Critical Role - Knives and Thorns | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 6 Part 1

Episode Date: November 20, 2025

Part 1 Tyranny struggles with her crueler instincts as the Soldiers discover a safe haven for fairies that may hold clues about Cyd's whereabouts... New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays.Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/   GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACONWe'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 CASTGAME MASTER Brennan Lee MulliganLaura Bailey as ThimbleLuis Carazo as Azune NayarRobbie Daymond as Kattigan ValeAabria Iyengar as Thaisha LloyTaliesin Jaffe as Bolaire LathaliaAshley Johnson as VaelusMatthew Mercer as Sir Julien DavinosWhitney Moore as TyrannyLiam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" FangMarisha Ray as Murray Mag’NessonSam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" HalovarAlexander Ward as Occtis TachonisTravis Willingham as Teor Pridesire CREDITSProduced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle ShireSet Designed by Shaun EllisProduction Designer: Noxweiler BerfCharacter Art by Loren HontanillaEdited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" StevensonCritical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny CelestiOpening Title Editor: Paul FoyderOpening Title Colorist: Peter KoocheradisWindow Effects by Christian BrownGraphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn TorrenceCountdown Graphic by Daniel Jiménez VillalbaMiniatures Painted by Payton Keo LacebalOpening Title Theme by Neal AcreeCampaign 4 Key art by Hannah FriederichsAdditional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula FloresAssistant Editor: Gianna GencarellaPost Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn HubbardClosed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice TsoiPost Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online Critical Role shops, pre-sales for live events, and so much more. Start your seven-day free trial today at Beacon.tv. Now, without further ado, let's begin this episode of Critical Role. Ashley, what was it like outside when Vailas was at her happiest? Oh, um, there was a lot of light, a lot of sun. Phelis was always outside.

Summing, dancing, not a care in the world. Freer and lighter than we've seen her. The hope of youth, and she hasn't felt. It's the loss, and she just feels lighter and freer. Something is light as a ribbon made of pure silk, white and red and gold and blue, twining and twining and twining in a dance. A massive carved, moss-covered pole as your sister. Maywin looks at you and goes, one, two, three, one, two, three.

Under and over and under and over, braiding and braiding and braiding. So you dance in this glade moss under your bare feet, and suddenly a small globe of light as your brother, Arthus, bam, just clothesline into your sister tumbling over her as he catches something thrown from the woodline. And she goes, you, Claude, you oath. We had the dance is tomorrow. The spring ritual is tomorrow. He catches and says, I want, I want.

Your brother, you see he has golden and green skin that merges up almost into what would look like, this sort of bright red hair. Your sister is sort of lavender and then bright spring yellow, but you see her face flushes with red as she looks at him and says, Keep your game to the woods where it belongs. You see a number of elven youths from the wood line go, sorry, sorry. Come on.

You see, they say, you want to come play with us? Yes, I do. But I can't. Your brother looks down and says, You could, you know. You know the dance well enough. Maywin. Don't.

Please. Just for a little bit. I know. All of the moves, I know everything I'm supposed to do, please. She looks at you. Three, two, one, grabs the ball from your brother and says, Go, go along! Book it, take off, bare feet,

just so used to running outside, stepping on rocks, just light as air. You see that where you run, you and your sister, leaving from this ceremony of Salandri, your mother, the goddess of life, You wonder if your goddess would be cross at you for abandoning this ritual. But looking behind you in your footsteps,

flowers bloom wherever your feet walk. You, at the end of play, sweat across your brow. You see these young elven youths. Their hair and skin, red and gold and violet and green and purple and every color floral like a forest or a garden in bloom. And you look out and see your mother

smiling at you. As you collapse, she brings a silver platter of fruit off in the distance. You hear the voice of your father. She looks at you, your brother. I'm so tired. And you see that she puts this food in front of you. Oh, this looks delicious.

Ever ready, you need your energy for tomorrow, so eat up. I just pile in, just a mess, just taking in the food. Juice running down your chin, she looks at you and says, touches her temples and you see her eyes go white for a moment. She smiles. You're very young, but I should probably teach you how to remember. What will I need to remember for her?

She says, I myself am 600 years of age. And when a moment is perfect, I just like to remember it. And you see, looking at her three children, she smiles, her eyes go white again, as she remembers this moment with no sleep, it's so important to remember and what I would like. Phelis, how many times in your nightly trances if you tried to remember that moment?

Every single night. In your trance, you know the threat. the threat over centuries, you can lose moments like that. Too many years. An arrow flying from a bow must be kept straight if its flight is to last for centuries. You can't forget who you are. And as you look across this small humble room and this small humble room and this in the Duvalmar Pass, you see a shape across from you staring into the dark. Octus, everyone else has gone to bed.

Yeah. I am. I'm not really tired, though. I haven't been. In a while. You can bring yourself back from death. It's extraordinary. But you cannot make yourself fall asleep. Amen.

Do I see that Vailas is awake? You do. Sorry if I'm keeping you up. No, I... I don't know, I, it's nice to have company. Um, I just... You stop sleeping. I, I, I guess I, um, it's, I just haven't been tired.

Or I'm always tired. I don't know which one. I've always thought, sleep. was a waste of time anyway. Yeah, I can, I mean, I can see how that would. Do you not sleep? Not really. I sort of go elsewhere.

Yeah. A dream, I think, about time past, try to remember. Okay, that's, um. Hopeful, I guess. Are you okay? I don't know. Nearby, Julian, Tysha, and Aranesa slumber.

You cannot. You don't know if you're okay. But at least there's somebody else here that cannot rest. And we'll return to other adventures in the land of Aramon on tonight's episode of Critical Role. Hello, and thank you for joining us for tonight's Critical Role announcement, Playhouse.

Woohoo! Hey guys, Christmas has begun. The fourth annual, Christmas can't. Crittmas sale is here through December 14th in all Critical Roll shops. Thanks, Sam. Thanks for that. Well, it's really running dry, isn't it?

Woo! Don't miss out on our biggest sale of the year! Discounting all sorts of goodies up to 60% up, that's a really good discount. It's pretty dang good. And I love a good discount. Learn more at critroll.com slash critmus 2025.

And while you're at the store, You should check out this new Dagger Heart Folio. Oh, pull it out, pull it out. You can store, by popular demand. Yes, yes, yes, yes. You can store all of your Dagger Heart cards and sheets and our new Dagger Heart folio! Look at this!

It's got Domain Circle Cover Art by Snow Conrad. Thank you very much. The design by Aaron Monroe. Thank you. It includes six pages of full sleeves plus 20 pages of card sleeves. You can store up to 360 cards. That's more than comes with a dagger heart character. That's more than comes with the stuff. But, you know, who knows what you'll be able to also. Credit cards or something. Yeah, credit cards. Your driver's license. Library card. Yep. The naked ladies you get in Vegas. Oh, yeah. Also, it comes with a dagger heart character sheet printed on dry, wet erase. That's tight.

That is tight. Erase, it's the key. That's the secret hack. Anyway, I hope you like it. Thank you, Laura. And in case, you weren't already aware, the first three episodes of the Mighty Nine premiere on November 19th on Prime Video.

That's right. That's true. So freaking excited for you all to check this out. We're celebrating with a live launch party on Beacon, Twitch, and YouTube at 7 p.m. Pacific, and you're invited. So please, jump on the Discord to chat with us all next week. You can also look forward to special fan screenings

at several Alamo Draft House locations around the U.S. There will be giveaways, special themed menus, and more. So please, go to draughthouse.com for all the details. Tell us it. Oh, oh. We are thrilled to announce our newest project with Penguin Random House, The Mighty Nine Stories Untold, an anthology that includes nine stories

that spotlight nine characters whose lives were changed by the Mighty Nine, but whose stories have not yet been told. This special collection features a foreword written by me and stories by nine contributors, thank you. Including Rin Chepeko,

Mike Chen, and more. Cover designs by Adrian Barra Lugo, and it's releasing in hardcover e-book and audiobook on June 23rd. And you can pre-order your copy and get more information at critical rollbooks.com. Yay.

Look at that. Oh yeah. Thank you. Allison. And dispatch, if you haven't heard yet, is a superhero workplace comedy starring Aaron Paul, Jeffrey Wright, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, and yours truly, as well as many other fantastic performers. The whole game is now out now.

Every episode, every choice, ready to play from start to finish. So those of you who are waiting to experience it all at once, Now is the time. So go! Check out Dispatch from our friends at Ad Hoc Studio, available now on PlayStation and Steam. And it's really good. It's really, really good, guys. It's really, really proud of it. It's episodic narrative games are back. But anyway, that concludes our announcements for this, so we're done with the Playhouse. Oh, back to you.

I'm going to be the I'm going to be. And so I'm going to I'm I'm going to I'm the same

I'm I'm going to be able to be. Welcome back to critical role, and four here at the soldiers table. Our soldiers happened to spend last episode finding not a fight but friendship with several wonderful inhabitants of the Kavrosi Mountains north of Dolmachiar, where you headed out. We met the scoundrel Abilang Howl, a orkish-dwarfish smuggler who was hanging up in a gibbet

outside the Black Heron Tavern, not too far outside of town, with his, you know, of high spirits, but more to the point of higher altitude hanging in that cage. He had to get the hell out of there, and you guys were happy to help him, both to get someone who might talk out of your hair and also to get some information about the fact that Casimir Gavondale, the man responsible for the death of Fiazzi Fang, is making his way north with Taconas guards. It seems that Kazimir's betrayal may in fact have bought him a life of unimaginable luxury. No good deed goes unpunished,

and no betrayal goes unrewarded. Making your way instead where you thought more likely that Sid would have traveled, knowing your brother, you took a risk heading into the DeHopshiny would, given that you couldn't exactly know for sure where his tracks were. and you went to the one place that due to Cadigan's skills in the forest, you could move faster than anybody pursuing you,

which you might think you're the caboose in this train of Casimir chasing Sid and you guys chasing Casimir, but we all know who's abandoned the sundered houses recently, and we all know that doing so probably does not come without some consequences. However, on a Nat 20, our friend Thimble was able to discuss a nixie hidden in a spring. Brook Meadow, who asked if you were in grave danger

and then said, hey, are you headed for Hawthorne's Glade? Brook Meadow being very cautious about your friends, but maybe not so cautious about, you know, doing her job of protecting. It's a hard gig. You're protecting Hawthorne's Glade, but you're also trying to find fairies that need Hawthorne's Glade. That's a hard call to make.

I'm not going to get that right 100% of the time. So, you guys headed deeper into DeHopshiny and made the call to not risk being caught flat-footed in the forest at night. And as Cadigan heard in his watch the strange moans of the creatures off in the forest, you probably made the right call. You also met Albid Morn. A buddy. A no-mish astronomer who was happy to open his gig. He was a friend of Abelang Howes, who directed you off in that way, who not only kept his telescope pointed skyward,

working on behalf of the old path, or the use of the old path, to kind of keep tabs on the storm rack, that eternal storm. We say eternal. It's been 70 years. Maybe after 100 it'll go away. Does that feel like it'll happen? Albed Mourne doesn't think so. Albin Mourne thinks it's getting worse.

But he also is happy to... to make a little easier for himself by swinging that telescope around to keep an eye on who's making their way up and down the king's way from Timeney, where he acknowledged that, yes, he had seen some crowkeeper wagons moving under the banner of House Taconas up north,

and also happened to spy a royal caravan of the King of Timney with three red hounds on a white field headed south along the road towards either the Dvommer Mar Pass or Dolmachiar. After that little bit of information gathering, he was happy to

treat you to some porridge and keep you safe for the night with his spider climbing goat ready to sound the alarm at any moment and connected was happy to work that evening collecting some of his daughter's toys, his daughter's sort of

tin soldiers and was busy working on a sword. for Thimble and connected with Teor during his watch about the fact that the banner outside of his home, much thread-worn over 12 years of standing watch over the forest says in Nomish, welcome home, and he's tended to it for a long, long time.

Morning has arrived, and you guys have a little bit more hope than you had heading out from Dolmockyard that at least you're on the right trail. You know that Sid is, at least made it part of the way through the forest, headed north, and you know that it's also good that he's not going to get caught in the immediate future by Casimir,

but you also know that they're headed to the same location and that Casimir's got the road at his last. advantage getting through there. You don't know how fast Sid can move on his own through the forest. Perhaps he's taking it thoughtfully and carefully, but he certainly didn't find Elbid, and you don't know what you would have done if you hadn't. Danger still looms over this forest. But it's morning, and some bowls of the still from the night before this little cauldron of porridge is heated up. This time you see the same sort of porridge is reheated,

but with some different dried fruits and nuts sort of added into it to freshen the taste profile from what you had the night before. And Alibud says, morning, morning, one and all. Nicholas, for you. That's right, yes. Or, sorry, Wickander. Wick, yes, is what I prefer to go by.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. Thank you for this. It's the same, it's the same again, is it then? Yes, normally one cauldron of this will do me for the week. Cooking for one, it's what you do when you're sort of a hermit, which is never nice to say out loud, but it is what I am. Good morning. Good morning. Albert.

I noticed you sitting on the chest of your friend. Are you... It seems very disconcerting. It's just something I like to do. I don't really want to get into it. It's just like a demon thing. Good morning. I didn't introduce myself.

My name's Tyranny, by the way. Thank you for having us. And I want to hear more about your wife. I want to know actually what her favorite stuff was. Her favorite stuff is in objects? Well, no, I don't know. Anything that just, like, reminds you of her. Anything that she liked.

What was she, you know, what was she into? Go ahead and give me a persuasion check. Oh, lie down from above. And I would like you to do. It's a little early in the morning to bring up trauma, I guess. You don't just ask somebody about their dead, why? I would like you, I'd like you to roll this with disadvantage, if that's okay. Because it's too early for that shit.

It is too early. Sorry. Very good. 12 with, uh, with 12 plus 7 is my. 19. You see he looks and says her favorite belongings. Well, the house is filled with them, but only because I've just been using it. And you see that he holds up a sort of polished ivory with a little bit of lapis lazuli in it.

it looks like a nice kitchen knife handle. The knife is small, serrated, good for carving through these dried fruits to get them into bite-sized chunks. You see, this guy's got a lot of, as a father has a lot of experience, carving things into small bite-sized chunks. And he says, Gisavi was born into a family of some

heritage from the old city of the stars this knife was one of the few belongings that made it before the fall of the goddess of magic herself

but this was one of her favorite belongings one of a few treasured things that made it and you see that he puts it down and says it's very funny little objects and things that travel with you a long way. I've talked with some spirits and mystics in my life who, I think, waved away the material,

that all of these things of the material world are somehow not as important as that in us, which is eternal. But I love this little knife. I think it's wonderful. I've always felt a very strong connection to do. It looks quite wonderful. I don't know that we need to bring up his lady life.

It's beautiful. I know, I just love to hear about it. I'm sorry, I made you sad. Thank you for sharing. I just, I love to hear about it. Thank you. Of course, of course. Absolutely.

Well. Are you sad now? Did I make you sad by asking that? Yes. I'm sorry. That's all right. I'm going to go outside. Thank you for the porridge.

Yes. I'm going to go do an outside chore. You see, he walks away. Give me a perception check with advantage of you. Oh, no. Seas. Perception? With advantage.

10. 10. On that perception check, on a 10 perception check, I think that you gaze down at that knife and just see that the handle of that knife looks gorgeous. That knife looks, it's just a stunning little artifact. What is it, what are you looking at? I was just looking at the knife.

It's just, it's got this, like, aura to it. You know what I mean? Like, you can tell it's been imbued with, like, it's just got, like, so much power in it. It's just a little like it. No, it was not just, he was of his wife's fever possessions. Sure, sure. It's important.

We have a bigger thing we should take. I'm going to fly in front of her face. What are you doing? I don't know. I just, do you see this knife? It's... Yeah. I'm like trans-fixed by it.

I don't... What? Why did you ask him about his wife? First thing in the morning. Is it something you do? I haven't met a lot of demons. Is it something you do? I don't know.

Do you make people sad? I don't know. I am just interested. I was interested in hearing about his wife. And now I'm just looking at the knife. And I... Don't take the fucking knife. It's all he has.

You see that... As Albed walks back into the room, he turns around and says, well, the sun is coming up, and I believe that there are some things in order. Thimbril, if I could borrow you upstairs for a moment. A fast outdoor tour. As I fly away. He was outside and threw up. Came back in.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure. That's what he said. A grieving pew. I did that this morning, too. Thank you very much. He takes you up to the little observatory area where he has a workbench, and you can see that he's been working

for a long portion of the night and presents one of the tin soldiers' toy swords to you. You see, most of what he's been doing is actually making a small leather scabbard for it. and sharpening it. Obviously, it was a toy, but as he's sharpened it, you notice that there are, his workbench is very strange. There are, there's a tiny little ceramic white standing cup,

almost like an egg cup that has tiny little diamonds, the kinds that you would like, they're almost like grains of sand, they're so small. A couple different ink pots with several different shades of like five different shades of like five different shades of purple and then five of indigo and five of violet all the way around. I'm just going to walk through the pots and just pick up all the little things.

He says, yes, yes. These are some of my accoutreement, the bric-a-brac of enchanter. But if you would be so kind, and you see that he presents the sword to you and on these little fingers. And it's in its scabbard. For your size, this is,

effectively like a great sword. It's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like a bee. This would look, you'd look like a barbarian with this thing on your back, but it has the, the statistics of a scimitar, right? Okay, okay. So you see that, but he, he hands it to you, and it is a, as you take it, the blade is sharp and you can tell that it's a strong, he's done something. to reinforce the metal of it,

but it still looks like toy metal in that it is way more reflective than steel. It's almost like it looks like it's made out of tinsel. It's like very bright and glittery. Oh, it's so blind somebody. Yes, both with the reflection and with the stabbing, yes, absolutely. You see, he says, I have,

it is an enchanted weapon. How did you enchant it? Well, I enchanted it actually quite long ago for my daughter, Sarah Bell. It's one of her warriors' swords. It's not a powerful blade by any means. I told her when she was young if she ever had haunts or dreams or nightmares or anything.

like that, that this sword, she could keep it under her pillow, and it would ward them away, and that she could also knight any of her little toys with it, and they would rise to the challenge. And you see, he says, and I say much to my surprise in that many of my enchantments don't tend to stick around very long, but this one stuck. I don't know why, maybe, because she believed in it so much. So in point of fact, you see he takes the sword out and says, oh, here we are, and you see he takes a small little deer that is sort of like a little plank of wood that's painted,

and instead of its legs, it just has two wheel. It has four wheels, like two on the axles that can sort of move around. And you see he says, I dub thee, sir, Staggathy, serve well. And you see that the toy scoots around on its wheels, and he says, Staggathy, go downstairs and make sure everyone's enjoying their porridge. And you see this, all of you watch a toy stagg plunk on wheels down the staircase at his command. Oh, dear.

And he sheathed it back. And he sheathed it back. In demonstrating this, I have ruined its ability to do that again today. But. So I can just bring stuff to life? No. Exclusively toys.

and it doesn't work. It doesn't work on anything, I'd say, much bigger than you, frankly. Still really, really cool. Of course. As I've said, I am not a great, I am not a loy, I am not one of the great smiths of this world, but this spell happened to stick, and for that we can be very grateful.

Thank you, Huffin. While they're upstairs, I'd like to pocket the knife. Hell yeah, give me a... What is happening? Give me... Do you feed yourself with people's stuff? What is this? Demon.

Give me a hand with advantage. Do I or any of us see this? I'm going to be using your passive perceptions. Dirty 20. Jesus. That beats all of your passive perceptions. Okay. What we see here,

Uh, ta-ta-ta-ta, um, you, uh, God, the handle of that knife feels so warm. There's something so special in this knife. You can tell. Um, uh, and, uh, as you pocketed away, it vanishes. Uh, as Alde comes down with Thimble, he says, um, I do have some, uh, for the travels you have ahead. some other help here. I need to stay somewhat armed myself because I do live here alone,

but if you'd like, I have some perishables that maybe won't last another few months. They're sort of at the verge of expiration, so it might be worth passing them on to you, seeing as you're headed into the thick of it, danger. Into the thick of it. Perishables like food. Oh, I'm happy to part with some rations for you as well,

but I meant more in object of defense. That would be very, very kind. You see, he gets a small, he opens up a beautiful wooden chest that has a series of painted eggs in it that are these beautiful, some geometrical, some floral, some around. You see that they have small holes in the top and bottom where the yoke can be blown out to create a hollow egg. And you see that as he hands him to you, he says,

these are chanter's eggs. These three are about to go bad, and you are welcome to have them. This is a blue chanter's egg. What does a chanter's egg do? Well, it's an egg where the egg part has been replaced with a song. Oh. That's so the blue one, if you and your friends would ever like, to remain unseen, simply smashed on the ground.

As you take this hollow egg, it rests in your hand, maybe about twice as heavy as a normal egg, even with nothing inside it. That's so cool. And it's beautiful geometric lines around this egg, like triangles and diamonds and rhombuses painted around it, all in different shades of blue. Yes, thank you so much.

I'm sorry, is it magical or? Yes, quite. But when I say perishable, I mean that the magic will wear off sooner rather than later. And so therefore, it is unlikely. I've had them for over a year. I haven't used them yet. I'll have many other traps and defenses. These are sort of a means of last resort.

I was preparing to make more. And you might, in the next month or so, have more use of it than I. Thank you so much, sir. Of course. These two as well, you see he hands off a yellow chanter's egg that you see the lines are sort of curling around it, almost sort of like vine or wind. It's a much more like curving, stylized. You see that they sort of, the ends of the vines become like script or letters. And you see he says, this one, smash it at your feet. You and everyone around you will become very sick. Oh. So. Who's taking that? I suppose I will take the sick egg.

And he says, and this one, and he takes a beautiful, ornate, multicolored one. All these different patterns. And you see that the patterns, there are lines of geometric shapes, but there are also lines of figures, different humanoid figures, like holding hands, moving around. A greater chantus egg. If you throw this. I don't know what's gonna happen. Yeah, it's amazing.

Mystery egg. But I can guarantee it will be helpful if what you need is for circumstances to change quickly. Okay. All right. Oh, I'm not one to be trusted with this. Tierney, you should take it. As we always say, the honest path is the best. Take nothing unoffered, but a gift is radiant.

That's so true. Lord, how are you so fast for that shit? I, well. I think you wrote a real button. I don't have a bag. You really did? You don't have a bag. I don't have a bag.

I just hold these eggs for forever. I can hold for you. I will remember the mystery rainbow eggs. Okay, hold the eggs. Yeah. Keep them safe. And Elbe smiles and says, well, I'll leave you to finish your breakfast.

I will be upstairs. Time to observe what the storm rack has been doing throughout the night. But feel free to let yourself out and please, if you see Abilang again, give him all my best. Hey, Alvid, you got a pretty big garden outside. I do.

It's in need of some tending. It's... It was made to be dead. by more people. Have you thought about, have you thought about a Pixie clan? A Pixie, what? You know, I mean, there's so many looking for a place to call their own.

And I mean, my family, we tended the golden orchard. I mean, that was our whole thing, you know, we tended the garden. So you could, you could have someone. They'd keep it safe and you'd keep them safe. If I see anyone looking for territory, I could send them your way. Well, the Royces are a house of great sorcerers. I'm an old man whose biggest ally is a goat.

If you find any pixies that are, that have the... have the humility to think, to wish to aid an old faddy-duddy, like myself, then by all means you may this is a great place. Don't sell yourself short. It gives my heart great comfort to know that there are many great places, such as this humble hovel. Take the offer. You could use the company. You see he smiles and says Well If there are any

Madam Thimble that pass Your muster as someone much more well-travelled Than by all means If they are a friend of yours, they are a friend of mine He smiles and heads upstairs Leaving all of you to finish your breakfast Tierney, can you please eat my porridge for me? I don't think I can, I can't eat the same meal twice.

We should have gotten the truffles, actually. That would have been so good. You're right. Disgusting. Aren't you going to be hungry as we head out? Probably, yes, but I just can't eat the same thing twice. It's just, it's not very good. To the same meal.

Anyway. stuff right there. Should we have a little congregation really quick to figure out what on earth we're doing? I mean, as soon as he mentions talking and sitting in down and talking, Kattigun who's already bored out of his fucking mind, he's just in the other side of the thing

and he just starts like doing like a morning stretching routine, like waking up his body and just sort of moving around and he just goes, yeah, yeah, let's talk, let's talk. Not to put it too simply, but what are we doing? This is to serve as a bit of a recalibration for us. Things that are chasing us, just in case we need to diverge at a moment's notice. All we know is what his family is doing

and that we are with you all now. and we appreciate your protecting us. We think that we could help, but also we don't know who anybody is. We're looking for your brother. I think already this is going to serve. Well, we are not protecting you. I am protecting him.

Categan is on some other shit. I know next to nothing about what we're doing. Do you know Cattigan? Oh, uh, it's, uh, it's, ah. He's gotten soft now. Oh, God. It was real. Why did you get out?

It was in character. That was in the character. The RP is so deep. Why would you reach that hand out? Why did he? Why did you grab me so hard with your hand? I'm a man. I'm a real life man.

I'm sorry about your thinking. I love me so much. Are you? Is it broken again? I'm fucking delicately. It's broken worse. He has quite a firm grip. He does.

Cadigan served with me and the torn manner, along with Sid and Casimir. So we all have a knowledge of those that we seek. I was there too. If Thimble was... You were a soldier. Yeah? Closer to Theazi than any of us. You just seem, well, you seem small for a soldier, but I, I haven't met many.

Hey, I have a new sword. I could show you what I can do. Yes. Could you? I think don't. I think we should. I think last time she said that she wanted to cut someone's balls off. I can do it. I know, but don't. Demonstration of something, sure, I guess.

We're trying to find your brother. Yes. And so you have a little background about us because we're sharing information. there is a bit of heat on WIC here right now. Thank you so much for getting me out of the city and to safety, yes. We disobeyed, he disobeyed his family by going against the orders to execute the Ozzie,

as you know, and now has done that for a second time with you. And we don't know what his family is going to do. I work for him. I'm under a contract. I would love, by the way, a contract that if I don't fulfill, I get yanked back to the pit, and I don't wanna do that. The pit.

The pit is where I come from. Sticks. Would love to be actually out here with you guys. We don't know what your family is going to do once this little ruse that we have started up of us being out on the streets and punishing people. I don't know. I made up a lie. I feel safer now that we're here.

I could stay here while you go off and find you. That's a good question. What's your stake in this? I understand why. You know, you would do what you're doing, but why'd you betray your family? I mean, keep it brief. Sure, sure, okay.

The TLDR is, they were sort of. TLDR was an ancient elving visitor. I'm Tielder. Tildia, spelled just as it sounds. He gave the shortest speeches of any. We're gonna fight, let's go. I don't know what my family's up to, but there seems to be some rot among the Hale of ours.

Yeah, you think? Yes, and they were responsible for Thiazzi's demise, but possibly working with this. this Kazimir person or instructing him or in league with him. I don't know, but I'd like to find out where the rot, I guess how far the rot spreads in my family. The candescent creed, it's meant goodness and right for years, but I feel like maybe they're not the greatest of people

and maybe they could be salvaged. Maybe they could be shown the wrongness of their ways, and I could correct things, and, and, um. Maybe they'll all rot. Do you say the hell of ours were working with the Taconas? I don't, I don't know. I don't know who they were working with, but it appears that my grandmother had some hand

in Thiazzi's assassination and, Well, I don't know to whom she gave the orders or I need to know more, and that's partially why I'm traveling with you. But also, I feel like there's good to be done out there. If we can find the people who did this wrong to your friends, and maybe that will put us on the path to to redemption. Do you have siblings? Are there more children besides you? I do. I have two, yes, two siblings.

And older sister who, well, she doesn't like me very much. And a younger brother who I'm worried about. He hasn't been sort of brought into the fold yet. and we saw this horrible monster creature that seems to be maybe the source of my power. What kind of monster? You know more about monsters. It was an angel.

Yeah. An angel. Chained up in the G.D. basement. And I am just wanna say, Wick, I'm really proud of you for saying that because I think my guy here has learned some things about his family that he is very much still processing. You have a change of angel.

Not him, not him. An actual angel. His family. This was something that was brand new, in fact, pretty immediately, right before we met you, we learned this. And so everything, there's a lot of moving parts in terms of next steps, but what is for sure is, Yes, he has siblings, a.k.a. backups.

And Wic is set to be the next Sion. So he still technically has some sway in and out the world. And we would like to keep it that way so that we don't die and I don't get yanked back to the pit before I get a chance to figure out what. But you're not the Sion anymore because you're on the run. Because you betrayed him. No, he's not on the run. He's...

I don't know. I don't know anymore. You stuck your neck out. I don't know if you're on the run. I'm on the run, yes. But I don't know if they're actually chasing me. Maybe they think I'm just on holiday or something. Where do they think you were going when you left? What did you do?

What was the last thing you were supposed to do? I was supposed to go make sure the tail was dead. And you said that your story is that you're out punishing people on the road, you. I guess. That's what we told the guy up in the gibbet. I think the only way that our story clears is if you guys are generous enough to say

that you are working with the cantescent creed as we go out and about and convert people and have. Why would you convert people to your family? They have an angel chained up in the basement. Well, nobody knows that, but me. Yeah, but I don't understand. This is a fair point though.

Look, they are horrible people. But the ability to disguise ourselves amongst one of the most powerful families around here could prove advantageous if your cover is not blown. We just need to find out some time before Wick decides what he wants to do about his family. I don't really have a dog in this fight. I've got a limited time here unless I figure out some things about myself. I will do whatever. My contract is to him.

I'll do whatever he wants, but it would be so great to not be executed immediately. And also he has money and he has sway. So I think that we maybe can help if we get our story straight and don't act like complete fucking morons. I don't like the language. I know, sorry, you don't like swearing.

But everything else she said was fine. I am also not opposed to this, but Wick, if your family decides they don't need you because you have betrayed them and because you have siblings and if we are confronted with a decision in which you have to decide

if it's your family or your idealism. Are you prepared to make that decision? Oh, definitely not. I... Yeah, that seems really hard. But I...

I'd like to think that I could try. And if you need me to play a part, Hal, do you know Hal? You know how, you all know her. He was giving me elocution lessons and also he was teaching me about acting a little bit. Okay. And I'd love to sort of play the part of whatever you need me to be. So you are going to submerge yourself.

in this brutalist, kandescent creed role. If you need me to, yes, I will. I find acting just so interesting. I mean, you get to lie, but it's okay, you know. Right. I don't like the way he's smiling. I don't have that. What if you're doing it now?

Acting? Yeah. Oh, you think that maybe I'm, I'm deceiving you with my cunning wit and silver tongue? Oh, my God. No, my daughter. Um, Cadigan and I, I have a score to settle,

and I need to find my brother. Theazi's murder is something I think we all are charged with uncovering. But your family concerns me, and I am I'm forever grateful that you put your necks out to save mine. I just didn't want you to slip my throat in the night. Hey, I think it's pretty brave

that you told your family to fuck off. Huh? I don't. Yeah, you did. In so many words, he did. I just sort of left in the dead of night without telling anyone, actually. No, but you showed up at Diazzi's funeral,

which they hated. They hated that. You got a little slap on the wrist from Mama. and then also us going and saving Teor. I mean, it's gonna take a minute. There's a whole crisis of faith thing happening here, but we're here now and we don't want anybody else to get killed, right? That's, we're all on the same page about that.

No, no, no one else gets killed. No, no one, and if we can, if we can manage it, I'd prefer if no one gets harmed in any way. Can we, is that our, No, Casimir's gonna die. I'm gonna kill whoever the fuck I won't. Okay. Well?

We could just arrest, Arrest Casimir. No, I don't think that's... Yeah, yeah. He's gonna fucking pay. But also, we're going to have to put our trust in those that the Wilds is what Katagan does. And if we find ourselves against your family or the Candace and Creed,

we will rely on you, or cues, or everyone dies. Or your family dies. Dice. Oh, and to be completely clear, every minute we waste talking right here is just leagues that our quarry gets from us, so. Oh, we should go. But wait, I'll go figure it out first, yeah.

Young little one, I just don't. I think she's also a normal, I think she's an adult too. I think she's an adult. So much older than you. Oh, is that, are you with the Ozzy's friend person? And are you just in this for revenge then? Yeah. I don't, um... I don't have any... where else to go, really. Not since...

No. So, um... Yeah, I'm in it for revenge. What happens after you? You achieved your revenge. I worry too much. Why are we thinking that far ahead? After, we're not even to the first part, right? Revenge is sort of fueled by darkness and shadow.

Oh, is it? Super powerful, though. It can really like send you straight to what you're looking for. Let's save the proselytizing to- I'm just saying the correct audience. I think that you just said something really important, which is that you have nowhere else to go, and we have that in common.

Cool, cool. One thing that bothers me, though, your brother. That part doesn't match up for me. You said he's mixed up in this somehow? Sid was part of the rescue plan. Yeah, but he fucked it up, right? Well, according to, uh... What's his fuck at the Crows? Sid found out.

Sid found out of Kazimir's betrayal and... Yeah? Kazimir came after him. Oh, I missed some of the stuff earlier in the city. I wasn't quite picking up on everything. Yeah. Okay. You were drunk, so. You put a fine point on it.

Yeah, yeah. But I think he also smelled, sniffed out that things were afoot and had to flee. Yeah. So, what do we do if we do find your brother? We have one more on our team, and I think he would also be heavily in the family. heavily invested in speaking with Casimir. Yeah. Fun.

Yeah. Anyway. Shall we? Yeah, we trust you guys to lead the way. We'll do our best. Are you a good, talented fighter? I can fight. I can fight evil with.

Hey, Arbid! Willoughby comes downstairs, perhaps. Can I take Sir Stagathy? Just, oh, give me a persuasion check. Get us all your share. Um, uh, 19? Uh, you see, he says, Sir Staggathy, of course, of course.

You see, he says, I, um, he says, Sir Staggathy, we'll accompany you on your noble quest as is fitting for a knight and a toy, and a dear. You see, he just looks at sort of smiling and goes, Staggathy, there are certain toys that I would be very unwilling to part with, but the truth is, Staggathy had fallen out of the rotation

even sort of early on, so I think he may well appreciate a little bit of time in the sun. I got better at making wheels as time went on. And so Staggathy, you know, an early attempt. I love him, but I will miss him very much. That's a good dear. Um. He'll tell you, can you put him in your bag? Yes, in my back.

Hell yeah. So you just carry everything in your armpits. Keep your business to you. With that, I think you guys have concluded your business. The albed wishes to you a fond farewell and says, well, travel safely. Travel safely. I don't know what business brings you north, and perhaps it's better if I don't. I am perhaps a little bit too open-hearted to be involved in criminality as I am, but very few people come by here, other than druids and the odd smuggler.

So if I see anything, I will not mention that you pass this way unless you would like me to. I'll keep in mum's the word. Safe travels, and I would get moving, and the sun's still far to the east, but that forest has a way of turning people around, especially as you get deeper into it. So keep on your God. Thank you, Elvud. Hey, for Jasavi. You?

You bring him up. You see, he turns around and says, what religion are you guys apart again? Never mind. Thank you for your goodness and your generosity. You got it. I hope that someone close to you gets brought up. And he...

I know. Before breakfast. He heads off. And you guys make your way out of here. As you descend the mountain, roll a luck check for me. Let me know if you get 11 or higher. Let me know if you get an 11 or higher.

He's making shit up as we go. 18. As you get sort of farther down the mountain, walking as you are, you feel something like a smell of sulfur and iron, and there's a smell of something powerful. Your heart starts beating in that way where your pulse is quickening that happens before you're about to do something reckless,

before you're about to tell someone how you really feel or punch them in the throat. Your heart picks up and you feel a warmth in your satchel around that knife. I kind of hang back around the group for a little bit and just walk a little more slowly and take it out and give it a peep. As you touch it, you look into the steel,

of the blade. And you see a reflection. Red mist curls off your claws claws infusing into the blade as it does. And you look down and see in the reflection of the steel, Ulbid, turning the house upside down, looking for the knife. And you see, he goes, no, no, no, no, I can't lose anything else. As he gets down and you feel something so powerful, close within you as this kitchen knife becomes a magical object. Oh, fuck. Oh, no. I'm sure it's a good one.

No. Oh, boy. Right, ladies. I need you guys to know that I wrote, is Brennan setting me up to steal the knife? Yes or no. I'm circling. I'm circling yes. Oh, man.

You just look and there is a, and you just feel, I think you move back to some memory of existing for the very first time. Agony, cruelty, enmity, feeling your siblings. your siblings nearby and a voice saying, Suffering is your domain.

You will wear many faces. A face can change. A soul remains the same forever. And you look at the face of suffering on that, gnomish man's visage as the light fades, and you are looking into your own rectangular pupils in that knife's blade. Hey, Wick.

Uh, yes. Can you come here for a second? Sure, sure. I took a knife. Oh, no. You stole. I don't know what, I don't know why. I did it.

I don't know why he was so nice. And I know that everything that you have said is very much about not stealing, but I took it. And I think that it's really important and I don't know what's happening, but I think it has something to do with who I am. And- It's called guilt.

It's fine. You must repent and pray and it will pass. Okay, I'll repent. Unless we've been traveling, what, a half day now? Friends, do we, could we go back real quick? A half day, are we really not far away? You rolled an 8th in the luck check. I think you've traveled about 45 minutes down the mountainside.

Katting, give me survival check. Oh, yeah, sure. I don't know. Uh, 15. 15. As you suddenly hear talk about going back, 45 minutes is not that far away. Adding an hour and a half to this trek through woods

to a place that you're going to have to look for once you even get, within a stone's throw of it is not, maybe you wouldn't classify it as dangerous, but it's certainly not safe. Has tyranny revealed to all of us at this point now that she had, Justwick? Okay. Just the conversation got a little bit louder

as you talked about going back up the mountain. We could go back. No fall too far behind. One second everyone, hold on, hold on. Please, I'm asking you as my friend. Please don't tell them. You want to go back? Maybe.

One second. He's hungry. What? You shouldn't have your porridge. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Why do you want to go back? Did you leave something important?

No. I took the knife. I took it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't know why. But something is happening to me.

And I don't know what you. I don't know what you know about demons. Not much. Not much. Ancient archetypal energy. They're not bad. They're not just bad, but they... You're evil.

No, I'm not evil. I'm not evil, I'm not evil. I promise, I'm not, I don't want to cause pain. She's working on the evil thing. Please don't think I'm bad. It's all right. If you all wouldn't mind, we'll simply go back. Apologize, turn in the knife.

I'm on a whistle and wait a few seconds and Wolfrick's just gonna come out of the brush. You take that fucking knife from that old man. Did you take that fuck? Yes, I'm telling you, I did. Give it to me. Do you want it or not? Can I, I want it? Give it to me.

Can I say something? No! You give me that fucking knife! Well, there's again no name for swearing. Please don't yell at me. Give it to me. Dierny. I'm gonna give you this knife. And I'm also going to tell you something about myself.

I don't care. Give me the knife. Okay, you can have the knife. Put it in my end. I put it in his end. Can I must be clear, if my acting isn't clear enough, Cadigan is fucking livid at what just happened. I understand. I am not bad.

I have an archetype that I have to fulfill. My siblings have. I'm the only one that hasn't. And I think that that is a key to it because I am not going to be free to do what I want in the world, which, by the way, isn't hurt people. I can't hurt people. Wait, wait, I'm sorry. The knife is key to it?

What are you talking about? Something happened. Something happened. I had a vision. I don't know. I don't know what's going on with me, but I know that demons all are representative of one ancient archetype,

something that has been around for a long time, okay? So far, I'm just having a nice time with my friend, but I'm sorry. How often does this happen to you? It's never happened. This is the first time? This is the first time this has happened. Did you feel out of your own control?

Yes. You just had to take it. I don't know what came over me. I like him. I like Albert. He was so nice. Kattigan is just sketching a little note. It's very short on a small piece of paper and he's gonna wrap it around the knife.

What? I'm so proud of you. I'm a wild man, not an idiot. You really strike me as a type that doesn't have any clue. Oh my God, what a morning. And Wolfrick has a little pouch. in his armor and he puts it in the pouch. Take it to the old man.

He's gone, and I'm gonna, Cadigan just stands up and he's no longer angry. And he just says, I understand what you want, but your actions are your actions. I see. I'm gonna keep on marching, and Wolfrick is gonna go shooting back.

See? All better. I have a feeling it's gonna be a lot worse. What makes you say that? You said this was the first time? I mean. Was it like being in a dream where you could see yourself that you weren't in control of what was happening? I only ask because if it happens again, it's not just you and Wick that is in danger.

You compromise all of us. I don't want to put anybody in danger. What I know is that it was sort of a, it was sort of like a feeling inside me that I would like explode if I didn't take it. And I don't steal stuff, I'm not like, I haven't needed to steal stuff, I've been very much like cozy and comfy.

I don't need to do any of that, but I- But you- I mean, stealing stuff is not inherently bad. It is exactly. It's wrong. But don't take from someone who has nothing. I don't know, I'm sorry. I think that whatever came over me,

this probably won't be the last time it happened. And maybe we can give a signal. Maybe I can just say like, only talk. That's a terrible signal. Let's just, work out. I'll make sure to stab you. Just to stop it.

Don't stop me. Just, I mean, we got, we got, two big guys and a normal size guy. I'm pretty big. I will be as honest as I can if something is happening like that. This is growth, this is excellent. You came clean about something,

and now it's being undone, and everything's gonna be fine. Your intent is heard. I think what will matter is what happens the next time you encounter this. I found I found that whenever you have an urge. We're walking again at this point. The blade is cursed.

Do you think this is just me talking? Do you think we just killed Alvin? Oh. What? The blade? Do you think the blade is cursed now and Alvin's gonna die? With the knife or the blade? The knife? The knife.

No. Oh. Red tendrils and shit. Tierney. When I find myself having a desire, A want for something. You just need my ideas. No.

I like to push it down. I like to sort of bury it. Hide it deep within. That always works for me, so maybe try that next time. I know that's what you do. I'd love an insight check from tyranny, and that, like, our survival checks, you are no longer rolling with advantage.

Oh. Yeah. Is the sucky part. Insight? Insight. Oh, good a little wolf. Yeah. Natural 20.

Natural 20. Very nice. 19. 19, hell yes. Son's gonna come out. On a Nat 20, and you rolled in 19, right? On a Nat 20 thimble, this sword on your back, going through these woods, the woods are, the woods are,

I love, that was seen was awesome. You guys are great. It was so good. It was so good. It was so good. It's not ever yelling. It's so good. Robbie likes to yell at women and break the bullshit.

That's just what he does. That's Robbie. That's not the character. That's how I've always noticed to be, yeah. What I'll say is this. On a Nat 20 survival fimbled, the woods come to life around you. You begin to head deeper into the Dahopshiny

where you see something pulsing in the life force of the forest itself. You can start to feel it. The gates to fairy close so long ago, but there were a few things that were powerful enough that came over that, like in the way that a picture of the sun can still contain some feeling of its warmth. There are certain parts of the world that still have enough of that residual end.

that it feels like Ferry is still connected to this world. The Golden Orchert, and somewhere in De Hobshani, something must be strong enough, because you begin to see in bright daylight, there are a couple orchids sitting in the alpine rainforest, and this is high enough altitude that you don't typically see, like, lots of colorful plants around here,

but a couple of massive purple orchids begin to see purple orchids begin to open up that a little bit of light comes from the water in the center of their petals. You begin to see that the forest here is truly healthy and well. On that 19 survival check, and you saw it on a 20 as well, healthy forests smell like life and death. There is both. For something to be truly thriving, there has to be enough healthy soil and what is healthy soil made out of rot, vegetation, the forest creating a cycle of life and death and rebirth over and over and over again. But I think you can smell death not far off. You see that there's a place where a massive tree, the trees now are getting truly high enough here, that this is a place that they would like harvest the mass of ships if they could get wagons and saws up this high and how crazy the altitude is here. One of these mighty giants of forest fell some decades ago. And where it did, you see that the moss on it has grown up into

all of these pools that you see different, like, rainbow-colored iridescent moths flying all throughout the pools of water on the moss here. And you look up and see, like, where, how did this tree fall down? And you see some other fallen trees. And you realize, looking at the mountain range, there is some rubble or scoring along the mountain range. Perhaps 70 years ago, a god did battle in this place. Moving deeper through the forest. You notice Fimbled's fairy dust, her light, trailing behind her is a little bit brighter,

a little bit more pink and orange and purple around her, as opposed to the usual, like golden yellow. On that 20, I'm gonna give you something extra here. but I want you to pick between whether your attention is focused all around and specifically like thinking about Wolfrick trailing behind you and thinking about the forest around you or whether your site is dedicated ahead

at what you are looking for. I'm gonna say that I was looking ahead because I imagine Cadigan was doing the whole thing. Incredible. So on that Nat 20, you will not be surprised as we roll initiative. Whoa! Wait, what?

You got to just save somebody's life! Oh, no. Oh, boy. Oh, wait a minute, is this up? Is there a map coming at all? I have a knife. There's a mask. Oh, fuck.

That was your only weapon. That's what you get. That's what you get for telling the truth. Oh, fuck. I'm fucked. I'm fucked. Oh, shit. Wait.

Wait. Ooh, look at the flowers. Beautiful. Here we go, ba-da-boom. Slide. Slide. Slide. Slide.

Yes, here we go. Great. Perfect. Okay. Pretty. So I'm gonna need everybody here to roll initiative for me. Do I roll with advantage because I'm not surprised

or I just roll. You roll straight. The four of you are going to roll with disadvantage initiative. Can I just say this morning I cast major armor on myself? You absolutely can. Disadvantage. So wait, the stats on that blade. It's just like a regular cemeter?

I will give it to you right now. I'm going to let you equip it. You have not yet attuned to it, which means that, but also he already used its little animation ability today. You will have to attune to it to get its extra magical stuff, but it is a plus one cimitar.

So I will equip that with you right now. Oh, great. Bada boom. Here we go. Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Here we go. Soldiers are going to soldier. I do have a weapon that I have to summon.

I have a ceremonial candescent creed sword that I think is not going to do shit. Beep. You're going to be great. We're going to have a great time. I don't know we're an initiative against the fauna. These bitching plants. Look at the difference between like the bright stuff. And this happened relatively soon after sending Wolfrick on his way.

Back to Elven. This did not happen relatively soon. I'm going to give me a survival check for Wolfram. For Wolfram. Yeah, thank you. All right. 15. 15.

Okay. Wolfrick has not caught up to you yet, which is not a testament to him being in trouble, is a testament to how fluently you have navigated this forest. In other words, your pace, even for a wolf with a 90-minute loss in, has just been that you guys are tearing through the woods. It is probably, you were expecting to get there

just in the nick of time. It's still early afternoon, and you've already made it, You've been surging through the woods at top speed. The woods seem to, by the way, as Thimble approaches, like taking the lead, places where you're gonna have to hack through those vines, oh, I guess I was wrong. They seem to have parted.

Like, it seems to be just moving through the woods very, very quickly. You have that weapon equipped now. Yes, yes. Multi-pass. He knows it's a multi-passed. Let's go ahead. I'm gonna go ahead and get us started here.

What did we roll Tayor? Teor, 14. And then you're rolling disadvantage, correct? Yes. Great. Thimble, what we get? Oh, 12. 12, got it. Tyranny, what did we get?

14 plus 2. 16, hell yeah. Wick, what did we get? Five. Cattigan, what did we get? I rolled a 20 and then a three for a total seven. Oh, my. Oh, you're rolling a disadvantage?

Right? No. Oh, everybody else was. except for. You. Oh, I see. Yeah. Tyranny.

Oh, no. Tierney, Thimble, Whick. Oh, you're a five. He's a seven, yeah. Wick is a five? Yeah. Disadvantage. Yeah.

Rough. Who was after tyranny? Tairor, Thimble, Cat, Wick. Thank you. Awesome. Triple T's up top. Help. Hey.

You guys see before you this far Approaching you is a tall plinth of stone. Writing. Approaching us? Oh, sorry, you approaching. Oh, okay. Stepping forward, excuse me. One sigh, one side on the hiking trail.

Excuse me. I love it. Catigan, here we go. Oh, my God. He's there. He's there. Tayor. Oh, let's see you. Let's go.

Whoa! Thimble! Oh, look at that! Not small enough! Tyranny! My baby! Oh my gosh! And Wick!

Here we go. Our official guys, how about it. She matched my nails. Oh, my gosh. I'm a lot bigger than I thought I'd be. Ooh. Yeah, yeah. She's even got little...

Go bad. Are we coming from near you or the opposite? You guys are approaching this direction. Go ahead and give me your marching order right here. Caddy was up front, right? I thought I was in the front. Oh, you were in the front. You were activating them. Oh, God. I got you. Where did you get to go? I don't know right about right about there. You need one of those crap. Caddy was up front. I was in the back. I'm going to be under like, yeah, right there.

And are you flying, so we'll call you like 10 feet off the ground more or less? Yeah. Cool. Pacey, let's face, pace, space, but. Hey, what is you? What is you? your fly speed. If you're small, small speed, is it reduced? Well, it's... Can you still do 30 feet? No.

You know what's funny? It shows my walking speed. Would you like a little distance or right near? Uh, right near him. But would the 30 feet be proportional to your side? Well, I was also just giving Kat, I'm my knife. No, I'm still back. Really?

Oh, that was really? Yeah, that was more. Yeah. It was 90 minutes ago. Is this the first? No. No. This is not.

For us. For us, it is. For us it is, yeah. My page is not right. This is to say my dropping flight speed is 10 feet, but I know that's not. You're walking, you're flying. We were on the bench, sir.

Incredible. So you guys are spread out. Cadigan's in the back over here. As we unfold. I'm wishing I was in the front now, but you see approaching, on that 20, you're the only person who's unsurprised. Everyone else is walking in Thimble,

pulling ahead, you see this plinth ahead of you. You recognize this as a fay boundary stone. It's a, it's basically like a sylvan protection. There's a certain degree of writing on it. I don't know if you're proficient in Arcana or if you would know offhand. Even for, even though this is fairy, not- But I speak Sylvan.

You speak Sylvan. So the Sylvan you can see, you just recognize the Sylvan glyph for warning and go, oops. And as you approach, you see in this flat right ahead, it lights up extra bright as iridescent in sort of white light transitioning to purple. You see another pixie bursts out of the flower

and goes, fear not, sister. And is going to cast sleep on tyranny and wick. Oh, no, night. I'm going to need each of you. This is a lovely day in the forest. Oh, look, some sort of obelisk up ahead, or stone of some sort. I think everyone's mad at me.

Oh, no. I'm going to need a wisdom saving throw from tyranny and wit. Oh, boy. Yeah, it's happening. It's really happening. We are in combat. Seven.

16. Seven. Seven. Incredible. So as this pixie erupts out of the flower, she flies about 20 feet into the air and this glob of like pollen and dust whips out and, boom, hits right in between the two of you.

You get a full breath of it, Wick, and go unconscious. Oh, man. Unconscious? Sleep. Yes, you are, you have the. Sleep, sleep. I think he fainted. Yes, right now.

He just crumbled like a silk rivet. Right now you're not fully asleep, you're falling asleep, but you have incapacitated. Your limbs are heavy. My blood sugar. The smell of honeysuckle fills your nostrils. It smells so good. The moss is so soft.

You gotta lie down. There's happening. I just need a little nappy. You're falling like a handkerchief. Little nappy. Tyranny, you are next to act, my friend. I'm not sleepy? You are not sleepy.

Did she see the thing that did this? She's about 20 feet up in the air over. She's like hovering on top of this tree right here. Okay. Well first, Tierney goes, Hey, Thimble, that thing made Wick sleepy and he's tired now. Are we, uh, right? I don't know that one.

Just what we do. Well, can you tell him to wake him up? I'll try. Okay, I kick wick. Great, incredible. Go ahead and give me an attack roll. You can roll with advantage. No, we kick.

Yeah, yeah. Roll two death, though. Two and an 11. Two, a two. Unarmed strike. Unarmed strike. That's down, plus three, so 14 to hit. My AC is 12.

Great, what is your strength modifier? Did you say 12? Plus one. Plus one. Wick, you take two points of damage as a hoof kicks you hard in the ribs and you wake up. And you wake up. The spell is.

How? Why? You passed out. It's just one of those urges that you've had. No, no. Please don't hold it against me. Okay, you're up. That is your action, any movement or bonus action for you.

I'd like to summon my packed weapon, which is my demon claws. Nice. Hell yes. Awesome. You get, your claws erupt out of you. And you hear coming from over on the other side of the ridge, you hear, demons approach.

Fuck. Amazing. Is it Skeletor? You hear, you hear, as a swarm of sprites comes straight for you. Oh, boy. Wiki, wiki. Wiki, wiki.

One, two, three. They say, repel the invaders of Hawthorne's Glade. Oh, you see, and they are going to take attacks on tyranny. They're going to roll three attacks in a row as they sort of strafe you with these small little, you know, short bows. Each of them are only a few inches tall. Ow!

One of them gets a Nat 20. And so right in the throat, you get a tiny little air. You take three points of damage. Literally this? Yes, literally that. Blam. You take three points of damage. Are you immune to the charmed condition?

Ooh, where would I find that out? It would be in your defenses. Nope, just poison. Nope. These tiny little sprites who all look, picture tiny dragonfly wing. They're wearing like bark armor. They have like little wood chip shields.

You see they have like war paint made of different colored mud, like a sort of white clay mud and a sort of blue blueberry streak on the other face. Little sort of short haircuts, they all look like kind of lost boy, little dragonfly wood chips. And you see that one of them that hits you in the throat, you are immediately looking at the most delightful little creature

who flies up and goes, Hot Dorn's Glade's a myth, you don't believe that. Yeah, I don't believe anything. You are under the charmed condition. A charm creature can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects. Okay, that's all I got.

Teor, that is going to be your turn. Oh my God. I'll shout out to Thimble. Do you know who these people are? Hothorn's Glade, soldiers. Okay, that doesn't mean anything. I will, I'm going to run forward 35 feet. 15, 20, 25, and just get up under this tree, so I can see both.

I'm not going to look at the sprites. I'm going to target that first, yeah, that was up on the tree, and I'm going to use guiding bolt. It's okay. Do your thing. You want to be friendly? He fights things. That's what he does. He's a lion man. Yeah, yeah. I'm sending a guiding bolt towards that thing before another swarm of pixies comes out. I have a roll.

For sprites. Sorry, sprites, my bad. Is 17 to hit? 17 is a hit. Is a hit on guiding ball. Okay, 46. My first guiding ball, guys. Here we go.

Immediate kill. Seven. 17 points of radiant damage, and the next hit against it has advantage. No. You see as the Guiding bolt, boom, moves out from you. You see that this pixie turns to look at you, leaping up,

and turns and sees the light coming and goes, light, Buh, gets hit by it, flies back, is not killed, but you do see is immediately knocked unconscious. You did not do more than double her hit points. But this giant smile crosses on her face as she looks at you with a look of recognition. as she flops into the tree, boom, and sort of tumbles to the ground. Hitting the ground, she suffers her first failed death saving throw.

Tayer, that is your action. Any bonus actions from you? Oh, that's a great question. Yep, I'm totally ready for all of these questions. I am absolutely going to, hamane, hamane, hamane, hamana, hamana, hamanna, hamanna, hamanna, no. I'm good here. How are you? I'm great. As you look, as you hit this pixie, you hear a voice go,

Honey Circle! And walking out from the rocks, you've seen some delightful little fairies of the realm of hallow. You've not seen any of the sort of darker fairies. Coming out from under the rocks, you see a man who's got a normal size, head on a body about the size of a doll. So like a human head on a body about that big. He walks up, his cap is the brightest red thing you've ever seen, and it is dripping blood

down into white, bushy mustache and beard. I'll give you this guy to take a look at. He kind of looks like a former PC of yours. I'm not gonna lie. Oh, he does. He's got a huge side, oh my God. This is a sickle. What the hell?

He walked. I should have done Channel Divinity. Was he hit by something? That guy? No. He's just bleeding. He was calling out honeysuckles. He called out the name of the Pixie who just fell.

You see, he looks at you and goes, I'm not a nice fairy. And he starts to thunder forward. The forest shakes as every one of his boots hits the ground, and you can see that his boots are clad in cold iron. iron. What the fuck? He surges forward to close with you. Da-da-da-da. He's going to use his speed and then dash forward. I'm going to need a dexterity saving throw from you.

Got it. That is 12. That is not going to do it, my friend. Um, he deals, uh, he deals, uh, 16, he deals 20 points of damage. As he leaps up, kicks you in the chest, you fly back 20 feet and go prone. What the hell? Wow. As he goes up and he goes, I'm gonna die my cap with your blood.

What is happening? Oh my God. He'll not destroy Hothorn's Glee today. And, I kill people every day. I kill them every day. What's happening? Honeysuckles beloved. I set us down the wrong path.

Thimble, that is your turn. No! Save us. Cousins, cousins, cousins. They're friendly. Okay. you are going to make this persuasion check with disadvantage. I still get persuasion.

But the wolf's back, so you get regular. Wait. I'm immediately after her. Can I do something to aid her in this at all? Get naked. Is it possible if my next turn, if I see us pausing on combat? If you want to, I will say, because you guys have your initiative right on top of each other, you guys can act together.

So you just screamed, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. A bitwildered Cadigan goes, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. And I'm gonna sprint toward honeysuckle and as fast as I can and just go and use Spare the Dying on her. Okay, this use of Spare the Dane, now we're gonna see here. Hell yeah, 30 feet full speed, I got 15 feet on Spare the Dying, I think. Okay, so I'm gonna see here, if we can close distance and you're not affected by difficult terrain because you're a ranger.

Right. 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. And then I have 15 feet for spare the battle. I'm gonna do 30, right, hold on a second, ba-da-boom. I don't see, I didn't see where she fell. She was on top of that tree, right? She's, no, she's, I can see her thing.

She's, she's, she's, she's, she's, she's far. He's far. I thought she, five feet short. Please. Sorry, let me stand you up. You are, I cannot believe this, exactly 15 feet away from where,

she is lying right now. Not movement-wise, because of elevation, but for spell range, you are exactly within the spell range for Spare the Dying. Wait, wait, wait, wait. You move from a big disadvantage to having advantage. Hey! Okay. So I'm rolling a persuasion?

You're rolling persuasion. To halt combat is going to be a difficulty. I'll call that, because damage has already happened, because damage is already happened. Because damage has already happened, I am going to say that a DC-15 is necessary for them to continue to hear you out, but it will not stop combat from unfolding.

DC-20 stops combat immediately. On a DC-25, you will, like, actually get them to move into like, we've made a mistake. So 15 is necessary just for a conversation to happen. DC-30, they suck our dicks. 13. 13, got it. That's a 9, not a 19, that's a, yeah, it's a 10.

Yeah, 13. Only 13, you call out. If anyone has any other PC creep they wanna throw in here, if any other abilities or adding inspirations or anything else like that, you let me know. I'm charmed so I can't, I don't see anything as a threat, right? I'm just doping around.

These sprites have charmed you, but not necessarily anything else in this moment. Okay. As you call out cousins, cousins, you're looking around at this moment. Yeah, I think you're charmed by the sprites in front of you. Any bonus actions from Thimble or Cadigan here? Because that was the full action.

I'll say it's not your full action. If you want, like, I'll allow that to be a bonus action persuasion check. We've had Spare the Dying here. Yeah, that's my only play. Mm-hmm. Can I use... The flowers around here, they're, like, big and open? Yes.

I don't know what they do, but can I use Druidcraft to make them, like, light up? You know what? To try to catch their attention, to catch the fairies' attention. Go for it. But we have something here. We have a question. No, no. Did I notice, you said one of the fairies

was infatuated with the light, correct? Yeah. As I see her, if I'm allowed to go out of turn, as I see her sort of going, trying to gin up some light, I can do, I think it's called Celestial Revelation. Okay. So the tattoos on my face, and in fact my entire body start to glow

with an angelic, divine shine, and I become a being of light. Oh, jeez. Just emanating from me. And I'll try to step up underneath thimble flying, I guess. Sure, and maybe that happens at the same time that I make this flower light up at the same time, so it creates a bloom of magic. Hell?

Light will save us. It always does. I love this. So I'll say this. You're casting Druidcraft. You're coming to do that with. And it is in our, it is in our initiative order. It is in our order.

It is in your initiative order. That is true. I'll say, yeah, Cadigan jumps for Spare the Dying. You're jumping for this. You got a 13 on your persuasion. I'm going to go ahead and say that If you're using your turn to create this aura of light and you're using Druidcraft,

meaning you're doing these nonviolent things, I'm going to allow us to add to that role, to that persuasion rule. On your turn, Thimble, if you're using your full action to do that, I want you to add a D4. You started a 13, meaning a two or higher on a D4 will get you to that 15.

And Sam, Sam can add to it on his turn as well. Okay. Cool. Why doesn't hate me? Fuck you. That's a one. That's a one. That's one.

You need to. Listen. I love that. Druidcraft, boom. The flowers alight. There are creatures to go an initiative before you, but you can still, I will still allow you to add to that persuasion roll.

Maybe you will roll so high. I'm sorry, I'm rolling a persuasion roll? But we're gonna do it on your turn. Oh, okay. So it's not your turn yet. That's fine. Cattigan has to spare the dying. Fimble, you reveal yourself as a pixie of this,

connected with the magic of this forest. Tata, da, ta, I'm going to say we have Cattigan's, Cattigan has surged forward, tyranny has been charmed. Teor has been kicked prone. Stepping out from over here, you see a beautiful, brightly colored fungal man, this giant mushroom steps forward. Whoa. And looks down, I'm going to need a Constitution saving throw from Teor.

Yes, Constitution saving throw. 19. 19. 19. This figure overhead looks down and says, Her, Warbringer, this is a place of rest. And just spores cover your face. This guy's not super quick on the draw.

So you cover your snout before any spores get in there. Just as an avalanche of fungal spores. Orres, just get barfed on you. Get barf on, dude. Forget barf on, man. Be a fron fricking forward towards you. You guys see another massive plant shape, begin to stumble forward, charging.

It closes with Wic and Tyranny, but is not able to attack. It has a slower movement. but you see this thing looks massive and tough thorny vines growing out of it. And the last to act before, Wic, emerging from one of the trees here, towering over, she has almost a chariot

of moving thorn vines under her of like briars. So you see, like her legs are almost, it is a chariot made of, vines roiling underneath her that are also bearing her aloft. Like a tank's tracks. Like a tank's tracks, just as she looks out and says, those who come to my blade bearing weapons seldom leave to tell the tale.

She looks at you and says, are these folk under your protection? Your whimpered yeah, will have to depend on what Wick Halavar It does next. You cast this ability, what is this ability that you cast to? This light that you cast. Oh, well, this, canonically,

it emits inner radiance from my entire body. It causes damage to those within 10 feet of me, so actually, technically it would hurt you. But that's kind of all it does. It makes things bright and it hurts things around me. It turns me into a light being. Wick, do you believe that the purpose of the light is to hurt those around you?

Absolutely not. The light is to guide us to a better tomorrow. I will allow you to make one of two checks here. You can make a persuasion check, if you feel so inclined, to continue to move this sort of in the right direction. Or if you'd like, that persuasion check will sort of like, build off of what Cadigan and Thimble have started doing.

Or you can make a religion check in this moment if you'd like to see if the light is capable of doing something different. So it's up to you. One of these is probably the more reliable and the other is more of a, as you're reaching for the light, you've only ever been told that this power can hurt people.

And maybe it can do something different. It's up to you. I am having a crisis of faith, as she said, which I think would mean that I would seek a religious answer. I don't know what my religion can do at this point, whether it can harm or heal. And so I will seek a religious answer to this. Awesome.

What do you add to your Religion. Just a three. Just a three. We're going to do the same thing here. We're looking for a difficulty. I will say the difficulties move down now where 15 will be the third player character in a row

taking nonviolent action. So a 15, a 10 will continue the conversation. A 15 will stop combat. A 20 will actually, like, get them to heed you in this moment. And just so I know, is the one who just stepped out at the end there sort of the leader? Has there a leader presented themselves? This person referred to my glade.

Okay. And she's got a tank. Yeah, she's like. She's got some thorny tanks. She's a haiti. If possible, I will step forward, a light emitting from me and all of my tattoos just shining with radiance. I'll hold up my cane, which is also sort of emitting radiance.

And I, do I get to take an action on this, or I'm just speaking with words? Using this light-based ability, you are going to see if you, your religion check is effectively, can you make this gift do something it's not supposed to do. All right. Great, I will. I'll tell you right now, sure.

This role is very momentous. Oh, my God. Great, great, thanks, thanks. It feels like it. No French. This is a momentous role about how the future of this battle and therefore this adventure. And your religion. And your religion.

I can only fall on my faith. Do you have any, like. Some money? Yeah. I throw money. I don't know. I must go to my faith and to my teachings. The spectral codex, law of echo.

What you radiate returns. Anger, envy, cruelty, all the means. emit dim waves, but what you beam you become. So I will mutter that as I walk forward and try to please her with my, it's 21. Oh! You reach deep within your self, you're summoning the light.

As you repeat these words, On that high religion check, the words come to you so easily, and you were taught these words by your mother. We haven't even met your mother. I have. You didn't say goodbye. Is there your grandmother, the photarch,

told you that she never liked your mother. And didn't she say that you've been repeating these words that in some way you know are a lie? So what can they mean on a 21? Well, I think they mean that the messenger might have been a liar in my grandmother, but the message contained within the words is right that following the light can guide us to goodness. Young boy.

Sad, worried, frightened. Some play yard incident, the cruelties of young children, and your mother kneeling down. Iris, who believed so deeply in the creed, wiping the tears from your face and saying, you don't have to meet darkness with darkness. What you beam, you become. And you're my little beam.

And all of you look behind you as, this clearing is filled with light. You feel your druid craft spell escape from your own magic. as the flowers, each of these flowers begins to grow as the light feeds into it. This shambling mound directly in front of you, a plant-based creature of almost, like,

it doesn't really have any intelligence other than like, defrained, you know, like that's sort of its thing. It is filled with light. The shambling mound before you grows to about 20 feet in height as its roots stretch into the ground. And as Hawthorne, this dryad, you see that even her, the magic coming from her hands is made even stronger as the light fills this place.

Vroom! Tyranny, you look to your side and see, made of pure luminescence, a pair of wings, spreads from wicks back. Boom! Holy shit. The god of the sun was killed 70 years ago. No.

But the sun still shines. forms break, titles change, but truth remains forever. The shambling mound before you that can barely understand what it is here to defend turns to you and goes, and that's where we're going to take our break. You just became a god. Burned gully! You did it.

You did it. Oh, man. Hell yeah. Oh, my God. That was a big risk. You went to your skill that had a plus three and not a plus whatever your persuasion is. It's plus six.

Plus six. Wow. We got a reward a risk, folks. We got a reward a risk. Wow. Holy shit. And we'll reward all of you at home with the rest of this episode

after this short intermission. It does. And that's where we'll leave our story for now. Part two of this episode of Campaign 4 drops this Tuesday. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you soon for more Critical Role.