answer. Okay, cool. All right, we're going. Sorry. I felt like that was clear.

Today's been a slug. All right, so you go ahead and you use Heroes Feast, Heroes Feast, summoning forth a fantastical breakfast meal filled with coffee and eggs and everything you would hope for of the finest materials. You guys finish. Fruit Loops. Sure, fruit loops is on the menu. Lucky. Lucky. Lucky. No, lucky charms. Sorry. Those aren't available on the Del Doris. But yeah, so all you guys take an hour to finish devouring this. You finish your meal. All you guys get 2D10 hit point maximum increase to your hit points.

Ooh, greens, greens. And immune to poison, frightened, and you have all wisdom-saving throws have advantage. Damn! Advantage on wisdom? Yes. The usual wisdom? Almost broke. Then.

And you're immune to fear, right? Immune to fear, poison, and what else? You get advantage on wisdom and saving throws. Okay. After which, Percy and Keelith pretty much fall asleep at the table as it vanishes, and they both collapse to the ground. and they both collapsed to the ground, eggs out of the corner of the mouth. Eventually, they make themselves back up to sleep, and the rest of you guys compete around for the remainder of the day while they get their full rest. It now comes to at the end of that eight-hour

period of time. I'd say about three, four in the afternoon before they finally wake up. You've restored your spells. Yay! And the rest of you are ready to go back your room. Go, let's go, let's go! Let's go! Well, they're sleeping, right? Mm-hmm. I take Scanlon and I take Scan on a outside. Okay. Oi. Hey, buddy. Hey, friendo. Yeah. What's up? We don't talk a lot. Well, we start too and then you leave the room, usually. I don't, I don't handle confrontation, personal, emotional confrontation very well. It's okay. I walk away. Oh, shit. Then I come back, right? No, no, no, it's perfect.

Just kidding. Where'd you go? Just kidding. Just kidding. It's just kidding. Um... You'll pull up a chair, sit down. I want to ask you something.

I'm already as low as I can go. You're right. Um, how do you do it? How do I do what? How do you do it? You're risking your life as much as anyone in this group. You're almost dying every day. Two.

You fucking smiling all the time. The two thing. How do you do it? I'm kind of asking his lean to Sam as well, but mostly is Vax Askellen. How do you do it? You almost died yesterday as well, or two days ago. Why do you do it?

Vax, I don't know. I mean, I just, I like you people, okay? Everything before this was not as good. This is better. That's why. It's very simple. simple. You had a shitty childhood, didn't you? You and the sister. I think Grog had some troubles. We've all had our share of shit before we all met. Now we're together. We're a family. This is better. That's how I smile. It's better than it was before. That's it.

Probably going to die in the next month. Yes, but it's fun while it lasts. I thought I might. Glean some wisdom? Yeah, but I'm just as confused as before. Listen, I'm older than you, a bit. I've seen more than you have. And it's all shitty, so it just depends on how you look at it. You can dwell on the shit,

or you can just leave it behind in people's beds and keep going. Oh, God, that works on too deep. It was too deep. It's too deep. Water under the bridge. Popper's deck is coming. I walk away. All right.

As you regather your will, path chosen, Kila, do you wish to prepare the transportation spell? Yeah. Let's do this. All right. All of you gather, find your way down. to the sun tree, the center of the town. At this point, it's later afternoon. You've been accustomed these past few days of taking action right around dusk, and as the sky turns

from a blue to a bit of an orangeish hue, you all find yourselves ready to transition back over to the continent of Osiria. Let's go. To the sun tree. All right. To the sun tree. Kila steps forward, touches her hand to this Sun Tree completes sentimental incantation and you watch the trunk once again tear open into the somewhat oval walkway into the tree itself on the opposite side. What's your destination? Oh God. As close as I can get to the fire ashari, I guess. Okay. You recall passing through there, there were a number of trees towards the base

of the mountain that were, they were starting to grow petrified from the proximity of the ash that constantly falls from the sky. They died a long time ago and slowly began to petrify. As the portal opens up on the opposite side, you can see beyond that the dark rock that formulates that mountain range. At the same time, you can see a dull orange glow and you all begin to step through in rapid succession. Trinket racing up after effects. All of you find yourself stepping out the other side, at which point you look up and you can see the pathway that you took towards the top of the mountain where the fire shari called Paira, where they maintain their ever-vigilant watch on the tear into the fire elemental plane. What you do notice immediately is that the

path that you took initially is no longer a simple walkway. There is a simple walkway. There is against the now very dark sky, this side of the realm itself. Actually, actually, wait, actually no. Sorry, at this point you've actually beaten the sun. Oh, you've gained a few hours. Yeah, you guys have gained a few hours. Nice. Awesome. So it's still light in the sky from other parts in the distance.

However, there is a perpetual dark cloud of smoke and actual storm cloud gathering across this mountain range. As you recall, the first time you were here, that's kind of the nature of pirates, it's always kind of under this thick, heavy, soot and ash-filled cloud cover. The pathway that winds up the mountain, though, is instead a glowing orange mass of slowly dribbling molten rock that has filled that entire walkway. And it has come to rest at the base of the mountain where it has gathered and begun to cool. You guys are hundreds of feet off from this point as you've kind of stepped out of the tree. However, where you see the

the molten rock has reached the base of the mountain, it's cooled and formed into solid rock at its base, and you start seeing flashes of the orange turning dark. In another section, it turns dark from the opposite side. And then a few moments passed, and you could see the orange at the next section out of like 10-foot segments. It's almost like going dark and hardening on its own. You get the sense that your arrival did not trigger this more than it has been happening since before you arrived. Do a nature check to figure out what's up? Sure.

This would be a perception check to see if you can ascertain. 16. 16. It's difficult to make it this distance, but you can see along portions of the jagged mountainside would look to be a collection of small figures that are making their way up the mountain. and their slow ascent is met with the lava flow cooling in sections. Do they look like people, like humanoids? It's hard to tell at this distance. They look human-ish, human-o-ish.

I attempt to use the optics on my gun to get a better look at them. Sure. You go make perception check. Um, uh, 18. 18. Humanoid? A little bit of a clear look through. They do appear. to be humanoid. You do see two arms, two legs. You can't gauge size comparison from this distance. How far? At this point, they're probably a good 800 feet up the mountain. Oh, okay. Eight hundred feet? Are they dressed like the Ashari that I've met?

From what you can make out, their color palette shifts. There are reds and browns. There are also, like, some stand out as like an aquamarine white. The Ashari you saw were a pretty consistent color palette. This is a little more varied. I don't know who these people are. It could still be Ashari just in their elemental farms. Are there any birds around? Do I look up to see birds in the sky?

There are no birds in the sky. Unfortunately, because of the nature of this area, especially as the oppressive fume, fumes and dust continue to pour off from the top of the caldera, this mountain range it has made it not fitting for any sort of aerial life that you're used to seeing. You glance around for about a minute or two and you don't see any sort of bird life in the air. Did the ground cool when they were walking? Could we follow them up? We should. Stay far behind. Let's go quietly. Stealth. I cast pass without a trace on all of us. Okay. Everyone makes stealth check.

Booting, Trinkin. Nice. Move. You don't want to put them in the thing? You could. Okay. Try it out. I put it on a string so I can put it around my neck because it's a necklace because it's cooler that way.

Well, has a chain on it, that it came later. It's got a chain on it, so it's around my neck. It's got a chain and a string now. Chain and string. The string so you don't forget. You trigger the necklace, pointing it in the direction of Trinket, and once you can trick it is absorbed into the crystal, vanishing within the inside.

All right. 17. 17. Pass without traces. That's 10. I rolled shitty. 30. 35.

32. 29. 25. Okay. You guys begin making your trek up. Are you kind of, how are you going up the mountain? Are you scaling the cold flow? Yeah.

That's probably the safest route given the fact that most of the other side of the mountain range itself is pretty jagged and elements of it because of the formation of this giant volcanic caldera. There are portions of broken stone and what looks almost like obsidian glass that kind of sticks out the side. As we're like walking up, I kind of fall behind and I just slip-vax the potion of fire protection. Go on. All right. You guys continue in pace with this, eventually, and make another perception check. Oh, much better. That's a natural 19. Oh, 30. 30, okay. Looking up, as this cluster of individuals makes their way towards the very top of the mountain, seemingly not taking sight of your traveling group, you're beginning to see the nature of each section of this flow cooling. And what you're seeing is the group will move up a bit, stop, and there appears to be a burst of sometimes it looks like just very, very strong wind.

Sometimes it looks like a very, very localized sleet storm that is brought against the side of the mountain and is actually forcefully cooling the flow down temporarily, at least in those sections before it begins to spill over and continue its slow molten descent, but they're doing their best to continue to kind of force it back up the mountain. Those are druids. They're druids. I cast skyrate in the clouds above us and the smoke. And I write...

So how are you guys doing up there? Bye! Hi! Hey, you guys! I ranked in druidic symbols, Kielas Kaitiake. Is that her? Okay. That's it.

You notice the pace in which this group has ascended comes to a halt, the very, very top of the mountain range where it ends, and there's a slight pause before the clouds shift a second time. And it says, from what you understand, Kaitiake, survivors remain, Kiela. And I respond with help has arrived. Texting? Yeah. Duryrd texting. What are he saying?

Stop looking at your phone. What are they saying? Why don't we just go over there and talk to them? They're survivors. Well, let's go. Are they nice? They're survivors. What does it matter? Oh, we go.

Let's go. Let's go. Double time. And I tell them, you know, arriving, stand down, or, you know, here we come. Lull. Winky face. As we travel, as we travel, that was too out of it to respond, and she's way ahead.

I take the potion that Keyloff gave to me, because she didn't, I've got the David Bowie armor on now. armor on now. You did don't it? Yes, yeah, before going to bed. Oh, you did. I take this potion and I press it into Vex's hand. Not long, it's hot. Okay. All right, I'm just going to take you. What was your choice of resistance? I see it was fine. Okay. All right, as you guys progress up, and it is, you know, it is still a relatively steep incline and you're all kind of having to work together to

find handholds and it is very arduous, physically getting up there. I would like to everyone to go ahead and make a Constitution saving throw? Oh shit. A Constitution? Yes. Oh, do we get advantage because of the... No, that's only wisdom. Yeah, wisdom.

Come on, Colville meteorite dye. 17. I'm so weak. Come on, Jade. Natural 20! Oh, you move like a... Thank you, Matthew Colville. I'm rolling my giant jade dies because it's green. Way to announce it.

Oh, that's a... That's six. They're fucked. Six. 20. 13. Five. Okay.

As you guys begin to get portion of the mountain, the proximity of the heat from the, because the exterior of the rock is cooled but still molten beneath in their parts, so they're still kind of cracking open and bits of the heat are still pouring through. Plus the general physical exertion from the not very hearty physiques of both Vex and Scanlan, you both suffer one level of exhaustion from the ascents. from the ascent of this mountain. Oh, trinkets in a thing. He's not worried at all. I don't actually know what one little of exhaustion is. You have...

You have disadvantage on ability checks. It's like all your skill checks right now until your next long rest are a disadvantage. Those of exhaustion, but... Advantage. I'm not saving. However, as you guys are approaching towards the top, you can see now the...

The humanoids that were the top of this mountain crest have been since kind of keeping the flow at bay, and each time against a crest over again, and continue its flow, it's blasted again from the side and cools. And it's been able to building this very, very slow, gradual. I kind of just use my cantrip gust and kind of cool areas alongside as we, you know, send them on. You glance up and you now have a better view of this group.

And what you do see ahead of you, specifically, Kielith, appears to be a cluster about eight or so fire ashari dressed individuals. You can't make out their physical. details yet, along with five other entities that are dressed in the colors investments of those from Zepra. Oh, shit! Okay. What's the matter? What's happening?

Ha! I just run. Run up. Keelis goes running up. You said seven or eight from Zepra? From Zepra? There are five from Zephyra. Are we just going to follow it? Yeah, I'm breaking out of stealth.

I'm not anymore. Okay. Yeah, no. Okay, you guys are going to... We're running now. I've still... I walk. It's still like a...

I'm pretty tired. You and me. You can't care of me. Cardio. God. Okay, it takes a while to get up there. As you guys begin to approach, a little bit behind Kieleth, and you look, you see the only two notable fire ashari that you see there are Nistoin, which is...

which is a human female that you saw was one of the four that I first greeted you as you approached Pyro when you got to the mountain top. She looks a little rough, but she's definitely in one piece. The other one that's greet you immediately, you recognize as Flamespeaker Serconis. Ha! Who currently does not have his right arm. It is charred and is through some semblance of flame carterized where he no longer has a shoulder and part of his torso. It's just black, massive burnt skin, probably intentionally. But as you approach, he kind of puts his hand up and goes, Hail, Kilith. Hail. Psychonist. And I just run up and give him a hug. He kind of just pats you in the back and there's a cold as to his look, his expression. You can see in just a brief instant, though there is strength and determination, there is a moment as he looks in your face that you can see the sorrow of losing most of his people.

I just look back at him and I just say I'm so sorry. This is not your fault. We had this coming. We are the able-bodied few you see. Are these all that have survived? We are 25 living. The rest reside at the base of the mountain. To be watched. Or are the watchers. That our attrition is of our own making. We hoped outsiders too long ago. What?

What do you mean, like, how long ago? 12, 15 years? We hope to seal a Drake in this rift. Thorac. That is the name they call him. We hope to bring and bind the beast to this rift, sealing within it the heart of a primordial flame. One of the few pure essence crystals of our plane.

Such a binding were not allowed to leave. It is a punishment for the most terrible of evil said the Ashari take under the order. We carved from the crystal in bind. This beast was too strong and took the entire crystal. But it seemed enough. It seemed enough. Asarconis, it's not your fault. There are greater forces at work here, beyond us.

You know, it's something that I am desperate, I am desperately trying to reassure myself of every day. And a voice kind of comes up from over the mountain range. Kind of raspy, older and with a casual importance to it, it says. So are you claiming some semblance of dealing with this? As it steps over, the face looks down with recognition. My God, Kielith. Who are you?

I just look up and see, long, silver-haired, half-elf in later years, dressed in the blue and white robes of the Areshaari. You see before you, Khorin, your father. You live. He just steps forward and goes in, as you've stepped away from Sir Kronotius takes you in his arms and holds you extremely tight against him. I'm sorry, I didn't check in sooner. I didn't want you to be disappointed.

She puts his finger up to her lips and pulls you back and just kind of looks you over and with a smile on his face. You see the hardness of his expression fade. Kieleth, you've grown. What's happened? Just like her. I haven't found mom. Her path was her own.

I'm just glad that you have maintained yours. He wipes the tear from your faces. How goes the arremente? She's kicking ass. You kind of like, as though at the corner of his eye. We were called not by it a day ago by the surviving pyra.

Told of the angry mountain and the terrible Drake that sundered the rift. I helmed the team while the majority of our people stayed to keep Saffra cloaked and safe from the marauding beast. We've only just made our way up the mountain. Your arrival is quite fortuitous, as we need all the help we can get.

How can we be of assistance? Uh, come. Let's see what remains of Pyra. He turns around and walks back over towards the top of the mountain. Daddy. He stops, looks over his shoulder towards you. Yes. It's good to see you again, Father.

It's good to see you as well, daughter. Now come, show me what you've learned. I look back to walking. The rest of the Fire Ashari stand up. Can have acknowledged and recognize those of you that stand here. could stand here before, visiting once before. Sir Conos looks about. You show strength and honor by coming here. No time of need. This will not be forgotten. Now come. As you fall them up over the top of the mountain, you see once again before you the caldera of this once volcanic

mountain has been blown apart in areas. You can see sections of large black stone that are now pushed up into jagged obelisks where once was a relatively smooth, blackened shale countryside. You can see there are pits of molten rock that have just been punched through the floor and have just gathered in these pools where the air above is slowly shifting and warped by the heat that is now released above the mountaintop. The flow of lava that descends down the side of this mountain continues and swells and heads inward towards the cinder grove. The cinder grove, from what you can see from this distance, is but a fraction of what was once there.

Most of the trees now torn apart and scattered amongst the top of this mountain. You can see bits and pieces of the various petrified trees just thrown hundreds of feet from the center. There are still standing defiant trees amongst what once was the sooner grove, but they are very sparse. Many of them now blackened by what you can see

in the very distance beyond the broken huts and homes. that once held the Pira, you see the distant, moving, glowing dots of various elemental energies spiraling outward from a very large central red rift that sits there pulsing and pulsing with bright, almost sunlight energy. It's like staring into the sun at the very, very zenith of its movement. You have to avert your eyes, even staring towards this rift. Now a good 30, 40 feet taller than it was when you last returned here. What was once was once in the sun was at the very, very zenith of its movement, you have to avert your eyes, the portal in the ground has now ruptured and is emerging, slowly piercing out of the top

of this mountain. Undaunted. Your father, the other Ashari, continue walking forward with no words. Kind of rush forward a little bit to talk to him. Your Majesty? I want to help. We all want to help as much as possible. But I don't know any magic. Most of us don't. Are we going to be able to do anything? Well, I certainly hope so. If you've survived this long with my daughter, you've picked up a few tricks. Well, that I have. Father, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for these people. They're the most capable that I know. This is good, because that's who we need right now.

Do you, um, however, in... Since we're druids, we're a little bit more, you know, geared. prepared to deal with the fire. I can cast protection from energy on a couple of these people, if you wouldn't mind. Maybe grabbing the other two. Might I can. Can I cast protection from fire on Percy? You have it, you have it. Do you have it? I don't, I really don't even know what I'm going to do here. Well, it's going to protect you from fire.

How old. Okay. Scanlan. Hit me, babe. I'll do Percy and Scanlan. Father, can you? Well, it's a concentration spell, so you can really have one person going, and that's your concentration. You only have one person going.

Yep. Well, good. I think I could cast it at higher levels. Can I cast it higher levels? I can't do that with this one. Don't do that. Do Scandland. No, I'm fine.

Don't worry about me. We'll be fine. Just make us all clouds. Well, that's good. I'm going to cast it on myself for starting. because I want it. All right. So I'm going to cast protection from fighter on myself.

What does that potion of fire resistance do? Haves. The safety? Haves. Fire much. Okay. That's resistance. Right.

As the cluster, you begin stepping deeper into the caldera, you begin to approach the outskirts, the remnants of the pirate tribes' homestead. You can see where... Most of it has been either completely burnt to a cinder or just lies tattered by some great force, just shattered. And you start, as you're walking through, you can see where the landscape itself, all the jagged bits of black obsidian glass,

or shooting up out of the ground, and there's broken pieces of the dark rock and volcanic material. And it isn't until your eyes begin to focus that you realize that elements of this rock is not rock at all, but the twisted and charred remains of the pyra that didn't escape in time. blending in with the ground landscape surrounding. The rest of the Ashari just continue pushing forward, not taking notice, focused. As before

you can see the rift still blinking ever bright in the center of the remains of the cinder grove. I turn and I look at them and just nod and follow in my people's footsteps. And that's what we'll end tonight session? 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.

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