Critical Role - Chasing Shadows | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 28 Part 1

Episode Date: June 11, 2026

Part 1   This episode is sponsored by eBay Live. Tune in to eBay Live for exciting, exclusive finds and entertainment—all in real time. Watch now at https://www.ebay.com/ebaylive     With opening night approaching and Thjazi's designs still obscured, a plan is formed for safety, rescue, and information...   New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays. Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/     GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACON We're excited to bring you even MORE Campaign 4 with a Beacon membership! Get access to exclusive shows like our behind-the-scenes Critical Role Cooldown and ask the Campaign 4 cast your burning questions directly through our LIVE monthly Fireside Chats. You'll also receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant ad-free access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord. Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to everything Critical Role!   OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CAST GAME MASTER Brennan Lee Mulligan Laura Bailey as Thimble Luis Carazo as Azune Nayar Robbie Daymond as Kattigan Vale Aabria Iyengar as Thaisha Lloy Taliesin Jaffe as Bolaire Lathalia Ashley Johnson as Vaelus Matthew Mercer as Sir Julien Davinos Whitney Moore as Tyranny Liam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" Fang Marisha Ray as Murray Mag’Nesson Sam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" Halovar Alexander Ward as Occtis Tachonis Travis Willingham as Teor Pridesire   CREDITS Produced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle Shire Set Designed by Shaun Ellis Production Designer: Noxweiler Berf Character Art by Loren Hontanilla Edited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" Stevenson Critical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny Celesti Opening Title Editor: Paul Foyder Opening Title Colorist: Peter Koocheradis Window Effects by Christian Brown Graphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn Torrence Dol-Makjar art by Daniel Jiménez Villalba Miniatures Painted by Payton Keo Lacebal Opening Title Theme by Neal Acree Campaign 4 Key art by Hannah Friederichs Additional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs   Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula Flores Assistant Editor: Gianna Gencarella Post Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn Hubbard Closed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice Tsoi Post Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas   HEALTH & WELL-BEING 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why, hello there. I'm Brennan Lee Mulligan, and welcome to Campaign 4 of Critical Role. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we explore Aramon, a world of fractured kingdoms, tumultuous rebellion, and sorcery that rises from the graveyard of the gods. You're listening to Part 1 of this adventure, with Part 2 arriving this upcoming Tuesday. Our episodes typically arrive on the Critical Role podcast network a week after our initial Thursday night streams, on Beacon, YouTube, and Twitch. But if you'd rather listen to a full podcast episode of Campaign 4, right when it airs, without any ads, consider becoming a Beacon member.

You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online Critical Roels, pre-sales for live events, and so much more. Start your seven-day free trial today at beacon.tv. Now, without further ado, let's begin this episode of Critical Role. We return to the lovely courtyard of Bow Sprit, manner as King Augustus Valiant of Timene has just told you heroes that you can count on him. Standing up, Gus looks out and says, all right, everyone, let's not stay a moment and longer

in Dolmarca than we need to. Carriage is up, nights together, I need to return home, but you can rely, my man both spirit here, he's stationed out of Domachia, and until we can find out how best to get you what you need, direct from timony, my man post-brick can cover the bridge. And you see that the merchant says, Oh, your majesty, I can. And he says, Harvey, are you my man or not? And you see, he goes, I am your man, as always, Her Majesty.

Happy. Should I see to hiring some extra security for caravans coming into and out of the city? And you see gusks over at you. I was in here, he goes, you have my blessing. And you see, Gus says, well, anyone you have this looking for work, go ahead and let Harving hire him. You got it. And you see that, Postpretz says, yes, indeed, in the wool business, there is a great need for hundreds of armed guards.

He goes, thousands, my leaves, not thousands. And you see that. And you see that, You see, Gus says, Havening, I'm gonna make you whole, my friend. I'm not gonna put you in the pocket. It's just a bridge while we're taking a week or two to travel north, all right? And you see that he turns around. Octus, I believe you requested an Arcana check.

Yes, I did. Oh, against me? I was like an Arcana check from you, if you'd be so kind. Rollies. Oh, good. Oh my God. Okay.

The proficiency went up. It went up? Oh. Oh, we're leveled up. What are you rocking now? Plus 11 to Arcana. What? Shee.

Crazy. Yes, sir. So powerful. Natural one. Oh, damn. 26. Oh shit. Octus peering out,

you perceive, Marisha, what does Octus as the sort of glimmering green pallor behind your eyes focuses in? you see borders between realms and the border of a realm you've never before even heard of appears around Murray.

Marisha, what would Octus perceive on a 26 Arcana and you with a natural one as you interact with the strands of fate throughout the cosmos? How would it look like to somebody looking in? Well, it would be hard not to notice

Murray's eyes go a little cloudy. There's like a little bit of a fog that fills her eyes. But then beyond that, it would almost feel like gravitational lensing around her. Like when, like all of those awesome NASA photos right now of galaxies warping the image of light around these black holes. So it would almost look like light just kind of bends in a weird way ever so slightly around of Murray that you probably wouldn't even notice to any untrained eye. Oh, does you behold all of that?

Gus turns over to you again, Murray, and says, Professor, and as people are going, you see the knights are going carriages, you see Martin says, all right everyone, we should try to head out if we can before sunset. The gates will be absolutely slammed. You see that Gus looks at you and goes, what you say? said, destiny's hope realized. Has anyone ever said that to you before? No, I'm just an incredibly charming and intelligent person.

You narrowed his eyes. You are very charming. You are, you said you, you'll have to forgive me. You're not a sorceress, are you? No, everything I have, I've worked my ass off for. I wouldn't have known that that's, not true, but you must forgive me that I'm not well acquainted

with matters arcane. What are you if not a sorceress if I'm like, if I can ask? I'm a wizard and one that specializes in more spells and science around divination. This is the, this is, there's a school here, yes? Yeah, a penthevril. Well, I grew up sleeping on the floor with dogs.

I had to sneak into the upper chambers to learn my letters, so it's been a long journey here. But I'd always assumed that Wizards was another word for magicians in travelling performer. Any wizard I ever seen was only able to make some bubbles, a little bit of glimmering, shining dust. But what you did in that battle was extraordinary. Does your school train wizards?

We do. We try to help people, some who might have magical abilities that are innate to their person, and some not at all. But there's great powers in this world. And I've always held the strong belief that it should not be reserved for a single class of people. And there's a lot of... There's a lot of people trying to dismantle that belief

around the Pentevril right now. And I'm trying everything that I can to hold the line against that because knowledge should not be siphoned away from the populace. And you are happy at the Pentevoral. Is he trying to poach me? Let's find out.

You see that... Martin, his chief hound is looking over at you and chimes in and says, Professor, forgive the intrusion, but the Taconas walk openly in Timeney, the cormoray trade far and wide, the sundered houses having lost their ancestral lands, enjoy manners and mansions in every nation

of Pasota because their arcane might is unrivaled and unquestioned. In seeking protection against arcane forces, one must rely on archinists. I would say this moment, just the people that are not engaged in, because I think Azune and Maria are right up front. Fimble, Octus, and Veilis giving insight checks.

24. 18. 18. Nah. Nah. Nah. Damn. Thimble, I think Thimble, on that 24, you look and see the druid, who looks like a young man.

He's got the shaved sides of his heads with the stag, antlers, tattooed, is observing, he's attending to his king. He's observing this conversation, and you see on that 24, a degree of shame and guilt as his head hangs low. You see that Martin says, there can be no doubt. but it is a, if anything, it is a racket. Like criminals, like common criminals. The sundered houses sell their protection against the archaigne forces that in many cases they themselves wield. And if the gift of the archaic, we are proud people, hounds and man alike

and all the other races that call timid home. But great spells, the druids of the circle of this, Stag found a way for the souls of loyal knights to return in this form. And there are many great miracles they have worked, but with respect, and you see he turns to look at the druid Cyrus behind him, none of us were even aware that a compulsion or charm had been placed on our druid's head. And even if we were aware, what could we have done? We do not know how to fight such magic. First and four in the most, I really hope that Cyrus and...

As Vizi? Who is that? Hune. Oh, yes, Sir Hune. Sir Hune. His first name is Savici, yeah. Zavisi. Savizi.

Savisi. I spelled it wrong. I really hope that Cyrus and Sir Hune do not hold themselves of any other guilt. I think you are absolutely correct in the level in which these standard houses are operating are beyond many comprehension, including my own. With that being said, I don't know if you were trying to make a proposal to me to come and work for you. I am...

Teacher Murray, teacher, teacher, make it powerful. Well, if I may speak to what you've done for me, Murray, it's because of you that I'm able to wield magic the way that I am. She's taught me. Gus looks at you and says, you are ever insightful, professor. I don't know what the Pentebral pays you, but if you ever find yourself in need of other work,

I've heard tell of great kings, who had caught magicians. No, no, that's not right. What's the one I'm looking for? And you see that Martin turns and says, I believe Ark Magi is the germ you are looking for. And you see, he says, we've got dogs in the castle, and there's a small kingdom. I love dogs.

I am incredibly flattered by your offer. And maybe in time. This might be something that I would be willing to consider. But I hope you understand that my students need me now more than ever. And currently my heart. resides at the penteveral. I cannot abandon them now, not at this hour of need.

With that being said, if the dust begins to settle, I know who to call. I would, however, like to maybe nominate an alternative. I'll trust your judgment in these matters more than my own, obviously. You've got it.

And hey, you just told me that, Your whole city might be overrun with demons tomorrow night, so the office stands if you need to get out of town and hurry. I have a young student. His efforts are still needed right now in Dolmachiar. But I do think that he's going to need an out in a very hastily amount of time. His name is Dimitus Blick. He is one of my most gifted students. He could be a good place to start if you wouldn't mind me. him your way on the morrow. Demetis Splix.

Does he ever, the name Demetis just sounds very fancy. Does he charge a lot? This kid doesn't have two pennies to rub. This kid doesn't have two coppers to rub it. They don't use pennies anymore. You see Gus looks and says, very well. He's young.

He's a bit. a bit... Energetic. Yeah, and easily influenced. But you already sold him. Don't undersell him now. Don't take the deal away. I think he could be exactly what you need to start.

Gus nods. He says, very well. I've taken enough of your time. It sounds like you're very busy. Yes. He kneels down, gets on one knee, to be at eye level with you and says, may I embrace you,

Professor. Oh, God. Yeah? He gives you a warm embrace. He goes, thank you for what you've done for me and my people. Oh, touching the back of my head, all right. Does he like it? Okay. He looks unsurprised, but, and he's like, very flattered, very fraughted, natural one. You see that he gets out and he's like, and And we're good, and we're good, thank you. Oh. And he turns and says, Lieutenant, Havon will get you equipped, and I'll look out for what you might send

in terms of supplies needed. You know what you said he needs more than I, all right. Understood, thank you for your help. Well done, soldier. Best of luck in the battles to come. Your Majesty, and I'll float in the air and do it like a curtsey. Once I plant your seed,

How long will it take for it to grow? And also how long will it take for you to get from Timeney to here on the Miller's Road? The Miller's Road is born by the heart of the traveler. My understanding is even a week away in Timon's Rock, ferry or a hound. It might be only a day or two of travels on the road to be here in time.

And of course, the faster the road, the faster the journey. If you know any Faye riders that are particularly swift, they might be able to make the journey in even faster time. You see, he looks out and goes, oh well, I wish you all the best. And he turns to you specifically and says, aren't it well. It is an honor. And if I see more gain, I shall tell her that you are in good health. Oh, please do. He turns and says, says, was there any, was there any, when you're, Were there any other journeys left in Timony or any others that I should look after in my time there?

I know that you, if you met more gain, I don't know what business brought you to my kingdom, but I hope all was well there. Oh man, there was other stuff that was happening. There was, well, the Taconas were doing some shit. I think we heard that one of them, Captain Lantry Ferris, I remember, was somebody we wanted to look into in Houndsport.

Is that in your area? Hounsport is in the far north of Timeney. It's a city on the coast. It's our largest port. Maybe we'll be going back that way. All right. Well, if you head back that way, feel free to stop by, Timmins Rock.

Come to the castle. I shall present you a rural feast. He turns, he smiles and nods at you, And I think the druid steps over to you, Vailas. You see who's looking a little bit bashful and just says, My lady, I recognize you by your garb as of the Mornvale. I have not had a chance to dress myself, but I am Cyrus and a Servo.

I'm a druid of the seven tines. I know that you walk a different path than me, but if you wish for safety and company on the road, I know the Mornvale lies north across the sea from me. Timeney, if you wish to travel with us, I would be more than happy to welcome you into, at least my portion of our caravan. That is very kind of you, Cyrus.

Thank you. Remember something else? Yeah, the king walks over and he's about to go to, he's like talking to Martin. Wait, with Sloke and Timony? Oh yeah, there was, so Sloke, so we took out some, so we, so there's a new person in Sloke, that is in charge, the lady of Slocke now.

And I know that that area was really kind of downtrodden and the castle is going to shit. Every region of Timmany is beautiful in each their own unique and lovely way, and I have not one sour word to say about Slocke. Well, it's now being run by somebody who's lived in Slope their whole life, and they want to take care of the people. Gondri Tolkeep, appointed a new,

Baroness? No. So there was like this jerk named Casimir who kind of took the lordship away, and so he was living there, but he was there for a day, and then it kind of got killed by somebody. And then that somebody put a new person in charge. It was actually really cool, but they need help. So if you wanted to help them. What's that night? It was. I know. Hold on.

Nope. Is it though my notes? I have fellow fever. I think you do. Nope. Graladossibur is the owner of the tavern keep. Let's see. Lady you, nope, that's a Tacornish.

Is it mean for me not to say it? Am I being mean and not saying it? I mean, it's funny to watch your sweat just a little bit. A little bit. I swear I wrote it down, but I don't think I did. I wrote Baron Casimir the shit. I wrote Sir Gully Breaches is dead. Lord Dosset's note, that's Tacitus.

That's so cute. That's so huge. Just Gully Breaches. No. No, didn't write it. Dame Winifred Winifred Wynne Crosgrove. Yeah, oh, I did write Dane Crosgrove. I thought that was one of the dogs.

Is her name? Huh. She is now Baroness of Slog? I don't, I'm afraid I don't know her. Oh, she seemed really nice and wanted to help everyone. So I hope I didn't say something I wasn't supposed to just then. I cherish your honesty. I shall make sure Slok is not far off the path,

back to Timon's Rock. I shall make sure to visit this new Baroness, and she was given title by. Yeah, yes, she has it. She actually has the paper. Great. I'll go take a look. Thank you very much for informing me about

what's happening to the nobility of my kingdom. I would like to sort of Just have a slight bow and you seem like a very good kid. And I hope you're rain as long. You see he smiles and says, I appreciate your kind words, sister. I have so of my druid spoke to you and you are welcome to travel with us, if need be. I don't know what business keeps you here in this godless city.

I obviously aim to walk the old path when I die, but but I wish you light and peace on whatever path you take. I wish you the very same. Very well. And you see that he says, you'll be hearing from me. Wagonzo! Wheels up! And he walks off into the courtyard,

and we will continue with this journey on tonight's episode. Critical Roll. Let's not go to Timney. It's not right. Fuck the lockyard. She's mad at here. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Why, hello there, friends, and welcome back

to the Critic Roll announcement, Playhouse. Before we get into Aramon tonight, let's go over some hook announcements. Travis, you want to talk about something, please? Yeah, sure. Hey, you guys, The legend of Fox Machina season four is available to watch right now on a prime video.

This season, we find ourselves a year after the Chroma Conclave. Fox Machina has separated searching for love, family and purpose, but as always, the call of adventure is a breath. Away. When a long slumbering evil awakens to threaten the realm, they must reunite to take on an epic foe.

New episodes drop every Wednesday, so tune in and buckle the fuck up because shit is getting crazy. Plus, take a peek behind the scenes of our talkback show inside the legend of Voxmachina. Join some of the casting crew on Friday, June 12th at 3 p.m. Pacific, as we discussed the making of the first half

of season four You're fucking welcome. Yes. Yes. So good. So excited. Please check it out. A lot of people work really hard on it and it's really good.

It's really good. It looks really good. Liam. Ashley, we have one to talk? Marisha looks like half Janice Joplin, half 10-year-old crawling around in the attic. Yes. Are you wearing a wig? Yeah.

Whig. I know. This is fake hair. It looks like a wig of your own shirt. It looks like a wig of your own. Hair. Wait, do you have your bottom out? Yeah, this is my hair.

Your bottom hair, I mean. But Kyle said I have five minutes to be track. Wait, we gotta focus! All right, let's go, let's go. Let's go. It's exciting! New, new in the Critical Roll shops. We've got our second, how do you want to slay this T-shirt?

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I'm going to wear it all the time because I'll be. Oh, and that's not all. So $10 from every t-shirt sold will be donated to our amazing CRF partner charity Outright International, working globally to advance human rights and equality for the LGBTIQ plus community. The Pride season.

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Thank you about so much. I believe that it concludes our announcements. Wait, which one's the real Matt Mercer? You'll never know. Let's get back to Aramon, bitches. We return to Dolmachiar, as many of our heroes now rush throughout the city knowing that tonight, as the sun sets, a hero

Devian will have hopefully concluded her basilisk potion, her anti-petrification potion. We are going to return to walking away from the Via Aurora, Halendil Fang, Tysha, Loy, and Cadigan, Vail are moving away. But I'm interested in who you left behind, which is a snake. Hala, your animal companion in snake form, correct? So I'm desperately begging Kattegan to let me use Wolf-Rick as a a seeing eye dog as I like warg into the snake, trying to look around.

Would you be so kind as to give me pass with that? Oh, I'm sorry, no, give me a stealth check. Yeah. Stealth check for the animal. As you guys are also walking away here, I believe. Alex. 11. 11, okay. And it's your fault.

As you are warging on an 11, it's the middle of the day, and it's extraordinarily, busy, Hala basically gets pinned down under a desk as feet are walking back and forth and warging back into you basically has to be like, I either stay here until people leave or I move and get spotted. What should I do? Yeah, absolutely stay. Hala's up until the end of a long rest, so. Okay, gotcha. So in that case, Hala just stays pinned down. That brings you back into your body walking away

with Hal and Katteg. I don't know. I don't know. We have to put the show up, but we definitely can't do it because it's too dangerous, but there's no way we're not going to do it because we can't not not do it. He's talking to you? I don't know, is that actor thing

where they're talking to them internal monologue? Yeah? Yeah. We could do, baby. Maybe we can go. What are we doing? Huh? I don't know.

Scary lady. The scariest. Maybe you and I could work to get elocution? Elocution. Do you know Meisner at all? Meisner. He was a glorification. I don't know.

That's a shop on the rookery. Yeah, I'm always doing business of some sort or another. Anyway, your shirt is red. It looks great. Um... Tye, I'm gonna have to talk to the company. company pretty soon. Um, so I'm trying to decide what to do next. I could either head that way now.

Sorry, I'm in a fog. No, no, you're, you're good. I think my plan is maybe one you're gonna wanna skip. Valas has the ability to speak with Dead, and we have a lot of questions for the Ozzy. Do you wanna come with? No time like the present. I'm like the present.

I'm gonna say to the company yet, so sure. Oh. Let's dig deep. I would say as the day is growing longer here, Hal, you may not have time to both go to the Ozzy. Theosia's all the way up on the mountain side. Just think about the size of the city.

Tisha, you going to Theasi's grave, will, if you rush that, you will be getting back to the Arcanot around like midnight. It's like a steep climb up the mountain and everything else, right? Which for clarity was when they said it would probably be the time. That would probably be the time.

But you have like no time to waste and that would mean that, you know, Hal, you'd be, you would basically miss stress rehearsal. Well, I have to get the show done, but we can't do it to get it done or not. Scratch that and catch me up. That's maybe a little too raw anyway. And he just wanders out across the road

muttering to himself as he goes. Please stay with him. You made a go with him? You can do what you want to do. You're a grown man, but please help him. Sort of. I'll go. Sort of.

I look at Wolfwork and ask him, can you take care of them both, please? He just sneezes at you and follows me. That counts. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cattigan follows after Hal. Tisha, you head back presumably to Hal's house, I think. I gotta go find Valus and...

And everybody else. Yeah. Leaving from Shafira, you guys are a short walk, is just the neighborhood over from the rookery. Fimble, Octus, Vailis, Azunay, and Murray. Azine and Murray, you have something that's gonna take the whole rest of your day to do, given how far away it is in the city, if you're gonna get to the Ark, not around midnight.

I've got to pick one. God damn you. I'm sorry. I do pull up beside Marine and go, you did something in there. You changed what was happening. How did you do that? I don't know if it's necessarily changing.

I think that there are many distinctions. many disparate timelines, active at any given point. And all I did was nudge a direction. Very good, that was fascinating to watch. What are you talking about? Magic. How do you know? I just saw what you were doing.

Your eyes went somewhere, and I saw the light bend around you. And really? I couldn't see what the effect was, but I saw you working. What are you talking about? It's not important, it's just, it was great. It saved us a number of things. But Gus was wavering. There is a completely totally separate reality

where he is not our ally and we are much worse off without it. But it does give me a thought that if someone's paying attention, they might see it. And like the same goes for me. goes for me. Yeah. You're very wise, Octus. Nope.

You're so wise, Octus. Super not. Why was that rejected so fast? There's a difference. I just have an obsession. Why is everyone so obsessed with me? Thank you. No, it just, I've been working and thinking,

and it was just, yours works differently, and it was fascinating. Yeah. Maybe I'll teach you a little bit someday. Maybe. Been gone for a while. I have. I can teach you some things.

Are you. Ogeny and Murray. Wizard flirting. You see the sun. It's awkward. He's gonna be the only for his teachers. I will, while Murray is in this sort of, I don't know, moments, I will message into your mind.

We've got to go. Tysa, Tysia wanted me to girl with her to go talk to. Talk to him. I talked to her the other day. She wants to try and go talk to, wait, should I even say this? Is this my shit to say? I don't know what you're saying.

What is it? I think she wants you to go try and have a conversation with Yazi. Oh, using the stone. Fantastic idea. There's too much shit to do, but if we- I can do, I can prep Demidas if you need to be there. All right.

Is there anything you want us to ask him? Yeah, ask him what the fuck, man. Well, of course we were gonna do that. I mean, obviously, it's having any insight into what the hell he had going on. Yes, yes. No, I'm personally. It's better than none, so. Yeah. And only as far as I'm aware of how the magic works, it's really only one person who kind of gets to talk.

So it's not like we can have a whole hangout. We gotta go talk to Demetis. I cannot leave that kid in Lurch. Uh, Phelis. This. conversing thing that you do with dead? Do they speak words into your mind, or do they give you images? Do you hear them?

Yes. Does everybody hear them? Yes. It's an ability of because of the stone. It's new, but it's, would you like to come? Yeah. Yeah. I would, if possible, would love to know if the Ozzy could

somehow what his hope was. What does the day after the play look like to him in his mind? We buried him up on the hillside. Fucker has the best real estate in all of Dulmockia. You can't miss it. You guys have your plan and part ways. Oh, it's okay. As you guys head off together, we are going to run through these one at a time. Professional checks. Professional checks. Every day?

You don't live to work every day. Murray basically has like a Ferris Bueller-level trap of like a dummy in her office right now, like pretending to work. Well, here's the thing. Azunay is working right. This is, you're doing your job right now. And Murray, theoretically, going and advocating,

actually going and advocating for a student. Yeah, I'm making a house call, baby. Making a house call. So, we are going to move first to the hallowed round. Hallowed round. Actors are excited. The different stage manager and stage hand, you see Old Good going around.

See Old Good's reviewing, getting sort of griddles and things ready, get the concession stand. You see, he goes, he goes, yeah, you dip over. You take the corn when the corn pops, you dip it in some chocolate or some syrup, and that way it's not crunch.

You don't have to hear people grazing in the crowd. And you see that, looking out and around, you see Nevada says, Fearless Leader, Hallandil Fang is ready to speak before our dress rehearsal. Now I just want to say, as your director, I would like to say one quick word in times at the essence we need to get this play up on its feet.

This is a triumph, opening, show of the hallowed round. We have come together in this place to turn the page on a new chapter for the city of Dolmachia, the seat of revolution, with the revolution of the Shaper's War succeeded, but to honor those that paved the way before us. The Shapers won many great battles, but we needed to lose once, and we'd like to say thank you to the Loy family for their patronage as well.

And you see, she looks out and says, No, I won't lie. During the first two months of rehearsal, I thought we were headed right for the mountainside. Garbage. I have three of a is a beast, all right? It's extremely complicated. At any moment, a hundred things could go wrong,

but as long as we stay focused, keep our eyes on the prize. remember our training, and as long as everything falls exactly in place, we indicate the next 24 hours to getting every last piece of this right and polishing every last one with no distraction, we just might pull this off. Mr. Fang. Thank you, Nevada. Thank you. Uh, Hal takes a moment to look out at the beehive of company members. That's my director! Not dead!

Shoddy of whip-serans. Shut up! Hello, everyone. Thank you for taking a minute from your day. He looks at Nevada. I'm building for this moment. I'm, um, I see all of your hard work. I want to thank each and every one of you.

I know the time that you put in. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. I'm afraid I have a bit of tough news. However, every one of you feels the pressure in this city, the temperature change. All of us, from the Pentebral to the gray tower, the entire city.

I know you know how stifling it has begun to feel in the past few weeks. And we've danced between the raindrops, Until now, and here we are in this hallowed place. But I'm afraid it might be our turn. Earlier today, I was summoned to the candescent creed to meet with the Fotark. You all know that the Halevars cut through a lot

of the red tape to allow us to be here in this city today. We celebrate them for their patronage. Thank you, Halevars. It was made known to me today that they made, maybe wrapping things back up in that self-same red tape, unless they have a request. They'd like our play to be more

illuminating, candescent even. These are a stack of edits to Cotherei that they would like to see implemented. They are shit. They strip down our history, they defang our play. They are ashamed on DLen-DLam. Machiar, our company, and all of you. It's total silence from the cast,

as something has said this definitively. What I would like you to do tonight, all good. Mr. Akarad is going to disperse these pages amongst the company in a moment. I need you all to take these pages home tonight. Familiarize yourself with them, absorb them. Tomorrow, early in the day,

a representative from the Hale of the Hale of, of ours will be coming here to vet a walkthrough of this new version of our play. I want and need you all to sell it. Think of it as an acting challenge. You are going to give this woman from the Candescent Creed the greatest infomercial for their religion they have ever seen. And if we do that, opening night proceeds. As planned, we have our show.

When that happens, we will return. to Kotheri as conceived and written originally. Not a word changed, because fuck the Kandescent Creed. Liam, I'm gonna need a persuasion check for me. Let's go. That is a dirty 20. You see the cast looks out. On a 20, they turn and you can see all of them are terrified.

All of them have been speaking about the Kandesars. They believe that the Kandesian, We're patrons, benefactors. In this moment of wavering, you see that Shadia stands up in the middle of the cast and goes, fuck the candescent creed. We know the path we walk. And you see that she reaches down and gets a very small little

fairy door and runs up, cartwheeling up the bombs, up the stairs, and places it at the public facing entrance. And you see, Olga says, exactly right, except don't do that right now, trick tomorrow, then do it before we got a, listen. And you see he says, we got it, the heart's in the right place, you heard the boss man. I'm getting these pages, where's it, where's it,

I need a cantrip. You see he goes over and starts to get the pages together. And you see that the cast gets up and just starts to applaud uproariously. You can see, Nevada says, we have it all learned. To communicate truth through fiction. We must now learn to communicate falsehood through fiction.

And then immediately after go back to truth through fiction. Everything I said before about how tenuous our grasp on this play was was a lie and I don't believe it. We can absolutely pivot, pull this off tomorrow and remember the rest of the real play. I believe in all of you. Where's the yard grass? I don't know what's going to happen next. Probably this theater will be shut down. Maybe I will be thrown in irons.

Or maybe this city will hear your voices. And when we spin illusion, they will hear truth. We'll figure it out together. There's no one I would rather do it with. You see that. your cast stands up smiling. Some of them are crying because they don't know if they're going to be out of a job tomorrow night.

They don't know if you're going to be put in jail. They understand the heaviness of what's just been proposed here. But you see that all of them, they're sort of seated in front of the stage, turn around and see the mural of Vokion Murzat, the one right in the front and center in front of the stage. he stood up and faced down the god of war. What's a little creed to a troop

that believes in each other this much? You see in this moment that your cast gets up, steals themselves and gets to work. The pages go around. They start to go, you hear Lash go, It is I evoke John Merzat, and I have seen the light. And they begin to work. Her's this fake play.

Shottia runs over and starts reviewing it all the people. Nevada goes along and says, remember, the people that will be watching the fake play are priests. Subtletty is not your friend. I catch hold of Shadia and pull her a bit off to the side and just like hand on her cheek, you know, brushing away like a hair on the side of her face.

And just smile at her silently for a moment. I'm not gonna lie to you, kiddo. It's pretty bad. But I got you and you got me. I got you, Dad. You always got me. And remember, if things do go sideways, you find your sister, you find Elity. You look after them, they'll look after you.

And figure it out, all right? Like we always do. I know. I love you, Dad. She gives you an enormous embrace. Katagan as you look over and see, You've been here the whole time. You've also been here. You see Lash.

I'm just crying. You see that Lash, the lead of the play, looks over at you and says, are you understudy or? Wow, this is wonderful. Just look at them all. Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. I don't know.

I don't know anything about that. And you see that, you see walking past you Kattegan, a tall, muscular, orcish woman, beautiful, broad-shouldered, long hair tied around in a thick braid down her back, walks over it, this is Inez. Inez walks straight up to you, Hal, and goes, word from Romina. She didn't say anything to me, and the less I know the better.

She said, your friends that you had been talking about are in town and they are excited for meeting up at the Via Aurora tomorrow at sundown. I don't know what that means, but she said you would. Is your straw, right? She's okay. Okay. She's okay. Can you ever work with this character over here?

How's it going? What's your name, friend? Got it again. Nice to meet you. Hello. Hi. I'm Inez. I'm a fight choreographer. The one. Fight choreographer. Do you know what that is? We have combat in these plays and we try to have fight moves. You know, we do.

I thought you might have crossed paths in your previous life, but. Oh, where would I, and you see that, I don't know if she, she fought in the rebellion. I don't know if she was in the torn banner, though. She looks at and says, I don't think I recognize. I recognize you. Wait, go back to the, you can choreograph a fight? Yeah, yeah, for sure. Like, you pretend fight, but you try to make it look real.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. How's this happen? How's it work? Who does it? You do it? Well, you see she looks out and says, actually, with these changes, do you, could you, would you mind being, what is this? A demon, a demon of dimidness? What the fuck is?

Oh, fuck, yeah. Make me a double D, do anything. I'll grab a wooden spear off on the side and I plant it in his hands. All right, she's like, look alive, quack, quack, oh, and starts to go in and chore you grab the fight with you.

Like, hell yes. Hell yes. Great, we're gonna move from here to the mountainside. Tysha, fimbled, veils. Kids, stay in the picture. Let's go, let's go. Octus.

But re-beaking. It is sunset. You guys get up to the mountainside. and you behold a grave tomb, actually, beside each other. You see Jurek Fang, a veteran of the war, I believe actually a veteran of the War of Axon Vine, right? Yeah.

Yes. A veteran of the War of Axe and Vine, and the Ozzy Fang. Fiazhi Feng. His name there amongst a symbol of two trees and a path moving between them. You see his name. There is still some fresh flowers around the grave. And Tysha, you would be aware, you successfully completed a funeral, a Faraavre for Thiasi. It is possible that he is already reincarnated.

However, the circle of ancients does know that people leave memories of themselves. They ripple out through the world after they're passing. The ancients, the far distant ancestors of your druid tradition, have a beating heart that moves throughout time and space. So even though there's souls, you think this will go very differently than it went with Pascard. Yeah. Because it's possible if the funeral was done correctly, then all that will be left are like strong feelings and moments of the Ozzy. Do you explain that to us?

Yeah. I think, yeah, there's a lot of just, it's very focused on you. I just want to manage expectations here. He's moved down the path already. So I think at best, we will get whatever part of him is in his body and in the ground. It's like an echo and not the thing. Where did his other stuff move to? It goes down the path and becomes something new.

Okay? Hopefully. Yeah, I... Sorry. I'm not trying to... Thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me come. It's the best we can do, and thank you so much for doing this. I have some questions on my own.

Yeah. So the spell is going to be centered around Valis. They are going to activate it. But they can somewhat include us in part of it. But if things work even kind of as they have before, you'll be able to hear. You got this. I'm sorry, Thimble.

I don't have the same feeling towards him as you do. I know. Or any of you. That's fair. Okay. How is he, how are we, how, where is his body? His body is interred in the grave. The moment you look down, I'm like,

we're not digging you moot. Okay. We're not touching bones. I will allow, in this world, when someone is interred correctly, I will allow speak with dead to also be cast at their grave site. Okay, great. Just being at the grave is kind of a kind of situation. There's very much a like, br-r-oh, yeah.

Just area. Okay. Genile, okay, okay. Okay. And I will sit next to the grave, or sort of hunch, rather. I'm gonna go. Sit on your shoulders. Yeah, I'm gonna have, I'll just,

I'll cast speak with dead. It's like, I'm like, I guess, I guess, guys my boop, but okay. Tasha casts guidance. You reach out with the Stone of Night Song, as you did in Tanasar, and again in the endless night, reaching out, mist, darkness of the underworld. You reach out.

This is the first time you've done it without a body present in front of you, both times Pascard and Tertia, their remains are present. This should work at the ground. grave, however, but you're not seeing him right now. Tasha, something's wrong. Oh. Is it?

Not connecting with anything. I don't feel anything. You already pass on? Have you already moved on? Are you sure this is the right? Tisha, it's possible that a sister of Salandri is just not able to wield the magic. It's possible that the Farrav made this impossible, but there should be echoes. There should be a way to

ask for echoes of the life that was lived. Like Aramon keeps the memory of the lives of the ancients, even as their spirit moves onward. So you're not sure, even if you're not seeing him, something is strange. Is there anything I can do to see, just something magical to see if you're hitting a wall or a hole?

You have guidance. Both of you guys give me an end. and give me a religion check, religion or nature. Oh, thank God. Religion or nature? Can I make, can I look for any magic that I would recognize? Oh, bitch.

Give me Arcana. Yeah. 18. 9. 9. 26. 26. 9 religion.

Wrong. This is wrong. But also, you're holding the Stone of Night Song. You're supposed to speak with Dead. because the stone is supposed to whisk elven life off to fairy to the land of Salandri's husband. You elves aren't supposed to die. You've seen so many different psychopomp artifacts, that coffin of the half-ling celestial, all this other stuff.

But, you know, the stone of Night Song is not supposed to be used so often because elves are supposed to live forever. It's supposed to be a very rare thing for an elf to move beyond the veil. So on that night, I think you're just, would be obviously, on an 18, nature check, you're looking and going, did he take all his, the Ozzy was a thief? Maybe he stole all his memories from the world and took them down the path with him.

You don't see a path. On a 26, there's a missing component here. You feel that there is a gaze moving broadly over the landscape here. They're watching this spot. Who? Who? What, do you think?

Well, is this, but did they take his body? Is his body still here? I don't know. That would require, I think, physical evidence. The gaze exists purely on the other side of the veil. I'm gonna start digging. They're watching. I don't think he's here.

Right. They're watching on the other side for either, I don't know, either for him or for anyone trying to contact him. Brandon, I wanna level up. That's right, because you still haven't done it. Hell yeah. Do you wanna level up to four

or do you wanna level up to five? Give me five, baby. Hell yeah, here we go. Go for it. You're jumping to a level? We're jumping. Let's go. Yeah, I know it's gonna take an hour,

but I wanna use a new ability I have. We're calling the corners. Okay, call them. Oh, yes. What? I'm going to gently grab your hand, and I think the moment I do like, I'm just like-

Your hand touching the dirt, like everything in this area suddenly goes like green in that way where it almost smells like it's rotting. Like everything is like hyper-verdent. I immediately stop. And it's just hands into the dirt and I'm just going to be speaking juridic and calling out to every other person in the cemetery

that has walked the old path. We are all going to find who is looking at the Ozzie, and where his soul is together right now. Incredible. You reach down. Plants, souls, roots. They reach down in this moment. As the roots begin to reach down,

you feel roots grow. The bodies of those on the old path are interred, not to be within a coffin, but rather to be prepared in a shroud such that their remains can exist within the, earth and replenish the earth. Roots reach down as you level all the way up and call down here. You feel the roots touch the Ozzy's chest where Thimble slept the night of his funeral and reach further down past his tunic, down to his solar plexus, hidden by his shirt, and a deep scar.

all the way along his stomach. And as you do so, you hear Yassie Fang. Everyone seeing this sees skeletal arms stretching across the sky on that 26. You see distant, distant, distant face translucent. The last time you saw it was the night you died

and you finally recognize it. Last time you saw it. You saw you were just a little boy. You barely ever got to interact with him. Grandfather looks at you, Nullus Taconas, who looks out and goes, bring him to me. You saw one of these arms stretching across the sky. Over a dozen Titans' arms, skeletal dripping

with necrotic blood, reach a over the sky, Veilis. Can I? Oh, Thimble, yes, go for it. Can I just reach over, does Tysha, is she aware of what's happening, or is she? She's warging into the ground right now.

I'm just like pulling on her collar and hitting her as hard as I can to try to make her get out of it. You have to get out! I think you are like hitting Petrified Wood at this point. She's locked it. I unclick my sensor and put my back to Tysha.

You put your back to Tisha in this moment. Tisha. I am going to need a wisdom saving throw from you. Oh, God. I'm going to dash over to Tysha and I'm putting my hands on their back. Yeah. And I'm just going to try and sort of pump power

into Tysha. Hell yes, you will roll with advantage. Thank you. Better. 22. 22. You guys watch, as you pull your sensor out, these arms come snaking in.

And once again, you hear another say, bring into me. The arms come snaking out of the sky on a 22, Tysha. Arms, the length of a dead shadowy sky, reach around. Octus puts his hands on you, a voice of the dead echoing your own. vines and roots grow around you and shine with a power as deep and old as the life of Aramon itself. These titanic arms dash against the wooden sphere around you, shattering into pieces as null as howls. The speak with dead spell is dispelled, and you are standing at the grave. That's my grandfather.

My things last a while. Am I done too? You are still reaching down. Fiazzi's soul is nowhere that can be reached. Okay. Do I have the sense at least that it still exists? It's taken, not destroyed. You heard what Octus heard. Nullus saying, bring him to me. So he doesn't have him.

He doesn't have him. Yeah. Okay. He's hiding? His soul is hiding? Where is he? He's on the other side somewhere. I'm starting to think that he went there on purpose.

I think whatever part of me can, like, speak into the place where we talked before. I just yell across that old wood. I will find you. And then, like, shake and come back. Tisha, was, did he have a similar? Was that cut? Is that... Yes.

The kids? They take something. Wait, what? Did they do something to him? Did they do something to his body? They tried to mark his soul. He found a way to run away, which is better, but his soul is missing.

Right now, it's okay. Better missing than take it. Whatever plan he was doing, he magnum. I saw my grandfather's face on the other side. Your grandfather. He's, um... Is he the one that... Can I have a name?

He's one. Nellis. He's the hands that we saw. Yeah. This is from him. He, um, I think he's, he, he, ha ha ha ha, I mean, he's been dead for a while. And I think he just stayed, oh.

He seems real powerful for a, for a dead guy. I saw hands. Oh, did I see him? Yeah, you said, yeah. Oh yeah. I saw hands. I was the ground for a little bit,

so I don't, I don't know what you said. Um. Um. Sorry, I think him and my father have been working together for whatever plan they're doing, but I'm starting to think the Ozzy found out and has been trying to disrupt it, and that required dying. Look, if Pascard was smart enough to mark his soul with a warlock pack to keep it out of Tacona's hands,

the Ozzie was certainly clever enough to hide himself away. Where could he be? Let's our deep. Look, I've only been... The Cine of... Is he a blacker? The woods are deep. That's why we got to pass.

Unfortunately, that line is too hard, and we do have to end. We are going. We are going. I think you guys spend as much time as you need at that grave. But the answers you sought from Theazi, you cannot have. But the answers that you gained from those who seem to also seek Theazi are many.

I think we can say he's not working with them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck you, Belair. Yeah, Boleer. Um, we just skyright a big middle finger in the direction of the We are going to cut over to Sir Ogermock's marketplace. Yes.

We are gonna cut over to Rosigar. Okay. Murray's, that's all. Murray and Murray and Azunay, you guys arrive at Bollaire's lovely apartment in the marketplace. Okay. You gonna do the talking? I'm gonna do the talking.

You trust me the most. You're kind of like stranger danger for him. Let's be honest. Yep. I don't wanna lodge in on him. You're sure you need him. I need him. I need everything. I trust you. Azune.

I know. You're my best friend in this whole cursed fucking world. If you ever do anything to betray that, trust, I swear to God. You are again talking to me like that way that I told you you do sometimes. Like I'm a part of something

that you know I'm not. Trust keeps people in danger. If you say no, I won't take them. You'll help me get him out of the city after this. I will. Promise. I promise. Skepticism keeps people alive.

Let's go. Give the gentle knock. The door flies open, revealing Boller Lothalia. Why did you just open the door like that? I'm Boller Lathalia. You're not. I work at the museum. You are in hiding, and you just open the fucking door

without any questioning. I live here. I'm sure I was in. side as Murray's racing. The illusion comes off and he goes, the door behind me. Am I allowed to leave? I've been here for like a week. Please, God, let me leave.

I've reorganized the fruit bowls like a hundred times. It is a miracle from the fucking shapers that you are even still alive. You understand that? It's not a miracle from the shapers. It's a miracle from you. Thank you for saving my life. Am I allowed to go? Oh, I wrote down everything.

I wrote down and I made it in triplicate. Here, it's the case. I did all the stuff you asked me to do. Yes. I did it all because, because we're gonna get these guys, and we're gonna take him to jail. And they do owe me a couple hundred gold pieces.

So we're gonna get that too. I'm looking through those pages, copies and copies and copies of his statement. He has it all written out. He goes, and if I deliver the statement well enough, right, I'll get to go back to the penteveral. And then I can start studying again, because I've been reading these books so many times.

I've read visitors to creation like three times. I've read everything 100 billion, zillion, jillion. Hey, hey, hey, sweet honey bear. That's done now. You understand that, right? Listen to me, you are going to be able to get out of this apartment. I've got a plan for you. Tomorrow. You're going to go away tomorrow.

I need you to pack all of your bags. But we need... I don't have anywhere to go. You do now. But we need one more favor from you. You got it. Whatever you need. Azunei name? Okay.

I approach him. and I recall exactly how Hal spoke to him when we rescued him. I put my hand on his shoulder exactly like I saw Hal do. I crouched down exactly like I saw Hal do. Deminus, we need your help. We need your word, your testimony to get them. And we can't do this without you. Are you brave enough to be with us?

Listen to the full proposition first before you were done talking. Agree to things. This is how you got in fucking trouble in the first place. Sorry. Sorry, let's wait, let me, okay, I know it's dangerous. Squeeze his shoulder just a little bit, gently. We need you to appear and make your testimony heard in front of the Einfossens.

I would love to appear. Like smoke? No, it's not. No magic. Okay. None. They cannot have anything but truth there. Okay.

You have to testify in person in front of the Einfossen house. They need to hear your account about what happened at the Palazzo de Vinos. They need to hear it from your mouth. Okay. Do you understand what he's telling you? And do you understand the implications around this? Yeah, the Einfoss and, like, run the Revolutionary Guard, right? If we tell them that the Taconas are bad, they'll arrest him.

He has to know, I can't trick you into this. I can't let you walk forward into the lion's den. As colorable as you are and as easy it would be to take advantage of that. One wrong move, and they will kill you on the spot, Demandis. That is why I'm asking, are you brave? Are you willing to put your life on the line, potentially, to speak truth to people who look down on us and want to squash us?

But your word can help be a shield for everybody here. Give me persuasion or give me intimidate. Give me persuasion to convince him to do it or give me intimidate to like, if you think he's already convinced to do it, give me intimidate so that he does it carefully. I think it's persuasion. Yeah.

I'm, let me see if I have any look points left. I think you do. I do. I do. I do. I do. Okay.

Now I'm going to roll this with, yeah, I would like, okay. That is a 17. He looks and goes, they need my word, right? That's what we do. Words of power.

I'm not scared. Just the truth. Your account as you saw it. I know. It'll match everything in here. I've written this like three times. I know exactly what it says. I'm gonna need more than three copies. Oh, yeah, I'll do that. I can do that.

Do you wanna make sure, do you wanna take a look at that and make sure that I'm okay to say everything in there? Because I'm not great with filter. So if there's anything I shouldn't, it'd be better. It'd be better for me. I'm going to take those copies and I'm gonna look through them for sure.

Sure, but I'm looking at Murray and knowing what I'm asking, I'm going to take this moment to step away and let them have some time. Gotcha. You're going to do this. It's going to be tomorrow morning. You're going to say your peace. You're going to immediately get your naive ass into a carriage. King Augustus of Timony is looking for a mage to sit on his counsel.

He's agreeing to take you in. This is a good opportunity, Deminus. You have a job. You're going to be advising the king of Timney. I... Okay.

Am I gonna... I'm like not even 20% into my thesis. Is that I'm not gonna... If I don't... How am I going to graduate if I'm living in Timney? You're not going to graduate. You're done now.

This is your graduation. Fuck college if you have a job, right? It seems like if a lot of people believe that all at the same time, it would have some long-term deleterious effects on society. Okay, yeah. Whoa, I have a job, like, a wait, am I gonna get paid? You're gonna get paid. Ha!

Yeah! Stop, shut the fuck up. Oh my God! What's the offer? Is it like, how much am I making? It's still being sorted. I'm in. I'll tell them I'll do it for a food, food in a bedroom.

Don't tell them that. You'll get food in bedroom and then you will get a salary, but listen to me. Do you, I'm gonna cut. I have to turn away from this. I'm reading with my back towards them. Yeah, hired out of school. They said I couldn't do it. Like three different people said I couldn't do it.

Yes. You're making me break out into a sweat, Demetis. You have to stop. I get it. I get it. It's serious. I'm serious. Do you?

Listen to me. Wipe that fucking smile off your face. All right? It's not. He points a finger at his face and a big frown, whoop appears. Like a snap. Can I use like a mage hand to Rip it off.

To rip the old. How should I get hurt? Amazing. Murray, Professor Magnetson. You can call me Murray. You're not a student anymore. Gets him. You guys saved me, and that wasn't even the first time

that I've been dragged away. I'm a gnome. I live in the marketplace. I live in the school. Before I was good enough at magic to turn. invisible. People would just grab you, move you out of the way. I had got kicked me one time just because I was standing in a doorway that he wanted to walk through. I'm not, I don't do jokes like this because I don't get it. I do jokes like this because I do get it. I get that it's scary.

My, and I'm, I don't know everything and I know I'm gullible or whatever, but I do know I have a pretty could read on, you know, I read a lot. I, I, I, and I read a lot of history. And it seems like there's been bad people running things pretty much forever for a long, long time. So if I wait for there to be no danger to smile, I'll die frowning. So I understand, and I am taking it seriously. I I really am. I wouldn't have written all this out if it wasn't. So you got it. And thank you. And thank you. Don't think me yet.

Look at what I wrote and let me know if there's anything I shouldn't say. I've, I don't know how long it takes me. Give me investigation. Okay. I will guidance myself, because I'm definitely intentionally going in to that. I don't know. I think you're going to relax. Oh, yeah, oh, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah.

13. 13. You're looking through all his stuff. You see the stuff with Lieutenant Junaeus. There was something of the Ophelia Serum. This was like all way, way back, but basically all the things he witnessed that night. All the stuff about what he did

is all significant and above the books. You're the interesting part in the 13. On a 13, I can't point anything out to you in particular, but you're looking at stuff like they gave him pieces of cake to eat. Someone was told to go look for any scullery maids, right? He overheard conversation with Junaeus, where Ophelia Saramai told this captain, they'll give you the scar for this. And you also see him overhearing about an Argosian delegation

arriving at the Stahlkeep. You'll be giving this presentation at the Stalkeep tomorrow. And the last thing you see there is trimus Taconas speaking to Ophelia Saramai saying, or sorry, Junaeus, I believe it was Junaeus saying, the Falcon has just been delivered to Obermiss Manor. Does that mean anything to you? And Ophelia, Sarah, am I saying, yes. At least one thing has gone right tonight. At least one thing has gone right.

I mean, all the shit about the Anfossens and the soul keep should probably be redacted. I think so, too. Focus only on what happened there, the Taconis. Anything that implicates Einfossen? strike it. Everything that sounds like things went wrong, emphasize that.

Do you have time to rewrite this a little? Yeah, let me write it. Do you have time to give me a history lesson? History lesson? I need to be well read on the relationship that different people have. with mortality. The Faye, infernal.

Sure. I'll talk to you about anything you want to talk to about. Am I staying here tonight again? I think we'll come and collect you in the morning. Okay. You got it. The whole thing with the... This was all one conversation where the stuff about the Stahlkeep was said. Should I leave in the part about them bringing the Falcon to Obermiss Manor?

because that was part of the same conversation. If they're in on it, then they already know that that happened, so that won't be news to them, and it might be nice to see their faces when they read it. But if they weren't in on it, then that's good for us. Remember, we already know Tacomis is going off-Squard. So that doesn't also necessarily implicate the Einfalcens with him hearing that correct. All right.

Over disd Manor is Taconas. Taconas has stayed in Dolmacchio. In Dolmachiar. If anything that could insinuate non-biase on him, on his party's world. Keep that. Keep it. I'll see you guys tomorrow money.

As you guys prepare to head out, as you guys prepare to head out, do you go back to the Arkanad? Because you have some spellbook stuff. And I have some spell stuff to do as well. I can do that at the Arcanon. I can hold up in Follaire's office. There'll be equipment there for you to do that too.

Great. And if he's handing me like material to study, I'll take that with me, or if he's gonna make up a report about what I asked for, then I'll pick that up in the morning. Cool. You got it.

You guys head off, and we're gonna swap tables. Bring in everybody else, let's do it. Everybody. I love him so much. He's the best. Exiting from knife and palette pigments, you find yourself returning to the outside street across from Hollis Kinneywater's apartment.

Hollis escorts you to the street and says, Farewell, my mistress bids you all good fortune in the portentous days to come and goes into his apartment. Spooky guy. I'm delightful every time. I think Julian's just gonna walk away at a continuous pace and then duck into an alley.

Oh. Or bodyguard. Mm, give it a moment. Where do I know him from? I grab the back of your bra through your dress again and go snap. Yep. Oh!

Horrified. There we go. I knew it was in there somewhere. No. You should have seen it from my perspective. He doesn't know. I doubt it. He disappeared like this often.

No, but no. He's not that bright, and honestly, he's a bit limp in the brain, as it were. He's a crier. He's sensitive. We should go reach out to him. Definitely a crier. Julian, you walk around the corner and have some privacy. I sit there and stare into the void and process what the fuck the last few moments were.

and wait for them to eventually walk by or continue their trek before I. I am very quietly going to make my way and I'm gonna hide my face to make it a little less disturbing. Yeah. But I'm not changing what I'm wearing. Julian. I put it away to make things a little calmer.

Are you all right? What the fuck was that? What? What was that? That was a paint company. No, that was not a paint company. I've been to all kinds of paint companies all across the realm.

What the fuck was that? You don't strike me as a paint company sort of man, but I'll take it. I pick cartons and shit for the family. What? Jeez, Guy. You act like you've never tried to take a demon's bra off before.

Oh. Look, there's a big difference between what, respectfully, you are and whatever that was. What do you mean? You are very, you know, mid. That was extra. Smoke show, right? Damn.

All right, tough but fair. Your family, their name keeps coming up with the Taconeses. Are they working with them? I don't know. Are you working with them? Definitely not, no. I, I...

You just happen to have a celestial angel in your basement and also through your blood, apparently. You can make wings and shit. Listen, I've been... What the fuck is going on? That's what I've been asking all week. Right. But without cursing.

Right. breathe deeply. Count to ten, if you can remember how to do that, you silly boy, and remember that we've spent an awful lot of money supplying you with distractions and drugs, which I would like you to think about where they come from for a moment because you have never bloody assed. To keep you away from this.

Are you on drugs right now? No, he is not, which is part of the problem. You should be. You give me, sir. Yes, I could even go back. in there if you like and get you some. Where do you think these things come from? You don't need that sort of thing. One moment he-

Focus on your, on your inner strength, your inner light. Julian. Calm yourself. Don't you tell me how to feel you, child. I'm not telling you what to feel, I'm just telling you. You're going to get- You have it within you to be whoever you want, wish to be. I punch him in the face. Here. Hey, whoa. Sh-sh, shh, we're all about to learn a very, very valuable lesson.

That's the anime block. Yeah. Let him get an attack roll? Oh yeah. Go for it. That's gonna be. I'm sure it hits. I don't know, we'll see.

Oh no, 18, I think. Gloved hand or non-gloved hand? Oh, this is non-gloved hand. That would be stopping if it were. Yeah, I believe that hits. Oh, for sure it hits, yes. And that would be three damage. That's that I was helping for.

I'll say as he's holding, like the carrying through, just a crack across the jaw, kind of following through with it and pushing Wick up against the wall. Now they've gotten like kind of up on the front of his chest, like on the clavicle and shoulder, as he's clutching his face and say, look, I have lost nearly everything that's important to me in just a matter of days, all right?

I don't need you to be telling me how to calm my emotions. All right? I know that you probably had some sort of severe fuckery happening to you as well, or else why would you have been pulled into all of this? All right? I just want to know if you and that one have had anything to do with what has befallen

in my house and those I care about. And after what I just saw, I'm even less sure. So, if you want to assure me that I don't put you on the list of people that I'm going to cut down in the time to come, then I recommend you don't tell me how to calm myself. Lucky Teor didn't step in to stop that. I think a good setting of boundaries is fine from time to time. The truth is, I don't know if I've had anything to do with what you suffered.

and I probably deserve what you just did and more. And I'm sorry. I don't know how complicit we are in all of this. Am I bleeding? I lick as the blood off of his nose. Salty. I'm sorry. As you lick the blood off his nose,

this is a perfect time, Whitney, for you to roll new hit points. Would you roll a do-out thing? That was an extra. Hit him again. What is it, even for I'm not lapping up Angel Blood, you know? Is there a chair in the alley? I would really like the cut chair for there.

What am I rolling? Roll a D8 for me if you'd be so kind. You're gonna roll you. Oh, great, I rolled the nine last time. That's right. Tricksy dice. That's a D10. That's a D10.

I have too many dice. Thank you. No, that's a thing. Yes, there is. That's a two. And that's just your new hit points. So you're gonna add your constitution. Constitution modifier to that.

And what is your Constitution modifier? Four. Four. So go ahead, and you're going to add six hit points. So your hit point total is now, I believe. Yeah. I see you've already leveled up. We'll determine your hit point.

Figure it out later at break. Julian and Wakander. Tension in this moment. Teor. Somewhere in the city, you're bringing up. brother is made of stone, and you see that the hour is growing later and later. Sir Julian, I think you will find that as naive as our compatriot here may be, he knows very little.

And he has a very rare quality, unbridled optimism. I don't think I like either of those circumstances, but since you are, well, a voice of pseudo-reason, and seemingly non-dubious contacts. Lead the way. I have a few questions for you myself as you walk. Could we get back to my brother now? I was hoping you would never ask. Lead on to the museum.

Julian. Mm-hmm. That was called for. And I'm glad you did it. But I would like you to remember what the two of you have in common, because it's going to be important. because it's going to be important. Both need to grow up, and I start walking to the museum.

Hey, watching you take that hit was really cool, by the way. I didn't step in because I think that it's part of your new bad boy identity. What is it? Nick Falcon? I think that that's like a, it's going to be crucial to me how to take it. That was a Nick Falcon thing? I think so, yeah. All right.

Because you bounce back so fast. I'm not even going to heal myself. Good. You journey? in hiding across the city. I heal myself. All the way to the Arkhanod, arriving at night in this vast museum.

As you enter, Belair, headed towards the not deeply private office, but just your office. Of course. Approaching you is Hero Devian, who walks up and says, Master Lafalia, You guys see a young half-orke woman, probably looks like sort of penteverly college age,

walks up a pair of spectacles on. She's got these intense, thick leather gloves that are a little bit singed and smoking. And you see that she has this bubbling, sort of venomous green bile potion. And she walks up and says, Master Lothalia, I was, I followed the instructions to the tea and the serum is ready.

Excellent. You are a lifesaver. Grab whatever, grab some basic countermeasures so that we have some ways of protecting ourselves if something goes wrong from the upstairs lab since we will not be using the safe room for this. It's a bit private.

We're not using the safe room? I don't know. Okay, there could be some shard spray if the, I don't know. Why, you are not going to be in the room. Okay, you got it. I'll go get some protective here. Thank you, darling. Well, they head off.

I'm going to turn to Taylor. So I have a least understanding of how most everyone else in that room was connected to all this. What is your business with this mockery? I came to pay my respects to Tiazzi. Found I was too late to do so, like so many others, and then found that my brother has gone missing. We located his body as a stone statue by way of Basilisk, and now we have come back. And during our journey, they have been there. This Nick Falcon has proved himself useful and a surprise. He is some sort of unknown integer

that I would like to keep close. He has more power than I think even he knows. And yet he lacks any sort of waits to focus that power, which makes him even more dangerous to fall into their own hands. Is your point? Could be. Under pressure, he has been surprising. Good to know. You say you came to pay respects to Theazzi. What is your history there?

I know you, Sir Julian. I served with The Ozzy and the Falconer's Rebellion. Teacher. I did. I saw your little spat. Julian steps away and joins the rest of the others in the troop. I want to have a quick sidebar with Wigg. With Nick. Nick Falcon. Hey, I just wanted to get a quick time check. You're still wet. Yeah. Okay.

Do you just throwing this out there, you know that at any time you could sell all these bitches up the river and go back to a very comfortable life. I'm just, I just wanted to tell you that I wouldn't respect you any less if you decided to do that. Not saying you should,

but I wanted to, you know, see how you're feeling. Do you think that we should? I have no thought. I have not a thought in my head about it. You can't tell me that you're not affectionate towards some of these people, no? Yeah, they're great.

They're great. I am concerned about you, as always, and I'm just noticing that we're in for a very hard road and some very tough fight. and if you wanted to resume your mantle as the fanciest boy in the world, who's the chosen sion of a power that has seemed to clinch in Delamacier,

I wouldn't blame you. And I kind of miss foie gras. I appreciate that. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. You are? Yeah. You have a very dry sense of humor. It's very hard to tell sometimes.

No, you would never, you don't want that, right? Right? No. Okay, yeah. Just checking. I just kidding. I'm just up to you, Belair, as they're having their conversation and lingering off of that. Chat.

So this brother, you think, is to supply important information? Honestly, I'm as out of my depth as you are at the moment. There's a lot moving around, and this is not my world. But I can only trust the people who are being trusted by people I trust. Fair. You being out of your depth is only comforting. Thank you. I do know this is hard for you. Don't patronize me. I am... Never. I respect the mess that you have been.

I like it. I enjoy it. You know damn well we've had our times. And I may regret a bit that I was an enabler of your most destructive habits. I was in a bad place myself. We all have our ways of passing the time. Yes. Speaking of which, I have an idea that might help you help you with the people that you've surrounded yourself with.

I know that people are your least favorite thing, especially people this odd. I disagree, I happen to like people a lot. You should just a lot of people. the people aren't people into the surface. Well, on quite the opposite end of that, and I certainly can relate. You should talk to the lovely young tyranny woman.

I think you two have more in common than you'd think, and I think you could do with someone a bit on your level in the best way. Where do I know her from? You should ask her. I think, I think. I think would you do you well? I really, it's not my position to talk about,

but you should absolutely take a moment. In the meantime, if you'll excuse me, sir. Teor? It's a pleasure to properly make your acquaintance. I know this is not the best of circumstances. We're still setting up everything to make sure that if something goes wrong, it doesn't hurt us. You see, Hero is a lot of

lugging a large sort of dolly with a wooden shield wall on it. Shrunk, shrunk. What are you doing? Magic can be temperamental and we don't anyone want anyone losing a limb or getting a mask grasped to their face or sucked into a box or any of the other brilliant things that can happen when we're poking at magical objects. We don't understand.

Oh, a lot's been going on. What can you tell me about your brother? I would like to have some firsthand knowledge in case he's acting oddly or in case there's something in him that isn't him. Tell Sudimir Pride sire, black fur, very headstrong, stubborn. Was working closely with the Ozzy, I understand it. As an affinity for birdwatching. That's useful.

I would like you to think about something only the two of you would know. We're going to be dealing with very, very clever entities that may have laid traps for us. Think about private things, quiet things, things that wouldn't, things that other forces wouldn't even think to interrogate him for. pets, quiet moments, especially private only between the two of you. We were brothers, something from our childhood, perhaps.

Tell me nothing. Tell no one any of it in case they're reading minds. I'm not using divine sense, but there are glowing eyes coming out of a moving mask. It's very strange. Do I detect anything? Do you activate divine sense or no? No. Oh, please.

Give me perception or insight. You see a gentleman with, there's obvious magic for a mask to be mobile like that. But you look at some of the other, there's like one of, when you were walking in, one of the archivists upstairs had a ceramic and leather gauntlet that the ceramic plates moved around on. Someone else had a bad burn scar that had a sort of glass, like volcanic glass casement over the scar to stop it from spreading. Like, there are a couple things.

It seems like people get weird magical injuries here. Bollaire's mask is not, it would make him the most injured person you've seen here. Yeah, there are people missing limbs. There are people, but a lot of magical objects making up for what are clearly things went horribly wrong. Because this is like always dissecting landmines you find from World War II. I like it. Take whatever precautions you need, I will stay. as close as I can watch everyone,

because I will not be able to. It's possible this will, so many things can go wrong. I'm not afraid. Hero lowers a welding mask and has a pair of tongs around the potion and goes, I overheard that this is your brother. Would you like to do the honors? Sort of like midwives will sometimes let the dad cut

an umbilical cord because they're close to it. Actually, that's a very good idea. I've never had the honor. I, yes. She says, okay, take the tongue. I need the tongs. Yeah. And then if you, I would administer the serum.

Actually, if you don't do it on the head, start at the back of the neck so that it gets to where the spine would be. And the serum will start to work in that way. Look for anything that doesn't feel like your brother. Do not allow yourself to be fooled. Okay. Pay attention. And the reason, we're going to be behind the wall because most of the

because most of the time, records indicate that when petrification is reversed, it is a natural organic process, but there have been recorded or reported, I should say, instances of the person having the stone cover explode out in all directions. Or they can panic very quickly on occasion. Yeah. I've seen one of those things before, so I'm prepared. It looks, it's good because we look for action poses. Like if he, if he got, got mid-swing, he would probably continue to- I think I understand.

We can go into the particulars later, but I'm so glad you've done the reading. I'm very impressed. Thank you, Master Lothelian. Are you going to stay and watch, or you're going behind their shield? You are allowed? You are going out.

No, please Uncle Belair, come on. I'm sorry, I prefer to use Uncle Belair at work, but come on. Uncle. Well, fuck, fine. Don't tell your father. Okay, yes. And you see that she gets out a notepad

and is eagerly watching with the welding helmet down. Behind the shield. Behind the shield, popping a little welding mask over the top. Are you ready? Always. Let's let it happen.

All right, I'll take the tongs and lift up over the back of the main of the statue. Your brother, even though he's your younger brother, he's about the same physical size to you. Maine is a little more full, but you see, in this post he's been covered in a stone robe, which he never wore, and he has sort of like a regal or aristocratic pose,

but there's something horrified his face. You remember in the castle that they were getting them into these poses to look like normal statues, rather than people cowering or, you know, weird warped shapes that you wouldn't make a statue to be. Serum touches back of his neck. It begins.

And you see the robe goes from gray stone to deep purple magenta, black fur, goes through the torso, suddenly he buckles at the waist. Stone head and suddenly stone paws hit the ground. It's organic. It's new here. Going up the back.

No! Embrace, heaving sobs. No! No! He holds your face. Is this? Are you dead? No, I am here with you among the living. We rescued you from a fortress you were captured, turned to stone. There are many of us.

We came to your rescue. Take a moment if you needed. What is the last thing that you remember? Oh, yeah, yeah. Sir. Oh. My throat, they haven't given me water. Where are they?

Are they around? We're in danger. Who is they? The captors? The knights of... The knights of... The knight of... The knight of Sera-Niathis.

We are endangered here. They are nearby. No, we slew them. They are defeated. They are not here. You are safe. How did you know you? Where were you?

The last I heard, you were in Balladry or Selmure, far to the east. Have you... They were... My God, I'm rescued. We need to run. Where are we now? Are we in... We are back in, Dolmokyar.

We had to leave the city to... to come and find you. We brought you all the way back here. These are friends. This is Bollerr and this is Rukander. I'm gonna pour him a glass of water and take it over. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Teon? Be trusting, are we? He turns around and goes, this asshole. What the fuck are you doing here? No? He works with it. He's sundered. We have dealt with it and you have not done what is necessary yet.

When we were children, before we would go to sleep, what would our father say to us every night? A story, a poem, or a tale of what tomorrow would bring. And you see here that Sid repeats back to you the words that your father would speak. These words were important to him. And I think that looking at your connection in this moment, Sid responding in kind, what do your companions hear from Sid's mouth?

The poem that our father read to us or recited to us was when dark night's silence falls and hope seems gone. A deeper roar still carries on. It shakes the stars and it splits the night sky. For it lives in me. It lives in me and will not die. Repeating that poem together, Sid looks and says,

I am very talented. You pale and hear this. Fuck this, no, put me back into stone. I'm just saying. You see, he looks over and says, I fucking did the, the, I can't believe it. Where is Loza here? No, Loza went on. I think that a time has come to him. Plus the heat, this is truly remarkable. You have been on the cutting edge of this with Theazi for how long?

Cutting edge, I mean, I was Theasi's eyes and ears in the Revolutionary Council. I was a cab driver. I was driving carriages for the Great Tower. I... That's why. But it's getting stronger. You can feel it, can't you? And you see, he looks down at the wooden lion's head at your belt.

They have felt it. They are. I'm looking for you because I didn't know where else to go. Kazimir. Casimir. Casimir betrayed us. Casimir is dead. We've been very busy.

I'm sorry we didn't need any scraps from you. You fuck, his brother, me again. It's bullshit. I was going to get his ass. I stole the deed. I was going to go tell the... I didn't tell the others. I clipped his toe, so you can...

You can hold on. to it is a keepsake. The little pinky toe is a little bitch toe. The fucked up when he always used his dagger to pick the shit out of. Yeah. Look, I, um, the whole thing, the Ozzy is he, he's. He's gone. I mean, the carriage never arrived and that was the whole. But the, look, the, the, the, the, I grabbed the deed from the crook. I knew that Casimir was running with those. walking girl keepers. I'd grab the deed.

I'd had nor thinking, I don't know. I'd heard some things in the council about this goss of Timeney. Maybe he wants to know that a turncoat trader is about to get

a strong home in Timeney. By the time I got up there knew that Taconas were chasing me. Everything had fled out of... I just thought I'd get on a ship and head east to find you. I was out of options.

With the Ozzy gone, I thought Thimble must be dead as well. They were talking about, in the guard tower, the Crowkeepers tavern. I heard them laughing that Thimble had dropped through it. Thimble... She had been captured. She is fine. She's alive with us.

And Taconas is the only ones that sort of betrayed you and captured you? There was no other families, no other centered houses? Tacitus didn't betray me because Tacitus don't owe me anything. I'm just another common or scum to them. But I know that Tacones were, when I snuck up on the tavern where Casimir was speaking to the crowkeeper, he was settling his debt,

and they were asking how he had possibly gotten the money together, and he said, you know, I will be working with House Tacones from now. So I knew that they were in on whatever happened to Tiazzi, and that they had reached, Casimir was the weak link in the plan, So that's where they hit. And they gave him all the money he needed to turn his back on us and his cause.

I mean, he was always weak, you know. The city was getting to him. The Ozzy asked a lot of us. Not more than he was willing to give himself, but I was living on a cab driver's salary. I wanted to find you. I wanted to sting in me. I started to be able to see fairies

and demons and it was like something was coming back. There have always been pieces during the rebellion, but not like this. Something pushing out. And I looked through and I said to theasi, I think there's something here. He said, we're going. He said, when this is all taken care of,

he says, I'm going to get you and Teo are, I'm going to find a way for us to explore this. But for right now, the council, you know, he saw parts of the. tapestry that I couldn't see and he said it was safer for me not to see it and I he had his head in many pots I think maybe too many for even him and you were doing this alone I have many people with me I could not have done any better than you and you were spending your time on a noble cause there is nothing to be

ashamed of but when we found you again turn to stone the Knights of Ceramide did they mention who anything why they were doing it. They had posed you in a very regal pose, which I knew was bullshit, because you never fucking, you don't. No, no, no. I've never, I could tell. I mean, it was awful. I mean, I was on this table in a

dungeon somewhere in Timony, and the fucking ropes were pulling my limbs apart, and they got this freaky lizard with glowing eyes and a basilisk. Are you injured? Do you need healing of any sort? He looks down, and you actually see there are

fresh wounds on him. He's got blood on his He said, I injured some of the guards when they unmanacled me to get me in the right pose. But the- Is it all right if I heal him to you? I'm quite wise to be honest. I'll gently touch him and pump in a cure wounds. He was, thank you. What is your name, my friend?

Nick. Nick Falcon. Let it, let truth sit for this one. I don't know how he feels about our family. Well, you're about... The less that we give him, the less he has to pretend he doesn't know. Very fair. He looks and says, All right, Nick, thanks.

He says, yes, the, this, um, he says, you came, you didn't, with this?

No, no, no, no, no. Not with, not with them. The strange bell of bedfellows. Am I all right? I don't, is he working with them? You, um,

no, you probably hate those of the central houses, but for the time being, There is no house that I am vassal to, so at the moment, I am as lowborn as the rest of you. Give me persuasion. Can I add to that? Sure. Sir Julian here actually was instrumental in saving your life.

Give me persuasion with advantage to take that as a help action. That would be a dirty twain. Hell yeah. He looks and says, and trust my brother. And these two are okay? Nick and... Just a demon hanging out. I come here sometimes.

That's your cover story for me to trust you? I don't know. Anything would be better than a demon hanging out. Bullears got all sorts of freaky little freaks hanging around. Welcome to your bedfellows. You best get used to them. They were of House Halovar.

They are on the run, just like we are. He turns, he says, all right. yes, the ceremony, they were dragging me. There were days they had to go to this castle in this rainy part of timony. They were dragging me. I was asleep. I was bound and gagged on this like this tavern floor. And there were a couple days.

They didn't want to turn me to stone until they were set up because they didn't have the means to drag me when I was that heavy. So they needed to carry me conscious for a while before they were set up to do the petrification. So this, but I overheard me, and they were just talking because they think, I'm going to stop going to die. And so the, they, I don't know why they want to turn me to stone, none of that, but they are talking about, where do I even begin? Okay, there's this sea.

There's some, I don't know the geography, but it's the sea. Lachrys? Yeah, okay, this one, yes. There is an island there. the sea, which is, they call it the Hall of Mercy. The other word, the, the, the, the, the, the, the Ceremony, the night calls it hall of mercy, but I hear the whisper girl, the fucked up skull tattooed one. She called it the, the fora, Foracruciamah, Foracruciamah.

It's on an island in the sea somewhere, and she's talking about it. explaining it to her brother, who's the pretty boy, the one with the rapier, kind of like this one. And she said to him that back before the shapers die, you know,

they have these afterlifes, and you just go there, right? But the shapers each have a people, but she talked about this place called the Hall of Mercy where you can petition your case. If she talked about like dragons,

and giants and all sorts of monsters that there are many creatures that have lived in Araman that have a spirit but they are not of the shapers so this place the hall of mercy if you are devout but you are a monster

or some other creature you can go and plead your case here for to be accepted into an afterlife if you are some other kind of being and she said they're going to go here. And that she talked about,

when they were looking at me or dressing to me, she kept talking about we need more, we need more. And she say, she say two score and seven lords. Two score. Score is 20, right? So that's 47 lords? And she talked about they're going to go to the hall of mercy and they're going to raise banners there or something like this.

So the, oh, and they were looking for, for, when you talk about the lords, they talk about somewhere, they met up with another wagon when we get to the big city, to where the castle is, where you rescue me. They dump a sarcophagus on this side of the road because she, She says it's not old enough. She says the Lord who died there, she said, no, she said, this Lord, she said you can see from

the coffin, the sarcophagus that is only 50 years old. She says it's not old enough. And they needed older bodies than that. There was a specific time they needed them from. I don't know what it is they're going to plan there, but they've raised goblets on the last night before we got to the city and they say, to the end of the path and they raised their glasses. How big?

How big was the sarcophagus out of curiosity? Normal, I mean, big because it's made of like stone, but it was for a human, I think. And it was, the body was too young, the sarcophagus was too young. Yes, they get it from a mausoleum or mortuary somewhere in timony, but they were looking for specific gravesites, things like this. things like this. And then, oh, the, right before, sorry,

they mentioned this place called Arrex Nocturnus, which is somewhere else maybe near Sea of Lachrys, I don't know. And they said they needed many more like me. You see, he says, but the last, oh, right before. This is not about whatever else, but they were really disappointed right before they got me.

The Knight of Saramai was speaking to one of the sergeants, I think, that they were expecting a big reinforcement that wasn't gonna come and they were gonna be delayed. They needed to meet the rest of the fleet. They kept saying we need to meet the rest of the fleet. And they said our voyage is going to be delayed significantly because there was a battalion that was supposed to come from the endless night

that had not been able to send a pigeon to them. They were waiting on reinforcements from their house that they said were not going to come because something had gone wrong or gone missing. And there was another one. They say that there was a battle at an orchard. And that this one, they were expecting many more to come. They were expecting, I think, some of their cousins,

some of the cousins of Dosset and Univir to come, but they said that they were waiting for a bound celestial to arrive at this battle, and that the bound celestial never arrive, and they panic and launch the attack without it, and they were massacred, slaughtered. They said that one of them, a cousin named Coral,

who escaped barely with their life, is the word they received. And that Coral had, there was something about, Corrale is skipped with a gem of some kind. A stone? Not at stone, but like a real gem of some kind. A gem is a stone.

Oh, okay. But he has been stone for so long. But not a gem. But not a gem. Interesting. But the last thing they say is something like we're gonna have to cool our heels for a long time before they can join us, so we're going to have to wait to meet the rest of the fleet. Did they say were going to be hiding or waiting?

No, they did not in front of me, but they were headed to it on their way. What they did to me was a stop on their way, so they were journeying somewhere north. North, there were others like you. There were other statues in the hole. We could only take you. Did you see others? being bound in the same way you were. I heard screams, others, and then gone, screams end fast.

But the, but the, you see, he says, but they, I know they are gathering others like me. There are many others like me, and they were headed north. And if, what happened to the others that were frozen like me? I want to try something. Hold still for a minute. I'm gonna say, warrior. Reach your senses, tell me true.

Did the dead draw it near? Does anything happen to say it? As you say that to him, he goes, how the fuck am I supposed to know? You want me to, you sure, do? Oh, I can, you see, he goes, and you see his eyes don't go white, but you can sense that he's doing what you do,

which is divine sense. He looks around and says, okay, demon, getting something from you, but- Something good? It's sort of, yeah, I guess, good, so it feels celestial or something. That's right, I went there.

You. Forgive me, I'm so sorry to. We're going to get into it. Well, when did you start getting these powers that you have now? During the rebellion. Oh. But I didn't, I haven't been,

you know, if no one gonna train you, if no one gonna help you understand what's happening to you, it's just sort of a hobby. Yeah. It's just something. We're doing our own time. It's not something that's always been around, but it's funny. It matches stories from our youth, things we would heard from our father.

Very useful. When you were a statue, they would say this phrase, and the eyes of the statue would glow. We think they were setting up some sort of a ward or perimeter. I think that's what they were speaking about. When they say the destruction of the path, what do you think they mean? That is a good question. We're working on that. You don't think they're gonna turn the druids

to stone or something, do you? I suppose we're going to find out, Hogby. You need rest, I'm sure. And the meal. I'm so hungry. Do you have food that is not weird and fucked up? This is a museum all the food is weird and fucked up. But yes, no, we can,

we actually should already have some food prepared because this is very typical. Hero says, I'll get the food laid out, and we should have yes. You're actually, if you could take care of this this delightful veteran and make sure that they are given every comfort while they heal and are also kept safe from prying eyes.

Oh, yeah, I'll do that. We're giving you a lot of responsibility, and I warn you, it is a dangerous moment, and you're going to have to be careful, because if you're not, you're going to be careful, You're going to get hurt. You could get hurt and your father will kill me. So keep me safe, please.

I'll keep you safe. See, there is a lot going on. I want you to rest and we will come back. I will check in with you before anything else happens, but. But you're here. I am here, and it is good to see you again. I'll reach out my hand and in my paw

is sort of clasped a small dagger just so he has it. He takes it. He goes, Taylor, other people. like us. That's who they were going after. That's, I think, maybe the only people who know that this is happening. If we don't do something, we have to stop them. We are spreading the word. We are mounting an offense. It is coming faster than you know, maybe even as soon as tomorrow. But trust me, there are those with much bigger brains than ours that are on it as well. Let's get some food.

I quickly run around. I'm grabbing a couple books off my shelf and grabbing a couple other things and throwing them quickly into the bag. I am not feeding any of you. I have a quick errand to run, but in the meantime, I think that most of us should head back. I agree.

You see, Hero says, head back. I think people are just starting to arrive, Master Lethalia. Excellent. And that's where we're going to go to break. Oh, my brother's alive, man. He's not a hot. Yeah. That was fun.

That was very fun. I love how much the... And that will go to break there. We'll come back to that place. And that's where we'll leave our story for now. Part two of this episode of Campaign 4 drops this Tuesday. Thanks for listening. And we'll see you soon for more Critical Role.