High Rollers DnD - High Rollers: Aerois #93 | Trial of Power (Part 1)

Episode Date: November 23, 2020

Before attempting the Trial of Power the team are visited by someone who wants to make a deal! Today we're joined by Ravs playing Johan! Go show him some love here: https://www.twitch.tv/ravs_ Support the High Rollers and get early access to podcast episodes (and more) on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/HighRollers Thanks to our sponsors D&D Beyond! D&D Beyond is the official digital toolset for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Create your FREE account now and start digitising your campaigns here: www.dndbeyond.com/ Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pickaxe. health. And part of mine includes biodiversity. Why care so much? Because Canadian dairy farmers hold themselves to higher standards. That's what's behind the Blue Cow logo. Dairy Farmers of Canada. Summer is like a cocktail. It has to be mixed just right. Start with a handful of great

friends. Now, add your favorite music. And then, finally, add Bacardi Rum. And there you have it, the perfect summer mix. Bacardi, do what moves you. Live passionately, drink responsibly. Copyright 2024. Bacardi, its trade dress and the bat device are trademarks of Bacardi and Company Limited. Rum, 40% alcohol by volume.

and Company Limited. Rum 40% alcohol by volume. Hello, welcome back to High Rollers, the Dungeons & Dragons podcast in the world of Erois. We're sponsored by D&D Beyond, the ultimate digital Dungeons & Dragons toolkit that takes all the confusing rules of D&D and compresses it into an awesome

online package. Perfect for D&D newcomers and veterans. Use the link in the podcast description to try out D&D Beyond for free. Welcome back to Erois. The party are currently trying to gain access to the inner sanctum of the Temple of Hesper, in order to help the Tempest Dragon and prevent the terrible storm that has dominated the land of Voxar. To do this, they must complete a pair of trials inside the temple. To do this, they must complete a pair of trials inside the temple. The first trial, the Trial of Aeons, was overseen by the powerful echo of an ancient mage, Phaedrus Selador,

who the party battled against his future self and unraveled powerful defences by travelling into the past. The battle was fierce, as Phaedrus' future self was a lich and the party had to split into multiple groups across past, present, and future. But despite some very close calls, the party managed to destroy the lich's phylactery and force them to surrender, proving they had passed the first trial. Phaedrus returned them to the present

and gave them his blessing. However, during the battle, the party's mysterious ally, Johan, proved to be more than he appeared. Now, the party must face the trial of power, the next trial that they must face before entering the inner sanctum. And that is where we begin today's episode. I don't know what you mean. I don't know what you mean. I mean, look, I'm just the DM here, my friend. I got to tell it as it is.

I will set the scene. You guys are all currently in the round chamber that once was the Trial of Aeons. The two portals have now ceased working. Their power shut down. The columned pillars of magic no longer functional, leaving you in a plain stone circular chamber. And that is where we begin today's episode. Ah, so.

Up next, Trial of Power. I don't know about you guys, but I am wiped from just one trial. Lucius is lying down, face down, breathing heavily. Lucius, are you okay? How are you holding up? That was a lot. That was a lot. It was a huge amount. Right, we should rest. Now, right now.

Too much. Good plan. That was tough. Where's safer than an inner sanctum of a temple that requires a puzzle to get into? One clearly tailored for me. I don't think anyone else is going to break through that one anytime soon. So we can rest here.

Did you see a younger version of yourself in the past? What happened in there? We saw a young version of Phaedrus. And we also, Nova's just going to be shooting Nova's glances over at Quill. We also see... Lucius, how much do you know about your family history? Just out of curiosity.

Quite a long, lengthy history. Quite dull, if I'm honest. How about sorceress origins? Oh, that's always been part of the Elinastos. It's had that innate ability, being passed down to generations. It's taught from a young age. I think we met your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great great great great great great great great great great great great great great grandmother it's a bit too many maybe a few less greats maybe a few less i'm never too sure about high elf um was counting on his fingers at the same time

yeah i'm never too sure how how the expectancy of him, but definitely a great, a great great grandmother. In here? Where's Phaedrus? Younger Phaedrus. I look around for Phaedrus. No, the three spirits disappeared. At the end of the trial, the three

echoes of Phaedrus seem to dissipate. Hello? Phaedrus seem to dissipate. Hello? Phaedrus? Hello bounces off the stone walls echoing around. I should have gone to the past. Well, there's no

telling if she could have possibly recognised you anyway. It's simply Arcanist Elinasto. But I don't know what you could have learned. They didn't even know that we were using portals to arrive in their time. What they saw was probably not even us. It's not about learning things, Quill. Although this is a trial of knowledge,

I just want to see family. I'm sorry, Lucius. I understood. Everything was... Time was... It was combat, don't worry about it. Heat of the moment and all that. Don't worry. Anyway, let's focus on the task ahead.

The trial of power, which, as we know, is going to be given to us by another Sphinx, one of the two but this time we're blessed with an extra power from Phaedrus so hopefully that should help us in the Trial of Power

I imagine it will hopefully that one doesn't turn us into a child on that subject is there a way that we can undo that quite easily because I just

I don't want to be a little kid you know worked hard for these muscles don't really want them to go. I already am, technically, time-wise. So I don't know what it will turn me into, an egg? That's disturbing. Better than a plant, I'd argue.

Better than a plant, that's true. How are you feeling, Johan, after being argue. Better than a plant, that's true. How are you feeling, Johan, after being turned into a very lovely plant? You know, I learned a lot in that experience. I think maybe I could get into gardening after this. Nice, that's good to know. Newfound appreciation,found appreciation yes Ah That's lovely

Well Considering a very powerful Potent spellcaster Was unable to reverse The aging spell put upon them I hesitate to guess If it was to happen to us. Very difficult to remove.

I assume so. I mean, I don't imagine it's within the grasp of a greater restoration or anything like that. It's not an injury as such. Just a time warp. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, do I know that we're protected? Does Lucius know we're protected or not? Phaedrus said, well, what Phaedrus

said was, yeah, you've been blessed by the passing of the Trial of Aeons that would help you. I think that you guys can understand that you have been granted some sort of resistance to effects that would aid you. Remember, it's only advantage on saving throws. It's not like it's going to permanently stop it.

It just gives you a greater chance of avoiding it if they do use that effect. I will remind Quill. What's Quill's intelligence again, Tom? Oh, like 102. 14. 15 or something. 14. I know it's 24 hours.

Yeah. I think that you would definitely remember the fact that the young mage who was assaulting you, who had been transformed by the previous sphinx, was asking if you knew the spell Greater Restoration and could cast it. Oh. Oh, so it does work. Okay. I didn't realize that.

I just assumed Greater greater restoration worked on... No, no. Greater restoration works on a great many different injuries that can... Not necessarily injuries, but like magical curses, reductions to hit points. It can cure madness.

There's a lot of things greater restoration can do. It isn't just injuries. I didn't know that aging was considered a curse i thought it was just yep that's just a thing now being magically aged is definitely a curse and it's not a remove curse curse but it's a type of magical effect that greater restoration can remove there's a lot of effects in the world that the that the greater restoration spell might not say oh it cures this but in the other effect it will say, this can be removed by Greater Restoration spell. Okay.

Okay. Cool. Is that what I said? I lied? What? Oh, Greater Restoration will work. I... Out of the mind for a second there.

Anyway, trial of power coming. But you can't cast that if you're an egg, right? Because I don't want egg quill to happen, because then quill quill can't save our butts because quill's an egg. So don't be an egg. Now I am an egg with magical power still. Remember that.

How can an egg have magic power? What if we break the egg? Just to say, I couldn't really do much as a plant, so I don't think you could do much as an egg. I'm clumsy. I could drop the egg, and then that's it. And I can't... It's dead.

I'm not going to touch the egg. If you were to de-age younger than yourself, do you become your parents? What? Ooh, interesting hypothesis. Oh, my brain is melting. Let's rest. We can assume that some of this conversation

is part of a long rest. Yeah. Is this a spell you could teach me, Quill? What grade of restoration? Is it a ritual spell? I don't think so. Learn and cast ritual spells

from any class, yeah. If it's a ritual spell, then yeah. I did! Oh, you don't have it prepared. Excellent! Cool, end of prepared. Excellent. Cool. End of half station. Amazing. I'll put it back.

Just before... Not a ritual spell. Okay. But before everybody gets a bit of shut-eye, I had a flash of inspiration when I was talking to young Phaedrus about protection and protecting. And I thought of something and I really want to put it

into practice and give it a try now so if you could let's see one two three four Lucius could you just sign your name on this piece of paper and I open up my spell book and shove a quill in your book could you just sign your name and what book of shadows yeah I could you just show your sign your name here in the book of shadows don't worry about the your book of shadows. Could you just sign your name? Book of Shadows, yeah. Could you just sign your name here in the Book of Shadows? Don't worry about the name Book of Shadows. That's not creepy. It's fine. Do we not have practice paper? I haven't written my name in so long.

It'd be so embarrassing if I smudged it or something. I'm sure it's fine. I've got a little bag of sand here. That's good for smudging, apparently. I can't write with sand, Nova. That's insane. No, no, the sand dabs up the smudges. Just write your name in the book, please. Okay.

What is this for? Is this a signature? So, Lucius, are you willingly spending an action to write your name in Nova's book? I have full trust in Nova. I'm just... Then Lucius's name appears on the page, the magical page in the Book of Shadows. Right, Quill, you're next. Quill, here's a Quill.

I haven't written with my right hand since I had a right hand. You could do it with your left hand. I really can't. You should see the letter I wrote ages ago. Okay, fine. Garble. Sure, and I'll write Qu I'll write Quilek. Quilek.

Quilek. Do you spend an action to willingly write your name in the book? Yeah. Okay. I have to check. Aayla! You're a willing creature. Aayla, you're next.

Aayla, please, could you just write your name on my piece of book, sorry? Ayla's like, holding a quill like this. There we go. Sorry. It definitely breaks part of the quill. Sorry. Did it though. Lucius, you don't need to worry about being embarrassed my

boy where's this cool that's alright it was it was quite an easy one to write if you were bad though because it is just like straight lines like yeah that's the only yeah and century you as well please just one more signature please sorry i've been wanting to do this for such a long time family doing this yeah has hang on riannon has century never written before i would say that she's she's been taught to teach how to write. Right, so she taught Petal, but she's never had to do it much herself. She's never had to sign anything herself, yeah.

Gotcha, okay. She's very excited about it. There we go. She signs it in beautiful cursive writing, like she's been practicing this moment for a really long time. I was going to say, so I think we can all imagine Aayla's

because it's so straight-lined, like, aggressive. I imagine Lucius's is very elegant, like, well, kind of noble, well-written kind of thing. Yeah, hearts. More serif than writing. Sans. Yeah. What about Quillill's writing what does it look like i mean i had an idea of what it would look like because he is right-handed and now that he's actually got a right hand i don't i don't really know i guess it's

it's just quite normal is it quite scratchy Yeah. Still trying to figure out the mechanical wing, so it's a little bit too hard. It could be a little bit jagged. Yeah. Okay. Interesting. Alright, well, as you all willingly write your name in the book, it seems to, there is a kind of thrum of power

in Tiangong, like a pulse, and the page and all of your names glow in a blue magic. Protection protocol has been activated, Nova. Thank you, Tiangong. That's amazing. Ah, excellent. Please remember, it is limited. Yes, it is limited. Yes, it is.

I can refresh the magic afterwards, though. But hopefully this shouldn't happen. But if any of you were to fall unconscious during battle, this should hopefully help out with that a little bit. Just a little bit, though. Just a little bit. So just try not to. Just try not to fall in battle.

But if you do, this should help. Powerful. What kind of magical cauldron wellspring did you pull this from? A very magical cauldron wellspring. It's Spidey with Phaedrus. Oh. That's my RP story and I'm sticking to it. In terms of mechanics, if the audience wants to play along,

it is, I've basically basically mark has allowed us to swap in a few things from tasha's uh cauldron of everything uh i have swapped out my eldritch invocation mask uh mask of many faces um for gift of the protectors um and i won't say what it does until it happens sure sounds good cool cool uh anything else like i mean you're gonna need to do some sleep um two hours of which two hours of the eight hour long rest can just be light activity four hours for the two elves um johan you don't need to sleep but you do need to rest to get things like spell slots back so now that some of your elements have been revealed, you no longer need to sleep whilst you're in the temple.

You just need to rest. Okay. I don't mind keeping watch. If you all want to get some shot high, I could watch the hallway in here, I suppose. Sure.

Okay. I'll just move myself over there. I suppose. Sure. Yeah. Okay. I'll just move myself over there. Yeah. I'll just move myself over here. No problem. I'll fetch you after a couple of hours, I suppose. I'll just go

sit down over here, make a little mini fire and just make sure no one comes flying up that tube that airway by the way is that now a bit more powerful the airways at the end of the hall yes it is so when you go to check it out

Johan actually yes you're the first one to see this the wind current that had lifted you up into this section you can now see it continues further up it's become more powerful and it leads to a higher chamber set into the temple okay looks like the way up

the sound of the sound of lightning and thunder can be heard from that direction okay I'll just set in lightning and thunder can be heard from that direction. Okay. I'll just sit and stare at it. Okay.

Anything from anyone else? Now that Johan's elsewhere, away, have you, has anyone else noticed anything strange with Johan particularly when he was in the future talking to the

thing that you guys were fighting he knows I didn't I didn't see him talk to the thing oh what yes they seem to be acquainted buddies or something huh but how seem to be acquainted Buddies or something Huh?

But how could they be acquainted? Oh, I didn't think of that Also, he seems to sacrifice himself Willingly to this lich And then he just vanished Not when he turned into a plant But he vanished and then came back So it's like he planned it or something

He must be very powerful Also, he doesn't sleep now? back. So it's like he planned it or something. He must be very powerful. Also, he doesn't sleep now. He might have had a little nap before we went in here. I don't want to say the B word, but I'll say it.

Brookstone. Do we have to worry about Brookstone? This is Johan we're talking about here. It's not very nice to talk about someone behind their back like this. How does he know a lich? I'm just wary of any secrets that might be being held or why he would keep them. Just laying this up here.

How about, how about... I mean your hand. I know your passive, so... Why don't we just ask him how he knows the Lich? Well it's not so much the Lich is it, it's Phaedrus. He knew Phaedrus. Yeah. Or why don't we just ask him how he knew? I'm sure he'll tell us. Yes, the present version of

Phaedrus was the one that we saw, which is the one that Johan knows, because we don't exist in the other forms of the time that was... I need a trance. I need to rest. This is too much thinky brain box time. Don't like it.

He seemed to recognise a lich from the future. Well, probably Patrus. We could just ask him. Do you want me to ask him? I'm very blunt. I don't know if it's the best idea, but I can do it.

You do have a way with words. I'll take that as a compliment. How's Sentry feeling about all this? She's just trying to wrap her head around it. Okay. Because I think Sentry was there when Johan died and came back, wasn't she? Sentry witnessed it. No, she didn't witness it.

I think Johan went through, then Lucius went through and saw him die, and then Sentry came through after he died. Lucius was the one who saw it. That's right. Yeah. Okay. Does anyone need a snack or anything to eat?

I can do that. Is anyone hungry? Have you got nibbles? Always. I've got food. Chocolate. Yeah. I understand this.

I understand when people are hungry. So I'll just do what I can understand at the moment. And she's just going to cast create food and water and just summon a plethora of food just in the middle of the room. Yeah. Absolutely. How long have you been able to do this? Quite a while.

So there is Century Conjure's 45 pounds of food and 30 gallons of water in a selection of containers, so I guess maybe kind of like ornate carafts from Solvin, sort of Solvin-style

carafts. The food is not particularly flavourful. It is a bland Maybe kind of like ornate carafts from Solvin, sort of Solvin-style carafts. Wow. The food is not particularly flavourful. It is a bland food, but it's very nourishing. Mmm, very good, Sentry. Oh, I'm glad you enjoy it. Eat up. Eat up.

We've got a busy, busy next task ahead. What does it look like, Sentry? Do you make it look like cakes and actual foods, but then when people eat it, it's just like porridge? Like, it just tastes like gruel flavour? It just looks really nice, just like roast chicken and like goblets and like all this really nice stuff.

And it just tastes like dust. I'm going to stretch my legs a second I'm going to hear him hacking behind one of the pillars Taylor's initially going to be like and then go food is food it's very nourishing it's very warming and sort of makes you feel full up

Nova, is there anything you wanted to do? just reminds me of being at the academy. I guess, Quill, what was that book that you got? The book from the library downstairs. That's all I'm thinking about right now is books from libraries. Oh, the book from um the book from a plumbus hesper it says hesper on it i don't know what johan's talking about another one of his lies uh so uh it was 48 hours to read through that wasn't it was that 48 hours straight or was

it just a cumulative i think it can be cumulative. I think you can choose, like, I'm going to read the book for six hours and then that knocks six hours off the time. But that would be eating into my long rest, I suppose, right? Yes, but don't forget, part of your long rest is two hours of light activity, which counts as reading. You could read it for two hours and it wouldn't eat into the long rest time. Okay, I will read

404 pages of this book. Ah, here's the thing. Well, that's 10 hours, Tom Hazel. That's 10 hours, you're right. Once you start reading the book, you have six days to finish the 48 hours. So once you start, you have to try and finish it

within six days. I read the foreword! No! I will say when you spend a proper amount of time reading it. Can you just read the synopsis? No. Sadly not. Wikipedia it.

It's too much information. Johan, you see them eating food and drinking water by the way as you're like off in the corner and then Sentry's like ah feast as everyone's eating walk over and take a little bit of bread and just go back to where I was

just sit and eat some bread Johan come join us you're more than welcome come sit with us I was keeping an eye out but I suppose so come sit with us I was keeping an eye out but I suppose so come sit for five minutes sit down on the floor next to them next to all this

food just awesomely staring at Johan with a smile how's it taste Johan Johan I'm not doing that Johan you've been to this temple before what was that it tastes delicious

I know you're lying shut up Tom have you been to this have you been to this temple before Johan just trying to make casual conversation I've passed through here

a few times have you ever made it this far have you ever seen this room before this room before? This room is new to me, I've got to say. When I was here last, I didn't even know about

the air vents. Do you know anything about the other sphinx that we're gonna deal with? Ringing any bells, Mark? It's like a wisp of a memory for johan it'd be similar to phaedrus until you saw phaedrus there was no memory there you couldn't have mentioned you didn't know who he was or anything about him but when you saw him suddenly the memories kind of came back um yeah i think that that it rings a bell but i i that the name it feels so familiar but yet not in my brain and i i guess i'll know when i see them you know when

you like forget someone i i remember them arriving at this place a eager young arcanist just wanted to do good in the world it was quite distressing to see what had become of them at least in the future when did they arrive here?

I have memories of that one yeah What? When did they arrive here? Time's a funny thing for you. Yeah. Time's a funny thing. Like, it could have been last week. It could have been, you know, 10 years ago. It could have been longer. It feels like... How old are you, Johan?

Very personal question. Very personal. Why is that personal? it's just a number you know I don't actually even know how it's very rude to ask a stranger they're age 44 44 they're not strangers

I suppose you're not my friends I suppose not I'm 44 it's okay Quill's like 3 I suppose you're not. My friends, I suppose not. I'm 44. It's okay. Quill's like three. I am three.

There's a wide range. This thing. I've been three for a year. How long have you been 44? Now that's a personal question. I'm just going to eat bread. You eat the bland bread. Mm-hmm. I do not know.

Um... I do not know. Is everything okay here, friends? You're all staring at me very intently. Why did you run into the portal to the lich? That was a bit something reckless, kind of like something that I would do, but even

I wasn't silly enough to do that. Why'd you do it? I kind of like something that I would do, but even I wasn't silly enough to do that. Why'd you do it? I was worried that we wouldn't have enough time with the, you know, with the whole glowing orbs above Phaedrus. It was... I was concerned. And I don't know,

it felt like the right thing to do. Instinct, I suppose thank you for getting me and Lucius to safety earlier by the way as well really appreciate it I didn't want any harm to come to you especially with Lucius being so injured no, it helped me help him.

It's a good move. I was afraid of what they may have done if I had not acted that way. We are forever grateful. Thank you. I'm glad you're okay, Lucius. You too, Nela. I was a bit concerned as well

but I think I made the right choice I mean you did smash that crystal into smithereens yeah I wouldn't have known unless Tiangong said that I totally would have accidentally hit him in the face instead and then we would still be in there and probably die so

thanks Tiangong that was really helpful you You are welcome. Okay, cool. Yeah. That is a correct form of gratitude. Yes. Nova? I did it right!

Yes! Well, unless you guys want to continue a conversation uh you guys can finish your long rest if you like yeah yeah no disturbances nothing well it's funny you mentioned that lucius uh as your long rest is progressing maybe sort of in the sixth hour a swirling figure begins to appear in the middle of the chamber what do you guys do harris swirling

somebody is magically appearing in this chamber what do you do just backing up to the edge of the room preparing a spell Sure Yeah Likewise, watching carefully and ready to react Okay

As everybody does this you'll kind of scatter and back up A figure appears It's a woman A woman with flawless ivory skin jet black hair streaked with crimson and silver is a woman, a woman with flawless ivory skin, jet black hair streaked with crimson and silver. She's wearing a sort of armoured dress with a long flowing train of blood red crimson

and a pair of metallic blade-like wings are folded behind her. And as she appears, she kind of looks around. Angular features, but unearthly beautiful. And she sort of looks around the room, holds her hands out, almost as if

to say, I am not armed. How did you get in here? Really? That is your first question? How surprising. Magic, obviously. I'm more surprised the first question was not why

or who. Who? Why? Is this quite clearly the little bab from before that I tried to banish? No. Okay. Johan, this woman

terrifies you. There's something in your memory that is deeply afraid of this woman. Century, you've of this woman. Sentry, you've seen this woman before. You've seen this woman leading armies

for Kalos. She led an assault on Solvin. So Sentry is pissed right now. Sentry is not behind the pillar. Yeah, Sentry, this is yeah yeah sentry this is

this is Zarkira what are you doing here why are you here ah the guardian I should warn you if you strike me I will not be able

to communicate so I would advise against it I'm not here to harm you. Not yet. Then just say what you need to say and leave. Well, let's not be too hasty, Guardian. Some of your companions may be more willing to listen,

to, well, find better solutions than just fighting with swords and spears. Where is she? Ah, the ganass. If I'm correct, the high elf, the arakokra, the traitorous elf. And she points in Aayla's direction. Ah, one of the traitor clan is here. Excellent. Ah, fuck you.

I'm merely stating a fact, my dear. Your clan betrayed the armies of Valkyrian. That is what they are branded as. Let me just find a token. This will do. Okay. So yeah, she appears in the very center of the room um

holds her hands up and is like I am led to believe well I know that you have dealt with my subordinate you're progressing quite closely to the tempest dragon I have come with um something of an offer. Perhaps a warning.

Well, stunned to silence. I know that I am an imposing figure, but not quite what I was expecting. Oh, just spit it out! Oh, please, my dear. Are you not at least a bit intrigued? A bit of pageantry, perhaps? It works so well for Callus. He has the egg and ass practically quivering in her boots whenever he appears.

I'm sad that we don't have such a similar point, similar effect. How dare you? I'm not quivering. I'm not quivering. How can you know? I don't mean it in the fearful sense, my dear. We all know what an imposing figure

the Emperor cuts. Still, you are about to face against the Tempest Dragon. It is considerably more powerful than I think you realize. It poses an incredible threat. My spell has had a greater effect on it than I expected. I fear that the long years of being separated and it being under the effects of this particular enchantment

i don't imagine its effects are easily remedied it will be an extremely dangerous force if your attempts here fail if it escapes my spell if it escapes this temple i fear that the dragon will cause untold destruction across arois to both your people and to our forces. So you're asking us to clean up your mess and we pay you for it? My mess, unfortunately, would have been resolved long ago if Siaska hadn't performed her little sacrifice. I would have easily easily completed my works. And anyway,

surely there's one truly responsible here. There's a certain titan who could have fixed this long ago but chose to run away instead. I believe it's his mess you're clearing up, my little bird. Still, I'm not here to trade insults or barbs.

I have a solution. If you fail in whatever it is you're attempting to do, if you do not destroy this Tempest Dragon, and it breaks free, poses a great risk to us all, I have come with an offer. Two solutions to help your problem. Why do you care what happens to arois when your great leader is gonna blow it up anyway ah you are the smart one my personal belief is that arois need not be destroyed it is a valuable resource a great planet callus has his theory on how the Hadar problem can be solved. I

still have mine. I still also believe that the dragon would cause untold deaths. Kallus would prefer to save as many of them as possible, ship them off to other worlds, send them to different planes. The dragon would reduce that number.

And what's your Hadar theory? Oh, we're not good enough friends for me to discuss my theories just yet. You may have Calus's ear, but not mine. Still, are you interested? We're all dictators, everyone. Do we have a choice? Of course. Of course, you always have a choice? Of course

Of course, you always have a choice I'm merely presenting you with logical options My spell was never fully completed I can provide you with two solutions to the Tempest Dragon One, a way to complete my spell

It would give me full dominance over the Tempest Dragon, giving me control of it as I originally wanted. The other would alter the spell. It would destroy the Tempest Dragon instead. Go on, Kelek. Ask the obvious question. I mean, my only thought is Sentry,

how in... How could we possibly make a deal with Zarkira? We can't. We can't possibly, right? Ah, so you're willing to risk the lives of thousands because you don't wish to make a deal with me. My, my, what heroes. Even Callus knows better than this.

Why? Why? Why do you seek to control everything that lives and breathes? Why? To what purpose? There's only ever one purpose. Control is power. Power is survival. Power is legacy. Power is immortality.

When is it enough for you? When will it stop? Oh, I'm not the one to ask that question. Calus knows when he would stop. My ambition is boundless. But still, I'm the one with a solution. If you choose to complete my spell, giving me dominance over the Tempest Dragon,

I will ensure that it leaves Erois. Stops these storms and retreats. I will not bring it to bear in any conflict between Erois and Kallus' forces. I will simply have it leave you all alone. Or you could choose to destroy it. You could alter my spell, destroying it permanently. That would also rob us of the difficult problem of its escape. Although, and you see she kind of looks at her nails when she speaks,

I would much prefer you to complete the spell and give me control. And it would be an awful shame if things were to happen to individuals you care about. Individuals who are alone and vulnerable. Trapped. What's the nature of the spell? It's an enchantment spell. A very powerful one I developed long ago. So...

So when are you going to betray Starbane? Betray my Emperor? Never I would never dream of such a thing The Emperor has I feel that his mind is

distracted of late He's focusing less on the greater threat of Hadar to other matters, but still my loyalty to him is unwavering, as it has been for millennia. How long until you

take matters into your own hands, then? Why? Why would I do such a thing? The great Calistar Bane is our emperor I want to insight that but I think Lucius at this point is noticeably

overwhelmed and trembling so he's unable to speak at the moment she holds up So he's unable to speak at the moment. Okay. She holds up a Valkyrian crystal slab, the kind of tablets that Nova has. And Nova, you begin to see the fragments. It's not a complete spell, and it's complicated.

It's very, very, very complicated. It's the kind of thing that, yeah, if you tried to to you probably wouldn't be able to develop your own spell from this but it would complete an existing spell she holds it up and is like those of you who have the ability to memorize spells well i'm sure learn magic you'll be able to recognize this this will complete the spell that will control the Tempest Dragon. Once it finishes, she shows a new spell. I kind of variate. This will adapt to the spell that is currently in place.

It will consume the Tempest Dragon, destroy it, and will turn the enchantment against it, destroying its body and its mind. You have two choices. I suppose you could try and do something else, but the risk of your failure, if this thing is too powerful for you, and I assure you it is, if it's too powerful and escapes,

those deaths will be on your hands. I give you a way to deal with the Tempest Dragon completely. I'm going to step out from behind the pillar now and I'm going to say, but those deaths will be on your side. It was your failed attempt. It was your failed attempt

at this spell that caused the storm in this valley. Your half-complete job. Well, you can blame Siaska for my failure there. That's strange. You are not familiar to me. We have no reports of you travelling with these adventurers. How peculiar.

Still, inconsequential. You do not concern me, fisherman. She just turns away from Johan dismissively. Just sort of doesn't seem to register you as anybody she's interested in talking to. Can we have both configurations?

I've just shown them to you, haven't I? You'll need to memorize them. Nova, is it? I'm sure you can. Come on, you know it is. Still, just remember, if you destroy the dragon if the dragon breaks loose

well unfortunate things might happen or I mean complete the spell allow me to control the dragon and I will see that it

disturbs Eroes no longer or as a last resort destroy I will see that it disturbs Eroes no longer. Or as a last resort, destroy it. Make sure that it does not break free of this prison. How do we know that you would actually do any of what you're saying? Ah, and there's the crux of it. Of course, the blunt one. I suppose you don't.

But I give you my word and you can hope that that is the case I suppose you could destroy the dragon like your word means a single thing to us that's true that's true you could just decide to destroy the dragon instead like I said

just be aware there will be consequences to such a decision. What are the consequences if we don't take your deal? She just smiles. Like I said, people out there, alone, vulnerable, people you care about, people that I have

access to. It would be a shame if something happened to them, wouldn't it? Yeah, she's saying that Sentry's sword hand just twitches towards her hilt she's not showing

her face afraid of what happens if it escapes afraid no inconsequential it will be an annoyance well why don't you simply deal with it yourself then It will be an annoyance. Well, why don't you simply deal with it yourself then?

Oh, believe me, I've considered it. You're so special. Is that an invite, my dear? Would you like me to come down there myself and deal with the dragon? I could. Hey, if it's such a big problem to you, then why are you talking to us? Just to threaten us with the lives of other people? You're saying to us that you're going to kill the people that we love and then trying to put the potential deaths of strangers on us too?

Yeah. Very convenient for you, isn't it? Sounds like a lot of work, given that you can't be bothered to come and deal with this in the first place yourself. Just saying, if it's a big project, why didn't you come and deal with it sooner? She lingers for a long moment.

And you don't think it's... There's not fear, or you don't think that you've won anything here she narrows her eyes you may very well live to regret those words see you soon and the image vanishes I think Century's knees just buckle

and she just like falls down on her hands and knees yeah which is that's out of breath that he was probably holding the whole time I'm just making a quick note to myself Zalkira hate party gon' kill soon kay

she was being a shit! Minus five relationship. Yeah, yeah, no, she was. Like, there was, yeah. Aayla said exactly the perfect thing. Yeah. Anyway. Quill, Johan, surely this Tempest Dragon, there is

a way of purifying it, right? Of cleansing it, of bringing it back into Hesper's guidance. There is 100% a way. Hesper wouldn't send me in here to make a deal with Zarkira. It's impossible. He wouldn't side with her. If that

was part of his plan all along, well, I failed. There's no way he would send me in without some way of cleansing him correctly. Destroying him and putting him under Zarkira's control so that she can just set it loose on her own whim, even though she promises she won't.

It's Zarkira, come on. She absolutely will. That's not the way we do this. I don't believe anything she says. That's what I'm saying. she says that there's two options, but there's got to be more, right? There's always got to be more. Like you say, Hesper wouldn't have sent you here

if the only option was kill dragon or put it under Zarkira's control. No, she has two options so that she wins. We have more. We're not taking she wins. We have more. We're not taking her deal. We can't. I wonder though, and this is Kim to Mark. Having looked at the spell configuration to control the dragon, is there a way to adapt it so that we can control it? Or is that beyond the kind of knowledge

that's beyond nova's knowledge this i mean the complexity of the spell zarkira probably developed it over hundreds of years the quick glance that you've had the study of it it's also incredibly powerful i mean we're talking like a ninth level spell basically this isn't something that i think Nova would be able to channel and control on her own. Not quickly. In terms of adapting it... With Tiangong?

Not in his current form. They'd need to be fully formed. They probably could. If they were fully formed, Tiangong could create magic of that level, but not in their shattered state. They couldn't be able to um i mean looking at the nature of the spell this is this is a control this is an enchantment and and it does lend credence to if quill has been sent here by his god i think that nova might be

sort of like there must there's there's a way undo this. You can't see it in the fragment that you have that Zarkir has given you, but there must be a way. You just don't know what it is. I fear... Controlling this dragon would be beyond Nova at this point, I think. Are none of you afraid?

Standing up to us, admirable and noble, and we should. We're risking people's lives that are close to us if we anger Zarkira. She is not a walk in the park. She is...

She's under Starbane himself. To go against her word to release the dragon, what would she do to people we care about? And how could we stop that? Who does she have access to Vala? you think she's gonna hurt Vala? I should be going against

Calus killing his daughter isn't it exactly sure but they have access to everyone we've cared about this whole time they'll have access to everyone we've cared about this whole time they'll have access to everyone we've cared about

after this there's nothing we can do other than keep fighting against putting control of dangerous things like tempest dragons into the wrong hands I imagine helping the dragon fight off their influence might

give you a dragon on your side to stand up against he'd be a great ally you are correct she's very clearly afraid of the idea of us not destroying it I mean look at the options.

It's under her control or it's dead. Imagine her surprise when it comes out alive. We just need to be careful. We're dealing with things that are very powerful here. So whatever choice we make, I hope it's the correct one. It saves as many lives as we can. It's not the easy one.

I was just going to say, how's Century doing, Rian? She's just still sort of collapsed. She's just trying to work herself up to look up to not stare at the floor. Like, there's just screams in her head. She's just trying to work herself up to look up, to not stare at the floor. There's just screams in her head. She's picturing that fire, the destruction.

I think Aayla will probably approach Sentry and just put a hand on her shoulder, not try and get her up, but just put a hand on her shoulder and wait until she's ready. You kind of feel Aayla's touch and from deep within you hear just a very faint

distant voice of Root. Courage is not the absence of fear it is the act to stand even when we are afraid these visions of your past they do not have to be your future if things were different I I don't know what I would have done

I've pictured myself throwing myself at her to take giving everything to see her everything she's done do not waste your spirit on what may have been see her... everything she's done. Do not waste your spirit on what may have been. Prepare only for what you must do next.

Okay. You're right. Thank you. You are ready, Sentinel Prime. And the voice just becomes distant. You feel like Aayla's touch on your shoulder again, kind of lending her strength to you. I think Sentry will just put a hand on Aayla's

and then just hoist herself up. Nice. As you do, the golden cape around your shoulders wisps and materializes as a giant lion man. He folds his big arms and Helios looks towards

Quill. Kelek is correct. You cannot trust Zarkira's plans, nor can you hand her such a powerful ally. I understand your risks, Lucius of the Elinasto family. But the lives of your own loved ones, as precious as they may be, are they worth the countless lives that Zarkira might take if she were to control such a powerful creature? A difficult thought,

but a necessary one. It is without question it doesn't mean it's any easier. I understand. If anything, take strength that your course is a valorous one. I know

Tiangong would share my belief. And I will stand by you if you oppose this creature. But Sentry knows, as well I, as well Tiangong. Kallus is a great enemy, but he has honor. He has rules that he will not break.

Zarkira is no such foe. She is conquest at any cost. She will sacrifice her own people's lives Akira is no such foe. She is conquest at any cost. She will sacrifice her own people's lives if it means gaining even a small victory. Do not trust her words. Do not give in to her threats or her fears. Believe in yourself. In the others around you do what you must

perhaps if there are loved ones that you cherish when we have finished our work here we must go rescue them take them somewhere safe that you can be sure that they are protected if need be I will go myself if need be I will go myself we need to trust ourselves that we can do the right thing

I think we can I trust Quill Quill is the one who this is Quill's trial this is something that Hasper has trusted Quill to do I don't trust Sarkira I trust Quill and we're gonna do

this the right way and then yeah we're probably long overdue a reunion with a few people so let's get them on board. Agreed. I think we need to prepare ourselves. It's not a case of winning everything or losing everything. Our successes are going to come with losses.

I think we need to prepare for that. Lucius Elanasto speaks correctly. The chances of a complete success are infinitesimally small. we need to prepare for that. Lucius Elanasto speaks correctly. The chances of a complete success are infinitesimally small. Make victories where you can. Assess the greatest priorities. Assess where your chances of success are highest.

Well, we know that in a year, Calus is coming to Royis. Anyway, if a war isn't happening today, tomorrow, it'll happen then. Let's do what we can. I mean, yeah, following on from what Tiangong said, Quill, you said it moments ago. Hesper would not have sent you here if it wasn't to help this dragon in some way. Zarkir is not the only option here. If I could figure out a way to change the spell,

then that's the only use that she's given us. But I believe in you and your bond with Hesper. We'll have to figure it out when we get in there. There's no way of... I don't think there's any way of really truly preparing for this if we can't even identify the spell that is holding this thing. But something is keeping the spell alive. When we get there, we may be able to break it.

And once we do we try and well, same as when we rid any anything out of any darkness infused gnolls, like when we had to do that. We just try and rip the

darkness away from the Tempest Dragon and bring it onto a side. We don't have to destroy it. We don't have to give control away to Zarkira. We did do it with the giant space worm. Just saying. Giant space worm, not

friendly. We saw the giant space worm. It's friendly. I know it's a risk. But it's still worth trying. Again, I'm not stopping us this is the right thing to do I'm saying the space worm didn't have a powerful person threatening us that if we

stop the space worm our people that we know and love will die but countless more thousands will die if we don't so I'm saying prepare for that inevitability and do what we can to prevent it you guys fought a space worm? let's go look around at them all

yeah yeah we did say we were busy Johan when you were telling me off again well that's a bit more understandable why it took you so long Yeah. We did say we were busy, Johan, when you were telling me off again. I mean, that's a bit more understandable why it took you so long, no? A space worm? I can't even imagine. Space worm is incorrect terminology.

Primordial elemental, more accurate statement. Did look like a space worm, though. In our defense. Tiangong, would you agree that it looked like a space worm though in our defense Tiangong would you agree that it looked like a giant worm I conclude its appearance did match that of a great worm space worm giant space worm

astral worm is perhaps closer to its true nature in this regard I will compromise with you Tiangong astral worm it is acknowledged anyway I will compromise with you, Tiangong. Astral Worm, it is. Acknowledged. Anyway. You guys can finish your long rest, by the way. We'll finish our long rest.

Oh! We'll finish our long rest. I've been hovering over that button for ages now. Just, you know, got to throw those curve curveballs keep you on your toes nice got all our stuff back yeah I think a couple of I think

Nova's the one who's changed the most as a result of Tasha's cauldron really I think everyone else is just new spells right Tasha touched yeah I ain't changed nothing yeah okay cool uh well you guys finish your long rest you have a short corridor leading back towards the wind current um no not a corridor okay on to the next one then

hey trial of power Okay, on to the next one then. Okay, Trial of Power. Sorry, I was just quickly fixing something. So, you guys make your way to the Wind Current, the Winds of Ascension, as they are called in this temple. Do you guys just jump in? What's the plan here? Do you have an order that you would like to move into?

I'm following Quill. Yeah, I think I'll go first. Okay. Quill, you're the first one, and then everyone closely follows behind. I will just place you all sort of in the area that you arrive. Quill, you're the first to see that you emerge, carried by the wind current up into a

large, rounded chamber. It would have maybe once been like an observatory, but it has long since fallen into terrible ruin. Statues, columns, pieces of the roof have caved in. The once open skylight

that would have once looked out onto the stars and the air has been completely caved in and filled in with stone and rubble. And you are now left in a very gloomy shell of a once beautiful temple. As the last of you arrives on the wind current the golden disc that has been kind of lifting you up seals shut beneath your feet and you'll kind of land gently in the gloom you see there are these puddles i would almost call them of a dark black liquid with purple lightning running through them like a current.

They exude powerful magic and strength as you do so. There is a small circle of crystal stones embedded into stone plinths ahead of you. But beyond them, standing on what have once been a great altar, you see the Sphinx. The once white-gray fur has now been marred by streaks of black. The eyes, once glowing blue like Zahemi's, have turned to a sort of muddled purple-blue, kind of sparking with lightning. A deep, bassy, gravelly voice projects forward.

So, the failures have come, seeking a trial. Servants of a coward have gone to undo the damage that he left the rot he let take over his precious temple perhaps perhaps

we enter this room intending to take the trial of power how you feel about Hesper the trial the trial the trial no old life there is no trial The trial. The trial.

An old life. There is no trial. There is no victory here. The Tempest Dragon is gone. It is corrupted. Zuhemi, killed by the enemies that he allowed desecrate this place. You are nothing but a shadow of a coward. There is no trial here. You will find no

victory here. I will kill you. That is it. What? You have nothing more to say for yourself priest no excuses to make we're here to cleanse the tempest dragon

to remove the curse that has been placed on it you are too late. For centuries have we been laying here. Have I allowed the storms to infest my mind? I have watched as this place has fallen to ruin, as my friend has been taken over by that witch's spell for 500 years. No one has come.

He has not come. And now you claim that you seek the trial. Now you claim that it is time to cleanse it. You are 500 years too late, Arakogra. It is time you

paid for it. With a defiant roar, We're going to roll initiative After we take a break 500 years too late He's only three He wasn't even alive for 497 of those Sphinx doesn't give a shit you