Critical Role - C3E78 Fractures

Episode Date: November 23, 2023

Bells Hells face interparty turmoil as they grapple with the consequences of choices made and broken trust at a crucial crossroads... 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 Stationary 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. Oh, hi folks, it's me, Sam Riegel, and I'm here to welcome you to the wonderful world of Exandria. Although it might be called something like Critical Role, wherever you're streaming it on.

If you would like to watch the stream as it airs, you can tune in on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific at twitch.tv slash critical role or at youtube.com slash critical role. The video on demand versions are immediately available for our Twitch subscribers or on YouTube the following Mondays at 12 p.m. Pacific. Podcast episodes are right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network on Thursdays, one week after the initial broadcast. All right. The adventure awaits. Let's roll. Hello, everyone. Welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us and Andreas voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We play Dungeons & Dragons! Before we get into our session this evening, one, we're missing our friend Liam O'Brien

tonight, but we'll have him back next session. We have some announcements to get through before we jump in. I know. Enjoy it for now. But first up in our announcements is Ravensburger and their new game, That's Not a Hat. Here to talk about it is a cat. Sorry, I guess it's a dog. Yep, I'm a dog. Bow wow. I love you so much. Aren't I cute when I hump inanimate objects? Or when I poop in the grass instead of a clean box like civilized animals? Oh look, it's my tail. Maybe I should chase it.

How cosmopolitan. Okay, I'm sorry, you're really a dog though, right? Yum, toilet water. That's what we dogs love to drink. Now shall I sniff someone's butt without their consent? No, definitely not. Second, I'm no expert, but I think I'm a cat pretending to be a dog. Oh, you think I'm bluffing? I think you're a fucking idiot, but yes, I think you're bluffing. Well, bluffing is a big part of Ravensburg's brand new game, That's Not a Hat.

That's Not a Hat is a fun party game that challenges you to memorize two simple things, or lie trying. Flip over cards and try to remember which is which, and if you can't, bluff about what you saw to score points. You can learn how to play That's Not a Hat in minutes, making it a great game to throw in your bag and bring along to holiday gatherings for the whole family. Woof. It's really fun. Even dogs like me enjoy it.

It sounds really fun, but we all know that you're a cat. You think I'm a cat? The perfect creature who can stay awake sometimes cat. You think I'm a cat? The perfect creature who can stay awake sometimes for up to 20 minutes at a time? I should be so lucky. Each fast, fun, and hilarious game of That's Not a Hat takes about 10 to 15 minutes,

so you'll want to play again and again, just like I love playing fetch. Okay, but if you're a dog, okay, little test, what's your opinion on postal workers? Postal workers? Like every other human, they do not exist unless they provide me with food. Ha ha!

We gotcha! Okay, darn it, you found me out. I'm a cat. You got the voice. I'm a cat, it's me. And that's not a hat. Oh my god. So head on over to... Oops, it's me. And that's not a hat. So head on over to.

So head on over. So head on over to Rav.wiki slash critical to shop That's Not a Hat and make your family's holiday season more fun. Matt, meow to you. Oh no! It's like the deep dive. Pull up! Casually go, whoopsie, lost you. Oh no! It's like the deep dive. Pull up! Casually go, whoopsie, lost you. This is my favorite bit. My favorite character. Awesome.

It's my favorite once it's done. Our next sponsor is Hit Point Press. Hit Point Press! Black Friday is starting early at HitPointPress.com. Prepare for your next adventure with Heckna, Humblewood, Taro, and the animated deck of many things. Ooh! Visit HitPointPress.com slash CR and use code CRITTER23

to get $10 off all orders over $50. Additionally, for the first time ever, enjoy free shipping on orders over $100 of physical products to the continental U.S. Plus, select titles come with a free virtual tabletop module upon purchase at alchemyrpg.com, a stunning, cinematic, immersive,

virtual tabletop platform. Once again, don't forget to use the code CRITTER23 all at once for $10 off orders over $50 at hitpointpress.com slash CR. Thank you, Hit Point Press, for sponsoring this episode. Hit Point Press. Sam, you got the next one? Yes, I've got one more thing to say.

Can we take these? Yes, I'm going to say yes. Our next sponsor is Atlus and their brand new game, Persona 5 Tactica. Ignite your heart in Persona 5 Tactica and join the Phantom Thieves in a thrilling emotional revolution. Help them uncover the truth behind a mysterious deal offered by Revolutionary Arena.

Arena. Is that right? Did I say it right? I should have read this ahead of time. Build your dream squad! Fight oppressive forces and overthrow enemies with powerful personas and stylish combat moves. Experience the uprising of the heart in this dynamic combat adventure. The game is available tomorrow, oh shit, on Game Pass, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox SS, XS, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Steam! Exclamation point. Return to innocent.

But wait, there's more. Don't forget to check out our Inspired by Persona 5 Tactica one-shot, Tamara, featuring Matt Mercer, Robbie Damond, Xanthe Quinn, Christina Ariel, Jared Goldstein, and our wonderful GM, Liam O'Brien. On Twitch and YouTube at 7 p.m. PST. It was such a good show that it took them out of commission. Thank you, Atlas, for sponsoring this episode. Matt, finally, back to you. Thank you so much. Excited to have you check it out. Make sure my sensitive, artist boy survives your playthrough of Tantica, please. Taliesin, keep in mind.

Yes! The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is here! Everything you need to play this game of investigative horror, including rules. Why not? We'll talk about it in a second. Character options for players, GM guidance on running your own campaigns, and expansive setting information like the Metropolis of Newfair or the ruins of Oldfair still teeming with the remnants of powerful magic. Keen eyes might even uncover a hidden mystery to solve within the pages themselves. It's pretty cool. The Candela Obscura Core Rulebook is offered in both a standard edition as well as a beautiful foil printed limited edition for a collection. It's so shiny. They're both shiny. So go forth, investigators, and leave your own mark on the

Fairlands. Pick up your copy of this lovingly made tome today at Critical Role Online shops, Darrington Press Guild stores, and wherever you buy your games. I love it. I'm so excited! It's so fancy. The art is gorge. It is so good. Speaking of Candela. Hellish. Yeah. Yeah.

But in a good way. In a good way. It's a war game! In an appealing way. Speaking of Candela Obscura, the Circle of Needle and Thread Session Zero. It's up on YouTube right now, so you can get a little glimpse on how we made our characters.

It's super cool. And with that, next week, we will be releasing our Crafting a Mystery video with Spencer Stark. Yeah, on Tuesday the 21st. Once again, get a little peek into that beautiful boy's brain. He's so smart. He has such good hair. Also, there is no Critical Role next week on Thursday the 23rd, because it's a holiday here in the States. It's Thanksgiving. But we will be back next Thursday

after that with the next chapter of Candela Obscura. What? The Circle of Tide and Bone. Tide and Bone! Premieres Thursday. Circle of Tide and Pod. November 30th. Circle of Tide and Pod? Yep, it's mostly cleaning.

That's the true horror out there. It's good stuff. Aabria Iyengar is our storyteller. She's great. Tide and bone, check it out. Matt. Hacked you. Hacked your back, fuck.

Sure. Whoa! Plus, our friends over at Demiplane have released a full suite of digital tools for Candela Obscura. Build and share your own investigators using Demiplane's character builder. Easily navigate the rules and gameplay guidance and discover all the Fairlands have to offer

at the Candela Obscura Nexus. Try the experience for free with the Quick Start Guide or get access to the full Candela Obscura core book for purchase at candelaobscuranexus.com. Cool! Ashley, if you don't mind. Hey! Join us for a special Giving Tuesday CRF one-shot

benefiting Comic Relief US on Red Nose Day. Yay! With your votes and generosity shaping the adventure, we'll be playing alongside special guests Sam Richardson and Tony Hale. Yeah! Plus, right now through November 28th, all donations up to $250,000 will be matched

dollar for dollar. So tune in on Giving Tuesday, November 28th at 5 p.m. Pacific on Twitch and YouTube and visit critworld.com slash rednoseday to donate now and help make a difference in children's lives worldwide. Aw. A little bit. Thank you. donate now and help make a difference in children's lives worldwide. Aw! I love it. Thank you.

Madam President! Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee! Thank you for hanging in. One last thing, right before we go to holiday, a bunch of announcements, but we're almost done. Laura! Hi! I have an announcement. It's Critmas time, everyone! Yay! Which means we're going to have another Critmas sale. Our second annual. Oh, snap!

I know. And this time, it's an extra long two weeks of savings. Check it out. Starting next week, all of our Crit-tical Roll shops will have major discounts on games, on dice, on clothes, and more. You can get a great deal on stuff for your friends or for yourself, if you're like me. Check out our sale! We stopped buying so much of our stuff. Yeah, I'm sorry. Check out our sale! All of our Crit Rules shops starting Monday, November 20th, all the way through December 1st. That's when it ends, Friday, December 1st. So get your sales now.

The sale ends Friday, so get your stuff. I'm done. Long announcements. Get your stuffs, you get your stuffs. And get your stuffs and stuff. That's all I got. Great. Thank you. I think that concludes our announcements. You got your perfect.

Let's 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 flight. There is magic and mystery. Who knows what will happen He might But one thing's for sure We never give up on the fight

From the healer To the renegade We all share the same goal Adding more allies, taking more chances Hold your breath and roll You can certainly try It's Thursday night All ye critters come join us

It's time to continue our 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 an extended excursion to the Shattered Teeth, learning more and more about the history of Ashton's youthful transformation into what you now know to be some sort of elemental humanoid. Genasi-esque, it seems, carrying within them a dormant seed,

a broken shard of one of the ancient primordial titans. You made your path through these islands, acquired another chunk of one of these primordial titans that might be used to awaken this dormant shard. Given numerous bits of information about its history, the possible power within, and warnings attached. Returned to Whitestone to both convey the information you gathered to the allies that you've made who are hoping to soon wage a massive front

against the Malleus Key, but they lack information about what resides in the opposite side of the moon, and the worry of destroying the key before knowing too much could leave Ludinus completely left to his own machinations, unable to be stopped. So the bridge must be maintained for now, and information is to be gathered.

You, Bells Hells, volunteered to be the recon mission to the moon and back. You gathered materials from your allies. Arcanist Allura Vysoren, a member of the Tal'Dorei Council, making your acquaintance and searching for a number of... Oh shit. Providing what materials were on hand

to hopefully aid you on this recon mission. Before you left, Fearne and Ashton had a discussion to find a way to awaken the dormant shard of the Titan within. In asking for a space to do this, you were shown to a subterranean layer beneath Whitestone, where there seemed to be an ancient ziggurat, itself coated with layers of residuum glass.

This platform of power at the top was where the two of you brought the harness and asked for some privacy. While your friends waited out of sight, and Allura put up a barrier to protect any wayward magical energies from damaging the surrounding cavern and Whitestone above. Ashton decided to take the shard into himself.

The words from Yvonne Trevir, the Tree of Atrophy, echoing in the mind of those around that both shards within one vessel would likely destroy it. And upon the process beginning, Ashton's physical form was brought, not just to its limit, but past it twice.

Thanks to some careful preparatory spellcasting and a ring taken by an old flame, thanks to some careful preparatory spell casting and a ring taken by an old flame. Yeah. And some fucking lucky rolls at the end there. Ashton lost an arm and then gained a new one, bouncing back and forth on the cusp of death before eventually the process completed.

And with just a shred of consciousness to you, you looked upon your newly formed molten rock arm before Fern kicked you in the head and knocked you unconscious, once again sliding across the surface. The rest of you have been hearing these shouts and rushing up to help, been trying to find a way to keep them alive, being burned in the proximity of the heat

of this spark of Rashaan. You just begin to catch your breath, the anxiety still thrumming in your minds. The last thing you see is Ashton smile through the pain before clattering motionless to the top of the ziggurat floor. Fearne, you stand there, just gripping your fists at your side as you land back onto your hooves. What the fuck?

Jinx? What was that? Did you talk about that? Yes. You knew he was going to do that? Yes, I did. I thought you were going to get the shard. I thought you were going to get the shard.

Yeah, but we talked about it and I didn't want it. Why not? Because it scared me. Well. I know. Is he dead? I don't know. I'll go over and touch Ashton and see if I can,

if he's okay, they're okay. Careful, his body's hot! I warned him not to do that. Everything we heard said don't do that. I know, I know, I just, I think... Is he awake? Is he dead? You go over and push on Ash, and warm to the touch, breathing,

with what looks like a slight hoof-shaped indentation in the forehead, but on the cusp of consciousness, perhaps with a bit of healing. Sure, I'll pump in some healing. Cure wounds. Wait, can I even do that? Yes, sure, I'll do a cure wounds at 4th-level. Oh, wow.

All right. 4d8 plus your wisdom. Oh, I should roll over here. 4d8? Jesus, I'm so good. All one. Not great. One roll at a time.

Sorry. Didn't need a lot, it's all right. I have lost count. Can't you see there's other options? 22 points. Wow. 22 points. Riley, as you watch FCG pull back away the radiant glow of his spellcraft subsiding,

and Ashton's eyes flicker open for a second. The eyes themselves almost alight with a flame-like heat before they return to the eyes you know. Oh. Just having the weirdest dream. I don't feel good. You better say something profound, Ashton, to make it worth it. I think I might have fucked up a lot.

I'd like to walk over and take his hammer. And I'm going to hit him with it in the face. Oh! Okay, are you trying to do damage? Yeah. Roll with advantage. Using your strength. Strength check?

Yeah. That's not going to go very well. Do I get to react or no? Guidance. If you want to react. Yeah, I'm going to guide myself. I don't have any d4s. I know. I'm looking for a d4. Okay.

Roll 2d20s. 2d20. Ooh. No way. Seven. Do you attempt to resist? Necessarily. No. As wide as you're,

and easy to dodge as your real back is, the emotion already heavily foretelling what you're about to do. Ashton makes no attempt to resist. Like the most angry croquet mallet strike, you smack him right up side the head. Echoes throughout the cavern above and you can see dust set off the roots. We're healing him, we're killing him!

You hear an echoed voice from below going, Is everything all right up there? Hello? Yes? Who was that? It's Allura. I'm just going to keep not hitting him with the hammer. I'm just going to keep slamming it on the ground very close to his head and screaming.

Fearne's voice rings out across the cavern, filled with what emotions you wish to convey. I'm going to try to break his hammer. Roll a strength check. Strength check. Find out. I mean, I'm not very strong, but I'm trying to just. You know who is.

Uh-uh. Yeah, but just. 12. Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. You continue to slam it over and over and over again as it impacts the ground, the earth-shattering of the impact of stone and residuum glass

upon this enchanted glass hammer. Two, in this moment, seemingly indestructible items just over and over again conveying an anger and frustration that builds with each lack of movement on either side. You watch Fearne just begin to unravel in fury with each hit. Fearne. I'm going to try to roll under and catch it

on one of her hits. Back up. Okay. Both of you make athletics checks for me. Six. 17. 17. And the hammer holds still. Fearne, you got to stop this. I know you're frustrated, a lot of us are,

but hitting things isn't going to make it any better. We got to talk about this, all right? I don't know, I think she's quite justified. I'm going to stop hitting. And I'm going to lean down to Ashton and I'm going to start ripping off the harness. The harness is off. The harness is off?

Yeah, the horn pulls out of me. I'm going to take the harness and I'm going to walk away. I'm just going to take it out of my hand. All right. Fearne storms off the top of the ziggurat and begins descending the stairs. Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop. I'll go after her, make sure she's okay.

I grip Imogen's hand, as I'm having a hard time holding back that thrumming in my chest. Do you need to walk away from this? They betrayed us. Why did Ashton betray us? I'm going to look over at Ashton and detect thoughts. Okay. What are the initial surface thoughts swimming around in your mind?

One week. It took one week. That's all it took. Just one fucking week. Do you push deeper? Yeah. Make a wisdom saving throw, actually. Yeah, deeper. Deeper.

Eight. What are the hidden thoughts that currently echo around in the back, Eight. What are the hidden thoughts that currently echo around in the back, the important, deeper ones? I think I've seen a pattern in my life, and... I think I've seen a pattern in my life, and I've, I'm going to just describe it instead of... Just

the realization of hubris and temptation and blame and this sudden realization of this epiphany of violent levels of projecting responsibility. Just this very wide thought of so many moments in life of just not being responsible for what happened. And suddenly, just going through that one by one of just...

It took one week of vaguely knowing where I came from and just the only thing I really knew about these people was that they fucked up in this very particular way, and it took me one week to do the exact fucking same thing. Because so desperate to have it, and so desperate to have something that I lost so that I could be mad at someone for taking it.

And just the realization that it didn't matter and that it was all bullshit. As you descend the steps, you can see Lady Allura holding this field up. Has the danger passed? No. All right, well, as you exit the boundary, she looks over. Sorry, it's real tenuous up there.

Best to give them some space. Stay down here, I'll be back. You go running after Fearne? down here. I'll be back. You go running after Fearne. Okay. I'll help Ashton up. Are you on the ground? I am on the ground. I don't think I'm getting up.

Well, just a seated position. It hurts. I'm okay. You sit up. As you do, you feel this... It's like the remnants of that fracturing, that moment where your body exploded into a thousand pieces then came back together.

That memory is with you, but you're also used to being a person who was broken and put back together. So there is strength in acknowledging that. That strange bit of dormant power within you, you can feel it burgeoning, like an egg that's hatching. You can feel that weakness,

that internal crackle of shale and broken mountain begin to find the roots and strength again. And while you do not touch earth or rock around you, for a moment, you can feel all the rock and stone of this chamber and the mountains that surround you for a moment are breathing with you. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Fuck. And a burning pain fills your chest, like the worst heartburn you've ever felt. Whereas you felt that fire that tore you apart from within and every bit of your body, this is just localized right seated behind your sternum. And it gets hotter and hotter and you feel like you're dizzy.

You feel like you're about to lose consciousness again and you hold onto that strength, that newfound strength that sits within you and the burning, you're going to vomit. You're going to vomit and it hurts. It hurts. Every muscle in your body is tensing right now. Involuntarily, you feel your chest begin to seize

and squeeze and the rest of you watch as Ashton seems to gently convulse in that sitting position before coughing a horrible sound. As you do, you watch, emerging from Ashton's mouth, reformed from something inside him, a glowing orange crystal.

Coming to rest about five feet from you. No fucking way. Is that the thing? I'll go over and just touch it real quick. Does it burn? It burns your hand. You take two points of fire damage. You did all that shit for nothing, Ashton? I don't think it was for nothing.

Oh god. Is it a different one? Is it the same one? Was it the one that was in him? It looks the same. It's different in its shape. You watched it crumble when it was taken, but it seems like it's been reformed from something inside of Ashton.

Ashton, your constitution is permanently reduced by two. Ooh! That's hit points, that's all kinds of stuff. Constitution by two? Mm-hmm. As the rejected I have to go and do this. spark of Rau's Sean

took from you the price that you needed. Rejected? Yep. But it still awakened something else? Uh-uh. It seemed to have begun to stir something within you. So there was a victory, and there was a cost. Oh my god.

And you're still fucking alive. Oh my god. I'm examining their arms and body. Swallow the shard, you coward. Do it now. Do it now, motherfucker. I like to eat things. Is their body the same?

Is it different? For one thing, the golden veins that run through the fractures of Ashton's body had been glowing a bright orange since this ritual had been completed. That heat subsides and returns once again to the gold veins. The molten rock arm has now cooled into just a stone arm, though it is larger and rougher than the rest of Ashton. Ashton's right arm now looks almost like halfway to an earth elemental's arm on the rest of his form. What color? Is it darker?

Is it like that? Black lava rock? Is it black lava rock? Yeah. It's a porous igneous rock where it's black and jagged. But the vascularity looks like veins of magma. Well, it did, but they've cooled now. Ooh.

Ash? I can feel it move. It? It's... Yeah, it's got a snapping to it. Is this mine? Fuck. I'm going to put my hand on Vahdna's chest.

You see waves of the veil and my body stretching and pulling as I'm trying to resist. Yeah, Betrayus, it did happen. I know it's not a rational thought, but deep down inside, everything is telling me that they should die. They should have died.

Fearne could have killed them. I know it's not rational. Ignore the fool. Your focus is before you. You feel your eyes drift to the crystal orb of glowing orange, red energy. I start to look away. She'll kill him. I'll kill him. I've got to go. Go.

You know. You know. You know he did it because he's dumb, not because he was trying to be something. We can't trust him anymore. Walk away. I walk away. Do you want to go with her? Make a wisdom saving throw for me.

Oh shit! Here it comes! Maybe you should. Here it comes! I had a bad feeling as soon as that thing came popping out. Yes! I'm excited. Wisdom saving throw. Ooh.

Your wisdom is permanently reduced by 20. It's not great, but it's not awful. 16. 16. As you turn to leave, for a moment, it feels like your body won't listen to you as you stare at that crystal on the ground and you push and turn around and begin to descend the ziggurat.

Yeah, I think if I were to roll any more. Ashton, I think you might have upset some of our friends. And I'm pretty sure we're all going to need to have a little talk about this, but for right now, are you with us? Are you okay? Well, that's a complicated question, but how many of you?

There's three of you here? Just me, Imogen. Oh, Orym walked away, too. Orym's just at the back of the ziggurat watching this with a stoic expression and takes a huffing breath and then descends after Fearne. Three is good.

To those three of you, you've decided not to kill me. That's nice. I don't know. I mean... For now. Sure put a lot of effort into keeping you alive. Yeah. Yeah, you did. Thank you. Mm-hmm.

What in the Changebringer's name were you thinking? Why did you do that? Well... Long answer, short answer. Whatever you got the energy for. Look, I'm not going to you. You found me in a moment when I had done something really bad and you. You didn't you didn't judge me. And so I'm going to try not to do that to you, but...

I didn't... What the fuck were you doing? It seemed like a good idea at the time. You really did. I was... I was... Stupid? I was stupid.

No, you weren't. You weren't stupid. You were power hungry. I wasn't power hungry. You were talking about being a hero and saving people. I was... I was just... I just wanted my parents. I just wanted my fucking family.

I don't know what I wanted. I wanted this thing that isn't even real. It was just there. I was out for 10 seconds. I had this really weird moment where I met myself. I think it happened more than it does, but I saw my parents and me. It was a me that had never gone through the portal or any of that where everything had

worked and everything had gone the way it was supposed to and i was who i was supposed to be and for it and i met me with my family and everything, and I wasn't good, and they weren't good, and I... I was not good. This isn't good, but I was not good. In what way?

I was a really bad person. It was a dream. It was just... But bad like evil? Selfish? I am selfish and I am conceited. Yeah, I know. That's what I'm saying. How is this person different than you? Cruel. Vicious.

Vicious. I, uh... I didn't even know them. I didn't know anything about them. All I knew was they did one stupid thing, and a bunch of smart people kept trying to tell me that they were not that smart and that maybe they were not that great.

But... I just wanted a part of them and it was right there. And I thought maybe it would fix me. I thought maybe that's there or what I needed. And that, no, no, they weren't what I needed. That wasn't, it didn't fix anything. It made it worse. And it's nobody's fault but mine. None of it.

It's all my fucking fault. This is my fucking fault. This shit. Fucking everything is my fucking fault. And if it isn't my fault, I certainly didn't do anything to deal with it fuck i fucked up a lot yeah i think you did yeah i understand trying to i guess fix the problems of your past or whatever, but I'm still not... Who were you doing this for?

You said your family? No, it wasn't. I guess... You wanted to be closer to them, the idea of them. Ashton, you already had it inside of you. They were... I know. I don't want them. I don't. I don't know them. Why would I want them? I don't know what I wanted... I wanted to feel robbed. I wanted to feel like I lost something. Maybe I didn't.

Maybe this was the best way to go. There's no way to know. Maybe it was a fucking blessing being dropped in that fucking desert. There's no way to know. And it doesn't matter, because that's not what fucking happened. There's no way to know. And it doesn't matter, because that's not what fucking happened. Exactly.

I wanted... I just wanted someone to blame. I wanted someone who wasn't me that I could yell at. I see it. I see it over and over again, and I don't know how I couldn't see it. Fuck. I don't want it. I don't want any of it.

Well, it's too fucking late. I know. It certainly doesn't matter what I want at want it. I don't want any of it. Well, it's too fucking late. I know. It certainly doesn't matter what I want at this point. This, that, that's your fault. What happened to you before, let it go. It happened, it's done. Stop it.

How do you even do that? It's a glitch. Yeah, it's done. I am... I don't know. I don't know if people learn lessons, but I feel it right now. Great. I can see it.

What? See what? Your mistakes? I can see where I'm broken. Well, what are you going to do about it? I mean, I understand that you're broken. We're all broken. We all got problems in our past, but what do you care about now?

Who do you care about now? Well. Do you care about us? Because what you just did was not about us at all. You fucked all of us over with that ashton. You know that, right? We're supposed to head off and fight some big battle right now?

Do you care about the people we're fighting for? Do you care about the gods that we're fighting for? Do you care about anybody? I thought I was going to help. I thought it would help. Who? You don't care about anybody. You don't know that.

Who? Name one person you care about. You don't know that. Who? Name one person you care about. You. I don't know about that. You didn't do this for me. I thought it would make me better, and I thought a better me would... You don't need power to be a better Ashton.

It wasn't about power. It's about... being whole. Not being... breakable, flawed. I saw this crack in me, and it is not. There's this moment where things go wrong, and I thought this was the fix. I thought, as much as I fought it,

thought of it, I thought this was destiny. I thought this was what I was supposed to do. Listen, maybe it was. To be helpful. Maybe it was. Clearly not. I don't know. Maybe what you needed was to break apart and come back together, because Ashton,

we watched you break into a thousand pieces right in front of us. I know. You were gone, and now you're back, and you better take advantage of that. And we have to do something with this, because it's fucking with everybody. Yes. She's right, Ashton.

You get to start over again, and you can be whatever you want now. Well, we'll see about that. I think that start over is going to be... I think it's going to be less starting over and more starting far back. We should start by talking to Fearne because she loves everybody

and I've never seen her like that. And how could you hurt her? She's so wonderful. The same way anybody hurts anybody. Moment of fucking weakness. Honestly, it's one of the reasons I love you is because you know that. You know that.

I saved you because you... I saw a moment of my damage in you, and I thought maybe I could watch you fix it. And I thought maybe I could watch you fix it and, I don't know. I was... I hope you understand.

I don't mean this as an insult, but you remind me of me so much, and it breaks my heart. It's the worst thing I can think of to do to a person. And I just don't want you to fuck up your shit. And I'm so sorry I fucked up my shit. And all I care about, all I care about is finding something in this, because I can't fix it.

But maybe, I don't know, I'd kill me. Well, we worked too hard on keeping you alive. That would be a waste. That's smart. Well, we don't need to just sit up here berating you all afternoon. I'm sure there'll be lots more of that waiting for you down the steps, so. sit up here berating you all afternoon. I'm sure there'll be lots more of that waiting for you down the steps, so. Yeah. We can't leave today.

No. We can't do it today. No. You need to rest. We all do. We need to talk. We have to find Fearne. We need time. Now, Fearne, as you charge down this ziggurat past Lady Allura, clutching the harness in your hand,

angrily clomping down the residuum-coated steps, at the bottom, you see, leaning on its cane, Percival de Rolo look towards you. Quite some pyrotechnic. Mm-mm. Immediately reads you and just shuts up. Good idea. What do you do?

I just keep walking and leave. I just want to leave. You go walking into the tunnels beneath Whitestone, recalling the steps you take. It's a bit of a maze, but you recall the path you took here, somewhere in the back of your mind where the forefront is just burning.

How do I get out of this fucking place? Fjord, Fjord! You hear the patter of familiar footsteps from behind. Fjord, fucking hold up, will ya? Hey. Hey. Hey. How you doing? How do you think I'm doing? Well, I don't know, to be honest, but you got the harness and you're in a real big hurry and the shit I saw up there was not what I was expecting to see so I guess my first

question is are you are you good no second question is, what's the plan? I know, you got the harness, you're cooking up something, yeah? Yeah. I'm going to destroy it. Oh, insight check? Oh, insight check. Make an insight check. That's 11.

I'm going to destroy it, Jett. Oh, okay. Um, so, I'm kind of post up You know I admit I don't know what you guys talked about because the last we heard you were gonna take the shard and become something amazing and That didn't happen. Not a big deal. Really? really, but something changed. I just want to know, what the fuck is up with that? Well, we talked about it, and I didn't want it.

And Ash didn't want it, so I said I would help. And then it almost killed him. Yeah. Why? I don't know why I said yes. Did you wanted it before and you changed your mind? No, I never wanted it. Or did he convince you? No, I just... He didn't threaten you or bargain with you

or trade you something? No, I just went along with it. But you... Sorry. You heard the tree, right? Like it was gonna... It was gonna kill somebody. If they took both of them,

you had that part, right? Yeah, I just... I thought... I don't know. We talked about it, and I thought that maybe, maybe that was his challenge, you know, that he had to take them both and then he would be super strong.

I just read it wrong, I guess. He's already super strong. Well. So are you. He's already super strong. Well... So were you. I mean, I was really excited to see what it might do to you. Why were you scared? Well, because I... I think...

I've seen really bad versions of myself, and I thought maybe it would make me into one of the bad ones. But I made the wrong choice. And I almost killed him, and now I'm so angry. I feel like I want to break his stupid fucking stone face until it turns into dust. That's what I want.

You want to break his face? Yeah. Or your face? Both, I guess. It was really dumb. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Gosh, I feel like we're getting somewhere. I just really appreciate you trusting me

with this conversation. Can I just try and reach for the harness? And just gently. Make a sleight of hand check. Wow. I'm not terrible at this. Oh, okay. Ah!

23. What's your passive perception? 19. 19. In this emotional state, Chetney has your attention, and whatever rage and sorrow and rage burgeons,

you ask goodbye. You know, thank you so much. Let's just put this down. I, you know, Fearne, I know you're upset, but I'm surprised. I thought for sure he traded you something or made a bargain with you. Ashton's powerful, but you with the shard. What were you scared of? I mean, what if it made you more powerful? What if it gave you even more fire abilities?

What if it made you king and queen of the fucking Ashari? I don't know. I just... went along with it like a... like a dummy. And I felt like it was wrong. But I think... I like him a little bit, Chet. And I think I just went alone with it because

maybe just because I wanted to make him happy. Oh, fuck. And... Now I'm very, very angry. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You did something for your crush, and it almost killed them a thousand times yeah and you're feeling a little bit to blame yeah a lot to blame yeah mostly to blame

I mean I'm mostly but hey Fern what You fucked up. Yeah. Yeah. Listen, Ashton's really cool. I like him. They are like nobody I've ever met. But I don't know what you're hiding from or why you're scared. I was nobody for hundreds of years and now I am the greatest wolf that has ever lived and all it took was seizing that opportunity. And here's the thing there are so many people that

would use that shard for horrible reasons and i know that yours would at least be 50 50 horrible reasons that means 50 really good reasons plus we would help you guide you towards better ones than the bad plus i don't know if it needs to be said, but helping somebody destroy themselves is never a good way to win them over. You know what I mean? Yeah, but I didn't know.

I just, I didn't think it was going to be that bad. I didn't think it was actually going to destroy him. That was awful to watch. Look, we're about to go do crazy shit, right? Yeah. Trying to go to the moon seems like an impossible sentence. But Ashton is wild. If there's any part of you or him that wants out

and that can have a variety of different meanings you can talk to me I've thought about that before been alive a long time but it's not as romantic as you think That before. Been alive a long time. But it's not as romantic as you think. Don't fuck around.

Because Ashton almost found out. What are you going to do with this harness? You going to destroy it? I don't know. You want to break something. Yeah. You know the fancy guy that lives here? He's got a bunch of fucking windows.

Yeah. He's also super rich. I break a window. We're still in the tunnels underneath the castle. Fuck! Those two guys with the plate glass. Just walking by. Where's this new one go? Sure enough!

No, we're filming. Yes. How about we go up to that obnoxious rose garden that I saw out there? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, we're not going to fuck up nature. I wasn't talking about the flowers. Okay, sorry, keep going, keep going.

It's the greatest vantage point to hit the windows. First one to 20 wins. First one to 20 what, windows? Open windows. Yeah, all right. Want to put money on it? Yeah, how much? 50 gold.

Are you for real? Times ten was what I was going to say. Okay. Come on. I grab the harness and just head towards the exit. Do you follow? Yeah. and just head towards the exit. Do you follow? Yeah. Okay. The two of you vanish into the interior

of Castle Whitestone. Laudna, you step into the hall alone, grappling with many of them. I think I would always be hiding in the shadows, listening to them. Okay. Creepy. I think the moment that they leave,

I lose control and transform into my form of dread. And I slink off through the tunnels, sense memory coming back, all those times running through the undergrounds of Whitestone. Little side passages, places to hide, places to not be found. You lived here a while before you had to leave.

There's a weird comfort in being alone. Alone. In being home. Let out a few screams and throw an errant chair as I. Not the chair. That chair knows what it did. Why does it?

As I slink off in ways that you have to have an intimate knowledge of these tunnels if you are going to find me. Very well. FCG, Imogen, Ashton, you slowly begin to. FCG, Imogen, Ashton, you slowly begin to. I'm going to use Telekinesis.

Yeah, I think that's. I always want to say Telekinesis, but not the spell Telekinesis. Just like, give them. Mage hand it in the air. Yes. I think you should have that for now. That's probably a good call. Where am I going to fucking put it, Ashton?

Give it to. I'm going to hold it in thehton? Give it to the... I'm going to hold it in the air and just push it in front of us. Okay. I left my bag of holding at the top of the ziggurat before I left. I'm going to pick up the bag of holding.

Sling it over my shoulder. I'm going to give it to the smart lady at the bottom of the hill. It's in the bag of holding. That'll do. As you all descend, Lady Allura. All right, have you completed your business? Yeah, for now, yes.

Thank you for letting us use your ancient Temple of Doom. It's not mine. All right. We won't be leaving tonight. We're going to need to. I fucked up because I'm an idiot. He fucked up because he's an idiot. Pretty fucking bad.

Oh. Standard fare for a group of heroic cruxes in our future plans. Wondrous. Very well. She dispels the shield she'd been holding, wipes the sweat from her brow. Did you see R'hladna when? She walked down a moment ago, yes.

Shit. Do you want to or should I? Or should we? Maybe we should just... Bitch, you better not come with me. Ooh, that's the truth. Let everyone blow off some steam and then meet up later tonight or something.

I'm going to head down into the tunnels to try to find her. I love you. I'll see you later. Do you want to leave the shard with? It's in a bag of holding. Oh, you got it, though? Yeah.

Okay. Take the bag. All right. Yeah. I suppose I'll go get some food. Percival. Laura walks down, and Percy looks confused and is like, They finished the business, what? Fine.

And they begin walking into the tunnels as you continued back to where you came. I'm trying not to have opinions about anybody for a while. That's probably a good idea. Yeah, no, I really think that's probably a good call. Here, let's just get you back to your quarters. I think I could use some air, actually, if that's okay. Walk with us, Orym.

Oh, right. Do you have anything to fucking up? He's doing handstand pushups. Yep. Very passive aggressive. Yeah. Stokely, he follows suit. Oh shit.

Goddamn it. That weird. I'm going to go and stop. You're bold today. Yeah. Pewter repair. I did care. I see.

Sorry I've been giving you some shit about your recent faith thing. It's been kind of shitty, and I'm going to shut up about it. I'll shut up about it, too. I've been trying to get the change bringer to show you some sort of sign to maybe get you to believe in something

or to trust someone or to, you know. I guess I was forcing what you were trying to do as well. And I'll stop, but... I think my problem is not one she can fix. I think I can fix it and I think that's it. I don't think anything outside is gonna fix this. And I'm sorry about... I just, I was worried, I'm worried that you're going to die for her.

That you're going to do that. And I don't think that's fair. I don't know why she shouldn't die for you. I'm not. I think that better people than I should... I don't feel qualified to have an opinion about what the world should be anymore. So gods, no gods, I think that's just going to play out how it is. Yeah. I feel like we're all a little bit ticking time bombs. Well, I'm not ticking anymore. One thing we don't need to do is go setting ourselves off, but I do love the change bringer.

I know that she's not perfect, and honestly, our last interaction was a little bit weird. But she cares about me, and I care about you, and other people do, too, and I just wish you would care back. As long as I've known you, you really don't care about anything. At least, that's what you say. I think maybe it's time that you did. I care about all of you so much.

I care about anything I can see. I just don't think I care about me at all. And I think that might be a problem. Yeah. And honestly, that's what I've been trying to tell you all this time, is I was worried that you didn't care about you, and maybe I was, I don't know.

Maybe at the time I thought it was something we had in common. For sure. I mean, there's a lot about us that's alike. But, I guess, well, let's just focus on those things and try to help each other.

You helped me before, I'll help you this time, and we'll find a way through this, all right? How dare you fucking get better first. It's really fucked up. The three of you make your way back to the castle to? I'm looking for Laudna. He means Orym. Oh, right, Orym.

Oh shit, Orym, sorry. Well, you walk with them back to the castle and it doesn't take much for you to sense that she's not there, either. Shit. Damn it, I'm going to try to... You're going to try to? Send a message to her.

To try to talk to her.'re going to try to... Send a message to her. To try to talk to her. Okay. The reach on that is? Hopefully, if it's close. 120 feet, is that what it is? Oh, like, sending. Actual sending. Oh, gotcha, gotcha. Okay, go for it. What do you say?

It's worked if I was close to somebody before, so I'm going to try it again. I need to know you're okay. Where are you? Roll a dmg 100 for me, please. Yes! Come on, hair falls out. 19. 19.

You take nine points of psychic damage, and you sense the spell scattered into the Weave of Magic above Exandria. Nine points, you said? Yes. I should have followed her. I'm just going to sit down in the courtyard and wait. All right. So you come to the sound of

windows breaking. Here. Good one, good one! In the outside midday of the open gardens on the northeastern side of the castle, the first set of beautiful stained glass windows that depict the founding of Whitestone here amongst the alabaster sierras come scattering into the stone. That was good. That was good. You got to get a little more hip into it.

You can see Pelguard are starting to rush out. Shit. And as soon as they look to you, they all stop. What? Nothing, nothing. Just making sure you're safe. Oh yeah, making sure you're safe. Yeah, bitch. What?

Do you have something you want to say or do you want to turn around and walk away? Turn around and walk away. Thank you. Make an intimidation check. With advantage. Awesome. With advantage? With advantage. Um, um.

Wait, that second one was good. Ooh, okay. Both were actually really good. But, but, but, but, that was my intimidation. Um, 22. Dang! 22. Dang! There's now six of them there. They have spears and swords out from the sound of shattering glass. They're looking confused as one seems to have some sort of authority that was looking at you

originally goes, You heard her. They're preparing for the mission for the Lord and Lady. This is how we prepare. Right. Back to your stations. They all look confused the mission for the Lord and Lady. This is how we prepare. Right. Back to your stations. They all look confused and begin to disseminate back into the castle. Uh-huh. It's good. Do you feel better? Not yet.

Yeah, me neither. I think I'm going to go for a little walk okay but thanks sure don't fucking leave no no I'm just calling it out now cause before I didn't say shit

cause you know people's business is their business but I'm just going to say, it needs to be said, don't fucking leave, okay? I won't. You promise? Yeah, because if I did leave, I mean, you all would probably fucking die, so I can't. What's something that's really valuable to you?

I don't know, just all of you guys, I guess. I was asking about an object, like collateral, but that's really sweet. I'm not going to leave, Chet. All right. Because otherwise, I'll be in trouble, because I came after you. So don't fuck me, too. I won't. Unless it's on purpose. I know what I was going to say. I won't leave, I promise.

All right. I'll tell the others you're distraught and super upset and really make Ashton sweat it. So when you come in... Yeah, I will. Okay. I will. I just need to walk it off a little bit. I hear you.

Another one of the stained glass windows shatters and breaks not far from where you are and you hear a little giggle. Oh, Oh shit! Good one! You catch a glance of Gwendolyn sitting there with a small stone, like. Good job. Doesn't it feel good?

Go. Go now. I'll hold her off. She throws and breaks off the stone. Dang it! Amateur, get out of here. All right. I give him a kiss on his forehead. Okay. Thanks. You're taking a walk? Yeah. Whereabouts?

Are you staying on the grounds of the castle, or are you wandering into the Parchwood? I am going to walk to the Temple of the Matron of the Ravens. Wow. Okay. You wander through the city, and you're a peculiar sight in Whitestone.

The folk who live here have seen you walk around with business and intent, but now that you're on your own, you can see people just taking peeks. For a moment, it puts you, probably for the first time in a while, in a slight sense of self-consciousness. I just try to cover it up a little bit.

You meander outside of the eastern side of the city and come to the trail that leads over towards the massive graveyard. This path is welcoming. It's green and overgrown. There are bushes and flowers and vibrant trees, the sounds of wildlife. It makes you a little homesick,

remembering growing up in the Fey Realm with Nana. You think back to simpler times, and it's a welcome respite from the turmoil that ties within you. As you come to the end of the path, A welcome respite from the turmoil that ties within you. As you come to the end of the path, it opens up into the graveyard where the larger chambers of the Dawnfather Temple first greets your sight on the opposite end

of this clearing. And to the right, you see the stone structure that marks the altar to the matron. The masked and cloaked figure that stands over a smaller armored figure with feathered wings out, daggers in hand. It's that guy. Hey, sorry, we're trying to get you out wherever you are.

I walk inside. Okay. You walk inside the chambers, and there's a doorway to the back that leads into a descending staircase that descends into a subterranean space. Here in this region, you can see it's very, very simple, a cold, shaded interior,

and you immediately see, as I'm reminding myself of my notes here for what happened last time, since I made it all up. On the spot. You know what? I'll say for the time being, it is unoccupied. As you get to the baseline, you can see there are a number of stone tombs,

like heavy-lid of stone tombs, like heavy-lidded stone tombs. I walk in and I try to find whatever looks like an altar. Okay. In the very back of the room, you can see there is a very simple carved, almost like a bowl of some kind. It looks almost like a birdbath,

but in the context of this, you can see the sculpture of it looks like it's intentional. There are candles around it. It looks to be small things have been left as offerings to it. Bits of fruit. You can see there's coins. There are small handcrafted gifts

that are left at this altar. Necklaces. You're not sure if they're offerings or memories of people past, necklaces. You're not sure if they're offerings or memories of people past, but you gathered this to be the central altar here. Sort of look around, make sure nobody's listening. Hello.

I just, I don't really know what I'm doing in here, but... Um... I mean, I... I made a bad decision. And I'm kind of scared... about... And I'm kind of scared about kind of, I guess, what I could turn into. So I guess I may be asking you for some guidance. And... I don't really know how to do this. But I kinda like your vibe that you were kinda just like normal and then weren't anymore

because you were wanting just a little bit more out of life. Which I totally get. Anyway, I don't know. I reach into my marsupial pouch. Yeah, that's funny Yeah, it's real. And it's real. And I take out my postcards.

These are very important to me, but what I thought they were once are not really what they are, if that makes any sense. So I'm gonna leave them here for you. Um... Okay, I guess that's it. Okay. Okay, I guess that's it. Amen. Bye.

I turn around and start walking out. So you head up the stairs, you see a hunched figure heading down the stairs. Oh, sorry. Did you find what you're looking for? I don't know. That's about the best you could hope for. Sure.

Stay safe. It's very strange out there these days. Yes, it is. You stay safe, too. It's tight. No, sorry. Squeeze by and head down. I'm going to get a good look at them. You ascend the steps and exit the altar back

into the open air, the cold chill of the open air of Whitestone. As you inhale, you hear the sound of an nearby raven caw. Taliesin, if you don't mind. I don't know any more. There you go, great. So we're perfect.

That's so weird. The voice has been scratching me. I know, he did great. That's what I wanted. I was going to just flashbang there with. Thank you for that. Yeah.

Yeah. That one's shot out of misery. Y'all put the silence down on that bitch. You glance over and you see what looks to be... Somebody shot that raven! You see an adolescent raven hop, skip. It has one leg. You haven't quite grown into your voice yet.

It has one leg. You haven't quite grown into your voice yet. It has one leg. You see it skip. It skip and it looks around. It looks alone. Then you watch as two larger, full-grown ones land next to it. One drops a group of berries in the ground in front of it and starts eating them.

The two larger ones both look at you at once. The one finishes eating its berry, the adolescent one, looks at you and takes off with them. That was sweet. And a little weird. All right. I keep walking.

Perfect. I'll walk back. Okay. You take your time walking back through the meandering paths just outside of the central city, the areas where nature is its strongest and you feel the most comfortable in your isolation.

As you take in the... Ah! I'm so happy. Car, car! Car. I have a raver. I'm a car. What have you done, Senpai? Being alone, wandering through dark, chilled, natural spaces is a comfort you didn't realize

you needed in this moment. Laudna, what are you doing? I'm gone. Okay. I move through the tunnels, taking left, another left, and then right. Spider climbing up a well. I know of a secret passage that leads out into the outskirts into the woods.

I follow that. You abscond into the Parchwood, this later in the day. Trying to resist every urge to revert back to what I once was. Mm-hmm. But also taking solace in it for a minute, hoping that walking in these footsteps of where I came reminds me of just how far I've traveled and what I've become.

The one bit of solace that catches your mind as you find yourself in moments slipping into those shadowed memories is the Whitestone you grew up in and the Whitestone that you now have walked through. Very different entities. The city has expanded. It's developed. It's thriving.

It's bright, it's colorful. There's far more laughter than there was towards the end of your days, calling this place home, the streets at least. It's the one little beat of hope as you pause before stepping deeper into the forest, looking over your shoulder to see the rooftops. Anybody here doing anything else before the evening creeps on?

I'm probably heading towards the sound of breaking glass at this point. Okay. Because I was going to walk around outside of the castle for a minute, getting some fresh air. You step outside. As the pauses come,

the sound of breaking glass seems to have stopped. And you pass by, looking through one of the broken, beautiful arched windows that marks the hallway that is not too far from the exit that leads off into the garden, where you see Lord Percival himself leaning on his cane, just standing amongst the shattered window, just looking out into the garden,

still tense. Why did you break all these windows? looking out into the garden, still tense. Why did you break all these windows? Funny thing, children. Sometimes they are a reflection of yourself in ways you don't expect. Do you think that's them paying attention to who you are? Do you think that's just something in them,

no matter what? My lord. Well. I think it's a bit of both, to be honest. I just did something so stupid that is a perfect reflection of people I'd never met, but I just could have been them. Might as well have been.

The moment I met you, I knew you were destined for stupidity. You are... clearly smarter than I am. Oh, very. Extremely. And yet, I know that look of one who's tussled with their demons.

Trust me, I've had my own. I've fucked up real hard. I don't know if they're ever going to... I don't know if I'm worth trusting. I don't know. His demeanor shifts. You see his hardened, ready to spar-like energy seems to lax ever so slightly,

and he adjusts the glasses on his face. We all make terrible mistakes, especially those of us who want to make a difference. The first key is to make sure nobody sees them. Shit. Should that fail, you do everything you can to make up for it.

If that fails, well, then you go away to a hillside somewhere and live in the bushes and no one will see you again. You have really nice bushes here, I have to say. They're very nice. No, not these bushes. I had a feeling, I just thought I'd ask. No. Punish yourself as much as you need to.

Trust me, it's good for the soul. Some of us never stop. But don't drag them down with you. Thank you. If only you're allowed to push your bruise. You don't, well, that's not true. I was going to say you don't show your damage, but you do. But you wear it well. Comes with the years of wearing many things well. Only on my first. And surrounding yourself with better people.

He looks out to his red-horned daughter as she is now scanning for any other piece of glass that can be broken next to Chet. You're not going to take it. No, we ain't going to take it. That was my wife's powder room. I don't imagine you'll need anything, but if you do, I owe you a favor.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Yeah, thank you. Fuck. Good luck. You, too. That kid seems like a lot. I'm proud of her. And he just stays watching.

The little projected voice in Boop and Abash and I tap around the room, like, Duff Eyes, run! MATT and LAURA and LAURA and LAURA and LAURA. Okay. I mean, fuck. I would have gone looking for her. I'm going to go down to the room we started. All those pigs? Yeah, I would go down to the room that we started.

Make a survival or investigation check as you wander through the tunnels beneath Whitestone. Did you make a trail of fingernails? Yeah. Just rip other people's nails off. 15. 15. 15. There's the main tunnel,

and there are many offshoot tunnels, though a number of them have been sealed, collapsed intentionally. There are others that have been expanded and look like they are storage chambers. Some of them could be almost like panic rooms that could be closed and locked from within, should the castle come under siege. There are others that look like there was refining

materials that has long fallen to disuse, the uncertain purpose they serve. There is one chamber that looks like it contains the remnants of some drums labeled caustic materials, though they are mostly empty now and have long rusted and decayed. You don't see any sign of Laudna. Okay. I'm just going to go down to the dusty room that she had shown us before. I'm just going to go sit in there. Okay. Return to the darkened chambers within. You can see all the broken furniture that surrounds you, the remnants of this destroyed laboratory and this echo of a dark history that still seems to have some thorn

pressed into the spirit of the one that you wish you could find. I'm just going to sit in there for a while. Okay. Eventually, the sun begins to set and the night takes Whitestone. Long rest? You haven't rested yet.

Goddamn. Have any of you returned to the castle proper at this time? I never left. Yeah, so you're still around. Yeah, I figure I'll go back in and I'll probably just get a handle or something and go up to a room and just chill. I'm walking around, staying inside.

Jett needs to just step in his room, flossing. Just by himself. Why can't I get it? I'm walking in. Naked flossing. Naked flossing. Fucking naked. It's a whole different dynamic of physics there. Why can't I get it? You're walking in it. Make it fall. Make it fall. Fuck it. It's a whole different dynamic of physics there.

Yeah. How do these kids do it? How do you get it between? No. Out of the mirror. The... Horrible. The servants of the castle set up

to prepare an evening meal for the entirety of your troop, though uncertain if everyone arrives. Laudna, you still out? Yeah. Okay. Fearne, you still out? Yes. All right. Imogen, are you still in the chamber below? How many hours has it been?

I'd say three. You've been down there in the quiet at this point. Oh no. We've run out of podcasts to listen to. The last episode of the last podcast on the left. All right. If it's been three hours, then yeah. Oh no. Okay.

As you emerge, you can see Lady Allura is kind of, I wouldn't say a huff, but a bit of anxiousness to it. Hello? I'm so sorry. I am so sorry. We're not normally like this. I smell food. I come down just in a pair of briefs with a bottle of courage.

Indeed, even if you are, you are a very curious troop, but also strangely not entirely unexpected. Well, however the plan is to bring you to your destination, just notify me when you're ready. Hopefully tomorrow. I don't even know where everyone is. Have you seen Laudna? I have not, I'm sorry. What about Fearne?

I have not seen her either. Thank you. Are you? She steps in a little bit. Are you certain that your troop is up to the task you've presented yourselves for. I thought we were 100%

up to it until this morning. Strong possibility, yes. I don't want to worry you. I just don't. I don't even, I'm sorry. I'll let you know in the morning. Believe it or not, I've spent some of my time bantering about with a merry band of do-gooders,

so perceived at least in our youth. Fuck-ups? I've dealt with many. Uh-huh. And interestingly, sometimes the ones that are most capable can be also the most challenging to maintain. Just don't give up on it if you do believe it. Because to be perfectly honest, you're all we have right now. I don't mean to put this upon you all, but we all have a lot of faith in you, because we have to. I can't speak for everyone, but regardless, I will do everything in my power. To that same point, if you're not of right mind,

do not put yourselves in unnecessary danger. Whatever it takes to confidently put you on the path to focus. All right. How much time do we have? All the time in the world and none at all. We don't know what's on the moon. We're relying on you to find out how much time we have. All right. So until then, your guess is as good as mine.

And that's what keeps me upright now. Nothing drives me up the walls like uncertainty. You must be used to knowing a lot, huh? It is a curse at times, but often, often a joy. With knowledge comes the ability to make a difference. So we need you to learn for us, but you also need to learn what they need. Yeah. Thank you. Well, come find me when you think you're all ready, whether that be to your destination

or wherever else needs to help you on your path to preparation. All right. Can I go get some dinner? Certainly. Put some pants on. What? She walks off. Yeah, still got it.

I feel like I can't make a comment about it for a while, but it is really, really distracting. I know. Looking good, Chet. Thanks. What we got in Grub? I don't know. I feel like he's going to keep punishing me

with this for quite a while. As well he should, Ashton. God, that's just... Where are we at? I think so. Seems like it. I'll take a swig and do the old bar top slide. Well, you can fucking... I'm sure they have more.

FCG, what are you up to? Uh... I mean, I guess I'll try to find my friends at some point. Okay. You hear the shattering of glass. Again. Again. And head downward, wheeling down the staircase.

SAM and LAURA, MATT, and LAURA, How'd you get up? Up the stairs? You've seen me go upstairs before. You're right, I know. Obviously, I remember that. Really know. Yeah.

And three of your compatriots have gathered in the dining hall. We got a lot to do. We got to get to sleep. Well, you got to get to sleep. I don't sleep. Right. But I don't think we're going to resolve all this, especially not with Lautna and Fearne around. So are we just going to...

And Orym's missing now? Well, actually, it's probably good you can't sleep because somebody's got to watch Ashton. I mean, in case that shard makes him explode again. Well, the shard's not in him. What do you mean? Oh, you weren't there. You weren't there. He coughed up the shard.

Oh my gosh. Here, I'll burn myself, reach in the bag, pull it out. Oh! Oh god. Yeah, it's fine. It's here. Takes six points of fire damage. Ha ha ha ha! Wait, wait, let me see it! I'll reach out and put my hand on it

and I'll cast Grim Psychometry on you. Ooh! You have the ability to go and just see what the shard can show. Okay, so go ahead and roll, is it a history check? Yeah, it is. I believe. Grim Psychometry, intelligence.

History, yeah. Yeah. See a history of acid reflux. Yeah, I know, right? You see a throat. Oh, I get advantage when it's anything arcane. Oh, that's Fae Fiend's red dead, never mind, 14. 14, okay. As you touch it, you take two points of fire damage.

Ah! But you also see lands of rolling flame, a valley that is an inferno. You see the ground crack as magma spews forth a majestic kingdom of fire, an ancient time, and the elements ruled Exandria. You see creation abound. You see beings, existing life, pre-pantheon.

Spirits walking this land, though not the shapes that you know, but elemental-like. Some semblance of humanoid shape, societies, life before. You see flashes of conflict. You feel feelings of benevolent frustration,

emotional bursts of anger, fiery conflict with beings of light and shadow. A cold place beneath, where you are alone. Half asleep, half awake, and frozen, tethered in a lightless space until the chains break, and the blue sky guides you up. Surrounded by arcane light, you are free once more.

You reach out to grasp the hand of another like you from beneath the Twin Mountain, and then nothing. Get advantage on the roll. It's better, it doesn't matter. Oh! I am the smartest creature alive. Yeah? Yeah.

Oh man, it was like fire everywhere, flame, a kingdom of lava. And then there was a twin mountain and I was flying and ascending, reaching out to touch someone like myself and then nothing. Twin mountain. That's where we got the shard.

That was exactly. Is it? Yeah. Oh. What you saw was a mountain on the ground The shard. It was exactly. Is it? Yeah. Oh. What you saw was a mountain on the ground and a mountain from above. Oh. Oh! What does that mean?

Oh shit. Oh! I think mountains flew back in the day. Great. I think mountains flew back in the day. Great. We progressed a lot as a civilization. This one's not my fault. No, no. I'm calling it. This one is not my fault right now.

Does anybody know where Fearne and Laudna are? Yes! Where? Well, I know where one of them is. Fearne went on a walk. That's not a place, that's a verb. They were headed towards the center of the town. That's not a word, that's just mumbles.

Listen, when you've had as much of this courage as I have, I'd like to see you be very loquacious. Would you like to go find them? No, they'll come back when they're ready. We don't need to be forcing anything right now. Let's just go to sleep, prepare for tomorrow. Okay. Don't worry, Fearne said she was going to come back.

What about Laudna? She is a different story. Why don't we, well, we could talk to the Dorolos. They might know the tunnels. I know she ran off in that direction. If she's not here in the morning, I can learn a spell and I can locate Person. All right. And go around, find her.

Yeah. Yes, I and find her. Yeah. Yes, I would like that. Okay. Imogen, I'm sorry. I'm sure she's just doing the same thing Fearne was. Here, if it makes you feel any better, I will flip my coin and I'll ask the change bringer, is Laudna safe?

Yes. Flip, flip, flip, flip, is Laudna safe? Yes. Flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip, flip. Slow motion, slow motion, slow motion, slow motion. Glint of light, glint of light, glint of light. It's a broad question. It landed on its side. Did you say all right or safe? I said safe.

Currently. Yeah. What does that side mean? What does that side mean? She's fine. She's fine. All right. Imogen. What? I'm sorry. And whatever you need, I will do whatever it takes to help find her. We'll have her back as soon as possible.

I promise. Thank you. Whatever it takes. I'll get to thank you. We're not there yet. Thank you for it. You should leave. Leave what? You should go. Like now? I get up. I walk to my room.

But don't come back, either. You should go. Chad. No, I mean it. I'm not turning around. Just keep walking. If you're going to do things for yourself, I mean it. Turn around. Just keep walking. If you're gonna do things for yourself, then do them. But don't risk us. I understand what it's like to look out for yourself.

Try and experiment with new things. But if I thought I couldn't control this, I would've fucking left. I don't trust you. You could've hurt Fearne. All right, I'm turning around. I thought you ordered me to go. And yet you stay. Well, you talked to me. I don't know if I'm going or staying yet.

I think, honestly, that it's not up to me. Mostly. But I'm thinking about it. And I don't trust me either. So I'm trying something. Actually, I've got a question. What did you do before you could control this? I mean, I've seen you lose your shit once, but what did you do?

How did you handle it? What did you do? I killed things. I hurt people. A lot. Well, I'm glad you stopped. I don't know. I'm processing a lot right now. But if I do stay, if you let me stay,

the day something happens and it goes bad for you, and you hurt a lot of people, because, for any reason, somebody gets in your head, something bad happens, something pushes you over the edge, something just fucking stupid. So ergo, I promise that I will stick around, help clean it up. You will get no shit from me.

None. But for now, I'll go. And I'll head upstairs. That's a lot of words. We'll see. So anyway, who's hungry? I don't eat. As Laudna's sat in the shadows of the forest, in the caves, in the shadows of the forest,

in the caves, in the familiar paths, the familiar voice creeping through your mind. Just like old time, Slaughtna. Others come and go, but I'm always here. Just you and me. Always. You loved something? I love something.

Even though it hurt you? That's what love is. Beginning to truly understand that. Does love anything more than pain? Sometimes. And it's worth it. It's worth everything. How? When?

I know the rewards can be great. But why can't I remember any of them right now? Not even the ones that happened this morning. All I can think about is how you lost the love of your life. How Imogen's mom left her and her dad couldn't look at her. How Orym is defined by the pain of his lost husband. FCG's missing past and that pretty Lady Keyleth, who seems to can't get away from her past. When is love You find the strength to fix what hurts you. The weak let themselves hurt.

But us? We find a way to change our fortunes. And hurt those who hurt us. Do you think Ashton is weak? Hmm. From what I've seen, Ashton's barely figured out who they are and have bashed their head against the wall until someone tells them they're still a child. I don't want to hurt children. I love children.

Perhaps I should make him a doll. Perhaps. I stumble to my old cabin. Let's go to it, then. All right. As Laudna scurries off into the shadowed night of the Parchwood, driven with sudden purpose and focus, we're going to go to break. What the fuck does that mean? I'm going to go make him a doll.

Like make him, turn him into a doll? It's a cookbook? Or is it not a cookbook? Not a cookbook? Coloring book? a cookbook? Not a cookbook? Coloring book? Okay. She gave me the willies. That was really funny. Sorry.

Well, we'll be back here in a few minutes. We'll see you all shortly. Thank you for listening to the Critical Role Podcast Network. This is Marisha Ray, Critical Role's resident creative director, with a quick reminder for you. We take the last Thursday of every month off from our typical Campaign 3 adventures. Some months we'll enjoy a short rest, and others we'll air a one-shot or just try something new.

Since this here podcast feed is on a one-week delay from our initial broadcasts, that means the first Thursday of the month may look a little different around here. To stay up to date on our latest programming happenings and when our shows will air on Twitch, YouTube, and here on the Critical Role Podcast Network, check out our weekly programming schedule published to CritRole.com every Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific. And now that you're sufficiently reminded, let's get back to the show. And welcome back.

So, Fern, as you've been wandering through your mind through the outskirts of Whitestone, evening has come and the sounds of the parchwood itself, the many critters and wildlife and odd shadows that shift amongst the trees and brush surround you. What are you doing? I am going to walk

to the woods. Mm-mm. I try to find a spot where I'm just going to plant growth and just make myself a little home to sleep in for the night. Okay. But I want to make it look like my bedroom in the Fey Room.

Okay. As much as I can. So you sculpt the surrounding flora to resemble your comfortable space in Ligament Manor. You watch as the vines and bushes swell and surround, creating a canopy where bits of moss begin to cluster and fill in the gaps where the bits of starlight that peek through are few and far between.

You have these tumbling threads of elongated fern fronds that drift into the space, and the wind occasionally blows through with the faintest of whistle and causes them to sway. Occasionally, little firebugs, you can see it glowing in the distance, causing little bursts of light through the little slight gaps in the growth. Occasionally one wanders in, flickers around, and fills you with fond memories of a safer, warmer time. I just think of Nanna,

and I hope she's okay. And I wish I were home in my warm bed. I'll just circle like a dog, trying to find the right spot. And the dirt gave us this work. Okay. Now lay down. All right. Eladna, you are off in search of your

previous exterior of Whitestone hovel. Mm-hmm. All right, I'm going to have you and Fearne both roll a d20. Yeah, are we going to run into each other? There's a chance. If you both roll within three of each other. Ooh, that's cool.

This is an anti-rollies. Anti-rollies. Anti-rollies. You can get close to each other, then you're good. Well, it depends on if you want to run to me or not. This is just happenstance. Two steps forward, two steps back. 11.

Two. Oh. Okay. So traversing the familiar sc of the Parchwood, the mists thickening along the floor of the ever clustered treeline, you almost become a stalking wolf as you rush through the trees, the shadows stretching, or are you stretching as you feel the still lingering dark energies that suffuse the surrounding nature here within the bowl of the Alabaster Sierras. You continue to stalk and shift. You hear the distant howl of one wolf,

the hunting packs out for the night. You... Howl! You got it. Oh, Jesus! You got it. That's what wolves sound like here. Howl! You got it. You got it, that's what wolves sound like here. Howl! It's canon.

Unfazed. I'm taking it. The Grey Hunt's really fallen back a bit over the past couple years. Oh my god. Look, Goldrick wasn't good at everything. Yeah. Oh, Galdric. In time, the woods become more familiar.

And a new scent catches your senses. That of old charcoal. And as you find the now overgrown clearing where you once called home, you see the charred ruins of the homestead you once lived in. Part of it's still standing. It doesn't seem to have been further toppled. Oh.

Oh no. What happened here? We can fix it. We can build again. Yes. This is much too large a task for one night. Perhaps. I go inside. You step into the, it's not even a full doorframe, it's just two of the large logs, one taller than the other, that once were part of the doorframe. You see flashes of it complete in

your memory as you step in and see where it is. Much of it has grown over, and you can see there have been a few things carved into the wood. Hearts with letters, curse word. Looks like it may have been found and sullied or def, in your absence. People should take better care of their things. Indeed.

In fact, some maybe aren't so deserving of the good things they have. Are you talking about Ashton again? Am I? Your words, not mine. These scribbled curse words remind me of them. Perhaps this bit of graffiti can make a good base for the doll. They like curse words.

Well, they also seem to be a bit charred as well, so maybe this is the right material. curse words. Well. They also seem to be a bit charred as well, so maybe this is the right material. Mm-hmm. Hmm. I take out my chisel and begin to carve out a rudimentary triangular shape to make the torso out of this little graffitied piece of plank.

Doesn't take long to scavenge up nearby materials. You're used to scavenging and being a bit thrifty and skillful in finding and repurposing whatever seems to work. You have that artist's eye that can see something and the final possible creation hidden within that normally unusable material. You can see a broken table

and see a hammer carved from the leg. You can see a fallen part of a stone wall, and you can see a head that can be applied to that torso. You begin to pull together all these pieces. You're not sure how much time goes by. I find the skull of a chipmunk. I make a perfect skull in a little piece of quartz that I scavenge out of the charcoal remains and wedge it in its head to make a door in Ashton's image. Now what do I do with it?

Well, I think there are a number of things. You can give it to him to remember you by. You can keep it to remember him by. Or you can trade it for the thing that rejected him. Many things. What thing that rejected him? Not now. I need.

I need. And the power that helps me grow and thrive, that helps both of us. Well, can you imagine what gifts we could gain with that little, fiery crystal? No. It's not meant for me. Who is it meant for, dear Laudna? I thought it was going to go to Fearne. She did not want it. He couldn't have it.

No. Who else is more deserving? You've hurt so much. No. Why not stand up for yourself and take something that you rightfully deserve for once? I just know what this is about. Ashton hurt Fearne. He hurt us. Yes. People do that.

Why do you think that I would do the same? Because? because if Ashton cannot learn from this lesson then shouldn't others shouldn't I at least I already heard Imogen last time that a

sparkly rock got in the way. Why didn't Ashton learn from that? Ashton could have learned from my mistakes. Then you need to teach him a lesson. This world is filled with two kinds of people. Those that get hurt and accept it,

and those that get hurt and retaliate. Who are you? Who are you? Who are we? I'm just... Matilda. Matilda's dead. You are something more. No.

You poor thing, you need to rest. You've worked so hard. The sun's likely to come up. I hate it when the sun comes up after a night of not sleeping. Me too, darling. Me too. Will you hold me? Always.

I just curl up in the corner and I hold the Ashton doll close to me as I cuddle in charred remains of my elven. You swear you feel the shadows around you in this corner grow a little thicker, like a cloak of darkness that wraps itself around you. The morning warmth pulls you back to consciousness, Fearne. As you groggily turn your head, comfortable in your bedroom, wondering what this weird long dream was You're comfortable in your bedroom,

wondering what this weird long dream was that you've shaken free, excited for the first morning tea and cakes and whatever delicious breakfast meal Nann has prepared for you. Who knows, maybe you'll sneak something to Dr. Nesbitt. Something's not right. And as you wipe the sleep from your eyes, you remember where you are.

Oh. Oh. I just get up and I plant growth and tear it all down. Birds flutter off. They're nested for the night up there. I'll walk back. Okay. Laudna, you awaken as the uncomfortable warmth and awkward positioning in which you hadn't slept begins to combine with the light of daylight that's pushing through the trees above that catches the sight of your cheek and your eye. You wake up cold and alone amongst the sunken mists

of the forest and the ruins of the life near forgotten. I miss Imogen. You have to walk from whence you came to appreciate how far you've come. Stop it. I can't stop it. Benadryl. I gather the Ashton doll, and slowly meander back to the forest, to the castle, stopping every 30, 40, 100 feet or so to contemplate before moving forward again. There you are.

FCG, wake up. I'm right here, yeah. Hi, hello. She didn't come back. She didn't? Where's your spell? I got it right here, sure. Hold on. Sure.

Do we need to get anybody else, or something? Just go? Yes. All right. Please change my, find me Vatna. I'll cast Locate Creature. Locate Creature. Creature, wait, person. No, Locate Creature.

Is it Creature? Yep. Okay, yes. Right now it is. Creature, yeah. Yeah. Okay. I mean, Sauron. All right, so as you finish the rapid incantation,

clutching the component before you, you do not sense her at the moment. Doesn't mean she's gone, she's just not within 1,000 feet, so we need to... 1,000 feet's a big palace, we're in a big palace. That could be like the basement. So let's just go down. Maybe go to the front door? No.

Here. Let's go down the stairs. I should have followed her. I should have gone with her last night. Well... W-w-why didn't I... You were doing... When... Everybody was having a hard time last night. You couldn't take care of all of them. We woke her up yesterday. Who did? What? Woke who up?

Delilah? How do you know that? Because I saw her. You saw Delilah? Shh. You saw Delilah. I did. Wrong house to say that.

Yep. I did. She was standing over her. Was I there? Were you there? I don't know. Where was this? Do you remember seeing Delilah? Maybe only you could see her. I don't know. No, it was downstairs. It was under the castle. It was in the tunnels. You were off, I don't know. Doing something very important.

Okay. Well, yeah, you probably should have stayed with her then. I know. It's fine, we'll find her right now. I didn't know that. I didn't realize it was that dire. I'm sorry. Let's go.

Come on, let's go. Orym, you too. He's over doing squats. Oh, okay. I think, too, as I come out of the forest, and the forest is so much thinner than it used to be as neighborhoods have expanded, and it makes me nervous. It's unfamiliar.

And I retreat back. Okay. And a little rinse and repeat for the morning, but always keeping my hobble nearby. Okay, I'm going to hit my long rest. Okay. Did I get a long rest? Did I get a long rest? Did I get a shit rest? You got, it's a long rest, but it's a shit rest.

What does that mean? Bare minimum. Got shit rest. That's everything. That's everything? Yeah. Mechanically, long rest. Narratively. Bags under your arm. Yeah.

Rough night's sleep. All right, where would she go? I have no idea. Are there any places that we- Under the castle. She used to be under the castle. I looked all under the castle yesterday. All right. There's doors everywhere.

We're just retracing our steps. It's like you lost your glasses or something and you're just trying to find them. That's it, so we'll go down to the bottom. We're going down to the basement and just see if I feel any pings. Okay. You head down into the entryway to the tunnels that took you in the direction of the ziggurat the night before. You descend down the staircase through the crypt of the de Rolo family into the tunnel, and no ping.

No ping. No ping. All right. Chetney, Ashton, what are you both doing? Waking up, I suppose, at this point. Yep. Give it a little stretch. That's your back. Oh!

I'm going to miss that disc. Yeah, make your roll. I did. I did. I'm alive to miss that disc. Yeah, make your roll. I did. I did. I'm alive. You're welcome. I'll make my way very casually down to the breakfast area with my clothes on. Thank you very much, in the bag of holding and toe.

Small miracles. That's what I'm calling it now, small miracles. Small miracles. Some don't call it so small. I will wander down at this point as well. The only person you see up is a stretching Chetney. Where the fuck's everybody else? Hmm.

I don't know. Is it just you and me? Yeah. You're still here. Yeah. That's a good start. We should take this opportunity, though. I'll use my hybrid transformation to turn into a werewolf?

Mm-hmm. Let's see what that new arm can do. Now? Really, now? Fuck. Oh shit! Is that sick? Yes! When you get new shit in D&D, you test it out right now?

All right, both of you roll initiative. I just want to see what it does. All right. No, I'm into it. All the windows are broken, so collateral damage is going to be low. Six. 19. All right, Ashton, you see the wolf coming towards you.

What do you do? Well, I'm going to rage, just because of Jesus H. fucking Christ. And now I'm going to attempt to charge, spin around, and see what the fuck the hand does. I'm just going to see what the fuck the hand does on the back of that werewolf. Okay, are you going to attack? Yes. I'm going to attack, but I'm going to try and see what at least one punch from the right does. I'm not going to use the hammer yet. First attack.

Okay. Go ahead and roll an unarmed strike. Reckless. Well, unarmed strikes are nothing, so. Eh, if I get reckless. 16 ascending, 24 to hit-ish. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Unarmed strike does eight points of damage. Whack! A heavy hit to the back. There are knuckles,

but this is like being punched with a pumice stone. And it hurts. It hurts. No lava. While he's saying it, I go for the second strike with the hammer. With the hammer. Put it in round. Bring it back. Go for it and make the second strike.

Trying again to just do anything. That's so close. Not that it matters. Okay, 16, 26 to hit. Yep. 2d6 times 12, unless anything activated. Times 12? No, 2d6 plus 12. Oh!

I forgot what I was looking for! You know what our game is right now. Now we're in business! 17 points of damage. 17 points of damage. Reduced to half. I changed my mind. Well, actually, no, it's magical damage.

Oh, then it's not? It's not, yeah. Yeah, because it's only one or whatever. Or it's magic weapons. The first one would've been reduced to four. For you. Actually, it doesn't matter. I'll take all of it.

And with the hit, I'll be like. Transform back, oh fuck. Nothing, I don't know. All right. There's gotta be something more to that shit. It's pretty good. Yeah, I'm gonna help. Thank you. Yep, no.

There better be sausages on. You know, I want to find the others. Oh. Well, someone should stay back in case they come looking for us. We can get the sausages to go. All right, fuck, fine, let's go. Come on.

Walking away, you hold the hammer, you can't look at that new arm for a second, and you can feel back at that strange sensation of that connection you had to the cavern around you and that sense of locked strength and familiarity. It was odd. Like something, like a... Like a little box in your heart that hasn't yet been opened.

Okay, not downstairs. Where then? Would she go to that big sun tree? Would she go to, is there a favorite place of hers? I mean, I've only been to the places she showed me. We should go to there? Should we ask that Whitestone Andy guy? Let's go to the tree.

You get a blip. I feel something. It's coming from... Are you approaching from the eastern side or the south? Are you walking through the town, or are you following the treeline? No, I would follow the treeline. Like I said, I'm doubling back a lot,

kind of going in circles. So it's taking you a good portion of the morning, because you probably got up at the first light of dawn, so you crest a little ways to the southeast of where you are. All right, I got her. She's okay. Yeah, great.

She's moving. All right. She's okay. Great. She's moving. All right. She's got a limp. What? No, that's just... No, I can't feel that. Let's keep going. No, no, I can't feel it. All right.

So you emerge, right as you two finish your brief encounter, and watch FCG and Imogen step up from the staircase that leads down into the crypt. Ah! Oh! Okay, good. Two more. We're going to find Laudna.

What? Why are you? What? What's going on? Where's Fearne? What? We're looking for Fearne. Well, we're looking for him. I just woke up. Orym catches up behind them as well. Keep your eyes up. Morning.

Absolutely. I know it was weird what we talked about last night. He's rock hard. I'm not going to say this. It's nice. Orym has not talked to you. I know. Should have said that, guys.

We'll save that for another episode. No, no, no, I'm well aware, yeah. Forever. All right, I lead them on. Let's get one. I'll take a sniff, too, just to help, although you've got a magical pink. You don't need it.

You could've sniffed him out this whole time? You could've sniffed him out? And you just let him wander off? Who him? Them. Them? Fearne and Laudna, they're both gone. I followed Fearne. You did? Yeah.

Huh. Where's Fearne? I'll start before I walk up. I'll fix my hair, just push out my amazing tits. Pull them out of your marsupial pouch? Yeah. All right. And then start walking up.

All right, just as you all charge past the Pale Guard guarding the front of Castle Whitestone, you emerge down the initial walkway and down the path that leads to the city, just as you see Fearne begin to jaunt up towards the front of the castle. There she is. Nailed it.

Good morning. Oh. Good morning. You okay? Yeah. Where were you? I was just, I just decided to sleep, just to take a nice camping site out in the woods. Oh. Yeah. How's everybody doing? Imogen, Chet, FCG, how are you?

We lost Laudna, and we're going to go find her right now. Okay, I'll help you. Okay. Hi, Orym, sorry. Hi, Fearne. Hey, let's go get her. Wow. Hey, you should sleep outside more often. You seem very chipper. Yeah, I'm great.

Cool, let's go. Okay. Where do they find you, Laudna? I'm still thick in the woods, so I'm pacing back and forth. You dart along the tree line, past the base of the hill the castle's on, around the outskirts of the eastern ruins until eventually you know that you're not that far away, and you see just beyond one of the paths that leads through the Eastern Ruins, you see Laudna step out onto the path,

and then loop back into the forest, and then repeat the process again before you notice the sound of footsteps, and then see your friends approaching. You're just in with them? sound of footsteps, and then see her friends approaching. You're just with them? In the back, yeah. I make eye contact with Imogen, and I turn in our run.

Oh! We got a runner! I'm on your ass. We got a runner! Okay, you're all giving chase? Yep. 100%. All right. I'm going to click my boots of speed.

Double bite. Laudna, what's your speed? 30. 30. With your boots of speed, what are you? 80. So while the rest of you are- In her head, she's going to hear, stop, stop running!

No. You're keeping pace. Now, it is in the middle of the forest, considered difficult terrain, so half speed, but you also know it pretty well. But most of you are keeping pace. Now, it is in the middle of the forest, considered difficult terrain, so half speed, but you also know it pretty well. But most of you are keeping pace. Ashton, you're gaining a little bit of ground. I'm maintaining.

Okay, you're maintaining with the crew, but the wolf is in the hunt. Worm's just fucking flying. Yeah. Oh, yeah. You, wolf in the hunt, you close the gap rapidly. I go for the shin tackle, where you grab and roll like you're wrestling a gator. All righty.

Athletics versus acrobatics or athletics. Yeah, those awesome stats. Yeah, they're real bad. I'm going to laugh if this isn't at 20. Nope. 15. Nope. 15. 23. Your legs are pulled out from under you

and both you and Chetney go into a soft roll. Stop, for fuck's sake! No! What are you running for? Everything's okay. Is it, though? Yeah, everything's going to be fine. Plus Imogen's going to fucking kill us if you leave again.

You have to get me away from him or I'm going to kill fine. Plus, Imogen's going to fucking kill us if you leave again. You have to get me away from him, or I'm going to kill him! Which him? Ashton! Oh, okay, okay, wait. Stay here. Don't move. Everybody freeze! We freeze. Listen, Imogen, come this way. Everybody just stay for a second. I'll run forward. It's okay. It's okay.

I'll run up and slide down and look. What? Are you all right? I'm okay. I'll run forward. It's okay. It's okay. I run up and slide down and look. What? Are you all right? I'm okay, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I should've come after you. No, I didn't mean to make you worry, I'm sorry. What happened? I never want to hurt you. I don't know what happened. I don't want to hurt anybody, especially you.

I turn around into Ashton's head. I hear, Go back to the castle! I was already in the back, and I'm going to keep quietly slipping out towards the tree line. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make everybody worry. I just needed to be alone for a little bit. This is the second time you all have trotted through these woods to save me. Is it you? It's me. Did you?

Did you talk to her, did you? Did you talk to her? Did you? Oh, yes. Her influence is quite strong here. She wants the Shard. Real bad. You can't let her have it. I know I told her as much. It's not mine. It's Fearne's. It's Fearne's. It was meant for you. I thought it was going to go to you. What did he do to you? Nothing. Nothing. It's my virtue.

Did he hurt you? No, he didn't. Did he manipulate you? No. I... It's okay. Why did you hide? You both went and hide. I don't know. I don't know. What if Ashton is a bad person?

He's not. I think he is. He's real dumb. But he's not a bad person. I looked in there. He walked away. He took you away. He didn't want us nearby because he knew he was doing something wrong.

I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry. No, no, no, no. I'm doing it again. I'm sorry. No, I'm sorry. No, no, no, no. I'm doing it again. I'm sorry. No, you're not. I'm not mad at you. I don't know. I don't understand. I don't understand how there's... I thought he was our friend. I'm sorry.

You don't need to apologize. Okay. I talked to Lady Allura yesterday. She said we could take as much time as we need. Is that true? I don't know. But she seemed to think it was important. I mean, it's better for all this to happen down here than up there, I guess. It feels broken. Ashton is broken.

We had that wonderful talk earlier in the day about how we were all together and we were a team. In your head, FCG, you hear, it's like she's reverted. I've never seen her like this. Not outside of her head when we went to save her. Everyone's messed up. Everyone. Yeah. Orym's never been this quiet.

We can't do anything like this. I can't get anything done. We're gonna... We can't even anything like this. I can't get anything done. We're going to, we can't even get through a morning together. We can't stay here. We can't go there. You're still talking in your head. No, no, that came out.

We can't stay here is when we started talking. Can I make an observation? I'm only speaking on behalf of myself, but I gave it to Ashton pretty good last night. I gave him some shit. I actually told him he should leave. He was naked. Well, I just wanted to give you the visual.

Oh, wow. It usually entices people to stay, but. You told him he should leave? Yeah, like permanently. Told entices people to stay, but. You told him he should leave? Yeah, like permanently. Told him he endangered Fearne, that he was out for himself, and that I didn't trust him. Sounds nicer than what I was planning in my head. It is, but he was there this morning,

first down at the table, and that means something, because he could have cut and run, or been a coward and left, but he stayed. I'm sorry. What, you? No, I just, this is also my fault.

I got, I just, I should have said something, and I just thought... You should have. Yeah. I just... I don't know. If... I'm going to make you a question. If we need a little more time, we could always go to Nana's and just make time be a little bit longer, if we need it, to get everybody sorted.

Just a small suggestion. Does it work that way? A lot more time there and less time here. I mean, Nana Mori was able to make sure that time didn't get all wonky when we came back the last time. So maybe she has more control than we know? I don't know. I don't know. We go there, stop time for a second,

do some thinking, and almost like a couple's retreat. I mean, it is like a resort, you know? Well, like, I mean, to figure out, like, I think one of the problems we're all having, at least for me, but definitely for Ashton, is I think you have to like yourself a little bit before you can like other people. And I feel like a lot of us are having problems

with the first part. And so maybe we need like a little- I love myself. Well, I know. Yeah, big fans. But maybe we do need a second to like... I don't want to risk these people's lives. They're all counting on us. But if you can stop time and we can have like a little...

I mean, I don't know if she can stop time. I just mean... Are you feeling homesick? A little bit. Nana Mori's got stuff. The DeRollos hooked it up. Maybe she's got a mushroom that can grow into a kaiju or something. Mmm! Have we seen her since she saved us the last time?

I don't know. Since she was a giant. We should check on her. How do we get there? How do we get there? Then... Oh, I wonder if Lady Allura could do it. How did we get there last time?

Nightmare King? No. Yeah. We walked through a gate. No, last time, if I recall. Were you in a ride? Was it Planerider? I think it may have been Planerider. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's their specialty. My fellow Planerider. But maybe Lady Allura could do it, I don't know. Maybe, she's pretty powerful. Yeah. Any option. Or Keyleth. Maybe Lady Allura can get us to Keyleth.

Sure. It's a very good idea. Because I don't know about going to the moon right now. You're, I mean, you had a rough night, too. Are you okay? Look what I made. What is that? It's Ashton!

Can't you tell? Does it really look like that? It's really nice. It's just like Ashton. Look you tell? Does it really look like us? It's really nice. Look, even I found this piece of plank wood with graffiti that says, Falk Whitestone on it, and it felt very fitting. Somebody rushed that. Took a knife.

Oh wait, what? You mean the carving? Yeah. It's really good, Laudna. It's a very lucky find with the chip mean the carving? Yeah. Oh. It's really good, Laudna. It's a very lucky find with the chipmunk skull. Yeah. Yeah, lovely. Just to clarify, is it Ashton,

or it's for Ashton? Yes! Oh, oh, oh, oh. Well, I don't know, I haven't decided if I'm going to give it to them yet. Oh. Let's go talk to Lady Allura and just see if she has something she can do,

and if it's not, then we'll rethink. It does feel like we need to bind our ties just a bit more. Are you going to try to kill? Are y'all going to try to kill Ashton when we see them? There's no wrong answer here. If you're in, I'm in. Really? No.

No! Just no. That's a little drastic. I, no. I just saw them this morning and I was fine. I didn't do anything. Okay. All right.

I don't know how much time, I don't know how much time we have. No, that sounds great. No, no, no, yeah, that's wise. We should do that. Yeah? Yeah. That's a good idea. Plus, if you need it,

just say you need it. If you need it, you need it. Yeah? Yeah. Okay, I kind of need it. Okay, then we'll go. Yeah, okay. All right. Let's go find Dum-Dum.

Lady Allura? No! Yes. Our dum-dum and Lady Allura. Ashton is not a dum-dum. He's just misguided. Misguided. All right, let's go.

You emerge from the forest back onto the exterior path near the Eastern Ruins, and there you see. Well, I would've started rolling down the street at this point, so. Right. You're probably quite a ways away, but visible from the path. Yeah.

Oh, branches. Uh-huh. So you reach the castle first. Yeah, I stay on the steps anyway. Maybe, I don't know, I'm just going to touch the ground, see if I feel anything. I don't know. Okay.

The earth. You touch the ground and do. Exange. Exange. Exams. It's odd. There's like... You touch the earth and it's hard, it's solid against your fingertips, but there's that anticipation

before you slip into a warm bath. It's hard to describe. They're conflicting. You absolute fuck-up. God. MATT and MATT say something. Hmm. Maybe I deserve this. Nobody deserves fucking anything. Well, who the fuck do I know? Maybe they do. You hear the footsteps arrive, the rest of your troop.

Are you all right? What? Who has the shard? I'm not going to tell you that. Good. Good. Hey. I made you this. I was going to ask, is that me?

Yes. I made you a doll. Is it? Because dolls are for children, and you're a child. I've never had a doll before. Really? It's the nicest thing anyone's ever given me. Oh my god. I like children. I don't. They're awful.

They're not. They can't be. You should remember what it's like to be one. I do. It wasn't great. You should find more joy in your inner child. I was happy that I fucked it up. Do you truly like it? I should. Yeah. I'm not an MC like Chetney.

This is better. Is that a cat skull? It's a chipmunk. Oh shit. And I found a little piece of quartz. It's amazing. I am... Does it talk or do anything weird? Well, that's the best thing about dolls,

is you can make them talk. We'll hold off on that. Just a little. I'm not saying no, I'm just saying. All right. I'm... You can give it whatever voice you want. I'm not good at voices.

You can find a voice. I'm so sorry. And... I'm so sorry. And I will make my way through everybody, but... I promise I'm going to try my best not to be that person. I'm so tired of that person. And... person. I'm so tired of that person. And I, if I'm allowed to stay, and I will understand if I'm not, I will never, ever forget that this was the first group of people that didn't make me leave and I will work so hard to make sure you don't I will never no matter what happens I won't leave if I'm allowed to stay. I will, no matter what we do, no matter what mistakes we make,

no matter what we have, I will stay and I will be there and I will not... I will not walk away. I don't know what love is, but I'm going with this. I'm... I think that's okay. You don't have to know what love is. Nobody does.

Love is pain. I don't. But it's also warmth. It was so cold last night. I go hug her again. I'll hug Ashton. Warm. I grab Fearne by her amazing tits and pull her head.

Yeah. Thanks. Ashton. Just grab your tits and come here. Come here. It's like a slinky dog. I'm still mad at you. I'd be worried if you weren't.

And I don't trust you. I'd be worried if you did. But thank you for your apology. Yeah, we're going to un- We're going to take a little, we're going to take a day off. Wow, okay. We're going to take a day off. We're going to figure out some fun activities

to do together that will bond us and remind us of our childhood. I have been a piñata. That will work. Remind us who we are. Dress fall, walk across coals. You can do some hunting. Actually.

You can talk to Nana. But not here. Not here. No. Fern had a great idea. What? talk to Nanna. But not here. Not here. Burn her a great idea. What? To the Fey Realm. Okay. If we can get there, I'm going to find Lady Allura. Let's go. Okay.

Heading to the castle, it doesn't take long to ask the guards if she's been around, and she's been around. She's nervously stepping through the halls and asking people what they're doing to help, and people are like, oh, please, go talk to her. She's been a royal pain these past couple days. You find her currently going through the castle library. Hello!

Yes, good morning. Hi. Oh, you're all together. Fixed everything? No. Yeah. On its way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you plane jump?

I am capable of such a task. Can you plane jump other people? I can plane jump quite a few people. Could you take us to the Feywild? I could, whatever for? Ah. My nana's there, and we thought maybe,

I thought maybe it'd be a good time to just go and just get ourselves back together, and maybe time will give us a little time. Right. So on the morning of our absconding to the destination of the coming struggle between all of Exandrian life, the gods and the moon Ruidus,

you're taking a day. Well. Which might be exactly what you need. Allura's cool as shit, man. Now mind you, as we've discussed, we are uncertain how much time we have, because that was what we needed you to find out. Are we fucking everything up? We don't have to do this. There's a way, though, that we might be able to get back, more or less, like today. Maybe.

I was going to say, the challenge with the Fey Realm is the returning process has... Her nana. We're solid. Her name's Nana Mori. She's a fate stitcher. I don't know if you've heard of her. I don't know if she's... Your nana's the fate stitcher? Yeah. Morrigan. Yes. Oh, yes.

What? Not fate stitcher. What? Yeah, Mori. So we can should have just given you her name. Not Fate Stitcher. What? Yeah, don't worry. We can get her to bring us back here. You are all tremendously strange. Very well. Hmm.

Hmm. So if I'm to bring you to your nana and to then send you to your destination thereafter when you're ready, but we do not have means to communicate via distance. Right. I would likely require board as well. Oh, you're going to come? Oh, oh. Great. The transition is to, I have to come with you.

Oh my god, it's amazing. I'm going to send you as well. Yeah. Yeah, it'll be like a little vacation for you, too. It's beautiful. Right, right. With Morgan. Have you ever been to the Fey Realm? I have a number of times.

Not in- What parts? Not this one. Okay, well. Insight check. I actually just want to talk to her in her head. Okay. Who you look uncomfortable. She responds, while looking right at Fearne and smiling, Your friends, Nanna, is one of, I would say, notorious figures in the Faerom.

But if indeed they are an ally, strange bedfellows and the like, I suppose. Oh. I don't know why you're staring at me. I'm just admiring your confidence, your radiant this morning. Oh, thank you. And given the last time that I saw you, I'm happy to see that you are of more

delightful disposition. I'm happy to see that you are of more delightful disposition. I'm perfectly fine. Delightful disposition. Double D. Golden arches. Have your way. Very well. Allow me a few moments to inform the Lord of Whitestone and disseminate the information

of the slight delay in the plan, and then I suppose we'll be on our way to your nana. Could you tell Lord of Whitestone I said thank you? Certainly. Thank you. Well, I suppose we'll just meet back in the library. Which one? Like, yeah, now? The one we're in.

Yeah, okay, great. We'll just meet back here in a few minutes. We'll just wait. We'll stay here. That works as well. We'll just go outside for a second. And she steps out of the chambers. Yeah, this is a good idea.

This is a good idea. This is a good idea. This is, when you choose yourself, you know, that's always a good choice. When you're choosing to do something for ourselves, not for somebody else, you can't go wrong, right? Well. Yeah, I think, actually, it's a little,

I think if you choose us, if you choose us, it helps. You're welcome, that was a softball for you. Yeah, yeah, I was trying to. We're doing something for our own emotional health right here. And that's always a good thing. I think if we went on a moon mission right now,

it might- We would crush it. But not in a happy way. I think we'd do it, but we wouldn't. Not as good as it'll be afterward. Honestly, I've never been on a retreat like this before. I'm going to start planning some activities for us to do some bonding stuff. We could do like a dream circle, or we could do that thing-

I want to be surprised. Where you be surprised where you pick your spirit animal or something and they probably have like a honeymoon suite I'm sure so like you two could get some solid reconnect time and I'm excited about hunting I don't know if you guys have ever hunted in the Feywild but I haven't we if you guys have ever hunted in the Feywild,

but I haven't. We didn't do that before. No. I don't remember what all we did. We did a lot of sneaking. There was animals trying to hunt us. Sometimes you go there and then you just forget a lot of stuff. Forget it?

Yeah. It's weird how that happens. Is there ayahuasca there? What? It's all different kinds. Okay. Fearne, do you have a second? I'm trying to find a book over here, if you have a second.

Oh, you can't read? I can't read. I think he just wants to be alone with you for a second, Fearne. Try not to punch him again. Fearne, you don't have to. We really don't. They can work off of your time.

We really can. I'll walk over for a second. I'm on the back, sitting on one of the tables. What? Should I start, or should you? Staring at him, talking. We're all looking at books, but really just looking at them.

I can start, like. Books are upside them. I can start with, like, books are upside down. I promise you. Where's our candela? Which book are you looking for? You can put your feet on it. I'm looking for a book on apologies. I'm not that clever.

I can't come up with something, but I'm going to start with I'm sorry. If I had any idea. Stop. If I had thought about it, which I didn't, I don't know what I would have done, but I'm sorry. I am... You were just being a good friend.

And it was... It felt right, but it wasn't. And you were just trying to... You were being a good friend. You were not... I was being a dumb friend. No, I was being a dumb friend. No, I was being a dumb friend. This is on me. I somehow didn't think...

I didn't think. I felt... I... I fucked up really bad, and you had to be there, and I am so sorry. There is no way I'm ever going to forget the feeling of the stone hurt, but even just knowing you were there was worse, and I am so sorry.

And I do not want forgiveness. I do not care. I do not need a fucking apology. I just want you to know that goodness doesn't necessarily always lead to the right place. Sometimes we are good, and it works out poorly, and you were good. You did not do anything wrong.

It shouldn't have been like that, but it had to be, I guess. And I know... I'm going to try so hard to never do that again. And I understand if you want me to go, or if you just never want me to make eye contact again, I can do that, but I would really prefer to make eye contact.

You're the only person I even vaguely understand in this group of people, and it's weird, because I think I really like them, or love them, I don't know. I just want everyone to be safe from everything. I thought maybe just me, but everything, and I'm really bad at this. I'm. I didn't like that at all.

Which? That was awful to watch. Yeah, it was awful to feel, too. You did the same thing that your dad did. Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about that. And he's not my dad. He's nothing to me. I don't even think I hate them.

I just, they are a cautionary tale I did not listen to because I thought it wasn't a cautionary tale. I thought it was important or that it meant something. It doesn't. That fucked me up a little bit. Sorry. I think I'm still really mad. And I don't know if I can fully talk about it right now.

That's okay. Because I don't really... I don't really like you right now. Shit. I have a feeling that you feel the same way about yourself. Oh, I've never really liked myself that much. God, if anything, this is the best I've felt

about myself in ages, this is the best I've felt about myself in ages, which is a bad sign. Well. Yeah. We'll talk about it at some point. I'll wait. But... I'm glad you're still alive.

You look like shit. The doll is much prettier. Yeah, of course, a lot of the meat. Yeah, the fox shoes are good. Thank you for saving me. I don't think I saved you. Oh. We'll see.

All right, so we all gathered a- Oh god, good books. These are excellent tomes of knowledge. I guess I'll put it back. Your notes are crazy. See, Allura has a... No notes in here? Where does it go? How am I the dumb one?

Fuck. Allura has a heavy leather pack over one shoulder and an adventuring belt. You can see the robe itself is now gone more than it is a travel shirt and pants and high boots. You've never quite seen her in travel attire before. Yes, let's go! It is a travel shirt and pants and high boots. You've never quite seen her in travel attire before. Yes, let's go!

She's like, Haven't had to pull these out in some time, so... I guess let's go see your nana. It's a good look. Do you need a thing from the Fey Realm to do this? Oh, I, and she goes into her pouch and pulls out this long, spiral-looking rod of a green-brown metal that's almost like a double helix that spins up with leaves sprouting off of it that are made of metal as well and goes, I have quite the attunement. Do you know the name of the location

specifically? Yes, it is. Ligament Manor. Ligament Manor. And the one spot that I could have. Do you have a piece or something from this abode that might just help me focus? Um. Me? Let me see.

All right, travel's so long. You don't have to check your, is there a keepsake or something from the manor that you would carry? Oh, I gave him all the postcards. I gave them away. I left them with a Matron of Ravens. Oh, cool.

Um. Hmm? I'll just pull one of the flowers. All right. She takes it and puts her staff in. I'm going to pull this flower. Is this the one that I definitely got there? For sure.

All right, gather around, everyone. Holding hands, please. Yes. Tie the door there. She goes ahead and takes the staff and hold this for a second if you don't mind. Yeah. Ah!

You can articulate your hands, right? Oh, Orym! Oh, quick, grab him! I talked to him earlier, he said he didn't want to come. Sorry, I was doing pushups. Yeah. Gets and joins the circle. That's all he's been doing. That's joins the circle. That's all we know.

That's all we know about playing Liam's character. Just do lots of workouts. It's the least having to make choices or character moments when he's not present. He'll catch up. She takes the attunement rod and concentrates for a second, looks at the flower and places it onto the rod.

It seems to hold itself aloft, like it's, looks at the flower, and places it onto the rod. It seems to hold itself aloft, like it's magnetized at the tip. She closes her eyes for a second, and then releases it, and it just stays floating in front. She then takes the hands of you, the staff nestled into her, and she takes a crook of her arm,

and takes Orym's hand. Orm's like dangling off the ground. Mother's an incarnation of Nirbheth. SAM and LAURA say. Oh shit! Go back, go back! We did it! The books all seem to stretch and fold in on you,

like this canopy dome. Canopy! Oh man! What a stretch! Nobody's going to get it. I don't even get it. Canopy. Oh my god. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It seems to almost curl into the top before you're all pulled down through,

like you're being dragged into a tunnel beneath. You shift through this slide-like moment before you all emerge, your feet hitting soft ground. As your vision begins to adjust to the light of this space, you look around at the familiar, dense, wooded spaces of the Fey Realm as you stand at the base of the massive, majestic tree

that is the home of Ligament Manor. You can see the long vines and moss that coat the outside and take the entryway before you step into the tree itself proper, and as you all release your hands, and taking the familiar sights, Allura takes her staff. Right, somehow exactly what I expected. I just get on the ground and just

put my fingers into the ground. All right. Take off running to the door. You all head up to the entryway through the curtains of vines and moss, up into the open interior of Ligament Manor, where all the various lantern glows alight at various levels. You can barely see as they scatter upward. You can see the tiki bar that's set across the way. There's gentle music playing sourcelessly in the space, like

a fine violin that's a little crackly. You see across the way this sleeping little bundle of fur that suddenly looks up towards you, and you see Peepers standing there. Peepers! It leaps over. The rest of you see this jackrabbit with large ears with markings that look like eyes across it. There are no normal eyes or sockets. You just see, as it smiles at the rest of you with its big grin and its teeth move like fingers, and it nuzzles up against you. Oh my goodness. Good, good, good scritches. Oh, that's the spot. Where's Danan?

Goes and leaps up, and you can hear, this sounds like a faint conversation. You follow Peepers up one of the spiral staircases that leads to an area, and you hear the voice, the familiar voice, I'm just trying to keep on my stories. That's all. Keep rubbing there.

Still a bit sore. You hear a voice. Next we go. Well, I'm doing my best, you know. It's just been sort of an experience. As you step up and- Do you recognize the second voice? You immediately recognize the sound of your mother's voice. As you step up to

the precipice of the stairs, you can see Nanamori is currently reclined, and you can see bandages fixed alongside. They're heavy, but there's a bit of a, and you can see there's moss and herbs and things jammed into it. It smells sweet and acrid at the same time. You can see she carries this large coconut with a big straw coming out of it, and the neck cranes over as you immediately see Birdie glancing over in your direction. Light up at the same time that Nana's face lines up.

Hi. Fearne! Fearne! She runs up to go ahead and grabs you and pulls you into a tight hug. I didn't know you were going to be here. I didn't know you were going to be here, either. I didn't know I was going to be here. I didn't know you were going to be here, either. I didn't know I was going to be here, either. Oh, goodness. I run over, I give Nann a hug. Nann's like,

Hi, Fern, it's good to see you. Are you okay? I still feel sore, yes. The certain wounds take time to heal. You understand, don't you? What? As the secondary jaw opens for a second, and she pulls the drink down

and the other larger mouth slurps. Holy shit! I give Tummy Nan a kiss, too. Did you sustain those injuries helping us last time? Well, yes. Tussling with some of the more dangerous elements of the Unseelie. You can't thank me enough for that. I would do anything to protect my friend. The neck cranes back. You can see now where she was reclined, there's a table out there with a large crystal ball.

You can see there's imagery and shifting with inside. Where's Allie? Oh, I'm just peering in on someone who I like to watch fail. Someone you know? Is it Ira? No. Is it just a random person? Look over and it looks to be this big blonde,

summer golden curly hair that comes down to about the shoulders with long ears, this fey elf figure who is currently giving a presentation, it looks like, in a grand, fey, cathedral-like hall with rows of youth students. You see them going through a book that suddenly looks like they're like, Just a moment, I know I was here a moment ago. And see Nannamore just. Who's that? A fairy traveler.

This is Vitaurin. He... Rindig'd on a deal many years ago, so every now and then I like to tune in and just mess with him. It's fun. And it passes the time. She reclines a bit further. And Birdie's like, Well, welcome, everybody. It's so good to see you all. Where's Alan? Well, welcome, everybody. It's so good to see you all. Where's Alan?

Oh, he's upstairs, ten into the garden. Oh, okay. The people garden. Yeah. Well, your father, the squint, the occasional visions he gets, they warned us. He saw that the hideaway was about to be under siege, so we took Hondir and we buried the hideaway so nobody can get anything. Oh, that's great. So the Veil Scatterscope is gone. Not that it was much use once Ira took the crown of power,

the dang thing. But we jumped on the crawlers, and we took to finding the nearest gate to the Fae. The door that we took when we first got here took us a bit to kind of locate where it was originally, but we found our way back to Nana, and now we're just kind of taking care of her. Didn't realize she was in such trouble, so maybe it was just right time, right place, and it's nice to be back home.

Well, we'll just call it fate. Mm. I'll go get your father. I'm sure he'd love to see you. And feel free to make whatever drinks you want. Bar's downstairs. She gives you one big hug and kisses you on the side of the cheek and pulls you back.

Look at you with your special armor. You're even more of a woman than last time I saw you. Yeah. I'm really glad to see you. I'm happy to see you, too, darling. You get back in a little bit, and you find your father, and she goes and sets down a couple things that she was,

it looks like a snack tray that she was feeding Nanna, and then heads back up into the... I can take over. So, Nanna. Yes? I take a cracker and I feed it to Tummy. Tummy? Gross! Tummy sticks. Little tum-tum.

We were thinking we're probably going to stay here for tonight, but we have to get back, so... Oh, this is our friend Allura. The head goes. E.T. stretches past you. Your friend. You see Allura clutching the staff. Hello. I'm Arcanist Allura Vysoren of Tal'Dorei Council in Arcana Panesophical. I have many powerful friends who know where I am and will come looking for me if I vanish. Pleasure to meet you, Allura. I know who she is.

Oh, okay. She knew who you were, too, which I know who she is. Oh, okay. She knew who you were, too, which I thought was so weird. Oh, well, quaint. Oh! Oh my god! Well, if she's a friend of my third, of course you can stay.

And Laura goes, Very well. I guess I'll just... You show me my chambers later, then. You want a drink, Allura? No. Yes. Two questions, Nana Mori, if you don't mind. Oh my god. Sorry. You're capable, when we want to go back, you can do it in a way that we won't lose any time, right?

Oh. Yes. I should be healthy enough to aid in your return, if that's what your cure is about. Yeah, yeah. But while we're here, we really need to do some team building. So can you help me come up with a scavenger hunt?

Is this a tree? Yes, it is. But if we, something where we have to work together and really rely on each other? Her cackle echoes through the entire house. I take two points. The entire tree. It shakes with her laughter, and you see Allura just go, like, hand up.

You can see a field of a beard protector. Shield! This excites me. How long are you staying? Well, I don't know. We probably can't stay very long because we have to go to the moon. It depends on how long you could let us stay here while not being very long over there.

She snaps her fingers. While nothing immediately seems to change, you swear a droplet of water from a nearby rain runoff that's going goes. Whoa! What? I love this place. That is a flex. Take your time. Oh my god.

Damn! That's awesome. She looks back to you. The moon. Yeah. So, things got a little bit complicated since we last saw you,

and we have to go to the moon because everything's fucked. Indeed. She runs her hand, not even looking over the orb, and you see that image of the person at the podium looking underneath like, I can't explain it! The text just left the book for no reason! And it clouds over, and you can see the red orb of Ruedas hovering there, the occasional burst of arcane energy from the central beam of the Bloody Bridge occasionally rippling across it, revealing that latticework that you saw through the Veil Scatter scope. You also, as she leans over towards and says, As it's held there, the very fabric of magic itself is strained.

It watches it pulls away, and you can see all the ley lines that converge at that nexus, but they're all bending, like running a pole through a network of cables. The cables are now bending and being dragged behind it. You can see the ley lines are essentially being warped and tensed.

The longer this tether holds to the moon, the more it tangles and stresses the flow of magic within and between the realms. So, it's no surprise of mine that my lovely Fern will be the one to send things right. She looks at you. The odd, if often fun, thing

about being able to touch fate itself is rarely knowing the outcome. It's like a really strong hunch. While being able to see the vague ripples in the distance that a tug or a knot will cause, like tippeting the weather by being able to not just see the horizon, but giving it strong suggestions. Suggestions. a tune on the thinner strings. Hence the title.

Some threads run a very taut path, carving through history towards a powerful destiny. Those threads, only she can view. Only she can view. Only she can cut and weave. In the orb, you see this porcelain mask briefly appear in the smoke and then vanish. Sweet Fearne,

your fate is in flux. Like your very whims, it vibrates with uncertainty. Impulsive, darting in and out of darker paths, tugged at by the shadowed places of the scheme. You've always been a beautiful paradox since you were a child. It's why I knew I had to keep you safe. Had to keep one finger on your thread and feel for any untoward plucking. Your true heritage required my attention. I'm happy to help, for it seems that maybe now is the time that it's all been heading towards. Maybe we're at the end of the strength itself.

Oh. I'm glad you're here, sweet girl. I have so many questions for you. Of course. I'm here to answer what I can. I, one time, saw a really bad version of myself. What does that mean? I know that there are probably different versions, but this one scared me. She seemed really sad and angry. Sometimes I get nervous when I feel those feelings. Then I'm going to turn into that. Why? Do you think it's the world changing you,

or do you think it's you changing in the world? Yes. You require answers, but not all answers are mine to give. She glances upward. Your mother keeps a deep, dark secret. One you deserve to know, and one that is not my place to reveal. Perhaps you should speak with her. It might be illuminating.

All right. All right. Now we have time. What do you think of her? The one, the matron? Hmm. She's complicated. The pinnacle of ambition. There are things I dislike, for the places I like to walk are under her purview, and she doesn't like reach me here either. So we have an understanding. She's fine. Oh, where's the shard?

Well, we're not really supposed to say. If you need it right now, we can get it. We have it with us, but. I can leave the room. Oh. Ditto. What do you think about... What was his name? Asmodeus?

Asmodeus? Asmodeus. One of them gave me a kiss, and then I just didn't go away. She sniffs in the air, I thought I smelled sulfur. Tevin, I think, is his name. She inspects it. Oh, Fern. What did I do? You've been dallying places.

I now understand the context for some of these pluckings. It was just so hot. I just didn't have any power. You and your mother are more alike than you know. What that mark is, is a promise. Mm-hmm. An audience. And a chance to gain and give a trade.

Okay. But be warned, rarely do such trades end in your favor, for you are a smart girl. But he's had eons to perfect the art of deals and carefully threaded untruths. All right. You don't take me as a fine print kind of girl, so maybe hold on to that for emergencies.

All right. There. All right. Footsteps start coming down from above. As you see see both Birdie and Olly come downstairs. Olly looks at you. Hey. Fearne Malof runs up and grabs you,

and she hugs as well, but lets him have his moment. Oh, you look so beautiful. Thank you. I didn't expect you to be here, either. We just barely made it ourselves. Hello, everyone. How long are you staying? It's been a long day, too.

Mm-hmm. Well, I think we're staying as long as we need to. Hopefully not too long, though. A long time, but also zero minutes. Yeah. Yes. Well, Olly here, as you know, is a quite accomplished chef, and I think could prepare a nice dinner for most of us,

if you don't mind. Amazing. Of course, of course, I can go ahead and start picking. No. So, do you have enough food? I mean, if I need to go out and hunt, gather! I can do that. Yes, gather, hunt, bring us meat.

That's going to be part of the scavenger hunt. Don't worry. Coconut, coconut, coconut. What do you have in your hand? I don't know, I want to develop it with Leia and Moria a little bit. Are we going to break into two teams? Maybe, or maybe we'll have to work together, you know?

I guess that makes sense, yeah, team building. But maybe we start as pairs and then we, yeah, I don't know, I got to figure it out. This is going to be great. I've never done a scavenger hunt before. This is the happiest I've seen in a while. We'll talk about figure it out. This is going to be great. I've never done a scavenger hunt before. This is the happiest I've seen in a while. We'll talk about it over food. It's going to be great.

Well, I want you to participate in the scavenger hunt at CG. You're right. If I know how it ends, I can't participate in it. Yeah. Yeah. We'll figure it out. All right. Maybe you can erase my memory.

Oh, yeah. I'll work on that. I'll plan it, and then you wipe my memory. I'm sure Nana can do it. Oh, Nana can do it? Because any time that I would get bored or lonely, a new creature would always show up. And then I would always be able to talk to them, and Nana provides.

All right. It's been a bit. It's not often you have someone request having memories taken, but it does happen. I thought you were saying, Nana, I could do this scavenger hunt, but you didn't. No, no, I plan it with her, then she wipes my memory of planning it,

and then I'm a fresh slate. I can go on the hunt with y'all. Great. This is great. Cool. Very exciting. This seems... I'd very much like to get to know more of what you are. Good vibrato. Thank you.

About support. Wait, she wiped your memory when you were a kid all the time? Just get vibrato. As cute. About support. Wait, she wiped your memory when you were a kid all the time? Well, I think, I mean, just when it was needed. Are you saying a new creature would show up, but he would be the same creature you'd always known? No, no, just like. I didn't hear so much about you. She might not know that.

You have weirdly no recollection of her ever wiping your memory. I have, just. You have weirdly no recollection of her ever wiping your memory. I don't, I, huh. And just as I'm sitting here using Hunter's Bane, Nannamore gives off fey, right? Not fiend or undead or something else? Correct, fey. The best way I can describe it is dirty fey.

Dirty fey. Yeah, that's true. Dirty olives. Dirty Fae. Yeah, that's true. All the olives. All the olive juice. Num, num, num. Sounds good. All right. All right, I'll go ahead and start getting things ready, start gathering some herbs.

You're pretty stocked, I think. And she's like, Well, whatever we don't have, I'm sure we can procure. Or we can send my pets to collect. Birdie goes, Well, very well, and I guess we'll start figuring out what we have at our disposal for a scavenger hunt, and start getting your rooms ready. This is just exciting. Psst! for a scavenger hunt and start getting your rooms ready.

This is just exciting. Psst! You know it. Oh, yeah! Fearne, it's so good to see you. It's really good to see you, too. Wow. Yeah. What a coincidence, they were here at the same time. That's amazing. I know.

I'm glad they were. Yeah. Oh, well, we can just stay anywhere, all over. I mean, we could stay in the bardo in the garden. You have your room, of course. And my room, of course. As far as the rest go, Nenna just closes her eyes for a second,

and you hear this cracking sound, like bark splitting and the shifting of leaves and tree branches screeching against each other. I've grown a new chin. Where are you? Cool. It'll be reclaimed when you're done, I've grown a new chamber for you. Cool. It'll be reclaimed when you're done, so don't get attached.

Thanks, Tommy. Nothing can happen to me. You're welcome. Oh, I poop myself. Back to my stories. And she goes ahead and runs her hand over the orb. Back to my stories. She goes ahead and runs her hand over the orb. Back to my stories. She runs along.

Yes! Yes. Yes. Very decent. She just watches game shows all the time. So Birdie and Olly scatter off. Birdie's going to go ahead and start setting up bed chambers as you take in a semblance of an odd

but different safe space. And what may very well be a proper place to patch things up, if there's enough time. And who knows what is slowly lost as it ticks by. Don't say that! No! A little punishment. Just a little punishment.

Double that will go ahead and finish the episode. We'll pick up there next time. Oh! Strange. It's good! Good! Clowsers. Dang, buddy. Real good.

It's going to be fun. Farewell. Farewell. Shit gets weird out here until then thank you all so much for joining us we love you very much and is it Thursday yet? and that concludes this episode

of Critical Role if you liked what you heard please leave a rating and review wherever you stream the Critical Role Podcast Network. Your experiences and opinions might just motivate someone new to join the adventure. We've got lots of stories to share, so please be sure to check in next week. We'll see you next time.