Legends of Avantris - Beneath Dark Wings | Ep. 42 | Dream of Mirrors: Part 2

Episode Date: April 11, 2025

The party arrives at a dragons lair only to be pulled into dreams...   Gain access to an exclusive campaign, Shroud Over Saltmarsh, over on Patreon: https://legendsofavantris.com/patreon The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5e, is available for preorder! Get the Crooked Moon at: https://thecrookedmoon.com/ Watch more D&D adventures in the world of Avantris live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/legendsofavantris Check out our merch store: https://shop.legendsofavantris.com  Join our community on Discord: https://legendsofavantris.com/discord Watch our many campaigns on YouTube: https://legendsofavantris.com/youtube  All other links: https://linktr.ee/legendsofavantris   Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/QDpVxqGyXUk?si=1zvZIgbvDHaGD4eu

Welcome to Legends of Avantress. I'm Capriccio DeCesto, you can call me Caprice, and you're listening to Beneath Dark Wings. Here's what happened last time. I heard you call in my dreams, and I've followed you every step of the way. The power of death, the power of the owl, the power of the goddess herself, the power of the prime, can no longer hold what is entombed ahead of you. We must now prepare for the chained God to become unchained. We have to find the rod.

We will need it. We need the power of the seven angels. We must muster them. And we are tasked to head to the east to a land of dust elves, to a land of mist. And I fear you may have to travel into the land of death itself. So what you're saying is that the seal's breaking as an element. inevitable? There's nothing we can do. We have failed.

Your chief, he, he, he fell. He, he was tricked by, by Golden Lotus. Tricked by Golden Lotus. Yes, yes, we, we just gave him a proper burial, but he, he killed the beast without realizing that it would end his life as well. I thank you. And if we don't cross paths again, save travels and keep your head high. And then suddenly the fire that you've built erupts into a massive pillar of chaotic flame.

Caprice, you are now realizing that it's been probably exactly 24 hours since you made the deal. You're saying I no longer, we no longer have a connection with the glave? No, he let it go. You failed. And I am so very tired of trying to have you be useful to me. As a part of every deal gone bad, there are consequences. And you see as the entire chamber around you erupts into the image of shrieking, wailing souls in fire. Our arrangement has come to an end.

I hope you too enjoy the rest of your short life. Once it's over, your soul, your family's soul, and all of your descendants will be. be experiencing the agony of hell fire. I'm disappointed in this friendship I thought we heard. Why didn't you just ask for help? What other option did I have? This was an opportunity for me to free my family's souls, my own soul. If I just let things continue, it would have been no change.

Just a sliver of hope. I made a bum deal. I'm sorry that I hurt you, but you don't understand what it feels like to be in this position. I mean, I understand what Iris was saying about destiny and the things that are thrown upon us. But for all of you, there's a, there's a, another place where you can go and be free and your old soul and the whole thing. I was staring an eternity of torture down. None of this is over until we stop breathing. You made a bad deal. When you, when you lose the bed, you double down. We just killed a teenager. Why couldn't we kill a devil too? What do you guys do?

We've been captured, unfortunately, by this magnificent Kirin. We're doomed. We had no choice but to surrender. The Kirin here is going to take us immediately to the Golden Lotus as prisoners. Got it. You finally come to a sudden stop as Hezaki quietly and softly and gently lands at Rujani's lair. You all suddenly stop on Hezaki's back as as you land on this large platform jutting out from the mountain,

this beautiful terrace that goes into the mountain with the sculptures of golden dragons and elegantly carved adornments all over in the massive double door, that even a large, a creature as colossal as an ancient golden dragon could easily fit through, as Hisaki stops in a flash of golden light, He looks back and all of you on his back.

And he says, okay, now you'll have to get off. Your prisoner's here. This is your prison. Is there somewhere where I can use the bathroom? Should I just pee over the edge? I've been holding it for hours. Why didn't you go before we left? I said it, and then you took off.

Get off. He kind of like, he shakes a little bit. So we're on the terrace itself. Well, you're still on his back, but he's landed. Yes. Yes, on the terrace, yes. I will dismount. I also dismount. I will run to the edge of the terrace, and I will be over the edge. I hope there's a skeleton down there.

That's so disrespectful. The skeleton is just like. It's cool. New evidence to be who might be the Deregrine. Hey, I don't make the rules. I'm just saying there is now new evidence. It's conspiracy. There is new evidence. We're getting close to who the pee drinker might be.

And then I returned to the group. Do you feel better? Yeah, my back teeth were floating. That's one of my favorite phrases in real life. It's so gross. What does that mean? You just have to pee so bad your back teeth are floated because there's the pee up to the way up into your mouth.

Pea drinker confirmed. All right, knock, Greek, all right. You already use that joke, man. You want some new material. It still stands. As you all land, or as you all dismount, he kind of whips around and faces you, looming very tall over you, and he kind of

glares at you very unconvincingly. As he's trying to look tough and angry and mean, and he says, well, I'm going to go, I'm going to go let the eternal blossom know that you here, and then, then, then she'll know what to do. But she's very busy and she said not to disturb her. Oh, no. She'll know what to do, and he turns around and in a flash of gold light and the doors open. Are you really just going to walk in there and rely on her? She's going to want to

see that her big strong Kieran knows what to do. And go asking her for help? Thank you for Sweden, Chuck. There's our old 20. Uh, 22. I have a lot. Otherwise, the energy isn't right. I quit. He's charmed forever now. He turns and looks at you and says, oh, Mel.

I guess that's a good point. Yeah, so, oh God, it would be so, so awful if, you know, um, Somebody help me out here. Please. He's got it inching towards the open door. It would be terrible if you were in me. Yeah, it's almost like, oh, you know, if you ordered us, you displayed such control over us that we just did your will

without you even having to be there. Can you imagine how impressed she would be? If we just, like, walked in and bowed at her feet and she was like, oh, like, where is Hisaki? And we were like, oh, Hazaki is so strong. He just was busy, and he, you know, we decided to obey him because he's so powerful. And you are so lucky to have him in your service. So I'm going to stay here, and you're going to go ahead without me keeping an eye on you.

And that's sure that I'm really a big strong hearing. That's exactly right. Only because you told us to. And yes, it's just. And you're under my orders. Exactly. And we know that not a toe goes out of line. Or we're in trouble with the big guy.

Who else? Yes. I'll wait here. I'll keep watch. Make sure no one else gets into a very secret layer that I brought you to. That's a really, really good idea. And I don't think, yes.

Anyone could think of that except for you. You don't want anyone. one to interrupt her punishing us. Oh, that would be awful. Oh, yeah, no. This would probably be the last time I see you guys live. So rest of pieces. So it's just this way, then.

Yeah, the giant open door. Just right through there? She don't know what to do, yeah. All right. Is there any kind of traps or anything that we should be aware of so that we don't die until we get to her? You'd be bad if you had your prisoners die on you,

Oh, that's terrible. Besides her being able to see anybody that comes into her layer and teleport you to dream realms? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's so good to know. That's just part of the layer. That's just how it works. How do we avoid that? Well, you really can, but, you know, that's just part of it.

I'm scoring. We got dream traps? What if we fall into a dream world before we get to her? Or is this something you'll? Oh, no, you definitely will. Yeah, no, no, that just means she has full ultimate power, but you came to her layer and this is kind of how it works. Have you been in a dragon's layer before? Can't say that I have.

He wants. But not near. Nothing's great. All right, so this is goodbye then. Forever. Forever. Pieces. Pieces.

If you mess with her, if you're really nice and say, oh, you know, Hezaki said that you're okay. She'll might, and you agree. No, the thing is, I don't want you guys to die. I kind of like you guys. You made me feel really strong. Oh. You're not.

You're not. Well, say you put it in a. a good word for us and we'll put in a good word for you. So the thing is, would you guys really have to realize? And he suddenly has changed before realizing kind of the gravity of you actually going into there with all of the dream prisons. You've got to realize that Rjani's doing this for the greater good. You know what the greater good is, right?

No, we're too stupid to know that. What is the greater good? The greater good is she's the most good moral being on the greater good. the world. Oh. And it's that even one person, it doesn't matter if one person dies or a couple people die if it's for the greater good. Oh, that makes sense now. None of us. Even me as Akiraen and you all is human noids. I don't want to be that guy, but you really shouldn't use the word and the definition. You just kind of said greater good a bunch. Oh, it's for the greater good. That's what she says. But what is it? But it's, it's that when we're all, we're all.

When we all submit, there's unity and harmony and peace. I see. And it's for the greater good. Huh. And so it doesn't matter if a bunch of people die or if they're all subjugated. It means that at the end, there's going to be peace and happiness and harmony. And isn't that better than freedom and free will and agency? Well, you've convinced me.

That sounds nice. Yeah, it doesn't it? It sounds really nice. Thanks for the heads up about the dream prison. I guess we should head in. One quick question. If you went in there, would you also get Dreamprisoned? No, no, not at all.

Why not? Or just because, like, I'm supposed to be there. You guys really aren't. I show you're my prisoner, so you are supposed to be here, tell her that you're supposed to be there. Oh, okay. So could you give us permission to be here?

No, I can't do that. Not my lair. If you flew us in there, would we avoid the Dream prisons? Oh, you know, if you were on my back, you would just get Dream Prison off of him. my bag. Oh. So how did you get out of a dream prison once you're in the dream prison?

Just however the rules the dream world work, I don't know. I've never been dreamed prisoned. How are you going to bring the prisoners to Rajani if you can't get us to her? Because we get dream prison, isn't she going to be angry? They're stuck in a dream prison and she can't get us? Oh no, it's her. It's her dream. She's not prison.

It's just the dream rooms, realms, realms, worlds. It's all her. She creates them. think before going further, we're going to just have a quick prisoner hope. Is that all right? Yeah, sure, that makes sense.

Cool. And then I'm going to be like if you guys come in. Okay, so here's the thing. Izaki is kind of a joke in a good way. But the problem is that we didn't really think about. Like, I knew we needed

to come here, but she is a dragon. And we may be severely outclassed without any kind of a plan, especially now that we know that there are dream realms and prisons. So while we were able to outsmart Hazaki, I'm a little worried we may be in it now. Maybe we should not have come to the front door. Maybe we should have snuck by Hisaki and just walked there instead. That would have taken way too long.

I'm grateful for his help. same situation. That's true. I think let's just go inside. And just take our chances? Well, he said that it's her dream prison, so

we came for her, didn't we? We have to get to her to get to her, yeah? We do. But maybe it says that if you're going in, that she would notice. He said she notices everything inside of the law. He basically called her all seeing.

He's actually, have a question. Are there any secret entrances that she might not know about? Oh, no, no, no. Not even like a hidden tunnel. Why would there be a secret entrance? You mean that he turns to the glorious front door, says, I mean, that's all she needs. She doesn't need to escape out any back door. That's true.

Well, that settles it for me that I'm with Iris's plan. We just go in. Me too. Worst case scenario, we're all in a dream realm together. That's the best case scenario. And we, yes. Worst case scenario, we're... all in separate dream realms.

Oh. I don't know that I... Do we still have one of those feathers? Do we? You do. I believe we have one left. Worst case scenario, we use the feather and get the hell out of there.

As long as it still works... Sure we don't even want to look for a secret entrance? I just like point up to the giant gold's dragon statue and I'm like, she built this place. Had to have. Yeah, but just because he doesn't know about it, doesn't mean

it doesn't exist. I wouldn't found a bunch of the best craftsmen from all over avatres to build this for her. She found the cave, though. Guys, I think how Zaki can hear everything we're saying. Oh, of course. I really can hear him.

Is our captor. So Zoki would need to know what we are talking about. All right. The feathers the backup plan. I like it. There's always a chance that it might not work. Wherever we are. Oh, and just so you know, everything we're talking about.

We're prisoners, Suzuki, so we're lying about everything. Yes. It's all cold. Did you expect me to trust you, prisoners? Exactly. And I'm trying to make sure you knew not to trust anything we say. My eyes are... While we're huddling.

When we're not huddling, we're completely honest. It's very tricky business, but we know that you can keep up because you're so much smarter than us. Yes. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yes.

Yes. All right, and then with that, I guess we proceed. Let me just see if there's anything I can do real quick. Yeah, I would... And as we start walking towards the door, I'm going to turn back to Hazaki. I really don't like doing this, but we are your prisoner, so I will march forward without you. I'm going to virtually cast a tech magic as we move forward just to see if it helps at all. Okay.

As soon as you cast attack magic, I would say that the entire, you're surrounded by magic. The fact, the air around you is magical. It is humming with the natural magics of a golden dragon and everything else that has been cataloged here. And she, or Hazaki looks at you, Iris, and says, like, yeah, you don't have a choice in the matter. You have to march forward and face the eternal blossom. And she'll know what to do with you. And if you are very nice and you submit and you say you're right about everything, Rajani, she will be your best friend, like she's my best friend.

So you have nothing to worry about if you believe in the greater good, and you do believe in the greater good, right? Oh, yeah. Yes, all right being good. Absolutely. Good. And no touch with any of the stuff that she's collected. She's really particular about that.

Oh, okay. Then, Aris, I guess since we're prisoners, we should go in like a chain-gain line. So I'll follow behind you, Iris. That'll also hide our numbers. Yes. Well, let us proceed against our will, but at your orders, his honor.

Yeah. And hopefully, you learn what's good for you. Yes. We're learning. And I will walk and watch. Goodbye. Probably forever. Probably forever.

Probably definitely forever. But if, by some chance, we see you again, just know you're a cool, Kieran. Goodbye. You're not like most Kierens. You're a cool, Kierin. He kind of looks, he looks, and he's trying to look away, and then he looks back. I can't bear it up. Well, you brought this on yourself.

And he turned away dramatically. And I will march in. I'm going to reach back and grab hands, and I'm just going to say down the line, stay in the physical contact in case that has an effect. Oh, yes. Oh, that's a good idea.

And so we will all link hands. I'll hold your tail. And I will, as were... I'll hold your tail. It's not my tail. You can hold on to my head. It doesn't mean that right. Oh, no. Yikes!

It's his front tail. Oh, God. Your tail's not in the front. Oh. Oh, no. Oh, Lord. Oh, my God. I'll just hum something.

The bard ability that I'm using is that every action on every one of my turns is counter charm. So allies within 30 feet get advantage against frightened and charmed. Just because I don't know what we're to expect. So I'm trying to protect the group as much as possible. I'll just be like Yeah, I'm doing the whole thing. You see as you kind of, you see some movement behind you as like Izaki's kind of like nodding ahead and he's kind of, that's kind of catching. As you make your way into

the layer of an ancient golden dragon. And as soon as you cross the threshold, you hear the loud rumbling. As the doors close behind you, the light of the brilliantly golden valley behind you, snuffed out. But as soon as you enter, it does not get dark as a brilliant staircase going down,

downwards deeper into the mountain, is brilliantly illuminated by a seemingly sourcedless golden light that hangs in this entire space. And you see what looks like a brilliant foyer, a foyer, that has murals on every wall on the ceiling of just the glory of this golden dragon. very clearly Rajani, as you now realize that this entrance hall, you are being greeted, as there's a welcoming party for you, as you look out ahead and there's almost a full fleet, a full legion of these strange-looking creatures that look like the combination between a lion and a dog, that are staring at you with snarling mouths.

And you almost jump back as you realize that they're made of brilliant colored stones, massive statues, as they catch the light. And you realize that throughout this entire foyer that there's not just these lion dogs are strange serpents and draconic-looking turtles and large tigers and beautiful cranes and oxen and all sorts of creatures throughout this menagerie that's, welcome you, but they all seem to have been encased in stone or in metal.

Are they moving? Nope. They're just staring at you. Oh. They might be an illusion or something. Should we attach it? Absolutely not. No. Don't even get

too close. Are they blocking up now? Sorry. You see that they're all over, and you can see that you could make your way, and they're very large, but this hole is so massive, that there's probably a good at least five feet in between all of these stone animals. I still have a really old spell scroll of mage hand, which I could use to try and fuss out if there's anything dangerous going on over there.

I was going to save it for some private time, but then I realized it only lasts for 10 minutes. I would suggest that we do not interfere with these things at all. As long as they're not moving or making any sort of threat towards us, we carry on our way. I agree. I think we just walk past them. They're just statues. Right? Yeah.

Just statues? I don't know. Why are you looking at me? I don't know. You're right there. I'm just looking at you. You're tugging on his front tape. Oh.

Oh, is that what? Somebody switch me. I'm staying in the back. I'll go. I owe you guys a little penance. I owe you guys a little penance for recent history. I'll go. Deceit manipulation lies.

Those among the top three. And I will break hands from the group, let them stay in the line, and I will attempt to start walking forward. As you make your way through this menagerie, you realize as you get closer, these statues, if they are, look incredibly lifelike. And as you pass through, you actually see here as all of the statues move to face you as you walk through.

Oh, Caprice? You saw that, yeah? Uh-huh. Okay. Okay, just checking. I'm still alive. Nothing's happening. I'm not in a dream prison.

Should we follow him? We don't have a choice. Okay. Stay there. We're coming. Uh-huh. That's the wall. I'll follow behind in the same order that we did.

You do that. And as you all make your way through this, menagerie, once you get to the center of the room, you hear the grinding of stone as all of the statues turn towards you. And you can feel their eyes on you. And then you feel the presence of another set of eyes. You feel like something is washing you. And suddenly all around you is a brilliant golden

flash of light. And you feel your consciousness leave you, as you feel a pull on your stomach. And in a brilliant flash of light, you are no longer in the hall of the Gilded Menagerie. Is this brilliant golden flash familiar to Caprice from when he attempted to steal the glaive? I would say it's exactly the same. And the. And the, light. Oops, wrong thing. Pardon me. Pardon me? Pardon me? Pardon me?

Pardon moa? Mura. Um, my light got a little golden. Do do do do do. Suddenly, you hear before the, before the light dims. as you hear a rowdy polka band playing. And you like- All right.

And as your eyes adjust from the flash of golden light, you look around and these streets are familiar. You look around and all of you are there as you are in the middle of the familiar streets of Kirstein. As you see a band playing far off in the distance, you see streamers all around, you see the familiar decoration of barley and rye and grape,

as this is the great festival day of La Pouard. Once a year, you hadn't been able to show your friends this, but you're able to see that it's all decorated. And it's, and you're not sure, it doesn't feel it's not the right time for this. But as you, as you look around, you're excited and lofty. You see that there's people that you recognize, but you're used to the raucous drinking. The recuse. You're used to the recoup drinking and the revelry and the drunkenness and the, the, the, the,

the bar fights and the tests of martial arts. And you actually see now that it's, despite the music, that it's actually very peaceful. There's no, there's no uproarious, almost obnoxious laughter. People are just chatting calmly. And you see people in the square and you see brother Gruber, the, who you remember at this time of day, on this festival day, he'd be on his back, a screaming lyrics very out of key.

And instead, he's very politely having a conversation with another partygoer. And you all look around now and something definitely seems off. And you see that on the chins of every single person are fleshy tendrils. Oh. That hang down. And you, you suddenly see a figure standing in front of you. In golden robes, shock of white fur with black stripes, golden eyes, you see golden lotus standing before you.

Welcome to my lair. I'm so glad you're finally able to join me. Sooner than I expected, I will admit. Well, you could thank Izaki. He was able to capture us and force us here against our will. That's true. He needs a raise or whatever you give him to be a minion. He honestly even convinced to me that you might actually be out for the greater good.

And I am. Does this not prove my point? as she extends her paws around and and she looks and says there's no rowdiness no raucousness no lewdness no recusness

no recusing there's no fights no one's passing out everyone is polite and orderly they're still drinking though right to moderation

I was going to ask if we get drunk now or do we get drunk to real life but lift here are you all right no what's wrong I don't think I can say

with you know who you know where oh I mean I'm just looking around it just looks like a party to me what kind of terrible ass parties do you go to What? What do you mean? Everybody's just... Talking calmly? It looks pleasant. They're having a nice time.

Sober. Well, in moderation. Well, there is the drunken songs and the umpahs and the cheers and the the jeers and they're fighting, the brawling? Is that how it normally is? Yes! Observe the small, measured sips of beer. I mean, it seems responsible.

I mean... Eating until one is... simply satisfied, nothing beyond. What is this devilry? Is this your grand plan? This isn't a fondleport. It doesn't seem that bad, frankly. I would enjoy this.

This is horseshit. What are you guys talking about? Just kill me. Kill me now. Well, all right. Nice camera 117 times in the stomach. She is. That's too many times.

That's too many. You could have stopped at 17, but you went 100 more. Oh, God. Actually, I have a knife in my tail curl as well, and I'm just three knives at a time. Why are you showing us this? Because do you not seem? You think that I am some villain. You think that I am after some terrible plan.

Does this seem terrible to you? I mean, when, Lucie described this holiday to me earlier, While we were traveling, she described a cart where you can get a chicken sandwich between two funnel cakes for the buns. I don't see that fucking cart here. This is a nightmare. Exactly right. The food here is healthy. Edible.

Edible. We could eat here. You could eat here. Hold on a second. Listen. I understand what you're trying to say. I mean, this seems fine. It doesn't seem particularly evil, but you're upsetting Luffy.

She's clearly upset. You've done something here. I have simply brought about order and lawfulness and harmony. And tranquility to this place. That's point. Do you see? And now you will enjoy this orderliness. Wait, like right now, right here at this party.

Right now. You want us to just partake in the party? Yes, you will see. Is this a dream prison? You could call it that. We enjoy the festivities in an orderly way. And in a flash of gold, she's gone. Okay.

I can't do it. What do you mean? You can't just have a couple bites of food and a couple of sips of beer and then we're out of here. Have you met me? I mean, just, you know, within moderation, just for once. I can't believe that I'm going to say this. Caprice? Yeah.

How much havoc can you wreak? Oh, well, now, now hold on a second. I don't think we have to jump right to that. How hard can you party, my daughter? Do you need to ask? I don't. She said, enjoy, under her terms. but let's enjoy under our terms.

Toa, I don't know about this. This could get out of hand really quickly. I don't like this at all. She has to come back if we're not being orderly. Is there a bar anywhere nearby? Oh yeah, right? Not too far from you. There is a bar and they have very small wooden cups of beer that they're serving. Well, I'm doing it.

Caprice, you have my express permission to do whatever you would like to do. Oh, sweet heavens, no. Lofty? Yeah. You would be my best friend in the entire world if you would get completely blackout drunk and screw everyone. No, no, tell him, tell me. I thought you would never let this happen. No.

No, and I'm gonna start hustling to the bar. Toba, where are you going? He's got the idea, let's go! Um, can I have one milk, please? Do you have milk? Yeah. Big milk for big boy? Yes, thank you.

It's very moderately sized. It's very moderate. It's very moderate. I hate it. Do not do it too fast. You don't want to do what you tell me. And reasonable. So I have five very thirsty friends

and one for Brother Gruber and would need a very reasonable beer for all of the five friends. Of course. And hands five small wooden cups of ale. Oh, I'll carry them all. Oh, I fell down. I'm just like gubbling.

Oh, so clumsy of me when I've spilled them all into dirt. Oh dear. What is it? Deception? 16. They completely bought. I would be too old. Clumsy butterfingers, you know.

And another tray of five. Oh, thank you. And I'll turn around and start drinking them as I walk back. I'll make a fake pass hand off. Thank you, darling. Thank you. That was delicious. Still thirsty, you say, okay.

And I'll make a third trip back. Make another second check. I will call out as she's walking back. Please give me a moderately sized beverage, Lufty. I don't want to overexert myself by walking over there. 21. 21 completely buys it. And another, another trail of drinks.

Do you help, Lovty, you keep trying them? So reasonable. Oh, that sounds great. Yeah. You go that way. I'll hit the schnitzvkart. All right. We each have one of these drinks.

Lofti, I need you to hold my drink for me, darling. Toa, don't you see what she's up to? Thank you so much, Toa. Stop handing her as any drinks. Please, thank you. No. Lofti's trying to drink, though. You're almost.

I don't want to drink this. No, we can. Drink this. Oh, pro. Sorry, I'm just thinking, so many ideas. It's like, that's what I'm talking about. And I'd say that you're convincing at this point you've rolled enough that you're able to go back as much as you want to get as much beer and people aren't really starting to, they're really not noticing you and you get this, it feels like it's very real. But it's in this, in that same eerieness that you felt all around you and no

Grickeye, it's like Kierstein with the exact same way. They're still themselves, but they're just, it's an orderliness that is just so unlike them. Tewa, I think you have the right idea. I'm with you. Can I just get one tea, please? Yes. Finally, someone with taste.

Thank you. I wish. Cheers, she is, sir. I don't think it's working. You haven't destroyed anything yet. It's not this delicious. Lufthold is nice. I'm going to slap the milk out of his hands.

Arthur! What are you drinking from your mommy? You a pleasant glass of milk? That was really uncalled for. And the tea, too. Flap. Lofti, what would I have to give you for you to punch that man in the face? Which one?

The one who keeps giving you the beverages. Nothing at all. Would you go punch him in the face when you're done? Would I? Sir? Yes. Can I have one more beer, please? Of course.

I'll drop it and just... He would attack him. Holy shit, you might kill him. If he's commoner HP, then he's dead. But it's okay, because he's a soulless... He's a soulless avatar of nothingness. Maybe. He's a soulless dream of happiness. I'm confident.

12 damage. 12 damage. As you spin around and just punch him and he immediately... Oh my. And the beer that he's holding to serve flies everywhere. And I'm just like, ah! And lands.

And then everyone in like a 20-foot radius around you stops, and they all stare at you. Oh, now we have your attention, yeah? You know this isn't right. They're all staring at you. And someone steps forward and says, you should calm down with your roudiness. You should calm up with your calmness.

You just knocked out Hans. That is not very overly of you. Well, what is your name? Gerald. Then now I'm going to knock out Gerald. I'm going to be wrong. I'm going to charge it, Gerald. I'm trying to tackle him.

Honda's going to be fine. gonna be fine. Just keep him away from Nagasaki Tower and we'll be all right. I love Lufty on him. 14 to tackle Gerald. 14, you just completely knock Gerald to the ground. Okay, I love it. But who's going to stop me, little boys? Tawa, Tawa, we have a situation.

Lufty's completely out of control. What should I do? I don't know. You picked the Rivali. Maybe you can pick her up to. What is Luffy doing right now? She just tackled and knocked Carol to the ground who his cup of oat milk has spilled onto the ground

and he's like, please get off of me and his tendrils kind of smack you in the face. I'm gonna slap his tendril. I'm gonna just be straddling him and slapping his little tendrils around. That is not very polite of you. Where are you going to make me stop? Time up. Time up. Time in above.

Do you time to time low, do they wobble to and fro? I'm looking around. How big do the casks get? They, not nearly as large as you had seen, but they get probably about, like, you know, yay. It's a lot more measured. Yeah. Hmm. Keep going. As I said, I looked at you doing this. And per Felix's request, I'm like, I'm like, I love, all right, and I'm going to come up behind her and just try to like grab her. Oh, somebody getting frisky. If you're going to resist it, then there needs to be a contest.

Oh, I am not going to resist it. Okay, you just grab her. I'm going to squirm around in his arms and just plant like a big, like, bugs bunny style kiss on his face. No, that's so inappropriate. You started it. Don't start things you don't want to finish. I didn't really think this one's. through. Should I tie her legs? She wraps her legs around his legs. I mean, maybe, I don't know if she's going to like that.

I'm going to try to scramble around. I don't know if I can make this happen, but I want to try to scramble around him and like get on his shoulders. Like chicken style. You can try to slip out of his grass. Let's do it. Yeah, acrobatics versus athletics. This is my favorite session of beneath darklings ever because of Lifty M. That's pretty good. This is going to be one for the years. I'm acrobatics? Yep. Yeah. 27. I think I feel that.

It's going to be close. Can I cast Bain on 23? I must go have a little thing, awesome. Damn it, why is she so slippery? She's made of hair. It's no booze. I'm well lubricated, as they say. Everybody join me.

And I'll start singing like a raucous tune from a top teller. I'm going to jump onto the table where Hans was serving the various beverages of the day, and I'm going to stand in front of everyone. What's the name of the festival? La Poir. La Poir.

La Poir. La Poir. The holy day of La Pouard. Hey, everybody. I say happy. You say La Pouard. Happy. La Pouard.

Happy. La Pouard. And now we're all going to play a very moderate game. No one's going to get in any trouble, and it's certainly not going to emerge into chaos. Boo! Wait. Ah, I'm just, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

Okay. You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you and you. You and you, all 12 of you, pick two other people, stay in between those two people, equidistant from both of them at all times, and never stop drinking from these casks. Do you understand? I cast mass suggestion. So the rules of the game are mass suggestion? Yes.

All of them technically have to make a DC-17 wisdom-saving throw, and they can resist it. They're peasants, they fail. So, and the way that the game works, and this does always turn into a tornado of insanity, is that you pick two random people in a group, and you have to stay equidistant between them at all times. But because they picked two people in the group, and they have to stay equidistant from two other people at the same time. And that's also true for the two people you're staying between and the two people they're staying between. It's a tornado of running and laughing and hopefully grabbing drinks

and basically turning this entire crowd into a swimming. Yeah. We need to play this. Drink canada. I have three variations of this game and they're all excellent, but I'll choose the easiest one to explain.

Go on, do that thing that I just said. Woohoo! As you say that, just suddenly, like you see this dumb look wash over them. Their eyes kind of shimmer pink as if it's filled with pink elephants. And playing with them. As you're on the table and Luffy is encouraging them on,

and suddenly all of them, including Brother Gruber, including everyone else in this massive square of formerly very boring party, begins to following the rules very well. You wouldn't expect them to. Their tendrils are kind of flapping around, their eyes are washed over, and they all start to drink and drink,

and they do not stop, as if it's suggested. Yes, they will be doing that for, 24 hours. I just killed 12 people with alcohol point in 80s. Holy shit! Now this is a party! And you're all like...

I'm gonna be drumming your head and kicking my feet. I'm grabbing drinks too now. I'm just like trying to rile everyone up as much as possible, playing along with the polka. Oh! I was having a wonderful time, but she does. She doesn't seem to be coming back. Well, at the very least,

aren't having a good time, so it was worth it. It was worth a try. Oh, hmm. I think, oh boy. I think this, I think this is probably the wrong way to go about it. And you better pull me down. And with that, you see a shape in front of you, Luffy.

As Gerald looks at you and says, that wasn't polite what you did as he drinks again. Would you're gonna spank me? She's got her spoon. Make her swing him, Jack. I said she's got her spoon. That's not advantage style. Oh, I only got a six.

So do I get spanked? So do I get spanked? He stumbles forward, and he raises his hand, and he swings forward, and he swings forward. And he spins around, and he spins around, and he makes. misses you when they slaps another person. Yes. Oh no. And then you see is this large bearded man,

and he just was looking drunkenly after failing Caprice's game, and he just sucks him. Oh my God. And suddenly this tornado of drunken peasants is an absolute mess of cursing and screaming and violence. and drunkenness as the entire thing devolves into absolute chaos. And suddenly as you see the drunken, violent bar fight peasant tornado swirling all around you, you feel reality crack and shatter.

And suddenly, Kirstein is immediately ripped from your consciousness. And suddenly you're at the very end of the hallway in the hall of the Gilden Menagerie. What is happening? I think we broke free. Of the party? Oh, yeah. Do we stay drunk? You do not. Oh.

Should I put you down? Yeah, I think that would be best for now. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I will never tire of hearing you say that. I mean, it's just what it is. Those are the facts. I can't believe that worked.

Yes, I can't believe it worked either, but it was worth a try. That was great. I was about to turn into a way. I was about that went on. You were quite lovely. Oh, really? Oh, what? Oh, I must say, I do appreciate the way the both of you took your roles by the horns.

Oh, thank you. No. It was risky. The peasants could have died. They were not real, too. We don't know that. Maybe they are real in some way. Are the people in your dreams real?

Well, not literally, maybe, but figuratively. Dreams? We were in dream rooms. Dream people. Could be... You shouldn't kill dream people intentionally. If you punch Felix in a dream, do you punch him in real life? I would never punch Felix in a dream.

Well, there was that one time you were dreaming and you did punch me. Oh, I guess you were. That one time, it doesn't count. If you were to kill Moloch in a dream, would Moloch die? No, I guess not. Well, pretend that everything you see in a dream outside of us is Moloch. Unless it's a devil. And in which case, it's a very real, let me tell you.

You's a good point. Maybe there are things in dreams that are real. Yes, there might be. Well, now you've gone and just confused the poor thing. I don't. This hurts my head, Felix. Yeah, I'm with it. Just listen to us.

All right. It worked this time, so you just tell me what to do, and I'll do it. Are we further along in the room, or are we still really far back? You're at the very end. And so there's another lard. I mean, it's smaller than the room, but it's still enough to fit a, a massive, colossal, ancient golden dragon as it continues deeper into the mountain.

Should I scout ahead? I can make myself invisible and sort of. Ouch. Oh, I stuck my toe. Part of the marble on this floor is unevenly laid. That's very unusual, given how orderly she is. For what it's worth, we know that she can see everything. I wouldn't waste your time going to dozee.

All right. Well, you guys want to arm in arm and just Wizard of Oz this tunnel? Yeah? Sure, why not? Oh, well, there's this homeless man that we called the Wizard of Oz back in Galctica. And you'd always try to link arms with other civilians on the streets and just start walking down the street. That's interesting. I knew one as well. We called him Grandpa Woodstock and his penis was always out. Anyway, yes, let's link arms in law form.

I had a friend named Enzo. You've told me that one. Then we lock arms and Wizard of Oz are way down the, or I guess Grandpa, whatever. Our old stock are way down the hallway. Our front tail's wagging back and forth. You do the front front, flak, flak, flak, cluck, can you a major illusion? I mean, I can minor illusion depending on.

I got a surprise you or something for you. I got a surprise you or something for you. I got a surprise on you. It's been too long time, watch that movie, yeah, watch you. Is that forgetting ceremony? Yeah. Right at the beginning. Yeah.

Oh, amazing. Great. I can't wait to blow more six-level spells on a dream. As you make your way through, you get deeper and deeper into the mountain as you descend, and then suddenly there's, it gets slightly darker as the murals of Rajani, the Eternal Blossom, continue just in a little, and how brilliantly elaborate they are. And it makes you wonder how long and how many craftsmen it would have taken to do all this.

And where they came from, where are they now? It's very difficult to, it's hard to found. Where did they come from? Where did they come from? Shiny gold dragon. You enter the next room. It is large and circular,

and then the golden line. that hangs in this entire place, shimmers and glints, and you see now that there's rows and rows and rows and rows of weapons of every variety. As you see swords and axes and glaves and hammers and maces and spears of all sorts of different make

from all across of Antras, from all sorts of different time periods, perhaps, as you enter this thing, this armory that it looks like, but they're all, they all look incredibly deadly and effective, but they're all just hanging as if they're just simply adorning the space. What do you do? Oh, we have made it past the lions, lion things.

Now we're in the weapon room. Do you think that there's gonna be another dream? It's a co-saint. No? I don't know. I think they might be. What does she need all these for, though? She's a dragon.

Just for funzies? Just for decoration, maybe. I mean, maybe they represent something. I mean, Josaki mentioned something about, you know, collecting things. Did we look closely at the murals? You haven't really done that now. Can I take a look? Yeah, make a perception shock.

Yeah. 19. 19. You look around and as you, as you see, and the thing that catches your attention, of course, immediately, is the shape of a massive golden dragon, its own catfish-like tendrils, incredibly long. But what you are starting to realize in each one, there is an absolute sea of smaller humanoid creatures. There might be one mural that's filled with humans, another with orcs, another with elves.

All variety of races, and all of them have, and they're all in a submissive. bowing posture, and they all from their chin have those same tendrils. And everything looks incredibly reverent, yet and serene and peaceful, as if the murals are depicting an absolute paradise world. Continue onward. Just don't get near these weapons. Yeah, Azaki warned against touching her shit, so... That's true. Makes me want to do it more, but I won't. Let's stay close by.

I will continue on. Okay. You make your way through and you see as the rising up from the center, there's another essential column and multiple columns and walls of weapons, and you have to sometimes get single file to get through, wondering how this all works when she comes through herself. And as you make your way through this chamber, Once you get it out halfway there, once again, you see the shimmering, flashing light from all around you, and your consciousness leaves you again as you were transported to another dream world.

I certainly didn't. And you hear the, you hear and you feel the sea as you feel the sea as you feel the, the, the, the, the, the, the, you feel the, the, the, the, the, the, you feel the, the, the, the, the. the soft breeze and the coolness and the wetness of the salt water. As you hear the cry of gulls and the lapping of waves, as the brilliant golden light shrinks back down into the sun radiating down over the beach. As you see, as there's beautiful tropical jungles all around, rising volcanoes as you are on the beaches of unmistakably the Makani Islands. As you see out on the beach all laid out in rows, these massive, not massive, but these

large sailboats that are all, none of them are in the water. They're all just lined up. And you see all across the beach just dozens. of Golias, tattoos similar to Toa, both male and female, as they all just sit on the, on their, either on the sailboats or in the sand or just stand around, and they're all just kind of looking at each other and just being, feeling peaceful. As you see dangling from each of their chins are tendrils. And you look around and you see, you see. Toa, this looks familiar.

This is the annual sailing competition. And, but the boat shouldn't be on the beach. It seems as if they're all just sitting around not competing. And in a flash, you see the shape of Golden Lotus appear. her soft pause in the sand. Welcome. Did you enjoy your last trip to Kirsteim? I certainly didn't.

Well, I did. Lovti did very much. Well, I'm sure you did. And you made it out quite quickly. Yeah, well, when the party starts, nothing you can do. No matter. You will see here,

these Goliaths of tropical islands are filled with competition. It fills their heart of envy and sometimes anger, almost a bloodthirsty desire to beat their comrades, their friends and even family. But it's all in good fun. It's all just friendly competition. Competition inherently breeds discord, disorder, distrust.

It's disharmoner. You will observe. And you see all of the Goliaths are just sitting there. Some might be tending to a beach fire and they're roasting fish and various shellfish. And they all seem to be in just very light competition, or a light conversation rather. And she says, in a world of order, there is no competition. There is no need. Everyone has what they need.

And everyone will do what is right for the common good, you understand, the greater good. There is no need to see who is better at one thing or another, whether that be sailing or anything else. I don't like this. I mean, it's been so long since I've been home. I'd stay here forever, but these aren't my people. Do I recognize any of them? You look around and you see people that you may recognize family and friends, But it just seems off. They seem to be... You remember a vivacious speaker

to your friends and family. But it seems to be completely missing from this... From all of this. This doesn't seem right. I mean, I know this is a dream. It shouldn't seem right. It is pleasant.

Toa. Yes, it's pleasant. Then I think that you will enjoy your time here. Enjoy the surf and the sand, but no competition. And in a flash of light, she's gone. When I think back to how the previous dream worked, do I suspect that time passed while we were in the dream world? Or was it almost like an instantaneous in and out?

I would say you have no way of knowing because you're all inside and it, you, it could have been days. It could have been hours, it could have been minutes, you have no way of knowing. My Apple Watch showed that the time passed. Roger that. And so you, Irish does have that in her. I cast a six-level Apple Watch, and I would like to know. Yeah, you know. Toa, this is where you live?

Yes, this is where I'm from. Toa, I would like to challenge you to a duel. Why would you challenge me to a tool? Because I want to see which one of us stronger. Well, no, this is the saving competition. It's not the time for promotional competition. I love the water. I would like to challenge you.

you to a sailing competition. Are there boats scattered along? Yeah, there's a good handful, at least dozen, boats. You want to challenge me to a sailing competition? You know, they call me Windchaser, right? That's lovely. They call me Iris. Would you like to challenge me? Are you saying you're better at sailing than I am?

Oh, definitely. But only the challenge will prove. Are you afraid to be beaten? Well, she said that competition. So maybe we need to compete to break free? Do we want to break free right now? Do we have some time just to relax? That was what I was going to ask.

I would challenge everybody to a Mai Tai in one of these chairs. I'll be honest, I don't ever want to leave. I don't want to go back. It's dreary and awful, and I've never seen so much sun in my whole life. And look at this sand. I don't know how you leave a place like this. It was very difficult. You know, I miss it every day.

If we survive all of this, and we make it to the end and we're all okay. I want to live here. Of course, everyone is welcome. We could all live here if we wanted. I mean, I don't want to impose, but... No, I would take everyone.

Everyone could come back and we could live in the islands and we could go sailing and fishing and drink my time. I'll visit often. I mean, if there's a pattern here and these dream worlds are a little bit connected to us because we're going to your island, or going to your beer town. Like, I kind of want to move quickly through this

because we're... Daltica's coming up, babe. And, uh... I mean, I would do a lot of terrible things for a full breath of air of just, like, de-intent, the corner of... Well, let's get some mites.

Don't worry about it. Yeah. I'll join your facade. Can we just relax just for a little bit before we... Yes. Of course. In that time, they might have time to kill Hersha. Oh, that's a good point. So let us enjoy this Mai Tai while she dies.

Die, shall we? I challenge you to drink a Mai Tai faster than me. Challenge accepted. All right. You do that, and the Mai Tai's disappear. And you hear a voice to this. It's like, I get an 11. Hey, man, do you... Not looking at like a cat. Some fish, here's some fish. Here's some fish.

motion. Oh, I would love some fish. What kind of fish you got? Here, go, bro. Have we got some red shnepper? I would love some fish. Oh, I've been a good fish. It feels like so long.

Here go, bro. And you see that he hands you, this... It's roasted on a stack. This beautifully fire-roasted fish. And he says, You know, we've cancelled the sailing competition this year. So we're just going to hang out.

Why would you cancel the sailing competition? competition it's so important. Well there's a lot of hurt feelings when people have competition. It's just kind of nice to just kind of hang out, you know, bro. I mean it's kind of, I sort of understand that, but it's, I mean it's, it's what our ancestors just did. It's how they, they, they came to these islands. It seems disrespectful to our ancestors. Well you know man, our ancestors kind of got into a lot of fights, lots of hurt feelings. You know, You know, ever since we got our orderly and nice, everyone's just kind of nice and chew, you know. It's kind of nice.

I just sit back and enjoy the fish, man. Can you get them some fish as well? Yeah, of course, bro. You got to be my-e-mahy-mahy? I'm going to take the fish and I'm going to throw it down on the ground and I'm just going to stomp it into the earth. How could you do that? I was perfectly good. I don't know what that horse was.

Angeline, is that you? I've heard you, I met you in a drink. All right, let's be convincing these people to sail. Aye. I just didn't want to fish. That's all I'm saying. No one's going sailing, all right? Wow.

I'm going to fish once that bit me until he's to kill it. Sorry about that? We have a lot. Okay, okay, I'm back. crossover episode. In the next dream scenario, we all will be our other character.

Oh no. My bad. Why would you step on your fish? Your fish? Well, it was very clearly not a well-caught fish, the smallest of the bunch. You could have my piece. It's pretty sizable.

That one also appears too small. It looks like none of these residents of McConae Island have any clue had fish. Quite pathetic if you ask me. Oh you know that's all right. You dropped your fish, you like another. Well...

You like fish, you're a... you're a... you're a... You're a... Tabaxi, you like fish. ...pointed in all of you. You know what we have to do. And you're allowing your want for a little bit of respite to risk Hershe's life. I can't believe it. You, of all people, Caprice.

I... Yeah, Caprice. I would be happy to partake in... I would be happy to partake in... like you to piss in their fire. I am all out of piss. I'm not. Locty, please.

I'm gonna cock a leg up and like dog fire hydrant. That fire. Oh, ah. Stop looking, Goa. Turn around. Yeah, you like to see. You didn't turn? It's like a train wreck.

I'm just so disgusted. Let's race. We'll race instead. Yeah, that's right. We will. Competition. I think we have to convince them to race. If we race, then...

We're not going to convince them to race. Did we convince any... I guess we did. You told them to... Yeah, I mean, I had to use my magical abilities. Why don't you try to provoke them into racing you and Iris? No, Aris said she can beat me. She thinks she's a bit of sight of them.

I'll have to prove to her that you're a bit of... better sailor and also all of them. Well, I think there are plenty of boats here so she can have her own. That's what I mean. Go pick a fight with one of these other stone boys and get him under water. You won't just have a race between the two of you. You need as many people. You have to prove her better than everyone.

You're up. I want to walk up to the closest Goliath. Hey, man. Hey, man. You want to go for a race? No, no, we cancel that this here, man. We're just hanging out and keep drinking my dogs. I'm going to move around the first.

side of him. Is that because you're not good enough to race? I'm pretty good at racing, I think. Really? Yeah, I think so. I'm a cat, you see. Oh, that's pretty cool. Cats are afraid of water. Okay, I'm afraid of the dots sometimes. Do you think you could race faster than a cat that's never been on water? Well, yeah, I think I'm pretty good, yeah. I probably could probably, yeah. You do that, yeah? Oh, I don't think that you could. Because I'm going to race this motor around there.

Do you want to join us in a race? It'll be at least a three-person race, if you agree. And it will be very easy for you, of course, because I'm a cat, you see. Oh, that'd be pretty easy, because you've never been on the... So it'd be pretty chill, brough. Yes? Egg. Egg.

Are we having eggs? Afterwards. The Victor can have eggs. Egg. I mean, you're persuaded in check. Disbandage. Yes. Yes, there's advantage.

What the hell? Did I tell the disadvantaged. Why? Why did I say that? No, I don't persuade him with a nine. Oh, God. Why don't he just relax? We're just all kind of hanging out, man.

Hey, I'll give you some of those fish if you, uh, if you join us for this race. What kind of fish you got there, man? Some red snapper of that guy over there gave it to me. Oh, that was pretty good, man. Make a rest of a chicken advantage. This is the fish. I thought that was the same guy that gave you the fish. No.

He won't the fish. 12. It's just really hard to do variations in a new New Zealand accent. As he looks at you and says, I don't know, sir, men, we're not supposed to have competitions. You know, we're just kind of supposed to chill out. It's all harmonious that way and all that. We're vibing. You know?

We're vibing. You know, congratulations. You won the competition for saying no to the racing. Yes, it was actually... That was... Yes, you won, congratulations. We were racing to see who would say no first. You got it.

Oh, I was so close to you. I was right behind you. Make a deception check. We're really thinking outside of a boxer. That's a nine, so that'll be a 23. He looks at you and his eyes kind of like wide and it's like, Oh no, did I just compete in a competition? That's the one thing I wasn't supposed to do.

Oh, no, man. Yeah, but if you get other people to do it too, then it won't look so bad on you. See, no, that doesn't sound. As long as I don't say it, I think I'll be okay though, man. No, I saw it. We all saw it. I really feel like if I'm not, you know, instantly persuaded with something else going on that I might feel the need to scream it.

out loud and continuously. I'm very confused with what you're saying. Look, I know these people, they're my people. I don't think that these kinds of things are necessarily going to work. This is too next level. I think that there's a higher level of intellect may be required to grasp these complex subjects. So how would you suggest we go about doing this?

I think that we race. Like just the five of us? The five of us. There are plenty of boats. maybe they'll see us and just be happy for the want to do it through is that what you're thinking what I'm just saying is the five of us could compete I mean that's a competition we could do that I thought I was on to something when I was getting him to like resist competition was the competition well I saw what you were laying down I thought it was okay yes I've been

I believe what Toa is saying is they're not smart enough to understand. Well, not necessarily smart enough, it's just not in the nature. I guess it's kind of what I'm saying. It did get kind of matter pretty quick. Yeah, you're trying to like met with them and next level them by convincing themselves. That's just not really how we rule. You think they could work for me? Probably not. I wouldn't really get it. Well, Toa, could we like...

What would trick you into competing for something? I mean, I think you would just ask politely and I would do it, but they're clearly under orders. Excuse me, egg. Is this, am I doing it right? Ig. Yes. Excuse me, Ig. Oh, oh, what are you mean, bro?

Yes, brov. Would you please race me? I'm new to this place and I wouldn't feel welcome unless I was allowed to race against you. Would you please? Make a response to Chuck. Uh-huh. Um, 26. I'm not supposed to, but yeah, he says, you say, you're saying, you know.

But yeah, he says you had so politely, I suppose I could. That would be wonderful. Can you point me in the direction of the boat? I should. Oh, you just turn around. It's right next to you. Great. And you turn around, there's literally a boat right next to you.

Lovely. Are you ready? I guess it could be. And he walks over to one of the boats and he shoves it into the water. We should get some more. We should have a full-on race. Sure. All right. I'm just going to go up to everyone I see and just ask him,

You want to sail? Sure. You want to go sail to that rock out there? And you do this. And I need you to just make a persuasion check generally as you go around. 16. That's pretty good.

Plus anything? 15 plus one. Oh, bummer. All right, 16. 16. And you, the pickle jar is out. A pickle jar is out. You go around.

The name of your next only fans. That's his lonely fans. Here's the biggle jar. Here's the big old jar. And so you go around and... I eat nothing more. You get the sense

there's some resistance there. However, as soon as Egg, Ig and Iris push their boats out onto the water and are you going to get in and start sailing? Mm-hmm. You sort to see as a crowd. And I've sailed the river with my family before, so I'm not a frig water.

But I'm not, I don't know how to sail it. Oh. You, so I need, so you get in the boat and Toa, you're, there's resistance at first. And so you get the sense that, that, that they really aren't sure. But as Iris and the gentleman that she has challenged asked very politely, And Iris, I need you to make a just general dexterity check at disadvantage because it is on the ocean. Oh, come on. That's that sweet Natty tone.

You said a dexterity check? Mm-hmm. Nine. Nine. I guess I could be inspiring people. I don't know. Whatever. So you are, you're holding your own, Iris, and you are definitely, you're managing to stay upright, which is basically all you can ask for, but you're not used to these kinds of waves and you're used to the, the, sometimes the...

I would say, I've been sit there for a while waiting for someone else to maneuver the boat for me before I realize I have to do it on my own. Yeah, exactly right, exactly right. And so you see, as he just blast past you riding the way. Wait, no, we all have to race together. It's one big race. And I try to like stop them. And you do that, and you get the sense that, that in the very least in just this one situation, Iris is, she gives him so much of a lead that he just blast past to the rock,

and he turns around, and you get the sense that he feels like he shouldn't enjoy it, but he's just like his smiles getting wider and wider and wider. As he then lets out a cheer, as he just blast past, and then everyone on the beaches you start to kind of gather them around is looking out, and then they're cheering with him.

And then you see this female Goliath and she just has its hair all the way down to her waist as she looks up and says, are all these girls going to race? Yes, we're all going to race. It's the annual sailing competition. We're all going to race. And you see that they're going to race.

There's a resistance and a pull to that. I need to make a pretty check at advantage. Nice. And as soon as Ig makes it back to shore, he says, come on, guys, this is actually pretty fun. Forget what we weren't supposed to do this anyway. And suddenly all of the boats start getting launched. And you see that as Goliath after Goliath all gets on their own vessel,

and they all line up and they get ready to race. And they're waiting for your call to it. sound the horn. All right, are you guys ready? Yeah, ready as I'll ever be. It's just as soon as someone gets on my boat to steer it for me. So I'm gonna get them all on their own boats.

Oh, all right, you just pull this line and you just have to keep the sail in the wind and you wanna lean left or right to try to steer it if you can. Yeah, I think that makes sense. I think I can figure this out. This would be fine. And just tie, if you're afraid about falling off,

just tie a line around your waist and so I'll get everybody set up and I will approach kind of a blank spot in the water and I will dig in my bag and in my... I will dig through and I'll take out the box

that has my all my different wind spirit figurines but I pull out something that I've yet to pull out in this campaign I've had the entire fucking time absolutely gross it is a tiny little ship that looks similar to the other ships.

It's been a long time, friend. We're gonna show him who's the wind chaser. And I'm gonna put the tiny little ship kind of in the lapping waves. And I'll say, Moku. And it's going to grow to full size. It's a gruel, not a shower. It is a sailing ship.

It is basically kind of like a platform between two narrow holes. There's a triangle sail that has sort of the shape of a turtle on the sail. Um, I brought my own boat if it's okay. Yeah, man, that's pretty cool. How did you get to do that? The wind spirits gave it to me. Don't worry, man. I'm jealous. You can probably ask them. They're pretty generous. Okay, that's cool, man. And I'm gonna jump on and I'll say, is everyone ready? And you hear resoundish I still haven't gotten the person who's going to steal my ship. You're steering your own ship.

What? Also, is it just me or is Ig slowly transforming into Bill Cosby? You can't see them. I honestly thought that he was nailing a perfect Liverpool accent. He's one of the Beatles, man. Perfect. I'm all over the place of my legs. You're on your own, Iris.

What? You have to pilot your own. own ship by yourself. What, no, there's someone coming to steer it for me. No. Yes. I'm sorry that you're going to lose if you have bad attitude. That's by yourself. Of course I'm not. They've definitely hired the best sailor on the McCona Islands. Good luck. For me. I don't think they do. Toa. Yes. Where is my safe? No, these are, these are solo ships. You've got to sail yourself. Just pull on this line and keep the sail in the wind and lean to one of the other to steer the ship

of the boat? Yes. You can do it. I have faith. Wonderful. All right, friends. Family. Let the sailing competition begin. And I'll pull out my conch shell and I will blow on it. And with that, wind will start

erupting from the shell and sending the ships forward. What can I say, accept your toa? And I'll give you inspiration because I don't want to lose your own competition. You say that and there's a massive cheer amongst all of them. There's almost the sense of like kind of a forbidden fruit aspect to this, where everyone has been wanting to do this,

but they felt like they shouldn't. And suddenly with the blow of the conchow and the wind, filling all these billowing sails, you all rock it off. And I need Yucho to make a, what's a sailing check at advantage? is straight dexterity? It would be, it would basically be a dex check plus my proficiency, yes. So it would be akin to acrobatics.

And the rest of you do the same at disadvantage. Oh, I'm not actually. And you can add a detail. I'm going to keep waiting for, I'm going to be left. I'm going to be sailing, but I'm also going to be using my onion bluff to like give myself a little cheat in the sale. I'll still roll a disadvantage note.

Oh, no. Dex? Dext, you say? I think I get an 11 for just a straight Dex check. 27. 8. I try to think if I can cheat with any of my spouse.

Yeah, I'm very seriously considering casting destructive wave, but this goes from from opposition to horrible death. I rolled a surprisingly good disadvantage, so 21 for me. 21, okay. I got 11.

11. Got it. Not very good. So all of the boats take off, and it is a close and some, and there's back and forth, and there's an incredible excitement in the air. But Toa, as you sail, this is what you were born to do, and this is, it takes you back. And even though it's been so many months since you sailed, you haven't really been on this boat since you pulled Felix out of the ocean and saved his life.

And you, it is like, it is a coming home again. though it's a dream and you blast past everyone, you quickly take the lean. And Caprice, you're actually keeping up with a lot of the other Goliaths, the rest of you start to fall behind. Iris are just sitting there on the boat, just rocking back and cilip in the ways. I'm looking around. Well, it must be a phenomenal sailor that they got me if they all get their head start before my person even arrived. It's ridiculous. As you certainly see that the excitement of the excitement of my, my person even arrives, it's ridiculous. As you start to see that the excitement on all the Goliaths gets more and more intense

as they all start shouting and laughing and cheering back and forth and some are cursing at each other. But it really is all in good fun. And as soon as the race is over, the cries and cheers at the end as Toa, you finish first place. As you arrive at the beach, everyone starts coming in second, third, fourth. Caprice, you actually manage to come in sixth. As despite everything, despite, but being a bard,

you kind of are the track of all trades, and you could figure it out pretty easily. As the, as more and more Goliath start to crash into you toe and lift you up, it's like, well done, man, you're the victor. And so it's like, man, why don't even cancel this thing? As they start all right. Good job, guys, good job, everyone.

As soon as like I land my boat and I get in with everybody else, I would run up to Toa and congratulate him on his win and look him in the eye and say, this is the most amazing place in the world. This is the happiest I've ever been. You've come here for real. I promise. This was just the best day ever.

And as soon as you feel like you're the happiest that you've ever been, the cheers and the excitement and the competition, the spirit of competition shatters reality. and suddenly you were all ripped back into the other end of this weapons hall at the end of this part of the Eternal Blossoms collection. You're right? We're back here. Yeah?

That was fun. My sailor never came. This sucks. You stayed on your boat. Very well done. I don't understand I'm supposed to get to the other side. Well, you're supposed to say, I tried to explain it to you, but... I think you were joshing me.

Oh, I don't even know what that means. Who? Well, in 1776, a man named Josh Josherson. Fools with someone, and they called it from then on. Joshing. Joshing. Oh, all right. I'll take out a book and I'll pencil my right.

Remember that, 1776. Power, you did so good. Thank you. It's sort of my thing, you know. They call me windchaser back home. It's sort of my nickname, you know. They give everybody a nickname. All right.

Stop bragging. My sort of sailing related, you know, it's nothing special. Do you really have a tiny boat that can grow to enormous size? I do. I do. Why did you never show that before? We've never been on a body of water, but we've really needed it. I've never had a reason to sail.

And it grows big whenever you say mocha? Moku. Moku. Yeah. And you've never thought to, like, We're in a fight, throw that into somebody's face or shove it out their throat. No, I was being horribly disrespectful. I'm just saying that if you need to kill somebody, put it in their mouth.

I know you can get it in there. You can make airplane sounds. If you need to kill somebody, somebody quote that, if you need to kill somebody, you put it in their mouth. You all stand at the end of this weapon chain with the vast collection of weapons from across the world and across perhaps centuries hanging all behind you now, stairs going further down into the mountain. That's right. What are you doing?

Well, we better keep moving. We're making progress. This is good. This is good news. It gets in there. It was just so nice. I know, it's hard to leave it behind, but we need to save hernia. We need to stop whatever this is. All right. I'll lead the gang in the next room.

I'll be right behind them. Okay. You make your way down the stairs, and this room is the darkest and coziest yet, but still filled with pleasant light, but just so. enough to read by. And then you finally realize why. As you see rows and rows of infinitely tall bookshelves and hang from every space where there is in a bookshelf are rolls and rolls

of scrolls all around you as what is probably the collection of a hundred libraries, hundred libraries from across the ventras rises up and around you in this almost hexagonal room that all branches out and you see now you remember from the previous room and although it gets narrow with these massive bookshelves and all variety of style of tone you see that there is an empty space in the middle of the middle of the middle of the where a massive golden dragon could easily sail through on its wings. But there seems to be all manner of languages, all manner of styles of books and scroll and writing and cataloging

of across the world, and perhaps across, once again, across the centuries or millennia all around. Wow. Are we in your dream? I didn't feel the golden flash thing. Yeah. I don't think so, but let me tell you, Gabris, if we're gonna find an answer to your problems, I bet you it's here.

And we're not allowed to touch anything. I mean, now it's the time to break some rules if you think you can solve my problem. I guarantee you the answer somewhere in these books. I don't like the idea of touching anything. I, we really shouldn't. It's almost like this is here to tempt us to touch something. But it would just be... Oh, we should be really should.

We really shouldn't. We really shouldn't. We can always maybe come back. Yes. Oh. Let's go take our business and then we'll be back and we can, uh. Can you say so? We can browse. Unless it's like horribly destroyed. It better not be.

Oh. Are you scared? No, I want to preserve. Think about the untold knowledge and things that are lost to time and and peoples and everything that are probably stored here. You're kidding. I'm just trying to rile you up. It's so easy.

Let's just quick save and go forward, and if anything goes wrong, then we can just shift F5, and we'll be, don't worry about it. Sometimes I only understand about a quarter of what you say. Fell? What are we doing?

Where's the schlop into the dream? I think we probably just need to walk farther. Three steps more ought to do it. Here we go. And I'll start walking. You start walking. And you make your way through, and as you start to read some of the

names, in the language that you can understand, ah, Felix, you realize that all of these books you would expect to have some sort of, expect some sort of magical knowledge here, but there's none. It's all books on history, all books on the world of evangelists, all over the world. And you, you step forward. a bit more, and you see that there's a couple of pillars rising up where there might be a book that's presented and highlighted an ancient tome from hundreds of years ago or scroll from Yulong, telling a story

that you're not sure if it's history or folklore. And as you make your way about halfway through, you see that on this pedestal there is this beautiful, leather-bound, thick tome and this elegant script, and it's titled On Barovia, the Lost Land of Blood and Mist. And as soon as you step forward towards it, there's a massive flash of golden light as your consciousness once again leaves you. I was looking at a book called What Actually Happened in Dracar.

It was poor people. As your consciousness once again, we'll hear. You hear the light murmur of voices, the clinking of glasses, and the soft sound of piano as it drifts over the room that you're in. As you see red and purple velvets and upholstery, as you seem to be in a tavern of some kind for the rest of you. But this is a strange kind of tavern that's far more intimate and dark and feels too claustrophobic but caprice. Oh, baby. You know this is an absolute premier jazz club in one of the nicest joints in Galvica. As you see a number of tables all filled with some people.

maybe a couple enjoying a romantic date. You see a couple of friends having a polite conversation, but everything is very calm. Everything is very still. As you look around and you haven't experienced this in so long. What do you do? Where are we? I'm just going to say it.

I feel a little under-dressed and kind of gross. We're in Galctica. What? We're in Galctica. You've been here before. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is a place. I've played this joint.

It's cool, man. It's cool. This is really nice. I mean, this is a little top shelf for Galtica, but yeah, yeah. I'm saying, I've been to Galctica, but I'm usually in the dive clubs. Yeah, I mean, yeah, me too. But if you're going to go and get a fancy drink or you want to take someone out on a date, This is a place to be.

You don't happen to have a nicer jacket than mine. And it's like tattered and dirty and gross and like, I feel, I just feel like we're gonna get kicked out. I'm sorry, I can't help you, buddy. I transform into like the nicest cover. The freaky suit with a hat. Wow, that's convenient. I bet nobody will kick you out.

That would, you know, cause a disruption and disorder, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's a good point, I guess. Oh, is that what we need to do? Yeah. Oh yeah, okay. Disruption and disorder, right? I guess, yeah. I don't know how to do that in here, but.

And as you look around, you notice, you feel a presence behind you. As you turn and you see the familiar shape of Golden Lotus as she looks at all of you and says, did you enjoy your trip to the Makani Island? Yeah, honestly, it was very nice. I miss it. I can't believe how cool the sand is.

Normally it gets hot from the sun. It's just melting away. It was beautiful. Was that scenario a terrible world ending threat? It wasn't the same. But wasn't it pleasant. What was so wrong with it? Could you not have imagined yourself living there for the rest of your lives? I... no, not like that.

No. Why is that? It didn't have any, uh, uh, uh, fire. It didn't have any guts. It didn't have any adventure. It didn't have any wonder. It didn't have any... You're cutting the extremes off of both ends.

Don't you see that? Isn't it better to cut off one end of the extreme? To prevent the hurt, to prevent the... To prevent the disorder? Isn't it better for more people to limit what one can do so that the largest number of people is the most satisfied? What is so wrong about them? Do you find a problem with such a simple dream?

Am I so wrong? I'll admit, I mean, it's... laid back, certainly. And I'll also admit that sometimes the competition can tear families apart and results in feuds and bad blood. Yes. That's what makes people free. But what good has freedom done? What good has agency done? It has allowed men and women hungry for power to tear apart those less fortunate, those less power or station. Look at all that Virgil Zern has done. The free will of one man has cost so many lives. Caust so much strife and conflict. Imagine if he submitted to the same rules as everyone else. Would there not have spared so much sorrow, so much agony,

so much disorder. The free will of my ancestors brought me and my people from the Coney Islands. If they had not done that, they'd still be in the harsh cold mountains of Jakarta. I'd still be following all the rules in the monastery if I didn't have free will to just leave. There's no creativity or muses

or inspiration in a world like what you're. you're describing. I wouldn't be able to think of new music pieces. There would just be the same notes over and over and over. Forbidden chords, that kind of thing. Just because the tempo's too fast, it's right out? Yes. But better to stay in the middle. It is better to orderly. Look, perhaps the past two dream worlds I have dream worlds I have dream have not been convincing enough. But, Surely you could all agree in a world without crime. You see over there at that table, and she gestures. And there is a portly man eating oysters with this very small fork.

And he's surrounded by several smaller men, but they all seem to be very similar of kind of sunken in eyes and dark slit back hair. And they seem a little familiar to you. as you, as Sey Jester's over. Those are the highest ranking members of the Genovese family, most vicious crime family in all of Galatica. They had been planning a heist into a vault of one of the collectors of a black market trader.

But now they have abandoned such plans. There is no crime in this Galtica. They are simply a family. That's Giamvesi? Yes. There's about to be a crime. It's fucks and crazy? You know what?

A world without crime. Do you know how many that family has killed? For their own aims, their own greed. In this world we see as the tendils are kind of getting into the food as they eat. If they accidentally think anyone up. Yeah. Ew. Ew.

Damn one's been watching Edward penis hands. Ew. No. Don't turn on right now. Please, nobody. They're not penis fingers. It's a penis hand. Oh, of course.

How does that work? Not very well. You've seen it. Come on, watch it. Don't watch it. Don't watch it. Don't Google it. Don't even think about it.

Oh, no. But if you do happen to Google it, it's Edward penis hands. spaghetti but don't Google it but don't but if you happen to do I'm only telling you what it is so that you make sure you don't actually avoid it Edward Pina fans eat spaghetti you have to watch a clean scone I'm self-sad I know that you might think about it but now that you know what it is you can make sure your fingers don't type it tell a Nikki sent you pretty sure you're the only one driving sales on that

late, I do have cursed with knowledge. It's a memetic agent. You can't get it out of your brain. I say it and I feel that people don't believe me that this is a thing that exists. I don't know. It's awful. And there will be a link on the website. Just thought I have the name fully. It's a geovese. Yes. It's Edward. Not Giovesi. Oh, no.

Giovesi. Sorry. This can. Giovesi. Um, Givese. Look, I know that they're He's a dog I mean, a really awful family. They're not

They're infamous. They rule the underworld of Galtica with an iron fist of them. Without that friction, we don't improve, we don't grow. Everything just stays the same in a morass.

It's an arm's race that's meaningful, maybe it gives purpose. Well, those who have been victims of their heinous crime would disagree, but I would enjoy you, I would implore you to enjoy a world without crime. In a flash and a golden light, she

disappears. So, we need to steal. Yeah, that sounds like a good crime. Yes. What do you think? I mean, you guys want to do a heist? It's fucking There's all kinds of crazy shit we could get up to. Sure. Sure. We're going to steal?

Yes. Oh, that's so wrong. I would like to steal. Well, I wouldn't. Then I will steal twice as much. There's got to be some other way. I mean, us sailing and I'm drinking, maybe it's not orderly, but it's not wrong. What is drinking?

Drinking. Oh. Us drinking. Sure. versus the sailing, again, it's not ordinary. So who do I need to distract and who's going to do the stealing? Well, first we have to decide what we're going to steal. Well, you didn't seem to like those people over there eating.

Yeah, I was thinking I might go over there and try to pull the fabric off of the table real fast to see if I could get everything to... Have you ever seen that? I've always wanted to try that. Yes, but that's not stealing. No, but that would be it. I'm taking the fabric. Hmm. It's not valuable enough, I know.

Well, you know what we could do. We could steal their lives. That sounds like murder. Well, yes. Both of which are a crime. That seems intense. They're dream people. That's true.

And you look over, and as they're eating, they seem to be very sad about something. They all kind of are... You see that the dawn, the one finishes his last... We start and you can see a tear running down his cheek. They all seem to be in some kind of mourning. Can I go introduce myself? I don't see why not.

You seem to have history or at least know who they are. I mean... I mean, everyone's had a run in with the Giovesi gang. So would it really be so bad if you were just to, you know, do them in quick? No, especially if they're dream people. I mean, I could give them what for, just in honor of all the folks that they've screwed over over the years. over the years.

Well, if you want to go talk to him first, I don't really see the harm in it, but maybe you know, make your own decisions, I guess. Okay. Free will and all that. Yeah. I will be right back. If I give you the signal to come over,

it'll look like this. Okay. All right. And we should just walk right over. Yeah. All right. All right. I'll turn and I will cross the dancing floor

where I assume some people are slowly enjoying the jazz music. Yeah, you see that there's actually a few couples now. They're taken to the dance floor in this club and you realize now that the Giovese family has their own private section Or there aren't many tables around it's very quiet and intimate and you just step past these dancing couples Listening to you see that there is This This woman in a very tightly hugging dress and this beautiful slate-colored skin and this shocking skin and this shocking green and this shocking gray hair is you realize an earth of Janossi is playing on the piano.

And this is the most diverse of all of the places that you've been to so far, is that although the Gioveses are humans themselves, there's people of all races here in Galtica, the melting pot you know it to be. And you make your way towards the table as they are brought some cocktails and the trays of their finished food are brought away. Hi. Hi. My name is Capriciota Sesto. You can call me Caprice. I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm a musician. And you guys look a little sad. I'm wondering if maybe you want some ways to perk up a little bit and enjoy your meal a little bit more. I've been sent by the house. One of the younger, the two gentlemen on either side of the dog looks at you and says, Can we ask for a musician?

I, you know, I'm scanning them to see if they have any, like, valuables on their person while I'm also talking. They definitely have very large rings, and you can see that there is a pocket watch in the, in the, in the, going from the Dom's pocket pocket to the chain. I know you didn't ask for one, but I've been sent specifically to raise your spirits. Make your sweet-in-check. Man, I'm not rolling to grade 21. 21 is not great. He didn't have all the 7. And he starts to stand up as he starts to kind of shuffle out of the booth.

And he's starting to stand up and you realize he is not particularly tall. He's a human, but he's probably no more than 5'6 or 5'4. And he says, I don't think you heard me the first time. And then you hear the, you see the darn and put a hand on the shoulder and says, Now, Pesto, I was saying, let's hear what the boy asked to say. Here we go. Now, he's been waiting for this all night.

I've finished my oysters. I finish my clams. I have my favorite coming very soon. But I think I'm tired of this piano music. I think I'd like to hear what he has to say. I look familiar, boy. I don't think... I recognize you, but I don't recognize you. You know what I'm saying, do you?

No, but, all right. So what do you got? Where you... And he gestures over to the rest of you. Is this the rest of your band? Is this the rest of your band? We're gonna go on the zip up? I'm going to reach into my pack,

and I'm gonna slink behind Luffy, and I'm gonna put on a little black dress. Oh. And I'm gonna start spinning my tail around as I walk over to the singer and I'm going to use it to whip the microphone out of her hand. And I'm going to use my tail to hold the microphone and I'm just going to attempt to performance check and start singing like a smooth jazz tune in my soft alto voice. I'll at the same time walk up behind the piano player and do it.

Take a hike broad. I'm in a gruff voice. You just, make an intimidation check actually. Me? Intimidate? No, she's intimidating. You're making a performance check. Yes, so my performance is going to be really bad,

but I'm doing it anyway. It's a 17 for intimidation. You, uh, she looks at you, and despite being far taller than you are, she kind of, like, looks at you and sees that, there's a bit of animosity there, her being an Earth Genocide, and you being an Air Genossey, and she just, like, like, huffs at you

and realizes that the person who you can, with is talking to Don Giovesa. And so she just immediately stands up and walks away. And the music stops. And as Iris, you grab the magical artifice

or sound enhancement device. It looks similar to a microphone. Yeah, good. Oh, why did the music stop? Oh, no, it's very awkward now. And it's very quiet. And you see as

and as the shorter of the two brothers looks forward whose name is Pesto, you realize, says, okay, skinny boy, what are you going to do? Well, I have to understand a little bit more about what kind of move we're playing, too. My musician friends and I are seeing that you're such a privileged and special guests of this restaurant. What's bothering you? Maybe we can make some music about it. Make a persuasion, Chuck. At advantage because you ask the right question.

That's going to be a 29. God damn it, no- fucking nose, man. A 29. As Giovesi, he looks at you and he looks, he looks down, he seems sad.

Then the waiter comes over, and it's a large plate of a posse of some kind. Looks like a squid ink pasta maybe filled with seafood as they drop it down. And his two sons are also served. And he looks over and he says, Well, it's my daughter, my dear daughter, Mussolena. How dare you? She's thick, you see.

And the only known cure is in the vault of, these black market trainers and we're done with heists so she just has to she doesn't have long devil boy she doesn't have long

so I you ask the mood that I am in you ask the mood that I am in it is one of melancholy the melancholy that is so hard for you I am I am sure That, you know, I feel like that.

That's a really sad story. Here, let me, and I'm going to get down and let me just give you a little comfort and hug. It's a little comfort and hug to make sure that, you know, that you feel supported. I know that you can't pull off a great big heist anymore. I put his pocket watch in my bag. I know that that's really tough. This was going so well. It was going too well.

What do I make? What do I make? I'm robbing you I need a charger or my phone's right out Let's find out if a 17 is good enough He seems so overwhelmed With melancholy

But he doesn't notice as you grab it Meanwhile I'd like to know what the two Fine ladies at the PN And they scared away the entertainment And what you two gentlemen are doing I was waiting for the fucking I'm standing there awkward I don't know what to do with my hands

Right I'm in this fancy club I'm severely underdressed I don't understand what this music is. I am confusion and personified. And I'm with, I'm standing very close to tell it because I don't know what else to do. I have a, and I'm keeping my eye on

Caprice, like waiting for some sort of signal. Okay, okay. Got it. And where did you pull that out from? I don't know. I have a, for some reason, I have a dulcimer. She's been carrying a dulcimer around the whole time. So I'm going to, there we go.

I'll play on my... I'll play on my... Is that a drama? No, a hammered dulcimer is like a... It's like a... Well, if it's a hammer dulcimer, if it's the same thing, it's the same thing. I think I would go over like a hand. It's essentially a piano, but you have the hammers in your hand.

It's a stringed instrument. Yeah, dulcimer generally there are strings and you usually pick it like this. Okay. Oh, like a ziffer. A zeper. Well, no, like a dulcimer. You like peter in your lap. It's like a mountain dulcimer.

But a hammer dulcimer, you like, you basically use the... You have like the piano hammers in your hand. That makes sense. It's sort of like a piano string. Yeah, I've never seen a hamletal. Can you pass the computer? Can you pass the computer charger please? Could you pass the computer?

Kind of like a xylophone, but it's a string instrument, not a, not a, what do you call the? It is a variety of viscer. Okay, all right, I'll acquiesce. Suck it. I'll acquiesce. Do what she says. I'm going to pull that out of nowhere and start playing some strings. Google it, damn it.

We did, okay? You know what? I would say in this situation, because the dream world, you could attempt to apply what you know about your Dulcimor to the piano if you would like to attempt to play it. That sounds great.

I will put down my pink jazzy flute. No, my pink jazzy glasses. And I do have those. I'll pull them down and get real jazzy and try to play the... Make a... a performance check and add your proficiency

just in this situation. I can just use a performance check. That's not very good at all. 11, and then what's the coism? Oh, 11 plus 7. It's 18. Okay. Wait, is that right? No.

Is it? Plus 2. And you take the track. And you've seen pianos be played before. You've traveled. the world and you get a sense from your musical knowledge is you managed to get a very simple tune as Iris, you pick up the microphone and you're going to let out a cat-like way. I think I said, catar-wall.

Baby, it's like completely off-key and I'm like purring in there. I got a seven on my a perform. It is, but my hips are swaying from side to side. I occasionally swing the mic and as it comes back up to my mouth I let out a loud yelton and a yowt- You're feeling yourself baby I'm just it's awful it's absolutely awful you see as as the dog kind of looks back and says it's that you're part of your band not every seven keys I am way off do I feel like I've successfully taken you get the sense that he's distracted by his melancholy I was the I was saying I was waiting as he's whaling has distracted them so much as his two as as as you have Jesse and his sons.

I'm so proud of us. I guess this one they call it Skat. Ew. That's pretty funny. That's really good. Thanks. While he's leaning in to tell me this, I'm like very stone-faced, I just like go in my pack

and I like rip a piece of cloth and I rolled up, I put it in one ear, I roll it up, but I put it in the other ear. And I just like don't even hear what he said. Don, I'm not gonna lie to you. These aren't musician. Yeah. They're up there on stage right now because they kicked the people out who were playing the music.

They took what they wanted. And I'm going to pull out a fork and I'm going to start to twist the squid pasta in front of him. Let me tell you, I know you're very sad. We're not supposed to be doing the crime thing and the heist thing, but you know, you can just take what you want. Look, it's so easy. I took your pocket watch right off of you just now. And you see the larger, well, fucking played.

You see the larger brother, and he'll be able to put him to check. Get up. At advantage, because we're very distracting. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. At advantage. And he can see the other, hey, what the fuck are you doing?

And then, what did you get? A 30. And as the Don puts his hand on the larger son and says, Now calm down, pistachio. Her name's a statue? Oh, God. Testo.

It's just a really great name. You must be real hard enough to crack. Do you know how many fucking times I've read that joke? I swear to God, Patacio, calm down. What else are we going to have words later? As the dawn leans forward and he looks at the pocket watch and he takes it back and he says, you know what, devil boy? I am impressed.

I am very slightly amused On this day that I am feeling so much melancholy You have brought a tiny bit of joy To my very stone cold damn heart I guess it's my pleasure sure And you do raise a very valuable point Your terrible music I just give it a b'bibit bap

B'bibitabit B'biblii B'i B'i B'i I hope for free Siddharis out I just look at Tella and I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I am, you have my attention now as you eat my squid ink and clay and pasta. It's delicious. I can give as much as bad as I want. Would you like to sit and eat what else? Are you going to get to the fucking point that we're born?

I'm just saying that, uh, if you, uh, you, uh, you need to pull off a heist in order to, uh, get your, uh, daughter the medicine she needs. Go right now. Do it. Just, just, you got pesto, you got pistachio. I mean, well, let's make a, let's make a pasta. As he leans into each of his songs and whispers, and then he leans forward, when you're going to provide assistance with you and the rest of your not band, to help us engage in such a to procure the medicine from my dear Donna Moffilana

so that she may live to enjoy another winter holiday season. Absolutely. It'll be our pleasure. I approach, as soon as I see the signal, I'm very, like, hastily walk over. To end the song, I swing the mic around with my face, and I go, I stop playing.

The entire restaurant is silent. Except the Don nudges Pesto and pistachio, and they all start clapping, and then everyone else starts clapping excitedly. And then as you leave and walk, are you coming over to you? The Earthkenazi, come on, Tocci and cram around the waist.

The Urfjani just steps over and glares at Ulufti, and she sits back down and starts playing a very basic tune. As you all approach the Darn's Tamp. Well, Don, we can pull this heist off. I mean, between your muscle and our smarts, I mean, they're not going to know what hit them. We'll take this out from out underneath their noses as easily as I could take this sheet out from underneath your plates without moving anything in one motion. What? What?

What? What? Oh, I'm sorry, Caprice. I missed some of that. What were you saying? Don't worry about it. We call him Def House. What is it that you do?

I mean, I see that you're the muscle very clearly. What is it that I do? I have muscles. Well, but... Yeah, what is it, then you do? If I understand correctly, you're just trying to get something from somewhere that is, what, heavily guarded, or behind some doors or in a vault? Of some black market traders.

They secured this by ill-begotten means, but because crime is illegal, I can't do it. Do you know what... The Tragedy this is? Do you know where the vault is? Of course I know where the vault is. Do you know what the inside of it looks like? Yes, of course I do. If you could draw me the way it looks, I can get it for you.

Are you being very serious to me right now? Are you some sort of magician? Are you going to snap your fingers and provide me? The magic, are you going to expect me to believe on that? Yes, sort of. Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to do. Give me a cocktail napkin, that's dumb, please. He gets it, he pulls out of.

And just, you know, the more detail that you can give me, the more successful that this will be and the less likely that I'll fall apart. He sketches out sometimes as he looks at the rest of you. Besides the piano and singing, what is it that you do as part of this heist operation? Well, it should be very clear, obviously, the catmiddler. I mean, that does. I believe it. That tracks. That tracks very much. Miss Linna. You don't do that.

The cat burglar, okay. Yep. Okay, you got the full crew here, devil boy. How about you? I'm afraid of bats. I never met a band I liked very much. So I guess I agree with you there. I did once.

But honest, I think they're my favorite animal. They're very cute. Okay, you, little one. What's your deal? You know, I do a little of this, a little of that. What exactly would you like me to take it good? Okay, I'm already so... See, I'm not to rule anything.

You see, this is exactly what she does. There are guards that we need to distract? Meet. Lufty, I don't have a new name for her. Well, I mean, Lifty, why don't you come here and sit with me? Pest, get the fuck out of you. Okay, Pop. Yeah, I'll testify.

Okay, Pop, as he shuffles off. Okay. You know what? I am immune. I'm am amused. I was not expecting to do this because crime is explicitly forbidden. I gave up those ways. The tendrils are kind of folding into his jowls, his chin rolls. As he hands you the cocktail napkin with very poorly drawn. You can definitely see like there's some sort of slight penis-looking shape on there, as if I had drawn it. Yay!

All right, well, Caprice, all I've got to do is get me within like, you know, 500 feet of this thing. Eh, it's as good as ours. Oh. What building is it? What district? Make one final persuading check in advantage. Advantage style. I like advantage style.

That's going to be a 31. Woo! A 31. He looks at you and all of you. at you and all of you or he looks to Pesto and pistachione and he says, you know what, I believe that you can provide this for me. You know what? I've been feeling a lot of things that I want to do. And I felt a lot of conflict lately. But this one thing I want to do right now, and I want to steal. And suddenly, reality shatters as you do. As soon as I start to feel it, I'm going

try and quickly grab the sheet of five minutes. Make a dexterity check. Will you do it? A two. You find out of something that is fixed. As reality shatters. With it flies everywhere and chaos erupts. I can do it, I swear.

As the heist begins, but reality is. Reality shatters. And you are now back at the very end of this hall of history. Fuck. Oh, my God. Honestly, I felt like you were very close. I was close to going outside and getting a breath of fresh Galtican air. I didn't get my breath.

But can we talk about Lufty? Did you hear us? We were spectacular. Me. It all you. You were so good. You were so good. You were so good.

No, you. Believe it, you kept up with everything. I dragged me hard. I could hear it. But there were some notes where it was like only dogs could hear what you were singing. So I got lost. I've been lost. I've been practicing it since I was a girl.

Nobody say anything. Oh, so great. What did you think? Don't. Toa, tell me, honestly, what did you think? You loved it, yeah? Yes. It was great.

I've always wanted to be a performer. It was very good. Yes. Oh, thank you, too. Oh, we're on it. All right. Oh, you ought to be in the band? I would be...

Well, what are you capable of doing? We could do like a tryout, maybe. Yes, but... Well, we're not current... Just don't get your hopes up. We're not currently having auditions, but... Well, uh... You're a friend, so...

And I know you can sing, so... Yeah, I can sing. A backup singer is a possibility, I can reach into my pack for something that isn't fair, and I... Oh, there it is. I pull out baby rattle. I can also do this. Well, it's a bit considerate.

I feel like it could jive with what we're doing. Uh-huh. Felix, what did you think? Oh, um, uh, well, truthfully, uh... My tail is whipping back and forth happily. I only caught the beginning. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. It was unbelievable.

We are very passionate musicians. You're a wonderful French. I can tell how passionate both of you are. Any time, you want a bedtime song, just a lullaby? I would be honored. I will absolutely... You don't even have to ask. No, I will let you know.

Every night. All right, I will let you know. That is wonderful. Well, we should continue, and I'm starting to enjoy this. I'm going to find out. I do see why Hisoki is... Pullness to her. God, it was so good to be back in Galctica.

But don't worry, we can go visit. We'll figure this all out. I hope so. It made me very homesick. Me too. Me too. Yes, well, let's just continue then. All right, on the go.

This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt march. You can also go to The Crooked Moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement,

The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tone for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition. And don't forget to snag all of the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. You all are at the edge of the, you see the stairs once again going downwards into the, you see those beautiful murals

of all around you, of the brilliant shades of gold and jade and red, as they paint beautiful pictures, of Rajani, the eternal blossom, going all around the world. You see a scene from Karkinos, from Yonam, a MOOC, all of the native people with tendrils from their chin, in peaceful submission as the beautiful blossoms of golden petals drift on the wind,

as you see the dream of Rajani. as make your way deeper. The next room that you enter, we're having getting darker and cozier in that library room. Now you have to almost cover your eyes is the brilliant shimmering light from within the next chamber,

dazzling with all colors. Every single color of the rainbow and more as you enter, and you see that it is a whole room full of these beautiful crystalline shapes of all different shapes and sizes that are all fastened to the wall and then many is floating in the air around you and as you look around you see that there's lights that are humming emanating from within and as you look closely at them you see that there's strange arcane symbols that are kind of pulsing and uh pearsing and uh pearses and disappearing. And Phelis, I need you to make an Arkanah check at advantage, given the...

Give in the... Give in the... What's fucking you go. I'm on... I am just rolling... It's this die. Like hot fire. I do two on this one and one on that one tonight. Yeah, both of these. I'm just fucking... So I keep using them.

Uh, you said, Arcana, it's gonna be a 29. I would say with that role, you step in and you're familiar. with how many humanoids have kept track of magical secrets, usually on scrolls, written down in books and tones. But you now remember something that you had read deep within the libraries of Zentra, of how the books are a relatively recent invention to the dragon race, the violent spaces, and how the magical secrets that they keep are artifacts and crystals. You look around in the wealth of all of the magic in the world.

It surrounds you. As you see all manner of spells of schools you recognize, and some arcane ruins of spells you might even know and you get the sense of, but you could spend a lifetime in here. Untapping secrets that even Virgil Zern would blush. would blush to think of. As you see that even farther up, you get a sense of magics,

even forbidden from anything that you would have ever been taught. As you enter this brilliantly shimmering, ruling of magical crystals that swirl all around you in Rajani's private collection. I relay this to everyone, and I'm sweating profusely while I, Why don't I say this? I mean, books aside, this is everything.

I mean, we could just unlock the world. So what do you do with it? Do you like smash them on the ground and the magic comes out? No, no, no, no, no, no. You, I don't know, Mike didn't tell me he was going to throw this at me. Make it up. You have the ability to almost weed them, but you have to know how. And I mean, even that in and of itself

It's just an art that isn't really known to many people It's like a book, but it's sturdier I mean, books disintegrate, they fall apart But like a crystal is mirrors Well, let's stop playing her stupid games Just find a crystal we need and we'll beat her, easy-picy Could one help Caprice? It feels like a get-out-of-deal-free card

I guarantee you That some of the crystals in this room could reshape our universe. I mean, time and matter and everything, everything would be at my will. I could do anything. I could do anything at all. If nothing else, if nothing else happens, I'm coming back to this room. I don't care if the whole thing's coming down.

I don't care if, as long as we get everybody out of here, here. I'm coming back here and I'm grabbing as many of these crystals as I can. So the plan is, uh, go save Virgil, deal with Golden Lotus, get the, the glades and then the chaos rod and whatnot, come back here, solve the universe, free me, get your brother back, uh, and then we're done, we're dusted. That's good. Do you remember when I told you that you can't change the past? I do remember that. I'm not so sure that's even true.

Oh, yeah? I'm just saying, don't let your imagination limit you to what could possibly be in this room. I could go back and kick my great, great, great, great granddad and the nuts for everything he's put me and my family through. I'm just saying, don't rule it out. It's four greats. Don't rule it out.

I won't. I'm excited. I would take them now if I didn't think it would just ruin everything. No, we should keep going. I know, I know. I know. You're making progress. Let's go.

Come on. You're doing really good. Yeah, you feel like you have to pull me along. If it makes you feel better, if this is like unknown booze from across the land, I probably would have already taken it. Right. Right. So good for you, little buddy.

You're little buddy. You're my little buddy. Mm-hmm. I swear to gods, if we find out that we could have just touched all of this stuff and fucked around, I mean, we're relying on the word of Azaki for the... Don't remind me. I don't think that guy could lie even if you really wanted to. That's true.

That's actually a better argument in the other direction. Let's continue. Good job, Doa. You get a gold star. I don't look for. You continue. You see, and it's difficult to not have your gaze drawn towards the crystals high in the ceiling, and you get the sense of what it would look like for a colossal golden dragon to just soar through the dancing, shimmering, magical crystals that she could potentially tap into if she cared to.

As you see that there's, and Felix, and your eyes are drawn upwards, and you see, and you're, and Felix, and your eyes are drawn upwards, and You see magics with glimpses of ruins, transporting to other planes, or even bringing back the dead and even reshaping, reshaping and using the power of your pure will to reshape a mantras. As you step forward towards about halfway through this room, and you are once again consumed in golden light,

and your consciousness leaves you once more. You hear the rain before you feel it. The gloom is far more familiar than anything else you've experienced. This is neckbed. As you hear the roiling storm clouds over you, as the wind howls and the rain almost goes nearly sideways,

as it pelts you, as you struggle, to, as you struggle to stay warm and wet, as you're nearly soaked and chilled to the bone almost instantly, as this dream world forms around you. You see fires dotting the landscape, as you see the rolling hills, what's unmistakably Corvacchia, and not, certainly not neckpin.

As you look out over the river Carlisle. As you look out over the river Carlisle. You see the camps and makeship fortifications of the Korovacian military. Those familiar banners that had plagued your worries and thoughts and fears so long ago, now seeming so far away, as you see up ahead another front. You had been through the front on the Eerieos side. You'd been through the front on the ground side, but you see the spire-like mountaintops,

the dense, dense, dark forests, and all-consuming, threatening mist looming over you. And off in the distance, it almost looks like the dark stone of castles rising up in the distance as the lightning crashes and illuminates them. As you see architecture that is certainly not of the humans of Corvaccia, as just across a very small river, is unmistakably Skethronil, the land of the dusk elves, the Shadarkai,

mysterious even to you, Felix. As you see two Korovaki in general, in a discussion. Humans once more, through their coarse, well-trimmed facial hair, fleshy tendrils going down to their chest

as they are having a measured conversation and there's a grimness to their face. And look around and despite their being a front, you look across and you finally see the

encampments of certainly dusk elves on the other side of that river and despite two armies on either side of the river a field of right for battle

there are no bodies there are no remnants of war or bloodshed just a group of men and a group of elves and with a crash of thunder You see it illuminate the white fur and black stripes, Golden Lotus. As she emerges,

I trust you enjoyed your time in Galctica. Was it not pleasant? You could have picked any place in Galctica, and you had to pick that jazz club. There's so many nicer spots. If we ever have an opportunity to go, I can show you. There's much, much more to offer at Galctica than... continue.

Do you feel now the desire to return there? I feel it every day. And I've made the right choice. And now here, a world without raucous revelry, a world without recuse, compass, about a brutal competition, a world without crime. Perhaps now, you will see my size.

of the story in a world without war. Do you see we are at the sight of what should be a brutal bloodthirsty battle but yet there's no clashing of forces. War is over. There have been sacrifices made. Men will die this night but what is 20 to 40 men? of hundreds, thousands, as she looks at the sheer number of forces on this front. The human has been captured to be sacrificed to dark powers, as Shadar Khai are known to do in this land. But imagine the forces required to rescue her. Imagine the sacrifices that must be made. Far greater number of men and elves. would be to die to save those men. But yet these generals they wait and they do

nothing for the greater good and those men awaiting the execution do not know it. But they have made a noble sacrifice. For what is 20 or 40 in the scope of thousands you must see now what good is a world without war would be do not see my brilliant dream what I have spent my life thriving towards it." She has a point, Felix. I didn't want to be the first to say it, but I hate that she's making sense. And if the captain were here, he'd throttle me for even suggesting it.

I know it needs to be done, but I don't like that I'm tempted and kind of agreeing with her. This is the first time I think I've agreed. War is terrible. You don't have to tell me. But about sacrificing people against DeVille? That's terrible too. Of course it is. It's better than thousands of people, Dar.

But is that not what war is? If they go freely to it? Who's free to go to war? They're not the ones who started it, but the ones that are to pay for it. War is nothing but sacrifice. on both sides. You see my dream in this dream of mine

and yours in a flash of golden light. She's gone. I'm going to be quite honest with you and say I don't want to start a call. Absolutely not. I don't want to convince them to bite each other. I'm with you. No way.

We can't do that. I don't care if it's a dream. So why couldn't the test I refuse to do be in the McLenniala? Why does it have to be in this dreary, horrible place? Who would live here? I ask myself that every day. It's just tremendous. Why do you think we drink so much in Kirchstein?

I'm starting to understand you a little more. We, look, even if it isn't real, how can we advocate for war? Because it might save those people that are about to be sacrificed. Well, they're all dreamed people, so... Right, but that's how we can justify it, is that if we go to war and we implore these generals to fight, maybe they can save those 40 million. Well, to be fair, I'm not really a fan of stealing or murdering people, and I was willing to convince what was his name? Don Giovese?

Yes, him. That it was all right to do little things. So, oh, for the sake of the fact that it was a dream. What makes this any different, really? I told Lufty to punch an innocent man in the face. And I did it. And she proceeded to straddle another and tie his flesy tendrils in a knot. She tugged on Toa's front tail, and Caprice made a human tornado.

Human force it. The only reason that this is different. doesn't have anything to do with the dream itself. I know that this isn't real, but there is war in the real world, and it happens every day in Koravakia. And we'd be basically saying that it's okay that that just happens every day.

Well, is that what we were saying when we were promoting thithery or murder? No. We just simply knew that we had to do it to get out of the tree. Don't just see that. we've gone from spectrum to spectrum. On my side, when we were there, it was the lighthearted,

it was the great joy and drinking and fun and partying, and now we've gone to the other side of it. Remember that we, you can't have one without the other. She's not wrong. The war, I don't abide by to buy, and if this were the real world and not a dream, I would not be trying to get groups of people to go into a war together.

But without joy, without sadness, there can be no joy. Without life, there can be no day. It is all a balance. And in this dream, if this is what we have to do to get out of it, then we must do it. And I bet if you talk to both sides of these people, they're both angry and they both have complaints and they have no way to resolve it.

So killing each other is the way to resolve it, Lutti? No, but I mean, what are they going to just run? With all that pent up aggression in them? It'll kill you. Okay. Die anyway. Heart attacks. All right.

Stress. It's a killer. Let me start by just talking. You said they were generals. Yeah. Let me, let me handle this. Just give me a minute. I'm going to go talk to them.

Real quick. Do you know what a Shadar, the dust gulf looks like? Yeah, yeah, of course. Do I know what a Shadar guy looks like? I would say, why don't you make a, who-hoo, who, what would that be? What would that be? History. History chapter.

It took the words out of my mouth, a history chart. Yeah, I'm gonna go with a 22 on that guy. Yes, you would know that these are, the Shadow Kai are colloquially known as Dusk Elves, are elves with a connection to the Shadowfell. Predominantly, you would know that most of them come from Stricka, and that they are elves with a slight violet hue to their skin.

Okay. definitely a lot more dour and mysterious than the classic wood elves or hiles that you're used to, and far rarer. But you may have met one in your travels, especially in the seedier underbellies, of ones that had left the drearingness that is this. And you honestly seeing this now, and what you know about Galtica, you wouldn't blame them for an instant. Okay. You know, if you aren't making good headway with the general, I've got an idea. It's a terrible idea, but it will work. So just to give me like a, or something, and we'll be all on we're on our way.

All right. I guess I'll trust you. I guess so. And then I'm going to proceed to walk towards where the generals are standing. And you see that one of the generals is actually turning to leave, and it's a bit of a middle-aged man with a full beard. stepping away and that the general that's left is a female general seems to be in her 40s with shoulder length, a little bit past that blonde hair, and these striking green eyes. And she turns to you as almost expecting a salute as you approach. As soon as I see that she's noticed me, I'll snap to attention and give her a salute and say,

I'm sorry, General, please pardon my intrusion. My name is Felix Ackerman. I'm a private with the Talongard, and I flash my dagger. That's at my hip. Please, pardon my appearance. I've been undercover, and it's a very long story, but do you mind filling me in on what's going on here? She looks at you. Make it persuasion to get advantage, I would say,

just for this whole situation. Uh-oh. My first bad rolls of the night, I was due. I was due. I'm going to sub in one here. Come on, baby. better. Persuasion is 18. Thank you so much for the twist, Chad. She looks at you and she nods at you at ease. As she looks at your dagger when there's a, she's very stoic in her

appearance, but does seem to flash a bit of surprise. And she says, Telenguard here, all the way out here on this, on the front lines. Felix Ackerman, what have you come here for? Well, I noticed that there was some sort of, I received some intel, that there was a group of hours that have been captured behind enemy lines. Yes, you're right. To the tune, 40 men captured by the duskals. There's nothing we can do.

There's a ceasefire. and there is no more war in these lands. None. We can do nothing to save them. It will be sacrificed to the dark powers that these Shadarkai kneel to. Well, I appreciate the update. That was the first reason that I was here.

But I was hoping that someone with expertise such as myself from the Talangard might be able to help. She turns to you and her tendrils are down past her trust. as she looks and surveys you and doesn't seem to know to look all these people don't, that your chins are completely bare. And she says, what hope is there, Felix Eckerman?

If there is no war, we cannot save them. What do you suggest I do? Well, to start, this is exactly what the Talen Guard is trained for. This is the kind of impossible stuff. that we have to deal with. And me and my, I look over my shoulder, highly trained unit are here to help.

Before this, I would have wanted to have tried to sneak around the camp to see if I can get close to the generals or something along those lines. If there's any way to... Stelchuk. There are a number of tents and structures, temporary structures built up. Give me some 25 on that, stuff. You should be able to sneak your way and whatever way you wish. I'm getting closer to the conversation.

Perhaps within eagerness distance. Roger that. Me and my highly trained unit are here specifically for this purpose. Again, like I said, I didn't know much coming in, but that's why I'm here talking to you right now. And I know, as I was trained, that we don't leave people behind. She surveys you. I appreciate the men and women of the dagger and everything that you do.

But regardless of whether or not you do it stealthily, Saving those 40 men and women is an act of war, and a battle will wage if you go in and save them. What would you have me do? Would you ignite a war to save 40? Would you do that for those lives? Or do you not think that their sacrifice is worth the thousands that could die in the resulting battle, whether you save them or not? with all due respect, General,

if you ask the men and women of this army what they wanted to do, they wouldn't leave their brothers and sisters on the other side, and that if they had the choice, they would fight for them. Corsuasion check in advantage. I like that.

Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Tend it will show. About 17. 17. Not bad. This is a problem I'm like. Mmm. Mmm.

Mm. Mm. Mm. She narrows her eyes and she thinks as she strokes her tendrils. It's pretty disgusting. Thank you for really just driving that in. You know, I know I say that I don't like body whore. I've been using it a lot.

Yeah. I really feel like I can't. I know. I've been trying shit up, man. Oh, and just so you know, it's disgusting. It's disgusting. She actually would be maybe like kind of attractive to Felix if it wasn't for the horrible. It really just does.

Turns me off. It really is disgusting. Fair enough. And she, she looks at all of you and says, and she doesn't almost seem to register that they're all non-humans. She just seems to accept that the rest of you are. All Talang Guard. As She then looks at you and looks to all of you and says, you and all of you, soldiers of the Talib Guard,

would you yourselves sacrifice these hundreds or thousands of men and women for the authority awaiting their execution? And would you be the ones to start and ignite a battle when a ceasefire and peace has finally come over these dark lands? Would you be willing to go forth with your life with that burden on you. I won't answer for anyone else because again, this is about making a choice. Each individual has to make a choice and my choice would be to save my brothers and sisters. That would be my choice, too. Peace for some is not peace. That's deep, lufti. I don't have anything to head to that.

Thanks, though. She, as she looks at all of you and just nods slowly, she then turns to you, make a persuasion check in advantage. One more time. Oh, God, you're really pushing it here, Mike. That is not my twist. That is not my strong season. One more time. I'm taking these two. Go ahead.

Another 18. It's meant to be. Another 18. She thinks for a moment and she looks over at the encampant far on the other side of the ridge. And it's insane

how across the river the landscape changes to such a brutal, unhospitable place to your estimation. And she, you can tell that she's weighing the lives of the men and women awaiting their dark sacrifice, their execution. And she turns to you and says, very well, if you wish to make the call to ignite war and sacrifice thousands for the sake of 40. I will let you raise your dagger and make the call. As a member of the Talongard's special forces, you have rank here. You make the call, Felix Akron.

Well, this won't be the first time that I've had. Blot on my hands and it certainly won't be the last, so. I'm making the call, General. You tell them, not me. Then I would turn to, I would assume it's not the entire army, right? There would probably be some officers. You realize there were two lieutenants and commanders there as well, and they're all waiting orders, they're all looking towards you.

All right. Thank you, General. I'll turn to the officers and I'll say, there are men and women who've been captured. We are not going to stand idly by. While they're sacrificed in some senseless ritual, I know what I would like to do as an individual. I'd like to save those people. And as I stayed with the general, I believe that if you asked any man or woman here in these camps, they would say the same thing.

That they would lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters. So with that, we must do what we must do. And ride into war as soon as we can. That is my order. or rather, the lieutenants, with commanding the other officers, simply nod. And there's a series of blasts of a trumpet, and you know that means war.

As immediately, your dagger, despite only being a private, out here with just infantry, that means something. That's from the heart of Zentra. These people may not have seen for months, if not years. as they immediately mobilize, ready to fight and die for their comrades,

as they begin to form ranks and march towards that small river. And you see now, you hear the loud screech of a bird overhead as the lightning crashes and illuminates a lone circle and vulture overhead, as it flies in the other direction,

and you hear the horns of the Shadar Khai, the dusk elves blow as they begin to form ranks as well, as the fires roar. And they form ranks and begin to march as war ignites once again in Striga. And suddenly reality shatters. And you are ripped out of that gloomy night. And you return. on the other side oh dear god

so i'm gonna be sick you did it was just a dream you did it you did what you had to do you did a great job i need a minute i was ready to jump in there but you handled it by yourself no problem no no no oh phoenix

it's okay none of those people were real they're just dream people that's right just dream people no one was really in danger but you did the right thing. Those dream people might dream survive. When we stop Golden Lotus, we have to do what we can to actually bring peace to these lands. These people are going to be fighting forever. And I don't know how to stop it. Maybe that's not your place to stop it. It's their choice. Just like it's my choice to go out

and get drunk all the time. It's their choice to keep fighting. Or maybe the chain garb becoming unchained. Like Arras said, maybe that will be a uniting force. Oh yeah, or maybe that. All the people of Shriga, maybe. There you go. People need to work together so that this being doesn't come and destroy everything. I hope you're right. It'll be okay. We're doing what we can. All right. You should continue. Yeah. You do that. You leave the rows of beautiful crystals behind you. As the arcane knowledge of lost, of untold amounts and ancientness and the erudite secrets,

you muster up the will to leave behind. As you continue downward, once again, the murals showcasing the glory, the beautiful utopian world of Rajani, the eternal blossom. You continue down the stairs, the murals of the utopian worlds of Rajani, the eternal blossom around you.

And you see the people in these murals, the subjugated masses, but there's a piece to them. And you've seen the results of that piece in these various dreams, now realizing very plainly that each of these dreams are reflections of each of you. The tone, the atmosphere, how she has seen into each of your souls, you now realize how she had so easily becomes such a critical part of the dancing blade clan of those orcs. with that knowledge that she has. As you descend through an archway, as the light that's on the other side is so blinding, you realize that this is in the light of crystals,

the light of magic. It's the light of morning, of dawn, as you feel the air on your skin. As you step into a beautiful glade, not that different from the glade of the golden lotus at Mogherkai, but it's beauty enhanced. You see the draping willows, the blooming golden blossoms that drift from the wind and fall down into a beautiful pool. You see brilliantly scale the fish leaping out and jumping back in. You see a crane raise up from drinking some water and then fly away as it sees you.

As you enter this beautiful space that I hadn't seen out in the mountains, yet it's here. And as soon as you step into the space, there is no opportunity to move forward as reality breaks. and you are all ripped into again another dream world is dreamt by your time. I bet I can guess on what we're going to. Yeah.

What? Back to Galta. Exactly right. The brilliant sun rising from the east now has shifted sweltering above you, beating down

as you feel the arid heat of the desert. It's a dry heat. That's a dry heat for those who don't know what errant means. Because it's not the humidity. That's not the heat that I'll guess. It's not the humidity. It's a humidity.

So erid means dry heat. It's what you're saying. It's the dry heat. Sorry, Mike. Taste the meat, not the heat. Oh, as. Can we get all this fucking nice. As you see, sorry.

As you see the heat. the rolling deserts, but a large river snaking through the landscape with great something as large reeds rise from the banks and brilliant grass and trees all rise around, and there's a verdant landscape in farmlands all around this river with desert just not too far beyond. But in modest village that stretches before you, you see a number of, a large number of villagers going about their day. As you see boats sailing down the river, large sails, but not in the same square or not in the same shape as what you had raced on in Toa's dream world. of a clearly necbesian design.

As you see now all of the villages around, you've been so used to predominantly humans, you now all see Tabaxis. They're fur of all variety of colors, but they go about their day, carrying large jugs of water from the banks of the river, going about to tend to the various fields.

As you then see as a large cart is brought in to town drawn by camels. These large, very sturdy, heavyset camels as they grunt and they spit as they roll forward and a very plump cat

sits in the carriage and looks out at all of the villagers and peasants going about their business. And as you all take in the scene, you see another tabaxi, but unlike any of the ones that you see in this village, it's the familiar white tiger form of Golden Lotus. She looks at all of you. So do you not see the benefits of a world without war? Do you not see what was the horror and bloodshed that was avoided in striga in your time there? Iris.

What the fuck is wrong with the horses and neckband? I see the valley of a world without war. But how could you sacrifice individuals? They have no chance. But what is the good of an individual when the greater good of the masses is far more widespread? What is one life? I've said this before. Can see that you have doubt in your minds.

You have doubt. I can see it. I can sense it. I do have doubt, Felix. You know that I am right. I don't have doubt. And now you see here. And she extends her hand as the cart is rolled into this village.

As the heavy set to Baxi gentlemen steps out and you see a number of guards armored and, armored and with these large curved spears, they then go from door to door knocking, demanding taxes, demanding their tribute to the royal family, to the crown, to the nation of Sakat. Golden Lotus turns and says, A rule without war,

It's also a world without rebellion. You see, there could be strife here in this village. This, in particular, has had a rough harvest, not enough to make ends meet for themselves, not enough to pay what they owe to the Pharaoh. And you see that if there is enough strife and discontent, there could be whispers of uprisings and rebellions. And you see, when the taxman cometh, there could be whispers of bloodshed of cutthroats.

But here, in a world without strife, without conflict, without uprisings, they will give all that they have, even if they will surely starve, if it means preventing conflict. conflict and therefore the royals and the nobles can rest easy and you not have to fret and the order of the world as it has been built remains and you see that there are emaciated tabaxi coming from their homes with tendrils hang from their chins and you see as they pull out their coffers and will moth fly out almost comically, as they pour in the last bits of coin. And when it's not enough, they grab one by the scruff, and they start bringing out their food stores to give to the taxman and his guards. And she turns to all of you and says,

This would normally be a hotbed for rebellion, but in a perfect world, in my utopia, there is no conflict. They stay quiet for the greater good, and order is maintained, peace is maintained, and surely it is not worth the strife, an unpleasantness of conflict. and then a flash of the hot desert sun she's gone. How can she say that? They're starving. This is not a positive outcome. They're all going to die anyway. Look, I can excuse war, but taxation is where I absolutely draw the line.

Taxes are bullshit. Tell us how you really feel, yeah. I'm kidding. I don't excuse war either. I take all of that back. I don't know, Luffy, these people look like they're in pretty rough shape. This can't be the norm. Don't you talk to Daddy? Tell him to back off.

This is not a product of mine. This is a horrible dream scenario. The father loves... He loves the people of Siket. You shouldn't force them to starve like this. He doesn't text the people? Well, of course he taxes the people. He has to, but not like this.

But maybe you can tell the tax people to go away. Well, yes. Excuse me, tax person. Hello. Hello, tax person, knocking on the door. You see the cat look at you, and he has this bright orange fur as he looks at you, and he steps forward and says, yes, you have a problem with any of this? My name is Iris of the Sands. I'm the daughter of the Pharaoh of Siket. I would like you to stop taxing these people, taxman, please.

Just shoo. Shoo. There are roads, travel on them. Shoo. Away, please. As in the daughter of the Pharaoh. That is what the daughter of the pharaoh tends to mean, yes. Yeah, Iris.

Ishtar? Of the sands. of the Sands family. Make up persuasion track. Twenty-three. You have to realize here, we're just providing the taxes to the Pharaoh.

We're giving him what he's due. We skim a little off the top for ourselves. That's between us and these foreign folk here. Well, you've just told me, so now that's between you and the Pharaoh. That would not

look good for you, would it? For his daughter to tell him that you've been stealing from the people of Siquet. Ooh, look at you in those clothes. They look lovely, not quite as lovely as mine, daughter of the Pharaoh, after all,

obviously. But you're looking good for your stature. I do all right. Those clothes wouldn't look nice, moth-eaten and dirty when you're thrown in a cell. I'm like pumping my muscles and like backing her up with your head on a pike. Oh, for treachery.

Make an intimidation check. Well, I personally intimidated. Can I use something? Yes, you may. Yes, that's why they're going to use a twist. Oh no. Wait, did you do it an advantage? What?

The degree is that I re-rolled. You said intimidation. I'm very intimidating. with a 12. Oh, that's not bad. He looks at you and says, you know, love, lots of people tell me their nobles.

A 14. Or royalty. But like I said, it's between us and all of my muscle and these fine folks. And you know what they're doing? They're being good little peasants

and giving me what I am owed and I'll give what your daddy, whether or not he is your daddy, what he's owed, and everything else in between us. Would you like to kill him because I would like to kill him? Yeah. It's between me, me lads, and them. And he points at all of the peasants that are looking very emaciated. That's why I'm the tax cat.

I am going to slam my staff down on the ground. Why not? Well, it's about to be between the two of us as I pull up my storm of insects just around the two of us. And in a booming voice using thaumaturgy, I am going to yell out, the daughter of the pharaoh, a priestess of anubis, demands that you kneel. I'm so hard right now. Make an intimidation check at an advantage, please. I hate this guy. I'll hate him, and I want to kill him.

You said intimidation. At advantage, correct? 25. Nice. 25. As soon as you do that, you slam your staff down and you hear all of you be buzzing of insects

as it's not cicadas. It is a horrible storm of a locust. Or not locust, of scarops. As they burst out of the scarop-headed staff and they swarm around the tax man, his cart, his camels, and all of his guards. and they all look terrified.

Well, I want to separate him from everyone else. And then I want to whisper, are you feeling lucky without your backup? And as it swarms around just the two of you, the rest of you outside, see all of the peasants start to come out of their homes and see Iris stand up to the tax cap. As he then is looking at you,

eyes filled with fear, cowering. As he falls to the ground, I didn't realize I am sorry. I will never skin off the top again. As he is groveling, cowering, sniveling and pleading, not expecting, as all of the people come out of their homes. And you realize, as the guard, despite being heavily armed, realized there's far more of them as they are of them.

They're far more of these farmers and people in the village, as they, as they're as they're guards as they begin to start moving forward towards this camel drawn cart, towards the swarm of scarabs, towards the tax cap, as they all draw curved swords, sickles, some with just

daggers, as they start to move towards them. And he looks at you and says, please, please, I beg you, mercy. I'm going to look down at him. Give them back their gold. And he says, he looks at you.

Eyes filled with absolute fear. And I think you should skim some off of your top. Provide them extra. And he looks, and he says, out of anything, and the people are way ahead of you. They are inspired by this, to back. who's standing up to the tax cat as they have been handing out signs similar like protest signs like you know the no taxes no I'm a tabaxi not a taxi you do that

and suddenly the the wagon is torn apart by the the peasants they descend upon them and the bags are torn apart he is then dragged away screaming as people come in to grab him out of the swarm of insects. And he says, no, I swear, I swear. And despite being just high and mighty so long ago, he is reduced to cowardly tears as people rise up and they cheer the name of Iris of the Sands and suddenly, reality cracks. as you are suddenly returned to the chaos of that rebellion. That is absolutely horrible.

My father would never. He wouldn't, right? I don't know. I mean, to be fair, I guess I don't truly know. I know him. All you can do is learn about it. And it didn't sound to me lets out with your father. He was stealing off the top.

It takes money to make a society go, but it has to have to be a little bit. be fair. A little off the top for a pathetic, worthless piece of waste of space. Like, that is not enough of the strife that those people were suffering. I will get to the bottom of this. I will know. Is that really what horses look like in neckbet? Because that was really fucked up. They are neckbession horses. All right. They're fine, just like... Yes.

That's how you can tell when they're pregnant. Do they have one hump or two? Twins! Joy! They were in a yard. They had one hump that you could see. All right. Perhaps maybe once this is all done, you could talk to your father about his taxation policy

and maybe convince him to make some changes if it really is the case. I've never heard to double check. Well, one thing at a time, yes. Right. Anyone else absolutely hate that? Oh, my voice again. Sorry. I didn't.

I'm sorry, but what I'm saying? Are you all? Are you feeling all right? He was kind of a jerk. I think you're sobering up. Have more wine. I know. Is that your real voice?

I don't even. No. It's canon now, though, when you're sobering sounds like. You look out, and there is no weird. You see as you're on, you're in this beautiful glade, but it looks off, as it drops off into what looks like a cliff, as you stare off into the dawn coming from the east. But what you see stretching before you is not Striga,

it's not grand. You see tall, thin mountains covered in beautiful green, sprawling fields, farmlands, beautiful mountains, snow capped off in the distance. As you look ahead and there should have been ocean for how far you went, where you are, but you see the vast lands of what those of you who are well are well read would must know to be,

looks like you long. You long. Stretching out before you, the beautiful dawn as the sun hangs, unmoving. Filling this entire space with beautiful light of morning. You were in this glade, seemingly alone, the pool ahead of you. The golden blossoms falling down from the trees

that flank it so gently, and then drifting on the cirques of the water until, a fish jumps up and snesses it up, disappears beneath the water. Is this real? This doesn't look like Strigger. Yeah, it seems like we should be able to see the sea from here. There must be some kind of magic supply. I mean, this can't be natural.

Another kind of like dream. I don't trust anything here. Well, where is she? We've done all her tests. We've broken her dreams. I think she got what she wanted. I can't speak for you, but my heart is in pain of the things that have seen, the things we've had to do just to get to this place,

just a free hers job. And I'm... I feel demoralized. Hard things, but they had to happen. And we had to make a choice to make them happen, and that is the point. But now I have doubt. Why? Doubt in my family, and in my father.

I have doubt for going to this place where Felix warned us. The war, the bloody wars there, the sacrifices. You're falling into the same trap that you yourself were convincing Toa about when we first started this whole journey. Well, yes, I had resolve in that this is how things work, Chris. I'd resolve in the beginning, and now I am tired. I haven't had a bubble bath. I don't remember the last time I dropped essential oils on my fur, and it is starting to dry out.

I have muck beneath my fingernails, and now I think my father might be a bad guy. Your dream father. Well, my father is my dream father. He's perfect. I love him. He's beautiful. But the version of your father that

where Johnny decided to show you. Felix, is there a war? Yeah, Corvok is always a war. So, what happened there was true? To one, is there a boat challenge thing Where sailors don't jump on and help the kitty get across the winter. There's a sailing competition every year, of course. Lufty, is there a wonderful beer festival?

Do I even have to answer? To those strange people eating that disgusting pasta exist in that jazz bar? Yeah. So, all those things considered? Yeah, but there would be happening anyway. So if we went into these dreams and we did nothing, it would be people being sacrificed and people not competing and not enjoying the fullness of life and not having good times.

And I may be lost a little bit with your story, but... But my point being is I was blissfully ignorant to what my father might be doing. But now you don't have to be. And I feel like I might not be blissfully ignorant. And I am having conflicting feelings. That's actually extremely reasonable. Well put. After we solve the universe, let's go and tell your dad to stop taxing so hard. Won't you take over someday?

No. No? That's why I went into the line of holy business. I see. Yes, middle child, often forgotten. I was going to suggest maybe you could just change it. The problem in that dream was not that the problem was not Well, I mean, the problem was taxing, but the problem was that the people weren't standing up for themselves.

The taxing wasn't ceasing to exist. That wasn't going away because of her fantasy, no conflict life. But if my father is taxing people and he isn't guaranteeing that the people who are doing the collecting are honest, then... Yeah, but maybe he would try harder if the people were fighting for themselves. If one of the commoners walked out of the house and sliced apart one of the tax collectors, they would die. They would be killed. Maybe, but if 50 of them walked out against it, maybe he would say, okay, something's wrong here. I should hire people to not be so shitty or I should tax less.

I don't think that he would do that. I don't know him. I know him. He bought you that one dress. And he said I looked beautifully. Yes. He's bought that dress for many, many women. Yeah.

It was just... I know you don't want to hear it, but he is a diplomat. He will say and do whatever he needs to to gain your trust. You should know this better than anyone. Yeah, we're not really... Little peas in a pod, really. Yes. And if Daddy had any designs on you, my mother would have you killed.

Oh, that's fair. She's terrifying. Yes. I think... I think, you know, war without debauchery. Competition, crime, war, and rebellion. It does sound kind of nice. Yes. But it would cost.

It would cost me. I won't stand for it. Is there anywhere like to continue? Or does it feel like we're at... So you are just at the entrance. You just basically came down the stairs. And there is the beautiful, the beautiful glade out ahead. And there is that, that shimmering water with the beautiful golden,

scaled, rainbow-scaled fish that looks out into what looks like a whole different continent. Does the fish look like it popped out of a book? Yeah, maybe. Yeah. It looks very, uh, it's not, it's not that book. It's not going to get away all scales. No, no, you've been missing the lead here. That's, uh, the fish looks beautiful. It looks picturesque. It's like it popped out of a book. Potentially, exactly right. No. I think we need to continue on.

And see where this place is. We could walk right through that and be in another place in the world, almost on the other side. Let's go. It looks beautiful at least. I've got nowhere else to go. That's where her j is. I say we let that we do it.

Let's find her. Make your way through. This beautiful glade, the golden blossoms falling around you as the wind, not a wind, as much of a soft breeze, whips through the morning air as you arrive, all of you, all five of you, right at the edge of this pool. And as you do, suddenly reality shifts and breaks one last time. And what you see is actually not that different than where you just were. You are at the top of a mountain looking off into the valley of Yulang. You feel movement behind you.

And you turn to see the staircase from what you came, but you just look. There's the top of the snow-capped mountain. and the great sea beyond you. And you turn back around, you feel the presence. And it is no longer the gritting Tabaxi of Golden Lotus, looming high above you, brilliant in her golden scales, fleshy tendrils like a catfish,

descending down many feet. You see the, the discerning eyes of the exact same creature, but in her true form. Rajani, the golden lotus, looks at you, and she takes in your presence for a moment, but does not speak to you as she turns away and surveys the land beyond. as the morning sun rises in you long. And there's a wistfulness to her look. As she stretches her massive golden wings

and takes in, almost soaking in the morning sun. As she looks over and you get a sense magically, perhaps spiritually even, although the land below looks beautiful, It almost looks serene and peaceful out of a storybook, like the fish and the birds. You can see that the discerning eyes of the dragon see the world for what it is. The conflict, the strife, the war between the humans, an emperor that rules from a great city on a lake, that subjugates, that causes so much strife, the jungles, poor souls torn apart by mantichores.

So many lost to the squabbles of mortal lives. And a great overwhelming sadness comes over the dragon. And you see a large shimmering golden tear drip down from its eye to his long snout and down its left tendril, and it drops. and it drops into the pool as it weeps for the mortals that it desperately wants to help, but it does not know how. And there's doubt that comes to this dragon's mind.

And you have no idea how you know this, but you know. There is doubt. There is despair. There's anger. There's fear. And it turns to hatred. and pride for knowing better than these mortals. As it begs for an answer,

it begs for a solution. But as she looks out over the land, she makes no noise, but she hears the flapping of wings. As she stares out over the land of you long, you see black feathers. As a hawk, daintily lands on a branch beside her and looks up towards her. Six red unblinking eyes peer up and it lets out a squawk and the dragon turns and looks down at her new companion.

And those six eyes look up to her too and there's a sense of understanding between them. And she leans down her massive golden head as the jet black beak. begins to move and a great sense of understanding comes to this dragon and suddenly with a flash of black feathers it flies off

the hawk is gone but the dragon has a sense of resolve and it turns around heaving its massive shape the largest living creature than any of you have ever seen as it turns back to you

and she stares down in all of you. Do not all see the future in the world that I see. A utopia. A perfect world. A world of eternal dawn. Of light, of good, of order.

Would you mortals stand in the way of a world of peace? And you feel like you can respond? As if this dragon from the past, the present, you're not sure. But she is now calling to you, and it is a dream world. And you all stare down at the reflecting pool, and you all see yourselves, and you see her, and you realize that each of these dream worlds has been a reflection of each of you. And now this final dream is a reflection of Rajani, as she attempts to show you the world.

that she sees. You do? No, I don't, I don't. I don't want that world. It's not right. It's not, it's not free what we have, if not our freedom. I'm this, Tawa. If, you have to make your own choices,

and if you don't choose that world, it's not for you. It's beautiful, but everyone has to make that decision for themselves. That's right. We learned nothing else from Captain Freewing. It's that liberty at any cost. He would be disgusted with the way that I was thinking earlier. I agree. You lost me back in Kirstein.

Moderation for drinking. Get out of here. Just fuck off with that. The draconic head turns to you, Iris. What are in this world of yours that you, thoughts upon everyone. What are you but a tyrant? Notting your will upon ever.

You claim to want to stop. You claim you want peace. It is not for you to decide. She shakes her massive, draconic body, her golden scales, brilliantly catching the rays of the sun, as her wings extend, her tendrils flying back and forth.

A tyrant, yes. but a benevolent tyrant, one for peace, for harmony, for justice. Would you prefer a tyrant in the mortal wheels of Virgil Zern? Would you prefer the tyrant

within... Thank you. As the ground shakes with each of her steps, the wills of the tyrants of scathrinil, of Aureus, of Grand. I know what's best for mortals. I know what's best, and she looms over you.

I have tried to show you my world that what I want is best, that freedom does not mean what's best for mortals. And if you disagree, It makes me weep. May I ask you? But we are at odds. Golden Lewis.

Eternal blossom. Yes, yes. If you truly wanted to be a tyrant, why do care what we think? If our free will does not matter, why did we need to come to this decision ourselves? Why didn't you force the decision upon us unless you yourself to not truly believe in your war?

because I do not know how you can resist the power I have gained I do not know what he has done to you how you maintain the will that others do not how you maintain the chaos in your souls that he is bestowed upon you

what will he has for you Who is this here you speak of? You know whom I mean. But you, if you do not see the utopia that I wish for you and for all mortals, then we are enemies. I have tried to bring you to my bosom. I have tried to bring you to my side. If we shall fight to the death, then so be it. You may proceed, but you must be cleansed.

Then our fates are intertwined. my will or the free will of mortals let it all come down to this the pool will cleanse you and beyond I await and if I shall die or you

let it be the will of what I have heard the will of the six-eyed hulk and reality shatters I don't know about you but I'm not jumping in any of her cleansing pools Did you hear the madness of that? As the dragon fades away, the vision of you long is gone, that same shimmering vision of what you see ahead of you,

but the stairs behind you, the dragon is gone, and you see the beautiful, crystal clear waters of the glade before you. She doesn't sound like she's... She sounds like she's going mad. I agree. I was going to say,

Yeah, I'm ravelling a bit. Who do we... Who was she talking about? Right. I asked, because I truly did not know. Some... Entity bestowed chaos, a boss? I think she means Virgil Zern.

But she didn't talk specifically... I thought of that in the moment, but she also mentions Scestrinil and tyrants all over the place. So I don't think her fight is solely with Zern. Right, it doesn't really make any sense. I mean, I know that we have... We received blessings from, you know, the Raven Queen, but we've received blessings from numerous deities and demi beings alike.

It couldn't just be Zern, right? That doesn't make any sense. So what other he could she mean? I'm trying to remember, this is a long time ago now in real life, when I was compelled to fly up to the top of the mountain, when we were stuck at the top of the ice mountain. Do I remember the statue having six eyes, or was it just the...

It had six eyes, four wings, two arms. What if the he is... Do you guys remember when we were staying in that tower and I told you that I've been compelled to go up to the top and I'm not saying anything right now. I'm just saying, could the he be he? Maybe. But you're not compelled by whatever that being is.

She did say chaos. Maybe. He's a being of chaos, is he not? We know very little. A demon... A demon lord. We saw him... When we were angels.

We saw him fight with the other demons. With the... I think back to the name... What was the name of the ancient elder demons? The oberus. he was one of the Oberynes of being of chaos I think you're right

I think that's exactly who she means and it's almost as if she doesn't realize that he is also controlling her he's the six-eyed hark maybe we can convince her instead of fighting her I don't think she can be convinced of anything

maybe we can reason with her if she wants to stop this chaos she's working with chaos but we can't do that until we get to and she wants us to dip ourselves in this pool. And I'm not sure about you, but she's being controlled by that rave, sparrow hock yard.

Because of a hawk. She's being controlled by the hawk, and I'm not sure I feel comfortable, dipping myself into a dream pool. I have one question, out of character. How much about dragons in general would I know, having learned draconic? I would say it would depend on what you want to know.

You know that there were tomes in draconic about dragons in the libraries of Zentra. And you know, that's how you knew about those crystals. So that are what you want to know. I would want to know what Felix's knowledge is regarding like the biology of the creatures. So like how much would he actually know about dragons? I would say you know that they're inherently magical. You know, they're inherently tied. Making a history check advantage.

Or, your choice. Oh, like my house on choice. I've got to do, to quote a wise man, I gotta do some whizbiz. Oh, actually, my history and my arcana are the same. They're both in. So I didn't know that. Learn something every day, folks. Excuse me. That'll be at 25.

25. 25. You would say that you know that they are beings of raw elemental power. They have a deep connection to the world. That they are the chromatic, which are the evil dragons and the metallic, which this is. They're supposed to be good. Do I know the elements that they kind of represent or stand for? You know that, I would say that you would know that, probably very basically, yeah,

that you would know that a gold dragon channels the power of raw elemental fire. mental fire. Okay. And is probably the most brilliant, strongest, most magical, most powerful of all dragon kind. That's what I wanted to know. Yes. She, yes. Golden dragon is the most powerful that can go toe to toe with a red dragon physically, but also has magic that outshines a red dragon. Got it. Look, if we have to get in the water, I'll look at the water. I'll put my hand in. What's the worst that can happen? Toa can pull me back out like you did when we first met. Yeah, but what if it like, I don't know. What if you just...

I don't know. What if something terrible happens? What if it doesn't cleanse you of something negative, something positive? What if it takes away your free will? We've come all this way. Yes, throw him in. He doesn't need to throw him in. What if you get the chins?

He has a good wood of them. Well, then I will cure him of whatever that is. We've gone... That is a good point. I couldn't... restore you if you were to tend to be chin. I know you can. If you get chingles, we'll be all there for you.

I know, I know, I know. And I would hope that I'd be able to at least maybe defend myself a bit against any kind of magics that are going on in the pool. And look, I'll start to go in slowly. And if things look bad, you can just take over. Take me out. Pull me out.

Towa, were you trying to say something? What I'm just saying? Felix. I'm just thinking that we've got. We've gone through her whole area this whole time, and we've done exactly what she intended us to do, and she showed us everything she wanted to do. You know, that's actually a good point, Tela. So at this point... If we're going to start a war, we might as well jump into a pool.

Exactly right, we've gone through the... And I was all for thinking... Presidents! I'm going to take my hat off, kind of ruffle my hair a bit, take my coat off, take my coat off, hand them both to Tela. All right. I'll kick my shoes off, take my socks off, roll up my pants. I'm not taking off my pants in my shirt, but roll my sleeves up. Boring.

Just down to the tattered sailor's pants, fisherman's pants, and that disgusting shirt that I stole so many moons ago. How have you not bought a new shirt by now? That's crazy. I don't really have a need for material things, Caprice. We've been over this. I spend all of my money on magic stuff. stuff. And it's Dungeons and Dragons. We don't change our clothes or costumes. I mean, I haven't

taken my shoes off in three and a half years, so I guess that's fine. If I lose this hat or I change my shirt, you wouldn't even know who I was. That's fair. That's fair. If I was to shave off all of my hair and attract my claws, you wouldn't be able to pick me out of the lineup of sphinxas. Dagger in hand. You've looked so gross. I'm sorry. I have a lot of wrinkles. I approach the pool. I'm going to say I'm very near my job. You do you. We approach the pool. You sure we don't want to rope you up? We could pull you back.

How deep does it look? It looks not that deep. It does slope down to where you can't see it. You see some fish going around. It doesn't get that deep right away. I think, you know, you can pull me out. Or I might even be able to just blink right out. Take a breath when you get to the genitals level.

That's always the worst step. Shocking. All right, here I go. and I'm going to take one step into the fool and begin to try to wade into it you wade in and you step in and the water feels incredibly pristine

some of the cleanest most pleasant water that you've experienced and as you step in you feel just how filthy you've been you feel how much demonic taint you have on you. You've been coated in the gore of Baphimit, the king of beasts.

You've been surrounded by the horrible negative emotions of anger, despair, doubt, fear, hatred, pride is you feel all of it well up around you. And you feel the sense, the weight of all of that in this beautiful cleansing pool. And all of you watch as Felix looks and turns to you

and immediately gets sucked down beneath the surface as the water turns from a beautiful pristine to a bubbling, roiling, black pool. No, Felix! And I'm gonna, I'm just gonna just jump into the pool. I'm right behind it.

You'll leap in and get sucked in immediately and the water gets more bubbling and black and color. And shimmer with white and grays and black and gray. scale. Well, that confirms we should not go in that fool. I hope that

Stoah can get him out. Let's wait. No! Cannonball! Oh, gosh! We've lost, Caprice! And you see this Capricia completely sucked in as it boils and roils and it's

shimmering with this black. I'm going to take my spoon out and dip it into the water like a lifeline. You dip it in and you feel the the water rise up and goop and holding a strength, a contest, a strength contest against the spoon.

I have to say, I will lose this. Yes, with a noise. You get sucked in as the spoon grabs. I'm sorry, I fit 14. I roll the National 19. Okay. As you get sucked in, spring in the front, as you get pulled beneath the others.

Iris, you're pulled in. Oh, me, okay. I was gonna jump in anyway after those spoons. Grab in with your spoon and it latch around your wrist as it goes up and pulls you in. As Iris, you are left alone with all of your comrades and you pulled into the circus. I wonder how long it will take them

to figure out how to get back out until then. I'm going to. Nice. I'm in a picnic. Just fish. Oh, this is Lofties. Don't mean that. That's nasty.

I don't need that. Hmm. And I'll wait for a little bit. Where this is taking home to the next? It bubbles and roils and gets worse and worse and worse. It turns the color that that chemical turns when you paint in the pool. Is that even a thing? No, it's not.

I don't think so. You have a jack please for me? Now you'll roll high. I know, I did. Yep. Or set God. Um, Scotia.

He'll be able to watch us die, but do you know. watch us die but do nothing about it. As I get a 29, you don't notice as the bubbling, roiling, slick ooze from this pool starts to slither

around your foot. Oh, no. As you need to make a single contest against it, it attempts to I got a 17. Acrobatics or athletics. We all just jumped into. I do a joke.

Unbelievable. Gotta give it up. 49. Oh wow. 49. Thank you. How did you have plus 29? It's impressive, but plausible.

I'm a cat. Oh, course. All of them actually just get plus 29 on that particular. I got a 14. You got a 14. As you're waiting and suddenly you are dragged by your foot into the pool, by this bubbling goop. that you pull beneath the surface,

and suddenly all of you clashed into each other. You feel your bodies hitting each other, and you actually realize that beneath the surface, it's clean and pristine waters. You see fish swimming around, and suddenly you realize that you feel your despair, your doubt, your fear, your hatred, your pride, and your anger, suddenly leave you.

All of the doubt that you've been experiencing the taint of back, that has drenched you since you've come to this dark land as it is dispelled from you and rockets from the top of this pool. Suddenly all five of you erupt gas spring for air. Wet as each of you, you feel this grouping corruption purified from you as it rips from your skin, from your essence, from your being. as it takes form and takes shape as it forms into this strange, half-humanoid, half-oos,

somewhat looking, you can't even tell what it is, but it begins to form a shape and all turn towards you with malevolent intent and ever want to roll for initiative. Oh, that's fucking... And get rid of the map.

Get rid of the map? Oh, I'm in advantage. We're just going to get rid of it. Barbarian. Oh, big one. I got one. Oh, boy. That's not good.

I got a 10. I've got some whizbiz to take care of. 15 for you. I'm after you. I got the 20. So you said it forms like a human, like a... It's this strange half humanoid, but it's actually... It has like hands, but it's this strange, almost eel-like form that's this gooping, undulating,

corruption distilled into this massive gloopy form. And you're all going to be in the water. As I need 20 to 25. Corruption. 21. 21. 20. Oh, damn.

It's fast aft. She's a cat. Toa. 20. Are we in the pool or are you in the pool? You're all at the edge. We're all at the edge of the pool. And there's one on each of you, so there's five total.

You got it. You got it. Felix. 15. 15. Six. Oh my God. He got more than me. We'll put Caprice here.

He got a 15. Oh, he did. Thank you. I rolled it down. I would forget. Okay. And put one in each of you. One of the five, there should be six,

but we're going to put one through five. These are curly. Ooh, one through five. Yeah, we need to order some card stock. Yeah, we know. We'll get that soon. Just D&D string thing, you know what I mean? Stick together, stick it together.

Art stock. Wait, there's five. Five. Oh, you're in a six. Oh, it's glavey and cool, like. Iris, you are first, as you see these black and white and gray manifestations of corruption cleanse from you, these negative emotions.

The doubt that you'd have felt from your father feels actually lifted from you as you face these monstrosities, horrible aberrations that are glooping down, that this pool has purified. Take a look at that. I'm gonna reach out to the one in front of me. I'm gonna put my hand on it. And I'm gonna cast can take it.

Contagian. What a ham? Oh, hell. Hell, man. 18. Uh, that'll hit. Uh, I am going to inflict it with slimy doom.

Watch that. It begins to bleed uncontrollably. It has disadvantage on constitution checks and saving throws. And anytime it takes damage, it is stunned until the end of its next turn. Roger that. The one out in front of you, you channel the power, the corrupting power of anuvus, which can heal and bring great life, but also bring great plagues. As it then starts to lose its form as it bubbles and blows its own form,

goopy, but then it starts to kind of gush down this corruption, struggling to maintain its form as if it has no eyes, it has no face, but this horrible slavering mouth that's filled with teeth in all directions as it attempts to move forward. It seems to be afflicted by this plague

of a new best tooe hero. Oh, and I'm going to call out to Toa. Toa, if you get a chance, can you please just whack the one in front of me just one time? I'll look at the one in front of me and the one next to Aris. I'll protect you, Iris, and I'm going to take, I will first, I'll spread my legs, and I'll squat down, and enter a battle trance, and maintain hyperfocus as I squat down. Apparently, you squat down, and then I will lift my totem, the spirit of Maka himself. My first, my original ancestor, and I will raise it up, and instead of stacking one in front of me, I'll turn and come down on the one in front of Iris.

That would be number two. And I will recklessly rage as I swing in for it. Is it Maka or Moku or... Uh... Well, the Makani Islands are named after Maka, the original... Not M-A-C-M-A-A. It's very different. Oh, that's a good point. I even think about that. Yeah.

Um... Do-do, actions. So that is a... 21 to hit. That'll hit. And I will. Notice this, you do the Maka Haka. The Maka.

Oh my God, that's actually really good. That is really good. Okay, that is nine plus ten is 19 points of damage for my first attack. You smash into him, and this corruption, it smashes through and the gloop flies everywhere, and it is then stunned as it falls to the ground

and almost a puddle of this horrible concentrated corruption, and that's an automatic... Is that an advantage? What? What is stunned? No, no, no, it's not stunned yet. Oh, Roger that. Okay.

So I hit it, right? So is it... Is it not sunned yet? No, no, he has to do constitution saving throws to see if he becomes inflicted with slimy doom. I'm just letting Mike know I'm choosing Slimy Doom. Oh, Roger that, okay. Should I take him again?

No, it's unnecessary. one in front of you. And I will turn back around and I will attack number five. Okay. This time I'm gonna make it a power attack. Roger that. That is a... 16, 77, 8, 9, 22, 1, 22.

That'll hit. Okay. That will be, rerow that one. Five, six, seven, eight plus 20. Oh my God. Oh my God. You smash into it and go. and one of its teeth flies out off.

It has this horrible mall of teeth, and then take a look at what it looks like. With these straight spines on its back, it's basically condensed corruption that's been purified as you were attacking the concentrated negative emotions that you felt across this entire journey as it smashes across. Whatever you're doing in their face right now.

Is that it? That's my turn. That's my turn. Yeah, and I guess I will try to No, I think I'll stay right there. They are going. I can't do it, I just look and say it. As they all turn, and each of these shambling forms face you

as these horrible approximations of mouth open and spew these negative emotion, this negative energy on you. You all need to make a charisma saving throw. All of us? All of you. Oh, that's like my worst one. Okay, cool. Yes, that's why I chose him.

Natural fucking 20! Like you needed the help. Yeah, big time. Big time. Charisma, are you sure, Mike? I got a 10. I got a 17. I got a 14.

23. I got a 10 with the goblin. All of you except for Iris and Felix. Debris. Fail. Me? I need the three of you to roll a D6, please. I don't want them.

Those that fail? Yep. Six. Four. Oh, I see what we're doing. You feel overwhelmed by the horrible sensation of anger. You need to use your reaction to attack either Toa or Felix roll a D2 for me. And you use your full-up attack on whomever you choose.

One. One, you're going to attack Felix. Sorry, bud. You're going to do your full attack damage as you are overwhelmed with emotion. What, girl? My full attack damage. You do whatever your max attack is with like bonus and all that. It's not just one attack, it's your full attack.

So you will do double, right? You'll just punch them twice. Okay, okay. What do you get? Maxx. You are petrified with Theo. You overcome, you drop your dagger. Oh, no.

Into the pool. And you turn and you use your full movement to run away from that. Even if that's deeper into the pool. Okay. I'll wait until she would be first. So I'm just rolling the damage. I definitely hit him.

No, you don't. Oh, you're talking. So my question is, is it happening simultaneously? I would say she'll smack you as you're running away. All right, that means I can't cast shield. First is a nine. That misses. That misses.

I have 16. The other one I'm sure is going to hit. It's 23. Yeah, I'll play. Barely misses. So it's six. I got a six. Oh, next damage.

Uh, you feel the, 16 plus 5 is 21. Nice. You feel the pride before the fall as all attacks against you are advantaged. Oh, no. Well, weren't they already? They already win.

Oh, I'm very pride for a lot. You got six, right? I don't know six, yes. We've got to pride. And then. Oh, then I got to run. I can do it now. We'll do it now.

Do what you're doing. So I'm just going to be all the way max distance. It's the end of the map. Yeah, we'll say there's a map. And then that's a good for you because they comment, nope, because it's not your, you're being forced away.

Is it the monster's turn right now? Yes. Yes. Oh, so I need number two to make a constitution saving court, so that's a four plus a four, that's an eight. So that fails, thank you. Failure. Okay, so is he stunned?

No, no, he's gonna fail three times. Oh, Roger that. So you see as Felix runs away, overcome with fear, is they now all are going to go in with their claw attacks, They form these horrible putrid claws out of their condensed corruptions. And we're going to have number three, as Felix runs away, he's not going to see that from. He's going to go after Toa, who is now overwhelmed with pride.

And so we're going to get to its two-coll attacks on Caprice. I'm good. That's fine. That's going to be 17 on both of those. That's exactly my IC. Okay, that's going to head. So we're going to do the A. Ah, fuck. I'm dancing.

I'm a goof to goobie. What are the six? Fear, doubt, anger, hatred, and pride. What's the six one? Say them again. Fear, doubt, anger, hatred, pride. Not necessarily in that order for the D6 that we have. 27 points of damage.

Because they call into you. Now we look at me dance. It is anger, despair, doubt, fear, hatred, and pride. Fear, what? What? Anger, despair, doubt, fear, hatred, and cry. Are the negative emotions that are being expelled. Yeah, all right.

Two attacks against Irish number two, he's still going? He's also disadvantaged. He's also disadvantaged. Roger that? Oh, because of what you did? Yeah. Oh, I shouldn't attack you first. That is going to be a 16.

Misses. Okay, next one. Double natural 20s. No, not. That is pretty good. No, but it's still not. But it's still not. But it's still gonna head.

It's over the head. That's unbelievable. What is the chances of that? One 400. So he's gonna rend your flesh and you feel that it's double slashed to do with his cause. You channel the power of Anubis and you shield yourself in the scalding sand

as it protects you, but it still rends your flesh. You're gonna take a bit of damage here. Ooh, not too bad. 14, 18, 20. You're gonna get to this damage though. I am? Yeah, you are. Because I attacked the guy first.

Oh. Yeah. 24 or 23 points of slashing and a cross damage. So 11 points. 11 points. Yes. Because that'd be 22. Yeah, you're right.

Wow. When was the last time I got double 90-20s? There's two crackens on my- I think Fayewell. With that, we have these are going to be four advantage attacks on you. Claw attacks. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

Uh. Uh. 26. You know, barely. 26, 24. Barely misses. Yeah. Oh, wow.

Fuck. 15. Nope. That actually misses. 18. Missed. So, wow. Only two hit you.

So we're going to just do two here. What's your easy. But, but, ba, but, ba, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, I was going to say two. Kel, so. as they ran into, oh wow, I rolled garbage too. Hmm? R2-T-Rex noise. E!

Amazing. 12 plus, wow, 15, 18, plus 10 is only 28 plus 10 is only 28 points of damage. And is it slashing? It is slashing an acrotic. Oh. Yeah. Okay. Interesting.

So, slashing an necrotic. Slashing an necrotic. is a rend in hue. And one more on lifting. No. One's gonna miss and the other one's certainly gonna head. Why? Well, yeah, that's only yeah.

Tell me the number, but. I'm not gonna do. 10, 15, 20 points of slashing necrotic damage. Cheater. I would like to channel one of my ancestors in the spectral kind of glistening blue form of a toucan will say. And it will fly through your form as you take that hit.

And the two can will reduce your damage. Did you mean? Is it obliterated? Just follow your nose. Where are we going? Wow. So reduce it by 12. So you only take eight damage.

Okay. Caprice, you are now up as these manifestations of corruptions of these six negative emotions. that you've been feeling this entire time and more so in the corruption of you actually look and you hear them make this as you kind of hear

the roar of a bull come from them and the slavering here a stretch you just think they look like this horrible the entirety of your journeys that is the corruption that is built over this time as manifests in these single gloopy exterior what are you doing?

Gloopy. Thinking of the bubbling, frothy pool that we dove into and found ourselves in this situation, I pull out my viol. And similar to how I would normally give it a brang to cast thunderwave, I'm going for something a little bit more powerful here. So I'm going to go all the way down to the base

and just go, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm going to create a resonance with the pool around me. Oh, Roger Love that. Call Mr. Bard, that's my name, that name, again is Mr. Bard. Destructive wave. A huge tsunami suddenly erupt forward. Okay.

All of them must make a constitution saving throw. Watch that. And it doesn't need us. I'm gonna give number three disadvantage on that because he's in the cleansing waters. So one, calm. And two is poison so he gets a- One is a ten.

It does, okay. One is ten. Two's advantage. That's a fail. Yep. We're gonna give three disadvantage two. That is a catastrophe fail. We're gonna give five.

Oh wow, that's probably gonna succeed. That is a 21. Yeah, 17 is what you make a bit. Okay, four is gonna just do normal, and that's gonna be nine. Okay, so everyone except for five. So five is the only one that succeeds. All right, let's quickly do some thunder damage.

That's gonna be nine, 11, that's gonna be 20 points of thunder damage or half as much to the secceder. The succeeder was number five. Five. Yep. Is that a word? Succeeder?

The Succeeder. And then the, and then also some radiant damage is coming at it. A radiant necrotic, if that matters. I gotta look at it. Oh, I'm gonna choose necrotic. And let's go, sorry. It is a word. Necotic or radium are you choosing?

I'm gonna choose necrotic. I get to choose between radiant or necrotic. Since it's all bubbly and gassy, five, ten. Fourteen points of necrotic damage. 14 points. And all of them except for the one who's succeeded are knocked prone. Watch that.

And you feel as the necrotic damage you've selected, as it crashes on them, does not do as much as you would expect. You're not prone. No, when, I have to make range attacks when things are prone. That's fine. It's a lot of deal. Fireball, fireball, fireball.

Not without the dagger. Oh! Number five does not take that damage, or does he? Oh, he does. Are any of them still standing? Five. I'll turn and I'll be like, What are you doing, man?

Get your dagger, come on, let's go, let's go. I'll inspire you with the bonus section. It bursts up and does not do as much damage, this necrotic damage you've selected, tainted by the devilish magic for your blood and now what has claimed your soul for good. It's not do as much as you'd expect, but it's still blast them.

I should have picked ratings. As all of them except for number five, fall down and they're attempting to reform, you see an approximation of a humanoid arm rise up, you see a hoof form, and then a claw in town, then a humanoid hand, is attempting to bring itself together form again. Felix is right where you left,

so it's not that far. Okay, I don't have to run anymore. You've just run and you, you were overwhelmed by the negative emotion of fear. And suddenly you over, you, Just not a day that ends the line. Which you've been dealing with this entire time. And you turn back and suddenly the fear

which has been cleansed by the pool is now manifested in that being in front of you. Got it. You no longer feel that fear. You feel the courage inside of you. No, no, no, no, my dagger, where is it? Oh no. Five, nine, ten, fifteen, twenty, I'm in a circle out. I'm not running in the fucking melee range.

Not having. And then I say, uh, where can I've dropped it? It's fine. Take this! And I rear back to to throw a massive fireball at number five and a tiny firebolt comes out.

Oh no. Oh, inspiration. I'm going to use it. Yeah. Watch on that. Okay. Not bad. That's a 12 plus 9 is 21 to hit. Absolutely. The fire bolt erupts.

You don't need your dagger for this. The innate arcane magic that you've studied. You channel. and you blast this creature. Wait, are you blowing us up? No, it's a fireball. It's a tiny firebolt. It's a little, it's a camera.

I thought you're saying ball. No, I tried to cast fireball, but I can't without the dagger. It was supposed to be funny. It was funny when I have to explain. I like it. I just come to hear you. I know, I have a smell. I don't see the D&D rolls a little.

I couldn't hear him. They sound very similar. Plus five is 27 points of fire damage. Holy shit for a can't trip. Potent trips, man. 3D10. Holy shit. Plus five.

Plus I get to re-roll one is and twos. It's basically altered blast. Yeah? It blasts and it creans into the form and it singes and bubbles and pops and the smell is putrid. But this looks the weakest of all of them. Oh, damn it, I forgot, I can't,

no fire pole! This is attempting to maintain its shape, but it is still holding on. With that, it is Lofty's turn. Okay. That was number three that you hit, right? Those five. Oh, that was five. Oh, okay.

He was doing anyone standing. I am going to raise up my spoon and make an attack on number four. Roger that and then. All of your attacks are advanced on number four. Thank goodness. Yeah. Thank goodness. Okay, so that 17 plus 9.

I'm assuming that hits. The AC 17. Keep a key point to make that a stunning strike. Roger that. One D. Kahn. Rooja, Roo, that. Kahn is a 15.

Oh, no, no, no, 13. 12 damage. Watch that. Wait, including your lightning or thunder? Oh, no, I'm sorry, I didn't include that. See, I gave you that for a reason. Thank you, sweet pee. I forget what it adds, though.

Oh, that's the mannacle. I call me sweet pee to I'll give you a sweet pee to. An additional B, sorry. I like the Capri still doesn't even quite sure what camels are. Me too. Sorry. I didn't get what you meant.

That's 14 total damage and it's stunned. It has to succeed a, what? It failed. It failed. Oh, it failed. Okay, so it's stunned. And then I'll use a secondary key point to flip around here and make two spoon attacks on number three. Don't you get two attacks as well?

Hmm? Don't you get two attacks as well? So you get double attack plus you can use a key to use two on armed. I can't. I have to, if I'm using the key point, I get two. Otherwise, I don't you know. You always get double attacks. If you want to, if you.

I always get double, but if I use the second to use the key, then I can get three max. I can't have four. Oh. Well, no. So the idea is you can do attack attack. Yeah, sploon, spoon, spoon. And then bonus action for free, a third attack, or you can spend a key to do two more. Yes.

So you get just two free, just basic attacks. If you want, and now to stop. so you get, I don't know how that works. Let me. It's just advantage. Advantage, yeah. Okay, well then I'll make another attack on four. Or that you're an advantage. You guys on number four.

Oh, a natural 20. Natural 20. I don't give it that. One does have to give it up. Smash your spoon into the corrupted form of this thing. Okay. Td.8. Do you double the plus as just a dice?

Double ice, double the dice. Yes. That's not far and good. Six? Six or nine? Plus the thunder or lightning damage that you choose. So that's nine. Well, I don't get that because I already made an attack on it.

That's it for every attack? Every attack? Yes. I really don't know how to play my character. Am I crazy? Did I urge it was the first attack? I thought it was first attack. Yeah, let's just say first attack for now, because that makes a lot more sounds, actually.

That seems like really okay to me. Yeah, you're telling. Um, nine. So 14 damage. 14 damage. You smash into this and it is looking almost as rough as number five as well. Fourteen. Yeah. Okay. And then I'm, well, you know what, since he's being shitty and...

He's being a stinky bee. He's just being a stinky bee, so the key point will I'll spend for two more attacks. Roger that. That might not hit. A 15? 15 misses. You've been advantaged? Yep. They're both pretty low. And then this one will definitely hit. Yeah. You smash and do it. 11 damage. 11 damage. He's still looking rough.

Okay. But he's still holding on here. Probably, Drew, under that, it's our turn. I am going to Toes right next to me. I'm going to reach out, and I'm going to pull on Toa's front tail. I'm just kidding. I'm going to, actually, it's within six feet.

Why do you talk like that? I'm going to look over towards Toa. Thank you for helping you, Toa. I appreciate it. Now, feel emboldened, and I'm going to cast shield of faith on him. Damn. And so you now have... The protective same energy.

Plus, yes. It's first-hand. Make sure that that's touching yourself. It's a bonus action. It's 60 feet, and it's a bonus action. You can cast it all their people. It's 60 feet, and it's a bonus action. Okay.

A creature of my choice within range. This is shield of face. That's what I said. Yes. Shield of face. Fesh. Yes, fash. And then I would like to turn towards number four.

Four's looking rough. Both four and five are looking pretty rough. Yes. I'm going to turn towards number four, and I'm going to pull the dead. Roger that. Because there's a bonus action. Can't save me through him?

It's a wisdom saving throw. Regardless, he gets a, oh, my God, 12. Perfect. So he fails, and he's damaged already? He is. And we're 11th level. Cool, thanks. Yeah, that means that your cantrips are all boosted.

I know, and I like you. The world is is so great. Because he's damaged. I know it's 3D12s. I'm trying to find him. Oh, the wind strike. That's a good one. It is necrotic, though.

So it's gonna be probably half damage. When we entered this relationship, we agreed. 27 points. 27 is the gong from the- And it is necrot. The hammer and sickle, it rattles. It's just a gloop and struggle to maintain its form. It does not do as much as you'd expect.

Being necrotic damage, 27, halved is, oh my God, 14. 13. 13. 30. 37 is, oh wow. So it is struggling to maintain cheap, but it is still holding on here.

Roger that, okay. As you, as toa, you feel the warm, swirling desert sands and winds surrounding you, you feel emboldened as it is your turn now. Blessed by Anubis, cleansed of your corrupted negative energies. Which one looks healthiest? The healthiest of all of them is number three. Oh, no, no, no, number three and number one are tied. Since number three is right here, presumably it's in range of the deckmen. Number four of the weakest, number four looks struggling no maintain its form.

Number three is also prone, correct? You're right, yep. Number three, all of them except for number five is prone. Yeah. Okay. Give them the bonky-pong. I will make two attacks on power attacks as well, of course. Give fun, that's a hit. That's a hit. That's a hit.

That's a hit. Um, so that'll be one, two, three, four. How can they live when you can make them die? 10. 19, 2939, 49, 49, 49, 59, 59, 59 points of damage from my first two attacks. What the hell? And then we'll see if my wind fury prox.

Yeah. They're definitely feeling fear, doubt, despair. It was too often. Does not. Wow. I guess you'll just have to settle. He's looking very rough, but he's still hanging on. Hold on.

Okay, Roger that. Hold on, and then. He's the roughest of them all now. He's just smashed and smash and smash into this corrupt. Fisturing the scene where they beat up the printer and office space. Exactly right.

Exactly right. Die, mother, fellow, die, mother, fellow, die. And then I will I will do nothing else because I don't have anything else. Okay. Yep. You have to make that horrible face. You see as they start to heave themselves up no longer prone, as they start to maintain their forms again,

and their approximations of mouths open up and spew the negative energy, once again, on the four of you, with Christmas Navy Thrill, please. Not to me, not to this guy. Wait, what? Wait, what? And who fails, roll, D6. What is the sale?

17. I failed. It doesn't matter. Twenty-six. What's 14 plus seven, 14 plus seven. You're fine. That's more than 17. A golden baby.

Perfect. Way more than 17. 21. Toles? I failed. Why am I so charismatic as clear? This is just the good joints I made. What do you fail?

Oh no, I passed. The other one is gonna roll, I'm gonna roll D6. One, two, three. Two. Oh, another one. saving throw for me, please. Why? Because there is one more that is a melee range.

16 plus seven. So it passed. So Caprice the only one roll, D6, 40, place. Give me the old number five. Like what do? You feel hatred. Uh-oh. You feel hatred that consumes you,

and you feel nothing but pure raw hatred, and the hatred that you feel rips your souls, you're gonna take D8, Sight. Whoa! Leads to suffering. He clearly leads in her turmoil and psychic damage. It leads to horrible nightmares. That's really good.

That's very frank Oz, Yoda. Thank you. Early in original trilogy. Good food, good food. This is how a Zohrba impression. Is it a good it is? What is that, though? That's Lilo and Stitch.

That is Lilo. 10. I rolled literally the worst damage, six. Terrific. Plus seven, ten. 13 points of psychics. That's really bad. I rolled three ones.

I rolled a two, two, three, three, a four and a five. That's really bad. It's really awful. Yeah. So, good. Why do I have this nagging, like a stress in my life?

Okay. And now they're gonna make attacks. Apologies. I'm, I'm, um, we're gonna. of Caprice. Yeah. They both miss. We're going to do IRIS. What for me? Oh, wow. This can both head probably. He's disadvantaged. What for me? Because number two is it disadvantaged. Oh, this is three. But I rolled two 18s for the first head. So that'll be 18 plus nine is that a lot. Yeah. 17. Or 27. So the next one. That's the catch.

Oh, 27 damage? No, 27 hit. So one's going to hit, one's going to miss. For each of those claws. And so I'm going to do a Klaw first. Necotic is the same for you, right? Yes. Okay, so 2D8. Is number 2 or number 3 attacking her? Number 2. Okay. Blu-b-ba-ba-ba,

Roger that. Oh, wow. 10, 14 points of damage, slashing into you, one misses, and then are you advantage against Hoa? No, no. Okay, right for that. Two attacks on you.

Oh, number two also needs to make a Constitution saving throw. Two, I'm gonna just do that a little quick. He gets 17. No, 14, 14, sorry. So he fails. He fails. Still awake. Is corruption disease or poison?

Corruption, was it? Is corruption disease or poison? Is that falling in the law? Corruption is in a language in the game. No, it's not. They're corrupt. So they're necrotic damage for that, if that makes sense. So that's a 19 and a 25, but hit both.

What? 25. 25 hits. I don't think it's the sense that she's looking for. Okay. I could be wrong. Chironic is a type of damage, like corruption is like a... 21 points of damage to you.

I have immune to disease and poison, that's not. I don't think that applies. Roger that. And then on Luffy, two attacks. No. Same. No. 20 and 24.

Yeah, those are. All those will hit. Yep, okay. We're all together. Wow, okay. 10, 11, 15, 19, 19, 22, 22, 29. 31 points of damage. I use my reaction to send another ancestor spirit over

this time in the form of a bore, let's say. And we'll do, that's 10 damage. I'm gonna roll a D8 in the last one in the range. It saves me 10 damage. Oh, I'm sorry, D4 you said. Is this three or four attacking me? Does it matter, he's totally fine.

He's okay. Okay, there you are. You're looking at me like this. Watched that. Did you ask me to roll something? No. Okay. I don't say you asked me to roll.

No, no, he was, because Felix isn't there, so one of them had to attack that. Just like what happened with the star- The one in the middle and the pool, it's, you get the sense that it is actually relatively weak because it is being continually cleansed by the pool, and you get the sense that you turn on it

and it is struggling to maintain a shape even more. Caprice, you're up. Who's looking roughest? Three. No. The roughest is, well, number four is weak. Two. One. Four and five are rough.

Four is the most rough. No, no, no. Three is in the pool. It's taken the most damage and is in the pool. And it is basically, it's being purified as it is trying to attack you. Am I still feeling Haiti? Yeah. Not anymore.

No. No, the hatred left. No. Okay. You felt that horrible hatred and then now it's left you as you realize the pool is trying to clen to evolve that. And you get the sense, and all of you get the sense, as if Golden Lotus, the eternal blossomer Johnny,

is actually is cleansing you of these negative emotions. And she is genuinely trying to bring you onto her side. Killer. With that creature up. I'll turn to three and I'll be like, look at you, you piece of shit. You're just fucking, you're drowning, you're on your ass, you're the worst of all of these horrible nightmare creatures.

I hate your gut. and I will use vicious mockery. It needs to make a wisdom saving for an EC17. It fails. So I will. I know this mockery is. Yeah, okay. I've DM for a bard for how many years at this point?

Two years? I don't know. Let's give it the old. What a nightmare. Nine, and it has disadvantage on the next attack for all it makes. It is very close to death. I didn't kill it with my words.

It is incredibly weak, attempting to maintain its form in this pool, but it cannot. No, I'll turn to Iris and I'll be like, you got this, Iris. Come on, let's do this. Why are you kissing my ass? We've been friends for what feels like 12 years, and up until today, you've never given me a single bit of inspiration. You're the only one who didn't really forgive me, and I kind of deserve that. Yes, I still don't forgive you. I'll need at least 17 more inspirations. Well, make it fixing. Just keep sucking up. Make it 18. But I do.

For a hot 20. A hot 20. As you feel inspired by Capriza's Bordock magic, it's Felix's turn. It's a 10. A D-10. Hot 20. Caprizes suck up. I can see, I'm not really going to move too much because I feel like I have good position and I see that all of the, you know, the chaos that's going on. I'm not really used to fighting without my dagger, so I steady my hand as it begins to blow red, and I fire four scorching rays from my palm. Yeah. Too many scorching rays.

So what I'd like to do is, normally what I would do is fire them one at a time and see if it dies, right? So I'm just gonna roll four hits. I'm gonna start with number three and then probably go to like four and five. Yeah, number of people so we probably just need one. You would know you're smart enough of a little wizard to know that.

So one of them is a natural 20. We'll say one, two, three, four, because there's the last one. Sorry, that was the natural 20. Is a 17 to hit? Yep. So it was meter beat? Yes. All four hit because it's plus nine. Yep. So I'll start with that biz guy right there.

You obliterate him. There's no way that he survives the hit. As in blast into number three. You're just one. You're just going to roll. There's physically no way he can survive. The next one's going after number four. It ignites. And you see the pool which was seeping with his corruption,

the cleansing fire meets the cleansing pool and it erupts and is cleansed. 16 points of damage to number four. 16 points, it is barely hanging up. I hit him with another people. You do that? That's brutal. That's brutal.

What happened? That's crazy. Eight points of damage. That's not. Oh! Yeah, but he drops in the flame. It was so hard to watch. And then the natural 20.

Fires. He's nice. To the number five? Yes, yeah. Awesome. Let's fucking go. Now that is hard. That's going to be 15 plus 12 is 27 plus 5 is 32.

That's right. That's right. That's right. 32 points of fire damage number five. Good man. It's better than Rodick, yeah. 12 plus 10. Is that what I said?

Oh, shoot, I added an extra five. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I had done the five in my head as part of the 15 and the 12. It's 27 total. I apologize. Go to that. Thank you for correct. Five is barely hanging on.

You exonerate. They go up in flame. You're not down too. The cleansing fire as the negative emotions and the top, the demonic corruption that has been plaguing you this entire time now ignites. and number five is barely hanging on. Lifting.

Me? You're up. Okay. So seeing the ones closest to me get just smoked to oblivion, I'm going to run towards number five. Number five is barely holding on, is glooping, it's bubbling.

It has no eyes. None of these have eyes. They're all turning around as they're attempting to maintain their form. As no said, they're gloopy gloopers. I would leap up. And make like a, striking spoon attack. I'm leaping my person. I like to be the person. You like to play with your

action figure. I do. I want to play with my action figure. Go for the eyes, Lufty. So I'm going to leap up with a spoon attack and land on top of five. Roger that. Oh, no. I don't think that makes it. That's 15. That's a mess. Okay. So that's okay. You have to land with your spoon. But and it knocks you off, desperately trying to survive and corrupt you with more negative. Okay, so it, I just kind of like overshoot it a little here. I just screw up. So I'm gonna spin around and try to take the

where a maze would be out from under it. 20. That'll hit. There's no physical way it survives. As you smash into a spoon. And with a single blow, you're spoon collides, the magical enchantment on it, crashed into it and explodes into white, black, gray,

gray scale goo. And it falls off. Only two of these corruption manifestations remain. And so with my third attack, I would come over here and hit number two. Is it still on the ground? No. They're both standing.

It's kind of like these half, that would hit a plus nine something, 22. That'll be my first attack on number two. Number two's looking the weakest. Okay, so that is... What am I doing? 10, 12 on number two.

As you smash into it with your fist, it shocks with electricity, as it is holding on, but it takes the damage. Is Irish turn? I'm going to turn towards number one. I'm going to touch it and cast inflicts wounds at a sixth level because fuck it. Okay. Fuck it.

How does that work? You have a dragon flag coming in. I just have to. Iris doesn't have that. Uh, 17 plus 9 is a 26th. Yeah, that hits more than enough. Okay, I'm going to roll 8D10. Does anyone have any detins?

Yeah, I've got two right here. It is. There's a bunch. How many do you need? This is number one or two? Number one. Two more if you want them? No, I've got eight, but thank you.

Two. Two? Two. Two. Q. Two. Oh, two. I have to pass them out to the barn.

35. 35 points of damage. When she be. the corrupting plagues of anubis, it shoots into this thing, and you see the necrotic damage does not do as much as you'd expect, but it does take some of the damage.

You're still inspired? You didn't use an inspiration? No. Okay, just keep that on you. Thank you. In 60 rounds of combat, okay, close to that. It is a toaster.

This is 600. Seeing that there are only two laps, a little up to the first guy and just recklessly attack, power attack. All attack first one. Oh, so close. So that's going to hit for 29 points of damage to number two. The number two. Okay, shit, hold on one sec.

Let's see if wind cure growths. 29. It does. After that, he's barely holding on to. Second attack will come back down. If it hits, it's going to destroy them. That hits? It smashes it, and the totem is coated in black and white goo

as it smashes apart a single bit. A single manifestation of the corruption of all six negative emotions within you. So Wind Fury propped. So I will be kind of engulfed with winged as it almost moves my totemes totem yet again, and I'll make this one of power attack recklessly. 14... Yep, that hits. That will be... Ooh, pretty good. A 9, 29 points of damage.

How can do this? I'll just sort of... My totem is just kind of coursing with this light blue wind as I just come up and around and just through the middle of it. I just basically decimate it. and this, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, shrewes is going to kind of squish from either end as I bring it down all the way to the ground. You smash it down, and glowing, you see, Toa's eyes are flashing with the same color that his tattoos, twas, twirl around him as he smashes, and pride. Nice.

Like hitting a gelo mold with baseball. Felix, you see your dagger shimmering in the shallow water. Oh, no. You grab it. Oh, thank God. And you all turn around. Where there had been a brilliant expanse out into the land of Yulong, there is now a stairway downward. And you see now down that stairwell the brilliant murals of the golden and you see now, the

of the golden lotus of the eternal blossom, Rajani, shimmering on either side is outbaved in the molten glow of the forge. As you hear the hammering and hammering and hammering of the forging of the glaves together to form a weapon to enact the will of Rajani. And with that, we'll end the session. Ooh, baby.

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