Critical Role - C3E77 The Promise and the Price

Episode Date: November 16, 2023

Bells Hells' resident witches delve into the hidden horrors of Whitestone Castle and a choice is made regarding the shard of Rau'shan... 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 FriederichsAnimated Introduction by Kamille Areopagita, Kevin Areopagita, Mark Adams and Peggy Shi 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

Here at Critical Role, we love telling stories and making narratives come to life, which is why we're so excited to share that we're bringing a new semi-improvised fiction podcast into the Critical Role fold with our show, Midst. Journey to the small desert town of Stationery Hill on the planet Midst and follow the intertwined lives of three complicated antiheroes as they deal with unsolved murders, cult brainwashing, supernatural darkness, and, oh yeah, their moons suddenly falling from the sky. Ugh, freaking moons, they're so unreliable these days. The story's created by an extremely talented group of friends known as Third Person.

These playfully omniscient, fourth-wall-breaking narrators describe all the action, play every character, and take an unorthodox approach to storytelling that really makes the experience come alive. Look to the Midstle of the Week, that means Wednesdays, for new weekly episodes at midst.co, your favorite podcast app, or Critical Role's YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy this amazing story as much as we do. Hello, bees! This is Laura Bailey, here to welcome you to the Critical Role podcast.

If you'd like to tune into the show as it airs, you can watch Critical Role Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole and youtube.com slash criticalrole. Our lovely Twitch subscribers can view the episode on demand right away. Or you can find it on YouTube Mondays at 12 p.m. Pacific. And of course, for all you fantastic podcast listeners, Critical Role episodes hit feeds on Thursday mornings, a week after the episode first airs. With all that said, let's get into another episode of Critical Role.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. Before we jump into our session tonight, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with our first announcement of the evening, our first sponsor, One-Shot Wonders by Roll & Play Press. Sam, if you don't want to... One Shot Wonders by Roll and Play Press is out now! It's a game-changing book of one-shots that massively cuts down the amount of prep needed for your next D&D night because everything you need to run a session is covered in two pages or less. One Shot Wonders does all the hard work of session planning

so you can focus on having fun with your friends. Good books. This book is a lifesaver for busy GMs, especially like me. Everyone at this table is busy, but I would argue that I am the most busy of all. Say what? I'm like the CEO of the company.

Yeah, I literally run this channel. I know, and yet I'm still busier than both of you combined. Honestly, it's debatable. Here, let me read I'm just going to read from you a sample day from my calendar. Name a day, any day. June 9th.

Arbor Day. 6-9, very nice. Roy. Okay. Okay, here's the 9th of June. 6 a.m. Alexander opens my sleeping pod and plays the viola to rouse me.

6-20 a. AM, give Alexander a near imperceptible nod of approval. 625 AM, make breakfast. Coke Monsieur, halloumi and zucchini frittata, and of course, a crisp orange wine. 645 AM, don my silk cloak and take my morning constitutional. 655 AM, check Twitter, TikTok, Insta, Raya, Tumblr, AO3, Reddit, Threads, Blue Sky, and Sugar Daddy for mentions of my name. 7.30 AM, scream at Alexander for not reminding me to wake up the kids for school.

7.40, use burner accounts to post more mentions of my name. 8 AM to 9 a.m., selfies. This is a busy day. 9.20 a.m., practicing my uwu face. 10 a.m., mid-morning constitutional. 10.45, text Marisha to ask what uwu means. I don't even know what that means. You lost me there. 12 p.m., sensory overstimulation tank. 1235 to 7 p.m., gentle crying. 8 p.m., evening constitutional. 1130 p.m., realize that Alexander was a figment of my imagination. Question all reality. Watch The Golden Bachelor. And that's just a normal day! Wow.

Is The Golden Bachelor a real thing? Yes, it is. It is a real thing. It has seven hours of crying. What is a constitutional? Are the constitutionals a walk or a Yes, it is a real thing. It has seven hours of crying. Yeah, what is it constituted? Are the constitutionals a walk or a dump? A constitutional is a dump. Yeah, that's a...

It's like a walking dump. I thought so, I just wanted to verify. It's a show. A walking dump. So now... It's why they call them constitution saves. Ah! So, wait, the ad isn't done, people.

Oh. So now you see why I need one-shot wonders. There are over 100 one-shots in the books, so you're sure to find the perfect quest for your group, no matter their level, whether it's fighting vampires, a haunted lighthouse, or plotting a bank heist. For your next session, don't spend hours planning. Instead, pick up One-Shot Wonders and be ready to play in no time at all. Oh god, there's more. Use code FRESHCUTGRASS before November 20th to get 10% off at RollandPlayPress.com slash wonders and wonder your copy now. Order your copy now. Why are you so much better at reading your own schedule than the ad copy?

Because I write for myself very well. Can you select your one-shot during your constitutional? Is that like a, okay. One-shot of a constitutional. This episode is also sponsored by NordVPN. In our fast-paced digital era, safeguarding your online activities has never been more critical as I've proven previously. Yes! Don't worry about it.

Privacy, security, and uninterrupted access to the wealth of information on the internet are essential facets of our digital lives, for better or for worse. So NordVPN is the trusted guardian of your online presence. Whether you're globetrotting, connecting to public Wi-Fi on the move, or simply conducting everyday tasks online,

NordVPN offers a robust defense against cyber threats. Cyber threats. You've seen a few on this table. With advanced encryption and cutting-edge threat protection tools, NordVPN ensures your personal data remains confidential and secure, even in the face of potential threats. Great, McHugh! VPN is one of those essential tools to have,

so take advantage of the NordVPN deal at nordvpn.com slash critical role, risk free for 30 days with a money back guarantee. Get a two year plan and receive an additional four months. So thank you, NordVPN, for your ongoing support and for sponsoring this episode. Appreciate you all. Laura! That was nice. Good clapping, man. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Oh, wow. Here we go. Buckle up, because do I have a merch drop for you.

Oh, boy. OK, number one. All stores, OK, I'm just going to say with this before I say what stores it's in. It's a Ruinous dice set brought to you by our friends at Everything Dice. They did the collab with us with the Erishari Dice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. These are the ones that I showed Sam a few games ago, and then he was trying to show.

Bust them out! Okay, wait. Hold on. They're gorgeous. Well, you can't really see it when I hold it up now, but they've got the little ruinous moon in them! So can I have them and use them against you now? Wait, but there's also this little rag in there to clean them.

I know, and you get a little cleaning rag, and you get a little baggie. So yeah, these are in the U.S., U.K., and the E.U. This is our second collab with them. I love everything dice. Okay, and I'm gonna pass them over to you, Matthew, so that you can destroy us. That's the plan, I'm so excited.

Okay, okay, let's put it in the bag. I'll pass you, I'll pass, I'll pass, wait. Give me dice, I want dice. I'll pass you, wait, here, take mine. I have the same ones on my neck. Okay, what else? Oh, packaging art by Anna Z. Thank you, Anna Z.

Bells, okay, we also have, okay, first up, okay. What else do we have? Okay, there's so many things to show you guys. We have a fresh cut grass card. I love it so much. Adrian Helton, hellhouse.com, is the artist. Look at this. It's got a little CR logo. It's so Mr. Rogers. Have a smiley day. It's so soft. And now we've got two cards so FCG and Clay could hang out, because they'd love each other. They really would. They would so be. Yeah, we need to add you.

That's why we took pictures of you in Caduceus mode in the FCG cardigan, because it was so perfect. We also have... Our Critical Role Ugly Critmas Holiday Sweater! Oh! Yeah! You have my thing! Oh, it's the animals! It's a Critter Critmas!

Look at my cool little animal! Look at my name! Oh my god! Wait, wait, you guys got to take it back! Oh, just like that. I do not belong in this picture! Oh shit, there's lady! Oh my god! Wait, wait, you guys get to see the back! Oh, just my lady! I do not belong in this picture! Oh shit, there's more in that! Mister!

The artist is Grace Berrios at Las Flores. Yeah! Check her out, it's amazing. I love it. Yay! We also have, oh, I'm wearing these ones. Dang, it's a drop. But you can hold them up.

You're wearing them up? I know, I'm wearing. Are you ready? Can I tell you something? Are you ready? Yes you can hold them up. You're wearing them all up? I know! I'm wearing. Are you ready? Can I tell you something? Are you ready? Yes, you're ready. Yay! Finally a new pair.

You know how great our joggers are. Don't hold them up that high. I can't take it. I love these. Oh my gosh. It's another pair of joggers. They're so soft. They're so comfy.

It's Jussar! Yay! Another pair of pants that we can wear while playing. Like Jordan Torrance. Thanks, Jordan. Another pair of pants, so I now have four pairs of pants to wear. Add Jordan! Yes. And our last thing. Oh no, I have two more things to tell you about. Oh my god, you guys!

Dang, you were working! I know! You've been busy, girl! This is a huge drop! We also have another pair of socks. Oh, more socks! So I love our socks from before, and we decided to do a pair, a set of Belle's Hells. Oh, love it. All those are great.

The colors are so pretty, too. And then the last thing. The last thing is another set of our ultra soft pajama lounge. Jammy jammy! But they're really good! Oh my god, wait, wait. What are they?

It's our ultra soft lounge set! Are they the lined ones? The really, really soft cozy cozy ones? And what's the theme of this? These ones are Belle's house! Belle's house weapons and art! It's extra large? Yeah!

The art is so, oh no! No, no, no! It's all, that's right! No, it's all weapons, it's just a CR one. Y'all, it's all our characters. Oops, all weapons? There's a bone heart for Yasha! Savannah Mayer, at WellDipper on Twitter, I think, or X. Oh my god, they look, they feel so comfy.

Just bring them on, bring them to papa. They're so comfy cozy. Get them over here. Oh, yeah. Enjoy all of the merch that I just told you about. Everything except for those dice, it's in all the stores. It's going to be cold out here.

I'm going to be so comfortable. I hope you enjoy them. Thank you, Laura. I'm done talking. That was awesome. That was so cool. Marisha! All of it.

Dude, Star Ranger looks dope. It's me now. A brand new chapter of Candela Obscura prev-er-es? Paul Revere's. Paul Revere's! Candela's coming! Candela's coming! Guys, we are on our show. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

So professional. They don't get to see these things until I show them on this! It's true. On this! Candela Obscura, chapter three, premieres on November 30th. You get to join a brand new group of investigators as they grapple with their inner demons, like all of us. Everyone.

Like everyone is all the time, while confronting ancient phenomena that seep from the foundations of Newfair. This circle, known as the Circle of Tide and Bone, will include, yes it is, Game Master Aabria Iyengar, with players Sam Riegel, Nosheer Dallal, Gina Darling, Ashley Burch, and Liam O'Brien. Plus you can find the incredibly heart-wrenching finale of Candel Obscura, the Circle of Needle and

Thread out right now on YouTube. Cry. Cry. Give me your tears. Nom nom nom nom nom nom. Wow. Then for your own investigations, if you want to get spooky at home, you can look to the Candel Obscura Core Rulebook releasing next week! On November 14th! You can find it at the Critical Role shops, Darrington Press Guild stores, and of course, your friendly local game stores, y'all. It's so pretty! Yes! Spencer and Rowan, it's so pretty. Take a look at it, that deluxe. Nom nom nom. It's so good.

Liam. Oh, guys. We make so many cool things. As you just saw, one of the things that we make are books. We are very excited to announce a new novel coming this July from our friends at Penguin Random House featuring Laudna, entitled What Doesn't Break? It's an original prequel novel written by author Cassandra Caw, with cover by Matt Helbel, and dies into the years before Laudna joins up with Bells Hells. What happens following her departure from Whitestone and her road toward Dressar? Pre-order What Doesn't Break in your favorite format wherever books are sold. Good job. Nailed it. We're in Twin Peaks now. For more information and to order your copy, head to CriticalRoleBooks.com. Are you excited? The book is coming out! I'm so excited. It's so good. It's got some good stuff in there.

Cassandra's amazing. Cassandra works on our Netherdeep book. It's one of the collaborators. They're an amazing writer, and I'm so excited for you all checking it out. A little pate origin story. Ooh! I want to see some White Stone lore. That's so exciting. Yeah, some White Stone stuff. Stop giving spoilers away, Marisha.

Is there anything below that on the prompter? I can't tell. I think that's it. Is that it? Is that it? Should I order your copy at criticalworldbooks.com? I did. Hell yeah. Then I think that concludes our announcements.

Thank you for hanging in there. That was a big one. And with that, I think it's time to go ahead and jump into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Critical. Critical. It's Thursday night! One by one we climb until we reach the top.

Two by two we fall. Will we meet our end or meet our destiny? Hold your breath and roll. How do you want to do this? It's Thursday night All ye critters come join us It's time to continue our fight 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 fight It's Thursday night There is magic and mystery From darkness our friendship will rise When one thing's for sure We never give up on the fight Oh, get ready, it's Thursday night

And welcome back. So last we left off, Bell's Hells, after their excursion to the Shattered Teeth, managed to flee by the skin of their teeth by avoiding what appeared to be, towards the end of the conflict, a monculus around, or, sorry, a simulacrum. Different types of weird magical constructions

of Ludinus Delef, who took a bit of information from that conflict and you fled with, indeed, your target, a remaining spark of one of the ancient primordial titans, particularly Flame. As part of that experience, you also teleported back to Whitestone, and after a little bit of a bumpy

return, because some people just can't seem to roll decent on these teleports, return to Whitestone to find that many of the other allies that you've made through this ever-growing mounting danger in the middle of the Hellcatch Valley have come to Whitestone to discuss the next plan of events. In this time, you went into the war room and made some new friends, as well as met some old ones, and all together began to throw on the table what information you had acquired

and what needed to happen next. It was decided as the large world of Exandria currently gathers itself, everyone who might be accessible and available and driven to take arms against this threat that Ludinus, the Ruby Vanguard, has built in the center, the heart of Marquet. Others still throughout the world continue to be drawn to his cause,

and that division grows ever stronger throughout the world. As they begin to reach out to those they can, the attention is high on them, their history before them, and know that there is an expectation of their arrival without a knowledge of what lies beyond the Bloody Bridge above the Malleus Key and Ruidus proper on the other side. Rune stuff. I haven't even started the game.

Sorry. Just some Rune stuff. You volunteered to be the recon team, to go to Ruidus to see what awaits everyone there and return when you felt the information you gathered was helpful or it was too dangerous. You asked for a couple of things. You met Lady Allura Vysoren,

who is looking into acquiring what she can to help you on this journey. Some possible plotting for how you can sneak into the place you previously were witness to the development and release of the Malleus Key itself. And found what wasn't Whitestone Andy, but a fine churro salesman here in the middle of Whitestone. But upon taking an evening's rest,

contemplating the events of the day and the days to come, the mounting anxiety of what lies before you in the middle of the night, it appears that Laudna has woken up Imogen with interest for events as the evening progresses. So as we come into here, as everyone else is resting, and you have shaken Imogen awake, let us jump back in.

Hey. Yeah? Did you still want to go on a little field trip? Oh, 100%. All right, I'm going to wake up first. Okay. I'm already awake. Oh jeez. Hi.

Sometimes I like to sleep with my eyes open, just to know it's me. She does, too. No, yeah. I'm just kidding, I don't. Oh. Well, now I feel like I'm awake. I was just like, no, no, no, no, it's okay. She does, too. No, yeah. I'm just kidding, I don't. I know that you do, and I was just like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's an ability that I wish I really could do. Wait, are we all sleeping in the same room,

or did Fearne sleepwalk in here? We're in Watchtower, right? Yeah. I got some fucking estate room. I thought we wanted to. But we had told her that we wanted to, so she probably. I knew that there was going to be an excursion. I definitely remember exactly how we set this up.

Okay, well then I would at least speak my head in. Psst, it's time. Okay, okay, okay, let's go. Okay. What time is it exactly? I don't know. I don't know. What time is it?

You're not certain. You're in the middle of a castle, but it's in the middle of the night of their early hours of the morning. It is still cold and quiet throughout the halls of Whitestone Castle. Let's go. Okay. Do you have somewhere you wanted to go specifically?

I don't know. It's just the way Gwendolen reacted to me. If she won't give me answers, then maybe we'll find some. I'm just wondering if maybe walking around will jog my memory a bit. Sure. I like this idea.

Okay. Yeah. All right. Which direction should we go? Do you want to go, oh, this is terrible. Do you want to go somewhere that was traumatic, or do you want to go somewhere that was happy? There's not a lot of options for happy.

It's mainly all going to be traumatic, but it's okay, I'm good. I've got you all. I've healed a lot. You have, yes, yes. It. I've got you all. I've healed a lot. You have, yes. It's about this time you begin to hear footsteps down the distant hallway as you're just emerging from the room.

You step back in and close the door just carefully and you see a pale guard on his wandering tour. Just. Are we allowed to walk around? Probably not. All right. Okay. Why don't we try to walk around? Probably not. All right. Okay. All right. Why don't we try the dining hall? That's a place we could go to the tree.

We could. Let's go down. Straight. Let's go down. Let's head down further. You see, when I was still roaming the city, sometimes I would seek refuge in the tunnels and whatnot, underneath the castle. So I can seek passageways and things.

This whole castle is riddled with them. Lead the way. All right. No, as you contemplate, the specific details to your memory are still a bit fuzzy. It was many years ago, and that time was a tough one. But you recall there was a scary yet safe place. And the way to get there was a large room

filled with dusty furniture without light, like an extravagant bedchamber of some kind. All right. We're looking, I feel like this is probably not going to be helpful because it's a castle, but looking for a big room with furniture. Oh, I found it. There's one over here, too.

You know, because they're everywhere. Shit. Two for two. Shit. All right. Wait, what? Hold on, let me... That was not how that was supposed to happen. You bought another unit! I did! You bought another unit!

That sounded so good! In the brunch solarium. In my brunch solarium, which is now ruined for hours. It even went up at the end. Your son will sue! It was my show! Girls, fart. She has a very clean, spotless white sneaker under here,

and it's squeaked on the chair. Oh my god, but it's in its first so much like it did! Oh no, I'm scared to move my feet now. Okay, what if, no, pardon me. What if I go into your memories a little bit? Okay. And just try to specifically detect that memory. All right. Okay. And just try to specifically detect that memory. All right.

Okay. All right. Yes, I'll meditate on what I remember from those reticent thoughts. Okay, you cast Detect Thoughts. As you reach out with your mind and begin to I have no reason to touch the side of your face while doing this because I can do it without doing it, but I'm going to touch the side of your face.

All right. Holding her head in your hands and focusing your mind and presence into the dark shadowed scape that is Horus, you push through. Focusing on your memory, you see this chamber again, less of a going into the chamber, but occasionally exiting it and then back in.

You remember there being a staircase that led into this room from her perspective, but the room itself had cobwebs. It was untouched. You see a beautiful four-post bed, a canopy bed, and you see a portrait on the wall of a family. You see a beautiful master bedroom, just forgotten or in disuse.

Weird. It's a bedroom. You were right. It's like... It seems like the main bedroom of the estate, but nobody's in there. It's filled with dust and cobwebs and... Was there somebody that... Why would they not use a bedroom?

It's probably the best room in the house. Perhaps it belonged to the late DeRolos and no one wanted to disturb it. Yeah, maybe somebody died or was murdered brutally. That's where my mind goes. Well, then, we should find that. All right, let's try there. Let's just... Mine, mine goes. Well, then we should find that. All right, let's try there.

Let's just dump cards. Oh, oh, oh, oh, pass without a trace. Oh, thank you. That was good. All right. As you feel the comfort of the evening shadows grow stronger around you, you're going to begin to stealthily travel throughout the castle and then see.

Do you remember where their room might have been? There was a stairwell around it or leading. I feel like maybe if we go back, and start at the dining chamber? I just remember, yeah, we'll go from there. I don't know, it's all going to come back to me. Okay. I'd like all three of you all going to come back to me. Okay. I'd like all three of you to make a stealth check for me.

Group stealth check. Oh boy. Group stealth. Okay. One. 24. 24, okay. 28. 28. Oh wait, plus 10.

Yes. 34. 34, yes. And 28. 28. 18. 34. 34, yes. And 28. 28. 18. Plus 10? Oh boy. Okay, that's still good.

It's fine, it's still really good. Here, as you begin to tiptoe your way through the long, thin, stone, cold hallways of Whitestone Castle, the occasional wall-mounted sconces with their low-burning, magically produced cinders that keep it in a warm interior visually, though the temperature itself leaves you a little shivery. You continue down towards the dining chambers you said you wanted to begin at.

You pay attention to some of the wandering pale guard, and you can see, probably based on the type of clientele that are present within the castle overnight, the security is a little heightened. So they're a pair of guards wandering at each other section. You have to time your movement with them changing positions and moving through

certain sections of the castle, but it doesn't take you too long to begin noticing the pattern through the use of your magic. Quickly abscond from corner to corner until eventually you return to the place where you last dined. The hall itself closed, but a good point of reference as to where the rest of the castle might be,

which you haven't quite wandered fully about. The only person who has any real memory of the castle might be, which you haven't quite wandered fully about. The only person who has any real memory of this castle would be you. Go ahead and... I'll say just go ahead and roll a wisdom check for me. Okay. 13. 13, okay, okay.

You begin to recall memories of entering this chamber. And when you entered this chamber at night, you would occasionally escape it throughout other halls, wandering through the castle to take things, to take little tools and little crafts and trinkets that you found loose to bring back to your subterranean safe space. Like a person living in the walls unknown, you would just occasionally wander out

and bring back in this fractured time. You recall when you would wander out, you would wander down into the castle when you did so. You don't directly recall the path, but wherever you were coming from, the chamber was a higher floor. We got to go upstairs. Sorry, I had to hurry.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. No, but it's like you can read my mind. It's crazy just how you're so in touch with exactly what I was thinking. Okay, I'm going to... I'm definitely not still detecting your thoughts. I'm totally still detecting your thoughts. Do I see any stairs heading up?

There are a number of staircases. There are end of hallways that have tight stone spiral staircases that lead up into secondary floors. There's the main foyer area, which has ascending staircases that lead to the upper floor, but that place is pretty well watched since it has the main entryway to the castle itself,

as well as leading to the throne room. Do I remember when I was being led in after being captured, if the dining room was on the left or the right? It was on the right-hand side when you entered the castle, so you are on the... All right, so I think we need to go left and up. Okay, that makes sense. We'll do that. Okay. That makes sense.

We'll do that. Okay. See what happens. So to the left would bring you back towards the main entryway, because the dining area was to the right as you entered. So if you go left from where you are, it'll lead you towards the area, which does have stairs leading upward,

but you'd have to be- There's a lot of guards. There's four posted in there, so if you want to find a clever way to bypass them, you certainly can. Are there stairs on the other side of the dining room? Maybe like... Maybe it all just connects. You could wander if you'd like to.

Yeah, let's walk through the dining hall and see if there's maybe servant stairs or something, because you probably wouldn't have taken main stairs when you were in the garden. Okay, yes. Let's look for back stairways, because that seems like something Laudna would've used before. Okay.

All those old houses had servant passageways and stuff. Okay. As you carefully enter the dining hall, closing the doors behind you, heading across the low burn of the fireplace in the middle of the evening's previous dinner, now barely holding on, little crackles and pops, the only remnants of life that sit in this empty chamber.

The opposite side, the doors leading to the kitchen sit in this empty chamber. The opposite side, the door is leading to the kitchen. As you step into the kitchen area, you can see the lingering smell of the evening's meals still hanging in the air. You can see a number of the cooking utensils and pots have been scrubbed and left out to dry. There's nobody in the kitchen, and you see there are two doorways that leave this chamber.

One that's across the kitchen, one that's to the right. It looks like a closet, almost. Check both. The one that's across, yeah. Yeah, let's try the one across. Okay. You go across the kitchen.

The other door, you open it up. This leads into a small hallway that bends to the left, and you can see there's another door right where the bend of this hallway is before it turns out of sight. I didn't find anything in this place. There's so many hallways in here. I don't even remember where we are.

We've just gone so many twists and turns. Should we look in here? Let's try to check the other one across the way first. Okay, if it's not a pantry. Yes. Okay. Okay. You move across the way to the other door, and as the hallway turns, you can see this hallway

continues on before it goes into a T-intersection about 25 feet down, You move across the way to the other door, and as the hallway turns, you can see this hallway continues on before it goes into a T-intersection about 25 feet down, and there are three small doors along this way, alternating on the right, on the left, on the right, before it hits the T-intersection. Certain quarters. Or offices. Maybe. I'm just channeling my memory of Downton Abbey.

What about the other little door? That's the one that you were just talking about? There's the smaller one that's in the kitchen that you guys walked past. Yeah, that one. Can we go look at that? Yeah, yeah. You pull it open. Look at this.

This is a really nice walk. Do you think? Do you think FCG would like this? All right, we could take it. All right. We could take it. Do you have room? Yes. A walk. Yeah.

It's a walk. You pull it from the smaller doorway in the kitchen and as you do, a bunch of pots and pans and cooking materials just come pouring out of what looks to be a storage thing. Catch them with my Mage Hand before any more fall. You catch a couple and keep them off and tumbling, but it definitely had three that hit the ground

with a heavy ping-pong. I'm going to slowly set them down and we make for the small hallway. Go, go, go, go, go, go. Go, go, go, go, go, go. Small hallway. Okay, I need you all to make another stealth check after that. Will they find Percy's train sets?

Giant basement full of track. I mean, what do you think happened to the ziggurat? Oh! Choo-choo-choo! full of track. I mean, what do you think happened to the ziggurat? Choo choo choo. Shout out to Gigi. I love that. We would love that. 35. 35.

You dress up like you when you were at the Battlegrounds. 37. Ooh! 17. 17. With the 10? Uh-huh. Okay. And where are you guys hiding right now

as this happens, in the kitchen? The little hallway. The one that was on the other side. Oh, the other one. As you go darting into the tiny hallway that was across the way, the first door that's across the way begins to open. In your direction, what do you do?

Double back, double back! Yeah, double back. Y'all just keep going. I'm just going to stay in the kitchen. Go, go, go, just go! I'll meet you. So you both dart back in the kitchen. Double back.

Okay, and you find alcoves sinking into the corners. As you step into the edges, where there's barely any light in here, other than a lantern that's left out, you just disappear into the darkness. While you, the door opens and you can see one of the older woman servants in her,

I say older in comparison to you, she's in her late 40s, early 50s maybe, has a nightcap on and has this little throw-over robe. Oh, I'm sorry, you're? I'm so sorry. I think I made a little bit of a ruckus. I was just looking for a little midnight snack. Snack!

You got real strong, having so much. All right, all right. Give me a moment, dear. I'm sorry about that. No, it's all right. I don't want you to have to wake up. If you just tell me, do you have a piece of fruit or something I can just nibble on? I know there's, on the four back-to-back cabinets

that are across from the cooking fireplace, you can see up top, on the far right one, there should be a number of pieces of fresh-cut fruit that weren't used in the meal. So just take your pick, dear. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Is there a way, do you know, can I get back up to my room down this hallway?

I got a little lost. Oh yeah, if you go right down this way and take a right, there should be a staircase that leads to the second floor. Thank you, ma'am. What was your name again? Oh, Janine. Janine, thank you. Of course, of course.

Have a good night. I'm sorry about that. That's all right. I'll head over to the fruit. I'm a late sleeper, but I'll make it work. He gets back into the room and closes the door. Janine, sorry. I grab some fruit. No witnesses.

There's a stairway at the end. I'll walk normal. Y'all walk quiet. You'll be quiet. All right. Clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk, clunk. From pike and armor to bird and fucking horse. Yep.

How many of you are stoned everywhere? Trying to step as lightly as I can. You need a little sock. Yeah, a little sock. You need a little booty. He's like, slip everywhere. Very small. Okay.

You should have had Deanna crochet you little hoof covers. Little booty. Good idea. Little leg warmers. So cute. Following the directions you were given, you head down the long hallway,

and in the end, there is a tight spiral staircase that leads to the secondary floor. As you emerge there, you can see the hall splits into three different directions. Make another wisdom check for me. Guidance. Switch up the dice. Natural 20. Oh yes!

On the die. All I wanted. Of course. Yep. As you step up into the space, everything becomes familiar. You're like, I know this hall. I've been through here. You start instinctively walking down one of the paths.

Jurassic Park reference. I know this. Like a bloodhound picking up a scent, you just start walking around and passing doors until you come to the very end of the far left hall. There is a set of beautiful double doors walking around and looking, passing doors until you come to the very end of the far left hall. There is a set of beautiful double doors that finalize where this walkway comes to a close.

From Laudna's perspective, it has that forced perspective. Vertigo. Yeah, parallax effects as she gets to the doors. Yeah, full overlook hotel. This is doors. Yeah, full Overlook Hotel. This is it. Yeah. This is where they kept me. I'm just going to put my hand on the smaller back. Do you need to take a minute?

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait a minute. They kept you here? They kept you here? In the chamber? They tortured me. In their room? Yes. For how long? I don't know.

I hate these people. Not the ones that are here, who did this to you, of course. I hate this. I'm sorry, but I don't know. Are you sure you want to go in there? I still don't really understand what happened to me,

or who these people were, or who's in my head. No one knows. No one will tell me. I need this. All right. Let's do it. let's do it. Just going to test the doorknob first. Okay, you touch it and turn, and it's like a handle.

As you turn it, it stops. It appears to be locked. As you remove your hand, you can see the layer of dust that's settled on these handles and the dust that is pulled off as your fingers were moved and you've cleared parts of the metal. Nobody been here.

I do have Thieves' Tools. Oh good, that's good, because I can't help it. Okay. You steal things, don't you? I have Thieves' Tools as well. Going to try and pick this lock. Guidance. Yeah.

Nice. All right, go ahead and roll. Go ahead and roll with a dexterity check. Are you proficient with thieves' tools? I don't know. Okay, so just roll a dexterity check. Plus my d4, right? Plus your d4, correct.

Oof, that's bad. That's very bad. More guidance. Oh, five. Oh! Five. Goddamn. Fuck me. You spend a tense four to five minutes

working on this lock. Had to do this in a while. The door is beautifully carved, and you can see there's almost like a vineyard design on the outside of it, where you can see these vines that climb and grapes that are carved into the dark wood with leaves that curl off. You can see that there is a symbol of a tree that is built where the doors come together that represents the Sun Tree in the center. It's beautiful. It's easy to take all that in while you wait for Laudna to quietly curse under her

breath as she's just having a hard time with this lock, until eventually you reach a point where you have no idea what to do anymore. The tumblers are not working for you, or you're just out of your depth. Can you see through the keyhole at all? You look down and look in the keyhole, and it's just darkness. Is there? All right. At all? You look down and look in the keyhole, and it's just darkness. Is there? All right. Can I? Oh.

Is there any control? Can I cast my cantrip? Can I light up the inside through the keyhole? Yeah. As you cause these little sparkling orbs of energy to appear in the other chamber, giving this shifting crackle of lavender light within. You can see, just as you saw in her memory, pretty much untouched since then, the

bedchambers that lie here, the four massive poles that make this canopy bed. You can see a bookshelf and a trunk. That's all you can see from the perspective of this keyhole, but this is the bedchamber from her memory. I could do something really stupid right now. Yeah, sure. Yeah.

I'm going to look through the keyhole and I'm going to open a little split in space, and a Ryloren's going to step through. Whoa! You can do that? So I can open the door? On the other side of the door? Okay, which kind of Ryloren are you summoning? Unseen alien serpent?

Quite seen, Aang. Very seen. I have untold power planted by the moon. What do you need? I'm not, you want me to open the door? Pretty much, I don't know how. It's in the coat shack. I guess a mind?

What, a hex mind? Make me a mind. Okay. As you focus on the other side, there's that, the two of you here, muffled beyond the doorway. Someone's in there. This bassy crackle,

and then silence once more. You watch on the opposite end as that space tears open, a bright red coloration, and then two legs step out of this rift and touch the ground. You can see a Rylorian stands there, robed and belted across this travel garb. You can see around their face a head jewelry that adorns their elongated head. Their dark, void-like eyes. As they step down, it meets your gaze through the keyhole, and you hear in your mind,

What do you require? Can you unlock the door? Sure. And you hear. Is there anything else you require? How's it going up there? What? Have you seen a guy with long, white hair?

I have not, no. What about a tall, creepy guy with long fingers? We have a number of those up there. Yeah. But not red. I don't want you to walk. Yeah, but he's not red. Have you seen anyone who looks like me? Yeah.

You have? Briefly. What was she doing? Walking through the storm. That could have been me. That's true. Yeah. That's true.

How long can he hang around, just in case? He can hang around for a while. You want to just chill with us for just a little bit? You want to just hang out? Whatever you require. The door's unlocked. It's not open yet. We're going to go. Well-known actor, and it's just... So as you walk inside, indeed, you can look around

and you can see this is a beautiful chamber. There's a vanity and mirror to one side. You can see there's a large, beautifully carved armoire. The carpeting, these rugs that are placed beneath the bed and beneath the larger pieces of furniture are beautiful. You see there's a large portrait, indeed, of a well-dressed family, all sitting with five children amongst the two parents. You catch the second youngest within the portrait has a large, bespectacled face,

and with a brief moment, you realize you've met this fellow, though many years later in his life. Wow. I wonder who all these other people are. Oh, no wonder he's such a prick. What? Why? Well, I mean his entire family. Where are they?

Because it always is weird to move into your parents' bedroom. Yeah, yeah. Oh. Oh yeah, they died. That was the whole thing. Yeah. Yeah. Brutally murdered.

Yeah. All right. Do I... So, okay, so it's all covered in dust. Any other time, any other thing that's sparking memory? Because you rolled a natural 20 earlier, yes. I will say, stepping into this chamber, the memories flooding back, the muscle memories,

it's odd because even just being in this room, you watch as Laudna's posture, which already isn't great, becomes even more small. Like she instinctually wants not to be noticed within this space. You begin walking over towards the edge where the bed and the bookcase meet, and you recall pulling a book

or tugging on a book. There's something about this bookcase that's familiar to you. Absolutely. I go over. Are there still books on there? Yeah, all the books are still there, all deeply placed and all as dusty as you recall.

I'm going to try one on the third shelf down. Going to look for the one that's maybe a little taller than the rest. Looks slightly out of place. Make a perception check. All right. Maybe one has a little less dust than the others if you touch it a few times.

Let's see. The cat and the hat. 25. 25. 25. No. Glancing around, on the third shelf, which is the bottom shelf of the three major bookcase shelves

that are up here before the lower cabinet opens, all the way to the far right, the second-to-last book is the only book that spine has no title. You also notice upon the far right, the second-to-last book is the only book that's spine has no title. You also notice upon the very top, indeed, there is a little notch where it looks like it has less dust than every other book there. My spindly finger. As soon as you pull it back, and it slightly tilts as opposed to remove, three of you immediately hear

and to the immediate right, the stone wall, which had a tapestry over it, you see it shift and slide out of the way, revealing another wall made of bricks. Oh. Put my... Oh yeah, just in case. Yeah. As you, because there's a tapestry

hanging in front of it still, and you can just see, and the bricks here don't match the color of the rest of the room's construction. They're not the same color. Locked back. The end of the paradise. Seal it up. Do it now. Yeah.

Yeah. So new bricks that don't, it's a patch job. It looks like it might be a more recent bit of construction. You do not recall this wall being there based on your memory. As you move the tapestry aside, there is what looks to be painted on the bricks

a phrase in common, a nice, large handwriting that reads, Clever as you are, there is nothing for you here. Now go find your mother and apologize. Oh! That is amazing. Wow. So good. Wow.

The attitude in this family. Too real. Too fucking real. I'm sure. That might be fair. Little Gwyn. Yeah. Fearne? Yes?

Do you happen to have anything, you know? Checking, I feel like. The old exploding wall spell? These stone, shapey shapes. See if they're prepared. I could try. Murth will leap your foot into the wall. I know, I don't want to make too much noise.

I know. I could try to use telekinesis to loosen some of it, maybe at the top, you know, so it won't make as much noise or something. I have my own rock pick, but I don't want to Shawshank Redemption-less. I'll be here for forever. Two weeks later, you finally get through the wall.

Okay, stone shape. Hey. Got it? That was it. Yes. Hey, that's great! It's exactly this big. Dun-dun-dun! There's actually, there was one I didn't want to choose. I was going to say, the hot poster, the rubies.

So yeah. How are you doing? Perfect! Hopefully that's okay. Still cannot count. That's better. All right. Wait, where'd it go? Sorry, disappear.

You can make a five-foot hole or something. Mm-hmm. So I can make a small passage. As long as the wall is less than five feet thick. It works. It works. You can give it a shot. Okay. I just touch it.

You touch it, and what are you trying to do? I am trying to make a hole for us to go through. You reach out and you touch the brick stone work that currently closes this, and immediately you watch as it crumbles away like someone's rapidly carving clay out of the way, and you leave an entryway to what immediately reveals no more than a foot and a half past the wall,

but just only about that thick, a lightless staircase below. Light orbs. Okay. The orbs glow downward and the stairs descend 15, 20, 30, 40 feet before they reach another door. You descend the stairs and go to the door?

Yes. This is all very familiar to you. You head down to the door and open it into another wide chamber without a source of light. Imogen. another wide chamber without a source of light. Imogen. Okay, what was your name? You turn back to the Ryloran.

Sivana. Sivana. Sivana. Sivana. You want to come with us or should I stay here? Whatever you will. What if we run into trouble down there? Was there ever any trouble down there?

We should bring Sivana. Sivana, can you fit through this hole? They step over and step through the hole after the rest of you. You can see there's even an anxiousness. And as they walk around, they're taking it all in. They're intense and very direct, but also you get a sense of confusion and marvel

from this entity as it walks around in an unfamiliar space. I'm going to say into your head, I think it's a bad idea to let them see all of this stuff. Like, what if, you know, Ludinus finds out that this one particular Ryloran has come here and then, you know, like, tries to interrogate him and find out more about Whitestone.

Is that possible? I guess anything is possible. But also, you know, it's still worth it. Yeah, I don't know. We could use our help. It's still worth it. Yeah. All right. I think so. All right.

In your head, I'm going to go, Mm-hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. SAM and LAURA laugh. I wish it did. No. Starai Lorne descends the stairs behind you. You send your orbs into the chamber. And as they spread out into the area here,

it's about maybe 10 to 12 feet at its apex. And the chamber is about 30 or so feet across. It's almost a thick L shape in the chamber. As you step in, it turns to the left and opens up wide before it seems to arc off again out of sight. But you see within this room, it is filled with furniture of all manner of strange shapes.

There are tables and things, but everything's covered in sheets, pale sheets that hang over what looks like dozens of odd cases and desks and other contraptions, as you see large spires and weird bulbous bits of equipment that are all just covered. You can see occasionally a bit of glass that peeks out

as the shine of your moving orb glistens across it. You can see the brief little bit of color that peeks from a wire that is exposed in the back of one of these layered blankets. It looks like it might be some sort of laboratory or workroom. They don't even use all this stuff down here. Was this... Was this Delilah's?

I think so. Nearest sheet. You pull it off, and you see across here what looked like a table, but now revealing it, there are shackles on each end of this long table. This is where it happened. You can see stains on the wood. Now, as you look down, you can see

a lot of the floor here also is covered in broken glass and bits of shards and splinters of wood. You get the sense that a lot of the materials here are either partially damaged or are in severe disuse. Can you light up your hands? Sure. To make light?

Yes. Because I just realized both my spells are concentration. I have them. Oh, they are. As long as she can use something to make light, then we can see. I have Caleb's Produce Flame. Perfect. Okay.

Yeah, so. Okay, so you maintain your Rylord. I can't do that. I talk to the world fire. Yes. Prometheus over here. Yes, yes. I just start frantically ripping down the sheets.

Okay. Like almost manic. Understood. You watch as Laudna lost in the memories of this, pulling off sheet after sheet, revealing what looks to be a dark lectern, where it looks like a book would be held, a tome would be held open.

Beyond that, you can see what looks like an alchemical contraption, but the glass is shattered inward, like it either was privy to a fight or intentionally destroyed, a number of its wired components removed and missing. Another section over here, you can see along the wall, there is what looks like a rack of some kind that contains all manner of tools, but many of them are missing or scattered upon the ground around it. You can see there are blades and chains and a lot of signs of little dusted remnants of residuum dust, but it looks like it's just

little left behind remnants of what was once there. You can see there was a glass jar that was large and contained what probably was refined residuum dust, but it has since been broken and is what would have poured out onto the ground. Looks like it's been taken and absconded with, and there's just the faintest bit of

almost like a glitter sparkle as your flame light passes over and near it. The temperature in this room also is quite cold your flame light passes over and near it. The temperature in this room also is quite cold and getting colder, as the flames in your hands also begin to grow dimmer. Dimmer? Dimmer? Yes.

Laudna, do you think it's dangerous down here? Behind Laudna, as you think it's dangerous down here? Behind Laudna, as you're looking at her, you see this ever so faint visage of a ghostly human rise out of one of the untouched sheets, its vacant, dark eye sockets, and its hanging mouth drawing more and more open as it seems to reach for her.

No, no. I just back up. Wait, I try to talk to it real quick in shadow cant. Oh. Hello, friend. Who are you? It just reaches for you, making this baneful sound. I dodge all the way.

I need the three of you to roll initiative. Oh! Both back, both back. Ah! Both back. Is this combat? Is there a map? What's happening?

This is theater of mind in here. Do I read this or not? Sure. Well, it's combat cam. It's not combat cam, there's no cam! You'll never get to know what this says. Shit. This theater of the imagination is brought to you by WizKids. Not until we attack Allura after the intermission.

17. All right, so 25 to 20. Oh shit, I didn't roll, I didn't roll, I didn't roll. Oh, that was terrible. Yeah, so 25 to 20. Oh shit, I didn't roll, I didn't roll, I didn't roll. Oh, this is terrible. Oh, that's pretty bad. 20 to 15, 17, all right. Shit.

Oh no. Sleeping peacefully. We're going to role play our sleeping in real time. 15 to 10? Every time you guys take a hit, I have to roll. 13, okay. Oh, that a hit, I have to roll. Oh, that's right, you have to roll. What if you die now? Jeez.

That is not the base I'll make. 10 to five? Five. Five. Does my Ryloran get the same? Does it say it in the spell that it goes to on your initiative or after? Remind me. It takes its turn immediately after mine.

There you go. Okay, Laudna, you are up first as this one special entity goes for you rapidly. What do you do? I don't know if this is going to... Shit, shit, shit. Is that what I want to do right now? Yeah, that's right.

Um... I will. Yeah, I'll try it. I don't know if it will work. I'm just going to actually pass my hand through it and try and grasp onto what is left of its soul. and try and grasp onto what is left of its soul. Okay. Of this emptied entity

and do Hunger of the Shadow Shard and see if I can absorb its soul. Okay, all right. Go ahead and roll for your attack. Jesus. Okay. Yeah, it's a natural 19. That definitely hits, yes.

Okay, 48. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I need more d8s. Switching my dice. I need murdering you. I'll just do these twice. Five, six, seven. 11, 16 damage.

16 what type of damage? Necrotic. Necrotic, okay. As you reach out to the special entity, you embrace that darker side of your spirit, and the rest of you here in the middle of this low light almost watch as this dark mist seems to drift around her shoulders and head. As the special entity steps through into your arm, you feel the cold shiver turn into an ice knife-like feeling

through your forearm as its vacant face goes, It's you. It takes no damage. What? Is that a soul? Just like me. It's necrotic. It's immune to necrotic damage. Does that finish your turn?

Ah. It's me. Hi. I'm probably the team. I, once again, just ask it, you know me? And I'm going to use my bonus action to transform into my Form of Dread,

which is much more, even more reminiscent of the Morning Vale and Delilah's go. Put folk around. Much more, even more reminiscent of the Morning Veil and Delilah's form. You icky. Okay. That's my turn. Okay. As you transform into your Form of Dread, the two of you notice that the veil drops,

but the collar whitens. You see, almost across her neck, where the skin seems to darken and burn into the shape of a choker. And there is the shadow that drifts off her, seems to almost take the shape of another pair of shoulders that drifts just above hers. What the fuck? I don't know, I don't know,

I didn't know what was going to happen! You know, you know! Oh shit! Mascara! Fuck. I don't know, I don't know, but you knew it was going to happen. You know, you know. You know. Oh, jeez. That's good. I'm wet, I'm wet, and possessed. That finishes your turn. Yes. Oh man. The ghost that is before you now,

it stretches even more terrified and furious as you take your shape, it seems like it was grasping for recognition and has come into focus. For a brief moment, that weird, stretched, aimless expression almost seems to return closer to the once-human form, and you see that anger towards you.

Do I recognize who it is at all? They think I'm Delilah. You do not recognize who it is. You see what looks to be a, it may have once been a young man in his 20s or so, handsome in his life, but now left stretched and forgotten. And is going to reach out to you with a Withering Touch.

21 to hit? Yeah. All right, you take... Could be me. That'll be 16 points of necrotic damage. Don't hurt someone who does not work with necrotic. Mustache, because I will. Don't leave when Burt Reynolds tells you to leave.

Leisure turns. What are you? I don't really know. That's why I'm here. 16 points. 16 points of necrotic damage. Okay. All right, that finishes that specter's turn.

As it's now spinning around, and the two of you are do-si-do-ing in the middle of this area, its body is clipping through and merging with some of the surrounding laboratory furniture, as it seems in this ethereal state. Fearne, it's your turn. Okay.

You're stuck in here. Maybe we can just let you out. Are you stuck in here? Do you understand what I'm saying? It is not even paying attention to you. It is locked on her. Okay. Since I still have Produce Flame,

I'm just going to palm his face. That's what I have left. Ooh, natural 19 plus 10, 29. Definitely hits. Okay. 3d8. That's not bad for a cantrip. Does a shit roll.

Okay. Okay, 12 points of damage. Okay, 12 points of fire damage. The flames burn up the side of this ghost. It takes the hit and recoils from you. But normally, any creature that you fought hurts. It acknowledges the source of the pain. It seems to pull away and then refocus again on Laudna.

You just start posturing towards it. Skull. Let's fucking do this. Fuck. Fuck me, bro. Fearne, anything else you want to do on your turn? No, I'm going to stay. Okay.

You finish your turn, flame in your hand. Just as you, out of the corner of your eye, see a secondary spectral figure emerge from one of the other pieces of furniture. I need you to make a charisma saving throw for me, please. Me? Okay. Oh shit. Shit, shit.

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. Okay. 22. 22. Charisma saving throw? Yes. Fantastic. Is this spell a magical effect? No, no. Okay. 22 is enough, though.

As it seems to reach out, its fingers begin to freeze your shoulder as it attempts to push into your body, and you just will it away. I don't like it. And spin around, flame in your hand, and it spills away. The minute it sees the flame, it turns and sees Laudna. You watch as the vitality of this stretched spirit

suddenly clicks in and you see a young, late teens woman in what looks like a servant's outfit. Oh jeez. You look back towards Laudna. Jeez. You! It's not me! A third.

Laila! This is whack. A third spectral light begins to emerge from what looks like a cabinet. Another one. There's another one. This one begins to drift upward and it looks like an older man with big, thick mutton chops,

his jowls sunken, his sockets pulled deep within his skull as he reaches out towards you, Imogen. I need you to make a charisma saving throw for me. Is there a way we can get them out of here? Use that riz. 21. 21. 21. You jettison it from your consciousness

before it even gets too close to you. You double down, and there's almost an invisible shockwave of your very will as it bounces off. And all three are pushing over towards where Laudna is. Imogen, it's your go. How big is this room? This room is maybe 20 feet across to the other side

and about 10 to 15 feet wide in places. It's very cramped. It's filled with furniture. Is there... They're just going to keep coming. I bet. She had a lot of victims. She's trying to get out of here, I guess. Is there a way I can position myself

to where I'm within 10 feet of the entities without hitting any of my friends? Because I can't tell where I am right now. Right, no, you could position yourself, if you were to go up towards the teenage girl spirit, you could probably get the other two with a 50-50 shot of catching Laudna. It's okay.

What are you trying to do? Before I do it? Can I do that and tell Laudna? Can I do that and tell Laudna? I don't know, they'll get an attack of opportunity on her. They're right next to her. They're right, one of them. He's fine. Two of them are. All right.

Okay. Oh, okay. I am going to use my bonus action to push Laudna back five feet. Mm! Okay. Laudna, you get pushed back, and you hit the edge of one of what looks like

a partially uncovered dissection table of some kind. You can just tumble up onto it and catch yourself on the sides, but you are pushed five feet away from them, which does take her out of harm's way. Great, and then I'm going to, as soon as she's out of distance, I'm going to hit Shock Flare,

and I'm going to light up one of those balls. The plasma balls? Yeah, like a plasma ball, and just like all around me. All of them caught into it. What save do they make? That's a fourth level, and it is instantaneous. Hold on. Strength saving throw.

Strength save. Nope. Five, four, and a zero. They all rolled really bad and have penalties on strength because they're ghosts. Oh, great. That's real bad. So that's 5d6 of lightning damage.

I don't know if that does anything to ghosts. I hope it does. Why do I roll so poorly, you guys? Seven, 10, 13 points of lightning damage. 13. And then, yeah, so that's it. All three of them. It impacts them heavily, and you watch as the spirits

lose their human form for just a second and become these floating, ethereal mist spirits. As the plasma ball vanishes, they all return to their stretched forms, and they've taken hits. One of them looks like it's pretty hurt. The one that looks pretty hurt, the sieve behind me, I'm just going to say, hit it, and they're going to Mind Spike that one. Okay. They're all still focused on Laudna. they're going to Mind Spike that one. Okay. They're all still focused on Laudna.

So go ahead and roll for that one, I think it's, or do they make a saving throw? No, it's an attack. Okay. So that's a 22. That definitely hits, go ahead and roll damage. Okay, so. Suck.

10 points of psychic damage. 10 points of psychic damage. 10 points of psychic damage. That ghost seems to be impacting you. Watch as its lower torso, which was mostly present, is now nearly invisible. It's not holding itself in this realm as strong as it once was. Does that finish your turn?

I mean, yeah. Laudna, you're up. All three of them are still focused on you and they've encircled the area around you. You were pushed five feet away, but now you're up against the table and they're all closing the gap. What do you do?

Just fucking with her head a little bit. She's going to twitch a little and say, Want to release some decades of rage? Come at me! And I'm going to release my Hound of Ill Omen, leaning even more into what I remember from Delilah. And then I'm going to cast Mirror Image on myself so it looks like there's three Delilahs.

And then once again, you see the collar flare and a little bit of that green, crackling, necrotic energy. She just says, I killed you once, I can do it again! And I stick my hound at them. Okay. So your hound apparates and goes after which one? There's one that's barely holding on

and two that have been struck with her plasma. Sure, we'll start with the one that's barely hanging on. Okay. Okay, okay, okay, okay. What do I do? Roar. Wait, doesn't he have a multi-attack situation? I don't know, it doesn't matter.

He's going to do a bite attack. Okay. Big Delilah. Ugh! Oof! Bad! Seven. Seven's a miss. Misses.

Tries to strike out, but the spirits themselves dodge it out of the way. The one that it went for turns around and is still focusing on you, and she goes, Why? I don't know! That finishes your turn. The one that's been hurt the most,

that's screaming why at you, is going to reach for you again with its withering touch. Natural one. It goes to swing for you, and as it does, it looks like the hatred turns into absolute fear, and its jaw jaw stretches and drops about seven or eight inches as it stops and begins to recoil.

That brings us to Fearne's turn. Yes. They're recoiling. They're afraid of me. Well, maybe not you, but... Okay, I am going to... I don't know if this is a good idea. I'm going to cast Daylight.

Okay. In the room. So I need to touch a point, so I'm just going to touch the ground. You touch a point in the ground. Suddenly, the chamber is extremely well lit. As the light on the floor shoots outward, the bits of broken glass that have been revealed

almost refracts it against the wall in odd patterns. The specters, as the flash hits them, you can see them turn slightly, but no other effect. But the room is brightly lit. All right. Okay. Does that finish your turn? Oh.

I guess it feels so lame. They're probably weaker now. They're probably weaker now. Shit, I can't do anything. I know. I'm going to Banf out Mister. Yeah, I can't do anything. I know. I'm going to Banfantmister. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Throw some flaming shit down here.

Yeah. Burn the fucking palace down. Banning of the Misters is usually an action to bring him into space, but we'll say you probably brought him out in advance while you were heading down. Okay, okay. So as you were preparing for the area. All right. What does Laudna's appearance look like in the full light?

In the full light that you can see, her form, very clearly, it's still Laudna, but there's this transformed shape of her clothing, almost like the shadows, almost like a liquid oil that has formed out of her clothing that forms these pointed shoulders and this collar that sits and glistens. You can see where it looks like the skin of her throat is burned in this strip around,

and almost like behind her, like the shadow of shimmering darkness just frames her body in the upper torso shape of another pair of shoulders and another head. If you're getting more and more powerful. It drifts just above her. Are you feeding her right now? Like, by making more of you?

Maybe she's just feeding you, and it's just a one-way thing. Another one of these specters reaches and claws for you with a withering touch. With a natural 20. Oh! A one to a natural 20. They're getting angry. Well, I have my mirror image.

Indeed, so go ahead and see if they hit you or the image. They do. Hit you? Right? I don't know. What do I have to roll over for a mirror image? You have to roll over, Sir N. Hang on, hang on. Sir N. What do I have to roll to get a mirror image? You have to roll over a certain, hang on, hang on. Certain. What, certain.

Mirror image. I have like. You have to roll an eight or higher to get rid of them. What'd you roll? No, I rolled a six. So they hit me with this one. You have three duplicates.

You have to roll a six or higher to change the attack's target to duplicate. With two duplicates, it's an eight or higher, sorry. Okay, right, so no, they miss. All right, so the one that goes towards you reaches out and one of the duplicates of you just ends up being consumed by this spirit as it vanishes out of sight.

The other one is going to come for you, now even more infuriated. That is going to be a 20 to hit. Jesus. This guy's good. Let's roll again. Miss. Goes for my second mirror image. Both of your images?

Yes. Two of them are gone now. You have a third one left, right? Correct. This is three. Okay. There is a growing ferocity in their frustration as they lash out at you and are unable to hurt you as much as they want. That finishes their go. Imogen, you're up.

Yeah, you are. Oh god. What is this? What is this? I'm out of spells because we didn't rest. We didn't take a rest. Use your melee combat. Hell yeah.

Sorry, I don't mean to laugh, so. Let me throw a barrel at it. Okay. On arm strength. Okay. If I do, I'll... I don't want to drop my Ryloran. Flurry of Flicks. Flurry of No's. Can't the Ryloran attack?

Well, with the fucking Mind Spike. Okay. Are they still close to Laudna now, or are they still back five feet from you? No, they've closed the gap. They've closed in again? So they're all, like, Laudna's up against the wall on the table right now, and sitting on the edge, and they've fully swarmed around the sides.

I miss them, of course. Okay. I am going to come up. Hold on, let me see what I can do. I've never done this. I love you so much. Okay. Save her. Nuke it.

Nuke Castle Whitestone. If you need some time, I was supposed to read that this combat is brought to you by WizKids Minis. Join forces with the Mighty Nein to take on the terrifying Uk'otoa. Uk'otoa. Order this behemoth today. Expand your collection of Critical Role miniatures

at wizkids.io slash crminis and your local game store. How about now, Laura? Okay. Just eight more of those. I'm going to step up so I'm within five feet of the ghosts. Okay. I'm going to reach out my hands and I'm going to say, leave her alone.

My entire body is going to start to crackle. From under my dress, you're going to see light start to light up and flare all up my face, down my arms and my legs. Cool. Lightning titties. Lightning titties! Lightning titties! Is thaties?! Lightning titties! Is that an official spell?

It's fifth level. That's the spell, it's lightning titties is the name of it. Okay. Caleb, produce flame. I'm going to anything. Anything that moves within five feet of me for the first time on a turn or ends a turn

is going to take damage, but I'm going to use my action to create a line of lightning that comes out of me that's 15 feet long, so I can get two of them, I imagine. You can get two of them, yeah. Okay. There's one that's still on Death's Door, or is he gone? There's one still on Death's Door, yeah.

Okay, then I'm going to aim for that one in the middle one. Okay. You got it. Okay, and they have to make a de that one in the middle one. Okay. You got it. Okay, and they have to make a dexterity save. Dexterity save. Four and 11.

Then they both take 4d8 lightning damage. They do. Roll high. Roll high! 32. Oh god. Okay, goodbye. Bye. This is our chance, run! Be free!

Why? Okay, okay. Yeah, it's a mix. 10, 15. 15 points of lightning damage to each of them. Okay, so one of them gets shocked and drifts halfway into the ground for a second, while the other one, Laudna, the one that's been hounding you since the beginning, the first one that appeared,

as it's barely holdingounding you since the beginning, the first one that appeared, as it's barely holding on, it's just going, Murderer, why? Why? As it reaches for you, this energy burns its spirit away as it and it's gone. Cool. As it disappears, I'm going to look across

and see your face. It's okay. No! I unleash my attacks. Indeed, it's your turn. Siv is gone. You're killing him. Aw, Siv.

You're good. No! Sivah. Sivah. I thought you only killed three people, so this is really- I'm going to unleash some Ildritch Blasts! Let's go! All three, let's go!

Okay, the first one is going to be 29. 29 hits. 22. Hits, are these all the same one? We'll do two on the one that looks... The one that she hit with lightning already? No, two on the one that looks... The one that she hit with lightning already? No, two on the one that looks the most untouched, and then this last one, 18 on the one that she already hit. That's going to be d10 plus five on each of those, so for the one that I'm hitting two

with, ooh, 15, 23 damage. 23 damage on the first two hits? Yeah. Okay. And then. It's looking real rough. On the last one, eight damage on the one that she already hit. Yep, that one's also looking real rough. Both of them are like.

Quicken spell. Oh. Doing it again. Okay. Eldritch Blast. Eldritch Blast. Is that a natural 20? Two natural 20.

No! Jesus! What? And a 10. So that's 31, 31, 21. Whoa! I think those all hit. Go ahead and roll damage. Okay, so for the two nat 20s. Just enraged and confused.

Okay, so that's a 10 for the first one, so that's 25 damage. Damn. And then for the second one, not as good. Rolled a two, four, plus another five, so that's nine. All right, the damage on the third one? That's two nat 20s, and then on the third one

is going to be another 10 for 15 damage. How do you want to do this? Yes! On both of them. Exiles the damage. I mean, she's just confused and angry, but you see her lean in a little bit to be exactly who these ghosts think that she is.

And it's almost like a piece of Delilah comes out and she just says, You wouldn't dare! As she annihilates them. Okay, both the spirits and vanish. The bright central sunlight that lights this chamber seems to reach everywhere but around Laudna

as the shape of shadow that frames her seems to stand stalwart against the light. In that quiet, the absence of those aggressive spirits, you hear, Alexander, Tethany, Vincent, all kind servants of the castle, all very useful subjects. And all of you hear this.

A voice that has not been heard since you once traveled in a shadow realm to save your friend. Define all. I mean all three of the chamber. Okay, yeah, we're just double checking. Where is she? You see the shadow shape of- It's just coming from-

It just seems to be coming from Laudna. I don't know what to do. It's interesting. You found part of my old additions to the castle grounds. You hear her? Yeah. You hear her, too. A place to keep Silas to rest. A place to keep Silas to rest. A place to experiment in the name of the Whispered One.

Ah, so many memories here. It's nice to see it again. What am I to you? Are there more like me? There are none like you. So I'm your last material threat to this world. As I am yours. What do you mean? Dear, you've been dead for quite some time.

I'm all that keeps you here. You're lying! Am I? We are bound, you and I. So let us put aside these... strange and unnecessary quabbles and instead, maybe do some great things together. I'm sure you've many questions.

Well, what is it you wish to know? What are you after? Hmm. I wish nothing more than to see history come to its natural close. I want to outlive this world. I want to uncover its mysteries and keep them to myself and my love. What's so wrong with that? You may live to see the day, then. Unless you help us defeat Predathos. You may live to see the day, then,

unless you help us defeat Predarthos. I do not push against your goals. Truth be told, our interests are quite aligned. I lend you my gifts because you need them, and I need you. I should hope need them and I need you. I should hope that offers you some solace. Truth be told, the one I, the one I received my gifts from has little to gain with the destruction of the gods.

I gave up everything to create one. Did it work? It did, in a way. Create one what? A god. A god. His powers through you as well? The Whispered One. His shadows run deep, and while he may be biding his time, his tendrils lie in every shadow of this realm.

He, I, do not wish to see that taken by the enemy of ancient insolence. So... We are aligned. And if he goes away, the Whispered One? So do we. It seems you have a lot more at stake. So help me.

I am. More. You've barely spoken to me in months. I need you to give me more. You feel that hunger, that inside. You recall the stone you shattered on the ship. You recall the soul you took from Bordor.

You recall that need to devour. I can help you, but you need to give me more. More what? Life. Power. To what end? What if I grant you all the power you need, then what? Then I endure.

Can you leave me? Become your own form again? Can you leave me? Become your own form again? Your own soul, separate from mine? Perhaps. But we have a long road ahead to get there, don't we? Then what would you do if that wish was granted. Find a way to bring him back. The shadow looks beyond and you can see on the far end, on the opposite end of this laboratory,

there's another door. Previously hidden shadow now lit by the bending light that glistens from the center of the chamber. What do you know of lewdness? I know very little beyond what you do. We had passing formalities in my youth in Wildemount, but at the time, I had little interest in the politics of snooty high mages.

I wish I had paid more attention had I known what was ahead, but what I do know is everyone was aware of how dangerous he could be, conniving. No one wields a smile like him. And all the nobles knew it. Now what?

Well. You've tortured so many, so many souls obviously still here. People hate me because of you. People hate that which they cannot be. The weak-willed and the faithless accept death, but we endure. I didn't choose this! No. But fate's a fickle mistress, isn't she?

You're a lying bitch. You're a lying bitch. She's just silent. And for the record, I don't think fate is that fickle. The shadow seems to lean in towards you, and you feel yourself being pulled in with the lean a bit. It's okay. You bear a brimming darkness paired with impulse that intrigues me, Fearne.

Old shadows linger in your blood with the essence of the red moon. In time, I sense you could become something terrible. linger in your blood with the essence of the red moon. In time, I sense you could become something terrible and gorgeous, a malevolent marriage between multiple realms. I can see in your eyes that you have glimpsed it, too, and you have flash memories of looking through a mirror, looking through time at possible futures,

at a dark reflection of yourself. Embrace it, Fearne. It might be the only way to succeed at this. I don't have to listen to you. No. But those who didn't are dead. Well, I've killed you once. I can do it again and again and again.

It hasn't stopped me yet. For she'd have to die to truly destroy me. And you wouldn't do that, would you? Don't listen to her. I'm never getting your head. You are something beyond terrestrial power. A child of the God Eater. Faith itself fears you, and rightly so. No one can know the limits to what you are capable of.

What will happen to you should you find out? How exciting. It is exciting. It is exciting. Well, one like you would normally draw the eyes of the gods. You are anathema to them. You might be the one to choose the future of our world. If your mother doesn't make that choice for you. Shut up. Before you.

It's all right, Laudna. I don't trust her. She can't affect me. Things are strange. And strange times call for strange badfellows. I understand your malice. Believe me, I'm used to it. I spent a lifetime thriving on it,

and an afterlife enduring and holding onto it. But we need each other. So think about it. I'm always here. When the shadows vanish. I'm always here. There's got to be a way. There's got to be a way to break it.

You can't... You can't be stuck with her forever. You can't... We'll find a way. She's not more powerful than the gods. I'm not so sure. She's not more powerful than the gods. I'm not so sure. She's not. She's not a god. She created one.

Barely. You heard her say it. He's not even a real one. He slithers around, hides in the shadows. He's got a whisper and stuff. Can't even be loud. You think if we don't save the gods from Predathos that... that they'll want to pay us back in some way? Somebody's got to be able to do something. There's got to be a god that's more powerful than her that... that can put things right.

And we killed her already, and you were fine. So I think she's lying. You're... I'm not so sure if she was ever gone. She wasn't gone. Diminished, maybe. She's always here. I mean, she's listening to us right now.

She is. She's always listening. But I've already said that I'm I've already said. I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary. I don't accept it, Laudan, and not from you.

She said to herself, I've been dead. Imogen, listen to me. I need you to make me a promise right now. The Furn is our witness. If anything happens to me, the biggest honor that you can serve to me is to move on and to be happy. To live, to live. I am quite literally a dead end.

Just promise me. And if anything happens, and I become her little puppet, I trust you to make the right choice. This is nothing we need to worry about right now. We have bigger fish to fry and a wok to deliver to I'm gonna take your hands. I promise. Okay. But I also promise I'm gonna do everything in my power to make that not happen.

You understand that, right? Fern said... Fate... We're not sealed one way or another. Fearne said, Fearne said, Fearne said, Fearne said, we're not sealed one way or another. There's got to be a way. I can accept that. This is a thing now, right? Because I think I just realized. You guys made it.

Is this an official thing? Because you said move on to happy, so I'm just making an assumption here. Oh, yes. I'm really excited. Oh, thank you. That's really something I feel. Thank you. She makes me so happy. I can tell you. That's really something I've been really wanting for you. She makes me so happy.

I can tell. It's so ironic that I've had literally nothing to live for until two years ago, and now this bitch is like, . And it's really fucked now to realize that she's just here all the time and just hanging out with us. Listen, we can fix this.

We can fix this, okay? We can fix fate and time, and it's going to be fine. We have the power right now. She knows that. Yeah. I know you know that. So...

I don't see any harm in playing by her rules. Because it's my game. Well, I've never been so sure about saving the gods until now. It's ironic. Not even a religious person, and yet somehow I'm entangled in some whispery fox destiny. It's strange knowing that a bunch of buffoons such as us, the thin veil keeping the gods alive.

That is pretty hilarious. Yeah, they're fucked. We should go to bed. I got my answers. Yeah, so just for good measure, I turn around and I flip this table. Pick up a beaker and throw it across the room. Shh!

Do I see anything? Any journals, notebooks? Anything that looks like it might be of use. A cursory glance gives you the impression that anything that was found here has already been taken by the DiRollo family and either locked away or destroyed. Anything of use, anyway. You said there was a door on the other side? Yeah. Anything of use, anyway. You said there was a door on the other side? Yeah.

Just go out to the sewers? Tunnels? Or was that their bedchamber, like Silas? She said something about Silas, anyway. You do know in this room that there are other entryways that you took to the tunnels, and you go and check, and they're bricked up as well. You get the sense that everything that related to the space

was eventually closed off, so nobody could just sneak into any entry tunnels once they were discovered by the DeRollo family. The back room you've been in before, and you hadn't thought about it till now, but you remember in there, warm decor, nice furniture, beautiful bedspread, and upon it, a singular coffin. Coffin?

Oh. Is there a body in the coffin? No. I don't know, actually. I don't think so, right? We open the coffin. You go into the chamber? Yep. Okay, you go in.

You go in. Really? You go in, and all the furniture has been destroyed. The bed is ruined. The coffin has been torn apart. Oh, that was your memory. That was your memory. The rolls were done done that shit.

All right. Yeah, we never did find it. Can't be. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. So wait, find the coffin. I'll take, is there even just a splinter or a fragment of wood from his coffin? Oh yeah.

There's a few of those tattered about and gather dust and cobwebs. Cool. Pick up a splinter, give it a good once over, just so Delilah knows, slip it away. A pocket. Okay. Yeah.

See, to my skin. Okay. Yeah. See? Into my skin. Yeah. Well, thank you, my fellow witches, for joining me on quite the eventful evening. Yeah. Should we burn the table? Sure.

Pssst. Now, this chamber is stone, so you very quickly realize that anything of importance here would burn safely. Great. So as you wish, as you exit throughout the chamber towards the staircase that led you in, Fearne, you just mingle through and ignite each piece of furniture and cloth around. As you all begin to

ascend to the stairs, Fearne, like a fire starter, just framed the flames behind. That's so hot. The image in my head. That's so cool. As you follow behind, taking a final moment to step up the stairs. Her voice creeps into your mind one last time. We will work together. I need you to flourish, so that I might as well. Abound as we are, I do care for you.

Let's do terrible and beautiful things. And that's what we're going to bring. Wow! What did that bring? Juicy! That's what she said. That's what Delilah said. Thank you guys for being so patient. That went a whole rabbit hole. Great first half. I am dying.

Subterranean quarters work. Mwah! Hoo-wee! All right, we'll be back here in a few minutes to pick up for the rest of the evening or the following day. More takes us from there. So see you all shortly. Fish.

Why, hello there. This is Critical Role's resident art dad, also known as Liam O'Brien. We are continuously amazed at the artwork this community creates. That's why each Thursday at 8 a.m. Pacific, we share a curated gallery of submitted fan art over on critroll.com. If 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. So, as the witches had their unique sub-castle excursion and returned to an evening's rest,

is there any other business before you sleep for the evening and finally bring a long rest to you? So we're all getting together and we're going to go rob the basement, right? Yes. I don't have anything for the night, but I have a morning scene-let, if we go to sleep. Sure, sure.

Scene-let? Well, not a full act. Just a scene-let? Just a scene-let. It's more of a sketch. All right, well, if anyone has anything, to a point of discomfort, possibly, sleep does eventually come.

Long rest. Eventually, the morning does welcome you. Sore, but rested, necessarily. I got this. You complete a long rest. No problem. Jigar is strong. You're my hero.

Start rolling with disadvantage to spice it up. Another century down. All right. Jesus. I mean, why do you like this? Actually, if you have a point of exhaustion, I mean. He and that weasel, we just won't die. I'm just saying. Two tubics. Fuck it.

All right. Orym, the morning is yours. I would say in the room that Fearne and Orym are in, Fearne, as you wake up, Orym is doing handstand pushups. But he's not doing it against a wall. He's just doing it in the center of the room with nothing to prop him up. Good morning. Oh, good morning. Naked. Hey.

He is in his chonies. He's in his undies. Hell of a joke. He is in his Ren Faire undies. Good morning. Good morning. How are you doing? I'm all right. How was your adventure last night? Oh boy.

There is so much to tell you all. A lot happened. We met some ghosts and possibly... Well, I don't feel like this is my story to tell, so I'll let Laudna tell it later, but it was a really interesting, fun evening. What is your cap to? Insight check. All on.

Oh, it's so low. Forget it. Try to curl. You ready for the day? Probably going to figure out next moves. Big moves. I'm ready. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Are you?

Yeah. Are you okay? Yeah, I'm okay. I'm glad you're here. You are? I've known you longer than the rest. I know. Yeah. I feel so lucky to have you with me through all of this. It's like you fell out of a hole in the air

and into my lap and it's one of the things I feel most grateful for. Rum? And you know what else I love? I love how much you love all of them. I do. It's been great watching you blossom into this world. You know, it was just us for a little while,

and then with our first group of friends, and now the Bells. Yeah. And I just love seeing the family grow. You know what else, Fern? I look at you and I see love and laughter and magic and mayhem. I see so much love in you and watching you embrace them,

I don't know, gives me more hope than just about anything does. Well, that's such a wonderful thing to say. And I got you something. What? I mean, I stole it. What? Well, I know that you really liked that spyglass you stole from Xandis. Yeah.

But I really like Xandis. Yeah, I know, I know. I felt a little weird about that, too. Once we got to get to know him, and I was like, maybe I shouldn't have done that, but I lost it anyway. Well, I gave it back to Xandis, but I still feel bad for taking it from you.

Anyway. That's okay. Anyway, I robbed the dead people on the boat. Oh! And I stole you a spyglass. Orym! Orym! I mean, Xandas's was nice, but this is a dead person's spyglass.

I feel like this has got a little more juice to it. I think this is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me. Thank you. Well, I have really good eyes, so. Oh. I don't really. Yeah, well. At least from far away. I'll keep an eye on you.

And now you can keep an eye on me. Oh. I love you, friend. I love you, Fearne. I just, you have so many hands. It's so strange. Yeah, it's best not to question it. Thank you so strange. Best not to question it. Thank you so much.

That means a lot. Anyway. I have to confess something to you. There was one time when I said I helped you, that I was going to give you some guidance for something, and I lied. I didn't do it, because I just't do it.

Because I just was being petty. Which, you know, there's worse things in the world, but I just. Yeah, I'll weigh that against all the times that you've saved all of our asses from imminent destruction. It's cool. Okay. It's cool. Anyway, we're on to the next. Oh, this is a good one.

Here, look at me. Do I look bigger or smaller? Ah! I'm going to keep this on my belt. Thank you. I don't know if that means that they're going to come after us, but where we're going. Well, if it does, I'll take care of it.

I figure it doesn't really matter anyway with the train ride we're on. Yeah, I don't think it... I think there are worse things that we're having to deal with right now. And if it comes down to it, I can just talk to Captain... Captain, I'm just totally based on his name.

But I can talk to him and I can work it out. Captain Hypers is totally based on his name. But I can talk to him and I can work it out. I'm sure he wouldn't mind that I have his spyglass. I grab her by the pinky. Come on, I want to hear this story from the ladies. Yes, let's wait till you hear. Figure out what we're doing. Okay.

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Okay. Crimson waterfall. That's it, scene lit, done. Yes. That's how we end scenes now? Yeah, scene lit, done. That's it, scene over. Done. End scene.

As you awaken, Finn. The cold temperature of the evening. It's snowing! It's snowing in White Stone? It is. As it should. The cold temperature of the evening. It's snowing in Whitestone? A fresh snow is falling in the morning hours of Whitestone. Now to pretend he's trauma. But you all wake up and gather and find each other.

What would you like to do? And that's how we fought some ghosts. Wow, that's a crazy story! Chetney just got here. Start from the beginning again. What happened? I lost my voice telling it. I can't tell it again. I don't believe any of it, not a word. It was just the three of you? That's toxic behavior. Likely story.

All right, well, I don't need to convince you, I guess. I had crazy dreams last night as well. Oh yeah? Maybe it was the ghosts. It was amazing. I imagine that me and Lady DeRollo, we had an affair. What? It was spicy, she came down and she was like, I can't resist my, I can't help myself around you.

All this wood, it's just a far superior crafting material. Lord, your voice. What if they overhear? They could banish us from the kingdom. They have the vibe that they would actually poison person someone during a dinner, just putting that out there. Chet, I don't know.

Lady DeRolla seems way out of your league. Maybe in another time or place, it would work out. Out of my league? She also seems a little bit cold, and you're a very sexual dynamo. Has she? Yeah, she's sort of stoic and rigid. Yeah, she, you, FCG, that's true. Sort of stoic and rigid. Yeah, I guess. I am good at getting rigid materials

to bend at my will, though. I've got plenty of, you know. Sounds like a dream. Those ghosts changed your mind. I have a question. So you melted bricks, stonework, to go through? Yeah, I don't really know how it worked. I just pushed, and then it just melted away.

Right, right, right, right, right. But when you left, did you melt it together like fudge swirl ice cream, or? Oh. Oh. Or did you just leave it open? That is a really good point. Move the bookcase to cover it.

Wait a minute, you didn't reseal the wall? We also broke a lot of glass and then set the room on fire, so. Yeah, I think they're going to know somebody was in there. Why are we worried about me and the Lady DeRollo affair? Y'all are getting us kicked out stat!

You didn't put the bookcase back, though, right? If they imagine it, we can say, they know that you had a history with her. If anything happens, we just say, you know, you were wanting some closure. And they're not going to figure it out today. They're going to figure it out in eight minutes. When was the last time anybody was in that room?

You said it was dust, like a layer of dust. So you left tracks and stuff. Yeah. Well, yeah. Look, it was dark. Holy shit, you guys. We were distracted. Traumatized, I think, is the word. Yes.

Yeah. We put the bookcase back. Yeah, we did that and shut the door. Yeah, sounds about right. We put the bookcase back. Yeah, we did that and shut the door. Yeah, sounds about right. We shut the door. I'm sure there's no scrape on the ground for where the bookcase moved. You know what? I applaud your plan.

I think it was a great thing to do. Look at all these kids running around. They could be any of them. They'll clearly blame it on Gwyndolin, so she'll take the fall. It'll be fine. So untrustworthy. You're going to let the kids be the scapegoat?

Yes, there's no consequences for them, they're children. I don't know if that's the way that works. Hey, money, there's no consequences, they'll be fine. No real consequences. Open holes in walls, broken glass everywhere. Yes, which will get grounded for an evening. Old necrotic laboratories. It'll be fine.

Is the Dorolo family like Succession eventually? Oh my god, I hope so. That's the spin-off series I want to hear. Yes. Well now what? It's cold outside. Are we going sledding? What's sledding? You've never been sledding?

Oh my god, I need to make you a toboggan. Holy shit. I'll be back. That's not a thing that would have. You're just going to go ahead and get your dog. No. Okay, great. You hear in the distance a. But we've got to walk. I'm just messing up some nice piece of wood furniture.

Yeah, yeah. In the mountainous peaks of the Talon Highlands on the south side of Marquette, there are snow-capped mountains and players were sledding. It does happen, but you've never been there. I don't think I would have been there. All right. All right.

Well. Today's the day, huh? We're going to go to the moon? We need to check in with Lady Allura. We're going to talk with the elders again. Percy was going to make a distraction of some sort. My amour! Who was that?

Clearly Vex'ahlion. Okay, okay, clearly. Oh! I love the notion that you're making sleds out of something very weird. My ob'wah! My ob'wah! Oh, yeah!

Gin and Laudna are dying. Darling! I knew! This is the last one. It's a campaign break up. This is the last one today. This is the last campaign break up. This is the last day. This is the last that we're going to have before everything goes some sort of well,

some sort of bad. Let's just have a moment to be, just a moment, not all day, just to be, I don't know, normal. I don't see how we can be normal, Ashton. Mm, I do. I think Ashton's right. I think we should go sledding before we go in.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I come out with a side of an armoire, it's got two holes drilled in. I pulled off a piece of tapestry and ran it through so you could hold onto that bitch like some ray. You sit on this and you go for a ride. How dangerous is that? Very.

Depends on gravity. I know what you mean, but this is going to pick up speed and probably not slow down again, so one minute. It usually goes pretty fast until it evens out. Oh, this. The metaphor stands, though. It's good. Before Big Job, back when the Nobodies were running,

we would always get a little trashed, have a good time, remind ourselves that we all like each other, or at least love each other if we don't like each other, because it's going to be rough, and people are going to do stupid shit and you're going to have to remember not to murder them. It's also good to have a little fun before the darkness, right, so you remember what you're fighting for.

That's what we're saying, yeah. What are you fighting for, Chet? Just out of curiosity. Well, I feel like I'm setting records over here. I've never made this much of a difference before, which is great. Plus, I keep meeting really, really powerful people, so on the other side of this, I feel like my commissioned works are going to be through the roof.

You're just trying to get more... Clientele placement, essentially, yeah. Is that true? Well, then I want to go to the fucking moon. Well, I know that, but why? I was thinking about this earlier. Like you said, Ashton, we're about to go do this crazy thing,

and we don't even really, some of us, it doesn't feel like we know why. I know why I'm going, and I think I know why a couple of you are going, but I don't know why you're doing this. No offense intended, we're going to have to rely on each other up there a lot and I just want to make sure that we're all open with each other before we go. That's fair. I do have one thing.

I'm pretty old. We knew that. Well, you wouldn't know it by looking at me, but I'm pretty old. Okay. And it's been on my mind before that, you know, sometimes after you're gone, you're not really sure what people are going to remember you by.

And the toys are great. It's what I love. And I love leaving things in people's homes that they might admire and that will last far longer than I will. But this is an opportunity to make a difference, to have people remember my name, where I came from, who I was a part of. That feels like legacy. So for me, it's a little bit of a dip in my toes in the pool of immortality, so to speak.

Oh. That and the moon of it all. Moon stuff. Moon stuff. Moon stuff. That's the moon of it all. Moon stuff. Moon stuff. Moon stuff. That's actually pretty noble. Oh. I mean, it's a little selfish, but in a good way.

Like, you want to be remembered for doing something good to the world. Yeah. I think a little selfish is good, personally. I'll say I treasured every fucking toy I had growing up. I'm positive you didn't make any of them. There were not wood. There was no wood involved. Quality, okay.

But people have been impressed. I mean, that changes people. That's cool. That's fucking cool. It is selfish, you're right. No, no, in a good way. I think it's because I've done so much selfish. This one feels like I'm doing it for me and other people.

That's growth. That's growth. That's an evolution. Yeah. And if you, you know, some of us might not come back from up there, would you feel like, you know, even if we didn't succeed, or if you don't come back, like it was worth it?

No. Okay. Okay. Yeah, we can't fucking lose. If we do, I'll hate all of you. Oh. I mean, if everybody else dies, but me and I'm left on the moon,

I haven't really, we haven't discussed this, but what the fuck am I going to do up there? There's no wood on the moon, right? Make a lamp for yourself up there. I mean, there might be wood on the moon. Do you see trees when you look up in the moon at night? She sees the whole city, doesn't she? Can't see it.

I saw grass and animals. You saw forms of flora. I saw forms of flora. What kind of flora? Moon flora. Wait, like moon wood? Maybe. Wood that you never even dreamed of.

Let's go, dip into your dreams, sister, right now. Wood like you've never seen before. No, I feel like you're just fucking with me. Rich, thick wood. I've seen her dreams, too. Hard wood. It was long, thick, knotty. Turgeon. Turgeon, so turgeon. So tur, thick, knotty. Turgid. Turgid, so turgid.

So turgid, so knotty. Veiny. A veiny triumphant bastard. Needs a wood. Redwood for a red moon. Tough like a cypress. Well, that just adds to it, then. Sometimes I hear you get the best wood

once you go across the bloody bridge. Oh no! Oh bridge. Oh no! Oh no! You really shoot yourself. Shoot me like a week! Wow! Drink up, Matt! That was all you!

Nowhere near alcoholic enough. Drink up! Yeah. I think it's a big upside for you. It's just one small step for a gnome, but one giant leap for toy makers. Or the children of the moon. They might have kids up there.

They're a Donald Parsons song, by the way. Hmm? Nothing can change that. Oh, right, yeah, well, that's fair. No, there's really just two responses to what's going on. You either step up and deal with it or shove your head in the sand, kiss your ass goodbye. Seems pretty clear to me. Yeah? Yeah.

Well, why are you going? I mean, I know that you want to protect your voice of the Tempest and stuff, but. God, no letters. Well. I don't know what's going to happen to any inch of this world if Pardothos is unleashed. Yeah, this started with my husband and my father.

It's so much bigger than that. If my life can secure the lives of everyone who comes after us, well spent. Yeah. And what about you, yourself? Like, what's the happy ending for you? Tomorrow. That there be a tomorrow. That there be a tomorrow. And spending time with you.

All of you. I'm so grateful to have you in my life now, in this moment when everything's going to shit. to have you in my life now, in this moment, when everything's going to shit. Do I wish I had my husband back? Yeah, every day, every day, but he'd want me to live,

and he'd want me to fight, not for my city, but for all cities. He sounds like a really great guy. So are you. Oh. Thanks. Yeah, I'll let one rip. It's like two feet lower, though.

We don't see any. The nerves. It's just ankle. No one can see it. We're really riffing it today. Who knew that stuff was in altitude? Oh, that's fair. Cole there is leaning.

Altitude. Someone complimented you and said they love you, and you said thanks. It's easier than deflecting, I've found, if you just say, like, okay. Holy shit. Was that progress? I mean, honestly, I'm kind of shocked.

Wait, it's easier than deflecting, but do you believe it? Do you accept it? Well, I don't know about that. There's two different things we're talking about here. I guess. I mean, I'm starting to feel like I'm part of the team, you know?

And part of a weird little family here. Never were. You're looking at six people who want you here. If we didn't want you here, would we have gotten you? One. Would we have gotten you? Oh, yes. When we were on excursions last night,

we got you a little gift. Now, you can't flash this around because we stole it from this building that we're currently in, but give it a little twirl. This copper wok. A copper wok? It matches your credit scheme. Wow!

A wok! This is either... Wait, wait, wait. It. A wok. This is either. It's a wok. These are really nice. And look, it's like the char on the bottom. That's where the flavor comes from. It's already pre-seasoned. You know, you don't have to just

bake fish inside of you. You can put them in a wok. Oh! And then you don't have to smell. Oh, I was just going to eat this, but you're saying I can use this? Use it to cook. Don't put fish inside of you anymore,

put it in the wok. This can't fit in me, though. You don't need to, you can do it on the outside of your pot. Yes, you put it over flame. Yeah. It's a whole new kind of cooking. Look how well-oiled this thing is.

Yeah, it's good. You can do it at the same time. We have to shut down your fishy hot hole, but you know. We carried that. Maybe just another option. It's just that when we follow, it's a very strong smell. That's true.

Yeah. You know, and when you wheel around, it just sort of follows. I wish I could smell. I can't, but. You know, I might just, hold on. Can you open it up? Press the Digitation. Oh yeah, good, good.

Did it clear it out? Your name is Fresh Cut Grass. Chet's Brutal. Yeah? Don't try to be anyone else. Oh, I see, I see. We'll walk around there. Maybe just bake in there,

and then you'll smell like baking. But bake after a couple clean and we get a grease, we have to do a whole thing to make it ready for baking so it doesn't smell like This is really thoughtful of you. Thank you for stealing me a walk. You know what else you can do with that thing? What? Go sledding.

What? Let's go do it. I know it's metal, but maybe we can have a race. So are you. Wood versus metal. There are some exceptions to the rule. Aw, that's very sweet. Chet, do you have any kind of grease or liniment

or anything that we can lube it up with? It'll make it go faster. Let's say no. You've got eight tubes of Bengay. I do! It's Tiger Bomb, okay? I'll never die by this shit. I have a hooded lantern, which means that there is oil. There, it's flammable, but there is oil in that lantern. Should be okay on snow.

Mm-hmm. All right, so as you exit the castle grounds, it's not a thick layer, but a soft enough powder along the various hills that run down from the sides of the castle that you could either find a handful of functional spaces in the city or ride down, right? There are some stairs to the end of the castle.

And then there is the cobblestone path that curves as it heads down from the big hill that the castle's on. The castle's up high, right? Yeah, yeah. So it is not the safest path, but there are some very sleddable declines along that curved downturn.

Nothing like some fresh pow. Fresh pow! Oh my god. You know. So as you walk out in the morning, as the city itself is coming to life, you can see the various chimneys letting off their trails of black smoke.

The Sun Tree itself carrying now this gentle layer of white that's starting to build atop its massive canopy. You can see Kanapa. Kanapa. Kanapa. Kanaku. You can see the people of Waston scattering about and the various pale guards that are stationed on the outside of Whistun scattering about, and the various Pale Guards that are stationed on the outside of the castle that acknowledge you

as you pass, and then turn curiously as they notice you carrying a sled and a walk. Official Whitestone business. Shortly thereafter, watching all of you begin to sled down the side of this hill. Who's going first? I'll go in the walk. Who's going in the toboggan? I'll run the wood.

I need a second. I need to see how this works. Orym? Yeah? Let's do this. Oh. Oh, I thought you meant you needed a second of time. Oh, I thought so too, man. Sometimes you need a rudder for this shit, so if it starts going tits up, just throw your foot out the back and steer, okay? so too, man. Sometimes you need a rudder for this shit, so if it starts going tits up,

just throw your foot out the back and steer, okay? I think I do. I need somebody to steer us. Maybe with your hammer, you could be our rudder or something. That's insane, I'm into it. So this walk is... He's immediately questioning it.

It's about that big. He can sit in the walk and maybe I'll just go on the front with my wheel. Like, I'll just go on the front with my wheel. I'll just hold onto the front. I was just going to, okay, that or I was going to hang on and use the wheel. You go on the walk, you need it, because I can just be on a wheel.

We can do what we did in that race where you're the front. Yeah, exactly. I'll be the front. Okay. I don't want to make it unsafe, but we do have really slippery shit. Oh yeah, the little oil. Slick Shimmer Oil. Wow. We should use it.

It is Christmas Vacation. We only have one bottle of it. Maybe we'll save it. Okay. We'll save that for a special. Well, here, the two first sledding crew, for the number of sledding excursions you make upon this setup on the outside of the Castle Whitestone,

I would like to have who is within the sleds make either an athletics or acrobatics check. I got this. If they fail, their second can attempt one with disadvantage to see if they can. Imogen, can you go down and make surprise mogul bumps down there? Oh yes, let's give him some jumps.

Yeah, just pat him. Sure. I'll walk, just walk, uh-huh, really down the hill and use, like, telekinesis to pat some. I don't want to touch the snow. This is new, I hate new.

Okay. My athletics is insane, What are you doing? Yep. Let's go, Team Chorum. You ready? Yep. Oh, that's you, buddy. Guidance. Oh, guidance?

Guidance. I'm going to take my bandana off and hold it up in the air. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. It's a drag race. Are you guys ready? Yep. I just rolled, so. It's a drag race. Hey! Are you guys ready? Yep. I just rolled, so.

Ready? Phew! All right. 16. 16, okay. We're doing acrobatics? Or athletics. Or? I'll do acrobatics.

Shit. Yeah, that's 27. Ooh! I'm going to need a push here. A second. I need a second. The second can go. Disadvantage. You can have disadvantage

and try and beat what he rolled. Oh boy. In acrobatics or athletics, there's no way I can do that, even if I rolled a 20. So roll for it if you wanted. I'm also going to. You can only go downhill from here. Uh-huh. Keep tooting out

gusts behind us as we go. I chisel it in and buck fuck it into the into the bargain. I got a five. Disadvantage? Uh-huh. Okay. Why?

Holy shit. All right, so you just cruise down rapidly, turning to the side, sending a spray off, and you come upon the jump that you had created via presentation. Just as you're finishing it, you see just cruise down rapidly, turning to the side, sending a spray off. You come upon the jump that you had created via presentation. Just as you're finishing it, you hear this that comes faster than you,

expecting you to barely back out of the way. As you careen into it, off into this wide, beautiful, quiet arc going over the exterior wall of Whitestone and end up slamming into the cobblestone, now snow-covered floors, and start just getting into the city street proper. People who are out doing their business are like,

ducking out of the way, trying to control this rapidly. You acquired a little too much speed, and did this too well. Hey, Amazon! But eventually come to a stop as a cart that is right in your path. You have to put out your hands and legs.

I'm starting to gust in the opposite direction now. Slowly catch the top of it before you end up skidding underneath into the axle and catch yourself, spraining your arms a little bit. But come to a stop, you can't help yourself, just laughing as everyone around you is like, What the fuck? Sorry. Is it just us? I'm just frozen on your back like Lloyd in Dumb and Dumber. That was epic! Oh my god.

We ran out of snow. Where are the other two? You turn around and see just two pairs of legs sticking out of the pile of snow. Yeah. Wood prevails. So your wooden legs were out? Yes, we'll say that my wooden legs were out.

I crawl out and I pull and flip. That was amazing. Well, maybe it cooks better than it sleds. Again! Grabbing it. All right. Who's next? You spend a portion of the morning sledding a bit

and enjoying, and you can see it gives a burst of inspiration to some of the local kids who start gathering their sleds and cookware. Which, rapidly, the parents pull away, be like, that is extremely dangerous, do not do that. Do not do that. But the rest of the morning is yours. Is there anything else you'd like to do?

Just as we leave, I call some of the kids and say, you're never too old for fun and games. Make time for it. They both look at each other. Okay, old man. They're kind of a little goblin bit. They smoked their cigarette. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh man. What the fuck is that about? I find a rock and start packing it in a snow hole. You're packing it? You loaned it out? The kids just go running immediately. Scatter off into the street. That's a street snowball right there. That's some street snowball right there. Yeah. Serious stuff. It's cool. I'm six inches shorter

and I have a boy band face, so I'm fine. All right, should we go up and see if our... We made some requests for some items and stuff, right? We should go check? Yeah. Okay. All right. Returning to the castle, approaching the Pale Guard, there isn't yet some sort of a gathering of folks,

but someone does note that Allura was looking to arrive midday to early afternoon to catch you and help set you on your way to whatever end that might be. You also know that, or it was noted, likely there would be a small war room gathering when the Cassandra de Rolos to arrive today as well from Westruun. Oh.

You have time. Anything in the city you want to do, or we can just skip ahead? When everybody else goes up, can I hang back in the town a little bit? Sure. Do I see, is there anywhere around that seems like a temple to the Dawnfather? He's the guy in the city, right? Oh yeah, there is a temple to the Dawnfather over near the east side graveyard. Yeah, I'm going to wander over to that. Okay.

Is there a matron temple over there, too? Yes. Oh yeah, that's right. They're both on opposing sides of that region. That's right. As you wander off, the forest path that leads you there is even more beautiful in the snowfall, this late morning time. You can see some of the birds are still out singing, though.

The colder weather has thinned out some of the more vibrant wildlife. Then as you approach the exterior of the graves, you can see the bits of snow that's gathered on them. The whole area just feels a little more serene. Indeed, on the far northern end of it, you can see the structure that represents the Temple of the Dawnfather here within Whitestone. The stained glass windows, the closed double front doors, the high roof, the emblazoned symbol of the sun itself sits at its precipice. I'll walk up to the doors and put my hand on it.

I don't know what to do here. I go to open the door. Is it open? It opens. Begin. I don't know what to do here. I go to open the door. Does it open? It opens. Make in. You step inside and this, it's both nice and humble.

It's not a massive temple by any means, but it definitely can seat among the pews a solid hundred or so people. Compacted, but functional. You can see there's maybe eight sets of long pew benches. Throughout the entry walkway, there's small chairs on the side. You can see the light that's coming through the stained glass. Though muted due to the current weather, it still gives a nice multicolored glow on the edges of the chamber. The carpet that leads up to the pulpit and the risen dais where there looks to be an altar with a closed book on it. There are

two robed figures that are currently in conversation, sitting in chairs towards the front. As you open the door and the creak echoes in the quiet, you can hear them whisper, talking, and they both stop and look over in your direction. Hi. They look at each other. One of them gets up and begins continuing to gather. It looks like they're essentially cleaning up

or organizing the space, while the other in these bright white robes that carry all manner of gold and red and silver adornments, begins to approach. You see this is an older woman, probably in her 70s or so, hair is thinning a bit, and it's gray and silver, but bearing this gentle smile, the wrinkles on her forehead have fallen to close her eyes almost to the point where there's these little perpetually smiled curves where you assume the pupils are lost

somewhere in the shadow, but there's this perpetual welcoming smile that she wears as she steps towards you. Hello, my dear. What brings you to the light of the Dawnfather this morning? Um... How do I talk to a god? God. All right, here. You sit and commune your emotions and give yourself into the light of the Dawnfather. His lordship will look over you and... Yeah, but no. How really? Does he really listen?

I mean, because we both know things are a little weird right now, right? He's always listening. How do you know? Have you ever prayed before? Officially, no. Officially? No. I did try to talk to

some moon goddess or something once, but I don't think she didn't respond or nothing. The miracle of faith demands a sort of trust. In time, with piety, with intent, perhaps you might be granted a vision. It is rare, but the gods work in all sorts of strange ways. In the little miracles, in the gifts that come unexpected, in the warmth that keeps you in the coldest of night,

in the luck that feeds your family when you've lost the ability to keep them, in the communities that rally around you. All these are the small miracles. when you've lost the ability to keep them in the communities that rally around you. All these are the small miracles. And if you stay around, sometimes the real miracles present themselves as well. That's what I need. Real ones.

Then you're on the right path. You've begun your journey. And do I just, what, speak his name and try talking, or what? Do I have to give him something? You don't have to, but alms for the temple help maintain a place of worship, and gifts upon the altar to His Majesty

also help establish a connection of faith. What does he lack? It depends on what's important to you, really. Coin is good for the temple, but to him... represent importance of bright color. Crafts made with passion. Things that represent maintenance and creation. A snip from a garden you keep. A sweater that has grown too small for your children. There are many things. It's the meaning more than it is the specific object. Okay. That's what faith is. Thank you.

Of course. You're welcome to look upon the altar for inspiration, if you'd like. Yeah, I'll do that. Don't bother, I'll show it for you, and if you require anything, just let me know. Oh, yeah, you as well. Thank you. What is your name, my dear, by the way? Imogen. Imogen.

Mother Brasilda, it is a pleasure. If you need anything, I'll be right over here. All right. She scoots back up and sits down and brings a bowl of strawberries, it looks like, over and starts eating quietly with a happy face. I don't have a lot of shit. That's important to me.

Look in my bags and see if I've got anything. I don't know. My Whitestone is for lovers t-shirt. I'm gonna sit it on a temple. I know that seems stupid, but, uh, I mean, it's one of the only things I have. Um, I don't know how to talk to you. I'm sure you know that, I mean, I assume you know, I don't know, maybe you can't see anything right now.

I hope you know that we're trying to fix things for y'all. And, I don't know, uh... I know you... If everything goes right, then hopefully you'll have... Uh... The power to help us in return. I'm not looking to make any deals. the power to help us in return.

I'm not looking to make any deals. I know that's not something you're supposed to do with gods. But I could really use your help with her. Because I know that you're more powerful. I know you are. And I guess I could call that faith. I don't have anything that's important to me, really. And...

So anyway, I'm gonna try real hard to help you. Thanks. I'm going to get up and walk out. You leave the door slightly ajar as you exit back out into the graveyard. As you glance up across the way, you immediately see the cold stone, snow-dappled statue of the Matron of Ravens looming over what looks to be some feather-clad stone figure, a cold visual image of death, whatever that means to you. You hear the call of a raven as it takes off from the top of the statue and the gentle snowfall. I don't accept it.

I have to back off. Okay. Anybody else? Minor bomb. Okay. Anybody else? Minor business. Is there a Glorious Goods branch here, or any kind of shop that has any kind of magical gear? There is an expansion of the Gilmore's Glory is Good shop. In the gallery.

It's a mall. In the gallery mall? Yeah, in the gallery. It's a galleria? It's a galleria. I just want a healing potion so I can help people. Okay. Pinch, if that's possible. Yeah.

The person who's currently, let's see. So I'm bringing up my notes here. Yes, all right. So there is a familiar face, a half-elf gentleman in his mid-30s, previously introduced himself as Jerry, who is the purveyor of the shop, at least at these hours, in the stead of Gilmore,

who is not present at its particular expansion branch, but the man, as you walk up, is in the stead of Gilmore, who is not present at its particular expansion branch, but the man, as you walk up, is in the process of opening the shop in the late afternoon and has caught him as he was stepping up to the front, the scarf over his shoulders turns over to you. Oh, hey, morning. Good morning.

Are you closing, opening? I'm sorry. We're opening at the moment, yeah. Great. I'll follow you in if that's all right. Okay. Sure, it's a little sparse at the moment. Kind of been picked a little clean by the lordship and everything. I'm just looking for a little triage,

med help sort of thing. Sure, sure, yeah. Good luck. And he opens the door and you come inside. Indeed, the walls are kind of bare. And you do know that in times of conflict, it's not uncommon for powers to conscript what's available to the front lines,

to soldiers who are undergoing dangerous scenarios, and to help those who have already been hurt, who have been veterans of this conflict in the early days. But as you glance at it, you can see there were things that had probably been on the walls for a long time that left a mark there that are not missing. Jerry steps to the back and takes his scarf off and turns it and wraps it up. As far as healing potions go, we're a little light, but we've got three basic ones that I can probably get to you. Sure, sure, yeah. We're doing a bit of business for the lord and lady up top and more, really. They might be a better source than we are at the moment.

I'm happy to kick in myself, if you have it, if you can spare it. and more, really, but. They might be a better source than we are at the moment. Well, I'm happy to kick in myself, if you have it, if you can spare it. We'll pull it across, and he, such emerging through what looks to be some supply cabinets and such, and you can see all manner of small component pouches and gathered herbs and odd flecks of metal dust

that are falling out of small pouches. He shakes them out and listens in. Eventually, he pulls from different sources three different-shaped, different-sized vials. It looks like they're leftovers from other larger sets of healing potions, and these were the dregs that got left behind or didn't have a matching set when they were sold.

But he presents them and slides them to the front. What will each of those run me? I have 150 gold for the lot. For the lot? Oh, I'll take all three. Sure, thank you. You know, I've met the man whose name is on the shop. I hope he's well. He's well.

He's just busy working at the main branch, trying to keep things going for the Tal'Dorei Council in the middle of all this, so. I think I don't want to take the floor over there. Oh god. Oh, spilled all over me. Oh god, you know, 100 for the two, I guess. Jeez. Don't tell him, no. I appreciate it.

My friends will, too, I think. He goes and puts on his work purple robe and the gold trim at this point. His goatee has now grown out into a tuft at the bottom of his chin. You're missing your pieces of flair. Oh my gosh. Puts his pins in. Are they all supposed

to look like Gilmore when they work there? No, that's a... Look, what's the point of franchising if they're not going to have a continuous theme? Out of the briefest curiosity, is there anything on the walls in here left, or is it empty empty? You can make a perception check.

I will make a perception check at advantage. That is a natural 20, so that gets me to 31, yeah, 31. You glance around, and while there's nothing on the shelves, you have a slight feeling, because sometimes, especially when things are being pushed around, things fall through the cracks. You glance behind one of the cabinets and you see one long, thin crystal vial of some kind that has this unique glass texture on the outside of it

that seems to have tumbled off of the display platform and has fallen behind it against the wall. It's just lost in the shadow. You can see spider webs have grown off of it and it's just been lost. Ooh, little things sometimes get overlooked. Do you know what this is? What are you talking about? What is that?

I found it. I found it between over here. It got dropped. He goes and pulls up a book and starts going through the pages. Yeah, yeah, it did. We're just not going to talk about that or tell anyone that you found that.

Oh, is this trouble? It's not trouble. I've just already accounted for it as lost. Stolen, specifically. What are we talking about here? We're talking about, I'm just trying to make sure that I don't get in trouble for mislabeling where that went.

So, you want to buy it? If I have the coin, what is it and how much does it cost? That's a potion of heroism. He's already labeled it as lost product. He's an honest boy. It's LP, let it go. Works for retail, we know this is. Give me your dark side, you motherfucker.

I don't know what LP is. So it will enable you a little bit of extra luck and a little bit of extra verve for about an hour or so. And I'll tell you what, we don't mention this up the chain at all, and I'll give it to you for a solid 200 gold. How about that? Well, I'll tell you what, I have 199. Is that enough?

Make a persuasion roll. What a boy scout. Roll a two or higher. Wow. What am I doing, persuasion? Yeah. 23. Yeah or higher. Wow. What am I doing, persuasion? Yeah. 23. Yeah. Deal.

Okay. Would you say hi to the boss for me? I will say hi and then. My name's Orym. Orym, right, I should know your name, yeah. Okay, yeah, I'll pass it on. No worries. I should know your name.

Thanks for coming. I'm going to make some tea. Kids in our pocket every point for coming. I'm going to make some tea. Kid's going to pocket every coin for that. Huh? Kid's pocketing every quarter of that and getting himself a rexentrump switch or something, I don't know. I appreciate it.

So I have just a little bit of coin left. Can you point me towards the Slayer's Cake? I saw it once last time I was here, but I get turned around on the streets. Two blocks down that way. If you want to see the large lattice windows out front, you can see there's a sign.

It goes into my gold. Cool, so I don't know what you said, Matt, because Laura was like the devil in my ear. We gave you directions. Matt, because Laura was like the devil in my ear. He gave you directions. Great, off I go. To buy, we don't have to, I just want some pastry for the meeting. Oh yeah, easy enough to do.

The Slayer's Cake is open. There is two young Whitestone locals that are running the morning shift here. You can see one of them is in the back. The smell immediately hits you as you enter. That beautiful smell of fresh baked goods, the sweets and spices of it all hits you. It's a warm interior.

You can see there's an older man who's hunched over this open wooden box that carries the morning batch that's been partially sold. He's slowly going over each one and smelling it and putting it back. You can see the open oven in the back with the young man's in the process of putting in a new batch,

and the girl up front is patiently sighing as the old man looks through before looking over his shoulder over towards you, and you can see this young human girl, couldn't be that much past 20, mousy brown hair. It's pulled back in a bow, goes past her shoulders, and she wears the apron and a simple blouse and looks up.

Morning, can I help you? Morning, yeah, I need 50 pastries for a small gathering. 50 pastries, how soon, tomorrow 50 pastries? Yeah. How soon? Tomorrow? A week from now? Oh, right now. Do you have anything on hand?

Muffins? Simon! Scones? We're going to have to double team. Oh no. Simon? Was he the old guy, Simon? Yeah, I'm going to a gathering and I wanted to bring something for the people,

and I wanted one apple pie, and that's for me. Right, okay. How soon? As soon as you can, as soon as possible. 50, give us a couple hours. We have one order of finishing up, and then we should have that ready, boy, about, say,

hour past noon? Okay, all right. I'll be back. All right, all right. Pay first. For sure, for sure. For sure, you can bring it up to the... Go away!

Just like five pigeons landing. Yeah, you can bring it up. I leave a Visha covered. I leave my last coin, which is an electrum piece, and say, if you could bring all of that up to the castle and just say that they're for Orym and for the... Say they're for Allura Visor. You drop that electrum piece and she goes like...

And looks up at you, having a blink, like she just missed the last few words you said. She goes, It was an apple pie. For the castle. Yes. Right, right. Oh, yes, well, get right on it.

Okay. Thank you. I appreciate your patronage. We'll give you quite a batch. And Roger, you've got to leave. Off the pot or pick your meal. The old guy's like, I'm almost there. It's just like a gray tea flavor.

She, I'm so sorry, turns him around and pushes him out and just lets him have it. Let's take it. Our afternoon, we'll have it for you, thank you. I got to get out of here. The smells are too good and it's driving me crazy. I'll see you up top. All right, all right.

Okay, thank you. You know I hadn't had this morning constitution yet. Grab right, all right. Okay. Thank you. Poor old guy. Hasn't had his morning constitution yet. Grab one for the road. Morning constitutional. Go, go, go. Huh? Okay. Is someone else doing it?

Hi, do you want to join for a walk? Oh, sure. All right. Figured I'd take a look around. I actually have two places I want to see, and I haven't decided. I'm trying to figure out which one we should look at. They're both interesting.

There's apparently some old, abandoned ruins to the east. Which, I'd love a good ruin. And then there's apparently a crazy-ass clock tower, which I saw in passing, but it's, yeah, it's called the Heart of Whitestone. I don't know, we could do one, we could do the other. We could try and, they're not too far away from each other. Well, my vote would be the clock tower,

because that sounds a little interesting. Let's do the clock tower. Okay. Okay. I've walked past this each time you've come through, but you haven't taken a period of time to really take in the details of this clock tower that looms over the north side of the city. It climbs up intricately. You can see the merger of wood and metalwork and sculptures, beautiful little

statues and reliefs all throughout as it rises up. Mostly stationary, but occasionally, you can hear the whirring of all manner of gears and clockwork within. Occasionally, you can hear the whirring of all manner of gears and clockwork within, and occasionally, you can notice that elements are just slowly shifting different layers, like a massive display, all these intricate little dioramas that are built into it of people and things and moments in time.

It's a lot of love went into this, ostentatious as it might be in places. Oh. Yeah. This is really cool. Can you imagine being so passionate about your life that you decided to do something this fucking ridiculous? Yes.

I would have said no until pretty recently. Well, yeah. I feel like we all could make a pretty interesting clock tower with lots of these little dioramas. I don't know. I've been thinking about it. What have you been thinking about?

If everything goes terrible, you're, Anna's going to miss you so much. Yeah. I'll miss her, too, wherever I would go. If everything goes terrible, no one's going to miss me. That's not true. It really is.

Everybody who would care is going to be right there with me. I mean that terrible. Oh, you're saying if we all go. If we all go. Wow. I think we're going to be okay. I'm trying not to think too hard about it, but... Wow.

Yeah. So how are you feeling about, oh, you know, the shard that was pulled out of the lava? What do you... Sometimes I think you're crazy on a level that I might be crazy on, too. Oh. Kind of like a, what did you say?

Like you've always wanted a sister. I have always wanted family. And the few times I've tried, it's gone poorly. Yeah. But, and when I mean sister, I mean clearly, you know, now you're still hot and otherwise and definitely, wow, you got it going on, please. I wasn't even talking about that, but okay.

You were thinking it loud enough that it was just practically vibrating this bench. Oh. But. My heavens. I don't know, I trust you. Things are going to happen, and I trust you to help me make the right decision.

I hope you trust me to me make the right decision. I hope you trust me to make the right decision. I do, and I think, if I have any say in it, I do think it should go to you. I don't know if I want it. And also, I don't know, I feel like you're supposed to have those two pieces. I don't know, am I wrong? I'm not supposed to have anything.

This is all nuts. This is all fucking stupid. I was never supposed to have anything. This is all nuts. This is all fucking stupid. Yeah. I was never supposed to have anything, but man, if one of us survives, someone's going to miss me. It's fuck, you know? I would miss you.

I know. I thank you. I know. I thank you. It's nice to feel love for people. I love having you here. I love all of them. They're so fucked, but I'm... I know, it's a pretty funny group. They won't let...

They're not going to let me do what needs to be done with that thing. I need you to promise me that we're going to figure out a way to make it happen if we're going to do it. Let's just be... Discreet? I'd like it to be just us. And if it goes bad, try and save my life, please. Discreet. I'd like it to be just us.

And if it goes bad, try and save my life, please. Please fucking try. I'm not looking to die. But I trust you to do what needs to be done more than I trust the others. Okay. Are you okay with that? Yes, I'm okay with that. Okay.

I don't fully know what that's going to mean, but I will be by your side if you need me there. I think it's going to be only you by my side when we do this. I think I just want it to be you. Okay. Because they'll try and stop me. I don't think you will.

I'm doing something this stupid. Okay. Sorry to put it on you. No, no, I... That means a lot, but I also want to make sure you're going to be okay. Well, do what you can. And if I'm not okay, it's not your fault.

And everything has just been better than I ever thought I was going to have. This time has been... I don't know. I'm still not okay about it, but This time has been, I don't know. I'm still not okay about it, but it's nice having something to lose again. So hopefully I won't fucking lose it again.

Yeah. And if something does go wrong, steal all my shit before they know. I don't want them to have a damn thing. It should all be yours. And never tell them. Okay, I got it. Well. Um, okay.

Well, I mean, I think you're pretty hot, too. And I'm going to run away. Still fucking got it. Still fucking got it. I will sit for a minute and watch as much more of the overblown life of Dorolo and company as possible. Indeed.

As you glance up, you can see there's various spheres that shift and move, like the various planes that warp around Exandria, that slowly shift and move. Eventually, a warp around Exandria that slowly shift and move. Eventually a bong, bong, bong goes off and you watch as these shovels begin to emerge and you see a troop of clockwork heroes. You see a massive man with a weird pointy helmet with an axe just doing this. You see all manner of other oddly shaped figures. One tiny man on what looks to be a crudely painted hand

that the color has withered with time, or the snow has robbed it a bit of its purple prestige, but he's doing this. Has a tiny little spring voice, goes, Meow, meow. It's a wonderful display that then is met as its tiny little spring voice goes,. Um. It's a wonderful display that then is met on the other side by this other cycle of these different colored dragons, and as they collide, you're like,

oh, it's this shit again, remembering the taste of Tal'Dorei and how they've just completely squeezed this moment in time for all it's worth. We should do a puppet show. I'll talk to Chetney. This is just too fucking much. Get up and head back. Okay.

Unless anyone else has any new business, eventually you gather back at the castle shortly after, an hour or two into noon. There's a bit of a hustle and bustle going as the Pale Guard have gathered and there's been a bit of a conversation with a new figure you haven't noticed before, a woman in her late 40s, early 50s, darkish brown hair, but a good half or more of it has turned gray across the top, this wide stripe, and on the sides as well, as it pulls past her ears. Human, you immediately can see the resemblance to Lord Percival, and as she turns to the rest of you. Ah, hello. I've been notified that we have guests in the castle.

Assuming you're those guests, given the descriptions I was given? We sure are. We have a great castle here, one of the best we've ever stayed in. Wonderful, thank you. I'm Lady Cassandra de Vola. Were you the ones that sent the baked items? Yes, I thought we'd think better on a full stomach.

You bought baked goods? Is that what you did? Really? After the talk we had this morning. I'm just saying, that's my only job. You have a few more jobs than that Do you have a few more jobs than that? You have a few more jobs. You have to have a lower baseline before we can really supply baked goods for the group for once. I take a bunch of stuff out of my stomach

and I throw it in the trash. Oh no, you shouldn't! Yeah, just a little bit. Why don't I get you some baking soda and a little bit. We're going to get you some baking soda. A little vinegar. Well, nonetheless, I have some things to get to here shortly, but we can go over,

we can retrieve everyone else if you're ready to get you on your way. Oh. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Very well. If you could retrieve my brother, and who else is nearby? I believe Lady Allura arrived not too long ago.

I believe you knew the way. She scurries off as the Pale Guard. You all have an escort up to the war room, where as you enter, you can see the break goods have been set out in the middle of the table. What once was this very tense round table is now just a beautiful display of multicolored, multi-flavored fruit and icing-covered muffins and little croissants.

It's a beautiful series of rapidly put together, but colorful and delicious Slayer's Cake baked goods. There are small, little round cakes and odd sweet pieces, so they are at the ready as you need. Do they remember my requested whole apple pie? Oh yes. Okay, I go pick it up and hold it in my lap for the whole meeting. Oh god, is that a potato ball?

Fuck. I'm so hungry. Me too. That sounds so good. I know that really a potato ball sounds really good. Why did you do that? I wish I was holding a whole apple pie in my mouth right now. Oh god.

Strawberry rhubarb. I want a rhubarb pie. Oh my god, meant to be. A short time later. We will fucking talk. Bake goods and stuff, it reminds me, I just refresh someone's memory that I had requested a very elaborate,

bejeweled baking pan at some point. Oh, that's right, you had. So if that's around and ready, that would be great. Oh, I'm so special. There's nothing around yet. Okay. But a short time later, you hear a number of voices from down the hall, and loudly approaching,

you recognize three of the voices, at least. You see entering the chamber, Cassandra, Lord Percival de Rolo, and indeed Allura Vysoren as well, having a conversation amongst them as they notice. Allura smiles immediately at the arrival. Hello, everyone. Oh, good to see you. I'm glad all is well.

Are we ready to begin plotting things out, then? Yeah. Yes, we are refreshed. We had some time outdoors. Our bellies are full. Mm-hmm. Half the pie is gone. The fuck?

Yeah, I think we're ready to start pitching ideas. How does it go? Wonderful. She gives a notion to the pilgrim, bring over a small dark wood chest that's laid on one end of the table. Lord Percival comes over with these two scrolls under his arm, walks with this cane

to the other side of the table, and Cassandra takes to the third side as you all close in, the doors shut behind you. They move the remaining picked goods off to one side of the table, but each of them take one and begin absentmindedly chewing as they begin laying out some of these papers that Percival had set.

Percival had set. Percival begins, Well, I said that we had quite an, quite a conversation of your intent of breaking into this site and making your way to the moon as strange events are abound, but I have put some mind to a few possible ways to distract and help you get in successfully. One of the big advantages that we have against them is Whitestone's source of residuum, and it seems to be mostly unaffected by the current magical disruption that most of Exandria has been suffering,

the second of which is the rarity of those who understand complex machines as well as I do. Thus, there can be a two-pronged approach here." He lays out one sheet paper that has all these odd schematics and points to a couple. It was noted that locally, I'll say, the local plot here, it was noted by Kilk that some manner of machines and automaton guardians were present throughout the site. Is this correct? Yes.

If one of your team can get close enough to any major mechanical devices on site along the perimeter of this, or manage to scramble one or more of their automatons to cause a ruckus, that would definitely draw tension for those around. I happen to have, with the aid of Allura here, a couple of things that could come to such a ruckus-causing positive outcome.

He opens the chest on the side. You can see this ornery old man suddenly has this Christmas morning sparkle in his eyes. Open up the chest and he pulls out these two small, they look cobbled, haphazard springs and wires and odd little gems. You can see there's levers on the sides. It looks like the inside of a clock, but someone tried really hard to make it more confusing. He sets them both down. Now, don't be scared. These were designed to be used by any layman

with proper instruction, which is what this is for. He lays down the other sheet of paper, a smaller scroll, and rolls it out and begins to go through a point-by-point description of how these devices can be placed near or within other large bits of mechanical energy drawing pieces of equipment and or mechanically driven machines or automatons, and it will temporarily scramble or possibly even destroy some of the internal mechanics of them. There's two of them, and only two within the time frame that was given, but they are passed over

to your side of the table as Lord Percival smiles smugly. They're not perfect, but they'll do in what time we have. Given time, I can refine these, of course, but are any of you at all mechanically inclined? I know a little bit about automatons. Perfect. These will both go to you for time, me and Ryan. Safekeeping. I try not to set them off near me.

Yeah, well, this is a good question, though. What are you? Is it? Vex, is that you? Get going! I'm just trying to point out. You have to trigger them for them to. And then there's a time element,

because if he's nearby and they go poof, then that's bad, right? If you've been paying attention to my instructions, indeed, there is a timed bit upon which, you can do it immediately if need be, which is like this lever here on the right-hand side. All right, yes. It's all right, I don't expect everyone to understand.

Oh. Hold on, sorry, I have to make a... Okay. Nevertheless. Roll for heart failure. The side with the blue lever, for those, I believe, colors can at least be remembered, is a...

What the fuck did I do? Why? A timed designation of the device on the blue side. How long of a timer? One minute, 60 seconds. No. One minute and 60, two minutes? One minute, 60 seconds.

Ah, okay. Two minutes. So I'm not the only, that's confusing, right? It's very clear to me. I'm picking up what you're laying down. Indeed. On the other side is the silver lever. That, when pushed, will immediately detonate it, should there be some sort of an untoward emergency.

Sure. Blue, timed. Silver, instant. Nice, perfect sense. Good. That's the distraction. And it's for arcane devices? Or mechanical devices.

But also just standard mechanical? It might destroy mechanical devices. It will scramble arcane devices. Okay. This is for the local usage, for something more broad. And perhaps, as you wish to see fit, they can be utilized in tandem,

should you know what we're doing, which I believe you might. I discuss this with Lady Laura. We feel a magical onslaught of illusion would be a sound distraction. If their most keen eye of arcana is indeed away on the moon, the precious moments bought by a false magical attack

on a scale that harnesses the weirded nature of the solstice, along with some residuum amplification, could create something to draw their attention en masse for a short period of time. And for that, I believe Allura will be present on the outskirts of this endeavor. Oh god. So she'll be doing the illusory?

She leans in. I have volunteered. I've been in many dangerous situations before, and once again, this is an illusion. I will, if all goes well, not be near any thick of it. So you're going to be able to do, or at least make it seem like you can do shit that you shouldn't be able to do right now.

There have been some places at the various nexus points here in the Solstice where some magic is amplified to an astronomical degree. Oh, fuck. Now, here's the unique thing. There are some things about Luciens that are easy to see past, but we've devised here,

also to Percival's behest, are preparing a few wagons, carts, constructs we can piece together with what perhaps some of the outskirt outposted armies might be able to provide and fill them with meat. With what? Meat. Meat. Meat?

Use the illusion to wrap around some of these devices. Should any of these creatures be assaulted, attacked, or wounded from any of their defensive positions, the illusion could give the appearance of one such creature falling and leave a very real mess behind, which would, if done properly, at least buy a little more time before the illusion gives up its reality. All right. I like that. That's crazy.

Neat. So the illusion of a creature with a dead creature within? Pieces of dead creatures. A dead creature. Okay. A bit of tactile to just sell the rest of me being. And while that meat illusion is happening, we take the Bloody Bridge?

I believe that's what is's what we discussed, yes. Cool. All right. You also mentioned that you could make sure we're not able to be peeked in on for eight hours or so. A few things, and she reaches into the side. You can see on the edge of her robe, she has this long pouch that has a strap over the shoulder

that has a Y-strap that goes over the other side. She opens it and she pulls out a number of small vials of different colors and sizes and some scrolls that are wrapped up. She says, All right. First, I have two of these. She hands this out to you. They're two scrolls of mass non-detection.

They will provide for a period of time a number of subjects, upon it being read, or an object or area of a certain size, and for eight hours, they will be non-detectable by divination of any real kind. So two of those give you windows when you feel they are proper. divination of any real kind. So two of those give you windows when you feel they are proper.

Consider that. It's the best I could muster in the time that was available to us. Fantastic. Also, you mentioned that you were looking for Rin, perhaps. Yes. Oh yeah, yes. Feels very bonus, extra credit, but yes, we will be on the look.

Yeah, we just want to make sure that she's alive or resurrectable. Well, just in case, you mentioned she was made of stone or turned at the time, so this is a scroll of greater restoration to, in a pinch, should you not have the capability. This is also for you. This could be of aid.

Are we being watched right now? You see Allura glances around with a quick watch and her eyes give this deep blue cerulean color. She looks about. No, we're all right. Whoa, she's cool. Do you want to take the healer? I could just do that.

Oh, okay. But I guess that. No, I mean, why would you? W's in there? I could just do that. Oh, okay. But I guess that. No, I mean, why would you? Waste a spell if I could just use that. Yeah, but if it's separated, if we get separated, then one person can do it. Someone else keep it. Depending on the distance that's required to get to the Bloody Bridge from within the site,

or if any of you get separated as part of your discussed plan upon entry, who's capable, here is a scroll of Dimension Door that should give somebody, I can read it, a quick jaunt into a... MATT and LAURA laugh Read it sideways. Dimension Door scroll.

Awesome. Also. That's a lot of stuff. Thanks. I've seen that shit before. This is a lot of good stuff. Well, you're going on quite the journey here, and we don't know what to expect,

so I wish we had more at our disposal, but much of our supplies were sent to the front lines, or were lent to others who were more immediately involved in this conflict, or were lost in the initial one. So I wish we had more support at our disposal, but we also have to make sure we protect ourselves at home. We also have two more healing potions to distribute.

Oh my god. As well as one superior. Holy joly! To get you on the path. Shards. Yes. As well as one superior. Holy joly! To teach you on your path. Shots, shots, shots. We also have these potions to aid you. She passes over one potion

that has a mercurial liquid on the inside. It looks like metal, but it shifts in the interior of it. A potion of speed, should somebody require a quick boost in mobility and avoidance. And these two, she hands over these two potions of matching, long and thin with a little bulb in the center of the glass.

It looks like swirling smoke seems to gather, but as you turn it over, you can see it almost congeals into a liquid and then turns into a smoke again, like it's cycling through. These are two potions of gaseous form. Could be a good, necessary escape in a pinch, or a means for two to infiltrate

that which is nigh impossible to infiltrate. So two of those at your disposal as well. And there was something else. Looks over and Percival goes, Yes, right, you required a jeweled muffin pan. Muffin pan. Or baking sheet.

Snaps his fingers and the pale guard come up with this small case and open it up, and inside you can see there is a very, very nice solid gold baking tin. We've had the finest jewelers of Whitestone up throughout the evening, ensuring that your baking tin would meet your standards. I have some experience with the particular intent of this, with some past history of the incantation

of what's required, and I've made sure that it meets the specifications. Your baking tin, and passes it over to you. So much. This is the right dimensions for your tum tum? Let me make sure it fits. Like a glove. You have to turn it a little bit to one side,

it's a little bit too wide for the opening, but if you angle it, it goes in okay. Amazing. Laudna, why don't you take this? Mm! Mm! Yes. Okay.

And then once we're up there, okay, so your distraction happens. It's a success. People are going crazy, and then we run through, and we go up the Bloody Bridge. Somehow. Somehow. By figuring it out as we go. Yeah.

We go up the Bloody Bridge, and then we scout for whatever information is useful. Are you asking or telling? I'm just trying to lay out the plan and making sure I'm not missing anything. This is a recon mission. We're not supposed to blow anything up.

We're not supposed to assassinate anyone. We're just seeing what's there. Information is extremely, extremely important this time. We don't know what's on the other side. What if we get the opportunity to assassinate? We shouldn't. Well, on the other side. What if we get the opportunity to assassinate? We shouldn't. Well, please, run with your inspiration if the moment presides itself.

Just don't be stupid about it. Right. How long do these scrolls of mass non-detection work? How long do the mass non-detection, how long does it last? Eight hours. That's great. And where are we touching down?

Lady Viseron, are you our ride? Oh, you mean to the place? I believe I must be, if I'm required as part of this distraction. We still do have teleport. We could teleport there. Yeah. The less we have to spend ourselves, the better, though.

Also. True? If that stuff is only one use at a time, in case you arrive at Aruidus and things go wrong quickly, that would be your only means of escaping once you've returned. What would be? The teleporting. Oh, you think we can teleport from there to here? I don't see why not.

I imagine you'd have to probably return to the bridge and ride it back to the site. Yeah. And from the site out. Oh, I see what you're referring to. We can't teleport from the moon here, though. I hope not. I don't think so. We've been unable to teleport there, so we couldn't.

But we could ride and get out. Okay. You said, we know the Malleus Key is making magical jumbly, but then also you said the Rylorans are blocking divine magic? As far as we've been told, they seem to have a natural knack for diminishing some of the divine magic's capabilities. It may not be tied to their Ruidian nature, but from what we've heard on the front lines, the initial conflicts that have happened on the

outskirts of it have led to a number of the support healers in combat unable to keep up with the injuries they're used to dealing with. So be warned. I knew that, Lettuce. No, I didn't. Grim. Divine magic. Your healing might be a little of magluster. A little negated around the Rylor.

Is that a dig against me? Or you mean just more so than normal? I'm just stating, I did not say this. You are saying these words that no one said. Well, we got lots of potions, though. We do. We do. They were just saying around the key and maybe even on the moon,

the nature of the Rylorans, since it's blocked off from divine magic, so you might be a little dampered. Okay. When it comes to healing. All right. Do you have any, pardon me, do you have any robes or anything that we might be able to use from your earlier incursions?

We found that disguising ourselves helped a bit. We might also have some old ones, if I recall, but just... We have recovered vanguard robes, though I assume, based on failed attempts to infiltrate, they're likely looking very closely for those who are sneaking their way in these days, so be very careful in particular. Not to be complicated on this, but does everybody have goggles? Does everybody have something to protect their eyes, something to protect their mouth, and maybe a cloak, especially a red?

It doesn't have to be nice. Cassandra, leave them. Whatever else you require, we can provide here in Whitestone. Awesome. A professional. Goggles, goggles. Yeah. Great.

All right. Let's do it. Yeah. Do y'all want to do any prep here first? I could make us a thing that we consume and it will protect us some while we're there for 24 hours. That sounds great. Yeah, should we do that first? Or do we do it right after we teleport and sit down? Well, we're not teleporting directly into it, I don't think.

Oh, okay. We're going to want to assess what the situation is there. Okay, and this Beflusian plan that you have, are we staging that with you, or are we separating from you once we're there? You're welcome to help, but based on what we assess, the time may not be there. If we have time, you're welcome.

But we have some friends who are currently scouting and keeping tabs on the outside of the site, and I believe they will have the supplies necessary based on the loot. Okay. That's a good plan. Okay. Today, then?

Shall we? Whenever you're ready. Then? Yeah. Huh? I think so. We don't want to funnel vest anything into us before we go? Oh yeah.

Yeah, what are y'all doing with that thing? We should take care of it. I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. Lady Cassandra. Why do you sound weird? I couldn't help but notice, as we were shredding your pal, that you have lots of wood on the outskirts of Whitestone. Is it pretty tame, or are there some

crazy beasties out there that you have to keep at bay? Oh, these woods are extremely cursed. Oh, cursed? And have been since before our family arrived here, yes. Oh. I'm just tossing it out there like a more maligned individual might think to, I don't know, find one of those cursed, dangerous creatures and, I don't know, test out the abilities of the harness.

You have to capture it and suck out its essence for an hour, right? Yeah, for an hour. An hour kills it, a minute borrows. Yep. I mean, that's a cool idea, but we'd have to go hunting for a day and maybe get something, maybe? I mean, you know, trying it for the first time on the moon

ain't a fucking bright idea, either. We've got a workshop here. We've got a place to test and... Are you going to do the sucky, the shoddy thingy? Then again, though, to FCG's point, we are burning a day, and there is a clock running here.

We're pretty resourceful. So let's just do this. We've got a good lab downstairs. And I don't want to move with that thing. What? What thing? That's a nugget. Do we need to go to a lab for it? Somewhere where there's, I don't know, we can do it.

Can we do it here, surrounded by a bunch of magic users that can protect you if something goes bad? Oh, we can be present if you prefer. In fact, I think if you're going to use my workshop, then I would like to be present to ensure you don't destroy it. I completely agree. If there's a place where we could... I've never had Legacy before, and it's new, and I'm getting used, I'm not getting used to it yet. I'd like just a tiny bit of privacy when we do this. Not so far away that nothing can't be handled, but I just kind of,

I would like to feel safe just for a minute when we do this. Do you think this will require some space? I don't think so. I would like to feel safe just for a minute when we do this. Do you think this will require some space? I don't think so. Really? I think it's just... I mean, when you did it with the spoon,

I mean, it was a spoon, but... It's a spoon. This is also a shard of fucking... His shard of power. I feel like a little space might be a good idea. As long as I can think, if that's okay. Give me a courtyard. What?

Some wide open space. Percival. Greater by faith, by love. What do you think is best? He goes, We don't really understand the nature of this primordial power much. Perhaps not a public place, and I'd like to keep my workshop intact. What do you think, Cassandra? She crosses her arms. If you're one for a place of importance, brother,

she gives him an eye nudge and he goes, Always so dramatic. Come on. Oh, always so dramatic. Come on. Okay. Slowly, they lead you to these well-made staircase that descends into these well-carved tunnels that go beneath the castle.

I thought you'd find one there. No, no, that's a twist. to these well-carved tunnels beneath the castle. I thought you'd find one there. No, no, that's a twist. That wind in turn for, it feels like a mile at least, but everything's well-lit and well-guarded until eventually it opens up into a subterranean chamber that is beautiful.

You can see there are all these structures and tables. You can see there are researchers down here. This is an important chamber that currently sits beneath a cluster of far-reaching roots that twist and grasp at the edges of this massive open area. And there beneath it, a pale green glowing structure, like a pyramid,

that shines with numerous sources of glowing arcane light. And all of you are caught in awe. Except for you, Laudna, who feels a chill run down your spine and you don't know why. I'll stay towards the back of the pack. What's that? That is part of Whitestone history. It's very dangerous.

I would be careful upon approach, be respectful. Don't get it dirty." He begins to walk up the steps, this extensive series of steps. Dozens, hundreds of steps or more, it's hard to say, but you climb up and you echo space. You can see the researchers off to the side who are stopping and watching as you all ascent. You can see the arrival of to the side who are stopping and watching as you all ascent. You can see the arrival of not just important people, but let alone a strange gathering of folks to ascend the ziggurat as an odd occurrence. But as you all step up to the top,

you can see there are signs of a structure that once sat in the center that has been leveled. In its place instead, there looks like an odd memorial plaque, almost, and just this open platform. Well, this is open. What do you think they used to do up here? Do it. You should do it. What?

Know what you would see. Oh god, yeah. An epic battle. Might see yeah. An epic battle. Might see it before the epic battle. Very frustrated scientist. So you want privacy? Like, should we all just turn around? Just go to the bottom of the steps?

That'd be okay. Keeping it to us or keeping it to you? Keeping it to? Just us. Oh. How do you know that it's going to be safe? I mean. Well, you'll know if it isn't because you'll hear something terrible

and you guys will be close enough. I just. That's true. Here you go. Percival corrects his glasses. Just throw another in the historical charts of terrible things that have happened here. There you go, harness. I remember how this works.

And we have the crystal. Get you in. I'm not taking it. No, you have to take it. No, she's taking it. It's going to be okay. She's just fucking with everybody. It's going to be okay. She's just fucking with everybody. It's going to be okay. We talked about this.

Okay. It's going to be okay. It is. It's going to be okay. So who's putting the harness on? I would like some, can we have some room? I want to talk first. Sure, yeah, we'll just be over here. I'll be keeping Lady Cassandra safe.

Oh boy. Okay. Thank you, Mr. DeRollo. I'll be also keeping Lady Cassandra safe. Oh boy. Okay. Thank you, Mr. DeRollo. I'll be also keeping Lady Cassandra safe. I like the town. We take much pride in it, and thank you for arriving this time with a sense of madness. It feels old. I like that.

So do I. And they all begin to slowly descend the stairs a bit, Allura looking nervously. She casts a spell, and as the glowing runes begin to encircle, you can see it creates this boundary barrier around the central, halfway up the ziggurat, that shimmers, almost like a protective bubble. She just stays there halfway down the steps. And the rest of us are descending as well, right?

Are we outside of that bubble? You have walked out of the bubble as she creates it. Cool. Okay. They were going to argue. I don't want this to take so long. No, no, I understand, I understand. I put the machine on the floor.

If it starts to get weird, just feel free to scream bloody hell. It's okay. I don't... Thanks. Yeah, you got it. All right, well, let's get you in this thing. He's taking it. Wait for it. He's going to do it himself.

Let's go, quick. I just start wrapping the thing on me as quick as possible. You're going to die. Okay. We'll have to find out. Let's do it. It's a good place for you. I know. I'm getting nervous. Die. Okay. Let's do it. It's a good place to be. I know, I'm getting nervous. They're noticing. What if you die?

What if you explode? Well, that'll be a story, won't it? Fuck it. I don't know, I don't know. Lots of people. Sweet. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, but if something happens. Well, you know. Shit happens.

I'm looking to see if anyone is freaking out about this at this point. Make a perception check. You just have a lot of hands up in the air, like, what the fuck? I'm showing everybody the cookie tin. Yeah. I mean, further down the ziggurat, you cannot the cookie tin. Yeah. Oh, wow.

Further down the ziggurat, you cannot see the top of leveled tops, so you don't have eyes on Fearne and Ashton. You put the dough in here? And it cooks! I know some of your whatever is bullshit. I know that you're worried about your friends. This is what I need.

I need to save everybody. We all need to save everybody. So it's fucking no one lives up harder. Right? No, but what if this is not how we do it? Well, we're going to be fucked anyway. Okay. What if giving it to you is not how we save everybody?

Well, I was already thinking that. All right, all right. This is why I ate a whole apple pie. Okay, where are we? Save just a little bit. I just put the shard in there? What do I do? We did it last time.

It goes in and we turn it on, if I recall. Just hold it near it, pretty much. Yep. Listen to what the ancient tree said. Let's do it. Fucking chance for a crash. Well, we've burned it, man. Said who can save you.

How's it going up there? Let's go, you promised. It's good. Shit. Now you have to go say something like that. All right. Ready? Yeah.

Yeah. One more for the road. I just run over, grab you, hug you, give you a big fucking kiss. Ooh. Well, now I don't know if I want to put this in there. Fucking do it. It's never happening again anyway. So touch it.

It's the one you get. Touching the shard, you take five points of fire damage. Okay. All right. Okay, okay. I'm going to rage the second I feel a single thing. Okay. I put a C4 into a one-share.

It gets weird. You yell. Okay, okay. You better live through this. You take another four points of fire damage. I don't know. It's going to be great. It's burning your hands. It's going to be great.

It's going to be great. Don't you get a, don't you get a, do you take full fire damage, or do you take half damage? He said maybe. Two titans ripping your soul apart. I think I take full. Four.

Okay, it's okay. It's okay. Let's find out. Two-year soul. You take it and hold it to the funnel that sits in the back of the harness. I'll call on Gul if I have to. You do. Okay.

Take another five points of fire damage. Sure. The runes, the numerous interwoven runes throughout this harness begin to alight and glow and pulse. The funnel itself at the back of this harness begins to glow and the magical energy begins to alleviate the gravity that you feel on the shard, on the spark itself. To the point where you feel on the shard, on the spark itself,

to the point where you can feel like you might be able to let go. I'm going to let go. Okay. He hovers there. I'm going to let go and let God, okay? As it does, you can watch the vibrant flame that flickers deeply within this jagged-looking crystal

that you, you together pulled forth from the center of this lava pool, just slowly rotates. And as the runes glow brightly, Ashton. You better not die. Wait, what? Yeah, you do hear that. Uh-oh.

You feel this warmth in your chest, like you just drank an extremely hot tea on a very cold day. That begins to just blossom inside you. The rainbow sparks begin. As the heat begins to get warm to hot, to hot to burning, all of the gold lines that you see throughout the fractures that keep Ashton together begin to glow orange.

Ashton, I need you to make a constitution saving throw for me. Do I get to use my probability that I just turned on? Not for this one, no. Oh. Just straight constitution. Yeah.

Fuckin' bird. Literally. 23. 23. The heat within your chest, it feels like something, something is trying to awaken, like a second heartbeat,

like a dormant organ within you is starting to shift. And it flexes, like a child punching from inside the womb. And when it does, you feel part of your shoulder lurch and the heat extends from your chest to your shoulder. Fearne, you watch as a large chunk of Ashton's shoulder cracks and falls, shattering on the ground. Fuck pain. a large chunk of Ashton's shoulder cracks and falls, shattering on the ground. Fuck pain.

No. Fuck pain. No. Don't you dare. Don't you fucking dare. The heat spreads. And there's an odd moment where, through his grin, you see a part of his ear on the ground. The gold marks throughout his body

are now a bright, bright orange, yellow, almost white coloration, and the rock of his skin is beginning to smolder. Oh boy. Ashton, you feel like something within you is pushing and pushing, and it hurts, and it hurts, and you take... Raging isn't going to help, is it?

No. 15 points of fire damage. Okay. I'm going to try to take it off before we're gone. I don't know either. You're in no man's land. We're not there. The crystal begins to lose its color.

You watch as it crumples and breaks and shatters. Okay. Now Ashton's chest is glowing like a furnace. You can see there's an expansion, like his body is expanding slightly, and with each lurching motion, like an earthquake that changes the tectonic plates,

other parts begin to break and crumble away. In your head. No, you wouldn't. I would try to talk to Ashton, because I would think Fearne is getting me. So in Ashton's head, how's it going? Is she okay? In my head? Yeah.

All you hear over and over is, from the earth, of the earth, to the earth, from the earth, of the earth, to the earth, from the earth, to the earth, of the earth, to the earth. You take 24 points of fire damage. Can I try to warm up? Make another constitution saving throw for me. So you can see above the...

I mean, we're, how far down are we? Can we see? How high do we have to get to see? You have to run up those. Probably pretty, yeah. I'm going to start going up the stairs. Okay, okay. Something's weird. You run up the stairs. Okay, okay. Something's weird. You run up the stairs and you come to the sphere

that Allura's maintaining and she glances past you. You pass through it. Oh. You get the sense that this isn't a physical barrier yet. Oh. We're not keeping things from the outside in. Maybe something from the inside out. 100%.

Yeah. And you begin charging up. What'd you roll? 11. Mm-hmm. I can't use my fucking luck anymore. I see me doing that face. I don't like that face. I... Yo, Ashton's going to die.

Ashton, you close your eyes as you're muttering this and you look up towards Fearne and where his eyes were, you just see these two bright burning coals that emit this beam of orange heat light out in your direction. You see his body shaking and there's another shift as his chest expands and you hear a crack and his right arm falls off the torso. Oh my god.

Oh boy. Shatters him. Oh my god. I think Orym would trail after Imogen. I am, I am. I think I might start walking up there as well. Roll it, roll it. Wait, you were still telling me about your making of? We'll show you.

We saw you. How often do you visit Whitestone? Who's going to visit Whitestone? What's going on up there? I'm going to try to start taking the harness off. Can I see anything yet? You rush up to the top and you see Fearne rushing towards Nell, this volcanic, shaking, swelling,

partially cracking Ashton. No, no, no, no, no, no! I'm... Help! I'm trying to take the harness off. You're trying to take the harness off. Midspell? I don't know! Oh god!

Okay, I'll... I don't know! I don't know! We're not sure in the corners! They're rushing towards you, Ashton. Are you doing anything? I am... Why are you looking at me? Because I had to look somewhere. The eyes have to go somewhere.

I'm going to keep trying to turn on the rage again. I'm going to be in, I'm just in prayer. I'm thinking about my past. I'm thinking about my future. I'm thinking about the people I want to protect. I don't care where, just I don't care what I'm going to become, but I have to become something that is...

I'm not going to lose anybody. And I'm definitely at this point, can I sense that they're heading towards me? I would say yes, because you are very familiar with pain and focusing through the pain, that you, more than anybody, can maintain just enough focus through this white hot sensation to see them rush towards you.

You take 36 points of fire damage. Is he getting brighter? He is getting brighter and hotter. And I'm just going to say, anything you got, I'll take it! Anything? What did you do? I'm trying to stumble towards FCG, at least. All right, shit, I feel like we should at least stroll up. I'm going to cast towards FCG, at least. All right, Shed, I feel like you should at least stroll up. I'm going to cast,

this is dumb, I'm going to cast Telekinesis. And I'm just going to use everything that I have to hold his body together. Oh. As I see pieces breaking off, I'm just going to use every force I have to try to compress everything and hold it together as he's walking.

Okay. I'm going to just, if I've got anything, I'm just going to try and take my one good arm and down another healing potion and just try and keep myself going. And I assume that the, whatever the next rave is. You uncork the healing potion, and as you lift it to your lips,

the liquid inside immediately evaporates before it touches your mouth. Yes! I am laughing my ass off at that. Can I get, have I gotten up there? Am I close enough to get it? The rest of you have begun, you're all starting to follow up after Imogen.

I'm going to race over to him and try to touch him. If I can. Oh, what? It might burn. I'm trying to what? I'm going to try to touch him. Okay. And just to throw on a death ward. Okay. I am going to cast Aura of Life.

Okay. Okay. Oh, mess face. I know. Oh, choices were made here. Yeah. I know I Oh, choices were made here. Yeah. I know I was going for something heavy. I was going for something heavy. I love it.

I love it. I did this to myself. I did, I did. All right, so you're going to touch him. I'm going to myself, I did, I did. That's 0 hit points. All right, so you're going to touch him. I'm going to try to touch him, maybe on a part that's still rock and not just molten. Like, yeah. Try to slap a death ward on him. It's all hot rocks at this point.

Ooh. Yeah. So you place a death ward on him. Oh shit. You and him, well actually, you would take 14 points of fire damage on touching him. You take 28 points of fire damage. Well, I actually had a question. I have a ring that lowers fire damage.

Can I be using this? You do not have the concentration at the moment to utilize anything on you. Okay. It's taking you everything to not explode. Your arm fell off. Yeah, it's on the ground. Was it the hand that's on there?

Actually, yeah, it was. It's fair. Oh my god. Oh, I was just going to do something. Fuck, I lost my concentration. Yes, you did. Hold on. Again, I'm still getting the probability roll.

I got it again. Just going for it. Oh, buddy. As the rest of you rush up there and you put the Death Ward on him. Oh wait, how many points of damage did I get? You can see now, parts of his chest and his shoulders are expanding and you can see it's cracking,

like small volcanoes are bursting out of his surface. I don't understand what happened. I thought Fearne was going to take it. I'm going to fucking try to. What happened? Oh no. Sure. I would've... Is it the next round yet?

Can I cast another spell? You're trying to hold it together. You take 48 points of fire damage. Can I take half of that as a reaction? Is that an attack or an ability? I'm down. Let's take your ability. It says, boy. You had Death Ward on you.

An aura of life. Whenever another creature of your choice takes damage from an attack. Loser. Okay. I mean, there's nothing any of us can do. This is so beyond us. But I will certainly heal him

if the second I can. Oh, okay. Wait, I've got, this is not going to help. I'm going to try it. I'm amused. I am going to cast. Well, you're not out, by the way, because you had Death Word. Yeah, you have Death Word. Correct.

So the minute the consciousness slips from you, you pretty much rush up, put the Death Word on him, and as the rune of protection emanates, it immediately shatters as he crumbles to another knee. And you can see as he's shaking, parts of the body are breaking and falling on the ground. There's just this trail around him, this growing pile of shale.

And at one point right now, is that correct? How much of his body is left right now? How much of his body is left right now? How much of his body is, I mean, it's still, put it at 70%. I'm going to cast Watery Sphere around him and try to cool his body down, solidify the rock as it's cooling. Steaming Sphere as a spell.

Yeah. Because as you begin, and you notice in the proximity, even just standing near him, you take another 18 points of fire damage. Wow! He's hot. Wow, that is hot. I'm going to start with what I've got left.

Make another constitution saving throw for me. Okay. Oh my god. Because I'm going to start, just with this, I'm going to start just feeling the stone beneath me. I'm going to just start trying to concentrate on the stone. God, it's so gross. Don't be a dick. Please don't be a dick. I have. I can't. Oh boy.

It was a constitution save? 21. Okay. Yeah? 21. Okay. Yeah. 21. You are barely holding on right now. You are slipping in and out of consciousness and you feel this battling duality inside you.

You are a man currently holding two bombs inside on the verge of detonation. Let's get a job. Is there time to cast Curing on him right now? Sure, what are you casting him? Between the death ward vanishing in the next round, yeah. I will do the, I'll just do a 6th-level Cure Wounds. Okay. I should be at, am I at one hit point right now?

One hit point, hold on. Does Ashton look like they are dead, dying dead to us? Make a perception check. Does it look like they're crumbling right before our eyes? Not a great roll for me. The process takes a minute, by the way.

What does? One minute? The harness. You are four rounds into a minute. Oh my god. 24 seconds. I got a 19. You got a minute. Oh my god. 24 seconds. I got a 19. You got a 19. Yeah. He's not doing good. I just pumped 27 hit points into him.

Fantastic, and he just took 60 fire damage. I'm out again. I did? He did. So I'm out again. This isn't going to work. Aura of Life is the only thing that's keeping you up right now. It's like you jump back to one hit point

and then another surge puts you down. You are holding it together and then losing it, and then holding it together and then losing it. Try to use the telekinetic mage hand to take the harness off of him. I'm going to try to unbuckle the harness with the hand. Okay. So I stay back. I mean, I'll go faster than that.

I will use Seedling and Grasping Bind to yank the nugget off of the harness. The nugget is crumbled. The nugget is crumbled. It's just crumbled. The harness is crumbled. The power has moved into him. Let's go together. The harness is not. Mage Hand is very weak, so.

Mage Hand is trying to unbuckle it, but you can yank it off as soon as I get it unbuckled. Is Allura heading up here, too? But no. Allura's holding this. Okay. As much as she cares about you all, Whitestone is more important to her. That's fair.

All right, I will need you to go ahead and make a... Just make a charisma check to utilize your arcana to rapidly try and work through these buckles. A charisma check? Yeah. 20. 20, okay. You begin to maneuver these buckles rapidly.

You use Seedling and yank. Make a strength check for me. Okay. It's not the spells shit? Seedling attaches and pulls, or pulls from? This is about you trying to, actually you unbuckled it, so it's not very high DC. Just roll a strength check. So what am I adding?

My strength. There's a strength modifier. There is no strength modifier. It is a straight roll. It's a five. It's a five. You pull it off of him, but it skitters to the ground. It doesn't come to you before it snaps off him. But it's off of Ashton. It's off of Ashton. Okay, then I will use Gust and blow it's off of Ashton. It's off of Ashton. Okay, then I will use Gust

and blow it further away from Ashton. Okay. The transference is inside of him, though. Yeah, sure, but... I don't know. I was trying to do something. Yeah, the harness is now seemingly inert as the process of transference has begun. Oh god. I want to pop

your wounds into him, too. Can I Mage Hand the harness out of the bubble? Where Ashton is, outside of the thing that Allura is creating? If you want to begin moving it over there, you can. Yeah, just pull it away. On the next, whenever I'm allowed to cast a spell, I'm going to cast Aura of Vitality,

and just every round keep pumping in 2d6. Okay. Ashton, make another constitution saving throw. Okay. Fatality and just every round keep pumping in 2d6. Ashton, make another constitution saving throw. Okay. I'll also say I've got a, I do have a thing that should have kicked in earlier, but I'll... What is that? It's the Ring of Temporal Salvation.

Oh, valid. Thank you. Next time it's necessary. I did a Cure Wounds for 33 points of healing. Okay. I assume that happens after I make the constitution check. Where's my constitution? Let's not be a dick. I could really use a good roll.

Potion after potion, but you've got... I've got a thing that's gone. Potions don't work and we're using them all. Oh, they evaporated. 17. Nothing can last for a whole minute. And it's just healing every round. 17. It can last for a whole minute. And it's just healing every round.

17. As long as it keeps it. You're holding together. Maybe he's taking 60 fire damage. You take 34 points of fire damage. I'm only at one. Wait, did someone heal me before this? She just did.

For 33. So you're out again. I'm out again. And then I will cast Aura of Vitality, giving him... Hey, eight points. So I'm back up to eight before anything happens. Okay.

Jesus. Make another constitution save. Jesus. Come on, he can do this. He can power through. He's a rock man. Ooh, terrible. Rocking man! Rocks. 10.

Hey, you guys remember when Ashton broke that green lens? This is where the ring, I assume, is going to be the thing that cooking. Wait, wait, wait, he just said 10. I had a bad constitution roll. Matt just took a dump in his chair. He rolled a 10 constitution? Yep. It was a 10?

Great. It was a bad constitution roll. Matt just took a dump in his chair. Yep. It was a 10? Great. It was a bad constitution roll. You all watch as all of the gold parts in Ashton's body glow white hot. His eyes close and his face tenses as he looks up and the beams of sheer bright light that pour from his eyes up into the sun tree's roots above, he screams before he shatters into a thousand pieces, and they stop in the air.

And form back as your ring breaks, and that brief little bit of inherent dunamis brings you back into that final moment before you shatter. You all watched your friend die and come back, and that ring is gone. Oh shit. And you have five more rounds. Are we only a f-

Really? We're not only that far. I thought we'd gotten further. Takes a whole minute. Fuck. A whole ten seconds. 20, 10. Shit. A whole minute. Six seconds, that's a bit. Leave me rolling. 10. Shit. Junker.

It was real clear. We were in the instructions for a real clear. I was real clear, y'all. It's all good, it's all good. Okay. I'm going for it. What's next? More constitution?

More healing? What are we doing? Whatever we got. Keep healing. So if you want to keep healing. I'm going to grab Orym. Another 10 points of healing. 10 points of healing to you.

And say, we should get out of this bubble. I agree. I agree. We need to get out. No, no, no, no. Oh, no, I did it the wrong way. So sorry, that was, I did it the wrong way. So I should be one. We're all dead.

Can we do more healing? Imogen. Why did he? We should get out of the bubble. I'm a crazy fuck. Here we go. This is nasty. I back up. I grab Imogen out of protective nature

and start backing her up. I grab Chetney as well. So you're dragging them all back down to where the harness is? I still want to see, but we're just going to start backing her up. I grab Chetney as well. So you're dragging them all back down to where the harness is? I still want to see, but we're just going to start backing away from this. Pumped in another Cure Wounds for 21. Okay.

So you Cure Wounds again? Each time you Cure Wounds, you do take fire damage, just so you're aware. I was also going to say, a lot of these just burn through in one round. 11 points of fire damage. The thing holding them together. And it's eight points of fire damage.

Keeping me together after every time I take damage. Would be really, so that's. The watery sphere helping at all. Did I take 21? No. 21, so I'm at 43. This is, this is primordial. Why do I keep doing that?

I do it wrong. Okay. I'm a crazy person, I'm well aware. He's just got to roll good. He's just got to roll exceptionally good. For five more rounds. Well, four now, I think. That was the fifth.

Okay, so five more rounds. Five more rounds? Shit. I start backing up. Okay. I knew this was going to be dumb. Probably not fast enough. That is 32 points of fire damage. Wait, hold on, hold on.

32, what did you just heal him for? I'm at 43. Okay, and 32, so he's not out. Correct. Correct. This round. But I mean, you guys are running on high-level spells, you've got to be right.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The only thing that's keeping him up is your aura. Is the healing doing anything? Which, by the way, I need you to roll a constitution and save twice, because you took fire damage twice from healing him. Is healing doing anything? Yeah, it's healing him.

If he was at zero hit points, the fire damage would have wiped him out two rounds ago. Okay. Yeah, keep pumping it in. Is this a magical effect? Nope. No. Okay. You also have a healing potion. This is pure elemental power.

Healing potions are evaporating. On her? Fuck. What was it? Oh no. No! Do you get luck or something? Can you cast it again? Wait. Let me see. Wait. Oh yes, I can. I can cast it again. I can cast it again. It's fourth-hmm. Wait. Let me see. Uh, wait.

Oh yes, I can. I can cast it again. I can cast it again. It's fourth-level. Where are you at, HP? Okay, okay. I'm going to cast another Cure Wounds. It's triage. Leave it all on the table. Yep.

I don't know why I'm looking at you. Take another nine points of fire damage. How much? Nine points of fire damage. Roll another constitution saving throw. I'm going to give it to her. No, no, no, I'm okay, I'm okay. Fearne.

So you cast the spell again. No! I did. Right, so now hold off on the healing right there. So hold onto that for now. Roll another constitution check there for me. I can duck. I was really hoping that my rage would actually help you, I will admit.

I know. That's, I'll take 16. 16, go. It's like, yeah, fuck it. You're barely holding yourself together. That's a story of my life. You do take... I'm out again.

I'm okay. I'm definitely out again. 27 points of fire damage. I'm out again. And he definitely out again. 27 points of fire damage. I'm out again. And he heals seven points. I'm not out again. Heals 31 points. Okay. Up to what?

Because I know I have to do fire damage. And then now make another. 38, I'm at 38, okay. You took nine more points of fire damage. I'm at 38. And then roll a constitution save for three. Currently, yes. Come on, piece of shit.

What's that? 16. 16, you maintain concentration. Do you have a work ethic advantage on those rolls or no? I have. Fancy. I do not. I do not.

He makes a new list. Yeah. I could make a new list. You got me to roll for divine intervention, baby. I don't have that. I don't think I have divine intervention yet. No other costs you can take with you from me. Really?

What level are we? 11? I love that you know that I was going to do this. I didn't. Really? God, you just put a big red button in front of me. Yeah, and a lot of warnings. Yeah, and so many warnings. A whole bunch of warnings.

Hey, man. Hey, if you pull this off, fucking power to you. What's that? Another 16. Okay, okay. That's seven. How many dice? That is going to be 21 points of fire damage. That's a really shitty roll.

Thank you. Still up. Still up. And he's healed another six points. Ten. Okay. Level. So we're going to go to the moon and nobody will have any abilities except for Ashton. Divine Intervention comes in at 10th level?

I don't see it in my spell list. Which one? It's not a spell. It's a feature? It's a feature. Okay, well then instead of healing him, I will use Divine Intervention. So I'm losing those six points? Yes. That's okay.

I don't mind. I'm having big swings, right? If I knock down? He's taking a gamble, Ashton. Some people do that, too. Have you not realized that I'm a hypocrite? Percentile dice, so this is a d100? Yeah, you have to roll lower than your level.

Yeah, under your level. Okay, change bringer. Better odds than Chetney. I asked you to show Ashton a sign. This would be the time to show him a sign and make him faithful. 10% or below, man. Come on. It's possible.

If you do this. It's possible. 31. No, Father, one. I know. Too far below the surface and vision and sight 31. Nope. Too far below the surface and vision and sight and attention of the gods who are so distracted, you feel nothing in return from the change bringer in this moment of panic.

One other constitution saving throw for me, Ashton. The DC at this point right now in these final two rounds is up to 15. Don't be a dick, don't be a dick. I can't use one. Yeah! 21. Okay.

That is... Marking these right, that's eight rounds we've gone through. I feel like it was more, but also because my brain is fried. 13, 14 rounds of healing. I'm missing a mark. I don't think I did. Fuck. Six, seven.

Eight? This might be eight. I think I marked it as eight. It's been 84 years. I know. Yeah, that's his third constitution roll since the halfway point. He said, oh.

Right, so it'd be eight. So two more rolls. Fuck me. Okay, that'll be 11. 32 points of fire damage. I'm down. I will heal him for nine points of healing. Are you healing him with what each turn?

Aura of whatever it's called. Oh, Aura of Healing, right. It's called Aura of Vitality. Got it. Every round, I can do 2d6. That's true. So cool. Okay, so nine points.

Oh, one second. That's true. That's so cool. Okay, so nine points. One second. Sorry, I'm doing a weird way. Yeah. This guy's going to do it. I think so. Okay, so I'm at nine points. If you don't, it's just because of you two. No.

No, it's because of the change in his power. No, no. I'm shaking. Fucking moron. Two more rolled, right? It's because Imogen decided to run up there after he was like, I want privacy. I want privacy, I want nobody with me while I

fucking kill myself. Kill myself. Yeah, while I destroy myself. Yeah, yeah. 27. Okay. This is the last one. That's what I'm freaked out about. Taliesin, do not molly yourself again.

This one's a bit more intentional, though. Yeah. Take 34 points of fire damage. I'm out. I will heal you, fucker. Anybody want to heal now? Now would be the point. 10 points. Anybody?

10 points. Anybody want to use it anymore? 10 points. Because I think, perhaps, if I don't hit zero, maybe. 22 points cure wounds, 22 points of healing. So that puts me up to 32. You take 12 points of fire damage. I appreciate that. I give you 22.

What is that, ice? What are you doing? Oh, those are dice. If you rub dice, I am a temple. Make constitution saving throw for me, please. Is this the last one or second to last one? Last one. Last one. Last one. Liam, get away with that.

I'm scared to look at it. I'm going to fucking kill him if he survives. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I'm going to kill him if he dies. Going to beat the shit out of him. Either way, he dies. I'm going to fucking kill him if he survives. Yeah, sure. Yeah. I'm going to kill him if he dies. Going to beat the shit out of him. Either way, he dies. I'm aware. Why don't you roll it here in the middle of the table?

All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, put it in the middle. I cannot even look at this. I can't look at this. I hope I walk away. Yeah, get it on the CR. Look what you maniac. I'm going to do it the old-fashioned way. What does that mean? Not looking? He's not going to look at it.

It's good. It's high. Plus eight. 16 plus. Plus eight. Never look if you want to win. Never fucking look when you want to win. You fucking asshole! Don't act like that! I'll kick you in your suits!

Ball sack! Goddamn. Jesus Christ. The heat begins to subside as Ashton falls unconscious onto his side of where the arm is no longer present. There's a moment where you think he's gone. Then he erupts in steam,

filling the entirety of the apex of the ziggurat with mist. All of you pull back the heat of it, burning your eyes, filling your throat with hot moisture, and you can't help but cough in a moment. And as it passes, you look over and see him there, cooling. Unmoving.

And you come, too. Two. How much body do I have left? You sit up and you glance over. Where your arm was, there is a heavy, muscular, molten rock arm replacing what you've lost that just glows. Where gold veins once were, there's now just

twisting spiral cracks of orange. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for saving me. I'm going to go up, and I'm going to kick you in your face with my hoof. I am never listening to you again! That's probably a really good idea. As you lie there, taken in this moment of survival and what that means,

uncertain of what has transpired here, the rest of you begin to step up and process how close you were to losing Ashton. You're under the roots of the Sun Tree, on top of a place of much loss. It seemed at least something was saved this time. As you boil in whatever emotions sit within you, we're going to call the episode there.

Oh! Love you all. Do you? Do you? You're a douchebag! Percy's right there. What did you expect me to do? He knew. He had no illusions.

Well. Big risk, big reward. Is that wrong? The fucking Ring of Temporal Salvation, y'all. Thank you. That was it. Where did you get that ring? What was that? Thank Deanna. That was it.

That was the moment. And that was on a failed save? The DC partway through was 11. It was 11 or higher, essentially, was a success. He rolled a 10. That was a loss. That was just complete eradication. Then as it progresses, it steps up. It steps up until it gets to 15.

So he never rolled under except for that one time? Except for that one time. Wow, that's lucky. He rolled an 11 on point. He is a big, a great modifier for Kahn. Yeah, a good modifier for Kahn. But 10 rolls, man. Well, a body is not meant to carry

two of these powers together. Yeah, we heard that from a tree. Yeah, multiple times. A lot of things said that already. A tree older than life itself. That means Ashton is an unprecedented creature at the moment. Again.

Jesus Christ. Who knows? Again. What that means. But we'll pick that up next time. I'm going to have a drink and sleep tonight. Good night. We love you so much. Thank you for watching. Is it Thursday yet?

Thank you so much for joining us on this adventure. To help new listeners discover the show, please give us a rating and review on whatever podcasting app you're listening on. Until next time, is it Thursday yet?