High Rollers DnD - High Rollers Lightfall: The Descent #3 | Iron Clad
Episode Date: July 2, 2019A brand new adventure for our old friends in the Lightfall campaign sending us into the depths of hell in the brand new campaign module Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus! On the coast of Avernus th...e team have to navigate the Iron Clad without trading off their souls! Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond for making this mini series possible! Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Hello, welcome back to High Rollers for a miniseries set three years after our previous campaign, Lightfall.
This series is partnered with Wizards of the Coast and takes place in the brand new campaign module
Baldur's Gate Descent into Avernus to rescue an old friend under the command of Asmodeus.
So let's continue our adventure on the coast of Avernus
as we try to negotiate with demons
while not trading off our souls.
Hello, welcome Dungeons & Dragons friends.
We're the High Rollers and we're presenting to you Lightfall's Descent.
And we're here because Baldur's Gate Descent into Avernus is coming soon.
And so we are taking our very first campaign characters, our first streamed campaign characters
for level 15 and they're going to hell!
Woo! Pack them up, send them straight down.
Send them straight to hell.
So if you're not familiar
with us,
we're the High Rollers.
We do a regular D&D show
in a homebrew campaign setting
every Sunday
at 5pm UK time,
so literally just before this one
on our channel,
which you can check out.
But this is, yeah,
all part of Baldur's Gate
descent into Avernus,
which is really, really cool.
Several years after
the campaign ends,
once our heroes
have become leaders,
rulers, who have done incredible, once our heroes have become leaders, rulers,
who have done incredible feats,
who have become really fat and had a kid,
they are brought
back as a visitor from another world,
from the Forgotten Realms, from the world of Toril,
arrives to tell them that they have
information on Trelemar's
soul contract. And with that,
they transport themselves to boulder's gate
they made their way down um through a temple of kellenvor found a entryway into a pocket dimension
that led to the river styx and after fighting a dracolich made their way down the river of styx
into avernus and avernus you've already seen is a, a desolate wasteland of dust and brimstone and terrible war, the blood war between demons and devils wages in this place.
There are rocky obsidian mountains, but they extend far taller than they naturally should.
There are huge dust storms that are toxic, lethal to any that pass through them.
There are rivers of blood and molten lava and fire and great meteors that streak through the sky.
Any flowers?
It's pretty bad. No flowers.
I can make it.
No sunshine?
No sunshine.
No good thing.
You need sun when you have fire. There is an ever-present dull orange glow
that kind of just coats everything
in this Blade Runner sort of style filter
where everything is just this dull orange,
high contrast kind of vibe.
What?
One thing I'm going to change ever so slightly
from when we finished last time
is I think I described to you a kind of port town.
Yes.
The Iron Port.
Ever so slightly changed. It's not called the Iron
Port anymore because I thought of a cooler idea.
Yes, yes, yes.
So what you first thought
was a port,
a port town with iron
kind of spires or towers.
As the ferry
that you travel on with the ferryman,
the skeletal ferryman pushing the way forward, you begin to realize the town is not so much a town, but must have been once a huge, a gargantuan steel ship.
Oh.
That has been beached along the side of the River Styx. Now, not like a sailing ship, an ironclad.
A flat deck with three huge steam towers rising from it,
an elevated captain's quarters at the back,
and then one large wheel is still submerged
in the River Styx itself, like a giant paddle wheel.
On the other side, where it's been beached
onto the land of Avernus, the wheel has broken away and long since been scavenged.
And these dust storms have built up this huge kind of slope of dust and debris.
So it kind of merges with the side of the ship, just leaving the top deck open.
But you can see that the middle and lower decks are still functioning and are still inhabited.
Inhabited by what?
Clearly devils of all sorts.
But you do see other mortals.
Normally they are
collared, bound by chains
and being dragged around.
Perfect.
But this, the ferryman
points a skeletal hand.
The ironclad
was once
a tool of the
devils to transport
their troops along the river.
But long has it
been beached here.
I felt it best
to leave you here,
for if I take you to the gates of Avernus,
true, while they do not
take kindly to mortals in their realm.
That's odd.
About five minutes ago, this looked like a port town.
You must be seeing things.
Must be.
You can see that the steam towers that once would have bellowed the steam
generated by the infernal engine that drove the paddle wheels,
they still billow smoke, but it looks to be more like a furnace or a soot
billowing out into the thick orange sky.
And you can see that there are dozens,
hundreds of devils patrolling around.
The ship is gargantuan as well.
You can actually see that ramshackle buildings
have been built on the deck of this old ship
and have been constructed from loose metal and things like that and yeah there's just being patrolled around there are gangways
that have been lowered to act as a sort of dock and the ferryman begins pulling up and on the
other side you see five or six snarling spined creatures their bodies humanoid in shape but covered in spines and barbs um one
of them has this kind of long beard but made from these sharp barbs that it kind of controls and
writhes around and they're waiting for another for the ferry and as you kind of step off, they kind of look your way. Ah, delightful.
So elaborate.
They snarl and hiss.
What are you doing here?
And they begin hissing,
but the ferryman simply lets you leave.
Good luck, mortals.
Thank you.
Yay. Wow.
It doesn't seem like a good idea, Guys, honestly, do we have to?
Unless you step over.
Yes, we have to.
He kind of likes this sort of thing.
Does he?
Yeah, I mean, he's a...
He came from the under.
We kind of passed through that.
It's almost like they're neighboring places.
I mean, if he left a clue for us, though...
He could have just dropped his mask.
Maybe. People drop things all the time. He sacrificed a clue for us though. He could have just dropped his mask. Maybe.
People drop things all the time.
He sacrificed his life for us and therefore we have to get him.
And I love that about him.
Okay, we have to get him.
What if we go all this way and it turns out he just loves this job.
He found his calling, you know?
Then we find our way back.
But what if he doesn't?
Trot, plug your mic in.
Shit.
We are professional, I do promise.
We're not.
No, we're not.
That's a lie.
Brilliant.
As you are having this conversation on the gangway,
they didn't really need to hear it anyway, Trot.
You can see that flying overhead are these small kind of winged, spined creatures
and as you step off
the ferry, the ferry pulls up to the other gangplank
and these devils start basically piling in.
They don't seem to, they just get on
and then he begins leaving with them.
You can see ahead of you
the deck of this
metallic ship and the floor itself is like
metal and wood kind of
bound together.
Crowds of devils and creatures, these huge giant winged.
Some of them appear to look like giant apes, their kind of big knuckles dragging along the ground.
You see several of the Irenese, the armored woman with the feathered wings, are also patrolling.
They shove several of the lesser demons out the way, kick them as
they begin storming around. And a couple of them begin to start looking in your direction,
and a couple of the devils start kind of whispering to each other. One of them, this large mantis-like
blue-skinned creature with bipedal arms and a long tail, leans in and points like a gnarled claw in your direction.
Can I hear what he's saying?
Make a perception check for me.
20.
20.
You hear, and you speak infernal?
Well, also I speak everything now.
Oh, you speak everything now.
Yeah, you hear kind of in this guttural, infernal language,
ah, mortals, what are they doing here?
My friends, we are causing quite a stir.
They are all talking about us.
Maybe they want to chain us up and put us to work.
Most likely.
Or eat us, I think think that might be another option.
They probably want your soul, Raynard.
Oh, no, they can't have that.
No, I like that.
In me, actually.
Or around me.
I don't really know how souls work.
So how do we find where we need to go next?
Who do we speak to?
I don't think we should speak to people.
I will.
I don't think that that's a great idea.
No.
Sounds like we've got to volunteer.
The blue mantis-like devil begins making its way to you,
and you're still kind of still on this gangway
with the river Styx behind you.
It's bubbling, roiling green souls drifting through it,
and then directly in front of you,
it opens into a large plaza,
but this creature is beelining towards you.
And you can see that just behind it, there is another...
At first you think that they might be human, but then you see their inhuman yellow eyes.
And it's a male form, quite muscular, but wrapped in chains all over its body.
And you can see that the chains kind of gently sway and whip around it as it begins striding after its fellow.
And they're making their way towards it.
Honestly, Azra's kind of like one of these guys.
Probably a good intermediary person, right?
Oh, thank you.
See, if she takes it as a compliment, that's so weird.
I think she's more pleasant than they are, though.
She's being nice, and I think they're snarling and stuff, you know?
Yeah, different ways of saying hello, I guess. I could try snarling and stuff, you know, yeah different different ways of saying hello
I guess I could try snarling at them as well
Yeah, maybe try and you know go stuff and blend in they're like 40 feet like it's nearly on you guys
There's this creature. It's gonna not wait. I was in front of us. Okay, get back. Yeah, good luck
As you kind of step forward this tall and I'll show you what it looks like.
Oh!
I want that.
I want that.
This mantis-like creature slams its spear on the ground in front of you,
and it hits a metal part of the deck, and this resounding vibration kind of echoes out,
and several of the more spying, smaller devils kind of like look over
and this creature looms over you.
It's like maybe like 12, 13 feet tall and it kind of, it's mantis-like mandibles click down
and you hear in your head this time, you hear,
Mortar, what brings you to Avernus?
Whom do you serve oh
you great omnipotence
oh I'm too
I'm not worthy of your presence
yeah correct
so answer my question flesh thing
I am Alzra
the voidwalker
we have come to travel to Avernus
what brings you to Avernus Alzra, the Voidwalker. We have come to travel to Avernus.
What brings you to Avernus, Alzra Voidwalker?
We wish to bring back a companion.
I know, it's hilarious.
But it's my job.
And we're doing it together. I have been sent to escort...
By whom? by a woman.
By a woman.
A mortal woman, you wouldn't be interested.
He's just a puny mortal.
In Infernal, it says something.
Who speaks Infernal apart from Kim?
Okay.
Only Juto understands this.
It turns to this chained creature that's kind of standing behind it.
These mortals don't have a patron.
Free game, my friend.
Ah, you seek a soul, Ausra Voidwalker.
Yes, yes.
Follow me.
Wait.
And it kind of puts one clawed hand on your shoulder like...
And it begins digging in.
Oh, guys.
He's got my shoulder.
Noted.
Yeah.
Yes, I do see...
Is it going well? Is this is this thing okay you so far you
don't hear any conversation you just hear alza speaking and then this thing is just like oh we
didn't hear like the you don't hear that you don't hit its conversation only the you heard
the slave boys yeah but they're chained creature chain Chain boys. Chain devil. Chain boys.
I will say to these guys as quietly as I can,
they are talking of our souls and how we are free game.
I do not suggest this is going well.
You feel, Alzra, it's trying to drag you now. What would it cost to grant safe passage through the ironclads?
I would like safe passage.
We would like safe passage through.
Safe passage?
You're dabbing.
You're dabbing?
What?
You're dabbing.
Panic dabbing.
Panic dabbing.
Panic dabbing.
Rhiannon is dabbing.
Not Alzra.
Alzra is not dabbing.
Rhiannon is panic dabbing.
I don't know, but where does one begin and when does the other end?
What other currency is there, mortal?
There is only one thing we trade in Avernus.
Can I, can I, can I got that? I can get that.
Um...
What can we say to help? I kind of got that. I can get that.
What can we say to help?
Would you know anything?
Make a religion check, maybe?
Yeah, make a religion check.
If this is what you know,
you don't really know.
First of all, this is another plane.
It's very...
You don't have any experience, really.
17.
17.
I mean, when it said that they had no, it said that you had no patron.
Yeah.
You heard, well, you heard that, yeah, like, first of all, Trelemar had a patron.
That's what he made his pact with originally.
But you've also heard of, like, the ruler.
I'm sure that at some point you know that there is a ruler of Avernus, but also the different levels of hell have different rulers.
Like there are there are there's Asmodeus, who is the lord of all the hells.
He's the big and then you have the arch devils who rule each layer of the hells.
And there's nine of them. They're called the nine.
Might be that they're referring to that that
you don't appear to be in the service of another devil and so they're just like oh yeah we've got
some fresh meat boys but would we would saying like asmodeus would that be a bold claim like
that is up to you to decide uh alza can you make a strength check for me
i believe we need a patron
Whoa that's a three
Alza is being dragged away
The Alza is being dragged away
The bone squads start pulling out weapons
And like moving towards this thing
I'm just like I kind of like this but also
Come
Come
Can I go and grabuzra's other arm?
Are you going to try and pull?
Wait!
Yes.
It just looks and it's like, you are, you dare much, she elf. she help unless you wish to join
your friend in
searching
in what?
sorry?
is he still speaking in your mind?
yeah
your companion
wishes to find
someone
I am going to help
he's going to help guys he am going to help he's gonna help guys he's gonna help i don't believe you
quick question it just this horrid clicking sound which you can only assume is a laughter
from behind it these two chained figures start moving towards elora now and they can like one of their chains it starts did when when we
spoke when I spoke to Sylvia did
Sylvia know
no she was looking for
who owns Trelemar's contract doesn't she
so we don't know a name of not yet
not yet you don't we only people
you've heard the name of is Zariel
Kalisa who is the
devil yeah
yeah
if I gave you my soul could we go and Khaleesa, who is the devil that we spoke to. Who's the devil, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
If I gave you my soul, could we go for it?
Just immediately, just...
I wouldn't do that.
I think that's off the cards, really.
Is it off the cards?
I mean, it sounds like you said that out loud.
But say if I did that, what would happen if I did that?
So are you asking this?
Is that re-asking?
Is that ours were asking?
Or is that Rhiannon asking Mark the Dungeon Master?
That's a very distinct difference.
That involves a lot more clicking.
It involves a lot more clicking.
Can I have the clicky answer, please?
That's Alzra.
You want the Alzra answer?
I want the Alzra answer.
So you ask, what would happen if I give you my soul?
You're demons.
I can't trust you,
so I'm not gonna learn anything.
Did you say that out loud?
No.
What would happen?
We would strike a deal, you and I.
Sounds good.
You wish safe passage through a furnace.
But also, you dudes, can I have what they have?
What?
Just the whole coolness.
You wish the powers of the hells.
Graphic the ice devil is willing to make a deal with Alistair the Voidwalker.
No souls. No souls? No souls
No souls
No souls
Not yet
Quiet
Never
Quiet, sea elf
Let this one make their own decision
And it says in Infernal
Grab her to the two chained creatures
Fuck, that's really bad
Good
So I rolled two tens to hit you.
So these chain creatures throw their chains,
trying to wrap them around you.
You kind of bring up your arm in one
and kind of throw the chains off
and then leap to the side
as the other one kind of smashes down around you.
And you can see them kind of like,
and then they begin raising their chains up.
I will pull my bow out then.
I didn't realize.
It's roll initiative!
What?
What were you going to say?
I was going to say,
I didn't realize you were so quick to want to die.
You can say that.
Cam Buckland still has no pants.
Oh, yes!
Oh my God.
Yes!
I don't like the energy
This music brings to Rhiannon
I am at home
You just play this music for a second
And she's immediately
I'm giving up my salt
Salt
Take it
Take it
Delicious
I'm up to the first
Like devil as well
Yeah at least give it to someone
I just put
I put your other character
yeah this is grashik with nobody in the middle of some ship yeah he's got chains and stuff and
he's cool they'll be cooler that's true uh okay more time to call yeah so there i might have i
might have pulled out my trump card too early you just went to this first boy and looked at you. How much salt? Oh, that. It's going to mosh.
I'll pour my salt to you.
Take it.
Elora.
Oh, 17.
17.
Reynard, 23.
Juto.
22.
Cam.
17.
Alzra.
Nine.
Nine.
You are all going before these things.
Reynard.
Elora pulling her blow and these things obviously failing to grab her.
There is a confrontation about to happen.
The ice devil still has its claws on
Alzra and at the moment
it's just dragging her away.
The two chain devils are basically focused on Elora.
Dragging her away.
It's my children.
Headache, Dev.
What would you like to do?
Look at Grushik the Ice Boy, whatever he was called.
This big, giant mantis man.
Oh my god.
Okay.
Take your hand off, Alzra, or you lose it.
Oh!
I mean, he just said, I didn't know you wanted to die.
Make an intimidate check
Intimidate the devil
Very high DT
Very high
Oh good he rolled a two
How does intimidate
How does seven sound
I say
Take your hand off
Just turns it's icy glare
Towards you That's it Nothing happens really is it? Just turns its icy glare towards you.
Lol. That's it.
Nothing happens. I'll do like a
hold action. If he continues to drag, I'll start.
Okay. Do you want to take a
shot? Full of arrows. Okay.
So you're going to attack if it continues dragging out or away.
Okay. Juto.
Kim's like,
I've got one life, guys. I've got one life guys
I've got one life here
We're getting back on the boat
Bye
No the boat's gone
The boat is gone
It's taken devils down the river
It's literally
So imagine
To set the scene
You are on a thin
5x5 like metal gangplank
In a line
With like Juto and Cam at the back
Reynard and Laura
Two Chaney boys On the On boys on the deck of the ship.
And then Al's were behind the Chaney boys being dragged by the ice devil.
We are literally not 15.
I can't even remember his name.
Like, Krampik or something, I called him.
So you're at the back with Cam looking at this.
The river Styx is behind you.
It extends about 100 feet.
Hell is far.
There's nowhere to go I will say
in Inferno
not in Inferno
trump card
I will say
we can talk of deals
once you stop touching my companions.
And then can I use Thaumaturgy to make myself look more intimidating?
Like, you know, make my voice boom, make my eyes glow.
Sure.
A little cute breeze to make my hair just, like, whoosh.
Still going to be either an intimidator or a person.
Boy, hair's whooshing.
Yeah.
Fuck this amount.
Who would be scared if the hair wasn't whooshing?
Click, click, click.
Come on. You would. be scared if the hair wasn't washed. Click, click, click. Come on.
You would.
You would if you could.
I'm only afraid for still-haired people.
I've never seen a washed-haired guy before.
Five.
The chained devils swallowing their chains.
You mortals are truly foolish.
I know, aren't we just?
Take me away.
But don't.
I love it, but I hate it.
Classic mortal.
Lol.
Cheer for the lols, guys.
Anything else?
Can I ready an action or would you pass me the board?
No, I'll let you ready an action.
I thought Maturgy did nothing, so I didn't even consider it.
Just to clarify, you are in hell.
These are devils.
We're not.
On their own plane, they're basically immortal.
Why couldn't we do these characters in Rogue's Gambit?
Because that's not as fun.
That was fun.
So anything?
I'm already in action to attack him.
Like a specific one.
He's quite far away from you.
You've got you and Cam at the back.
Elora, Reynard, all in like a five foot gangway.
So you've got 10 feet of your allies
2 Chaney boys, behind them
Alzra and then the Ice Devil
so he's 5, 10, 15
25 feet
so you'll step forward
and then attack the Chaney boys
if one of the Chaney boys attacks
any of us
I will attack them
okay you're still going to struggle with the range because you've got Reynard and Elora in front of you any of us. Okay. I will attack them.
Okay.
You're still going to struggle with the range
because you've got
Reynard and Allura
in front of you.
Okay, so you want to
try and flip over them
and attack at the same time.
Yeah, I'll probably
fall off.
Okay.
No, just checking.
I hate it when you do this, man.
Just checking.
Just checking how you want to die.
What's your dexterity?
I think Cam's is higher.
Plus three. Plus three. What's your Cam?ity? I think Cam's is higher. Plus three.
Plus three.
What's your Cam?
What's your dex?
Plus three, I think.
Yeah.
You can go with Cam.
Yeah, we'll have Cam go first
and then Elroy.
16.
Total.
That's fine.
Whatever.
Cam?
I'm going to cast Command.
Okay.
Second level.
On who?
Additional targets,
so level two.
On both Chaney boys?
Yeah.
Okay.
Chaney boys. What'saney boys? Yeah. Okay. Chaney boys.
What's the command?
Leave.
Leave.
Okay.
Just walk out the door and come back.
18.
18 to beat.
So you say, so what do you do?
Leave.
They turn and leave.
Yay!
So what is it?
I think it's like they use all their movement to just walk away.
So they go 60 feet.
They just turn and walk 60 feet down the deck.
Oh, that's so good.
We should skedaddle quickly.
The ice devil kind of look, where are you going?
Bah!
Laura, anything else you'd like to do, Cam?
I'm going to use the rest of my movement
to start leaving
so you just run onto the deck and then you've basically got
left or right or you can go straight on
and it's like a big open market plaza
and you can see that there's these ramshackle
steel and wood buildings
and you can see
like malformed humans
like mutant people
with blankets
the most humanoid looking things at a quick glance malformed humans like mutant people like with blankets of wear.
We'll go towards the most humanoid looking things at a quick glance.
Okay, yeah, yeah. So you see, um, yeah, you see like a long-haired, very well-dressed man
who is apparently, you can see him kind of stood just out in the plaza and he's
kind of just looking around and looks to have like a little little shop or
something. You're just gonna run straight to have like a little shop or something.
You're just going to run straight for him.
Okay, cool. So Cam runs off.
Elora.
Yeah, I'm going to follow Cam's lead and head towards
the most human thing that we can see
and get away from the dot.
Because you have your action still, you run up
to Cam and you run and you
see this very handsome
elven, but maybe half-elf
or something, he turns on you
and you can see that he has, you know,
very well dressed
and he kind of turns and is like,
well, hello. What are you doing?
I don't know at the moment.
Oh dear, do you appear to be in some sort
of danger, my dear? From that
back. He looks over like oh, an ice devil, very vicious. And that's all you have to be in some sort of danger, my dear? From that! That!
He looks over like, oh, an ice devil, very vicious.
And that's all you have time for in your action.
Alzrah.
Um...
Icy boy's like...
Oh, so he's still got me?
Oh yeah, he's not let go yet.
Okay.
Mmm...
Can... can I... can I cast Mage Hand and try and like...
Mage Hand.
...cull his hand off?
He's got no strength.
He's not very strong.
I would recommend that you'd be better off just trying to like throw his hand off or something.
Just a teeny little...
Like...
Fantasmal hand.
Yeah.
I mean, you can do that if you want.
It might work.
I think he probably just left.
Or can I get it to like tap on his other shoulder?
And then I can distract him and then I can just slip.
Yes.
Wow.
So you summon a ghostly mage hand that taps on his shoulder.
Yeah.
Let's see if he falls for it.
He won't run away.
He's pretty smart.
Yep.
He just, he like, the head doesn't even turn.
His tail just bats the mage hand and makes it vanish.
It's just like...
Are you okay?
I don't really have a good feeling about our survivability odds here.
Yes, I was right.
Hey.
Japes.
Hey!
Japes!
Why am I like this?
You've become the new Cam Buckland.
No, there's like... This is just Rhiannon.
It's just like, it's a weirdness, but it's less incompetence and more just like, I'm a weirdo.
Yeah.
I want everything these guys have.
And I'm just like, I want it. I want it.
Okay.
So I've done that.
Can I try and just make a strength check?
Sure.
Yeah, absolutely.
You can just make a strength check.
Wriggle away.
19.
Where is your strength?
Just your strength.
Plus one.
It's 19 so 19.
19.
Surprisingly, you suspect it's because he doesn't expect you to suddenly just pull yourself away,
but you rip yourself free of his clawed grip, and it kind of scrapes along your armor,
but you pull yourself free.
You're no longer being grappled.
Run!
Okay, so you just run in the direction of a luring hand.
It's like, gah!
You hear this kind of clawed hand.
Does he make an opportunity attack?
Tom Hazel.
I want to shoot him twice.
He will attempt to grab her, so your thing will go off,
but it's not necessarily an attack.
What's your ac
my ac is 18 18 so he does manage to get a hand on you yeah and then kind of grabs your arm as
you're running past but then you hear this if i i rolled i was gonna yeah i sharp i was gonna
sharpshoot it can i take sharpshoot or no yeah you can take sharpshoot okay as long as you say
before you roll it was after i rolled okay well sharpshoot then or no? Yeah, you can take sharpshooter. Okay. As long as you say before you roll. It was after I rolled.
Okay, well.
No, sharpshooter then.
Before you roll.
Right.
31.
Yeah, hits.
28.
Hits.
Sorry, I just hit my mic.
1d8 and they both get thunder, don't they?
Yep.
9 plus 6, so 15.
5 plus 6, 11.
So 26 DiMaggio.
26 DiMaggio. Oh, so he's dead plus six, 11, so 26 DiMaggio. 26 DiMaggio.
Also, he's dead.
Oh, no.
Oh, fuck.
Shame.
The bolts slam into the wrist, causing him to loosen his grip.
So where he had a grip on you, the damage was enough that he kind of loses his concentration,
and then his mantis head is like...
And you hear this screech in your mind.
You dare, you miserable cretin.
I am Reshriek.
Your name changed.
So that's your reaction for your held action, yes?
Yeah.
The two devils that have run about 60 feet away
sort of just seem to, like, come to their senses,
turn around, and just basically spend the whole turn
running back, like, towards it.
Well, don't they take their turn to follow the action, though?
No, it happens once,
and then on their start of their next turn, that's it.
Because I basically had them run away
instead of waiting a whole turn.
Yeah, yeah.
So technically they should have waited
until their turn, then ran away.
I see.
But it was more cinematic to have them just leave
and now on their turn they're just going to run back.
I was making sure they weren't doing like a hundred and twenty.
They still waste the round because they've run
and then they're running back basically.
But the iced creature, you've struck it.
These guys are running away from it.
You've struck it.
You made a mangy.
It basically, it will barrel towards you with this pronged
spear just try and stab you up so that's gonna be a 28 to hit and an 18 to hit
yeah both both hit and then oh it will also try and swipe you with its tail. Will it?
28 to hit.
Yeah, yeah, that does too.
Okay, so from the first attack, you're gonna take...
Glad we can make a deal.
So from the first spear jab, 22 damage, 10 of which is cold.
Do you have any resistance to cold?
No.
Okay.
The second spear jab, 22 damage.
Another 22.
And then the tail hit is another 22 damage, actually.
Another 22, that's just perfect, 66 damage. That's incredible, Mark the tail hit is another 22 damage actually.
Another 22.
That's just perfect.
66 damage.
That's incredible, Mark.
This is happening
every single day.
He does this every time.
So the two spear jabs
kind of slam into the armor.
You kind of feel bones crunch.
And then the tail slaps you
around the face
leaving a cold
kind of scarred brand.
I shall
flay the skin from your flesh.
Ah, okay.
At the top of the round. How about my
soul? Why not?
Me? Yeah.
You run, boy.
Oh, actually, it hit me, didn't it?
It's giant. Or is
it large?
You technically use your reaction when you hold an action oh do
you yeah i don't know what to do don't you have like defense against opportunity attacks or
something uh i think i i probably did um okay sure well you got six seconds what are you doing I fucking love it
this is great
Sid's doing a great job
on the soundtrack
I love it
hell
as Tom desperately
scrolls through his characters
right
I want to
I want to
I guess
go
through it
or past it
try and run past it
yeah I do
it does have disadvantage
on the attack
that is only a 15 wow alright I dive through You're going to try and run past it? Yeah, I do. It does have disadvantage on it. Okay. The attack.
That is only a 15.
Alright, I dive through and then bolt, which I've catch up with the other guys. Yeah, so it's like hissing, it's like...
I made it angry, I made it angry!
I shot it twice, I made it angry!
So you basically spend your action to dash, right?
So you run past it.
I spend my action to yell that.
Yeah, I can't wait.
You run.
Come and help yourself. J you too you are now the
only one like everyone else is on the other side of this thing everyone and
then you're on the gangway still like oh just but it is facing away from you it's
it's focused entirely on Reynard it has been it has been angered I'd like to
run away right are you gonna get past this thing? Can I use Step of the Wind, please? Sure, what does that do?
It means bonus action disengage or dash and my jump distance is doubled.
Okay, so you're going to bonus action disengage and then you just run past it.
Just run, yeah. You slide under its legs kind of thing.
Yeah. Cool.
And just run and then I guess I can run what?
Well, I can jump.
You can jump over it if you want. If my jump distance is doubled, I can technically jump.
If my walking speed is 55 feet...
Yeah.
Jumping is different.
It's like...
It's kind of annoying.
So a long jump is...
If you move 10 feet minimum and jump,
you jump a number of feet up to your strength score.
So what's your strength score?
Minus one.
What's the score, though?
Is it nine?
Eight.
Eight?
So you can jump 16 feet.
So 32.
Yeah, I was going to run.
No, 16 feet is it, and then doubled it.
16 is doubled.
Yeah.
So you can jump over it or slide under it, whatever.
Yeah.
Okay.
And then just catch up with the rest.
Yeah, well, because I can just gauge and dash.
Where do you want to go? Do I see where the with the rest. Yeah, well, because... Yeah, you've got loads of movement.
Where do you want to go?
Do I see where the drive-thru is going? Yeah, you can see Elora's talking to this very handsome...
I will go there.
Okay.
Okay, yeah, you run up to Elora.
Raynard has angered it.
I'll say.
Cam Buckland.
Very angry.
Really want to see what's in your store real quick.
That's okay.
We're all really good paying customers.
He looks, sees you're clearly with the Elven woman
who just basically said help with this thing.
Oh, I see that you are also having trouble.
I've also just run up yelling, I've hanged it.
Well, he's like, of course, of course.
Step into my way.
Step in.
Come in. come in.
Have you got any trousers?
We can find something.
Of course, come in, come in.
You should...
Everybody in real life holds up a hand, like, come in.
Thanks.
Insight check.
It's your turn.
Would you like to...
What would you like to do?
Insight check.
Sure. He's evil. Really? I mean, we to do inside sure he's evil I mean
we're in hell everyone 28 you suspect that this is is definitely not a
humanoid person it is most likely a devil and certainly there is there will
be some sort of catch to this. You're almost certain.
Yep.
I don't think we should do that.
I think we should just take care of this.
Let me roll initiative for this guy.
I mean, where else are we going?
Everyone's going to be like this.
We don't need to add another one to the list.
Okay, so he's going at seven.
Cool.
Okay.
His dex is higher, so I'm going to go. Is it a shop that he's going at seven. Cool. Okay. His dex is high as a laugh.
I'm going to go.
Is it a shop that he's going?
He has a small establishment.
You can see it's constructed from ramshackle wooden iron,
but inside there appear to be shelves with various weird things.
Cam's already gone in.
It looks like Cam stepped inside. For like, yeah, Cam stepped inside. For
god's sake. Cam stepped inside. Yep, for sure. Nice place. What would you like to do, Laura?
Um, how far away is the dude, the main duty? Not far, like 30 feet, 40 feet. And the chain devils are also pretty much next to it.
What's the plan?
Six seconds.
What'd you do?
Oh, God, I don't know what to do.
Okay, so you're delaying your turn.
Can I delay my turn until after?
Sure.
Oh, you delay it until after...
Wait, who's...
I thought you delayed it until the end, didn't you?
No, you can...
Yeah, basically you would go last in the initiative, yeah.
Yeah, can I do that?
But you can hold an action.
If you want to hold an action, like, I'll step inside if this happens,
or I'll do this, I'll cast this, but you're ready.
I'll step inside if the other guys step inside.
Okay.
Okay, cool.
Alzara? Oh, sorry, Juto you should have gone as well. I'll cast this, but you get ready. I'll step inside if the other guys step inside. Okay. Okay, cool.
Alzra?
Oh, sorry, Juto, you should have gone as well.
I used my turn to run up.
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, that's right, because Rayna.
Run away.
Alzra?
So you see Cam step inside this shop of this very charming-looking man.
Very handsome.
I'm going to stay outside.
No, I'm not going to go inside. I'm not going to go inside the shop.
You're going to stay outside?
Okay. I just realized that. What would not going to stay outside. No, I'm not going to go inside the shop. You're going to stay outside? Mmm. Okay.
I just realised that we need to do a pad.
What would you like to do instead?
You can see the ice devil is chasing after Reynard.
The chain creatures are like beelining for you and Allura.
Um, seven...
I've got the really loud metal thing.
I'm in danger!
I'm in so much danger!
You have to attack him if he attacks you.
Yeah, I saw what happened when you went on initiative.
Soon?
No, my attack was on the chain devil.
I got initiative here.
No more. I'm going to attack him. I'm going to attack him. I'm going so much danger! Yeah I saw what happened in the initiative. No, my attack was on the chain devils.
I got an initiative here, I'm alright.
What would you like to do?
Devils and stuff.
I'm just trying to place where Juto is.
Yeah.
I'm next to you. I'm at the shop.
But she's just arrived. She's taken her turn.
Same as me.
Okay.
I should probably do a different initiative system.
I'm thinking of, like, handing out cards,
of being like, right, who's got what initiative?
Okay, Tom, you're going to be first.
Katie, second.
I'm taking three and four.
Kim's five, blah, blah, blah.
I was second.
Yeah, but I'm saying, yeah, I'm saying for example.
What are you doing, Elsa?
I'm staying outside.
But if the guys are
already in action if the devil guys come within 60 feet I'm gonna cast Sacred Flame at them.
They already are within 60 feet. Are they already there? Yeah, do you mean if they come next to you to make an attack?
If they come next. Yeah, they're still about 30 feet away from you at this point. They're not already, you just Sacred Flame at them.
Okay, perfect. The very charming, handsome fellow is like,
What's wrong, my dear?
Can you make a wisdom saving throw for me, please?
What kind of an effect is it for?
Charm, so you have advantage.
Because you're an elf.
25.
Oh, yeah.
His honeyed words and eyes kind of flare,
and you feel a charming presence try and take hold,
but it doesn't affect you.
No!
What's wrong?
Your friend is already inside.
Cam, go!
I haven't got any trousers yet.
How much trousers?
Oh, well, he kind of, like, turns to you,
he's like, very well, turns in,
well, and he kind of puts an arm around you, Cam, and he's like, well, we have various things.
I have numerous trinkets and trousers, you say?
Yes, we can procure that.
And he claps his hands, and this fat, bloated little red creature just poofs out of air with these tiny little bat wings.
Oh my god.
Oh, one thing.
Yes? There's a big creature out there
that's going to just ruin your store.
He won't come in here. Oh, great.
Everyone come on inside.
And he gestures to the little creature.
He's just like,
trousers, please.
It gives me a smile.
And it just disappears.
Amazing.
They're quite useful, imps.
Is it a pocket dimension?
No, no, he can do this.
It's very, very useful.
Wow.
I send them to you by bidding.
My radiant gods can do things like that for me.
Not here, they can't.
Bless you.
His turn just took like 25 seconds.
Elora and
Alzra. DM's discretion.
It's like, it's because they're
not in any real threat. Yeah.
I wasted my turn, I should have readied an action.
You can still readie
an action. What do you want to readie
an action?
Oh, you said that if the rest of them go in, that was your turn.
You said, if the rest of them go in, I'll go in.
No, I wasted it. Yeah.
So, Alzra and
Elora.
Highest to hit on one of those
is a
23 Elora. Does that hit?
Clearly. So you're going to take
11 slashing damage and you are grappled
as a chain wraps around you.
And Alzra, that is
also a 23.
11 slashing damage and a chain wraps around you. And Alzra, that is also a 23. 11 slashing damage.
And a chain wraps around you and you are grappled.
Whee!
I love it.
This feels good.
Reynard, the ice devil, chases after you.
Oh, does my sacred flame go off?
Oh, yes, you can make your sacred flame.
Yes!
2d8. Do I get a sacred flame?? Oh yes, you can make your Sacred Flame. Yes! Uh, 2d8.
Uh, do I get a saving throw?
Dex 17, saving throw.
You need camp.
Uh, fail.
Yes!
This is fun.
7.
I'm having fun.
That's a d10.
Oh yeah, yeah.
I'll keep that one.
Keep that one.
I want demons.
Yeah, there we go.
Blah!
And this is against the Chaney boys?
Oh yeah.
Chaney boys? Yeah. Yeah, here we go. And this is against the chainy boys? Chainy boys?
Yeah, it is.
Do I get my spell attack mod on that one as well?
Nope. Just 2d8 damage.
That's a 4. 4 damage, nice.
So this kind of bolt of flame
kind of hits one of the chain creatures
in the face and it just kind of winces.
And then it
I'm sorry!
Raynard. I am a worm. You ran to the rest of the group, right? I'm sorry! And then it... Reynard!
I am a worm!
You ran to the rest of the group, right?
Then you go next to the three.
Oh! It does free... Oh, hang on.
Emma, what does it say? 2d8?
It says cast at will 3d8 damage, but then it says the spell's damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level 2d8.
What?
Just roll next to d8. 11th level to get 3d8.
I'm confused.
Seven.
Seven.
Seven, nice.
So 11 damage.
Nice.
In front of you, Reynard,
a wall of ice.
Oh no, sorry.
I can make it into a hemispherical dome.
Oh, perfect.
Lovely.
Erupts, trapping you from the rest of the team as this devil.
What, it's behind me?
It's like, yeah, it kind of like erupts in front of you and then shapes upwards,
blocking you from the rest of the team.
Well, this is perfectly hemispherical.
Do you want to try that one again?
No escape now.
And it just stands in front of you.
That's his action, so he doesn't get to do anything else this time.
He dazed.
Your go.
Bye.
Bye, Felicia.
So imagine you've got a dome behind me.
Yeah, like a big dome of ice all behind you and up and over you.
And the only opening this thing is stood in front of you.
And he's the door.
Yeah.
Christ. opening this thing is stood in front of me. And ease the door. Yeah. Crikey.
When does my flak half blade recharge?
Dawn, I believe. There's no dawn here!
Is there seriously no dawn?
There is a dawn. You don't know when it is.
Such a shit.
If I were to shoot it would that put it off balance so that I could then get I get disenriched anyway
Yeah cool though. It'd be cool. Yeah, I'm gonna slide through its legs and shoot it in the nuts
You make your attack rolls and then I'll do my disadvantage attack opportunity. And I'm sharpshooter on each ball.
I technically rolled a zero on this.
With minus five.
So 13 on one and...
That misses.
Seven plus 13, so 20.
One still hits.
One hits and you still get sharpshooter on it.
Which ball?
Left.
This thing does not have balls. Well, it doesn't now. One still hits. One hits and you still get a sharp zero on it. Which ball? Left.
This thing does not have balls. Well, it doesn't now.
11 plus 10, so 21 on that one.
21.
Oh, sorry.
Yes.
My math is good.
My math is pure.
You streak under Bam The first bolt
Like connects
And the thunderous explosion
Kind of hits its carapace
The second one
You just miss time
And kind of
It hits the roof of the dome
But then you go
And slide underneath its legs
Well that's
Pretty bad
That's only a 15
No
Goes to strike down
As you like
Under its legs
Under its legs
And I'm
You're on the other side
Do a total U-turn
You've only got a little bit
of movement
so you start making
your way around
but this thing
whirls around
like no!
As it's chasing after you.
I'm just going to
run around this hemisphere.
Juto.
At least it's between
you and it now.
Juto.
You watch Cam
go into this
shop with this man
and then Laura
and Alistair have been wrapped up in chains by
these two creatures oh they're wrapped up in chains yeah they're grappled am I at the like
entrance of the shop um force damage okay can I go into... Yeah, can I go into Void Stance?
Yes.
So you adopt a Zen-like stance.
This is a custom monk thing,
if you're not familiar with the character.
And can I attack the chains?
Because I get...
Do extra damage against it.
Dimes two damage.
Yeah, so you kind of attack the two chains that are holding.
Considering you went into void stance,
there's two key points, by the way, to go into the stance.
I mean, roll an attack roll just to see.
Don't worry about damage
because I know that your base damage
is going to be enough to break the chains
with the Guandao especially.
Oh, two 14s plus 12.
Easily enough. With one strike, the chain holdingals, especially. Oh, two 14s. Plus 12 is... Easily enough.
With one strike, the chain-holding Alzra.
Next strike, chain-holding Elora.
You guys are no longer grappled.
Like, Juto, as the chains break.
The chain devils kind of recoil.
Kind of a little sad about that.
No, because I've probably...
Yeah, you've still got movement.
Yeah, can I go into the shop?
Yes, you can go into the shop.
I suggest we seek sanctuary.
Are you suggesting them?
I'm not suggesting, I'm just being too slow.
But you kind of like step into the thing, kind of watching the thing.
Just into the void.
You glide backwards.
Oh, quite a bit backwards, middle fingers raised.
Yeah, in six seconds, not much really happens.
The conversation you were having where he summoned his imp is still kind of
taking place. You kind of hear
this commotion happening behind you
but the devil is just
sort of... Well, the man
turns to you and is just
sort of, so
what brings you to Avernus?
Oh, just, you know,
souls and stuff. Yes, they're very
common around here. Very profitable. Yes, they're very common around here.
Very profitable.
Yes, very much so.
I'm assuming that you don't have any souls to pay with.
No.
That's fine.
We can work something out.
Yeah, I could go, like, kill a demon for you or something.
Yeah, do you know what?
That's funny.
You should mention that.
That's kind of what I was thinking.
Something like that.
Yeah, I'm special.
My master Lorcan.
I know of him.
Have you heard of him?
Great.
He's quite famous.
He's quite famous.
Yeah.
Devil.
Great devil.
It puts a hand and he whispers,
Oh, my friend, you don't want to make that mistake around here.
Can you make a wisdom saving throw for me please?
Yeah.
So I'm just gonna do his turn now.
It's plus 10.
15.
Just.
Oh!
As he's speaking, you feel this kind of like,
magic kind of drift over you and try and seize hold of you.
Does he know that it fails?
Can I bet 10? I think he does, yeah.
I think this is a unique thing with him,
is that he knows when it doesn't work.
Ooh, nice try.
He's like, well, I have to try.
Yeah, you do.
I do have to try.
Very well.
Next turn, Elora.
Can I see Reynard from where I am? You see a dome suddenly appear in front of you.
You hear a...
And then...
And then you catch
just a tiny glimpse
between the dome
and the building.
Reynard's like ginger hair
like...
I'm running around it, yeah.
Heal on Reynard.
Yeah?
Oh.
Toit.
Nice.
70 hit points.
70, I'll do that one at a time.
Six level.
And is it ranged?
Do you have to touch him? Six feet. Stop it. Nice. Stop it. 78 points. What level is that? One at a time. Six. Six level. And is it ranged? Do you have to touch him?
Six feet.
Stop it.
Nice.
Stop it.
Vroom.
Okay.
Would you like to do any movement?
Click wrap or something.
So you kind of snap your fingers or gesture your hand.
You watch Reynard's wounds heal up.
Is he coming towards us then as well?
Yeah.
From what you can tell, he's about to run around the dome.
That's what you see
immediately juto has now stepped into the shop okay step into the shop as well okay uh alzra
uh can i cast blindness and deafness on the dude chasing reynard sure tell me what do i what do i
need to do con 17 oh it's pretty good at these 18 ah just kind of try and reach up cloud his vision
in inky blackness but the mantis still just seems to be able to locate him anyway um yeah doesn't
seem to affect him he doesn't seem to need his eyes to see okay would you like to do anything
movement once you watch a laura step into the shop. This curiosity shop. I'm probably just going to slink backwards into the shop.
Okay.
So you enter the shop as well.
So now the only one not in the shop is Raynor.
I'm going to be that guy again.
The finger guns.
I think we went next to the chain bros, weren't you?
Yes, that's true.
In fact, both of you would have had a tax opportunity made against you.
I take back my heels.
You can't take back your heel. I'm just saying. Someone's going to say it. They definitely both against you. I take back my heal. You can't take back your heal.
I'm just saying, someone's gonna say it.
They definitely both hit you,
take another 11 slashing damage.
Thanks Tom, you fucking prick.
But it does not grapple you.
I just realized, I broke two chains.
With Chain Breaker.
Sticking to my neck.
You took 11 damage.
I said break your chains.
Yeah.
The handsome man has already taken his turn.
The two chain devils, sensing you guys step into the shop,
they're lingering on the edge of it.
And then they just kind of look at each other.
And then they just step back,
fold their arms in front of the entrance door.
And they're waiting.
The ice devil is going to chase
after Reynard. Let's see if
its wall of ice regenerates. It doesn't.
So this time it's just going to try
and like... Wait, the wall's gone?
No, the wall's still there but he doesn't have the ability
to create another one. Oh, I see.
He was going to try and create another one and just block
you in again. Oh my god.
I'm going to make a Venn diagram
of my stance
with you in the middle.
15 to hit.
No.
A 14 to hit.
No.
A 21 to hit.
Yes.
So that you take another
22 points of damage
as his tail catches you
on the arm,
slams you into the building.
You carry on.
You stumble on.
Reaction shots. Shot shooter. You carry on. You stumble on. Reaction shots.
Shot shooter!
That was shit. That was trash.
I don't think either hit. I think one of them's a 15.
There's only one when you get an attack opportunity, I think.
You don't make two attacks. Okay, I'll take the highest
one. 15.
Not enough. Bounces off his carapace.
Your turn.
I'll just jump backwards again and try and avoid these.
I'll disengage.
I mean, you ran past him, right?
So you're now out on the deck in the plaza again.
Yeah.
He only comes to the dome behind you.
Like, it kind of created this wide dome.
You ran underneath him.
So you're now on the deck of the ship in this open plaza.
So you can see the shop entrance.
But there's
two jane jane devils now stood in front of it and if i disengage can i make it yeah you can you can
just like disengage to get past them that's your that's your whole turn i'll disengage yep say i'm
just gonna go in there do you want anything and then run they kind of like they're like looking
in the store they turn around but by that point you've already dashed past them and they're like
trying to get their whip like their chains out as you kind of skid to a halt the ice devil
would drop out of initiative now the ice devil kind of looms up behind um and it looks in
and it's talking to the man that's kind of holding you now like do you wish to protect these mortals? They have no patron.
It will not be long before they are prey.
Oh, my dear Cressick.
You're not allowed in here, you know that.
Cressick has another name.
Oh, he has many names.
He's always conjuring them.
Hello, by the way.
Oh, hi.
Can you make a wisdom saving throw for me, please?
Yeah.
Yeah, why not?
Rolled on the edge of the dice tray.
I believe I owe you one of these, a fun coin.
A fun coin?
It gives you inspiration when you want to use it.
Oh, how come?
Because you've rolled like three foul checks in a row.
Oh, sure.
Well, this is a pass, by the way.
Oh, it's a pass.
Yeah, so 21.
Oh, I thought you rolled it.
You made a reaction that was really bad. No, I rolled it. No, it's just how he rolled it. Look where it is. Oh, by the way. Oh, it's a pass. Yeah, so 21. Oh, I thought you rolled it. You made a reaction that was really bad.
No, I rolled it.
No, it's just that he rolled it.
There it is.
Oh, wow, I didn't see that.
It's on the edge of the dice.
I tripped out and went boop.
Okay, so yeah, again, you feel this kind of wash of magic,
but it doesn't seem to take effect.
You can see this man is like...
Can you please stop that?
It's in my nature, my dear.
I know, but please.
Juto, can you make a wisdom saving throw?
Quickly looking at something.
We'll see if this works, and if this fails,
Alfre, you're making a wisdom saving throw.
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.
How rude.
Oh, yes, I might have one.
15, 16.
16, no!
He's just like, well, you're all infuriating me well-willed.
Well, hello, I suppose.
Welcome to my little establishment.
Hang on, it was a saving throw, wasn't it?
It was a saving throw.
Okay, cool.
What were you going to do if you did manage to...
Oh, I just, you know, it helps improve relations.
I mean, you're stopping those things from getting in here.
I am.
This is good relations.
Thank you for pointing that out.
Thank you, by the way.
The charm does make it...
Oh, my dear.
You don't need to thank me.
In fact, I would recommend that you don't need to thank anyone here.
Nobody's doing anything out of the kindness of their own hearts.
I think we're...
Hang on.
Blap's coming.
And you see this man is holding this pair of, like, purple velour trousers.
And he's like,
Greetings, master.
I have found the trousers.
Here you go, mortal.
Free of charge.
No, no deals.
You can just take the trousers.
Nothing's free here.
No, I give you my word
The trousers are free
It would dampen any future trades
If I just kept this out, right?
No, it's quite impressive
Quite honestly
I'm honestly impressed
I'm going to tie the trousers around my neck then
Yes, yes, you can keep them
They're your trousers, do with them as you wish
Cam, please put the them. Why? They're your trousers. Do with them as you wish.
Cam, please put the trousers on. What? I have.
Put them on your...
I mean, I'm not going to tell you to do it.
He keeps glancing down.
Please put the trousers on
properly. This could help our relationship.
I don't think it's going to help. It definitely does.
It's not going to help.
It's convincing. It's not going to help.
Where did you get that? It's not often I see mortals with going to help Not often I see mortals
With such an impressive weapon
I'm blessed
Avenger
Thank you
You can't be too perfect I suppose
Think about that
Think about it
Welcome to my little establishment
Do you require anything?
Refreshments? Well.
No? Quick question.
Why are these refusing to come in?
Oh.
Well, you mortals.
I've given the trousers
for free. I really...
I'll tell you what. How about we play a game of
you ask a question, I answer a question.
And you promise to tell the truth.
Well, yeah.
Deal?
Can I ask a quick Kim question?
So I've got true sight, because Void's dance is still on.
You don't see what the others see.
You see he is still humanoid, very elegant, like incredibly beautiful.
But now you see a pair of curved horns emerging from his head, a pair of large demonic wings and a red tail coming out from his rear.
Curved horns.
And there's but then there's no other invisible.
There is one other imp which is sat on the counter picking its nose.
And then there's the one which is currently like flapping next to Cam
Good trousers, yes?
Fantastic
Blap did good
You did great
Thanks
Have you got any wine?
You want wine?
Yeah
Yes, yes, we should have a drink
Celebrate the new partnership
Blip
And the invisible one on the counter
There is like another little
and this other fat, this one's like more of
a dark grey. It's like, hey,
what do you want, boss?
Would you mind fetching
a drink for the mortals, would you mind?
Also, you know what, I'll have a glass. I'll have
a glass. Treat yourself. Why not, eh?
Why not?
Glasses, wine, please.
You got it boss
I'll be back soon
Disappears
Makes the sound
Of a can opening
Yeah
I'm pretty savvy
You are
Very clearly
Otherwise you wouldn't
Have come into the shop
Very smart of you
To realise that
You would be safe in here
Absolutely
Intelligent man I know we're not Going to get out of here without some sort of deal being.
You really are, you're very savvy. Very smart. So let's just cut right to the chase shall we?
So you want a demon killed for their soul? Well demons don't have souls and
first of all stop calling them demons.
We're devils.
You're devils.
Can you not see his...
Right, I'll give you this one for free.
I'll give you this one for free.
You have devils and you have demons.
Yeah, yeah, you're devil.
Yeah.
You want us to kill demons.
Well, a lot of my kind do,
but sometimes we might want another devil to
have an accident, or
their plans to go awry,
or all of that.
Well, you see, we can't really die.
If we die here, we simply reform
several days later,
take some time, but we don't really die.
What can
happen, though, is devils can
be demoted. If they earn Asmodeus' disfavour or Zariel's here on Avernus, they could be demoted into a lesser devil.
This means you lose some stations and power and perhaps there are some rivals that a devil might want to see demoted. So what I'm sort of gauging from what you're
saying is
you want us
and correct me if I'm wrong
you want us to
sabotage a devil.
Possibly.
But really I would need to know what you're
really looking for. I mean, you just want
safe passage out of my shop, or...?
That's all we want. Safe passage?
No.
Through the entire ironclad.
Oh, it's doable, it's doable.
It's a bit more of an ask than I expected.
Is it just a little further than your storefront, right?
Hmm.
No, no, the ironclad is much larger.
Hmm. Well, I'll tell you what.
Why don't you wait here for a minute, drink the wine, enjoy yourselves.
I'm going to have a little chat with a fellow that I work with.
Where are my manners? I'm Cam Buckland.
Oh, I don't need to know your names. Not yet.
Great. That's very rude.
Not yet.
Fine.
But let me have a go and have a chat with a friend of mine first.
Then we'll talk.
It's not blat or blart, is it?
It's not blip or blap, no.
They are quite literally just subservient imps.
I literally use them to go and fetch things,
because I can't be bothered.
And you did a great job.
I'm looking at Blart.
Blart!
I just give him a thumbs up.
He kind of moves over, and you see him
move to the back of his room, where there
is a large brass mirror, kind of like
a large brass standing mirror,
and he brings up a ring on his finger,
blows through it, and
then steps through the mirror.
That's cool.
That's really cool.
You see that?
I want that.
We can get that.
We can take that.
He's not here.
Hey, I got some wine here.
I didn't know if you...
I don't know what's good and what's bad.
How many wine bottles has he got?
He's got like three.
He's like holding.
Where did you get all this from?
Stolen.
From?
Somewhere. Someone? Somewhere.
Someone?
Maybe. I'm guessing somebody owned it.
Anybody get hurt?
No.
Perfect.
Are you kidding? You mortals are always killing imps like me.
I don't give you no trouble. I'm just getting stuff.
Just making sure. Just making sure.
I ain't got no glasses, so I don't share or something.
All right.
Anything else?
What do you got?
You guys new to Avernus, huh?
Yeah.
Got any brochures or anything?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Me and Blap, we run a little Welcome to Avernus Club.
We got pamphlets.
You want a pamphlet?
I mean, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want a pamphlet? I mean, sure.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And he kind of, his little wings flap.
And he goes over to a little wire rack, like a little rotating wire rack,
which has been tucked in hidden behind a corner.
And on it, there are these scraps of paper with really crude drawings,
which is welcome to the number,
Avernus.
And he picks one up, and he, like, flaps over.
He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Think of us as sort of tour guides, right?
We'll take you out, you see the sights.
Oh, we're looking for, you know,
we want to go to the Pit of Despair.
We want to see Tiamat's prison.
Whoa, crazy. Yeah. I want to see Tiamat's prison Whoa, crazy
I want to see all of it
Sure, sure, we'll take you, right, Blek?
Yeah, we'll take you
Yeah, man
I really wanted to meet demon princes
Things like that, that would be amazing
Oh, no, listen, man
Don't bring up the demon word here
See?
See? Even they're saying
Hey, boss You want a swig? Oh, yeah, give me some of that Bring up the demon word here. See? See? Even they're saying...
Hey.
No demon.
You want a swig?
Oh, yeah.
Give me some of that.
No demon.
He just...
No, he's just gone.
Whoa.
Oh, man.
Oh, I love your mortal wine.
It's so good.
Oh, the boss never lets me drink, though.
I get real pukey.
Oh.
Oh.
Yeah.
How long will that take? Whoa. get real pukey. Oh. Oh. Yeah. How long will that take?
Whoa, a couple of years.
Oh.
Okay.
Well, okay.
Your digestive system is weird.
Yeah, look at me.
He just holds out this big, distended, bloated stomach.
And he's only, he's like a baby high.
He looks like a deformed, weird devil baby.
Man, I wish it took two years for me to throw up.
Yeah.
It's bad.
Real bad.
Anyway, your boss, right?
Yeah.
He must treat you pretty bad.
Nah, he's all right.
He's an all right guy.
Yeah?
Yeah.
It's way worse.
You know, imps like me, we get bullied around a lot, right?
There's some real nasty customers around here, you know what I'm saying?
Some of the devils are real bad.
What about for mortals like us?
Oh, they're all bad.
You mortals, you're so funny
and you're so stupid. Why are you
even here? That's a terrible
idea. I mean, see the sights.
It's got a point.
Third good thing about this place.
Why are you even here? You just want to see around?
You want to look around?
Man, you came to the wrong spot.
I mean, I guess you didn't go to the gate.
That's a real bad idea, you know?
Zariel's got some...
She's got, like, Balors or Pit Fiends.
I can never remember which one, but they're guarding that place.
You don't want to trouble with them.
Oh, no.
What's Zariel's deal?
Zariel? What's her deal? Zariel the Fallen place you don't want to trouble with them i don't know what's the deal zario what's the deal zario the fallen you don't know give me the deets oh man all right so long
story she was a celestial right she was an angel she was the guardian city of uh some sort of city
in the mortal realm or something right and then something happened and they betrayed her and then
she fell she became a devil right she came down to the hells and as modius was like hey you want to work for me and she was like yeah i'll
work for you so she's like all right and then she goes all like molten and skin burnt off and flame
wings and she's cool right she sounds amazing and then she was the lord of avernus but then bell
who was like her like second in, he was like a powerful general.
He betrayed her and took over Avernus.
And then he locked her up in a place called the Iron Tower.
And then they kept a prisoner there siphoning off her power.
But then Asmodeus became a god.
And Bel, he screwed up real bad.
The demons invaded.
The blood war was really bad.
Sounds nasty.
So Asmodeus, right, he's like, hey, listen you you screwed up big time so guess what zariel's back in charge and you're gonna be a second in command and you're gonna you're gonna
be below her poor old bell what a sucker right yeah and so and now she's got some sort of crate
we don't know what it is but she's mustering loads of forces and two of the demon lords they're trying
to get her because she did something to them or something. I don't know.
But now you've got Baphomet and Ynogu.
They're all here trying to invade.
So there's demons everywhere.
The general of this place, right? The Ironclad.
And he's just blah, blah, blah.
The general of this place, the Ironclad,
he's an Abishai, right?
They're like dragon devils.
And he commands this whole place.
And man, he's getting the Legion all fired up
because they've got to go and fight out in the war.
Oh, it's real bad.
Looks bad.
I probably shouldn't tell you all this.
Oh, well.
Must be the wine, hey?
Yeah, probably.
I have a terrible headache.
I guess, can I just look out the door?
Yeah, they're still there.
We're going to be like three years.
We could just fight our way in.
Perfect.
Just wondering, just making sure.
Okay.
Close the door.
There's no door.
It's like an open fronted building.
All right.
That's why they're just watching.
I mime it.
Just pretend closing a door.
Yeah.
I think there's some sort of alternate exit. I'm just pretending closing a door. Yeah. I think if there's some sort of, you know, alternate exit,
I'm whispering this.
We should probably take that.
We could go through the mirror.
I'm going to try and walk through the mirror.
Bonk.
That doesn't work.
Let's try.
Oh, you need to match this magic ring.
Uh-huh.
I'll try again.
Okay.
Where does it take him Okay Where does it take Fuck
Where does it take him
Wherever he wants to go
Really
Do you know who he's going to talk to now
He's going to see Mester
I probably shouldn't tell you that
Come on
Alright yeah
He's going to see
He's going to see Lorkhan
He's a cambion
Does a lot of deals with mortals.
Makes, what do you call them, warlocks.
Right.
Gives them power.
Interesting.
But the, your model.
You guys want to be a warlock?
We just know.
We know one though.
Oh yeah, you got, you mortals, you crazy mortals, loads of you always making deals.
Yeah. So many warlocks. They're everywhere these days. You got you mortals You crazy mortals Loads of you Always making deals Yeah
So many warlocks
They're everywhere
These days
Are they
Cool
Where does your master
Factor into
Meeting Lorcan
If he deals with mortals
Well Lorcan's a cambion
And he's the
He's the son
Of
Somebody
What's her name
I can't remember
Invader
Invader She's like a big deal Back down on Cania It's one of the other Uh, somebody, oh, what's her name? I can't remember. Invada? Invada?
She's like a big deal back down on Cania.
It's one of the other levels of hell.
Oh.
Right.
Okay.
Is that below this one?
Yeah.
How far down?
Pretty far down.
I don't know.
I've always been here on a bonus.
I ain't never gone below here.
Oh.
Would you?
No.
Are you crazy?
They're crazy down there. Yeah.? No. Are you crazy? They're crazy down
there.
And how many levels are there?
Nine. What about the third level? How crazy
are they? Crazy.
What about the fourth level?
Even crazier. Really?
Does it get to a point where it just
reverses around and they're just normal? Nope.
Okay. Nope. Worse.
Even crazier? Yep. i think i'm getting somewhere
i'm just smooshed up against the mirror keep trying keep trying you're doing really well
thanks who would silvira contact probably juto she was the last person that spoke to the tiefling
back in iraq in your your mind, you hear
the voice of the tiefling woman
that sent you here, basically.
Silverasikis, the one who actually sent you
to the place. You hear the following.
Limited message.
Information gained.
Trelimar's soul
given to Zariel.
Unlikely she still holds.
Options.
Find Lulu the
Holyphant. Find
the Ledgers of Zalan Rune
Scourge. Slower. Selvira.
Well, you can reply in 25
words and I can just
give you the information when you need it. What was the second one?
Find the Ledgers of Zalan
Rune Scourge.
And you can reply up to 25 words.
Of Zalan...
You actually got it 12 times.
Thanks.
That's one word.
So 25 words.
Thank you very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very much.
What?
What level of hell are those two on?
Nine words.
If not, then where are they on this plane?
Do you say that?
I don't know.
I'm smushing my face against the mirror.
You can converse.
You don't have to immediately reply.
You could be all I can say to missus back.
I'll say to these guys.
She sent us to this one.
Companions, I appear to be receiving a message from Silvera.
Okay.
She mentions that Zariel last had Trelemar's soul,
although it's unlikely she still has it. Oh, that's bad.
Oh, okay. She tells,
she's told me to seek out Lulu the Holophant
and the Ledgers of Zalan
Rune Scourge. Oh, nice. Find out where they are.
I believe I
can reply with short
questions. I was going to ask what level of hell they're on
and does anyone else have any other
questions? What if they're not in a different level?
We need to find out where they are here.
Yeah.
Ask them...
Specific...
Ask if they know what area of Avernus.
And also how to deal with devils, you know?
If there's...
We need to find out a way of saying that we have a patron or something to give us some...
We need to be able to deal with devils.
You know, authenticity.
I don't know. And our souls all the time.
They sure love their patrons.
What about
Wait, what was Trell's patron?
Trell's patron wasn't a fiendish
patron originally. Yeah, he was
an otherworldly patron.
Damn it, Trell. What about the
raven?
She's not queen.
She's just a goddess.
Yeah.
She's a goddess of the death.
I don't know.
I mean, you can send the message later if you want to think about it.
We suck at dealing with devils.
Help.
What level of hell are these two on?
We suck at devils.
No, no, no.
Okay.
level of hell are these two on we suck at devils no no um okay i would just say um any where where in avernus should we look for them and we suck with devil's help if that's too many words just
take out a few to say we suck devils how do how do we negotiate with devils. Yeah. Okay, can we ask where in Avernus are they?
And how do we deal with devils?
It's only 12 so far.
How do we negotiate with devils?
Yep.
You can just send that.
You don't have to use all 25 words.
To keep our souls.
While keeping our souls. Okay. You don't have to use all 25 words. To keep our souls. To keep, while keeping our souls.
Okay.
You don't get an immediate reply,
as if she can't immediately reply to this.
She's doing the same.
If...
You need to go to...
You suck, devils.
Mandor, hand her card or...
Within a few moments,
you hear the sound of wind
rushing and the mirror
turns liquid and then
the gentleman
reappears
Is he still face to face with her?
I think I'm getting somewhere guys
He just like gently pushes
you back
Sorry
You don't need to be sorry.
Oh.
Can we use this to get out away from the insects?
You could if I let you.
Well, that'd be lovely.
Yeah, I know.
But first we have to make a deal.
We do.
Yes.
Yep.
Love that response.
Well, I've spoken to my master.
He loves dealing with mortals.
He's had quite a history of it.
Yes, we're more than happy to help you.
And so I believe the term was to
safe passage through the ironclad.
It's very achievable.
For how long?
Let's say a week okay
that works
does that work
does that work
how's that work
what's a week in Avernus
you would experience it
as you would in the mortal realm
and by safe you mean
as safe as
I can get this ice devil
and these chain devils
off your back I can make sure that devil and these chain devils off your back.
I can make sure that no other devils
hassle you without provocation.
And you?
I mean, what do you mean?
What about your provocation and safe...
As in, will I attack you?
I won't attack you.
Oh, that's nice.
That's pretty nice.
Now, I can't...
If you start fights,
I can make no promises on your safety from there.
We're good.
We're nice.
Good.
Just cross arms with my skele-bars.
I feel like we're antagonizing people,
just us being us, you know?
Yes, of course.
You're mortals.
And also, what I will provide you is...
I will give you a name that if you are...
If anybody gives you trouble, invoke the name, and they should leave you alone.
Unless you provoke them.
Okay.
Is it sort of a say that you can't hurt us or we'll tell this person?
Very much so.
You must understand that within Avernus, there is a hierarchy.
And certain devils have power and authority over others.
Now, in many cases, stating, oh, I have the favor of so-and-so,
well, perhaps the devil might think you're bluffing.
But if they do call that bluff, well, then there is a risk.
If you are genuinely a servant of such and such, they run
the risk of angering them, and that can
be very bad for devils.
That's fair. So,
let's talk a little bit
of payment.
There is, um,
the commander
of the Ironclad is
an Abishai, a dragon devil.
Their
allegiances are
tricky.
You see, they are very devoted
to a being called
Tiamat, but they also serve
as Modius. I'm never really
sure where they lie.
Now, my master would very much like to see somebody he works with, like myself, take command of the Ironclad.
So, it's just a sort of, a bit of espionage, I suppose.
In a place that we have safe travel through.
To an extent.
I can offer you protections here on the deck,
in the lower decks,
although you may need to go into somewhere a bit risky to do this.
The terms are, I would like you to place
a scroll
in the quarters of Captain Ezekiah Stormscale,
the general of the Ironclad.
You do not need to engage, you do not need to fight.
Although if you are
discovered, I would recommend that you do so
to protect your lives. You must simply
place the scroll and not be seen
doing so.
Now, you've got
a couple of imps that can
teleport. Why would you want us?
They can teleport to places,
not necessarily
within here in the realms. Also,
you are outsiders.
If I send my imps, that implicates
that I've done something. Smart.
This guy's switched on.
Now,
some conditions.
If you fail to do so, if you try and leave without accomplishing what I've asked, within a week, one of your souls will be forfeit. That will take as a damages.
You, I believe, Mr... what did you say your name was?
I thought it didn't matter. It will for the contract purposes. But one of you will need to leverage, just
as if you try and back out of the deal. Makes sense. I came into the store first. Yes, you
were the one that wished to make a deal. I'll put my soul up. As collateral? As collateral.
Very good. Obviously, if you complete the task, then the deal is, the contract is fulfilled. Your soul is yours and you get to keep it.
So to be absolutely clear about the deal...
To be clear about the deal, you will provide me a service.
The service is that you are to place a scroll I give you within the quarters of Captain Ezekai Stormscale, an Abishai that commands the Ironclad.
You are not to be seen doing so by anyone.
By anyone.
You're going to see us doing it.
What if we are seen?
Excluding myself and the imps.
If you are seen doing so, then your friend's soul is seen as...
You see, that's...
We're not from here, so that shouldn't matter, surely.
They can't place it back on you, even if we are seen.
All right, let's make an amendment then.
If you are seen, but as long as you do not reveal who you are working for.
I'm much more comfortable with that, personally.
Yeah.
I'm not comfortable at all.
If you are captured, they will torture you and get the information out of you,
so there's that to consider. So I would recommend you are captured, they will torture you and get the information out of you. So there's that to consider.
So I would recommend you are not seen.
Okay.
How about that?
In return?
In return, you will have the protection of my liege,
who will make sure that you are not hassled,
as long as you do not provoke any of the other devils.
And until the completion of the task?
How do we navigate? No, no. Whilst you are completing the task how do we navigate
no no whilst you are completing the task
you are under my protection as well
and once the deal is done
and we've placed the scroll do we still
have safe passage out for a week
for a week at the end of
placing the scroll
from the moment the deal begins
right so we have a week to do this
and to leave
it should take you a few hours to do this and to leave. Yes. It shouldn't take you...
It should take you a few hours to deposit the scroll
if you're clever.
Which we are. We're very clever.
So clever.
Where is this, the quarters
of this commander?
Oh, it's fine. You'll see. When you go out onto the deck,
it's a raised section here on the top deck.
I will also... I'll add to the deal.
Blip and Blap will be at your disposal
to provide you information about the Ironclad.
They can acquire mundane items.
I would not ask them to do anything too complicated.
They're not very reliable.
Oh. Useful.
Hmm. Okay.
Well.
What if we need to
extend the time frame
that we need?
No that's not on the
cards.
I've given you a week.
Okay.
Flip and Blap are
however not to be seen.
I will give you their
services here on the
main deck but once you
go to place a scroll you
will not be able to
summon them.
You know what?
I like this deal. It's a...
I think it's very reasonable.
You benefit, we benefit.
We benefit. Everyone benefits.
We have wine for free. I got trousers.
This man is a nice man.
What's your name, incidentally?
My name? Alucarion.
That's a trusty name, isn't it? Alucarion. That's a trusty name, isn't it?
Alucarion.
Alucarion.
Are you lying about your name to us
so that we can't say anything?
Can I make an insight check?
Are you implicating somebody else there?
That's sneaky.
You can make an insight check.
Can I?
23.
He is unreadable.
He just is a calm face.
If we were, and I would, I wouldn't do this to you,
just walk this way a little bit and then say,
what deal can you offer that's better than yours?
Oh, then your soul would be forfeit.
But we haven't made a deal yet.
Is that what you think?
Have I said the words already?
Who says you need to?
We suck at this.
God, I shouldn't have wine.
I really shouldn't have wine.
No.
Can you stop drinking at least
while we're in hell?
Just while we're in hell.
Just as a suggestion.
As a general piece of advice,
don't try and double deal on devils.
You don't want to get caught out.
It would be very bad.
Was it the trousers?
Have you cursed these trousers?
No.
I can't promise that those trousers were not cursed
before Black found them.
They look okay.
Well, what do you guys think?
I guess it's done.
Terrible, terrible idea.
I do love how you have little discussions about it.
That's very sweet.
What about you, my dear? Is there anything you care for?
Not right now.
Oh, but perhaps in the future.
I'm not going to say anything.
He just smiles.
Just blushes.
So be it.
Learned agreement, then?
What choice do we have?
I mean, look at him.
He points to the two chain devils and the ice devil waiting outside like,
here is your other option.
We can't take... We could fight.
You could.
I think this is the best choice that we have right now.
Of course, that wouldn't help you later on in the Ironclad
if other devils were to harass you.
Unless you have some other devil
ally that I imagine you've not even had a chance to meet anybody else I like the
fairy guy yeah he was a good guy oh yes the ferryman is very helpful but he
can't help you now I'm afraid I say we make the deal Yep Excellent All in favour
Sure
Very good
It's
I
Well it seems a majority
He claps his hands
And you feel a tightening in your chest
Cam
A week it is
Um
Seems we got the
Go demote a guy
The
So
The name that we can give if we get harassed by anyone?
He just says, well, I'd be my Lord Lorcan.
Just checking that we have the right one.
As long as you do not speak it when you are engaging in what we've agreed.
And you want this to succeed obviously without a
hitch. Of course.
Then what advice can you give us?
Be clever.
I can tell you that
Ezekai
doesn't trust many other devils.
He keeps a small squadron
of horned devils in a personal
barracks below his quarters.
But he does have a shadow.
A black abishai, referred to as shadow claw, keeps hidden.
You should make sure that they're not watching you.
I got these guys.
Mm-hmm.
Can we just, like...
Put them in first?
Put them in first.
Or use them as a distraction?
Or maybe, yeah.
As long as they're quiet.
Yes, a distraction, but I would recommend that you do so in a clandestine nature.
Perhaps observe your target for a little bit.
See what they do.
Well, I'm going to go get these gentlemen out and away from my store.
Good luck.
Okay.
I wish you all the best.
Do you have the scroll?
Yes.
Just blap and blaps like holding it.
Can I read it?
Hmm?
Can I read it?
Can you read and find?
It's written in a language you don't understand.
Checks out.
Great.
Would I be able to read it?
Sure.
Lucius passes it to you.
Not Lucius. Great. Would I be able to read it? Lucius passes it to you. I'm not Lucius.
Cam.
Yeah, can I?
Alucarion steps out and you can see the ice devil goes to like strike
him and he just holds his hand up and he's
like, and there's like some sort of conversation
going. The devil just kind of slams
the spear on the ground and they stalk off.
I wave.
Yeah, you read it. The gist of it that you
get is, a lot of it doesn't make sense,
but the gist of it
seems to implicate
Ezekai
in some sort of
plan to release
Tiamat from her prison
and to help overthrow
Zariel and Asmodeus.
It's like,
make sure your forces are delivered
when the queen is released.
Her conquest of Avernus will begin.
Make sure you're ready.
Speak to nobody. It's kind of written
like a communique.
It's a fake one.
It's trying to imply that
Asmodeus is like, you fucking little shit.
Is that Asmodeus' voice it's kind of yeah
you little shit
you little bastard
yeah
that got her
that was close
and then yeah
Alucarion comes back
and is just like
well
good luck
oh god
okay
and we can take that
as a short rest
if you want
sweet
cool
uh
I've got some
hit dice to spend
there
um
the first
deal is made
there will be
many more
are you trying to
get every single
one of us
to make some
crazy deal
no
29
but you are in a place
where, like, yeah, making deals is
going to kind of be a survival technique here.
Great.
We need to figure out a better way to
make deals. I mean, not
putting yourself in positions where you
don't really have a choice is probably very
advisable. Yeah.
Yeah.
Well,
it seems like we've got a job to do.
And that involves clandestine,
sneaking around,
maybe going invisible and sneaking in, Juto.
Cam?
Yeah?
You've sold the DOS loot, haven't you?
Oh, yeah, that thing.
That was the first to go.
Man.
You what? I sold that thing so well. The thing is, this thing is That was the first to go. Man. You what?
I solved that thing so well.
The thing is, this thing is, let's be honest,
dragons that we've seen in the past can kind of see us invisible anyway.
It was out of tune.
Plus I do have a ring that allows me to turn invisible.
True that.
I don't think it's going to work.
I can go invisible.
How can you go invisible?
Evandra can let me go invisible.
It's my divinity.
It's my clerical abilities, you know?
Do you still have contact with Evandra while we're...
I barely had contact with her when I was in there.
Well, this is going on.
It's true.
Are there, like, bones and stuff on the ground?
Are there bones on the ground?
Not here.
I think they'd be cleaned away here.
But looking out onto this vast wasteland that extends out from the Ironclad into the deeper regions of Avernus,
there's tons of bones just scattered everywhere.
There's, like, bones, viscera of like some long forgotten war, like rotten
ancient organs that are slowly crumbling away into dust.
This is the site of an eternal battle between devils and demons. Right now you're in a section
where obviously there's no fighting, but you can even hear now in the far distance, far
far miles and miles and miles away away the sounds of war clashing
as you're looking outside you watch as this orange glow this streak miles and miles away
streaks across the sky hits the ground and this enormous plume of smoke
oh it's so cool can i like try and find a couple of like big old teeth
and like just put them on my head and make horns?
So you step off the unclad, you go down like the dusty ramp
and you're like digging around.
Just digging around in the dark.
You can find like these giant bone claws, yeah.
And as you go down there, there are like imps and stuff scavenging as well.
And they like look out and they're kind of like,
trying to get you to go away.
And then like you're fighting it
and yeah you can find
like two big sort of
like bone like
horns
like one's maybe
slightly bigger
than the other
but yeah
blending in
what do we do about
Osra
she seems very
camouflage
she seems very eager
to give up her soul
she does
doesn't she
yeah
um
should have made
her soul forfeit
well for the deal.
Yeah.
I mean,
I feel like she's going to
at some point, maybe,
make a deal with someone
just for the sake of it.
And it will just be a
very one-sided deal.
She's very unpredictable.
Exactly.
Very unpredictable.
If she is happy to do it,
I don't see what the problem is.
True.
But we could use her health.
With a soul.
We can just ensure that she gives it to the best person.
That sounds like you're sacrificing her soul.
She is, if she is consenting and willing.
Trelimar was consenting and willing and now we're here and I don't want to come back.
Yeah, he was pushed to the brink though
as you guys are talking
you begin to see
many of the you begin to hear like this
and a section of the upper deck
which obviously is stairs that leads down
deeper into the old ship of the ironclad
you begin to hear dozens
of armored feet
and bodies as devils in various armor and weapons begin piling up onto the deck itself coming up
from the lower levels like and they form like squared battalions there's maybe about a hundred
of them or so and they begin filling the open plaza and they're looking up towards the the back or the front of
the ship you just see them all walk past the shop which you're still in that's a lot that's a lot of
um a lot of people so were they were they with the uh alza you stepped outside didn't you because
you were picking up bones yeah so alza you actually see them as they're moving past the tent. You watch as
legions of them, all in
different armor and plates, and you can see different
types of devils, some of these ice devils,
some of the chain devils in armor.
You see a couple more erinice, the wing-feathered
ladies. They begin punting up, and they're
looking up at what once would have been the captain's
helm of the
ship, and where there is obviously a captain's quarters.
And there's this wide pair of metal stairs
that lead up a large kind of steering wheel
which has long been ripped off
and now is an altar of Asmodeus
up on the top deck of the ship.
And emerging from the captain's quarters,
you see they're probably about eight feet tall.
They're not huge,
but you see a blue bipedal dragon so they've got wings and a
tail and they're wearing long rich dark red robes they're clutching a staff tipped with the symbol
of asmodeus dread like tendrils come down and they've got this huge kind of central horn blue
dragon man not like a dragonborn this is like a real bipedal dragon. That's cool.
And it kind of steps out
and it's got almost like a
tiara, like a kind of like circlet.
And it kind of emerges out
and you begin it hearing
it begins to speak.
My legions!
Our lord
Asmodeus
informs us that there is more demons of Baphomet that linger near.
Today we shall head out to feast upon them.
You shall go and slaughter their wretched enemy.
You shall go and slaughter thou wretched enemy.
Commander!
He turns, and the ice devil that you guys had seen earlier now emerges.
Take them!
Take them and find this demonic spawn and slay them!
Go!
And he kind of raises his staff,
and thunder, like black thunder and light,
connects with the top of the staff, and all, like black thunder and light, connects with the top of the staff.
And all the devils just start screaming and roaring and banging with their weapons and armoured boots.
And then they begin filtering off,
and you have to quickly move out of the way
as they begin storming down this kind of ramp of dust and bone
as they just begin making their way down
and storming across the landscape of Avernus.
Oh, I'm gonna run back into the shop.
Demons of Bathmeat, draw me! Demons of Bathmeat, draw me!
Sorry?
Demons of Bathmeat, draw me.
What, is that a code?
There's, it's like a war. They're gonna fight!
That's the point of this entire realm.
There's a big war!
Well then we'll make sure that we're nowhere near that area.
Is now a good time to do the whole infiltration thing while most of the forces are out fighting?
This is very clear.
Was the person we're trying to...
Oh, we have a dragon guy, yeah. There's a big dragon guy.
What if no one's there?
Where did he go?
Just as a thing You saw maybe like a hundred troops leave
This ironclad definitely holds more devils than that
That, you imagine, is a strike force being sent out
It's not that the place is now undefended
Did he go back inside?
Yeah, I think Alistair would have seen him
As the troops begin making their way down
He turns and heads back inside Yeah, he's back inside? Yeah, I think Alistair would have seen him As the troops begin making their way down He turns and heads back inside
Yeah, he's back in
Okay, okay
I suggest
We do some reconnaissance before we carry out this mission
Yeah
Yeah
Perfect
You know that invisibility I got, it's like six seconds
Some reconnaissance
To see how many troops there are,
where this room is,
what this person,
this person,
this dragon's behaviour is,
if they have a schedule,
if they have a plan.
And then we go.
Don't want to mess it up.
Good.
Really can't mess it up.
No.
Got my soul.
Okay.
Got my soul on the line.
Yeah.
So you guys step out into the plaza, the main deck of the ironclad.
You can see that, like, not streets, but little alleyways are formed in between these ramshackle buildings.
And also in the center of the main deck and then at either end of the other ship are these huge steam columns.
And you can see that a hole has been cut out so that they've formed their own little shops, but they're actually blacksmith
forges. And you can see devils making
weapons and armour for the legions in there.
I wonder if we can stack deals,
you know. He very
specifically said not to double deal. I wouldn't advise
it. He said that, but he's gonna
say that. But if we can use
my soul, right, as a
bargaining chip for multiple devils, only one of we can use my soul, right, as a bargaining chip for multiple devils, only
one of them can take my soul.
The risk becomes greater that your soul is taken
in the first place, though. Yeah.
I think we're trying to work
out a solution in which your soul is not taken.
You're right. So
offering it to everyone around
is probably not the best idea.
That would make you very
desirable to a lot of
people yeah I already am yeah that was coming sure um so I've known him for so little
time and you still you can you're starting to learn I'm getting to learn
I'm getting to learn his pattern yeah yeah I'm like the wind I have no pattern
you have wind I do have wind I'm drinking a lot of wine today
I'm sorry, it just happens
Just stand in front of me, not behind
I was serious about the no drinking while we're in hell thing
I think it's just, you know
We need to be sharp
And on alert
Yep, I'll stick to water from now on
Good, perfect
That's a great start
Is there, here's a plan
Is there a way that we could mask what the contents of the letter actually is?
pretend it says something else and
Have someone deliver it to this person that would involve us being seen not necessarily and making deals
Not necessarily if we get for example, we mask the contents of the letter
so it says something completely different,
totally irrelevant.
Oh! Oh!
Oh, Rainy!
Cam.
Yeah, you can.
So, if we sleep, right,
I can prepare a new spell
which does exactly that.
Well, that's perfect.
And then what we could do
is we could get plib or plob or blip or blop or whatever they...
Blip and blap.
Blip and blap.
And they're literally just sat on the floor next to you.
Perfect.
Blip and blap.
We can have them teleport in, drop the letter, teleport in.
Oh, we can't go in there.
No?
No.
Warded.
Right.
Not only is it warded, but Alucari and Sam, we can't go in there.
I see.
But my intention is that we find some way of getting the masked letter to this person.
He reads it, thinks nothing of it.
It's just a letter that says, hey, how's things?
How you keeping up?
He puts it in the corner somewhere.
And then when the spell fades, it's unmasked.
Someone goes in there, sees the true letter.
What if someone of a dragon lineage has the ability of true sight or some other such I just feel that a drag
a draconic creature would perhaps have abilities to see through illusion
perhaps maybe perhaps I don't know it is is a risk. I'm not certain.
I've got these skeletons, and they can't torture them if they're captured.
That's very true.
Allora.
Hello.
You can change shape still, can you not?
I can change shape, yeah.
But I'll change myself to look like Cam.
Oh, man.
Hello.
Look at this guy. I mean to a to look like Cam. Oh, man, hello. Look at this guy.
I mean to a creature or something small.
Yeah.
Something small that could sneak into a chamber.
While also carrying the letter.
Big scroll.
Small insect.
Comedy.
Bird.
Drop it. I could change into a bird but someone would see the scroll being held by a bird no I mean your passive perception you ain't seen
no birds no ain't seen no birds any rats rats? Nope. It's devils. Little maggots.
Any little creatures?
Little devils?
There are little kind of vulture-sized winged devils that fly around, but they're clearly devils.
I don't think I can turn into any of the things that are here.
The wards.
It would look out of place.
Yeah.
What do they stop?
Teleportation, that sort of thing.
So the dimension door wouldn't work.
Oh, yeah, you can't just, you know, he's warded that place up against that sort of thing.
You know, you're gonna send an assassin to kill somebody, it's the first thing you do, right? You go, poof!
Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab.
That's a good point. I've got blindness. I could make him blind.
Well, once he's- I think he'd know something.
Yeah, he probably would know, actually. Yeah, he'd be like, why am I blind all of a sudden?
A plan is afoot.
I suddenly can't see anything.
Well,
you ain't got long,
so...
You gotta figure something.
But you'll fetch any items
we might need.
Yeah, generally,
as long as, you know,
it doesn't go against,
you know, what we've agreed
with Alucarian and stuff.
Okay.
Well, that's useful.
What do you need? You need something?
Well, not yet. Not yet.
Alright. Not yet.
Also, we know stuff about
Avernus and the Stormclaw and the
Ironclad.
Are there any secret passages?
Yeah. How well do you know?
Yeah, maybe. I mean, I don't know if there'd be
any made secret passages,
but you've got the middle decks below us. They run the whole length of, main secret passages, but you got the middle decks below us.
They run the whole length of the ship.
And then you got the lower decks below that.
Do you know where the troops usually...
The main troops, like the main
legions, they're in the
mid deck. All their barracks
and mess, it's all down there.
I mean, that's, you know, that's where
they're normally stored, and then there's, you know, down
in the deep lower bits is where they keep the big guys.
But up there, the captain's quarters, he only keeps a small, he just keeps a small guard.
He doesn't trust a lot of the devils here.
So there's about four little personal guards.
And then he's his little shadowy friend.
Right.
This ice.
He keeps an eye on everything.
Ice insect.
Right?
Yes.
He doesn't like the devil
we just dealt with, right?
Or me.
Or you.
I don't think he likes anyone.
We go to him
because he's the second hand man
of the dragon man.
Right?
He's currently out fighting now,
isn't he?
He'll come back.
Right?
Yeah.
Maybe.
If he comes back,
I go up to him
And say
Look
We managed to get out
The devil thing
But
I could offer my soul to him
Okay
No
Again
Right
But
No
All we gotta do
I thought I was keen
You seem so keen
Well
The thing is
If we succeed in the original plan
We got safe passage.
So he can't take my soul.
No, but you have made another deal.
He can't take your soul here, sure, potentially.
But the moment we leave here, and we will eventually, he'll follow us.
We make the deal so that he takes it in the ironclad.
No.
That sounds like a very specific deal that he just won't agree to.
He'll know that you're up to something. Can we become and look like the insect? That sounds like a very specific deal that he just won't agree to.
He'll know that you're up to something.
Can we become and look like the insect and just walk on in there?
Y'all got any magic that does that?
You maybe could.
Maybe.
Are you able to look like a big blue insect thing, Allura? I have to be the same size as me, so I'm not big enough.
You're about the same size as an abishino.
They're not much bigger than you.
Did we see any of those? You haven't yet.
Alistair did.
I don't know what it looks like. He's the blue dragon guy.
Can you grow
wings and a tail and claws
and a big mouth?
Can I try that? I don't know. Can you?
I don't know. Tell me. Alter self is like...
Alter self, you probably could...
You probably couldn't have functional wings.
It's got to be like the same basic size and shape as me.
Yeah.
So it's kind of...
You might not be able to turn into an exact rabbit.
But it is bipedal, so it might...
Yeah, maybe.
There's other devils around here that she can...
I mean, the Alucarian.
Yeah.
Like, he just had horns and a tail.
When you saw him in his true form,
he looked like a human with curved horns, wings, and a tail.
That was it.
And I'm pretty sure that you as a group
have encountered a succubus before.
Yeah.
Because you fought one in the Underdark, I think.
Yeah, we did.
So you know that he was a succubus,
or an incubus for a male.
They look humanoid.
The Erenese that you met she was
pretty much a a woman with feathered wings and you know you've seen a couple of them have cloven
hooves but not all of them seem to we need to pick a disguise that can gain access to the same place
we can't just have any old random says you transform your appearance you decide what you
look like including your height, weight, facial features,
sound of your voice, hair length, colouration
and distinguishing characteristics.
You can make yourself appear as a member of another
race, though none of your stats change.
You can't appear as a creature of a different
size than you and your basic shape
stays the same. If you're bipedal, you can't.
Okay, so you might not be able to make
wings. I think that you could make yourself
look like a tiefling
because you could grow a tail and horns.
Can I make myself look like Juto?
Yeah.
Hi.
But you could also create a unique...
You could be like, I want to look like a unique tiefling.
You could just make yourself look like a new tiefling.
Yeah, I'm just doing it for fun.
Yeah, I know. I'm just saying.
I could dispel his wards.
I could do that too.
Well, there might be some extra enchantments on there
to let him know once they've been dispelled.
Yeah, you could turn into a dragon.
Like an alarm.
But small.
Yeah.
I mean, even Korak wasn't...
You can make yourself appear like a foot or so higher, I think.
Yeah.
We should recon.
We should figure out the layout of this
first before we do anything else.
Yeah.
Let's do that. Juto, you want to do that?
Layout. I mean, that's what I suggested
first thing. Yeah, and we can
get Bip and Blap to make maybe a little
map. Yeah, we can do that.
I mean, I've only seen Inside once
but I've got a good memory.
You draw that up
for Juto
and then Juto
you use that to
suss out any
good bad
average spots
okay
and patrols
and what not
what's in there
sure
make myself look like
a random succubus
that we've seen
yeah
you know what
it just doesn't have the wings
you just don't have the wings
so you can have like
horns on a tail but you don't have any wings. So you can have like horns on a tail
but you don't have any wings.
Don't do this to me, girl.
Don't do this to me.
I turned back into myself.
I'm doing a dangerous game.
Playing a dangerous game.
Playing a dangerous game.
Okay.
So your plan
for next time is...
That's cool.
So you're sending
sending Blip
to...
Well, Blip's gonna drop a map.
Yep.
And then you're sending Juto to kind of
wreck you around.
And this is the
elevated captain's area.
You want to...
You're checking out the elevated captain's area, yes?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
You're looking at me all very blankly.
Yeah, the area
around his...
Yeah, okay, cool. Well, the area around his quarters.
Yeah, okay, cool.
All right, well, we'll do that next time.
Okay.
We'll do that next time.
So next time, espionage.
Sneaking.
Sneaking around in hell.
Tactical.
Filling out a contract.
I can give us some extra stealth.
Yeah, sure.
Perfect.
That's a little trace.
That's a little trace.
Well, command you to do Well, except it never works.
Tune in next week for the end of the miniseries.
Well, at least for Cam.
At least for Cam.
And you don't lose yourself straight away.
Chet Amar's deal was very kind of bad
because it was a desperate deal.
Yeah.
Whereas you can just be like, you know,
with this deal, you get the impression
that you get to live your life out,
but it's when you die that they get their soul
oh
that's alright
perfect
that ain't so bad
I don't need it
when I die
I don't need it
yeah
yeah
that's fine
that's great
I'll do it
hey
come back
let's take mine
yeah
and just as a reminder
like well
I don't
you guys
I don't know
if you made notes
but there are other
people you can go to
like you've made at least one other yeah demonic contact yeah wait what kalisa
the one that flew down the one that osra fell in love with when she ripped another demon in
heart yeah when she went she also said she'd give us a freebie. I've got Eranese written down and Carisse.
Carisse is her name.
She doesn't Eranese.
Still got some of these bad boys.
Some soul coins.
Insipirations.
No, these are soul coins.
Soul coins.
So when you actually get a soul coin,
because you guys have made a deal with this guy,
but for any future trading,
a lot of people, they'll only accept these bad boys
Cool
Oh boy
Delicioso
Oh boy
Cool
Well
That's going to be our episode for today
Yeah
We hope you enjoyed
This
This was a little bit
It was kind of
It was always fun
Doing a little bit of combat
But it was a bit of a like
Run away quickly
Yeah
What wrong?
Just as a point
You had not even done
Had you done a quarter of its health?
I was about to turn into a Triceratops.
You were.
You had done over a quarter of its health. Just.
Just. That was only the
main dude. That was only the main guy, yeah.
The Chain Devils had had like... That's fine, but that was on my own.
Yeah, but... If everyone else helped,
he'd be dead.
He'd have killed the guy. I think if you had continued that combat outside, the proper Legion would have turned. Yeah, but if everyone else helped, he'd be dead. He'd have killed the guy. I think if you had continued that combat outside,
the proper Legion would have turned up.
Yeah, more would have turned up is the problem.
You were killing the right-hand man of the guy.
You didn't know that at the time.
We didn't know that at the time.
But also other devils probably would have been like,
ho, ho, ho, we want a piece of those mortals too.
Ho, ho, ho, travelers.
Ho, ho, ho, travelers.
Thanks for bringing them souls for bonus for me.
Thanks for watching. we will be back
next Sunday I think
I don't think we're off
so we'll be back
next Sunday
for more Lightfall Descent
thank you so much
for joining us
don't forget you can
watch us in our
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enjoy take care
goodbye
bye
hey everyone thanks
for listening to this
episode of Lightfall
The Descent once again
a massive thanks to
Wizards of the Coast
for making this
possible this series will return next week as we begin a mission of espionage and stealth.
We'll see you then!