Critical Role - C3E68 For The Tempest

Episode Date: August 17, 2023

Bells Hells race to return to Zephrah with faith that their gains in the Grey Valley will save Keyleth and return hope to their fight... 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 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

Hi there, this is Matthew Mercer, resident Game Master here at Critical Role, to welcome you to this podcast version of the show. If you'd like to watch the stream as it airs, you can catch it Thursdays at 7pm Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole or youtube.com slash criticalrole. Twitch subscribers can access the video on demand immediately after the broadcast and it also becomes available on YouTube Mondays at 12 p.m. Pacific. Podcast episodes land right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network

on Thursdays, a week after the initial broadcast. Okay, with that info dump out of the way, let's dive into the story. Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We're nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. Nerdy! Our first sponsor is the brand new video game Baldur's Gate 3. Take it away, Sam.

There are lots of reasons to be excited about Baldur's Gate 3. It captures the chaos and surprise of a D&D campaign, but in a next-gen video game. Character creation lets you define personality, body type, age, looks, right down to the highlights in your hair. The expansive original storyline explores a dark corruption growing inside you that carries with it a mysterious burgeoning power. There's also an in-world newspaper called Baldur's Mouth

that publishes your exploits for all to see. But the thing I'm most excited about is the romance. There it is. That's right. There we go. Baldur's Gate 3 has romanceable NPCs, y'all. Your character can forge all kinds of relationships, including the naked sexy time variety. And your romantic life actually changes

the game's narrative arc. I don't know if you guys saw this, but there's actually a clip out there where the main character can even get freaky with a druid in a bear form, which is very sexy. Now, I haven't played the game, but unusual romantic pairings are kind of my thing. So I wrote a little scene

of how my ideal in-game romance would go. Liam, I don't mean to spring this on you like this, but would you care to read the scene with me? You already made me wear the costume, Sam. Great, so you'll do it? Yep. Awesome. And remember, this scene is all about romance, so play it real, okay?

And action. Honey, I'm home. How's my hot little tiefling? Ready to roll a natural 69 in the bedroom? Oh, finally back from adventuring. Let me guess, your important battle took longer than expected? I didn't know a Demi Lich was going to ambush us.

Are we really doing this again? Yes, Grenlocke, we're doing this again. I worked my hot little tiefling ass off making you a whole salmon casserole, and now it's gone cold like this relationship. Baby, baby, baby, baby, I was frozen in a stone spell. It took a while for Kendra to heal me. Oh, that's what this is.

That bitch Kendra the Wild, always spending time Kendra to heal me. Oh, that's what this is. That bitch Kendra the Wild. Always spending time with her and not me. She's our cleric. My arm was severed. Look, the therapist said you never support my work. You mean your dream of living as a bear 24-7? I've been your biggest supporter for years. Look, I may just be a level one sorcerer

and don't earn enough treasure to contribute to the rent, but that doesn't mean my dreams aren't valid, too! Wait, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. I'm confused. Is this what you think romance is? I mean, different things turn on different people. Oh, no. That's fair.

Just read the last part. I'm sorry, baby. I know I'm a bear and you're a hot ass tiefling. Maybe I can cover you in honey and make it up to you. Oh baby, come on. Let's hibernate all night long. And scene. That felt great, Liam. Didn't that feel good to you? So good, Sam.

The next generation RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a thriving world filled with characters, dangers, and deceit. Online multiplayer for up to four players lets you combine forces in combat or split your party and follow your own quests. And there's romance.

This is what I do when I'm nervous. It's time to gather your party and return to the Forgotten Realms. Baldur's Gate 3 is now out on PC. Matt, thanks for bearing with us. Oh. Does anybody want to bury me in the parking lot? Having Overlook Hotel flashbacks.

Oh yes. With the strap as it's stuck on your chair. Oh good. Suffer for your art, Liam. Getting death to smoochy vibes. Yeah, yeah, straight up. Laura, you got some announcements to do? Oh my gosh!

Oh gosh, which one do I start with first? Okay. Your choice. I'm going to start with this. Oh! Yeah! All right, hold on, I got to unhook it. We have, you guys, we have an Imogen denim shirt. Hermagr.

That's really cute. Look at this thing! It's countrified. No, but it's also not countrified. It's also just super wearable. But look at Imogen Timel, oversized denim shirt. Artist Adrienne Helton. Oh. See, it's the moon.

It's the moon. It's the moons. It's the moon phases. And get it, get it, get this. We also have Laudna die set. It matches. So you could wear Imogen and hold Laudna in your hand. Oh. And check out, have you seen these?

They're very cool. Have you seen them in person? I haven't in person. They're so beautiful. So, so beautiful. Is that our first denim thing ever? Yeah. Wow. And it's so good.

I tried it on when it was in sample phase and I wore it home and it's mine and I'm taking this one, too. These are good. They're smoky, but also spiky and ickery. You can open it real quick, should you need to. Oh, it's a snap? Oh, wow. It is a snap.

It's not a button? Tearaway denim is the best. Tearaway denim is the way to go. Eight years is the denim anniversary. And the last thing is, oh, everybody loves a good Robbie Damon action figure. Yeah! Yeah, a Dorian Storm reaction figure.

Artist Hannah Friedrichs and Super7, and this one as well is exclusive to CRShops. Check it out in our store right now. So many good things. I feel like that's the best I've done on an app. You did. You did. So good. That was the one? Yeah.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who joined us at Gen Con last week. We were able to showcase Queen by Midnight and Till the Last Gasp, as well as give previews of upcoming RPGs, Candela Obscura and Daggerheart. So if you missed out on getting a copy of Queen by Midnight, we invite you to heed the rule by midnight and check out this Battle Royale board game at its full release on August 22nd in Critical Role shops and Darrington Press Guild stores. It's so good!

You can place an order with your local Darrington Press Guild store to get special foil versions of each princess's ultimate card as well, so look into that. Marisha and Sam, you got something to talk about. You guys, we're back with season two of Mitzt, starting on Wednesday, August 23rd. And you can join us for a round table

with the Mitzt narrators, as mysterious as they are, next Wednesday, August 16th, as we dive into season one and get to know these incredible artists and storytellers. Shout out to third person. Subscribers will get the first three episodes of this season right away, plus some amazing new benefits like monthly bonus episodes with the narrators, digital downloads of the episode art,

and a music tracks. You can learn more at midst.co. Check it out and subscribe. Yes, good shit. Also, the final episode of Candela Obscura, chapter one, is available to watch everywhere. Yeah, baby! So if you missed it and you want to watch that first set of three, you can binge it. It's super good. It's super great. Also, you might have seen that chapter two of Candela Obscura is coming August 31st.

Oh! Yes, join us for the premiere on Twitch, YouTube, and! What? You guys. I didn't know this. In Cinemark Theater! What? That's right, if you're curious, you can get on the ground floor,

in on the ground floor of this chapter! As the Circle of Needle and Thread face off against a duplicitous threat that wreaks havoc on the war-torn Fairlands. It's so good, you guys. Our players include Travis Willingham, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Zara Fessle, Luis Carrazzo, and Marisha Ray. Let's go, Marisha Ray! Alongside our game master and lead designer for Candela Obscura, Spencer Starr. Woo!

He fucking knocks it out of the park. It's good shit. For tickets and more information at, yeah, for tickets and more information, you can go to critroll.com. Crit roll. Well done. Crit roll. We make stuff.

We do stuff. We do things. We do things. We do things. But I think that concludes our announcements. So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of... I have bare hair in my teeth. Critical roll. I think it's pretty cool. fall Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? Hold your breath and roll How do you want to do this? It's Thursday night

All ye critters come join us It's time to continue our flight There is magic and mystery, who knows what will happen We might But one thing's for sure, we never There is magic and mystery, who knows what will happen in life? But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight.

From the healer to the renegade, we all share the same goal. Adding more allies Taking more chances Hold your breath and roll You can certainly try It's Thursday night All ye critters Come join us It's time to continue our fight

There is magic and mystery From darkness our friendship Will rise When one thing's for sure There is magic and mystery from darkness, our friendship will rise. But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight. Oh, get ready, it's Thursday night. MATT and MATT and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and SAM and Wow. Full meltdown. Welcome back. So, last time. Bells Hells, in prepping themselves for the coming, growing threat in the Hellcatch Valley,

in the echoes of the solstice and the Exandria-wide changes and damage that it's left in its wake, you went to ask aid of Keyleth after finding out that she had still continued to suffer the wounds that she was given in that moment by Otohan Thule. This specific toxin that she had used, this venom on her blades, prevented the wounds from closing

and Keyleth remained near incapacitated, unable to use her magic to weave these wounds away. You discover that there is a particular type of flower that grows in places of severe corruption that when gathered could, at least through previous experience, possibly reverse this toxin. You followed shortly after a group of volunteers

that went to the Gray Valley and discovered they themselves had befallen some dark scenarios upon attempting to recover these flowers, some of which fell and were corrupted in this field, others that were captured. You followed the trail to a bastion, a stronghold of followers of the platinum dragon that had fallen recently to a mass demon horde.

Much was lost on each side, but victory laid with the demons and they were preparing for some larger ritual, a blood feast of some kind in which these captured individuals were to be prepared for. You, using a two-pronged assault on this bastion, manage to slay many of these demons,

ally with a devilish figure that seemed to also have a coincident interest against these demon forces. A sexy devilish figure. What is right on the card? Destroyed the local demon general of this region, of this assault, and freed the remaining captives, three of which were members of the First Ashari Volunteer Party,

one of which is Barney, your Ashari sister. After realizing the space was dangerous and Fearne made a tiny, tiny little pact with this devilish figure, Tevin. Exhausted, hurt, and not immediately able to return back to Zephrah, Barony carved through the stone magically an alcove in which you could rest for the evening. There, you gathered up, sealed the stone, and within this safe space,

prepared yourselves for an evening's rest. Is there anything you can do before we go into bed? Yes, actually, I just realized that I wasn't fully, I wasn't fully stacked to be as efficient as I could be. Could I, do we have the butcher's bib in the hole? I mean, probably. Hold on. Can't remember if I put it in the bag of hold or not, but I want to put that bitch on.

Okay. And attune to it. So the hole is 10 feet across. This alcove is rather small, so you have to ask everybody to get very close to the edges of the interior of this circular cavern. Buddy scooch for a second. Okay, okay. Back up. Everyone back so we can see. Through the back.

Whee! No, I fall in. Oh no. I was about to say, we could just fold it closed. I think we're alone now. That doesn't seem to be. What are you, who are you waving to? Yep, yep, there you go, right up.

Oh wait, shit, what did you need? I got the butcher's bib, it's fine. I'll attune to that. So you acquired the butcher's bib. So, let's see that thing you picked up, that dagger. Oh yeah! Yeah. I take the Bag of Holding and I pull out this sword that's got rubies or jewels or something?

It's lengthwise on the shorter scale of a greatsword. Okay. But it is quite wide. The blade itself is a large, thick blade with a cruciform hilt on it, and there are rubies embedded in it. It's a solid, smooth platform. It's a beautiful-looking blade.

Dope. FCG, you still got any stank to figure out? I do, if you need me to check it out. Let's do that. All right, my lens pops down, and little beams of laser light come out and scan it up and down. Forms a 3D model of it in my brain.

I turn it around. It's just showing it off. Just see Terminator analysis. What do I see? You see a beautiful blade that's referred to as Graz T'char, the Luminary Blade. The Luminary Blade. The minute you look over it and hold it in your hand,

a voice comes through into your mind that says, Child of creation, strange being of metal in will, there is much darkness in this world that must be dispelled, and you have a great destiny before you. Perhaps together, we could do great things and turn this world right.

Oh wow. Are you a god? Who are you talking to? No. I am no god. But I was once a great king. A king? Wait, what's your name? Hi, smiley day to you.

I'm Fresh Cut Grass. Can you see? I cannot see. I just feel the presence of a hand on my hilt. I need a stronger connection, but even so, I fear that what took me also took from me my memories. Oh no. All I have now is knowledge of the darker shadows that creep across this land,

and a wish to prevent others from falling to what I once fell to. That's what we want, too. That's exactly what we want. Everyone. Are you talking about swords? The sword is a king. It's a kingsword. Oh, okay. King, what? Yeah, I thought that was just one of those in my head.

Oh, you heard him, too? Yeah. That's quite a claim. A kingsword. I'm not a big fan of talking. A king of what? What's his? Pardon me, your highness, sire, if you can still hear me,

were you always a sword? Sire? Don't romance the sword. Don't romance the sword. Don't romance the sword. No. I mean, you're metal and I'm metal. Well, I mean, if you're asking. Piss me!

I have a way. Were you once, were you always a sword? No. No, it was my last dying breath that placed what little power and will I had into this blade. And I don't remember much ever since.

Do you have a name? I did. I... They're taking this long to tell you their name? Come on. I can't recall. I don't want to be rude to the... It's a Forgetful Sword. You said it's a King Sword?

Here is the information from the Identifier. So he doesn't remember his name? Do not recall my name, but the blade that carries me, that I gave myself to, I guess that is my name now. I am a weapon. Swing it, FCG! Hang, hang, yah! That was... It's a nice, hefty blade. It's a greatsword, so it's strength-based. Oh, it's a greatsword.

Oh. Wait, am I strength-basedy? It's a strength-basedy. Like a Stouty. Yeah. Like a Shorty. It's like, it would be probably, the blade itself, about maybe three feet, two and a half, three feet. And it's about almost a foot wide.

Woof! Maybe a little less than that. Very much a foot wide. That's a paddle. Wait, a foot wide? Sorry. It's like a cricket bat. Six inches. Six inches, I should say. That's a wide-ass blade. Yeah, it's a...

Gladius there. See if you can hold it. Six inches. Chet, see if you can do it. If I can hold it. Are you a strength guy? You bet your fucking ass I am. Wait, like, king of what? Hold on. I don't trust things that talk

that don't have moving parts. There's some rules here. Can I detect thoughts on the sword? If you'd like to. I'm going to try to detect thoughts on the sword. That's awesome. It's a sword. You can't really, there's not a brain to pierce.

There is a consciousness there. It's a powerful enchantment that holds this consciousness within, but nothing that seems to break through. FCG. To break through, particularly. Wound me. You want me to use it on you?

Well, hold on. Are you calm? How's your emotional state? Why do you have to attune to it in Huh? In order for it to really work? Yeah, you can normally attune it. Yes. Huh? It requires attunement. Fuck that! Let me have it! Hey-ya!

Ah! Roll for an attack. Natural one. It just whips, and I'm like, oh, it burns! I love my second! You lift the blade. It's a low ceiling. You lift the blade. But also, low ceiling. You lift the blade.

But also, it's not that I don't want to hurt you. I don't care about you. What if it hurts him? He's a new friend. That's very considerate, yeah. You should probably use the sword. It could hurt. Unless, King, Your Highness, Sire,

do you like to hurt people with yourself? Only those who deserve it, of dark intent. Does he like the taste of blood? Do you like the taste of blood? I don't think I can taste anything in this blade. King of fucking where? King of fucking where? And what?

And what? I try to recall. Try? Does he know he's a? Oh, sorry, I can't hear. Do you know what year it was to recall. Try? How does he know he's a? Do you know what year it was when you were king? It was long ago. Oh, what does that mean? During, I want to say,

an age of great magic. Age of great magic? That could be a long time ago. It could be right now. There's great magic all the time. That really is. You don't like this guy very much. I don't trust things that...

I'm going to give him to you. Ah, god! This is a weird end of the night. Hello? You walk a strange path. There is a... I want to say a fire that burns within you that tells me there is... There is a, I want to say a fire that burns within you

that tells me there is, there is great possibility in the road ahead. The fuck does that mean? If you perchance have the strength to carry me, use me for justice and good, perhaps together we could wash the shadows that corrupt the lands of Tal'Dorei. What shadows would that be?

There are those that seem to undermine the council itself. What itself? The Council of Tal'Dorei. Oh. There are leaders across this land. A shadow that seeps, I see it in my dreams. There is,

there are things ancient and dark that once felled me, and now all that I wish to do in this forgotten, long scattered state is ensure that no other falls like I did. Okay, this is weirding me out. It's talking about the Council of Tal'Dorei.

Do any of us know? We'll be right back. I'm going to put it in the ground and step back. Isn't the council recent? Is there a way to, do any of us know if the council was something that existed long before? Roll a history check. Yeah, thank you. Me, too.

Grand Charm. I got a 28. Oh, nice.. Me too. Go on there. I got a 28. Oh, nice. Okay, great. Don't worry about it. Council Tal'Dorei has been around largely since the era of Zan Tal'Dorei. In different forms. It was... Just after the war that scarred this area.

Correct. There was a council that always worked around the king back when it was a marnike for many hundreds of years. Then when it was ceded to the Council of Tal'Dorei, it became the prominent power and governing body of Tal'Dorei. But the council's been around for centuries. Who was the king of Tal'Dorei?

Before Zan Tal'Dorei? Yeah. Zan Tal'Dorei was the full. Zan Tal'Dorei? Zan Tal'Dorei was the first king of that realm before. That was Warrindra Sig, which claimed himself to be king and was the one that essentially went to take the entire realm of Tal'Dorei as his own.

Yeah, Warrindra Sig sucked. Xan Tal'Dorei, she was awesome. Yeah, and she kind of- She's history. Yes. I have one further question. Hold on. Do you remember who was wielding you before?

Previously, I was being misused by some horrid thing, an essence of that same corruption that seeps into these lands. The forces that crawl into the back of mines and make them minions of shadow and realms far more dangerous and nightmarish than what you've seen. That is what I stand against. That is what we could stand against together.

And I assume you're a little cloudy on who was before, since it's probably been a while. I've passed through a few hands. I was once held by a just warrior within a great stronghold, but then taken. Damned. Great warrior, stronghold. Previous to that, I was once held by a Keeper of Beasts. Keeper of Beasts?

And brought through the wilds of the land. They saw little interest in the cities and townships. And we did not see eye to eye until they were slain by the very beasts they sought to control and I was left alone for some time. Beast idiot was eaten by animals as beast idiots often are. Before that, I was held by a family,

passed down through two, no, three generations. So a family for three generations. I don't know if they all shared it, if it was just one group. They had dark aspirations and were left evil. And were left broken. All of them. And poor. And then they suffered. I was sold at an auction house once.

It was... Okay, it's getting weird. There was an auction involved. There's one more thing I can try, if you want to give them back. We're going to have a couple other people talk. Very interesting. Thank you for all of that.

I'm going to toss them over to you. First of all, it's a very powerful blade. And if you're keen on it, you feel free. Very powerful. Okay. I will try one more thing, just to glean some information from it. I'm going to cast my fifth level Legend Lore. Legend Lore?

Ooh! Ooh! If it's legendary or has importance, I'll get some information, and if it's not? What kind of materials do you need for legend lore? Oh, incense, which I have. Five ivory, four ivory strips, which I think I bought.

Right there, got them. Yes! Nice. All right. That's what it would be. Yeah. You cast Legend Lore as you hold this blade upon it and the blade itself shines beautifully in the low light that is held within this chamber. What you do here,

through the weave of magic. I'm going to go into my deep, deep memory banks. Those who wield this blade carry behind it a powerful will. The Radiance is a curtain. Behind it, that which is burned away. What? is a curtain, behind it, that which is burned away. What? The Radiance is a curtain that which has burned?

That which is burned away. The light is false. Oh, it's evil. The blade does corrode. Ah. The metal, that of the prince's will. The prince's will? The prince.

The prince. Brutaloon. Like, he's a demon prince. The demon prince! Yes. Brutaloon. Brutaloon. Brutaloon. Yeah, that's right.

Brutaloon. There are a bunch of princes. Fruit of the loon. There are aalian! Brutalangalian! There are a bunch of Brutalung. There are a bunch of Brutalung. It's a trick. The sword's a trick. I'm not going to say that out loud. Did you also just say, I'm not going to say that out loud? That part I said out loud.

All right, here you go, Chetney. Ah! Speak to me, Grandfather. It's very powerful. Dick. You do not. FCG. I mean, it's just so fun, though. Elder child, who has walked these lands

near long as I have, you carry within you a will to do great things. Your grasp around my hilt, all those who seek to bring shadow upon these lands shall fall beneath my blade, and we shall rise triumphant for a great fate before us. Beneath your blade and beneath my claws, we shall cleanse this land of shadow. Glory be our union. Boy, we're going to get discounts at the cafeterias, you and me. We're going to teach these people to respect their elders!

Now check me out. I think I should. Thank you, FCG. This is a truly wonderful, I feel like I've never been more powerful or virile. This is fantastic! As you know, I'm attuned to personalities and I can read people very well.

I got a sense from this fella that, listen, I want him to be a sweet, sweet guy who has a lot of trauma that I can heal because that's my bag. Oh yeah. But I don't think he is. I think he might be a, and forgive me if this is a slur, he might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Oh. Just like me. Maybe he just needs a friend. Well, I don't know. It might be, he might be a demon. He might be a demon prince. He might be a demon prince. What?

You do know that that phrase doesn't mean you just wear wool, right? That that actually a wolf in sheep's clothing. Why would you wear wool? I know it's itchy, right? It's so itchy, but I want to make sure that... Sheeps don't even wear clothes. It's a broken phrase.

I... Letters, you just have a hunch that the sword is a demon prince. I mean, I got a strong demon prince vibe. Why? Well. The voice creeps into your head. Your friend likely senses the presence

of lingering dark magics from my previous wielder. Oh! What? He's prone to obfuscating divine interaction and details. Perhaps give it time. Give it time. Apparently, you were detecting traces of dark magic

from its previous wielder. Maybe it takes on the personalities of those that wield it. I mean, maybe, given time, this will be able to carve incredible pieces of woodworking by itself and then pass it on to its next. I could pass on my skills like taking on an apprentice. This fucking thing sure talks a lot.

Also, what you're saying is it could hear FCG, even though you're holding it? It can hear all of us? Listening to us all right now. Yeah, it sounds like it. Listening to us all? Yep. I hate that. Can you hear me? Can you hear me?

Can you hear me? Hello? Could you hear Fearne? Her name is Fearne. It is Fearne Calloway. Social Security number. Chetney would for sure fall for a scam. Wait, I give you a $500 gift card? Just through Google? Okay.

I am more than just a mere weapon. I am a compatriot, a member of your troop. As such, indeed, I can take in a bit of my surroundings. Limited though it may be, though I speak to you and you alone. I understand. I will keep your great wisdom and confidence. Look, I think we just give it a shot.

Maybe we pray on it a little bit tonight. Don't go and do anything like attuning to it tonight. Why don't we just think about it a little bit? Because I got some big, it just felt like there was a facade and behind the facade was- Why did you give it to Jett, then, if it felt so wrong? Well, he's the wisest and oldest of us.

That's true, I actually am the smartest in this group. If the sword is a demon mascot and it can hear everything that we say, is that? Should you talk to him? How about, well, I'll wait. I will wait. He's really level-headed and. Plus, look, I mean, look, it's just a sword.

If it gets weird, we'll just throw it in a lake or something like that and let somebody else find it. That's a good idea. I was about to say, can I see that thing one more time? Sure. I suppose can't read the card when I'm looking at it, can I? It's very powerful.

It's really powerful. Is it awesome? Yeah. Plus three. I can sense that you're all a bit reticent to bring me on your journeys. What? But I can already see the deep strength that your grip holds.

I'm certain you carry and have wielded many a powerful weapon, but I guarantee you, together, you could do great things. Oh my god, that's amazing. Can I see, I would assume I can see that I'm getting a vibe from it. You can eat my ass. Oh my god, that's amazing. Can I see, I would assume I can see like, getting a vibe from it. You can eat my ass. This is my card right now.

It's real, real powerful. Well, you know, not to literally be devil's advocate, but I'll hold it, sure. Don't want it. My arm. Oh god! My arm, Chetney, take it, please. Oh god. I'll sew that tendon back on.

Thank you. Well, you know, I'm pretty sure Fearne just entered into a contract with a demon, so, you know, maybe. Maybe you could ask your boyfriend about it. Yes! Yeah, but you were, you formed a pact with the devil, which is different, right?

Different from us. I'm not sure. I just, I really had a moment of weakness. I tell you what, what it was. I think it was just a lot of, it was the retribution that just really got me. Yes! Wow.

Matilda Merceria at it again! The devil's inferno! Inferno. Inferno. He's too hot to handle. That is amazing. He's too hot to handle. That is amazing. He's too hot to handle, but she likes the burn.

That's great. How about if it becomes, if it gets weird, you and I can just trade off, we can share the burden. You give me your hammer, I'll play with it a little bit, and I'll give you the sword. I could ask my demon dagger. You've got weapons. Although, do we want to let him know that we're in this little cave? We can go back and forth when it comes to it.

I'll tell you what in the meantime. You got the sense via the conversation with him that it isn't like a, hey, just put me on speed dial in case you got questions. It's like a... I don't know that. Right, oh, fair enough. You do your thing.

Yeah. Let's make an agreement for the night. Literally two hours later? Let's have neither of us say good for now. Neither of us? agreement for the night. Literally two hours later. Let's have neither of us say different answers. Neither of us? Just for a night. That feels like a waste. Why? Nothing's going to happen.

Are you saying that you're too weak to survive without it? No, I mean, I totally am. I mean, you are an old man. I'm so curious, though. One night. All right, fine, one night. I'm going to open up the hole. All right. Anyone else want to. I'm going to open up the hole. All right.

Anyone else want to talk to, I don't know. Voices in their head? King Butterknife, whatever the fuck. It's so heavy. It's literally bigger than my head. It's pretty fucking heavy. I could just eat it. I can't work with that.

Nah. All right, we'll sleep on it. All right. We'll sleep on it. Throw it in the hole. Is the cave entrance open, or does she shut it? No, it is closed off. Okay. It is sealed, and you guys are essentially in a chamber

with enough air to get you through the night. When dancing lights. Unless you really... Little old Ryans. Unless you have a good rebuttal to that, Chetney, I'm thinking just throw it in the hole. I mean, it's a talking sword. I would hate to not use it.

Yeah. Okay. But you know. I mean, if it does turn weird, we can always just kill him. It looks like a really, I think you should. Why not? Yeah, it's a really strong sword.

I turn to Barney, so this is the crew I run with. This is a very curious group. They seem, as I've seen, very capable. Everyone has their own unique skill set, so we sort of compliment each other in a weird way. Look, I understand. Many of our Shari have their own unique quirks as well. I'm torn between self-preservation

and just enjoying a cautionary tale. I really don't know what to do right now. About the sword? Yeah. Look, the sword said, you know, FCG might've just been catching some bad vibes from the previous guy. It could be a great sword. It is a great sword. It is a great sword.

Aw. Damn! Well, time will tell. I suppose it will. And if it goes bad, yeah, we can just get rid of it. Like, we don't know what the fuck is going to happen. What could possibly go wrong? I mean, I feel like of all of us, he would probably be the easiest to kill, so.

Definitely. So Barney, in the morning, I'll be able to teleport eight people, including myself, back to the Ashari, and then we can get them to open up a tree close by for the rest of the team. All right, okay. Is there a particular tree? We should probably choose one in the morning

before we head out, and you can go and... Describe it? Is that how it works? That can be challenging, but... Is there a better place to meet up? Did you have a... If you can talk to my sister and have her look in on us first, she could look at the tree.

We can just stay near it and hopefully don't leave us out there too long. Of course not, yeah. We'll be out in the open. Has Maeve been out here? Does she have a familiarity with the wind? No, we have no reason to come here, aside from when the voice came here

after the initial attack last year. How long did it take us to get to this point? Two days? You mean from traveling? Yeah, from Zephrah to this point. From Zephrah? You didn't spend more than half a day through the valley. Well, then why don't we walk with you all

to the tree that we can pick you up, we'll teleport, tell your sister to scry on you, right? That's what you're suggesting, and then amp you all through. I think that'll work. But we'll at least go with you to the tree. All right. And then teleport from there. Let's do that.

That's tomorrow, right? Couldn't it be any old tree, though? If she scrys on him, then Couldn't it be any old tree, though? If she scrys on him, then can't it be any old tree? Like, it could be a tree right outside of here. We'll find the nearest tree, as long as I can see it. You don't have to go too deep in there. Just something large enough that'll be able to

sustain the opening. All right. Chet. Your call. Yeah, I'll take it. If you get even the least bit weird, I will crush your hand. Fine weird.

No. Okay. You see the rest of the survivors, the two blades of zephra that are just settling down, enjoying what looks to be the first blades of zephra that are settling down, enjoying what looks to be the first moment of peace they've had in a number of days, likely. So Barony goes and stays as a uniting point

between you and the rest of that troop. Says goodnight to both of them. The two soldiers of the Bastion, who look like they're still processing what is likely to be some degrees of PTSD in the months to come from watching all of their comrades torn apart by a demon horde.

But they also seem to be thankful for the moment of reprieve and rest as they begin to go into almost an immediate deep sleep out of exhaustion and in days, who knows how long, in fear. Look, all of you prep yourselves for the evening's rest. All right. Before I go to sleep, can I ritually cast Commune? Is that a thing?

We'll come back to that. Okay. Oh. Yee. Did you take it off? Everything's red, everything's red. Did you take the circlet off? I didn't. Something's happening.

I did not. I did not. I've had the dream now. You are brought back to the Red Storm, all too familiar as it surrounds back to the red storm. All too familiar as it surrounds and suffuses the space around you. An endless maelstrom of red dust and cloud

flashing with distant crimson lightning. The flashes subside for a moment, and before you in the storm, you see a massive dark shape obscured by the dust. Before the winds briefly part it, revealing hundreds of domiciles carved and built into the red rock. The shapes round at the corners, organically inspired in architecture,

and hundreds of humanoid shapes, just dark shadows through the storm, all walking through the multi-tiered streets that weave through. As you stand there, all of them stop at once, and all in unison, shift to you, and all their eyes glow with a purple light at once,

as they all perceive you. A yearning begins to consume your body from the inside. A heavy, emotional gravity that is pulling your attention downward. And you hear again, echoing through the storm, Imogen, please run. I won't let it have you. Do you give in to the urge or do you fight it?

I'm going to fight it. You're going to fight it. How can I trust you? Go ahead and make a wisdom saving throw for me. Natural 20. Oh! You focus your consciousness and that urge, right as it begins to almost pull at something within the inside of your chest,

your being, almost like strings, pulling you down to the ground before you, like you're about to be thrust upon your hands and knees, you push away with all the force of what odd power has been granted to you, and you rocket up out of the storm. You watch as the dust and the shapes and the city begin to disappear, obscured below,

and you emerge from the clouds. Then you drift your hair, just gently lifting around you in a slightly darker stratosphere above the Ruidian skyline. You can see the gentle red curve in the distance. As you glance up, you can see the shape of Exandria facing that direction, the single thin red line connecting the two like a bridge, like a thread.

You look down back at the storms, and you can see there are pockets where the storms subside, and you can see valleys, and you swear you can see movement. Distant and minute as it is, you're too far to see details. I look up at Exandria.

Is it possible to drift toward those pockets where I can see closer, where I can see more clearly? Yeah, you will yourself in that direction, and just as easy as it is to breathe, you glide back closer towards the surface, but above where the storm fronts are, until you begin to cruise over one of those openings, those small pockets of free air.

Looking down, you can see these rolling red and gray and maroon valleys and mountains that rise up. It looks like herds of beasts, strange, unfamiliar beasts running along cracked red valleys. You can see sand flows like rivers that weave through chasms where creatures wade through like water. There's an ecology here.

Like a weird shadow version of the world you know. like a weird shadow version of the world you know. The world holds a hidden vibrance outside history. At that moment, you feel a presence behind you. What do you do? I detect thoughts. It's your mother. I turn around.

She's there, just beyond where you are, though just a luminescent spiritual projection, if you will. I just want to protect you. More than anything. Then why didn't you? I am. Was it you?

Was it you who shunted us away when everything happened? I don't think so. I don't know. Why don't you fight this? Why don't you tell me what's happening? I need him as much as he needs me. I must be careful, for he is older and more cunning than most.

The seeds we bear still pull us. I will find a way to end this, one way or another. Are you setting him free? Predothas, is it going to really destroy the gods? You deserve to be free. At what cost? Mama. She gets pulled back.

The storm swirls around and consumes you, and you are brought back to your dark, dreaming state. While this is happening, FCG. Oh! You said you wanted to do something? Oh, I can wait till the morning. Well, you can do it before you sleep or while everyone else is asleep. Okay. I just wanted to,

I think I can ritually cast, how does it go? Commune? Commune, yep. All right. I just wanted to say a quick prayer to the Changebringer and ask her a couple of questions for guidance. Certainly. As you?

I kneel with no knees, so I just roll onto my stomach. Clang! This is how I kneel, I guess. And I clasp my metal hands and grasp my coin and just whisper to it and say, Changebringer, can you hear me? You close your eyes.

And like when you use your light spell to put light out through your vision to the atmosphere, an internal light seems to click on. And within that dark space, now you can see the shadowed horizons like a perpetual twilight has engulfed the entire horizon around you. Just the black outline of the mountains and hills

at all sides. You know not where you are, how far these are, but all you can see is a singular silver winding road ahead of you. As you look at your wheel and see the road out from the front and focus back up, there she stands. 50 feet, 10 feet, 20 miles. Your uncertain perspective is weird from where you stand,

but you see her standing, her hair flowing and endless, seeming to almost weave and wrap around the road, like it's not even touching the ground, like it's a still river of silver. And the hair strands just drift and touch the outside of your armor, and it's warm, it's comforting.

You can see details of her face, her brown skin, her soulful, welcoming eyes. She looks towards you or past you. You're uncertain, but you have her attention. Okay. I'll ask Changebringer. Are the gods? Can the gods help my friends?

Yes. Are you worth saving? Leans close and the perspective seems to shift where she feels like she's right in front of you and your height. Of course. Are you scared? The perspective shifts and now she leans back.

She's a mile high in the middle of this shadowed valley, and she looks over her right shoulder, and one of the mountains detonates, fire erupting up, taller than she is. Another one. She turns back to you. Yes. Okay.

I'm coming. As the shadowed mountainscapes begin to brighten red from the fire that emits from the destroyed ranges, the sky begins to shift into a red coloration, too. As you say you're coming, she puts her head down and closes her eyes, and you feel yourself sink. The silver road you stand on seems to bend, almost like your weight is suddenly felt on a long, stretched piece of ribbon,

and it bows beneath you. And as you look down, you sink further, and it's like you're falling through the ground, the silver road itself becoming that ribbon that bows up like you're falling through the ground. The silver road itself becoming that ribbon that bows up like you're dragging down the string from a balloon. And the chameleon spell comes to an end. Just look around the cave.

Is everyone else asleep? I want to talk to you about this, so. You will never. You see Laudna, she is asleep, but her eyes are open. Because she has no eyelids. That's fucked. They ran it off years ago! Oh, and Tate, whose eyes are also open.

I'm going to bring him loose in so you can always see him when I flicker. From the side. I like that better than no irons. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fine. No irons it is. No. You all complete a long rest.

Yay! You wake up in what you assume is the morning, or at least the passage of eight or more hours to where you've gotten a full rest. The rest of the troop has also woken up the survivors that you've gathered. And you can see Barony has already begun tracing an outline of where the exit will be,

essentially in preparation for her to excavate and send you on your path this morning. As you begin to come to consciousness, Orym looks back towards you. I guess today's the day we go back. send you on your path this morning. As you begin to come to consciousness, Orym looks back towards you. I guess today's the day we go back. Yeah. You think Nel and the rest will come with me to go see Derry and Will today?

I think that can be arranged. Might be a while before I'm back, so. Of course. You going to do your thing? Whenever everyone's ready. We don't have much time. If we're going to eat, we should do it now. Chet, you alive? Some days, these joints. I just don't know.

Did you roll? Did you roll? Oh shit! You alive? If he dies right now, he's not even going to die. What do you have to roll to die? Trip zero, is it? Right, that's 100.

Yeah, so zero, zero on the one dice, and then zero on the other. You don't look like this. I love it. I love it. It's the closest jam. Whoa! What was it? What was it? That's fine, it's okay, it's okay. What was it? We're good, we're good. It was close. We're good.

Hey, I was thinking he's... I was just saying it was close. I don't think he's breathing. Oh, jeez! You just freaked out for just a second when you looked at it, yeah. I know y'all are worried about him, but with the sword.

Oh. But you know, I feel like if it gets out of hand, I can just like, it's a curse, so I feel like I can take care of it. Oh, great. So let him use it, if it's strong. Yeah, maybe. It's a big-headed talking weapon, even.

I don't know. He barely listens to us. This cave is so small. Let's get out of here. Yeah, okay. We're getting out. I saw we're losing air in here. I really can feel it. It's also a little musty. It is a little bit rough.

Look, it was a rough night. Oh god, open it up. I think I can smell gas. Oh shit, should we be prepared to fight something? How can we? Oh, anything can happen. More demons could be on the other side of this cave. I just assume bad shit's going to happen every day

for the rest of our lives. I'm just going to cast Mage Armor on myself before we open up the cave. Very well. Ulf, the White Toon, do the stab again Very well. Also, I attuned to the staff again. Okay. Calling him Char? Char, ooh!

No, is that what you just said? Graz Char, but I like Char better. Char these people. Char Char. As you're bringing it in, he goes like, Good morning, my knight. We will do. It's very encouraging. Did you attune to it?

You tuned to it? Yep. Oh. So you can see the, oh, you already set the card. You used it always on there. Although it's not in the thing, so I just wrote the stats down. Chara? Yeah. It's not in the thing. Chara.

All right. Are we going to teleport back? Can you do this? We have to walk to the tree. We walked to the tree. We walked to the tree. We already teleported back. We to the tree. We walked to the tree. We walked to the tree. We already teleported back. We won the campaign. The moon is glorious.

Barony opens the stone and seems to carve itself away. The mountain itself acts as its own clay, and the rock opens up. You can see the slight, misty, not certain what time of day it is. The Gray Valley seems to have this perpetual cusp of sunset feel to it amongst the blanched forest. You step out a bit and you can see the bit of dust and ash the wind is picking up

and these small tendrils that seem to wisp away after a few feet. Who's looking out first? Perception check. Assist! Always looking out. Woo! 18 and a 19 for a 30. Jesus.

As you glance out beyond the exit, first thing, fresh air wafts in, which is delightful. It's just starting to get a little musty. Just start. You call it musty. Slept with Chet last night. That's valid. Old Spice. Old life.

You do see, amongst some of the ridges and some of the ruins, there are a handful of those strange flying demons that are just picking through, picking up bits of leftover carrion, scavenging through materials. There are things, nothing in the immediate vicinity, but there are entities around the chasm.

Not that if we were to start moving and hollering, we'd bring them over. Likely. All right. We can, I can. Chasm without a trace. Oh, never mind. Woo! How big is our party at a carriage? Have you ever done that? Tell us.

I have. I thought it was always Ashton. It usually is. I feel like I did it a couple times. Yeah, I think you did. Did I? I think I did. You have, you have. All right, great. How many people does that cover?

I reset every day. Yeah. I don't remember. So we sneaky first saved, yes? I was like, day. Yeah. I don't remember. 50 First Dates. 50 First Dates, yes. I was like, what's it called? Cheer beer. Hey, you guys. What's up?

I dreamt about Ruidus last night. You see it? Oh, you can dream again? I guess so. I thought that circlet kept me from doing it, but. Are you all right? Yeah, no, everything's fine, but I saw a Ruidus. Did you learn anything new?

Yeah, it's like a full fucking planet. There were animals swimming. Do they seem happy? Swimming in plants? They seem like animals. There were cities. There were a lot of people in the city, and they all looked at me, and they all knew me. Do they look like your little avatar guy

that you're summoning? Were they just people like us? Were they? Yes. As above, so below. You didn't see enough detail at the moment. You just saw people walking. And purple eyes. Oh. So a little dream tri detail at the moment. You just saw people walking. And purple eyes. Oh.

So a little dream trippy at the same time. Maybe. Might have been the storm, but yeah. I feel more solid than ever that I want I want to end this connection. To produce. What's that mean? Like a, I know all of us have said, like, we're stopping it.

This is the first time I've really felt. I want it to go away. You believe? I want to to go away. You believe? I want to help the gods. These demons getting loose. The gods are the only thing keeping that at bay, right? Don't know. Yeah, we know. Yeah.

Did you see anyone in your dream? Wren or... My mom. Wow. Did she talk to you? She did. She said she wanted to help us, but in the wrong way. She's...

She's on his side. She is? Yeah. She doesn't want me a part of it, but she doesn't... She doesn't want to a part of it, but she doesn't... She doesn't want to stop him. So she knows it's wrong? I think so.

Did she look any different? She looked... It was definitely her presence, and it looked like her in some ways, but it was that spectral lavender energy, like a projection of her, if anything. It was like a projection of her. Yoked? Like really muscly.

Are you sure it was her? I mean, I reached out. It felt like her mind. It was her? I mean, I reached out. It felt like her mind. I don't know his power. He could... You mean Ludinus or Predathos? Something was pulling me in, though. Something really wanted me to stay there.

I mean, if it helps, her getting this call. I spoke with the change bringer last night. I prayed with her, and she also said that she was real fearful and that she needed our help. She formed like a, I dropped down into a pathway, and I saw this vision, like the pathway was going up above me. I don't know if that means to the moon.

I think we got to go. But it feels like we've got multiple voices in our heads saying to go there. I feel like if she's telling me so strongly to stay away from it, I don't trust her anymore. We got to go to it. Maybe ask your sword what he thinks. That's a great idea. Sir, what was it? Sir Chad? Char? Nope, it's Sir Chad now.

Sir Chad. He's wearing a fedora. He's not tipping. Sir Chad, you are old, noble, and wise, like me. Maybe a little more so. Do you know anything about an ancient deity named Predathos? I do not believe I've heard of this Predathos. My apologies. It's all right. It's a little disappointing, but you know,

it's your first day. He doesn't know anything about Predathos. Is this Predathos a thing of evil? Well, we're not... Yeah, I think so. You don't know what the fucking question is. He's in my head! He's in my head!

Actually, you can read thoughts, too. Can you? So we got a little walkie-talkie thing going on. We got Sonos speakers. Picking around. Green micro-expressions, Chad. Maybe ask if he knows Ludinus? I don't know.

Oh yeah, sure. Oh yes, Sir Chad. do you know, Chad, an individual named Ludinus D'Aleth? I've heard of this individual. He knows. I can read it on your face that he does. What do you know? I'm the guy that mouths the other person's lines

in the scene, so I'm just mouthing what he says. So, what do you know of this Ludinus Dilleth? I feel like he passed through and my time is king. Powerful, smart individual, looking to make connections. Found his fortune westward. Eastward, I don't recall. But we may have passed. I did not trust this individual.

See, look, I really feel like maybe whatever vibe you got, former Handler, maybe his old chick, because he's got the right beat on lewdness. Like, yeah, doesn't trust him. I asked him about the Matron of Ravens. Oh shit! Hey, Chad! I don't know. It's fun. Yes. SC!

Do you know, yeah, the Sor Chad. Do you know anything? Sor Chad. Sor Chad's cool, yeah. Sor Chad. It's like a street name. Do you know anything about the Matron of Ravens? Oh boy. Wow. I'm sorry, I'm not entirely certain

how you managed to mispronounce something in your mind. What is it you're asking about? I wish I'd heard that. The Matron of Ravens. Do you know anything about that entity? Of course. This is one of the prime deities of Exandria. Yes.

Yes? Was, hmm. Yeah, I don't know what to say. Yeah. Good info. Yes, um, what? Yes, uh. That man knows about her. Is there an opinion connected to this?

No, it didn't matter how long had she been around when you were, you know, not a sword. The specifics have been robbed of me through the ages of the transference. Poor guy. But he existed during my time, I believe. Oh, that's good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Man, I thought you were around from the age of Arcanum.

That's weird. Okay, listen. I know that was a lot to ask first thing in the morning. Take a nap. I'll be back to get you in a little bit. All right. Back in the Bag of Holding. Teleport.

Oh, we got to get to the tree. Correct. Let's get to the tree. All right, are you all being stealthy? Yes. I'd like a being stealthy? Yes. Can I have a group stealth check from everybody? Pass without a trace. Out of ten. Pass without a trace.

Ooh, nice. Oh no. That's correct. We got to do the leg-a-mole. What are you leaving me to do over here? All right. Ooh. All right.

Goodbye. All righty, so over here. 34. Oh, thank god. Goodbye. All righty, so over here. 13 full. Oh, thank god. Jesus. 22. All righty. 13. Wow.

I'll give it a plus 10. Yes. 23. All right. Oh, no way! Yeah. 27. 21. Okay.

Okay. Okay. You rolled a 21 higher than me. It's the one thing I'm broken at. As a quickly shifting group, you begin to dart from section of ruin to section of broken stone here in the crevasse as you move out towards the exit from where half of your team had entered.

Darting past, you occasionally hear the distant . The call and repeat of various demonic, flight-based creatures that you had previously encountered leaping from and flying to each scavenging zone. At a few moments, you stop behind and feel that one of them may have picked up your presence

and everyone freezes on the cusp of darting before eventually it wanders off. It takes you the better part of 30 or so minutes to eventually leave the chasm in a safe way, but you do manage to break for the dead tree line on the outskirts, where it takes only a few minutes to find one of the trees wide enough to carry the spell, which is a challenge. Many of these trees are thinner.

But Barney does find one that she thinks will be proper. All right, we'll wait here. We'll stay low. We'll... Here. And she goes ahead and pulls over the other blades and they dig into the ground between the roots of this tree, a small pit

where they can duck into it for the time being. Be mostly not seen, though not perfectly hidden. You said you can take eight, yes? Mm-hmm. Wait, let me double check. How many are we? Seven. Me and up to eight willing creatures.

There's five of them and seven of us. What if you do it at higher levels? No, it's a seventh-level spell. I can't. So we can take two more. You and up to eight? So we can take two of your team. Or if we were really stupid, we could put them in the hole and hope.

But that may be a terrible idea. Put them in the hole. That might be really dumb, because if anything goes wrong, everyone's dead. That's true, that's true, that's true. Yeah, maybe it's a risk. I'm not going in the hole. Okay. But you'll put them in the hole?

Yes. I'll go. I'm not worried about it. Yeah, yeah, break out the hole. Do you breathe oxygen? I don't need oxygen. I can go in there. How does it work, though? This may not actually work. There's five.

I mean, honestly, I'm actually a little nervous about this because I don't actually know how magic works, and that might be fucking with something. So four people need to go in the hole, right? We've seen people have survived in there for like 10 minutes. Yeah, 10 minutes, I think. Possibly.

You roll it out. At worst, the spell will not work. I'll go. I'm a slow breather. Yeah, one, two, three. I'll go, I'll go. I'll go. No, no, no, no. I'll go, I'll go.

Stay with your family. It's fine. Turn into some animal that doesn't need air? Yeah, we'll figure it out. Everything needs air. I don't know. I would say somebody who can change into an animal might be useful if everything goes poorly. So.

In what way are you thinking? We're fine. Okay. It's fine. It's going to be fine. Pull out! Hop in the hole. Now I got nervous. Phew! Oh boy.

Okay. Takes a moment to find a flat enough surface. I've got it open until we're ready to go anyway. But you go ahead and find the location as you're spreading it out. Because it is something that needs a flatter surface to lay down for the magic to create the hole, and it's hard to do here in the middle of an ash

and mulch-filled forest floor. We really could have done this in the cave. We could have, but the idea came too late. Yeah. We should try and return to it. No. We'll clear out some of the ground. We did it. I'll get the scythe out.

I open my rake attachment. And do some blight raking. Okay. Where's the sword? In the Bag of the Holding. Bag of the Holding. Bag of the Holding. Bag of the Holding. Bag of the Holding. Okay, yeah. Bag of the Holding. Bag of the Holding.

Bag of the Holding. Either you or you to make a survival check, either both individually, or one of you make it with advantage, since one of you is helping the other. I'll help you. With guide? Can I guide? What is this for? What am I doing?

This is trying to clear a portion of this well enough that the hole will take root. Then it's survival? Come on, come on. You do hear 23. 23, okay. Good. Okay. Go fudge.

The screeches get louder and closer, and as the communication continues, you can see the shadowed shapes of two, three, six of them coming from different directions that are all converging in your direction. One of them that's up ahead, that seems to be the one that's sounding the alarm. You see it flying towards you

just as you pull back enough of the space where you feel like it's level, you throw down the hole and it takes a second. One little corner is off and you flip it up, pull Move the Rock out of the way and it creates the hole. Go, go, go. Get in! The three of you dart in.

And go. Grab and pull it up. Just start wrapping it. Back to Keyleth. All right. Back to you, Keyleth. Zephra, go ahead and, Keyleth. Go ahead and... I'm not with sports.

That's you. I'm not with sports. You could die in here. This might be our last moments on Hull. It could be. You guys really shouldn't be using your air to talk. You are very familiar with this, unless you had an associated object

which you did not pull out. No fault. I'll just shut them out. I have four of them. I too wouldn't be subjected to this. Everything on me is an associated object. I'm still wearing my old outfit. My shield is from my...

You haven't bought new one? Yeah, everything. Yeah, my gear's from my family. Then to that case, there would be no mishap. Oh, thank god. I don't even have to roll for it? No, with an associated object. Fuck yes, I was terrified. I'm talking about... If you guys are going to have sex,

do you need me to, what's it called? Do soaking? Oh god, you... I know why you're saying it, because you watched the same show that me and Travis did. It's really good. It's been 20 seconds. While you guys aren't actually having sex,

you just lie on top of each other and I jump up and down on the bed. Oh, really? False injury duty. That's right. I do that. It's if you haven't seen it. Hi, people watching 20 years from now

on a retro playback. That's so good. Don't worry, 20 years from now, soaking's huge. It's all the runes. As the beasts converge in your direction, the staff's runes glow, and the magic whips out around, tethers around each of you like a magical net of energy,

and you feel yourself pulled suddenly, like someone yanked you from behind through a doorway. As you all come back to your feet, you all stand in the bright midday sun, the mountain peaks of Zephra, the wind immediately catching your hair, the light and warmth of the sun upon your skin, and the surrounding atmosphere of the cliff face

where the cherry blossom tree stands and the exterior carved pathways that lead into the city await you. Open up the hole. And I'm flattening out the hole anywhere I can, looking for a place. There's definitely a flat enough area. Okay, I'm flattening it out.

So when you open the hole. Yeah. They're fine, they're fine. Fuck. Oh god They're fine. Fuck. Oh god, every time. There's just one six-armed. Yeah. Fuck.

What did we do? Hold on. Let me help before I see Chetney's ball sack. Please. I thought we had our time. Come on, Steve. I'll get dressed. I pick you up by one hand and yeah.

Let's get these flowers back to the voice. Yep, getting everybody out, folding everything up nice. As you all return and begin to rush into Zephra, you can see familiar Zephyrns and the Ashari people look out with some of them in confusion, not really knowing the context of your arrival and your haste.

Others who gather that this is a good sign and just wave and watch as you pass by. Eventually, you come to the- As we pass by, can I say hi to Scuffy again? Sure. Hi! Hi. You come to the outskirts of the multi-tiered structure where the Voice of the Tempest is currently bedridden.

Upon your approach, you can see the advisors, Leita and Tholo, both waiting outside. Shunde, apparently, is probably inside, but Leita immediately glances over and sees your approach. You've returned. This is great news. Looks over and sees your approach. You've returned. This is great news. And looks over and sees Barony, and immediately rushes up and grabs Barony

and do a big hug. And even side by side, you can see the very, very close features of the triplets. And each of them are like, holy shit, I'm so glad you're safe. And Barony goes, not all of us made it back, but we'll discuss that later.

When there's time to hold them in our hearts, but we still carry them with us. Leita nods, of course. Quickly, leading him inside, as you pull out the satchel, Leita begins to call to Shunde, who begins to gather all the local herbalists. They gather the satchel,

both the one that you began to fill and the one that was recovered from the first volunteer team. They immediately begin to take them off into what looks to be some sort of rich, natural-looking alchemical layer. There are all these manner of tubes and vials and mortars and pestles

and all these manners of glass jars all across that are all hidden in these natural, ivy-grown alcoves and shelves. It's this very beautiful, quaint, very witchcore, herbalist, vast 12-foot by 20-foot herbalist station. And many of these Ashari specialists begin to scatter about and making measurements.

They begin to crush the petals of the Blue Perenum. They, did I pronounce it properly? Is Nell in the mix? Is our wizard? Is Nell the triplet's mother? Nell is not in the mix currently. But a short time into them preparing this, the others begin to arrive.

It was whoever was present began the process, and about five minutes into the creation here, indeed, you see Nell rush in. Half-alpha woman of long, dark hair. You get this, no, she would have blonde, sorry. It was the father that had the dark hair. She rushes in, blonde hair pulled into a long braid that seems to go past the lower back.

She looks like she's, bags under the eyes, probably hasn't slept that well recently. Stepping in, immediately rushes up to Barney as well and gives her a hug from behind as Barney looks over and realizes who it is and gives her a big, warm hug. Telling her to waste. Looks back. Hi.

Orym. I wish it was better circumstances, but it's good to see you. These are great circumstances. If only they'd tell me, you may have a way to heal the voice. You've done so much. She kneels down and cups your hand.

My boy, you've done so much. Hanging in? Aren't we all? I need to get to work. Do your job. We'll talk later. Okay. She tugs on your ear a little bit, and he's putting on some gloves

and jumps back into the fray. As they're doing their work. I took 20 points of damage from the teleport. Good to know. The freneticness continues as you wait for them to finish. The better part of an hour goes by as they slowly begin to distill this liquid

that, as it hits into this large stone bowl, the cloudy appearance begins to congeal into almost like a paste. And as the paste congeals, it comes like a light blue coloration, like a sky blue paste. They begin to gather it up, and it's disseminated amongst various herbalists,

and they rush up to the floor where Keyleth waits. And reading time. Can we go, or we should wait down here? It's up to you. I want to talk to, I take letters by the hand and I just start slowly, quiet. Shh, okay. Don't interrupt. Just us two?

I'm going to quietly keep about two meters behind them and I'm looking for Tholo to see when they're done. Okay. Just letting it happen. I'm not going to interrupt or shit. Okay, yeah. Tholo is definitely still at the front entryway of the structure of the building.

You're still sitting there, glancing out, looking back inside, seeing how things are going, makes eye contact with you, and just gives a little wave. As you lead FCG upstairs, you get to the chamber where Keyleth waits, and you see her trying to sit up in the bed at the energy and arrival as they rush in, but they assure her to lay down, they help her back down.

Her crown, which rests off the side of the bed, now less presentory in the sudden arrival, they immediately begin treating her wounds, placing this paste within them. You see her face begin to scrunch up from a sting or some sort of an unexpected sensation, but they carefully, rapidly, with deft hands, and the surgical intent of a healer,

each one of these members of the Ashari Herbalist Union with deft hands and the surgical intent of a healer. Each one of these members of the Ashari Herbalist Union tends to their leader. As they begin to treat the arms, the paste seems to be absorbed into the skin, leaving behind a faint blue coloration. And you watch as her furrowed brow begins to relax. And she reaches onto the side of the bed stand

and looks toward the herbalists and they nod. And she pulls out of this nearby pouches, looks like a small hand gathering of dried leaves and bits of some sort of a colored dust. And she closes her eyes and places it across one of the wounds. And you see this faint glow of light seems to spread from her hand,

and the first wound begins to close. Do you need help closing the other ones? Then he goes, Oh, sorry. You said it. You said it. With that realization, the dearth of energy that she's carried since your arrival seems to subside by half

in but a moment, as a flash of hope and energy reaches her eyes. She immediately gives a glance of impatience to the other herbalists as they're applying the balm over these wounds, but she lets them finish their work. And with each absorption, each one of these wounds, but she lets them finish their work. And with each absorption, each one of these wounds, she begins to place her hand upon it. And with each wound closure,

eventually strength returns to her. Stronger and stronger, eventually she sits up, pulls back the sheet, and you can see one of the large gashes on her leg. They apply the balm, and she's not even paying attention to it as they do, but she reaches back and takes her crown, kind of brushes her hair back,

and sets it upon her brow. She puts her hand in front of herself, glances out to the long window. The curtains open out towards the beautiful cityscape of Zephrah. She mutters beneath her breath as the wind in the room begins to pick up, and you watch as her whole body glows a bright green

and all the remaining wounds vanish in but a moment. As the herbalist stepped back and the light subsides, she smiles and looks down to the edge of the bed for a second and looks back towards you, Orym. Well, Well. You have my thanks. I'm happy we could help. She stands up, and the long robe

that she wears over her dress drags behind the ground. Her staff's still leaning against the bed as she comes forward and kneels before you and takes your hand, and both of hers. Thank you. I really haven't felt like I've done anything right for a while now, so it's good to have a win. She looks over towards FCG.

We have much to talk about. Give me a moment to re-engage my people. They've been a bit nervous, my state being as it is. And I'd like to talk with you and all your compatriots that helped all of us. Yes, please. We have a ton of questions. I do. Then give me not too long. I just need to set a few things

back on an aligned path. Should we go on a bit of a walkabout and then come back? Maybe. She catches her back leg a little bit. You can see she's still a little wobbly. Catch it immediately, her hand. Guess I overestimated the rapidity of my recovery,

but I can already feel like I'm mostly back. It's interesting, in this one moment where she's elated and the strength's returning, you know the leader, you know the woman who has held the weight and the burdens and the adoration and strength of her people. And in a brief moment, you see

you see a girl thankful for another chance. As that stoicism returns, you all look like you've had a bit of a journey as well. Please wash up, take whatever you like of food for those who partake. I'll return shortly. I wish to hear of your journey. And you see the realization sink in

of everything beyond this moment of victory, and her face hardens. And what's to come next? Well, we'll leave you to it. Just a moment. Everyone needs to know who helped, who the hero is to stay. She goes and grabs the staff,

nods to the herbalists to filter out. You can see beyond the doorway, Leta and Shunde wait. Voice. And Keeleth steps out with them. As she walks past, she pats you on the shoulder. Just press a digitation or hair so it doesn't look like she's been in bed for a week.

Yeah. Give her a blowout and she's gone. As she exits, the wind follows her. And for the moment, you two who stand in the center of the room and those of you who followed behind, watch her as she passes. She gives a smile and a nod to each before she rushes out. At this point, you can see from the

balcony window that leads out that the people of Zephra are gathering. All the people are starting to come out with anxiety, anticipation, hope, worry. But she steps onto the second floor balcony beneath this wide opening, where it looks, and you know this, to be where proclamations are made, where celebrations are brought,

where musicians play, when people want to dance in the square outside. But here, Keyleth steps out, strong. The wind picks up once more and you can see, you can get up behind, out strong. The wind picks up once more and you can see, you can get up behind, and place a cloak over her shoulders of many colored leaves. All the seasons give representation

through its perpetual change. You can't hear her through the windows on the second floor, but you can definitely hear the resounding cheers and see the joy and comfort that washes over the hundreds of people that you've grown up with, that the rest of you have just, to certain degrees, come across or spent time with. And it feels good to have a win.

I almost forgot what it felt like to be a hero. It's pretty nice. Yeah. I almost forgot what it felt like to be a hero. It's pretty nice. It seems like you're going to be celebrated, Orym. Maybe even promoted. Yes, I was going to say, do you think you could get a promotion? I don't know.

My sister is Keyleth's right hand. Maybe you can be her left. Maybe. Do you have a rank or something? Is it like a military rank? You get a raise? Are you buying drinks now? The Hands of the Tempest has a pretty cool ring to it.

Well, I'm flat broke, so I can't buy anybody a drink. Tholo, at this point, approaches from behind from the front door and goes, Orym, did you want to be brought to the balcony with the voice? You should go. For what? Go, go, go. Say yes. Say yes.

Come on. Yeah, let's shuffle around so we can see. See from the top. We shuffle outside as the crowd's there. Make sure the king can see, too. Pick me up, pick me up! Of course. As she shouts out amongst the crowd here,

and you're brought forward by Tholo. There are many heroes among us. She glances back just a bit to see that you've approached. But through the history of the Ashari, there are those who truly give everything for the future of our people, for the future of our realm. I'm but one of many.

And today we welcome a few more. As she puts her hand out and you see next to you, Barony has stepped to your side and you see the two other members of the Blades. Faced with terrifying odds and long, ancient, corrupting evils, some of our brethren gave their lives that we might live, so that I might live to ensure that we will be safe

and there is a future for the Ashari people. I ask you all to celebrate this evening. Our surviving heroes. And remember those who did not return, but will be forever remembered. Orym pulls out the shield and holds it in both hands because he knows that people will recognize it. And they do.

And as the voice steps to the side, and Fjello goes, Step up, step up, and gives a little push to you and Barony, and you can see now the two members of the bastion, survivors, have been clumped into this group and just look wide-eyed and out of place and are just like,

how the fuck did I end up here? You give a wave as you all are pushed up to the edge. All six of you, you and Barney, to the center, up to the very cusp of the railing of this massive balcony, and looking down upon the entirety of what is now the gathered and still gathering township of Zephrah.

They all shout in unison and cheer. SAM and LAURA say, SAM and LAURA say, SAM and LAURA say, Hearts and minds. Always a Shari. Home and abroad. Morning and night. Kai te ake. Kai te ake, kai te ake. As it shouts through the crowd,

children are lifted up and thrown in the air where a wind gust catches them and lowers them down. The crowd begins to cheer and erupt. You can hear music begin to shift through the crowd as the celebration seems to have kicked off. I turn to Barony. What did I say? I don't remember what I said. Whatever it is, they seem to like it.

She pats you on the shoulder. As the center of the space begins to shift slowly into a celebration. Hey! People begin to bring instruments out. They begin to bring treats and snacks. Carts begin to be wheeled out with whatever means are on immediate hand to do a makeshift return

of the voice and those that brought her back. As the rest of your celebrated crowd begins to pull back away, the voice looks back to you and says, Bring your friends as well. This time? If you'd like. All right, Just a minute.

I think we're meeting. We're meeting now? In the middle of the party? Yeah, let's see. With the voice? With the voice. Okay. Okay. Oh.

I mean, this is a great honor, With a voice. Whoa. Hi. Okay. Oh. I mean, this is a great honor, but are you going to tell her anything about bad news, too? But we have to, yes, but I didn't before because she was hurting. You didn't before, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah. But we're here with you.

We'll follow you as you eat. After a meal or two. Oh yeah, I'll start making some. You'll follow you as you eat. After a meal or two. Oh yeah, I'll start baking some. I'll put Chad away, just because, you know. To Coram. Yeah, probably bad to just walk in holding a sword out. She's waiting on us.

I grab Fearne's finger and start Lady Grud. Creak. Okay. What happened? You broke her finger. You broke her finger. Oh, okay. Okay. What happened to her? You broke her finger. You broke her finger. Oh, okay. She's too strong. Nope.

What just happened? Okay. For himself. Yeah. Oh my god. I said burns, not laudanus. As the sounds of merriment begin to become muffled and a blend of noise and cheerful energy

beyond the interior of this structure. You return to the Voice of the Tempest's room and chamber where you can see she's still leaning on the bed, not aware that you had arrived yet, and sits up. She smiles. Full recovery doesn't appear as quick as I had hoped, but it's already a major step, so. You look miles beyond the other day.

I feel it as well. So hello, everyone. Hi again. Oh. Good to have you. Good to have you. Good to have you. Oh boy.

Buster. Oh boy. Buzzer. Now that I've set our people at ease for the time being, let's talk. let's talk. That's where we'll take a break. Oh, come on. Come on! Come on. Come on.

God, yuck. So good. God, yuck, yuck, yuck. So yeah, we'll come back after our break for this conversation with the voice of the Tempest, Keyleth of the Airshire. Pick it up from there. We'll see you all here in a few minutes. Woo-hoo!

Oh, hey there. Laura Bailey here to tell you all about the glorious goods we create inspired by our stories. Our stores are filled with the basics like character-inspired T-shirts, dice sets and pins, as well as more specialty items like fancy jackets, puzzles featuring gorgeous artwork, the comfiest joggers and pajamas ever, and much, much more. There's also a few special items that support charity efforts, like our dedicated Critical Role Foundation merch. You can check out all of our regional online stores

by visiting the Shop tab on critrole.com or head straight to the U.S. store at shop.critrole.com. Every purchase helps support our shows and the stories we tell. Speaking of which, let's get back to the story. And welcome back. And welcome back. So. As you all have come into the interior

to meet with Keyleth, the voice of the Tempest, you have in the moment, amongst the exterior celebration, her undivided attention, and she yours. She sits, pulls up a chair amongst the exterior celebration, her undivided attention, and she yours. She sits, pulls up a chair, and meets you in between your level and the others, and looks across at the rest of you. Thank you all. I...

There aren't words to express my thanks, but I figure actions can speak louder than any words as time comes, so however I can be of help to you, let me know. I'm sorry that it happened the way that it did. As am I. There's a lot I wish I could change. How much do you know

since the event? Since the event, I've heard that there's, and I've felt to a degree, there's been some astrological shift to the weave of magic across Exandria. I've been unable to see it from this far, but I hear the moon. Ruidus now lingers over Marquet. I hear that many of the temple's immobilized armies have gone that direction.

I also know that there's been a lot of rising insurgency in certain places of the world. Some temples have been attacked, destroyed, sowing confusion and spreading their defenses between their intended assault and having to defend at home, which I'm sure is part of the plot from the beginning. Do you happen to know which temples?

Or are they targeting a specific god or gods? Specifically, I'll have to look into. I've been a little out of it for a bit. Sure, sure. What I know is there's been attacks in Isilva, there's been attacks in Marquet, there's been attacks here in Tal'Dorei. Only a handful, but they seem to be continuing. SAM and LAURA say,

While I was gone, while you were gone, I apologize, word did reach me through my network that Ludinus was sighted in the Dwendalian Empire. Apparently meeting with the venerable King Dwendal. What? Oh wait, that makes sense. I know not if he's still there, but I've been told that he was present in secret.

King Dwendal has been bedridden for many years, occlusive, more so than historically. And I'm no expert on Wildemount politics. I do know that the Cerberus Assembly that governs much below the king is helmed by this Ludinus. And in the king's state in recent years, the Assembly has grown in prominence.

My contact also speaks of rumored dissent within the Cerberus Assembly in the wake of the Vanguards plot. This combined with general empire social unrest, insurgent attacks on prisons, and the Crown's silence on Ludinus' involvement throughout the empire, I gather that realm is probably on the cusp

of some level of growing chaos. Beyond that, there's been attacks on temples outside of Vasselheim. Currently, the city is attempting to wall itself in to prevent it from breaching its walls. From what I understand, some of the armed forces From what I understand, some of the armed forces that were sent southward are returning, so they don't feel like they've split their strength,

which I think buys him, in what they have planning, more time. Does the Assembly know what he's done? I couldn't tell you, but if my source is right, likely not all of them. See, there's some dissent in the ranks there. Do we know what parties are going against the grain

and going against Ludinus? I do not have specifics, but I can check back in and if my contact feels safe, they might be able to find it and return that information. The fort in the Gray Valley had been overrun by demons. Whatever protection the platinum dragon had offered was gone. There's a lot of forces, kept at bay or kept in balance, that are seizing their opportune moment.

There's, Tempest, there's one more thing that I held back when we arrived. I wasn't sure what to make of it myself. And it felt wrong to overburden you. I'm sorry. But a few of us to overburden you, I'm sorry. But a few of us, just in an attempt to understand

the state the temples were in, we visited a temple of the Matron. She visited us with a vision. You see her face just go stone. It's funny, I've had more visions in the last year than I've had in my entire life. Gods come when they want. But we saw this excavation site again. We saw the Malleus Key and some sort of red beam

going from the ground all the way up to Ruidus. I've seen that up close as well, that exists. But in this vision, that man, that winged man who appeared that day. Ludinus has him in some sort of prison.

And, um... We could hear him in pain. Her eyes dart off to the window. We could hear him in pain. Her eyes dart off to the window and you make out with your perceptive view what you thought was a small tree that's grown on the balcony, but now you can see it's a perch. It's empty.

You seemed like you were upset when he talked about the Matron of Ravens. What are, you don't like her. I have a tumultuous history with those who call themselves gods, yes. Oh. Tumultuous enough to see them banished from this realm? Demolitious enough to keep them at arm's length,

but understanding the importance they serve in the current balance of the world. Just because I don't see personal investment Just because I don't see personal investment in what they have to offer doesn't mean they don't offer it to many others. As well as take sometimes in ways that don't feel fair.

If she were gone, this matron, what would happen to that man? Do you know? I have no idea. You see her, her mind begin to race behind her eyes and she goes, I don't know. You said something about balance.

Something interesting happened while we were retrieving those flowers and your family. We were aided. I don't know if that's quite the word for it. We found ourselves in a mutually beneficial state with what I will call a champion of Asmodeus. Her face gets harsh. But really just really great,

you know, nice, nice guy. They seem to have a... They seem to have a vested interest in putting things back as well, which is its own kind of troubling. If you're troubled, then you're on the right path. I mean, an enemy's enemy is your friend, so long as you don't get too close to the enemy.

I speak from personal experience. Sometimes that leads to regretful moments. So just be careful who you have dalliances with. It's strange out there. It's never just business. He was very powerful, though. It was good in the moment to have him on our side. Good.

Then keep him on your side at a safe distance. That would make sense if the Lord of the Hells is of the same family circle as the rest of these gods. He's in as much danger as the rest. Times are only getting stranger, it seems. There's people on Ruidus. Like entire cities. I saw entire cities of people. So many people.

People from Exandria using that tether to go to Ruidus. There's animals on the moon. There's an entire ecosystem on the moon. Okay, that's a lot. Sorry, this is just a lot of information. It is true. I've seen one of the cities with my own eyes. I don't distrust you. It's just... SAM and LAURA say a few words.

And what are your thoughts or instincts about these moon people? Probably not great. Well? Some of them are folks that some of us know. We've met a few people who seem to be up there right now. Imogen. Those are tourists. Yeah, I was just...

Can you show her? About to do that. I just want to make sure it's not going to attack us. What? What? Anything gets weird. I'm going to summon a Crimson Shade. Okay. Across the room.

As you begin to weave the runic shapes for this spell, the wind around you picks up a bit, and how much of your arms are exposed? I mean, my dress is sheer, so you can see. Yeah. The bits of your skin that have taken on the reddish hue begin to almost brighten and glow

as you begin to write these symbols in the air. An area in the far corner of the room where you're focusing begins to take on a similar glowing red hue of the Flaring Moon Ruidus as it begins to clear out and then open up wide and seem to vied like a doorway that's unfolding before you. As it begins to crack and you hear this snap sound.

As it does, the doorway folds outward like it's dropping something from within a hidden chamber and a bit of energy hits the ground. As it spreads outward, it grows up into the familiar shape of the crimson shade, though slightly more physically present than the previous one. What you see now, surrounded by reddish-purple energy, is a half-etherial, half-physical form,

a tall, thin humanoid body, the skin itself a deep red hue with what looks like striations around major muscles and its long, lanky arms that have a darker maroon or purple coloration to it. There's almost silver veins that run through the body in places, and the extended forearms and long fingers

are adorned with rings and chains. You can see on the body, there's vestments, like a sleeveless robe that's dressed and affixed with bits of leather strips. And where the body comes up, the long neck, the head itself comes into an extended crest that curls up and splits into three points, two on each side and one large one in the back,

in which there are chains wrapped around that form almost like a bit of head attire or decor on top. Where the face sits previously was amorphous. This time, you now see a face that seems to almost come to a point, like a shark nose, almost, with these dark set eyes on the sides. No real nose, but slits that come to the front point,

and as the back of the head comes, you can see a small mouth with a bit of a lip curl with a row of sharp teeth at the front. And as it emerges from its spot, it looks back to you with that familiar flash of purple glow from the eyes before they go to a dark, deep brown or black color. We good?

Keyleth, at this point, has stood up, has her staff out, and is pointing in the direction, looking at it. You can just summon these? You can just make them happen? Is it friendly? It didn't look like this before. It's far more defined.

Can you talk to him now? Is this, do you pull them from? I don't know exactly. Is it yours? He's friendly, I think. What's the being's mood? What's the vibe? It...

It's hard to pick up a mood from something that you have no previous experience observing. You're uncertain what micro-expressions to even look for, and right now, it just doesn't even stand. It's about an inch and a half off the ground. It just floats. The energy mist swirling around the bottoms of its legs as they're still semi-present, almost partially ethereal the further down the body you go,

and it just says, it looks trained on Imogen. In your mind, you hear, What is it you require? Where are you from? You know where I'm from. How many of you are there? As many as there's been. What do you want?

To serve you until your binding is done. We hear nothing, right? There's all right. You just see them looking at each other. Yeah, but I can read on her face. What's going on? I'm one of those people that lip, mouth, sweat. It's, it's, they're here to serve.

Currently. Well, that's good. It's there here to serve, currently. It's there here to serve, currently. Well, that's good. At least it's not here to attack. Did I pull you from your life? Are you, how are you here? Maybe if it wants to serve you, maybe ask it what gave you that authority, or what? How did you get that ability?

I make it question it. What if it doesn't respect it anymore? Or if its home is being overrun by us. Have you seen anyone like me in person on Ruidus, on the Red Moon. I have not. You are strange to me, yet also familiar,

of kin. How long have you been there? My life. A voice. I look to Keyleth. Please tell us something. Well, they're from Ruidus. They've lived there forever.

Okay. They have a whole social stuff happening. Do they have a name? Oh, that's a great question. I look back to the being. What is your name? His head turns to the side and looks at you. In your mind, you see a vision of an odd,

like a pale gray flower that is opened on some sort of an odd dusty red plane. And in the center of it, it looks like it carries, it looks like a gem, like a cut sapphire that just jingles and makes a bell sound as the wind hits it. Wow. I'm Imogen. Not as pretty as that.

It's... Maybe I shouldn't have given him my name. You are among the dreamers. Yes. Who else do they visit? Have you been pulled here before? No. What? Oh, the binding?

That's me, it's my bind, I bind it. Binding to what? To me. Well, he's binding to you. Yeah. But he said to your binding. When your binding is finished. You might be bound to something else. No, no, no, this lasts for an hour if I wanted to.

He's bound to me. Oh, I see. Do they need help? Yeah. Or anything? You may have noticed that you are much closer to our planet right now, Brett. Have you noticed? It acknowledges with a slight head tilt.

Is it something that you guys have been planning? Are you happy about this? Or is it happening against your will? Its head looks out the window, and in your mind, you see verdant fields. You see lakes of cool water. You see clouds. You see mountains. You see joy. You see lakes of cool water. You see clouds, you see mountains,

you see joy, you see love. You see these flashes of beautiful vistas, of abundance, of laughter. We know your dreams. Wow. You haven't had that. I'm sorry. Ooh.

I don't even know if they'll like me. Should we ask him about Pertah is? Anything about Predathos? Who is Predathos? Predathos is the progenitor. The progenitor? It's the heart of our world. And it stirs. It is the heart of our world. And it stirs.

You feel it, too. I end it. It vanishes. Yeah, fuck off, ghost! Well, that was tense. Wow, sorry, voice. That was not something that we've done before. No, sorry, I probably should have done that before. Do you really know how you can

not warn anybody about that? No, but not since it's been. They had a lot of flair this time around. You hear this creaking sound for just a moment as you see Keyla, all tense, relaxes, and you notice every single bit of wood around the chamber has an emerging thorn vine that was just at the ready. As she relaxes, it all just retracts and returns to straight wood.

That is some nice wood you've got there. Don't touch it. Okay. They experience our dreams. All of ours. Just the rudisborne? The rudisborne they see into our dreams. The rudisborne or the Rylorans? The Rylorans.

I don't know if they just see into the Rudisborns. Okay, so the Rylorans are trapped on this red world of storm and dust and... So Imogen is connected into all this. We're not entirely certain how. We have some idea. She looks down at your arms and says, You carry more in common than I had previously

thought until I met one. The red is new. Yeah, so you might have noticed that intense look there at the end. I think they're not very nice and they're very resentful that we experience a life of bounty that we experience a life of bounty

as opposed to them. Do you think they want to be here on Exandria? Yes, I do. With ill intentions, or just because they're trapped up there in a prison? I don't know. He didn't seem very friendly. He seemed kind of sad.

Didn't attack anybody. Well, he couldn't. Tempest. This is ushering along something. Tempest, we were working for a little bit with this research group, call themselves the Grim Verity. You had mentioned them previously, yes.

One of them, Dr. Vesticio, told us all about their research, and they have reason to believe that they think Rudis was made from a piece of Exandria. Also that Prodothos leaves twisted life in his wake. I'm wondering if these Rylorans were once Yes. Oh wow. What? That? Yeah. Yes, which makes me nervous, seeing how, now that we're connecting the dots, that's what I'm going to look like. Oh no! I mean, you would look great if that happened. They've had a lot of time up there with it. I mean, if it is made from Exandria, oh wow.

Then there might've been people. Yeah, yeah. And this, hundreds of years, maybe this is just what happened to them. Like they evolved into this? Yes. Or they were left to change. Wow.

Akeeleth. With limited information, what would you do? What would you have us do? MATT and LAURA say, I've been blessed or cursed in my lifetime so far to have faced a handful of cataclysms and met others who've done the same all across this world. The thing we all have in common is we don't know what to do,

but we do something. We trust in each other. We follow our hearts. And we look for friends. And we do everything we can, and whatever it takes, to make sure those who try and put us down, who try to control us,

try and hurt us and those we care about, ensure that they fail. We don't know how much time we have and we don't know if we're going up against an entire people. There's so many unknowns. If you're intending to to go to Ruidus, then

you can't do it alone. Look, you're very young, clearly. Don't take this so hard. You're kind. It's a whole thing. You're going to come with us? I have friends I need to reach out to. Oh.

Allies I've made through my years. I need to reach out and talk to those I trust and see who's willing to make those sacrifices in the face of these unknowns. I think we struggled to reach you is willing to make those sacrifices in the face of these unknowns. I think we struggled to reach you when we were heading to the Malleus Key. I think you were rolling pretty deep even then.

How many allies do you have? Well, the Ashari have taken a few hits, both at the battle at have taken a few hits, both at the Battle of the Malleus Key, the Red Center, and those who succumb to their wounds thereafter. But you don't become the leader of a people in solitude. I have friends across Tal'Dorei.

Some friends abroad. And maybe some old friends who, well, they did some great things in our youth. Nevertheless, I'm not fully recovered, but I should be soon. And it seems it's become more difficult to just reach out to those in need,

so I'll have to make a bit of a pilgrimage myself. And that's my path to walk. I suggest you do the same. I can't tell you when you're ready, but when you feel ready, let's get everything we have at our disposal. Every one. Bring them together.

We need power. We need allies. Well, everyone, bring them together. We need power, we need allies. With all due respect, Tempest, you said yourself that Vasselheim is protecting its own, and the Empire is in chaos and shambles. Marquet, a lot of our allies there are missing, and the Empire is in chaos and shambles. Marquet, a lot of our allies there are missing or sundered. We don't know who to go to. Are there any other champions? Oh, yeah.

Asmodeus' champion was more powerful than most I've ever seen outside of you. Champions of other gods, you mean? Are you a champion of like? Oh, I'm, No, not really my... Of the deer goddess. Oh, that's a cultural misunderstanding. Oh.

No, no, not really a god person. Is it the Primordials? Primordials have been long gone. Okay, they've been coming up a bit. It's true. Is there a way to contact them? If it was the Primordials and the gods who put Prodothos away to begin with. It was also the gods that destroyed and disseminated the Primordials. Yeah. in with. It was also the gods that destroyed and disseminated the Primordials. Yeah. And the shreds of their power

still remain scattered across this land. Scattered across this land. Shreds of their power. Well, I think... What if Pardothos is trying to get all of the champions? Oh. That's true. Since they already took one. Right.

I don't know. What if that, your friend, what if one was all it needed to open up the key? What do more mean, then? I don't know. So where does your power come from? My power comes from a unity

with the natural forces and spirits of Exandria. I would say not that different from the Primordials, but that that's been disseminated around and past their wake. The spirits of nature, before the gods came and just have coexisted since. When we were on Issylra, those druids we were telling you about,

they still had a strong connection to the Eidolons. Eidolons, yes. That is the Issylra name for them. And there are many in the world that do still worship the old powers. Like the Hushari? At one point, maybe. Are they gone?

Go on, ask. I was born to the Hashari. There was an accident. And here I am. The Hashari were an uncomfortable community in their short time bastardizing the Hashari ideals and history, rolled through arrogance and recklessness for the short time that they were around.

We thought them embarrassing, but ultimately harmless. I assume this accent you refer to is the lesson that we all took from their experience? The blunder that ended them? I don't know. Tell me more. Her flippant memory of this information gives way to a moment of genuine focused interest. Step forth.

Ashton, was it? Yes. Should we leave? Is this the thing? No, I'm not leaving. You can stay. She looks at you. Give me your hand.

I just should let you know, sometimes this goes very poorly, and it's nothing personal. She takes your hand and closes her eyes. She focuses, and you watch as the light breeze around her leads to this faint, almost firefly-like motes of power that drift out of her

and swirl up through your arm. You feel the warmth traveling up your arm. The glass part of your head begins to sparkle, spark a bit, just faintly. You also feel this deep warmth well up in your chest. For a moment, you feel like you weigh a ton, like nothing could move you. And for a moment, you feel like you weigh a ton,

like nothing could move you. And then the motes fade. She opens her eyes. You carry a power I cannot recognize and a power I can but seldom feel. Your blood carries elemental power, but not that of the normal earthkin in Genasi in general. You carry a fragment of primordial elemental capability within you.

Wait, what? What? The best way I can describe it is you are a Titan of Blood. Oh! What? What? Oh! Oh, Titan blood!

Don't do that shit on your neck! Titan nobility? Ashton, a Titan of Blood. Titan. Oh my god. What does? Ashton, a titan of blood. Oh my god. What does that mean? He's a titan? He's got a titan chip.

A friend of mine once carried an artifact that bore the shard of one of the titans. That's you. You're a good dad. Your potential is vast and frightening, and I'm glad to have you at Orym's side. I take off my jacket really quickly, and I turn it around, and I show the hourglass symbol

that is very vaguely Ashari and looks a little bit like the Ashari crest, and maybe with the highlight of the earth. I've dreamed this for my whole life, and I had no idea what it was. She looks like she simultaneously had an epiphany and is frustrated. Maybe it came at a great cost, but the Hashari did something.

Yeah. Apparently. That is their symbol, an extension of their bastardization. Now, I had no contact with them, but I know their leader. I've terran-waxed poetic about all the tales of his journey, aside from somehow acquiring the blessing of Yvonne Trevir,

which even that is up for debate. What's up? Yvonne Trevir. Yvonne Trevir. The fabrications of his journey have been largely disproven. Maybe it's no coincidence the natural spirits of the Eidolons took to you on Asura. Do you know where I could learn more? I don't know.

I don't know anything. I, uh... She thinks. And then when this happened, everything got even stranger. I'm uncertain if those two get along yet. Which two? Oh boy. When we looked into his mind,

FCG and I, it was like his mind held every possibility of his existence all at once. It was like a fun house, that every but no mirrors, just different. The fact that you stand here and function is that every but no mirror's just different. The fact that you stand here and function is a testament to your willpower, I'll tell you that.

Thank you. Oh. What happens if his willpower gets a bit slippy? Great. Look, all of us are taking time bombs if we're being real. Cheers to that. True. I don't know. Orym, you've certainly gathered a motley crew.

That's not a judgment. I've walked with a few myself. I tried to make sense of it, and I eventually just gave up trying. That's the key, I think. Put a little trust and just ride the chaos that comes. If you... Yeah.

I mean, if we manage to survive or otherwise, I don't know where I would take it, figure out how to make them not fight. I don't really know how I work. If the destruction of the Hashari was at the end of making you, then they must have had something with them, something of power, something that held the essence

of the ancient primordials. And they were, I don't know where they would have acquired that unless the Yvonne Trevyr story has some truth to it, in which case, that might be your best bet. Find out about Avantrevir. Pardon me, y'all. Yeah, no.

Avantrevir, the Great Tree of Atrophy. It's a tree of atrophy? Is that what Avantrevir, wait, what? Avantrevir is the Tree of Atrophy. The Great Tree of Atrophy. It's a powerful ancient tree spirit whose rote supposedly winds between the realms of life and death to watch over the cycle of renewal.

Its home, however, is on the island of Calutha in the mists of the Shattered Teeth. Whoa! Whoa! Island of what? Say it again. Calutha? Right? Is that what you said? Say it again. Island of Kolutha? Right? Is that what you said? Kolutha. Have we ever heard of the Shattered Teeth before?

The Shattered Teeth is... Oh, I know. I have, too. It's more or less... Is it asking Keyleth? No, I'm here, Jed. No, wait, what's the Shattered Teeth? Yeah, yeah. The Shattered Teeth is one of the known

continents of Exandria. It is a cluster of numerous islands to the south of Wildnaut that is largely shrouded in mists and dubious to travel to outside of magical means and challenged by competing factions and peoples within. and challenged by competing factions and peoples within its own thing.

It's the Wild West, baby! It's our own thing. I don't suppose. Fuck, we didn't get time, we can't pay two. I don't suppose this could be an option for power. I don't know, it's something outside of the current struggle that could be useful. If we have a combination of god power

and find what shards of ancient titan power. The shit that was there before them? The Great Tree of Atrophy, the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, I mean, that's very Matron-y. This shit works hand in hand. If it took the combination of the two before to put away Prodothos, then... Yeah!

Maybe we need to do it again. I mean, as long as FCG is down with combining two heavyweights. I mean, all the gods seem great to me. And I know that they've had some issues in the past, the Prime Deities and the other ones, but I'm looking at this like a great reset. Maybe they can all make amends and be friends again

because if they're all getting together to fight an even badder guy, maybe they can all be buddies and apologize. I admire your optimism. or even badder guy, maybe they can all be buddies and apologize. I admire your optimism. Well, it's the only chance that they'll have. Yeah, I mean, the saying is, the enemy of my enemy is a dick.

That being said, we're talking about traveling to the Shattered Teeth to see if we can find friends of Ashton. That seems a little far-fetched, just because we don't know what's there. I think magic travel's hard right now, but I'm down to explore it. A little bit more of something.

Have you heard, this reminds me of this other Emerald emerald artifact situation. The Verdant Tomb, where there was another primordial in this, fuck, what was it? Hevestro? No. Keyleth, she takes very hard to understand notes. You wouldn't understand what that's like. Omedua? No.

Which one was the name of the? Omedua was the name of the one. Omedua. Another... It sounds familiar. It just sounds similar to this. Where there's another. She's just saying names. She's just saying names at this point. There was another tree

that they called the emerald tree. Are you referring to the Emerald Crystal that you saw in Issylra? Yes. They called the emerald tree, yeah. Yes. And it was all primordial shit! Well, do you remember what was inside that crystal?

Written in the Verdant Tomb, we keep her spirit enduring. Was Omedua. Was Omedua. Omedua was? A, a... Ring. Was Omoduwa. Was Omoduwa. Omoduwa was? A... One of the drow, Gaujashari. Gaujashari, yes.

That was... basically converted herself into this emerald tree to allow her life force to continue feeding its people, right? Says Marisha. Says Marisha, yes. Yeah. Okay. Laudna says all that. Ashari, Ashari, Gaujashari. It's all, the lineages are connected.

The Galadrashari are the ancestors to the Ashari. And indeed, Yvonne Trevir was once a Galadrashari themself. When the most powerful of those who connect with the lands and the natural spirits suffuse themselves and become part of the land. They live a very long time, a path that I myself am in the process of walking. These nature magics prolong our life

for an extended period of time. And some feel a calling to return to the land. Some become symbolic trees and guardian stones of power for generations to come. Others actually become trees. A bunch of years of the latter.

Oh. Got it. A bunch of years, a tree. Yes. On an island very far away. And was someone like you. A long time ago. I assume.

This is huge. Just saying as a thought. It's really great news. One more weapon. Because it engages a whole other group of interested people that aren't dealing with the gods. Like, the gods have just been, rather, all the cities, right?

All the clerics and the people that fight for the deities have been trying to stop this from happening. But if the Gau Drashari is Shari, I'm Shari! If all the primordial people that are still on these islands may be removed from most of society, if they have a stake in the game, we could recruit a whole other subset of people

that could throw down. Will they have a stake in the game? Do they exist? Are there people on these islands? There's only one way to find out. We got to book a ticket! And just to clarify for me, because my brain is a little slow.

Why do they want to protect the gods? No, not protect the gods. They helped seal them away in the first book. They helped seal away Predathos. It's not about the gods. It's about Exandria. That's what we learned from Dr. Vestisho, that the gods and the titans made a prison for Predathos

in that prison in Ruegas. Why are they against Predathos, though? Because, uh. He's supposed to destroy everything. He's an elder being who ate things. He's supposed to destroy the gods. But it also says he leaves twisted life. Historically,

the gods and the primordial titans were allies when they arrived. And before the schism in which they went to war with each other, the primordial titans were called by the gods to help them in sealing Pardothos. It's uncertain if Pardothos was any threat to the Primordial Titans at all, but they aided out of the, at the time,

perceived partnership with the gods. I just don't have a phone book with all the champions. Otherwise, I'd be hitting that shit up on speed dial, but. I guess I fear that those connected to the Primordials would just tell us to fuck off. If the gods fucked them, why would they help now? And it seems like

the majority of people losing their powers are those connected to ones given by the gods. Have you suffered any loss of power? I've only just gotten the ability back to utilize most of it. So I guess I'll let you know in a few days. If we want to know why the Primordials teamed up with the gods, we can just ask a god.

They might have... Biases. A particular slant of opinion. Sure, but if we're trying to recruit them to our side, we could find out how they were recruited before. Yeah, true. It's worth asking, but take it with some salt. Shell wall that for a minute. Yeah. What happens worth asking, but take it with some salt. Shell all that for a minute.

Yeah. What happens when we do have allies? Go to the moon and kick some ass. Go to the base, yeah. We fight. We fight on the moon. Or at least we go and we look and we make our best judgment call. We see what's happening and we just do what we should,

whatever that may be. I'm also trying to think of other allies that we have besides the one that you're going to reach out to, which appreciated in advance. I don't know that we have many other allies. Like all of our allies are dead or doing stuff. Like even Deanna and Frida are off doing stuff and Dorian's off doing stuff.

Maybe Planerider Wrynn is a statue, but once we, maybe we can get to ground zero and... I've got a few old friends, but they're all shit. But it also occurs to me, like if, I mean, you're talking to Aditi, which is great, it seems to be kind of vague sometimes when you report back what she say. I was just wondering if the gods have, like, one piece of the puzzle that sealed away Predathos and maybe these primordial titans have the other.

Maybe that we would benefit from talking to both of them because if we do get danger close, either at the base or at the moon, and we have to, I don't know, stop something, redo something, it would sure help to know what sealed it away in the first place. Yeah. I agree. Yeah, no, you're right. I mean, the primordials and the gods,

if we could get them in the same room talking to each other, almost like a session. Broke her like a couple's therapist. Yeah, but aren't the primordials dead? Clearly not. I don't know. The primordials may be dead, but it does seem like there's still remnants of them in their history.

Are they dead? I talked to something last time. I mean, you were there. Yes. You did? Y'all weren't there. I mean, you were there. Yes. You did? What? Y'all weren't there. No, we weren't there, but now's a great time to fill us in.

There was a fight in the temple when we were rescuing our friends from the interference of... Holy people. Of holy people. Who did you talk to? There was a earth elemental, I guess, some thing of stone, and I just talked to it,

and it listened to me. Akeeleth nods and looks to you. And I didn't, I was, I don't know, I was surprised as anybody, but it happened. I believe you. I've spoken with a number of elementals in my time. I've, and she looks to Orym with a knowing nod, like, I've dallied with the elements myself,

and you're not wrong to follow the thread. Elementals are the progeny of the remnants of the Primordials. Do you think Orym has any elemental abilities or lineage or anything? Never shown any talent for it. Well, you can blow some wind. Maybe that's like a air elemental thing.

I was about to. Are you suggesting I? That's just Travis talking. Hey, baby. Elemental planes? Like that. Dang. Let's go. I don't know.

It's possible. The nature of the Primordials, as far as it's understood, is with their death and their scattering, it was through that that the elemental planes were brought to full fruition and realization. It is that visceral destruction that fully formed those realms.

The elemental is just the mindless, grave dust of what the powers once were that once rivaled the gods. Have you, your voice tempest-ness, have you or your Ashari ever traveled to the Shattered Teeth? I have once. Oh? I have ones. Oh?

Is there a hotel or? No, no, there is an island. Sleval. Huh. How are we going to make fun of that name? It's too hard to pronounce. There was a time many years ago in my life that I was desperate for information about

the words of gods and the limits of their power. So I went searching for answers. None of the ones that I wanted. But there was someone I spoke to there who helped me through my grief. Her name is Jirana. What kind of person is she?

Holy person or, I guess not. No, there's a primordial type person? No. Just a... a specialist on loss and grief. Looks to you with a smile, like a therapist. Oh! This person sounds great.

She is. Though I haven't spoken with her in many years. She was quite old when we spoke. I could check in on her. Sure. That would be amazing. And I mean, not to be presumptuous, but unless anybody has a better idea, which so far seems thin,

there might be a way to get there from here pretty fast if we needed. What? How? That you know or that? Well, once you're feeling better. Are there trees there? Oh, I got there my usual way. Okay.

I imagine if that's where you want to go, I could send you the same. Oh man, the shattered teeth sounds all, you, your people, would you happen to have anything documenting like these islands? There's not really a map that exists. The rumors are that the islands tend to shift.

They move? It's the rumor. It's a strange place. Maybe you should make a map, Chet. I would make a map with moving wooden pieces. That could be awesome. It could be. The first of its kind. Yep.

A little crank. Yeah, I could make a mechanism that you can crank and move it around or something. That's awesome. The essence of the Teeth's creation was the sundering of the continent of Dominus during the beginning of the Caleth's creation was the sundering of the continent of Dominus during the beginning of the Calamity.

Dominus? The sheer volume of residual elemental magic left behind at the annihilation of two of the remaining primordial titans shrouded the entire region in chaotic elemental magics. Fuck yeah. So it's not necessarily

the most welcoming place in Exandria. But if we were looking for Titan power, this would be the place, I suppose. It's a thing missing from the current equation. I mean, I'm not going to pretend that I don't have a vested interest in this. Clearly, I do, but. The funnel, wait, can we pull that out?

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. Maybe that's how we use it. We suck in the power? Yeah. Wait, second what power? Hold on, whose power? I reached the bag. Okay. I pull out to pull out the funnel. The funnel missed.

Two seconds behind. So, okay, we found this harness. Whose power? We found this harness when we went to Ludinus's old tower. This was his, and it seems like he used it to siphon power from ancient entities.

He had a map where he X'd out things that he had drawn power from. I think that's one of the reasons he is how he is now. Do you think it would be safe to try something similar? To make us... It's possible. What did he use this for? He would draw, let's show his notes.

We have his notes. Yep. Here. She glances through and... Siphoning on trees. What? Well, it was... He hated trees. So he would put it up and siphon their life force

into the back of his neck? Yeah! What kind of monster? Wait, wait, wait. He's made of maple syrup. She's read it. She's already read it. You're not entirely wrong. What? Oh god, it's maple syrup.

Not quite. He used this to draw the natural magics of fey entities that are very tightly connected to the natural magics of the nature spirits that wander both realms. We, Ashari, who bind with the natural world, live a long life because we give in to these magics The Ashari who bind with the natural world, live a long life because we give in to these magics and become one with them.

He's mimicking the druidic extension of life. What a dick. It's my dick. What a motherfucker. I just like him less and less. Like he's sucking the energy from specific phase, like sucking them dry. Powerful entities, he's killed them.

Longer than his normal lifespan. That would explain why he's been around so long. Do you think he got some of his power from them? That's why he's his power. I don't know. It certainly looks damaged beyond my capability. Yeah, yeah, but I mean, we can fix it. If you have somebody you know that could repair it, sure.

But it's not. Do we know that we know it's broken? I mean, it's unnatural. We would mean killing something in order to suck the power in. No, let's not assume. Either borrow or siphon. Those are very non-killing words.

That's pretty killing. She's pointing over one line and says here, feed the root. Yeah. There's a saying within the Ashari that the center of where your connection to nature is The center of where your connection to nature is is at the core of your being,

and we refer to that as our root. It often is considered to be right around the back of the neck, where the head joins the rest of the body, not far from the heart. She arranges the harness, and you see where that funnel is placed. It's at the base of the neck.

Oh fuck. That makes sense. That's fucked up. So we cut off his head. Wait, what? I'm just saying how we defeat him. No, but there might be something to that. It's Ludmus!

He's with us! I was going to say, it wasn't like he was, though. Right off the bat, he's here. Frag kicks up. He's old, he starts screaming. Our studio's not. I know. It's definitely not ghosts, it's drops.

I have no idea what this twisting of our natural progression this influence would have on the person outside of those sort of energies. But if there were a spot to try and unravel it. Are you guys hearing this? Yes, hell yes! What she's writing is insane.

What is wrong? She just wrote in all caps and bold. We cut off Ludmus's head, but then she used three different fonts and some uppercase and some lowercase. She was really excited about your idea, basically. I imagine. You finally broken her?

It's not a bad call! No, but for her, she said that the power comes, like if we were going to aim for a spot, aim for that base. Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm confused because you know how Ludinus, which is not a surprise, I'm confused all the time,

how Ludinus is obsessed with the Matron of Ravens because he wanted to ascend, like how she did, but he also wants to kill the gods? She's the one that everybody's got to face at some point, no matter who or what you believe. So if you get rid of her, then death is believe nothing at all. Yeah, he wants to take out their overwatch.

Or he wants to get rid of them so that he can take their place. That could be her, too. True. I can say with somewhat certainty that the means of ascending is a bit impossible to acquire these days. That's good. Why? We saw to it that the last person to try it

is no longer on this realm. What? Who, who? Can't be them. The Whispered One? The Whispered One. Doesn't ring a bell. Would it ring a bell? Roll religion. All right.

Have you heard of that? Natural 20. Natural 20. For 21. This is a pretty high DC, given the nature of the entity. I read books! But people have heard some whispers of the near-sacking of Vasselheim nearly 30 years before. You pick up specifically because the remnants

of a massive primordial earth titan still looms large over the city of Vasselheim. It fucking does. Titan still looms large over the city of Vasselheim. Fucking does. Would a... He battled an Earth Titan. Well, a puppeteered corpse of one, long buried. Huh.

Would Laudna have heard of this whispered one? Oh yeah. But not like heard it. You've never heard the term. I just know it. But the minute you hear the name, there's a cold jolt that shoots down your spine. Yeah, it's pretty solid. It's just solid. Yeah.

Yeah, it's probably still there. It's still there. Yeah. I dislike speaking in absolutes and certainties, but I pray for all our sakes that the Rite of Ascension has finally been written from history and I think she who wrote it, the matron herself has some scene to it, if not directly her chosen few. So there is one person who still knows how to do it.

So there is one person who still knows how to do it. And he's in a little tiny black ball? Or she does, too. A matron? She did it. She would know. We don't know that Pridathos or Ludinus are trying to become gods or anything.

I think he actually was very specifically said it at some point. Did he? I wasn't there. Yeah. I thought he just said they were just trying to kill the guy. Yeah, bring him low. Yeah, if I recall, there was a byproduct of, or at least an implied byproduct of, well, I guess someone's got to steer the ship,

so to speak. See the allure. I mean, FCG would make a very benevolent god. Fearne would make a totally smoking deity. Yep. To clarify. Sorry, thank you. No worries, no worries. To clarify, Ludinus' message has been very strongly that living under the gods is a lifetime of being shackled to their designs.

is a lifetime of being shackled to their designs. Sure. There hasn't been an inkling, though of course, logically, it makes sense for anyone of magical power of a certain degree, who wouldn't want godhood, I guess. But everything you've heard from him and all of his message,

both hearing about him, seeing his now broadcast intent across Exandria, and even his speech in person for the brief time that you were in his proximity in the Hellcatch, there is a fervent passion in his face, in what he believes to be the most heroic journey, which is him freeing the mortal peoples of the world

from the gods forever. Yeah, okay, if I recall, that was just some secondary, well, maybe. Could be. Yeah. Could be. All right, yeah. What a twist that would be. If Ludinus is the good guy and we're the bad guy?

Could be a thing. Could be a thing. I mean, I do, the more we learn, the more I pity the Rylorans. Oh, I definitely pity them. They were sundered and subjected, stripped from Exandria by the gods.

By the gods! Or just be in this prison. Or Pardoth has pulled them with him. Or he grew them from pimples on his ass. Maybe. I do feel sorry for them that they haven't experienced Exandria. But if they would rip it from us,

could be something you could ask your change bringer. Ask her. Were there people on the continents? Where the Ramorans come from? Were they already people on the chunk of land that they took? Didn't we see the Nightmare King? On Rudas, yeah. Wasn't he talking with someone that looked like that?

So maybe there's another truce to be struck, another bargain to be made, another... Or he's playing both sides. He sometimes plays both sides. We're really just guessing about the Rival Arts. I mean. We don't know anything. We're going to figure that out when we get there.

And what we do know about Pardathos was knowledge erased from the face of the earth from Melinia. How are we going to find out even more? I could, um, I could give in. I don't mean that in a... Every time I connect with Ruidus, I am very drawn towards it, and I always fight it for fear that I'll lose myself, which I might.

But what if I connected and I finally understood who Predothis actually was? How could we get you back, though? I have no idea. We could slap you. Yeah, I mean, is it just your mind that would go there? I don't know. Or would your body go, too? She's sleeping. Wake her up. But I could. I could try.

We could go in with a little bit of help. Yeah, of course, I could be there with you. I think all the Rylorans have a pull A little bit of help. Yeah, of course, I could be there with you. I think all the Rylorans have a pull to Predathas. That being that I brought here said he was the heart of everything. I might want to go into, I don't know, or some of us, any way possible, just to...

The dream? Yeah. Hmm. Could try. Could. But for now, we might not have to resort to that yet, if we're going to maybe try to go to the teeth place. Let's get another, I mean, again, I'm a bad judge if this is a good idea or not, so.

Do you think there's time, Tempest? I mean, there never is. Ah, true. Except the time you have to take. That's the challenge of it all. To rush headstrong into something you're unprepared for only invites destruction. But to take too long is to show up too late to stop it.

Only we can gauge that. I don't think we're much better than we were last time we got just trashed. Our asses kicked. You said that it would take you a couple days to see if your other friends would be willing to help, too. So we at least have a couple days. Yeah? Yeah.

Beyond defeating Ludinus, depending on how far they've gotten with actually releasing Predothos, this might be a two-part job. Defeating Ludinus and maybe resealing Prydothos. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And Ludinus is in the Dwendalian Empire right now. Nowhere near Ground Zero.

I do think we should hit those islands, but at a certain point. Even if we are worried about getting our asses handed to us. We just have to go. Yeah, because no one else is going to. It's a delicate balance. I think we'll know when the time is right. Or be forced to.

Well, what do we have at our disposal? Meaning you in the we. You have information on how Ludinus has managed to maintain his life this long. This device, I'm uncertain how it could be useful, but if you find somebody who could possibly retool it to be helpful. Milo?

I could hit up Milo. Joe? Either. Or Joe. Or that weird friend of yours, but I'm sure they're not really in the mood. Oh, Percy, this is... That guy. He's not quite in the...

This is enchantment heavy. Don't tell him I said that. He has a brilliant mind with specific limitations. Enchantment heavy? Wait, FCG? Yes? Wasn't the woman that... Dancer? Not dancer, her...

The other one. Oh, her friend? Yeah, didn't she work in enchantments? She did, I mean. Because Jo's not enchantments, right? No. Yeah. I mean, Jo. Milo kicks around, but Milo's, you know,

small time. Is there anyone here to this that we can talk to? Not to this degree. All right. Unfortunately, this, I mean, I can take it and ask around, but even just glancing at this, our enchantments are more based in classic rituals.

This is a level of arcana that is a bit alien to my interest. An ancient. What about the, um, D? Yeah, who brought you back? Sure, yeah. I think that's a great idea. The ultimate question is, do we need to repair this before going to the Shattered Teeth?

I know, that's a good question. I feel like we should. But if this sucks specifically fey energy, it's fey energy, right? But that's based in primordial element? Not necessarily. It was also things that were tying in between the planes and connected to the elemental energy.

So I don't know, if you had it fixed and pointed it at that tree gem that you came across. Exactly. You might've been able to take some Capri Sun out of it. Yeah, but that's basically killing someone like you, Keelan, wouldn't it be? Don't point it at someone like me, if you please. Maybe you don't suck it all the way dry,

you just borrow a little bit. Right, maybe we could strike a deal. I mean, the tree's just not going to use it if Predoth is up there, going to destroy everything anyway. Right. That would only be the 50th morally questionable thing I've done in two weeks, if it comes to it.

Oh god, you should wear it. Eh, maybe. Yeah, I think you should. We should pump you full of stuff. So far, though, all we know is that it extends life, right? Yeah. We don't know that it necessarily grants us superpowers or anything. Maybe we get it to somebody. Now, that's how Ludinus was using it, so.

We got to get it to somebody who actually would understand this before. It might be something that we all trade Zs and we go and hit some hotspots and we all juice ourselves up. I like that. It's about treatment. Yes.

Okay. Hydration. Hydration. So, Dee, we should try and fix it. Dee, but how do we reach out to Dee if we can't? Before we go on to the thing? See where Dee is. Oof.

How do we scry on Dee? I don't even know if scrying and sending works right now. Well, scrying does, sending doesn't. Well, scrying does. Scrying doesn't. Well, I think sending depends on where you are. I feel like going. It's very close. If we only, I mean, I can totally scry right now. Just see where he is. Totally fine. Yeah.

Any allies you need to look for, like if you can do so. Okay. Want me to do it right now? Just, yeah, why not? I mean, Dee might Okay. I'm going to do it right now. Yeah, why not? I mean, Dee might have been alive when Predathos was sealed away.

No, that would have been a long time before that. That's pre-calamity. No, that's too long ago. Yeah. Yeah. All right. All right, I can peeksies in on him. I will extend my ever far-reaching eye and try to scry onto Zayn. All right. All right.

I'm so excited. I'll hold up my coin, just look through it, see if I can see the world. You write out the basics of the ritual circle around you. You take out the coin and you focus on it and glance through it like a keyhole. As you look through it, it's almost like the keyhole is an extended tunnel with a bit of light at the very end.

And as you focus and focus, the light comes closer and closer until all of your vision, all of your consciousness is just this endless dark tunnel with the point of light getting larger and larger until eventually you emerge into what is a late afternoon, a sunset. You hear the sound of crashing waves.

You look by what looks to be a road traveling over hills by a cliff. There's a couple of bundles of nearby trees, tropical. And you see, walking along this road, with a cart being pulled by a couple of horses. Figure, hood over its head, cloak whipping in a light ocean breeze, heavy metallic footfalls with each step against the gravel and sand.

Do I recognize this place? Make a perception check. Oh boy. Can I guide myself? Make a perception check. No, I'd say probably not. Perception, 18. 18. Perception?

Looking around, it definitely looks coastal. Looking at the position of the sun right now, it's definitely further east from your current location. It's not anywhere you've been. Okay. But you can share the information. East Beach! I mean, that's east of Zephyr.

It's the right direction. Chetney. Eventually gets you to the east of Zephyr. The right direction. Chetney. Wow. You've, you're describing the scenery. Oh, this is one of the many roads along the Menagerie Coast. Yeah! I was about to say, that sounds phenomenal. This is my freak fest!

Okay. Ah! Oh, man! So many spring breaks. I just feel my heart rate rising! I'm just going to throw this out here. I mean, you know where this is. That's great. That's great. We could get there, I guess,

but I'm just going to throw this out there. This fella, all we know is that he sold me to Dancer. Oh. And I wasn't working. Dancer's the one who got me back up and working again. Dancer is the one who knows. Repaired you. Repair. Got you working. Yeah. He sold a hunk of metal to her.

Are you sure? I mean, I wasn't awake, and then I was. What if she reset you? Didn't he talk about turning on his brethrens and stuff? He did, but he didn't. Awakening others? I mean, I'm just saying what I know. The only person who has made me work again was her, not him.

Okay. But we can go and try. She also didn't want to talk to you. I know, this would be a great opportunity for me to make up and make amends. To dancing? Yes! All right. What are you going to apologize for out of curiosity?

For trying to kill her? Kill all our friends? Check in on Dancer? Scry on Dancer? Maybe, I mean, I know where she is. She's probably back in. That seems like a lot. Jussara, Basra.

She did already try to do that, and she wasn't really having it. That was before the world was ending, and time heals a lot of wounds. I tend to find that if someone doesn't want to talk to you anymore, asking them again is a great way to really get them talking to you.

I mean... Does she do enchantments and things like that? She did me. I don't know if she worked on enchantments. No, yeah, I don't know. I'm a mix of magic and mechanical stuff and she got me working again. But if Dee is on the Menagerie Coast,

then that's a hop and a skip towards the Shattered Teeth, right, on a boat? Sure. Because. Wait, a boat? I thought we could get there instantly from her. Well, I guess it depends on how many pit stops we're making along the way. Might be able to just hop straight over.

To be fair, my gathering of allies is going to put me on a pretty consistent pilgrimage with my powers at my disposal over the next week or more. And who knows what sort of challenges will come across me on that way. So I wouldn't rely on me for a lot of travel, but I can certainly send you away and occasionally be helpful to you,

depending on how spent I am at times. But I'm at your disposal for as much as I can. How are we zeroing in on D? The Menagerie Coast is hundreds of miles. And we don't know if he'll do it. We don't know if he can do it. He is a automaton, like me. There's nothing to say that he knows anything about magic.

He's just hauling a bunch of metal around and selling it to people. We have no proof that he knows anything about repair. We don't, that's true. He did seem to have ancient knowledge, but we don't know what that means. We don't know anything. This sort of thing.

Don't know who he is, don't know what he wants. She has actually fixed something before and we know her. Can you try to message her or something? I don't know. You can try and find her. Yeah. I'm trying to think. Didn't I look into your memories or something? I don't know. We can try and find her. Yeah. I'm trying to think. Didn't I look into your memories or something?

I feel like. Whose memory did I look into where I saw? You saw Dee. I didn't see Dee. I think so. Yeah. You saw him? But we met Dee in

Bassuras. We did meet Dee. No, you did not. We saw him. No, we saw him in a memory. I thought he was rolling by on a, and just went like there, and then kept going. No, that was a vision, I'm pretty sure.

Yeah, we saw a vision. Do you want to scry on Dancer? I mean, if she's back in Basurus, I would know exactly where she was. Of course, but you mean just to go for a little vacation? I'll double-check, but I'm pretty sure about it. I've heard amazing things. I'll hit up a scry. Sure.

I'll do another scry and see if I can find Ms. Dancer. Do it. Okay. These are all fucking great, I'll keep cocking them. Do it. Okay. These are all fucking great options. Cockroaches. I know. Sitting within the same circle, you glance and take the coin onto the other eye, and this tunnel is a lot shorter,

having a stronger connection to the individual on the opposite side. There, you immediately see what looks to be a dark, somewhat shady interior of some sort of a hovel, a homestead that's in disarray. You can see a green glass lantern that's flickering in the far corner.

And you see a dancer, half-dressed, snoring, draped over the side of a torn couch, just passed out, just sleeping. Do I recognize this place? You do not. Oh, fuck you. Nothing could be anywhere in the world. You do not. Fuck you. Nothing. Could be anywhere in the world.

It's an interior. It's just a college. You can try again later. Huh? You can try again later if you want to. The problem with scrying is sometimes it's not the most opportune time, but it doesn't mean one try is a failure. Is she with anybody?

Roll a perception check. That's a weird roll, huh? That is a weird roll. 14. Yeah. 14. On the periphery, you do see another figure walking, but far enough away where you can't make any details of them, just the shadow moving in the distance.

Weird roll, because you were there. Okay, well, I don't know where she is. So we can go to the Menagerie Coast and hope we're in the right city? Follow a lead. If it doesn't pan out, we just keep moving in the direction we're going to move anyway. We can't keep moving. We'd have to contact Keyleth, get her to bring it.

No, I can teleport us. We'll be fine. Once a day. Once a day, potentially. Wait another day. Well, we'll teleport, and then we get to our next point where we shouldn't have to teleport again because we'll be in the middle of where we need to be.

Do you remember anything about that scry? Did you see anything of note? Anything other than trees? Any sort of notable things on the coastline? The D-scry? Yeah, anything on the coastline. Did I remember anything? You have never been to the Menagerie Coast. You have no idea where it would be.

I can just ask my god where to go. Oh yeah. Try it. I mean... I think that's how gods work. You just ask them what to do, and they say you do exactly this, and then you're set.

I can ask her a yes or no question. I start naming off towns on the manoeuvre. I can at least ask her which one of these two would be most beneficial to us. So that's not a yes or no question. Well, I can ask if one is. That's fair. I can also use divination.

Thank you. Ooh, that's a lie. Divination? Yeah. Yes, I can use divination. I'm on board with this chaos. Sorry, this is so boring. All right, I'll do divination. Bloop.

Okay. All your spell slots? Yep. Burn all the spell slots. You're safe. We're safe. We're fine. The bedroom morphed in prickly, thorny wood. We're good.

La la la la la. Oh, Changebringer. Changebringer, my love. If I wanted to find someone to repair this specific thing, where would I go? I thought it had to be yes or no. No, it is not. It is a single question concerning a specific goal.

And he can give me a reply, a phrase, a cryptic rhyme, an omen. It's not a yes or no. A might might've been, well. There's just a gentle wind that just perpetually sits around the voice of the Tempest, just a soft breeze, especially in times of contemplation.

The wind gives this gentle sound, but across where your ears would be, I guess, for your audio sensor. Weirdly, my audio sensor is in my perennial. Oh, cool. On the directional sensor. Just like a Yeti mic. Audio's always muffled.

Yeah, a little bit. Got to drop that mic. Drop that snowball. But the wind seems to almost carry the faint elements of a voice to your mind. The path with one from your past you're most bound to. Oh, wow!

That's awful! What? The path? The path from one from my past, I am most bound to. That's D. That's D. Is it, or is it Dancer? No, it's D.

We shared a lot. I killed her. Yeah, but you're most bound to Dancer. To this guy who's... To Dancer? No, to D. They both start with a D. To the dancer. To this guy who? To Dancer? No, to Dee. They both start with a D.

Do-do-do-do-do. Both start with a D. Yeah, I think so. Because he sold me in the scrapyard? You know your shared identity. That means freedom. No, I think maybe. You can cast it more times if you want.

Do it again! What, divination? You can't be more specific. you want. Do it again! What, divination? You can't be more specific. Do it again. Be like, are you talking about? Oh, change! My love and sweetness, you know my faith for you is so strong.

Would you say I'm more bound to dancer or D, and please don't say, you're more bound to the one that starts with a D. That's actually pretty great. I love your hair, by the way. It's really beautiful. Trying to save your life.

Make it easy for us. Save your life, make it easy for us. Trying to save your life. Don't be a douche. The thing is, you're uncertain if the spell is reaching out to the god or just a servant of the god. But the information comes either way. Dragon attacks. just a servant of the god. But the information comes either way. The path to the mind. Fuck you. MATT and LAURA laugh. MATT and LAURA laugh.

MATT and LAURA cough. Goddamn it. MATT and LAURA laugh. Nope, nope, nope. A path to the mind of that which gave you life. Renewed. Oh, that was clear.

He did it again! No, no, no, that was clear. That's clear, that's D. That feels like it was. That's D. That's Dancer! That feels like Dancer to me. I don't know, it might be Dancer. No, D was Second Life.

But we don't, but you said, but you just remembered Dancer. I think, but how would you? Here's the thing. This is horrible. How would we even know about Dee if we hadn't seen it in your brain? Right? You saw a memory of Dee.

When? What? How do we know about Dee? How had we seen Dee if we hadn't seen a memory in your brain of Dee? How did we find Dee in the first place? Exactly. So you had a memory. I don't think Dancer's the one that brought you back.

I think Dancer just claimed that. And I'm just going to put this to you. Think of this as an amazing opportunity to forge a friendship, to make a new friend. I like new friends. You do. And this is someone you have stuff in common with. This is hard because I could apply to both. I'm really, really, really, really.

This is someone you haven't tried to kill yet. The change bringer, shucks. I should ask one more time. You know what? Maybe the change bringer's trying to tell you either one could help you. Yeah, yeah. I want to. Oh, well, yeah.

What? Maybe we should kill the guy. Yeah, yeah. I want to. Oh, well, yeah. What's the deal? We cast it again. Cast it again, what's good? What's good art? No, no, we just do it. Yeah, I guess we start. Hey, is it dancer? Hold the curl out the window. Just fucking tell me, is it dancer?

Forget about changes, is it dancer? Yes or no? Did you cast it again? Yeah, I cast it again. That was the third one. I've used five high-level slots. That's just so funny. I hope we can do a fight later.

Ask again later, Antone. The road you seek will guide you to the one whose name begins with a D. It's a cumulative 25% each time you cast it past the first one day, then you just get a random reading. Yep.

We got a D, we got a D. We got a D. Yeah, keep it. Boy, you fought that hard. What are you feeling? Just, I'm shutting down. I'm going to sleep. I'm in my sleep cycle.

Somebody carry me, you guys choose. Wake up, wake up. It's up to you, FCG. Why don't you flip a coin? Why don't you flip the change, bring your coin, and one side is Devexius, one side is Dancer. One side isn't. You guys seem to want to go to D, and I love you guys,

so let's go there. Plus, we know where that is. The other one was some delta sig basement. Yep. Do we? Dee was on the beach. You know, the beach! That beach goes for hundreds of miles. Aw, jeez. That's already

a closer location than interior. So wait, if we bamf to a beach, and we're like, Dee! I got a thought. And he's not there. What do we do? Well, if we're close enough, then I would be able to at least try sending on him. And I'll also say, can you see images in people's minds?

Like, is it just read or can you see things? It depends on how we do it. Starting out, it's just thoughts, but if I dive deeper, it's images. So there's a picture of exactly where they are. Just to be fair. Sitting in there. We could also rest for the night, because we've been doing all this crazy shit,

and we could try it again in the morning when Dancer is moving and when Dee is also further along their journey. You do have that possibility as well? Or we could just go straight to the shattered teeth. Tempest, I've seen this group do amazing things. They really could. Hey, I'm not judging.

I've walked around with a bunch of slapdicks for a big part of my early life. Who you calling slapdick? Not you. I'll tell you a story about a goldfish one day. Really? Everything eventually was funny. That sounds funnier than I thought it would be. Everything eventually becomes funny. We gotta.

Some things transcend time. Should we rest? I'm fine either way. I mean, we only woke up like two hours ago. Two hours ago. Oh shit, okay. I'm still of the idea that maybe we can hone in on where that is, or at least get close.

Yeah. Well, here, you've spent the night in what I assume to be a very harsh environment. I'm sure the people of the city want to show you some gratitude. And if you need to stock up on anything or finish any business you have within the city, please feel free to do so.

Great. I'm down for that. I think I'm going to take a little nap soon. I'm still getting my bearings after this. Another option, just putting it out there. No, let's keep talking about it. When you do scry, no, this is just a fast little solve. If you scry again tomorrow and you get a visual of where they are,

you can attune to this staff. You take this staff and you can teleport us straight to that spot you've already seen it. You probably have a better chance than describing it to me. You can just use this. That's really great. That's really smart.

Well, shit. That's really smart. I could do that right now, though. Yeah. That's brilliant. Well, no, because I used it today. Okay, great. Let's take a nap, then. We'll spend the rest of the day stocking up on supplies.

Buy some stuff, party a little. That's cute! That's brilliant! That's really good. That's really smart. That's really smart. I'm down. We should let, we should let. Yeah.

Change the world. Let's all, let's all just get the weep. She adjusts her crown. Bells Hells. What an afternoon. We had fun. We teleported an alien to your room. Look at us.

Look at us. In the same hour that you've returned, you've saved my life. Fresh cut your hair. You have a beautiful, it looks like. Thank you kindly. It's part of the enchantment. You've helped maintain

the cheer of the people of Zephra and the Arishari. You've worked with me to figure out a path forward. Let me know of some hard but necessary truths. Summon some weird creature into my chamber and then sent it away rapidly. I'm going to be wrestling with that for a little bit. It's all right.

I know there's animals on the moon. That's also something I'm probably not going to share with anyone for a while. But all that said, thank you for what it means to those I don't know as well. I'm proud of you. And to those that I've known for well, I'm proud of you, and to those that I've known far longer, I'm extremely proud of you.

She steps up to you, kneels down to your eyeline. Orym, I was once like you. Young, yet burdened with so much knowledge about the world and how unjust it can be. I can see in your eyes a rage conflicted with fear. A need to fix this broken world and fear of not being enough. I need to fix this broken world and fear of not being enough. I know that feeling well.

I've worn those insecurities my whole life. All of this may seem bigger than you. And it is. It's bigger than all of us. Individually. But we are whole as a people. We Ashari, we Exandrians. We who want to shepherd a brighter future

for the generations to come. Most of you are taking those first difficult steps, thankless steps. However, all it takes to rally the incredible strength of a people is one brave soul to take that step forward and do what it takes to fight for it. Then their strength is yours. And your strength is theirs.

I see a bravery in you that matches the immensity of your heart. You carry much weight. I recognize it because I carry my own. Some days, it may not seem fair. It isn't. But find the strength to lift yourself up, heavy as it all may be, and still take that step.

When the others rally, she gestures out beyond the window to the still sounds of celebration in the square. They will help you carry it. Orym of the Arishari, you are a paragon in the memory of dear Derek and his son, your partner, Will. Your heart buffeted by the winds of change

and the cold of reality, yet you continue to move forward. You are hope. You are Orym, my friend. You are Orym, My friend, you are Orym, savior blade of the Tempest, and you are never alone. It all feels real heavy, because I'm real small.

But like vines, we grow together. I'll try to do you and Derek proud. I know you will. And if it helps, I'll watch someone even smaller than you speak a few words and send a newly born god to a realm where they'll never return. So.

I think you're much bigger on the inside than you give yourself credit for. Some days I believe that. And the days that you don't, it's up to you to let him know. I will. Thank you. MATT and LAURA say, Thank you. It's the honor of my life. Thank you.

I'm going to go lay down. Sure. That took a while. Yeah. Rest well. We will exit stage right. She goes and waits for you all to begin to filter out of the room before she covertly takes her run off,

and the door blows closed. Savior Blaze! Oh! Hello! Blows closed. Save your blade. Oh! Hello. Thank you very much. Do you have a title? I have a title. I have a title.

It's like a promotion. Save your blade of the tempest. Well. Probably add a little tattoo. Oh yeah. Should we all go get tattoos? Sure. We have great artists here.

Oh, we should get tattoos while we're here, before we leave tomorrow. I'm down, except it would be complicated. I'm not saying no, though. Well, you got an order to pick up. That's a deal. Yeah. Oh, right. Yeah.

And tomorrow we're heading out? Yeah. We're going to try it. Yeah. Today we shop. I'll pass the staff over to you. Oh yeah, shop. Start attuning. And then tomorrow we just do something fantastically stupid in the hopes of maybe averting some terrible thing

that is way bigger than any of us even combined and is ridiculous that we're even trying to deal with. Going to take a little journey back through history. I don't know. I'm excited. I feel like that was some much-needed direction. We've got a titan over here. Yeah! Blood of the titan. Blood of the titan. Titan of blood.

Well. Titan-y blood. Blood. I don't know. I was trying to do a thing. It fell apart. It's a lot to take in. Workshop. A cleric, a prime deity, and a... Whatever this is. Whatever that is. Wife of a demon? Yeah.

Wife of a betrayer. When would we jump to wife? Fuck buddy of a demon. Okay, that didn't happen either. Demon consort. Devil consort. We jump to wife. All right, fuck buddy of a demon. Okay, that didn't happen either. Demon consort, devil consort, demon daddy. Demon zaddy. Demon zaddy. Demon zaddy.

Devil zaddy. Demon devil. As you all take a deep breath, contemplating this new, various possible directions to take, and step out into the warm midday air and sunlight in the center of the town of Zephrah, greeting the energy of the cheering crowd and people that immediately begin to swarm you

with accolades and questions and greetings and welcomes. We'll go ahead and finish the episode there. We'll make it up next time. Jaden, your blade! So much happened. Shatter Teeth! Shatter Teeth! Shatter Teeth!

Yeah! We got to get with the Asharf. The map making, I mean, come on! Of... Oh, I want that map. I want that map! I want that map. I want that map! I want that map! My collection.

One more. We get to start the episode with some costume descriptions. That'll be fun. To regain its charges. Oh shit! Hell yeah. Well, friends, let's go ahead and get ourselves out of here for the night.

Thank you all so much for joining us. We love you very much, and is it Thursday yet? Good night. Thank you for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you've enjoyed this ever-weaving story, please consider rating and reviewing our podcast. You might just inspire someone new to hop on the wagon for the journey. We have plenty more stories to tell. Stay tuned, and we'll see you next time.