Critical Role - C3E53 Ripples

Episode Date: March 30, 2023

The Team Wildemount half of Bells Hells arrive in Uthodurn, where they get a wider sense of how magic is responding to the events of the apogee solstice... 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 Campaign 3 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. Twitch subscribers gain instant access to VODs of our shows like Critical Role, Exandria Unlimited, and 4-Sided Dive. But don't worry: Twitch broadcasts will be uploaded to YouTube about 36 hours after airing live, with audio-only podcast versions of select shows on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Google Podcasts following a week after the initial air date. Twitch subscribers also gain access to our official custom emote set and subscriber badges and the ability to post links in Twitch chat! "It's Thursday Night (Critical Role Theme Song)" by Peter Habib and Sam RiegelOriginal Music by Omar Fadel and Hexany Audio"Welcome to Marquet" Art Theme by Colm McGuinnessAdditional Music by Universal Production Music, Epidemic Sounds, and 5 AlarmCharacter Art by Hannah Friederichs

Good day, Critters! Travis Willingham here, and I am excited to welcome you to the podcast version of our Critical Role show. If you would like to watch the stream as it airs, you can tune in on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific at twitch.tv slash criticalrole or at youtube.com slash criticalrole. The video-on-demand versions are immediately available for our Twitch subscribers or on YouTube the following Mondays at 12 p.m. Pacific. Podcast episodes are right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network on Thursdays, one week after the initial broadcast.

Now that we've got all that covered, let's get this adventure going. Hello, everybody, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. Where are Dungeons & Dragons? Bah bah bah! Bah bah bah! What?

23 Fox, thank you. There you go. Before we get into tonight's episode, we do have some quick announcements to get through, beginning with tonight's sponsor. First sponsor, Hit Point Press and the new release, Big Bads. Sam. Big Bads are on the loose! Oh, I'm not supposed to hold it yet. Foil the schemes of a gelatinous kingpin,

tangle with a mischievous sea dragon, and face down world-ending threats! Sorry, did you guys hear that? No. Okay. Join the Big Bad Bureau to show all these boss monsters who's really in charge. There it is again. Do you hear that? He's finally losing it. Big Bads is a two-volume collection of the biggest, baddest boss monsters for fifth edition, now on Kickstarter. Build a campaign or run a one-shot around these

thrilling villains. Cover your face. Sorry. With over 25 fully fleshed... There it is again. Are you really not hearing that? I don't know what you're talking about. Like a high-pitched whine or ghost? It sounds like a smoke alarm battery. I'm sorry. I can't focus. I'm just going to go take care of it. I'll be right back. In the middle of the spot? No, I swear I'll be right back. I swear, no, I swear I'll just be I'll be right back. You gotta play the game.

Sam, okay. I'll be right back guys. I promise. Just gotta find this beep. Where is it? Is it this way? Are you hearing this? It's like it's really loud. Guys, are you hearing this big beep? The beep? No, no. Hi, I'm Sam by the way. it's nice to meet you guys. All right, where, where, where's this thing coming? It's so loud, you know? Maybe in here. Oh, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. Maybe, oh, maybe it's over here. The fridge something, no, no.

This thing, no. It's gotta be here somewhere. I mean, you're hearing it, right? It's like piercing. I don't know what's in there. Whatever. Oh, this way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, come this way.

I think I found it. Oh, great. Sam, here's the beep, follow Sam. Find source beep, push button, push button. Oh, oh, oh, thanks. Push button. Push button. Oh, oh, thanks. No problem. The fuck are you doing? You're supposed to be on set.

Well, yeah, but I needed to do the B. Go, get on set, go now! Okay, I'm sorry, what is this? That's Moppo. What's Moppo? Okay, this way. Sorry guys, come on. I told him I'd be right back.

And so we gotta, we really gotta hurry. Oh, I'm okay. It's okay. It's okay, hi, I told him I'd be right back. And so we really gotta hurry. Oh, I'm okay, it's okay. It's okay, hi, I'm Sam. Did we meet before? I feel like, no, hi, Sam, no? Okay, I gotta go. We got a show to do. We're in the middle of a show.

We gotta go. Oh, sorry guys. I got it, I got it. That was... We have people that can do that, you know. Where was I? Ah, yes. Build a campaign or a one-shot around these thrilling villains with over 25 fully fleshed out boss monsters

and more than a hundred monsters and magic items at your disposal. Back today at bigbads.com. Matt, big bad to you. Thank you, Sam. Wow. We have our second sponsor for tonight. the brand new film Dungeons & Dragons, Honor Among Thieves, as spoken of to you by Captain Xandis. The filmmakers have been playing

the game for years and hold D&D in the highest regard. This film delivers on what you love about day and day. It's filled with action, classic creatures such as Mimic, gelatinous cube, displacer beasts, and amazing locations. Not the Mimic, just Mimic. You may find yourself in Sword Coast, Neverwinter, and Underdark. With fun and surprising

hijinks throughout, the cast is incredible. Chris Pina and Michelle Rodriguez put on a stellar performance. This is a fine, I'm a captain and don't have a movie, it's an exaggerate. This is a film you can bring your non-D&D friends to so they can begin to love the game,

but also is filled with Easter eggs. That reward the biggest fans. I like eggs. If you happen we're the biggest fans. I like eggs. If you happen to miss the fan experience screenings this past week, please make sure to check out the movie when it comes out next Friday, March 31st. Big thanks to Paramount and the movie for sponsoring this episode.

This is Captain Xandis. It veered off into dwarf for a second there. I was going to say that! It really was dwarf. I was talking that long. Go to your Jarl today. Yes, it's important to do that. Marisha!

What? What did I do? Oh, my goodness. Thank you, Xandas. Question mark. Thank you, Xandas. Reminder that there will be no new programming next Thursday, March 30th, as it is the last Thursday of the month,

and we take those off. And a little Foresighted Dive update. Our schedule is a bit topsy-turvy. Topsy-turvy. It's a little topsy-turvy with all that's going on in Exandria right now. On Tuesday, we released our most recent

Foresighted Dive episode that's covering all the events up to episode 52. So yeah, just bear with us as the unusual Foresighted Dive cadence will continue for just a little bit, so just stay tuned for updates

in our programming schedule and keep up to date until we return to our usual timing for those rad deep dabs. Rad. Rad, bro. Sand, you're on. Yes, I've got another announcement. Guys, the Legend of Vox Machina season one soundtrack is

getting a vinyl record release from Lakeshore Records and Prime Video. Free order yours now or pick it up at release on March 31st at Amazon, at Lakeshore Records' website, or at your local record store. It's vinyl! And it's very pretty. It's so pretty. It has a Zoetrope in it. I know, it's really cool. So above and beyond.

Laura, you're up now. I have stuff to talk. Oh my god, I have stuff to talk. But wait, which one's first? We have two beautiful new creations coming to all of our Critical Role shops. First up, wait, which one's first? First up... This thing is awesome. Oh yeah.

Look how cool it is. Beauty of Exandria Creation Molly Mug Tea Leaf Camp Shirt by artist Adrian Heltman. It's in our stores. Check it out. It looks good on you. It's really comfy. It's a relief camp shirt by artist Adrian Hilton. It's in our stores. Check it out. It looks soft. It's really comfy. You can wear it tucked in. You can wear it over top of something else. You can wear it. It's beautiful. This is the next thing, and I'm so excited about it. This is our Beauty and the

Exandria creation. Calamity woven blanket! But wait, you got to see it, and I don't know if you'll be able to see it fully. What? A calamity? I will, I will, but I don't know if you'll be able to see it fully. What? A commander? I will, but I have to stand up because it's so big. This is my Janelle Jumalan, and they're amazing. Okay. Here, give me a corner and I'll...

Wait, wait, I got to make sure it's up the right way. Other way, other way. What? Yeah, the picture. You hit it backwards. Where's the CR? Oh, here it is. This is right. It's huge! Oh, what? Oh, it's the Dawnfather up there?

Yes. That's freaking cool. Isn't that so cool? Look at the bottom down here. Oh! Oh, there's Erkis! That's amazing! Seriously, you can cover it. It's so big. You can fit several people under it. You can hang it on your wall and be an amazing piece of art. It could cover your whole bed.

This is cool. That's mine now. No! This is for bed. This is cool, that's mine now. No! This is for me. This is mine. That is so cool! Jail! Yeah!

Oh my god. This is so dope. I know. Just leave it. Just red jail. It's going to disappear. We're going to do this after the episode. Ha ha ha ha ha! I don't even understand, before you do this!

Store! I'm going to investigate you with the company. With that, let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Second Role. 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 plight There is magic and mystery Who knows what will happen He 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 crittersters come join us. It's time to continue our flight. It's Thursday night.

There is magic and mystery from darkness. Our friendship will rise. When one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight. Oh, get ready, it's Thursday night. And welcome back. So, Bell's Hells, after spending numerous weeks seeking the mysteries revolving the coming apogee solstice, found themselves in the center of

essentially the climax of Ludinus D'leth's long-term plan. In the middle of this magical detonation of some unknown source, you found your party scattered across Exandria. This half, waking up in the Crystal Sands tundra on Wildemount, far away from Marquet, where you once were. Along these snowy paths, you encountered two companions tundra on Wildemount, far away from Marquet, where you once were. Along these snowy paths, you encounter two companions

that have joined you on this journey. One with similar history as FCG, as in Iwamaton, and one with a long history with Chetney and Huckabee. Very long. Not that long. Oh, okay. It's cold outside. You agree to journey together, safety in numbers,

to pursue the still not quite fully ascertained nature of the aftermath of this solstice and what Ludinus' plan was. Heading towards the nearby Elthandwarf city of Uthodurn within the Flockcat Alps. On your final evening of this journey, Catha is full, and you, Chetney, gave in to the woven urges

of your lycanthropy, raced out into the night, while the rest of your group began to gently try and rest. Oh god, that's right. At the behest of Deanna, Frida, you went to seek this new, unbridled, woven compatriot. You stalked him down,

drew his iron. The two of you fought in the middle of the night before this was stopped by the middle of the night before this was stopped by the rest of the group catching up, of which you darted back out into the darkness. You wounded from the encounter. But eventually you all managed to return and recover. Before the evening's out,

is there anything you'd like to do? Wait, I thought, didn't you have a bite? I did make a roll, yeah. What? How'd that go? I guess we'll find out. Okay. I'm going to stay up if I can.

Yeah, I'll risk the exhaustion. I just want to make sure Chetney makes it back safe. Okay. Well, the rest of you rest. You will take a point of exhaustion and the lack of a long rest for the evening. But eventually, morning comes to. The cold night air warms faintly.

There is no snowfall, but the gray skies still hang above as the chill blows through with a light breeze, signifying the transition into slightly warmer temperatures. Eventually, an exhausted Chetney returns, outfit torn open, but it's designed to do that for obvious reasons. Chetney returns, outfit torn open, but it's designed to do that for obvious reasons. Quite a bit of blood just spattered across

the lower chin and the chest, and it looks to be chunks of rabbit and other bits of fur kind of clotted on parts of his armor and attire. Chetney, as you begin to kind of try and play back some of the memories, the flashes of events from the night before. You swear there's a part of you that says,

you fought something. You saw shapes, you heard yelling, and there's a sense of guilt in your heart as you begin to sheepishly approach the mouth of the cave where your friends have slept and look right up into the face of Deanna, who is still awake and waiting. You good?

Yes. Sorry. It's okay. I was trying to tell you. It's okay. It doesn't happen very often. Catha, not a very frequent occurrence. Chet, you don't have to explain yourself to me. I just want to know that you're okay. Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine.

I got out, I think I did pretty good. I got a pretty full belly. Do you remember what happened? It's all like a vivid fever dream, but I admit, everybody here is good, right? Yeah. Uh-oh. It's okay.

Can I do a quick look around? Is anybody fucked up? I mean, most of the rest of the troop is asleep. Frida's coat looks like it sustained some shredding damage, as well as some visible wounds. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. They're okay.

But I took off and- They went to look for you. Oh fuck! It's okay, shush. You don't ever! People are sleeping. Okay, I'm sorry. It's okay.

They're not mad at you. I feel like I saw some of it and I was like, that can't be right. It's okay. Oh, I feel terrible. They're okay? They're fine. I just wanted to, you're good. You don't need any healing. Can I scan him to see if he's took any damage? Yeah, I mean, it's hard to tell at first glance between what blood might be his or whatever else

he hunted through the evening. How are you looking? I mean, for 400, pretty good. I mean, if you want to take a look, let your eyes wander. I mean, there's so much damage, but there's so much beauty. I'm going to no-look Healing Word

just so I don't have to deal with that. Understood. Go ahead and roll. Good. 10 points. Oh, thank you. I will say, in this instance, what's your healing word? Motherfucker.

Checks out. It's loaded, it heals, but it hurts. I understand. It is to hurt if it is to heal. Yeah, I'm actually pretty durable in that state, more so than my current condition, but... I have to say, also, it's not something that I'm...

I feel bad about your friend, but I really like it. Really? Yeah, I like it a lot. We got pushed around a lot in there, especially in Uthodurn. I was easily disregarded. I can do a lot. We got pushed around a lot in there, especially in Uthodurn. I was easily disregarded. I can do incredible things. I can smell and hear and see. It's like being 300 years younger again.

Yeah. That's actually really nice. When we get back there, you know, I never ran into you, but never really made any waves, so it must be very cool to feel cool. Out here, in my own story, it feels cool. I have not been back, and I don't think people would be happy to see me,

so I might have to check that fantasy real fast. Don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt you. Really? Yeah. By the way, Freed is wearing green. They're not part of the Glassblades, are they? Oh, no. No. Okay. It's just kind of a, well, look.

And I just kind of a, well, look. And I just kind of put, it's like the rose gold, and I was like, oh, green, and I like pink. It's such a good look. And it was just sort of a, right? Yeah. Thank you. Wait, I was mad at you. Sorry. It's okay.

Yep, no, I will carry the shame for another hour. Good, thank you. I'm glad you're okay. Should I let them wake up, or should, how should I? Do you not sleep? I do, quite soundly and loudly. And usually in a restrained fashion when the moon is high. But I lost track of shit, because we just ended up here.

Fair. Mm-hmm. Okay, just let him, we're an hour out before sunrise, so why don't you just take a little... Also, Frida doesn't have a freak out mode, right? Like, FCG, one time, he turned into like, with the buzz saw. Y'all are so dangerous. I'm telling you, we have a dark side.

You should probably charge. Imogen went to sleep, and then Fearne woke up and was like, no, and then reached out with magic. Neighborhoods and shit. What? There have been times, yeah, it's like supernova stuff. So I'm just saying, we're good people to travel with. Okay, see, I think we both went on the same track

and then got to different stops. We diverged a little? A little bit. Okay. We'll earn it we both went on the same track and then got to different stops. We diverged a little? A little bit. Okay. We'll earn it, we'll earn the track. Sure, sure, sure, sure. Damn, okay. Not healing worse than a little. Half point, thank you.

I'll just go and call me, sit, criss-cross applesauce, just wait for everybody to wake up. Okay. Now, because you were out all night and you were up staying, you could either try and get a long rest and let everyone else wait for you,

and it will take more than half of the day's daylight to do so, which gets you through a night, or you could take a short rest here and take the point of exhaustion and continue and get there probably midday. I'll do short rest. Same. Okay, you got it. So point of exhaustion to you as well.

Okay. Eventually, the rest of you begin to rouse, wake up, and there you see a somewhat... How tattered do you look now after? Did you clean yourself up a bit or are you still looking like a half-naked? Look, it's a perma condition of half fucked up, half fuckable, so you know.

Fucked up-able? It bleeds into, you know. Yeah, but most of my shit's healed up, thank you. All right, so that's what you wake up to. Cool. Oh, well. We all rested a normal amount. Hi.

Morning, Chet. Morning. You feeling okay? I am. I ate quite well last night. I hope it wasn't from any of you. Did you eat animals? Woodland creatures?

I did, yes. I got some sweet deer ass. It was really good. I had to work for it. I'm pressing Digitationing the blood off of him. No, no, no, it makes me look dangerous. No, it just makes you look nasty. He's got a bib that just makes blood all over the place.

I should show you the bib. It just drips perpetually. That really feels like an innuendo. Mm-hmm. You sound scarier the more you talk. I totally know what that means. In your head, you hear, I thought that group we met up with

said that wasn't supposed to happen. Me, too, but I think, I'm not sure. I don't know. Catha, it's a rarer thing, and I usually know Catha Boom, but I thought I was supposed to be a little bit more in charge of it, and I don't think I am as much. Or maybe there's room to grow, work, I don't know. Both of you make an arcana check.

Ooh. First roll of the night. Uh-oh. 10. Natural 20. Ooh! 22. 22. Considering it, yeah, Kath has been

an itch that you've learned to pretty much keep under control as you have this conversation and glance out. The faint breaks in the gray cloud cover, the low snow front that's coming in, you can see still the faint drifting of technicolor auroras in the sky and you gather that what you carry is a curse, technically.

And it seems people keep talking about all forms of magic and weird tend to be a little more elevated during this period. Basically, it's not my fault. That's the real takeaway here. It's like an allergy and I don't have any. I'm going to stop the metaphor. Look, I'm sorry, Frida.

Yes. Are you all right? I had so much fun. You did? I mean, it was tenuous there, but I enjoyed it and you were so alive. Yeah, it's amazing. I'm at tens across the board in that state. But I could still feel you and see you there beneath it.

I saw you fighting. It was impressive. You were impressive. That is not the reaction I was expecting. Well, no harm, no foul. I seem to be okay, minus my coat. So much harm. It's okay, Deanna.

It was fun. I shot him in the face. You shot me in the face? A few times. I missed more than I hit you, but it was still fun. Damn. Don't understand bonding at all. I like that you enjoyed it. I would hate to put you off since we've just met. Were you afraid? Of course. Oh. I'm sorry for that.

No, fear is part of life. I was more afraid that we'd lose you, which is why I went after you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. I never experienced that firsthand. Are you a hunter? I mean, usually I would think the display and sounds of a person turning into a giant wolf beast and howling and stuff would be, you know. Well, I think in before, before I woke up, I think I,

well, my name suggests I was a ranger of some sort. And traveling is normal to me, or feels normal. Oh yes, far-ranging integrated defense, the Hermiton. Yes. Freedom. Cool. Your wounds, do you mind if, could I see?

Sure, and I think it's sort of the first time this morning that I've paid attention to it. How do I feel? You feel like you've recovered mostly. You slept through the night, so you're able to recover your hit points and such. And you see scrapes. Unlike FCG, which has more of a

solid mechanical creature exterior, where it looks very much like an automaton design. Frida's design is more naturally humanoid, almost like a fully armored humanoid with spaces in between where it looks like there's almost like a leathery tubing in places that hold it together. And you recall, and you can see some of the wounds,

there is a dark brown brackish fluid that's dried in some of the wounds that have healed up. So it's interesting. It's almost like an automaton, similar to FCG, but slightly more humanoid in the appearance, as well as the scratch marks, the gashes. Better. Better, just better. Better. Oh no.

I think it's almost like, Matt, would you say that it's metallic components attached with a tongue, like a tongue leathery? No, I would not. Brown leathery. Just like a brown leather tongue? Lots of tongues. Oh, no. No, no, I would not at all.

Thanks, Jir, except she only has one tongue. Frida has many tongues. You're joining in on this, too? So many tongues. I don't want any. I want nothing. No, it's great. I want nothing to do with you.

I just hold your fate in my hands. It's fine. Yeah, it's almost like Frida's more advanced than you, as you see. Oh, that's, I wouldn't say that's true. Well, no, you're a much earlier model. Maybe you're really, really ancient. As I'm looking at the wound,

can I see the difference between slashing and any puncture marks is what I would be looking for. Yeah, make it. Actually, medicine or perception for you. Okay. In this instance. That's a fucking natural one. Beep boop beep.

Yeah. For two. Honestly, you're not familiar with the body type of an automaton like this, so. You look fine. I think one of the reasons I may have survived your attack is because I don't have blood. You seemed disinterested.

Oh. I guess that's good. It won't be a problem again, I promise. A, I think I'm attracted to things that move and shiny things, just in general, and in my elevated state. But um. I wouldn't make any promises that you can't keep.

It definitely will never happen again. I promise. Thank you, that means a lot. I did, I was thinking as I was powering off yesterday evening, Imogen, that you were trying to contact your friends. What are their names, by the way?

Laudna. Laudna. Laudna. Laudna. Did I say that right? It's Laudna. It's Laudna. Orym. Orym. And Ashton.

And Ashton. We have more than just those three friends. Sure. But those are the ones that we're thinking about in this moment. I only have one friend. Well, now I have more friends. I think there's a place in Uthodorn, the Velem Steeple. The what? The who? The Velem Steeple. Velem Steeple, yeah.

No promises, but there are some very learned people there, some magically inclined people there, and I think maybe they might be able to reach out to your friends. Really? Or they might know someone who can, or maybe be able to steer you in the right direction in regards to this magical block. Yeah.

That sounds wonderful. I hope that they're not suffering the same fate that we are right now, but I mean, anything would be good. I'm sure they're worried about you all as well. I hope that they're around to worry about us. Of course they are. They're just, they just can't talk to us.

This place that we're going to today, Uthodurn, it's safe, it's not overrun by bandits and warlords or anything like that? No. And folks like you and me are accepted there? A lot of weird looks, or just? I've experienced my fair share of weird looks, but I've never been harmed, or pardon my French, fucked with.

Farida. My goodness. The influence isida. I love this. The influence is clear. What? No! I am pure as the driven snow. Nothing's changed, I see. Woo-hoo! Saucy. Well, should we set off for this place?

Yeah. You have contacts in the Vellum's Depot? Not contacts, no. No, I mean, I've visited and been inside, but I don't know anyone in there. It's fancy. It sounds like a church. It's a church of some sort. It's almost like a-

Church of knowledge. Yeah. Museum, I've never been inside. They don't, no. It should be nice. They don't allow visitors. Is it the same way as a Starlight, Starpoint? Starlight Express?

Starpoint Academy that I fully remember because we have a struggle. Do you need healing, Emmett? Yeah, I do. I'm distracted, y'all. I guess we'll see what we get there. Chet. Yo.

You bit me last night. What? I am now also a werewolf. Yeah. Chet. Yo. You bit me last night. What?! I am now also a werewolf. You're in the pack. I'm in the pack. Okay, it's time to get my face tattooed on your buttocks. Do you want a profile or straight on? Oh, uh-oh.

I don't want, I'm not, I'm just kidding. What do you mean? You didn't bite me, you didn't bite me. Okay, don't tease. I was just trying to. Seriously, though, how do you know if you didn't bite me. Okay, don't tease. I was just trying to. Seriously, though, how do you know if you didn't attack anybody else? I asked.

What do you mean you asked? I asked if everybody was. No, what if there was another person wandering around the woods that wasn't part of our group? They probably got fucking killed. Yeah. Chet. What? Wouldn't be the first time. You said before you.

Well, yeah, but I mean, they were all bad. Are you sure about that? No, he has no memory of it. This is something you really need to get under control. You could be a menace to yourself and others. How would you go about doing that, though? How would you go about doing that, though? How would you go about getting this under control so you can stop being a menace?

Well, remember, we instituted the restraint system where every night. Yeah, well, it didn't work, did it? Well, we're not on an airship anymore, Imogen! What are you doing running around? You just hug your... Deanna? No, I know Deanna, but your girlfriend?

Former bae? Former girlfriend? Former bae. Fling, at best? I don't think they're together now. Have you recon... What? No. What? What are you asking? I don't know, things happen quickly.

Yeah. I'm too old for her now. Do you think we banged it out while you were asleep? Four hours is a long time. It can help a lot of stuff. It can help. It's a very accepting group. That is, yeah.

In your head, you hear, did y'all bang it out? No, we did not! I just, nope. In your head, you hear, did they bang it out? He's saying no. Okay. Look, it's totally fine. I'll just start tracking the moon again when we're not getting teleported to a different continent.

Right. I was a little shook up. I got caught off guard. I was on my heels. I'm sorry. And I haven't killed an innocent person in a while. All right. All right.

Well, we just got to keep track of the moon. Yeah. And when we know that it's going to be full, we got to just, you know, lock it down. That's if the world still exists by the time the moon is full. Yeah, I mean, what's the point? Why not? Just get out there and...

So interesting, we should go! Yes, we should. Let's go! I am stifling a panic attack because I think it's the first I had heard that a bite transfers lycanthropy. Do I see the very obvious bite mark on my friend? I wouldn't say it's obvious.

Make a perception or medicine check. Look, it's a hard bite, Matthew. There's a lot of them. You're so old, so bad. 12. 12. Can I have advantage? Just because? Just because?

Just because? Or DM to DM? Like, homie to homie? What is the DM count? It's amazing, I'm going to try it. Can I burn my free advantage? I shot that all the time. I shot that all the time.

Do your Illuminati hand signals. Nope. Maybe I'm in front of me advantage. 12 isn't terrible. It's slightly better than average. And knowing your friend, as well as you do, and as long as you've traveled together, in taking a moment and asking to look across,

you see some of the scratch marks and some of the wounds that have healed through magic and just the natural process of the Ormiton. There are some marks around the shoulder that was hidden by the collar of the coat a little bit that looks like puncture wounds. Gul. I think when I put the death word on you today,

it stings like a sunburn. Just a little stressed out about it. Like, here you go, buddy. That's, I didn't want to say anything yesterday, but I didn't realize how comforting it was to have this done every morning. Yesterday you did Mr. Puckapy and- A mistake I will never make again.

No, I- I'm so sorry. I think it's, you're free to put your death ward on whoever you want. Right, I did, but at the one time I didn't, he almost ate you, I think. Which was kind of exciting. Stop saying that! It's true, I'm more concerned with the jacket

than I am with the butt. We can fix the jacket! We can fix the butt. Yeah, I think. It's okay, Deanna. You're good. I'm better than good. I feel alive. Wild. I know.

Okay. Okay. I just walk off and hyperventilate for a second. All righty. You gather your things and prepare for your journey to Uthodur? Yes a minute. All righty. You gather your things and prepare for your journey to Uthodur? Yes. Yay! All righty. If we make it alive.

Ooh. Love. Love. Well, it is the better part of a day's travel. There is a fog that's blowing in from the cold front above. It looks like a snowstorm, but at least it's a day and a half off, so it won't hit probably until you reach the city and are comfortably within the warmer,

subterranean hearths of the city. But for this final leg of the journey, I'd like somebody to roll a d20 for me, please. I'll do it. 11. 11, all right. You manage to travel through the mountain range, following the paths that you're very familiar with,

safely avoiding any sort of visually distinct hunting grounds for larger beasts and staying to some of the open spaces to make sure that none of the glass blades that are keeping eyes on the exterior of the mountain accidentally take you for any dangerous individuals that are wandering close to the city unapproved. But eventually you do begin to approach

the base of the mountain that contains the city itself. Just as the sun begins to get low in the sky, which, while you can't see it directly, you can tell the temperature and color of the clouds beginning to dim with the end of the day. The wind is getting a bit colder and you're arriving just in time as you begin to ascend around the bend towards the top. You can see there are a number of metallic cap entrances that are locked away and partially buried in snow. Eventually you come around to what looks to be a massive courtyard with sentry buildings and towers that look out.

You can see there are cloaked figures just keeping an eye, and as you approach, you see a few crossbows just resting up on the edge of open windows or arrow slits nearby. You can see there are large,acks, but the front has been carved out and it's a stable. Within there, you can see there are thick mountain horses with their heavy coats at the ready, as well as goats, these large mountain goats. The flock goats that are indigenous to this mountainous region, thick, meaty legs

and thick fur and these massive ram horns that curl in, and you can see them huddling next to each other for warmth with the storm front coming in. As you approach, Zalaz. Look at you. I have to go give screeches. Oh. Looks at you with this big old square, creepy pupils. Awesome.

Do you know that goats are more expensive than the horses? Are they? Yeah. Oh, I didn't know that. Are you just touching my goats? Who the fuck are you? You look back and you can see there's one individual, this rosy-cheeked dwarf woman

with pale, pale, almost translucent pale skin, this bright red chin beard, hair that's pulled into two twisted braids on the sides that dangles out the end and two golden rings, and this thick coat on the top, and she has a crossbow pointed up at you. Oh, I'm very sorry. I'm part goat, so I just wanted to give

little scratches. They were just so cute and fluffy. I'm not even going to take them, not going to do anything. I just wanted to give little scratches. They were just so cute and fluffy. I'm not even going to take them, not going to do anything. I just wanted to just... That's crazy. Well, why? Because I'm not saying that. I'm not judging. I just haven't seen that before. Well, it's just the way that I

made. I don't know what to tell you. Is it okay if I touch your goat? Yeah, keep petting him. I seem to like it. I'm not stopping you. I don't know what to tell you. Is it okay if I touch a goat's little horn? Yeah, keep petting them. It seems to like it. I'm not stopping you. I just was, didn't want you coming up trying to steal my goats. While she's distracted,

can I go try to cut some fur off? I just want to cut some fur off of the butt of one of the goats, because I need. Cut some butt fur? I need wool for my knitting. I told you she was in it, so crazy she is. It's so fluffy in the back. Make a slight hand check.

Trim his pants. Oh, that doesn't work. The haunches have the best. Perfect. Terrible. Oh god. It literally got a natural one, so. It's so, okay, well, it's above a one.

Seven. Nice. Weirdly, you still managed to succeed. They are so distracted by this half-goat woman that walked into the front. I love ferns so much. As a group of four glass blades begin to emerge from one of the towers and approach,

you can see there's this tall, thin, elven man who has this, his features are very definitively elven, but he has this thin goatee that travels down the chin and comes to a long point that blows in the wind. His hood goes back and he has this receding hairline towards the back, Bill Murray-like hair, almost. Oh, nice. You can see he's wearing the attire of the Glassblades

as he looks upon the rest of you. The other ones around are also similarly armored weapons, not drawn, but definitely hands at the ready. If we look over. What's your business, Newthodun? I'm just holding one of the belts. Can't you just get in? Don't look at me. Sorry, sorry. Frida, do you know how to get through the guards?

We're returning from a journey. I've seen you around. All right, you mean. So who's your friends? Where'd they come from? These are old friends, and we met them on their way to Uthodorn, actually. They're here to trade a bit.

So they'll be under your care, and you are? Absolutely. Yeah! We're great here. Thanks so much. All right, then. Continue inside. He steps aside and they

move off to continue their patrol. Do they normally give you a hard time coming into the city? Depends on how they're feeling that day. Yeah. Oh. We're good, this is good. Do we need to hide you or anything? Or hide us? I good. Do we need to hide you or anything? Or hide us? Well, yeah.

I don't think we need to hide you unless you, are you wanted or? Are you a future dude? Could be. I haven't actually checked, but I did stab somebody in the knee. Yeah, I feel like you left here on not very good terms. Was it one of those soldiers? Somebody else in the hand.

Who did you stab in the knee again? It was an elf prick. It doesn't matter. I don't think he's here. Shouldn't be a problem, as long as we stay off the deliberation disc. What are the discs again? There's the volition disc, deliberation disc,

and then at the very, very bottom is the grand disc. The grand disc. Grand disc. If you want to be fancy about it. Yes. Well, Mr. Puck-a-pee, if you want to stay under the jacket while we walk together, perhaps I can shield you. Yeah? Go for it.

Can I try it? It's really cozy. I just hold onto your, like... Yep. I got to shuffle. And you'll see that when you reach up there, there are these two almost natural hand-holding things there. I got to shuffle. You'll see that when you reach up there, there are these two almost natural hand-holding things there

that you can't quite make out what it is, but there's something there for you to... Oh, like shoulder handles? Yeah, there's something on the shoulder. Oh, so I can just lay against your back? I don't have to bubba-dubba-dubba-dubba-dub? Nope. Nice. Wow. I got little licks.

Is his body, their body, warm, cold? Is there heat? It's cold. Okay. It's cold. I press my ear up against. Make a perception check. It's the diamonds.

14. Yeah. 14. You just hear this very faint... I fall asleep. My voice? Oh no. Just full carnivores, immediate noises. Yeah. Don't drool. Don't drool on him. Yes.

Walking past the exterior of the glass blades towers, you head into this set of stairs Yes. Walking past the exterior of the glass blades towers, you head into this set of stairs that leads up into this large opening. It looks to be almost like an archway, and then there is a descending staircase, this wide, 15-foot-wide staircase that immediately cuts downward

into the darkness of the mountain below. Once you begin to enter the interior shadow, your eyes have to adjust for a minute, but the scents hit you immediately. These extremely vibrant smells of burning, dry pine wood, of almost long, ash charcoal, of hints of cooked meats and breads, along with this dry, old earth smell,

all mixing at once to create this unique potpourri, almost like a musty incense that immediately tackles your senses. Descending the stairs, a couple of glass blades walk past and give a nod, both sizing a few of you up and then passing on by until eventually you descend into the volition disk proper. Here, as the stairs open up into a much larger archway,

you are immediately greeted by this massive neighborhood of numerous structures and buildings, homesteads, that run a gamut of stone-carved dwarven domiciles, small, medium, large, built into the sides of the actual mountain walls themselves, built into the sides of pillars. You can see these large, load-bearing pillars that look like 20 feet across and almost 100 feet tall, like kind of meet the ceiling of this large, large carved cavern. The entire thing, from this angle as you step in, is ever so faintly slanted. You notice as the road carves through, and there's this road that you're standing right now, you do see a sign to the right, as well as other signs that lead to different

parts of the neighborhood, that is marked as the Ogden Trail. This carves centrally down and you see the entire city is built in this slow, gradual, descending corkscrew motion. When I say slow descending, I mean it's miles of it slowly transitioning around a central column that marks the center part of the city. So you can only really make out this portion of what you now know to be the Volition Disc. But it is... It is bustling. At this point in what would be the late afternoon, pushing into the evening, you can make out numerous people. Dwarves, elves, primarily, in a unique mixture of cultural sharing. For some of you who have not been in this part, there isn't any sort of definitive separation,

but there are definitely settlements that lean more elven and cultural heritage, some that lean more dwarven, some that lean more human, which seems to be the largest mixing pot of a lot of the places here in Exandria. But in here, the architecture is starkly dwarven with bursts of elven construction.

You can see up along some of the higher parts of the wall, there are beautiful wood-carved domiciles that are very indicative of classic old elven architecture that is just built into the side of this cavern. It is a unique patchwork of visuals that you weren't quite expecting without the context of what Uthodurn is. Here amongst it, you can see there are bakers, there are cobblers, there are all sorts of

individuals that are selling their wares and gathering their groceries and just passing through with families. You can see there are subterranean gardens and what looks to be walkways with moss-green-like bushes with subterranean trees that are given life by sunlight orbs that are embedded above and give natural sunlight to a place where it does not actually reach. But it is a beautiful display, and immediately,

you see this as a warm and thriving cityscape. Our place is right over there. Oh, your house? Yeah. By the way, it's going to be a little bit of a squeeze, kind of built for this height, but you are so welcome to stay with us. How long have you lived here?

What a fun question. Recent, post, the gap, about four years. Okay, yeah. Pre-gap, this was where my family lived. And what do you do for a living? Oh, mostly just trade my, I'm very good at knitting. Oh, well I've noticed. Thanks, so yeah, you just make your way.

What was that? A car. There's a lot of bartering that happens, so you just do a bit of that. Oh, like at farmer's markets. Yeah. Nice. You notice as you begin to walk through the town, for those of you who are dazzled

with the display of the city, those of you who are from here, and you may notice this as well, there are normally along the streets numerous glowing, enchanted baubles. They're like the ever-burning lanterns that light the city. Many of them are dim, dark, non-functional.

The city seems darker than what you remember being around. And while there are people going about their business in life, there is also, as you begin to wade into the crowds of people, an occasional tension. There's an anxiety in the air. People seem to be just walking and breathing with attention. And from what we know of the city,

if there was something wrong with those lights, they usually get fixed, right? You've never seen anything wrong with the lights before. Wow, okay. I'll just say loud enough for Mr. Pock-a-pee to hear, Mr. Pock-a-pee, welcome home. Thank you. This is quite strange.

It's a bit different than what I remember, and I haven't been gone as long as you. No. The lights are quite dim. They've never been this dim. It's not supposed to be like this, huh? I've never seen them like this, no. That's a little weird. I can fix that. I'm going to cast Light at the top of my big walking staff. It lights like a beacon. He's a child a little way down the road, this adorable squat little

dwarven boy with these big apple-like cheeks. He goes, Whoa! Nice flex. Thanks. Do you feel that, Deanna? Yeah. Is there a check I can make to just, what's a vibe check? Just make it. Roll a vibe check. Yeah. You know what?

I'll say make an insight check to just gather the energy of the space. With disadvantage, great, perfect. What's four plus nine? 13. 13. You can't get anything too specific from it, but they're definitely... Everyone's just a little spooked.

Can I just throw up a Detect Thoughts and see if, as we walk by people, I can pick up any, glean any insight into what people are thinking. Certainly. So as you're passing by folks in the street, certain thoughts just swim past you, like a Doppler effect of information.

Some seem to be, it's hard to get through here, and the light's so dim, I prefer things to be. I'm not like the other dwarves here. I'm used to the enemy passes by. And someone else is like, Ah, some of the businesses have been closing down today. I know it stings your mitten,

and lost that as it goes. Somebody else is, man, I wish the temples wouldn't close right now. Everyone's feeling a little out of sorts and I think they could use some guidance, but then flitters away as you're losing folks as they go by. Yeah, most folks are just going about their business in the day, but those are the few thoughts that you catch

that seem to be unique amongst just personal business. This game recorded a lot of ambient wallah for this area. Yeah, a lot of. Yeah. Maybe our script for here. Is there a significant present of glass blades on the Augan Trail, from what we can see? The Auger Trail, as you look around.

Auger or Aughan? Sorry, Auger. I said it wrong originally. Oh, okay. It's Auger as Aughen? Sorry, Augur. I said it wrong originally. Oh, okay. It's Augur as in like a log. There you go. Like a massive drill curvature, if you will. The Augur and Trust is a different thing in the Vanillian Empire.

That's where my brain got mixed up. Oh. You have too much stuff. There's too much stuff in my brain! Sometimes it just leaks out, I'm sorry. Out of your eye? Yep. What's your... I got checked out. Someone stop it, my brain! Sometimes it just leaks out, I'm sorry. Out of your eye? Yep.

I got checked out. Enough! Butterscotch. I may not. It's a little salty. Sorry. I'll have more tea soon. Traveling through, and this is just the early journey

through the Volition Disc. People pay mind to, you occasionally catch attention because of your exhibit, but you hide it well as just an armored figure in a coat. FCG, you are very much gathering as much attention as Fearne is as well, to unfamiliar entities walking through

the central thoroughfare of the Volition Disc, and folks are looking over. Hello? Hello. Smiley Day? Hello? Hello? Smiley Day? Oh, hi, hi. Hi. It's so dark.

I know, what is up with the light in this place? I don't know. It's usually rowdier than this. The Topper mines are up here, so it's usually a raucous group. Well, where's the Overmoons? Yeah, I feel that. I feel that vibe.

It's probably the ley-liney stuff. I don't know, maybe they saw something happen. Plus, if anybody's trying to reach out, their magic isn't working. It's out of put. To answer your question, the glass blade presence is definitely higher than normal. Oh.

There is definitely, you see them at most every street corner in pairs, just keeping an eye and looking around. It definitely leans into that elevated energy. Just as a flavor check, are they scanning people's faces or are they just doing the wide, like? The latter, more just the wide.

Make an insight check for me. Come. I would like to hang a little bit back. Why? You are exhausted. Oh shit. See if there's anyone looking for you. Okay, make a perception check for me. 15.

15. Thank you. I think I have to do it on the watch. You get the sense that they're not looking for something specific at the moment. They're more present for the comfort of the people of the city. Got it, got it. Cool. 21.

21, okay, so you're keeping an eye wide. You don't see anyone trailing you in any sort of odd way, just the occasional eyes meeting your group and the general passing curiosity of new folk wandering into Uthodurn during such an odd period. I'll kind of, you know, I've come down off of Freydas' back, but I'll come out from between the legs and kind of...

Yeah, we're looking for you. Yeah. I'll keep an eye on FCG, particularly if anyone is looking at him with greedy eyes. Doesn't it feel weird, y'all, that we fought something for so long and it seems so dire, and then we've just been traveling for days now.

It might've all happened while we were just in the snow. We just don't even know about it. Maybe nothing happened. Maybe we were able to prevent it or something. I don't know what they did to Keyleth. And that man. Yeah. Yeah, we just went through a real thing, you guys.

Yeah, I can feel that. Abraon, what time of day is it, now that we've arrived? You would gather it's probably just past sunset, now that you're inside the city and you spend a little time walking through the streets following Deanna to where you're leading them. And the vellum, temple, steeple, temple, steeple. In the vellum steeple? Temple? Teeple?

No, vellum steeple is in the Deliberation disk. Or the Deliberation? Yeah. Got it. The middle one? Yeah. How are you all feeling? Would you like to head to our place? No, I think we should go. We need to reach out to each other.

We're just eager to find our friends. Yeah. Okay. I've been heading straight down. They don't really seem like a relaxed kind of group. Like a pointed image in like. We'll fill you in, because I think the more arcane-ly leaning of us should probably take the lead,

but we got to catch you up on some shit. Yeah. It's only fair. Okay. You seem very stressed out by it, so. Well, I mean. It's uncomfortable. No, it's not. It's, you know, the world could be ending.

You guys are back. You got separated. The, there's a chance that an entity that is ancient as all fuck has been released on the gods and now is destroying them. Yeah. And our magic in the world as we know it will end, and therefore, I don't know how many people are going to die, because a lot of people are based in magic. What if it happened and Laudna's the only alive because of arcane purposes, and then she's just gone

because of it? A lot of that is conjecture. I grab Imogen and a really tight hug. Also, Imogen's mom is wrapped up in a lot of this stuff and might be a bad guy. She is a bad guy, Cyd. Well, for now, but we can get her back. Imogen, there's no need to worry about something

that we don't need to worry about yet. Huh. Yeah. I'm sorry, y'all. Don't you be sorry. You are voicing some of our fears right now, so. As someone whose magic is pretty much entirely arcane, I think I'll be a good canary in the coal mine

if the gods are dead. I mean, because yours comes from a divine source, right? Dawnfather above, yeah. And you still feel. That's true, that's true. I just kind of wave my cantrip. Yeah. Still on, it's great.

Still there. Still there. I seem to be perfectly fine, so I think we're okay. Twice makes a tendency. If things start to break bad... We'll deal with it however we can. Yeah. Okay. When we get there, is there anyone at the Steeple

that you know or anyone we should ask for? Oh, can I? I don't think I've ever been in the Vellum Steeple myself, but is there a person that's widely known to be in charge of it? Or will I lie? Make a history check for me. Perfect. It's bad to make checks when you're sad.

12! The only number I know today. 12? You're right around 11. Not anyone specific, but what you do know is the halls are used for research and they are generally open to the public if people are willing to pay

to have research done for them. Meaning they're open to approach. They're not free to wander. There are many different archivists and research professors and people that are part of the schooling process of the education system within Uthodurn that utilize this, as well as a number of other historians.

Really? Okay. Uh-huh. Okay. Yeah. Storyfully. I see what we're doing today. But no specific individual, no. We'll keep an eye out for a friend of mine named Carmen. But if they're not there. Carmen. Sandiagor. Yeah!

Carmen Sandiagor, great. Yes! Blue dress, blue hat. Fucking tricky shit. On the way, are we passing any shops? Is there anything that we need? I guess not, right? There are, but I feel like we got to hustle. Try and reach our friends.

You don't want to go shopping? I love shopping. Padilla's Boutique of Ample Armaments is particularly. Padilla's? Don't worry about it, we got to go. All right, we'll go there on the way. It's kind of the end of the night, so if we can get there before everything shuts down.

Yeah, let's go, let's go, let's go. Nice thing. Hey, everyone just lean forward a little bit. There's a tilt, so you can just build up a run. Double tilt, yeah. We jog it out build up a rut. Double-jerk, yeah. We jog it out. Not a worry. Heading through the streets,

you pass through the majority of the Volition Disc through the neighborhoods. There are some large arches. You can see these mass stone arches that go over the center of the main trail, which itself is a 20-foot-wide cobblestone walkway. You can see on these arches, they have buildings, homesteads,

that are built across the top that overlook the actual walkway. You can see on these arches, they have buildings, homesteads that are built across the top that overlook the actual walkway and the neighborhoods around. Some of these are very well made, and you can see there are individuals on almost like a balcony, if you will, just having dinner, overlooking the city. Eventually you come to the end of this, where you can see there are these massive pillars, and what looks to be a giant iron gate that is held by these incredibly thick metal chains, just probably a dozen or so that are all fixed to large cranks of some kind. But it looks like this is one of a number of fail safes

where they can actually separate the various portions from the discs from each other, should they need to defend and back up into it. The compartments of the Titanic that don't let the water go into the next? Yes, just like that. You got it. Yeah, but it's for people, so it's worse. You're following.

And they work. It always works every time. It always works every time. Just like the Glam. You pass by the exterior of the Topper Mines, which you, they're just beyond, or just before you reach that large, almost locked down sluice-type gate.

Passing downward into the Deliberation Disk. Beyond there, you can see there are more of, it's almost like the neighborhoods fill even thicker, except here now it is industrial. It is merchantile. Here it is a heavy business-oriented portion of the city here on the deliberation disk. I'm just going to stay real close to Frida,

just in case, you know, just keeping an eye out. You got it. You continue to push through? You guys are just moving, coasting straight down? I think so. Do the guards on the Volition disk, sorry. No. Are the guards on the Volition disk equally spooked?

The Liberation disk. The Liberation disk, yeah. The Liberation disk, excuse me. I mean, everyone seems to still be at attention universally throughout the city. I can't discern whether it's, Mr. Pock-a-pee. Can you smell fear? Generally, yes.

It's different on everyone, though. Sometimes it's got a citrus thing, sometimes it's like a smoky leather. I'm curious if you can smell fear here. What am I getting? As we head down to the deliberation disk. Make a perception check. Cast Guidance.

With disadvantage. Yep. Plus a d4? Yep. Ew, hell yeah. Oh, that's okay, yeah, 16, 17. 17. Disadvantage, dude. Yeah, 15. Natural 20.

That's a natural 20, that pulls a 1. Yeah, that's a natural 20. That's the eye of Uk'oto. Uk'oto. Uk'oto. I mean, yeah, you don't smell... It's adjacent to fear in the entire neighborhood. Now that you really hone in on it, you can smell the anxiety.

Axe body spray. Smells like Phoenix. More or less. Yeah. You can smell the anxiety. Axe body spray. Smells like Phoenix. More or less. Yeah. As you're looking across the city, beyond just the continuation of a number of the light sources within the city having blinked out, a lot of the businesses are closed. Yeah, this is strange.

The Allhammer's Mantle, which is a massive temple A lot of the businesses are closed. The Allhammer's Mantle, which is a massive temple to the Allhammer, is also closed. The gates never close, but you see them shuttered at the moment. Okay, okay. That's not supposed to happen. I'm aware. Aren't those supposed to be open all the time?

Do we see any clerics or priests to those temples walking around or outside of the temple? Quick glance, you don't see anybody on the time. Do we see any clerics or priests to those temples walking around or outside of the temple? At a quick glance, you don't see anybody on the outside. I would also want to keep a wide berth from anything that goes near Oltgar's chest. Mm-hmm. Oltgar's chest is a place? That's where Chex is.

Okay, well, if you're going through, continuing the auger trail, you'll be able to see it to your right, but you'll, you know, it's a- Hug the left, you know what I mean? Okay. Okay. All right, as you continue past, you do glance over in the direction,

and you see the building. It looks like it's been expanded upon. Son of a bitch. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait, they've... What you looking at, Jett? Just the second floor. Oh. Nice.

Yeah, it's been doing really well. That's where you worked, right? Yes. Were you going to say hi to your folks? Fuck no. Why? Because I bloodied the owner, okay? We were real tight.

Is that him you stabbed in the knee? In the hand, him, yep. Who did you stab in the knee? I should not talk about it this openly on the street, but the owner of the shop and I, we made incredible wooden toys that children loved. And then wooden toys fell out of fashion and there was a son of a bitch who came in and said,

kids like things made out of metal. Oh, oh. He wanted to start sharing some of the ownership of the store and that didn't take him very well. So you stabbed your former partner over it? Well, no. Or the guy who wanted to switch to metal? He owned both of them.

You stabbed them both. Yeah, but one before the other. Why did you blame your friend? Well, he was kind of like an instructor to me. I learned a lot from him, but he forgot his roots! It's wood! There's a purity there. You don't have to do the thing that's in vogue.

You're yelling. I'm sorry, you're right. No, you're good. Thank you for keeping me in check, that's true. I appreciate it. No one's going to force you to do anything, but if you have a relationship with this person, it's never too late to try to repair it.

Open him up from, oh no. To try to repair it. Yes. You're older now, you're more mature, maybe. You have worked a little bit in metal. Yeah. You know? I'm metal. You gave me something that was metal. Yeah. You know? I'm metal.

You gave me something that was metal. Sounds like you should have finished the job. He's embracing the change. You know, times change, Chetney. Yeah, I like where you're going with this. Little dark angel on my shoulder. What do you mean, times change? Times change.

I understand that I've seen a lot of the time change, but sometimes we just got to be us. Sure. I agree with Mr. Puckapy. Thank you, Frida. I'm sorry I fucked you up in the wilds. Oh, you have to stop apologizing. It was fun.

I'm not saying we do this now, but maybe one of us could go in and just see what's going on inside. You don't have to, but just to report to you on what we see. Yeah. After we go to the Vellum Steeple. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, after, after.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sheepishly, you continue onward, eye-glancing from the dirt. I don't know what I'm saying. I like this energy. I'm like, we could do a little arcsuit. If you look closely, that chisel's in my hand. The chisel twitch?

Got the forearm grip. All righty. Continuing past the central bulk of the marketplace district of this central disk, you continue on past the Candid Garden, past another of Padilla's boutique of bountiful provisions. That's the spot.

You can see the Anvil of Smeltborn. There is eventually, not far from the Plexus Post, the side of the Vellum Steeple, which in itself is this massive, curving tower of blue marble that seems to almost glitter and shine, and little bits of light hit it from the undersides of the city as it curls up into the ceiling of the cavern above it,

blending in with the rock, almost like it was uncovered after being hidden within the mountain itself after a long period of time. As you approach, you can see the windows don't look well lit, but the doors are open. What is going on here?

I don't know, but it's not a dangerous place, though. We can just go in, right? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'll open the door up for everyone. It's just dim. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I'll cast Light and shine my eyes if it's dark in there. Oh, that's a neat trick, Fresh Cut Grass. Thank you. You're welcome. I'll cast Light and shine my eyes if it's dark in there.

Oh, that's a neat trick, Fresh Cut Grass. Thank you. You're welcome, I can't do that. Step inside, you can see there are some low lantern lights, actual lanterns, like oil lanterns. You can smell the burning of lantern oil when you enter the interior. Immediately, you can see these high walls

with carved alcoves with candles that are lit and placed up in there. There's a central chandelier that has five different of these enchanted globes set into it, but only one of them is dimly glowing. And there is nobody at the front desk at the moment. Really? This is very strange.

There's probably a bell or something. I got it. Excuse me! Excuse me! I've been waiting here! The door swings open and you see this older dwarf gentleman with faintly pointed ears

who has this long pointed nose that extends about that far beyond this. This well-groomed mustache, looks a little frazzled at the edges. His hair is pulled back into a very tight ponytail where it almost quaffs into a big, blossomed poof behind his head, and he's wearing these long robes as he looks out.

We've been here for hours! So long, my god, where are you? I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know you were waiting. I'm just saying, when we eventually make a purchase here, I expect some sort of discount. We don't do discounts. What do you need? We have some questions.

He looks back in the room, closes the door. Cast Detect Thoughts. Okay, Cast Detect Thoughts, and you can see his mind is like, oh god, this is the worst time. People can just leave us alone for a bit and figure out what's going on. What's happened here? Okay, he gets the tech box and you can see his mind is like, Oh god, this is the worst time. People can just leave us alone for a bit and figure out what's going on.

What's happened here? What's happened all over the place? Everything's stopped working, at least a lot of it has, for no reason. Well. Some sort of mass magical disenchantment seems to have come through the city and hit a bunch of things. What kind of enchantment is on the lighting in here?

It's the kind that makes it glow permanently. Is there someone in charge that we could possibly speak to? Go get your manager. Yeah. Now. Who are you? We are a group of scholars that would like to pay

to have some research performed. We have questions. Professor Calloway. Very nice to meet you. The professor. Traveling professor. One of you make a deception check. I am a professor. Go ahead and make that check. You got this. I'll do it with you.

Let's do it, yeah, let's do it. Disadvantage. You have disadvantage. Give her advantage. How does that work? Can I give her exhausted advantage? Nah, it looks like a roll. Okay, that guided me. 13. Ooh! Okay.

Dirty 20. He looks at you for a second, puts his glasses back on, leans in. Oh, you certainly know the scholar from around here, aye? No. Do you just say that to people? What is wrong with you? This is a cosmopolitan city.

We don't just ask people. Young man, manners. No, I think it's true. I'm sorry, you very much. Do you have any? He's very old. He said, I said what I said. Full Karen.

He probably took it as a compliment. Do y'all have any means of contacting people at a long range? There's a lot going on right now. We're trying to find out. No, I understand. I know, I can see. Let me go talk to someone. Hold on, just hang tight.

Close the door. We don't want people just wandering off the street. We're technically not open to the public at the moment. Could I hear who he was thinking about when he was saying he was going to go talk to someone? Surface Thoughts, he's like, no, what you catch just Surface Thought-wise is frustration to the point of,

I don't have time or patience to deal with this right now, is the gist of what you get out of his mind. You could delve deeper if you'd like. No, that's all right. Okay. I'm going to close the doors and lock them. While he's gone, I don't want to get us in trouble or anything, but is there anything you guys want to look around and see, you creepy people?

Do we see anyone else? Is it just a lobby area? It's a lobby area, and you can see there are two doors to the right and left that lead into the back of the structure that are both closed. He went through the one on the left, and that's about all you can see there are two doors to the right and left that lead into the back of the structure that are both closed. He went through the one on the left. That's about all you can see.

It looks like there is some sort of a statue set in the center and above to the back of the wall that is mostly in shadow, but it looks like it's a person holding a book. Can I cast Dancing Lights? Sorry. Dancing Lights and just send him up to where the

chandelier is so I can. Yeah, kind of lights the room a bit. So you know, this is typically a place of knowledge and research, and from what I remember, you can pay to have certain things searched for, so money talks and bullshit walks a little bit here. So we might have to. I don't have any money. But y'all do. I don't have any money. Ishit walks a little bit here. So we might have to. I don't have any money.

But y'all do. I don't have any money. I spend it all in Bosphorus. Let me see. Don't I have, I may have something. I got a little, I got a little. I got a little. I got a little money on me. Mr. Puckerby, are you, you are very lithe and quick and quiet.

I think, is there any way you can get back there and find out what they're discussing? Yee, yes, and I will give, I'll give 200 gold to Deanna. We just make sure, if they come back. Is anybody looking at me? Can I look around? There's nobody else in the room but you guys. I go invisible. All right.

What? Alimony payment. What? Can I make my way around? Around the desk and try and, did he go through a door? Yeah. Can I try and gently, like... It's not locked.

Wait, are you still here, Chetney? I was about to do some cool shit. I know, I know, just before you go, I want to touch you. I come back over. I'm going to cast I'm not wearing any clothes. Enhance Ability on him for Why? Whatever is, what?

It's not necessary. Whatever stealth is, Dexterity. Yeah, okay. Dexterity. Cat's Grace? Yes. All right. What does that do? Advantage on dexterity. Yeah. Okay. Dexterity. Cat's Grace? Yes. All right. What does that do? Advantage on dexterity.

Such a straight roll. Such a straight roll. Chet. Thank you. Your head, you hear, just let us know if you see anything. Will you be able to hear my thoughts? I can hear your thoughts. Balls, flaying. Yeah.

Same as usual, Chet, go on. Make a stealth check for me. Now, you have disadvantage, and then you would have an advantage for being invisible. So that makes it a normal roll. I'll say with your spell that brings it back to advantage. Yay! Oh, so I do have advantage.

Because of the Cat's Grace. Nice. 26. 26, all right. It's the faintest squeak of the metal as you all watch the knob turn and the door opens up slightly. You can see that little beam of warm light filters through from the crack

as you sneak in and close the door behind you. You glance into this next chamber and you can see you are at the top. What you didn't notice is the exterior structure of the front of this is more like the front, I don't want to say facade, but like the front part of the building. The rest of it actually descends and it opens up into this massive library and research floor below. There's a balcony and some overlooked catwalk walkways that go along the sides, but there are all manner of books and shelves and boxes and containers and scrolls and papers. It is just a

mass collection of information and relics of some kind. You can see there are a number of chandeliers that hang from the ceiling, and indeed, a lot of them are out or have dull light to them. You can see there's a number of oil lanterns have been clamped up and are hung from different points here to give this warm red firelight to the interior. There are a number of folks rushing around in similar robes that are... Similar. Okay. Okay. Wow.

Okay. That'll work. I'm going to kill this robot. Welcome to my world. Every work. All right. I'm going to kill this robot. Welcome to my world. Every week. Give life. But there are conversations and there's a lot of discussion around. You can see, just from this point,

there's some bustle. And since it goes down and from where we are, is it a floor or two? Does it look like it's deep enough to extend into the disc below the deliberation? Not that deep. Okay. It's about maybe 15 feet down into the lower floor. So it's just like a,

almost like you entered at the second floor and would now descend to the first floor. Do I spot the elderly gentleman that was helping us? You do. You see him amongst the crowd. There's about maybe 15 individuals in here. Some of them are just currently going through books. Other people are pulling things off shelves. You can see there's a heightened,

almost an alertness to everybody in the process of just looking up things throughout the interior. Is he newsroom Momo? Kind of. That kind of vibe. He walks up to one figure who's down on the bottom floor and is currently at the edge of a table with a few other figures, looks to him, sighs, and you see this figure is an elven woman,

looks like short platinum hair that's like a pompadour. Oh shit. Pale skin who takes and tosses her robe. Did you say she was elven? Yes. Okay. And sets her breath and begins to walk up to head towards the entrance where you came from. Oh, Imogen, someone's coming.

Elven woman, platinum, dope ass, pompadour hairdo. I think she's coming. I'm going to stay here and see if I can just pick up a general vibe about what's happening. All right. Someone's coming. As she starts heading back, can I just, using my elven boots,

just lightly make my way around the room and see if I can pick up any discussions or concerns or things that just might peak anything that I'm aware of? Yeah, make a stealth check. Okay. Come on. Same thing or? Yes. Okay. Last for ever. Last for ever, oh, dope, 28.

28, okay. You feel confident that you probably can get through here without being noticed, thanks to the enhancement of your friend. Thank you, FCG. We'll come back to what you pick up with your passive perception as you coast this for a bit.

The rest of you hear the door open, and the elf woman walks out, closes it behind her. I've been notified that you're looking for a specific kind of work. She has this slightly androgynous, middle-aged elven woman look to her, very, what's the actress's name? Cate Blanchett. No.

Tilda Swinton. Tilda Swinton, thank you. Very Tilda Swinton-esqueesque with a platinum pompadour. The lighter robes fold in front and the hands are tucked together in their sleeves as she steps over to where you are. First off, I'd like to know who you are, what your business is, and what it is you're seeking. We're in a bit of unique times.

We don't have a collective name, but some of us are from a group called Bells Hells. You have a name? Yeah, we do. Oh, I didn't ask that. It's like a club name or something. Do you guys have a duo name? No, it's just Frida and Deanna. I don't know if you noticed, I'm sure you have,

that that's probably why everything is as hectic as it is here, but there's been a lot of changes happening. And we recently lost the ability to contact some very important people in our lives. It's all of us that try to do it are suffering a lot of static. Usually the change bringer has granted me the ability to talk to people from great distances, but it doesn't seem to be working. Oh.

Well, welcome to the club. So you're suffering the same. So it seems, though. We are not certain if this has spread farther beyond Uthodurn. It's only been a few days, but. It definitely has. How do you know this? Where are you from?

A lot farther. We know that it's happening on Marquet as well. You know this how? We were there a few days ago, a couple days ago, and we saw the beginnings of it there. And then all of a sudden, we weren't, with no explanation. Poofed over here.

Mm-hmm. I do hate solstices. From what we can ascertain, there is a citywide, if not beyond, that circumstance. How do I put it? A deep diminishing of divination. Diminishing of divination. Triple Ds, okay.

Does that happen every solstice? Not in our records so far. We're in the process of trying to see if there's been a pattern in history of such a widespread loss of magical capability, but this is, so far, unprecedented. But just divination magic? Because the lights are bad, too.

A number of other enchantments, older magic, have gone offline. Can you give us a quick rundown and be less snooty? Because I know you're just as in the dark as the rest of us, so you don't have to, like, whatever this is. Make a persuasion check. Oh no!

Guidance. Thanks! Oh god. That's a six. There we go. Oh, that could be nice. 15. Hey! 15, not too bad. If we're sharing information, please, anything you have to offer would be appreciated as well,

far travelers. All forms of divination in the realm of auguries, clairvoyance, communing with divine entities, contacting other planes, even scrying seems to be barely functional, if at all. A number of longstanding, up until recently, thought permanent enchantments seem to have been disabled, including long-set circles of teleportation. A lot of our means of mass transit and travel through other locations across Exandria

have been cut out from under us, and we've lost contact with most of the outside world. Oh, good magic. Oh, wow. Pardon me, did you introduce yourself? No, I did not. I'm Scryme Warden Ressia Uvesic. Yo, say it again one more time. Scrybwarden Ressia Uvesic.

May I call you Ressia? You may. Ressia? Who? Uvesic. I don't believe in coincidences. And it seems to me you need your best minds working on this problem, right?

And they are. I don't think so, because these are your best minds. These people have experienced whatever you're trying to figure out. In your head, you're going to hear, we may not want to reveal everything to everyone. We've all experienced some very confusing hardship as of late.

We have a number of very astute and learned individuals researching this as we speak. If you are willing to share information, perhaps information can be shared in trade. However, we are not in the business of losing business. After all, we do need to maintain funding for our research. You're worried about money during an applebee solstice? What is wrong with you?

Applebees? I'm sorry, I didn't hear when you said it what it was before, so I just ballparked. I've told you what we know. If you would like to share what you know. Otherwise, I'd like to get back to my work. You said you're a, have you tried scrying? Yes.

And it's a no-go? We've had no luck with any of our individuals with scrying capabilities. Okay. Do we trust in religion? I don't know. We need answers. This is a library, right?

Mostly. I guess if everyone's cut off from everyone, then we don't have to worry about people coming after us for saying the wrong thing anymore, right? I don't think so. Every new detail is bad. Yeah, yeah. Yes, we know a bit more about what's happening.

And I'll go into a bit more detail about what we saw and... Who was involved? Yeah. You're going to want to write this down. There was a man, Ludinus Deleuth. Of the Assembly? I'm not sure. I think so, yeah. Was the Assembly.

It's a bad group. I'm not even really sure. He basically, yeah, the FCG, I'm sure, filled in as much. Yeah. The rundown. Right. So you give the general gist without the specific details, necessarily. Things could be bad. Right. There was quite a bit of discussion of a number of individuals across Wildemount,

possibly beyond utilizing themselves as for ill, to seem that this definitely concludes that somebody succeeded, to a degree. Well, we have sent a number of parties traveling outward towards nearby partnered cities, as well as to Rosohna and the Empire to see the scope of what their impact has been as well, but we are unfortunately bound by the speed of physical travel.

So airships are working, skyships are working? We do not have a skyport here in the city. Okay. Are there any other means other than the divine to travel great distances? There are, but those capabilities do not lie with us. We are archivists. Oh, what? Druids.

Druids have the ability, right? Don't you have? Oh yeah, I wonder if I can. If I think real hard about it, is that how you do it? You just think about where you want to go? Have you heard of the ability, like the people that can open up a tree and go through a tree?

Yes, that tends to fall within the Belewick of the druidic types, yes. Are there any of those nearby or in town? Not to my knowledge. You don't have any druids in town? Sorry. No, you're good. We don't just have a druid segment of the city here. It's a rare lifestyle.

It's not a hobby. Oh, are there any Ashari tribes within close proximity? The Ashari are not of Wildemount. They are scattered on other parts of the town, yeah. She was with us when all hell broke loose and she might've been killed. Oh, yeah. A little bit. She was in dire straits when we...

Who was? This woman, her name was Keyleth of the Air Ashari. She was called the Voice of the Tempest. She seemed very powerful. Very powerful. And the people who did this made her suffer. So you're saying the Voice of the Tempest has been slain?

Whoa, whoa, we're not saying that. I do not know. I know of her. We are in the business of knowing things. She quite potentially has been slain. That is unfortunate news. When there was a man that showed up, he was dressed in all black and he had wings. Wings?

Yeah. He was slain also. And in a moment, he showed up. It was like, I don't know where he came from, and then they turned him into a sphere, and he... Wow, it all sounds really not possible when you say it out loud, but it's- It does sound a bit preposterous,

but I'm not saying I disbelieve you. I believe that you believe this. And I don't mean to sound insensitive. But you are, so try a little harder. Excuse me, I am trying to listen best I can, but I'm also dealing with 17 other problems at the moment. Do you think you're the only individuals to walk in here wanting information?

I'm dealing with the diarchy. I'm dealing with all of the various higher nobles here asking about what's going on, because we're supposed to know everything, and we don't. So I'm a bit anxious. And the first bit of information that's come in, you are treating quite rudely. I'm absorbing it.

Let's all take the temperature down a little bit. We're all stressed out because of what's going on, and we can all help each other. Maybe there's something that we could help you with, besides just sharing information. We've been helping. Is there anything that we can do to help you? Do you have the capability of reinstituting

any of these means of communication and or magical transportation? My Heavenly Mother might, if I reach out to her. Please, by all means. Can you make magic work again? Okay. Nope.

She looks long and deeply at the coin you flipped. It was worth a shot. Is there anything else immediately that y'all are dealing with that we can help with? Well, I just find that being nice gets you more open doors than being a Cairn. Okay. I don't know to be offended by that phrase.

Do you have still the capability, if we wanted to pay you for research, is that something that can still happen? It depends. Understand right now, the reason that the doors were closed is we're scrambling to figure out any possible route to this loss of Arcana, and the information you provided is possibly

a very hopeful thread that we can fold into this, and that's greatly appreciated. We can pay you for what you've provided. Oh, wonderful. Maybe it can be an exchange. Because I would love more information on Ludinus, if we can get it. You seem to know he was with the Assembly. I can look into his historical history.

He seemed like he was very old. I mean, I know elves lived for a long time, but he seemed like he'd seen a lot. I'll look into it. It's very old. I mean, I know elves lived for a long time, but he seemed like he'd seen a lot. I look into it. It's very scary. Scram, Morgan. Uh, I'm sorry for my tone earlier. Are the people here okay?

You said some long-standing enchantments have gone offline. Are the people safe? The people are as safe as we can keep them. The glass blades have been diligent in calming the populace. There's been some incidents. Numerous old enchantments. Some of them thought a assurance tend to have faded in recent days. That includes some of our magically bound prisoners who escaped and are currently in the process of being reapprehended. Gotcha.

Right. That your organization keeps prisoners, or the Glassblades keep them? The Glassblades, the Dire. And this organization is what again? Oh my god. This is the organization of the Vellum's Steeples. Oh, okay.

It's not connected to any other group. That's a, oh, that could be real bad. Any ancient beings that were being kept, imprisoned. Or keeping artifacts or, you know, horns and such. Could be released. Oh, this is a thing. Were there any members of the Assembly imprisoned here?

No, no, the Assembly of Political Figures, the Empire to the South. How far to the South? A few weeks' journey, if you're heading for the capital, Rexxentrum. Oh, should we go there? How long of a journey? A few weeks' journey.

A few weeks? We used to have connections to a library there, but it seems that the circles are no longer functioning. Not functioning at all, or just misfiring? No longer functioning. As in, bereft of arcana. The enchantment shattered. Well, shit.

Can you put the arcana back in it? We're currently looking into it. Okay. There's nothing that you're withholding from us? I have no reason to withhold anything. I just have a lot to deal with right now. Okay, yeah, you seem stressed. You need a nice glass of milk and a nap. Right about this point, you all feel a

heavy rumble, like an impact in the ground, like just something, some sort of loud thump that is both felt and this loud metallic echo just fills the space outside of the building. What's that? Is that you? What? I don't know. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the rest of my

wardens. Good day, please. Okay, thank you. I'll look into this Ludinus De Leth. Ludinus De Leth, thank you. Please. Yes, come back. They head off into the room and close the door. Tell Chetney that she's going to come back and have some sort of discussion that he should hear. Is Chetney still?

Yeah, I'll send all that. Chetney, there's some rumbling and, listen. She's on her way back. I found Skittles in a desk drawer and I've done nothing but eat the whole bag. I found M&M's. While you were wandering through here, sure enough, people are just pulling out scrolls

and books and they're reading, going through history, trying to look through year after year, archived notes of moments and magical events, lots of enchantments. They're shouting at each other and it's all of like, is that all you can find? I'm trying to look at it. Look, calm down.

And then some people are just getting frustrated. Some people are napping. You can see there's a cluster of individuals that probably haven't slept or are now trying to take a nap in the corner. They're moving in shifts. There's definitely a stress to the inside of this chamber. You pick up someone talking about

the worship events at the temples have been canceled. The high clerics seem on edge. Someone is trying to find out where the initial kept enchantments for the glowing lights of the city was, and they're in the process of not knowing where it got lost because they didn't think they'd need it. Ever. Yeah. And so one person's frantically trying

to not lose their job. You are in charge of antiquities. But they don't ever fucking have a role! But yeah, it's mostly people, like... Have you ever heard fear reading before? That's what this is. It's a lot of like... Okay, okay.

I'm just going to go on. I can get it off the top shelf. Like, okay, move the ladder over, climb up, getting scrolls off and plopping them down on a table, rolling them out, asking questions. A lot of it just seems to be about just, a lot of people are pouring through history, both of the city and just in general

of any sort of other events that involved a mass loss of permanent enchantment. And as I'm standing in the middle of this room, it sounds like a bunch of different people on different tasks. There is no larger team with a team leader talking about a name or a place or a focus group on a particular issue

that jumps out above the din of the rest of it? Not at the moment. Cool. You do pick up that there is a lot of... A couple times when someone says, I'm trying to fight it, and you hear another voice like, Do you want the Queen and King to continue to shit down our throats? Oh, Jesus.

It's like, I'm working on it. So it appears like they're also crumbling under the weight of the high end of the city's political spectrum. That's right, and I remember that the king here is an elf and the queen is a dwarf, right? Correct. Yes, okay. Yeah, that.

That's when you hear and feel the large. What does the room do? Dust settles off the top of the ceiling. A couple of books fall off the top shelves and impact somebody, dodges one, and everyone just goes. Oh, that's not a good reaction. Okay. Everyone looks to each other.

Well, keep working! Oh god. What is that about? What is that about? I'm going to start heading back towards the... Just one other quick look around since I'm here. Stacks, documents, tables, people working. Any kind of well-adorned doorframe

or an office of anybody that might read as a person's office or place of import? Make an exception check. Disadvantage, that was a natural 20. That's a natural 18. That's not bad. 19. Let's go. 19, not bad. There are a few offshoot offices, it looks like,

as well as separate research reading rooms. You do see underneath the balcony that overlooked when you walked in on the left-hand side of the balcony that overlooked this entire large space, down below and underneath, there is a double door that looks like it leads to a more well-kept and important chamber. I might not be able to help myself,

so I'm going to head up to the door, and can I just press my ear up to the outside, if it's not two crazy bodies moving? No, no. You can maneuver around. You get to the door, listen in. You're like, No, no. You can maneuver around. You get to the door, listen in. You're like, nothing, no sound. Can I try the door?

It turns, it's unlocked. Can I open it and take a look in? Yep, you open and look inside, and you can see this is a smaller, it looks like an office or a research chamber. There is a large table or desk that sits, and you can see there's a number of books put up on it. There are a couple of chairs on the sides, and one large back chair that sits on the other end, all empty at the moment. There are all sorts of portraits and

tapestries. You can see there's some glass trinkets on the table that look like they're meant to just rotate. One looks like an orrery, almost, made of brass and glass lenses. It looks to be some sort of an office. Weapons on the wall? No weapons. Can I just run over to the fucking desk and hop up in the chair? And can I just do a quick scan of what's on the desk of immediate import? See if anything catches my eye, anything I even know or symbols or anything like that? Pictures?

You can see there's full maps of the city, as well as maps of all the mines that have expanded. There's what looks to be ledgers and papers that speak on who was originally designated to create a lot of these enchantments throughout the city. You can see what looks to be historical pages and scrolls

that are rolled out that connotate and have big circles around areas that talk about mass dispelling events, but they've usually been small small, localized city block size. So it's focused on the city and there's nothing that looks like off-continent or larger maps of Exandria or anything that would be outside of your concern. No, I mean, you see like a large map of Exandria

on the wall, but like nothing that looks like it's currently in the process of its study. And that map doesn't have like pins or big ass circles on it? No. Okay. I'm going to just open the top drawer. See if there's anything in it. Yeah, a pair of scissors.

There's an inkwell and some quills. There's a bunch of blank vellum paper. There is a letter opener. I'll take the letter opener and a couple other quills. Okay. Shut the door. Okay. Shhh, it's a dream. This is the letter opener and a couple other quills. Okay. Shut the door. Okay. This is the door opens,

and you see the scribe warden come in with two other figures. And you just barely manage to dodge around the side as she walks in and sits in her chair, you now realize, and turns around towards the other two figures who are in the robes. Well, he goes like, All right, one of you, go and research Ludinus Deleuth,

the martinet of the Dwendalian Empire. Anything historical. We have information that perhaps he's involved in what has transpired here. The two figures nod and leave the room. Do you follow them? Come on, please, please. Follow that leaf. No.

I stay. You stay? Yeah, because they're going to go do research anyway. Okay. So you stay there in the chamber and watch as they sit down and they start huffing a bit and reach into a smaller drawer and pull out what looks to be a small glass vial. It's smaller at the bottom, or is it whiter at the bottom

and thin at the top and uncorks it. Kind of like. What's in the vial? Or from what it looks like? From what it looks like, it's a dark brown liquid. They sit down and go and start rubbing their temples. Nice. Nice.

Cool. I'll just start slowly tiptoeing out of the office. It's about this point that you hear Imogen's voice in your head. Hmm. She's coming back, she's coming back, and the stuff, and I don't remember everything I just said. She's already back in my head. I mean and the stuff, and I don't remember everything I just said. She's already back in my head.

I mean, then, I guess what I was saying then was we should probably get out of here. Okay, they're off doing research. Are you feeling that rumble? The delay on your mind shit is weird. These damn landlines are fucking up everything. I'll get to the door. Did it close already? The door is closed, yeah.

Ah! Okay. Maybe wait for another round. Before I open the door, I'll go, Ludenus. And I'll open the door, just a whisper. Immediately goes, and looks forward to the door as it opens up. Oh shit. Make a stealth check.

It's a ghost! Oh, wait. I don't know what it is, okay. Disadvantage. With advantage. With advantage. Oh, 29. 29. Oh god.

Not too bad, too. Okay. Immediately, she scoots in front of the table and goes rushing towards the door as you scoot out, and you watch as she emerges, holding onto the hand, looking out into the chamber. Part of the table and goes rushing towards the door as you scoot out. And you watch as she emerges, holding onto the hand, looking out into the chamber. Part of the pompadour comes free and hangs in front of the eyes.

The pawmaid, you guys, direct the pawmaid. Poor Tilda. Slicks it back. Closes the door. You hear it lock. I'll start heading back up towards the front desk area. The rest of you. Eventually, the door opens and you emerge

to meet up with the rest of your troop. I'll go up and I'll pull on Imogen. What? Let's go. Yeah, they're doing the research on Lunas. I forgot that the king and queen here, one is an elf, one is a dwarf. They formed a union because it was the,

the elves scattered from Molesmere? It was a long time ago, but maybe we could try and make an appeal at the, that's crazy. To the king? I don't know, maybe? Is that hard? Have you met the king? Hey, can we skip the diarchy and go see what the big sound was real quick? Oh yeah, let's go do that.

Yes. Did it seem like, so everybody that was below, they were looking up? Did you say that? Yeah, it was one of those, there's an earthquake. Where does it feel like the rumble's coming from? Like below or?

You feel it in your feet? You feel it in your feet. Okay. Oh, below? Let's go along to the street. It's going on. You hear it everywhere, but then Okay. Oh, below? It's going along the streets. What's going on? You hear it everywhere, but then you feel like a vibration.

It's almost like a quick burst earthquake, like a. Oh jeez. Is there something under the city? Do you know? Is there anything? There's more city. Mines. There's mines to the side, and those big gates that we kept passing through.

I'm going to pop a level three Bless to hit everyone but me, and then turn and sprint out of the room. All right. So everyone, you can just mark yourselves as blessed for the time being. Does Bless work? Hashtag Bless.

You all good? I hope so. I think so. Did it? Y'all feel good? Did it work? Seemed to work. Okay. Seemed to work. You go charging out of the interior of the Vellum Steeple and out into the street, and you can already hear a lot of voices.

People are out in the streets, and muttering and talking in elevated tones. As you head towards the auger trail to the center, you can see people are emerging from their homes, and they're asking questions like, What was that? Did you hear that question? I know, I know. And everyone keeps looking in the southward,

downward slope of the continued curvature. So it feels like they're concerned about the grand disk below. We should go down there. Down. We should go down. Come on, come on, come on. As we roll, I'm going to just pop out four cinnamon raisin bagels

that I've been baking inside my body. Nervous cinnamon raisins? I give you one. In your hand. Are you there? Ah, yeah, just drop it. Are you still invisible? Yep.

Give you one. I'm sorry for you. I can't taste. I would love to give you one. I'm trying to hit you with this one. I love you so much. Ah! Those will give you a little extra boost

if you get into trouble. And also, they're whole wheat. Oh, I have a gluten thing. I'm so sorry. You know what? I milled my own flour, so it's actually pretty good on gluten intolerant people. It won't mess with you as much. It's not physically. It's more like a mental thing. Oh, you just hate gluten as a person? I do, I do. Okay, cool.

You're looking at me, Frida, what is it? In your head, you hear that. In your head, Imogen, you hear, it sounded like, I mean, saving the world is important, but you all finding your friends might be the important thing to do. And it sounds like the arcane magic is depleted, and I have an arcane core. I might be able to use the core as a conduit to power some sort of magic for you all. I think maybe after

this, we should probably go see Jacoby. Jacoby. He worked on me, yes. Oh. And I think, again, I'm not sure, but I'm made of arcane magic. I have an arcane core, I believe. Yeah, but it makes you run, Frida.

Well, there might be a way to take it out, empower something else, and then put it back in me. I think we might need to just, like how I get charged, we might need to just charge the arcane magic for you all to be able to contact your friends or transport from Uthodorn to another city. I mean, I'm not going to say it's not possible. I have no idea.

I think Jacoby might... That's a wonderful thought. All right, Jacoby. Yes. What disc is Jacoby on? He's upstairs. All right. We'll continue downward to see what that was,

but we should check in with him. Yes, definitely. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Going down. Heading further down the Liberdisk, people, of course, are filtering out of their homesteads and buildings.

You can see that tension is now elevated to confusion and fear. You hear kids crying as you go by and parents tension is now elevated to confusion and fear. You hear kids crying as you go by and parents trying to shush them, people shouting and looking for their friends, trying to gather their families and bring them inside. And you begin to see where the crowd is thickest is towards the end of the Liberdisk,

where you can see a mass of glass blades and what you recognize to be royal guards clustered, sweaty, and nervous, all gathered on the outside of the sealed metal gate to the grand disk. As it's been cut off? They've actively cut it off? They've sealed it.

Oh, wow. Did they seal it on this side, or can we tell? Is there any way to tell? Are they looking at the gate like, oh god, it should not have closed, or are they standing with their backs to it? They're standing with their backs to it, and they're pushing crowd away.

People are being led off the streets, and you can see they're clustered and gathered around. Make a perception check for anyone who's glancing at space. I'm also going to listen to some thoughts, some more detecting thoughts. This girl is two. I'm going to open my mind.

21. 25. 16. Oh, perception. I rolled shit. 11. Never mind. 12. Thank you.

Disadvantage. 20. Okay. God, I'd love to know. Never mind. 12. Thank you. Disadvantage. 20. Okay. God, I'd love to know what it's like to roll that high. You'll get there. I'm believing you. Let them cut! Gathered amongst this group of Royal Guards and armed soldiers, you can see some of them look to be

slightly wounded, bloodied in the face. Oh, fuck. You can see they're pushing folks away and telling folks to go back to their homes, shouting, you know, Please step away! Stay back, stay back! And you see that they're not being forceful, but they're definitely keeping a distance

and keeping the populace, who are shouting, what happened? Why is it closed? Why is it down? What's happening down below? We deserve to know! People are shouting, and they're just like, please stay calm. Get back! And you can see, as they keep doing this, that there are small tunnels, like doorways, that are on the sides of this gate that are also open, and more soldiers. And you can see nobles and other figures are rushing through. They're looking nervous and scared and sweating. They're like,

pouring out, basically filtering out from the Grand Disc. Coming out of the Grand Disc. Can I listen to some of what they're thinking? You have to get close enough. It's a 30-foot range, right? Yeah, I'll get close or try. There is a front line of glass blades and royal guard that are keeping most folk away.

You can tell now why, because in the center of that group is a number of council members, and currently sitting and talking amongst them is Queen Simone Furnast and King Imithyn Taviel, who look also spooked and are trying to calm, at this distance, trying to calm some of the individuals around them. It's about this time you hear something heavy hitting the metal, and everyone jumps and turns around and begins to back away as the soldiers begin to swarm

around the king and queen and the other members of the council. Is there any soldier close by to grab and just ask, what's happening? There's one at the front line as you approach, pushing people away. I'm sorry, you have to stay back. It's not safe, it's not safe.

What happened in there? Something's attacked from within the palace. Step back. What, what, what? Can you hear his thoughts as I say that? I'm going to try. Anything deeper than that? You're catching a quick glance at this. You sense deep fear within his mind. Wonder if a friend's okay. You want to push deeper? I'll push deeper. All right.

Wisdom save, going to be a 15. 15. 15's your DC? Resists it. Ah. Can I? Fey Fiends are undead, just Hunter's Bane, anything coming off as crazy from here or beyond the gate?

Sure, make a perception check with advantage. DM, I would like to find a sniper position. I'd like to get up high and see what I can see. If there's a building, I can climb on top of it. Yeah, you can quickly go off to the side and climb up to one of the nearby rooftops. It's a one and a half story building, and you get up into one of the roof crevasses

and glance down, looking down over the troop. 16. 16? The smell in here is overwhelmed with the fear pheromone, so you can't pick up really anything. This whole room, it stinks how much fear is in this room. Mister. Stay here, stay here. Like growls at the large metal gate that the chains have been released.

You hear against it again. I'm going to cast Mage Armor on myself. Can I see where that's coming from up top? Can I see where the origin point of that? I mean, it's behind, but does it look like it's coming from behind that gate, that first gate? Make sure to check. Listening out for it as you glance through. Underneath is the nine, right? Or is that which way out for it as you glance through. Underneath is the nine, right? Or is that between?

Yes, underneath is the nine. 21. 21. Right, nine, 11, 21. It does appear to be impacts from the opposite side of the gate, the large metal gate that's down sealing off this entryway, between the pillars that are there.

You can see them now closing the doorways of folks. People are like, don't close them off, there's still folks in here! We have to close the door. I'm going in. Let's just go. Come on, we got to go through. Can we?

If I see him move towards one of those doors, I have to go down after him. We don't have to wait very long for it to come to us. Is Frida? Yeah. I'm going to go up to one of the guards. What were you fighting? You went to just one of them at the front? Yeah. He goes, I need you to get up to one of the guards. What were you fighting? You went to just one of them at the front? Yeah.

He goes, I need you to get back there. I need you to get back, please. What were you fighting? You can see he's trying to force it. I don't know. I wasn't there. I was just told to move people. It's dangerous. You need to go back. Okay. If something erupts from the gate,

there are civilians, there are a lot of civilians in this area? There are a lot of civilians that have gathered out of curiosity, and now they're filtering away out of fear, or they're being told to pull away from the- Secret Service wing of guards around the- Okay, I'm going to-

I'm going to push through towards the door. Am I unseen? You can try and be unseen if you want to. I will try and be unseen, and then I will shift the arm to a gun and shoot up in the air and yell, run, to try and get everyone the fuck out of there. Okay.

So make a stealth check. I don't know if I can, but I'll try and boom that. No, I don't know if I can boom my voice, but a stealth check? Try it, you can boom my voice, but a stealth check? Try, you can certainly try. Make a stealth check. 16 plus 12? 28. 28's not too bad.

You feel pretty well hidden there on the edge of this rooftop, and you can see as the crowd is filtered out into the main walkway here, you can go ahead and definitely do that. Boom! Run! Make an intimidation check for me.

Come on. I'll give you advantage because of the high tension in this chamber already. Thank you. It's a minus one. With advantage? Yeah. 16. 16, okay. That's not bad, 16. Oh, do you have a negative? A minus one. Gotcha, no. That's not bad. What? Oh, do you have a negative?

A minus one. Gotcha, no worries. Make every beat. So the impact. The crowd begins to shout and scream, and people begin to scatter. Some folks are looking around for where that came from. You see the guards are now looking,

getting their shields at the ready. You can see some sniper individuals that have the heavy crossbows and some with long-range rifle firearms are glancing over, looking where that came from. They don't seem to see you, but definitely the tension's risen even more. You said you're darting for the gate? Going for the little door, yeah.

Okay, you start rushing towards the little door. You all see FCG just wheeling, taking off towards this group of soldiers. Oh god. I'm running after him, but I'm also invisible. Ah, shoot. I'm just going to, if I can, track him as he moves with my rifle out. Okay.

So you track and watch. You go ahead and head towards the edge, and you can see the soldiers are cordoned off, and they're about to seal the door. They're arguing with somebody right now. It's like, how many more are in there? You can't just close like... I'm sorry, for the safety of the king and queen

and all the rest of the council, we have to seal the doors now. I need to go in there. The cat looks towards you. Who are you? No, you have to get back. The queen's lady-in-waiting is in there and I'm being sent to retrieve her. Make a deception check.

Guidance check. Guidance. I think you have to touch me real bad. Well, I ran after you. Oh, okay. Deception? Just to run into you. Okay, okay. Deception? Just to run into you. Okay, 16. Okay.

16. Oh wait, you know what? Can I cast Fast Friends on him? Yeah, if you want to. I'll do that. Okay. So the save on that is? Also 15.

Okay. But you could just roll out. It's wisdom. If you want. But you could just roll low. It's wisdom. If you want. If you want. That is going to be a 12. Hey! Yay! Good number.

He goes, Oh, well, then please go ahead quickly, quickly. Look. Be careful. I think I'm just like, scooch you past. It's romantic. Can we run after him? Can we run after FCG? You all start running after FCG and it closes the gap.

Because you have to get back, you have to stay back. No, no, no, no, we all have to do it. We're all with the lady and waiting. One of the soldiers goes like, You're not really going to be. It's fine. What is it? What are we? What's in there? Go, go, go, go, go!

Get in, get in, get in! So you all step, are you going with? I'm heading direction, so I'm out. You? Do I have enough time to get there? I mean, I'm up, I think I've... You can certainly try. What's the best way to do that? Fly.

Iron Man. And two wings erupt from his body. No, really, no. Werewolf wings. Okay wings erupt from his body. Whoa! No, really? No. Werewolf wings. Okay, can I? Werewings. You can see where that's heavily guarded, and they're quite a ways away from you,

so you're behind. That entryway might be challenging unless you want to come up with a creative way to go for that one. Make a perception check. Perception's plus 11, so 28. Plus 11 to perception? Hell yeah. 28.

You're light and aura. Oh my god. As you are tracking them with your gun, looking to go through, you're like, shit, that's not going to work. You look up along the gate where all the other chains are that hold it in place, and you can see atop it, where it slid down, there's a couple of small gaps at the top. They're not meant to be passed through, but you can just faintly see some recesses. The only way to be able to get up there is probably to climb one of those chains or run across them. You got to try, because they're all gone. Yeah.

Okay. It's not going to be easy. Let's give it a shot. Don't worry about it, friend. I thought the thing was coming. Okay, yeah. Yeah, I thought not going to be easy. Let's give it a shot. Don't worry about Frank. I thought the thing was, okay, yeah. Yeah, I thought it was going to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. All right.

So as you see them all disappearing through this door and they close behind them, and the guards begin to swell around that space and they're pushing everyone back, back, you look over and you can see one of the heavier chains that's pulled to one of the side wenches is slightly slack. Each chain link is

about that big. It's just this massive square, and it probably weighs a good 100 pounds each link. And it hangs at a slight sag, and then rises up to where the top of that gate is, which stands about 60 to 80 feet up. You go to where that wench is, and you climb up onto the side, carrying on your stealth from early. Most attention is to the center of this chamber now, so no one's really looking over to the side where this is. You can see there are two glass blades that were by the wench that lowered it,

and they're just keeping watch below. You can leap from the rooftop to get onto where that wench chain is and try and climb up the side. You should make an acrobatics check for me. You got this, bud? Come on. Damn, I wish Bless helped for this.

It does not. Oh shit, we all have Bless. No one's attacking shit. Oh, it's not for ability checks? No. It's a six. That's a six. You start running along the chain, clambering. You get halfway up before the heavy rust coat that's on the chain link catches the bottom of your foot,

and you feel it give way. You reach out and grab the chain, and you're now dangling from it about 40 feet above the ground. You look down below. There's a bunch of glass blades that are in the bottom, telling people to get back into their homes or evacuate from that side of it, and you're hanging there. Can I use my athletics to try and pull myself up? You can certainly try. This is your last chance to not drop from above. 20. That would be a decent roll. 20. You can certainly try. This is your last chance to not drop from above. That'd be a decent roll. 20. 20.

20's good, 15 was the DC on this. So you go ahead and get back up onto the chain. You're now straddling up above, and you can feel swinging slightly with the shift of your weight on it. A little bit of dust and rust is falling from above, and you can see a glassy ablose catching a little bit of the rust that's falling,

so you don't have a lot of time before someone looks up and sees you rushing. You continue running up the chain. Make another acrobatics check. You got this, you got this. It's going to be, the DC on this is going to be 20. That's cocked. I feel like that's a little cocked.

We need a ruling on this, Matthew. That's not cocked, unfortunately. Acrobatics or athletics? You said it was a 20? Because this is less about your strength. This is about you having to go along this thin piece of chain. It's a nine. You rush and you tumble.

Hit the ground, 40-foot fall for... Four storey. Dang it! We can salvage his parts. 14 points of bludgeoning damage. Is that cool? For? Four store. Dang it! We can salvage his parts. 14 points of bludgeoning damage. Is that cool? With a heavy into the ground.

Do we see this happen, or we're already through? You guys are already through. The impact, dust cloud settles, and some of the glass blades turn over and look at you as you're on the ground, coughing for a moment with the impact. They rush to you. You, are You okay?

There's something coming! There's something coming! We know! You need to go! Yes, yes! And I'll turn around and run away. Oh no! Oh wait, I'm on the other side,

but you're the last person I talked to. Yep. So we're still connected. Frida. Yes? Where are you? I took a bit of a fall. Did you fall off the roof? I was trying to get to you. I thought the thing was coming here and you're gone now.

Can I see what door we came out of? Is it Closedy Closedys? Oh, you guys are on the other side of this door, which I'll get to what you're seeing here in a moment. As you're going through this small walkway through this gate and emerge from the opposite side. Is it possible to turn back and run back to the opening where they had closed it?

One of the little side ones, maybe? Yeah, that's where you would be emerging from, where you entered from. You go back and you turn around and it's closed. They sealed it behind you, or at least they closed it behind you. You want to go back and try it? And just pound on it?

You can pound on it. We have a friend who needs to get through to, excuse me. We're in the club. Wait, so Frida's on the wrong side of the door? Yeah, Frida's still back in the Liberdisk. Can I let our friend in? Eventually, you're. What? We have a friend.

Come through, come through! No, no, no, no, we were going to stay here, but we have a friend who wants to come in. This is another soldier who's like, what, you didn we were going to stay here, but we have a friend who wants to come in. This is another soldier who's like, What? That, that, Frida, Frida in your bed. Frida!

Look, over there, over there. And I'll start making my way down that way. Make your way! This soldier is not the one that you cast Fast Friends on, and is like, Miss, you have to leave. You have to get out of the disc, and grabs your shoulder. No, in his head, he's going to hear,

You have to trust me. Make an intimidation check. Okay. No, in his head, he's going to hear, You have to trust me. Make an intimidation check. Okay. There's an energy here, and I don't really understand it. I just want my robot. Nine. Nine.

Smoke nine. He shakes his head for a minute and grabs your shoulder and pulls you through. You're all right. I'm running at him. Okay. And I'm going to try, as I see him grab Imogen, I'm going to toss myself full throttle into him

through the door with her. Make an athletics check, because you're going to be pushing through two guards' shoulders, so we're closing the circle. And then you're going to make an athletics check. It would be contested on, you make one roll and it's three rolls to contest you.

I have my hand on Imogen. That's a 19. 19. Okay, that hand on Imogen. That's a 19. 19. Okay, that's a natural three. The first two guys, and that's going to be a 14. So the first two guys, you just shoulder, full football shoulder push through both of them. Hi, hi!

And they yell behind you. Everyone's just looking over in the direction as you were just charging through the front line of glass blades. And the one that's holding Imogen and pulling her through is one of the royal guards, who's like, his armor itself, it looks like a glass blade in coloration, but there's a long, thick cape that goes behind it,

and the shoulder pauldrons are much larger with the detail scrolling. As he pulls you in, you suddenly feel this impact. Well. Natural five. You knock him onto his ass. Grab Imogen and go through the doorway. You hear, hey, hey, hey!

And they just close the door behind, but you hear it seal. I'm so sorry. Are you okay? No, no, no, I'm sorry. I thought I was, you know, I shoot from up top. That's all right, we're glad you're here. What's going on? Why did you ride us?

I'm going to turn around and look and see what's in this room with us, or whatever we're in. Down the ramp. You now are entering what looks to be the entry road. This portion of the Augur Trail that leads into the Grand Disk, and it is beautiful, if still.

The road itself widens. The road is well kept. the Grand Disc and it is beautiful, if still. The road itself widens, the road is well kept. There are a number of small pillars that line the sides. It's definitely, there's a prestige to its decor that definitely elevates to guide you into the Grand Disc in the sense that this is an important place. Other than the smattering of guards' bodies

that are strewn apart and blood scattered across the center of this walkway. Ripped apart, scratched apart. You can go and inspect one if you want. Natural causes? Can I also? Yeah, you can. Go ahead. Can make a medicine check or an investigation check? I'll medicine check it.

Did we just trap ourselves in here? Yeah, we did, because FCG decided to run in. Listen, we can't communicate with our gods, so we have to act as if... So we just have to face them. I'm just saying, we need to take control of our own actions and act in a way that would make our gods proud of us.

And this is bravery. So we're sealed in here now. You sealed us in with whatever monster did this. We're going to overcome it and prove our worth. That thing, whatever it is, is sealed in here with us. That's a good way of putting it. Make a problem. So what'd you get? 15. 15.

Make a problem. 18 over here. Okay, so the two of you. I rolled higher than three putting it. Make a problem. So what'd you get? 15. Make a problem. 18 over here. Okay, so the two of you. I rolled higher than three, but I rolled a three. Gotcha, gotcha. It's terrible. That's okay. The two of you, at a quick glance, you could see a lot of them look to be wide puncture wounds.

Like that wide, if you like a chest and it's ruined. Other ones look like they've been crushed and stomped. Is there anyone still alive? Barely alive, anything like that? Make a perception check. Oh, okay. That's really good. 15 plus 11.

Glancing through, most of these bodies are not moving, and you look at the other side of the gate, and you can see there's these heavy scrape marks and impact into it, where the metal seems to have been dragged a bit. Something has heavily been slamming into it from this side. About a little above head height, it looks like. You see these large scrape marks across the metal,

like someone just dragged a massive point or multiple ones across it and left these divots. You see one person who's off in the corner. They're back against this side of the gate. He's like. Spare the dying immediately. Double spare the dying. Triple!

They have been double spared. You approach and see a young half-elven girl, probably in her early 20s, mid-20s or so, wearing the royal sentinel gear, the same armor and such, but you can see she suffered a huge gash wound from her shoulder across her chest and the armor itself was punched inward towards her rib cage.

She has short brown hair and her helmet is off at this point and she pretty much was accepting her fate before you approached and she looks up to you, blood down the side of her eye. I'll get you with the Cure Wounds. First level, 10 points. Okay. What did this to you? It was this fucking statue.

Statue. Statue. I'm turned around and I'm just going to keep an eye on anything coming at us. The walls, looking around. The neighborhood is dark. All the windows of all the various homesteads and estates that line the sides of this. It's so dark in here. Yeah, it's very dark in here, but you saw,

there's, all the buildings are dark, too. And it is quiet. Yeah. It is still and quiet. Send out just the purple lights as they go out and send them out 120 feet around us so I can see what's going on. Crackle out, lighting up little spaces around.

You can see there are some of these almost cultivated, somewhat glowing crystals in large parts of the walls, like up the top that give this give this very faint bit of light where you can make out the outline of the structure and such. And as the disk continues to wind around, you can see the ceiling begins to descend slightly. What you, people who are from here, know

will eventually lead to the base of the Grand Cast Citadel itself, which is just out of view. You'd have to continue through the neighborhood and further down that way. But as you ask the person, what did you ask again? of the Grand Cast Citadel itself, which is just out of view. You'd have to continue through the neighborhood and further down that way. But as you ask the person, what did you ask again? What did this to you?

That's okay. That's all right. Is the statue, the one they keep in the Citadel, the one they keep in the Citadel, it just came to light. We started killing folks. We had to rush everyone out.

It was already close to the king and queen. We barely got them out. Lost a lot of men. Oh god. Where did it go? There. They point, and you turn and look, and just as your globes are casting out,

you can see down the roadway, following their line, you see the back end of some sort of quadrupedal, faintly glowing beast that is just walking beyond your sight. Away from us? Away from you. Back towards the direction of the Citadel. You can faintly make out this purplish, almost a reddy red coloration to it. It looks ghostly in the material,

but solid at the same time. It's hard to tell, but as it moves around the edge, you can barely hear the distant as it vanishes beyond your sightline. Okay, we have one advantage here. Does it sound like hooved feet? To him, it sounds like hooved feet. Can I take out Turmoil, and I'm going to use the word, it's done, get out the scythe.

Indeed, the blade shoots out. It's massive, crooked silver scythe. What? Did the, what exactly was the statue? I don't know, it's just been decoration. I think it was one of the great beasts. The great beasts? The great beasts of Vellafell.

I don't remember its name. It was a statue, though. Okay. You're going to be okay now. Just stay here. If anything comes, just play dead. I can do that. Okay, it doesn't know we're in here right now,

which means that we can launch some sort of surprise attack on it. Is there only one statue that I saw? Unless it brought more with it. You said one of the great beasts? How many great beasts are there? I don't know. I'm not from this area. Oh, me neither.

It's pretty nice. Have we heard anything about the great beasts? Make a history check, if you like. There's a great beast of what? Great beast of Deluthil. Oh god, this is the worst! Now I know nothing! I can't roll high, so I should stop rolling.

None of you have heard of it. None of you have heard of it. You all suck. You've heard of History Check? Yeah. Fuck it, I'll leave. Fuck him. 15.

Before we go in, I know it's not breakfast, but maybe you guys should eat your bagels. I already ate it. I thought it was a cinnamon roll. That's why it tasted so weird. It's a bagel? It's the texture. It's a bagel, yeah.

You said cinnamon roll. I said cinnamon raisin bagel. I heard cinnamon roll. I did, too. Yeah. Cinnamon raisin bagel. Let's cinnamon roll. I did, too. Yeah. Cinnamon raisin bagel. Let's focus! Tomorrow, I'll make rolls, all right? What's cinnamon rolls?

You get a plus four. I thought it was a really hard cinnamon roll. I was going to tell you it was real bad. You get four. I thought we got five. Five temporary hit points, yes. Thank you. Amazing. Also, I'm going to sympathetically bond to everyone here.

Except for Bria. No, not because of, I'm going to sympathetically bond to everyone here. Except for Bria. No, no, not because of, I just, because I- That's okay, you're exes, it's fine, I get it. Yeah. I don't think you can, right? Huh? Could you? I can, but it would be a lower bind. Oh. That's fine.

All right. I don't need it. So as you extend yourself and bind your allies, new and old, you gather your nerve looking into this deeply darkened subterranean basement disc of the city of Uthodurn, as whatever this terrible great beast may be

returns to where it seemed to have this terrible great beast may be returns to where it seemed to have risen or returned to some semblance of violent life and tore through, well, the people you just passed through yourselves. We're going to take a break. We'll come back here and take it from there in a moment. Okay. Aww. We'll see you all here in a few minutes.

Hang tight. We interrupt this Critical Role Podcast Network broadcast to bring you news of dangerous treasures that lie sealed within the Critical Role shops. Only the heartiest of adventurers should dare seek them out. In all seriousness, though, I'm Matthew Mercer, and we've made some very cool things that we really like and hope you will, too. If you'd like to support the show, please consider visiting any of our Critical Role online shops

through the Shop tab at critrole.com and see if anything catches your eye. Okay, back to the show. And welcome back. That was a little bit... That was... A time to run. Uh... Here. Yes. Time to roll. Here, currently locked within the subterranean grand disk of Uthodurn,

the quiet, shadow-encompassed neighborhood that leads on to the central citadel itself, the Roving Beast, one of the great beasts of Belethil, that seemed to have killed a bunch of people and wreaked some havoc down here shortly, seems to wander stalking deeper within. What do you do? Are we trailing this thing?

We have to. We have to. We have to, because like I said before, if the gods really are severed from us, we are the gods now. We have to be the right and wrong of this world. And beyond just the gods, no offense, FCG, the timing is crazy for something to burst out of the castle without the king and queen running from it. I mean, if we could actually get around, maybe take it apart or slow it down a little bit or find out what's going on inside the castle,

we could ingratiate ourselves to the king and queen. Yeah, that makes sense. But do you think we're going to be able to take down a creature that a ton of royal guards weren't able to? That's what I was thinking, too. It seems... We've got something that they don't.

What, friendship? The changements. I was going to say friendship. Oh. Okay. Yeah, the power of friendship. What's powerful about that? Come on. You of all people know the bonds of friendship. What's powerful about that? Come on.

You of all people know the bonds of friendship and how it can affect the world and affect change. Yeah, you lose people. They just disappear, or you disappear. Well, that's not going to happen to us. This is the sort of positive talk that we need before we go after a sentient creature that's good. We've also got the element of surprise,

that friendship and that. Yeah, let's go, let's stealth forward. How come you always get there? Walk stealthily. Oh, this is Mister. Oh my. Oh, hi. So cute. Can I try to touch it?

Don't mind the smell, that's feces. He looks a little disheveled, not going to lie. He looks like he's been through some shit recently. Are you okay? Oh god. It is a little gun. I love you. I'm nervous.

No, shh, shh, mister. He echoes. Oh gosh. Let's move, come on. Okay. Let's get out of here. Okay. That's your camera. I'm going to find Shadow, if I can, and hug the shadows.

Are you all doing the same thing? Yeah, we're just doing the same thing. I'm going to stick right next to Frida, because they seem to know how to stealth. I'd like everyone to make a stealth check. Passed out a trace. Passed out a trace. There you go. Passed out a trace. Somebody got passed out.

Oh, hello. I'm just blessed. Is Bless happening still? That's over. It's got to be over, hello. Is Bless happening still, or is that over? It's got to be over by now. It's been more than a week. I feel like every roll I make is really bad. All right, so over here with a move. Hold on. 16.

16, okay. 36. Jesus. Oh my god. Because of plus 10, right? Yeah. Because of plus 10. All right, Fearne. 14. Jesus. Oh my god. Because of plus 10, right? Yeah. Plus 10. All right, Fearne. 14. Okay.

15. Yeah. Okay. 24, we're back, baby! Okay. 35. Holy shit! Must be nice.

That's three up, three down. I don't like it. Must be nice. It must be nice. If I could touch your body. That's a different song. Yes, we're... What? I think I actually spilled it. It must be nice. It must be nice. If I could touch your body. That's a different song. Yes, we're, what? I think I actually spilled it. What happened?

That makes no sense. Why did you? It's not what it's going to be. No, I heard it, I heard it. You did, thank you. I guess it would be nice. She heard it. If I could touch your body.

Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, Laura, thank you, Laura. It's fine. We were about to, we were. I'm so sorry. It's called Purr-Purr. Blame it on the rain.

Is that a different song? It's the same one. As you carefully stumble in. Chaos. Deeper through the neighborhood, clinging to the shadows best you can, delving between buildings, alleys, listening for the echoing clomping.

Occasionally hear a heavy crack and the sound of crumbling stone. What the fuck? Quadrupedal when we saw it? Mm-hmm. Okay. So it sounds like a horse. What the fuck? Quadrupedal when we saw it? Mm-hmm. Okay. So it sounds like a horse. Sounds like something beastly.

Can I roll something to check its instincts? Does it look like it's searching, like it's hunting, like it's looking for an exit? So you're going to go and try and get a visual on it? No, from behind. What's the vibe from back here? What's the vibe? Without looking at it?

The vibe? The vibe is that it's dangerous and ahead of you. Okay, that's good. Let's go look. Good roll, good roll. Let's go look. No, we're good, we're good. Yeah, I mean, to ascertain that, you'd probably have to have it within eyeshot to pick out what its body language is and such.

Frida, do you want to go take a look? Please don't. Well. Please don't. Yes, what I'd like to do is examine the ceilings around, as I approach this thing, where it is, where it is, to see if maybe I can loose some rock or something, if things get hairy, so I can drop things on top of it.

Yeah, yeah, okay. So that's what I'd like to do. I will stealthily, hopefully, try and. Okay, do you have darkvision? Do I own the town's end? I don't believe you do. No, I do not. So go ahead and roll Perception with a disadvantage. Okay. With the lack of light sources in here, it's difficult.

Are there full globules up still? There are. Not really. We've had to draw them down. Yeah, I feel like that might be dangerous. It would definitely draw attention. Yeah. Six plus, what'd you say? Perception? Perception, yeah.

Six plus 10, 17. 17. Plus 11, so 17, excuse me. Got you. Looking up, the ceiling above this disk, you can see, it's less craggy as the previous ones. This one looks like it's more polished, it's more smoothed for just the grandiose stature of what this represents here at the bottom of the city.

It's possible, but they'd be closer to the actual citadel itself, because that's where the ceiling begins to cone down. And which I'd say about now, as you guys are glancing around and traveling carefully around, you begin to actually see the citadel. And the citadel, for those of you

who haven't been here before, when you think of a citadel or a castle or a structure, it definitely rises up to a tower point. This, the base, or at least the mass of its structure seems to stem towards the ceiling. It's built like a massive stalactite that descends and turns,

like this, almost like a crystal tornado that is locked in place, that has all manner of long pillars in the bottom that hold and support from below. But it just swirls down from the top of this 100-foot ceiling below and then eventually embeds itself into the ground, where you can see there are a number of staircases that lead upward towards it. There are archways and pillars. It's beautiful. You can make out faint bits of its shape from the glowing crystals within the chamber and some of the still-functioning light sources that give off that enchanting light blue, white light across some of these pillars. But you can tell where once it was probably in parallel on each side, a number of them are out. It gives this off-kilter, half-functional look to it. You do also begin to see the beast, as it is now in the

center of the walkway. It looks like it's returning to the Citadel. It's looking around. You catch, while you're looking around, that some of these buildings, they're dark, but you see movement inside. You get the sense that people that live here have locked up and are trying to keep as quiet as possible. Not everyone was able to flee. Oh shit. Glancing at this beast, you can see it's emanating this soft reddish-purple glow. What you see looks like a massive bull.

It is just rippling with strength and mass. From bottom of hoof to top of shoulder, probably about eight to nine feet tall. Its horns, from where it joins from its skull and curves to the front, these massive piercing points. Each horn probably is about six, seven feet long. As it moves, you can see parts of its body are immaterial or ethereal, almost like you see starscapes in them or some sort of an energy throughout the body. And then when it gets angry

or thinks it sees something, it crashes its horns into one of the nearby pillars. It cracks and breaks open. Its body seems to take a physical form upon the impact before it drifts back into an ethereal state. It looks like it's stalking around, looking. You see it pacing around the base of the Citadel. I wish we knew anything about this creature. Does it seem to be reacting to sound or sight or movement? Can I tell what it's reacting to? Make an insight check.

They said this had been a statue, right? That it had come to life? That's what you gleaned from it, yeah. Like a little corner of guidance. 14 plus four, right? Yep, d4. That's a d4. Where are you, triangle thing?

There. This thing was petrified, and somebody kept it as a trophy in front of them. Maybe. Three, 14 plus three, 17. 17. 17. You can tell it seems to be reacting to sound, reacting to shapes that it notices. Like some of the things that it attacks

are hulking things that it turns and notices and then immediately assaults it. You can't tell if it's hunting or if it's confused. It seems to be not actively stalking. It's just walking around, but like it, it's returning to the Citadel. You're not sure why it's returning to that space. I'm going to cast Invisibility on myself.

Ooh. Okay. Okay. Can we see anywhere on the Citadel? Can we see where it looks like maybe it had been a statue, like a pillar or a base or anything like that, that looks like it is empty now? Make a perception check with disadvantage.

Why not? Ooh! Oh, with disadvantage. Shit, that's the first time I roll well. I'm sorry. Oh, same number. Yay! 18.

18. You see a lot of shattered elements around the base of the Citadel. You see one of the largest stairways that descends and spreads out towards the bottom. You can see cracks in the stairs. You can see some of the pillars underneath, some of the lower decorative pillars and arches

that are broken, but they're broken outward, which leads you to believe that it exited the citadel. Uh-huh. What the fuck? Got it. You also notice that it seems to have stopped and turned towards your direction. You can see where its eyes are now,

these small burning suns, these glowing orange flames. It looks over in the direction of where you all are. Uh-oh. It just turns. Should we? It's not going to stealth. Ambush it?

Check. Mm. Maybe it's a locket. You all just rolled not great stealth checks. Did I get an extra stealth, though? Can I roll my stealth again since I am invisible now? If I was one of the lower ones? You can definitely peel away from the group since I am invisible now? If I was one of the lower ones.

You can definitely peel away from the group and probably not be noticed, but it seems to be, at least at the moment, wary. And you don't know if it's clocked you, but it certainly stopped its return to the Citadel and is now currently seeking. How far away is it from us? That's a couple hundred feet. Okay, okay.

Are we all pressed up to one side of the street? Is there anything? There is the central auger trail that leads to the base of the Citadel. You guys, I imagine, are probably off to the right-hand side, clinging to the shadows and moving between buildings, trying your best to not be noticed up until this point. I just lean down to FCG and say,

there are still people down here. I can see them up there. Then we should contain, I mean, make sure that this stays on the street and doesn't spill into the building. Does anybody here know what Veluthil is? Because they said it's one of the great beasts of Veluthil.

No. No. Didn't ring a bell. Did it strike any Aeorl brain? You can make a history check. Got the spot. We're all high, bro. Let's go. Yeah. Please. Come on. Please.

We need information. This is the time. D4, right? Guidance. Guidance. I don't know if you'd know about Guidance until you just have him remember. No.

Okay, yeah. Not ringing the bell. Are you remembering something? No, no, no. You can hear a faint. I was trying to. Yeah. Ooh! It's not fair.

Ooh! Uh-oh, processor power has been heating up. You can overclock your MacBook. Yep. I assume a minute has gone by. A minute has gone by. So I'm going to bind to them all again. No.

How long does it last for a minute? I think it only lasts one minute. Oh, buddy. That's it? Yeah. It's good for a fight. It's good for a fight. Okay. I'm going to side-walk to Oaklawn.

Double-check the ability to use it. Say one minute. Are you hurt? I feel like it's not been a minute before. I feel like draw a monkey. Double-check the ability. Does it say one minute? Are you hurt? No. I feel like it's not been a minute before. I feel like it's been longer than that in the past. Maybe I've just fucked it up. Okay. Become binded to you for the next one minute. Okay, so it is a minute. Cool.

Just double-checking. Cool. So, you want to use it now? Well, I mean, it seems like it's going to pop off pretty soon. Oh, wow. Maybe we should guide it back into the Citadel. All right, I'll wait a second, but guide it back into the Citadel? Away from the people who need it.

I kind of want to go see. I don't want to do that. Maybe we can go read about it. Who's talking right now? I'm sorry. Maybe we can go read about it, like the base. You're going to read about it? Read the base. That's what I'm saying. Maybe the base of the statue

has information about what the base is. Like a plaque? Yeah. Yeah. Most places have plaques about statues. All right. Shit. How will we know if you're in trouble? We can't see you. I'm going to go.

It turns around. It begins to slowly ascend the steps into the Citadel once more. Oh. That's where it's going to the area that it had charged out of? Mm-hmm. Oh. Before Frida takes off,

because I know they're going to, I want to go over and just tap that burnt-in. Tap that. Yeah, that burnt-in symbol and cast Cure Wounds from my staff. There we go, 16 points. Beautiful. Oh, yeah.

Please be careful. Wait, just give it a second. Are you going in there? Well, if it can't see me. Well, if it can't go inside, then we can fight it in there. Maybe with its magic red eyes? It might be able to see you,

but we might be able to draw its attention elsewhere. Do you want us to make a distraction while you slip in? Oh my god. We can, I'll just throw something over there. What exactly are we doing in here? Are we getting people out? Are we trying to kill the bull? Are we getting into the palace?

We can evacuate a whole third of the city. I don't care about them. Because they've closed the fucking gates. But all I'm saying is if we can at least read about what it did or... Read? If we know what it is, we're fine. We may know something about it.

Letters, are we here to throw down? Is that what you want? Speak your mind. Go read. Obviously, it's a powerful creature. It's been trapped in a fucking castle for however many We're Bell's house! centuries, yeah, and we just got defeated very quickly

by other wizards, magicians. You want to come? Go read! And if it goes to hell, in a Bell's Hells basket, we will be ready. We've got Frida with us. In a Bell's Hells basket. Her. She's never going to heal you,

which is fine, because you're a cleric. You're going to hurt me because of that. It's so important. Go, go look, go look. Just walk away, robot. Are you going to fly? No, because that'll break invisibility if I fly. Better be real quiet.

I'm going to be so quiet. You better be careful. It's now ascended the initial stairs and has entered the Citadel. Oh my god. Let's fight it in there. Everyone in there is gone. So if you wanted a civilian-less fight, it's in there, because everyone in there is important.

So we saw them all running out. If we wanted to, we could tell the people in these buildings to go ahead and make their way out now. I could do that. Okay, I'll help. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Frida and I will go to the different buildings and say quietly, go away towards the gate.

Don't make any sound. Okay. This'll take a little bit of time because there's quite a number of homesteads here to check to see who's here. Like, this is a few hours of work. A few hours of work? I think I would just- We'll go to one. Just spread the word. Whatever we can see.

Yeah, you saw one building, but I'm just saying, you don't know how many buildings contain people? No, I think it's just off the main street, like things that we can see immediately without separating too much. Just go to one and spread the word? Yeah, you saw one building, but I'm just saying, you don't know how many buildings contain people? No, I think it's just off the main street, like things that we can see immediately without separating too much. So it'll take you about 20 or so, 30 minutes to carefully gather people and try and get them, but.

And they'll spread the word amongst themselves. Okay. Many of them seem less interested in spreading the word with other people and more interested in just getting the fuck out of there. So they'll be like, oh, thank you, thank you, and just beeline it to the gate. I'm going to make a, actually no,

I'm going to have Smeagol make stealth checks. Smeagol makes stealth checks? Yes. So just the two of you, so guiding these people, have you each roll a d20, and these will, actually, I need three rolls. Is Pass Without a Trace still? Pass Without a Trace does not affect the people here,

because it's around you. So this is just a general, mind you, it's far away. It's just an echoey chamber. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So let's just roll some d20s for me. You got balls. Eight. Eight.

Oh, no. Okay. What is it, just a d20? Just d20. Well. It's a five. You shouldn't let me touch it. One more time? No, I need your blessing. 17. I'm rolling shit, too.

17. I need your own blessing. I believe in you. 17. See? Yeah, it's rolling. Okay. You get the sense, after the first group of about 20 or so people that are coming through here,

that their panic isn't going to allow them to not draw the attention to this creature if you continue to bring them out there. You manage to get about 20 or so people to the gate, and now they're at the gate banging, and you have to stop them, and you're like, how are we going to get them? Because it's sealed off, they can't get through.

Are they close to us us or are they gone? If you guys are going with them, the two of them. We escort them back up to the gate and we're like, stay here, don't make a fucking sound or I'll bleed you. And we go back down to everybody else. I feel like they're safer in their houses, you know? We can take care of the creature. Yeah, but if that thing starts thrashing about,

those houses are going to come down. I'm going to go over to the gate and cast Guardian of Faith in front of the people, interposing it between the gate, the people, Guardian of Faith. Great. Describe what this Guardian of Faith looks like as you draw it from the aether.

Deanna grabs her staff and slams it on the ground. Quietly? Nope. Is that what I said? There's already so much noise happening around here with all of these people. And takes a pose in behind her, and then moves through her in front of her

a massive bright golden figure of the Dawnfather, face blazing, stands ready with his mace. Nice. Hell yeah. Cool. A little baby Dawnfather. A little baby. That's cute. Sunny day. Sunny day.

Okay, wow. I'm good in a fight. She just went for it. You going there? Yeah. This chair keeps making creaking noises. It sounds like a party. Let's go to excuse. All right, so the rest of you are staying off to the side

while you're stealthing. Go ahead and make a stealth check for me with advantage, please. Wait, does she get a pass or not? No, because she's in the middle. I'm so sorry, I'm just trying, I'm trying. No, it's okay. It's all good. I'm trying to win. That's good, that's good. I know it's okay. No, it's all good. I'm trying to win.

That's good, that's good. I know, and I'm here for it. Do I get guidance? Did anybody guide me? I did, I did, I did. That's what I was doing. She's so good, she could touch me. But that's good, right? That's good, that's good. 18? No, 19.

Ooh! Okay. Yeah, touch a willing creature doesn't mean you have to see it, so. I just put my hand out. I'm at two. Ow? Ah. Oh, okay.

As you step to the base of the Grand Cast Citadel, looking up the massive spiral, this incredible structure. It's intimidating and elemental in its presentation, but it is so finely crafted. The stonework of Uthodurn is lauded for a reason. You can see why this is the beating heart of the politics and the structure of the community of the city. Even just the little bits of broken stonework around it from this creature, it's a little sad to see the marring of this incredible, if imposing, palace. But as you ascend the slightly cracked stairs as quietly as you can, you can't help but feel so small in comparison in the shape of what you're entering. As you ascend up the staircase, eventually it opens into a basement antechamber,

this open area with multiple spiral staircases that climb and intersect and head upward. You can see there are benches and sitting arrangements here, as well as fountains. Some of them have been destroyed and cracked, and you can see other guards, three other bodies that have been killed and scattered in violent ways. You can see cracks against the exit point and the arch that leads down the stairs, where this beast apparently had slammed into it. Everything here seems frantic. You can see there are many different paths to take the further up you go.

You're uncertain where this creature is necessarily, if you want to try and listen for any movement. I'll listen and also kind of look around. Is there like a path of destruction where I can see things have been cracked? Make a perception check for both. This is both listening and glancing about. Different DCs. So two rolls?

Well, I'm saying one roll. Oh. To just, but even if you miss one, you might get the other, so. 20, no, 16. 16, still pretty good. One you do hear faintly. And the foot clomping sound,

and it looks like it's up the central staircase now that ascends on the secondary floor here, up through a large double-arched tunnel where there are these hanging almost teardrop-shaped crystals that have this faint, faint purplish glow within. Some of them do. A lot of these also have blinked out from the recent mass dispel, if you will. You follow that sound up there and you can see the impact, the smashing of furniture and the dropping of weapons and shields,

the combination of things left behind and the sudden need to escape. As you step up the stairs, you can see the double doors that lead into an interior chamber that are broken outward. You can see the stone itself is broken and partially off its hinge on one side, blown from the inside out. Glancing inside, you think you can see here, sitting in the heart of the Citadel, it would be at this point, about three stories up from where you first descended the stairs, there is what appears to be some sort of a throne chamber. There are large pillars in the sides. You can see a mass staircase that lies to an upper dais that splits off in a T. Then above that, you can see two thrones. Two of the pillars have been smashed off of their platforms and there's just stone scattered around the ground.

You can see there is a pedestal near the entryway of this chamber that currently the massive great beast is encircling. It's just slowly moving around like it's searching. I'm sort of, just as I'm going, I've been filling in FCG, everything that I'm seeing, so they're aware of where I am and what's been going on.

I will convey to the rest of the group. Case splits off, very good architecture. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Where am I going? Is that speech? Commentary? Mm-hmm. As you can see, the Dwendalian mob Hold on, hold on, hold on. Where am I going? Sense of nature. Commentary? Mm-hmm. Oh. As you can see, the Dwendalian mobile really accents light features of the Archon Hitchell.

Okay, I'm just going to, while I'm in here, I'm going to just open my mind up and see if I can sense the thoughts of this beast. Okay, the range on this is? It's 30 feet, but I'm going to use a sorcery point to double that distance if I can. Okay, okay. You get within a point of comfort

and you get a very good look at this beast now as it's stalking around this pedestal. And you can see the pedestal that it's encircling itself is broken and cracked. And you can see the pedestal that it's encircling itself is broken and cracked. And you can see there's shale shards around the ground around it. It's a wisdom save? Or are you reading the surface thoughts?

It's a... Are you? I'll read for surface thoughts first and see what I hear. And then if it's possible, then I'll try to get a little more. Oh, this... This is an alien mind to you.

It is a creature that is not necessarily beast or humanoid. It exists just based on its physical form. You can't tell if it's celestial or magical. It's a construct. There's no language to pick up. There's just emotion.

Okay. I will say make an insight check on this. You'll have advantage because you're reading the surface thoughts on this. It's allowing you to do this, but you're trying to sense its mind state, essentially. So you're getting thoughts, but they're, you're just having to decode it through emotion. Is that a dice?

An insight, yeah, isn't that fine? That is cool. 18. 18. 18. 18. You sense anger, frustration, confusion, and fear, longing, and it cycles through those in a different pattern. It's creature impulse.

It seems to be lost and sad, and furious and looks out. It looks past you and for a second, you feel your blood run ice cold and just seems to turn back around and then circles around and settles around the base of that broken center part

of the entryway to the chamber. Okay. This seems dumb now, but are there any plaques? Make a perception check. I'm scared of my dice tonight. You should be. Natural 20! Yes!

For a total of? Insight? No, investigation? No, this is a perception. Oh, damn. You should be. Natural 20! Yes! Yes! For a total of? Insight? No, investigation? No, this is a perception. Oh, damn. That's a 21. 21? If it's an investigation, it's high.

Understood. Now, this is you 60 feet away after reading his thoughts, trying to ascertain it, watching it plop down, and then look towards it. Natural 20. There is, it looks like the cracked and broken pedestal that it's almost wrapped itself around the back side of,

does have a plaque. Do you speak Elvish? Or read Elvish, I should say. No, but I speak Dwarvish. Unfortunately, you cannot read what this says. Can you sound it out? Mentally? Elf with Elf.

Yeah. Okay, okay. Elf with Elf. The only thing. She's stroking out. Okay, interesting. Sounds like Elf. There you go.

But you do look within, you can see in this throne room, there's the destruction. It looks like a fight has definitely taken place here and it has been abandoned. Wow. The creature has settled itself here because it doesn't know where else to go. Okay.

That makes sense. We'll send you home. Oh no! I like you. You're going to hear in your head, FCG. Yeah? I think it's, I mean, it's definitely lost. It doesn't know why it's here.

It doesn't know what's going on. Have you tried to calm it? I thought about it, but that usually only works on humans. I can speak to some animals, but is it? It doesn't seem like an animal. It's something bigger than that. See? This is what I'm talking about. The power of friendship. We can maybe convince it that we're friends

or calm it down with our motions or actions. Maybe. Isn't it sitting right now? Maybe we can put it to sleep. Motherfucker. It sounds like it was woken up, like how I felt. I mean, I feel annoyed,

but then it says a creature within can choose. I can try. You want us to come in there first or come closer? I mean, just tell her to maybe try giving it some pets. Whoop! How far away is it from me? Fearne is suggesting scritches. Okay, well, let's trust to calm it first.

I'm going to see if calming emotions works on it. Okay, just so you're aware. That'll make me a Nott, invisible. Yeah. Why don't we come closer? Detecting thoughts. How about we rally? Oh, detecting thoughts is a start. That's why I didn't cast.

I was saying detective thoughts would have broken it, but it is opening your mind doing it, which I'm allowing to not be considered. That is just an innate ability of you, but casting a spell like that will break the invisibility. Should we move in? Dee-doo-dee-da-dee.

Yes, we should move in. We're going to slowly move in. All right, move in, but be really quiet. I'll let you know if it seems like he hears you. All right. I'd like the five of you to make a group stealth check as you carefully enter the city. Do we still have Fearne's Pass Without a Trace up

since we're near her? Last 10 minutes. Yeah, you cast that quite a ways ago, unfortunately. So, let's go ahead and cast it again. Woo! Natural 20. Nice! Natural 20, Elia. That's my first one at this but. Woo! Natural 20. No. Natural 20, Elia. That's my first one at this table,

and I'm so happy about that. Fearne? Yes! Fearne? Seven. Oh! Okay. 14. 14, okay. Nine.

Okay. 29. 29, okay. Are you still invisible? Just like after our hookup. Yup! Yeah! Too soon!

She's going to kill you. As you patiently wait and watch it, it settles there for a second, and you see it looking out the chamber. Occasionally, you hear it. Oh, buddy. No. I want to kill it so bad.

It's bad. The rest of you head up the central staircase, back to that initial antechamber, follow the spiral staircases that sit upward to a central open, almost like a multiple hallway division clerical level here that breaks off into multitude spaces deeper within the Citadel. The central

staircase ascending to the third level. Following the directions that you were given as you were describing this to FCG, you head up the final staircase. You come to that archway of the double doors that lead into the throne room, the doors themselves broken and cracked inward. Slowly, carefully heading off to the sides of it, you can see the faint glow of the creature along that way as you're leaning off to the side. Fearne, as you're putting your hand onto the side on the part of the broken door, part of the stone. It's about to get some screeches.

Part of the stone door cracks off and hits the ground. You watch as he goes. He heard it. He heard that. I heard that. I will sympathetically bind with everybody, except for Imogen. I'm going to scooch over to the side so that he doesn't, I'm not in the way of the door.

Make a stealth check as you scooch off to the side, with advantage. Oh hey, 19 plus two. Okay, he doesn't seem to notice you. He's more focused on the front of the entryway of the turn as you move along the side to it. It's glancing over. Shit, I'm going to, oh shit, I can't cast anything. I'm going to activate oh shit, I can't cast anything.

I'm going to activate my gloom scale breastplate. Okay. I'm going to use tongues on myself. Okay, so you cast tongues on yourself. You go ahead and activate your gloom scale breastplate. You all watch as we're, for instance, off to the side in the shadow, the small breastplate that she has on her chest all of a sudden coats itself in icy shards,

almost like this sudden layer of spiky frost gathers around it and across her chest and upper arms. Whoa. It's like this frost mist. You are half goat. This is from... Thanks, Nana. Matt. Yes?

Tongues is a divination spell. Just letting you know that. I know. Okay. Did it work? I don't know. I'm going to take the scythe and just draw it along my calf. Like, and you see the ice.

The heartbeat is coming on. It does not give a light source. Right, okay. Wait, I didn't see that. You're invisible, right? Not anymore. Tucked behind one of those columns. And if anything comes in Fearne's direction,

I will act. Okay. Oh, I got to roll that d6. Okay. Are we going to fight it? Yeah, I. Okay. Are we going to fight it? Yeah, I think so. Are we going to fight it? Unless someone wants to try and talk to the giant hell bull.

I can try to talk to him. So you're all stepping in and approaching from the interior, trying to hide off the sides? Yep. Oh god. Yes. And you three roll real bad. Roll real bad. Mm-hmm. So as you all begin to quietly, quietly, And you three Rolled bad. Rolled real bad.

So as you all begin to quietly, quietly enter the sides of the chamber, trying to keep to the shadows and off to the edges, using the pillars to separate you from the beast, you all hear the familiar of ferns' hooves across the stone. I have to walk. As the creature.

Shit. I need you all to roll and shoot. Yes! This combat is brought to you by WizKids minis. Monsters of Exandria Set 3 available now. Even more monsters from the wilds of Exandria can wander into your table. Build your collection of Critical Role Minis at WizKids.io slash CRMinis and your local game store. Whoa.

Hey, Matt. Oh! Oh, it's a little switch. That's bad to see, actually. Oh no. Hey Matt, would you could? Oh! Oh my god! Oh, it's a little bit too early! Oh, Joe, oh Joe! That's bad to see, actually. That's bad to see. Oh no! I preferred theater of the mind, thank you.

Hey Matt, this initiative? An ability check. Yeah. Yeah, I thought so. Are we blessed still? Oh, we got disadvantage on them shits? Yeah, you do. Yeah, that only lasted a minute.

So first, we've moved around here and caught its attention, so it is facing you right now. Oh gosh. Meanwhile, Chetney, FCG, and the rest of you, where are you? I had a pretty good stealth at a 29, so I'd roll away from Fearne's noisy ass,

maybe over this way. Over this way? Toward that column, yeah. Try to hook towards the shadows and shapes like my boy Frida! You got it. FCG? Probably towards the shadows and shapes like my boy, Frida! You got it. FCG? Probably to the left of Fearne a bit, near the pillar, the other left, her left, yeah.

Okay. Let's see here. Frida? He went that way. I'm going to go around that column here. Here? Yes. Okay. And I also had a 32, so he can't see me, right?

He probably does not see you as far as you can tell. He's focused elsewhere. The marble tiles are so cool. It's so nice. Yeah, it's gorgeous. It's gorgeous. Sweet. Can I split the difference betwixt the bad rolling squad and just in Frida's direction?

As I'm like,. Right there? Shit! Yeah. You got it. All righty, so, from an initiative standpoint here. All right. Oh no, I hate that dude. 25 to 20? 19. 25 to 20.

Sorry, no, I know. I thought I was 20, and then I was like, wait a minute, I can't get me to go wrong? I said 19! We're working now, boys. 20 to 15? 19. Off to a great start. There you go!

All right, I'm going first. 18 over here. Confidence. 18? All right. 25 to 20. 19. Yep. All right, 15 to 10. 11. All right. 11 as well.

Oh, who's got the higher dex? I think he has the bigger dex. So FDG, then Frida? Yes. 10 to five? Oh, I have 12, sorry. I should have. Oh, so you're above them.

Just a five? Woo-hoo! Shut up, shut up. Oh no, that's a lot, I'm 14. All right, you can still say it. I'm sorry, I don't know what I was doing. All right, FCG, you win. Guys, love you. 18.

Come on. Okay. All right, and so that's... Imogen. Then Frida, then Chet. Correct, and then Deanna? Two? Deanna! Natural one plus one for a two.

Distracted by love. All right. Well. The beast goes first. Oh, come on. Natural 19. Damn, okay. Beast. Okay, from one Taurus to another.

It's cool, just chill. As it notices you, Fearne, already being active as you arrival, as you all stealth in and it looks over towards you, its somewhat ethereal form seems to solidify, almost like a muscle flexing and hardening. It all of a sudden takes a more physical form. Oh.

As it snorts, you can see black clouds of smoke billow out the sides of its nose as its star-like burning eyes focus on you and it runs at full speed. Oh god. Oh god, Fearne. Into you, Fearne. This is bad. That is going to be a 26 to hit.

Golly! Can I do that thing? Hold on, I think I have a thing. I think I can impose disadvantage on the attack because she's near me. Is that true? I think that's true. She is 30 feet from you.

What ability are you using? You're real close. Ah, I have to find it. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's... It's all good, it's all good. Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. Oh my god. Look, it's an Aomaton thing.

I don't know if it has a- Features and traits, maybe? Yeah, I'm looking, I'm looking. Yeah, no racial traits. If you go into the features and traits, you should be on the far right. Living shield. I don't know. You can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack on someone else next to you.

Add the next. They have to be next to you, unfortunately. Five feet? Yeah, five feet from you. But if you wanted to move over to next to somebody, you can go ahead and be that shield for them. So my question is, when I snuck in there, I said, if it moves towards Fearne, I will attack.

Is that before initiative or on it? Unfortunately, if you had rolled high enough stealth and it didn't notice you, then you would have had an opening round on it like that. An initiative would have been less of a deal, but because of the stealth roll, it broke that moment, and so now it's initiative order. Basically, because you shit the bed.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's my bad. Okay, so that's a hit on you, Fearne. All right. You take a nice number. Not your fault. It's a charge attack because it moved more than 15 feet in a straight line. Scratching is a reaction.

Getting scratches is a problem here. Yeah, I have my hand. Come here. Because the horns are in your gut. As it's running, I'm just like, oh, come here. You probably just got to jam your hand. Come here. As these horns are in your gut, you're like, ooh! As it's running, I'm just like, oh, come here. You just got to jam your hand in there more. You get it when you get it.

Yeah. More d10s, hold on a second. Jam your hand in there more. Did you roll a bunch of dice just now? No, I'm looking for more d10s. That's not good either. More d10s? I'll just reroll these, okay.

Matthew! Okay. How many? That was a lot. That was five or six. That's not good. No. It looks nice enough, okay. Matthew! Okay. How many? That was a lot. That was at least five or six. That's a lot. No! It looks nice enough, though. It does. Hey, so it sounds like you're about to be single again. What's going on?

How the last 200 years been, huh? Yeah. What's popping? Think at this point you qualify for ultra zaddy? Yeah! You take 42 points of piercing damage. Whoa! All right. I need you to make a strength saving throw, please.

How much damage? 42. 42. Get behind a pillar, y'all. Holy shit. Minus two? Okay, cool. Woof. That would be a 13. Okay.

It runs towards you. That fear strikes you, and you, in the moment, can't find the strength to move. This beast is barreling towards you. It slams its horns into you, gores you, and throws you back. You go flying back 20 feet. Oh god!

You're broke! You broke the wall! It knocked you into a noclip. You are prone on the ground, currently. Oh fuck. All right. Then turns around, and as part of its multi-attack, is going to turn this way and back-hoof,

try and strike you. Oh no! Why the disrespect for a minute? You're going to get kicked? I'm going to get donkey kicked. That's going to be, it's not a great roll. 14. Misses.

Misses. What? You put your shield up and it glances off. Even just the impact on the shield sends you to the ground, and you realize the strength of that. I mean, that could kill a lot of people in one hit without an issue. It's bad we're here. The shield sends you to the ground and you realize the strength of that, I mean, that could kill a lot of people

in one hit without an issue. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. It's bad we're here. That's going to finish its go. Fearne, you're up with FCG on deck. Oh, all right. So I'm going to get up. Okay, that's half your movement.

Then the rest of the movement, I'm going to try to just tuck behind the pole. Okay. That's about as far as you can get. Oh. Oh boy. All right. He can still see you, and it's like. So, oh, because of the armor,

with a melee attack. Which it was, yeah. Yeah, so that's, he's going to take 10 points of cold damage. You casted at level three, right? I did, I did second level. Okay, gotcha. So.

So it takes 10 points of cold damage. As it strikes you, there's this icy blast off a furnace. She goes flying and strikes on the side of its face, and the mist as the ice that struck it suddenly evaporates. But yeah, it did take the damage. So you move, you still have your action this turn. Okay.

I wanted to try something, but I don't know if this is going to work, because I don't know. Fuck it. I am going to cast Dominate Beast. Ooh! Let's go. Okay. But I don't know if it's going to work. I don't know. We'll find out.

So is it a wisdom saving throw? Wisdom saving throw of 18. Come on, Sonny. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Okay. That is going to, Sonia. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. Okay. That is going to be an eight. Whoa! Checking things.

He's checking things. Please don't have an action. Don't have a legendary action. Don't be an aberration. It's going to be some concert. I know, I just can't. Oh, it has advantage on the saving throw because you're fighting it.

It's a beast, it's a beast, because his name is the Beast. It's a few things. It's a few things. All right, that is a 17. Wait, it was 18, yeah! It counts as both a celestial and a beast. Whoa! Did it?

So at the moment, it looks towards you. It was about to go into a secondary charge and then it drops. And for one minute, it is charmed by you. Whoa! One minute? For the one minute, the battle is halted. What are you all fucking doing?

Can I, if it stops, can I try to telepathically speak to it? If you want to. Yes. I'm darting up to the throne. I can also speak to it, speak to it? If you want to. Yes. I'm darting up to the throne. I can also speak to it. Oh, okay. But go ahead.

I'm going to go over to it and just start trying to pet him. While. While. So you move up to it, bloodied, and reach out and start petting it. All right. It is charmed by you. So as you start petting it, and as your hand touches it, it's odd

because it's physical when you touch it, and then your hand almost passes into it about an inch or so, and it feels like you're running a hand through water, but it's warm. And as you, it's petting it, and as you're moving your hand through, you can see its head like, it shakes into it a little bit.

You're reaching into its mind. Uh-huh. All right. And what are you saying? We're not here to harm you. I'll let you go read that fucking plan. I can tell you're lost. I'll go do it. Make a persuasion check.

You're uncertain if it's picking up on language or word. At best, you're trying to convey emotion. Calming and... Go ahead and make a persuasion check. Then we'll get to the rest of you here. 18. Okay. You're uncertain if it's understanding what you're saying,

but it seems to at least, your emotions are conveying towards it. We'll see what sort of reaction it has. Okay. The rest of you haven't had a chance to do anything yet. What do you want to do? Can I get a hand on you just to hit you with a Cure Wounds as I make for the elvish?

Because I can read elvish. I give you 30 points back. Whoa! Oh my goodness. I'm good at this, don't let me die! Ah! Shit. All right, so you rush over to Cure Wounds her. Maybe that doesn't even spell slots.

I'm going to. Thank you. You're going to the, where was the plaque? The plaque, it's in the center of the room. Moving to the plaque? Yeah, she's going to the plaque. Okay, so Cure Wounds, you have to do that. I had to touch, so I had to glance by her and be like, boop!

Four, five, six. Oh, let's be very clear, I only have 15 feet of movement. It's going to take me a while. I'm a little guy. 15? I'm little! That's so tiny. I'm just a little guy! Okay, so that gets you there.

Yeah, perfect. I've accomplished nothing! You yield her and you start slowly moving over. Perfect. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, you were saying? I'm going to slide underneath it, and I'm going to find its heart, if I can,

or whatever would be its heart. Does it have a double dash from 30? And ready an attack action for the moment this thing is not charmed. Okay. So you go ahead and your hand splits and gets you to the blunderbuss itself, readying the blast. You just look, and you can see deep within its torso, there is this distance. It's interesting, when you look at it, it's almost like looking at a star thousands upon

hundreds of thousands of miles away. You can see the heat, the glowing light of where its heart would be. Even though it's right in front of you, it's almost like you're staring into something far off. It's a weird illusion, but you grasp the direction of where something would be. Okay. I'm going to use my double dash and go 70 feet towards the throne. Okay. I'll be on the handle. He just wants this.

Sit on the throne, doesn't he? Okay, interesting. Just sitting down. What you doing? Right there. I just want to see, is there any sort of, is there a door, an access, a room behind the throne, or anything that looks like a switch,

or something that could be used for this thing? I'm just getting a, was there any panic room behind the seats for the royalty when they were on? Well, you have to get closer to it when we get there. Fair enough. No worries. Yeah, I'll do a bonus action,

Healing Word for another six points to you. And then as an action, I guess I'll try to speak to it. Okay. And say, if you can understand me, tell me, tell us where you want to go and we can try to help you get there. Hell.

Oh, oh, well, you know. This is tongues? Tongues. Which means any creature can understand what you're saying or you can understand what they're saying. What is this? What does that mean? What is tongues. Tongues. Which means any creature can understand what you're saying, or you can understand it. What does that mean? What is tongues? The creature, oh, I have to touch it. Let's get right on the thing.

It grants the creature the ability to understand any spoken language it hears. And when it speaks, any creature that knows at least one language can hear and understand what it says. Interesting. Okay, so you reach up and you touch it, and you speak to it. Yeah.

And it turns to you with an intelligence behind its burning eyes, and turns its head. It doesn't know language. No, it seemed to understand you. Oh, it did, but it can't speak back. Well, it's more just taking a moment to take in the circumstances here.

Okay. So you just said specifically. Yeah, if there's a place you want to be or a home you want to get to, tell us and we'll try to get you there. Okay, so that'll finish your turn. Sure. All right.

I'm from New York, Wall Street. There's a little girl there. Deanna Reznor, right? Deanna, yeah. Perfect. Amazing. All right, so Fearne, back to you. So people are talking, they're circling around. You're searching up to try and find some information,

and it is still under your control for the time being. You're at the ready just in case something goes wrong. What do you want to do? I am just trying to put out a very maternal vibe. Yeah. I'm going to just continue giving scritches, clean out his ears, start picking at him, looking for fleas, acting like I'm picking and cleaning him.

Do an animal handling roll, but with advantage, because it is charmed and because you're a fern. Why? Because you're a fern. Because you're a fern. I think Frida's falling in love with her. Who doesn't? because it is charmed and because you're a fern. Why? And because you're a fern. Because you're a fern. I think Frida's falling in love with her. Who doesn't? Dang it. Okay.

14. 14, okay, okay. It's not bad. It definitely seems like it's not receptive to it. It just still seems, it's charmed by you, and it's definitely, at the moment, not aggressive, but it is also taking in everyone who's swarming around it and talking to it and holding a gun arm towards it

and rushing past in the chamber. It looks like where the aggression that was there before has now been replaced with confusion and fear. So you've subdued some of its emotions and the others have come to the surface. You've made it worse. I'm just going to keep it and just relax. Sits a bit and it's busy.

Here you go. FCG? Actually, we'll say it because it hasn't taken its turn yet and now responds to you and as it goes, gives out this low, droning, deep, bassy voice that echoes through the room. You can feel it in your chest, like a deep bassy speaker. As it does, you don't hear language, but you can suddenly understand what it's conveying. It says, I don't know how I got here. I need to get home.

Do you have a pen? Got here. Oh! I need to get home. Oh! Do you have panic? What? Where's the home? Panic? You vanish. Yeah, I do, I do. The forest.

You could vanish it to its home plane. If it's... Are you from this plane? Oh, baby. Oh, oh. What? Forest. Do you see, oh, oh, you're not to the statue yet.

Nope. Old forest? Yeah, the base of where it was was kind of, actually, no, it would be down here. I'm sorry. We can't get him there, but if he was a statue or something, is he from the fucking Savalir? The what? The Savalir?

I don't know. He might be from another plane, though. He's celestial. No one knows what that is, I think. That's the closest forest, but it's all fucking ruined, or has been for a couple hundred years! Hundreds of years!

Interesting, interesting. I could try to banish him. Yeah, see if maybe. But you can't send him to a floor. She can just send him to like the other. If he's from another plane of existence. It'll go straight to that plane. Right, but that's a, otherwise we're just

banishing him. Banishing him until the skull runs out. Also, it has another minute, though. It has another minute. Can I run under him to keep going? Well, sorry, I'm going to run under it, and then I guess genital check to see if it is a him. Yeah, it's a dude. Keep going, he him.

All right. So yeah, since right now, no one's taking any aggressive actions, we can take a freeform bit here, and I'll be keeping in my mind how long this is going, since there's only a minute of communication here. But yeah, so, and is now sitting, and you can see in its face,

it has that fear and lost look. This massive, terrifying beast looks, I don't want to say childlike, but at least has a sense of abandonment and being unmoored. I'm just going to say to it, we also don't know how we got here, and we're also scared, just like you are. Where do I go where he's home? Read the fucking plaque! I'm trying! We need my turn!

So you get up to the plaque. She's going to the plaque. Okay, you get up to the plaque, you go to the throne. You can see it's scarred and marred from where this entity was previously, but there is an elven plaque along the base of it that reads, In memoriam of the fall of Molaesmyr.

Molaesmyr. What's that? What's Molaesmyr? Well, you can't get him there. Molae, Molae, Molaesmyr? Is that what that ring about? Yeah, yeah, yeah! That's me! Make an investigation check if you'd like.

You're looking for any sort of a lever? A switch, lever, anything that looks like it might be able to repoke this Pokemon. That's this plane, right? Natural 20 for a 27. Oh! Disadvantage. Oh. Fuck!

Ow! 11. 11. Ouchy. You're like, Ha! Aye! These are big chairs. Hoo-hoo! Ugh. I mean, you know,

royalty has to have some sort of escape plan. They didn't go through this thing, but you don't see anything. A celestial doesn't count as a fey, fiend, or undead, right? No. Okay. We can all understand it because of tongues? Yeah, you all can. Well, it's odd because it's not speaking with language,

but you feel like you're hearing it. If you think back on it real hard, there's no words, but you can understand it as if it was. And it can only understand you, FCG, or all of us? I think it can understand all of us. You touched it, so it can understand all of you. Okay, I'm going to let the gun recede. And I'm going to say,

I know a thing or two about being ripped out of time and space and wanting to get back home, but you can't hurt anybody anymore. If you work with us. We can get you where you need to go But these are innocent people They attacked me I was I was scared These people and they attacked me so I attacked them and I don't know these people, and they attack me, so I attack them. Oh, that's fair, baby. Yeah.

I imagine they're just as scared as you, if not more scared. Oh god, I'm gonna do a little harness. Are you hungry? Wanna eat a monkey? I'm gonna eat a monkey. That means I'm a monkey? I'm going to eat that thing. He looks over in your direction. Yeah, I got you. Hold on.

What'd you get? I've got some trail mints. Left over from our not-eating bagel. Yeah. I'm just going to give him. Here you go. What do bulls eat? I would know.

Yeah. As you walk over to him, he gets back up from his sitting position. Oh, I can come over. You can stay down, baby. Don't worry about it. Lean's over. Then immediately, all of your hair goes towards it for a second. My hand gets sucked into it.

Yeah, you're like. Pull it out. Interesting. We can get you somewhere outside. Outside? Yeah. You're inside, very deep underground, which is maybe why you're feeling a little bit stressed.

It's bad, it's bad. I'm gonna kneel in front of it, just to have a very sort of passive approach. Position, yes, reveal tummy. Just scritching his. You don't wear underwear. Scritching the chin. Just staying very passive. All right.

I would like all of you that are around the entity partaking in this, and are you staying where you've been? I'm staying at a distance. So I would like the four of you who are up close and personal with this creature to make either a persuasion or animal handling check, your choice. And then tell me the- See what Fearne's doing.

I'm going to pump a help into her. I can't try to help on the persuasion because of the mental talking that I was hearing? No. This is more of a physical conversation. You get a, you get an extra d6. A natural 20 and a natural one.

No! Is this disadvantage? Sorry. No, she got disadvantage. What do I? Well, actually, no. Because you guys have calmed it at this point. Trait by love. Yeah.

No, because you have it dominated, and you've been discussing with it. This would probably be with advantage. So yours would have been a solo roll? Am I rolling, too, because I'm talking to it? Yeah, everyone who's right up against it, essentially. What was your first roll? You get a d6. I rolled them at the same time.

So should I just roll a new one? Just roll a new one. Yeah. Sorry. It's okay. Okay, 13 is good. Better than a one. Yeah, super is 23. Persuasion? Persuasion or animal handling.

24. All right. 27. Whoa! Nice. 22. Damn! 22. Damn! Yeah. The minute has passed. Ooh!

And your Dominate Beast fades. Ooh! As it does, they now, like dull burning flame in its eyes flares back into a completely in control red as it gets back up. Yeah.

You still looking back over there? I'm just hanging out over by the throne. Okay. Show me where out is. Okay, buddy. Well, if we leave now, they're going to attack this. They will attack you. No, no, no. We'll fix that. That's okay. But we should talk to them beforehand, right? I mean, we can't just show up at the gate with this thing. Some of us can run up ahead.

What if... Were you from another plane of existence? Do you know? That's going to help. I was of the forest. Of the forest. Is that only your wife? All right. I was the Sentinel beast. Oh shit.

Do you have a name? Umudara. Umudara. Umudara. Umudara? Do you think you can? Where is out? Where is out? It's this way. Let's just slowly walk it out. Hey, can I get a ride? I got little legs.

Oh! Yeah! I climb up. That's funny. Hey, can we, Udara, is it all right if we get all of the people out? Leave them here. It's more, if they scream, it's weirder.

Yeah, but we're on the bottom disc of three and we're going to go through cities of thousands of people. And they will move. We're going to parade this thing up. They're going to be scared. Is there another way out? No. It's going to be a little easier.

Is there a door anywhere? If we escort it. I'm still looking behind the throne for a safe room or a panic room or a lever or anything back there. No, your investigation check stands. You get, unfortunately, as you glance through, you're like, ah. Nada.

Nothing helping you out on this one, unfortunately. I just, I'm afraid if we just show up, those guards are not going to discern. No, they're not. Yeah, we're going to have to go first and be like, clear the road and give it a wide, wide break. Give it a massive persuasion check. What would you want to try? Can I try something extremely stupid and cheeky?

Yes, you may, please. I would love, if I can, because it lasts for eight hours, can I make my spirit guardian speak out the gate and announce that we're coming up? Hmm. How long does it last? It lasts for? Eight hours. Eight hours?

Yeah. I'll say... I'll say go ahead and roll a d20 and add your... You don't have disadvantage on this, I'll say. One. Ah. Dang! I'm in hell. Oh my god! I actually have an idea. What is that? I've got it. I don't know, Oh my god. I actually have an idea.

What is that? I've got an idea. I don't know, I blame you. She's got an idea. You made me sit between my exes and my taser. By the way, every time he has a one up, I'm out of that. I'm just saying that we defeated this thing with the power of friendship. That's all I'm saying.

Shit! He's right. He's absolutely right. He's absolutely right! Okay. It's crazy. I have an idea. You believe you've asked it to speak for you. We do have a group of people now at the gate, though.

There's like 20 people, right, that are going to be terrified as soon as we get down there. They also have to believe us that this thing's going to come. Sure, yeah, calm emotions. Maybe we can run ahead. I'll run ahead and cast ahead and try to talk to everybody about what's happening at the gate.

While the rest of you are entourage alongside this beast as it plumps down. So if someone's going to attack, I can try to. And as I'm telling everyone, I'm going to cast calm emotions on the group so they settle and part ways for him and stand to the side. Yeah. Can I join her for,

just in case you need some extra calming effect? Sure, sure. Everyone seems to be hyperventilating, scared, and as you approach, like, what happened? What's going on? Everything all right? Valium. We found the beast and we're going to try

to get it out of the city. Okay. But we need everyone. For the time being, head back to your home. That was great. We don't want to startle it any further. Understood. All right, go. We'll keep that in mind. Everyone's like, yeah, no, it's a good idea.

Okay, yeah, start walking back and scattering to their different homes. We got beers and chips. Yeah, I still have a sandwich. Everyone's like, yeah, no, it's a good idea. Okay, yeah, start walking back and scattering to their different homes. We got a beer, shit, we can fold it. Yeah, that's not bad, have a sandwich. You want a bite? We're going to pregame for the beast coming out. Now, all we have to do is be able to communicate with people through the gate.

Don't worry, I already handled that. Oh. Yeah. Wait, didn't Deanna say that her guardian was going to do it? Their guardian's just sitting there. Yeah. That's great. It doesn't seem like he's doing much talking. The guardian was guarding on this side of the gate. Yes, it's on our side of the gate.

So you've worked with people. There's still the massive Dawnfather as you're talking to them, and they're all calm, and she's like, Hey. How's it going? Cool. It can't speak. It can't speak.

I don't think it can speak. Just knock? Yeah, maybe just politely knock and just say through the gate, Um, things are better. Things are better. It's not attacking. Can you open up the door so we can talk? Are the king and queen still out there?

Make a persuasion check. Is this through the big door or this through the small side one? Small side door, I think. Or you were going big door? I'm on big door, baby. Okay. I'm on big door, baby. But you heard me about this.

Did you guide me? Yeah. This is on you. That's how this works. Yeah, that's how it works. Okay. And then persuasion? 29. Jesus.

Okay. The volume doesn't quite reach beyond the iron of the gate, but your force of will and mental communicative abilities allow you to press this information into the mind of some of the guards beyond the iron. There's a moment where you start hearing some raised voices just ever so muffled beyond the other side. There's a pause before

dust and rust settles as the chains tighten on this side of the gate and it begins to slowly rise up. As it rises, I'll throw another Calm Emotions out to those folks out there. Okay, there's a lot of soldiers here. Oh, Jesus. You can see, as soon as it comes about two feet

and you glance down from your height, you can see there is about 200 or so armed warriors who are dressed in various degrees of the royal Sentinel attire, as well as hundreds of glass blades that have all mounted ready for this thing to come through. But the first, they're there.

As soon as it starts opening, they're like, they have their shields up and their spears at the ready, blades out ready. It's okay. Fucking two. Welcome to the club. Yep. The ones that are there, they're like, so you said about a beast, you've stopped it,

you've killed it. We haven't killed it. We've just calmed it down a bit. It just wants out, that's all. It's not going to attack. It was just frightened. The voice in the back goes, What?

I know. It's the power of friendship. So we just talk to it. There's this one elven gentleman who looks old, grizzled, short gray hair, one eye is a little bit clouded, and he has deep set features. Looks like an elderly David Bowie, but battle worn. He's wearing the sentinel armor, and the cloak is over one shoulder, and it's this deep, rich purple. You can see the symbol of Uthodurn, like the mountain and the tree wrapping around it, like the two parts of the Earth societies

combining on both sides. This is a very decorated individual within the Royal Sentinels here. This is, thankfully, one of the figures that was near the door where you came through and goes, Don't worry. I can't tell you why. But I feel like I can trust him. He gives you a look. The rest of them are like, what? They're not going to argue with him.

Okay. They all begin to slowly back up and back up and back up, give a wide berth. They're not backing down. They all still have their weapons at the ready. They're all essentially just giving you a little bit of space, waiting to see what the hell you're talking about, because they haven't seen the beast yet. Is there anyone in charge that I can speak to that can command everyone else?

That would be me, miss. Wonderful. And you'll make decisions? I can. All right And you'll make decisions? I can. All right. Is that the key? Then please stay right here.

Don't attack as he approaches, and I'll help you understand. He gives you a stern look. I don't know who you are, but if there's a single sign of provocation, we're going to put the beast down. We have to protect the people of the city. Of course.

Back up! Fun. This is going good. Are you ready? I'm going to, Umadora, can I just, I'm going to start pulling out some ribbon. Aw. And then just tie it around his neck to make him look real cute.

Aw, just so much cuter. That's a lot of ribbon. Much cuter. So much cuter. For the man. I'll allow it, I'll allow it. Okay, and then I'll just hold. Anybody that he comes in contact with?

The spell is on the creature and it lasts for one hour. Oh, okay, great. Then I might not even need to do this. What color is this? This is not a leash. Peach. Great. Peaches and cream. This is not a leash.

You can take this off at any time. I just know that bows just sort of relax people. You know? You say what? Yeah, they make people think that the animal's cute and sweet. So I'm going to hold one of the ends. Are you ready? We're good. Hey, are you good with friendly magic?

I bet it'll be cute. I don't think so. Are you what? Cool. Okay. I'm just letting you know I'm going to cast magic and it's going to be nice. I'm going to cast Aura of Life so that there's a ray of sun on it and it just feels warmed by the sun. Also, if anyone tries to attack this thing, we're going to have a problem. I'm going to watch everyone around this thing and if anyone gets a little fish, jumpy, froggy, I'm going to jump first. So.

The gate eventually pulls up to about a 25-foot gap from the floor. As it lifts up, the shadowed interior of the base bottom disk is revealed as a bright ray of sunlight suddenly encompasses this celestial beast, this massive, unique, once protector of an ancient forest comes stepping through with an entourage of

unique characters as its peach ribbon adorns its neck. This is a good guy. The bright warmth that washes over it sourcelessly from above as you all step around it. The entirety of the military force of Uthodren that is gathered here is backed up and you can hear the continuous mingling sound of gasps and what the fuck? I'm just going to press the digitation and they're going to hear,

As the beast comes close. All the soldiers are backed up and they're all looking at each other confused. A combination of, what are we witnessing and who the hell witnesses these things? is this really okay? Why aren't we attacking this? This thing killed Carl. Yeah, there's a lot of that tension in there, too. There's a lot of people that are like, the only thing holding them back is that elven general that you spoke to has his hand up like this,

telling them all to stay their hand. And as much as their vengeful mind is torn, they follow orders. Let's go, Vicar. And as they all step back, the people in the streets that have scattered out to their homesteads now begin to poke out their windows. And looking at this display of this beast

just stepping through the street, this unexpected parade that begins to climb up the Augur Trail and draw the attention of numerous, just the peoples of Uthodurn carefully watching, but also not missing the opportunity to witness whatever the heck this display is. Any time anybody seems to get frightened or there's an uprising or anything,

I'm going to hit him with Calm Emotion so we can keep it calm as we go up with the beast. Okay. Keeping running that 11 to 15 range. You're real lucky. Indeed, there are bursts of conversation and fear and the occasional scream or cry of a child and you watch as the beast turns its head.

That's okay, you're doing so good. And there is attention to it as well, but then it keeps its head high as best it can and just keeps clopping up. Travis, you're like, motherfucker. We should kill this thing. It grows by dinner.

Jenny's still trying to find that fucking lever. To this day. She just wants the treasure. Where'd you go, guys? These thrones are expertly made. Passing through the liberation disc, you can see all the various forges and hearths that have been put out in the proximity of this imposed shutdown begin to alight once more

as word begins to spread almost ahead of you of this unique thing that needs to be seen carefully. As you begin to see more and more faces gather, you also see the procession of the royal guard that surrounds the elevated visual range of the king and queen atop one of the temple floors. Looking off and witnessing this, arms crossed, and talking to each other quietly

as they watch this unique presentation, climbing still up to the top of Uthodurn. Now you can see the army has been flanking you this whole time, too. They're moving with you to ensure that if anything happens, they are ready to leap in. That tension never fully cuts, but it does relax the closer you get to the exit until eventually you come to the entry staircase

that leads up and you can see the dark of night above, the gray-coated sky of clouds, the occasional breakthrough. You see the stars and the light snowfall that's just starting to coast across the top of the mountainside as the beast eventually rises to the top and does its job. So good. And thank you for walking like that. When we passed my neighborhood, they were so jealous. Do we pass Uldgard's shop?

You passed everything. But eventually, as you reach outside, and the glass blades that are outside immediately, you're like, Really? And they stop and... You really think you're the last one? What are you doing?

What do you think you're doing that everyone down there didn't do? They've been outside this whole time. Yeah! I don't know what the fuck's happening. Bro! But as you emerge, the beast looks out and looks over the surrounding territory. There you go. Making that sense of being lost still residing.

We're going to walk him all the way back. Tell him to go south. Yeah. Did you tell you? Wait, are you with us or are you still in the fucking throne? I'm fucking raiding the shit out of the throne. Did you give us a sense of? Did you really stay down there the whole time? Yeah!

This is an empty palace. Yeah. First of all, I'm checking the whole area. If there's anything I can pop out of the throne, pocket that shit, and I carve initials under one of the legs of the throne. Did you tell us where this? Yeah, south of here.

Did you say Savalirwood? In a couple, yeah, a couple times. But yeah, I also said Savalirwood is south of here, because that's where I ran from. Should we take it all the way there? No, I think he can make it. Do you want us to run it over? Okay.

If we give you a direction, are you comfortable? Do you want us to go with you? I'd say you're getting pretty close to the end of the tongue spell for an hour. Oh, sure. Like the slow procession through the entire city. You go and say, I don't sense it.

Oh no. Where? To the south. That way. It might not be there any more. It's like, we don't know that door. Okay. The plaque did say in memorial. You don't have to be alone if you don't want to.

I'm going to take off the bow. Okay. But tie a little tiny one around one of his horns. Just so whatever is coming in. It looks off in the distance, and sniffs up into the gently falling snow. Thank you. Good luck. As the spell begins to lose its control, it begins to clop off into the snowstorm on its own in a

southward direction through the Flotket Alps. He's going to be fine. He'll be fine. He can fight. Yeah, he can. And it's better than him being stuck in stone. Yeah, definitely better than him raging around and just continuing to kill everyone down there.

Now we can get animals. How many of those things are imprisoned down there? How many of those things are imprisoned all over Exandria? They don't. It's unnatural. Yeah. We should go back down and find Chetney. Meanwhile, Chetney, what are you up to?

Yeah! Legit. I definitely checked. Are the thrones made of wood or stone? There is one of stone and one of wood. God, damn, let me get all up in that wood throne. I just want to check it, feel it. Also put my initials on the lower left rear leg. Okay, easy enough to do. See pop.

And then are there any fine jewels or anything that I can pop out on the backside of it? Is it just wood and stone? Oh no, these are very well adorned. They're less well adorned now. Can I, which is maybe, let's say a half dozen. Then I'm going to do one more check for anything that I can just pocket around here.

Again, no panic room or anything. I see a rug! Is there anything out of the rug? Okay, well first off, the throne itself. They're all dead in here, Mercer, give me my shit! I am telling you right now! Damn. The, uh...

Damn. The throne. You said we couldn't talk to the gods anymore. Yep. There are alternating emeralds and rubies across elements of the wooden throne here. The wood itself is carved from a type of tree that used to exist in the woods

now known as the Savalirwood. It is a unique mixture of pale gray bark It is a unique mixture of pale gray bark with almost a deep maroon second layer of a venomous symbiote in a way. It wraps around this hardened sap that climbs up and twists around it, but it's all hardened bark on it.

And you can see there are parts of it where there are emeralds and rubies built into it with runic elven symbols and sigils along it. You can pop some of those out. Give yourself three emeralds worth 250 gold each. Goddamn! Three sapphires worth 200 gold each. Bro, if you see a diamond worth 500,

you might just want to buy one. Shine bright like a diamond! I almost feel bad carving my initials into that throne, but not enough. Anything under the rug before I start to skedaddle out of here? Make an investigation check for me. Come on, come on! Roll a me. Come on, come on.

Roll a first. Come on, give yourself guidance. I don't have that. You don't have guidance? No, I don't. You're the only one. 16. 16. Looking beneath the rug as you pull it up,

there is a symbol of the Allfather chiseled into the ground. It's a symbol of the dwarven form of the Allhammer. They're holding what looks to be the handle of a double-headed warhammer. And the handle looks like there's a gap beneath you to almost grab it. Woo!

Yeah. Yeah. You grab the handle and pull, and as you do, it pulls up, and the back door behind the two thrones lifts up. You did it! And you can see what looks to be a spiral staircase that descends out of here.

Just as you begin to hear the sound of Sentinel soldiers now reclaiming the palace, since they are now no longer being kept away by the beast. And we never saw Chetney again. Aw. Misadventure. the palace since they are now no longer being kept away by the beast. And we never saw Chetney again. Aw. Misadventure. I don't want to say what's in the room.

I'm gone, I'm gone. Actually, I take the scythe and I'm like, I start smearing blood all over myself. Okay, now I got my story and I just go down this path. Perfect. You run down and it's a tight spiral staircase that descends down. It's functional.

It's not beautiful, it's functional. Eventually, it leads into a single staircase that descends. You gather just from the depth of this. And being a gnome, you're pretty familiar with subterranean depths and gauging the distance. You're now beneath the disk into a long tunnel that emerges after a long curving walk through a small chamber. It climbs up into a chamber that is about five foot by five foot, and there is a stone handle in front of you.

Yeah, yeah, I'm doing the thing, yeah. The hinge opens and you step out of a six-foot-tall stone base for an elven sculpture of a tree that is near the entry gate of the disk. Oh, it's like a... Oh! This is a hidden escape for the king and queen.

Oh. Duh. That's very cool. I will use that to escape. This is a hidden escape for the king and queen. Oh. Duh. That's very cool. I will use that to escape. Can I hear anybody outside of the exit? You hear many people swarming back into the disc, soldiers that are spreading out, people that are reclaiming it,

holding lanterns and lighting up the area, checking for survivors, gathering the dead and reclaiming the bottom of the city. I'll creep out this way if I can. Okay. Make a stealth check. With disadvantage.

Oh. Natural one. No! No! You go rushing out as soon as the hand goes, Hey, you! What are you doing? Help me! Oh god! Help me!

Oh god, someone! Oh! Life is so fragile! Please help! This person has no reason to not believe you and just immediately ushers you back into the deliberation disk. Life is so fragile.

Incredible. As you now begin to weave your way, bloodied and such, people are like, Oh god, are you? People are like, Sir, do you need help? Do you need a bandage? I can see the veil. Quick! Father!

Jorita! Jorita, bring the bandages, quick! People begin to gather and tend to your wounds. As one of the near-fallen soldiers of the battle of the Grand Disc of Uthodurn, while the rest of you watch off in the distance the celestial entity of Umudara, the Sentinel Beast, trudges off alone into the distance, vanishing into the softly falling snow of night,

and then think, should maybe check in on Jetmate. And that's where we're going to end this episode. Yay! Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Go on, go on.

Oh! I've never been more happy to have a battlefield not even see one round of combat. Oh my god. Dude, it's so cool. That thing's going to roam that entire mountain range into the ruins of the Savalirwood. Or it'll take three steps to fall into a crevasse.

Oh yeah, that's true. That's not on us. That's so rad. He can take care of it. Yeah, that's not on us. And his name was Umadara. Umadara the Sentinel Beast. I love him. I love him. What a metaphor. Umadara the what?

Sentinel Beast. Sentinel Beast. Oh, that's right. Oh, he's so cute. Uncle Bane! what? I love him. Sentinel beast. Sentinel beast. Oh, that's right. Oh, he's so cute. Uncle B! The first sad, you did, I was like, I hope, no, we're going to kill him.

I can't hit it! We're going to love him. We're not going to hurt him. We're going to love him. That's how I was taught to. Power friendship. Power friendship. Bro!

Power friendship, man. Oh my god. I can't believe it's power friendship. That was fucking great. That's all you're most popular part. It was not love. Yeah. Dang it. It actually did. That was fucking great. It was not love. Yeah, dang it. Dang it.

It actually did. Awesome. Well, I'll end it there. We'll see y'all on the next episode and pick up from this fucking chaos. Thank you so much for joining us. We love you very much and is it Thursday? Good night.

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