Critical Role & Sagas of Sundry - Vox Machina Ep. 50 - Best Laid Plans...

Episode Date: January 10, 2022

Happy 50th episode everybody! Grog has a sword problem and the group stages an intervention, after which they begin to plan their attack on the Goliaths currently pillaging Westrunn. Everything is going to go great.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Insurance isn't one-size-fits-all, and shopping for it shouldn't feel like squeezing into something that just doesn't fit. That's why drivers have enjoyed progressives' name-your-price tool for years. With the name-your-price tool, you tell them what you want to pay, and they show you options that fit your budget. Enough hunting for discounts, trying to calculate rates, and tinkering with coverages. Maybe you're picking out your very first policy. Or maybe you're just looking for something that works better for you and your family. Either way, they make it simple to see your options. No guesswork, no surprises.

Ready to see how easy and fun shopping for car insurance can be? Visit progressive.com and give the name your price tool a try. Take the stress out of shopping and find coverage that fits your life on your terms. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. Writing the script for that and going like, we're going to have to cut all this, and then we didn't. I'm so happy.

Only because we ran out of time. We're like, well, we gotta do it. Make it work. No, there's no time to like do anything else other than this event. We can't cut the tentacle creature. I don't know, how we'll do it, but it's in there. It was just stupid.

But anyway, so let's go ahead and bring us back into the realm of Exandria and catch us up to what happened last time. So, Bogz Machina, group of adventurers, currently on the path to try and usurp and destroy the chroma conclave, a collection of chromatic dragons that have torn through Tal'Dore and currently reigns supreme over the partially ruined cities that dot the landscape, the largest of them, and apparently the leader, Thoradak of the

Cinder King, Thoradac the Cinder King, that's been a long day. Sitting in the main city of Amman, forcing you guys to flee, you've currently gone about and discovered these artifacts, these legendary items known as the vestiges of divergence, ancient magical weapons and equipment from the last great war, the divergence. And these seem to be a key in which you can ascertain a level of power and a means of destroying these creatures. Upon seeking information about these, you traveled south of the Frostwales, where you battled a camp of orcs, freeing survivors from Western's attack, and managed to walk your way into the deep den of a forgotten Ayn temple, where Ossesia,

the Sphinx's mate resides. After traversing past traps and puzzles, you made your way to the main chamber in which the nameless Sphinx demanded you, reveal that you have earned its name. During this battle, you traveled through portals to other elemental realms to seek out the information to hopefully devise the title of this Sphinx

before it was too late. During which Grog had leapt through, if I recall, one of these portals into the elemental plane of air, set adrift without a means of returning, took his chain of returning, attached it to Craven Edge, and threw it through the portal. It found purchase, and you pulled yourself through, face-to-face to Pike with the blade embedded in her abdomen. The weapon, which had achieved its maximum strength potential of devouring the essence of others transformed during this battle and has been in its rather intense and dangerous form since. You guys managed to discover peace together the name of the Sphinx, at which

point the battle ended and it presented to you the information you required. It gave you the information of the vestiges that still exist to its knowledge, and you were escorted via immediate sandstorm out of the temple and now stand at the edge of the Stormcrest Mountains and the Frostfield Forest itself. So, you all So I'll take a moment to kind of gather your thoughts, think over what just transpired, and think on your next course of action. Well, I want that bow. I heard a few things that seemed very desirable.

Well. How is Pike? Yeah. Pike, are you alive? I, yes. He healed us all up before we left, right? He healed us all up before we left, right? Oh, we did.

That's right. Yes, I'm fine, I'm fine. Healed from a couple of spells that were cast at the time, you haven't had a rest. Some of us are still older, right? Some of us are still older. Indeed. Is your stomach closed? Yeah.

If you go and inspect the armor itself, the plates that separated and kind of scraped from the impact of Craven Edge's blade, the wound itself seems to have at least stopped bleeding as part of the healing magic and the wound has closed, though you are still in a relatively damaged state post-battle. You guys haven't had really a moment to... recover and heal what you could. She seems to be okay. There's still that lingering sweat from the stress and the impact of the blade, but nothing seems to be mortally endangered about her current state. Do you need a moment? Do you need to speak to Sarin, right? I think I'm okay. Do I know what hit points I'm at?

Yes. You're at... After hearing, it was at 60.20. Oh, I'm doing it. I'm doing it okay. What time is it? Right now, from the time I took you guys to go through the temple, it's, and the strangeness that is the shift of time around the temple, it's probably midday. Oh.

Like, pretty much the same time you entered the temple. Oh. I'm really sorry about that. Hey, it's okay, Grog. Yeah. I know you didn't mean to. No, no, I didn't. I was like floating away. You should have seen me inside.

It's just like wind everywhere. It sounds pretty crazy. Yeah. And I was like, oh, what would my buddy pipe do? She would take the sword and attach a chain to it, throw it through the door. And then you were there. It's okay, Grog. I'll be fine. Yeah, but you're my best buddy. Oh, Grog.

Do you want one of my healing potions? Are you sure you're all right? No, I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be okay. I think if we just... I'm excited to see you guys. I'm gonna be okay, I'm gonna be okay. Yeah. Are we taking a rest?

I don't know how many. It's mid-day, but. I think a short rest would not be a terrible idea. How many, I don't know. I kind of don't think this is actually the time of day. It seems, I don't think nature works the same around this temple. What do you mean? Like, it's magic time of day.

Kind of like, but it's like always magic time of day. So maybe we should hang out in the mouth of the cave and take a short rest. I'm all right with that. Yes? I would be okay with that. We'll talk about our game plan a little bit. Yeah.

Ashley, you've used fifth level spell. How many fourth level spells do you have? Because you used two, I believe. Three fourth level. So you have one left. Maybe we should take a long list. We could just try and hoof it home. I think we start moving in that direction.

and when nightfall comes, we make care of like towards a cancer. Short rest is not a terrible. Unless I was healed and I don't remember being healed, I'm at 11 health points. So I'm kind of feeling a little sore. Oh gosh, we're talking about... We're talking about... Well, I thought she was the one that he dumped.

He healed me back to my age. Yeah, the aging effect was restored. She's fucking wrong. Only to her, the rest of you are still aged up. aged up based on the effect of the layer of the space. But that's something we're gonna have to like restoration away. Please, I'm handsome as fuck right now. Come on.

Did you get a fine wine? Yeah, I got each. Can I? Can I do greater restoration? Can you do greater restoration on a group? I know on an individual each time. Who is the oldest? Well, she was.

I was and he healed me. Well, typically Scanlan is the oldest, but I've been aged most, maybe. He's really fucking old, right now. Look at all those wrinkles. How old are the old thing, actually? If I recall, you age close to roughly around 20 to 20 to 25 years. I mean, you look like a fine wine. You just got through age.

I knew that this was coming. I just thought I had more years until it happened. The gray looks great on you, you know? Salt pepper. You should really look at this as a nice kind of peek into the future. It's not bad. Bad. Yeah, so.

Would you like to be younger? Young again? Would you like to be young again? It's probably a good idea. Alright. Now a warning. Are you sure you want to do it, Pike? Are you sure?

Now a warning? You could do it tomorrow, could you take care of my sister first, Pike? Yes, we need to get you into, not in better order, okay? All right. Where are we out here? Oh, I don't cast that. Give her the works. Okay. So we are taking a short rest? Yeah. I'm going to go ahead and burn a couple of kids.

Shorty rest and then we'll walk. Okay, everyone taking short rest? Yeah. Yes. Yes? Yes. I'm going to heal her up. Okay, go more. I mean, I can roll my own details. Don't know, no, no, no. All right. Oh, really? So I lose all the buffs, right? Oh my God.

Here's what happens. So as you guys are taking a rest, you kind of stay. step up a little bit away from the group, sit down, and just kind of hold the blade, chain still attached across your lap, and just kind of look down at it. And you can see it's like still pulsing with the power of all the life energy that it had taken before. And as you take a moment and kind of see the wounds and relax and kind of recover from the intense rage and all the emotional pain that's transpired here, the blade begins to shrink. You hear the slight crackle as the metal begins to creak and pull backward, all the jagged

edges pulling into the central, singular curved blade in front of it. As it hits, it seems to almost shrink slightly smaller than it was before. The metal creaks for a second, and a voice in your head goes, make a constitution saving throw. Oh, shit. I just have to steal his strength. That's roll 20. What? What?

Eat a sword. For but a moment you sense a very similar feeling, one that it's been really since the battle with Kavarn when all of the light in the world vanished for a second and darkness took your consciousness. And that same cold sensation, it starts to stem from the blade itself, like it's actually trying to pull you into it and you resist it. And you stand there and look at the blade and it's just, comparison to its larger form, it looks small. It's the same size it was since you originally got it, but you look at it there and this long, still silence, as you try and conjecture what

just transpired. And in that silence, you hear the voice once again go, What? What? You're talking to, Grog. I'm so hungry. My stomach's wrong. Yeah, or maybe I'm just... We have a cold pack of food? We do and we have some boar meat. Yeah, sure.

Or some chicken? Yeah, I did, I think I did take... Yeah, I took some chicken. As you open the freezer in the chest, there's a pf of chicken scented smoke and mist that vanishes. Oh, the chicken, we can't take it. That's okay, I've got boar meat. Do you want to feed your stomach the bull? What? My stomach?

Yeah, are you hungry? Yeah, I mean, I would not turn down some delicious bull. All right, sure, I'm off. I'll mark it down to half the bore meat is gone now, you guys. Wow, he's a big eater. There was a whole boar. Well, he's a big guy. You're a good hunter, though.

It's not really interesting. Well? I get some more bored if we have to. Oh, we rest. If we're resting, are we going to set off again? Yeah. You guys need your hit dice if you want to heal up. Do I get a level of exhaustion back or no?

Long rest for your exhaustion. Fuck. That sword is an asshole. Hmm. Be honest. That should have been a disadvantage. That should have been a disadvantage. Roll again.

Oh, fuck. No. Do it. What? You have to roll again? He's a exhausting. Yeah. Fuck.

No. You're lying. It's a one. You're lying! You are lying to me! What are the odds? Why are the odds? Like 5% and it ticked it the way.

Everybody roll for initiative. No joke though. As you guys finish your rest and you're all gathering the next stage of your advancement, you watch his grog stands up and starts walking into the snow, the forest, the blade out, top, top of the snow, the forest, the blade out, top of the top of the top of the and falls to one knee, then falls face first in the snow. I run over to him. We all run out, we run out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's still, he's cold, there are no signs of life.

Roll them over, roll him over. Grog. Stop him across the face. Yeah. Punch him across the face. Grog. Pike. I grab the sword and I take it off of his, away from him, off of his person. Okay. You pull the blade and you shove it off and the chain is still kind of attached to the side of his arm. You kind of have to pull, make a strength check. Use those gone with.

Oh yeah, 19. What do I? Would I roll the 20? Yes. I don't add four to it. 11. That's enough. You're pink!

And just pull the chain off of the side of his forearm. Toss the blade and it kind of skids to a stop in the snow, kind of cutting a shallow swath. through with a little bit of an embankment. Grog's still rolled on his back. Eye is just dead, lifeless. Okay. Pike, is it the sword? Is it the sword?

I feel like it's the sword. I mean, we all know that sword has been weird. Can you greater restoration? Yes, greater restoration. While she does greater restoration, I want to go over and break it. Don't break it.

Grab the sword and see, yeah. Actually, can I do like a, what? Don't break it. Don't break it. Why not? His soul could be inside of it. What do you mean his soul could be inside of it? I touched the sword, it spoke to me.

It wants, it craves strength from other beings. Wait, what do you mean? The sword spoke to you? Here's my question to you, what spells do you have? Okay, so short rest, what are we... Short rest isn't giving you any spells back. What level spells do you have still? I have a fifth level.

I have one fifth level, which is greater restoration. Right, you have greater restoration is an option there. What other spells do you have prepared? And care wounds? No. That's not going to do anything. Because from your knowledge and experience, greater restoration removes serious curses.

It removes avenues. Grog, though you are having a hard time coming to terms with it, and the back of your head is a part of you that knows that right now Grog in the snow is dead. Oh, no. Where can we take him? How can we take him? How can he be dead?

Can we take him to Gilmore? Can we take him to... Scanlan, what should I do with this sword? Don't break him. Should I cast something through it to try and purge whatever it is out of it? You could try to do greater restoration on the sword to see if that would somehow free the soul from it or... I can do like a sunbeam spell that's like a light spell. Who could we take him to?

Gilmore? Can we treat to Gilmore? Save your skills. Who would know anything about these? Can we go back in? Can we go back in? I don't, I didn't bring anything because we decided to hoof it. What about going back to Kamal?

I didn't bring a tour. transportation spell. No, but he's right inside the cave. What if he knows things? The sphinx. I'm going to grab the sword really quickly. You take a little bit of it. The sphinx.

I have heel. Yeah. We can go to the sphinx. Uh, heel restores damage, damaged flesh to living entities. I'm grabbing the sword. We go to the sphinx. I'm grabbing the sword and I'm

and I'm, and scandland, go back into the cave and go search for Kamal again. I'm grabbing the sword and taking it to a corner and just am going to say, and I'm going to stare at it for a second. Okay. You, as you, what are you doing? You're going to-

We and Scanlan takes light, and we go back in and try to find Kamal again. Okay, you guys cruise into the cavern and as you sit inside where the stairs were that led into the temple, solid stone. There is no sign of an entrance whatsoever to this temple. I have Revivify.

Okay. Learned? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Okay. Has it been enough time? I'm gonna whisper to this. You touch a creature that has died in like a minute. Within the last.

Last minute. Is it been a minute? It hasn't been a minute yet. It just did it, it just happened. It's really, it hasn't even been, it's barely been a minute. We all ran over. I wasn't even looking at my third levels. Ashley, go ahead and roll in initiative, check.

Oh, goodness. Okay. Can I whisper, can I assist with a whisper to the sword? Uh, sure. Can I inspire her? Sure. Okay. You do first.

I just hold her hand and I look in her eyes and I just, And I just say, please, Pike, please, please. I love him as much as you do. Take your D-10 if you want to go ahead and use that now or make this as part of the resurrection ritual, which we're now undergoing. Can I do this first? Just to see what is you're over here?

14. 14? Okay. You get to his body and his back rolled in the snow, looking up just as that window of time begins to fade for the measure to have any effect. You reach down and you grasp his cold muscle chest and you find the one singular thread, that little soul thread that's still connected to the essence of his eternal being that once resided within this corpse and you clutch onto it with the magic and hold onto it to begin this ritual. Who wishes to bring something to this ritual?

You have a hold of a thread right now. You need some... You need something stronger to keep him here. Yeah, stupid. I don't know it's frog. It's not stupid. Okay. Then I reach into the bag of holding and I get out Grog's cask of ale.

Okay. It's good, it's good, it's good, it's good. And what do you do with it? Um, pour it into his throat. Okay, I pour him a little in his mouth, just a little bit. Just a little taste of a choke. Reach her, when you grab the edge of his beard and pull his mouth open, just hanging limply, pull off the cork of the cask and then pouring it in,

and it kind of spills. down the side into the snow, darkening it around the sides of his head. It's hard his head so it doesn't like drown in it. Understood. Make a persuasion roll. This is so stressful. 16. Okay. Okay.

The ale seems to slide back into the throat and find its way in towards his stomach. There is no swallowing motion whatsoever, but it appears that at least it's not drowning him or blocking his airway. You're clutching onto the spirit here. You're trying to. You only have a few moments left before the magic is lost. Who wishes to... Well, that's going on. I walk off 30 feet away, and I'm holding my knees in the ground. Facing away. I know you are not what I want, but you are what we need. And I will put aside my reservations and so... It is too soon for him. We need him. It is needed. I will set aside my reservations and serve you. Please.

Go ahead and roll a religion check. 15. As you're looking up into the frozen boughs of the trees before you, a little bit of snow begins to fall from what was once the still air. It begins to dot the top of your face and touch your nose. And as the first cold, singular snowflake hits, your vision goes dark again. And in that darkness, you feel your breath go cold as well, and your whole body is locked in place like it can't move. And all you see is the white porcelain face of the Raven Queen step out of the darkness as her hand comes out and touches the side of your cheek. And a voice in your head, a familiar voice says, I believe that every death has its place. And the hand lets go and pulls back. Who wishes to make it make a little bit of the the third and final aid to this ritual. Have I already aided by inspiring Pike?

Well, if Pike wants to go ahead and make a role of some sort of attempt at this, that would help as part of the inspiration. But I can't help again. If you wish to do your own thing, you can. Just for extra, yeah. When the sword seemed to want power and strength, I don't know if it will help, but maybe if we gave Grog some extra strength, might help him to come back. So I will also, I'll whip, I have a potion of fire giant strength.

I could, I could cast an enhanceability spell. He has no abilities now, though. That's true. That's good. That's good. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna pour this potion of fire giant strength into his gullet. Okay. I hope it gives him some sort of strength. Go ahead make an archa check. Uh, 18. 18.

18, okay. As you pour the potion into his throat, the The somewhat thick, red, and yellowish compound that drips from it like a thicker molasses finds its way mingling with the ale currently in his gullet, you help try and kind of massage it down like feeding a pill to a dog. And as you do, you can see the veins around the shoulders instinctually affected by this. As the flesh itself, you know, the cells are still live. It's It's just the nervous system and all else that the lights are currently out on. You hope this is enough. And as you hold on to that singular thread of Grog's existence. Why is he taking a picture? Because he's a terrible person, that's why he's taking a picture.

It's really good or really bad. I know, yeah. It's really good or really bad. I can't hide. This is bullshit. As you're certainly staring at the sword. I was going to say something to it. What do you say to it? It'll be the last meal you ever eat, for as I will be You'll find an abyss so deep and so far you will never taste a drop pot again. And I'm not touching it. I touched it and put it down and let go and said that to it. The shadow begins to bleed from the blade and rise up with, seems almost like an incensed fury from your words. However, you also hear a raging scream, bellow from inside the blade,

a familiar yell, echoing and distant. I'll start summoning my own fucking. I'm not fucking intimidated by this shit. Your shadow begins to rise over your back as well, because it begins to coalesce these two black centers of dark energy facing off in wordless anger and lack of understanding. The arm of Grog's body grabs you by the throat and just starts clushing it as it lifts up and looks you in the face, eyes red with rage going Roll strength check. Oh my god.

Strength check. He's got 25 strength now. Disadvantage still? Yes. He's gonna crush my neck. Eleven. Eleven. He manages to close off the windpipe just for a short moment,

but in that time the red fades from his eyes and the first inhale of breath comes into Grog's chest and your vision clears. clears and the moment of confusion hits you as you look around and notice this tiny gnome in your grip, head beat red as you notice that your thumbs are pressed into his larynx. No, no, no. What'd you do to me? Nothing. What the fuck is that sword, Grog?

He gave you some ale. What's just happened? What's with you and gnomes today, man? I like gnomes, I don't know. What? Warma down here. Are we sure it's him? Scandlin.

Percy, are we sure it? I'm not. I'm far, I'm... I'll do a perception check to see if it's... Can I also do an inside as well? Can I assist him or do an inside as well? You make your own inside check. 17.

23. I love a whisper. I don't. How come he's getting a whisper and you're not getting a whisper? Hey you guys, check out those. How do you want to do this funny? I want to do this with great pain. This is so stressful.

Oh my god, you came back and Grog died. I want to go back. No, just now. Roll the one. In my classic like two minutes later, remembering the rules shit. It's good. That's right, because you got the third point at the end of that battle because you frenzied to that boss fight.

Grog, how many fingers am I holding up? Six. Nine. I think it's him. He's fine. All right. Oh my gosh. Grog, you died.

Holy shit. You were dead. You fell over dead. How many more of us are going to die? No, I didn't. Yes, you did. What? When?

Hike saved you. Where's your sword, Grog? My sword is... Where is my sword? Yeah, exactly. It's not your sword anymore. What you mean? Where is my...

Where's Cravenage? You sit up and glance over and you see about 15 feet from you set up against the bottom of a tree, the blade is currently being crouched over by Percy. His fingers tense, his shoulders and back arched and locked. And you see two shadow sources that are almost on their own subtle plane having a stare down. Shit. Hey. Hey, Percy. Percy. A little busy. Do you want to explain this, grog? Can we see what's going on? Can we

You guys look over and you see you see this happening yeah I'm black, mm-hmm well I mean he's obviously messing with other people's property and I walk over to the sword No no no no I run over and I block it I stand next to Percy and I block the sword What you yeah I walk over and I'm pulling out daggers and standing behind my sister Grog let it go This has been something on the tip of our tongue for weeks let it go whatever that thing is is fuck let it go No, but it's my sword. It was never your sword, was it, Grog?

I mean, Percy gave it to me, but it is hard. Percy gave it to you? Wait, Percy gave it to me. Yeah, yeah, he let him have it. That's wrong. Yeah, we trained it, fair and square. What did you say? A little busy.

Scanlan, what? That sort, Grog, that's... Listen, when I, when I experienced the sword, It was pretty cool. And it is a powerful, powerful weapon. But after seeing what it's just done to you, I don't think you can have it, man. Well, I'm still a bit fuzzy.

Look, I mean, you know, we fought the sphinx. You got like super gnarly. And then we took a little rest. And you, did you see it, it shrunk, bro? Grog, the sword pulled you into it. You were dead. Your soul was with whatever the fuck is in there now. Well, how did I get out of there? Pike Sage.

We brought you back. We, it was you, Pike. Oh, like just now? Yes. It was a group effort. Why do I taste ale and like whiskey? Because she gazed a little to bring you back. Don't you always?

That's just your... I didn't know if I'd thrown up in my mouth and like slowly. The shadow has now rescinded into the blade. Keeleth? Yes, Percy. I'm debating whether or not. to touch the sword, and I'm debating whether or not you should touch the sword. Nobody should touch the sword, person.

We have to move it. I've touched it before, and it was fine. I can touch it again. Well, I can try to, I feel like he's going to try to suck anybody. Well, what should we do with it? We should give it. Well, look, guys, I can carry it at least. No. No, you're not going to touch it again. It's a bad deal.

Put it in the bag of holding and give the bag of holding to Pike. Wait, no. I'm not putting that in the bag of holding. No. Sounds like a terrible idea. It's a terrible idea. However, let me read something really fast. Can we talk to it? I mean, can we see what it is? I mean, you see a blade before you. The shadow's not there anymore?

The shadow has pulled back into the blade. I'm not surprised. Percy, what did you get from it? I mean, what did he sound like? Sounded evil. Well, no, that's really judgmental. And also awesomely powerful. Yeah. What were you going to say, Vax? Durolo knew about this. That's perfectly clear. You know. knew about this too, Scarlane. I didn't know what it was. And I wasn't alone in this. I'd

asked Pike to weigh in and she was thinking about it and doing more research. It's true. Pike knew about it as well? Wait, how many people knew about this? Well, look, like, yeah, only four of us. Look, it's been a great ally. Four out of seven? Suspect all of you. Yeah, suspect. Vax, I assume you have secrets that you haven't told us. He's got a third testicle. It's out there, I said it. That's a great time for a joke. It's a great time for a joke.

It's not, the weird part is it's not in his cross-hair. I could try casting greater restoration on the sword? Um... I might be able to banish it. Can you do that? Well, that's a bit strong, don't you think? And it's only for a minute. I know. I can do a more permanent version of that.

Wow. I've never tried it before, and it's a seventh level of spell. Well, look, look, look, if you get bucked off a horse, right, you don't kill the horse, you just train it up a bit. Like, let's just, let's just work with the sword. Horses don't try to steal your soul, grog. Who owned the sword before you had it? Ah, good call. Who?

Do we know? Find it on the ground? Oh. Nope. It was Lord Briarwood. It's very familiar, that's right. It belonged to the arch vampire being fucked up. Right. And I hate to be the one to point it out.

but I feel like you've been almost a little bit more brutal than you usually are here lately, which is almost impressive. Drugg, I'm going to make you a deal. We're going to deal with this as a family, and we're going to get you something much nicer. It just killed you. Right away. I hear it, I hear it with something a little less complicated.

Maybe some bone knuckles. I hear those are pretty badass. Bones? Bones. Maybe one's, Titanstone. Maybe a family heirloom. Perhaps it's time to be a better badass. Does, DM, does suggestion last forever

or just for a little amount of time? About one minute, if I recall. Suggestion, I think it lasts for a short time. Yeah, no, that's. I can attempt to plane shift this into another dimension. Gee, I mean. No, how about we just wrap it in?

Up to eight hours you can concentrate. Wrap it in life. Well, look, hey, look, all right, fine, look, I won't touch it. But can we like at least, figure out what it was doing, like Lord Broward had it, I asked it a few questions, like if it knew Vecna, like, and we just got to see it like,

kind of level up a little bit. What all has it told you, Grog? Like, it's always hungry, right? So it likes to be, it likes what I do. What? What, I'm hungry too? Show of hands. Who here is uncomfortable with that piece of shit?

I mean, it stabbed me, so yeah, I'm uncomfortable. I said I was sorry, yeah, really. It's okay, it's not your fault. All right. But I do think that whatever it is might know something. Oh, Grog said he's been talking to it, which means... You guys, you don't want to interrogate it. That's all of us, but you, Grog.

We're going to have to make a deal. You have to choose between this group and that sort. Oh, well, I choose the group. I mean, I voted. I was uncomfortable as well. I just threatened it. I just think that we could get a bit... So what are we arguing about? Well, I just don't want to destroy it. And it was...

It served its purpose. You got its fair use. You got your money's worth. Your money's worth, which was free. 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 up signing up for Fabletics as a VIP.

It let me overhaul my springtime outfits without obliterating my bank account. New VIPs unlock major savings on that first purchase, so trying new fits feels way more doable. When I signed up as a new VIP with Fabletics, I got 70 to 80% off everything. It made it easy to grab a few new pieces without overthinking it. And the quality really surprised me. Everything feels premium and soft and breathable, but you're not paying those premium prices.

What I like most, though, is how versatile everything is. You've got stuff you can work out in, but also wear out. There's matching sets, lightweight hoodies, joggers, teas, you name it. The kind of stuff you can throw on in the morning and not worry about later. When I'm at home, my favorite thing to pull on is the oversized hoodie. It's so comfy I could just live in it 24-7. It's perfect for walking my dog on like a chilly night. But what I'm out and about, I've really been loving the ribbed Johnny Collar

polo. It makes me look like I should be taking a high-powered meeting by the pool at the White Lotus, but hopefully with less murder involved. I don't know. It's insanely comfortable. I highly recommend it. So shop now at fabletics.com slash critical role to get 70 to 80% off everything when you sign up as a new VIP. Take a quick style quiz and be sure to select critical role when prompted to unlock your 70 to 80% off. This is a limited time offer, so don't wait. Again, that's fabletics.com slash critical role for 72. 80% off everything as a new VIP. And now, on to the show. 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 Quint says 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 clean 100% Pima Cotton Tees with a softness. Well, you gotta feel that to believe it. Believe you me. Their pants also

hit that same balance. They're relaxed, they're comfortable, but still polished enough to wear basically anywhere. And everything's priced between 50 and 80% less than what you'd find at similar brands. Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen so you're getting premium materials without the markup. And since spring is here in Los Angeles, a brief period where it's 75 degrees instead of 95 degrees, I spruced up my wardrobe with a pair of the comfort stretch traveler five pocket pants and the heritage washed denim shirt.

Not only do they feel great, but I unequivocally look good as hell while wearing them. That's just science. Refresh your every day with luxury you'll 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 roll for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com slash critical roll. Use it on Kev-Dak.

It can use you on Kov-Dak. Do not use it against Kev-Dak. You don't want something making your strength unmoving. natural when you fight? Well, look, the last thing I remember was it said it was hungry. Look, if it gets hungry again, I'll just give it something to eat. Like one of us? No, like me thought or something.

You'll chop off your own leg. No, I would just stab it. You want to, you want to sacrifice your own leg for a sword? Kovdak has the Titan stone knuckles. It's a vestige that we're looking for, right? It's gonna be a hell of a fight, and this is a hell of a sword. He's got a vestige? Gross.

He's still just him. The sword just fucking. killed you, you dummy. And you were far powerful before the sword. You killed the Lord Briarwood without the sword. That's right. The sword didn't make you... Oh well, okay, hold up. Pike, look, if we're going back to Capdag, you know I'm not like scared of death, right? I would die by a dragon, I would die by a beholder, and I wouldn't care, like, as long as it was a beautiful death. But I don't I don't want to die from Kevdak, not him.

We'll find you a better weapon. I don't want you to die from something that's not worth it. Fine. Do you want with it. I don't need it. What do you think we should do with it? Have some mail. We'll find you something strong. Grog.

She says an empty cup. I know, we've already poured it in the o... No, there's a little left in the cask here. Here's your cask. I'll throw the cup away and just take the guys. All right. Should I attempt to banish this thing forever? You can banish something forever?

It's called plane shift. I can shift it into its own little pocket dimension where it will stay and nothing else can get to it. I think I'm perfectly content with it being someone else's problem. Okay. All right. I'm staring hard to make sure it's not going to fight this. So looking at plane shift, it says you can't. use the spell to banish an unwilling creature to another plane. Creature.

Choose what I mean it's play. I can also transport eight willing creatures. So can I hold the sword and the plane shift it away? I would, I don't see why you would not be able to do that to an object, honestly, especially based on the power of the spell. Where would you want to banish it to? Is, ooh, ooh, ooh, um. Newark.

That the... the pocket dimension of the green-eyed boy. The golden-eyed boy. The golden-eyed boy. The Dread Emperor that we already killed. Yes. It's an empty, it was his own dimension and he's dead. That's true. Well, let's think about this.

What? What else lives there? Nothing. It was just him. It was just him. It was an island with child labor. It's kind of full circle. I'm going to suggest something that's going to sound a little iffy,

I swear to God I'm being clever. Send it somewhere where it will be content. Let's not anger something. Where do we send them, fires? I could easily send it to one of the nine hells, where I'm sure someone would be very happy with the new gift that they just found. No, but somebody can use it.

Exactly. But they'll be using it in the nine hells, and it's going. Yes, but you forget that all these planes cross over. We have fought many a demon. I don't want to say. to the hills. Can I make one little suggestion that doesn't involve it coming back to me?

I had a thought that like since Lord Briar would have had it before, that every time it killed it, it might have been sending like that life back to Beckner. But I don't have any proof of that, you know, I just remember being out room with older bodies, with the little sphere of the little dope button in the middle room. You can throw it in the sphere. No. No. That might go poorly.

That might go poorly. Oh, really cool. I mean, does anyone else have any better ideas for us in this? Well, what would happen if you threw it in the sphere? What sphere? Vecano would get it, right? Vecna would do it. You can't let that happen.

How about you throw it in that pocket dimension, and then we can always go to that same pocket dimension and get it if we decide it's bad there? Yes. That's true. I think it's a good idea, Qaeda. It's at least blocked off. That we know of.

That we know of. Drop it in a thorny pat. I'm gonna go for that dreading per dimension. Oh, I'm not a bad idea, to me. Percy. Yes? You are, brother. I am.

You don't think it would work if I tried. I know. And you do have this terrible habit of liking to push problems on other people. You don't think if it would work if I tried greater restoration? Do you have any more fifth level? I do. I do. I do.

I do. I don't think so, but what do I know? Why don't try it before you send it? We can camp here for this. the night. We don't have to go anywhere. It's fair. Yes. Wait, you want to do greater restoration? Why? I'm the sword. I'm at one-Het point. You're at...

I'm going to kick myself if I'm right. Okay. Hold on a minute. I don't want to be right. No, because... It needs a wielder, Percy. Does it? All right, let's... Wait.

Okay. First, Grog is at one hit point. Okay. So I'm going to use my headpoint. sixth level and I'm going to use heel. Okay. All right. As Pike turns to you, looks you and the eye, clutching her holy symbol of Sarah and Ray.

There's a smile at the corner of her mouth at noticing that her friend is back. Though as tenuous this argument has been, you weren't present for the scare that was there. You can see there is a genuine shake to a lot of their fingertips from what has just transpired. She reaches forward and touches you, touches you and you immediately heal 70 hit points.

Oh. Bam. Bloop. Shabangabam. Oh. Bat da da da da. That felt amazing. Okay.

What do you think Greta Restoration will do? Because I remember it works one time on... Didn't we try that on... In my mind I have a worst case scenario, but... I'm afraid it will make whatever Xenosaur come out. But if it comes out, then you can banish it. Then we can banish it or kill it and... He could.

And then he could keep the sword. It will be just a use of this sword. It's not if I'm wielding it. Something tells me he won't be wielding it. I'm tempted to ask you to do it just because I would love to be wrong again. Fucking try it, Pike. Should we try it? Let's try it.

Let's try it. We got to back up in this. Let's rid the world with evil, shall we? As Pike turns around from Grog, the softness in her face fades, and the hard jaw line of Pike Trickfoot. Sea-faring gnome cleric, steps across the snow, step by step towards the darkened blade that nearly stole away her childhood friend. Still clutching in one ogre-gotleted fist, the symbol of Sarenrae, your other hand comes out, and you can see the shadow begin to spill from

the blade as you approach. Pike. Be careful. I'm going to inspire her again. I'm gonna sing a very romantic ballad today. Bring it. Oh, my little pretty one, my little pretty one. Oh my little pretty one, Pike the Noma. Oh, you make my nipples hum, my nipples hum, oh you make my nipples hum,

Pike the Noma. Take your deep in inspiration. All sad and tragic. And with gravitas. Did you, man. That was beautiful. I know. All right.

As you step forward and the shadow begins to emanate from the blade, you focus and concentrate, and as you do, the light of serony begins to glow from the front of your hand. As it does, the shadow seems to be cast away. And the blade now stands currently bare before you. You reach out and touch the blade. Get ready, Sheila. You recite a few words under your breath and release the energy of the spell into the sword. Go ahead and make a wisdom, Shadows.

Go ahead and make a wisdom check. Just roll a D20, add your wisdom on fire. Okay. 17. You also have inspiration if you need it. Okay. If you need it. Yeah, do it.

Yeah. Okay. Uh, 26. 26. 26. Yeah, 26. As you reach out and touch the blade, you can feel suddenly the dark chaotic presence in there.

You see flashes in your mind of an individual, an ancient person. You see flashes in your eyes. your head of a clamoring for power, a need for attention and wealth. You see a person making a deal with something I didn't understand. You see a flash of a punishment. You see the remnants of their eternal soul bound to a blade. You see themselves cursed with eternal gluttoness, unending hunger and cast through the ages, the rest forgotten. And you see, just like the singular thread that was holding Grog to his corpse, a dark, dark thread that connects the sword to Grog. And with this spell, you grasp out and clutch it and tear it into. Grog, wherever

you're standing, it's like you just got punched in the gut. You're thrown off your feet and land in the snow once again, eyes wide open. All of you freak out because it's just like how Grog fell originally, except for he shoots up, heavy breathing alive. With that, the blade just kind of snarls in your grasp. Whopsie? What's the Grog? That fucking blade ate your soul. What? You wonder this entire time, how you could be so foolish to give in to something that

this whole time has been using you? How could I have been so foolish? This whole time, that fucking blade has been using me. Pike, let go, let go before it. Drop the swords. I'm scared to let go of it. Let go of it. It sits in the snow, motionless.

All right. It didn't attach it's up to you now, did it or anything? No. Skip rid of it in. No. You guys, update, that sword is totally evil. evil. I think we were telling you.

I reach out and I plane shifted to the pocket dimension of the Tread Emperor. Okay, you reach out and you pick up the blade. And as you grab it in your hand, you can hear the voice. And before I can finish the phrase, you guys watch as a little thin slit between the planes just shut us open and you have a quick glance of what looks like that distant star escape with various broken, slowly floating islands of earth and rock. you see the partially destroyed bramble forest that you once trekked through. And with that, you throw the blade through the small doorway. And it's kind of-

Craven Edge. Help me! Yeah, I'm not Craven-Bacon-I-any-any-more! It slammed shut and is gone. Well? Fingers crossed, nobody gets it. Oh, it's... So there was a dagger that came with it. What? What?

No, fuck it with you. Grogs. I know how that's go works now. What do you say we camp here for the night? Let's camp here for the night. Right in the case. It's not a night. It's the middle of the day.

They're done. Hang out. I'm done. Do you start walking? No. She's out of spells. You got a hot on for adventure, little man? I just think we should make headway if we're going to be traveling all day.

If we can cast a spell. If we can help us somewhere. You should cast a spell. I'm like, do you even have any weapons anymore? I'm super exhausted too. Yeah, he's got so many. He's got 50 weapons on his back. I can lend you my whip.

Do you want, hey, he's got a great. I'm like Northrop Grumman meets Raytheon in this back of holding. We're good. Since we got rid of Cravenage, do you want the gautlets of ogre power back? Oh no, I just gave them to you, though. Yeah, but you're the muscle. I don't know.

I take him off when I give him back. Oh. What about, what about if I was. I trade you, what if I trade you? How we doing a trade? I have boots of levitation, or I have black iron plate that while wearing this heavy plate armor, the bearer games resistance to any fire damage.

That's cool. She already has plate armor. Yeah, but this one gives her fire resistance. Does it maybe make me quiet as well? But if you levitate, you'd just be floating above the ground. Well, that too. Actually, the levitate will make you. Levitate will make it quiet.

Yeah. Does she have to, in the levitation boots? Can you move? For up to 10 minutes? Well, wearing these. Levitations, SORNAs to kind of push you a lot. Yeah, yeah, it's falling. I'll take care with it.

Oh my god, we can get like a little kid leash. We can get around to the bruce line. I'm basically already making one. I can be a kite. I can be a pike kite. It'll be like that scene in inception. Yes, we'll discover electricity with you. You're a great conductor.

Girl, that would kill me. Oh. Oh, that's true. Which will you want. All right, I'll take boots of levitation. Okay. And you get these to be super strong again. I take my godless of overpowerback strength back

back up tonight, T. It was a good time, though, Pike and those don'tlets. You were so strong. You were pretty cool. Hey, I felt real cool punching that chicken that one time. Oh, right. Yeah, punching that chicken. One day I'll be strong.

I think you just cured Grog, saved his life, and got rid of a soul-eating sword, so you're pretty strong. Break your head. What did you say? You did like, killed the sword and saved Rogg's life, so I think you're pretty strong. That's most important. Way to go, bad. Hey, thanks.

No problem, man. Anytime. All right, so you guys go ahead and take a... Long rest of it, but now we're going to sleep. It's been a traumatic five minutes. We were in a time vortex, really. It's time to sleep. Fair enough. Were you right? Where you're resting? In the mouth in the cave?

In the mouth in the cave. No. No. That's fun. No. You guys can sleep wherever you want. In the mansion. I'll be sleeping in my bed. Oh, in the mansion.

Fuck you. You know, it's so new. It's hard to remember. That we have that. Yeah. We do have it. Yes, we go. And I blow a fifth level spell to,

my last fifth level spelled a greater restoration somebody. Sure. From their age. Yeah. Oh, do we know? Are we aware that we went under that effect? I mean, we just feel different? No, you guys have, you guys have,

It's one of those things where you felt the impact happen, you saw each other rapidly age for those that were present, and even afterward there's a noticeable effect. So yeah. You would be able to ascertain via those situations and the time you've had to rest to kind of think over the battle and see that difference. Plus the fact that you watched Vex get cured of that aging effect by the Sphinx before you left, that was also the big indicator. So you would be aware. Who wants to go first? You can do multiples? No, just one tonight.

The rest of you all have to stay old. Take old wrinkly nuts over there. Trip all the wrinkles, triple all the nuts. All right, come here, Bucks. Right. Here I come, I'm all wrinkly nuts. What's that cleaning? Yeah, no.

Can borrow your broom for a bit? You want to work on it? Yeah, well. It's early, I might as well. Can I stand next to you while you work on it? Oh, wait. I don't know if you want to double the amount of time. amount of time it takes for me to work on.

Are we in the mansion, yes? I'm just to see what you're doing. All right, it's very boring. Wait, are we in the mansion or are we? You guys have all walked into the mansion at this point, Kila, do you cast a greater restoration if you reach out onto Vax? A little bit of, you know, kind of crows in it, wrinkles, crow's feet that have crawled on the side of his face and a little bit of gray hairs that began to spray in the side,

all revert back, skin tightens. He's back to his normal, roguish half-elf, average age cell. I am still older than you. By like two whole minutes. Which means I get to tell me what to do and don't forget it. Long rest. All right, so all of you guys head into the mansion for the evening's rest? Yes.

Vex, you're coming with Percy to the workshop? Yes. What are you doing? Hit dice just restore at the end of the day, correct? Half of your spent hit dice restore. I pop drink it out, of course. Okay. Hang out.

Shake it off. Run around, get some exercise. I feel like an asshole for keeping you in this thing. Goes into the kitchen. All right, so as you guys are preparing to rest for the evening, you head down to the workshop. Yeah, just to work on the broom. Okay. Are you aiding?

Sure. Sure. Okay. Go ahead and make tinkering check with advantage. All right. Oh, with advantage. Very nice. It's new now, I have to remember. I have a new number. Natural 20. Well, you guys, there are other numbers between these, by the way.

You realize. The hard there. It was just a quarter. It just flipped a quarter. Hush you. L.A. New York. L.A. New York. Don't poke the badge of Percy. It was to Ashley this week. It was working fine. Yeah, no. The other Ashley. All right. So you guys worked the evening.

And though you were uncertain, Vex is actually a very quick learner and is eager to help. And so between bringing tools to your disposal, helping you hold a few places properly during the construction process, You managed to get far more headway than you expected, and just the need being's bit of work. You still have probably a couple of days of work before you could actually complete your prototype for this and try it out. Can I at least have the tether done, or is it still in progress? The tether for... For a deck save if you fall off. Yeah, I'd say you've got that enough.

All right. There isn't... Can't stabilize you up, but at least there's a... Yeah, at least if you ever tumble, there is a tether piece that would hopefully have a chance of keeping the broom with you. So. I feel safer already. Excellent. Yay to a constructive day.

You're quite good at this. We should do this again sometime. I would love that. Yes, this was actually agreeable. All right. Can I go down to the, I'm in the training room in my sandpit, sleeping bed. Which in contemplating over the experiences you've had, you know how to have access to the full Craven Edge. The full one?

That's a scroll. Just so you know what it really really? know what it had done. What did it done to you? Oh, fuck you. Can I see it? Can we see it? No.

Why? I'm so excited. All I just saw was dark aura in really dark letters. No, no. I can make really good oragomy, no. No, no, no, no. Can I try and take out the flaming Warhammer, the Firebrand Warhammer? Yeah, you pull it out, swing it around, dust it off a bit. Can I get it to light?

Burst into flames and for a second that warmth near your face is like an old friend coming to roost for a bit. Can you hear me? Yes. A silent time, I like it. All right. You guys all have your evening's rest, though it is an early evening. You managed to comfortably, after a... A number of harrowing experiences, recoup, recover, wake up to a grand chicken full breakfast. Yeah. Chicken and eggs, everyone.

Chicken and waffles, perhaps? Nope, just eggs, just eggs, what's a waffle? It's, I don't know, it's just like a mishmash of dough the side. Sounds great. Can I spent my tinkering check building a waffle iron? Mm, definitely. I'm just kidding. I'm kind of kidding.

I'm going to put that aside. I'm going to hide for later. Okay. I'm going to put the list. I spend some of the morning just with a little piece of parchment paper and a pen just writing out something. Okay. All right. You guys finish your rest.

The servants are eager to send you on your way if you need to require anything else. Otherwise, you guys continue your journey. It's head towards the town. What are we? We walk. Is that what we do? We walk. What is this walking thing? It's terrible.

It's also very interesting. inconspicuous. I know you're not a fan of inconspicuous, but I mean there's nothing you want to be conspicuous by here. I mean, I could, I could wind-walk us. Do we want to wind-walk it? What, will that burn something? Yes. My six-level spell. Let's just walk then. All right, you guys walking north? Yeah. I float on my broom. Okay. Who's leading? And keep an eye out in front for any sort of problems.

Okay. Are you leading- I'm doofus. This is a lot to leave off. That's a lot. What you know. To not have. That's a big fucking difference. Would you have kept it if you had known all those other things or would you have wanted to use more of it?

You don't know. Mind your own business knowsy, soccer. This is by the way the benefits of identify spells and things like that. Oh, shit. Oh, well, if only I'd use my identify spell. But going forward, like if you've something you don't know about, you can always go to people with those abilities. people with those abilities and be like, could you see what the fuck this does? Do any of our people have identified?

Negative. It's like a, it's like a, no. No. I didn't even know people could do that. Laura Gilmore could probably do that for you. They make like you know for sure. I know about Gilmore. Such a Twinsies.

Oh, that's so good. All right. So you guys start heading northward, you're leading then Vex. Go ahead make a survival check. Penically enforced, and turning through. 26. Not a problem. Utilizing the backtracking of the path you guys took through anyway. Is there anything you want to do while you're in the forest? Brushing through? Some cast.

Oh, did you want to look for that lake or are you good, Grog? What lake? Oh, oh, right. Remember there was a lake when we looked for the heart of a nymph? Doesn't it lead into the Faye world? The plane? Yeah, there's a portal there, right? And isn't one of the vestiges like in the Faye world? Yeah. Do we want to do that first, or do we want to deal with Katna? We should probably, but I do want to come back here.

Oh, yes, of course. Only if it was close. Otherwise, I'm good to go back to Westwood. Only if the lake was close, I don't know where it is. Are you in a hurry to talk to Dad? Oh, Uncle. Oh. Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad.

We don't have to stop there. That's fine. All right, Western. I mean, do you need to talk to Dad? No, we do not need to talk to Dad. We don't need to talk to Dad. Wood-dard. Let's go to Western. Westron it is.

Sourcepot. Continue pushing forward. Are you guys, I'd like it all to make stealth check. Oh. What? That's right. Ike. Hey.

Disadvantage, OK. Disadvantage? OK. Oh, we took a long rest. Yeah, you're fine. You're no longer exhausted. Can I put on my boots of levitation? Too late.

Too late. Too late. Too late. I rolled a six. Yeah! She's back! Pike is back! What would it be without some clanging?

So, as you guys are making your way across the path, keeping as quiet as you can, Pike, you're starting to fall behind a little bit, and trying to catch up, and you get a run on before you start here, this out of the side of the forest, and you see what looks like a deep, blue, scaled-looking lizard entity. you see in the distance what appears to be a basilisk that's coming over the ridge. Oh, again. I wouldn't have let her get that far back. I wouldn't have been hanging back there. Okay, then you're hanging with her and you see this as well. What are you guys doing? It's about 30, 40 feet off.

How big is it? Should we run? It seems as you see the other ones. About they're about five and a half, six feet, like from nose to back end, and then we'll hit them. Let's run. I pick a pike. I put her on my shoulder and we run. Okay. First off, Pike, I need you to go ahead and make a Constitution saving throw. Oh, because you saw it. You glance over and saw it before you realize. I don't think I did, though.

Oh, that's cute. Yeah. I got 19. 19. Okay. Just the instinctual glance at it. You're like, oh, crap! And you feel the impact of its gaze. However, you're a fairly hardy known when you resist the creeping stone-based enchantment. As you begin to run forward, Percy kind of pushes behind you as grog washes forward. Both of you guys recognizing that sound and averting your gaze, pick up pike and you all begin charging forward. As you do, you can hear the hiss behind you gathered by a second one.

Sih-hast. And the sounds of many feet charging through the snow quickly. I would like you guys all to go ahead and, we'll say for the sake of this, just roll dexterity checks. We're not, athletics. Athletics, this is this to be a run speed on this one, sorry. What if I'm on the broom, though? If you're on the broom, you don't have to worry about it. You're not exerting energy to maintain a pace.

Really? I thought it. Twenty? Thirty. Ten. Ten. Eleven. Okay. You guys all managed to maintain a fairly decent pace.

These creatures are fairly quick, and as they begin to catch up, you begin to use your, well, your guidance as a person who knows the forest fairly well, to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be. really well to begin ducking in and out of areas, using snow banks at your disposal. At one point, Grog, you see partially broken, an old dying tree that you just go ahead and grab and throw behind you. Make a strength check? 21. 21. With one hand, you grab it and in the actual trunk, old and long, rotted, just snaps and falls behind you with a large impact. You believe from the sound of it at least hit or halted one of them for a short

Time is just like, ah, sound. As you guys continue pushing forward towards the northern side of this forest, the sound of the hissing begins to slowly subside as you dodge back and forth, zigzagging across this pathway. Eventually, you guys, over about an additional hour and a half of pushing forward, you hear and have not heard any following hissing sound for a while and eventually see before you the outside of the Frostwell Forest finally approaching. With that, you guys push through the last elements of this frozen forest. into the fields heading northward towards Western proper. With that, we're going to take a quick break.

And welcome back, everybody. So, returning from that harrowing endeavor, you continue your trek northward, it is a few days travel to make your way a little over two days, I think, from where the Frost World is. You can stop and pass by the camp at the lake if you wish to, or continue pressing forward. It's up to you. I said we just press forward. Well, we should probably stop by and tell them that their problem has been handled. Oh, that's true.

We could stop by later and tell them that both their problems have been handled. Why can't we stop by now? They're right here. We might as well pop in. We'll forget if we don't do it now. I know us. It'll be three months before we come back, and then we'll be like, by the way... No, we're coming back soon because we're going into the Faye one. Well, another problem that's been happening is we sent all their people back to them. Let's just talk to them real fast. Okay. We pop in.

I think he was once for a hold. All right. You guys stop by the Formier Basin where you originally saw the encampment of some of the... 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. 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. You're because. This is where leaders, entrepreneurs, and go-getters come to level up. Each week, I bring you unfiltered conversations, game-changing strategies, and the kind of motivation that transforms lives and legacies. I've learned from legends like Les Brown, Damon John, and Robert Irvine. And now, I'm bringing their lessons, along with mine, straight to you. From modern leadership tips to creating unstoppable momentum,

this is the podcast that redefines what's possible. Hit play, subscribe, and join the millions who've made Mick Unplug their go-to source for growth and greatness, because your next breakthrough is just one episode away. This is Mick Unplug, the voice and face of modern leadership entrepreneur and self-improvement.

Let's get started. The survivors of the Western incursion by the criminal conclave. As you approach, Some of the guards immediately come up, crossbows up, when they noticed who it was before. Previously, they alerted their weapons, and one of the guards come forward, approaches you,

saying, Good to see that you've returned. We've managed to also acquire recently captured individuals. Most, at least come back safely. It's appreciated. If you should talk to Cornelius, he's, well, he should be up and about.

I'll take you. Leads you guys into the camp. As you find your way in, folks around you tend to stop again and kind of watch you quietly as you pass. A few with smiles and a few people kind of wave and say, and you do see a couple of individuals that you did help escape from the Orch encampment. They themselves are still on the end. A lot of them were pretty brutalized while they were there, but the same child that you found in the tent owner just runs up and gives a big old hug to Vex and kind of holds you for a second. And let's go and runs back off to, it appears to be.

her mother, you're led back to the tent where Cornelius originally met with you guys, but Cornelius is outside of the tent right now, just in the process of cutting what looks like firewood is going to be used for the fire pits later on. I did he find the wood? I thought there were no trees around. Why, can you imagine that they don't go to other nearby wooded areas and cut them down? Yeah, poke the DM. I was, I was, great idea. You did this.

You did this. And that's what happened. happy. You think that was an accident. 50 episodes, this is the first one. This is the first one. It's like that scene in the second Matrix? Let's not remember the second matrix.

Cornelius is there. What little bit of timber they've managed to scavenge from local wooded areas. Cornelius is there, wipes his brow, is kind of sleeves rolled up. brows, kind of sleep is rolled up. Oh, hold on just a second. He puts his axe down and walks over, kind of wipes his hands. Oh, you're true to your word.

For that, I'm really appreciated. You did us a real favor and brought back some good people, alive and intact. Did your brother make it back safely? So Aris did, and I certainly had a very stern talking to to that boy. But I- Don't go too hard on him. He was being...

held up by a rope and tortured by a bunch of monsters. That's true. A bit traumatizing, I would assume. That would be him, wouldn't it? Well, nevertheless, I appreciate it. Looks like through some talks, we might be able to bring most of us into Kaimel. The time being, it's the town to the west or here.

It's small, it's cramped, but we're, I figured at least that's better than being out here in the open, and we have numbers there, so we'll be a little more protected. Well, that's where we'll send word if anything happens in Western. Yes. You're heading to Western yourself now. Next on the list. If all goes well, you may be able...

No. I don't know. Let's not make promises. Dragons. Dragons. Maybe a while, but we're trying. Well, I wish you all the best luck. I think if anyone could do it, it'll probably you folk. Well, I look forward to hear it.

from your victorious recovery of our homestead. And I'll get the first round when we come back to our town. Very well, Godia. Stay safe. He turns around and grabs his axe, and starts chopping through the wood once more. Was there anything else you wanted to do, Keeney? No, I'm good.

All right. We need to check in with Dres. No, we know what he wants if we go. Hey. The guy's a weasel. We have his hunk of qual. Yeah. The Manka Kwa.

That was a gift, I'm pretty sure. It's a loner. It's on loan for the foreseeable future until we save the world. Mr. Vina. Mr. Dresvina. Mr. Dresvina, who is the assistant to Master Kual. Mr. Rzvina over here. And if by the fact that he called a debt on the initial enchanted ruby that you used in your first endeavor, yeah, you get the feeling that whatever this object is he gave you is probably on loan. Hi.

I'm fine. Are you right? So you guys continue forward to Western? Yes. To Western. Yes. And what is our mission? What is our plan here, Grohl?

What time is it? You guys have traveled for one day. You've gone to the evening. You could take a rest here, or rest within your mansion on the outskirts of this encampment before it roots up and starts heading back to Kaimel relatively soon. You guys then the next morning can continue your trek northward, and you could probably get to Western by the westward. to Western by the end of day if you travel quickly and consistently. What do you think, Grog? What do you want to do? Walk right into town? No. No. I like what Percy said. I think there is worth in being clever. I would agree.

I would actually like to maybe run some ideas by you while we don't walk into town, but we have the town walk out to us. How do we do that? Oh, there's many ways we could do that. Well look, so like there are people in there, there are innocence, right? We told the farmer we get his people back and I really want to see if Wilhatton's in there and all right. So listen, how do you feel about sending someone in that would draw out their worst? I think we could draw out their worst very easy. Hmm.

How committed are your people to trial by combat? combat. Oh, it's about all we do. What can you imagine would be the most exciting show they could possibly hope for? A rematch, I would think. Well, it wouldn't really like, it wasn't really an official fight, it was more of like a one-sided asswopin. But they think you're dead. Yeah, we're gonna get to that later. I was thinking maybe like we could set like a fire and send someone running in and say there's a roving band of all and a challenge in the Goliath, and then when they come out and leave, we can move into the town and get all the innocents out. And then if we want, we could set a trap or an ambush, or we could play some mind games.

But I wanted to try and get the town clear first. Your people might not be the brightest, but they're not going to send everybody out to meet these orcs. No, no, no, no. Just a few. Improbably not Keptak. Well, look, if it's not Kibdak, we get a practice round on those that do come out. Well, here's my question. There's got to be hundreds of people still left in Western. How are you going...

It could take hours to... To evacuate a city of that size. Well, so you know the last time we went over there and Horace was just outside the city walls? I'm pretty sure if we wait for a bit, somebody will come out. We take him, we mess him up real good, maybe take his tongue out, chop off his arms. and then send him back in. Some of that is... Hmm.

Hmm. I mean, I'm open to like, you know, augmenting that plan a little bit. Right. I could make you look like an or something. No, like I said before, if I go in there. No, no, no, just to rough up the guy that you send back in to tell them about the orcs.

I'll hold him while somebody else can rough him up, but... How smart are your people? Pretty smart. Okay. As smart as you. Yeah. Scholar's the love. Grog, if someone kills Kevdak, say hypothetically you, who takes control of the herd after that?

Well, my math is a little shoddy, but I think that would be me. Well, then why do we need to evacuate the city if you could theoretically have control over it? If we could figure out where Kevdak is and drop in on that point. Well, he's in the mayor's... Yeah. and handle Kebdak before the rest of the city can descend upon us. It's a gamble, but so is everything we do. Yeah, but if the city, if the rest of them don't see him defeating Kevdak,

then it's worthless. They need to watch it happen. Well, how honorable are your people? If you fell Keld Kepdak or whatever the fuck its name is, will the rest stand down? Yeah. Maybe, but... So here it is. My whole life.

if it's been wanting to punish or get back at Kepdak. I don't want to do it cheaply. I don't wanna do it quickly. I want to do it with my own hands. Now, I'll do it with my family, do it with my buddy Pike, but I want it done right. I've got a thought. It's dangerous, and I have a thought.

You literally walk, march right to the city gates, and demand a challenge. I have a feeling you're gonna be the most attractive bait that we can think of. We put you right in front there. Perhaps we let Pike stay with you. I doubt there's any of them who will not want to watch that. And while they're watching the rest of us,

we do our best to get everybody as safe as possible. Would that be a lock? But what's to keep Frog safe in the meantime? They won't want to sully that fight. No one will want to sully that. No, I can guarantee you no one will interfere. And if things get bad, we'll be nearby. We'll pull him out.

I like that. I don't want to abandon Grog to a fight with Kevdak while we're freeing villagers. No offense to them. I want to have Grog's back. I agree with that. I think we won't need to worry about freeing the villagers if we can defeat Kepdak.

What if we stay hidden? Wait a minute. Right, so they think I'm dead? Yeah. Maybe they let them think I conquered death. Which you kind of did, Grog. Maybe we let them think, Maybe I'm not the same Grog I was before.

Maybe we let them think I've gained abilities. I'm pretty sure those things are actually true. Yeah, yeah, but I mean like... Yeah, yeah, make a show of it a bit. I like it, Grog. I like it, but they don't have to see where those abilities come from. Oh, they gotta seize me. They're roofs, right? I mean, it's like two and three-story buildings all in that city. It just makes me so nervous. So wait, we stay hidden and you call

lightning. Yeah, like you guys get all up on the roofs. While I'm making a scene in the middle and we pull off the greatest stage show there's ever been. I love a good stage show. This is not a bad idea. We can make you look as cool as you want. That's undeniable. If I do a pelvic thrust, will you do your I will grant you cock lightning. Holy shit. Quick question. I will grant you cock lightning. Quick question.

How many objects are you attuned to? How many objects are you attuned to? How many what? Three. If he could unattune to one, if you could put him in the hat of disguise. He doesn't want the hat of disguise. I don't want it.

What do you have right now? I have the gauntlets of ogre strength, and the flaming. Warhammer? Yep. That's good. In your belt. And the belt.

Oh, well. What's the other? Oh, and my. You gained the ability to grow a beard in the afterlife. It's pretty major. You have three of those, so you have to get rid of the neck. Actually, the flaming warhammer is not attuned. Oh, that's right.

That's right. That's true, yeah. So you know, you're good. What does the amulet do? It gives me plus two to my AC. Your AC? That's pretty nice. That's pretty nice.

So the object of this would be to stall, to enthrall, to captivate them as long as you can. Keep talking to them, not engage in fights for as long as possible while we. Get in place. I mean, I could try and do it while you're getting the hostages out, or we could just take down the snake's head. We need his knuckles.

Kill Cap-Dak. But is Kevdak going to engage in a fight with a magical Grog? It's not a fair fight, is it? It's a pride issue. Oh, I think he will. I do know how to get his pride in check. Grog, would you engage in a fight with a magical being if he wronged you? If you thought you were better than him?

What? Who said something? And when they discover, and they surely will, that you are not magical and that your friends are aiding you, will that bring you great shame? No. No. No, I made a choice. This is my family. My old family left me to die. Plus, I mean, it's kind of like wearing

really cool robes, right Scanlan? You know, there's what's wrong with wanting to look cool. I don't know. I'm more attractive, you're aware of it. I wouldn't know about wanting to look cool. It just comes natural. Let's make sure that it doesn't happen that they don't know. Nice beret there. This is gonna end with a fight between the two of you. Anyway, camp-dacks using a gift of the gods. Yes. That's right. He's not on his own.

He's full of shit. It's true. He's not about him. He's not about him. You guys. Yeah, but so are we. They left him in a very horrible state and I would not like to see that again. But that was years ago.

We've defeated the people who left me in a horrible state. I think we will have no problem defeating the people. We have a gift of the gods and so. So you do intend to engage in a fight? Because otherwise I would say I can go in. and just sort of looking like you and draw their attention. And then what?

And then bamp out of there. Or run away and draw them with me. How does that save the city? Well, here's the thing. It gets them to follow me. Yeah, I mean, in like either way, I kind of like that, because either way, if only like the pawns of the group,

follow him out, that's fewer Goliaths we have to worry about. Best case scenario, Kevdak, Zanroar, and the best of the baddies, chase him out, we can get the hostages out and then set a trap for when they come back. It's not just the hostages though. It's a city under siege. I just don't think it's feasible to empty it. You have to remember. Right. Yes, pretty much. What you said. It's a city under siege, under siege. It's meta under siege. It's under siege from the Goliaths and then again from the

dragons. They're in a place though. If we can get rid of the Goliaths, at least they could function with the dragon. And if we remove all of the villages, it'll definitely gain the attention of the dragons. That's true. Will it? I thought they only fly over every few days. They have Wyverns who have been running patrol. Not over Western.

No over Western. But we haven't been hanging out over West Scra. I don't think his family will be able to keep up. I don't think his family will be able to keep up. If there are no Wyverns, are you open to the idea of Gerbil Ball Scanlan doing the thing? No, not at all. But that's actually not a bad idea.

But that's actually not a bad idea. We're still outside the camp, right? How about this? Why don't we hike to the outskirts of Westrin, camp out the rest of the evening, keep an eye out, and just kind of scout for a little bit. Yeah, and if we get close, hopefully we can ask somebody that's nice if they've seen any dragons than how long it's been said.

We probably want to set up shop for a while and wait for the dragons to come and leave and then strike, so we've got some time. Very clever. That's brilliant. Fake shithead grog, sorry, fake shithier grog, To create a scene and run off and draw away some of the Goliath, probably not Kevdak, and then you go in for the main event with a thinned out herd.

Yep. I like it. I can be on the roofs nearby along with Vex and Percy doing range. What if we do the same thing that those orcs did? When you go in and cause a distraction and lead them out, we spend the few days that we're waiting for the dragons to build a massive trench, You can use Move Earth and lead them all out over something and drop a herd of the lights. And I can do the hallucinatory terrain thing again. It's been a while.

Drop them into a trench. They're stuck in there while he fights Kevdak. And I do love using that spell. I'm game. I like this idea. Still doesn't solve one question. What's that? I love you.

But can you beat Kevdak without magic and friends? I mean, look. We're gonna find out one way or the other. I don't know. But look. Can we age you? Yeah. Yeah, as long as I-

This is like the crucible. No, look, he's wearing weapons given by a gun, right? I don't care if it's a totally fair fight. I just don't want a dispatching cheaply. All right. All right. We can do this. We've got lightning.

That's very intelligent to be caught. That means good. That means good. Smart. That's good. Thank you. Let's rest up and wait for the dragons. That's six plus.

All right, we're going to hike to the outskirts of Westerns. You guys, during this journey, find your way northward. Are you skirting around the west side like you did when you first arrived? Sure. Sure. Sure. Can I just follow? Keep a good, just, yeah.

As we get closer, so at last, I cast pass at a trace on. It had that really nice high grass, right? It was like waist high or so. Not like corn stalk high. There were areas where there was. Like during the thick farmland, there are areas where they have high stock. Elephant high.

I'd like to stay in there. I'd like to stay in those areas. Okay, so you'll be pretty much dodging from farm land to farmland on the outside. Need you all to roll stealth checks if you could? Add 10 because I cast best out of these. I'm gonna, I don't know, because it won't be enough time.

Come on, Pikey. That's really good. Plus 10? Plus 10? Yeah, because I had cast past letter traces. 29. 24? Oh.

33. 30. 32. 32. 23. 20. All right. We're quiet.

We're old, anyone. As you guys leap into the high grass moving around the outside of Western eyes peeled as the sun sets and the night kicks in, you try our best to watch for any patrols that are keeping an eye. Make perception check. 13. 16. 19. 20. 22. 32. 32. 32. 23. All right. All right. The three of you guys glance over and you do see there is a patrol of three individuals, one of which appears to be Goliath and the two.

in order of some degree. In the distance, it's hard to see this far away. And then patrolling the same area where you guys came through before. It appears like the patrol has increased, like there's a mildly heightened state of awareness. That's something bad went down recently. However, you stay far enough away. It's seemingly out of sight. They do not catch visual on you, and eventually you get enough distance northward where you feel like they haven't really... Did we pass the area that we were at before where the farmer, Frederick Yeah, yeah, you passed that area, yeah. Did we see him? You did not see him, no. Was that his name Frederick?

Can we go to that place? Reggie. That seems unwise. No, no. That seems very unwise. Can we sneak there? Can Vax sneak there? What was the man's name who you killed? Reginald. Oh, that you killed? Vax. Can you go, no, no, the Goliath. Horace. Okay, what do you need? Vax, can you go get Horace's head? Okay, that's a good idea. Yeah, I can get that. I take that back, that's a great idea. I don't know why, but I can get that.

So you're heading forward to do that? I'm done. Make a new self-chrey. As you guys hold back and you... Oh, that's so much better. No, it's good. 39. 39, okay.

So as you guys wait in the back, staying low to the grass, you watch as Vax dives into the field. the field and vanish it. You darting in a forward way, kind of find your way to the outside of the initial crop grid. There doesn't appear to be any guard that are watching this promptly. You recall the various avenues you guys utilize and systematically making your way from path to path. It takes you a few minutes, but you manage to find an area that looks familiar enough where you find your way into the center of one of the crop lanes where the corpse of Horace recently was. Roll perception check.

27. 27. You get there and you glance about, but the body's gone. Yep. The body's not there. It's taken. You start following the trail. You see where maybe it was dragged off. Make it with a survivor rule. What? Survival role. What is that? What is that? What is that? You're 18.

18. Okay. So you find signs of his body being dragged when you start trying to find the direction it was taken. You dart along. Once again, keeping. within the crop as best you can stay out of sight. You make your way out of the northern side of it before the trail disappears. You do not wear no where the body was taken other than north and outward. You glance over and all you see is the original farmhouse where Reginald was living. There's the crops out there. There's the big scarecrow. That was in the center. There wasn't a scarecrow before. And you look over real close and you see strung up across a haphazard wooden spike in arms out is the currently

being pecked apart body of Reginald, who apparently suffered the brunt of the discovery of Horace's corpse and the time that has transpired since you last left Western. I sense anything around. At the moment, no. The patrol's probably a good ten minutes before it's heading in the direction where you are, but you don't know. It's probably take ten, fifty minutes before they reach where you are. Then it's self up to the body. Cut him down.

Okay. Cut the ropes off, he slumps down. He's shoulder and back to the group. Okay. Make a stealth check this advantage. 25. Okay. Though he wasn't a very heavy individual, and especially now that he's been out to dry for what seems to be at least a couple days,

most of the blow has went off and the, by going to graphic detail, elements of the corpse have been left behind. You bring most of him with you through the grass over the rest of the group. You guys watch as Vax pulls his way up out of the grass, carrying over his shoulder the lifeless body original. Let's all talk about repercussions. Well, they know we're here now. Do they? Yes. Someone's.

I think they thought it was him. Now they know they wasn't. They did not think the farmer killed Horace. We should have sent him off to the camp. They know we're here. here now because now his body's missing. Also I assume they tortured him before they killed them. I don't know if they're that clever. While I don't... Can you talk to the dad? These people were in a shit situation while I don't blame us entirely for

this because of where they live now. We must not do anything we're doing lightly. There are many lives at stake, not just Reginald's. Let's just not flit about here. Let's take this seriously, please. You have left him up there. What? Nothing. We should have cut him down tomorrow. One more day up there would have made no difference to him, and it's going to make a difference to us, because we have to move tonight now.

Maybe it's a matter of respect, Percy. Respect him by freeing his daughter. I agree. They know we're here. They're going to see he's missing. I think they already knew we were here. I don't think they did. I don't think they did either.

Scanlan, can you make a fake stupid body? Can you make a scarecrow? That's fair. Not really. Can any of us? It's fine. I can fashion something. No, tonight's fine.

There's nothing wrong with tonight. I figure if we're going to do it and we should do it and obviously this. 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 next. ever 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 Rothers, and I talk with scientists, authors, and experts, and I keep it practical, surprising, and fun to listen to. If you've got a curious brain,

come try one episode of something you should know on the podcast app you're listening to right now. Oh, please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter, some lighter music here. Are you a fan of true crime TV shows? And what about Unsolved Mysteries? The show that jumped started all of our love of True Crime. I'm Ellen Marsh. And I'm Joey Taranto.

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

This is nothing a sign that we should have done soon now. We just burn the whole field. They won't know if there's a body in there or not. That was our reasoning last time. Now we do this. I think we do this tonight. We do this tonight. I could cast speak with dead and we could ask him some questions. We could. We could ask him up to five questions. Let's do it.

All right. So you guys quietly pressed down a small area of the grass to give you enough of a space for you to go ahead and perform this ritual. As you lay the body down, you look up to the sky and were the some of the cloud cover that is kind of slowly drawn over the area. There's a little gap in the clouds. As you look up to the now visible stars, you whisper Sarenrae's name, look down at the body, touch it with your hand, and the still corpse, the chest begins to rise and fall with a unnatural breath for the time being. The eyes begin to twitch and move around. No physical movement beyond that, but the mouth slowly draws open, and you hear, while the lips do not move,

you hear a voice emanate through like an exhale. With her was getting into, not fret or believe. We will rescue your daughter. Five questions, vex, make it count. I think we can all ask. Reginald, how much do your murderers know about us? I told them it was me. Should not and could not know your intent to return.

He described the one who did it? I, sorry. The one who, or ones who did you in, other than large and pale, were there any distinguishing marks or names thrown about? It's one of their leaders, tattooed face in brown and red. His jaw, once broken, pushes to one side. Do I understand that description? You recall the tattoo, and you recall the moment the jaw was broken. I was wondering. This was Anroy.

This is what? Kebdak's son. He broke it. He broke it. Oh shit. What are the things that we face inside the city? What should we fear inside the city? Fear those that are fueled by reek, skilled with weapons, and those that call the elements of the room. Can we ask it if it's seen the dragon or how long it's been? Go ahead. We thank you for your time. If we may. How long has it been since the dragon was last here?

Today. I'm waiting another day. How many more questions? Was that it or one more? We get five. We have one more if we wanted. What would you like us to tell your daughter? Life was given so she could live hers.

And my memory lives in her eyes. And with that, the head just kind of lulls back a little bit, the jaw hangs open, the blast and the breath in the chest. They don't know we're here. It could be anyone who could have cut him down. Why would they suspect us? I would suspect the village people first. What we do, and I'm the smartest of the world. We're going to be clever. We need to put something back up. I don't want anyone else to get hurt.

He's going to save his daughter one last time. We're going to put him back up. for one day. I agree. Wait for the dragon to pass, and then he will be buried on his land properly with stone and dirt. I'll take him. Thank you. And thank you for bringing him. This was helpful. Can we give him a proper burial? We will. We're going to put it back up. We're going to put him back up. We're going to put him back.

Stealth check the disadvantage. Stealth check this advantage. Disavage. Yeah, carrying him along, man. Oh, it's all right. It's fine. No, 235. Oh. Jesus Christ.

That's crazy. Vogue. Coming back, as you approach the outside, you can see now the patrol has skirted by, and you have to wait patiently, but not wait too long, because you know you have about a 30-second window before they will come into sight of this farmstead. Using that, you dart forward, take the body, thrust it up, trying to catch it. I want you to go ahead and make a dexterity check. to see how fast you can utilize what rope is at your disposal.

Just straight dexterity? Straight dexterity. 17. With that, you fill the body up, look over your shoulder. Grab out, pull it. It's a twine you have, a piece of rope that you, or a piece of your shirt that you tear off to the side and fashion it. Quick knot over one, arm the other.

You look over your shoulder again, you can see the shadow of them beginning to just turn around the side. You get the other arm up, just managed to slump it over the wood. You know there isn't any more time, and with that you duck back underneath the grass and vanish. He's haphazardly up and one arm is not actually tied, it's just kind of laid over it, but he's currently back on the wooden stake cross.

As you dart back and slowly return to your group, glancing over in that direction, the patrol doesn't seem to take notice and continues walking past. So I'm I the only one that while we wait is like itching for a fight. I'm sorry, look, it's just who I'm, him.

Well, listen, if you want to fight, we could still use one of their heads. We can find one of those patrolmen walking around, grab him, take his head. Too soon. Too soon. We're not just alone. We're going to be fighting soon enough. Elemental power. I think everyone should hide inside your love shack and my sister and I should wait here

in the grass and watch and wait. When the dragon comes, we alert you all. We wait for Dragon Pass, the day after the Dragon Passes, we strike. I agree. Okay. Let's go. You guys, most of you, other than the twins, head into the magnificent mansion. An evening that is restful by definition, but still overact with tension and anxiety.

You guys watch throughout the night, relatively uneventful, though a cold evening. Without building a fire, you both do. have to keep bundled up against the elements. It's not cold enough to the point where it's going to be impactful, but it is chilly. I've fought a lot. The farting does keep you warm, Vax. They're going to hear you. I want to tinker for the evening as well.

I'm a rogue. You're going to take a check right? Oh, so sorry. 21. 21. Okay. You've made headway. Cool, cool. You've constructed a portion of the seed and the apparatus that connects it to the broom without interfering with the enchantment.

Right now it's testing that and then getting the stirrups and making sure that it's functional and not going to get her killed. Whatever night we have time, I want to keep poking out. Can I also spend some time practicing like a protection from energy potion? I want to go ahead and utilize the delightfully presented brewing vicinity? I do. All right, sure. Not enough to wear. I can't, you know, like, sleep.

I'm going to lend to my lightning, I'm going to my resist lightning ring. lightning ring so that she can study it and hopefully help to come up with a resist energy potion. Okay. Okay. I will say what level is that? Protection from energy is a third level spell. Wow. I don't know what that was. Hello? Matt Nurser, white courtesy phone. Matt Nurse is white courtesy phone. Now reaching housewares, spell scrolls. So it was levels of the front gate. Third. That would be an uncommon spell scroll. I'd say they put it about Well, powering old pieces.

Okay, I'd say you begin the process of brewing. It'll take you a little while to get that done. Okay. A few days at the early least. All right, so. Grog, just before tomorrow and stuff. Kevdak. His son is... Zanroar.

Zanroar. Wonderful naming in this time, right? It's spelled, it's spelled like this, and then like it sounds. Sure, sure. Standard spelling. What about anyone else I need to know about who you were familiar with or had a relationship with? That was just the main one? Not any longer. You know, all right, so we're still resting, right? Yes. So I'm going to knock on Pike's door. I don't answer. No, I'm just kidding. I can still get in.

Hi Scanlan. Hello. Did you get your robe and everything? Yes, slippers. The monogram. Yes. Spelled it right. Thank you so much. And the scented candles. Yes, it smells so good in here.

Thank you. Great, great. If you need anything, there's a little bell. There's two bells next to your bed. There's one to call servants, and there's one for me. Oh, thank you, Scanlan. The purple one is mine. Percy and I strategize. We're doing strategies. Right.

Listen, there's been a lot of death recently, and well, just I might die and stuff, so just don't read this until I do. Can I read it? Don't. What's this? Pass it over. It smells funny. Do you want to go steady if yes, check this box? box. Do not open and in parentheses till I'm dead.

That's all. Hopefully I never have to open this. I hope so too. That's all. Have a good night. Bye, Scanlan. Bye. Secrets. I close the door, I open it and I read it. I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you. Yes, you do. Oh my God. Nobody look. Nobody look. Don't you look. Don't you look. Don't you look.

You know what? I love her anyway. It's a bit of a tone, so I think I should wait to read this, but a part of me... Oh, oh. Okay. You clever, fuck. Good God. Oh.

Oh, man. Says it. I know. I think we gotta wait for it to finish because the night is young. It's all dickpicks. A cube. Critical roll of footies. Now on sale.

In the meantime, while you're reading that, you guys are doing what? We were strategizing. We're figuring out some strategy for how to make this work. Okay, fair enough. That's all. I just want to like you now.

By candlelight. As the evening progresses, you guys rest, preparing yourselves for the next day. You guys are woken up right as the sun begins to rise by the distant sound of you shake Vax awake and you guys look up from the grass and you can see coming down from the very, very top of Gat Shadow, you see the wings unfurled and with each swoosh down the gargantuan black dragon streaks down, dive bombs just past the Bramblewood and scoots over the

entire city of Western, making its presence known as it just roars out. Circling over the city. twice, three times as you see lights being going on in the city. As it goes over three times, seemingly content that it's made its presence known and asserted its vocal dominance over the vicinity by instilling some early morning fear in the denizens of this town. The dragon then lands a little bit northwest of the city itself. It's hard to make out exactly what's happening. this distance, but you see it at its size, kind of circle around an area, scrape into the dirt a bit, take a moment, makes a couple of grumbled, takes one of its claws and

scoops up a large cart that has apparently a few sacks inside of it, and its wings v. It begins taking up in the air again, you can see now there are three Goliaths that are walking away from the point as the dragon turns and scoops one up in its other claw, and the two other kind of turn around and watch it as it takes off towards the top of the mountain, unable to do anything up on to get, Shadow. I can't wait. Oh, Jesus. So we're watching those other two head back towards the, towards the...

You guys are in the mansion. Nobody seen the... No windows. No windows. No, you guys are in another plane. You look out the window and it's just like this purple expanse. It seems like a slim thread of hope, but perhaps the underlings are not entirely satisfied with this arrangement. It's possible.

I have a feeling they're having a hard time finding any sort of hoard to offer after this many days. It's a long shot, but you told me about those giants. Yes. When you were with Zara and they turned, shouldn't rely on it. It's possible. If Grog can take control of the board, they're able to fight with us. But I wouldn't trust them. We need to tell the others. You guys find your way back to the door, entering the mansion. The servants have already, kind of, at the sound of you entering, begin to appear out of their spectral ethereal states,

bowing to you, offering to take your coat. Chicken, please. Light away, sir. They drift off to prepare your bountiful breakfast. Eventually you go ahead and begin to muster the rest of your party down towards the breakfast area and the rest of you come to consciousness and find your way to where the food is being served and vex and backs both wait, rather stone-faced and prepared to speak. Well, Dragon came. Not happy. We'll be glad to know, however, that it took one of your herd away

with it. Imagine the offering was little light. Yes, that's what I think as well. Correct. From the three that were walking around? Yes. What did the other two do? Not much. What are you going to do when a dragon comes and take someone away? Stand there and watch, really. Your buddy Horace made it sound like it was easy street, but I don't know if that's entirely accurate. We can use that. Yeah. They may not be very happy with the dragon right now. They may not care at all. They may not be very happy with leadership that leaves them in a place where they're being taken advantage of. It's very clever.

It might be time to move on. Move on. Move in? For them to leave. Oh, for them to move on. This is not a good deal for them anymore. So we start today, yes? I think we fight. I think it starts today. I think it starts right now.

What do we do? Right now. I want to go in? Well, I haven't had my morning shit yet, but as soon as we do. Well, broad shits. I'm just going to take a little bit. nap while he's shitting, it takes a while, usually, right? Sure, yeah. Same, same.

We're playing candy crust. Something to recover a little bit of time. Want me to guard the door? I don't think I need it this time. Oh, no. Blocked. Oh, no. Blocked.

She's gonna go to shit. Don't say that. Laura doesn't shit. No. All right. Yeah, and we do it. And we do it the way we said. Me to go in, draw out as many as I can.

But wait, no, we first we have to prepare a trap, don't we? Isn't there a trap to be prepared? I can, yes. I can dig a trench pretty quickly, honestly, if we wanted to go the trench row. Now, here's the thing. You need to be inside the city gates as well. Well, hold on. What are you going to say? No, I go.

So if we try and build that trench outside, we risk be insane. and then pop goes a weasel. If you go in... While I'm in, you can build the trench? Well, what, can you go in looking like me? Or can you go in looking like me? Yeah, sure. Maybe, D.M. Yeah, sure. Of fire.

Go in and what? Like, can you conjure just me? Or could you be me, like, as a walking fling? That would be harder. That would be harder to do to pull up. to do to pull off. You're big. You're pretty big. Well, I know this is like a one-time thing for me, so I figure I'd just do a rock store. I just want to see what it looks like.

If someone else set me on literal fire, I couldn't. We'd stand down from that idea. It was just a thought. There's no bad idea when we're workshopping. Slip-ball. It's a workshop. If we want to do the trench, we have to wait for nightfall. I was going to make myself look like you put a dead version of you. version of you. A zombie-fied grove.

I'm all right with that. Can I hear your best undead grog? Right. So. Right. So I'm... Oh, I'm so dead. Maybe you don't say anything. No, no, no, no, they just have to warm up. Ah, me, me, me, me, me. Right, right. You can do it. Oh, core. Oh, right then. I've been dead for five, five, six.

six years. It's amazing. It's like a verbal mirror. So if we do the trench, so we have to... I could theoretically dig the trench possibly without anybody noticing, like kind of tunnel underground and then just kind of tunnel it out and maybe even, you know, leave like a thin layer of dirt, possibly. I don't know, maybe. Like dig-dug. I've got a great idea.

Wait, can't you just shape Earth? Can't you shape Earth without affecting the surface of it? I mean, can't you just shape the underneath of it? That's what I'm saying. No one will even see it being moved. And I could possibly maybe carve it thin enough to where when they run over it, it'll collapse. Percy, what was your idea?

It mixed a little black powder into the dead box. That's what, well, I was also hoping, oh, it exploded. If you get in with lightning, it'll just cry. Also, if we could maybe have something fancy at the bottom of it to kind of, you know, finish them off. Have something fancy? No, look, here's the thing.

We have a bear. If we do the ditch before, if we do the ditch for the people that are coming out of the city, we waste it if it's not Zanroar and Kevdak. If we go in. At least it gets them out of commission. Yeah, I thought the trench was to kind of thin the herd. Yeah. Say it.

I see what you did that. Literally. Oh, I like it. So wait, if there's a gate to the city, is there a gate to the city? There are multiple interests of the city. The few that you've seen are guarded with outward facing defensive spikes and pikes that are set up to prevent any sort of cavalry entry or just as a warning. I have a question. Yes. We fought your father. What's going on there tonight?

We fought your father and he was dead. What's the line? The last thing the herd has heard of your father? I don't know. The last thing I remember I was looking up with my father and the rest of my heard. He made no move to save me. Well, I don't know how we got there, but we saved you from your father and a dead guy,

deep underground. So they lost him at some point. What if instead of Grog, you appeared as Grog's dad? I don't know what Grog's dad Looks like. Yes, you do. You fought him.

He was a rotting corpse in front of you trying to kill you. Way back in the beginning. Of course. How could I forget? Make yourself look like that. I'm not exactly sure what that would do. It could be interesting. I mean, it could also further instill Grog being powerful and undead.

Yes, that's actually it's even better. If he brought his father back to fight underneath him. Right. Like he's a necromancer. He's a great romance. And Kevdak would think that Grog's father was serving him. Yes. And he wouldn't feel pissy if we saw one Grog do a magic trick,

and then the other Grog sprang up and said, fight me instead. It would seem more real. What was your dad's name? Larry? Curlie. Oh, that's name. Remember? It was Stonejaw.

Stone jaw, strong jaw. Strong Dog. Wow. That's a terrible man. That's embarrassing. Wow. That's like George Foreman the floor. You had an intelligence of the whole.

It's a repressed memory, all right. All right. He comes up, never. This is George Foreman. This is also George Foreman. These three guys are also George Foreman. Brother Brother, Daryl. All right.

Yeah. So I say, say you, you, you're. Strong, wrong. You're dad and maybe Pike walk up to the front door and then we get ready to hit them with the doosy once things start. All right, give me a little bit of time to like carpet dig a ditch. No, Pike? No. If I walk in, I want to walk in by my own. So this is only your fake father walking up at this point.

There's the distraction, right? Yes, yes, girl. Done. You're going to lure them out and we're going to hit them when they come out. Okay, but wait. I've got to bring them out of a specific gate where there's going to be a trap. The front gate. And if you go in and rescue any other civilians, you have to bring them out through a different gate that doesn't have a trap.

We're not worrying about that yet. We're not going to evacuate several thousand people. It's just not going to happen. We're just going to kill Kabdak. All right. I'm ready to do this except for a few holes in our plan. Yeah, go ahead. I don't run very fast.

Maybe I do, I thought if I would polymorph as a Goliath, as a Goliath, I would have their speed, right? What if, what if you borrow my boots that levitate? You can't move myself, though. I would be, I would be the dread pilot, Robert. There will be no survival. All right, bad I am. If I am polymorphed as a Goliath,

I would gain all their abilities and in an their movement speed, yeah. Intelligence? 50, 50. Yeah, it's everything If you need to, you can make a bubble. You know what would make you move pretty fast is a lady rogue with a flying broom. That's true, I could be hiding behind you and drag you.

I could have a rope tied to him. Yes. How are you? It can't be a man. He's not a beast, that guy? A beast of a man, but a man from the last. You'd be looking at more of an illusion-based spell, like an alter self. Oh, well, I don't have that.

You have a hat. Oh, I have the hat, but it doesn't make me grow. No, you'd be a very, very tiny client. Oh. Maybe they'd think it was like perspective fuckery, like in the Lord of Reza. Well, back-up plan. I can go in as dead Reginald. But you still... They don't know who he is.

They killed him. They just killed him. Kevdak's son killed him. Kevdrak's son knows who he is. No, he doesn't. No. They don't care. Can you remember who you killed two days ago? Can you remember all of them because I barely kill anybody. Oh, well, that's good. I don't think they care who he is.

Why? I think you showing up at the front doors is the best option. Scanlan, can you do it with an illusion instead of an actual physical person? Yeah. My illusions are small in size. I could get an illusion of others. I mean, I can just go in as, hey, I'm Mr. Scanlan, come chase after me. This is your trick. You pick.

You could be a fucking triceratops again, for. Are they going to chase after a triceratops, though? It could make theoretical sense. if you're still undead stone jaw because, you know, decomposition, I'm sure, shrinks you a little bit. What's something that they would chase after? Drug. Anything that moves. I could do it if we have a week, but we don't know. Well, you guys figured out. I'm going to start digging a trench.

I'll help. I'm going to get some of them. No, no, I'm good. I'm good. You stay. You don't want to blow our cover. I'm going to do this all underground. All right. So outside of the city, I'm going to start digging underground, and I'm going to start digging a trench. trench. I'm going to trench. I'm going to move earth. All right. So you're using move earth?

I'm moving earth, but I'm going to go underground. It's lost up to two hours. Are you going to ground to do it? I want to go underground and tunnel kind of towards. Okay, I see. And then create the trench tunnel underneath. And I want to kind of make it really thin to where there's a nice thin layer of Earth. And then I want to make it really deep.

Take it too close. You can. I move Earth, it's concentration of the two hours. And I can concentrate on a 40 square foot for 10 minutes. Yeah. In each 10 minutes I can change it. So you can do a, if you're doing a 40 foot square, it could be like 20 feet lower, E for every 40 foot square that you do.

Yeah. Yeah. So real deep. Okay. So we'll say over the two hour period you could create for a 40 foot square or like 100, 100. 100 feet deep. I don't want to make sure it's wide enough to cover the whole entrance as well. The whole entrance? Okay. So you dig underneath. Stealth check to get close enough because in digging, it'll take you most of that duration to dig up to the gate.

Under underground? Yeah, I'd say, so in order to do this, you have to actually get fairly close before you start digging under. I rolled a 19. 19. And I have a stealth of 11. Okay. All right. So you make your way up there kind of moving through the grass best you can.

the guards that are there are partially kind of coming to, you begin to slowly manipulate downward into the ground using a relatively untouched patch of pad grass for cover, I mean pushing your way through. Over the next two hours, you manage to dig a ditch. The width of this entrance is about 40 feet. Okay. So from end to end, if you just go straight down there, at 20, you just go straight down there, 20 feet per section every 10 minutes. Looking at 240 feet deep if you wanted to go the full, although actually having a tunnel underneath would probably take a little bit out. So it's like 180 feet. Oh my god, that's amazing. And I can make the ground kind of thin enough to

where it's not going to support weight. Yeah. Yeah, you give yourself enough of a buffer where yeah, you could, might require a bit of a drill. Let's make an intelligence check. Oh, geez Louise. Ooh, what a good idea. I'm not going on that. Oh, 19. Okay. You feel pretty confident that you've left just enough of a surface

that it would support a little bit of weight and maintain its placement, but upon the weight of maybe two humanoid-sized individuals, it would probably crumble beneath. Cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool. Did I get a little black powder from you? I did. I gave you a little bit of black powder to... Can I kind of put a little black powder?

Put a little black powder in the top of the dirt. How, what is a little bit? Whatever he gave me. I have a little bit leftover. I gave her like maybe like a third of my, a third of my, of like a barrel worth like, so like twice this. Okay.

To where it's pepper it in the top to where if it gets hit, it's gonna go boom. I'm gonna have to deal with it eventually that I'm fine at the moment. Okay, all right, you pepper on the earth from underneath. Uh-huh. Okay. Maybe it works, maybe.

Or if you hit it with lightning, it should be fine. Okay, okay. So Grog's father's too big for you. What about the undead severed head of Grog's father? I can make an image of that. Floating about in the air with Pikes boots. Oh my gosh, just a floating severed head. Nasty, nasty things at the herd.

I can do that. But you can't move if he's wearing the boots. It'll be tied to a rope. You can make it move when it's time. Yeah. Could you pull him like a balloon? I can make the head move. Can you be a floating head?

Inside of a hamster bowl? I wouldn't need to be the head. I mean, I can't make my body look like a head. You can't. I thought you could do anything. But you can make the illusion of a head talking. I can make the illusion of a head talking about. Wizard of Oz style. All right, can it follow you about.

Well, he can be on a roof in a distance. Which one? Minor illusion. It's a very minor illusion. I know. But you could make like noise escape. noise escape from the vicinity of where the head is. Do I assist with that?

Because he has minor allusion as well. If you're close enough to it, it's possible. Once again, it's a minor illusion. I can also do these Goliaths, they don't like Wiverns. I could be a Wivern. The head is so perfect. You could be a whole Wivern, but you can't be a Goliath? It's not a beast, apparently.

Yeah. Plymorph, there are a higher level spells that can let you do it, but they're a little bit out of your... out of your range. That's not a bollwiver. A weverne is a beast? I've got an idea. Wevern.

Okay, we can do the head. The head. Be a head. Be a giant, floating severed head. I like it. Can you get me out of there once they come to attack? Me? Yes.

I mean, I can use the tether and tie you to the bruce. I'll be the bait. Weyvern is a dragon. You don't have to both do it. Wevern is a dragon. I cannot do, I cannot be a wyvern. No. I can be the bait.

With the hat? With your, with your, your head? How are you going to be the bait? Yeah, how are you going to be the bait? I'm going to have the severed head of your father talking to it. Yes, I can do that too, and I can escape. You can't. Up to you. All right. Do it.

Do it. Come on, Scanlan. I mean, I can try. Do it. I can do it. All right. How are you going to hide? Can I ask this?

Can we see, let's say we picked this gate where she's digging out this ditch. What is the terrain like on the outside of the of the wall next to that gate. Because of the building, it's pretty good. Or the structure of it, for about 30 feet on the outside of the wall, it's mainly just hard-packed dirt and earth from patrols for hundreds of years going around the wall, whether it be carts, beasts of burden, and just people walking all around the outskirts of the town of Western, it's just very heavily packed and often walked over it.

Zero coverage. Zero coverage within 30 feet. And the grass does thin as it gets close to that. You know, Kiela had to pick a specific area and get low, and even then had to, like, you know, force your way under and use a good, you know, a quarter of her spell time to be able to dig low enough to get to that space. Past 30 feet from the wall or from the edge of town, what kind of cover is there? Is there any?

Not really. Not even the tall grass. The grass at that point gets about way. to knee high. All right, this is an important thing we need to remember. This is an important announcement. Listen, so like, as we're doing all this, let's just assume that we're us and this all go tits up real quick. We're going to be a fucking long way away from you before we can come to help.

That's why you're going to send Pike with me. No, I'm just kidding. I would know. No, but my sister or I could go with you. That would be very, that would make me feel quite quite. make me feel quite nice. This just good on escape from escape. We should at least find a forward operating base, a place where we can watch this unfold from cover

and figure out how far away we are from the first act of our show. Well, if everything goes wrong, we meet back here at the very least. I mean, theoretically we'll be stationed throughout and we'll have our ear pieces, correct? Correct. Yeah, but I'm just talking about if we have to pair of rescue his ass out of a fucking pickle. That's what Vex is for.

We need to make sure someone is nearby. I'm standing nearby on my broom. I'll fly in and pick him up. He can dimension door out though very quickly. I also have both of my B shaping still so I can always fly in. How far are we from the entrance now? As you guys have plotted this and Kielith has come back to you through the grass after creating this tunnel, I'd say you're about 150, 200 feet out. That's perfect.

And we know Western. Yeah, you know well. And I know how far away are from the center of town. Are we? Wait, are there suez in a restaurant? Yeah. It's okay. I know.

We have that option if it comes to it. Yeah, I hadn't thought of that. It's all right. And again, like any good plan, everything will go wrong. Yes. Let's do it! It's time. All right.

I'm not going to be by the wall. I will be with you. The grass dies will begins to die away and become in, you know, not helpful for stealth, about 80, something to 80 feet outside of the wall. Can we get a pass without a trace while we all Get into positions? Okay.

Pass that a trace, even so you can't stealth in the open. In order to stealth, you have to have some way of staying out of sight. Once you get to about 70 feet from the wall, it's basically just like open ground and the large wall that surrounds outside of westward. What about the, can you dig a hole under and we can like hang out in a hole with like something over top of it so we can bust up out like shallow ground? I've already burned that, haven't we? I've kind of already burned it.

Got it. I mean, we can still go underground. I have a tunnel built to a certain point. We have to be able to get out of it. Let's keep our distance. Let's get them out of the council and coming out at us. And then we go in. Okay, so what's the plan?

Who's doing what? I go invisible and start walking into town. We stay at the very edge stealth as fuck. Can you... You're not going into town. Are you taking my... Like a giant pit in front of the main entrance. Everyone be mindful of the pit.

I pointed out to everyone where the pit is, so go around it. He fair. He is a gnome. He's not a very heavy individual, and you were pretty spot on you. You're fairly certain it could support the weight of a no. I can polymorph a couple people. No, sorry. I can polymorph one person.

It's like a stealth kind of deal. There are the three guards. there, about 20 feet in from the main gate or the main entranceway, one of which appears to be a phenogaleth, muscular scar-based torso, very thick, dark, dreaded hair that's pulled tightly to the back of her head and kind of hangs down in the mid-back. And you see two, what appear to be humans that are also as rugged-looking posse members of the secondary tribe that they adopted, as was mentioned when you first inquired about the tribe as currently stands, the herd. They're all just kind of looking out, bored, kind of chew, one of them is chewing on some

dry meat and they're kind of just keeping an eye out. Scanlan, you've gone invisible and you're approaching the front gate. What are you doing? Hey, can you cast past with a trace on me? I already did. Okay, good. I'm just going to walk straight into town. Okay. Yeah. Just for the sake of this, go out, make a stealth check. With advantage. With advantage. Yeah. They have very little chance to even notice. So 16 plus... 10 plus... plus 2. So 28. Yeah. Given the circumstance that you're invisible and that advantage role, even for the quietness of your footsteps, like they... you... you managed to literally walk within five feet of them without them noticing.

You hear some low mutters, some of it's just like broken words and like, I'm stupid hungry. And the larger female Goliath is like, shut up! Eyes peeled! I hate this. They look very unhappy by having to be stuck there at this watch. Yep. So you move past them now. All right, I'm going to go into the, just the center. We had a scouting party go in and see that, yes, we did. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yes, we did. There was a center of town, that's where the key people were around. Yeah, the very center of town is about a 15-minute walk. We can hear everything about it. How long did you miss Billy last? An hour. An hour, okay. So, you start coasting through the town, you,

come towards a T intersection of where the road continues forward in terms of the right. You can see a number of the buildings, just like you saw previously on your guys' journey. Some them are charred and black from fires that have been set. Some of them you do notice as you pass by. Large elements of the buildings have just dissolved, melted down by some sort of chemical reaction. Many buildings still stand. You do see that there are broken barrels and crates in the streets. It looks like a lot of what may have been in storage or being brought around as commerce has been ransacked and raided or relocated. You do see a couple carts that are half broken or just kind of up on the side with whatever's in the inside pulled out.

You do manage to see a couple of horses that were killed during some altercation that are just left rotting in the middle of the street. There are no people visible on the street. Make a perception check. And what time is it? At this point now, it's maybe the time it took for you, the two hours to do that. That digging. It's close to 10, 30, 11. in the morning? 13.

13? Okay. Keep walking past. You don't notice anything that catches your attention. You keep moving towards the center of the town. You start moving through the religious district of the middle of Western. Make another perception check. 19. Plus. Nothing. No, that's right. 19. You glance by what looks to be, what you knew before in Western as the central church of Arathus there. It's a rather, comparison to the rest of the town, Gaudy Temple, but it has been defiled fairly heavily. You can see what looks like. Paint, mud, or some other substance has been smeared across parts of it. Portions of the rock have been pushed over and collapsed.

We do glance and see what looks to be a small humanoid peeking through one of the ajar doors that you see, for a second, you see a set of eyes and it sees you and closes the door. Oh shit. I will, he knows I'm there. I gotta keep going. Okay. I gotta keep going.

Yeah. You're invisible. Yeah. Yeah. So. That was your quick. You keep moving towards the very, very center of town, moving past a couple of other patrols. You've probably passed even in just this journey to the center of, journey to the center of Western.

You've passed roughly 30 or so well-armed, relatively savage individuals that mark the same kind of civilized level of grog, give or take, some further steps into society. Many of them are wearing pieces of clothing that have been taken from this town. They're dressed better than their station. Rough-looking, big, thick, unshaven faces for the humans, but they're still, like, kind of dressed in pompous clothing that's partially torn in the smear. They're a walking parody of the people that once ruled this town, and they seem to know it. They're enjoying this kind of gloating. Eventually, make your way to Central Town Square, which is not far, but from where the Margraves home is. This area you do notice has been set up as a defensive central location. There are just barriers and barricades of all bits of furniture that have been nailed together.

And this has been made an assault post where if anyone were to attempt to attack the center of this town, this would be a wonderful defensive position for someone to hole up and wait it out, weighted out, whether it be against other people or a dragon. It has been built at the best of their ability in that regard. And there are a number of weapons that they've taken from the city that have been bolted in, that have been strapped around, so there's just like jagged edges of howlbirds and whatever blades they could muster in every direction. Therefore, if anything wasn't being very careful in running through here, they could be easily shoved in one of these hazards or perhaps even pushed onto it as a means of display.

Which you do notice a number of these various heads are currently placed as warning symbols in various states of decay. You recognize two of the heads, one of which is one of them you recognize as the Margrave, who once ruled Western, who's always home. Have that currently keeps as his own. And the other... That deep in your notes is which heads are on spikes. Hey man. You gotta keep up with this. Appendix A, heads on spikes. Pretty much.

Sub-appendix. Okay, here we go. Here we go. Okay. Loran the Bear. Lauren the Bear was a mercenary that you guys faced off with the first time that you fought in the Brawlers League. You guys had like a playful rivalry. You kept running into each other when looking for various... It's like a best-of of season one. That's great. Season the Dinnahre.

Seasoned-Din-Airred. But there you see him... What remains of him placed upon one of these weapons. It looks like anybody who has attempted to rise up or at least maybe a stink about the current ruling class in Western, have been put on display in this square in some way, shape, or form. Are there any people, guards, Goliaths? You see a rather heavy group of well-armored Goliaths and other savage-looking humanoid

individuals. Mostly human. You see a couple of half-works, but a total of ten of them that are all currently scattered throughout this central area. some of them just sitting down, snacking, a few that are just keeping watch and a number that are kind of hovering in and out of the door, the main area, giving orders and carrying some small supplies around. Okay, so I'll just quickly, are you guys ready? Do we want to get up on the wall? Do we hear that?

I mean, there's like a wall, right, around the city? Yeah, but I'm in the center of the city. Right. I know. You also, there's no response. Oh, he's out of range. Then I will use, what's the range? Can we know what the range is on the-

The range on those earpieces are roughly two miles. Two miles. All right. He's out of two miles range. Yeah, Westrow's a pretty big town. It's a 15-minute walk though. Yeah, I walk fast. You're a fast walk-up for a gnome.

It's a really fast hop. Okay, go ahead. I cast polymorph on Percy and turn him into a crow. Oh, again with the crows. Also, you use my bee shape to go into a crow. Ah! That's good enough. And we fly to the walls and perch on opposite sides on the entrance.

Okay. How cold is here to help. Okay. Stop it. Sorry. It's really pleasing. All right, you guys are perched on the edges of that. Scanlan, what are you doing? So much.

So much. I feel like this is the first time I've seen you, like, at the first time. I've seen you at a loss. Uh. About those eyes. Oh, God. Just wanted to read the note? Yeah, I'll, uh, I go over to where the most people are congregated.

That's gonna be right at this, right at the steps of the Margraves Manor. I position myself about seven feet away from them. Okay. And I cast Thunderwave. Oh. Yeah. And with that, this. burst of thunder comes blasting out centrally from where you are located, Scanlon. The DC

on this with your... Thunderway, thunder, thunder, thunder, right. Oh, is this spell? It's not what's your DC. 20. Oh, shit. Okay. Six fail, one succeeds in the save. So you hit them and they're all forced backwards, some of them up up under the stairs, some against the wall. Roll 2D8 points of damage. Ragnol physics. 2D8? Mm-hmm.

No, it's... Oh, that's... You're right. Yeah. 11 plus something. No, I guess it's just 11. That's 11. All right.

All right. And one of them takes five points of damage and just... Looks down with this little gnome that's there. Oh, no. I'm still invisible. It's not a concentration spell. And invisibility? I'm pretty sure. I'm pretty sure that as soon as you do...

Oh, fuck! It dropped on us an illithet town. Yep, the spell ends for a target that attacks or casts a spell. Cast a spell? Yeah. Even though it's a concentration spell? Yeah, you can cast other instantaneous spells, but as soon as you cast a spell, you become visible. What?

High level in prudent invisibility is like that is the one that remains. Oh well, I'm fucked then. Yes! Just as we... I'll say, do you have greater invisibility? No? I can cast it at a greater level, but no, I don't have greater invisibility. Yeah, at that moment, you suddenly become visible. Roll with it. Roll with it. Hi, guys. Hi.

Oh, geez. You're Scanlan. You can do this. Come on, that's not my charm. It's a surprise round, they weren't expecting it. Roll initiative right now. Oh, shit. Oh my God, Scanlan, run. No, we can't fucking... 16. Old a one.

I'm rolling them group initiative on this one, because I want to roll six different initiatives this order. So they all look at you, dumbfounded. We go need to Trudeau. Pull out their weapons, get ready, to them at you really angrily. What are you doing? What are you doing, Sam? This is not the plan. No, no.

We say a thing. Don't say shit. Yeah, let him park. Okay, yeah, yeah, tell you. I know that Pike didn't read the letter though, so I'm okay. At the end of this fight, can I have your tie? I mean, you're not going to need it anymore. Come on. What are you doing?

Keep it on. Okay. I will, I'll dimension door into the house where the guy's eyeballs were. Yes! I like it. Wait, it's the house. The house where I saw the guy who was going to be. I saw the guy who was peeking and saw me.

He saw me. I'm going in there. Oh. What? Smart. How far is the range on dimension door? 500 feet. Was that long ago or recently?

Wait, so you were peaking, you were referring to the... The guy who saw me as invisible. Right. Okay, got you. All right, so you go into that temple. That's probably about 1,000 feet from you. Okay. Well, then I won't do that.

You can even mention door closer to it. Yes, I could. I could. Okay, okay. This is exciting. This is so exciting. Nothing's a certain. Ressimpling the plan.

Okay, yes, I will go toward it, 500 feet. Okay, so you appear to the back end and around the road, just around the corner from where the entrance is. You're a little ways away. As you appear, kind of getting your breath, you look over your shoulder and you hear in the distance, and what a couple of yells, like, and a bell's what's going on. going on, ding-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-in in the center of the town square. It's going great. We hear the bell.

You guys can hear in the very distance a series of bells being going to go, do you know, shit. Oh, sweet Jesus. What are you doing now? Well, they haven't caught up to me, right? No, no. You move 500 feet in one second. They have no idea where you went. You just showed up, went, bye, pf, and vanished out.

Bell is bad. He's in trouble. We need to go in now. I'm going to go again, dimension door into the temple. Okay, you do see the temple. You're on the interior of it now. I'm looking at the interior of it now. of it now. And looking inside, a portion of it is collapsed. There's an open view on the second level where a whole corner of the second floor and the first floor have fallen in. Big pile of rubble. You can see the sky. There as you appear, if you look around and you hear a series of gasps. As you can now see huddled inside of this temple, roughly 30 or so people, varying ages, varying racial backgrounds.

These are some of the survivors in Western that are keeping in here, whether it be hidden or at least this is where they're live now. They look in various states of personal brutality that's been put against them. Some them are wounded. Few of them draw weapons immediately. And turning around, you see hunkered down inside a half-work that rushes around, his hat half kilter, his coat up with his shoulder kind of mantle, part of his collar, pressed upward. Spins around. puts his blade out. You've got to be kidding me. Scanlon Shoreland Shore.

That's me. Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement and modern leadership. I'm Mick Hunt, your host, and I'm here to challenge your why and fuel your because. This is where leaders, entrepreneurs, and go-getters come to level up. Each week, I bring you unfiltered conversations, game-changing strategies,

and the kind of motivation that transforms, lives and legacies. I've learned from legends like Les Brown, Damon John, and Robert Irvine. And now, I'm bringing their lessons, along with mine, straight to you. From modern leadership tips to creating unstoppable momentum, this is the podcast that redefines what's possible. Hit play, subscribe, and join the millions who've made Mick Unplugged their go-to source for growth and greatness, because your next breakthrough is just one episode of away. This is Mick Unplugged. The voice and face of modern leadership entrepreneur and self-improvement. Let's get started. Look, we all know there are a lot of celebrity interview podcasts out there,

but there's only one Happy, Sad, Confused. I'm Josh Harrowitzin. Yeah, I'm the host of the show, so I'm a little biased, but truly Happy, Say, Confused is the place for nerdy and intimate conversations with all your favorite actors and filmmakers. From Andrew Garfield and Scarlett Johansson to Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. For over 10 years and over 700 episodes, Happy Say I Confused has broken movie and TV news every single week. That's because I ask all the questions I want to know, and more importantly, you want to know. Casting what ifs, backstage stories, acting pet peeves, and much more. So whether you're into superheroes, prestige TV, or just the coolest actors and directors alive, you're going to learn something in every episode. Listen to Happy Sayy's

confused on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not-so-dark, not-so-stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the Intrepid Chaotic's Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high-flying action-packed adventure will take them across the world. Fighting for every Quill they can fight. It's one heck of a tale,

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

Sonic the Hedgehog presents The Chaotic's case files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. On the case. As Dr. Dr. Drenzel stands there, they themselves look a little worse for wear, and he looks over his shoulder and says, Shit, Kaylee, weren't you just talking about him yesterday? Oh, shit!

As your daughter stands behind him, kind of like holding two of the children trying to protect him as you appeared, she looks up at you and goes, oh, you've got to be kidding me. And that's where we'll end tonight's game.