Critical Role - Chasing Shadows | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 28 Part 2

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

Part 2   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.

Hello again, it's Brennan Lee Mulligan, and you're listening to Part 2 of this episode of Critical Role. If you haven't checked out part one yet, pause this now and head over there first. What are you doing? Otherwise, let's jump right back into this adventure and the world of Aromond. The amount of dirty words, we return to the Arkanad here in Dormaciar. Museum of the Revolution. Tisha. Get it out, quick. You saw it coming.

As you cast your lollipop aside, I require you to pick up 2D8 and roll hit points. I did roll hit points when we did our level four. Okay, yes, you did. So this is just a new one for five. Yes, thank you. We finally, that's right. For people watching it at home,

Abrea was sitting on her Seekers arc level up since the Seekers arc. That's another five. Hell yeah. And I know I said before I was going to take durable as a feat. I'm taking Mateslayer because I'm fucking done with the Sunday. Yes. Fuck, yes. Incredible.

Tisha, as the energy of opposing the strange magics you see working against the fabric of reality. Natural order. That phrase sometimes carries too much coldness and sterility. You're not here to preserve order. You're here to preserve life itself. And these fools know not what they meddle with, but they will ask everyone else to pay for it before them. And you feel that power of that mage, Slayer energy

and all of these new hit points as you walk where else? But the Loy Wing of the Arcanod. Tysha, you, fimbled, valis, Octus all arrive at the museum at the same time that Howe and Cadigan arrive. You see the beautiful museums, and you see the gorgeous pariah blade. You see the central marble hall,

and the pariah blade stationed there in this beam of light, humble blade of iron. No frivolous adornment, no gem-studded, noble haughtiness. A blade perfectly balanced, perfectly smithed, and forged, to save a people and a world. Below those of you who have been speaking with Sid can see that our hero goes, oh, I think I hear him upstairs.

And Hero is going to run and collect and bring all of you guys together into a chamber where there is food. And you see, Hero goes, Hi, Tasha. Hey, hi. I heard you made a potion that on Basilisk? Yeah.

Are you a wizard now? I'm studying it to Pentiviral. Oh my god, congratulations. Thank you. I'm really excited about it. And we, I just did this whole thing, and I made a potion and it took a guy who, some of the things he said are important enough that I shouldn't be the one to tell them to you,

but it's really good to see you. And also, I've done something that Shadia hasn't. So now I have that. I like the center. I like that a lot. And you see, she goes, Dad, hey. Hey, sweetie. Hey, everybody.

We're meeting downstairs in an area that is slightly more secret, but to my understanding, not the most secret. Great. Thank you for all of that information. And she brings you guys, you assemble downstairs with food. And as you do, black fur, black mane, amber eyes, just houses. He's opened like a roast beef sandwich. thrown the bread away and just the rare roast beef.

Dimba! Oh! I'm so glad you're not rock! You see that he goes, I understand I have you to thank for saving my ass. Only me. Only you. Don't forget it, okay?

No, I won't. Credit dude to you. He looks like, says, God, good to see you, my friend. It's been a long time. Yeah, you look a lot better like this. Yeah. I appreciate it.

I cannot believe that rude things were not drawn on my stone body. You have changed and grown. Yes, I'm a very mature and responsible adult now. It seems like it. I can tell this is true. You see he looks over and says, Asune, good to see you. You see he goes in, he's like,

he's seen you much more recently than cat or Teor. But you see he goes and gives you a big hug as well. Good to see you. All right. For everyone else, hello. He is, he says, I am, he says, He's just with all his fountains buddies. You see, he looks out and goes,

I am Thalcedemir Bridesire. I, oh God, how long was I stoned for? 20 years. What the, how do you look normal? That don't crack. You see? Bair. He looks out and,

and says, well, I probably don't have my job anymore, but I used to drive carriage for Revolutionary Council. You're really gone a few days. I'm probably fired. I don't show up for work for a while. Also, maybe they find out I'm using the job to do big crimes. So probably that's all she wrote. I mean, from our perspective,

if you didn't do a crime, because you never showed up. I want you to be my lawyer. Who are you? Oxtus, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. We were going to get to your cart if we got the Oscar.

This is right. You see he looks at you and goes, Taisha. Hi. Big hug. He says, this is the wizard who you travel to Venatis. 100%.

All right. You see that Hero gets all of you guys seated, and you are. Look at each other after a long day of your last day before the play, before Primus Taconas is rumored to be back in town. Blah blah blah blah blah blah. Share information.

Who are all you people? You guys share the event. I will say this. Several things have happened since you all met this morning. It's been a long day. There was going to knife and palate pigment, the demon Sul-Rexhi, there was going to Harving Bo Spritz manner

and meeting with King Gus. There was going to the Fotarks and her talking to Hal, Kattegan, and Tysha. Fiazzi's grave, preparing Demetus for testimony, and running to the hallowed round to prepare people for this fake run-through tomorrow. Is there anything that has occurred at any of those scenes that would be left out?

Yeah, left out. Left out, I'm asking. I think if you guys are just sharing everything, because all of this has just happened in very recent memory, and we don't need to rehash it all right here. Is there anything that is left out? Going once, going twice? I would say maybe only that we have the plan

to get Dimmittus Blix out to Timeney. Yeah. Not because I don't trust people, but because. You don't trust people. I don't trust people. Less information to accidentally be leaked. Fall into the audience,

of his hideaway, and since he is gonna be a fugitive. Murray, as people divulge, I think, Azzanay and Murray, you had that moment where Murray you realize your protectiveness over Demetus as your student is going to, even amongst people you trust, that will be kept close to the vest.

So you guys recount all that information in total. Yes. Yeah, Ozeney. I was just gonna bring up the one thing, specifically that was the, newer information to us that turns out wasn't so new, but now we have different contexts, which is about Maya the Falcon.

Mara. Mara, Mara the Falcon. I will share with the group that we now know that she is at Oberdice Manor. Currently. Currently. The Falcon has just been delivered to Oberdice Manor is. Oh, sir, Obermus. Obermiss.

The Falcon has been delivered to Obridus Brimus Manor is something that our edemidus, your student, shared with us, and now that we understand the significance of the Falcon. How old is that information? Yeah. This, he heard it when he was cleaning up the crime scene before the night of the Davinos massacre. So it's been 10 days. Yes. It's been probably eight days.

Eight days. Eight days that she's been there? Such a look at me? Allegedly, yes. At least this is what is being suggested, if this is the Falcon, sounds like this is. We've got to get her out. We have to.

I mean, if she's still there. Or she's not planes walking through the underworld or whatever she does. If they are aware that she can do that and if she is actually at my family's home, I think it'll be difficult for her to get through the veil if they don't want her to. What if they?

are forcing her through. What if they're making her search for... It's a different story. The Ozzy. May I ask, also, did anyone know that The Ozzie and Mara were members of the cloak? Not specifically.

Do we know who the cloak is? We just know that they're trying to return Wuniani blood and going to the Gavzidra River and stuff. Do I know anything about the cloaks? Does that, cloaks? Does that sound familiar to me? The cloak.

I don't think the word cloak sounds familiar to me. Actually, you know what? Fuck it. Give me a history check. Let the guys tell us. We learned a bit. The cloak from what we understand are, like a group of watchers, regulators, over the sundered houses and apparently quite secretive. And he's alluded that the Ozzie and his troop were at least engaged with them.

17. But we don't know what they want or what their goal is? Well, they seem to be doing business over where we were in the Eternal Night. Yeah. They seem to have... You're not going to hit me again, are you? You hit him? Yeah.

Oh, I missed it. He took it like a champ. Does he have a Shiner or anything? I healed myself. I punch him again. I'd be like that. Wait, above table. Yeah. Didn't we find out the Ozzie and Mara were in the cloak?

That's what we're just covering. Yeah. We had a missive in the tent that I think you saw. That was like the cloak is moving faster than we were tempted. Yes, correct, but no actual like. Confirmation. Also, the cloak is this group that does this thing that was not included in the line. Yeah.

Okay. I'll also put a fine point on new bits of information that came from today. Above table, Hal shares that Yonessa is still worried, sick, or at least concerned with finding her grandson, Wakander, and now believes that Tayor has either kidnapped him or brainwashed him and is looking for you. And you believed her when she said that? It's true. No.

Didn't you try to tell her that he's off on his own? Say that again? Didn't one of you try to tell her that he's... off on his own because he craves adventure and to get the heat off of Teor? I... That is the general gist I tried to... Does she believe you?

I think she believed me. Hey, I've been... What are you looking at me for? You're supposed to be so introspective and figuring out what people's emotions are. That bitch was lying through her teeth. She fucking knows.

She's after you. And I know you weren't planning on going home. but let me confirm it. Fucking don't. But if she believes me to be innocent, then maybe that's a way I could get in. She does not believe me to be innocent. You can do whatever you want.

I really don't care, but I'm telling you, if you go back home, she's gonna fucking dice you into little pieces. Just so we're all clear, I don't want you going back home anyway. I don't know if you're going to tell them everything we've been talking about.

You can trust me. Absolutely, I can't. The gauntlet on my other hand tightens. I don't even know who this one is except for she tried to eat me. Shut up, snack. You're on my list. We've been fighting alongside.

I will happily banish you back to the plane where you came from. I'd like to see you try. Okay. You'll have help. Whoa, Tysha. Yeah, watch your mouth. We're cool.

No, we're not. Who are you? I'm tyranny, obviously. No one's ever stated your name to them. Well, we've been in the same room. I figured it would have flipped you. Twice we've been in the same room. Listen, we've been fighting.

I will reiterate. What do you mean we've been fighting? Wicander has been putting his life on the line. He knows he's in trouble with his family. I'm telling you that we don't have, I mean, we don't have any intentions to go home. Am I speaking out of turn? Only unless it could be helpful to us.

Yeah. I'd happily go into the belly of the beast. Which is a lovely cover to go and give them all the information. It's not out of consideration to use Wix leverage that he has in town if we need data. I think there's a very simple way to prove everyone's point on this.

Wick, would you be willing to lie and say you were working for your mother if I tore both your arms off and let you slowly bleed over several hours? You're a traitor, aren't you? Admitted, I'm gonna tear your arms off. I don't. All right, here we go.

Say I'm a traitor. Say I'm a traitor, and I slowly, I'd pull out the glass. Are we play acting here? No, we are really not. What are you doing? Is this an exercise? You're going to break like a tiny child. He needs to know the answer that you want him to say,

and then he'll say. Tell me that you're a traitor, or I'm going to hurt you, just to prove that you will if I hurt you. I don't understand. He's so breakable, it's stupid. Say no. He does.

He takes a swig of the Yardgrass bottle as she's been carrying around. Let's refocus. Yes, please. The major power players are meeting at the Via Aurora tomorrow night when the sun goes down. What time does the play go on?

when the sun goes down. Cool. Mm-hmm. We have one night to tie up any loose ends, and I think at this point it's been shared the understanding of what the river, this is the end of us divulging all this information to each other.

Are we any closer to understanding what these sundered houses intend to do tomorrow? Is it the sundered houses or is it the Ozzie? I think they both intend to do something. Do they? What's the over under that theazi Wanted to die. That's my hypothesis right now.

Might as well. Went to the other side in order to oppose what my family is doing. I'm almost positive, at least in his motivations. That's so something he would do. But my father and my grandfather are waiting on the other side right now, so. But they haven't found him yet. Apparently not. Wait, did you say they're meeting at the via Aurora?

I did indeed. I have a mole in the Einfossen family, and I get reports, and they are supposedly all converging. And we have no plans or ability to get in there to hear what they're talking about? I could place a bug in there and listen in without any of us having to be in the room, but I have to get into the room to place a bug. I can get in. I technically have a snake in their house right now.

Did you just warring into the snake? That's true. No, no, I'm assuming he's still in his cubicle. But that snake, a buff table goes away. If I take a long rest. It sounds like we have a solution to the problem. Wait, can you listen through the snake? Or does snakes have it?

Now I'll do it. I think I just like grab whoever's close to me. I need a buddy so I don't fall over. And I'm gonna wargan the snake. Hiding under a desk, a massive coiled python. Eyes gaze out. It is now midnight, and the serpent looks throughout this area.

Much quieter, much fewer eyes. It's been hiding here all day. A snake in the Chapel of Light. What do you tell Halla to do? New orders. Get somewhere high and away. avoid the hounds that sniff from magic. And when people start to gather,

find a dark corner. Watch them. Give me stealth with advantage. It's a snake. Guidance. Guidance. Can I remove guidance the snake? Sure. Throwing it out there.

I'll let bail us throw guidance on there. Good about, good bow. This is a room full of powerful people. Let's do. With advantage. With advantage? With advantage, yeah. Oh, thank you.

I'm sorry, I got scared. That was worse. 14. 14. 14. Python is moving. It's like the adventure of the speckled bay. Python is moving through the space, 14.

I'm going to add a plus five to this roll. So a nine or higher. That's a 16. Oh, no. You watch. into a large chapel as Halla is ascending thereafter as you hear a and look up and you see there is a woman dressed in a beautiful white gown who is walking into this sort of banquet hall where you see there is a raised throne

and another and some places that are put out and she's clearly setting some place mats for a gathering. Kill her. What's that? Kill her. Great. Go ahead, give me an attack roll. Okay, please roll better. That'll do it. That's a dirty 20 to hit. None of us know what's happening. That's a dirty 20?

Yeah. The attack is successful. This is eating up. Can I get? Nine points of piercing damage and then Candor's mom. She'll try to, like, holl him like constrict and like this woman under the table or out of the way.

Great. Do you, Do you want the, in this moment, do you wish for Hala to subdue, restrain, and remove this person? Do you wish for Hala to make this person go away? I took Mage Slayer, make her go away. In the Chapel of Light, where the Creed is worshipped, someone has had their final beam reach thing.

As a massive serpent summoned from the force of life on Aramon itself, this area has had a temple built to revere a divinity that is voiceless and mindless so that it can be perfectly spoken for by those who seek power. Their dominion over the natural world, so absolute that none of them,

for a second of their lives, have ever imagined that they'd get eaten by a big fucking snake. Hala is very sleepy. Yeah. Go, Carla. Who was that? Who was it? Also, what, did?

She wasn't wearing a name tag. Can you see what she look like? Did the Python consume the entire body? Where do, there's just a dead body on the floor now? No, no, that's not how big snakes work. Yeah. Big snakes eat body. The beam comes inside you.

And she had a light meal. What? How big is this snake? Size large. Size large. This is an an aconda. It's an enormous, it's an enormous. Are you telling us what's happening?

Yes. I don't say anything out loud, but my eyes flick to where I remember you were last. And then you just see me like take a little knife out and hit a notch of one on my belt. Are you above table, are you able to see what this person looks like through a snake's eyes? Yeah, it was worked through.

Okay. What was their name? Curious about that. We'll talk about it later. What did they look like? Food. What do they look like? They looked like a,

it looks like a lux, they looked like a luxe, attending to the business of the, I will say, as that happens, that's one way to solve a problem. Go ahead and give me a stealth. with advantage again. Looks like tomorrow's brilliant.

Oh, that was that again? 14 again. 14 again. Yeah. 14. Another lux. Okay. Yeah.

No, not too. Not too. Asending into the shadows, there is a massive statue of a moment from the luminous text, from the missives of the cantescent creed. And you see that there is a massive statue of a moment of the luminous text, from the mists of the cantescent creed. And you see that there is a massive. image of a chosen one, a holy saint of the candescent creed, reaching up towards the light that is shining through the leaves of a massive apple tree that is growing beside this chapel.

And you see a snake of the statue's arm into the tree of fruit and rest there and slowly digest this button. Snakes don't have nose. Are you credible, we return to this meeting. So I ate a guy. You ate a guy. There was a Lux walking around. What did he look like? She was, and I described the statistical average

of a creed believer. Oh. Is that familiar? I don't, I, you just said a person. I just said a person with hair and a face. They have hair like a person has and a face like a person has. And they're inside the belly of a snake

that's modeled after Osgra's river, as we used to, prepare for war. What we're hearing is that there was now a direct attack inside the candescent creed, and who do you think they will be going for once they find that one of their Luxis has dropped dead? To be fair, it was a snake attack. Snake attack, loose snake, just a loose snake?

because I think that they're smarter than to assume that there's just a snake. Does your snake just last there forever? Uh, she will disappear when I take a long rest, so we're not going to. But when you go to sleep, would the dead body just fall out of her? Oh, I don't know. They're food.

I tend to not. She's normally a deer that doesn't eat people. Oh. So we're all going to learn something very interesting the next time I go to sleep. Tasha, would someone theoretically be able to trace the snake back to you? Depends on how adept they are with magic.

I think we can assume that they're going to be adept at magic. Okay. Let them fucking come. The Candacent Creed has not felt enough fear for what they're putting in the world. I know you're not scared, but I am. Why are you scared? Because I don't want my friend to die.

If your motivations are purely but you don't want Wick to die, then I don't know how to trust worthy either of you are. That's rude. Are we all looking out for each other here? I think it's a little late. You said you're looking out for WIC specifically. We're running out of time. Listen, please, everybody?

Eat this. Listen. Enough, enough, enough. Enough. We're running out of time and this is the meeting, not the first one, but this is the meeting where everybody decides to go full into petty squabbles. We don't have the time for that.

We don't have the time for that. Don't underestimate the power of these sundered houses. They can wipe us out the old The only way we stand the chance is if we play the smart. What are we going to do with the little time that we have left? If they go in there and see a dead body, fantastic, because guess what? They're starting to suspect Taconas.

They know that Taconas is not playing by their rules. So that's buying us a little bit of time. What have we learned about the ritual that either theazi or they intend to do tomorrow? What are the components? The pariah blades. At Hals. The blood or the paint that we now know is what kind of blood? The blood of Osgra.

The river govziedra. It is Orkish blood, specifically. We knew that. What else? Font from the river Grazrejjjee-sh. The river to the dying fields. What else are the components for whatever we think this ritual is? The play itself.

They need an anchor. And what is the anchor? We don't know specifically what they intend to use. tend to use. Potentially the stone of Knightson. Potentially, aftus. Or the blades. Or me. The stone was the anchor. The stone was the anchor for my ritual, yes.

Can it be used again in such a way? Your letter said to turn the pariah blades into an anchor. Yeah. The stone is in hand. We'll need the steel, and you said you can convince her to reshape it into an anchor. But I don't know if that means the steel needs to be reshaped or if the stone needs to be reshaped.

He wouldn't think I would know how to reach him. Right. I think that we're onto something because I think this gives us what we might be able to accomplish between now and tomorrow. Everything is about the intention behind the act of creation. You think of this. There's one slab of clay and two different people are racing to grab that clay, put their hands on it,

and shape it into whatever they desire for it to become. And it's the intention behind that desire that's going to determine what happens tomorrow. I don't think the Ozzy was working with us under houses. I think we now see more evidence that states that, which means that he was trying to do something that is in parallel to them so that he gets his hands or he delivers the clay to the people that he trusts the most, which I think is Hal and I think is Tisha.

Those are the two that I'm the most certain of, because we've learned that the act of creation needs you to have a vision for what you want the future to look like. Isn't that what the pariah blades were created for anyway? Yes. Isn't that what the hollowed round was? It was a place where ritual and worship was done to pay reverence to a god of destruction.

And now how you are changing it, the same place. A different kind of ritual, but still storytelling and ritual in the same way, but now it's meant to honor the people. I think we need to know what intent we're putting behind what is being created. That is, I think, the task that the Ozzy set forth before us and how the paints were intended for you. Because he kept you out of all the dirty shit

so that your vision would stay clean. We have an incomplete picture of the board, but we still have to move our pieces. Something is happening tomorrow night, somewhere in the city, quite possibly the hallowed round. We know that the major major man players of the houses are meeting at the can via Aurora. What if they do their ritual and we do ours at the same time?

I think that's exactly what's going to happen. They're scrambling to get whatever finishing pieces they have. And we open the door to the Underworld? Is there a reason why we have to wait until they play their plan? Or can we cut them off beforehand? I think we... Before they've come together. Very good point.

I think also that we should refrain from poking at the veil as much as possible. They're watching on that side, every time we interact with it, they see it. Yes. So don't touch it for now. And correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't Sid also say something about something, 47 men needing to be sacrificed? Two score and seven lords.

What I witnessed in my time captive by the Toconis was them headed north through Timony. They said they need to meet with a fleet, and it was delayed because of now what I understand to be, I'm sorry, young man, your absence at the Golden Orchard meant what was supposed to be the ultimate destruction of House Royce, Davinos, El Brindy, all of the vassal houses of Royce.

Instead became, yes, the destruction of the Golden Orchard, but also the total routed massacre of the Taconas forces, with the exception of your sibling Coral, who escaped. I saw what the Taconists were planning, even though I'm not a wizard or a sorcerer. A lot of words. They said that all these failures

meant they would have to wait for the rest of the fleet, whatever this means. But I know they were headed north and I know that they tossed the destruction of the old path. That's all I need to know. So if the city don't blow up tomorrow night,

I'm going with my brother where he said to go, but I'm going to try to convince him that we go north and we stop these motherfuckers. So here's the thing. What are we going to do about all the people who are showing up at your play tomorrow? Yep, that's the question of the hour. It's going to be ground zero.

We have everyone in this room. We have 350 sword hands. Are we putting all our chips in at the round? Are we slicing off a cut to be at the Via Aurora? Just to put it out there, do we have any knowledge of how many people are going to this meeting at the V-A-Roura? Aurora. I mean, it's all the centered houses.

It's all the sunned houses. Could there be exactly 47 lords invited to this meeting? Would we know that? We have an idea? Not through Romina. Hala is still viewing this room, this large chamber. You could take a look at it. Oh, please.

Because we do know they can do rituals at a distance. Are we underground right now, or are we in a room with one? You're underground. You're in a more private, you're not in the secretest vault, but you're in a private area. You're in my private office. private office in a moment. We are, it'd be very unlikely for anyone to even know how Bel Air, remind me where the closest window is. It would be the exit to the warehouse. You would have to go out. About the, about the room from where you exit the backstage of a convention

to the point in which you can get fresh air. All right, so while the room deliberates, I just take a moment to step away. I walk. I follow Belair's instructions. I walk to the open air, and I warble like a magpie till one lands on my shoulder. Find Romina. See if she has a headcount at the Einfasten estate. Go.

Bird flies off into the night. We'll be back as swiftly as it can. Gazing at the banquet table. Just counting placement. Placements at the table. There are many chairs, but there are not 47, you look out and see that there is a banquet table that has placements on a number of different areas and a white section that sort of looks like, why is that like a table runner or something?

Like, what is that has been placed over and hollegazing down, sees translusingly through the white cloth, that it has been placed almost in an act of modesty over the tree and key, which is the symbol. of House Royce, who will not be attending. Stole the... But you see the other places are there. The largest by far is Halevar, who will be hosting. But you see that there are many seats at the Taconas area as well. And the smallest are Cormoray and Einfossom, but even they have like five or six chairs apiece. There's probably like a dozen each at the Taconas

and Halivar ends at the table. That's what you were able to count. Doesn't look like 47. Right, but we gotta get eyes in that room. The people in that room wouldn't be killing themselves for a ritual. No. It might be somewhere else in the building.

They all bring a delegation with them. They all bring their share of sacrifices for a ritual. Where did you find that information for that ritual? You're talking about the 47 lords? Is that on a piece of paper? A piece of paper? It's from Sid. It's from Sid.

You see that Sid goes, I heard something that Univier Taconis, your cousin said. Yes. The two score and seven lords, but I don't know what lords she's referring to. That could also be the corpses that they were trying to. There could also be a hundred lords and ladies in the audience tomorrow. Right. I wish we could get our hands on that extra Taconis fat candle. We know that there's a...

One more. Tacona's candle floating around out there. Should we break into Deconis Estate tonight? Should we break into the Via Aurora? I think that might be great. Before it's filled with our enemies that are powerful. You see that Sid, Sid looks up for a second and looks over at Teor and Kattegan

and leans over as all these very magical people look at him. And he goes, I thought this was gonna be more low-key, but everyone looking at me, I lean over. You said you need to rescue this Mara. Yes. This, I'm not magic like that. I'm just going to think like a soldier. You're going to attack Obramus Manor, where the Tacones are?

It's a suicide mission. Yes. Unless you have the military intelligence to know when the Tacones aren't going to be there. They're not going to be there. They're not going to be. during this supposed meeting. Just wanna say, if I am on Team Rescue Bird Woman,

I would love to go during the play. Not when all the Taconas are home. Yes. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I suppose.

I unfortunately. Is that, are we gonna have two teams tomorrow night? What all do we need to get to? Done. Yeah, I hate to drag this down in the muck with the common folk and our soldiers, but a lot of good ideas do have to decide what we're going to do. Yeah. If there's somebody issuing orders here, I'll take them because I don't think you're

going to figure much else out, just sitting around talking. I think the drunk man's right. I haven't had a drop all day. You still smell like alcohol. Well, it's a title. It's a musk. I think it's also important. to acknowledge that we are not the players of this game.

We are the pawns. This is the Ozzy's game, and if anything, he was hoping and expecting us to be ourselves, and to make the moves that we would think are right. So doubting what one wants right now is probably a bad decision. Murray takes another swig of yard grass and hands over to cat again. And the only thing that we are hoping for right now is that the distrust, And Averis of our enemies will tear them apart, which means that our weapon is trust.

Let us not be vulnerable the same way that our enemies are. If you have distrust, put it away. Yeah. I love you, darling. If you have distrust, put it away because it would be better to be betrayed than to destroy a friend right now. We are all we have. to speak to that. I have a meeting. I'm being called upon by Haas Einfossen first thing in the morning. Yeah.

And Mary's going to be accompanying me. I intend to increase this sort of panic and distrust that's building from them towards House Taconas, but it will also give me an opportunity to see where they might be at. And hopefully I'll be able to report back, before we set forth on the night of the play. So we have three important locations. We have Obermiss Manor, my home.

We have where the meeting is taking place, and we have the theater. Zerne? Yes. You are to be talking with House Eindfazen, and we are interested in trying to test their alliances. If there is an opportunity to see what their knowledge could be carefully regarding the other.

attack on the Plaza de Vinos, Otto Einfazen was notified of what occurred to my family there, personally by myself, Octus, Tysha, and Valles. If he denies such information, that would be a confirmation of some kind. We also know that Otto met with my sisters, Petra and Raya. Are they the ones that wrote this? Why is it torn an half? He did that. It was necessary.

Is it? Well, King Gus needed the info, so. It was a king. Oh yeah, also King Gus is on our side. You guys all know that. He's gonna be sending goods. And if we need to send any refugees out the city, he has agreed to take them over in Timony.

I placed the seed down. He gave us his seed. Did that beg for them, bull? Oh, listen. You're sitting on that. Go on. We can plant this anywhere, and it'll give their troops access in like a day's time to get to us, maybe two, depending.

So, so. trying to think of where the best location is for it. Outside of the round? Yeah, the round. Yeah, so as I was going to say, maybe like south, south of the hallowed round in the woods. Mm-hmm. That is something we can do tonight?

Yeah. He never answered how long it takes to grow, though. It's magic. It'll grow fast. Tasha, do we have a thought on a way to make that a little? Yeah. Oh. Oh. Oh.

So are we planning to have troops in all the locations? What's the goal? Are we having soldiers everywhere? Are we having our armies everywhere? What are we doing? I think ground zero is the hollowed round. Large contingent there. Maybe if anyone is sneaking into the,

to help our bird friend. Rescue mission. A small group of these allies to cause stir in the street. While some of us sneak in. Yes. We also have warehouses across town that we can hide people in small groups, and as long as we have eyes and ears everywhere,

we can maintain flexibility, which I think is going to be very important. How are we keeping eyes on the Aurora? Just through your serpent? If anyone's got a better idea. I did have a better idea, but everybody said no. I know. I can get into the fucking place.

I think it would be good. I'm tired of being disrespected by everyone. I am a halovar. I can walk right through the front fucking door. I'm sorry, your 18-foot blood-dripping snake is definitely going to stay stealthy all day and all night, in a room full of the fucking most magic people you've ever met.

That's a fucking brilliant idea, Tycha. I'm supposed to have heard us. I'm just going to say it, Candor. He needed to be punched. But he's making a good point. That was so cool. I'm gonna punch Julian. Yeah!

Go to tag roll! Let's go. I love this. Wow. 18 plus four. Wow. That definitely hits my ice. 18 plus two, sorry.

Is it? Dirty 20? 16 is my 18. 16. That's one point of dance. One point of dance. Get in that. I take it across the chin and kind of grin.

All right. Point made. I agree with Wick. I do too. We're going to need. I agree with you, but if you ever cussed me like that again, I'll kill you. I'll eat you with my 18-foot fucking snake.

It felt very wrong. I don't like to curse. No, it's okay. It was a good moment for you. No, no. You did it well, Wick. No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I apologize. No, don't.

They can be that again. You should go, man, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna kill you. I'm just being honest. I agree that it's a good plan. Here's the thing that we need to figure out if you're going to go. and it was not disrespect. No, it was. Can they grind you up into pasted

and use you for a ritual, now that we know what you are? As far as I'm aware, no, at least not to summon a Celestial. He was set to be the mouthpiece of the Candescent Creed. If they were to kill or disappear, Wicander, that is a clear signal

that there is something crumbling from within. That's not a very good show of power. I don't think that they're gonna hurt. It actually could be great. They could turn him into a martyr. Yeah. We need to art. Everyone loves Wicander.

You take him out and you blame it on the rebels. You blame it on. Everyone loves Wicander. Look. Not us. And the candace increase. We need. If you're going to go in,

we want to need a way of getting you out if everything goes to shit. No, you don't. We really, you're too important. But for what? This is what I'm in. important for. You more than your name.

But we understand. If I can get in, maybe with tyranny, tyranny could let some others of you in, through a back door or rear chamber while I'm busy with them. What? Why are you looking at me like that? Do we have any, do we have a, maybe a spell glyph we could give him anything? I've thought about it. I've thought about it.

Sorry, I'm a little confused as to why he's so important, Blair. I am too. I don't think I'm very important at all right now. Because you also said I'm very important, and I'm starting to think you just think we're important because we're a little weird. And that's not a way for you to keep other people dying. You two are points of chaos. Points of chaos are going to be important,

and they're the things that people who want power want to control, which means that people are going to come for you. You are magnets for trouble, no matter what you can do. All right, so we have three. Three teams. Yep. We know that Julian and a, nope, nope, that's you. We know that Azune and I are going to be going to the meeting at the I in Follsons first thing in the morning. That will hopefully be illuminating. No pun intended. From there, it seems like we're going into show night and we'll need two teams, the majority of us, or they're sorry, the majority of us at the theater. and then also the rescue mission. A chalkboard slides across and Hero takes off her giant leather gloves and begins to chalkboard.

She goes, all right, Professor Magnetian, Team Theater, location hallowed round. That a girl. Thank you. We're gonna write out our plan on a board. Great idea. We can erase it. Are you aware of how chalk works?

I've never heard of it. They listen to you are funny. Damn. Been around for a thousand years. Magic chal. All right. Yeah, it helped Oh, hi. Never heard of it.

Trust, you've been right 800 years. I think I would have heard of chalk. Oh, my God. So she writes team theater and says, team number two, Professor Magnusson. Team bird rescue. Yep. Team bird rescue location, Oberimus.

manner. I can print directions for everybody that needs them. I'll scribe them. But then beyond that, obviously, me and Azune will be at the Einfosson, but then who is going to be heading to Team Spy at the V. Aurora, obviously led by Wake and Tyranny. I think also, Mur, you'd recognize that the morning, people will have their day tomorrow. It's really about what happens at sundown, right? And then also correct me, Brennan, is the meeting at the meeting at at via Aurora happening at the same time as the play is kicking on.

Right, sundown both times. Okay, okay, okay, okay. So yeah, team spy. Literally all three things have to happen at the same time because we need the first 13 people. Oh, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the rest of the needs to happen

when they're at the meeting. Yes, but I understand that the meeting at the, come back from the better. Brennan, what is the name of the place where the lords are meeting again? Via Aurora. So you see, says, Team spy location via Aurora.

Okay, three teams. I would love to work this, angle of Wick and I returning home really fast. Wherever Tehr is going to be, he should be protected because my thought is we're going to need to answer for why we have been gone. And I think that it would be very prudent of us to give them some sort of information. Let's say that Wicks' grandma is bluffing and they don't really think that we were stolen by Tehr.

Okay, fine. But we can go and say, yeah, he was. was the guy and we learned this and give them something, anything if it's a misdirect or if it's a piece of information that they want so that they know that we are on their side. What if you say you killed Teor? Yes. And you got free. Yes. Or even better. Do we know anything that they don't think we know so that you don't necessarily have to give them anything? They just know your trust. Yeah, exactly. Something that we can say that would make them think that we're returning home in earnest.

Teor gives him a finger. I was going to say a braid, but yeah, fingers better. You see that... Give me fingee. I won't eat it. You become aware, too. In the same way that Azune and Murray have this Einfosson meeting in the morning,

once again, this triple mission is sundown. But you have the whole day tomorrow. If you need to return to the V-Arara, that is something you could do tomorrow in anticipation of the meeting, right? Cool. But if they ask where I've been and how I got free, they also might want to know who sent Teor to corrupt me.

And who are we saying hired Teo? The Ozzy plot. A previously established the Osses. No. I think any opportunity that we can point the finger to another sundered house. Say it was House Royce. House Royce. Tare is working for House Royce is the story.

House Royce is already sundered. So why not House Taconas? Taconas isn't gonna be there. They will be there. Yes, they will. They have a huge table. They already have suspicion on House Tacomus. Then put it on the Ein Foss.

Toconus wouldn't have hired Tayor to take Wic. That's not how they work. They would have just killed Wick. You could say that with the fall of Royce prevented Teor from having backup, and that was how you were able to free yourselves and slay him.

Was the fall of the Golden Orchard. Will they believe that sorry this young man could have killed Taylor? With help? With help? With aid from the Taconas's? Too complicated. Just you guys. I agree.

Too complicated. Yeah. Keep it simple, stupid. We, okay. We went to, after Wick found out about his angel, stuff in the basement, went to Free Teor because he thought that it's what a good leader does. Teor kidnaps him.

Big mistake. We're sorry Mommy. We're sorry Grandma. And here we are, and we're, I guess, in. Maybe knocks you unconscious so that you couldn't protect him to save your skin. Yeah, sure. And then we're just in your old house.

I'd like to mark you both down for Team Spy. Yes, thank you, Hero. And you see that she marks down the first names that appear are Wick and Tyranny on Team Spy. Tyranny, how good of the two of you are bullshitting. I am fantastic at it. He is very charming, but amongst family, I don't know how whole due under pressure.

What I do know. You know exactly how good I am. I've been teaching me. If I spend a little time tonight, I can put a little bit of acting magic in some of the spell glyphs we have. A dress rehearsal? A little instant break in an emergency.

Great. I also feel like that's where you thrive, right? So if she's good, so I make one for you and one for Wick. You mentioned. I always am fine. Or somebody mentioned perhaps letting others in through a back door. Oh my God, it's always, you gotta cool it. But the back door is up, man.

I don't think that's what you mean. What? Letting in people to the room, Tierney. Sorry, there was a previous conversation. Do you want anyone else with you? We would love backup. 100%. Who do you want? Are you offering?

Should you need backup? How possible is it for them to see through a magical disguise, would you think? It depends where and who. My question is, what's your goal there other than to observe and figure out what's going on? It was floated that we needed eyes in there beyond the snake.

You'll be in eyes. You also don't need to rely on magical disguises. I have every costume you can imagine. Right, but the second any sort of magic goes off, his face is gonna glow like a light bulb. No, no, I'm gonna be me. Yeah, I meant for any ride-alongs, like Julian. Dress them like an aspirin, dress them like a luxe.

Whatever would help. Pick your team. I'm team bird. Great. All right. Nimble is on Team Bird Rescue. And that is the technical term, is Team Bird Rescue. Are we...

We thought of the better field in here. Dad, Team Theater. I think that stands for reason, yeah. I'll also be at the theater. I think I will as well. Did you say you were putting the fairy doors back? Yes. Not until just before the show, but yes. Does that get us anything?

Well, I can spend the day tomorrow talking to... Some fairies, some pixies. See if I can get him to show up tomorrow and give us an extra hand in the fight. Please. More than I'm here. I guess I'm on Team Bird Rescue. That makes sense to me.

Only if you're comfortable with us. This is too much for me. I'm Team Spy. I can't let any more you die. I know the way around. Your Team Spy? Well, if you're saying Team Spy is earlier in the day, perhaps. That's all happening. No, it's all happening at Sunset.

These three things are. Oh, Team Spy can get in though early. Prefer. And be in place. Yeah, prefer. Wick and I do well with explicit instructions. What exactly do you want us to find out? Or are we trying to get the creed away from the...

I don't think we're gonna know exactly what we're gonna need to do until we get there and see. Oh, all right. Wing it. Sorry, there's been some cross talk. Are you, Master Lethalia, are you on team? I love her. I wish I weren't. Yeah, right. But I think I am. Okay, master at Lafalia. Sir DeVinos, you had mentioned an interest in team spy. Are you confirming that? I am.

Okay. Push Julian under Team Spy. Hasimegier are you, Taee. You see, Kazimir looks over at Uteor and goes, I mean, I love Theodore as much as the next guy, but I feel like bird rescue feels like where I want to be. Sounds good to me. good to me, unless you would like to walk me in as a prisoner or something. No, they'll kill you. You don't know that.

Yeah, I, yeah, they will. You're gonna be super good. Yeah, it's not for sure. Don't be a chicken. Do you want us to bring your finger? Why, the finger, when I am here, I'm ready to roll? Do you, do you, do you, do that's a good idea? Should we do that?

I mean, how else are they going to believe that you are what you say you are? Oof. Do you have an object, something that they know belongs to you, that you would never let go of? Nope. Should we rough you up a little bit? Yes. I just worry if we bring you in as a prisoner, they're going to lock you up somewhere where we can't get you out if we're going to run. I trust you to save my life after that. You're going to need you in a fight. Yeah. This is so... Are you sure? Have you seen my fights?

Why don't I just grab a tuft of your hair and say that I ripped it out of you as we were escaping so that we don't have to try to convince Wicks family that we put you down. Okay. Maybe I can just tag along until you get to the outside if you change your mind. You like us.

I order to the little guy. I will need you to rough me up though. I think there are a few people that would volunteer. No, no, it's got to look like... Yeah. It's got to look like cat paw scratches this one. This I can do. But if you do not need me, then yes, bird watching.

You see, a hero goes, team bird rescue. Watching more of a code name. A lot of violence society. Oh, actually bird watching is good. Let's change it, hero, let's change it to bird watching. Just in case in the eye is coming in peer. I don't know what the parliamentary system is. Okay, I'm going to trust Professor Magnetian.

Team birdwatching. You see, she looks over and says, Tisha, where are you gonna be? I would rather. What do you want? Go where the city needs you. Birdwatch. Tasha, you said you can also throw signals up into the cloud as well.

Yeah. I think it's good if me and you are separate, that a way we can cover multiple areas of the city. If we need to signal to one another, Look for a magpie in the sky. Copy. You see that Hero looks at you. Mr. Vale, there's space on every team.

We haven't set a maximum capacity for teams. Oh, cool. Fuck, I can go do whatever. Aren't you fighting in the show? Sure. You have to be at the theater. Do I actually have the part? I thought I was just doing a thing. I mean, spear carrier is a pretty low-hanging fruit. I think is your game.

That's your game. Is that a team spy? You guys are. No, we need more muscle at Team Theater. I have a feeling shit's gonna be bad. That's gonna be ground zero. Do you guys, do you guys curse in your house? You guys seem like a liberal family?

What? We don't everybody. Julian, you're not included. What is the best place for me to fuck somebody up? The theater. The theater. All gone. Team theater, Mr. Vale.

Great. Julian turns to octas and says, As far as you understand from your family, important relics, things of political necessity or magical prowess, are they likely to keep them locked within their domain or keep it on themselves? You mean for your sister? Possibly.

They'll probably be kept somewhere in the house. I will look for I keep their eyes open. I'm going on team birdwashing. Oh. Okay, we're having a team switch. This is, okay, we haven't done this yet. You see that she turns around, erase it. Behold the magic of chalk.

Bayless. Sorry. She's going to change the shock. Sorry. I do have to say something. Sorcery. He's not, you only give us magic. What is it?

Julian. When I say this, I need you to do. understand that I'm not trying to stop you from the thing that I know you want to do. Mm-hmm. But if you are coming to my home with me to save Mara, I can't have you just killing people. Oh, you don't think my initial purpose for going with them was to not kill? Yeah. Members of your family?

I don't care if you did it there. I care if you do it in the house where we are all sneaking in. If you start losing control and you start losing control and just slaughtering people while you're in there, that will give us all away and we will all die. I think I'd be more of a danger should I be staying at the house Aurora where the houses are gathering for this meal.

You're not understanding. We will die at the house, which means they got all of our spirits. Then we should be careful. Yes, that's what I'm asking you to do. Oh, get intense. You see this. Getting tense.

You see, batting after. It's so good. I fucking love it. Hero turns to Vailas. Yes. I'm sorry, Miss. Your name is Vailis. Yes. You're the last unassigned person.

Zalas. Yes, Boler. I'm Cadogan. Perhaps it's time. I beg you. Perhaps it's time to be a team player. Save the boy by saving the city. What boy?

Where do you think would be the best place for the stone, not to be? Theater. Yeah. Then I will go to the theater. No, sorry. Not to be. Not to be. Then I am not going to step foot.

To be or not to be. I understood. That's what I thought. That's what I thought. I think the best place for you to go. I'm not, you can go wherever you want, but don't bring the stone to my house. That's what I was thinking.

We're going somewhere where they will not know who you are, which makes you, if you come with us, you could be very helpful. They don't know what you're capable of. Yeah, we could say that you helped save us. I like that. A good Samaritan. Or honestly, just a

of things you want. You want, you saved, you did them a favor. Maybe you're trying to barter. Sure. Sure. What candor, does your family have respect for the sisters of Slandry? Brennan, does my family have respect for the sisters of Sillandry?

Give me history check. Can I join this? No, I wouldn't. No, I wouldn't know, never mind. The, the... I don't know about that. I think that Hero is not writing this down at all, but you see she says, for people that are doing things during the day tomorrow,

should we make teams? But also you're all adults, and probably, you don't need permission to let go places. I think we all know what we're doing during the day. I think it's all right, Hero, thank you. Okay, but I can help organize. You're already doing the most right now. You're super helpful.

Okay, thank you. You are the hero of the hour. Thanks, Dad. Thimble, is it tonight that you will go plant that cherry seed? Just in case we need. Yeah, I don't think they would get there by tomorrow night, though. They wouldn't. I don't know how it works with...

You said it grows fast and be with magic. No, they can't. They got it organ. No, he's not even back to Timony yet. Even if he took the Miller's Road, there's no way. Is it able to be used as an escape route for refugees if we need it? Definitely. But someone either one of the hounds or the fay would have to show you. No, no, people can't see it.

Sorry, more mortals. You see, Sid looks over at Cater, who he's gravitated towards and says, What are we doing tomorrow if we are on team bird watching? Should we be, is your house? We could do maybe a little casing, a little Yes. If you're inconspicuous and can get the layout, I haven't been back in a number of years. So just seeing what's going on from a distance might be helpful. From a distance.

How many people did we say are going on? Right now, if Teor comes to bird watching and including Sid, that means we have six people. Six people with Teor. But if Teor We are Gore's spy, then we have five and five. Right. I don't know where Vailas is going. I rolled a natural 20 on history. How you sat on that one while.

Let's go. Your family has a, your mother has a particularly, she has a disregard for druids and an even more potent one for people that revered the shapers. On a Nat 20, she's trying to have 100% So maybe not. Maybe not. All right. Maybe not.

I think team theater is looking light. I hate to say it. I know we have feelings about the Stone of Night's song being at the theater, but. Yeah. You need muscle at the theater. You do. If Thas wanted everything together, I trust him.

I think he should go. What if a big, beefy, orkish god Thaz marches through the portal at the theater tomorrow night? Thas didn't want to be a god. No. The Aussie hated authority. He would never want to do that. Seems like y'all are missing the point, but whatever.

Maybe it wasn't his choice. No, he's still missing. His soul is missing. He's not... Look, I'm just saying we have to be prepared for things to not happen because we like the person. It seems like a lot of what Thaz was trying to do was thwart what was to come by trying to get there first. So why would we would.

Wouldn't he think that he could step into this role if it meant that a celestial Taconas god of undetheth is the alternative? You may be right, but all we have are question marks. And as you told me, Toconis' grandpa is looking for him. Whatever he did that day on the gallows, he did it on purpose. I choose to believe that he is flying fast. and loose under their radar. I am a swing vote for the theater if you need.

I just am ready to fight. You tell me where. I will fuck it up. Just the three of us going into your home then. So right now. So very well- Go to the theater and send a friend with Teamberg watch. They do.

How is your relationship for that? Your mother loves me. His grandmother loves. I don't know. I'd take Tayor to the theater. Hmm? Tejor takes you to the theater, yeah. Yeah.

I'll put him in a tucks. He'll be a cat in a bow tie. It'll be super cute. That's too far. So right now that's seven at the theater. Yes. Sorry, who's the seven at the theater? Hal, Murray, Azune, Cadigan, Vailas,

Tayor, and Tysha. No, no, no, no. I think Tysha should say on Team Birdwatch. Okay. You can send Hannon to the theater. Who's Hannon? A friend. A friend.

Six. A druid friend. A druid friend. Oh, thank you. He will possibly be alive. at my house. Thank you. I'm feeling good about these teams.

Team Birdwatch, Thimble, Octus, Julian, Sid. Tysha. Um. Yeah, can you list it or list off the teams for us, Hero? Team theater. My dad. Professor Magnessen, Lieutenant Nyar. Mr. Vale, Ms. Vailis,

Mr. Pride Sire, and, and a person who's not currently recorded in the minutes of this meeting, but is referred to as Hannan. Two ends. Oops, sorry. Hanen. Team Bird watching.

Thimble, Lord Tchonis, Mr. Pride, Sire, the younger. Tisha. She's the only first name she used because you're her sister's mom. She's like, I don't want to call you, Ms. Lloyd doesn't feel right. He says, and Sir DeVinos, Team Spy, Lord Halevar, Ms. Tyranny, and Master Lethalia. That's small.

Feels good. I think that's okay, though. I think you want a smaller one for spies. Besides the birds, how do we communicate with each other? If I can keep my snake safe, then we'll have the ability to... What about those snakes? But you won't be able to see. I could try and put some effort into the stones tonight

if the Dungeon Master will let me. Yes. No, but it's part of, it's not meant to do this. You, wherever you are, don't you have to sort of go into a trance to see through it or to- We are used to that. Can you change it to like a little mouse or something less? No, from here.

Oh, big snake. Belair, can you send messages or move quickly? Probably not. There are situations. Bray got some stones that maybe she can turn into like old school sending stones. I'll definitely have time. Ones from tennis, hi. I can try my best, but we have to wrap up this fucking meeting because it's getting late.

I'll say here too. I am going, this day began with some of you landing on Altradler. This day began with some of you coming in through the pass at the mountain. It's been an insane day for a lot of you. Anyone who attempts to do something tonight will be making Constitu. saving throws to avoid exhaustion. Just letting you all know that. On that note, then maybe you know. Are we turning the pariah blades into an anchor? Tomorrow?

I need to stay up all night. If you're gonna, yeah, I can assist. How? Murray. I don't sleep. I just want to remind us of what you discovered when you, when you looked into the paints. And I think now that we understand things a little bit better,

you registered that the paper The paint itself was the photo-negative of what the Stone of Night Song was, and I think that was the intent. The Ozzy's intent is already dreamt into the paint, handed to howl, I think, to continue to pass on what that dream might be. As you're part of the creation, he wanted you to do something

with the Priya Blades, and I think, Tasha, we don't know if what we're doing is gonna stop the ritual. If we at least try to try to to affect the components with a little bit of what we wish. Yes. I think it must happen. I think the register that I was picking up is on the same wavelength of the Stone of Night Song.

And now that we know that this is obviously Osgra attached, I'm assuming that's what I was missing, is that it's just orcish and its shape or nature. Well, it is just a theory, but just in case, The case wouldn't hurt to put your intention behind. If it helps, I can. Bring the blades, let's put some inlay on the stage. And if it helps, I can take a look at those stones

while you're sleeping. See if I can figure anything out that would hasten the application of you using them. Let me help you. I'll stay up for a little bit, but I do feel compelled to remind everybody that it is a school night. It is a big day tomorrow, and we do all need to get some good rest. Sorry, I regret to inform you I can no longer sleep.

I'm not, it's not all about you, Octus. I'm just saying. Who else is school-aged here? Correct. You know what I'm saying. It's a turn of fray. You know what? Are we all good? Can we break? We're good. You guys, break.

You head out that night in secret. Is, who are, who is, who's fucking. Are you calling us hoars? You hoarse? You guys are in evolution. You're a bunch of fucking hoos. So something that houses aren't that bad. Guilty as judge.

Guilty as judge. Who's fucking with a Constitution saving throw that night? Just tie- Question. How long do those runes take the runestones to infuse with a spell? About four or five hours. I rolled real good, and it still took me half a day.

Yeah. I can't lose the night of sleep. No. Is it a brief errand running to the round just to pick something up, considered doing something else? You'd be going to the very bottom of the city. You're talking about like a 12th. 12-mile walk. So you'd be getting in at like four or five in the morning.

It's a, in terms of going to the ground and coming back, it's like going from the top of Manhattan to the bottom, back to the top again. But there's a subway system. Oh, no, no, no. Let's go ahead and unless someone is, I think only Tysha staying up that night. I say, you know what? I'm going to do it. Okay. Let's go see first. I also might try and help Octus.

But, okay, can you give us a what? I do not want to be a toxic. I'm working, I'm gonna be mean as hell. If you guys stay up at night and don't use your day tomorrow to do the last minute things you have to do, I'm gonna punish you severely. Just do it tomorrow. But I mean, what's the DC we're looking for

for this con-saint-save? 18. Don't let him scare you. No, that. I've got luck points. I can you say what you just said one more time? I will punish anyone who stays up severely rather than using the full day you have tomorrow. Can you say that again, but can you whisper this?

Time. Got it. Maybe I can do those clips. It's not even until sunset. That's fair. Why don't you get ahead? Have I done what I said, I'll look into it. I'll take about it while you're sitting.

To do research. Yeah. Or did I, I didn't. I came back. So I don't know if I have the glyph yet. Do I? No, you haven't done it yet. We got tomorrow.

We have tomorrow. All day. We're going to break here. And we're going to go down to eight chairs. Cool? Following your extremely clandestine conspiratorial meeting, Hero Devion, the daughter of Hallandiel Fang, destroys the chalkboard with a firebolt cantrip.

Erased it. Some uses of amending can'trip can restore chalk drawings. Oh. It's good to be sure. Good to be sure. Cool, kid. Very smooth. Can you just repair the board?

Yeah. She sweeps up the ash. and goes, I'm going to find a monster to feed this too. And for the rest of you here, is anyone attempting to do anything that night? Is there something that is so dear for your being pressed of time that you would risk exhaustion on the day of all days?

The only thing I want to do is just like, as I'm lulling myself to sleep, I want to thumb through some books, maybe brush up on some old spells that I hadn't used, hadn't had any needs, for and then I'm gonna just read until I, it whisks me away to a sweet slumber. You go over with your new understanding

of the gems of fate of destiny, you reach out and a lot of things click into place. After all, you're not just a burser. Magic is yours to command. Anything else that occurs that night. I gotta try to keep this snake up to provide a little bit of backup at the VO So we're gonna make a con save.

We're gonna make a con save. So that you don't take a long rest. I'm not taking a long rest. And if those pariah blades ended up at Hal's house, the Loy Estate has all of, those forges are cold, but I have a night. Yeah. Let's see if we can make some magic.

Tisha and I assume Hal head back to Hal's home. Hi, follow. Octus follows. Before Hal takes off, Cadigan has been dozing in an armchair for a while. With boredom? Yeah. Cattigan.

And I'll kind of... That's worse somehow. And he's gonna walk along with you guys and kind of try to catch Al Zier. That theater experience was pretty magical. It's some cool stuff you're doing there. I've thrown my life away in it. You're gonna life away. Technically, yes.

Oh, it's nice to see you do that with you. Can I ask you a question? In addition to staging the plays, from what I understand, you built the place, right? You had it commissioned or? Well, the site existed. We really augmented it. There's a stone structure that has stood there for centuries.

We built some buildings alongside it. Yeah, but you built it, right? Yeah. You have the plans for that theater somewhere. I do. If I take a look before it, run out of. Absolutely.

Got that in my study. So I would, if we make it back with them, I'd like to take a minute and look at what they've cooked in as far as like any sort of structure. I'm looking for structural weaknesses and points of entry, anything that would expose them to

danger from any kind of military force or anything. Give me investigation. Sure. Man, I am bad in the city. Fuck me. Five. Fiver.

I know. You review the plans. This is one of the least defensible buildings you've ever seen in your life. There are enormous broad stairways allowing multiple points of access. The stage is effectively a killbox. Right, no.

If you were gonna design a theater, the play would be happening behind a wall rather than out in the open. It's like trying to defend Woodstock. Yeah, exactly. Maybe the actors could do this in a separate building far away from where the audience is, and that way there wouldn't be any risk, because that audience could be filled with any number of people. You know, it all seems ill-advised to Caddickin.

That's what I thought. Then I'm going to wind it up. I'm going to fall asleep. Cleaning up against someone's door. Tisha, you arrived back that night at Hal's. You find the coffin of Obelad, but. There are no pariah blades. He has one job.

So tired. Misha? Yeah? Hello. Yes. Oh, hello. Big night. Better get some sleep.

Big night. Just want to make sure that all our ducks are in a row before turning in. Those prop swords, I noticed they're still not here. Oh. They were supposed to come back? Yes. Oh. I can take a look around for it.

Do you know where Shadia is at the moment? Not at the moment, how? But I, you know, I could run down to the theater of myself. Insight check. Give me Insight. Damn it. 13. He's genuine.

He just goes, the, I mean, I'm under house arrest. What hour are we at right now, left table? It's one in the morning. Is anyone over at the round right now? Late as it is? Right now, probably not. Shottie is not here. She's not here.

She's not here. That's not good. No. No. Where much you be? Where much you be? Hal. If we don't have the swords to work on,

I can go back to the theater. I don't need, you know. I can look for him. Can we ask the magpies? I mean, that seems, above table seems outside of the scope of the rules as written spell. Not here. Are we working?

worried about where Shadia is? Feels bad. I mean, the night before, the biggest show we've ever produced. And she's just M.I.A. Yeah. You don't look for her. What's this, what's the magpie thing again? Please explain it to me. Oh, I can just, you know,

I've always been a good mimic. I can talk with the birds and get you a message if I know where you are. Can they scout and see if they can also look for her? You see there's a small bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. Is there any kind of card or anything? There is a card, yeah.

The card says, love you, Dad. I'm scared, but I'm proud. P.S. brought the swords back home, and you realize it's from Shadia. You told Shadia to stay at Elides. So she went home to Elides. Too many plates in the air. I go back to the room in the house

with all the props stored in it, and I push on the blade handles. Well, first of all, they're not there, are they? Oh, the prop, no. You see from the card that Shadia brought them home, meaning the home she's staying. She brought them back to Elites. Mind palaces are all over.

I forgot. I love that the fate of Aramon hangs on the complex. of a broken family. Sorry, what's the word not broken? The mixed family, an extended, what's the unconventional. A modern family. I forget what you're supposed to call it,

but the one I grew up. The, not broken, different, jumbled. More this way than this way. Talk more, talk more. Talk more. The horizontal family. I still got the slots. Wrong family?

Wrong family. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got the slots. I'll go to a window, whistle to another mag and say to it, hey, hon, glad you're safe. Do me a favor and bring the prop swords when you find me tomorrow. The magpie flies off a few minutes later.

You get a response from Shadia, the magpie lands and in a very sleepy voice says, huh, what's that, sweet that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I will at that, I love you. I'll bring them. Hmm? Did you walk up in the middle of the bird, land, I don't know, woke up.

No, I'm listening to two people speaking magpie to each other. Well, no, I mean, you hear Shadi as voice out of the magpie. Why did you tell her, I need them now? I'm so tired. I can go get them, where's this place? I'll have the map memorize. It's in a mercantile section of town.

Is it adjacent DM? Seven star. Where does Elity live? Elity lives in... Merchants Ward. lives in Rosigar. Yeah, Merchants Ward, which is over a bridge and down the road. There we're here, we're here, right.

I'm just gonna go get them. So cool. I'm just gonna go get them. Don't. Do your thing. You gotta, I don't sleep anymore. He can go grab them and then meet me at the. Theater?

Lois estate? Oh, could we do this at the theater? No, I need the fortune. We gotta do this at home. Estate. I think that. I think that, yeah, Octus, you can absolutely go there this night. Just go get them, collect them, come back,

bring them back to the lawyer's state. Cool. Okay, above table question. I can give you a little help with Constitution. That's gonna happen for staying up late? Yeah. Okay. I'm trying to stay up late no matter what, so have a task, even if I am not able to do it, we'll keep awake.

What I'm gonna do is sit down in the middle of the floor with you and wrap my pinkies around your pinkies, say they're threatening our city. Let's not make it easy for them. Our blood is on the stage. The stage was in service to them. If I can, whatever I have to bring to this. Asanae said, set intention and my intention is to protect our people.

I know that you have me, and that last word echoes in the back of your mind and I cast enhanceability and you have advantage on Constitution. Oh, last second slot. After the one I wasted. Octus, you venture across town. In disguise. In the middle of the night. You arrive at the divine merchant estate.

There is a stately wooden door. You, I presume, knock on the door. You see that Elity opens the door. are sleepy. Hello? Hi, Elody. I'm here from Hell. I'm here to collect the swords. We ended up needing them now as opposed to

bringing them in the mornings. If I could just collect those, that would be great. Oh, the... The prop swords. Shania brought that with her. Stay here. And you see she walks away. And you see that she comes back and hands a group of brightly painted swords.

painted swords to you? Do you have, I'm sorry to bother you, but any sort, do you have a just, like a blanket I could borrow? Just to throw up and throw over the swords. Do you like tassels? It doesn't matter. She does it up and she says.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I'm so sorry to wait. Tell Hal that this last minute extra task adding is mania and the play's gonna be fine. He's sharing to a creative. This is why I left her. You see, she hands you the swords and you take them. I appreciate it, thank you very much.

I will tell him your message. Tysha, you receive the pariah blades wrapped up in your baby daddy's other baby mama's blanket. Thank God I'm already sleep deprived. I'm sorry, I just, I needed something to cover. otherwise I was carrying painted swords on the street. She's so cool. I think Hal is already asleep on a couch in this room.

Before you have gone to bed, did we have our little conversation where you gave us extra theater magic? That's not happening. You guys are blind blind. Tisha, you receive these blades. Give me your Constitution savings. Let's go.

I can be with you until I need to meditate for the night. No, thank you. 15. You are exhausted. Yeah, all right. The, shite. Cid level of exhaustion. You have the swords.

You are at the Loy Estate. There's a Smith's Forge here. You have all the things you need. Think of, you were on Alt-Roddler as the sun rose this morning. Oh, yeah. And everything that has happened since then. You look at the blades,

and I would like you to give me a Smith's proficiency check. You will be doing so at a minus two, which is the new way that exhaustion works. Can I give the help action just by holding things for her and being an extra pair of hands? You stand in the yard where you were resurrected. All right, rude.

I cast guidance on myself. You, no, I'm saying that, you help. Octus, you help Tasha. Thank you. But you can see that there's a little bit of like over the green there's a glassiness as I realized where I am in this moment. Okay. Sorry.

Just a little bit of a panic attack. There we go. That's good. 17, 18. Dirty 20. Is this a whisper? This is my first whisper. Guys, see.

Check out shop.crop.critroll.com. Wow. There's all sorts of new product out. And there's shop, there's, we have shops in Australia. Wow. The EU? Wow. Canada?

Yeah. So much good stuff. Yeah. Nothing I'm wearing. Nothing anyone's wearing. No, let's trust us. Maybe some. Allison was wearing something.

We have dice, right? Dice. Yeah. Somebody's got one of the dice. You know, you can also give gift cards. These are. See our dice. Codes.

There we go. These are, yeah. You can buy this loggons. We have socks. People love the socks. People love the socks. You wore a pair of the socks. You wore the panel.

that actually sniffed. The socks that I wore to Seattle for three days in a row were Critical Role branded socks. They held in there. They held up. And now I've thrown them in the trash. No.

But I can get more at Shot. It's shot.com. You were like these are beyond saving. I mean, he wrote. I pull out the lawyer staff and turn it into its full self. And I just sit and stare at these brightly colored swords.

And the thing that my daughter has done to them, they had their task. They killed Osgra. They freed our people. And now they are props for a story that we will tell so that our people will always know the story of what we've overcome. There is nothing for me to forge here. I wrapped them back in the blanket.

And I will bring them back to the theater and go to sleep. Your exhaustion is removed. Whoa. She got me. You got your exhaustion removed? Yeah. I go to bed.

I'm watching Tasha Lee, I stand in this courtyard. You also, I think Tisha in that moment, on that 20, Octus, you look at Tisha, and I think you both share a moment, as you watch Tisha realize that life does defeat death. She's been casting spells her whole life that she's never gotten to see because she has beautiful children that are working their magic on the world. Shadia was part of the troop that all spent that time painting the blades and making everything ready. Otis, this is the

woman who looked after you in that long journey to Renaudis and still looks after you. Tension, though it arises from time to time. And as you look down at these sorts of towards, you ready to do whatever you need to do, just on the barest hint of a clue that Fiazzi might have depended on you for something. You were ready to fly into the unknown, to rest some bit of hope when you know that your family was being counted on.

Your family was counted on. I think I look over at Octus, and like as I kind of get up and wrap them. Thank you for being here with me. You've given up so much to help me I'll protect my family, and you're my family too. And I tackle you with a hug, you have no way of getting at it. As I land, you are talking to me, I just say,

I kinda was born here in a weird way. Oh, that's morbid. Does that make you a loy? You were born in the loy home. If you are going to bed, I think I'm just gonna, and I'm gonna stay in the courtyard, this is where I will meditate tonight. You draw.

You have a room as I want. You draw tremendous power from this place where you were reborn to the world, and I want you to give me an Arcana check with advantage. Come on, boy. Abria, that was beautiful. I'm so glad you did that.

Don't cry yet. Don't cry yet. Big number. 27. Let's go! On a 27, Azune Azune Nayar has one of the most profound intuitive understandings of magic you've ever recognized.

he spoke of intention and of clay. And I think that metaphor, you know that Azunae has some sorcery, and sorcery is not a skill-less endeavor. We have spoken very ill of sorcerers much of this table because of the nature of the sundered houses. But just to understand something intuitively and through your sense of charisma

is not mean that you do not understand it. And I think that clay metaphor, Azune was the one saying, intention shapes magic. And you realize that even though their fundamental form was not altered at all, when they were made bright and shining to tell a story that the people of the city and this land

and this world need to hear in what way were they not reforged? And that was exactly what Azunae had said. I'm gonna go sleep to the crack in noon. Can I leave now? Yes, you can leave now. You can leave now. We are gonna move.

Touch out with you, Tasha, is there anything you do the following day? Sleep for as long as I need to. And then go, get ready for bird watching? And go ready to watch some birds. Okay, great. You're good to go. Octus, you're meditating, is there anything you're doing during the day?

Helping humble with permission. Okay, so you're good, you stay here. We are going to move to the following day. There's no more, I don't believe there's any more nighttime stuff. Um, tyranny, wakander, let us continue our story. Gulp. Gulp. Um, morning comes. Glorious morning, the light!

I'm punchy and this gonna be a beefy episode. Everybody's strapping, get the Celsius crack back there. And we can get someone else out here at the table too. Okay. Okay. I believe that both of you probably sleep in hiding, either at the Arknot or elsewhere. I think wherever Bolera is,

because he was gonna tell us some secrets about himself, about how the mask works, how we can sneak him into the place as a mask, that kind of stuff. Does it make more sense? Is there anyone else who is not doing it? I think everyone else is doing stuff during the daytime. Let me, in that case, I actually want to make sure that Tal can be here for your guys' scenes.

I was just going to send them a letter. Okay. So I'm writing it, I'll text it to you. Perfect. Thank you, Tala. I appreciate it. So you will have a letter. Great. How do you approach the Via Aurora? I don't do this.

Oh, we're there. We're doing this. We are, let's just get on the same. Let's just get on the same page. Right. Because if you surprise me again, I might kill you. I think we have to be as truthful as truthful can be. Okay. And what is the truth right now?

The truth is I had doubt. I left. I trusted people I shouldn't have trusted. They led me into dangerous places. I saw death. I saw betrayal. And only after going through all that, did we realize that we had made a huge mistake?

I love that. And let's not forget that you are fully actualized in your power. Maybe you are ready to be Sion. You have discovered new things about yourself. I think you're returning a very different type of guy. I don't think that they'll believe that I killed Taylor. No, but we can say that I have the tuft. Let me just escaped.

I have a tuft. We escaped. Yeah, you helped me. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Here, scratch up my phone. face a bit. Bite my face. Are you sure? Draw blood.

I do so. You bite his face? That's good. It's good. And you begin to approach the Via Aurora. As you begin to walk through the grounds, look out carriages, filament bustling. It is busy here. You see Thorn of people across from the Via Aurora heading towards the main cathedral of light.

They are piling in crowds like you've never seen in Dolmachiar before. The news of the Fotarx resurrection spreads far and wide. You enter and at the gate, the gate opens. Oh, can I just add that I have the mask? We're carrying Boleer. Are we in now? We're doing it.

We're doing it. We're doing it. Actually, I was gonna tell you to I was going to tell you to wear it. I don't know how that works. If we should come, Tal, if we should wait for you to do this, that's- Well, I mean, yeah, if they're doing the,

if they're actually doing their thing, I was gonna be with them one way or another, so that's a hole. Okay, got it, got it, got it. Let's do that in that case. So sorry. No, you're totally good. Alice, you case swapping out very briefly for Tal to jump in.

Tally, you're gonna jump in here. Prior to this, you guys are prepared with a plan for Bolair for Team Spy later that day. Are you down there? I don't know how that works. That's fine. That's fine. I don't understand how that works.

I'm gonna do one goth, I'll out of the table. I will say you are eminently smugglable. Which is why I sent you a letter. You found a letter at your house this morning. And in the letter it said, Tyranny. Inside this envelope, you'll find a key to my apartment. Please take this key, go to my apartment immediately.

You will find me dead in my bedroom. Take the mask and please put it on. I don't even know what that means. I trust you and I hope you trust me. It will not bond to you. You will be safe. Okay, so. You don't have to put it on, you can carry it with you,

but that is what you will find if you go to my house. to my, maybe a break glass in case of emergency. Perfectly fine as well. Okay, I have the mask and I have not worn it yet. You have met Borlaire several times. What do you think, what do you, whatever, hey man, I live to serve. I'm here for you and if that means putting on a spooky mask and getting my face ripped off

or whatever's going on in there. There was also, there were two books that were also left right in the front. of the room and one was a book called the Arcaneum de Vodorum, which was all about Asimars. And there's one, what was the name of that book? Viches of creation. Viches of creation. Viches of you, which is up to you if you wanna.

There is a bookmark in there, but it's up to you. Sure, I will have leafed through it. I'm a very good reader. Yes. I don't know, what does it tell me? Yeah, go ahead. You're up to you. I will be cruel. as I must.

Yeah, sure, please. Yeah, go. Trainsman. Ain't nobody got time to read a book today. I know, you're wrong. So we will be moving forward. Have the matter. You've got the books, you've got the mask.

Great. And you enter into the via Aurora. As you move forward, with Boler in your messenger bag, you approach the gates open wide, and you see a figure step out and go, Who now approaches the V-A-Orora? Home of the...

The light is all. Wakanda. And all in the light. Wakanda! Yes, it is I. He grabs your head. Oh, but it hurts. It hurts.

It hurts. It hurts. I got you. One mode. Where have you been? All over. It's... I've traveled so far and so long.

I need water. And I sit. They're lying, man. What did he do to you? Dark things. Before anything happens, we need rest and we need a meal for the Radiance, Wicander. It's been a really rough time.

Please show me to the quarter, my quarters, please. Right this way, but first your grandmother. Please alert everyone that I'm returned, yes. Everyone! Just like that. Shut up! No one is talking about. Shut up!

The Lord, where Canada has returned, and you will face his wrath. No, no, there's no wrath. You know, wrath. You see, he grabs your wrist and begins to march in a thing, and he whips around and says, have you betrayed us? No. No, you said he did something bad. That's what we thought might, maybe.

Who, what, no. Tell me the truth. Food and water and the bad first. Right, sorry, and he whips down the hallway. And as you rush down, he throws you into your chambers. Oh! And probably like five minutes later, the door swings open, and Yonessa Halevar is standing there.

Oh, boy. She looks and says, I know. Thank you, Pallonius, closes the door and goes, well, well, well. A little wiki. Where you been my grandson? What happened to your fucking face?

You see that she puts a thumb up, heals you. By the way, just while we were in the quarters, I, can I retroactively, I'm gonna cast protection from good and evil on myself. I don't think it's concentration. It lasts for 10 minutes. Here we go. And can I cast it a second time on tyranny?

Let's find out. Hold on. It is not, sorry, it is concentration. Okay. Then just on me. You've asked it. For the first time, I'm gonna be selfish. She looks at you and goes,

You've been missing for over a week, Luffy. What, how lion man, or that dirty fucking drunkard put their paws on you? Grandmother, I, I, I have dimmed. I betrayed you. When you told me everything, when you revealed the truth to me,

I thought that you were evil. I thought that everything was wrong. I thought the creed was a lie. I turned my back on you and I left. I hated you in that moment. And I went and we found the lion man and we saved him because we thought that was the right thing

to do, but it turns out we were wrong. We were wrong, and he took us with him on committing terrible acts of violence and betrayal, and I saw him kill people. I saw we met other people too. A horrible fairy, a bloodthirsty little creature that uses a needle to stab people and kill them in cold blood. We met a man with a wolf who has no regard for human life. He's a drunk and a foul, foul creature.

And they took us on their horrible misadventures. I almost died, tyranny almost died. But in my darkest moment, I realized this was a test. This was all the test. There are four types of things of. light, the flame, the spark, the prism, and the shadow. This was my shadow, this was my lowest moment. I searched for a sign, any sign to know what to do next,

and that's when I heard it. The call in the town square, someone saying that you had been resurrected from death. This was a sign as bright as spotlight as I could ever have realized, shining down on me, and I knew that the light was calling me back, that my betrayal was intended somehow, that I was being carried on the river of light back to your bosom. I can't, I can't apologize enough, and I will receive any punishment you give me, but I have dimmed, and I seek

the spark once more. Fotark, if I may, there is a detail. She was great, by the way. She saved my life like 20 times. His radiance is leaving out, and that is that he is discovered on his journey, the man which he is meant to be, Sion. He has powers never seen before. That's right. I had wings, right?

He's coming back a brand new, more competent, more capable leader. And I'm so proud to stand at his side, and I take out the top. of hair. I say we didn't kill him, but we put up a great fight. I've said this to Sam before, and I'll say it now to both of you. Occasionally, while playing these games,

players will, without rolling dice, give you a nap 20. I am staggered and floored by that I could not, I had so many things in my flow sheet and not any of them were saying the truth, but the truth is the love. She looks at you, come back, you see,

as she looks at you, she goes, and come here with you. And she holds your head close. You see she whispers into your ear, it's all right, No, it's not. It's not. No, the big, bad world.

I'm sure you had to go with people who, my God, you must have had to use money. You must have had to open your own doors. You must have had to, it must have been awful, dearie. We traveled in carts, in the back of carts. God, awful. Never, never, never, never. I knew.

There were dogs. I knew it was too much. Disgusting stuff. I lied to you for your whole entire life. Your religion was made up. I made it up. and I told you just a week ago. You see, she says,

I could tell I saw it in your eyes, but you've seen that some... Body. Somebody loves you. And just because some things that are true are ugly and wicked. So what do you do? Say something beautiful.

and the light is beautiful. And you are beautiful, my boy. I was so ready for you to come in here and say that you'd been kidnapped and I had a list of things that I secretly knew and if you contradicted them, I was going to slid your throat, my little duckie. But you didn't, but you didn't.

You've asked for... You should. You should... No. Shut up, Duckie, no. Oh, my God. You are. more important than killing you because I'm angry. Too much work into you my little duck, my little sweet pee. You are to be the face of this creed and of course you ran away, but there is only darkness away from the light. Where could you go? There is nowhere but here. I'm so proud that you have submitted and I am filled with resolve. because if you had not been shaken, you would be a fool.

If you had not fled, you would not be strong, and I need you to be strong. Instead, you merely failed. You failed because you went away from me. Fail again. And she grabs your head and leans in and goes, because I'm never letting you out of my sight again. My baby boy. See, she pinches your cheek, looks at the hair.

Well, I have been on a knife's edge about whether you aspirants should continue to exist. And you have just saved not only yourself but your sisters. Might I also say, proving his strength was not the only thing Sir Wickhander did. Many people saw the light. Many people saw his power, and I think that we made quite an impact.

We will continue to make even more of an impact. Your timing could not be more impeccable, my son, for I require you at my side. They'll be tonight. Tonight? Oh, I should rest. I shouldn't, if there's a function. Rest?

No, no, no, here. She hands you a vial of filament. Drink up, you'll be fine. Oh. We're having a rather large gathering. House Tacones. House Tacones has been mucking about, and we are myself and the Iron Fasen and the Cormoray

all quite cross. So, I am so proud. If you need me to be there, I will, but I can't promise I'll be at my best. The light will bind us closer than it ever has. And do you know why? Because the light only exists in what we have made ourselves.

We do not truly answer to it. Wick, it answers to us, and that means we can be even closer together. I love you. Thank you for knowing that you could not. Neither be enrages, I suppose. And you see she opens the door and walks out. I vomit.

I don't fucking believe it. I really, To have asked for a role in that scene would have felt so wrong. I was fucking staggered by that choice. I was just staggered by it. Okay. Incredible. You guys can head out. You guys can head out? Incredible. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.

Yeah, I think we'll see you guys at Showtime, right? Sure. Hell yeah. Easy. Those acting lessons paid off. Yay. You all paid for them. Unbelievable.

Holy shit. Okay. Murray. No. Azune. Shhh. You guys. You guys head over to, you guys are gonna head over.

Do you roll your thingies today? Nope, nope, nope, no, no, thank you. It's a new day. New day, roll your portents. It's a new dawn, it's a new day. Come on, come on, be good, be good, be good today. It's something, it's something, it's not great, it's a one and an eight.

Oh, well, it's good in a different way. It's good in a different way. Okay. Harmful. Okay. I'm full one. Could also take a long rest? Take a long rest.

Yep. You guys take a long rest. I'm also, sorry. I was so, I didn't know, because we had talked about that scene and the plan was like to fabricate different stuff about Teora attacking and stuff like that. Sam, can you come out here real quick?

I'll grab them. Okay, thank you. You grab them. Great. You guys head to the Einfosson estate as you do so, entering that place. He's shaken. You enter, you grab Demetus. Yes.

Hey, Brennan. Yeah. Sam, so you need me? Just come back real quick for one second, sorry. Two years or just a second? Just Sam, as you drink the filament and your grandmother leaves the room. Yes. You are level five.

As your grandmother sees your wings outline behind you, your wings flash behind you, and she sees the true sorceress power. You finally have a name for what you are, which is Azamar, and you finally know where your power comes from. And you have walked back in the front door of your home and that when that entire group of people were calling you a dunce and a fool, you have walked in and done exactly what they feared you could not do, you are level five.

Well, thank you. Great. Am I done? You're done. Great. Okay. Azune and Marie, you enter this meeting chamber. And just to set it up, we would have arranged, we would have talked to Varen.

We would have arranged an escape carriage. It is nearby. Everything is ready to go. It is going to set course for Timony as soon as we are out of this fucking meeting. And Demetis knows where to have. And Dimonis has a, he has a plan. And Grotto's with us as well. Yes.

And before entering the Einfossin estate, I would like to cast a spell. Go for it, what do you cast? I'm going to cast Altar Self. And I'm going to go a little further with what I've done once before, because there are some people who I think will listen to more intently and take more seriously

what they hear when the person in front of them looks a little bit more like them and feels a little bit more like them. So I'm going to infossin myself a little. I love it. If their eyes are blue, the blue part of my eyes matches theirs, my cheekbones, my shape of my face, just ever so subtly becomes a little bit more them.

Killer. You are brought to the Stahl keep. Enormous, like something from Riesen-Girtle, this enormous stone keep with massive steel, sort of buttresses and battalions, this mighty fortress here in Dolmachyar. And entering this space, you have your printed case files,

and we find you guys looking at these massive, like 14-foot arched windows looking out over Dolmachiar. This place is way up in Marud, like the top of the city looking down over everything. You see the gray clouds overhead as a table with Lord Audub. Eindfassen, the Lady Cordelia Einfassen, you see the Heraldis Einfassen is here,

the younger brothers of the Lady Ingrid are here, there's a whole bunch of people here. Alice Volkshift, some of his vassal houses and attendants are here. They review the case. Otto looks at it. Much of the information detailed within this report corroborates information that was

that in recent Gertl, specifically the possible murder of Octus Taconis by his own family. He holds a letter up that you don't recognize, but as the letter Octus wrote back in recent journal. He puts it down and says, Inspector Grotto, we commend your thoroughness regarding this report. Additionally, testimony of young Master Blix. is extraordinarily persuasive. Indeed, it points, the crime that was perpetrated against the House of Royce and the House of Davinos is of great significance to the Sundered Houses.

The cover-up is a crime against House Einfasin. To be deceived is a breach of our alliance. However, Master Blix is a commoner. Master Blix, do you have anything more tactile you might be able to show us that would prove your testimony beyond simply your written word? Demetis looks at you too

because he was told not to do anything fancy here. I will produce a few more items of evidence. I will produce the candle. that was used in the ritual. I will also produce the half of the letter that I have. From Petra and Raya. Yes. I will hand it to them.

You see, he hands it over to one of his sons, Roonbram, who looks at it and goes, it is their script, father. I recognize it from the invitations. You see, he says, and he looks at the candle. He hands it over to this woman, dressed in black with like red spiked paldron

who appears to be in a house of sorcerers. She looks like not a mixed martial caster, but like full caster, who takes it casts identify on the candle. And Murray, you can tell that she sees the full picture. She knows. She nods to Lord Einfosson. Otto looks up at you.

Demetist looks to see. if he can add anything, if that's okay for him to do here. Oh, look at Demonis. I'm assuming there are torches and whatnot on the wall. Yeah. I just tell him, give your signature flame effect to the room. He, I just, I have Hal in my mind, and I see him hesitating, and I will once again put my hand on his shoulder,

just as Hal did, and I'm going to subtle spell cast guidance on him. Come on. Come on. You see, just lightly. Demetus clicks. The candles go the exact color that Herondis saw on the torches in Palazzo de Vino's. Unmistakable.

What I would like for us to do now is in this final moment, Azunei, looking up at you as they see something familiar in you. You see that I'm going to ask you to roll persuasion. And what I'd like you to do is in acknowledgement of all that you guys did on your adventures rescuing Demetus and getting Grotto's testimony, I would like you to add a D-8 to the role

for Demetis being here in person and a D-8 to the role for Grotto being here in person. We have to reward big swings. Okay. Come on, baby. Okay. With that alter self, I will allow you to roll with advantage as they see a familiar.

Okay, 2D8. That's a plus nine so far. Advantage. I already know what it is, but I still need to see my seat. As I'm in this moment, it's a subtle spell guidance myself. Go for it, yep. That's 11.

Now. 20. Where's the music? You see Otto Einfossin steps out. Fuck, yes. He goes. He looks out and you see he says, he's so big.

Looks out and you can see his stature sort of increase looking out the windows over Domakiar. A storm is going on in his mind and he looks at you and says, commendations adieu, nephew, to you. Your selection of personnel is extremely impressive. This case has been assembled in a week's time. Yes, sir. This level of diligence cannot go unobserved.

Professor Magnison, you have already overly generously lent your time. I am sure that your academy keeps you very busy. Yes, sir. Our friends in House Cormoray will be alerted to your compliance and help in this regard. Thank you, sir. We have heard everything we need to from you and your student. You are dismissed. Thank you, sir.

I look at Azune. You all right? I grabbed Dividus and we get the fuck out. You get down to the street and Damadus looks up and says, did I fuck up? Did I do okay in there? You fucking crushed it, baby boy, and I just gave him like a big hug. You gotta go now. You did it. You did it. You did it.

You did so good. I'm so proud of you. That means everything to me. You have graduated from the school, from the Pentevral. You're a mage now, all right? Consider this, your diploma. He looks around, you see his fingers almost cast a spell, and he goes, no, wait, I want this one to be real. And you see he grabs it and takes a blank piece of parchment

and says, can you just write diploma on it in my name? Yeah. Yeah, I take my scroll finger, and I just give them a quick like acknowledgement. I sign it, I do a little, I write something fancy, roll it up and I take a little bit of my magic. And I write a nice little red ribbon around it and hand it to them.

Maybe if you want to try to kill me, I could come back for like an alumni function. Yeah. I'll let you know when there's homecoming, all right? And I give him a handshake. He grabs your hand and just goes, and leans forward. and embraces you and goes,

I don't have, you're who I've got. And I'll really miss you. Hey, you still got me, all right? You still got me. If you ever need anything, or if a bunch of demons attack tonight, I'll make sure that whatever I do intimidate. Okay.

Congratulations, Mr. Blake's. Thanks, Professor. I'll get the fuck out of here and keep your head down. You understand. Don't stop till your intimidate. He nods, grabs his belongings, boards the carriage, Vera nods you, and says, we've got four men, both predominance.

We'll see the kid's safe to Timmons Rock. Thank you. And you see, the carriage takes off. Inside, Grotto is congratulated. And you see, they say, Inspector Grotto. Your insight into Matazarkin, your ability to receive visions of great usefulness to City of Dolmachia, the Revolutionary Guard, and House Einfassen. We would like to offer you a promotion to the role of Lieutenant, given Lieutenant Il Kaffer's recent

recusal from that role. See, Grotto nods and looks at you and walks out, and you are alone in the chamber with the Einfosson. Otto looks at you with a look of familiarity. Lieutenant Naya, are you aware of the origin of your sorceress abilities? Or no? I was tutored by the professor that was here earlier. You are now wizard. Then I'm not aware.

I see the honor and nobility. I recognize it. Perhaps some research is in order. I would not be surprised if you walk in the footstead. of giants. That would be a great honor to walk amongst them. It has come to the attention of my house that there are the candestate creed who believe you to be a man of devotion. Is this a reputation you hold within that house due to active deception or simply a mistake?

I believe I know the moment you are speaking of and I think I owe that simply to a moment of kindness. moment of kindness. Kindness? Kindness. I was approached by a member of the Kandesan Creed, and I gave him attention. I serve everybody in this city. Would you be willing to consider further kindling that kindness

and doing very little to dissuade any member of the Kandescent Creed and indeed of the House Halevar? of that conviction they hold. What I am asking, Lieutenant, is that it may be very useful in the days to come if a man of your honor and integrity is believed by the creed to be a man of devotion.

Do you understand what you're being? I understand what you're saying perfectly. Do you accept? My house would be very amenable to reward you for such a skilled act. We are possessed of great statecraft and politics, but from time to time, it is helpful to have those who can command belief in that way at our side.

Would you accept kindling this belief of theirs, perhaps in defiance of real truth, as a favor to the House of Einfassen? My aim is only to serve this house. and I will do what I must. If that be, play a role, tell a lie for the greater good. Only nobility and integrity, but vision. Are you sure you're not an ein farsen?

The table laughs. He looks and says, Yeah. Then we owe you a great deal. Captain Naya. Take that in with that. With that breath. And he reaches out to the table, a box is opened,

and an enormous stone leather wrapped, a stone-headed leather-wrapped hammer is taken out. A weapon befitting your new role. I give a stiff nod and I take the weapon. Very well, Captain. Captain Fizier's office has been cleared out as of this morning. Those will be your new quarters.

Oh. Understood. He turns and you walk out of that room, level five. Oh, yeah. Level five. Oh, yeah. Cashed in a lot of chips. Let's do it.

Oh, man. Long game. Okay, you guys are good? You're done. You're done. That's our shit. To all the party. Let's get Matt and Travis out here if we can.

Matt and Travis. Oh. Matt and Travis. You guys aren't up until showtime, not until sundown, right? So let's go ahead and do Robbie and Liam. You guys, your, to tell, these guys are gonna come in and join,

hallowed round. Walking up as you guys are doing the hallowed round, getting ready for this big fake production. A woman walks in, a representative of the candescent creed, who introduces herself. Her eyes are puffy and looks like she's been weeping. She walks in and says, Hello, Mr. Fang.

Welcome. Welcome to the round. We've been expecting you. Can I get you anything? Can I get you a water, cup of wine? I'm all right. I'm just here to watch and make sure that the play aligns with our values. Of course.

I'm the Lady Iris Halovar. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please. Let me escort you down right to the front. We have a seat waiting for you, water at the ready, and everyone is very excited. We think these changes are a major improvement, and we are sure.

Go ahead, Liam, and give me persuasion. That is a 23. She watches the play. Your troop does a phenomenal job. Somehow people are off book. It's astounding. You see, at the end, she's, you look over on that 23, hoping for a look of, I don't know, enthusiasm,

and she's just bawling. Um, is this over the baggage she's brought with her? Can I tell? It doesn't look like it. It looks like it's, she's running at the play. Micander would have, I sit next to her and place a hand gently on her shoulder. Wickhander would have loved this.

Everything that the hail of our family has done for my family here at the round is unparalleled. I only wish there was more I could do to repay a hail of ours have done. And it's going to make a lot of difference. It's gonna mean a lot to a lot of people. And my son believed in you and I believe. Tonight is for the city.

Tonight is for We can't her. She clasps your hand. and says, I'll let the photarch know everything's in order. And she turns to walk from here. And Shadia and the rest of the gang will look around, and Nes looks around. And you see, she pulls out, the carriage pulls away. And as she does, you see that Nevada goes,

All right, get this bullshit down. Everything back up the way it was. Strip that tripe out of your mind and put the original back in. Hey! It's showtime! Hell yes. You guys can actually remain here.

Ashley, can we get you to jump out? We'll get Ashley out here, and then... Tata, Laura. Me? You. I'll get Ashley out here.

But Laura, the next day, you had some stuff you wanted to do during this daytime thing. You wanted to go and round up as many fairies as possible, right? Go ahead and give me either investigation or persuasion. Okay. I feel like, I mean, I know where a lot of them are. Absolutely.

Let's just see how many you can gather in short work. What is this? What is this? What am I running? Persuasion or investigation. Okay. That is a 22. 22. On a 22, you find so many fairies in the town. All of them are nervous and worried. The candescent creed gaining more power.

these last two days does not spell good things for magical creatures living in the city. And Temelow, you find Temelow, the sort of antlered Glashdig, and she goes, right, I'll be there. And if I see anything untoward, then you can kind of on the fair folk to mark the way. Be ready to fight. Be ready to fight if we need to. I will. Totally off subject. Have you seen a lizard folk? Um, his name was Bogri. He, he was from the sunset mountains. He had a bit of an accent. It would have been here a while ago.

She says, Aye. I did about five or six weeks ago. Where? Is he in the city? Or did he leave? No, no, he didn't stay for long. But he, uh, no, he ventured farther out.

I'm sorry to say, but I'll keep an eye out if I hear anything. Thank you. Um, do you hear, by the way? What? Very door's up on the front of the theater. The front. What's happening? The Candace and Creed.

Fuck the Creed. Up the Creed. I don't fucking hate the creed. I'll all get eaten by big snakes. Yeah. You see? You see. She and she heads out from there.

Hell. Yes. Alex. Just been shadowing Thimble on her journey in case anything happened. Great. That's my job. That's your job that day. Awesome. Matt and Travis. I believe that Julian and Tare had a moment

a moment prior to departing from the meeting last night, if I'm not much mistaken, right? You guys had a moment together. More or less, just everyone was kind of scattering, kind of stopped you from him. Téor, was it right? I am Théor. War has a funny thing of changing over time,

and sometimes those you see on the other side of that field might one day end up on the same. given what is happening at this time around us, and what we are trying to accomplish. I hope we can put that past beside us and behind us. I'm not opposed to these. You don't happen to have use for a great axe, would you? A great axe?

Consider it a momentary loan, a gift as a gift as a, A gesture of goodwill? A gesture of temporary alliance. We're so close to having such a good name for it. Yes, I could put a great axe to excellent use. Very well, under one condition. You cannot have any more of my hair.

Don't lose it. Like I said, it's on loan. I think for political future's sakes, it would be very nice to still have access to it at some point on the road. Don't lose it, don't break it, return it. Maybe when all of this is done yet. This I can do.

All right. Where are you staying? Where am I staying? I think you're probably one of the people that's going to the theater that night, but you're still being hunted, so it's probably good to just lay low for the day, I think.

Yeah, it's either at the... Maybe at House? Yeah. Or Howells or both layers. Okay, I'll say then the, as everyone else is kind of getting their business done for the day, make a trek down to try and find whatever closet you locked it in at the round. Spend probably a good hour like, kuch-ch-ch-k-ch-k-ch-k-ch-all. It's where the Lice written leaks were. Yeah.

I'll say, too, you are able to grab the axe and give it to Teor, given that you are headed towards Oberman. manner, I will also remind you of the Dame Ceramai's body. Yes. Is that something that you would want to? Yeah, I could bring that with us. Okay. To the manor? Just you can't stay in the theater's closet. There is a crypt there for the vassal houses of Tacomas,

which is at least a respectful place for her body to go. Yes. You gather that, Julian, you get the axe and then prepare for what you're doing that. all of you know where you're going for sundown. Baylis, where do you go during the day? I would like to go find Henan. Yes. I think the Tintazi wood is right past the theater, so I'll just say out of curiosity if Cadigan would see Vailas peeling off.

Yeah, because we're, how close is it to the theater? Literally, it's in the theater. Literally, it's in the wood. Yeah, and he sees her because he and Wolfrick are everywhere in the theater. They're underneath, they're in the rafters, they're literally scouting every single part, and on the roof, looking at vantage point, they see you slip into the forest. And Kattigan just goes, woofurt takes off down the stairs, and he follows. And we're on your tail.

Because it's weird. What are you doing? Not your business. It's about to be. Valas, you head off as you arrive at the promontory, red-tailed hawk, sails down out of a tree, and a wolf shirt,

heads out of a tree, lands and assumes Hanon's form. I'm glad you're here. I thought I'd stay here towards the end of day. I've been searching How's your business fared in the city? Have you heard anything of Mara? Are you busy tonight?

I didn't have any plans. I thought I was going to catch some fish, but... We could use your help with the theater. The theater? Is Mara there? What's happening at the theater? I don't quite know. But I think something...

A ritual? Of some sort? Something bad? A bad ritual for you or a bad ritual for me. Our rituals tend to oppose each other. I think something, I don't know. The Sundered houses have been planning something. Will you be there?

Yes. I'll be there. I'll be there too. Hey! A! Big Bear! Oh! Who's this?

This is Hannan. Who are you again? Who the fuck are you? You saved my life in the bar. I remember that. You're part of the team. Hello. You're a person, not a bear.

Elven druid with this hawk mask and a wooden rib cage with visible organs through this like mossy wood ribs. Looks at you. Hello, Woodsman. Hello. He looks out and he goes, so a ritual's happening.

You don't know what it is. Do you know who's doing it? We might be the wrong to people to ask. I've got a limited understanding of almost everything that's happening. I feel like you might know a little bit. Yeah. She's a priest. Yeah.

Super, yeah. I'll just. Super priest. I have a question for you. I'm going to take out my sprik of Holly. Mm-hmm. Would you be able to take a look at this for me? He takes it.

What am I looking for? It's from the Morinvale. Can you tell who has someone? taken it or? Incense? Old. Anything else? One of your sisters offered this. Yes, that I know you have certain feelings towards me.

You towards me? I hate to break up the awkward sexual tension here, but... That's not what it is. I'm not good at reading this sort of thing. Are you meant to help us? Is that what's going on here? I hope so. Sorry, I just saw you creeping through the woods. I saw you creeping through the woods,

and I don't know you very well, so. May I have a moment, cat again? Yes. Thank you. I'm just gonna stay. I'm gonna take hand in and just step him to the side just a little bit. Ah.

Oh, wow. Got it. Jesus. I don't know how to say this. I don't pray much anymore. I know. I can feel your thoughts of me

but I think they are wrong. You don't know me. I don't know what I stand for. You don't know who I pray to anymore. Seems weird to pray to a God that is not here anymore, doesn't it? Some of us think it's weird to pray to a God at all, but I take your meaning. We aren't praying to her.

And you also said you're not praying that much anymore. What are you doing? I'm just trying to figure it out. I think it's weird that she took something from us. She did. The last of us that will ever walk this earth has already been born.

The number of elves on the surface of Aramon will only diminish. Why do you think she would do that? I think when you love a version of a person that isn't real, it makes you hate the version of them that exists in the real. their truth. We said flower doll,

not because that's how we saw you, but because it's what we knew she saw you as. Eternity, to have all of your complexity, all of your possibility, all of your dreams, folded into an idyllic paradise where you would be punished for the most minor infraction. You had to supplicate yourself and pray to have a child, our immortal lives given to us.

And in exchange, we gave up the ability to have freedom, to make our own families, our own lives, our own cities, our own stories. Everything was hers. What is that other than hate? Dressed in flowers, sparkling light, blossoming vines, swimming vines, wrapped like garlands, around the body of a being that loathed what we might be without her. It feels awful to hear, but I think you're right.

I lost my wife, and it's been many years. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I lost them all. But we must go on. Thank you for being so candid with me. I would like to go back to the mourn veil at some point. Is there any reason?

that you and maybe accompany me. I may need some help. Sister, we may be sharing this world for another thousand years. So let's get that journey started sooner rather than later. I take his hand and I put it to my forehead. He puts his forehead to yours.

And Cadigan puts his forehead. Hannan puts an arm around you and pats you and says, you can be in this too. I am going to look straight at Cadogan and say, family is complicated, isn't it? Oh. Walks off with you and says,

let's talk about what this ritual might be. We've been around a lot longer than these kids. There's things that we know to look out for. You have the artifact on you. I do. Hold it. I don't want to be near it, but we should talk about what might happen. Let's go talk to Tasha.

All right, we'll go talk to Tasha. He looks and says, I've spoken very candidly to you. and I speak from passion, not from authority. We call it a path because we're all still just walking it. I'm happy to walk by your side. Have the rest of my life left to learn. Amen, sister. And he turns from there to walk with you

and Kattegan, I think you look into the waters of Lake Nahami based on that thing you said you don't have. We're gonna move to one last thing, Liam. Your cast gathers together. And it is right before Showtime. People are already starting trickle in to the seats up ahead, but you got your whole cast with you

before things get started. All right, everyone. A lot of history within this family. Every day of it has been a joy. I have enough golden memories to last me to the end of my day. and then some. But I hope you all will join me in this current moment

to celebrate what we do. The responsibility of it, the gift, to tell this story in this place, in a time when it is needed. Are we entertainers? Bet your fucking ass we are. But no, with every word you breathe tonight, you will be giving this city something to believe in.

200 years before the shapers were stricken from the firmament, One Rangani stood when none other would, seeking to topple Asgra's chosen. Priests high in their own esteem, but cruel and self-abasing in their scrabbling for some little bit of power. Mursat is betrayed his masters, orchestrate his downfall. The heretic, the renegade is undone.

The spark. of Mirzat's defiant took to the wind like an ember and found the heart of every Rangiani until finally, one day, the God that lorded over us, feeding us war, till we choked, was undone. The gods are all dead, and yet some in this world are scarcely out from under their heels, and have already turned to replacing our old masters to new. ones. Will we abide it? Or will they hear our defiance? That's the question we pose today. Here in this hallowed place, that is why we tell these truths. Past is prologue. I know this stage will sing tonight. Trust in your hard work. Take what your family gives you and carry it forward. For all that's left to do now is step into the round and play. Shadia, full weeping. a painted pariah blade at her side. Love you, Dad.

Let's put on one hell of a show! The hands go up. As the cast cheers, Vailas, you standing by the woodside watching this thing. Baby, the rituals already started. Hannan takes your hand. You are brave. We're about to see some real magic.

And as you grasp his hand and he yours, you level up to level five. That's all for this episode of Critical Role. I'm going to be on the fly rail. Oh, boy, oh boy. Today, it's actually probably not Thursday anymore. It's probably Friday. Is it Thursday yet?

Thanks for listening to this episode of Critical Role. If you're enjoying this story, consider leaving a review on your podcast platform of choice. We're always looking for new. Critters to share our adventures with, and your review may help a new batch of wayward souls find their way to Aramon, Exandria, and beyond. Or if you want to hear what the cast discussed after the episode, head to beacon.tv and check out our exclusive show Critical Roll Cooldown. You'll be right there at the table immediately after we say, is it Thursday yet, and experience our cast's post-show reactions. We'll see you next time.