Critical Role - Off-Balance | Critical Role | Campaign 4, Episode 33 Part1

Episode Date: September 10, 2026

Part 1 The Schemers dip into the political landscape of Dol-Makjar, but moves from their local enemies complicate their plans... New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays. Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/   GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACON We're excited to bring you even MORE Campaign 4 with a Beacon membership! Get access to exclusive shows like our behind-the-scenes Critical Role Cooldown and ask the Campaign 4 cast your burning questions directly through our LIVE monthly Fireside Chats. You'll also receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant ad-free access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord. Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to everything Critical Role! OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CAST GAME MASTER Brennan Lee Mulligan  Laura Bailey as Thimble Luis Carazo as Azune Nayar Robbie Daymond as Kattigan Vale Aabria Iyengar as Thaisha Lloy Taliesin Jaffe as Bolaire Lathalia Ashley Johnson as Vaelus Matthew Mercer as Sir Julien Davinos Whitney Moore as Tyranny Liam O’Brien as Halandil "Hal" Fang Marisha Ray as Murray Mag’Nesson Sam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" Halovar Alexander Ward as Occtis Tachonis Travis Willingham as Teor Pridesire CREDITS Produced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle Shire Set Designed by Shaun Ellis Production Designer: Noxweiler Berf  Character Art by Loren Hontanilla Edited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" Stevenson Critical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny Celesti Opening Title Editor: Paul Foyder Opening Title Colorist: Peter Koocheradis  Window Effects by Christian Brown Graphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn Torrence Dol-Makjar art by Daniel Jiménez Villalba Miniatures Painted by Payton Keo Lacebal Opening Title Theme by Neal Acree Campaign 4 Key art by Hannah Friederichs Additional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula Flores Assistant Editor: Gianna Gencarella Post Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn Hubbard Closed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice Tsoi Post Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas HEALTH & WELL-BEING Due to the improv nature of Critical Role and other RPG content on our channels, some themes and situations that occur in-game may be difficult for some to handle. If certain episodes or scenes become uncomfortable, we strongly suggest taking a break or skipping that particular episode. Your health and well-being is important to us and Psycom has a great list of international mental health resources, in case it’s useful: http://bit.ly/PsycomResources Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all our online Critical 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. The seats of the hallowed round are empty. The meeting of the Via Aurora has concluded. There is silence in the abandoned Obramus manner.

But the night of all of these events has not yet ended. We journey back in time a moment as Captain Azune Nayar walks up the street with company. The last night, Boler Lothalia, will spend in Dolmachiar. Azune, as you walk, do you already wear the mask? As I'm walking, I'm looking around to see who's on the street, if there's anybody looking at me. And if I have a moment, I will duck around a corner, not wanting to waste any time. I'll pull out the mask that I know is Belair. and I will put it on.

The streets become empty at your approach, one of the benefits of walking in uniform as a member of the Arcane Marshalls. Here at this late hour, I think no one loitering which is to Terry Long as a member of the guard approaches. Putting on the mask, I would ask you to make a wisdom saving throw unless, of course, you choose to fail.

I choose to fail. Tal us it, if you'd be kind enough to take us away. As you put on the mask, it's almost as if through the eyes of the mask there is a, there's a different place. It's dark. It's quiet. It's a theater.

And yet you're still walking. You're still on the street. You're still aware of where you are. But your mind And almost like a walking dream finds you in the black box, walking through the rows of audience chairs about four rows back.

There is a play being performed in this dark, shadowed void. And I am sitting in that third row watching this strange performance not wearing, again, as has been said, but you have not been here. I'm not wearing my wig. I'm not wearing my normal clothing. Actually, I'm kind of dressed like Hal.

Oh. It's very simple. It's just a peasant shirt and a leather tunic. It definitely is a child's notion of a theater director. and the mask floats without a body. The clothes are worn, but there's no person. It's an absence of person, just a mask and an outfit, a costume for a director.

There are actors upon the stage, and there is a set, and there is a silent pantomime being played. and I'm watching. I go to sit next to you. You came. I did as you asked. Honestly, given the way the last few days I've gone,

I have expected to never be awoken again. No, I hold true to what I say. You do. Belair. What is this place? How much of my mind do you have access too. Mine's dull. Sit, watch. I turn to look at, I'm assuming the stage that you're watching. The stage is dressed as a theater, and there is a performance being played in this fake theater upon a real stage.

There is a man in a mask. All the players are masked, like a traditional panto. as a withered corpse in rags, slowly crawling forward and standing as as actors who are changing the scenery and moving things along, grab his rags and pull. And underneath is this beautiful costume glittering with glass and, and fake jewels and these beautiful layered wings

that extend as if they were held back by springs underneath this costume as suddenly there's this celestial costume that this character is wearing. You notice that there are actors posed around this fake theater backdrop as various heroes of history and they've been moving very slowly,

as if a mildly animated tableau. And with this revelation of this celestial character, they suddenly all start moving faster and faster in their history and slowly begin dancing around the stage. They are delighted as slowly other actors join dressed in fairy robes with wings, and there's this amazing dance of cacophony and joy. What is that?

It's my best estimation of what I missed. I got to watch a couple rehearsals. It would have been a lovely play. Which play? The one that Howl put on? Look at the... I see a... I guess a celestial. I was listening. Anyway, they all stop, and they turn and look at us. It's enough of this. We have a guest. Tell a story. You want me to tell a story? Yes, they want you to tell the story. They want to tell your story. Can it be any story? Can it be a moment? Do you know what they're thinking? They're not thinking anything. Do you know what they're meant to portray?

They're actors, they're going to do what they're told. Okay, I don't know exactly how this works, but I need you to help me. Now, I, if I think it, will it appear? Will they do what I think? Yes, although I recommend a bit of narration. Let me help. Once upon a time, there was a man,

and they scatter, and an actor dressed in a beautiful rendition of you takes center stage. There is no, all of the props, all of the stage hands and actors have vanished. And you bow and wait for your direction.

Once upon a time that man that's on stage was sitting in a carriage full of people that represent the house I'm Fossin and I want to recreate this memory of a conversation that I was in. Have you never told a story before?

I'm not here to tell a story but I'm here to try to get some help on something that I need help with. Are you going, can you help me? We can do it through storytelling. We could do it, however, it can be a performance on the stage, but I need your help. Give me an insight check, Azune.

Give me a deception check or persuasion, but I know it's the same for you. It's the same number, and it would be the same comment no matter what. It's part of the charm. Oh, how many times have I heard that from you? Oh, yeah, 23. Azuna and Boler is being unhelpful.

What is the point of this, Belair? I... I... I don't know how much time we have left before we get to your apartment and get your things together, but you're leaving town, and we right now have an opportunity

to exchange information. I need to know as much as I can about your sister. You need to know as much as you can about the information that I have. Can you have these actors recreate the conversation that I had with the Ein Fossens in the carriage?

Do you speak Havarian? No, do you? No, which is why I'm hoping to get your help. Here's the trouble. You're not thinking clearly because you've had a very, very bad week. You're not thinking clearly because you've had a very, very hard life. And you're not thinking clearly because you've had to go against what little you know of the nature of who you are. Fair enough.

I see you. I see enough of you to worry. You're a frightfully good man, and we've both lived long enough to know that that's enough to get someone killed. Breathe. Can you breathe here? Does it matter?

I can't breathe anywhere. I don't know if this is the story you need to see. And the carriage is very hastily created, literally by stage hands. They're not even building the prop. They're just miming it as they put put the number of people dressed as they were, where you were. It's not their story, it's yours.

And attempting to interrogate your notion of people is, it's doomed for failure and it's not what a story does. What do you mean interrogate my notion of people? Those aren't people up there. What do you expect them to do? What do you expect them to be? They're not real.

Well, I expected perhaps you might have access to some of my memories and be connected to my... Anyways, I understand what you're saying. I'd like to investigate your notion of people. Let's try something else, if you want. It's your stage. Is Azune walking as he has this conversation? I mean, if I have control over the body

that's walking through the streets. I think Bel Air has control. Yes. We're both. This is a nice, I'm making sure everything is moving. Belair, as Azunae takes his step towards the stage in the black box, you take your first step through the doorway of your apartment.

Yes. And I'm going to be collecting my things because I don't have to run this play and I can watch it and do what I need to do at the same time. That's not hard. Fine, then if I can't have your help in this manner, then I guess I'll just have to be left on my own. However, I want to see a representation of the different scenes that have happened. You have my help. I'm

your audience. You need one. That's how stories work. I'm getting everything else done in the meantime. Okay. Tell your story. Sure, a collage. I will approach the state. and on one end of the stage, I want to recreate the conversation I had two people standing, myself standing in front of Herondus Einfosson, the moment that I told him, Theazi stole me from my parents in another part of the stage. I want to recreate myself talking to Philonius,

the moment I convinced him that I was a devouted, a devouty of the Candacean Creed, another part of the stage. I want conversation between myself and Julian, and another part of the stage conversation between myself and Otto Einfossen when he promoted me to captain and asked me to be his inside man against the Halovars.

And then in one more part of the stage, the conversation I had with Murray, Thimbel, that Vailas and Octus were there for. I would like to alter what's happening just a bit. My theory would be perhaps a contested wisdom throw, or anything you like. to force a change. I actually think this is going to be

performance versus performance. Love it. Ready? Okay. I'd like to use a luck point. Sure. Roll with advantage. You have a definitely a chance.

It's a 15. You make it, I'm 11. I rolled very poorly. What changed does Baller attempt? What changed as Baller attempt to make? I attempt to get the black box to dig a little deeper and put one more story on the stage, a deeper one, something more. You feel that energy as Azune's focus.

You feel hands brushing against the black curtains at the wings. Your beat cannot come out yet. You interrogate these visions before you. before you. I want you to give me a wisdom saving throw. Okay. Difficulty is 11. Got it. 16. All of these scenes have a version of Azune's actor in them, with Azune's mask.

The masks, as there are so many of them, you have duplicated your actor so many times, that the masks begin to slowly at first and quite nauseatingly spin on the faces of the actors. until the whirling white porcelain makes it a blur. You can't actually see the faces spinning so fast on each one that each of these azunez in these different scenes stumbles slightly as they move.

Okay. But with that 16, you hold on. They don't talk. You will notice that none of these characters talk. If anything, what's happening is you can hear the sound of string instruments. If you look closely, you can see them Jack in the Shadows, and they are all just screeching,

playing different songs out of key. Each conversation din. I'm trying to keep that out of my focus. I'm not looking at the actors portraying me. I'm looking at the actors portraying the people that I was engaging with, and I'll quickly move through them, Herondis, Philonius, Julian, Otto, and I'm checking the group.

And I focus on the actor representing Murray. Yeah. I don't know if this, I almost want to do an inside check. Do you want to investigate or do you want to insight? I want to, I want to, I want to, I need to see I'm hoping that somehow this is connected to my memory. I don't have faith in that possibility. Now based on what I've learned here.

Are you analyzing or are you feeling? Give me that. I would like to guidance myself if I can. Go for this place. Since this is intentional, I am, that's a three. That's a good rule. It is 25. 25. You collect the last of your...

I have finished packing my bag, yes. And I'm beginning to lock the door behind me. As you start walking slowly back. What's the last thing you feel as you look at your apartment where you have lived for more than eight years? Right now, nothing. Now is... That part of me is going to take a bit of a break.

That part of me is in my head right now. now dealing with him. My inner truth, the part of me that fought in a war, the part of me that is the soldier, sees a painting of a life that was lovely, but for now is not real and never really was. On a 25, what are you looking for in Murray? Suspicion.

On a 25 insight. Your memory of Murray, it's a very high role. Deep down, does Azunay feel he truly has Marie's trust. I feel like I did fully. And then I made a choice that might have caused me to lose a little bit of it. Moving through the scene, you walk to the other side of Murray's actor. And you can see a jewel-encrusted mosaic mask on someone with a wide-brimmed hat, much wider than Murray's real hat.

And as you turn around, made of mirror, she has a knife hidden behind her back. The last beat comes out of the wings, and this will be the last vision we see before Bollaire walks back to the Tentazi Wood to join his new companions. What is the last beat that emerges from the wings? What emerges from the wings is a version of Bollerneres. played by a very young man, they are thin, and your costume is tattered. As you run through the stage,

breaking up the conversation, smashing the actors apart, some of them literally falling into pieces. And finally, getting to Murray and getting to you and that actor and Murray, you grab the knife from Murray behind their back, and attempt to stab yourself with it. And it turns and stabs you right in the chest.

As the blade sinks into the handle, the actor of you collapses, pantomiming, sobbing, alone on the stage. Breathe. You're going to have to breathe. For your own life and those around you, we can't lose you. Overbowlare's shoulder.

An actor waits in the wings who you can't recognize. And it's the last thing you see before Belair is off you. You complete your journey to the wood, and we will continue this story, though your two stories diverge at this point, on tonight's episode of Critical Role. Hello everyone and welcome to the Critical Role announcement playhouse. Don't panic, my hairstylist, got overzealous.

Before we jump into Aramon tonight, we do have some announcements to get through. Yay! Laura! You're up next. Code names, critical role adventures. Now has a Fox Machina expansion pack. What? This expansion pack pairs with our core game and features 42 themed words from Campaign 1.

It also includes Akila Standy and root tokens allowing players to add her to the adventuring party. Get the game today at CGE.e. D.A.S. slash box machin. You guys, I don't have my glasses on. You're doing great. Thank you, Laura. Brisha, you're at next. Hey, in case you missed it,

our Berlin and Burrow Live shows are available to watch right now on Beacon and YouTube. Woo! There are still two shows left this year in our Echoes of Exandria tour, and we I'd love to see you there so you can join us in London at the O2 in October. And then we're gonna be finishing off the year

in Fort Worth, Texas. Yeah! At the Dickies Arena in December. This boy's running that one. That doesn't, it'll be our Texas boy. You're doing. For tickets, convention details, and more, head on over to crittero.com slash events.

So cool. Fantastic. Oh two, that's a thing. Thank you so much. I believe that concludes our announcements, so let's go. and jump back into Aramon. Yay!

Chka-ch-ch-k-ch-k-k-a. This episode of Critical Role, we return to the schemer. Brand new schemers in tow. Our story picks up right where it left off the morning after a quite portentous day, a day in which the city of Dolmachiar saw the opening night of Kothairai.

A smash. were an audience of Dolmachiar citizenry, those assembled Faye refugees stranded in the mortal world of Aramon, hidden invisibly invited through the fairy doors. A couple hundred unknown rebel soldiers hiding in the wings witnessed what they thought was just a fucking barn burner of a play

with a emotionally impossible to ignore, but legally not technically, not, technically sedition or treason, message of independence, freedom, and rebellion. Under the mortal realm, in places just beyond the veil, witnessed by those in tune with the magical comings and goings of the Chernobyl reaches, or indeed, of the long-lost afterlives beyond,

was witnessed the first contact with a lost afterlife since the death of the death of the shapers. The souls of rebel heroes freed as the spirit of Vokian Mirzat, who was brought in this play back from the afterlife. Him and his rebel heroes was freed

and allowed to walk the old path, but not before this paint stolen by Fiazzi Fang and escorted by Mara the wing. Your brother, Hal, brought here and painted on the walls of your children, theater by your daughter and Tisha's daughter Shadia.

Brought here this paint that was a relic of the ancient dead god of war, changed by our friend Sul Rekhi, a demon mistress hidden under the tanners and Dolmachiar. She's so cool. Swords made into plowshares. Blood turned into paint, suffering, turned into story and meaning and hope. Brought here to the same. this play gave rise to the Kedra as how you held one half of that ritual, and Tysha held the other, consecrating the hallowed around forevermore, and bringing to bear a new form of celestial.

They are not here in Dolmakia in the waking world, but on the other side of the veil, in the underworld, the tenembral reaches, lost obsidia. Yes, these legends live on, in celestial form, the stories of these Orkish heroes. As their souls moved onto the old path, they themselves took new life. Across town, a meeting of the sundered houses was held. In that meeting was the vast conspiracy that indeed, yes, all of the four non-Royce houses

had spoken of a possible expulsion or destruction of the House of Royce, but it was Taconas that had moved into action unilaterally, and Primus was put on the spot. You saw conversations between him and your grandmother as you were welcomed back and hugged close, return to the bosom of the creed. Oh, I missed you, sweet bosom.

And you reconnected with your mother, your little brother we met for the first time. We saw and heard venom in the voice of your sister Zabani seeing you return. And Tiran, you rescued Cadigan Vale from the clutches of the Merconaut Couturia and also, by the way, rescued Bolere Lothalia

discovered by the lady Amaria Dason Cormoray and whatever relationship she now has with Termina, final mask of the Panto. A lot of shit happened, gang. A lot of shit happened. Yeah. In addition to that, Azune, you witnessed Vailis make her decision to shatter the stone of night,

destroying a relic of the shaper Salandri to anchor the bridge between the Orkish afterlife and the world Aramon by triangulating and anchoring it to a spirit of fairy. That shattered stone erupted in energy, and that energy was made concrete within the earth of the Tintazi wood by none other than what you in is to be a dragon

that raised its head and regarded you, with warmth before vanishing beneath the water. And finally, with all of this triumph, there is also loss. Teor and Telcidemir Pride sire were lost in Obermiss manner. And though Mara the wing was rescued and the nature of the cloak and the Ozzie's work with them was revealed, beloved ones were lost.

And I believe, if I'm not mistaken, that their bodies now lie in honor in your home. The horrors of Obermus Manor did not end in only Teor's death, but also the death of Hanon, a druid of the circle of the hunt. It was witnessed by some of our departed seekers.

And there was another death there, that of a servant of House Taconas, where in a maddened rage, Primus Taconas questioned by a young witch Cander compelled you to take the life of one of his servants before reanimating her into continued service to his house. We return to the Via Aurora. And I think we return to Wicander's homes and quarters here

in this place. Okay. It's morning? It's morning. We've rested? We take a long rest? Everyone take a long rest. Oh good, because they already did that.

A new day. A new portents. A new day. Ooh, let's roll these portents. What are the portents? Let's see what we got today. Ooh. Woo-woo-woo-woo-v-woo-v-v-

What is it? One's a natural one. Oh, cool. And one's an 18. Whoa. That's sexy. Somebody gets a fuck. A portent.

contentous day. Pretentous day. Oh. Incredible. Everyone take your long rest. And with candor, you awaken in your bed, in your home. And you see light pouring in through the windows.

It's a beautiful day. Me on your chest. You can't fucking move. Uh, Tarynne, do you sleep in Wicks chambers? I sleep at the foot of his bed. I was established. Amazing. I'm crouching.

You sleep at the foot of his bed. Um, Wakander, I think that your dreams are, if I'm not much mistaken, very fitful and troubled that night. night. I think the last thing you see before waking with a jolt is the face of this Taconas service woman who's this porter whose name you don't even know and the horrors of everything that the light extinguishing in Teor's lionheaded emblem that you still hold and what it means to return back to this place.

As you awaken with tyranny, sleep at the foot of your bed, what do you do? Oh boy. I guess I will get out of bed and I don't feel like I deserve my silk slippers this morning. I'll just go barefoot to feel the cold. on my feet. It's really noble. Yeah, yeah.

I don't know. I don't, yeah. Yeah, aimless as I am, I'll sit down at my desk and sort of rifle around looking for anything to give me some sort of guidance, but there's nothing there. And I think I'll just go and gently wake up tyranny. Ah! Oh, hi.

Were you asleep? Yeah, I was. You couldn't tell. I mean, you were drooling quite a lot. Well, I always do, so I don't know. How are you feeling? That's what I wanted to wake you for. You said before I could always come to you when I'm troubled, even if you were asleep or otherwise.

Anyway, I don't know what to do. I feel like I need to atone. Yeah, we really glossed over when we were with everybody that you killed somebody. Do you want to tell me about that? It was horrible. Did you have to? I mean, I didn't have to.

I could have- Would you have died if you hadn't? Probably. Then good. I'm glad you did. How come? Who was it? I don't know.

Okay. Well. That's not the point though. The point is I took someone. else's life and innocent. And I committed, I dimmed. Now let's run that back. I think there's been a lot happening

over the past week or so. A lot of people have tried to kill you. Presumably this person did. No, she didn't. Okay, you just, okay. All right, well your life was on the line, I'm assuming. Yes, that Primus Taconas was going to kill me if I didn't.

Your mom was ready to kill you. Prove that I was, I don't know. Should we tell your family that a Taconas tried to literally kill the chosen Sion of the Candidcestine Crete? Because I feel like they're already mad at them. No, no, no, no. Death is something, I don't know. Maybe it's just, it's not hitting as hard enough

because I'm a demon and like, I don't really. Do you know, do you think you know where this person's soul went? I don't anymore because All this talk of what happens to souls after they pass on, and the veil is being thinned out, and I don't really know. And something tells me that her soul, no matter where it's gone, is going to haunt me, at least spiritually, and maybe literally. I have no idea anymore.

Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Speaking of... Cross that bridge. Yeah, that's the thing. We may cross a bridge that goes into, and I might see her. She might pop up and... And that'd be so awkward, right?

Also, also, not for nothing. She's also walking around. He reanimated her. Oh, well then, okay, that's... To Toconis' entire bag, though, right? It's reanimating dead, so... I wouldn't worry about it too much. Of course I'm going to worry about it so much.

This is everything... I've done a horrible, horrible bad thing. People are going to try to kill me. And it wasn't even for a good reason. It was just to protect my own skin. That's a great reason. And I have no one to apologize to and no one. Apologize to me.

Apologize to me. I'm talking about someone to pray to, someone to atone to, someone who can wipe away my, my dear name. You can. You have, in the last week, discovered that the entire religion that your family has invented is a sham. I understand you're having a crisis of faith. Um, I have something to share with you that might put some heat under your ass.

I was waiting for the right time to say this. And I don't want to tell you how to feel because I guess killing people is bad or whatever. Um, you are not supposed to do that. But I, I mean, I am in your corner. I think that you should do whatever it takes to survive. And I am happy that you are not dead. Okay. Um, I got this paper from a Lux. And I was waiting.

The priestly orders. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I gave it some reading, and I wanted to wait till the right time to tell you, because do you know how I said, like, a week ago, that your family has been in bed with my family for a long time? Yes, of course.

It goes a little bit deeper and darker than I kind of initially. I thought it was just sort of like, we're meant to show the public that we can be but those Luxas are sort of unknowingly signing their souls over Ticksharavi. Um. To your father. Yeah. So that's where their souls are going.

Wait. So they're getting, my family has sold their souls to your dad? No, I don't know about your family, but I certainly know the luxes who joined the Creed voluntarily get at least some of their power. of their power. I think the tattoos are real, but they get some of their power from Shara V, which is really wild to me because like why would the Candidaccent Creed want their luxes to work with the high prince of suffering? Isn't their whole thing healing? I don't know. I haven't quite figured it out, but it feels kind of fucked. Yeah, of course it is. They'll stop at nothing to to

spread that power like a disease. So I think, I mean, and I also have to fully disclose that I have mixed feelings about this because like I kind of am down for more souls to be going to the pit because that's kind of my ultimate job. I don't know, I, is where I come from. You want this? Mixed feelings.

I've got mixed feelings because I think people should do it voluntarily. You have mixed feelings. I've got mixed feelings. I've got mixed feelings about it because I am a demon. I'm sorry. I know. I don't like that it's not on purpose.

I think that we could do better marketing. I think that people should join. Marketing. Willingly. I thought you were on my team. I am always on your team. Of course I'm on your team. You're trying to save people.

Yeah. We're trying to do good in the world. Yes. Correct. We're trying to do good. We're trying to spread the light, whether it belongs to a religion or not. We're trying to do good in the world. Okay.

Okay. Yeah, you're right. Yeah. I just. If you're not down for that, then. No, I want to do good. It's just, it's a bigger question than you or me is like, what do we do with all these souls? There's so many of them to go around and then where do they go?

There's up to us. I lift up my dress. Oh. And there's, there's bloomer's, there's stuff on underneath. But also is the soul bikini. look at what I made while we were at the tailors saving Cadigan, by the way. Your consent to look? Yes, I'm showing you something.

Okay, I have this really well-crafted bikini. It's made out of a soul. It's all the hair coming out the sides. Don't look at that. Okay. I'm worried. I got blunders on there's so much. I've got goat legs.

They're very curing. Thank you. I'm blushing. Okay. It is made out of a soul, though. I think that you're not really good. I think you were, like, distracted. This is a lot.

All right, listen. We know where some of the souls are going. Yes, I don't want them to go to your bikini. I don't want them to go to your father. I want them to go where they're destined to go. Which is where? Well, I don't think that's up for me to decide. But I know that I don't want my grandmother to decide it,

and I certainly don't want the Taconas to decide it. Okay. I think that you should do some sort of reparation ritual to soothe your guilt about kids. killing this innocent woman who then became a zombie. I agree. But who do you pray to if you have no faith? I don't think it's about praying right now.

I think it's about doing a service to somebody. I think that you need to balance the scales a little bit, right? That's what... Save a life to... Yeah, let's save a life today. All right. All right. That's a good place to start. We can save a life to make up for it.

The door opens and walking in, the lady Iris, your mother walks in. And you see behind her are two servants that wheel in a tray, cloches removed, a beautiful plate of breakfast, fresh cut fruit. She looks and says, wiki, and goes over, kisses you, and she says, tyranny, I know that you're a demon, but to me, you're my

my angel. I thank you so much for everything you did on the road, caring for him and you. Well, we have a very big day, my son. Grandmother is out right now, but she'll be back soon, and there's a lot to discuss. We are to discuss some doctrinal changes, both to be disseminated to Lux's here in the city and beyond, but also she is excited for you. you to deliver a sermon. She wants you in the Cathedral of Light. She wants you to, obviously she has been speaking about her resurrection, and I would,

and I think she wants you to speak from the heart. And I think she wants you to speak about. I don't know if today's a good day for that. I'm, I'm, I'm. Tummy troubles. It is priest day. Sure, sure, I know, but I, hmm, hmm, hmm. You all, I know, I know.

I spoke with her and I spoke with your sister and your father, and I know, you dimmed. You didn't. You know? You can see it on my face? No. No. They told me that you, in some ways,

that your kidnapping was voluntary in some way. in some ways. And I want you to know that forgive you and that more importantly than that, the light forgives you. The light forgives all as long as we accept it. If we submit, then no part of us can be dimmed. When our shadow is only cast when we stand

and defiant. When we kneel and supplicate, we do not cast a shadow behind us. So good. That's how shadows. Especially at noon. Of course tell her I'll happily deliver a sermon. All right. I love you. I love you.

I love you. And she exits the room. exits the room. Okay. We are going to cut over to the rookery. Woo! Nauseous. Wow.

Hallandiel. Yeah. The night of your greatest achievement was the night that you realize a achievement. a recognition of your people and the souls of your people's ancestors and all of this. And also death and chaos and the sundered houses and the constant threat looming over the city. And your, and Tisha had to keep you from getting arrested.

And the, and then your brother in a shadow. And you spoke to him and he couldn't. or wouldn't or can't speak to you. You wake up in the morning the night after a dream you have been pursuing for years and years and years came true. It is like even, I think, getting home very late after a ton of revelry,

I think a weekend quite early actually in the morning. What is Hal feeling in this night And is it strange in a house that has been at times a grand central station, a house that is like a community pillar? On the night of your greatest achievement, I don't know that anyone else sleeps in your house. No, we would have sent Shadia off to be with the divine household. I think that he can't get his bearing. Life is living harder than has ever life before because his greatest triumphs are now married. and intertwined with incredible worry and fear

for what happens next, only because the mother of his children is a giant among men. The only reason he is not in irons right now, in a cell somewhere right now. He's so proud. He's wondering when the shoe will drop. The hail of ours are not done. They could be back tomorrow.

They could be back in a month. He doesn't know what kind of game they're going to be playing next. wondering if it mattered, if it will have an effect on people, if it wasn't just a flex of artistry, but more akin to something his brother would have done, his brother who is here, almost, possibly maybe, not alive, not breathing, not gone, as we'd all believe. It doesn't matter. The danger to him doesn't matter.

of course he's going to try to wriggle out of the trouble that's coming his way, but enough is enough. The city can only take so much before it breaks. And if we're talking the nighttime, if this is him in the night, he's looking out his windows at the, what few lights do sparkle out across this city that he loves so much. If he's married to anyone, it is this city. It has always been this city. He's praying. It's people. We all have the strength to weather the storm that is bearing down on us full force.

Still that pride, though. Having achieved, I mean, in this way mechanically, but really, like, a new level of magic has come to Hal in this moment. That achievement at the Hallowed Round, Bards are as much a part of the spiritual tradition of like ancient Runei as anything else. And that power flows through you as you wake up very early in the morning. And I think you hear someone down in the kitchen, maybe it's Misha, you know,

still under house arrest. But you hear up, it's way early though. Someone's making breakfast down. You hear like sort of like clinking in the kitchen and like tea. and stuff like that. And can smell this like, Misha has not cooked in the couple days that he's been here.

Bacon and eggs and something really delicious downstairs. He'll follow that scent and he'll get all the way down the stairs of his home and the rookery and he'll get outside the door and smell that incredible inviting smell and then hesitate at the door

because that fear creeps in and still He pushes the door open to find what he finds. Push the door open. Tysha told you that she wouldn't be able to stay. She was probably at the lawyer's day last night, but maybe push the door open and placing two plates down at a small set of stools

by a small kitchen window. Yannessa Halevar turns around. Oh my God. Oh boy. Shit. What? Mr. Fang, are you hungry? Good morning.

And puts it down. I knew it. As it turns out I am. Wonderful. Please take a seat. I helped myself. I hope it's all right to some of your rations, but you have such a delightful array of tea.

here. Matt, I pour you something? Do you like tea in the morning to help wake up? I prefer coffee, strong. Ah, very well. Well, she takes, she says, I had this on a boil for a kettle, but is coffee take the same boil? Let me see how hot it is.

She pours the boiling water over her hand and says, it was quite hot. That's cool. I will grab two old familiar mugs, both made for me by my children years ago. ago and I've held on to them since given, and I place them down between me and this viper. Pour.

Pouring it. Thin thick, black, foamy, domaqyar coffee sitting in these beautifully lumping and misshapen, child-made mugs. She raises a glass, takes a sip. Disgusting. I heard you didn't like my edits. I didn't have a problem with your desires.

I don't think you knew what you were asking for, which is a deviation from your history and mine. What you're trying to achieve, it's commendable the amount of effort and focus your family has put in. The shapers are gone. Their vanquishing is agreed. on. No?

Such a funny point to make a deviation from history. The trial of Vokion Mursault in Orkish history, I think it took around four days. They wanted to parade him and allow people time. But in your play, it happens in about, what, 15 minutes? Seems like a deviation from history. Or is that to help the audience understand the historical events a little bit more cleanly?

What the candescent creed brings to the city is a modern gift, not one of old. You're putting the cart before the horse. Hmm. And you're putting two dead lion men on your table. You walked into my home and lied to me. Brought that filthy ranger in. You and the druidess. Ma'am, are you coming into my home and preaching to me about honesty?

It'll show may work out on the streets. I see Yora. My boy, we both put on a show. Mine is when people kill and die for. Fight, you have just started. Now, I... You have just walked into the ring and thrown your first punch.

My boy, I'll go more. rounds than you have days left in your, let me assure your very short life. You might look out in this city and see those celebrating your name. I'm sure the whores and vagabonds that populate the city of Dormakia would be more than happy to lift a toast to you and your troop. That beating heart in your chest, I will. and you've tied one little knot in front of me before I can get there. It will be a sincere pleasure to make sure this city hates you and what you stand for

before I dangle you from a rope like your idiot brother. A cup a clay mug that Shottie made for me and take a sip of coffee. Place it back on the table. You know, Yonessa, may I call you, Yonessa? By all means, Al. You're absolutely right. 1V1, I am a smear on the cobblestones with you. Absolutely.

But it's not just me. And if I go out the way of my brother, there's a whole city more of me, waiting to fill the spot. Give me an insight to check. How? Conversation is giving me indigestion. Oh, my God.

Yikes. 21. Yenessa chuckles to herself. She says, this city thinks of itself as a worldly place. But understand me, more cities than you can count on your hands and feet. I am everywhere in this world,

and don't mock yard for all of its swagger of the city are scared you see the city's pride you see its storied history i see people that don't know what happens when they die they will take a lie that answers their question before they will take a hope that they cannot see and you on that 21 insight you look down This breakfast looks incredible. It's seasoned. There's pepper on the eggs. The sausages are like scorched and singed a little bit. And on 21 Insight, you remember the first time Fiazzi brought Aranesa home when they had first fallen in love?

And she grew up in the fucking golden orchard and she tried to cook something for a family meal. And it was a fuck, it was a disaster. And this breakfast is beautiful. And I think on the 21, Hal just notices that. And she continues saying, you are inviting people to be their better selves.

Do that enough. And they will hate you. People do not want to be the angels of their high. It is exhausting and frightening. They do not want hope. They want safety, and they do not wish for freedom. They wish to belong.

I really wish you could have come to the show last night. You should spend more time in the theater. She stands up. Make peace with your choice in time. It will be, as I have said, a privilege to destroy you. But hearing in your voice the pride you hold, I want you to know, the greater joy will be destroying what you've spent your life. of trying to build and fuck your mug.

And she casts Eltrich Blast and destroys both mugs on the table in front of you. And holds a handout, smashes the door open with telekinetic force, and flies into the sky. I can fix your mugs. Actually, give me an Arcana check, if you'd be so kind.

DC is only 11. 22. You do recognize the spell being cast as an Eldridge blast. Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. I think I just spend a few minutes

disassociating the wreckage of this meal. Staring out the door of my home and then start to pick up the pieces. We cut over to. You're up. The Pope shot my mum. I'm my number one dad. You know that Astra you made me?

Murray, the most exhausted wizard in Dolmachiar. How long is this long rest where you finally get to take a long rest? Well, I think she wakes up way too early because she has the whiny wakees, because she drank too much last night, so I think she wakes up at one point, and she's like, and she just finds a glass of warm water that's probably been there for three days,

smashes it, goes back to sleep, wakes up again, and it's like, noon. Duh, fuck. What day is it? Do I have a calendar? You do have a calendar? It's a priest's day. Oh, fuck. And I think I'm just gonna get my barren straight,

and then I'm gonna eventually, stumble over, sit at my desk, disassociate for like 20 minutes. And then I'll eventually look down and look at the Kimin Kinskarah. The Kibbenimkidaz. Kibbenin Kadaz. What is that word? The Kibbenimkadas is a druidic book of the names of stones. Kibonimkadas.

The Kibbimkadas. It's a magical artifact that was named by Missy Elliott. Sturkiminim Khamma, yeah. This ancient druidic text in front of you that I will also add to your character sheet if you don't already have it. I do have it. You do have it, great.

And I'm just now looking at it and realize I can attune to this shit. You absolutely can. Which is crazy. Uh-huh. But I'll do that. I'm going to just stare at it, and I've, you know, continuing to try and, like, hydrate.

I had so much wine and ale in Yargraz last night. Hydrate, find something salty to put in me, and I'll just kind of start slowly thumbing through this thing. Yeah. Attuning to it, you look over. This is an ancient druidic text that contains, essentially in the druidic language, the names of countless stones.

Some of them are like mountain peaks or vast promontories. Others are family names of groups of stones. Others are like specific, like, the specificity is interesting because it's not super scientific. It's much more felt, but it's like a name for the smooth,

perfect skipping stone that a hand discovers in murky water. It has that kind of like poetic taxonomy to it. That's cool. But it's translatable to you and extremely magically potent. I take out that bag of gyms that Octus gave me and I just kind of start, just kind of start fiddling with them in my hands, just kind of feeling them over.

I think I'd just get lost in this for a little bit. You, in that hour that you attune, may, if you choose, use the ability of the Kibbenimkadas, if you would like. Yes, the legend lore that I can cast. This book allows the one attuned to it to cast legend lore on stones specifically. Yes, once per day at will, apparently.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Or yeah, I think once per day. Mm-hmm. Once per day. And. Sorry, yes, once per day, but I don't think. Yes. Yes. You get what I'm saying. Yes.

Yes. For free. For free without using the spells. It's yours if it's stone. Yes, yours, yes. You. Casting the spell, you see the history of these gemstones. I think you flash through images of yourself as like a teenager in the Magnessen family shop back in the Sunset Mountains, going over with your mom, your aunts and uncles, how to like refine and cut gems, the early conversations around the fact that, you know, the family veins of gemstones had like run dry and what had happened to the family business as a result of that. and you see images of these stones.

These were taken specifically from the Cavrosi Mountains. You can feel there's a coldness to the gems and a depth. And as you cast the spell, your diviner sight reaching out, you see fragmented light cascading on. The first time these gems came across the nighttime sky, the first time they were taken up out of the earth and saw the sky again, and you see a flashing image violent and aggressive of two sisters reaching out

across vast eternity. You see a fire-hearted metal woman vaster than the cosmos, vast beard of metal forgecraft reaching out and another woman stars and moonlight, a moonlit face. You see that only the edge of her face catches light, and it is the Crescent Moon, and you feel like you are getting

a reverberation or memory of shapers. Trojna and Illumi, the goddesses of the forge and the moon of skill and magic reaching out and touching. And you see the rings, much like the rings of a planet, the rings that cover Aramon, referred to still as a Lumi's blanket,

and feel a static, a static and a fractured energy of frequency echoes of horror and anger on a cosmic level that have been reverberating throughout Aramon and you echo in on these gems of this memory. It is cosmic but it is not ancient. It is from, a little over 70 years ago.

And you know there are, the Shapers' War is in living memory. Heroes and champions on both sides of the Shapers' War were teleporting during that war. They were casting spells of sending across vast distances. This magic was lost to sorcerers and clerics and druids in living members. and I think with these stones in front of you,

you sense that obviously this was lost during the Shapers' War, but I think you, in this moment on that legend lore, actually go ahead and give me an Arcana check if you'd be so kind. Okay. Ooh. I'm gonna use a look point. Nice. Cheating.

Cheating. That's better. Better. 24. 24. Reaching into magic there, you are able to pinpoint that the confusion in the fabric, the confusion in magic the loss of so many of these types of magic that the pentateral has been aiming towards is due to interference. not loss. These things should work,

and when they don't work, something intangible, but real, is stopping them. It is an introduction of chaos, and you can particularly feel something created that these gems are picking up on that is rooted or anchored in physical locations of this world,

somewhere in this world, in this world that reach out to Illumi's blanket. The rings around the planet are casting or participating in something that has weakened a whole number of schools of magic, weakened and interfered with them and stopped them. And these gems, however, hum and vibrate in a frequency that seems not to dispel or abjure that magical interference, but rather dance through the raindrops, a frequency moving through particles of obstruction.

And you sense within these gemstone something special or worthy and see the Taconas discovering them and specifically pulling them from statues deep somewhere in the endless night in a holy site and you can see that they're pulling them from something related to tonsil the shaper of the sun and you see these gems associated with the shaper of the sun outside of the field of a Lumi's blanket farther than the moon farther than the rings of the planet and you get a sensation of their association with this magically.

There's something that Tacona saw on them on that legend lore of gems like these can be used. Their association with the shape or tansel, their association with some kind of magical element of light. And I think you see that light is very important here. These gems contain some nascent bit. And as they sort of hover on the table in front of you, You see there's sapphire, ruby, emerald, and then a white diamond.

And that totally clear diamond, you see a small sun appear in it for a moment, and it creates a totally clear frequency that you can sense. And as you kind of intake or gasp, that central diamond projects your voice. Check one two, testing, testing. Can you hear me?

Your voice projects from the diamond, slightly louder than you're speaking it, and then the legend lore fades, but the magic you understand to be practical. You really witness that, that really happened from that gemstone, and you understand the quality of the gemstone that you would need to look for and could find it if you had access to more like this.

I poke at the rubies and the sapphires. and I leave the diamond on one corner, and I walk to the other. Can you hear me? Once again, I kind of flick it almost like I do my gemstone teeth. On that high-Arcana check, this one started working on the residual magic of the Kibbenim Kedaz. You, as you flick on your teeth, can tell that this would require more than simple experimentation. This would require spell energy put into it.

You're like, you can feel that you would have to, you would have to develop or research some magic to recreate what happened automatically through that Legend of Lord. But the manner in which to do that is not beyond your comprehension. Fuck. Oh, shit. All right. What time is it?

I look outside. What time is it? How long have I been lost in my mind palace? I think you might have been lost to your mind palace till like 11 a.m. Shoot, I didn't wake up till noon. Oh, you didn't wake up to noon. Honestly, it's like two in the afternoon right now. Hell.

I gotta go find out of Zune. What am I doing? And then I like wash my face and I leave. Hell yeah. You head off to find it. And speaking of a Zunei, a Zunei. Hey, hey, you wake up in your apartment. Yeah. I sure do. I kind of go about my routine as if it were, I know it's Priest's Day.

Yeah. And I know that's not necessarily a day that I would necessarily go to work. Yeah. But I'm going to work. You step outside and see that there is a carriage in the bearing of the Revolutionary Guard outside. and you see a driver who you recognize as the former Captain Fizier's, Edrian Fizier's old driver, nods to you. Oh, boy. I see him. I feel like I should have expected this. One moment, I go back inside, and I go to my desk,

and I have papers scattered on there. One candle is still lit. I didn't snuff it out yet. It's bad to leave a candle on when you leave your home. I'm gonna take the remnants of the lists that I have been making, and I'm going to burn them. And as I feed them to the fire, I will control flames that candle flame

into the face of a dragon. And it consumes these lists that I had been making the last, I don't know, however long we've been at this. Not this. So many lists go up in flame and you see all of these accomplishments. You see the case made to the Einfossen. You watch that carriage pull away with House Einfossen sending an envoy to whatever remains of the golden orchard.

And that look of Otto and his son, Yosefier, basically saying, we cannot trust. the Taconas. And all of the culmination of everything that started after the death of Fiazzi with Azunei saying, we have to try to turn these houses against each other. And the lists, Demidas is headed north with King Augustus Fallian and all of it, all of that work. But of course, the work never really ends. Hmm. There's something that lingers for a little bit about the events that happened last night. And as I fed those lists into that fire

that I made into a dragon, I will shape the flame once more into this technicolored celestial that I saw, that I believe I saw the spirit of a woman become. Yeah. Something about that. Yeah.

snuff the flame and head out towards the carriage. The head of the carriage. Armand looks at you. This is the former captain's driver. Looks and says, Captain Neyar, pleasure to serve. Where to? To the brethren hall. Of course.

Pardon me, Armand? Are you a religious man? Religious, not, I have no ill will. You drive these streets often, I'm sure. That I do, Captain. What time does the candescent creed typically hold their services on Priest's Day? There will have been an early morning service

with the coming of first light, and there will be, I believe, an evening mass as well. An evening mass. I hated those. Always the worst. Take me to the Brethren Hall. To the Brethren Hall, Captain, of course. And you've been walking the beat your whole life,

and now you've got a driver. Woo-hoo! Who-hoo! Captain! Captain. You take it to the Brethren Hall. You arrive at the Brethren Hall. Walk up into the Capitol.

captain's office, you see a mountain of work awaiting you. It's kind of empty because a lot of the administrative staff do get pre-stay off, even though there are people on patrol. Yes. A lot of like Einfazen people. There's still paperwork of a hiring process. You have the small, you know, the Archangian Marshals were always the smallest department of the Revolutionary Guard.

You know, it's very rare to find warriors who have magical ability that are not like in service of a house or all. You know, magic is, it's a magical world, but even so, it's still special. So to find those that are willing to like, enjoin civic service, there's usually like six, it's like one captain with six lieutenants, each of which have three to four, you know,

inquisitors underneath them, right? So like, it's a squad of about a little more than 30, and you know, lieutenants captain and inquisitors included. So you still have to replace Shemad. You have to replace the guy you got fired. And you don't work here anymore. I mean, as a lieutenant. I'm no longer a lieutenant.

I'm a captain now. Yeah. Interesting. And immediately upon getting in there, you have missives asking the Lord Haurondis wants to speak with you. And there is also a missive from Philonius Halevar, congratulating you on your appointment to captain. captain and saying that they have had a report

through their own private security of a arcane murder at the Merconad Couturier shop that they would like to be handled personally by you. No, by me. Yes. They said this should not be delegated to a lieutenant. Aha, and this is from Philonius. It's from Polonius. Okay, understood, I'll add that.

I'm creating a new list. Oh, old habit, too. This is where, this is your, You're doing. There will be a supercut at the end of this campaign of all the times you investigated your party. By saying. And this is a thing I don't know about.

Yes, I'm saying. Well, I am in a position to delegate a few things. So I'll take note of these different things. So that's that one, Philonius. What was the one that you said before that? Something else. Oh, the one before that. Yeah. Oh, I'm meeting with Herondis.

He's with Herondis. Herondes. He's Rambi. Harondis. So boring. Okay. I'll do a couple things. Do I have any of my lieutenants here currently? Are they all out?

Is Grotto here, Horace? Grotto is not here. He's still, like, in recovery, but, you know, he was able to make his testimony. But, or no, Grotto was at the Einfosson meeting. Grotto was at the Iphonse meeting. Grotto was at the Iphonse meeting. promoted to lieutenant.

The others are still inquisitors. Yes, that's correct. I'm assuming probably now under him. Yes, that's correct. And I don't know who my other five lieutenants are. There's a vacancy because... Shemad. Shemad is gone.

So I have... So you have a lot to go over. I do. I think you can grab that paperwork up and collect that as well. If you want to set that as like a to-do list. Yes. I have ideas.

Great. and where do you head to in person? The evening mass is not for some time. It is not. But also you haven't checked in with Hal or Murray or anybody else. And then you have this Herondis thing and everything else. I'm going to take, I'm not going to meet with Horandis just yet. I'll find him later.

I'm going to take the stack of papers and I'm going to head to HALS. Hell yeah. Awesome. I will, as you head over to Howells, I think you're getting to them in the afternoon, but I'll actually cut back if I can to Wick and Tyranny after the lady Iris leaves. But what is on your agenda for that day?

You know that she wants you to speak at the evening mass. Yes, we have some time. You have some time, yeah. I would also, I mean, I would I would also suggest that we go to see Hal and the others. Because we've, there's important stuff afoot and we only know a little bit of it. Yeah.

And we need to formulate a plan with them. So I don't know if my grandmother's not around, I assume. No. So I'm on my own, I can do my own stuff or do I have to report in to anybody? I think that, I think that you aren't sure about exactly how watched or under lock and key you are at this moment.

Well, then I will look around and see if I'm being watched, maybe on the walk back to my room. Give me a perception check. Okay. 16 plus things. I don't know what things. Perception, your perception scale. Zero, so 16.

16. Out in the courtyard, you see a bunch of the Sons of the Dawn. These new Hail of Our Mercenaries are here. here, Philonius is talking and getting them ready for some kind of mission. You, you know, things are quite busy. You see people coming and going. Your mother checks in with you,

I think as you're about to head out and goes, you're, where are you off to, my darling? We would love to send guard or escort with you if you are out and about. Your grandmother is very intent that you'd be It is a charged time in the city. And there is much, you know, she cannot, she has much business to attend to herself,

but is there anything, I think it would be, oh, she has asked that you only travel with tyranny keeping an eye on you. Of course, and other guard as well? At minimum tyranny, but we'd love to send other guard as well. another guard as well. If I may, trust levels are a little bit low in the city. We hope to repair some damage today at evening mass.

I'd like to be the one to accompany his radiance. Give me a persuasion check. Absolutely. With plage, 19 plus 8. Jesus. Jesus. 27. You see that, she says, of course, Wick, why don't you see yourself,

we have some new clothes for you. We've done, there's a lot that we're doing in the wake of the great ascendancy, the ascendency, and I would like to speak to Tery for a moment if I could. Oh, all right. You'd like me to step off and look at these clothes? Yes, yes.

And you see that some of your attendance actually appear in this moment. You see that she says, you are being called to great things. And I know that Yannessa before you ran away, I think grandmother might have shared some things with you about. Yes, yes, yes. I don't want to trouble you with those things.

It's all mostly administrative and formal, that sort of thing. But yes, she shared a great deal with me. She enlightened me to more truths than I had ever dreamt. And that is wonderful. You see she says this is the Lux charity, Charity Consternata. You see this beautiful Lux approaches and has like... How beautiful? I would say she's lovely.

Okay. She's gonna die. And she says, Lord Helovar. Chastity, was it? Charity. Charity. Please. We have made some updates.

to the clerical god in the wake of the rescindency, and we'd love for you to come, and just has clerical vestments for you to wear that are a little bit more ostentatious than some of what you've been wearing in the city up to this point. Of course, if it is grandmother's request, then absolutely, adorn me. As you are adorned, you see that the Lady Iris says,

I know that Wick's heart is pure, dim again, Not soon. And she needs strength in this moment. She has been through so much. She died. And I know that Wick would have found his way back to the light no matter what. But I think the reason he found it back so quickly is because he had guidance. My understanding is that the Photarch is not willing for Wick to travel.

without supervision in the city and beyond, until some calmness is restored to her heart about his dimming. And so if you would be ever by his side as an aspirant and as one who commands the trust, frankly, of you and your sisters, you have delivered a great boon by returning with us. so he must not dim again, Terrani.

Do you understand? It is my only dedication. I'm intimately familiar with the wants and the whims of our radiance. When I walked in earlier, was your address, never mind, it's fine. And you see that she, you two, I think, can head to house if you would like.

Yes. Are we taking a carrot? I'm wearing my new vestments. I guess a couple new, lovely scarf. Yes, beautiful. Dang. You guys can head out in a halo var carriage. Yes, please.

Now my question to you is, do you want to take a halovard carriage to Hal's house? Let's go nearby. Let's go nearby'sies. Cool. But not right there. You're ceramicist. Yeah, you guys can head. out, I think, to somewhere in that neck of the woods and then, you know, wherever you think you would want to go.

We'll pick a spot. What area does he live in the rookery? The rookery, yes. The rookery in the rookery. It's not confusing. Okay. Seven stars? It's a neighborhood named after a location in the neighborhood. Sure. I'll tell you what that is later. And we'll just tell the driver that we're going to walk around and find the needy

and the downtrodden and try to lift their spirits through direct sermons and direct prayer and stuff like that. Incredible. Wait here. I think that Azune and you guys land at Howls at around the same time. I think that, and we can also rule,

I know that Murray has a long day here, but I'm okay to rule if you would like Murray, or if you guys would wait for Murray to show up. I don't want to exclude Marisha from you guys all getting together. I'm coming. I'm coming. I mean, I could justify stalling a little bit by doing a sort of circuit around the city and this carriage that I have with the driver just to sort of take the temperature of the town and observe how the people are. I think that makes sense. I think you guys have some business that morning.

You are introduced, by the way, to a number of people. I think, yeah, you guys take your time. Give me an insight check as you kind of make your rounds around the city. and I think for you to, Wick, you were also introduced by your mother and charity to a number of people. You've known them all for a long time, but basically,

give me an insight check, actually. May I guidance myself since this is intentional? Yes, you may. And there was an insight check? Insight check, yeah. Great. Mine's an insight check as well? Yes. 12.

You are introduced quickly to a number of people that you've met and known for a long time, but you get the sense of like, I know all these people, why are they? But one of them literally says to you, as your mother is like, and this of course is our Magister of Worship, Hebor and Elkenwa,

and of course you are familiar with Dr. Katrinke. And, oh, Elan, he is very excited. And as this happens, it's almost like a bunch of important higher-ups within the cantescent creed are being, you were given like an office where you were allowed to like administer to the culture of Dolmachiar. It's why, Hal approached you. But these people sort of had complementary offices in the Candacian Creed to you.

Like you know that Haboran was like, oh, that's someone who works on our doctrine and worship. It's like this is the person who helps us talk about how we're going to interpret the luminous texts into different languages and what we're going to say to try to persuade people. And then there's like Elan who works in like the outreach. of the church in terms of how the church helps other political institutions. And there's something, so you had at 12, you're like, oh, okay, like I know these guys,

but they're like really happy that I've come home. Give me an insight check here as well, Tyranny. Nine. Nine. Weird friendly meet and greet. You don't know. You guys seem old. Same old, same old.

What do we got on the insight check here? 21. 21. This city, the left, hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Oh. There, you go through neighborhoods of a rowdy priest's day

in the godlessness capital of the world, the seat of the anti-Shapers Revolution, and people are partying and having a blast. And you can see, I think what you can see is like in the market, in Sir Ogermach's marketplace quite near to the Brethren Hall, people are scalping tickets for the hallowed round. People are talking about it.

It's like it's already happening. And there is a sense of a bullience and a kind of rowdiness in the city. And then you get up into Mearsash and Lugzash, about to head over to the rookery. And there are people openly wearing holy symbols of the candestine creed more than you've ever seen before. Wow.

There are some people in this city where the resurrection of Yonessa Halivar is the most important thing that ever happened. And it really comes down to, I think, you see, it falls along these fault lines of people who take pride in the history of the Revolution and Dolmachar's history. And there are a lot of people who fled to this city from Barodels and War,

and some of them don't have a history. They don't have the roots. They don't have the roots. You, on that high insight check, see that Hal has spoken a story to a people with a history that they are proud of, and Yenessa is going after the lost. And I think that's where you land.

Great. And we probably parked our vehicle next to the seven stars, by the way. Oh, great. Which is close. Which is quite close, yes. Your holy escalade. Yeah, the holy escalade, yes. Keep it running.

And I think you guys arrive all together, I think at Hal's house. I think Tyranny and Wick, I think you guys are the first to walk into Hal's house. I think walking in the front door, it's quite drafty in here. You can look through and see that Hal's backdoor out of the kitchen is off its hinges. It is, although hours have passed, and I think Hal with so much to run over in his mind has done that thing where he's not going to be able to set his mind to any one task, so he's just started cleaning the house vigorously. In pockets.

I need to clean the baseboards right. Right now. He's been focusing on anything but the look of his home. So now, because he's now worried about his own safety and everyone he knows his safety, he's like, well, I'm gonna put this away, I'm gonna put this, this has all been piling up. So by the time the gang gets here, the house,

other than the fact that there are two poor lost here in the home, the house looks cleaner than they've ever seen it before because he has been anxious spring cleaning. And there's like chunks of the door that broke off of the main that are like stacked next to it. So it looks like, you know, like a bull ran through it, but all the debris has been put up in a little pile next. I think who has been asleep in the side room

and is now awake, I think that Misha has like been helping you. And maybe seeing this excuses, he says, or yeah, looks out and is trying to help you clean up and looking at the door and being like, actually they're going to have to go down to the store and grab some nails or something. That's well and truly broken. Yeah, we'll get some wood from the shop.

It'll be fine. In a day. We can tear in it. You arrive first. Oh, hop, on, pop, on, pop, on. Pad, pad, pad, pad, pad, pad, pad, pad, pad, pad. My word, what has happened here? Hey, LeVars.

Come on in. All right. I will start brewing a fresh pot of coffee. All the food is gone that was here before because it had bad mojo. It smells like bacon. It's like bacon in here. Yeah, my bacon, frying.

I've seen your grandmother recently. Have I seen my grandmother? Last night, yes. I've seen her more recently. And she did this? We brunched. It was great. How are you not dead?

Well, normally, Cat likes to play with the mouse before it eats it. And I think we're in that liminal phase beforehand. And you're the mouse? I'm not the cat. Okay. But if she's keeping you alive, it must be for some reason. Did she give any?

First of all, thank the light you're alive. Are you all right? Did she hurt you? No, no. No, we just had a chat. That's good. Why are you being so vague right now? I'm hoping you not have to tell this story more than once. Oh, where's Murray? I think Azunei, you arrive at that mocking.

I'm talking. How? Alicia. I walk past Wic and Tyranny and clap Azune all the way around the shoulders into like a fierce hug. I'm glad you're here. Are you all right? Come on in. Have some coffee with me.

Do you have clothes I can borrow? Eddie Murray right behind his, you walk in. Sweet shape, or anus. What did this door do to piss you off from you? Wasn't me, and I trot up the stairs to go through my closet and bring down. You go grab some clothes, Misha looks over at you and says, Lieutenant Naira, I was gonna ask,

do we know how much longer I'm under? Congratulations, that's amazing. Am I under arrest? No, no, no. Why would you think that? You're on house arrest. It's the best we could do. I think on that one, Azune,

there's no one, like the original house arrest that was... They're all gone. You're no longer on house arrest, Misha. You're free. I would bother to do the paperwork, but they don't seem to care about it since they fired the person

that was our record keeper. I'll just say I did it. I think you... I think, yeah, Azuna, you did the math in your head real quick, go. Why bother? Harondis doesn't give a shit about it. You know, it's like, um, uh, uh, and can you give me a hand with this?

And I'm, I'm gonna try to fix the door and cast mending to make our parents, whatever, it's busted about it. Uh, Shalotle, you know, you hit the, you hit the, the word, as Misha holds the door up for you to cast the mending cantrip, the door remembers itself. Um, and you move back and again, that word in Navi Khan. Feels good. Sure does. Damn, Hal.

Did the mugs do something to wrong you too? What happened? Things got a little heated here earlier today. Did you do that? Did you just wake up and hate everything? The door? Woke up happy. Change pretty fast.

Yes, the door. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I'll fix those too. He just saved us about two hours. Hug him again. All right. Thank you. It was nice.

Mugs. Before we get to that, I'm gonna head out because I have no idea who's been looking after my plants. Thank you for freeing me. Thank you, Hal, for your home. And we did it. We're in business. The troops gonna eat. We can pay everyone to Jarrah's bonuses. We can, I mean, it's really, you did it. You're mad man, you mad man. You did it. Let's enjoy the moment. Let's enjoy the moment. All right, and this house has some guests that I don't feel cut out to be around. So, very well, very well, very well. And he heads out. I mean, he clicks his heels and no longer in the house.

What happened did I miss us? I hear that, but looking at Wickander, he's in fancy duds right now? I think so. Yeah, looking like a million bucks. I'm looking more acclimate. The Hale of Ars walked in the city always on that edge of like, are they nobles? Are they priests? They're kind of both. And this is like full ecclesiastical. Is it like priests on Easter Sunday kind of vibes on priest day? I think that if you allowed the Lux Constanato to dress you, you, it is like that scarf is like filament style ruins that are glowing. You look, it is the kind of, um, in that way where like on a high holy day,

a member of a clerical, especially like someone that commands a lot of, like is responsible for a large area or even entire church. It is ostentatious. Bishopie. Bishopie. Wow.

Yikes. Now, Wade. I think Hal places a hand on your dwarven shoulder and just smiles at you. Hold that thought. Oh shit. Looking between the two of you. Hey Wick.

Boy, it's been a busy day or two. We had our big talk. I'm sorry there was so much flying around in this room. Uh, uh, uh, House things a home. Not great. I mean. Well, oh, I mean, on the surface?

Okay. They're having him do a ministry today, sermon today. I don't give the shame. From everything I've understood, it seems that I've been welcomed back into the fold. Your standing's okay. As far as I can tell, tyranny hasn't heard any different.

I think it's better than okay. I got the okay to take him where he needs to go without anybody else accompanying him. Which is excellent, because if they, They trust me, or at least even if they don't and act like they do, it gives me entree into the inner workings of all things, Heelvar, and I can seek to stir the pot and to get you information and to connect you with whatever missions

or... I don't know, we're doing secret stuff to take them down. Right? I can do that. I can do that from the inside. Subtiffuge, please. Sure. Yeah. For me. Go ahead and give me insight, how, and you can give me, I think, persuasion or deception your choice. Sure. I'm being played if we are being played that great. 15. 15. 24. 24. Subterfuge. Can I just say.

Sabotage. If this guy... Infiltration. If we didn't care about what's happening with you guys, there would be no reason to show up here. We've been welcome back with bells on. Truly, you've got bells on. So I don't know why we would be here, if not because we were thinking that we were welcome with you. And I have ideas. And I'm sure you do too,

and I'm sure your ideas are better than mine. But for now, my grandmother was here in this room today? Earlier, yeah. Did she leave anything? Did she cast anything? Is she watching us now? Is this place safe? The only thing he hasn't touched or cleaned up

is the mugs shattered on the table because it broke his heart like the mugs. Oh, Castle Jack Magic. Yeah, you beat me too. Great. Give me investigation with advantage. Yeah. Yeah.

14. Can I assist him? Can I aid? Unfortunately, I already have the advantage. Yeah. I was gonna guidance myself, but I feel like this was an impulse. Yeah. On that investigation on a 14, you don't detect any lingering magic on this place

other than the kind of druidic kind of hallowed that Tysha had put here with her druidic abilities in the Ferov, in the Azi's Farawe. I think on a 14th, the only thing you do detect is that is Yinesse's magic is whatever you removed from the door. The mugs shattering. Like she used magic to destroy that. And I think you sense that there was some divination cast by her in here, concentrated on the bodies of Teor and Talcimir. There's divination magic on the bodies. which I've not been, it's like I have been not really acknowledging

until this moment. Yeah. I suppose there's not really any reason to hide this from you. I would guess you would hear about this right from the horse's mouth tonight or tomorrow. You hear what? Well, your grandmother was here this morning. She was not happy with the production.

Though it wasn't really a surprise because I spit into the wind 24 hours ago, and the wind is just now bringing it back into my face. But the play was a hit, and you accomplish what you set out to, and you're still alive. These are enormous victories. So what are we going to do to keep it that way? She's best. All right. And she's made it very clear. She means to tear all this down.

Did she say how? Does I think it doesn't matter? Well, it does matter because if she hasn't killed him yet. Wick, go ahead and give me insight with advantage, specifically having insight into your family members. Okay. Uh, 23. Um, you're going to, you're going to.

grandmother, asking the question you just asked of what she's planning on doing, her is planning on doing it, that's a bigger question that has to do with the aims of your grandmother, which she's got her finger on a million different. She's got, you know, she's got a lot of irons in the fire. But in terms of the specific question in terms of killing how or threatening how. I think the thing you've heard your grandmother say over and over again is cracking Dolmachyar, is that idea of taking the city. And your grandmother has spite and venom for a lot of different people. There are a lot of people who have gotten in her way. But I think the difference on that 23 insight, you know between your grandmother and a lot of the other more petty

nobles of the sundered houses is that your grandmother doesn't let emotion get in the way of desire. Like when she, you know, like an efficient predator. If you're chasing a gazelle and you pick your gazelle and it starts running, even if one crosses right in front of you, you don't switch up. You stay on yours. What she's hunting is Dolmakiar. And whatever, whatever situation has is in, that she, like, why wouldn't she just smear them on the cobblestone? She was. She seeks influence over the city, over its people,

and she's seen more than ever after last night that you wield such influence, and your theater carries weight here. Well, you know how intelligent Yonessa is, and to make me a smear on the street today is a hindrance, not a help to her. Yeah, she's gonna be more. She's gonna be more.

Right. But that's something we can use, right? We can, maybe your next play or performance or work or something could be something that she could see to benefit her. I know she's not gonna trust you. We could be in it. I mean, if there's a part, I'm not gonna say no,

I'm not gonna say no to a part or something like that. He'll never say if he wants to do so bad. No, no, no, I need more training. I'm not formally trained. yet, if there's an audition process, oh wait, do you want WIC to be in it? Yeah! I mean, if there's an audition, I'll go to it,

but I don't, no favors. That's not what this is about. That's not what this is about. I was gonna suggest Hal should be in it. Both of you, oh! That's beside the point. The cast list we can figure out later. For now, for now, if there's a way

to make your theater more valuable to her, We should pursue it. And maybe that means, at least on the surface, turning it over to someone who can control it. For instance, she is definitely looking for something for me to do for her. If I were to tell her, like, let me handle the next production or something,

and we put on something that on its face looks like something that she would support. Oh my gosh, but you're actually sneak-dissing the kid, as a creed. Maybe it's a two-parter. Sarty? Maybe it's a two-parter. The first one comes out is, it's pro,

and the second one is, and I don't know. I'm not a theater guy. Don't get a head of yourself. The current production is going to run for a bit, and we want it to run its course. It will push the boulder further than it has already gone. Okay, okay. How?

But I don't hate this idea entirely. The part about me being in it, or just the play in general? The pitch. So the whole thing with me in it too. Okay. Well, you'd have to be part of it. Well, I would never. insist on that. You need to think in create a writer framing.

What are you going to say, isn't they? Well, I'm saying this is a really good idea, actually. I think that the promise of a story that propels some of these hundred houses might be really enticing to them, even if it's not going up next week or in two weeks. The knowledge of it being in development, I think, will satiate their appetite. I also think maybe.

Some of these hundred houses need to be reminded of some of their history. A story about the Shepers' war and this hundred houses' participation. Their victories. Am I the only one who hates this idea? I think so. Miss Murray, we didn't talk much,

but I have something for you, and also some information that I think you might find pertinent. Is it okay if I tell them? I don't know what you're gonna tell them, but I hope it's not about your underwear. Well, it is, but also, okay. Yeah, I'm just gonna do it. Okay, so Cadigan was kidnapped and taken to the tailors.

Do you know who the tailors are? Do we know? I don't think we do. I don't know if we were a part of any of the stuff that happened around that. I don't think you guys know. No. I mean, you were just giving me.

I mean, aside from that, Murray. Yeah. I think actually that we, the, I don't know if we've covered this in this episode today, but Murray did identify the items from the Taylor's shop. So you do know the deal of the Taylor Shop. A little, wibbley, wibbley, timely-wimmy. The tailors, if you don't know, we're the ones that we're going to execute your brother. Or no, Tabor.

They were the ones. Exactly. They cut up people's souls, and they turned it into fabric. And I take out the bolt of fabric and the thread and the scissors. And I also made a really cool bikini out of it, but I won't show you because I was told that's not appropriate. So I give it to you, and if you want to take a look at it, I know that you're in charge of the school,

and maybe you can figure out what it's used for. We recently learned that there's a lot of demonic influence in the candescent creed. Oh, yes, yes. And not just... Tyranny just told me that her demonic father is granting power to all of the priests of the candescent creed. In exchange, personal. Feels in a lot of blanks, actually. Yeah, I did, actually.

I got a little quick peeksies at this from Kattegan. Oh, good. So I do have a little bit of an idea of what's going on here. I think I meant to investigate that crime scene. Oh, well, they're both dead, so no one's going to give you a hard time. Did you kill? Don't, don't. I killed one.

No, no, no, what? No, it's better if I don't know. Oh. Oh. Okay. She didn't. Boleer and I handled it. That's better. I can use that.

Would you prefer that I'm vague with you? We've exchanged very few words. I think vague is good for now. Okay. If I need more details, I'll ask, but I can go with that. For the record, I made it very clear to your grandmother,

how opposed I am to the Creed. Kind of both put all cards on the table. Oh. So what I think, It's very brave of you. Stupid. Yes. If I want to see the end of a year,

we're really talking about here as hearts and minds, I have a lot of faith in the people of the city. I think that B was put in their butts last night and will continue to be. However, Halevar is going to try to chip away at the city, my life. I'm an afterthought. her main goals, but I think the thing to do,

I haven't quite figured out exactly how yet, is public appearances. We're talking about PR, really. They're unhappy with the production. They're unhappy that we didn't hold up the creed and help their sales pitch in the city. We're kind of looking at a Bricks and Minifig kind of situation here. Oh my God.

Okay. They have their line to toe, right? They want to silence the little guy. Ah, but that's good, like the fact that they're pissed off means, like you said, you know, there's a little bee in their bonnet, right? Better the city know that they're bothered. I agree. See, I actually like the idea of you getting involved with the theater.

I like the idea with you, maybe taken over for the leading man role for maybe a not, what was his name? What was his name? Flash. Lash, maybe understudying for Lash, for one. I am not crazy about the idea of doing some kindescent creed play, because currently right now, that artistic freedom is the only clear voice

that we have against the creed. The moment that any type of religion infiltrates the theater, it corrupts it corrupts. It corrupts it, we lose it. Unless you wanted to do a farce. That could be fun. A very good enough writer. But then that would be once again a direct

to the Candicea. Yonessa is an incredibly smart, an incredibly vicious woman. Jury's still out on if she is directly working with Charvey, my dad. But she doesn't know what people are saying around town. Would I know Sharvie? Give me Arcana.

I'm going to use this big friend. I think also as you're looking at some of the symbology on the cleric, the ecclesiastical garments here, it occurs to you that a lot of it seems to be these sort of like sunburst patterns that are referencing. They're trying to book end the creed because this is now post-resurrection.

Everything is about the resurrection right now, Unisyssalis resurrection. What did you get on that archa? 3020. The name Sharavi is familiar to you as a demonic name. It occurs to you in a list of names of those who were lieutenants or loyalists of Ilyza, the queen of demons. And I think on 20, you just remember the law, there's a lore of the study of demons, which is essentially that Ilyza has been absent since the death of Osgra, that the dying fields was

where that she would often sit with many of her arched demons by the side of the god of war, that they wed. But there were some lieutenants that were left within the pit of loyalists

to her. And I think on that 20, you just remember that it's like she took her court with her to the dying fields, but then left some loyalists in charge of managing the pit, and that one of those lists of loyalists was Sharafi. It's just a name you remember off a list. You don't know too much about him in particular on that 20, but you remember that name. But there's an interesting question there of, what does it mean to be a loyalist to a queen of demons that seems to have vanished with, the death of Osgra. Regardless of what your plan is moving forward,

we need to know more about what she wants, our grandmother, and how the theater can align with her goals. At least on the surface. At least on the surface, I know that she's hell-bent on destroying the Revolutionary Council. Is that right? That's what they want to do. They did a vote of no confidence.

So maybe there's something there, we can want to take over. Well, right now no one knows there's any beef, right? But if one of us takes on the guise of, say, a slightly tipsy priest around gossip-mongering folk and lets them know that the creed is unhappy, that edits didn't make it into the show, anything happens to me or my people or my place now,

nobody connects any dots, but if the whole city knows that they have an axe to grind, it at least bice me some time or slows her role a little bit. Public sentiment. Always tell the truth, especially when you lie. A magpie lands on your window sill

with a small parchment wrapped around it that you recognize from Lachmere, the proprietor of the seven stars. As it lands, you see a small scroll tied around the leg. It'll coax it up onto my own arm and slowly untie, that little messet.

Landing, small scroll, you see that there is just a drawing of a very squat, fat, round tree, round tree, from the seven stars. What's it? What's it? What's it? I think we might have a friend at the seven star tonight. That's a good friend? A good friend.

An important friend. Okay. Someone on the inside of the Tacona's house. Ooh. Right? Einfasten. Of the Einfossen house. I said the right thing in real life.

The network. She's in the network. Great. That's wonderful. Before we go, should we go now? Or? I don't know how you go over. You two would go over in the seven stars.

You have clothes for him. Maybe you could spare some costumes for us to... I can look like anything. Go undercover. Show me. Is that useful for acting? I turn into you. So handsome.

Maybe I'll keep it. What do you think? It's confusing. Wait, did you say you're doing a sermon or something? I'm supposed to do a sermon tonight. I don't know how that's gonna go. I'm really feeling bad today and guilt and awful.

What's the deal with night mass? I'm sorry? Because it's not really at night. It's always like right at dinner time. It's like right at 5 p.m. And that's, that's a horrible time. It's super annoying if you want my honest opinion. The morning is fine.

You can fast before it. It's over. You can go have your day. Yeah. The night one, you have to stop what you're doing halfway through the afternoon. Are you supposed to finish cooking dinner? And change it to like good clothes.

Yeah, what if you're doing yard work all day? That's horrible. And then you're out. at what, like 7.30, it's already too late for dinner. You're not gonna cook for yourself? No, no. And then everything starts closing at eight. It's the priest's day.

I don't know why they do it. I don't know why they do it. It's all. If you're gonna do a night sermon or a night thing, just make it short. Like, just make it a quickie. Like a little bit, yeah, like a little public speech. The whole hour and a half for people.

Are people? Are people usually- Are people usually- Are I in charge? Is that what's happening? I think, yeah. I'll also say on that message, I don't know that you would necessarily assume that this might have been sent extemporaneously,

meaning that someone is there for you right now. Sure. Yeah. But it means go to the seven stars. It means go to seven stars. We should go over there. But before we go, All right. Just decision.

This is the first time we've ever met like this. Three things. One. Is this a safe space? Can this be our HQ, our clubhouse? Or should we find another place? I mean, it's been doing that for a bit now. But I mean, the photarch showed up here. And also, if you caught a whiff of divination magic,

I don't know. Who knows what she did in here? It might even be beyond my means. Where can't the photarch show up? I don't know. Do you have a place, isn't it? There's a place that we have been meeting previously, which is where we're heading later.

Seven Stars. There's a secret aviary balcony. That's kind of reserved for us. Okay. I plant my hand on two. on tear on your shoulder. Hal, would you do me a favor? Take a quick up to my room,

find some humble, simple clothing for him and a hood. Humble, simple clothing, friend. Yeah. Whoa, which one is the real how? It's just so sad. It's this one, it's this one, this one, this one's the real one. You're always talking about your feelings. Got the part.

I'm like, look at the stairs. Why does everyone say that I'm tired? I'm smiling. But then, did you have any other, before we go to this place, did you have any other plans, missions, ideas? We have so many. We'll catch you up.

We'll figure and go in real time. Just get dressed. Okay, we'll get to it later. I do want to see your panties, though. I'm not showing any, I'm wearing them over my blitz. Fulomers, but there is goat for sticking out. There's probably what Wakandr was referencing. But it's cute and it maybe has magical abilities

that I'll find out about later, because I spent a long time in that tailor shop. Sorry, I don't know if we're retconning that you spent a long time in the Taylor Shop. I'm pretty sure you murdered some guys, said, I make a bikini and I said, right. And then we will be making a craft skill check. We will be making a Weaver's Tools check.

Tools check, pronto. You're gonna have to show me that pattern. Let's go! When they go upstairs to get Wick dressed up, I am sort of like sketching this magpie under the bird's chin, as I say, this under its beak. As quiet as I can, I don't trust them. No.

There's no way we could. I'm talking about allegiance. Oh yeah, there was too much to cover. There's a lot going on. We didn't even address that. If he will do that to save his own skin, what will he do around those we care about? I don't trust them.

It kind of made me like more, I'm not gonna lie. How? What would you like me to do about that? Don't speak freely around them. And I whisper to this bird and say, We're coming in a bit. We'll be there shortly. Business as usual, friend.

usual friend. And I just spent the last handful of minutes ritual casting, Animal Messenger, and I send the magpie off, seven stars ahead of us. Upstairs, we're trying on some clothes, finding some cute looks for me. Super cute looks. I really think we can trust them.

Well, I think that they are trustworthy, but I don't know. They're on our team. I think that they have my choice. I thought that we wouldn't find another good team when our soldiers team broke up, but I feel like we have found an even better team now. Wick, listen to me.

Whether or not they trust you right now does not matter because they have us and they need us and you have a job to do. And because they do trust me. Was that all a girly pop voice coming out of how? You guys take off to the seven stars. I think you guys arrive at the seven stars. It's sort of like, you know, a little bit quieter.

It's like after lunch at this point. And arriving there, it's a short walk down the block from here. Do you guys ascend to the aviary? Do you go say how to lock me? I think you walk in how you can see. see Romina at the end of the bar, who knows well enough not to come right up to you until you approach her.

I tug the edges of the hood that Wick is wearing further around, try to shadow his tattoos a bit more. He looks like a real leading man, by the way. That's like a swashbuckler outfit. Yeah. A little dread pirate robbers. I have, I'm not howl because I'd be crazy. I have transformed myself into a beautiful leading woman.

An actress. Ravenhound. Would you do me a favor and get them upstairs? I'll follow one minute. I will follow me. And I am wearing a cloak that How gave me. It's just something that I can wrap around myself that is not obviously Arcane Marshall.

Yeah. And I did take with me some finer clothes that are gonna be my church clothes. Lovely church clothes. I love it. And I'll take you upstairs. Sure, you could take me wear you want to go in this tavern.

I love taverns. Oh, I hate this. Lead the way. Lockmere comes up with, says, can I gather some drinks or food? You see this is sort of a known for prior. Can I gather this drinks or food for any? I'd like a beer.

No. No? Well, sorry. Oh, it's just your voice. I was sorry. I wasn't saying no to your order. I'll get you a drink. I was saying no to your Demeanor. Sorry.

I'm so... The usual. The usual? Your grass on ice, please. For the lovely lady, a... She's mine. That's right.

Ficked up. And a professor for you? I'll also just grab a beer, grab one for a house, and let's go upstairs. Can I give you anything to eat? Yeah. You know you can.

I guess I'll pick from the menu. and then... None from my name. You got it. So Yargaz, no, on an empty stomach. She's watching her figure. That's what. Oh, no.

Send us up some. I'll send up some stew and then I'll do a safety check with you, and then we'll do a... And then great, okay. Mm-mm, mm-mm. And walks away. You have a safety check with you. He didn't split the thing in.

I think I will start moving through the room in here and the small, there's not a lot of people here. I will do a quick vibe check just looking at Lockmere. Lockmere, it's not even a vibe check. He goes and says, I don't want your friend in here. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I'm serious.

We're not staying more. I'll say this. San Rico is the only person who can give Nat 20s with no roll and Nat ones with no roll. No one dies necessary, not one persuasion. For prior to seven stars, your enemy. Don't get any locked eye, you're in danger girl, from Lockmere.

No, no, no, no. I just get that. I then walk down and I'm going to sit at the bar next to Romina. Okay, she has seen strangers go upstairs and gets it right away. She goes, hell, oh my God, the play, the play, the play, mhm, ma, ma.

I felt for the first time everything's going to be okay. And I felt pissed off, and I made me feel good to feel pissed. And Lash is... He is magnetic, yeah. And things will be okay if we make it. I don't have much time. I have to get back to work. The Stahl keep is very empty, all of the Einfels.

since we're in town, they've all left. I need to tell you, because I have a short list of information, I can tell you who's coming to town, because a lot of people are coming to town that are not normally in town, and I can tell you who's been arrested this morning. Do you have five minutes? I have three. We're upstairs and me.

We'll be in and out. And with that, we're going to go to break. Oh, good. 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.