Critical Role - C3E89 Divisive Portents

Episode Date: March 28, 2024

Bells Hells join the Volition rebellion, where they learn about the inner workings of Kreviris and its leaders known as the Weave Mind... Twitch Subscribers and YouTube Members gain instant access to VODs of our shows like Critical Role, 4-Sided Dive, Candela Obscura, and Exandria Unlimited. But don't worry: 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 and YouTube Members also gain access to our official custom emote set and subscriber badges. "It's Thursday Night (Critical Role Theme Song)" by Peter Habib and Sam RiegelOriginal Music by Omar Fadel, Hexany Audio, Ghiya Rushidat, Karam Salem, Neal Acree, and Colm R. McGuinness"Welcome to Marquet" Art Theme by Colm McGuinnessAdditional Music by Universal Production Music, Epidemic Sounds, and 5 AlarmCharacter Art by Hannah FriederichsAnimated Introduction by Kamille Areopagita, Kevin Areopagita, Mark Adams and Peggy Shi Due to the improv nature of Critical Role and other RPG content on our channels, some themes and situations that occur in-game may be difficult for some to handle. If certain episodes or scenes become uncomfortable, we strongly suggest taking a break or skipping that particular episode.Your health and well-being is important to us and Psycom has a great list of international mental health resources, in case it’s useful: http://bit.ly/PsycomResources

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

These playfully omniscient, fourth-wall-breaking narrators describe all the action, play every character, and take an unorthodox approach to storytelling that really makes the experience come alive. Look to the Midstle of the Week, that means Wednesdays, for new weekly episodes at midst.co, your favorite podcast app, or Critical Role's YouTube channel. We hope you enjoy this amazing story as much as we do. Hello, spellcasters, sages, and spectators. I'm Ashley Johnson, and you're listening to the Critical Role Podcast Network.

Tap into our magical narrative by watching Critical Role as it airs on Thursdays at 7 p.m. Pacific on twitch.tv slash criticalrole or youtube.com slash criticalrole. Twitch subscribers can watch the video on demand right away, or you can catch it the following Monday on YouTube. slash Critical Role. Twitch subscribers can watch the video on demand right away, or you can catch it the following Monday on YouTube. As always, Critical Role will be available right here in podcast form on Thursdays, a week after the initial broadcast. And now, let's scry into the story

and see what mysteries it holds for us, shall we? Hello, everyone, and welcome to tonight's episode of Critical Role, where a bunch of us nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play Dungeons & Dragons. We're going to play Dungeons & Dragons! Spin that hammer, Ashley. Hell yeah, thank you. But yeah, before we jump into our session for tonight,

we do have some announcements to get through, beginning with our first sponsor, Universes, which I recently got to play with Liam over here. It was so much fun. Sam, why don't you go ahead and take it away? Sure. Universus is an arcade fighting game reimagined as a trading card game that answers the question, who would win in a fight? Go head-to-head with characters like Deku from My Hero Academia, Yusuke from Yu Yu Hakusho. Hakusho. Hakusho. Spike from Cowboy Bebop. That's fucking sick.

And now straight from Exandria, two pairs of Critical Role adventurers have joined the universe's collectible card game, the Enigmatic Twins of Vex'ldan. Nope, Vax'ldan and Vex'alia. Still fucking it up. Show the cards, show the cards. And also, those chaotic detective duo

of Jester, Lavor, and Not the Brave. Hell yeah. The Challenger series includes a 60-card pre-constructed, ready-to-play deck. Each box contains a collector's pack with six stunning alt arts, and each Critical Role base card has a foil or art variant found only in the booster.

They're so pretty. Now because this game, you can put them down, because this game is about unlikely match-ups and because we play these characters, I thought we'd give you a taste of what it would sound like if Vax battled Jester. So I wrote a little script, and of course, playing Vax will be Ashley Johnson.

And voice and gesture will be Taliesin Jackson. Oh no! That's not funny at all. They haven't seen these scripts before, so go ahead and scene. Good luck, you can do it, I believe in you. I do not believe I can do it. Okay, and action! No. Shh. Oh no, I can't hear it. I believe in you. I do not believe I can do it. I'm going to add action.

No. No, I can't hear it. I can't find it. I'm so moody and dark. No. No, keep going. Wait, can I hear it? No, keep going.

Wait, what is an English accent? I can't get it in my head. Just do it. Say one line. I'm so moody and dark, the matron wants me to kill you with my daggers. Okay. Then Jester says, I can't think. Oh man, you have a guard, too? That is so cool. The Traveler is super

awesome and can totally give you a drab outfit like a fun makeover. I'm just going. Yep. I'm going to kill you fast. Technically. I've got to finish my line. Oh yeah. I'm going to kill you faster than one of Matt's NPCs.

Technically, you're already dead, so. Unseen, that's good. Oh boy, wonderful. Okay, and now, what would it be like if Nott fought Vex to act out that scene? Here's Travis Willingham as Vex. Oh, thank god. And Marisha Ray as Nott.

Thank god. Okay, okay, hang on, wait. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! That was terrible. And action. Is it my line? Yes, you's your life. Darling, you haven't got a chance against my sexical, magical arrows.

My sexical, mexico arrows? Sexical, magical arrows. Ah! Fluffernutter! I'm drunk buttons! Yes, sir! Trinket, darling, what is this maniac talking about? Minotaurs! Alcohol! Motherhood! Screaming! Thank you, performers. Thank you. Critical Role Challenger. Fuck yeah. Critical Role Challenger series are available today. Get your hands on them at uvsgames.com

slash criticalrole or at your local game store. Be sure to ask for the Briarwoods Co-op Adventure. Now, Matt, back to you. Fantastic. Thank you, Sam. Really, these are dope. I'm back, Sam, from Liverpool. I was just trying and I'm from Liverpool. I like how Jester just had no accent. I gave up, I was just trying and it was not working. These are actual size, by the way.

If only. We're just a little tiny person. Build your deck. I fold up the cards. These are cute. I'm going to hang them up. Next up, Laura, you got some announcements. Oh, I do! You guys, guess what we have right now? You've got a lot of merch.

We've got some Candela Obscura Beyond the Grave hoodie right here. Woo! Okay, so this is a really beautiful piece of art by Amelia Lenart. She did all the lovely watercolor illustrations from the book. And then our fabulous Erin Munroy added a little extra something something. What I like about this hoodie is that even if you don't watch Candela, which you should, even if you don't, this is just a cool-ass design. Is that looking up from the grave?

Yeah, it's like you're at the grave and you're looking up. That's cool. It says, Death is not the only way to go. It's really cool. And also we have, oh wait, this one first. It's a Candelab's Gear Collapsible Dice Tray. You can unbutton it and collapse it. And you can also use these really freaking bad ass

Candelab's Gear Premium Dice. Oh, do the turn. They're metal. They hit the light. They're metal. They're really cool. Oh, so the gilded dice actually. They hit the light. They're metal. They're really cool. Oh, so the gilded dice actually looks gilded? The gilded dice are actually gilded!

That's cool. Like, yeah! So yeah, it's available, I think, in all regions, which means go to your shop and check it out. That box is sick, too. I know! I like snapping this together. It's fancy!

And then. That is actually pretty cool. And you can also use it as a frisbee. Shoo! Shoo! Oh, no. Marisha, you're up. Xena style. Speaking of universes, join us tomorrow,

March 22nd at 3 p.m. Pacific on Twitch and YouTube for a new episode of Everything Is Content. Oh, snap! Yeah, snap! Where Matthew Mercer, that guy, and Liam O'Brien, that guy. He's there. Cards. Battle it out in universes using our cards and stuff. It's real fun. It's really cool.

As we mentioned, it's an arcane fighting game reimagined into a trading card game. We're totally rehashing the stuff that you already know. If you want to play along at home, the Critical Role Challenger series is available right now at your local. I just said that. as you just said. I just said that. Literally was the ad at the beginning. We probably could have tightened this. Looking ahead! Walking forward! Next Thursday, be sure to tune in to episode two of Kindle Obscura,

Circle of the Crimson Mirror, on March 28th at 7 p.m. Pacific on Twitch and YouTube. Game Master Liam O'Brien returns. It'll be more fucking ruthless than last time. Oh yeah. Brutal opening, by the way. You should catch it. Starts on a boat. More Alex Ward for me. Keep talking! And he brings along players Taliesin Jaffe, Aimee Guerrero, Alex Swarm, and Amari Williams.

Hey, Amari! Yeah? Illuminating Voyage as the group tests their investigative limits. SAM and LAURA and SAM and LAURA and SAM and CHAA. Thank you, Marisha. Ooh, pow, pow. No. Don't get it started.

Bow, bow. Oh yeah. A quick reminder for all of you folks out there that our Daggerheart open beta playtest is live right now. Oh my god! If you haven't had the chance to try it out yet, please jump in, check it out. You can run games with your group,

you can build characters solo, you can try it virtually with the Daggerheart Nexus on Demiplane, so many ways you can engage with it. Just be sure to tell us all about it through our official surveys. You can find all the details you need to join the playtest at daggerheart.com. So jump in, have fun, break it, pull it apart, and let us know what you think. So, I think that concludes our announcement. Oh my gosh oh oh no oh bandana yes

let's go and jump in to tonight's episode of Critical Role Critical Critical Critical Critical It's Thursday night

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

It's time to continue our flight. There is magic and mystery, who knows what will happen in life. But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight. From the healer to the renegade, we all share the same goal. Adding more allies, taking more chances, hold your breath and roll. You can certainly try. It's Thursday night. All ye critters come join us, it's time to continue our fight.

It's Thursday night. All ye Critters, come join us, it's time to continue our fight! There is magic and mystery, from darkness our friendship will rise! But one thing's for sure, we never give up on the fight! Oh, get ready, it's Thursday night! And welcome back. Beau. So, last we left off, upon traveling here on the surface of Ruidus, Bell's Hells,

you have eventually journeyed across the dusty and storm-covered surface to the central capital city of Kviris, where the Imperium's heart remains. You've trekked through the surface portion of the very tippy top of this mostly subterranean city. You've met with a few individuals, barely dodged being found out and attacked by some of the local soldiers, defeating a few of them and others just barely getting by. Some druidic ingenuity. Before getting the information you required,

which was the location of the Volition, the resistance troop that has been working against the Imperium for a period of time that you can only assume has been a long while. After finding where this entrance was, you talked your way into the hidden subterranean tunnels before arriving here at the Volition Pass House. Here, amongst a period of tense, immediate conversations

and convincing the Volition members present that you are not an immediate threat. Weapons are put aside and the central figure, the seemingly leader of this, you've been referred to in the past by other members as Roshina of the Golden Hammer, walked you to the edge of this past house where a massive opaque crystal wall sat.

And there, when she touched it, it began to become semi-translucent to reveal beneath the incredibly massive cavernous space that contains the expansive, beautiful, alien, but also in some ways, oddly familiar landscape of the city of Kraviris. And so here, as you take in the sights around here, Roshina removes her hand from the crystal and it clouds over once more

before she turns back to the rest of you. So, you're here. You say we're allied. You say we're alive. You're not a danger. What can the Volition do for you? And what can you do for the Volition? Oh, definitely a pillow, three squares a day, maybe a place to sleep for a little bit.

I wouldn't take your eyes off us if I were you. And for our service to the Volition, we're all pretty aligned on this, so we think. Very convincing. We will help you! We will help you with all the elf men coming in and being like, this is my moon now. Yeah, what she said. We want to take them out. Yes.

If that means taking out your mind weave people as well, we will do that. That's our goal. I say this with all due respect in the chance that we've just met here, but you would all become pace within moments of attempting to go against the Weavemine. Let us begin this

forging of trust with a bit of a chance for you to show us what you're capable of before we send you into the Chipper. Well, we also, we have a lot of allies on Exandria. At the end of the day, it wouldn't just be us. Well, we also have a lot of allies on Exandria. At the end of the day, it wouldn't just be us. Plus, we got here, didn't we? We've been through a lot, just didn't even find you. That's right.

I can tell by the sallow look on your faces and the sunken sockets that surround your eyes, you've certainly made your way here. We need sleep, all right. Nevertheless, you've come at a time where we are in the midst of plotting. So you can make yourselves useful, or you can sit back and do nothing.

Wait, what are you? We're happy to make ourselves useful. We're useful people, but is there something specific you had in mind? Yeah, what are you? We're happy to make ourselves useful. We're useful people, but is there something specific you had in mind? Yeah, what are you plotting? Can we hear? We want to plot. You see, for the first time since your arrival on this Roshina figure,

this slight smile curled at the edge of her sharp-toothed grin, plotting is what we do best. Walk with me. She turns back towards the center of the main chamber where you were. As you can see, she's moving out of this main chamber off to a side chamber where there was a large

rough-looking stone table. It looks like it may have been a circle at some point, or maybe it's shaped in a way where it's circular in size, but it's really rough-hewn. So either it's a heavily damaged table or something that was crafted haphazardly and quickly out of the nearby stone. But as you walk, some of the other cloaked figures

follow around, others begin to scatter and still keep a distance, but you can still sense that you're being watched carefully by many figures in the vicinity. As she continues to walk to the front of your troop and leading you into the next room. We're all here, best in trust. Many of our members, many of the people

who have sworn themselves to this pursuit of freedom from underneath the Imperium have been harmed, misused, put into the position of having not much else in these days. So we are willing to give anything and everything for the future. Is this something you're willing to do? We made our peace with giving our lives long ago.

We know that not all of us will come back from this, and if that aligns with what you're doing, then yeah. Very well. Trust is probably hard to come by, and it's right that you're wary, but you don't have a lot of time, and neither do we, if there's anything we can do to earn that trust. She steps to the table,

puts her hand there for a second. I've trusted before. My father was a very trusting man. All it took was one time to trust the wrong person, and now his hammer's at my side. So yes, I am very careful in who I trust. But to your point, things have been escalating. Come." She gestures at everyone to come to the table as other figures begin to also emerge from the sides. You see one of the hulking figures,

tall, broad back, heavy cloak that's wrapped over the shoulders and a hood that's leaned over pulls it back. You can see one of the Ryloran hulks, like the juggernaut figures that you've seen themselves, muscular and swollen with whatever psychic power that resides within the Ryloran originally. He steps forward and you can see he has heavy marks on his face, as well as elements of the crest of his forehead. You can't tell if it's tattoo or paint,

but he has these unique shapes and designs put into it. He rests both of his arms heavy on the table. You see three small figures scurry up behind him. These tiny two-foot entities. You didn't see them before because he was so broad, but now that he walks by, you can see there are these two bipedal, somewhat chewing gum-looking, textured individuals.

The light here is not very prevalent, but as they step around him and flank to each side, they have a fungal texture across their body. They look like they're some sort of a tiny fungus folk that flank the sides of him as he walks. Like little companion pets or what? You don't know.

And who is this that we're looking for? This is just another figure that steps up to the edge of the table. There's three of these little bipedal, fungal-type entities and big guy. Do they have any kind of, do their heads look like fungus at the top? One of them looks like it sprouts out

into a bit of a spore-like head piece. Another one looks like it's either not fully grown or it's not developing a cap. The other one looks like it's cleft in the center and its head split and then it just heeled over. A claw cut? Yeah, as it walks, both sides flop a little bit. You can see an eye on each of the two split flaps as it wanders up to the sides of this hulking Ryloren. Are these, what are they called, Scytas? No, they're not. No, no, these are Scytas.

It's a new one. Wait, how big are they? Two feet tall. They're about two feet tall. While the figure they're following is about eight, eight and a half feet tall. Okay. And about five foot wide, shoulder to shoulder. Jesus. Whoa.

Whoa. Russhina gives a nod. This is Gaz Tomo. Oh yeah. My right hand and the right hand of the Volition. Gaz, this is, you said your name was? Imogen, we're the Bells Hells.

Bells Hells, yes. This massive hulk, his hood pulled back to drape over the back of his shoulders, places his elbows on the table and leans forward to where he's now eye level with most of you and still tall in the rest and goes, Hey, nice to meet you, Balthasar. Oh my god!

Oh my god! Yes! I'll follow him anywhere. Oh my god! Name's Gash. Yes! It'll take two minutes to get used to this. No!

Wrong lever! Yeah. Moon's weird, man. Oh, I got up here. Now you're all looking at me and feeling a little uncomfortable, you know. A lot of us brutes, a lot of us hulks here in the Imperium are kind of single-minded.

That just goes to show how little you understand about us. Anyway, nice to meet you. Smiling day to you. I love him, I love him. Yeah. When did you join the cause? Recently, or were you always here? No, I've been here about 10 years. Wow.

Not here in particular. This place is constantly moving. I've only been here about three days, but generally about 10 years. Wow. Not here in particular. This place is constantly moving. I've only been here about three days, but generally about 10 years. Wait, did you just say this place is always moving? Yeah, that's why they got the flags. Oh, the headquarters is always moving. Sure, sure, sure. Not physically,

but yeah, I don't think. And this struggle's been going on for so long. Have you made any progress? Well, I mean, yeah. It's just not a lot of us and a lot of them. I don't know. I don't know. I'm not back yet. Well, there's more of you now,

because you got seven more on your side. See, that there's hardening. But you fuck up, we'll take your head off. We will. I'm sure you won't walk off. I can't guarantee we won't fuck up, but we'll try not to. Gas, who are your little friends? These?

These are my mycete. He rubs the top of one. Mycete? Oh. You really are from around here, are you? Yeah. Looks over at Roshina. Roshina goes, Being Exandrians

and your first time here in the moon. I understand the ecosystem of Ruidus might seem a bit strange. The majority of the sustenance of the folk here is cultivated fungus or surface-based creatures for meat and leathers. But the mycete are part of the deeply seeded ecosystem of Ruewood is.

There are, I don't know what the number's about, but thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of them that just work throughout the city itself. They don't seem to align to any political endeavors. They live a short time and, at the very least, are semi-adorable, but they can be useful. And Gaz seems to have a bit of a...

Yeah, I have a soft spot, you can just say. They're not food, are they? No, no. Okay, okay. No, I don't eat them. Okay, but other fungus is cultivated for food. I know, it's a wide variety. At least 347 types of fungus down here. Depends what kind of flavor profile you're looking for.

Texture's pretty heavy. You can go for more of a slime mold if you want. Something more like a party delicatessen vibe. If you're having friends over, it's a whole different thing you got to set up for. And not all of them are alive in the way that these are. They must be. You see, for a second, he's thinking,

and Rishi goes, No, no, they're not, Gaz. They're very different. He goes, Right, yeah, very different, okay. You see, you shook him for a second. A question he hadn't really considered before. The door opened. Uh-oh.

I want to wave at the one with the split head. What kind of reaction do I get? The head wobbles for a second, and just waves back. Hey, little guy. Do they have names? What are their names? Oh my god. I don't know, I never asked him.

What's your name? Then he goes, I don't know, I never asked him. What's your name? Then he goes, I don't know how to pronounce that. So he goes, it's on you. Do you ever try and just talk to him in their heads so you can understand them a little bit better? I mean, I... You see there's an awkward moment there,

and Rashina goes, Not all Rylora maintain the capabilities of telepathic connection. The Hulks, if you are, as well as the many other deviations of the standard Ryloran physicality have been altered over generations by the Weavemind. We began as a singular people, and since they've come into power,

we're now many kinds with many specialties. Did they do that on purpose? Keep people out of the hive? I can only assume it made them easier to control and less likely to resist. Are you saying that they bred different kinds of people? The Weavemind. Five extremely powerful Ryloran mystics. They really are the true ruling circle of Ruidus. They've fundamentally altered the evolution of themselves

and our entire species to meet their ends. Myself have not seen them in person, but those who have been able to infiltrate deep enough to have even a brief glimpse say that their withered forms are far taxed beyond their stretched lifespans, beyond their stretched lifespans, since the same five have been in power, as far as we know, since they came to bear the-

No! This is not a seat that changes every couple of decades or so? The Weavemind has been as it's always been since it started. How long ago did it start? Best records we have, four or five centuries. They're as old as you.

Wait a minute. Guess it's time to open up a sixth seat. Say that five times fast. Say sixth. Sixth. I say sixth. Sixth. Sixth is right. The Weavemind, they oversee magical and mystic engineers throughout the upper echelons of the Imperium society

that develop and support the Dominion of Cruth and its military might. Since the development of the Hoax and various other soldier specialties under the will. They also can psychically project themselves all over Ruidus and can inhabit the minds of those who have been marked at birth. Which is most?

Marked at birth. Dang. They can project their minds all over Ruidus? She turns a bit and reveals, you can see from some of the chains that hang from the back of the neck, she pulls them aside. You can see there's what looks almost like a divot

in the base of the skull, the back of the skull, that it looks like something was carved out or removed and healed over. And you can see, at this point, Gaz takes a nod and leans forward a bit and shows the same thing. They can take control of you at any moment? Every civilian of this city

is at any given point in time possibly an extension of the Weave Mine. Holy shit. Does that mean, just so we know when we're walking around and stuff, does that mean that everyone looking at us is always transmitting what they're seeing back to the Weavemine, or?

They have limitations, or we would've been wiped out long ago. There are still five minds, though powerful and ancient as they may be. We can only focus on one thing at a time each. Ancient. I think I know the answer to this. Has anyone ever seen them?

They've been seen, not by myself, but operatives of ours. We have connections throughout the Imperium. Yes, that's how they said they were. They're all old and shriveling now. And do you think, you said that if we were to face them, we'd be turned into paste immediately

because they're so powerful. Do they have arms and hammers and stuff or do they fight through the will of other people? Are they in little floaty chairs and they're all connected to like? Brains in jars? Brains in jars and they're like. That would be weird.

No, as far as I know, they just float around. They float around like a brain in a jar. But how do they enforce their will? I guess through Cruz? Through the five of them together. It's hard to explain. And I hope you don't see it for yourself. They're extremely powerfully willed

and are able to look and see throughout the domain beneath them here on Ruidus and especially within Creveris at a blink of an eye. But there's a lot to look at and many people here. And the strongest that we can instill paranoia within them, the more unfocused their intent is, and that gives us strength. How do you keep them?

So many questions, so many questions. So many questions. Have you ever had one of them reach into your mind that way? Or someone here. My father ensured that we were unmarked when we could be. Ooh, yeah. Oh. And, oh, sorry, you go ahead, Ryan.

So that's the bit that you carve that out so that they can't? Yes. he could be. Ooh, yeah. Oh. And got it. Oh, sorry, you go ahead, Ryan. So that's the bit that you carve that out so that they can't? Yes. Does that work with non-Rylorans, too, or no? Well, only the Rylorans are marked. Marked as in something was put in their head after birth, or you were born with something that was carved out? Shortly after birth.

It's a requirement upon a Ryloran child being bred within the city that it must be brought into the Arx Cronium to be marked. The Arx Cronium? Arx Creonum. Arx Creonum, so they're tagged at birth. The Arx Creonum. Arx. Arx Creonum. So they're tagged at birth. The Arx Creonum is the citadel that has built into the prime pillar

that I just showed you. Arx Creonum. Arx. That's so fucking cool. Yeah, go ahead. Definitely. It's not Cri-U. So they have the ability to see all across Ruidus. Does their empire actually, So they have the ability to see all across Ruidus.

Does their empire actually, or does their control cover all of Ruidus? Are there places on this moon that are independent? There were. There were. To be honest, from what we know, and I say this because many of the records have been destroyed by the Imperium when it took to power, but there's been, estimated by what mystics we had within our reaches before they passed,

at least four points in history in which Ruidian society had to be reset. By... So much. We don't really know why or where it came from, but Kraviris has been rebuilt at least twice. The central pillar being the only thing that remains. Anyway. Has Predathos always been worshiped here?

This is an interesting conversation I have not quite had with many Exandrians. Oh, sorry. You have your gods. They have no sway here. We see no miracles, other than the visions we occasionally grasp in a dream and are left with nothing but envy or hatred.

Or wishful thinking for some. All that we have are each other and the promises of the Weavemind and the occasional whisper at the edge of our consciousness, that sense of belonging below. The Weavemind are the ones that interpret the will of Predarthos, and for most, that's enough.

It makes sense of all this. Why would he speak to Exandrians and not to the people right in front of him? He speaks to some, but I think you're ultimately more useful to his plan. Can we talk history? You said that these five have been around for four or five centuries, maybe.

What about before then? It sounds like they have complete control, and that's what you're working against, but what about before their rise? Before then, there was the Collective. There were a number of societies that existed at multiple places on Ruidus. There was an event called the Crush,

nearly three centuries ago, that destroyed most of them. There was tension between the Imperium and the Collective, and this Crush was eventually what finished the ability for the various societies and villages to defend themselves, and it was safest to ensure the survival of everyone to bend to the Imperium. And to be honest, for many, there was promise.

But as time has progressed, it seems they have intent elsewhere. And the society is more of a self-reflective tool than it is something they're invested in. At least in my mind. And you see she looks around the table here to the others and they all nod solemnly.

Yeah. Chet. Go ahead, Chet, yes. Oh, sorry. This is fucking thrilling. You wouldn't happen to have, not that it would service any good, any of those carved out, again, sorry about your dome, devices that came out of your cranium?

They look around and eventually come to a nod, and she goes, They're destroyed upon removal. We want to ensure that no possible aspect of the Weavemind's connection could find its way into any safe space. So smart. So smart. What's their composition? Is it organic matter?

Or is it just a room? The Weavemind are masters of psychic bioengineering. I guess is the best way to describe it. So it is an organic implantation, if you will. I got a couple questions, sorry, sorry. Unless you guys do. Question one.

How do they get power? Or like, yeah, how do they, what are they? How are they alive so long? Yeah, what are they feeding on? And tied into that question is, what's your plan to take them down? The answer to your first question is something we are still trying to discover.

We assume it has something to do with the heavy amount of bioengineering and research that they maintain within the Creonum. They have a number of various biological designers and talented figures that have worked under them for generations to better develop their obsessed means of pressing their existence and finding a way to build towards something

that feels imminent. As to the second part, well, we'll have that conversation here in a moment. Ooh, one more question. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. I apologize. No problem. One last question.

There's a whole bunch of dreams going on, right? Like, all the people of Ruidus are hearing the dreams of Exandrians. Did those dreams then get, like, do you know if the Weavemind can see or hear those dreams as well? I would have no confirmation, but I can only assume an element of that is carried on.

They're connected to all the people intentionally. And while they are powerful as individuals, it's when the five of them are together that they are unstoppable. If, if, because we're here to prove ourselves to you, we want to be an asset with a capital A. If you have any bebis, youngings, that are getting their little things carved out of their head,

maybe don't trash one of them. Just hold on to one of them for us, because we would like to do a little diagnostic action and see if maybe we could reverse the flow. Reverse engineering? I can get you one later if we have to. You can? I mean, we're inevitably going to come into contact with one and I'll just, I'll just, I'll... Take off their head and pull it fresh.

Wait, do we have anyone in the back yet? Probably. In the hole? Oh yeah. We should check the back of their heads. Holy shit. We're just going to pull out a bunch of dead. Not right now. They were already dead.

They were already dead. They didn't do it. This might be weird. They were already dead! They were already dead, we didn't do it! This might be weird. They were already dead. Just not in the... We're cleaning up. Not going to do it in here, it's going to smell. You don't have to apologize to us for taking out the trash.

Yeah, I have a question. So you said that before the Weave Mine, there was the Collective, and then the Collective was destroyed because of something called the Crush? Yeah. The Blue Crush. The Blue Crush? Great film.

What was that exactly? They crushed all the opposition? The Crush was like a war. How long have you been here? 300 years. Couple days. Couple days, yeah. Eight hours. 500, 500.

So you haven't experienced any of the quakes yet? The quakes? Well, we felt the big flashes of light. The flares? The flares and the quakes are different. Different phenomenon. Like all terrestrial land that has some element of shifting interior, there are occasional physical quakes.

They're very rare. Maybe once every few years or so, we'd get one through Ruidus and different regions of it. But in recent months, they've been happening more and more rapidly. He's waking. Every month. Down to maybe once a week, if not sooner. The Crush was,

about a little under three centuries ago, a series of quakes so strong that it destroyed most of the surface of Ruidus and laid most of our towns to waste. Or so I've been told. I wasn't around then. Is that why there's so many ruins underneath the deserts? Or cities underground? Possibly.

I've mostly been in Trevirus most of my life, so. Oh. And just as a random question, I like the hammer. What's the deal? Golden hammer? Is it a hammer and a title? I'm just curious. It is a hammer and a title, yes.

Belong to your father? Precious metals of some make are rather rare on this landscape. Gold in particular is extremely rare, and this was a family heirloom that was constructed when my father was part of a, what you would call a masonry guild many years ago. When he stood up into his position within the Volition,

it was and still remains the symbol of leadership within the Volition. So I carry it with much weight and much respect. I'm so sorry for your loss. If we can help you get revenge, we'll certainly try. We've all lost something here. She looks around, everyone has a solemn tension in the air. We're all ready to lose more if it means

that we can stop this cycle of violence, even if it takes violence. Sure. Do you know who was responsible for his death? I feel like you're getting a little too over-focused. Okay, okay. I just want to make sure that we're useful to you. I don't think that revenge

is really what they're asking for. That's not true. Revenge is very much what we're in the game for. But I mean, we can... We got the music working. It was always working. Weird, I didn't even realize it wasn't there. It was driving me crazy.

Yeah. Weave mines, real dangerous, but they're just one of a few. Various factors here that you got to look out for. I don't know. There's, of course, Dominion of Cruith. Sure. Military law enforcement spectrum

around the entire city and beyond there, helmed by the Sundered King Ozo Cruith and his organization called The Will. Oh god. Yeah. Ozo Cruith? Ozo Cruith, terrifying tactician, warriors. Warriors, the most recent long line of Kruths helming the Iron Will of the Rudian military. Kind of a badass, to be honest.

I used to look up to the guy. But anyway, his bloodline has, what would you call it? Like a special psychic connection to the beasts of the land. Oh. Kind of call upon the will. That's where a lot of the slither lords and the worm lords and the vidoche lords

all stem their training through that entire family's bloodline. So if you see one of them, run. Wait there. Or end it real quick. It's like an awkward end. Or make friends, maybe, with the beasts, but good luck if it's not going to get out there real quick. There are lords of slithers,

like the little tadpoles with teeth. We saw them. We saw them. Yeah. Outside of the... Oh yeah, there's all sorts of creepy crawlies that call this place home. Let's just say the Krooths and all their family folk are real buddy-buddy with them. Those slithers had lords.

That's what's real. That's kind of where I went with it. Okay, I'm not the only one. See, where's the Weavemind seen as the spiritual leaders of all the unenlightened folk of the city? Salvation through purpose and the rise and all that. Religion, that's right.

Oza, now they're the inspirational center of the Dominion. They're the ones who, strength, power through strength, power through might, power through fisticuffs, you know. That's the Dominion of the Tree. It's the only point I had to make. I'll be quiet now, and he backs away. Wait, guys.

Oh. What, oh, sorry. What about, there's one more, the Tectus. What's that? There's a couple of chuckles in the room. And Rishina goes, The Tectus are dangerous at times, but also are quite useful.

Reliably paranoid and self-serving, they are the bloodstream between the Weavemind, the Dominion, and many of the various economic and social societal norms. They impose their will on the street level. We also have a member or two within the Tectus that are aligned with our interests, so... What's the phrase you Exandrians use?

Ace up our sleeve? What does that refer to, actually? Card games. Have you ever played card games? Games of chance. You see people lean into the table like, I've had visions and dreams of them, but we couldn't. Sometimes you play a game where you're playing for the best hand and aces are powerful and some people cheat and keep them up their sleeve.

Gatsko's like, oh, it's like holies. Holies? Yes. Is that like rollies? Do you roll something? Yeah, you take a rock and you carve different sides and you put little shapes on it and you throw them at each other until one of you falls unconscious.

Why does it call a hole? Because if you throw it really hard, you leave a hole. That's not where I thought we were going. Is there a point system to this? I'm suddenly very interested. Yeah, whoever's standing wins the point. Well, that's fair. Have you seen Ludinus down here?

Yeah, what do you know about the Exandrians who are showing up on your end? Udahal. We know about them. We've had eyes on them. We've had skirmishes that did not end perceivably well, and a few survivors were able to give us descriptions as well as some ideas of their business

since they've come here, but they've only been here a few weeks, so we've been a bit scattered in getting what we can. So information that you might have would be helpful. What we do know is that they've been, since they've arrived, been bringing all sorts of strange things from Exandria across that bridge

and escorting them there beneath the Citadel. And there's been a large-scale excavation beneath and within the Prime Pillar of Glass. So they're working with the Weavemind, 100%. Oh, the Prime Pillar! We saw it through the... What is that, anyway? Do you know where it comes from or how far it goes?

I myself do not. It's not my specialty. There are all sorts of veins of glass that weave through this world. That's the largest that I've ever seen. And I can see why it's used as a symbolic seat of power here in Kravirus. Can we talk for a minute about the one who sleeps? Yeah.

What is it? I'm not talking myth. Is it a tangible, real thing to your people today? For many, it is the closest thing to a faith outside of the Weavemind, who speak of Eddus, a calling to all of us. To be honest, there are a number of theories that even all of us at one point were Exandrians. You talk about our gods. The people that we've followed here, and that we have a problem with back home. Best we can tell, they want to crack open this place

like an egg and get the sleeping one out for some sort of war, or? We have pretty strong reasons to believe that they want your Sleeping One to eat the gods of Exandria. They put a lot of time and money and resources into going after your faith. And we're here because we're a little worried about the repercussions for your world and ours,

should that come to pass. What we do know is that since the vanguard has arrived. The Imperium has been ushering an era of excitement within the populace. A promise of relocation. There have been days of celebration across the streets of this township. The city itself jovial with music and

dreams realized. So, I know not what this means for this home to us, moon to others, but I believe the intent is for those who are true home to us, moon to others. But I believe the intent is for those who are true to the Weavemind to leave it behind. Are they dissatisfied with Ruidus? You see this hardened look come across her face. The only reason we know that our life is so hard here is because we compare it to what we see

of yours in our dreams. We see a variant fields, beautiful curling rivers, seasons. We see feasts and holidays. We see miracles and... Here there is dust and survival. And there is joy to be found here. And it's one thing to not know

otherwise, except that most nights, the basis of comparison is put in our face. There are many here who would hate you for what you have. They would not be surprised that we've mined our five of them. It's really horrible, I'm sorry. It's all that we've known. Question.

Sorry? We have a lot of questions. We do. Also, I just realized earlier, I cut off Fearne's question. You still have a question that you haven't had. I already got answered. Oh, I cut off Fearne's question. You still have a question that you haven't answered. I already got answered. Oh, I'm sorry. No, it's fine. You mentioned that society has restarted several times here. Do you recall or have any

written texts from your history and how you came to be. We don't anymore, at least within the Volition. We have an inkling from the research that we've done. Do you want to know? Maybe. This has been a lot already. I'm more than happy to share whenever you feel.

You can see her nervously fiddling with the gold hammer at her side. She looks around and you can see there are clusters of other volition figures that have been arming up and waiting. She gives a quick whistle, like this loud two-finger whistle, and folks begin to come into the side of the table.

We have to start plotting our plans for the morning. We have a few endeavors to transpire simultaneously. You want to prove yourselves? Yeah. This is an opportunity. At dawn, we plot. We plot. I'm waiting for it. Can't beat me, mother.

Jesus Christ. Where does Chetney end? Gifts begin. Union is almost complete. Looking about the rest around the chamber. One such endeavor, and please, do speak up if something strikes your interest. We are plotting a detonation of part of the excavation

that should deeply slow their advancement beneath the prime pillar, give us time to recover some of our imprisoned allies, and maybe allow some of your Exandrian allies to bring some reinforcements our way. What we do know is that Sorrowlord Zarthuda is currently overseeing the excavation beneath Creverus, and, well, most of our last demolitions team,

most of our last demolitions team, most of our last demolitions team made a gracious sacrifice to buy us the time we have now. The only survivor who has been a great ally and crafter of some of our means of defense is helming this next expedition. She puts her hand up as a lengthy figure emerges from the shadows. Oh my god!

Me too! Me too! Oh, I'm quite familiar with these figures. Of course. But this unsealing court shit, of course he's involved. You couldn't just tell us where you were? You couldn't just tell us how to get here? Where's the fun in that, Imogen? Besides, you've learned a lot on the way, haven't you?

Be thankful all these little moments inform who you're going to be. If it helps, we know this one could vouch for us, but we're not asking for that. It's really nice to see you again, Ira. It is. Hi, Ira. Hello. Hey, Aimee.

Hi. So you're leading this little exposition. I led the last one. Oh, it makes you so nervous. It is, sorry. You make me so cool. I led the last one. We crumpled two of their tunnels,

but I was the only survivor, unfortunately. By design? I know, that seems odd, Ira. You know that, right? No, they are just so very slow. Crumpled two of their? Tunnels. Tunnels. I heard tongues and was confused. I did, too, and I thought. Tongues? No. I was trying to of their... Tunnels. Tunnels. I heard tongues and was confused.

I did, too, and I thought, I was trying to figure out how to get out. Tongues probably got crumpled as well. This is the excavation that's happening underneath the pillar that the Exandrians, as they're mining something, we're not sure. God, I fucking hate excavations. I mean, this sounds like a good mission for us

for a few reasons, but what were the other options? Yes, what option B? Well, we also have a infiltration. One of our spies, Everoa, a Bomurro scientist who is tangential to the work that Ludinus has been overseeing within the Imperium to repurpose some of this odd technology that he's bringing in. Evaroa has vanished and has stopped.

Evaroa. Evaroa. Evaroa? I didn't get it twice. Evaroa. Evaroa. And he's a Borm... She's a Bermuda. She's a Bermuda. Bormuda scientist, is it? Mm-hmm. Evaroa.

So she's gone missing and we need to get her back? Somebody needs to get her back? Somebody needs to get her back. She's been feeding us information for quite some time since the arrival and some of the odd shifts in the Weavemine's developments. But they were last to be confirmed

working within the Colloquium of Candescence at the base of the Creonum. Colloquium of Candescence. Colloquium. The K-cube. Candescence. Oh my gosh. It glows.

Candelabra. Really trying our spelling skills. It's just so bad. It's so bad. And you said that's at the bottom of the creonin? The creonin, where people get baptized. But not baptized, but they get stamped. Bad-tized. They get marked.

At the Arx Creonum. Bad-tized. Which is the massive stronghold where the Weavemind. You said this Colloquium of Candescence is? Correct. Bad-tized. Is there? Is there? Yeah. Got it. Is where the, in the Arx? The section of the Arx, well, the Arx Creonum,

which you will find out or discuss, is like, it's a stronghold in the sense that it's the core of it, but it is built all throughout this glass pillar. It is like a massive extended mini-city within this area. A vertical city. Yeah. Do you have anything of Evaroa? Evaroa? Evaroa.

Evaroa? Any items of theirs? Unfortunately, no. It's all been contact through messages and everything face-to-face or transferred. Though we have the messages that were sent, some of them at least. That could help. Physical messages?

Physical messages are even where they stayed or lived? I don't know where they stayed or lived. Yeah, the messages would be very helpful. Have you sent mental messages to Everola? Some were mental, some were physical. Because we had to reach out. As a promoter, she cannot. Why?

But nevertheless, last we heard, she was, and a number of other crafters and designers were working on something for Ludinus, some sort of device and or weapon. She wasn't certain. And then that's the last we heard. So we'd like to see if we can either recover, salvage, or at least learn what came of her.

Maybe see what this is. There's also, some of us will be heading to a rescue operation the next day. There's a third option. I love fucking ABCs. It's been a minute. Numerous folks have been taken prisoner by the Imperium, a number of our volition, as well as a number of Exandrians who crossed the bridge and oppose the Imperium.

Some of your allies, and looks over towards one of the hooded figures you saw when you walked in, this scaled, dark emerald dragonborn that you saw in this dark-looking, intense plate armor. Steps forward with this heavy sand of armor, chinking and grinding against the stone as she steps out. Yes, of course. I came here on the behalf of the Strife Emperor.

Oh, what? The Strife Emperor? Wait, who is that again? Y'all, read your lore. I am Bizodin Amarai, the Talon Dart. Was that a name? What did you say? She's who? Bizodan Amarai the Talon-dart. Was that a name? What did you say? She's who?

Bizodan Amarai. Bizordan? Bizodan Amarai. Bizodan. I heard Bizordan, too. Bizodan Amarai. There's been a lot of vowels and consonants. Bazongas.

You worked very hard to make sure that we can't make Bazongas. You worked very hard to make sure that we can't make these kinds of things. Vazongas Dragon Age. Vazoda Amorine. Yeah. You don't deserve it, man, I'm sorry. I never did. Vazodan. That's a cool name.

It is. It is really cool. It's too late. No, it is cool. It's a cool name. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. It's her. All right, we're dead.

But I don't recognize the lore of the Travis. What is this? The Strife Emperor is Bane, who's a Betrayer God. Oh. Oh. That's bad. Yeah. But the fact that they are working with the,

I'm sorry, I'll stop. Oh, so the Dragonborn was sent on behalf of the Strife Emperor to fuck shit up. Oh, well, to fight? I don't know, they just introduced themselves. Well, hang on, but this is to confirm some things that the Betrayer Gods have a similar vested interest. Don't want to get wiped either.

Don't want to get wiped either. To not get eaten, yes. So are you a champion? That's why Asmodeus was. Yes, was interested as well with your guides. She also has a hottie. Sorry, I'm getting ahead. Are you like a champion of the Strife Emperor?

Some would say, aye. What's your weapon of choice? She pulls back the cloak. You can see one arm is missing, and off the side of that hip is this wicked-looking punching dagger. Like a... Punch dagger. With a grip.

Yeah, like this awesome katar that locks into their gauntlet on her armor, and it has this crooked, almost crisp blade that curves in like a talon. Oh! She clicks it in and goes, Whatever inflicts the most pain. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.

I'm going tomorrow to get some of my friends back. Or at least take out as many of them as I can. I want to go with her. I want to go with her. I'm feeling this one. Sorry, think and don't say it. Think and don't say it. You're going to where? Just to fuck shit up. To free some prisoners, I thought. I want to go with her. I want to go with her. Sorry, think and don't say it. Think and don't say it. Think and don't say it.

You're going to where? Just to fuck shit up. Prisoners, I thought. Including some exasperated prisoners. Prison break, but where? The Glasshold Garrison, which is on the lower end of the Arx Creonum. Dang it.

It's on the lower level of the Arx Creonum? Garrison. Glasshold Garrison. Now, it's unconfirmed if they're still alive, though likely are being pressed by the Weavemind and their allies for all possible information. If not made into tools of the Imperium as we speak, they have a habit of turning those they spend enough time with.

How long ago were they taken? Not but a week before. Do we know anyone who also was taken? This woman? They're your allies, right? They're not our people from Exandria, right? Well, she said she's from Exandria. Yeah, but.

I don't think she would know if they knew us. If they knew us. I have no idea. Okay. Where are you from? I'm from Alexandria. Are you from Alexandria? I am Exandrian, aye.

Where from? If I follow my ass. First off, what the fuck are you? Little ten man asking a lot of questions. Like you, I'm a follower of a deity. I'm a champion. Which one? Well, my god might be more powerful than yours, so don't be upset when I tell you who it is.

Just let it roll, kid. We don't know that. It's just... You smell of broken road. Broken road? Is that what you call? Her tongue licks the front of her sharp teeth. It's my favorite ice cream flavor. Broken road? Is that what you call the change bringer? That's what she is.

That's what she is. Oh, I thought you said, I smell chess. She backs up. The intense thing goes like, Freedom brings all to ruin in time. Freedom brings all to ruin in time. He has subtitles. I don't like the way you talk about her. She wouldn't appreciate it either. So there.

So you want to put us... We watch as the dragonborn, as Ivis Odingos. I don't like that. They're not coming with me. That's fine. Hold on. What are you talking about? Are we all going to split up and go on different parts of this mission? I don't know if we should hedge our bets. We should spread the wealth. What are our three options here? Sabotage.

Detonation. Destruction. Three options here is sabotage, right? Detonation, destruction. Sleuthing to find this Everoa spy. Or prison break. Regina, do you think we'll need any help on the, you know? What was the fourth? I don't know if that would be a good idea, Gaz. What? I don't know what you mean, I don't know if that would be a good idea, Gaz. I don't know what you mean, I don't know.

Gaz, what are you talking about, Gaz? Detect thoughts. You detect thoughts? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, sure, go for it. Okay, in Gaz's head, you get the sense of like, uh-oh, did I fuck up? I was just trying to like...

Arby's. I was asking questions, you know. We're not the Beats. You see in the head, like the, oh, oh, I get it, yeah, same here, got it. Oh, is there a getting? He's like, no, the assassination mission, we're keeping it close to our chest.

Assassinationist! That sounds cool. In her head, I'm going to say, who are you assassinating? Ooh. You hear in your head, a figure that would buy us more time. You think I'll have a problem with it? Ooh.

Ooh! Dang. Oh shit. They're going to go kill her. Likely. Oh! Oh god. We don't know this, though. This is all happening in here. You hear in your head,

Would you prefer to helm this mission? Because it's happening whether or not you're part of it. My stomach just got bruised. Matt, you're fine. When are you leaving? Tomorrow. I might need to sleep on it. Very well. But let us know at first break, as we have some eager and well-trained figures waiting in the wings. I saw them.

After that moment of quiet staring at each other, Regina pulls back. Well, we have some things to plot, some discussions to have. We don't have the nicest of Exandrian pillowed, feathered quarters here, but you'll be granted a floor and perhaps a cushion. Rest well.

She walks away from the table and Gaz goes, Sorry, her bedside manner's a little brusque, but I guess that's how we roll down here. Anyway, pleasure to meet you. Come on, little guys. And walks away. He's like, oh, well, very, very. Cushion side.

Oh. They begin to scatter off in groups and go about, but there's still always no less than eight or so figures that are just watching you at a distance. So we're just in here? This is where we stay? Where are we sleeping?

Can we? It's a moment of silence before you can see two of the little mysiat come darting out of a corner. Like, grab your finger and Oh my god! and start pulling you along. No!

Salt! Salt! Salt! Salt! salt, salt, salt! That slug. Oh. It's like, mine. It's just a jellyfish. It's just going to dehydrate, though. No, no, no, no. Perfect.

Yeah, and these are just rough caves. There's no real beds. There's no real beds. There's no separate rooms. The only real door that exists is the one that, at least the one you've seen so far, is the one that led you into the chamber. They lead you over to two small alcoves that they were just carved out very haphazardly.

A lot of the dirt is still resting in the edges of it. It's just a 10-foot-by-10 open space where you have to get real cozy for the night. A moment later, another mysie comes in and just throws this dirty blanket in there that lays onto it, one of them. And then scatters off. Oi, oi, oi, oi!

Just, just! And then darts off for a bit. Would they be considered smaller beasts? Beasts, no. Okay. Well, you're not sure. They're fungal. They're humanoidish.

No, I speak with small beasts, but I don't know if it would work on them. I don't have speak with small spores. I probably could. Maybe try to talk them in their head. Yeah. A moment later, you hear comes in and it's dragging this,

what looks like a leather water balloon with a spout on it. That's pretty large. It's like. That's scooting it in and it is just a bag of water. Awesome. It's like, as it hits the ground, like.

Dibs! Like a water battle. No, no, no, no, no, no. Water balloon. Lose, you lose. Like a bad kid. I'm going to toss a silver. It just runs off. We're just going to run off?

Just leaving it there. Fuck it. Fuck it. What's this shit taste like? What, the... Yeah, is it just straight water in this thing? It's water. Stop drinking my bed! Stop laying on my fucking water!

It's pretty clean. It's pretty crystal. Like, you gather whatever water makes its way through here is pretty heavily filtered through the nearby stone and dirt. So it's like, it's pretty clean. It's not, I don't know, it doesn't kill the pain, but it does hydrate. They have a sparklets truck.

So it's just us now in a cabin, right? Like a small cave chamber? It's an open into the nearby hall, and occasionally figures do walk by, and you get the sense there are other figures on the outside of it, just posted. So we're in a vestibule, essentially. More or less, yeah.

We still have thinking up. Yeah, you put it up. Yeah, so we'll think to each other, I guess. We got four possible, no, three possible missions, as far as we know. No, you heard them talking about it. No, they were just staring at each other. There is another mission. Yeah.

Apparently, they are planning to assassinate my mom mission. Yeah. Apparently, they are planning to assassinate my mom tomorrow. Okay. How do you feel about that? How do you feel about that? How are you feeling? About that? Yeah. That's a lot to process.

Yeah. I think, um... You know, I'd kind of written her off. It's fine. God, I don't know. We've had this talk about what happens when we get to this inevitability. Of course, none of us assumed that it would be... So soon. Yes. I thought it would be after we came back, you know? I know she's bad.

We've said it. We've made that clear. She does bad things for bad people. But when I made that clear, she does bad things for bad people. But when I made that connection, I felt her wanting me to stay away from him. You know? She didn't want me to connect.

And I don't know if that's protecting me or if that's protecting them. Did they make it seem, when you were communicating with them, that you would be welcome along for that? They said I could helm the mission if I wanted to. Do you sense... Do you sense that there's any possibility for redemption in her? God, it would...

It would take a lot, I think. I... That pull is very strong. And, um... She's got almost 20 years on it, you know? And if they do go through with it and, you know, take her out, would you want to? 10 years. She's got 10 years. Would you rather not be there to witness it?

No, she's got almost 30 years. How old am I? Sorry, keep going. Are you years. How old am I? Sorry, keep going. Are you 10 years old this whole time? I'm 28. Oh. She's been gone since I was tiny,

so she's like 25 years with him. It's been a minute. It's been a hot second. It's been a long time, yeah. You hear in your head very loudly. Ow! But would you rather be there to see it or not? To get one more glimpse of her before she goes? I think...

To say goodbye? To change her mind? To see how you hold up? What if I try to stop it? That is a question. To change her mind? To see how you hold up? What if I try to stop it? That is a question. We're also talking about an assassination attempt. Your mother is very powerful. She is.

I wouldn't be able to overpower her. Otohan may be right there, too. I wouldn't be able to overpower her. Orb check. Oh jeez. You see the glow of Otohan. Far more level than it was when you were above the city. She is somewhere in the heart of Kraviris.

Oh jeez. That's what I figured. It's tricky because we go along and you face your mother. Maybe you could change your mind. Maybe. Maybe. That could also be a point against us in their eyes here, if that goes the wrong way.

Yeah. Or get you killed. And probably us. But then, if your mother has to be stopped, would you rather strangers do it? Or would you rather it be you with the chance of getting her back? I don't know.

I never even knew her. Speaking of parents, we don't know. Yeah, I mean, the other mission might involve icing your dad, right? Yeah. Yeah, that sounds like. This is a bit of a pickle. It does. Is that the detonation oil?

Well, he's down there. He's helming that. He's on patrol. He's running it. They're running the excavation. And we're to blow it up. Yeah. Possibly with him in it. And Ira, of course, has his vengeance against him,

so it makes sense that he's helming that one. How do you feel about seeing Dad? Well, he said he didn't even raise you. I did, I just don't know him. But what if it could reveal something about yourself that you didn't know? Well, that would be something, but I mean... I don't know it.

Can I just toss this out here? Because it feels applicable to both of you. You've both got questions that you don't even know you have, right? Look, I would love to be crass and cold-hearted about it, and I am. But this is the last chance you have to ask those questions or get answers, especially if it's going to fill

in the gaps. This is our story. I don't think you can make decisions for other people or even for Exandria before you take care of yourself first, because then we fall apart.

You crumble. We made it to the moon. I think you could get an audience with your mom for one more set of questions. I feel like you could meet with this Unseelie Court guy. That sounds crazy.

But we're on the moon! Crazy's kind of what we do. I'd rather have your mother at our side than against us. I wish there was more than one instance where she was trying to keep you from something

that seems dangerous, because that would at least feel like there's something there worth saving. But it's something. Your mother can be far deep into whatever this mess is and still love you. Sure. Those two can coexist. But does that change the outcome? If she's helping Ludinus, does it matter if she loves me?

Good. You only get one, Mom. I think the tricksy part about all of this is that the entire reason for doing one of these missions is to gain the trust of the Volition. Yeah. And if it seems like we're going on one of these missions to thwart that,

I don't want to fuck it up. it can undermine our connection with them, yes. I mean, I feel like if there's parts of your mother that are... There's still care there for you. And wanting to keep you away, there's still something there in her that I think... There's still love there. There's still care.

I say if we want to keep this group on our side, maybe we try to save your mom, and I don't mind, maybe we can take out my dad. I'll volunteer. Yeah. I mean, I don't know him at all, so. You could also ask, it was to buy more time, right?

This mission that you heard of. Maybe we can ask for a little more time. I mean, they can try tomorrow. They might fail, might succeed. Maybe it could be your last chance if they go off without us and your mother. That's a decision taken out of your hands. Could also ask how many times they've tried,

how many times they failed. What how many times they've failed. What did they come up against? Does a day or two make a difference? They're in a cave. I don't think they're going to succeed. They've been in this cave clearly a while, or a cave. They don't know what they're going to be hitting. Do you feel like this is a conversation that maybe

you could have with Rishina, just say, maybe there's another angle here. Yeah. To Jenny's point, this war, the whole reason we're involved with it, it's been personal since day one. Might not be worth trying to pretend like it's not.

Lot of risks. We could make enemies of both sides, and I doubt that the champion of the Strife Emperor is going to be big on our plan. Holy shit! That's just a story where I'm from. Fucking Strife Emperor. That's a really evil, evil god.

Yeah, yeah. I've never come across anybody that actually followed him. Them, him, he, I don't know. It's bad stuff. It's like war and lawlessness and. Why do you want to go with him, then? I mean, there's a celebrity. I just want to see what goes down. Plus, I mean, it's a lot of action.

But if I was being practical, I would probably go for option B, the Ivarola. Finding them. I feel like our chances are highest with the first one, the detonation one, because we know Ira. She's got a connection.

Yeah. And we're good at breaking things. We are. I mean, we broke the one in the Fire Realm. The only reason I was thinking that we could do that, maybe second or not at all, is because people are looking for us, we're hot. And I feel like we'll get hotter doing that one.

Well. We're hot anyway. We're rolling with the rebels, right? I think so. I also think that, you know that if we are hot already, it's going to be hard for us to infiltrate anything and find out about Evero, Everoa. I just meant we're in this new city.

We're now underground, right? We've left the surface. We could take advantage of any... Our faces not being quite as known for a little bit longer. If we blow up a tunnel and we're running, we're going to be hot down here, too. I think let's blow up a tunnel and prove ourselves to the Volition and maybe head out.

I also think that demolition is probably the easiest, but what I worry is that you will miss your window if we do anything other than follow your mother. Options B and C put us somewhere in the Ark's creonum, which could also give us some answers. Man. Rescuing prisoners is also more data.

It is. It's a really good menu. Maybe we can talk to them about delaying some of these so we can do more than one. Or we split up. Do they all have to be on the same day? That's crazy. Who makes plans like that? I think the detonation maybe is, you know.

Distraction. It's just like a double whammy. Yeah, the detonation is so that they can get in and do the rescue mission. I mean, is that a crazy suggestion? We could also split up. We split up. At least take half and half. Half and half. Because some of these might require a smaller group

than just seven big, dumb idiots. Yeah, the Strife Emperor probably only needs one other person. Solo episode. What a fucking, did you see the weapon she had? It was scary. That armor was sick. You should think about carrying a weapon like that, Chet. It just attaches to my arm?

When you're done with that mission, do you mind shanking Vizadin in the side? Ooh. Would you knight me as a paladin of the Chainsbringer? I sure would, if that's the Chainsbringer's wish. I'm listening. That's all I have to say. Oh.

High five. I mean, I think any of these could help us in our standing with a volition, but only one's got personal stake, and it's really two. Two. But yeah. How close are you to Dad? I don't even know him.

I've heard of him. I've heard of him. I didn't even know him. I've heard of him. I've heard of him. I didn't even know he was my dad until, I don't know, like a week ago? I would also like to say that your dad has been after you since you were born, so it could get a little hairy if we deliver him. Danger close.

Yeah, directly to him. He's going to wonder if he sees her. It just sucks. It sucks because his players, Unseelie Court, whole area of Faergron we've never seen before. I know! This is the worst Denny's ever. I want all the things. We could hang out with Iris more.

Yes. With all of it. If you get in trouble, couldn't you summon your devil boyfriend to help you out? Oh my god. What if we need help? Would he be able to get here? Your devil boyfriend, could he get here?

Maybe just try to give him a call? There might be a problem. You probably can't get him here. He can't get through the gate. No. Shit. Hello? I think you got to lick it first. Wait, if it comes through your ring,

then the ring's already through the gate. Like, if it comes through the ring, then... Yeah, but your coin is through the gate as well, and you're having trouble talking to her. Well, let's find out. He's not like a bear, he's not in the ring. If you summon a demon into this secret hideout, you're going to be in trouble.

I'm going to ask the change bringer a question. I'm going to ask the Changebringer a question. I'm going to focus on my coin. Ask the Changebringer to answer me one question. All right. Because I can do that with the coin. Yeah. All right, what question do you ask? Silently, I ask,

is Imogen's mother redeemable? Ooh, ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Deal it! Let's go. Heads for yes, tails for no. Or if they don't know, it stands on its side.

You fling the twilight zone. It's interesting. When the coin flips in the air, when you flip it normally, after asking a question, it has this ring to it that's like, ching, ching, ching. It has the most beautiful, perfect sound of a coin toss. It's just silent when you flick it.

And when it lands, Just flat or on the side? On its side. On its side. Whoa. Twilight's on. What did you ask? You hit your notes. Unhelpful. I asked about your mom, but...

It's complicated. But it's complicated. Sources say, ask again later or whatever. That means to me, it can go either way. But also, it does mean, I mean, coins don't just land like this normally. It means that the Changebringer is connected to me still, even through the gate.

Yeah. Because the power of my love is strong enough. One thing is certain. We got to fucking sleep. We got to rest. I'm somehow at more than max hit points. I don't even know how that's possible. Did we sleep? We slept.

We did sleep. Yeah, but sure, we can sleep again. Did we? I mean, I guess we just I don't think we did. We're going to now. I think we did. Did we? Yeah. When? I don't know. I don't know. The. We're going to now. I think we did. Did we? When?

I don't know. The last night of short rest. But you need to get your, oh, maybe we took a short rest. We took a short rest because I would be... How many levels of exhaustion do you have? Yeah, so we haven't. Oh, we still haven't slept. Holy bajillion. But I've only used two spells. Oh, there's much right there.

So when I wake up, I'll have one. Wait, we need to get rid of one. That's exactly what I said. I was like, that's sleeping will do. Yeah, but isn't that, was that on the table? She's right, we can Greater Restoration and then he'd be at top level tomorrow. Yeah, but that's not any fun.

Tip-a-top-a-top. It is expensive, although we have a scroll of greater rest. Just got to get you a sentient weapon while you're exhausted. That's free. It's the best. Do you have the juice right now? That scroll was to save Planerider Wrynn in case we came across her.

But I also can do it. But what if I'm not with you? I could do it. Somehow in all of this craziness, I still have one sixth-level spell left. I have a lot of spells left. I'm very good at spell management. That's why I'm confused right now.

I'm not sure what we did. I think using the scroll would be a bad idea, but. How much was the cost? What's the cost? 100 bucks. 100, it's a diamond worth 100 gold pieces. Do you have a diamond? Or diamond dust worth. Oh, we got that. At worth 100 gold pieces. Do you have a diamond? Or diamond dust worth. Oh, we got that.

At least 100 gold pieces. You have more diamond dust than 100 gold pieces worth of diamond dust? I believe so. Let me see in my inventory. I think it says here I have powdered silver, 100 gold. Diamond dust, 500 gold. Fuck yeah. Okay, then I will,

if that's where we're sitting, then I will take that, because this hurts, and I am cranky. You hear these heavy, rapid footfalls. Uh-oh. Maybe hold that thought. So you gas. And around the corner, Gally goes,

I just remembered, you had a question. We totally forgot to get to it earlier. I'm so sorry. What were you going to ask? Wow. Good. Uh-oh. I hear so sorry. What were you going to ask? Wow, good. Uh-oh, I hear, wow. I think it got answered, but actually, I did another thing, I was like,

hold on a minute, hold on a minute. What is going on? All right. How did you end up on this side of things? Well, you know, just... It's hard when a lot of what you've been told your whole life you're supposed to be doing just feels wrong the whole time. You know, I had a moment where I had to run in

with Rashina's dad. And I mean, I had him within an inch of his life, really. Dead rights on the ground, just one little pop, and something in me broke. I don't know why. Like, there was just a look in his eye of just pity and forgiveness. I don't know.

It's hard to describe, but I just started to cry. I've never cried before. And the tears just wouldn't stop. And he just held me. Wow. And I said, help me. And he unmarked me and took me back

and been here ever since. Wow. He was a good man. Gaz? Yeah? What's the plan for tomorrow with the assassination? And could it be delayed by a day? I don't know if I'm supposed to talk about that. Just come on in and ask. Make a persuasion check.

Come on. Oh, that's good. 29. 29, okay, it's like... There's been a particular figure of interest who's been dealing quite directly with the Vanguard, Weavemind, and well, seems to be of this latent powerful figure,

this Ludinus guy that everyone keeps talking about, has been putting on a pedestal. Seems real important. They've been kind of hard to pin down, moving around rather quickly, just seeing bits and pieces floating through the city and vanishing and stuff. You got it.

We're going to have to wait. But recently, I discovered that just seeing bits and pieces floating through the city and vanishing and stuff. God, we need to go back to the lake. But recently, I discovered that she's been held up in this place called the Woven Music Grand Hall. Been gathering a lot of these, witch macaulayts. A lot of you Exandrian folk been wandering on here.

Rude is born. That's the one, yeah. Rude is born. They've all been conglomerating in that musical. It's real pretty. It looks like a big shell. Wow. But I was seen there yesterday and was there for today. So we figure while we have the time here,

at some point tomorrow, we're going to send in a strike team and see if we can take her out and maybe wreck up and tangle some of the plans of the bad guys. And what if she's working against the bad guys from the inside? And by killing her, y'all hurt yourselves. Ow.

I don't know, everyone seems to say she's pretty bad, so. Yeah. I don't know, I just do what I'm told. And just to make sure we're super clear on this, did the woman, do you know what she looks like? Does she look like her? Oh yeah, I spit an image. Kind of wild, I was going to ask a question about that.

Kind of freaked us out when you walked in, to be perfectly honest. I'm sure. We were like, oh shit, Target came to us. Makes it real easy, but no. And it has to be tomorrow, or this is an ongoing meeting that they have there? Well, I don't know. We just don't know how long And it has to be tomorrow, or this is an ongoing meeting that they have there? Well, I don't know.

We just don't know how long they're going to be there. And if they move offsite, then we've lost our lead. So it's, I don't know. You have a plan to deal with the flying, mysterious stranger who seems to be zipping around? Well, I'm not the one organizing this. I'm just here supporting the leadership. There's a general plan that you,

I definitely know you do not have the details clearly, but there's a notion of a plan through somebody's head? I mean, I trust Rashina has it all figured out. She's real smart, and we have a lot of intel on this particular figure, having all sorts of wild powers in line with a number of the Thought Eaters and other high-end mystics. So, and we have ways of dealing with them.

So, have you ever? What ways? Wait, what ways? Well, you're not going to get anything out of him. No, I, I, I, if it could help us, then you have ways of dealing with those Thought Eaters? There are a number of ways, yeah. Look, I don't know how they work, but there's like, sort of like scrambling devices,

kind of shuts them down for a moment, and then folks like me just come in and pop him. Good to know. Yeah. All right. Thanks, Gaz. Gaz, have they tried a hit mission on this target before? No, no, not this one. Never been able to pin her down long enough.

She's always been a distant person of interest, and only recently has her dealings and word coming back that she's rather integral to the plan of the Vanguard, which makes her an asset worth taking out. Does the Volition have a decent success rate on previous assassination missions? I'll put this at about 60-40. In which direction? I'll get us about 60-40. In which direction?

I'll get back to you on that one. All right. But, Gaz, you know it's possible for people to change. Oh yeah, totally. You changed. Oh yeah. You just took this. Yeah. No, real proud of it, too. Yeah.

You know, it's really impressive sometimes if you just give someone a chance and a right path, they can turn right around. Like the chain you're bringing to me. Turn the path around. It would be a shame if someone killed you before you were able to make that change. You're telling me.

All right, you all rest well. See you in a moment. See you. I love him. Can I put the monocle on? And I'm going to cast Arcane Eye in this little room, and I'm going to send it after Gaz, just following him out.

I don't know where he's going. Sure. So I just sit down and I don't know where he's going. Sure. You see him hanging out with Little My Sweet. I just want to see where else people are going outside of this room. Mm-hmm. I am now officially less worried about your mom being good and more worried about what happens if she's just a manipulative fuck.

I mean, I... Officially, now. I don't want to cast any doubt on the volition and their plans, but your mother is gathering a bunch of rudisborn into a single place, and they think they're going to roll in there and assassinate her. That sounds like a suicide mission. Yeah. That's a suicide mission. Yeah. That's a terrible idea.

Do they even know how powerful the Rudisbomber can be? Maybe we should go just so that we can protect them from her. I mean, look at how hard it was just for us to fight that one thought eater. Yeah. That one 16-year-old kid awoke in that moment. He was easy to take in.

Yes, but imagine him times 40. So if we go in there swinging, your mom is going to be really dangerous, deadly. Might be more effective just for you to try to talk her out of there. I wonder if we could pitch extraction. I mean, I hate to say this. This is a terrible, terrible idea, but...

I'll never agree to it, I don't think. Couldn't you theoretically talk to her now? Yeah. Oh. But I don't want to warn her if... I know. Not in here. No.

Somewhere else, but not near. God, this shit's complicated. It is incredibly complicated. We could maybe see her. In a dream? We still have the one scroll. We still have the scroll up. Scrolls?

The mind-shieldy one. You've used them both. That one is... It still affects you right now. It hasn't faded entirely, but overnight's rest will go away. Well, we got to make a decision. Do we sleep on it and decide in the morning,

or do we want to take a peek-seize at her tonight? But if you take a peek-seize, isn't it like you could be given in back to that thing again? I don't know! I don't know anything here. Where do you want to? I don't know. You want to visit your dad in a dream? Did you figure out where she was

other than Rue, just when you were dreaming? Sure, I could find her exact fucking location. But guess what? She could see me, too. I was just curious if locations showed up in dreams. I don't know. My dreams are fucking weird. They seem to here.

Shit. It would be great to have that conversation. As you sit and open if we could maybe add a little bit of extra protection while we still have the barrier of this scroll, but I'm not entirely sure if that's the case. I don't know. Yeah, probably.

Like a little bit of a one-way call. I mean, I think it was reaching out to Pardothos that called Otohan to us before, so maybe if I reach out to her directly, but what would I say? Rather than warning her that we're coming, which is a terrible idea. That's a terrible idea. I can't do that.

Yeah, and the very act of calling might do that. Even if the volition is tipped off, even in the slightest, that she got tipped, it's going to point directly back to us. We have no friends on either side. What if you just reached out to her and lied, and said, you know, Mom, I'm in trouble, and just see if she is concerned or not?

I don't know. I think you've tried that, haven't you? Mm-mm-mm. I don't remember. Well. Do you think? All we got to do is figure out if we're going to go on that mission with them tomorrow or not.

When you tried to talk to her when we were attacking the Malleus Key, did you feel like there was any possibility of swaying her then? No. The only time I felt... at the Malleus Key, yeah. She looked at me for a moment. It was like she wanted to help, but something pulled her the other way. I feel like she's just in too deep to try to, she doesn't know how to get out.

Yeah. Do you think there's a way to reach her tonight to ask her to meet you somewhere safe? Relatively, outside of here, outside of there? Which is the location of this, outside of there. You should just hold the location at this place out of your head. I don't know where's safe, though. In your dream.

I could talk to him in our dreams, yeah. But isn't that like putting you online again? Kind of, yeah, I mean. For everyone to know that you're online? Yeah, but maybe if it happens fast enough, maybe it'll be different with us. And there were less people topside. That's true. Maybe you could invite her

to meet you above. I don't know. Seems like dreams is going to be the safest bet. Even just leaving this stronghold that we're in now. If we're going to do it, then we should do it soon before our scroll wears off. I'll also say, as much as I love all of you fucking complete messes, we're making a lot of assumptions

that your mom is actually good. No, we're not, Ashton. All of these plans and all of these things are taking that assumption that she's swayable, and I just want to make sure that there's, that thought does not leave, because no one's mentioned in all this. It's all been one last chance.

We can talk to her, we can bring it around just to make sure that we do know that this could go real bad real quick. I think none of us have wanted to say that second part out loud. Exactly. Because if it goes south, then it's a throwdown, but we all know that. Yeah.

You just say it out loud. I guess the ultimate question is, are we going to allow this one last chance? Because it seems like if we do it, it really is the last chance. And she can't. We've already tried. Honestly, I thought I'd already given up on her. But hearing that she's...

That she could be gone. Yeah. There's also a chance that if I go in... I might have trouble coming back out. I don't know if it's worth that risk. I might have trouble coming back out. I don't know if it's worth that risk. Well, it's either a dream or no. One more shot. If we're going to do it.

Let's do it. Dream seems to be the only thing to do. Sorry, Ashton. You're going to be exhausted tomorrow. I know. Just remember, and I feel like this should be in a couple people's heads if I've learned anything in my adult life, is that a estranged parent

is just a stranger who can make you believe any bullshit. Just be careful. Okay. Let's sleep. All right. And try to reach out. You all gather up tightly within this alcove and try and prep as comfortable as can be

a way that Imogen can slip into unconsciousness amongst the anxiety and concern. It takes some time, but through some concentration and the support of your friends and FCG's comforting presence. Secret stash of melatonin. Yeah.

Just got a few gummies just in case. Lucky me, parts. You suddenly begin to slip. And it's here in this space, at the familiar, warm, and it's here in this space, the familiar warm red. Nothing surrounds you. There's no dust, there's no storm.

It's just warmth and color. You cast your spell. I do, but because I'm casting it at such an insanely high level, technically I could bring us all. That's kind of cool, but. Unless you just want it to be you, which is also totally valid.

In the past, y'all have never been able to affect anything. You can just compromise us and don't do it. Okay. I think I have to go. Okay. Do you want have to go. Okay. Do you want anybody else with you? FCG's going.

Okay. As the gentle spiritual spark of your friend, Fresh Cut Grass, remains tethered to you here in this expanse, you take in the space and it simultaneously feels like an endless void, but also the proximity of warm water hugging you. It's an odd mixture of sensation and pressure.

What would you like to do? I'm going to search for my mom. Try to find her mind. The minute you imagine her in your mind's eye, you see a light appear. 100 feet, 10 miles. It's hard to tell any distance here.

I go towards it. I try to pull it towards me. Like a rack focus. Within but a split second, the light approaches, and there you see, balled up, knees to chest and arms around the side of your mother, her hair floating, her eyes closed. Imogen.

We're going to go to Brandon. Oh! Yeah! I'm a fan! Good job. Yeah, we'll come back to that. Oh yeah. In just a moment. Oh boy.

Yeah, hang tight. We'll be back here in a little bit. We'll see you soon. Why, hello there. This is Critical Role's resident art dad, also known as Liam O'Brien. We are continuously amazed

at the artwork this community creates. That's why each Thursday at 8 a.m. Pacific, we share a curated gallery of submitted fan art over on CritRole.com. If you'd like to submit your art for consideration, visit critroll.com slash submit.

And thank you to all of the incredible artists who share their talents with us week after week. And welcome back. Nope. All right. I just got something else. Here in the dream, your mother unfurls slightly from her somewhat balled-up physicality the bright light of her spirit in this space, thrumming with a twinned energy to yours. She looks up to you, her eyes open.

Imogen. I'm here. You're as stubborn as your mother, you know that? It seems the harder I try and push you away, the faster you run towards me, and maybe that's my fault. You make me want to help. I know you don't want to be here. It's almost over. It's almost over. It's almost over and you won't have to worry

about any of this. Nobody will. I don't want to lose you. You don't have to lose me. I'm not going anywhere. I just... I didn't want this to be a burden thrust upon you. But I guess it found you anyway.

That's my navitay. I'm sorry. You said before you were trying to make a difference from the inside. And I am. In what way? He listens to me. You said yourself he's cunning.

He is. How do you think, how do you know he's actually listening to you? Because I've seen his behavior change. I've pulled him from the edge a few times, and he's done some good after. I'm not saying he's good, but I'm worried what would happen if I wasn't here,

if that makes any sense. But, Mama, what if you were fighting him? What if you could stop him? For real? Do you even want to? I don't know. This is all so much bigger than either of us, but here we are. Can I reach out?

Can I reach out? Can I touch you? You see her expressions shift, almost like a pained yearning, and there's a hesitation and a worry before she reaches out. As her hand touches yours, they pass through each other, but there's a warmth. There's a connection. There's a...

There's a nostalgia. Are you doing this all for lewdness, or... Do you feel that pull from the sleeping one? I'm not doing any of this for Ludinus. I'm doing this because I didn't have a choice. But you did. Neither of us do.

We're here. I tried to keep this from pulling you here, but you came anyway, and now we're both here in the center of it all, and it's going to happen. But I want you to be free of it. And once this is over, all of us will be, all of us who were not given a choice

but be born into this red light and changed. You know how much I miss just taking care of those horses? You know how much I miss just taking care of those horses? You know how much I dream of just walking the fields and making breakfast at sunrise? All that was taken from me. And all I could think about was making sure I didn't take it from you.

And I failed at that, too. It seems. Mom, I want you to leave him. There's a fight coming. I don't want to fight you. Imogen, there are children here. I know. Like you, that rely on me. Can we just make sure he never wakes up?

Put him to sleep. Get rid of lewdness, and keep him asleep. I don't know if that would just be delaying the inevitable. In being so close to this, I feel like I have, I feel like I can guide this the best way it can be. I'm surrounded by some very dangerous people,

but they need me. I can feel it, and they listen to me. And I'm scared of what would happen if I wasn't here. What would happen to these children, these people? Think of the children that will die if you let him free. I don't know why you think people will die for this. Predathos doesn't want to destroy the world. Just the gods.

Who do you think those gods protect? That's a good question, isn't it? Tell me what you know. I'm here to convince you the other way, but if you have something that could bring me to your side, I need to know it. What is a god but a tyrant that's always been? They protect those who give themselves to them,

like any other king. I know change is hard, and I know that... I don't know why This is all so... And part of me just wants to run away from it all, but I know I can't. It's too late, and I... It's not too late. It's not too late. Sweet Imogen. You know I love you, right?

I love you and I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there. Maybe one day when you have a child of your own, you'll understand, or not. Are you prepared to take my life? Keep that child from being born? Don't say that, Imogen. It could happen. We're on opposing sides here, Mom.

You just need to run away. I'm not run away. I'm not running anymore. I love you. Daddy still loves you. If I do this right, maybe we can all go home. No, Mama. You're lying to yourself.

They're lying to you. Ludinus is an evil, evil man. And he's gone into your head. History is filled with evil men. But few have the courage to stand up and try and stop them. Where I'm standing. I don't think we're on the opposing sides

like you think we are. We just have a different myth, that's all. That's all. Please see it in yourself to understand why I've done and given up all of this. MATT and LAURA Maybe it's your turn to run. I'll wake up. She wakes up, I'm still in there. I'm like, where'd she go?

Oh god! Fuck, I forgot you were in there, too! Oh god! Nice to meet you! Hi. Can I touch you? Yeah. I forgot my... Yeah.

We were locked overnight in the bank. That was fucking... Damn. That was fire. She's still Lulu. Yeah. She's Tallulah. Yeah. She's in it. Tallulah?

Mmm. Mmm. I don't think we're going to convince her otherwise. She sees the good in it. And she is saving people. I mean, there's children here. Mm-hmm. A lot of children have already died. And more will. Is this the middle of the night, the morning? Where are we? She went to sleep. She went to sleep in the middle of the night.

This is maybe a few hours into your rest. Sorry. Are we all asleep? Do we stay awake? Yeah, do we stay awake? You tell me. Yeah, I guess it's up to you guys. I'll wake up for a minute. That's fine. I'll stay asleep.

Okay. I don't want to die. Treshy scribble in front on the table. Been watching it the whole time. It's moved to the surface. How many hours has it been? It's been a couple hours into the last. Couple? Yeah.

Okay, I was thinking of risking an exhaustion point. I'm going to say that Orym's awake and has been just sitting with a sword in his lap. Okay. Imagine we could take, it's probably smart to take watches. Yeah, take watches, right? We should take watches.

We're not safe here. I'll take the next watch. I'm fine. Do you want to talk about it now or do you want to talk about it in the morning? I don't think I should go there. To your mother. I think she's...

Too far gone. I mean, that's fine. Do you think... Do you have any opinion about whether others of us should go? Just to see? I don't think I could forgive you if you had a hand in it. What if we had a hand in stopping it? Could you forgive us then?

I have a very strong feeling this assassination is not going to be successful. I think you're right. I agree. Might be best to steer clear of it altogether. I think we should let them know that they're in for more than they can handle. That's wise. All right, and then we'll do a different one tomorrow,

or a couple. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Okay, why don't we sleep on that? Sure. Figure. Yeah. Imogen.

Hmm? We're all real sorry. Thank you. I knew it, you know. This was just a confirmation. She's not bad. It's all gray. It is. Even the gods are gray. Love mean, love them or hate them, they bring a lot of order to the world and a lot of joy, but also, you know, there's bad ones, too. Everything's gray.

She called them tyrants. The gods? Yeah. She wasn't talking about mine, right? Like, specifically? I mean, she said they protect those who serve them. That's pretty ironic, coming from someone who's dedicated their life serving Ludinus. Yeah.

Well, he is up for the job, I suppose. What do you think she knows? She said he was going to do some really bad things. She pulled him back from the brink. I mean, she's one of his generals. She's probably got some... I mean, what do you of his generals. She's probably got some... I mean, what do you think she knows about the gods? Oh, whatever Ludinus has told her.

You know, she doesn't have any more communication with them than we do. I mean, the people of this moon are incentivized to not let out this thing because it seems pretty clear from the previous crushes and the earthquakes that everything goes down if it does, but what's the knowledge driving all this? What's the perspective? Just unseat the gods because they're tyrants? It's kind of come from somewhere.

What? I feel like we haven't, I feel like we're missing pages out of a book. Yeah. We can't find them here, though, because we're blocked, but maybe if we get back... It's also just hard when it seems like the only perspective we do have is Ludinus's, and...

He's a crazy fuck. And he's a crazy fuck. He just wants power. And at that point, it's not perspective, it's propaganda. This whole time, Orym has just been replaying Keyleth getting stabbed by Otohan at the Malleus Key and everything that happened on that day in Zafra and listening to his friends try to figure it out.

We have our perspective. The perspective from the bottom is one of the better perspectives. And I can see the tyrant in the gods. Sure. But I can also see the tyrant in the man. We're not that different from each other, are we? Gods and mortals.

I want to know who these five minds are. Yeah. Are they trying to control it, support it, wake it up? Or are they trying to keep it asleep? Also, according to Regina, it sounds like the vanguard in Ludinus is making pretty big promises to the people here that he's going to give them salvation, bring them to the Promised Land.

Relocation. Relocation. So I'm assuming they have no idea, to a certain extent, what kind of destruction he's planning on bringing. I mean, who knows? Rodathos might just be an energy entity. It might not be anything that would destroy Ruidus.

Is he called a God Eater? Well, sure, but. Not a moon eater. What if waking him up just means that he feels, I don't know. Maybe they have been told they're going to get off the moon before it happens. I think that's exactly it. The whole thing just doesn't...

You're right, we are missing something because they want to go down, they're being told they can go down to Exandria and live the life that they literally can only dream of, but that life won't exist if the gods are gone. Well, it was a version of that before them. I don't think so. It was real messy, though. There really was a version of this before them.

It doesn't... It was nature. Just nature. I feel like the gods have made Exandria a livable place. If we take them away. What makes you say that? Because...

We saw it ourselves, that garrison. Without the gods protecting that border, all of the demons coming in from the Nine Hells were set free to just destroy everyone around them. Yeah, they maintained. The gods stopped that. They maintained nature and laws and hope and redemption. I think there were nature, laws,

hope, and redemption beforehand. I think I'm not arguing one way or another. I'm just trying to make sure that we're not... We need to be clear. Nature is chaos. Yes, and there is a goddess of nature. Is she chaos? Is she violence? Because nature is violence. Your titan's showing. Yeah, he's older than the gods. What's Ashton's arm doing?

It's just, I'm just putting it... It's easy to think that life would be unlivable without a tyrant. That's what they do. It's a super big coin flip, though, to think maybe it'll be okay if this thing is released. Are you sure? No. Yeah. What happens if you're wrong? Yeah. Exactly.

Also, let's just remember what we learned from the texts that came from Vasselheim. A chunk of Exandria was scooped up to create Ruidus to encompany and surround whatever Prodothos is, so it doesn't seem like it's just pure energy. They imprisoned something. Something. Also, texts coming from Vasselheim are already written by one side of history, right?

My brain just said T-E-X-T-S. I did, too. Oh, we all got one. The other part is the latticework, right? The gate around the moon is also like the divine gate. And the divine gate was made because the prime deities promise not to meddle with Exandria. Whatever that fence work is keeps the deities off of Exandria and also keeps Predathos off of them.

If you're all-powerful, shouldn't your word that you won't meddle in common affairs be enough? Why do you need the fence unless you're worried about something coming from the other side? Well, it keeps the good gods out and also the ones that are not trustworthy, right? I don't know. Your strife emperor. I don't know if the strife emperor is beyond the Divine Gate. I don't know. Your Strife Emperor. I don't know if the Strife Emperor is beyond the Divine Gate.

I don't know that. They're all, well, how common is that knowledge? Whether God knows yet, do we know? Yeah. For the Betrayer Gods, man. People know loosely of the history of the Calamity, and in the Calamity, all of the gods, it's said, were sealed into their respective realms

and the Divine Gate was placed to keep divinity separate from Exandria. That's what it said in a casual conversation. The elevator pitch. Yes, there's details throughout there, but yeah. Like the gods coming to Exandria and barring the Titans away off to their other planes of existence and bringing order to the world.

That's just, I mean, we above table, we know that that's the lore, but that's myth, right? There's no footage. Correct. All myth in history that exists in Exandria and the published books are all based on the perspective of the society that's endured past those times. The winner. Which is Vasselheim, the Dawncradle,

and others beyond that. So like all history, there is truth and there's interpretation. But what's the answer, man? Regardless, I don't think we should set Pardothos free. I don't think we should let him eat all the gods. You're anti-Pardothos now?

Well, of course. Just put it out there, not that you should do this. This is a terrible idea. Don't listen to this for one second. If you could reach out and talk to your mom, can you reach out and talk to Ludinus in your sleep, too? Talk to Ludinus? That's a terrible idea.

I thought it was a terrible idea. That was an absolutely terrible idea. He's not rudest born. He covets them. I'm not saying it's not possible, but. I'm sure. There's a reason why he hasn't shown up in your dreams yet. Yeah, that's true. He doesn't blink like the rest of them do.

Oh, that's right. Also, I cannot believe that I'm actually going to say this, but I've never had this thought before. We have established, or at least I feel like through experience, we have established that the gods are, they are a bit like us. They're not good. They're just flawed.

So maybe the Betrayer gods are just shits. Yeah. Who can occasionally be right about some fucking shit. I have another big universe question above the table. Sure. Let's do it. Wasn't that long ago, wasn't that long ago that a fucking mortal man popped out of a shitty dimension, said,

and turned himself into a proto-god and stomped all over everything. That was immortal. It wasn't a god. That was just an uppity... Are you talking about the Traveler? Yes. Some tears. I'm talking about the a-hole that Vox Machina destroyed. After the fact, colloquial, across the world, everyone knows that happened,

but do people of the world know that that was a dude from ancient history who juiced himself up into being a god? In some circles, yes. Not this circle. No. You might know. Also, what is the worldold? You would know. On a public level, people were aware

that there was an imminent threat of some terrifying wizard who attacked Vasselheim and was defeated, and knew the intent of becoming a god. However, I would say that in some places in the world, the truth of that is obfuscated to ensure that the public doesn't panic at the idea of another human being ascending into divinity.

Ooh. But does the world know a giant stone kaiju? Oh yeah. With a tower on its head? People know of the event and people. Wizard. Yeah, but like the Whispered One, even then was practically struck from history. Since then, it has become a myth in its own right as part of the story of Vox Machina and the assault on

Vasselheim. But those who are present and those who are learned and those that are part of these debates. Oh no. Oh no. I take back 80% of what I've ever said to you. You're magical. Is it really? Oh, don't reach in there, Laura.

It's all good. It's so good, you guys. Oh! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Born of the dunamacy.

Dunamacy! Oh my god. Man, he told that joke with his whole dunamacy. Okay, this has been a good long rest. Okay, yeah. My dunamacy fuck fell off. You should get that checked out. Look at all those teeth. No, no, no, if you're going to do that,

do it without rhythm. You got to do it without rhythm. Oh god. you're gonna do that, do it without rhythm. You gotta do it without rhythm. God. I don't think it landed on Sam. Long rest! All right, but we should take shifts. She kinda shook me. Sure, sure, sure.

I'll take next. Well, I took first, so I'm gonna say, you kinda sold me. I'll take two. Is he being serious? I can't tell. I think he next one. Well, I took first, so I'm gonna say, consult me. Is he being serious? I can't tell. I think he's serious. But you weren't there. She had so much love for you. I was not there at all.

I'm just saying this above table. Did she? She did, she did, she did. She did? She did. She said four times. You can have love and be delusional. Yeah, she had love. She had love, I believe that.

But to call them tyrants and shit, I don't know why. Fully, I just think she loves lewdness more. What does she know? That's fair. Long rest! The cause? Sure, long rest. Cult. Long rest!

Long rest. Long rest. All right. With cycle. Maybe she thinks she can make it happen safely. Maybe she just thinks she can take the lewdness out. Yeah, no, I think she thinks that. I'm pushing the button, long rest. Because she said, because she said. You heard there. Never mind.

Yep. No, I think, yeah, I think you're right. I think she thinks she can do it safely. It's not going to destroy us. Oh, it's so good. I mean, she also clearly doesn't have the full picture. Why can't I just have? Sure, but neither do we.

Could I be rude as far as I know? I know, I know, but it's clear she's being painted. Everybody thinks they're right. Yeah. We don't know. When Jenny dies, your next character can be Ruedas Porn. Minus two could be Ruedas Porn. I get to be Dune's Porn.

So I can go to sleep and be like, . I want to talk to her. Tell me. You would dream every night. Uh-huh. All right. It'd be more annoying than just dreaming.

They'd be like, get out, get out, go away, you're no longer Rue, this is boring. Hide me, check me. Any conversations during the evening's rest or each jump to the morning? We'll jump to the morning. Okay. I know.

Some of that was in character. Some of it. We'll do it later today. End time. Yeah, yeah. All right. How far away are Fearne and Ashton from each other in this room?

I mean, the room's pretty small. Is there like 10 feet? Are you a schnover? I'm just curious. Little log staler. I'm sleeping in the corner of the ceiling. Oh, just like Laudna. Staring at you. There are gargoyles in the corner of the ceiling. Oh, just like Laudna. Staring at you.

There are gargoyles in the room. Yeah. So wait, we don't clear your exhaustion, just one point of exhaustion? I get one point of exhaustion off, so I can now move at a reasonable pace, but I still have disadvantage on my ability checks. Thankfully, not saves.

Okay. So I'm just shit at things. I have a migraine. After a full night's rest, you all, one by one, begin to wake up, though it's always odd to wake up in a space where there's no sky or sunlight. You just have to assume it's been enough of a rest.

Let the body's circadian rhythm carry you through. But as you all begin to wake up, you can also hear the energy already echoing through the distant halls as figures are gathering equipment, people are conversing and moving around. It looks like today is definitely a day of action, and people are starting to prepare themselves

for whatever is ahead of them. What would you like to do? I want breakfast. I want breakfast. I want breakfast. We've got to figure out which task we think is the most. Yeah, should we just do? We're going to help them. Democracy it? What benefits?

Are we breaking up, or are we doing just one? Arcane Eye. Oh, right, we didn't even pursue that. We can go back on that, dude. Okay, I'll save it. If I can go for it. No, get it. What did you see? It's okay. He's got juice. I'll explore these halls that, dude. Okay, I'll save it. If I can go for it. No. Get it. No. What did you see? No. It's okay.

I'll explore it. He's got juice. I'll explore these halls. He's got juice. Ooh. That's something other time. That's on me. I wonder if I follow somebody better than Gaston Moe. There's no one better. He was largely just having a few conversations. And found the ping pong table. He's fine.

He's playing foosball with the little b-seats. I want to see what d20 foosball is like. My seats? V-seats? My seat? My seat. My seat. Yeah. I just wrote my seat. Three of them plus 10, that is actually a decent foosball game right there.

Anyway. Yeah, what are we landing on here? You said you're not feeling going after your mother. No. So Stripe Emperor it is. Do we want to try and do two of these and split the party? Sorrowlord Zathuda is the detonation one. Sabotage. Then there's Infiltration, find Evarola.

Evarola? That's how we find out what Ludinus is building. When there's infiltration, find Evaroa. Evaroa? Evaroa. Evaroa. Huh? That's how we find out what Ludinus is building. Yeah. The detonation one. No, no, no.

Infiltration is how we would find out. Evaroa. Evaroa the spy. She was a born woman. Rescue. Chetney gets to hang out with a psycho. My life. And maybe we could find some allies

that have been held in the garrison as well. Mm-hmm. I mean, it's got to be between B and C for me, if we're not going after your mom. But her dad! And Ira! Aren't you dating Ira or something? No! I know, but doesn't he have the hats for you? No. I think he wants nothing to do with me.

I think he probably finds me annoying. You just have a talent crush on Ira. I think he's spooky. Is that right around? That's all. Do you want to go with Ira? Yeah. Okay.

Fearne exits the chamber, and you begin wandering through the halls. You get odd looks from folks that are still uncertain. I think she's going to go flirt with your boyfriend. It's fine. Is it? Yes! Says your girlfriend.

Eventually, you come back to that original chamber with the large stone table, and you can see that people are setting supplies to the side, there's some conversations happening. Rishina is in the process of having a whispered conversation in the far corner. Just beyond that chamber, near where you first entered, you can see the shadow of a spider-like figure

that is fiddling over a table with a bunch of materials. Jeez. Hi. You approach and you can see Iroh with a heavy set of multi-lens goggles that you saw him previously, like many months ago with your folks. They're set and there are a number of small devices.

There are a couple of these odd leaf-like stones that are set up on the side that he's finished setting up over there. And there are two almost duffel bag-looking bags that are currently closed, and he's in the process of assembling what looks like a massive iron cylinder that has strange runes that he's in the process

of carving into it. He turns to you as you nod and goes like, Good morning, Calloway. Good morning. I forgot your last name. That's fine. Um, so, so. Ding!

I just wanted to know, what's your plan here? You're just going to go in there and you're just going to blow some shit up? Well, not as simple as that, per se. I'm going to take a team. I'm going to cloak us in illusion. We're going to find out where the nearest tunnel

has been constructed since the last session. We're going to find out where the nearest tunnel has been constructed since the last session. We're going to sneak in past the troops and take out the ones that are problematic, get to their drilling device, set up these explosives, exit, and boom. Wow. So? And boom. Wow.

So, what's your beef with Sothuda? Like, what's that about? I found out some things. I understand that he's my dad. Yeah, some conversations have been had. Still have a lot to figure out there. But yeah, what's the deal? What's the deal with him?

You don't like him? He's not a good guy? He's a prick. Oh, he's a prick. That's even worse. I've had dealings with this ilk for many years off and on, and they're just, oh, so pompous, so self-absorbed, and so wishy-washy.

I hate it. I hate them. Beyond that, not much else, you know. They just sort of reneged on the deal, and Hibben Ludin has left me an alert, stole my designs, technology, claimed it is their own, and are now here trying to change the course of history and not give me any credit.

Oh. Also, it's fun and interesting up here. Look at these people. I like it. They're weird. Yeah, it's kind of fun up here, huh? I like a lot of what I see. Do you have any clue as to why Zathuddu

was trying to basically pad me at a certain time? Just wanted to know if you have any ideas as to why that might have been. I couldn't tell you specifically, as he's tooling on his device over there, as he's talking to you, concentrating on his work. What is it? What does he mean? What are you doing?

I'm preparing for the mission. Finishing up my inscriptions. In my mind, it seems that Ludinus and the vanguard's interests involved creating as many Ruedis born as possible in the hopes that the few odd children might be born special. You were halfway there.

I mean, just because I was Ruidus doesn't mean I'm... That isn't fully what makes me special. No, your friend. No, she's the special one. That's rare. And that's what they wanted. What do they want? What are they going to do to her?

I don't know. All I know is, and I say this with absolute love and understanding of a disappointing father, is that Thudda might be, this with absolute love and understanding of a disappointing father is, Thuddu might be, he himself might be a little disappointed. For him to be disappointing, he would have to be present, so.

I just don't know about him. True. I know he invested a lot in you and... Maybe he just didn't find the potential he was hoping. What a dick! Look at you being a little bit of a dick. I'm just answering your question. I love how all three ladies verbally respond to you, activated.

I take no back-to- personal advantage with you, my dear. I find you fascinating. I'm just saying, your father might be shitty. All right, well. Okay, last thing. He is, it's fine, it's fine, I understand. So here's the thing.

Is there anything about, is there anything I should know about him? Like, away in the woods? Fucking amazing. Because like, here's the thing. I have no attachment to him whatsoever. Mm-hmm. So.

That means we're done. That's neither here nor there. So maybe if you want to give me any advice, maybe I can just wiggle in there and help you, because... I'm just putting it out there on the table. You want to turn this into a bit of familial reunion? Well, I think that's probably going to happen anyway. So if there's a way that I can help turn the tables...

Plus, I really want his mount, the little animal, to fly around. That's it. That's all I ask of my dad. Okay, just one thing in my life. I want a card. I want a pony. I want a feather dragon. I'm not against this planet all, my dear.

After all, I would love to see the look on his face when he's taken down a peg or seven. I think that can be arranged. All right. Well, I'm going to go back to everybody and hope you have a great time. I don't know if we're going with you. I don't know what we're doing yet, but just...

Up to you. There'd be no better time. Yeah. Just try to be honest with me about stuff, okay? Don't be all fey with me. And I won't be all fey with you. I'll shoot straight. Girl. We both know who we are. And we can't help but being ourselves. Touche. Let me know who's coming with.

We leave soon. He grabs the satchels quickly and scurries off into the shadow, leaving a trail of little bits of leftover materials. He is so weird. All right, I'm going to head back to the group. As you return, I'm just finishing the last little bits of my ritual casting of telepathic bond. Yes.

And the change bringer shall bring us the gift of communication. Ah, god. We've lost that scroll again, though, so. It's possible. Yeah, we're free-balling it. We're not, it's not worth pushing through a spell to clear me up, or no?

I don't know, what are we doing? Let's decide that first. Are we splitting up, or are we going together? I have a little convo with Ira. Yeah. So he wants to do a situation where everybody's cloaked, they go in, they blow it up, you know, if that's something. So that's an option.

Okay. You know, I think there's some other things that we could, I don't know, up to you guys. You got any steak? Do you want to go? I don't know, I don't know. I mean, that's just like a blow-up situation. Insight check.

I don't, I don't know. You don't even have to tell me the number, I don't know. You don't even have to tell me the number. I don't know. I don't know what the right thing is to do here, guys. I have a lever. Why don't you know? It sounds fun. Blowing shit up is always fun.

Well, of course, but like, what's the most important thing that we need here? Information. You know what I mean? It's information. We can get information from. Blowing up shit is fun, but like. I'm sure we can get information from any of these missions.

Sure, but I think Verne has a point. I'm not trying to be a dissenter here, but it feels like the Arx Creonum and some of these other things, whatever Ludinus is working on with the scientists, or stuff with the Glasshold Garrison, all things, we're here for a very limited amount of time. We need to figure,

reap as much information from our time on the moon while we can. Yeah, I was pushing for Ms. Temult yesterday, but if it's not in Imogen's best interest, then I'd be behind Everoa. Everoa? Information. It's Everoa or the Strife Emperor situation. While you were sleeping, I snuck out and hooked up with the Strife Emperor situation for me? While you were sleeping, I snuck out

and hooked up with the Strife Emperor check. It was awesome. Hooked up or hooked up? Hooked up. Okay. Scales, totally new for me. Great. How was that? I didn't really do it.

Sleepy. Immediately later. Saved me an insight check. With disadvantage. So are we all going to go Everroa, or a half? I feel like an infiltration, that is a big, stealthy sort of situation. That's a lot of us to do that.

Well, all we have to do is one unit. There can be people that move for different parts of it. That's true, but that's a lot of, I mean, you can turn yourself into a poor moto. We can get more information if we do two things. You can hear it, folks are starting to gather around the stone table again. We got to make a choice, y'all. I mean, if we do want to break it, maybe let's ask what the preferred size would be for

Evaroa, and if it's smaller, then we can break up and do something else, too. All right. Get some beads. Let's join them in the room. Yeah. All right. I wait for everybody to file out and grab Imogen, pull her behind for a second. All right. Hi. You feel so distant? Lost almost.

You too. Are you all right? No. Are you? I'm not sure. I mean, I'm not all right if you're not all right. I'm really protective of you, Aed, and I don't... I don't want to come across as harsh towards your mother.

So yeah. As someone who loves you, I don't know how she could abandon you. You love me. And you have another power pulling at you at the same time, right? I do. I thought we lost Delilah. We fought her. I thought she was gone.

And the minute we split up... You fanned that ember back into existence. I feel like that flame is bigger than it ever was before. Does that mean you don't love me? Of course not. But I guess getting rid of the pool, just like the gravity of the moon. It's complicated. Harder to break free. I'm sorry for what I said with Nata Mori. Again, stop thinking about it. You already have to deal with so much.

I don't want to be an added burden. You're never a burden, Laudna. And I can hate Delilah and love you, which I do. I don't know how to let you let her go. I don't know if you can. Do you think you'll ever be rid of Rudis? That's our path, right? It's either be rid of Predathos or embrace it.

I don't think there's a half... measure here. But if getting rid of Delilah means getting rid of you... I don't think that's worth it. I just wish I knew why you gave her power again. I didn't mean to. It wasn't a choice. She never fully left. I think we all wanted to believe that, and it kills me to know that you all had to go through what you did for what seems like a lot of nothing.

It's not fair. Are you telling me the truth? You wouldn't lie to me again, right, Lana? No. You just said so yourself. It's complicated. This isn't a one-way road. I'm not feeding her. She's feeding me. It's symbiotic. I don't understand how it works. I never have, and I probably never will. All right.

But if you... If you can't reconcile with that... I grab the side of your face and kiss her. It's okay. I will never let you go. And if you need her, then that's my answer. What if by holding on to you, though, I'm holding you down? What are you talking about? I need you. Imogen, you're destined for greatness.

Look at everyone around us, they say it, you're special. That's bullshit. It's not. We can all pretend like we're special. Unique, maybe. But not the kind of special that you are. Everything is being set up, is being staged for you to be the savior of Exandria. You have to know it's true.

You have to see it. And if I or anyone else gets in the way of that. Laudna, if you weren't holding me down, I wouldn't be saving anybody but Prodothos. And you have to know that's true. If you let me go, I'm gone. But if I'm not holding you down, then

think of how high you can fly. I don't want to lose you. Don't get me wrong, I just... I don't know, it's all so complicated. Just can't help but feel like, oh... The bigger these issues become, the bigger the task. The bigger the gulf between us. I will not let you go. As Tiny and Myseith start walking into the chamber and reaching up and grabbing your fingers, trying to pull you towards the meeting. Poignant.

I won't let go. As you both join the rest of the crowd towards the back, the volume of volition figures that you had seen when you came in here is now likely doubled within these chambers. The halls are filled with figures that are armored up and ready. You see Rylor and see Bermuda. You see the Sasquatch-like creatures

that you've encountered before with their various degrees of gray to white fur. Dozens of my sits. You see Cytas that are rushing. We don't know what those are called yet. No, it's never asked yet. Fuck! I know. Hey, you can still ask while you're here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you called?!

Just so I can get that low right now. Robert! The nearest one, I'd be like, my name is Robert! God! This is Sam. No, no, we've never met anyone of your kind and I feel terrible being in this, shut up! Being in this room without knowing what you are.

I'm Shion Kaming and I and I am of the Quannika. Quannika. Quannika. Quannikas. Q-U-A-N-I-K-K-A-S. Quannika. Quannikas. Q-U-A-N-I-K-K-A-S. Yes.

Quannikas. Okay, okay. The hush hits the room here as Roshina steps up. All right. We've all gathered here because Okay, okay. The hush hits the room here as Roshina steps up. This is ironic. All right, we've all gathered here because this is a day of action. A number of things designed, set forth, and at the ready.

So, there are a few loose ends here to be decided upon as we have some, as many of you have seen, guests with promised capability and interest in aiding our cause. So, Bells Hells, Exandrian allies, what is it that draws you this day? Bells Hells is here to report for duty.

We'll go where we are needed. We have a few things in mind, however. We'd like to talk strategy first. Certainly. The infiltration plan to find Everoa. Will this be a small mission, compact, few people, or a large? Us being unfamiliar with the capabilities Will this be a small mission, compact, few people, or a large?

Us being unfamiliar with the capabilities of your troop, we would have to rely upon you as to whether or not you felt you were up to the task at a certain size. Classically, small troops have an easier time infiltrating, but I'm unaware of your premium capabilities. Some of us are better at stealth than others. If this is to be a mostly stealth mission, then we might just send a few of us. Others are better at talky-talky stuff.

I am not one of those people. Because she's not. Yes. Yeah, talky-talky. Well, there are many ways of infiltration, Yes, she's been there. It's okay, it's okay. Well, there are many ways of infiltration, as the fact that you've made your way here without causing too much of a splash, I think, tells me. You have some familiarity with many.

Indeed, managing to get into the Colloquium of Candescence is an endeavor. As important as it may be, it's also fraught with danger, as you'll be stepping closer and closer to the heart of where the Weavemine resides and flexes its power. Do you think people with strong presence of will and able to resist the pull and influence of these Weavemines would be best served for this task? Likely. Likely.

The spark that sets this off, the great distraction flash that both dual serves as a means of drawing attention away from our other missions of this day and in success, to crumble and impede the progress of the vanguard and the Weavemind. Sends bombs, explosives, under the employ of our ally here, Ira Wendigoth.

As Ira steps out, the satchel's over his back, looks like a cloth over the front of his face. He's like, Yes? What's all this now? I just felt like dressing up for the occasion. His ears just peering off the back. He looks unchanged, other than the fact

now he has this little bandit mask over the front of his face. He's crazy. Whatever gets you there, man. He's wearing one of our knot. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Since our entry will be based in a combination of illusion,

a bit of silver tongue wagging, and rapid entry, it would be advised that whoever comes with me is good at all of these things, and perhaps with a special interest in the mission, seeing success. Otherwise, you might end up like the last troop

that came with me, which, with all due respect, are useless. Ugh. Confidence building. Yeah, Rishni goes, It was an unfortunate circumstance, but lessons were learned. Maybe it's best you tell us who would be best suited to join you then, since you know better than we do, Wendigoth.

Well. I believe little Miss Calloway here has a vested interest based on our conversation the night before, yes? Sure. Absolutely. I could go with you. Very well. But, I mean, depending on what everyone else wants to do,

because I'd rather stay with my people than nothing against you, but. I don't think we all need to go, but I'd be happy to join you. Yeah. I think Fearne would be the best at the infiltration. For sneaking, yes. I know. Sneaky sneakies.

You're the one that can disguise yourself as something else. Pass without a trace. I don't have to go with Ira. This is just, I mean, obviously Ira knows. She's got to go to the detonation. Obviously Ira knows I would be very, very important to the mission and very helpful. Other people can do other things.

But, you've got an invisible man over here. That's true. And you're super good at climbing and sneaking. I can be invisible, too. I'm average at sneaking. I can climb publicly. I would be terrible at getting anywhere near those psychics, so I would go down to the fucking pits.

Yeah, I'd be nervous about you going there. I would not want me anywhere near those. I can give you a blessing of extra sneaky ability. Wild pitch, we stay together. That is a wild pitch. I don't like it. My body wants to go after Evaroa, but my heart wants to go after Yvore, but my heart wants to go to the Strife Emperor.

All your heart! All your heart! Can we break down this Strife Emperor Bane mission? Bane. But she doesn't even want us to go with that. The rescue. Vezid, Vezid. We want a special. The rescue. Vezid. We wanted a special. The rescue, yes.

This is being helmed by Vezidun. As the rest of your arriving troop was taken upon entry, another series of Power for Allies promised by the Talonheart, they are helmed in the Glasshold Garrison, which is a quite formidable prison. It resides on the western base of the Prime Pillar within the Arx Chromium,

and will likely only succeed directly after the explosion and would be a rapid hit, grab and run mission. Infiltration, stealth will only get so far in the sight of a prison. It needs to be a direct, strengthened blow and an escape. Of which the Talonheart seems rather confident. Yes? Wouldn't be the first time I've had to break my way into a place I wasn't supposed to be, kill everyone there, and get my man out. Which is the coolest voice.

All right, my heart's not as interested anymore. All right. Detonation and infiltration. Seems like those are the two more vulture ones, right? All right, let's do it. Eve of Aurora. Then Ira goes ahead and places a case on the table. By the way, I finished off what you requested.

And she goes and takes the bag and winds it up. For the final mission today, we have Gaz Tomo will be leading the assassination team to the Woven Music Grand Hall. Now, we have to be sparing with the use of the screech plumes, but I believe they will enable us. What are screech plumes? They've been one of the screech plumes, but I believe they will enable us.

What are screech plumes? They've been one of the few devices that has given us an edge against the Weavemind, or at least their subordinates in the past. Screech and scramblers. For a moment, for just a moment, it scrambles and holds at bay the capabilities of ones so psychically or magically inclined.

I can't spell where the fire is. And with enough firepower in that moment, we can do great things. We have in the past. We've just been limited in our resources, but Ira has been quite a boon to our interests and has been working on these for the past three or four days, and you're certain these will function?

Oh, trust me. I was very, very intrigued to learn about the initial build of these, and I'm excited to have that capability in my repertoire now. So five should be enough then, I think. Five should certainly suffice. Anyway, Gaz, take your finest,

well, those suited for the task. Not a worry. Could be the first head I've popped in a while. All right. Get my blades at the go. I say in Imogen's head. He's coming back. Do you want to say something?

She's strong. Hmm? She's strong. We assumed as such to be of such importance, well, to be gliding around like the Thought Eaters themselves throughout the city, we assume. Stronger than the Thought Eaters. It might behoove you to take her prisoner instead,

if you can. She has a lot of information you might be able to glean. Glean, glean, glean. Glean. I appreciate your candor on this, but I think you also understand as well as we do that a being of such power cannot be subdued. We have one chance at this,

and there's only one way to be sure. Cannot be subdued? What do you mean? Of course we can be subdued. I've lost many men because we've showed a moment of empathy where it was not deserved. This is war. And one must do what is necessary for what is right.

I think what Imogen is warning against is escalation. Just be careful. I know for sure that this is the right move. Because if you are successful, and that is a massive if, knowing how powerful she is, you could right piss them off in a big way.

Sweet girl. We have been the sole thorn in their side for generations. Nothing would make me happier. They have robbed me of everything I've ever cared about. So I appreciate your words of warning, but you forget who you're talking to. We are soldiers and we will do what must be done. There's a quick thrum in my chest, and my face morphs ever so slightly, and I say,

I'm not a sweet girl. Unsettling presence. In the room, a few folks can take a step back a little bit. Indeed. You are a surprising bunch. Megan, you think I'm glad we've crossed paths and are on the same side, right? Of course.

Good. Well then. Good. Nothing. What intrigues you? Infiltration. Detonation. Detonation, but let's make sure we're doing, I say three to detonation, four to infiltration, or do we want to reverse that? Infiltration.

Infiltration. B, B. Got to have muscle for detonation then, so that makes sense. Use at least one more. You got to go to your dad. I mean, do I, though? Because what if, what if, what if,

yeah, but what if he's like, oh great, you're here, this is what we needed, and now we're going to your dad. I mean, do I, though? Because what if he's like, oh great, you're here. This is what we needed, and now we're good. I can give you what you're killing. That's what I'm after, to protect you. I'm fine. I mean, I'm fine with it, but I'm just saying, I'm just wanting to make the right choices here.

Whenever you want to do. There's no right choices. Yeah, just wait. There are no right choices here. Detonation, detonation, detonation, and the rescue infiltration. Who's the third dad? Okay, so we have Me, you. Fearne, Ashton. And Asation and the rescue infiltration. Who's the third det? Okay, so we have

Me, you. Fearne, Ashton. Fearne, Ashton. Oh, great. And who else? Fearne, Ashton, FCG. FCG. The hard hitters. Team Detonation.

You got it. It's actually a well-built group. All righty, and we have Chetney. Theranos. Orym. Imogen. And Laudna on the infiltration team.

Does that feel right? Sure, man. What's your face? Two combat, two weird shit. Two magic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then over there we have... Weird shit, combat, and healing.

You can only make yourself invisible, right? I can make myself and one other person invisible. Okay? I can make myself and one other person invisible. Okay, I can make me and one other person invisible. Man, look at that. Castors on each side, we've got tanks on each side. My stealth is pretty high. One of the figures steps out of the back crew. You can see this very thin-looking Ryloran

who is wearing this wide-brimmed hat that's obscuring most of her face in shadow. As she moves forward, you can see she's gliding as opposed to walking. Reaching out, If you're to be infiltrating, perhaps I can eat you on your first leg. to be infiltrating. Perhaps I can eat you on your first leg.

You see as she talks, she's an elderly Ryloran. It appears to be of the mystic variety. You can see the headdress not dissimilar to some of the ones that you've summoned in the past. Not dissimilar from some of the Thought Eaters as well. You can see the markings across the body, the fingers long and folding in on themselves to the point where it looks like there's more fingers than there should be, but they just curl

into themselves in the front. I'm past my prime to join you, but perhaps I can obfuscate for a bit. What's your name? My name is Evonnas. I was once a designer for the Weavemind. It's a pleasure to meet you. You wouldn't say that if you know what I've done.

I think many of us are walking a path of redemption. I would agree. Have a degree. No. What were you saying? No, but... I'll shake her hand at some point. She reminds me of Shadona. I know.

Just like an evil Shadana. Like an evil, wrastly, scary. Fearne, you feel these fingers around the back of your shoulders as Ira's face comes into view, like a xenomorph from the side of your head, and it says, Are we to journey together?

Yes, we are. Get your things, I'm excited for the reunion. Me too. Yes. Just be on your guard. He could be walking you into a trap, but I'm sure you already know that. I was thinking that.

We'll be okay. We'll be on our toes. I will be on my hooves. We'll be all right. We'll be all right. We'll be all right. Despite us being separate, we'll soon be able to talk to each other. I think so, yeah. Yes. That's great. Do you need some extra dexterity or anything?

No. Oh. You said you weren't good sneaky. Stealth, oh, stealth is dex. Who has a healing potion? Okay. Where's your healing potion, if you have it? I have like two. This is yours? I have this one, but I think I haven't built one.

Ugh! No, thank you. Oh, well, now it's on the ground. I'm pretty sure I've won this. This is yours? Yeah, all right. I do not have one, so. Yeah, we have, there's three right there.

Are you doing the thing where you give me a damage? You're supposed to. No, you don't need it. No, my abilities are shot, so I three right there. Are you doing the thing where you give me a damage? No. You don't need it. No, my abilities are shot, so I'll take it. Oh yeah, he might need some stuff. That would just be bullshit. Whatever he wants. I mean, I think you can replenish my sorcery points. I don't think I can go above what I already have.

What you already have. Right? Because you're full up, right? You can't go higher than your max. Okay, and I'm already at max, so yeah. Although I am going to cast Mage Armor before we do anything. I'll pop a quick Greater Restoration into Ashton. There we go.

All right, I'll take that. Look at you. I'm playing. I have a you. I have a question. Yeah. I have a question. If I were to cast Pass Without a Trace, would they be able to continue that, or do they have to be near me? They have to be near you. 30 feet of you.

Oh, for the duration. Sorry. I have it for free, too, if you want, so you don't have to spend a spell on it. I was just thinking for them. Yeah, we can't do anything. We don't have Cast the Out of Trace. Okay. That's okay. But, you know. They'll be fine.

I can give somebody advantage on dex checks. Okay. Chet doesn't need it. I'm pretty high. Are either of you casters low, low, low? I mean, I'm not awesome at dex. I'm pretty high. Are either of you casters low, low, low? I mean, I'm not awesome at dex. I'm not terrible. My dex is a 14.

Above average. That's the lowest. I'll give you some dex. Great. For the next hour, so hurry! All right. Sneak, quick. Be safe.

Be three. Hey. You too. We're going to be fine. We're going to be fine. Yeah. We'll be fine. Don't make any dumb decisions. Don't get into anything.

Hey. You've got somebody with you for this, so loosen up, fucking shy Violet, just a little bit. Jesus. I'm walking over to you. Spooky. That's just Shy Violet. I'm not sure. In my experience, every good person has a bad person inside them, making it all possible.

Yours is just a fucker. Good luck, and I tap you on the shoulder. Are these supposed to be encouraging? Nope, not encouraging at all. Just want you to remember me if I don't come back. Aura. Don't be brave. Don't do anything stupid.

Don't be brave! Be brave. don't do anything stupid. Don't be brave! Be brave. You neither. You all get your asses out of there and be safe. They got great snacks over here. I know, I've been eating them this whole time. Last meal, I assume. Tooting away with a little rock steel. Oh yeah, do we have a here?

FCG. Are you going to give me a pep talk right now? Please, I want to see it. Continue to be shiny and squeaky. Don't forget to oil your joints. May your wheel always be squeaky. I feel like my comments have now been upgraded to a pep talk after that.

I feel like there's a curve going on. Natural upgrade, yeah. Let's roll! We'll all be able to check in. Let's try and check in. We'll go on the app once an hour, at least. I mean, we can talk to each other all the time. We can just talk to each other.

We can just talk to each other. Let's see if there's any latency in our connection. I hope he just goes. Okay. Done. I'm going now, I don't want to say goodbye. I'm just walking away. We're not saying goodbye,

because we're still talking to each other the whole fucking time. Yeah, you're right. Play it safe if you can, because we have to get back home to report what we find. No unnecessary risks. Unnecessary ones.

Thanks. Chat. All right, let's go. Yes, right. Evonis, the thin, withered mystic, glides forward and, actually, it's a good question. Did you have a good question for yourself? Yes, I did. No, to the infiltration team.

You've got 25 already? No. No. She reaches into this side pouch and pulls out this loose pile of charcoal, almost. Runs a long, clawed thumb through it and scratches a mark on your forehead. It hurts. It breaks the skin faintly,

but it pushes it into the forehead. And as it does, your eyes glow briefly, but you don't see much of a change. She goes through and does it to you, does it to you, and does it to you. Fuck, wait a second. What are you doing? Y'all just taking it and shit. What are you doing? Making sure that you can see each other. I can see just fine. I'm good. Don't be rude, Chet.

Just do it. I said I'm fine. Very well. Cast invisibility on all of you. And all of you can see each other. Chet can't see any of them. The invisibles can see each other. Chet can't see any of them. The invisibles can see each other? You all have invisibility on you for the next hour.

Oh, sweet. Except Chet. Except Chet. She said she did horrible shit and you just let her dig her fingernail on your fucking forehead. Yeah! Didn't blink an eye. We've all done horrible shit.

Witches be bitches, you trust a fellow witch. You trust a fellow witch. You can't see it from blinking. I'll be bitches. You trust a fellow witch. You trust a fellow witch. You can't see if we're blinking. I'll see y'all on the other side. I went through Ash Wednesday. It's not a big deal. Yeah. Thank you. You have a door. Be careful.

So we're invisible and we see... Correct. So you made us invisible, too? Yeah, the four of you are invisible. Are invisible. Yeah, she casted invisibility on a high, the four of you are invisible. Are invisible. Yeah, she casted invisibility on a high level on all of you, and so she's going to stay here and concentrate on it for the hour.

The three of you have seen invisibility, which is not concentration, for an hour. Epic. On each of you. So we are invisible and we see invisible. Sweet. Correct. You all see this faint shimmer around your forms that lets you know that you're in that translucent magical illusion.

Okay, cool, cool, cool. And you're all infected. I think I could pull tricks on you, but I know you can smell me. Bitches, I also have this. Oh, right. Come on, little ring. But y'all are infected by the trick.

It's a magic ring. So as people begin to gather their materials and start setting off on their various watch points, and through your missions, there are, and Roshina goes over the plan with each of you for your different troops as well, there are small troops that work as waypoints along your path to watch your back.

While you're doing your mission, they're essentially people who are playing watch out from different points. If anything starts going real bad, they can notify you or notify someone nearby. So there's the main teams that are going in and then there's backup teams that aren't part of it, aren't your troop that are scattering amongst the city

around various areas of interest to relay information, lay any changes in the plan, to try and be backups on this. So you do have that at least happening out there throughout the city. And if we attack or cast a spell, our invisibility ends. Correct. Got it. For team detonation,

as you begin to gather your things to go, Ira turns to the three of you. So what would be your preferred means of wandering? Invisibility? Or do you want to look a little different? Depending on the wards, some might be less effective, and last time you went through, it was under cloak of invisibility, and I was you went through, it was under Cloak of Invisibility,

and I was the only one that returned, so. When you put invisibility on everybody else, you were the only one that returned? Yeah. Okay. Why don't we do the look different thing? Yeah, let's look a little different. That's always fun. Very well.

I'll think of a few ones I passed by. Perfect! He casts Seeming on all of you for the next eight hours or until he decides otherwise. You all of a sudden take on the guise, the illusion of, you can see, none of you are Ryloren, out of an intentional interest

since you are not psychically gifted, but you are now a tall, burly Kwonika. You are a younger, burly-looking Bormodo. You can decide how you look if you want to. And FCG, because it'd be funny, I'm going to make you a...

No. I'm going to make you a... I'm going to make you my seat, yeah. Yes! You've got seeming all over you. And you can see, Ira has taken the form of a Ryloren, specifically a Thottiheter, like the long robes, theoren, specifically a thought eater,

like the long robes, the chains, like the adorned shoulder bits, and he's looking around at the rest of you. How do I look? Overdressed. 10% less creepy. Come then this way. And Mr. can be your... Oh, my little Sita? Yeah?

Yeah, you can do enough of them. You can hit more people, yeah. So you have a little Mister Sita that's on your shoulder if you want to pull him out. That's awesome. I'll pull him out. Okay. Easy enough to do. Oh my goodness. Mm-hmm. I need to find some good mushrooms.

Yeah, so we don't have... Team Invisible has no healers, so we should take some health potions. I have two. I don't have any. Take one of Fearne's. I thought I had multiple. I don't think I had, I don't have any. I don't know if they're just on the table.

I don't know. They've just been kind of going around the table, so. If we use them, we send them to Matt, so these are within the party, so I'll take one of them. Okay. As in these moments, your troop now diverges to separate places of an unfamiliar subterranean city. A day of tension, promise,

and viable anarchy lays before you A day of tension, promise, and viable anarchy lays before you as you descend from one of the exit tunnels of the Pass House infrastructure. You, both troops, begin to descend the endless winding stone stairs and bridges that continue into the now humming city of Kraviris. You can see the thousands of lantern lights

that flicker in and out with the passersby. You can see the spiral-like platforms that carve out of parts of the central, massive glass trunk-like spire that carves up the center of this subterranean cavern. You can see the floating Ryloran mystics that wander from place to place. You can see little flying creatures,

the wings taking off from places that you hadn't quite encountered before. You can hear the distant sounds of conversation, occasional shout and bit of laughter. Children. You can get glimpses of a society that is bustling in all of its implied challenges and hardships. bustling in all of its implied challenges and hardships.

There's still life and color and vibrancy and art. You hear music. There are musicians here. As you begin to scatter amongst the town, you can see the architecture itself. A weird, smattering facsimile of Exandrian architecture. You see things that almost resemble dwarven, rigid structures. You can see some elements of towers

that are almost elvish, but filed down or half remembered. You can see where, after endless generations of being influenced night by night by the various scattered dreams of Exandrians, this is a society based in a mixture of interpretation. And in so, something wholly unique, oddly beautiful.

It's about then you begin to notice the presence of the military. As the Dominion of Cruuth soldiers and army are thick through the streets, you hear the sounds of drills being run. You see what look like war machines, almost. Gathered clusters of armored juggernauts themselves, training in what feels like preparation for a move to the surface

at an undesignated future time. Stepping into this bustle, the tension brimming within you, as you lose any sight or prospect of where you each are beyond the sound of your voices in each other's head. The butterflies curl into your stomach by whatever emotion you think guides you at this moment. And hope or pray that what's to come goes well.

That's what we're going time said. No, please! We'll pick up for these two missions next week. Split missions? Split team missions! Split missions? Split mish. Super smart. Super smart. Wow.

I'm so excited. Split mish soups. Okay. Work it, work it, work it, work it. It's going to be great. Work it, work it, work it. Fuck yeah, work it, work it. It's going to be great. Work it, work it, work it, work it. It's going to be fun. Wow, desserts. Oh man.

This group is going to have a try. All right, well, we'll pick this up next week. I'm really excited to see where this goes. Until then, thank you so much. We love you very much, and miss it Thursday. Oh man! We miss the party! Thank you for listening to

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