Critical Role - C3E74 Roots Between Worlds

Episode Date: October 12, 2023

Bells Hells explore the island of Kalutha and prepare themselves to take counsel from the fated wisdom of the Great Tree of Atrophy... 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

Thank you. view the episode on demand immediately after it airs, or you can enjoy the VOD on YouTube the following Monday. And for you loyal podcast listeners, the show transmutes into its audio-only format Thursdays, one week after the initial broadcast. Without further ado, let's see what sort of fun, scary adventures await. 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 have Dungeons & Dragons!

All right, we do have some announcements to get through before we jump into tonight's episode, beginning with our sponsor, Warner Bros. Games and their new game, Mortal Kombat 1, which is the latest title in the acclaimed Mortal Kombat video game franchise developed by NetherRealm Studios. And here to talk about it is personal injury lawyer, Sweet Sam.

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Ow. I can turn your fatality into a celebrate-ality. And how about this success story? At college, I was studying for an exam when this guy named Raiden flew through the library yelling nonsense that no one could understand. It kind of sounded like, get back in the car? Anyway, I was so confused that I flunked my test, but sweet Sam got me an A-plus in court and a hundred and fifteen dollars in compensation. Thanks sweet Sam. You need a lawyer like me because more than ever, Mortal Kombat 1 is out now! Oh no!

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let's... If Shang Tsung makes you a weak, pathetic fool, let Sweet Sam make you a weak, pathetic fool. With $400 in your pocket, call 555-FIGHT. Give these characters a nut punch. In court. It's still going. Mortal Kombat 1 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X, PSPC, and Nintendo Switch. Upgrade to the Premium Edition, which includes

Kombat Pack 1, featuring Quan Chi, Ermac, and Takeda, along with guest characters Peacemaker, Omni-Man, and Homelander. Oh, additionally, if you haven't already seen our Mortal Kombat one-shot, please make sure to check it out online. It's a lot of fun to watch,

and you get to watch me play as Johnny Cage. Get the game today at MortalKombat.com, and thank you, Warner Bros. Games, for sponsoring this episode. Woo! Woo! MortalKombat.com! And thank you, Warner Brothers Games, for sponsoring this episode! And that's it! Oh boy. I am so glad I didn't look at that script before that.

Oh, that's, nope. Look, I didn't really like it. My favorite part is when you start laughing and you try not to. Oh my god! I know! That is a nightmare. I'm so sorry! I just, I appreciate prosthetic teeth

that look just like your teeth. It's the most unnecessary thing ever. It's perfect. I just started out a little more. It's like a human shark. The next set is just ready to come in, once they've gone. Human shark. Throws the teeth.

You guys knew we had a second set, but there we go. Liam, you're up. Oh man, we got book news. That's right, we did. I got what I got for you. I got The Chronicles of Exandria Volume 2, The Legend of Vox Machina from Darington Press. We brought

it back, just like the last one. We brought it back from Darington Press. The Chronicles of Exandria Volume Two, The Legend of Vox Machina Art Book is available now. It has 250 pages of artwork from 100 community artists and includes a very cool three panel fold out illustration by Will Kirkby, who's a mad genius, from the original printing.

Plus, plus, plus, plus, the Darrington Press edition has nine new pieces of artwork inside. It's a mystery. Find it all on our CR shops, Darrington Press Guild stores, and coming soon to other friendly local game stores. And that's not all. Look at this sexy piece of business. Oh, yeah. That's cool. This is the Mighty Nein Origins Library Edition, Volume 1, from Dark Horse. Our Mighty Nein Origins graphic novels from Dark Horse are collected for the first time. This first of the two volumes collects the backstories of Chester, Caleb, Yasha, and Nott the Brave! They delve deep into their pasts and witness what led them to the Mighty Nein. Available now in our Critical Role shops.

Fantastic. Thank you, Liam. Well done. That's it all. That's it all. What? My lord. Indeed. Laura. You guys, we got a Mii shirt. Ooh.

It's our image and awesomeness. That's rad. Very comic. It's in all of our shops. I love it. The artist is Laadriel. I hope I said that correctly. It's beautiful. That's awesome. I love it! The artist is Laadriel, I hope I said that correctly. It's beautiful.

That's awesome. I see a red moon rising. Yeah. Excellent. That's awesome. Super, super in love with it. Also, we have WizKids plushies in the U.S. only. I'm sorry, don't kill me. First wave of the Critical Role Bell's Hells Plush

by WizKids and Kidrobot are now available. You can snuggle up with Fearne. Doody doody! Ashton. Yeah, whatever. And Fresh Cut Grass. Smiley nighty!

You can get them today in our U.S. Critical Role shop or find them at WizKids or wherever Kidrobot plushes are sold. Also, the rest of the Bells Hells plushes are now available. That's so cute. Pre-order at whizkids.io slash CRplush, all lowercase. I love you. Mine's size accurate. I can't wait to leave this on my couch and then come home and find Rigatoni has ripped it to shreds. That's viable.

Riggy! Look at the little halfling ears on Orym. That's so cute. We've had! Look at the little halfling ears on Orym. That's so cute. We've had the prototypes at the house for quite a while, and Ronan is super in love with FCG. Aw. So.

Marisha, you got nuts, man. The second episode of Candela Obscura, The Circle of Needle and Thread, is available to watch right now! Hey! Amazing! It's available to watch on Twitch and YouTube and our podcast channels, so be sure to tune in to the riveting action-packed and unmissable finale

on Thursday, November 2nd, since our live show will be airing on the last Thursday of the month. So this one is adjusting a little bit. Also, I was just going to say real quick, I've seen a lot of questions of people being like, do I jump in? Do I have to watch chapter one? Do I have to? No, just jump right in. The different circles are their own little contained stories.

So don't feel like you've missed the first three that you have to wait for the second three. Just watch it. Don't want to miss the end of this one. You don't? Oh my god. You don't. Shit gets crazy. Shit gets crazy. Okay, Matt! Yeah, it's my turn now. We are delighted to be back at New York Comic Con next week! Next week! Join us on Thursday, October 12th, and Friday, October 13th for a panel, photo ops,

and more! You can find all the details, the details, on critroll.com slash events. I think that concludes our announcements. So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Critical. Thursday. Critical. Thursday. Critical. Critical. It's Thursday night.

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

Who knows what will happen He might But one thing's for sure We never give up on the fight From the healer to the renegade We all share the same goal Adding more allies, taking more chances Hold your breath and roll

You can certainly try it's thursday night all ye critters come join us it's time to continue our play it's thursday night there is magic and mystery from darkness our friendship will rise but one thing's for sure

we never give up on the fight Oh, get ready It's Thursday night And welcome back. SAM and LAURA And welcome back. It's an explosion of air.

So, last we left off, Bells Hells, in seeking answers surrounding Ashton's history and possible opportunities to prepare themselves better for the coming showdown with the Ruby Vanguard. You find yourselves in the Shattered Teeth, a collection of islands left in the destruction of the once-continent Dominus.

And here you've gone onto a ghost ship to find passage to the island of Calutha. Upon taking this journey across the sea with them, you helped bring a long, separate romance to a singular unit between the captain and their navigator. Matchmaker. Matchmaker. Had a celebration and then were dropped off

rather rapidly on the outskirts of the island you seek. As you peruse the Black Pebble beaches, you found a couple of caverns, one that led up to the actual clifftop surface of the island itself for a better view. Upon clambering through the caverns, a sight was missed on one of the creatures that apparently called it home,

and you did battle with a terrifying, massive worm creature that was intent on making you its next meal. Surviving the encounter, destroying the creature and gathering a few odd objects from its nest that can give you some clues as to the denizens of this island, you clambered out to the surface

where you could see the mist-shattered island stretched out before you. Not as dense as the central sea and the previous island you had ventured towards, but still somewhat obscured by the shifting fog that seems to blow with the wind over the stretching jungles and rainforest before you, and the mountain massive shadows

of the three mountains that mark a central portion of this region of the island, seemingly a signifier of your destination. So Bellis Hells, having taken a short rest, stepping up into the late morning, midday, obscured sun, the disparate, disseminated, fog-filled daylight that gives some visual perspective on the path before you, what would you like to do? We're still pretty walled in with fog in all directions?

It's mostly, it's much thinner here on the island. You can make out details as it shifts with it. You can see more as it goes. It's not as choking as it was so close to the sea, necessarily, the further in you go. What's going on over there? I was just asking if it quivers and shifts. Oh god, mm-hmm.

We see our destination, right? It's just far away. You can see the shape at times of these large shadows of these three mountains. At times, you have no visual sight, and at times, as the mists move by, you can just make out the distant shape of them. I mean, we go there, yeah?

How far away does it feel? You want to make a nature check? Or a perception check, your choice. What about a survival check? Not for this one, necessarily. I'll assist you, pressing my nature written body all over you. My nature body.

Get off me, Chet. Quite the poet, Travis. 14 plus nature? Or what was the other one I could think of? Nature or perception. 15. 15, okay. And then it died. It looks like it's about 25 to 30 miles off.

Seemed like a lot. It's far. Which, you know, is a decent distance, but the travel between is very dense jungle and rainforest. Even worse. So it's probably going to be the better part of a two-day journey on foot, if unimpeded, and you're lucky.

You have no idea what lies beneath the canopy before you. I could try to teleport us there. It's right there. I mean, you can see it. Does that work that way? Maybe. How does teleport work? I can see the destination. I feel like it'd be easy.

Yeah, right? I think so. Although I did hear- I'm going to think, in my magical knowledge, if I understand that seeing where you want to go increases the odds of a teleport working. It increases your familiarity, yeah. If you wanted to take some time and scope it from a distance,

if you had other spells that could help in that. If we had a Looking Glass. Looking Glass of some kind, which we don't know about. Now you know that I took it, and are you saying this out into the air? I know. I saw the last episode. I watched.

Unlike Sam Riegel, Fresh Cut Grass watches this show. Insight check. 12. Remember, there's Woe Steal, Sacred to the Ascended Host, and to the charm. We could just hoof it and see what we find for a little bit. Technically, I have a spell that could,

it just points, it finds the path. Oh, yeah. Find the path. That's a great spell. Yeah, but it's still three miles away. It's still a long path. It's going to go that way. Yeah. Down the mountain?

But doesn't it show you the path of least resistance? Technically. Fearne, could you shuttle us a little bit? I was trying to see if I could. Like a little. Shuttle? Like how? Fly? Can you turn into one of those giant toads that? Oh, I could try, and then you all could get in my belly.

In your mouth? In Fearne's mouth. I feel like without some infrastructure in there, it might get really acidic, but maybe that's just me. We could take some time. I could keep my mouth open the whole time so you guys could breathe. It's going to be those photos of people with 200 cigarettes in their mouth. Oh jeez. We could take some time and build something. So you guys can breathe.

Photos of people with 200 cigarettes in their mouth. Oh jeez. Get us a cooler. I kind of love it. We make a giant, you turn into a stork, and we make a giant little baby basket for us. I feel like we'd be so heavy for one. Stork.

One little stork. I could get it for TikTok, and we could do it like those people who make camper vans on TikTok. No? What's TikTok? Okay. It's what my heart does. Oh, yeah.

Amazing. I mean, I could try to pick some of us up and fly us. But then there's a whole bunch of us that aren't going to. Yeah, let's just wallop. Let's just try to do that. There's a few rounds, you know? There's a general canopy of vegetation that aren't going to. Yeah, let's just wallop. Let's just try to move. There's a canopy. A few rounds, you know? There's a general canopy of vegetation and trees and such? Very much so.

The mass jungle here, as you see it, it's a smattering of deep verdant greens, light greens, yellows, and some other pale colors that create this wonderful patchwork rolling canopy that rolls out that is occasionally punched through by hills of basalt rock that some of them carry these long, stretching points at angles that almost curve and come to a stop. All these oddly angled protrusions

that break from the canopy. Some actual mountain itself erupting as well before it stops at a peak. There's a handful that you can see almost form a bridge or might form a bridge from place to place. Oh, we could up and over. That would be cool, because remember, before the pirate ship, which feels like a lifetime ago,

the last time there was shit in the air flying through the clouds of a dramatic size. Also, we did hear that the magic here in the Shattered Teeth is very weird, and teleporting might rip us apart. We could end up on different islands. I thought that we just heard that magic is weird everywhere.

It's weirder here? Yeah. Right? That's what we heard. The islands have weird magic about them. You're uncertain if that refers to it affecting magic as it's used naturally, or they're just oddly magical. I think you're right.

The islands are moving in different directions. Shit is cray. So we're hiking? Yeah. I'm happy to hike. Sure. Okay. If it did fly, how far do I, how long do I think it would take? Depends on the speed of the creature

you would transform into. All right. Because we could even just do little short distances. Do little short distances, yeah. You know, little... Fly some of us 500 feet, come back, fly some of us 500 feet, then we just creep forward. Separate the group?

It's just a weird... No, why not? Great idea! Why not? We've done that so much, and it's always successful. I was being enthusiastic. I can't tell with your crotchety tones. It's just my old ass face.

Some of us can fly, some of us can... Well, I mean, I could be a giant toad, but is that big enough to carry everybody? A giant toad? What size does it say the creature is? Please leave our captioning. It's like a mini-kubra. On the upper left, it should say large, huge.

Large beast. So it's about 10 feet wide. Okay, so maybe two or three people. Easily fit a third of us. 10 feet can fit the whole group. Remember the left? Yeah, it could fit Chetney and Orym in your mouth. We'll sit there with a minigun.

It'll be fucking dope. Chetney and Orym could be in your mouth. And then some of you could be on top. Mm-mm, I didn't say anything. Yeah. And then some of you could be on top. Mm-mm, I didn't say anything. Yeah. And then some could fly. And then some could fly. A couple people could fly. Walking it is, then. Walking? Walking.

It's an option. It's an option. We walk. Let's just move. Let's just start moving. We can discuss this while walking. If it gets too hard, then we'll upgrade. Yeah, you've got options. We have options.

We have options, yeah. We have options. Plus, we're in the Shattered Teeth. Let's go look at it. I want to see this shit. As we begin towards this, can I just do a general, what's on the wind? Anything that's coming this way? Make a perception check for me.

Oh, sure. I have an option. I thought you were saying that out loud. I was about to tell you to stop. Just my character. 16. Oh. I feel like they always go for you. They don't go for me.

You know, I could be like a... You could be. Yeah. Like a walking bug zapper. Honestly, you probably would be. Just a little bit of sass. Crackling. I love this so much.

You would just be a disappointment to them. Yeah, that's... All those suffering mosquitoes. That's a passive cantrip if you want to keep that. That's playing Vengeance for the Mosquitoes, but playing the outdoors. There's really only three of us that they would work, that would work well with.

That's true. Only three of us have consumable blood. His tail's just swishing him away. Yeah, I'm kissing people on my tail the whole time. All right. As you all begin to crest down into the soft underbrush of the jungle exterior, first off, what's your marching order

and who is leading the trek? Hmm. I'll go second. Chetney is leading. Little guy's up front. Yeah! Chetney's leading. Oh, who knows? I'll go behind him. I weirdly have decent survival. I'll goetney's leading. All they can do is... I'll go behind. I weirdly have decent survival.

I'll go next to Fearne. All righty. Yeah. We'll be behind them, or I'll be behind them. I just need to see my top engine. We should put the casters in the back. I feel like Fearne should be up front, everybody. Well, I feel like he's got a high survival, too.

Not as high as hers. A high what? Survival? He's in. Oh shit! How did your survival get so high? I don't know. I feel it, too. I love a survivalist just by dumb luck.

How do you survive all this time? I don't know. I've known a few people like that, actually. Those trees look pretty groovy. Harley is definitely one of them. Oh. So you're leading, or who's leading? Oh, wait, no, I think Chet is, but I can assist.

So Chet's leading the front, and FCG's the caboose. Okay. I'll assist you, Chet. Thank you. You're welcome. All right. I won't track. I will listen for threats. Listen and look for threats.

Oh, before we leave, can I see that amulet again that we found? The Aeshii-o. Aeshii-o? Aeshii-o charm? The Raito charm from the Aeshii-o culture. Okay. Aeshii-o.

You see, I think with Delilah Delilah being in my head again, I think I can read languages again. I switched out my eldritch feats. Hey, justify the story. Justifying it in the story, but I switched some stuff. Same with us. Why did you turn and start talking to that tree? You got to kill her now.

Laudan just blew me out. Shoot! I knew this time would come. You've got to kill her now. Laudna just blew the air. Shoot! I knew this time would come. We never talk about the fourth wall. There are rules. Okay, so you're using Eyes of the Runekeeper of your Invocation. Yes. All right.

So taking this relic that you had uncovered and rubbing some of the dirt off of it and looking at the scrolling and script that surrounds it, it is Iwan, which is the base language of the host. You watch as the symbols and carvings begin to take shape in your mind in a way that you can understand. One of the phrases reads,

My promise to Shotas. My promise to Shotas? Shotas? Like a name, Shotas? Or just? A name, Shotas. Shotas. S-H-O. My promise to. S-H-O-T-A-S. Shotas. S-H-O-T.A-S. Shotas. S-H-O-T. At the Apollo.

Another one says, My love of my children, Ro and Sakagi. Oh, I'm not going to say that. Children. Sakagi. Another one. And Shai. Sakagi. Sakagi. Sakagi.

Sakagi. Chicago. Another. Chicago. Chicago. Chicago. Another one reads, My faith in the cycle of destruction and creation, endless. It's really tiny print. It is, and the whole thing is covered in scrawlings. My faith in destruction? In the cycle of destruction?

Destruction and creation, endless. Destruction and creation. Oh boy. Okay. His little rap hand's almost out of hand. And another one reads. Oh jeez. You wanted to read it.

Yeah. Yeah. My Guilt Over My Father. Gyo Doba. Gyo Doba. Gyo Doba. Looking at all these are inscripted into this polished, deep red stone. As you look back at the top of the chain, there is a single name that is inscripted along the cage encasing it.

That reads, Ifodola. Ifodola. How do you spell it? I-F-F-O-D-O-L-A. Ifodola. All right. Okay. So what do you get? What's the sense of this?

What is this thing? What was it used for? So, I mean, it's obviously deeply personal to Ifidola, I'm assuming that's whom this belongs to. It's almost as if it's a promise. Seems like a reminder of their priorities. Reminder, yeah. Almost not too different to people keeping lockets

of loved ones. Do we know how old this thing is? No, right? It doesn't seem that old, if I remember. I don't remember. Could these people still be alive? Make an investigation check if you want to take a look at it.

Sure. I rolled pretty high on history, knowing if you want to take a look at it. Sure. Maybe eight children. I roll pretty high on history, knowing about it. Knowing about it. About it. But the difference between knowing history and being able to inspect an object and see how long it's been sedentary. Of course, but from my amateur knowledge of history, do I know how long the culture has existed in Exandria?

Or? More or less, you know that the Ascended Host has been around for a number of centuries. Centuries, okay. They are one of the cultures, the overarching culture that emerged after the destruction of Dominus and the slow reclamation of the islands

once the dust had settled from the destruction of the continent that came before. One more follow-up question. Yes. Is Orym's amateur knowledge that it's an ongoing culture or something of history? I'd say, as far as you know, it's still present. No one said the lost culture of the Ascended Host. And small relics and mentions of them

still creep up from time to time, though people refer to them as a very, like a lot of things in the Shattered Teeth, things that are out there, but doesn't really encounter our life, so we don't spend too much mind to it. The place is a little odd and dangerous and spooky, so we don't worry ourselves with it. That's The place is a little odd and dangerous and spooky,

so we don't worry ourselves with it. That's a lot of the larger Exandrian vibe. Like Oxnard. Yes. Never been to Oxnard. Can we discern, just based on how long it's been in the dirt, potentially, how old it is? Make an investigation check, yeah.

I'm going to shine my light on it, and I'll just say, Fearne, can you take a look at this and investigate it for age? Because I'm not that great at it. I'm going to help you by shining my bright lights on it. I'm very not good at investigation. Like a minor situation.

I've dealt with you. Chetney! Get over here and look at this thing. I'm dope, let me at it! I'm so old! I'm going to shine my light on it to help you. I can't even see anymore. I'm just staring at your armpit.

Dirty 20. Dirty 20. It looks like, based on the layers of muck and sediment that were wiped off of it and still remain in the nooks and crannies. It's probably been there for a number of years, possibly even a decade or two. But not centuries.

It could definitely still be around. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, okay. All right, so. All right, now we can walk. Destruction and creation. Very well. We walk. I don't think we can walk. Destruction and creation. Very well. We walk. I don't think we ever did the smell check.

No, we didn't get around to that. So, a heavy sense of rich, healthy nature. The lands here, due to the presence of heavy volcanic rock beneath and surrounding the earth here is very, very mineral rich, and the trees here are very vibrant and lively. The colors that you see that shift from tree type to tree type, though they intermingle,

often they're lush, and the smell of healthy vegetation fills the air deeply. There are all manner of vines that fall and tangle and wind from treetop to treetop. You catch visions of small creatures that scurry and dart off into the trees as you walk through the jungle in a non-stealthy way. The occasional crunch or snap of twig and brush beneath your boot sends them curiously rushing off, but still looking back. That's probably really what you pick up. Nothing else that seems to cause any alarm

or worry at the moment. And does the heavy fog cover, does it diffuse the sunlight that's coming down, or is it just low level so that it hits where it hits and where it breaks through? It diffuses it somewhat. As you get beneath the canopy, it's almost like there's a two-layered fog.

There's the mist that settles over the top of the canopy, and then there's a low one that flows through the jungle floor itself, only maybe about two feet off the ground, and it's not very thick, but you can see the wisps just passing through as you move. Cool! So you're leading the troop? Yes! Go ahead and roll survival for me. passing through as you move. Cool. So you're leading the troop?

Yes. Go ahead and roll survival for me. I was assisting you. You're welcome. As a reminder, Orym's going to be on threat alert. Understood. That counts as perception. 17.

17, okay. And your perception roll? That'll be a 24. 24, great. The first leg of your slow march into this jungle seems relatively uneventful. You catch up and begin to notice there are some paths that are worn through here, definitely.

There are some walkways or hunting paths that look like they've been trekked enough over the ages to where the vegetation hasn't fully reclaimed that portion of the forest floor. They mostly run parallel from what you've come across now, which leaves you to wonder if it's the best choice to take, and you're uncertain if that means if it's a safer route or just one that's more visible.

But the choice is yours. You can attempt to follow one of these trails or you continue pushing through the jungle and you're uncertain if that means if it's a safer route or just one that's more visible. But the choice is yours. You can attempt to follow one of these trails or you continue pushing through the jungle towards the direction of the mountains that you're seeking. I think the beaten path sounds good. Only because shit's crazy here. Yeah, sure. Yeah.

We'll start that way. All right. To the right or left? Right. You want to flip a coin? Did you say it looked like an intentional trail? Yes. Marked by someone? It looked like enough foot traffic has come through over time

that the vegetation hasn't reclaimed the ground like it is another. FCG. What's happening? Do you think you could hook us up with the change bringer and see if we could get a vote? Yeah. We could split up. No! I will flip a coin and use Guided Grace.

It says I can ask a simple yes or no question, but I'm modifying that. Heads right, tails left. Is that all right? I mean, if you're just flipping the coin for the sake of finding an answer. Yeah. Or you could say, is the right, the health, the state, the place, and that.

That would be how you would phrase it. It's still a yes or no answer. Yeah. All right. Then I don't need to hit it. You flip it, because it's fun. Okay. All right, okay.

Wait, is the right path? Heads yes, tails no? Heads. Okay, so heads. It is heads! That's amazing! All right. Following the right beaten path, it does wind quite a bit,

and while it seemed to veer off in the direction you were going, about an hour following it, it does begin to curve back in towards this valley. And the valley is still descending. It's a very slow, gradual climb down. You can see at some points you have to step down off of hill sides and slightly declining hillocks

where the trees themselves are bursting through and occasionally come upon a massive basalt risen pillar that just comes up and then breaks at a certain point. Whether it was weathered or destroyed by something, you don't know. But you do notice that as you begin to descend, the canopy doesn't descend with you.

The trees just get taller and wider. And while your view from the top, from the edge of the island, looked like it was a pretty even, rolling straight shot, you get the feeling the more you go that it's just going to get deeper and deeper into a valley bowl the further into the island you go.

Yeah. I like some Amazon. The air itself does grow more dense with moisture, a cold moisture, and you notice that the foliage in the trees shifts from a natural island jungle, and you begin to see signs of true rainforest peeking through. The trunks get wider and thicker.

The sheer density of the natural foliage and life that affixes themselves to these trees become more and more present, and you can see through the many branches the bit of diffused sunlight. It gets a little harder and harder to see. Some of these trees now climbing upwards 80, 100 feet, and still climbing as you progress for a secondary hour,

your third hour. You probably have, based on your memory, about four more hours of travel before you begin to lose sunlight. And you gather you have another day or so of travel, depending on whether you continue to follow this path or others as you go. And we're just descending?

Just slowly descending and pulling through. You do also notice, you with your perception up as you go, too, occasionally stopping because you hear what sounds like some sort of a heavy grunt or a distant echoing guttural call. You can stop everyone, and you can see some bushes in the distance move quickly. You notice, well, the rest of you can hear the sounds.

You see three large, heavy, brown-furred beasts traveling in a small troop of three, just galloping through the jungle. You get a quick glance, and they have these massive hog-like heads. It looks like a massive boar as it trudges through, but its head seems wide at the front. The skull almost spreads out like a shield.

You do not see eyes from where you can see as it just darts past. Pretty high perception, but as much as you can see as it darts past. You have pretty high perception, but as much as you can see, it seemed to be rushing through the jungle before vanishing off, not noticing your presence, but definitely making you aware that they exist and others like them may out in the way.

When they came, did they come fast? They went pretty quick. Okay. So there wasn't a lot of warning time. No, it was almost like a you stopped everyone and just watched them again tear through and then vanish back off into the... Pass without a trace. Yeah. Okay.

Just ahead. Okay. This will slow your trek if you're going stealthily, which may add more time to your journey, but it'll be safer. The call is yours. But with pass without a trace, can we move at a normal pace, but it'll be safer. The call is yours. But with Pass Without a Trace, can we move at a normal pace, but still? Let's see what it says.

Yeah, like a quieter, normal pace. What if we just get a plus five and we move at a regular speed? Yeah. So you still make sound as you go, but if you choose to be stealthy, you make a fung, then you get the bonus to your stealth check.

You also don't leave tracks, which is helpful for not being tracked, but you have to actively be stealthing in order to gain the bonus of additional stealth. We don't know if we're in danger right now. Maybe we should save it for when we are. Save it. I only last for an hour. Okay, save it. Let's save it. Save it at least until we're in danger right now. Maybe we should save it for when we are. Because it only lasts for an hour. Okay, save it.

Save it at least until it starts to get dark out. Okay. For the next leg of this journey, I need you to roll another survival check for me. Ah! Guidance and assisting you. Thank you. Guidance.

Nice. 14. No, 13. Even with Guidance? It wasn't a good roll! She would roll higher than that if she rolled a one. You should let Fearne be leading this chat. Uh-uh.

Why don't you just relax and enjoy the view back there? Oh boy. If we get into trouble again. She's going to strain her neck looking down that much. Could you roll a d6 for me, please? Oh! Yeah! Come on, fuck it up, Travis. Oh shit.

Ruin us. Come on, what you and I like. Two. Yes. Two. Okay. Aw, he smirked. He smirked. He smirked. Because it's nothing.

White dragon. A short trek later, you begin to hear the sound of nearby rushing water. You begin to notice that there is a winding river that is carving through the floor. Whether it be from rain, moisture, or some unseen source of water, a river is winding through the jungle,

also in a descending path as it makes its way towards the center of this valley itself. It's about 15 or so feet wide. And you can hear at some points where it crests off of some of the hills. There's a small, maybe five-foot waterfall, but nothing too dangerous. It's your choice to either cross it

or continue to follow it along. Ah, a source of water. Life for the plants and animals of this region. Well done. Well. Is he a well-done? I don't know what's happening. Has he become a novelist? We could continue on, but it might throw us off course. We could traverse on, but it might throw us off course. We could traverse this raging water

and be on our merry way. Maybe cross it? How fast does the water look like it's going? Just like a... It's not like a rushing river, but it's like... You threw a stick in it, is it like, it was like, boomsh! No, it's cruising gently.

Like I said, it's 15 feet wide, so it's a decent volume of water that's been pushing through this jungle for a while, but it's not traveling at an expedited White Rapids pace. It's just, you're uncertain how strong the current is or how deep it goes from this perspective. Maybe do the stick check? Not of concern. No?

I just don't get, no. No, you test it. Stick check is good, yeah, stick check is good. He wants to carry you, Chet. I'm just saying if it's, you know. Why yes, Imogen. I can do it, but maybe FCG can. Oh wait.

You want me to carry him? Can you go? I'll clear this with water. But how can you go in the water? Yeah, I can go in the water. Good question. I'll just rust and die, but it's okay. The water itself seems pretty clear, though there is enough sediment being picked up

at the different breaks in the rock beneath it where you can't quite see the bottom. I'm going to do the stick check. All right. Take a meter plus stick and see how deep it goes. Meter plus. About five feet out, it goes to about three feet, and it's a slow and then sudden drop

to where the stick completely submerges about a third of the way across. Orym's going to hand you one end of his rope, and then he's going to run ten feet to the edge of the water and then leap 20 feet over. I hand you the immovable rod. Oh. We have two of those now?

We do. Whoa. We have two rods? We can full- That's luxurious. How did we get two rods? I started the campaign with one. And then we got another one from- Found another one and Ash built it into the hammer. That's right, you put it in the hammer.

In the hammer. Yeah. Haven't heard of it. So, all right, I leap over with the removal rod, and once I get over there, I tie it. Great! Nice. This is awesome! Good teamwork, you two!

Nice fucking teamwork! Okay, I'll hold the rope while you guys go! You don't need to do that. Use the hammer to get the other side of the rope and tie it off. How are you going to get that hammer? I'm going to take it with me. So you'll be the last.

I'll be the last and you'll have to drag me across in case something goes terribly, terribly wrong. Okay. While they're doing all this, I'm going to take out my fishing tackle that we bought forever ago and just get a stick, tie it, see if I can catch anything. That's great, go ahead and roll a survival check.

It's less intentional than you'd think. Just kind of happens sometimes. 19! 19. Once the rope is set up, and it takes a moment to do so, you just quickly fashion this stick, let it loose, and maybe about 60 seconds, about a full minute or so, you get a heavy tug, and you pull, pull,

and you get pulled in, and eventually drag it over to the bank, and sure enough, flopping. It's a good 10-inch long. It looks like a rainbow trout, almost. Oh, you guys! You guys! I take the chisel out.

I just gack it on the back of the head. Yes! Oh, you didn't belay it. Oh, you're not going to help it. We'll get that later. Can you get another one of those? That'd be good dinner. Does it smell okay? Natural?

Alive? Nothing got dead? Tell me the truth. Why are you talking to a tree? Tree. Loving a trout. If you would like to go ahead and make an investigation check on it to see if it is anything beyond,

it's investigation or nature of your choice. Oh, investigation. 19. 19. 19. It looks like a healthy fish. The only difference from that sort of trout that you've seen before is it has, as opposed to those long catfish whiskers,

it has a single one of those that dangles further than the length of its full body and just flows behind it about another foot. Almost like it has its own dangling line that it carries behind it. Huh. Okay, city boy paranoia just kicked in. Can we get Pate to do something for me really quickly?

You want something from Pate now? I do. Whoa. I thought you didn't trust him. I don't. What do. Whoa. I thought you didn't trust him. I don't. What do you want from him? I want him to get into the water and splash around a bit. Oh yeah.

Oh! Can he swim? Use him as bait? Yes, that's exactly what I want to do. What happens if he gets eaten? Is he gone forever? He's all right. He'll poop back. I have to cast a spell, but he'll be back.

He'll be killed, yes. He'll come back? Yeah, yeah, I have to bring him back, but yes. All right. Hey, buddy, were you napping? Or just contemplating the meaning of my existence as a construct that's only really given purpose when asked to bring itself to bear to your command.

So, yeah, napping. Oh! But you have thoughts and free thinking. Does he? And you don't just go idle when you're not being used, right? I don't know. What can I do for you?

Well, I need you to be Tackle. Be Fishing Tackle. I need you to be? Well, I need you to bee tackle. Bee fishing tackle. I need you to be a little, I need you to... I hold up my fishing line and just spark my time. Like this, the little spark. I need you to go in the river. I need you to go in the river

and just like, splishy splashy. Oh, I can do all the fun times, yeah! Yes! All right, all right, go. Hey! You just splash into the water. How's it, on the end of your line? Just near it, yeah, because I'm just still.

Yep. I'll see if I can get another. Oh yes, please do. All right, cool. Everyone's going across. Let's go ahead and make a group athletics check. Is anything happening? Is anything going after Padme? It's not like piranha feeding.

No, no, there's not a piranha feeding. I just, I did. No, but it's good. City boy panicked. I know. City boy panicked. That's not like piranha feeding. No, there's not a piranha feeding. I just, I did. No, but it's good. City boy panicked. I know. City boy panicked. That's good, that's good. Don't like being in the woods. It looks, there's nothing currently assailing pâté

at the end of the line. All right. Splash farther away, you're chasing a fish. Doing great, doing great. Are we done already? Oh, well, then you can keep playing. Just go over there. Okay. Oh my god, you're so cute.

Can we guide this before you go out, by the way? Yes, go ahead and start. I'll guide you, because no one ever guides you. Well, thank you so much. That's a d4, right? It's a d4. I never remember. Who feels the healers?

That's right. Athletics, you say? Yes. Ooh. And because of the fixed rope at the two points, it's a far lower DC, so. 14. 14, okay. We're all rolling.

Yes. Athletics. That's what I'm doing last. I missed a step in a crawl. Orym's doing pull-ups on the rod on the other side. Can I do acrobatics? No. All right. Unless you want, actually, it's pretty taut. If you want to try and tightrope across,

you can do acrobatics. It's a much higher DC. It's like the one we mentioned. You can do it, you can do it. That's pretty cool. Oh my gosh. I have a plus two to my acrobatics, but a minus three to athletics,

so it might be about even. Go for it. The choice is yours. What do you want to do? Do it. If you're going to go out, go out in style. Nothing bad has happened to do? Do it. If you're going to go out, go out in style. Okay. Nothing bad has happened to your characters in water. I'll be like those bros you see in the parks

with the ratchet straps. We know who you're talking about. Yes. All right. Just in case, I'm preparing my grapple cannon. Good enough. Very specific person in my mind. So you're Akurati?

Naruto, run! Ooh! Seven! Yes. Is that with the plus two? You got this, Vahjinn. Yes, you got this. I rolled a five. I'm at the ready. As soon as I see her fall,

I will shoot her with my grapple cannon. Yeah, okay. All right, go ahead and roll for an attack. Okay. All right, go ahead and roll for an attack. Okay. Three. Okay. Oh no! What'd you get?

I got a 19. A 19, okay. You're going across? Yeah, it was 13. Okay, Ashton? I'm going last. Are we dealing with this or no? This is all considered rolls for the attempt. Okay.

So this is. So since I'm going and I have a, that's interesting. It's athletics? Athletics, yeah. 31. Whoa. Jeez.

Okay. Bye. 31. 31, jeez. Whoa. Okay. Bye! So as some of you clamber across, hand over hand, eventually getting to the opposite side, narratively, we'll say Laudna's the second to last, or to go across. FCG has passed beyond this point. You're holding up the rear.

As you begin to, arms out, they can't stop us all, Naruto run across the rope. Balance, balance, Laudna, don't just. You've got to believe. Like you stop and catch yourself, and the rope's like, . And you full on slip ass over tea kettle in the air

as a bolt goes. And you into the water. It is freezing cold, but you being a non-necessarily super warm-blooded person, is that a huge shock? Just a little shock. But nevertheless, you are now treading water. I would like you to make an athletics check to try and swim to shore.

Can I use my telekinetic pull and try to help her out, pull her towards me as she's trying to swim? Yeah, I will say, because you are, this isn't just pushing somebody in the air, you're pulling into the current of the water. Go ahead and roll a d20, add your spellcraft modifier. My hoop skirt.

Oh jeez, oh jeez. Whoa, that's close. Nine. That was almost real bad. 20, 22. 22, okay, so you pull her five feet closer, and she just full-on under the water. Okay, I'm going to try and deal with this. I'm going to disengage the rod and the hammer. Okay, you haven't crossed yet.

I know. I'm going to go running to catch up and dive in, still holding, with the hammer still tied to the thing, but now not. Okay, so you disengage, but you run off in that way? Yeah, I'm going to try and get and go and jump and grab. Okay, so you leap, and with the rope still tethered, which is taut, you do an outward swing angle, which would put her beyond your reach, because you are now being, from a physics standpoint,

you're being pulled away from the point where she splashed in and is dragged down, so you would have to either let go of the hammer or let the rope go. Your call. Let the rope go. Okay. So the rope, actually, you give a tug and

the rope snaps off of your, we'll say that's five feet of rope off of whoever put that up, so it's now 45 feet of rope. As you into the water, the cold bit washing over you, the dark, murky beneath, that sound as you're currently now pushing through the river, you do manage to swim up to Laudna.

Are you going to try and bring you both to shore? I am. Even, yeah, I'm going to give it a good run of time. Make an athletics check for me. This is a very high DC because you're rolling shore? I am. Even, yeah, I'm going to give it a 10. Make an athletics check for me. This is a very high DC because you're rolling for both of you. Okay. Does he have hands on Laudna?

You would be able to see because you have very, very high, you can see he catches up to her beneath the water and they're both in a similar area. So you get the sense he probably does. Okay. Okay. I'm going to flash out Seedling

and whip out a vine onto Ashton's back. Okay. I'm going to flash out Seedling and whip out a vine onto Ashton's back. Okay. Hold onto the immovable rod on my side with my tiny arm. All righty. So are you pulling him? Or just attaching it to him? I'm attaching and not letting them go downstream.

Because I'm holding this with one arm and this out with the other. Okay. I'll say because he's a moving target beneath the surface of the water, just go ahead and roll a d20 and add your dexterity modifier. And just for fun, I'm going to rage.

Oh, that's a 21. 21, yeah. You send it below like a Spider-Man thwip just catching the back of him, and you are raging. Go ahead and roll your athletics with advantage. All right. I feel like such a problem right now. Uh-huh.

One attack, two attacks. Athletics with advantage is 18. 18, all right. Oh, it was a good one. At this point, it's on a very wide river, and at the point where you grabbed him, where you attached, the rest of it only gets easier as you go.

So it takes you a moment, but you do manage to get both of you up and out you attached, the rest of it only gets easier as you go. So it takes you a moment, but you do manage to get both of you up and out of the surface of the water and to the point where your feet begin to touch the bottom of the river itself and get some traction. All right. It's about this time that you also notice that something is emerging from the water behind them.

Oh snap. Like a mound begins to rise up. Guys, guys, guys, something's surfacing. This is so heavy! What? Me too, it's a fighter! Behind the two of them, you see this rising mound, almost like its own small island

of a deep gray-brown, almost dappled, textured hide. You see where the back is and shoulders are. It's smooth and rotund almost, but muscular. You see the head pull up, and there are these tiny little ears that wiggle. Where the snout would be, these two massive horns that curl up like this. You see this monstrous hippopotamus that basically like.

Were-hippo. You see it sprays air out of its nostrils, and it seems to be slowly stalking up behind the two of them. Come on, dude, not now. Ash, come on, dude. The bows are not territorial at all. Can I try to maybe, are you holding onto Laudna, Ash?

I am, and we are moving, and I've got a rage up at the moment, so. Would it be possible to use my Stonky's Ring to try to lift up Ashton's hammer to try to lift up Ashton's hammer so that I can try to get them across. I can hold 1,000 pounds. What? Yeah. I think with the ring used right now,

you go ahead and activate it. Hold on to her. The hammer suddenly yanks your shoulder a little bit, but not enough to do any damage, just enough where it might be sore for a little bit. As they both rocket out of the water, as this creature goes and tries to go up behind them

and catches the air, maybe a foot beneath their feet. Oh. As you pluck them up and say, as gingerly as you want to, lay them down on the ground. Yes, very gingerly. It only goes so ginger because the gravity kicked in, so it just. We fall a little harder.

Ooh! Ow. Wait, is it charging? You see it's emerging from the water on the side of the riverbank where you are, and you can see, not far behind it in the water, three other smaller ones that are emerging on the side. I wonder what's on me.

Don't hippos kill more people than lions? Yes, they do. Yes, they do. But, but, yes. I'll cast Speak With Animals. Okay. Yes! And I will say, please, we mean you no harm. We were just trying to cross a brook to get to our destination.

Fuck off! Oh! We will gladly fuck off. Can we go? Will you let us go? Make a persuasion check. Ooh! 25! 25. Oh my god.

Don't come any closer. Fuck off. There's no need for that kind of language. He's leaning in. Just go, just go. You can just say. The most recent one. Mm.

That's what you video sequence. Mm. Mm. Mm. Oh. You could just say, this is my lair, please excuse yourself from it. And we would also gladly go. You hear the babies behind, emerging from the water, going like, Yeah, Mom, tell him, tell him, Mom!

Yeah, Mom, get him out of here! Go get him, Mom, go get him! This conversation's going on way too long. It doesn't need to be this impolite. Telekinetic pull and pulling FCG. Yep, yep, come on. Don't, don't, kids don't use that language. We're leaving, we're leaving. Unclick the rod.

Ah. As you slowly peel away from the encounter, eventually you can see its territorial stance begins to lax, and the rest of you can hear the soft grunts of a family reuniting as you can gently hear the kids going like, Yeah, Mom, that was great! It's not great!

It's not great! You should show them! I just left because I wanted to, not because she told me to! I'm just pressing the digitation on you, Laudna, and drawing you off. Thank you, I'm sorry. It was, on you, Laudna, and drawing you off. Thank you, I'm sorry. It was, I mean, it was real funny.

No, you look, it's great, it's perfect. I've thrown the trout into my bag of holding. Thank god, I was about to say, I'll just stay here wet, but not in the water. Since we had tissue in there. Maybe I could bake it. That's true, I mean. I could have baked trout.

Or I could butter, or just, I don't have any but, I have a little butter. You have butter. A little butter. I have seasoning. There's a pantry. I could bake it. Bake it in my body. How old is the butter? We can't get to the pantry right now.

Don't ask. Sorry about the butter. It can't be put anywhere. Don't ask. There's a pantry. I got it 30 episodes ago. Don't ask where body butter comes from. As long as you have it covered, butter can stay for ages. How does nobody know?

I ran out of butter several weeks ago. I've been using motor oil. I have. Is that all right? That explains why it's moving so quickly through the system. I'm pretty sure that's basically Crisco, so it's fine. Yeah, Castro.

Are you still humming this journey? Oh no, I'm going to relinquish the duties to... Me? You. But I'll assist you with my nose. All right, so Fearne, you understand in Wild Spaces that the water travels down,

so if you're following a river, it will lead to the direction in which things get steeper or more to the bottom of a basin, the bottom of a forest, the bottom of a mountain. You could choose to follow the river or choose to not. You know that things seem to exist in the river or near it at times that are not immediately friendly. Yeah.

All right, I'm going to get low and put my hands in the dirt. Taste it. That was poop. That was shit. You just pooped there. I just dropped, Rau. Oh, that was your shit.

Shit. That's fine. All right, so stealth check? I mean, what am I saying? Survival? Survival check. Did I mention it was survival? Religion check. Where'd you go? Are we following the river?

We'll find out with the roll. Oh, oh, god. Ooh, Fearne kneels down, sticks her finger in shit, and disappears. Did you guide yourself? No. How old is that? 26. 26? Yes.

You gather you can follow the river from a distance to where at least the direction it's traveling will bring you. Nothing is free. Yeah. No good deed. No. Or Spotify list ever. So you can follow with it

as long as it continues to wind in that direction at enough of a distance to where at least denizens that would be fearful of some other creatures that you encounter would make it a safer journey. But for the rest of the day's travel, you don't encounter any other dangers, any other issues. That's the burn effect. Until it grows darker and the mood begins to change.

You will likely have to hold up for the evening or find some way to sleep comfortably in the middle of the wilds. And where we are, the canopy, or the nearest branches are 40, 50 plus feet up? Between 30 and 40 up, yeah. It's just these long stalks of trees before the tree begins to expand upward.

Well, we could search for a hollow, we could rock some branches. I don't know if the floor is level enough for Zahor. It is definitely not level enough. What about, yeah, are any of the trees hollow? You can look for some if you like. They're pretty wide, right? They're biggins? Yeah. Yeah.

There are different types of trees here, some that are thicker than others. Some that do have, like I say, some boughs that would probably be lower, but they're not very strong, at least on the lower points. The stronger branches are the ones that push up towards the top of the canopy down here.

They're thin or flimsy by comparison. Might be able to support the weight of one or two of you, but that's about the extent of it. That'll be the worm. I could also try to grow, like I did the last time, a nice little A-frame. I mean, yeah, that was really nice. How did I do that?

Yes! Chaos! Plant growth? Plant growth is what it was, yeah. It was plant growth. Should I make us a nice little A-frame situation? Where's the best spot? Is there a hollow-ish tree that we can tuck into with a little A-frame situation. Where's the best spot? Is there a hollow-ish tree that we can tuck into with a little A-frame outside?

Okay. Roll a survival and nature check to look for one that could possibly. I know, should you roll and look for it? I'll assist you. You might know this. Are there signs of other human civilization anywhere? Good setting, by the way. These are fun.

It's a pretty stable, like, craw. 16. 16? Okay. That's not bad at all. It takes you a little bit of a journey into the evening to where you have to source your own light, but you do eventually find one large tree

where it looks like it was either struck by lightning or something split it partway down. And where it was split, it continued to grow, but it had this darkened charcoal-dark hollow that goes about eight or so feet into the tree trunk itself. Little moss bits, any little holes, maybe some little mushroom toadstools peeking out.

Yeah, yeah. Easily enough, you go ahead and tap into the fey nature of your life, your upbringing, and the magic that flows through you. In instilling the land to grow, to your interests and imagination, a vibrant spectrum of colorful fungus and moss begin to grow,

unnatural to this environment internally, but you can mask the exterior of it to match in with the surroundings. It's really cute, huh? It's gorgeous. I like it. How long does it take you to bake that fish? Oh, me? I've never baked fish. I've mostly been baking baked goods. Maybe, I'm just going to guess.

Actually, I'm going to think about it. Fish bakes up pretty fast. Even 25 minutes. Can I search my memory banks for the perfect recipe for baked fish? Yeah, let's go to our own intelligence check for me. Did you catch more than one, Chad, or was it just the fish catch more than one, Chet, or was it just the fish? Did I catch a second fish, or was it only the one?

Nine. Nine? You could probably fake it. A couple hours. A couple hours for salmon. Did he guide you? With the time that you were hanging back, I'd say you could probably catch a second one

with that roll you got. You got two. I'll allow it. Give me one. No, give you both, because that way you can cook it. I'll give him one. I mean, they need to perfect their recipe. I don't think I could fit two seven-pound fish in my body anyway, so.

Just fillet them one at a time. Scram it in there. Shut the door. Did you fillet it? Oh, is that what you got to do? Yeah, you got to fillet it. We filleted it. No, we definitely got the chisel out.

We did it down the middle and then filleted the sides. The meats, we checked the blood. Make sure there's nothing funny going on. You're going to do it for a couple hours, you said? And I've got the spices that I would have for baking pastries and things. So like, you know, little cinnamon, little nutmeg. You know.

Salt? Some sugar. Why are you making it gross? A little salt, sure. know. Salt? Some sugar. Why are you making it gross? A little salt, sure. You can use salt to bake. Not just the salt. Oh, well, I already put all that other stuff. I'll wipe it off. I'll wipe it off.

Just scrape it off and just do a little salt. Fold it, stick it in there. Fold. As you all settle in, it is actually quite a delightful smell. This hollow and the proximity means that you all settle in, it is actually quite a delightful smell. This hollow and the proximity means that you all, for the next two hours, smell the wonderful smell of a bakery spiced fish slowly cooking.

Low temp, right? Cinnamon trout. Easy to make oven. Right, right. Is there any rosemary in this tent we have, or something, just to give this a little bit of a kick? I don't know, some pepper berry? Oh god. None of it, but yeah.

Okay, never mind. But as the evening goes on, the temperature drops significantly. The mist gets thicker. Once you can look outside, what little faint bit of moonlight that is disseminated through the mist itself that curves down, you can just barely see the shapes of the jungle boughs above. You feel like that darkened abyss portion of the ocean, where it's just no light, and that little glimmer of faint blue above the surface.

It is about a couple hours into cooking this, and you create some fine fish jerky. It's a little dry. That takes a lot. Honestly. It's not little dry. That one takes a lot. Honestly. It's not bad. Yeah. Anything weird in this filleting of this fish?

Meat color, blood, insides, anything strange? Not from your experience, no. Think you could walk it back at least an hour? It's trial and error, obviously. Yeah. Great. I'll also say we're going to have to clean you out real hard before we bake anything. Yeah, you smell pretty hot. Stink.

That's going to be some vinegar and baking soda. My lower parts sort of smell like fish now? Is that what's happening? I know. We're literally setting him up for the worst. Why did we do this? Goddamn it. My hot hole smells like fish? I'm sorry that you made it. I take responsibility for this one. I'm so sorry. I didn't see it coming.

Oh, Matt! I really feel bad about this one. This show's over! See you guys! He's just going to do a lap. The roll shockingly ended mid-Campaign 3. Fuck. It's been a great eight years. Yeah.

Wow. Nope. Okay, go ahead, right there. Last one. Oh boy. Sublime! Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, crap.

All right, so who's taking first watch? Someone with darkvision, pair up with someone who doesn't. I don't have darkvision. I'll take it. You have darkvision? Yep. All right, two of us, then. Okay.

Go and roll a perception check for me. Perception check, assisted by? Moi. Well, you don't have darkvision, so you can't. No, so I'm technically assisted, but it doesn't help at all. I use my... Yeah, advantage on wisdom perception checks.

Yeah, it's about here, by the way. Yours are scent-based, right? Just the one, then. 14. 14, got it, okay. Math sucks today. The silence beyond the sounds of the evening insects that rule the night jungle kind of soothe you into a state of contemplation,

excitement for the weird space you're in, the weird people you travel with, and you get lost momentarily in memories of dalliances and encounters of the past, encounters of the recent. Can you not make weird gurgling noises? It's just getting very distracting. Oh, I'm sorry.

I was lost in my escapades of the past. Well aware. Of the present. Yep. We could have taken that fucking hippo. Inside voice. Sorry. Sorry, carry on. Uh.

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Could you have taken that, Hippo? No, I don't think you could. Laudna. What? Ooh. What? Wait, what, what? You're sleeping.

Just, you're sleeping. I know. But mark nine points of necrotic damage. Ooh. What, why? What why? But? What why? But why? Okay, so wait, wait, wait, hang on, though.

This gets weird. I was down. We leveled up and I gained hit points, but then we were down hit points, but now I slept. But you haven't slept a whole night yet. You haven't done a full long rest yet. So would I still be at the hit,

even though with my hit points going up, I was at, hang on, I'm at 90. I was at 91, so I was at 81. It levels up your hit points, too. As to where it was. Correct, it keeps the maximum diminished. Okay. And you went up. I went up four. You're good.

Yeah, plus my constitution. So I went up eight. Just take nine points off. That's a 17 down. So if I call nine? Then Parish. I take nine points of? Necrotic. Is that right, then?

We'll say that's right. Yeah. Sure. Okay. Man, you got some fucking hit points now. I know. Is that amulet that I have? Anyone else take these hit points? Sweet.

Necrotic. Smart, just mark it. Ha! One guess. Oh no. Is it because he used the vision? We don't know why. Because he used Delilah's powers? I don't know. What does it mean?

And even though I'm a hollow one? Oh, he didn't remember that. Sometimes necrotic shit is a mean one. He's still rolling shit! Other undead people don't do it. Don't. It's just nine points of nourishment. Look at those blue eyes. Look at those blue eyes and ask yourself

if he doesn't know. Orym, you take three points. Sorry, six points of necrotic damage. Oh yeah? Wait, why? Now she's in my head. What is it? Is it the mist? Is it the cold?

The two of you end your watch without issue. But we're up in the fucking tree. Yeah. Okay. Up in the tree. You climbed up? No, we're just a little, yeah, we're not in the, we're not in the, you know, we're up outside the thing. Yeah, I guess we didn't go up 40 feet to the branch, right?

We didn't do that, we're just outside keeping track. No. Well, so we're on the same level. I can take the next watch. As you both climb down and enter the hole, you swear in just a moment, the shadows seem to shift, and then it's still. Wait, hold on, hold on.

Motherfuck! Chisel on my thigh, a little crimson right. Just to light it up. As the light fills the space, you immediately see a dozen or so of these small, thin, elongated, almost humanoid shadow shapes that have gathered around Laudna and Orym that have been reaching out and grabbing them.

As soon as the flame ignites, they and they remain there, just looking at you still. Ashton! Wake everybody up! Oh, do they look scared? Wake up, wake up, wake up. Things are nice sometimes that aren't actually nice. I don't like them.

There's no light, right? What's going on? There's light. Oh, from the flame? Yeah. Do we see them? Oh yeah, you see them. They're like, they're, from the flame? Yeah. Do I hit any marks? Oh yeah, you see them. They're like, they're emerging from the nearby shadow, and you see them, they're floating up a bit, like these tiny little wraiths

that are small and waifish. There's just these tattered shadows, these elongated, small bodies, and their heads are misshapen and stretched a bit, almost like the scream, but just made of shadow. Looked like they were trying to pick your pocket or something. I feel a little like shit.

Do we have any marks on us? No, but you feel very cold. Colder than the air seems to present. Can I talk to them? Yeah. I'm going to try I talk to them? Yeah. I'm going to try to talk to them in their head. As soon as you try and connect with one, you just get this yearning,

this need to be warm. And after this standoff lasts a few moments, they begin to return to warm. No! Shoo, shoo, shoo, shoo! I get to turn on my lights and just shine my light right at them? Whoa.

They recoil slightly again, but you can sense the emotion from them. Their, the drive to consume heat is a little bit stronger than their fear of the light that you're presenting. And you watch as they recoil and then grow bold again. If I'm back to Kaff with Laudna,

I'm just going to start doing circles around her and try to keep them at bay somewhat. Shield up, sword out. Can I say, in Shadow Cant? Ooh, ooh! What? Shadow Cant. Oh, I Shadow Cant. Thank you. Can you understand me?

They don't speak at all, but what you can see now is about five or six that are affixed around you and about four or five that are around you, all at once look over in your direction. You've caught their attention for a moment. You also notice more are starting to creep in from the outside of the tree, from behind Chetney. Spitball, it's like 15? 10, 15? Right now, 10, 11. If they want heat, should we just give them a bonfire somewhere else or something?

Let's do that. I use a little thermodigitation to make just a little flicker on my palm of heat. They're just looking at you. They want life, but warm. They want warm bodies, not warm flame. Oh shit, we can't sleep here then.

Or we got to figure out a way to keep them out. We're outnumbered. There's like 14 of them now. Are they little? They're smaller than Chetney. They look almost like withered shadow gnomes, if you will. But also their features are exaggerated. You're uncertain who they might once been,

if they've been something before, if this is just their nature. You don't know they might once been, if they've been something before, if this is just their nature. You don't know. Well, you should tell them to leave, and if they don't leave... Can I do, do you think they're undead? Should I turn undead?

Try it. I think they are undead. I can actually try this. I'll be able to tell. If I reach out to one, like I'm going to let it touch me, chill touch. Chill touch? Okay, is that an attack roll or saving throw,

on their point? It is a attack roll from me. Yep, 27. 27, go ahead and roll damage. Three. Wait, did my shit go? I went up in a level, my shit goes up. All 11 cantrips.

These are 3d8. My cantrips go higher! That means three Eldritch Blasts. 3d8. Well, Chill Touch. I know, but when you do Eldritch Blasts. 3d8 will Chill Touch. I know, but when you do the Eldritch Blast, it's just. I don't really know. So the thing would Chill Touch.

Triple Eldritch Blast. If you hit an undead target. Yeah. It also has OA. You going to do the main reaction? Disadvantage on attacks rolls against you until the end of the next turn. Oh, I guess it is.

You're going to kill it here anyway. 3d8, go for it, hit it. 3d8, I can't remember. I thought it was an 8. Okay. Garbage. Not great, not great. 10, 11 points of damage. Disappointing.

11 points of damage. Leave the table. As your energy converts into that cold, necromantic lash out to this creature. It strikes the shadow and it dissipates and the others recoil. Do I get a sense that it's undead? You get the sense that it's undead.

And they all begin to close in once more. Very like the doldrums from the Phantom of the Tollbooth. They're slowly creeping in. I think I've had enough of this. Are we doing this? It feels like we're doing this. Do your thing. Do your thing. If we're going to do this, I'm going to hold you down. What?

Oh shit. I shield into Ashton. Okay. I will cast Turn Undead. It's not casting. I will just call on the Changebringer to get these undead things away from us! As you close your eyes and give yourself this prayer that you unleash onto the Changebringer in hopes that she will grant you the protection

that you seek, this radio blast of magical energy seems to light up in the core of FCG's chest before it emerges like a shockwave of gentle warmth. As it cascades out, where the shadows scatter until the entirety of the chamber you're in is left sans any shadow, you hear their tiny little squeaky cries as they're scattered into immaterial. And then silence. He cries as they're scattered into immaterial. Oh. And then silence.

Can I take Dagger out to the opening of our A-frame and just look out? You glance outward and make a perception check. Everything smells like fish now. I was going to say, that was really fishy. Uh, 12. 12. You glance out at the light, and you can see about seven or eight of them

that are just waiting on the outside that are now recoiling into the nearby brush and foliage, properly fearful of what just occurred. And you get just the slightest, out of the corner of your eye, shadow everywhere, moving for but a moment before it goes still once more. Oh fuck. Uh-oh.

These things are everywhere. Do you think they won't come in anymore? Oh, dude. I think they're here after, how long does that last? That's it, it's over. How long do they run away? Well, they're all dead, the ones that were affected. Can I immediately go to the nearest tree and, using my woodworking abilities,

can I take out some of the tools and I'll start carving off of the trunk, shavings, kindling materials, slicing strips, just harvesting off of the tree and looking, just grabbing a bundle of stuff that could begin to start a fire. Yeah. We can start a fire if we need to outside.

Maybe it'll be drawn to that. Although it feels like that's not that kind of heat they want. I think that's how you get a hippopotamus. Oh. I think we just have to, whoever's awake has to be dealing with it. And if it gets to be too much, we wake everybody else up. Someone's got to be silently fighting these things off

while everybody else sleeps? I mean, it's okay. Or, just to talk it out, could one of us be sort of like a sacrificial, like we give one person to be sucked of their life force during the night while the rest of us sleep, and then when the rest of us wake up,

I can heal that person right back up to full. They were moving. I think they'd do that pretty quick, though. Well, it was only nine hits, like, over two hours. That were moving. I think they do that pretty quick, though. Well, there was only nine Hitchlings over two hours. That's true. So we only need another four or six hours. Only a few of them, though. There were more coming.

Yeah. Let's try the next shift and see if they'll stay away off of your- I can stay up. I've got another turn undead, so I could stay up for the next shift and see what happens. Should we take him next shift?

Yeah. Okay. Can you see in the dark? Nope. Okay. We should start a fire then, just so you can see what's going on. Inside or outside the A-frame? How big is our A-frame? It's not very big.

Yeah, it's like eight foot by six foot. You're all pretty crammed in there. Who else has darkvision? Because otherwise, I'll just put it at the mouth. Well, it's still, it's not entirely enclosed. There's a curtain of moss that she created and overgrowth. If things go south, wake me up,

and then we'll pin you to the ground again before that. We got rid of all the dead bodies. We got a dead fish. Can't open the hole, either. I'll bring all that kindling that I just brought and I'll bunch it on the floor and I'll put it in one of my more prized possessions of wood. I'll figure it out.

I'll force some splits into it so it'll burn easier and I'll put in one of my more prized possessions of wood and I'll force some splits into it so it'll burn easier and I'll just start a little fire at the mouth of the. I'm going to use Control Flames to just dim the light on it without dimming the heat from it. Okay. And I'll throw some incense into there just to create a miasma of...

Instead of a prediction. Just mixes with the fish, doesn't bite it. Can't cover that. Fish and pals on board. Yeah, like, pretend he has to spell now, he's just going to reconsider. A strange, like, Seattle fish market meets patchouli smell,

which just fills the interior of this tree hollow. The references here. Spiritual bookshop. meets patchouli smell, which fills the interior of this tree hollow. What is this? Spiritual bookshop vibes. Ugh. Vanilla shit. For your watch. Oh, so it's me and FCG now? Yeah, you want to stay up? Can you see in the dark?

Yes. Okay, great. As you both keep an eye out there for your watch, the slight crackle of the nearby flames kicking and sparking occasionally in the inside here. No shadows seem to creep in during your time. Okay. Maybe you scared him. Yeah, maybe I did.

It's good. All right. And then you finish your watch without issue. Wake up. You two are next. Can I see in the dark? What's that smell? It's not pussy. No.

It's me. All right, all right, that's fine. Can you see in the dark? It's like playing on three levels. Okay, me neither. Is the fire still going? Yeah. All right.

Yeah. You're a little fire monkey. It's okay. Oh, but I'm just going to keep trying to keep my mind open in case I can hear any yearning sort of thoughts. Come on, man. Not those kind of thoughts. OK. Chet's dreaming about some...

Make a perception check, if you'd like. Come on, come on! Big roll. Okay. And get Guidance. Oh, this, that's okay. Double-didge. Let's go double-didge. Ooh, natural 20! Nice.

Plus Guidance. Guidance. So 23 23 perception? 24. 24. You have no incursion of the shadows within the interior of this tree. Through the time that you have keeping watch, you glance out beyond the threshold

of the plant growth that you've created to protect your friends. And you can see the shifting shadows still weaving through the nearby foliage and brush, just avoiding the proximity. I just take a little tuft of moss, peek through. They're sad and cute. Yeah, I don't know.

I feel bad for him. I do, too. Just trapped here, one in love. As the light begins to creep up with the morning and brighten the forest floors, as bright as it gets at this time, the shadows dissipate, and with your passes and rest

now coming to fruition, you see no sign of the encroaching shadows, and the jungle is yours to traverse. Can we all get along this? Yes. As we wake up, can I use my Hunter's Bane to just feel out for, is there a constant state of a feeling of undead around us,

or perhaps only at night? It feels bright after that night. Yep, it's funny that works. MATT and LAURA and SAM and LAURA and SAM and SAM. I have a question, too. Does that necrotic damage stay gone? Correct. Yeah. No, sorry, sorry.

It heals up with your mourning time, yes. Let's go, Father Time. All right. So curious to see what your face will be when that finally... Me too. 64, we're fine. We're a good number.

You're sensing for, roll a perception check to see if you can make up any sort of details or sense of necrotic undeath in the vicinity. 16. 16. Nothing seems to catch your eye, your nose, the hairs in the back of your neck. You don't feel like it's a serious challenge at the moment. Weird.

Where did they come from? Don't know. They're brought on by the night. Just like me. I really think he's working on a book. Yeah, what's going on? Also, it's the morning right now, and I really feel your energy so hard.

I don't think the night is your vibe. Thank you, Ashton. I'm so glad to hear that the vibe is being received so well. Wasn't a compliment, but I'm glad it got received that way. I feel like Chet's more alive here since he's never been here before. It's my peeps, yeah. It is nice here. I wish it to you. I like it. I mean, I don't,. I feel like Chet's more alive here since he's never been here before. These are my peeps, yeah.

It is nice here. Right-eyed and bushy-tailed. I like it. I mean, I don't, but I like it. Is there anything I have to identify before we get going? Anything, any objects that we needed to? I feel like we're... Not the charm, not the weapons. Otherwise I will attune to something else.

These washboard abs and a worm takes his feet under a tree root and just starts crunching. Yeah, buddy! Let's go. Anything from the parentship? No. Oh, do we need to identify the smuggle ones? The smuggle flask.

That's what we don't know that he has. I mean, is it fancy? Is there anything you need me to identify? Good. I got nothing. Oh, we're being that player, are we, Liam? Ah, I've missed this Liam. I haven't seen this Liam in a while. Atta boy, atta boy. Echoes of pain.

Yeah, all around. One room's a buffet. Oh, I have an identity for one of these guys. Who you fuck up to? All right. With a warmer morning, though still cold in its own right, before you, with a decent day's travel,

you'll likely reach what you hope to be the base of the Three Mountains by nightfall or shortly after it. Who is leading the journey this day? Is it still going to be you, Fearne? I've been impressed by your leadership so far. Yes? Well, I mean, yeah. I'm a leader. What can I say?

You fit the environment. All right. Can I hop up on your shoulders? Yes, of course. Okay, I'm going to listen. Come, come. Okay, a little shrapnel check for me. Good jumping, I see.

19. 19, okay. Very sonic there, though. For the first leg of your journey during this day, getting deeper into the jungle where it becomes full rainforest. The vine cover is very thick and as they drape and tumble down, occasionally you can see these beautiful points

of vibrant yellow, purple flowers that dot the sides of these trees. Uncertain what they are, necessarily, if you want to make a nature check at first glance. Should I make the nature check? Because I'm really bad at it. You're so good at out here in the woods. You're doing great.

Can I? Oh no, I have shit nature, too. All right, let me see what these are. Did you guide yourself? The little chug. Did you guide yourself, Franny? I guided her. I didn't. Oh, you did? Okay.

14. That's not bad. 14's not bad. You're not quite certain what they represent. What you do know is that usually bright colors in nature are either drawing things to them. Bright colors in creatures is warding things off. So for plants that color,

you get the sense that it's trying to be invitational. I think they're fine. Okay. Oh, nice. Remember the ones in the Feywild? We had to sing to them and scream? Yeah, that makes me think of these. Would you like me to get you on to put in your hair? Well, I think we should just be safe.

Really, it's no trouble at all? All right. What is he? What is happening? What is he, what is going on? I don't know. Do you go and inquire a flower? It's too odd. Yes, I go and inquire a flower.

Purple or yellow? He's gone to Kimion. He's gone to Kimion. Purple. Yes, good choice. Okay. Not a good choice. You jaunt up to the base of one of the nearby trees,

where within reach, you can see one of the purple flowers itself. It has six large flower petals that reach out and then curl at the edges. And on the inside, you can- Just like tea. No, don't, stop. You reach up and cut it down. And as you reach for it,

you acquire it without issue and return. Oh, romance wins, motherfuckers! Fearne, would you accept this flower on behalf of romantics everywhere? Insight check. It is. It is lovely, thank you. Not as lovely as you.

Oh, wow. I'm going to put this up and put it with the rest of it. Of little parasites that can get in your brain. Coming from flowers? Yeah, or just from jungle settings. I'm going to put this somewhere else. Is there any pollen on my hands from the flower at all? Anything like that?

Yeah, there's a thin layer of an orangish pollen, yeah. Okay. This is going to be your fault when she turns on all of us. Let. Fair. I'm going to keep it down here. I'm not going to put it near my brain, just in case a creepy crawly comes out. Nothing. What?

It couldn't make its way. Oh, you can move him around. I didn't even see it last time. That's what was happening? That's cute. So fun. The one in the middle looks like a poop. Oh, that's great. That's nice.

The shadowed chief. It's like a stop motion. The first leg of your day's journey seems to go by without issue. Go ahead and roll again another survival check. As you continue deeper into the valley, as the mists grow thicker, the sounds of birds grow louder,

which leads you to believe that there are a number of... A thicker... There are more aerial denizens that exist towards and near the base of the mountains, especially the mountainous regions above. You don't know if they're hunting or if they're just being social or avoiding, but the sound of birds above the canopy is getting louder.

Do they sound sweet birds or large birds? Make a nature check. Make a nature. Cadence. Thank you. Hawks. Big bird. No, yeah. What are you saying? Six! Run!. Big bird. No, yeah. Where are you?

Six! Run! They're birds. Could be either. Birds are fun. Those are monkeys. Fucking bird birds. So what's your other nature? 24. 24 is great.

My goat eyes. Save it for Candela, okay. In following the river down, and you can see it crashes as a 20-foot waterfall into a natural rock pool a little ways off where you are. Then you can see the cliff descent was rather sharp for a bit before it evens off. The slow, gradual descent begins to come to a stop, where water is now gathered in a basin around the rising base of the nearest mountain of the three. Nice.

You are currently now able to continue to follow the river where it goes, or you can see another beaten path that seems to follow the river where it goes, or you can see another beaten path that seems to follow the perimeter of this larger body of condensed water. How do we feel? I'm feeling perimeter, personally. Perimeter? I was feeling perimeter as well.

Yeah. Perimeter. Perimeter? Yeah, that's hard to say with this cat voice. Perimeter. Perimeter. A little drink. Okay. So you're following the exterior of the water

on the beaten path? Yes. Okay. Along the base of the mountain? Is that what you said? I think so. Yeah. And what's the marching order for this day, by the way? I forgot to ask that. Insane. Insane. I'm still on Fearne's shoulder.

Okay. I'll be in number two position. Holding your little ankles. Mm-hmm. Yes. Crab walk. I'm holding your little ankles. Pushes his little feet.

I get some perception check from you. Stuck in there? Do I need to pull it out? I'm trying to get a little waggle going. That is a 27. 27. You're keeping an it out. I'm trying to get a little waggle going. That is a 27. 27. You're keeping an eye out for danger? Yeah.

Oh boy. And human hoo-ha. Or humanoid hoo-ha. Human hoo-ha. Two things. Oh boy. Civilized. One, you stop Fearne from moving forward at one point because you can see the pathway where you're walking,

the ground itself, the texture changes for about an eight to nine foot length of it. You can see the brush that's around it has a somewhat darker coloration. The vibrant green is a little more brown. Right here, just ahead of us? About 10 feet ahead of you. Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up, hold up.

What do you see? The ground. That ground looks funny somehow. It doesn't look like what came before it and what's after it. Detect thoughts. And a sniff. On the ground?

Just because we stopped the drain. Oh, no, in general. Perception check. You don't detect any unexpected thoughts within the vicinity. There are unexpected thoughts within the vicinity. I hear no creatures within the vicinity. It's a crap roll. No snails. Does that look like a coverup of some kind?

Maybe a hunting trap. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't really want to spring it. Should we just try and walk around? Is that possible? Is there anybody watching? With your perception check right now, you don't see anybody in the vicinity, no.

Does it look like something? It's just brown all of a sudden. Do you want to go and inspect the... Is it like a perfect circle? I mean, the pathway where you're walking is about two and a half, three feet wide, where the foliage has been carved a bit, and the dirt and undergrowth of it looks like the texture's a little... It's almost like the nearby brush

moves with the pathway. Here, it seems to cross across a little bit, which is why the texture's odd, and the surrounding brush that's pushed into that area, it's a darker color. It's a catch bit. Does it look like how hunters will use foliage and stuff? It's possible.

You want to make an investigation check? Sure, and then I'll also pull out Pate. My poor little dummy boy. Are we going to spring this thing? Well, I think also, well. I'll at least do an investigation. 17. Yeah, so glancing and getting a good perimeter view,

it looks like the brush that's been pushed here, I mean, it's been pushed here, there looks like an area was cleared out and then other distant brush was gathered to fill the space. And so because that was pulled, it's slowly dying. Died, okay. Which means it's been here for a little bit.

It's not super fresh, but enough to where the coloration is turning. And indeed, the ground area where the texture is different, it looks like they've laid over bits of roots to try and obscure the ground. Can I, just because it's so different from everything we've seen for the hours, can I lick my fingers and touch the ground and use my Grimm's psychometry to tap into the history of this location?

Go ahead and roll your history. I advantage, but I think that's only a fraction. I'm dead. Oh! 17 plus three, 20. Dirty 20. 20. In sensing the vicinity here, you don't gather any tragedy or dark history

that is tethered to this location. You can sense the occasional choking of shadow that washes over these areas when light and sun is not as present. Fuck, what does that mean? But that's the extent of what you're able to sense in the space around you. That makes sense. Ah, it didn't pick up anything necessarily terrible,

but there's just that feeling again that when the light goes, it gets real shitty. Could be just more of those little gooley-goos. I think it's a hunting trap. Well, it's as far away from this as we can, yeah. Let's just set it on fire. Because it's a path along the water, is that right? It's bypassable. You just step off the path.

What would clear an area and then collect it if you weren't going to, I don't know, set it on fire? Secondary shit off the side of the path that the path is a red herring for? Make a perception or investigation check. Perception. I feel like if we set it on fire, it'll alert. Natural 20, 31.

31. You don't see anything in the vicinity of it? You want to die. Oh. Let's just keep going. You don't see anything in the vicinity of it? You are right. Oh. Just want to, you know, see what happens. Let's just keep. If it feels like a hunting trap, you should be, I guess, on the lookout for civilization. That's the other thing.

Are there humanoid tracks by this thing at all? I think it was a 31, probably. It's a giant beaver. Zito beans. Yeah. Right? That's a giant beaver. Zito beans. Yeah. Right? That's what that smell is. I mean, we've seen some crazy animals. It doesn't have to be humanoid.

Nice. So you're asking about if there are tracks around? Yeah. Oh, my kids don't watch that. Yeah, like animal tracks. If you'd like to make a survival check. Oh, because I'm going to. I have to separate it. That's fair. Perception is too powerful if it can do everything. No, no. Yeah, like animal tracks. If you'd like to make a survival check. Oh, oh, because I was going to. I have to separate it. That's fair. Perception is too powerful

if it can do everything. No, no, no, that's fair. Being able to see details in the environment is one thing, but the actual search for tracks, which tracks would be layered over, you know. My survival sucks, but I'm going to go for it. Oh, thank you. Is it investigation? Just a natural environment. Survival. Survival.

Oh, survival? Survival to look for tracks and to follow tracks. Yeah, it could be worse. I'll allow investigation if need be, too. That can sit in the same space. They're the same on me. That's not bad. 20.

20's not bad. Looking through the texture of the undisturbed parts Looking through the texture of the undisturbed parts of the surrounding jungle, indeed, you can see there are signs of foot traffic. Maybe even just a few days in the past. Some of the mud is still sunken in. It looks like the fallen leaves and such

have mostly covered them, but if you pull back the underbrush, you can see there are signs of footprints, footfalls, and people that make these trails, travel these trails often enough to the point where within a week, probably. Okay, their folks live here. It's all right. They are visitors.

Just for the visual, it's a circular area that's been cleared and the brush has been gathered in the middle of it, or just sporadic? So the path that you're following is a footpath where a lot of travel's gone back and forth, it seems, where it has a natural shifting of this pathway. A portion of the path, the texture is odd, and the surrounding brush that normally sits

at the sides of it is discolored. Someone cleared out that area and then filled the edges to still leave the path there. Let's throw something in the middle of it, see what happens. That's a good idea. I think we'll just leave it. I'm perfectly content to just leave it, personally,

but I'm fine with it. Well, I mean, if this is a trap laid by the Raito people, then maybe it's a good thing. We can give them their amulet. Yeah. So the trap is in the middle of the walkway? Yes. Probably better we go. It's like a game trail.

He said, yes, it is a trap. All right, Mom. I'm just going to telekinetic see what I did there. Take a stone from across the path and throw it into the middle of it. That's always fun. Okay.

You chuck it and find a stone that uses enough weight to it. Like a. It hits and the whole floor of it collapses beneath under the weight of the stone. Parts of it stick out and still hold it. It wasn't a massive distributed weight, but a small central one, so part of it does fall in and collapse.

Spikey's. You hear the initial crash, and then an impact, and then a second crash. Like down below? In the hole? Mm-hmm. You step up to the edge and glance down. Turn around, what? It looks like there are a number of sharpened pikes

that are aimed upward, and then part of that has fallen inward, and it looks like there's a secondary layer. It's a two-part trap. The interior of it is about 12 foot from end to end. Damn. Damn. How deep does it look? It looks like it goes down about 12 or so feet.

Wow. There's an eight-foot portion, eight feet down in the first hit, and then they collapse into a second set beneath. That is a lot of work. I feel bad for, what kind of creature do they think they're catching in here?

Yeah. Maybe the bull? How much rope do we have? 48. 45 feet. Just the one? Aw, me, I don't know what you have. Anybody else got a 50-feather? I got 20 feet. We really got a 50-feather.

Might be a good idea just to make a link, right? All right. Just in case one of us slips and falls. I also have river. We're also going to keep walking. Oh, across? Yeah, like a six-feather folly. Yeah, yeah. I also have river. We're also going to keep walking. Oh, across? Yeah, like, let's repeat our river trek. Feather Follies.

Yeah, yeah, we're fine. Okay. All right, let's go around it. Should we leave a note, like, sorry we messed up your trap? Call this number, and here's our insurance. Try and reset it for them, theoretically. That's fine.

Yeah. Farn could do a little plant growth over it. Come on, fish cut grass, let's go. Fish cut grass. Fresh cut bass. Ooh! That's the one, that's the one. Level one.

Come on, Bass-o-matic. All right. Should've stopped it. Okay. Ooh, I want some of that. Sorry. If you're still helming this journey, go make another survival check.

Shall I? I've been enjoying it. Oh, another survival check. Are you assisted from Chet? Yes. Okay. Always. All right. Guide yourself as well. Oh.

Ooh! Ooh! All right. Three. 30. Oh my god! 30. Monster. Three. 30. Oh my god! 30. Monster. I see it. Okay. Uh, sure.

Yeah, you, along with the help of both your tiny compatriots, keeping eyes out begin to notice a trend of traps set through this part of the rainforest floor. You see a handful of these large nets that are bundled up and kept at the base of certain trees. And there are also what look to be loops

that are set upon the ground. and there are also loops that are set upon the ground. Snares? Snares. That's what I was looking for. Like rabbit snares, almost? But large, heavy rope, and multiple layer there. Not too much alone. Alone. Yeah. That's also how you catch whoopees, guys.

Yeah, that's all I was thinking of. Big ass snares? Some of them are large and meant to catch larger creatures. But you continued keeping an eye out for these things and managed to avoid stepping into them, coming out for certain. Like him. There's one. Wow, now you're just showing off.

You see them easy. Did Nottamore have stuff like that littered about? Of course. All over. What is she trying to trap? What is she? All kinds of things. But you were friends with little floppy bunnies and stuff.

Would you catch them and then befriend them? No, those just appeared some days. Yeah. There was no answers, but all right. That's perfect. Eventually, the gathered pool of water in this basin that's formed, this deep into the valley, comes to an end.

You find the edge of the crescent, and you begin to see the rocky climb of what you can assume to be the base of the crescent, and you begin to see the rocky climb of what you can assume to be the base of the mountain, the first one, the closest one. Do we see the big tree? You see a number of trees everywhere. The big one.

How are we supposed to know which one it is? You don't see one that's not right out. We have to break the tree line a little bit. It's a rocky wall to get to a base of a mountain? So the jungle is just slowly beginning to incline, which connotates, based on the journey you've taken this far,

that the landscape is beginning to rise towards, like as the mountain is beginning to form in front of you as you travel. There we go, Runyon Canyon. And how's the sun? At this point, it'd be mid-afternoon. I'll send Pate on a quick scout. Yeah. While you do that,

Matthew, is a tree an object or a creature? Or neither? Depends on what tree. Jesus. This tree could be a creature because it was a titan, right? It was a dead person. Was it?

Or a thing. Was it? I mean, yeah. Technically, sort of. Maybe because I have locate object or locate creature. You could try to locate... Or find the path. But I think technically the spell says we have to have something from the place that we're going.

It's the most annoying spell because it assumes that you already have been there. I don't know, it's like, fuck, Dom. Do we have anything from this tree? No. Well, we have Ashton. I'm not from this tree. We do have Ashton.

But you're... I've never been here before. Oh, shard. Yeah, but what if your blood has? How do you know you haven't been here before? While I can't prove it, it would be highly unlikely, given what I know about my background at this point, that at any point my family would have made it this far.

This is very far away from the village we found. Didn't you already get some, like, tingles? I mean, yeah. Did you already get some tinglys? I mean, yeah. So? What if, when you were a kid, you were here, and didn't you remember getting shunted away somewhere? Yeah, that was, well, that's different, but okay. No, I'll play this game, sure.

Different how? I mean, I... I mean, honestly, I guess it wasn't. It doesn't feel the same, but it's worth a shot. To find the path and use him as the thing that we have from the object? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's cool.

What if it worked? What if? How would you do it? Like a little, do we need to cut him open? A little drop of his blood? Sure. A little pinprick? Sure, I could, I could, I mean, it doesn't say we need blood, but.

I mean, you'll know really quick if it doesn't work, right? Because it'll just point at him. Yeah. It's fair. Just a little pinprick. That's all I need, Winslow. I'm happy to burn a sixth-level spell just to try it. Whoa! Wowzers!

It could be super cool. Or it could be doing nothing for a sixth-level spell, which I'm cool with. I'm not going to tell you how not to live your life at this point. Giant wave! I doubt that it's going to work, but I'm not here to tell you how to live your life. Just have the dragon roll where?

I'll do it. Why not? Oh shit. Oh, it's the point. This is really bending the rules of this spell. No, it's being creative and clever. Yes, I'm going to cast Find the Path and using Ashton as an object

from the location I want to find, I will call to the change bringer to light the way. And what location are you attempting to find? The location of the tree of Avantrever. Okay. You take a minute or so to prepare the ritual focus and open yourself to the guidance of the change bringer, themself,

the goddess of travel and freedom and open pathways. And as you concentrate and focus on Ashton, the spell dissipates. Oh no. You ruined my spell! You wasted it! I'm not sure, we should try again. We should totally try again. We'll try again tomorrow, just to be sure.

It's about then that, Orym, you hear the snapping of twigs and moving of branches not far off from the path you're currently walking. Does it sound like lumbering animals or like people creeping about? Make a perception check. Maybe my spell called the tree to us. Maybe it is, maybe it's walking right to us.

26. 26. Would look to be five figures, humanoid. Five figures. You just barely see them shifting silently, making almost no sound. They see us. They are currently slowly fanning out

to the back of where the rest of your troop is not paying attention. They are coming from behind while you're journeying up the side of this mountain's beginning. I tug Fearne's floppy ears and point past her shoulder. Oh.

Hmm? As you all begin to see Orym waving his hands in the air, a voice shouts out, Tomeru! Oh! Oh no. And emerging from the nearby brush, you see five figures in thick, heavy,

green-brown cloaks that look like woven moss, almost like the forest's undergrowth itself has been made into a cloak that encases the entirety of the back of their frame, their arms barely poking through. You can see heavy longbows, these wicked-looking metallic, this dark gray metallic longbows that are bent backwards,

you can see are made from the same woe steel that you encountered in the bases previously. You can see a number of them, while the hoods are up, their faces are painted in similar colorations to help obscure their skin tone and blend in better with the surroundings. From within the cloak, you can see colorful adorned armor made of numerous, what looks like almost wooden plates that have been bound into a torso piece. You can see it's a very unique type of armor that you've only seen pieces of in your brief encounter in the remnants of the cavern

where you fought with that creature, not but a day before. As the troops, it's their weapons drawn, arrows knocked into these dangerous-looking longbows, one of them, the one that the voice seemed to shout from, steps up. Nani mono da? I will cast Tongues on myself.

Yes. Who's got the necklace? You think it'll harm us or help us? Offer it. Help us, help us. Put down your weapons. Everyone, drop your weapons. I'm fine with that. Do you want me to put you down,

or do you want to stay on my? I'll stay. Drop Seedling into the earth. Hello, in my arms. Swat him to death. In that tense silence, almost the insects seem to grow quieter as you all place your weapons down in that stillness.

You can barely make out the eyes from underneath the hoods darting about as the central figure. You see it lowers her bow, and you see the feminine features. She pulls the hood back, and you can see a woman in what looks to be probably her early 40s or so, short, white hair that is pulled back tightly

with what looks to be some strands or braids that pull into beads and colorful decor. You can see the facial markings themselves also blend with a number of scars, and her eyes are a piercing deep dark blue coloration as she stares right towards the center of the troop, looking for someone to give any sense of leadership, but glances towards you as the ones who have reacted

to the phrase that she said and told everyone to put their stuff down. Who are you and how did you get here? And that's where we're going to wrap up. Oh yeah! I'll use the break to learn the ICO language. Yes, yes, yes. Download it.

So we'll come back at that moment here in a few minutes. Hang tight, we'll see you shortly. Why, hello there. This is Critical Role's resident art dad, also known as Liam O'Brien. time. See you'd like to submit your art for consideration, visit critroll.com slash submit. And thank you to all of the incredible artists who share their talents with us week after week. And welcome back.

God damn it. Stay down there and pray to the old ones. Oh boy. Oh, we were talking to people. So. Sorry, fuck the game. Fuck the game.

As this crew of five cloaked figures have partially surrounded you as you acknowledge their arrival, they have you at weapons knocked. The tension is palpable and a central leadership figure, a female hunter figure of this troop has stepped forward, pulled her hood back, and spoke to you in Common,

asking who you are and why are you here. Oh no! I thought she was asking in her language. She switched over to Common. Oh, amazing. God, she's multilingual. Ifadola. Went right to it, did we?

A few of them look confused. And what of them? We maybe found traces of them. If I... Something they own? I have an offering. I want to reach into my pack and get it. It's not a weapon. May I?

The arrows that are currently knocked, two of them go directly towards you and tighten. Super slow. I will inspect it. Okay. I might have to hop off my friend's shoulder. She waits for you to hop off. Wiggle wiggle. I'd say just leave it on.

You can see there is a very well-made leather fingerless gauntlet that goes on about mid-forearm. It is beautifully and intricately made with this back lacing that goes across the entirety of the forearm. You can see these metal rivets right around where the knuckles are. Can I reach for it? My sword's over there on the ground. Okay, real slow, slow, slow, slow. And I'll pull out that necklace.

We've found this in a cave closer to the coast. Fireball. This belonged to Temmu's father. Temmu's father? Tamiya's father? Tamiya? Tamiya? No. But he'll be grateful to have it returned to his family

and his memory preserved in strength. She steps back a bit and puts it into a pouch. We are visitors here. We're really sorry to be, I don't know if this is your land, but we're here looking for Evantrevir? For what purpose? For me.

Blood of Titan, I've... I'm looking to know myself. Ashton Greymoore of the Hisshari, if that means anything. Does not mean anything to me. But you're looking for answers. There's a lot going on in the outside world right now. I don't know how it's affecting you here,

but things are changing. Indeed. Maybe looking to some older answers. Where? Well. Do you know where you go and what lies before you? Never. Well, that'd be great. You just came on a whim and got this far. We were sent by Keyleth of the Arishari. You just came on a whim and got this far. We were sent by Keyleth of the Air Ashari.

I do not know this person. But either you're extremely lucky, extremely foolish, or both. Both. Both. With respect. More recently, a woman named Jorana sent us, or gave us more specific directions. Do you know her?

There's some turns of heads of acknowledgment. We know of the Shorshrew, yes. Yeah, she's a very wise, amazing person. She gave us a ride. And this isn't whim. This is necessity. Sorrow, friendship. This is...

People are going to die, and we need to know things. Make a persuasion check with advantage. Oh me, oh boy. Oh, it's fun. Do it. Oh, come on, baby. Here we go. I know. I know. Stop talking. I can't help it. That's why I have a negative two.

Double grams. You have done a service in bringing this back to us and to the family of the fallen. For that, we will not stand in your way, but we offer no guidance other than find your destination and be gone. In your head, you hear, didn't we find some armor of theirs as well?

Yes, some armor of Steve. Gathered it all up, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's Liam asking the table. Yeah. We did find a few more of their personal effects. Are you grave robbers? No. No, we were attacked

by a creature of some kind, and there was a nest. It seems like quite a few people had lost their lives there. We meant only to return it to you. We were trying to learn. Then return it. Okay, okay, hold on. I've got some of it.

I don't think I have the swords, but. I got them. Okay. We also messed up one of your traps like half a mile back. That was an accident. Sorry. That is how we were made aware of your presence. Can I ask a question?

The spirits at night, how do you keep them at bay? The Vontravir is rooted between realms. They are a window between life and death. Sometimes things are drawn beyond that boundary. And this forest has become home to many. You keep your convictions close to you, and you see as they tighten their grip

on the amulet-type trinket that you return to them. We wouldn't expect hospitality, but we thank you for your patience. I promise on my own that we mean no harm here. We'll be quick about our business. With a little guidance, we'd be quicker. You've gotten this far. Good luck. So we'll just be headed like this way.

And they step back. You still had tongues up. What did they say? Roughly says, stay safe. And the five of them, arrows still not as tense, but they slowly back into the brush until they become more and more challenging to see

before the rustling gets quieter and they're gone. Wait, what was your name? They're gone. Shit. Keep your convictions close. Keep your convictions close. The amulet had a list of things that mattered to before. My faith in the cycle of destruction

and creation endless. All their loved ones. My children, my promise to Shota, maybe a significant other. It's almost like a prayer or a cadence that you recite to yourself to not slip. Or forget?

Or forget. Maybe it protects you from those spirits at night if you have a deeply held belief. Maybe that's why they didn't mess with me. Or maybe you're made of metal. Or maybe it's because you all could use a little bit more faith, is all I'm saying. Or maybe it's because I'm made of stone

that they didn't attack me. It's not a bad way of life. Up. You said Temu's father, right? Yeah. Temu. Temu, but in the amulet, it said my children Ro and Sykagi. Hi-coggy? Sykoggy. Sykoggy, Sykoggy.

I missed an S in there. It was Sykoggy. There was another. Promise to Shotas my love of my children. You didn't ask about it, so. God! Come back here! We can call him back. I don't think we should press our luck.

All right. I'm just going to try to go. Hey, we have a Shotas. We didn't think we should press our luck. All right. We're just going to try to go. There's my promise to Shotos. Do you know what that is? No, we didn't ask anything. Cool. We're doing great. I mean, they seemed very done with us.

Thanks to Ashton. Don't worry, we'll trigger another one of the... Someone's not getting fished out of the river. I'll share my fish. We know how to summon them. All we have to do is trigger one of their shitty traps. All right. I guess we'll just keep going the way we were going.

I'm going to pay for that. Should I fly up and see if I can find the tree? You could. I can also ask for divine help, but it might be easier if you just looked and saw it. Yeah, all right. I'll cast Fly on myself. All right. Fly.

Fly. And you race up past the canopy? Yeah, up and over so I can see a large tree. Okay. You rise up over the rainforest canopy itself and you see as it rises up before it thins out towards the base of the mountain. The trees still climb for a bit,

but eventually the heavy, almost graphite-colored basalt rock that forms the closest mountain seems to take most of the color and shape as it rises up. It's almost like the entire ground is pushing. It's less of a gradual mountain. It comes to a curved spire that peaks up before it comes to an end.

You can see the shape of two others, almost like there're three of them facing each other slightly. You don't see at this current glance any particular tree that stands out. You can roll a perception check if you'd like to gauge the scenery beneath you. I don't know why I chose myself to do this.

Feel that. Four. Four. The jungle, the rainforest beneath you is immense, and you're taking it back and have a sense of pride that you've traversed what you have so far safely. The best you can do is to try and follow the shape of the mountain or head back down,

because other than that, it's just this constant canopy. Can I go down and pick up Orym and bring him up? Yeah, you can. Start down. Orym, wait. Oh no. Hey, whoa! I need your help.

What are we? Okay. I don't see shit. I mean, I see trees. Oh, look at the mountains. Yeah. They're weird, right? I've never seen mountains like that. Me either.

Do you see a tree? I'll strain to look to see if there's any kind of irregularity in any of the geography I see. 25. 25. What you do notice is around the mountainside, the canopy seems to drop off, almost like, where if you're staring at the is around the mountainside, the canopy seems to drop off, almost like where if you're staring

at the base of the mountain, this massive column in the jungle all around, around the edges of it, where the shadows of the two mountains are, the trees almost sink out of view before you reach the outside of the mountain itself. Okay, so meaning you run out of tree before you reach the mountain?

Possibly. Okay. Like a donut-shaped chasm around it. It would probably need a better point of perspective to see any more. I wonder if the tree's in the chasm. Want to get closer? Yeah, I only got 10 minutes of this,

so we got to get close and hurry in a hurry. Yeah. Okay. All right. Are you returning or are you flying in that direction? Trying to get him a little bit, a better perspective. I'm following his direction of where to go so we can see a little bit. All right. This is so cool.

I wonder what they're doing right now. Probably scouting. Yeah. Coasting above the mists and below the cloud line, you begin to cruise to the right-hand side of the mountain as it begins to shift and turn. And indeed, you can see, while the jungle floor is going to be rising up to meet the mountain,

between these mountains, the landscape continues to descend. As we begin to push past, to look into the center area where the three mountains act as a trio, it is just darkness. A crevasse, a chasm of that. Are the mountains coming out of darkness? The mountains are the perimeter to this giant, a. This giant.

A massive sinkhole, it looks almost like. Sinkhole, so not any kind of volcano. There's gaps between the mountains, but. Gaps between the mountains, but the jungle just vanishes, and there's just darkness, mist resting. Make anything out. It might be inside that hole.

Well, and they said that it exists between worlds. All right. So right, so here. I guess we try here. Okay. Or we could just fuck off to another island. You want to go? Oh, yeah. Let's find another. Let's get out.

Return to the rest of the troop. Yeah. Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Shh! Oh, no, no, no, no! Just get a telekinetic of. You'll catch me, right? All right.

I need to get a clerk. Medium set? Too real. Sorry, I let you down a little hard there. Blew out a kneecap. Third meniscus. Dang it. There's a big hole.

Let's go to it. What? Okay. Fearne, are you leading this final trek? Yeah. Yeah. Ready? One more survival check. So ready. Is it a hot hole? It is.

I don't know, kind of like a cold hole. Like a dark hole. A misty, moist hole. Yes. I hate all of this. The whole thing? The whole, everything about it. I quit.

You have to go through a gap. Oh, that's almost something great. I know it was. Okay. She's it was. Okay. She's got this. Did you do it with advantage? 20. T-Shed's helping you. Oh, oh, okay. It's a dirty 20, but, oh, that's way better.

28. 28, thank you. Oh! 20. All right. It takes you a few more hours as the air gets colder, the sky grows darker. Your knees grow painfuller.

Heard that, it was really bad. You are racing the sunset and the knowledge of what lurks into darkness, but with that roll, you manage to find a pretty clear path around the base of the central mountain that you've been racing towards and begin to follow where the landscape continues to descend. You can see other rivers that have now gathered

and begin to pour in this direction. And as you walk alongside them, eventually you can see where the forest grows thinner and where the graphite-like rock begins to take over and then vanishes. It is a black expanse that is hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of feet across. A little bit of light comes through.

You can see from the mists that rest and fall into it, it just looks like this throat in Exandria that just vanishes into shadow. You can just faintly see, you can hear the waterfalls cascading off the edges and can see a little bit at certain bases of where the jungle comes to an end. At some points, grows over before no portion of earth

or soil exists to take root for the forest. Just threads of thin waterfalls, all cascading down into nothing. You can see there are some cliffside paths that do punch out in various areas, like broken rock bridges that reach out into space and then end prematurely, in a similar pattern to some of how the island's formation

has that frenetic leap of stone pillars, but nowhere near long enough to go than more than 100 or so feet from the edge in certain places. Even those start a ways down before the lack of light takes over. Dozens of petrified arms that are reaching out from the edges of this pit.

If you want to roll a perception check. Sure, I do. Always do. How long does Feather Fall last? Now I'm noticing the exact same thing. It's fine, though. 27. I think it's until you land. 10 minutes, I thought.

You can't see too far down into it as the light doesn't quite reach, but you do notice the pattern of this pit does seem to gradually fill past a certain point. to gradually fill past a certain point. Meaning the sinkhole isn't an endless straight drop. It looks like it does slightly begin to pinch inward the further down it goes.

Okay. So we could climb down, find a bottom, go across that way, or we could just fly back and forth. Or we could just run and jump. 100 feet? It's fucked. We'd float. Feather fall. Feather fall.

It works that way, too? Going down. You want to go across it. We're going in. Wait, you want to go down? That's where I think of Entrepierre is. We think that the tree is not in this down there. Yeah. But it's scary in this down there. Yeah. But it's scary and spooky down there.

I know, there's probably really big spiders. FCG, you're not worried about scary and spooky. You've got the change bringer. That's true. You're right. Could you send some lights down there? I'll also say, I don't know if anyone else has been thinking about this, but the island moves, and that's a very deep hole.

So is the whole move with the island? Or is there, I guess it's maybe it goes somewhere else. I don't know, I'm not really qualified. Does the hole move with the island? What are you talking about? You're uniquely qualified. You're made of rock. This is a big rock thing. Don't you open portals with your brain?

I'm not on purpose. Is this a portal? What if it goes to the Shadow Realm? What? That's the implication. Is that a real thing? The Shadow Realm is a real thing. It's laid on top of our realm, but it's like this. I've heard of this.

We can see how far down. Like a plate under our plate? Like a flat disk on top of another flat disk. How far down can we see? Like 100 feet. Like 200 feet, you can see some of those pillars that are reaching out and then come to premature ends and then below that nothing.

I'm going to send my dancing orbs, my light orbs down, and as they get to 120 feet, I'm going to double the distance and send them further down and see if we can see a bottom. For a total of how far? That would take it 240 feet. 240 feet. The lights reach the end of it

and the darkness continues. Wow. Wow. I'll take out a trusty ball bearing, toss it in and just listen. Cast Light on it first. Oh, can we do that? Yeah, I'll cast Light on it. All right. Okay, yeah, that's way better. So it's a pin listen. And count. Cast Light on it first. Oh, can we do that? Yeah, I'll Cast Light on it.

All right. Okay, yeah, that's way better. It's a pinprick of light. Remember when we dropped your coin into a hole? Oh, but then I got a different kind of coin. You did. Oh, wow. You're welcome. It's nice.

How do we never think of that? I don't know. We need some sort of- The Changebringer was with you this whole time and you didn't even know. The Changebringer was the friends we made a while ago? It was so long ago. Maybe one day we'll go back to it.

Oh, we should be watching that bearing. All right, here it goes. I'm watching the bearing and you're all talking. There you go, I haven't told, there it goes. Okay. And I'm counting. Make a strength check for me. Make a what? Strength check.

You want to make sure it doesn't go up. Really throw it down. What do you mean? My eye! Just a straight check? Just a straight strength check. You roll a one and you hit yourself in the head with a ball bearing.

Yeah, as I pull it back. This is not going to be good. Natural 20? Hey! I'm the loudest she's ever been. Ball bearing crows. For a 17. Hadron Collider. Natural 20? Hey! Throws it through the glass. Ball bearing thrower. For a 17. Hadron Collider.

On a natural one, I always remember those, like, throw it and then, whoa, whoa! Oh, god. Not again. The cold air that grows colder as you approach the edge of this, you can sense an odd connection to the edge of this. You can sense an odd connection to the energy of this space.

There is a strong flow of, you can only consider negative energy that just emanates from within. And there's an odd surge of strength and determination that comes within you as you pull back the small berry and throw it. And it coasts out and you watch as it goes and the winds catch it and it shifts and moves as it falls and falls and falls.

300, 400 feet and then it just is gone. It is a portal. Oh my god. What do we do? Let's just jump. Oh! I just want to jump! I know, I get that.

But here's the thing. How long would it take to go to fall 400 feet? It seems like it's more than that. I mean, here's the thing. Feather Fall lasts for 60 seconds. And you could cast it again as we get to the... I could theoretically cast it again, or we could just jump,

and we let the lights be ahead of us and cast it at the last minute. You're also presupposing that there is a bottom, which we are not sure that there is. We do have one, we have a couple people who can fly. Do you want to send Pâté down first? I do think Pâté will be able to see past what we already know.

He can go far, but not as far as that. Could we put a little lit up ball bearing, like a bell on Pâté's neck and fly him off? Let's do it ourselves! And from side to side. We got to take a risk. We can't keep sending Pate ahead. Diameter is 100 feet more.

I'm really glad that I strangled him. We're pretty mean to him. I know, can you bring Pate out? Side to side? Sure. Or like half a mile. Oh, it's probably closer to half a mile. Wow. A bit caldera.

To a mile's cost. Yeah, just a massive sinkhole where just the ground is gone. And then it slowly comes in with little bits poking out, almost like hairs on the inside of a throat. It's just this odd stone chasm of nothing. It just disappears into the shadow. Just because we had necrotic stuff before

and it's a dark hole and it's cold, can I just get a good whiff and feel if there's anything funky coming from down below? Sure. Got a new one ready to go. Seeing if there's a funky smell coming from down below. It's real funky. Natural one. Like a...

You get lost in the memory of a fine summer morning on the beaches of the Menagerie Coast. You have a scent recollection of a pina colada type drink that just was delicious in your tongue. You have no idea where that came from and it's distracted you from the moment, but it was a nice memory. We used the rest of that pineapple for creative reasons.

Laudna pulled out pâté. Laudna pulled out Pâté. Okay. Yeah, Pâté's out and I'm snuggling him because I felt bad for shaking him the other day. Okay, I don't mind. Snuggle all you want. Do you mind if I shake you? Well, I mean...

Let's find out. No, I don't want to. I just didn't know if I hurt you. I don't really hurt. All right, well, all right. Not really alive. Well, it is very weird, Laudna. It is.

Actually, Pate, do you, do Pate and I get any weird sense of this, having a connection to undeath in other realms, yeah, we'd still... What do you think, Pat-Tey? What do you think? Start screaming.

It's very dark. Oh. Do you feel anything otherworldly? I mean, maybe. Maybe. Getting deep with Fatay. Me too. Reach inside yourself.

Do I sense anything? I mean, you sense what you sense when you step to the edge, and there's definitely a... Is it intrusive thoughts, like when you're at the top of a skyscraper and you're like, what if I just jump? Hit me. Yeah.

For you, maybe. For me. Okay. I just mean in the sense that you're the one that's concentrating on it, but there's something... There's something familiar. At the same time, there's something alien about this. You're standing in a cliff of a massive hole in the ground.

I don't know what else to tell you at this distance. I say we jump. We got to jump. I say we jump. Let's do this. I feel like there's something about just trusting. Could you cast Locate Object on Navantrafear right now? Maybe. Does it have to be within how close? Maybe your spell dissipated because he's already on this realm.

Do we have a dumb plan? That's right! Or do I have a dumb plan? Well, I don't know about the physics on that. You want to float it? I don't know. What? So how many people can you make light? Light. All of us?

All of us at the same time? No, up to five. Okay. All right. So, and you can both do that, right? No, I can fly. Oh, you can fly, so you're fine. So I could potentially carry someone.

Fearne can transform. I could transform. I could carry someone as well. So that's five people. We're all kind of covered there. Yeah. I could transform, I could carry someone as well. So that's five people. We're all covered there. Yeah. Then we also have two things,

two immovable objects. So god forbid if things go south, as long as we have a rope. Not if we were hurtling down, that'd be bad. But if we were floating down. Yeah, if we're floating down, there's an emergency stop that we have available. All right. Okay. Let's jump. stop that we have available. All right.

Let's jump. Well, are we going to tether ourselves together with a rope first? Just to float it. Just to float it. Is there any reason why we think this tree is at the bottom of this endless chasm that reeks of death? Yeah, because they said the Vondrevier was between...

Between... Mountains. They said it was between the mountains, but they also said it was between worlds. A window between. Yeah. They said it was between the mountains, but they also said it was between worlds. A window between. Yeah. This seems like it's going to plop us out into another dimension.

Yeah. I say this with supreme confidence. We'll be ready just in case we get down near the bottom and it starts pulling at us also. Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but you know how I think they said he was like a vessel of the sorrows of others.

So maybe this is like, it's just a big old fat vessel and that's why it's just so dark because it's just a bunch of sadness and all that. I'll take it. Oh, Farn, that was fucking deep. I mean, yeah. Yeah, just a big old vessel. We have no guarantees,

but this is the closest thing to a... Do you guys see any trees anywhere? Is that the convictions part? Like remembering the things you're doing it for, the positive things? Because if you get down there, then you're filled with sadness and you get lost. Maybe it's like that part of Last Crusade

where you just have to take a step of faith. That's what I was thinking, too. Should we make our own reminders? We probably should in case we lose ourselves. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody write down their shit. I take out a bunch of little miniature Chetneys that I've carved

that are about the size of a quarter. Here, remember your love for me. It's just a bunch of little wolves or a bunch of little yews? They're little fucking Chetneys, okay? Do you guys are scared to do this leap, I can ask the Changebringer if it's okay. I'm not scared. No, let's go.

I won't do it. Okay. I'm going to do it regardless of what the Changebringer says. All right. You're welcome to ask. I would like you to ask. I would be interested in what she would say. Okay.

I will ask her a yes or no question. If we jump, are we going to die? Heads for yes. Nod as the tree through this hole. Okay. So you're using the actual question? It's... It comes up tails as a no.

Oh. We're good. Yeah, all right, great. Coin told us so. She's betrayed you. We're not going to die. Let's do it. Okay, Changebringer's like, let's see what happens. We jumping?

All right. We jumping? We jumping. There's a couple things that happen first, right? Change, fly, then we jump, right? Tie a rope around. We don't even need to necessarily tie the rope. I was just saying, have it available. Okay.

Okay. All right. Because we'll know when we're getting to the end of that. I'll wait till you cast Feather Fall to cast Fly. That makes sense. I'm not going to cast Feather Fall right away until we feel like we need it. Okay. See, this is the shit that goes sideways.

Isn't it possible to fail on a spell cast if you're falling? This one just happens. With Feather Fall, it's literally designed to be cast while you're falling. That's true. It's a reaction. Concentration spells in extremely dire circumstances,

like being buffeted by heavy winds from a fall, might require concentration checks. I don't believe Feather Fall is a concentration spell. No, it's a reaction. Unless I punch you in the head repeatedly as we fall. Fuck. Then you can transform and save me. Can we have some lights to go with us?

Yeah, of course. That's a concentration. They'll go away as soon as I start flying. I can cast Light. All right, great. Okay. Let's go. All right. Three, two.

Get a run and start. You don't want to run into the sides as they get narrow. That's true. One! Free spring, end of episode. Dart, as far as you can with the strength of your legs and convictions you hold to yourselves, you as a group leap into the abyss beneath you.

The abyss? We're in the abyss now? No. I slipped and I'm already starting to rotate in a fucked up way. He was on the way out anyway. The wind rushes past you as you fall further and further, and you can glance up and see above you the circle of foggy daylight

diminish and diminish. As you glance down, the lights below, picking up speed, the wind rushing past. You also watch the walls begin to get closer in from the sides, and the lights that you keep out there at a fair distance begin to light up a sudden glance of texture. There is a multitude of texture beneath you

that is rapidly approaching. Fly. Like the floor? Yes! Feather Fall. Okay. Feather Fall on who? It's a fly. Ashton, Orym, FCG, Laudna, Chet.

Okay. Shoebill. All right. Shoebills are flight birds, right? Yeah. Good right. Shoebills are flight birds, right? Yeah. Good. Penguin. I'm trying to look. Oh, this is you, Goldfish. I've used a Shoebill before.

What? Shit! What? Can? Don't ask me what he would feel. The ostrich would be good, because it would be sad and awesome. Well, I mean, I'm doing Giant Eagle, but I wanted it to look like a Shoebill.

They are non-flightless. They have an eight-foot wingspan. I just wanted to double check. That would have been amazing. Proportionally, they're odd birds, and I just wasn't sure. And that would have been amazing. We would have had a second goldfish.

Chicken! I just love the cadence of fly. Feather Fall, shoebell! Lipshits. Lipshits. Heart. The five of you begin to drift down, still at a quickened pace, but not in one that makes you

anywhere near as nervous as you were but a moment ago, while you transform into your massive, odd-looking, shh-bill bird. Jingle, jingle, jingle. In the mission, you catch yourself into the flight scenario. The lit orbs. Disappear.

They disappear. Concentration spell. Yep. Indeed. So there is no light. I've still got light going. From your eyes, you have light going there. So you have this headlight that are trying to show beneath you what you're approaching.

As the texture, still not rushing to you at the exact speed, but still coming at you quickly, they look like leaves. Endless jet black leaves. Oh, it's creepy because it's just of light. You're just seeing in darkness. Are we going through these leaves? Or they're just approaching us?

They're approaching from beneath. Okay, well, yeah. Nothing we can do. We'll land or go through. You start impacting with what is the top of a tree. Oh. A tree? And as you hit into it, you start hitting branches. Not enough to take heavy damage necessarily,

but definitely bruised up a bit as you're now catching yourself onto branches. For those of you that are just feather falling, the two of you can maintain flight above if you'd like, but the rest of you eventually catch yourself up in the bowels of this. As you stop, and you are currently the only one that is producing light,

but as you glance around, you can see the branches of this tree have an oddly textured, almost striated bark that twists and weighs and has a deep maroon-red coloration to it. And where the branches extend, black leaves just sprout out,

these slick, long leaves that just fold and overlap each other in places. They create these clusters, and it is everywhere. If we look down, do we get a sense that these branches are coalescing on a stock? And I'll help you with 60 feet of darkvision. It might be, yeah. I mean, there's plenty of branches everywhere.

Perception, you said? Mm-hmm. 20. 20. Natural 20. Natural 20, yeah. For a total of? 27. 27.

Whoa. Glancing down, indeed, you can see, these are the thinnest edges of branches, and looking down, you can see them converging, and other parts converging into thicker limbs. Indeed, this is just the top of a tree, and the further down you go, you get the sense you'll eventually find the base.

I'm going to float down next to Laudna. Do you want to hold onto me and go down? Sure. We all can go down, right? We're still further? Are we still further from the line, or is it over? As soon as you touch down, it ends. Oh, it ends, you're right.

I can come up and get everyone, and just give me a second. I've been in trees before, I'm fine. It's a massive tree, Chetney. Not a problem. Mara. I pull out dual chisels, including a mini. Chisel the tree.

I don't chisel the tree. Huh? Don't chisel the tree. I wasn't going to chisel the tree. I was just going to, just in case I slip. Go fly down there. Go ahead, I'll see what you see. You know, Keyleth talks about this tree.

I pictured something green and large and natural. Same. Atrophy. Cute. There's so many things you can make. There is. It's fine. All right. This is atrophy.

Oh, fuck. Yeah, and touching the branches, it's all dry, though. There's nothing viscous or wet or... Correct. It's dry. And the branches appear flimsy. Like, you're catching yourself, but you're holding on to multiple branches

to hold yourself where you are, and they're bending with your weight. And even as they converge, they're thin branches. So you don't feel like you have a strong hold. So climbing down will be a little precarious, but it's definitely doable. I can help carry some down, too. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. I'll fly Laudna down. So the two of you are flying through the canopy? Yeah, I'm going to fly Laudna down, too, and then. Are you? It is dense to fly through and to carry another person through this thick branches. It's still pushing through a very dense tree canopy. So it'll take you a bit, but you can probably do it.

I'd say for the sake of that, go ahead and make an acrobatics check for me. 10. 10, okay. Darting through and helping Laudna weave through the entirety of this ever-thickening collection of trees. It's not like a standard expanding tree. This almost has a red coral-like expansion. It's going out in all directions and dividing and dividing and dividing into thinner

and thinner branches, like a capillary system. It is just expanding and consuming all the floor area of this cavern that you can even possibly see with what little light is there. To that point, you have no light. You have darkvision. I do. You do. Kind of helped guide her. Which for the 10 acrobatics, you get partway down before one branch you push past

that swats you both extremely hard in the face. You both take three points. I'll consider this slashing damage as the branches catch your cheeks. Go ahead and make a concentration check for me. Oh, for three points? I have to roll a one in order to? It's still damage.

You have to get over that in 10. I got to, do I add anything to it? I do add. It's your constitution saving throw. Okay, great. I got over a 10. Okay, good. I got a, do I add anything to it? I do add. It's your constitution saving throw. Okay, great. I got over a 10. Okay, good. I got 16.

16. Slowly, you push through branches until they get easier to get through. You get to the thicker portions of where the tree branch bases are set. The two of you are the first to eventually break free of the boughs. And the boughs, they end

five feet off the ground. And ground is an interesting description. You touch down on a blanket of seemingly endless roots that just spiral out from the tree and entwine and knot and continue to stretch. And the roots themselves, what light that you have visible,

there's wet vegetation and moss, like dark moss that grows through the roots as well, has thousands and thousands of small objects embedded in between and on parts of the roots. You see gemstones, you see little carvings, little sculptures, pieces of ceremonial attire, musical instruments, and many, many skulls. Offerings.

Maybe, maybe it's what's been left behind by people that perished here. Are you all right? You? I'm good. As long as I keep you in the forefront of my brain, I think we'll be all right. Promise. Promise. It is extremely cold here, and you can feel yourself involuntarily starting to shake and shiver. You, at least.

You're a little more keen on that temperature than she is. I'll wait here. I feel weird leaving you down here. I'll be all right. I can't pass the gate. You won't be long. I look up. I can't see shit.

Mm. What if I just stay down here and I send some lights up to them so they can get down better? I mean, Orym, super dexterous. Fearne, fine. FCG, questionable. But maybe Fearne can pick FCG up.

Okay. All right. We're waiting here, right? On the... As a note to those of you who are still in the upper parts, you can look up and can see the sky above still. Say that again? You can look up and still see the circle

of lit sky above. Oh, like a little circle way high above. Yeah. I'm going to send some dancing orbs up from the ground and send it up through the tree branches so that they can see where they're going. That's very helpful. You see a handful of globules that are mostly obscured by the cluster of overlapping tree branches.

You just move them around and move them up. Do they come up through the tangle, or are we just seeing little flickers? They come up through the tangle to a certain point, but even at, what's the max distance on your? 120 feet. 120 feet. They don't quite reach to where you are. They're still somewhere in the tree below.

This tree, probably at full height, is, based on your flight down, they're as close to 200 feet tall. I could. Yeah, I've still got my light up. I could double the distance again and send them up further. Go on. I'll do that. I'll do that for her.

So the orbs scatter throughout the canopy. Those of you that are still up there, how are you getting down? Are we going? I'm climbing. No, I think they're going to come back. Imogen said she was going to ferry us up and down. She definitely did, so we'll wait right here

until we are told otherwise. Are you guys still up there? Oh no, slow down. Athletics or acrobatics, Jarek? Athletics. 26. 26. Deftly, you begin to pick up on the pattern

of how the branches split and expand and split and expand, and so you can ascertain where the next stronger step will be. The slightly bendy and untrustworthy branches become a little more sturdy. Though still thin and stretched in places, they're stronger. And within a few moments, you eventually climb down

to the point where the leaves seem to stop growing from the branches, and instead it's just a long, twisting, striated trunk, or a central branch that eventually merges with others. There isn't a solid singular trunk. It's like all the branches eventually converge into a very short, stocky trunk that's only a few feet off the ground, and then the roots spread out in all directions. As you step down, you are greeted by both Laudna and Imogen and the odd reaching expanse of what this cavern's floor is. Just getting down there. What's up?

I'm also going to head down. His fur. Athletics, acrobatics. Can I see you? Smell also, please. Where are you? Can you give me a lift down? Okay, I'm going to go down on the top. It's 45. Okay, yeah.

You follow suit as well, following in Chetney's footsteps and looking at the best paths. You eventually find your way to the bottom as well. Bye, Orym. I'm going to go on Fearne. I instantly can't see and I'm all alone. No, I have globules. I sent them up. Oh, are they?

Yeah, they're still little globules that can help. It's still at a higher DC. What if they start singing to himself? Someway. As he sways on the ranch. Looking up at the sky in a circle. Sweetie, please. All right, so you go ahead and fly.

You're a large creature without large wingspan. You're just pachinkoing through the tree? Yeah. Okay. Make an acrobatics check with disadvantage. Using the bird's dexterity. Oh, okay. Well, okay.

Bird's dexterity? Dirty 20. Wow. Dirty 20? Okay. In spite dexterity? Dirty 20. Whoa. Dirty 20, that, okay. In spite of how thick it is and how ungraceful your descent may be, you do tumble, but you manage to hit every major cluster of black leaves over a hard branch

and don't sustain enough of an impact to do actual damage to your form, other than the fact that you lose a number of feathers in the descent. enough of an impact to do actual damage to your form, other than the fact that you lose a number of feathers in the descent. And as you eventually and slam onto the ground, you watch this rain of gentle shingle feathers eventually come to rest around you.

Wow. I'm going to change back. Oh, thanks for the lift. Are we coming down? Yeah, I start hopping my way down. Acrobatics or athletics check. Always acrobatics. That is a 23.

Atlanta with a thump, man. So with just the lights at your disposal and no other aid, 20 was the DC. So it takes you a little bit, but you do manage to trapeze leap from branch to branch, quickly darting between them and find the rest of your troop here awaiting in the base of the tree.

Sorry I didn't come get you. That's all right. I couldn't see shit if I didn't have the lights. Right. And I couldn't have the lights if I was blind. We're at the bottom of a giant hole, it's okay. There's a lot of skulls. There's a lot of trinkets. Whoa, look at all those.

There's a lot of. Skulls. Yeah. There's a lot of trinkets. You can see them see they're tied up into the lower branches as well. Tied up? There are many vines that dangle and tether from the further out branches, and you can see there are things tied and left,

dangling from the lower branches. So presentationally, left by. In some way, yeah. Left, intentionally. Not just piled up. We should make an offering? Is that what I'm? I don't necessarily know if it's an offering.

Is everything that's here that we see, like, I know there are skulls, but you said there were trinkets and things. Do they all look like? There are art pieces. Art pieces. There are keepsakes. There are small statuettes. There are little porcelain knickknacks.

There are wood carvings. Do they look like they span many Exandrian cultures? That was my question. Are we looking at Asho culture down here? Or all kinds of- You can make an investigation check. I'm not that good at that, though, man. Can it be acrobatics? 19. 19'm not that good at that, though, man. Can it be acrobatics? 19.

19. Never mind, never mind, I'm good. I got it. Carve-yield right to the answer. There are a number of things, just based on the glimpses you've seen and what knowledge, you being the one who actually has some knowledge of the Aesha culture,

there are a good number of these items and relics that are themselves iceo and or iceo adjacent, even just host, ostentat host culture related. But there are a number that are beyond that. There are remnants of attire and left ornamental weaponry and all manner of objects that span from many places in Exandria.

And you're unable to ascertain the age because nothing here has a dust coating. If I spend three to five minutes scanning everywhere, do I see anything that looks like it might have been left by Keyleth of the Arishari? Glancing about you do not, but you also recall that she said she did not actually see the tree herself.

Oh, thank god. She had heard about it from Jorana, who she went to to work through her grief. Right. Yeah. I can't help myself, but if I spot one of those little wooden sculptures, can I do a little, can I check it out?

Yeah. You approach the nearest wooden sculpture, and it looks like a small egg, but it has features on it like a bear, like a little gentle bear has been carved out of this chunk of polished wood. Yeah. It looks simple, but very well-crafted in its simplicity.

Something either a child would cherish in their space or someone who was an enthusiast of nature's fuzzier creatures to just look at and enjoy. That's cute. Is it attached to the tree as well? creatures to just look at and enjoy. That's cute. Is it attached to the tree as well? No, it's just resting between roots, it looks like. Okay.

Grim psychometry as I touch the object. Make a history check. This is a cool stability. This was the most ability. I know, right? Fun, isn't it? 15. 15. You sense that this object

once belonged to an old soldier who had accepted the demise of their innocence. And this was left as their final sacrifice. That's all you can gather. Just that feel. It's still, it's not detailed, but there's heavy energy around this. That's as much as you can make out.

Why would that be? Maybe that's what it is. Maybe it is a sacrifice. Sorrow, atrophy. I'm going to slowly walk around to see if there's any point that seems... I don't know if there's any point in the tree that seems like it is aware.

I'm just looking to feel something. Make a perception or investigation check, if you like. Probably, they both suck, so. Bad at both. Really, you know. 11 perception. 11 perception. Looking around the tree, it just looks like a tree.

You know, the odd spread of the dozens and dozens of immediate thick branches that twist and rise up and then divide and divide to create this massive canopy that reach out at some points almost parallel to pierce what you imagine the walls would eventually be, if not end prematurely. You cannot see the walls of the cavern. You're just sitting in the space

where what little light you've created for yourself reveals this tree in what almost feels like another expanse before you. Can I detect thoughts on a tree? Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Open mind on it. As you both focus in on this tree, you sense consciousness,

but it is immense and ancient as much as it resists your attempt to peer further. Well, fortune favors the bold. Yeah. Are you going to talk to this thing?

I'm going to walk up and I'm going to touch. Before you go, Ashton, let me just give you a little boost. Little something, just a little something, a little extra. You don't have to believe in the change bringer, but she believes in you, and so I'll just cast, boy, what would I? Enhance Ability.

Charisma? Sure. Yes, Jesus. Take it. Charisma. Eagle's Splendor. Little Guidance. Guidance. To the habit. Yeah, I'm going to walk up and touch the

trunk of the tree. Are you there? This is Ashton, Blood of Titan. Do I need to show you? I pull out and, just using part of the glass, I just give myself a cut and put it on the tree. Mm-hmm. As you rub your hand across the bark, leaving that bit of warmth that you spread across it, the rest of you, you especially begin to hear it,

the faintest rustling of millions of leaves at once, creating this almost buzzing sensation. You begin to hear this loud creaking sound. As you watch branches begin to shift. Make armor. Then this still entity begins to all at once move and shift like something rousing from a deep slumber. As it begins to move, the branches seem to

bend and curl in odd places. And you begin to make out shapes of where these branches are, where it's almost like elongated fingers that stretch for 20, 30 feet, beginning to flex outward and pull back in. You notice where your hand is, one of the pieces of bark splits

and a massive milky white eye looks back. Oh crap. Cool. And a little ways over on one of the thicker branches, a second eye also opens, both blinking. You see now a heavily stretched face that is burned and carved into the bark of this tree. The nose itself, about three, four feet of it, pulled downward, and almost like a frown

that extends out about five or six feet, stretched deeply like someone had smeared someone's face across a pole as it was then bent and gnarled upward. Cool. You watch as some of the branches reach down, catch the ground to one side of your troop, as another branch reaches to the other, almost flanking you to each side and preventing you from going any direction but back or being forced to address it where you stand.

Some of the blackened leaves flitter down from the movement above, and you see the vines shaking and the sound of hundreds of small baubles and trinkets clinking into each other as the tree itself moves to life. What is it you seek? I am the abandoned child of the Hisshari. I'm the blood of Titan. I seek what is owed to me. I seek my past.

I seek power. I seek to know what I am. You hear the voice, all of you hear it, not in your mind, but vibrating through the air, like you're standing next to a war horn that has been blasting, and you can feel the vibration sourcelessly. Its mouth, its stretched mouth just hangs open,

not forming the words. They're just present and around you. This almost nightmarish visage carries with it an intensity, a dark curiosity, and the eyes, the milky eyes, shift and focus onto Ashton. As it was faded.

As it's faded. You are the son of Efteren. You are the son of Efteren. Efteren. Those of you who were present for the journey in Issylra, you recall Efteren was the leader of the Hisshari. A broken man of burning purpose

endured an odyssey to walk under my boughs and ask for the golden purpose they felt they were owed by the world. He claimed throughout his life that promised greatness, a fated path that would leave his mark on history. He was not wrong. I let him gaze into his future and showed him the relic he was fated to own, that he would use to usher in a renewed ancient power.

I showed him the way to the necropolis of Toramunda, where this relic lay uncovered and waiting. His ambition met his destiny, and he recovered his artifact, this remaining shard of Kamuat, the primordial empress of Earth, a lingering remnant of her power.

He thought his destiny was his to embrace. He was wrong. I granted him this knowledge because he was meant to take it. Meant to create and destroy the Hisshari. Meant to destroy himself. Meant to create you. You. You were his destiny, but in his arrogance, he could not see beyond his own aspirations

as it was fated. And now, as it was fated. And now, you return, as I have foreseen, to find another piece of history's sorrow. The unity that twice brought judgment to Exandria's children. And you hear this sound, this horrid sucking sound, as the tree itself seems to inhale air, energy, shadow, who knows? But it's awakening still.

There's an odd, I can only describe as a vibrance or a subtle excitement coming to this ancient creature. Its eyes move from you and begin to take in the rest of you. You know who I am. Von Travir?

Von Travir is the name I was given and the name that endures. I was of those who stewarded the protection of Toramunda, who helped mediate the division of Mount Igora, who trusted empty promises and watched our legacy become ash. More leaves fall free and tumble. You hear a shattering sound

as one of the baubles falls free. Tsh, tsh, th, shh, shh. I saved the few that I could. And still carry with me those I could not. Then it falls quiet. How were you before Yvon Trevir? It is hard to remember. I was a guardian. You recall hearing that this individual

who became this tree was one of the surviving Galadrashari of the Cataclysm. I have a very insane idea. Do you smoke? I pull out a pipe. And I fill it with tobacco. This reveals the most heroic moment in your life.

I haven't been stupid enough to smoke it myself yet, but do you want to see you at your best? Just once? It's something I can offer. You hear the squeaking sound of the eyes shifting behind the bark. I find myself curious. I step closer.

I don't believe in destiny, and if it does exist, I don't know if I wouldn't crush it underneath my boot at every moment I found it. It exists. I live through destiny. My roots reach into the skin of fate

and the golden threads that guide us all. Well. I have a lot of very big people who keep talking about my fate and your fate, but I have a secret. I'm nobody. I've been nobody my whole life, and there is great power in that.

Now, be a small man for a moment, you big fuck. He's a tree. I don't know what to tell you. There is a mouth. There is a mouth. Not much he can... I'm going to try and attempt to fan it in and see if that happens. I'm actually going to attempt to...

Shotgun. Shotgun. Yeah, shotgun. You're going to... More or less. Dave Madden's sponsor, you guys. Shotgun. You're going to, more or less. Dave Mays is going to sponsor you guys. Fuck it. Fuck it going. Just a baby.

I'm going to try. I'll tear up my head. Suddenly starts using a gust behind Ashton to waft her toward the tree. As you blow the enchanted smoke into the somewhat agape, awful-looking maw of this tree. You hear this sound as the leaves begin to shake,

and you can feel like the stagnant air around you is being pulled into the tree, like every leaf is breathing in it once. And as it does, the smoke drifts into the opening. The mouth closes for a moment. The eyes pull shut. And then the eyes open once more, and you watch as smoke pours out of all of these tiny little holes

across the base branches. As it does, each little cloud of smoke is a person running, and then caught, running and caught. Smoke is a person running, and then caught, running and caught, running and caught, until they're all brought to a tree and vanish through it. And more And more.

And more. Hundreds, hundreds of people. And the smoke drifts off. Thank you. I think I might wish to be great like that in my own way? You must soon wrestle with the changes you cannot avoid. The threads show me you have no choice but to be somebody soon. We'll see.

There are no nobodies that come this far to see me. Well, then. Show me. A spark of Rav Chon I mean... A spark of Ravshan burns in the heart of the Chinese Mall. A volcanic mass on the island of Ixthuldus, but within the side of Athos Peak. It is my destiny to show you the way.

But be warned, holding the strength of the two in one vessel might sunder it. You bear the dormant strength of the Empress. Find and bestow the might of the emperor. You. I sense our time is short. With him specifically, or all? them? Why have you come? I'm not scared. Ah, the red moon. Ruidus. Predathos. Do you know anything of this?

I've seen it. The threads come together. The tangle that you have been racing towards your entire life. You are that Tangle. He sought these answers, but you are all bound to this journey. He, Ludinus? He, yeah.

I'll watch, too. I'm on Ludinus, too. Yeah. I am the gate and the boundary. I am one of numerous passageways into the realms of death and renewal. My roots reach into the skin of destiny, and I see where paths can be taken,

some harder to deviate from than others. I am balance to the enemies of the natural cycle of life. I'm one of the many caretakers of the fate of Exandria itself. Some come to seek a meeting with ones they've lost. Some come to see their own death. Some come to seek direction, a glimpse at their fate and hope for opportunity.

Not all find what they want. Many find what they are meant to. What do you seek? How do we stop Predathos? How do we keep him from devouring everything. Not all answers are clear. But you all walk a path together. Your tangle is the chaos that can undo that which has been carefully planned for so very long. Should that be what you wish.

Your journey puts you on a particular path. To make the choice to guide the future of the gods. What do you believe in? What is right for this world. We want what's right for this world. And it seems like we've been put on a path that will help us shape it. But as you said,

the fate of the gods is also at stake. Can you see what might happen if this crisis is not averted to the gods themselves? The eyes close and you feel the wind pull in once more. The air goes cold. And for a brief moment, you almost feel a shared vision. You see the thin line of the bloody bridge widen. You see the thin line of the bloody bridge widen.

You see the skies crack. You see beings of impossible fathomability You see beings of impossible fathomability, light and shadow alike, stepping from the heavens. You see a lattice of infinite gold apparate and shatter, and you see the lights and shadows leave,

chased by a glow of endless red. And as those lights fade, left below, the blue waters and green of the world lay bare, and the vision pulls. SAM and LAURA say, Oh, what of the Titans? We know they were here first, and the gods have also done their... have done quite some harm. Where is the balance?

I cannot say whether the gods are a blessing or bane, I cannot say whether the gods are a blessing or bane upon the world. Some seek to harmonize with the ways of things. Others wish to subjugate or destroy them. With each epic, the pendulum swings. The Titans are gone. All that remains is what was before and what was after.

The divine are pilgrims made idols. Refugees become conquerors. They are not makers, but crafters, shapers, and their devotees follow in their image. They take what is found and remake it into new, sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrible. Is that their nature, or are they a reflection of us?

If history's told us anything, when these higher powers go to war against each other, against the Titans, mortals are ground up like wheat. We can't let it happen again. How do we stop that from happening again? I cannot tell you what is right. Your convictions guide your path.

Your choices can change where the threads pull you. What I offer is the knowledge of what can end that path. But not all take to that knowledge well. How we die. Did you say, how do we die? Just how we die. Oh, okay. Well, I'll go on. Ludinus.

He's unnatural. He goes against the fabric of creation and destruction. What will it take to defeat him? You already walked that path. Inhales once more. And as the tree does, you see blurry flashes of the earthen spark that beats in the chest

of your compatriot. You see the flickering flame that is embedded within the roiling fires and molten earth of some distant cavern. You see an endless dusty expanse. You see an endless dusty expanse. You see cries of anguish. You see bloodshed and war. You see the bloody bridge.

You see the moon. This is the path you've chosen. Follow your convictions or change them. I cannot tell you what is right. If we continue down this path and intersect with the ones who would seek to destroy the world and the gods, can you tell us at least,

not how to achieve our goals, but how we'll know when it's time. Will there be an ally, a weapon, something that will tell us that we're ready? The spark of life, no matter where it's sourced, instinctually wishes to be free. Wherever the hand of tyranny resides,

there are those that will rise up to tear down the cage. Familiar or not. To do what you need. Look for conviction. Look for strength. But above all else, look for trust.

Look for allies. And look to each other. Ludinus. Ludinus should be stopped. Not all will disagree with his reasoning. It may very well be there are harder choices for you to make the further you draw close to your destiny. This isle of Ixtaldos,

the Athos Peak, we only have a small piece of a map and the islands move. You spoke that you might be a gateway. Is that true? The eyes stop in place and both focus in your direction, but beyond you.

You... You are being watched. You... You are being watched. Right now? You follow its gaze, and the boughs of the tree glow for a second, and you glance over, and in the empty space behind you, you watch this faint blue glowing orb, like an eye, just appear before it shatters.

Someone's fucking screaming on us. Son of a bitch. Push. You must hurry. You watch as the tree twists and you hear the creaking heavily shifting. Wait, we're not done. The branches on one of the heavier bits

of the trunk begin to split. As it pulls open, it's almost like seeing bits of red flesh pulling apart until it shows an opening doorway. Beyond that, you see what looks like cold snow and wind blowing. Oh! Oh, they're so nice. Go, go, go!

Okay, let's go! It's okay, we're going to die. Do we have to leave? We're going to die. We're going to die? Are we going to die? An offering or anything? An offering?

Go, go, go, go. I leave a Chetney statue. Ting, ting, ting, ting. That's one of eight. Just. Got a collective all. As you all quickly dart through, out into this area,

you immediately sense this brush of cold wind blowing. You feel the snow and bit of sleet slamming into the side of your face. You all stand now on what looks like the cusp of some sort of a mountain range. There is mist surrounding the base and the scenery beyond a certain distance

to where you can't quite see where you are. You just know you're very high up. Oh, I see. Okay. Why did I choose a sheer dress? Why? What? I mean, it looks fabulous. As the sound of the magical gateway closing behind you, you turn and see a secondary mountain,

or almost like a dual peak that splinters off, taller. It looks to be an area where the ice and snow doesn't touch. Oh, that's the flame. That's the flame he was talking about. Can we see where it is? You just see mists around you. And you get the sense

you're likely still somewhere in the Shattered Teeth. He said there were flames within a cavern nearby. Up a mountain. Yeah. An eternal flame in a cave or something. SAM and LAURA, SAM and LAURA, you hear a familiar, if louder, rumbling sound. Uh-oh. As the guttural call of one of the Skywale creatures

seems to drift through the mists, and you can just faintly make out the shadow of this massive beast faintly crest past the mountaintop where you stand and vanish into the cloud and fog beyond. As you bundle yourselves up, staring at this one cavern entrance, process what the hell you just saw

and where you are and where you're going. That's where we finish the next episode. Oh! Ah! Who are you? Yeah, what the hell? Champion of the Titans. Oh my god.

They want to put two big old hunks of Titan Ooh. Yeah. What the hell? Champion of the Titans. Oh my god. They want to put two big old hunks of Titan in there. I am a fucking pebble. Mommy and Daddy. I'm going to ask for a replay of that. So you're the Keymaster and there's a Gaper. We got to find another person to put the Emperor in, or are you supposed to hold the-

We might get a replay of that. We're putting both in, but it's risky. No, but he said both. But he's one of them, he's the Empress. Both of them in one might sunder them. You're the Empress, and somebody else is supposed to be Emperor? The embodiment of the Emperor.

You got to do the two. I mean, to be fair, I'm pretty sunder, so we can see how this goes. Also, you brought Toramunda in, and this motherfucker is shit. Toramunda! Shattered teeth, man. What was the relic? Was the tree? When the tree smoked up and saw,

what's that pipe do, proudest moment? No, your most heroic moment. Heroic moment, so was that the past being? The being's past life saving hundreds or thousands of people. Catching them. Yeah. Or at least helping them pass on. Keeping them up. Helping them up.

Helping them transition. Is that their skulls? That's from them to know and us to the tree. Bachelet, isn't it? It's from nearby. I think that's all their skulls that were embedded in the tree. Answer all the questions.

Maybe in time. So many individuals that were... Oh man. Shadow of Roshan in a volcano on Athos Peak. That's where we are. That's where we are. That's where we just went. Where's the best place to punch lewdness?

Is it Izguch? Say it's Izguch. I know, I kept asking, how do we defeat people? Like, stupid question. So he was basically a Gal Drashari from pre-Calamity Times that helped broker the deals between upstairs and downstairs. The broken trust between the Flying Cities. Between the Flying Cities and Terra Exandria.

What was the relic? Was the relic a seed? Was it the tree? Was it the tree at the center of the city? Was it the Luxon Beacon? Wait, the relic that he gave to Ashton's dad? The relic that is his heft. He said a shard of Terra Munda.

A shard of Terra Munda? A shard of Terramunda? A shard of Khamort. Khamort is the... Khamurda. Khamort is the Titan, the Empress. The Empress, right. What Khamurda is named after. So you were made from the shard?

I suppose so. Khamurda is loosely named after the elemental. Because of its tumultuous earthen geothermal. So many questions. So many questions. Or at least it's something that happened to me at some point, so. Okay, okay. Don't know?

We'll get a replay as soon as we stop rolling. We'll think on it a bit. We'll pick it up next time. Do we have cloaks? Do we have the cloaks from Vassuras? See, now we have... There's snow, there's places to put the hole now. I'm going to bear arm with a rib window.

You're in sheer nothing. I'm in hot pants and sheer shit. We have Flaming Poop, we'll be fine. This tracksuit is comfy as fuck. We're just going to go and get everyone else to play with you. We're going to be fine. There's a volcano up ahead. We're going to be fine. There's a volcano up ahead.

We'll pick up in the spirit of the next time. Thank you all so much for joining us. We love you very much. And is it Thursday? Yeah! Thank you for listening to Critical Role. We hope you enjoyed that exciting adventure and want to come back for more. If you did, well then please leave a rating and review wherever you stream the Critical Role Podcast Network. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising

and maybe your experience will encourage another listener our way. Well, see you next time.