Critical Role - C3E79 To Hurt Is to Heal

Episode Date: December 14, 2023

Bells Hells find respite in the Fey Realm while they seek ways to mend their broken trust and rebuild their friendships... Twitch subscribers gain instant access to VODs of our shows like Critical Ro...le, 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

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Starting point is 00:00:00 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.
Starting point is 00:00:34 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. Hi there. This is Taliesin Jaffe, and welcome to the podcast version of The Critical Role Show. If you would like to watch the stream as it airs,
Starting point is 00:01:10 you can tune in on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific at twitch.tv slash criticalrole or at youtube.com slash criticalrole. The video-on-demand versions are immediately available for our Twitch subscribers or on YouTube the following Mondays at 12 p.m. Pacific. Podcast episodes are right here on the Critical Role Podcast Network on Thursdays one week after the initial broadcast. Now that you know all that, let's head into today's adventure. Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons.
Starting point is 00:01:49 Yeah, exactly. Before we get into our episode tonight, we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with our first sponsor of the night, Atlus, and their new game, Persona 5 Tactica. Sam? Persona 5 Tactica is out now, and it is awesome. It's a thrilling tactical role-playing game set in the Persona universe, which many of the cast here have been a part of for years. After a strange incident, the Phantom Thieves wander into a bizarre realm with citizens living under tyrannical oppression. They find themselves in grave danger until a mysterious revolutionary named... Arena? Arena. Arena? Arena. Arena? Arena.
Starting point is 00:02:26 Okay, Arena makes them an enticing offer. But what truth lies behind Arena's deal with the Phantom Thieves? Persona 5 Tactica features an all new story, returning fan favorite characters, brand new allies and foes. Ignite your heart with Persona 5 Tactica. What? What is it? I'm doing an ad right now for Persona 5. Oh! It came? It came.
Starting point is 00:02:53 Oh my god. Oh my god, I... Oh my god. Guys. Gotta consult your family. I gotta read my script. What timing to get these results. This is big, actually. I always suspected, but I never knew. What did you not notice?
Starting point is 00:03:23 It was a paternity test, Matt. Oh great. I can't believe it, but it came back positive. Matt, you are my father. I actually don't think that's physically possible. DNA doesn't lie, Matt. That day when I asked you to lick all those envelopes, I was actually harvesting your genetic material
Starting point is 00:03:40 to send to my guy. Your guy. I can't believe I finally found you after all these years. I am not, nor have I ever been your father. No, you haven't. All those soccer games and recitals and graduations. Oh my god.
Starting point is 00:03:55 But now we can start over. I'm so glad you're willing to put in the work, Dad. Don't call me that. Father Matt. Don't call me that. Daddy Matt. Don't call me that. Daddy-o? No, no. Papa? You're older than me.
Starting point is 00:04:09 Look, why don't you just finish the ad saying? Would that earn your respect and love, Papa? Wow. Sure. Okay. I'm overcome with emotion, and speaking of, an emotional uprising begins with Persona 5 Tactica, leading a revolution in Persona's iconic universe. Build your dream squad of beloved heroes, overthrow your enemies in style
Starting point is 00:04:33 with powerful Personas. Persona 5 Tactica is now available on Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Ss, Xs, Windows, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Papa, did I make you proud? Moving on. Our next sponsor is Meta and their upcoming action role-playing VR game exclusively on MetaQuest, Asgard's Wrath 2. It spells dad.
Starting point is 00:05:00 Oh, Sam. Hey, Matt. That's so cute. But also, like, Hey, Matt. That's so cheesy. That's impressive. DNA test report? I loved it. Everybody really went all out. Oh, is it an actual one? DNA, the basics.
Starting point is 00:05:13 DNA, the basics? It's like a Wikipedia page of DNA. You all fall off. Okay, sorry. Go. You used it. Probably. New VR game exclusively on MetaQuest, Asgard's Wrath 2. Embark on an epic adventure as you traverse vast realms, battling gods, monsters, and the mischievous Loki, who threatens the very fabric of the universe. It might sound a little
Starting point is 00:05:38 familiar to some. Align with legendary Egyptian gods, engage in combat with deadly warriors, and conquer mythical creatures using unique weapons and play styles. Immerse yourself in a massive free-roaming world, solve mind-belding, mind-bending, belding, mind-belding god-scale puzzles, and even possess mortal heroes and loyal animals to aid your quest. Thanks to groundbreaking VR technology, you'll come face-to-face with ancient gods and experience the world from both mortal and godly perspectives. It's wild. You'll like it. Available starting December 15th, exclusively on MetaQuest and free with your purchase of MetaQuest 3. Asgard's Wrath 2 is designed for players age 17 and older. Act now as the bundle offer ends on January 27th, 2024. For more details, visit Asgardswrath2.com. And thank you, Meta, so much for sponsoring this episode.
Starting point is 00:06:23 Thanks, Meta! I'm not saying it's bad. Marisha. Dad? Dad? Weird. The first episode of Kindela Obscura, Circle of Tide and Bone,
Starting point is 00:06:36 is available to watch right now on Twitch, YouTube, and our podcast channels. So good. So good. You can join us for episode two on January 4th. Two on fourth. In the meantime, you can pick up a copy of the Candela Obscura rule book to launch your own investigation.
Starting point is 00:06:54 And leave your mark on the Fairlands. Nice. Fantastic. And Ashley. Hey, thank you so much for tuning in to our Giving Tuesday Red Nose Day One-Shot last week! So good! You can check out our adventure with the incredible Sam Richardson and the incredible Tony Hale on our Twitch, YouTube, and podcast channels right now.
Starting point is 00:07:18 Such a good game! It was so fun. Just the greatest. It was the greatest show of the day. It's so natural. They really did. Also was the greatest show. It was so natural. They really did. Also, Laura's character needs to live on. Yes. It's technically a prequel to even Campaign One,
Starting point is 00:07:32 so all those characters are canon in the past. So whoever survived is still out there. He's Robert. I love watching new people fall in love with the game. Is Bobby Socks a prequel to your Darrington Brigade character? Oh no! Bobby Socks McAshley! Oh, now I've got thoughts. We're going to go into that.
Starting point is 00:07:52 Oh my god, that would be amazing! He saw his parents killed, and the pearls! Always pearls. They were trying to cast a spell. So good. You can also still donate from now until the end of the year by making a donation at CritRoll.com. Sorry. Weird thing happened in my throat. CritRoll.com slash rednoseday to CritRoll.com. Eradicate childhood poverty. Thank you so much, Ashley. Laura, you're turning the fire.
Starting point is 00:08:26 Okay, let's see what happens. Right now, you guys, you hold this up and I'll hold this up. I'm ready. We have more Beelzebub die sets! We've got Imogen and an Aurum of Ereshari. Let's see what they look like. And they are so pretty. These ones are filled with lavender, and then there's a red storm in the night. I have little flowers in mine. It's so beautiful. Artists, lairande. Nope, I said that wrong. Lairande, thank you so much for the
Starting point is 00:08:58 designs. Also, I wanted to surprise you, Taliesin, with this, because I don't think you've seen it yet, and I've been sitting on it this whole game. Oh my god! It's here? I've heard about this. Whoa! It's an Ashton Greenwood jacket! Oh my god! You guys, it's got a hoodie. It's denim. It's got this awesomeness.
Starting point is 00:09:24 It's denim. It's got this awesomeness. That's so cool. It's so, you guys, it's so comfy, cozy. Oh my god. That's really cool. I was sitting on it. Under her keister. And she will sit on every one that you order.
Starting point is 00:09:36 This is so cool. And also, at the same time, wait, look, in addition to that, where did I put them? Look, we're also selling these patches! So you can put the patches on the jacket! That's so punk! I know, it's so punk! Punks always buy patches to put on their jacket. The artists of the Jordan Torrance pose are beautiful. Jordan Torrance did these patches, and they're so cute.
Starting point is 00:10:04 That's really cute. You can also just get the patches and put them on anything, like a bat jack. Jordan, you're so talented! Or, I don't know if you guys can see them. They're so cool. Do the face one. You can use floss until you get those really fun
Starting point is 00:10:16 little white stitches, and you can stitch them with floss. With floss? Yeah. We got a Maya Knight one in here. We got a Vox Machina. We got a Critical Role. We got some Ashton symbols that's cool. We got a Mighty Nein one in here. We got a Vox Machina. We got a Critical Role. We got some Ashton symbols that mean things. They do?
Starting point is 00:10:30 So yeah, check them out. And also, in addition to that, you guys. Is there more stuff under your butt? Not under my butt, but next to my chair. We have partnered. We have partnered with Geek Grind to create 99 inspired coffees and teas! You guys, look at all of these amazing flavors! They're on sale and available right now at geekgrindcoffee.com. I want the tea. I got English.
Starting point is 00:11:00 Yeah, there's some teas and there's some coffees. I want the tea first. Oh, and you have one, too. You have and there's some coffees. I have chamomile. Oh, and you have one, too. I have Brew of the Solstice. Nothing goes along with your coffee like a coming apocalypse. Jester's Sweet Treat Cinnamon Chocolate-flavored coffee, you guys. Yasha's Lightning Elixir, vanilla-flavored coffee.
Starting point is 00:11:20 Brenatta's Mystery Potion-flavored coffee. Strongland. Beauregard's Interrogation Brew. Whoa! That sounds intense. Yeah, I feel like that was going to make you. Or is it? I have Widogast's Amber Awakening Orange Spice Tea.
Starting point is 00:11:37 Ooh! Orange English Breakfast Tea. And I have Caduceus' Blooming Garden Egyptian Chamomile. I think it's okay. We can open them up. What could possibly go wrong? Let's keep going while we serve it. Okay, we're going to keep going. Liam!
Starting point is 00:11:53 It's your turn, buddy. Guys, Dark Horse is releasing an original graphic novel, if you haven't heard yet, featuring Dr. Anna Ripley in The Legend of Vox Machina, The Whitestone Chronicles, Volume 1. Ripley is written by Marika Nykamp, illustrated by Tyler Walpole, and lettered by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy Betancourt. This is the first of three, actually,
Starting point is 00:12:17 interconnected stories serving as pre... Oh, my God, I love coffee so much. So much. Interconnected stories serving as prequels to the Legend of Vox Machina animated series. So if you've watched that, you might like this book. You can find it at the end of July, 2024, which is too far away.
Starting point is 00:12:34 Wherever graphic novels are sold, visit comicshoplocator.com to find a local comic shop near you. Hey, that looks good on you. Comics. I feel good. Fantastic. Dang, Taliesin, that looks good. That looks really awesome. Everybody beat up Taliesin, that looks good. That looks really awesome. Okay, that was a beefy.
Starting point is 00:12:48 That was a beefy announcements. And now I want some coffee while I chug my energy drink because I want to detonate, apparently. But that concludes our announcements. So now we can finally get into tonight's episode of Critical Role. Critical. Critical.
Starting point is 00:13:11 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. do you wanna do this? It's Thursday night All ye Critters come join us It's time to continue our plight
Starting point is 00:13:37 There is magic and mystery Who knows what will happen? Ye might But one thing's for sure 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
Starting point is 00:14:03 Hold your breath and roll You can certainly try It's Thursday night All ye Critters come join us It's time to continue our play It's Thursday There is magic and mystery From darkness our friendship will rise But one thing's for sure
Starting point is 00:14:26 We never give up on the fight Oh, get ready It's Thursday night And welcome back. So, last we left off, Bells Hells, after traversing the odds and ends of Exandria, finishing in the Shattered Teeth to seek some answers and finding an artifact that is somewhat involved in the elemental, primordial history of Ashton and the Dushari people that his parents created and destroyed. You return to Whitestone to prepare for a journey as a recon operation to the moon, Ruidus, to discover what is transpiring there to prepare for the eventual assault that the forces of Exandria are preparing for. On the eve
Starting point is 00:15:26 of your journey, a ritual was attempted and hijacked in secret by Ashton to pursue what was understood to be his destiny. However, it proved to be too powerful and nearly destroying him twice through the will of his strength, his constitution, and a couple of well-placed magical items and spells, survived, losing an arm, gaining an arm, and coughed up the spark of Rav Chon, while seemingly something has stirred within him since this. However, in doing this, it broke much of the trust and the calm within the group of Bell's Hells. In this tumultuous period of time, this fracture has caused you all to take a pause on your
Starting point is 00:16:12 journey towards the Red Moon. Deciding that one fern who was at the epicenter of confusion and hurt in the midst of this wanted to visit herana, and considered the Fey Realm might be a decent place to try and take a rest to recover and rekindle this trust of the troop. Arriving back in the familiar space of the Ligament Manor in the Fey Realm, your Nana Morrigan herself, the Fate Stitcher, the grand, terrifying hag that exists
Starting point is 00:16:44 in this shadowed region of the Fey Realm welcome to you all back, as well as realizing that your parents have come here as well, absconding from the Hellcatch Valley and looking for a place of peace and or safety in the midst of all the chaos that is surrounding the Hellcatch. Upon arrival and some comfort, some interesting conversations transpired in which FCG decided to offer the idea of team-building exercises, of some sort of a good mental health retreat
Starting point is 00:17:17 for all of you to work together and try and figure out ways to re-solidify these binds, which excited Nana Mori, who eagerly agreed to aid you in this endeavor. As her cackles echoed through the reaches of the tree itself, that is the skeletal structure of Ligament Manor, you all, those of you who took them,
Starting point is 00:17:39 sip upon your tiki drinks and consider what lies in the days ahead of you, here where time seems to slow to a crawl under Nannamori. So, what would you like to do, Bells Howls? It's nighttime, it's daytime, it's morning. Did we just sleep? What happened? It's seven o'clock on the dot.
Starting point is 00:18:04 It's some Feyroam, it's always a little Twilight-y. But were we building towards a long rest, or were you just good? We're just good, it's just happening. Well, you took a long rest after the ritual that took place at the ziggurat, and then the following morning, you all went ahead and found Allura,
Starting point is 00:18:23 and by the way, Allura Vessoran is still traveling with you and seems deeply uncomfortable, but getting a little more used to the strange interior. But you've basically been given the run of the manor for the time being, for whatever your purposes may be, until probably you and Mori will probably take some time to figure out what you want to do. So who's up to what? You and Mori will probably take some time to figure out what you want to do. So who's up to what? Hey, Fearne. Yeah. So can I ask you a question about your Nana?
Starting point is 00:18:51 Yeah. I've heard things. Does she do wishes? I mean, what do you mean? Well, I heard somewhere that entities sometimes found in places like this, they might give you your wildest.
Starting point is 00:19:15 Wildest something? Yeah. Oh, I see what you mean. Well, yeah, I mean, you could definitely talk to her. I mean, it's definitely a type of thing. It's more of a deal, I think, than a wish. Oh. So you have to give something to her if you're going to get something back.
Starting point is 00:19:34 I think that's how it works. Oh, okay. Have you known of anybody that's made a deal with her? Yeah. It always turns out fine, right? The stories that it can go tits up is an exaggeration. Yeah, yeah. I mean, sometimes it can go bad.
Starting point is 00:19:54 Did you make a deal with her? No, no, no, no, no. I mean, I can get anything I want from her. What's the worst you ever saw happen? Well... What's the worst you ever saw happen? Well. I think sometimes, like the tree garden, for instance. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:20:20 Some of those. Sometimes people get turned into bushes. Well, I don't know. That's my assumption that I think, maybe. Oh shit. But I don't know. I think she just can't, it's not forever. Like, they're not going to.
Starting point is 00:20:35 Be bushes forever? Yeah, or, you know, I think she just, there's... Wait, how long have some of these people been bushes, though? Hmm. I don't know. But you know, I make them look a little better than just a regular bush.
Starting point is 00:20:53 So you're trimming people? Trimming them? Do you think they feel it? When you cut their branches off? I have never thought about that. Do you have that speak with plants spell? Are they just screaming every time? Maybe. I mean, I think.
Starting point is 00:21:15 I'm pretty sure they're people. That's just something I have. They do look like people. Guys, I know my Nana's a little weird, okay? Is Lady Allura with us? She's currently at the tiki bar, inspecting the space. You can see as Peepers, the jackrabbit, is nestled behind. Its weird ears are following her as she goes and occasionally. It has a ton of eyes, right? It doesn't have eyes on its face, just this big toothy grin. The teeth themselves prehensile
Starting point is 00:21:46 individually, and the markings along the ears almost resemble large eyes. And Nana Mori went back to her stories? For the time being, she's finishing up some sort of a scry session, occasionally cackling and slapping her knee. Angelica Houston could be seen in the... Yeah. But there's a weird xenomorph rabbit hovering around Orya right now. occasionally cackling and slapping her knee. Angelica Houston could be seen in the... Yeah. But there's a weird xenomorph rabbit
Starting point is 00:22:08 hovering around Allura right now? Like this. It's over following her to the tiki bar, and Allura is just stepping over to the edge and inspecting the space. This is just after the conversation with Manna Mori. Yes. Birdie has gone upstairs for the moment.
Starting point is 00:22:28 Olly is going over to the bar to help Allura with the drinks. And the rest of the mighty climbing and twisting tree that is the Ligament Manor, you can see, is just winding up into the lantern-lit shadows above. The sound of dozens of evening creaking and cawing creatures echoing through the branches and briar. What were you interested in wishing for, Chetney? Me? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:22:59 Like, I'd go for my youth. You want to be young again. Yeah, I saw Deanna, and I mean, that was a trip. Let me tell you, living hundreds of years and then seeing an old flame come back where they haven't changed a bit, I was a little jelly. Would you still want to keep your age,
Starting point is 00:23:15 but just your appearance is youthful? Yeah, I wouldn't want to give up any of the knowledge and wisdom and accomplishments I've had. Just change the outside. You would want to be young again so that you could be with Deanna? You wouldn't believe what I looked like 200 years ago.
Starting point is 00:23:30 Even 100 years ago, boy. Specifically to be with her? No. Oh. Just to look hot as shit again. I mean, I'm already pretty good, but. But why, though? Just to get with lots of people?
Starting point is 00:23:46 No, I mean, I haven't come across many people that can actively grant wishes or make deals. I'm not sure about turning into a bush afterwards, but just the idea of it seems pretty fucking appealing. It could be a bit of a stretch. That's just an assumption I've always had. Why not? Maybe not. Maybe it's not. You're pretty good-looking now. Did you age into things like a fine wine?
Starting point is 00:24:09 I'm like the lead chapter of the Silver Foxes. I'm the head priest of the Silver Fox. What was a 120-year-old Chetney Lion? Oh, man. Well, most of my hair was still in. I had a bitchin' mustache. The chest hair was more accurately cultivated, curated. A set of these really sporadic patches you got going on here. Yeah, this is just au naturel. This is like woodsman, but I used to do shapes. Sometimes there were arrows.
Starting point is 00:24:37 What kind of mustache, like a tickler or a handlebar? Kind of depended. Oh, cool. But what were you like as a teenager? Were you awkward? Wearing diapers? I feel like you were awkward. Yeah, kind of. I was kind of a loner.
Starting point is 00:24:53 I traveled a lot, even as a teenager. I had lots of toys. But just sorry to keep harping on this. Yeah. But why, though? Like, why do you want to be young again? If you could have one wish, what would it be? Oh boy.
Starting point is 00:25:13 You don't have to answer. That was my answer, though, to look young again. But just to look young again. Yeah. But in order to find the family that you never had the first time around? I think they're gone. Did you have a family? Sure, big family.
Starting point is 00:25:30 Like children and? No! Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Like finding the love of your life. I mean, I don't think so. Fuck, don't make me go down that road. I hope not. I mean, I don't think so. You never had any interest
Starting point is 00:25:40 in having a family, settling down? Not really. Having a place to call your own? No. I hadn't really thought about it. It seems like an awful lot of work. Upkeep? So you just want to wander?
Starting point is 00:25:55 No, I'd just like to be inspired. Plus, like, toys is an ever-evolving trade. An art form, really. Second you get stale, you got to go to a new city. There's new things to see, things to form, really. Second you get stale, you got to go to a new city. There's new things to see, things to spark off of, ways to elevate your game. This is the strangest conversation we've ever had before we do. Orbs, stop doing push-ups!
Starting point is 00:26:18 You were doing a lot of push-ups yesterday. mean, are you sore? Because I've never seen you work out that much. You're getting out your emotions that way, right? I listen to you guys talk a lot. Sometimes it's not the smartest thing to let the first thoughts in your head pop out of your mouth, so I've been sitting on it for a day, but I was stressed, too, and there's nothing like dumbbell squats. Is that a thing, Travis? 100%. Those are called thrusters. Nothing like thrusters to get the anxiety.
Starting point is 00:26:51 Yeah, that's right. I'm in. I'm going to go say hi to my mom real quick. Yeah. What's your Nana Mori alluding to? Yeah! I don't know. She perked up when she saw your little demon prince kiss and was like, ooh, just like your mother.
Starting point is 00:27:17 What does that mean? What does that mean? Maybe that's why you got your fiery side. Like my mom fucked around with Tevin? I don't know. I am you. You said it, not me. Or maybe not Tevin specifically, but
Starting point is 00:27:34 that'd be fucked. Would that be, would you, would it, would it really mess with your head if your dad wasn't your biological father, if he was not the father? You are not the father. I think he would be perfectly fine, because I feel like I didn't know them that much anyway. You know, Nana's my parent, both. But we'll find out. Your parents, whoever raised you.
Starting point is 00:28:13 Uh-huh. I know exactly what that call is. It's like I get that call every single day. It's the school system. Like four times a day. Yes, they call all the time. Is sending work again? Just junk sends.
Starting point is 00:28:35 Just junk sends. Don't reply to that message. Chetney, you take 14 points of psychic damage. Wait, he's actually doing it. Sure. He marked it. You're going to go talk to? Yeah, I'll do that, but I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to go talk to Nana Mori about, you know,
Starting point is 00:28:57 the scavenger hunt. Oh, that's right. Do you have ideas? I have lots of ideas. This is the perfect place for a scavenger hunt. I just feel like we have all been on our own separate paths, and this will really get us to come together
Starting point is 00:29:10 and work together and maybe be ready as a team to go do what we have to do up on the moon. So you're thinking a group, cooperative scavenger hunt, not like a competition base. No, not a competition. It's something where it forces us to work together. Well, I've got ideas. You watch as Nana Mori's head is craned
Starting point is 00:29:34 out of the shadows beyond her chair and is appearing behind FCG's head a bit. The black vacant spaces where the sockets sink in, occasionally flickering with light. I'm very excited to plot with your little metallic friend. Great. I'm excited. Let's talk. A hand reaches out and palms your head.
Starting point is 00:30:02 My wheel's not moving, it's just dragging. I knew it! Maybe we should check out the rooms. Didn't we get rooms? I think Hannah and Maury made us some rooms, yeah. Oh yeah! Check out the bonks! All right.
Starting point is 00:30:21 Bonks. Should I do bonks? Yeah. He does bonk. So the rest of you can scatter a bit and find there are some additional chambers, some modest but comfortable in a creepy assumed-your-theme-but-maybe-not-quite-correctly sort of vibe within each one. You feel a bit stereotyped when you enter each chamber, but it's a bedroom that at least is, you know, it's the thought that counts.
Starting point is 00:30:53 It's an AI-generated bedroom. Yeah. Yeah, you suddenly have too many fingers and your teeth are wrong. It's... It's too big for an animal. Yeah. The details keep turning into dog faces.
Starting point is 00:31:04 It's weird. You off of a bus? You said you're looking for... Yes, I'm going to go look for Birdie. Birdie, okay. You step up the stairs, seeing where she may have gone off to, and you see her having a conversation with the door to the collection,
Starting point is 00:31:21 the massive tent-like chamber that's comprised of all the branches that forms the dome where Nanamori's collection is. You can see there's that living doorway of numerous bones and skull fragments that are all woven into branches. And they're all pushed to form a larger face that you normally can't see. It just looks like a texture, like a creepy collection of various objects to form the doorway, but you're familiar with this as well. The door itself, while not specifically named, it is occasionally a wanting conversation. As you step up, you hear Bertie going like,
Starting point is 00:31:56 I'm just so excited that she's come by again. And the door goes like, Yeah, you know, it's been a bit since she's come by and talked, so I think a lot of people are excited hearing the man. Hey, door. Oh, look, there she is. The massive cluster of bones creaks and scrapes as it goes ahead and tries to shift to form the expressions of this massive skull across it. It's been some time.
Starting point is 00:32:23 Hey. It's been a little time. Hey, birdie. Well, hello there, darling. Um, I just wanted to come in and catch up. Of course you could. And see how things have been. Yeah, let's go and have a little walk, a little mother-daughter walk.
Starting point is 00:32:43 I'd love that. Let's do it. She goes ahead and puts her arm out. Well, how's things? Well, they've been a little strange, as I'm sure they've been on your side as well. You want to go towards the garden? Oh yes, I would love to. All right, all right. Start ascending the wooden steps that climb along
Starting point is 00:33:04 one of the large, heavy branches that curves up into the higher parts of the canopy, the various forms of flickering lantern light giving orange and green and blue shifting coloration. She taps your arm. We had to skedaddle quite quickly and get away from our little hideaway there. I got to say, it's a good thing your father has the squint.
Starting point is 00:33:27 It's definitely gotten us on some better paths and out of trouble quicker than others. But we tried to come through here and Hondir was with us. He was a little too nervous to follow us through the Fey Gateway that we used, so he went ahead and off on his own towards A. Shenador to look for the rest
Starting point is 00:33:49 of his Grim Verity folks. All right. We made sure to supply him up and give him one of the crawlers that we had, all gussied up to tip-top shape, and he just went ahead and took off southward. I'm about to say, he was a bit of a nebbish surly fellow when we first met him, but now he seems to find himself a little confidence, too. Watching him on his own up there, his little
Starting point is 00:34:14 goblin physique on that massive purring machine and just cruising on, leaving industrial behind, I could see in his eyes he was enjoying that little ride he hadn't had a chance to before on his own. Good for him. I agree, I agree. Well, so I was talking with Nana. She was telling me that you might have something to tell me and she said that it's not her story to tell, so I just wanted to know, did you have something to tell me. And she said that it's not her story to tell, so I wanted to know, did you have something to tell me?
Starting point is 00:34:49 I don't know. Her jaunty steps come to a slow crawl into an inevitable stop, and her hand stays resting on yours as she looks ahead a bit. Her smile's still there, but it's dropped a little. What does she mean? Well, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:35:19 But, so when we were out, But, so when we were out, I had made, I didn't realize, I guess a deal of sorts with this super hot devil guy. Oh! Yeah. His name's Heaven. Wow.
Starting point is 00:35:46 Does that name sound familiar to you? Not particularly, no. Oh my god, okay. So, he kisses my hand, and it just stayed there. That's not a natural thing or anything? No, no, no, no, no, no. No, okay, okay. I think it's just a...
Starting point is 00:36:08 I really don't know. Okay. So hopefully I didn't do something too bad, but we'll see. Well, just be careful. I don't know much in the realm of devils and the like, but from what I do have heard around, they're a little difficult to tangle with, so just careful what you sign up for, I suppose.
Starting point is 00:36:24 Sure, sure, sure. Have you ever tangled with one before? Not with the devil, no. She picks up her step a little bit and pulls you along and goes, Let's get to that garden. What about a demon? No.
Starting point is 00:36:45 Look, I had a wild youth in some ways, and some more than others, I'm sure, but I didn't mess with any of that infernal stuff, necessarily. That's a bit beyond my realm. Insight check. Make an insight check, go for it. Necessarily. Necessarily.
Starting point is 00:37:01 That's so weird, necessarily, to add on. 29. Ooh! What? What? 16 plus 13. You have 13 inside? I do, I do.
Starting point is 00:37:15 I use that shit all the time. So, you're the group's lie detector. Yes. You are? Apparently. How do you have such a high? That's amazing! She's wisdom-based with some rogue expertise
Starting point is 00:37:27 and a couple of other things in there, I think. All the light. Yeah. I only need to whisper to you, since you're the only one who's present in this conversation. She's not lying, but she's still, she's definitely being guarded about something.
Starting point is 00:37:44 And you get the sense that she's like, She's definitely being guarded about something. You get the sense that she's like, you can feel her heartbeat through her hand. There's just an elevated adrenaline in her system, and she's just holding it together while you two walk up towards the top of the ligament Manor. I think,
Starting point is 00:38:12 I think I know what Nana was talking about, and... I know you're nervous, whatever it is, because your heartbeat is really fast, and you keep licking your lips, so your mouth is a little dry, probably. It's okay, just tell me. Let's get to the garden. I just think we'd... This isn't much of a walk and talk conversation.
Starting point is 00:38:39 Sure, sure, sure. You understand? Let's take a seat and find a spot. As she walks up, and there's this pause after that where the conversation's held, waiting for her to speak, but you're walking in silence, and you can feel as she squeezes your hand a little tighter, and she sighs heavily, and you look up and watch as a cluster of 40 or so bats
Starting point is 00:39:04 take off up into the trees, swirling and vanishing into the sides. A fluttering sound comes up and you watch as a familiar sight, an odd gray-dappled, white, owl-like creature with long, thin beak and black beady eyes as Mr. Nesbitt finds him and goes, Ew, I heard you were here! Oh, Mr. Nesbitt finds him and goes oh I heard you were here
Starting point is 00:39:25 oh Mr. Nesbitt oh Fanny so good to see you oh it's great to see you you know Birdie right of course of course you've been keeping up a bit
Starting point is 00:39:33 I just I wasn't aware how are you oh you know just doing little here and there wandering around picking flowers eating small insects
Starting point is 00:39:43 and just sort of you know keeping the place tidy. Great. Wonderful. I'm here with all of my friends, and so we're going to be staying for a little bit. Wonderful, wonderful. Probably not too long. We have games to play. Oh, yes, we have games to play.
Starting point is 00:39:58 Oh, and I think FCG and Nana are planning a scavenger hunt. No way. Yes. So you might maybe be a part of it. I mean, tell Nanna about it. Goodness me. Well, you both look like you're a bit in a personal conversation.
Starting point is 00:40:18 I'll let you be, but it's good to see you, Fearne. We'll catch up later on. Okay, kisses. Bye, birdie. Bye. Woo! Birdie just... I was like, what is that? I don't dislike Dr. Nesbit. He's just a lot.
Starting point is 00:40:40 Yes! I agree. He's a lot. First. I agree. He's a lot. First thing in the morning, especially. Like, it's just a lot right in your face. Yeah, always in the morning, it just gave me a little bit of time. Yeah, yeah. Anyway, almost there.
Starting point is 00:41:02 So... What is it? I mean, if you don't want to talk about it right now, we don't have to. No, no, I think it's important we talk about it. Here we go. You finish the ascent as you step out into the upper canopy of the tree and emerge into the top
Starting point is 00:41:27 garden that sits between the various heavy tangled branches and leaves and vines all around. You see all the massive archways and the beautiful bushes and long clusters of flower beds and a hedge maze-type appearance to it at different heights and levels. Colorful arrays of flora completely encompass the surrounding space. The ever-twilight vibe of the space is offset by the occasional flicker of glowing firefly light that dots the landscape. You see the numerous topiaries that are well-kept, that all have oddly screaming humanoid shapes frozen in place. Your mother pulls you over to one of the central benches in one of the nicer open garden areas where there's a little fountain that's giving this gentle sound of trickling water, and she brings you down and sits across from you and takes your hands, and hers,
Starting point is 00:42:28 she brushes off a bit and scratches them behind her ear for a second nervously. I missed it here. Well, I think it's missed you, too. So Fearne, you may not know exactly how your father and I met, but know that it is the happiest happenstance that I hold dear to myself beyond having you.
Starting point is 00:42:59 He is a good man in his own morals, and he's driven by personal justice, and I've met no man greater than him. We met because your Olly and I, we were both briefly entangled with the Unseelie Court many years back. Olly was a prisoner of theirs. Oh.
Starting point is 00:43:27 And myself, I was once enthralled by the wiles of one among their court. Wait, what does that mean? This... This particular gentleman of whom I was romantically entangled promised much and delighted in my darker impulses. I was whisked away into the arms of this dark lover who danced with me on top of gloomed marble precipice. He waxed poetic about taking the moon from the Moonweaver herself for me. I mean, he was as beautiful as he was terrifying. Wow.
Starting point is 00:44:19 For me, at that time, it's what I thought I wanted. Sure. I'm different now. I've learned from my wanderings, and I know that happiness did not lie down that path for me, but in this time, I was in a very odd place, Fearne. Okay.
Starting point is 00:44:46 I do not like who I was then. Huh? Well, it was here that I met your father, Olly. He was being held captive for his double dealings with the court. At first, I delighted in teasing him while he was being held in the Underbrush Prison. Something about his strength of heart and his honest eyes,
Starting point is 00:45:15 they just slowly began to take hold of me over time. Mm-hmm. His kindness in the face of veiled malice around me began to shape me free of whatever spell kept me there for so long. But not before I was already with child. With you. Oh.
Starting point is 00:45:42 My unseelie suitor and sire of my child whispered of the import of our union, that when it was time, and when it was time, he brought me to a hilltop in Exandria to give birth to you under the red light of the moon ruinous, just as he had planned and we had discussed. So you were with child with Olly, or? Am I? I'm not under, what? Olly is your father, but in the sense that he chose to raise you as your father.
Starting point is 00:46:41 Well, maybe if you really chose to raise me because you weren't around. But that's okay. That's okay. So, all right. So I have another dad. You have a... You have someone who helped give you life, yes. I don't know if I'd call them a father.
Starting point is 00:47:17 Okay. How do I, who? The one who sired you, his name is Atheon. Atheon Zathuda. The Sorrowlord of the Unseelie Chord. Say that one more time. The Sorrowlord of the Unseelie Chord. Wait, is that the one we fought?
Starting point is 00:47:41 Is that the one that showed up? On the Sorrowlord? It did have the word sorrow in it. Sorrowlord Zathuda is who we met. That's who we fought. But this is Athion. That's who chased us. But we're not here. I know.
Starting point is 00:47:56 I'm her mom. Athion Zathuda. Zathuda? Zathuda. Zathuda. Zathuda. That's the one that chased us from back at the dark brown dragon. That's the one that fought Morrigan on top of that dragon in the sky.
Starting point is 00:48:08 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. On the undead dragon. The one that was talking with Otohan at the side of the other key. The one that was speaking with Otohan. Okay. Atheon Zathuda. Atheon Zathuda, the Sorrowlord of the Unseelie Court. Okay.
Starting point is 00:48:36 Boy, this is... I know, it's a lot. Oh my god! It's a lot to take in. Sure. So he knows about me? He does. How come he didn't come around? Well, you see, after you arrived,
Starting point is 00:49:04 as a Rude as born by design. It seemed my usefulness began to wane, and whatever affection I held for him faded along with his attention towards me. You seemed to have what he wanted in you. All of his playful aspirations of overthrowing the Moonweaver came to a crisp and deadly halt.
Starting point is 00:49:27 His meetings with the Cexandrian High Magus were somehow connected, and you were always seemingly part of this. So I realized I had been used this whole time, and for the first time in ages, my mind felt clear. I felt like I had pushed the clouds away, you know? Yeah, yeah. I had to leave, and the only one there that I held any trust towards was the one who showed me real kindness. It was Zalhander. So I told him everything, and he just smiled.
Starting point is 00:50:10 He promised he'd keep me safe and help keep you safe. I think that was the first time I really felt an inkling of real love. I helped break him free. Together we fled from the Twilight Citadel and swore to never look back. He became your father, and together we lived free on the hidden paths between the courts to be a family for a while, for your younger years. It wasn't until you'd gotten a bit older that we began to see that red moon specter here in the Fey Realm for the first time. Just like the night you were born, and Olly had that vision, that terrible vision of everything just falling apart. We were worried that this thing that we thought we had gotten you away from,
Starting point is 00:50:57 you were somehow still caught up, and so we did what any parent would do. We did all we could to try and keep you safe. We went back to the Unseelie and we saw what they were building. We saw they were still, they were definitely the ones responsible for all this. And we just knew that you were a piece of that puzzle.
Starting point is 00:51:23 So we snuck in. With Ira's help, we took the crown, and we left you with Mori because we knew that they'd come after us. Because we knew that he'd be looking for you for whatever reasons they had. So we set out to find a way to correct your mother's unwitting part in all this
Starting point is 00:51:48 and free you from their designs. It seems like we failed, but you became something even greater than we ever could be. I'm so sorry for your... I'm so sorry for your... I'm so sorry for not being around. It doesn't mean much, I know, but we both love you so much, and everything we did was because we loved you,
Starting point is 00:52:17 and it hurt to leave you, but we knew you weren't safe with us. And... But we knew you weren't safe with us. We would rather give it all up again to see you safe. Like Morrie said, perhaps this was the right path. We are far from perfect. We've messed up in many ways, I am sure, but we did the best we could. Circumstances what they are, and if anything, we're just proud to see who you've become. Someone who
Starting point is 00:52:53 stands above others who wish to use them and carves your own way. Don't even let Nannamori's talk affect your fate at all. I can see that darkness that your sire left in you, but you wear it well and you make it your own. It's okay. I understand why you both had to do what you had to do. Honestly, I loved growing up here. And I love Nana Mori. I mean, she's a little wild.
Starting point is 00:53:51 Like, yeah, she's super weird, but... I love her a lot. Me, too. And... I feel like you put me in a really good place. Well, do I stay away from him? I don't know what I should do. Do I just, don't talk about that
Starting point is 00:54:17 and don't tell anybody, yeah? I mean, it's your life to live how you see fit. And if anything, I think it'll be a relief on your father to know that you know now. Okay. I mean, Zathura is a very dangerous and extremely selfish and manipulative individual. And seems to have found.
Starting point is 00:54:45 I wouldn't know about any of those qualities. I think the difference is you got a better heart in that chest of yours. Well, we'll see. No, you do. The fact that you're here says that you do. The fact that these people gathered around you says that you do.
Starting point is 00:55:11 The fact that you're doing everything you can to do the right thing to protect and help people, that's more than any of us could have done. Far more than your, than the Sorrowlord would have ever, ever even attempted. Thanks. I don't ever want you to think
Starting point is 00:55:34 that I'm asking for forgiveness. That's not something I could ever ask for. All I can do is try my best to make it up to you in time. I'll take that. I'll take that. I'll take that. And hopefully we have lots more time to do that. I hope so, too. Well, thank you for being honest with me.
Starting point is 00:55:59 I'm sorry it took this long to tell you. It was all with the intent of trying to keep you safe as long as we could. Well. I guess I better get back down there and make sure everybody's okay, but thanks for talking with me. Thank you for listening.
Starting point is 00:56:31 I give her a big hug. She hugs you back and you can hear her sniffle and wipe the tear from her face. You know, I always did wonder why I was so much taller than you both. Yeah. It always really weirded me out. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of things I think that'll be clicking after this, I'm sure. Yeah, lots of things I'm like, oh, okay. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:53 You got some, you're quite a living nexus of a bunch of weird shit. And I include myself in that. Yeah, yeah. Oh, I'm going to go find Sweet Pea and give him his dinner. Okay. I'll find Sweet Pea in a little bit, too. All right.
Starting point is 00:57:15 Love you. I love you. She just bounds off into the garden. All right. Well, I will head back downstairs. Okay. In the interim, I think while all that had happened, so maybe simultaneously, Orym would have walked up and tugged at Ashton's elbow. I'm, well, the bar's a little crowded, so I would have gotten a drink and would be just sitting off,
Starting point is 00:57:59 breathing, taking a view, having a little liquor. Hey. Hey. Hey. You want to take a walk? You're not going to quietly kill me in the Wildlands, are you? I mean, I'm fine either way. I might be able to take you.
Starting point is 00:58:21 It would be interesting to see. Take a walk with me, Ash. I'll take you one last good look. All right, I'm ready. I'm not going to lead us too far away because I assume that most things around here can eat me. So I'll stay close to the manor. Okay. Do you head down towards the base of the tree?
Starting point is 00:58:42 Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right, great. So you wander down a bit base of the tree? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. All right, great. So you wander down a bit further into the area that's referred to as the Undermuck. It's all these massive mud pits that seep into and between the gargantuan roots that spiral out from the center of the tree.
Starting point is 00:58:57 It's almost like a series of sections of separated bog that just swarm around the base. And as you descend to the staircases that lead to the bottom, you can hear the muck of these various bogs occasionally bubbling up, that ever so faintly sweet but fetid smell of mud with some earthen minerals and decaying leaves and moss. Occasionally, you see things slithering through the mud.
Starting point is 00:59:33 But it's also oddly beautiful, as you can see all these tranquil, green turquoise fireflies are beginning to light up the space in sections, almost like they're communicating in clusters at different points throughout. I'll sit on a root of the tree and drink from the cup. It's probably a little too big for my frame. I realize that I didn't say a lie yesterday.
Starting point is 01:00:01 I appreciate it, to be honest. Yeah. I've just been thinking, and it doesn't really serve to blurt the first thing that pops in your head out I've learned in life. To be honest, Ash, I was as freaked out as everybody else by what happened, but that's not what I want to say to you right now.
Starting point is 01:00:36 I just want you to feel what you're going to feel. Be angry, be sad, be confused, be questioning. Guilt, shame, whatever, but... Be angry, be sad, be confused, be questioning. Guilt, shame, whatever, but we do care about you. I care about you. Yeah. I think I believe that from everybody working on it.
Starting point is 01:01:06 Well, time, right? Well, this is new territory for me. Well, look, whatever you're going to feel, we're all going through it, and I get it to a degree. I do. You and your dad and Imogen and her mom and me with everything I carry around, right? It's hard not to let it be personal.
Starting point is 01:01:41 Of course it's personal. But we can't let this be about our every little hidden heartbreak right now. No. I mean, I'll admit, the positive reinforcement after jumping into a pool of lava may have been... I'm not going to put that on anybody. I would have done the same, but it definitely... I can see the escalation the more I think about it.
Starting point is 01:02:18 If that hadn't worked, I'm sure they would have been taking me apart pretty much the way that... And I wonder if this had worked, the fuck would anybody have said after 10 minutes of, holy fuck, that was stupid? Ash, I listen. Everybody lay into you yesterday, and that's not what this is about.
Starting point is 01:02:36 Yeah, I know. I care about you, and with everything that's coming, you know, be what you're gonna feel, but also don't let perfect be the enemy of good. This group, as fucked as it is,
Starting point is 01:03:00 this is the play. This is the angle. This is the angle. There are no legends coming in to save us. It's just us. And we gotta pick up and do. Tomorrow or a day after, whenever we leave, it's going to be hard, and I don't expect you to stop. I certainly don't, but try not to spend all your time grappling with your demons,
Starting point is 01:03:34 because I need your hands free so you can pick up that hammer and fight. I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with you. Well, more like by your hip, but you get the idea. We'll make it work. I, uh... Yeah, it was something actually, uh... I don't know, it was actually something Chetney said a couple days ago, or a day ago.
Starting point is 01:04:08 God, it's been so long. He really gave me the option, fuck right off or don't. His vote at the time was fuck right off. And I don't know, I thought about it. And I thought about the last time everybody fucked right off and I didn't, or... You would never fuck off. No, I don't think I have it in me.
Starting point is 01:04:44 As stony as your exterior is, you really got a soft heart. I hope that people have less opportunity to see it, literally, on the outside, but yeah. I do really like these people. I like them a lot. I don't... I mean, I don't really know what love really is, but... I don't know what family is.
Starting point is 01:05:18 Know one thing. But... Well, I know you men well. Lift me up. Yep. Oh, the new you mean well. Lift me up. Oh, the new arm is weird. Give him a kiss on his forehead. I don't know about out there, but with the seven of us, it's going to be okay.
Starting point is 01:05:40 We have probably too much of a hide up here. I lower down and I do three quick pull-ups on his arm. Come on, let's go have a party. Yeah. I may say a few things in there, and I'm not going to need you to back me up. I've been thinking about this a lot, and I've been thinking about what I'm doing here
Starting point is 01:06:09 and what we're all doing here, and I don't know. I think I know what I'm going to offer, and I think I know what I'm going to ask of everybody. I think I've figured it out. Okay. Grab him by the pinky. Yep, let's go. You know, I never quite understood
Starting point is 01:06:32 the impulse to add almond liqueur to a very fine drink. But in this context, it's actually quite delicious. It's a good drink. It's good for tropical drinks. Would he normally drink sherry and stuff? I'm more of a red wine girl, honestly.
Starting point is 01:06:55 Kima's the bar drink enthusiast. But on special occasions, I've been known to throw back a few, if you will. Well, watch out now. Allura? Yes? Are you coming to join us on our little team-building scavenger hunt? No, why?
Starting point is 01:07:14 Goodness. All right. Why not? With all due respect, your team really needs the focus. I'm more here as emotional support beyond that, as well as your ride, so. Oh, yeah. You're not here on research for the
Starting point is 01:07:37 Arcanum Philosophics, please? What's the thing you're a part of? I'm always in the process of researching for the Orcana Pansoffical. Oh, Pansoffical. Sorry, I got it twisted. You're not going to go out on any expeditions or top secret,
Starting point is 01:08:03 you could tell, stuff. She looks towards you and her eyes flare a faint blue and suddenly you see these runes begin to swirl in the air around you. You see numerous arcane orbs suddenly apparate in various parts of the tree and they all shift and look towards you and then look away and everything vanishes
Starting point is 01:08:24 around her eyes fade. I'm continuously multitasking, so while I'm here conversing with you, I also have many other endeavors I'm focusing on, so I apologize if I seem a bit flighty at times, but I'm doing a lot. That would not have been my criticism, but I have to say, that was the dopest flex
Starting point is 01:08:42 I've seen in a minute. I am massively impressed. Enjoy your drink. I'm a little aroused. You're always aroused. He's always a little aroused. I assume that was the case. I took no offense.
Starting point is 01:08:58 Allura. Mm-hmm? In your past adventuring days with your adventuring party, did you ever have a moment, kind of like what we're going through, where you were a bit, not on the same wavelengths? She smiles and her vision goes,
Starting point is 01:09:20 thousand-yard stare for a moment, and her expression looks like it's simultaneously recalling fond memories and painful ones. You see the wrinkles at the corner of her eyes fold tighter. I see. It's been some time, but of course. Any group of people that care about each other goes through a similar, multiple similar circumstances.
Starting point is 01:09:52 Whether it be something someone said, someone did, something you've lost. In our instance, someone we lost. And I certainly hope that you and your compatriots can find that common tether that keeps you together. We weren't quite as lucky. But through that fracturing,
Starting point is 01:10:31 I kept my friend, who became my partner, and is now my little lion. So, even in challenged fracturing of friendships, they're as good to be found, but it doesn't have to even get that way.
Starting point is 01:10:57 And the fact that you're all here and taking this seriously says a lot about you. I've watched many, many individuals with similar ideals and visions of grandeur who have never gotten as far as you have and would have shattered at first sight and have any sort of difficulty. So if I have anything to offer,
Starting point is 01:11:17 it's the hope that you embrace this moment that you have and don't fuck it up. I think I should stop wearing the circlet. Why? I'm going to take it off. Okay. You've had it on for so long that even removing it, it's almost like the familiar static
Starting point is 01:11:46 that ever persisted around you is twice as loud before it eventually fades into that familiar, perpetual noise. It brought you so much respite, Imogen. I know. But it also... I feel like if I hadn't been wearing it, I would have known what Ashton was planning. I don't know if that's an invasion, but... One of my strengths is...
Starting point is 01:12:22 is knowing. You know what I mean? I didn't know where you went. One of my strengths is knowing. You know what I mean? I didn't know where you went. I didn't know you were planning to run off. I didn't know Ashton was planning something secret with Vern. Why would I take away his strength? I'm sorry. It did not mean to scare you.
Starting point is 01:12:49 And I hope you do not feel responsible for Ashton's actions. Of course not. It's not on you, and you shouldn't have to be responsible for babysitting everyone. And I don't. Their choices. I don't feel that way. I don't feel that way. I don't feel that way. But I do feel a responsibility to everyone here.
Starting point is 01:13:09 I think we all feel a responsibility to each other, and we should. Even Chet. Imogen. Chet. What am I thinking? You're thinking about having sex. When you say that word, it doesn't sound the way I say it. Fire!
Starting point is 01:13:33 Well, you know, I, of course, think you're extremely powerful and extremely capable, so, you know, if you don you want to embrace this sometimes gift and sometimes curse, you have my support. I appreciate that. You know a little bit about it.
Starting point is 01:13:58 Mm-hmm. It's about this moment that, Fearne, you've returned from the garden, and FCG's been gone for a bit with Nana Mori. Oh yeah. Oh god. Oh yeah, you said something, but that's fine. You were just thinking. That was the wind. What do you say, Fearne? Are you ready for these witches to be in their full bitches state?
Starting point is 01:14:22 Yes! Yes, what I've always wanted. Yes. Full bitch. Embracing our strengths. Yes. No matter how controversial they may be. Yes. Mm-hmm. I would love to have a conversation. Oh! With everybody.
Starting point is 01:14:43 If they would like to hear some things, I have some things that I would like to have a conversation. Who? With everybody. If they would like to hear some things, they have some things that I would like to say. I want to hear them. Yeah. Wait, should we gather FCG? Maybe, maybe, maybe. Okay. Can we see Nana Moria with FCG?
Starting point is 01:15:00 No. They vanished into the shadows of the tree. They've been gone for quite a bit. We'll say for the purpose of narrative brevity, eventually you hear this scratching, clattering sound and you watch as a shape seems to move with unnatural speed along the tree, and then emerging from around a shattered corner
Starting point is 01:15:20 is Nanamori and FCG. You have emotional memory of having a conversation. Some of it is excited, some of it concerned, but no actual confirmed memory. It's like someone just snipped that section out of your timeline. Oh yeah. Smiley day to you.
Starting point is 01:15:40 Hey. Hey. How'd it go? We were just about to call out for you. Did you map out our team building exercise? Oh, we very much did. I think you're all going to be extremely excited about what we've plotted together. I don't quite remember the details,
Starting point is 01:16:03 but I'm sure it's some yoga and maybe one of those things where you fucking fake yoga. You take the balloon and you say, Oh, and you like, oh. You blow it to the next person. Second blow? Second blow. Second blow.
Starting point is 01:16:22 And maybe just some of them fun, like you say your name and the same letters, your name, you say your favorite food or something. Yeah, like that kind of stuff, right? No! The voice growls from the chest. Oh, fuck. Oh, oh, she gave you a little snippy snippies.
Starting point is 01:16:44 Maybe. What are your thoughts on Zip Zap Zop? There are three key tenets to reforging the cracks in your bonds. Oh my god, I'm dying. I don't remember this part. Communication, trust, and honesty. Wow, the fuck did y'all do that? Yeah. How'd you do that?
Starting point is 01:17:11 I remember that. What? Okay, we should write that down. That's it. Yeah, no, that's it. It's the magic castle. They say it at the same time, that's important. Honest, trust, and no, communication. Communication, trust, and honesty.
Starting point is 01:17:22 Communication. She's writing those things down. Trust! Because they're literally just writing down. How? I know. But it's good that you're not accused. It's just a four seconds of improv in front of us,
Starting point is 01:17:35 and we're like, oh, god. So together, me and your wondrously emotionally available companion have plotted a series of unique scavenger hunts and team-building exercises to help get you all back as a strong team to tackle your responsibilities ahead. Is that now?
Starting point is 01:18:10 I was not excited, but now I am. I don't remember. Weafern was about to tell us something. We're not starting now. Whenever you're ready, just let me know. Okay, okay, okay. I'll get a drink.
Starting point is 01:18:26 Okay. Can we say we took a short rest while some of these conversations were happening? Yeah, sure. Beautiful. Sure. I took all that psych damage. I'm all fucked up.
Starting point is 01:18:35 That's true. Maybe it'd be good for Nana to hear this, too. It doesn't feel very good. She still saunders off to the tiki bar and is like, you can hear as she's walking, her neck is craning a little bit back into the bush. Back? To listen in.
Starting point is 01:18:55 What did you want to say? All right, so I talked to Birdie, and she told me that Ollie's not my dad. Which, you know, there was something weird going on there, we knew. Then she told me that it's somebody named Zapruder.
Starting point is 01:19:18 Hold on. Zapruder? Zapruder? We found Zapruder. Zapruder? Zapruder? Yes, that's why I'm sorry. I just didn't know.
Starting point is 01:19:26 The sorrow? Zathuda, the Sorrowlord. So, like I thought, I am royalty. Wait, that was your takeaway? That was my takeaway. That's the guy we fought. Yeah. That's the guy that chased us and caught Sam.
Starting point is 01:19:40 The weird dragon? Hmm? The one who rode on the big dragon? Yeah. I'm trying to remember, what powers did he exhibit? He was able to ride a dragon. Dragon rider. Sure, sure, dragon rider. That was the main.
Starting point is 01:19:55 But was he throwing balls of fire or anything? Or was he? The thing is, Saminar is the head of the Unsealing Corps. Oh, but he robs for help. Yes. Oh, he's not the leader, okay. And Saminar, I believe, is a part of the Arcana Panesophical? No, I think the Arcana Panesophical identified him.
Starting point is 01:20:14 Yes, they identified. They identified him, I bet. Yeah. Allura is an Arcana Panesophical. I was reading a summary of what was going on. So he's not a nice guy. A very powerful not nice guy. Yeah, I mean, I don't know him.
Starting point is 01:20:30 Just because his name is Sorrowlord. Yeah, I mean, maybe he's just sad. Maybe he's just a sad, really evil guy. I feel like the last two weeks is a very good reason to make some mild assumptions. I'm just trying to learn things right now. Don't forget, we also saw him conspiring with Otohan. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:20:47 And they mentioned something about a mission? Oh my gosh. Yes. It was. Your dad probably knows my mom. What if they're best friends? What if they're dating? Oh my god. Oh my god. What if we're like stepsisters? Could you imagine
Starting point is 01:21:01 we're like stepsisters? Oh my god, I love this, actually. I'm so excited. This is amazing. Aw. We may have to kill them. Oh, well. Well.
Starting point is 01:21:11 Yeah, that's so true. That is... Bye! It's on the likelier end of things. Okay, so your dad is a Sarlord of the Unseelie Court, and he was on a mission on a dragon to try and do something to us to end your bloodline for the court.
Starting point is 01:21:32 Dana? Well, we were sneaking into that fort, right? So what I recall from my photographic memory. It's a photograph. Okay. It's a really good drawing. They were like, oh, oh, he was like, Seminar? Saminar. Saminar. Saminas. He was the head of the NC.
Starting point is 01:21:54 He was a turtleneck. He sits at the end of his patience, and they wish to remove Ludinus from their plan. Oh. Yeah, he was getting impatient with Ludinus. Impatient with Ludinus, and then Otohon, Ludinus, Ludinus, Ludinus. Ludinus was a face.
Starting point is 01:22:14 Ludinus was a face. Ludinus, Ludinus, Ludinus. Otohon was then like, was like, oh, and when you step from the Moonweaver, you will be forgiven? When the Moonweaver is removed. You will be forgiven. Otohan was saying, when we pull down the Moonweaver,
Starting point is 01:22:41 then, right? Then you will be forgiven, meaning Shadow, sorry, Sorrowlord will be forgiven? Maybe. No, he was like, I think. I'm trying to remember. Sorrowlord hates the Moonweaver. It's been so long.
Starting point is 01:22:54 It read like, if once Ludinus completes his mission, the Moonweaver is pulled down as the first of the gods. Yes. Then Samanar will be pleased, but until that happens, he's pissed. So the Unseelie Court hates the Moonweaver. Yes. At least. And so does the Sorrowlord.
Starting point is 01:23:13 Yes. At the behest of. They're taking it as specifically the Moonweaver. They hate the Moonweaver, and that's why they're in this team. They hate the Moonweaver, we hate him. They hate the Moonweaver, we hate him. But they don't care for lewdness,
Starting point is 01:23:26 they just want the Moonweaver dead. Gone. Yes. Or all the gods. And the Sorrowlord was like, ooh, he's mad at me, and Otohan, yes, what Chet said, Otohan was like. We don't know anything about Salmonar. Salmon, Salmon. Salmonar.
Starting point is 01:23:41 Salmonar. We don't know much about him, right? Ooh, Allura might. Mm- right? Ooh, Allura might. Mm-hmm. Yeah, Allura might. Also, I have written down that there was a rainbow void dog, and I wrote a quote. Yeah, the rainbow void dog
Starting point is 01:23:55 was the one with the void face that cut you in. So the void face, yes. And then there was invisibility you may have, but you can't hide from the Aeroomad? Yeah, that's a... Oh, the Aromad is, I think, a... It was a nursery rhyme. The duck. It was about the ducks.
Starting point is 01:24:09 Yeah. Okay, that was, sorry. Brain. Okay. Are your memories color-coded? Yes, they are. That's how I keep everything in check. All right, cool.
Starting point is 01:24:22 Well, you know what? This also, I feel like, puts into perspective the whole dusk, aka you, coming and hunting us down thing, too. Yes, it does. Yes, it does. That's right. That was a thing.
Starting point is 01:24:39 Hey, Nana. She finishes this long slurping sound as the head looks away, and you realize the slurping is from the lower head. Oh. Yes. So I talked with Birdie. I go, cheers, then. So now you know. Yes, I do.
Starting point is 01:25:08 He was trying to kill you the last time we were here. Well, I was trying to protect you. Did he know? Oh, I assume he does. It's not the first time he's come for you. Yeah, he was there when you were born. Yeah. He knows not to step into my realm.
Starting point is 01:25:32 That's why your parents brought you here. One of the few places you're truly safe from Zathudas' clutches. You see, we're not friends. What does he, what does he, what does he want to do with me? Who knows? But I like you, and you're mine, so he can't have you.
Starting point is 01:25:56 Okay. I'm okay with that. Good. So talk to me about Samanar. What's the deal with Samanar? Oh, he's just a bit of a pissant, really. Okay. He's a strange one, works for the Potentant. Oh, no, Samanar, not Zathura.
Starting point is 01:26:23 Sorry, I didn't get to the... I mean, you can tell me about Zathura as well. Seminar is one of the five major archfey of the Fey. Keeper of the Sunshadow, master of the Unseelie Court. They are a moody entity, a rare sight out amongst the rest of the realms. They are the watcher of the twilight. They are the stiller of violent emotions. They are a bit of a prick. Hmm.
Starting point is 01:27:12 What's the sun shadow? They just, the keeper of the sun shadow? What does that mean? Master of the sun shadow, keeper of the core. Keeper of the sun's shadow. Keeper of the Core. Keeper of the Sun's Shadow. Keeper of the Sunshadow, Master of the Unsealing Core. Correct. Right. They are the master of the realm
Starting point is 01:27:32 where the shadow perpetually falls. It's a title. They love titles, these archfey. So many titles, they collect them like rotten fruit. Where does the sun perpetually fall? titles, they collect them like rotten fruit. Where does the sun perfectually fall? It's rotten fruit. I don't know. Deep, that's the same thing. All right.
Starting point is 01:27:57 And the dad. Zathuda. Zathuda. What do we know about him? Is he magical? Does he have powers? Where's he come from? Is he a fae?
Starting point is 01:28:09 He is a very powerful fae underneath the potentiate Saminar themself. He's a brutal warlord, one who loves poetry and finds poetry in violence. Oh. Oh, he's got a sensitive side. Does he have any other kids? Do you have any other half-brothers or half-sisters?
Starting point is 01:28:37 Oh no. I do not believe he has bred beyond you, which is why he's been so annoyed that he couldn't step foot in my forest. He knows better. Would he want to kidnap her, or hang out with her, or take her to a park? Yeah, what would he want to use her for?
Starting point is 01:29:06 I can only assume it might have something to do with this whole Red Moon mess. But he is well-respected. He is broadly feared by those who care. He is known to be, by some standards, incredibly darkly handsome, which is why her mother was taken by him, and it looks like someone got his good looks as well. He is the keeper of Dusk Hunger, the Blade of the Black Flame. Oh shit, say it again, Matt Mercer. Talk to me. Dusk Hunger, the Blade of the Black Flame. Oh shit, say it again, Matt Mercer.
Starting point is 01:29:46 Talk to me. Dusk Hunger? Dusk Hunger, the Blade of the Black Flame. What? That's awesome. We need that blade. The Blade of the Black Flame. The Dusk Hunger. You need that sword! What a fucking dream. What am I going to do with this sword?
Starting point is 01:30:00 I don't know! You need to hold it. I'm going to try it for a sword. You need to hold it and look cool while you do it. Because you're firing. Oh my god. What if it makes you a fire alarm button? So that means you do, okay, Nianna. Yes?
Starting point is 01:30:14 If she was extra, extra powerful, that would be good, right? I would be extremely excited. I mean, it would be fucking amazing. Hold on. Should we show Nanna the picture? Yeah. Oh. You think we should?
Starting point is 01:30:36 Nanna's the best, as far as I remember. She's not going to take it. Yeah. If you trust her. Yeah, I think I will. But I should, well, I should take her down. If you trust her. Yeah, I think I will. But I should walk away. I'm going to just go maybe. Not too far!
Starting point is 01:30:51 I won't. I'll just go to the corner and just stare in the corner. My Blair Witch Guide? Yes, for Blair Witch, I'm Blair Witch Ingrid. That's awesome. I'm just kidding. I found this thing that That's awesome. Found this thing that Ash over here took it in.
Starting point is 01:31:12 Then I guess spit it out. That's new. I hadn't noticed. SAM and LAURA laugh. Her whole fingers just wrap around your hand and curl across hers. Fascinating. Thank you. Yeah, their body rejected it. It was a little too much. So they sharded it out.
Starting point is 01:31:43 That does happen with powerful magic sometimes. They don't tell you that in the upper lyceums. So, can't pull it out. You ready? Don't reach for it. It'll burn you. How can I? I'll mage hand that shit. Okay.
Starting point is 01:32:03 A spark arises out, the second form spark, similar in visage, but shape is fresher, less fractured and unique. As soon as it comes out and floats in the air, the dark shape within her sockets, that bead of light that represents her eyes, suddenly begins to widen. That energy fills, like that awe begins to widen. That energy fills,
Starting point is 01:32:25 that awe begins to wash over her face as her neck slowly cranes in its direction. My goodness. What have you found? Oh, it also smells like you. Oh. It's the Shard of K'mort. Kinda.
Starting point is 01:32:55 The Emperor's. Oh, no, it's the Shard of Reshan, isn't it? Excuse me, Reshan the Emperor. And Ashton. It's apparently the Shard of K'mort. Hmm. Apparently. So here we stand between two remnants,
Starting point is 01:33:13 vestigial artifacts of a war long lost. How fascinating. That explains you. Is this... Is there a purpose to this? Yeah. Do you need me to keep it safe? No!
Starting point is 01:33:37 No, we were, no, it's, we're supposed to suck it in. We have a contraption. Snug about, snug about? Yeah. A contraption? Yeah. Have you ever seen something like this, actually? Can we pull it out? Because I feel like... Oh yeah, you're right. As you're doing this, in the background,
Starting point is 01:34:01 you see Allura with her drink on, just looking nervous with each reveal. I'm again. I cannot say I've seen something like this, but I can take a guess at its purpose, given the context of our conversation. Interesting. I believe Ludinus destroyed a great many
Starting point is 01:34:31 powerful Fabians with that. Hungry goes the bastards of time. Poetry. I know it well. Poetry. I know it well. Well, congratulations on digging up aspects of the past. I imagine with the right applications, these could be quite helpful.
Starting point is 01:35:07 But these also will put a target on your back the longer you carry it. Hmm. I'm in the corner. Sure, for sure. Well, it's powerful the longer we carry it, the longer before we use it. You tell me.
Starting point is 01:35:29 Yeah, right. Well, we just wanted you to check it out. Might I have a look? Yeah, she's not going to take it. Careful. I'll float in. Her long hands reach out and clasp it, and you watch the flames spark and swirl through her fingers.
Starting point is 01:35:46 She seems unbothered by the extreme heat. You can hear the burn and crackle of skin across it. He pulls it in and looks at it. You can see the light that emanates from it alights her face. Where you can see the sunken sockets, where you assume the eyes are sunken in, there's no eyes. In fact, when the light from the crystal fills it in, you can just see it's just empty socket.
Starting point is 01:36:13 Like those void doggies? More or less. But you don't even see the source of that light. That light seems to go away. It just looks like it's shining like a torchlight on the inside of empty nothing. So not a bowl of flesh. She just holds it in.
Starting point is 01:36:29 Her tongue reaches out and crests and. In your head, you hear, are you sure she's not going to eat it? No. You just see her pouring over it, like a child pouring over a new toy. She turns it about and smells it and looks into it. There's an intoxication across her face as she inspects every square inch of it.
Starting point is 01:37:03 You can hear a voice inside her chest go, Let me see. She's like, wait, I'm not done. So sad. We have a lot to do today, man, all right? We're hoping to give it to Fearne. Fearne. See.
Starting point is 01:37:23 A bit of the old world. Old world? What do you mean? I said it's tight and it's not the oldest book. This is rare, Fearne. This is rare indeed. Oh no. You say there's a part inside you as well? Yes, they did not get along well.
Starting point is 01:37:45 Maybe one day I'll get to look at that, too. I'd be okay with that. So, what we were thinking, that is going to go into the harness and then into one of us. He exploded because he tried to take both of them. That explains the arm. Yes.
Starting point is 01:38:08 We were maybe thinking of having me do it, but I'm a little nervous about the dark side situation. I can imagine, especially after that. Do you think, knowing what you're doing about your father now, do you think that? Maybe that's a bad idea. Well, no, I mean, maybe it's a good thing. Does her father have any sort of primordial anything?
Starting point is 01:38:29 The Fey are removed from the primordial structure. We, those are opposite ends of the magical ancients. So there's nothing specifically in her bloodline that would make that bad? This is literally the line of thinking that got me in trouble. I swear I'm going to shut up about it eventually. I'm just pointing it out.
Starting point is 01:38:51 Only one way to find out. Oh boy, that's what he said. Damn. Nano, we really need that back. I'm sure nobody watches your house, but just in case eyes are looking. Yeah, there you go. Ah. Thanks. You look in the back.
Starting point is 01:39:18 Now you focus back behind her. Allura's drink is gone and Allura is just like this. Yeah, yeah, like. Her hands slowly go down to her sides. Allura. Yes? Are you familiar with any of these people that we're talking about?
Starting point is 01:39:36 I'm familiar with them in an academic sense and some loose, distant encounters with some of their people, not directly. and some loose, distant encounters with some of their people, not directly. I try not to go to the Fey Realm as often as possible. This whole place defies logic, and I prefer to live in a world of logic. Yes, because I've found so much logic on the Material Plane, just so much.
Starting point is 01:40:01 You all are so normal, and everything goes as planned. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in an offensive way. It's fine. It's just a personal comfort. Is there any reason why the Unseelie Corps would have beef with the Moonweaver or want them removed? I mean, there are a multitude of possibilities. Perhaps in a realm like this,
Starting point is 01:40:29 in which the Moonweaver has quite a strong bit of influence, it's possible that a power vacuum would allow them to ascend, especially if it's under their own intentional design to upset the balance between the courts. See, some of these spring chickens, they don't know as much about the Moonweavers. So maybe you could fill them in on what the Moonweavers' influence is in the Fey Realm.
Starting point is 01:40:59 See, and then Nenamori goes, Well, if we're going to take to our event soon, I'll go ahead and start making some tea. In the meantime, Allura kind of closes up with the rest of you. So the Moonweaver is the mostly good aligned, if a bit chaotic in her influences, deity of moonlight and the autumn season.
Starting point is 01:41:34 She's the patron of illusions, misdirection, associated with the lunar tides, and tied very strongly with the representation of Catha. Catha, of which, while the moon is predominantly in Exandrian's realm, Catha does, its light does spread into this realm through the Moonweaver's connection, which is why Ruidus is not really connected
Starting point is 01:42:02 to the Feyrealm until recent times. She overlooks things in secrecy, not really connected to the Fey Realm until recent times. She overlooks things in secrecy and trickery and is the patron of hidden trysts. And it's very much considered to be a very positive entity for those who exist a bit outside the realms of civilization. She is worshipped by a number of fey in the realm,
Starting point is 01:42:35 and there are some even in the Unseelie Court. Really? It took you that long? It's like I'm in the middle of concentrating on a scene. No, carry on. There are many who worship her here, predominantly in the Seelie Court and some within the Unseelie, though privately. The Unseelie's intent to give in to the violent
Starting point is 01:43:04 and selfish impulses to a degree of harm, more so than the Seelie. The Seelie are not completely bereft of those impulses, but they're two sides to a similar coin, or a spectrum, you could say. And in doing so, I imagine the Moonweaver has quite a few enemies. So that would make sense, though up until recent events, who would think they could ever find some path to step up to one of the Primes? so everything's a bit topsy-turvy, isn't it? So a power vacuum.
Starting point is 01:43:49 Like more control, more power up for grabs. I mean, that's the simplest answer. There may be more secret reasons I'm unaware of. The Faerom is not my specialty. Can the Archfays or the Seelie Corps move back in between the Fey Realm and the Material Plane as they choose? The most powerful ones usually can.
Starting point is 01:44:14 There are a number of permanent Fey gates that combine or connect the two realms. There are powerful Archfey's basically protect and oversee those boundaries. There are powerful archfades basically protect and oversee those boundaries. The leaders of both courts often work together as much as they despise each other. It's a complicated political system.
Starting point is 01:44:35 To essentially guide who can and cannot pass through those gates. If they choose to not want you to go, likely you can't, unless you can find some sort of roundabout means of escape. So drawing their attention can often lead to complications. There's got to be some kind of a
Starting point is 01:45:01 key in you or something. I wonder. Wait, so you can't leave the court? You have to, the gate, what did you say? I'm sorry. If the court doesn't want you to leave, then you won't be able to use any of the gates they've built.
Starting point is 01:45:21 Well, how did Brody and Olly get out? They apparently had managed to pull in a few favors, and she looks over in the direction of Nianna Mowry. There are some entities here that muck up that balance, which is why they aren't really liked by either side. And your grandmother is quite a peach.
Starting point is 01:45:47 Is Nottna around in this moment? She's wandered off and is still in the far end of the chamber. Can I ask you, Lady Allura, because I've only learned about Nottna from Fearne. Nottna. What do you know about the Morrigan? Nottna.
Starting point is 01:46:06 Well, what all I know is a series of stories in folklore, really. She's known by some to be a stalker of dreams, a voyeur of insecurity. She is a promiser of many things and a robber of others. There are stories of her being an entity for balance. There are others that say she is a reaper of sadness. Certainly, stories are based in the perspectives of those who've had dealings with such entities as hers, and that can definitely color how history is written.
Starting point is 01:46:58 But needless to say, she is largely considered in academic circles an extremely dubious and dangerous entity in the sense that there are a few that can even attempt to ascertain her true intent or nature. And I will say, this house is a bit homier than I expected, and outside of her intense presence, I've been enjoying her hospitality, and I'm a bit
Starting point is 01:47:36 surprised at some facets of her lifestyle. That all being said, I've walked in other realms that were inviting, yet held sinister machinations beneath the surface, so please do not take offense if I am perpetually on my back foot. Insight check. Yeah, make an insight check. Natural 20. Whoa! Natural 20. How much sugarcoating just went down? How much, oh god, compared to I am in the realm of someone who is going to, I don't know, Ursula to the, not the good witch of the southeast, but the reasonable witch of the southeast.
Starting point is 01:48:25 Southeast. Just like, she's fine, I guess. You know, I went for it. Yeah. What's your total there? 21. 21. Ooh! Oh! Oh! Ooh, whisperer.
Starting point is 01:48:38 There's teas and coffees of various. They're wafting up and it smells so good. Various characters of the Mighty Nein. He smells so gooey again. Just add water. Hot water. Add to the bag. I don't think that's right.
Starting point is 01:48:52 Shake. Yeah, we should make it sachets. It's not real. It's sachet. Y'all, me and Travis have boxes of samples. And the slight static shock. And we're back. That was great. That was really nice.
Starting point is 01:49:06 The best kiss is getting a little spark. Just whoop! Whoop, yeah. A little static shock. Yeah. Just a little pop. It's that time of year. Whenever I tongue someone's ear, it just. Oh, I know it. A little wibbly.
Starting point is 01:49:18 Well, all that said, this should be quite an interesting scavenger hunt. Yeah. Yes. I am getting excited. Look how excited FCG is. This should be quite an interesting scavenger hunt. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I am getting excited. Look how excited MCG is. Yeah, yeah. Pssst!
Starting point is 01:49:31 It's very interesting, I haven't been there. I've never seen you do that. Like a monster or something. Indeed. And you smell in the air, there's this fruity aroma that's beginning to fill the space. And you watch as a number of critters are beginning to emerge from the branches.
Starting point is 01:49:46 You see insects and fireflies and little marsupial-like creatures with multiple arms are crawling out of the shadows and all gathering in the main living room chamber where Nene is currently hunched over what looks like a tea kettle that's currently about to boil over. You can hear the whistle beginning to widen louder
Starting point is 01:50:07 and louder and louder before her voice goes, Ah, it seems it's time for tea. Come, sit, and we'll discuss your therapeutic sessions. Laudna is so excited, she's still facing the corner, but her head is turned 180 degrees. You're like, Oh no!
Starting point is 01:50:39 Nour! Nour! You all gather? Yes. We gather. Furniture. You look over in the room and there's furniture here that wasn't there last time you looked.
Starting point is 01:50:51 There's a series of benches and chairs that are arranged around the central table. You didn't hear anything shift, they're just there. You're like, okay. I didn't have it here. She turns around and sets down this long platter of, it looks almost like a painted porcelain, with all manner of unique winding shapes. You watch as she moves, the light seems to catch it. It's almost like the
Starting point is 01:51:12 shapes shift as she steps with it and sets it down. There are a number of these tea cups set around, and she begins to pour it in. The smell is almost like a beautiful passion fruit sweet, fruity tea. She pours into the different cups. Now, friends, three items have been chosen for this. At the end of each of these endeavors, one of these items could be yours for my collection. Oh god, that was much fun. One of these items could be yours from my collection. Oh god, that was magical.
Starting point is 01:51:47 From Nanna's collection. Wow, that's exciting. Do you even know how much stuff is in there? I did, but she made me forget. Succeed. And not only have you grown stronger as friends and compatriots, but you get to claim my item.
Starting point is 01:52:10 Fail, and you know what you have to work on. Please, drink up. Oh, man, I don't typically drink beverages. Will this still work? Drink it. It will work? Okay. I'll pour it down my throat, pass it. You hear it splash on the inside like a canteen. This is the first step.
Starting point is 01:52:35 The first of it. All of us are drinking. Trust, trust, trust. It's a very busy item to acquire. Who you see. I've reached out and spoken with the various spirits of the surrounding spaces, and they've agreed to adjust things to meet our requirements. So these will be uniquely tailored to meet our requirements.
Starting point is 01:53:05 So these will be uniquely tailored to what you need, as we discussed. Just like you talked about. I think so. Good. Are we all ready for the first endeavor? Ready as we'll ever be. Come on.
Starting point is 01:53:28 Come on. We're all about communication. Communication. So are these in order? Or are we really? Am I overthinking it? We're going to figure this out together. Okay.
Starting point is 01:53:39 Bells Hells. Which would you like? Oh. First. Communication, trust, or honesty? Oh boy. It feels like we should work up to trust. So maybe we start with honesty.
Starting point is 01:53:57 Leads to communication. Yeah, let's start with honesty. I feel like we can tell the truth. Yes! But alphabetically. My fingers are moving in a really weird way. Whoops. All right, so honesty. Very well.
Starting point is 01:54:14 She puts her hands out and breathes in heavy, and the secondary mouth in her chest opens up, and as it does, smoke billows forth and fills the room around you. It swirls around you. You hear Allura go, Um, wait, what's going? The smoke fills the entire vicinity of the chamber. The temperature drops suddenly,
Starting point is 01:54:40 and as the smoke, just as quickly as it swirled around you, begins to subside, you feel a breeze catching your skin. As it fades, you're no longer inside the ligament manor. Instead, now you stand in the dense thickness of a fey jungle, surrounded by all manner of beautiful purple and red trees that intertwine and twist. You can see crystals growing like the sap had slowly dripped and formed into these light sacks
Starting point is 01:55:11 that just cause these little bursts of glowing color throughout the boughs above. You look above at the beauty and look down just as you are at the precipice of a chasm. You look down and this sheer cliff that the precipice of a chasm. You look down and this sheer cliff that goes off hundreds of feet down below, there is not enough light to even see where it stops in the bottom,
Starting point is 01:55:32 but you see there are bits of rock shelves that barely peek out from underneath. There is a whole cluster of ruin or broken stone that is barely lit at its peak. Who knows how ragged and dangerous the base of this chasm is? Mori. Would Mori kill us?
Starting point is 01:55:56 No. No. I think she might. No, she would not. She puts her hands out and gathers you all into a huddle. Reaches into the side of her outfit and procures this brass monocle with a deep Viridian lens in the center. Not unlike the lens that she gave you before you left. That Ashton Bro foreshadowing.
Starting point is 01:56:22 Like one of nine, but yeah. This, my friends, is the first item. The Monocle of True Essence. It'll be your job to find this. And she throws it into the ravine. No, no!
Starting point is 01:56:50 It just disappears into the darkness below. You didn't even see where it lands. She goes, Because it broke! You all must work together to find it. The chasm is unclimbable, but it listens. And as our agreement, it only listens to honesty. Huh?
Starting point is 01:57:18 Speak of your secrets. Speak of your truth about each other. Reveal something about yourself. And land may show you a path forward. She steps back and snaps her fingers and suddenly this sphere of magic just engulfs all of you like a bubble. You all catch yourself sliding inside for a minute.
Starting point is 01:57:45 Now off with you. She blows and it goes off the edge. Oh, what? Down into the chasm. And we're going to go to break. Oh! What is your build? What is your build?
Starting point is 01:57:59 We're falling? You're falling. We're falling and we have to yell truths out in order to save our orbs? You're in this arcane bubble as you're plummeting down into it. Oh my gosh. It's like a resilience period. Yeah. Will the bubble just protect us? Can we just ride this? We'll find out.
Starting point is 01:58:14 We'll find out. So we'll be back here in a few minutes. We'll see you after the break. Amazing. Oh man. Oh hey there. Laura Bailey here to tell you all about the glorious goods we create inspired by our stories. Our stores are filled with the basics like character inspired T-shirts, dice sets and pins, as well as more specialty items like fancy jackets, puzzles featuring gorgeous artwork, the comfiest joggers and pajamas ever, and much, much more. There's also a few special items that support charity efforts, like our dedicated Critical Role Foundation merch. You can check out all of our regional online stores by visiting the
Starting point is 01:58:49 Shop tab on CritRole.com, or head straight to the U.S. store at shop.critrole.com. Every purchase helps support our shows and the stories we tell. Speaking of which, let's get back to the story. And welcome back. So, you are plummeting in an arcane sphere, down into a massive chasm. You watch as the shadow and darkness begins to come closer and closer, and you begin to see the outlines of numerous platforms, like broken bits of stone. You can see overgrown, heavy roots,
Starting point is 01:59:22 and bits of long dead trees that have since fallen over and shattered beneath. It is an entire chasm floor of decay, roots, and overgrown greenery. As you hit it, all of you slam one side into it. As it bounces you about ten feet in the air, and then you all impact under the soft, somewhat mucky bottom floor of this chasm. You're covered in slime and decay residue. You can smell immediately the strong whiff of that heavy bog-like stench. But looking around you, you can see the walls of the chasm are sheer up on each side before you can see the faint bit of twilight in the sky,
Starting point is 02:00:13 the cloudy sky above. Occasionally you see a little flash of a bluish lightning to the cloud, which denotes a storm may be coming. Oh. We got to get out of here, right? We got to find the thing. We a storm may be coming. Oh. We got to get out of here, right? We got to find the thing. We got to find the monocle.
Starting point is 02:00:27 Don't you have an ability to find an object? I do have locate objects, yes. Should I? I hope that was an illusion. Invoke it. Oh, my sword held. Oh. All right.
Starting point is 02:00:37 Oh, that's a bruise. Well, first of all, she dropped it. Might it be around here on the ground with us? I'm going to start looking for it. How big is the space that we're in? Huge? From side to side, it looks like it's about maybe anywhere from 100 to 150 feet wide in certain places.
Starting point is 02:00:57 And the climb up is about 300 feet. It's like a chasm that cracked through and has since been completely overgrown. You can see there's just heavy, thick vines and moss that just covered the rock to the point where you can only see bits of the stone poking through. I know it's bog-stinchy in here, but can I use my nose to just smell
Starting point is 02:01:15 any kind of other life forms or anything that might be in the muck or around us or hiding? Sure, go ahead and make a perception check for me. Okay. Six. Six. Your entire sinuses are filled with this muck. Oh!
Starting point is 02:01:34 It has wrecked your ability to smell anything but that at the moment. I need some clarity. I imagine she would make it to where we can't just cast Fly and get on out of here. No. Maybe. Well, we've got to find the thing. What does this have to do with honesty?
Starting point is 02:01:49 She said that the canyon, it reacts to truths and it will terraform, so we can get ourselves out of here. Somebody say something true. I've never told anyone this before, but I enjoy eating silver more than copper. Oh, but why didn't you say something before, FCG? You watch as one of the nearby ruins of stone climbs about 15 feet.
Starting point is 02:02:15 Hey, look at this easy! All right, all right. I'm going to look for the little limbs. Yeah, let's find that limb. How big a fall was that? So that thing went up 15 or 20 feet? A couple hundred feet. A couple hundred feet, and we just gained 15. Yeah. From that tree. Yeah, let's find that lens. How big a fall was that? So that thing went up 15 or 20 feet? A couple hundred feet. A couple hundred feet and we just gained 15.
Starting point is 02:02:27 Yeah. From that truth. Yeah, yeah. Okay. So a lot of truth. But first we should find the- The bigger the truth, the bigger the spike. Yes.
Starting point is 02:02:36 The bigger the ladder. Yeah. I mean, I really think that this is a great opportunity for all of us to really get to know each other. After all, I came up with this, I think. Yeah, all right, all right. Okay. Do you see the lance? Oh, should I do the thing?
Starting point is 02:02:54 Can we look, I'm going to look around for the lance, too. Okay, make an investigation check. Hey, what are you guys doing? Guidance. Oh, thanks. I'm not going to cast it yet. I want to see where this goes. Okay. I don't have a very good perception. It's a perception or investigation?
Starting point is 02:03:11 Guidance. This is an investigation to look from the space around you. Or, actually, no, this would be perception, because you're just looking at an area. Sorry. It would have been so much better if it was 20. 20, so you're inspecting the vicinity around you.
Starting point is 02:03:25 Ow! Fuck you! You feel pretty confident that in the immediate vicinity, it is probably not nearby. I don't see it. Plus, if it's sludgy, it might be right under the surface, right? Oh gosh. I'm going to get on my hands and knees
Starting point is 02:03:44 and just start trying to feel around, see if anything metallic. That would be an investigation check. Okay, that's fine. I do have the spell, but maybe part of us working together is working together, right? So I won't cast it quite yet. Maybe if we tell enough truths, it will be pushed up out of the muck. That seems like something I want've come up with, sure.
Starting point is 02:04:07 Well, it's called the Monocle of True Essence, so maybe if we expose our true essences. so maybe if we expose our true essences. All right. Oh, you got a confession? Yeah. I am genuinely scared to meet my mom again.
Starting point is 02:04:30 Oh. The muck bubbles a bit nearby, and you see on the wall, on what would be the side closest to where Nannamori was, you watch as a bunch of the moss browns and falls away, and where it did, rocks emerge that create these stone steps that begin to climb the stone wall for about 30 feet up. Hey.
Starting point is 02:04:51 That's pretty great. This is going to be a piece of cake. Yeah, easy peasy. It is well known that wood is better than metal. That's not a truth, that's an opinion. Have you never had to? Just wait for it, you'll see. You feel around inside the nearby muck
Starting point is 02:05:07 with your investigation check. Yeah, thank you. You find something that's not quite the monocle, but it definitely has a smooth and sturdy surface to it. You feel a pointed edge to it. Uh-oh. You yank a little bit and you see what looks to be a skull,
Starting point is 02:05:21 like the front of some sort of creature's skull emerge. The other thing you notice is your stone arm is covered in leeches. Oh! Oh. And they are currently just suffering and finding no purchase against your volcanic arm. I'm going to go over to the rock that I lifted out of the mud and stand on it.
Starting point is 02:05:40 Okay. This is definitely a safety tip right here. It's about now, around the time that you said your statement, you all began to feel the strange stinging around your legs and you all begin to look down and notice that these leeches have begun to now. Leeches come out.
Starting point is 02:05:55 Oh, look. We've just been here for too long. It's not me. No, no, no. You said that, and now we're getting eaten by leeches. I said that when we started getting eaten by leeches. All of you take three points of piercing damage. Orym leaps up onto a rock
Starting point is 02:06:10 and looks down the front of his leather pants. Oh no. Is it okay? For now. Okay. I don't know if I caught okay, but. Somebody say something real. Deep down inside, both Delilah and I put the shard. You want the shard?
Starting point is 02:06:31 She wants the shard. What's the last gift doing? The staircase that had emerged from the stone, you watch as the outside of the wall juts outward and forms a bridge that seems to shoot about 30 feet out, like an upward angle that emerges out into the open space, about maybe 65 feet up from the ground. You see from there, both is an advanced climb, but also a vantage point. Shit, Lotta.
Starting point is 02:06:56 We can't get there from there, right? You can if you walk over that way. I don't want it. Fearne should have it, but I don't know anymore what's my opinion or desires or feelings or hers. I love Laudna deeply. But I'm disgusted at the thought of Delilah looking at us all the time. Oh. You, with these discussions here. This is just juicy. The these discussions here.
Starting point is 02:07:25 This is just juicy. The tea is flowing. You watch as many of the crumbled ruins that have sunk into the muck around you begin to rise up, and it's almost like a long-forgotten crumbled city begins to push up out of the mud in the bottom of this chasm.
Starting point is 02:07:42 You can see all these partially destroyed dome-like domiciles and toppled temple-like structures partially emerge from the muck as it slides off. And there's heavy bits of old roots and dead vegetation just clumped and sliding off the edge. Most of these rising about maybe 10 or 15 feet off. Not much of a bit of a perspective,
Starting point is 02:08:04 but it is changing the landscape inside the chasm around you. I'm super lonely all the time, especially at night. Does it matter if I'm bunking with one of you guys? Does anyone have a happy truth? Mine were pretty bad. Sometimes I pity some of you because you have beating hearts and opportunities
Starting point is 02:08:35 and you don't do enough with them. That's like a jig in the forest! If I have a truth that's also an opinion, I don't know about that one. There are layers to that. We're still in the game, right? I know, it's just, Jenny, you have so much love to give, and it doesn't seem like you're interested in anything,
Starting point is 02:09:01 other than wood. There's people out there who you can love, and experiences you could share with someone else, but all you care about is wood. You watch as more of the ruins begin to emerge and stone platformers begin to sprout out from parts of the ruin, almost getting close to connecting to the others. Parts of this ruin are almost half forming or reaching to form bridges between them. Look for the land. I'm them. Look for the land!
Starting point is 02:09:26 I'm going to look for the land. I'm going to go up to that bridge that was the vantage point that was made with my truce. You have to get through the muck to the far end of the wall that's nearest to where you fell in. You can see there's that stone staircase that begins to climb up the side of the cliff face that leads into the platform that juts outward about 60 feet up. So you go ahead and get onto the steps. It's a little precarious, but you step up along the edge until eventually the steps come to an end, and then that jutting platform. It has no railing, it's just a four to five foot wide stone bridge that just juts out at the side. It goes on for about 50 or so feet outward, but at an angle, it ends at about a 60-foot vantage point. You stand up at the very top of it and you're
Starting point is 02:10:11 having to slowly scoot, because if you fall, you tumble the whole way. You carefully begin making your way towards the edge. Go ahead and make either an athletics or an acrobatics check to keep your balance to the edge of this vantage point. I've always laughed it off, but I guess I do wonder if Chetney is my dad. I roll a 19 for a 21. You get to the very edge, and it's a decent vantage point. And then suddenly it extends another 30 or so feet somewhere, now you're about 85 feet above the center, like right over the center, and you have a pretty good view
Starting point is 02:10:58 of everything beneath you, and you can see all these emerging ruins and crumbled bits of some ancient face city that was swallowed by this chasm at odd angles. You can see there's muck and brush and trees and bushes, and it's just this merging mass of old, forgotten space. The rest of you are still here in the bottom.
Starting point is 02:11:18 Are there leeches still, or are we okay? You pulled the leeches off of you, but no one said anything that's... I would have started, oh. Shit. Oh, fuck it. There's personal truths that are presented as personal truths,
Starting point is 02:11:33 or there's things that are presented as absolute truths that are personal truths. And you need to be careful about what you say in this space here. I am the reason that the Jiana Hexum robbery went fucking wrong, and the reason why I got thrown out of a fucking window. You watch as some of the nearby fauna and ferns
Starting point is 02:11:57 that have grown on some of these structures begin to brown and crumble away. And as it does, it begins to reveal the stone beneath, and you can see there are bones left on there. You can see there are broken statues and sculptures. You can see that there's remnants of a culture that are just beginning to emerge. The heavy overgrowth that obscured most of these ruins is starting to fall away. Wait, Ashton, is that why you feel like you deserve to have the nobodies leave you?
Starting point is 02:12:25 For that one? Yeah. We should probably keep moving right now. Is that why you think we should leave you? I've had a long life, and that was just one very loud day, and there has been a series of them. So... Any le. So any leeches? Or him. I think that's just a... Laudna's just,. I've done one! Somebody else, for god's sakes!
Starting point is 02:12:58 There is this long, jutted, thin pillar, like a spike that juts out of the side of the cliffside that Laudna's just clinging onto the edge, overlooking everything. The rest of you are still on the floor. I'm going to make a perception check for me. And this lens better be amazing. I'll hold on to you if you fall. Okay. Come on.
Starting point is 02:13:18 Oof, bad. Bad. Eight. At the moment, you see nothing that even remotely resembles the monocle that was tossed down here. I'm going to turn on my lights, cast Light. Does Light work? Does the spell work?
Starting point is 02:13:31 The spell seems to go off Light. Light kind of emits you. I'm shining Light around. I'm making a look-see, too. Okay, so you're just glancing around the area? Are you going anywhere specifically? All right, so you're searching the muck in the areas of the raised hill area.
Starting point is 02:13:44 All right, so I need either both of you to make individual, I'll say, perception or investigation checks, or one of you can aid the other in one of them. I will make a perception check, if that's all right. I will make a perception check as well. I'm going to guide myself. Guide myself, too.
Starting point is 02:13:57 There you go. Ooh. Yeah. 20. 20. 20. Ooh! Okay. 23 plus nine. Whoa, 32.
Starting point is 02:14:17 32 for investigation check, okay. You don't see anything that catches you. Perception. Perception, okay. You, standing here on the floor space, glance around, and you take a moment to really look through every single bit of brush and muck and structure that is eye level to you. And you feel fairly confident
Starting point is 02:14:39 that from your vantage point right now, it is not visible. I don't think it's down here. You either have to be somewhere else in the chasm or from a different perspective. From where you're standing right now, you feel confident that you're not missing it in the vicinity.
Starting point is 02:14:55 I feel like we are very ill-equipped for this job and we're going to fail at saving the world. Oh. Oh. Honestly, that's probably true. I'm kind of there with you. A large cluster of vines begins to grow and sprout from the side of the stone wall above where your spike jutted out, continuing the climb, but it's like a net network of vines that curl up along the rock, offering a place where you can begin to climb higher. All right, all right. While wood may be the superior material to metal, I do fear that with the dwindling interest in it, that children will find my toys and thereby myself obsolete
Starting point is 02:15:46 every year that I grow older. You watch as some of the structures that had emerged begin to shake and crumble, and the ruins that had pushed out of the muck begin to fall, and as they do, your keen eye begins to point out of the five or so that fell, that there is no sign of the monocle you seek upon them,
Starting point is 02:16:09 which is eliminating possibilities. All right, not there, not there, not there. Do you want me to give you a boost up into these vines? Oh, sure. You can all say I'm not obsolete. I'll just let it. You're not obsolete, Chet. Look at you. Well, you have a lot to offer,
Starting point is 02:16:24 but maybe other than toys, maybe yourself is the thing that you could offer the world. Or you know something honest about yourself, for fuck's sake! This is a good time to roll those percentile dice. Yeah. It's only a short rest. Oh no!
Starting point is 02:16:48 I give Imogen a boost into the... Well, you're still up on the spike. I was climbing. I climbed up. You climbed up as well? Okay. Up into the vines. So you get to the steps. You're on the edge of the spike. Are you going down the spike? Oh, sure. So the spike juts out of the wall and is up at the chasm, almost like a sideways tower that you're at the tip of. Got it. And the vines are back in the edge.
Starting point is 02:17:08 The vines grew out of where the steps stopped and where the spike shot out and continues up the side of the chasm. Okay. We just need some more. Right, no. There's one way and then there's the vine way. Yeah, basically Imogen is at the edge of this large stone plank that's overlooking the entirety of this chasm floor
Starting point is 02:17:26 that you're at, and then the vines took over where the steps stopped and are climbing up the side of the hill. I am sorry. It was just easier when she wasn't so present, you know? I didn't expect her to come out and talk to us. She's just here all the time now? I know.
Starting point is 02:17:43 I'm sorry. Orym's going to flea jump upward and start climbing those vines to see if any vantage point up high is better for finding this damn lens. Okay. You begin to climb up the vines. As you get to the top of the steps,
Starting point is 02:17:58 I need you to make an athletics check for me. Athletics? Yes. That would be a 17. A 17, okay. Hand over hand, these are very solid vines. Freshly grown, you can see they give a little bit, they have a flexibility to them, but they're not slick or covered in the muck. They magically apparated from the side of the stone. You have a pretty firm grip, and you get about another 15, 20 feet up. You're almost at the halfway mark up the side of the cliff. Halfway? We're only halfway up! You guys better start dropping some trills! they're 15, 20 feet up, and so you're almost at the halfway mark of the side of the cliff, currently.
Starting point is 02:18:26 We're only halfway up. You guys better start dropping some trills. Okay, okay. It's time for some What the Fuck is Up With That. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, are we ready? No. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:18:43 So I think it's something buried deep down in my circuitry, but every time I hurt or kill something, it feels really good. It makes me relax a little bit and some of my stress goes away. Wow. You watch three more of the ruined structures crumble and are swallowed by the muck below.
Starting point is 02:19:09 Fearne still keeping a ground-level eye and you, just at a cursory glance from above, you don't see any possible glint or sign of the object you seek, which reduces it now to 10 structures that currently stand amongst the muck. FCG, that's great. We should go hunting sometime. No, I want to.
Starting point is 02:19:26 We can deal live a bunch of stuff. Oh no, but I'm supposed to be a healer. I'm supposed to heal, not hurt. Yeah, sometimes you got to take to give. Maybe. I know we're supposed to save the gods, but I've tried talking to them my whole life and none of them will ever respond.
Starting point is 02:19:48 I think I'm tainted. I don't know if I want to save gods that don't love me. The stone structure that you stand on, you watch as a secondary piece of it splinters out and smashes into the opposite side of the cavern walls. Now you have the vines climbing up one side, and now you, the bridge that attaches to the other.
Starting point is 02:20:12 You now have two paths to climb should you choose, but also this has separate vantage points as well. Great. We should go to the other side. You know we could all rip cord out of this at any moment, and I don't mean this scavenger hunt, I mean saving the world, right? And sometimes I fantasize about it all the time.
Starting point is 02:20:30 Sometimes all the time. Sometimes all the time. Feroz's Freudian slip. You know who that is, right? I do, he's a great robot. You hear the crack of thunder as a rainstorm begins to gently pour down from above. As the rain begins to pour, you watch, it begins to wash the muck off of the remaining structures.
Starting point is 02:20:57 It does make some of the surfaces more slick. What it does is it begins to reveal in the surrounding space of this chasm a lot more of the bold, ruined structure, the remaining stone creations and statues that are partially crumbled. And you can watch as a lot of the muck at the base of the chasm begins to almost.
Starting point is 02:21:17 You assume it would fill with water, but it's almost like a drain's been hit and the muck's beginning to drain out. What does it look like? Do we see details of the city as it drains away? You can make a perception check, if you'd like, from your vantage point to see if you pick up any more detail.
Starting point is 02:21:35 17? 17. You can see more detail of the structures. You can see there's window sections. You can see half of a temple tower that has tumbled over. You can see what looks like a child's stone, like an early craft of a stone child
Starting point is 02:21:56 that's reaching outward, broken off at the elbow. Its long, fey ears slightly weathered away by time, but you don't see any sign of the monocle from your vantage point. I'm going to stretch out as far as I can, which is not that far, because I'm a halfling, from the vines and try to stare down and see if I can make a perception check.
Starting point is 02:22:17 You're on the opposite side of us? Yeah, you've met up with... I reroll the one, and that one's cocked, right? Yes, sir. So... I reroll the one, and that one's cocked, right? Yes, sir. So both are rerolled. 18 plus, that is a 29. 29. Damn.
Starting point is 02:22:34 You look down, you look about, and as the rain's washing away the scum and the muck, you see on one of the rooftops, the fourth building up from see on one of the rooftops, kind of like the fourth building up from where the rest of the group is still standing in the base of the chasm, you see this slight, faint green glint. Green?
Starting point is 02:22:57 That's what we were looking for. Oh, I thought it was red. No, it was green. The one long ago was green. Oh no, you have red-green cord blindness. He said Verden. Verden is green. Oh no, you have red-green cord blindness. He said Verden. Verden. Verden is green.
Starting point is 02:23:07 Yeah. Sorry. It's green. It's a brass monocle with a green lens. Green lens, not a red lens. Okay, truth on hold for a second. I think I see it. That's a truth.
Starting point is 02:23:18 And I don't want it to, I don't want anything to shift and lose it. It's there. Are you going for it, or who's going for it? Can I see it? I don't want anything to shift and lose it. It's there. Are you going for it, or who's going for it? Can I see it? Where you're pointing? Make a perception check.
Starting point is 02:23:34 It's a lower DC because he spotted it and is showing where it is. It's about 18. What's up? 18. 18? I'd say no. Unfortunately, even when pointing it out from your vantage point,
Starting point is 02:23:44 you can't quite make a visual bead on it from this high up. Both of you climbing to the opposite side of where it is, you're about 85 or so feet to 100 feet off the ground. Can you throw something at it, Plum? Ladies, if I leap, will you give me a soft landing? Yes. If magic works. What if magic doesn't work in here?
Starting point is 02:24:02 No one did anything? I cast Light. I cast Light. I cast Light. Yeah, that's right, you did. That's a low-level thing. I guess that's okay. I throw wind out into the air. You see the raindrops get tossed aside from him
Starting point is 02:24:16 before the rest of the storm takes it. Okay, that should do it. I leap towards that building. All right. I wait for him to complete his arc. His character arc? Yes. Yes.
Starting point is 02:24:28 And... And... Yeah. See you next year. And when he's on his downward curve, then I'll toss a... There's this toss up at a point. Telekinesis him down.
Starting point is 02:24:39 Yeah. For the width of this chasm, go ahead and roll an athletics or acrobatics check to see if this thing is... Acrobatics, shall we? That is a 25. Okay, so this is going to be like, using your acrobatics, more of like, almost swinging back and forth, and then leaping and parkouring off the back and trying to get as much of a leap as you
Starting point is 02:24:57 can. The rain's spattering you as you arc past, that sense like time seems to slow for a moment as you pass by, looking up at the storm above, hoping it's enough. As you arc downward to look in the direction of where you're going, you go ahead and release your magical incantation to catch him in that graceful descent, and you watch as what would have been the top of the arc to immediate swan dive descent just continues to carry and glide at an angle. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. No, no, you're good, you're good. Are you below us now, or are you, I'm on a roof that's like 10 or 15 feet high, right?
Starting point is 02:25:32 You slowly descend and land onto it. What are the rest of you doing, by the way? Looking at what should be the next point up, and- Tell some truths! We're halfway up. So the rest of you have climbed up. So right now, there's two points in the wall. There's either the vines that climb up the side
Starting point is 02:25:48 of the chasm where you started, or there's the large spike of stone that is impacting on the opposite side, and that's where Laudna and Imogen have climbed up that spike to where it meets the wall halfway up, and it's just a sheer cliff above, or there's where the vines are that Orym just left off of, that's about halfway up as well.
Starting point is 02:26:06 I'm going to start going up the bridge with the witches. Okay. After Orym retrieves this, does he have a way up? We'll find out. Orym, you land here, you glance around, and you saw it pretty clearly. It doesn't take you much time. With the rain washing all the muck away, you can see it's revealed there, caught in a chipped portion of the stonework. It's half wedged into it. You pull it free, and you have indeed the unscathed, green-lensed monocle in your grasp. Yeah, got it! We did it!
Starting point is 02:26:39 I'm going to shove it into a fold in my armor. You've got it. But we still need truths to get out. Into your marsupial pouch? Yes. Now, are the rest of you, so we have the witches at the top. I will say, because you've made your athletics check to climb up the spike,
Starting point is 02:26:51 I have both of you roll athletics checks as well. Especially now with the rain, it's making it challenging to slide up this odd. Oh. I have a 20. Oh. 20. All right. And what'd you roll, Imogen?
Starting point is 02:27:04 For what? This is just the thing. Oh, but I have a minus two on athletics. That's okay. That's okay. I'm supposed to roll an athletic? Just roll for me with the rain. I didn't have you roll when you went up the top, so I'm just going to take it out on it.
Starting point is 02:27:13 Oh, good. I've got to go up to the ramp as well, I think. Are you going up the ramp? 21. I'll go up the ramp. Okay. Last. All right, last. Anybody else going up the ramp,
Starting point is 02:27:22 or anyone taking the vines? I mean, Chet? I'll do the vines. Is anybody doing the vines? I'll do the vines if I can. Okay. I'll do them, too. All right, last? Anybody else going up the ramp or anyone taking the vines? I'll do the vines. Is anybody doing the vines? I'll do the vines if I can. I'll do them, too. All right. So the three of you, you're going up now? Or going last? Whatever is more athletics to go up the vines. Athletics is, honestly, both of them right now is athletics. With the water that's
Starting point is 02:27:42 happening, it's trying to cling to it and keep along the lengthy spike of stone. So pretty much everyone else is descending, making a athletics check. I'm just going to go on hands and knees because my hoofs are too sore. Yeah. Yeah, it's valid. But this bridge only goes, what, halfway up?
Starting point is 02:27:56 Halfway up the chasm. There's still another halfway up. Okay, we got to talk more. And you're now split. You're on two different sides of the chasm. Oh shit. I sometimes do stuff to you guys while you're sleeping. I sometimes do stuff to you guys while you're sleeping.
Starting point is 02:28:12 Not weird stuff, I just like to look at you closely and just look at you. No, I don't know. No, well, no, you were sleeping and you look so content and comfortable and I can just get up in there and look at you really well. Like where? Your faces, god!
Starting point is 02:28:30 Just looking at us while we were sleeping? Yes! It doesn't seem that bad. And maybe twiddle your hair, or braid it, or I don't know, nothing bad. Nothing bad. Well, that's a weird thing to say, and you're getting definitive about it. I feel like you all are thinking that I do something untoward towards you, and I don't. I'm just like Looking and touching us.
Starting point is 02:28:56 Looking at you, fucking. The stone spike that jutted out from the original wall seems to have sprouted a smaller platform that shoots outward at an upward angle along the cliff face, almost like a switchback plank platform. And then it arcs back up again, and there's a rickety-looking stone, maybe three-foot-wide walkway that goes on for about 20 feet up at an angle before it curves up and switches back onto another 20 feet. That gets you about three, almost three quarters up the way of that side, but it is slick. Okay, I just put my tongue in your noses. 23 for the vine crawl. Okay.
Starting point is 02:29:41 I'm going to Guidance myself, and I will get a, what is it, athletics, acrobatics? 18. 18? And what'd you get? 26. 26, great. All right, so you're going up with the witches. I'd say with that, that gets you across the spike and up to the switchback platform that just emerged to almost three quarters of the way up the other side of the chasm wall. The three of you are climbing up the vine side and successfully get up to about just past the halfway point
Starting point is 02:30:11 before the vines come to an end on that edge. Well, we did it. Fuck it. Oh god. Any time it's too quiet, I start worrying that one of us, most of us, are going to end up killing another one of us accidentally. That's fair. All of us.
Starting point is 02:30:34 All of us? Even Orym? Orym? Very gently, but probably. Orym may be the only one I worry about the least, but genuinely everybody else, I have panic thinking about what happens when one of you kills another one of us.
Starting point is 02:30:56 The stone. Do you have any strong feelings one way or another, kind of being the normal guy in a group of freaks who are all ticking time bombs? What's the question? Are you okay with that? Yes! Jero, do you have any strong feelings?
Starting point is 02:31:16 Truth, truth, truth. I have all the faith in the world, in you guys, all of you. And I have also spent time thinking how to neutralize each of you. Between the two of you, the stone right above where the vines stop breaks open. Clobs of dirt and rock begin to fall out
Starting point is 02:31:39 and you have to pull off at the side as they tumble. You watch as a familiar skull emerges from the rock, like the one that you found in the muck. As it emerges and curls up, you watch as a spinal column follows behind it, like a fossil of some weird ancient fey lizard beast pushes through the stone, and it curves up, pushing back into the rock about 20 feet up. As it stops, partially emerging and then reconnecting in the opposite side, its spinal column and the emerging ribs themselves
Starting point is 02:32:11 could be climbed. Hmm. Chetney? Is that on our side, the vines? That's on your side, yeah. Yeah, I'm on it. Chetney, you look like you had something to say. Ah!
Starting point is 02:32:26 I try to climb! All right, athletics check for those who are climbing on the opposite side of the chasm. He's climbing away from his problems. Fuck! 14! I can't do it! 14. It's not that difficult at this point, thanks to the ribcage that's there. You nearly slip a couple times because of the slickness of the rain that's still falling, but you just, ugh, hand over hand,
Starting point is 02:32:51 begin to make it to the very top, and now that puts the climb on the opposite side at about level with the other switchback platforms on the opposing side of the chasm. So you've now climbed to the top of this skeletal being before it repunches into the side of the chasm wall, and now climbed to the top of this skeletal being before it re-punches into the side of the chasm wall, and you can see them across the way. And the gap that you just closed, so Chet's at the top?
Starting point is 02:33:12 Chet's almost at the three, just about at the three-quarters up. Oh, so you're not at the top, you're just getting close. Yeah, you're eye level with the other team, and both sides of the chasm now, you have two pabs that get about three-quarters of the way to the top. Ah, okay. How many feet would quarters of the way to the top. Oh, okay. How many feet would I guess we are from the top? About 40 or so feet.
Starting point is 02:33:33 Jeez. I guess I can admit to you guys, I hope she's not listening, but I worry that I put all my eggs in the change bringer basket and she might betray us all. I had a really weird conversation with her and I think she's just out for herself and she might not really care about me. But what if she does and I'm saying horrible things? I'm sorry! You watch as in the cliff face next to the witches in FCG on the side, these tiny little
Starting point is 02:34:08 mushrooms that were just sitting there begin to inflate and spread outwards to the point where there are now these massive umbrella caps of mushrooms. There's four of them that emerge outward. We can climb on them? But are they bouncy? Chris Pratt's's four of them that emerge outward. We can climb on them? But are they bouncy? Chris Pratt's on one of them. It's a me! Oh my god.
Starting point is 02:34:33 You go and touch one, and it feels light. You go and touch it, and it moves like a balloon, almost, as you touch it. Oh, this feels like, what is that? Ninja, no, not Ninja Warrior. It's a wave. Wipeout? Wipeout! Yes, yes. Oh, phew!
Starting point is 02:34:49 Also, yes, AMC. Wait, that's on the side with Chetney? No, that's on your guy's side, because it was your truth. Oh, that's our side. Okay, so we'll start climbing up the mushrooms. Okay, you grab the side, and as you do, it disengages, and you immediately, clenching on the side, float off the side and as you do, it disengages and you immediately clutch it and
Starting point is 02:35:05 float off the side, but you float. As you do, it lifts up. It's a balloon balloon! It picks you up across the chasm and begins to arc upward as it's releasing spores. Cool. As it releases spores, it begins to descend. Oh shit, oh shit.
Starting point is 02:35:24 It looks like it's heading in the direction of where the skeletal being is in the opposite side where your friends are clutching onto it. Say something true. Jump over here. Fearne! Yeah? I was really just a-
Starting point is 02:35:35 You're in love with me, I know. I was really disappointed in you. How? For running away from your power. You should take the shard. You should take the shard. As you clutch this massive floating mushroom, you watch as the cap is withering, as it gives out these spores, it's reducing in size and you feel your descent begin to arc down where you're about to crash in towards this.
Starting point is 02:36:03 I really miss Dorian, and sometimes I think that's okay, and sometimes I think it isn't. Between these multiple truths that have been said, you watch as bushes begin to sprout out of this massive skeletal frame of this creature. The bush saved me. Flowers blossom out of it, multiple colors. As you're about to crash into the skeleton, instead you crash into this bush and get caught in the middle of it. Sticks and leaves and petals are jammed into your hair.
Starting point is 02:36:34 I'm all in here. So big! So we were all clustered together. The other three of you are now clustered still by the other mushroom. She's the only one that leapt off of the mushroom. Oh, you're the only one? Oh, ah.
Starting point is 02:36:51 Smell that? So wait, can we also leap for the bush? If you want to grab a mushroom and ride it over. She's the only one that grabbed a mushroom. Let's grab a mushroom and ride it over. Okay, let's do it. How big is the bush? Ride the mushroom over the bush.
Starting point is 02:37:02 Can they all fit on the same bush? There are multiple sections of hips. I'm going to steer the head of the mushroom right at the bush? Ride the mushroom over the bush. Can they all fit on the same bush? There are multiple sections of sticks. I'm going to steer the head of the mushroom right at the bush. Can I start? They may mush before the mushroom gets over there. He cut off. You motherfuckers. This mushroom keeps rising and falling!
Starting point is 02:37:30 Is there anything coming out of the mushroom? No! It's force! Little force! I'm just going to ride this mushroom out of the hole. Suddenly, everything falls from within the cast of it. You all plummet to your deaths. Jesus Christ. If you want to try and guide your umbrella shroom,
Starting point is 02:37:52 make a dexterity check for me. Dexterity check. 13 plus. Nothing. Okay. It's a little hard to aim, but it was already at a pretty decent trajectory, and as the rest of you ride these mushrooms up into the gust of wind, and then eventually the spores begin to
Starting point is 02:38:13 curl and wither. I'm holding the other. I'm fine. Just pointing that out. Matt's curving left and right. I'm just saying, not me. Hold on! I love it when we pervert Matt's narrative! It's true! I can tell, I don't think anyone else can tell. Eventually, you're all
Starting point is 02:38:44 safe on the skeleton, covered in many flowers and vines. Wait, I didn't take a mushroom over yet. You got to. You got to take it. Might help if you yell out, true. Yeah, tell something that says I'm true. I'll rip the mushroom off and swing a leg around the thing. All right. Well, I'm not going to go yet, because I can't think of anything. the mushroom off and swing a leg around the thing. All right.
Starting point is 02:39:07 Well, I'm not going to go yet, because I can't think of anything. Well, you ripped it out. As soon as you rip it out, it takes you up into the wind. I pull out Pate. What are we doing? Say something true! Be honest!
Starting point is 02:39:19 I'm barely alive! What do you want from me? That's true! How do you feel about Laudna? She's my creator! That's not a feeling! I don't have feelings! I'm a construction! Laudna, you have to say something true.
Starting point is 02:39:36 Are you controlled by Lady Briarwood? I don't know what that means! It's not a yes or no! I tried. You are. I still feel... What does that mean?! It's not a yes or no! Shit. Tried. You are. I still feel. And you're guiding over, and the mushroom is taking its downward arc
Starting point is 02:39:53 towards the bushels of flora. Can I try to go for one? Can I gust up towards Fearne? Ash has got something! I feel fucking worse that I just fucked up Fearne's life way more than mine, and I should've died instead of that happening. Lightning streaks down from the storm and strikes the top of the cliff face about 40 or so feet above you. As it does, rocks go flying outward and all of you clutch hard to the side of this. As you're
Starting point is 02:40:31 arcing down and smashing into the edge of this and holding on best you can, the rocks tumble. Bits begin to hit the shoulders and back, but the large ones just go tumbling past and slamming down into the ravine below. As you glance up, it looks like where the lightning struck, there's a cleft that is left behind that causes the last 20 feet of the climb to instead be a steady incline in towards. So you've cut the remaining climb by about half. Nice. That's great.
Starting point is 02:40:56 That's great. Is she over at us yet? Yes, you've all gathered now, and you're all like patchwork spider grabbing onto the side of this massive, weird serpentine spine and ribcage. All right, all right. I grew up in the Rhyme Lord was running across the plains. So I'm kind of afraid of dragons. And I had five siblings.
Starting point is 02:41:33 Alabaster, Pepper, Sugar Plum, Hermie, and Chad. And I was so mad that they left. I never looked for any of them. And now I'm pretty sure they're dead. So I think that any family I have is just going to look for a reason to leave me. That's why I don't get attached to anybody. Oh.
Starting point is 02:41:55 The rain slowly subsides as fast as it arrived. As the storm begins to pull away and the faint bit of twilight begin to crack through what was once the dense, heavy clouds above, you hear this gentle sound of odd bird calls. And these strange, eagle-like creatures begin to swoop down.
Starting point is 02:42:24 And you can see they have these very expansive, almost soft down-like wings that have zebra patterns through them. Where their head would be, it is just a massive hand. There's no legs that you can tell. They're like manta rays flying with a massive, no thumb, just five fingers that curl where its head would be. The cluster of them dive down, giving this weird . Are they trying to grab us? They swoop towards you. Are they nice?
Starting point is 02:43:02 I hold out my arms. It snatches you and picks you up and drops you right at the base of where that cleft is before taking off. One by one, each of you are grabbed by one of the seven that arrived with the parting of the storm and get dropped within the cleft and along the edges of it. Emerging from the center of this chasm, soaked, shivering and processing the various truths
Starting point is 02:43:36 that were shouted amongst the center of this chaos, you see there, waiting, hands clasped, Morrigan, Nana Mori, the Fate Stitcher, looking amongst all of you with both sets of eyes. Well, it seems like you succeeded. Congratulations on your first team building exercise. I hope you got a lot out of it. You came up with that with Fresh Cut Grass? Well, it was his idea, and I just sort of ran with it.
Starting point is 02:44:21 I feel like I might have said something like, wouldn't it be great if we could all share our feelings? Yes. Yes, you had such great ideas. I don't know about the pit and the... That's why collaborations make us all stronger. Right? Communication, truth, and honesty.
Starting point is 02:44:52 Let's everybody check for leeches really quickly. I'm going to check for leeches. Orym's been checking the whole damn time. Not us. No, this is just the third time. No leeches. I'm good. The monocle is yours. Oh, what does it do? Do with it as you will.
Starting point is 02:45:07 She, you hold it in your hand and immediately know what it does. Oh no no no! Jeez. Oh, nice. It gives advantage on insight and perception checks. In addition, can we say what it does? Sure. It protects magic once per day, see invisibility twice per day, arcane eye once per
Starting point is 02:45:31 day. What is arcane eye? It sends an eye going looking around. Oh, like Allura has. Yeah. Cool. That's cool. Item regains the use of these spells after the bearer finishes a long list.
Starting point is 02:45:41 I don't think you need to attune it. I think it's just a thing. Oh. Oh, wow. Is it? It's not attunable? It's kind of not attunable. Sweet. It's just a thing that does stuff that you don't have to get to know.
Starting point is 02:45:53 You and a monocle might be cool. Oh, chat. Oh, Laudna with a monocle? That's got a vibe. That's pretty tight. My big black. What's next? Oh boy.
Starting point is 02:46:07 I'm already so tired. We have two more. Communication was what we said at the next. Communication, trust. Yeah. Communication. I'm going to go over to Chet. Are you okay? I'm going to give him a hug.
Starting point is 02:46:20 I will, too. Didn't know you had that kind of vulnerability in you, Chet. I don't. Okay. We're not going anywhere. Do you like us? Is this still part of the test? Navy. Yes. Do you like Fern more than the rest of us?
Starting point is 02:46:48 No. Ah! Leeches! Fjord. What were your brothers and sisters' names? Alabaster, Pepper, Sugarplum, Hermie, and Chad. And Chad. And Chad.
Starting point is 02:47:09 Chet and Chad. Hermie, Chad. Who's the second one? Alabaster. Pepper. Pepper. Sugarplum. Sugarplum. Sugarplum, that's the one I picked. Hermie and Chad. What wonderful names.
Starting point is 02:47:21 Mm-hmm. I guess. Do you have a favorite? No. Were you the youngest of them, or the oldest youngest? That's so sad, Shed. They might still,
Starting point is 02:47:34 one of them might still be around. Yeah. If you want vengeance, just let me know. Later, later, later. Later, later, later. Later, yeah, later. It's one of my specialties. Good to know. But nevertheless, what is next, my elves?
Starting point is 02:47:57 Do you have any communication or trust? I feel like trust is last. Trust is last. Okay, communication. Communication. Come in. She leans back and the central mouth in her chest opens once more and the same smoke
Starting point is 02:48:13 engulfs you all as it swirls around. You feel your senses go dizzy and then suddenly your feet lift off and then touch back down on a harder surface. Here, as the smoke subsides, you find yourselves now standing in what looks to be a barely-lit underground chamber. There is just a tall rock ceiling above you, about 45, 50 feet, that just endlessly goes in all directions before the light gives out at about 100 or so feet, and you can make out no more shapes or designs
Starting point is 02:48:48 once your eyes have adjusted to the darkness. Looking at the space around you, you can see there is a glowing orb of yellow light that sits in the middle of this round platform that you all stand on. It's an orb at first, but as your eyes focus, you look and it's textured and odd, and it looks almost organic. You also see that from the center of this round platform, there are three
Starting point is 02:49:13 thin walkways that emerge from it in three different directions that snake and curl oddly out. You look about the space around you and you can hear this faint buzzing sound coming from the central glowing orb. Nanamori points towards it. Welcome, friends. This is a thunder wasp hive. What horrible name. This is a thunder wasp hive. What a horrible name. But it does give a delightful glow to the area, does it not? Just be mindful not to panic or speak too loudly. They get riled. She pulls from inside of her coat
Starting point is 02:50:03 this beautiful purple scarf with gold threads woven all throughout it and all these gorgeous patterns and rubs it across her shoulders, tassels hanging from the edge of it. I need three volunteers. Oh my gosh. Very well. She tears the scarf into three pieces. She hands one to each of you. She reaches out and touches the center of the three of your foreheads. You feel this odd warmth over your eyes. The rest of you watch the skin
Starting point is 02:50:46 grow over their eye sockets. The three of you are blind. I need you to put these on. Oh! Oh my god! Oh no. Oh no. These are so cool.
Starting point is 02:51:00 Sometimes when you put on eye masks, I like to get up real close and look at you. I should be on the other side. Oh my god. We promise, casts honor, we won't fuck with you while you're like. No, no, now I don't trust you. We won't, I swear. I didn't say shit.
Starting point is 02:51:15 Because I wouldn't want you to do that to me. It's a game about trust and communication and honesty. Yes. This isn't the trust portion. Okay, is it comfortable? Yeah, yeah. That's just surprisingly comfortable. Those are some cool sunglasses. Very well. Is it comfortable? Yeah. It's actually surprisingly comfortable. Those are some cool sunglasses.
Starting point is 02:51:26 Very well. I feel really silent. Now to set the pieces. She claps her hands together gently, and a wave of energy washes out, and the three of them vanish. No! Whoa.
Starting point is 02:51:39 The three of you feel this strange rush of energy, and then you land on your feet again. The three of us? Yes, the three that were made blind. The rest of you can see that the three blind ones have now been placed on the opposite ends of these winding three platforms. Oh boy.
Starting point is 02:51:57 So we're going to start with Chetney. You want to start with Ashton? You want to start with Imogen? I'll go first! All right. I'll say what, you can bring your blindfold up a little bit and then sit in Marisha's chair. You both trade.
Starting point is 02:52:11 Age before beauty. Okay. Move! Here, I'm right, so yeah, there you go. I don't need to lift shit. I got the, whoa! Do you see the Nordverse? Whoa! That's not me, buddy. You got to get it! Gentle pressure. Let's move these out of the way.
Starting point is 02:52:31 Is this going to be a map of some sort? Of some sort. This combat cam is brought to you by WizKids Minis. Relive the Ring of Brass' final struggles to avert the calamity from their investigation into the Ring of Brass' final struggles to avert the Calamity from their investigation into the ritual of Vesp and Chloris to confronting the corruption of Avalir to battling for the very fate of an age. Pre-order today at wizkids.io slash exucalamity. This is your mini.
Starting point is 02:52:57 Okay. All right. Is he? Are you looking, Travis? Place it right there. No, he's not. So this is where it starts. He's really not. Now the rest of you have to guide Travis to push his mini along this platform
Starting point is 02:53:11 using just your words. If at any point he gets near the edge, I'll make him roll a dexterity saving throw or fall into the abyss below. Oh! This is like Operation in a weird, crazy way. Okay. Oh, I love this. And here's where Nannamori waits. Okay. Oh, I love this.
Starting point is 02:53:25 And here's when Anamori waits. Okay. Oh, look at her. Chetney's right there. Chetney. Yeah, yeah, you're right. Don't move yet, but the first thing you're going to do is move just a little ways forward. Straightforward and not much.
Starting point is 02:53:38 Let's consider it a little ways. So, wait, I do feel like we need a form of measurement. Pause, pause, pause, pause. Okay. So you've just moved 15 feet. You've covered two thirds of what you need to do. You just need one to one and a half more scooches forward, Chet. There you go. Just a hair more, Chetney. There you go, stop. Stop.
Starting point is 02:53:55 Okay. Make a left. Now, yeah, you're going to the left and it's twice as far on a straight line. Oh! Gah, gah, gah, gah! Correct. I was pushing so hard. Now as Orym shouts out the and begin to coast outward where the echo is being sent in his direction. You watch as the swarm Don't do anything,
Starting point is 02:54:27 because we don't know what this means. comes to rest angrily in the middle of the platform somewhere. Oh no. Okay. All right. So it's still a straight left. Don't worry about that yet. Just go, nope, stop, stop.
Starting point is 02:54:38 You're going two forward. So correct? Yes. Yeah. That better. Oh, you're going great. Better. Just go, you can sprint. Better. Do not sprint. Sprint is okay. Slow and steady. All right, pause. Now you're starting to go a little bit too far back, Chet.
Starting point is 02:54:52 So keep going that direction, but yep, that's real good. Wait, pause. Move forward diagonally to your left a little bit. Forward, forward. What does that mean? Sorry, go listen to him. As FCG begins to shout loudly, a swarm comes and begins to swarm FCG.
Starting point is 02:55:13 What me? I need FCG to go ahead and make a dexterity saving throw for me, please. A-pease! 16. A-pease. 16, okay. You take only 18 points of piercing damage.
Starting point is 02:55:27 Oh, fuck me! God, that hurts! That's my direction. And the swarm scatters off. Okay, Chet. Yes. You can move just a quarter inch further towards your left.
Starting point is 02:55:39 Yes. That's a good stop. Now, you're going to want to go forward about an inch on planet Earth and about two to three feet in miniature land. Same direction? But slow because it's going to start to curve real soon to the right.
Starting point is 02:55:57 No, no, stop! That's not where I want you to go. Forward means away from your chest. Away from the giant that's controlling you's chest. Yes. Go forward like an inch. You can go forward four inches. No.
Starting point is 02:56:11 Yes! No. You're fine. You're doing great. Pause, pause, pause. Now you want to start to curve. Northeast. Forward and to the right. What does northeast mean?
Starting point is 02:56:22 Two o'clock. Two o'clock. Two o'clock. Stop. Yeah. Toclock. Stop, yeah. To Travis's nose, you wanna go to like two o'clock. You want to curve. Yes, yes, yes. Don't worry, Chani, you are a third of the way there.
Starting point is 02:56:35 Almost. Great. You're doing so good. That's great, that's great, stop. Now it's a straight line. Three o'clock. To the right, to three o'clock for a long time. In y'all's head, you hear,
Starting point is 02:56:46 you should maybe be a little quieter. Like 12 inches. But we're far away. Doing good. Slow down, though, so you don't go off course. You're fine. You're good. Good, good.
Starting point is 02:56:57 Hold. Stop. You're moving back too much. Scooch forward a hair. Yep. Still straight. Straight. Pause. Stop. Okay, you went Still straight. Straight. Paula, stop.
Starting point is 02:57:06 Okay, you went right to the edge. So step back. Chetney, you feel your toe crest just off into darkness. Step back the way you came just a little bit. Stop. Okay. Now you're going to walk forward from where you are towards your 12 o'clock from where you are right now.
Starting point is 02:57:24 So just straight forward, straight forward. This is. Stop. This is bad. Brilliant, Chet. Okay, we're getting close to the insects, but we're not there yet, and I don't know what it means when we get there. You wanna go towards nine o'clock on a straight line. Scooch. Go slow.
Starting point is 02:57:48 Nope. No, no, no. Other way. Oh, that nine o'clock? Yeah. But you're on the edge. Yeah, go. Scooch towards 12 o'clock. I believe in you, Chetney! Stop. Now go towards nine o'clock. Slow. Slow, Chet.
Starting point is 02:58:01 No, you can go fast. It's fine. You shush. Letters. Stop, stop, stop. FCG, as you shout out, another cluster of thunderwraps emerge and swarm you. I need you to make another dexterity saving throw for me. Natural 20! Natural 20, okay. You take... I'm so caught in that one.
Starting point is 02:58:23 14 points of piercing damage. Oh my god! But both of your successful rolls prevented it from swarming out onto the path. Ah, see? I'm helping. Okay, Chetney, in Dwarven Forge land, you're about 15 feet away from insects at your 12 o'clock.
Starting point is 02:58:38 What can we do for the insects? What does he got to say? Can you do something? Yeah, what do we do? Let's see if we can get him out of there. So you're gonna go 12 o'clock, but you're gonna go headlong and do a bunch of insects. So maybe get your weapon ready.
Starting point is 02:58:49 Isn't there like a... Get your weapon ready and get ready to strike. Like a net? Stop. Chetney, you are scooching for no reason towards the edge. Move back towards 3 o'clock. Get back to where you were. But Tinybit, stop.
Starting point is 02:59:00 Is he just scooting if nobody's telling him what to do? He's just moving around. Do wasps have natural bug enemies? Bees. I'm going to use my hybrid transformation and turn into a werewolf. All right. You emerge into your wolf form, your eyes still covered.
Starting point is 02:59:21 Fuck. But to that point, now we're going to trade out for... Oh. You have another mini right in front of you. Get back towards three o'clock, a tiny bit. Go to the right a little bit. Tiny bit more. Stop freaking out, FCG. I'm sorry! I'm just emotionally available.
Starting point is 02:59:42 Go and make a dexterity check for me, FCGs. The thunder wasps once again swarm out towards you. Seven. Seven. Ah, shit. Wait, Orym, don't you have a wind push? You take 26 points of piercing damage as they swarm you.
Starting point is 02:59:57 Ow, ow, ow, ow! And then they swarm out. Where are they? Sorry, are they flying towards us? No, no. So wait, does he have to go around them? And what about those eldritch shots you guys do go really far.
Starting point is 03:00:13 Can you shoot the bugs from here? I'm going to cast Cure Wounds on myself. Okay. Oh, I got 18. Don't move, Chet, don't move. You hear the buzz of a swarm about 10 feet in front of you. Ah, okay. Chet, we't move. You hear the buzz of a swarm about 10 feet in front of you. Ah, okay.
Starting point is 03:00:26 Chet, we got you in the palm of our hand. I'm going to cast Mage Armor on myself. Okay. I didn't. Do you have any defensive things, Chet? Matt, can I use Hunter's Bane to detect fey, fiend, or undead just around me in case these fucking wasps surf away?
Starting point is 03:00:43 Sure, you smell out into the air around you, get the rest of that muck that was caught in your nostrils out, now that you have larger nasal capacity. Sensing the space around you, you can sense both a very strong fey energy in the direction of where you assume Nana Mori is. The insects that are in front of you are not any of
Starting point is 03:01:04 the ones you're looking for, but you can hear them. I have an idea. Straight ahead? Here's what I think is going to happen. I think we've got to tell him the direction to go, and he has to make slow, steady progress through this swarm. I don't think they'll move. He's just got to go through them, take the hits, and just keep moving quickly. That could be true. That could be, but why don't we try blasting them?
Starting point is 03:01:25 Well, how about this? I pull out Pate, and I instruct Pate to go fuck with the wasps. Good idea, good idea. The wasps. The wasps. Okay. Don't worry, I got this.
Starting point is 03:01:36 And he flies up and hits an invisible barrier that surrounds the central platform. Okay, water's right. Oh, sorry. You're just going to have to eat it, Chet. Nenamori goes, This is about communication. Copy. All right.
Starting point is 03:01:51 Copy that. So you're going to go straight ahead forward until you feel stings, and then stop. Stop. Then turn left and go to 9 o'clock. He's got more room on the right side. Wait, Chet, just to visualize, once you step into Wasps, you have to initially move towards nine o'clock,
Starting point is 03:02:12 but then it curves down into the left. But that's later. First, we just got to get them through this swarm. That is the worst place for the Wasps. So go back to the swarm, start getting stung, and then turn left. Oh my gosh. But there's more.
Starting point is 03:02:29 But no, he's got to start getting stung. You're about to get stung. Here it comes. No! As you stand forward, you step into a swarm of stinging thunder wasps that begin to spin around you. Scooch forward, stop!
Starting point is 03:02:43 All right, start making a left. All right. Someone take note of this. You take 25 points of piercing damage. Oh no. Halved? Halved, right. Okay. 13.
Starting point is 03:02:55 13. And while you're there, I'm going to hand you a dice with your other hand. Go ahead and roll that for me. Wow. Okay, that's a natural 18. Nice! As you try and instinctively, as you instinctively knock away the wasp best you can, you can feel yourself beginning to lose your balance,
Starting point is 03:03:13 but you manage to right yourself and just push through the pain. Oh no. Okay, Chet. Now I'm coming back left, right? Chet, listen to me. We're going to throw out the clock stuff because it's going to make no sense in a moment.
Starting point is 03:03:24 You're going to want to take tiny steps and you're going to go to your- Still get the hornet's nest. Listen to me. We're gonna throw out the clock stuff because it's gonna make no sense in a moment. You're gonna wanna take tiny steps and you're gonna go to your, you're gonna start going towards nine o'clock, but then I'm gonna start saying forward and backwards. You know what, go to 9.30, 9.30, 10, 9.30, 10. Tiny. Yes, that's good.
Starting point is 03:03:41 That's great, that's great. Now nine, hard nine. Yep. Slow. You're doing great, you're doing great. Slow. This is that's good. That's great, that's great. Now nine, hard nine. Yep. Slow. You're doing great. Slow. This is a great party. Good.
Starting point is 03:03:49 830. The communication makes no sense. Slow down, you're doing great. Slow. Oh my god, you're so good. Solid. Stop, stop, stop. You're so big and strong.
Starting point is 03:04:00 You're going towards, I guess, 10 o'clock. No, no, no, no, no, no. Or eight o'clock, eight o' guess, 10 o'clock? No, no, no! Or 8 o'clock? 8 o'clock. A little bit more 7 o'clock. No, no, I mean... 9 o'clock. Slow. Stop. Now go towards 7 o'clock. 8 o'clock, 7 or 8 o'clock. Rock. Towards you. Yep, you're or eight o'clock. Rock.
Starting point is 03:04:29 Yep, we're doing good, keep going. Stop. Now go to nine o'clock, exactly. A little bit, a little bit, a little bit further. Stop, all right. The longer we do this, the more direction becomes. Here's the deal. It's just a straight shot forward 12 o'clock, but in 15 feet in Dwarven Forge land, you're going to
Starting point is 03:04:46 hit more bugs. You could just run. I think you should just run 12 o'clock. Straight 12 o'clock. How about a brisk walk? Maybe 1230? Keep going, keep going, keep going. Oh, that's a good start!
Starting point is 03:04:57 You jump into another swarm. Run! As you step into the next swarm of entities, you take 22 points of piercing damage. Reduced. Let's go ahead and have you roll that dice. 22 is what, 11? Or 10, hold on. You got it for you.
Starting point is 03:05:12 10 more feet to glory, Chet. There you go, right there. Roll that dice for me. Uh-oh. Six? That's a six. Plus... Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit!
Starting point is 03:05:24 Oh shit. Oh no, Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh no, that's plus nine. That's a 15. So you almost begin to lose your footing at the edge of this platform as the wasps swarm you, and then you just push through into a final sprint. Direct 12 o'clock.
Starting point is 03:05:40 Go, go, go, go, go, go, go. Yes! You did it, you did it! As with that, you can remove your blindfold, Yes! You did it, you did it! You killed it, Anamori! With that, you can remove your blindfold, Travis. You did it! Oh my god! That was fucking insane! That is so much simpler than what was going on in my mind.
Starting point is 03:05:58 I'm like, Travis Willingham, this is your lower intestine. Wait, were they not able to watch the whole thing? No! Oh my god. They're having a nice little meditation over there. Nianna-Mori smiles, for those who can see, and goes, Well done.
Starting point is 03:06:15 It seems these two are very keen at communication. So why don't you sit this one out? And both of your mouths grow over. FCG and O grow over. FCG's metal mouth slams shut. And Orym, too? Yeah. So that means you have to do it this time. Me and Fearne and Chetney, who now can talk and see. We got this.
Starting point is 03:06:37 Which of these two wishes to go next? But then wait, is she going to do that again for Ashton? So good. Fuck, that was crazy. And then Imogen will have to help Ash. The map in my mind was bonkers. All right. Oh no, the GM left.
Starting point is 03:06:56 Is he going to help? Oh, is he going to help? Oh no! Oh shit. What's happening? It's just a different maze. Just hold still, Laura. Hold, keep your hands right where they are.
Starting point is 03:07:04 Am I going to knock stuff out? No, no, Matt's coming around behind you. Just imagine you're asleep and Ashley's doing creepy things to you. There is so much shit at your station, Laura. You want to move a little bit of it? It's okay. Yeah, move anything you want. Maybe she should just move to Marisha's station.
Starting point is 03:07:15 It's okay, we'll move this here a little bit. Oh no, they're touching your dice so much. No, we're touching the things that hold it. Wow. You did really good, though. Oh shit. Wow, this one's hard. So weird.
Starting point is 03:07:31 No, you're good, you're good. You might want to move your iPad, Laura, too. I don't know where it is! I'm going to move this back here. Oh my goodness. Okay, they're just bringing out the maze closer to you. Indeed. I'm going to pull this back. There's a pin under that.
Starting point is 03:07:49 Sorry, I have so much shit. It's okay, Laura. So here is your mini, right here. Okay, where? Hold it, there. Okay. And it begins there. Okay.
Starting point is 03:07:58 Okay. So you are now standing in the middle of a precipice blind, and you're going to have to listen to your compatriots give you direction. All right. Witches. I have faith in y'all.
Starting point is 03:08:12 Witches assemble. Let's go. All right. So Imogen, first things first. This one has a lot of diagonals. I don't know what that means, but all right. There's no right or left turns, really. It's a lot of curves. A lot of curves.
Starting point is 03:08:25 Yeah, you're going to be moving your piece very slowly with your hand. Forward, backward, right, left, back, left, back, left. You want me to move back left? No, nothing yet. Go forward, not yet. Just go slow. I don't know what 10 feet is. Is this 10 feet?
Starting point is 03:08:36 So I think, am I going? Go attached to your left. Go forward away from you very slowly until we tell you to stop. Okay, a little bit more. Go forward. You can go a little faster than that. Keep going, keep going.
Starting point is 03:08:48 Keep going. Keep going, mm-hmm. You're doing so good. You can stop there. You're in the dead middle of the path. All right. Now forward right, like if you were going to two o'clock. Start moving that direction.
Starting point is 03:08:59 This right? A little more one o'clock. There you go. There you go. You can keep moving at that speed. Perfect, you're right down the middle. Keep going, keep going. Four, three, two, one, stop.
Starting point is 03:09:16 Now almost. I'm almost there, right? No, now almost. You're about a sixth of the way. The opposite diagonal, so yeah, like 11. All right, go for it? Yep. Go for it. Am I doing it?
Starting point is 03:09:28 Yes. Great. We'll tell you to stop if it's bad. Stop. Go a little bit more 10 o'clock from 11. Okay, stop. There you go. Okay, stop. Your mouth is shut.
Starting point is 03:09:42 A little more than nine o'clock. There you go. Yes. Two'clock. There you go. Yes. Two, stop. There you go. All right, it switches back now. All right. So just move to your left, straight to your left. Stop.
Starting point is 03:09:55 The human cone. Now you're going to come back towards your seven o'clock, your back left, so right towards your wrist and where your elbow are. Stop. Too much. Go a little bit more eight o'clock. Keep going, keep going. Good. Good. Taliesin.
Starting point is 03:10:12 Right down that line. Right down that line. Four, three, two, one. Good. God, I feel like I'm going to break this thing. No, you're one. Good. All right, I feel like I'm going to break this thing. No, you're doing so good. I'm gripping it so hard. Wait, wait, where am I? I lost it! 10 o'clock. You're going to go up 10 o'clock to your left. Up 10 o'clock.
Starting point is 03:10:35 You're on the edge on the north side. Like here? Yes, you're doing great. Like that? Good. Operation, you're the doctor. Shut up, FCG. Stop attack. Got your psychic're the doctor. Shut up, FCG. Stab attack?
Starting point is 03:10:46 Got your psychic on the run. Go a little bit to... I'm very aware of the smell of these chips next to me right now. More towards your 10 o'clock, so a little further away from you. Like that? Stop. Other way. Towards 1 o'clock.
Starting point is 03:11:03 1 o'clock? No, 11. More towards your 11. But she's off the side. Now you can go straight up. Straight away, there you go. Two, one, stop. Now move towards your two o'clock. So forward and right.
Starting point is 03:11:22 A little more one o'clock. There you go, straight. Three, two, one. Stop. Great. So forward left toward your ten o'clock. Oh god, okay. Like this? You're more than halfway, so you're good. A little more 11. Yeah, more 11. There you go. Yeah, yeah. Good direction. It's like she's moonwalking. Am I going backwards? No, you're good. You It's like she's moonwalking. Am I going backwards?
Starting point is 03:11:45 No, you're good, you're good. Stop. Straight to your left, nine o'clock. Stop. Back left towards your seven o'clock. Like that? Yeah. More towards your nine. There you go, that line.
Starting point is 03:12:02 Good, good. Listen to that soothing Travis voice. Good. Good. Yeah, you're right down the middle. Keep going. Okay, pause, pause, pause. Perfect. Six o'clock, straight back towards you. Yeah, just pull towards your chest. Yeah, you're going to go for seven, six.
Starting point is 03:12:19 Stop. Come back towards your five o'clock, just a little bit. More towards your chest, there you go. Keep going. Man, she's gripping it so hard. Yeah. I know, I know. My knuckles are like white. Your white knuckle is like.
Starting point is 03:12:34 I really feel like I'm going to break this little finger or whatever I have. You can come back to your left a little bit and back towards your left elbow. Keep coming, keep coming. Now go to your left, hard left. Stop. Okay, it switches back again. You're going to start going forward. It's only Now go to your left. Hard left. Stop. Okay. It switches back again.
Starting point is 03:12:46 You're going to start going forward. It's only forward from here on out. Straight? 11 o'clock. No. No? Diagonal. You're not talking. Oh! Penalty. That was Liam Noddorm. I understand that, but because of that, Yes!
Starting point is 03:12:58 a swarm of insects begin to buzz outward into the space. Gosh darn it. Into the space. And emerging right there. Yep. Okay. Okay, all right, all right. 11 o'clock. 11 o'clock. Forward. Like that? Yeah.
Starting point is 03:13:18 A little more 12 o'clock. Yeah, a little more 12 o'clock. There you go, stop. Good job. Back towards Ashley's at 10 o'clock. Towards your left a little bit more. 10 o'clock? 10 o'clock's good, yeah. Pause. A little bit more that direction. Half an inch. There you go, stop.
Starting point is 03:13:34 You can just 12 o'clock straight out. Good speed. Good. Good. Five, four, three. You're going to make contact. Keep going to pause. You're right on the- Move to your left a little bit. Just hard left. Stop, perfect.
Starting point is 03:13:52 We're going to push you through some hornets. Get ready to take some sticks. Can I try how close am I to the hornets? You're about 10 feet from the hornets if you were on a game board. I can put this right here just for other reasons. Thank you. I thought it might have.
Starting point is 03:14:05 I didn't even, yeah. Okay, where am I going? So they're about 10 feet in front of you if you are on a Dwarven Forge map. So I just walk forward? Yeah. Unless you wanted to try and... I walk forward five feet. Stop, you are face to face with them.
Starting point is 03:14:17 I'm going to Shock Flare. Ooh. Shock Flare? What is that? Have you done that before? That, unfortunately, you're trying to touch. So that would be a melee touch attack. No, it's not a touch.
Starting point is 03:14:31 It's like where I become the plasma ball. Anything within 10 feet of me. Oh, I see, I see. I'm going to go ahead and bring that up on your list there. That was so sad, I love it. That are all creatures within 10 feet of you. Each creature in that area must make a strength saving throw Shock Flare. Bring it up on your list there. Taliesin's so sad, I love it. Each creature in that area must make a strength saving throw, and a failed to save your target takes two. Taliesin is the walrus.
Starting point is 03:14:52 Oh, am I close to Ash? Well, I can't say anything. No one else is on the board with you, except for you're almost done. Wait, Matt's still looking at his spell, so you can't resume yet. Sorry, I'm just bringing this up real fast, just a second, my apologies. What, do you want to? Goes then, goes then, you're good. Just hang on, we are. Ashley, to read it to you?
Starting point is 03:15:09 Yeah, Ashley, do you have it? I do. Here you go, Shock Flare. So action self, yeah, so it is self. I was making it see if you had to have sight to see it, but you were just casting this on yourself, which does not require sight. So. Smug face. All the creatures within a few.
Starting point is 03:15:26 Piss them off, though. That fails at save, so that's 2d6 lightning damage to it. Okay, that's 11 points of lightning damage. The problem is they're immune to lightning. Oh, what? They're thunder wasps. Yeah. Gosh darn it. Just take the pain, you're good. You pissed them off now.
Starting point is 03:15:49 So you're going to move forward maybe two spaces. Go slow. Keep going? Yep, straight ahead. They begin to sting and surround you. How's that? Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! To your forward right. 22 points of piercing damage, so I'm going to write that down.
Starting point is 03:16:02 I got it. I need someone to hand her a d20 to roll for me. You took 24 points. I got it. I put your damage in for him. So someone hand her a d20, if you don't mind. She just took 22? A regular one. She took 22, yeah.
Starting point is 03:16:15 We're reaching for 104s. Oh, just pick one. If only we had a d20 at this table. I'm going to give her a good one. I get that. There you go. Just roll it? Yep. Okay. 11 plus?. Just roll it? Yep. Okay, which? 11 plus? What do I add?
Starting point is 03:16:29 Dexterity saving throw. Okay. Which would be? Plus three, so 14? 14 total. 14 total. Oh man, you start to wobble a bit and you feel like as the stings are hitting you, you try and move to catch yourself and you step
Starting point is 03:16:42 and your foot hits the very edge and you just barely right yourself and continue to step forward through. Where do I go? To your forward right at your two o'clock. Start moving forward right. Like that? Yep. A little more one.
Starting point is 03:16:56 A little more one, good, good. Straight ahead, keep going. Good. Keep going. More two o'clock, two o'clock. Straight ahead, on towards daylight. To 12, you mean? Just keep driving on that line. Keep going straight. Yes, that way.
Starting point is 03:17:07 Like that? Yep. You're home free. And with that, you step through. You can remove your... Oh my god. Oh, it's so bright. Your blindfold Imogen. It felt so much more complicated than this.
Starting point is 03:17:22 Yeah, it's like your mind makes it... I just cut the mister's ass. I thought I told his ass. I saw a map that happened. more complicated than this. Oh. Yeah, it's like your mind makes it. I'm just talking mister's ass. I thought I told his ass. I saw a map that had lava and rocks and a whole source of crazy shit. So scary. But the skin grows back from your eyes.
Starting point is 03:17:40 Your sight is yours once more. That was exciting. That was. Nannamori looks at you with a big smile. Morpheus is right there. I feel like we did a good job. Yes! I'd hang on because I think Taliesin might have a good one.
Starting point is 03:17:52 One more to go. Very well done. And you two have been so helpful. Both of your mouths seal shut. Oh. Oh, you guys? You two. Oh, us with Ashton?
Starting point is 03:18:08 We can do that, we can do that. I would like to help Taliesin move over into Laura's seat. Oh, okay. Oh. Okay. This is fun! This is so fun. I love it.
Starting point is 03:18:21 Okay, cool. Guys, this combat cam is still back to my work desk. If I put my hands on it, there's just going to be a ton of dice here. Can I sit next to you? Battle the fate of an age in the face of a series of impossible choices. WizKids.io slash exucalamity.
Starting point is 03:18:34 I'll say it again, WizKids. Oh no. It looks like, how does it look like it's light coming down on it? It looks like the way you did it, it's so cool. Thank you. Okay. Yeah, a little.
Starting point is 03:18:44 A little closer. All right. It's the Laura and Ashley show. And this is the Ashton mini. Control your faith in the face of the beginning. All right. Talk for wasps, talk for wasps. What if we all just left?
Starting point is 03:19:01 Like, left Taliesin here. Like, just left the studio. All right. I left a tapein here. Just left the studio. All right. I left a tape recording of Matt saying, all right, we're almost ready. Matt forgot to give me earplugs, you know I can hear all of it. Yeah, I know. I have enough echolocation to know exactly
Starting point is 03:19:15 what he was saying. Echolocation. That's the Bat James. All right, are we ready? No, I'll move this panel. I think this is causing me to break out. I can feel a zit coming up. Is it really? I'm like, shh! All right, you're going to go forward, 12 o'clock.
Starting point is 03:19:29 So gentle. A little bit faster than that. So gentle. Keep going. You're like three minutes. We're about halfway there. This is our ASMR. Taliesin's got a Ouija board, stop.
Starting point is 03:19:40 Keep going. Let's stop, stop, stop. Move just a hair to your left. Just attach and keep going straight. Keep going. Let's stop. Stop. Move just a hair to your left. Just a touch. And keep going straight. Keep going, keep going, and stop. You're going to go to the right, like one o'clock, towards one o'clock.
Starting point is 03:19:59 A little more two o'clock. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. We're coming for amaranth. One more two o'clock. Yep, yep. And stop. What's happening?
Starting point is 03:20:12 Okay, now you're gonna go three o'clock. Three o'clock to your right. Just keep going to your right. That's right. Oh, he's turning. Oh yeah, I'm going for it. That's really impressive. Good job, good job.
Starting point is 03:20:23 Go, go, go. You're fine. All right, wait, stop. Go a little 12 o'clock. All right, now go straight, straight, straight. To the three o'clock. To the three o'clock. Keep going, three o'clock.
Starting point is 03:20:34 Yeah. Keep going. Three, four, three, two, one. And stop. Okay. Okay, you're gonna come down six o'clock. Okay, six o'clock. You know what, go to 12, go to three o'clock, just stop. Okay. Okay, you're going to come down six o'clock. Okay, six o'clock. You know what? Go to three o'clock,
Starting point is 03:20:48 just a touch more to your right. There you go, stop. Now six o'clock. Okay. Just turn yourself around. Might as well. He's gleaming the cube! All right, now a little bit.
Starting point is 03:20:59 Now stop there, lift your hands. Okay. He's on there. Yeah. Okay. It's hard to see with both your hands. It's hard to see with both the hands there, lift your hands. Okay. He's on there. Yeah. Okay. It's hard to see with both your hands. It's hard to see with both the hands there. But yeah, I'm just keeping a note. Okay, how about take a little smidgey
Starting point is 03:21:12 over to three o'clock? Yeah, go to three o'clock. A little bit more? Touch more. Okay, now comes six o'clock. Keep going. You can go faster. Go to seven o'clock a little bit. Seven o'clock? No, stop.
Starting point is 03:21:32 I'm so sorry, five o'clock. I'm so sorry. Someone will... Oh boy. Five o'clock, five o'clock. That's it. Yeah, keep going a little faster. Five o'clock. Oh boy. You're great. You're doing so good. And stop. Okay,, five o'clock. Oh boy. You're great, you're doing so good.
Starting point is 03:21:45 And stop. Okay, go three o'clock. Three o'clock, to your right. Okay. You're doing so good. Go, go, go. And stop. Okay, you're going to go two o'clock.
Starting point is 03:21:59 You've got a long ways to go on two. Two o'clock. Yes, two o'clock. Up, up, up, up, up. How about more one o'clock? on two. Two o'clock. Yes. Okay. Two o'clock. Up, up, up. How about more one o'clock? Let's focus one o'clock. Straight up, there you go. You can go a little faster.
Starting point is 03:22:13 You're going, this is the perfect line. You are doing so good, you have no idea. I don't. You're doing so good. Proud of you, Ashton, keep going. Keep going, you can go a little. It's a bit farther. The two who would try and murder me,
Starting point is 03:22:27 I'm really feeling that, okay, no, I'm going. Keep going. Keep going. You can go a little faster. How funny would that be, though, if they were just like... Walking him right off the edge. A little faster.
Starting point is 03:22:41 Lift your hands. He's fine, he's fine. A little bit more. 12 o'clock, a little bit more. Just up a tush. Where'd you find me? A tush. Up a tush? Up a little tush or more.
Starting point is 03:22:55 Okay, there you go. Don't say anything. All right, now, 3 o'clock. No, Jesus, we're good. Straight line. Straight, straight. No stop. Go up to 12. Sorry, that's such an annoying sound. I don't know why I'm doing that. Okay, straight. No stop. Go up to 12. Sorry. That's such an annoying sound.
Starting point is 03:23:05 I don't know why I'm doing that. Okay, three o'clock. This is the weirdest thing I've ever done in my life. I don't think that's true. Oh. Okay, stop. Ashton, not me. A little bit more two o'clock.
Starting point is 03:23:20 Let's do two o'clock. Okay. There it is. Yeah, there it is. Okay. Keep going. You got this. You're almost halfway. Keep going. Halfway? Yeah.
Starting point is 03:23:31 Yeah. A little bit more. A little bit more. A little bit more. All right, now 12 o'clock. Straight up. Atta-tat. 12 o'clock.
Starting point is 03:23:44 Keep going. You can go faster. You got this. Keep going, you can go faster. You got this. Keep going. You're veering a little bit more to the. Go to the... Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch! The sound of darn it.
Starting point is 03:23:57 Beans emerge from the nest as wayward, uninvited sounds emerge. A sense of warning, and they swarm out. Oh, that's what the little wasps look like, cute. All right, go to your left a hair. Left a hair. Left, yeah. Nine o'clock, just a hair.
Starting point is 03:24:16 You're getting out of there, you're good. Yeah, okay, now go 12 o'clock. Go, go, go. Three, two, one, stop. Okay, now you've got a long way to go at nine o'clock. Okay. But take it slow, because it's a little... It's a bit precarious.
Starting point is 03:24:36 It's weird. Slow enough, that is the town. So good. Great speed. Great speed. Great angle. Great projection. All right, now I need you to stop. Yep. And come 12 o'clock, or I mean, sorry, six o'clock.
Starting point is 03:24:53 Come towards you. The planchette technique is strong over here. All right, now, nine o'clock, keep going. W. Stop it, you fuck. Let's bring it a little eight o'clock. Towards you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 03:25:17 Give me a second. Walk with confidence, Ashton, you got this. Oh, there's not a ton of confidence in this. You're just going to sprint all the way to your left. We would stop you. I'm dreaming. I can't see where the edge is. Yeah, yeah, you're doing good.
Starting point is 03:25:34 You're doing great. Keep walking. Keep walking. You got to pick up. Three, two, one, and stop. You almost feel the edge of the platform crumble from underneath your left heel, Ashton, before catching yourself.
Starting point is 03:25:54 The sweat drips down the back of your neck and your shoulders as you, twice now, have been close to tumbling into an abyss you can't even see. All right, you're going to... Wait, may I say something really quickly? Give me your hand. Okay.
Starting point is 03:26:10 Yeah, go a little bit, a couple more steps to your left. Nine o'clock, yeah. Nine o'clock. Uh-oh. Easy. You get it? Sweet. There we are.
Starting point is 03:26:23 Okay, so go nine o'clock a little bit. There you go. Uh-oh, uh-oh. Okay, now come down six o'clock. You got this. Can we just make a tape of Laura that people can put on the Calm app? Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 03:26:41 It's so calm-ish. You got this. You're doing great. You're doing so good. It's almost like you can see it. It's so calming. You got this. You're so good. You're doing great. You're doing so good. It's almost like you can see it. It's like you can see it. You're curving, and I didn't even tell you to. Oh no. No, it's great. Nine o'clock.
Starting point is 03:26:52 Straight to your left. This is awesome. You're doing great. That felt weird. Three. Nope, you're doing good. Two, one, and stop. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay, now you can go 10 o'clock. Oh god, okay.
Starting point is 03:27:10 Yes, that's right. A little more 11. A little bit more 11. And stop. Now you're going to go 12 o'clock. Keep going. There's a lot of great stuff in this. Oh my god.
Starting point is 03:27:34 This is, this is, this is. You can go a little more forward. You can go a little more forward. Not a great deal. Shut up. Go, go, go. Go, go, go. Okay, you're coming up to the wasps, Ashton.
Starting point is 03:27:43 So you're going to get stung. How close? You're about 10, you're coming up to the wasps, Ashton, so you're going to get stung. How close? You're about 10, maybe? Keep going 12 o'clock. I'm going to rage. Mm! Okay, stop. Now you're going to go two o'clock. You're going to walk right through the wasps, all right?
Starting point is 03:28:02 The wasps swarm in and begin stinging you all over. It takes, oh god. The wasps swarm in and begin stinging you all over. It takes, oh god. I was headed up, so. You're raging. So it would be 32 points of piercing damage, reduced to 16, if you want to write that down. Someone hand him a d20. Oh, here. To roll a dexterity saving throw.
Starting point is 03:28:20 Oof. What's his dex? Oh, where's your dex at? It's a plus. Dex plus three, so that's 11. 11. You watch as the wasps swarm around Ashton, and Ashton angrily starts sweeping him away
Starting point is 03:28:37 and begins stepping off to the side. Ashton, don't move! The impulse of emotion taking him to rush forward, and his foot slips off at the side. Suck it up, Ashton. He tumbles off the edge and barely catches the side and is now holding on by both his hands. Ashton, your feet are kicked off into nothing.
Starting point is 03:28:54 I click on the button on my hammer and just grab on and try and use that to get right back up. Need you to make an athletics check with disadvantage. Is it okay if I'm giving him your 20s? Yep, yep. I'll take yours, I'll take yours. That's a 12. Okay. Oh, just kidding.
Starting point is 03:29:12 That would have gone really poorly. There you go. With disadvantage, you roll that twice. Can I have a second one? Okay, yeah, I'll give you another one. Hold on, let me see what this is. I can't read that. I'll just give him this. I can't read the numbers!
Starting point is 03:29:22 Okay, there we go. Drop it in the cup. Ooh! At disadvantage? You're at advantage. I can't read that. I'm just giving them. I can't read the numbers! Okay, there we go. Drop it in the cup. Ooh! Oh! At disadvantage or at advantage? Disadvantage. Oh. That's a one. Rolled a six to you.
Starting point is 03:29:37 And a one. Ashton, you vault up into the air and kick up. What can we do? In the opposite direction of the platform. Do I know what kind of a d4? A d4? All because of rage. Oh, because of your rage ability.
Starting point is 03:29:54 That's true. What does it say? One. That's gravity. That's gravity, interesting. Is there any way I can try and use that to propel myself in one direction or no? You propelled yourself in the wrong direction. In the wrong direction.
Starting point is 03:30:12 So just try and maybe curve myself back towards the hammer. I'll tell you what. If they're yelling. Roll one more d20. You're falling. North of 10. If this is another one more d20,
Starting point is 03:30:24 if it's a 10 or higher, you manage to just barely guide yourself back to the lip. Otherwise, you plummet. Eight. Ashton, the gravity pulls you to the side and you impact the side of the stonework and glide, you try and reach, but the rock crumbles under your grasp.
Starting point is 03:30:44 The hammer's still locked in the air. You tumble into the abyss and out of sight. There's nothing we can do to help? Is it blocked? Unfortunately, no. Amazing. Don't get that item. All right. So if you'd like to, Taliesin, you can remove the blindfold.
Starting point is 03:30:59 Aw. You were so close. So close. I was so close. It wasn't your direction. It was just the dice rolls. The dice rolls. I know.
Starting point is 03:31:08 With that dex check. And he's dead forever? Really, it's Liam's fault? He's the one that made the noise. No, I made the noise. That's why I said Liam. Oh, I thought you said Liam. So as you plummet out of sight,
Starting point is 03:31:19 there's that moment of shock and silence and fear. No, Ash! I mean... Don't worry, it was only a test. You watch as Annamarie snaps your fingers, and Ashton appears and slams into the ground next to you. Might have had gravity ups. That was probably a big, nice... Indeed. A cruddy crater hits in the center, and the swarm begins to emerge.
Starting point is 03:31:45 Nanish goes, and they immediately go docile and return back to the hive. I feel like that was me. Do you feel like that was us? Because it wasn't us. No. Because we gave you stellar direction.
Starting point is 03:32:02 Hammer? Oh. She curls her finger forward and the hammer won't budge. There's a little thing right on the bottom there. And it comes back to you like Thor's hammer and you catch it in your grasp. Thank you. Meow meow!
Starting point is 03:32:27 That's two successes and one failure. Who wants to do the last possible shot? You can either accept the failure or someone can go for a last time. Yeah, someone should go. But no safety nets. What does that mean? They fall. You fall, you fall. They fall. What?!
Starting point is 03:32:49 Okay, so here's the thing. If we... I love it. I love it. If nobody makes any noise, the wasps don't come out. If you keep nice and quiet and don't let your volume and emotions rule you, then yes, they stay docile. All right. I'll go. Are you sure? I'll go. But if you fall, you fall?
Starting point is 03:33:11 And who can give directions? Mm, you pick. Since the stakes are high. Imogen. Yeah, she did a really good job. And one more. Chetney. Imogen and Chetney, the rest of you take a moment
Starting point is 03:33:37 and all your mouths grow over. I'm sitting in the spot. Tell us it is. Yes. So if he falls, he's gone? To die? Or forever? Oh my god. Oh my god. End it.
Starting point is 03:33:55 Wow, that was really hard. In particular because there's a fourth creature. Here comes my teeny miniature. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. You do have a sense of it in your head now, though. Badum, badum, bad now, though. Put it on. This is high stakes. You can't say anything.
Starting point is 03:34:10 I'm not going to say anything. You're going to come over here, Travis? I mean, it's super hard. It was so hard not to react in the slightest. Of course. All right. We could just leave the room. You can be quiet. Can you be quiet for a second?
Starting point is 03:34:23 That's not why you'd be quiet. Let me tell you a story. Like NPR quiet. Can you be quiet for a minute? That's not why you need to be quiet. Let me tell you my story. Like NPR quiet? Can you be National Public Radio? That was, by the way, so calming. Was it? You're just doing so fine. And then move it here to begin. About nine o'clock.
Starting point is 03:34:39 The good news is. Oh, this is a short one. The good news is, is that you've got a little bit of a switchback. Shut up, shut up, shut up. The bad news is, I want to keep things interesting. And Nenamori blows out into the chamber. Orym, as you stand there, your eyes completely grown over in the silence,
Starting point is 03:35:03 you feel the shuddering and the stone beneath you, and you hear the crumbling of rock right at the back of your heels. Excuse me. Oh, there's a timer. There's a timer. You have five minutes.
Starting point is 03:35:15 All right, you got this. I can't see where you are. Hold on, let me. All right, you're going to start moving just a little bit to your right. Stop. Straight ahead, away from you. 12 o'clock. Keep going. Keep going. Go, go, go.
Starting point is 03:35:31 Three, two, keep going. One. Stop. All right, now head to a clock and go. Pick up your right hand all the way off. Just do it with your left hand. Keep going. You're going, keep going. A little more one o'clock. Good. And go.
Starting point is 03:35:50 Increase your speed. And go faster. Increase your speed even more. You got this. Keep going on that line, you got it. Five. A little two o'clock. Keep going faster. Yeah, keep going.
Starting point is 03:36:00 Four. Three. Keep going, keep coming. You got three. Keep going, keep coming. Two, one, stop. And stop. The platform crumbles behind you. Forward left, 10 o'clock, start moving. Good, increase your speed on that line.
Starting point is 03:36:16 Keep going. Stop, pick up your left hand. I can't see where. Okay, go. 10 o'clock, a little more 11 o'clock. To your right. There you go. Your foot feels the edge of little more 11 o'clock. To your right. There you go. Your foot feels the edge of the walkway.
Starting point is 03:36:28 Keep going, keep going. You got this. Keep going. Keep going. Three, two, one, stop. Okay, now you're going to come back. Eight o'clock. Yeah, yeah, good. Seven's good. More nine o'clock, more nine o'clock.
Starting point is 03:36:44 There you go. Now back on that seven o'clock, more nine o'clock. There you go. Now back on that seven o'clock direction. Yeah, good. Keep going. Three, two, one. Keep going, actually. Keep going, keep going, keep going. Three, two, one.
Starting point is 03:36:55 Stop. Stop, good. Just a hard nine o'clock. Yeah, nine o'clock, nine o'clock, stop. Let's go 11 o'clock. And go. Stop. 10 o'clock. Yeah, 10 o'clock. Stop. Nine o'clock, stop. Let's go 11 o'clock. And go. Stop. 10 o'clock. Yeah, 10 o'clock. Stop. Nine o'clock.
Starting point is 03:37:10 10 o'clock. You got this. Go a little faster. Go. Keep going. Keep going. Stop. Stop. Perfect. Two o'clock. Two o'clock. Keep coming, you have a perfect line.
Starting point is 03:37:23 Keep coming. Go. Stop. The platform crumbles behind you. A little more 230. yeah, perfect line, keep coming. Go. Stop. The platform crumbles behind you. A little more 230. Yeah, go. There you go. Hold that line, keep coming. Go. Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming.
Starting point is 03:37:34 Keep going. Stop. Stop. Hard three o'clock to your right. Good, drive it on that line. Yes, you got this, keep going. Pause. Pick up your right hand, or just your fingers? Yeah, you got this. Okay, good. Keep going on that line. Yes, you got this. Keep going. Pause. Pick up your right hand, or just your fingers? Yeah, you got this. Okay, good. Keep going on that line.
Starting point is 03:37:48 Go, go, go, go, go. Five, four, three, two, stop. Go 12 o'clock. Straight ahead. Two, one, stop. Forward, left, 11 o'clock. There you go. There you go, 11 o'clock. A little more, 10 o'clock. There you go. There you go, 11 o'clock. A little more, 10 o'clock. There you go. Yeah.
Starting point is 03:38:08 Go, go, go. Pause. Towards me, towards your 12 o'clock, straight ahead. Stop. And now go nine o'clock. Go. Platform gives out from behind you. You can go faster. You're on the perfect line.
Starting point is 03:38:21 Yeah. Keep going. Go, go, go, go. I'll tell you when to stop. Go, go, go, go. She's got it. Keep going. Go, go, go, go. I'll tell you when to stop. Go, go, go, go. She's got it. Keep going. Go, go, go. Stop. 12 o'clock. Stop.
Starting point is 03:38:32 Now go two o'clock, one o'clock, two o'clock. There you go. That's the line. Keep going. You can go fast, faster. Run to Nana Mord, put your arms out. You are there, honey. Yeah. You are there, honey.
Starting point is 03:38:45 Yeah! You are there, honey. Yeah! Your skin grows back from your eyes. You can take your blindfold off Orym as you emerge on the platform as finally the last bit cracks and falls out. You look around in the black abyss. Yeah.
Starting point is 03:39:00 Just nothing but darkness and absence in the space where you just walked as you hear it fall out into silence. Nanamori claps. What a fine display of communication. Oh, right. And she gives all the rest of you your ability to talk again. Gently, really impressive. The three of you who I gave you pieces of the scarf, give them to me. She throws it into the darkness. That was a false one. You can't tear a magical scarf in three pieces. But she does hand this to you, Oro.
Starting point is 03:39:54 Ooh. That's the one that put literally it all on the line. Scarf of Intrusive Intent. This beautiful purple scarf with golden accents can be spoken through to perform various magical effects. The bearer can cast Falling Spells, Suggestion once per day, Magic Mouth twice per day, Fear once per day. DC is 15 for those spells. And it talks to people when they walk by. It's what Wren's left behind for many.
Starting point is 03:40:23 Is there an attunement? No attunement. It Is there an attunement? No attunement. It doesn't say attunement. Just gives a have up. Attunement. Well, so far so good. Does everyone feel more bonded than before?
Starting point is 03:40:35 I really do. I feel like we're learning about each other. We're getting closer. I love it. I love it. We should have done this a long time ago. What's left then? Trust.
Starting point is 03:40:48 Wait, trust? Trust? Ash, you took 16. Imogen, you took 22. Oh yeah, that's right. Where's my 30s? I guess I took three already. That's weird. Yummy, yummy-o.
Starting point is 03:40:59 She leans back after the trust echoes. How much did I take? 22. Trust, trust, trust, trust. I took 22 earlier? No. Her, trust, trust, trust, trust. 22 points earlier? No. Her central mouth opens in this black smoke, once again emerges and surrounds and encircles all of you until you have nothing but the black abyss
Starting point is 03:41:15 you just escaped on all sides. Eventually, the coldness gives away to a bit of warmth and the sound of birds and insects. As it begins to gently fade away, you find yourself standing in a deep, fey realm forest. You look up and can see the canopy heavily enclosed above.
Starting point is 03:41:47 Canapag. That's a weird one. It really is. Canapag. It'll be a little bit. And you are surrounded by fey ruins. Archways and walls that are partially crumbled, tall as they stand but fallen and toppled over.
Starting point is 03:42:02 You can see there's all sorts of heavy overgrowth and vines and massive clusters and places of extremely sharp-lipping thorny brambles that grow over and protrude from places and block it out. As you stand here in the center, all of you, with Nanamori, there's a large, what looks like a central well, about 15, 20 feet across, that is filled with still mirror-like water.
Starting point is 03:42:34 Well, friends, we're here at your final test. Here in this interesting site of lost fae history, you all learn to trust one another. somewhere in these surrounding ruins and upon each of these altars lays a section of a blanched ivory branch. I need you all to work together to bring all three of those back here and lay them into the water. Do you think you could do that? Sure, sounds like it's easy. This is an easy one. We just find some sticks. What's the catch? Let me introduce to you some friends. She snaps her fingers again, and out of the shadows,
Starting point is 03:43:47 you see these two figures, humanoid, but their bodies are featureless. Their skin is a pale gray-white. They have these sunken, clouded eyes, and barely a nose and a slit for a mouth. They look human-like, but their features are a little elongated, their fingers are a little stretched, and they all emerge and look at all of you in this still silence. They glance and are two doppelganger friends of mine. And they've been studying all of you in and out.
Starting point is 03:44:33 Two of you will be removed and doppelgangers taking your place. So good. This is about to be like a game of werewolf. But you get to figure out who that is before they ruin this for you. It's among us. And that's where we're going to end the episode tonight.
Starting point is 03:45:02 This is so much fun! You take that back! Damn it! It's so good fun! You take that back! Damn it! We'll jump into this next time. Oh, this is fun! So yeah, we have cards of you being yourself, and then two doppelganger cards that will shuffle in.
Starting point is 03:45:20 Two people will play doppelgangers. All of you will be shuffled, be passed out. All of you secretly look at your cards next time. You'll get to figure, and it'll tell you, if you're a doppelganger, what your objectives are, and where some of the traps are in the map. Clues to how to set it up. So we'll see how trust works next time.
Starting point is 03:45:41 Oh! Woo! So, wait, how is it? Okay. This is so great. We'll go over it more next time. Oh! So, how is it? Okay. This is so great. We'll go over it more next time. This is so fun. Because I just wanted to give a little taste
Starting point is 03:45:50 of what's coming, but next time we'll get to dig into it before we actually begin. Ooh! Great man, you're genius. This is so fun. This is so good. So fun, man. All righty, well.
Starting point is 03:46:01 I threw my watch like three hours ago. It's a good thing you recall that. Well, thank you all so much for joining us. We love you very much. And is it Thursday yet? Good night. Oh, hey. Ashley Johnson here.
Starting point is 03:46:16 And I sure do hope you're enjoying the adventure. Remember when you first found out about Critical Role? Was it through a friend or a family member or maybe even through the words of a stranger in the review section of our podcast? Many listeners find our show through word of mouth and recommendations. So please consider rating and reviewing our podcast because each review makes an impression that may just inspire someone new to give our show a try. And that, more than anything, helps to support us. Thank you for joining us on this adventure and until next time let us try to leave the world a little better than
Starting point is 03:46:50 we found it

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