Critical Role - C2E105 Rumble at Rumblecusp

Episode Date: August 13, 2020

Armed with knowledge and an amorphous plan, the Mighty Nein prepare to confront Rumblecusp's dangerous overlord...Watch Critical Role live Thursdays at 7pm PT on https://www.twitch.tv/criticalrole ...

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, bees! This is Laura Bailey, here to welcome you to the Critical Role podcast. If you'd like to tune into the show as it airs, you can watch Critical Role Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole and youtube.com slash criticalrole. Our lovely Twitch subscribers can view the episode on demand right away. Or you can find it on YouTube Mondays at 12pm Pacific. And of course, for all you fantastic podcast listeners, Critical Role episodes hit feeds on Thursday mornings, a week after the episode first airs. With all that said, let's get into another episode of Critical Role. Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role,
Starting point is 00:00:42 where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We play Dungeons & Dragons! The evolution is something. Thank you for joining us. Before we jump into tonight's episode, we have some announcements to get through, beginning with the first of our two sponsors, which is, tonight, NordVPN, which means, it says here in the sheet, we have another technorific installment of Nord by Nordwest, the quest for the Ultra Codex Reloaded,
Starting point is 00:01:13 which apparently is the title that Sam has now named these segments. So we'll just, you know what? Taliesin, take it away, man. Thank you, Matt. As everyone on the dark net remembers, BlackWillow69 at AOL.com and Kryptonic Override needed a level 12 master hacker
Starting point is 00:01:33 to get them out of the internet. And it turns out, you're looking at one. I, Freezer Burns, spent 10 long years in nano jail for electro crimes against web manatee. But now, I'm hacking for friendship. You see, I'm an old school hacker, really old school. My power glove is cranked up to duck hunt, but my secret weapon is my mega abacus,
Starting point is 00:01:58 millennium edition given to me by none other than Pharaoh Ramses III. Let's get jiggy with it. One, two, three, damn it! Looks like they're behind a Plex-folded Fortran flame wall. Ha! Child's Play Part Two. Pull the floppy, unmax the head drum, juke the C++, and blue the tailspin.
Starting point is 00:02:24 No! I can't see. Not even my cyber abacus can unjack them. I nuke the C++ and Baloo the Tailspin. No! Not even my cyber abacus can unjack them. This is a two-man job. Oi! Did you say two-man job? You may have heard of me as the Mad Hatterson. Show me hacks on TV were mad fictional,
Starting point is 00:02:44 but I wrote every script. Let's fucking rescue Laura. And Sam. What? Oi, yeah, of course, Sam too. Come on, let's use everything we got. Dropping code I learned in the Dark Ages. This binary sequence was tattooed on me co-star.
Starting point is 00:03:02 Gilgamesh himself invented the DDoS attack. The cube shall be gleamed! Did it work? We're back. Yes! Everything is A-okay! No, everything's changed. There's a secret that you all need to know.
Starting point is 00:03:24 And I'll tell you next time NordVPN sponsors our show. They are the highest quality encryption for your internet traffic and to hide your IP and physical location. And it's the last chance to get their three-year deal for $3.49 a month. Go to nordvpn.com slash critical role and use code critical role to get 70% off a three-year plan and an extra month for free. Critical Role and use code CRITICALROLL to get 70% off a three-year plan and an extra month for free.
Starting point is 00:03:46 Get going with secure, super fast, NordLynx-powered VPN service now, and I'll tell you all what happened in the internet next time Matt hacked you. MATT and SAM:"Hack to you." Oh my god. Thank you, Sam and everybody. Wow.
Starting point is 00:04:02 And especially Marisha, who was really the key player in that narrative there. I don't know why I had to be here. You could have literally shown up to work. There is so much color on that screen right now between your hair and actually the jacket. I encourage everybody to watch that segment a second time to watch Marisha's subtle facial journey.
Starting point is 00:04:23 Oh, Ashley, that was amazing. That was fantastic. I know, my accent, I really wanted to do it for a long time. We got New York in there somehow at one point. Yeah. Fusion. I wanted to cover a lot of, I come from everywhere. Crikey.
Starting point is 00:04:38 That's true. Hack the planet. Hack the planet. Hack the planet. Bruv. And well done. Thank you, Ashley, thank you, Sam. Thank you, NordVPN. Our second sponsor tonight is our good friend since beginning the campaign, 2D&D Beyond.
Starting point is 00:04:50 D&D Beyond! So for those who aren't aware, D&D Beyond now has added a digital dice rolling feature to their fantastic online elements there. It's integrated into the character sheet now, so if there's any rollable stat in the game, you can go ahead and just click on it and it will roll it for you, add the modifiers,
Starting point is 00:05:07 and give you the roll that you need, which is awesome and super convenient, especially if you're having to play games online like everyone is and having to roll dice and that whole thing can be weird and losing it and drop it in lightless space. Maybe it's just me in my office. But you can start your collection now,
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Starting point is 00:05:39 slash CRarch, A-R-C-H. And thank you again, once again, for D&D Beyond for sponsoring our show all this time. For our announcements, Laura, you got some things to mention. I've got a couple of things to talk about. Take it! Um.
Starting point is 00:05:55 Do-do-do-do-do-do-do! I wish you could take it off this super cool hanger. Hold on. Do-do-do-do-do-do-do! It's our very first CR polo shirt! Give it to me! For all those professional nerds out there that need to, you know, have a collar. Give it. Look at this.
Starting point is 00:06:19 Is there a lining in there? There's a cool, it's like an upper lining thing. Just, you know, a little something something that we added for fun. A little secret just for you. A little secret just for your little polo. Hold on. Oh, a little contrast lining.
Starting point is 00:06:36 Ooh. So yeah, this is in the store. This is in the store right now in the U.S. and the U.K. Crit, crit roll drops. Da-da. Okay. and the U.K. Crit, crit roll drops. Da-da. Okay. And then the second thing is this thing. Crit roll drops.
Starting point is 00:06:54 The other thing that I wanted to talk about is this box. Put out the flames. Inside of it. It's burning. Ooh! Whoa. Yeah. Oh! I've never seen such a thing. Our Don't Forget to Love Each Other mug.
Starting point is 00:07:10 So great. So cute! What? So yeah, these are so wonderful. And these are now available in the US, the UK, and the Australia Critical Role shops. It's got the same 11 flags as our updated t-shirt that we recently released.
Starting point is 00:07:23 And $6 of every mug sold will be donated to Outright Action International. Yeah! That's wonderful. It's so cute. It's a good mug. It's a fair amount of coffee. You know how I am about mugs. So I wanted to make sure this mug was awesome. I'm really excited about that.
Starting point is 00:07:42 Hell yeah. Thank you, Laura. Wow. You're welcome. Good job, Laura. Wow. You're welcome. Good job, Laura. Oh man. And so I think with that, our announcements conclude, which means it's time for us to go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of
Starting point is 00:07:55 Wait, too early, too early. We don't have a plan. Critical Role. 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
Starting point is 00:08:38 Villains beware Cause you're about to be dead They got magic and flair 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.
Starting point is 00:08:59 Rise up, don't think twice. Put your fate in your hands. Take a chance, roll the dice. Roll the dice. Roll the dice. Roll the dice chance roll the dice can you answer the call digging deep in your soul as the legend unfolds now it's your turn to roll SAM and LAURA and SAM and LAURA and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and That works. Delayed reaction on that. So, last we left off, Mighty Nein, after arriving to the island of Rumblecusp to set up the coming Traveler Con, now not but probably seven days away.
Starting point is 00:09:53 Whoa. You discovered that a culture of people had been living here for quite some time before you arrived, worshiping this fire entity known as Vokodo, and an enchantment seemed to lay on the space that caused them to forget everything about their past lives and live here happily this fire entity known as Vokodo, and an enchantment seemed to lay on the space that caused them to forget everything about their past lives and live here happily
Starting point is 00:10:09 amongst their new society here in the village of Vo. With the aid of one such druid as their spiritual guardian named Viridian, you went and spoke with this fire god who seems a little less godlike and a little more like strange, greedy entity that rules those on the island. You freed the mind, long clouded, of this druid
Starting point is 00:10:29 and discover her name is actually Vilya, apparently a druid from Tal'Dorei. You began to figure out how best to possibly free the island of whatever this creature's influence is in preparation for the coming hordes of traveler followers that are making their way. You then traveled across to the Heaven Falls, an upward shooting waterfall on the eastern side
Starting point is 00:10:52 of the island, which seemed to contain behind it and an illusory cliff face, a bunch of ships that have been long hoarded away. Apparently, the vessels that carried many of the people that live on the island here originally and then were kept from sight to prevent them from remembering where they came from and how to leave. You narrowly lost a caduceus who was drawn in
Starting point is 00:11:13 by some sort of magical enchantment at the tunnels that lead to Vokodo's lair. And upon fleeing, you made your way northward to the strange ruins, a sliver, one of many of strange segments of either this world or other nearby dimensions that came here, it seems, when Vokodo fled here from the Astral Sea for some reason.
Starting point is 00:11:34 Unfortunately, you destroyed the spirits that remained at the ruin, as opposed to seeking possible an alliance with them. But in doing so, also removed a dangerous aspect of the island that prevented people from going there. So not all is lost. Gathering yourselves and beginning your trek backward, past towards the actual volcano of Rumblecusp,
Starting point is 00:12:00 later in the afternoon, you begin to plot whatever your next stage of engagement with the dangers of this island may be. So as you return, you guys have begun making your trek back from the northern side of the island, from the ruin, in which case, Vilya does mention, as it begins to grow a little more dangerous, it's interesting, since you've cleared my mind, I'm still finding myself, but I feel
Starting point is 00:12:35 I might be able to get us somewhere on the island rather quickly if I've been there. How do you mean? Getting to the ruins or places that I have not actually been or seen myself before, I have to travel the challenging way. But if I know of a tree that I've seen or been around previously,
Starting point is 00:12:57 I may be able to bring us there, if we have a tree to enter. If we have a tree? Your village is lousy with trees. You've got nothing but trees. Right. Would you like to go back to the village? Did you want to make your way to the Heaven Falls again? Did you want to make your way to the footers' lair?
Starting point is 00:13:11 Well, I mean, if we could get to the village quickly, then we could maybe try to free the mind of somebody else and they could help us. Terra, the hunting leader? Yeah. Kind of tapped out at this point. Oh, am I too? Maybe. What time is it?
Starting point is 00:13:27 Afternoon? It's afternoon, after you guys had traveled out to the- I've got the sixth level left. Just to be clear, it's like a teleportation? We just step in a circle like our friend can do, or? Um, it's a little different. Oh. A tree.
Starting point is 00:13:42 Is it like a component for what you would do, or? The tree. A tree. Factor into it, is it like a component for what you would do, or? The tree becomes the door. What? The tree becomes the door. I understand that you may ascribe to the more esoteric arcane spell constructs. I, myself, tend to lean on nature and the elements
Starting point is 00:14:03 to draw the intent. So just trust me. All right. I would love to see a tree turn into a door. Me too. I mean, most doors used to be trees. Yeah, but that's a slower process. Some doors are made of stone.
Starting point is 00:14:21 That's true. Some doors are made of iron. I forget. Maybe a little in- Are we trying to drive to Vokodo before we rest? No, we're doing one more night, right? Yeah, we have to, because if we take a rest tonight, then we can all have a nice fancy feast. We could try and wait in the village.
Starting point is 00:14:37 We could try to convince Tara, but also Tara may resist and try to stop us? What do you think? Or rouse the village against us. Right. Once we do, with or without Terra, do we have a plan after that? Were we going to go in from the front and the back at the same time or something?
Starting point is 00:15:02 Was that a plan? I think we thought that there was no sneaking up. I think the idea is to go in just as we were and see if the element of surprise could just be our intention. I mean, we can always try again tomorrow to see if our divine people can help us. You're so religious.
Starting point is 00:15:24 You know. Yeah, well, we're going to try and get him out of his hot tub. One week. Oh, it worked. Like, should we try and draw him out from his, you know, hot springs underneath the volcano? What would be something that would tempt him out of his cubbyhole? I've been thinking about this, you guys.
Starting point is 00:15:42 You were what? Well, what if? You know how he has all those ships? Mm-hmm. Well, when I was talking to the dragon turtle, he said he takes what he wants and he likes to have all of his stuff. He thinks he has the most stuff.
Starting point is 00:16:02 So what if I were to, you know, just send him a little message and tell him that, you know, maybe somebody else out there has more stuff and he's not as cool as he thought he was. That's brilliant. That's brilliant. Was, I remember, but for those who don't, the access to the shipyard, the hidden shipyard,
Starting point is 00:16:30 is it accessible by the ocean? It has to be, right? How did the ship get there? It is, yes. It is? It is, but the tunnel through, in that particular tunnel, didn't quite seem... He's a fucking dragon turtle. I mean, I'm sure he could bust a hole if he wanted to. Besides the fact, if he went into the area
Starting point is 00:16:50 that huddled the ships and he was like, fuck these ships, these should be my ships, and I was like, fuck you, I'll sit here. And then he destroys everything. Don't you think Vol'goldo would come out and be like, what the shit? And he would try to attack the thing that was attacking him? And then he would be out.
Starting point is 00:17:03 And then we could all attack him there, too. And then we would be fighting with the dragon turtle? And then he would be out, and then we could all attack him there, too, and then we would be fighting with the dragon turtle, and then he would be like, oh my gosh, I love you guys, and he would give us a ride home. This is a rock-solid plan. I'm in, yes, correct. The evolution of that idea was staggering.
Starting point is 00:17:19 I like how it ended with us riding the dragon turtle into the sunset. Yeah, he would also have to negotiate through a shipyard in an underground cavern and then go through tunnels, which were not that large. We had a hard time getting Caduceus out of them. Yeah, that's fair. So that was a bit of a tight fit. Yeah, but I'm sure Volkodo has a way to get out of his lair.
Starting point is 00:17:38 Isn't it a maze over there? Maybe there are more tunnels we didn't see? There's got to be something. Larger ones? Like, how did he get in there? Exactly, he has to have a way in and out. We don't need the dragon turtle to get to Vokodo. We just need the dragon turtle to get to the ship.
Starting point is 00:17:50 What would it cost? What would it cost for you to execute this batshit plan? A spell. A big one? No, it's just my sending spell. I have so many messages I can send him right now. I mean, we're the shot. If it doesn't work, then we're no further away from our plan. The original plan
Starting point is 00:18:09 of walking in and... Yeah, we're not much worse off. I think so, yeah. And it goes with that, playing his weakness against each other. He's super fucking greedy. How long? Well, we don't know where the dragon turtle is, do we?
Starting point is 00:18:22 But he did recently destroy our ship within the last day or so, so he's close. Yeah, he's within a day or two's journey. Okay. I'm trying to think. I'm trying to think if there are any other holes we're not thinking of. Oh, of course there are, but you know.
Starting point is 00:18:37 Crazy. Yeah. Should we try and steal a ship and squirrel one away for ourselves before? It would be nice to keep one on the side. Before they fight and destroy them all. But it's not like we couldn't get off of the island, right, Vilja? I mean, there are ways to leave the island, yes. Yeah, I mean, you have trees that you know of, right?
Starting point is 00:18:59 Yes. On the island. But you have trees that you remember from before the island. I know many trees across Exandria from my travels. Yeah, so we could hop into any tree. Oh, you can go to any tree you've ever known? That I've visited, yes. Well, fuck, that's way different.
Starting point is 00:19:13 But you also mentioned that you were able to teleport as well, correct? Yeah, although I can only bring through so many people. It does not last very long. I'm not sure what... I mean, there's all the people in Voh. Do you have a limited amount of people that you can bring through A3? It's a very short time that it exists.
Starting point is 00:19:35 How short? Six seconds. But that's how long Caleb's spell lasts. Yeah, although I'm probably more limited. There's only a small handful of places where I could bring people. True. Though I would say, just as a point of reference,
Starting point is 00:19:53 for a lot of these people who live here in the village, if we were to free them of Vokodo's influence, there's a good chance that many of these ships are their livelihood. So even if we were to take them away from the island, and I can't say this because I don't know what their histories are, that's a lot of money that we're destroying
Starting point is 00:20:14 that these people may have worked for in their life. And it might be all that remains with them. Yes, but there's life and then there are things. I mean, if they've been gone for that long, they're presumed dead. Life doesn't need things to live. You can be perfectly content without things. I couldn't finish it. I mean, do you think there's a chance that anybody that,
Starting point is 00:20:43 you know, has been here this long, they may just want to stay? I don't know. I mean, people have babies here. There's probably some who have only known their life on this island. We have children who were born here. Even still, releasing them from Vokodo
Starting point is 00:21:01 would at least give them their own free will to decide what they want to do. Plus, they don't know that those ships are okay. For all they know, Vokodo destroyed them. The choice is yours. I'm following your lead. Sure, sure. There are plenty of trees. I mean, how hard is it to chop down a tree and make a ship? Pretty hard.
Starting point is 00:21:22 I genuinely have no idea. Besides, you know, we don't even know if this is going to work. Yeah, your sending relationship with Mr. Turtle Man was iffy, if I recall. No, he really liked me a lot. Oh. Yeah, yeah, we had, like, really good conversations.
Starting point is 00:21:41 Oh. How many times have you communicated? Pretty much, like, I just talked to him like 10 minutes ago and he was like, oh, hey, Jester, what's going on? What is his name? Dragon Turtle. Okay.
Starting point is 00:21:58 Yasha. D-Turtle. You've been very quiet. What do you think? I mean, we don't quite have a plan yet to fight him, so we might as well try this. You know, if we can get somebody else to fight him, and I'm sure when he dies, everybody will start to remember things. The dragon turtle or Vokodo?
Starting point is 00:22:21 Vokodo. Oh, yes, of course. I don't know. The dragon turtle might not be able to beat him. That's actually a good point. We're going to have to fight the dragon turtle. We're going to have to fight both. The dragon turtle would probably be, whichever one made it out, would be weakened. Weakened?
Starting point is 00:22:37 In the weakened state. Oh. Well, what about this building on your idea, Jester? What if you send your message to your dragon turtle? Once we have, what if we hold up into the shipyard and kept ourselves hidden, and we kick off a kaiju battle there, and while Vokodo is occupied with your friend, D-Turtle,
Starting point is 00:23:04 we attempt to, you and you and I attempt to send him Vokoto is occupied with your friend, D-Turtle. We attempt to, you and you and I attempt to send him away while he is busy. Rather than walking in and having all of his attention and ire directed at us, if it works, maybe it won't. But if it works, we don't let your friend handle it all. We lie in wait, hidden, and then from the peanut gallery, we attempt to banish him away. You're talking about guacamole.
Starting point is 00:23:30 Yes. Yeah. And if it doesn't work, then we just go in, all on our own, and try to fight a giant, almost godlike creature. Wait, but what do we do with the dragon turtle once guacamole maybe is gone? Wait, what? What do we do with the dragon turtle, then?
Starting point is 00:23:51 Well, then he'll have some ships, and he'll probably... Lots of treasure as well, on the back of Vokodo. He'll just stay in there. Well, or take it to his underwater lair. I think that's where they drag ships down and then take it to wherever they're at. You sure he won't still have a personal vendetta? underwater lair. I think that's, they drag ships down and then take it to wherever they're going.
Starting point is 00:24:05 You sure he won't still have, like, a personal, like, vendetta? He's mainly just here for the ships and not the, you know, murder side of it, right? We will have done him a great favor, though. I mean, he'll get so much treasure from it. Also, I don't know anything,
Starting point is 00:24:22 but I'm going to confidently say that he'll probably only take out one or two of the ships. There's lots. Mm-hmm. Also, I don't know anything, but I'm going to confidently say that he'll probably only take out one or two of the ships. There's lots. I don't know, transmutation tends to leave a sour taste. People can really hold that grudge. Wait a minute, can one of you grow or shrink things? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:24:40 Like if the dragon turtle's a huge nuisance and it comes into the cave, can we shrink him down and go through the tunnel? I mean, we polymorphed him before. Why does he need to go down the tunnel? To get him to Vokodo? Yeah. Why does he need to go to Vokodo?
Starting point is 00:24:53 If Vokodo doesn't come out to fight him. We're trying to get Vokodo to come to him, I thought. Oh, well, yeah. That's the goal, but if he doesn't... And that means we're hoping he starts destroying a lot of ships because that would ideally lure out Vokodo.
Starting point is 00:25:07 Yeah. Do we know, in our interactions with D-Turtle, did he, you know, connect with one of us? Like, see one of our eyes and know hatred? Like, does he have an enemy among us? We threw Jester and Caduceus and Caleb overboard and had them water ski behind the ship. And we turned him into a little,
Starting point is 00:25:29 turned him into a slug. But do you think he clocked one of you? Well, I've kind of been talking to him, so, you know. So you could be the sort of like, hey, I'm on the ship, come destroy this one. Hey, he's over here, come, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's, you know, it depends on how you want to play it. I can try to antagonize him to make him come here.
Starting point is 00:25:48 I can try to be nice to him to make him come here. I had another idea. I don't think it's as good. If he was fleeing from the Astral Plane, right, which is where the Astral Dreadnought was from, is there a chance that maybe using Major Image to conjure an Astral D dreadnought outside of Volcano and have it be like, Volcano, I'm here to kill you, would make him run?
Starting point is 00:26:12 Can you do that? How big can your image be? Any creature that's big as fuck, it says. Those are the words. The official rules of the game. Visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 20-foot cube. 20-foot cube. How big was the Astral Dreadnought?
Starting point is 00:26:29 Was it 20 feet? It was a little larger than that, but you could make a slightly runt-ish. We use forced perspective. If you put them far enough on the horizon, Yeah, yeah, yeah. and use one of the ships in the foreground. Astral Dreadnought light.
Starting point is 00:26:42 Yeah, yeah. I don't know. They did it on Lord of the Rings. Yeah, Dreadnought Light. Yeah, yeah. I don't know. They did it on Lord of the Rings. Yeah, you could totally do that. Yeah. Potentially, but a creature who has little trouble getting into the minds of so many people, you'd have to question whether it would be easy to.
Starting point is 00:26:55 He might know. Good call. That's fair. Yeah. I mean. I like the D-Turtle idea. Yeah, I feel like it doesn't hurt to try. DT? Yeah, DT. You know, feel like it doesn't hurt to try. DT? Yeah, DT. You know, all the way.
Starting point is 00:27:06 What could it hurt to try to lure a vicious turtle of death to the side? Yeah, what could go wrong? Yeah, what could go wrong? He'll still thank us for all of the free, don't they, they're intelligent. They, like, strike deals with sailors sometimes. If there is gold. They do?
Starting point is 00:27:23 Yeah! How do you know this? It's all part of the law. I mean, there's one guarding Darktoe. Oh, that's true! That's right. Yeah, so there's a percentage, a rev share that goes to the TT. So maybe if we say, hey, this son of a bitch has got all your loot.
Starting point is 00:27:41 Fjord, are you all right? Yeah, I'm okay. No, we don'll have to. Saying so many words. Yeah, we could say, like, hey, come get all the gold. Your accent work never disappoints. Yes, nothing but not consistent.
Starting point is 00:27:56 Maybe a split, partners. Wait, wait. Partners. Yeah, we're going to go into a partnership. Like 50-50, gold. We're going to go into a partnership. Like 50-50. Gold. Whoa. What? Oh no, what's happening right now?
Starting point is 00:28:12 Technically, technically. Is the oxygen turned down in here? No. No, I think I made the table go cold. Oh god. NordVPN. Annihilating accents. Nord by Nordwet. Okay, okay, okay.
Starting point is 00:28:27 Okay, so should I give this a go, then? The only thing that we need to decide, the answer is yes, but the only thing we need to decide is are we going to approach Terra at the village first, or should we put this plan in motion first because it'll take him some travel time? And we don't know how long it will take for D-Turtle to arrive,
Starting point is 00:28:46 so perhaps we want to be rested and prepared and on location. Wait, did he take out our ship? In case he shows up right away? He did. So he might be close. Maybe it'll take him a couple of hours or half a day or a day, I have no idea where.
Starting point is 00:28:58 Maybe I should send a message early in the morning or I should send a message right before we go to sleep. I feel like you should do it now, at least to gauge where is he. What if he tears into there and we are not there? Well, just to gauge. She could say, hey, remember me? How far are you? How far away are you?
Starting point is 00:29:14 Are you interested in some treasure? Or you have a lead on treasure and will tell more. I feel like it's going to work better if I'm not sending multiple messages going, hey, guess what? I thought you said you talk to him all the time. I do, but about other things, you know? So this would be like,
Starting point is 00:29:37 he would probably see, I don't really talk to him that much. Oh. Huh. One thing against talking to Tara, we're going to run out of components soon in order to do greater restorations, right? I feel like Tara is kind of a wild card.
Starting point is 00:29:53 We don't know how she's going to respond or act. I don't know. I say we stay here, see what D. Timberlake wants. What? We go! We get Tara. We be like, oh, because it'd be like you, Vilya, right? Where you were like, don't touch me.
Starting point is 00:30:09 And then as soon as we did, you were like, oh, hey. Do I sound like that? Well, sometimes. Okay, all right. Sorry, just a moment there. It could be. I don't know Tara outside of the village. Who was here first, you or her?
Starting point is 00:30:27 Tara came after. But the syn... What worries me, and something to be aware of, even if we succeeded all this. This amazing plan? This amazing plan. Everyone in the village works together well because they've known nothing but the village.
Starting point is 00:30:50 We don't know who these people were before they found their way here. Exactly. And we don't know who they're going to become when freed. Jesus, that's obvious. So we could switch Terra and find out that Terra's a total D-bag or something. Or could be an amazing ally, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:31:07 I'm just saying, my concern, having been through this process, is I do not know who these people are beyond their persona here at the village. Yeah, on a side note, there could be some very awkward conversations between the people who have had children since arriving here.
Starting point is 00:31:23 Yeah, like what if they have families outside of the village? Ding had children since arriving here. Yeah, like what if they have families outside of the village? Ding ding. Ooh. Wow. Well, that's going to have to come to a head regardless, if we succeed. It's just deciding if you want to try and recruit aid from others.
Starting point is 00:31:37 One, ensure how much, how many of your components you still have to be able to do that, and, you know, because that's one taking away from a night or two's rest for us, and we don't know what we're going to get. Feels like too much of a risk. It's a big risk.
Starting point is 00:31:55 All right, for a little bit of additional aid. Let's just send a message to him. To the D-Turtle? No, to Vokodo, yes, to the D-Turtle. Oh, thank you, yes, sure, yeah, let's do it. Today? It's a wild card. It was your idea, go for it. Do you need to rehearse?
Starting point is 00:32:12 Okay. Hey, dragon turtle. I think I got it. Great rehearsal. Great rehearsal. Should've shut the rehearsal. Great rehearsal! Should've shot the rehearsal. Felt that, felt true.
Starting point is 00:32:29 I thought we were shooting the rehearsal. Vilya nods and tilts her head in the way that a dog that hears a strange sound does. We got this. You know what, this is important. Maybe I shouldn't just wing it. Yeah, which tactic do you want to go with? I don't know what kind of tactic I want to use.
Starting point is 00:32:47 Do I want to use a tactic where I'm like, I just found a whole bunch of ships, do you want them? Or do I use the tactic like, hey, I thought you were a badass, and there's this other guy here that's got all of these ships, what the fuck? Dragons are greedy and egotistical, right? So we should appeal to that side of it.
Starting point is 00:33:05 So, like... So poke the turtle, number two. Poke the turtle. Oh boy, if I may. Yeah? Traveler be with us. Go ahead. Okay. Traveler, be with us.
Starting point is 00:33:19 Okay. I'm going to cast Ending. Get ready to count. Don't fuck this up. Okay. You got this. I'm never very good at counting. to cast Ending. Get ready to count. Don't fuck this up. Okay. You got this. I'm never very good at counting. I cast Ending. All right.
Starting point is 00:33:30 I really should have a stenographer. Okay, it's for realsies now. Hey, it's me. You destroyed our ship. But don't worry about it. Because we know a guy who's got like a hundred ships here. I thought you
Starting point is 00:33:57 were... Is that it, really? I'm going to cast another one. How quickly after? Immediately. Okay. Supposed to be great and stuff. How come this guy has so many more ships than you? Tell him where we are.
Starting point is 00:34:15 We're at Rumblecusp, by the way. It's the volcano island. See you maybe. Do you have one more in you? I do. Hang on, let me read this. Wait, wait, wait. I'm going to have to wait for his response. You need to.
Starting point is 00:34:34 I need to what? It's a big island. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait. Wait a second, wait a second. See if anything comes. So you take a moment, and then eventually you begin to, you know, the draconic language comes through,
Starting point is 00:34:49 translated through the spell, so the ideas come to your mind through the divine channel of the spell, to loosely read as, I took your ship. More. Where? I like it.
Starting point is 00:35:19 Easy pickings. Part way home already. Interested, maybe. And that's all you hear. He's interested, maybe. Was it on the way home already? Yeah, he said he was on the way home already. Maybe tell him there's lots of them. Lots of ships. Lots of them, exactly where they are.
Starting point is 00:35:49 Unguarded. Unguarded, and time is limited. Okay. Good, good. We're going to take it and run soon. Okay. That's a lot to fit in. What side of the island is Heaven Falls on? East side? East side, yeah. East side of the island is Heaven Falls on? East side?
Starting point is 00:36:05 East side, yeah. East side of the island behind the waterfall. Behind the waterfall. With your spell that you can make people understand things, languages, is it only with reading or is it talking? Well, it's two separate things. Can you make me be able to talk his language?
Starting point is 00:36:22 Tomorrow. Okay. That upside-down waterfall is not going to uppercut him into the stratosphere, is it? Like it does? He's pretty big. I don't think it will do it to him.
Starting point is 00:36:33 Just checking. But that would be funny. We'll know when he gets there. Oh wait, no. Gotta go! No, no. You can do it? I can do it, yeah. Because this is the same day with the Everything is Cake Tower that we- Correct, yes. Yeah, we can do it? I can do it, yeah. Because this is the same day with the Everything is Cake Tower that we-
Starting point is 00:36:46 Correct, yes. Yeah, I can do it. Good, Rue. Oh my gosh, okay, yeah. Cast it on me and then I'll be able to go to him! Yeah, Jester, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. What? Hold on. I'm just looking through D&D Beyond.
Starting point is 00:36:59 Where did you go? D&D! I know. Son of a bitch. I'm a little lost at this point. Yeah, yeah, so he pulls out D&D! D&D, bro! Son of a bitch. I'm a little lost at this point. Yeah, so he pulls out a little stone tower that you've seen once or twice, and I hold it up
Starting point is 00:37:13 and wave fingers at three points in front of your face and cast Tongues on Jester so you can understand any spoken language you hear. Awesome, okay, I'm going. Can you understand what I'm saying right now? What the shit? What happened to your accent, Caleb? I don't have an accent.
Starting point is 00:37:37 This is flawless Xemnian. Does that mean I'm speaking Xemnian? Does that mean I'm speaking Xemnian? Is that what I sound like most of the time? Yeah, like a sort of a Baltimore thing. Is that in the Empire? Oh, yeah. It does sound just like that, though.
Starting point is 00:37:58 That's weird. Hmm. Well, it suits you. Thank you. Say water. How do you say water? Water. I was expecting water or something. The accent, it's cute.
Starting point is 00:38:20 It's complicated. I'm speaking Zemnian right now. Can you understand me, Fjord? I feel like she's spitting it. She sounds really angry, right? Yeah, yeah. I think she's pissed at you. Okay, I'm going to send a message.
Starting point is 00:38:32 So? To the turtle. What are the points? Okay, the points are, easy pickets. Mm-hmm. I'm going to say, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. I'm going to say, lots of ships unguarded behind the upside down waterfall.
Starting point is 00:38:48 East side of the island. East side. East side of the island, upside down waterfall. Time is limited. Time is limited because these things are moving out. We're taking them tomorrow. Okay, well. Taking them tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning.
Starting point is 00:39:03 Okay. Your accent sounds like a British actor trying to do an American accent. It's really funny. Yep, yep. I don't know what you mean. Hamburger. Hamburger. Hamburger.
Starting point is 00:39:17 I'm an American fighter pilot. Kind of sounds like us. Okay, okay. Going to cast Sanding. All right. You got this. Yeah. There's lots of ships, unguarded,
Starting point is 00:39:41 on the east side, behind the upside-down waterfall. But move fast, because these things are flying off the shelves tomorrow! Wow. The response comes, and why would you tell me this? After destroying your ship
Starting point is 00:40:21 and you left me an slimy slug. I chased for days for vengeance. That's the end of his response. Do we have another message? You're right. They canceled Hold a Grudge.
Starting point is 00:40:45 Oh wait. Getting trades. Not if I want to do Heroes Feast tonight. I got nothing. That's all right, you got to leave them one more. Maybe it'll speak me, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, it's a mystery. Don't call him back after the first day. No, no, no.
Starting point is 00:40:59 The tone, while the voice sounds guttural, he doesn't sound like he's shut you down. He's just being careful. Yeah, understandably. A being that's, you know, while he's not an ancient dragon in intelligence per se, he's lived long enough and dealt with enough of different dubious minds and deals and such that he's, you get the sense that he's at least being careful.
Starting point is 00:41:27 Smart enough to not just walk into a trap because someone told him to. Right. I mean, worse comes to worse, we could totally fight Deterts and Kokodo. We're strong enough to do that. At the same time? I don't, are you joking right now?
Starting point is 00:41:43 Yes. Your expression never changes, not even a little. That's, I've been told I have a very dry sense of humor. Delivery is, wow. Quite plain. Just like one-liners. Yeah. Also, if I may, with the evolution of this dragon's name, I recommend we call him Dieter.
Starting point is 00:42:06 Dieter? Dieter. Dieter. Dieter. Dieter. Deterred? Dieter. Dieter. No, Dieter. Dieter. Dieter. Dieter. What does Dieter mean in Xem'nian? It's just a name.
Starting point is 00:42:16 Oh, great. It means dragon turtle. Ah. Convenient. I do like Dieterts, though. That's fun, too. That feels like he's a cool guy. He's a cool turt.
Starting point is 00:42:28 It's a bit informal. D-Turts. I would not know. Let's go party at D-Turts. So we've put the invitation out. Now what do we do? We don't have one more sending, do we? I could send a message in the morning, but. Well, maybe that's good.
Starting point is 00:42:41 Maybe then we can gauge it in the morning. Oh man, guys and people are here early. There's a line outside. You better hurry. This is great. What a good plan. I think it's a good plan. Are we going back to the village tonight? I don't know. I would.
Starting point is 00:43:03 Or do we just sleep here? Because, you know, the thing is, there's always a chance that Guacamole could get in everyone's head a little bit stronger and they could attack us. Yeah. Maybe he can take control of people. Like, who knows what he can do.
Starting point is 00:43:22 Would it be helpful at all to have our own crewmates with us on this journey? Oh, you mean Orly and Marius? They're a bit squishy. Yeah. Well, yes, but I mean, as a distraction or something? Marius would just die instantly. Well, or because we're going to be commandeering
Starting point is 00:43:40 a whole bunch of vessels, possibly. Another interesting point. We're going to have to kill Vokodo in order for them to remember us. Yep. Yeah. Well, if they've only been here for a day, we can't be certain until we get to them. Why?
Starting point is 00:44:04 Oh shit. Oh shit. Regardless, if we're relying on my capabilities to bring us close to the outside of the mountain, whether it be near the Heaven Falls or the first entrance that I took you, whether it be near the Heaven Falls or the first entrance that I took you, that expends the most powerful magic
Starting point is 00:44:21 I have at my disposal that day. Oh, so we need to do it tonight. So we should go where we're going to at vault. Or if it works best, I can take you the day of, just know that does diminish my capabilities somewhat. Are you going to fight with us? I assumed I was, unless you wish otherwise. No, we would love it, but I just don't want to put you
Starting point is 00:44:40 into that position if you didn't want to. I do, I really want to put you in that position. No, no, no, don't listen to put you into that position if you didn't want to. I do, I really want to put you in that position. No, no, no, don't listen to Fjord. You have a family at home that you need to think about as well. I do, but right now I have a family I've made here on this island that I still feel responsible for.
Starting point is 00:44:56 You consider us a family that fast? Sure. Do you have kids here? No. Oh. But there are many good people here, at least good for the time that I've known them, and I don't want them damned to this life without choice. They say the VR community is full
Starting point is 00:45:18 of some of the best people you will find. Sure, that's true. I know we have two entrances, and we had talked about coming in from two different sides, or do we want to hedge our bets and, well, not hedge our bets, and go in through one? Do we want to split up and come in from? I feel like,
Starting point is 00:45:39 I don't know, I feel like if he can really see us at all times, which I guess he can, it's not like we can hide. We can't sneak up on him. So there's no sneaking up. So we either go in the way we know or go in the way that, like this new way, but I wouldn't, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:46:00 It just seems... Do any of you all have any type of magic that would help with that? I mean, cloak, what kind of magic? Yeah, keep us hidden. Force field magic? I genuinely don't know how he's doing this, so I don't have anything.
Starting point is 00:46:19 Yeah, I mean, I can turn invisible for a short time, but I don't know if he can see our essence, or hear us, or feel us, or like. He can't hear us. He can't hear us. We know if he can see our essence or hear us or feel us or like. He can't hear us. He can't hear us. We know he cannot hear us. We believe he cannot hear us. We don't think he can. But if it's just purely visual,
Starting point is 00:46:32 I mean, some of us can become invisible, correct? It's true. Assuming that works. You can try it, can you go invisible at night and see if you still feel that tingling sensation like you're being watched? Didn't you do it before? You did it already. I think I was invisible for a time. And you still felt it.
Starting point is 00:46:50 I think I remember that. Did I? Yeah. Yeah, the sensation of proximity being watched did not diminish when you were invisible. Well, in either way, shouldn't we be near the ships for when Dragon Deeter comes? Because Deeter is either coming or not. And if he comes and wrecks things
Starting point is 00:47:15 and we are lucky enough to have Vokodo leave his lair and exit if we are not there, then we are not going to be able to take advantage of it. How would Vokodo leave? Through the tunnel, the first entrance we went through, the ship entrance, or is he going to? Who knows? You mean leave permanently? Like if he flees his lair. Oh my god,
Starting point is 00:47:38 what if he climbs up and out of the volcano and he comes out the top of it? How cool would that be? I mean, he may just stay, but if he goes, I'm just trying to think it out, we're not going to set off a tremendous volcanic explosion and kill everyone on the highway, though. Who knows? There's no way to know, yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:56 I suppose if he flees through the first entrance we went through and we're at the ship tunnels, then he would be on the other side of the mountain and we wouldn't really be able to help. Also, does Vokodo even care about the ships? Yeah. Hard to say. I think he does in terms of keeping people on the island, right? But why not just destroy them instead of hoarding them?
Starting point is 00:48:16 Well, speaking as a hoarder myself, I've collected things all my life and this gentleman, Vokodo, seems, I mean, I have a kinship with him because he keeps a lot of wonderful, shiny objects around him at all times, and I've had that same sort of passion my whole life. And if these ships are part of his collection,
Starting point is 00:48:43 he won't want to part with them. He won't want to see them destroyed. And it seems he wants things of value, and means of escaping the island are all these people's valuable asset. Probably the only reason he does not have them in his chamber with him is because of their size. So he has them as close as possible, perhaps.
Starting point is 00:49:01 Seems like the best bet, then. So if we stay at that end, see if we can get the dragon turtle in the cave doing damage. Dragon turtle attacking the butthole. And then we can come in once that starts going down. And maybe if he doesn't come out, if a Kodo isn't lured out, maybe then we can make the dragon turtle smaller
Starting point is 00:49:28 and send him further up the bloodstream. Or grab him. Maybe. Grab him like a package and bring him in. That's insane, but it could work. But I like it. I like it, too. This is a great plan. I like it. This is a great plan. So maybe we make our way there tonight
Starting point is 00:49:47 and we camp on ships towards the rear of the impound lot near the entrance to the butthole. Okay. And time permitting, maybe we could even, if there's room in that vast sort of cavern where the ships were, maybe we could sort of hide one off to the side for ourself? I would recommend we not be seen staging
Starting point is 00:50:12 the territory, so to speak. We also have to control the water long enough to get a ship, a big ship, through and not have the spell falter, because then goodbye ship. All right. But then let's just get there. Okay. Yeah. All right then.
Starting point is 00:50:31 To Heaven's Fall. Heaven Falls? Heaven Falls. I gather we'll take a tree nearby where we camped the night before. Sure. Yeah. It's been a while. Follow me. You see she rubs her hands and takes a step
Starting point is 00:50:45 towards one of the larger trees, just as you guys have stepped into the jungle past the elements where the wilds begin to wither and you bypassed the sentient, undead large trees that you had snuck past. Once you go beyond that space, you come to the first pack of healthy, thick-rooted trees in the middle of the jungle there.
Starting point is 00:51:09 And Vilya approaches, rubs her hands, takes her staff, and runs it in a diagonal line across the trunk, and as it does, you see this faint, light green, almost gold sparkle, almost like a zipper, begin to pull down, and as it does, it opens into this oval-like shimmering doorway. On the other side, you can immediately see about three or four feet of what looks like carved wood,
Starting point is 00:51:36 almost like there's a tunnel. There's a walled tunnel of smooth wood where you can see the striations and rings on the interior of the tree. On the other side, white beach and an ocean. Yeah! That is so cool. Quickly, please.
Starting point is 00:51:50 Oh, oh, oh, hey, hey! Go, go, go, go, go! I thought she was full of shit. As you all rush through, there's a brief moment, a similar rush sensation, though much shorter than the one that you're familiar with with teleportation via Caleb. As you step out, your feet find the soft, hot sand
Starting point is 00:52:07 on the white beaches in the eastern shore of Rumblecusp. Just as you all emerge and you watch Vilya escape, it closes behind her and just the tree trunk of one of the palms there is left like nothing had happened. That was awesome. Wow. That is a very cool thing. That's amazing. What would happen if you were halfway through the tree when it closed? Would you get cut in half?
Starting point is 00:52:27 Let's hope we never find out. Just like mummified in the tree, petrified. Like just hands. I'm sure it's happened. I've been careful before. Yeah. Maybe that's how faces get trees. How trees get faces. Faces get trees.
Starting point is 00:52:43 Holy shit. Well, what's weird is it totally made sense to me. Yasha was on the same page. I think, okay, yeah. You can hear the distant sound of the Heaven Falls crashing not far from here. You are at the exact beach where you guys had rested the night before.
Starting point is 00:53:03 So you still have an afternoon. If there's any further planning you want to do, you guys can discuss or set up for the night. The evening's yours, so. Did we ever take a short rest? Not since you left the ruins. Let's do that. I don't believe so.
Starting point is 00:53:20 Short rest? Yeah, I would like to. I don't think we did. We might've done it, no, I think we did it right after when we were at the ruins, we did it. Yeah. When we were searching everything. That's correct. That's correct. We did, yeah.
Starting point is 00:53:32 Okay. Well, what other preparations do we need? Do we need to go into the cavern and sort of get a lay of the land, figure out where we're going to be? Anything change from the last time that we were here that we can see? Make a perception or investigation check.
Starting point is 00:53:49 Investigation, please. 25. 25. Glancing about the sands, you can see the tracks left behind. You can see the indentations where you guys spent the evening, though it looks like a bit of the seaside wind
Starting point is 00:54:03 has blown some elements of sand to soften the impact of where bodies lied, but nothing seems to be disturbed beyond the tracks you left when you made your way. Seems safe. Oh man. This could be where you set up the welcome to Traveler Con.
Starting point is 00:54:23 Oh yeah, that could be really nice. Be a nice beach, show up, give everybody a badge. I just realized, you guys, I can't control the water to get back into the cavern. I can. Okay. Good. All right, you guys heading back to the falls then?
Starting point is 00:54:42 I think we should, yeah. I think we should bed down in there for the night, because if he's with us, at all times, it will seem like perhaps we are just finding shelter. He knows that we're doing something, but it would seem, I don't think we should monkey with any boats, as Caduceus said. Should just look like we're sheltering for the night
Starting point is 00:55:02 and then maybe thinking of coming to give him an offering or something. If we go back in there, Caduceus, will you be able to control your urges to swim down and through? No. All right. No, I'll be fine. Yasha, just in case.
Starting point is 00:55:20 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just get ready. Not kill. Not him out? Not kill. No, no, no, no, no. Do what you have to do. Just go to sleep. That'd be specific. Yeah. Go to sleep, go to sleep, go, yeah. Just get ready. Not kill. Just knock them out? Not kill. No, no, no, no, no. Do what you have to do. Just go to sleep. That'd be specific. Yeah. Go to sleep, go to sleep. We could tie a rope around each other, you know. Oh, yeah. So when we're sleeping,
Starting point is 00:55:33 if one goes, we all go. That tends to go well. Sure. Yeah. I would have said never an artwork out. Yeah. All right, so you guys wade your way back out into the open lagoon that leads towards the Heaven Falls, approaching, as you get closer and closer to it,
Starting point is 00:55:56 the water itself still firing up with the same intensity that it previously has. Yep, yep. You have use of control water, you said? I do. I point out to Fjord where he should do it so that it does the least amount of damage to us as we go through it. And you split it, you put it off to the left, the right, you stopped it entirely.
Starting point is 00:56:15 What did you do? I split it, but you might be able to just put it off to the side if we go into the side of the cavern. That might be easier, I'm not sure. Whatever you think will work. And we can do it one time. side of the cavern, that might be easier, I'm not sure. Whatever you think will work. And we can do it one time. Just try from the side.
Starting point is 00:56:31 That seems to me like maybe that's better. From the side, yeah. I'll walk up and literally try and shift so that one side becomes the other. All right, you guys watch as Fjord wades out a little further, putting his hand forward and concentrating. The large, solid beam of water begins to
Starting point is 00:56:48 and shift to one side. As it does, you can now see the wetted cliffside atop is left to glisten under the sun, and the water is now firing off and spraying somewhere in the jungle on the southern side of where it once was. And you can see now the cliff face behind it is now exposed and seemingly safe to traverse.
Starting point is 00:57:11 I'll go. Where there's a very soggy Tyrannosaurus. Not a problem. Yep, going. Yep. All right. Well, my one, you all make your way into the familiar interior of the tunnel without issue. You all take a wide berth to not be pulled into the rapid current
Starting point is 00:57:26 that is immediately around where it's breaking the water surface. It's tempting. It is tempting. Then you come into the darkened chamber, the familiar sounds of water droplets all around you, and you can see in the space the shape of all the various ships as you left them,
Starting point is 00:57:42 but the cavern is yours. And what time was it? Still afternoon or something? It's still afternoon. You guys have time. You don't have to spend the afternoon. If you want to jump ahead, you can just say the things you want to do and then continue from there.
Starting point is 00:57:54 I thought it was later in the day. I thought it was getting evening by the time it was ending the last time. It was later afternoon, evening. Was it? 4 p.m. Do we want to set up a sort of hidey spot on any of, anywhere in here?
Starting point is 00:58:13 We should take a walk about and look around a little bit more and maybe figure out if there's a place to. It's all water, right? There's no, is there a walkway around the perimeter? There's like an embankment. There's a catwalk, no man made of that Is there a walkway around the perimeter? There's an embankment. No catwalk, no man-made stuff.
Starting point is 00:58:28 The ships are placed on the sides, and you can see there is the walls of the cavern. There's a slight element of silt and some sand that gives a slight embankment, but it's all gradual, so it's not like a platform or any sort of a sandbank that you can stand on comfortably. You can get up against the wall and it'll keep you there, but it's a decline and it slips
Starting point is 00:58:51 the further out you go immediately. We could just hang out on Eden's Horizon. Yeah. Yeah, that wasn't too close where we were feeling the pull, right? Still safe? Yeah, that's far enough away. It's not right when you come in, though,
Starting point is 00:59:08 because if like, Dita does come in. Comes busting through. I don't want to be on the ship he sees first, you know, don't I? No, it's not immediately right there. It's a little ways in. Okay. Like halfway through the cavern itself.
Starting point is 00:59:20 Here's also the question is if we go into the cavern, how are we going to find our way? One of us will have to be taken. Yeah, I think we just kind of let it go. Then we just follow whoever fails. Oh, wow. But it disappears when you get close to him. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:59:42 Yeah, it just takes you to the chamber, that's all. We'll also need to breathe underwater. I just re-upped everyone, yeah. But the rope's not a bad idea, because some of us can swim a lot faster than the others. Don't get lost. Does anyone have a bunch of rope? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:59:59 I have 50 feet of rope. A few of us do. I have 50 feet as well. Cool. I do not have rope. I have rope. Honestly, I'm actually missing a lot of things. Man. So should we just feast and sleep, or is there more planning that we need to do?
Starting point is 01:00:15 Sure feels like there's more we need to do, doesn't it? Well. Really? Everything changes if Dieter does not come. Mm-hmm. Hopefully he does. If he does not come. Hopefully he does. If he does not come, we are going to enter for more offerings and just throw down, I would imagine. We also have to survive our sleep.
Starting point is 01:00:34 Yes. And see if we all remember who we are and deal with that if it is a problem. Yeah. We should get some more, some gold dust ready just in case somebody does need help in the morning. We should probably take
Starting point is 01:00:49 shifts while we sleep. If he's been watching us and we've been traveling all over the island and he's clocking us as a threat, we are pretty close to where he is, just on the off chance that he's like, I'm going to go get them while they sleep. Little threat ought to do that.
Starting point is 01:01:06 Also, we're going to be sleeping in a bubble, right? Yeah. Or no, okay. Yeah. It's not a bubble, though, it's a dome, right? Yeah, it does not go all the way around, but. So he could come up from underneath, because it is a boat. Yeah, he would have to go through all of
Starting point is 01:01:23 our large ship to get to us, but. Mm-hmm. And then when the moment happens, either here in the shipyard or in Vokodo's lair, we will try to send him away. Yeah? So you all have to keep him busy. Yes, we can do that. As long as I can get up to him. You all have to keep him busy. Yes, we can do that.
Starting point is 01:01:49 As long as I can get up to him. I can, I have a spell for that. Yep. For the two clerics, how much diamond dust do you still have left? Is it diamond dust that we need? Or gold dust, okay, it's diamond dust. Diamond dust for the Greater Restoration. Let me look at my diamonds.
Starting point is 01:02:08 Oh yeah, that is the variable. How many of us fail tonight? Yeah. Vildia checking in and says, I only have components for one more casting myself. And it's how much worth? 100. 100. I have a 300 gold diamond and a 500 gold diamond.
Starting point is 01:02:27 Ooh. But we have to pulverize. Although we did, I've got 100 gold left from one of the diamonds if we're, because we didn't do it. This is retroactive. Did you, do we need to pulverize it somehow, or? Do you have any more diamond as well, or?
Starting point is 01:02:43 I don't, but I have a substitute. Oh, that's right. Yes. Residuum. I can pulverize a gem in the morning. I have a jeweler's kit. I can just take the knight to file one down. If I say we destroyed, I had diamond prime.
Starting point is 01:03:05 If I say we destroyed one of the diamonds, the 300 gold diamond, you cast Greater Restoration how many times the last time? Did you cast it twice? Vilya, you cast it. Vilya cast it once. Yeah, she cast it on you, you cast it on her. I cast it on you. I think that might have been it. But you also cast it on Vilya, so once. Yeah, she cast it on you, you cast it on her. I cast it on you. But you also cast it on Vilya, so it's four times you.
Starting point is 01:03:28 It's been used. Four times it's been used. Going through my stuff. Do you have any diamonds? Yeah, yeah, I do. I'm just trying to figure out. I don't have any powdered diamonds. But we can say that Caleb would have powdered them.
Starting point is 01:03:51 How much residuum do you have? I have 700 gold pieces worth. So that's seven casts, as long as somebody? It totally replaces? Residuum can be used to replace any sort of material component cost of equal cost, but only if they have it on their person to use it. Well, I will give you all the residuum then.
Starting point is 01:04:11 I'll give 400 to you, Jester, and 300 to you, Caduceus. How much? 300. Wow, okay. I don't need it. Just giving away all my shit. Stop it. 300, all right, hold on. Maybe you're not such a hoarder after all. Growth.
Starting point is 01:04:33 I really want it back, though. Oh, I don't think that's how it works. Yeah. Just checking how much it takes to pop someone back to life if something bad happens. It's 300. It's a 300 gold diamond.
Starting point is 01:04:50 I've got a 350 diamond. I've got a 300 diamond and a 500 gold diamond. 500's the Hail Mary if something goes really, really wrong. 300's a quick fix, 500's a long-term problem. Well, one of them... Oh god. So I'm going to say we use residuum for the last ones. This is so hard to do retroactive.
Starting point is 01:05:14 So I've got 300 gold worth of residuum. Do you have the plans for the American war base as well? Spoke a whole lot. Here's what we're going to do. Rick and Warbase as well. Here's what we're going to do. And you have 200 gold worth of residuum. I cast twice, so I would have 100. Got it, okay. All right, well, there you go. And 50 diamond to grind some down.
Starting point is 01:05:42 50 on a gift certificate. So with that set, you guys can rest for the evening early if you'd like to, and wake up early after an eight-hour rest, if that's the case. If you're looking for maximized time for water breathing or anything else you want to do before bed. Your call. Fancy feast. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:06:03 Set it up on the deck of this here ship. All right. So as you guys have situated now up on top of the Eden's Horizon, after getting your materials ready for any possible encounters in the day to come, Jester, describe how you set your hero's feast out. Oh man, oh man.
Starting point is 01:06:24 Do we have tables here on this deck or is it just, I'm going to make it just like a really pretty setup with like blankets. I'm going to use some of my blue fabric to set up like picnic blankets all over the deck, you know? Okay. And it's going to be like a feast of pancakes and lots of pancakes, some candy, some scones, a little bit of what,
Starting point is 01:06:56 like potatoes for Caduceus. Do you want some mushrooms or something? I can eat pancakes. Pancakes are fine. Great, pancakes. So more pancakes. It's a continental breakfast. And then yeah, I figure
Starting point is 01:07:07 some pocket bacon for Beau. All the carbs. Some weird looking bug sort of things for Yasha, just because they're interesting looking, but really they taste like chocolate. Oh, yes. Spicy chocolate. Oh, very good. That's fine.
Starting point is 01:07:23 I have a little bit of a kick at the end. And it's really colorful, like unicorn whipped cream sort of stuff. Mm. Like in the book? Hook, Lost Boys. Yeah, very similar to Hook. But not quite so primary colors, like they're more like pastel sort of shades.
Starting point is 01:07:43 Cakes, cookies. Do you guys want anything more substantial, or is this good? No, this is good. Good. Give everyone stomachaches before we go in? Give everybody the Rhinies. Just one bowl.
Starting point is 01:07:56 Possibly tattoo date. One bowl of greens, perhaps, just one. Like a cucumber salad, he likes dill and- I want to be regular. Okay, okay, okay. Like a cucumber salad. He likes dill. Okay, okay, okay. It's like one teeny tiny bowl of cucumber salad. It's got jello in it. That's weird. It's got
Starting point is 01:08:15 green sprinkles on the top portion. Oh, and some nuts! Because that's what Sprinkle likes to eat. There you go. I thought Sprinkle liked to eat shit. Sprinkle, how is Sprinkle? Sprinkle's doing great, right? Hasn't moved in three days.
Starting point is 01:08:30 You see from underneath the shawl that Jester wears, this small, skittering weasel head slowly peers out. Please let it in. And just withdraws back in. He's so good. Is he a revenant yet? I hope we lose.
Starting point is 01:08:46 He's got to be. You don't know. When we were at the ruins, I think I saw Sprinkle trying to get into one of the coffins. No, he wasn't. He wasn't dead. Let the water come. He's so comfy. Look how comfy my cloak is.
Starting point is 01:09:00 It's so comfy. Offer me up. So Jester, as you finish your invocation, you sit amongst this kind of blue sheet that you've laid out here on the deck. It's green. Oh, because it's one of the cloaks?
Starting point is 01:09:16 There you go. Respect. I misheard. You place this gemmed chalice onto it and as you close your eyes, having taken everyone's orders, you begin to place your hands down on the sides of it and lift the fingers up, and as you do, you watch the chalice seems to fill.
Starting point is 01:09:35 As it fills with this reddish-orange liquid that at first is a little worrying to all of you, as it spills over, it actually forms a red tablecloth around the sides of it. So overtaking the green you had put down there. But I still want it to be on the ground. This is a cute picnic. Yes, it's on the ground.
Starting point is 01:09:56 Very Mad Hatter. Everybody gets their own teacup. Yes. As it spreads out, you watch as from within this cloth, which almost, it looks like a velvet, but as you get close to it, it's reflecting what's above it. It's almost like a still surface of water.
Starting point is 01:10:12 And suddenly the water begins to become disturbed. And you see from within, shapes begin to emerge. And as they do, platters begin to arise. Poof, poof, poof, bowls, plates, a veritable smorgasbord of pancakes, of real cakes, of sweets, candies, a bowl of nuts, a salad, a unique spread. As they begin to emerge, the coloration of the red begins to shift and give way. The color itself is what's giving life to each of these small bowls and large spreads. As it does, it's left behind with a weird, translucent green color
Starting point is 01:10:47 that mingles with the sheet beneath it. It looks delicious, it smells delicious, and everything seems to have this like faintly glowing hue to it. It's slightly off-putting, but still, the other senses tell you this is an invitation. Is there enough for Vilya as well? Oh yeah, everybody gets some.
Starting point is 01:11:05 Sprinkle gets some, everybody gets some. I'm not going to lie, it's been a very long time since I've had a pancake. I'm very excited for this. Pancakes! You all dig into this veritable hero's feast. It is delicious, it is invigorating, and for the next 24 hours,
Starting point is 01:11:21 you have advantage on wisdom saving throws. You are immune to poison. And everyone gains, is it 2d10 temporary hit points? Go ahead and roll that now, Jester, if you don't mind. 2d10 temporary hit points. Am I going to be? She's rolling for us? She rolls and then everybody gets the same number.
Starting point is 01:11:39 Okay. I might crack 80. Yeah, dude. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay! Oh. Nine, dude. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay! Oh. Nine extra points. Okay. Thank you. That's half of Caleb's HP. Wisdom saving throws.
Starting point is 01:11:59 With a comfortable meal in your belly and the surge of divine energy flowing through you, protecting you, you get the after meal sleepies. You also can't be frightened. That's right, also immune to fear. So wait, it was immune to fear, poison, and advantage on wisdom saves. You've got it.
Starting point is 01:12:19 Here. Yeah, here is some. While we eat, hang on. Mm-hmm. Hang on. Advantage. Whiz saves. Jester. Hmm? How are you feeling about Traveler Con?
Starting point is 01:12:35 You know, if we defeat the looming volcano god that has this entire island held hostage. You all right? I honestly thought that that was going to be something that you would start rattling off a thousand ideas about, but you didn't say anything. So now I'm super concerned. I just don't...
Starting point is 01:13:02 I don't... know... super concerned. I just don't... I don't... know. I don't know what to do about it. Like whether or not to have it? Or what to do when you do have it? Well... Obviously, we're going to have it, but the Traveler,
Starting point is 01:13:44 he doesn't want to be a god. He doesn't... He doesn't like it. So I don't... I don't know... How to make everybody come here and pretend like they're going to worship him and also make him happy and also make sure that they're not taken advantage of too much
Starting point is 01:14:16 and also free everybody here. And also, at the end of it, if he doesn't want to be a god, what does that mean for me and him? Or... I don't know. I don't know. I was hoping maybe we, you know, we'll fight Vokodo and then everything will just become clear.
Starting point is 01:14:48 You seemed sad last night after you went off and talked with him for a bit. I'm not sad, no. I'm just, you know. Oh, those are tears. No, I'm just like, you know, it's just, it's stressful. What if it were just you and him? Like your old days?
Starting point is 01:15:13 I don't think that's a bad thing. You know, he... He was really wonderful then. He was my best friend. I know all of you are concerned that maybe he's taking advantage or he doesn't have our best interests, which, who knows, maybe he doesn't, but
Starting point is 01:15:41 he really got me through a lot when I was younger, you know? Who knows? Maybe he doesn't, but... He really... Got me through a lot when I was younger, you know? And he was all I had, really. And... He was wonderful. He taught me so much. If it just... Was him being my
Starting point is 01:16:05 friend again, I'd be okay with that. I just don't know what that means for everyone else. You know, all the people that are coming here. If he said he doesn't want to be a god, did he say why
Starting point is 01:16:21 he's still having everyone come here? Did he know about this place? He did. That was kind of sad to find out about. He knew that people lost their memory here, apparently. I think, you know I think he's hoping to sort of offload a lot of the people when they come, maybe
Starting point is 01:16:57 not necessarily leave them here but make them think that, you know he's not so available anymore. It would be really stressful, you know, to have all these people constantly praying to you. But he sent you here. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:17:20 What if you forgot him? He promised me that he would save me. And us. He said all of us. I believe him. How do you feel about him right now? Knowing this, that he... I am very, not trying to overstep at all,
Starting point is 01:17:51 but him knowing that he would bring people here, that it's possible that the best guy. You know, he's really cool. But I don't think he always, you know, thinks about other people, about how they'll actually be affected sometimes. And that's just, you know, just because he's, you know, super, super powerful.
Starting point is 01:18:33 And to us, to him, we're like ants sometimes. You know, we don't think about the fact when we squish an ant. You know, it doesn't mean anything to us. But the ant is real sad. What's dead? We're dead. Jester, we all want what's best for you.
Starting point is 01:19:03 Of course. Have you talked to him at all about going back to just the way things were when you were little? Just he and you? I want to, I want to, I want to. It's just every time we talk, he has to disappear so fast. Before, he used to be here all the time, you know? It's so hard to share.
Starting point is 01:19:27 But you know where he'll be. He'll be at Traveler Con. I know. He is going to be here. And the thing that you guys have all taught me is that friends call each other on their shit. And if they're really friends, then they'll be friends afterwards. And if you know where he'll be and you know he's not going to disappear,
Starting point is 01:19:45 you should call him on his shit. Traveler Con shouldn't be about bamboozling people or you trying to put on a show. Traveler Con should be about you and the Traveler. That's how it all started. Mm. But all those people are already on their way here. I'll deal with them after. You've done so much for him,
Starting point is 01:20:11 and I know he's done so much for you, but trying to make him happy in this, it puts you at risk. It has put you at risk. And us. That doesn't seem, like you said, the most considerate thing.
Starting point is 01:20:29 Yeah, but also it is complicated sometimes, extracting yourself from the very things that made you who you are. So this might be difficult. We're protective of you and defensive of you. Yeah. We're here because of Jester,
Starting point is 01:20:49 not because of the Traveler Con. Honestly, all you have to do is say the word and we'll do whatever you want. It's always been the case. But, also, if he hurts you, I'll kill him. You know, like, we've killed demigods before.
Starting point is 01:21:18 We're about to kill one. We could kill him, too. We don't, I don't want to kill him. Yeah, but we could, and we would, if you said the word. We don't, I don't want to kill him. Yeah, but we could, and we would, if you said the word. Thank you, Beau. I don't want to kill him. Just don't want to see you being used, either.
Starting point is 01:21:43 Yeah. I don't want to be used. You know, you're kind of, to Echo Nott's point, you are like his peer now. No, I'm not. He can do so many things. He can bamf in and out whenever he wants to. So can you.
Starting point is 01:22:09 I can't, I'm stuck here on this island. You can turn into things, fly, and you can... You've got a lot of powers. Look, you made us this amazing dinner out of nothing. This is a really good dinner. Yeah. Quite good. It's a very good dinner. I've never had pancakes before,
Starting point is 01:22:24 and this might be my favorite thing I've ever had. You really haven't touched your bugs much. Because I'm eating all the pancakes. They're crawling away. You could roll them up. I was about to say, if you roll them up. Yeah. Best bug I've ever had.
Starting point is 01:22:39 I guess we're a little bit biased, because we've seen you do a lot more amazing things than we've seen the Traveler do. Yeah. Everything I do, all of it, is because of him. Give yourself some credit, too, though.
Starting point is 01:22:57 About that. And you care about people you know, about people you don't know. You cause chaos, but in the end, you don't want to hurt people. You care. In many ways, you're much more than he will probably ever be. It's supernatural for students to outgrow their teachers.
Starting point is 01:23:24 I mean, look at me with Dairon. You know. Yeah. Who's the teacher now? Yeah. You're way cooler. I know. And you're way cooler than the Traveler, in my opinion. Did we leave Dairon at our house, by the way? Is she there for forever?
Starting point is 01:23:46 No. No, they're back in the dash now, I think. We're on the, are they still in Rex? I don't know. Cool, cool, cool. She's around. Jester, I hope you know how special you are. Just you, even without the Traveler. We all think you're pretty amazing.
Starting point is 01:24:20 So does he, to a certain extent. So perhaps a little more time with you. You will color his perspective instead of he coloring yours. Thank you, guys. Yeah, if you ever wanted, there is life beyond the Traveler. We're here.
Starting point is 01:24:45 Well, that's pretty great. Yeah. We're here. Wow. That's pretty great. Thanks. Not going to lie, I feel pretty good right now. It's the pancake. I just want to say, you all just did so well. I'm so proud of you. Oh, sure.
Starting point is 01:25:01 Oh, thanks, yeah. Everybody was just. We pulled a Caduceus. You guys, I just got to sit here and nod. It was amazing. Wow. Wisdom, sure. Oh, thanks, Celia. Everybody was just. We pulled a Caduceus. You guys, I just got to sit here and nod. It was amazing. Wow. Wisdom, wisdom, self-realization, a little more wisdom, some more self-realization. It was great.
Starting point is 01:25:17 Vilya, mouth still half-filled with a pancake, goes like, I know I've only just met you, but this is a tight family. Hold onto each other. This is important. I know I've only just met you, but this is a tight family. Hold onto each other. This is important. I gently push my salad across towards Vilya. She eats more of her pancakes. I've had plenty of salad in recent years. Have you ever had salad with sprinkles, though?
Starting point is 01:25:43 There's sprinkles in there. That's strange. It's unique. Basically, sugared croutons, if you get down to it. Disneyland Resort salad. Frosted flakes in your salad. Why are they shaped like Mickey's, these cucumbers? Frosted mini-wheat. They get enough of color to do that, even.
Starting point is 01:26:09 Weird. Well, the evening is yours to set up as you see fit, whether it be more things to get ready, more conversations to have, or setting up the dome and whatever your preparation would be before night's rest. Yeah, I think I will set up the dome, not on the deck, but Below deck.
Starting point is 01:26:25 Below deck, and I will set up, I won't set up the wire, there's no point to it, but what I will do is eventually, whether this is in sequence now or later, I'm going to take time to pull out the wand that Caliana gifted to me and set it down inside the dome and take out a handful of little bits of stained glass from our battle with the Laughing Hand.
Starting point is 01:26:52 And I'm just going to lay the wand down on the ground and spend, I don't know, maybe 30 minutes to an hour just sliding different pieces of glass around, switching them out and just pondering a thing. Okay. That's it. Anybody else need to do anything? Just going to sit, meditate, listen to the sound of the waterfall.
Starting point is 01:27:21 All right. Yes, I am going to do something. What you doing, Jester? I'm going to go up to the front of the cavern where the waterfall is. Okay. Is there an object, like a rock or anything, nearby the front of that cavern?
Starting point is 01:27:38 Anything that I can, like, is there a boat that's close by? There is a ship maybe about, begins at 20 or so feet from the entranceway onto the left side. If you're looking for a small rock, like a handheld rock. Uh-huh. That would have a place to position right near the cavern.
Starting point is 01:27:58 Okay, okay. Yeah? Make an investigation check as you're rummaging through the nearby sand and dirt that is accumulated at the corner to see if there's any loose stone or rock that you can grab. 11. 11. It takes you a little bit, but you manage to find what is a piece of flaked-off obsidian
Starting point is 01:28:17 from the inside of the rock cavern. Or the volcanic rock goes into an obsidian color, but you pull it out and it's sharp on one edge. Not that big, but you find one. Do I still have tongues up? Tongues lasts an hour, I believe. Oh, it's only an hour? Zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub, zub.
Starting point is 01:28:39 That is correct, one hour. So, now that would be gone. Well, hopefully he'll recognize my voice. I'm going to cast, with my Rod of the Solitary Scout, the wand that I have, I'm going to cast Magic Mouth. Ooh. Okay. On the rock. Okay. And I'm going to say, here they are, ready for the taking.
Starting point is 01:29:16 I'm going to put it right at the edge, and so that way, if the dragon turtle comes within range, they'll hear it and be tempted to come on in. Okay, all right. As you seal that vocal print into the stone, it vibrates in your hand and you place it just within the proximity of where the illusion begins and the actual opening for the cavern itself is held.
Starting point is 01:29:35 You feel pretty confident that it being of that size, if it were to come through, would definitely trigger the radius for this spell. All right, anybody else? Minor thing, I will also stay up at least an hour to use components necessary to turn Frumpkin into an octopus, and I will just frisbee him out off of the ship to patrol while we are sleeping
Starting point is 01:29:57 and to be more use, possibly, tomorrow. You got it. Yep. Perfect. All right. Anybody else? We're looking to a night's rest. Oh, my god. I think we're got it. Yep. Perfect. All right, anybody else? We're looking to a nice rest. Oh my god, I think we're doing it. Okay. You all gather into the dome.
Starting point is 01:30:13 Are you doing your jade thing again, or leaving it as it was? I cannot. Okay. Are we tying each other together, or is that a bad idea? I think in the... Let's do it. Okay. Are we tying each other together, or is that a bad idea? I think in the... Let's do it. Yeah. Just in case.
Starting point is 01:30:29 So the jade thing, the plethora of images that you left out before did help lower the DC of the check last time. Yeah. But if you cannot do it, then we'll just go with whatever its standard is. No worries. I am tapped at that level. That's okay.
Starting point is 01:30:43 All right, then. All of you gather for the evening's rest. You're tying yourselves together with rope? I think we should, right? Sure. Yeah. Who's affixed to who? Or is it everyone affixed to a singular piece of rope? We could do it this way. Yeah, let's do this order.
Starting point is 01:30:56 We do the twice around your wrist, extended, six feet or more. Okay. At least we'll just switch us. We can take it off easily, but it'll wake us up. Yeah. So it'll take, between all of you, two sets of rope, I think.
Starting point is 01:31:10 Okay. So you guys got that? Cool. Placed, roped, and resting, you all eventually find yourselves to a night's sleep. The dreams range from nothing, but just an evening of dark comfort to images of past experiences, fuzzy.
Starting point is 01:31:36 Yasha. In the darkness, you still sense yourself sleeping, and you consciously are like, I'm having a hard time sleeping. The insomnia has kicked in, whether it be the nerves from the day before. You should probably get up.
Starting point is 01:31:54 And as you open your eyes, it's just darkness before you, glancing ahead, trying to find something. You catch one little speck of light. A single white feather that seems to be drifting down. You're not laying on your side, you're sitting up, or at least it's drifting from an angle, but it's coming straight down from your perspective
Starting point is 01:32:18 before it comes to rest on the ground. As it hits, you see these ripples, like it hit the surface of a still glass-like ocean. As the ripples go out, you see flashes of lightning in the distance contained within clouds, a storm that sits on the horizon, every horizon as you look around. It's just you and the feather.
Starting point is 01:32:50 The storm rolls and roars louder and louder. What do you do? Am I in the water? You glance down and you're standing kind of on a similar surface, though it feels hard. It doesn't seem to react to your footfalls. The ripples only came out from where the feather hit. Can I go towards the feather? Sure.
Starting point is 01:33:15 You step. As you step from the place you were at, your first footstep hits the water in front. Another ripple comes out. The storms rage even louder with that footstep hits the water in front. Another ripple comes out. The storms rage even louder with that footstep. You take another ripple through the water. The storm's getting closer and closer. The feather's about four feet from you.
Starting point is 01:33:38 About as many footsteps. I will keep walking towards it and I'll just, I'll look around and reach down to pick it up. Okay. With each rushing footstep, the storm gets louder and louder. As you reach towards it, there's a flash and an impact. You see this burst of energy
Starting point is 01:34:13 beneath the surface of the water in front of you, splashing water and mist spray your face, and instinctually, you pull away, the feather disturbed on the surface and then coming to rest again. You hear the thunder itself rolling louder around you still, and there's that strength for a moment fades
Starting point is 01:34:31 and that fear, that fear that sent you fleeing from your people, that fear that drove you westward, that same sense of being alone, inconsequential, shackled with guilt, keeps you from reaching for that feather, yet it still lies before you as the storm gets louder and louder. What do you do? I'm going to try to grab it again.
Starting point is 01:35:04 Okay. Make a wisdom saving throw for me, if you don't mind. I'm going to try to grab it again. Okay. Make a wisdom saving throw for me, if you don't mind. With advantage? With advantage? With advantage, because technically you, yeah, you do have it. Eurostreams. That was a one.
Starting point is 01:35:19 Saving throw, saving throw. 16. 16. 16. As you're going and initially about to turn, that fear filling your soul, you spin around to look back towards the darkness, where you can see the storm is breaking behind you. It is more dangerous in front of you,
Starting point is 01:35:42 and behind you, there is promised respite and escape. In that moment, the thunder seems to form words. This rolling voice seems to come out of the storm itself that says, Do not run from yourself. Overcome what faltered. Just a little. And rise stronger.
Starting point is 01:36:18 You turn back around, swallow hard, and reach out and grab that feather, and as you do, there's a brief moment as you grasp it that the air seems to buzz with energy. That single moment where you sense the anticipation before something happens, and you look up just as a streaking blast of pure lightning energy streaks down towards you. What do you do?
Starting point is 01:36:51 Oh. I will look up at it and I will just say, I do not want this fear anymore. And I will stand there and wait for it to hit me. Okay. As you look up in that brief moment, without hesitation, you embrace the coming bolt. And as it hits you, you just see white.
Starting point is 01:37:39 Your whole body vibrates with power. And for a moment, you feel like every piece of your body is about to break apart and shatter. But it just stays at that threshold, and you embrace it. As the light begins to fade, you can now see that dark abyss beneath you is alight with this faint blue glow. Beneath this glass-like surface, 10, 20, it's hard to say, 100 feet down,
Starting point is 01:38:12 it is just an endless underwater hillside scape of broken chain link, tethered and tangled endlessly beneath you. As you look within your hand, you see you hold that single white feather. You look back up into the clouds, which now have swollen to encompass the entire sky and horizon around you.
Starting point is 01:38:37 There is a single hole in the sky above. The voice once more, crackling through the storm says, Show me. You can be reborn. Okay. I'll bamf out the wings. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Flex. Yeah, yeah. Your wings emerge, the withered, skeletal,
Starting point is 01:39:19 bone-like black necrotic wings, the representation of your fallen self. The faint beginnings of those feathers you noticed still there, clinging to life at the edge of these almost vestigial extensions of yourself, of your guilt, of the emotional turmoil that you hold and hoist upon your shoulders. As you look up to the sky, you watch
Starting point is 01:39:55 like flowers blossoming on the extended branches of a tree. In the beginning of spring, more feathers begin to emerge and fill and emerge and fill, and the darkness around you begins to glow, lit like a lantern that billows and brightens as the wings become full, angelic. The light itself is white and blue, and you can see between the feathers,
Starting point is 01:40:21 little sparks of energy as you look up towards that hole once more. You hear a voice. Female, familiar, distant, from below. You look down, and in the chains, you see a female form beckoning. The words you can't quite make out,
Starting point is 01:41:08 but it's calling to you. Oh god. Okay, okay, okay. It sounds very much like Zawada. I crouch down and I put my hand out. It breaks the surface. You sense you could go. SAM and LAURA exhale.
Starting point is 01:42:13 I have to go. And I'll leap, leap up. As you withdraw your hand and alter your stance into a crouch as the wings unfurl, preparing to take their first beat, the voice says, I'm proud of you. Don't let me be a shackle.
Starting point is 01:42:52 With a renewed strength you've not felt from an extension beyond your own arms, you fight your way up into the storm, this tunnel around you, lightning flashing all around you, forcing your way up as high as you can until eventually you break past the clouds up into a night sky of stars and two moons. As you look back down, the hole closes. The clouds become mist.
Starting point is 01:43:24 As the mist fades, you're looking down upon land masses, water, Exandria. And it's a freedom you've not quite felt before. Like you could go anywhere. As morning comes to you all. You all wake up well-rested, a little churning in the stomach
Starting point is 01:44:05 based on the maybe not balanced meal many of you enjoyed the night before, except for Caleb. Caleb's fine. But you wake up, you have no, well, you would know what time it is. Would I? You have no sense of there is no sun around you. You guys slept relatively early,
Starting point is 01:44:26 so you're waking up now at about dawn. So it's about 5.30 or so in the morning. But it's still dark on the inside, but consciousness takes you. You wake up, the day is yours. The day is ours? Oh. Everybody know who they are? Yeah. Oh.
Starting point is 01:44:49 Yeah. So like everyone who make wisdom saving ghosts. Oh. I'll forget what happened last night. False sense of security. Advantage. With advantage. With advantage? With advantage, because of Heroes' Feast. Nice.
Starting point is 01:45:04 Okay. That's feast. Nice. Okay. That's off. Yeesh. 16. 16. 22. 22. 15. 15. 23. 23. 16. 16.
Starting point is 01:45:17 21. 21. 16. Ooh! Right on this cusp, I think. He's got to roll, though. For Vilya. For Vilya. So... Right on this cusp, I think. He's got to roll, though. For Irelia. For Irelia. So. Caleb. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:45:33 Oh. You're the only person that missed by one. Oh shit. You come to consciousness, everyone looks around and look around, taking stock of the friends around you. It's Fjord, Jester, Veth, Caduceus, Beauregard, Yasha, Vilja. Good, you remember all of that.
Starting point is 01:46:02 Why are we here? It was something you were supposed to be doing here. There's ships around you and you came to an island. But why? Why were you here and you immediately recognize, consciously, like, oh no. Oh no. With your intelligence and self-awareness,
Starting point is 01:46:17 you know exactly what happened. So self-aware of the fact that? Because of your high intelligence and the preparation you guys have done, you're forgetting things, they're fuzzy, and you being you can acknowledge that something's wrong. You don't quite understand what, but just something's not right.
Starting point is 01:46:40 I don't. You know, I'm a little bit off. I'm in a good mood, though. You're in a good mood? Oh yeah, and then something's happening. Oh yeah, we better get out of here. Oh yeah, we got to definitely. Tackle him!
Starting point is 01:46:55 No, I'm just kidding. Which of us wants to take it? All the Parchment Shears? Yeah, three-way. Certainly. I haven't played this since I was a little girl. Which of us wants to take it? All the parchment shears? Yeah, three-way. Certainly. I haven't played this since I was a little girl. Okay, okay. All right. All right. On three or three then?
Starting point is 01:47:14 What are we doing? On three. On three, okay. Okay. Eins, zwei, drei. Wow. Oh my god. Go again. Three-way. Oh. You're out. Oh, wait, Go again. Three wins. You're out. Oh, wait. That means I lost, so I should use my spell slot.
Starting point is 01:47:29 Yeah. Yes. Hi, Caleb. What are we doing? How are you doing today? Doing so. I cast Greater Restoration. Suddenly, all memories rush back to you. You feel that strange alteration is ejected, like some foreign substance in your lungs, but from your mind instead,
Starting point is 01:47:47 almost like mentally coughing it from the inside of your brain, and then suddenly, oh, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine. I had a very tall, erect spine, and it just went a little. Oh, he's back, you guys. He's back. Oh no. Oh, fucks.
Starting point is 01:48:03 You were smiling for a second. We were happy. Aw! It happens sometimes. It looked really weird. We knew you wouldn't like it. Thank you. You're welcome. Yeah. Better this way.
Starting point is 01:48:16 Yes. Was that a question? For now. Period. Right? Yeah. You're much taller than I realized. Yeah, you know, average human height. I would also like everybody to make an investigation check.
Starting point is 01:48:30 Aw, man. Aw, shit. 18. I'm looking at my investigation. 18, all right. Jester? 10. 10. 22. 30. 22.
Starting point is 01:48:43 30. Two. 30. 22. 30. Two. 30. 22. You said two Caduceus? Yeah. All right, if I can have Caduceus and Jester, pick something of your inventory that just is gone.
Starting point is 01:48:57 You forgot it. You don't know where you put it, it's weird. I don't even know what this stuff is for. I have all these things listed. Those are the things I say right now. I have a bunch of things in my inventory that I'm like, wait, what? What?
Starting point is 01:49:10 I don't think I would ever realize it was missing. At some point, I was like, you definitely need that. A belt with a key on it. Sure, it's gone. Belt with a key? Yep. It's a belt with a key attached to it? Yep. For Dave, it's going to be like, another ball bearing.
Starting point is 01:49:28 Uh-huh. You're going to get back to the drawer house and be like, Oh, how do we get in there? It's got a hell of a loss in fountains, actually. Oh yeah, very much so. Rosohna's pretty on top of it there. I'm down to 200g worth of residuum. But the morning is yours for prep,
Starting point is 01:49:49 if you wanted to try and speak to your friend Dieter. And there's no sign of Dieter. Let's talk about this, because they asked us a question. We should be able to answer it with something reasonable. Yeah, why, he said, why should I believe you or something? Yeah, that's the idea behind it. Okay, yeah.
Starting point is 01:50:11 Yeah, because we're enemies, right? Why should he trust us? This could be a trap for him. That's true. It definitely is a trap for him. I think you should be honest. Caduceus always recommends honesty and just say, you know, we have a beef,
Starting point is 01:50:27 but there's, you'd be pissing off one of my enemies, and that's. That's true. And maybe we want to make amends for our previous transgressions. Yeah. Yeah, we did turn them into a little thing.
Starting point is 01:50:42 Maybe you could say we want to sail out of here. Sail. Unscathed. Sail. I've got 25 words, you guys, and you know I already have issues. I kind of like the beef angle. We know you like beef. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:51:03 We got no beef. Joe loves the beef. Such a loaded statement. Yeah, like, look. Yeah, we hate you, but congratulations. We hate someone else more than you. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Sending. Send it.
Starting point is 01:51:28 Look. Good usage. Every word. Total filler word. Great start. Here's the deal. Okay, look. Basically. Hello. Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Starting point is 01:51:45 Yeah. We didn't get off on the right foot. Uh-huh. But... This other guy, way worse than you. We like him less. That was four words, we like him less. We like him, we like him less.
Starting point is 01:52:18 Didn't say I was very good at that. Bring it home. So you should fuck him. Fuck him? Fuck him? Fuck him. Fuck him. Like, fuck him. Like, fuck him over. You know, fuck him. Wow, that tongue spell really got to you.
Starting point is 01:52:46 You said fuck him in Zimnian, that's crazy. Well, it's, you know, oh, I should've used the tongues thing again. You could have. You've got more spells. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Has he replied? Not yet. Okay. Roll a persuasion check.
Starting point is 01:53:03 Uh-oh. This has been building up to this. The conversation's been leading to an actual ask that made sense to him. Somewhat. Roll a persuasion check. I will bless you. Can you do that? No. Can I guide myself?
Starting point is 01:53:18 No, it's not after. It's not after, no. It's happening, it's not like active. Oh god. Come on. 19? Oh! 19? 19!
Starting point is 01:53:42 The response comes after a moment and goes, We have discussed. I don't need a mate. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. No, thank you. Man, don't you have to send him another message? Another message.
Starting point is 01:54:12 I don't mean sex! Fuck him over! Destroy his shit! Come get his boats! He sucks! There's lots of them. We can make amends. Hey!
Starting point is 01:54:36 Roll one more persuasion. Oh god. Oh boss! I will bless you again. I really should have cast something on this. Shit! Okay, here we go, here we go, here we go. We can make a map. Ah, motherfucker. 15?
Starting point is 01:54:54 Ooh, not terrible. The response does not utilize the plethora of words at its disposal. It just says, I'm good. Yuck! That first roll was so close. That first roll was so close.
Starting point is 01:55:11 I'm so sorry. Just try three more times. When you say you're good, you mean... Does that mean you're good, you mean... Does that mean you're coming, or? Our foolproof plan. Falk, it was pretty good. That was a good plan. It was a good plan.
Starting point is 01:55:34 It's a tough sell. And it just didn't work out, I'm sorry. That's okay. What's our second plan? Having breakfast. We're good. We're going to make our way in. If we go in the back way,
Starting point is 01:55:54 he'll know something's up immediately. Yeah, what are we going to say? Like, we were just exploring? Yeah, we're just exploring. We'll just make, we'll bring him stuff. I think some of us should go in the front. How do we get over there quickly? Vilya can take us over there quickly.
Starting point is 01:56:10 It's wasting so many spells before we even get in there. I just wasted three fucking spells before we even got in. If we go in the back, what are we doing? Like, hey, we're here to surprise you with more gifts from your back door that you told us not to use.
Starting point is 01:56:22 He knows we're here already. He already knows we're here, yeah. It's not like, he knows that Caduceus already got sucked into the hole. We know the hole is there. We can be like, well, you know, we didn't want to have to go all the way around, so we came this way.
Starting point is 01:56:33 I can try and continue to play the position I've had with him since I arrived and play it off as some sort of an additional delivery. He did seem to be really into some of the things you were carrying. I, um... These stones are so good. I kind of took my sword back,
Starting point is 01:56:53 so if he sees me, I don't think he'll be too pleased. You can disguise yourself? He sees you right now. Don't we think he'll see through that stuff? Yeah. You're right, It'll work. Give it a try. What do you mean?
Starting point is 01:57:09 Make yourself look like Terra. Hey, you could also do the astral dreadnought thing. I'll make myself look like Lukas. Okay. Who's that? Masked mini face. You take on the full orcish form of the surprisingly debonair Lukash.
Starting point is 01:57:28 Voloq. Yeah. I'm not going to argue, it's a look. Thank you. I forget what he sounds like. Maybe I'll just nod. Well, he probably hasn't talked to Vokodo anyway, and Vokodo can't hear people, so he doesn't know what he sounds like either. In theory, he may have just can't hear people, so he doesn't know what he sounds like.
Starting point is 01:57:45 In theory, he may have just watched you change form, so. Yeah. Maybe, maybe he was paying attention to something else at the time. Maybe he just knows our position, but doesn't see our every move. Yeah, like we're like beacons on a map. Yeah. You know?
Starting point is 01:58:02 Vilya nods and is like, he doesn't seem to be aware of the goings-on in the village or any specifics. Vokodo has previously been prone to ask what's been happening. So there might be something to that. We could be just as shocked coming through there as anybody.
Starting point is 01:58:24 Tell us when we get here? Oh, wow! Oh, wow! Yeah, we were just looking at the exploring and one of us got pulled through and we followed. This isn't the bathroom, what? We tried to muster ourselves a little more together for it. Mm-hmm. Okay, okay.
Starting point is 01:58:41 He at least knows where we are. He knows that an offering that Fjord has made has been withdrawn. We are in a place, correct me if I'm wrong, where we're, islanders have been forbidden to go. This island? No, this area. Oh, this area's been forbidden, yeah.
Starting point is 01:59:00 But he already knows we're here. Yeah, of course, I'm just, I guess, lamenting the fact that Deeter did not come. Yeah, well, I'm lamenting that, too. We're not in a great position. Just to throw it out there, it's not a good plan. You're going to say no, but I'm just going to throw it out there anyway.
Starting point is 01:59:17 Here it comes, let's have it. Deeter was going to be lured here to destroy some ships and draw out Vokodo. Why do we need Deta to destroy some ships? I was... Couldn't we just blow up some fucking ships? What would we use to blow up? Oh no. I was going to suggest maybe we keep the, like,
Starting point is 01:59:38 find something else that's big and bad and likes to fight things thing and polymorph it and take it in with us. Like, we could go get one of those creepy panther things or something. I don't know. I was trying to preserve the plan. We could just burn all the ships with fire.
Starting point is 01:59:54 What if we bust out the ceiling in here? Oh, and just make it rain rocks? See how many ships we can take out with that? How do we do that? I would think we would do it from above, because if we're down here, oof. But like, with what? Yeah, if you blew up two of the ships with the,
Starting point is 02:00:15 do you have any of your, I don't want to say it. I've got some things. Right, we could see if he's going to come out of his nest, if not. Question answered. Sure. We could see if he's going to come out of his nest, if not. Mm-hmm. Question and answer. Sure. We could try and find a great white in the ocean. Sorry, what?
Starting point is 02:00:34 A shark. You were going to go fishing for a great white shark? Mm-hmm, yeah. Do you have a good charter that knows where the great white shark hunting ground? You tell me, Captain Dusktooth. They're not around here. Do we? I'm trying to preserve the Dieter Plan. where the great white shark hunting around. You tell me, Captain Dusktooth. They're not around here.
Starting point is 02:00:46 I'm trying to preserve the Dieter plan. The Dieter plan. We could be Dieter. You could be a great white shark. Oh, you were going to do like, here, Dieter, Dieter, Dieter, with a great white shark or something? No, like here, guaca, guaca, guacamole,
Starting point is 02:01:02 but with a great white shark. I don't know, I'm trying to figure it out, man. But you can be a great white shark. I'm sad about Dieter, too. I'm with you. We're all sad about Dieter. We're all sad about Dieter. Sorry, you guys.
Starting point is 02:01:14 No, he sucks. You had the idea, that was more than we had. That was a very good idea. And further proof that he should really get laid. Yeah, you tried to invite him to a party. It was his decision not to come. Should I light a ship on fire? I think you should probably blow up at least two of them.
Starting point is 02:01:29 Yeah. Let's destroy some ships. I like it. However. We're not at all worried that he's going to unleash the volcano's wrath in the ocean. I was just going to say. Also, if we do that, then we can't play off the idea of Vilya going in and saying like, yeah, we're here to offer you
Starting point is 02:01:47 some more things, like that's out the window. He knows. All right, well then let's follow that plan. Say we go in the back door with Vilya saying, hey, we came in the back door to give you prizes. Then what? Yeah. Do we give him something or do we just attack? He seems to be like pretty smart.
Starting point is 02:02:06 Right? I mean, we could make a present. I could put Fluffernutter in some sort of a bowl or something, and we can hand it to him, and then make it blow up. And even if we do go in there, even if his guard is slightly down, it's still a fight. We're not going to sneak up on him,
Starting point is 02:02:21 or surprise him, or ambush him. We're still going to him. Right. We're trying to see if we'll get him to come or ambush him. We're still going to him. Right. We're trying to see if we'll get him to come out, right? So it's worth the shot. Right. Let's try to blow some things up. He's trying to fight him on his home turf, underwater, by the way.
Starting point is 02:02:33 That's not cool. We can breathe. We can breathe, and also, we can cast. For all of us. Before we do it, I should cast Freedom of Movement, because it lasts for an hour. One hour. Do you have that, Caduceus? That eats into our banish.
Starting point is 02:02:53 DM, do we remember how long it took us to traverse? From the first entrance to where he was? From the first entrance, it was about maybe, Caleb would remember. Probably about an hour or so of travel, but that's also because you guys were being careful and finding your way as Vilya was leading you at a casual pace.
Starting point is 02:03:15 So freedom of movement at the last minute, right? Yeah, right before we go in, yeah. Also, you do have the Residuum for the Glyph of Warding thing you were also talking about last time. Oh yeah, that's right. We could use the Residuum for that. To put a bomb on something, right? Yeah.
Starting point is 02:03:36 We can also, I mean, if we really want, we can also do a group water walk, if anyone's got that. Yeah, but that's for surface. Yeah. I mean, if we want to just not deal with underwater at all. But he's completely underwater. He's submerged. Depends, we don't know where we're going to be facing him.
Starting point is 02:03:56 Okay. But good if he comes here. We have a couple of freedom of movements, but it does cut into our banishment. Yeah. Yeah, it's just a matter of freedom of movements, but it does cut into our banishment. Yeah. Yeah, it's just a matter of, okay, okay. So far, our resources were the ghosts at the ruins, the dragon turtle,
Starting point is 02:04:18 the element of surprise, any member of the village, our own ship, that's it. Yeah. Somehow we found ourselves back to Flaffanada. Yeah. So we start with Flaffanada.
Starting point is 02:04:34 We hope that we can lure him in here, and if it doesn't work, we have to be prepared to get a message out to Voh for them to evacuate or be on alert in case he dumps from above the volcano. They could build another village. They could. I also feel like they might just see it, right? If it starts to make a sound, a rumble, or earthquakes.
Starting point is 02:04:58 I mean, unless they're just stupid. I mean, Vilya, we're hoping you all didn't build Voh in a direct lava flow path, did you? I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter if the whole thing blows, but. He didn't build a channel down from the top? No, no, he did not. But I also haven't seen the volcano
Starting point is 02:05:15 erupt to its full capabilities. This is some shit the DM would do. Like, you piss off a god and it would kill a whole village. It would kill the village. Yeah. We trigger Pompeii. We'll probably get a little bit of a warning. Like, if he sees a ship blow up,
Starting point is 02:05:33 he's not going to just click the nuke. He's going to come see what it is first, right? Figure out what's happening. Yeah. If he can't see the specifics of what we're doing, he has such a tough call. It may be an accident. He may ask us what's happening.
Starting point is 02:05:48 We don't know how to draw him out. We don't know how to warn them. We got to just commit, go in. Commit to what, going in? Well, I'd say we blow up the ships. If he doesn't come out, we go in. Sure. Okay. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:06:01 Because if he comes, he's going to come. Yeah. Fairly quickly. Hard and loud and yeah. I mean, you would think. Unless you can do shit we don't anticipate, which is very likely. Shit. And yeah, by the way, like the Fluffernutter thing,
Starting point is 02:06:17 I don't know, fire damage is the right way to go with a volcano god. I'm not going to blow him up. Yeah, just his property. Just the ships. Yeah, yeah his property. Just the ships. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just, there was a fluffernutter plan. Oh, oh, yes, yes, yes.
Starting point is 02:06:30 You're right, you're totally right, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, acid fire. So, I'm excited. So are you. I really feel like we've covered all the bases here, and in no way could analysis after the fact reveal anything we haven't thought of. Yes.
Starting point is 02:06:46 It's just true. Airtight. Jester, do you have the ability to send any more messages in case time passes and nothing? Speaking of airtight, time chamber fills with nothing. Sure! I'm just saying in case. I can send more messages, sure. I've got plenty more open spots right now.
Starting point is 02:07:02 It's just, it's just. I understand the problem, but. I know. Non-stop. I still want the ability to warn a lot of people that we've drawn the wrath of a god upon their heads. Yeah. Vilya, is there any type of alert system in the village?
Starting point is 02:07:24 Do you have anything, anyone that you can send a message to? Other than that? I don't have the capabilities that your friend here does, unfortunately. I'm usually one of the few that sets up a flare of some kind. I can alter the sky. We do have bells arranged throughout the village
Starting point is 02:07:47 that in case something is coming to attack. Okay. You know, they've got bells. If the volcano were to start making noise, would people know to? They would know if a Kodo was angry. If it began to erupt, they wouldn't stand in the way of the flow.
Starting point is 02:08:02 See. They rely on me to keep him calm. But we may just have to trust that people are going to act in their own interest. Yeah, the problem is we don't know what he's going to do. No. So what's the plan? We just have to trust that the VO community
Starting point is 02:08:26 is filled with smart, smart people who are not self, you know, who have no egos. Just think about the greater good. Hopefully they're all good at messaging. What level is best for you? Third. They're all definitely people messaging. What level is best? Third. They're all definitely people I'd love to have a beer with.
Starting point is 02:08:49 That's for sure. So I could do the Glyph of Warding would use 200 more Residuum Powder. I know, we're starting to run out of resources, too. That's the other thing. Like, we've been here so long. What are we going to do with the glyph? We need our resources. The glyph would only do one attack, right?
Starting point is 02:09:10 It's just like a few. Yeah, it's like 5d8. If he doesn't make the save, it's a 5d8, whatever kind of damage we want it to be. And it can't move, right? It's not terribly much. And the original idea was to have that be back on a gift to him, but if he's coming
Starting point is 02:09:28 busting out into this boat lap. Yeah. I love you. Whatever, should we start blowing up some boats? Yep, that's our planning. I cannot believe that I'm in agreement over this. When in doubt, blow up a boat. Let's do it.
Starting point is 02:09:43 Yeah. I will not use Fluffernutter. I will use my other bomb, my Depth Charge. Are we going to be clever about this? Doesn't seem like it. What does that mean? I mean, are we going to decide where to put them
Starting point is 02:09:59 or are we just going to go in nilly-nilly? Well, there's a few boats that we can choose from. I don't want to do the fanciest one, right? That's Eden's Horizon. There's also the Banshee, the Mistral, the Fiona. Any of these look like? We should definitely blow up the Fiona. Good blowing up ship.
Starting point is 02:10:16 I was going to say the Fiona, too, because then it's just. Fiona's really got to go. Yeah, it's just a dumb name. It seems lame. Yeah. It's not a terrible name. Or a ship, right? Oh, right, not Fiona Fancypants.
Starting point is 02:10:28 That's not at all indicative of where I'm talking about. Let's just start building up boats. Why are we still talking? Any of these good-looking vessels? I mean, the sea banshee's fairly nice and it's been taken care of. Why are we still talking? The Mistral also is a nice,
Starting point is 02:10:47 medium-sized, looks like a naval vessel. And which is the furthest from the Vokodo Door? The furthest from it would be the Fiona. Perfect. Fiona's got to go. Have some guidance. Oh, thank you. Yeah. All right, I'd like to walk on water over to Fiona and attach my depth charge to it,
Starting point is 02:11:12 or just put it on that, I don't know, where should I put it? Fjord, where is it going to make the thing burn and sink? Burn and sink? I don't know, I haven't burned a lot of boats. What do we want, fire or sync? Fire, right? Fire.
Starting point is 02:11:28 Yes, you went above decks and went down into the hull and attached it right under the deck. Great. That'll be a show. Okay. I'll be back. You go and attach it there, below the deck. And then, I mean, I got to light it on fire or something so it'll explode. How far back should we all be?
Starting point is 02:11:44 I don't know. Caleb just holds out a handful of fire. Come with me, will you? You're going to be close, make sure it works. All right, I guess, should we make some sort of fuse, or are you just going to throw a fireball at it? I could just lob this over, yeah.
Starting point is 02:11:59 All right, let's be somewhere where we can run away. This is not a fireball, this is just a globule of fire. Sure, but it will explode, so we just need to be far enough back. How far back? Well, we're below Dex. Are you going to set it off while you're in the ship?
Starting point is 02:12:17 I mean, yes, I have no fuse. Yes, no. I have no fuse, so. You definitely don't want to be on or near the ship. Maybe, oh god. I mean, the entire ship is made of wood. We could just set the boat on fire. Let's do that. And then we'll eventually.
Starting point is 02:12:34 What? Is it as loud as a depth charge? We'll set the boat on fire, but we'll leave the depth charge in and when the fire reaches it, kaboom! That's still a good idea. Working together. Starting to gel. We have! That's still a disaster. Working together. Starting to gel.
Starting point is 02:12:47 We have a great knowledge of deflation. Holy shit. How do we run anything? I don't know. That was like a 19-point, three-point turn. Yep. All right, so placing the charge onto the upper deck. The deck itself, you all take a safe distance,
Starting point is 02:13:07 and then what do you do? I just start using Fire Bolt. Okay. To light this boat and maybe the one next to it on fire. It is a cantrip, so you can do it indefinitely. It does take you a while, because one, it's a moist interior, and it looks like a lot of the wood here is somewhat,
Starting point is 02:13:26 goddammit. It's been all night, it's been all night. There's no one else, okay. Missed you too, Laura. So it takes you a while to get the wood. So dumb. Tell me more about the wood. To get the wood dry enough.
Starting point is 02:13:43 Dry that wood. Can make the wood dry enough. Yeah. Dry that wood. You can make it so dry for you. It's good. Oh! Ah! Ah! Actually, with Control Flames, which is a cantrip I have,
Starting point is 02:13:54 I can, with one action, make it five feet, turn into another five feet, into another five feet. So with that. Yeah, so once it catches, you can go ahead and switch to that. As you do, the flames begin to spread and engulf the exterior and upper deck area of the Fiona. As it begins to burn bright,
Starting point is 02:14:12 the interior of the cavern is now being warmly lit in the immediate vicinity of the ship, and you watch as the flames spread and spread. The detonation rocks the interior and you watch as the deck sprays a splintering cloud of shards of burning wood. The mast falls to the side, now itself engulfed in flames,
Starting point is 02:14:41 and the ship is a goner. And it's just now on fire, and you can see slowly it's a goner. And it's just now on fire and you can see slowly it's beginning to capsize a bit to one side. I look over to Yasha and say, once you burn one ship, it's kind of hard to stop. No. Oh no. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:15:04 No! No! Tackle them! We could all hide or something, right? After a short time, you hear... You feel a universal rumble. You watch as certain small elements of rock and stoning and. Is this roof going to collapse? certain small elements of rock and stone begin to Uh-oh. Spish, spish. Is this roof going to collapse?
Starting point is 02:15:27 You put the roof on us? Should we get in the bubble? We're fine, we're fine. We're fine, take cover. I've got a pearl on my head and I'm starting to cast Fortune's Favor. The rumbling begins to subside a bit to just a low, continuous rumble. Does that mean he's coming?
Starting point is 02:15:46 We spread out, everyone. I am going to make sure I'm standing next to Beau, and you should make sure you're standing next to Yasha. All right. Okay, okay. Okay. Wait, is there? A few more moments pass. What's up? It's okay.
Starting point is 02:16:00 A few moments pass, the rumbling continues. The ship is now burning and slowly it is sort of sinking and it's hitting the edge of the sandbank, so it's sinking and beginning to tumble to the side to find itself to a deeper portion of the cavern, which now puts flames partially obscuring the exit from where the waterfall is, but not entirely.
Starting point is 02:16:23 The rumbling continues. It continues, unchanging. The waterfall is not entirely. The rumbling continues. It continues, unchanging. It's a perpetual rumble. I'm going to. How's the temperature? Of the chamber? Yeah. It's the same. Can I put my hand in the water? Sure.
Starting point is 02:16:41 Does the water feel the same temperature as before, or warmer? Apparently the water feels same temperature. Can I try using, I'm going to get down and kneel down on the deck of whatever boat we're on right now. Okay. I'm going to try to use Divine Intervention. Okay. To get the Traveler to use Divine Intervention. Okay.
Starting point is 02:17:05 To get the Traveler's attention here. What are you trying to do? What are you asking for with the Divine Intervention? I'm going to ask the Traveler to help us get Vokodo out of his chamber. Fuck him. And get him in here. All right, go ahead and make a roll.
Starting point is 02:17:27 I really shouldn't have said fuck him when I was talking to the dragon turtle. I really feel like I messed everything up with this one. You should fuck him! We are going to peg the couple. Oh, what's this? I don't know, it's too high, it's too high. It was close.
Starting point is 02:17:47 Aw. Curses. As you reach out, the Traveler, through your head, you hear the voice go, Really love to help. Currently dealing with some really shitty travel buddies at the moment. So sorry, but soon. And you can hear the frustration in his voice,
Starting point is 02:18:03 not with you, but he seems to be preoccupied. The rumbling continues. Occasionally, it spikes. One of you guys that can do illusions and stuff, shouldn't you be like, oh shit, they're destroying all the boats in Heaven's Falls, oh no! Vilya closes her eyes for a second, and as she does, you see her, these very faint flames
Starting point is 02:18:33 licking up the sides of her forearms. Oh. She thinks, I have a bad feeling, hold on. And she transforms into a regular owl, not a large one, a regular one. Coasts past the flames of the sinking ship, the Fiona, and heads through the illusion to the side, best she can of the waterfall, and vanishes out of sight.
Starting point is 02:18:58 Great, we're never going to see her again. She's going to give an aerial peek. She just said it was a really bad idea to go through that thing as a bird, and then she did it. So it must be pretty serious. Yeah, it was a large bird, yes. She comes back through on the other side a moment later, lands, she transforms.
Starting point is 02:19:23 Well, it's erupting. You feel other rumble. More stones are. I'm hoping that Caleb has had enough time, a minute, to cast Fortune's Favor. Yes. I think it's time to go.
Starting point is 02:19:41 In. Into the butthole. I agree. Immediately. We're not going to get him out of here? One thing, if he's pissed and that's what's causing the volcano to erupt, the water will be boiling. It's going to be very hot. Why are we going to go in then?
Starting point is 02:19:56 I think we forgot to talk about that part. Remember, he got mad and just started to get a little warm. Yeah, you remember. Saving throws. Are we going to lie? Are we going to say, like, oh, it was crazy. It was crazy. Someone's destroying a ship, so we tried to stop him? We're going in.
Starting point is 02:20:10 Or do we say fuck it, and we try to keep destroying the ships and hope he'll come out. Blow another one up. Do one more. How many boats are burning? How many boats are on fire? Just two? One? Two?
Starting point is 02:20:25 Just the Fiona, that's it. Maybe we should blow up our boats? I feel like he'd let them all burn. You think? I don't know, if people start smashing your shit and you've got 20 or something and they only break one, you're like, eh, not so bad. I'm pissed, but if they start-
Starting point is 02:20:40 And halfway through that, you're like, fucking unlocking the door and coming out, right? That's what I would do. Except for you guys, what are you going to do? What if he's trapped in the volcano and he can't come out, no matter how hard he wants to? Wants to come out. No, you could be right.
Starting point is 02:20:57 It could be safer in there or something, I don't know. I think he's fucking there. You want to smoke another boat? We going in. Caleb's already burning the next ship. Which ship are you burning? The Marshal. The Banshee! What's next? Whatever's next to the Fiona. Whatever's next to the Fiona.
Starting point is 02:21:12 All right. You guys look over and just already lobbing fire bolts straight in. Straight in, sticking out. Okay, we're doing this. This ship continues to burn slowly. It takes about 10 minutes or so to become Okay, we're doing this. This ship continues to burn slowly. It takes about 10 minutes or so to
Starting point is 02:21:27 become a fair inferno. The sails begin to catch and you watch as the sea banshee becomes another burning ship. It's going to take a little bit, but it is now on fire. Are you going to leave that and move to another one? What are you doing? I will until someone tells me differently. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Starting point is 02:21:46 Burn it, keep going. Keeping resistance up. We don't need these ships either. Has anything changed at all in the 10 minutes that Caleb spent? As it begins to burn, you hear and feel another another heavy, reverberant, almost like an explosion from the outside,
Starting point is 02:22:04 and you all can feel and hear it from the inside of this chamber. It's just like a uranium rod that's overreacting. Yeah. Oh god. We got to go, we got to go in. We got to go in. We're going to kill everybody. We're going to kill ourselves. They're not already dead.
Starting point is 02:22:19 Yeah, we're sitting, are we making it? We're going to die, you guys. This could kill us all. What are you doing? You know, we don't have to go in. guys. This could kill us all. What are you doing? You know, we don't have to go in. We could just go outside and wait. We could just leave everyone here to die. Yeah, Vilya can step through a tree,
Starting point is 02:22:34 take us to another continent. The second ship is now beginning to sink as you guys are waiting, rumbling, continuing. What are you doing? We're going in, right? Vilya. Have you ever wanted to go to Wildemount? We should go in.
Starting point is 02:22:49 Not particularly. Ah, okay. We have to save everyone. Are we roping up? Okay, we have to go. Everybody on a rope? Yeah. We go in? Let's jump into the water. You guys are going in?
Starting point is 02:22:59 Yes, yes? Yes. Yes? Yeah. Thumbs up? Yes. No. Orym Voltron. Oh, come on, Veth. Get your thumb up, Veth. How long did we say it took to get through the tunnels?
Starting point is 02:23:10 Like an hour. An hour. From the other side, it was about an hour, yeah. From the other side? This side, we don't know how long it'll take. You know how long it'll take from this side. It could be less. We don't even know where this goes. I'm going to be behind Beau,
Starting point is 02:23:21 and I'm just going to be ready to, as soon as I see the opening into the cavern, hit her and cast Freedom of Movement. You got it. I'm a super fast swimmer, too. Are we all tied together still? Do we remember how the last time? We're all holding onto the rope. It didn't matter the last time.
Starting point is 02:23:36 Actually, if you get there, you undo it, yeah. All right, so you guys all dive into the water. Yeah. Oh boy. All right. Terrible. It was great. Sploosh, sploosh, sploosh, sploosh. You all dive in. Vilya. Oh boy. All right. Terrible. It was great. Splish, splish, splish, splish. You all dive in.
Starting point is 02:23:46 Vilya uncomfortably dives in with you. The water is warmer. Sure. Oh, so it's gotten warmer. It's gotten warmer. I checked. As opposed to, from when you first touched it, the cold ocean temperature is now like a lukewarm, a little above room temperature warmth. It's like a comfortable bath.
Starting point is 02:24:06 That's just because we nervously peed in it, though. Well, there's that, too. Yeah. So what is the marching order for this entering? We're going to burn alive the minute we get in there. Fjord is going to lead us. Fjord's leading. Who's after Fjord? Beau. I'll be after, yeah.
Starting point is 02:24:21 Jester. All right. Can't we just, like? And then Yasha and Caduceus. Yep. Wait, Jester's after there? After Beau. Then it's Yasha and then Caduceus? Uh-huh. All righty. And then?
Starting point is 02:24:36 I mean, I guess Vos? Sure, yeah. Don't put me last, don't put me last. I'll go behind the firbolt. Vilya will go last. I'll go last. All right. So you swim down and you can see the glowing orange entrance, the torch bloom plants that represent the beginning of this.
Starting point is 02:24:53 Fjord, as you get there, I need you to go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw for me with advantage. With advantage. 14. 14. 14. As you approach, you see it, and you begin to get it through the tunnel, and you get there and go,
Starting point is 02:25:19 Okay, okay, I know where it is, I know where it is. I got to get there, I got to get there. And you take off. So he's holding the rope, so all of us just start going. All of you guys, you're already swimming fast, but you now swim with purpose, and something is guiding you the right path now. I know where to go.
Starting point is 02:25:36 One after the next. He's got the rug. Could everybody roll a wisdom saving throw for me with advantage, please? Oh my god. All right. Jester. 24. 24. 22. 19.
Starting point is 02:25:51 18. 24. 16. 16. Everyone but Beauregard is able to hold onto their mental state, but Beauregard, you also find yourself pushed forward. You're all signal-files. Yeah, captain. Let's go. So the two of you are just rushing through the tunnels.
Starting point is 02:26:13 You can see where it branches off. Initially, one splinter, and then three, and then it just becomes numerous tunnels that splinter off, these lava tubes that are within the water. But the two people that are within the water, but the two people that are leading it seem to know where they're going.
Starting point is 02:26:28 Great. And following their lead, you rush through for five, 10, 15, 20 minutes. Oh god. The water getting slightly warmer as you progress. Not uncomfortable, but warmer. You're now getting to that like, almost to a hot shower type temperature
Starting point is 02:26:50 where it's prickly, but it's tolerable. Roughly 35 minutes of rapid swimming, which the rest of you are starting feeling really nervous. The only light that's present here, because they have night vision, you can't see down here, Caleb,
Starting point is 02:27:07 so you're going to have to keep some lights up with you if you want to be able to follow. But at the moment, I'm roped, right? Yeah, so are you just letting the rope take you? For now, yeah. Okay, I need you, Caleb, to go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw for me. Okay.
Starting point is 02:27:23 Would the fire flowers give off any kind of glow? Actually, no, the torch bloom does give off a little bit of light. I thought. So yes. You are totally right. So what'd you roll? I got a 20. 20, all right. So even letting the rope take you,
Starting point is 02:27:38 you push away at times to keep yourself from colliding with the sides of the tunnel. The orange, it feels like an odd similarity to the, my brain keeps going to the other side in Poltergeist. How there's just this continuous tunnels that continue to shift and change, and they move with the water
Starting point is 02:28:01 as the torch bloom shifts with the swimming and the separation of the liquid you guys are swimming through. Eventually, you see it begins to widen as both Fjord and Beauregard make your way towards what looks to be a familiar but different opening into a chamber. Oh, as soon as I see the opening,
Starting point is 02:28:27 I cast Freedom of Movement on Beau. Okay, Beauregard, do you have Freedom of Movement? No. Anybody else doing anything? Mirror image. Freedom of Movement on Yasha. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 02:28:37 I'll throw Mage Hand. Sure. I'm casting Mirror Image. Mirror Image on yourself. All right, anything else? Okay. Can I do something else? Or since I cast Freedom of Moon,
Starting point is 02:28:49 is that my only thing I can do? As you're approaching, you can, like, they begin to slow down as they kind of get to the edge point. You can do it if you want to keep it subtle. Right before we go through, I wanted to invoke Duplicity. Okay, yeah, that's easy enough to do.
Starting point is 02:29:06 Okay. So duplicity has been invoked. This plan cannot fail. Oh my god. We got the element of surprise. We got to go fast. What are we doing? Just go in and attack.
Starting point is 02:29:19 We just. This feels like the most we've planned. And yet the least we planned. All at the same time. Literally, I think we go in immediately and attack. The minute we go through the door. As you guys enter the chamber, there are still those pockets of torch bloom
Starting point is 02:29:39 that give off a little bit of light throughout the chamber, but it's still a heavily shaded space. You see the familiar stalactites that curl down from the ceiling. This, you're pretty sure, is the exact chamber where you first encountered Vokodo, just from a different perspective. You found an entrance from another side.
Starting point is 02:29:57 The temperature in here is quite hot. The water itself, it's beginning to numb the skin a little bit in places with the volume of heat that's within. Any sign of Vokodo? Make a perception check. Maybe he's busy operating the volcano. Yeah, like with leopards and stuff. Yeah, exactly.
Starting point is 02:30:20 He's the wizard. Yeah. Okay. So now 18. Okay. So now what? 18. Okay. You glance up and catch the first sight as in the ceiling portion, where it was first spotted when you came through, you see these burning red orbs,
Starting point is 02:30:36 these angry eyes, four of them, looking back in your direction, as tendrils and it pulls its way down like some sort of massive coal-colored cephalopod. Oh no. What have you done?
Starting point is 02:30:56 And as he yells, the whole chamber quakes angrily. Guiding bolt. Yeah. Well, we're going to go ahead and take a break. Oh! And jump back into this beforehand, but as part of that, let me go ahead and set up the battle map.
Starting point is 02:31:15 Oh boy. Oh boy. This impending TPK is brought to you by a Dwarven Forge. But like, really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The journey out into the wild lands, Dwarven Forge's eighth terrain Kickstarter launches this weekend. Check it out at dwarven Forge. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The journey out into the wild lands, Dwarven Forge's eighth terrain Kickstarter launches this weekend. Check it out at dwarvenforge.com slash wild land.
Starting point is 02:31:31 Oh! Oh! Oh my gosh. Sometimes I see you buying pretty things, and then I learn later that they're to destroy us. That is beautiful. Oh, it's for all the fish you don't have. Wow. Yeah, yeah. Yeah all the fish you don't have.
Starting point is 02:31:45 Wow. Yeah, yeah. Any time you see an aquarium receipt on your credit card bill, please text us. I'm thinking about an early warning system. I will. There we go. Pet store?
Starting point is 02:32:01 No, no, something's wrong. Look at this. Oh shit. Wow. That is this. Oh shit. Wow. That is so cool. Whoa. Have essentially entered from this side. The element of surprise.
Starting point is 02:32:12 Exactly. I mean, we've been doing Guiding Bolt up the butt since campaign one, so it's really consistent. It's appropriate, right? So you guys can tell me where you would like to be distributed at this point, as you enter the chamber. Outside the volcano. On a boat. Lo? Outside the volcano. On both.
Starting point is 02:32:26 Loosely in the space. That's as far as you've gotten there. Who was, Fjord and Beau were the first ones out, so you guys get the farthest or wherever you'd want to be. And he is what, directly above us? Yeah, where is he? He is up here. Like just emerging from the upper portions
Starting point is 02:32:43 of the chamber and swimming. How far can we get? Right now, to where we start, is about this intro space here. Just tell me where in that space you want to be. I'll try and... So I'll wear a chargrace right now? Can I even try and get up here? You have freedom of movement.
Starting point is 02:33:01 I do. You do, but for the purposes of this, this is just arriving and this is happening here. I'll hook right with Caleb if you're up for it. Yeah, yeah, to get behind that column. Yeah, yeah, that thing. Okay, that's as far as you guys could get from stepping into the chamber.
Starting point is 02:33:17 Oh, you guys are behind. Okay, then actually put me opposite. Put me on this wall over here, Matt. That's about as far as you can get from the entrance there. You guys just scatter. Caduceus? Put me opposite, put me on this wall over here, Matt. That's about as far as you can get from the entrance there. You guys just scatter. Caduceus? I guess I'm just, yeah, right to the left,
Starting point is 02:33:31 so if I have a partial cover from the golem. Over here? Yeah. Okay. I got a plan. Vilya's going to come right here. Yasha? And where is Vokodo-ish? Above us. Up here. Oh, cool, yep.
Starting point is 02:33:46 Yeah, let me go to the other side of Jester. How can we do something this badly? We did so much planning and debating and discussion. And then we just ran in. We could have just walked in and done the same thing. Well. All right, now remember, this is a good plan. You are swimming. So you can go up and down.
Starting point is 02:34:06 There is upward vertical travel in this. How tall is the cavern? The cavern up here is roughly 80 feet. 80 feet. And is it all water to the top? No. Yeah. You haven't swam all the way up there, but from what you can currently see, it seems like it might be.
Starting point is 02:34:19 Oh my god. Just pick your head up and it's just magma. Yeah. We can move and then we can swim in here? Yes, you can. We can go up? Yep, but those of you that do not have freedom of movement or cannot swim under, you know, have a swimming chamber like you do,
Starting point is 02:34:37 it's half movement and all attack rolls made with weapons are at disadvantage. Ooh. So beware. But freedom of movement, that is not the case. Correct, so you guys don't have to worry about that. Spells don't have to worry about it. Ranged weapons have their own unique little weird thing.
Starting point is 02:34:54 Sure, like if I fire from cover, which would normally be advantage, this would be at disadvantage, so it would just be a straight roll? Specifically on this, let me get the rules. This will definitely impact how you deal with this particular battle. The deterred idea was very great.
Starting point is 02:35:16 It was really great, I really wanted it to work out, I'm so sorry. 20 DC, huh? 20 DC, yeah. Might you fight? It would've been great. There we go. Unwarded card, yeah. Ranged weapon automatically misses would've been great. There we go. So I don't want to call you. A ranged weapon automatically misses if it's beyond the weapon's normal range. I have good range.
Starting point is 02:35:30 So what's your first range increment? Don't you have, like, sharpshooter? I just got a feat or whatever, so... Well, it hasn't updated, but I think it's 120 feet. For your hand crossbow? Well, did you take sharpshooter? He took sharpshooter. Which gives you no, yeah, no.
Starting point is 02:35:54 Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon. It's still long range, though. It's still the standard range. So 30 feet is my limit. Correct. If you fire further than 30 feet from it, it's going to automatically miss.
Starting point is 02:36:07 Got it. So keep that in mind, and... Oh, oh, oh. That's significant. And the attack has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow. So it does not have disadvantage, but the bolt only goes as far as 30 feet before it floats.
Starting point is 02:36:22 Okay. Let's go, brawlers. All right. Great. But bonus on freedom of movement is you can't be, let me double check this. Can't be grappled, right? Can't be grappled, yeah. Correct. And you can automatically escape
Starting point is 02:36:37 from any non-magical restraints, which is using five feet of movement. That's phenomenal. So keep that in mind. That might come in handy. All right. We're going to go ahead and take a break here and return here for whatever this battle is going to look like
Starting point is 02:36:52 in the middle of an angry erupting volcano and whatever Vokodo is. So we'll see you guys back here after the break shortly. All right. Why, hello there. This is Critical Role's resident art dad, also known as Liam O'Brien. We are continuously
Starting point is 02:37:10 amazed at the artwork this community creates. That's why each Thursday at 8 a.m. Pacific we share a curated gallery of submitted fan art over on CritRole.com. If you'd like to submit your art for consideration, visit CritRole.com slash submit.
Starting point is 02:37:26 And thank you to all of the incredible artists who share their talents with us week after week. And welcome back. So, picking right up where we left off, you all have entered the interior home, central chamber beneath the volcano of Rumblecusp, where Vokodo resides. And let's go ahead and get that on the board. Oh, look at that. He lights up. Oh my goodness gracious.
Starting point is 02:38:00 He's so sparkly. Oh yeah, yeah. He lights up. So sparkly! That's where the heat from the mouth comes from. Holy shit. It's gigantic. Ah! It's too big! Yeah, that's pretty big.
Starting point is 02:38:13 That's really big. It's a pretty big... So. Look at the treasure chest on his back, that's so cute. I'd like you all to roll initiative. Oh god. Looks like a bunch of dog poops with treasure swirled into it.
Starting point is 02:38:27 I love it. Ew, gross. Aw, damn it. I don't want a high initiative. Are you fucking kidding me? Watch. It's okay, she'll go last anyway. The healer should go last.
Starting point is 02:38:39 Hate going first with Caleb. I'm definitely last. I don't know. I don't know. Can you roll? 20 to 25. 21. Yeah! Yes!
Starting point is 02:38:49 21. Oh, fuck, Caleb. What? Caleb and Beau. Empire. Caleb, did you get 21? Also 21, but Beau's dex is higher. Yeah. I don't know about that.
Starting point is 02:39:01 I mean, let's have a push-up contest. Okay, right now. 20 to 15. 15 for me. 15, all right. Nice. Oh shit. 15 to 10. 12. 12 for Jester.
Starting point is 02:39:25 10 to five. Five. I rolled an eight. Thank you, Sam Riegel. I'm an American soldier. He looks so cool. This is really beautiful. It's so.
Starting point is 02:39:42 What a good environment for us all to die in. Yeah, but it's a death. Is there a light in Vokodo, or is it behind Vokodo? F for us all to die in. Yeah, beautiful death. Is there a light in Vokodo, or is it behind Vokodo? Fjord? It's in his mouth. Oh no. Fjord. Does he have a light on his back? He's got a light in his mouth.
Starting point is 02:39:57 That's his mouth? You're a very handsome man, Travis. Right there. Oh! That is so cool. None of that is so cool. None of this is happy magic. You could use that as an emergency flashlight to find your keys and stuff at night. What's it there for?
Starting point is 02:40:14 So, top of the round, as Vokodo pulls forward, shouting at you all, the water itself around you seems to almost bubble in places, and the heat is rising all around you. Beauregard, you're up first. With Caleb on deck. Does Jester get her guiding bolt as a surprise? It wasn't a surprise round.
Starting point is 02:40:36 Oh, wow. He wasn't surprised. He knew you guys were coming. So you initiated the guiding bolt. So you begin casting the guiding bolt, like, it's like an incantation. Combat starts initiative now, so as you're casting the spell,
Starting point is 02:40:50 Beauregard rushes past you. Okay, I don't know if I'll still want to do Guiding Bolt by the time I turn. Up to you then, you can change it before you get there. What's the lighting like in here? Like for the humans and all that? For the humans, it's low light. Okay.
Starting point is 02:41:03 Aside from the orange little patches you see of where the different colors of orange are, there is a 10-foot radius of bright light around it, and then it is low light everywhere else in the chamber. Does low light means we cannot see anything, or? No, it just means for perception checks, it's a disadvantage at a certain point for details beyond that.
Starting point is 02:41:27 Range attacks might be involved, but, you know, we'll see when we get there. So anyway, Beauregard, what are you doing? Wow. I just lost feeling in my knees. I'm going to swim up to it, I guess. Right up front it, I guess. Right up front here?
Starting point is 02:41:47 God punching. Can I, how much speed was that to get there? To get there? Yeah. 25. Okay, let me get on, can I get on top of his head? Can I get on, like, above it? Sure, yeah, I'll let you do that. Whoa.
Starting point is 02:42:06 Since you have enough speed as a monk. Jeez. So as you swim up over, as you rush up over it, you feel the heat blasting out of its mouth. As it lights up the front of Beau, as you skid past, the water around its mouth itself is almost boiling.
Starting point is 02:42:22 As you move up, you see the four eyes in the head kind of like clock you as you swim past them. The water around its mouth itself is almost boiling. As you move up, you see the four eyes in the head clock you as you swim past them. And then above, you can see the massive collection of coins and knickknacks and pottery and weird furniture, all sorts of, all things that have been collected over time by Bakodo.
Starting point is 02:42:43 What are you doing? Okay, okay, I'm legitimately lightheaded. Yeah, that's me. I'm going to swim up over him, and I'm going to try and use one of the things that's attached to his back to give me some leverage to come down and power bomb him from above.
Starting point is 02:43:01 Go for it. Yes. Both fists out. What the fuck are we doing? Oh god. From above. Go for it. Yes. Both fists out. What are we doing? Oh god. Pop, pop. Okay.
Starting point is 02:43:13 27 and 18. Both hit. Oh, that's good. 18 hits. 18 hits. Okay, okay. Oh, what do you see? 18. All right, you guys, let's kill the car.
Starting point is 02:43:26 First attack. First, no, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. First attack is an eight, so that's cool. 14 damage, a stunning strike. 14 points of bludgeoning damage, stunning strike. All right, he's going to go ahead and use legendary resistance to not be stunned. Legendary resistance.
Starting point is 02:43:51 One resistance down, sort of. Three resistances per round, or three resistances? We don't know. We don't know. But he just used a resistance? Yeah. Oh, that's good. You don't know. I love it. He just used one with his Stunning Strike. Second attack, wow, opposite end of the spectrum,
Starting point is 02:44:09 seven damage. Okay, seven damage. Stunning Strike. Success. So 16, right? That's your DC on that? 16. 16, yeah. Flurry of Blows. Go for it. For my bonus. Let's go.
Starting point is 02:44:28 Each of these punches, by the way, as you're punching in the side, it's like searing your knuckles. It's hot, hot, hot, hot, hot water. Shouldn't be this hot. Okay. Bad, it's bad. 21 on the first one. And 13 on the second.
Starting point is 02:44:50 13 misses. Okay. But the first one does hit. Go ahead and roll damage. What'd you roll on the first one? 21. 18 hit, though. 18, 13 is what we're at right now.
Starting point is 02:45:01 And? Go Beau. Vau-co-do-regard. Oh no, you Vau-co-don't-regard. 10 damage. 10 points of damage, bludgeoning. And extra gaspings. Okay.
Starting point is 02:45:19 So as you, all three hits and you pull back and the burning sensation from all the blows you laid in do seven points of fire damage total. With each hit, the sheer temperature of the surface of his hardened exterior burns your knuckles. It's like and as soon as you block it, you're like, ah, fuck, that hurt.
Starting point is 02:45:43 So just know that hitting it with a melee hit seems to burn you back. It burns, it burns. You do, however, learn that he is resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from non-magical attacks, is resistant to cold damage. Resistant to cold damage. And is immune to fire damage.
Starting point is 02:46:03 Okay. Not vulnerable to anything? Not vulnerable to anything? Not vulnerable to anything. I just shout out, obviously, think he's immune to fire. Surprisingly, resistant to cold. Didn't see that one coming. And then that's my turn.
Starting point is 02:46:19 Thanks for the comment, Gary. There you go. That finishes. Caleb, you're up. I'm going to just pull out the drift globe and say, Fajar, and cast Daylight. It's right here on the paper. Fajar.
Starting point is 02:46:34 And cast Daylight here inside the chamber, and then I would like to shimmy the right to try to block myself somewhat from his gaze. Over here? Yeah. Does he have a gaze? Okay, you're with one, two, three, as much as you his gaze. Over here? Yeah. Does he have a gaze? Okay, you're with one, two, three, as much as you can move. Just line of sight.
Starting point is 02:46:51 You're swimming 15 feet with movement, because you're all there. Are you going up at all, or are you staying low to try and block off? I will, yeah, I will. I will go on a diagonal. I will. All right.
Starting point is 02:47:03 That'll put you about there. Fajar? You've got it. Fajar. Fajar. Fajar. Fajarna. Initiative count 20, layer action first.
Starting point is 02:47:15 Oh no. Wow. I ate the salt. This is fine. Oh god, I'm getting nervous. Remember when we spent two episodes preparing for this and it made no impact? Oh no, Laura Bailey, why?
Starting point is 02:47:33 In this vicinity. Oh, we tried so hard, we're good. This strange wave of psychic energy emanates from the side of the wall and causes all of you to briefly shoot your attention straight towards Volkodo. I need everyone except for Caleb and Veth to go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw.
Starting point is 02:47:55 Hey! Advantage. Advantage, okay. Also, for everyone who took a long rest, it might have gotten rid of your temporary hit points, so put those back up there. Oh, that's true. Everyone has nine temporary hit points, so. 18.
Starting point is 02:48:09 18, Jester? 27. 27. And Yasha? 13. 13. 29. 29, Beauregard?
Starting point is 02:48:19 You didn't call me. All right, because you weren't there, you're right. So as all of you shift and look, you all shake it from view, however, Yasha, your vision suddenly begins to blur and swirl towards it and there's something alluring. I have no wisdom. And for the time being, you are hypnotized,
Starting point is 02:48:39 you are charmed by it. Why are you so easy? On your turn, you're trying to get as close to it as you possibly can and you can only use your action to dash towards it. Why are you so easy? On your turn, you're trying to get as close to it as you possibly can, and you can only use your action to dash towards it. Oh man. Until you're within five feet. At the end of each of your turns, you get to try and save from it.
Starting point is 02:48:54 Right now, when it comes to your turn, all you can do is just get as close to it as you can. Some lord, when you first enter these tunnels, you just need to get to this creature. It's drawing you towards it. We might have to hit you. Yeah. Okay, well, I'm going to go to it.
Starting point is 02:49:11 Well, it's not your turn yet. I am so sorry. Oh, at the end of the- That's how charmed you are. So that's the layer action. Now it's Vilya and Vokodo, both actually rolled the same initiative. Okay, okay, okay. They're working together. Vilya's aokodo both actually rolled the same initiative. Okay, okay, okay. They're working together.
Starting point is 02:49:25 Vilya's a little bit higher on there. So she is going to go first. She, looking around in the space here, sees everyone's face shift. She also resists the effect, looks about angrily. Everything seems fine. She goes ahead and takes her staff, holds it in front of her, begins swirling it overhead
Starting point is 02:49:43 like this, and as it does, soot from the ground begins to lift up out of the ground and form these blackened clouds that begin to crackle over the top of this darkened chamber. She forms an underwater storm cloud by calling her. Shit! That's dope! So cool. Water's a hell of a conductor, though. Yeah, if we've learned anything about your mom,
Starting point is 02:50:07 it's that water is not her favorite terrain. Oh. Ooh. Ooh. Wow! Yeah. Wow! It's been a rough month, man.
Starting point is 02:50:16 That was some millennia shade. She's going to cast it at fifth level. Fifth level? She's casting it at fifth level. And with her bonus action, she's going to transform into a killer whale, which I do not have a mini for. Oh my god.
Starting point is 02:50:31 So instead I'm going to be using this because it's roughly this size. And that gives her a swim speed of 60, so she's going to go ahead and shift over here. That gator was its sound. Onto the side over there, and swimming up against the side as this killer whale spins around,
Starting point is 02:50:45 a bolt shoots down towards Vokodo, who has to make a dexterity saving throw. Makes it, natural 18. However, that puts the damage at 5th-level to... I believe it's 3d10. 5d10 points of light. Hey! Ooh.
Starting point is 02:51:04 Good go, Vilya. Ooh. That's serious. Ooh, nice. Can I do a thing? 33 points of damage reduced to 16. I'm nervous, even. No, it's 15 points of lightning damage.
Starting point is 02:51:23 I'm sorry. She's now a lightning storm casting Killer Whale. Finishing Vilya's go. It is now Vokodo. The water is now getting to a subtle boil around you. While it's not damaging you this round, you gather it's probably going to start damaging you pretty soon just being in this chamber.
Starting point is 02:51:42 But for Vokodo's turn, let's see what we got here. You know what, looking around at the space, the eyes shifting after it takes the blows from on top to you, Beauregard. And angrily, two of the eyes kind of glare up towards you and the voice gutturally growls within and goes, can't have that.
Starting point is 02:52:15 I need you to go make a wisdom saving throw for me. Fucking shit, come on, Beau! Thank god for these hero's feasts, man. Okay, I rolled a 19 and an 18. Whoa! Jesus Christ. So my wisdom save is plus four, so 23 total. Yeah, that'll do it. Angered the god of Akrotha. Lucky roll, lucky roll.
Starting point is 02:52:40 So as the two eyes look towards you, you feel this psychic wave strike your brain, and for a second, you feel like something is trying to grasp hold of your will, and you remember yourself back on that shoreline meditating on the Menagerie Coast, and you shatter that hold, no effect. Nice. And you say, ew, your eyes can look backwards, gross. With that, he's going to attempt to move backward,
Starting point is 02:53:08 like an octopus, swirl back. You do get to take a reaction if you want to. Yes, I do. Yeah, 25 to hit. 25 hits, go ahead and roll damage. And Sentinel, he's not going anywhere. 11 damage. 11 points of damage, okay.
Starting point is 02:53:29 You're a penis. So he tries to move back, and Beauregard punches right back down in the head, taking another three points of fire damage. But in doing so, the eyes curl in and look back in different directions, briefly shaken, and it stays in place. You can now feel,
Starting point is 02:53:46 just the space around it is vibrating with anger. That's Vokodo's turn. Yasha, for your turn, you spend the entirety of it swimming forward and getting as close as you can to Vokodo, which is right up there, and you just stand there and stare. You all watch as Yasha just floating in the water, stares, head slightly cocked to the side, either enthralled by the jewelry on its back
Starting point is 02:54:12 or the actual entity itself. I need you, Yasha, to go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw at the end of your turn. With advantage? With advantage. This Heroes' Feast is going to save you guys' fucking ass, I swear to god. Cocked. Shake it, shake it.
Starting point is 02:54:30 Shake it good. 15. Plus? Nothing. Nothing. Oh! 15 does not succeed. You stay in there holding your space, still glaring at it. All right. At the end of your space, still glaring at it. At the end of your turn,
Starting point is 02:54:48 it's going to use a legendary action, since you're right up in its face now, to use its bite attack. As you're right there, its jaws begin to open and you can see the elongated, pointed, almost obsidian-like teeth reveal this bright yellow light that burns from the inside, like the heat itself
Starting point is 02:55:06 has become like the front of a hooded lantern, but intensely more bright. And you watch as Yasha is framed in dark shadow from your guys' perspective behind her before it lurches forward to try and bite down on her. Dead lights. That is going to be a...
Starting point is 02:55:23 22 to hit. Yeah. Okay. As it bites down on you, Yasha, you take... You don't need all those dice, you can just use half. 17 points of slashing damage. Okay. Plus 10 points of fire damage.
Starting point is 02:55:44 Okay. Plus 10 points of fire damage. Okay. And that's its legendary action on that round. Finishing Yasha's go, Jester, you're up. Okay. He's just going to... I'm going to try to use up some of his, I'm going to cast Command. Cast Command on him? Yeah.
Starting point is 02:56:14 Okay, what are you commanding? Drown. Grovel. Grovel. Okay, that's a wisdom saving throw. Yeah. 16, what should saving throw? Yeah. 16. What'd you DC? 17. Oh my god. 17?
Starting point is 02:56:33 Yeah, you'll grovel. Ugh. You sound like you're not sweating at all. I know, I know. Are we starting the shit now, or are we waiting around? What? Starting what? So next turn, it'll fall prone and end its turn. In terms of?
Starting point is 02:56:52 He falls prone, like to the floor of the cavern? Mm-hmm. Yeah, and he'll end his turn. So he won't take a turn? He'll lose a turn, yeah. Okay. He would rather lose a turn. He still has legendary actions, though. Yeah. How many legendary actions do we have? We don't know.
Starting point is 02:57:08 Okay. All right. Does that finish your go, Jester? Yeah. You still have your bonus action. I'm going to move. Where are you moving? I'm going to swim. I just want to not be in a cone. Can I swim towards Caleb and up?
Starting point is 02:57:29 Towards Caleb and up. Okay. Full, like, 15 feet at an angle, you mean? Yeah. Okay. We'll say that'll put you about there. Okay, I don't know. And I'm going to send my duplicate the full movement that I can towards Vokodo.
Starting point is 02:57:46 That'll be about there. Also higher up? Yeah. All right. I want her to come up underneath him, like under his belly. Under his belly? Okay. Just say right there. We'll understand it's under the belly.
Starting point is 02:57:59 You got it. All right, end of your turn. Vokodo's going to go ahead and use two of the legendary actions to use Reflexive Magic. Well, she's not going to be directly underneath him if he's going to fall prone, so she's going to be back a little bit. Okay. So there? Yeah.
Starting point is 02:58:13 Okay. Reflexive Magic? I'm going to use Reflexive Magic. It's where it gets to cast a spell at 4th-level or lower as a legendary action. Jesus. It's going to go ahead and you watch as Beauregard, you're right above it, and Yasha's right up there
Starting point is 02:58:26 in front of it. You watch the entire Fulm of Vokodo just vanishes. What? It was casting just then? It was. Did I have eyes on or am I hidden? You would have eyes on. Counterspell. What's the range on Counterspell?
Starting point is 02:58:41 60? I think that's right, hold on. 60? Yeah, it's right, hold on. 60? Yeah, it's 60 feet. 60 feet, definitely within range. It's a fourth-level spell, so I need you to go ahead and roll. Is he teleporting or going at this level? We don't know. You don't know?
Starting point is 02:58:56 No, I'll do it at fifth level. Oh shit. Okay, okay. He stays put. You have counterspelled as Dimension Door. He was leaving, which, maybe, or maybe he was just bouncing around the room. To a different place, yeah, we don't know.
Starting point is 02:59:15 All right, that finishes. Gestures go, Veth, you're up, Caduceus, you're on deck. Oh my god, I have to do something? Yeah, you do. I can't get within 30 feet of this dude, right? You could get, yeah, you can get within 30 feet. Really? Who were you hoping he was going to tell you no?
Starting point is 02:59:34 I can't do this, right? Yeah. Can I just stay in my comfort zone? And how does sneak attack work? It's engaged with Beau, but. It's engaged with Beau. You have disadvantage on the attack work. It's engaged with Beau, but. It's engaged with Beau. You have disadvantage on the attack roll. No, no, you don't, because it's a crossbow.
Starting point is 02:59:51 So you have a 30 feet, it's just a straight attack roll, and if it hits, because Beau and Yasha are within range, you do get sneak attack damage. Okay, then I'll do that. I will swim as far as I need to be within 30 feet. Okay. Five, 10, that'll get you, you'll probably to be within 30 feet. Okay. Five, 10, that'll get you, you're probably swimming past Jester.
Starting point is 03:00:08 Sure. And getting right about there. And I will fire. Go for it, roll an attack. Okay, 22 to hit. That hits, you can go ahead and roll damage. All right. Oh boy.
Starting point is 03:00:35 34 points of damage. 34 points of damage, nice. And then I will, I could hide or go away. You have nothing to hide right now. You're out in the open after firing your crossbow to get close enough. I'll just shoot again.
Starting point is 03:00:53 Go for it. Roll another attack. And this one I'll do sharpshooter. Okay, minus five to hit. Yeah. 21. 21. It's 26. Oh, then that does hit. Go ahead and, and then? It's 26. Oh, then that does hit.
Starting point is 03:01:07 Go ahead and roll damage with a plus 10 damage. Aw. 17 points. Aw. Only over 50 damage in one round, cool. So as you fire a second time, both of them sink into the sides and the bolts split in. You watch as the bolts a second time, both of them sink into the side as the bolts split in.
Starting point is 03:01:26 You watch as the bolts heat up red, just being stuck in the side of a creature, this high in temperature. But it. Uh-oh, doesn't like that. Oh god! All right. That's your turn. Yep. Caduceus, you're up. Fjord, you're on deck.
Starting point is 03:01:49 Quick, Caleb, are you going for it? About to go for it? Yeah, all right. Yeah. I'm going to, am I within 30 feet of a... You are just outside of 30-foot range. Can I get to 30 feet? You can, yeah.
Starting point is 03:02:07 Will I have room to try and take cover after getting there? You, no. Okay. I'm right in the middle of a bunch of people, aren't I? Yeah, we just kind of clustered. You can probably move here if you want to. You'll still be 30?
Starting point is 03:02:19 Maybe, you can try it and we can measure when you do. Fuck me, man. Shit. I hate it when you do that. So either you take cover or not take cover and be sure. Your call. I'll not take cover. Okay.
Starting point is 03:02:38 So you can move about there and be sure that you can get him in 30 feet. Oh, that was so creepy, y'all. Before I move there, I'm going to use my bonus action to turn invisible. Okay. You vanish from sight and then shift over next to him. I'm going to hold a Divine Domain, Channel Divinity
Starting point is 03:02:55 for right before Caleb's attack. Okay, okay. Harsh one. You're holding actions through Channel Divinity for Caleb's attack. So yeah, whatever Caleb does will be double damage. Or even if it's an attack. Each turn.
Starting point is 03:03:12 Says the... I feel like he has a... It does not function on spells unless the spells have an attack roll. Oh, okay, never mind then. I'm going to change my shit. It's more of a combat-based thing or for spells that have an array
Starting point is 03:03:23 or have an attack roll. In that case, I'm going to attempt to cast Bane then on this thing, see if it sticks. What's the save on that? 17. 17 of which one? Charisma. Charisma, ooh. It rolled a natural 19, even though it doesn't have
Starting point is 03:03:40 a huge bonus on it, so it does resist Bane, unfortunately. It's all right. It's all right. It's all right. That's your action. My bonus action was turn invisible. So that's your turn. Yeah. All right, finishing canoes, Fjord, you're up.
Starting point is 03:03:52 Beau, you're on deck for the top of the round. I'm going to kick off the ocean floor and try and swim up behind this rock formation, trying to, is that 30 feet? Can I get there in 30 feet? Yeah, five, 10, 15, 20, we can have 30 as you can. Okay, before I slink behind that little spire there to break his line of sight with me, I'll fire off.
Starting point is 03:04:15 You can't quite break his line of sight at 30 feet, but you're right on the edge there. Okay, then I may keep my head above, I'll fire off two Eldritch Blasts, and then I'll drop down low so that I'm behind that platform then, just so that I can stay low. Okay.
Starting point is 03:04:31 Two Eldritch Blasts at him. You got it. That's a 22 to hit. That hits. Second one is, oh, that's really good, 28. Both hit, go ahead and roll damage. Okay. Eight plus five, plus two is 15. That's total balls, but I can reroll a one.
Starting point is 03:04:55 Just eight, 15. 13, 15, 30 points of force damage. Damn! Nice. Of fjors damage. Fjors damage. And with that, you duck back down just below and we'll say what'll put you about there. Yeah, that's right, yeah.
Starting point is 03:05:10 So you don't get quite as far, but you use the rest of the movement to get back down. Is that your turn? It is. Actually, I'm going to use my bonus action before I duck down to cast Hexblade's Curse on Lakoto, you fucker! You got it, and with that, he has been cursed.
Starting point is 03:05:23 We got a convenient place cursed with the hang effect. I need to come back. Yeah, there's quite a few options there. Yeah. A little coat and a hat. Okay, that finishes your go-forward. As you pull back behind, you can watch as some of the long-dead plant matter in here begins to bloom green and then shoot out and sink into the crevices dead plant matter in here begins to bloom green,
Starting point is 03:05:48 and then shoot out and sink into the crevices around its body as the curse takes hold. The Wild Mother now bound in there with the warlock energy. The Wild Mother has entered the fight. Indeed. All right, Beau, you're up. Caleb, you're on deck. All right, I am going to wait and rear up for my opportunity, and as soon as I see
Starting point is 03:06:05 one of his tentacles whip overhead, I'm going to leap and jump off. I'm going to grab it swashbuckler style and use that to swing around and come back at him with a double donkey kick to the face. Around this side? Yeah! Yeah! That works great. Is it all in slow motion because you're underwater?
Starting point is 03:06:24 Yeah, just. Not for you, it's not slow motion. As the tentacle rears back after the curse takes hold, you grab it in this giant swoop and end up careening around. I do a little bicycle kick, pop, pop. Pull on bicycle kick to its side. Bicycle.
Starting point is 03:06:46 Bicycle. That one's cocked, but this first one is 24. That hits. Sunning Strike. Goddamn, that shit dice rolls damage. Seven damage. Seven damage. You take eight points of fire damage.
Starting point is 03:07:05 Sunning Strike. I was going to say, Seven damage. You take eight points of fire damage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I see more attrition right there. I was going to say, do you have any? I'm just going to go ahead and use another resistance. I am not going to kill myself with. I mean, anything long range. He uses a legendary resistance?
Starting point is 03:07:16 Yeah, he did. One. He used one. He used one at the top. Yes, he is. Okay. Yeah. Okay. He's using another one? Yes, he is. Okay.
Starting point is 03:07:30 So he has used two total, right? You think? Yeah. He's only used two. That we know of. He's used two? He has used two. I've seen some games where they don't even mention if a legendary resistance is used, and just let you guys figure it out. But I don't know.
Starting point is 03:07:44 It's fun to let you guys figure it out. But like, I don't know. It's fun to let you guys strategize around it, so. Yeah, because our strategies pay it off. Fucking watch it. Squirrels run around in pudgings. 15? 15 misses. Did we get it? Did we get it?
Starting point is 03:07:57 Okay. 15 misses. What did he do last time? Okay, you know what? Flurry of Blows, so I'm going to do pop pop again. Go for it. Shit, shit, shit, stop. Bob, Bob.
Starting point is 03:08:13 Bob. Bob, Bob, Bob. Bob, so while I'm there, I'm just going to try and swing around for two more kicks to his little squirmy eyeballs. Bob, Bob. Okay, okay. 28 for the first one and 19.
Starting point is 03:08:24 Both of those hit. All right. Go ahead and roll damage. Yeah. Is he stunned already? No. 13 damage for the first one. All right. And 11 damage for the second. Great.
Starting point is 03:08:37 You also take 14 points of fire damage. Okay, woof. So after you impact both the legs, you pull back and then pop, pop, hit him back inside the side of the chest. The whole side creepers, and you see coins being jangled loose that begin to slowly fall and spin to the ground.
Starting point is 03:08:53 And as you pull back, the knuckles are singed and burnt now, and you can see there's a little bit of blood trails in the water as you pull back your fists. You're starting to bleed from the impacts there. Oh, they're getting those bubbly blisters. You know when they bubble? Uh-huh. Ah!
Starting point is 03:09:08 Does that finish your turn, Beauregard? Yeah, yeah. All right. Caleb, you're up. Yeah, I'm going to swim 15 feet forward and try to poke my face through that platform. Over here? Yeah, that little gap there. Okay. And extend my hand out, holding a cocoon in my hand, and I'm going to cast Polymorph on him, on Pokoto.
Starting point is 03:09:31 Okay, got it. That's a which save? That is a wisdom save. Wisdom save. And turn him into a dragon turtle. That is a 23. Big save. Well done.
Starting point is 03:09:43 Worth a try. So as you come through and release it, one of the eyes looks towards you, and as the spell impacts, you see its form quake for a second and then resist it. Lair. However, Beauregard, I need you to make a wisdom save. All right. Come on, girl. All right, all right, all right, all right.
Starting point is 03:10:05 Corks. But that first one that wasn't Corked was an 18 anyway, so 22. 22, that does beat your DC. What? So as you cast Polymorph, the effect blasts off his hide, and then reforms towards Beauregard,
Starting point is 03:10:22 and Beauregard, you suddenly resist an effect that's going to be trying to change and alter your physical form. Wait, you resisted it also? Is that something that can happen? A spell can ricochet off of a bear? Is that with him? So she saved? I saved. Oh my god.
Starting point is 03:10:40 And to that point, actually, just double check. This guy's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve, you guys. I forgot earlier, Caduceus, if you can go ahead and make a wisdom save as well, or charisma save for me. It would have been really funny to see you turn into a giant crab, though. Oh, that's true. So I need to do this.
Starting point is 03:10:53 Pop pop! Aw. 20. Snap. 20, yeah, you're fine. Cool. All right, Caleb, that's your movement, that's your action. You're good? All right, Caleb's done. That's tricky.
Starting point is 03:11:02 We are now back to the lair action. Oh, it's reflective. So as the lair action, he gets a free Misty Step and is going to teleport 30 feet this way. As part of the lair action. Not a spell, it's a lair action, right? You got sentry on his own, right? As a lair action, it gets to cast, so it is a spell. It gets to cast. so it is a spell.
Starting point is 03:11:25 It gets to cast. But is him leaving my melee range? Do I still get to make an attack on him? It's a teleport, so no, you would not. Oh, right. He just disappears. I'm not going to. Okay. I'm not going to. So with that, leaving Beauregard and Yasha behind,
Starting point is 03:11:38 oh god. And Beauregard falls over. Bah! Slow-mo falling. Oh, I can swim. Yeah. Yeah! Not the time!
Starting point is 03:11:51 Oh, it's fine, it's fine. Teleports 30 feet back as part of the Misty Step. You watch as he vanishes, and then suddenly this tiny little sparkle of fire goes across the water, and then all of a sudden he apparates in place again, and you watch all the water around him pull back and then immediately begin to shift. You can see the heat itself radiating
Starting point is 03:12:12 is causing the visuals around him to warp. But that's the lair action. Now it comes to Vilya's turn. Oh fuck. So Vilya. She's a killer whale. Wait, when is he up? What is he? After Vilya. She's a orca. Kill her, Will. Wait, when is he up? What is he?
Starting point is 03:12:27 After Vilya. Same time as Vilya. But still has to reach and call out, and he's 120 feet, so she can do it from there. She's going to go ahead and fly up a little higher, so she can go, or swim up, as an orca. So she has a visual, and is going to go ahead and concentrate for a second.
Starting point is 03:12:42 The head seems to dip down, and the storm above goes and strikes down next towards Kodo, who fails his dexterity saving throw. Damn. Sorry, hold on. Da-da-da. How many dice does that? Two. 25. Yeah. How many dice is that? 25. So 25 points of lightning damage to Vokodo
Starting point is 03:13:11 as the bolt strikes and hits him. That's going to finish her go there. No redirecting of that stuff? No. Good to know. It's the... It's an attack spell. It's the... So. It's an attack spell. It's different. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 03:13:31 Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun! I'm still trying to figure out what's happening. I did forget one thing earlier, but it's my fault. So finishing Vahli's turn, it's Navakoto's turn. The entire chamber has now become superheated. Every one of you within the chamber takes three points of fire damage.
Starting point is 03:13:51 Come on, Vajkoto. Sam, shut up. You got to do better than that, Vajkoto. No, no. We don't agree with that. Don't listen to him. He doesn't speak for us. Remember, you have temporary.
Starting point is 03:14:00 We want you to die, but. At which point, all the heat's there, he tumbles to the ground, successful command causing him to grovel. He swims to the base of the chamber right there. You are super cool. And is currently prone. Okay.
Starting point is 03:14:16 Does that mean melee attacks on it have advantage? Yes. That's going to go ahead and end his turn, because that's all he can do. Did the attacking Yasha break the charm on her, because she took physical damage? Yes, go ahead and make another save. But wouldn't it break it already?
Starting point is 03:14:33 Doesn't break it. She gets a save when she takes damage. She gets a save because of it. Come on, big money. You get a wisdom save with advantage, right? Say again? Wisdom advantage, yeah. Goddamn it.
Starting point is 03:14:45 12. 12, no. You're still there, staring forward towards it. That ends Vokodo's turn, currently prone on the ground, commanded by a level one spell. Ending that go, Yasha, it's your turn, and you spend your turn dashing as close as you can, right there, staring once more into the dead lights of Vokodo,
Starting point is 03:15:07 as Marisha put it, absorbed by what's in front of you, eyes wide, hypnotized. Try again, though. At the end of your turn, you make another series of saves. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. With advantage, with advantage. Gosh dang it.
Starting point is 03:15:22 Come on, here we go. This is it. This one. No, it's not,, here we go. This is it. This one. No, it's not, it's a five. What? With advantage? That was advantage. All right.
Starting point is 03:15:33 That brings us to Jester with Veth on deck. Oh, I got to come up with something. Come on, bad. Okay. I'm going to have my duplicate swim towards him. Duplicate. How close can she get? My duplicate? Because she's not altered by the speed of the water. She can get within almost 10 feet away.
Starting point is 03:16:02 From there. Do you have nematic immunity? Three, four, five. Yeah, so 30 feet, and it's still five feet away. From there. Do you have nematic immunity? Three, four, five, yeah. So 30 feet, it's still five feet away. Where is Yasha? I'm scared of casting any spells. I'm afraid it's going to... Right.
Starting point is 03:16:13 I'm going to try to cast... Fuck! I don't know that spell. I think you do. Matt, can you point to where Yasha is? Fuck him. Right there. Got it. Like right in the front of the face,
Starting point is 03:16:26 just staring into the open mouth. I'm going to Cast Command again. Cast Command again, okay. What's the save on that? That's wisdom? Yeah. That is going to be a 19. Okay.
Starting point is 03:16:48 That succeeds, that's your action and your bonus to move it, so you have your movement still if you want to move at all. Yeah, I'm going to swim around the base of where Fjord is. Okay. I'm going to swim as far around it as I can. That's as far as you can get, unless you want to go up or down. I'm going to swim as far around it as I can. That's as far as you can get,
Starting point is 03:17:06 unless you want to go up or down. I'm going to stay up so I can see him above the, just above the edge of that. Yeah, I can't. It's all good. I'll put you. I think you won't get over there. I'll put you right there. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 03:17:22 So you're just peeking over the edge. You've got it. All right, that finishes Jester's go. Veth, you're up. Caduceus, you're on deck. What do I do? What do I do? I got to get within 30 feet, but he's moved 30 feet away, and I can only swim 15 feet, right? Did I need to make a wisdom save or something
Starting point is 03:17:44 to make sure it didn't do anything to somebody else? The command spell? No, you don't have to make a wisdom save. Beauregard does. Yeah. What? Make a wisdom save. You're getting a ricochet spell again. With advantage. Oh shit, okay.
Starting point is 03:18:05 Wisdom save. 13 plus four. 17. Is 17. So you succeed, 17. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Jester's about to shout a word, and for a second, your concentration shifts towards her, and you shake it from your will.
Starting point is 03:18:21 Grovel? Really? You want me to grovel right now? No, I know, I wasn't going to say grovel! Oh, okay. All right. Beg! Sit back. I'm going to swim. I can't get within range. So I will, can I make it up to that thing
Starting point is 03:18:38 that Fjord was behind before? Up here? That rock that, yeah. Right on top here, you mean? Yeah, yeah. Can I get behind that? You can get over here, about as far as you can get, which is partial cover. Can I hide behind something over there?
Starting point is 03:18:54 Yeah, you can try and hide there. All right, I'll bonus action hide. All righty. Not everything. And then I will, oh, do I have to hammer it? I think next round, yes. Still, still, do I have to hammer it? I think next round, yes. Stealth, stealth, stealth. 30.
Starting point is 03:19:09 Okay. And then from my hidden position, I will cast a spell at it using my Spell Sniper? Is that a thing? Spell, not Spell Sniper, it's like a... I've never done this before. Your, your, your...
Starting point is 03:19:28 Magical Ambush! If I'm hidden, when I cast a spell, the creature has disadvantage on saving throw. Ooh. That's true. Wow. Wow, you haven't ever done that. Yeah.
Starting point is 03:19:42 Disadvantage on saving throws for the rest of the? No, just for this spell. So I will cast Phantasmal Force. Okay, on it. All right. Ooh, maybe he's extra susceptible to it since all he does is communicate with mind images. Maybe. Could be.
Starting point is 03:19:58 So what is the DC on that? And what kind of save is it, the wisdom? Only 15. Just flood the channels. And it is intelligence. Intelligence, okay. Okay, so it rolled an 18, and the lower number with its bonus is a 14.
Starting point is 03:20:16 So it failed. It failed. So, what's the effect? Well, not much, because I'm just a little creepy thing. So it will see a giant black portal, 10 feet wide, open up in front of it, accompanied by the sound of nightmarish howls from an abyss-like plane.
Starting point is 03:20:41 So it's like and it will hear, in common anyway, I'm coming for you. Okay. Oh god. All right. Okay, does it take any damage from this? It can take psychic damage, maybe? Does the spell do damage?
Starting point is 03:21:01 Oh yeah, but it seems to, it says, like, if the effect seems like it would injure them, they can take a 1d6. Right, so there's no damage yet. Yeah, it doesn't seem like it. Okay, you got it. Okay, that finishes your go. You are not a little creepy thing.
Starting point is 03:21:17 That was cool! I will say... Thank you. No, I mean, it failed the save, so it believes the scenario. So you watch as it's on the ground, like getting up from its groveling, you know, like in the process of getting up.
Starting point is 03:21:33 It's angry, it's frustrated. It sees Yasha there, and it's kind of grinning at that process. And now that it's moved away from the one that's pinning it down and everyone's kind of hiding over there, you see the weird kind of tongue on the inside of the mouth comes out and licks the front of its teeth, looking at Yasha. You can see the tongue itself is
Starting point is 03:21:49 glowing this extremely bright, orange-ish yellow hot poker iron type coloration as it pulls across the front. As it does, you can see bubbles rise as the water in its immediate vicinity flash vapors and bubbles up into the darkness above. Then suddenly it sees something out of the corner of its eyes, the eyes shoot there, and its entire body goes. You can see fear on its face. Ooh!
Starting point is 03:22:18 Is it going to save every round? I'll look. Oh, okay. While the target is affected by the spell, blah, blah, blah. You're concentrating on that. Oh, we have concentration here as well. Okay. You got that, Veth?
Starting point is 03:22:36 That's your turn. Caduceus, you're up, Fjord, you're on deck. How far forward do I have to walk to be within 30 feet of Yasha? To be within 30 feet of Yasha? To be within 30 feet of Yasha from where you are, which is... I'm invisible right there. Although I'd be visible now.
Starting point is 03:22:51 You would be. Right there. You would need to go your full movement, or close to it, 10 feet. Okay. I'll do... I'm going to try and get as centered as I am to get everyone, as many people
Starting point is 03:23:07 within a 30-foot radius as possible. That'd be right there, I think. And do I get Beau in that? Possibly. Shelly. Maddy, it says that it can use its action to investigate it. Got it.
Starting point is 03:23:21 Ash. Who's within range? I mean, it's one of those things where I would, how many people do I think are in range? You think everybody could possibly be in range, but you wouldn't know until you actually check. Okay, I'm going to cast a damage. I'm just a barbarian.
Starting point is 03:23:39 With advantage. Poor barbarian's getting mind control, man. I'm sorry, one second. I mean, Grog got mind control all the time. All the time, yeah. One, two, three. Is that low control, man. I'm sorry, one second. I mean, Grog got mind control all the time. All the time, yeah. One, two. Is that low wisdom, man? It's true. Low wisdom.
Starting point is 03:23:49 Yeah. Must kill my friends. What are you doing, please? I'm going to try and cast this on six people. I'm casting Bless on six people. Whoa. Casting at what level? That would be level four. Okay.
Starting point is 03:24:05 So 30 feet, Beauregard is definitely in that way. Yasha's definitely in there. I was hoping to go one step diagonal or two step diagonal just to get a little closer to Beau and be not right behind Phantom Jester. One step back, okay. Yeah, I mean, one step, you know, that diagonal. Not like, like, no, the other way. Hmm, okay. Okay, I mean, one step, you know, that diagonal. Not like there?
Starting point is 03:24:25 No, the other way, the other way. Would you be able? Okay, so moving there, you get everybody except for Jester. That's okay. So who are you choosing? Yeah, that's six. So one, two, three, four, five, six.
Starting point is 03:24:44 So everyone has a d4 added to saves and attacks. Are we blessed? Yes. Yep. Thank you. Me too? Except Jester. That's okay. Yeah, it was either you, yeah.
Starting point is 03:24:55 And yourself? Yep. At least she's Jester, though. That's true. That's a d4 to win. I'm still smiling, even though I'm going to die. Every saving throw and every attack, right? Attacks and saves, right? Attacks and saves have a d4 to win some saving throws, too. I'm still smiling, even though I'm going to die. Every saving throw and every attack, right? Attacks and saves, right? Attacks and saves have a d4.
Starting point is 03:25:08 Everybody's blessed, you got it. Did I finish your turn, Caduceus? Yep, that's what I got. Fjord, you're up. Don't like where I am, but what am I going to do? Okay, I'm going to float up from behind the platform only so that my eyes crest the top so that I can see. Okay.
Starting point is 03:25:24 And I am going to spot the portal behind the platform, only so that my eyes crest the top so that I can see. Okay. And I am going to spot the portal that is being conjured by Nott. You don't see a portal. You have no idea what's happening. It isn't an illusion to everybody. It's a vision that he's having. Oh, there we go. So you have no idea
Starting point is 03:25:39 what Fett did. Can I track where his eyes are cowering from? Make an insight check. Okay. Come on. Not great. Six. No, you have no idea. You don't even know he's afraid. As far as you know, it's just on the ground
Starting point is 03:25:57 groveling and getting up. I could have pulled a Bulgura through the illusion. That's what we had texted about, but I guess I never in-game told him what I was doing. Yeah. It was what I said I was going to do before the fight, though. It is. Would you have done it anyway, is the question.
Starting point is 03:26:18 Fjord, I made an illusion like we discussed! Like we texted about a minute ago. You may reply to this message. Darn. Okay. Don't even know. I don't mean I don't want to be all meta about it. What are you doing, Fjord?
Starting point is 03:26:38 Quitting the prison. I've been wondering why you haven't pulled anything. Yeah, you were going to do it. Fuck it. Just do it. You just won't know where to do it from. In the... That's true. In this area. Yeah. Because it's the biggest open space.
Starting point is 03:26:53 I'm going to use Major Image and I am going to conjure a 20 cube by 20 cube, 20 foot by 20 foot astral dreadnought. Yes! It looks like that it's burning with the same sort of glowing fire that Makoto has. Whereabouts? Yeah, right above there. Okay.
Starting point is 03:27:17 Maybe a little closer to where I actually am, just so that it pushes him back towards you and away from most of us. So about there? Yeah. Okay. Major image. There we go. 120 feet range, 25, 20 cube.
Starting point is 03:27:34 It makes sounds, looks terrifying. Totally. How, for comparison, how big was the astral dreadnought that we went into the mouth of? The astronaut that you went in the mouth of was between 20 and 25 feet wide on any side. Okay, great. Okay. So much larger than him.
Starting point is 03:27:56 He's a juvenile. He's a big cat. Or a little bit larger than him. Or, once again, just very far away. That's right. Right. Okay. Water distorts. You've created a hole. Yeah, you don't know. It's resting there.
Starting point is 03:28:10 Is that your turn? Yeah, and it lets out a terrifying astral dreadnought bellow. You've never heard? I've never heard. So what's it sound like? Just a cacophony of shit, like... Just diarrhea-inducing sounds. Mm bop, mm bop.
Starting point is 03:28:28 Bop, mm bop. Do it over! That's diarrhea pretty much. Yeah, just a thousand T-Rexes pitched down a couple decibels. You got it, okay. Ooh, that's nice. All of you guys see this, too, by the way. Ah.
Starting point is 03:28:42 Suddenly this smaller-than-usual astral dreadnought just emerges out of the shadows on the side and begins roaring. So keep that in mind for whatever role-playing purposes there might be. But he said he was going to do it, so it shouldn't be completely. We did have the tough.
Starting point is 03:29:00 It's still pretty intense. But it's still intense. It's still intense, just be aware. That's still a big thing. Okay, that finishes Fjord's go. Top of the round, Beauregard, you're up. Caleb, you're on deck. Yeah. Shit. Okay, I'm 30 feet away from it.
Starting point is 03:29:14 You are right now, yeah, 30 feet. Not no mores. Doggy paddle. Doggy paddle. Swim forward. I'm going to do a swan dive. I'm going to go down, or punch him in the face. Okay.
Starting point is 03:29:31 I cast. Punch him in the face. Punch him in the face. I'm super flowery about punching him. What about your lightning gloves? It takes an action. Right, does it take an action? I thought it was like a free action to...
Starting point is 03:29:48 You're going to shoot him in the face, like,. Yeah, I guess it doesn't take an action, doesn't it? Until Edge can just do it. You've never done, it's not taken an action before? It doesn't specify that it takes an action. That's probably a fault of my hand. I would, if it hasn't previously, we'll let it go for the purposes of this battle,
Starting point is 03:30:12 but I should have guessed that. Okay. Fists for the reminder. Fists go. That would have been a waste of a turn. I'll probably make it a bonus action going forward. Okay. Oh wait, I rolled! Oh no, I rolled and I just picked up the dice that I rolled!
Starting point is 03:30:26 I'm rolling again. And you have a d4. And I have a d4! Ooh, the other rolls I did were way better! For sure. He's had advantage, by the way, because he is not, he is prone. Oh! He hasn't had his turn yet.
Starting point is 03:30:42 Well, then I will take that seven with that plus four, thanks, Caduceus, to make it 21 total. He's what? Forgot he's prone. 21 hits. Yeah. What does that mean?
Starting point is 03:30:59 What does that mean? Melee attacks get advantage. Double the chances for a gnat. It's fine, I got this over here. I'm just hacking away at him over here. You have to get to add it to your save. Just charging up over time. Thanks, Drey.
Starting point is 03:31:15 I'm just getting away from him over. That's a 22. He definitely saves from that. Second attack. Second attack with a d4. 23. Second attack. Second attack with a d4. 23. 23 hits. Still in physical. Uh-huh, 11 damage.
Starting point is 03:31:33 11 points of damage. Stunning Strike. Stunning Strike again. Going through all my key points. That is going to be... 16. My save is 16. Saves.
Starting point is 03:31:46 Pop up. All right, another Flurry of Blows, go for it. Yikes. God, I'm getting really low. Ooh. Low on punches? Keys. Oh, do you only have a certain number of punches every day?
Starting point is 03:31:59 I do, I have to ration out my punches. Oh no. Those are both 16s, so 26 total, plus the d4. So you're rolling with advantage on each of those, too? Mm-hmm. Yep. It was all hit? 26, it was technically 30 total. You got it. Nice.
Starting point is 03:32:18 It's looking pretty rough, right? How do you do-de-do this? 14 damage. 14 damage. And for the second one, sorry, it's a lot of dice. 23, 25 total to hit. It's another eight for another 14 points of damage. Great, all right. As those blows are jamming into its side, you're just angrily, and you're hitting it,
Starting point is 03:32:46 you're doing some serious damage. You can see areas where the blackened rock exterior is cracking and some of the molten glow is getting brighter as you're actually damaging it and seeing it breaking away. You do suffer, ooh. Even though, oh yeah, you are making contact. 22 points of fire damage.
Starting point is 03:33:03 I'm starting to punch lava. It's starting to hurt real bad. making contact. 22 points of fire damage. I'm starting to punch lava. It's starting to hurt real bad. So, take your 22 points of fire damage. Beau's looking like not, she's looking a little charred, a little blistered in a lot of places. Like, definitely some third degree burns and some areas. Caleb, you're up.
Starting point is 03:33:19 Yeah. Caleb will swim around that column a bit to try to get as close as possible and start weaving his hands in the water and muttering arcane words and say, I have an offering for you. And I will pull out my middle finger and say, you make a shitty god, you bedazzled cephalopod,
Starting point is 03:33:38 and I will cast Banishment. Oh yeah! Yes! Bravo! Let's do this. Come on, let's go. What save is that? Charisma. Charisma. 17. 17.
Starting point is 03:33:51 It's not his best save, but I rolled high on that. Shut the fuck up. Rolled high. Fuck you. Beauregard, make a charisma saving throw. Plus a d4. Oh no! See you in hell, Beauregard. Fuck you, Caleb. Fuck you. Oh no.
Starting point is 03:34:06 I can drop it immediately. Wait, do I have to, because I'm in the vicinity? No. He chooses. He chooses. He chooses. She had your d4. I'm about to. Okay.
Starting point is 03:34:18 Uh-oh. Mm-mm. Ah, ah, ah, bam! 14. Where were you? Okay, so. To his home turf. 14. Where were you? Okay, so. The hit home turf. Beauregard vanishes from the battlefield in a flash of arcane power.
Starting point is 03:34:35 Beauregard, as you're right there, fists burning, you get this weird sensation, like this weird sparkling around your torso, and then suddenly, darkness, and you are adrift on this endless sea of sparkling gossamer, stars, and silver. All your friends are gone, the water's gone, you are just floating.
Starting point is 03:34:57 Can she breathe? Yeah, you can breathe. Oh, okay. I'm sure it's make-believe. And as you go to inhale, you cough all the water out of your lungs and you are alone. It is cold and you are alone. Oh boy. Is it dark? It's dark beyond bits of weird silverscapes
Starting point is 03:35:17 of cloud and sparkles from all around. You see distant little clusters of what looks like floating rocks slowly rotating. Cool, cool, cool, cool. All right. I did? Maybe. Question for the DM. Yes. I remember, I'm not using luck, I have Fortune's Favor.
Starting point is 03:35:34 Luck used to be you could make a target reroll as well. Does that apply here? No, Fortune's Favor is about your fortune, not somebody else's. Fuck. All right, done. Bye! Wild. All right, done. Bye! Wild.
Starting point is 03:35:48 It could get worse. Top layer actions now. Layer actions. The creature now getting back up into its space. Don't worry, Beau, you're safe. Freaked out by what's over in that area, it's going to go ahead and... You mean the giant portal and the giant mini-dreadnought?
Starting point is 03:36:03 Both. This is the layer action in this space. It's going to waste its layer action on your illusion. Yes! And the direction of your illusion to your illusion. Yes! Nobody is hypnotized from that space. Hey!
Starting point is 03:36:18 You did something! Oh, thank god. Wait, I was in that, but I'm already hypnotized. You're already hypnotized. I can't be doubly hypnotized. Does it discern anything about the illusions? It hasn't taken its turn yet. That was its lair action. I think it has to touch it.
Starting point is 03:36:32 Now it is Vilya's turn. Vilya is going to go ahead and swim over as this orca over here to get a visual. It's about to be over. I know. And it's going to bring the bolt down onto Vokodo. I like to picture the killer whales, like little thin, being like. However, does succeed on the save.
Starting point is 03:37:02 And completely misses it as the bolt fires down instead and strikes Fjord. I need you to make a dexterity saving throw. Oh shit. Oh no, she rolled a one, but how did that miss it? I got blessed, right? Oh no, he made his thing. Thanks, Keyleth.
Starting point is 03:37:19 We had to be. Keyleth's waiting for it, yeah. Yeah. Appa doesn't fall far from the tree. Way to go, Keyleth's mom. Oh man, a joke five years in the making. That's the d4 for Bless, right? Yep, that's exactly her spell DC. That's good. So you take half damage. Okay, okay.
Starting point is 03:37:42 5d10, half of that. Do they both take half damage or no? He does not. Oh man. Keyleth's mom don't got it going on. Does he take any damage from it? Not if he makes the save on something for half. Fuck.
Starting point is 03:37:55 All right. Ugh. 28 points of lightning damage reduced to 14. So you take 14 points of lightning damage forward. And if I recall... That's serious. Let me see. Each creature within five pain at that point.
Starting point is 03:38:16 So I need both Veth and Jester to also make dexterity saving throws. Wait, what? Mm-hmm. It's electrified! I'm so far away from it. We can't let this NPC die. Oh no, we're next to Fjord, though.
Starting point is 03:38:28 You guys are both within five feet of Fjord and struck Fjord. Have to get her to Zephry. 11. You have to. 23. Must. You succeed to take no damage because of your evasion ability. That's right.
Starting point is 03:38:40 You take the full brunt of it. How much did you take? I took 14. 14, 28 points of lightning damage to you, Jester. Ooh, Jester. Wow, it did more to her than me. Wow. Ilya, at this point, the orc goes like,
Starting point is 03:38:52 and gives this baleful sorry sound throughout the water that all of you hear. 28 points? 28 points. Okay. Okay, that finishes her go. It is now Vokodo's turn. Vokodo is extremely scared of this thing. It's going to go ahead and use its action to try,
Starting point is 03:39:17 it's going to try and move away from the illusion. It's going to use its action to try and discern whatever it is you're opening there. It's another intelligence check. Weirdly, it seems more scared of what you're doing than what you created. So what is it? You did good. Intelligence 15. Intelligence 15.
Starting point is 03:39:34 Oh yeah, yeah, that succeeds. It's a battle of minds. It is. It looks towards it, you can see it's about to flee from that and then the eyes look over in your direction as you've exposed yourself, still after casting the spell behind the side, fried by the lightning.
Starting point is 03:39:53 Or actually, no, you manage to dodge it and put yourself out in the open, and it sees you, and you're like, ah, shit. However, its eyes still looking at the illusion that you've created, too, and it's going to attempt to move back with its movement. So now that it's discerned, my thing's dead, yeah? Actually, make a concentration check for me.
Starting point is 03:40:11 This might change things, because you were holding the spell. I was, but I think once he discerns that it's false, it's over. Right, but if you fail your concentration check, the spell would have faded before it came to his turn. So make a constitution saving throw. But I didn't get hit.
Starting point is 03:40:27 That's true, you turned an image. No, this works out fine. You're right, you're right. So pulling back, he's going to go ahead and fly or swim backward 50 feet. Five-zero? Yes. That'll put him back about there. Jeez.
Starting point is 03:40:41 Take your Attack of Opportun opportunity, Yasha. Nope. But that wasted his action. Yeah, that's great. So now he watches, he's like, just octopus swimming backward as small coins and baubles are falling off of its body, its eyes wildly staring at the large astral drone
Starting point is 03:41:03 that's sitting there in front. So your guys' teamwork fucked up his round. That's going to finish his go. Oh, and everybody at the top of his turn, sorry, mission, takes four points of fire damage. Except for you, Beau. I'm so lucky. Except for Beau. Is that from the water heating up?
Starting point is 03:41:23 Yes. Yeah, four points. It's nothing. I can't wait. Is that from the water heating up? Yes. Yeah. Four points. It's nothing. I can't wait. No boiling water in the middle of the fucking nowhere. Yasha, it's your turn. Water can't boil in space. Move. How do you keep from having to drop the spell? You move 15, no, 20 more feet, because you can.
Starting point is 03:41:42 It puts you right about there, staring towards him, and you dash to get up there as well, so you are right up in his face. Can you use the d4? Yep, every time. Use the rock and still do a d4. Okay. Thanks.
Starting point is 03:41:54 Yeah. It makes more sense. 19. 19 succeeds. So at the end of your turn, as you rush up again, still staring at it, suddenly, as you see its eyes distracted by this creature, the astrod your turn, as you rush up again, still staring at it, suddenly, as you see its eyes distracted by this creature,
Starting point is 03:42:07 the astrodronaut screams, and you shake your head, the roar of the illusion piercing through your head for a second, you look and see it, and for a moment, your heart drops. Fjord had mentioned this earlier. And you feel, for a moment, foolish for the fact that you've been caught in this hypnosis by this creature, but that foolishness fades and goes immediate
Starting point is 03:42:28 into just deep, deep anger. So that ends your turn. Let's go. Let's go! Jester, you're up. Veth, you're on deck. Let's go! Right in front of his mouth. I'm like, woo. Wait, so I can't move from there, right? Because that was the full- Correct,
Starting point is 03:42:44 that's the end of your turn. Got it, got it, got it. Okay. Thought that plus worked out. Thought I was in dental work. That's okay, that's okay. Thank you for that. I'm going to take a cue from Caleb, and I'm going to have my duplicate swim up.
Starting point is 03:42:58 Come on. All righty. And pull out a little duplicate sequenced glove, and wave it around and be like, here's your other offering! And cast Banishment. Through him? Through my duplicate, yeah. And that is charisma, right? Charisma, yeah. Come on, Jester.
Starting point is 03:43:18 That's a fail. He's going to use his last legendary resistance to resistance. Ooh, last one. His last. All right. That would've been funny if it was just me and him hanging out in the abyss, though. Oops! He just fams right next to you. However, Yasha, I need you to make a charisma save. Oh.
Starting point is 03:43:36 Is it Yasha? He would choose Yasha? He wouldn't choose Veth or something? Actually, you know what, you're right, Yasha. Yasha? Okay. Hang there. Instead. I don't know why I switched to Veth. Like, I thought your charisma was high, but then I realized yours is also low.
Starting point is 03:43:49 Yasha hasn't been a huge threat at this point. He's not aware of that. Instead, he's going to go ahead and Caduceus, make a charisma saving throw. I haven't done shit. All right. Where is Cat on the board? Hmm. Ooh.
Starting point is 03:44:06 16? What's your spell, do you see? Uh-oh. O for pee. Do I see you? Does he see me? Where were you sending? Same place. Same place. Wow.
Starting point is 03:44:25 Roll a d20 for me, Caduceus. Come on! Just a total skunk! If it's an 11? Nine. Nine. So you, no, it is not the same place. Ten or higher, you're going to be in the same place.
Starting point is 03:44:35 So you suddenly go into a brief moment of darkness, find yourself now floating in the same gossamer space, seeing the distant sparkles and weird distant winds that look almost like deep clouds in space with large shadow land masses in the distance and you hear a distant, sounds like a whale, a very deep resonant whale behind you and you turn and look and there is a shadow. You're not sure how far away,
Starting point is 03:45:05 but it is getting slowly bigger. Oh, Jesus. And bigger. Oh my god. And I don't see him anywhere. No. Fuck! That would've been fun, at least.
Starting point is 03:45:15 Just two bodies going, . We'll die together. You guys are 700 light years away. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Jester, does that finish your turn? You guys are 700 light years away. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Jester, that finish your turn?
Starting point is 03:45:29 Yeah. Okay, so you're not moving at all, you're staying put? I'm going to swim forward. To there? Yeah, I'm going to get as close as I can because the whole, everything's moving. That'll put you there. All righty, finishing Jester's go.
Starting point is 03:45:44 Veth, you're up, Caduceus, you're on deck. Wherever you are. I guess I'll move 15 feet. Okay. That'll put you about there. Dash 15 feet. I can't do anything farther than 30, right? That's as far as you can get.
Starting point is 03:46:07 And I will also use my action to go another 15 feet. Okay. Put you about there. Am I within range? No. You don't know. Well, that's it. All right, finishes Veth's turn.
Starting point is 03:46:21 Caduceus, you are out in the middle of nowhere with this strange looming shadow coming towards you. Can I move, am I on solid ground? No, you're just floating in space. Just floating in space, and there's a weird shadow coming at me, and I can't really move. You have been in a similar space before in Happy Fun Ball,
Starting point is 03:46:36 and you do recall when you were there that you just wheeled yourself in a direction and you floated where you wanted. Oh, I'm going to try and find some cover. Okay, you look around. There is a rocky mass. Once again, not sure how big it is, but it's slowly drifting at an upward angle,
Starting point is 03:46:51 and you start gliding towards it, and it gets ever so slightly bigger. With a little bit of movement, you go, you're like, oh, it's a half mile away. Fuck. Okay. There's that forced perspective again. Yeah, it works great, I'm telling you. Is that Ian McKellen? I can't tell.
Starting point is 03:47:04 Is he 60 tall? You realize it's just a toe. Ooh! There's that forced perspective again. Yeah, it works great, I'm telling you. Is that Ian McKellen? I can't tell. Did he call? You realize it's just a toe. Ooh, not a bean. There's no way I can just show up and vanish back to earth, is there? You cast Vanish on yourself? Sure. But who knows where I'll show up, right? Just leave me here.
Starting point is 03:47:18 I can't pinpoint target where I show up. Ooh. He makes a hobbit, so sorry. Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea. Just me? I'd stay. Yeah. Yeah. that sounds like a terrible idea. Just me? I'd stay. Yeah. Yeah. Burn the resistance.
Starting point is 03:47:27 I'm just going to... That's his last, I think. I'm just, I'm going to, I'm going to... He said it was a... He said that. I'm just going to hold a... Unless they recharge or anything. I'm just going to hold a Sacred Flame
Starting point is 03:47:38 in case anything tries to do anything to me, but I'm going to try and just keep chill and quiet. Okay, I'm checking one thing real fast. I love it. Actually, instead of saving, I'm just going to cast Resistance on myself and just try and chill. Resistance to?
Starting point is 03:47:56 Resistance is just a bonus to a saving throw. Cool, cool. If I choose to take it. You're like that guy that got left behind by the scuba expedition, you're just floating in the sea. I'll say for the purposes of this, you still maintain concentration though you're on a different plane
Starting point is 03:48:10 because the spell is still being concentrated on. I'll say there is still that thread that connects there. I'm not doing anything then. Right, right. So I'm going to wait here and just keep my eyes open and hope that that thing is not coming towards me. All right, you can hold an action if you want. I will hold a Sacred Flame just in case.
Starting point is 03:48:26 Sacred Flame, you got it. All right, finishing your go, Caduceus, Fjord, you're up. I cast a concentration spell through my duplicate, which is also concentration, so should we just say that she disappears? What do you mean? I cast Banishment, which is a concentration spell, through my duplicate.
Starting point is 03:48:47 Oh, got you. So either she vanishes or the Banishment didn't take hold. No, it super vanishes. So she vanishes and the Banishment goes off. So there you go, good call. Thank you for looking out on that. Also, as I was swimming by, I act scared of Fjord's thing.
Starting point is 03:49:04 But I'm still swimming right by it. You got it. Okay. Oh no! Nafin, should you just go? Fjord, you're up. Beau, you're on deck. Do we want to drive it further away? No.
Starting point is 03:49:14 Distance is a problem? No, distance sucks, man. Bring it in if you can. I'm going to use my action to move Astro Dreadnought Light. It has a range of 120 feet, so we can go, let's go bring it this way, closer. We'll need to see where it's going,
Starting point is 03:49:32 so you'd probably have to. Okay, yeah, I'll actually use all 35 of my feet to come around, yeah, why this? You have 35 feet? Yeah. 30 feet. He's a millipede. Yeah, he's blah, blah, blah.
Starting point is 03:49:43 So, okay, with that, that'll put you up and over. It's 10 feet, 15, 20 feet, so that'll get you right there. Okay, great. I wonder if I should go wide, like just around this side of it. On that side? Okay. Also, that'll put you about there, we'll say. Cool, that's great.
Starting point is 03:50:02 And then I'll move the bubble this way, back to this side. Back to here? Yeah. I try and herd him back towards the doggies. So the dreadnought whips around alongside the wall and is now floating a little higher, exactly where it is in this direction, and is giving that same roar.
Starting point is 03:50:23 And let's just say that he went above, so he's forcing him down towards the floor, like if there's no escape. Right, pushing it down. Okay, as it moves, the head shifts all the eyes, and you can see it's now already moving its physicality to try and prepare and react to its shifting. Okay, that is my turn.
Starting point is 03:50:43 So it's an action to make that shift. Yes. You got it. Okay, finishing Fjord's go. Beau, you are floating out in space. Yeah. Do I see anything? Make the best of it. Make a perception and insanity check. Yeah. Okay.
Starting point is 03:51:01 21. 21. Perception check. Okay. Glancing around, you don't see anything in your immediate visual sight, and as you glance down below, you can see some sort of a massive shape. Oh god.
Starting point is 03:51:19 Once again, uncertain of the distance. Hey, you're on the other side. Yeah, I'm totally above it, I guess. So far. Yeah, but potentially miles, yeah. Small dimension. So, you notice that. Do I, can I, I can't do anything. Can you hold actions?
Starting point is 03:51:35 You can hold actions if you want to. In case? I will hold my action. Punch the giant flamethrower. Punch on arrival. Okay, you punch it. Hold my action. Punch the giant deal. Punch on arrival. Okay, you got it. I finished his bowskull. Caleb, you're up. I am so far away from Volcoto
Starting point is 03:51:54 that I am just going to try to get closer and I'm going to weave my hands to the air and cast Expeditious Retreat so I can move a full 30 forward towards the cephalopod. You got it. You can drop Concentration on a spell whenever you want to on your turn, by the way. I know, but I'm also too far away
Starting point is 03:52:09 to do anything of real use. I want to get closer to him, so that is what I want to do. But you can drop Concentration so that you can bring Beau back. Yes, of course. I want Beau to come back, so Beau, come back. There you go, that's what I was asking. Beau, come back.
Starting point is 03:52:23 Beau, come back. Beau come back. All right, and with that, Beauregard. Either way, you get this concentration. You reappear in the space where you are, and as soon as you come back, you give out two punches and there's nothing there. Immediately, you look around and begin taking stock of how things have shifted with Vokoda moving
Starting point is 03:52:38 now further back. There's a massive dreadnought, element, astral dreadnought on the opposite side of the chamber that is roaring, and for a brief second, once again, you have to take a moment to remind yourself, probably not real, probably. So Caleb, you're moving Expeditious Retreat.
Starting point is 03:52:55 Straight forward. 30. 30 feet I can do if I use movement and my action. Correct. Cast as a bonus. You got it, there you go. So you're now 30 feet ahead. There you are. Is that your turn? That's it. I got nothing, there you go. So you're now 30 feet ahead. There you are. Is that your turn? That's it. I got nothing else I can do at the moment.
Starting point is 03:53:07 All right. Top of the lair action round. Fuck me. Hey. All right. Marbles. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. He's going to go ahead, as part of this, the eyes shift and look towards Beauregard, who has appeared again. Oh no. Cool, cool, cool, cool. He's going to go ahead, as part of this,
Starting point is 03:53:25 the eyes shift and look towards Beauregard, who has appeared again. Oh no! You feel this strange sparkle sensation around you as the Bless is dispelled. Oh, okay. Not so bad. Okay, not so bad. She's still stunned, everything. She can't talk, where'd she go?
Starting point is 03:53:45 Man. I'm literally drawing pictures of a giant space whale with Beau just trapped in space. It's my catharsis doodle right now. Just turn into a Pink Floyd album for six seconds. I did. Vilya can go ahead and now swim forward 60 feet. Here we go, wish you were here.
Starting point is 03:54:08 30. I had Breathe going around. It's going to be right about here. You have one fire. So close, that's like 15 feet out of melee? And it's a, correct. Does not want to end up causing lightning to hit anybody else, so is going to drop
Starting point is 03:54:27 a concentration spell. Yeah. And he's going to use your action to move up, to swim up as an orca on the other side of Vokodo. Nice. And try and pinch him in there. Can't get an attack this round, but at least it's starting to close him into that space.
Starting point is 03:54:42 Finishing Vilya's turn is now Vokodo's turn. Top of Vokodo's turn, everybody takes... Everybody take. Eight points of fire damage. Oh, that's more than temporary. Everybody take, everybody take! Everybody take, everybody take! Everybody take!
Starting point is 03:54:59 Fire damage! You know, it's nice in another dimension right now. I'm feeling a lot You know, it's kind of nice in another dimension right now. I'm feeling a lot less, feeling pretty chill. This is nice. Makoto. This is fine. Just floating. Eight total? Eight total, yes. Thank you. Good Jesus, this is so happy.
Starting point is 03:55:19 Do three weird people in two-dimensional glass glass things just float by. Phantom Zone. Do three weird people in two-dimensional glass things to float by. Phantom Zona. Makoto furiously now at this point, surrounded angrily, is going to attempt to move this way to get out of the Pinsir scenario. So he's going to shift away from Vilya, which does get an attack of opportunity on him
Starting point is 03:55:43 with the giant orca. You get the orca bite. And Yasha gets to hit him! Do I get it? Wait, are you back? You do when we get to it. You are back. She's conscious. But you have willpower?
Starting point is 03:55:57 Yeah, yeah, she's back. So Vilya's going to attack there with this, which is a plus 60 hit. Misses, unfortunately. Yasha, however, as Vokodo shifts around this way and attempts to move out of that space this way, go ahead and make an attack of opportunity. Added four. All right.
Starting point is 03:56:17 I don't have a stand. Add a d4, add a d4. Surfer. Okay, okay. Dirk her. Wouldn't it be great if Deto were here? What if he shows up right now? That'd be so great. I change my mind! 12 misses. He is forced to the ground, however, is not floating, not swimming above it,
Starting point is 03:56:42 is now, because of the astrogeon, pushed away, he's going to go ahead and shift angrily this way. You're not raging or anything? Not yet. No. But now, no time on the critical roll. Moving away from that, furious as the swings move behind, sees you as the arcane caster, Caleb.
Starting point is 03:57:01 Oh yeah, good, very good. And angrily is going to go ahead and focus. Mouth opens up and you see the glow of heat on the inside begin to glow bright, bright, bright. And then you see it looks similar to the energy that swirls around Yasha when she was playing her harp, or similar to the bolts of lightning
Starting point is 03:57:23 that are being drawn from the storm above. That's now starting to dissipate above the chamber, but it's red. Whenever you see those images of tornadoes or volcanoes with the red lightning storms around it, this charges up and fires out towards you. Is this a casting? Counterspell. Counterspell.
Starting point is 03:57:45 Go ahead and roll to counter it. Counterspell. Counterspell, all right. Go ahead and roll to counter it. Counterspell. So roll a d20, add your intelligence modifier. Counterspell. Oh, add my intelligence modifier, okay. It's 28. Ooh! Now you're saving throw your intelligence modifier.
Starting point is 03:57:58 Oh, my modifier? Then it's 23. Ooh! 23. Fucking Counterspell, man. Yes! What was that going to be? You'll never know. Red lightning of pain and misery.
Starting point is 03:58:12 You don't have to fight the red. Total hit points. Yeah, could have been. Okay. As long as it's about now. That's going to finish Vokodo's turn. We love you, Matt, this is amazing. Still dying, man, still dying. We're hurt real bad. Yasha, you're up.
Starting point is 03:58:27 You're the DM. Yasha! You can just say there's no more Counterspell. Yeah. No. Just nix it. No, Counterspell's great. It'd be really great when other mages
Starting point is 03:58:36 start fighting you guys, because then I can just counter your shot. That's not happening in this story. No, not at all. There's no other mages, possibly, in the narrative. Nope. Yasha. Starters, I mages possibly in the narrative. Nope. Yasha. Starters, I would like to rage!
Starting point is 03:58:47 Yeah! About time. Okay. Let's do this. All right. Fucking piece of shit. Are you moving towards him? Yes, I'm going to move towards him.
Starting point is 03:59:03 10, 15, 20. Swim up just enough to get into combat. So the first, are you doing reckless or? Wait, did I just roll one? I, no, because, yes, yes. Yeah, I'm going to do reckless. I'm going to do reckless. That's worse.
Starting point is 03:59:24 Okay. Yeah, what was the initial? I'm so sorry. It's okay. Welcome back. Jester, you're on deck. 15 for the first hit. And a d4 for bliss. Is that with the d4? Is that with the d4?
Starting point is 03:59:40 Fuck. You swing wide. It just, as you're catching up, you thought you were closer and you miss it by inches. Using the momentum as you back swing, you can go in for another strike. Upward. Natural one.
Starting point is 03:59:53 Oh. Wow! Wait, natural one on both die? Oh, no, no, no, I didn't roll twice. I rolled two natural ones. No way! Ashley! I know, I know. No way! Ashley! What is going on?
Starting point is 04:00:06 All those dice are gone forever now. You got to just use them. I don't know how to get it to you! No, no, no, it's okay. You can't. Ashley! I've lost my whole bag. All right, so you're already raging. Now you are fucking furious.
Starting point is 04:00:22 Wow, what a, wow. All right, that finishes your turn. Yasha, Jester, you're up. Veth, you're on deck. Residual Mug. Do you want me to send you to the astral? It's nice. Okay. You know why? It's because Yasha
Starting point is 04:00:35 didn't sleep well last night. I'm going to drop one banishment. Wait, but I'm going to wait. Fuck. Because I'm going to cast another banishment, so it's going to wait. Fuck. Because I'm going to cast another banishment, so it's going to cancel, probably. Yeah, that'll happen. Yeah. Okay, cast another banishment.
Starting point is 04:00:51 Get him. That is a charisma, right? Yeah. As he's rushing away from the creature and Yasha's missing, that large bolt of energy that strikes out and vanishes furiously. You can see its eyes are growing brighter and brighter with anger.
Starting point is 04:01:08 It's still looking back with one eye at the Astral God, and then it vanishes from its face. Where'd you send him? Where'd you send him? To the Astral Sea? To his home plane? If they're from something else, it sends them back to their home plane. Yeah. Which is?
Starting point is 04:01:24 As long as I can keep the concentration up, he'll stay there. If they're from something else, it sends them back to their home plane. Yeah. Which is? As long as I can keep the concentration up, he'll stay there. And then I bounce back. And you bounce back. And then. Oh my god, he turned into Caduceus! Bless me! Get on Caduceus!
Starting point is 04:01:37 Bless me, do something so I don't drop my concentration! We should get you out of here. Oh, there's lair actions! Yeah, we should get you out of here. Oh, there's lair actions. Yeah, we should get you out of here. Oh, okay. Yeah, Caleb just swims in and just starts looking for any kind of protection. Can you make a shield?
Starting point is 04:01:52 Other than the boiling water. The water's hot! The water's hot, we should get down! The water's hot! So Jester. What? What else are you doing in your turn? Is that it? Oh. You need to protect me. Run.
Starting point is 04:02:04 Swim. I'm going to turn around and start swimming to get out of here. Okay. Five, 10, 15. Oh god. Oh no! Oh, I'm scared to shit.
Starting point is 04:02:17 Good. That'll teach you. Pay attention. Fuck me. It happens on a case. He's back! All right, so that gets you... Will he be gone forever if you just... As long as you don't...
Starting point is 04:02:29 If she doesn't get fucked up. If you don't get fucked up. She's about to take heat damage. For a minute. You get about there, Jester. But I took War Caster, so... Okay, good. Chances are decent.
Starting point is 04:02:39 You just have to roll over damage, and the heat damage has been low. Finishes your turn, Jester. Veth, you're up. I'm going to swim down and hide in those rocks and prepare and hold my shot until the astral, I mean, the thing comes back. So you're hiding in those rocks right there?
Starting point is 04:03:02 Yeah. You got it. Hiding and waiting, and if I see it, I fire. You got it. Roll a stealth check. Okay. 25. Okay. Caduceus, you're up and then it's Fjord. Okay, I'm going to... Where is Jester there?
Starting point is 04:03:19 She's over here by the... At the door. Yeah. She's at the door. I'm going to recast Bless. Recast Bless? At level three. Who's within 30 feet of me? Everybody except for Yasha.
Starting point is 04:03:33 Okay. So Yasha's Bless goes away. Yep, and I'm... Let's see, I'm doing, it's five targets. So one, two, three, four, I can't. Okay. Eeny, meeny, miny, five.
Starting point is 04:03:55 We need those things to stay. Not you! Who is it? Every, oh yeah, everybody but Sam. At third level, you can get five people. Yeah, one, two, three, four, five. So Jester and Caleb? Yeah. Okay, so Veth loses it.
Starting point is 04:04:08 D4 to saving throws and attacks. Everybody but Yasha and Veth. That's a blessy-bless? So it went down. It's an extra D4 on attacks and saves. Attacks and saves. Okay, you got it. And I would have given you freedom of movement,
Starting point is 04:04:20 but it was one or the other. And then I'm going to spend the rest of my turn moving in the direction of... Remember, it took like 10 or 15 or 20 minutes to get through the tunnels to get here, so that's... Yeah. Yeah. So. That brings us to Fjord?
Starting point is 04:04:39 Yes. We're running, right? I mean, I don't know. We're trying to get you out. I don't, it's not like we can. We need to last. We just need to last for a minute. If I can keep it up for a minute.
Starting point is 04:04:55 You will not get through. You just got to get out of the lake. We will not get through those tunnels. Never mind. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's true. I am going to move. Get the sense the tunnels and the water that you came from is all similarly heated. Yeah, so I'm basically just.
Starting point is 04:05:13 I'm going to move the Astral Dreadnought to the middle above Yasha. How long does that last for? 10 minutes. 10 minutes, you got it, yeah. It's not real, Yasha! And I'm going to swim over to where Jester is and just hover. Okay, you got it. At 30 feet.
Starting point is 04:05:32 Okay. So you shh. I'll put myself on, I guess, in front of her. Do you have ice armor? Is your armor cold? Can I put that on somebody else? I don't think I can. No, it's all for that. Yeah. All right, Beau, Caleb.
Starting point is 04:05:50 I'm going to swim opposite where Fjord just went, and also just try to be nearby to protect Jester. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, over here? Yeah, team protect Jester. Yeah, you can get right here without an issue. I don't know what I could protect her from, but. Okay. That's what I got.
Starting point is 04:06:10 And I'll hold my action in case he comes back. You got it. Veth, you just staying hidden? Are we, we're not leaving? No, we're regrouping for safety. I'm, nope, I will. I'm up after Beau for initiative. Oh, no, sorry, sorry, I got rude there. It's okay. Sorry. Caleb swims directly towards Jester
Starting point is 04:06:31 and pulls out his transmuter stone and shoves it into her hand, the lucky stone with the band around it. It is set to adding proficiency to constitution saves right now, so you're going to add your proficiency to any concentration check you make to hold the banishment. Oh, great, okay.
Starting point is 04:06:50 As long as it's in a person's possession, they get that ability. Cool. Okay. Okay. That's the end of my turn. That's great, okay. All righty. So that brings us to everyone taking
Starting point is 04:07:05 seven points of fire damage. Yikes. So that brings us to everyone taking seven points of fire damage. Yikes. So if everyone's holding, we'll come to Yasha in a second, go ahead and roll 2d20s. Two, okay. Because you have Warcaster. Okay.
Starting point is 04:07:17 Because you have to maintain concentration every time you take fire damage. Right, so if it has to, without a roll, it's already seven. Correct. So you have to get above a 10 total. Okay. Or 10 or above.
Starting point is 04:07:30 And you get plus and stuff, right? And you add your proficiency points. Right. Okay, oh, way, way great. Okay, so that's the first round. 15 plus seven. Yeah, you're fine. Plus a four. Okay, Yasha, what are you doing? All right.
Starting point is 04:07:45 I'm just, I'm going to hang out here by this thing. Okay, you got it. So if we're all hanging here, we're going to go ahead and do a bunch of rounds of fire damage and saves to see if we can maintain it. So that's nine we have left to do. Nine rounds?
Starting point is 04:08:00 Yep, man. Ooh, everyone takes eight points of fire damage. Yikes. Wow. If anyone has, like, one heal. Nine points of fire damage? Natural 20. Great. Did you say eight or nine damage?
Starting point is 04:08:10 Eight. Eight damage. I actually will. We should heal. I want to try and swim to the top of this cavern and just see what's up here, since we're doing it. Caduceus, can you heal people? Yeah, I was going to, I can do a, I can do a. I'll do, like, double dashes, like 60 feet each time. Yeah, so we'll get you up at the very, very top. Cool.
Starting point is 04:08:28 Just to see if you move. Look all the way, or if there's air. Yeah, I'm going to. Magic elevator. No air, you can't. I'm going to use my, I'm going to use our six seconds to. Other spells that are not concentration. Yeah, so I'm going to use a round to do mass healing word.
Starting point is 04:08:44 Okay, go for it. Ooh, that's nine points healing to everybody. Nine points healing. Everyone takes six points of fire damage. Go again. Okay. Great. Okay.
Starting point is 04:09:04 Wow, eight points of fire damage. Rolling really well on these. I'm doing another max healing word. Thank you. Wait, eight points on that one? Another healing word? Yeah. Hold on, not yet. And that's going to be, again,
Starting point is 04:09:17 that's nine points to everybody. Nine points to Peter. We're Heroes' Feast. Do we get max healing every time? No. No. Five points of fire damage to everybody. Five points of fire. How many is that?
Starting point is 04:09:29 How many more do we have to do? It's dice versus dice. It really is. I'm great. That's kind of DD. Four points of fire damage to everybody. Okay. I'm going to do another Healing Word. Nine points of healing.
Starting point is 04:09:46 To everybody? Yep. Wow. What a roller coaster. Interesting point of word, just so you're aware. As you guys have a moment to think about it and think about it. One, two, three, four, five, six. He was looking pretty hurt.
Starting point is 04:10:01 Like, just tipped over into hurt. Okay. And if he stays, so does all that treasure. Like, just tipped over into hurt. Okay. And if he stays, so does all that treasure. Yeah, no, no. Just be aware. Yeah, I have to drop one person every round, so I won't do you, so I'll do negative nine. He was looking pretty hurt. He's starting to look pretty hurt.
Starting point is 04:10:20 Negative nine. That is... Starting to look pretty hurt. Nine, nine, and... Three points of fire damage to everybody. I'll take nine, too. Jester. Go ahead and make your concentration check.
Starting point is 04:10:31 Should we let him come back and just pile on? I mean, I guess everybody could get ready to attack him, and then the minute he comes in, we just unload everything. We could do that. Danger. As they shout to each other in the middle of a minute. A minute counting down. Yeah. What do you guys think?
Starting point is 04:10:49 You got three more rounds. Side. We can gather around. We're changing the plan, mid-plan? We should do it. For the fifth time. If we want the treasure. Seven points of fire damage to everybody.
Starting point is 04:11:03 I just know it was a war of attrition. Beau's about to go down. Yeah, I mean, if I'm level, you guys must be. The people in the VO community. Oh no, what'd you get? It is the people, it belongs to the people in the VO community. 10? 10, you barely scoot by.
Starting point is 04:11:16 I'd have to roll a one and a two in order to. Yeah, I know. I rolled a one and a three. I'm going to do a Mass Cure Wounds, just because we're here. It's the same thing with six. Should I drop it? One, two.
Starting point is 04:11:30 One, two, three. What? Four, five. Yeah, I'm going to hit everyone but you at the moment. Mass Cure Wounds? Yeah, Mass Cure Wounds. So that's, hold on. Who wants it to come back? I do, but we have to get a physician.
Starting point is 04:11:44 We literally have to swim around and get around where we'd be able to hit him. What if we make a ring? Go around him, go around him, go around him. Make a ring, make a ring. He's not here. Make a ring about where he was. Can you bamf him in wherever you want? No. No, he's going to come back where he was.
Starting point is 04:11:58 If we're going to do it, do it! This is the last round to decide. All right, all right. Or the fight's over. If you manage to not roll one into two, so your call. Yeah, he would stay or... It's your call. No, it's not.
Starting point is 04:12:11 Yeah, it is. One is safe and one is risked. Treasure? Treasure? There's so much shit on his back. There's so much untold stuff. Oh my god. Caleb wants that shit, but Caleb's not talking. He's just acting.
Starting point is 04:12:23 Just leave him. Come on! We're going to do a circle around him because I'm not going to drop it if we're all just like. I'm ready. I'm ready. I can circle. We're going to get into a place. Everybody get in position around him.
Starting point is 04:12:34 Oh my god, this is the saddest thing we have ever done. I'm going to cast Renato's Voltaic Bolt. I'm going to hold my attack and attack as soon as I see him. I'm going to hit you with Holy Weapon. Make a perception check with regard to know where he vanished. Can I try to go under where he would vamp so I'll be right under his belly?
Starting point is 04:12:53 He was on the ground at that point because he was trying to get away from the Astral Dreadnought. But you're right by where he was, so he'll appear right next to you. Just willingly took a knife around the fire dam. You're tapping me for holy weapon? Okay. Wait, what does that do?
Starting point is 04:13:07 An extra 2d8, right? It's extra 2d8. All right, Blest goes away. Yep, dropping Blest. Oh my god, this is stupid. Why did we do this? Why did we do this? He did this to us! He did this!
Starting point is 04:13:20 He appealed to our greed. He totally did. He got our fucking heads. I've been doing it. He appealed to our greed. He totally did. He got our fucking heads. I'm into it. He appealed to our greed. Hey, hey, I'm just saying, in that moment. Everybody get ready, and then I'm going to drop it and everybody cast something, right? So, we're moving from where they are.
Starting point is 04:13:37 It's, we're still in. I'm going to try to be within 60 feet of where he went away. We're within order. We're not going to get to all attack him altogether. No, we do. But we might have a surprise round. Yeah, we're all holding. Then we call real fast. Like Ripley.
Starting point is 04:13:50 All right. You would have the opportunity to do that. Disintegrate if that's what we're doing. Yeah. Okay. All right. Call it. Yes. Vilya's going to come over here. He could deflect all of these at once.
Starting point is 04:14:03 I know. Yeah, disintegrate could go to you. Yeah, but it's all having a one, so. I'm. Caduceus? It could go to you. Yeah, but it's all having a once, so. I'm going to be 30 feet away, give or take. We don't need 30 feet away from him. It would be about, yeah, a little out of the group. Is Yasha able to join us? A little off from the group?
Starting point is 04:14:15 Yeah, so I'm not going to be here. Does it matter at this point? Oh! We got a roll of one. So you'd be right next to the Ashtal Dreadnought. You're going to get a natural 20 on this one, I feel it. Yeah. Let's do it. I'll be like one feet away.
Starting point is 04:14:25 I'm going to laugh when you get the howdy. One square away from here. Okay, yeah, you're one square away from your hole. Same time. Even if you don't, we all eat shit. All right. All right, fine. Everybody's prepped?
Starting point is 04:14:35 Yes. Drop it and everybody hits at the same time. Okay. So as you all prepare yourselves at the ready, in a very ballsy maneuver, Jester at the last minute releases Banishment. You watch as Vokodo immediately appears in the space where he vanished
Starting point is 04:14:54 with a look of absolute sheer fear and panic in his eyes. There is a screech you've never heard a creature make. He's been so guttural and frightening this entire time. But Caduceus is back on here. But the sound he makes when he arrives is this mournful this like, if this creature could shit its pants, it'd be shitting its pants right now.
Starting point is 04:15:18 There is an absolute sense of desperate fear that he is trying to swim away and is in the process of doing so as he arrives. All right, held actions. We'll go across the table here. Fjord, what are you doing? I'm using Relentless Hex to bamf in to five feet with him, and I'm going to hit him twice
Starting point is 04:15:35 with the Star Razor. Go for it. 16 plus, that's a million. That's 29 to hit. That hits. I'm going to dump a Divine Smite, a fifth-level Divine Smite into this. So that's eight plus seven is 15, plus two is...
Starting point is 04:15:55 I can't believe we... 19 plus a d4. This is really fascinating. Yeah. It took damage for nine rounds. To bring it back. I know I'm right. Oh, interesting.
Starting point is 04:16:09 22 plus 5d8, okay, here we go. Always wanted to kill Marisha's character. No, no, no! It was a hidden. No, no, no! What? Four. It was a hidden sign in campaign one, and now it can come to fruition. That's 49 points of damage. I'm already good, that's our tagging, but.
Starting point is 04:16:36 Yeah, that's true. Woo! Wait, how much was it? 49. 49 points of damage. Second hits. You take four points of fire damage as the fire blasts back against you. Awesome.
Starting point is 04:16:46 Second one is a 22 to hit. That hits. 22. Goddamn, that was the first hit? Four points of damage. Paladin. Vlas, come on. That's a 10. Come on now. Talgrimorok is nasty, man. Five, seven is 12, plus a 14.
Starting point is 04:17:02 Kill it, kill it, kill it. Plus three is 17 points of fucking crazy-ass rune sword damage. Hell yeah, so striking back, you can see you've carved this large chunk off the side of the body that shifts out almost like a cake slice, and as it does, it exposes this raw interior magma. It screams, the pain is still there,
Starting point is 04:17:23 and it's so much damage, but it's still, eyes are wild, and it's not even noticing your presence, it's so scared. I probably take fire damage on that second. You do, you take one point of fire damage. Awesome. All righty. So Fjord was there, I'm going to go back to the, we're just going to do this in initiative order as we go.
Starting point is 04:17:39 Beau, you're up. Oh, oh, oh jeez, okay. Pop pop. I figured, like, as opposed to going around the table, I'll just goez. Okay, pop pop. I figured, supposed to go around the table, I'll just go ahead and go down initiative order. That is 30 total to hit. Sorry, 31 total to hit. Jeez. 30 damage.
Starting point is 04:17:55 30 damage. 30 damage. 30, 30, 30. It's me, Beauregard. Oh, Lionett. 2d8, holy, right? So I'm rolling 3d8 for this. Do I get, okay, okay, okay, okay, sorry.
Starting point is 04:18:12 Six. Okay. 17 plus five is 22 damage. 22 points of damage, nice. With some of that being holy, I don't know. Yeah, it's not going to do any of that, so it just goes down.
Starting point is 04:18:34 I don't know. And okay, 27 to hit. That hits, you can roll damage on the next one. So nervous. I, so nervous. I'm also nervous. Okay. 10, 16, 17. Another 22 damage.
Starting point is 04:18:57 Jeez. Nice. Nice. I can't believe you counter-spelled this chain lightning. I'm so angry. Ooh, chain lightning. Fuck no. Oh god. Very well. Yeah.
Starting point is 04:19:07 And I can only do my held action, right? That was your held action, so that's all you got. That's what I got. Welcome. All right. Now, that brings us to Caleb. Yeah, Disintegrate, Dexterity save, already rolled it using Ginyu Beyond, and it's a 72, unless you make your dex save.
Starting point is 04:19:30 Does anybody in this party have over 72 hit points at the moment? Pass. Yes. Yes. You don't know. It's true, I don't know. No, you don't know. And now you know some of us. I already have my, if this goes wrong,
Starting point is 04:19:42 I already have my target. Yeah. Dexterity, you wrong, I already have my target. Yeah. Dexterity, you said, right? Make a gesture. Come on, that's it. Natural 20. I can't have anybody come over here to look at this. I could, I could. You got a 20? No, no, no, no, no, no.
Starting point is 04:19:58 No, no, no, no, no. I'll step away. Just tell us. Isn't that clear? Isn't that clear? 20, it's a 20. It's the golden purple Gilmore. Is it a 20 or is it a one? I see it. 20.
Starting point is 04:20:08 What is it, is it bad? It's a 20. It's going to go to who he wants it to. So Caleb. Yeah? As you are preparing the spell and you bring it back, you can feel the arcane energy crackling in your fingers. I break open a bag of dust underwater and press the lodestone through.
Starting point is 04:20:24 I'm going to kill Vokodo, obviously. As you release the green ray, you watch as Vokodo, eyes wild, there's this shimmer as the kinetic psychic energy around it that seems to be deflecting the spells pushes against and resists the spell and it fails. How do you want to do this? Oh, it's stuck in my head! Roll a natural one.
Starting point is 04:20:49 Fucking natural one. Roll a, what did you say? Natural one. Oh, god, oh my god. I don't know what to say to that. You really know you're going to kill one of us. The light that has been gleaming out of its mouth all this time, the beam of dark green energy
Starting point is 04:21:04 leaves the palm of my hand like Spider-Man and goes straight through that light, pierces through, right through, and to stay in thematically with our episode, goes in the mouth and out the butthole, straight through in a line. Thank you for a laugh. Yeah, yeah, thanks, Drew.
Starting point is 04:21:25 From the ether. That's not going to disintegrate all of his treasure, right? Yes, it will. No, no, it's magic. Magic stuff does not disintegrate. That would have been a lot. Is he looking to see if it disintegrates everything on him?
Starting point is 04:21:43 Looking to see what the Decimating Things cards scatter in the water. As the green ray fires through Vokodo's form, the wild panic somehow grows more desperate. At first, it looks like it missed or it did no serious damage, but you watch from this pinpoint hole that has been carved through the body,
Starting point is 04:22:07 its interior begins to just disassociate into sludge around the outside of it. It's being cored from the center out. And as it's screaming, this wave of violent psychic energy bursts out through all of you. Your vision is suddenly not yours. As the psychic energy bursts out through all of you. Your vision is suddenly not yours. As the psychic energy released pierces into your brain,
Starting point is 04:22:31 and your mind is clouded with a flash of vision after vision after vision after vision after vision. The scream that hurts, your ears are bleeding, your eyes are bleeding and clouding in the water, but you don't even notice because you are just seeing in your mind's eye a gossamer sky of purples and blacks and greens and blues. The Astral Sea itself clouded with distant, shattering pieces.
Starting point is 04:22:59 An endless sea of stars and possibility. Flashes of something in shadow, large, ominous, monolithic, a city, a city that is moving under its own power, hunting, moving with will, following. You feel the fear of Vokodo. You feel it trying to escape.
Starting point is 04:23:27 You feel this city hungry and chasing. You flash into the streets of the city. You see paved roads. You see buildings and towers, and they flick and bend organically, shift like they're alive. Roads pulse. This is weirdly familiar, but so alien.
Starting point is 04:23:55 Thousands of minds within are the city. It doesn't make sense. Hungry, seeking. There's another flash within the minds of Eyes of Nine. Flashback, the vessel of the city draws close. Fear, flee, break through, break and drag, obfuscate. With its last power, you feel Vokodo attempt to flee and break through the barriers,
Starting point is 04:24:27 dragging with it the pieces to flee from whatever this thing, this entity, this form was. Right as those memories flash, the screaming subsides, and your vision begins to come back, too, as the rest of the body of Vokodo just drifts into floating sludge and waterlogged ash, the rest of the remnants of its gold treasure falling and clattering to the floor of the chamber. For a moment, you all look around and now notice
Starting point is 04:25:01 the blood that now sits floating from every facial orifice. And the look in each other's eyes, you get the sense that you all just experienced the same or something very similar. And that's where we're going to end this episode. What the fuck was that? Hey, great call bringing it back. Great call bringing it back. We didn't bring it back! Great call bringing it back.
Starting point is 04:25:26 We did everything right. We did it all perfectly. Just like we planned it. Oh, guys. A well-oiled copy of MasterCup. This battle had everything. It had boiling water. It had ricocheting fire.
Starting point is 04:25:40 What the fuck? Did the city? Oh, I want to know about that. Is it anything I saw in my vision or no? Is it like the chain of Bolivian? Hmm. Wow. It was weird. It was very weird, very alien, very nightmare-like.
Starting point is 04:25:55 Moving, not static. Have you had any of that together yet? Ew, like the ring girl? Kind of. Shut up! No, there's no association that he gave to that. It would seem rigid, and then it would tense, like muscles, and then become suddenly curved and organic and then shift back.
Starting point is 04:26:14 No, the city. It's going to be slowly driving you mad. Oh yeah? Right now, chat is freaking the fuck out. So. Sorry for the long episode, but we've been building up to this boss fight. We'll come back here next week
Starting point is 04:26:27 and pick up from where we left off this vision in the center of a boiling volcano interior. Oh god, that's right, the volcano's here. It's erupting. And hopefully. Seven hours to pick through this treasure. Well, here's the thing, the fight's over. Water's still hot. Yeah.
Starting point is 04:26:43 So we're going to pick up there next week. But thank you all so much for joining us. Don't forget, we love you very much. And is it Thursday yet? Good night. Oh, so good. Oh, hey. Ashley Johnson here,
Starting point is 04:26:58 and I sure do hope you're enjoying the adventure. Remember when you first found out about Critical Role? Was it through a friend or a family member or maybe even through the words of a stranger in the review section of our podcast? Many listeners find our show through word of mouth and recommendations. So please consider rating and reviewing our podcast because each review makes an impression that may just inspire someone new to give our show a try and that more than anything helps to support us thank you for joining us on this adventure and until next time let us try to leave the world a little better than we found it

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