Critical Role - C3E16 The Shade Mother

Episode Date: March 17, 2022

With a new alliance made, Bells Hells discover an unsettling entity within the mines beneath the city whose terrors are more potent than any of them bargained for... 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/PsycomResources Watch 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, watch the broadcast on our Twitch channel.

Hello, bees! This is Laura Bailey, here to welcome you to the Critical Role podcast. If you'd like to tune into the show as it airs, you can watch Critical Role Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole and youtube.com slash criticalrole. Our lovely Twitch subscribers can view the episode on demand right away. Or you can find it on YouTube Mondays at 12pm Pacific. And of course, for all you fantastic podcast listeners, Critical Role episodes hit feeds on Thursday mornings, a week after the episode first airs. With all that said, let's get into another episode of Critical Role. Hello everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass

voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We play Dungeons & Dragons! Nothing strange or different about the setup today. All right, so before we jump into tonight's game, we do have some sponsors to get through. Beginning with our first sponsor tonight, which... Okay. Our first sponsor is Nord...

Is NordVPN. Travis, monster is Nord... Is NordVPN. Travis, what is going on? I'll tell you what's going on. Said he has spread to the ICPP motherboard. If we don't clear it soon, our whole show could be sliced. And the only way I can bring back the ghost of Blackwillow69 is by... Is by... By pooping him out of you and living up to your name? Don't worry, number two.

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No! Oh my god! It's beautiful! Oh, so messy. Well, did it work? Kryptonica override. Laura, can you hear me? Heya dudes and dudesette, dudettes, what's up?

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Man, I am consistently hilarious. But if you're Sam, what happened to Laura? I guess we'll find out next time NordVPN sponsors the show. Matt, catchphrase. All right.

Thank you. Thank you, NordVPN for your sponsorship. Thank you, friends. Thank you BAFTA award winners Laura Bailey and Ashley, for your sponsorship. Thank you, friends. Thank you, BAFTA award winners, Laura Bailey and Ashley Johnston, for your contributions to this incredible narrative. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Wow.

It's our best work. It's our best work. I agree. Somehow, Laura and Sam came off like Don Knotts a little. Oh boy. We have other announcements to get through. Marisha, take it away. Yeah. I wasn't expecting to in this announcement dress like this,

but here I am. Here we go. Tickets are on sale right now for next week's seventh year anniversary episode. Which will be shown in select Cinemark, Landmark, and Cinopolis locations in the US and Cinemark locations in Brazil. Episode 17 of the Bells Hells campaign

will also air simultaneously on Twitch and YouTube on Thursday, March 17th at 7 p.m., just like always. For all the details, please check out critrole.com slash seven. That's critrole.com slash S-E-V-E-N, girl power. There you go. Is that in the URL? No, that's different.

Don't type girl power in the URL. I believe that concludes our announcements. Okay, okay's different. Don't type girl power into three words. I believe that concludes our announcements. Let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Critical. Critical. Critical. Critical. It's Thursday night.

One by one we climb until we reach the top Two by two we fall Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? Hold your breath and roll How do you want to do this? It's Thursday night All ye critters come join us, it's time to continue our flight. There is magic and mystery, who knows what will happen, ye might.

But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight From the healer To the renegade We all share the same goal Adding more allies Taking more chances Hold your breath and roll You can certainly try It's Thursday night

All ye critters come join us. It's time to continue our fight. There is magic and mystery from darkness. Our friendship will rise. But one thing's for sure. We never give up on the fight. Oh, get ready It's Thursday night

And welcome back. So, last we left off, Hells Bells, Bells Hells, I should say. Yes, you should say it. Other way around. Brain, thank you. The first was an exclamation. Then you said their name. Indeed.

I was just excited and then presentory. Bells Hells, after just barely escaping the chaos of the ball at the top of the Core Spire here in Jrusar, returned to Eshteross' Manor, where you saw off your friend Dorian and his brother, who were currently figures of interest in the events of that night and nights before.

The next morning, you went to seek out possible paths of escape from the city before discovering that you were being followed by the Green Seekers, a pair of very well-known investigators that were present at the events the night before. They took you off the side of the road and proceeded to interrogate you in a semi-public space.

Through some communication, some persuasive discussions, and putting a few things on the table in the open. Beginnings of trust were granted and you decided that maybe you could help each other both find that trust and look into some curiosities you both have that align. This in particular involving the rising oddness of Shadecreeper intrusions

and alterations in recent months. Following some leads and one individual with a past with Gus, one of the two Green Seekers, you traveled towards the bottom of the Smolder Spire, within the mines there at the very base. Asking around, discovered more connections to the Mahon Treshi house being involved in one of the subterranean mines, the Crownset.

Mines have been closed for months and some strange goings-on in that space. Convincing, magically, the one manager, the one foreman who was watching over the closed mines, to allow you down the extensive subterranean shaft elevator that led you to where the mines were abandoned, you made enough noise to draw the attention

of numerous shade creepers. Some even further changed from the ones you had previously encountered. In this battle, you managed to slay many of these strange, monstrous beasts, suffering a bit of a rough-and-tumble first foray into these deep, deep mines below the city.

Upon taking a moment to heal yourself, discovered what it seems to be is the partially healed, cocooned form of Lady Emoth Cab that you've been chasing. As she began to emerge from this cocoon, awoken by some of these shade creepers that had escaped from death after seeing you entering their home, you plotted to wait

as the invisible members of your team, meaning you and Olly, would travel outward. You would gather their attention with noise and the rest would swarm in and wipe out this cluster of creatures and Lady Emoth in one fell swoop. As you rushed through, in the midst of this plan, you notice that Lady Emoth, God was not present. As you turned around the bend

to the opening of another subterranean chamber, the rest of you manage to wipe out the majority of the creatures that remained, opening with a fireball from Gus and just tactically and quickly dispatching of the creatures there, the few that remained alive in this central space. The loud, explosive sound of the fireball

in the combat sounds echoing throughout the nearby network of caves and tunnels. You step into this large chamber, here in the lightless depths of the mines. You see unfolding before you, small tables standing amongst scavenged equipment pieces, where two figures stand hunched over cobbled devices and chunks of faintly glowing stone.

Their faces are vacuous and stretched like a long, hollowed swamp tree bowing under its own weight. A large, unfinished machine sits mostly between them, next to a pillar of broken rock, this room itself looking like a partially excavated and abandoned centerpiece of part of this mine. On the floor of the far wall,

you see faint glitters and the very, very dull, barely there light, signs of coinage and gems, residual wealth, like a hoard partially spent. And within it, an odd device, about two feet tall that resembles a twisted orrery, a dull purple stone embedded in its center. Above that, these rocky outcroppings and abandoned mining platforms

that rise among the sharp stony walls. Dozens of rising tunnels twist upward from the rising spire and vanish into it. Openings, like a magnificent sponge of rock that just continues to spread out into the city above. You can see seemingly hundreds of shredded husks that dangle from the walls and places. Remnants of abandoned cocoons,

their podlings long set free. You just spit a little. of abandoned cocoons, their podlings long set free. You just spit a little. Cacoons. Cacoons. Cacoons. Along this jagged expanse, a sprawling, flat, slug-like mass stretches across the far wall.

Nearly 50, 60 feet across. I don't want it. Make a perception check for me. Oh, you betcha. 19. 19. You can just make out a few dozen opaque pods set beneath this slug mass.

You also watch as the mass tapers to one side. There you see the spindly, monstrous, haunted tree-like body of the four-limbed creature, her matted black mane tangled and tumbling from her bony horned skull, black eyes appearing soulless and predatory. There, upon the rocky platform in the center, Lady Emoth stands, glancing up, arms open to this entity, calling to her mother,

before mentioning that there seems to be company and looking back over her shoulder towards the hallway where your friends currently wait. Can we prep? We're unaware of this. You're unaware of this circumstance. You guys are still back in the hall, like just finishing battle with the remaining ones.

For clarity, is Lady Emoth one of the two people that you mentioned that's hunched over? No. Cool. They're different entities. Cool. Now this mother that Lady Emoth referred to begins to slither across the wall, and as it does, you watch as part of this slugmasters lodges.

No! Sloughing off and remaining. Sloughing off! Damn it, Matt! Sloughing off! Sloughing off. Sloughing, as I've learned to pronounce it properly. Sloughing off. You watch as the rest of that slug mass pulls into this thicker,

roughly 30-foot, bloated back half of the body as it crawls down towards the base of its wall, outcropping. MATT and LAURA, as they crawl down the wall, you can see it glancing around in the dark space, but it's not finding purchase on anything in particular. But a voice does creep into your mind. Oh.

Where are you? The urge to poop rises. Come, prospective child. Welcome. The mouth does not move. The eyes just glance about in a lightless space, but the voice still finds your mind. That's what I can do.

No, don't think anything. Think nothing. Balls. Are you called Balls? Yes. Mighty Balls. Well, Mighty Balls. Well, Mighty Balls. Have you come for the anointment? Are you going to anoint my Mighty Balls?

Oh, come on! She's setting you up for that one. I am not liking what I see. Can I make out faces or anything of the two folks that are hunched over the crumbled stone platform that you described earlier? So with the perception check you made earlier, you can see there's one to the right

and a little further back, and one to the left that's just around the corner from the entryway from where you stepped in. Oh, so they're spread. They're spread into different points. You can see there's tables at each point, and there's broken equipment, and it looks like some sort of a scattered tool

arrangement on there, probably left over from the previous miners that worked in here or brought in from outside. Both of them sit there for a moment like they're just in a stasis point. Their faces hanging limp without expression or emotion. I'm about to be, too.

I'm going to not like what I see and I'm just going to try and head back to the group and inform them as stealthily as I can. I'm going to try and retreat. Make a stealth check. With advantage, because. Invisible in boots. Invisible in your boots for a sound effect.

24. 24, okay. Natural 19. Okay. You step back and you watch as Lady Emoth, still atop, is glancing around. And where she was standing with her arms up and looking over the shoulder,

in a rapid movement, her body almost twists around, the head unshifting from where its position was. Gross. And she skitters up to the edge of the central platform that's rising about 15, 20 feet from the center of this chamber. Glancing around, too, her eyes now full black,

much like the mother entity, but still not finding where you are. Head twitching to the sides. You watch as the mother creature slithers down and seems to wrap around that purplish glow in the far back of the chamber, that strange crystal, almost like it's cradling it for a moment before it begins to slither around the side of that central pillar

in your direction, but still both glancing about as the voice finds your mind again. Um. Let me embrace you. You begin to back out of there, quiet as you have ever been in your life. Yeah, yeah, uh-huh. Do I see the others starting to fill into the room after having dispatched the?

Now, they're not that far behind. Yeah. They're not necessarily being quiet. You guys have come out of a quick battle. It was a rapid, the rocking explosion of the fireball. Gus pulls back after the unleashing of the arcane explosion as you all rush in and slash up Gus pulls back after the unleashing of the arcane explosion as you all rush in and slash up and dispatch

the rest of the non-incinerated shade creepers that remained. There's a moment where you all quietly, Over here, over here, it's real bad. Oh, it's real bad, real bad. What is it, what is it? Big Bear, Big bear chased me. This big, big, big, like 50-foot slug, horned, terrible.

A bear slug? No, it's a big monster. Wait, a bear was chasing you? Lacy Nemoth Cad is in the room with a giant fucking horrible. Mother. Yeah, yes, mother. Where's Olly?

I think he's huddled up with us, right? He was in this room? Olly, she. There's the little gnome. No worries. I'm thinking of Gus. Olly, at this point, who had kept partially invisible, or kept invisible for this point,

comes and you can see had helped from a distance, firing the crossbow and no longer become invisible and approaches like, So what's big thing? In the other room, there are two individuals on either side of the room. They look like they're checked out or like they have been checked out. Lady Emoth Cat is in there and she's transformed.

It's fucking terrible. There's also a gigantic hell beast. I don't know what it is, but it's massive and it detached from its ass. There's horns and it's, oh, and it got in my head. It asked me if I wanted to join. It called me one of its children. Does it sound like it's too much for us?

Yeah. It's pretty fucking big, yeah. It would be the gnarliest thing that I've ever, ever come close to doing. And also, in the dome, you might be... Registers. Mm-hmm. I don't like things getting in your head if it's not imaging.

It's not fun. But you said Lady Emoth's in there. That's the evidence that we need, right? And we have to capture her, right? We also have to live. Yeah, that part. And I think we're a little busted up, but I think if we leave,

we might not get this opportunity again. Right, Olly? Can we lure her away? I mean, we can certainly give it a shot, I guess. I mean, this is a little more than we signed up for, right, Gus? Yeah, this is kind of crazy, I'm not going to lie. I mean, if we could just get to her and get out, maybe?

Is there sort of a... Grab Lady Emoth and run? If we could separate Lady Emoth from Hellfing. I mean, I do have this. I take the potion of the Ever-Smoking Bottle out, and this thing creates a giant smoke cloud, but once I throw it, there's a big section of any room that just goes.

Can't see anything. Right, right. Doesn't really help as much. Is there any light in there? Oh, it was very, very dark, and only my dark vision helped? Aside from, your dark vision was what got most of your ability to see in there.

There's very, very, very faint sources of light in there. Some of it looks like either long, slowly dying lanterns that have been left since a previous visit or not too long ago. You do see that one central purplish glow from across the chamber. That's a small device about two feet off the ground that was set to the side.

It looked almost like a pillar or a device. That gave enough of a faint glow that with your darkvision, it helped frame a lot of the chamber, whereas normally. All that, plus the ori device. It's about two feet. 5.1 foot. What are you thinking?

I don't know, it seems important. You said she wrapped herself around it. If we could get that thing out of there, it might weaken her. Did it look movable, the ori? Did it look movable, or it was just a giant contraption on the floor? It was almost like a partially hollowed pillar of metal

that had numerous metallic arms, almost like pincers at times, that were all grasping this gem in the center. You didn't get a metal. You didn't get quite a detailed look. You just saw the general shape and it was slightly tilted to one side, like it was placed and is resting.

It looks like it was shoddily made, not like by an MC, but we could try to detach it. It looked like anything that the Nightmare King was messing around with? Yes. It's a total guess on my part, but yes. Well, we just need Lady Emoth, right?

We don't need the others, so if we can slowly guide her and lure her this way. Just so we have it all out there, Lady Emoth was a pretty big fight. The thing behind her, going to be an even bigger fight. And I'm sure the detached ass is going to fart out some shade creepers. So it's going to be a thing.

So maybe Gus can fireball the giant ass. I mean, yeah. I mean, that's what it's good for, right? What are your plans of capturing Lady Emoth? Goes ahead and points over to Olly. Olly goes ahead and reaches into the pocket and pulls out this small, mostly marbles.

There's three you can see in Olly's hand. These here generally are incarceration objects. They punish. Quick striking of a particular target of interest keeps them encapsulated and easily movable, unharmed and unable to free themselves for the better part of about an hour. Just as heavy?

Actually, pretty lighter than they were before. All right. Okay. Maybe we just go in, capture her out of the gate, and then the fight is going to be getting out of here. What? Last thing. She was the horned hell witch was in my brain. Do you have any way of putting a mind condom on us

or something? That would be great. Let me work on finding a spell that can give you a mind condom. How much time do you need? In the meantime, though. No, I don't. Mind condom is a much time do you need? In the meantime, though. No, I don't. Mind condom is a very high-level spell. Whoa, who's that? You can't hear it.

They're in our heads already. So when you throw? I'll do some research at the Starpoint Conservatory. The Starlight Academy? That's it, Val. When you throw the stone thing, do you have to be touching her,

or you can throw it and then it, how does that work? Usually, you got to be careful. You don't want to be too far away, or it's hard to hit somebody, especially if they're trying to defend themselves. So you want to get close up. I only got three of them on me at the moment. I mean, I can give one to one of you, maybe,

but I want to keep maybe two for myself, just in case. Do you have to attack with it or just touch with it? I mean, either way, it's just got to hit with enough significant impact to go ahead and cause the incantation down within to go ahead and situate itself. And then you have to pick it back up. They're still relatively large,

smaller size by the encapsulation, but you got to go ahead and grab it. It's more of a- If you're invisible, though, that should be very achievable. I don't think they saw me at all, as I talk in my invisible form still, because it lasts an hour.

You could sneak in with one of these beads and pop it on her, and then as soon as you throw it, though, doesn't that break your invisibility? Oh shit. But that's okay. At least she'll be captured. Then we run in, bum rush her,

maybe you pop smoke. I can make a move. I can't see. The smoke was a terrible idea. Forget that item. I can make a new machine. You should know The smoke was a terrible idea. Forget that item. I can make an illusion. You should know, after seven years, that shit's terrible. This thing makes a bubble around the person or thing?

Yeah, it encapsulates them and puts them in a pseudo pocket space for an hour. We can roll their hamster wheel. Usually. I can make a distraction, like an illusion at the opposite end of the chamber. You can roll there? Yeah. Hamster wheel? Usually. I can make a distraction, like an illusion at the opposite end of the chamber. You can do that? I can, yeah, make a...

Okay. It's like a silent image of sorts. We've got a genuine plan of brewing here. Also, you could take Mister with you because he can teleport you. He can teleport people? Yes, yes. I don't think it's very far,

but let me ask him real quick. Let's be afraid. Oh, well. I hear something. I bet it makes sense that we've been talking for quite a while. They would realize we were this direction. Maybe, you know what?

This will solve itself. Because I bet they're coming in here any second. Maybe it was Fireball's EI. Well, okay, not even going to think about it. Spread out! Form of dread. Form of dread? Okay.

Yeah! Should I? Good. Do I have Dancing Lights up? Should I put the Dancing Lights up just in case? I assume you've had your Dancing Lights up since most of you need to see. Yeah, that's what I figured. When she comes into our heads,

I just take 25 feet to get as far away from everybody else as possible. Okay. All right. Let us speak. I'm going to wait for it. Let us learn. Let us join. Well, I mean, she's so fast. Can I answer that? One of those three I was not really into. Let us join.

Well, I mean, she's so obsessed. One of those three I was not really into. Mighty Ball's here. Who are you? You are in the embrace of the Shade Mother. Shade Mother. Oh, my wife. Who lives. I'm not going to go off on my own or anything, It's a shade of mother. It's a shade of mother. Roll. Shit.

I'm not going to go off on my own or anything, but I'm going to maneuver to the edge of the group to be in front of it, of us, in case. Evagen, you were saying you were going to? Oh, I was just wondering if I could respond to her. If you're looking to try. What's your goal? What do you want?

I want family. I want to bring everything into a family. I want to share my love and epiphany, where all can be one mind and blood to climb up and bring us all together. Yeah, sounds great.

Just send Lady Emoth out here and she can guide us on in. No response. That was worth a shot. That was worth a shot. Hell of a day to be a martial class. Yeah, this feels personal on occasion. You going in, Chet? Ah!

That's me. That's just me. Oh god. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm going in. You're going to take a bead? Shit. And then after you pop it, someone's got to go in there and roll her out, right?

Did Olly go invisible again? Olly did not go invisible again. Oh, so she doesn't get small. No, she just is turned into a big ball that still weighs a good amount. Can I make my way over to where Olly is? You did it. Yeah. Yeah, I know.

Olly's over there, crossbow at the side, holding the marbles in her hand. It's me, it's Chetney. Right, right, right. I'm going to try and stay out of sight for as long as possible. Would you want to give me one of those marbles and you could take the other two?

She holds her hand out. I can also potentially, like... Telekinesis it? Yeah, I could catapult it. I mean, they could try to dodge it, but. I take it. No, no, that's pretty good. That's from a far distance, right? Yeah, I could do it like,

I mean, I could do it like 180 feet away. It's pretty strong. I do. Probably want someone there, though, to scoop up right on top of it. The two of them are there. How about? Yeah, if she catapults and you're ready to push. Then I can cue up my distraction

on the opposite end. Right as you throw. I think she can hear all of this, but yeah. Right as you throw your arms. Yeah, there is a very good chance it'll miss, though. Just putting that out there. Very good chance? I mean, a significant chance it'll miss.

You have to have faith in yourself, your abilities. I've seen you throw things. Yeah. Pretty good at it. Maybe you fire that off, and if you do miss, you fire that off, he grabs. But if you miss, then we go to plan B, and then you smack and grab. I'm already moving towards her.

Keep her busy. With the bead or without? You don't know. Jesus. Oh, I have one bead. But you're not going to give it to Imogen to throw? There's two more in all these hands. Okay. I can try.

All right, all right. There you go. Three chances, better than two. Skulk up a bit, just so I can get eyes on the opposite side of the chopper. Gus, turn you. SAM and LAURA, and LAURA, and LAURA, and LAURA, Sure. What the fuck?

Yeah, I'm not going to ask. Relax. It's all right. Chetney, as soon as she gets ready to throw, I'll send you a feeling. You'll get a feeling that it's time, it's about to happen. Okay. Are we going to, wait, but we're doing the sneaky?

I'm going behind enemy lines. You guys do whatever. Whoever gets there first wins. If either of us do. We'll never forget you. Just so I have eyes from my illusion. I'll cast Guidance on you if you come close enough for me to touch you.

Out from the group? I'm going to stay back as far as I can. It's pitch black in there, though. Where are you? I'm in darkvision. Where are you? Oh, yeah. Where are you? I can't hit her if it's dark in there. What is that lump?

You have no sight in that chamber. Yeah, I've got no sight in that chamber. It's pretty much. Unless I send those orbs in just as fast as I can, I could send them in ahead and then go. It's very important working at a desk. If they're not listening to everything we say,

yeah, shock and awe. I'm saying, Mother, can you hear me? Oh my god. Can you hear what I'm saying right now? I love God. Shit. Yeah. I think they know.

Let's do it. I think between our balls and our orbs, I think we're going to be okay. Ooh, this is a plan. All right, I'm going to Guide Chetney. No, I don't. I think we know. Let's do it. I think between our balls and our orbs, I think we're going to be okay. Ooh, this is a plan. All right, I'm going to guide Chetney. No, I don't. I think we're fucked. He's guided for a minute. A minute, go!

I'm already going on a bit of a chubby. I send an orb into the room. I'm going to protect the dead woman. One of the Dancing Lights goes in. Okay, make a stealth check for me, Chetney. 17. 18. 18, okay. You send one of the dancing lights in.

Fuck it. No. It doesn't travel quickly. It drifts in, as it is the cantrip. As it drifts in, the room begins to light up and you can now, the rest of you especially, make out the details in the chamber around. You can see the scattered gold and silver and copper and all the coins that are lost

between the little cracks in the ground around. You can see the hanging chains and bits of partially constructed mineshaft utilization. You can see the equipment and partially built scaffold and it spiral upward as the chamber continues before it crests into a rough, natural dome. You can see the dozens and dozens of different tunnels that splinter off in different directions

as it begins to float outward. Make a perception check, those of you who are up front. Not me, right? I bet you. Balls, two ball rolls. You would roll another perception check as well. All right, I'll roll super low. This would be vision-based, however, so you...

Would I be up front? They're the same roll anyway. Am I considered up front? You said you were. If you want to, yeah. You want some shit. Yeah, you said you were. 11.

11 as well. Oh god. Natural one, let's get it out now. Okay. Seven. Wow. Jeez. Okay. So, first thing you notice as you all begin to enter towards the front of it,

you do not have sight on Lady Imath. Of course not. What you do see is the two creatures, the two humanoid beings that are hunched over the tables and the sides, their heads go straight and look over towards the entrance as you approach. Where you see the rest of you who are now getting eyes for the first time on the Shade Mother

and her bulbous form affixed to the lanky, talon-like limbs to the front. As she's partially curled over that small, scattered hoard on the far end of the chamber, she reaches over to the side and where her body is, you can see she clutches something, and there's a shift or some sort of a movement. You watch as these little blue lights

begin to glow along the underside of her slug-like lower torso. She's got moonlighting? Hell, she does? She does. I'm going to make a move. She flies! She begins to drift. That's what it was being stolen for! And hover upward slowly.

The fucking brumestone. Five, ten feet off the ground. In a partially clumsy hover, this massive creature is now drifting in the air. You can see small, five little points of blue glowing light that are affixed to strange spider-like metallic devices that are embedded into parts of the body as she begins to float in the air.

Children, come. Wow. A silent image. Of? A silent image. Of? Dugger. Okay. Slithering out of a hole on the other side of the chamber.

Like he's just come back. Okay. She doesn't seem to pay much mind to Dugger. Yeah, I was afraid of that. Frayed stuff. Yeah. Frayed stuff. Frraid stuff. Afraid stuff. I mean, that's pretty cool. Any, did the room light up more

when the blue light started? A little bit, yeah. I mean, between your light coming into there and the dull glow of what you are now noticing to be brumestone affixed to the lower part of her body, you have some visibility within the area. Just to be that asshole, I'm going to look up. Yeah, definitely, to see if Lady Imah's

on the ceiling again, compared to where she is. Okay. Go ahead and roll another perception check. So those are reattached to the big butt? I don't know, she partially detached, right? It was almost like this much longer body was part of the wall, and then it separated and left part of it up there,

which is almost like its own cocoon. The detached part is what's glowing and floating, not the, okay, not the old part. If you would like a visual aid. I would, yes, yes, yes. Please. Oh! What the fuck?

Oh my god. So that's what you're looking at. Oh! That's so foul! So much scarier than I picked it up. That's worse. That's what's free at the moment, and there's more booger sack behind. Oh, okay.

The rest of the body's in there, obviously and LAURA, bugger sack behind. Okay. Little stones clawing. The rest of the body's in there, obviously. Yeah, it's... That's so disgusting. Thanks, I hate it. Okay. I rolled nine. Okay.

Cool. I make Dugger run around in a circle, but I'm assuming she doesn't give a fuck. That failed. Doesn't seem to pay much mind or interest to the arrival of a dugger, but definitely is looming up in the center of the room, down upon all of you.

It sounds to me, hello, hi, smiley day. It sounds to me like you wanted to talk about family planning or something? Is that you're making a family? Begins to drift down closer to the entryway where the rest of you are at the moment. Could we meet the members of your family? That's going to happen regardless.

Ixnay on the Amityrfay. I just want to know where she's at. Now we're late. Here she goes. She's doing it. You hear chittering. Oh. From the tunnels above. Well, maybe we just fight instead of... No, we're not.

Snatch, I think we are not going to fight on this. We just got to get her. We just got to get her. We don't know where she is. Not the dude. You guys rolled some shitty fucking perception checks. Wait, wait, can I find an object? I'll peek around the corner.

I'm going to give it a look-see. What's up? Can I give a look and just try to see? If you'd like to. For everybody who hasn't rolled a perception check, things are starting to heat up a bit. I did not roll a perception check. Are you a whorefie now?

Can you guide yourself? I am. I rolled a natural 20. Oh, thank god. Fuck, tell us where she is. Come to a natural 20. Oh! Oh, thank god! Fuck! Tell us where she is! Okay. Come to a total of? Oh my god. 13. 27. Whoa!

Wow, you're actually really perceptive! I am. I wasn't going to do it, and then I saw that number and I was like, I'm going to look, too. You should always roll perception checks, just so you know. Okay, I will. Okay. As all this is happening, it is very, very...

It's pretty dark in here. You do not have darkvision, correct? No. If you're looking off in the far ends of this chamber and looking for Lady Emoth, I would say it's with disadvantage because of the lack of light in this room. Always be perceiving.

Another 20. It's tough. It's so low lit, and with a little bit of light that's in here, it's helping, but. 19. Okay. Okay. It's not too bad. Is that with the seven? Yeah.

19 total. Okay, that's good. It's not too bad. You see things clambering out of some of the upper tunnels in the room. You can assume, just based on the shapes and the movement and the sounds coming from them in your encounters in the past, there's a handful of shade creepers that are starting to emerge from the upper openings

within this chamber you're currently standing in. You do see up on the far wall, which is a slight rocky incline towards the back, there is a shadowed shape that you see disappear behind an upper part of rocky outcropping. the shadowed shape that you see disappear behind an upper part of rocky outcropping. Like how far away? About, I'd say, close to 80, 90 feet. Do you tell us about this figure?

Nope. Cool. No, no, of course. Oh, okay. Yeah. I think Lady Emoth is way back there. I think she's trying to hide. At the back? Yeah, yeah, of course. Oh, okay. Yeah. I think Lady Emoth is way back there. I think she's trying to hide. At the back? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Behind her.

Gus was like, do I, am I fireballing something? When am I exploding? I feel like it's coming up real soon. Maybe you can distract him with a fireball and that way we can run in and try to get her. Can anyone fly? All right.

Just tell me when. At this point, the Shade Mother is about 15 feet in front of you, about 10 feet off the ground, and the immensity and the smell of this room, there is this odd mildew, curdled smell that arrives before she does that strikes your senses with an offensiveness you weren't prepared for.

With the blue glow framing the space around you, you see at the end of this bulbous back half of the creature, something emerges as a levered, hooked stinger begins to protrude from the back. Is she directly in front of the bulbous thing now? Like in our vision, is she like, or is she way above us at this point?

She's about 10 feet up, so she's now beginning to fill a majority of the chamber from your entryway perspective. Is she blocking the place where Fearne pointed out? For some of you, yes. Oh no. Gus is like, what am I doing? Light it up, light it up. Light it up.

He goes ahead and throws that singular red bead. The arcs pass and you watch as she looks over her shoulder down to where it's shooting and you can watch this bead glow up the sides of the rock as it passes over and hits the edge of where that large cocoon-like portion of the body as it passes over and hits the edge of where that large cocoon-like portion of the body she left behind with the additional pods

beneath it were set. Some of the other shade creepers are clambering down the wall there. The explosion hits and you watch as close to a dozen or more shade creepers immediately burst into flames and fall from the ground, spattering across the far rock side. The Shade Mother turns,

and she should roll an energy. Yeah! Oh, he's going to get something. You're getting it in. I was like, oh no. Oh, poor guy. Terrible. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Ooh, look at this map. Fuck. Oh my god. Whatrible. Oh god, oh god, oh god. Ooh, look at this map.

Fuck! What is happening right now? Oh, that's so cool. There's individual rocks out there, you guys! Wow, this is sick. Figure. There's a figure. There's a machine over there.

Is that the Ori? This is the central large machine that's partially connected to the Ori over here. Okay, that little thingy. These are the tables with the two entities there. And let me go ahead and... This is pretty. Where's the ori, point, Liam? This is very real, I agree.

It's here. Okay. She is falling right about here. Don't let that beautiful miniature topple over. Oh shit. It's happening. Oh my lord. Sweating those arms. Where's the giant thing at the?

At the front of this. The what? The giant thing on the wall. Where's the giant? It's like, across this side of here. Where's that ass at? Where that ass at? The fireball explosion blew up here

and just destroyed a bunch of the pods and some of the emerging shade creepers. Detach that ass. Orym, you said you were towards the front? Yeah. Yeah, well, the last thing I said is that I was shielding Laudna, so wherever she goes. Laudna. Laudna.

I was near the front because I was trying to use this thing. All right. How about the rest of you? I was probably peeked around that a little bit, I think, behind Imogen. Yeah. Right there? Yeah. And where did you point Lady Emoth was?

Those horns look like little horns. Like this side over here? Lady Emoth, you saw up in this area. It looks like this. And this is all crystal here. The crystal represents the cocooned bits. Oh god. You were? Left.

Yeah, over this way. We'll stay about there. What are the bits again? Like pods? These are just bits of broken pods and leftover husks of whatever once was birthed. Just giant cicada shells emptied out. Yeah, essentially.

Where would Mister want to be? Like flying over there? Yeah, yeah, let's do it. Gliding like a fire spirit does? Fresh Cut Grass. I'd probably approach Mother to talk to her a bit. Oh, so you're out in front? She's in front of the group then?

Yeah, to the right a little bit. Over here? Yeah, just a little. Okay. Oh my god. Ashton? I would have been, sadly, near the fucking back, but I know I can run at full fucking speed if I have to. All right, I'll say.

And where are you, Travis? Totally different. Is that Chetney or Ollie? No, that's Ollie. Gus would be about here. I'm invisible right below his bracelets. And then Gus threw the fireball from the back. Yeah, so I was talking to Gus.

Gus. Oh god. All righty. Oof. Mm. Oh god. All righty. Oof. Mm-hmm. Oh god. I hate this. That's gross. I mean, it's really cool, but.

Flying, flying. Flying. So, 25 to 20. 24. 22, nice. Whoa, actually, 24. Get it. I can't reach that thing. Can you throw a hammer or something?

I got 20. It'd be comical. Oh, nice. All righty. You were 20? 22. Oh. Ashton, Imogen, Fearne. 20 to 15. 16.

16, okay. Uh, 17. Oh. I know, say it faster. All right, then we have Orym. 15 to 10. Good. Good cursing, though.

Thank you. You know they don't teach it anymore. I know. It's dying hard. I don't think they don't teach it anymore. I know. It's a dying art. I don't teach it anymore. It makes me so sad. At least that's what I hear. I don't know. I'm not. 10 to five?

Seven. All right. And three. All right. Oh fuck. All righty, so Ashton, you are up first. Feeling the pulse of this explosion, the fiery flash of light in the room. The chamber now adjusting to the darkness within

aside from the faint sources of light. It's difficult to make out the space, but you feel the pulse of combat come to you. What are you doing? Well, when in doubt, you take the initiative. First, I'm going to, is there anything I can even hit? If I rage now, I don't have to hit anything until next turn, I assume.

The end of next turn. Before you're there. I think it's before. Before, so I can't rage out unless there's something for me to hit. Or it can hit you. Um, hmm? Or something can hit you.

Or something can hit me. Other way. I can't hold a rage, never mind. No, you cannot. You're going to punch. I'm not angry yet! I'm going to punch. I'm not angry yet! I'm going to push. I'm going to try and take a run 40 feet,

see if I can get cover behind that. 35, 40. 35, 40 can get you about there. Can get me about there. Do I have cover from that thing now? From the Shade Mother? Yes, you cannot see it at the moment. Okay. Yeah, if I rage now,

then it's dead when I start my next turn. Unless it hits you in the interim. Unless it hits me in the interim. Oh! You're welcome. Don't do that. Fuck. Barbarian's a little weird.

Fuck it, I'm just assuming something terrible's going to happen, so I'm going to fucking rage. Okay, go for it. The coldest case. Wait. Of your body. Oh my god. I've also still got 40 feet of movement

if I'm not taking an attack. If you want to use it to dash, yeah. All right, well, let's just see what I got. Abracadabra. Okay, yeah, all right. I got a three, so we're still sticking. Maybe I'm going to try a different d4 next time. Since it really likes the number three.

So we've got the Temporal Morass. All right. I'm going to... I'm going to run over to the table with the guy over by the table. Over here? Yep. I'm going to get right in this motherfucker's face. All right, you're right up against it. Yep. As you rush up to it, you see it was. All right, you're right up against it. Yep.

As you rush up to it, you see it was looking over towards the edge. It turns around its body, snaps as it twists its torso towards you. You can see the black eyes there and the rows of teeth in the jaw. Okay, finishing your go, that brings us to Imogen. Imogen, come on!

Gone, girl! Gone, girl! I'm going to rush in the same direction that Ashton was going. 25, 30 can get you next to that guy if you want to. Well, I don't want to be running after that guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can drop here if you want to.

Yeah, sure. Okay. Then can I see Lady Emoth from there? You have not seen her yet. You'd have to use your action to make a perception check to try and perceive her. The only person right now that has any inclination is Fearne. Well, we said she blurred out. Fearne told us the direction that she was at.

You know the direction, but you still do not see her. What is the direction again on this map? Up in this area. Up in there, okay. Um. Yeah, I'm going to try to see her. I'm going to use my action to try to spot her. Okay, perception check. Disadvantage? Jesus!

What? With disadvantage? Wow, that was aggressive on my part. Massive dice in the small town. Okay. Perception. My perception dice in the small room. Okay. Perception. Ugh, my perception is dog shit! 12. 12. You have no sight of her.

It's too dark in this room. My other lights are with me now. A-bo-bo. Yep, they're glowing up in that space, but it's still a big room, and the lights are only gliding in space here to light at the immediate vicinity. Okay, well then can I use my bonus action

to send the lights up to light up that whole area where she had been? Sure. So I can not at disadvantage the next time. Okay. I'll say to mark the general space where they are, I'll just go ahead and set this glow up in this area there.

Definitely use your powers to lift it. All righty. Does that finish your turn, Laudna? Okay. Imogen. Sorry, Imogen. It's the dark hair. I can't help it. You look so similar now.

I keep doing that. It's the same that I look like Laudna in real life. It's the dark hair, that's all. That's on me. All right, so now the first layer action kicks in. Layer action! Oh yay! I think you want to save that for the end of the round.

I think that's what you want to do. First layer action. Oh. Shade creepers begin to emerge from the side tunnels. There and there. Finishing that. Fearne, you're up. Okay. No idea what to do. There and there. Finishing that. Fearne, you're up.

Okay. No idea what to do. It's very dark in here and I can't see, so I am going to cast Daylight on top of Mother. Okay. On top of Mother? I wish I would've waited till you went.

Yes, so just. What's the radius on that? It's 60 feet. 60-foot radius. Yeah. Yeah, you can put that here and light the whole room, essentially. Let's do it. Yay!

So 60-foot radius. Yeah, you can do the whole. Let's do the whole damn room. It's so bright in here now. Okay. So whereas the shadows have been consuming the majority of this chamber, those of you without darkvision

have been fumbling it through, just trying to focus where you can see the outer rim of soft glows making out the shapes around you. Suddenly, this bright piercing light sends the entire chamber. Sorry, I just can't see. As it does, you hear Mother

screech back, clawing at her face. Okay. All the shade creepers withdrawing from the bright light. Yay! Here we go! Okay, okay. That was completely intentional.

Here we go. Ashley Johnson, what are you doing? Like cockroaches when the lights turn on. First turn. Yeah, they're not happy. No. That's nice. Okay. All right, so that's your action.

That's my action. And then, that did more than I thought it was going to do. That was pretty dope. Okay, okay, okay. Yeah, then. Mm-hmm, okay. All right, and then, Mister, I am going to have him throw some flame seeds

at Mama's belly. All righty, is he moving? Oh no. Near Mama's belly, but also near one of the blue stones. Are you aiming for her or one of the stones? Yeah, I can't tell. Yeah, let's try the stones. Go for it, so go ahead and roll on top. Okay, fine.

Knock her to the ground so Ashton and Orym can get it. Yep. Aw, okay, yeah. Don't worry, I'm going to get up there and throw a chain around her mouth. Ride her down like Doctor Strangelove. Yeah! Yee-haw!

Is he's like, you know? Oh yeah, he's a Grange. Okay. She's perfectly merry-go-round shaped, like the little horses. Yeah. There's also a little shine. I would love. Yeah! You go right there, there's a little leather strap. I would love a carousel of just things like her.

I would love a carousel of just things like her. Oh my god. Yes. A nightmare carousel. A nightmare carousel? No. Oh, nightmares. 23.

23 actually does hit. It is very difficult to hit part of her body, but go ahead and roll damage on it. Okay. Holy cow. Wait, what is plus PB? Plus your proficiency bonus, which I believe is plus three. Plus peanut butter.

Okay, five. Ooh! That's a good hit. Okay, eight points of damage. Eight points of damage. For Mr. You got your peanut butter in my slug monster. So one of the ones right in the front, there's two affixed to the front of its slug body, and it hits one, you see its light spark,

and it looks heavily damaged. It's still holding top, but it is. The light is sparking a little bit. Okay, and then for my movement, I'm just going to try to tuck so I'm out of visual range of Mother. Okay, you can tuck behind Gus would be the only way to go,

because right now this area is full of blood. I'll stay then, that's fine. Okay. He puts you back and then Gus is like, Oh, sorry. Stay with me, it's okay, I'll go behind him. Yeah, yeah. You're going to go behind him?

Yeah. Okay. And she picks up the pot. You're not an inconvenience. Okay, okay, okay. We're literally holding the room right now. All right, here we go. Okay. All right, finishing first coat is now Lady Emoth's turn.

Lady Emoth darts from the space behind, scratching at her eyes, screeching as well. Where's the, there she is. Darts out, clambers down the side, and rushes under here to try and get out from under the light. It's basically just trying to get out from the sunlight. And that's what she's going to do.

Did I see her do that, by the way? Ta-ta-ta. You both, actually, the only people that probably would have seen that happen would have been the three of you over here. Three of us. And maybe, Laudna, what's your passive perception? Mine's 20.

Yours is 20, but you were blocked by the path over there. So I say, Laudna, you might have seen it, too. So Laudna, Olly, and then Chetney, Imogen, and Ashton would have seen Lady Moff dart that direction. Okay. Gus, who's back there now and seeing this happen, is going to go,

Uh, mostly utility at this point, but I guess I'll try for another round. He's going to burn one of his higher level slots to fireball again. Can I cast Guidance on him? Huh? No. You've already used your action. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, okay, okay.

So you go and lob another flame seed up in her direction. Cool. Hits her in the side of the shoulder and detonates. 20-foot radius around here. Not enough to get any of you specifically because of her higher-up space, so she has to make a dexterity saving throw.

Natural one. Yay! Is going to use Legendary Resistance to succeed. That's right, burn that shit. Burn it through. This is fun. Oh. So he gets three per round or three?

We don't know. We don't know. 28 points of fire. 14 points of fire damage to the Shade Mother. All righty. As the flames subside, Gus goes, and goes, and now gets behind. That's amazing.

Like, excuse me. You both just like, training back in the hallway. No, you go, no, you go! Oh, no, no, no. All right, it's going to finish. Gus' go, Chetney, you're up with Orym on deck. Okay.

Shit, I saw her run into cover. With my 25 feet of movement, does it look like I could cover the ground and hurdle up on top of this rock and get up on her rear? Up here, you mean? To Lady Emoth's position. Right over here? Yeah. Yeah, you can do that, bud.

Oh fuck. Yeah, you can get up on here if you want to. Okay. I'm going to take the little bead, say, Tag, you're it! And hit her with it. Okay, you are invisible, so you have advantage. Yes. Ooh!

Okay. Is it an attack roll? It is an attack roll. So you just roll, add your proficiency bonus and your strength modifier or dexterity modifier, whichever you prefer. You said strength or dexterity, you said? Guidance is for ability checks,

so it's not for attack. Oh, yes. Oh, good looking out. Get that Bless going, get that Bless. Natural 20. Oh shit! Yes, okay. So 26.

Plus strength, plus proficiency bonus. I've been rolling like shit. For fucking weeks. So you see her there behind hit the side of the rock just as you dart around and visibly go rushing up and leap in the air through this small section of rock where it opens up to where she's now rubbing her eyes.

She spins just in time to hear the sound of you impact the stone as you land, not seeing where you are and looking above where your head is as you just punch the bead right into her gut. Nice. Then suddenly there's this weird sucking sound and this sudden flash of energy and you watch as this amber-ish orb

surrounds her like a bubble. She's now scratching at it, making no sound and no impact on it. So where Lady Emoth was, there is now this amber orb. Nice. Cool, cool. And Chetney is now visible. And you're now visible, yes.

Okay. I feel like. How strong are you, Chetney? Huh? How strong are you? Pretty strong. Okay, good. I work out. Kick it our way. I can tell. Plus, I got old man strength. Yeah. That shit's for real. Oh my god, 400 years old?

Please. I benched 325. With my bonus action, I am going to. 325 ounces. My bonus action. Go, go, go, go! I'm going to look at, can I see Olly and Gus?

Where you're standing now, no, you can't see anybody except for Ashton and Imogen over there. Well, they'll figure it out soon enough. I reach out and I dig my fingernails into my face and I split my face in half. Yes! And a snout comes shooting out.

You're like, that's some comes shooting out. He's like, That's some howling shit. That's amazing. People thought I was a big motherfucker. Oh shit, he let the dogs out. Aw. It's a wolf! It's the only one I'm ever going to do.

It's done. It's done. Get out of the way. And with that, we have Chetney Wolf on the battlefield. Okay. The hairs on my arms stand up. Yeah. Yeah, they do. Yeah, they do.

Perfect, does that finish your turn, Chetney? Yes, it does. All right, Orym, you're up. Oh man, he's looking. Actually, at the end of your turn, the Shady Mother's going to use a legendary action to go ahead and hover a little bit closer to the ground. Oh, no.

Oh. Oh, no. Oh. Oh boy. It is now right there. Uh-oh. Okay. Oh, wow. What does that mean?

Making life a little harder. Okay, why did she do that? Okay. Getting in position for something. Okay. You're good? I will add a long howl to some people here. Yes, you all heard the howl reverberate

throughout the cavern walls. Oh boy. She's right on top of me. Okay, so he just looks up with this giant carapace floating just above him. Hey, Mom's spaghetti! I jump and slash through the abdomen. I'm going to make it a goading attack. Okay. and slash through the abdomen.

I'm going to make it a goading attack. Okay. That's a big high roll. That is 18 plus eight, so 26 to hit. She has to make a wisdom save. Shit. No wisdom save. That is going to be a 19. She succeeds, and then I'm just going to spin it around and keep running underneath her

and slash again, same deal, same goading attack. That is a 21 to hit. That hits. Another wisdom save. All righty. That is going to be a nine. Nope, now I misread it. 19 again, same roll.

Sorry. I will run around, though, underneath her so that I'm behind its butt. About there? Yeah. Okay. All right, that finishes your turn. So as you stab in both,

so, do you roll damage for those attacks? No, I didn't. I was like, hm? Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. So that's eight. Oh, oh, the other one. Four. Oh, sorry.

Remember that, so two plus five is seven, plus four is 11 for the first. And then the second is 11 plus three four is 11 for the first. Then the second is 11 plus three, so 14 for the second. Spider shit. Got it, great. Spider shit. Slash and then slash underneath, carving out as you do.

It is tough hide. It looks semi-translucent up close, especially well-lit in this room. So it looks like it should be easy to pierce, but it is tougher than you expect. But you do carve through and a caramely-colored liquid spills out from the wound. As you get a little bit of a cut,

but rush through off the other side and shake it off your blade and spin around. Okay, action surge. I'm now in a flanking position. That is a, oh, there's a one I'm going to reroll. I just got a two out of that, so that's just a 16. That's real low. 16 just hits.

No! Copy and dip! That's good enough. Goating attack. Four plus six is 10. Oh shit. 12 for that attack. Wisdom save. There we go, that's the seven.

Nine, that's a failure. Nine should fail. So any attack on anyone besides me is a disadvantage, and last attack is a 21. That hits. Four plus six is 10. 16 for the last. Nice. Nice.

That's two hits, hell yeah. Damn, dude. So I've just eviscerated the bottom side. All righty, you got it. Eviscerated. Fucking fighters, bro. The bottom. At the end of your turn, she's going to use another legendary action to make a stinger strike on you.

Oh, the stinger! Oh! Oh, there is a stinger! I'm poking you with a butt. Yes, that thing you saw emerge from the back of the bulbous space is a large, jack-pointed stinger. This could be really, really bad. It's not for fun!

Towards you. However, the Rimasilla Daylight and the light sensitivity that she suffers gives her disadvantage on attack rolls because of the daylight spell. Oh, yay! Come on, come on, come on, come on. So even against you, it's with disadvantage. Come on, come on, come on.

Okay. Still two decent rolls. That's a 23. Hits. Oh boy. So is he even still trying to scratch at the eyes, spins around in the stinger? No, he doesn't. It pierces you right underneath where the left pec is

and gets about two inches in there as you grab it and hold it from going deeper. It's an immense amount of strength that takes you off the ground for a second. You have to lift yourself off and then catch your feet. Not before you. Die, the left pap! You do take 11 points of piercing damage,

plus three points of poison damage if you feel something pulse into you and make a constitution saving throw for me, please. Advantage against poison, does that, so does that? You need to do an advantage on the saving throw. Okay. Oh, nice. I wish I hadn't used it on that guard.

Balls, total balls. That is a constitution? Seven. Seven. Oh no. You, my friend, are poisoned with it. I need him to be alive. Okay, okay. You feel it

pulsing through your blood, and you can feel the hot burning sensation of the poison coursing deeper and spreading throughout your body. That finishes that go, and that now brings us to her turn. Oh no. That's right, she hasn't gone yet.

So she's after Orym. Wait, that was just an extra attack? That was a legendary action. Matt, you should give her six hit points back because I added superiority die damage to the fourth attack, which there was no superiority die used. Ooh, good call. I'll make that a 10.

Good call now, thank you for giving that up. For the Shade Mother's turn. My body just made a sound where he got stabbed. Some organ appears, like, bombs of sweat. You watch as, from where you carve past and the stinger withdraws, you see her still eyes partially shut, glancing around the space around.

These little folds around the larger slug-leg body, Around the larger slug-leg body, begin to pucker tightly and then release a caustic nimbus. Oh! She's farting on us. Everyone within 15 feet suddenly gets spattered with an acidic liquid that just. Did she diarrhea-ness?

She sharted! She shard it! She's going to spend the green apple splatters! I need Orym, Laudna, That's me. No! Give me dex! Regigrag, Grass, and Olly to all make dexterity saving throws, please. I can't see anybody up there.

Who all makes those saving throws? Not you. I'm rolling real bad. One day, I will roll good this campaign. One day. You need different, your dice are official. Is Mister okay? Wow.

Mister is just outside of the space. All right, so. Hold on, so. So starting over here with Laudna. 13. 13, you take 20 points of over here with Laudna. 13. 13, you take 20 points of poison damage. Ooh! No. Wait, how much?

How much? 20 points of poison damage. 20. And you are poisoned. From the fart? From the fart from the sharts. Oh no. Jolly Rancher Spray. Feshtug Grass.

A five. Five, you take 20 points of poison damage. Hold on. And you are poisoned. Can you be poisoned? I cannot. I'm looking right now. I'm resistant to poison. So you take half the damage. You only take 10.

Great. But I, oh, I'm immune to disease. Okay, so I'm resistant to poison, so I take 10. You take 10 points of poison damage, but you are nevertheless still poisoned. Oh man. Shit. That's a problem.

This is bad. Orym? It's a fail, Dad. Yeah. 20 points of poison damage, and you are already poisoned. How do you drop down so fast, so hard? And then? God fucking damn.

Olly fails and takes 20 points of poison damage. Oh my god, everybody. We got to get out. You know what? I don't get it. We got our and takes 20 points of poison damage. Oh my god, everybody. We got to get out. You know what? I don't get it. We got our ball. I'm going to take 10 of Orym's. Oh, I have resistance against poison damage. So I will take 10 in the form of him taking 10.

I won't take 10. He's got it. But also on the... Oh, the other attack. So I took three points of poison damage before. Yeah, so you've been one. So I'll give myself about 11. She's got it. But also on the... Oh, the other attack. So I took three points of poison damage before. Yeah, so you've been one. So I'll give myself 11. She gave back 12.

12. Mm-hmm. She passed. That's a little better. Matt, I will go to Hellish Rebuke when you are done. That is going to finish that certain attack. So you can Hellish Rebuke now if you'd like. Hellish Rebuke.

So I take the shit that is covered on me and I scrape it down my arms and it coats on my fingers. I'm going to flick it back. Oh! There. There. As you flick it, the strange translucent caramel liquid turns to a pitch black coloration before

onto the front of the body and burns the black fire as it impacts. Yes! What's the, is it a? burns the black fire as it impacts. Yes! What's the, is it a? It's a dex saving throw. Dex saving throw. 15 in the little Milky Way situation. Weirdly enough, not that dexterous. That's a failure. I imagined.

I'm going to do that at second level as well, so that's. Did it get in her mouth at all? Ew. Ew, too much, Leia. So sorry. Is it still? Yeah. No, not at all.

That ship is sealed. Yeah, no, not at all. That ship at sale. Yeah, that was totally good. One day I'll roll good. Eight, nine. This is very good. It's okay. It's not bad, it could be worse. The what? 13 damage.

13 points of damage. You got it. Burns across the body in the front area. You hear the voice in your head. Stop, or you'll feed my children. Stop, or we'll feed her children? Yes. That's what she said. She wanted to adopt us, now she wants to feed us. Oh, I see, I see, I see.

There's a threat. I thought she was saying, you're going to feed my children. Are we going to kill her? We're babysitting now. Yeah. This is the sequel to Adventures in Babysitting. Everyone was hoping for it. I'm just going to go ahead and drift back up in the air.

That does give you an opportunity to move forward. And me? Yeah, and you as well. How? You are poisoned, which means you are at disadvantage on attack rolls. Okay. I will saw blade her.

Disadvantage on attack rolls. Correct. I will sawblade her. Disadvantage on attack rolls. Correct. Very good. Very not good. 11 to hit. That misses. So this is a disadvantage, this time? Correct. That's not good.

14. 14 misses, unfortunately. Little hairs on the end. I'm just trying to be... Oh! Whoa! Drifting up in this space here. Yeah. Whoa, she's high!

Titties. Yeah. I'm so nervous for that moment. Hi! High above me. She's so lovely. Drifts up. The brumestone glowing brightly as it drags her large form higher into the chamber.

That's going to go ahead and finish the Shade Mothers go. That brings us to Gus. Gus. Gus. Oh no, sorry, no, this is now Olly's go. Olly is poisoned, but Olly is good. Olly's after Loch Ness? Olly's going to go ahead and Hunter's Mark. I still haven't gone.

Hunter's Mark the Beast. Yay! Ooh! Good job. And is going to go ahead and take two shots with the light crossbow that she's got with disadvantage. Trigger. She's slow like a Macy's Day balloon.

It's with one. It's very appropriate right now. And misses with the second, but one of the shots does hit for... No, you did, you went. No. Oh, you Hellish Repute it. She rebuked. Okay, so Olly is after that.

She didn't just Hellish Repute. She Hellish Repute. Eight points of piercing damage plus two, so 10 with the Hunter's Marks. 10 points of damage to the Shade Mother. And Olly's going to go ahead and dart around this way. Oh yeah, there's still those two other things.

Back up against the bits there, and it's going to make a constitution saving throw. So you're just going to wake up and... Does not succeed. Olly is still poisoned. Finishing Olly's go, that brings us to Laudna. Oh god! Oh, finally! Yeah, Laudna! Okay, okay, okay, okay.

Do I do da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da? I am going to Hex first. Mm-hmm. Okay. Hex first. This miniature's looking like it went to Mardi Gras. What if she just wore them as little bracelets? Each one was just a bracelet on it.

She's got bangles. Yep. And then I'm going to Eldritch Blast. Go for it. So 16 hits, so no backups. Oh, wait, and these are disadvantage, right? These are, because you're poised. So definitely no.

What do I want to do? No. No 16. Neither of them? Oh. What? I remember those. Three No. No 16. Neither of them? Oh. What? I remember those. Three and four. I remember those. When do you get to save against poison?

At the end of your turn. Okay. Are you staying put or do you wish to play? Uh, no. I'll back into the corridor a little, I guess. Okay. Oh, now you haven't. You just went back into here. Yeah. At the end of your turn, make a constitution saving throw for Yeah, so you're going.

At the end of your turn, make a constitution saving throw for me, please. All right. Come down here and go back up over there. Did you say that's cocked? Yep. There's one corner just sitting up off leaning on the other one. What is it?

Go for it. Don't worry, it probably won't be good. It's not. Oh, it's better! Oh, is it? It's good, it's an 18! Oh. I did it, you guys be good. It's not. Oh, it's better! Oh, is it? It's good, it's an 18! Oh. I did it, you guys. I rolled above a 10. 20 total. 20 total.

You resist the poison. Doing all right. Yeah. Doing all right. Fuck, I'm good. Okay. Finishing Laudna's go, does now the rest of the shade creepers go. They are going to come forth this way and jump down to try and attack Imogen.

This one's going to rush over to attempt to attack. Here, actually, I'll jump onto this box to try and get into range to attack you, Chetney. Because of the daylight, they have a disadvantage on all attacks. So against you, Imogen, that's still going to be a 20 to hit you. Well, there you go. And for you, Chetney that's still going to be a 20 to hit you. Well, there you go.

And for you, Chetney, that's going to be a 16? Misses. Misses. Okay. So for you, Imogen, you take five points of piercing damage. Shield. I don't have shield. Whoa! Five points of piercing damage. Shield. Ooh. I don't have shield. Whoa!

Five points of piercing damage and six points of necrotic. DM, I have a question. Ye. Would I have rolled to save against poison at the end of my turn and then reroll with poison when she sharted on us? Because I didn't roll for the shart, I just went,

I'm already poisoned in my head. For the stinger? Yes, actually, so go ahead and roll for the shard, I just went, I'm already poisoned in my head. For the stinger? Yes, actually, so go ahead and roll for me. Okay. With advantage. So natural 20 for the end of my turn, so I'm unpoisoned, and then this is for when she sharded. Yes. 14 plus constitution?

Yes. 16. 16, yeah, That would be enough. So I'm not poisoned. So you're not poisoned. Nice orb. Nice! But I still took that half damage for the shards, just to create poison. Correct.

Thank you. All righty. So finishing that go with both of those shade creepers, that brings us to Fresh Cut Grass. I got no shadeepers near me. Where's the Shade Creepers? There's one over here that you can see. It's next to Imogen.

Do you have any? We're trying to just get out of here with Emoth, right? Because nobody else has done anything yet. She's nasty and there's other things everywhere. She's going to melt. Yeah. And currently half of us can't hit her right now anyway because she's stoned. Boy, I don't know what to do.

I don't know who to attack. I can't kill her. Dispel magic, it only works on one object at a time, right? If the object can be dispelled, yes. It's only one object at a time. So I would only get one of her brooms. Maybe you should just heal people. Heal somebody and get ready to roll.

If it can be dispelled. Because they're taking some hits. Heal. Mm-hmm. I heal, I heal. All right, I'm near Orym, right? You are, you are about 10, 15 feet from Orym. All right. I will go up feet from Orym. All right. I will go up and touch Orym gently.

Ooh. All right. Touch me. Just like that. And cast Cure Wounds on him. All righty. At first level. Ooh, giving him a whopping four points of healing. Fjord!

Thank you, thank you. I rolled a one. I think that's my, I'll keep moving towards that machine to see if I can check it out or see anything more about it. Okay, about there-ish. Well, yeah.

Is that the ori over there? Ori's over here. Oh, damn it. On route, did I happen to see that big amber blob up there? You can just faintly see it. Actually, from where you came through, no, you cannot see it yet. Okay. None of us can see that damn thing.

Maybe. I have no bonus actions I can use. Oh yeah, okay. Laura and I can see it, yeah. That's it. I'll bonus. Oh yeah, okay. Laura and I can, too. That's it. I'll bonus action and say, what do we do? Chetney, anyone?

That's it. All righty. End of your turn. Just going to use a legendary action for Mother's Call. Mother's Call. I hate that. Getting a call from Mom. I know, it's rough.

Inopportune time. You are poisoned, so I need you to go ahead. You feel that poison course through you, and suddenly it seems to move you outside of your own will. I need you to make an attack roll against Orym. Oh! Without disadvantage. If you're poisoned,

she can control you. Ooh, that's cool. Wait, I thought you said you couldn't be poisoned? I can't be diseased, but I'm resistant to poison. Resist. All right, my servos start working in ways that I spin around. Oh, I rolled real bad.

Eight to hit. What are you doing? I don't know! Get a hold of yourself. I need NordVPN! Yeah! Oh no. All right, does that finish your turn?

Yeah. Okay. With that, now the husks are going to move. The husks. The husks. Hello, husk. Moves forward towards Fresh Cut Grass, and this one just turns around to you, Ashton. Oh, good, right now, I'm just going to, that husk should make a constitution saving throw.

It will. Oh! That is a child. And it fails. Okay, so that's a, has a little bit of fuzz phase as it speeds up, slows down, and now it has no reaction until its next turn. Good to know. Very little movement. It's going to go ahead and make two swipes at you

with disadvantage because it's in daylight. That's going to be a 12. And then the other one is going to be a nine. This daylight is fucking them up. Another one's going to come against you, Fresh Cut Grass, two swipes. That's going to be a 13. Miss!

And an eight. Fearne, MVP, Fearne! Fearne! Both coming to swipe and strike, but as they're doing, they're trying to keep their face away and their eyes pointed away from the bright sunlight that's shining down from the center of the chamber, and they're just whiffing hard. Finishing their go, back at the top of the round.

Ashton, you're up. Okay. All right. I can see the ball from here, right? Yes, if you glance over, you can, yes. Um. You heard the howl. I heard the howl. Imogen, you're fine over here.

I'm going to leave this guy alone. I'll be right back. Oh god. I'm going to gently walk away from that creature. Okay, it does not get a reaction? No, it does not. Gently walk. Okay. I'm heading towards the ball. 40 feet to the, how close to the ball can I get?

Unfortunately, the two spaces that are adjacent to it on this side are taken up by Chetney and the shade creeper right there. Yep. Oh. So I'm going to have to 5, 10, 15, 20, 30. You can try and with 40 feet get up there, but I'm going to ask for an athletics check to see if you can make the leap.

Uh, sure. You could locate that space. I could, actually. there, but I'm going to ask for an athletics check to see if he can make the leap. Sure. You could locate that space. I could, actually. But we'll get flamed in later. No, I'm going to punch the shade creature. I'm going to hit it with the, I'm going to try and, I'm going to give it a swipe to see if I can knack it off its mighty perch.

Go for it. Oh, wow, fuck. That was an 11 to hit? 11 misses. Yeah, how about that? Big ear second attack. That was embarrassing. That was slightly less embarrassing at a 17. That does hit. Go ahead and roll damage.

Oh god, what the hell? 13, is that 13 points of damage? I'm double checking. I'm so sorry, having a little moment. Do I add the plus two? Is that plus two rage all the way? You added the plus two rage to the damage, right? For the raging ball? It should say rage next to the weapon, yeah.

Okay, so that's fucking terrible. 13 points of damage. 13 points of damage is enough. That is the hit point to the creature. As you smash it against the stone, it burns up into a flash pyre, at which point I need both you and Chetney to make a dexterity saving throw, please.

Okay. 14. No damage. 14. No damage. Six. Two points of fire damage to you. But the space is now open and easy enough for you to leap up if you'd like to. I would like to leap up and I'm going to stay there for now.

Okay. You look like shit. All right, finishing Ashton's go. Imogen, you're up. All right. Fearne on deck's go. Imogen, you're up. All right. Fernandez. Sorry I left you with the creepy guy. No, it's fine. Is he within 10 feet of me?

Who, the? The husk? The husk is within 10 feet of you, yes. Okay, then I'm going to look at both of them and I'm going to put my hands together and then slam one of my hands down onto the ground and cast Shock Flare at second level. Okay. What's the save on that?

That is not, wait, let's see. It's not this. It's a big hit, maybe nine. It's a strength saving throw. Strength saving throw. We're top 10. We are shocked. With the penalty, it's going to be 12.

Yes, so that's on both of them because it hits anything within 10 feet of me. Okay, that's right. So the other one, yeah, really fails the seven. All right, great. Then they take 3d8 lightning, no, 3d6 lightning damage. All righty. Awesome.

Let's do it. Come on, come on. All sixes. Not bad. 15 points of lightning damage. Hell yes. 15 points of lightning damage. Hell yes. 15 points of lightning damage. That one next to you explodes into dust and then flames erupt from its detonation. Each make a dexterity saving throw.

The husk does take 15. It looks heavily injured from the impact. That is a 17. 17, you take no tire damage. You dodge just out of the way. The husk, you watch as it gets blasted. It reaches back, and if the table weren't there, it may have snapped in half, but the table catches it

as it smacks into it, and then it readjusts itself, and you can see parts of it are starting to fall apart. It's like a scarecrow that was once a person. Great, I'm going to use my movement and head over to the Ori. Okay. That's a five. You got it. I'm going to use my movement and head over to the Ori. Okay. That's clever. You got ahead and thought of that.

Okay, that finishes Imogen's go. It's now the top of the layer action turn. Or you still have anything else to do? Is your action your movement? Yeah, for my bonus action, can I try to pull the orb away from that wall with my telekinetic shove?

Towards you? Pull it, yeah. This way, this way, this way? Where are you pushing it, pulling it? What would help you guys? Towards me? Yeah, I'm going to try to pull it towards me. Okay, pulling it towards you will pull it towards Chetney. Unless you want to do an angle. Yeah, I'll do an angle then,

just to get it away from the wall for them. Okay. Yeah, I'd say go angle then, just to get it away from the wall for them. Okay. Yeah, I'd say go ahead and roll a d20 and add your charisma modifier. Okay. It still has some weight to it, but. 22.

Without issue. Nice. So both Chetney and Ashton have to lean out of the way as suddenly, with immediate force, the sphere rolls past and crashes into that crate, cracking it, and is now on the ground. In it, you can see Lady Emoth, jaws stretched, claws bared,

just silently scratching and screaming from the inside of the orb. It should only have moved five feet. That's as much as I've got. I know. I don't know if it It moved five feet, but then it rolled off. Oh shit, it can roll! Yes, yes. All right, cool. It is a sphere.

So that thing's pretty tough, then. That sphere is going to be very hard to break. Likely. Yeah, okay. Cool, cool. All right, that finishes your go. Layer action is up. Oh no. Okay, looks like two more shape creepers begin to emerge from the tunnels here.

Are we going to try and get out the way we came? Is there another way to go? Get out the way. Get out the way. Booze, bitch. All right. Two more shape creepers on the battlefield. It is now Lady Emoth's turn. She just keeps scratching at the inside of the sphere. She can't do anything.

Gus's go. Let's go, Gus. Gus is going to hold on to one of those slots. He's going to duck around past you, Laudna, and he's going to cast Mind Whip up at... Hey! Mind bullets. Oh.

That's telekinesis, Kyle. How about the power? All right, so as to make intelligence saving throw. Actually succeeds the intelligence saving throw with a natural 19. Hey! No, it's a bad thing. No, wait, yeah, no.

That's, oh. No! I was trying to get my roll back. We appreciate that. So that would be 12 points of psychic damage, reduced to six. All right. So that's it on Gus's go. Then Gus is going to go ahead

and use the rest of his movement to step over here and is now surveying the space and looking over and glances past and sees the orb and goes, Oh, perfect, perfect. Bring it over here, bring it over here. And starts looking up at the Shade past and sees the orb and goes, Oh, perfect, perfect, bring it over here, bring it over here, and starts looking up at the Shade Mother and hearing the screeches as the bright light is still splashing into her eyes

and the high-pitched whine and growl combination is just beginning to get louder and angrier. That finishes Gus's go. Chetney, you're up with Orym on deck. Right. I got past. Oh, that's all right, no, you are. Actually, yeah, you get past, you're right, I'm sorry. Okay, that's okay. You're up, you're up.

All right, so I'm going to peek around the corner and I believe I can see the orb from here. As you peek around the corner? If you get around over here, you can. Yes. I am going to use my Stonky Ring. Okay. Stonky Ring. I can carry up to 1,000 pounds.

So I'm going to try to the globe over to me. Okay. So you carry it. How far can it move? What can it do? It can move up to 30 feet in any direction.

Okay. So you go ahead and hold onto the ring, feel the extension of its power outward, and almost like invisible fingers wrapping around it, you pull back, and as you do, the orb lurches forward, rolling. Comes to rest right about there. It would've gone a little further if it was flat terrain,

but it does hit and impact and breaks some of the nearby bits of mining equipment and storage crates that shatter and splinter under it. The orb rolls to a rest about 20 feet from where you're standing. You can see Lady Emoth just feral on the inside. Okay, okay, okay. Get back out the way. Yeah, get some cover.

Get out of that tunnel. Yeah, okay. So I'm going to tuck back out the way. Yeah, get some cover. Get out of that tunnel. Yeah, okay. So I'm going to tuck back around the corner. Out of range. Get just about there. How far is the orb from Mister? It's about 25 feet. Okay.

So here's the question. Yes? If Mister were to try to teleport the orb, but it has to be a willing creature. Exactly. Okay. You cannot force him to teleport with him. Then what we're going to do here is we're going to...

Mister's going to shoot a Flame Seed again. Go for it, roll for it, Mister. Yeah. At the Shade Mother? At the Shade Mother at one of the stones that was already starting to break. All right, that same stone, go for it. Okay. You need a new news card stone, go for it. Okay.

You need a new news card? Yeah. I feel like this map is crazy. Yeah, it's amazing. The little green pools of snot in the stairs are... The machine! I want to know what the machine is, too. No, what does the machine do? I feel like we need it, right?

He needs it. I'm in front of the Ori. 22. 22 hits, go ahead and roll damage. Okay. Oh, a die rolled a one. How big is the Ori? Okay. One of us want to go to the machine and push some shit.

I'm next to the machine. Are you talking about the Ori? This one. Yeah, I'm right next to it. Okay, are you going to? Well, I got a big fucker in front of me now. Four points of damage. I've got to deal with it. Four points of damage.

With that flame seed impacting you, watches that one piece of brumestone and the device that has it affixed to the front of the Shadebrother breaks, and that blue light goes out, and you watch the body have to adjust. Ooh, ooh! Good boy! Still flying.

Still flying, yeah. But definitely one of them has been destroyed. Since Mister hasn't taken a move, I want him to come a little closer to me. So he's out of her view. Like back here? Yeah, just on my shoulder. He took out the other one in the front,

then she'd be like, you mean like this, going forward? All righty, that finishes your go, Fearne. Like a dipper. Bring it back around now to Chetney with Orym on deck. Sorry about skipping you earlier. No, you're fine, you, yeah. All righty. That finishes your go, Fearne. Like a dipper. Bring it back around now to Chetney with Orym on deck. Sorry about skipping you earlier. No, you're fine, you're fine. Oh, I'd want to jump over

and start fucking with the machine, but I'm an idiot and that's a wasted turn. No, I mean. I mean, it is. We really should take advantage of this. So FCG's over there. I know, I don't want to leave. There's so much shit in here. I'm going to hop down behind the sphere.

Over here, behind the sphere? Yeah. And I'm going to hop down behind the sphere. Over here, behind the sphere? Yeah, and I'm going to try and shove it and push towards the cavern. Go ahead and make a strength check for me, if you don't mind. Which I believe you may have advantage of when you're in your wolven form. Oh, holy fuck.

Hybrid form. That's way better. Your wolven form. Yeah, an athletics check, I think. Yeah, it would be more of an athletics check, strength check, I'll allow it. Same difference in this instance. 16 points. 22.

You give a mighty shove and it rolls forward. Hey, we're seeing the rolls go. It's done. Does it look like it's going to fit through this cavern? Hard to tell. Okay, great. Fuck. A little pinball-y. Just a little shimmy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're probably just going to have to give it some shudders. Do you have any butter? Looks like it'll fit from here. You can coat it with butter. It looks like it'll fit. Just grease it down? Just grease it down. Yeah. Just looking before my turn is over with, let's call it my bonus action.

Sure. What does this look like? Does that represent a tunnel that's going up in one of those directions, or is that another entrance into this area, this cavern? From what you can see, these tunnels here are extensions of the mine. So these go into other portions of this underground mine

that's been abandoned. You do see smaller tunnels all throughout the upper parts of this chamber. Dozens and dozens of them that just go off into the rock, like a termite infestation. Hey, kids, I think it's probably going to have to go through here. No, I think we can get it. No, no, no, no, no, no.

We can do this. It looks like it'll fit. It looks like it'll fit from here. Can you destroy rock and stuff? I read that space. I don't know. You hit things and we'll see what happens. That's the 25 feet. I'm always happy to hit that thing.

Whatever I can use to get towards the, you know what? I'm just going to stay right where I am. It was 25 feet to get where you were. Yeah, that's right. That's my full movement, anyway. 25 only? 25 only. That's all I got. Really? Walking speed. Oh, because you're a? That's right, yeah. Because no.

That's right. Okay. Let me look. I grow in size. That's right, so I feel like your movement should increase when you're a wolf That's right, yeah. Because, no. That's right. Okay. Let me look, I grow in size. That's right, so I feel like your movement should increase when you're a wolf. I think it does eventually. It's the reverse knees, they get all. Perfect, all right. That finishes your go. It does.

Orym, you're up. Letters, let me help you out. I hook the... Actually, at the end of your turn. Uh-oh, lair action. Sorry. Rub, rub, rub, rub, rub. So you're going to use a legendary action. I'm just going to have you go ahead

and take another attack on Orym. Okay. All right. Since you are the... Actually, no, it's not. Because the other person that is poisoned is Olly. It's going to force Olly to go ahead and suddenly convulse, take the light crossbow

that she was getting ready to go ahead and fire at the Shade Mother, and then whip it around and aim it at you, Imogen. Fuck. That is going to be a 22 to hit. Yeah. So you... I'll just drop that.

Fuck this. You take... I can see you. That's a terrible roll. You take four points can see you. That's a terrible roll. You take four points of piercing damage and four points of psychic damage. Oddly, as the arrow from Olly hits you, there's almost a pulse of psychic energy from the blast. Not quite the psychic energy you're used to,

something that has an otherworldly nature that you've never felt before. Okay. It's weirdly familiar, hard to explain. But it hurts you. I'm going to look over my shoulder at Olly and be like, What the hell? Sorry, no, it's, she did this to me.

I just. All righty. Finishing that, now it is your turn, Olly. May I help you out? Hilt of the blade hooks around his little robo-knuck and pulls him back as I move forward with my shield, pressing it into the figure's face. I'm going to use Bait and Switch.

You got it. Raise my own armor class. Hell yeah. Okay, good. The old Bait and Switch. Just attack, attack on that thing. First is 23. That hits.

For 10 points of damage. Second slash is a one, which I'll reroll. And that is a 21. Yeah, that definitely hits. So that is an eight, and I will try to hack his head away. 18 points of damage will do it. As you roll past, you slice once into the chest

and then slash back over the blade. As you do, the head just kicks the ground. The body stands there for a second and takes one more step towards you before just collapsing onto the ground with a Poor little husk. Is there a straw in there? Well, I've used all my shit, so.

That's amazing. That's good shit. What do we do? What do we do? And then I'm going to step between FCG and the creeper I see in that archway. All right. Just to block its path. You got it right there. You turn and meet eyes with it. It's like.

Run, run, run, run, run. Okay. Finishing your go, Orym. It is now the Shade Mother's turn. First, we see if it gets its limits back. It does with a six. Cool. Not cool. It does, with a six. Hmm. Not cool. Not cool at all. It's going to drift downward.

No, it's going for the ball. Does she have any? You can see she takes two of the hands, the two lower set begin to almost grab towards the orb and you hear the voice in your mind going like, Mine, child! And is going to go ahead and do another Corrosive Nimbus. Spray that acidic liquid around.

Denarius spray. I need Fresh Cut Grass and Laudna, the only ones that are nearby Gus as well, to go ahead and make dexterity saving throws, please. Oh, 19. Oh, that's good, too. Good. I don't know if it's good enough.

No, I rolled a 15, so 17 total. 16 is not a step. So what'd you get? 17. 10 points of poison damage. But I'm not poisoned. But you are not poisoned. Yeah! Okay.

You succeed. 19. 10 points of poison damage. Reduced to five. Reduced to five. You are still poisoned from previous rounds. And then Gus succeeds as well. Don't mind control the junior lich, please. I know, exactly.

So, nope, nobody came out of that additionally poisoned, but some poison damage was taken. That's going to finish the Shade Mother's turn. Her reactions come back. All righty. That finishes that go, that brings us to Olly's go. Olly, who is in venom, is going to once again apologize,

like, sorry, sorry, and is going to go ahead and turn and fire two arrows towards the husk, immediately to the left. The first with disadvantage, because of poison, it's two and a one, misses the first strike angrily, loads in the second bolt. That's better, that does hit, actually,

even a disadvantage for... Oh yeah, it's already been damaged. So with that, the other husk falls to the ground, no longer moving, the bolt partially through the jaw and the back of the head. As it collapses, the other sound of distant shade creepers beginning to growl and shift in the nearby upper cavern openings.

That finishes all these go. Laudna, you're up. All right. I'm just going to get up to the amber bowl and be like, excuse me. I'm going to just reach around you and I'm going to go for that other brumestone that's up front.

Oh, you're going to attack? In the very front? Okay, go for it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, go. My strength is not good. I don't think I could be. All right, it's fine. You do you. I can't push a balloon. Yeah. All right, here we go.

She falls, and if that ball can't go through the tunnel, it's stuck there. Just to blow it up. She's still got two more. She can still float back. She can still float back. She's got three more after this. She's going to be able to fly. Okay, one. I don't know, I think it, 15?

15 misses, unfortunately. But I rolled a natural 15 on the other one for 22. That does hit. A little damage on the second one. And that is a d10 plus a d6. Plus a d6? My hex damage. Cool. I see it from here, and I...

Is it a one or a seven? That's a one. Oh, I thought it was a seven. You sure it's a seven? No, it's a one. It's definitely a one. Damn. I do three, what was it? It looks like a seven to me. I do six damage. I do six damage what was it? It looks like a seven to me. I do six damage.

I do six damage on that other person. You release it, one of them just strikes wide and gets absorbed by the blubber or the form. The other one hits the second front stone. You watch it crack slightly and dim, but it holds fast. All right. I'm going to use a sorcery point, my last one that I have, to quicken spell.

Okay. And do this shit again. Okay. Pop pop. Come on. What do we think is happening here? Is there blood? I think I'm cursed. Okay. One definitely misses.

I think this one hits, though, with a 16. 16 misses. What? Her armor class is different from the armor class of the specific stones. They're harder to hit because they're smaller. Oh. But they have a lot less hit points to be destroyed.

Oh! Okay. Sorry. I thought she was 16. Laudna's just starting to have some insecurities. No! You conquered death, you're doing great. Yeah. Just starting to have some insecurities. Oh! You conquered death, you're doing great. Yeah. Laudna needs some better days.

I go, uh-oh. And... And walk away. And I just back, I go to Fearne. Turn around. I just look at Fearne and I just go. The shoulders shrug as you walk by her. I don't know what to do.

I'll get it next time. Okay, as you move away, the tail stinger does have a 10-foot range. Damn. And so though you were five feet away from the orb in between, the tail and you watch as she walks towards you, shrugging. The tail sinks forth, however,

still within the radius of the daylight spell, has disadvantage on attacks. Two natural 20s. A natural 19 and a one. Yes! So looking at Fearne and I just shrug and then you just see. Hits the stone next to her head.

Ah! Not good. Holy shit. You're okay, you're okay, you're okay. I think so, I think it's just my ego. Oh, I'm so bad at this. Also, I'm a sadly ego. Oh no.

All right, it's now the Shade Creeper's turn. This one's going to go ahead and dart forward to Ory turn. This one's going to dart forward to Orym. This one's going to dart forward to Chetney. They have disadvantage on their strikes because of the Daylight spell. That's fucking them all up. All right, so attack against you, Orym. Eight. Okay.

Against you, Chetney. That is going to be a 12. Misses. They're just like, just lashing out in the air. You're just knocking them to the side. Fuck off, go! No issue. Something I keep forgetting for forever, and I don't think it makes a difference.

When I hit her with my measly six points of damage, she has to make a wisdom saving throw or she's afraid of me. That makes a difference. That was when you hit her before? I hit her before and I forgot it, but I hit her. Okay, she did fail, but I will use her Legendary Resistance

to go ahead and ignore it, which brings the timeline back to normal, because otherwise she couldn't have approached you. Correct. All right. Finishing actually their go, she's going to use the Legendary Action to go ahead and float back up. Does he disangle?

Does anybody get an attack of opportunity there? Gus? The only people that would get it would be Gus, who's going to swipe wide with his staff. Just. Hits! Hey! With a natural 19. Let's go, melee.

For, okay, okay. Huh? Nine points of bludgeoning damage. Oh god! Like that? Did she catch it? She fell, oh no. Did she break?

Oh no, did she break? You might want to bring him here. He's a little arm in the back, but I can fix it. More this way, more this way. She's going to go in there. Get rid of those fish tank rocks. There we go. Yeah, that's good.

I'm nervous for her and I hate her. I can fix it later. Oh no, her arm. I can fix it. Did we break an arm off her? Theoretically. Yes. As Gus swipes and breaks one of the arms off. Yeah! Power investigator mage.

But yeah, so anyway, finishing that go, it becomes two FCG. I don't know what to do! Big machine, big machine! Yeah, I know, I want to mess with it, but I don't want to be a bad cleric. Oh, right, that part. I'm going to go over to the machine.

What do I see? So move over to the machine. You have to push past. Excuse me, pardon me, just coming through. Shade Creeper is going to coast by on your wheel. Over to the front, and you can see this large contraption that has a strange wheel mechanism in the front and a large lever on it.

It looks to be some sort of an input funnel. And this seems mechanical. It does. Okay, not like, there's no wires or anything coming in or out of it. Anything high tech? Or is it mainly just hydraulic and mechanical? It looks more mechanical. Okay, okay.

I mean, I got to pull the lever, right? You got to pull the lever. I wouldn't do that. Well, just fine. Yeah, go ahead. I'll reach to pull the lever, realize it's my saw blade hand, and go with the other one.

And yank it. You hear this sound, and that little funnel device, suddenly this black smoke begins to emit from it. Similar to the smoke you see at various exhaustion points across the Smolder Spire. As it does, you see it getting a shift of life. What you didn't see on the other opposite side of this machine is part of it was embedded in this pillar.

As a massive auger begins to spin, digging and drilling into the central pillar. As it does, the log pillar in the center collapses and tumbles over this way. She's flying. She's flying, but on the other side. Oh no. Oh no no no no. Oh no no no no.

Is he going to block us in? Who is there? Who's over there? Oh no. Rock on rock. Oh shit! I'm going to need Chetney to go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw. Oh shit! Oh no! Come on, Chet!

Oh no! Okay. I'm good, I'm happy. That was amazing, and hopefully fine. 14. Oh no! As it tumbles over and the machine begins to just grind into it, it's just pushing into it,

trying to drill forward. Chetney, you've won. You take... Oh my god. Oh god. That would be 18 points of bludgeoning damage. Oh no! Which you take half of because of your

non-magical, yeah. That wolf hide, baby. Yep, but you are currently restrained beneath a bunch of rock and stone. Didn't kill any of the bad guys. Oh yeah, the other shade creeper is done and this area here is just bolted rubble, which closes you in on that end.

Yeah. Okay. Do you want to go over there? I'm just right next to it, yeah. You hear the heavy grinding sound, the machine coming to life, and then the cracking and loud thunderous noise and boom as rocks begin to fall

and tumble, this area is filled with dust around. For a second, it feels like the whole world ended as it settles for a moment, and you hear the the machine grinding. It looks like it's getting stuck again. It's starting to wind down. Jalopy Bat is my favorite.

Your path there is closed. I'll turn to the Shade Creeper and say, what did you do? Chubby boy style? You got it. Make a constitution saving throw. Oh, constitution saving. Oh, for the poison.

Natural 20. Yeah, no longer poison. All right. There we go. I think I still have a bonus action. You do, yes. With which I will, I can't really, I don't see Laudna or anyone else who needs healing other than Orym, so I will just heal Orym again, I think.

Okay. With a bonus action healing word. What words? I will say, remember, Orym, you can't spell pandemonium without panda. It's very cute, that's all. It's just a very cute one. It's a one, that's all. It's just a very cute one. It's a one again, plus three.

Another four points of damage. There you go. It's all helping out. A little bit. I'll shift you right there. All right. That finishes your go, Fish Cut Grass. Ashton, you're up. Well. You sat there, knocked the ball away,

watched it get pulled over, and then this entire pillar just onto one of your friends. Shit. Is there anything for me to hit anywhere around here? There is a shade creeper right over the way that's currently harrying both Orym and Fresh Cut Grass. You got that or you need help?

I'm fine, I'm fine. All right. I'm going to go running down there. Okay, so you leap. Oh! Snap, it's dangerous. I know, I can snap it. I did, but I can fix it real fast. Oh!

I know, it's just taking everybody out. It keeps busting. That's okay. What happened? I don't even want to know. Your minions fell off. You're good. Oh, that's cool. Busting, busting. That's what makes me feel good.

I'm going to grab that fucking shade creature and toss them to my left. I'm just going to. Okay, make a strength check, if you don't mind. I do not have advantage on that, do I? I'll say there's a lot of athletics. Yeah, as long as you're raging, you have. Oh. Are you raging?

I am raging. Advantage on strength and, Oh, I see. All right, I make my weird orange-red shade way over there. That's strength. Oh yeah, I do, because it's, yeah. That's an 18. Yeah, without issue.

You push it back about five feet towards the wall. Then I take a golf swing and I'm going to see how high I can hit it up. I'm going to move. You move into hit it up. I'm going to move. You move into that space where it moved and then swing upward, swing away. Swing away. And that's, come on.

Every campaign. That's not bad. That's 15. If that hits, go ahead and roll damage. All right. Hey! Holy shit! That's a lot. Double six. Yeah, it's done. Yeah. It splatters upward. The spray comes across your face Holy shit! That's a lot. Double six. Yeah, it's done.

It splatters upward. The spray comes across your face and immediately ignites. Make it hurt, make it hurt. Make a dexterity saving throw for me, please. I have advantage on those. You do. That's a nat 20. Yep, no damage, you're fine.

You embrace the burn. I turn back around and I'm like, we're getting the fuck out of here, right? Maybe. Get the fuck out of here. I'm heading now towards... You have 15 more feet of movement. Yeah, I'm going to head towards, yeah, that way. Okay. Yep.

I'm done. That's everything I got. That finishes your go. Yep. Bring us to Imogen. Imogen is up. Yeah. Imogen. Can I try to get the crystal out of this thingy? The purple crystal? Yeah, if you'd like to. So you get down and you can see it.

It looks almost like an hourglass. There's two halves of this with thin pillars that hold the two parts together in the center. These twisted, metallic, almost spider-leg fingers twist and grasp this gem in the center. You go ahead and grab and pull for it. Are you just going to try and physically rip it out? I want to try to physically rip it out,

but also use my Telekinesis to try to pull at the same time to give myself as much power as possible. Roll a d20 and add your charisma modifier for me, if you don't mind. Jeez, A-price. Oh me, if you don't mind. Jeez. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice. 26. 26 will do it.

As you pull on it, it is wedged in there and you focus and focus and you extend that part of your mind, that well of strength that you're still trying to understand. It's almost like two mystical hands reach over yours and with one giant shove, the metal wrenches free and as you do, it almost pulls you off of your feet,

the sheer momentum of it yanking out of the machine before you catch yourself and look in your hand and you see this purplish gem pulsing. It feels almost electric in your fingers, like your skin has a weird tingle as you clutch it. Cool. Okay. Nice work, Kirae. Cool. All right.

I'm going to try to get out of here. My path is blocked. There it is. Make an intelligence check for me. I'm right there. No, I'm not. Five. Continue your turn, please. Crystal!

Pretty! Purple, purple. Pretty, purple. God, I can't really see. It's all blocked, isn't it? Yeah. Okay. I am going to, can I see? I can't see anything, can I?

This is all blocked over here. You can try and climb over the rubble if you'd like to, or you can move around in this space. Can I? Okay. Ooh, ooh, ooh! Okay, can I climb up on top of the rubble? You can, you can. Go ahead and make an athletics check

to go ahead and climb above it. Is the machine still super loud, too? It's still pretty loud. It's grinding. Oh, no. What'd you roll? One. Oh, okay.

So you leap onto the side and start climbing upward, and as you get towards the very top, you grab one piece of rock that comes free. You're like, shit, you reach back and grab something else, that comes free. And then you just tumble back. Great, great. Landing prone on the ground here.

No, wait, wait, right as that's happening, I want to, as I'm falling, I'm going to misty step myself as I'm falling. Yes! Where are you misty stepping? In a bamf on the other side. Yes! Right as you climb to the front and you pull free, the first rock is loose,

the second rock isoses its grip, falling back in, you appear right next to the orb. Fucking shit! Yes! Fucking shit! That's a rush. Fuck! Come on, now. Hell yeah. Mr. Step. Shit! Gus is right there, he goes like,

Love it! Well done, well done. Thanks. All righty. Finishes your go, Imogen? Mm-hmm. All right. Yes. End righty. Finishes your go, Imogen? Mm-hmm. All right. Yes. End of your turn. What have we all been drinking?

Yeah. Just going to go ahead and do another... Another... Popcorn to go, like that. Yeah. It's actually going to go ahead and float down a bit. Oh no. Oh no. Just to about there, just hovering right over your crew,

about 10 feet, I will say. 10 feet. All right. You watch as she's not moving as quickly as she was before. That damaged stone from earlier seems to have slightly lessened her movement capabilities. All right, finishing that, that brings us to Fearne, you're up. Okay. Just checking something is on the...

Okay. I was just trying to see how long I could use the telekinesis, but I think it might be... The ring? Yeah. Stonkus! You can affect the same target round after round or choose a new one at any time. Round after round?

It's a little fuzzy. I'm going to look it up for you. Okay. This is a standard magical item, isn't it? Yeah, I don't know. Available in all manuals? Maybe. If not, I have something else. In this instance, I'm allowing the sword

to be considered an object because the creature is within it, but you're affecting the actual sphere. Yeah, it's not being worn or carried. It is actually combining something. Yeah, I'll say you can go ahead and attempt to move it if you'd like to. We're going to find out real quick. We'll find out real quick.

All right. Try to get it out of the way. You're trying to pull it through that wedged space? Yeah. Go ahead and roll a d20 and add your wisdom modifier. Wedged space. Okay, let's do it. I think you're going to roll high. That's not good.

Um... 12. 12. You tug with the ring and it rolls towards you and it hits, climbs a bit and gets wedged in the V formations where the stone erosion of parts of the cave gathers towards the base and it's just and is now stuck right there.

The ring doesn't try and pull, you try and pull, but there's just a lot of stone currently preventing it from moving forward. You can see parts of it cracking and shifting where it stands, but it's not going any further at the moment. Shit. Okay. It's not impossible, just hard.

Okay, okay, okay. It's while we can shove it in a little bit more. All right, so what I'll do now is... All right, Flame Seed for Mister. I don't, oh, I can see you now. All right, towards the mother? Towards mother, towards one of the stones that looks like it's breaking.

Okay, go for it. Okay. Should just wait until that happens. 17. 17, just, is it against her or one of the stones? It's one of the stones. Just misses. Okay. Points.

All right, that's my turn. It strikes and hits, but you watch as the flame seed just scatters off and burns off to the side. It's very damaging, though. It is. Very, very damaging. Okay, that's my turn. All right, finishing Fearne's go. Lady Emoth cannot go.

It is Gus's go. Yep. Gus is Gus's go. Gus is still feeling a little iffy about burning too many more spell slots here. He's going to firebolt that same stone that you're aiming for. Okay. Misses.

Damn it. Goes and releases it. As it arcs forward, it manages to just miss and then bounce off the blubber hide of the Shade Mother and then just bursts into flame and harmless across the stones nearby. As Gus does that, I go, Help me!

Oh shit, I didn't even! Then Gus is going to rush over here and is going to help to aid whoever wants to try and get you up under there. Didn't even see you get crushed in the focus in the shade, Mother. There's a lot going on. I got several things wedged in rock right here.

Indeed. Okay, finishing Gus's go, Chetney, you're up with Orym on deck. You are currently restrained. Can I try to push myself out from under this giant rock thing, or am I just fucking stuck? No, you can certainly try. I'll try.

All right, go ahead and make an athletics check with advantage. Wolf strength. 16 plus, 22? 22 is what you needed to do. Ooh! So as you angrily gather your feral, woven strength, you feel the lycanthropic energy in your body,

the curse harnessed. Your muscles flex, you growl, and you howl. And with this ear-piercing howl, you just pull yourself free from the heavy stone that's on your body. You kick your leg out, and then you're sore as a motherfucker, but you are free. Yes. Just a little

internal bleeding. Just a little bit. Nice. Thanks. You hear Gus is like, yeah. Yeah. Happy to help, buddy. By the way, what? We'll talk.

All right, all right, yeah, we'll definitely do that, okay. I'll use my 25 feet of movement, or did I use half of that getting up from after? Be half of that getting up. So I'll take 10 more feet to move towards the canal. All right, so you get just behind where Imogen is. Cool. You got it.

Okay. Just close enough to get fucked up by stupid spray. You got it. Orym, you're up. Can I ask a question? The drill that's going, there's a big wheel on the side. Is that spinning rapidly or not at all? It's still grinding, it's still moving. It looks like it's, when everything fell,

it wedged itself in, but there's nobody actively manning it, so it's still running off of its baseline drilling mechanism. So it's grinding it here, the auger shifting and. I guess my one question is, there's a big wheel on the side of that. Is that going vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom? Oh, on this over side here?

Yeah. I'll say that that's more of just the design of the mini that's there. There isn't a large wheel that's on the side. There is a wheel on the front of it near where the controls are that guides its direction. Next to the lower.

I'm going to try it anyway. I pull a rope out and go, I just bought this, and then I'm going to run. I'm going to spring up on the rock, and then spring up onto the drill, and then leap 10 feet in the air to get by her stinger, tie her up. I command the rope to tie her stinger.

Ooh! Okay. The rope wraps around. Let's see if she can possibly shake it. Nope, not with a natural three. Yeah? So as you leap in the air, the impact, you can see her glance over her shoulder, and as you toss the rope up and it attempts to wrap around,

the back of her tail begins to retract. You see the stinger trying to pull in, but the rope catches into its barbs and is affixed to it. Ooh! I land down on the drill and go, so sad about this, and I drop the end into the machinery. Oh!

Like a tire, right? Suddenly, the rope begins to be pulled by the internal gear's mechanisms rapidly, and you watch as she, not really noticing and caring, looks back towards the rest before and you watch her being yanked back towards you. Yeah! If I have any movement, I will dive to the side,

but I might not. I need you to make a dexterity saving throw. Oh my god. This is rapid. That is pretty good. That's a 17. 17, so you manage to dodge out of the way. You only take, from the impact,

two points of bludgeoning damage as you dive off to try and catch your friends on that side. Oh my. As part of this, because you rolled high enough, you do not fall prone at all. You catch yourself, it hurts your shins a little bit, but you watch as the tail is now pulled into the machine and she is currently screeching between the combination of sunlight

still blaring down upon her and the tail being pulled into the machinery. Oh wow. That is so cool. That is so cool! Well, I just bought the rope. It's worth every penny. It's worth it.

We can get you another one. Yeah, we'll, yeah. Mitten bomb. Amazing. Wow. Oh, so good. All righty. That's the end of my turn. That's your turn, Orym. That was so cool.

That was fucking awesome. It is her turn. Oh god. Oh, she has to make a constitution saving throw. Indeed. Because Ashton's right next to me. Yep. That is going to be a 13. I believe the DC is 13. Then yeah, she succeeds, unfortunately.

Shit piss. But good call. She does not get the Corrosive Nimbus power back. Yes! And she can't use her stinger. Wow. Right now, that stinger is wedged in there, and her movement, until she breaks free, is considered zero,

because she is currently tethered to the machine. You can see the gems flaring, and she's trying to pull away, but the tail is stuck in there, and she's not going anywhere. Oh my god. Oh my god. That is so cool. She is going to make a full round of claw attacks then,

since she can't use her stinger or her nimbus. So it's going to be four claw attacks to the person in melee range of her, which is you. Sets four strikes against you at disadvantage because of the Daylight spell. Fuck. Thank you, Daylight. Oh, a natural 20 and a four on that one. Wow. So 14.

14. Misses. 12. Misses. Natural one. Daylight, man. Damn, Laudna. Come on, come on, say it. It's... Not me. Say it.

19 and a two. Oh! It's like high roll, low roll, high roll, low roll, high roll, low roll. That fucking daylight is making up. So you watch as the long, clawed, rake-like fingers just go tearing towards you, and with every single slash,

the machine tugs back, and she goes towards you to try and reach for you, and it pulls back! Oh my god. You can see the smoke now emitting from it, and you can hear the sound of gears on flesh. She's in pain, but pushing through it, and with each attempt to strike towards you, the machine is just keeping her at bay.

Nothing lands. Oh my god. Oh my god. All righty. Never underestimate a machine. That's going to finish her turn. That's all she can do. That brings us to Olly's go. Olly is going to go ahead and move,

jumping over the edge here. All right, all right, this is great, we got to go! To your TFO. Is going to get over to the edge here and see that in the way and go like, you fucking serious? Olly, not super strong, is going to get over to the edge here and see that in the way and go like, you fucking serious? Olly, not super strong, is going to go ahead and take a couple of feet back

and then rush in with a shoulder to try and shove it. Come on. I'm trying to help on the other side. Yeah. Not high enough, unfortunately. Like. Okay, all right. Maybe it's the angle.

Olly's going to go ahead, and that's Olly's turn to attempt to do that. Is going to succeed and is no longer poisoned, which is good. Going to back up so the people can try? Yeah, Olly will go ahead and step off that edge there. All right, finishing Olly's go. Laudna, you're up.

Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Boo-boo-boo, boo-boo-boo! Ashton, what are you up to? I'm either going to hit the ball or I'm going to hit the slug. I'm kind of torn. Maybe I can help you decide.

I am going to, just accepting that I can't do shit with the ball and I can't do shit with the slug, I'm going to look over the ball to Ashton and I'm going to say, I'm going to say something cool. Yeah. And it comes out like, you know, make me look cool, is what I say. Oh boy.

You're struggling. Having a crisis. This is Marisha's final form. Yep. And I once again take the caramel shit and black ooze and I'm going to flick it over the top. It glides over the amber ball, and I'm going to coat your glass hammer with Chill Touch.

I'm going to enhance him with Chill Touch. All right, so the edge of the hammer, for whatever you're going for, this may enhance your next strike, so that your hammer begins to frost over, and you see elements of the warm moisture in the air that this chamber seems to hold begin to crystallize into a dark ice.

Count on him to push the ball through. All righty. Well, he can. He can hit it with the hammer. Push, still can do it. All right, that finish your turn? There's not shit that I can do. I back up and I make way. Also, is that Jolly Rancher a cork right now?

You make way or you make this completely? I'm making my way! I don't know. I think you could see over the ball because she just was able to do that. So yeah, you can see around it a little bit. Okay, that finishes Laudna's go. As you can see through the orb.

The Shake Grouper was destroyed by you. Yep. The one over there was crushed. There's no Shake Coopers currently on the map, though there are sounds of more of them coming. FCG. Ashton, are you going to push the ball? Probably going to try.

I'm hoping that unless that thing comes down, I'm going to figure the fuck out. Okay. I will use, I'll just guide you then. I'm just going to use my action for guidance. Okay. D4 your next ability check. Oh, didn't I hit something last turn?

Does that drop? Yeah, you destroyed a shaker. Oh, D4 to last ability check. Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I heard rage. Never mind. No, no, sorry. Carry on. I don't know if it was. You're good. All right. I didn't use it.

I should have. I think that's all. I'll get closer to the ball. Well, shoot, do we all want to be bunched up? Yeah, we want to leave. Yeah, I'll get close to the ball. Well, shoot, do we all want to be bunched up? Yeah, we want to leave. Yeah, I'll get close to the ball. Okay. And without blocking it,

so I still want other people to be able to get to it. And I guess I have a bonus action, but I don't want to use my last healing word yet until someone dies. Yeah, that might be a... Yeah. Not a bad idea. So I'll just, that's it. Okay, finishing your go.

Back to the top of the round. Ashton. So. Actually, at the end of its turn, it's going to go ahead and use a Legendary Action to make another claw strike against you, since you're nearby. Disadvantage? That, with disadvantage, is going to be a 20. That does hit. All right, since you're nearby. Disadvantage? That, with disadvantage, is going to be a 20.

That does hit. All right, so you take nine points of slashing damage, reduced to four. Nice. Plus seven points of necrotic damage. Ooh. Yeah, those claws suck. Damn, I'm glad those four strikes missed earlier. Holy shit. Yeah.

Yeah? Yeah. All right, action. So if I took a run at that ball, and would I get a bonus if I hit it with my hammer as opposed to just running, trying to sideswipe it, if I just try to bat it down really fucking hard? You get the bonus in the fact that you would have

the same advantage that you would have while raging. All right. But narratively, sure. Okay, that'll do. As you go rushing forward, you wind it up in one arm, getting ready for the giant slam. The ice crystallized on the outside of it. This is an athletics check, then, or? This would be an athletics check.

Actually, no, for this in particular, I would say this is a strength check, because you are just doing one single impact with your hammer. What would athletics check be out of curiosity? It'd be shoulder, if you want to. They're both ability checks, it's up to you. Yeah, it's just athletics on the little.

Let's go with that ball. Yeah. The DCs are different for each. Oh, then in that case, fuck it, hammer. Okay. Because of the chill touch on there, I'll say go ahead and add an additional d4 to his strike. And one more d4 from Guidance. So you add a d4 from Guidance,

you go ahead and roll a d4. This is an ability check. Oh, I roll a d4. You roll it to add to his ability check. Okay, so strength check, here we go. Fucking tits. What the fucking bullshit is this? Thank god, that could have been bad. What are you adding to me?

One. 18. 22. 22. Ooh! Crack, with a splash of shattering ice, you watch it dislodge and go rolling through. I need you to make a dexterity saving throw.

Yeah, you do. That's all right, Indiana Jones. Natural 20. Yay! You full-on leap in the air and kick off of it with your satyr hooves and as it rolls underneath. Is she having? I'm good.

Yeah. You just ride it out. Come on, guys! You're rushing it through. Let's go! As you're just kicking it along and actually maintaining the momentum, you actually got a good rolling momentum, too, where you can keep it going. With a natural 20, fuck yeah, you can do that. I actually got a good rolling momentum to it where you can keep it going.

With a natural 20, fuck yeah, you can do that. I'm going to keep it going, I'm going to keep it going. Come on, come on, come on! Off to the side. Indiana Jones, run away from it for a second before dodging off to the side as it rolls past with Fearne on top. You're having to stay a little low,

but the rest of you watch as it is now dislodged and rushing off as many other shape creepers are starting to emerge from above and gather down the sides of the walls. Oh god, it's all for you. It's our cue. I'm going to do a little go, go, go. I'm going last, go!

Violently. Is that Devil's Advocate or something else? Actually, I'll pull all the way, at least back to the crates. To here? Yeah. I want to make sure that everyone gets out since I can take some damage. Okay, you got it.

All right, finishing your action, Imogen, you're up. Okay, I'm going to step into the entrance of the tunnel and turn around before I leave. All right. I'm going to get in a good spot so that I can do this. Directly in front of her. Right before I turn and run, I'm going to lift my hands up, focus all my energy,

my hair flares up, my eyes flash white. I'm going to shoot my hand out and cast Lightning Bolt directly up at her and hopefully at the thing at the wall behind her, too, because it's 100 feet straight. Thing at the wall. Oh, that'll do it. Oh yeah, the big, detached body. 100 feet straight there. Yeah.

So as you release it, it arcs out, slams into the torso area of the body. Let's see if she makes the dexterity saving throw. Does succeed, so only takes half damage, but still. I know, even if she's stuck. Is the machine jiggling her around? You know what? I'll stay because of that. I'll give her disadvantage, yeah.

Nice. That fails. Yes! This is your last legendary resistance. Too resistive. That's okay, that's okay. It's fine, it's fine. But it hits and strikes off the side,

and then it impacts the large sheet of partially incinerated from the earlier fireball cocoon mass, and you can arc it across, burning through it like an arc bolt. Go ahead and roll damage. Like a ghostbuster. Nice. So many dice.

Full-on proton cannon. 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 25 points of lightning. Big numbers, that's a level five. Don't push that image there. Great, so as the bolt, you release, you pull your hands back as energy's released and you can see the large carved black mark

you've left on the distant wall, the bright sunlight still spinning in the chamber above from the orb that Fearne had summoned. The creature, the Shade Mother, is still screeching and angrily trying to pull away from the machine and failing to do so, but who knows for how long until then. Yep. What do you want to do?

I'm going to turn around. Fuck it, I'm just going to take, use my telekinetic shove and pull FCG five feet towards me just to give him a little bit of extra distance on his run. Then I'm going to take off running down the hallway. You can get about there with the rest of that. You got it? All right. Damn. Duh.

My wheel is acting up now, too. Before it was my blade, and now this. I got to go to check up. Sorry, we have to get you some all-terrain. For next time, Stonky's is a concentration, so I'll probably roll next time for concentration. Oh, for the damage you take. Good to know. Yeah.

Were you taking a lot of damage on the Stonky's? No. Just so you remember. I don't think you took any damage when you took it. Oh, lair action. Fuck. Lair action. Uh-oh. Buddies. Two more shade creepers

are beginning to pour out from each round. Finish Neko for a knee rub. It's like the show to the party, like everyone's already left. Oh, okay. Hey, I brought tequila. BYO. All right, so... Let's go.

I will, since we're going... Fuck this game, let's go get Margaery. I'm going to shoot out an ice knife at her. Oh! Okay. Let's go ahead and roll for an attack. Okay. Remembering from, as we've learned since, she takes damage even if her miss.

Okay. The magic of colored lights. Nice fall. 23. That definitely hits. Go ahead and roll full damage. We've got, and I'm doing that at level three, so. Is that a level? 1d10.

That's right. That's a 12. Yes, yes. She can't even figure out what her level is. Hey, shush! Hey, shush! Yeah! Okay, I got an eight. Yeah! And then...

One, two. Oh my god. Teeny, teeny, little teeny-tiny. Are those dice so small you can barely pick them up? Yeah. Yeah. She rolled them into the quantum dimension. What? That's like salt kernels.

Uh-huh, it's full salt, eh? Yeah, it's just a tax salt. Do you know there's actually billions of dice? I actually. So 20 points total. Damn! That's so nice. There's actually billions of dice that size at the beach. That's true.

I'll go digging for them forever. See if these interest you, actually. Ooh! Ooh! You can have these if you occasionally use them when you're feeling tired. Look how clear those numbers are. Did you give away all the dice that you bought?

Yeah. They did. Oh my god. That's what they were for. Are they little sunflowers in here? Oh my god. Okay, sorry. So as you throw the ice knife around the way, you watch as it pierces and bursts,

leaving this large wave of ice crystals, jagged shards of frozen moisture now emerging from the wound and stuck in the side. She's like, begins to take the arms and break them away, and you can see it's almost like a large wedged, like a blade has been jammed a few feet into the bottom of where the waste itself meets

with the rest of the weird bulbous torso. Yeah, chill out. Okay. So still on the ball. I like that you did that while you were. Yep. No, no, no, no, no. Okay, so with Mister, who's, is FCG within 15 feet?

Is anybody within 15 feet? No, no, no. At this point, if you're moving with the orb that way, you're going to be way back this way by the next part of your turn. Okay. Here. And I have Mister with me. Because it's funny. Okay.

Oh. Yes. We're doing this. How tall is the roof in there, out of curiosity? It's only about 16 or 17 feet. Okay. So you're having to stay low as you're moving through. At some points, it gets a little lower and you have to crouch. Think about

the quad workout you're getting right now. Oh, I know what you're saying. Wait, but with her legs, are they quads or like? They don't bend. They bend backwards. I think her knees bend backwards, don't they? Don't they bend just right? They're on knees forward, and you don't have high animal legs.

I don't. There's two sets of knees? Yeah, she's got a thing like this, and then like this. Listen, Mr. Wooden Duck Feet. Yeah. Okay, well. That was our human feet work.

I think I... Mr. can shoot a flame seed 60 feet, so I think. He can fire a flame seed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. Shoot another. I'll say from his angle, he will have, there is a higher AC, so just go ahead and roll. Is he going towards her or one of the stones? It doesn't. It doesn't.

Okay, fine. Yeah, we're good. Okay, I'm done. End of Fernstone is going to use another legendary action to strike again at you. Yeah. No, Chet. That's for a 15.

Misses! Misses, yeah, we disadvantage. I have to keep asking because I don't want anyone to die. Okay. I've been looking at animals back there. Gus is going to go ahead and run. 30, 35, and Gus is going to go ahead and join the rest of you out of there. Gus is like,

All right, we're moving! We're moving! Their heads keep wagging. At the end of that turn, you're going to use the last legendary action to strike again angrily at you. It is just mad flailing at this point. Mad flailing!

That is going to be a 20 to hit. It does hit. Oh god. Mad flailing, yo. Okay. Yeah, all right, all right. So with that, you take seven points of slashing, reduced to three, and eight points of necrotic. Woo!

Crazy. I imagine Chetney like a Popeye werewolf, just like ropey. Chetney, you're up with the one on deck. Yeah, I'm just booking ass. Booking that ass. So you rush past. I'll dash as well, so 50 total out.

She does get a reaction to strike you one more time as you rush out of her melee range. Dash 19 and a 20, but because of disadvantage, it's only 19, so it's 29 to hit. That's my AC. 29 to hit, yeah. Yeah, the other one. Not that great.

That's four points of slashing damage, reduced to two. Two. And 10 points of necrotic. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Wow. Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! FCG? Oh! Ow! I can take half of that. I'll take half of that.

I will go, I will go. Yeah, okay, half of it. Okay, so that went 12 points, so you take six total. Great. And you save six temporary hit points. You got it. All right. If you take me, then I take half of that.

No, sorry. In a full rush, you charge after the rest of them. If you're just dashing from that point, you are. Full 50 from where I was. I can be pacing. Off the map with the rest of the folks there. Run along the wall. Mm-hmm.

Orym. Orym? When I see her go to town on Chetney and use that distraction. Before I go, I turn back and go, magic rope, so cool, and then I bolt. After 10 or 15 feet of movement, I'll use movement and action to go. I will just start ricocheting off the walls

as I jump over Ashton's head and just go out. Bing, bing. You got it. You are joining the rest of the troop down the hallway following the rolling ball. Finishing Orym's go, she's going to attempt to break free from the machine. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Sure, of course. Somebody's there. No, that's a really bad roll. Yeah. It's trying to pull free from this machine. The machine, you hear the grinding is getting slower. It's like. You can see it's the end.

Is it pulling your tail in? A little bit, yeah. It's also just gunking up the insides. With the caramel ichor? Yeah, sure. You don't know, you're too far ahead. It's what you're called to do. I know.

3D printer. Olly's going to go ahead and follow suit. I know when to follow suit. Dash past that. Laudna, you're up. Oh, you moved up there. You're still following suit with everybody else? I'm still following suit.

Can I look around? Do I hear any shade creepers coming in from the direction we're heading? Do a perception check. All right. Thank you. Great. I quit. No. Do a perception check. All right. Thank you. Great. I quit. No. I quit the show. No, no.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'll take this one off your tray. You don't need that one. Stop rolling the bad ones. I'm rolling that one. Let me see. It's just you. It's just you. What did you just roll? What did you just?

Maybe, have you thought about propping up, maybe putting a little shim underneath the dice? A shim? What do you think a shim, what? Six of them. What? Like one of Shing's shims. A shim. Yeah, I'll just prep a shim.

Yeah. I haven't rolled a two. Yeah, you rolled a one. I rolled a one. I don't see anything. I don't see anything. Nope. Coast is clear! Fuck. All right. Can I still see her behind me through the door?

From how far ahead you've gone? Not really. My spell sniper shed? The spell sniper, maybe. Do you want to make a shot? You range on your Eldritch Blast? Yeah, you have a spell sniper, you wouldn't even have to deal with the bonus to AC

for her 3 1⁄4 cover, so. Okay, so I like, I line my shot up and I just, like, the precision of one of Vex's arrows. Towards her or towards one of the stones? Towards her. Okay. I just want to do something. No, 15 total. 15 misses. No!

But you get two Eldritch Blasts. Oh, it's right in the middle. Come on, come on. Okay! 21? That hits! Yay! Thank you.

Thank you. I needed this. Okay. Okay. She's still hexed, right? Yep. Yeah! Ooh! Five, so then eight plus four is 12 damage.

How do you want to do this? How do you dirty your down? I want to run. That's how I want to do this. I want to fucking run. You do get one hit. Good job. Not even going to describe it more than that,

because it's funny. Did you see that, Pâté? Even Pâté's disappointed. Yeah, Pâté's like, You stopped shooting from him. Maybe that's what it was. I did. He's really my focus. They begin to rush over and giving up on you at the moment,

they begin coming up with a machine and try and pry their mother free. He's up there, he's fine. You get the feel of it. All right, that brings us to FCG. I'm going to just wheel out of there as fast as I can. Yeah, you are. Roll out. Anybody else? Ashton, same? Yep as I can. Yeah, you are. Roll out. Anybody else?

Ashton, same? Yep, I'm just going to peace out. Lick salt, fucker! And we're out. Bull's eye. Lick salt? All right. Ooh, slug?

What? Oh my god! Oh my god, but she's a slug! That's really, really... That's so good! I don't feel like I deserve that, but thank you! That's really, really? That's so good! I don't feel like I deserve that, but thank you. Charging full speed, headfirst into the darkness back from whence they came,

Bells Hells flees their quarry in tow, guided by the ever-balancing feet of Fearne towards where they came. And we'll pick up from there after our break. Yay! Wow. Hello, Critters. This is Ashley Johnson,

president of the Critical Role Foundation, our 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission that might sound familiar. To leave the world better than we found it. We partner with other nonprofits to raise funds supporting causes that mean a lot to us. And we allocate 10% of all donations to an emergency relief fund that allows us to provide immediate assistance in the case of natural disasters or other unexpected emergencies that require quick action. To learn more about the Critical Role Foundation and to donate, visit criticalrolefoundation.org.

And welcome back. So, as Bell's Hells are currently jaunting into the darkness, retracing their steps through the aspects of this abandoned mine that they had originally come through, the arcane dome orb that currently encases Lady Emoth Kadd being rolled quickly through, heading back towards where you came.

What do you do? Oh. Oh boy. Don't we have to get to an elevator, right? We got a book in that direction. Are there, are we being chased? You hear growling sounds behind you and the furious screeches of the Shademother. So. Gus, do you have a fireball?

Look, I got one more in the chamber for something. Okay. For my own defense purposes, respectfully, I'm going to hold onto it. But I appreciate you asking, so. Good to know. We all had a very hard time fitting into the elevator. It's going to be interesting to add a very large rope. I didn't even think about that.

At which point, right in the front, you see two shade creepers leap out from the nearby dark space. What are you doing? Slash, slash! All right, go ahead, both of you make attacks. 16 for me. 21 to hit.

Do you have darkvision right now? Oh no, I ain't got shit. So disadvantage on both of those. So that is, well, I'll call that the first one then, so that's shitty shit. And that one hits, probably. That's a 20 to hit. Yeah, that hits. 21 to hit. Yep. Great.

10 for me. 10 damage. 12 slashing. Okay, so you take two strikes, by the way, I remember, if you by 18. 12, slashing. Okay, so you take two strikes, by the way. I remember, if you were ready. All the strikes. So roll the second one. Your first strike cuts through and it screeches, but it's still standing.

Since you didn't finish it the first strike, it does get an attack back on you as you're rushing through. 26 to hit on the second one. That hits. I move five points. Nine. It misses you back. Easily enough, we'll say at that point,

with the initial strikes following up, you smash what remains. It's seen on the second one. Okay. Four. I do need you three to make dexterity saving throws, if you don't mind. He's still super down, aren't you? Yep.

He's got one of those in there. 14 plus five, 19. 19, no damage to you? 17. No damage? 19. No damage. Manage to dodge all the sparking flashes of dark fire as the shade creepers are bursting around you. They're starting to pour out of the tunnels

as you're rushing down towards the space where you're going. Are there wooden beams holding anything up? No, no, no, no, no. Anyone dead yet? Do you have darkvision? No. The only bit of light you have yet. I've got the lights up.

As soon as we started running away, I would have brought those lights up. So he watches and Imogen goes ahead and begins sending her crackling purple energy balls of light out in front of you as you're rushing and rushing, lighting up the space. In that, you see movement at your periphery from all the nearby tunnels.

Oh god. The shade creepers are beginning to swarm, called by the angry screeches of their mother. You do see the faint bit of glowing red light that awaited you when you first arrived at that entry chamber, and pushing forward, following the sphere and flaking it as you continue forward, you rush in through the tunnel,

which is wide enough at this juncture to get the ball through, but you have to arc around because that small little switchback tunnel that you fought in on the opposite side, it's a little bit too thin. So Fearne, you go ahead and start directing the ball. I'm going to ask you to make an acrobatics check for me to maintain the movements.

You're still on top of it? Minigolf. Yeah. Can I guide her? Guidance is touch, I believe. I'll guide myself. You can guide yourself? Druids, yo. What? You can guide yourself. You're obsolete. SAM and LAURA and LAURA and LAURA and LAURA and LAURA.

Hmm. Okay. I'm like a G4 computer. Am I, Eddie? 18. 18, easily enough. You start shifting the momentum of it. It begins to curve and just manage to avoid

crashing into a series of large, heavy rock pillars in the next room, shifting around the side, breaking past crystals and bits of light husks, now that you can identify what they were on the wall. You curve around the side. There are two more shade creepers that you see crawling out of small little vents

on the sides of the chamber. Whack-a-mole the one, whatever one's on the right. I'm going to rage and whack them all. Okay. I'll Ray of Frost the one on the left. Both of you guys roll. Come on, bitch. Come on, bitch, what's wrong with you?

Roll that gill. 15. What's wrong with you? 15 hits. That's wrong. 11. 11 misses. Of course it's all fine, though! The Ray of Frost goes wide. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That dice is not like. 17. 17 points of damage? 17 points of damage. It bursts into angry flame as you destroy it. Go ahead and roll a dexterity saving throw. Orym goes for Laudna, sloppy seconds. So Laudna, because you... No, I'm not going to reverse it.

Yeah. Because you turned it to strike with the Ray of Frost, it misses and it lunges towards you and leaps in the air, breaking down with you with claws. That is going to be a 21 to hit. I'm going to Shock Flare. I'm going to Shocking Grasp it, or Flare it.

No, whatever. What's the word for it? Shocking Grasp it! Okay, so go ahead and roll for that. As it attacks you. But it still does hit you for five points of piercing plus seven points of necrotic. I will absorb half of that.

Now, you did not use your previous six temporary hit points. I took them. So you took the damage. I took them. Okay, so you can go ahead and use it again. Go for it. So that was a 24 to hit. That hits roll damage. I've now got at least a few seconds

of temporal morass up, so. That's happening, too. What was your damage roll? Oh, 19, 20, 21. Yeah, I've seen their damage. Nine points. Nine points? Okay, between, so nine points strikes it. It's not enough to take it out and it gets shot. Can I roll over it with the ball?

I'll allow it. Yeah. I need you to roll one more acrobatics check as you're trying to now aim it, kind of arc it over towards it. Now 20. Whoa! What the fuck is happening? I don't know. You guys know I don't. Roll 2d6 for me. Roll 2dath, 20. Oh! What the fuck is happening? I don't know. You guys know I don't.

Roll 2d6 for me. Roll 2d6, okay. Stole all of Marisha's numbers. Yeah, I know. You took the damage, or the half damage from him. Yeah. Boy's hands. Three.

You roll over and crush it beneath the ball. It starts getting up. It's severely hurt, but it's still standing. Its legs flattened a bit as it starts standing getting up. It's severely hurt, but still standing. Its legs flattened a bit as it starts standing back up. I'm going to try to run over it with my saw blade. Go ahead and roll an attack. Okay. As we're all still running.

Yep, still running. This is a rapid chase sequence. Just a 10 to hit. 10 does not hit. You hit the rock next to it as it strikes out towards you as you move beyond it as a reaction. That's going to be a nine to hit.

Misses, but I still go in pain because I take a first six. You got it. All righty. That one is starting to get up, but it's slowed down by the crushing and won't catch up to you anytime soon. Eventually, you arc around the corner and you can see ahead of you anytime soon. Eventually, you arc around the corner

and you can see ahead of you the elevator cage itself there, like door open, the chain at the top. It looks wide enough to hold the sphere. Oh! Okay. Yes. Everybody get in and I'm going to hold it with my ring. Hold what?

Underneath the sphere. Hold the sphere underneath us. Maybe hold it on top of it. Yes, yes, yes. Just in case it doesn't fall. It doesn't fall. It's a good idea. Because I still have, it's, yes. All right, can I use? Can we have a apparatus above the elevator?

Like, is there a cord or a chain? There is a chain that lifts the elevator upward. So you can't put it on top. Put it on top? We should just let it hover next to us. Okay, then it'll just have to us. Okay. With the shaft? The shaft is just, there's about a six inch. Okay, I'm going to lay on the bottom.

Okay. Put my arm through and just hold it. Stonky ring it, hold onto it as we rise up. Is it an open cage? Come on. Yeah. It's an open cage. You can reach through. There's about a two inch gap between the edge of the cage and the platform and the drop off there. You can't quite get your eyes over the edge.

So it's going to be challenging. How long can the ring hold something? Yeah, how long does the telekinesis last for? Okay, so concentration up to 10 minutes. Oh boy. Is there room for us to stand on top of the elevator? There is. Or to hang on the bottom.

Put the ball in. Put the ball in and we hang on top. Put the ball in. Oh yeah. Will the weight be okay? As you are discussing this, the already severely hurt shade creeper Put the ball in. Put the ball in and we hang on top. Put the ball in. Oh yeah. We'll wait be. As you're discussing this, the already severely hurt shade creeper and two more end up charging in.

You can hear more noises coming from the back of the cab are getting louder. I throw a dagger at the limping shade creeper. Go for it, roll an attack. Is he close? At this point, he's about 20 or so feet from you. Okay, so that's within range. And then that's 14, and I'll throw my second.

14 hits. Oh, it does? Oh, okay, great. Yeah, 14 is the AC. That is... Never over. A nine? 14 is the AC, yeah. Nine damage.

You throw the dagger and it falls back and then bursts into flames as two others climb over it and clamber towards the cave. Can I do a thing? Yeah, go for it. I'll Blast them. One to each or both to one? Yep, one to each.

Okay, go for it. This is it. Oh! Boom. Okay, okay. Bow dice. Bow dice! 19 and 25. Both hit, rolled it. Pop pop!

We're damaged on each. Pop hit or damage on each. Pop, pop. Motherfuckers. Oh, why'd she? Okay, one of them, one of them. Yeah, that one's not good. But one's a 17 and the other is, wait, 17 plus three, so 20,

and the other is 12. 20 points of Eldritch Blast? Yeah, from a single blast, it's d10 plus your charisma modifier for damage. Sorry, d10, you're right. d10 plus three, sorry, 13, and then what did I say the other one? And 10.

Okay, so one of them, you blast. Sorry, I was doubling. Yeah, as you toss both Eldritch Blasts out, it hits one and its head disintegrates off the top of its shoulders as it tumbles to the ground and bursts into flame, affecting nobody. 13 and nine. And nine. The other one takes the hit,

but it continues pushing through and rushes up right towards you to strike at you. No! Natural 20. Ooh! That's going to be... To hit? Yeah. Yeah.

I don't think I can even shield that. That won't do anything. It's going to be nine points of piercing damage and 14 points of necrotic. For the nine points, and 14 points, for the nine points of damage, is that separate? No, it's all one strike. So, okay.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Huh? You're good. I mean. I'm not good. No, I know that. I don't think the hmm was for you. Strength of the Grave.

Strength of the Grave. Strength of the Grave. Okay, which does, my Megan? Does the damage. DC five plus the damage taken. Charisma save, but I don't even know. Plus the damage taken? That's like 14 or something plus five. But is it what pushes me over?

So, okay. Ooh. The DC on this is five plus the damage taken, you said? Yeah. Okay, which was? The damage taken total. Five plus? 11, right? Yeah, five plus seven, right? No, it was more than that.

You said 14 total. 14. 14 total, you're right. But do I negate the hit points that I already had? Even still. Let me go look at the ability here. What's it called again? Strength of the Grave. That's what I was wondering if it was separate.

Strength of the Grave. It's a good name. Make a constitution saving throw. Graves aren't very strong. Correct. So it would be DC of 19. So go ahead and roll a constitution saving throw, DC is. Graves aren't very strong. Correct. So it would be DC of 19. So go ahead and roll a constitution saving throw. DC 19.

You can do it. Constitution saving throw, you got this. Rolling good all night. DC. Her con is really high. I can feel it in my bones. I can feel it. Con in the air.

Hang on, I've got two things that help me. Oh my god. Hang on, hang on, hang on. It's really great. That's what Emon is doing in the level. Yep. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I haven't had to do this yet.

That's okay. I'm going to make a death saving throw. That's a death saving throw thing. No, just add your constitution saving throw. Oh my god. Gil. Wait, you said what was it? 19? 19.

Constitution save. I rolled a 19 total. That is exactly what you needed, holy shit! You're at one hit point. Woo! Wow. So you see Laudna get a little woozy, but. Unfucked by Gil.

Unfucked by Gil. Look at that motherfucker right there. That's awesome. Feels like a mortal wound, but somehow she just, you see her head turn around a little bit too far and she cracks it back. Hell yeah. Let's go.

I take a whack at that. I'm just whacking things off with a fucking G. Whacking all day. Do I still have my rage from the run? Whacking off? Whacking off, yes. I'm trying to push the ball into the elevator. Okay, you kick off of it and it rolls

and it fills the majority of the cage. You could maybe fit crawling three additional people. Should I just get rid of the ball? I could just dispel it. No, no, no, no, no. She'll be attacking us. Okay, okay, okay. 13 points.

Is that when you hit me? No, I hit like 20 to hit. Yeah, 13 points. Points of damage. You destroy, I need both you and Laudna to make dexterity saving throws for me. I would not have hit it if she were anywhere near it. It's still up in her face. Oh. Wait, wait, what?

Oh, I thought we had to pull her back. Then I'm going to, as a bonus action, I'm going to pull her towards me to where it gets out of that range. Okay. Okay. I'll allow it. I'm pulling you like... Telekinesis pulls you away from it right as he strikes it and destroys it.

It bursts. Dexterity saving throw? 14. 14's fine. You take the damage. All right. So who? Get in the cage. All right. I am standing in front, just trying to... So Laudna, you crawl into the cage alongside the sphere. Lydie Hingoth is striking and yelling

and trying to break across the inside of it. Who else? Fjordan is going in the cage with it. I'm going to drop my wolf form and I'm going to try and climb up on top of the elevator through one of the little cracks. Easy enough to do. There's a space before the shaft begins

that it pulls up into, so there's plenty of space to get up on top of it. But the top of it can fit, you know, uncomfortably about five people, six people, much like inside the cage, but while the cage itself gave you that boundary, you're having to figure out your space on your own with the chain in the middle.

All right. So Laudna's on the inside. I'll get in with Laudna. I'll get in with the ladies. Okay. Because I'm kind of big. So the three in the middle. So Laudna's in the inside. I'll get in with Laudna. I'll get in with the ladies. Because I'm big. So the three of you inside. I'm going to have to go inside, too, because you can't climb.

I mean, I have a hand. Okay. But yeah, I'll try to fit in as well. Oh wait, in the cage? Three individuals. Oh, then you go in, I'll go up top. Okay. Because I'm big. So the three of you in there,

and the four of you, and Gus and Olly all begin to clamber onto the top of it. I'm going to do a mirthful leap. Okay. You leap onto the top. Yay! It's going to be a challenge. There's enough room for five people comfortably on top.

It'll be between the four of you and Gus and Olly, that's six, which means there's going to be a couple of challenges if you manage to make your way up. You hear the sounds getting louder and louder of the numerous Shade Cranes. How do we go? How much of an elevator to go up?

That is indeed an interesting question, since it was the automaton and the charmed individual at the top of the shaft, hundreds of feet upward, that originally initiated your descent. How do you initiate? Do you look around? Is there any kind of lever at the bottom? Here, down here? Make a perception check. I will aid in this because I'm a robin.

Yeah, definitely do it. Oh, dear. I know I rolled really bad. 20, 20, 12. Okay, great. Okay. There are no levers. Is there anything? There's got to be a way that,

is there something in the cage? Okay. How many feet up? Oh, hundreds of feet up. Hundreds. It's just a cage and a chain, that's all you got. I'm going to start banging on the chain. 120. Banging on the chain? Yeah, so he can hear.

Let us up! Okay, make a strength check as you're banging the chain. Is it more than 120 feet? Yes. Okay. Is it more than double that? 240 feet? A little more than that, yeah. Eight. Eight, okay.

It's fine, it wasn't terribly difficult. You go ahead and shake the chain and bang on it, and as you shake the chain, you hear a, or feel a. Oh, okay, okay, okay. It begins to pull up slowly, and as it does, you can feel it rocking a little bit as it begins to slowly approach

the very choked entry point to this chasm. As you're rocking a bit, side to side, you can hear Aldi go, this is a little uncomfortable. At which point, you see. Oh, shade creepers. Two more shade creepers leap onto the bottom of the gate and begin climbing up the sides of it.

Can I use my Witch Bolt? Yes, you can. Witch Bolt. I'm going to Witch Bolt. I'm going to Witch Bolt. All right, Witch Bolt and Sacred Flame. I'm going to burn them. Yeah, with a twin spell so that I can get two of them. You got it. All right, so you cast Witch Bolt against two of them,

roll for attack on twice, and then for them it's Sacred Flame, which is a dexterity save, I believe, on their end. 14. Failed with a natural four. Natural 20. Oh shit! And 15.

Yeah. 12 radiant. 12 radiant, all right. One of them bursts into radiant flames and it looks extremely injured, but it's still climbing the side of the cage. It looks at you through the bars. Its black, feral eyes glaring at you

as its noseless mouth opens with sharp teeth. So 20 points of damage on one. The other one just explodes into flame. The other? And six points of damage on the other. We just have to finish them. Both of them explode and fall off the cage with a blast of flames. Oh no, the blast! I need both of you to make dexterity saving throws.

They don't fall off the cage? They just, oh, yeah. They die at the point of impact. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Yeah, they pop. No, I failed. Dexterity saving throws? Yep, failed. You take. Do we take two?

Do we have to roll two dexterity saving throws? No, just one for each of you, because they're coming on different sides of the cage that you're both impacting. Okay, that's great. Three points of fire damage to you. 20. 20, you're fine.

Okay. As the cage is pulling up, you look down before the visual of the cavern below vanishes. You see about two dozen or so shade creepers rush up before you hear an odd screeching cry. Not good. They all stop and just slowly begin to retract

and return back into the caverns of Whence They Came, at which point you pull up into the shaft itself with only a few inches of distance between. Nothing can give chase, and the rest of you are having to carefully tighten in as the chain is pulling you up through this extremely narrow rock expanse. I need everyone who is on top of the cage

to go ahead and just roll a General Dexterity saving throw for me, if you don't mind. General Dex, coming up. I'm so little, though. When I have your damage on this, as a Barbarian, I don't know if it's coming up. I'm so little, though. When I have an advantage on this? As a barbarian? Yeah, I don't know if it's a dodge. I'm not sure. It's not a dodge.

It's more about just trying to find the right space without being pulled into. 14. 14, okay. Also 14. 18. Fuck me. 18, 14, 14? One. One, okay. Which is seven. Okay.

As a group check, overall, still okay. Gus and Olly pulled up the anchor on that one, okay. Which is seven. Okay. As a group check, overall, still okay. And Gus and Olly pulled up the anchor on that one, too. I might just grab them. Yeah, you watch as Ashton is trying to hold on to the chain and something grabs the back of his pants and boot area and he's about to be elevator smooshed between the two. Holy fuck. Fearne, you reach out and grab the edge of his wrist

and pull him away from that. You all smoush to the center to keep away from the grinding stone. And the cage itself is still swinging a little bit, and like. And you see bits of where flint-like stone and the metal cage itself begin to strike and that slight rocking before it adjusts itself,

causing sparks and flashes in the darkened space between. And right now, there is no light here beyond the sparks. As you've left the glowing red of the chamber, it is now just a black closet space, occasionally marred by the flash of the sparks as it scrapes against the stone. You all hold tight and it begins to pull up and you feel the shaft shift a bit

and it sparks and shifts again. And in that quiet, this is fine. It's really not so bad. I can see, and everything looks fine. It's better without the shade creepers. Oh god, look out! I swear I thought you died down there.

Really? Nope, I'm here. Fuck. The anxiety begins to slowly unwind and dissipate. Eventually, you begin to see light above the low lantern glow at the top of this portion of the crown set line. Eventually, the cage begins to rise up enough

where the chain stops about five feet before the wench that curls it up and through the ceiling, and the rest of you who are on the top begin to crouch low and leap off at the right moment, scatter on the sides of it before it stops at its final destination. At which point, you can see the automaton stop its position there and come to rest.

The door is open and you are free to exit the mines. Get me out, get me out! You just see Laudna go out of you. I jumped out on Laudna's back of her head and walked off. I'm going to help carry Laudna out, put my arm around me. Thank you. I got the... Yeah, yeah, let's come on.

Oh. I just look at Olly and Gus and go, do you fucking trust us now? Olly crosses her arms. Not going to lie, kind of an impressive display of ingenuity back there. I think we can have some conversations. Not bad.

Wouldn't you say so, Gus? And elbows him to the side. Yeah, yeah. It's good to know we got some talented folks here with the right mind and some crazy ideas doing some good in these spaces. What's the game plan with this? Dun dun dun.

Well, we'll go ahead and take this to our employer and based on what we've seen, what we've discussed, use this to, one, prove that there are negative forces that have been using you and your presence as pawns for some of the recent events out there. Use it to get interested eyes and prying political figures from using you

to obfuscate their involvement in some of these things. You're rolling it down the open, much more utilized, refined, and less cramped mine shafts that lead back out to the Smolder Spire. Are you going to be able to get more help to take that thing out? Oh, I can definitely request it. I think we can, well, it points at the sphere.

Based on this strange mutation, get enough of approval to send a number of wardens down there and get this all taken care of. If I could make a small request, when you make a report, you can leave out the version where I turned all hairy and was just vibrating sexual energy. You could just leave all of that out

and maybe keep that between us as a token of our newfound trust. Aren't you still a wolf? No, I changed back. Thanks for paying attention. Make a persuasion check. Goddamn it. Natural 20!

As Gus is pushing along the sphere, Olly gives you a look, looks over at Gus, goes, I don't know what she's talking about. We didn't see anything. Dope. Once it's all clean down there, we'd really like a rope back. If it's still down there. we'd really like our rope back.

If it's still down there. I'll see what I can do. But once again, not our jurisdiction. We're just investigating. It was a really nice rope. It was, and a pretty slick maneuver, if I say so myself. That was amazing, Orym. That was really great.

I'm so sorry about the rope. That rope is shredded. I don't know, it was magical. A lot of times those things can last. Take a beating. Get it, though. So worth it. Such a cool thing.

Great move. It was, yeah. It was a great rope. Hey, you know, it's like, you lose a coin down a shaft, you lose a really expensive rope down a shaft. Right, I threw away two things. No, it was worth it. Oh no.

Oh, we should've looked for that down here. I think it was a totally different district. A different whole. Take a couple of days. Yes. What's, go ahead. No, go ahead. What's Lady Emoth's state at the moment?

Still like that of a trapped feral fox. Just like, it is just a feral anger and that hasn't yet shown a moment of calmness yet. I'm going to walk over and tap on the glass. Just a roll along. Yeah, she's in there. Cool. Hey, Imogen. Don't you fiddle-faddle with people's domes?

I mean, she's all trapped. Mind reading, do you want to like? Do you want some space? Actually, let me see how many spells I'm running. Oh yeah. Can I cast Detect Thoughts on Lady Emoth? You can indeed. The initial wave of thoughts is,

it's less language and more more impassioned, venomous, killing rage. You just feel this sense of they will pay. They will be pieces. We will taste their flesh and they will die. They will be smeared. They will be ash.

I'm walking along next to her and I'm just going to ask, are you in there, Lady Emoth? And I'm going to dive deeper. And dive deeper. Do we need to give you? No, no, no. She fails. Fine.

As you push through the rage and the bestial fury, you pick up through the rage and the bestial fury, you pick up subtler remnants you pick up subtler remnants of more human emotional thought. But they are themselves focused on Mother. She will be free. She will be free. She will be out. The night will come and all will join her.

We will stop them. They will pay, and then it cycles back into that same feral anger, that vengeful fury. Can I ask, do you know how long she's been under there? Who are you asking? Lady Ema. Lady Ema. See if anything comes out.

How long has she been down there? She's still angrily slashing, and then all of a sudden just stops and goes, right to you within the sphere. Her eyes narrow, causing those large, black, feral beast-like spheres to become these square slits of darkness. She stares at you, the head turning slightly to the left. In her mind, back to you, you hear,

She's been there for some time, but only recently has she evolved. So you are aware. Are you all creature now? I am what I was meant to be. You all absconded without accepting this opportunity, and in time, you will be shown the folly of your choice.

In time, your mother will be crushed. Fool. The feral anger The feral anger and visceral physical lashing out, Lady Emoth stops. And she just sits, cross-legged in a way that is still unnatural, but her physicality reverts to a slightly more

humanoid and familiar form. Almost echoes of how you encountered her at the party the night before. Still a little off, still a little strange. I'm going to push the ball. She's going to push the ball. Stumble onto her hands and eyes you angrily out of the side of her face.

Oops. We should head out. I think. Do you need help escorting this anywhere, or should we go our separate ways? Giant bulb. I mean, it's up to you. We're going to go ahead and I'll take it.

We could take it from here. We still got another at least 45 minutes or so before this vanishes. By then, we'll have the proper authorities ready to go ahead and receive our prisoner. Well, let's just make our way up, then. Do you think she has, do you think there's any way

that we could pull her out of this, what am I thinking of? What am I trying to say? Her trance, her? Yeah, whatever's, no? Based on what I just felt within her. It's too far gone. She's lost.

We'll be curious to learn if you find anything else out, if you get any, squeeze any more juice out of that fruit. I assume we'll be able to maybe find you again at Mr. Eshteross's abode. His estate, I assume. I mean, you seem pretty good at finding people, no matter where they are.

We're pretty easy to spot. I mean, we're pretty good at it, but it makes it a lot easier if we know where to go directly, you know? We'll be in and out of Eshteross, as you know. Yeah. Okay. Might take a little road trip. Fair enough.

We'll make sure the right individuals understand the contributions you've made to our investigation. So that should help. And our employer will be quite pleased both with the outcome of this endeavor, based on her alignments. Looks over at Olly, and Olly gives a nod. For your own edification,

our employer is Mistress Sisedri. Mistress Sisedri? Sisedri. Sisedri. Ascedri. Ascedri. We did not know she was on the Quorum. She has a particular longstanding, how do I put it?

Disapproval and a healthy disdain, Mr. Arman Treshi. So we've been in an employ for the best, better part of the past month. A few threads seem to be leading that direction. And I think some of our discussions, some of your encounters and happenings seem to help clarify a lot of those assumptions.

So, thank you kindly. Wait, is that Orlana Shashadri? No, that's someone else? Shashadri. Oh, that is Orlana. You said Shashadri. Shashadri? No, that's someone else? Shashadri. Oh, that is. You said Shashadri. Shashadri. Okay, we heard a sed-ri. Yeah, Shashadri.

Okay, so that's the same lady, or Ilana. Shashadri. Shashadri. Shashadri. Okay, all right. Great, that's great. Why does she have a disdain for Armand Treshi? Couldn't tell you the specifics of it,

but apparently it was strong enough to pay us very well for our skills and capabilities. We try not to get too involved in the high-end politics. If someone's, you know, breaking the laws to a severe degree and putting innocents at risk, we're not going to stand by and let it go by idly. Do you ever

pay your deputies? Since they help take care of some of the business for you? We, uh... Allie goes, We don't have any official deputies, see? It's just the two of us that work as a team. We did actually talk about that earlier, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were going to give us badges.

Your help is greatly appreciated, and as a thank you, we are vouching for you in preventing the continued, how do I put it, manhunt for individuals possibly tangentially or directly related to the unexpected and unapproved demolition of the Moon Tower, involvement with other such illegal, perceived to be illegal activities against the Quorum

and members of the Quorum or below and tangential to the Quorum. So yes, I think if there is an exchange here, it is very much an even keel ground based on this social contract. That's exactly the kind of payment I would expect for a deputy. So you're saying we've been deputized?

We're honorary greenseekers. We still have a patch, if you have it, or a sticker. Gus grins and crosses his arms towards her. I got extra patches at the room. I knew you had patches, I knew it! Yes, me too, me too, me too. We'll have them brought over to Eshteross' estate the next couple days.

I'm going to get a sandwich. Don't tell anyone where you got them. Of course not. Girl Scout. No, we won't. No, no, no. Not a thing that happens. But won't it say the Green Seekers? So won't they know where they came from?

We'll just say Green Seekers. Does it say all the symbols? Plausible deniability. People can make all sorts of off-brand bullshit out there. All right. What was his name? Was it Emrit Redbublé? Up there in the Hellcatch Valley,

he's just making a bunch of bullshit knockoffs. Redbublé? Yes. Redbublé. Oh. So plausible deniability. Writing that down. Me, too. Redbublé. Emrit Redbublé. By the way, Pops. He sounds like a terrible folk. A plausible deniability. Writing that down. Two red Buble. Emerit red Buble.

By the way, sounds like a terrible folk. I don't know how many Greedseekers there are, but is there a captain of the Greedseekers or somebody that we should report to if something happens to you? There are two Greedseekers. It's us.

You're the only two? Yes. Oh, it's very elite. Technically not the only two. Not anymore. Now you've got quite a few more. Olly gives this very stern, dark look to Gus. He goes,

Just two. Sorry, I got to make the rules. Just the two of us deputies are a temporary and appreciated help. Yeah. Thrilled to be part of the team. Seven plus two is nine, and it's an auspicious number, is all I'm saying. Yeah. Thrilled to be part of the team. Seven plus two is nine, and it's an auspicious number, is all I'm saying. Yeah.

Bad luck. Oh, look, we're near the exit. They go ahead and push the sphere out into the afternoon light at the base of the Smolder Spire. Ah! Going past the various guards that await, kind of curious, but seeing the Green Seekers

and knowing to give them a wide berth, they see the orb as it rotates out, carrying a somewhat well-known noble of the Mahon houses here and Jrusar, which draws a lot of attention. Within the first five to 10 minutes of rolling her up the spiraling central street of the Smolder Spinal, a crowd begins to gather.

You hear whispers, concerned discussion, pulling her up the spiraling central street of the Smolder Spile. A crowd begins to gather. You hear whispers, concerned discussion, and gasps and rumors, and all sorts of vibrant conversation, and the general hubbub around this. Many folks begin to point out the Green Seekers and point out those that are accompanying these figures as well.

The rest of you, though none seem to immediately engage, you've definitely caused quite a stir with this action, more publicly than anything you've done previously. What would you like to do? Are you going to splinter off and find your path for the afternoon? I feel like I'd rather not go to the Quorum personally, but it's up to y'all.

I'd, uh... I'm fine going to find a drink and resting. We're pretty fucked up. Or some of us are. Make our wounds for a titty bit. It's been a day. Take a night to maybe talk to Eshteross about our exit of the city.

Yeah. Do you want to go find your people that you need to connect with? Yeah. Is that next? Can it be? Yes. Let's have a quick drink. Yeah, maybe just sit for an hour. An hour or night.

I need to fix this in my car arm. Oh jeez. Oh, Vana. Oh dear. Just real, like, they're not really. I'm going to take off my yellow scarf and wrap it around her arm to try to straighten it out a little bit. And, well, it's something.

It's a scarf. It keeps people from freaking the fuck out. It just keeps it from dangling quite so much. I loop it over my neck like a little sling. Before you splinter off, Olly walks up and reaches into a pouch and pulls out this dried, almost bunch of tea leaves and dirt, smears it into a hand, takes an oil and surrounds it

and goes ahead and, If you don't mind, reaches out and rubs it across the forearm area where a lot of the damage is sustained and casting Cure Wounds, you heal 11 hit points. Oh! That's pretty good. What kind of herbs were those? A special kind.

I don't know what kind that is. It's not very specific. It's hard to describe. If you ever wander the Oderan Wilds, you want to keep an eye out for the quad leaves that have the little red spots throughout them. Oh, I think I've seen those. They're more of a general herbal remedy

for long-term healing, but for those of you who might be predisposed towards natural magic and healing through that process, they work as a very fine catalyst to it. Fine, excellent. Good to know. You know, I spend a lot of time wandering these wilds and figuring out how best to make a deal is here. Have you ever seen any large,

one-eyed creatures out there in the wild? Have you seen any one-eyed creatures out there? CJ, are you okay? What's going on? I'm fine. Any one-eyed creatures out there? CJ, are you okay? What's going on? I'm fine. Any one-eyed creatures out in the wild? I mean, there's a number of creatures with all sorts of eyes or a lack of eyes. One-eyed creatures?

You don't see them too much in the jungles of the wilds, but they're all giant kin offshoots, like cyclopses that roam around some of the higher aspects of the mountains that surround the wilds. They occasionally do wander deeper in if they're hungry or looking to hunt in case they've missed out on some of the

indigenous hunting grounds there. So if you're looking for them, they're dangerous, they're driven, and they generally travel in packs. Oh, all right. If you're looking to wander beyond Jrusar, I don't mean to intrude, but I heard you mention traveling beyond the city,

definitely try and stick to the trails if you can. I'm not saying they're entirely safe either, but they're safer than otherwise. Good to know. Of course. Happy to help. Thank you. Gus, don't forget to go and see your ex.

and see your ex. Just say hi to your ex now and then when you can. I appreciate you working us through a small, tense encounter. I have to say, for being a chatterbox of an automaton, you got some good insight there for the humanoid condition. Well, I hope it works out.

Oh, we're not meant for each other. No, as we're- But I'm glad that we can move forward with a much healthier dynamic. As friends. As friends. He's still in love with you. Olly? Yeah, yeah, good cue.

All right, Olly. I just put my hand on FCG's shoulder. Have fun, fun, have fun with your gumball. Yeah. Look at me. Go ahead and roll it. Are you all right? I don't feel so good.

Do you need healing? Are you? Maybe, yeah. Do you want this? Or? I don't think I'm out of enough of it. I have a bag of sling bullets. I assume they're little metal BBs?

Sling bullets are more like small, polished stones. Oh, okay, okay. What about caltrops? Are those metal? Caltrops are metal, yes. Okay, I'm going to pull out a handful of caltrops. Looks a little sharp. Did that hurt you on the inside? I don't know, let's find out.

Or will they just melt? I don't know what I heard you. I'll eat some caltrops, but I think we need to rest for a bit. Yes, we do. Yeah, we need to rest. I just, I've never seen you like this. Yeah, I don't feel good. I don't know.

Are you still poisoned? I don't know, am I? No, the poisons weren't off his head. No. All right, that's good. Oh wait, I can't. You did a really good job of taking care of us. Thank you, but you can't care for others if you don't care for yourself.

Yeah. You're right, yeah. Let's go. Rest? Please, yeah. Okay. Yeah, all right. We look after you today.

I'm going to just keep my hands on his shoulder as we roll, you know. Okay. Okay. Home, home, or? on his shoulder as we roll, you know. Okay. Okay. Home, home run. We're in the Smolder Spire. We could stop at the Sit and Spin. The Sit and Swill. Swill and Sit.

Sit and Swill. We could do that. You can indeed stop by the Sit and Spin. Yeah! They should be there. They'd have to at this point. It's probably colloquially known as this now going around certain circles.

You run. Sit and spin. You dive. You hit the bump and take a slide. Where were you going? Oh my god, yes! This is just, this is what the day is, okay. Uh-huh. All right.

Oh my god. Tripped on memory lane. You too, yeah. A familiar trip back to the Soot and Swill Tavern. Soot and Swill. You are greeted by Prayoma Dali. Going to glance at the rest of your crew. Hey, oh wow, some familiar faces here.

How y'all doing? Doing drinks. Drinks and food. Drinks, easy to do. Food's great, we'll get you taken care of, no worries. Scrap metal. Youinks and food. Drinks, easy to do, food's great, we'll get you taken care of, no worries. Scrap metal. You all sit around.

You get some drinks situated, and then about 20 minute wait later. Oh my god. This is awkward. Oh. Hello, pretty. Hello, Lott. Hi, pretty.

It's very nice of you all to come back. Of course. We wouldn't stop being your patrons just because you left us standing in the rain. Plus, your food's really good. Your food is very good. I take pride in my work. I hope there's no hard feelings.

None at all, Pretty. You are... You're going to do what you're going to do, you know? Live your life. Find your special someone. Classic. I appreciate your words of support. Well, I didn't know you were coming. Let me, and he picks up the three meals

that he had prepared just for the three of you. The rest of you get the regular meal. I'll get something special. Oh, that's great. Comes back a few minutes later, prepares meals that look exactly the same. But he assists her and waits. What did you make today?

I was just diving right in. It's got like an orange twist to it, like a citrusy twist. A zest. Oh, like an orange gravy. That's interesting, you know? I added orange. My goodness.

They're in season right now, too. Yeah, but there's half an orange in it. Oh, yeah, there it is. What's the meat? You know what rhymes with orange? I don't know. Me neither. But it's nice. It's very tasty.

Are you kidding me? Thank you so much, Fruity. How's that book you've been reading? It's good. I think it's, when I say this with respect, a little derivative. Genre work can be middling at best.

A tropey. I think maybe it's designed for a younger age brand. But I'm enjoying it overall. Like a YA situation or a Youngstown? There's this book that I was recently reading, New World Searchers. New World Searchers. You should check it out.

I haven't heard of that. Yeah, well, if you see it, pick it up. Sounds curious. Anyway, I've got to get back to the kitchen. Lovely to see you all again. So good to see you. He awkwardly turns around and returns to the kitchen. Bless him.

Are you ladies all right? Are you, I mean? Yes, yes. Your hearts are intact? Well, they'll just have to mend over time, you know? I'm good, yeah. I think it's less about, you know, feeling heartbroken about someone we cared about

and more that he was the one to dump us, you know? That hurts, yeah. Yes. Yeah, you know, it's like, usually when you're in a group, you're more attractive. You know what I mean? So it was hard that it was all three of us

that was not enough. Yeah, it really felt like a bit of a blow. Yeah. Well, that's unfortunate. Are you going to eat that? Yes! Oh. God. Save the plate for FCG.

All right. Meals and drinks consumed, the soreness of the day catching up to you as the sun brings itself to a setting. Are you looking to rest for the night or are you looking to achieve anything else before the? You probably rest until the morning. I think so. I'm a little worried about

grass over here. Head's just spinning around and around. Yeah. Can I, how do you feel? Let me, let me. You feel very cold, very like. Let me feel you. Yep, icy.

Yes. So we're good, we're great. Not the same. Not running a fever. That would be very scary. That would be weird, yes. Are you getting two rooms, two rooms, one room? What are you feeling?

I'm getting my own room. Okay, that's five silver. I might have company. No, you won't. Oh wow. Well. Unless you've hired a nurse to make sure you don't die. I'll have to check my room.

Oh my god. Well, it depends. Depends. I liked it. I liked it. Five silver for your own room. Yep. The rest of you? Two rooms, probably, will be enough.

Okay. Yeah. One gold for both rooms, five silver each for those who wish to pay for it. I'll get it. Oh, really? Yeah. Okay. Orym, you can snuggle up between us if you want, if it'll make the separation from Dorian feel better.

Oh. I know you like a good cuddle buddy. Yeah. I don't want to impose. No! You're so tiny. Yeah. You're like a little dog at the foot of the bed.

Your elbows look really sharp. Can I lay next to her? Yes. It might also be because of the compound fracture. I slowly push a bone in the back end. Oh, thank you. I have an idea, I have an idea. I'm going to take out the sending stone.

Is that what it's called? Let's leave him a message. Should we leave Dorian a message? Oh, sure, yeah. He might talk right back at you. Yeah. It immediately contacts him. That's even more fun.

What do you want to say? Just make sure he got there safely. Yeah. Yeah? Hey, it's me, Fearne, and Orym, and oh shit, Imogen and Adnan. Skip the names, skip the names. Go to the message. We're just seeing if you got there safely and

just, how many more is it? Two. 25 words, right? Yeah. Seven more. Seven more. What'd you guys want to say? Just letting you know that we miss you. We miss you.

Immediately, you hear, Oh, hi. We just left. Still in the air. Probably a week, so thanks. You're welcome. It's so fun. It's like walkie-talkies.

Yeah. Yeah. What? I don't know. I don't know what I just said. They've been gone for like 16 hours. Yeah, they left. They barely got through Custard at this point. Yeah, that's it.

Pre-dawn this day. What else is this timeuster at this point. Yeah, that's it. Pre-dawn this day. What else is this time for? Well, we just got to make sure. Silence the notifications up so we can move on. Well, as you finish your meals, sore, accomplished for the day's dangers and managing to build a little bit of a rapport

beyond just your one noble patron within the city of Jrusar. Two of the finest investigators across this side of Marquet. And you can head back to your rooms and any sort of discussions for the evening take you, any sort of, anything you wish to do? Hey, Fearne. Yeah?

Listen. Oh, you wanted me to come to your room? I'm just saying, I don't know how long we're going to act like this isn't going to happen. But if you feel the call of the wolf, baby, just give in. All you need to do is howl at 3 AM and I'll be there. 3 AM? Yeah. On the dot? On the dot.

Any earlier, any later, Fearne is not coming to your room. Do you have a timekeeping device? Yeah. Oh god, the pressure. I've got everything in here. All right, because I put a lot of money down in this room, and you know, at 3M,

see you then. All right. I get my best saunter off, and I wrap myself around the door, and I pop my head back out. Blow your eyebrows. Well, yeah, and the ear hair, too. It's all good. Light snowfall of flakes that emerge.

Oh jeez. It's very healthy. Look at all that. All that keratin. Yeah. It's the man with scalp issues, it's just embracing. I rush to the window and I look at the moon in the sky and try and figure out.

Make a survival check. What? Oh, good idea. Survival or nature, your choice. Nature is better by one. 16. Ooh, pretty good. 16. Nope, 17. Ooh! 17. 17.

Should the conversation be honest, you might have a decent chance to wait until 3 AM. How hurt are you? How what? How hurt are you? How hurt are you? How hurt? No, how hurt! How hurt! Hurt! Nine hit points.

How hard are you right now? On a scale of spruce to oak. You know, Chetney stays hard. I can't. What? I'd be ready. I'd be ready to go home. Oh my god. I hate you also. I have nine hit points.

Okay, you're not too, not terrible. Not good, but you're air points. Okay, you're not terrible. You're not good, but you're not terrible. Okay, well. Anything else you wish to handle, discuss, look over? Yeah, I'll go to their room before bed, and I'm going to sit down right in front of you. Does he do this all the time? Does he quietly suffer?

This is weird. Quietly suffer? Nothing they weird. Quietly suffer. Nothing they do is quiet, ever. If it makes you feel any better, I don't feel pain or anything. I just can't. My processing, like, I keep thinking about the,

what is it called? Starlight? Stardew? Starbrite Academy? Starlight Express. Starlight Academy thing? Starpoint. Starpoint. Starpoint Academy. Starpoint Conservatory. Conservatory. Conservatory.

I keep thinking about that and how we should really go there. Then every time, I'm thinking about the Nobodies and Ashton's group and how we need to find them immediately. We don't think about my old friends more than I do. That's not healthy. But at the same time, we have to get to your,

we have to rendezvous with your people as well, and we'll get there, but. Hello? Are you guys doing stuff, or can I come in? Yes and yes. Sure. How hard are you? Pretty hard, FCG. Like robot hard, or?

Am I interrupting? What are you guys talking about? I hate you all. This is important. Rocks fall, everyone dies. It's not even a mountain. We're having just a little bit of an intervention here. Intervention? Just a little bit. That's what this is? Well, it feels a little bit like you're,

this is not a one-way street, okay? Your contributions are so appreciated, but I see you worrying about everybody else, and you're not the only caregiver in this group, and I want you to start caring about yourself a bit more. I was worried you weren't going to get out of there. I appreciate that so much, Orym. That's so kind of you, but honestly,

y'all have a lot of stuff to worry about and we need to make sure that it gets taken care of. There will always be stuff to worry about. It doesn't go away. That's life. It could. It could go away. No, really. Look, I mean, I spoke with Gus and his ex

for just a few moments and I feel like they made some progress in their relationship. You, and I feel like they made some progress in their relationship. You really did. I feel like if I could speak with some of you that way and really dig in to your own issues, we might be able to do some similar progress. Fresh cut grass. Two-way street.

Okay. Don't push us out. All right? All right. I won't. I don't know what I can, I don't... What do you want to know from me? I mean, not so much. Don't push too hard.

Yeah. I'm just going to say in his head, seriously, I don't think he's quite ready to give it up, if you know what I mean. That sounded really... That was me, you know what I mean? In your head, you just hear me stumbling over my own board. I didn't mean it like that.

Yeah, all you hear is weird. Okay. Hey. Just shut down for a little while. Take some time and remember that anything worth doing, anything really, really complicated should not be done quickly. Step by step, don't rush it.

You had a good day. That's good advice. And save 15 or 20% for yourself. Okay? This is all thank you. I appreciate it. Are you feeling better after a bit of a rest? I'm really not, no.

Did we take a little long rest? I don't know, did we take a long rest? Yeah, a short rest. We would've taken a short rest. We would've taken a short rest, yes. I am still not feeling that great, so I think a stasis would help, actually, yes. Okay, great. Yeah. I'm not even going to bother about this, then.

What is it? It was, don't worry about it. They love other people's problems, please. It actually, it's great. Really? Oh yeah. Well, it's just that I stole this. Oh. And I didn't know if it's the stone that I got from the Shade Mother's lair.

You would like me to tell you what it is? You said you could, but I don't want to. Of course. Yeah, I'll take it and hold it. And I have a lens that pops down when I go to identify something, and it gets stuck. Oh no, okay, don't. I do an attack.

No, no, no, no, this happens all the time. Attack. And it goes back up. Really? I can't. Yeah, don't worry about it. You need to, you know, maybe we should take them to see Milo before we leave town. I go, Really? I can't. Don't worry about it. Later, later. You know, maybe we should take them to see Milo before we leave town. We could do that.

Yeah, we'll hit up Milo. And hey, first intervention. I'm very proud of you. Isn't that exciting? I know you've always wanted one. They're not wrong. I do enjoy a good intervention. Usually I'm on the giving end.

You got to see the whole thing, though. Is what I'm saying. I'll be right back. Be right back? Where are you? Did the caltrops make it worse? Is that what happened? I don't think so. I think they're slowly dissolving in there.

Spicy. Make a constitution saving throw. Oh no! Nine? Nine. Plus? Two? No, four, so 13. Yeah, you're fine. Okay, good. A little spicy, but you're fine.

Okay. It's going to burn on the way out. Boop. I'm going to run in to talk to Laudna since everyone else is busy with this shit. Okay. Hey. What?

Jesus. Yes, what? I'm feeling a little sentimental, so just wanted to put out there. I don't know if you need a, I don't know if you even need this, but it seemed like you had a rough day today. You seemed like you had a rough day today.

Everyone has a rough day. It happens. They do. What, why, what? What are we getting at? Trying to rub it in my face? No, no. I was just thinking about some other rough days. Oh my god.

Oh no, for fuck's sakes. Are you trying to commiserate? No, I'm not. I'm trying. I was going to maybe see if you wanted some, you know, I don't want to even say advice, but lessons learned that I've had through my shit, I don't know, I've had some bad days. I wouldn't deny it, mainly because I'm curious.

There's always a lesson to be learned. All right. I feel like it's one of my favorite lessons today, which is sometimes there's no lesson to be learned. Sometimes shit's just fucked up, and the only thing you can do, because you didn't do anything fucking wrong, is get the fuck back up

and do the exact same thing all over again, knowing that there was nothing to learn. I feel oddly comforted, and it disturbs me. Thank you. That wasbs me. Thank you. That was good advice. Thank you. For pretty much no fucking advice. Honestly, I feel like that's kind of my brand.

All right. I just felt a little out of sorts here lately. I don't know if it's something fucked up in my head or I'm just a little off my game. I don't know. Yeah. Well. Is there anything I can do for you, Ashton?

I'm desperately wanting to be helpful. Oh, I understand. Useful, have a purpose? I think the answer is yes. I don't know what it is yet. I don't know, this group feels different. It's been a while. It's been a while.

Go ahead. It's been a long time since, I don't know. You're new here. This city, this place. Yes. Not a lot of people get the fuck out of where I am, if that makes sense. You do the sorts of things I do for a while

until you can't or until shit goes wrong. The people who have gotten out, like the people who've really done it, made something of themselves, they're not smartest people I know. They're not the most talented people I know. Sometimes they're hard workers, but not the hardest workers I know.

It's just the luck of finding the right people, the luck of finding the right situation, and I don't know, I haven't said yes to a lot of stuff in a while, and this trooper's making me want to say yes to things, and that's the only way to ever get the fuck out of this kind of place. I never understood that. People who felt bound to not leave the places

that they were confined to. I don't know, I guess I seemed to do it okay. I just walked out of the city. You have two feet, two legs, whatever. You've got means to leave. It's a little strange, I think, that people put so much value in feeling like if they walk out of the city limits, that certain doom will encroach them.

From my experience, sometimes staying put ensures certain doom far more than leaving. You were not wrong. Sometimes you just don't want to find out that the problem isn't the city, that maybe the problem's you. You excited to leave this place, then?

Seems like that's what's going to happen. No, I'm terrified. But I am excited to be leaving with people, which feels gross. Well. Maybe we can learn something about ourselves together. I really enjoy you. It's really a pleasure. Mm.

Clink, but it's with pâté. I was going to say, I was going to go down for pâté anyway, for a minute. Clink, clink. Ooh! You hear it look. Did I miss it? What the fuck did you harvest it?

It's, wait, no. Three gold if you go out and do the thing right now. I just back back into the hallway. Go back to my room. Laudna takes three gold and then runs out to nothing. Laudna takes three gold and then runs out to nothing. Fuck. Fuck you! Good night!

Good night. That was a great conversation. I'm going to go across the way to where Orym and FCG are. Okay. I should have. Are you returning the Magellan? No, I'm still over there.

Okay. I'm just going to keep an eye on FCG. I feel bad. They're across the hall from each other. Yeah. Cool, cool, cool. Cool, cool, cool. Cool, cool, cool. Although, I guess if Ashton comes back,

then Laudna's all alone. Okay. Ashton was back, so Laudna's all alone. Okay. Ashton is back, so. Are you, how are you feeling? I'm probably okay. Are you going to go into stasis mode? I am, very soon. Oh. Come over, join us.

Join us. I heard there was a party happening at the hotel. We are going to the hotel over here. So what happens, how long are you in stasis mode? You know, for the night, like you all. You go into stasis mode every night? Yeah, I usually do it when you all go to sleep. I shut down for a while and pop back up.

Huh. Like around the same time you all do. Does Stasis like sleep? I don't know, I've never slept. What's sleep like? Y'all have talked about dreams, especially you. Well, it can be different on different nights, right? Sometimes you don't remember anything.

It's just like a bip of time goes by, but sometimes you have stories happen. Sometimes you wake up five times because you got pissed. It's so annoying. Five times because you got pissed? You know, if you had a lot of water. How much do you drink before you go to bed? It's really good to drink water before bed.

I think you should drink a glass every two hours. Yeah, yeah. The night is very hydrating, you know? You should have water in your system. I tried to dream a little bit, but it didn't work. I did for- Six ounces. When I was that turtle, briefly, I tried to go to sleep just to see

what that would be like. There was still a lot of action going on, so I couldn't really fall asleep. You know, that might be something to play with a little later. We could try some transmontrification and then try and sleep for a while. That could be fun.

This is really curious. Do you sleep? Huh? Yes, of course. Just regular old sleep? Sleep of the day. I'm pretty sure. Yes, of course. Just regular old sleep? Sleep of the day. I'm pretty sure. Yeah, so soon as... It is kind of creepy when she sleeps.

Does she sleep upside down or something? No, when she's out, she looks like she's just fucking bed in bed. Sometimes I fall asleep with my eyes open. Yeah. That took some getting used to. That's great. Do you ever have nightmares? Are they full of sunshine?

Oh, nightmares are just fun dreams. They're inspiration, right? I've pulled many of my, you know, tactics from nightmares that I've had. They keep you on your toes. That's like research time. Yes. Tax deductible.

100%. Cool. I have crazy weird dreams sometimes. I've actually been told sometimes this'll pop off at night. I'll see crazy shit. What do you mean? It's just crazy shit. Like light up.

Yeah, like every now and then. Pop off as in fall off? No, it just starts sparking every now and then. Oh. I kind of want to see. Can you sleep with us so we can watch it? Well then, how will you sleep? Well, if I have to get up to piss,

I'll go over and look at your head. Start pouring her glass of water. Comforting thought. Oh, you know what? I mean, you might be getting up at 3 a.m. anyway. Maybe just come on in. That's true. I just heard Chetney. For what? Howling about 20 minutes ago,

but it's only been 20 minutes since we've been upstairs. I don't know if he's going to get the time right. It can be hard to sync up with people. Are you going to be romantic with Mr. Pockopie? Well, if I'm awake at 3 AM and I hear him howling. Is that like a rule over an unspoken contract? You're just a woman of your word. No, I just thought it would be funny.

I feel like most of his girlfriends, that's their motivation. Probably. I don't know, he seems pretty strong. He does, I think he's very strong. He looks like he does a lot of pushups. Yeah, he's stripped down in front of us all. He's shredded. Yeah, he's ropey.

Especially for someone who's 400 years old. He's a ropey old fella. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody's into something. That's right. I mean, it's not all the drugs. And you know what, Fearne?

He's really good with his hands, apparently. It's true. I mean, at 400, he must have learned some things. I just don't like how that detail worked. Did you see that ship he carved? Could you imagine what else he could carve? That's the sort of hobby of someone who's either very popular or very lonely. The word carve is not the word I want to think about.

Thank you. I hope he's not lonely. I hope he's still breathing. They do. Fought wood chiseling for nothing. Why don't you just go see if he's okay right now? Okay. Oh shit.

Ah! No, no, no, no, no, no, it's not time. I just was making sure you were breathing because someone made a comment that you might be dead. Oh no, I'm very, very ill. I'm breathing. It's not 3 AM yet? It's not.

I think it's only been like 30 minutes since we came upstairs. God, it feels like it's been hours. Do you have any water? Yeah, I can get you some water. Do you need anything else? Yeah, that water would be great. Fuck.

That would be great. I think there's some water over here. Thanks. Here you go. That would be great. I think there's some water over here. Here you go. I'll be keeping it warm for you. Just let me know. No, I'm keeping an eye on this guy. I should go set a wake-up call

and I just walk out of the room, go downstairs to the bar. I'm really sure they don't do that. It's just drawers, though. I got nothing sure they don't do that. It's just drawers, though. I've got nothing but MeUndies on. I'm just picturing MeUndies with little wolves all over. Yeah. Yep.

Oh, yeah. It's the triple wolf. Little wolf MeUndies. It's the triple wolf all the way down. Oh my goodness. Okay, all right, yeah. You go ahead and you head downstairs. You see Prey-O there, serving drinks

at the late point of the evening before their shift is done. I'm sorry, do you do wake-up calls in this establishment? It's a very early thing. It's an extra gold, yeah. A gold? Yeah. A gold?

No, we don't do wake up calls, but if you pay me a fucking gold, I'll wake you up. I have to wake up at 3 AM. You don't do them at 3 AM. Ah, shit. How about for a platinum? Ooh! I am watching this from around the corner.

We can do that. No, no, I was just testing you. Have a good night. I would do anything for love! But I won't do plat! No! Oh no! Oh my god.

I walk back to the hall and scratch the right butt cheek under the me undies. See you soon. Not if I see you first. Oh my god. Awoo! She knows the alpha when she sees it. Oh god. That's not a thing.

That is true. Okay. Mm-hmm. Wow. That's a dangerous game of chicken, you two. Yeah, I know. It's great, it's great. Woo!

How far is it going to go? First pregnant. Yeah, I'll go. Will you go? Yeah, I'll go. Will you go? The soreness of muscles instilling themselves, the mysteries of objects acquired in subterranean spaces, the social duel

of who blinks first forward. What else would you like to achieve before the evening comes to a close? I think I'll just pull the stone out and take a look at it, see if I can just... I don't know, I guess I need to identify it. We can make our comment check, if you'd like. Oh yeah, okay, I'll do that.

Oh, good. Yeah. Big rolls, big rolls! Natural 20! Oh! Natural 20. You take a moment and focus on it, and you concentrate. In a way that sometimes you're scared to do,

you let that wandering grasp of your mind begin to peer beyond that comfort zone a bit and connect with whatever odd arcane power seems to reside within the stone, the low, dull, thrumming pulse of that purple light that is faintly visible when you hold it in darkness and concentrate long enough. You feel your essence drawn into it slightly,

and it's almost like a sour taste fills your mouth. There's something about it that seems to, seems to not want to let go. It's hard to describe. Something unnatural that wants to sit near you, that wants to take you and make you something better. And that's as best as you can make

from this connection. Something odd, something dark, something twisted. And that's the nature you can ascertain from this, based on a natural 20 on an arcana check. Okay. Mm-mm. That's some time banded shit right there. It's a big-ass popper.

Did you see anything? Just some real weird feelings from it. I don't know, it was like, I felt like I was trying to give myself over to this thing. I don't know, I guess it is strange that the Shade Mother was wrapped around it. Maybe you should give yourself to it. I wonder if I would.

Fearne! What? No! No, I was just saying to see what would come out, what would happen. What if this turned? What if this? Don't do that, don't do that. What if this is what made the Shade Mother become extra, I don't know. Extra? Yeah.

I mean, it's pretty small, but I should have FCG look at it in the morning when he feels a little better. When you mentioned that Lady Emoth said that she evolved? Yeah. Oh, I wonder if this is one of the things that turned people. I don't know.

Maybe this'll keep the Shademother from turning anybody else. It's strange that they're all like, it's all very fey-themed, you know? Like, they're very fey themed, you know? Like they're all fey. The Nightmare King was fey in origin and the Shade Creepers, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah.

Are we safe here? Do you think the Shade Creepers could get in here? She feels like they could get anywhere. I'm going to look for some holes in the room. Okay, make an investigation check if you'd like. Okay. Can you guide yourself? I don't think that'll help.

I rolled a three. You give a pretty thorough pass to the chamber that you're staying in. Oh, I have a minus one for investigation. I don't know why I looked. Oh, yeah. You kick the baseboards a bit. It's pretty solid.

Yeah, we're totally safe in here. Okay. And Sten sits there, pulsing, ever so faintly in the darkness. Yo, I'm really grateful you guys asked me, or invited me to sleep in your room, but are you guys actually going to go to bed or what? Oh, yeah.

Well. We're going to play Truth or Dare for the next 45 minutes, and then maybe Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. Yeah, Laudna liked to play that one a lot. That's fun. Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board. Should, Laudna liked to play that one a lot. Fun! Light as a feather, stiff as a board. Should we cover that with a blanket or something?

I think so. I'm a little concerned. What if it's calling to them right now? Are there any holes in this room? Holes? Investigation check? What are you grabbing? A pillow.

You going to smother it? Grossly, ghostly. Shh! Push. There is something oddly, I don't say familiar, but just faintly alluring about its warmth to you. I want to know what it is. What does that mean?

Like to me, too? You're saying that to me? To you, yeah. It's a spell, that's why I can't do it. Yeah. It's not a spell. It is a spell, but yeah. I did it once already today. Oh, okay, okay, okay.

I fucking missed this one. Fuck off. I cover her with a pillow. Check your notes. You cover her with a pillow. Okay, you go ahead and put it in. Are they familiar? Fuck, am I missing?

Yeah, he said it to me, too. Well, to you, yeah. Did you touch it? He said that to her, too. Earlier, yeah, but this is kind of. Wait, wait, wait, hold on, just let me just say. Did you touch it? You said that to her, too. Earlier, yeah, but this is kind of. Wait, wait, wait, there's so much to say. Did you touch it or just being near it? I didn't touch it. I don't know what it was.

You're the only one who's touched it. Yeah. There's some red. Uh-oh. Familiar. But it's not a broomstone. It doesn't appear to be a broomstone, at least not one that you've seen or studied. We'll figure it out tomorrow.

All right. Unless we get attacked tonight. It's purplish in color. Yeah. Do you fucking know something? You fucking, goddamn it, Travis. Do you know something? I don goddamn Travis. Do you know something? I don't know. I've got to save up my strength. All right. Anything else, or is the evening come to a close?

I guess it's come to a close. Yeah, we're going to go to sleep. I got a 23 on perception, just to see if Fearne missed holes into this room. Okay. Glancing through, checking pretty thoroughly, you get the sense this chamber does not particularly contain any sort of

unnatural or unseen ingresses. Okay, good. It's clear. You didn't trust me? No. That's probably smart. All right. Everyone going to me? No. That's probably smart. All right. Everyone going to sleep? Yep.

Okay. I will. Can we achieve a long wrap? Okay, what's one last thing? One last thing, I'm sorry. I'm going to just go into, it's just a room with just me and Laudna and Fearne in it, right?

You and Laudna, Fearne, and Orym, who you invited to come stay with you. Yes. All right. What are you doing? I'm just going to go into a corner and sit with a stone in front of me, and I'm just going to try to open up my mind to it.

Oh boy. And take my mind shield down and just see. I don't want to have to kill you. Okay. I have to. Oh no. Okay. You close your eyes

and let your consciousness expand a bit towards this strange stone. Go ahead and roll a d20 and add your charisma modifier for me, if you don't mind. Okay. Uh-oh. That's normal. A nine. A nine, okay.

You feel yourself being drawn towards it. That odd familiarity begins to catch your mind a bit. You remember being the one that was the closest to where this was found. The device, the structure, the design of it. It was familiar. It felt like other contraptions you had encountered

somewhat recently within a dark laboratory. You see flashes of those same long ears, those dark black-green eyes of the Nightmare King. Those dark black-green eyes of the Nightmare King. You sense strange, twisting fey magic within this. Uncertain if it's ancient or fresh, constructed or recovered, but there's something about it that just

takes and changes. Transmutive. Better, different. Alluring, warm. Comforting, welcoming. Slowly, you drift into sleep, cradling it to you. Losing yourself to the warmth and the draw. That's where we're going to go ahead and end tonight's episode.

Oh no! It was just sweet. Just till tomorrow morning, then I could have looked at it. Yeah, the Nightmare King was experimenting with some sort of purple stone, right? Blue stone when you encountered him. When I encountered him.

But it has that feeling? And it was connected to the machinery. Yeah, the designs of the contraption that was based on that bluestone had a very similar architecture and shape and design in some ways to what you saw around them. Oh, boy-zee. You want more Nightmare Kings?

This is how you get a Nightmare Queen, well done. Well done. We're all going to be fine now. Thank you. We'll pick up from there and possibly 3 AM next time. Oh! Unless you want to pick that up, just a little epilogue here.

They need more time than I know. Chetney fucking slept through. Yeah, he fell asleep. Deadass 400-year-old tired. That's exactly what I was hoping for. That's just right. Right. That's just right. He wakes up perfectly at 530 AM

with all the grief and guilt in the world. Yeah, he has to pee. Damn it! Oh shit, oh god, oh. I got up at 2.59, and I went out into the hallway, I got up at 2.59, and I went out into the hallway, stood and waited outside the door.

At 3.01, hearing absolute silence, I guess I'll go back to bed. There's where we ended this week. Pick up on that next week. So good. Thank you all so much for joining us. We'll see you next time. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Yeah!

Thank you so much for joining us on this adventure. To help new listeners discover the show, please give us a rating and review on whatever podcasting app you're listening on. Until next time, is it Thursday yet?