Critical Role - Horizon of Promise | Age of Umbra: Sallowlands | Episode 3 Part 1

Episode Date: July 30, 2026

Part 1   The five wandering heretics clamber throughout the great towering city in search of a way out...   DAGGERHEART: HOPE & FEAR Explore new Daggerheart content seen in Sallowlands with the first expansion for Daggerheart! Hope & Fear comes out August 25th and features new classes (Witch, Warlock, Assassin, Brawler), transformation cards, adversaries, campaign frames, and much more. Visit https://www.daggerheart.com/pre-order to learn more, or head directly to Critical Role shops to place your pre-order! US: https://shop.critrole.com UK: https://shop.critrole.co.uk EU: https://shop.critrole.eu AU: https://shop.critrole.com.au CA: https://canada.critrole.com   AGE OF UMBRA: SALLOWLANDS A group of outcasts and survivors brave blasted lands in search of answers in Age of Umbra: Sallowlands. This 6-part Daggerheart mini-series features Game Master Matthew Mercer and players Laura Bailey, Jennifer English, Abubakar Salim, Vico Ortiz, and Zachery Renauldo. They’ll form an unlikely band of companions, who venture off the beaten path in search of answers in the Sallowlands, a new region of the Halcyon Domain filled with cracked badlands, dangers, and awe-inspiring secrets. What fragile hopes dare they cling to in this story of desperation and survival? Learn more at https://critrole.com/umbra   BEACON Curious what happens when the camera turns off after an Age of Umbra episode? Watch the Cooldown episodes with the cast discussion after each episode, exclusively on Beacon! Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to the shows you love completely ad-free! You’ll receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord.   CREDITS See full cast and crew credits at https://critrole.com/sallowlands-credits/     Starring: Game Master Matthew Mercer | @matthewmercervo Jennifer English as Dillywin Hellekin | @jenniferjenglish Abubakar Salim as Mercy | @abubakarsalim Laura Bailey as Sister | @laurabaileyvo Zachery Renauldo as Alphonse | @zachthebold Vico Ortiz as Cagauma | @puertoricaninja   Art by: Key Art by Daniel Jiménez Villalba | @Danieljimenezvillalba Character Art by Strange House | @strange_house Sallowlands Map by Marco Bernardini Miniatures Painted by Keo Lacebal, Angela Basset, and Erik Lonnquist Main Theme Song by Omar Fadel Set Design by Shaun Ellis Set Fabrication and Production Design by Noxweiler Berf   FOLLOW CRITICAL ROLE! Website: https://www.critrole.com Newsletter: https://critrole.com/newsletter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/criticalrole Twitter: https://twitter.com/criticalrole Instagram: https://instagram.com/critical_role TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@criticalrole   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.

Hey there, Matthew Mercer here, and you're listening to the podcast version of Age of Umbra, Salilands, a gripping, dangerous tale and campaign frame from the Dagger Hard Corset. You don't need to know anything about the rules or system to enjoy the story, but if you're inspired to want to play along, we have several short How to Play Daggerheart Resources we lovingly call Get Your Sheet Together, available to watch right now on beacon.tv and YouTube.com slash critical role. This is part one of the episode and part two arrives the following Tuesday.

If you'd rather get instant and add free access to the full episode, consider becoming a beacon member where you can watch bonus content like the cast discussing each episode in Critical Role Cooldown, receive Critical Role shop discounts, including on Daggerheart, and much more. Sign up now at beacon.tv. Well, that should cover it.

Now, let's dive into the adventure. Hello, friends. Before we jump into tonight's episode, We do have some quick announcements to get through. And next weekend, we'll be at Jen Con and Indianapolis with tons of gameplay, a booth, a decked-out daggerheart room, panels, workshops, and so much more. We'll have a limited quantity of pre-released dagger-heart hope and fear copies for sale, as well as an exclusive convention pin and tons more to love.

So find out where to catch us at derringtonpress.com slash events. Laura, stop making noise over there. What you got? Misty Mountain is releasing a collection of Dagger Heart Dice with each dice set capturing a domain from Dagger Heart Core. Each stunning, multifaceted glass dice set comes with a standard set of seven polyhedrals plus Hope and Fear dice. Check out the Daggerheart Dice collection at misty Mountain Gaming.com

slash daggerheart. I'm so excited about this. Matt. All right, well that about wraps up our announcements for tonight. Let's go ahead and get back into this episode of Age of Umbra. Silo Lands. And welcome back to the Age of Umbra. Last time this troop of wayward entities had come together for different reasonings, but it seems to be some familiar and similar purpose. A strange, massive metropolis has appeared out of nowhere in recent times to the south of the Salolands,

and many folk from all across the Halcyan domain find their way traveling that direction whether for possible joyful hope or a mistrust of where this thing may have come from and why. One thing is certain, the region is shifting in its presence. For better for worse, I can say. You all together journeyed far from the Russoilwood down through the northern marshes of the island themselves, pushing past, running into a templar of the Twilight Exemplars,

his troop destroyed by a mythical beast, sent off into the night through a unexpected connection of empathy. You continued your trek onward. You encountered a terrifying dust storm through that, located and sought solace in a caravan encampment, which turned out to be a company of raiders that were interested in trade more than a... conflict. You managed to trade by appealing to the childhood joy hidden within its leader by presenting

a magnificent Muppet from its past, gathered a cluster of strange items, unfolded a glider that you haven't figured out how to refold yet and have been just... We're going to round one. It's just, right. I need it very soon. Yeah. Like deep disadvantage on any stealth roles while it's with you. It's under your back.

Along with Dilley. And the map. But you have made your way to the Tower of Oxenose, one of the few safe places here on this area of the housing domain. The singular sacred pyre that burns upon its apex, only visible from a distance, not from your current perspective, perspective within the hustle and bustle of this city, but you managed to convince one of the archons of the tower to allow you a night's rest and to inquire about possibly meeting with

their prophet, Oxidose, directly. You began to ask some questions in the afternoon, found some interesting context as to the mystery of this city in the South, and witnessed what seems to be a chase, a judgment, and an exile slash execution of a branded heretic within the midst of the populace. And here is you stand amongst the crowds of the city within the outer sanctum element surrounding the central towers, the people go back to their busy work,

scattering to whatever they were doing but a few moments before as the Archon who had let you in and had judged the demise of this figure steps back to the rest of their business. What would you like to do? We should find that girl. We should talk quietly. That's a great point. Did any of us see where she went when she backed into the crowd? Who has an instinct of two or higher?

I have it. I detain. Oh, sweet. Great. So the two of you watch her kind of back away and begins to dart back through what looks like a garden region on the eastern side of this inner courtyard, which has like a large, almost like a blue ivory gazebo and like a hidden garden within that many people have since put up tents and kind of living amongst this garden. You get your garden. Yeah. Great. And we get to follow perhaps this mystery girl. All right, so you all, as a troop with your massive glider.

We should really, can try it. Just park it. Just put it on the side and watch it blow away. Not on the edge of the mountain, like inside. No, next slide? I think it's a good idea. Throw it and see how far it goes. Be free. Mercy, where's the glider?

It's like, I don't know. It hits a ship. It hits on the blindships. No, I think, yeah, I think what we'll do is we'll put the glider probably. I don't know. I'm not fucking traveling with this glider. I don't really look like an idiot. Just slide it behind a bookcase or something. Yeah.

Is somebody gonna take it? I would say, I would say, I would say, I would say. If we're gonna leave it somewhere, I'd suggest perhaps near the gate, in case we might. We might need to. You want all five of us to jump on the glider down. The tower of oxytos. In case things get hairy. It was a thought.

I am 102 and very tired. I like it. I can fly with badger. We're fine. Is that four of us? You see, there's always hope. Like push on the wings a little bit as we walk and see if we're like. You can try if you're like, if I just like look at it, can I see if I can figure out where the hinges are?

Who's good finesse? I have good knowledge, so I'm not going to try to do it because I'm probably going to fuck it up, but I think I can see where the hinge is. It would be a knowledge or a finesse role to try and finagle a possible refolding. I got plenty of hope, so let's go ahead. Let's do it. All right, so you can spend a hope to go ahead and add advantage that. Well, the two of you glance over this odd contraption. Go ahead and roll.

That is a... 16, 17, 18, plus two. 20, with hope. With hope? Great. Take that. Ah, yes. You see, you have quite some knowledge. A big confounded by this strange massive sail that you've trudged for a good number of hours

across the desert, like a massive beacon of come hunt us. Settle it down to two of your companions. and you both take a moment to look upon it, and there isn't like a switch or a button, but you notice the way the wings fold and they like kind of latched out. If you put a little bit of weight to where that joint is and push it onto one side, the joint flips in,

and as it does, the back of it also kind of curls inward. And so curling them both in at the same time and pushing on the back tail, the device folds again, and then the latches shut. And now, a little bit of the same time, little more clean than how it was presented to you, which was kind of almost broken looking. Now it does actually fold into about the size

of like a folded jacket. Oh, that's my job. Remember, if you need it to open, you just do this. The wind takes it. So yeah. I think we should follow the girl now. I think we're all there just like, when she's just like,

little launching instructions. All right, you all begin to trek beyond this part of the courtyard. You head to where you saw her vanish. And indeed, there is this maybe 120 or so feet of garden courtyard area, where it would be probably at one time a beautiful, grassy flower bush-filled region for people of the old world to come and pontificate on their faith. instead now it is a veritable tentity. There are

amongst the beautiful bits of greenery here large huts and tents and layers you see now they have built in this region almost like scaffolding layers where other small hovels and domiciles can almost layer

on top. And as you get out of the central bustle of the tower you see the populace here might as likely larger than what this tower was built to hold, especially with making room for the vertical farmland that they cultivate here. As part of that, a lot of creative means of sharing living space or expanding areas

for people to live continues to progress. And with that, you begin to acknowledge that a lot of the construction that you were seeing around here, the alterations to the structure, a lot of it is looking for more room to make for more people. Being one of the few bastions of safety here, many are more than happy to apply themselves to the faith of the long, missing old gods

if it means they aren't running from the umbra every night in the wilds. As you push through into this space, people are huddled, there are families in the process of preparing food. You see there's people gathering tools, some individuals that are just kind of sitting and clutching some either,

make-shift or long-weathered holy symbol that sits around their neck and just kind of whispering a prayer to themselves. There is far more social desolation in darker places across this realm, but for such a beautiful cathedral, it definitely stands out as a darker shade of the opulence that much of this tower seems to present and emanate. But you do not see the girl publicly within this cluster. And it is a neighborhood as you kind of walk through and you see many of these domiciles are closed and the bushes kind of pushing through in regions. I would like to use my instinct with, oh, not dad jokes. Always did you. I know. I was like, no.

But something I, my instinct and comfort for perhaps like, tap into what a scared little person would go to and maybe use that to kind of be like, oh, I think she might be over here. Sure. Go ahead and make an instinct well for me. It's a 10 plus two. It's a, oh, it's 14 with hope.

14 with hope. Take that help. Right. It's interesting. There are many places here a scared person would run to hide. They could jump into any of these tents. They could go all manner different places. But what does catch your attention is your arrival

as outsiders and strangers. Definitely calls the attention of the populace here. And you're glancing around and looking for someone, given the recent events. There is an air that the people present get a feel of who you're looking for. and a few knowing figures that kind of recognize this search you're giving subconsciously

like look in a direction. As trying as they might to maybe protect whoever this is or not to at least aid in what you're doing, they are betrayed by their human neurotic instincts. And you follow some of these glances to lead to a back part of the garden where there are a set of statues and what looks to be a broken fountain that is partially crumbled, like a stone slab that was once on top has tumbled and kind of crumpled over the rest of it.

It's kind of fell into disuse and disrepair. Based on people who are being very obvious due to the recent events, that there might be something behind this broken fountain, Shall we go over there? I'm gonna grab the slab and move it. Okay, shift it slightly. And there is indeed a gap in the wall behind it. It's kind of leaning against this heavy stone portion

of the wall that leads into an inner temple that there's not an entrance on this side of it. It's like the back wall that would be facing the other direction or an entryway somewhere within the actual perimeter wall. But here it looks like stone's been moved. has been moved and there's maybe a two foot gap, which is a bit small for you. But others of your troop could probably squeeze through.

I'll have a little. Squeeze through. Easy enough for you. This is roomy. You kind of get low into this and it's lightless within here. But you are well prepared for dark spaces. Your large, semi-ey-eyes just kind of adjust for a minute, and you can see this is an accidental crawl space,

meaning when they built the walls of the structure, the interior walls of the two chambers are just slightly apart. Intentional maybe, but there is a full on a path between the walls here. And as you progress about 10 or so feet, it splits right and left. I'm gonna use my

smell, you smell like, ability to sniff her out. Great, all right. So then for this, I can say you can make an instinct or knowledge roll if you'd like. Spend that hope and then add the plus two. Yeah. Oh, that's a very good role. That's 14, 18 with hope.

Great, take that hope right back. As you get to the edge, you take a minute. And like, you know, humans and, you know, adjacent people of their type have a particular smell. You know, the furless ones. They, their sweat has a particular muskiness to it. And it lingers far longer than they anticipate for creatures that are used to living on scent

as a marking and sign of travel. And sure enough, to the left, there is a bit of a hint of that panic. There's a particular smell that fear evokes from creatures, and you pick that with up to the left. As you follow it down, about six more feet, a staircase descends. I go down the staircase.

You descend down about 20, 30 feet. It curves and continues to descend even further on the other side. What friends! And there is, the faintest bit of light below. Off light pop. Continue down, down before it evens out. And this is like rough hue at this point,

whereas the between the walls had, you know, stack stonework and was kind of a byproduct of the interior structure of that part of the tower. This now, the stairs you notice are just carved from the clay and the rock. So this was done by hand. Goodness knows how long ago. And the cavern itself is kind of low,

maybe about three and a half, four feet tall. Any of you would be ducking fairly low to get through, but for you, it's just right over your head. It's easy. You continue on for about 35 more feet, and then it comes to an end. Just ends in stone. And Einstein.

Is there like any stones to like push? If you want to make a finesse roll for me. I'd like it to make a little finesse roll. That would be a full. Really? Oh no. You reach out. It looked like a thin slab had been leaned up against

what was the entryway into another chamber. But as you reach out to touch it, it just stumbles forward. just stumbles forward with a heavy, dust goes out, the sound goes bright, and you can see now, like the reason that little bit of light was leading you down there before it was closed off into stone is because the interior itself is lit. And inside there, there are three figures

with very, very low burning ember torchlight, two of which are very like ramshackle brown robe wearing humanoid folks and what looks to be probably the girl who was down below and they immediately spin and turn to look at you. Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I'm not a bad in, honest. They both kind of look at each other and they whisper a little bit

and the two of them just start walking towards you. Did we hear that bang? You would have heard it from up there. Like faintly because you hear this. I think we would, I mean, I can't fit down there. I can't. I control. Is the distance until it like I could have space to go?

Would that be within close range, would you say? It's a bit further than that. So, unfortunately. I can't fit, there's no way. I can try. I can try as well. I mean, you could all fit down there, but it's like leaning and crawling

at a certain point between all of you. Maybe we should be in the back then because it'll take us a second longer to get through. Are there any, meanwhile, are there any, like, places on the ceiling or up high that Diddy could jump You look up and this is, it looks like a storage basement that's been cleared out. There are some shelves that are kind of fixed into the walls, kind of rickety wooden shelves,

probably quite old, but they're there. And there are some like a tipped over bag of what might have been grains that has since spilled in kind of mildewed and is kind of left to just dry out and die. Some empty boxes and storage containers in this area. and there are two doors on the opposite end that are currently closes. The two figures are coming towards you. You can try to leave to one of the shelves. I'm going to leave to one of the shelves while I try.

How long it had been had been that Dillia was going through the passages while we were up in the garden? Two minutes. Two minutes, I guess. All right. She's also slowly going through the search. I'm going to go into the passageway. Same, same, same.

You would notice, though, that as the sister walks in through the passageway that there's a heaviness to her leaving this natural area and where her skin before, all you see, all you've seen is like her hands because everything else is covered, but where it was once dry and flaking and white, it's smooth and there's a little bit of color, a little bit of almost rosiness to her hands that wasn't there before. She crosses into the pathway.

Okay. So you're first? I cross right behind. Although if at some point I am too tall, I can just like retract and you can just push me down later. I think you'll fit. I'll be fine, okay, great. It's like Bishop with his backpack and Alien.

It's two feet wide or two feet tall? It's about three feet tall and about two feet wide. I'm four foot, so. I'm going to crawl. You are absolutely having to crawl. You're cool, yeah, amazing. Like you're those terrifying videos of like underground cave splunkers that are like pushing through.

Oh, God, the worst. Yeah. That's you. Yeah. Terrifying film. All right, so as you begin to head down, and imagine you're probably on the caboose of this, as the rest of you go down, you,

leap up onto the shelf and kind of grab onto it. As you step onto it, grab there, it starts to snap free on one end. It's still holding, but it's fragile. What are you doing? No, wait, wait, wait, wait, listen, I, I think I'm on, I think I'm on your side. We're just here to help.

We're strangers here. We ain't got nothing to do with them nice or nothing. Like, we're friends. Make a presents roll for me. That is not her area of expertise, man. That's a crit. Yes! Not the area expertise.

Yes, yes, but it worked. It worked. Well then, take that hope, clear that stress that I was about to give you. As you stand up there, perched, shouting this down towards them, getting ready to skid her off to route the direction for safety, they both kind of approach before the goal goes, wait, I think she's being honest. I saw them arrive earlier, and they're not of the faithful. Maybe this is a boon. We should make use of, I? And you see the other two, like, hooded figures kind of look back.

One of them still kind of holds this massive club at its hand, just kind of rested at the side, and just goes, Just to be careful, I'm gonna be at the ready. And the other one kind of spins around, and you can see now is like hiding a crossbow within its robe, and just says, I certainly hope you're right. And the girl steps forward.

Stranger, what's your name? I'm called Dylan, but my friends call me Dilly. Dilley. I'm clear. Clea. Why are you and your strangers come here? Well, they said a lot of things and I can't quite remember why we're here

but I think it's something to do with an old man up a tower but basically we're just we're after the town in the mountains, the new one that popped up because well maybe we'll find our people there because nobody seems to like me

in mercy very much. That's my best friend. And the others, they're new, but they seem to want to go there too. Not the man with the skull. I haven't figured him out yet. And well, maybe we'll go there and maybe it'll be dangerous, but it's better than what we have. And, well, I'm not really sure, but my friends will come soon and they'll have better words. The man with the club looks over towards Clay and goes, she's a child. and like puts the club under the belt and kind of steps away for a little bit. Clay goes, Well, if you're here,

even just being here, you're in danger. I'm sorry you followed. And you hear like the rustling of figures moving through us. There's more coming. And they start getting their weapons ready as well. No, no, don't wait. They're real, they're really nice, I swear. My friend, the turtle friend, she, she,

She wants, he wants, he wants, well, like, he wants, talk to a, talk to a, like, a weird monster thing, and, and, and, and, and it made the eyes go pregnant. The monkey had the right to us. Exemplars are coming right here, we're done. And he's like, they're getting their weapons ready, and she's like, no, no, no, hold on, hold on. As you come through, sister. Just a big mushroom, like, comes through the hole and then pops out. Like, were fighting.

What? By, by my friends. I'm right behind very slowly getting up. Just an old turtle. Oh, my joints. Oh, hello. Were you fighting? No one. France, this is clear.

She's my new friend. We are no danger to you. We saw what happened to your... As a skull emerges from... Yeah, you hear the screaming. Are we fighting? No skull man. This is...

Clea, I don't know who the other ones are, but they said they weren't going to hit us. I lean down and I drag you out. I drag you out. Mercy out, yeah. I'm like, dearly. Clear, this is my best friend, Mercy. Clear.

You feeling alright there, sir? Yes. Are you feeling alright? I've had better. It goes like, gives a whistle and one of the other figures goes and moves the stone slabs Up. Did you close behind? You're sure you aren't followed? You sure no one saw where you went? Did you close behind? Oh. I'm going to turn around and...

We're going to have to move. It's compromised. And the other folks are like, shit, shit. And they start gathering their supplies. They probably didn't notice us. I guess I'll try to help them. Yeah, I guess. Gather out stuff. Yeah. Sure.

If they open one door on the side, and you can see there's like really ramshackled beds in this room. There's like small, almost like wood-rotted foot lockers that are being gathered and put onto satchels. Weapons are being gathered. Like there's like a secret society sort of air

about the way they're whispering to each other and grabbing things. And this was definitely like a, safe house that has been compromised. Oh, no. I know what a bully yet, I guess. Probably. They moved to the other chamber, and as they open it up,

it looks like this was a worship hall, like a subterranean church, if you will, of simpler means than the tower that sits above, possibly a place of worship for the help of the old world,

who weren't allowed to join in worship of the old veiled gods amongst the ordinance that once ran this place. Also, the tower itself at one point was a prison. So there are all manner of interesting hidden chambers all throughout with different purposes. You see across this chamber there's a table, There are chairs, there are cups, and numerous candles, some of which are lit, and they're starting to put them out like, just starting to like just more or less try erase any sign that they were here best they can while not speaking any word to you as they're just shifting and going before eventually they move everything aside. You're welcome to stop any time if you have any questions, but they're just like they're going. Yeah, I guess as we're doing it, I'm going to be like, why do they call you heretics?

Rightly because we might be. You haven't been here long, but I'm certain you got us. If there's any goodness in your hearts, and I don't know, you look at least mildly appear to me. There's some rotten folk here. The ones who exiled your friend. The old faiths are gone. No one's answering prayers anymore.

Do you know if they work under... the eye of Oxides, or is he unaware of what's happening here? And everything's done under Oxidus, of course. It's his edicts everyone lives by. They bring out updated prayers and new expansions to the edict monthly. But no one has seen him. Yeah. Well, I've not seen him in my days.

In your days? And how old are you? Sorry, you lose count past 20, but... So old, so old. I still remember. I still remember. We are to see the prophet. Why? Maybe it was a mistake.

I don't think there is a prophet. And if there is one, it might not be the one that I've been told about. I think he's long since gone. Would surprise any of us necessarily? The Templars themselves, they, um, let's see if you kind of shake her head. Some of them are doing their best within a broken system. This is, look, survival's hard.

Goodness knows I've held the faith for a long time, but so long you can speak prayers into the ether only be met with sacrifice and tragedy before you begin to truly wonder if anyone's listening. And you wonder if all the hard work you're doing in the name of this, It's only just to make those above you feel like their boots are that much thicker to put down upon you. So we are the horizons. We're the ones who whisper and debate and instill questions to the faith.

You can close a debate club, you can cause philosophers, whatever you want. But at the very least, we try and empower those around here to think for themselves. We don't judge them for their faith. We just want to make sure that what faith they do have is because they believe instead of being told that they do. And as you might have seen today, the rewards for that aren't that joyous. Can you not leave?

Go where? To the new city? To the horizon. They'll kind of look at each other. We've been considering it. It's just, I don't know if you notice, it's very hard to get out of your unnoticed. But if we have enough people, the exemplars are strong,

but there's maybe over a hundred of them, 150. Who are there? One of us, we had more, but they've been. Excellent. You can see the breaks in their faces. Soldiers work the bone, the dwindling resources. I mean, the last harvest is half as useful, Folks are starving.

Bowling. Do you think that some exemplars might join you, us? That's what we're doing. Just putting out the whispers, asking the questions. Do you think they'll let us go? Or did we just walk into a trap? We've had folks come through before. Do they leave?

I think so. At least the ones that don't do nothing. You should leave. I don't want to leave them here, though. Do you have another safe house, somewhere to go? We do. We have three others. I don't mean no disrespect, but I'm going to keep that information to myself. Is there another way to get out of here that doesn't lead back to the garden?

There is, and I mean no disrespect. But safer, you take that, then follow our work on. For you and us. And I will tell you all. Because I'd like to trust. But if you turn any of this in, they'll believe us before they believe you. No offense.

Thank you for your candor. Thank you for your trustworthiness. Now we've got to go. Gats her bag. Looks the other two. Gives like a slight whistle, and you hear another voice back. They'd be like, well everybody. Everybody, we're off to good luck.

And they all head on the opposite end of this kind of subterranean worship chamber. go through a distant door, turn it around, and you hear it lock. And it's just you all left here in silence. I have a feeling that when we leave the same way we entered, we might be ambushed. Is there anything I can see in this place that could aid us?

I saw another path. Oh. It forked, and I smelled clear. Smelt her fear, so we followed that, but there was another way. Do you want me to try it? It's all my fault. Yes.

I'll go. You go ahead and trek up and take the other path. And this leads to another long wall before it turns right. It looks like the gap more or less was closed off on the left side or the walls were made more solid on that end. You turn right and it comes to an end, just a dead end. Now, it's still stones, but there is no, there is no, You can try. I'm gonna do the same thing because, you know, it worked last time.

It was a bit noisy, but I'll be gentle. Make a finesse or knowledge roll for me, please. Or with hope. Get a hope though. Get a hope though. Okay. Can I look for any roots that may have worked their way into any of the crevices from plants growing? I will say from where you're standing currently here,

you're far enough beneath that none of the roots dig deep enough to protrude in the chambers where you enter. You could look up maybe through the staircase if you wanted to keep an eye. Yeah, I'll keep an eye out for anything that's... It's going to hunch down and glance around. There are some roots that kind of poke through, protrude, that have grown since the initial stairway and chamber

has been carved. But it doesn't lead down another. Like I can't loosen anything. Not to that degree, not without threatening. The structural. You can start moving it, but by the time he'd make it, there's a lot of stuff above.

Yeah. What did you find? What did I find? What did you find? I found a dead end and maybe another little ton I could send Badger through it. Badger, just kind of like cling on your back.

Hi, what's up? What am I do? Badger, look through that tunnel, see where it leads. He climbs down, pushes through, and emerges out of a chimney flu. Like, pf, into thankfully a not-lit fireplace. And then this one's actually kind of like a little ways up from a room. like a little ways up from where you were. So while the wall you were there is closed off,

there is a small tunnel above that it's almost like what you hit is adjoined to the back of a chimney. Is it a kind of tunnel we could dig more of? You can certainly try. Our house! I'm grasping its straws here. Does Badger say that it looks lived in? Badger, come back.

Was there anyone up there? I didn't look. And he goes back over, comes back in a minute, like, I didn't hear nothing. Um, it's well furnished. Is it going on furnace? Oh, it's up or down? Oh, it's up and down.

That's what he tells you, is you hear, I have some rope. I'm wondering if maybe he can put something in his mouth and go up with the rope and we... He's good with rope now. He's been practicing. She's real bad of tying things, but I'm sure. But he's learned something.

Oh, what a sweet little guy. So what we're saying? He's ticking rope. Here, here's my rope, 50 feet. What's he doing with it? I would like him to put the tip of it in his mouth. Oh, sorry. Yeah, keep going. Why?

It's got up as pony, bro. Come on, dude. A hundred two years. Go up the chimney and perhaps tie it somewhere up there, and we can maybe go up. Go up. Is the tunnel big enough for that? Certainly try. Yeah, how big was what he squeezed through?

How big was what Badger got through? I'm literally like, stuck there, like mummified. But like the rest of the night's face. Oh my God. It's about as, like, the actual, like, middle area between the walls is about that wide, so you're all having to go through this way, for the most part, to go through, except for you.

You definitely are having to do this. The chimney, like it's about six feet up into that tunnel where Badger went through, and that is about two foot by two foot. So you can crawl through to the chimney, which is about similar space. So you are, we can give it a shot. I think we'll give it a shot. Yeah, how about we don't?

Just throw back the same way we came. We might die, and I don't want you to die, Mercy. Okay. I mean, it leads through, right? So if we try to break through the chimney, right? I mean, worst case, yeah. Worst case? No one.

I don't know if, yeah. This is great. Unless, like, maybe you can like slide through back to see if anyone's out there waiting for us and then slide, you know, shimmy back. I don't know, we haven't even checked yet. Yeah, do you want to see if there's a... Oh, shimmy? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, shimmy.

You shimmy look out. As you glance past the still somewhat open stone slab, you can see most of the folks in the neighborhood have pulled back into their homes, and you hear the sound of armored footsteps moving through the region. Can you move it? Can I try moving it back? Make a strength roll for me, please.

Oh, goodness. Maybe it's our backup. Maybe it's not bad guys, you know. Oh, yeah, it's definitely people to help us. Yeah. Oh, with him. Oh, no. Oh, no.

Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. I love it. I'm gonna spend one. No. No. So, the, you're like,

as you see another full armored Templar who's like, is anyone here? No. Seen a woman. This sort is like describing Claya fully. Brown eyes. Which you, and like, glances over and kind of looks in your direction. and just cease a little bit of your movement

as you like withdraw in, and you just hear quiet, and that's even more unnerving. He just stops, he stops his speech the minute he notices the movement of the tunnel. What do you do? I really don't want to lead him to my friends. So I'm just... Shit.

I'm going to... Julia, you're right. I'm stuck in the chivalry. I'm gonna go out. What? No, is that a Vidaeer? Yes! Go back!

Go back, go back, go back, go back! Hey, what are you doing? I'm gonna just hide there and be really quiet because I've got my simia, no, wait, my beat, what is it? My wild-born, my movement is naturally silent, so... That's true.

I've got an advantage of roles to move without being heard. So I'm just gonna really quietly do that. Okay. We'll say as you, like the walls are there, two feet, like around you, there's not a lot of room to hide on one way or the other. But the walls do continue up for about eight or nine feet, like the gap does.

Oh, well, I'm going up there. So you like, like, kind of like spider climax or on the side up there and kind of hold yourself quietly. No sound made. You service. There's a cup. Hammer it. And you hear like somebody else waving.

We would hear that, right? You all hear like stone impact on, like hammer impact on stone. We got to get through the chip. Oh, we should time it when they're hammering, so we hammered the machine. That is so smart. That is so smart. You're brilliant. It's like airship, fucking chimney breaking.

Fuck! That is so good. All right, so what are we doing here? Yeah, so I think. I think in a panic I would probably want to go to see Dilley, but I guess I would stop knowing actually, you'd probably be all right. So, don't worry about me,

and I assume you would have, yet that idea is then shared. And with my knuckles, like the metal, I kind of clink the metal on top and wait to hear the rhythm of the hammers are hammering in, and I'm gonna start hammering this chimney to break through for us to kind of get out. So are you breaking up or are you breaking into the household

where the chimney opens? I think it'd be breaking up, like, right? No. I imagine it we're on the backside of the chimney. If you break through, we'll be in the house. Yeah. Yeah. So it's through. It's through.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Because it's unfurnished, right, based on what Badger said? Oh, so it's well furnished. Oh, right. Oh, right. Oh, right. Well furnished.

Oh. That's different. I'll be breaking, I'll be trying to break the space to go up for us to kind of clear up. So you're more or less like like breaking handholds up the chimney to climb? Yeah. Okay. Why not? Okay, great.

Yeah. Sure, let's go. Baj is with you. Baj is with you. So can I look at Badger and I don't know if he's going to understand me at all, but I'm going to be like, Like, find Dillie. Bring her to us. Dillie.

I'm mime, a tail. It just walks away. The badger's gone forever. Yeah, that was it. Thanks for coming. A strength check for me. Strength roll, please. All right, let's do this.

Let's do this, let's do this. That is eight with fear. The first time you roll with FI. I know, literally. We can, don't you have something where you can re-roll? That's right, I can, I can. Oh, it's like, okay, cool, let's do it. Okay, where am I? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I would save it. Save it. Save it. Really? For what? We're about to die. We are about to be caught. Yeah.

Okay, maybe use it. So you're all like between the wall, or you're like squeezing by and like trying to, like, you all eventually kind of push through. and move to let Mercy get to the front, so you're right there, so you're like right behind Mercy. Mercy, I know that we are in a moment of panic, but I've seen you.

I have seen how you believe. I have seen how you trust in others more than me at times. And I trust you. I know you can do this. Is now the best time I think it's sounds louder. I'm like, all my head is like,

do it again. Yeah, I literally like feel the fucking force. Yeah, if you want to assist now is the time to do. Yeah, I want to assist. I'm spent a hope to assist. Let's go. How do you help with this? Do it again.

Anybody else want to, how am I helping with this? I am going to tap on Mercy's leg when I'm hearing it too, just so we can all feel the rhythm. Nice. Can I assist as well, even though I'm far away? How would you want to assist while you're far away? Well, I'm assuming Badger's found his way to me. And I think...

His loud noises! And I would send Badger to flap in the soldier's faces as they're trying to... Oh, like it's just a bat that was in the... Yeah, you can't think it's just a bat, not did he. All right. He was walking in. Badger, can distract him.

You hear. You all watch the rhythm kind of stops for a second. So you can take that, and you're helping as well? Yeah. What I knew at this point? It just stopped. Once I hear the pounding get harder and harder and it gets louder, and then stop, I go, I've always believed in you.

And I've always trusted in you. And I start backing up with the motivation. Your speech. All right, so everyone add, roll your D6s and the highest gets added for help. Right. I got 10. No.

13. I got four. I got four. Okay, so four, you exactly. So 17. Was with your strength bonus on that? Yeah. Yep.

With hope of fear. Oh, that was with hope. Hope. Hope, great. Hope would that help. That help. Oh, yes. As the hammering continues again.

And a moment later, you follow that rhythm. And with that reassurance from, you know, not just Kagamah like getting in and speaking well, but like multiple friends suddenly, new friends, old friends, in moments, the most panicked speech of support. You have wonderful eyes. Please succeed. You clamber up, kind of pull some of the stones free

of the upper area that leads to that tunnel so that it becomes more of like a clasp. climbing position, and from there you kind of like, and so like jamming your fingers into the sides of the stone of the chimney to pull yourself up over and over again. You're more or less creating finger holds. And as you do, the stone kind of like pushes out as you go through. This is damaging the fuck out of this chimney.

This thing is probably gonna, yeah, hopefully have insurance. But with you helming the way, it widens it so it makes it a lot easier That makes it a lot easier for the rest of you to trek through. It's more or less you're like bull in a china shopping your way up this chimney, climbing higher and higher and higher. What are you doing? I am just staying quiet up in the same thing, waiting for shit to go down. You all follow suit, kind of like using the same fingerhold to get up there. Eventually, you finally reach the top, and there is like a little bit of an iron lid to this.

You just kind of like punch and bends back, all fucked up. and you kind of pull yourself out of this chimney covered in soot you get out and there is now like a slanted rooftop that sits right against the massive exterior wall

with a small walkway and you have a view down into the garden and the community right there with the massive like the next tower going upward you are you are on the roof of a series of house-like structures or expanded chambers from the exterior wall pushing into the courtyard. And so you're like up on the roof, step off at the side, and each one of you begin to emerge from this now.

And you're about 25 feet up from, you can look down below and see like a cluster of Templars and soldiers are like moving through the middle of this community. Has anybody seen us? Not at the moment. So you're saying, okay, let me understand this. So we've got like this slanted roof that goes down here and then, but it's like. So from your perspective, right, there's a wall to the back of you, and then you're coming out onto this like slanted roof with a small kind of, it's like a walkway before it leads

into the wall behind you. Like half of the building is inside the wall and the other half is what you're standing on right now. It slants down and ends and drops off into the garden courtyard where all of the houses and hovels are. And across the way you can see, there are the different layers of scaffolding structure with all the other huts built into it against the other half where the courtyard tower next to you goes upward more towards the core of the

entire tower stronghold. Is this all lit up here or is it kind of dark up here? It's kind of dark. You're getting later in the day. So as the light gets lower in the sky, this is a heavily shaded area aside from like oil lanterns that are kind of lighting up the neighborhood down below. So right now you're in a shaded area, but you're not completely obscured unless you want to try. Yeah, we should try to hide. Right. Who would like to helm a stealth check

to try and not be seen? Would that be agility? This would be finesse to hide. I have advantage on stealthing because of my underborn. So that might be. Do you want to helm this? Yeah, helmet.

Yeah. This would be a group check then. Okay. I need you three to roll finesse for me. Finesse reaction rolls. Okay. Can I use my, you have advantage on this, right? Can I use my reborn ability?

So once per rest, I can spend a hope to use an allies' experience as if it were my own, as I, like, see kind of your demeanor change and what you're doing to stick to the shadows. And I go, sure, yeah. And yeah, can I use that in this situation? Well, an experience is different from their community ability. This is my community ability. Right. Oh, I see.

What she's using is. It's also my community ability. I still try, and I don't get it. Although it could be. You know what, though? I am going to hope to use my Shadow Sister ability here so you can get a plus two on that.

Okay, perfect. Right on. Okay, sweet. Does someone have an ability? Because was that your community ability or no? That gave you silent footsteps. Yeah, it's my community. Could I use that?

Could I duplicate that? That is full community ability, so it has been experience. Got it. Cool. Pull the Shadow Sister experience. Gotcha. I see what you're saying.

Okay. But I still spend the hope for that. Yeah, you do. Sweet. Okay, cool. I'm going to use my sailing experience and spend a hope on that. But you get a plus two. Yes.

How does your sailing experience apply to remaining hidden and unseen? Ooh. I mean, gifts have uneven footing. Yeah. I have like, axes, seeing balance, and making sure that, yeah, I don't fall. I love it.

Yeah, so here on the slanted roof as you're having to make room for each other as you emerge from the chimney, it's a tight space before it goes into a decline and a tumble into the middle of this neighborhood. So you, easily enough, having sure-footed on constantly moving ground, that sea, kind of find a position on the roof

that gives everyone optimal space to find the best way to remain unseen. So go ahead and apply that plus two and that's... Oh my God, I got it. All right, so... I crit. You crit! You crit!

Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes. That's two on that? 14. 14. Do I still get a hope from that, crit, or no?

That's your reaction roll. Okay. Sorry. That's funny. That's so funny. You don't get hope even on a reaction, you don't get even if to crit? No, you don't get hope, I don't get fear.

Oh, okay. But there's also no consequences for the reaction rule. Okay. I have a nine plus the two, it's 11. 11, okay. With hope, but I guess it's just, yeah. It doesn't matter. So it's a plus two to your final role.

Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay. Okay, okay. 15. 15, okay. Okay. Okay. You all quietly stay kind of in the shadows here.

Breathe, stay out of sight. You feel the impact a few more times before a few soldiers begin to push into the chamber below. As you're kind of holding yourself out there, they pass under the legs and through. through and begin to move into both sides of the chamber. One side moving over to where the chimney is, looking around, don't see anything. They don't see anything. And they move back through and start heading down the one of them is like, over here, stairs. And they start moving through and you hear more like a whole, probably about nine different armed figures come into this crawl space and head down to the now abandoned safe house.

As they all track in there to search it, there's a brief moment where you could either try and follow your friends up the chimney or try and exit the entrance where you came from. What do you want to do? Follow them up the chimney. Okay. You trek up.

You are very agile, and so you dart up the sides, like parkoring up the chimney, that from the paths that you had left behind with your finger holds, as all of you being quiet suddenly, I'm here. I guess because I'm quite tall. I'll beckon you to come this way.

With the role that you had made in the quiet, you all continue along the side of the wall and the shadows, and you can see there is actually like a balcony overhang into one of the layers of the outer wall and a hallway from there that you could climb over and now be on just a walking path within one of the layers of the wall.

Let's do that. rather than sticking out here. All right, you all step into it off to the side, realizing how you were all covered in soot. Take a moment to try and clean yourself off a little bit before following this hallway, which leads into a double staircase, as you go through an archway into a double staircase that leads into like an open antechamber

for one part of this hall that leads into a library of some kind. You can see there are two figures that are currently sitting and keeping an eye on the entryway before noticing you all walk down the stairs from above. One of them, an older woman with a gray bun situated and kind of like jowls that hang like Troopy Dog. That's what I was like, where are you all coming from? Forgive us. We are a bit lost. We are visitors here and are visitors here and We're given a chamber to sleep for the night, but we can't seem to find it. Do you know who we would speak to? I would not.

Maybe talk to the guard at one of the central towers they can probably see. Thank you so much. Okay, welcome. Thank you. Make a presents roll for me. Ah! Okay.

Um, 18. With? Fear. That name is so full right now. I can't get any more, full. I just can't get any more fear. Okay. Great. Right right now.

It's like, cool, cool. It's awesome. She, you know, watches you all leave. You head back out into the courtyard area and are amongst the people of the town now. There's some bustling. going on over in that little neighborhood. But for the moment being, you are temporary citizens

of the Tower of Oxidus, and it is at your disposal as the afternoon draws later. We should just go back. We should find. Are we going to find Bowen? Yes. That's a good, yeah. We should find Bowen. Are we going to sleep here tonight? I mean.

Yes. And then get up and go. Yes. Okay. Yeah. All right. You begin to look around for Bowen amongst the crowd here. Anything else you want to do while you're out about? I mean, I don't, I guess, yeah, I feel like we would just try and find Bowen

and try and then regroup and talk about what we want to do, right? Yeah. I do want to find a patch of nature to sit down for a moment. Okay. You know, it's calm. Perhaps we can like, yeah, that sounds good. We can like split up in a way. That's always a good idea.

Yeah. Then, then it's kind of being hunted, but that's fine. Then we get an alibi, so it's okay. Yeah. I was just sitting on grass. I don't know what you were climbing down. Badger returns to you and it's like, Right, that was fun! One eye is like swollen.

Mark another stress on a badger. He's still got an arrow in him. Arrow in him. Yep. Oh my gosh, Timia. Oh, goodness. It's fine. Yeah.

So I think if we go and look, what are you going to say? I was going to see where you were going to go. Yeah, I think I want to find Bowen. I think that's a good idea. So I would probably want to go towards like the barracks of where maybe the Templar Guards Sure, sure. ...to look for Bowen. Okay.

But I would have wiped as much as I can off my face. Understood. No worries. All right, the rest of you? I will accompany you. Great. I would like to go with you to the gardens. Okay. Maybe another, is there another garden that's not quite so hot? Either way.

There are. I mean, there are patches of courtyard through and, but a lot of them are built over or currently lived in. but you can find areas that are still kind of suitable for a bit of meditation. I'm going to use my smell-like ability to experience to help find, I'm gonna sniff a milk because she knows exactly what you smells like.

Sniff the while I was sleeping. Since you two are going, I wanna be prepared for tomorrow and try to see if there is another way to escape out of this tower, is not these elevators. Nice, nice, nice, nice. Cool.

Okay. Okay. So you want to try the room mill again to find some more information? Yes. Okay, sure. All righty. I have a similar mind. Great, great.

Okay, so we'll start, hmm. We'll start with you and finding Bowen. So if you are, two of you are going to find him, go ahead and roll, let's say, in an instinct for me, for me using your, spend a hope to use your experience, if you'd like. It's a 14 with hope. Great, take that home.

Oh, I just don't. Yeah. You, it takes you a good solid hour, hour and a half of asking the round. You go to a few different guards, and they mostly kind of like, seem surprised by your presence, a bit put off by it, and I don't,

I don't know who you're talking about and kind of send you on your way. With each question, the answers are cold, just careful. And until eventually one person goes, yeah, Bowen, if I recall, he's been moved to library duty. Yeah, I think it's probably your best bet. And with that, you kind of picked up the scent, not even if you not exactly to the library and exit that you were heading, but on the opposite end to the other entrance to the library,

you can see there are two Templar guards that are set and stationed. And Bowen is currently there, helmet off, of course, just kind of keeping guard. Walk up. Oh, hey. Hello. Is the other guard there? He's across the way, about 15 feet, 20 feet away.

Okay, so you can't hear. Not if you're quiet. Bowen, I saw something in you, something I recognize, a sense of doubt. I want to ask you something. Would you want to ask me? Would you join us? What? You are a friend, though.

There is a feeling of fear haunts this. space. I think you see it too. And I fear if we leave you here, only pain will chase you. It's not safe that talk while I'm on duty. I'll ask at the chambers where you're staying tonight. Maybe I'll come by and visit. We can talk in private. Yes. Yes. We'll see you then, friend. Okay. He sees brow furrow as... nude sweat hits it, and he kind of fidgets around making sure that nobody was watching that exchange intently. Mercy. Yes? He smells real bad. I know. Fear. I see it. And grief too.

But we must feel grief in order to enjoy. Hope come to our friend. In the interim, you said you wanted to go delve more into the rumor mill for information? Yeah, about, it's like, what if there's a fire? I don't know. Sure. Go ahead and make a presence roll. I'll say in this instance, since you've spent some time here, and you've been intent on the specific questioning, and you've been around a bit, if you can weave your faith like you did on the way in here

into the conversation, I'll give you advantage on the role. Okay. So what I'll say here is as you're... The magic word is... You know what? I'll ask you, who do you find amongst the populace

that draws your eye as somebody that one would have the information you're seeking likely and a person most likely to invite you in the trusting energy? I think I'm looking for a new guard. Someone who has been trained recently who would know who has probably recently been told what to do if, because there's a pyre here, right?

There was at the very, very top of the tower. If the pyre ever were to go out, what people would do to evacuate if there was a fire, if there was someone who has been, you know, because I would think a lot of these older guards have been around, they don't even worry about it anymore, but I'm sure that they train people to do it. So I'd look for someone who looks, yeah,

a little bit newer, and that has to spend time around the perimeter So I think that's where, because I would want to start the conversation by looking out into the wastes below. Okay. So I'd say as you're kind of walking around and more or less patrolling, like a skulking individual with a skull on their head would, you know. Why does I think about this? Some eyes are drawn, but over time, like a lot of things, things, people get used to the presence, and you aren't immediately doing anything that draws any

intrigue or concern. But people are, you definitely are a striking visage as you travel. You find yourself mosing back towards that initial gate once more. There's a macabre draw to what you witness there, but also the site of the city in itself. You know, you fidget with something. in your pocket as you glance over there almost subconsciously. Memories of dreams kind of creeping in as you do so, not even noticing until you pull your hand out of your pocket. You glance up and see among the sides there. There are two well-armored guards that look pretty well-established, and then one of them is relieved by what looks to be a young human woman. maybe not too older than Bowen was.

No Templar armor, no exemplar armor, a baseline, just interior guard, basic paldrons, what looks to be just a cap helmet with leather straps. She looks like she's trying to make a good impression and is putting more effort into this watch than some of the other more seasoned people would be. As she takes it, you kind of wait to watch her,

physicality and you can't help but catch her occasionally glancing out through the gate to the south. Like a lot of people do. There is a mystery, a mystique, and a mystery about it. But she seems like she's young, impressionable, eager to make a stance here. I'll notice her doing this and walk. A bit next to her as I stare out at it.

She at the city. Glances at the skulls it approaches. I'll pay her no mind to her glances over at me. It is no sin to look out into what could be a blessing from those gods before. Curiosity, the willingness to accept that a gift may be bestowed upon the people of the Salo lands. It is not a sin. Not directly, no. I'm sure that. But certainly a lot of questions asked. Pretty as it might be. I do not wish to talk too much of it. Make a presence roll for me, please. Oh, is that it? That's all I say.

I mean like that, this is the opening, and then based on what you roll, you'll have more options to act. Oh, okay, great. That is a, my presence is, okay, plus zero. So 17 with hope. 17 with hope. Dang. So you get to ask two questions. Oh, okay. One of which, in this instance I'll say, should be semi-relevant to your background. Right. When you look out at it, do you ever hear anything?

Not to me, no. But it is, but it is, doing something to these lands, strange things. You know the Farrow Call, right? And she says this, and you know the Farrell Call. They are a brutal, savage, beast folk community, a faction, warring society to the southeast. What would be right on the cusp of where the city is now, and they are known to take things, people

that I've never seen again. She goes, were you here when the missionaries came? No. I didn't see them either. But my friends, Simone, he told me that the Pharaoh calls sent missionaries. They were dressed in robes. They invited

us to go with them to their gardens. It has to be a trick, right? Sometimes it's hard to tell what is deceit and what is a miracle that is of to to you to decide. I suppose. Do you believe? that your faith holds strong,

that you would be willing, that you would be chosen to live in such a place. It just feels like everything is changing and like we're on the cusp of something big, and I don't know what it is and it scares me. You're not alone. Well, tap around the shoulder. But to be courageous is to stand in the first

face of fear. Your faith should know that. I'll remove the skull from my head to reveal a warped and gnarly face. My two elf ears, one, has a bite mark ripped out of it. You notice my nose is cut off that you can see through the nostrils as like my broken teeth and my skin is warped from burn. But throughout the entire thing, there is scripture, black tattoo ink, just trailing all over. I have no hair, so it's even going around my head. I too have questioned faith. Do not worry. For those who are blind, do not question their faith. But when you get to, the answer at the end, and you still hold on to that hope. That is true faith.

She looks at you at first. It's not the reaction of fear or grotesqueness that you had anticipated. It's more of a shock and an empathic sorrow. And she nods and says, I cannot imagine what you've been through, but you are here. What you are here, brother, and that is a miracle. We take all the small miracles we can get, yes?

Yeah. She looks over her shoulder again at the city. Back at you. What's your name? My name's Alphonse. Alphonse, Brut. You? Oventa. Oventa.

Oventa, Dalil. Oventa, I gotta be honest with you. Ever since I got here, it has piqued my curiosity. but there's just no way you only use those elevators to get up and down. No, that's the quicker route. There are tunnels that go through the mountain that run through the soldiers' barracks.

Sorry, it just, I had to know. No, I get it. Well, I wonder too when I was a kid. It's okay. Yeah. Thankfully, because it goes through the barracks, we are protected from entry. All of these soldiers stay down there, I wouldn't worry about any sort of incursions.

And if we found out, I mean, if anything could break through there, well, I guess at that point all we have is our faith, yeah. You're a good person. So are the Templars. After spending so much time out in the desert, it's nice to see some people relaxed for once. Remember what I said. I'm sure more is going to change soon.

And I'll put the skull back on my head Continue with your watch. Until next time. And I'll walk away. Joreida watch you, brother. As you walk away, she's kind of like, oddly flesh in the face. I go, yes, yes, yes, yes. We got it, we got it, we got it. That's a definite vibe.

That's so funny. All right, great. So we could sneak into the Soldier Barracks if you... If he's just like... You can run in. Yeah, let me just do that. Yeah. Yeah.

Get a little. Works every time. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. The two of you find on the opposite end of this kind of outer courtyard where you've been spending most of your time within the walls, since the central towers themselves, the ones that rise up to the peak seem to be fairly closed off outside of people of station or under soldiers. protection. But you do find another segment of the opposing courtyard where there is a garden being maintained by some of the locals. There's a couple of kids kind of laughing and running through a sound you don't get very often here in the Halsian domain. A young girl chasing

possibly a brother or a friend she has a crush on. There's a similar age, but it catches you because it's been a long time. From a moment, as much as there can be judgment for some of the things you've seen here, there's a conflict with the emotions of what is maintained. Is it fair that it's not shared? Is it right that it's protected? Who gets to make those calls? Only you independently. As that laughter fades, both of you You stand here in this beautiful little segment of garden with some violets in bloom, amongst elements of strawberry bushes that have been planted.

Most everything here has purpose, so the violets stand out to you, because whoever put them there, put them there just to be beautiful. I miss this. As do I. We go and touch one of the violets. They called us faithless, but he was faithless,

But even the old gods knew there is sanctity in nature. That sure is. I've been wondering, you've mentioned mercy to be a miracle. Yes he is. How did he become a miracle? And go sit under a tree, join. Put my staff down.

and to down relaxing into it. My sisters and I, the place of peace. We were a community that others would seek out when needing aid, healing, or comfort while passing on. The umbra. Our magic began to dwindle. He came to us to tragedy in his eyes.

He does not know. the tragedy that befell. But it's one that you and I are familiar with. He sought mercy in passing to forget his loss. There is beauty in death and beauty in renewal. My sisters sought to help him. When we began, the ritual, the divine nature changed. We poured more magic, hoping that it would take hold.

And in doing so, he was born again. He did forget. His voice was heard. But he did not join his loved one's ass was hooked. I don't know how much I have left. I have experienced both so much joy and so much. much terror. But I do not want to die enjoying the umbra. Before, before Oshah passed and joined it. She, she told me of this relic, buried somewhere in the Luzal Monastery, and I spent the

last 20-some years of my life searching for it. It did. You carry it with you now. Do not pull it out. Eyes watch us, even if we do not see. But I would look on it tonight. Please. I just, I need to know if it will work,

if it will work for listening. I want the same as you. I want the cycle to be restored. My sisters are still. I'm going to close my eyes and read out and try to connect with them as I say that and see if I can get any glimmer of consciousness from them. I have to make a roll for it, though. Yeah.

It's above a 12. Hope it's fear? It's fear. Uh-oh. Oh, no, no, that was an instinct. Oh, it is an instinct rule. Fuck me, running. Yeah, that's all good. Why don't gain an extra fear? No. No. It's you, too.

But you reach out and what you can, the reach of the mycelial consciousness is as ancient and far stretching as most other forms of nature or magic in this domain, even in the absence of the gods. So from here, you find the solace of a fast of that connection. But it is a way. wheeze in a whisper, like the embrace of a piece of silk

being blown past in a wind. Their voice in my ears for centuries. Become silent. We must find a way to renew the cycle. Sister, will you not, might be able to listen to them the way that you used to. still carry them with you. As you carry Osha.

Sit with me while I try to speak to nature's spirit. Yes. I might want to drink my stamina potion because I've ever been at a little stress today. Oh. So I'm gonna go ahead and do that. Oh, you get a plus one to whatever you roll. Oh yay.

Oh yay. So I get to clear all my stress. It's gonna get stressful later, so. That's right, the herbal remedies, right? I am going to use my witch class feature right now, and I'm going to try to commune with the deity that is nature. Alrighty. While sitting on this patch of earth.

Okay, what does it say on the future? I am going to once per long rest during a moment of calm. I can ask a question and then roll D6 is equal to my spellcast trait. And I choose my result based on what I roll. We get a hope from this moment? This isn't a short rest. A little bit. Or a moment of calm.

Once per long rest during a moment of calm. Correct. And I would like to put my hands down onto the ground and just in case sometimes when we can You look a little funny. So I'm just gonna lower my head so that it looks like I'm maybe taking a rest under this tree. And I'm going to envision the water that was here

long ago. And I'm going to ask if there are other pathways through this pillar from here to the ground ways that we could get out without knowing that that's why we are. had already asked, but maybe there's more. I thought that's a great idea, actually. I should have just done that.

You connect to the surrounding elements, to the rock, the stone, the very floor beneath you is all shaped from the most natural of elements. Go ahead and make your roll. If I roll a one to three, I get a taste, a flavor, a smell or a scent to feel the sensation. Roll a hope with this.

Aid you on this? Because I'm so inspired? I know I need it. With this one, unfortunately, this is an independent community. But good looking out. If I roll four to five, I hear sounds or see a vision relevant. And if I roll above a six, I physically experience the answer. That's a ten!

You sense and connect through the pillar itself. You feel like your eyes are being held shut in darkness, and then you force them open and where there is light. There is light piercing everything. Like the mountain itself, you can sense and hear the waters that once washed on its shores. The island, even before this prison citadel was built here and repurposed all those years later,

you envision the beautiful blue skies that span out across this space. You envision the sense of warm breeze, the critters and creatures that called this place life. and you watch rapidly as the water fades and the land crumbles and the shore grows thinner and thinner and thinner. You feel the cracks through the ground

and you know that with a great seismic calamity, this tower itself would tumble and everyone in it. But for now, for as long as it stands, it's safe. But through these cracks you feel where once was a natural water formation, where the lake's waters would pierce through the stones and run into subterranean rivers

and eventually wash and merge with the beautiful subterranean watershed of this landscape. It's now dry and hollow, like empty cavern veins that wind untouched and untapped. They sit within this pillar. You sense that there is a basement that almost breached one of these chambers, but it remains undiscovered. And where it sits is beneath the great crypts of the tower. Wherever they may be, you see there is a statue, a statue of Aratu, the God of of her feminine form hands above both eyes, as the mouth curls into a frown.

And it is the marble stones before it that hold about two feet of rock before the cavern crumbles into this expanse. That is Apath. We take the elevator. We take the elevator. Whoa. Fully mesmerized by this moment of meditation. Just, yeah, Kagwamo is just inspired by this entity connected to the nature.

Gives them a bit of hope, a little bit of like, it is still possible. Gratitude for still believing in people. Actually, if you want to sit for just a second, not to punish you. Pulling from these moments here, finishing your communion, reaching out to gather a friend to meet this evening, and learning more of what transpires in these realms abound.

Eventually the day becomes night. You ask clerks of the towers, where you're chambers are for the evening and are guided on the fourth level of one of the central East towers. Beyond this large kind of antechamber, almost it's a nice room. At one point might have belonged to like a lower cardinal or like an ordnant missive. And it has a hosting area, which in the center has a statue of Aratu. Not dissimilar from the one that you have, but but the arms are open as opposed to covering the eyes. A set of stairs descend into a hallway in which there are two rooms

which are fitted with three beds each in a window that overlooks the open expanse of the eastern sky above the Salolands. As the doors slam shut to leave you to unpack and figure your plans, we're gonna go to break. Thank you. No worries. I was ready.

Oh, man. That's a wrap for part one of this podcast episode of Age of Umbra Sallowlands. Part two will land here the Tuesday after this episode at 5 a.m. Pacific, and we'll pick up this story right where we left off. Until then, keep your hope close and your fear closer. And see you next time for part two.