Critical Role - C2E130 The Calm Before The Storm

Episode Date: March 25, 2021

Reunions abound as the Mighty Nein find a momentary refuge among family and friends, but their uncertain and dangerous future casts a pall on their time together...Due to the improv nature of Critical Role and other RPG content on our channels, some themes and situations that occur in-game may be difficult for some to handle. If certain episodes or scenes become uncomfortable, we strongly suggest taking a break or skipping that particular episode. Your health and well-being is important to us and Psycom has a great list of international mental health resources, in case it’s useful: http://bit.ly/PsycomResourcesWatch Critical Role live Thursdays at 7pm PT on https://twitch.tv/criticalrole and https://youtube.com/criticalrole. To join our live and moderated community chat, please head over to our Twitch channel.

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

Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We love Dungeons & Dragons! Indeed. Before we get into our game tonight, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with the first of two sponsors,

NordVPN. Sam? This episode is sponsored by your friends at NordVPN, providers of highest quality encryption for your internet traffic and hides your IP and physical location. They have a great promo going on right now, so go to nordvpn.com slash critical role or use code critical role and get a two-year plan

plus one additional month with a huge 70% discount. Protect yourself from cyber attacks and avoid bandwidth issues with NordVPN. But! None of that's going to happen. Because of you, Matt, or should I say Ultra Codex. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Afirmatron Black Willow 69, that's what it says there. You never suspected that I, your best friend, one of your best friend. Well. One of your best friends. I mean. Fine.

A close acquaintance. You never suspected. I was actually the Ultra Codex all along, and now I'll decrypt to the quantum web forever. So, Jack Zillow, last words before you get fragged. Yes. Tonight, you may slice one hacker from the net, but Codex, you'll never truly win.

The one thing you don't understand is the interwebs isn't just techno punks like me ripping six ciphers. It isn't bits and bytes. It isn't Pinterest and TikTok and Groupon and Plunker. What's Plunker? Oh, it's kind of like Instagram meets Animal Crossing meets Zoom Quilt. It's awesome. You know what?

I'll send you an invite. Oh, hell yeah. Thank you. Sure. No problem. Anyway, the Nordiverse can't be conquered by one souped up virus slinger and his gorgeous cyber helmet because the real root code is inside of us. It's a web of friendships that brings humankind together.

That's why we hack. Not for the clout or the lulz or to steal Bitcoin. No. We hack for love. That's what NordVPN stands for. A rousing speech. But it's too late.

Too late. I already offlined your partner. The only woman you've ever loved, and now, Black Willow, you're all alone. Prepare to be deleted. Here. I need, here we go. Bah!

I don't know what this does. Zeke is safe. He's not alone. What? What? Marisha! No. My username is Technospice69.

And with my 90s era hacker jams, I'm going to fire up Aeol Instant Messenger and burn you down. But you're my wife. Sorry, latex dork. If you want to be my lover, you've got to get with my friends. Ha! Fools! Two server sims are no match for the malware of the Ultra Codex.

Try three, then. What? Huh? Taliesin? I think you mean Freezy Burn 69. Fuck it. Freezy Burn 69, and by the honor of my power glove, I shall defend the worldwide world from your analog anarchy. But you lost all your data powers in a previous episode.

Who gave them back to you? The same person who gave them to me and is messing up my ability to speak. Satan. That actually makes a lot of sense. And he's not the only one. Matt Hatterson, 69, logging on for duty, Cap. Password, Swordfish. Son of a glitch.

Wait, what was your special hacker power again? I was on TV once. That's so rad. Olly! The Raddus Codex! You see, when one of us is in danger, we all suit up and boot up. Commodore 69, ready to insert disk. What? Is that a... a Vectrex?

But they're too powerful! They have one kilobyte of power and one megahertz CPU! 1.5 megahertz, motherfucker! Oh my Google. You started this crypto fight, but tonight me and my Saturday Night Divas are gonna end it.

For Travis. For Krypton to end it. For Travis. For Cryptonic Override. For every web wannabe and net raker. And for Satan. Because... Because when the going gets leet... Hackers, click together. That's right team Prepare to make the jump to the mainframe

In 3, 2, 1 Jack in I'm hacking Oh no he's jamming us with an MI4 ghost protocol Commodore do something Roger that Mindstorming the Nar north side! Scrambling

the cosmic chaos! Patterson, I'm getting armor attack! Leonard, part three! Part two! Part five! Leonard, part six! Take no spice! He's pwning me! Slam it to the left!

Shake it to the right! Two becomes one! Be of a forever freezer burn! Help! Te invoco o satanare del covito! This is it! I'm gonna do it!

I'm claiming the cube! No! There's just too many of them! Let alert! System override! No! There's just too many of them! Human alert! System override! What happened? We destroyed the Ultra Codex. With the power of love. But Black Willow 69, the only man I've ever loved, he's gone.

Not gone. He sacrificed his body and became one with the internet to destroy the codex he transferred his leetness to us and became his core element a beautiful

gleaming cube but but what does it all mean? What does it mean? I'll tell you exactly what it means the next time NordVPN sponsors the show. Matt, hack to you.

Oh! That was crazy and well-rehearsed. We love you a lot, Sam. Maybe we should have heard that. That was crazy and well-rehearsed! Here. We love you a lot, Sam. Maybe we should have heard that. That was a lot. At least that was a one-minute bit!

That was insane! My face is wet. Oh, fucking... My face. This is so gross. Oh, thank you for that, Sam, and thank you, NordVPN, for putting up with our ridiculous bullshit.

Take it to the right! Oh my god! Ha! Ha! Ha! See! Yeah! Hold tight! And for our second sponsor for tonight, our friends. There's no favoritism, we love them both. Our friends at Ghostfire Gaming.

Ghostfire Gaming. This episode being sponsored by our friends at Ghostfire Gaming. Ghostfire Gaming. Yes. This episode being sponsored by our friends at Ghostfire Gaming and their game Grim Hollow, which is their dark fantasy world of a terrace where the gods have fallen and civilization is left to face the tide of darkness.

When Grim Hollow, or within Grim Hollow, actually, players will find transformation mechanics for becoming a demon, a lycanthrop, a vampire, and even a lich. And advanced backgrounds, contraband magic items, dark fantasy spells, and a complete guide to running a grimdark campaign.

Hell yes. And you can check it out at ghostfiregaming.com. And if you use the code CRITROLL altogether when checking out, you get 10% off. I actually really want to play that. And, of course, thank you to our friends at D&D Beyond, our sponsors at the beginning of this campaign, the original tool set of D&D, and our show.

And one of the cool things about D&D Beyond's master tier subscription is that a DM can share the digital book library with anybody in their campaigns. So only one of you needs to get it, you can share it with everybody you're playing with in your campaign. So visit dndbeyond.link slash master if you want to learn more.

A couple other, a few more quick announcements. First off, thank you all for joining us here live on Twitch and YouTube. To join our live moderated community chat, go ahead and head over to our Twitch channel. But thanks so much for checking in with us. Laura, you got some things to chat about. Hello Bees is back!

Yay! And it's now available in the US store and maybe in the UK store. It could be there right now. Check and find out. Check it out. Just check to see. You know, we prerecord these episodes, so I don't know things.

It could be there. Check the store. Love you. That's my announcement. I thought you had two things. That's, no, that was, it's all one thing. Oh, okay. Okay. There we go.

My head hurts so much. You guys look so dumb. Yeah. Oh, gosh. I hurts so much, you guys look so dumb. Yeah. Oh my god. I dare say, I think that. No, it can't be. I need like, I need five minutes. Ends our announcements. Better get ready for it, Travis, because we're about to jump into tonight's episode of

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 Villains beware Cause you're about to be dead

They got magic and flair They got fouchions and cunning They don't see over there There's a monster incoming Inspiration is waiting Rise up, don't think twice Put your fate in your hands Take a chance, roll the dice

Roll the dice Critical Roll the dice dice Roll the dice, Critical Roll the dice, Critical Roll the dice, Critical Roll the dice, Critical Can you answer the call? Digging deep in your soul As the legend unfolds

Now it's your turn To roll to roll! And welcome back. So last we left off, the Mighty Nein, having absconded from Eiselcross to prepare and try and cut off the race against the Tomb Takers towards the center of the ruin, head to Nicodranas, then to other places

where they try and steal some necklaces to keep them hidden from the, hopefully the divining of Lucien and the other magics that would wish to follow and peer into their goings-on. Upon breaking into the subterranean basement of a portion of the Vergesen Sanatorium, they caused a ruckus,

and Master Trent Ikithon was summoned. At a brief, tense exchange, you escaped, and as such, the chase continued, as you seem to be hunted by this individual of the Cerberus Assembly, grabbing some family members in Nicodranas, specifically the family of Veth, Bernardo, and Marion, the Ruby of the Sea.

You went to Tidepeak Tower, tried to find a way out, as it seemed Yussa was currently on, spiritually, another plane and could not give you aid. You managed to escape by sending some of you into the Happy Fun Ball, the Folding Halls of Halas, on, spiritually, another plane and could not give you aid. You managed to escape by sending some of you into the Happy Fun Ball, the Folding Halls of Halas, and some of you to an unfamiliar space from what you came to discover to be

the Elemental Plane of Fire. While you all managed to converge, not without some temporary losses, one of which happened to be Veth's child, brought back from beyond the pale. You all gathered yourselves in Zadash, where you had, very last minute, let the gentleman know that you were arriving

with some people that needed to stay there. One of which, the Ruby of the Sea, which has an old history with the gentlemen. I'm the old history. Yep, yep. We pick up, as you all have just ascended the stairs, the hubbub in the inside of the basement, the quarters of the gentlemen beneath the evening.

You see everyone scatter and turn as the gentleman bows and says, Welcome. Welcome, friends. I am the gentleman, a businessman and occasional client of these Mighty Nein. I appreciate privacy and discretion, so please respect that during your stay, he says in the direction of the Bernados.

Looks towards Marion. The famed Ruby of the Sea has joined us as well for a spell. Friends and esteemed business liaisons, please make her feel welcome, lest you draw my wrath. Come, come. Settle in the space. Drinks, anyone? You, those of a decent passive perception notice,

like he's a pretty damp fellow at most times, but he is particularly drippy at the moment. Too drippy. Drippy, drippy. he is particularly drippy at the moment. Too drippy. Drippy, drippy. Drippy, drippy. I squeeze my mama's hand. She takes a moment. Well, thank you, gentlemen, very much for taking us into your protected space

for a time. It's much appreciated. And he gives a nod. Well, come sit. And he scratches his head. Everyone's looking at him from around the room, waiting for something. A round of drinks, I think, would be a good idea.

Drinks sounds fantastic. I'll have one myself. And the bartender starts making rounds and just getting cups out, and people start picking up a bit of a conversation. There's whispers around them, and some folks settle back down, but all eyes are locked on all of you and the

new arrivals. Luke is still kind of clutching on the edge of Caduceus' finger and looks over towards you and just goes, No, he hasn't taken a bath recently. That's just how he always looks. Okay. Yeah. Do I take a bath? I mean, at some

point, yes, we should get you a bath. When's the last bath you had? Looks over to his dad and he goes, it's not been that long. Sure, sure. You don't want to dry out his hair or anything, but you know. It's hard to wrestle down when you're just one person. But yeah, I think a bath soon would be good.

That's a great idea. So we're in a bar under a bar? Yes, yes, it's a secret place, but they have good food here and good drinks, and we'll get you a glass of milk, and maybe they have some chicken fingers. Yeah. At which point, immediately, Luc is like,

What? Yeah. They're not real fingers. Oh no, not real fingers, What? Yeah. They're not real fingers. Oh no, not real fingers, sorry, no. They're just in the shape of. So it's like eating a finger? Oh boy. Yes, yeah. That's cool. Yeah, and you can dip it in ketchup

and it looks like blood. You hear this little voice on the side go like, Chicken fingers. What? And you recognize the creepy halfling individual that works underneath the gentleman, who's just, You need food?

I don't remember this guy. I feel like we would've remembered him. I'm so glad, because I was like, dang, this guy. You've met him a couple of times. I'm looking. I think a little bit of everything, and learn to read the table. Oh, better for you.

Okay. And he just wanders off. This is an odd figure. What's my mother look like right now? What is she doing? She's still standing next to you. She's holding your hand and kind of, you get the sense that she's waiting for your guidance.

I'm going to put my arm around her waist and whisper in her ear, How are you? Are you okay? I think so. A lot has happened very quickly, and sure, her eyes are just locked on the gentleman as he's telling people to clean tables off and getting a drink, and you see him take a cup

and take a glass, kind of like a giant glass jug of some sort of brackish liquor and just like into his cup before takes a quick swig and gets himself settled, turns around, and she's just staring straight at him. He seems nervous, Mama. Can't imagine why.

Do you want to go sit at the corner table over there? I can send him over, or? Certainly. Okay. Where is best to sit? I look for the most important looking table The most private looking Important looking table That's usually the one that he has in the far back left corner

I'm going to send her right to his table then She goes over and goes to sit and you can see Two of the kind of thug guards That were there They took some sort of series of cloth napkins And kind of tucked them in the front of their pants To look almost like waiters And they're just like holding the chair for her Both looking at each other like some sort of series of cloth napkins and tuck them in the front of their pants to look almost like waiters.

And they're just holding the chair for her. Both looking at each other like, I don't know what I'm doing. As you're watching this, the gentleman walks over towards you, crossing off your path as Marion goes and sits and goes, Jester. Hi, Popok.

Can I have a word with you? Of course. We'll be right back. And he leads you up the staircase to his private chambers upstairs. And as you enter, he closes the door. What have you done? Oh, well.

Oh no, you seem very upset. I'm just a little caught off guard. I was not expecting this. I know, I know, I know. What are you? Well, do you want to keep her safe or not? Well, of course, I just. This is important.

You think I would just willy-nilly bring her here? Yes! No! She's very scared of traveling. This is very dire. That's true. And you're the only person in the entire world who could keep her safe right now. She needs you as a protector.

Don't you want to keep the woman that you love more than anything in the entire universe safe? Jester, it's been a very long time. I'm not trying to set you up. I swear, I swear, I swear. Things are very bad right now. Super bad, okay? There are terrible people chasing after us.

Don't worry, we're safe. Check out my cool necklace. Oh. This is lovely music you have in your room that... Thank you, it was getting a bit loud. I decided to go ahead and collapse in the... Get out of here, you! The shitty musicians to change up. Impressive!

I'm not going to deny anyone aid here. And he sits there and thinks for a second and goes, I suppose it is an oddly safe space to be. It is. You're the first person I thought of. Well, as long as we're not raided by the High Richter or anything, I suppose, but. Yeah, why would you be?

Yeah. That would be crazy. Um... Nobody knows we came here, I don't think. So everything's safe. What are you in? What's happened? God, so much. What have I told you?

You remember Kree and how they had our blood and how we had people after us. Well, that happened. We went up to the north crazy crazy and I fill him people after us. Right, right. Well, that happened. We went up to the north crazy crazy, and I fill him in on everything. Pretty much everything. He still has his drink with him and just slumps into a chair and takes a heavy swig

and then sets it down on the nearby table on the side of his bed and goes, My evil has certainly been very busy. Well, that's a lot of trouble. Yeah. But you're certain that you weren't followed or? We have these necklaces now. Nobody saw us or were able to scry on us.

You know, Mama's safe too, so. All right, all right. Assembly business is, well, we avoided for a reason, but I trust you. The Assembly is bad. Maybe they won't be in power for much longer, or at least not the same people, if everything goes well, at least. Hm.

Well then, how long do you expect we need to entertain our guests? I have no idea. You know the kind of work we do. You know the kind of work we do. You know the kind of people I employ. We've brought a child into a literal den of thieves. I know. If we can, we'll try to find somewhere safe

that's more appropriate for Luc and Yeza. I don't know when that will be, though. I'm hoping you can protect them from your own people as well. Oh, that won't be an issue. You can see the weight on his shoulders as he contemplates. He takes a second, his eyes squint, and you see him abacus counting in the middle of the air.

Thankfully, we've made a decent mint in the final months of the conflict, so we aren't hurting for work at the time, at least the kind of work that could get messy in the presence of a child. I don't believe I've ever implemented a vacation to my esteemed colleagues. implemented a vacation to my esteemed colleagues.

I'll see what I can do. I apologize, this is just a lot, very suddenly. I give him a hug. I know it is. It's so much for me to spring on you, and you didn't even want to admit you were my father not that long ago, and now I'm bringing all of this into your life. I'm thankful for everything you're doing for us, and I'm

I'm proud to call you my dad. Niamh looks out for a second, stroking his chin a bit, looks back at you. It's hard to find the words, I can't say I'm a proud father. I've not been a father. I can't say I've been a proud influence. I'm a criminal. And I can't say that I've lived up to her expectations.

and I can't say that I've lived up to her expectations. I'm a cat. So I don't have any expectations. But I'll do my best to keep them safe. But I'll do my best to keep them safe. She doesn't either. She trusted me to come here, and I'm thankful for that. But she's just as nervous as you are.

Trust me on that. Why, whatever for? And he gestures out to the balcony where you can see half of his staff are all just standing there, looking at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Just tattoos up the arm, some of them with all manner of scars,

still existing non-clean bloodstains on parts of their clothing. Please. You think Mama's not used to seeing all of this stuff? You know what she does. You know the kind of people she's been working with before. Just talk to her. If she wishes to talk to me.

Ugh! Don't roll your eyes at me, Jester. Never. You literally just did. No, I didn't, I really didn't. That's better. Thank you. He finishes his drink rapidly, sets it down.

Ah! How do I look? Maybe change your shirt. You've got it, it's kind of drenched. And he runs off to his cupboard and starts trying on different outfits. Like this one, is it too much blue? Oh, no, no, no, that's blue.

It's blue on blue on blue. No, it's nice, it's a dark color, it's good. Like an accent, kind of primary popping, I don't... One more button, just button, one more button. Yeah, okay, now go. All right. Don't think about it. He goes and opens the door and takes a step out and stops and turns back

and looks over his shoulder at you and goes, Be careful. Whatever you're doing, all of this, it's an unkind world out there. Yeah. I will. You're too good for most of it. And he steps out. My apologies!

I just said to tend to, and he starts heading down the stairs, kind of leaving you alone in the upstairs chamber with the door partially ajar. Oh boy. Oh boy, don't open those drawers. What could I do in here? Going to peek under the bed. Okay.

Hey, how you doing? A room, a room. Modify memory. A room, a room. Modified memory. Peeking under the bed, it looks to be a handful of cushions, cursorily pushed beneath it. Oh, oh, the big ruby that I gave him, is it still here?

Is it next to his bed? Go ahead and make a perception check. Big roll, big roll. 16! Glancing about the room, you do not immediately see it. Fuck. Draws, draws, draws, draws. He's just going, okay!

I want to find it and try to put it next to his bed and not, oh, I'm going to pull out, I'm going to make a drawing of Mama and put it next to his bed and not, oh, I'm going to pull out, I'm going to make a drawing of Mama and the next to his bed. Okay. Going through the drawers, you discover a flip-flop pistol.

It becomes a real thing. Yeah, greedy. A pistol with ammunition and a little tiny box next to it in one shelf unit kind of like a desk area. You can see there is a fake drawer underneath the desk as well, where it looks like a stiletto blade is kind of bolted up into it. Next to his bedside table, there's a small little kind of octagonal cabinet with different sides on it.

It has a drawer on top, and as you open it up, inside you see another dagger, a small, like, snuff box of some kind, and the ruby you're seeking. Well, at least it was close to the back. Let's put that on the shelf. Oh, and I'll draw the little, and I'll put the ruby, like, on it, like, artfully, you know, like, kind of Pinterest-y, so it's, like...

Just dressing the window presentation of it? Okay. If his room is messy, I'm going to, like, kind of Pinterest-y, so it's like... Dressing the window presentation of it? Yeah, exactly. Okay. If his room is messy, I'm going to hide things just in case, you know, she comes up here or something. Okay, you get the sense that everything in here was rapidly cleaned. Already. But in the way that a 13-year-old prepares his room rapidly,

where, once again, underneath the bed, underneath and behind stuff, he just crammed things, just discarded outfits. Anything that would have probably been just dropped and left along the floor has been just shunted into little pocket spaces to make it look clean. Yeah. That's appropriate.

And the snuff box is actually just snuff in there? You open it up? Yeah. There is a material in there, kind of like a blue crystalline substance. Does it look familiar? Go ahead and make a history or arcana check. Should smell it, just to be sure. I'm scared to. Uh-huh.

Okay, okay, okay. Powdered paste. Ooh, 20. 20. This is sued. Close it. Shut the drawer. Yeah, no, that's fine. Okay, I'm going to go.

Okay. The rest of you, the rest of you, the rest of you, as they wander off, you can see the room, which is very different from pretty much any time you've been there. And there is this unique circumstance where all these people that generally keep a very rough and checking in with a territorial presentation

with the rest of you are now at attention, looking at you like, don't judge. They're just looking about, making eye contact, and then as Marion is seated, and they give a table to you and your family, cups are placed out and they pour, they start pouring drinks for you, your husband, and your kid before the guy's like, No, no, dumb, wait, like, they start pouring drinks for you, your husband, and your kid,

before the guy's like, No, no, dumb, wait, no, sorry. We have milk. And one of the guys goes like, I think we got cheese. Ugh. Oh. Just water is good.

Don't have it. Or juice, yeah, any sort of juice, maybe even in a little, in a shot glass is fine. I'll be right back. I'll make a quick run. A carafe, a carafe. One of the guys exits. Most of the juices they have here are fermented, it seems. But nevertheless, you guys are left within the chamber.

Some of them begin bringing these really shabby wooden platters that have semi-stale bread, but it's been cracked open. and begin bringing these really shabby wooden platters that have semi-stale bread, but it's been cracked open. They're trying to make a good-looking spread. That's so sweet. With whatever they could find on short notice.

And so it's a bunch of shitty, scavenged bar food that's just arranged in a little platter. Marion's like, oh my goodness, thank you. You didn't have to break out the good salt. The good salt. In the time that lapsed, I have taken some of my silver thread and tied it around one of my black raven's feathers

that I use for flying. And under the table, I rub some of my cat mint on the feather. I say, hey, Luke, want to see something crazy? I hand him the thread, got dangled out of my cat. Poof! It's covered in catnip. So you've all, at different points in time,

seen varying degrees of emotion and energy levels from Frumpkin. This is a feral demon energy from the fey cat who just starts going crazy on the string. Why is he making that howling noise? Luke is just enraptured and pulling and tugging on it,

and they're both just having a good time at the side of the table. Yeza's looking around. All right, so we're staying here for a while. I think so. Or in a safe house, if the gentleman deems that more appropriate, but yes, we need to stay out of sight, and this seems like an appropriate.

Waves to somebody else over there, just kind of goes. Maybe don't make eye contact. Oh, okay, I didn't know. Well, thank you, or Jester, whoever else. Yeah, I think this is on Jester. I hope it's all right with the gentleman. Okay.

He seems nice today. He's nice. He's been nice to us. Wow. Sorry, I'm just still processing everything that's happened. Yeah, of course. So we got out of there super fast. I'm so sorry about that.

I mean, I'm talking about back at Nicodranas, not the other place, but I know you guys don't have any clothes or anything. Maybe we can make some arrangements to get some brought over. I mean, you left out some food for the pup, right? For the dog? Yeah.

Oh no. I didn't, we just rushed. I didn't even. Of course, yeah. Why would you have? You have a dog? I mean, it's not my dog. Um.

At which point, Luke's playing with the cat and goes, That's right. Where's Nugget? Oh boy. Yes, he goes, Um. Nugget's on an adventure, like your mama. You know what the great part about Nugget is?

He can disappear and reappear at other places, so he can get out and he can get food and go to the bathroom and stuff. He doesn't always have to shit in our house like he normally does. No, he's actually taken to taking a poop in all of our neighbors' houses, too. Oh, that's a good trick.

That's a lot of great conversations I've had for the past couple of weeks. Oh, no. The neighbors are giving him food. Probably. You know? He's taking it. Blink dogs are a lot, aren't they, Luke?

He's like, he's so funny. And keeps playing with Frumpkin with a string and is just like, okay, well, we'll have to tackle that problem when we get to it. You know what, Jester might be able to send a message to someone in Nicodranas to go check in on the dog. Maybe, that might be helpful.

Yeah. Oh boy. I'm sure she knows, or Marion might know a sitter of some sort. Okay, he grabs his cup. But yeah, we'll just stay here until we figure out what the next plan is. Everyone, what is the next plan?

Do we know? Oh. Yeah. Going to the Grove. So I think that's the next stop. Do we have some business to take care of here still? I think we're doing it right now. I'm ready. I mean, not this moment, but I'm set for the day.

Do you have anything from home on your person? Everything. What do you need? Just an object. Oh, yeah. From the house you grew up in or nearby. That's, yeah, it's practically everything I own. Okay, good. Just to avoid mishap on arrival.

Let me see what I got. What time is it-ish? Let's see, you guys returned? It is exactly. I'll say roughly early afternoon. I mean, we're not going to go right this second, right? Then we spend a day and night here, at least? How many days have passed since we left Eiselcroft?

Good question. Somewhere in the neighborhood of three to four, I think. That seems, no. They said two weeks thereabouts, but we're playing it safe. Somewhere between a week and two weeks. Yeah, we were talking about a week to play it safe. Yeah.

I feel like it should be our last stop. Yep. So I think we should go there at the end of the day, with enough time for whatever we're going to find there. And then we need to rest again so that we can depart. Do we need supplies before we go?

I'd never say more no to a few different things. We're near Pumat, right? Yeah, did we have anything left that we were getting Pumat, right? Yeah, did we have anything left that we were getting Pumat to make? We didn't have him making anything custom that we left with him last time, right? Well, you? I think I was, I had him make a rosé flask.

Yes. It seems important now. Definitely. Which you can go pick up, likely, while you're in town. Cool. Maybe we'll have a ring of ice resistance. Make a trade. Hey, man. If I'm meant to live that long.

Trade man me! As you guys are sitting and having this conversation, some of the individuals begin to shrug back a bit and nod and scatter off and head into small side rooms or head back up the stairs as the gentleman reenters the chamber. Catching up where he left Jester's conversation there. Welcome to stay as long as you need.

You're under the protection of the gentleman. Need not worry. The Mighty Nein, I believe. Jester tells me you're about to probably head off before the day is done to continue your business up north, yes? Sounding likely at this point, yeah. Very likely.

All right, all right. Well, do not worry. We will keep a vigilant watch on your families, I guess, and he looks over towards Marion for a second and nods. Plenty of time for us to share stories and catch up, should anyone be interested. Downtime. The rest of you, take the day off. Like, what?

What's that even mean? He's like, go here. And he goes and points to one of the guys in the side, he goes, and a guy in the side you see was carrying a small satchel, kind of goes and starts to one of the guys on the side, he goes, and a guy on the side you see who's carrying a small satchel, and starts putting coins in the hands of each of the workers, goes,

I consider this a bonus for all the hard work you've done. Take this, don't spend it all in one place, or do so, I don't care, but just take the day for yourselves, journey about Zadash, and make it your own. You all, okay. You should do the Haunted Zadash tour, actually, highly recommended.

Did that the first year, it was at Cobalt Soul. They all turn and look at one guy there, this shrimpy-looking Ichabod Crane fellow, who's like, oh no, I'm not doing that again. They're like, no, we're doing it, and they grab him and he's like, no, I don't want to do that again! They start dragging him off as they all begin to exit out,

except for the large ogre guard who's still sitting there, who's like half asleep in the back, who looks like he has a little makeshift bow tie on, but it's way too small on him. Ask for Andrew, nevermind. That's okay. It was actually Travis they just dragged off. Yeah, that's okay. It was actually Travis they just dragged off. Yeah, that's true.

I don't know. Yes, it goes, Well, greatly appreciated, Mr. Gentleman. The gentleman, age? Mr. The? Mr. The? Is that what Mr. The? Gentleman's fine. Right, well, on behalf of the Bernardo family,

we're just very thankful for the safe protection that you're offering. And if we can be of service whatsoever in this space, we do have a number of skills. Interesting. What kind of skills do you have, I might ask? My son is a very talented sneaker and swiper and stealer. He is far too young. But Yeza also has his own talents. He's excellent with chemistry and mixing. I can shoot stuff!

He's like, shh. I indeed am an accomplished alchemist and have experience with all number of various components. You had anything that you needed mixed or unmixed, you know, he's your fella. The gentleman sits back on his back leg. Hmm. Very well.

Not here to put you to work, but if you're offering to pass the time, at least, make yourself some coin under our umbrella. Hek, Niketa looks at him for a second. You get to tell your kids some point down the line, maybe, that you got to work for a criminal. And he goes like, well, no, I... Do you have sleeping quarters here, gentlemen,

that would be appropriate for us? Yes, yes, I have a room currently being prepared. Oh. You hear some shifting in the back room of barrels screeching and you get a sense that they're clearing out one of the storerooms or making space. Thank you, much, much appreciated.

Of course, of course. But for the rest of you who are making your journey, I wish you all the greatest of luck. Please come back with stories. And if you find anything particularly of curious interest that you think might fetch a pretty penny, I can connect you with some buyers. So let me know.

Do we have anything? I actually have a thought, a question. Did Cree live here? No, no, no, no. Okay, so Cree didn't leave anything behind. No, no, she just up and left. Well, it was worth a shot. Sorry, yeah.

I don't have enough rooms to house my entire organization, but there are a few that can stay here if need be. And we do offer to those who need it safe house detailing, like you've requested. But happy to oblige. But please, stay safe. And we'll take care of things. He looks back and sees you coming down the stairs

now after you've rummaged through his room. Skip, skip, skip. I give him a wink. Skip, skip, skip. He gives a. Well, and to Jester as well. Keep them safe. Keep her safe. Keep her safe.

Sirius. Are you kicking us out? Are we leaving? No, but I mean, I have things to tend to. Oh yeah, of course you do. Goodbye. And he like awkwardly walks over to the bar

and takes that same, takes the full glass liquor bottle, hits over to Marion's table. Mm, okay. And should you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. Kind of lingers in the moment, and Marion just sitting there, pulling apart a piece of bread and looking up at him.

Well, it is greatly appreciated, and perhaps I might have some questions for you later today. Oh. He goes, Oh. Well, enjoy your meal. And he quickly shuffles away and heads up the stairs to his room.

Oh, he's going to be in the room before. You hear him go, What the? Are we resting this evening so that we can actually take a long rest before we go? At our destination. I'll be there. Yeah, we won't be able to transport twice in one day, so.

Right. We'll be a sleeping rough, but a comfy rough, at the very least. We'll be a sleeping rough, but a comfy rough at the very least. We are good with sleeping rough. Yeah. Going to grab the stuff from Pumat and head out? going to grab the stuff from Pumat and head out? Oh, I mean, you don't have to go there on my account.

I wouldn't mind just just at the very least. One more time for old's sake. Informing friends, taking a look, maybe finding another diamond. Yeah, yeah. Let's do it. All right. So we're not coming back here then, before?

Not till it's over. Boy, you can just feel us running toward our destiny, can't you? Okay. Oh, I was going to stick around here while you guys shopped. Is that all right? Yeah.

We'll pick up your... Yeah. Yeah, you spend time. Yeah, I don't feel like, you know, leaving him right now, if that's all right. Of course. Jester, do you want us to look for anything for you? Do you want to stay? Yeah.

Okay. Diamonds. Yeah, just, you know, diamonds. If you guys want to pick up another one of those fancy cups, so we can do a couple heroes feasts, depending. A jeweled chalice would be smart. That would be a good idea. Okay.

All right. You're good to go. Later? No, you go. Later, later. Oh. Yeah, I mean, I have to talk to Yeza one more time, but yeah, I think, I don't know. It's a rough day yesterday, you know? Yeah.

A rough, jeez. Yeah. Is there anything that you would like us to pick up for Luc? Oh, well, last time we were there, I asked. He didn't really have much in the way of toys. Plus, I already have something for Luc I made. Toys?

He pops up onto the table, he's got a smudge on his nose, and he's just crawling underneath. We were talking about toys, but only for your birthday, which isn't for a while. But I did get you something when I was up north. I got you this, and I'll take out this little horned hat thing that I had made for him. Looks like mine.

For when you get cold, it's not... Or just when you want to look cool. Yeah. Yeah, it's cool, right? I look like my mom. He holds his little toy crossbow up. Yeah, we do look alike. We should get one for Dad, too. Fires it off and he goes,

This is like this larger-looking half-orc fellow who's covering one eye, he's like, Sorry, sorry. Fine. Okay. You can't shoot above the neck. You know, keep it down below the neck. Unless you're trying to really hurt someone, you know?

Unless you're in danger, then go straight for the line. Okay. Yeza's like, I mean, I can't argue. But I think they're going to go shopping anyway. So if there's anything you need, actually, you know what? I have, not that I want to do super dangerous chemical stuff around our sun,

but I do have some stuff to make an explosive device. And I was hoping that you would help me put it together. Oh! At some point. Yeah. Not now, not in this bar. Maybe we could, I don't know, do it sometime. Yeah, we'll find a place. Okay. Likely not the interior of this place. No, no, no. Yeah, we can try that.

Okay. Okay. A little fun project. Looks over at Luc. Mommy and Daddy are going to work on a project. Nothing dangerous. In a little bit. I'll keep them company. Thank you very much. You're welcome.

All right. So who's going for what? Who's shopping or looking about? What's the plan in Zadash? Find Pumat's. Quick trip. Quick trip, yeah. Famous last words. I want a bespoke hat.

Sorry. All righty. Before we go, do you have a little bit of coin still? Oh, tons. May I borrow some? Yes. How much do you need? 500, if you have it.

Here's 1,000. I'll give it to you in platinum, so it's easier to carry. Thank you. Yeza at the table is watching you give him this, but you are really making some money as adventurers, aren't you? A shrewd businesswoman. I risk my word. No, you don't.

Yeah, well, also, we don't spend that much because Caleb here gives us free lodging when we need it, and, you know, bolts don't cost that much. Caduceus can make us food when we need it. That's pretty good. As frequent tower points add up. All right. For a second.

Well. If you are going into town, just because probably shopping in the market's not the safest thing, just, and he starts writing down on a piece of paper. Cereal, eggs. General food and survival items while they're going to be down in the safe areas.

Maybe disguise yourselves before you go. Just in cases. Ooh. Do you guys have a spell to do that? I can do that. For me, you can. Mm-hmm. Ladies.

I mean, I can't disguise myself, but I'm up for, you know, being, if you want to make me into something. Can I, hmm? Let me see. Who would we be hiding from? Just the prying eyes of? Any, yeah.

It's not a bad idea. Oh, we're scry-proof. It's not concentration, so I can do it. Doesn't mean they don't have agents walking around. Oh, you can? Yeah. Okay. Easy. For you both, for the three of us. Oh, great. I wasn't thinking.

Great. Great. Just make me look like... One of the Spice Girls? Yes, nailed it. Sporty, if you don't mind. Damn. Damn. Could I be a Spice Girl as well? Yeah, which you?

Surprise me. Okay. She's posh. Yeah. It kind of works. Okay. Scary Spice is obvious. Just a little black dress.

The classic historical adventuring team at a Marquette, Spice Girl. I'm going to turn into Alan Cummings as the manager from the film. There you go. Oh my god, yes. From the film. Oh my god. Oh my god. Spice Girl. All right.

I make myself look like Baby Spice. Well, I suppose I'll be a spice girl as well. You're scary. No, he's ginger. Oh yeah, I forgot. Yeah. We are here to spice up your life. Yeah, to match your ring. You spice?

You spice? Here, before you go, I give Ginger Spice all my money just to help out with, it's only 393 gold. That's all your money? I've spent a lot on diamonds for art. Here. That's for more diamonds or whatever else you find

that could be useful for us, okay? 393. Do you need money? What do I need money for? I don't know. We're going up into the north to die, so I won't need it after. That's fair. Mittens, mittens it is. All right, maybe some mukluks.

Don't want cold hands while you're dying. No. All right. To the spice bus? To the spice bus. Spice Girls World 2. Let's go. Here we go. They had a spice bus? Absolutely.

Yes, they did. How have you not seen this movie? I haven't seen the movie. Each had their own little area in it. No, they didn't. Yes. It was the coolest. It's a good movie. In the movie, or in real?

Do it with the Josie and the Pussycats double feature. In the movie, they did a, it was bigger on the inside, kind of TARDIS thing, but they did have a spice bus. All right. The more you know. Anyway. So when's the dash? Where are we going?

Quick trip, quick trip. On the spice bus. The bus will get us there quick. Just to Pumat. I'm not there, but I'm in Pumat Quick trip, quick trip. On the spice bus. We'll also get up there quick. Just to Pumat. I'm not there, but I'm here to Pumat. All right, so you make your way to the Pentamarket. The wind is picking up, a little chillier. The clouds are coming in a little bit.

Looks like there's a little bit of a grayer sky coming for the latter half of the afternoon. Weaving your way through the streets, you eventually find your way to the familiar green wooden exterior of the invulnerable vagrant. Walking inside, you see one hooded figure who's currently walking around and just checking out odds and ends, a couple of small books, some materials.

And in the back, you can see the familiar face of Pumat behind, just looking over towards the potential customer who's currently looking around and looks over to you as you enter the main entryway. Oh, oh goodness me, this is fine. Howdy, and you, how are you all doing? Welcome back. Oh, hello.

We are not a group of adorable singers. Can he see? Does he see through it? Does he know? Oh my god, that's awesome. But I'm also baby Spice in here, so. Ossite? Does he know? Oh my god, that's awesome. But I'm also baby spice in here, so. It's true. So hello, we're back.

We're passing through town. How have you been? My apologies. I should have expected this was intentional. Well, it's a pleasure to meet all of you strange... Girls. Girls. Adventuring ladies in here. I am Pumat Sol. Happy to help you in whatever it is

you might be looking for. Are there other people in the shop? There's one other individual. Oh, good. Get the fuck out. Shop's closed! Reel it in, Jinger. Reel it in. Caleb's scratchy feminine coming out of Baby Spice's mouth. Yeah, so the figure in the hood is

looking curiously over the shoulder before going back to looking at small little wands and orbs and random magical knickknacks. So you're welcome to look about the place. Still sparse, but you're welcome to it. We just need a few things. One, we need to pick up that flask that Lady Veth left behind. One, we need to pick up that flask that Lady Veth Right, yes.

The flask that was ordered not by you, but from another person since we first met right now. Yes, the scary spice. Yes. Don't want to figure out how you got that nickname. Let me get that for you. He's just terrible at lying. He's so bad at it. He wanders off to the back and you hear a couple footsteps coming down the way and you're like,

Oh, hi! Bunch of new customers today. It's a happening place here. And the other one comes out of his curtain and goes like, Oh, apologies, and just goes right back upstairs and the original Pumat Prime comes back out again and goes, here you go, here's your requested. I'm not there, but he'll pick it up for me. It's very confusing because I'm dressed as Not-Here Spice. Right.

Sorry. Spice Not-Hearing in this quest. We'll make sure to give this to her. I'm sorry. We'll make sure to give this to her. I was trying something and it didn't work. Great. We're also in the market for gems.

Oh. If you've got any. Are you? Well, we're also in the market for gems. If you've got any. Are you? I'm trying to do your own. Ooh! Yeah? This is so awkward. So, um.

Most awkward we've ever been. I was hoping to rifle through any scrolls you have in the shop. I know that you are low on everything, but. Well, I can probably muster a few. You know, anything in particular you're looking for. You got a bunch of things in the back, so I guess give me something to focus on.

Higher level. Define higher level. Five, six, seven. And diamond. He loves that. Diamonds, diamonds. Diamonds? Not much of a purveyor of hot gems.

It's not really my specialty. I can imbue them with magical properties over an extended period of time, but not a jeweler. That's fair. Sorry, Manny Spice. Do you have a jeweled chalice, then? Or no, that's still...

No, you've got to kind of commission those from the... Well, there's a number of folks here in Zadash that could probably do it. I can point you to a couple. To answer your question, looking for... We're kind of a little limited in the upper register, because a lot for, we're kind of a little limited in the upper register

because a lot of that, a lot of that magic is kind of regulated. Yeah. And it would be illegal to sell such magical things to random strangers on the street.

Is that guy looking at us? No, but he's keeping in place, listening a little bit. I was planning on insight checking this person. Edd Wolf. 17. 17. That's not terrible. To me, it's terrible.

They were looking through things, and since you've entered, they've done the thing where they just seem to keep going back to the same objects. And so you get the sense that they're just eavesdropping. Just nosy. Mm-hmm. But I'll see what I can have that's more on a viable, public,

purchasing level. Absolutely. And he steps into the back of it and comes back with a few small cases and sets them out. These are fundamental and low-level, easy-to-pick-up magics that can be helpful for the starting mage.

I like to go back to the basics. Fair enough. Glancing in, you see one of them, hold on. Ah! Jinger is having a rough day. Yeah, apparently. Ah!

Ah! Jinger's a Muppet now. Miss Piggy's voice. Being played by Miss Piggy. Yeah. Ah, yeah, yeah! Kermie! Oh, Kermie. Oh, that's a pretty good Miss Piggy.

One of them is Wall of Ice. Second one is Cloud Kill. Hmm. Oh, the fuck? Sounds cool. Lost spots. Cloud kill. Hmm. Oh. The fuck? Sounds cool. Lots of thoughts.

Kill a cloud. It's not that cool. First of all. Pfft. And the third and final one is called Arcane Sword. Arcane Sword? Yep. I love it. So cloud kill, arcane sword. Okay. I love it. I've been practicing. So cloud kill, arcane sword.

Okay. I'm a, oh boy. I'm going to grab Beau and move to the side of the shop to show something off. Yes. We should make a offhand comment to throw Mr. Nosy in the wrong direction of where we're going.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I can do that. Perusing, perusing. You know, your accent reminds me of, where's your accent from? What are you trying to do? It's like you, but just more stupid. I was trying to do the

words old, how, how, how, how. I don't know where it's from. Wasn't doing it very long. It sounds like you have something in your mouth. Yeah. It feels that way. Like a... A big wad of gum.

Yeah. Yeah. I don't even know how to work with this, Caduceus. I'm dropping it once we're out of here. I just feel like if I stop, it'll be more suspicious. He's already committed. All right. Do you, Pumat, have things here, like clothing or cereal?

Or supplies for living? Milk! Do you have milk? Milk. You know, just some goods. And diamonds and a jewel-encrusted chalice, the basics. I will, I apologize, but I am not much of a purveyor of gems and or chalices, as I stated previously,

nor a keeper of oats or breakfast items. I am an enchanter, but I- Have enchanted oats. Is that a thing? He scribbles down a little note to himself. I'll get to that later. But there are numerous places throughout the entire city where you can go ahead and find these things

for a nice cheap price. And if anyone gives you any trouble, just tell them the Pumat sent you. Okay. Don't know if it'll help, but you know. It could. It'll sound officious. Yeah. So. Okay.

Any interest in these extremely low-level and paltry magical spell scrolls? Yeah, I will take this jumping one right here and I'll tap on the Cloudkill spell. Cloudkill. All righty. That'll only be a little price, and he writes a little note and passes it over.

It's his 6,000 gold pieces. Mm. Whoa! Wow! Wow! Still pricey. Deedee-dee-dee! You know, maybe I will stick to the regular jumping, just with my legs.

But I will consider this and the next time we are coming through town again, I don't think we're ever coming through town. I will pick it up then. Apologies for making you go to the trouble to find this jumping spell. No worries. But if ever you need it, you know where to find it.

He goes and takes it and puts it away. Wait, do you appraise things and look at them and do that whole thing? I can, depending on the object. Because I've been wanting someone to look at this and tell me a little bit. I'm going to pull out my tusk-born press plate.

Press plate? I'm not sure why I said press plate. My armor from Obann. Oh. Right, right. I've just always was curious about this. Is it magical at all, or it's just... How much do you think something like that would go for? Well, real fast. Have you been wearing this? No.

Where has it been kept? In my bag. Okay, so you should have this breastplate in the bag. Okay, got it. I'll allow it. I'll allow it. I mean, if that feels... Ugh. I mean, I don't know why I would carry that big.

In my pack bag. Just for a change of breastplate. Yeah. Petra packs seem to be... I mean. I'll allow it. I'll allow a change of breastplate. Yeah. Petra packs into being. I mean. Allow it, allow it, it's fine. Okay. So I, let me go ahead and take it a second. Let me, and he pulls his goggles down

and adjusts one of the lenses on it and takes a look at this. Well, I certainly got some magical jam in here. Oh, yeah, this is, uh... He pulls the goggles up. This is of an infernal make, most definitely. Got some, uh, got some bad energy. Uh, yeah. Do you, what does something like this cost?

Well, something like this, you'd either have to get from somebody's odd collection or probably through some nefarious means. How'd you get it? Somebody gave it to me as a gift, a lovely gift. Well, whoever it is, might want to question where they got it.

This thing's got a dark legacy behind it. Yeah, I figured as much, but I just wanted to check in. We should get the fuck out of here. If you're looking to get rid of it, I could probably take it off your hands. I mean, I can think of a handful of folks that would want to probably add it to their collection

if you want to part with it. I'll give it some time. We'll be back for the scroll later. Maybe we can find someone to sell it to in Darktow. That's not a bad idea. Yeah. Since we're headed that direction. To Darktow. Wait, you're heading to Darktow?

Keep it in mind. Yeah. Just don't tell anybody. Leans over towards the guy in the hood who puts something away in the satchel and starts walking out. Really? Just be careful. That's a place I bet, folk. Mm-hmm. So we've heard.

Well, wish us luck, Umant. Anybody need anything else before we get the rest for groceries? No, it's been a pleasure doing business with you over the months. I hope to see you again. Of course. You know where to find me. Just come on by whenever. Hopefully in a few more months, you'll have a better stock.

It's kind of got cleaned out recently, but check in. Is this a new cleaned out or the same old cleaned It's kind of got cleaned out recently, but check in. Is this a new cleaned out or the same old cleaned out? Mostly same old cleaned out. You know, when most of this was confiscated by the assembly, kind of just went disappearing past enemy lines and I've been trying to, you know, rebuild some sort of a rapport here

with new objects and items, but that takes time. Makes sense, makes sense. Yeah. The Dutch wasn't built in a day. Well, I'm sure we will be back before too long. Well, I look forward to it. You still doing this pollution thing next time?

It's hard to concentrate. Trying to focus on which one's which and. Hopefully not. Only if you would like us to come back and spice up your life. I'll think on it. Okay. Next tour, then.

Spice life. All righty. Please, God. Oh. I thought that was me. All right. Anybody else have anywhere else to go? I haven't. Chalice and diamonds, if they exist,

but other than that, we can just roll. Whoever wants to helm that, make an investigation check. Not me. I'll try it. Okay. I will assist. Ooh, okay. Look over there.

That's both pretty good, both pretty good. Yield, peer one. 30 total. Whoa! Oh no. Boom, boom, boom, boom. So jewel chalices, on the scale of cost that you would need and what you're looking for, are very, very hard to find

because they're usually made to order. It's not like somebody just sits there, often with a massive gold chalice, you know, or jeweled chalice, ready to go ahead and sell off to anybody and it just stays in their window. That would be an invitation. There isn't a Faberge egg store around that just happens to have one. You find something akin to it. There isn't a Faberge egg store around that just happens to have it.

You find something akin to it. There is one. One that is available, but only after asking around, getting a bit of a feel for where such a place would be able to be located. Let me find the proper... There it is. So it's worth a thousand gold pieces.

You do find it. It is a little bit upcharged to 1,100, but it is ready and available. Do they have any diamonds? This individual does not have any major diamonds. They have really, really small ones, like Jorzy Crystal style. Oh.

And that's going to be the challenge here, too, is diamonds aren't available on a mass scale. There isn't a De Beers Blood diamond trade here in the Empire, necessarily. And most ones you find will be smaller, and you'll have to consolidate them over time. Probably take what they've got, because we always need powdered diamond anyway, so. Can I ask if he'll throw in some of these diamonds

and then we'll call it 1,100? Throw in? No. Throw in some diamonds. But you can make a perception check. Throw in some diamonds, that's what I'm saying. You can make a perception check to try and haggle a bit, if you'd like. Persuasion?

Sorry, persuasion. Persuasion? Sorry, persuasion. Persuasion. That's what I was getting at. This is my strong suit. Ooh! I rolled a 19, though, for a 20 total. All righty. You did. I'm a real boy!

Oh, I did it, you guys! Little bit of haggling, a little bit of surprising yourself in this circumstance, but you manage to, between the chalice and about 150 golds worth of smaller diamonds of various sizes, some that are used for ring insets, some that are used for earrings

and other bits of accessory jewelry, about 150 gold worth. You get it all for 1,150. Deal. So you knock 100 gold off of the whole deal. With a twine. Tight. I'll pay for it. Good heckling. The whole thing?

You thought I was smooth. Dude, you were. It's smoothest I've ever been. Yeah, it was amazing. Pretty great, thanks. Yeah, it was good work. Anything else? You guys should go into sales. No, I'm feeling we are going to unspice pretty soon and we need to be moving on anyway.

Let's call it. That's a good look for you. Thank you, I know, I feel dapper. Works. Probably dropped the accent, though. That was a good look for you. Thank you. I know, I feel dapper. Works. Probably dropped the accent, though. That was a... Experiment's been going poorly lately. You're better at accents than I am. I don't know. You've got to...

Throw me something. Oh, Wildmother. No, you're better than him. Wow. Yeah. That was a good tone, though. I thought you were going to start chanting. Bop, bop. Yeah.

It's a good one. That slaps. Ha! Mm. Ha! Very solid. Well, let's go, because, you know, TikTok. Before two become one. As you guys are making your return in that direction, we'll go ahead and move over to those who have stayed behind.

So Jester and Veth, what would you like to do while you guys are away? Hang out with my son. Play, entertain. You give him a tour. See if there's any pictures to show him or anything fun to snoop around to look at. Yeah.

There is a storage room has been altered and cleared out and a bed has been moved from another room into this one to give it a little more of a private space. But it's a large bed. It'll easily fit both Yeza and Luc. It smells a little dingy, but it's not terrible, especially given the short notice that they were given here to prepare for it.

There are a lot of other rooms that are locked, intentionally so, but you go ahead and do a little pass around the vicinity. I could unlock some of them, but I won't. I won't abuse our host. No, that's it, just a little tour around. And I don't know how long they were gone, but you know. Just hanging out and also kind of peeking

every once in a while on Marion, seeing how she's doing and if she's made any moves to the gentleman. I'm distracting her at the table, telling her stories and just trying to keep things light while also keeping an eye on the gentleman. He has not left his room. But Marion is very happy to catch up with you. She's adjusting to this unfamiliar space

and is liking the attention. And with her presence, too, you can see a lot of people in the room, a lot of the employees of the gentleman who at first were taken aback and awkward are starting to listen in, too. They're starting to get invested in these tales that your mom's telling.

And once again, she carries the room. She definitely, it's hard for eyes not to eventually fall upon her with her force of personality and charisma charisma and as you guys are talking there are a few moments where you kind of stop and extend your awareness beyond just the two of you and you can tell the whole room is kind of

leaning in your direction but yeah she seems to be in better spirits now that now that you're out of this chaos that you've been dragged through these past day and a half. She goes, Jester, I... I get the sense with everything that you've told me

that what you're all going to do, all of this sounds extremely dangerous. And I know you will do wonderfully. You have every time. You continue to surprise everyone. You consistently break expectations. You and my sapphire are capable of anything. It's, um...

It's very dangerous. I don't know what exactly we are going to have to do. The last time we tried to go against these people, we... It went really bad. I didn't want to tell you. I don't know. I don't know if we'll come back. I think we will. I hope we will.

But if we have to stop them and it takes us with it, then that, I think, will be worth it. That will be worth it. She puts her hands out and clasps yours and hers. Sometimes, fate brings us to places we never expected to be. And there are

rare moments where individuals have the chance to really change individuals have the chance to really change the future for everyone else. To protect those who may or may not know that they need protecting. And it's,

I am challenged to find a word to describe how proud I am of everything that you've done. But you are my Sapphire and I want you safe. I don't want a martyr for a daughter. I don't want to be a martyr. I want to come home. Good.

Promise me that you will, if it begins to look very bad, that you'll come home. I promise. I'm sorry. I know I'm being a little selfish here, but... No. Just a bit selfish here, but. No. Just... It will be okay, Mama.

You're so smart, and you have such talented friends around you. I have all the faith. And you're smarter than all of them so they need to be reminded some of them are really smart really smart but none are you you'll be safe here

and you don't have to stay forever just you know You'll be safe here. And you don't have to stay forever. Just, you know. Just for a while. All right. Okay. Maybe you can give a concert later. That could be fun. A secret concert. That could be bad. Don't give a concert later. That could be fun.

A secret concert, that could be bad. Don't give a concert, that would let people know you're here. Aren't thou stupid, don't do that. Just for Papa. Or not, if you don't want to. Oh my gosh. She reaches out and grabs the edge of your chin and makes you look at her. You can see her eyes watering. and grabs the edge of your chin and makes you look at her.

You can see her eyes watering. I'm proud of you. I'm so proud of you. I know you'll come back. Of course. It seems eventually everyone does. She looks off towards the staircase. He'll come down soon enough. I don't know if he will.

He seemed pretty spooked. Well, nobody's gone up there. She takes her wine and drinks heavily. Sets it down. And she stands up. Grabs and squeezes your hand for a moment. Begins humming under her breath. And she stands up, grabs and squeezes your hand for a moment, begins humming under her breath, and then slowly walks

through the room towards the stairs. I just watch her. Yeza's just with the process of like, I mean, I can't imagine a number of chemicals would be useful for somebody who works beneath the laws of the Empire.

Poisons? Toxins? Caustic materials. I don't even know what would be needed. What would be needed to work with the Empire, you mean? No, no, no. What would the gentleman need? Oh, I don't even know what would be needed. What would be needed to work with the Empire, you mean? No, no, no. What would the gentleman need? Oh, I don't know. Well, so he I mean, he's into all sorts of

you know, underworld-y type businesses. He might need chemicals to identify precious stones, to chemicals to drug people, or to drug people or to cure people from being drugged as well.

Okay. Okay. Yeah. I kind of offered my services without thinking it through. It just sounded cool at the moment, but then now it's really bad. No, no, no. I think this is the stuff of like cutting edge alchemy that you'd be perfect for. You know, it's fine and all to just make the standard same

mixtures every day of your life. But if you get to do some interesting new stuff and blaze a trail, that could be really interesting. Interesting? Yes. You know, you could have your own sort of adventures within chemistry, of course. But I mean, you know, coming up with something new that no one else has done before, inventing something. What if it's illegal?

Well, yeah, I mean, there's that. There's that. But you know, I can ask what the laws are on that sort of thing. I don't think a chemical can be illegal. Maybe how it's used can be, but you're okay. I mean, I don't think there's rules against, like, you can't own this chemical.

Plausible deniability, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh boy. What are we doing? I don't know. I'm a really bad parent. Look over and Luke is curled up and passed out in the chair next to the table. He's burned all his energy out from his initial arrival.

He has a kind of like, rubs the hair out of his forehead a little bit. I don't think that's true. I think we're learning how to parent. And maybe, maybe not chose the safest gifts to give him at times, Mm-hmm. And maybe, maybe not Joe's the safest gifts to give him at times, but we're figuring it out. I just want him to be happy, and I,

you know, I know what he really needs is just time, time with me and time with us as a family. That's what I really want to give him. In the meantime, I try to give him things to make him happy and excited, distract, but he needs us all together very soon. I need it too. I need it too.

Yeah. Hopefully this will all be over soon. I hope so. Thank you for coming and for being in this stale beer-smelling place with our son. You know, it's life experience and it's going to make for some pretty funny stories when he gets older.

Mm-hmm, yep. I wonder what he's going to be like. Maybe he'll rebel and be super boring. That would be a rebellion. I don't know if he's anything like you, at least. This the last one for a while? Is this the last one for a while? I think this is the last one, yeah. Okay.

God, I hope so. I mean, I can't imagine anything bigger than this. And if there is, then no thanks. No, I'd rather be here. Well, not here. This is gross. This is, yeah, it's not optimal. But you know, with you. Hey.

Sorry. I go back to doodling on the table. Anyway, yes. There's some cool places in Icadronis that I've scattered out that I want to show you when we get a chance. Oh yeah? Like different places to live or to work or both? Different places to show you.

You don't, I'm learning, have to have a motive for everything you want to do. Sometimes fun for fun's sake. That sounds novel. I'd love to see them. And I love Nicodranas. Everything but the water. I mean, the rest of it is great.

I think we could live there. I think so. All right. Two weeks, we'll start out a new life together. Okay, two weeks. I'm holding you to that. Feel free. And gives you a little kiss.

Well, the rest of you are returning. Oh, can I walk over before? Sure, yeah. And just say, hey, lovebirds, you need some time. You can watch the little one. That's very kind of you, Jester. For boning and also for making stuff.

I thought you were going to make stuff. We are going to make stuff. I mean, he is asleep, but if you want to do some bomb making right now, I'm cool with it. Yeah? Yeah, I can watch Luke, totally. Okay, let's go make some bombs.

Okay, yeah. Let's make some bombs. All right. Wear yourselves out. Let's make some bombs. All right. Wear yourselves out. Have a good time. No, but really, let's make some bombs. Okay, well, yeah. Okay. What did you want to make?

I have material to make, I think, two fluffernutters. All righty. Or maybe one really powerful fluffernutter. I don't know. Still all euphemism. Ramp it up. Your choice, two regular or one powerful? How about two regs?

All righty. Because one could fuck. That's true. So you have proficiency in alchemist tools? Or alchemy kit? I believe I, well, I wouldn't have it anymore because it would have been stolen with all of our stuff. Yeah, alchemy kit, yeah.

Right. Yeza would have a, oh, but he had to rush off. But when we were somewhere recently, I bought a bunch of materials to make these things. You did, you did. The components that I would need. So you probably would have bought another one because that was after our stuff got stolen.

And to be fair, anything you didn't have, the Gentleman's Facility probably has something that could work for it. So, okay, I'll allow it. So if you are, but if you are proficient, as I'm saying, with alchemist kit or not? I don't, how would I know that? It'd be under your proficiencies on the lower left.

Under proficiencies and languages, it says tools, alchemist supplies. Yeah, great. Okay, great. So go ahead and roll a d20, add your proficiency modifier and your intelligence modifier, with advantage because Yess is helping you. Okay, that's terrible.

You have a little moment. Proficiency and what? Intelligence. They're both just pouring the chemicals. Pouring the chemicals together. He's behind her. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Oh my god. Oh, my love. My proficiency is five, yes.

That's not great. 14. That's not bad. That's not bad. Not great. No, that's not bad. Okay. If you were making the big one,

that might've been something else, but you barely, barely craft a fluffer. Oh, wait, plus intelligence, you said? Plus intelligence modifier. Oh, 15, okay. That's slightly better. Okay, yeah. You barely pull off a fluffer nutter.

Do you want to go ahead and try for the second one? Oh. That was refreshing. Maybe this time Yeza can be in front. Need to wait five minutes before the next one. Natural 20. Yay! Yay! For a total of?

20 plus proficiency is 25 plus intelligence, 28. Wait, your intelligence is three? I'm doing the plus three on intelligence? Yeah, you're modifier. Yeah, I'm modifier. That's right, that's right. Yeah. Should have been 17. Yeah, your last addition was fucked on your pre- No, I looked at the wrong thing.

I added two instead of three. Okay, okay. I don't know. All right. Don't doubt his menace. No, no, it's fine, it's fine. I was wrong. All right, so go ahead and you make a fluffernutter, and you make a fluffernutter with an asterisk. Ooh, that's exciting.

So just write that down. That means twins. Ooh, that means you also got pregnant. No, Lucien, don't! I'm with child! Okay, thank you, thank you. All righty. While the rest of you are returning from your shopping trip, you pick up some general supplies, Yasha,

based on the requests that were made. You pick up general food, dried goods, milk, juice, anything else that they do not seem to have or are able to provide at the moment until they begin to take care of their guests for the time being, but. Okay. As they're heading back,

You run like you carry a guilty conscience. Absolve yourself and tell me why I shouldn't continue to pursue. You hear in the center of your head, Caleb. He's so up in your DMs. For once, in your very little life, consider that there are things larger than your own machinations.

Take some time off. No response yet. Zero confidence in that. So you all eventually regather down in the gentleman's lair. What would you like to do? Well, first, I don't know if Pumat is price gouging or what, but it was too steep for us,

and I didn't really see, I was really just doing it for old time's sake. I just, I love being here, I love his shop, but it was not cost effective, so here's your gold back, your platinum back. How much did you have just in general? Like four hundo. Why don't you take another six hundo,

just so you have some money? I don't think they'll have shops where we're going. Yeah, but what if you have to barter with a fey creature or something? I don't know. Fey creatures don't want gold. Eh, give it to your husband. Save it for your kid.

Okay. I got a lot of groceries for Luc and for Yeza. Oh, thank you! We've got enchanted oats. Oh my god. A lot of it is just way too sugary sweet cereals and then just weird food like bugs and- Enchanted bugs.

Enchanted oats. It's all of the, you know, the important food and proteins that they would need. Did you grow up on this stuff? No, I've never tried it, but it was so colorful, so I bought it. Thank you so much, Yasha. You're welcome. I think you can keep the bugs

because we have enough, because we're fine. I wouldn't want to take all these. I feel like he needs to eat. He does. You know what? I'll just take a handful because I think we're going to be fine. Okay, okay, okay. I'll keep them for myself, then.

Thank you. Thank you. And one more thing. I keep forgetting to do this, and I've been meaning to. I have a gift for you. It's not from me. I was going to do it on a date, but you know, sort of fell through. But here, I have this really old, dry flower now.

It's a white flower. It's not from me. It's from that woman, Vilya. Do you remember her from Rundle Cusp? Yes, of course. She wanted to give it to you, and I forgot to pass it on. Thank you.

I am going to put this in my book and lay it in here, and I'll press it with the rest. I'm glad. Thank you. Got a jeweled chalice. Oh shit! Catch! Ooh! That's... Yeah.

I'm really good at catching things. I wasn't worried about you. She drops it. Start painting. I got some glue, we can put that back on. Caduceus, diamonds. Huh! Yeah.

Nope. I got it, it's one second. That was the best. Pick them, pick them. All right. You ready? Nope. Yes.

How are you feeling? Yeah, what are we doing? We are following the Wild Mother who has been helping us along this path, and I feel that she wants me to go home, if just briefly. There's a reason for it. What are you going to do if it's not briefly

and she wants you to stay? I don't think she does. Do you? I don't. I mean, I, wait, what? I want to stay. I mean, I, wait, what? I do. Want to stay. Home. That's a...

I don't know if that's a fair question. Wasn't trying to play mind games. In that case, yes. In time. Let's go. Let's go. Short stop. Righty, before we leave,

I'm going to send a message to Yussa. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh no. We're the worst. To see if this is okay. Oh shit. Oh no. We're the worst. To see if he's okay. Probably not. Hopefully the message will, I don't fucking know. I'm going to send a message to Yussa.

Can he go feed our dog? Or conscious. We don't even know if he's conscious. I don't know if he's okay. I need to check on him. Yeah, he could be. We're sorry. The person you are trying to message has been disconnected.

Only a few people are going to understand that. I know. True. We're dinosaurs. All righty. Lisa? Are you okay? We sort of came through in a hurry. I hope you're okay. I hope you're okay.

I hope you're not mad. Are you okay? Oh god. Immediately, you hear this unexpected sound. Layers and layers and layers of voices screaming, wailing, shouting, screeching.

Oh no, he's there. Hundreds of voices, thousands of voices. What if he gets stuck? And then it ends. Oh. We're going to go to break. Oh! No! What does it mean?

At least we have a friend over there. That's why he was sending his brain to the freaking astral plane. Yeah, he's still in it. Well, his body's in the tower, but he's- How did he get there? What was he- He's astral projected.

Astral projected self is hanging with the Somnovem. Probably, maybe. Is he trapped? Yeah, what if he's stuck? Because he doesn't have a body to go back to. He's got a body. It was right there. We hold.

His body was probably sliced in half by Ikithon. Cool. Well, regardless. Oh no, what's happening? We'll come back here in a few minutes. Maybe it means we have a contact when we get there. Yeah, maybe he's there. We can stay in his loft.

Is that, are those three teeth yours? Are those, is that? Oh, Akira out. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. All right. We'll see you guys here in a minute. We interrupt this Critical Role Podcast Network broadcast to bring you news of dangerous treasures that lie sealed within the Critical Role shops.

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

and preparing your final moments here in Zadash as this experience is happening, Jester reaches out to Yussa and has a revelation as a series of screams seem to be the retort that she receives. What's the matter? He's with the city. Did, is that what he?

I didn't hear him, I didn't hear anything. I just heard, I just heard the screams. I just heard the city. All right, well. Is the screams just the city or is it all, where is he, the abyss? The people living in the city, I don't know. The Astral Sea. The Astral Sea.

The Astral Sea. Does all of the Astral Sea scream or scream? Well, no, we've been there before. So he was in the city. I don't know, he didn't answer me. Do we have anyone in Nicodranas who can go check on him? You could ask his bucket.

Oh, Winsworth. I could tomorrow. I have no more sending spells today. I guess, I mean, I can use a higher level. Winsforth? Winsforth. Winsforth? Fourth Wins.

You know what? Think about it. We are going to be going to sleep not too many hours away. Not much is going to change for Yussa between this moment and six hours from now, if he is either in real trouble. Well, he's up Schitt's Creek, yeah? So save it and we go.

And if you don't need it for anything else, you can conserve your power and then do it. Yeah. Okay. Okay. He couldn't be separated from his body the way that Molly was, and he's just trapped mentally in the city, could he?

Could his body be broken and? What do I know about that kind of thing? Make an arcana check. That's a who fucking knows? Yeah. Ooh, so many of the 20s. Mm, I should've gone with the one that just fell on my iPad.

That is just a 16. 16? Fenn rolled a 15 and she made a fluffernutter! Is that too bad? You don't know too much of that scale of magic. Astral projection and astral travel, to that degree, is extremely powerful magic. Especially project one's spirit away from the body.

You're not sure, really. You could go one way or the other. What did the voices sound like? Can you do your best approximation of it? Just a lot of that sort of thing. Nothing really saying anything, just screaming, sounding tortured. All unhappy screams? Pain.

Or some that are like, hey, hey, oh, it's raining here! Just drowned out. You know, it, I don't know. It's like the sounds of Action Park. I'm fine! Oh, my concussion! Some of them, just a huge Beatles concert. And we had the dream, the last dream,

which was screams of pain, fear, terror, agony. Yeah, lots of screaming. Good stuff, good stuff. All right, well, we have a plan. We'll stick to it. We will check with his friend. What do you have for me to get us to your home? Oh.

I remove the dragonfly cloth that runs through my armor. That ought to do it. Is this room okay? Do you mind if I, if we depart from in here? Can I draw on your floor? A couple of guys look through.

Yeah, I imagine that's all right. Okay. Do you need us to move a table out of the way? Ah, yeah, that would be helpful, thank you. You're welcome. They're really out of their element in this whole hosting thing. They move some tables out of the way.

Thaumaturgy to blow the dust on the ground away from the area that Caleb needs to draw on. It is a cloud. Is it really dust, though, or is the grimy, sticky stuff on the bottom of the bar floor? Let's be honest. We know what that floor is like. Sticky alcohol floor. There's no dust.

Yeah. And other things. Greaselings. With that Laffy Taffy. Mm-hmm. That's not sawdust. Okay, so I put down a little bit of old parchment of mine and I put the fabric that Caduceus has given me

on top of it, and I start to, with chalk, draw out from there, from the center. And I spend my five to 10 doing that and get to the very end. As you're doing that, if I may, Caduceus, can I just have a word with you? Yeah. Can I pull you aside for a second

into one of these weird, stinky alcoves? Hey, I just want to say thank you again for, you know, saving my son's life yesterday. And it was, I mean, it was everything to me, so thank you. The least we can do. You've raised a good kid, by the way. Yeah.

No, yeah, he's great. I want to, I feel like I owe you for this and I want to come help you with whatever you're doing here, but also, I want to stay. And so I thought I'd ask your advice, what you think I should do? What's your biggest fear? I would say it's not coming back, but.

But why? That's not it. It's not it. I think my biggest fear is for Luke to expect me to leave. Well, any advice I have in that direction is obviously going to be a bit thin. I'm not a parent. I was a child once, though, so I have experience in that direction.

Every parent eventually leaves, one way or another. And I suppose there's nothing you can do for a child to protect them from what the world will eventually do to them. I certainly can't imagine this is what my parents really wanted for me, but

they allowed me to do this. They built me to do this and to be happy doing this. And my happiness is occasionally wavered, but it's held. And I feel like you've instilled that in your son. The dark times are going to come and maybe you'll be there and maybe you won't. And you're working hard to make as few of them happen as possible, but I don't fear for his happiness in the long run.

Well done. And what about mine? Do I care? I don't know. I think your parents really messed you up. I don't know. I'm a, I don't know. Do you need me right now?

I do. For what it's worth. But I think we all need each other's happiness also. So that's important. You know, no one of us is here to sacrifice for the others, really. We all have to be in it together. I can't even imagine what you're going through.

Well, it's much better than it could have been without you. I appreciate that, but... Genuinely, I can't imagine how much it is and what a burden it is. I can't imagine how much it is and what a burden it is. And how much you sacrifice is, everyone knows. More than others, I think, although I wouldn't say that out loud to everybody else.

I'll tell them. I figured. Okay. I need an end to this, too, but I don't think it's here yet, and I'm hoping to see it. Well, I needed you yesterday, and you need me today, and I guess that's it.

For the record, when this is over, it's no debt. We're always here for each other, even if we're not in the middle of it. Happy to do it again a year from now, a decade from now, whenever, I'll be there. Thanks. I appreciate it, Mr. Clay.

Try not to blow me up again. That would be nice, too. Sure. That's what I'll ask. Okay. I'll aim for somebody else. Fjord's looking flammable. He always does.

Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate it. All right, Caleb, you're almost done. Yeah, are all the Bernados here right now? Is he asleep? They're present, I'd say, yeah. Luc is a little sleepy-eyed, but.

All right, well, when I near the last few strokes of the sigils on the ground in shock, Luc. Yeah? Come a little closer. So we are going to go again, but when we come back, we would very much like to stay. In the meantime, thank you for lending us your mother. We need her to keep an eye on us.

Yeah, she's strong. Don't worry. I look over his shoulder at his father. I'll keep an eye on her, too. I trust. Don't do any, don't do any dangerous experiments while I'm gone. I wouldn't think of it.

I only get to do those with you. Yeah. And keep him close. Don't let him out of your sight. I don't intend to. Then take this. Take this potion, just in case. I don't know what could happen, but just take it.

Honey, I think you're probably going to need that more than I would if we're staying in here. I hope not. I hope not either, but you made us both a promise. Okay. You promised. It's a promise. I'll be back real soon. And then, whatever you want to do

for the rest of your life. Oh, I should start thinking now, then. Yes. We'll get on it. I'll have Luc help me with some ideas. What? Don't worry about it now. All right. You ready?

Yeah. Okay. Jester, you ready? I'm going to just run up the stairs really fast and just put my hand on the door. I'm not going to knock or anything. Okay. You hear low voices, conversation.

Okay. I'll come back down. Yeah. Okay. Auf Wiedersehen. You all, one by one, go running into the Teleportation Chamber, too. Oh shit, he forgot to pick a destination. We're done!

Oh shit. Blooming Grove. Correct. So this is teleport spells, right? Not the circle, yeah. Oh, I don't need it, right? I can just go. Yeah, there's no circle. This is just for flair. Just for flair. Yeah.

There's still a casting process to it. Still a casting process. You're right on our floor. Yeah. It's a curse. It's just a circle of dicks. Yeah. There's a curse. It's just a circle of dicks. Yeah. Boom, boom.

There's a brief moment after they all leave him, one of the guys is like, he didn't even use the circle. Smash cut to. Banks, boom. Pop scotch. Game of four square for them. Mm-hmm. You all set foot on a soft, mossy, grass-covered

and earthen ground. As you emerge from wherever this arcane, sudden surge brought you into the shaded center of the Blooming Grove, you see yourself surrounded by the dense canopy of the Savalirwood, the sky above a dense gray color with a gentle rain that is falling and immediately beginning to soak coldly through you.

Wind blowing a bit, that storm that you saw coming seems to have begun to set in this far north of where you were. Looking around you, you can see the exterior of the Blooming Grove. When you first arrived, you could see the Savalir Woods' corruption was beginning to encroach upon the grounds.

It had bypassed the exterior stonework and fencing. But now as you glance about with the light that you still have, you can see that it has blossomed. Thick, uncut grass rises up bright green. Flowers and other roots all begin to intertwine as ivy now grows over the iron fences. Beyond that, you can see a number of these odd, if beautiful, purple crystal structures,

these almost tree-like twisting pillars of natural purple crystal that sit at the perimeter of the grounds. They ever so faintly thrum with a faint light. Caduceus, this is beautiful. Yes. Oh, it's your first times. Yeah.

Yes. Oh yeah, that's right. Yasha's, too. Oh my god. You grew up here. This isn't at all how I pictured the cemetery. Looks a lot healthier. Crystal's a natural?

That's supposed to happen? Well, it depends on your definition of natural. A little different than how we left it, though. Mm-hmm. Good as is. The way it was described to me when I was younger. Well, am I allowed to pick a flower? What?

Or do I have to leave them here? There are rules. Okay. You have to read the name. There'll be a stone. You'll have to read the name, think about them, ask permission, and there has to be more than one bloom, so that one bloom is always there.

And don't take more than one. Okay. And if you get a weird vibe, leave it. Don't take it. I'll wait a little bit, then. I can show you where my family flowers are, too. Okay. But you'll know if you're not supposed to,

and I don't worry. Okay. While it is still mid-afternoon-ish, the darker storm cover that's blowing in tends to shade the atmosphere, and you can see the faint warm glow from a window, from the clay abode that sits near the center of the grove itself.

You can see a bit of smoke coming out through the chimney. I'm going to walk to the temple and knock on the door. The door, you hear a shifting metal. And there on the other side of the door, you hear a shifting metal. And there on the other side of the door, peeking through the warm candlelit grove from the interior, you see Constance Clay. Caduceus' mother peeks out.

Hey, Mom. Caduceus. I have friends with me. My goodness, come here. And she opens the door and just gives him a big hug. I should take, okay. And pulls back a bit. I'll take this off.

Oh. My, my, my, you're all getting soaked. Come in, come in, quickly. I'm so happy to see you. Come, come, come. Oh, we need to make some more tea. I'll start taking off the layers of armor and ridiculous and just take off anything that's wet

and put it in the corner by the fire. You all enter the beautiful interior of the temple. It's simple, but very well kept. The interior has a very wet earth and herb scent to it. It almost seems to change by the moment as you sit in there with the breeze that comes through the distant windows

that are currently open to let that fresh rain smell mingle and push through the various scents. And you can see dried herbs and dried flowers and other things that have been hung, some that look to be in almost ceremonial wreaths, some that might be being prepared for other things, like steeping. You can see all sorts of lanterns

that are gently flickering throughout the interior chamber. They're very simple furniture, probably long ago crafted from some of the trees nearby. Carpentry may have been a trade of a clay before his time. And within a very, very short period of time, you hear other footsteps beginning to approach and a few of the figures arrive. You can see Clarabelle, your young sister.

I just noticed your older sister comes out and glances. She's got a lot of siblings. I do. They all have the same name. Glances out. I'm somewhere in here. Caduceus.

Hey. Hi. You look shorter. Hey. Hi. You look shorter. You look wetter. She comes up and gives you a clap on the shoulder. Behind that, you see Caduceus' father, Cornelius, steps out from behind and he has what looks to be a cup of some sort of hot steaming liquid.

Oh, Caduceus, I didn't know you were coming. All righty. A bit short notice. Things have been moving kind of quickly. I can imagine. I mean, we sensed you'd find your way here soon, but maybe just not quite this soon. Well. Tea, everybody?

Yes. Yes, please. Sure. I'll get to that right now, don't worry about it. Thanks, Dad. Dry up a bit. He turns back and as he curves around the corner to head to a back chamber, you see Calliope just peeking around the edge. She still has the hat on that you gave her. you see Calliope peeking around the edge.

She still has the hat on that you gave her. And takes the hat off, hides it. Then leaves the room. It's good to see she's doing well. Well, Constance says, doing as well as we can. Sleepless, or at least restless nights as of late. We as well. We have a lot to discuss.

Where's Colton? Where's Corrin? Where's Anand? Colton and Corrin are actually out doing a trade run to Shady Creek. Likely to be back in probably the next couple of days, two to three days, but I'm sorry that they weren't here to greet you. It's okay. I'm just glad to see anybody here, to be honest.

I've never seen this place looking so good, so healthy. Us either, and not in some time. That's thanks to all of you. Well, things are afoot. I suppose. Instead of, again, I'm going to cast Exposition at third level, so.

Counterspell. Shit. As the family that's present begins to close in as you tell this tale, and this impromptu story circle begins to build out of the space in the entryway of this temple, with each additional stage of danger

that is discussed about this city, about the visions that you've had, there is a noticeable shift in tone. Constance, looking at the rest of them, making eye contacts. A number of us have been having visions in our meditations and dreams. The comfort of the Wild Mother sometimes coming with an undercurrent of warning.

Anxiety, dread, anticipation of something unknown just over the horizon. That question, like something lurking in the shadows beyond your sight in the forest. We haven't been able to place it, but it's an odd feeling, like like every time the sun set,

we were watching it set for the last time. Does that make sense, Caduceus? Yes. Yes, it does. I... I don't want to infer too much, because things have been so strange and so unexpected,

but I fear for everything. I've had dreams of this place touched by such... Oh, I hate to even use the word evil, such... I hate to even use the word evil. Malformed. I was, you trained me against to protect this place from the undead and from the perversion of death, but

I have seen I have seen life twisted in terrible ways that make any death seem like a mercy. It's... It's a lot out there. You see Cornelius is going around refilling everyone's tea and goes, Well, Caduceus, that's

unsettling. Calliope, do you want to talk to your brother? Calliope comes forward and sits down. I don't know how to describe it necessarily, but we've all had these desperate, or disparate thoughts and feelings. It feels like it has some connection to you. It feels like it has some connection to you. And if this vision that you had, this terrible thing that you're all making your way

north to deal with. If that's the connection that I'm feeling so strong here, then I don't want you to go. Yeah. I know. Like, you, you, you, and you see Constance goes, please, my dear, no, no, no, let me talk.

All right, you've done your thing. You went out, you followed the Wild Mother's visions. You put together the salvation of our grove. You put together the salvation of our grove. Right? Like, you... Why don't you just come back home? Stay here. Respectfully let these folk deal with the problem.

Constance making a face about this. Yeah. Where is it at? That maternal worry for you, but also kind of knowing your answer. Yeah, I'm going to go outside. Okay. I'm going to go to the spring and sit by the spring for a second. It's a lovely home you have here.

Yeah, tea is very nice. Well, thank you very much. There's certainly more that came from. I can go ahead and settle some more plates for dinner. We've got all manner of mash tubers. Ooh, yum. All manner of tubers? Well, we have three different types here I can prepare.

That's a lot of tubers. Do you have the golden tubers? Don't know if I do. Yellow tubers. Yellow. Yellow? Yeah. Yeah, those sound good. Those are good. Yeah.

I ate those growing up. I'm going to pull out some of my baked goods that I bought on our last shopping spree and just sit them out on the plate for everyone. Sorry I touched them, but they're pretty yummy. Here, Cornelius, let me help you get some plates. See, they're all looking a bit perturbed with Caduceus's exit.

Perturbed? Like irritated? Flummoxed. Flummoxed. Two-bird. Two-bird. Constance begins to make some little conversation while Calliope gets up and leaves after Caduceus. Now you're out there by the spring and the rain's starting to really come down now as the light to the afternoon begins to

slowly climb towards the end of day. You hear in the distance and see the distant flash. I'm just going to stare at the, ah, lilies in the pond. Just going to, I am not ready to go back in there. You hear the gentle footsteps,

wet footsteps of someone approaching. Look, I'm just being honest. Doesn't mean I expect you to listen to me. You're going to talk, so. Fine. Being honest doesn't mean I expect you to listen to me. You're going to talk, so that. Fine. She plops down next to you, still looking down at the spring. I know it was supposed to be you.

I didn't want to leave. I didn't want any of this. I was going to be the one who... I was going to be the one who stayed. I know. Sometimes I feel like I stole this from you. Sometimes I think that too, but. I have seen things that are amazing,

beautiful beyond anything I could have imagined. And I have seen things that have taken parts of me. And I will wake up in the middle of the night for the rest of my life. There are, it is so big, and I don't know what you saw while you were gone on your travels, but it is so big out there.

And I didn't want it. Maybe a little after you left then Colton left and dad left even Clarabelle left and time stopped meaning anything and it It was too quiet. And the Wild Mother wasn't speaking. And I was just here, keeping home and waiting for a sign to leave.

As you know, I started eating petals of the lilies. It's one of those old stories that this was the first, one of the first plants that maybe it had more of the first power that started this place, and I started having strange dreams. I hadn't even thought about them until I returned,

until today. And even those first dreams told me that this was coming. And if I were done, they would have stopped. And I don't want to go. I wasn't going to come home because I knew I wasn't going to want to go. But I don't want you to go either because it has to be me because I've already seen it

and it will just horrify me just a little less than the rest of you. So I want to be done. I want you to go and not do this. To be... I want it to be your turn. She takes a rock and throws it into the water. It throws her wet hair back across her shoulder.

Smells so good. Yeah. It's just frustrating. Yeah. It's frustrating that you've gotten out and see the world and you've... I don't know, you made me proud in spite of myself.

And I'd- Give me time. I hate admitting it. But it wasn't my time. I still wear everything you gave me and everything you made for me. Never, never put any of it down. Atreus is in her pouch and she pulls out something and holds it and goes, thanks for that.

And hands you this thing in her hand. Thanks for that. And hands you this thing in her hand. You look and it's a bracelet woven from silken burlap that has glass beads periodically throughout it. Simple, but elegant. You still do good work. That'll smell like home for a while, so while you're off, I don't know, fighting this city or something. Look at what the world has done to my hair.

I know, it looks awful. It's so terrible. I trust, we all trust in your instincts. You've kind of always been the, of everyone. The one who just kind of had a, a better sense of how things were meant. Clearly, I was wrong about my thoughts that I was going to stay here. Can't always be right.

No. And my sense, and I want to make sure you know this, is that I don't think I'm coming back. I'm not okay with it, but I'm making peace with it. If there's a way for my body to get back here, I'd be very grateful, but there's every possibility that that won't happen.

I'd like my name somewhere if I'm, if there's nothing to bring back. That would be a comfort. Her demeanor gets extremely dark. Cold, almost, as her eyes meet yours. It's odd to feel so close to your sister and in that moment feel so far away. She nods. I'll look to it.

I want you to take care of everybody. And especially, I want to make sure you take care of yourself. And don't get locked up here on my account. Your job is to get everyone situated and to make sure that you find whatever destiny you're supposed to have. I don't think you're supposed to be here.

Not forever. Let Colin do that, it'll be funnier. You're not wrong. I'm thinking about, now that I'm here, doing talking to the Wild Month or maybe trying something a little out of the ordinary, seeing if she has something to say while I'm here. Well, and she stands up a little bit

while you're still sitting. Rain splashing across her face, still coming down. You have to talk kind of loud. I'm going to stand up with my staff put the bracelet on do you know and I don't know if it's true but

there's a version of the story that says that the head with the first hero that gave this place its power was put in the ground where the spring erupted from. And that point, and the flowers that grow from there are the first flowers I know that there's a lot of stories told but that's the one I believe

I'm going to take the crystal off of my staff and put my staff down going to wade a off of my staff and put my staff down. I'm going to wade a little bit into the water. I'm going to take one of the petals and put it in my mouth. And I'm going to take a deep breath, holding the crystal, and step into the deeper points of the spring

and let myself take a big breath and let myself sink and try and... I guess commune is the spell to cast. There is no better time but to cast commune under these circumstances. All righty. I'm going to use it in an unusual way. Okay. Since I'm here.

Explain. I have been getting visions. I have been getting... It's not quite a yes or no question that I want to ask. I want to... It's not quite a plea for help, but I want whatever blessings that she can give and whatever she can do to make the road clearer

and whatever she can do to make the notion of what we face stronger. As you descend beneath the waters, the cold spring waters, as the water overtakes your hearing, you can hear the muffled sounds of the rain breaking the surface. And then as you give in to the depths,

the waters around you begin to warm. The rolling thunder begins to fade. And you feel almost like you're being cradled, like something has scooped you up from underneath. And that warmth is welcoming. It smells sweet. It smells like, like a fresh rose after a rain.

And as you concentrate for this focus, you sense that warmth will never truly fade. For the clarity of what you face, that warmth grows cold and you sense something open your eyes, like two fingers pull your lids open. And before you, you can see the visage of the Wild Mother,

massive and all-encompassing before you, beautiful brown skin, long red hair, every part of her just adjoining with nature. And she looked towards you with a sad face. And you see below her, in her amorphous body, seeds, seeds that when you begin to focus, the distance, the size, the scale, the scope is so odd and off in this perspective, but each of these, these aren't seeds. Seeds that when you begin to focus, the distance, the size, the scale, the scope

is so odd and off in this perspective, but each of these aren't seeds. These are beings. These are souls. These are lives. These are... This is life. Everything living, connected.

You can see it all connected to her and she just looks at you, sad. As you hear the screams filtering in the endless thousands of screams. And you watch as each of these seeds, these lights, go out. And the color fades from her.

And you watch her wither, her eyes never leaving yours. And as best as she can convey, and you watch her wither, her eyes never leaving yours. And as best as she can convey, I think you understand the scope of what it is you face. If I'm deep enough, I want to touch the bottom of the spring. You reach. You find the muck, you find the roots,

you find the bottom. I'm going to take a big handful and wait till I'm almost out of breath and then start making my way back to the surface. The liapy stands there at the edge, still looking. Did you find what you're looking for? Unfortunately. I get my hands nice and dirty.

If I don't come back, it's your job to protect this place from whatever's coming. If I fail, she'll tell you what to do. As you step out of the water, she leans in and just wraps her arms around you for a second, leaning her head on your shoulder. Takes a deep breath and pulls back and looks at you. And kicks you into the water.

Ah, good. And I'm down. And she walks back into the house. It's going to take a second to float. Feeling the rain on your face. Last bit of light begins to fade into that distant blue. Yeah, I had that coming. Okay. I'm going to pick up my things

and go back inside and make some apologies to the family. Okay. Meanwhile, for the rest of you, a meal begins to apparate. Food is being prepared, and while it is a vegetarian meal, you shouldn't be surprised at this point. You make very good vegetarian food, as he has.

Thank you. The smells fill the space, and the warm comforts of the Clay family brings a little bit of additional sense of home before this last leg of your journey begins anew. Conversations are had. I gain some clarity. I want to apologize to everyone for that bit of,

that unfortunate outburst, I suppose. Outburst? I'm not normally one to storm out. Apology not accepted, I'm sorry. It looks like we can't travel together any further. A blood feud it is then, excellent. I mean, you just sort of bomb at normal speed. Cornelius is like,

wait, what happened? There is a storm going on, so maybe that's what he meant by storming out. Wasn't very dramatic. They've been a very bad influence on me. I'm going to have to get rid of a lot of language before I go back. What kind of clarity did you gain? Hmm?

What kind of clarity did you gain? Well... I don't want to go. I don't want to leave home, but that is not on the table. That is not an option. There is... I don't think there's any way out of this for any of us. Well, yeah. I, uh...

Before I met you all, I had started, and I apologize, Mom, Dad, had started in sort of inducing a connection to the Wild Mother through the ingestion of certain flowers, coping. Constance, you hear an erotic, oh, I think it erotic, oh. He gets that from you.

Hoping to gain some insight as to what I was supposed to do and how I was supposed to save my home. It had been so long and it seemed like its significance had ended, and coming home reminded me of the last vision I had before you all arrived, which was I remembered I saw this river of dark water, the bottom that could not be seen,

and it moved through the valleys and emptied into the ocean. And then I saw the forest. I saw this mighty forest. And the trees had eyes. The trees had eyes. The trees had eyes. And then I looked into the sky and the sky had eyes. And then I looked down and there was spring and there were eyes at the bottom of the spring.

And then I turned to my family grave, to the stones of the clays. And nine strange butterflies drinking from the nectar of those blooms. There's no getting out of this. You had the dream forever ago? I had a lot of dreams forever ago. You had a dream about eyes? And then you showed up.

But! I thought it all made sense at the time. It felt like someone was coming at the end of it, that I was expecting something, and the next morning, here you were. Well, not me. Not you, but. But us.

I woke up and started packing. And there you were. And then I made tea. Well, that's reassuring in some ways, you know? It's like it was fated to be. I feel like a lot of things were maybe fated to be. Eyes. That was a long time ago.

Well, all that was in motion that time ago. Wow. All that was in motion that long ago. Well, we're back here now. Is there anything we can do here before we go? Is there a source of corruption, something that your family has detected, something that you're being pulled towards? That's true. We're here because of the vision that you saw. I've seen something of what the Wild Mother

wanted to tell me. Has anything else, if you've seen anything else, has anything gone awry? The other all look at each other and not in particular, just a sense of something coming. And it's hard to describe, just a growing,

a growing, a growing fear. I wish I could give more detail. Looks over to Constance, who goes, I'm just worried. Me too. I feel like whatever this is, this is more than the Grove by far. It is.

Well, feels like we're here for the night. Yeah. I do appreciate this. I'm going to resupply on a few things I can only get here. Oh, okay. Yeah. The deuce is it's nice to have a home-cooked meal. Four walls and a roof for a spell. I was going to say, you're welcome to put up the mansion Four walls and a roof for a spell.

I was going to say, you're welcome to put up the mansion if you are so inclined, although I will admit I find the house oddly cozy. I like the smells in this place. Yeah. It smells good. I have to say, this is one of the most wonderful places I think I've ever been to. I would recommend walking the grounds. Okay.

Just before the end of the night, remember, maybe we can check in on... Definitely. I can send messages to lots of people. Caduceus. This feels like a place with lots of tranquil energy and connection and maybe some rich arcane vibes.

You are not wrong. You think if I did some meditating of my own, that I would have maybe a better chance at success? Or do you think it's not the right kind of vibe? I think. This place is very special. And this place is for a conflux of deities. It was built by one for another. And faiths of all sorts are buried here.

What if I want to try and contact something that's not of a certain faith? What do you want to try and contact? Just point to the back of my hand. Hmm. That's a good idea. hand. I don't know where the safest place would be. I'll say... If you walk and find a place that feels right,

I trust you. Find a stone that feels right. We showed up on your doorstep. You don't think that this could be bringing more darkness and corruption into your life, do you? I would be impressed if we could find a way to bring more darkness and corruption into our lives. What's the point of,

what's the point of maintaining a place like this if its job is to be useless in a time of hardship? This is not a bunker. This is the Wildmother and this is the Archard and this is their place. I'm not worried. She'll tell you if she doesn't want you to do it. Just to be clear, there's no corruption here.

I thought you had a vision of something that was corrupting the trees or the ground or something we were going to be investigating that might give some sort of a shade of what we would be seeing. Yeah, the city was taking over here. Your family hasn't noticed anything like that? Nothing we can check or?

Well, I'm going to do a walk around anyway. Constance, Cornelius, you've seen nothing like this, your family? Constance thinks for a second, no, I mean, ever since the completion of your trek and when you saved us all from that horrible stone-bringing creature. The crystals we brought back

fought back the corruption of the forest. And the grove has been cleansed. It's been saved. Is that a sign? Should we do something with the crystals? Do you think that would help us against the city? Maybe you got a vision of the city overtaking here because it's so angry that it got forced out.

Is there still corruption at the edges? Oh, yeah. The whole wood is still the wood. Mm-hmm. Just the grove is protected now. Does anyone want to take a walk? Yes. Sure. Yes. Well, if you're going,

we're going to keep an eye on you. Calliope? Of course. Clarabelle? Yeah? See if we can muster up enough blankets and cushions Clarabelle? Yeah? See if we can muster up enough blankets and cushions for our guests to sleep semi-comfortable tonight. Okie dokie.

She runs off. I want to take a walk at the edges and inspect the new crystals and take everyone around to see what they see. Okay. See what the borders look like now. We all step out into the evening rain now. The light quite dark.

If any of you want to bring some particular light sources or create some light sources, it would be recommended at this hour. Pew! We're ready to get some globules, maybe, Caleb? Yeah, if you want dim light, I can do that. If you want bright light, I can do better, but probably dim.

Yeah. Not got mine. Matches the vibe. Vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. Ah. As you guys begin to walk around this fresh post-dusk hour, the grove is beautiful. And as you peruse the exterior, you can see the elements of those crystalline trees,

the four that have magically assembled since their implantation at the outskirts of the grove. The trees themselves are semi-translucent, this purple and pink, almost woven threads, like braided textures of different types of crystal that bind and twist into each other. The roots themselves extend

and follow the perimeter of the premises. They stand probably eight, nine feet tall. Thin, but nevertheless stalwart in where they're placed. Looking past where the trees are, and there is a radius around them where you can see the greenery continues past the outer edge of the fence that contains the grove.

And about three or so, four feet from the outer edge, you can see the grass begins to get ever so faintly darker and drier. And the heavy tree canopy beyond there almost immediately becomes the familiar, corrupt coloration of the rest of the Savalirwood. That odd purple-gray color to the leaves. And while you may have questioned it beforehand,

there is some element of similarity in some ways to the forest you had encountered in the Aeorne Ruin in Eiselcross. Different types of trees, but the corruption is somewhat familiar. What did it do here? How did it get all the way down here? This is old.

It's the same. It's a fucking city. 2,000 years old. This corruption is, it's the same corruption. This corruption is hundreds of years old. What if, what if, I don't know, that's stupid. What? No. I don't know, what if some of the relics

from Aeor or something got brought down here? Didn't they say a lot of weird relics are here as well? That's from the Elven City. The Elven City of Molaesmyr is where the corruption seemed to stem from. Which is close to here? It's a number of miles away. Maybe the Elven city was infected.

Infected? Maybe. What? Whatever this is. How far in is that city already gone? I would know where the rumens are. You would. You've not been there because it is extremely dangerous to go near them. But. The timeline's different.

Yeah. But yeah, it was once, and you would know this, and I believe I've spoken before, it was once the center of elvish culture here in Wildemount. It was a thriving elf city, massive city. And one day, something went wrong.

And how long ago was that? A few hundred years ago. Okay. And it corrupted the majority of the Savalirwood, destroyed the city, or at least left it abandoned. Many, many people died, and those that survived fled northward to the dwarves of Uthodurn to create the diarchy there, or fled to the sea to the west, around the top of the Empire,

and founded Byseas Teal, which is the one elven city within the Empire. Those elves learned about what happened. They were trying to communicate as well and it opened the door to the Somnova. History keeps repeating itself. Yep. A bunch of fancy-ass mages

trying to tap into some ancient power, wreaking havoc. The forest predated was from here. Yeah, the forest was fine. Just a long time ago. The corruption that you saw in the ruin was a different part of the city than Cognoza. It was a portion of Aeor. Yeah. But you're uncertain if it has any specific

connotation to the Sum Novum. One ward of the city went to another place. The rest of it crash landed and that is what we were picking through. Not the portion of the city that went to the Astral Sea. Yeah. So that corruption didn't come from Somnovum. That forest existed already.

I think it depends on whatever type of residual magic. No, you're right. You're right. I don't think we have a definitive answer, but there is at least a chance that the elves of this forest came in contact with, discovered something from the people of old.

I mean, the elves are people of old, but from long ago. I don't have any answers. How does it help us? How can we use that knowledge? Yeah, other than talking to them. Yeah, we're like ants trying to understand the contents of a book we're crawling on.

I mean, I suppose that city that we've never been to that's been around the way, the Bellisblay-oh, what was it? Molaesmyr. Yep. Brollisblay-oh. Molaesmyr. You know, with all that time we don't have, we could go and talk to them about what happened to their old city.

Nope. Or are they gone? That's a nine. They're gone? Oh, they're gone, it's abandoned. It's an abandoned. No, no, no, I know. Some of them went up to Uthodur, and then you said another one went, whoop, up to this other thing and it had a blare. Yeah, they're generations past now, though.

I mean, it all is kind of connected back to that same time of when relics started being uncovered from Aeor, and this information started being spread. We all still need to sleep, right? Yeah. We're rough. Well, we don't normally do this, but I'm going to try one more commune. Okay.

Is there a clue to what it is we face in the abandoned city, Leosmir? Thank you. So what's the question again? Sorry. Is there a clue to what we face in the abandoned city of Lasmere? You sense the Wild Mother blowing through on the cold, rainy wind as it smatters the side of your face.

In that cold darkness, as your eyes are closed, you sense that, likely not directly. Would there be something to help us in our battle? You get the sense from her that the imagery that comes to you is of many things across many lands that could be helpful, but you quickly see a tree lose its leaves. Time passes.

Is this... Is the source of this corruption the same? From the same origin? The same as which one? As the corruption in the forest underneath the cavern. As the corruption in the forest underneath the cavern. You see the two disparate forests through time, imagery of one within a city and one around a city, different times.

Similar threats. They are connected, but we are running out of time. Right, I say we don't sleep. We go to Aeor right now and let's get it on. Let's get it on. Sleep? Sleep. Suppose we must sleep. Wake up.

Go fight some astral cities. I'm going to take a little walk real quick. Okay. Do what you have to do. I'll be back. Caleb, you want to join? Wait, hold on. The two motherfuckers with red eyes on their bodies are not going by themselves into the woods.

No. They're not going into the woods. Wherever your walk is taken, you get a chaperone. Okay? What? You get a chaperone. Okay, Caduceus, come on, chaperone. I got to kill Caduceus. Yeah. Skrrt! Shh, shh.

Do not knock. Do you have any more acid? Do not knock. No, I got to hit Veth up for that. It's my punishment from the bad Southern. Carry on. Keep it quiet, Laura Bailey. If I want to destroy the campaign with Marisha, I'll do it. I'm going to watch and rest on a crystal tree

and just sort of watch. All right. Destroy. Beau and Caleb are that little girl in front of the burning house. The storm has definitely arrived. The rain is getting heavier. What do the two of you want to do? Get out there! It's you.

It's your story. Get out there! You're the storm. I'm going to walk around and I'm going to do exactly what Caduceus advised me to do. And I'm just going to meditate, focusing on these things that are on my body and seeing if I can just get a hunch in my brain, get a feeling of a good spot to anchor to.

I'm going to throw the dome up over us so we don't get drenched. While we walk? You're going to meditate and walk at the same time? I'm going to find a place. Okay. And then, yeah. Okay, be sure. Okay. So you walk for a bit.

There are a number of patches within the grove that are comfortable. Soft, long grasses, even some mud patches, especially around the grove's watering hole. Anything good feeling, connective? I find a good spot. Okay. This mud patch, does this feel good?

Just a grassy knoll? If it's a mud patch, it's probably actually somewhere where someone was interred. Ah. So I'm going to just look at the stone. I didn't say that to you. I'm going to look at the stone and see if perhaps this was a worshiper of Ioun or anything like that.

You know this area pretty well, and you know specifically there are a handful of individuals that were interred here as followers of Ioun, and it's easier for you to steer her towards one that has some solid ground. Try this. This grassy gnoll? If it feels good.

Okay, okay. I don't know what I'm doing. This isn't normally my jam. I'm going to see what happens. I'm backing up. Okay. See ya. Bye, Beau. I'm going to sit down.

I'm going to stare at this symbol of Ioun that is carved into this grave marker and just delude myself in the intricate carvings and how deep the recesses seem to go in all of these carved marks and the illusion of if it's recessed or if it is carved and it is protruding outwards and try and meditate

and see if I can get some sort of connection to somebody who might give me some sort of an answer or an advantage on what I can do with these eyes that are on my body. Okay. Go ahead and roll a d20 for me and add your wisdom modifier. The Wild Mother assists. Ah!

Just my wisdom modifier? Correct. Lucky Jade. Sorry. Just my wisdom modifier. Correct. Lucky Jade. It's going to be that gopher sitting on a fence. Did you do it? That's the 20 face. I picked it up really fast because it went out, but it's a 20. Whoa. That's the 20 face.

I know the 20 face. Can I keep it? Can I take it home? You were picking it up to reroll it. Okay. Zig a zig. Oh. It still bounced out.

Should I keep that one? It's good. What is it? It's a seven. With my wisdom modifier, which is plus four, so 11. 11? But the first one was a 20. It was.

I'm just going by the intent of re-rolling. Every touch. Every touch. Mm. As you stare into this symbol of Ioun before you, and focus and concentrate, and trying to extend your consciousness in the way that you hear other people do

to gods and deities and powers for guidance, for information. And you look into this symbol of Ioun, a symbol you've seen a lot of your adult life, a familiar symbol of three eyes. And you just focus on that top one. You focus, and the sound of the rain gets quieter and quieter.

The cold begins to turn to numbness. The sense of location, of self, begins to drift and disseminate, like diffused liquid and water. And all you can see is that top eye. You blink, and it's red. And a voice goes, Oh, if this isn't unexpected.

Looks like the children are all growing up. Well. What do you want? You're the one who reached out to me. You hear Lucien's voice. I'm just looking at the side of her head. Do you have a manager that I can speak to? I wasn't trying to contact you. Well, too bad.

You found me. Yeah, I didn't know you were going to be at this party or else I wouldn't have come. Should I say? You didn't have to be rude about it. What are you guys up to, I guess? Is this out loud or is it in her head? Come on, I don't know.

I've copped with being loose in two sentences ago. From your guy's perspective, she is just staring at the symbol. Oh, she's not talking out loud? She's not talking out loud. She is not, at least she's not physically speaking these things. Well, your sudden,

we'll say, follow-up on our excursion. Left us a bit in a lurch, so we had to double time it. But we're keeping a schedule. How about you? Oh, you know, stretching our legs, seeing the sights, taking the scenic route, you know, just having a grand old time.

Great, great. Yeah. Well. Yes? The silence pauses for a moment and you can see quite a bit with two eyes. Imagine when you can see with three and you focus on the symbol of Ioun with the three eyes and all three eyes are glowing red.

Can I cut away? Make a wisdom saving throw. Oh! Here's where I want that natural 20. It's another fucking seven. 11. You can't break away. Oh no!

Oh wait, a saving throw? Saving throw, yeah. A saving throw. That is different, because my wisdom is plus nine. Damn. 16. Your wisdom is plus nine? Mine is a plus nine on my saving throws. And I can spend a ki point to reroll saving throws.

Can I do that right now? That's a monk thing? Diamond soul. Monk thing. That's right. Right, monks? You can reroll what? You can reroll what? Broken ass monks.

Monks, yo. You can reroll saving throws? Should I spend a ki point? Of course you can. Yeah. How many ki points do you have now? Huh? How many ki points do you have now? 14. So basically, monks just gave headless luck.

That's what it is. Key points! Yep. Munch just gave him luck. Make a drink. Can I do it? Well, she can do it once for a saving throw with a key point if she has one left over. You can do it. Ha ha ha! It's better!

Yeah. 27. No, sorry, 25. Whoa. 25. As you try and pull away and you feel something holding you there, like you can't see anything. All you see is the red eyes and you can feel him

like speaking into your mind. And as soon as you try and pull away, it's like someone's grabbing your head and holding it in place. And as you feel the tension there, you break away and all at once, the rain is around you again. That cold sensation rushes back to you

and you're in the low lit exterior of the grove once more. You both watch as Beauregard suddenly just goes off to the side. He's such a cock. I mean, I didn't bury this particular person, so I can't comment on that. Oh, I'm not talking about Ulysses, sorry.

Oh. Yeah, he seems cool. I don't know, I didn't talk to him. Don't eat flowers, they're a problem. Fucking Lucien. Oh. I don't know, He didn't seem to... In fact, he was like, hmm, where are you? What are you doing?

He didn't seem to make any type of hints that he knew where we were. So you butt dialed him. Yeah, well, I wasn't trying to get to him, but I guess. That's a butt dial. Make an arcana check. Arcana check a butt dial. Make an arcana check. Arcana check for butt dial. Yes.

Oh, so low. So low. 15. 15. Roll a four. The best that you can glean from this weird circumstance is, yeah, these protect you from divination. But not talking. Inward.

But if someone reaches outward, it's not going to have much of an effect. You got the touch! Would've been way more fun to fail that save. Uh-huh. Oh, I was waiting on it. No, no, no, no, no, no. Take that key point, just throw it away. Now you've only got two eyes.

Yeah, oof. Lame, now you've only got two eyes. Yeah, oof. Lame, stupid. You all have two eyes. Collect them all. Well, um. Did you find anything of use? No. Just that he's a cock, which is information that we already knew. Had, yeah.

Why did you break away so harshly? He was trying to put another eye on me. He was like, here, have another. I'm going to just check out the symbol of Ioun on the stone and make sure it's okay. Unchanged from all the time that you've known it. That's rude. Yeah.

You okay? Actually, do you mind checking? Yeah. Can you bring the globules over? They just float over. Anything? Make a perception or investigation check, in case. Perception it is,

and I will give myself a little kick because I don't want to miss nothing. Oh, well, that's nice. Perception. Why do I even look? 31. Pretty good, pretty good. Pretty solid once over on Beauregard. You do not notice an additional eye. Unless it's somewhere really inappropriate

that I don't really want to go looking in, I think you're fine. Yeah. I'll have Yasha tell me later if she sees anything. Oh man, that makes me so happy. One day it's great, but you need to keep going. What? Yasha? Yeah, like just, you know, it's a little bit every day.

Just got to work at it. So I'm told. Okay, thank you. I wasn't expecting a little relationship advice in the middle of this conversation. I really shouldn't give it, I'm just so excited. No, I'm here for it. All right, me too.

Yeah, you give great advice. Genuinely. You know, I think we might be past the point of fact-finding. I think it might be time to go to bed, rip the band-aid off, and do what we have to do. I'm ready. Well, I am not, but

there's only so much procrastinating we can do, and we're running out of time. I'll be ready after breakfast. Would you mind? Can you wire? Can you do the wire? Can you wire? Can you do the wire? Your home?

Just in case he figured out where we are. I can. I mean, he's going to be bearing down on us the moment the wire is tripped, but I can. At least we'll wake up as opposed to last time. Okay, we'll make it ring the bell, sure. Okay. Terrible thing.

Let's go sleep and have a good breakfast. Okay. I'll return to the home and the main entryway slash general living space of the front part of the temple has become an open slumber party floor. There are blankets and pillows and satchels and sacks, anything that could be considered comfortable, more comfortable than a general flat, hard floor,

placed about and ready for you all to rest into the night. Is there anything anybody would like to do before you go to bed? Oh yeah, you probably can go outside, too. Let's go. I kind of want to, can I go pick a flower out there?

I gave you permission. Yeah? Anywhere or just? Hmm? As long as you leave one, and most of them have way more than one, and if there's one that only has one, then you shouldn't touch it.

They're definitely not all edible. And I said that if you get a bad feeling about one, then don't take it. And look at the name. Or at least look at what's on the rock. It's not all of them have names. Okay. There's a lot of them have names. Okay. There's a lot of instructions for picking a flower.

It is, it is, it is. All right. Go for a little bit, I'll be back. I imagine that Fjord and I are not inside. I wanted to go for a walk around and look at all the glowing crystals and the lichen and all that kind of fun stuff around. Not going into the scary part of the woods,

but just walking around the grounds. Fair enough. The grounds themselves are pretty comfortable. It's beyond the exterior fence where things get really creepy. So easy enough to do. This is the last save before the boss fight, guys. Yeah. I know.

It does feel like it. Get all your stuff out. Something. Yeah. I know, it does feel like it. So get all your stuff out. And get something as well. I'm just putting it on the list. All righty. All righty. Thank you. So excited. The two of you walk out into the now pouring rain. Yeah.

Hey, it's like we're standing in the ocean. It's so wet. That's stupid. That's a dumb, that's just. Like on the deck of a ship, because. Yeah, it's so wet. That's stupid. That's dumb. Like on the deck of a ship, because the- Yeah, that's way better. That's way better. As we were walking, I just want to tell Fjord about the talk I had with my mama.

You know, I told her we were, she made me tell her that I would come back if things got scary. It reminded me of the conversation that we had. I lied to her, Fjord. and I lied to her, Fjord. I promised her I would, that I would turn around and come back if things got bad. Mm-hmm.

Why did you do that? Because I want her to be happy. I don't know, I didn't want to. I didn't want to make her cry. Because who knows, we might come back, you know? We could. I'm counting on it. I know.

Just, you know, I got to see my mama and my papa together, and it was pretty great, and they seemed happy, and it just had me thinking that you never got to talk to Vandran? No. All the more reason to come home. Yeah.

How did it feel? Seeing them? Yeah, together. It was like one of my storybooks. I always had this dream that he would come back to the Lavish Chateau someday and he'd walk through the door and Mama would see him in the middle of one of her shows

and she'd stop singing and rush off the stage and jump into his arms. It wasn't quite that, but... You know, I saw his eyes when he saw her for the first time. That was pretty great. He seems very nervous around her. Yeah. Well, he's got a lot to account for. For sure. Nervous is good.

Calking carefree, not so great. Nervous is good. Means he cares. Yeah. Did you want me to send a message to Vandran? I would do it. No. No.

Do you want me to scry on him? So you can at least know? No, because I'm going to see him. Okay. I know it. And if for some reason I don't, he's found his peace. I would never want to ruin that. For some reason, I don't. He's found his peace.

I would never want to ruin that. Okay. But thank you. Of course. We're coming back. Yeah. We're going to win. We're going to destroy a god city! We're going to tear it apart

and float through the Astral Sea! We're going to be amazing! And then find a way to come back. And then we're going to see Vandran! I mean, yes, yes. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I just wanted to check.

You can hold my hand now. I'm holding your hand. Okay. I'm checking you out. I'm checking you out. Aww. I'm checking you out. I'm checking you out. Oh. We'll head back. Okay. Caleb, did you have something you wanted to do? I do. My shit's by myself. Okay. Is that okay?

Of course. Yeah. In fact, I don't want to be interrupted, so I'm going to cast Greater Invisibility on myself and take a walk away from the Clay's house. I'm going to go through the rain down to the edge to where it's safe, and I'm going to put up the dome for myself. And once it's up, it takes a little bit, I'm going to lay out a long stretch of leather in front of me and bring out Frumpkin. Hello. Hello. Hello.

Spend some time with me, okay? And I start to do that thing where I bring out every object that I have carefully, one at a time, and put them neatly in neat little rows so I can see everything in its place and talk to Frumpkin while I'm doing it. Oh, buddy boy. This is like the beginning with us

for one more night. Yeah, for years it was just you and me. Before we added one, then we added more and it turned into nine. Yeah. So many families. I'm doing the place things. You've got such a big family here and

Veth and her family and all these close ties. So much family. You know, we're probably all not going to make it back from where we're going. Probably. Meow. But maybe we will if we try very hard and you and me, we'll do our best to keep families

together. You and me will keep people together instead of letting families break apart. You know, I'm going to tell you something. All my stuff is already arrayed up before me. I take out the smaller of my books in the holster and I set it down for a moment on a dry spot. If we do make it back, you've been a good companion all this time.

Actually, it's a win-win for you, because if we all die out there, you get to go back to where your home is. But if we do make it back, I'm going to let you go anyway. Because you're not my cat. My cat is dead. But you're a good boy anyway.

And you've done a lot of good for me, so one way or another, you'll be free soon. He looks up at you with that familiar, affectionate look. The eyes just flash with a sheen of magic green for a brief moment. Wordlessly, you sense understanding. I put out the incense and the herbs that I used to summon him.

And I begin to, while those things percolate and prepare, I begin to write a little bit in that other book, just for a minute. And then I bring him over, and as everything reaches completion, I reach out and I scritch him under the neck, and his fur, from where I touch him, starts to spread white over his body

from the point of contact over his whole self, and he is a white cat. Probably better where we're going. This Stone of Good Luck isn't going to do shit for me, so I'm going to put that away. I'm going to put this ring back on. Increase our chances. Come here.

Okay, so we better head back, because what happens next is they start to do a search of the grounds for us, thinking we're dead, or I've gone off to try to talk to a stone eye and contact our nemesis or some foolish thing like that, so I don't want anyone to be alarmed. No. All right.

I'm being foolish, come on. All right, make your way back to the rest of the group. Make your way. Anybody else? I'm going to go for a little walk. And... I'd like to see if I can try to find a flower that seems kind. Kind?

Yeah, and just not, that is open for the taking. Make a perception or nature check. Yeah. Say again. You take that flower. Make a perception or nature check. Yeah. Say again. You take that flower. Make a perception. Take it good. Perception or nature, your choice.

Okay. 18. Not bad. Perception's pretty high. Walking around a bit, and just strolling through, and there's many beautiful flowers in this grove. Taken in by all the sensory overload

of your first arrival here at the Blooming Grove, this is the first time you've really had to take it in in smaller pieces. Especially given the limited light. Yeah. But light for you is not much of an issue. You just create your own. As you walk around,

unveiling the darkness of this grove before you, the colors pop, like a kaleidoscope that begins to reveal itself from the shadow. Eventually, you come upon this gentle little lavender flower. A cluster of them, really, but its shape, the scent as you get close, that is strong enough to come through the cold rain,

the scent of the storm that's come through, it's not a flower you've really seen, but it seems welcoming, as a flower could. Okay. I'm going to pick the flower could. Okay. I'm going to pick the flower and find a spot where I'm not covered from the rain.

And I'm going to take off my coat and everything so I can just feel it everywhere. I'm going to take out, I had taken a long time ago some petrified bark that the Stormlord had taken down the tree. So I'm going to take that out.

And I'm going to eat a petal of the flower. And sit there and hold the bark and just trace it and I feel like this is the closest that I've ever been to you. I feel like I know so many people that have so many very close relationship with their gods. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. But please, please,

please walk with me. But please. Please walk with me. Are you there? Are you there? I take out my, not mine, but I take out the sword, the Holy Avenger, and I sort of lay it all there. And I try to just let the rain fall on it. I don't know how to use this.

I don't know if there's something that you can do. I, I, I... I don't know if there's something that you can do. I... I don't know how to do this. A flash. The rain continues to fall. The blade looks damp and cold. I actually feel like this is very bad for the blade. It's going to get rusted. I'm going to eat the whole flower.

All right. Because it's what Caduceus did, and I'm trying to make some type of connection here. Make a constitution saving throw for me. Okay. 10. Okay. 10. Okay.

You sit there for a bit, just trying to focus, holding this petrified wood in your hand, this dark, this pale, cold piece of what was once wood. And you just begin to think back to experiences, memories. Back to the Dolorav tribe. Thinking back to finding the shattered statue of the Stormlord in your fugue state wanderings. Similar sense of cold rain on your face then,

when he first found you. Remembering every storm that called you to the horizon. Feeling weird, stomach's churning a little. You're feeling weird. Stomach's churning a little. Close your eyes and breathe. You inhale, and you exhale. You inhale, and you exhale. You inhale and you exhale.

You inhale. As you exhale, you feel this rumble in your chest, like a purr. You inhale. It's weird. You feel very strange and you open your eyes and you're no longer in the grove. You look around you and there is just broken, open badlands endlessly in every direction.

Flat, shattered shale. Jagged rockscapes. Dust and bone. You can look around and see bits of stone forming up out of the ground and almost reaching. You glance and can see iron cages and broken chains scattered about. And above you, rain.

Rain. Rain pouring down from the clouds above. Flashing white light and this boom of thunder to the right as dust seems to be spraying from the sky. You find yourself wincing as you feel the impact of a bolt of lightning that has not struck far from where you sit. You stand instinctually, reaching for the blade that you set before you, but it's not there. struck far from where you sit. You stand instinctually,

reaching for the blade that you set before you, but it's not there. I frantically start looking around for it. Anywhere. Roll a perception check. 21. You look about. You see a blade. You grab it and pick it up.

It's broken. It's rusted. It's old. It's not yours. You look around. You see other weapons, each in similar condition. You begin to see the broken bits of bone, the stone. You begin to sense a long history of battles fought, won,

lost, soldiers who've won, soldiers that were lost. But your blade is nowhere. What do you do? You glance up and can see the darkened skies. Another flash of lightning. The storm is somewhat sparse where you are,

but the clouds even grow darker still, the kind of reddish haze of the horizon. Lightning you see flashing ahead, miles and miles ahead, rapidly, arcing wild through the sky, occasionally touching down. I will drop the dagger, the sword, the broken sword,

and I'll start walking towards the horizon. I will continue to follow. One foot in front of the other, and another, and another. The mud slick beneath your boots. Continue to push, slide, and catch yourself, and continue to go.

As you do, the thunder gets louder, louder and more recurring. I'll just start running towards it just as fast as I can go. Splash, splash, splash. You run and run. The thunder continues to roll, almost constant now. The dark sky acclaim claims the horizon.

The crackling light that splitsves stone and earth. You look up and you can see, faintly in the clouds of the growing storm ahead of you, that familiar face. I now awake. The rains that nurture and cleanse. I am the storm. What are you?

I am your champion. Chainbreaker. Angel reborn. Punisher. And redeemer. Show me. That's where we'll pick up next week. Oh! Oh, show me! Show you what?

Just right there? Show me what? Yep. Show me what you got. Show me what you got! Oh! You got a week to think about what you're going to do. Oh! Will it be a dance for me? This is what I wanted. This is what I wanted.

You don't have a sword? I wanted everyone to get high and find their god. You don't need a sword. Brass knuckles? Get your spine. I said not to eat the plants, too. Did you? Just the ones I was eating. Some of them are really weird.

Well, you had said it, and I feel like for Yasha, she'd be like, oh, that's how you connect to a god. I was like, oh no, this is the plot of Gremlins. Give it to Yasha, she'll eat anything. Yeah! The bunch of smaller Yashas start jumping out of her back. I mean, she's trying everything at this point

to try to make the connection. Orphan Vagabond need a sword. Going to be barfing all the next day. Yeah, yeah. Just sick as a dog. Probably going to be a rough morning. Yeah, it's going to be a rough morning. Could be a rough evening. We just started.

Covered in your own sick. Oh. Of strength, of contest, of storms, and all manner of things in that space. Freedom. Contest. Yeah. She's throwing up swords. Is that okay? Some people eat them, some people throw them.

Some people just find them everywhere. We'll pick up from there next week. Wow. Exciting. Oh my gosh. It's going to be fun. In the interim. And this concludes the current chapter of Critical Role.

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