Critical Role - C2E102 Ghosts, Dinosaurs, and Stuff

Episode Date: July 23, 2020

The Mighty Nein must traverse a dangerous path while seeking an audience with the mysterious being that claims dominion over the island of Rumblecusp...Watch Critical Role live Thursdays at 7pm PT on https://www.twitch.tv/criticalrole

Hello, spellcasters, sages, and spectators. I'm Ashley Johnson, and you're listening to the Critical Role Podcast Network. Tap into our magical narrative by watching Critical Role as it airs on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole or youtube.com slash criticalrole. Twitch subscribers can watch the video on demand right away, or you can catch it the following Monday on YouTube. As always, Critical Role will be available right here in podcast form on Thursdays, a week after the initial broadcast. And now, let's scry into the story and see what mysteries it holds for us, shall we?

Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Vibretto, thank you. I always wonder where it's going to go. Before we jump into tonight's episode,

we're going to go ahead and go through some announcements, if you don't mind. The first is our first sponsor for the night, which is NordVPN. Nord. Sam, if you don't... Sam? Oh, Matt.

I'm sorry, if I may. Blackwillow69 at AOL.com and Kryptonic Override were tricked by the serial killer about four months ago. Right. Remember they tried to defeat the Ultra Codex and were banished? Yeah.

Inside the internet? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember. Wait, wait, wait, but how are we supposed to, like, do this NordVPN sponsorship, then, if we don't have either of them? And also, what are Sam and Laura doing now if they're not here?

Yes. Black Willow 69, we've been trapped in the dark web for nanodays. Where in the cyber code are we now? It's hard to say, Kryptonik Override. The serial killer is so jacked in, he could have uploaded us anywhere. The brony web, DARPA net. Heck, we might even be in Bing, where no one goes. Watch out! Incoming meme cluster!

Oh! Oh no! A virus firewall! We've gotta hack through it! Whoa! Laser sword! Wow! Now that was some spear-fishing, Black Willow! Wow. Now that was some spear-fishing, Black Willow. You pwned that Trojan horse. Me? I've never seen a cube-gleamed IRL before.

Kryptonic Override FTW. You know what? We make a pretty elite team. Live by the code, die by the code. Am I right? Hacksaws. Click together. We've got to get to safety. Yeah, you're right, you're right. Look, I think somehow we've managed to port into Danny Carr's Pinterest account. Whoa, it's adorable. So cute. We'll be safe here for a while, but to get out of the Darknet, we need someone to unjack us from the Ultra Codex.

But only a Class C-12 hack master could achieve such a move, and they would definitely need NordVPN. Where can we find someone like that? Huh. It's okay. Boy! Damn it.

I swore I was through with my hacker past. But I guess it's time to boot up and suit up. Right now, NordVPN has a special offer. A three-year plan with 70% off, plus an additional month free if you sign up at HTTPS colon backslash backslash nordvpn.com slash Critical Role,

or use a coupon code CRITICALROLL at checkout. And now I'm going to use it for one last slice! Whoa! Okay. I guess tune in next episode. It is happening next. There are episodes now? Why? Why are you? Okay, cool.

Thanks, guys, and thank you, NordVPN. Yay! Okay. Our second sponsor tonight. Our friends at D&D Beyond. They've been with us since the beginning of the campaign. And happy to have you along for the return to this chaos. If you guys haven't had a chance, check it out yet.

It's an amazing online digital tool for all of your D&D campaign needs, both as a player and a DM. And you can now pre-order the new announced D&D story campaign book, coming up soon, of the Icewind Dale, Rime of the Frostmaiden. I want to make sure I got the name right on that one,

which Icewind Dale's good shit anyway. But you can get it now on D&D Beyond for a pre-order and immediately unlock six character sheet backgrounds and unique digital dice for the setting, which is cool. The release includes 50 brand new monsters, over 26 terrifying locations, and 320 pages of a modern horror. So check it out now at D&D Beyond,

that's dndbeyond.link slash icewind. Icewind. Woo! All right, yeah, I think those are our sponsorships. We have some quick announcements. Guthrie and Marisha, you had something you wanted to talk about. Yes, so you all should join us next Tuesday, July 21st at 4 p.m. Pacific for our next episode, it's never not weird, of Narrative Telephone.

Woo! Featuring a story which we have all definitely heard from Travis Willingham. Oh yeah, woo! It was so good, the twins, the guys. Oh man, what a crazy story. The layers. Oh, brutal. So many layers.

Brutal. All the different facial expressions. Yeah. All of them. I remember it. The costumes I wanted to see. I think we all do. That kind of threw me for a loop. The first one, we got to the end perfectly. The stage blood substitutions that you guys had

were really ingenious. Well, I thought the inclusion of a musical number was really inspiring. Somebody had to, right? That's true. Somebody had to do it. Level up. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, check it out. Check it out this Tuesday, and the VOD, of course, will be available immediately for our Twitch channel subscribers, and will be on YouTube on Thursday, as usual. Yeah. Perfect. Thank you, Marisha. Nailed it.

Laura, you had something to talk about? I did have something to talk about. Yeah, she did. In case you guys missed it, a few weeks ago, we introduced that Spidey girl, Polly. She's so pretty.

It's vague. She's so pretty on a broom. I'm going to take it out of the box. You're going to unbox it? Yeah, I'm going to unbox myself. It's going to lose half its value! So yeah, this, oh, chill spell. This beauty will be available.

I got to read where it's going to be. It's going to be available at Best Buy. Wow. And at Funko.com. On July 22nd, you guys. Bye. Best Buy. Best Buy. That's me.

Shut up. I love that you had to read that. I didn't believe it! So there you go. Check it out. Fantastic. Oh my god. It's a Funko! She's gorgeous. Thanks. She really is. It's got a witch hat, Sam!

I know, I'm so excited about that. Is she holding a little coin in her hand? She's holding a little coin! She's happy. That is Funkin' incredible. Oh, nice. Yay, thank you. And on that note, thank you, Laura.

I believe that brings us to the end of our announcements, and as such, let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Yeah! The Adventure Begins The adventure begins They were always beside you Your nerdy best friends And the DM to guide you And they rise from the flames

For the battles ahead Villains beware Cause you're about to be dead They got magic and flair they got fouchions and cunning they don't see over there there's a monster incoming inspiration is

waiting, rise up, don't think twice, put your fate in your hands, take a chance, roll the dice Roll the dice Can you answer the call? Digging deep in your soul As the legend unfolds Now it's your turn

To roll! And welcome back. Maybe. It's not even close. Welcome back. So last we left off, the Mighty Nein had made their way towards Rumblecusp to prepare for the coming day of Traveler Con. Upon arriving at the strange island,

noticing strange mist and a dreamlike quality to elements of its unexpected topography, you encountered a village of individuals there from all over Exandria that had a difficult time recalling their pasts, but seemed exuberant and happy with their current day lifestyle here on the island, worshiping a fire entity, a god, if you will, that existed within Rumblecusk's volcano itself.

You, after meeting with and staying the night with these individuals, learned a little bit about their culture, learned a little bit about the mystery of where they may have come from and what they do not know or recall. And you were, you chose to go ahead and travel on foot through the Jungle Path to meet with this Vokodo, this fire god of the island, to ask permission

to bring the Traveler and the various other Traveler followers to the island. And you are being accompanied by the spiritual guardian of the village and the people there, Verdian, a druid figure that seems to be the protector of the people there. You've traveled extensively for hours through the jungle, passed by various dangers, watched as the landscape itself grew darker

and strangely colder. Dark pits filling the space between the heavy root network and dark tar-like liquid, upon which most of you managed to avoid. Caduceus had not quite so luck twice in a row, falling into the jaws of the creatures that existed within. But pushing deeper into this darker shaded portion of the jungle and learning about different elements of the island itself,

being an odd jigsaw puzzle of places that probably shouldn't exist on an island, let alone this one. You came across the sound of something creepy, almost like a sobbing sound in the distance. Sounds sad. No, no. And upon going to investigate, Beauregard quietly threw

some ball bearings towards the source of this creature. And they decided to join it in its sorrow, upon which it seemed a bit perturbed by her presence and began to make itself very aggressively numb. I think it was a bit perturbed by your presence and began to make itself very aggressively known. I think it was a bad idea. Thank you. And that is where we left off. I need you all to roll a nine.

No! Right away! Right away! Oh my god! Aw, jeez. Gosh darn it. Okay, ready? Gosh darn it. Gosh dandruff.

All right. Okay, okay, okay. Oh, we're doing this. We're going into combat. Yes. Oh god. I'm going to say that this combat cam is powered by Dwarven Forge. You will not want to miss

the new Dwarven Forge Wildlands Kickstarter. Join their mailing list as soon as it launches at dwarvenforge.com slash wildland. Oh! Look how good! That looks so good! That looks so good! Oh, there are tar pools. Yeah, is that what that is?

Yep, those are the various pools of that tar-like liquid. So Beauregard, as you had just... They're kind of sentient, right? We'll go there. They just come to the face there. Oh, that's right, that's right. Now the rest of you who are holding back for the time being, whereabouts are you standing?

I don't know, which way did we come from? You guys were heading this direction, around this way, and then began moving this way to investigate where the sound was coming from. Oh man, he's already base to base with me. I will swing, anybody have any? No, you go first, Fjord. Oh, sorry, yeah, you go first.

Yeah, I'll swing. I'll swing this side. All right. Yeah. Down by that pool bank, if I can. Down by the pool. Down by the pool bank. Just one more. One more down this way? To your right, yeah.

Thank you. You got it. I'll be on this rock. Where did I put, oh, there. On the corner. Right back this way? Yeah. I realize putting myself near a pool probably sucks. No, it's fine. Yeah, you can just be pushed right into it. Pretty awesome.

You got one save, right? You can do one little hop. I'm part mermaid, it's cool. All righty. Can I go? Is that a cannon? Which one is this? Can I go near this tree?

Sure. You guys, we'll see you scattered out a little bit as Beauregard begin to investigate this. Most of you guys would probably be on this side. You would not have had enough time to encircle the entire space. God, how do we play? I will go behind this big, thick tree right here.

Right here? Oh yeah, but we are, we were together-ish, right? We were, yeah. It doesn't make sense that we spread out, so put me closer to Jester. Okay. So I'll put you over in this space? Yeah, near that tree.

Yeah, perfect, great. That makes more sense. Yeah, Caduceus? Where's space? Yeah, near that tree. Yeah, perfect. Okay. That makes more sense. Caduceus? Where's Beau? Hi, Veth. Beau is right there. Oh, hi. Okay, I would've probably been about halfway to Beau, so like, I would've been on the other side of that pool,

because fuck those things. Like, here, let me. That's what the laser pointers are for. I like, see that weird little, oh god, this is hilarious. See that little snub right there? Right here? Yeah, I would've been behind that snub. Okay, like right there? Yeah, like, yeah, about there.

Okay, Yasha. Okay, so I feel like I was kind of near Caduceus. So possibly over on this way? Yeah, so I'll hang around. Yeah, I'll hang out by the tar pool, why not? You got it. That's a little chilly. Okay.

Strength saves to get out. You look like everyone's favorite aunt right now. I love you so much. Listen, the glasses don't work with the outfit, but. They do! I agree. I agree to disagree. You definitely teach drama at the local middle school, okay?

That's it. Yes. All right, 25 to 20. Oh. Yeah, 22. Nice. That's it. Yes. All right, 25 to 20. Oh. Yeah, 22. Nice. 22, nice. All right. Oh. Oh. Oh boy. What medium do you sculpt in?

Fépermâché. Fépermâché. Yeah, totally. 20 to 15. 18. 15. Oh shit. Has this, well, I'll get to it in a second. So what, that was not Fjord.

14 to 10. Not Beau Fjord. 13, 10. Okay. Not Beau Fjord. Yeah, not Beau Fjord. Yasha and then Jester. Yeah. Here they am.

Okay. I doubt it. 10 to five. Mighty nine. Six. Nine. Jester, Fjord. Six and nine. Yeah. Nice. Caleb and Caduceus, right? That's a sex thing. All. Wait, after four? Six and nine. Yeah. Nice.

Caleb and Caduceus, right? That's a sex thing. All righty, so. Top of the round, as this strange, elongated, gray, fleshy, undead entity is now faced right in front of Beauregard, its rotted shawl that rests over the top part of its torso, revealing this sunken head, noseless,

these black eyeless sockets with a strange shine on the inside of them, and this elongated howling mouth of darkness right in front going. Veth, you're up first. It hasn't made an aggressive move yet, right? Not yet. I can barely see.

I'm far away. It's aggressive in the sense that it just appeared right in front of Beauregard. That's scary. Yeah. But Beauregard is the coolest, so, you know. I'm going to play it safe. And, ah!

I'm going to cast Spider Climb on myself. Okay. And scurry up that tree next to me. You got it. Is that concentration? Uh, probably. Why, was I Is that concentration? Uh, probably. Why, was I doing something else? No, I'm just... It says touch.

It does not say, oh, it is concentration, yes. Okay, cool. Just putting that on there for you there. All righty. Scurry up that tree, and if I can, bonus action, sort of hide in those, the foliage. I'll allow it, go for it. Go ahead and roll a stealth check for me, if you don't mind.

Come on, half-lengths, two. 27. Ah, you're pretty hidden. That's it. And then I will wait. I'm looking at Beau to see if she looks, you know, scared or she's got the, she's fine, she's fine. I'm ready.

Okay, you got it. So you're holding your action just in case something- There's no action to hold, I'm just waiting. Oh, sorry, because you cast the thought, you're just waiting. All right, so on the initiative count 20, you watch as these little flickering flames out of the black tar-like substances around,

and these strange little eerie blue flame lights begin to rise out. These faint little bobbing blue flames. That's not a good sign. Fuck. Like little will-o-wisps? Something like that, you could say. There are farts underneath the water.

More like will-o-wisps. Wow, wow, wow, wow. That's the best one you've ever had, Caduceus! I'm safe with my sword. And then immediately begin to drift towards the nearest source of life. Yeah. Uh-oh. Like Willow has. That's great. Uh-oh.

Source of light or life? Because I'm dark inherently. Yeah. Just your personality? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're super dark. So moody. All righty.

So, as part of that, against you, Fjord, it's going to go ahead and attempt to dart in your direction, towards your shoulder area. It's about to just butt in towards your torso. Ah! Ooh, that's a 24 to hit. That definitely hits. All righty, you take...

13 points of lightning damage as it shocks you. It comes into contact with you, and as it does, this arcs through your body as a bit of your life force seems to have been pulled out from the impact. Let me give it to you. There you go, perfect, thank you. One moving towards you, Yasha.

That's going to be a 19 to hit. That'll gif well. 19 hit. All righty. You take eight points of lightning damage. Okay. As it also swoops in towards your body and you watch, you try and move out of the way and you tend to dodge its impact,

but it's about a foot away and still these arcs of lightning arc off of it and blast your body and you feel your muscles tense from the pain as you pull away and the sparks dissipate. No saves, by the way. Oh. Oh!

Was it just a melee attack? Lightning attack? Yeah, it's willing to hit you. I don't think I'm next. Oh, that's right, yeah. No, it's attacking you. Oh, okay, that's fine. That's going to be a 17 to hit. That misses. It does, nice.

So as this one now comes towards you, you bring the shield up, and the electricity actually arcs off the exterior metal parts of the shield. It absorbs it, no actual damage done to you. I can't use one of the shield out of it. Shield Retribution on this, can I? If you'd like to, if you have the ability to do so.

You're coordinating so well right now. Sure. Beau, you're on deck, by the way. I hear it in his shirt, backdrop. When the creature misses you with a melee attack. It's not a melee attack, is it? Or is it? Was that a melee attack? It was, yes.

So I use my reaction to blast him with Arcane Force. You get 4d6 damage. Ooh! All right, go ahead and roll damage. That's hardcore. It's pretty cool, it's pretty cool. Stinkies are pungent. This is force damage you said, right?

Arcane force damage. Yep. So that's six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11. 14 points of force damage. 14 points. And a strength saving throw. Strength saving throw. It rolled a natural 20.

Ooh! But with the modifier, it's a 15. That's my spell save, right? Spell save is 17. Is there not one put on the shield? That's actually a good question, hold on. No, strength saving throw or be pushed. Oh wait, no.

Okay. Well, if you can't find one right now, let's use pushed. Oh wait, no. Okay. Well, if you can't find one right now, let's use yours. So yeah, we'll say it works. Push 20 feet away from me. All right. How pretty those trees are, you guys. It jams into the tree behind and vanishes inside of it

before slowly emerging from the outer side, right below where Nott is. Jerk. Nice. All righty. Now, Beau, it is your turn. Okay, so this thing just. At the top of your turn. Uh-y. Now, Beau, it is your turn. Okay, so this thing just. At the top of your turn. Uh-oh.

Yeah. I need you to make a constitution saving throw. Because it's got a big old mouth. Yep. It's staring directly into its gaping face. Really? That's the problem? It's kind of depressing to look at. Oh, that's real bad. Seven.

Seven? But do people do monk stuff? Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. You guys watch as Beauregard puts her fists up, looks into its face, and her eyes go white, and she drops to the ground unconscious. No! What?

Ah! She's dropped. Unconscious? You're at zero hit points. I don't watch it, can't fix that. Oh shit. What? Okay. Is she rolling death saves

or she's just out and stable? We don't know. You don't know. We don't know. So Beau, it's the end of your turn. I need you to roll a death saving throw. Well, that answered that. Well, that answered that. Yeah.

Death save. 12. 12, okay. So that's one success on you there. Fjord, you're up. Yasha, you're on deck. This is the last time I try to relate to somebody. Don't you come to me that fast. All right. As a I will run over to Beau,

use all 30 feet to get on over there. Does that thing get to attack him or anything? Yeah, do I get an attack of opportunity from the flame? Yes, it does. It gets one strike on you as a reaction. That is going to be a 12 to hit. That misses. Yep. Just voids into the arcs.

Energy goes across the ground and you dodge right out of the way as you rush around and head towards Beau. I see Beau fall to the ground and I go into a baseball slide and I slide across the ground and I place into a baseball slide and I slide across the ground and I place a hand on her and I'll do Lay on Hands. Yes. Fuck yes.

And restore two hit points. Yep. Okay, there you go. Hey, it's conscious. I will take it. Just a defibrillator. Can't say that word. And for my bonus, that's my action, as my bonus action, I'll look up and cast Hexblade's Curse right in its face.

Right on its face? You in its face on the thing. All righty. Okay. As you, on the ground, you see Beauregard come to life with a deep breath. As you turn your hand back towards it, you see its face, it's already put into shadow. These little green veins reach up inside,

glowing the underside of its neck, and that represents your Hexblade's Curse, the element of the Wild Mother now drawing into its necrotic presence to dig deeper into its body. Is it just darkness in its mouth? Yeah, it's just a void of darkness. That's terrifying. That finish your turn for me? It does.

Yeah, it's my max move. Okay. Yasha, you're up. So I am going to run over to Beau. Okay. Up to, just're up. So I am going to run over to Beau. Okay. Up to, just to the back of her, or? I kind of, boo-boo-doo-doo. Let me go to where I could maybe also attack.

Yeah, you have enough movement to do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You dart over here. Because plus I have mobile, too. There, yeah, you are, we got two people with 50 speed movement, it's crazy. The Will-O-Wisp does get an attack of opportunity on you as you dart out of space. Ooh, wow, that's a 21 to hit.

Yeah. You take 11 points of lightning damage as you feel it hit you from behind, but you just grit your teeth and keep running. Okay. I'm going to lean down to Beau and use Healing Hands on her, which will heal you for 12 hit points.

What? What is this? It's not a competition, okay? It's a competition. Okay, so. Yeah, keep catching. And then, bonus attack, I'm going to attack it. Beep, beep.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Your Healing Hands to attack it. Boop boop. Boop boop boop boop. Well, your Healing Hands is an action? It's an action. So you have no action to attack. I don't have to do, I can't do that. That's fine. I'm going to just hover. Okay, you still have a bonus action if you want to do it in your turn.

Can you rage? I think you can rage as a bonus, right? Ooh, thank you. I'm going to rage. Okay, there you go. I know it's been a while. It's been a while. Got you, fam.

Yeah, got it all done. All righty, so. Thank you, guys. So as you get up, now both Fjord and Yasha flanking Beauregard, staring at this creature, you feel the adrenaline just surge through your system and your eyes narrow, your teeth grit. Being able to get the fuck out of it.

It's now the creature's turn if you're done. God. Cool, all three of us, hi! It's now the creature's turn if you're done. Oh god. Cool, all three of us, hey! So the creature now hasn't really moved its head from where Beauregard dropped. As you guys moved in, it still stood there still. Okay. Its head turns in one rapid motion.

You don't even see the transition. Its head just suddenly is facing forward. Oh no, I did that. I need you to make a constitution saving touch. That's Wing Girl shit. That's Travis's favorite. It's actually not terrible. That's cocked. Cocked, yeah. Ugh, terrible. Nine.

Nine. As you look into it, it's open mouth. You hear this horrible SAM and LAURA, sucking sound that gets higher pitched. As it does, all the world around you just goes dark and you feel this horrible burning sound as something is pulled from you from the inside.

You suffer. Dead? Not dead? Let's see here. What the heck is this thing? I hate it. I hate it, too. Less dice, please. Less dice. Small number.

I have a friend. 48 points of necrotic damage. As your vision goes into this dark tunnel and then returns, your whole body is just pulsing with intense pain, rooted deep in your system that you haven't felt before. And you feel like a part of you is just gone. I'm just sad. If we avoided a dragon turtle.

And we just walked up to this one. It's just. It's just. But it changed your max hit points. It just stands there, looking at Fjord still. It doesn't look afraid, it's not moving. It's just waiting for you to come to it. That brings us to Jester's turn. Caleb, you're on deck. Okay.

Yeah, we should just go. Fuck out. We should just go. Jessie, you're up. This is bad. I just thought of something, and it's so not appropriate, and I want to do it. Do it. No, because everybody's in danger.

What's the best time to do something inappropriate? I'm going to run forward and get in front of Caduceus, so I'm within 30 feet. 25, 30, you can't quite get in front of him. You can get over here, maybe, but you'll be in melee with the Will-O-Wisp. That's okay.

You have to get over the trunk to get over there anyway. Okay. So you get there. Do I feel like, okay. Hold on, because this, oh god, this changes what I was going to do. This is dumb. Use Vex's broom to fly over there. Zoom!

Ah, ah. Hold on. Dumb is the best. Do dumb. I love the check in, like the visual local convey. Is this okay? We don't know what it is. Nope.

It's okay, right? What is it? What you got, Laura? While she's okay, right? What is it? What you got, Laura? While she's thinking, we must admire your shirt for a moment. This is so stupid! What? I'm going to try to use the Wand of Smiles on it.

Yeah. Okay, all right, all right. I am so here for this. Okay. I mean, so what's the saving that it has to make? It feels kind of adjacent to what I was doing, but maybe in a successful way. Oh god, it's a, oh no, that's so terrible!

It's a low save, it's a real low save. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to do it. I'm not going to do it! Do it! No, I'm not going to do it. I'm going to turn undead. I'm going to destroy undead. Okay, all right. I have no idea if these are undead.

The save on that is? 17. That's cocked. That's a nine. Oh, then they fail it. They do. Are they undead? It is undead, nine. Oh, then they fail it. They do. Are they undead? It is undead, yeah. Oh!

But it was. Okay, okay. But there was a but. Well, the destroy undead itself happens. Destroy undead happens if it's a DC, the level. Two or lower. It's much higher DC than that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it does turn. Yes. And any of the, I don't know if the will-o-wisp thingies are undead either, but anything within 30 feet of me. Within 30 feet of you, so the one that's right in front of you. Just gassy.

You turn to the thing. There's a couple. And there's one that's underneath Veth, so they will both make saves. Had a load too many. And both fail! Okay. That's something. Are they, what's their talent rating?

Those wisps, you watch as the two flames that are flickering there. And the lights are snuffed. Yes, okay. Yes! All right, all right. So this thing on its turn. Ah! Away. Full fucking speed away from us.

Away from Jester or all of us? Away from Jester. Okay. Away from me. Ooh, this island's fucking weird. Did the big bad take any damage? He got turned, but he didn't get destroyed. Yeah, he's going to run. Okay. Somebody turn the power off

to the island, the dinosaurs are running amok. So, did I finish your turn, Jester? Does your movement, your action give a bonus, though? For my bonus action, can I do a spell? Yeah, because Channel Divinity's not a spell. Oh, great, then I'm going to, for my bonus action, I'm going to cast Spiritual Weapon at 4th-level.

So it's got Maserated Lollipop. Select. You're going to put it right next to Fjord? I'm going to put it next to the guy. I'm going to make a lollipop. But I want to look and see, if I hit him, is he going to, does it break the turn undead? It's the guy. I'm going to make a lot of it. But I want to look and see, if I hit him, is he going to, does it break the turn undead?

It's not like that. It's not like a charm. I don't think it does. I think there's nothing. I think it's just run no matter what. It's just got it. So I'm going to try to hit him. Okay.

If the creature fails its saving throw, its turn undead, or until it takes any damage. Okay, okay, okay. So I'll just protect my friends with my spiritual weapon, but I won't hit it. Okay, there you go. That finishes Jester's turn.

Nice. Caleb, you're up. Jester's here on deck. Are there any of the glowing blue balls left? None that you can see. Shoot, so I'm behind this tree. I saw none of that. I don't know what's going on,

so he would step out diagonally to his right to see what is going on. You look over here and you can immediately see there is Beauregard on the ground, eyes open, and just getting up to her elbows from a prone position. Yasha and Fjord both there, facing off this creature. Jester's spiritual weapon apparates in the air, but isn't taking any notion yet. That's all you see.

Okay, so seeing that and calculating very quickly, I will start muttering and take a bite of Licorice Root and cast Haste on Beauregard. Nice. Okay, gotcha. So Beau, you are hasted. Yes. I'll put a blue one on you. That's fine.

That's like speed times two. Yeah, your AC goes up. You get an extra action. I think advantage on dex saves? Yes. And an extra action for a single attack or anything else. Plus two to AC. Plus two to AC. Advantage on dex save. Yes, you're the best.

Additional action on each turn. You got it. It says 10 feet of movement. The action can be used only to take the attack, dash, disengage, hide it. Says 10 feet of movement. The action can be used only to take the attack, dash, disengage, hide. Yeah, 10 feet of movement. And I'll go back behind the tree. I love playing this fucking game.

Look at you guys. 76 hit points, everybody. 76. All right, Caduceus, you're up. I, yeah. At the beginning of your turn. Oh, oh, oh, I can do this, I can do this. I need you to make a constitution saving throw for me. What? Caduceus, what? Caduceus!

Come on, Caduceus. You glance past and you can see into its eyes. You can see this dark black. Can it do that even when under Turn Undead? Yeah, it's not... It's not an action it takes. Okay, it's just a thing. Oh shit. 20. Oh wow.

Okay, all right. I think I do take half damage or something like that. You're going to be okay. We're going to be fine, we're going to be fine. Okay, so nothing happens, you're fine. You do gather, as you pull your eyes away from it for a second, that there's something about its gaze, something about its eyes and that connection

that tried to reach into your soul and you just managed to shrug it off. So what are you doing with your turn? I'm going to yell at everybody, don't look at its eye. Don't look at its eyes! Don't look in there, oh man. It's his mouth!

His eyes are very pretty, it's his mouth. And let's see. You got a purty mouth. You got a purty mouth. You got a purty mouth. That's the best post-date conversation. It's not the eyes, it's the mouth. And I'm going to cast Bless at third level.

All right. For myself, Beau, Fjord, Jester, and Yasha. Just everyone who's in the thick of it. Smart. What is it? What's the? You get an extra d4 on attacks and saves. Okay, so what's this? Yasha, Beau, and who else?

Yasha, Beau, myself, Yasha, Beau, Fjord, Jester. Everyone who's in the midst. What did we do? Thanks, Caduceus. Blessed. Blessed. Plus Fjord, Jester. Everyone who's in the midst. What did we do? Thanks, Caduceus. Blessed. Blessed. Plus four Jester. Attacks and saving tests. Okay. I think we should run.

I have a thing. I think we should run, and I'm going to start backing off. At this point, all right, the finish is your turn. Unless, yeah, I want to move a little further away from this thing. Like, I want to be about... I want to be just, actually, yeah, I'm just going to move like five feet to the left, 10 feet to the left.

All right. This way? The other left, sorry. There you go. And then maybe back a bit if there's not a puddle there. I can't quite see. You can get right there. Before that, you start getting into puddle territory. Let me stay on the rocks. That's a little close.

That's fine. I'm going to stay on the rocks. Stay on the rocks. There you go. Stay on the rocks. Ending your turn, Viridian, the druid who's been traveling with you, comes rushing up from the side where you guys were to see the scenario and goes,

Do something, ladies! The specter, it's too far south. This isn't right. And you see her pull back. She's going to go ahead and... The specter? Specter. She calls it the specter. It's like a thing.

It's like a thing they know about. The specter. You watch as she puts a hand up, and as she clenches her fists, clouds begin to wail in the sky above. And then she brings her hand down to the ground like that. You watch as one bolt of energy goes out of this cloud and slams into the creature.

Ah, mother fuck. Oh, now we're fighting. That's good. I think we're fighting. I like to think of that in character. Yeah, yeah. Oh, motherfucker. Ah, mother.

Oh, we're fighting! It does make its save. Damn it. Inspector Gadget. Do-do-do-do-do-do-do. Woo-hoo! Inspector Gadget. You could always try it again, unfortunately.

She was not present for that shout. Yeah. All right, so that is 3d10. 3d10. All right, so it takes some lightning damage. You see it move quickly. It's been standing there the whole time, and as soon as the bolt of energy comes,

it looks up and seems to dart to the side, and it impacts right to the side of the creature. It still shocks it, but it manages to reduce the damage that it took. It took a little bit. All right, top of the round now. Veth, you're up. Sorry.

Did you just burp or something? Are you going to barf? No, there's something wrong with my flask. Oh no. I don't think I cleaned it real well last week. Oh no. But I've been watching you sip it this whole time. Do not drink from it anymore tonight, Sam. Do you need a chunk? It's a little rough. Oh no. But I've been watching you sip it the whole time. Do not drink from it anymore tonight, Sam. Do you need a chunk? It's a little rough.

Oh. Maybe I should... I figured I'd lick it. Should've gotten smooth instead of the Chunkerman. I should go slow. Dude, if you poop your pants on the table, that would be amazing. Just one episode. One out of hundreds of episodes. Just get one more part.

Do not drink from it. It's not right. It's not right. Something's not right. No. Speaking of not right, something's not right. No. Speaking of not right, Veth, it is your turn. I've never seen this panicked. I know, I've never tasted this bad before. Oh god. You're in the live show with the old skin?

That one was better. Oh god. That made my stomach hurt. Oh, your pain isn't funny, but I'm laughing. Okay, okay. Ah, ah, ah! I'm going to... Am I on a branch? I mean, I spider climbed up.

Yeah, so you're standing on the side of it. You're hiding amongst the various branches. Can I grab onto a branch? Yeah. In case I lose my spiders. Yeah. And I will take out a bit of, if I can, one-handed, or I guess with a finger, I'll take out a bit of, if I can, one-handed, or I guess with a finger, I'll take out a bit of fur and rub it in my hand

and touch the bolt in my awesome crossbow, and I will aim it and cast Brenatto's Voltaic Bolt. What? And I will fire my crossbow at the creature. Go for it and roll an attack. Crossbow. Best buy. Best buy. Brandy.

What is it, what is it? A dramatic 12. A total 12? Yes. You are hidden, so you have advantage on it. Oh, thank god. Thank god. Okay, way better, 23. Are you blessed? Yeah, yeah. I'm not blessed.

Not blessed. 23 does hit. Okay, 23 hits. Oh my god. So Sam is blessed. Yeah, of better, 23. Are you blessed? Yeah, yeah. I'm not blessed. 23 does hit. Okay, 23 hits. Oh my god. Sam is blessed. Yeah, of course. Clearly. I will, it's sneak attack damage. Right, so that's... Oh man.

Where's my thing? Sorry, so much math. 31 points of damage plus the extra lightning damage. That's another 13 points of damage. 44 points of damage. 44 points of damage to it. Okay. All righty, so.

How do you want to do this? No, but you do watch. As you are hanging from the branch below, you cast the spell, grab the branch, fire it. There's this streak of energy that encircles the exterior front of the bolt thrower. As it fires off, the creature is standing there, looks over in your direction temporarily,

and then the bolt shocks on the inside. For a brief second, you see this flash in the deep, deep, dark parts of its socket where the energy filtered through it and it leans forward and the smoke pours out of its mouth and its eyes. That was a healthy chunk of damage on it. Ooh, good, good, good.

All right, are you going to stay put or? I'm going to stay put. All right, you got it. The last will-o-wisp is going to take its turn now. Eddie. Will-o-wisp. 25, 30. The closest life source to it is Fjord.

So it's going to go ahead and shift towards Fjord. It's going to attempt to strike you. All right. For 11. That misses. Yep. You see it coming out of the way and you just duck as it glides overhead and is now floating just slightly above you right now. The flames.

Speedos. All the little tabs on Beau right now. Poor Beau. Yeah. Get up! Yeah. Beauregard, it's your turn. Get these hula hoops off of me. I better get out of here.

Beauregard, it's your turn. Fjord, off of me. I better get out of here. Beauregard, it's your turn. Fjord, you're on deck. What are you doing in your turn? I guess we're fighting. So I'm going to stand up and... Hasted. Hasted. You are hasted.

And I'm going to, I'm staring at it in the screen. I'm going to, is the bolt that not fired still in there? It is. Are you looking towards the creature? No, I am just sitting up, and I'm looking towards the bolt, and I'm going to say, fuck ghosts, and I'm going to pop pop, but I'm going to use the bolts.

Cool, cool, cool. You got it. Are you, so you're averting your gaze? Yes. Okay. I'm looking at its stomach and not its dank mouth. I'm going to confer. Based on Caduceus's warning. Shouted it out. I already did this once.

I understand. All right, so you go ahead and make your attacks on it. Because you are averting your gaze, your attacks are with disadvantage. What? Oh. But you added it before. Okay, yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Pop pop, I'm going to try and just go

and just beat the bolt further in it. I don't know. Go for it. Disadvantage. With a d, oh, yucky. That's bad. Oh, well. Four, five, six, seven, 17. 17 hits.

Oh, I love you. I love you. Ah, say, 17. 17 hits. Oh, I love you! I love you. Ah, ah! Okay, no, I wasn't expecting, I didn't know what to do now. Okay, hang on. D8. Okay.

D, okay. Nine damage, right? Yeah, that's what I, nine! Nine damage, all righty. Sorry, I wasn't expecting the hit. Pop, pop again! That's both 16s plus three, so 29. 29 hits.

Best buy. Jesus Christ! 11 damage. Best buy, 11 damage, great. I have another action, so I'm going to pop, pop again. Well, it's a single attack. I'm going to single attack again. So pop, pop. Pop. I want to hold it so bad. Pop to pop pop again. Well, it's a single attack. I'm going to single attack again. So pop pop. Pop. Pop pop. No.

11 plus one, so 12, 22. 22 hits. 13 damage. All righty. Okay. Flurry of bows. Go for it, two more strikes. I'm just punching through its abdomen.

Just Ip Man-ing it. Just fuck this ghost. Dab-ba-da-dab-ba-ba-ba-ba. So that's disadvantage, yeah? Aim for his dick! Okay, I hear that and I start for his balls, where his balls would be. Speed bagging. Ooh, yucky, that's a natural one. Oh be. Speed bagging. Ooh, yucky.

That's a natural one. Oh no. Well, this makes sense, because there are no balls there. As you go to swing, it's smooth as a Ken doll. Wrong direction, he has no dick! I shout and pop, pop. So you have one more attack. Huh? You have one more attack.

I have one more attack? So your flow of one more attack. I have one more attack? So your Flurry of Blows was two more strikes, right? Yes. Yeah. And then I did, but I did my bonus attack, right? Correct. You did your first two attacks and your bonus attack, and then you did Flurry of Blows,

which is two more. So two more attacks. Damn! You just did one, which was too many. Was one of those the hasted ones? Yeah, one of those was the hasted ones. I haven't done my Flurry of Bows yet. Okay. Right?

You did 9, 11, 13 damage, but they missed on one attack, so that's four attacks you've made. Okay, so last pop. That's better. Ooh. 17. 17 hits.

Ooh. That's an eight for a beautiful 13. 13 points of damage, great. And then? Two more attacks. I... So amongst you. And then I'm going to fly 120 feet.

Yep. 100 episodes later. Mm-hmm. Kind of. Yep. 100 episodes later. Always. So I can spin my Mind of Mercury to buy an, no, I can use, no, that's a reaction. Never mind, never mind. I will, I have a bonus action? No, you've already used that for your third.

Okay, right, I'm done. You're done, okay. End of your turn. Because this is something that I should have been keeping track of, but I have not. After the impact of the attacks from Beauregard, you watch as the air around it grows dark at the end of your turn.

And all of a sudden, everyone in proximity just feels like more of their life force being yanked out of their body. I know. Beauregard. How good is proximity? Yes, Beauregard, Yasha, and Fjord. All with a d4. There's no save here.

You will take eight points of necrotic damage from just the surrounding dark ore around it. But I'm resistant to necrotic. So you take four. So I take four. Marisha, were you adding a four to all of those attacks? Because you're blessed. No, she was. Yes.

In fact, one of them hit only because of that. Okay, okay. Attack and saves, yes. Girl Because you're blessed. No, she was. Yes. Yeah, in fact, one of them hit only because of that. Okay, okay. Attack and saves, yes. Girl, you're blessed. Because girl, you're blessed. All righty. I'm on it. Finishing Beau's turn, Fjord, you're up. Yasha, you're on deck. Okay.

I am going to summon the Star Razor and activate it. All right. The Star Razor and activate it. All right. Star Razor, activate! And I will cast Banishing Smite as a bonus action at my fifth level. You got it. And I will take two strikes against this thing,

not looking at it with disadvantage. Okay, so averting your gaze, you do take disadvantage on those strikes. Go for it. First attack. And you get a d4, which I will say every time, no matter who's doing what. No, Cleric's about being the clip to the head. I'm just going to keep at it.

It's plus four or a d4? D4. Plus a d4. Plus a d4, okay. So, hold on, been a second. Attack. Plus, let's see so that's 14. Wish we knew what his strengths and weaknesses were. That's a d6 to control a d4.

Well, we know that he doesn't have a dick. So the fuck up your feet one. What's a d4 look like? It's a triangle, right? It's the pyramid. Do I not have a fucking pyramid? Did it get lost in the shuffle? Throw me a pyramid. What? Throw me a d4.

Laura, you do it since you guys are... You can touch. Yeah, you're a pod. Four! Four, yep. So that is, that's a 27 to hit. That definitely hits. Jesus. Okay, so that is 5d10.

Right. Something damage. Cool, sorry. Expert. They roll damage on the weapon. Expert level D&D roll damage on the weapon, okay. Plus your Hexblade's curse damage. Lost my d4 and I don't know what I'm doing.

Oh shit. He only has one d4. Out of it. I mean, be fair. Okay, nine plus seven is 16. It's a weird number, be fair. Plus four for Hexblade's Curse. So 20, and then 5d10. 5d10. Damn.

Seven, 37. You want to try my flask, Laura? 31. Yes. Where are their chunks? 38. Could you strain out the pork? 10, 48. I think I left some wine in there last time. 48, 51 points of damage. What kind of damage?

It's got a fucking thing next to it. It looks like a comet or a meteor. Radiant, I think? Force. Force. Force. And if it drops it below 50 hit points, does it? How do you want to do this? Ooh!

Huh! Oh my god! Damn, I was not anticipating that. I'll summon the razor and then one, just go like, and just take it from collarbone to hip, just diagonally. You guys watch as this large arc of faintly green radiant energy swings off the blade

as it converts to a force blast. As it impacts, the blade doesn't even reach the flesh of the undead creature. The force of the magic actually begins tearing it apart before the blade can cut into it. And you watch as it just scatters into four or five different pieces. What looks like rags now throw against the ground

and turn to ash. Crumbling away, the creature is destroyed. Ooh. I regain some hit points with that. Nicely done, Fjord. Thank you. Wait, what about the little will-o'-the-wisp? Yeah, there is one little will-o'-the-wisp

right next to Fjord. You have your second attack, if you want. Oh, I do? Yeah. Because I started with one, I guess I can do one Eldritch Blast, right? Look at his little face. No, your action either is two attacks or it's two Eldritch Blasts. Or three Eldritch Blasts. Is it near me his little face. No, your action either is two attacks or it's two Eldritch Blasts.

Or three Eldritch Blasts. Is it near me? Oh, it is. He's in my lane, right. So I'll spin around and make an attack. Fly swatter. Go for it. I will look at him. Because you can do that. Okay. What? Why? No, I wasn't.

I was just coming to say hi. 23. 23 hits. Yes, okay, good. Hee hee! That is. Oh, okay, go. Hee hee! Seven. Oh, I reroll once. Four plus seven is 11. 11 points of damage.

11! To that one. You don't want to hit me. And I regain... No. Yeah, this shit's all over the place. I regain 15 hit points because the thing on my hex blade, Carson, d-d-d-died.

It did. That one, I believe, had already suffered damage, that will-o-wisp. So wispy. And so that one scatters, and a moment of silence falls upon the battlefield here as you all stand ready for the next thing to go ahead and arrive and assail you. And after a moment, Eyes of the Grave?

Eyes of the Grave, you look around yourself, you sense that nothing at the moment is challenging the place where you guys are standing. For the time being, you seem to be somewhat safe. Okay, I think we're pretty cool right now. What the? What was that? What happened? Beauregard, you wandered off, and what the hell was that? It looked sad.

I try to be nice because it looks sad. Fuck that shit. Fuck that. I'm never doing that shit again. The roiling cloud above fades and Broodian goes, I'm so sorry. I don't normally traverse on foot. And it's strange, this specter I've not seen, but heard story of, and it's supposed to be

from the north and by the ruin. Normally, I've not heard but heard story of, and it's supposed to be from the north and by the ruin. Normally, I've not heard of it traveling this far south. What could have made it travel? I don't know. Maybe it heard about Traveler Con. Oh wait, shit, no, I don't think I have it prepared. An early access badge. Yeah, it wants to go to Traveler Con.

Shut up, you guys. It's like right on speed dial. How many hit points do you have? Six. I got healing, blood. One of those is mine. Wait, but. You have six, you should have more.

No, she got sucked by a little bit. You got, yeah. Maybe we should take a little rest or something. Let's maybe find a place that isn't quite so ominous. I think that's a good idea. Do I have biceps still? Do I have to lose my biceps? Viridian, do you know how much further this particular

cesspool-y area goes on all the way to the mountain or? No, no, probably another, at most, an hour's worth of travel. Should we try and get out of the inky black stuff? I would recommend that. Can you make it another hour, Beau? Do you have a potion? I do, but I don't, I'm fine.

I'm going to use Healing Word just to be safe, okay? Yeah, yeah. I was going to throw out Cure Wounds at this, too. I'll give you another one hit point. I mean, it's no big, just chill. I'm going to Healing Word at third level for you. Ooh, it's like Icy Hot. Thank you. And then I'm going to do a quick Cure Wounds

at a second level. Oh, ooh. I mean, you can only do that once a day anyways. Oh, only once a day? Oh, that's not bad. Shame. You know, it's not my- 13 points also. It was just much more powerful for it.

Yeah. Okay. 13, you have a third-level healing word, you said? She's not even a magic user. Some people care about quantity over quality. Instant 12 points, you know, I don't even have to- She doesn't blink or have to cast anything? 14 points. Yes. She just does it.

Just happens for me. Just until we find a place to take a short breath. They're not doctors, they're EMTs. Collect ourselves. They just get you up real quick, that's it. Or lifeguards. Yeah. How much is that? Five?

14. Oh, 14. What is this? How is that? I? Well, I held up four for four. Four and then teen. Come on, Travis, get with it. You know.

Oh no. I had Oreo in my mouth, okay? Are we teaching Ronan 14? No, 72. He has 55 fingers, to be fair. Viridian, how far are we from that thing's normal hunting grounds in time? Two days' travel, at least,

on the northern side of the island. Does he move fast or is he super slow? That must have taken him a while. I mean, I can't tell. I've not encountered it myself. Why do you think he was down here? You don't usually see him? No, I have not seen him on my travels,

but I normally don't veer from the path to and from the mountain's base itself. Are you sure this is the same one? I hope so. I would hate to think there's more of these in the island. Wow. Nevertheless, I think it's best we move on from this space

in case we draw any more of the wisps from the swamp around us. Agreed. Follow me, and you watch as V Viridian takes the lead on this one. What's the marching order going for following Viridian? Caleb takes the center. Let's put Beau in the middle, too. She's a little bit...

I'll go in the front. Yasha. I'm going to, just for as long as my spiritual weapon stays up, which isn't much longer, I'm going to just try to eat it. Okay. Sure. It's more of a lickable object.

It's your spiritual weapon, so you describe what happens as you try and lick your bladed lollipops. Well, I'm not licking the blades. I'm licking the middle. Okay, and it tastes like? Strawberries and cotton candy. Checks out.

I would always imagine that the blades were retractable, like the phantasmagoria ball. Yeah, I just don't want to risk it, just in case something triggers it, like a Tartarus Nightmaeuson come out. Just shards of hard candy. Beau, do you need a hand? It's been a while since I've asked for this favor, but.

Been a while. Yeah've asked for this favor, but. Been a while. It's been a while. Yeah. Will you hold me? Will you carry me? I can hold you. Okay, thank you. Take a load off.

Okay, this is nice, thank you. Yeah, you got it. Are you doing the fireman's carry or over the shoulder, like a stack of tables? Fireman's. Yeah. I'll get this just my arm over her neck. Arms around her. Her legs around her.

Adding a little bite. There you go. There's a good burp. So, Brideon's at the front. And we have Caleb. Beau is now being held by Yasha. I'll follow behind them, because I want you to draw this in my sketchbook.

I'll be right in the front, actually. Right in the front there? Behind Brudian? Behind Brudian. All right, then Fjord and... My perception. And that way, people can pull me out of the water if I fall in again.

So Fjord and Veth, where you guys at? Back. Yep. All right, you guys come through here. As I follow behind Beau and Yasha, when Beau looks back at me, I'm going to be like. Roll a perception check, Yasha. I was just kidding. I can feel her like, her arm going up.

Yeah, gestating. She's having a seizure. Okay. 15. 15. Make a sleight of hand check. Is that okay? I don't know if I don't do this very often.

Fail. Oh, it's actually not too bad. Yes, it might go, oh. 24. Ooh! Yeah, no idea. 15. Damn ninja. Four too bad. Fail. Yes, it might go. Oh. 24. Woo! Yeah, no idea. 19. Damn ninja. Four things hurt. Wow. She's like, that's god.

I lean forward and I'm trying to smell her as we're walking. With Viridian helping lead the way, there are a few points in time where some of the larger pits seem to be a point of stopping and moving around. You watch as she carries her staff out in front and some of the larger pits seem to be a point of stopping and moving around. You watch as she carries her staff out in front and some of the nearby trees and roots

shift to create a makeshift bridge temporarily and helps you continue forward. There is one more length of this to traverse. I will need everyone to make one more dexterity saving throw to avoid the darkened pits. Oh god. I have been going to cast Resistance on myself beforehand, because I've been burned before.

You got it. The saves don't have, it's not a save. Wait, is it a save or a check? This is a saving throw. It's a strength, dexterity. Uh-oh. 14. 14, okay. Jester? 14.

Nine! All right. 16. All right. 25. 17. 21. 17. All righty.. All right. 25. 17. 21. 17. All righty. All of you managed to come across

mostly without issue. Oh, we got the same number. We did. Makes sense. Yeah. Jester, unfortunately, I'm just dodging branches. in the process of watching and making hand motions and drawing this experience,

you get about three or four steps before you realize there's a heavy sloshing sound. And you're about knee deep in the water. I need you to roll a d4, a d6 for me, sorry. A d6? Yes. Oh boy. One? Ooh, okay.

It's never good. Let me see if I can recall where this one was. So as you begin to step into the middle of the space here and realize the danger that you're possibly in, you withdraw your legs from it without issue. Oh, so lucky. Cool. A one did that? I don't know. Ones are always good.

G6. Is that it? Is that it? It's a whole different system. Did you just walk in that thing? Yeah, but I'm going to stare at it for a minute. Okay. You watch as elements of the murky tar-like liquid beneath it just darken the lower half of your body. Kind of.

And just sits there, clusters of dying vegetation floating on top. Be careful. Hey, man! I didn't even do anything. And just sits there, clusters of dying vegetation floating on top. Hey, man! I didn't even do anything. Caduceus, why are you always having so much trouble with this stuff? It's easy. Just step right back out of it.

I feel like I tried that. I don't know why it didn't work. I mean, I feel like I tried that. I don't know why it didn't work. I mean, I feel like I tried that. If it happens again, just remember. Yeah, maybe I didn't. Step out. Walk right out. It's been very distracting here, to be fair.

It's a weird place. If it happens again, I can always boo you out. I can't. Oh, Yasha, Yasha. I think she's asleep. Shh. Shh. Ah! Oh, Yasha, Yasha. I think she's asleep. Shh. That's so stupid. No, I want the art to look cool if I can draw it.

She's dreaming. Don't draw it that way, Jaden. Speaking of dreams, though. Oh no. As you guys begin to move on and find that these thick, clustered, dark tar pits begin to slowly drain away, the swamp itself at least changes and transitions

from this dark, cold space. Color seems to return to the surrounding vegetation. Hey, that's good. The temperature begins to rise to an uncomfortable tropical temperature. The heavy armor of which many of you wear and the layers of which you brought here based on your Xhorhasian experiences,

and the colder temperature of what you just passed through cause you to begin to sweat beneath your armor, begin to hear the buzz of insects swarming and keeping a vicinity to the new sweaty individuals that are traversing this. Going forward for the next 30 minutes or so through the space, the jungle itself is back to its fully lush and dense sense

like it was when you first arrived on the island. But these insects are bugging you. You feel the pain is slapped as it goes. Can you talk to them? I mean, yeah. Hey, do you all mind for a little bit? I'm sure there's other things to eat, and honestly, we're probably bad for you.

We're from way far away. I mean, like. Right there on the forehead. Oh. All right, apparently we have to agree to disagree, probably bad for you. We're from way far away. I mean, like. Right there on the forehead. Oh! All right, apparently we have to agree to disagree. Can you just suck them into your staff or something? Just going to see if I can rattle some of my insects out of the staff to see if they'll come up

and maybe help out a little bit. Couch for you? They're carnivorous. They come out and hang on the very, very top portion of the staff and clutching onto the wood. Not a whole lot of interaction between your beetles and these large mosquito-like insects that seem to be keeping a very, very close distance

to your party. Uncomfortable as it is, after a while of passing through these clouds and trying to slap them as they come, I do need everyone to make a constitution saving throw for me, please. Oh boy. Could I produce flame in my hand and be using that as a bug away?

West Nile. Yeah. For this? I'll say with that, it'll give you advantage on your saving throw. Same thing, 14. Oh, motherfucker! What's this say? Constitution. 18. 18.

Jester? 15. Six. Okay. Oh no. 26. All right. Ooh, 16. Yasha? 26. All right, 17.

15. All right. I'm really sweet, you guys. Okay. You begin to look up past the various breaks in the jungle canopy, and you can see the mountain is looming larger and larger still as the day gets closer and closer to sunset. You can see the colors shifting in the sky

and looking up at the mountain itself, the mist that hangs and suffuses the surrounding jungle, gives it this very hazy, this very dreamlike quality to it. You get momentarily lost in the spectacle of the space around you and shake yourself out of it and still can't shake that feeling like you're being watched.

Oh, that's right. Jester, you're not feeling so well. Oh no. Like how not well? Like you're starting to sweat profusely. Your knees are starting to ache a little bit. Your stomach's starting to knot and twist. No. As Viridian goes,

We should be getting there very soon. We passed the hard elements of it. You said you need to rest? Oh yes, that's right. We were going to take a short rest. Short rest might be a good idea, especially if there's a way that we can get some, are the insects, have they let off a bit?

Insects? I'm, have they, are we? Are you asking Viridian? No, no, are we, have the insects let off a bit? They let off a little bit, but for the most part, you guys are just pushing them off as they come and smacking them as they go. It's not the worst it's been, but they're still around.

Is Viridian not bothered by the insects? She doesn't seem to be. Do you get bit by these a lot? They do, but it doesn't seem to bother me much. I usually, once again, don't traverse quite as physically through this space. Are you feeling all right? Mm.

You look a little peaked, different shade of blue. Yeah. I feel kind of shitty. Well, how much longer till we rest? Do you need to go out in the woods and make a poo-poo? I can't tell for sure. I'm not sure. Oh, that's the worst. It might come out top, it might come out bottom.

Ooh, I hate that. Or you feel it in your stomach. Yeah, the twirls. Caduceus, is there anything that you can do for her? Tea or? I mean, I can try a couple things. Like, my skin feels achy. Achy skin?

Yeah. That's not good. You know, I could try to... I'm going to sit down. I'm going to use five hit points from my lay on hands and I'll touch Jester's shoulder and try and cure a disease or neutralize a poison. Touch my head, do I feel hot, Fjord? Use my head. Does she feel hot?

She does feel quite hot. I feel shivery. Take some refuge with the Wild Mother. Okay, you feel this warm sensation emerge from Fjord's palm, and as it does, it resonates through your forehead and down into the neck where the lymph nodes felt a little swollen. And with that warmth, the discomfort fades.

The disease that had just set within you is purged from the body. Oh! Hell yeah. Hey! I suddenly don't have to poop anymore. Oh, really? Yeah. That's wonderful. Does that mean you went?

I don't know. No. No poops. I just went away. Okay, well, that's wonderful. Does that mean you went? I don't know. No. No poops. It just went away. Okay, well, that's good. Wow. Wow, thanks, Fjord. Yeah, no problem. At this point, Brodian, you can see,

has begun to gather elements of the nearby heavy roots and built this small enclosure, if you will, this temporary enclosure of knotted bark and wood. Holy shit, you did that really fast. It's my specialty. Yeah, that's cool. Come, let's take a rest. You watch as she goes over and sits down,

takes the staff and sets it on the ground and begins to meditate. The twisted vines that form the right leg temporarily rooting into the ground. Put Beau down. You feeling okay? Yeah. No, you're great. Thank you.

I'm going to meditate, too, and just try and take a power nap and recover some hit points. Okay, you guys taking a short rest? Yes, please. Yeah. All right, it's good. You get your spells back. You get your channel divinities back guys taking a short rest? Yes, please. Yeah. All righty, so go ahead and you get your spells back, you get your Channel of Divinities back. Any other short rest abilities come back

and you can spend any hit dice if you have them. Okay. During the short rest, can I go over to Jester? Yes. And as quietly as I can, possibly without out of earshot of Viridian, and just say, Jester, I feel like when those mosquitoes were buzzing,

that maybe they might've transferred some sort of, I don't know, poison or disease, and what the Wild Mother has enabled me to do is neutralize that. Do you have something similar? Like being able to get rid of disease? Yeah, I just wondered. Viridian said she didn't really notice that. Feel anything about it? Yeah.

I mean, I always have been. Like, mosquitoes are always attracted to me. Always? Like, I've always had that problem. My mama said it's because I eat so much candy. That would make sense. But I don't know. I do have stuff that can help with that,

but not right now. Okay. I also have it, I just. I bet Caduceus has something like it, though. He's usually a bit more prepared in the ways of healing than me. Sometimes I forget to remember that I'm supposed to heal people. Right. I also don't want to offend her,

but it can't hurt to just try and neutralize something that may or may not be there. I'll ask him. Oh, you mean like, you think she's seized? Why, isn't it strange that everyone here seems to forget where they are and where they came from? Wouldn't it make sense that maybe it's something on the island that's doing it?

What if it's just the wildlife or the mosquitoes? I don't know. What if they're all just needing to be purged of it? Wait, so you can literally just walk up to her and touch her and then maybe she'll be cured? Yeah. Should we ask if she wants a massage or something? That feels a little overt.

I was just thinking maybe like her, oh, oh, oh, and trip and, oh, you caught me. I was going to grab her boob. No, shoulder or elbow. Why boob? Oh, I don't know. It just, that's what you seemed like you were doing. No, that would be a, I was up here. Oh, okay. I mean, that's better, probably.

How tall is Viridian? I'd say about 5'8". Yeah, it's the shoulder. Yeah, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Can I ask you a question? Yes. Do you think it's weird that Viridian, who's okay, okay, okay, okay. Can I ask you a question? Yes. Do you think it's weird that Viridian, who's not a god, can basically do the same things that the Traveler can do?

What if the Traveler's just a druid? Viridian? She's shaping the wildlife, and that's something that the Traveler can do. What if she can make herself really big? I mean, she did turn herself into an owl, I mean. Right, but didn't you also say that Traveler's not a god, either?

Well, no, I know. Right. He's not. Right. Is that a problem? But he's still supposed to be super powerful compared to other people. He's basically a god. He's just not a god. You know what I mean? Yes.

I've been a little concerned that, you know, maybe the Traveler's trying to become a god and you might be helping him? I don't think he wants to be a god. I mean, I really don't, based on conversations that we had. I think he's kind of over it. You know, can I just toss out there, though, that when he told you he didn't want all that responsibility and he still makes you go forward Can I just toss out there, though, that when he told you he didn't want

all that responsibility and he still makes you go forward with the gathering of numerous, numerous people on a volcanic island, they sound kind of like conflicting messages. I am the one that chose the volcano, you know. Yeah, but he could just cancel the whole thing at any time and then responsibility gone. It just feels a little like he's telling you

something opposite of what he's making you do. Why would he do that? I don't know. I just want to make sure that you're keeping your eyes open to any possibility. I know he's been with you your entire life, so I'm a little hesitant in saying it. I just don't want you to get hurt.

Thanks. I'll keep my eyes open. Okay. But he's really a good guy. He's shown us nothing to the contrary. Okay, I'm going to go talk to Caduceus. No, wait, I thought you were going to go grab her boots! shown us nothing to the contrary. Okay. I'm going to go talk to Caduceus. No way, I thought you were going to go grab our boat.

I have to breast first. It's the shoulder. You have to breast first? You have to breast first. He said breast. Just a titty bit of time. And Veth, stop listening in on our private conversation. Titty bit of time.

Well, oh man, everybody can hear us. Express it. I'll be back. Can I go and just tell Caduceus exactly the same sort of thing and just the concept that maybe we could be able to lift something? I was just starting to meditate when this, what?

I'm so sorry, I know how important this time is to you. I just wanted to share the same thing I told Jester to you. Oh. I don't know, this is really complicated and weird. I'm not sure. Maybe I have something. I don't know. I'm confused. All right. I just wanted to let you know.

So if I, you know, all of a sudden reach out and grab a random shoulder or elbow, nothing else, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm not clumsy or anything. I'm just trying to, you know, see if we can. Oh, that makes sense. Go do it now, Fjord. I was actually. I'm going to rest.

I've got to stop talking to me. I have to go rest. I'm going to meditate. I'm going to talk to the Wild Mother. I'm going to see what I can, I have some questions. Okay, so you're going to go ahead and commune? Yep, I'm going to cast Commune. All righty. Eight, yep.

So in the middle of this space here, as everyone's resting themselves, you can vaguely hear the louder-than-normal snoring of Beauregard So in the middle of this space here, as everyone's resting themselves, you can vaguely hear the louder-than-normal snoring of Beauregard recovering in the middle of this strange half-root wall. And as you close your eyes and connect with the rather intense nature around you, you can feel that warm embrace.

The air itself becomes comforting and sweet as opposed to the sticky, warm air that's been, and the breezes that have been guiding you through this portion of the jungle. And you can sense her smile upon you. I'm feeling watched. Is Okoto what's watching me? You feel a tug at your shoulder,

the breeze as it pushes your face towards the direction of the volcano, and you take that as a confirmation, yes. Is Vokodo why people on this island forget? Still looking upon the mountain, you watch as your eyes focus on the mist, focus on the strange dreamlike quality, and you sense within the mountain,

there is something that is indeed robbing people of their memories. So the answer, you imagine, would be yes. Do I possess magic that can abate this effect? You feel a small, growing base of strength in the palm of your hand, and you sense the Wild Mother confidently acknowledging that you have the power within your grasp. Perhaps not at the moment,

depending on what spells you have prepared, but you know you have it as a capability. All right. So, yeah, Vokodo's watching us And, uh Something about it Is what's happening to these people I don't know if it's intentional or unintentional

But it's connected And if Your power can't undo this, I'm pretty sure mine can. And I'd be curious to see what you're capable of. I don't think it's much, but I'm certainly open to trying. But Codo's not a god, right?

We established that. It's something else? I don't know what it is. Well, we just saw this floating island chase us and our ship. There's no chance that this island is something, right? I mean. Who reads books?

You, you! Who fucking knows if an island is a thing? If an island is a thing? An island is a massive land form. No, no, is it a creature? Are we on a creature right now? You just woke me up to ask if an island was a thing. Yes, motherfucker, listen,

did you not see that Astro Dreadnought? There's some big shit in this world. Are we on the back of something? I have no context. I was asleep. What are you? Go back to sleep, Beau. The only knowledge of this island we have is Rochester. Wait, what do you mean a thing?

I'm going to just fan Beau to give her a little bit of a breeze. Go back to sleep. Do we have any water? Oh yeah, you brought water along with the journey. And Viridian, actually, is easy enough to create any fresh water if you need it. Also, Yasha, I think you still have my flask.

Hmm. Four months later. I do. So, feel free. Okay, I'm going to wet a little bit of a rag from my cape and dab Beau's wrists and then put it around her neck so she can cool down. With vodka?

Is that whiskey? That's nice. That's so cool, yeah. Yeah, it's good. What do you mean by thing? No, I just mean, like, I had only heard of dragon turtles. I'd never seen one before,

and it was fucking huge and terrifying. If it's not a god and we're on this island, it's already changed, like, colors and shapes, and the wildlife has changed. Captain Tusktooth, wasn't this island on a map, though? Yes, but I couldn't tell you if it was properly charted or explored or any of that. Well, you found it.

Yeah, but I mean, what if this is like a... What are you asking, if this island is alive? Yes, yes, that. Have I ever read about a living island in all of my bookings? Roll arcana or history, your choice. Arcana, please. Can I do the same?

If you're not still napping, yeah. Well, can I do your? I'm being pampered on right now. I'm living my best life. Sure, if you want to be paying attention to this, go for it. 28. 28. Who's on your wrists?

25. 25. Yeah, there've been myths through the ages of landmasses that turned out to be creatures, whether that be the dragon turtle example of what you met in the sea not too long before, creations by the gods during pre-calamity times and the time of the founding.

You know, the very primal elemental titans that once ruled this land themselves had whole groups of creatures that called them homes, depending, like earth elementals, earth elemental titans themselves had an entire biome that exists within them as a walking mountain. So there's been examples of it through time. It's not a common thing necessarily.

And you can't... I would say you're hard-pressed to think of any specific examples of modern time of islands being a living thing. It doesn't sound out of the world. You've been to so many weird places and learned about so many weird things. Sure, it's possible.

I would imagine that the things that I have read about were on a smaller scale than this island, even though the island is not that big. Correct. A big place. Correct. I say to Fjord. Fair enough, makes sense. But if it is a living thing, then maybe the volcano's just like a giant zit or something.

Yeah, but isn't all land a living thing? Yeah. You know? Well, yeah, but... We're all connected, right? Right, Caduceus? Oh boy. What's happening right now? I have no idea. Let's show rest.

We're being eccentric. Philosophical. Yep. Waxing Bigwood. At this point, as you guys are finishing out the end of the short rest and having this conversation, you watch as Viridian's staff suddenly goes to her side and she stands up very carefully and goes, Do you hear that?

No. Do we hear anything? Hear what? Actually, it would be Caduceus and Beauregard and Caleb. Did we get a rest in? Yeah, you guys finished your short rest. But at the end of it, as you listen, and you can hear what sounds like shifting of wood, breaking of branches. Oh good.

The island is mad. Like distant or close? Distant. Everybody quiet down and get down, please. Then you start, you hear another branch snap Good. The island is mad. Like, distant or close? Distant. Everybody quiet down and get down, please. Then you start, you hear another branch snap louder and closer, and you hear things moving, shifting, leaves and boughs crashing into each other, and it's getting louder and louder. I feel like we should move a wave.

Like, fooms of footsteps, something big, or just the trees moving? At the moment right now, just hearing of trees and foliage moving. Let's just go. Hide? Let's go that way, let's run. What do you think it is, Viridian? I'm going to hide. Hide?

I'm going to just hide and throw some bushes over me. All right, anyone who's hiding, make a stealth check. I'm going to pull out a bit of fleece and start to cast a major image and just create similar fauna to what's around us, but obscuring the party entirely. Okay. All right. So as you guys all are having this conversation,

you watch as the jungle area around you suddenly is filled with immaterial leaves and branches and knotted roots and vines, and you all feel fairly well hidden. As you all wait, and Verdean looks back towards you and gives a nod of like, well done. You hear it getting louder and louder, and now you hear footfalls.

Not incredibly heavy, but heavy enough. And you see a shape now moving maybe about 30 feet ahead, not directly towards you, from what you can tell right now, but shifting parallel to the direction you were traveling. And then you can hear heavier footfalls behind it. The cracking and breaking sound of heavy trees and branch gets louder and louder like thunder. You can see the shifting and moving of heavy tree boughs

just at the top of the horizon beyond where the break in the canopy would be and you watch as a tree falls over. Suddenly you see a blur of grays. You see a massive 12-foot tall creature with four arms, gray skin, a white silver mat, a stripe of hair down its back, this open jaw with sharp teeth, rushing through.

Go ahead and make an arcana check, Beauregard and Caleb. Beauregard. Fuck. 25. 25. 23. god. Fuck. 25. 25. 23. Ooh. Okay. You both, looking at it, you recognize some of the features,

elements of the coloration of the skin are vaguely drow, but monstrous and mutated. And you immediately recall, you've heard of, in some of the darker drow societies, there being a blending of drow blood and demonic blood to create something called a Dregloth. But they are creatures that almost exclusively live in the Underdark, and to see it here makes no sense.

And it's rushing through. They live in the Underdark? Yes. Almost exclusively. And as you see it, as soon as that hits you, you watch as it comes rushing forward and you can see there's blood streaking down its face. And the expression on its large, demonic, twisted face is that of desperation. And you hear

coming up from behind it as breaking through the nearby trees, you watch a giant toothed mouth, jaws open, snatch it from the middle of its leap as it gets pulled in the air. You can see what looks to be a large lizard-like entity standing about 20 to 25 feet tall, this massive mouth, a foot long like dagger teeth,

as it lifts in the air and chomps into it. Blood pours into the side of it as the large dreegloth is like, a secondary horrible crunch sound, and it's silent. You now can see standing this massive lizard creature, similar to the ones that you saw being cooked at Voh the night before, but much larger, with these smaller, almost vestigial arms by comparison.

As it. It is, it is. It is. Yeah. It sure is. Trues. So now, everyone make a stealth check. It's based on movement.

Yeah, I know. All right, just make a stealth check in general. We don't know that. Just make a stealth check in general. Oh no! Make a stealth check? Does the major image help with that at all? You'll find out.

Oh my god. I'm so happy right now. I'm so scared to roll! Or an Allosaurus. No! No good. No, no. It's a group check, it's a group check.

It is a group check. Yeah. We'll be fine, guys. You lift me up. So Fjord. 15. 15. 15. Ooh! That counts as two failures. Seven.

Okay. That's two failures? Oh, oh. 25. Yeah, yeah. 17. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Seven. 15. Uh-oh. Wait.

That's one, two, three, four failures. You have four failures? Four successes. Bring out the T-Rex! You watch as one, two, three, four failures. You have four failures. Four successes. Bring out the tea bags! You watch as it, it's about 40 feet from you at this point, and its big, leathery tongue is curling across the outside of its teeth. The thick, dark purple blood

that's dripping from the bottom of its jaw, from the remnants of where the Dregaloth's body was torn open and then swallowed. It starts sniffing. I put my hand on the hilt of jaw from the remnants of where the Dregaloth's body was torn open and then swallowed. It starts sniffing. I put my hand on the hilt of my skin gorger, just in case, getting ready. I'm going to cast Thaumaturgy. What?

What are you doing? I'm creating a sound of a group of people 30 feet away, just off our access, out of its sight. Okay. Roll a deception check, if you don't mind. Deception check? Yep, just make a standard roll. But you can add your wisdom modifier to it. Okay, thank you.

Done. Natural 20. Never mind. As these sounds begin to, the sound of rustling and voices off to the side, the creature immediately . It's so mad. It's not that far away.

Begins charging away from it. For what? Because they want to fight it so bad? Are you guys waiting? Fight a T-Rex. Let's go chase that for it. You want to go get it? We can buy control. No, Caleb doesn't want to fight it. You guys waiting? Fight a T-Rex. Let's go chase that bird! You want to go get it? We can buy control.

No, Caleb doesn't want to! I do! Come on, 80 hit points, we got this. You can hear it now, it's off to the side. You can hear it angrily, like, under the tree, slams near off. You can see some of the dust get kicked up

and blown in this direction. It's searching for whatever the source of the sound is, about 40 feet off from where you guys are. Oh god, let's sneak away. Should we sneak away? Let's sneak, let's see. Yeah, we probably should. Yeah, let's go, let's go. Should we fly? How about we don't move for a moment?

Don't move at all. Yeah, Viridian, have you seen one of these? I have. Do we run or freeze? Either. I usually run, but I can fly. That doesn't help us. She keeps bringing that up every two seconds, by the way.

Yeah, we get it, you can fly. Not today. We don't move or we move? No, we stay put. Okay, I cannot fly today. I mean, I can fly, I cannot fly. I see, I feel like its nose was really strong. It's going to be like.

Caleb! Did you see that spell I cast earlier? I just dropped my hand over and nod south. You see it starts rubbing its nose against the trunk of one of the trees, like trying to scratch an itch. So cute. I love him. Yeah, I was going to try to start that conversation with the group moved on without me.

We could have it right now. The footsteps get quieter and quieter. The distraction combined with the illusion, it did not happen to see through the lack of movement. And you technically failed on the stealth check, but the illusion was enough to offset it. Ooh! And the thaumaturgy distracted it enough where it didn't zero in.

Robbed me of a T-Rex paddle. It's okay, another day. It'll come out. Oh! Hold him up, hold him up! That's a shitty little T-Rex that got blown off. That's so cute. I love him. That's a cute T-Rex.

Damn. Ah. Wow. So you wait for a sufficient amount of time in hopes that it's enough to not gather its attention and that it's found a new distraction or continue with whatever its adventure may be. We could ride it all the way to the volcano.

Oh man. Focotta would have to take heed from us if we were coming and riding on a fucking dinosaur. Yeah, man. Pushing forward, Viridian begins to lead the way. At this point, you're hitting dusk. The sky itself is a bright orange turning red,

and you can barely see now, past the distance to the eastern side, the purples and blues that begin to usher in the rest of the dark night. You could hear some semblance of nighttime insects and crickets starting to make their noises, various denizens of the night coming alive. However, at the same time, you are approaching the base of the mountain.

You guys are now hitting a steady incline and it's turned from a walk into a hike. And following Viridian as you begin to follow this switchback trail, naturally, up the side of the mountain, that same weird dreamlike haze still sits over this jungle and the mountain before you. You get closer and closer to it,

and by the time night comes and you watch as Viridian alights the edge of the staff, and any of you who have light sources, it would be recommended to create one at this moment as it is getting near impossible to see, or those who don't need to necessarily. Summon the sword, light, catapult. Four globules.

Within a short trek up the side of the mountain, Verdean goes, there, that is the entrance. And she points her staff towards, you can see the pathway levels out and there is a cave opening about 20 feet from end to end and a jagged top that's about 10 feet, sometimes closer to 12 feet at its apex. And it is just pitch black onto the inside of the mountain.

Is it customary to go in at night or do we have to wait till daybreak? I believe any time. I do not think that Vokuro rests. He doesn't sleep at all? Well, what sleep do you need when you are a god? I don't know. I mean, dreaming is really fun, you know?

He's missing out. Maybe that's why everything's crazy around here, you know? Maybe his dreams are crossing over into the real world. She laughs a little bit. I think he'll like you. All right, then we'll go now. I think that's a good theory. It's kind of a great theory.

Yeah, I'm into it. All right. As you approach the mouth of the cavern entrance, the volcanic smells of the island become more mineral rich. The lush plants and ferns that have taken residence around the space here are wedged in the earthy cracks of the mountainside are vibrant and very, very healthy.

Larger than counterparts you've seen along the Menagerie Coast and other elements of the tropical jungles in the surrounding area. The winds are a little strong, though, as you get close to it, towards the crest where this entrance is, and you reinforce your footsteps instinctually. As you reach the foot of this cavern,

there is a faint wind coming from the inside. The air itself is actually warmer at the opening of this cavern than the surrounding space. As night has come, the temperature has dropped, but as you get to the front of this cavern, the temperature spikes another 15 degrees or so. Is it real lush and green still, not rocky or arid? Well, it is rocky here at the base, but within the cracks of the rocks,

you can see there are a lot of other elements of vegetation that have taken root and given it. And it turns rocky the further up the mountain you go, but this entrance, as you enter, it looks like it just goes into volcanic rock, porous black volcanic rock. Pretty steep where we are right now? It was a little steep getting up there, but there's a level off platform, right?

This enters where you guys have even footing now that you've gotten there. Hey, Traveler, you here? Dagger! Are you here? Gah, gah, gah, gah. This is somebody else's house, Jester. What? This is somebody else's house, Jester. What?

This is somebody else's house, maybe. I know, but he said he was going to come because he wanted to see. Oh, okay. Do you sleep? Not talking to you, Vocado. Talking to the Traveler. This is so weird.

Okay. Do you guys rest here, or do you enter with Viridian? Let's go in. Let's go in. Yeah. All righty. Hold on one moment. Come here for a second. Yes, yes. And I place my hand on Veth's shoulder

and just cast Enlarge and expend transmutative magic to change my stone's capabilities to fire resistance rather than constitution pumping. You got it, okay. You are now twice your height. I'm enlarged. For a minute. You're my size. So smart.

This is a good look. Is Veth taller than me now? Yeah. Wow. For the next 15 seconds. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ha! Veth and I arm wrestle. Both of you guys make strength checks for me.

I'll say for your size, add a d4 to it. My strength is garbage. Yes, it is. 16. You said add a d4, right? Correct. Or you know what? No, you'd have advantage on it, I would say, because it just like decides it is a strength-based thing.

18. Ooh. Straight up, it's a tense fight, but Veth takes the victory. Holy shit. That's cool. Look, I'm into more endurance training and stamina, so you know. I get it, I get it.

Give me a hug, though. Whoa! Oh, yeah! And mid-hug, Veth shrinks down, back to normal. Oh, okay, I'm back to normal. I'm just beefy. My gosh. Viridian's sitting there,

staff leaning into the edge of the entrance of the Cave, arms crossed, looking over. You're a very strange bunch. Thank you. Yeah, we can't fly, but we're okay. Yeah, we appreciate you taking such. They can't fly. Some of us can fly. I can fly.

I mean, not today, but on a different day. I can fly today. I just didn't want to leave everyone behind, so. I turned into an owl just six hours ago. I saw that. it was impressive. But I can't remember, can you fly? I'm beginning to sense that there is a... I may have misspoken, and I apologize if I had been

No, I was giving you. We joke with the people that we like. And we want to thank you for taking such excellent care of us. Oh! On her shoulder. And I'll cast Lay on Hands and dump five hit points in to see if I can cure a disease or neutralize a poison. Okay, as you touch the shoulder,

there is a small flash of divine energy and she looks back and goes, Oh, I wasn't injured, but thank you. I appreciate you looking out. Just a thank you. Maybe you had to touch a boob. Not touching any boobs. Just saying.

How are you feeling? How do you feel? How do you feel now? How do you feel now? Feel okay? I feel fine. Okay, just checking. Just, I felt so bad after we went through the mosquitoes and the insects.

Where were you from again originally? I don't recall. How long have you been a druid? Are you an archfey? Oh god, forget it! How long have you been a druid? How long have you known how to shape foliage? Since I've been here. Do you remember what the place was like that you're from?

Like, maybe you don't remember names, but you remember, was it like a cold place or perhaps a dry climate? No. Urban? How? Rustic? How intense are we to actually solve this particular riddle before we give it away? If you're worried about any sort of toxins,

as part of my druidic practice. Poisons don't seem to take heat in my body. Oh. Shit. That's why the bugs don't bother you. Not that much, I don't think. Not yet. We'll see. I may regret those. Regardless, shall we?

Yes. Mm-hmm. All right. As you all, same marching order, or are you switching it back and forth? Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. All right. As you all, same marching order, or are you switching it back and forth? Um. I cannot see the border. We're awake. We have Grinning at the front with Caduceus,

then we have Beau and Yasha, then we have Caleb, Jester, and then Fjord and Neth. We're going into lava area. Anyone fire resistant or fire? You are? He is now. I don't know. Okay, yeah. Maybe you thought you were a front. Yeah, but he's still super weak, though.

Yeah, I don't know if I'd put you a front. I mean, you're super strong. Yeah, you're valuable. I'd rather the fire resistance be a last. Just stay in the middle. You're not a shield. I'm just saying your arms are really, really scrawny. You smell like crayons. Yeah, sometimes I do.

Crayons? It tickles my nose. Is that a Zemnian thing, crayon? So are we good with this order? Yes, we're good, we're good. Yes, apologize to Lupin. All right. So stepping within the entrance to the interior cavern at the base of Rumblecusp Mountain proper,

the black porous rock that surrounds you is rough to the touch for any that are skirting along the sides of it. Crumbly, but still at times sharp and catching the finger in a way that hurts. The air is dry and definitely warmer once you've stepped fully within the tunnel itself. Your nostrils sting slightly with a ripe aromatic mixture

of vitriolic scents that seem to be coming with this wind. It is lightless beyond the sources you have. And you plunge further down the steady decline of the winding tunnel deeper into the mountain. Shit. We're going down. And that's where we're taking a break. Oh! Dang it!

Okay. I just want to keep my weapon. I know. Well, let's take a break and we can come back. This is another part of the story, don't worry. We'll be back here in a few minutes. While we take a break, we'll see you guys here shortly. Yay! We interrupt this Critical Role Podcast Network broadcast to bring you news of

dangerous treasures that lie sealed within the Critical Role shops. Only the heartiest of adventurers should dare seek them out. In all seriousness, though, I'm Matthew Mercer, and we've made some very cool things that we really like and hope you will, too. If you'd like to support the show, please consider visiting any of our Critical Role online shops through the shop tab at critrole.com and see if anything catches your eye.

Okay, back to the show. And welcome back. So, Mighty Nein, as you step into the dark interior of the central volcanic mountain of Rumblecresp, Viridian leads you deeper in, saying, As you step into the dark interior of the central volcanic mountain of Rumblecresp, Viridian leads you deeper in, saying, What? Hmm?

Nothing. Saying what? What? Nope. I don't know. She said what? What? I'm going to make fun of my speech take-ups. Sorry, I liked Rumblecresp. Rumblecresp is good.

Look, I haven't heard it too, but I'm sure. Occasionally the brain gets mixed up and my impediment kicks in, my apologies. The Rumblecresp. I want a Rumblecresp is good. Look, I haven't heard it too, but I'm sure. Occasionally the brain gets mixed up and my impediment kicks in, my apologies. The Rumblecresp. I want a Rumblecresp right now. Ah, that would kill her. Ooh, blueberry rum. Oh man. Every detail's important.

We want to make sure none of this is good. Rumblecresp crumb. New from Slayer's Cake. She's adding more hit points to the next batch. No! Pressing inward, V Verdian does say, these tunnels can be a bit confusing the further in we go, but the waters are safe.

They're breathable, actually. The Fire God is welcoming and keeps the various tunnels and elements of water within his mountain abode welcoming as well. The water is breathable? Indeed. Like, as in you can submerge yourself in liquid water and breathe?

Yes. Oh, thanks. You seem very surprised, considering we've done that before. With magic? I mean, I think this is magic water. Wonderful. The lead on. I do want to know that the air grows heavier and toxic

as we travel deeper in. Best to make haste to the water as soon as we can. And she begins to pick up her pace a bit. Everybody brought their masks, right? Yeah. Okay, good. Okay. As you continue down the slowly winding decline of this pathway, this tunnel that goes deeper

and further beneath the mountain, that acrid taste in your mouth as the various chemical gases that mix with the air and the warm wind that's blowing through this tunnel past you as you go, you can taste that very chemical, metallic-type flavor, and the air itself does become heavier and heavier as you go. Ugh.

I get out my mom's perfume, my lavender oil, and I put a little bit on a piece of cloth and hold it in front of my nose. Okay. Potential oils. And it's the same irony, acrid smell that I smelled before earlier in the forest? Similar in some ways in the fact that there are

a lot of mineral elements that are not common towards the surface, but it is a different type. The air is getting heavier and you can, and Viridian says at a certain point, like, while the toxins don't affect me, perhaps try your best to hold your breath. You all take a deep breath?

Yeah. Okay. I don't take a deep breath, I just hold it. Okay. You got it. All right. I didn't want't take a deep breath. I just hold it. Okay. You got it. All right. I don't want to take a deep breath because there's already toxins in the air. True.

So all of you continue to push forward. Those of you who took a breath, you can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to one plus your constitution saving, or it's a constitution modifier. Okay. So what is that for you? For me, that is the modifier?

Yes. So five. Okay, so five minutes you can hold your breath. Okay. You, because you didn't take a deep breath, you lose the one base. So what's your constitution modifier? Oh. Three. Three. So you can hold your breath for three minutes. Total of three. Three.

Three, so you can hold your breath for three minutes. Total of three. Three. Two total. Two minutes. Eight minutes. Holy! Fuck, let's go, fam! What? She's got a third lung!

My constitution is plus seven. That can come in handy. You're saving throws, but just a modifier. Fuck! It's all good. I'm all a modifier. Fuck. It's all good. I'm all cocky about it. 12 minutes. She gets down and starts doing one-handed pushups with her mouth closed.

Three. There you go, three minutes. That makes more sense. Plus the one. Three. Okay. Caduceus, four. All right, and Beauregard?

Four. All right. So with the, four. All right, and Beauregard? Four. All right. Yeah. Okay. So with the breaths that you have held, you continue down this pathway as Viridian's leading. The floor itself is rocky and jacket, and as you're rushing, you can see the topography itself drop at times and your boots catch, and in some cases,

split or cut against the obsidian flakes and edges of the sharpened, broken rock. And pushing as fast as you can, if everyone could go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw for me. Oh shit. Save. Yes, to move quickly through here,

but without tripping or stumbling your way down the decoy. Is it too much of your held air, either? 10. 10, got it. 10. N-n-n-n-n-n-ninety! Nice. I failed, but I will use my Ring of Evasion to succeed.

You got it. 29. All right. 20. 11. 11, I rolled a two. Ooh. Okay, Caduceus, Beauregard, and Fjord.

As you guys are all rushing and following Vridian forward, you turn one corner and your knee slams into the edge of a sharpened blade. It cuts through. It doesn't do damage as you pull back just in time. You feel the impact, and it would have done some damage, but in doing so, the back foot hits a crumpled part of a ledge and you fall back,

and hit the ground as you do. The air escapes. You do lose two minutes of breath. Oh. Oh shit. I'm down with you normies at three. All right. Caduceus? As you see Fjord hit the ground, you slowly climb down the edge and move ahead.

And as you do, you hit a small, it's like a slick patch of condensation on the ground. And you skid for a moment and you catch yourself. And as you sit up, you realize, as you were keeping low and skidding, that this portion of the ceiling is a bit lower than expected, and you I'm fine, everybody.

You lose two minutes of breath. Two minutes? Oh, wow. Beauregard, you see this happen to Caduceus and instinctually laugh and lose two minutes of breath. Amazing. That's just right. So I'm at three, you're at two, and you're at one. That's just right. So I'm at three, you're at two, and you're at one? That's just right.

It is a three-minute journey. So those of you who are at two minutes or lower, I need you to make a constitution saving throw. I'm also going to give myself, I'm going to give myself a little resistance before I breathe in. Okay, resistance of? Constitution.

Okay, add your, okay. Con save. Con save, so that is? 20 total. 20 total, great. 10. Got it, and you, Veth? 17, I breathe through my clothes. Okay, you just barely Got it. And you, Veth? 17, I breathe through my clothes. Okay, you just barely make it.

Ooh. And trying to breathe in as you need to, the lungs are burning and you find yourself instinctually to survive breathing in. It stings and burns the inside of your throat and your lungs. The temperature itself is hot enough in this space, but the toxins that now swim in the invisible air around you

just burn horribly. You manage to shrug off the majority of the pain. You all rolled above a 17? He rolled a 10. Oh, you rolled a 10, right, yeah. The two of you manage to inhale, and it burns, but you push forward. Caduceus, it seizes the inside of your chest for a moment, and you find yourself poisoned for the next 24 hours.

Ooh. Oh no. I notice Sprinkle's looking a little uncomfortable. So I'm going to hold up my lavender cloth through his nose, too. Roll a very, very tiny constitution saving throw for me, if you don't mind. Should I just roll out with a d4? Roll a d12.

Roll a d12, or d20. Just a straight roll. 17. But yeah, the toughest. This guy who survived and endured so much, this spindly little creature of nature who has been blessed by the Wild Mother, it seems, much like two of your compatriots,

Lose. is but manages to shrug off the toxic effects of the air. I'll up my scars! The air is growing more humid as the dryness of it begins to fade. As you curve around, the moisture in the air grows thicker and you begin to see a faint orange glow around the bend.

Oh shit. As you curve around the tunnel, you begin to see small orange and red plants growing all along the floor and walls and ceiling, emitting a faint glow of the same color. They have almost a flowered seaweed-type look to them, a rubbery texture, and you can see now the interior volcanic rock that encompasses this tunnel

is in itself glistening with moisture. The plants themselves are well embedded within the various nooks and crannies of the volcanic rock. And you can see occasionally, every few seconds, droplets of condensation splashing in the path ahead. Does the water feel hot if it lands on us? Do you want to go underneath the water? Oh, I just thought the condensation splashing in the path ahead. Does the water feel hot if it lands on us? Do you want to go underneath the water?

Oh, I just thought the condensation falling was going to fall on us sometimes. Sure. And it does. And it doesn't burn through you. It's not acid. But the temperature in here is very, very uncomfortably hot. The tunnel slopes to an end, finally, and the floor itself is now being taken with

what looks to be a liquid surface. A pool of faintly steaming water, roughly 30 feet across, and the ceiling slopes and ends at the other edge of this pool. Beneath the water, you can see a faint bioluminescent glow of that same orange coming from plants that now suffuse the entirety beneath the water. Vridian stops at the edge as well and looks down and turns back to you. Anyone here trained in nature?

Perfusion in nature? Wow. You'd think so, but no. We all know that's a dump stat. Wow. Sorry, Kiki. I don't know, Keyleth is crying somewhere. She doesn't know why. Vreen, at this point, though, does go,

be warned, these and those are torch blooms. They're fire-play native plants that give off, that live off the dense nutrients of the inside of this mountain, volcanic regions and such. Cool. Avoid touching them if you can. Will they be under the water?

I can't, I'm not talking. Will they be under the water? No. As well? Yes. Okay. And you watch as she then begins to wade under the water? As well? Yes. Okay. And you watch as she then begins to wade into the water before diving below the surface and Viridian vanishes from view.

Did you ever want to try ventriloquism or something? That's insane. Is anyone following? Ooh, next camp. Yes, yes, yes, we're going. Next camp, we're going to have a dummy. As you begin to wade into the water, it is very warm. It's like a hot tub length.

It's not to the point of discomfort. It's very hot, and you can see the steam rising off it as you begin to submerge, but it's not scalding. And as you continue to step inward and watch as the surface eventually comes up over the top, there's that uncomfortable moment where the breath begins to give out. You look around you and as your feet begin

to step off the floor and you're now floating above, you can see where the blossoms, the torch blooms themselves, just completely coat the bottom of this little lake. I'm just going to reach out. I'm going to look at Veth and I'm going to hold her hand. Thank you. Yeah. I'm not going in there otherwise. I'll watch to reach out. I'm going to look at Veth and I'm going to hold her hand. Thank you. Yeah. I'm not going in there otherwise.

I'll watch everyone's expressions. If anyone panics, I'll cast Underwater Breathing on everybody. I'll pull off my ring of water walking and close my eyes and just let her pull me in. Okay. It is warm, which is a nice comfort compared to all the cold water that you've hated being part of before.

But those of you who are on the cusp of losing their breath, you reach a moment where you have to inhale, and as you do, the water fills your lungs, but it's not as thick as you'd expect. It's thicker than air, but it's lighter than the sensation

of swimming through it. And your body instinctually panics for a moment. You begin to seize a bit as you feel the body goes through the process of the beginning stages of drowning, and then it calms. As you exhale and inhale and exhale. I'm freaking out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a little wild.

It's a little wild, but the water is breathable. Can we hear each other down here? The abyss. Can we talk? Yeah, we're Ed Harris. It is very similar to the abyss, actually, yeah. Little white rat. That case, real quick, Lesser Restoration. Just, I don't feel good, so.

Okay. Love that. Lesser Restoration, you remove the poison on yourself. Oh, that's easy. Oh, it's a spell slot gone. Yeah. It takes a while for you to calm down, but you do reach a point where you're calmer. It's still a very odd sensation,

but you're all swimming around this larger lake that itself descends further before coming to an end. And you can see Viridian swimming towards this heavy cluster of torch blooms. And looking back in your direction, gives a hand motion to follow. She begins to speak, and it's interesting, the water carries the vocal vibrations.

It is slower, so all the voices come across as deeper, and a little sludgy, but you can speak amongst this. And as Viridian says, Once again, avoid the blooms. Don't touch the flowers. She turns towards this heavy wall of tangled torch bloom plant mass, and you watch as it begins to pull away at her approach

and reveal a continuing tunnel that delves down at a steeper, almost 80-degree angle from where you are. Ooh, we have to swim at an 80-degree angle? That's hard. Good thing we're all very strong swimmers. You're making your way down to follow Viridian. What is the marching order now? The tunnel itself that she's going into

is about 10 feet across, and the interior is completely surrounded by torch blooms, so you can only really go single file, and you have to be careful. I'll go first since my swimming speed is my normal speed. I'm going to let Nott go in between me and Fjord since he's the strongest swimmer. All right, so Nott goes between Fjord and Jester.

I've got your back. Who's after Jester? Right here. I'll go after Jester. All right, Beau. And I'll go after Beau. All right, then Nott goes forward and Jester. I've got your back. Who's after Jester? Right here. I'll go after Jester. All right, Beau. And I'll go after Beau. All right, then Caleb and Yasha. Yeah, I'll go second to last, if that's okay. All right, and Yasha's at the caboose. Got it.

All right. I'm just closing my eyes this whole time. You got to push me. Well, it's difficult. You need to open your eyes. Veth, open your eyes. Nope. You all begin to make your way through

and you can see the tunnel itself shifts rapidly and splinters off in different directions. There's a strange sensation as you hit this portion of the water. I need everybody to make a wisdom saving throw, please. Shit. Come on, man. I got to be rolling better than I am.

All right, all right, all right. I also have a question. She described, Vridian described all these passages as confusing. As we've been going, are they supernaturally confusing or has Caleb been able to track their progression? You've just begun to see the splintering points. So, so far at the moment,

Vridian seems to be swimming with purpose and has a confidence to the path. And you know that she is the one that interfaces often with Vokodo. So following her seems to be the best course of action. Right. From what you've seen so far, it could be confusing for somebody

who does not know the pathway. But I guess my question is, does Keen Mind let me remember the exact path we took? It would, yes, if you had to backtrack. You'd know that. Okay. Okay. Natural 20 for 23. Ooh! Nice. 11? 110.

Two. All right. 26. 26. 10. 10. 14. 14. 27. 27. 17. 17. Okay, Yasha, Veth, and Jester,

as you're following Viridian, Yasha, Veth, and Jester, as you're following Viridian, there's something thrilling about this location you're in. The mystery of what's beyond. There's something almost calling you. There's a drive, a force. There's something that's pulling you in the same direction as Viridian, but you can sense something's close and you have to see it.

You have to get there. And you weirdly know the way. And so as you all are swimming and following Viridian, you watch as Yasha begins to push past and Jester and Veth. Suddenly confidence takes you and Veth. Suddenly, confidence takes you, Veth, and the water is not so scary.

This curiosity, this driving force is much stronger than the fear that has been welling up inside you, and you are now all taking the lead behind Viridian. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The path change. You guys watch as they push past and begin scrambling to the front of this line. Okay. Oh, well, fine.

Are they going the right direction? Still following Vridian, and it's splintering. Some tunnels are curving off, some are smaller, some are larger, some are similar size to what you're at, but she seems to be following a very particular journey. Well, it just looks at Fjord and starts. We're going to lose our memories sometime.

Jeez Louise. All right. It's all good. I can't wait to get to where we're going. This is fun. Me too. Is my voice deeper? You did nothing when you talked.

You just did nothing. Is my voice deeper? Just sounds like, well. Oh boy. Touch your lips. Oh, hello. We're in a pandemic. Yeah, we're all getting a bit loopy now.

Pushing through this network of tunnels for about 10 minutes or so, the anxiety begins to build in the stomachs of those who watched their friends hurry on ahead and you fight to keep up. There is a fervor to the pace of swimming that them and Viridian are taking. And as you struggle to keep up.

Can I try and match the three that are anxious since my swimming seat is the last? You have no problem with this. Okay, just in case they get too far ahead, then at least it's Viridian and I plus three. The rest of us are slowed, right? Like half your speed, right, in the water? Half speed.

Okay. But you push on for about 10 or so odd minutes of adjustment before the pathway suddenly expands into a gargantuan underwater chamber, where you can see the rough, black, glassy volcanic rock is broken by heavy patches of torch bloom in corners, giving off pockets of light

in this otherwise lightless room. You can see vents bubbling forth from breaks in the rock and little stalagmites of the same volcanic pillar covered in gathered minerals. And this gas escapes and gathers in the ceiling and then vanishes through small cracks. You can see heavy stalactites that come down, some only a few feet,

some from what looks to be maybe a 40-foot ceiling above you. Some of them almost touch the ground. It is a jagged forest of upside-down rock coming from above. You can see the slight movement as you come in and the water disturbs a bit that some of the nearby torch bloom plants sway with the movement of the water. But as you all swim and enter this chamber,

you can see some of the rock walls themselves glow faintly orange with heat, like there is some sort of volcanic proximity. You've now all entered the chamber, and those of you who were anxious to get here, you've arrived. Does it feel like that we know we've arrived? You do, you know you arrived,

and then you're like, what are we arriving for? Cavern space is about how big again? From edge to edge, from where you're entering now, across the way, I'd say it's close to 100 or so feet or more on the opposite side. And from what you can see, you're not able to see the other edge. You just see one edge of the tunnel

and a curving wall around one side. And there are platforms of rock that rise up. There's a slight, almost like a bridge over one growth, where it looks like elements of the nearby rocks that have tumbled in and created a small incline or just built over time from the elements and minerals that are gathering. You can see on the opposite end,

just barely out of sight and from a nearby glow, looks like a large pillar of rock that twists up and then stops. It's a really wild interior here, but you're free to swim if you'd like. Just going to thank a bunch of plants. It was like, thank you for making that clear. You didn't have to, I really appreciate it.

We'll be coming back real soon. We'll see you again. As you turn and look, Caduceus, you notice that the torch balloon has completely enclosed the tunnel behind you. It has expanded and swollen and knotted the path that you took. We'll be coming back out soon, but thank you.

Can I swim forward a little bit and just extend divine sense in this watery cavern? You may, you may indeed. 60 feet, Celestial fiend or undead. All righty. You put the sense out there in the space and nothing catches your mind, nothing catches your sense.

Caleb is going to start looking for anything that is not natural, anything that is manmade or humanoid-made or of civilization. Make a perception check. Higher intelligence, yeah. Do we still feel anxious, like with a higher purpose of getting here, or now that we're here, do we feel like

Now that you're here, that's washed away. It's calm. Okay. Do we still feel like we're being watched? Yes, you do. Okay. In fact, it's more intense than it's ever been. Okay. 25 on perception. 25. You glance around, and the first thing you notice

as you enter the chamber and swim out a bit is there are a couple of shiny glints at some parts of the floor. You glance over, and the one nearest to you, you look over, and it looks like a coin, a gold piece or a silver piece, just catching the light. And you see a few more scattered

about 10 or so feet from there, and a handful that are resting on elements of rock in the middle of this underwater cavern. Without touching it, can I focus on one and get closer to it and see if it is indeed a coin or something else? You swim forward and you grab it and it is. Without touching. Without touching, okay.

Looking at it, it's got a little bit of soot on one edge of it, but it does appear to be a Dwendalian gold piece. Ah. Hmm. It's pushing well. What's, yeah. It's our time down here. It's pushing well. What's, yeah. It's our time down here. It's our time.

Radiant, how did you find this place? Well, he calls us here. And he is here. And she swims out a little bit into the open space. Vokodo, I come with new friends. At which point, simultaneously, sourceless but deep in your mind,

a presence is there. It's not language, it's images and shapes and emotions. It is alien, yet still familiar. Your brain takes these tangled masses of experiences and processes it as language best that it can. And it speaks to you. I have sensed you since you found paradise.

You come to look upon the center of the world and kneel. Center of the world and kneel? Should we kneel? Can we kneel? We're in water. Oh, are we in water? Yeah, we're still in the water. Why can't we? We can't kneel.

Are we on the floor or are we in stasis and hovering buoyantly in the middle of water? It's up to you guys. You can lower yourself and walk along the floor, swim along the floor if you want. What is up? Looking up, you see all the heavy rock stalactites that are coming down at different levels.

Solid water to the roof. From what you can tell, yeah. And your light source is fairly limited at the moment. It's just the bits of torch bloom and the spells that you have active. Make a perception check. Yeah, I've got 20 feet from the sword. 18.

18, okay. As this voice is happening, and Caleb, at this point, too, as you are hearing this voice, you glance up, and in the center of the ceiling, amongst the heavy points of rock that descend, you see a couple other glints, a couple other little momentary shines of light reflecting off other metallic surfaces,

similar to the one that you noticed. Viridian speaks out and says, Vokodo, Great Fire Lord and Protector of the Realm, these people come to ask a favor. There's a momentary pause before it says, Ah. Speak this favor, new blood.

Maybe we should give some gifts first. Did he say new blood? Some gifts. New blood. New blood, new blood. Well, okay. Maybe. Do you want some presents before we ask you a favor, or do you just want to?

Before you can finish. Yes, presents. Oh, they want presents. So I'll, while swimming, I guess, I'll try to reach down through my pockets and sink a little and come back up and have a little tiny diamond. It's worth 50 gold.

Ah-ha. Blessings to you, Vokodo. Take this as a symbol of our peace offering. I just throw it. You throw it? Yeah. Okay, you chuck it and you say. There is a slight, like a shift of movement in the shadow above and it's gone.

Oh. Did that please you? Yes. Okay. Oh, nice, nice, nice. Come on, pony up, everyone. I get out my two gold rings that I have, and I pull them out in my hand. And I just open my hand and I say,

these are for you. Oh, you're going to make them eat out of your hand? It's a mistake that I have made several times in D&D, but here we go. Okay, you wait and wait, and you hear this low, almost a guttural, And you hear this low, almost a guttural,

like a rasp or a purr is the best way I can describe it. It's just like. And for a moment, you see images in your mind briefly of shines and glittering things and silver clouds. And in that brief moment, you look back at your hand and the rings are gone. You all, actually it would be Caduceus and Caleb,

as you watch Beauregard recoil a moment, briefly taken with a vision, you see something dark, this long, almost black tendril just rapidly and snatch the rings out of her hand and then withdraw back into the dark, lightless ceiling of the chamber. Okay.

I'll reach into my coin purse and grab a handful, let's call it 10 gold, and I'll throw it up towards the ceiling. Okay. You throw the coins up and one by one, they just go out. Do, do, do, do, do, do. Huh. I...

You two, and you now can see with each of these coins, these tendrils and fish each out with a really incredible speed. Oh shit. All emerging from the central ceiling of the chamber. No. No. I don't know.

I know. Wait, wait, wait, what was? What do you think? What are you thinking? I mean. I'm going to pull out my one white sequinsed glove. That I've had with me since the very beginning. Now I'm going to throw it. Not the glove, Jester, no.

It sparkles! It's so valuable! It's too much! I know! It's too valuable! I've been holding onto it for so long. The sequined glove travels approximately a foot and a half, as it is. Not a very... Low. Yeah, it doesn't have a lot of heft behind it

against the water. A lot of drag. Yeah, a lot of drag on that one. It just shimmers a bit. And then just slowly begins to drift towards the ground. Okay, okay. That's okay. Similar to Beauregard, I also have until it begins to drift towards the ground. Similar to Beauregard, I also have a gold ring that I got somewhere, and I will just put it on my thumb and flip it through the water up and get this.

Snatched out of the water once more. I'll do the 10 gold as well and spread them far out, see what happens. Spread them. As you throw them out a little bit, you see something in the shadow shift to one side and then a few are fished out. You see things wrapping around

the outside of these stalactites and pulling itself to the other side and snatching the other bits before resting back in the shadow. You see glimmers of orange, slight glows that spike and brighten for a second and then vanish in the shadow, like the embers at the edge of somebody burning a pipe,

brighten and then darken once more. Did you not want this glove? You've earned a discussion. Just take it back. I'm just going to pick it up. Yeah, it's just sad. What is your request? Well, we were hoping to have a party on your island.

That's your lead-in? I mean, just what else am I going to do? Just go with it. Okay. It's just got to go. It's just a really cool island, and so we thought maybe we could have a party here and invite a bunch of people. A big party.

I don't know how many will come. Fairly medium-sized. You can see the images flashing to your mind, images of ships coming to the beaches of the island and people offloading, and the emotions mingle with that. And once again, your brain interprets these images and these thoughts and these feelings as language. How many?

I wish I had a better answer. You know, it could be 20, it could be 200. We hope 200. I don't think it'll be that many. It's a really hard trip, you know? And I don't know. And why do they come? Well, I have this friend

who is also a god who is also a god who thought maybe it would be fun to hang out with you and get to know you and have a party at your house. Your island is fantastic. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a paradise. It's sought after across the seas.

Obviously, center of the world and all that. People have heard of it far and wide. Even other gods want to experience it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A god that seeks a party. A god that seeks a party. Yeah, well, he's a pretty cool guy. And he likes to party.

Please elaborate. Have you heard of the Traveler? No. Oh, that's so weird. I thought all you gods knew each other. Bring this Traveler as well. Bring all that you like. You're all welcome here. Uh-huh.

Cool. That feels really good. Are there any spots on the island? Limitations? Yeah. Yeah, off-limits or? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Where should we have a park? Where should we do it at?

Beyond the mountain. What's he doing? The choice is yours. You wear such shinies. I told you to put away my bracers! I told you. If you don't mind, we heard of your splendor as a fire god.

I admit, we are but lowly forms of life. I'm surprised to see you in this space of water and liquid. Make a deception check. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Good, good, good. I think I have advantage on these, right? Do I? It's an eight, no, 17.

18. It's an 18? Do I have advantage on deception check. I feel like with your- Should. You have friends, don't you? Didn't you take- You can cast friends. Oh, that's a good idea. Two things at once, though.

Friends gets a little weird. Oh yeah. Once then, they know. Yeah. Hey, by the way, Marisha. Yeah? A second ago, you were like this. I forgot to tell you. If you ever want to punch Liam.

Fuck yes. Fuck yes, I love you so much. You just need a code and you can be like, punch Liam. Okay. Try it out, try it out. Well, how about just punch Liam is the code. Yes! Damn it, Marisha. Fuck yes.

Okay. So a total of 18. I hope this is funny, visually for everyone else, as it was for us. The water around you. Wait, wait, wait, wait, listen! Guys. Sorry. The water around you seems to swirl on its own for a moment, and you feel yourself being drawn

towards the center of the chamber a little bit. And as you do, you all watch as the shadows up amongst the stalactites, hundreds of tiny embers begin to flash and brighten. Uh-oh. You watch as tendrils, these big, thick tentacles begin to withdraw from the shadows and lower what looks to be this

massive, black-fleshed creature, where beneath the cracked edges of its blackened flesh, you can see beneath it, this underlying glowing yellow-orange layer of flame or volcanic material, almost. As it descends slightly, you can see this open jaws with rocky black teeth. In the inside of its mouth,

this bright fiery light emerges and lights up Fjord's face as it descends and gets about 10 feet from you, its mouth open, and you're just there, lit by it. On top of its head, you see four separate orbs, themselves also orange and red, with these slight pointed red pupils. You see what looks like massive red rocks or gems

that are jutting from elements of its body in different places. These heavy, almost like pseudopod, what would have been tentacles that have become more like thick legs, kind of dangle beneath. And as it hangs, you can see across its back a horde of treasure.

You see chests and coins and objects, and just in it, a scattered mass of things of value that have been placed and are now adorning this creature, like a shawl or a cape. And as it dangles there, it says, Look upon the lord of this island, the lord of Exandria, and offer.

You have such shinies. You can see the torch blooms in the chamber. There looks to be another entrance to this that now all of a sudden closes up as well. Uh-oh. In? Viridian is there on the ground and says, I think he wants another offering.

Oh. So that's fair. What is the distance between this entity and us? Well, you guys are a bit scattered on the ground at this point. You and Fjord are probably the ones that were furthest up since you were inspecting. It's about 30 feet from you.

It's about 10 feet from Fjord as it rushed him with the waters close to the face, and you're about 10 feet from you. It's about 10 feet from Fjord as it rushed him with the waters close to the face, and you're about 10 feet from him. And this didn't trigger Celestial Fiend or Undead? Nope. That's what? What? Elemental. Elemental. Well, I did not give an offering yet, so.

Yeah, do it. I don't have a lot of money. I will go over and, closer to him, and I will, I do have 10 gold. Here is 10 gold. One of the eyes looks down in your direction, while the other three are still looking at Fjord, glancing over.

One of the tentacles snatches it out of your palm. And watch it places it and plucks it amongst the rest of the horde on its back. The waters release you, Fjord, and it stands there waiting and Viridian just goes, I don't think he's happy with the offerings you've given. It would do well to give of something sizable based on what you carry.

Yeah, well, you know, I asked you about this, Viridian, and you were like, no, he's cool, he's understanding. No. He won't judge you based on your appearance. Well, it's not by your appearance. I'm just... Usually, we just give him everything we have and find. Right, right, yeah.

Well, but we... He's not getting my bracers. No, of course. I'll fucking murder him before he gets my fucking bracelet. You know, the thing is, is we need some of the shiny things that we have to bring you more people with other shiny things. Well, I do have five of these.

They're all that I have. I'll take out five platinum. Okay. And I will toss them towards Vokodo. Okay. You watch as two of the eyes that were facing you look off towards the platinum, and one of the, and you can now see it's four massive tentacles

with a bunch of smaller ones that occasionally emerge from the body to snatch things nearby and then recoil within. So cool, yeah, yeah, yeah. It snatches the coins out and brings them back in, but the one eye is still focused on you. There's the one that's over on Caleb, or over now on Yasha, and just stays there dangling.

Yeah, I'm going to slowly start backing up from this thing. I've put it to time. There is more where that came from, but we would have to perhaps take an entry fee from all those coming to the island. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. If that's of interest to you. God, we could bring you so much more

after everyone gets here. Yeah, this is just the down payment. You will. Yeah, we totally will. Doesn't that get heavy on your back? No. It's impressive. Yeah, it's very impressive.

It's true, though. Things are not as heavy in the water. Oh, that's fair. Maybe that's why. That makes sense. We're underwater now. Yeah, it's very impressive. It's true, though. Things are not as heavy in the water. Oh, that's fair. Maybe that's why. That makes sense. We're underwater now. Yeah. See, it's looking about the rest of you.

Been here just forever? How did you get here? Curious questions. I've been here a very long time. I pull out a pearl necklace that I also have. Snatched up. And then I say, in deep speech, curious minds want to know.

What are you doing here? It doesn't seem to flinch or react to the language. The way that it's communicating to you is a form of telepathy that transcends language. It's whatever you are envisioning, it's not the words that communicate, but the intent behind it. Yeah.

Which to that degree makes it challenging in some ways to circumvent social barriers. But you see it, there's an air of impatience to it as you see the rummaging flames beneath its skin beginning to brighten and flare at moments it seems still expectant, and Viridian's getting a little,

you see a bit of fright in her eyes. We really want to make sure that our offerings are up to his liking. We're going to have to cough up something nice here, guys. I mean. Is there any kind of cover in this room, or is it just a large open space? There's plenty of cover.

There are masses of rock that have either fallen from the ceiling or have risen up from what looks like gathering elements and minerals. You can see that large, almost like twisting pillar-like mass on further in the other side of the room. You can see there are small outcroppings where some of the chamber itself becomes

almost a wall in areas, little corners. Anything in the middle of the room, did you describe? In the middle of the chamber itself becomes almost a wall in areas, little corners. Anything in the middle of the room, did you describe? In the middle of the room, there's one large broken heap of rock with one leaning almost like a pillar, and there's a tunnel that goes through it. And then there is that large twisted pillar that rises up about 25 or so feet before it levels off.

Okay, I will move slowly towards the jumbled bit, trying to understand if the thing is tracking me as I go. Okay. Are you going stealthily? Yeah. Roll a stealth check. Yeah. As he does, I'll go. 17. 17, okay.

I'll search through the bag of holding, I guess. I own a 550 gold piece pouch of gold dust. You do. Caleb, as you slowly shift in the direction, you begin to make your way towards there and you watch one of the eyes train on you. You are very shiny.

Yinsi. I throw 10 platinum into the water above me. Oh. You watch as two tentacles that are holding it at the ceiling, there's other two that are dangling below. Smaller ones eject and grab the platinum and pull them back in. You watch as they attach to the body.

They slowly move them up, almost like a bunch of cilia or fingers, causing the coins to roll up the body until they join the rest of the horde on its back. Does the horde look like it's only shiny things, or is it like... Make a perception check. Yeah, that's what I want to know.

And this would be probably with disadvantage, unless you have darkvision. I do. Then you go. I don't like this. be probably with disadvantage, unless you have darkvision. They do. Then you go. I don't like this. Doesn't matter, because I roll like fucking shit. I fucking feel. Nine! Nine.

It's hard to make out. From what you can see, there's a lot of coins. You see some really fancy dishware. You can see some weapons, some armor. It's a smattering of things, but nothing at a glance that catches your eye beyond what you would expect a bunch of precious things to look like.

Jester, you're confident that the Traveler will want to come and meet Vokodo, yes? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The Traveler's definitely going to want to come and say hi. Okay, well, then I don't mind handing this over, and I will hold up the Star Razor. No! No, Fjord, no.

You watch as all four. No, it's okay. All four. Vokodo deserves the shiny. Make a persuasion check. Oh. Do it. Come on, face man. Come on, face man. Piss off a god. 20. Yes. 50 plus five. Yes. All right, come on, face man. Come on, face man. Piss off a god. 20. Yes! 50 plus five.

Yes! All right, all right, all right. All right. You watch as all four eyes shift towards the blade that you now hold aloft. Is it lit? It is, it's glowing. Yeah. Oh, it's totally glowing. And so as it's right there on the blade.

It is lit. Yeah. You watch as it descends slightly on the blade. It is lit. Yeah. You watch as it descends slightly more and one of the tendrils begins to, the bigger one's going to reach out towards the blade. This is a precious offering. It is. We expect to be able to go and bring more to you

in exchange for this. Takes the blade. Places it amongst the hoard on its back. Your offering is accepted. Holy shit. The eyes begin to shift amongst the rest of you expectantly. You also notice the temperature of the room getting slightly hotter.

The water is rising in temperature, along with the expectant frustration that the slightly brightening, simmering fires beneath the skin seem to insinuate. Do you require more for us to go and bring you? Your offering was accepted. Oh shit. I pull out.

Here, take this. I pull out. Take the bag of gold. Oh, no, no, I pull out some, I have a thing of elven chain mail that I pull out. Okay. Your offering is accepted. We are just paying this dude.

I got this for you. And you throw the pouch of gold. Oh, this fucking sucks. He watches the pouch get snatched up. The tentacle pulls it over by one of the eyes and opens it up, and you see, for a moment, this large, fiery entity becomes this miserly grandpa, rummaging through the pot, and he's like,

and you can see the flame into the mouth get a little bit brighter. It looks at you expectantly. Oh. But no, that was a lot of gold. That was 550 gold. He doesn't like gold. I think he wants your...

Well, he can't have it! It's the thing that's... Temperature's getting hotter now. Caleb has watched all this and is doing math and just stares at the floor for a solid 30 seconds while all that has been going on and then grips the necklace on him and snaps the cord.

No, no, no, the thing that hides you? No, Caleb! And lets it go and lets it float in the water. The creature, its eyes spin about and snatch it up. Pluck it amongst one of the creature, its eyes spin about and snatch it up. Pluck it amongst one of the eyes, looks at you. This was precious to you. Your offering is accepted. That's not fair. That glove was real precious to me, too.

One of a kind. Fuck. Oh man. Maybe I could have my pouch of gold back if I gave you some. That's how it works in Vegas. Give me the 50 bucks back, I'll give you 100. Delete. We got three accepted offers so far? Mm-hmm. Do we all have to have accepted?

We all have to go? Yes. Wow. I don't want to get sous vide in this cave. I take it cooked by slow cooking. Yeah, I know, I know, I know. Yep. Pull out my pouch.

Nobody has. A very rare and expensive suit. Cooking spice. This shit is gold, depending on where you're from. The street value! This shit, you don't understand how long this shit can fuck you up.

You don't get it. I've been, this shit can fuck you up. You don't get it. I've been, this shit is pre- I've been waiting to murder somebody with this this entire fucking, like, my entire journey. Make a persuasion check. All right. That's not, I'm not good at that. Okay.

There's always a first. Natural 20. I'm ready to go! Look at it! Look at it! I can't, you're 47 feet away. I'll take a picture and send it to the group! Yep. I'll, yeah, wait, wait, sorry, that one got blurry.

Fell short. I'm texting it. Texting it. Or a total of. Huh? What's your total? Oh, a 21. Oh yeah, you are shitty at that. Yeah. Yeah.

Texting it for proof. You watch as one of the tendrils shoots out in your direction and almost traces the outside of the bracers on your wrist. Ugh! Ooh! Gross. And then takes the pouch and shakes it a bit. It's good shit. It's fucking pure.

All right. Have fun, man. This is like the odd, I don't know, cosmic horror version of the hoarder woman in Labyrinth. Yeah. I try to send the most telepathic images I can of him getting super fucked up on it,

so I can let him know what. Yeah, it's a good time. I'm really thinking real hard, you know, so that it can get to him. I gave him a magic item I've had for 100 episodes. You gave him oregano. No. This is the rare shit, dude.

I have a fucking thing for it. Oh, wow. I have a paper for it. It's real. This is in Viagra. All right, all right, all right. Caduceus, you were saying? Precious to you or precious to us? Precious to me.

Precious. Wondrous item. Oh, it's a wondrous item? Yes! Tell him to hit me with the glove. No. Yeah, that's great. I take the shield that my sister made.

No! Oh shit. Off of where it's connected to the one I use, I take the beetle skins that she made. And I hold it. Oh shit. Make a persuasion check. Dark. Where's my persuasion check. Dark.

Where's my persuasion? Oof. Seven. He watches one of the tendrils scrapes across the surface and then snaps it with a metal. The head looks at you. You can see edges of its mouth almost become beak-like at the edge.

It's a weird creature. You're not quite certain what it is, what it was. It's strange. What it was? Yasha, flask me. Did that suffice? Gimme. It's still looking at you expectantly.

Put it back on my pouch. It is lowering itself more. There is an element of a greedy immediacy to its physicality now, as it slowly begins to descend and it releases the upper portions of the ceiling where the stalactites were. And it's now floating and swimming in the air.

And it is a massive form. It's maybe about 20 feet in diameter from side to side, with the tentacles there swirling and swimming in the middle of the water. I think I got an idea. Hold on. Okay. Not to me, to you. I rest the golden gem that's stuck in my breastplate,

which is the wound closure. Your offer is accepted. Your offer is accepted. Huh. Give me that flask. Please. Please? I'll take one little sip and then hand it over.

Make a persuasion check. Oh, I'm great at that. I'll take one little sip and then hand it over. Make a persuasion check. Oh, I'm great at that. I would kill for that. I will take my reliable talent, which will make it a 12. Oh, god. It grabs the flask and brings it up, looks it over. One eye, brings it in front of another,

places it amongst the horde and looks back at you, expectantly. Oh! Oh! That is just bullshit! Too much! Too much! Fuck this guy.

I hate this guy! Give him your husband. We should just kill him and take all the stuff. Yeah, I mean, look at his balls. That was a fucking lot. Yeah. I'd sure love to do that with a Traveler on our side. Yeah, okay.

It's Jester's brain. I... I pull out my skin gorger. And I shoot it at him. Oh! The blade is immediately captured by one of the tendrils. The mouth almost hangs open slightly, looking over it with awe and excitement. And adds the blade to the hoard and goes,

Your offer is accepted. I would like that back one day. Huh. I've given you so much. I gave you a diamond. I gave you a bag of gold. I gave you my flask. I gave you a diamond. I gave you a bag of gold. I gave you my flask. Peel your tattoo off.

Gave him my good drugs. I mean, I don't have much left. Pull your tattoo off your face. That's the good shit. Ah! No! No! I got a pistol. Oh.

It's a gun. Thought it was a crossbow. They're really hard to find. Not like this. It goes boom. Any interest? Make a persuasion check. I'm not good at those! Come on, come on.

I'll take my reliable talent. Oh no! It's a 12. Come on, come on! The water around you, Veth, has elevated to scalding. Oh! Okay, okay, forget that, that was stupid. You take four points of fire damage.

All right. What? As you are begun to be boiled in the water around you. Mm-mm. You should have kept your flask. I'm looking. Give me a second, it's hot. Is it hot in here for you guys? It's pretty hot. It's getting hot. It gets getting hot. Humid, too.

Let's get a little tan. Woo. One does not walk into the heart of a god One does not walk into the heart of a god and present paltry gifts. Okay. Caleb. I accept offerings,

or I can take what is insufficient. Caleb floats over to Veth and turns his back to the thing and palms to her the Driftglobe. What's that? I don't use it very much, but it makes sunlight. It's very rare. So it's this big. It makes daylight in a big space.

And you just get that shoved into your hands. And then I float back two or three feet. Okay. Thank you. Go ahead and make a study hand check for me. Uh-oh. Maybe we should just use that in here. I know, I feel like that could be useful in here. Nine.

Nine, okay. Nine. You don't feel confident, but also you're not sure if this creature cares. It wasn't, I wasn't trying to Magic Castle this thing. Yeah. I was just going, take this. Obviously. Yeah. With a nine.

Mm-hmm. Wow. I don't, uh... Do. I'll cast Mage Hand, and I will use it to lift up my Dagger of Denial. We'll try that. Which is what we are all in right now.

Mm-hmm. The dagger is snatched. Your offer is accepted. The water cools around you. It's still uncomfortably hot for all of you. It's on the verge, but it begins to cool slightly. You're no longer taking damage, Veth. The images translated into this voice say,

Your initial gifts will tide me over. Bring to me these travelers. And the next time we meet, I hope to see what you bring me. You watch as the tunnel where you entered, the torch blooms, withdraw, and leave it open once more. And Viridian goes, Of course, Great Vokodo, thank you.

Thank you. She goes, Yes? She goes ahead and swims back as you all. Angry backstroke. All right, you all begin making your way into the Torchbloom Tunnel. We can follow Viridian

or we can follow Caleb, by the way. Or I could, I mean, my hand is still up. I could just try to swipe one thing back. Maybe, no, no, maybe not. Okay. I say go for it. Angry backstroke. Well, it was nice knowing that.

Angry side stroke. All right, so are you guys all heading back? Yeah. Oh yeah, okay. So Viridian begins to lead you back, and you can watch as you're heading in that direction, the torch plumes are separating to enable the exit path. You guys get a ways away and Viridian looks back over, shoulders swing.

That was harrowing. You were very, how best to say it, unexpectedly stingy. Well, we told you we didn't want to stay. I mean, no wonder no one leaves. He doesn't leave them with anything left. Well, there are those who have much to thank, Wakoto, for his protection and guidance.

Like what? Material possessions mean so little when it comes to life and happiness and community. What's he do? What community does he bring that you all don't bring yourselves? She keeps swimming and goes, There are many dangers across this island.

There are many things that can sleep beneath it. Sure. Vokodo keeps them at bay. Does he? Vokodo brings them. Yeah. I think that's 100% fucking right. Also, it's interesting, because you were saying that thing was not where it was supposed to be, so it looks like, you know, the thing with the mouth, the long one.

Spectre. Spectre. Indeed. I mean, we've given everything we have to Vokodo, and we mine what we can from the island itself. I fear maybe we've been unable to provide as much. Sorry, keep going. As the Fire God needs. Perhaps he's angry.

Gods don't need things. That's inherently untrue. They don't. They don't need things. Gods don't need anything. They're gods. And yet every church, every temple, has offerings given day in and day out by followers and priests. That's just because they don't, you know,

just people want to do it. It's not because gods are coming down and snatching things out of their hands. It's not like the gods are saying, I'm going to kill you if you don't give me something. It's totally different. I was getting cooked in there! Perhaps you could expound on the ways

that Vokodo aids you in exchange for these gifts. How does his aid to you manifest itself? This entire island provides us food, shelter, a place to live, a community of people. There have been terrors that have made their way here, but the angry mountain itself washed them away. We've heard tales and been given dreams of the horrors that would feast upon us.

The Fire God was not here with his benevolence to watch over us. Where are we right now? You guys are swimming through the tunnel, making your way back. Okay, I'm going to wait then. All right. Oh yeah, we should call him Guacamole. That was our code name.

Does Rakoto ever leave this cavern? Does he ever venture outside of the volcano? Vokodo does not need to. Vokodo is the island. What we saw there was just the heart, the avatar. Just the heart? Just one piece of Vokodo? Yes.

Just his physical. Are there other hearts around the island, or just the one? Just the one, as far as I know, that I've met, at least. But these tunnels are part of him, this mountain, those trees. That's long game.

Yeah. Boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, boy. There's a lot to unpack, yeah. Did this, I'm not asking this out loud, did Vokodo's image, did it spark any kind of... Had we ever seen anything like that shape before? Make an arcana check. Or the bookworms?

Yeah. I tried to get them out far enough to get a good look. And both of you can make it since you were trained. Arcana? Arcana. 15. 15, okay. I'm out far enough to get a good look at my mind. And both of you can make it since you were trained. Arcana? Arcana. 15. 15, okay. I got no fucking clue. Yikes, nine. Nine. Caleb.

Yeah? Save us. Arcana check? Arcana check, yeah, sorry. It's okay. I'm distracted by other things. 14. Low roll. Nothing. Nothing about its form, its demeanor, its physicality, the stories around it ring a bell.

It's an odd and strange experience that you've gone through and interfaced with this thing. And as you worm your way back towards the exit of this watery passage. You know, you're frustrated. Hopefully we, whatever we bring, when the Traveler and all of his followers come, is more pleasing to Vokodo this time.

We hate to be a burden upon you or your people. Of course, of course. Well, you say many are coming, and if they are bringing tidings with them and these offerings are brought, perhaps that will temper his frustration. Certainly. I suppose it will be up to Jester and the rest of us

to figure out what part of the island we should direct them to. Perhaps we should go search some other areas after a night's rest we should direct them to. Perhaps we should go search some other areas after a night's rest to see if there's a proper staging ground for. Yeah. And he seemed to say anywhere besides the mountain.

Was that what you understood? He said, if you're welcome to, but the mountain has its own inherent dangers, or the island entirely has its own. Clearly. Ghosts, dinosaurs, stuff. Caduceus. That's the episode title right there. Yeah. I joined the operation.

Ghosts, dinosaurs, and stuff. I think that's exactly what it pointed me at. I'm going to write that down. Yep. Might have spoilers. Oh my god. Perfect. I mean, I guess thank you for bringing us.

Are you going to stay with us as we explore the rest of the island, or? Depends on how much you plan to explore. This passage here is one that I make rather rapid pilgrimage on to bring the offerings and findings that the village has gathered upon the island and from those who come to visit and eventually stay. To be too far gone would be to ignore my duties

as the spiritual guardian of the village. Perhaps for a brief time, and depending on where you choose to journey, but my heart and my charge is with Vo. We do want to. Does Vo ever get, sorry. No. Does Vo ever get pissed at you? You know, because like, don't the villagers like run out of things to give him?

Well, then we make them and we mine them and we scrounge and search. You mine from him. I know, but it's, yeah, exactly. He is the island. So you're basically like pulling out his own poop to give back to him or something. You can see behind the eyes, there is an attempt

to tie things together, and then they squint. And we do not question. We just accept and appreciate what is offered. Yeah, but it's your own thing going against your own thing. How far are we now, by the way? You guys now are coming towards the edge of the tunnel where it opens up into the pool where you first submerged. I think I'm going to try that thing

once we bed down for the night. I think we're going to have to bed down for the night. Yeah. You want to camp out at the toxic air? Of course, we should rest for the night, but we should leave the dangerous elements of the cavern. I would recommend staying probably within the mouth of the entrance.

Yeah, at the edge. Yes. Okay. When we went to see him, did we go down or did we just stay? We went down. You went down. So we're underground to see Vokodo? Yes.

Down, low. We went up a mountain into a mouth and then down. Has Vokodo ever come out of the loaf. And we went up a mountain into a mouth and then down. Has Vokodo ever come out of the mountain? That's what I asked. No. He said he didn't need to. Because he is the island. Obviously. Yeah, yeah, obviously. Viridian, has Vokodo ever come out of the mountain?

No. No, he has not. How many entrances are there into the mountain? I know there are probably a few, but this is the one that has been allocated to me. Vokodo prefers to prevent others from stumbling upon the interior of his heart chamber for fear of

Taking him by surprise or? Or for fear of those arriving without a proper offering. So! What was the most valuable offering you ever gave to Hakoto? Leia, she doesn't remember. Maybe. She thinks for a moment and goes, There was once a ship that came, pirates of some kind,

and they were carrying a jewel that they had stolen. It was worth quite a bit. Beautiful, green, this emerald, about the size of a fist. But the pirates never left. They joined the community, and when the gem was given, Vokoda was elated. For the next spring, we had quite a bountiful harvest of the local jungles and trees.

The fruits were lush, the gifts were endless. It was an emerald. Sorry, sorry, sorry. You go, no, you go, no, you. Because I have a question outside of the... At this point, you guys are now reaching the surface of the water, which goes into the very toxic air. So you may have to take a deep breath of water

before traversing and exiting. You get your question out before we come up. Yeah, before we... Breathe it, Travis, breathe it. Was it like a smooth gem? Like a smooth gem? Like a round sort of gem? A smooth gem?

It was somewhat faceted. It was worked. I'm not very knowledgeable in the way of. This big? It was about that large. This large? Yeah. It was like a square-ish shape. It was like a square-ish shape.

Obviously, it's one of my favorite movies. Sure. Like Tusk Love. Get Tusk Love. All right, are we doing this? Squish. All right, so you guys now all take a deep breath and she shows you take a deep breath of the water and then all begin to make your way back

through the way you came. I would like dexterity saving throws all around. Because you know of some of the things that are an issue, the DC is a little bit lower, so do not worry. Get the fuck out of here. Stop it. What you got, Fjord? Five.

My dexterity checks suck. You are climbing up over one of the ledges, one of the ones you jumped off previously, it wasn't an issue, as you're climbing up part of the edge obsidian breaks, and as you do, chest slams into the edge, and you pull yourself up, but you lost two minutes of air. Aw.

Cool. Back down to three. Nice. Natural 20. Woo. Cool. Back down to three. Nice. Natural 20. Woo! 15. All right. 15. All right. Nine. Natural 20.

Ooh. All right. Skaskal. So, Caduceus, as you're all making your way through, you fall a little bit behind. You're starting to feel winded a bit. The heat's gotten to you, the waterlogged elements of it. You're squinting your eyes a bit

as the water and sweat is mingling and burning your eyes a bit. And as you open your up once more, you realize you've got off course a little bit and shoulder check the edge of one of the curves. And as you do, you exhale a bit. You lose two minutes of breath. So that puts you at?

What's its constitution plus one? Yes, two. All right, so as you guys are making, the air begins to clear up a little bit, I do need one constitution saving the earth from you, Caduceus. All right. It's always Caduceus right now. Yeah.

He's had a rough bout this island. He really has. This island does not agree with him. 20. 20? Good. Okay, okay. The tox does not agree with him. 20. 20. Oh, okay. Good. Okay. The toxin burns, but nevertheless,

it passes without taking too much of a terrible hold on the body. I remember this. You guys eventually make your way towards the interior of where the cavern entrance is. You can see out now upon the night jungle. It is, or you would be able to, but it's pitch black with elements,

what looks to be occasional bits of light, almost like little firebugs that occasionally dip through elements of the jungle in the distance. But it is just black beyond that. You can hear the loud sounds of the insects and nocturnal creatures now that are beginning to create this beautiful, but also hauntingly worrying

symphony of unknown things that live throughout Rumblecusp. But you set up camp for the night here, I imagine. Yeah, yeah. We're going to do the dome. Yeah, we're doming it up to camouflage with the surroundings. All right.

Vreen asks, is there room for? Yeah. If you don't mind. Cuddle up! As long as you don't mind, we have a little good night ritual that we do before we go to sleep and when we wake up every morning. For sure. You don't mind? We all hold each other's hands

and we sing a song talking about what we're thankful for that day. Oh my god. Sure. Jester already forgot the nightly ritual. Make a deception check, Jester. Always, the new member of the group leads it, though. No, no, we'll do it last. 11.

11. Vridian looks at you oddly. You can start singing if you want to. You're learning, that's good. You're one of us now. Yeah, this is just. I'm all right. I don't think I need to partake in this ritual.

So we don't have to repeat it, obviously, but we'll go down the line, say our names, talk about our parents. Oh, that ritual. Yeah. Yeah. See, you already forgot it. Oh no, it's taken. And before it gets to her turn, I'm going to cast Greater Restoration.

Ooh. Okay. Oh shit. Ooh. Come on. Make a sleight of hand check for me. Shit. Come on. Okay, I wasn't being sneaky about it. I was just doing it, so.

Well, casting a spell like this is less of a touch, and it's more of an incantation and then a place. So it is still a very visible thing. And to surprise somebody with that, if somebody wants to try and distract her, they can probably aid with that, but that would be the exception. I'll distract her. Okay, how are you distracting her?

Today, what I'm thankful for is that we got to see you do all the really cool stuff with the plants. Seven. Make a persuasion check, please. Oh, can I assist her and take out? Well, no, if you're assisting, that gives you advantage, sorry. Oh, okay, good.

That is horrible. Are you going to whip out the bone saw? The bone saw? No, seven. Oh! Okay. As you're singing, she looks Seven with a beard? a little put off by this, and as you begin to reach out for her, Oh! Oh. Okay. As you're singing, she looks Is that what would it be?

a little put off by this, and as you begin to reach out for her, she rears back and says, What are you doing? Part of the ritual. It'll be fine. I tap. Make a dexterity check.

This is now her trying to recoil from you before you can get to her. You are now reaching out. She noticed and she's on the defense, so. Spell, spell. 17. Dexterity check, dexterity check, 17. 17.

That wins. So you reach out and touch her with the final element of the ritual. On her shoulder. Yeah. Your turn. On her shoulder. Yeah. Your turn. Sorry about that. Sorry. Oh shit.

As you touch her, her eyes glaze over for a moment and her eyelids close and you see the flickering of rapid eye movement from beneath the eyelids. You see sweat begin to pour from the brow and her arms begin to pour from the brow and her arms begin to dig into the rock around her. You watch as the wind that surround the floor, the base of the floor around her

begin to whip up a bit and her hair drifts as it begins to encircle. Eventually, her eyes open. Oh no. I'm so sorry. This has to stop. We know. What has to stop?

What this thing is doing to all of us. Mm-hmm. What? How long have you been here? What has he done to you? Where are you from? He has to stop. What this thing is doing to all of us. Uh-huh. What? How long have you been here? What has he done to you? Where are you from? Easy. Sorry. I've been here 25 years.

I'm not Viridian. What? I'm from Talidian. What? I'm from Tal'Dorei. My name is Vilya. Yeah. And that's where we'll end tonight's episode. Boom! Worth it, worth it.

So at the end, she said she's from Tal'dorei. You guys know who that is, right? From Tal'Dorei, and she's from where? Vilya? Azalea is her name? Vilya. Vilya? Who's Vilya? Oh my god, the council.

No. Oh. What? I don't know. No. Wait. What? Come on. My mom? Yeah! Oh my god! My mom? No fucking way! It is not Keyleth's mom!

You cannot do this to me! No fucking way! He's a druid! The sound will be fine! You knew it? He's the one that got her! I found out 10 minutes ago and I told Liam. Oh my god. How did you find out 10 minutes ago?

She's a crazy fucking druid, that's why! That just minutes ago? She's a crazy fucking druid, that's why! She's a crazy fucking druid that totally disappears! It got sucked in through the water plane! What is happening?! Wait, what?! Well, you broke Marisha. I hope you're happy. Fucking genius. Genius level shit, Matthew Mercer.

Sitting on that for a Fucking genius. Genius-level shit, Matthew Mercer. Sitting on that for a little while. Genius! Sitting on that since campaign one began. Oh my god. So good. We are fucked. So good.

So wait, in the first campaign, if we'd have come to Rumblecus, if we'd have come over this way, we could have found her? Possibly, but you had no reason to. No, no, I know. But she's been here for 25 years, so. It doesn't matter, because Keyleth is still totally, essentially the same age.

Yeah. Oh my god! Keyleth was definitely still kicking. Keyleth could have her mom back. Ah! Fucking amazing. I thought my mom was dead! He said my mom was dead! Everybody thinks you're dead. All her mom's dead.

And Filly has the leg! The leg, because all they ever found was her leg! Why didn't we realize that earlier? Oh my god! She's got the fucking leg! We didn't know that she had lost a leg. Yeah, we did. We did. Yeah.

Because she has vines. She went into the wall of flames. All they found was her leg. She failed her trial. So is this thing a fucked up kraken? Is that all this thing is? We have no idea. I mean, we don't need to know the specifics yet.

It just means that your mom fell into the Bermuda Triangle. Oh my god. Dude, who the fuck are these other people? Fucking genius. What is so funny and amazing to me, I mean, we are the most suspicious people and it didn't occur to any of us. No!

When did you figure it out? Right 15, 20 minutes ago, I just glanced down to see how many people are watching our show at the end of the night? And in chat, flying by, flying by, somebody goes, I think that's Keyleth's mom. Everybody figured it out!

It wasn't? And I was like, what? Oh fuck. Sam texted me and I was like, we got to share this with them. He went, no. I went, why? It's Beau. And I sent it to you like 10 minutes ago,

but you never saw it. No, I'm not looking at my phone. I'm so glad you didn't see it. I'm so glad you didn't see it either. We can't whisper to each other because we're not next to each other. Yeah. Oh my god. It's fucking great.

And you know what? That was amazing. Amazing. It's so amazing. Okay, guys. That was an awesome session. I'm excited for the next one. Oh my god. Yeah, fuck. the next one. Oh my god!

Yeah, fuck. All righty. Oh my god. Well, on that note. We're still playing? Yes, we're on. We're still on. We're on? Yeah, I haven't closed it yet. Fucking go play!

So on that note. Oh my god! I thought we were done. No. No. We'll see you guys. We'll keep playing. We'll see you guys in the next episode. 20 more hours. Thank you for joining us. Four more hours.

Remember, guys. Four more hours! Four more hours! I know. What's Corrin going to think? Is Corrin still alive? We don't know Corrin. You don't know Corrin? No, but Varisha knows Corrin is Keyleth.

That's my past life. Who's Varisha? We don't know Tal'Dorei at all. We don't know Tal'Dorei at all. Who's on the Tal'Dorei castle? We know Allura, that's it. Anyway, have a wonderful week, guys. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? No!

Good night. God, what the fuck is wrong with you? And this concludes the current chapter of Critical Role. Your essays on the history and impact of the various ages and epochs of Exandria are eagerly anticipated. Just kidding. No homework for you. But if you are inspired to do some writing, please leave us a review. Your words can really help new folks find our show and encourage them to give it a try. Thank you so much for joining us on this adventure.

Until next time.