Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 14 | Creeping Rot: Part 1

Episode Date: July 8, 2025

The dark blight encroaches as the Azran Expedition faces the evil druids that spread the rot from Yester Hill.   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/GEJpkqn4co8?si=s4UqoYfQI3F02Vvc

You are back at the Wizard of Wines and listening to Curse of Stradania, a Legends of Adventress podcast. Last time, the horrid blight that tainted the vineyard still lingered as the expedition began a game of cat and mouse, with the evil druid that had cursed them articles. After finally cornering her, they brought her to a grisly end and freed the vineyard from the grip of the rot. And so the ravens returned to roost,

and they all lived happily ever after. That is what the expedition hopes, at least. I wouldn't be so optimistic if I were them. This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. You can become a patron yourself by following the link in the show notes. We are eternally grateful for your support. With that out of the way, let us proceed with the first part of Chapter 7, Creeping Rot. Through the course of the night, you all injured certain things.

Some pleasurable dreams, others that left you with questions. And one of you found redemption in unlikely places. And it is through all of this that you find yourself waking up in the morning, the sun creeping through the many windows of the winery, particles of dust cascading around you as it's disturbed by the goings on, your movement upstairs in the kitchen area, the sound of laughter, children playing family eating together. We should wake up in the winery.

Long rest. Long rest. Thank God. I was stabbed out. You're what? We're still level six, right? Yes. Okay.

You're what? He's still level six, right? Yeah. Good morning. I appreciate that. I hope to everybody wrap up. We all feeling all right? I would ask the same of you, Shepard. How did you sleep?

I slept well. You have sweet dreams. You know, certainly no morbid-molly stuff going on, which is always a nice reprieve, you know what I mean? I feel pretty good. I got to be honest. I haven't felt like this since some of the early mornings we woke up and Yonah to go hunting. And I don't know what.

lies over on that hill, but it might be a good day for judgment. I believe you're right, Mr. Morgan. I think that despite having some closure here, we need to keep in mind that there's still a task at hand. I feel like we've done

some real good, though. This is good. We have a place that we can come visit and make sure that this is just a tiny little flame, if you will. I'm sure Sarnax would appreciate that. That we can make sure won't go out. We've done some good. We've we've caused some,

some, got some purchase. And I feel like we're not all of a sudden sliding back like always. I agree. I agree. And I think that we're very capable. And whatever lies that yesterday, the five of us can handle it no problem. Anyway, some tea.

And Lucas will come in with a tray. A floating invisible. Literally is a floating tray of tea. And I'll take my cup off. And I will, thank you, Does Lucas, if I say thank you to Lucas? Oh, he'll appreciate it, of course.

Thank you, Lucas. This is very strange. I still not used to this. I'm going to turn to Sarnax and in a stage whisper. Do you still have the vampire stuff? I do. It is here. I have a feeling I will need to burn it.

Once we arrive to the hill, be prepared. I'll go back to my tea. as I prepare for spells as well. I'll pray to Garris as I do that. You all need to take some time to prepare yourselves for the day. I can prepare them all over. I'm good. I'm good.

Here we go. I'm going to find my portent right now looking at the tea leaves. Ooh, not bad. I rolled two numbers. Thank you, Rich. You're welcome. Bain of life. I'm always prepared for those two numbers.

I'm always prepared for those two numbers until he tells me about those two numbers. Okay. Is anyone around? Yeah, you can hear the sounds of movement upstairs. Well, shall we go upstairs and speak with the family before we talk? Yes, we should ensure that Davian, I believe his name was.

Yes. The Davian sets out with all of the shipments of flying that he needs no more help, and then we can continue to get us to hit. So we'll walk upstairs as much as anything anybody wants to do. We'll walk and we'll join the family and say our goodbyes. You make your way into the communal eating area, and as you push your way in,

the three children run around your legs playing tack, hide and seek, some strange game here running and giggling. as they run about. And the only adult that you see is the mother. She is bent over the oven, ruling what appears to be loads of bread, and humming, whistling to herself.

Doesn't seem to notice that you've been to her. What is her name ago? Stefania. Stefania. I will knock on the door. Excuse me. Oh, but what brings you here today? I thought you had business to tend to.

Did you need to eat bread? I believe we're all right, Beth for now, unless anyone is feeling percache. No, no, so kind, though. Yes, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality. Is there anything that I could give you

to thank you? She watched you, her hands covered in flour, and she grabs yours, the flower billows up around you, she clasces your hand. There is nothing more you could give me than what you already have done. My sweet baby girl

is back, and I could not I could not thank you enough for what you have done for us and for our family. This home is all the time for help. I am so sorry I did not think to make you breakfast this morning. I thought you were leaving straight away. The boys packed up all of the vine hours before the sun even rose. They are on their way to walk you now. That's all we needed to know.

It's just me and the children here. We wish them safe journey. And how is Stella doing? Who? The daughter, Stella? That's not the other. That's not the other. That's why I was confused.

Vasha. How was Vasha? That's okay. I was confused. I'm like, what? Go on. Did she tell your name was Stella? Was she in a stomach cake this morning?

Not that I'm aware of, no. All right. Just ask. Just checking. She did not eat much of her breakfast, though. So I should ask if she's feeling well. Well, well. Anyway, it seems like she's doing all right.

Please keep an eye on her, and I am disheartened to hear that the gentlemen have already headed back to Vlaki. I know that you raven folk are messengers. Would you, for coin, perhaps deliver a message from me to someone in Valaki? I don't see why we couldn't do that. The ravens will be around all this. Keep an eye on divinely? I wrote this last evening. I'll pull out a sealed parchment

and I'll have a satchel of coin. I'll say, this is all of the coin I have left. And I'll pull out four gold pieces. This is for you. For the delivery, take it. The remaining 40 is all I have left. And these orders,

please deliver this safely to a man-need. named Blinsky. Oh, Blinsky, Dutormaker, yes. Sarnax, what are you doing? I am simply making an order, Chekling.

You're spending all your money on demonic toys. What are you... They're not demonic. They're a little creepy, maybe a little weird, but they bring the children in a lot of children.

I apologize. That was the wrong one. Vasha loves herbocephalus. Of course. My apologies. Yes, I notice a child does enjoy toys by Blinsky.

So it's very important the letter arrives with the gold pieces. We will make sure we are honorable people. We will make sure it to arrive safely. I think. That's all my gold. All right. Well, if everything is in order, there's nothing else we can do, then we'll set out it once to Yester Hill. It won't be that far, driven by the map. So we will probably make a pit stop back here once we're done, assuming nothing we lays us.

I appreciate with the warning. I will make sure that I have additional food prepared for you for the evening. You don't need to do that, seriously. No, I would not let any of you travel on an empty summer. You've done more for us than you could possibly know. You've given us hope, which in a place like this is invaluable. Agreed. And trust me, just do us a favor and stay safe.

That's all we want. We are staying inside the divinery, and we go away. It's the arrival of the boys. Stand for us if you need us. You will. I will have ravens on the plane if I need to. All right. Now be careful. It is dreary today. It has been drizzling all morning, incredibly overcast.

Well, thank you for the morning and good day. Good day to you. And I'll go back in case and I will turn and walk out to the down to the road. And we'll start heading south. When we get on the road, I'd like to turn a star an accident. and be like, I think, hey, buddy, listen, I don't want to pry, okay? You're free to do what you want with your money.

But what is your fascination with this Blinsky fella? I mean, have you never seen toys before? Is it just, you keep spending all your money on, we need money for some things here in Borovia. I am a worshiper, the fire lord, shepherd. Yes, of course. My need for material possessions is minimum. But you're buying toys.

The mastery of the mechanical that this man has brings great joy to those who need it most. I intend to spend my gold, I consider wisely. Of course. Shine a bit of light into this darkness. I didn't mean to offend or get it. and assume anything. I just wanted to make sure you... You know, the more time we'll spend together, Sarnex,

I just don't know. I too have no need for coin in these lands, but if you ever need any, I'm happy to give you some of mine, Sarnax. I appreciate that, Connie. Perhaps I will have you buy me a meal. Certainly. And again, the offer stands.

I'm happy for the expedition to pay for whatever you need. I know you insisted last time, but if you would like me to reimburse you for whatever the hell you're ordering, I'm happy to do so. Sarnax, you are an odd duck. I like it. We're friends, but you are an odd duck. Well, perhaps when I receive my order,

we will see my line of thinking. I hope so. You're a smart guy. You are. You never cease to amazement, that's for sure. Shall we water away? Please. after Sarnax.

Oh, Professor. You. You know, just such a call. Oh, Professor. Oh, boy. It's one of those days. I'll be at the lead, shining the lantern because it is a jerry day and obviously sweeping for invisible shit, because that's all my lanterns.

Yeah, and we'll proceed in the normal marching order. If Sarnax is in the front, Con, it will be. in the back. If Sarnax is in the back, it will be in the front. Yeah, one of them leads to whatever. So we'll be in the middle. You begin to make your way out of the vineyard,

away from the winery and along towards the past. It's going to lead you towards where you will leave Yester Hill to be. The day is dreary, significantly more so than any of the days you've seen so far in Rovia. On occasions,

the rain pours down as the sky is weeping. as you walk. It clears for 10, 15 minutes before the tears fall again from the sky around you. Lightning on occasion pierces through the sky.

The thunder crackling shortly after with just enough pause that every time it still seems to make you jump. The wind is picking up and howling around you that as you listen all along the sides of the road

that you're traveling, It's almost as if you can hear strange, viny, needle-like footsteps, skittering about in the edge of the forest around you. But every time you stop to look, there's nothing there in shadow. I used to lack the storms on the plains, but Barovia has managed to ruin yet another thing. Sonax, just keep that staff on you at all times. I will be prepared, Professor.

I will use my judgment on me. win, but it will happen this day I have a feeling. I hope that we don't need to use it. It's not come in handy, but don't hesitate. I will not. It could save lives. Shepard, are you sensing any of the similar rumblings that you sensed yesterday? Without using any of my abilities yet, let me take a look.

I'm going to go ahead and say, I haven't used any of my abilities, so I would say no, unless Nicky says otherwise. What is it that you're trying to discern? Kana asked if I sensed any of the rumbling that I sensed yesterday in the winery. I would say, yes, you do. You feel almost beneath your feet a trembling as if the very roots beneath the earth are marching. Funny you should ask, Kana. It's something feels a little off.

I don't know what it is, but it's almost as if underneath my feet I can, I can feel something. And maybe as we get closer to the hill, I'll see what I can do, but I still don't know what that thing is out there. The fact that I couldn't identify is concerning to me. Are they able to track

which direction it's coming from? Is it the direction where headed? I just mean like a general can he like... I mean, I can do... I can do tracking, but like when I use the ability and it's like in the radius thing, tell me the direction.

Yeah, I don't mean like a big. I just mean like your natural wild. Yeah, it looks like a roll of survival check. I can certainly try, Professor. If we're in forest, I'll get some extra. I think I get proficiency. My proficiency is doubled when I make interwish checks related to it. I've never done that as good call.

You're not a range or anymore, so it doesn't matter. So this is a survival, you say? So it'll be plus plus three. nine, that's pretty good. 24. Nice. So I'll like, I'll like hunker down and kind of like

touch the ground and like move some of the soil around and look for it. He wants to like check for like work movements but whatever's going on. And I'll like look for like tracks and like what was your 24. Okay. That was just shy.

Damn. Just barely hit. Just barely missed. You. You watch as Shepherd lowers himself to the ground, place your ear gently against the earth. And you can feel the vibration on your face before you can hear the noise within.

It sounds like a scraping, a claw. And you listen. You hone all of your senses to tune into it even more. And you can almost see it in your mind. Vines or roots stretching out. digging through the earth beneath you. It feels like they're spreading everywhere all around you, but their direction is towards the south, directly towards Yastroville.

This is really strange. I don't know how to say this, but it's almost like there's some kind of rapid vegetation growth or something. It's just like scratching and clawing and I can feel it in my skull. and it's unfortunately, or fortunately, exactly the way we're headed. What are your first sense is that we have the Gophias staff?

Gophagus? I might. It probably has some very strange Celtic pronunciation, if I would have guessed. It didn't really cross my mind, but if there's some connection, there has to be. That's a great point. Well, it will be the object of their doom.

In either way, whatever the scratching is, frankly, I don't care. as long as we know the source we can go kill whatever it is. And retrieve the crystal. Yes.

For these raven folk. We must be vigilant and on the lookout for the spying creature, monster, whatever it is that she was worshipping before he killed of. All right, well, to continue.

And I will leave. You make your way out of firmly off the path from the vineyard to where the road splits north or southward leading towards yester hill is significantly more shrouded and thick of vegetation to look down the pathway that leads towards the hill you see you see the way the trees are almost bent and bowing over the pathway almost completely shrouded by an archway of trees it

almost looks as if they're praying over you or begging. It's hard to tell, but there's almost a human-like quality to it as you find yourselves walking down the path, thickness of the forest encroaching ever steadily around you. Walk for an hour. Luckily, the trees shield most of the rain for me. You can still hear the thunder as it moves aloud. everything illuminates with the sparks of lightning.

Looking behind, it feels as if the pathway has disappeared behind you, though you can faintly see the entrance of where you entered this long corner of trees. It's hard to see anything around you, but you continue on. Look up to all the trees that are bent down. I will look around and pause for a moment as there are some crangue begging. I'll say, mind, no salvation here. And I'm going to try to cast an eye on them

and see if there's anything about them, given my own interests with trees. Does it seem to be any kind of similar style of magic or energy? Does it look like there's a warping of the tree or it's just like trees that looks spooky? Well, let me check. I'm picturing this, like, the beauty and the beast path.

It's like, one's really sunny with bunnies hopping and the other one's like, 13. 13. Looking at the trees, they look mostly dead. There still seems to be life within them, but they're bowed over

almost as if the bark that holds them up isn't strong enough to carry the weight of the tree tops. You don't really, you're not able to sense whether there's a magic to them or if they're just weak. There is a corruption and a perversion of nature here. The blight spreads deep and far. It will be a great justice to purge the villainy from this hill.

This is some of the most wicked magic I've seen since I've arrived. Are we, will we be able to purge at all? I mean, this is far-ranging. The blights have a source, Professor. I believe it to be the top of the hill When we burn this before them We will put an end To this divin of it

If we cut off the head of the snake The rest dies I pray But if all else fails There is the power of fire Which spreads wide and deep as well as blight Right you are It's a good plan B

I'm curious how these druids get in and out of the hill. If this is so shrouded, maybe they use a different path. And I want to kneel down and check the path that we're on to see if behind us or ahead of us are any different tracks in our own. A perception check. 13. What does it be survival? Survival.

Same. They're both the same. Yeah. You see the standard tracks that we'd be moving up and down this path. They don't seem, it's hard to tell whether they're new or old. None of them look to be significantly new or significantly older. You don't notice anything that would lead you to believe that there are other pathways. I'm going to take out my naginata and get within 10 feet of like one of the like closer encroaching like praying branches and just like move it to the side and help.

clear a path forward and just see if there's any sort of reaction from the blight, like, with my presence being near it. If they, like, come closer or if they're moving at all, or if there's any life in them, or if they're just kind of, like, dead and decrepit. You slowly move towards two of the trees that are arching over you. One of the branches is hanging down, encroaching on the path. You take your Naginata, slowly move the branch out of way. As lightning cracks across the sky, you jump back, you hear a loud boom as the branch splinters and falls to the ground with your jerking movement. But the tree remains still.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Connie, all right? I was surprised by the lightning. It was so close. It seemed to fell very close. Bad timing, I guess. They are taunting us. It seems to be a hallmark of the denizens of this evil. So they have control over the skies as well?

That's a terrifying thought. Do I know that druids have like a bunch of storm magic in general or would I know anything about that? Roll a history check. I would say that you know that some druids dabble in storm magic. You know that their druids are very tied to the elements and that lightning thunder is elemental. in the spirit of nature. So, you know, that it's a possibility. I wouldn't say that you know every druid does.

But there's nothing that's like, oh, they're obviously, this is all magical. It's just like they may be causing some kind of storm. Yeah. Okay. This may be they're doing. If we have a few more close calls like that, we need to figure out how we proceed.

There's magic that exists that can do that. Yes. At least, you know, foul sex and druids. and Bargis that can worship foul, foul magics, they can control the skies, they control storms, thunder, lightning. The Eiricocra from my home do the same as well. Unbelievable, it is vile magic. Let's proceed. That I'll continue.

You continue for another hour or so until you finally begin to see the trees sitting around you. You make your way through the last bit of overarching vegetation. as you see the hill rise up in front of you. It almost feels as if it's a lemish on the land around, or in this area surrounded by trees. The ground itself is graves and browns, bits of greens, but you can tell there is almost a sickness to the land here.

The trail that you're on. continues through these thick woods, leading to the hill itself, covered with dead grass and cairns of black rock. Dark, ominous clouds begin to gather high above you, and a single bolt of lightning strikes the hilltop. West of the hill, the land, the woods, and the sky vanish behind a towering wall of fog. The trail seems to split as it climbs up to the hillside. forming two concentric rings. Hold on, hold on. Yes, Professor.

Can we see anything? Can we look to the top of the hill to see if we see any kind of movement? At the top of the hill, you see these large black formations of rock. And they appear to be in a circle. And as you look, you definitely can tell that there's some type of movement. It's a significant way away from you. It's probably 300 feet from where you're standing now, if not more, just to get to a point where you'd be able to see the top area of the hill,

but there definitely seems to be some sort of movement up there. And the faint image of something else towards one edge of the circle of black stones, there's an effigy. So we see that there are clearly beings on the top of the hill. We're going to have a fight on our hands. There's no use reasoning with these druids. Right? Are we comfortable with that?

We have learned that. Yeah, firsthand, I've never been more comfortable with anything else. You can certainly ask them to return the stone and give them an opportunity to surrender. And if they do not, then I suggest to think. That's a fair point. It might be easier. dangerous if they just came up that stone, we can inform them that we've killed all the druids at the winery.

We can show them as the staff, they may be intimidated by our presence. They may be willing to hand it over. With all due respect, there is no surrender for this magic. If we allow them to live, the soil of the earth, the trees, the rise into the sky, who withered and die, and they will go on their business. And who else but us will be the ones to put a stop to it? And to be fair here, again, with all due respect, that staff is what we back in yon would call an ace in the hole,

and we don't necessarily want to be playing our cards to our relief, you know what I'm saying? That's wise. I agree that we should keep it hidden, but are you suggesting we don't even try to reason with them? We burn it all down and find the job. And in the ashes, the gem will be waiting for us. Just based on what we learned with our encounter the other day,

I'm not sure any of these beings are capable of reason anyway. Yes, but my concern is that we learned of a plan that was already in motion, it seems, something that we could not stop. Perhaps we need more information. They may not get it. They may not, but it's worth a try. I have a feeling we'll find out that plan, whether they tell us or not.

Because there's something out there. They too may be afflicted by this blight shepherd, same as that woman that we hung yesterday. Peng. Sorry. Apologians. I have that habit of doing that. I apologize.

No, it's quite fine, thank you. It was pretty soon, by the way. Perhaps we go in and learn as much as we can and we destroy the staff at the heart of the hill. And maybe it'll purge their madness and cleanse this land. And maybe they survive this. Maybe this blight is what has corrupted them, the spores, the land, this lightning. Everything, to me, screams strange.

And if we go in there guns blazing with all due respect, they're less willing to tell us whatever it is. that we're trying to learn. Well, we will give them the opportunity. Briefly, I am not afraid of them. They are the ones who should fear us. Agree least the monsters. Agreed.

Let's continue. I'm just going to walk straight up the hell. Before we go, who would like to negotiate with these people? I know you're not looking at me. I will speak to them, professor. I speak their language. Phonetism and blind faith, I believe, to be great virtues, but to the darkest powers, a pestilence to be destroyed.

Well, if you said a Sarnax in, I'll just ready to the old weapons. I'll go with Sariaks. I'm happy to speak to them with him. That sounds wonderful. Two of you take the lead. We'll follow, but not, but 15 feet behind. I'll stay with the professor in Victoria and make sure we're all safe from a good distance. Perhaps while you speak and work your magic, we can try to learn as much as we can as quickly. And just in case, if I could have 10 minutes, just to detect any kind of magic as we approach.

Take it down. So we'll quickly, richly cast, detect magic so it's on us as we go to the hill. And the circle of stones is before we get to the top of the hill. So you're basically heading up a hill and around it are two rings of cans, which are essentially like ancient grave sites. They're small, domed grave sites. They're like at the base of the hill. And there are two rings of them that go around the hill towards the quarter to half and then are actually probably towards the middle. And then as you get to the top, there are these black stones that are on the very crest of the hill. And then somewhere

in there you see a strange wooden effigy. Are we good? Yes. And we will proceed. Are you sneaking? Are you just walking? We're just walking like with purpose.

Not like running into attack, but just like, you know, like the cops approaching like a fight, you know, like break it up, kind of that. So with purpose then.

Yes. Yes, with purpose. Okay. I have my weapon because one zero on my shoulder. So my hands are free. But I have one. hand kind of like on my belts in case I have to take it out.

But trying to approach in a non-intimidating. And you're keeping the staff hidden, right? I'm giving the staff hidden is in my rows. I can we all roll of perception. Oh, she! You know what's going tonight! Just die. 15.

14 for Big Liz. It's just 19 for me. I got a 9. Say it's just some Lizziez. Oh, no. No, nine. Two nines from the latest. I got 20.

Oh, no, I got 15. I was just doing your Gina voice. Oh. That's her name. Damn it. Tutles. Tutles. Sorry.

Oh, jeez. I got 15. 15. 14, 9. It's 20. 20. 20. I'm going to say that I was

distracted because I was casting me a germ around my soul. Oh, yeah. That's your call. You begin to make your web. up the path that heads towards the crest of the hill. You got an eye team.

Yes. And you have a final park. As you feel beneath your feet a new vibration. Both you and Clayton seem to notice this at the same moment, a flash of fire along the tree line. Directly opposite from you.

Do you want to do anything? How far ahead are they? They are. are, I would say, only you, you're pretty tightly together. So you are, so this is the hill, you're essentially right here. You see it from over here. So you know that you can essentially get down and gain cover. And still view whatever.

As soon as I felt that. Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, anybody else feel that? Did me, see that? I did. I did see that. All right, I did get down. Everybody get down a little well. Oh, hold up. And I'll dig my lantern.

And I'll duck behind a cairn, I guess, a weekend. We have to wrap around the hill to go to the fire. You see mounted on a fiery stallion A black stallion larger than any horse you've ever seen before The real life

replica of the small rocking horse You saw in the Wizard of Wines Winery. Pesophilus in its actual form A true nightmare stallion As it crests it thunders Up the side of the hill Astridate

She needs no introduction to you as her hair flies in the wind. Almost as if her entire form repels the pouring rain around her, fully armored. The dress billowing around her body as she rides side saddle up the side of the hill and almost a reckless abandoning, but she seems to be unaffected at all by the whipping of the wind, the pouring of the rain, and she does not seem to notice you. You see as the horse itself climbs up over the edge, and you can hear as she dismounts. The nightmare steam nays into the wind, and it almost rooms and echoes louder than even the thunder has echoed in the wind.

It digs its paws into the dirt and settles itself as it shakes out its fiery mane, and to see as she disappears towards the effigy, and towards the setting. up the hilltop. There's a little bit of wrenching our plans here. This situation just got very dangerous. We can't go up there now. Cool, go ahead. Why not?

If she is the one that is instigating this corruption, perhaps we can reason with her. Maybe Victoria can offer her a favor. All right, hold on. Hold on. I think I know exactly. But you know, but she's right. I'm quite a favorite.

I hate that. I don't taste nothing here. All right. As you discuss, we are not engaging in any kind of combat with the countess. We're not prepared for that. As you also stated, we're obviously of some importance to her. So she won't just kill us out right. I don't hate the idea of maybe just approaching and seeing what she has to say.

We know exactly what she'll say. We don't. Why is she here? She touches every dark thing in this land Everything that you've come upon She's been part of it You don't think that maybe she might be at odds with the druids I don't know She was all that I suppose

There's some, there's some creature Something that I've been sensing now For almost a full 24 hours And I don't know what it is And maybe she's here to find out It's clear that she didn't notice us So if we want to try this and we'll be relying on you, Victoria, to

gain her favor, but if she happens to decide now's the time that she'll put an end to us, facing her and occult of Druids. How does we try to speak with her outside of the Druids Hill? Let us observe what she's doing. Approach cautiously, and then we will make our decision. I will not hesitate to purge all of them. And who shall we end stem?

We should steal as stealthily as we can. But we don't want to start all the counters either. Yes, we will state our presence as soon as we deem it wise, but until we learn more, we shouldn't make our presence know. Agreed. You may anger her if we interrupt you for now. It's best we may love. So you're making a stealth check?

Golly, I am rolling like hot and garbid. I'm going to use my inspiration. Doublefire. 23. Come on, come on. Come on. That's better. That was almost a three,

which would have been exactly what I rolled before. Oh, we all had inspiration? Yes. Okay. It turns out, since you rolled so low, if the rest of the party you'll die, then I get to then add proficiency to my stealth check

because I'll be alone. Oh, that's right. That's right. Wonderful. I got a nine. Silver lining. Team work. I got a 19.

You just finish them off. So what did you all roll? Nine. 19. 11. 23. 14. I do have a lantern.

You slowly begin to make your way up the side of the hill. To a point where you feel like you could duck behind one of these large, stone blocks. You have to detect magic, right? I do. You immediately, you immediately register the elemental magic on these stone blocks. They seem to resonate with a form of lightning magic.

They're almost conduits, conductors. And you imagine that if you were to touch one of these, it could almost flat out kill some of you. Don't see a amount of electrical energy that's abused in each one of them. stone, but you know that you can at least get close to them as you begin to skirt your way around to one side. The top of the hill is a wide ring of these black boulders and smaller rocks that collectively form a makeshipped wall, including a field of dead grass. Lightning strikes the

edge of the ring from time to time, illuminating a ghastly, 50-foot-tall statue made of tightly woven twigs and packed with black earth. The statue resembles a towering, cloaked woman with fangs. Next to it, in her full regalia, an outfit of which none of you had seen up until this point, Lady Stradonia leans casually up against the statue. Six druids and dark clothes and circle around her knelt down, bowing, bowing. As she looks down at all of them, her sword drum placed over the back of one of them. As you hear them all begin to chant.

She moves her sword from one to the other, to the other, before finally sheaves and moving away from the statue. You see as she places her hand in one of the black stones, electricity coursing through her body. She shudders almost as in pure pleasure. she puts her hand to her side and mounts the cephalus. She begins to circle, make a half circle, around the side of the black stones. The druids, all of them, begin to slam their fists on the ground

as they chant and howl. You can tell if you're just having to imagine that there is a ritual that is currently happening. The effigy in the middle begins to glow with the airy light, begins to arc from the stones, shoots in to this statue, and in the very heart of it, a single green gem pulses and glows, and pulses and glimes. They continue their chance.

Do I, two questions. Yes. Do I get a sense that I could stop it, knowing what I know about magic, but I get any sense of, like, can I do something to stop the ritual? Or do I get it? Do I get in a day? If I know that, do I get in the sense, if I dispel magic, I could potentially dispel the gem screwing over the rape.

I would say you wouldn't know whether any, you, it depends on what you would do, right? Are you, you're talking specifically about just spell magic? No, I'm talking about just, the second question is to spell magic specifically. If I cast it on the wicker shrod, would that, all, also dispel, I'm guessing it would also, it could potentially dispel the gem, which I wouldn't want to do. I would say you would know that we dispel magic, that it dispels

everything within the range up to whatever you're able to dispel up to. Okay. So then, okay. And then do I get a sense of like, do I get like, oh, is it these stones that are causing the ritual by the spell? It seems to be the

chanting and the magic that these druids are doing that is now effusing. Everything is now in place with the final piece to be potentially Serdania and the instruments. I may have been a little hasty. I would have guessed incorrectly, it seems, that the countess didn't really like cultists and people using her image and claiming to be some kind of profit on her behalf. I am a little taken aback by what we just witnessed. How far away are we from like the statue? I would say you're,

probably the ring of boulders that surrounds the field is 250 feet in diameter. So they are on the opposite end. So about 250, maybe 260 feet away. I was kind of hoping she'd roll

up here on her whatever the hell that is and just slaughter the whole wholesale. They're in the middle of a ritual. They're doing a ritual right now. I don't know if we can stop it. And she looks like she approves. Is she still there? She is, you can actually

flip up with that. So you're in that middle circle there and you can see the effigy. So she is circling around behind the stones and the effigy. She's not making a full circle. She's just doing a half circle back and

forth, mounted atop her seat. Maybe we can wait for this to be over. One of us can sneak and grab the gem. I got a feeling. We let this go to completion. They're more be no gem to grab. Yes, I don't think that we have the time to waste or not.

If we can get closer, I can try some. We should make our presence known and go and go on. I'll start now. Go. I'll see you to make a dexterity contest with me. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.

I'm using my good die for this. Where is it? Are you here? Good die? Don't fail me. No, another eight. Uh, uh, uh, uh, I'm going to to use my fucking inspiration. There you go.

There you fucking go. The Xerity contest is going to be a 22. Okay. You are able to get the, I'll say you can do what you want to do. I am going to step out and I'm going to cast thomatergy on myself. And my voice

is going to boom as my eyes will blaze with fire. And I'll say, stop this wickedness now! As I walk forward. I will, I'll be behind me. I'll be about. By the name of Garrick's

the fire lord, end your wicked ritual. And I'm going to walk forward as I... The changing continues. These entities, these druids don't seem to... Though you saw a bit as their bodies rose up. They did not look away from you

as they continued to chant around this entity. Shredonia, however, did notice you. As she rears back on the cephalus, she almost looks as if she is unfazed by your presence, as she begins to stride through the middle of the center ring.

Professor. It makes her way directly up to you. You now see as Tridonia Luz O'Brien. Her eyes regret almost glowing with a strange, ethereal light. You have come to Georgia Party. We have come to crash the party, Countess. End this wickedness now by the name of the Fire Lord.

I do not worship in fire. Yet his presence is here whether you like it or not. Though that gem does not belong to you, it does not belong to the druids, and what you are doing is wicked, and you

will stop. Oh, do you know what I'm doing? What are you doing then? Illuminate us. Oh, you march in here and say, stop this wickedness. What are you doing you don't even know.

I have seen the effects of these druids. Have you? Yes, I have. Then stop them. I kind of like lean towards a professor and I say, uh, they're pretty far away. I do not have a clean shot. How far are we?

About 250. So when can we put out of any for where we are? Yeah, let's do, uh. Yeah, you're on the opposite side. You're like facing Kana. Or? Yes. Because this is the wicker man?

Yes. Okay. Can we just use one mini as all of us? Yeah. Because it's far. That's a... Yeah. So there is a bigger map for this that has actually in hex.

Oh, but it wouldn't fit on a table. So I had to do the square one. So each one of those is like 50 feet or something like that. Okay. So you say about 250. Yeah. Yeah. Do we understand the chanting, like the words at all?

It seems to be a... It doesn't seem to be a language. as much as it is, almost tongues, this strange guttural. It doesn't seem to be the words that are causing it, but it is the druids and the proximity these stones with that effigy, all of that together seem to be causing the ritual. Countess, what will you do to us if we stop this?

Well, that does really depend. On how I'm feeling at the time. Well, if you let us pass, we'll get to work. We will. Perhaps for your dear Victoria, you will do us this one favor. You will let him leave. He's Victoria. You will gain her favor.

I know her all her idea. And she looks at you and gives you a knowing smile. I wouldn't be so sure. Tell us what you're doing here. Tell us what this ritual is for. Oh, I'm simply watching. I've given my permission to the group. He'll let them continue.

They've worked out for these. What did they try to do? They are trying to. In my favor, like you are. And if you let us pass, we're not going to get a sword in our back, are we? From me? Yeah, from you. You might.

But I promise you'll like you. When she looks at you, it's almost as if she's staring deep into you. Well? I want to keep an eye on the gem and see if it's being affected at all from the chanting. It seems to still just be hosting and undulating the same that it had been the first time. It doesn't look like it's cracking or breaking or diminishing. You see, you did exactly what I expected you to do. You still didn't talk when you sit the back.

Finish it. And you see as they dig their fingers into the earth. And you feel it before you see it. the rumbling of the ground beneath you. As all of a sudden vines and roots begin to rip up out of the earth and where this effigy once stood, splinters fly out in all direction, piercing in to the bodies and the hearts of these druids

as they fly backward, blood oozing from their chests. And this stashing, 50 feet tall, is no longer an effigy, but a giant tree. of some kind of dripping and oozing with blood gnashing teeth its large gnarled bark-like arms slamming down onto

the ground and in its chest in an open bark-like cavity you can see the pulsing green gem so easy to follow on to have fun with my toy before

it destroys the little girls and boys the Ravens will pay. And she turns around just as quickly. One of you are, Kana, you feel the air of Persephalus's tail as it whips up as she begins to make her way

down the hill towards the wall of fog and draw all the furnishes. God damn. If you could put this in the middle of... Holy shit. Natural 20. Yes. Yeah.

Got to give it up. Oh, I almost did too. I got to get into that soon. Yeah, man. So are the... If you guys want to be anywhere different, are the druids, like, dead? Did the splinter and kill them?

Okay. And it's for Donya Rudolph? She is still around. She's just, she's not engaging. There was that gigantic wall of fog. It was almost an unusual wall of fog. And I'll say that you would have noticed this upon coming in. It almost looks as if you're at the very edge of barovia itself.

And there... There's something about it she seems to be drawn to, having fully activated this ritual, distracted you enough to allow the druids to finish their incantation. She is drawn away to potentially the other reason she's here. Did we only see the nightmare running along the ground, or did we see it? You've only seen it running around the ground. I didn't know if we saw her like like coming in. Okay.

A fucking fire Valcary. Oh, my boner. You need your countess? Good day. And I want to fucking just start running towards the thing with my case,

holding out of my hat. Do we get an initiative order? 20 to 25. 23. You're going to see your first anyway. As she rides away, I will look at her and I'll say,

watch closely. I'll turn and just begin to walk close this thing. So for the sake of getting there, it's going to take you a couple of rounds to get there. So we'll just address that.

You're all running directly towards you. You're using your actions to spread. So you are heading towards it. It seems to be heading in the opposite direction as if it's heading directly towards the wizard. I'm running forward. And as everyone else is running, as soon as I get the sense that I'm close enough,

I'm going to reach into my robe and pull out the Gulf of Staff, Gthia's staff. I'm going to raise it up. And I'm going to stare into the fire. And I'm going to say, Garrix give me the power to destroy, and I'm going to look at the tree, and I'm going to say, raise your mighty limbs and give praise to the fire, and my hand is going to ignite, and I'm going to try to burn the staff and destroy it.

All right. So I will say for the sake of this, this is not considered a blight. Oh, okay. Oh. And I think you would know that. And I think you would know this. Okay. Okay. So you can do that. It will have effects. I will just say you probably won't know what they are.

You know what? I did it. So, I love you're committed. You learn forward and you take the Glytheist staff in your hand and you channel the power of Garex, the fire lord. as you begin, you see an ember begin to glow between the yellow lizard fingers. As the Gothias staff begins to burn and crackle and ignite with a loud pop, the entire thing explodes around you. You hear off in the woods around you and down the opposite path towards as your attention is turned, the majority of the noise seems to be centered there.

A dark tree with a weeping face crying, tears, blood sits in the middle of this small circular enclosure and around it you can begin to see the dropping bodies of hundreds of blights. But the tree in front of view

does not stop its descent. Big win. Big win. So good. So good. Nice job, Mike. It's happening. Yeah.

Kill it. Kill it now. Clayton. You make your way, you finally make your way up to this thing, and you see as its limbs, it's ripping its limbs out of the earth roots attached to it as it slams down. Its two large arms are rending the ground around you as it moves. It's doing everything that it can to move forward. Dark black, almost blood-like sap is oozing from every crack in the wood around it.

and ever present is almost the hum and a throb of the green gem heartless and I'm going to be sprinting up holding onto my hat and I was like, Kourne-o! And my case is going to whip up floating and keeping pace into me in front of me. Then I'm going to be, as I'm approaching, I'm going to pull out a bit of tallow, a pinch of brimstone, and some dusting of powdered iron. So I put that together, I'm going to dust the powdered iron and I'm going to start to swirl it together. and I'm going to say

incendiome once I'm within 60 feet and a flaming sphere will erupt right next to it and then I will I will throw it into him as a bonus action. And it's a decks? It is a yes. Nice. So he takes two

where are you hitting him? I will put it in front of him. So like into the main form of his body? Yeah, so I would put it in front I can't put it on him, but I'll put it in front of where he's walking in the direction he's going, and then I'll bring it back into him. So, like, just the front of his... Okay.

You place this sphere, the fire swirling around as you force it out from your hand and slam it into his chest. He rears back slightly from it, but it seems to take no damage as he continues to lumber forward. You see as it hits the... There's almost a popping, sizzling eyes as you see the green glow of the gem glow brightly on impact and then fade back down and continue. So I shouldn't even roll damage. Okay.

Go ahead. Uh, do I sense that he took no fire damage? He took you sense that he took no damage, um, and I saw the gem glowing. Do I see, does it look like the gem could be carved out of him? Just the way that he does?

Um, I, as part of my athlete fee, only five feet of movement to do this, I'm going to make a running high jump and try and I don't, there's no extra movement for climbing for me. And I'm going to start crawling up with him to try and get level with the gem. Okay. So that, I don't know how tall. He's 70, 50 feet.

The gem's like halfway. It is where his heart is. So it's probably, 40. 40, probably 45, 40, 45. So I'll use my... Yeah, probably probably got about a five foot net. Okay. I'm going to try and get as high as I can, 30 feet.

And so I'm at 25 feet up. It's 15 feet away. So I'll use my bonus action to activate my blossoms on the spring breeze. So it'll be glowing this like yellow, just hue, and then it'll dissipate. so that I can go an additional as a bonus action. Okay, so that's just for all me to my turns. I'll use my action to get up to right level

with the heart. But I have the extension for triage. You leap on to this entity as you begin to climb up the monstrous form of this trium. You make your way to where the heart is embedded. You can hear the humming now, the throbbing

of this gem. It's covered. by vines and twigs, but you imagine that with some work, you could potentially wrench it from the body of this creature. And that is your turn. I'll be on its back, so I'm trying to avoid. If you're on its back, you can't be, the heart is on the front of it. Oh, you're getting around.

So you'd have to be on the front of it. Could I have reached the front with that move from? I would say, yeah, that's fine. If I'm using my action to get to the front. So I guess I'm on its chest. So you can be on his back or its chest. It doesn't really matter. But I'm saying if you want to get a heart, you have to be on its chest.

I will remain on his chest. and see how this goes for what it's worth, what it's going to do could have done with you on its back anyway. Okay. It is, you see as this creature almost hunkers down, it is going to take one of its arms and it

wrenches it up as it lashes and vines begin to spill forth from its arm as they shoot towards you and it is going to grasping vine to grab you and rip you off of it. Okay, so that's a day for with a 20 to hit. Wow. Yeah, I guess that'll hit.

You're grab-old and you're going to take some damage. Okay. Ten bludgeoning damage. As you feel needles and thorns pricking into your body as it is going to rip you from it and slam you down on the ground, it is then going to take its other hand and it's going to slam down on you. That's a lot of a ticks. And that is going to be a 26 to hit. That is.

And that is another two. 10 points of damage. So she off to a side now. Yeah, I mean, it's holding her. Okay. Okay. And it is going to... It's going to use its legs to keep moving forward. And it's going to make its movement forward. Um, 20 feet. Am I, um, am I prone on the ground?

Are you being very... I will say you're not considered prone. It's just holding you. Okay. And it batched down on you. And it's continually... It is. It is. is holding you, you're covered and wrapped in vines. Okay. And so you have an escape DC that you can use to get out of it.

I don't know if it matters, but it ended its turn within five feet of my plane and sphere. And it took no damage. That's what I thought. That's what I thought. Well, so where, actually, where is the sphere? It'd be behind him. It's behind him now.

And where? Is it floating in the air on the ground? It's five feet in the air. So it's like a round. Okay. Would it have been five feet in the air when you hit it? Yeah. That's why.

Yeah. It always. It's five feet up the air. So I didn't hit it in its chest, because that's what I was asking. Oh, oh. And you were saying you were hitting it in its core. I guess not.

Yeah. I just meant like the front of it. Not like literally 50 feet here. It's in decks. It's a deck dating. 15 and a 9. Both fail, I think. Roll your damage for both hits

so you're not hitting in its score, so it'll take damage. Oh, shit. Interesting. It's hitting in a score. its legs. Oh, they're different parts. Okay. So DC is 16, so both

they are. So I roll 4G6 and it takes all of this. And it will take. Not bad. 9, 12, 13 fire game. 13 fire game. Just take leg one or like two. Or one of me.

It's like that. Firelands boss. I'll do one of me. Yeah. And so, what was the total? 13. Oh, so we'll do half. We'll do half.

Yeah, because it's nice to you. And it seems like it takes additional damage because it's fire damage. Mm-hmm. So it's 14. You, it moves away. It doesn't seem to be thinking about this fear as it remains in the swirling bit of the flames. You see the bark begin to singe on the back of its lead.

It jolts forward. It seems to make it difficult for it to move. but it's continuing forward. Shepard. I'm going to use all of my movement to keep up with it. I don't know if I should just move, if I'm 30, if we're just doing five feet now. I don't want to, I would normally shoot this thing center mass, right?

But I don't want to medigame and say, oh, now I understand that the professor's fire is lighting up its fruits here. Yeah, I would say you would have no idea. Right. And I wouldn't know, since Flemington's here just works below, I wouldn't have even been able to hit it. So what I'm going to do is, run up and be and

I would say something that might that might register to you would be to try and free that's exactly what I was going to do. So what I'm going to do is basically be like God! Hey on, I'm coming! I'm coming!

And I'm going to use my bonus to Reader's Shepherd to Hunter's Mark the tree. I'm going to section. That's Hunter's Mark attempt to. And then I will make an attack role on the branch that is trying to wrap up Connor or hazard like pin to the ground.

Fuck, yeah. That's arm one. That's going to be a 15 plus 9 or 10. And a natural 20. Yes. 20 does match damage because of your best. I will get 2D6 plus 5 for Hunter's Mark and 4D6 plus 5 for the crit. That's all max.

This is automatically max, so that's going to be 24 plus 500. is 29 points of the end of shit. 29 for what? For one shot in the fit, 29. That was your crick? And then an additional 15 for the first shot. You see as the shepherd runs up, the wind blowing at the brink of your hat, but it's firmly attached to your head as you let out two glass from judgment and redemption

directly into the arm of this creature. You're aiming perfectly, making sure to sever the vines exactly where they are holding Kana. As the rain pelts it down, and you hear the sizzling and puffs of smoke as it lands on the barrel of your gun, obliterating this arm. You see as the arm flies off and lands with a thud.

Nice. You're able to wiggle out of this arm. This creature seems concerned and unable to really hold itself up as it almost lurches forward, but it writes itself as it stands there and continues. Get away, come to get away! And this time as the ashes of the staff are drifting away, the streets all echoing through the hills,

I'm then following and waiting, and there's a little bead of fire in my hand, waiting for Shepard, and as soon as he blasts it off, well done, Shepherd, and I'm going to just flick the bead into it, and it's a 50-foot-to-to-foot-to-tall, right, 25-Radias. meters are 50 foot tall, so it's 40 feet tall, yeah.

You can get all but 10. I'm going to get all of the limbs that I, they're like, basically in its center to just blasting the whole thing. Yes, I'm blasting the whole thing. And so dexterity saving goes like, that's fireball. 20. Half of this. Which means it'll take all of this.

Yeah. Uh, 10, 13, 13, 14, 17, 18, 18, 18, 20, 24, 17, 18, 18, 20, 24 points of fire. damage. And so we'll spread that out. What's 24 divided by 3M bad at math? Eight. All right. You let loose this ball of fire

as you hone in on the very core of this creature and it begins to crackle and burn. You see fire snaking up and winding around the vines and the thorns as it pops and crackles inside of the hollow shell of this tree. but all of the rooms seem to be open here. Torin. I am going to raise my hands up and 120 feet about, like, yay here in a 20-foot square. You'll see, because I didn't flavor this last time, you said,

you'll start to see, like, crumbled gravestones raising and hands poking through the earth, and I'll do a rocking earth, and I'll be a big blast of, like, stone and dirt comes out. And so, yes, you get back saving, though. A seven. He fails. So it takes 3D12 to leavening damage if he can take legioning damage. And then it's difficult to be.

Probably off those legs, if I had the guess. Probably most legs get a little snippy snap. Oh, man, that's second rolls. Yeah, so 10. Who's cut off? Are you all right? I'm good, thank you. you see as the earth thunders itself,

and a graveyard begins to appear the grasping skeletal hands reaching up and rending the bark from the legs of this entity, and it is stumbling. It looks like it's having a hard time keeping its movement. Please make it your time. I will throw my flaming sphere as a bonus action into its left leg, we'll say. Okay.

As soon as you make a next statement, though. Natural 20. Ooh, we don't love for you, but. I'd give it up for the evil tree. It takes full damage. It just takes the heat damage. You watch as you,

as Clayton controls this fireball, this flaming sphere and he rams it into the leg of this creature. The wood splinters from it as the leg completely ignites into embers and dissipates. the creature unable to stand on just one leg falls forward. Its only arm remaining plunged into the ground as it begins to try to crawl and move forward.

It looks like one of its arms is now out of commission holding its body out. So he can only move to his feet. Yeah, and so can I move my flaming sphere through under his feet? Yes. Okay. So I would have moved it like basically through him over here before ramming it into him. So it would be like there. Oh, and I will, I'll just shoot firebolts at probably his, did I notice that fireballed

into any damage to the chest area? Like, is it like clearly this protective thing, or is it not obvious? I would say you can tell that, um, nothing's happening before. Then I will, if not close, uh, his arm. That's my action. Uh, probably a miss. What is it? Um, a kid. No, that misses. Um, I'm seeing the, um, I'm seeing the, um, Difficult to rain up ahead, and now it's like prone on the ground. Basically, it's on its knees.

I'm going to climb on top of it and try to gauge from where I saw the gem on the front. If I could, if I worked a little bit harder, could try to carve it out from the back. Or do I feel like I could climb underneath him? Roll a perception, share. Ooh, 21. Sorry, 24. Climbing up onto it, you attempt to move some of the branches away. Whatever magic is holding the core intact, it looks like,

until you do something additional with the core, you wouldn't even be able to hold the gap. Can I try to infer what that might be? There would be no way to be no way to know. I'm, I've seen that it's trying to crawl and inferring from that, I'm going to go over to its shoulder, its left arm, or whichever arm is remaining. And I'm going, standing on top of it, I'm going to say, dry up, create, you break, pruned, and I'm going to use my fighting spirit to give me myself a, do I already have advantage on this if I'm on top of him or?

Well, he's not prone. Okay. He's just kind of leaning over and using his drive. Okay, okay. So I'll just use my fighting. spirit to get myself advantage on this attack. One was a natural one. Jesus 13 for the arm.

Yeah. That misses. Okay. Second attack. Okay, 18. That hits. 18. That's going to be eight points of silvered slashing damage. You take your Naginata and you place it deep into the socket where the arm

is attached. You wedge it all the way in and you spin the blade severing the arm from the body. It falls forward or the arm falls off. This entity moves and shakes. It has no idea

how to keep itself up on one leg as it falls over face first into the ground in front of you. And you see for a split second a pulse as the green gem pulses greatly and then back down to a dim, faint hum and a pulsating motion.

I'm going to use my bonus action to dash to its legs just to get kind of behind it but not get out of its reach, I guess. And I'm going to call

over my shoulder. I can't seem to get to the gem. It's magically entombed somehow. Professor, you may need to take a closer look. And that'll be my turn. It is its turn. You see as it almost wiggles and moves on the ground. It is having a hard time moving forward as you begin to notice more vines spinning and undulating

as the leg that looks like it's barely holding on begins to reach it matched to its body. I shoot the leg twice. You do that. I attempt to shoot the leg twice. It has an AC of 16th. Ooh. That's gonna be are we?

I think you are. Yeah. I have an inspiration. I'm not like, okay. Oh, sorry. No, there are no bars in this part. That'll be an 18 on the second hit. Okay, that is.

As a, wow, fucked up. Can you re-roll us? No? Two ones. That's my fire rules. Seven points of damage to the light. And as a bro.

bonus action all slayer's preyed. It's like fucked up. It's another double hundred heart. Ooh. All right. You let loose both of your shots and the magic and beds into the wood. And it's, the leg is still holding firm. How many limbs does it have?

One. One? It's laying face down on the ground. It can no longer move. It is trying to inch forward. It was able to go five feet. by digging its leg into the ground and pushing itself forward.

Does it look like the head is a separate, did the head light on fire when I'm fireballed up? No. Okay. I am going to I am going to cast

scorching ray. And I'm going to raise my lantern and say it's like, do not move and pachow and I'm going to roll three attacks, I guess, against it. What are you What are you

All? Well, I think they all missed. 16. Yeah, no, I rolled a one to two and one. Very cool. Thank you, cracking dice. Victoria. Been there.

Okay, so you said, did the leg that got blown off? Was that a leg or an arm? So both of its arms and one of its legs have been, it's like the leg was trying to recap. So the leg that was still there was severely damaged, it was able to reinvigorate itself a little bit. Okay. I am going to raise my hand up in a colloquial, like, mention, and a skeletal hand form will go out and hopefully grab it by its, it's like that would be... He's doing the bombs from the house.

It was. It's nine. No. That's nice. Now that it's crone on the ground, it's strangely undulating. It's almost more difficult to hit in this state. I will bonus action drive my, wait, did he go while I was grabbing? He healed for the legiled and he was five feet.

Okay. And he's like, he's like, pushed himself around. Because we all missed. Okay. Yeah. Then I will bonus action to, can he's make a deck saving throw for Thim's here? Six. So he fails.

He takes nine damage, so 18 from that. You ran the sphere into the leg on the ground as it ignites into flame and burns away. He no longer has a leg. You see as the entire core of this entity begins to glow and pulse with a green light. This time it does not stop. Does he have any limbs left? He does not. I will try to shoot a firebolt at his face.

Okay. I don't know the batters, but it wouldn't hit anybody. What is up with us? Donna, I'll hit out. Take it out. Anything that does the, being up close, does it look like there's more visibility into where the gem is, or is it the same and it's just blowing really bright? It's the same that she's blowing really brightly.

You see that its teeth are gnashing. It's trying to dig its teeth into the ground. You move itself. It is still alive. I'll jump back on top of it and get to its neck. And try and dig my naggingata into it and try to get it. I will give myself advantage again with fighting spirit. Get it.

Oh, man. Oh, wow. Fuck me, man. He's dead. Yes. 13 for the head. All right, I'll do it again. That was an advantage.

Yep. Yeah. Yeah. He's not rolling above a tent, but of us. Come on. It's happening. All right, there we go. 21.

There we go. That's not too bad. Four, Jesus, 11 points of slashing damage. Does it look like it's... You dig the Naginata into the neck of this creature. And you once again, trying to... slice the limb from it or the appendage from it in this time, this time intending its head. And you are able to break and splinter the branches.

Black bubbling blood begins to fuse out from the neck. Is the head lulls to one side? Almost he's nearly headless. How does the gem look? The gem is still glowing. Throbbing? I will use an action surge and do this all over again. Okay. I still have advantage because my turn hasn't ended yet.

To 23 to hits. That'll do. AC of 18. Okay. 11 points of slashing again. You take your Naginata again, and this time you come in from the other side. As you let out a loud yell, you beat the neck from the body. The gem itself, pulses, almost a loud pump.

as it sinks back down and you hear a thud. As the gem falls from the chest cavity of this creature, the rotting wood begins to slinger and crack and break as the vines of the earth, the grass of the earth, begins to consume the creature that once was here and pull it down beneath the soil. You are leaning there as you feel your body slowly sinking closer to the ground as the earth is taking,

what was stolen from it. As you look down and you see the last remnants of this entity pulled down within the soil. You can see just the faint hint of the green jam. Can I reach for it? Can I try to go for it? Do I need to roll for that? Can I grab it? Can I grab it? I'm sticking down with it. I'm like swimming through the, the black acre. I'm just getting covered in it. You immediately take 78 points of lighten damage. I'm just kidding. You don't.

You can feel the pulsing gem in your hands and a sense of calm surrounds all of you as the rain slowly starts to dissipate. The crackling of lightning stops in the sky darkened. I'm going to look around and see if I see stripped down you anywhere. Looking down the hill, easy enough to see,

you see that the nightmare seed of the cephalus is laying on the ground at Stradonia's feet she stares into the wall of mist is if she's turned off her attention to you

leaving you to deal with whatever your face were to be at the hands of this creature could have been really bad that you could have been really bad she does not see

her attention does not seem to be on you she stares I'm going to holster my weapon and like take my hat off in the rain and wipe my forehead and just kind of look up and say uh thanks again doctor thank you um using because i think this goes for 10 minutes i'm going to bonus action uh dash out of the out of the muck uh with expeditious retreat from my vaticage and i'm just like sloshing through it as quickly as possible and all of it just like dripping off of me in chunks like and face is completely covered and I'm just holding it up

victoriously. And as you do this, you hear a whisper a deep voice carried on the wind. Long have I waged.

It says. For one who is worthy, my spear hungers for blood. Retrievent and rule these mountains in my skin. Just like the mighty warriors from the early days of the whispering.

Early days of the whispering? Wall. You don't want to have heard that? Yep. Early days of the wall. I'll look at the, see that the gem is retrieved, and I will look to everyone as we're all getting pelted with rain, ignoring Sardania.

And as I surveyed this scene, I'm going to turn back to the film, and just start walking towards it. And I'll say, I need an owl. I heard a voice. You know, immediately feel yourself hold towards one of the cairns that encircles the hilltop. And almost without any control,

you feel yourself moving towards it. Until you stand over it, the rocks and the earth piled high over it. And there's something here, something that you need, something calling to keep with the parents. To me? She begins to speak and then immediately turns around

and she walks towards one of these hands. Well, I'm just staring down. That wasn't too bad. A, Khan, are you all right? You won't peace? There's something here. What? I am hearing voices. Jen is speaking to me.

I don't know. The curse? I don't know. I meet, and do I know that this was the same tomb? stone rock that was like electrified. These aren't. These are the burial mound that line the outside. I don't think you could

see them. Oh yeah. Oh, okay. So the ones are the electrical. The other ones are burial mounts. Over to one of these. Do I feel compelled that whatever's drawing me to it is underground? You do? I'm going to pocket the gem. I'm going to

get down on my knees and start clawing through the dirt. What do you do? I don't know. You begin to dig and dig and dig and finally your hand finds the cold seal. And as you pull out of this earth, a long barbaric-looking spear, castles and leather wrappings around the hilt, an arm bone still remaining attached to it, but your compels you as you thrust the arm bone away and you hold this in your hand.

You now have Kavan. this magic spear which you can add to your Detroit. What the nine hells are you doing, Con? I don't know. Something spoke to me and drew me to this and look at it. I don't know. I mean, it looks like a spree.

It's magic. What did the voice say to you? It said that yearn for a fighter worthy to wields this spear, referring to the early days of the whispering

the wall. So it shows you. Perhaps because I'm holding the gem. Can I infer that it's because I retreated the gem? I started hearing voices. I would say one of the things that it said really spoke true to you, just like the mighty warriors from the early days of the whispering wall. He thinks that it has something to do with who you are as a person, your warrior, your fighters, your fighting spirit, the heart of the road. That could be curse. You pulled that out of a grave. I did. I did just grave rob.

You do feel that compulsion now that you're holding it, that need to get to this has ebbed from you. And you feel back to yourself. I thought I've taught you that there's a very clear difference between grave robbing and tomb raiding. They're totally different things. I think the professor's saying is we need to be a little bit more careful. Are you all right? You're at the shrink. But learn something. You can say it's in the name of archaeology, and then it's okay.

It's in the name of the expedition. Yes. Yes. But we've learned something very interesting here. These druids, all of them, have had that gem. They've touched that gem, and nothing's split to them. So what makes you different? I don't know if it is called.

It lets me investigate. I would like to mace-hand with like a brush, and I kind of wanted to use my normal excavation tools. And in that specific kind of varial mound, I want to like open it up a little bit. to see if I can learn anything about this guy. Just sort of going through his tomb, this grave. Roll investigation code. So it's in, it's in D&D vion.

Yep. Oh, it's dangerous. Do I do it? Do you enjoy it? It's K-A-V-A-N. Unless you've already used it. I haven't used it. It's not.

K-A. It's not urgent, right? It's not like that. And it should be in there because I added all the for Strachman. Maybe I need to turn on something. Uh, nine. Uh, looking through, you find bones and bits of, uh, bits of trinkets and things that seem to have been buried with this entity, but you can't find anything in here that looks like

it's nearly as valuable or as important as this year. Is that that moment, you feel a hand, and all of you realize you are not allowed to, you feel a ham to place itself gently. upon your shoulder. Oh, Professor. Donia looks down at you. You are looking for knowledge

in places you won't find the professor. Come. Let us walk. Where? Because of this one. Of course. I'll look at everybody. I'll sort of give a little nod.

All right. Leave the way. She takes your hand and hurts. And she begins to stroll. with the professor back down the hill directly towards the wall of fog. I just start praying with myself that everyone's following me.

Damn. I mean, I guess they might be, but I... I would ask if we take a few steps forward, if she would allow us to follow. Or is she going to, like, wave us off? She doesn't seem like she's paying any attention to him. I'm following behind, not closely, but I'm not going to let him walk out of sight.

I'm rearranging all the stuff on the hill and putting it into a pirate. Take your time. I'm just going to keep, I'm going to fall. I'm just going to kind of like lazily follow the professor and just over. I'm not trying to overhear. I just don't want him to get out. You just hear me like grunting as like I'm dragging all of their shit.

She holding her hand in yours, you feel the coldness of her skin. You felt Victoria's hand in the years before. You can always feel from of their pulse directly between their thumb and index finger in here as you gently run your fingers along hers, hoping for that same frown of life. None comes, just cold, almost like stone beneath your hands. She walks with you in silence for but a moment. She looks to the side, almost not fully looking but casually glancing to seize your friends follow a bit of a bit. behind. You look for knowledge, Professor.

Yes, of course. But you look for it in graves and two. Why? To learn about past cultures and untold ruins across all the ventras. It is not the dead who hold the secrets. It is those in power, you know. They are the ones who write the books. They are the ones with the money. to make everything happen.

Why? Would you not come to me? I invited you for dinner, Professor. You could have taught my library. We could have talked all night long. Could have given you an untapped amount of knowledge. We've been quite busy since we've arrived here, unfortunately. So we've been indisposed.

And you may be lady ladies. Well, I don't mean to come. cause any offense. But I won't wait long. You will come tonight for dinner. Tonight? You don't have any other ones. I believe we may, I would have to check.

There aren't any silver dragons begging for your attention out there. Well, I don't know exactly what's begging for our attention. Of course, no. So you will come. We'll come and we will talk. We're on the other side of Rovia from Ravenoft. And you must hurry. Well, this is certainly a sudden invitation tonight.

Oh, really? I believe I gave the invitation to me, but the moment you arrived in these lands. Yes, yes. You've spent so much time not getting what he wanted and not allowing me to have what I want. The pleasure of your company. As you saw, I did not stop him from defeating the three years. in the one of the best land.

I allowed you that, Vitoe. I appreciate that. Yes. I will... You fear me. She leans in. She places a soft kiss against your cheek.

Oh. She slowly tilts her face up. You can feel the icy, cold breath on your earloom. You have nothing to fear, Professor. I can give you

knowledge, un-tapped knowledge. It is all in the library of Cassie Bravermore. And you could have it all to yourself the master of the book. If he would but join me for dinner. Would you harm us? I would never do such a thing. What I would do to you is pure pleasure, my body and soul.

And you would leave us. Why would you want to leave? Oh, after dinner, we would get back to the expedition. You think you can learn everything from books in one evening? If that's all you want, one night, just one dinner with your library. I guess that's all I would give you. I thought of man like you would want to fix to learn everything we could know. I certainly would relish the opportunity to...

to have told stories of ventures lie at your feet. And I bring them to you. I'm sure. I'm sure. I, I, then perhaps let's settle our business here and then maybe in a few days' time we will send word. Oh, you would make me wait days? Is that all right? Do you promise more than one either?

It gets so long in the dusty, careful. Yes, I could use it. I could use multiple days if you'll have me if you don't mind waiting several days longer but she takes her hand and she caresses the side of your face

so nice so smart look through the wall you're seeing what I see she turned your face and you realize at this point you are now standing immediately in front of this large wall of fog

the undulating forms of the whip out and rub up against your lips and your nose. You're almost breathing them in. And it looks as if you're looking through a strange fog in here. The land of shrimp spread out around you. You begin to move your hand out to touch through. If she grabs your wrist, a little too tightly,

is her long nails dig into it. into your flesh. Oh, I'm so sorry. And she wipes it off. But you do not want to enter the meat. What is this? It is a whisper in the wall. And you begin to notice that though it is the land of Strickham,

it's different. It's older. A white castle on a hill that you've never seen before. Sits beautifully. An old church. but in a pristine condition, down in the valley. It is the strigger I once knew. It is here to taunt.

This land does not just curse you. It curses me too. Wait, this is... My home before Brogan. It's beautiful, isn't? You see the resemblance in the castle? My mother lived there once. They made ravenball.

To look just. like our home, though I could never accomplish the architecture today. Are we looking into the past right now? The past, the future. What does it matter? Don't let the illusion take you to an every grave professor. Don't touch the mess. Don't walk into it. I've known to them apart. I doubt that this is dangerous.

This is the water. all that Connor was muttering about. Is it not? Yes. They matter, don't they in their sleep? The woman. Yes? Yes.

Just the thing I have noticed. Well, I will make sure not to touch the mist. Two days. Two days. You will come for dinner. You will not make me wait longer. My patience wear staying with all of you. I appreciate the patience you've given us thus far.

Of course. She takes your wrist and she places it to her lips. And she places a kiss before she slowly begins to drink. Drink what? One goal. She cut you. One goal. And then two.

Before she, you can see the internal struggle as she lets loose your wrist. Your blood slightly staining the fullest part of her lip. as she let her hand drop. There is nothing to fear from me. Yet, do not disappoint me. And you will have everything you never wanted. Countess? In two days.

In two days. And in that moment, you see as her body begins to shake and move. And contract is where one stood at the beautiful Countessera dies. is now a small, winged vampire back as her wings begin to flap in front of you. The strange, squeaking noise

from her, she flips around your hat and slowly ascends into the sky she flies away. Well, sarnax, we've got to throw the whole professor away. I'm just watching us, I obviously can't hear anything they're saying,

but I'm just watching from a distance. would like to think that as I'm starting to, I would have been rooting around as I'm pulling things. I'll like be working. If Lizard's... Do you roll an investigation check and a perception check? And like, I'll be finishing up and then as I'm like, I'm like cracking

my back and I'm just wiping the sweat for my brow of Lizard's sweat. And I'll just take a look and I'll see the kind of the drinking of the blood. Yeah, would have seen that? Of those... I don't know. You would not have seen it if you were up at the top of the top of them. Because they're like five hundred feet. I've been trying to wash them.

You were probably like 20 feet behind. I would say that you saw that she kissed his wrist. I don't know. Roll a perception check. I can, again, I can be even farther if that's more sense. Now you saw a roll natural one on sleight of hand. She wasn't trying to hide it. I would say you easily saw that she drank some of the blood from her.

And I'm holding like a bloody handkerchief around my wrist. You see that he had been wounded and that she drank a bit of his blood before she turned to a bat and flew away. your perception and investigation. Perception is a nine. Investigation is a 19th. You wander around the entire hilltop. You begin to collect all the remnants of the ritual that was here,

the dead bodies of the druids that sacrificed themselves for the resurrection or for the creation of whatever this entity was, is you begin to form a pyre to burn them. And as you look down at them, and you begin to light the flame that will bring these entities to ash. You look in front of you down the winding path. The end of the hilltop is a sickly copse, a grove of dead trees and shrubs with a huge misshapen tree at its form.

Blood oozes like sap from its twisted trunk. It catches your eye and you can't help but stare at this. You are next and I'll walk toward them. This podcast is brought to you. to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks,

including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt 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 of the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. I would not have been really paying attention to Straw, taking him away, because I'm so fixated on the sphere and learning more about it. I'm, like, gently going through, like, the arm that I, like, cast away in, like, in all my excitement, I'm now, like, gently laying back in the brave, and I'm trying to learn, just, like, combing through things as respectfully as I can

to learn more about the corpse that held the sphere. And if there was like anything else information of value in here before, I would have like packed it all back. So I'll say you would have been there because the professor did that before Stradanya came up, the home away. Oh, okay. And there was just the sphere. There was, yeah, I think you were looking for what was going on with the sphere.

Okay. So there was nothing there. The bone seemed to be dismantled. They're very old. There was nothing else with it to give you any idea of who it is. You imagine you could ask people we've met or people. that you will meet and see if anyone knows the legend of it. But the grave

has nothing more to tell you. I'll have the all of like pristinely wiped off the sphere and it's sitting off to the side. I'm checking in my robe to make sure the gem is still there. You can constantly feel the thrum of the magic. And then I'm using my naggingata to like push the dirt together

and like pack the grave back down as neatly as possible and I'll just kind of sit back on my knees and bow my head and just see like a prayer out of respect for the body I just went through. You do that. I'm waiting for the professor

to re-walk towards us and I'm just going to wait. I will turn and I'll be walking and if I'd even make eye contact and I'm kind of like walk and hope that you'll kind of match my stride walking back.

Me? Hey, hey, professor is all right? I'm glad one of you cares whether I live or die. I think you're going to be. Oh, oh, two of you. I've got two of you care. Hey.

She, did she? Oh, you really? Did she cut you? Let me see August. Seemed accidental. We don't have much time. She's losing her patience. This was new accident.

Did she do what I think she did? Unlike her. She, she nicked me with her fingernails, yes. And she took a drink or two. Do you feel? I feel fine. I feel fine.

If you start to feel sick or anything off, you're going to let us know, right? Yes, of course. What does she want to do? She wants to do. to show me. Did they see the wall too? The wall on this.

Once you're down towards the edge, I'll read the small descriptor. The blue box. The blue box. As you look west in the curtain of fog, you see a white castle on a hill above a great city. The city appears quite distant, maybe a mile away. The fog obscures all relevant detail,

but you can hear what sounds like the echo of a church bell. Do I feel drawn to the wall? Okay. She showed me her home, where she came from, some place in Strigger. Through the mist? Wait, wait. Through the mist? From Shrigga?

From Shriga, yes. I don't understand. She did she escape? No, it would kill us, said to me. But she had a beautiful homeland. I believe what she showed me was in the past, but I can't be sure. So she didn't put this mist in place, then. Perhaps it was after she,

she conquered this land. Based on the legends, I know that she came to this valley. She conquered it. She was a warlord, and she's from Sugar, and then perhaps something she did caused all of this.

God's damn it. What if she can't even leave? What if the Vastani was just lying? She doesn't let people come or go, and then no one can't see this God's damn hellhole. She did mention she was cursed. Like the rest of us. Damn it! So you could be right.

Either way, she's, it's all right. It's all right, Shepherd. We need to figure this out. We have two days and two days. The evening of that day, she's expecting us for dinner. What? What do you mean she's expected us?

Did you agree to that? Well, she made it very clear that she's had patience with us, and I agree with her. She's been very patient. She let us kill the treant thing. she does us basically do what we want without harming us. She's lost her patience and she expects us to make good on that invitation that she gave us the second we arrived here. So you expect us to walk into that God's forsaken castle without having fulfilled all the whatever's we're trying to do?

I don't know if we'll take her up on that invitation, but I tried to buy us as much time as I could, of course. And that's two and a half days. It's still morning, right? Yeah. So we have almost three days. Damn. And so I think, by the way, we can just, if we rebuke her invitation again, I believe she will run out with patience entirely and turn it against us.

Look, I get it. You're doing all that you can, and we appreciate that. But even if we don't rebuff her, And even if we accept the invitation, we're walking in the lion's dead. We're not prepared. You're the one who set me straight. And I understand that. But I'm wondering she's been mostly respectful of our wishes.

Damn it! I don't want to gain her aire if we can prevent it. Even if we have dinner with her, she might let us sleep. You think? You think? I don't know. I can't know. What's the chance?

I mean, I don't think so, but the professor's in charge here. And you're right. I'm in charge of your own life. No, I'm paid to make sure we all survive, and the professor especially gets back to goddamn avatrous. And I appreciate your commitments to your role. I don't know of them. But for now, we have several days.

We can start working our way back in that direction if we feel the need. to, we will come to a crossroads. Do we take her up on our invitation and try to maintain her respect and have better access here in Borovia? Or do we decline and perhaps she will turn against us? Surely you don't mean head back to Block now.

Well, no, not now. But we have time. I hope you're on the other side of Borovia. We've got business out here. I know that. But the business we have Davian has already told us that the darkness and the power

in the sunken city is beyond anything we could handle. Professor, you can't do this to me, Professor. What I propose, perhaps we scout it out from getting nowhere. At this point, I would say you make your way back up to the top and you're all together at the very top. Your fire is burning, and you're still staring at that tree. I fill them all in on everything that happened. So I believe we are at the crossroads.

Do we accept her invitation to dinner, or do we turn it down? Just an easy, Professor. I saw the way that she looked to. Much the way she has to do. I think she wants, she has some ulterior motive. Certainly. I just don't know what to do. is. Look, we go down to the swamp.

We take care of whatever Godforsaken creature is down there. We save whatever kids she's praying on, like those other hags, and we make it to dinner, no problem. But we can't leave the swamp now, Professor, we can't. Why not? It's one of the cards. We're right here. It's right in our grass. And then we might be more prepared to just walk into the castle. Please.

I agree with Mr. Shepard. I have seen a lot of course. We could stop by. I just worry about, we barely meters out alive against the coven that occupied here at that window. But we know more now. We know what these creatures are. However, if you look at this map, where Davian said this order of knights, the silver dragon order, it is on the way.

at the very least we have two days I believe we should at least stop there first and you're saying that that she mentioned she mentioned the order she didn't mention the order and I believe that if this order is still active she said are you like

compelled by a silver tractor sorry and I imagine you would have said all of that yeah so I would have said that so she did tease that she knows of their resistance. And I'm thinking that we need all the allies we can get.

I don't want to just let our anger and our rage throw us into a swamp that will never come back from. But if we can get answers, yes. And I would rather learn as much as we can in these next two days than get ourselves in the danger. I believe we will have plenty of time to collect these remaining artifacts that are, spoken of in the cards, if we can just keep Shradanya off our backs.

As long as you understand, if we step foot in that castle, there's a very good chance we are never leaving. Not without her head on a plate. That's right. Well, perhaps we will just decline and we will deal with whatever may come. I think that's probably the more likely route. But I tried to buy it as much time as I quote. I understand.

So if we could turn now, we stop by the winery, and we deliver the gem, and we get on the road, and we start making our way towards this, this, this, this enclave of nights. All right. All right. Agreed. I have to agree. Fine.

All right. Are we ready to go? The second I would have felt the call to walk in, I would have just walked in. I would have just walked. So you're not going to talk to them at all. Well, I would have been, I will talk to them when I get back. But if I notice this thing of creepy trees and shit, I would have walked there immediately. If I'm back, if I've seen something and I can come back.

So I'll say that all of this happened while you were burning and you just started burning. Okay, okay. So it's not to split you guys up. So you've noticed this thing. This tree? So I'll look around and after this whole conversation. I'll just be kind of quietly watching as everyone converses.

As I look Professor, I look at his bloody handkerchief. Then to Victoria, then to Kana clutching of fever and the grave. And the grave. And I'll look at Shepard and his anger. And I'll look at everyone and say, well, I trust you, Professor, to make the appropriate decision is the leader of this expedition. But if we end up in that throne room, let fate fall where it may.

Yes. But I have business in the grove over there. What do you mean? I'll look down to where. Do we see the same thing? Has that always been there? I believe it has, and I believe it is a great source of evil.

I must purge if you will give me the opportunity. All we will accompany you, yes. Either way. So I'm standing up from the grave. I've got the spear in my hands, and my head is hanging, and I'm going to outstretched the spear a little bit and do like a 90 degree vow

and my hair will kind of billed straight down towards the ground as I stand back up looking at the grave and I will say I am honored that you have chosen me mysterious warrior I hope I have much to learn

about where this mighty artifact came from who yielded it and why I was chosen but I I'm humbled by the calling, by this gift, and I hope to wield it with honor and dignity. I will bow again.

I've got my knot-knought on the back, and I will take one last look behind me at the tomb, and it's all basically in the back behind them, and I'm just like inspecting it, looking at the blade, trying to look at the tassels and see if I can infer anything else from the sphere. Okay. you begin to make your way down the winding path towards the strange decrepit tree at the very center the dead trees creak and sway in the wind they loom down over their shadows casting around the entirety of the circle and at the very center this dark tree the knotted wood

forming the shape of the face that appears to be crying blood from it as it's pouring out of this tree it's the tree in the very center like every bit of wood that's splintered from it

you can see the bubbling oozing dark blood as it pours out like a thick ink I'm going to reach down a finger and looking at it. You see embedded in the base, an axe where the axe is puncturing the wood. It looks like it almost is red from pain as a wound have been caused there.

Blood drips from it. Your attention drawn down to a skeleton that lies in the base, old, brittle with age, discolored by time. I want to stand a finger and just get a little sap, a little sippy sap on my fingers and just feel it. It's blood, pure blood. Look at the axe. Do you get a sense that it's coming with dark magic or corruption? You get a sense that this entire tree, there's some magic to it. I'm going to reach down and grab the axe and pull it out.

Roll perception check. Perception, you say, 20. you reach down and you rip the axe from the tree, the wound still open as blood begins to pour more rapidly from where the axe had once been embedded into it. And as you stare this close to the wood, you realize, this is the wood that staff was made from, staff that you lit on fire.

This must be the Gophis tree. This is the devil tree. This must be the source. of the corruption. I'll look around. Do I see all the blight corpses all litter all over the place? It looks like the earth

has almost taken them back the same way it did the giant tree end. There are bits of them still sticking out, hands outstretched. I'll lean forward and I'll kind of touch the bark. This tree, the face within immediately is not unfamiliar but great darkness.

this is the pestilence on this land, the creeping death. I must purge it. Do we sense the same rumbling anymore in the roots? Here in this grove, yes, you do. And you can all feel the magic of this tree. It's very palpable. There is something special about this tree. Do I get the sense that this is like a tree that needs like purifying,

or if this is like the source of the period. I would say you would need some kind of spell to determine that. That's not something you'd be able to just look at it and see. You have to expend resources to determine that. I'll reach in. So next may we maybe investigate this skeleton

before we burn a tree. Have a closer look. This warrior perhaps wielded this axe and he may learn more of why he was here. Have a closer look. So I want to approach holding a spear I'm going to have it in my lap and I'm kneeling down.

I see him holding the axe and I just want to discern. It's easy to see the skeleton of whoever tried to who embedded their axe and it looks like there's probably killed by toy plates. Toy plates, okay. Any, I guess, identification. Imagine it's so old. To learn anything at this point you'd need to expend a resource, which is I think what Mickey is trying to do.

I am going to take the branch of Edelwood cast into the fire, as it flares up, I'll stare into the flame. Garricks, I feel your power now, more than ever. I have encountered a vile, wicked tree which spreads its blight through the land. I intend to purge it in flame. Is that what you will, fire, Lord? Gasoggery.

Second level spell, slot. You cast your spell and you wait for the fire to give you the response of wheel or woe, but no answer comes. Fire. Is the flame shifts you hear a voice. The plan to burn the tree. Cleric of the threat.

Burn it, you will. Arise from the ashes. It's a bit. Fire does not cleanse all. Kill it at the roots. You're found. I look around. Which?

Where are you? Hey, hey, hey, sorry. You're all right? What happened? Where? Where are you? Countess? Hey, hey, hey, hey, settle now.

You can silence his voice here. What's going on? You're all right? Did any of us hear that? Oh, you all heard of it. Oh, we heard contests? Oh, I see. You can normally see his magic, but instead of

Garrix's response, it was Trinidad's instead. Right, I just didn't know if it was only for him or not. Okay. You cannot silence the fire lord countess. Oh, God damn it. What does that mean?

Are you losing your connection to him, Sarnat. Hey, hey, hey, Anna, hey. Silence. I think it's worth doing what she said. Why? Professor, as you are her minion now, I will leave that to you and your invisible shovel-wielding servant. I'm going to turn around in this block away.

Hey, hey, Star-X, come on, buddy, wait! I'm going to chase after Sarnex. I'm going to follow, too. All right, well, Lucas, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by that, and I would like to cast invisible servants, and I will grab it my shovel as well, and I want to at least dig up the roots to see if I can start to investigate

what she may have been talking about. Okay. Roll in her conichick. Four or nine, ten or twelve. There is some magic to this. It seems to emanate from the roots itself, but you also see that there's some protection matter to this. You imagine that a detect magic spell is what you need to truly understand. I will then I will take 10 minutes and I will say something,

and spend some arcadcom or whatever, and I will detect magic. You place your hands on the tree, and by the time you're done, you're covered in the blood of this tree, that you now understand it. This tree causes the blights in this land. It is where they originate from. It is how they thrive. It is only with its true destruction that you'll be able to rid the winery, truly of the plate.

You see that it has protection magic, where piercing, bludgeoning, slashing will do nothing for it until you've burned it to the ground. But burning it is not the end-all-be-all. because it will regain itself every day over time unless once it has been burned, its roots are ripped for the earth. Only then do you completely destroy the Gulfine's true. So, Max, wait. I will have walked probably to the pirate at this point

as I, uh, I'll stop. So on X, I apologize, I didn't mean. to speak out of turn. I know that your faith is strong with Garrison. I apologize and I will respectfully bow to him. I apologize for my outburst, Connor. I must. One moment, Professor. Allow me a moment. Please. I'll step to the pyre as burning. I'll place my lantern in front of it. I'll set it on the ground, and I'll pull out another twig of the anal one. Eric's, Fire Lord, the foul evil that plagues this land. I hear your voice, I feel you, please give me guidance.

I wish to press forward and purge this land. Is that within your wishes, Fire Lord? and I'm going to take the twig and throw it into the burning pyre. I need your voice. I catch Algarie again. You cast the spell and you watch as the fire swirls

and envelops everything around it. The roaring of the dragon's breath wheel. I agree with one another. The first time you've seen me smile in a very long time as I'll stop. And it'll be, I'll be hunched forward as I'll reach forward, pull back my hood. As I let the rain fall down on my head, and I lean back and bask in the burning pyre. Buddy, all right?

Grant me the power to destroy. I'll lean down and I'll quickly pick up, pick up, pick up a lantern as I walk back to the grove. Yes, Professor. we must burn the tree. Afterwards, we'll destroy it in its entirety. But the first step is destruction by fire. Are you all right? Are you good?

And I'm going to immediately cast fire from the lantern on the tree. Got it. Jack, Tim. All right. Cernix. As I'm going to cast a third level, guiding bolt, not guiding bolt, scorching ray.

Third level scorching ray. Is there an AC for that? There's four attack rolls. Yeah, roll them. Well, let's see if he's fail me. Where's my other die? Come on, come on. You're so inspired.

Now I used them. Oh, look at fun. He's a 15. 15. plus. Well, honestly, it doesn't really matter. It doesn't have an attack. So you fire all of them.

They all have. They all have. You ignite the flame, the tree in fire as you watch as it burns. The blood oozing from the open areas of the tree sputter and pop. As you stand and watch this entity burn has 250 point. Pit points. It's going to take a while.

As you stand and you watch it burn. you splatter with blood is it pops and splatters your face. And finally you see as nothing but a sump and embers remain in front of you.

Well, now what? I pull out three shovels. You see me hand one to mid-air and then starts floating. I'll chuck you one. Son, God. Would you like to help as well? Oh, please. And I'll check you the other. So, so what, we're digging the whole Damn thing. Take out the roots.

I mean, exhumed them all, every last root. We cannot leave a single speck in the ground. All right. We just watch our asses, all right? All right. Let's proceed to dig. You begin to dig, and it takes about 45 minutes for the three of you,

both of you and Jim Bob. What is this? Lucas. Lucas, thank you. for the two of you and Lucas to to exhume the roots. And as you remove the stump, you begin to grasp your hands around the roots and pull and you feel like worms.

Your hands are almost soft, and they unjolate, but not with life, but with the remnants of the blood that was coursing through this, but you're able to pull them. They almost move like snake's skin as you rip each one of them. them out and finally in front of you, you have the stumped and all of the roots removed from the ground.

We're all up to seven. Ah! Hey! Fuck yes! Thank you. Professor, this is pretty fucked up. Now what? It has to be done.

We burn the rest of it? I mean, what? Yes. Yes. Burn the rest. I will leave the son acts what we do with the blue. Yes. You know them in.

I would say you now know that with the Guthias' true killed, no new lights can be created within Stradonia's domain. Oh, fuck, yeah. It's done. It's not done yet. As I go around and I finish casting the oil across this entire grove. And I'll step back. And casts a little bead of fire as I ignite it.

and stand in the rain and watch it all burn as the ashes are scattered from the previous fire. I just don't understand why she toys with us, why she would initially help them create this horrible thing and then... That's what the powerful do. Help us destroy it just in the same way. They get sick enjoyment out of torture and who they think are the weak. Yes, this is true. We wishes to shaken our faith.

and she is powerful, but she is not a god. And she's fucking with the wrong people. Oh, do you think these druids lived when they were on this hill? Because we didn't see a house or anything up here. It's just this circle. Yep. Do you think they resided here? I mean, they did.

By the way, they're all dead. The tree is gone. They can't hot. the raven folk any longer. They have been purged by fire. Yes. We did learn that the countess does not care for these raven folk. She may have a vendetta, I guess.

Sounds like no hut. They're the ones that work in the shadows against her reign. That axe, saw an axe. Anything special about it? Seems a fool, a grave, heroic fool, attempted to bring an end himself or you will get a hero's reception in the afterlife

as he returns to Ash. Well, we've done it. We've done a great good for the land, for the people of Borovia, and I think we shouldn't waste any more time. Shall we go? I pull out the gem. Is it still safe in my person? And I look between me.

the professor and stuff next. Do you want me to hold on to this until we get back to the winery? Yes. As the fires kind of go out and the ashes remain, I'll pull out my seat, I'll plant one at the top of the hill,

and one exactly where I believe the center of that evil tree was. I'll fall behind it and do my little cleansing ritual and I look for the water of my daughter. Over the sea. Thank you.

the cut. Thank you. Let flow in water. There a new tree arrives from the absence. The rule from the destruction and lift its mighty limbs and get praised to find that.

I am ready. I thank all of you for your patience. Hey, you can be all right, buddy? I'll be fine I feel abounded by the guidance of Dragon Fire All right

you gotta do me a favor because you're steadfast and when you get a little wonky you set me a little off all right so just just try to

stay on the path all right Mr. Shepherd I think the slant has shaken all of us the last on flammable That's true, yes, but we can't hold into higher standards than we hold ourselves.

We've all been shaken thus far. That's fair. I'm sorry. I don't mean to put undue pressure onto you, Sarnex. Shepherd, I now realize it is your burden to walk steady. I will do my best to light the way. Hey, that's all we can ask, right? Live together or die alone?

I'll just ask. Let us step forward. Please leave the way. You begin to make your, you're going back to the winery. Yes. You begin to make your way back towards the winery. You finally see as the vineyard is close to you. And you notice, one, two, three, dead ravens.

Oh, how in the wind. I immediately run up and grab one of them, see if it looks like the same ilk. No, no, this just can't be. It looks like a raven. They don't have any differentiating features as like other ravens. They all look like normal ravens. He's at four? Three, three.

And they're all like in the same spot. You noticed, I would say you noticed the first one and probably would have inspected it. And then the second and the third seemed to be in the same spot. We'll pick one of them up as we're walking, and we've got to bring them back. We have to. We don't know if these are raven folk of all this. Just ravens. Do we want a chance?

I will detect magic, and I will see if I... You're going to stand here in the hour for ten minutes to detect magic? Yes. Right? I say we have you ritualize it as we walk. We should grab these. and go. Shredanya said she was pissed

with the raven people. This might be an omen. I think we know who did this. Well, then let's take them and we can... Did we doom them ourselves? Probably. I hate to say it, but yeah, probably. But what were we going to do?

We were trying to save them. There was no choice. That is exactly what Stradania wanted to tell us. How far are we from the vineyard? You are just, you're on the path. You haven't gotten to the actual vineyard yet. So the desert's in front of you. You can see the vineyard and you can see the winery up on the hill.

Oh, okay. Let's just go. We should go now. And so I... See my half the vineyard. No, I'm not. We're just going to run straight now. As you continue to make your way, you run at full speed.

As you begin to look around you, another dead raven and another and another and another, at least 20, maybe 30 dead ravens littered about the vineyard. Do you finally make your way up to the actual house of the vineyard? The front door swings openlessly on his hinge. And silence. Hello?

The voice echoes as it bounces off. the walls in the inside. I dropped both my weapons. Yeah, I burst in. To tell the face of pause. We're looking for survivors. We're looking for anyone who might be alive. Where you starting first?

I head to the kitchen. I run upstairs. I will head to the cellar. I'll head to the cellar. You're splitting up? Yeah. Yeah. Looks like it.

You head to the cellar and find nothing. Free of you head to the kitchen. You open the door and the stench hits you before you see it. Nailed to the wall, the mother, flowered draped all over her apron. Its blood spills down the wall. Nailed into her chest is a letter. It's archived. I'm going to run up to the body and immediately try to,

to take the nails out and get her down from the wall. I'm not looking at the note. I'm helping him trying to hold her out while he's undering the nails. Whatever I, whatever tool, shovel I might have to try to try to pry her from the wall. Then take the nails out. I'll say you're easily able to do that. No, no, no, damn! No, don't.

Is she alive? She is not. Fucking hell! We'll slowly lay her down on the kitchen. and try to remove the note from her chest. You slowly remove the nail, doing everything you can to stay, to steady your hand, to be able to do as little damage as possible. You see a faded piece of parchment, one of the pages from the ledger of the wine sales,

the one where they stopped selling wine to straw nailed into her chest. An S in elaborately calligraphied lettering in the woman's blood written over the front of belly. I'm going to just basically like yell, like scream, anguish, anger, pain, and, like, throw my hat on the ground and just, like, sit there. Wow, wow. I mean, yell. Victoria. you hear as as shepherd yells

are you continuing I would pause for a moment and just kind of wince but I'll keep going you open the door to the room that you know to be one of the children's rooms and sitting on the bed

Stradogia slowly brushing the hair of the young girl who would save just the day prior in one hand a guy She sips from it. You see as the blood slowly drips down the side of her face, the young girl is ghostly pale. Her eyes wide as she looks at your entire body shivering. She looks horrified as she looks at you. But she makes no move to move towards you. Do I see any markings on her? She looks completely unlawed. Well, we got back a little earlier than I had expected. I thought that after my little message to your friend, you'd spend more time.

Morning, I lost connection to a god. I didn't have enough time to clean up. It's unfortunate. How could you do something like this? Do something like what? I'm simply taking care of the young girl. All of these raisins lost road, all the same way about illusion. It looks like a clock.

I don't believe you. They don't. That's fine. Why would you, even if they were, why would you research something so dark? But you know, don't you, Victoria? You feet within your heart too. The cold wickedness.

The fun of doing something you know you shouldn't. The adrenaline pumps through your body when you see the fear on someone's face. You know it. I won't deny the design. scientist has brought terrible things out. Oh, you think of this land? I could smell it on you before you even walked through the news.

I don't. You've given me no reason to believe that you know anything of me. You may have shaken Mr. Sarat's faith with his God, but I have prayed to mine and I am standing forthright in his light. You've caused me to slip before, but we'll not happen again. Your God turns his back on you. As he walks away, you view his wounds. He does not come for you here, not in this land.

Pray to him all you want. But by the end of tomorrow night, he will be begging for me. Have you killed off? Kind of off. Who? Don't say such things in front of a young lady. And she looks down and she slowly places a kiss on the forehead of the young girl. She's being.

overly dramatic. There's nothing to fear here. Is it a Croce? After all. You've died once, but it was not by my hand. And she begins to stroke her hair. What do you like to go play with little bocephalus? Please. And she pats her on the back. Go play. I go watch you.

You see as Vasha begins to sit up and she's absolutely shaky, completely pure weight. And she turned back. My mommy, stop. You'll get her later. What? Involving. And Fosha completely silenced herself as she moves over to the rock and wharf.

And she sits astride, he wouldn't know what suffers. And every time she rocks forward, you look of pure sadness on her face, fear. And every time she rocks, you see the words, is no fun, is no good thing. Just kind of turning my, I don't know where she is in the room, but kind of trying to put myself between her and the child facing Stradonia. Where have the other children? What if you don't do? I think you'd have to look for them.

I don't know. They ran away. I wasn't very interested in the boys. It was the girls. The girl. I was interested in most. But you couldn't leave. I'm Vosha.

I are playing just fine. That is not going to happen, Strudon. Oh, you look so angry. I am angry. Good. You've gone too far. Is this not sad? I haven't gone far at all.

But I will. And you will like it. Now back to your castle. Don't you don't tell me about to do? At least not in that weak tone. You're going to order me around. Do it with some power. And you see as she stands up and she towers over you, she is maybe even six inches taller than you in heels that she's wearing right now.

And as she towers over you, her bosoms are heaving. If you want me to leap, you will tell me, you will force me to go. Are you weak? Use your god, Victoria. Use him. She stares at you, her eyes unflinching. That's what I saw. She pushes you to the side.

I have other things to do. I'll go check on the boys then. Mr. Tudia, I'm begging you. You've caused enough bloodshed here and the darkness. Please, please do these children. She reaches out, she grabs your wrists, and she pulls you to her. She looks down at you, and you see a hint of softness on her piece. You're sad.

Does my nature make you sad? It's scarce. Then run. I vote. Not from her. She's good enough. She reaches down and she kisses your lips. Or she kisses your neck.

You can feel her fangs lightly grayed right where your blood is pumping in your veins. That is the passion. I am looking for. You will serve me well, one man. Keep the good. I have business. to attend to

and blocky and clean up my mess. I don't have any time. She turns and she looks at Vasha. She's weak, but she's getting there, don't you think? A little more time with me and she'll be exactly who she needs to be.

She turns and she looks at you once more. You're so cold. And she turns and she strides from her. You can all hear the sound of her heels fall in all right. So this, so just where the three of us in the kitchen? Yes. I'm going to, um, as she turns away,

cast message. And, um, so I'll, I'll kind of let my hand fall down to the floor, pointing through the floor of the two a professor. And she's coming. She's in the house. So who's where?

That's what I want to know. So the second I had to scream, I would have booked it back to the kitchen. I guess my point is whoever's not with me. I would be yelling for them. Like, Professor, you know, whoever's not with us, I would be yelling in anguish and anger. My intention, after kind of seeing what had happened previously, is that as soon as we saw the whore and the carnage,

Sarnax wouldn't have left all the ravens around. So I was going and, like, collecting all of them. But you're not upstairs. And then, no, I'm not upstairs. Okay. I would have been like... You're outside collecting. I outside collecting ravens.

Do not go upstairs? No, I started to go downstairs. The second you yell, I would have gone straight to me. I'm the only one with you. I'm like resolved of like, you know, this is over with. And like even when I hear the, I will finish collecting all of them and trying to like scoop them all up in my arms and bring them over. But whenever I'm done with that, I'm not going to fit.

I'm just yelling for the team, essentially. But you're saying now we hear something coming down the stairs. So she's only two rooms down from him. Oh, I thought she was upstairs. You are. That's where the, that's where the kitchen is a muscle. Oh, I'm just like, yeah. Then there's a room and then there's the children's room.

Then, okay. And so she's in the children's room. You hear as, um, as, uh, healed boots or healed shoes, um, begin to make their way away from the kitchen and towards the scene. So then I'm slowly hear them to sound. I'm just going to bust the door open and screams like, Victoria! And like, looking out the, the kitchen door. You, you bust your way out of the kitchen door. As you begin to just scream Victoria, you turn and you see Victoria.

in the doorway of the children's room. Her face completely flushed. Stradanya is slowly making her way down the stairs. She doesn't even look at you. Her eyes are on Clayton. As you see him barreling up the stairwell, the circular stairwell from the basement. As he makes his way into the room,

she looks directly at you. Good evening, Professor. She's holding up for goblin. She takes a drink, and she talks. tosses it to the floor. Blood spills everywhere. Please clean it up. It's still warm, a little too warm.

Your friend, and she glances up towards Victoria, his left me poke, and she slowly starts making her way towards the front. What have you done? Clean it up, Professor. And they'll see you in two days. I'm going to grab Basha off of the Rocky Horse of this. Just hold her.

She's shaking. completely wrapped. I know. I know. I know. I'm going to be. Where are your brothers? Where would they hide?

I don't know. They were in their room. And I, I, I don't know if she went in there. I'm going to, I'm going to just hold her and just, I don't know if I know where their room is. The room is the room in between the kitchen and her. So I'm going to walk for itself. I just kind of have her head pressed into my shoulder. So she is.

walking, like pushing past the professor. So she walks down the stairs, professors coming out of this stairwell, there are doors here. She threw her goblet, let the blood splatter everywhere, and she turned and walked straight out of the door. I'm going to have both of my weapons drawn

and she's downstairs after her. I'm doing the same thing. She does not yelling after her. She does not pick up her page. She walks very slowly. She's telling you! What is the meeting of this? You fucking coward, turn and face me! She stops for a moment

She turns towards you I'm calling me a coward You fucking hurt me Damn right What do you want to say? You think you're just going to walk away You're just going to get away with this? Of course

I always do While this is happening I'm just going to go up the stairs And I'm going to start looking for that for the kids I'm making sure that all the kids are safe If I can What did you do with the the rest of the fucking family.

What do you mean? I think you found most. You know that the men left to deliver, oh, how sad? The wine you didn't want to. Leaving the poor woman and her children here. And then you killed my plaything. And I was so bored.

I was, I flew away as a bat. And I thought to myself, what should you do now? You can't punish the family anymore, but you can't. Before the defense is someone, did you know that when someone is so close to death that they will do anything to protect their children? Stop it! Stop it right now! The woman has been through enough.

She didn't even cry when I began to nail her to the wall. I told him, make one sound, and I'd kill them all. So she didn't. Though I could see it in her eyes, the pain, the fear, she knew. Did you know that when they have so deep, the problem? If you take their blood from them, when life still remains in their veins, it's that much simple. I unleash judgment and redemption, and I fucking take two fucking shots at her.

Oh, my God. I'm standing right next to him. I got a 21 and a 16. The 21 hits. Oh, my God. You raise up judgment and redemption, and you let loose one shot. She moves forward into it. You see where it pierces into her breasts.

Nine points of damage. And where you expect to see blood spilling out, you see nothing. Just an empty hollow shell. as she moves towards you and you aim to shoot the other one and you're distracted by the lack of fluid coming from this body

and the way that she moves so gracefully towards you she reaches down and she slowly slips the long nail of her finger into the wound Ouch You absolute

fucking demon monster what do you fight me Wow, this is a side of you I've never seen people. I like it. Is this all it takes? What do you mean? Oh, it takes?

I'm not letting you just walk away from this. Oh, you are. Would you like to come with me then? No, I'm not going with you. I'm going to put you in the fucking dirt. She turns her hand on her hilt. She eats her sword and points it directly. on a snack. Would you like me to take her right here in front of you? I see the way it makes

your blood boil. How would you feel to watch me do what I did to that woman to have? Someone you know, someone you love. Do you want to push me? I'm staring down at the hilt of the sword. Mr. Morgan, do you want to push me? Or do you want to let me leave? And I'll see you in two days for dinner. I know you have so many things to collect before then, don't you? Because you think that you can overcome my power? Good luck. But there is, yes. I'm just going to let the revolvers, like, drop from my hands and, like, sink to my knees.

Yes. I'm going to put a finger on the blade and just push it to the side. If you attempt to push it, it does not budge. I'll just let the blood run down my hand trying to get her attention as it slides into my finger. She moves it over slightly and you feel it sink, blade almost down to bone into your finger, but she does not look at you as she stares at Shepard. This moment I say when these thrown ones break, it is better than climax. She lets her blade fall, completely ignoring your blood.

She sheaves her weapon and turns and begins to walk away. Clean up the mess and thou see you in two days. Where am I in this situation? You are probably like 50 feet away picking up Ravens. And where would I be now having run up during that whole change and from the case? The two of you, the two of you, open the second door. and cowering the corner are the two small boys. They rush you and wrap their arms around your legs.

They say nothing as they can't. Stay here. Where's the girl? She's clean to me. Oh, yeah. I've got to hear she's safe. Please. Are you all right? I need to prevent a bloodbath.

I'll be right back. Just stay safe. I just kind of gather them around my waist and hug them and just kind of stay in the room. And I want to run back at least to the balcony so I can keep an eye on whatever the hell's happening. with all of us with Shepardine and Shreda. So whatever you think that I witnessed met on. I would say you saw the very end. You see

as the tip of Conn's fingers at this point nearly severed. So I'm just going to slowly walk down the stairs behind them and just let Trudanya walk out and I'm just keeping an eye on on the cell phone.

This module is the reason I drink. No. You are focusing and picking up these raven corpses. As you see, you reach down to pick one up and you see the pointed toe of an elaborate leather ringed with silver filament, buttons going all the way up the ankle and the calf straight to the thigh, exposed by the billowing shirt's tattered lace.

As she kicks dirt onto the raven that you were about to pick up, if he's got an illusion and in this. She snaps her fingers, and you see the entire thing of ravens that you're holding completely disappear.

You are so easy to work. Join your friends. They are so weak without you. And you may want to consider throwing off bath or your theme is shaken. Who then?

From Gerex, I said hello. And she slowly walks right now. As she turns to walk away or I'll say, I have please await what is in the cards countess.

She doesn't turn towards you, but she says many before you. have pledged the same. Yet none stands before me now. Continue to speak as I walk away as if it gives you power. You are

still weak. You are still less than I am. And you, Sarnag's dew will burn. And she walks away. I am weak, but my God is true.

He's absent. And she can continues to walk. My eyes will fall over as I continue to bow. And I'll feel around in my row. Finding no ravens, I assume. Do I

find no ravens? You find no ravens. I'll then kind of just cast my gaze to the door and for the first time I kind of let up and I'll walk as quickly as I can into the room.

I'm Shepherds on the ground I'm holding out my good hand to help them up I just kind of like like batting away I couldn't do anything she's threatening you and I

froze you did very well I'm still in shock of Stefania we should we should group up it doesn't matter It doesn't matter. Shepherd, please get up.

You would have killed us all. You fired another shot. Thank you for not doing so. Let us help the children. Think of the children, please. We're going to kill the... Half. The cards.

The cards, we need the sword. We need the relic. But once we get those, we can do it. We need to hold on. perhaps we need to find Davian right away we can hopefully help help them all right

I have the jack he may still be saved let me help you up please I'll reach my hand down to Shepard I'm assuming my entering how this is happening she was a great darkness here wasn't there.

Yes. Are they gone? Is she gone? She is. Look to the tree line and you see no sign of Shradamia. She is gone

as are all the ravens. Sonia is upstairs. We should see if we can help her. She's dead, but we still have my gem. Who else? In sleep. We felt the ravens.

Children are alive. and safe. Vashe's shaken up, but she's fine. She's with her ternia. I heard. I don't fucking get it. She knows what we're doing. She didn't fucking care. She wouldn't fucking fight me.

Why wouldn't she just fucking kill us? She knows what she's doing. She knows what we're up to. She knows. She doesn't give a shit about what we're fucking collecting. And that

is our chief and primary position against her. That is our advantage, Mr. Morgan. Let's not forget that. She's letting us do this because there have been many before us that have forgotten a reading. And in the cards, they've been fated to slay Stradania. And she thinks we'll be just like them.

Let her think that for as long as we possibly can. She believes correctly that we are we. but these adventurers did not have Garricks on their side. Shepard, it's in the cards and more. It was in the flame. I saw it. You will be the one, as will all of us, to break this cycle.

All right. Can you help us on this? I would see what I can do. I must try to find Davian. Perhaps this gem will help, and I'll hand the jet to... Thank you, Tom. Leave me to her. I'll be the way.

I'll step forward. You make your way back into the winery, back up the stairs, past the open door of the children's room. You see Victoria sitting there on the bed, surrounded by the children. You've stayed with them, right? And they are... All of them seem confused. you've spoken with them, none of them realized the bait of their mother.

You push them, you tell them it's going to be okay, that you'll protect them. You don't seem to fully understand who sure don't know you want or what she wanted. But their mother told them to stand in the kitchen

and they're going to listen to her until she tells them not. You wave the group of cast as you make your way back into the kitchen. the brisly scene awaits you. The spilled flower all over the floor, collagulating with the spilled blood of Safa.

Having heard the words that Stradanya said, look at her face, the emotion forever engraved there. She was strong. She didn't flinch. She did not show weakness. She knew what she had to do to protect her children. And she didn't.

She did not cry out, even in the last. You can see it plainly there. Nothing but love and strength. I'm going to walk over to her and press my fingers to her face, to her neck, get a sense of how long it's been. A few minutes. It seems like she had been killed

probably right before you come in. I'm going to look at the jam. Maybe 10 minutes. I'm going to look at the jam. in my hand and get a sense if I feel the power of life emanating through this thing. You can feel it. It throws in your hand.

All of this power if I have to sacrifice what I can learn from the soul. Why you know why the dove the senses but the deviant can do it. No, why is you? grant new renewal from this destruction

and my hand is going to blaze as I my other hand will blaze and I'll try to tap into whatever power of this crystal and I'm going to with my claw how would you kill of the chest

she was nailed to the wall I am going to take my hand and I'm going to you just press it against her chest as I'm going to cast Revivify and knowing it probably won't work trying to figure out a way to use the power of the crystal and if it's not worth $600,000 or whatever it is,

trying to expend it and sacrifice it if I can to bring back this person, if I destroy it, it doesn't work, whatever, fully knowing it, and if I can cast it at a fourth level, I will. But I'm going to expend a fourth level spellswell. You watch as Sarnax does this, and you all brought back to the moment that Vasha was returned. Are any of you going to try to help? I'm running over to the body.

I'm holding it up, kneeling on the ground, pressing her chest into the stone to hold her body there. And I'm looking up in the blazing eyes of Sarnax. And I will say, I believe in you Sarnax and your God, may the fires burn and bring her back to life. And may those flames, Gerex's flames, reinvigorate her and feel her with the life again, I know that once throbbed in her veins.

I believe in you. And I will just shouting in his head into his face while I'm holding... Do not believe in me, Kana. Believe in him. Believe in the fire lord. I'm still like kneeling while all this is going on. I take my hat off and I silently pray to Garex.

And I will say, Sonics. Garrick's. You've shown me your power. Please, please help this woman. Please. So for life. And I want to start using presiditation to clean the blood from her wounds

and just clean her up and just try to make it, try to make her look more, less ravaged and kind of make her look as respectable as possible. I need you all you're doing. While they're doing this, I'm just going to, I'm going to hear the shouting, and I'm just going to hold the children's heads against me as much as I can and just kind of help me. And you're going to?

And as I'm doing mentally, power, Garrick's, you have given me the power to destroy. Now I ask you for the power to renew. I got a 17. Just flat, D20? 17 as well. Fuck, yes. Another eight. Twist. Oh, wait,

Twisted. You're the one doing the shit. Right? Right. You get... Oh, we got another one, I think. I also got that time. Did we add that already?

We did. A natural one. I'm doing one more. Roll really good dice. This is my best dice. Give it a good shake. Whoa. Okay.

We got some twist. Give it a good shake. A 12. Okay. No, it's a... Oh. Yeah. But you've guidance, right?

You guys have guidance? Or no? Two-17s of 12 and 10, and Victoria did not roll? I got out of 10. She's calming the children to keep them from rest of the room, hearing Kana screaming to bring her back to life. Yeah, I'm just like, and just like, oh, don't you listen.

As Sarnax channels and calls forth the fires of Garrick's, flames begin to swirl around you, shooting forth from him into every single one of her wounds. In one hand, he holds the gem, the other. Fire is bursting forth from every follicle of his flesh. As he presses down into her, you see the wounds begin to cauterize, the smell of burning flesh, fire raging around the entirety of this room. The embers glowing and bursting with illumination.

and then the form of a dragon bursts forth from your hand it erupts into the room and swirls around the entirety of this body it moves over a dragon made of pure fire and burning ember smaller to fit into this room

but it moves on one leg to the next as it laps a tongue of flame along the body of this woman cleansing the blood and the wounds from her with a burst of a radiant light. You see her chest rise. You did it, Synax!

Is the dragons on? You see as it sculpts there, its eyes, a dark red slit of pure black as it turns to you. And faint smiling. graces its fakes as it lets out two puffs of smoke from its nostrils

as it slowly fades to falling in grace I am your servant fire of Lord and I'm going to collapse onto the ground and I'm going to look to see if the gem is now ashes

the gem pulses with a faint faint green light with every four gets bright and brighter, rising and falling with a chest to Sifon, until it finally resumes its normal tables. You watch as her lips twitch slightly, and her eyes slowly flutter awake. And she looks up, oh, no, because it's in their thine. I must have flits and hits my head.

I have a horrible nightmare. Squirt, you fucking did it. Are you all right? I have the worst splitting headache. Don't move too much. Easy. I will. Feel it.

All the blood, the wine that she's cleansed with the fire of the dragon form that burst forth from Saratak's hands in the help of your prostitigation. I'm holding her off just letting her. You're fine, sweet child. I need, I have bread that I have to make dinner. is the children are not going to hurt themselves. Please, please do not worry yourself. Are you back already? We're back and we're not going anywhere.

You rest and we will do whatever you need us to do. It's the strangest feeling I ever felt. I can't even imagine. My heart feels very heavy. Do you remember what happened to you? I had a horrible nightmare, not one I would like to repeat. can you just sit please no matter what we say just sit and don't do anything else please you don't have to ask me twice and she begins to pull herself off off of the floor kana helps

to write her and you slowly help her to sit down at the table where are the children they're not screaming victoria's she's with the kids she's with the kids i'll scrub your floors i'll learn how to make god damn brett just don't don't do anything else please And she reaches out and she grabs your hands. You are the sweetest thing. I don't know what we would have done if you had not come into our lives, all of you. And the children run in and they wrap their arms around her.

They pull you into a tight hug. Mommy, you're okay. What happened? Oh, sweet darling, spell and hit my head and our lovely friends have patched me all up and they've offered to make us dinner. So, and the little girl looks up, and she looks up at Clayton for a moment. You're going to make this thing? Yes, of course.

Are you going to make a dessert? I will certainly try, yes, absolutely. I'll see what you have. None of that really hard bread is. No offense, Mom. We love it very much, but like something different? Yes. And they reach out, they give you a huge hug.

You look very pale, Mommy. I'm not feeling the best. But you will go play, and I will join you soon. But don't stray too far. Play in the corner of the, don't leave me. And she once again reaches out and grabs your hand. You are all in light and the dark and yourself islam. You see her face for a moment.

If she looks around and she sees the way that the flower is scattered and holds in the wall. And finally, the one thing that remains, So it's chart around the edges, a piece of passion that had been entailed into her chest. She looks at all of you and she says, I know that it was not a night of her. If any of you can do this thing, if anyone can do this thing that you try to do, it will be you. I have no doubt in the wings of the ravens will be on your side. they'll free step of the way. They will fly

to the veins of the dragon. We are family now. You are my children just as much as they are. Grab my lanterns, I'll hold the jab. I'll look at it and put it away. Forgive me.

Would you like to plant it? This is... They would like that very much, I think, if you would be planted for it. You can even name the wine that we will make from that gem, if you like. Any name.

I suppose death of the bitch is a little too on the nose. She smiles. I think there are many in the villages that would appreciate a wine with a name like that. How about a happy name?

I think that there has been enough sadness in this house for the past two days. Vasha's revenge. I like Here, hear. We will put these in the largest of the fields. We will once again, through the finest champagne

that the Gorobia has ever seen in Fasha, who you will have her image. So you are, you are still in the room with Stefania and the children are playing off to the side, as she says this to all of them. You are light in the dark land. We don't do good, David. But we've had enough for today's.

Let's find joy in the rest of the evening. Unless you plan to leave. You will stay tonight. Yeah, we're staying. I tell you, you have someone back here. Do we have any way to send a message to Davian the rest? The Ravens, the storm picked up at 15 minutes. pride, I think.

The grievance flew out to the edge of the forest to see what it was all about. And then she gave. We should have known it was but a point to call them away. But we will wait her to.

We will not leave you until they return. But when they return, I will send one to Damien and let them know that I'm fine and what you've done here for us. Do you feel like she understands? This is some of the words that she's saying that she fully comprehends that we brought her back. Yeah.

She said she knows it wasn't a nightmare. I see. Okay, just make it, just make sure. Like you said, enjoy. What shall we have for dinner? That is on, that is on you? What are you making? Yes, what should we have?

And I roll up my sleeves. If you had... Is there anything that you need? You should be available, meat of all kinds, seasonings, we stock up. Just don't even lift a finger. We'll figure it out. Worst case scenario.

It might not be the best, but we're going to do all the work. That sounds lovely. I don't. I'm not an expert or anything, but Lucas and I have to feed ourselves during the expeditions, so I know how to make a few things. I mean, we just used to make the hard tank out on the planes, but nobody wants to eat that. Trust me. I look in the pantry and see what there is.

There is a plethora of things. Let me know what you like, and I'll tell you if you find it. I don't know. Probably is something too crazy. Do you have everything you need to make Shepard's Pie? Okay. So I will take some mince. Yeah, so basically I'll just do that.

I'll just make a really hearty Shepherd's pie. I'll assist in any way that Professor tells me. Yeah, we can all help. And, you know, I'm putting no expert. She stops you from helping. You play a game of cards with me, yes. Well, uh, excuse me.

What? Play a game of cards. I'll put my hands on Shepard's shoulders and just kind of lower him into the scene. Yeah, sure. Do you have a particular game? She reaches into one of her pockets and pulls out a deck of cards. They're covered in flower. What mainly the adults need something to do when the children go to sleep? What is your wager?

I just like take out some... Five silver pieces. Consider it done. And I'll slap five silver. She dolls out the cards and you play a game of cards. I need you to roll D20. Oh, my God. A 10. Okay.

Not very good. She is five more, new hands. And she puts in five more and she takes a new hand. I'll do the same. Okay. Roll again. Four. She's woven me.

Don't tell me what they are. Sorry, I should tell you that. Okay. I'm sorry. You're essentially playing Borovian poker. Oh, my bad. Well, I have a horrible poker face. Von Roll piece.

And she begins to draw new cards for yourself. All right, I'll slide it in. I'll rest. I'll see. I'll rest as well. She lays the cards down, and you see a bramble of finds. You see two bleeding hearts. You see a tall, statuous man in a silver suit of armor and blaze it with a dragon, a silver dragon.

And then you see one card, one card alone, the silver dragon. by itself. What did you roll? I rolled a 10 to 4 and a 4, so she kicked my ass. I'm assuming she kicked my ass in whatever game we're playing. As you look down, she looks at your card.

The silver dragon beats all. And she takes the pile of money and puts it in her back. And I'm very focused on the cards. As I'm just like, yeah, no, yeah, you, you won't me. You taught me a thing or two, and I'll push the money towards her

as I'm very focused on the silver dragon card. And you, you play a couple more rounds here and there. She, she beats you, you beat her. At the end of the day, you both come out pretty much even. Neither one of you. I'll say you make a, she makes five silver off in playing. And you, the smell of food is billowing throughout the room. The smaller girl Vosha heads to you.

And you notice that she occasionally stands where Lucas should be not realizing what he is, and pretends to hold the trays of things he's carrying. She looks really quizzical as he picks off different ingredients and drops them in the pot and in the bowls to be mixed, etc. She mocks it, completely confused to see how all this is moving on its own.

That after a while she puts on an air is if she's your servant, she's doing all this for you. And you see bits of herbs move their way over and she motions. I am a chef tonight because I am a big raven, powerful brazen. You would be an excellent chef when you grew up in a little, because a true gentleman or gentlewoman... I can't even make a sense. There's always time.

A true gentlewoman can always entertain guests. But I can eat candy with the best of them. I have no doubt. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I should not ask you. Would I have more of it? I don't know.

Yeah. Okay. As long as you don't tell you. No, I shouldn't ask you. After dinner, all right? No, I can't. After dinner? All right.

No. Because I help you, of course. And she continues to help you make food. The two small boys at some point, they make their way up. And looking at them, you realize they're twins. As one sits next to Shepherd, the other next to Stefania. And you see, he leans over time. Oh, no. Raise two more silver.

Give them. To me? No, he says this to his mother. Oh, okay. No, no, that's not good. And every time this happens, you lose. Oh, yeah. The other twin is not saying anything,

but occasionally he'll jab you in the side, and you've learned that that means to raise more and get a new hand. And once he stops, you end up with a full hand of Silver Dragons winning the last round. But to be clear, the whole time that if I'm just getting cleaned out I'm happy. I'm happy because I'm so glad that she's alive. She ends up after all of these. She ends up winning five silver.

I'm so, that's fine. Fine. She can have a whole of it. But I won, you said I won with a hand of silver dragons. Yeah, at one point you win with a hand of silver dragons and the small boy on the other side. How do they get all of the silver dragons? Are you cheating? That's just the nature of the game, little.

And he looks at his brother. It's you, isn't it? It might be. he's a crafty boy. Okay, one more time, and he grabs all the cards and he doles them out. Okay, let's go. One gold of piece, and she looks down,

this is not your game to decide. This is between adults. Fine, fun, gold a piece, and she puts in a gold piece, and you begin to play again. I'll start to set the table and just kind of get things running hold of professors. Is with that, you set the table, you clear off the game and you have a nice quiet dinner.

Not quiet. The kids are loud. They're excited. It's as if nothing today happened as it is with kids. They can make the best of even the worst. The only time she gets up is to make a pot of nice, warm, hot cocoa. She pours fresh milk into it, doles it out for the children. Something special for this evening will allow you to get the necessary sleep.

And she bustles them off to bed. Nis Fasas walking past you. She reaches out her hand and she sweeps is yours. And she looks up at you with little doe eyes. Good night, Professor Clayton. Lucas? I don't look at my case will just open up. And you see a little kind of pastel pink satchel.

You see as she runs over and she turns her back to it. Good night, Mom! And she goes to the satchel. It's not. discreet and the two boys look over their eyes wide, but the mom pretends like she doesn't notice. Good night, Vasha.

Good night. Good night. The two boys look over at the emptiness where Lucas was and the open case and then at Vasha she scamps out the sack in her hand bouncing. She still thinks that she is hiding this from everyone. Did you get one?

Oh, did you? No? All right. And I will They won't get Toffee, but they'll get my bags of carols. They look at it. Okay. Thanks.

They both walk out. You got six pieces. I only got five pieces. Will you split one? No, that's the one he gave me. No, you split it. I'm going to punch you in the face. And they walk out of the room.

Could I have followed them up the stairs? You're on the same level. Okay. Right. That's right. You take the next door and the door after. You can hear them still fighting in the room. Katie, you hear a loud, like, as one of them's decked in the face.

Oh, Mom! I'm going to pretend they don't hear of them. They'll be fine. They'll fall asleep soon. I want to get into the twins' room and then into Vosha's room, and I'm just kind of like smiling and nodding at them, not trying to be too suspicious. And I'm going up to the windows and just trying them and making sure that they're locked

and then closing the curtains and then I'll go in the other window, make sure it's locked close the curtains. None of them seem to pay attention to you. Fasha has grabbed a book and you see that she is now on her bed. She's got the toffee's next to her and she has a raven feathered quill and she begins

to write it and you glance over and you look and it says today I learned that invisible things will do your housework but you have to know a lot of things. Today I loved my mommy more than

and I did yesterday. Today, my dad went to deliver things, but you'll be back tomorrow. Today, my brothers were jerks in full capital letters. The E is the opposite way. And at the bottom, it signed Professor Basha. That whole time, when everyone was, like, making dinner, and playing cards,

I would have gone off by myself to a room, just set my lantern down and just stared into the flame and prayed for however long it took. But I still would have sat down and had dinner. I'm glancing over. the festimus of the felonist. Fosephalus for the rest of it.

Vosepholus. This does not help my dyslexia. And I just want to walk up to it and just like kind of run my hands over it and see if anything has changed about it since Draganya was in the room. I'm suspicious of its presence remaining in the room.

I'll see you don't even need to roll for it. You can see that it is just a joy, but it does seem to be an exact replica of the horse that she was writing. and I'll walk out of the room and I'll peek my head back in as I'm closing it and I'll look at Vasha do you want the door open or close? You can keep it open. I will sneak to the kitchen later to get more snacks.

Very well. I mean, I'm, yeah, no, I'm going to step in the kitchen to get more snacks. You're safe with me. Okay, goodbye. I, um, good night, sweet raven. Dreams be full of soaring skies and bright sunshine. I'll keep the door open and I'll nod to her and walk back to the kitchen. And you see, if she starts scrimmling, then you look over, that one is pretty. And by that one, I mean one of the layings.

I don't remember their names, but they're not professors, so it's okay, but she's the nice one with the big weapons. I'm a suture. The back. Most of it is misspelled. But you got the jazz. Yeah. And you make your way back to the kitchen where everyone is still sitting around the cable.

Well, I'm not quick to run off for bed this evening. My boys will not be back until probably midday tomorrow. I would be lying if I said the idea of walking to my room by myself right now was comforting thoughts. So I am much enjoying a moment here. But we will stay until they return. We're not going anywhere. No. You will say they will not allow this room to fill me with dread.

So I will stay. I will find joy. This is the heart of my family in this room. Nothing that's happened here will ever make me run for it. Just come to change you here. I hope this evening, the laughter of your children. And I made a nice, hefty sack of sewer

from your friend. Yes. I hope that laughter has filled this room and pushed out some of the bad. And you are far braver than any of us could ever be. I don't believe that is true. You have risked your life on multiple occasions

for a family you had not ties to. It may not seem like much, but to us, it is a lot. You did not have to get to yesterday. You did not have to do anything that you have done. But you did. And you did not know us then. But we are family now.

And we protect each other now. I said it before and I'll say it again. You have no idea the things that you did for us. Yes. Everything that we've done is simply just bar for the course, if you will. In a land like this, you must always stick together. It is the families that splinter, that fracture. They are the ones that gave the dear to surprise.

The doctor always said, live together or die alone. That will be one of Stradamia's biggest weaknesses. Yes. Thank you for giving us so. I'm showing that even little victories can bring some light to this land and prove that we can defeat her in some way. And we did not have time to talk, but you were able to read the druids. You were able to wipe the druids from the face of yesterday.

Yes. Yes. That is a joyous bit of news. That song I did quite a bit of praying, if you will. I did. No. You seem to have a very strong connection with your deity. I, I.

You are more. Pray. She reaches out and she doesn't. touch you, you will emanate the fire of your deity. That is my every hope and desire to be worthy of that dragon fire. Pray harder every day to purge the darkness of this land. I hope to be worthy and continue to earn Jesus grace. I have no doubt that you will.

Well, what is your next plan? Thank you. Where do you move from here? Where should I send the ravens? I believe. Let her know. Tell her. I'm not sure we entirely know exactly what it is.

The swamp. We got to find out where we're going. You're looking for. Wherever it may be. Wherever you want to call it, we need what is there. So we can put it in to all. All this. Yes, we do.

Stavian before he left, warned us against the great danger in Paris. It is very dangerous, in Paris. I am interested in this dragon. An order of a silver dragon. I mean, if it's on the way, there's no reason why we can't stop, like the professor said. I believe that should be on next course of action. But, I mean, they're a long day. Long gone, right?

They are, yes. There might not be anything to find. The entire mansion is in the ruins. So it's just a bunch of rubble, then, is what you're saying. The foundation stands. There are rooms, but people fear to go there. I mean, we don't fear much. And, you know, what I know of the professor,

he's got to force us there anyway, so we might as well make a sweep of it. Can I ask you why? Why do people fear that area? The dead does not stay dead. in Europe now. Not always Slif Sina. There are tales

that it is an accursed place. Well, way in one way? The story is such when the leader of the dragons died when he was killed at the hands of Stradamia, the silver

dragon himself, Arkinboss. That his order that they went crazy when they went mad when they found out what she had become. Or you know the tale enough, yes, that the silver dragon,

they fought against Dordania before she became what she is today. Do you mean like they knew what was the sun? I didn't know there was an evil in there. Even before she turned into darkness, before she became the devil loon. When the land was new before the mists filled, about the orders, the order of the silver-dredden was dropped out. They were the only life, the only beacon in his dark lab.

And when he fell, well, the members of the order themselves, they went mad. They went crazy when they found out that she was dead, but would live forever. And now they are not to the right mind. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. They are not now. meaning there's still people who live out there. That is what I heard. The ravens, they bring back this tail, and I listen.

I don't go myself. I stay here. I tend to the homestead. That is what I choose to do. Some may call it weak, not to go into the grave. No, no. If you have had three children, you will know it is not weak to tend to them. And you stay here and you don't leave, and we need to make sure that you're protected.

I don't think anyone could. dare to call you weak. Oh, please. I know certainly that my God has shined upon you and you have taken the suffering of your children off to yourself. You have any mother shielded them.

You made her smiles for me for that deed. Thank you. This order, they were enemies of fraud before she even turned into a vampire. And even though they were defeated, it just proves that there could be knowledge.

there even madness to that place it's overrun by the wild now we can handle the wild it all burns the same yes we can handle the wild we can handle madness to a degree I don't want to leave that place alone

if if people have been staying away from it there could be knowledge inside that helps us against strong. It's true. I think if you are looking for more allies, should the madness be cleared from those that dwell within? The silver dragon may be the place to look. You will not find allies in your eyes, but family. That is far more dangerous. Family of those flinted, it is far more dangerous. Family of the countess. She calls herself their family.

her brother? In wreaths, no. The brother lies in the crypt beneath Raydon. Damn. In the castle itself. If she's ever watching over his bones. That's changed the things. He is the very reason strong is what she is.

Yes. Well, I mean, what do you mean by that? She blames him or he is actually the cause? Well, my knowledge of it is only just, and it may be wrong. Well, we won't quote you. The tale I heard is that Strad loved someone in the village of Borobia, a woman named Tatiana. But Tatiana did not have the same feelings. And they were close friends, but Stroud wanted more.

And then Sergei came to Borogia with the remains of their mother, who had died in transport to Ravenwald. Strad was overcome with grief. This was before the termination. And she spent her time burying her mother. And in that time spent, Sergei spent his time with Tatiana. And Tatiana fell in love with him because young, he was smart. he was kind. And Stroud stepped aside

until the night of their wedding and rage overcame her. She killed her brother with her very blade and sent his body flying from the balcony of Ravenloft. Tatiana was horatides. She ran from Strad. She was wounded and in pain. Her heart was broken. and Strad was unrelenting

She would have Tatiana But Tatiana would have none of it She flung herself from the very rampart in which Sergei plummeted Her body was never found So Strad took the bombs And she buried them beneath Ravenmoff to ever watch them Well we appreciate the information Of course

Is there a way in to that crypt besides going for the front door? There isn't, Shatling, but if you can somehow secure an invitation from Strad, you can access the front door. Well, we'll check that one right off the list, I guess. You mean you have one? Unfortunately or fortunately or however else the hell you want. But you need the bones of Sergei? Well, you believe that it is the key to defeating them. Oh, well, he's...

are going to have a very difficult time trying to get those bones out from under her bones. So do you have any advice? Sneaking when she sleeps? That's not the world. Does a creature of vile darkness like that even sleep? You're asking a rhetorical question there, so many. I do actually think she does. Wait, seriously?

The druids that live in the woods or are used to, I guess. On Yester Hill, they would replicate her sleeping pattern. If you notice, there were parents about the hill. Hey, hey, we saw. They sleep in the dirt at night. The druids did. Yes, they worships to Natania. What the hell?

At least the story goes that they do this because she sleeps in the earth. In a tomb of her own making inside of the crypt. It would be dangerous, but she lies near the bones. Wait, wait, wait, how often? What was the pattern like? They would sleep in the evenings most of the time, but whether Tridania sleeps in the evenings, I don't know. I've seen her both in the evening and during the day. I mean, that seems a little too often.

Look, I don't know the first thing about nothing, but I would have thought you said like once a month, once a week. Every day, every night? I don't know if she does. She's still a being, living all dead. well such great power that she needs it must take challenging that's useful information

thank you thank you whatever I can do any question I can answer you've been more help than you can ever know any lovely thing about staying at home is you hear the tales of the ravens much more than the men do you don't realize

I can hear them chirpidly you'll stay until your family arrives back and and we set off for... You will stay until midday tomorrow? Do you think... Do we have time? Of course, they are spending the evening in the lucky.

They have to deliver the wine. It is not safe. As long as you need us, we will stay here and we will postcard. It doesn't feel right to leave you until they return. Never. I appreciate that greatly, and I know the children will enjoy your company. They do not like when you land here is right. But we got to ask.

at the very least you get stressed because you need it. Would you mind if I made a bed down in the main room with you? No, no. Wherever you are most comfortable, we will maintain watch. Of course. Thank you. And will we wait until tomorrow to plant the crystal? You may do it now, like?

Perhaps that would be watched. The slots is outside the largest of all three. I can't miss it. It's the one that is the most dead. It was the one that dried up first. Is it something that takes a lot of time? I mean, we got nothing but it. No, you just plant it in the earth.

It does the work itself. We should knock that out then. Sorry, and that's what do you think? I believe that would be wise. The sooner we get into the soil of the earth, the sooner it can regenerate this land. By all means, lead the way. Do you need us to stay with you?

You two go. You can stay. That would be lovely. Okay. This least of you would stay. Oh, I couldn't. I couldn't crash Sarnax's plant thing. Please.

I would enjoy the company. It seems rather taken to Mr. Saundas' I mean, he's just, he's a wise individual, is all. We're all looking out for each other. Of course. I'll make sure he's all right. Good. While they're doing that, I just want to cast a bunch of alarms.

you could take 110 minutes and do twice as many I will do that you take all the time you need to cast the alarm so many alarms it's only two hours I'll walk out I'll I guess it's night at this point so I'll make sure it's on the brightest setting and I'll I'll leave the way and try to find this plot if it's obvious it's very obvious you see um it's not it's not like plots of earth that you're looking for it's actually huge fields. So there are three separate fields, and the one that is the largest and is the most decrepit,

is the one that you know used to be the field for Champagne de de la stomp. And that is the one that she would like Vasha's vengeance, I think is what you call it, or justice or something. You want it to plant it. Yeah, Vasha's revenge, sorry. Oh, get fucked up. And you easily see that.

Uh, so, uh, well, I mean, what do you do? You just, you just replanted. I mean, you got to know something about this, right? I believe it's as simple as it seems, Shepard. The power of this crystal, this gemstone. You saw what's allowed me to do with thing. I mean, I've, I've never seen anything like it. Let's, let's be realistic here, Sarnax. I don't even know what I saw. I do. I saw the power of Garrick's. I saw the confirmation that I am on the right

path. And that Shadanya will burn in Dragon's Fire. Gods, I hope you're right. I am. Do not feel it yourself. I mean, I... Do not believe, Shep. Damn it, Sarnax.

Look, I had another dream, all right? You did. All this. talk about, look, I don't want you latching on like you do, all right? Just, just, we've been talking a lot about this order of some silver dragon. And of course, we're talking about it. We're dealing with it. Of course I'm going to dream about it.

It doesn't mean anything, all right? I just, I had a dream, and I pictured, it was almost like I was seen through somebody else's eyes. I looked upon, and then, like, again, I was some. sort of silver dragon something and I took off and that was it that was the dream. But clearly

this is a form that speaks to you as a doubt. What do you mean? What do you get at? How do you feel when you take the mantle of the dragon

chepard? Well, I mean I see Borovia and then I see it burning and I'm going to be honest with you, it feels good. This land is evil. We know it. We know what we need to do.

And if some silver dragon might lead the way, if they were trying to do what I think they were trying to do, then they probably were on the right bat, I guess. I believe they were, even though they were of silver scale, just the touch of the dragon's breath. is a beacon of hope and I believe that

is this order that holds one of the keys of our sin salvation what listen I

the good doctor he taught me a lot he taught me to ride he taught me to shoot he made me who I am today all right

and he would sprinkle in a lot of what he knew of some God he worshipped but I didn't I didn't take it to heart I couldn't even tell you

who it was. But there was something that he always said and I can't let it go. He would always just say, he said, those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward. But if they fall,

as the Lord of lies fell, the flames, the sword, and I can't help but thinking that it's a little too on point because I think the Garrix is the flames and we're looking for that goddamn sword and I just can't let it go.

Look, I saw what Garrick's can do and I prayed to. I don't even know how to pray, but I prayed to him because I saw her get on the ground and I don't know what else to do. And you did it. You did whatever we needed you to do. I did not do that. I'm going to put the geron. into my toe, as I'll walk up, and I'll put my hand on your shoulder.

Check the flame, the sword. I do not believe that is a near coincidence. There is a passage, a saying from our sacred texts, written by Essex of the Edelwood, And it goes, the path of the faithful soul is beset on all sides by the tyranny of the hydean and the treachery of wicked souls. Blessed is he who in the name of righteousness and pure faith shepherds the loss through the forests of darkness. for he is true the gardens keeper and the savior of doomed children. And I will reign flame upon thee with great judgment and furious anger

those that attempt to corrupt and devour my chosen. And you will know I am the fire lord when I bring my inferno upon thee. Now, I had been using upon this passage from the moment we have stepped foot into Barovia and shepherding. I believed that I was a faithful, shepherding the lost to the forest of darkness, the lost being the peoples of Barovia. And that is a nice thought. But I do not believe that to be the case. Shepard. It's sorry.

It is you who are the shepherd. No, no. It is you. I have seen it in the flames. And professor, Connor, Victoria, they are the lost. Why would you put this on me? Why? And I, I am the inferno.

I do not believe that I will be returning from this land. I do not believe I have a place back in a ventrace, and whatever it is we achieve here will be my end, and it is up to you to shepherd the others' home. But how can you say that? Because I have seen it inflates. I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to leave anyone.

then it will be I that leaves you that is the power of fire it spreads uncontrollably and consumes all even those that wield it and you must be prepared to be the shepherd that your name implies for it is not me

and I saw that today this was just a job I mean this was just to make sure that we all got air back safely How did this happen? There is no coincidence, Shepard. You've seen it in the cards. Every single one placed before us on the table

has proven true. It is fate. You think the good dark. Coburn told you all of that. In levity, but it is true when the Lord of Lies fell, it was by the flame and the sword, and so Shredania

will fall as she is a lord of lies herself, by flame and by soul, and it will be us that wields it. But you must be prepared to not fall to your knees. The others are the lost.

The children that you oversaw are the lost, and it is your job to shepherd them through this forest of darkness. Oh, alright, all right, I want to say. It's nothing. But turn this to the soil view.

I will gently place the gem in the soil and use my boot to cover it with dirt. Look, as I'll give you a nod, food will return from the destruction, not just at this vink, but to the entire land of the roof. And it will be you as shepherds have lost through that. I don't want to sound like I don't trust the others, but what if we're losing? What do we do? What you know must be done.

The tyranny of wicked souls. Do you think that the professor, Victoria and Encana are immune? They must all be dealt with the same. But as long as they walk the path of the faithful soul, the righteousness, the path of righteousness, They will be stale As will all Who follow that path All right

All right Okay Understood Let's go back inside Sure Sure Lead the way No shit

I will like your path And I'll walk back towards the The oneer And I will follow Oh shit Very good Okay I hate all this.

You guys are losing his model. You feel like chit-oing on your down for it. I hate you so much. I hate this campaign. I hate my friends. Oh,

he sucks. Andy is no fun. Well, in that case, Andy, your character's dead. You get you with a four to light of damage from the stone

that's all put to me. Yeah, you get hit with lightning. Thank you. I'm out. You burst in a plane. I'm out. Wow.

Wow. That was like levels on levels. Anyway. You make your way. back to the vineyard. I'm making some fucking shepherd's pie. Ha! I didn't know.

We're including everything. Where raven resurrections in a row? It's getting a little old at this point, don't you think? Regardless, I've sent my message, and I think they are finally experiencing the fear that one might consider prudent. Murdering mothers is nasty business, but sometimes you need to remind the people who is in charge. Now that the evil druids and their blighted triant have been purged from Yester Hill,

where next shall they cause more troubles than they fix? Find out in the conclusion of Chapter 7 of Curse of Stordania, Creeping Rot. In the meantime, if you wish to watch Legends of Adventress tell similar stories of Dungeons and Dragons every week, you can follow us on Twitch, you can also enjoy our many campaigns on YouTube, support us on Patreon, and join our community on Discord. All links are in the show notes. We welcome you to our Adventress family.