Critical Role - Tag Team At The Teeth: Beyond The Shroud | Critical Role Melbourne Live Show 2025 Part 1

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Part 1 Check out our 2025 Melbourne Live Show!When characters from both the Mighty Nein and Bells Hells find themselves mysteriously split across parallel realms in The Shattered Teeth, they must unite against a common threat....Join Game Master Matthew Mercer and the cast of Critical Role as Fearne Calloway, Caduceus Clay, Imogen Temult, Fjord Stone, Beauregard Lionett, Orym, and Braius Doomseed work together to uncover the truth behind their interdimensional separation in this unforgettable live adventure! PROLOGUE DESCRIPTION:For some extra lore about our Tag Team at the Teeth Adventure, check out our official Tag Team At The Teeth Prologue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq8RYa0M5EkBells Hells have joined the Mighty Nein at sea in search of Ludinus Da'leth and his safe haven in the Shattered Teeth. As they approach one of the Teeth's mysterious islands, the Nein Hells suddenly find themselves split and separated in parallel realms…Tag Team Team At The Teeth: Two separate cities, two separate adventures, one overarching story. Get Live Show in Australia merch now at our Australia Critical Role shop! Check out our Australia-exclusive tee design, our tour tee and hoodie, and a stunning oversized d20 that holds a map of Exandria within it!Link to shop: https://shop.critrole.com.au/ BEACONWe’re excited to bring you even MORE with a Beacon membership! Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to the shows you love completely ad-free! You’ll receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord. Critical Role's 10-Year Anniversary Melbourne Live Show took place on June 19th, 2025 at the Rod Laver Arena.Emceed by Tom Cardy || https://www.instagram.com/tomycardy/"Paint that Lady," "Monster Truck," and "Mixed Messages" by Tom CardyCharacter Art by Hannah Friederichs || @agarthanguide 

Hey there, Critter Podcast listeners. We have a special new membership service at Beacon.tv, where you get early access to all new podcast episodes, including Critical Role for the first time ever. Beacon members also get things like live event presales, merch discounts, access to a private community discord, and new exclusive series like Critical Role Cooldown. Think of it as our digital Critical Role Land.

Hit on over to Beacon.TV to check it out for yourself and start a seven-day free trial. Thank you so much for your service. support for being a podcast listener and for being a part of our community. Hey there, Critters. This is Ashley Johnson. And Talison Jaffe. And we're popping in here to talk about our new podcast on Beacon Weird Kids. In this series, we're diving into our lives as former child actors, from unraveling our eccentric upbringings to embracing all the delightfully odd interests we still have today. We're covering so many topics like antique toys, taxidermy,

pop culture, and honestly, anything else we come up with. Weird Kids is available exclusively on Beacon. But good news, we're offering a one-month free trial on Beacon.tv, so you can take a look before you become a member. Just use the code weirdos at beacon.tv to start the trial. You can also find fellow weirdos by following the series on our at the Weird Kids Pod Instagram and using the hashtag Weird Kids.

So to all the misfits, outcasts, and weird kids, Outcasts and weirdos out there, come take a seat at our table and celebrate all things unconventional, nostalgic, and wonderfully weird. Welcome to Weird Kids. New episodes release every Tuesday. Today, Critters. Travis Willingham here and welcome to the Critical Role Podcast Network. We are thrilled to have you here and thank you for making us a part of your day. You're listening to Part 1 of this episode right now and part 2 will arrive the following Tuesday. If you'd rather listen to the full episode right now and with you.

without any ads, consider becoming a Beacon member. You'll receive access to exclusive content, discounts at all of our online critical roll shops, exclusive pre-sales for live events, and much, much more. You can start your seven-day free trial today at Beacon.tv. Now that we've got all that covered, let's go ahead and get this adventure rolling. 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Melbourne, how we feeling? Rod Laver, how are we feeling?

Oh my Lord, Rod Laver Arena. Are you kidding me? I told my friends that I was going to go watch a game at Rod Laver Arena. They said, singles or double. I said, no. I said there's going to be eight people playing, and one of them's a sexy warlock. And they said,

I didn't know Novak Djokovic was in town. That's a tennis joke. My name's Tom Cardi. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to be your emcee for this evening, and I'm going to play some songs for you. I'm going to warm you guys up,

but I've got to say, you guys are looking pretty fucking hot right now. All right, we've got three songs, guys. This first song is a very special song to me. It's about when you love someone and you're kind of growing in love and you want to play a little bit coy but you have to play a little bit hard to get

you might do some things you don't necessarily mean. This is when you have to send mixed messages to someone, okay? This song's got mixed messages. Thank you. It's something that you're at home all alone. Last night was great. It was our very first date, so now it's time to pull out my phone.

I'm going to send you something real. quick it ain't gonna be a dick pick no no romance needs clarity but baby that don't work for me I'm sending mixed messages I send the first text in a cute way and then I don't reply for seven fucking days yeah mixed messages oh you text me what night am I free and I reply yes full stop I send you a little smiley face so you send me a back a little smiley face and then I say hey And you write back, hey, and I say, hey, what? You say, you said hey first, and I say, okay.

Crescent emoji, fuck you. Mix messages. One second, I say you're very pretty, and then I show up at your house and I kick your dog, yeah. It's a shih Tzu. I pay for the dog's veterinary bill, but then I punch your dad in the dick, ha, ha, ha. into a hospital, just me, you and your dad in the back of an ambulance.

And even with your dad's broken dick, the air is thick with... Sexual tension. I'm really sorry for punching your dad in the dick, I won't do it again. You make me shake his hand and promise, but as I do, I ball up my other fist, and I... Punch your dad in his broken dick again. You think I'm sexy because I'm mysterious sending you these mermix messages. Stop punching my dad's dick. Okay, but then I wink.

Grab both of my hands, stopping my third attempt to punch your dad's dick. Okay, you've played this game before, but I've played more, Rod Lever. You got both my hands, so I use my head. A head butt, your dad's pants in the back of an ambulance. And between their head butt, our eyes lock as we're holding hands. We can't help but kiss over your dad's not once, twice, thrice, broken dick. Nix messages. I say I love you in a cute way, and then I punch your dad's dick every day.

Tell you, Dad, that I'm sorry, but then punch him in his cock again. Explosions! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Critical Roll said I would have $20,000 in pyrotechnics. Not yet. I think they're saving it for the next two songs.

Guys, this is literally a dream for me to be opening for these bad boys, these bad motherfuckers are D&D, all right? But I've got to say, guys, I have a very specific dream and I've had it ever since I was a little boy. But I'm very shy, even though I'm standing wearing a mirror ball suit in front of 12,000 people.

And I don't know if I should tell you my very specific dream, I don't know. Okay. My dream, since I was young, was to play and open for the biggest D&D. game in the entire world. And no, no, it's not, it goes more.

And the place where the game is held has to be at one of the four major grand slams. And these guys are blackballed at Wimbledon, so it had to be here. And during that set, I would sing a song about monster trucks. That was very important. Thank you, thank you. And during that song, I would divide the audience in two halves, and I would make them sing in harmony. Yeah?

Yeah, we can do it. We'll give it a shot. And Jacob Collier is going to cry because he couldn't get this opportunity. All right, you guys are beautiful. When it comes to the time, you sing as beautifully and loud as you can. Imagine I'm a three-year-old right now. I wrote this song when I was three and a half. This song's about how you shouldn't touch my monster truck.

It's called Don't Touch My Monster Truck. Thank you. Daniel, Michael's here for your sleepover. Please play nice. You can touch my Lego. You can touch my Pokemon. Come on cards. You can watch Ninjago or play with thought of Asgard. You can touch my fidget spinner. My dad bought me 18. You can play with anything, but please don't touch my monster truck.

Cunt. You can play my Fortnite. You love Fortnite. You can touch my bike or my kite or my Spider-Man Light. You can touch my fucking slap bass. But if you touch my monster truck, I'll stab you in the face. You can touch the pills that my dad keeps in the bathroom. You can smell the things in my sister's bedroom. You touch my Tonka truck? I couldn't give a fuck. What's the one thing I said, don't touch my monster truck. If you touch my monster truck, I'll fucking bite you on your arm. And then my mama gonna call your mama and say, take your dumb ass kid back home.

And I know for a fact, you got no dunkerroos, you got no fruit roll-ups in that two-bedroom apartment. All you got is a marriage on the rocks and the feeling that you fucked up. I touch in my monster truck. Run labor. Oh, we're doing it, guys. If you tell anyone at school that I cried when you touch my monster twas...

I'll tell everyone at school that you've got no TV at your house and you shit yourself. My dad could beat up your dad. My dad is John Cena. I'm allowed to drink Coke. You've got a weird cock. My mum says that your dad is a cuck. I don't know that well... Here we go this side. All right, listening. Monster truck, a monster truck.

Monster truck. Monster truck, a monster truck, now sing it back. Monster Chuck, a monster truck, a mu, mu, mu, ma, ma. Gave that up. Oh my God, this is incredible. This one. Monster truck, a monster truck. All together.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I am a little shit, the kind of kid that you'd love to hear. But you can't, because hitting kids is wrong. So you're settled for watching me get hit by my mum in a... A crowded supermarket. A crowded supermarket. And take the opportunity while I'm stuck

to kick the shit out of my monster junk. You want to kick the shit out of my monster truck? Run way more. You kick the shit out of my monster truck. Take a dummy to get back home. You want to kick the shit out of my monster truck. Take a dumb and to kick back home. You want to kick me shit out of my minds to check.

Explosions! That's all right. That's all right. They must be saving all the explosions for the third song. I'm very excited because it's all of us here. There's a lot of people here. There's a lot of people here. But also, also, we've got some cameras here.

This is being streamed to America. People are watching this in theaters over there. there. Right? And so I thought it would be kind of fun because I think the rest of the world does kind of like the funny little things that we say in Australia. You know like, whoo, get a dock up, you can't fucking let's go sort of business. And it's like, that's cute, that's kind of fun.

We're like, bha-h. So I thought we just do like an educational thing because I do a lot of Australianisms in my song sometimes, right? So specifically in that last one I mentioned, where's the camp? Hi guys. I imagine he's in America now. I know where he is. I mentioned something in that last song, Dunkeroo's.

Right? Dunkerose, I don't know why I'm bending over like you shouldn't. You remember that, America? I mentioned something called Dunkeroo's, which is something very Australian, and in Australia, a Dunkeroo is a sex act. Don't laugh. Chocolate Dunkero will cost more, right, guys?

Very expensive. Guys, you guys have been incredible. I got one more song, and then we're going to bring critical roll out here. And we're going to start this shit off, all right? Yep. This next song is a very sexy song. I was watching Titanic. I got halfway through.

Jack was painting Rose. It was so sexy. It was for play when he was painting her. I didn't understand that I was but a young boy. It was too sexy for me. I turned the TV off and I said, I have to write a song about this, about my future wife. This song is called Paint That Lady.

Thank you very much. It's very sexy. Don't get too horny. Are you serious? We lock aisles from across the room. And you say what's up? And I say what's up. And we know that it's good.

Do you want to be my lady? I want to raise your baby. My only job is to pleasure you. But first I'm going to use my thumb to measure you. You know you're dealing with a gentleman When I got a one thing in my mind Lovely lady wants a gentleman's dick But first you get in the acrylic

I'm gonna paint you With my watercolors We're gonna have sex But not just yet First I'm gonna paint you It's an aphrodisiac girl Get the Monet like Leo da Vinci I paint your clam like a bottle to chelie

Before I let you get her with this dick I get to painting and I make it It's erotic. You can be my rose, I will be your jack. But we're not on a bow. We are out the back of my mother's house. But the sexual tension is still Titanic. I can't wait to please you when I'm finished

painting you in about five hours. Hour three and you move your head slightly to the left well, I think I better start again. Hour eight and the sun's coming up and the light has changed so, I think I better start again. The sexual tension has been greatly magnified by this 12-hour Bob Ross Joyride. I made you wait, now I know what you want.

And I'm going to give it to you, baby. I'm going to do you I'm going to do you broad labor I'm going to do you with my charcoal I'm going to pay you with my charcoal we're going to have sex

definitely tonight but first I want to get your head right I'm going to pay you I'm definitely not stalling for time no I'm not definitely not definitely not no I'm not stalling for time

I might really do want to have sex. I'm not statt-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tallin. I'm not statt-ta-ta-ta-tallin. No. I'm not Stalin. Explosions! Guys, thank you so much. I've been Tom Cardi.

Are you motherfuckers ready for critical role? You're going to have to make one more big cheer. Are you ready for Critical Role? Let's bring them out. Put your hands together for Laura Bailey. Marisha Rye. Kepet gone for Liam O'Brien. Kepet gone for Liam O'Brien.

Make some noise for Talas and Jeffie! Let's bring her out Ashley Johnson. Travis Willingham. Next up Sam Rangel! Make some noise for your GM tonight, Matthew Mercer Oh! Oh, shit!

Oh, shit! Oh, man. Australia's rowdy. Oh, it never gets old. No big deal. Hello, you guys! Hello, everyone. And welcome to tonight's special live show here in Melbourne, Australia.

We're so happy to have so many of you here. So this is genuinely incredible, memorable, terrifying. But before we jump into our session tonight, we do have a few announcements to get through. Marisha, if you don't mind. Hi, Chris. How are you? Everyone's doing good? Yeah?

No, like mentally, are you feeling healthy and well? That's fair. Yeah, that's very fair. Yeah. I just wanted to remind you, you know, you all are here. You're seeing this first. You're very lucky. We're seeing this before literally, anyone else. And other people will see it in time. So, may I kindly ask you not to post

spoilers and don't be a dick. Feel free to post cosplay pictures, post things, post about your experience, just don't post any big spoilers. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Marisha. And I believe with that, that can concludes our announcements. Oh, Jesus, so God. So let's go ahead and jump into tonight's live episode of Critical Role. The adventure! Run and riddle!

Run! Brow! The adventure begins. They were always beside you. Your nerdy piss friends. And the deenter guide you. And they rise from the flames for the battles ahead. Villains beware, because you're about to be dead.

They can flare They got vouchers and conning They go see over there There's a monster you're coming Inspiration is wading rise up Don't fit twice Put your feet in your hands Take a chance to roll the dice

Roads DJ5 Can you answer the call Digin deep in your soul Is the legend Legend unfold. Now it's your turn to run. To roll. As the ghostly green mists have swallowed you

and plucked you from the physical realm where the rest of your friends reside, you seven find yourself standing on the deck of the nine heroes, but in a space that feels different. It feels wrong. The colors, the lights, the shade feels almost like a photo-negative. in photo-negative, the surrounding space,

the mists remain, but they still maintain that odd green glowing composition, the shape of the dark mountain ahead of you, its cracks, its sundered peace, its stonework, completely exploded and frozen in space and time, like it was halted at the moment of cataclysm. But where darkened shapes and lightless cracks, would riddle the exterior.

Instead, a pale light glows from within, slightly shifting, like some odd, sourseless glow. The ship itself, in this moment of realization, sorry, sorry, runs aground onto the beach, and indeed you have found yourselves on land.

What did you do? It wasn't? It wasn't me. I swear, I'm a good guy now. Here, Imogen, read my mind. Why do you have lipstick on your teeth? I was trying to add some color to my wardrobe. And you guys see, even though Brayas is all mostly black and white,

his hair has a little purple sheen. to it. He's got a little red in his lips. Why are you stealing my thing? You just make it work so good. I thought that it was a tried and true combination. That's all. I am going to read your mind. All right. I'm going to talk to you. Are you serious? You didn't do this? I'm so scared right now.

It wasn't him. Orm's going to flee jump his way up the mast and grab hold of a rope and swing 360 all around. Ladna, Chedney Yasha? Ash! Yasha! Caleb Widowcast! More names! Can I see them anywhere all around the ship?

Make a perception check for me, please, Oran. That is a 25. You stare out beyond the green fog, the shape of the island surrounding you. You can hear the crowd. The crashing of the waves, you do not see any sign of your friends. Anywhere within the horizon, what you can make out amongst the nearly monochrome expanse

is the distant gold and green aurora-like glow that seems to push through the faded fog that encompasses the skyline. And at the peripheral edge of the beach that you can see, there are shadowed shapes, Almost humanoid, but barely there. Mostly faded, drifting, massive, just stalking. Almost a sense of loneliness or being lost.

Like an echo of a history past, now doomed to wander aimless. But no sign of your friends. I'm gonna open up my mind and see if I can hear the thoughts of our other companions. You release the bindings on your consciousness. And you hear the whispered words and concerns of all your allies present, but none of your lost friends meet your mind.

I look over at Bo and I say, I leave you on the wheel one time and you run us aground and lose half the crew? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just, it was chaotic. It's all right. We all make mistakes. I look out at the shadowy figures on the ground. Can I use my divine sense? I want action, baby, to see if they are celestial fiend, undead, or anything of that sort? What's the radius of your divine sense?

It is 60 feet. I'm sure they're that close. Unfortunately, a little beyond that range, the closest ones you can see, and you can barely make them out once Orham points them out, they're just, like, wisps of green mist and fog with just the gentle outline of some sort of distant shadow. that only when you focus can you kind of see it stalking through the waters almost, like odd ghostly sentinels that surround where the beach meets the surf. It's okay. The wild mother has told me we're in the clear.

Wait, she has? How? How? Okay. Okay. Yeah, that's fine. I sincerely doubt that at this point. You know, I don't know. We should be on our guard. This could be something the Luteness is making. I don't know, this is I don't know where we are anymore but I think we're We're somewhere different We're somewhere very, very different

And our friends, I can't sense them Up in the crow's nest Orham pulls out the sending stone It says, Dorian This is a test of the emergency broadcast system Can you hear me? I think we might be back late, babe. As the enchantment causes the stone to briefly glow

and send these words somewhere into the ether, you're uncertain if they found purchase on their intended target and there is no response. Shit. We have to hope that they're going to push forward to. But if they're dead. We can't think like that. They might be dead.

No, no. Does that mean Oram, you're single? Doreen wasn't even on the shit, Brayas. Oh, right. You have asked me that every day for the last two weeks. But the law of averages. No, that's not how that works. I'm pretty sure it is.

It's like a one in a hundred chance, from what I understand. Listen, as the only cowman here, I think I know what I'm talking about. Byrne, are you saying that your group couldn't survive such an ordeal? I'm pretty sure the Mighty Nine are well in hand. You're absolutely correct. We could not. No, we could. They've got Laudna. She's very capable.

Wait, Bo, I'm really sorry. Your wife is gone. That really sucks. It's okay. She's very capable. You know, to bring us this point, though. Is this about the law of averages? I mean, I guess, kind of. Okay. Maybe they're not the ones that are dead.

Maybe it's us. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Why would you go there? I don't know. There's so many steps before we get to, we're all dead. It feels really closely. It feels like, if anyone's dead, it's us.

Yes. I don't feel comfortable doing that right now. Did you feel it? I did, I did. Okay, then we're fine. Okay. I feel like I would know. Go ahead.

I feel like I would know if we're dead. I'm not saying we're not anywhere. That's fair. Living, but. I just became a good guy. I don't want to be dead yet. I respect that, I think. We should hope that they pushed forward

and we should do the same. All right. The answer has to lie in front of us. I'll lead us onto the shore. You mean you'll, Ford across the water. I don't remember you being

quite this dashing the last time we met you. It's all because of my fiancée. She really put me through quite the glow-up. I have a Pinterest page for our wedding and everything. Speaking of, if you're shopping for more best men or groomsman.

No. I'm just saying my outfit is already sort of a tux. Oh, I don't know. I mean, it is kind of a small group and Jester's side's going to be very lops. What you mean? There's like 16 of us. Oh, well then you could probably add another one

and not even know, right? That's true. I'll head to the front of the ship and as I look at the maidenhead, I notice that that's small, old, 400-year-old gnome has chiseled a beautiful, very busty woman at the front of

the nine heroes. And there's a small RTA along the ribcage. And a C-pop industry is right where the hip goes down to the party area. Chetney insists all his work is anatomically correct. Oh, he's very

exacting. And I will leap from the ship. If you land on the surrounding stands of the the beach. The black sands you had seen before now almost have a pale gray tone to them if they crumple beneath your boots and you sink an inch or two into them. The temperature is quite chilled here and you see the shattered shape still moving on the horizon. The

jungle itself, maybe a couple hundred feet from where you stand. The beach is just this dense expanse of texture before you. The jungle, you catch an odd bit of color to it. Mostly still monochrome from this distance, but hints of purple and red catch your attention. This is an odd island, to be sure. You as a paladin, and to a certain extent, that divine sense picks up definitely shades of, we'll say, negative energy that permeates the air

and the sky around you. Caduceus, you as well, being a death cleric, you have sat between the realms through prayer and through study. The very magic you call, the very magic you rely upon via the instrument of the wild mother has made you very capable of understanding a shift in plainer existence. This is not too far from the shadow realm. This is a space between and beyond the realm of the living. I take a second to see if anything terrible. happens to Ford after he jumps off the boat. Yeah. Ford, as you stand there taking in this expanse for a moment.

You're fine. I take out the star raiser and I say, Ghalis Vah! And it glows, boom, with radiant light for 30 feet. I, who? It glows brightly and you watch as the distant shadows all of a sudden, ah, I seem to vanish from view.

Oh, shit. Wild mother, coming for you. You do hear at the bright glow of your sword scattering some of the surrounding negative energy, what sounds like a flute, or two flutes, two notes, almost discordant, ringing through the silent surroundings. Ugh, is this jazz flute? Let's not throw a rock into a still pond. I think that was, let's try and keep quiet for at least a, I take out a bomb bearing and I throw it into the still pot. Well, okay. First mate for a reason.

What happens? To throw it in one of the shadow figures. It's running. Well, the shadow figures have vanished from view. Oh, great. You just have the tree line of the jungle ahead of you. You chased them off. Good job. Yeah, they saw these guns and went running.

We are somewhere between... between realms, I don't know. It's possible our friends are just possibly slightly off in another realm themselves. I'm going to invoke havoc's embrace and float up into the air and up and over the edge of the ship and gently glide down next to Ford

without touching the ground. This being a crackle of purple velvet energy that surrounds images, and very reminiscent of like a plasma sphere, just scattering around and the radiant energy that emanates from Star Razor, a pair that makes you feel fairly clear of any immediate danger on the beach,

though that whistle sound strikes again, that distant flute, almost coming from the jungle line itself. It seems wise to follow that sound, doesn't it? Yes, and since you're not touching the water, why don't you lead the way? Well, fine. I will.

Okay. Those two have sort of a tension between them. I noticed that as well. I push forward and I look back at Bell's Hills. Are y'all coming or what? Orum drop bears down from the crow's nest.

Lans on Brayas' shoulder and then springs off and lands on Fern's shoulder and nestles in. All right, Bestie, let's go. Okay. Um, Mr. And it burst aflame. The small monkey companion of Fern Calloway apparates

its tail still flicking and flaming as it curls up on the other shoulder. All right, let's go. I'm just going to awkwardly put my leg over the side and then the other hoof. leg. Do you need a hand? No. I do. I could use a hand. This is

somebody hold my shield. Okay, just one foot and then the other. I don't like, okay. You got this burn. Okay. I feel like I'm awkward enough to do this. Here I go. Fawn leap.

Right now I'm going to jump. Just do it. Just hop on in. Just right this second. Give her a shove. Hey! Fern, I'd like you to make an acrobatics check for the disadvantage. Oh, great.

I love it. Okay. All right. I'm going to make one as a straight roll. Oh, that was really good. Okay, disadvantage. Oh, that's not good. All right.

Yay. Eight. 17. Diem, can I misty step and try to catch him? Sure. As they both tumble end over end, Orum, Catching yourself on the sand beside the rest of your allies, Fern goes into a full ass over tea kettle spin.

Just before you impact on the sand, strong Minotaur arms catch you upon the spectral beach. Oh. Oh. Oh. Thank you. Sure. I just thought that you needed a hoof.

Thank you. Thank you very much. A three. How many? How many do I have? Three. That sounds about right. Yeah.

Thank you, Brayas. As they're all kind of gathering themselves, you see a shape-shifting in the distant purple-red jungle edge, a spark of blue, an odd humanoid figure stepping from the shadows, the glimmer of metal in one hand. Solid. Yes.

Okay. Everybody. Company? Oh. What do you see, Tiny Dancer? In fact, to describe what you see, Orum. Please have Tom Cardi come to the table. This is the giveaway song.

You see this huge kind of blue Goliath figure hunched over, just counting, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. In his hand, he's got this sort of dual golden flute mechanism that he's kind of like looking at impatiently, just holding, and his eyes are just darting around. Oh, this could work. One, two, three, four, five, six, yeah. Oi! Yeah? Imagine, you're seeing this? Use your words.

I see it. I'm going to talk to him in his mind. Okay. What do you want? Oh, my God, what? Is it safe? Are you... Are you trying to mess with us?

Is that... That's me, high-purple? With the horns? Nope, purple hair. Okay, sorry. Floating. Oh, wow, really impressive. That's cool.

Yeah, thank you. You got to get off the beach. Why, what's on the beach? You look around. You're going to get it that soon. I mean, that's just sort of how it works around here. That's why I'm not on the beach. I'm going to inside check him.

See if he's... Let's go. All right, go ahead and make an inside check for me. Can you make a persuasion or deception check? Yes. Your choice, depending on if you're telling the truth or if you're lying. And just tell me what the number is that I happen to tell me what the scale is. Sure.

It is sweet. Eighteen. Oh, I rolled a 16. 16. Seems trustworthy. I think we should believe him. Let's get off this beach. Okay with that. Come on. Lead the way.

All right. Slowly you all begin to step across this gray-grained beach. You see now as you get closer into the island, those strange spectral shadow shapes begin to appear again along the ocean line, slowly shifting their bodies, their outlines, kind of morphing oddly. oddly. You can see what looks almost like faintly glowing eyes where a head would be as they turn and move, these oblong shadow giants just watching from a distance, until you meet the edge of the purple-red tree line where your new friend has called you over from the ship.

What happened here? What is this place? This place, where, half, I don't know, but half obviously some sort of spirit realm. So? Oh, man. This is great. There's like seven of you now. We're definitely going to be able to do this. Wait, what are you doing here? What am I doing here?

Thank you. I live here. Oh. You live here. What are you solid? I have two questions. Okay. One, what's your name?

That's very respectful. I'm so sorry. I don't think about these things when I'm afraid for my life sometimes. My name is Ethel Rivergold. Hi. How are you? Thank you. Yeah, I'm a bad.

What is that? I mean? I don't fucking know. I'm sorry. What was the second question? Oh, are you single? Yeah. It's stupid. Cool. Cool. Over the last minute, over the last minute, Orham has watched this twat being a dick to his friends and has been reading him for filth, and I use Know Your Enemy, my fighter feature. and I want to know if Ethel, in comparison to Orum, what their class levels are and current HP in comparison to mine.

Class levels? Higher. Higher than Bellside. What are your hit point? 181. Higher than your hit point. Drew! Where do you get off? You! Oh, hi, little fella.

Why are you staring at me so much, little guy? We're going to talk about this later. The halfling slowly unsheaths a small short sword and puts it aside. In your head, you hear, what's wrong? We're good. What got you on edge? I don't know this guy.

Well, yeah. We're walking into nothing. Don't be jealous. Don't be jealous that he's at our table. Are you psychically busting into nothing? this combo? Nope, this is Marisha. Okay.

Our table's dad could beat up your table's dad. We have the same dad, okay? You can't punch my dad in the dick, because I don't have a dad. Check me. Are you sure about that? No. Orum.

As you pull your blade out, Pull your blade out and kind of have this careful conversation. A bit of the shadows deeper in the jungle catch your attention. You see other shadowed shapes, humanoid, not as large and ominous as the ones on the coastline, almost like the whisper or a ghost of a person, multiple people, like eight people walking deeper into the jungle for a brief second before they fade from view.

And for a moment you smell A familiar smell. You catch the scent of jetny. A very pungent and memorable scent that seems to just catch your nose on the wind for a moment as they pass before it's gone. I make a beeline towards Ethel and start to slide under his legs,

oh shit. And try to get a better look at what I just lost in the haze. Nothing. It's gone. Just the sound. of a strange jungle ahead. You do as you look in front. It's like when you stare into the blue of the sky for too long, and an odd peripheral static kind of begins to shake at the edges.

This deep, dense jungle thicket filled with red and purple vine and thorn and leaf, gathered with paths kind of cracking and breaking through, you see just the faintest glimpse of tiny little spectral shapes that drift aimlessly between the branches, like small, gentle jellyfish, barely visible, barely present, dozens of them, hundreds of them,

just kind of moving through the space. Orum, Orum, Orum, Orum, Ohum, Ohum, Oh, Oh. Oh. Yeah. You seem like something caught your eye there. We got something on the periphery here. Okay. And every time we approach something fucking adorable, it goes south.

Well... That actually is kind of true. Well, not everything adorable is here to kill you. I think. You've met my wife. I have. Your wife is adorable. Yep.

And I always go south. God damn. Show's over. Good night, everybody. Would you... Damn. I can, yeah. I don't even know what that means.

Okay, I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot. That's why no one's trying to follow me as I keep leaving. And you've just noticed Ethel keeps like walking off as if like he's leaving a party and he's like... Ethel, it's okay. I mean, obviously, we're very impressed by your two flutes and obviously your large stature. But do you mind telling us what you're doing here? We've been separated from the rest of our group. And yet you seem like you have a reason for being.

And I don't know what that is. Okay, so this is it. I live here. and something very bad has happened. Because this isn't what it's supposed to look like. These spirits, it's not what it's supposed to look like. Oh. And...

What's it supposed to look like? Just like normal people like you and me. How long has it been like this? Shadows drifting in and out. I don't know. It's very confusing. All I know is that I've been walking around and I've been trying to find out what to do,

but it's kind of dangerous to go one out. And I know that up there, up that mountain, there's a weird energy, but the strangest thing is I'm very, very scared of what's down there and I point down to, like, the base of the mountain. All right. Side note, did you see an old elf wizard come this way

because that's actually why we're here? Yes, it's good, yes. Let me check, and can I try and, like, call out to some of the smaller spirits? Uh-oh. Sure, yeah. Go ahead and you roll a persuasion check to call the spirit.

the island to eight. Yeah, nice. I pull out my, well, I already have my double flute, and I roll a beautiful, just a very handsome 29. Damn! Yeah, I'm a stupid motherfucker, but I can play the flute. As this gentle, ghostly melody emanates from the flute of your new supposed ally, Ethel,

you watch as the surrounding kind of spectral mist seem to match the sound of the music and this beautiful swirl progresses, and you watch out of the nearby shadows, other small spirits begin to emerge, like small rodents with elongated bodies and odd glowing green eyes and strange, almost monkey-like spectral entities

that drift down from the trees above, and they all at first feel ominous, but they gather with a non-milevolent energy around Ethelon, seemed to almost see. sit like children enraptured by a story. And they all just gather at the base of this blue-skin Goliath. Some of these spirits begin to look up to you

and you hear the voices of the island nature's spirits in your mind. Before, yes, yes, the elf came. It walked beyond and scattered us. It's up beyond us all now. We know not where but its foot did fall here?" Another spirit goes,

Indeed. The odd elf climbed and flew and is gone. Save us. Save us. Save us. And all the spirits begin reaching out and grabbing at your leg and pulling at your clothes and reaching and grasping onto your ankles.

There must be watches these various animal spirits begin to gather and climb, swarming the base of Ethel. Uh, no, no, no, no, no, it's good, it's good climbing. Is it? Does it feel like good climbing? Make an insight check. 27. 27. Best that you can tell, both by the disposition of Ethel and these spectral entities, there's a desperation that doesn't feel dangerous or aggressive yet.

They're just seeking guidance and safety. this is the best thing that's happened here since whatever cataclysm happened and I could just talk to these things and they talk back to me they wouldn't they wouldn't do anything wrong they just like hugging me I'm going to I'm going to make my way over and as I said it I felt it and I'm it's all right I'm just going to put my hand Whoa, flat palm, buddy.

There's no mouth. I don't know where to... Yeah, you don't want to know what a spirit will do. What will they... What will they... I do want to know. That's why I'm putting... I feel like I'm getting a lot of mixed messages here.

I don't know it. I didn't mean to do that either, and there we are. All right. I've gotten down, sitting down, and just seeing what comes over and talks to me, or if anything comes and... I notice this and I kind of... As the music picks up once more and Caduceus sets down,

kind of your own personal energy kind of sitting in the space. The rest of you notice here in the spirit realm as Caduceus sits, it's almost like the very presence of Caduceus expands. It's hard to describe an aura of some kind almost settles and begins to change the space around. Caduce is here in this spiritual world. realm, a space between life and death, a space where the Clay family has long worshiped and held the Wild Mother's presence. You watch color begin to grow more vibrant around

him, and the spirits begin to shift and move and surround you. And you hear the Spirit's voices in your head, Caduceus. You find us the Spirit of the Island. Please. The Spirit of the Island. Destroy the light, the light that takes heart. our brethren, that eats of our forces. I'm saying all of this, I'm repeating it as I hear it. When did this light come? I know not. The passage of time is strange.

There is no day or night here, and without the full spirit of the island, we are all more less and lost. The light, the light that corrupts the mountain. The light that corrupts the mountain, the light, the light, the light, the light. All the spirits begin to shout in unison, the light, the light, and it grows angrier, angrier, more desperate. The light, the light, the light, the light. I cast eyes of the grave really quickly.

I want to see what's happening around me. It's a, so detect undead within 60 feet, or just to see if this is just ghosts or if there's anything weird happening. Fair. I'll say you do not sense any immediate undead, but you do notice all the spiritual presences, not just those that have gathered around you,

but dozens and dozens of ones that are hidden amongst the surrounding thorn brush and canopy. You sense the actual spiritual nature of this island around you, a strong spiritual presence from Ethel that you had just met, though a void of some kind a gaping absence

in their torso there's something missing in you how how do you know that well I can see some things and this place feels

familiar comfortable? Is there somewhere where we can find perhaps spirits that were once sentient men? Is there a city? Do you have people here? Do you have family? Good idea. Yeah, I haven't been there for a while, but yeah, there's a village

around the other side of the jungle. Oh. Orum, I can maybe help you see things if you're interested in maybe having a little bit of augmented vision, seeing into some of the things that I can see, if that works. What do you mean, Goatman? Well, I don't really know how to explain it. Bo, you remember that one time. Wait, is it the rest of the suit? Oh, boy, here we go. Is it the spice?

No, it's not the spice. Are you going to drug me? No, it's that one time the eyedrops. I don't, that's okay. I mean, they could make things a little easier right now. Wait, are you guys... Are you guys doing drugs? No, no, we're not tripping balls, no, no.

I mean, I had some tea earlier. What, you guys want to get hot? I'm so confused. I'm gonna, I'm gonna... Oh, I remember. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, do it. Do it.

Yeah, trust the strange man in the colorful coat. That's true. I'm... You're like, seven feet taller than me. So I take a couple drops of this oil and I gently spread

them just above Oram's eyes and the oil seeps in and I cast where did it go? True seeing. So that is any willing creature you touch gains the ability to see things as they

actually are. For the duration about an hour the creature has true sight, notice the secret doors, hidden by magic and conceded to the ethereal plane out to a range of 120 feet. Welcome to a VR Pink Floyd album, enjoy. I look around at the party. My eyes land on Brayas.

He's wearing a purple wig. How did you know? Bo. Yeah. I want to know where we're going. Let's take a look at this mountain. And I start parkouring. up one of the trees.

Did you need my help with that? Okay, he's gone. Come on. Go get him, Bo. Okay. Now, Orm, as you leap to these trees, with the vision now clarified to where you are seeing

between multiple layered realms, these jellyfish entities now are crystal clear in your vision, and there are hundreds slowly swarming throughout this jungle. They seem to pass by you, and they brush past with no ill indicator or sensation, but they do seem to acknowledge your presence as you move by, some

kind of slowing and stopping before drifting off and around, but they are everywhere in this jungle. For years, I've asked myself if I could see too much. Wait, hang on. I'm not there yet. Okay, what did you say? You get to the top and Orm was just looking at his hand. Whoa. What did you mean? I'm feeling real weird. Make sure I don't fall off this tree. Okay.

And I raise my hand up to Bow's shoulder and turn her so that we're both looking at the forest spreading out before us and the mountain raising up out of it. I'm looking for any threats, any signs or clues to our friends, any sign of lewdness, or any weird shit at the mountaintop. All right. If you could make a perception check for me, please. Roll high, short guy. Does anything change with TrueSight? I'll tell you in a second. Ooh, ooh.

So I rolled a 19 and a 1, which I'll re-roll. Boo. Yeah. Just in case it grits. It doesn't. It went to two. I'll take the 19 plus the 15. Eish.

34. Okay. Looking across this jungle, you do see it shifting. Trees kind of crack and move, and you can hear the sound of the branches scraping and bending. You hear hundreds of odd shifting moans of various natural spirits throughout the jungle, themselves being moved, not quite tortured, but definitely lamenting whatever is happening to the surrounding landscape.

You can see, with a 34, Jesus Christ, you can see glimpses throughout of various large stone sculptures, waypoints, landmarks that show pathways through this jungle. You see a clearing, a number of miles off, a majority of the way towards the base, the mountain before the tree line begins to break away into sheer rock and stone.

And you can see what looks to be the tops of tree built kind of hom, domiciles, buildings, signs of the village that Ethel had noted beforehand. You can see indeed these odd spirits all throughout as well as a strange river of black that seems to curve through, not water, but like a spiritual curtain, that winds through this jungle,

and it changes position as the actual jungle itself also seems to rip itself free and move. Its position's always churning and altered. You see along the mountain itself the massive cracks of it, the heavy sheets of stone that are peeled back like the mountain itself had detonated from within and then held just a few moments afterward, these spiraling, corkscrewing bits of stone and tree

that rise upward. And between these cracks, these crevices, where dark shadow and lightless depths below would await you. Instead, you see that faint, kind of opalescent white-green glow. A light kind of shimmer's from within. You can't see the source.

You just see the glow kind of shifting throughout. Shimmering, almost like some sort of muted starlight is hidden somewhere within the heart of the stone. You hear the sound of distant waves crashing on the nearby shoals. The seaside, the seaside, there we go. Sneesniznick. The sea snakes.

The seaside waves crashing against the rocks. Sneeze, make. Indeed. And you also note at this moment of seeing everything, there is an elation, there is a strong sense of purpose, excitement, and direction within you. And as you garnish that sensation within, with acknowledgement, a lot of the jellyfish

and a shift towards you. Oh, man, are you seeing this, or am I super high right now? Uh, no. What do you see? There's skyfish, jellyfish. Cool. Something. Yeah, I've seen those before.

What's going on up there? Two seconds. We're coming down. I'm not coming down for hours. Do you? Do you know where we need to go? Yeah, and I sort of sum up everything that I've spied, because I don't know if I'm

going to remember this in five minutes to Boer Guard. Yeah, in light. Basin Mountain, got it, okay. But they're getting close. They're getting close to me. Your shoulders are fucking sick. We're working out together if we live past today. You know, the Blue Goliath guy, he said

something about, you know, needing to destroy the light or whatever because we just was talking about that too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Maybe we should just beeline it there. All right, all right. Do you need help getting down? No, I'm great. I'm great.

Let's go. Let's join the others. Okay, I'll... Yeah, yeah. You go a little ahead of me and I'm just going to keep holding on to you, okay, bud? Okay. Okay. Or core!

Ah! Flying tree squirrel, this one. As you both return to the rest of your troop below and the path kind of marked before you, you now traverse the dangerous, ever-shifting tangle on the way to this village that Ethel had set. We're considered this a skill challenge of survival and direction here.

You need to succeed three times before two failures. Who is helming this first part of the journey? Me. All right. Would you like to roll a survival or nature check? I know exactly where to go. I'm going to roll a survival check. Let's go.

Fern, are you sure you're up for this? Yes, this is, I love jungles. This is a nightmare jungle. No, it's really close to what she grew up in. Yeah, this is pretty, this pretty cool. What's more nightmare jungle than Nana Mori's play? Yeah. Who the hell is Nana Mori?

Oh, that's great. Oh, right, you weren't there. 29. She's my ex-girlfriend. We'll get back to that later. What did you like? I just said, I was explaining who Nanomori was. She's my ex-girlfriend.

What? What? Did you hook up with my grandmother? We must snuff out the light. It's actually... that's okay I've been here for ages we can talk about this now for a little while if we want

that is quite a euphemism wait wait but which head on me or her that's a good point with a successful role on Fern's part leading you through the first element of this dense

thicket, the long, sharp thorns of red and dark coloration kind of tearing and scraping against shoulders as you move through. This way. Oh, boy. Fern, you eventually stop at a certain point and you hear the sound. Stop. You hear the sound of shifting brush and you catch shifting texture between the nearby bits of tangled vine. It's like a sense of plates, like thick plates

that seem to move and catch elements of light between this somewhat shaded space. You see a massive serpentine-like entity. Okay, I think we should go back to the boat. To the boat? Yeah, I don't think we should stay here. We're heading towards the mountain. What do you mean toward the boat?

Yeah, there's like a serpentine snake situation up ahead. A creature or a path? I'm not sure. You turn around to see where you came from, and that looks like a connection of the same creature has now encircled around the back side, like it's been subtly surrounding your troop as you stop to discuss its proximity.

And you watch as a large, kind of dark brown colored head descends from above its tongue. Hi. It's a sneeze snake. It is a sneeze. Shut the fuck up. No, it's no. Yes.

Yes. You see along its body these odd like white tethers, like almost like a spider web that seems to have ingrained itself amongst its scales, but this odd webbing has like a dull white glow to it. And you watch as the serpent head turns in its jaws open, two massive things protrude from within. protrude from within as this light corrupted Taipan snake. Taipan! Lunge it towards you, Fern, since you were leading the charge on this. Whoa! They're actually really docile.

That's going to be a 24 to hit you, Fern. Does that hit? Yes, it does. All right, Fern, you take... Okay. That's going to be 17 points of piercing damage. Oh. And I need you to make a Constitution saving throw for me, please.

Oh, dear. Okay. Hold on, I can't really do this very well. We defeated a god, we can do this. We defeated a god, we can do this. You guys defeated a god? It was a euphemism, yeah, not a real god. Don't talk yourself down. That sounds incredible. Oh, no, that's so bad. What did, what did, this is the Constitution?

Yes. Six. Ooh. Fern, you take 58 points of poison. Whoa! Whoa, what? It's the poisonous snake in the world. What are you going to do? Wait, they're usually so nice. 58?

58 points of poison damage. And you are poisoned for the time being, meaning all of your attack rolls and ability checks are at disadvantage. Oh my goodness. The snake sinks its fangs in the furne and pulls back with massive head. What do you do? I shoot a lightning bolt at it.

Go ahead and roll damage for a lighting bolt. Okay. I did that at sixth level, as what I had pulled up. All righty. Well, definitely fails at saving throws. Okay, great. Oh, great. Oh, gosh.

Oh, look, I only have one set of dice in front of me. I know. So I'm going to just roll 11. I didn't have time. I was doing wig stuff. I didn't have time to pick my dice. It's a doppelganger killer. Okay.

So six plus three is nine. Ten. Nine. 13, 14. Oh, 20. 25, oh, 26, 27, 30. 30. This is gonna take all night,

someone from the love of God, get her more dice. I got one more. 35 plus three is, what? 38. 38. 38. Nice. The rest of you watch as this extreme burst of vengeful kind of violet lightning,

arcs through, tears through the nearby jungle, and the Taipan dissipates. And you watch as it spiritual energy seems to slightly diffuse and then reform into a tiny little, like, odd, half-congealed sprite that kind of looks up at you with a confused face. expressionless, no nose, no mouth, just two kind of oblong, glowing eyes. In its head, I say, I used a really powerful spell for you. Don't believe that shit.

Don't believe the cute. It prances over to the base of Ethel and kind of puts its arm on your leg and says, Hellby. Yeah, that's why we did the thunderbolt at your head just a second ago. We're trying, buddy. I'm so sorry.

This is not the seven that I wanted to come. Tell your buddies not to attack us. Hey, don't point at my buddy, you guy, all right? argument, the jellyfish suddenly turn and swarman. I need both of you to make dexterity saving throws for me. Oh, shit. All right. I'm really good at that. Ooh, it's one more than a one. 11. Plus 10. 11. 11 and 11. You both lose four hit dice.

Oh, no. Oh, nice again. Matt. The swarm of these strange spiritual jellyfish immediately surround and pierce through the spiritual bodies of both Imogen and Ethel. And as they do, their light diminishes slightly. You remember, these are called zeal feeders.

God damn it. Okay, just don't. Relax. And... Relax. Is that the... Is that what we're supposed to be doing now is relax? Yeah, if you don't want to get stabbed by one of these things, just relax. Okay, I am sorry for shouting at you at a second ago.

Me too. I apologize. Would you like to shake hands? Sure. Strength check on that crusher hand. Go ahead, make a strength check. Really suddenly. I have a little shit strength.

You could break my arm. Three. Ow, ow, ow, ow. Ooh, I'm going to shock and grasp him. I thought you guys were supposed to be behaving friendly. We are as long as we just don't. With advantage, because you are holding his hand. We are relaxed.

We are friends. You are so fun. 34. Does that hit? That beats your armor class, yeah. All right, go ahead and roll damage for shopping grasp. Could I possibly just as a reaction? 14.

use my searing words to try and, like, drop some of that attack. So as, what are I seeing is the light? So is you crushing her hand? Your hand just lights up with a purple energy that shoots up your arm. I say, nice hand, what is it? I bet it stinks. That does five less damage, not five.

Okay, how much damage was that? That does nine damage. You take nine points of lightning damage. I can take that, you're a stinky hand. Fuck, that hurts. However, you get to roll your searing words damage. Oh, yes, shit. So as the energy strikes up his arm,

he makes fun of your stinky hand. And the words from his mouth caused the sides of your face to get hot flames on the side of my face. Only there are actual flames, and you take. I didn't remember it did damage, I'm sorry. Seven damage. You take seven points of fire damage. This fury causes the jellyfish

to then swarm again. Swarm both of you instantly you both to make dexterity saving throws again. Oh my God. I swear we've done this before. We know what we're doing. That's 27. Oh, 12.

You withdraw. Withdraw your hand as the flames curl up her face and dive backward as all them swarm Imogen. Imogen, you lose three hit dice. And you watch as they all pierce and surround them and then eventually drift off and become semi-ghostily around her. Oh, I want to kill you so much right now. I will step between them and say,

You two, stop it right now. That is not cool. Just calm down and be friends with each other, the good guys. We're trying to help you. Trying to help yourself, pal. Orum with super dilated eyes. Says, you guys remember

we're hunting an archmage, right? I'm just beside a tree throwing up. Oh, yes. I'll run towards Fern, and I'll run over there, and I trip right as I get there, and I go, oh, I'm so sorry. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm engaged. Please. No, it's really fine. I'm sorry. It's really okay.

No, it's really not. No, it's really, it's really fine. Anytime. And I will use lay on hands to put five hit points and neutralize the poison instead of fur. That feels so much better.

Okay, it's just a life-saving move. Nothing else. Somewhere in another plane of existence. Jess Daughter is really pissed off right now. Okay. She gets just like, ooh. Bo is just the John Travolta from Pulp Fiction

Yeah, no, I'm just And I look at Caduceus It occurs to me that I may have actually Like given him the number of drops I gave you And he's so much smaller And that might have thrown everything off That's on me Okay

Wait, so I healed five You heal five and it neutralizes your poison Yeah, you're no longer poison. Oh, thank God. I'm not green anymore. Can we? You look great. Hey, everybody. I'm so sorry.

I didn't. It's just not my color. Sorry. I mean, it is my color. I think Imogen's about to... I'm going to chat up. No, no, no, I'm not... Imogen's about to pass out. No, I just feel weird.

My health is fine. I just got shit hit points. Hey. What? Let's just keep going. We're a friend's here. Yeah. Do you also need me to lay on hands?

Keep your damn hands off me All right, understood I'm sure we're going to get along fine and through my little flute I play a little and I give you a D-12 Bartick inspiration spitefully

Bo is just going to start walking forward in the path that we were walking towards? Yes, I agree. Lead on, Bo. All right, Bo regard. All right, Beauregard. Moving forward, no more than maybe 15 or so minutes, keeping an eye on all the surrounding spirit bits, there's an element of the thicket that gets so dense and so dangerous that you have to almost crawl into a small burrow that pushes through it. You could hear the cracking of its shifting good hundreds of feet away, this ever-present, like the sound of bamboo in a heavy windstorm,

but it's also cracking intermittently throughout as the jungle itself is changing shape, whether to greet you, or move away from you, or both. You continue forward, and while you're down on your hands and knees, you see this, like, little alcove on the side, and this cute little, like, spectral bunny rabbit is curled up on the inside. You see it has long ears that are, like, wrapped around it,

like a blanket, and it has this, like, massive curved horn on its nose, and its eyes are closed, and it's kind of bundled up, and it's kind of right in your path. Eldridge blast! Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm going to cast speak with animals. Hey. Excuse me.

It's still asleep, but then you kind of speak towards it. I'm so sorry we're just trying to get past. Can you move? Or you can stay sleeping and we can just, you know, waltz right past you. It looks up towards you. The rest of you here. Furrin you here. Detal laughs. Huh?

Are you bringing more black darkness to this island? Are you another outsider? That is the worst Australian accent. I'm an expert. It's just real bad. More ours. We're here to help. We're trying to save your island. Orum steps up on Fern's six.

Make a persuasion check, Fern. All right. Good boy. Sixteen. Sixteen. The bunny kind of glances at you for a second. I'll watch. I want to keep my friends safe. And if you're lying to me, I'll eat your soul.

And the bunny's ears flap up, and it can get them. Because that looks really cute with the big eyes and kind of bounds off into the shadow before it turns and goes, E. Fair, fair. What did it say? It was super cute. It was so cute. It said we can pass.

No big deal. Hey. Okay. Well, not you. Sorry. And if we cross it, it'll eat our souls. Oh, well. It said that? Yeah.

How do you tell when she's lying out of curiosity? It's always. Okay, because normally I'm real good at this. I've got to... I don't think she lies ever. Really? Yeah. I can't tell if she's lying about that. No, I always tell the truth.

Yeah, I see into her mind a lot. Yeah. We're not always sure she knows. There is a... She believes it? Oh, no. A short time onward where the thick and widens and you are met with a stone statue,

a carving of a beautiful warrior you see, holding a pose, its body itself tall and extremely imposing, but as a guardian would. It resembles the same half-giant shape as your companion, Ethel, at the moment. And as it looks off in the distance, you can see there's just a sense of sadness that sits around this. It looks towards the mountain.

Ethel, do you recognize this statue? Yeah, yeah, it's my people. Can we keep going? We don't need to stand here all day. Oh, sorry. People made a lot of statues? Yeah, we did. We didn't have mirrors. What? You know how long it took to get ready? right

sure we can keep going we just wanted to I just don't think there makes any sense to stand here any longer are you okay yes are you crying

no this is fine this is just people that I used to be close with that now have left me for some reason well

wait I mean is this like some abandonment issues coming out I don't know what I mean you think I don't think they left you Well, you think people have told me my entire life that I used, like, comedy and just, like, being mean to people as a defense mechanism, because I'm scared of getting close because people are going to leave me or something. That's stupid. You're stupid. No, I don't know. That kind of makes sense, the more you say it like that. That's actually very insightful.

Are you saying these statues are statues of your family or the statues are your family? Before he answers, I'll cast Zone of Truth. Oh, nice. Thank you. All right. Is that a Charisma saving throw? It is 19. I'd like you to make a Charismus saving trip, please. Roll low, bitch. I guess we should all roll because it is a large zone.

That's true. All of you roll Charisman Savings Throw? That's a natural one. I also got a natural one. You re-roll yours. Fountiful luck, half-link, fountiful luck. Touch me, too. 17.

Still fail. Also, shit. Roll. 13 for me. It's a saving throw, you said? Yeah. 17? All fails.

25. Hey, that succeeds. 20. 22. Oh, okay. Mighty 9 is so cool. Oh, really cool. Get your shit together, children.

Come on. I'm mean to people because I don't value my own skills. Why'd I just say that? I'm lashing out because I'm so scared that my girlfriend is gone. For real. I can see all the musculature of all your bodies moving in real time. And it's fucking awesome. I really have to poo.

That's some good truth. I don't know what to do with any of that. Orham, with a glance at the statue as you're kind of taking all this in, there is a faint energy around the stone. Like all the spiritual energy and the textures of soul power that you've seen drifting through this island. It's like the statue seems to itself hold a soul locked within. The faintest aura glow around it of a spirit sealed away. These things were alive. These people and the stone, the texture is wild and I'm not even

touching them. I'm going to walk over to one of the stones and probably the one that Orum is talking to and just examine it, touch it to see if there's anything. Yeah. I'm sorry. What? I don't even know where... Zone of truth. Why do you have to be like that?

I don't know. I don't believe me. I'm a 13-year-old. I'm attempting to just sense how trapped, like what is trapped inside this thing if it is someone caught in a stone body or something. What is it? Can it speak? Make a religion or a kana check for me if you don't mind. All right, let's do a... That's not bad. 16?

Religion. Glancing at this, it seems like it is sealed between worlds at the moment. Its physical form is currently locked. And like some entities that themselves befall some tragic past, they are themselves locked in time, not unlike the mountain itself, left broken and still in the sky. Uh, Oram, you mentioned a black river when you were looking out. Uh-huh.

Ethel, do you have any idea what that is, and I might remind you that you can't lie. You're all looking at him. I'm going to look at him, too. That's true. Ethley, you know that this river of shadow that shifts throughout, it emanates from the core of some of the cracks of this mountain. And as it moves, it feels like an arm reaching from the light within, trying to find purchase

beyond its current mountain home in hopes of maybe moving beyond what still keeps it at bay. You do not know if these statues issues are caused by this. You know what, make a wisdom check for me. Just roll a D20 and add your wisdom on a fire. Tom, do you want wisdom for this character? I said, nah.

Although, 15. 15. You have flashes of memory that come to you. Here in the space, amongst this divine circle of truth, in the presence of living beings from beyond this island who as aggressive as some of them may be as outsiders, they call a bit of hope and a bit of confidence to you. And here, still lacking the proximity

to the light that you fear, the source of this light that calls this island its terrible home and has since this sundering. You have flashes of memory. You recall the moments that the people of this land, of the village all gathered to seek what was causing this growing corruption, the visions, the visions, the terrible nightmares that beset the coracle,

the visionary leader of the village. They all left to climb the top, to climb within, to find the source. Some of them went to seek the strangers, the outsiders that had taken up within the seaside cave. And it seems that you recall that was where the dark waves first started. these waves that as they spread out turned those that called this land home into the same stone

they've walked upon since they came it's the seaside cave that's i can't believe i didn't remember this before that's so weird it's it's like in my mind i've lived it that's that's where this is all coming from the black rivers the light that's that's the reason i'm alone Well, that's excellent. That gives us a direction, a point to chase down. As the sadness of the memory of the lust of all your people washes over you, Ethel, the surrounding jellyfish and descend on you from the immense emotion of sadness that keeps through your body, then drawn by the emotional outbursts, I need you to make a dexterity saving throw for me. Oh, it's any emotion. 21. 21.

You sobbing, wiping the tears from your cheeks, take a step back. I'm not crying. They all and miss in front of you and then dissipate in the surrounding jungle. You get pretty good when you're a sad person and you live here. You know when they're going to attack you when you do, you cry. So is it any point of emotion, joy, sadness, anger, or, well, I suppose we'll find out. No. That's bad. This is bad. This is bad. Oh, boy. Okay.

So we should make our way to this seaside page, yes? In on, Captain. Yeah. Lead the way forward. All right, Ford. I would like you to make a survival or nature check to helm this next leg of the journey. Yeah. One of those is a plus two. One of those is a plus two. One of those is. Would you like a little help? I would.

I can help you with that if you'd like. Oh, excellent. Yes. Just grab my hoof. And I'll, because I have labyrinth recall, so I always know which direction is north. Can I assist with this? Sure, if you want to assist and give advantage to Ford on this role.

I'll take your hoof. Thank you. I'll also, what's the skill you roll? Oh, never mind. Oh, I'm rolling. nature. No, I'd say deep roll it. Okay, I'll do it later. Oh. Shit.

17? Am I rolling two? I don't know. It's your hoof. I don't know how this works. You said I'll help and you had no plan. Yeah, I have Labyrinth three call. Here's your hoof. I held up my bottom. Can I also roll, man? No, you

helped them with advantage. So, with hoof and hand, four. Did you roll with advantage? Yes. I only rolled once. Fuck. There, I helped. Puff and hand. You lead the rest of this troop beyond.

The thicket grows dense once more, and you have to crawl through a few small spaces. Just barely large enough for Brayas to push through without snapping some of the nearby branch edges and long, thin thorns, before you both step head firm. Step head first into a curtain of shadow that seems to be carving along the path.

Need you both to make Constitution saving throws. Who? What? Interesting. Who and who? Mm-hmm. 23. Six. Four, as you poke your head and you immediately withdraw,

but as you pull your head out, you feel like the breath was pulled from your body. you lose. Oh, interesting. Only two hit dice. Brayas, as you walk forward, you feel forward withdrawal, and you go to speak, but as you inhale,

there's no air, there's just freezing cold, like your lungs are spot frozen for a second, and for a brief moment as you stare into the darkness and shadow ahead of you, you hear the cackling sound of laughter from the fiery depths below that still hunt you. The sound of Asmodaeus, Always looking at your heels

And that fear creeps up from below I need you to mark a death save That will remain marked Oh shit It'll remain marked until your next long rest Whoa Uh-oh Oh no

That's an upgrade Oh no I thought I was rid of him But somehow I hear A cold, hollow laughter It sounds like 11,000 people laughing at me I walk up to Brace

I say, you have to relax. It's going to get worse if you don't pack it in and hold the emotions down. Bray's, I'd like you to make a dexterity saving terrible. No, no, no, I'm going to cast calm emotions. Dexterity first. That's terrible. 12?

Brace, you lose five hit dice. Oh! As the surrounding zeal-featers swarm Brayas at the panic of pulling away from the center of that shadow river, Imogen, you cast calm emotions, which does cause the panic to subside and prevent any further interest from the surrounding weird spectral predators that permeate the surrounding environment. Okay. That was terrible. I see why you're so sad all the time. I'm not sad. I just don't show my emotions.

That's also bad. That's really, that actually, that makes me sad. Don't be sad. Don't be sad by my inability to show my emotions. That would be bad, too. That's fair, actually, yeah. If we make a deal, no one be happy. Look at me.

No, don't smile. Oh, very. Okay. Is fake happy all right, though? I don't feel it at all right. I haven't had to, do the zeal leaders come any closer when Imogen does a fake smile? They don't seem to be drawn by the level of sarcasm, she sets.

Yeah. Also, are we still Zone of Truth? How long does that last? I think Zone of Truth is faded at this point. Fated, okay. However, your path forward is still obscured by this curtain of shadow. How do you wish to traverse this strange force before you? Before we do, Orm's gonna tug on, he sees fern limping a little bit, quite a bit, and tugs on the fur of her leg.

Hey, hey, come here. Yeah. You're looking kind of rough. Stay close to me, all right? I'm okay, but I'm really okay. I can see the sweat secreting from every pore on your body. Stay close. And with that little bit of best friend magic, I'm going to use one superiority dye to use Raleigh to give you, nine temporary hit points.

Oh, thank you. Nine. That's it. Thank you. Hey, a floaty lady. Not that I mind being on the floor of this jungle here, but maybe you could get a little elevated eyes in the sky, as it were. Of course.

I'm going to float up and see if I can see an end to this curtain in front of us. Sure. I would like you to make a dexterity save. to try and maneuver flying through this dense, dangerous canopy of thick and thorn-covered jungle. I look, I have one dice, and it's not... How do you have one die? I didn't have time! Okay. We've been here for two weeks.

Nine. Do you want to use my... Nine. Use my bodikins. Oh, sorry. Oh, I'm going to use Partikinspiration. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There you are.

Go, well, go. One. It was out of spite. A table talk, but I'm glad to get a couple minutes. Didn't get rewarded. Spiteful inspiration, functioning as intended. You do manage to break through, but when you do, you take 23 points of piercing damage.

As the thicket tears into, you get yourself stuck to the point where you can't really move through and you can't go back, but you have to push forward as you do it. You do it, scrapes. You burst through the canopy, breaking the branches, and you hear like the sound of a scream of pain, and you see a brief opening of light above where image had emerged. I'm calm, I'm calm.

As you kind of lift above, kind of the blood, kind of pouring down your arms and kind of feel the warmth in your scalp from the scrapes. You look down and you can see the river of shadow kind of curling and cutting through this jungle. It seems to be moving and shifting, like it's slowly changing shape, like a storm front kind of moves and alters as it goes.

Can I see an opening? I mean, if you wait long enough, it might move past. Is it gonna move through? Make a perception check for me. Oh, God. Okay. Guidance? You...

Unfortunately, you're not up in the sky, but good job. I know. I just thought I would try. With advantage? No. You have to try. Because it's a four. No.

Look, I'm going to change them on break. Okay? When we go to intermission, it's going to shift. Oh, there we are. Oh. Oh. He's starting to believe. That unfortunately is the second failure before three successes.

Oh, no! Oh no! It was up to me! As you glance down, you see the shadowed curtain is now actually shifting in the direction of your group, and the panic sets into your body, and you realize you have to warn them, or the curtain's gonna wash over everybody. I send a message down to Orum. Move out of the way that. It's coming. It's coming. Get out of the way of the curtain. Everybody back up! The shadow curtain.

The shadow curve. All right, we're moving. Stay calm when you do it. As the panic sets in and you hear this phrase and you see the shadow kind of pushing towards you, you all begin to maneuver in these, like, thin walkways. The sweat curls in your shoulders and the nearby zeal feeders shift across the entirety of the group.

I need everybody to make dexterity saving throws as the failed skill check consequence arrives. Ooh. Jesus Christ, dexterity saving throws or? Correct. Is this a magical effect? Uh, no, this is a spiritual effect. Hey.

16. All right, board, you lose three hit dice. Oh, 19. Uh, Caduceus, you lose three hit dice. Oh, my God. It's not good. 15. Bo, you lose three hit dice, Ethel.

23. You're fine, you dodge out of the way. Was that an invasion thing? Oh, me too? Me too, or am I above it? I don't know. But it's not damage. Am I above it or am I rolling that too?

They're drawn up towards you in the moment of panic as well. But because you're up and above and you can move around, I'll give you advantage on it. Oh my god, I rolled twice and I wasn't going to count the second one because I didn't roll with advantage. But the second roll, I don't know if it count, is 19? 19 fails, unfortunately. The DC on this was 20, so you lose three hit dice. 24. I'm going to die.

You flee jump out of the way. out of the way. Fern? Eight. Lever's three hit dife. Right? 25. 25. You dodge heartily out of the way. Come on. As you all push into the nearby thicket and kind of move aside

the river of shadow shifts through the path that you were taking and just narrowly avoids the rest of your troop as you slowly inch further and further back, only but a few feet before it kind of shifts away. The cold sensation of its presence almost gives like a low, basey hum, like a As it drifts off, the path you were heading towards above, now revealed ahead and safer than it was a moment before.

You all begin to push onward. You drifting above the jungle kind of watching best you can, keeping as an eagle eye in the sky of your friends. You can see the village now being passed beyond as you beeline to the base of the mountain, where the various curling paths kind of run. rise up, the drifting boulders themselves almost blackened to a lightless vision, the kind of alternate photo-negative of the mountain as it would exist in the physical realm and the light

that bursts through through all the various winding cracks that rise up from above. And you can see the source of light to your vision is shifting within, almost like the source of a lantern being brought up and down an elevator shaft. It is flickering and changing from the inside of this mountain. As you all push onward, the tree line begins to eventually subside, and the base of the mountain itself greets you. As you trek, you guide them along the northeastern path until these sheer cliffs of the northern side of the island greet you. And there, you can hear the sound of the crashing waves and a small winding path that leads into the seaside cave, the massive, filled, partially filled maw of the cavern of the cavern

that pushes into the heart of the mountain. And that's what we're going to go into. Oh! Oh! So fast. We are low on hit dice, baby. We'll be back here in a few moments to see what the cave holds within, what mysteries might reveal as part of it.

So, enjoy your rest. We'll do our same. We'll see you here in a few minutes. That concludes part one of this podcast. episode, part two will land here this upcoming Tuesday at 5 a.m. Pacific and we'll pick up this story right where we left off. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back on this adventure in no time.