High Rollers DnD - High Rollers: Aerois #137 | Love and Death (Part 1)

Episode Date: February 4, 2022

The Stormchasers struggle to finally remove Mesmera's curse on Thalia! We're sponsored by D&D Beyond! The ultimate Dungeons and Dragons toolset. Clean up your dungeon delving life and speed up your games here: https://bit.ly/HRDNDBeyond2022 Support the High Rollers and get early access to podcast episodes and Studio updates on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Grab some High Rollers merch: https://freshmerch.fm/collections/high-rollers Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Our heroes assaulted the palatial tower of Hartspyre to finally save their friend Thalia. With devils closing in around them, Nova uses a hasty plan to teleport inside the tower, leaving a portal for her allies to follow. But inside, the party realize the severity of an Archfey phase power in their domain, as Mesmera freezes them all in place and accelerates time to cause Thalia's curse to quickly overwhelm her. In this desperate hour, Tiangong and Nova deepen their symbiosis and transform themselves,

breaking free of Mesmera's rule. Forcing the sorceress to change her other rules in panic, the party is freed and together they find ways to overcome this powerful and ancient magic causing mesmera to face the pain and fear she has hidden from over the centuries as time is running out lucius attempts to break a mirror containing a reflection of mesmera that is whispering controlling thoughts to her but a hand emerges and stops his spell stepping Stepping from the reflection is Graz, the Dark Prince of Pleasure and an old enemy. With a gesture, Graz pulls Mesmera into a ring

on his finger and the Archfey's rules collapse. Graz, overconfident, challenges the PCs, seeking to kill Quill and Lucius for escaping his bargain with them on Azaghrat. However, the Dark Prince is overwhelmed by the party and is defeated, and returns to his home plane, sore and a little bit put out, leaving behind one of his rings as Mesmera returns to the

throne room. But Rosemeadow calls out that Thalia looks to be in a bad way. That is where we begin today's session um okay so how does mesmera look um so she doesn't seem to be injured in any way but that's great it's a great starting point quill thank you very much tom um that's all right as everything that happens you know you guys re-emerge grats has been defeated you see mesmera kind of reform Rosemeadow who's been sort of

near the door leading out of this this throne chamber is cradling Thalia sort of like holding her now basically and is calling out to the rest of you Quill you see Mesmera just kind of slumps to her knees and just her arms kind of go slack at her side and

you can hear her muttering you hear her basically kind of saying like i'm a witless naive fool of course it was all a lie like everything else and she's just sort of um the the revelation that grats has been behind a lot of this stuff seems to have overwhelmed her um but you do hear like um uh hello and rosemary kind of canters over the central form sort of like bringing thalia with her oh she looks really bad and she kind of like holds thalia out and you can see that now these black briars this curse line that had kind of crawled up thalia's arm has spread out and is now kind of covering that arm completely

half of her face is covered by the same marking and it's spread all the way across her collarbone and is nearly what you would i mean you it looks to you guys like it's already at her heart almost um and she's like you know very weak it looks like uh no no immediately just run over kind of running knee slide, you know, just grab her and and hi. Hi. Oh, it's me Oh, yeah, Dahlia say Dahlia Pretty good going that she kind of just manages to whisper It's just like I like the sword moves and she kind of manages to sort of like reach out and just sort of like They just touch you on the arm

With her good hand. She just manages to reach out and sort of gently pat and stroke your shoulder. The rest of you, as you kind of watch Nova do that, you notice that this room is growing very cold. And Quill, you can see that frost is beginning to sort of like around the windows. sort of like around the windows. I mean, I'm still very wary of Mesmera suddenly enacting some more rules.

So I want to sort of approach her with a hand raised and say, you've seen the demon that has been influencing your mind. We've removed him from this place. Please listen to us. We're here to help you. She just sort of looks up and you can see like just maybe like dirt or like years of of uh just not caring for herself is kind of washed away by tears and you can see like there are these clean streaks down her face her tattered dress kind of spilling around her, her blonde hair doing the same. And she just looks up at you. Help, help me. Help me by bringing the worst thing

that ever happened to me here. And she just points in Thalia's direction. Like, what were you hoping to achieve? Sentry and Lucius, you now see that ice has begun to form and there is this chill in the air and Lucius and

Sentry I think you guys get like a shiver down your back like almost as if you were stood in a graveyard there is this like oppressive sense of death around Thalia Sentry will go over to oppressive sense of death around Thalia. Sentry will go over to Mesmera and crouch

down. She'll just say, you're upset, and I understand things may not have gone the way you wanted, but there's still a chance to fix this, Mesmera, please.

Wounds can heal. It might take time, but please, give Farley a chance. Oh, I can see that you are very pure-hearted, and you believe in this, but time...

Dear sweet thing, time I have lived through hundreds of years years and it has not gotten any better it has not gotten any easier she was my friend she was she lied to me she told me how worthless i was she made me think horrible things about myself and then when it was all too much and she did awful and she sort of reaches for the wings on her back that you know were removed long ago um ayla as you're kind of stood there looking you're the first one as quill and century are kind of focused on mesmera ayla and probably lucius actually because you've not engaged with anything yet um that cold sense you see a figure literally float through the walls from the window from the

outside they are cloaked in long tattered black cloth with a deep hood that completely conceals their face and they appear to be holding kind of crooked in one arm an hourglass and in the other is a long scythe and it just floats silently and stands over thalia and rose meadow um you can't see a face you just see this kind of like spectral half-formed figure just loom over thalia mesmara we don't have much time here If you can please stop this. You've done the same to your people for the past few hundred years. Look at what's happened to them because of this. Look at your kingdom. It's in ruins.

Your people are being killed or worse by Grat's demons. You have to stop this for them. You have to go on for them. She did. Even on for them. That doesn't erase what she did. Even if I've done wrong, that doesn't change that. This is justice.

Nothing's going to erase it, Mesmera. Nothing is going to erase it, but justice is also not going to do you any good here. You've had your justice. You've had hundreds of years of it. Hundreds of years of justice. End it. So that we can help you rebuild this kingdom, so that you can help your entire people. You definitely see that those words strike home.

She, you can sense that there is this, I, this is some deep hatred you're dealing with, but, like, the kind of revelation of Gratz, she just looks... I don't doubt... I don't argue that I have done wrong by this kingdom. I don't doubt that there have... There's been a lot of suffering. But you don't understand.

You don't know how bad it was she does and she she and at this point she's not looked at thalia for like the last brief moments of of discussion um and she just says like she knows and for the first time thalia is like let me speak bring me closer you kind of rose rose meadows and then like she looks at like nova and when she says that i want to speak to her you you look you better not do something lame and die on me okay just please please i don't think that's up to me anymore. And she looks up and you see Nova. Now you see this like specter of death and you just hear this kind of ancient voice. Time draws near.

I await the result. And it just follows as Rosemeadow gently brings Thalia over. You also, Quill, now begin to hear... During the whole fight with Grots, you could hear fighting outside, like beyond the throne room and outside. That fighting, you hear a very loud sort of like thump, and then the sound of fighting stops. And you think you can hear footsteps on the other side of the doorway

okay do I recognize a thump? is it like a teleport or something like that? it sounded like something fairly big and armored for hitting the ground is what it sounded like okay Lucius as well if there's anything you want to say or do

I'll make sure everyone gets a chance he's contemplating saying something but he thinks it's also important Okay. Lucius as well, if there's anything you want to say or do, we'll make sure everyone gets a chance. He's contemplating saying something, but he thinks it's also important to know when to not speak and allow those that are important and closest to Thalia to have the stage. So he's just more concerned at the frost and making sure it doesn't affect anybody else at the moment. Yeah, the frost, when it kind of came in, you can see what's caused it is this

death-like figure. It almost has left a trail of frost behind it as it swooped in. And it's just hovering there. You see it's not attacking, it's not trying to touch Thalia, it's just hovering above, waiting.

I think the only thing I'll say, or Lucius will say i wish i had the opportunity to speak with someone who is no longer here that may or may not have inflicted pain upon me and i think that's worse. Living with the unknowing. Never having the opportunity to speak and make amends is far worse than any torture I could ever face. Mesmera kind of looks at you and looks at ayla sort of hearing both and she just says

she looks down at thalia who's now sort of being brought closer and thalia will just say very weakly i won't do the ras come here to ask for forgiveness or to be saved i i do accept what i did to you was terrible and i i think i do deserve punishment i didn't come here to ask you to forgive me or to forget what I did. I came here just to simply say, I am so sorry. I'm sorry for all the wicked things that I did to you, for the lies, for the mistreatment, the manipulation. I've learned so much,

but I know that sorries and words won't fix and heal you I just before all of this happens I I'm most sorry for driving you to this dark place and I didn't want you to become like the hateful, cruel, jealous thing that I was I didn't bring my friends here to stop you

I brought them here to stop you. I brought them here to save you. As she says that, you see Mesmera just like, welled up with tears. I think Kairi probably would like, fly over and say, like, she's probably like, holding onto Mesmera,

like, clutching her with like, her wings and is like saying stuff. She's probably just like, to mesmera like clutching her with like her wings and is like saying stuff uh she's probably just like sobbing and like in between the tears you can just hear like please don't take her uh and then as this is happening you begin to see another kind of form beginning to appear behind Mesmera. And you see that this conflict, this debate has attracted another one of these maybe spirits. And you see a very muscular looking female figure, but dressed in robes, wearing a blindfold and carrying a great sword. Whereas the hilt is almost like a pair of scales. And that seems it's not quite fully formed, but it's flickering behind Mesmera. blindfold and carrying a great sword whereas the hilt is almost like a pair of scales and that

seems it's not quite fully formed but it's flickering behind mesmera you can see this figure is is being conjured but not quite there just yet uh and you also the doors fly open dramatically there is this kind of thud and the doors burst open and thousands hundreds of thousands of rose petals just fly through filling the space uh and you see a figure accompanied by two very small figures enters the space uh and you see a uh quite andronous, you're not quite sure of like, they don't seem to be either gender, but a figure, an elven-esque figure, a non-binary figure with pink hair

that kind of like long flowing pink hair dressed in a sort of military uniform, like a military officer's coat with lapels and like a little cape wearing tight sort of riding pants and tall boots and they hold a basket-hilted sword in the shape of a rose. And they sort of kind of burst in.

And just literally flying next to their shoulder is a bee with a little dandelion riding upon it. And they sort of burst in. And this figure just sort of seems to realize that they've interrupted like this very serious moment um and then just kind of like sheaths the sword and very slowly begins to walk up but not sort of wanting to interrupt um and yeah and i think that uh yeah mesmera uh just you can see that like she looks at Thalia with anger

and just long years of resentment and bitterness, but she can't help looking at the rest of you, and you can see that there is this kind of tipping point that she's almost reached. And I think she would just say something just like, you took everything you not just that but you you pretended to be my friend you you made me feel less than worthless and then when i couldn't get any lower you ruined everything and now i find out that the one thing that i thought i had gained the one thing that i thought had given me the strength to fight back has all been a lie and a lie because of you you brought that thing to this

world with your hatred and your your jealousy and your just cruel heart and i fell victim to him him again i thought he just says like i know i'm so sorry and if my death gives you any comfort i welcome it but don't listen to ayla you have let this place fall into ruin you have become just as cruel and and disconnected as i was and i don't want that life for you and disconnected as I was and I don't want that life for you anyone else has something? you know I've seen what she did to you I stand in between both of you I love her

she saved us she brought us home when we were far away but I know what she did to you. I saw it. I felt it. You know. You know when I reached out to you. I'm not going to say anything else. I'm not going to stop you. All I'm going to say is, these are the moments that define us. Are you going to let this define you? You watch as she looks up at Unova with these big kind of blue almond eyes. And she looks and I think that Thalia kind of coughs and blood and you see Thalia's eyes beginning to close.

And Mesmera just, she winces. And she just says, the curse on Thalia Whisperwind ends. The figure with the sword seems to nod and then just vanishes the figure of death nods its head and vanishes they both drift away and you watch as that those briar thorns rapidly begin to pull back all the way down to Thalia's arm where it just leaves the tattoo of a single rose and she like opens her eyes again and looks around you hear a voice from this uh this figure that arrived with Armador uh well it seems that unfortunately I'm a bit late, but I'm glad to see that the power of

love in the end did win out. Very fitting for Heartspyre. Terribly sorry, everyone. I'm afraid that there was quite a few demons in the city that seemed to be very focused on keeping me away. They do a deep bow and a flourish. But it does seem that this is a very wonderful ending

as soon as the curse is lifted Nova's just gonna kind of hold Dahlia close and kiss her on her forehead, her cheeks but then look up at Mesmera and just reach out a hand. I think Mesmera, like she does sort of reach for it and then she pulls her hand back and she

says, not yet. I'm not ready for that. Not yet. There's still, there's still a lot of hate and there's still a lot of anger and, and fear. I'm scared of her, of you, Thalia.

But it's not. Your friend here said it best. I won't define myself by killing you. And like your angry warrior friend here says, I feel that there is much I need to mend and fix. Things that I allowed myself to be manipulated over. I'm not ready to forgive. This is not forgiveness,

Thalia. This is not... I have not forgotten what you have done. I do not accept that, but I am willing to accept that maybe you have changed and that maybe you have earned a second chance maybe and she will sort of pull away a little bit and I think Rose meadow will probably hand sort of like put Thalia down and folly is now strength returning sort of like takes your hand over and she sort of

sort of nestles her face into like the neck of your shoulder but Rosemeadow will actually start moving towards Mesmera just in the distance Lucius lets out a breath he's probably been holding for a good couple minutes since he started speaking

and then just just wells up as well and just watches it unfold that's true uh you hear a little buzzing at the side of your you hear a little buzzing side of your ear lucius here they come he swats around it's good to see you again my lord there we go yes I'm glad to see you well my lord you seem to have vanquished whatever evil was here yes it was not without your companionship and

pep talks that carried us through indeed indeed I am glad but I must admit, even I was not expecting the true evil of this place. If it were not for the Rose Knight, I fear that I may have perished.

But you did not. And that is what will be told in the annals of history, will it not, with your beloved? Indeed, my beloved Polonella. And the two of them sort of buzz and fly around for a moment. Yeah, what about anybody else? Anything else anybody wants to say or do?

I think just... I think that Aayla will approach Mesmera with Rosemeadow and just nod at her in appreciation. She looks up and she says, Your strong words I needed to hear. You are not quite as kind-hearted as perhaps the rest of your companions, but I think that it was what I needed to know. Sometimes it's useful.

I'm glad when it's useful, see? Sometimes it's great. Most of the time it's really terrible and I don't speak, but you made the right choice. In this case I think that it was the right thing to say, but the kindness, and she looks over at Century and everyone else.

I have not known kindness in a long time. I thought that whatever that thing, whoever that was, they were just manipulating me as well, I realize. I guess

for a thousand years I've been alone. Well, no, you're not. You've got a whole kingdom and a dandelion on a bee who seems pretty determined to get things back on track as well by the way dandelion talking just it's really irritating to me but probably probably very nice to you i. I am used to such things in the Fae world, yes. Yeah, Sentry, Quill? I think Sentry will go over to the mirror where she previously put her cloak on and retrieve that.

Like, hence will be looking behind it just in case it's still there. No, in fact, when you pull your cape off, you realize none of the walls are mirrored anymore. You realize that actually what they were is they had been murals. They had been like stone murals displaying this fairy tale kingdom of Hartsby. You see paintings of couples dancing. You see paintings of people making sculpture and art.

You see people in a sort of like a family all together, sort of all different symbologies of the heart's desire, basically. They had somehow become so reflective that they became mirrors. But now that you pull the cloak off, yeah, those mirrors are gone. They're no longer

there. There is, the only thing you would probably notice, Century, is where Graats was defeated near this mirror there is just a single golden ring uh with us with three diamonds two of which appear to be burnt out and there is a single diamond left um wedding ring Oh my god. Wedding ring! We're getting married now! I think Ayla will also start just telling Mesmera, by the way, about that guy. We had this thing with him.

He's a total pain in the ass, you know? I found out that he was cheating at these games. Giant cheater! Tries to make everyone his friend and pretend he's the best rosemary nods along it's like i got such bad vibes from him he had just a really negative as soon as he arrived i did not like him really bad chakras yeah um and uh i think that like rosemary would probably rosemary would probably say like something too mesmer along the lines of like well i've never been to i've never been to this place i found out that i'm a unicorn from the fey wild um but i would love to learn about it if if if i

can if i can if you tell me it seems like a really really nice place now that all the evil devil people have gone. I'm sure it's really nice. And she's trying to make friends and be positive to Mesmera, basically. The cold started to dissipate. Yeah, the cold. As soon as death vanished, the cold dissipated with it.

Okay. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I just, I think if anyone could just smother Mesmera with love, it's going to be Rosemeadow. Like... I mean, it definitely seems to be that, like, that's well suited to Rosemeadow,

especially at this point. Like, and again, like, she's not talking about, like, anything that happened. I think Rosemeadow is probably saying things just like, I really like your crown, it's really nice. She's just being ridiculously wholesome and not talking about anything important, just babbling about nonsense.

But it seems to be reciprocated. The Rose Knight, who kind of strides forward, they look around and say, well, I'm terribly sorry that i was so uh so late to the affair but you don't have to worry there are no more devils or fiends here in heartspire unfortunately i've been barred from the place for some time whatever influence whatever dark power was here that you seemingly have defeated valiant warriors uh was keeping me away but now that i'm here i can keep an eye on it I'll keep an eye on this one as well

he kind of made a gesture to Mesmera do be careful it's not vanquished it's only returned to its plane of yes they are called grats are they not yes oh I'm sure you're aware

then sorry I don't know to be honest I think they're more pissed off at us than anyone here so we'll probably take the hit on that one we'll skedaddle I am sure that the the dark prince of pleasure will want

to try and get his grubby six fingers into heartspire again this place is a place of it's always will want to try and get his grubby six fingers into Hartsbyer again. This place is a place of... It's always been one of my favourite places here in the Feywild and Lunaria. It is a place of desire, of love, of things that you greatly want to accomplish. And so the Prince of Pleasure, I'm sure,

has had his machinations on the place. But I think that whilst my work may call me away, perhaps a couple of emissaries could be left in my place. I happen to know just the two. And they look over towards Armador and Polanella and the Rose Knight, they pull out their basket-hilted sword, they swipe it through the air and rose petals kind of pick up from the floor

and completely engulf Armador and Polonella. And then when the rose petals disperse, there is not a dandelion and a bee, but two humanoids left there instead. There you see a dashing,

blonde musketeer man with a big, fluffy blonde hair, almost like aer man with a big fluffy blonde hair almost like a kind of like big fluffy blonde lion's mane and a big moustache around his face. He wears like a tabard like a musketeer's tabard but it has a dandelion on it and he has his swords

and his boots. And then next to him is a quite plump curvy woman with black hair dressed in yellow with like onyx black jewelry and a furry mantle collar around her neck, very sort of like Queen Victoria-esque. And they sort of pop up as two humanoids and they kind of like look stunned at each other for a moment.

And he says, I don't think that a bee and a little dandelion would blend in well with the courts of the Feywild, but perhaps these two should. And Armador looks at him and he's like, oh, my goodness, what are these? I have phalanges, I have arms, oh! The voice! It's infinitely less

annoying now! I approve! What do you mean? What do you mean, warrior woman? My voice is as pleasant and as melodious as it always has been. Oh, you have no idea, it was really, really it greeted on me. I'm not have no idea. It was really, really... It greeted on... I'm not saying I have a great voice,

but it was very high-pitched. This is excellent. I approve. You look great. As you say this, Polanella is just like, oh, my beloved... Don't listen.

I thought that your voice was so alluring. It was one of my favorite characteristics about you. But this, obviously, your new one as well, but I could hear your voice singing from miles away. It kept me in like, it's very lovey-dovey, sicky, gross. The things that they say to each other is all very thing. But yeah, they seem to sort of take it. And the Rose Knight says,

Archfamous Mera, if you would have them, I would leave these here as emissaries. I rarely have I found such pure love between two beings as these two uh and i would i'd be delighted to have them in your service to watch over you uh and mesmer is like if the rose knight requests it how can i refuse goody my lord how can I thank you for bringing us on such an event

it is only because you and your allies my beloved and I, my beloved Polonella and I are together again and he comes up to shake your hand not at all it's quite the honour and frankly it's something we could all take away from this that true love kills all

what destroys what else my good lord what else what else is there to believe kind of look at you. Anyway. The thing is, Lucius is very enamored by the whole thing. It's very difficult to be Lucius right now. Yeah, I love the tiny voice, but Ayla's like, I just love that in the six years of doing this, this is the thing that breaks Chris Trott's roleplay.

Like, Trott is dedicated to roleplay, but this dandelion has broken him. Dandelion broke Trott, and a tiny goblin broke Tom. It's like very small creatures that break them. I'm learning. I'm learning what gets you. Oh, my God. break them i'm learning i'm learning what gets you um oh my god we'll sort of well this honestly this is a little bit more than i was expecting i certainly wasn't expecting the very aspect of love to turn a bee and a flower into people uh to leave here with mesmera but i would very much like to

i i think it best if I leave. Mez, I don't want to cause you any more pain. As far as I'm concerned, Hotspire is yours. I don't want to be... I rescind any claim on this place, and I won't come back. This place isn't my home anymore. It's yours.

I don't feel a need to be here, but you will help my family and release them from the spell. Mesmera sort of like won't look at Thalia, but she says, yes. Yes, they won't know anything that has happened, but I will, if that is what you want, I will release them.

Do you not wish to see them before you leave? Thalia sort of looks at Nova. She kind of cocks her head. I don't think I do. You've met my parents. You've met my parents. It's not that. A lot's changed

and I'm definitely not the person they remember. I think I will. We definitely will come and speak with them. Maybe not right now. I don't think I'm ready for that. Not after everything that's happened here. I really want to get back to the twin star. I want to... That's okay, but

can we just... Can you just not be like Quill and actually maybe write to your parents or something like that? Just like, you know, open lines of communication. I write to to them now i know i'm halfway across the room but i can still hear you i wasn't speaking to you but you can hear you unless you're in telepathic assume quill hears you um i'm just gonna i'm just gonna whisper like he's still here i'm just gonna whisper. I'm gonna whisper Try Away you want me to stop hearing you pretty much you gotta get like you gotta get a good couple of miles

I'll leave them a letter to be passed on. But yes, I'm not ready to face them just yet. That's fine. That's fine. Hey, has anyone picked up the ring? That's Kim saying that. Yeah, I was gonna pick it up. Okay, so yeah, Century picks up the ring. Yeah, it's like a gold ring. Three diamonds,

two burnt out, one remaining. Can I give it to Quill so Quill can have a look at it? Yeah, give it to Quill. I do have a pearl for identifying. You can ritual cast it. I can ritual cast it, so yeah. Lucius saunters over and glances over Quill's shoulder. What are you doing?

Is this any similar to the ring that we saw when we played that game? Yeah, it's the same ring. And if you cast that in a fight, this is a ring of three wishes with one wish remaining. Is there a curse on this, Quill?

The devil? None that you can detect. It is just a magic ring. You can cast the wish spell once whoever is attuned or wearing it I don't know if it requires attunement actually I will check that do not give it to Ella you're not going to believe this Lucius

but the ring of free wishes was real after all what I can't believe it that's not it is it at this point it does not require attunement a creature has to be after all. What? I can't believe it. That's not it, is it? As a point, it does not require attunement. A creature has to be wearing it and you spend an action to cast the

spell Wish. Once this Wish is used, the ring becomes non-magical. It can't gain any more. Can I just have a look? Sure. I mean, I don't know. Lucius Greedo snatches it. Okay, okay. I mean, I don't okay i mean and then he starts circling nova and thalia just waiting for a moment but hiding the ring okay he's just glancing at nova now and again

trying to make like eye contact what are you doing we're just still we're just still chatting like you know why is he circling you know in the sense know circling people that's weird right people don't circle people that this is a bit haven't seen this behavior you would be like we just what guys have a moment never second sorry I know it's very important all because removing all that are you gonna be okay though yeah

I'm just gonna like yeah yeah you going to... You can still stand. You're fine. Back to being a badass and telling me to shut up. I don't know about that, but sure. Okay. He thumbs up Thalia and then just spins Nova around and then puts his hand on her shoulders

and backs her into a corner. What sort of conscious renditions do you have about eternal bondage? That sort of conscious renditions do you have about uh uh eternal bondage that sort of thing because this could this could be the perfect ring and he holds up the diamond ring like really close to nova's eyes they tell me that you can hear all of this stuff that lucius is all over here i mean i'm walking out of there What's he saying? A ritual.

To in love forever. And it's a nice big ceremony and full of... Oh, you're talking about bonding, not bond... Yeah, okay. That conversation was going a really different direction in my head. What else could it mean? Nobody's corrected him. What? Right.

Are you talking about a wedding? Yes. Yes. You should use this. Use it. Are you talking about a wedding? Yes! You should use this. Use it. Sentry, I think Lucius just proposed to Thalia for Nova. Honestly, she's a great catch.

She could slip away at any moment. Put a ring on it! Put a ring on it! You can't push me into this corner like this okay fine it's your choice but if you don't do it what take your time and he hands her the ring uh just shoves it in her hand wait is this no pressure and he walks away sorry powerful powerful item before she maybe proposed to her girlfriend with it, and they accidentally...

He just walks away, brushing and straightening his clothes. Nova, a second? Just another second. Oh, who wants a second of my time now? Does everyone want a second of my time? Ah, Farmer Q! There's also a thing you did that was really cool earlier. What?

With Tiangong. That was amazing, by the way. Oh! Uh... yeah. What? I'm trying to remember if Tiangong's still here, if the echo was still here, or it got destroyed. No, it got destroyed because it... No, I think you reactivated it. Oh, I, it got destroyed because it marked itself as Lucius. Oh, I destroyed it again to save... Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's been a lot today.

Yes, brain. You should start planning. What? Planning what? Just the next steps of saving the Aroas, that's what I meant give me a day I can get something ready what's

ready with what century you know the thing about the you know and all this you know yes I'll help no but it's a ring of wishes don't give it to Thalia because she might accidentally say it And I don't really want to waste that

You know Oh my gosh I don't want this I don't want this I'm just gonna accidentally say something And then the next thing you know I've asked for like cupcakes or something like that And it's just gonna Somebody take this away from me right now

Lucius body dives and snatches it before quill does i'll take it okay okay i'll keep it safe will you yes okay well it's not gonna go anywhere is it don't wear it don't wear it. Don't wear the ring. He puts it on. Do not put it on. I... No, I'm not going to do it. I would like to say that Kim, the player, very nearly just said, I wish, and then just nonsense. I really had to bite that back.

I really had to bite that back. All his innards were outside. Luckily, I know that that was Chris Trott saying that. So I wasn't losing his voice, was it? Whilst you are having this conversation in the throne room, you look over and Mera is crying into Rosemeadow. Rosemeadow's like, they are having a real, Rosemeadow's trying to help her overcome

like a lot of this stuff. But like, Thalia's like, we should really leave. Like we should get out of here. I don't think we should stick around. I mean, if you need to rest,

like let's find somewhere in the city. Like we, let's give her some peace. I'm just grateful to be alive. If we intend to leave, I can take all of us straight back to Orois now. In fact, can I rebind the Feywild stone to right here? Or do I have to find a new stone?

Ah, I believe you can use the same stone. You can't do it in this throne room. There is something which is preventing the wayfinder's guide from allocating it to this spot exactly we should really fuck off but no it's this is like the heart of an archer's domain and

the rules of the wayfinder's guide it looks like it just can't there's something that prevents the wayfinder's guide from assigning it to this spot you could probably go into the city and put it somewhere in the city or in the center of the city. You could probably put it at a market square or something like that, but

not in the Hartsbyer tower. I think before we go anywhere, I think Ayla might go over to Mesmeria and be like, we didn't really say anything about where we're from by the way and where we're

by the way we're gonna leave you in peace and quiet away from our you know noise but we're from Arois and we're kind of having some problems with with

Kalistarbane, Zarkira, and Hadar right now. So, you know, if any problems come to you from any of those big three, give us a message. We can maybe help. Because, you know,

all bad. Through when one of of and she when is it Nova tried to contact me I saw a little of your world I mean so far

Valkyrian has left me and Heartspire alone I'm there are far more prosperous and more powerful cities here on lunaria but thank you your assistance i i it's not that i don't trust you but you are all this is difficult but yes i will keep totally fair i get it i think people don't want to move very well. It's not just you, all of you. I mean, you have come here with a woman.

I mean, you know. I don't think I need to really say anything more. Nope. I just want you to know that this is a kind of a nice planet too. And I had a planet and Starbane kind of killed it. So I don't want that to happen here because I don't know what his plans are overall and I'm just saying there's a there's a mutual potential enemy out there and I think that when you get your kingdom all

back to its its glory and everything that we could be some good allies I'm doing diplomatic things guys you. You're doing great. All you need to know is that if you have any need of us, then contact, well, contact me over anyone else, but find a way to contact me and we should be able to get to you

as soon as we can, whether it's grants or if you need help repelling any threats or rebuilding this this city uh we want to help as much as possible we don't want to leave this place and sever any ties the moment we go and also if you ever need any help or in any way you want to recover. I don't know the right words, but I'll kind of gesture to my wing and my mechanical wing. If you ever need my help with anything,

just let me know. She, like, looks at you, and there is, like, a faint hint of a smile. And I think, actually, Rosemallow puts her hand on like Mesmera's shoulder. And she says, well, actually, Quill and everyone, I was sort of thinking that maybe I would stay here for a little bit because I can help Mesmera heal her wings. And I was thinking I could stay and help her do that. It's going to take me some time. also i can learn a bit more i can i can find the the my people that the ones

that you helped save like maybe mesmera can help me find them and and you can always come back right well you've you've got the book you can come and and you know we can meet up and i can come back to arois again in the future but i just thought that i think i think that right now what mesmera needs is i think she could do with a friend i think of no one better for that rose meadow thank you century thank you all so much the fact that you brought me here and and you helped me learn about being a unicorn and and you helped save all those people and everything else. I'll never forget that, but I think that she needs my help more than Arois does.

But in my shop, there are recipes for all of my lotions and my shampoos and all the things. So if you need them, you just help yourselves, okay? And I'm sure you can find somebody else who can mix them all up and make sure you put some rose quartz by your bed to draw away all the negative energy and things like that. Rose quartz, okay, got it. We will miss you, Rosemeadow.

Oh, that was the other thing. Well, I was sort of thinking that if you need to contact me maybe I shouldn't well I call me Hope Lucius grips his heart at that it's okay

it's a perfect name. Yeah. Nova just gives her a big hug. I'm like, that's a beautiful name. And you're a beautiful unicorn. And thank you. You are a beautiful little blue cloud. And you have a sparkly sword.

And I love you so much. And she like squeezes you tight. And I'm really sorry I left you in the swamp. Bye! Rose Meadow, as you go to leave, she, like, grips your arm, and she's still stronger than you. And she, like, looks you dead in the eyes, and she, like, leans in.

I forgive you. Oh, my God. There's, like, a killer instinct there. Oh. I don't think I've picked myself though so I think like Rosebetter would come over or Hope would come over and like give everyone a hug like everyone gets a big hug

central hug Hope it will take some time getting used to but if we are not back for a while then you can hug me as tight as you want I can take it It will take some time getting used to, but if we are not back for a while, then... You can hug me as tight as you want. I can take it. Feathers, like... Can't save. Yeah, can't save.

You are dead. Yeah, Sentry will give her a big hug back. Big old squeezy hug. Yeah. I think she especially is just like she would probably say something to sentry like uh i don't think i would have come up with this name without you sentry you're incredible never that. You bring hope to so many people. It's perfect.

Goodbye, my friend. She just hugs. I think there's like a kind of like a proper kinship between Sentry and Rosemary because you guys obviously have a lot of sort of in common, I think. So yeah, I think she's... And Sentry will go up to Esmera after their hug and she'll start rattling around

in like a little potion bag and she'll get out a potion of healing she'll be like it probably won't do much for you but wounds can heal be kind to yourself

she'll sort of like as you're offering it to her she'll close your hands around it and she'll say you have a very sweet heart guardian I have a feeling that if your enemies are things like Kalos Valkyrian and Grats

you will need this far more than I I wounds do heal, but magic's not going to help that. Potions won't help heal my hurts. But I think that maybe you've brought me somebody who can, and she'll look over at Rosemallow. Take care of yourself.

We might not be your friends yet, but I hope you can at least call us acquaintances. Always be here. I need to stop now. I think I've done too much being nice for like a month. You're looking exhausted. Kairi probably comes up to Quell and is like,

can we go home now? It's scary. Yeah, we can go um i mean first let's leave the tower and uh find a place in this city to attune the book and then we can go straight back to gust haven okay yeah sure um anything anything before anybody goes yeah uh just as we file out i think like if nova's maybe the last to leave and just turns around and um just thank you thank you thank you if it wasn't for you i'm sorry for inflicting my pains on you if it it wasn't for you, I don't think I ever would have had closure.

I would have been that... That thing's puppet. As painful as all this has been. Thank you. It will take me a long time. But I hope that one day... Thalia can return to Heartspire. And perhaps, if not friends, we can at least be...

colleagues in helping build a better world. And at least that's an option now. She just nods in your direction. I think she would probably say, just before you leave, this is a bit off the cuff, so it might not work 100%, but she would just say in a clear voice,

what do you call yourselves? Do you have a name for your group? Do you have a title that I can gather you all together under? Oh, uh, I think we were calling ourselves the Storm Chasers. Yeah, Storm Chasers. Oh, they've gone. Storm Chasers! We were calling ourselves the Storm Chasers, yes. I'll peek from around the door. Sorry, I heard Nova panicking back there. And if you ever contact us, if all is well, remember clear skies.

She just nods. And she will say in a clear voice, the Storm Chasers are always welcome in Heartspire. May they always find rest and peace here. You do feel this kind of like magic and it pulls through uh you guys can take a long rest oh oh is that one of the three uh for now like she can always take it back and it's not going to take the long rest away but like the magic is enough to empower you with a long rest. I see.

And she can change it in the future but yeah. It's something, it's a little bit perhaps. And they're banned now. Yeah. She can do, yeah. At least from the tower. Yeah. Cool. It doesn't, just to speed things along, it really

doesn't take much Quill to like just head down and even in front of the tower, you said Wayfinder's Guide can use that spot. It's just that the tower grounds themselves seem to be the Archfey's domain, so you can't use that. In the same way that you couldn't use the Wayfinder's Guide inside a Titan's domain, the Wayfinder's Guide wouldn't be able to

have that as a location. It's almost like a semi-plane. Demon guards? As you're making your way down the tower, there's a couple of things, because you go past loads of encounters that I had planned. As you leave the throne room, you have to take a floating platform down.

There's just a shaft with this platform that lowers down. And as it lowers down, you see what appears to be you like it looks like it's a gazebo but the gazebo it looks like it is like a creature in disguise because it's got tentacles and it's holding a bunch of devils in place um and it and you it's like slowly crushing the life out of these devils um and it's like you watch them vanish and you see this gazebo once it finishes it reverts and it looks like a perfect gazebo in this beautiful garden like a botanical

garden um it was a giant mimic and it was disguised as a gazebo over the platform that you used to ascend with are we gonna find that encounter yeah uh you make your way through what looks to be like a grand library like as you make your way through a corridor You make your way through what looks to be like a grand library. As you make your way through a corridor, you make your way through a spiraling library, and there are dozens of dead or unconscious, slowly returning back to their plane,

fox-headed demons that look like they are wizards. They're all dressed like wizards. They're all completely knocked out or destroyed. Looks like the Rose Knight knocked them out as they were coming you know like for them as they came up library and then finally you come into like the main grand floor chamber where you would have entered if you come into the tower at the first floor there are 36 animated suits of armor that have basically like formed up into a defensive position because they're all around I know it wasn't 36

it was something like 18 but like 18 animated suits of armor all like in alcoves and they're all sort of like moving as if they've just finished fighting basically and they're now throwing devil bodies out yeah that was three encounters that were in the

tower Nova I never said thanks for the arcane gate. This would have been trouble otherwise. Yeah, could you imagine... Make sure you hold on to that one. It's useful. Anyway, the gem, I think I can attune it to here. So if we want to

head back to Gusthaven, I can do it right now. Do you want to go to Gusthaven or do you want to go to Horizon? If you want to go back to Horizon, which makes more sense, I don't know why I had Gusthaven in my head. Say the word.

I'm just checking. I've always got it in my head. We could go to either, but I mean, yeah. Horizon makes way more sense. I suppose. See Danica? Yep.

Get the latest. Sure. All right. Cool. Is that a plan? You're going to head back to Horizon? Yeah. Reattune that Feywild crystal to right here.

And head back to... Lucius takes a big look around, trying to, like, memorize everything. Maybe it might be the last time he sees the Fey for a while. Could be, like, the beautiful, you know, strangely colored trees and plants, the fairy tale buildings. Even though, you know,

they have been sort of not well looked after, this place is still very magical. It's the kind of place that Lucius probably saw in like storybooks and things like that. This is very Disney-esque, this location. And the colors are highly saturated. All the plants are these weird alien plants. It does remind you of,

you remember seeing the paintings back in Rosewall. It reminds you very much of those paintings that you once saw. But yeah, you take it all in. And then, Corey, you're going to smash the gem. Smash that like button. Smash that like button. Subscribe to Horizon. Subscribe to Horizon.

Yeah, you guys all feel the familiar sensation, the Bifrost kind of colored, multicoloured cylinder of light surrounds you, and you are all pulled away back towards Eros. You feel your bodies kind of lurch with that sudden sense of movement. But for the first time, you feel your bodies come to a stuttering halt and the pressure of magic building around you as something is halting your teleportation just before you reach Horizon. You are beginning to worry,

like you can feel this magic building around you, like crushing you as if a great force is pressing you against a wall. And Quill, you actually feel the Wayfinder's Guide surge with magic and all of the remaining gemstones activate as if they were using it and it draws power. The book uses all of its charges and all of the gemstone charges, but you manage to break through whatever barrier has been stopping you.

The Wayfinder's Guide uses all of its current available magic, not permanently, but draining its charges to push you through whatever is blocking. And you arrive back in your suite in Horizon completely fine. You arrive and, like, what was that? You all notice it. And yeah, the Wayfinder's Guide completely drained.

No charges left on anything. What was it? Did anyone else was that? But you all notice it. And yeah, the Wayfinder's guide completely drained. No charges left on anything. What was that? Did anyone else feel that? Yeah. What was that? I don't want to add teleportation to my list of types of travel that I don't like. That was not nice. What happened? Something was almost stopping us from getting here. Quill, you can hear it.

You hear from the window. Even though the Citadel of the Reborn is at the back of the city, high up, and this is a very well defended structure, you can hear the sounds of battle. From the streets, from the sky. You can hear like shouts and screams and battle

cries and tactics. You can hear the sound of fighting coming from somewhere in the Citadel, bouncing down and echoing off the corridors and i is your suite is empty you uh there is a big window that looks out onto the city from this window you also have your private rooms which all the doors are shut to but you will have your private rooms um as well as arvel's like the guest room where arvel and petal saying that's closed. Nothing seems out of place with the room, but, yeah, there is a large window. I mean, I want to run over to that and sort of beckon everyone over to see what's out there.

Yeah. I don't know what it could be, airships or something. Yes, in fact. You see airships, a number of airships flying over Horizon. They all look heavily modified all bearing black and purple colors you can see armored troops like quills you know incredible eyesight and vision as a bird and i aided by the either storm you can see val it looks like valkyrian troops but quill you actually because you've got such a high passive perception,

you spot that the troops, amongst the troops, are creatures like Naga and Mind Flayers. And they are basically alien troops. The city defenders are fighting them off, and it's not like this is a losing battle, but there is clearly an ongoing conflict going on. You can see ships. The ships, at least one ship, seems to be fighting other valkyrian ships

there is like one valkyrian ship that is like currently fighting two others um like exchanging volleys of fire uh you also see uh you would see two of them i think you remember the metal dragons upgraded versions you see metal dragons but these onesed versions. You see metal dragons, but these ones seem to have greater enchantments placed upon them and they are like swooping over the city. And yeah, these things seem to be, you know, enhanced versions of them. Can I see, I'm asking for more out of this perception,

but the Valkyrian upgraded airships, if they're airships they're from eros is there any sort of insignia of like the nation they are from or these look like they've they they look built they look custom built these don't look like these are like i say modified these look like airships that have been designed in the valkyrian style is probably what i should have said okay these don't look like these have been hijacked from somewhere else. Yeah, I didn't know if it was like one of the Valkyrian-aligned nations. Turned, yeah. I mean, maybe. Maybe it was.

But these have been, you know, sort of like armoured and equipped for battle to represent more like the Valkyrian starships. These look more like them. Like, they don't have, like, the open-out like sailing ship design these have like enclosed these almost look like little sci-fi frigates like kind of like air transports kind of thing um uh i mean everyone else is out the window with me right seeing this too yeah uh as you as you are looking you hear a kind of like uh you hear a thump one of the doors in your suite opens and you hear i'm not letting you take looking, you hear a kind of like, you hear a thump. One of the doors in your suite opens, and you hear a, I'm not letting you take us alive, you son of a bitch!

And, like, you hear a crossbow bolt. Wait, wait, wait, it's us! Whoa! Okay, that was very close. Oh, thank the gods, thanks, Jask. Oh, my goodness. You're back. Where have you been?

They're like, holy shit, by the gods. Pedal, it's all right it's it's them it's it's it's our friends how long has it been you've been gone four or five days i think you've you've been you've been gone from us this has been going on a few hours now it's been uh they i started hearing and seeing the the ships, and they started attacking the city and pulled pedal into... We've been barricading up. Just trying to wait and find out what's going on. She knew we weren't here.

She knew we were in the Feywild. She's reported it. We're back now. Yeah. Almost, Arvel. You almost hit me, but we are back now. All right, good. Well, I don't know what the plan is.

The guards, I've not seen or heard anybody. We've just been on our own. I think that this attack's completely taken people by surprise. I can hear fighting somewhere going on. Is it happening, I hate to say this, but just on Horizon, or is it a coordinated attack all across the room? I wish I knew, Lucius. I can't say.

We need to get to someone that knows. Petal kind of sticks her head out, and it's like, oh, Sentry, you're all right. And Petal comes over and checks on you, Sentry. I'm okay. Are you okay? Where's Vala? They were...

Her and Max were in the library doing research. We haven't heard from them. We've got to go and find her. They could be looking for her. Quill, you get a message. You get a sending spell. Repeat, storm chasers. This is Rain of Horizon.

Please, if you receive this message, respond. Horizon under attack. Valkyrian forces need aid. Yeah, I'll basically say that we're back and able to help out in any way. Okay. A few moments later, you get another sending spell. Thanks, Siaska.

Had no idea where you were. Attack began a few hours ago. Danica fighting giant dragon. At least two more. What's the message you get back. Okay. I want to do a sending to Prince Aradan in Gusthaven. Okay.

And in 25 words, ask, you know, say, Horizon is under attack. How is Gusthaven right now? Okay. Yeah, you get a response back like, Gusthaven is fine. No attacks here. Does Horizon need aid?

I'll send another one. I mean, it's costing spells, but... Any aid you can send would be much appreciated. And then I'll kind of try and detail what's attacking airships and two dragons and things like that. Actually, I'm sorry, Quill, I'm going to retcon that. Get your spell slots back.

When you try and send Aradan, it doesn't work. I forgot something was currently in place. Yeah, because they wouldn't have been able to get through anyway. We were struggling to get back as well. rain would have sent aid I forgot about the barrier that's currently in place around the city not that you can see one

cough cough metanoge I can't send a message to Aradan I don't know how he's doing he's dead oh no this is the worst sorry I wish Princeah down to be alive you are so lucky that i know when you're fucking joking

come on yeah that's i mean yeah but if you fucking if you say the wrong words i'm gonna be on you like a son of a bitch you're gonna accidentally say, I wish we did this, and then it's going to go off. I wish my hair were purple. So did we also get... I got the message from Rain, right? You got the message from Rain, yes. That did happen, but the message to Ariban doesn't work. Yes, well, I'll say...

So it was that Danica is fighting two of the dragons? That was the message? Danica is fighting a giant dragon construct to at least two more. Should we aim for a dragon? We should probably aim for a dragon. It's just a question of how. They are very up there, and I mean, I can up there, but can you guys up there?

Well, we are currently quite up there. If we go down there to join the fight, we need to go up more, you know? You saw what I did in the first part. I can do that again. Just say the word. I can summon Alnissix and fly.

Yeah, I can fly a little bit, but not nearly as high as I would need to. I can make some of us fly. I mean, you could also just... There are routes up to, like, where Danica would be. Like, you could just go through the gate. You don't have to fly.

Flying would be the fastest way. The dragons are currently flying, though, right? Yeah, there are two. So there is at least two that you saw, and they're flying around the city. Like, from this window, currently flying though right like yeah there are two so there is at least two that you saw and they're flying around the city like from this window you see one is like fighting something in the city and another one is like flying around the keep and attacking you don't know where this third one is um we just need to find a way to ground ideally one of the dragons at worst

lucius ideally one of them luci, you receive a sending spell. You hear Valor's voice. Friends, is that you? I think you're here now. Zarkira is attacking Horizon. She's magically blocked teleportation. I can't use my rifts. She's after me with these metal spiders.

That was Valor. I just had a message. Zarkira's attacking. This is her. And she's blocking the magic. Where is she? spiders that was Valor I just had a message it's our cares attacking this is her magic where is she where was she said you got aside I didn't say but she's limited to 25 words someone said library Arville Arville said library Arville said like I heard the word library pet pet pet all said library but yeah that's the last place we saw him, yeah. You can respond, Lucius. You have 25 words you can respond with, by the way.

I'll ask where she is and if she needs help. Otherwise, we're going to help Danica with the dragons. Yeah, you get a response with had to flee library, making way to council room, ward stronger, need help, creature strong, max injured.

I don't know if that's 25 words, but you get the- We gotta go for her. What was it? The room? Ward. The council room. Where you had the meeting.

It's where you had the big meeting. Because the wards were stronger. We're going to the council room now. She needs help. Okay. Let's go there then. Arvel will just say, me and Petal will stay here.

I'll protect her as best I can. We'll stay hidden as best we can. Good luck. Okay. Thalia, Kyrie, and Big Cat and all that are with you as well. That is like, I can try and make my way to the twin star.

I can try and sneak my way there. But star. I can try and sneak my way there but Kyrie, I think Kyrie should stay here with Arvel and Petal. If they're safe here. What do you want me to do? We could definitely use the twin star in the sky. I think it worked really well last time. Sure.

So if you think you're okay with that, then you're okay with that. It will take me some time. I can make you invisibly uh that would help a lot make big cat invisible in fact he's gonna be fine okay you can do both of us that'll help a lot i'm pretty sure we can reach the twin star without being detected if we're invisible okay i love you bye and then i kiss her on the cheek and as i kiss her on the cheek invisible sure yep she vanishes um you probably feel her just sort of like squeeze And then I kiss her on the cheek. And as I kiss her on the cheek, invisible. She vanishes.

You probably feel her just sort of like squeeze your arm and maybe, yeah, like squeeze your hand actually, like the invisible squeezes your hand. You just hear like an invisible like, good luck, friends. We'll try and get to the ship and we'll try and give you some cover from the air. And then, yeah, Tala's going to disappear. And that's where we're going to take little break it's breaking time it's great time

when you said we need to find valor i was like i've got a spell for this it's part of the way finders guide which is now out of charges i was going to do locate creature and you completely bust my book yeah i don't have that anymore I got rid of that spell on my spell list, unfortunately. Well, well, well. Are there any trees? There could be. I mean, there's certainly trees in Horizon. There's like parks and stuff here, for sure.

Not in the council room, probably. No. We should buy them like a plant so we can use it. Yeah, go for a little daisy or something here i've gifted you this this small tree uh very cool all right well let's have a quick break here and then when we come back let's defend horizon from wait hang on how do the metal dragon sound no wait don't spoil it for me i want to hear it when it happens i'm not spoiling it upgraded metal dragon noise i need it.