Legends of Avantris - Beneath Dark Wings | Ep. 48 | Loss of Innocence: Part 2

Episode Date: May 22, 2025

An attack on the castle takes the party by surprise...   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/bKkCYgLrfSs?si=SNOuYZk3lLI85VrK

Hey men, welcome to Legends of Adventress, on Toa Kamenui, and you're listening to Beneath Park Wings. You are in the audience hall, and it's quiet has returned. The torches are, or the candles, rather, are still flickering, casting the low light across this chamber. We should get some missed. I'm very happy to help him collect his reagents. I still remember really understand with that means. Me neither. I mean, plants, materials, things that have magical property. I mean, it's how

we learn to cast spells and make magic. There are all sorts of things that we'll be looking for that have some sort of next-term little bit of. Yes, like bat guano can conjure and fireball. Exactly. It's just... It can also be used to make a mascara if you'd like your eyelashes to be longer, more voluptuous. Oh. Oh. Well, that sounds...

very cool and I'm very excited to help him tomorrow I trust him completely and that was a very sad story why are you making his face yeah I'm not going to pick up poop not for you not for Asher not for anybody I mean if we

just need some bad guano I could polymorph myself into a bat and take a big healthy dump does that work the moment you stop becoming a bat will be holding caprice I was gonna say I it doesn't really add up to me how does that work if you poop as a bad and then you unpoly

polymorph would it really change back into teeth flip poop? Oh, it might not even exist at all. It's really hard to keep a straight face while I RP this. Dungeon Master, if I were to polymorph into a bat, could we use a bat guano or would it turn back into teep? I think it would vanish. I think it would be vanished. I'm saying, I think it would be vanished.

If you wild chip into a deer and cut off the leg, and then wild shape back, like an actual rule. Yeah, it's just gone. It's gone. Yeah. Well, shit. It's magic. with the leg to go.

Yeah. So your leg's gone. No, the deer leg would just like... Your hole and you're like, fuck, that hurt as a deer. But then your hole and the deer you can't... You can't...

Right. And let's make... And from Fries found, you can't do that. You'd be like, don't! But what if you eat the leg and then Colliemore's back? You would just vanish from your stuff. You wouldn't get a new cheese from. It's not... So you would no longer feel full.

It's like really... It's the same thing as the magic mansions that we've had. If you take the food that we are given and we leave with it, it vanishes. Yeah, but if you eat the food in the mansion and the tree, you still feel fluid. That's different. We already solved this problem.

Because it's explicitly part of the spell, right? Is that it makes actual food, but you can't take it with you. But you can't take it with you. I don't know. I don't know if I liked that. Well, once you eat it, it's yours. We already solved this problem in Faywild

where Frost was constantly trying to get Grico into something so if they could eat. Exactly. We go to pig, Grico. Come on. Just leave us what? We're not asking for very much yet, so I really enjoy some cream. Grap some of that dill cow, please.

I want to milk you. What's the new? Is there any animal that secretes beans? Is there any animal that secretes beans? Ew. Some sort of bean preacher. I'm thinking of a little like squeezy sheep that shit out jelly beans that is queues.

I once heard of a mythical scene bean gulam. This is for context. If you happened to watch us and 2018 or earlier, we had a campaign called Call of the Faywild. Yep. These were fun adventures from four years ago. Just outrageous adventures. Wonderful, wonderful. I can't believe we never tried to convince Burko to turn into a cow so you can milk him. No, I never tried to milk Grico.

But I did try to convince him to turn into a horse so we could turn his feet into glue. Yes, I do remember that. Graz, are you dreaming the sovereign to live with. We have a huge. There are you. Great, it was like, no, Frosty, that'd be horrible! Stop! Oh, okay. Good time. Good stuff. You were all in the audience hall. Escher has left, leaving almost soundlessly,

the very faint clack of his boots, echoing and fading as he makes his way into the castman. We may not trust Zern, but he definitely sent us to the right place. I feel like we've got a contact now. We've got a bad forward. Yeah, I just feel so bad. He's so sad. That rhymed. It did, yeah. We could make it right.

We can fix it, maybe we could ally him and this Alexei von Zorovic, and we could make a team that can take down the carrion king and stop him at his plan. I agree. There's no way that this Alexei won't help us. I mean, it sounds like they go very far back. And we have allies. This is good. This is better than I thought it would be.

Like, I understand that we're in the middle of war. Things are going on, but Intel is Intel, and this paid off. Yeah, we may be in a domain of filled with undead monstrosities, but we have a silver lining in the form of this count. Yeah, but what if he doesn't want to help? This Alexi? Yeah, I mean, he said this. you know, Escher can't go there because what he's done to the land.

Maybe he's doing that on purpose. If you were friends with someone, would you make your land so uninhabitable that your friend could not join you? Maybe not, but maybe I misheard, but it's the same last name as Ravenobia, right? He would be invested in finding his daughter potentially, right? That's right. Let's not make assumptions before we meet this person. I know. I'm just...

Oh, it was so sad. I hate to see somebody so upset. Well, it's clearly, I mean, if they're protecting themselves from undead, unfortunately, Count Kraskoff, he's undead. He doesn't mean to be undead, maybe. But, you know, by protecting yourself from these horrible, ghouly, zombie things, it just has the unfortunate side effect of affecting Asher as well. All right. Okay, you're right. You're right. That actually brings up another question, which, Iris, in all of your learning,

Is there such a thing as a clerical anti-bamber zippity-z-op that makes them not vampire anymore? Could you save his daughter and the count from... Are you drunk? I mean, I've had two bottles of wine. So almost. What he's saying is he's well on his way. I did not understand a single word of what you just said to me. Can you zip-a-dies-up vampire?

No, lost me already. Can you cast a spell? Okay, following. Where vampire ends. Unto, undead. Oh, no, absolutely not. Wait, so you can't cure vampirism, vampireness? Like, by not killing them dead dead, but bringing them back to...

No. Not too much. It's very confusing, I agree. Ouch! Here is the thing. Ouch. Vampires are dead. But he's clearly alive.

No, he's clearly dead. I mean, he's... He's the wrong approximation of life. Here's the thing, I mean... And spells, even those that I do not have the powder cast, that would potentially bring people of ages past back to life, would not work on him because he is not currently dead, will also be currently dead.

So he's like deed, deed. He's both dead and not dead. He's dead and not dead. I'm gonna echo. He's dead and not dead. No, he didn't do anything. He doesn't have to do anything for me to learn these spells. No, he's to get strong.

What? He's dead. What did he do? No, no, no, no, he's dead. He's like not alive. He's dead? He's like not a lie. He's dead or is he not dead?

I don't know if he did what you're asking me. You're not finishing your sentence to him. Am I not making sense? What? Since when? I don't know, feelings. Please hurt. He's ridiculous. Caprice's drum two bottles. Can we go to bed?

D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-B-D-B-D-B-B-T-B-B-B-B. All I was going to say was that I echo what I were saying in that. There's whispers of being able to undo that sort of thing, but in all of my studies, I haven't discovered anything. Granted, I haven't been on this earth for very long, so... Well, I mean, he's still alive, so he's in a very long life. He's in a very long life. Oh, he's not alive. He's not alive. It's very clear.

I'm just gonna stop thinking about it, please. It's okay, Toa. Just know that he is very, very permanently dead. He just walks around and, you know, exists. No, he's just dead. I think he's more unalive. He exists. But he's dead.

Does he, does his heart pump blood? No. No? No. He doesn't even beat. So how does he, uh... What? Why are we talking about his penis?

Oh. Caprice. Just the wine talking. Just the wine talking. All right? Just the wine. Wine line. Appropriate. I'm going to go find Brutus and get some more wine.

I think we should go to be... Yeah. All right, fine. You know what I find more disturbing than Caprice's comment? I can't wait to hear this. The fact that all he added you was this for me to know what he was talking about. That's how long I've been around, Caprice.

Yeah, we've been spending all too much time together, I think. I had risk, a year ago, would have never understood what that meant. I want to go to sleep. We've been corrupted. I've moved my family. Oh, Mofti's trying to say she's lonely. And she's been hanging out with us this all time. I said before me, Mitch, said, and his name.

Quietly from another realm. Oh, no. That's terrible. That's terrible. Every time. I don't feel lonely now. I said that. Are you all sad?

Do you want to talk? Do you want to snuggle? You said you were lonely. I only feel, I have felt lonely in the past. I think it's okay to admit that. She tells a lot of lies when she's trying to sleep or sleep. I cannot confirm nor deny. What should I say? I'm fine with any of...

That's fine. That's fine. I believe you. I think we should go to bed. I agree. Let's go to bed. Fine. You make your way back through the castle. Through the castle, much of the light has been snuffed out, and you hear the grind of machinery and the bubbling of strange alchemical goings on down certain hallways.

And however, it's quiet in your room. You just hear the crackling of the fire that's been prepared for you by Brutus. And there are plenty of beds for you to enjoy and get comfortable. I'm gonna get some sleep, nobody, everyone. Um, do you think we need to keep watch? Oh, maybe you just do that thing you do with the alarm thing. Yeah, that's fine. I mean, Beatrice can watch and I'll set up a perimeter and I'm not gonna be able to fall asleep right away anyway, so that, that's fine. Why didn't we do that with the girl?

How often do people call Beatrice Beatrice Beatrice? What? Beatrice? When you look, when you think about the way the name is spilt, it would so easily be confused with the name Beatrice. I mean, I guess, I'm very, you know, technical. So no one who's ever accidentally called B-R-E-R-E-R-E-R-I-C-E. What? No, it's not I-R-I-C-E.

I'm just saying, I mean, some might be able to pronounce it that way if they just have a different phoneticization. What? E-R-R-R-S. To answer your question, if anybody's ever thought that they've never said it to me. Oh, thank you. Hey, you're welcome. I would begin to...

Because she's spoken her name to you, an actual... Are you... How convinced, on a scale of 1 to 10, maybe, that her name is pronounced Beatrice and not Beatrice? An 11. Why? She talks to me. Oh!

Like that frog! What? That frog that I was waiting for outside of Korovacia, where at the one. Wow, it's me. Remember, by the waterfall was Toa? I was waiting for that frog to come back.

It was just me and you are at the time. I think everyone else was in... But I told with them. Was wasted and seen in that village, Kirstearn, I believe. Everyone was totally wasted in the sleep. Yes, that sounds about right. Yes. Well, it might be the same thing.

That frog could not talk to me. Well, then it's probably not the same thing. And so when I sent it off with that letter and it never returned... You sent it off with a letter? Yes, like you do with Beatrice. She taught it to a frog. and it jumped in the water and it looked soggy like the sickened and hit the water.

That letter definitely didn't get anywhere. I'm just not sure. You probably just found a normal frog. Well, yes, I thought that Beatrice was a blue... I didn't know you very well. Oh, that's fair. I didn't understand it's bad. She's very much just in essence of magic.

And so that frog couldn't talk to me and so I thought, well, did he just make up this name? Because it's spelled Beatrice. That's fine. Hey, Boomers, do you remember episode two of... ...from August of... ... literally August of 28th. 2018, which is three years ago. I remember. I'm going to bed.

I laughed when I thought of it. I'm going to change into one of the nightgowns in the wardrobe, even though it's huge for me. It's a big one, yeah. Yeah, it's just, I'm going to like, it's going to look like a baby in a price back. It's very comfortable, though. It is very comfortable. Fancy.

Exactly right. And I'll tuck myself. I would spend my evening doing the normal, you know, spell stuff, talking to Beatrice. And then I'm going to work focus on for preparing my mind. my spells for tomorrow. Yeah. How many beds are there? I would say there's probably six.

I'm gonna go to the bed that Lifty's in and I'm gonna get into the very middle of it and then I'm gonna spread out so she's got like this tiny little fortune on the side. Good night, Lifty. I'm gonna like cling on to like her, one of her limbs and just, oh, good night. Just take any little inch of the bed that I can absorb. How does alarm work? Oh. Oh, I will read it to you.

That is. I don't like that question. So I richly cast it as many times for that need to do the thing. So you're able to get the entire area of the road? You set an alarm against unwanted intrusion. I choose a door, a window, or an area within range. There's no larger than a 20-foot cube. But I can do it over and over again, I guess, because it's a ritual.

Until the spell ends. Well, no, it can be. It works eight hours. I mean, that's important to notice. It can be. Only at the moment of cats. Until the spell ends, the alarm alerts you whether a tiny, or large creature touches or enters the warded area.

When I cast a spell, I can designate creatures that won't set off the alarm. So the only people I'm choosing are the people that we know because we have, we have Escher's word, but it doesn't mean we trust him. I'm not letting him come into the room. And it would, you know, it would only be the five of us and Beatrice that can enter. Yeah. You know, anybody else who doesn't. What it does is a mental alarm alerts you with a ping in your mind if you are within one mile

the worded area. This ping awakens you if you are sleeping. An audible alarm produces the sound of a handbell for 10 seconds within 60 feet. So the idea is that, right, depending on what you want to choose, right, it can either be a silent alarm or it can be that everybody who is good to go. Oh, so in this instance, it would be an audible alarm. Any instance where we are aware that there is danger and that an alert wouldn't be a problem, it would be audible.

But if we're trying to lay low, it would be just me waking up. I'm waking everybody else up. Okay, cool. The sound will be the sound of cans on the spring and knocking against each other. Yeah, click, click, click, no, it's the sound of a handbell, Derrick, I just read it.

Have you fucking heard a handbell? It sounds nothing like cans on a strip. You also will end for the night. There's anything else anyone wants to do before you go to sleep. Toad passes out immediately. No, I'm just thinking about my bills tomorrow. I'm just going through my shit. Oh, I'm just going through my keepling shit.

This doesn't look anything like that. He tried to following more view of that shit. No, steely. Oh, man, that's my shit. God damn it, this isn't gonna work at all. What I'm gonna do with all this shit? No! No!

Get out! Get out! Cut out! Cut it out! I quit. I quit. I'm quit. Derry is fired.

I'm quit. Derry is fired. I get we're a mature stream and there are lines. There are no lines. There are lines. I am so sorry. Amazing. If you leave right now, I won't blame you.

I will leave you. I leave too, but I can't. They locked the door. So, as you've alarmed this entire space. This is why we keep pistachios. Stop. You've alarmed this whole space. You drift off to sleep all of you.

And you all enjoy a long rest and you wake up the next morning. Despite it being morning, the cloud cover, it's no longer storming, but it is so dreary and thick. It looks like nighttime outside with how thick the cloud cover is. But you hear the distant sounds of life in the forest, but it doesn't sound pleasant like birds, songbirds chirping. You're the distant howl or growl or squawk of some vulture or cry of a bird of prey. And With that, you're able to do whatever your life to do it.

All right, I'm feeling rested. The alarmed didn't trigger, so I mean, you never sleep peacefully. I think we should go check on the girl before we leave, before we meet Escher and the audience. It couldn't hurt. I agree. How long does that Van Bell Deliac? Eight hours, so it's about up now. Up now. Oh. Oh, convenient. Let's go talk to him, to see if the goes awake. We'll check on her and just make sure she's safe and alive still, and then we'll go meet

her show. So I would lead the gang towards the room, the girl, and just check on her. You do that. You make your way through the castle, it's very quiet. The very faint light of this very gloomy morning, uh, shines through. the windows and you see the valleys in the forest all stretching out, the forest in the valley stretching out all around you, the mountaintops that make this valley. Do you see any like human settlements at all, any villages? No, this is very, it had been many, many miles past the last settlement that you saw. You didn't even see vulture centuries.

Escher had said earlier that they, the vulture riders, have gotten smart because the gargillers would just go up and smash them. It's nice. Um, so you, it's very remote. You make your way up and, um, you, as you approach the door, you actually see a bit of movement, that the door opens. And you look and there's nothing there and you look down and then there's Brutus. And he, uh, as he's leaving. Oh, oh, good morning. How do you sleep?

Good morning. I slept very well. Those beds were surprisingly comfortable. Yeah. Probably not the best sleep I had in my life. I'm just leaving a little on some breakfast in case she decides to wake up while everyone is away. Oh, so she's still alive and not undead or a embryo? Oh, you know, she seems to be fine. She hasn't really, well, she hasn't really changed at all, I guess. Oh, did you give her a nice morning hug? Oh, I did.

I'll give her a nice hug. Oh, that's very nice. I gave a little hot water bottle on a foot, little forehead. I dabbed it with a towel. And I left some breakfast. I left some breakfast. It's not, nothing, nothing. And I did make some cookies.

and hopefully she likes them if she gets to try them. Did you, do you mind if we check on her real quick, just, you know, say, Of course, we go, let's go, and he steps out of the way to, oh, the master wanted me to, the master wanted me to tell you that we are going to meet by the elevator. And so... Which is an elevator? Oh, it's a little thing, you go, I've never heard of this.

But what's purpose? To go... Elevate you higher or lower. Would I know what a lift is from perhaps the Galtican building? I would say, yeah, you would know what that is. It's right in the name. It elevates you. I mean, at least in Zentra, we took stairs to go up and down.

Yeah, this is like a box that's on a chain and it can go up and down. You just haven't traveled enough. It are other places. This is the thing. That sounds very nice and pleasant because I don't have to go home downstairs. And actually preaches your high stool have that here. Oh, no, the master built it himself and said he took the designs from his old home before he built me. Oh!

Just make sure that you don't get off while it's still moving. There's a chance you can be cutting half. Well, I mean, it's cutting in whatever part still happens to be... Don't worry about it. It's not going to happen. Just don't move until it stops moving. Or I could be bisected? Well, I mean, it trisected or twice.

effect it I guess depending on how you get out. Mostly despise it. It doesn't seem like the risks. Maybe. I mean, why not just use stairs? Why not just walk up and down places instead of taking the ocean? Oh, you really, very, very, very long drop. So stairs will just take way too wrong.

There's no need to panic. I'm sure it's perfectly safe. This is really quite a treat. I've been on them, obviously Caprice has been on them. I've never been on one. I just usually use my legs, but anyway, I don't. That's okay. I don't want.

I want to be cutting hair for the ex. It's very safe. I mean, it hasn't been used in a very long time. But you know what else? It's free. So just we can get on it. Oh, it's free. Unlike stairs.

Yeah. I thought, I mean, stairs are pretty free. You're not just to kind of, yeah, but why not go faster also for free? I mean, they're saving time as nice. I just don't want to be cut in half. You're not going to, we're not going to happen. You're not going to, I just want to be cutting hair. None of us want to be cutting hair.

All right. Okay. Okay. Yeah, back in Gothic Dead only happened like once or twice a month. He'll be fine. Okay. You can go check. I'll be waiting. Rush. The room right here. I'll be waiting. No rush. No rush. Oh, no. The master's, he's ready. He's in his riding levers. And we're, he's ready to go. Oh, great. All the door. And the room is basically effectively how you left it. You see that there's these cookies that seem to be made with, you should be these sugar, that look really fluffy and they're covered in these large cubes of sugar on top.

And they're all stacked up and there's a glass of milk next to it as well as you see that there is, there seems to be some sort of cooked bore fat or some kind of animal fat and strips and some eggs that have been cooked. And we haven't had breakfast yet? No. These could be poisoned. Little girls. Little girl. little girl.

She's completely stationless. She's quietly sleeping like sleeping beauty. Well, you're being insensitive. All right, we know that she's... I just wanted to see if she was awake. What do you want me to do? I want you to be respectful. She's under some sort of spell or a curse.

I didn't know that. You did know that. How would you let me to test if she's awake? I said it very quietly. Well, I believe that... You're just always speaking on me. He's always speaking on me. No, Duke Kreskov did tell us that he was going to work on a kind of cure to her stasis.

So, I mean, I think you could probably presume, based on what he said, that he would let us know once he's come up in the Alphemy land. I mean, it's literally the ingredients we're going to look for this morning. Right, and he doesn't have the ingredients. Okay, okay. Logically that he hasn't brewed the cure yet. So... Can I presume that? Well, I mean...

Yeah? I think it's... Yeah. No, you could just say... Can I presume that? I'm with Luffy on this one. I think you can presume it. You can presume that both of you are now on my shit list.

What else is new? Hey girl, there's a unicorn! Oh, if only there is a little girl to ride it! Oh, we're right. Well, that's right, my best. Yeah? You good? You satisfied? She's asleep? I think that we're going to help her right now. No, I don't like either of you.

I'm taking a cookie and a sloppy bacon. have a bacon and I'm walking away. That's not for you. Unbelievable. Oh, I'm sorry. I thought she was 100% definitely asleep and not waking up. It's still not for you.

And I'm gonna leave the room and wait for the rest of them and presumably wait to make my waiter. I'm gonna hurry. I also will have a cookie bacon. You do that and as you get, the cookie and the bacon are absolutely unbelievably delicious.

You have. Unbelievably delicious. You have had. The sugar cube really make It really does. I never thought of it. You have not had many cookies or pieces of baking better than this. And especially with your rations and the food that you've been eating lately, it's an incredible dream.

I just don't believe them sometimes. You know? Yeah, I mean, that was pretty rude. But, you know, we're all this together. I think they have, they just want to make sure we're all on the same page. We were rude. At least, at least now we know that it's not poisoned. I guess.

That's unbelievable. Ha! Serves you right! Oh shit, he's dead! You say! Okay, are you ready to go, meet the Boston? Yeah. Okay, come around this way, and he leads you through,

and closes the door gently behind him. He says, oh, sleep well, little one, hopefully you enjoy the breakfast. And he's like, I made it especially for you. I hope you like it. I love... I think she will. It's really good. And he...

Oh, did you... Oh, you must have smelled it. I'm sure that was very nice to smell. I've... I've even really cooked for anyone besides the one guest that we have down in the dungeon and all he gets is like moldy bread. Why?

Who is that in the dungeon? And why do we get better food? I know you keep saying, as we're wrong. You keep saying guests, but that sounds a lot more like a prisoner. Now, yeah, he's definitely a prisoner. We just call him the guest because it's kind of fun. So why? Who?

Who is it? It's for, in case of emergencies only. Like, for... Oh no. To eat, you mean? Yeah, it's one of them vulture orders. He's been here for a while, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's fun. So that's where Asher sometimes gets his source of food.

Oh, any intruder comes, yeah. Oh, geez. And so, but it hasn't been anyone in the war, so we always keep someone in a dungeon in case of emergencies only. Well, I suppose that's sensible, but... but well it's a bad guy that he's eating so it's okay right didn't it's my heart-lofty if if I taught you anything on the months that we spend together and known each other that bad guy is relative yes that's true well I mean if he was gonna eat anyone it'd be better than he eats a bad guy so that's true right so but we shouldn't I feel good

about it stop talking I feel good about it I feel fine please leave the way now though maybe we can talk to him the prisoner yeah oh I don't want to talk to him if he's having it eaten. Well. Why? Because he's more like food and less like people. We won't throw that idea out. Imagine if you could talk to your food, though.

We'll keep that... No. I got to try. No, I don't want to admit. I'm gonna put that idea on the side, right? So maybe he would have some good information for us. Well, keep that idea in our back pocket. Depending on how things go.

Oh, no, the master already questioned him. So all the information that he could give, he's already... He's already gone. He's already gone. He's just food. No one's allowed in a dungeon beside. me and the master. Not even the block here,

allowed down here. I'm sure that if Fischer, you know, needed to let us down there, he would, but we can talk to him about it. It's fine. Don't panic. And he's waiting right now. Perfect. All right, let's go, then.

Not holding up. He leads you down to the grand entrance hall. You pass the ruins of the statues. You see the tattered tapestries. And Brutus opens the gate. And you see that large courtyard, the wall crumbling in some place. and large blocks and stones,

and it takes you around the backside of the castle, especially in the daylight. Although it's gloomy, you still see how large this castle is. As you make your way around it through the courtyard, you actually hear the rustling of some animals, and you see actually there's a stable where there seemed to be some sort of livestock on one side. And you actually make your way around.

On the back side of the wall, there's a gate that's over that's open and it seems to have some roof attached to it and you see as you approach it seems to just be a cliff face that just looks completely down thousands of feet below into the valley and you see as you see as you now approach there's a large platform attached to the side of the walls that with these chains that seem to run all the way down to the the valley below with a wooden and stone platform that seems to be connected that's built in and there's basically an alcove carved into the the cliff face that this castle built on all the way down and so we would take that's the elevator oh yeah that's it that's it

and as you all approach this large lift it seems to be open air in a flash right in the air where there had been nothing previously blinks into existence. Asher. And he is dressed, well, he had been in just kind of these roughshod, casual clothes the night prior. He is now actually dressed up a little bit

in relatively fancy riding leathers. And he is on top of a horse that seems to be floating in the air. black hair, blazing, blazing orange and red, mane, and tail. And as it snorts, you see the steam and fire and smoke billow out. You actually see that its face is equine, but you see, like, are there fangs, some serpentine figures,

some serpentine features to this face. It is very much an unnatural horse's eyes blaze, as you see that he is a whole, riding with no saddle on the back of this horse, just kind of keeping one arm on the neck of this incredibly majestic but unsettling stallion. And in his right hand, the rapier is sheathed at his side. He's holding what looks like a black parasol that shades him from the light, tiny bit of sun. It seems to actually be a little bit too frilly.

And it seems very dainty, but it seemed to do the trek. And he greets here. Well, did you all sleep well in Castle Romonia, my honored guest? Yes. Yeah, we did. It was very nice. It was surprisingly comfortable. Thank you for your hospitality. Well, I did say I was a vampire of my word.

Did I know? Yeah, you did. What kind of horse is that? Oh, this is Busephalus. Say hello, Busephalus. And you see that there, it let out this. horrifying the winning. I need everyone actually make a wisdom saving throw. Oh, yeah. I immediately regret asking.

What in the hell? Go. Oh, national tundee. Gotta give it up. Got to give it up. 15. I shit my pants. Would you say a con? Would you say wisdom? Wisdom. 22. 14. 11. 9.

Nine. I think that everyone, I think that everyone, Except for Iris. All of our dictions. What did you? I got a 15. I got more than Toa. The DC was 14. Oh, I failed.

Oh, I got a 14. And I got a 15. I won. Okay, the DC was 14. I win. I throw up everywhere. Need it or be right? Those of you that failed are absolutely filled with just horrific terror.

Oh. As these eyes go wide and they look, they narrow malevolent. and you hear that is so horrifying. It just shakes you to the core and you see Asher lean forward. No, no, Bocetilis, they are friends, they are friends. You don't need to scare them. I know. You enjoy that. So who failed? Me? I'm terrified. I tried to show it, but I poop my pants. I'm all of your hair. You must, you must excuse. Everyone. His name is Bosephilus. Yes, yes, mesophilus. He's not gonna get into the Yeah, the left with us, is he?

No, I'm going to fly. Oh, thank God. You can fly? Well, the cephalus can fly. I can also fly if I turn into a bat, but that is so uncivilized. Well, then we'll take this elevator. Yes, I'm going to meet you at the bottom. Unless you have extra room.

For me? No, no, that's okay. Do you want to get on the cephalus after what just happened? You must excuse me. You must excuse him. He's a little anxious. He hasn't had prey in a while. No, no. He might eat you. It might eat you. You see him open his mouth and they're very clearly predator teeth. Just ride the lift with us. Just ride the elevator with us.

Okay. There's human teeth. He opens his mouth and there. I want to steal. I want to eat human flesh. With my human teeth. Maybe I ride with you all. But Raincheck? I open my mouth and I have horse teeth. I'm a cat with horse teeth.

I'm afraid that Bicephalus only answers to me. But I will observe you and I will give you guidance. I will see you down at the bottom of the valley. And then we will find all of the reagents that we need. They should not take more than the day.

Okay. Let's go, Zand. I haven't repaired this in a while. I hope that it works. Hi. Well, I guess we'll see you down there. Just snow just over there. I'll start to walk very carefully onto the elevator. You walk, yeah, it's right here, right here.

Does it shift when tow is massively? It creaks a little bit and grown. Yeah, what is it made up? It's made out of metal and stone and wood. And so there are a large chains that go down, and some sort of strange gear contraption on either side that obviously lowers that. And Brutus walks over to a massive lever.

It is, okay, I want to board. That seems to support my weight just fine. Okay, well. I'm no problem. That's fine. And I fall down. The light goes on. Ding.

This is the overweight capacity. No, we all get on. You get on and Escher rides down. You see that Bicephalus, this nightmare, is running, galloping, but just through the air, and there's flames licking off his hooves as Escher rides down in a spiraling pattern down towards the valley. And with that, you hear the loud clanking of metal as Brutus leans forward and pushes the lever. You hear, and there's a lurch that you drop a little bit. And then it catches, okay, everyone have a fun time.

catching when we rage raged have a blanche have fun with the planch we'll see you to know for a no shipper

and he shuffles off oh and you see now as this large platform to lower down the cliff face

as you make your way deeper and deeper into the valley wow this isn't bad I mean this is you know we'll be down there in no time this is a little bumpy

but not bad It saves us a lot of time. Imagine having a climb all the way down here. It would have taken half a day. Well, not for me, but this is Stefan, I guess. For me, definitely. This is very convenient, I'll say. Was it just me or was that horse that Azure had? Scary ass. That was definitely not a horse. And I don't like that he didn't answer my question about what kind of horse that it was. He just completely glossed over and introduced its name. Well, it was so nice. I mean, it was just like a little horse.

little, you know, it's like a little scary homey. What? Well, I think it was definitely not a horse, but some kind of like horrific nightmare creature. I mean, I'm gonna have my nightmares. He seems like good intention, do you know? He's just like, booed, but I'm still your friend, you know? No, not at all. Oh, that's the vibe I got.

It's not Bocephalus's fault that he was born that way. He's exactly right. So, I mean, he can't help it. but clearly, if they can't trust Bosephalus, they're not trust Bosephalus. It seemed like a nice horse. I guess. It's just definitely not a horse. Definitely not a horse. I mean, he was flying.

He looked kind of like a horse, but he wasn't really a horse. I mean, look, he's flying. And I look, and I point. Okay, okay. The never-ending story. As you go down on this rickety left, the forest of the valley below, it's larger and larger, and you see now that the,

that same familiar, incredibly dark tree cover is awaiting you at the bottom of this cliff. And eventually, you arrive at the bottom of the left. And you look up and just see just how far you've traveled. And you see the darkness of the forest all around you. As there's only, there's really only probably about 30 feet of clear space before the tree line that's cleared out around this elevator.

And you hear that strange, you hear that strange snorting, not the terrifying whinny, but as Escher, a top Bicephalus with his parasol gallops through the air and floats above, he's like, well, how did you enjoy my invention? We're all in one piece. Yeah, such as exciting.

It saved lots of time, so I appreciate it. So what are we looking for? What do you want us to find for you? Well, like I said, I'm going to test if you are appropriate lab assistance. And so we're going to gather all of the six reagents that we need for all of my alchemy, far more powerful in this land than the rest of Strigger, much to Virgil Zern's dismay. But it is very dangerous. But I know that you're up to the test. You seem powerful. you seem powerful.

Yeah. I am not. I am going to ride above you and give you words of encouragement and advice, but I am going to keep my hands clean of the situation to see how well you do. We need six ingredients. There's marrow root, ghost mushroom, widow bloom, sorrow moss, death blossom, and bloodline. Got as far as marrow root. I skipped one and got ghost mushroom.

Ghost mushroom. I will take you to wear. you can gather each one in great quantities. The stone watchers I have can find the occasional bits of these reagents growing here and there, but they are not very intelligent and they are not very graceful. They do not have what it takes to actually find where these reagents grow quantities. Our of these plants come from the Shadowfell. Do you know what the Shadowfell is? Totally? I think we've heard... I feel like you've all heard the A. You've talked about that. Yeah, I mean, I know all about the Shadowfell. Duh.

Oh, it's... I mean, it's death-related. I mean, I think Irish knows maybe something about it. Isn't an enabasol related to it? No. I'm sure. Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no. No. Well, I mean, it is the realm of death and shadow. That's exactly, you know, what I know. It is far more connected to it than the other regions of Strigger.

Far more crossings, shadow, far more preachers of that realm linger here in this plane. And much like the Faywild, the shadow fell is very strongly connected to emotions. In order to get to the areas where you will need to gather these plants, you will need to channel an emotion deeply connected to the shadow fell, all of negative and terrible, and then conquer it. And then you will be able to, hopefully, collect the herbs unimpeded. Does that sound like it's doable with my lab assistants? No, nobody's assistant.

well perhaps you will help gather at least one re-agent oh probably not no I can't see myself helping with anything really what come on come on no hey I'm a princess

I know but that's like part of your royal duty right no no much please do not make me right to daddy if you call him Daddy one more time, I will not stop myself from sending you to Anubis himself. That sounds pretty serious. And I promise you, he would not be tempted by your girlish wiles.

Well, it's his loss, I must say. And you see now that Escher, he still looks about his withered physically, but there seems to be a bit of, a bit of gumption that he has. His spirit seemed to have been lifted a little bit after your meeting last night. That's being said, they can be helpful in other ways. It's just, we'll gather, plants. Okay, fine. We'll gather you protect. We'll see.

We're ready. Off to gather marrow route. That is where we are closest to. It's an abandoned cemetery, not far from here. Jeez. And he begins to gallop through. You'll follow me, keep up, and I will explain how this is done. Okay.

Merritt grows in the deepest tombs and crates. No, you're speaking my language. Infusing with the bones of those buried there. It is a place where there might be skeletons in their undefathearcts, in their undef, working and with. waiting. But you can tread there unimpeded if you are able to master regret. The dead, still restless, lost souls that have unfinished business, lost, never able to finish what they had hoped to in life. So much regret gives them a terrible mockery of life. If you are able to

Master your regret, you'll be able to walk deep into those catacoons and gather the rich concentration of marrow root that's undoubtedly growing. I mean, worst case scenario, we can deal with skeletons. I mean, I saw. This sounds easy-peze. Moloch and raffirmed. I mean, what are a few skeletons? Walking with a shambling, whatever.

You do not want those grasping hands touching you. is there not just skeletons raised by some poultry necromancer. These are horrors from the shadow felixel. It's all most like a pelican. And he guides you through, and Cephalus' of clean, mane, and tail, illuminates the trees as he rides through and talks to you. He lets down his parasol as he's in the tree cover.

as there's a bit of a clearing and he pulled it back up and you see what looks like an ancient abandoned cemetery, ruined tombstones. But you see that there actually is a crumbled stone entrance of a cripple stairs going down, one of the doors having broken and fallen off on the outside. And although there's a clearing, the canopy almost swallowed this entire thing. It's a little bit of light getting through, but it is very dark. Ready to go? Yeah. Why do I look so glum? Just one of you needs to go. What do you mean? One. We're a group. We do things together. That's why we watch each other's backs. Yes, exactly right. The dead and the creatures of shadow and the creatures of the

night resent the living. If five of you go, you will draw their ire. This is about finesse. It's about being delicate, not bursting through with your weapons and spells. It's about mastering your emotion, just like is demanded and crushed by the Shadowfield. Well, how big are these tools? Are they wide passages, big open, you know, ballroom? It is very narrow. I would ask that anyone else but myself go into the tomb crypt. And you said we have to deal with regret?

Regret. You must well have the regret. Think about your regrets. Whel it up inside and master it. Conquer it. Regret might as well be my male name. Well, then this might be your opportunity, Felix. Yeah.

What's your last name? My last name is Ackerman. Feeleckleckleck. Yeah, I mean, that's pretty much it. I'm regretting you asking me to go in there. I mean, what? I think he's asking me to conquer your regret. How am I supposed to?

to conquer my regret, all right? How is he supposed to conquer his regret? You're basically asking me to forgive myself for every horrible thing I've ever done. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I do. You regret things. Why don't you waltz down into that, Chris?

The point is not for me to do what I've done before, Felix. The point is to see if you have what it takes to defeat the carrion king. I've only heard of your power from, concerning yourselves. I've yet to see it. It's not just power of spell and sword

that is going to win this battle. It's mastery of our emotions. Walking in the valley of the shadow of death without being consumed and corrupted by the creatures of the night that walk in that valley. You can do,

this. All right, fine. Easy peasy. To beat the carrion king and save these children. That's the reason why. Yeah. Yes. Let's see what you have, Felix. So what am I supposed to do? Spill my guts before I step foot in there,

or just like, internalize it and think about it. And hope that I don't get ripped limb from limb. Helps for you to talk through it out loud. I find it. I'm going to step up to the very edge of the darkness. You do that, but you feel the calmness. and the smell of decay, the ancientness and this pit black below,

and you see the crumbled steps that go down into the catarnells. All right, this is severely, severely, not pleasant. Unpleasant, is the word I was looking for. Impleasant isn't really a word. I will snap my fingers, and from the tip of my finger,

a little flame will appear to try to light the way a little bit, because I can't see them dark. I'm sure that. you guys are getting real sick of hearing this damn story but so be it the regret the regret that i feel every single day when i wake up is knowing the untold lives that i ended before their time you want to talk about the i looked at sure the the dead having unfinished business and and and also having regret of things that they they weren't able to accomplish well predicated on a lie i did nothing but end

humanoid lives. And every single day, all I can do is wake up, put one foot in front of the other, and hope to someday fix it. I'm not going to forgive myself right here and now because, honestly, that's what drives me every day. And all I can do is hope to save Milo

and anybody else who was affected by the horrible atrocities and war crimes that I committed. And I'm going to take one step into the darkness. You do. in hoping that my little finger flame will light the way. And your little flame does illuminate as you step down into the darkness. I need to make a wisdom saving throw at advantage.

Tung, tung, tuts a plus six. Give me plus six, give me... Oh, no. I got double threes. Wow. Before a not. I wanted 400 to use a twist if I could. Actually, we haven't...

Hold on. I forgot I did not update, so one... Double fucking threes. I mean, you could also just get pulled apart by skeletons. Drawing quarters. Do we really want to spend the twist? You know what can feel like that? I don't think we should. You bastard. Yikes. I'm waiting for producer Rick to tell me I can cash in on a twist. Yeah, no, there's clearly not very many. Uh, no, that's for prime. I was gonna say they're probably mixed on. He keeps track of them in a notebook.

Oh, I keep track of them separately. So no, we have funny. We have funny. I would like to use one twist. Okay. Don't give you. Don't give me another three. I got a 12. Woo! That's the total. Three more. Today's not my day.

Today's not my day. That's okay. You make your way through down the steps, and you land on a landing that stretches out to either side and you see now rows and rows a deep, widespread, stretching catacomb network. And you see in every single,

several, stacked in rows of three, skeletons, ancient, you're not sure what sort of humanoid preachers they are. But as soon as you enter, you feel the sense of regret. You think of everything that you've ever done. It flashes vividly in your mind. And for a time, you're able to push it all out of the way your little flame illuminates dozens and dozens of roots growing through and they're the

the strange color of bone and sickly yellow as they grow through this some wrapping into the skeletons into rib cages through one through the eye of a skull and you see it growing all throughout these catacombs and you take the time and you collect and you cut and you gather every single bit of mirror root you can follow. All right, Felix, it's okay, all right. We have regret, we have regret. Your brother is gone, your mother died of fever. There was nothing you could do to save anybody.

It's fine. People have died. You set them on fire. It's fine. Regret, regret, regret, regret. And as you pass through, you pull one out of the eye socket of a skull and you hear as it turns and then just stops. No, no.

I said, I have regrets, I have horrible regrets, and I feel them very deeply. And you see the, you see the, you are gathering and you feel like you're almost done, you make your way to each end, and you're in there for about 30 minutes, and your satchel now is filled to the brim of Merrill. Stuffing, it's coming out of every single scene.

And as you're leaving, you feel as there's, you've mastered it, but there's a tiny inkling of regret that almost overwhelms you, and you hear something behind you. And you, as you turn, it's too late as you see a ancient withered cracked skeleton reach out and grab your arm.

Oh, I would immediately cast fireball. And if I could. I'm saying like, yeah, I'm not Joe. Exactly. I mean, depending on what the ruling is, I would immediately try to like defend myself personally. I would say that it does grab you. Because of what you roll, you're going to take a certain amount of necrotic damage.

Absolutely. And you're going to take 12 points of necrotic damage. That's too bad. As it grabs you. And it then falls back immediately as soon as it touches you. You feel the pain of the regret wash over you and you cast fireball. Oh yeah, it would just be flame. Just explosion of flame.

And all of you see the explosion. As you then... Oh, Felix, are you okay? And then, Felix, you start to hear, as all the skeletons around you start rising from their tombs, you have a full satchel, what do you do? I'm running. Okay, go get out of there.

I need to make an acrobatics or athletic check for me. It's going to be the dex one, I guarantee you. Yeah, oh yeah, I'm feeling good about acro. 17. 17. I'll say that as you run out, you feel, the regret overcome you, especially after using this force of violence, and you manage to actually flee without getting swarmed, but one, it pulls itself only a rib cage in arms and grabs

the back of your ankle and you kick it off, but you take an additional eight points of narcotic damage. That's a bad. And you see Felix burst out of the catacombs. Ah, ah, a satchel full of marrow room. Oh, my gosh. I would throw it on the ground and I'd be covered in soot and boat dust. You okay?

And like my hat would be frazzled and I'd have like, you know, burn marks from their cry damage. Ah, God! They came alive at the last minute, I panicked. I didn't know what to do. We just learned that if Merrill Root touches the ground that it's ruined, you're going to have to go back in there. No! Oh, Phoenix! No, you didn't say that at all.

Are you okay, Felix? I'm already on. I'm already. Okay. I panicked. I'm sorry, I sure. I just, I hit a trigger finger. Well, I'm surprised that you made it out at all, so well done. That is even more marrow ruth than I expect. That is going to last me a very long time. Well done! I would probably talk to someone about your regret.

You obviously didn't do a great job of that. I just like pull out my water skin and I'm like guzzling fresh water. But you know what? Here's two. It could have been worse. So with that... Yes. And he grabs the satchel, and he throws it over Bicephalus. One down, five to go. All right, well, hopefully you won't have to do anything else.

I hope not. Let's go to the next one. Are all of them going to be in narrow, tiny nightmare crypts? No, not all of them. Oh, terrific. Oh, terrific. Deeper into the forest we go. Lab assistance.

And with that, he guides you through and you walk for probably about 20 more minutes and the forest gets darker and darker and darker and you enter this incredibly dense part of the forest with the trees lining up. So you're having to weave through. And Bsevilis has to float through very carefully to go through and Escher his parasol now at his side. He says, just ahead is where the ghost mushrooms in this valley grow the strongest. But the energy here, the negative energy that courses through, is tainted with hate that draws the banshees from the realm of shadow. Whoever is able to master the hate will not hear the cry. Which one among you can master your hate? I don't know, I'm not really a hateful person.

Who are? You don't have a hateful body and body. I don't hate anything. I just like all the things. I don't hate. Wow, that's a lot of effort to actually hate something. What's about you, Caprice? I think the chiefling I've known has been filled with hate. But you're just like really easy goal with.

easy going. Yeah, the only thing I hate is the fact that all of this is connected to a realm of death and shadows. I'd much rather, can't one of these adventures we just go to the fucking realm of like cake pops and blowjobs or something? I don't know. Yes, that's incredible. I mean, you've got to hate that the Major Domo didn't have pistachios for you. Is that going to be, is that going to be hate? How much do you hate, Caprius? And how well can you get it under control? negative energy it causes through this place

is why these reagents can grow what about all of the horrible things about your past and your your ancestors and your great great great great great great grandfather and he left you with something horrible that you couldn't control and now you have to deal with it

and we're all dealing with it that must be kind of shitty and hers is a stone thing yeah and hers is full of fur and bristle and tusks I kind of hate that too Well, I mean, if you guys hate it, then you guys can go in and talk about it. Oh, no, I already got it.

The Merrill. I'm not going again. I mean, I would say that that was like an existential crisis type operation. I hated that position that I was in. I really did, but I don't feel like I'm in it right now. I feel in some many ways free of those things. Can past hate work? Yes, of course.

course. What do you think that Felix is dealing with? The hate that you have silverware. Well, let's go get some fucking shrooms. I knew I chose the right easily. Uh, yeah. Um, I, uh, I will step forward and be ready to, to, to enter the, uh, it's not a crypt, it's a... No, it's a forest. And you see...

It's, it's just as very deep. deep, dark force, and you see a faint glow of ghostly truss. This light greenish glow. Out ahead. All from the ground. All right. And in a bansche is like a small cute dog. It's the soul of a spiteful, hateful, terrible woman.

Who's bitter and evil alive. And now is filled with hate. with hate. You should meet my ex-wife. I have a move. That's just last look at my ex-wife. And Felix, help me out here. You channeled the regret. You just thought about it real hard. I like, I look at my ankle, which is like the chronic. Yeah, I think it's... Then I look at my shoulder, which is like has a horrible, like,

skeletal handprint burned into it. And I'm like, you think I succeeded? You are alive. Barely. Do you want some cream for that? No. Get that away from me. Please not offer your cream like that. That's what you offer someone in cream.

I'm comfortable. I put the cream bag. All right, all right, all right. I'm like covered in ash and bone dust and like, I'm a mess. And I'm like, stop, leave you alone. I'll try to learn the secret. All right. I was doomed to an eternity in hell

because of my... Something I had no control over, because of my heritage, because of my ancestry, because my great, great, great, great, grandfather... Yeah. I really fucking sucked. I hated that. My whole life was all about that. Yeah, yeah, I got it. I got it. I'm on the plot.

Do you feel like you can master it? Master it? As in control the hate? Yes. Okay. Yes. Step forward, trees. Gather as many as you can. Hopefully you do not hear the cry.

I hate that you just said that. And I will start to walk through in the forest. You step forward, and as you step through the trees, the trees are so dense here that can't really disappears. Oh, geez. And you see, you hear, as you see a flash of shimmering green, pass between the trees.

Hate that. But I am mastering that hate. And make a wisdom saving through advantage, please. This is like, can we warm up the table, please? Yeah, I know, we've all been wisdom saving throw. 10. Oh boy.

As you make your way through, you see the shimmering shape of a feminine figure, dart from tree to tree. And you are familiar with a feminine shape swirling around you, but it was one of shadow and fiendishness. You feel that same hatred in malevolence, though. You see the flowing hair. But then, as you make your way through, the glow gets brighter and brighter,

as you just see an entire forest filled with mushrooms, shimmering and glowing at that same ghastly light. You're able to lean down and pluck. as many as you possibly can. And when you're about halfway through, however, you turn and you see the horrible, sunken, ghastly face of a screaming woman, and she lets out a...

A... Yelp. This is, like, one of the few D&D rules I actually know about. I mean, there's lots of things that could be happening right now. I've got a very good guess of what could happen. Yeah. My favorite would be the one that happened.

We did that in Baywild. We did that early days. You are immediately stricken by 23 points of not what I hope for. And I need to make a wisdom saving throw. Uh huh, I can just quickly do this math here. Yeah, a what? A wisdom saving throw? There's still hope. There's some pretty good money, 22. 22. You feel its horrible power as you're able to, in that moment, resist and swallow your hate as it lets out, hiss and backs off and disappears behind the trees. What do you do? You're about halfway down, collecting those. Halfway done.

I will start to try and calm myself. I'll breathe as slowly as I can, and then I will start to try and calm myself. I'll breathe as slowly as I can. And then I will start to whistle. a tune to try and distract myself as I go through the work to try. I'm not going to look up. I'm going to get totally focused on the action of doing what I need to do. I don't try to plug my ears or anything, despite the insanity of that screen. I don't think that Caprice would actually be smart enough to do that. Instead, I will continue to shove everything into my pack as quickly as I can. It just work from shroom to shroom.

What do you whistle? No, I have a, why can't I think of it? That's remarkable. You've been put on the spot. No, no, no, no. I know the name of what I want to whistle. What's the Wizard of Oz's name? Somewhere with the rainbow.

We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. You do that, and you fill the same-sized satchel just bulging with mushrooms. As you see the occasional wisp of the ghastly green woman, as you see, you see, I feel that malevolent gaze on you, but you're able to, as you whistle and focus on that, you've taken, you feel like you've been singed, not by fire, but just the power of death, but you manage to stumble your way back through the tree line.

Kick to your friends. Kick up, blow, blow, jobs, come on. I run through and I immediately emerged through the tree line. Ah! You did it. Hey, you're all right. You okay? Did you get them?

I got the shrooms, everybody. I have to say, how reluctant you were, I didn't think you were going to make it. Thank you. Well done. And thank you for reminding me of how that being went. Yes. I appreciate that you are willing to step forward. You've proven that you can be an adequate lab assistant.

That's all I ever hoped for. I like capable Thank you I mean I've got lots of other skills aside from You'll have to show me some time There'd be my blight So what's next

To the borough Let us go To the what? The borough The borough And Asher leads you through the forest It starts to get a little bit wider and not nearly as dense

It's still A thick canopy but then you see that there's a cliff face ahead of you where there's a bit of a ridge where the forest continues up in the elevation and you see bits of web many large strands of massive webs sprawling through the trees

and all over this cliff and you see now that there seems to be a cave that is absolutely covered in webbing. Yeah, well, you know, I bet you all wish you saved me for this one because webbing is very flammable. But I'm not going in there, and, like, my poor, like, arm is, like, all jacked up. No, nope.

I don't think we would want to light it all on fire, though, for you to light it all on fire. No, but I'm your... I don't miss the point of that for how smart you are. Maybe you're not as smart as I thought you are. Fine, so be it. Call me dumb. I don't care. I think you're just a little work, dog.

I'm frustrated. You're not sinking straight. Fine. Do you want to hug? No. Oh, come here. I don't want to hug. I don't want to hug.

I don't, stop it. Luffy, stop. In this burrow, there is widow blue. Much of it growing from the negative energy, along with the tomb spiders that lurk within. It is here you must suppress your loneliness. The solitary hunter of the tomb spider rarely encounters of its kind. To live as I do in a life of isolation.

You were just talking about how alone you were. I think this is very poetic that something about loneliness would come up in this session of us finding herbs. Another good word that you could use in a situation like this is serendipitous. Oh, it is very serendipitous as well. Who? Serendipitous. Serendipitous. The situation is serendipitous. I guess you're hot.

So then you're going to go in here, right? Yeah, I guess so. I just... I guess you're right. I mean, you know, I have felt lonely before, but I mean, I always come out of it. I'm always on top of it. So maybe this is a good sign for me. I agree. I think that you'll do very well, especially since you said that you were lonely. I think that now it would be a time to talk about and overcome how you're not lonely anymore

because, you know, you're with friends. Well, yeah, I mean, okay. I mean, I never felt lonely that much. But, you know, it's good. I'll do it. Okay. And so what is it? What is in front of me now? You see as you stand, a little small shape is standing in front of this dark cave that's absolutely covered in webbing that goes deep within. So it's like, I would have to like... You can step through and like try the dock and you think you can make it, especially for how small you are. You could probably have an easier time than most of your friends.

Okay. So, I'm going now. What does the widow bloom look like that she needs to find? Is it webular or is it bright red? You can't miss it. Good luck. Okay. I'll give you an extra reward if you fill that satchel and make it bulging.

Oh, thank you. Don't let that distract. You got this. I'm going to give you inspiration. Okay. All right. I'll start to like, whatever that movie is

where Angelina Jolie like weaves under the... Entrapment with Sean Connery. With Sean Connery. I'm going to entrapment my way through these spider webs. That was one of my VHSs. You know how to...

Thank you. I'm sure. I'm glad somebody knew what I was going from here. So I'm going to start to work my way through the spider webs into the cave. Okay, you do that. And what are you gonna say? Okay, I'm in here.

This is fine, I'm by myself, but it is okay. I've been by myself before. I'm gonna be okay. Just because you're alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely. Okay, Lofti. Okay, let's go. I'm gonna keep working my way through. Make a wisdom saving throw, straight.

Oh, 14. 14. 14. As you make your way through, you see bits of red. As you see these blooming flowers growing out from where these webbed walls are. And you're able to go and you're able to avoid most of that. As you grab one after the other, about halfway when you're finishing, it's all over. You're stuffing as much as you can.

You feel a presence behind him. You hear as a massive spider with a titan shell and a large red hourglass on its back, skitters forward and lunges out of the darkness, and you feel it grazes you're going to take your shit. 18 points of necrotic damage. I need to make a Constitution saving throw. 13 plus seven to 20. 20.

You were able to make your way out as the, as you roll forward, you feel the horrible negative energy course through you from its fang. As it shocks your core with the power of death as the, uh, the massive tomb spider lurches back and disappears from sight.

What do you do? What do you do? Okay. Uh, okay. I'm okay. I'm okay, I'm alone, but I'm okay. I'm not lonely.

I'm going to continue to look for what's around me. You see that there's a few more patches of of Widow Bloom in these tunnels. I'm going to see that and then turn and kind of back into where those patches were looking around me for the spider. You keep an eye out and you gather the rest of it and as you bolt out,

you just see it, move behind, you feel some movement and the shaking of web as it then looks at you with these horrible eyes and then slings back into the darkness along. And you emerge, you see Lifty emerge from the webbed burrow with a satchel full of a widowblum. I would be continuing to stare into that darkness. And nothing follows you. Am I here? Yeah, not alone anymore. Yeah? Yeah. Okay. Nothing?

No, you, you, you're fine. It looks like you, you, you, you, you're, you, you're, you're, you're collected, is that enough? That is more than enough, yes. You are all doing very well, a little bit shaken up, more than I expected, but, you know, I suppose that's, I, yeah. You're new to Skethernyl, so I have to give you a bit of credit. Okay.

Here, just, uh, here. So far else, I hope you don't mind. He throws it over and there's three, uh, huge sattels filled with, agents. That's a bulging sack. Yeah, well, I was told don't come back without a bulging sack. Next to the pool which is. And he guides you through to a small glade. And you see that there's actually a pond or a pool of still gray water. As you, as you see, there's a small island in the center of this pond, this small lake and this glade, as Bicephalus stops and Escher turns to you and says,

Sorrow moss grows at the bottom of this pool, but also deep beneath the water, lurk the sorrow swarm. You must master sorrow in order to collect it. You'll see that the lonesome purple hue is growing on the muck. the water. You will not be taken beneath the surface if you are able to master your sorrow. I don't think any of us are particularly sorrowful, and there are six of these, right? So, like,

there's plenty less for us if you, you got this big guy. Come on. No offense, but you seem a little down, given everything you've been through, and I don't blame you. Do you think that you could go there? and find your way through. I think you could. I believe in you. Make it a Sweden track. It's terrible. It's neat.

Are you not trying to prove yourselves as good lab assistants? We are. We just... Do none of you feel sorrow? Jesus. I mean, I'm pretty good at swimming. And I felt sorrow in my life, certainly. I'm sorry, if that is the question, Joe.

Yes, I mean, I felt sorrowful when I left my home. When I lived the perfect life. I can't describe to you how different Macaumee Islands are than this place right now. The sun, the waves, the food, the smells, the drinks, the island life was pleasant. But I knew that if I did, I knew that if I did, didn't leave that that way of life would end for my people and that my ancestors hadn't worked so hard to bring us that life and when I left I felt unbelievable sorrow I asked why me why do I have to be the one why do I need to find the wind spirits why do I need to be the one to save my people

but I feel that the spirits chose me or maybe I was just the first one or the only one that enough but I I felt deep deep sorrow in leaving that place and I believe that I've conquered it I found friends I've I've found purpose and worth in what I've done since I've left town but I do very much hope to come back some someday and on toe his shoulder that's very tall oh he he can try to give him some comfort Step into the water, so I see how well you've mastered it. I hold this and I'll pass, feel as my toe, girl. And I'll, uh...

You got this, ma'am. I feel as sorry as you can. I'll take off the furs off my back, the boar, and now the lion pelt, and I'll pass that to feel like this man. I'm like, waded down from all these things, and I'm like, I'm like a hunched over shaman. I'll lose your inspiration. Oh.

I'll start to kind of... like, you know, jog up to the water and I'll try to dive in. You step up and you dive into the pool and it's not very shallow, but you manage to plunge in below the surface. I need to make a wisdom saving throw as you feel sorrow all around you.

Yikes. That's an after 20? Yes! Well, advantage, well, you do the natural 20. Holy shit. Let's go! Holy shit!

And you have inspiration, don't. Hold on, hold on, I do an inspiration, I'm gonna use it. Nine, it's almost perfect. You said wisdom? Yeah, let's see. That is a 31. As we watched tell the jump into the water,

I'm like holding all of this thing and like weighted down. I lean towards a caprice and I'm like, I'm getting the impression that we're not supposed to feel all these emotions every day that we wake up. Is that not normal? You feel like this all the time? Yeah, kind of. I mean, I just felt horrible nightmare of hell in my future. You need to talk to someone.

I can't help you with that. I hope Toa is okay. There's no cream for the brain. As you say that, Toa, you swim around and you see that this, this pool is filled to the brim with this sorrowful purple-looking moss. And you are an expert swimmer, and you gracefully swim through the water, grabbing every single clump you can find, filling your water-drenched satchel, but it is staying in. As you then see, you feel the sorrow all around you, and you see creatures lurking at the bottom of the water.

You see these gaunt, gray-skinned creatures with hooked arms and sad-looking faces. But you do not feel the sorrow yourself as it's all around you, and you manage to, it doesn't take you long at all for you to gather every single clump of sorrow moss that you can and emerge, leaping out of the water. See, I'm not very sad anymore. Are you okay? Oh, that was fast. You made it back. Oh, John. I didn't.

I didn't think I've overcome my sadness. I've accepted... It's all right to cry. No, I've accepted my destiny, and I believe it is my destiny. And I'm not sad about it anymore. I'm happy for you, Tella. Can you take your things back? Oh, oh, sorry.

How do you wear all this stuff all the time? Ah! Well, it's really nothing. It's barely anything, really. I don't really wave much. Oh, my spine, I think I'm three inches shorter now. This is unbelievable. We actually might stand a chance.

Now to the Moors, and he leads you to the forest and the tree line starts to disperse more and more, and you see these swampy highlands that rise up, and it gets, despite the trees being behind you, the darkness, the clouds, cover gets, It's thick, and you see rocks and cliffs and ridges, perhaps hiding things that you can't see. And you hear very faintly the baneing of sounds like a hound. As Pocephalus stops and Escher turns as he takes his parasol back up again.

Here, once there, here's where the death blossom grows. connected to the negative energies of the fear, the fear of death, the fear of anything that racks our souls. The shadow mastiffs prey on that fear, they instill that fear. They roam, they bark. But if you are able to master your fear, they will not smell you. They will not hunt you down. It's terrified. Who among you will conquer their fear? I'm not sure why you're looking at me. Of all of us, I'm the one that fears death the least. And among all of us, I'm the one that harbils the least amount of you.

I know if my death is to come whenever it comes, and I knew this will have. I'm not the one to walk this month. I think that's exactly why you should. Because I have no fear. I thought the entire point was we're supposed to gong something that we harbored within us. If that were the case, then why did Felix do that one in the beginning?

I once heard it said that folks who, show courage or the ones who've mastered fear. It's not an absence of fear. It's the ones who are able to say no to it. You're uniquely suited to go into a fear. Well then I would have been uniquely suited to go to a lot of these things. I have no regrets. I don't harbor any sorrow. And I definitely am not lonely and have never been a day in my life. Right, but it's not because of the absence of the woman. And I don't hate anything. It's, it's, it's, no. You don't want it, then one of us can face it. Well, I think if the point is that someone needs to face their fear, then they need to work this path, but I don't fear.

Maybe the next one would be more suited to me. You don't fear anything? No, not really. What about disappointing the lupus? Disappointing your guard? I don't fear that. If I do it, then I do it, but it's nothing for me to fear. And if death comes from me, then it was my death. Well, maybe that's how you conquer you fear.

You conquer your fear with anewis. While with enubis at your side, you don't have to face it. All of matters is that you once had fear, and you were able to master it, and you show it in the face of this negative energy. Well, like, it could be any of it. You've never had fear in your life. I don't believe it's like. And you've never had sorrow, and you've never had anger.

I've never had anything. I've had sorrow, but I wasn't the one who was asked to do that. You've never felt a single negative emotion in your life? Of course I have. Oh, by the Raven Queen, I've been scared like six times since we woke up today. But the thing, and if all of the things we've faced, the thing that has less affected my life is fair more than anything else. Yeah, though... I don't know.

Maybe someone else does this. There are six, at all. One of us is going to have to do more than more. Yeah, maybe the next one would be like, annoyance or like... Oh, that's the next one I will need to walk that road. Something like that. Or anger, that is right up by attic. Well, the next one is anger.

Well, there we go. How did you know? Are you an herbalist or an Alchemist? No, but I... I... I do like to consider myself a master of patterns. Well, I mean, Felix, you just said you were scared every day. What?

Oh, it's just you. I'm sorry. No, it's okay. You stuck off on me. I know you're like eight feet tall, but I didn't see you there. Maybe this makes sense for you to do again. No. Don't make me do it.

Yeah, based on that reaction, I feel like he's not the mastering on me, I'm a fear from it. Well, no, he's doing it anyway. He's overcoming his family. What about you, Escher? Are you not going to help? No, I'm going to sit here on my nightmare with my parasol and watch my assistants gather the urns. And you look good. Do you do?

What do we need to do? Fear. I at least going to tell me what lies beyond here. Shadow Masters. They can smell your fear. They will hunt you down. You'll hear the carrels and you will... You mentioned it.

I chose to... You won't last a second. No, it's fine. There's a reason that I've studied my whole life to protect myself and those that I love, even though I fail with that miserably. And every single morning, I wake up with a reminder of that. And I have to face myself in the mirror

and I'm scared to look in the mirror every day. It's no big deal. Oh, gosh, I don't feel any better now that you've explained. It's fine. It's fine. I'm sorry I reacted so poorly. minutes ago. It's not a big deal. I can handle this, right? We wake up every day and we put one foot in front of the other. It's exactly right. I've done it this entire time since I've known you. Yeah. You've been afraid of you've overcome it and here we are in this horrible, scary place,

and you're still here. You haven't run. You haven't given up. You're still looking for your brother. I really respected of me, Felix. What's the worst that could happen is that I get turned when from? Then it'll be totally fine. I'm not that. Just just scream toa. It was a close one. It was a close one in the caddacombs that could have been marshmores. So maybe you're lucky. Did you say shadow masters or shadow mastiff hounds?

Oh, howls? Well, in one case, an argument is get torn apart by a bunch of dogs. You like dogs, yeah. But just like how Bicephalus looks like a horse and really isn't,

these hounds are not just your average dog. That's fine. It's like you said. But they can be cute, depending on how you look at it. said it perfectly. Bravery is not the absence of fear. It's doing what you got to do even when you're scared, right? That's what I said. That's what you said. That's what I said. That's what you said. I will... And Beatrice will appear material lies. I'm going to need you to keep an eye out for things. There's some pretty rough creatures in there and just keep an eye out. I can't believe I'm doing this again.

a happy chirk. She's trying to like keep, she senses your fear and that you're trying to suppress it and she's trying to remain cool as you're familiarly. I pull out the, the Talangard dagger

and I take an apprehensive stance as I move into the mists. The fact that you're doing this twice is literally a demonstration of conquering fear. I give you inspiration. Thank you. As Felix disappears into the fog

around Ridge, Roll a A wisdom saving throw at advantage It's nothing I haven't done That's pretty good Tim Allen What are you doing?

Thank you for being a friend of the stream Tim Allen It's nothing I haven't done before I can do this, I can handle this I've done a lot worse Oh, oh fucking brilliant We got a 19 and a 17, which is a total of 25.

25. Plus the one in 10 of you want. I'm going to save it. As, Lord knows I'm going to need it in about 10 seconds. You make your way through the fog. You see where the death blossom that Luffy had brought up was kind of a tight red flower, like a tulip. You see now that the landscape is dotted with these dark, black, and gray, blooming flowers.

and you hear the lonesome howling and baying of hounds off in the distance but you steal yourself and you feel the fear well up in you but you manage to you have the satchel that Escher gave you and you start

filling it you pluck each one this is your second time and you you hear the heavy breathing you see a shake through the fog It is definitely canine-like, but massive. Demons and devils, and then Lord of Lies and Glaccia and all that. There's a gold dragon. I can do this. I've survived worse. I've survived worse.

And you look around, you climb up onto a ridge, and you pluck a few off of a cliff. You climb onto a rock, you see one climbing out of. And you hear the very distant towels. They're not getting close. You see that there's multiple shapes now. Multiple barks, multiple howls. And you steal yourself, finish gathering all of that. And you all see Felix stumble back out of the fog to where you were. The sounds of the hunting shadow mastiffs.

Now just memory. Ah, that wasn't bad. It wasn't bad at all. You got this. Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. No, you did it. You could be okay?

That was very good for you. Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. You don't look great. I'm all right. I'm just a little. A little woozy. A fog was awfully thick.

Okay. Okay. The death blossoms, a little pungent. Your satchel was also very thick. Well done. Just take it. I feel like I've worked hard enough today. I'm not going to lie, Felix.

I'm surprised that you survived that. The deal is you showing me out. I have a lab and you have proven yourself twice over to be a reliable system. Great. I'm impressed. I'll teach you what I know. Good. Okay. So what's next? We're almost done, yeah? Yes, the bramble thicket. The bloodline. And he guides you back towards the direction of the forest to follow a ridge and the fog is behind.

And the forest is not quite as dense here. But you start to see as the vines start to hang down and dense underbrush and bramble thickets that you need to navigate very much. very closely, or navigate very carefully, as Bospholus just walks right over it through the air. It is, nope, this way, this way. Okay. And you see now ahead a very dense thicket of brambles and thorns and bushes. But you see that there might be able a way to get through, and he says, now the blood vine, the negative energy of anger and wrath. And the corpse flower lurks within. Corp flower? Yes.

Made of vines, consumes, corpses, reanimates them. Ooh, it's filled disease and poison in a horrid stench, and the stench will get you before the plants do. But the blood vine is what we are after. And those who can master the wrath and their anger should have no problem making it out live. Room among you? Well, clearly.

Capricious. Are you ready? No. I'll do it. Might as well. To pick these things and get dirt in my person. Luckily for you, they grow from the bushes and the trees, so you do not need to touch any dirt.

Oh, well, then this is more but my area. Why did you say that? It was good ammo for her to feel angry about. I have a feeling that Iris has plenty of opportunities to feel wrath. Yes. Do I need to feel wrath, manor, isn't it? You're supposed to suppress it. Well, it's help and make sure that you have suppressed your wrath.

Oh, great. Or let's mean your past, you're present. However, you suppress that counter the negative energy with positive. I'm going to think of all the things that make me angry. I'm not going to say them. Things like Lifty hitting on my dad. Lifty waking me up in the middle of the night, sleeping with random men. Yeah.

Lofty. Being sold in slavery. The fact that Toa and Felix tried to give away my friend. Zern, just all of Zern. Everything about Zern. Everything about Zern. Everything about Mowgakai. Everything about Mowgakai.

Everything about Uriyos. Everything about Arios. Capriessing, whatever. The Anubrizzar. Bisque, pistachios, and she goes down the list. And then she casts common motion on herself. Ooh. Oh.

Okay. Oh. Oh. It's much better. And then I'm going to walk forward. That would have been nifty six times ago. You see Iris. What did you do to herself?

She just went, ooh, that's great. And then walked into the fucking thicket. That was weird. And she walks into the thick, disappearing behind the brambles. and thorns and vines. Oh, the frog not delivering the message. Oh, yeah. Thank you, Lowe.

Bastard frog. That was the last thing I thought of. I need you to make a wisdom, save you throw advantage for me, please. 24. 24. No, I meant to inspire you. You make your way through,

and as you turn around, you actually see the blood vine is unmistakable. There's this dull red mixed with these green vines that almost pulse amidst the bramble thicket. And you grab each one, and you can use your claws to cut where you need to,

and you begin filling your satchel. And you see that some of the vines that aren't quite the right color move a little bit. You smell the stench of death, and you feel the anger that lurks in this place, the anger of the destruction of life in nature, and you manage to suppress it. Not only do you have the power of anubis,

but the power of your positive emotion. I know I've sworn off clerics that are animal people, but... What? Maybe I can make an accept... Never mind. What do you mean by an animal person? And a tobacco? Yes, of course.

I've met several, not too many. Tabamazzi? Yes. Oh. Yes. So, with that, you've all proven yourselves to be quite the adequate... adequate lab assistance and the adequate heroes who can channel that positive energy

and fight back against the shadow and death that is permeating this land who has returned to Castle Moria and I will brew a cure. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventrith and gain access to tons of exclusive perks including a monthly movie nights and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas shroud over salt marsh. 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 tome for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. Unless you're one of the news like these. As you're writing Bacephalis, And you see this nightmare, and the more you look at this steed that he's riding, the more unsettled you get.

It looks less and less horse-like as you steer it. It has his malevolent, fiery eyes, and it looks back and flashes its sharp teeth. And as you occasionally pat's it and says, now they're there, was efferves, you will eat. Well, soon enough, hopefully I will as well. Well done, assistance. Is there anything you wish to do in this horrific valley before we head back to the castle? Is there anything worth doing in this horrific valley before we head back to the castle?

You're the visitors here. I could show you around. No, I don't think we need to necessarily sight, so I think just getting back to the castle, and you ruining your cure for the stasis, and then us eventually destroying and killing the carrion king would be plenty. Provided there's nothing else here of extreme magical power that I might be interested in. Yeah, we... There is an incredible amount of magical power and negative energy here, if you think. But after your first two brushes, I don't think that you will survive it. So perhaps later, I can give you a private tour around the depths of the forest.

Deal! And I look around the rest of the group, very excited. Absolutely. That's. That sounds fantastic. Very well. I'll guide you back to the lift, and then I'll begin right away making the antidote. And he guides you through the forest and gets a little bit thicker and then a little bit more sparse as you see through the tree line, the massive cliff with the castle, Castle

Romagna, standing there in the gloom. eventually you make your way to the clearing and he turns around on Bicephalus and says well how about that you all survives and I don't think you any of you have lost your minds no I'm surprised so what do you mean the antidotes the antidote to what exactly I know you're going to bring her we're going to wake her up yeah whatever some side of sort of magical cursor or something she's lingering in the state between life and dead.

So it's an antidote to death? She's not dead. She has a necromanic curse on her. An incredibly powerful one that I'm... I should say I wish I was surprised that they had access to, but with the dark power that the carrion king has made a deal with, nothing surprises me anymore. Nothing.

It's definitely worse than I thought it was. Will you be able to make just the one for our new young friend here? Just one antidote? Or are you going to be able to make multiple with the amount of satchel that we have? I can make mini, but I'm going to just brew the one. Every single one of these reagents that you gathered are incredibly potent. And I use them for all of my alpany. the protections for the castle, the animation and bringing life to the stone watchers.

Everything requires B6 ingredients and differing amounts. If you'd be willing, I mean, I feel like at least a second potion. Just one extra. Might not take too much from your store here, but would be perhaps valuable. Making a train check. Yeah. Do you think his other children? Suffering like her?

Uh, 26. He nods as, well, I suppose that is prudent. We have no idea how many children you all will encounter once you leave this castle. If they're under the same affliction, then we can at least get one up. I suppose that is wise. Well, and you can see that there's a bit of weariness that comes to him now after, I mean, the sun is setting, you can tell, despite the thick gloom, as he, uh, There's a weariness too, I must feed before I begin my work.

I will return to the girl's room once I finished. Relax, get yourself cleaned up, attached up. I'll also provide some torrents for yourself. Most I'd be really excited about breakfast. It's garbage. Don't you do you see? Well, I mean, I had that cookie in the bacon. I don't think any of us have anything else.

No, but that'll be fine. Everyone on. And he actually, in a swift moment, he leaps off of becephalus and stands next to the lever at the bottom. And he heaves forward and see that he, despite his, how easily he does it, there's a bit of a strain. And you hear, have a pleasant, if not boring, right up. And he hops on becephalus,

and you hear that whole. horrible winnie as it gallops through the sky, as flame licks from his hooves, as he rides up and rockets upward and disappears behind the cliff face, behind the walls of Castle or Morni. So, now that that's done, I mean, do we try to, maybe, you really not him in the other Count. Is that the next step? I know. It's not a bad idea, but I mean, we don't even know where we're going.

We're going to need at least his cooperation at some point, which I'm not sure that he's opposed to. I'm just worried that, like we've said previously, he can't physically go there. Seems like there's a lot of, I don't know, bad blood, or with, like, old acquaintances and our old blood between them. I don't know if you just drop everything and work together. If he tells us where we need to go, we can always meet Alexi on his behalf and extend some sort of an olive branch. That's true.

I would ask if perhaps, perhaps, Escher will have some information that can be that olive branch. I think that's a great idea. If he can't come with us and, Maybe he shouldn't because I don't know what we're going to do with this girl once we'll wake her up. She's going to be alone in the castle with a weird-ass garden. He can be there for her until we come back and make the alliance true. Yes, it sounds like a lovely idea.

Leave this whole child with his vampire. That way, when we come back, he has a new daughter. No, that doesn't sound true, right. Oh, oh, that sounds like that. Oh, yes. Oh, no, that doesn't sound good. No, I think the right course of action would be to wake up the child, find out where she's from, and return her to a family Let's hope that it's nearby

She can let us in there, so Let us into her chamber I don't know, I guess what are we going to find out? Okay So we'll I guess ride the elevator up and Just almost you'll make our way to Zuchampal. Zetianbel.

Zillit again. Nope. Ah, there it is. Okay. Ha-ha. You hear the... As you larched, the very long trip up, as the sun is close to the horizon now, you can see it through the cloud cover.

As you see those gargoyles that you know are active and aware, but they just sit motionless, forever staring down into the valley below. Sitting on the walls and you make your way through the courtyard, past the stables, around the blocks of ruined stone, through the gate that opens for you as you approach. And with that, you see Major Domo Bruda standing at the middle and he looks like he's been waiting. He's clasping his hands. He looks a little excited. Oh, it's you guys, you survived. I was very nervous and you was not going to make it. And then it

would just be me and a master again. And we'd lose our company. And he looks so chipper and happy. Well, happy for him. And I would just be very sad if that would happen. They're not to be sad. We did just fine and we're back. Have you ever done that? Then what? Gotten the reagents? Yeah, helps a master. Oh, you know, I've gone down into the valley on the elevator, for sure, I have. And I've plucked a few here and there, but it's like one and then another hour, one. I don't go to none of that spooky place.

Oh, okay. Well, if you never, I mean, the sorrow moth might be right up your round. What else is it true? The master says to stay away. Just stay away from those cats. Well, I mean, I'll feel a lot of sorrow most days, really. And you know, it's interesting that the master made me to be capable of feeling such emotions, but this is my existence and, you know, that's, oh, there's a feast tonight, yay, yay, yay! I sure taught me to feel and now all I feel is hate.

Oh, this sounds lovely. We're celebrating, have the little one, the little one come down once she's awake. Hopefully it works and doesn't kill her. Yes. Is that an option? I mean, anything's a possibility with necromanic magic.

Okay, okay. I wasn't expecting that as much. I kind of thought this was like a show theme, you know. I also thought that. Is there any chance that this could go horribly wrong, and we have to fight some sort of nightmare child abomination? Maybe we should be there when he is trying to bring her awake. Oh, a nightmare child abomination.

I mean, I mean, nightmare child abominations. I mean, I guess anything's a possibility. Child or chode? A child. I think he said child. I also have a child. I don't know, chode ablone. I don't think that.

Well, I don't think that's... I don't think... The master would never hurt the only or one, willingly or knowingly. And I'll trust his abilities to not... To not create an abomination. Is that sound good?

That's good enough for me. Do you always some snacks? You look like your little peckish. I am very peckish. Well, I have fixed some snacks. Come, come, come, come, come. And he leads you through. And there, he leads you to a room that you haven't been at.

been to. And the fireplaces roaring and you see a number of beasts heads mounted to the walls. And there's a couple of small bookshelves and some other various trophies are around in some kind of interesting study. There's a few couches, some lounging chairs, a table with a game set on it, a couple decks of cards. And you see that there's a tray of not just wine now, but also some dark brown bottles of some kind of spirit as well. And you see that there's a nice spread of nuts. They don't seem to be pistachios, but there's a large bowl of nuts.

Oh, almonds? What is this trash? And some other food as well. And he said, Oh, you're welcome this day here. I'll fix you some snacks and some refreshments, if you'd like to freshen up in your room. The master is hard at work now in his laboratory.

And I am not just disturbing while he's working. And so, Cole, if you need me, remember to say, hey, Brutish, I'll need something. Or Major Dermal Brutish, if you can't do, because that is my title. Anyways, you all enjoy, and call if you need something. Thank you. Shuffles off. I'm, uh, could nuts these. Yeah?

How are they? What kind of nuts are they? Well, there was probably some sort of, like, cracked, like strange walnut. Mm. They kind of like strange walnuts. Do you know walnuts? I mean, I'm starving. Yeah, I mean walnuts, but like, strange and cracked?

I don't know. I think I'll wait for the feast. I'm hungry, but, you know, I'm not dying. All right, well, I haven't had breakfast, so. And I'll just kind of like sit over the... The bowl is gone in 30 seconds. That's Toa destroys the nuts. And I'll avoid the spirits.

And I'll pour myself a finger of whatever brown there is and sit down and... Well, that was painful, but rewarding. I mean, I suppose, so. I hope this all works out and we're not just being tricked by a vampire for some sort of horrible, demonic game or a ruse or plan. I don't think he would trick us. I don't either. Again, I know that we don't really have many people that we can trust. And I know that we really don't have anywhere that we can turn, but I think that this is better than nothing. And I think he's going to do what he says he's going to do.

I do too. I believe him as the horrible things he felt around his daughter and all these things. I just don't think he would betray us like that. I think you're right. I certainly hope you're right. I mean, I'm very trusting. and I think that he seems misunderstood. If anything, I just,

it seems like he's out of hope, and I just wish he had some. Some hope? Yes. You too. Well, maybe we'll be able to give him that. And if he betray us, then, uh, uh, Irish, could you, like, bless some water?

And then we could be like, the power of anubis, be healthy or whatever? I think that's going to hope, then. Are you trying to get me to create whole new order? Yes. I don't know. It's possible. Seems like a thing if we're gonna be around vampers. It's true. If it's like holy earth, maybe holy water is the same thing.

Yes. Interesting. All thing on it. All right. Well, that's some progress. The door darkens as you wait. Super Raider, Eni. And you see Escher almost glide into the frame and he's still withered, but he's wearing an apron and large gloves and goggles. goggles. Escher holds up a bile of this swirling, shimmering liquid that kind of glows faintly with this silvery almost mercury kind of color. I think I've done it. It was a little bit trickier than I thought, but if I am as brilliant as I

think I am and I think I am, then this is going to work. So what's this going to do exactly? It should break the necromanic curse on her that is keeping her in this state of limbo. Alright then let's go, let's give it to them. Do any of you have medical experience? No, none of us do like a little bit. Yes, if it weren't for me, you would fall blood out by now. Okay, so why are you going to lie?

It's called a joke. Oh. Maybe it was like sockets, sort of like, you say no, but sort of like, you say no, but sort of like, You really mean yes. Iris is very medicinal. I don't always pick up on these things. I have to be honest. Yes.

Would you care to assist me administering the antitote? It's not a lot of the actual. I think he was talking to me. By all means. No, I'm going to administer something else. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.

Whoa. I, for wanting him a little embarrassed. And he guides you through the castle to that same door and he opens it. The fire is so crackling. It's a little bit lower. The embers are glowing. And he, he, Brutus joins you. And he shuffles in behind you.

And he shuffles in behind you and he's carrying a whole number of strange. medical or chemical instruments and implements. And Escher looks down at him and says, I appreciate your candor and your willingness to help, but I don't think we should be meaning any of those. Hopefully we do not. And they're like, I was just trying to be helpful.

These are some of the things in some of your place that we shouldn't mention, yep, you're right, you're right, all we're waiting here, is let me know if you need something. And he shuffles off and he like places the tray down. And you all see the girl with that short blonde hair just resting peacefully completely still. Her chest is going very slowly up and down as she breathes her stomach. And Escher holds, also takes off his goggles and pulls off his gloves, throws his apron to the ground. And you can tell that that weariness that he has, he seems to have fed a little bit more, but he still looks incredibly weak.

veins are very clear on his, on his ashy skin. As he steps forward and looks at you, Iris, and says, do you care to get her mouth open, Iris? Yes, of course. And as I reached down to do that, I cast Deathboard on her. Oh, cool. Great. Yeah. Very nice.

You cast Death Ward and you open her mouth and make a medicine check for me at advantage. I don't care for that. About 20. 20. You open it perfectly and gently. As her small mount opens, Escher very carefully holds the vial of that shimmering silver liquid and slowly pours it in.

And the entire vial disappears and you can there's there's very little response but a slight and as you rub her neck gently you hear as she automatically swallows and suddenly you see her entire body immediately glow with a silver light the small blonde girl after be cursed the necromanic magic that kept her in a state of line, in this strange limbo between life and death. It's broken now by the concoction that

Count Escher Kreskov has brewed and now administered. She turns and she looks at all of you with wide, brilliant, sparkling blue eyes. And they seem to be filled with a little bit of groggy confusion. And she opened up with a little bit of groggy confusion. And she opened it. opens her mouth, says, There was memos.

And she looks at all of you. And you see... You see... You see Escher. Something washes over his face and there's almost a little bit of a break. And he just stares

ahead and stares up above the girl and says, I'm going to rest. I'll join you all for dinner in an hour. And he turns and he slowly walks and leaves the room. He looks haunted. Does the seem that the word werewolves triggered that response?

Or was it the reaction of the reagent? I think the idea of, I think you, as he turns, he looks, his thoughts seem to be in the past. And seeing a little girl talking about werewolves or something in the bed, in the bed of his daughter seems to have triggered some sort of emotional response from Escher. And the door closes

and she looks all around. We aren't the airwomen. That's true. No werewolves. Don't worry about here. Yeah, you're okay. It's just us and we're all friends to you. Are you okay?

What is your name? Wait. Wait, what? Where am I? I thought I've seen the works. You were? You're in a much scarier place now. You're in the castle of a vampire. What?

Stop that. What? I need to be honest with her. No, she's not going. Oh, I'm dreaming. I've had dreams about vampires before? Yes, sure. No, no, you're not dreaming. Oh, we're not through a slight over there.

No, you're very safe, though. This is a good castle, and this is your room. You have it all to yourself. What happened? Where is Mama? Where is my... Where is my caravan? Well, we don't really have all of these answers, but the idea is that we made sure that you're safe and you're here with us. And like Lifty said, we're all friends. My name is Felix. She looks at you and blinks. Felix, are you also Vista me?

What am, would that ring a bell at all to me? I would say make a history check. At advantage because you're Corvacian. Ufta. I'm going to go ahead and say that it's probably too low, but let me check. History. Oh, just kidding. 17.

17. I would say that you know that the Vistani are a tribe of human people that are wanderers that make their home. They travel around a ventras, but have predominantly made their home in Striga. traveling around. No, no, I'm not Vestani. I don't even think I've ever met them before. But no, none of us are.

Are you Vestani? Yes, no, I was leaving camp because I heard the house and I thought they were variables. And I always wanted to see when I heard stories, but they were long gone from my home and I wanted to see one so badly. All right, well, we will get you home. We will absolutely make sure that that happens, but we were making sure that you are safe, which you are now.

And we'll get you home as soon as we can. That's right, but maybe you could help us with a little bit of information? Information, what do you mean? Do you remember? Is that the big black kitty? Yes. Meow. Miao.

Miao. And the kiddies speaks? Yes. Yeah. Oh my goodness, I have a kitty at home and she's a lot smaller. Is this bringing you joy, child? I can have to believe that the big kitty is talking to me. This is very cool.

Yes, well, I am. So would you like to pet me? Very much. Yes, stretch behind this ear, please. Yes, of course. Minds the jewelry. Minds the jewelry. You are very pretty.

Iris, ask her the questions. What are very pretty? Big Kitty. Well, thank you, little one. What is the name of where she's from? Meow. Meow, darling. What is the last thing she remembers? What is the last thing you remember? Tell big kitty. We were on the day home to our usual camping place, and

I was camping, we were one day away from Borovia, and I heard their wolves in the woods, and I always wanted to to see one and I heard it very far off and I hoped that I could go see one and then I went into the woods and then there was, someone was there in the woods and then I broke up and I'm petting a kitty. Yes, kitties don't like wolves so if you're going to be friends with a big kitty, you can't go tracing after were wolves anymore, can you? No, I was not supposed to leave cab, but I've been wanting to see a Verval for so long.

But you know it's even better than love. A vampire. And you'll see one. But Big Kitty and friends will help you. I don't think I want to see a vampire. There are lots of stories about that, how vampires did a lot of bad stuff many years ago,

and that they're really bad. And there aren't stories like that about that. stories like that about werewolves? Well, theirvals have been missing for so long, and they've always been in the woods, and then the rare ravens got rid of them and sent them all the way.

Well, I'm sorry, I don't speak, child. It's fine. This is not working. The point is that the vampire that lives here is a very nice man, and he's going to make sure that everything is good to go, right? And then at some point,

once we get more information and figure some things out, we're going to get you home. You get me home, where am I? Do you have a wagon, too? We have ways to travel, I guess. The details aren't that important right now. The point is that once we figure out,

we're glad that you're healthy and you're good. You're going to tell us where you're from, and when we figure out where we are and where we have to go, we'll get you there, I guess. Man, we are really out of our element here. Well, it's mostly just you making a bunch of promises, which you can't keep. No, we can keep the promise.

It's just a matter of getting her home where she needs to go. I'm sure that the count knows exactly where we have to take her. No, we can't get her home, and I think we'd like to go there anyway. Right. So we could take her. She said it was near Barovian. Would you like to ride home on a flaming nightmare of steam right behind a vampire as you fly through the sky? Is that like a bony?

A what? A pony. A bony? A bony. Oh, a pony. It is not a pony. A bony would not be out of the realm of possibility. It is, to be honest.

The kitty cast not like ponies either. You mentioned Borovia, right? Yes. The castle or the county? The valley, yes. The valley? Okay, well, you're right. We do have to go that way anyway.

So we can just take her with us. It's fine. We got to go meet this, Alexi. Would you like to travel with the lodge, Kitty? They get the only pony? No. The pony is hit on this. It's absolutely not a pony.

I want to make that very clear. We're not going to travel with it. gonna walk like you know like they did in the old days right you mean the current time we walk anyway we've literally walked like horses were invented you know like how the furrow horses weren't invented they're animals they weren't invented well I don't know well then it's not like the major domo it's not like somebody who made the horse I love ponies and horses that is what my people we we breed and raise horses and they love us very much and the ponies

Okay? I'm supposed to get my own pony! We can't promise you a pony, but when we get you home, if you're supposed to get a pony, maybe you'll get one. I am supposed to get the pony. I believe you, and the sooner we get you home, then the sooner you'll get your pony, right? That sounds very nice. Reasonable, right?

Yeah, and in the meantime, you can just ride on toa, like a pony. Exactly. Yes, you... Are you fast, like a pony? I mean, I can walk kind of fast, I guess. He's very fast. Fester than most of these guys? Most importantly, he's strong like a pony.

And big, like a pony. That's very... Are you a pony man? Like, she's the kitty woman? Well, I don't think. I mean, I mean, I don't think so. I mean... I can also just turn into a pony.

Hi, my name is Preacher de Sester. You call me Capriest. Oh, hello. I know my mother says not to meet people, not say my name. My name is Velasca. Valeska? Well, it's very nice to meet you, Velasca. How do you feel?

Do you feel okay? Do you feel nervous? I feel hungry. Well, well, that can be resolved, and I cast great food and drink. It's plain, but... What does that look like? Tell me what it looks like. Flavor it how you like to. Oh, I like a shit food.

My favorite. My favorite. Derek, you're not a lot to have, right? I do get two dollars. I instantaneously create 45 pounds of food and 30 pounds of food. 45 pounds! Why have you never done this before? We've been starving!

It is enough to sustain up to 15 humanoids or five steeds for 24 hours. The food is bland, but nourishing, and spoils as if I need enough 24 hours. So it's all of garden breakfasts. It's basically gruel. There's a bunch of bland loads of bread. It's clearly been ground in a mortar and pestle, but still like Sam's ground into it, so it's not great. That's a lot of bread. How did you do that? That's really impressive. I have magic and big kitty with her.

Oh, those cookies? And she looks on the table next to her. One of them's half eaten very clearly has a bite out of it. Fine, be grateful, little child. She takes the bread, and she, like, takes a huge bite out. This is really good. It was made by a rock person that you'll meet eventually later, and he'll give you a great big hug. The bread, she just made it from the thin air.

And there's 45 pounds of it. Now we can eat all this bread. We're not going to eat all this bread. There are crumbs everywhere. my mom would be very upset. We're gonna eat up, buddy. Oh, can I have a cookie now, please? I just take a loaf of a really bland bread

and begin to eat or eat it, like, thinking. I'm just shaking my head, and drinking my wine. And she takes, she reaches up and grabs a cookie, and she stirs, and she sits up and looks at herself. When did I get a pretty dress? I never had anything this nice. The dress was on you when we found So you don't remember anything?

I remember going to the woods and there was someone there and I was hoping it was a very robe with a nice wear of and then I woke up in the bed. Do you remember anything about the person that you met in the woods? Yeah, what they looked like? No, just saw he ate shape in the woods. Is that something different? Oh, well, you find me out, why don't you eat? There's like 48, no, there's probably a lot more than there.

Yes. I can't describe them. many gloves are good. Well, you've had bread and you've had cookies, yes. Yes, this cookies is going to pick her up and I'm going to put her on me and I'm going to start trying to burp her? Oh my. Is this what you do now?

I'm going to be a mother eventually. Ow! Is this it hurt? Iris, you're being awfully rough. I'm trying to burp the child. I think she's past that age. That age stops. I think so.

I think that's only when I did. I'm going to look at her. Apologies, small. Yes. I've come to the realization I should not have taken I should not have sent Thomas home. I'm going to make a old mother. I am this man. You're ten years old. Yes. Oh yeah. Okay, yeah, that one doesn't need to be done. Well, moving forward, don't pursue any werewolf sounds because it's very unlikely that you need a good werewolf and you can trust us to protect you until we return you to your family, your home, where you're supposed to be.

Yes, he has a point. If you wake up from an unusual sleep, you've been kidnapped and forced, you should immediately trust strangers in front of you. Exactly, that's a really good point. You never trust any strangers, but trust us. Yes, and that further's my point. I won't be a horrible mother. I would be a great mother. That was brilliant advice, wasn't it? It was. That was actually, yeah, it was actually really good. Especially when you're inside the castle of a vampire.

Well, Mama always said not to go into the woods alone or talk to strangers, especially people we don't know that Larlik outsiders, especially Korovakians. Well, thank God I'm not a Korovokian. Indeed. Me neither. None of us are Korovakians. The Korovokians that we performed for, they didn't give us very much money, and I didn't like how rude they were to us.

Well, that happened. They thought they were very scared in the farming village. They thought that we were going to make the crops go bad. We don't do that. Well, that's weird. I mean, why would anybody think that? I don't know. They were very mean. Look, at the end of the day, we're going to get you home.

Because I firmly believe that your village is on the way that we have to go anyway. So we'll make sure that happens. Escher mentioned something about dinner. Not that we need it with 45 pounds of bread. Someone had reminded me of what a waste of my divine energy. I'm creating this feast. Well, I mean, we can save it. I mean, it's bread.

How could it possibly go bad? Well, within 24 hours, if we're wrong completely. There's water all over the floor, too. What kind of divine magic is this, Iris? You're telling me that 45 pounds of heart attack is going to go bad in 24 hours? Yes. And how many gallons of water? 35. 35 gallons.

We have a small food. 45 pounds of food and 30 gallons. 30 gallons of water is so much fucking water. It's on the ground. On the ground or in containers. No, but we don't have containers. We have a bunch of wet bread. We have a small pool now is what we have.

Okay. And soggy bread. The hard tack is slightly less hard. Well, Iris, I appreciate the effort. Sounds like it. I'm hoping that at least, you know, Escher might have some protein for us, you know, a little bit, something other than just hard tack.

There are beetles in the very, in the red rooms. Wait, these? What? Yeah! Ah! You don't like... I'm going to have another cookie. Can I ask you a question?

What do you want to know? Do you have a pair of bat pajamas and is your father's name Rasputin? I don't know what that means. Oh. I don't think anyone else with that. I'm a little afraid of bats, though. I think that it was a very much. I think that was a reference to the 1990s animated Fox animation film, Anastasia.

What the hell is in 1990? ...Megraim. And Ked is not made by this name. And Kirstipharmae. And Kelsey Grammar? The Kelsi Grammar is that one guy. I hate that one. And the reference, I believe, is that the Dungeon Master might sound like...

Borg-Tark, The Bat, voiced by Hankers Area. Oh, Simpsons fame. Hankers' Aries area is very talented. Didn't it also star John Kiesk at my recollection? Did it? Maybe I don't know. And Kelsey Grammar. Okay. I think it's been about an hour, and Asher said that we should be expected down at dinner.

Are we all ready to head down? And stop talking about John Kusack? Who is John Kutzeck? Who is John Kutzeck? Do we want to take these loaves of bread, or should we just leave them here? It might be offensive to Asher if we bring our own food. Can we just toss them out the window? Is there a window? Is there a window?

Is there a window? Just leave it. It's gonna be gone in 24 hours anyway, apparently. Well, they don't be gone. It will be rotten. It will be a lot. Throw it out the window. I go over the window and I start using, like, press the vegetation, like, shovel. I mean, like, each hand to, like, shovel hard bread.

This is taking too long. I cast destructive way up. We've officially gone and defar the skeletons. I'm sorry. But I can target none of you. I can choose to go around you. It's just the bread that gets forced out of water. The jars break. I'm using the Asianian should really scoop water out the window, very unsuccessfully.

45 pounds of bread, rocket out the small window. They smash into the back of a gargle. Someone scuffs up. I'm doing the map. Oh, no. I'm gonna throw it out. Anybody, we should go to the feast. Would you like to ride my shoulders down to the feast, little girl?

Oh, you're very tall. That'd be very nice. Just don't bump my head on the door for a piece. No, of course, no. I'm gonna pick her up and put her on my shoulders. Um, what was your name again? Velasca. Velasca, yes, they did my name.

Okay, I've read it down. Oh boy, I hope they have tossed salad and scrambled eggs at this feast. What? Paul Saturday and scrambled eggs. Why that combination? Yeah, if you've never had... Oh, it's a traditional meal. What's going on?

I just scramble eggs in the Makani Islands. You're gonna do you. That sounds like a set up to a joke. How do you... Scramble eggs in the Makani Island? Practice, practice. Practice. I've officially lost control of my campaign.

It was done enough. It was too powerful. We couldn't handle it. He put something in that curry. I'm done. We were been fine if we'd just come home and buttered chicken like tomorrow people. I walked to the feast.

Yeah, we got this. She happily sits on your shoulders and says, Wow, you all look so small from up here. I'm way up high. And she'd like ducks and not to smash up so I don't like, yeah, knocks. And you you make your way as you open the door to leave and you duck out, Brutus is on his way and said, oh, dinner is almost served. Demascha's waiting for you in the dining room. Oh, what happened in here? Like we hustle away and would Brutus like worry about the loom.

There's like breadcrumbs and bread sludge. It's slurs just like all over the place. It's like plaster made of bread. It's slurred on the wall. It's just the bed sheets. The wall is clearing. Mostly the small window, though. It's been like, lots of bread has been forced through and out of it. It's a nightmare.

Absolutely nightmare. I'm not the DM folks. Sorry, I apologize. Everything you said was true though. Oh, God. Oh, it's just going to take me. Oh, no, okay. And he starts to get to work to cleaning it up. Poor Brutus.

He's not real, so much. Yeah, he doesn't have a real feeling, like a sentient being like. He was programmed to feel that way. It's not real. Shakes. Oh my gosh, you make your way with Velasca on your shoulders. The wolf spider. That's Wimiska. And you make your way and you see, you remember seeing the dining hall at the double doors had been closed.

doors had been closed every time that you pass it, but they are now open and a nice warm glow is lit within. And as you enter, you see a grand dining table that is fully set with a beautiful tablecloth and chairs lining up with Escher sitting at the head and a grander chair than all of the others. As you see that the table is set with, you're already full on this, but baskets, of rolls and bread. And bottles of wine and spears are spread throughout. Each place is sat with a number of forks far more than you think are necessary. But it's very obviously this was set by Brutus.

As you make your way, and Escher is dressed in a velvet dining coat and vest. and perfectly polished boots. He is absolutely dressed to the nines in a way that you haven't seen since you've come here. He still looks hollow and sunken and weak and withered as he has that familiar goblet with that same-looking animal blood

as he extends his arm and says, welcome guests to the hospitality of Castle Romonia. The finest that Brutus can provide. And he gestured for everyone to take a seat. I take a seat. Yeah, thank you for having us, Countessier. I'll put her in the seat closest to Escher.

We have a new little girl. And she sits down and she looks and she shrinks back. Is this thing? Is this thing? The Empire, yes. He's the very nice man. I thought it was the very nice. Okay, that makes a lot of sense. He's very nice, and he's gonna help us.

He looks very scared. He's very nice, I promise. He helped you. He's the reason why you're okay. Yes, that's right. And he, uh, he, uh, can't help but chuckle to himself. If you didn't have that response, I would be concerned for your self-preservation, child. Liverwana, you well.

And she looks up and I'm still with wide eyes and just nods. Yes, I am, Mr. Vampire. Thank you for letting me stay at your castle and for introducing me to your friends and for the pony shoulder rides and for petting a big kitty that can talk. And he straightens himself up and says, yes, that was exactly what I was intending. to welcome you as my honored guest. You are the guest of honor. Isn't that right?

He looks at all of you. Absolutely. Veleska, you are doing, you're one brave cookie. You're doing great. And don't worry, there should be a meal that is, that I'm sure you will enjoy. And he kind of shuffles awkwardly and just fold his hands over his goblet of blood

and looks around it all of you as the doors open up, and Brutus arrives with two massive trays that should be, that are way larger than a creature of his size should be carrying. But he manages to balance it perfectly. And he says, well, you know, I haven't cooked real good food for real guests, besides that moldy bread and stuff that I feed the guests downstairs. But I did learn from the best, the best butler that I could ever ask to be more mental. and I think that you will quite look it. And he heaves this massive tray and pulls off a cover.

And there is a glistening book that is cooked to perfection. It's been the skin is glistening. There is a huge golden apple in its mouth. And there's all sorts of chopped root vegetables all surrounding it that are just glistening in the pork fat as, I lean over to toe and I go,

wait a minute, didn't we just leave him upstairs cleaning all that horrible soggy bread? How did I get down here so fast? You know what, never mind, I'm not gonna ask questions, that poor look delicious. Is there any scrambled eggs? There are no scrambled eggs. Oh, shit.

Is there a salad? But he does bring out a tray and there are eggs and little cups, one for each of you, and he drops it. And there is also a very large salad plate that he drops. Oh, oh, good. Cliffs enough. How are we supposed to eat the egg? Do you not, you're done in our society?

No. You think? It's a spoon. Well, if I, want to just break the shell into the egg if I do it like that? is boiled. Oh. And master, if you,

if you happen to go up to, don't go up to the, uh, the princess room court yet, uh, I'm still working on it, but I just want to make sure everyone was fed. Um,

uh, and so, and, uh, he, there's also a number of, of, he goes back behind the doors and brings out another,

uh, number of trays. There's actually some sort of roasted bird, uh, that has been placed down. a great number of pastries lining the table, and he keeps dropping all sorts of trays, all this very elegant food that seems to be way fancier than you would expect for a creature of his... of his... a little gargoyle to make.

This looks incredibly delicious. Thank you so much, Brutus. Um, uh, Count Preskov, you've learned that this young girl, she's from Barovia. She is. Does that align with anything you might know about what he would want? Yeah, with the Ravenchild. She, she appears to be from some sort of Vestani and Kampman, and I guess they were near the castle in the valley, she mentioned. It sounds like it might be on our way to where we need to go next,

and we could potentially return her to her family. And Kevin, are you Vestani, girl? Yes, I am. I am Vestani, and my mama before me, and my grandma before me. And he narrows his eyes and says, well, that's very interesting. I've never seen a Vestani that looks quite like you. Well, I'm always happy to be met with surprises, as I'm sure that you would not expect to have a fine feast. This silver is plastic.

One side of it is just painted. Brutus! And the other side is clearly plastic. Brutus! Get in here! Oh! Did I lay out the wrong sewer? Where? I am so sorry. It's been so long since we've had real guess.

And he's shamed. He comes up. No, no, no, it's fine. This is fine, isn't it? No, I'm sorry, Giffis. No, he didn't do anything wrong. This is fine. I need a new spoon.

I'll get you the wrong at George's... My brain's all, well, I'm of a brain, but my head is all flustered because I just, it's hard to reprogram myself, you know how it is? And he shambles back out and brings the appropriate silverware. And then he scuffles up and says, I'm going to go to you a little bit of cleaning, and I will be back for dessert.

And he makes his way up. And you actually see now that this is the first time the cheese has been served. There are a couple of blocks of cheese or wheels with, I love cheese. With some, some knives in there as well, and some wide variety of food, more than any of you could eat. And we're also full of bread.

We are full of soggy bread, by the way. What do you mean she's different than other than other than the sunni? Well, usually the Astani just have dark hair that I've met. I was going to ask the same thing. Yeah, but you've been around. You haven't seen a single in 200 years, another bread. blonde one? She's blonde, right? Yeah. Not to my

estimation now, but there are people with all sorts of hair colors just as new to me. Oh, okay. Well, I mean, maybe you're on to something. We've been asking ourselves what makes this girl so special, right?

Like, that's something I've been asking myself anyway, and could it be that our appearance is connected to the reason why that she was taken in the first place? There have been dozens, maybe even hundreds of children

over the past 10 years, brought to Castle Bloomvale. I don't know why this child would be special. Not to say you aren't special, little one. There has to be some sort of connection between all of them, right? I mean, otherwise, why would they be labeled as Raven children or a possible rate of childhood?

they're looking for a raven child the a raven child a one that was what I've gleaned in my insufficient reconnaissance well in the letter mentioned that that

Ravinovia presumably is looking for the Ravenchild and the children that she keeps getting she's hoping that they're the Raven child and they're not so it seems like they're trying really hard to find, whatever this may be. I fear that whatever it is, my little bass is doing, and its face tenses up. Do not leave the children.

Whole wound she has done, or perhaps two whole more. I'm glad we spared you, child. Spared me from work? This is really good, as she chowes down on a shake of boy. a shake of boar and she's like reaching and she grabs an egg and she just rips off the shell and devours and she grabs a big handful of cheese and eats it and grabs it roll this bread is a lot but i mean it's all very good and i'm grateful thank you how far is it uh escher to brobeer here to be about a two-day flight oh you said flight where's you're going about that is southern side of the kingdom, at least weak.

Caprice is trying to do the math in his head. It's like they're looking for a Raven Child, and they still were capturing people, perhaps as recently as maybe one week ago, two weeks ago. How long ago was this girl captured, then at that point traveled down the road for us to pick her off and then travel to the castle that we're in,

and then it doesn't seem like it's that long ago that she would have gotten picked up. No, probably, yeah. It probably would have taken a week, according to what Asher said just now, to get to where you ambushed that, the hearse. And you know that there, apparently,

in the letter that you had pieced together with mending, that there was a candidate that was apparently promising. Yet still, the desire for this child to be prepared how she should be, and then delivered was still requested. I mean, Caprice would think that's good news because it means they're not closer to their goal and perhaps we've delayed it even further

if they are expecting this next potential camera. But he doesn't say anything. So do you think, as far as how you can help us and how we can help, what's the next best course of action? I suppose, If you wish to take the child on the long journey to Rovia, I can write a letter of introduction to Alexi. We do not get along very well, but he does know of me and knows that he and I are not enemies, at the very least. And I'm sure this girl's mother will be very happy to see her.

I don't think we have a choice. I think that we probably have to set out as soon as we can. I mean, that is a long journey. Yeah. But there's no way to shorten. There's nothing else we can do about that, right? Any help that you can provide letter of introduction would be fantastic and greatly appreciated. I'll be happy to help how I can.

I will provide some care package of potions for you as well to make sure you stay healthy. It's going to be a long road, danger around every ridge, the bend of every road. I regret that I cannot join you. Will you help us in the eventual conflict? If there is hope, if you can get help, then I will do what I can, but I still do not think that I have the power needed that you all will call. wire as much as today has encouraged me. Prutus brought me another plastic spin. It's so hard to craft good health from stone

and get life through alchemy. You're saying. I can stay here and I am not needed in the front lines. I can help with alchemy and the tinkering, the tinkering machinery that my, that was taught to me and that I've mastered. I can help.

But I don't think that I'm so weary and old. But I can write a letter. You do look a little old. How did you get so old? How old are you? He kind of stops and covers a napkin to his face. Older. Older than you can guess, my child.

Too old Oh, that's what my grandma says And my mom My mom always said Stop asking grandma how old she is And He He looks at her and says

What is your mother's name If you Don't mind me ask you Yes, little one Tell the Dracula What your mother's name is Oh my mom's name is Avon

And my name is Valesca. And the father's name is Drus Peter. Oh no, I don't know my dad's name. And never mind I take that. No, it probably still is. I don't know, my mom doesn't, she never told me about my dad. Um, if you look, if you're feeling so old, why don't you go, you know, eat the guy in the basement? I'm sorry to

I mean you know are you going to eat the guy and you keep locked in the basement like all the bedtime nightmare stories I've heard he's a bad guy in the basement as far as we know and it might make you feel better going to eat a person a bad well at least you have to eat the person with a plastic spoon He leans in and says,

Don't worry, child, I am not going to eat him Unless there's an emergency Only in emergencies. Only in emergencies. You know, your servant guy said that same very thing. What is an emergency for you? How does that call?

What pressure is? If I Go and eat him and feel good for a week. I'm restored. And then that week passes, and I wither away to what you see now. So imagine

somehow whatever, whatever, the carrion king whatever power he has aligned with finds a way to break through my defenses. That would be helpless. So it's a power thing. Strictly for defense of the castle?

Yes. Well, I'm all out of coffee as well, so. There's a piping hot pot. You expect me to pull myself, puppy. Allow me. Oh, of course, a count. He stands up and he glides over and he grabs and he refills your cup. Oh, thank you.

I am, if nothing else, hospitable to the guests. I welcome into my castle. Well, this is very lovely and thank you so much for This feast. Um... How can we contact you when we hit a Borovia? Well, I suppose you know where to find me. I think that Alexi will know how to contact me. Without interception, that's all raven elements.

Oh, that's true. If he would allow our magical ravens to fly on your castle. I will tell my step. tell my stone watchers. Yeah, it tells them good, because we've seen what they do to the other things. They are effective at smashing. Yeah. Not letting too much blood when they killed Judas.

This might be a dumb question, but they wouldn't happen to have some kind of permanent teleportation circle at this Borovia Castle, would they? That's Borovia Castle. castle, that's possible. I have not stepped foot in my old home in a century and a half. I mean, even if we were able to just go there, I mean, how far could the Vestani encampment be from the castle? It is certainly within the valley. I mean, you'd have to know the ruins, you know, the sigil sequence. Yes, we are in the clearing in the forest. It's not too far from Balaki. Well, there you have it.

And you wouldn't know if maybe the... You wouldn't know the sigil sequence, would you? If there's a teleportation circle there? It's hallowed ground, Phoenix. Do you think I've set eyes on anything in that castle? No, I didn't mean to offend. What about you of Alaska? Do you remember anything?

Any pictures drawn on the ground? Pictures drawn on the ground? I mean, pictures of ponies? And if I did draw an air wolf in the dirt, it looked pretty scary. Making different pictures, like something your parents would have drawn or, you know, something in a big circle. We, no. No, nothing. Okay.

It's okay, Luffy. It was a long shot anyway. Yeah, I can know. That's okay. We can get there. No problem. Speed beady. No problem. Well, I am full. And you see that he hasn't really touched his, his, his, goblin at all. But to our guest of honor, little one Velasca, I propose a toast. Would anyone like to say some words? To our dear friend, an honored guest.

To her newly renewed health, continued health, and eventual quick return home. And to the hospitality of Count Kreskov and your... you're regenerating potions and alchemy. You're too kind. Uh, yeah, Krascoff. Thanks awfully. Yeah, and little Velasca, being without your parents, but never really being alone.

We are with you. Yes, and meow, I can wait to see my mommy again. And she, uh, she picks up a cup of milk and, uh, raises up and, And Escher stands and he raises the Galwood out. It says, to Velasca, to the guests of Castoramonia, and to the destruction of the Carian king. Oh, I agree to that. Here, here.

And he dows the entire thing, he guzzles that, and he places it down. Well, after today's work and effort, it was very exhausting, sitting on Bosphorus, and guiding you all while you collected all of the reagents. I need to work and then sleep. Little one. I will see you tomorrow.

I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Okay, Mr. Vampire, man. You can call me Asher. Okay, Mr. Asherman. That's fine. To the rest of you, you know who need to call for if you need it. anything?

Not me. Brutus is going to be occupied for quite a while, I think. He should be arriving with dessert soon. Well, I wouldn't count on that. There aren't any other domicers. It's just the burrus? Just for us.

We might want to consider creating some minor domos. That's a great suggestion. One that specifically specializes in soggy bread cleaner. and actual silver. Usually it's just me, and I don't require much. This is the first time Bruce has had any real work to do,

besides keeping our friend alive and tending to my very basic needs. Maybe you could make Brutus a friend or a... A Mrs. Burris. A Mrs. Brumhilda, I think I could call her. You've got the reagents now. He seems like he could be... He's a little lonely, I'm sure. I do have the reagents now.

I can give more life to stone. I spent so much time carving without the alchemical power to bring it to life. The possibilities are endless. Perhaps I will draw up some designs for some new faces around the castle. You can tell that he's kind of catching

glances of the little girl and he does not, he kind of wants to get, you can sense that he wants to leave as quickly as possible. Well, Rufus will be arriving with dessert. I do not have much of a sweet tooth, obviously. He places his goblet down. Yes. Sweet well friends, till tomorrow, then we'll say a goodbyes. Thank you. Thanks for everything. Sweet dreams. He turns and leaves and as he leaves, oh, He steps out of the way, and Brutus steps like, oh, sorry, I'm like this, still a lot of smoky bread up there. I just go, don't go to the precious room, I'll get on in Jiffy.

And he arrives with a huge pile of puff pastries filled with cream. There's a great stack of toffee and chocolate. And he lays it all down. And he says, hey, little one, try the toffee. That's me specialty, because I learned from the best. My mentor, his master, loved Toffee, so he learned how to perfect it. So that's my specialty. Brutis, weren't you made from an alchemical process?

And so your master was another alchemical being? Master's the master? Oh, oh, you mean Asher. Master, Master Griskov, yes? I can't imagine him making buffed bathroom. He's your mentor to make for cooking. No, no, he was, me, me, me, me, my buddy, Lucas, he's not around no more,

but he taught me everything he knows. That's how I'm so good at cooking. And how I want to make so coffee, here's an extra tofu. You're one. I hope you like it. And he kind of walked like, don't mind me, I'm just going to watch. And then I'll get back to him.

Real quick, Brutus, if... Showing back. If there were a lady Brutus around, someone like yourself, but of the opposite, persuasion, what kind of features would you... What do you mean? Would you be interested in on such a creature? I'm made a stone.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. But you have your short and your stout, and you have that particular voice that's very specific. specifically you? Would you like exactly a duplicate of those wabbling around, waddling around, or would you... Oh, for what reason? Oh, I'm just, you know, making a conversation.

I think what Caprice is trying to ask you is, while you've been maybe down in the valley looking for fresh flowers, have there ever been a particular rock that has caught your eye? Yeah, in a particular... There have been some nice shoddy rocks that I've taken for the master. And especially for the princess, she loves shiny rocks. Well, she told me she liked shiny rocks. I wasn't really sure if she really liked them, but I always got him.

But how do you feel about the rocks? I think they're very, as long as they make the all Ravenovia or the master happy, that's all I care about. Well, Caprice, I think he's not really focused on himself. All right, we'll talk. And you see as Velasca has her mouthful of toffee. This is the most amazing thing I had my whole life. As he does a little hop and his wings flutter and carries in probably out two feet off the ground and then he lands.

I'm so happy to hear that. If I could cry, I would be doing it right now. And he scampers off. I said, I'm back to work. Oh, you just need the plate stamp. I'll be back whenever you're done and I'll clean Ola." And the door closes behind him. I'll be taking some coffee and the medium.

Yeah, I'll be trying a little of everything. Yeah, it's all incredibly delicious. It's like master, master pastry and dessert chef quality from, from Brutus. I gotta be honest, this is not what I expected. This is high quality. You can tell that at one point they were living a really high in mighty life. I agree. I've never had anything like this before. It's amazing.

It's so good. Can I have some odd please? I don't care. And she just is shoved stuff in her face. I mean, Asher seems really burdened by his immortality, but it also seems like he sometimes spends his time perfecting buff pastry. There's some good in there in terms of

what you do with your time. Well, I think, you know, I think because he doesn't feed regularly, maybe, you know, that's the problem. And it's unfortunate because it's kind of like a moral question of when you have to eat other people, what do you do about it? Does he just suffer and eat, drink boar's blood? Do you just try to find bad guys for him to eat him? It would appear to me that he suffers more often than not. I mean, he's referred to it as an emergency several times now. We have some empty wine bottles.

I mean, we could just sort of stick yet real quick, Doa, and then... Yeah, what if we all just gave him a little bit? Then he'd be, you know, even more agustum. It's like a treat, like a thank you, bottom of mind. He did say that when it runs out, it affects him pretty horribly. I can hear this, like. Well, I'm not worried about us so much. It sounds like it gets a pretty nasty, almost like a hangover. If the source isn't concerned,

continual. I mean, he said emergency only. Yeah, I... He wouldn't be able to defend the castle if it ran out. But what if we just gave it that as an emergency, and then he can eat whatever's in the dungeon? Veleska, your muff. I know what that means. My dummy hurts. Listen, I would be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I mean, if he wasn't going to give up the secrets about alchemy, I was willing to give him some of my own blood. I mean, it seems like a fair exchange to me.

Sure. But again, I didn't realize that it might have a horrible effect on him when it runs out. I don't know. I don't think what he was trying to say was that it's not like he has a horrible effect when it runs out. I think the point is that if he didn't have an emergency source when he really needed it, then he would be weak and defenseless. So basically, he needs a big shot of strength in case. gets attacked if he ate the guy now.

That was the sense of it that I thought. And then he got back to his current state in a week or two. And then he got attacked, he couldn't do anything. All right, well, then we can fill up a couple bottles of blood. I mean, how many, how many, how many, I mean, you alone easily would be able to fill up a couple dozen. I mean, look at you. Well, as long as I don't die, I mean, I would be... You're not going to...

Don't be such a baby. No, I don't know. I've never just drawn blood just for the sake of it before. Lots of people do it for all kinds of religious reasons. I will do it for the... We can't. And I was like she heels back up. I mean, it shouldn't really... I mean, in theory, it really shouldn't be an issue.

I mean, we've got all night. We'll just take it easy. We'll have a nap and then we'll wake up. You feel all better. You won't even know. Okay, that's fine. I'm in. I'm very sleepy now.

Can I go back to my room? Yeah. I don't know if it's clean yet. I think we're waiting on Brutus. It's probably still a little regular. Can I lay your head down on the table before you see? Sleep right now. Oh, if you say so.

You can cuddle up against this board here. She like grabs some cream pass. That makes a bed of cream bath. It's a dream. It's a sweet pillow. So I'm ready. I'm just telling you tell me what to do. We're not going to do it right here.

Yeah, we're not. We've got extra bottles from wine. Let's just get started. No, no, we should bring them back up to our room or something. We can't do this here at the dinner table. I mean, come on. It's like the closest place to where he's going to enjoy this treat. No, no, no, it's fine.

Let's just go back once the room is clean. We get the young girl to bed, and then we can just, you know, we'll take care of it. We'll figure it out. Okay. I'll gather up some of the empty wine bottles from dinner and bring them all. Okay, you do that.

There's plenty. Let's get you in vent. And I'll gently pick her up. Right, this is okay, let's go back to bed. I'm really good beat. And I will, uh, burke her. Burk her. I will walk her back to her room, presuming it's, you know.

You do that, you know exactly where to find it. As soon as you open the door, uh, Buddhist is walking out. He looks exhausted for that a stowed man can. Okay. I cast Crete for good. 45 more blocks of bread emerged from nothingness. Okay, if you want,

how many times can you do that? Your is all taking care of clean and cozy and cuddly. You sleep well. I'll make sure you have a nice warm cup of milk and I'll make sure that the blockheads are standing guard outside. So no, bumps in a night,

or monsters under the bag of it back into you. Thank you very much, Mr. Small Gargoyle, man. and he beams and he's the happiest that you've seen him since you venture this castle and he does a little skip in a step as he he shuffles off and as you put later down in the bed she she snuggles up and says well I guess I don't have my pajamas but I guess I can wear this this is very comfy still and I'm very tired so I can fall asleep just go to

to see you. It was nice to meet you. We'll see in the morning. It's nice to meet you. See you in the morning. I'm very much looking forward to traveling with you all, even though you're not faced with ponies, and I get to see my mom like, and she would like to meet all of you. Let me tell you a bedtime story, so you call it sleep. I love bedtime stories. Lovely. Once upon a time, there was a little girl who went out into the woods and almost got abducted by werewolves, but she didn't. They were even. evil people and they put her in a coffin and then she was taken away by a group of strangers and a Dracula but they did not eat her and they saved her and now she's trying to go to sleep the end that sound very specific the moral of the story is don't talk to strangers and don't go up the woods

good night good night keep the gap good night on my new friends don't tuck her in don't let the bedbugs paralyze oh god Okay. Yes. She turns over and you snuff out the candlelight that's lit, and you close the door gently behind you. And you see that there's two lumbering gargoyles making their way up the stairs. And you pass both of them as they then turn the stand watch.

Are these like dire bedbugs that you're talking about? Paralyzed? Yeah, why would you say that? I don't know what just came out. How large what a dire bed bump would be here. I'm good enough to paralyze you. I don't know, probably like something like this. Something that large could consume the entirety of the child.

It's true. I mean, you know. That would be a dire situation. Dyer anything is pretty severe. Capriced. If those exist. I'm confident that they exist somewhere. Well, just hopefully not.

this castle, right? Right? Yeah. You'll be fine. You make your way back to your quarters. And the suite is all laid out. There's a lamp lit on the table. The three fireplaces are also lit. They're dying down. The embers are, it's a nice, pleasant warmth. There is a nightcap laid out for everyone and some after-dinner mints. And you're able to to enjoy the... Oh, my favorite part about coming back to the room of these tiny little Andy's chocolate

something. That's what I thought. Immediately where I would go with my fucking... How lovely is this? There's a towel wrapped up like a small pig. I just want to go on record

and say that all of the transmutation spells are absolutely fucking bullshit, okay? Because I had some really good idea and I can't do fucking any of it because all of the transmutation magic is bullshit. In like a bad way?

Yeah, I can't do anything. Like the smell of transmute. Yes. Fabricate is bullshit. Transmute is bullshit. I can't do anything. So my idea was that I was going to transmute metal into a glass, sorry,

into a metal needle, a hollow metal tube. I was going to have Toa break off some metal piece of bullshit. Then try to find something that could be used as tubing to craft a you know, a makeshift needle and tube to draw blood like they would in

war times the medics might have done, right? I can't do anything because it requires proficiency with the type of artisan tools if you're trying to make something like a needle. You can't do that, right? It's fine. We can just slice you. Yeah, we got pure wood. This is bullshit.

We're just going to hack your hand off. You know, drain it into a bottle and then regrow that hand. You might as well, because trying to be a wizard is that painful. Okay. You want to just do cool shit? You might as well just cut my fucking hand off. So you die. Yeah, please, yes.

Ah, yeah! Watch me! Um... So all of my cool transmutation ideas can suck a fat one. It's okay, Felix. No, I'm mad. I'm mad. You better have to feel like you've wasted your life studying for no reason.

I'm mad. I'm sure later on you'll figure out how to make it less bad. All I'm trying to say is at a certain point you'd think after all the work I put into this, that I wouldn't also need to be a fine craftsman of metal and glass and a blacksmith and a pottery maker and a tailor. It's bullshit. I mean, it's not really a tool that you're trying to make. It's more just like a needle. So, I mean, there's not really like a, at least in the Dungeon Dragon's Five E Rules.

It's not like there's a... There's a needle in tube. It just says it can't be anything that would require, ordinarily require a high degree of craftsmanship, which in my opinion, a small metal, hollow metal tube that is the, you know what I mean, is bullshit. I'm sorry, I'm got, now I'm mad. Okay, I'm gonna ran a little bit.

But if we need like a crowbar, that'll come in really handy. You're over-complicating it, Felix. Tola, where do you want it? His name is not Tola. Tola, I pull out my hand and crossbow. I need to ask you. Is that how you do this? Just make sure you get me in the meaty part of my thigh.

Felix, I did not know that you could do this thing of metal. Well, I have a question to ask you. Sure. Could you create me an actual metal spoon? Unlike this disgusting, elastic piece of shit. Oh, yeah, that wouldn't be a problem at all. There you go, see? Your magic is useful.

If you could do that for me, I can keep it in my bed. Holy, you see. And then any time we're having a dinner where other utensils are provided. Do you have a small, just like, cube of metal that I... What, no? You can't just create it out of nothing? No, I mean, you have to provide something to get something. You don't just make things out of...

Could you do it from this glass of food? No, it has to be metal. It has to be equivalent. The exchange has to be even. It can't be an imbalance. It wouldn't work that. What about gold? You could make a gold spoon?

Could you make a gold? Oh, maybe a silver spoon. Well, as long as gold is it used in certain regions. Hmm. It's not. Yeah, I mean, as much as a Forgas flame cider would say. I mean, if you had some silver pieces, yeah, I could turn them into a spoon, I suppose. How many gold pieces which you need to produce to be a golden spoon?

You want a gold spoon? You want a gold spoon? Look at me. Of course, I don't know. I mean, how much. a spoonway, I mean, about the equivalent weight would be all I would need. I would really have more variants. Heavy, I don't know, five gold pieces.

Well, here you go, Felix. You five gold pieces. I like catch them. All right, well, I guess while you guys are figuring out the donation situation, I'll just work on this. I pull out some chalk from my bag and I begin to draw like an intricate, I take 10 minutes to draw a very intricate transmutation circle on the stone floor and white chalk. I shoot Toa. It's not a lot.

It's not a lot of it. Oh, I just, oh, I'm so sorry. And I grab one of the wine thing. I grab one of the wine jars, and I rush over and I start collecting his blood. When you're not screaming, can you please let me know when you're feeling woozy? Oh, max damage. It's a lot of piercing. Oh, my God.

While all of this is happening, I'm just very quietly drawing. What now? What? And like not paying attention. I'm sorry. I'm not. Do I'm pulling it out? I'm going to leave it right?

You leave the tent toe. You got to pull it out. Otherwise, it's not going to bleed. Oh, ah. Is it a guiser. Yeah, it's like actually a barb there. It's all sweats out. You're making the bottle off

free. Ah, that's true. I held a party fed a vampire. Oh, dude. I'm gonna do like in my hands! At this point, I just pushed the open mouth of the wine bottle up against the wound. It flips in a little bit and then I pull it back out. Escher's on the other side of the door like...

He's like, someone's bleeding. Ah! And I'm supposed to view on coming to that. No, pull a town, Caprice. Do you think? Do you think anything? And then I'm going to, I'm going to touch toe and I'm going to cap. toe and I'm gonna cast cure wounds. See, we got like a, there was only like a fifth of a bottle.

Oh, okay. I was like full long, you deal for nine hits points. How much damage you deal? Oh, okay. Almost. Almost full. Okay. The good news is you blow all your spell slots because we're going to bed soon.

I think my liver's okay. Oh, yes, I've healed it. Would you like to shoot him again? No, please. Oh, no. We can be a team effort. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, I got it. What the hell happened? There's blood everywhere. Way more than in the bottle. You see the golden spoon and it is covered in blood.

The chalk and the food are covered in fucking blood. There's a flash of light and then I stand up and I'm like, spoon. It's like a community when he runs it with the pizza. How are we gonna clean this up? Can you make more bread? Sure. It's just like bloody, soppy bread. Oh, I really do. Goodbye.

Third level spells on. After 10 minutes, I use transmute. I use fabricate and I, look, I just, It's a golden spoon. That's lovely. Felix, can you clean up all of this bloody bread? No, I don't have the ability to do that. Thank you for the spoon. Is there a window in your mind?

There's actually three windows. I begin to try to get the, like, mage-hand pulls of blood. Maybe I should like this. Just hold on to it. All right. I don't know. It's my turn. I know, I know, I know. I'll take my dagger and I'll just stab my stealth right in the hand. Ah!

The hands! I'll take seven of my own piercing damage and I'll just hold my hand over the same wine bottle. You know, you got to take one for the team. Thank you, Toa. Why couldn't we have just done that for me? I turned my back for 10 minutes and you shoot, tell what? We were really moving slowly. You guys were talking about goals boots. I got bored. I need to go lay down. Are you feeling lightheaded?

I mean, I feel better. Thank you for the whole healing thing, but I just... I feel like I've been through a lot. Do we need more blood than that? Oh, sleepy. Oh, you should stop. Okay, okay. You fill up four bottles. Okay.

Okay. You are looking weirdly pink. Yeah. I'm like really like pink. Jesus, please. I got to put the bottle down and just kind of swipe my hand. You slash, you don't starve. And I'll just squeeze my fist into the bottle until I feel

I'll see an hour the bottle fills up. Oh, no, I'm not giving him. He's already drank my book. Okay. I'm healing everyone. This I need hold of my energy. Oh, good? That's fine.

Just give me one of the bottles. I don't know how many we have at this point. No, no, no, no, no, no, it's fine. And I just take out my talent guard dagger. I am- I'm 100% sure. Which one of you should I shoot? And I'm-

shake him. I will use the talent guard dagger to just make a little, you know, She's not a joke. And then, you know, oh, okay. I think it's just one D4 for Dagger. Plus, plus my strength? Oh God, I rolled max damage.

How much one is it? Oh, God, seven, ah, I lose a finger. No, yeah, so then I would just, you know, fill it up until it seems reasonable. Yeah, I rolled almost max. I rolled max damage. Fantastic. Yeah, and I don't know how many bottles we'd end.

filling, but they're, I mean, a bottle of wine isn't that much. Yeah, I would say probably two bottles with everybody's effort. Two full bottles. I mean, that's a reasonable though. Mass healing wounds on everyone. Oh, thank you. And I'll spend some time taking some parchment. You gain seven points of healing.

How much? Seven, including Utah. I'm feeling. Come back to where I was when I took the nightmare damage. Well, I'm going to sleep. Thank you for healing me. Thank you for letting me shoot you. Well, I didn't really let you, but it's um, it was hospitable, so it's the least I can do, I guess. I think that we have a very nice winter cheer. I think he'll appreciate this. I know I would if I consumed blood, I guess. Well, should we give it to me?

before it gets cold. Oh, that's a good point. Yeah, probably. I'm going to go to bed there. Brutus, are you here? Brutus. Brutus. Yo, Brutus! The door open. How do you breathe? How do you breathe? I don't know why I'm so tired. Oh, yes, what do you need? On a guest of the castle?

We have drained ourselves of blood and put it into these bottles. Oh, do you need first aid? No medical attention. I am training there. I'm speaking, Bruges. No, we've handled it. It is for your master to drink. Oh, the master would like that very much. We would like you to get to him before it's getting to your...

Especially if it's got some of that soul juice in it. What? So juice. What? So juice. It's just in the blood. It's not the blood. It's mostly the soul juice, you know what? Anyway, please get it to him before I change my time. Of course, yes. Do we want the time? Ingrams, he, uh, says, uh, are you all, sleep time, uh, uh,

The match is all ready to lay down in his... Oh, and can you remove all of this bread in water? It's just like, the room is a mess. It's like, what happened here? I just finished cleaning up the little one, you... It's bloody, we could explain, but we're all exactly. If he would eat the bread with the blood in it, please take it as an appetizer, but I don't think so. Do you need me to clean that before you all go to bed?

I'm asleep on top. I'm asleep on top of bloody soggy bread. I'm not out. At any point that you could. Okay, I'll be very quiet. And he shuffles off and with his tail works around the door handle and closes it as he holds both the box of one.

I imagine Brutus is an anthropomorphized stone pug man. Like he seemed like he would be a pug. There are like canine elements to him, yeah. He's definitely dog-like for sure. And you can all imagine what kind of dog, like, you know, it's still humanoid, but you'd imagine whatever dog you want to imagine. Y'all are lucky he grabbed that for me. I was about to drop that bottle like crazy. I'm going to go to sleep. And then I go to sleep.

Okay. Two in the morning. So we all better get some rest. We're going to have a long journey. Yeah, this is going to be a tough week, but we'll make it. We'll get there. It's fine. We'll get there. Or we won't. I don't know. I just hold me. I'm... I take all the blankets and push her to the edge of the back. Give her like a real swift kick. Bed's right next to the window!

If I'm unconscious, can I still float? She lands in a pile of bread. She lands in a pile of bread. Derry, your delivery sometimes is so obscenely good. Thank you. Yeah. Oh. Oh,

you're going to go and oh. We all on way or another go to see. I forgot to take

watch. We've got a lot. We all went out. We're woozy. We don't remember it. It's fine. Worst case scenario, Miska the wolf spider gets us in my mouth.

You all settle down to sleep. And you all have You all drift off, especially extra woozy, given what's happened. And Iris, you are suddenly awakened to your entire body being covered in a horrific, silky, sticky substance. As your mouth is immediately covered and wrapped, as thick webbing is blasting all over you and wrapping in a cocoon, you see as... As there is a massive, arachnid-type creature with hands and legs, multiple eyes, spewing webs out at you. This is not a joke. This is actually happening.

It's really hard to tell this session, but thank you for clarifying. The rest of us are dead asleep. And your mouth is covered? What do you do, Iris? Oh my god. Take with you have a window. You have about... So I can't say anything because my mouth is wrapped.

Your mouth is wrapped as the web is spewing. You see this massive insectoid arachnid, it looks like a beetle. But you actually see, as your vision starts to get wrapped in webbing, this creature. You see that some of the chitinous shell, on this spider-like feature. It also looks beetle-like. Is this a bright blue lapis-lasly-looking colors?

Oh, shit. This is bullshit. I don't know what to do, because everything requires verbal. Oh, no. Oh, no. Component. We'll give you one action.

Yeah. Give her a second thing. Here we go. Let's do it. Yeah, I know that no one was expecting them, so. I certainly wasn't. Do we all have one action? I shoot toe on.

My other butt cheek. My other live, though. The Goliaths have two livers. Yeah, that's right. This is one of those, like, clearly undead spidery thing, right? I would say making an archimacheet for me. At advantage. At advantage.

This D12. Actually, I'm going to play this music. Sorry. This is a lot more chance. Uh, 12? There's something familiar about it. It seems to be a ratnoy, but there's something dead in these. It has, it has eight eyes through its,

its tightness armor that almost looks somewhat like jewelry in some way. And there's the blue shell, but a lot of it is putrid and rotting, and eyes. Most of them are milky, this sick yellowish color. And there seems to be bits and pieces that, are almost like fused together. What, my damn? Yeah, I struggle, because I literally don't have anything

that's not verbal. So I just struggle against it. I can't speak. Okay, I need you to make an acrobatics or athletic check for me to see if you wake up lifted. No. Twist it, twist it. Natural 20.

I'll second that motion. Let's fucking go. You can struggle as hard as you can as you are fully engulfed. in a web cocoon as the creature spewing it at you. You managed to thrash and although you cannot move, your tail whips out and smacks Lifty across the face before it is slooped up and brought into the cocoon,

you are fully grappled and restrained in webbing as this creature is spewing web at you. Luffy, you are startled away by Iris smacking you in the face. and you look around and you see Iris where Iris was in a just a full webbed cocoon and a massive spider-like creature spewing it and you look around there are four of these creatures and there's movement all throughout the room in this dimly lit room you see that there are this these gross smaller larvae grub that are dripping with acid and there's there's holes in the ground as you see that these creatures have burrowed through the walls of the castle. This would have been probably the biggest bed, so I probably would be left Ian Iris would share this.

We'll say Toen and Felix are here, right? Are you all spread out? You probably would have been here. You probably would have been here. And you see these four large spider creatures. Trying to get a crease in there too. Oh, geez, the Louisa. Nice.

By there. And you see now, can you pass me the black marker? I can. That. There are four. Oh, wait, that's not the rampant. Oh. So we did not very long rest.

Would you prefer just any of these? Yeah, I'll just do a, like a brewery. As you see now, there is one. Oh, holes. Those are the holes. Two. I don't know if alarm would it helps for that. Three. Nice.

And I'll see. Grog- Groyiki. as the ones. As the ones, oh, fantastic. Are spilling out four at each hole of these closest holes.

Their mouths are, they look, their flesh is bloated and putrid looking. Their mouths are dripping with acid and as it falls, you see the stone, singe away. Luffy. The rest of you are asleep. You see these spiders as it's

getting ready to blast you with a web. And I will say we will do an acrobatics contest to see who's going to be able to act first. And then you'll have one action while everyone else is asleep.

And you'll see now that there is one over Felix who's getting ready to shoot with Webb, Toa. However, there is, you see that although it has these, their leg, four legs, there's also four arms with these clawed hands, and you see the hands are swirling with this dark necromanic magic at Toa. And I'm asleep still. Yep, you're passed out. I'm dead asleep. They are, they roll a 20, natural 20 and a 19 on their stealth checks to sneak up on you guys. Wow. Well done. I have a passive perception of 19. So, wow.

They're probably proficient and probably like a joke. So Lifting, so we're gonna do whatever one-outhratic shot. Fantastic schemes. Oh, that's not good for you, 28. So I'm sure it breaks every point. So you have an action as you're startled away. Iris is completely covered in webs, and you have an action as you see this thick webbing's getting ready to be blasted at you.

What do you do? Oh, God, I'm gonna just right hook, left hook, right in spider's face. Okay, so you're gonna attack and not waking anybody up. Yeah? I'm gonna be like, oh, God! Okay, you do that and you punch as we're gonna give you around

and then we're gonna roll for initiative and they're gonna act and then we'll roll for initiative. So you swing in to attack. Surprise. My AC is going to 13 for this fight. Okay. Unfortunately. Because you're wearing a jam jams.

21 and 18. Basically. 21 and 18, both head. Basically, we're my name jammed. Don't forget that we didn't enjoy long run. I like these large numbers, maybe I can see them from very far one way. Oh, so I got something. Yeah.

Ooh, seven. This is 17 damage. 17 damage to number three, I believe. As you, you, smack into it and smack into it. You hear a loud crack as its kite in the shell breaks and cracks and this gross ickrers pours out and its eight dead eyes.

And you can hear some horrible chittering language that is calling out. And they're going to all go. And because you are asleep, they are going to be advantaged. And the... I can't wait to get crit for 4506 damage. Hey, I screamed. That's Insta kill.

And with that, it would be. With that, they're going to go, the grubs are still boring and pulling themselves out. So they just, uh, the grubs are really boring. And, uh, the web shoots at you lofty.

And we're going to do that. Oh, jeez. That's going to be a natural 20. Oh, been there. Oh, you take. I don't think I can do anything against it because I am, Probably a strength saving throw, right? I mean, I don't know.

Hopefully. It just uses my, just a reaction. To, oh, to do what? But does it require- To make it not a crit? To make it not a crit. Is your vision covered? As a reaction, when you are a creature,

you can see, no, it's just my mouth. Oh, are you either of her eyes covered? Yes, no, you're fully covered in a cocoon. You are fully in case. Don't worry, I'll be joining that party very shortly. As it blasts you, who lofty, you was going to deal only seven points in the product damage, but the web wraps around immediately and you are now cocooned just like irises. As the other one is

going to channel its energy and blast it at Utah and it's going to be advantaged. It's on your screen now. Yeah, you're restrained, blinded, Uncapacitated. Everything under the sun. Poisons. Paralyzed. Oh, yes. Uncapacitated.

On fire. A blast of dark magic hits you toa. You are shaken awake. As you blast and you feel your muscle start to atrophy. As it casts ray of infelement on you. As you are now do have damage on you. You have damage on strength attacks for one minute. To all got him, Chunder.

Did it do any damage for me anything? Nope. Nope. It's just a... You're like, like, swimming in the river sticks, and he's like wasting away, and turning in his stick thin. And with that,

on Felix, the other one that's at you, web that's in his mouth and it's blasting at you. My AC's 13. That is going to hint. I figure. You're a C's 13. You're going to take five points of necrotic damage, and you are not.

know, grappled and restrained in a web cocoon. Understood. And that is all of their turns. Oh, okay. As, as three, as, as, Toa, you look around and you feel incredibly weak. As three of your friends, now, you see this horrible scene. Ah, ah, this is a nightmare, right?

And I just start screaming. Um, Caprice, I need you to make a Constitution saving throw to see if you wake up. and that's because of how groggy you are. And the fact that you never wake up someone piece of parchment. I write, make Iris a new bisque. Oh, thank the Lord in heaven.

A Constitution, 23. You are miraculously, despite how groggy you are and weary. You are jostled awake as Toa as your turn. I need everyone to roll for an initiative for me, please. Sway, yes. Oh, baby! Maybe 18 plus 3 is 21. Oh, boy.

Okay. I got a 12. 22. Wow. I got a 21 as well. Okay, he wants to go first? Can I go first? Yeah.

Okay, that's fine. Oh, between me and you? Yes. Yeah, fucking go, man. You got 12? Yeah. Do your thing? 15.

15. So you got above a lift date? Mm-hmm. And the grubs and the spiders are the The end of the round. As the grub starts to slowly shift, their mouths dripping with acid, as they then start to slowly slump their way towards you.

With that, okay, Caprice, you're up. I wake up to a nightmare. Yes, you do. I see all of my friends being consumed by spiders. I see grubs coming up through the stone floor. I see them covered in, you do. them covered in bloody bread. I, um.

You get mildly hungry and then begin your shit. Yeah, wearing only what I wore to sleep. I jump out of bed and grab my viol and jump up onto the end of the bed. Seeing all of them, yeah, I'll jump there. I'll immediately kick into song. I'm like wide awake. I'm like Insta sober. And I'll sing to cast and I will. cast destructive wave this time.

Let's do that. I'm going to need everyone's help here. You'll know when. Oh. Eat my massive chode. Suck on my dingling. Suck my dingling. Suck my dingling.

Suck my dingling. Suck my dingling. Suck my dingling. You can suck upon my dingaling. You can taste upon my ding-a-ling Don't you choke upon my ding-a-ling You must suck upon my dingling And the weeds are getting bigger and bigger

It's crashing forward Oh, sorry Yeah, how does that fucking work? I'm sorry, darned, see, see-s, see, see-s, see-s, so that's fair-hens. I will have to read how the spell works but it's going to hopefully kill a lot of them. It's a 30-foot radius. So I think I hit all of them and can target all of them

except for my friends. All of them have to make a constitution-saving throw, and then I'm going to roll a lot of dice. Wait, so you can place it here? No, it's a self-30-foot radius. Oh, ladies around you. So if you want to move into the middle of them, you can. I will run into a place where I would hit the maximum number of pot.

Because you're going to fucking smoke us. No, no, I can go around you So getting up would I use half your movement Okay So you would only have like that, right? Yeah, but like how It's 30 foot radius, yeah It's a 30 foot radius, massive

So, well, right, but if it's around you It's like getting these guys, maybe Maybe this guy Yeah, and this guy. We'll give you number two. You can all the grubs, except for eight and seven So all of these guys and then Big number two, big number two. I will send it. I mean, I, I

jump into action and I will they all have to make a Constitution saving throw my DC is 17 we'll do the worms first okay 17 1 fails

6 6 6 fails 3 fails 4 seeds awesome 2 fails 2 fails 5

and then big number 2 5 fails they all fail Number four succeeded. Okay, so all of them will take all of this, except for the one that succeeded, which takes half as much. The ones that failed are also not prone. Okay. That's a lot of dice.

Four, six, ten, twenty points of thunder damage, six, and eleven points of radiant damage, and eleven points of radiant damage, and they're not. 44? 11 plus, it's right here. 11 plus 20, 31 points of damage total. Oh, including Radian? Yeah, 31. And I'm ready to go. Iris, you remember the golden spoon, you can do this.

I'll give her inspiration with my bonus action. That'll be the conclusion of my turn. Okay. Number seven was out of it, okay, seven and eight, we're out of it. Okay, seven and eight, we're out of it. As you blast, as you say, suck my dinghling, suck my dingling, you strike the power cord on your violin,

and you blast out. You see number two that has Iris is knocked prone. It looks like if he was scooping her up to drag her away towards the hole, and he just knocked back, the thread that had connected to Iris's webbing is severed by this blast, and he slumps forward prone,

as the grubs, despite being, they're not immune to prone somehow, despite being grubs, and they are knocked on their side and they're struggling, as they're struggling to write themselves back up, as many of them turn to you with these horrible, dead,

milky yellow eyes. Oh, delicious. Tell, you're up. So I jump up and so I just half my people to stand up, and then do I see Felix is totally tied up? Yes, he's in a computer. Both D-Irhus and Felix are in Cicose. Does it look like I could attack him out?

Yes, it does. Or would it be a full action remove him? Megan Tells your time. Oh, wow, I think that's an 18 or mid-19. Very smart. I think that you would get the sense if you smacked him, you could smack the weapon away. It is very thick and targetable.

You think that you could probably swing and just rip-open a scene down the middle with your moment. I will go into a battle trance immediately. battle trance immediately. And I will just, without even saying a word, I will just smash the Bebbing. Tackle. And all of this is reckless. All this is power attacks. Just make the first attack on the webbing. That is a... Too, too, do, do, do, too, too, too, too, too, too, too, paha. That is a 19 to hit.

It hits. Roll damage, half. Because you feel the weakness of your, of the infeedling ray. Six, seven, seven. 28 points of damage. You have? Oh, no, no. 14 points of damage. 14.

You were able to take your toe up and you hope you don't smash Felix's face him. Oh, God. You go full golf swing and you tear open the webbing. It falls to the side. It's cleaning a little bit. But Felix, you are suddenly freed from your grapple and your restraint and your blindness and all that business. And then the one that's over on top of Felix, I would then come up. come in and attack him. Recklessly power attack.

That is a 16 to hit. 16? That hits. Oh, wow. 25, oh wait, oh wait, 5, 6, 7, 8, 28 have another 14 points of damage. 14 points of damage to number one. To number one, okay. You smack in and you swing in, although you hit, and it does break its undead cuteness armor

the crack and there's that it grip pouring out, you just feel so much weaker than you normally would with each swing. Felix, you are, have been burst out, and you see this horror scene of these strange beetle arachnid-like creatures, and almost look at this, an amalgamated combination, and these acid spewing beetles, or grubs, what do you do? So I will have been in this cocoon trying to, you know, thrash around or whatever, and all of a sudden I'm freed and I'm screaming and I'm like, ha, ha, and I'm like, ha, and I'm Oh, God!

Failing, help! Burn! And as I come out of the cocoon, it's almost as if the fireball is released from the cocoon. Nice. And I cast fireball at a... We're gonna go with the fourth level right there. Everyone is set for seven. And it will not hurt my friends.

Okay. So they need to make a deck saving throw of 17. Okay. I'm just going to go down the horn again. I get to re-roll ones and twos. One succeeds. Five succeeds. That's pretty good. This is gonna be 10, 20. Four fails. 36 fails. Two fails. And then Big Solis. Two fails.

Three fails. Three fails. Four succeeds. One. Let me double check my things to make sure I'm missing anything. So that is going to be 40 fire damage to anyone that failed and half of that failed. and half of that to anyone who passed. 40. So 40 and 20. So two is. And I don't have to get up to do that.

So it literally happened like while I was on my back. And I just kind of burst into flame. And then I will use half my movement to stand up. But I'm not really gonna go anywhere. And that's my turn. Okay. I'm just gonna quickly do this real quick. The fireball blast out, igniting and burning

away the cocoons that's wrapped around Iris and around Lufthians and singes away as the, these arachnid insect creatures as they hiss and their flesh and their, their, their, their, their kighting is singed away as they take a good amount of damage. They are looking, they've taken a good hit, but they are still coming at you very seriously. With that, it's Iris's attorney. So I'm not, I'm not stuffed anymore. I can stay, I'm gonna use half my move it to stand up. I'm not stuffed anymore. You're not about stuff.

Whatever. And I am gonna, do I notice that Toa looks like he is afflicted by? I was gonna be very obvious. His muscles, he looks like much smaller than he is. My face is sunken in. His face is sunk in him. He looks like empty Capri's son. He loves like an empty Capriese.

Capprease son. Is it something I would look at and think that one of the restoration spells would do anything about it? Or would it have to be to spell magic? Me here, I'll try. Okay, that's pretty good. I rolled the natural 19. You would know it would be the part of

spell magic. Or break the concentration of the spider. Unfortunately, I'm too far away and I don't have to spell magic. So I guess I'll just cast Bain. Bain. Bain. I'm going to cast a second level so I can get all four of the big guys. They have to make a Christmas saving time. Okay, yikes.

Okay. We've got the charisma of paste, so we should be... Uh, wait, charisma. Not like that the paste. It doesn't help. They should fail. Uh, 16. Yeah.

Six. We're all four of them? Uh, and... Four? Four. Four. They all fail. They all fail.

Boom. Let's go. As you channel the power of Anubis and the... They let out a... hiss, and they chatter as they feel the power of Anubis wash over them and they are baneed. And these these bindings appear magically and then suddenly wash over them and they are cursed, so to speak. So which of those is that? All four of the big ones. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. Lift the arrow up. So I'm going to, I'm still restrained. I'm going to use my action

try to like wiggle out and kind of punch through my restraints. The fireball burn away. Oh shit, I'm sorry. I misunderstood that. Okay. Um. Sorry. You're gonna give you first.

My man. No. So not needing to release my bill from these blinds. I would be looking at number three as closest to me. I would reach down beside the bed and pick up my spoon and just thrash at it. Yeah. You pick up a golden spoon with this size.

Fuck, what is he? Throw it down and pick up at real one. It's very soft. There's my favorite thing about gold swords in games. It's so rarely are they like actually taking into account how very soft gold is. I got a critical foe and a 23. So I would land one hit.

Okay. On number which? Number three. He is not from it. He's not from. He's not. He's not. Okay.

So 12 damage to him and then I would take a, I would say where I am, but I would stand up on the bed. You smacking the flies against the wall as it was like and they seem to be chittering to each other. With that, it is the, it is the Grubbs turn as they are going to always always. all write themselves and these grubs really grub me the wrong way. They used half their meaning to write themselves, I guess. They're going to, he's going to be able to make it to you guys. Yes. He's going to make it here.

I'm going to be using my reaction to gas a shield a whole lot of this fight, so you let me know when I need to do that. Yep. This guy goes here to Lufty. Look that groom. They're gonna go here, and then he is going to go here. Here. Okay.

And so, with that, the two at the back are going to open their mouths, and you see this acid, this building up, and they aim both at you, Luffy. And he's got it. and these eyeless grubs, spew acid at you, and you need to make two dexterity saving throws for me. Hold on now.

Hold on there's something with that. I can't think that help me. For monks, for you're doing your eyes. Something with a dex saving throw. Do you evasion? I do. Yeah. So just make it.

And what happens is that if you fail, you still take half, but if you succeed, you take no. Take nothing. Okay. That's interesting. I got a good. and they are also disadvantaged.

If you haven't taken damage, if you have the albatross. Oh, since my last turn. If you took damage, if you took damage after your last turn. Oh, no, she just went. You're good. So they're disadvantaged. So this is not a bad.

Right, they should just be. No, you're just saving. You're making two saves, so. Deck saving there, so 13 plus nine is 22, and then that will be a 10. Okay, so the 10 fails. As you are able to dodge one, but you dodge into a stream of acid. You take 15, 19, 22 points of acid damage.

So you only take 11. As it blasts into you. And the other one lunges forward to the mouth to bite you. And it's disadvantaged. And the one that, oh, I guess that's not a melee. Never mind. Nope. Nope.

So you just take 11. Yeah, I did. One is going to lunge out and try to bite you Caprice. I am good. That's a natural 20. Nah, bra. Ah, fuck. It just trumps down on you, and it's going to...

Acid versus piercing, the damage doesn't matter for you, right? Acid versus piercing? Oh, no, I mean, I'm necrotic, sorry. No, neither matter. I'm resistant against a surprisingly large number of things, but... So I'm gonna... So you're going to take the full amount of this... As it sinks...

But it's not a crim. It's not a crib. It's not a grip. I rolled around to die. You're going to take 20 points of damage as one clamps down on you, and I need to make a con-saving throw against poison, please. Those I have advantage against those. Oh, yeah. Which is great.

Natural 18. Okay, 15 and a 10. Does that mess? 15 and 10 both missed. Okay. You are able to dodge out of the way. And with that, you see both open their mouths and blast acid at both of you. So Dexterity saving touch for Matured.

Dex, you say. It's going to be Felix. For two. Two. Just one for you and one for Towa. Okay. Oh, boy. That's going to be, oh boy.

That's going to be a six for Young Felix. Six fails, Tawa? 12. 12, that fails. So Felix, you're going to take 15 points of acid damage. Yep. And Toa, you're going to take 13 plus 6 is 19, 22 points of acid damage. As they blast into you, and you see as it singes in your flesh,

and you're still dodging most of it, and it's actually melting away the stone and the bed. Jeez. As you start to see that the sides of these holes now are kind of coated in the strange substance of the strange, the slimy, acidic substance as if it's like swirling and undulating. And with that, it is the spider's turn. No, we're going. One next to Iris is going to stand up

and look around the room and look down an iris and say, obviously. I would have said the same thing. And it's going to try to blast Iris with the web again. And it is famed, so. That's right, minus 1d4? Yeah.

It fails catastrophically. And that's all it can do. The one next to Lufty is going to swing around here, as you see that their armor is flaking and cracking as they weren't expecting this kind of damage. He's going to walk away as he's going to stand here and try to shoot away at Pirates. We didn't get you like a backer-act pole? Yeah, right? Like, a craps, a craps. A craps.

That's what I mean. A craps school. The Wolfman is a darkest dungeon man. Booking can take an opportunity to let me know. Yeah, and I do. Let me know. He is also banked. Yep.

There you going, Spider. Then I'll swack at him. He's banged him in the ass. That's minus four. You get the sense that as it's channeling this web, as it, but you feel the, as it lets out this hiss, and his head is yanked down by some sort of force, and the web blasts across the room.

26 to hit it? 26 hits, yeah. Okay. And I cannot take a... extra VA, but I will do this. Shabadoo! 10 damage. You crack it as a ghost iris.

And with that, the other two are going to just look and make some sort of notion of understanding, and they raise their four claws and their bandibles and are going to lunge and to attack both Felix and Toa. Toa. They're also bained.

Well, bained. So, the one attacking Felix is disadvantaged. What is mean? Just their disadvantaged underdivage? They're disadvantaged. They have to subtract a default from their attacks of safety throws. But nothing when we do it to them. Do something like.

Correct. As you see, both of them raise their hands, and they glow with this horrible necromanic magic, and they reach into touch both of you. Disavanish? Advantage against me. Advantage against me. Okay.

I'll hold a toe first. But still vain. Right. So 20 minus 2 is 18. Misses. Misses. As the attempt to cast, it's just lit up like a little old person.

Vampiric touch, as it's this very powerful potent vampiric magic, it is then pulled in. It is going to do the same for you, Felix, disadvantaged. There's no way this nuts. that's going to be a 12 minus 1. So you managed to roll out of the way as it does that. Don't you need to see you. And that's because that's two spells. I can't remember.

Did you say that they were undub? They looked familiar. So you're not 100% certain. Right, right, right, right. There's familiarity there. As you, that's their turn. That's their one's turn. As the two seem to be focusing on their web

on top of Iris and the other two seem to be a attempting to kill you guys. Cool. With that, we're starting. Surveying the nightmare scene in front of me, most of it uncertain because it's in dark is black and white to me, except for like the blasts of fire that might be happening in occasion. My friends aren't looking too hot, are they?

They're looking like their entire situation. I don't know. You don't know. I mean to say, like, I woke up to them surrounded by Spires. by Spirass. Yes. In a general broadstroke sense. But there are no dire bedbugs.

Looking down. The we'd say. These might be the dire bedbugs. Yeah, these are definitely the dire bedbugs. How, uh, okay. The grubs in front of me and my feet, are they looking damaged at all? Are they looking hurt? Yes.

They're all looking quite hurt. Many, half of them are looking quite hurt, and the other ones are all damaged. So they've all been the hit. And the spiders that are actually like the big bad for this fight, they continue to be casting spells and trying to weave up my friends. Yes. They are channeling necromanic magic against Toa and Felix currently and are trying to web up and carry off on this. You get that sense pretty clearly. Thank you.

I just needed to get a sense of my surroundings before I continue to sing. And the grubs are just seemingly trying to kill. Knowing that I could try and stomp the grubs or maybe do something to protect myself, I'm feeling okay and I'm really worried about my friend. So I'm projecting, suck on my ding. I will cast slow on the four spiders. And two of the grubs near me.

Okay. guy. One gets a, what DC is that? 17. What ability? It's gonna be a wisdom table throw. 15 for one. Fails. Seven for two. Fails. Three for three. Fails. 15 for four. Get fucked.

And then. Now Bain and sloat. That negative two to AC is gonna be meaningful, y'all. Everything else we're doing, that's fine. And then I will turn to Toa. What can I say except your toa? And then you'll get inspiration. And that was accurate.

That's technically true. That'll be the conclusion. Actually, can I take five steps feet forward without taking an attack about clarity? I'll do that. All right, that's the conclusion of my turn. Okay. With that is Toaster.

So number four is the one that's holding concentration on making you eat. The one, yeah. get a sense that he's... Oh no, didn't she cast spell magic? Or no? No, he's holding control tracing, yep. Okay, so I'm gonna turn and just recklessly

and power-attackingly. Actually, I'll do it one at a time. Number three? That this actually matters. Which number? I can't expect that. Four. Four.

So. Camber who's blocking my entire vision of this method of this combat. Hold on. Yeah, sorry. Let me, let me get your family. Oh, wow, that's much handier. Wow, I can do the best I could.

I was given. No, it's fine. Perfect. I can just flipped it. Okay, so I, the first attack is a, 15 to hit, and the minus 2.80. Oh, minus 2.8, so that it hits? Okay.

Oh. There's a slow. Okay. So it's just 2D6. I mean. So 10 plus 20 is 30, divided in half is 15. But then con saving throw, right? That was the first attack.

A con. I only did one attack. So will the DC on the cons saving throw be? 10. 15. Who even gets? Right? Because you said, well, no, sorry.

So it's 10 or half the damage. And half of 15 is last the DC. How much damage? Your damage got cut in half. Yeah. Oh, that sucks. How much damage? Yeah, it was 15 damage.

Damn. So it smashes into, but not as much as you know. The second attack is going in. 14. 14. 15. Minus 2 AC. Minus 2 AC, that's enough. That's really enough.

That's barely enough. You see they're trying to dodge out of the way, but the slow that they're under is making it impossible. What's the saving throw? That's another con save. Yeah, it's a 16 plus. Yeah. How was you?

How's it? 28 and half is 14. 14 damage. Okay. You think you had a little bit of a check. Let's see if it prox. Oh, and my Wind Fury prox. Let's go. So I will make another attack. Okay. Every time I ask what prox means you explain it and then I forget. To prok means to trigger. It's like every time you ask if we can use that switch or fade on a death save. I believe it's short. or a C-100 or some procedural something or other.

Yeah. 12 plus 20 is 32 divided in half is 16. 16. 15. 15. Another con-save. 16. So con-save fails.

Let's go. As the eye, and although it's under slow, it's resisted by these, the bindings of the tomb. It now is lost concentration. and suddenly you are a full of a free son. You were taking the B-4 off of those, right? You were for all their saves? Because it's D4 off of saves and attacks.

It wouldn't matter. They were so high that it was like 16 plus a bunch. Yeah, it was all, they never, there was no final that was below of, they got over 14. So, and so I'm gonna know how much damage that was again. I'm sorry. The final one was 16.

So it was, I think. That would still be half because it was the damage that caused them to draw. six in total. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I delft into it, finally, it's like fucking Popeye after eats a spinach. And some of your muscles... What yeah, you do?

You do one of the ears, we're like... And that happens, and... It kind of stumbles back. What the attitude is starting? Having kind of regained my composure and surveying the area, I look around with knife at hand, and as I'm preparing to cast another fireball, I say, damn, where do they come? from I really dropped the ball and alarm. I cast another fireball.

Okay. Make sure I can see who I get here. I will roll with Bay very carefully. Everybody but like five and six and little free over here. The DC is going to be 17 decks but minus the Bain. I guess. So all four big guys and then one two, number one would have succeeded but with Bain he fails. Two fails. That's good. That's great. Three fails.

Four fails. They all fail. Big guys fail. Okay. So that's gonna be six, ten, 20, 30, 37, plus five is 42. So it would be 42 fire damage for anybody who failed. And 21 for anybody who passed.

Yeah, so there are four grubs that are in it as well. Or no, five grubs. Number two and number four, Lairca, as the fireball incinerates them. Their undead flesh catches fire, their shells crack and cinds, they collapse to the ground. Bigfellers? Bigfellers.

That's five. That's huge. Hmm. And so I need to roll for, so who else? So there's four, two, eight, and seven. How much damage do they take? take? 42 if they pass.

42 or 21 if they fail. Turn it down. Rehears that. And if they're resistant to fire, they're not. So number one needs to roll. Number no, no, no. Just something to do to roll for. It was these guys.

No, no, not that guy. Yes, number one needs to roll. The little grove. Yeah, this one, and then number one is incinerated. Okay. Number four needs to roll. Number four. Forty-two. He's incinerated.

Okay, number two needs to roll. Number two. That is going to succeed. How much is half? 21. It doesn't matter. He's still incinerated. Okay, and then seven and eight. Oh. Seven. Seven fails, but he's alive somehow.

No. And then 40's in a roll. That's going to fail. 40, and he's incinerated. All right. and you hear it. And you now hear the rumbling of stone as these grubs are dying, as three of the holes in the room close up, sealed by some sort of just strange, sickly gross stone. Doesn't matter which you care?

Oh, the back free will say. Okay. So just the room here else is a problem. Hmm. With that, Gatby's Luffy's turn. I think right? I don't know. IRIS' turn.

I'm sorry, Iris. I am going to... Yeah, because he's there. I'm going to look around me, and I'm going to quietly call out to a dubus, but I'm going to cast turn on dead. Oh. And just see if it does anything. How does that work?

That ability makes them undone. dead, right? Yes, yes, yes. They're bing. Any undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet must make a wisdom saving throw. If it fails, it's saving throw, it is turned for one minute or until it takes any damage. In 30 feet, uh, who could do the grubs? Uh, these two, I mean, really it's just these.

The two spiders and that one you're right. They all fail. And you see now as you blast out the power of Anubis, you feel a warm sand, you hear that familiar gong, and feel anubes with you. feel like you was with you and suddenly they are struggling to try to to resist it but they turn and they run away immediately or when they act on their turn the only thing they can do is fully they have been turned all I just edited this episode of Shidana where Sarnax turns all both one of the bandwice now you're up now I'm up oh yeah that shit was fucking awful so I'm sorry say that again so the three what are

they three one and seven are turned they were turning turn they were turning turn They're very scared of virus, so they're going to run away and do everything they can to get away from her. And that is three, one, and seven. Yes, these three guys here. Okay. Oh, the other ones didn't turn. They were in range. They were in range.

They were in range. The two big ones in the seven. Um, okay. Um, so I guess I would, I would, I don't know what I would do. There you going! And I would run after three and just be swiping. be swiping after it with a spin. You do that. I make two attacks on big number three. Big boy. It's still slow. 15 and 24. 15 with it with fucking slow. Yeah, it hits up.

Yeah. Yeah. What a ridiculous move. Seven. 19. 19. Yes. Yes. Points of damage, number three? You smack and as it's trying to run, you see it's really slowed and bane and you sleep up and smack it on the head. It's whatever's inside its kite in his head splattered, its eyes fly across the room and collapses to the ground.

Oh, geez. You got Icar all over the bloodbred. Oh, geez. The bloodbred. Iris, are you okay? Yes, I'm fine, darling, darling. Just a nice man. So then I would, after seeing that, I would chase after number seven.

Okay, you run over and the grubs are doing that. Are the grubs next to you, Caprice, under any kind of effect? No, they can grub it up. Natural one and natural two. You may miss a fucking dodge. Luffy, are you to- This never happened before. That is going to be a 17 head.

Okay, you dogged out of the way. Why? One on Toa, his advantage, right? Three? No, the little grubby guy, I guess. He's advantage against me and he's not turned. So he is going to get a... Oh, and seven's turn.

So seven would run, right? Yes, you're right. It cannot make it, and he can not do anything but run. He missed my attack. He's going to run away. I guess his movement is 30, and so it's half because he slowed. Yes. And so it's 15 away, and that hole is sealed up.

So he's just going to... And you could use an opportunity attack to... Okay. Because that's what so good about is that they're using your own run. Yeah. Okay. So yeah, I would make my attack. Lofty. Why do you?

Uh-oh. 13? Uh, you're a little guy. And that one is slowed. Yeah, no, no, minus two. That's enough to hit it. And I have not... We've not hit it otherwise.

Slow's busted. And I have not him before, so I get 2D8 plus whatever. Between hands, and slow. Yep. Nice. So that's 11 plus six, is 17 damage. 17 damage. 17 damage is number seven. It's enough and you smash me into, it explodes into acid and gores. It crashes down dead. I mean, I mean, I'm right. I have a vision of you doing it like a golf. So number three still needs to make his attack on tow. Right, yeah.

Yeah. This is a bit. Average. He's advantage. I'm so thrilled. 20. Yes, that is. It's an.

Um, very happy. Um, very happy. Mm. Oh, go, Bow, Bowling. No, he's not. Number three is not. Number one is. I did the four big guys.

I am a little else. Almost. Sorry. 11 points of piercing damage. Sorry. And 10 points of acid damage. So I have, so I take five and then 10. So I have.

15. It is just attempting to kill you with its, with a grim purpose. And with that, number two is going to look around. Number one. The big number one? To look around and it is going to see what's happening. It should be turned because it's within 30 feet. It is turned.

It is horrified. It is going to run into the corner. And it is going to try to just scrape at the walls that looks with its undid eyes, all eight of them looking in terror at Iris. So who wants the opportunity attack? Which corner is he owner to, just worries? You may worth get one. Probably the one close to you.

All I have is is, is a melee attack. It's shit. The thing is, what do you go in the hole? He can't go towards me, so he has to go forward. Which means that you both get an opportunity. Do you have a horcester, the feet? Oh, no. I will take an opportunity.

Is this hole also closed up? No, that's open. That's the, fuck. Okay. Okay. Okay. I didn't power attack, so let's see that one slow? Yes, all the big ones are slow.

That is a 17 ahead. Oh, yeah. 17 ahead, Mike? Yeah, yeah. The AC was 16 without slow, so their AC currently is 14. 18 points of damage. So, number one. How do you do this?

Nice. Just, he's horrified, and I just want him to, like, look at Iris and then, like, look away, and as he turns back, My head, my totem just comes right with his vision, and it was smash this. He sees Iris and then he sees the TV. You smash into his head and it's and it just explodes into Gory and Viceroy.

You hear it as the hole seals up. That one. All full holes are now sealed up. Perfect. With this gross stone that seems to come from but it's this weird magical this. With that, it is Felix's turn. Oh, oh, I was, okay.

Give me one second. No, no, no, no, I'm panicking. I don't think so. It's three. Just three. Oh, it's my turn. Because it was their reaction. Because yes, yes, yes.

There's three grubs left. They don't have eyes. They are just mindlessly trying to chomp and kill you. And the ones that are right next to me, left and right, they're not looking too hot, are they? None of the normal are. None of the normal are. All of them are looking equally weak. No, I mean, for grubs, they don't look whole.

Hot. Hot grubs would normally look to you? Mm-hmm. Grubular. That's one sexy, right? Can I, uh, Toa, Toa help me out. Um, I want to do Thunderwave. It's a 15-foot cube.

I might have to take, I want to make, might have to take an attack of opportunity, but is there a place where I can move that's one or two spaces away from my current space that I can then fit them into a 15-foot cube in order to hit them? I'm sure there is. You can go here? You can do like a late, like, so, oh no, you'll take an opportunity to that guy, but then the 15- 15 foot cube comes from you. That's right.

And then you smoke them. So I'll take one attack about to, uh, Oh, you can't be in the cube? It comes from from a cube. It's basically, like you're putting it in front of you. I will take that attack about the opportunity, and then I will have them make a natural 20. Okay, that's fine.

Ah, fuck. I crit Derek more than anyone else. You can just crit. Do you have your reaction and would you like to use it? Yes, I do have my reaction. Thank the Lord. But I don't hear me. Okay.

Of course I'm gonna take this away. Nine points of piercee damage and seven points of acid damage. Is he stuck? Yeah, I look hurt. And then I will, massive choke. Blame, and I will thunder wave. I'm gonna increase the damage. I'm gonna do it a third level.

So that's gonna be a constitution saving throw for them. No. All of the bane people are gone. Okay, so they're knocked back 15 feet and they will take the maximum amount of this and this and surely I have another D8, I do. That's terrible money. Three, five, ten points of thunder damage.

They are pushed 10 feet away from me and knock from. You're a cool cheese man. They're on their side. What numbers? Six and five? Yeah. How much damage? Blasted 10 points of damage.

I'll move back. As they're blasted away and acid and gore, acre, spew out from them like, as they're on their side struggling to get back up. Lutti, what the fuck is going on? This grubs, obviously. Where have you been? Yeah, but why?

You're up. You're up. I will turn to this little guy, and I'm just my goal just to fucking cuda gron. We're just gonna, we're just gonna, we're just gonna be the whole kit It could be a little bit more fun. It was. Put in the power attack. That is a... From the bed, baby.

Um, 17 for the first one. 17 for the second one. They both. Uh, okay, let's just hold the damage. Seven. Mm-hmm. Much better. Uh, plus eight is, uh, 13. Um, plus 40.

Seventy is 15. Okay, sorry, 15. Uh, Plus 40 is 55. You obliterate. You smash into the grub. It's gore spews everywhere. It's undead flesh hitting the walls.

And then I think my, I'm just going to... Don't stand on it. It's closed up, right? Yeah, don't stand on it. Yeah, but you fall in anyway. Don't stand on it. I just run over it. Fuck!

Would it have left any mark? Oh yeah, it's very clearly. Oh, yeah, okay. Just curious. But I will run over it and get in front of them with my movement and basically try to to like just try to like block the idea. They're turning to spray acid, so that's a good point.

With that, it is... It is... Nice job, Tawa. When these things closed up, did we see any of these creatures that were fighting escape before they closed up? Or they just closed up? Okay, I see Toa run to block the rest of them. I'm gonna again shout, Nice going, Toa!

I'm not gonna let these things get away! And I run to the hole, and I do like, I'm running as fast as I can to the hole. I like slide over to it with my dagger out. I real quick trace my dagger around the hole, clap my hands together and touch it, and I use Passwall. Okay. Which is going to open a passage at a point of your choosing

that you can see on a stone surface in this case. I can choose the old. the opening's dimensions, which is going to be five feet wide. Tall doesn't matter, but at least 20 feet deep to see if it's completely sealed or if it's just the surface of it is sealed up. And that, the cast time is one action and it will last for an hour or less depending on if I choose. But I want to see if we, if I reopen up this hole, if I can, if there's still a deep

tunnel or if the whole passage is being completely sealed up basically. Okay, okay. You do that. You slide down and as you are... As you slide over and you, your dagger clashes against the stone and just opens up again the flash of silver light and you drop down about five feet into the stone, these incredibly thick floors, and you look and you see that there is a tunnel going down along the floor. Oh, so it's not like straight down, it's like down and out.

Yeah, you get the sense that they were burrowing through the walls and the floors of the castle. Um, I mean, that's, that's my whole turn, but I would basically like, I can't see in the dark. I would be like looking to see down the tunnel, but that's my own. Maybe it has a trick for me. You're in like the equivalent of like a ventilation show. He's a little bit. Oh, good. Not bad. Let's take a look. You said perception? Yeah. That's going to be a 24. A 24.

As you look down, it's very dark to see, but you actually see down where the tunnel goes, it ends in a similar, smooth passage. Ah, shit. Damn it, I'm just gonna shout up. I think they got away. Come out to Skethernail. Have a few left. Iris. Uh, she's a waiver. Yeah, you...

Iris will, I don't know, cast told the dead on number six. How does that work? I think it's a wisdom saving throw. Yeah. It fails catastrophic way. How much am I think it's like 3D12? 402? Oh, yeah, the 3D. It's got to be pumped up. But show. Do you want to cast hold the dead?

Yeah. Okay. Okay. 10, 15. They were on their side. What, like her? I don't think you add anything, right? Told the dead would be 3D12 plus 5.

Oh, you do, oh, because you're a great part. That's right. 25. 25. 25. 25 are the one that you cast told me an existence. You hear the goal and going out, and you see the grub on its side of those. up on its side, and it just explodes.

Number six. Look to your up. Brutus is gonna be so upset. Oh, just one little grubby left. Don't worry, honey, I heard, not hurt you, I mean. Oh, no, I mean I hurt you. And I will just swack with a spoon. Yep, okay.

Swat. It's your damage, because it's problem. On its side. 27. Hits. You've hit this one yet. Oh, that's... 11.

How do we do this? Messily. I want to, like... What do I don't know? I want to, like, feign like, I'm going to, like, scoop it up into my arms, but I'm going to, like, pick it up and then smash it down. You scoop up, it's dripping with assing. It actually kind of looks a little cute in a disgusting way,

and you just drop it down, and it once again, it just, the bottom half of it open. and splits against the hard castle wall. Is that it? Did we get them all? Yeah. I think so. What am I trying to do here on this stream deck? I don't know. Felix is down about five feet. Felix, what is doing?

So as soon as, I guess as soon as I hear you guys call my name, my head just like pokes up out of this hole that I've created in the stone and I say, I think they got away. There's a tunnel down here, but not too far ahead. There's another similar kind of a, seal or something. There's no way that Escher is aware that this is happening and the girl could be in danger. I mean, they breached the castle without him knowing. What were they trying to do?

They were trying to kill us but they were trying to wrap up Iris. Do they want Iris? Well, apparently, if they didn't do anything to hurt me at all, I'm going to keep on. But we need to check on the girl. I agree. When does that one ago? You can't see? No, they've sealed it off. I mean, they definitely came this way, but they had sealed off the original opening, before I went down there and opened it, and then not too far down the tunnel, it'd seal off again with whatever the substance is.

Oh, don't ask what that is. I will, I'm just gonna turn and run out of the room and just start bolting, sprinting down to a velociscus. You watch step on the bucks, guts. You open the door and you hear the sound outside. Oh, nice. As you hear a scampering of footsteps, as you see a large shadow cast aside from the torso

on the walls, and it's massive. And then it looks lumbering, and then you see Brunus turn the corner. You're going to panic. You can't attack. Oh, no, Cassel will not the attack! The castle will have been a little attack! Oh, we just killed a bunch of guys on the wall. Oh, we've got.

I'm going to get you next. I wanted to make sure. Oh, Lord, Gass would go. Oh, okay. Stay with us. We need to keep you safe. Okay. Okay. I barely made it okay.

There's a lot of them in the Grand Welcome Hall. As he follows you and as you turn around, you see the light casting the torchlight, and you see that there's, at least a dozen of these spider creatures and tons of grubs, holes on, on, on, on, on every, on, on, on every, on, all over the ground, some on the walls there, as they spilled, had they spilled out. And then you see as, as you get a little glimpse, you see that there is a stairwell, um, with stairs going down with some flickering torchlight and you see a figure silhouette as a shape. Thank God, reset him. I was going to say, it's got a little spinach, you know. You see Escher step out.

Hell yeah. He's in the same dinner gown that he had been wearing. His flesh that had once been sunken and gray and covered in dark veins is now supple. His hair is shimmering. It's almost flowing supernaturally. He loves. He loves. He steps out slowly.

And he looks, I don't think I gave you permission to enter my castle. And I don't know what you are, but I know you are connected to my little bat. I will kill you and I will kill your master. And he lunges forward. And in an instant, from one to the other,

he's slicing them, dismembering them. And he runs. He runs to the wall, he pulls a candlestick. You see a blast of alchemical fire, blast down, singeing tons of these. As he flies from the side of the room, steps on a hidden switch, and a massive panel smashes, half of them across,

smearing them across the walls. In a flash, as you all run down, as he finally does a swirl and slices one, two, three, and the three remaining spider creatures are all standing there, their hands channeling with necromanic energy and they stop and they just slide in half and fall to the ground. And he looks at all of you and he says, Me to that. And you see there's blood dripping from the side of his mouth and it's glistening red.

We need to check on the girl. Let's go! Let's go! As he sprints up and he says, follow me. makes his way far faster than you can keep up. His bootsteps making barely any noise in the hallway as he winds the stairwell. And you see that the door has already been smashed in. Both of the stone watchers are in the room and they're looking around as you managed to catch up.

And Escher has stopped. and as you look around the bed is empty and there is a seal up in the room the little girl is gone and with that one the second Mike hell of a session I got a bad that's my fault I was distracting everyone with my silly jokes

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