Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 20 | End of All Hope: Part 1

Episode Date: August 20, 2025

The Azran Expedition braves the unforgiving, frigid wilderness and malevolent, dark will of Tsolenka Pass to delve into the fabled Amber Temple.   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/30uB-5qTHqQ?si=lzISHrd-_5q0NE_S

You are back at Van Richten's Tower and listening to Curse of Stradania, a Legends of Adventress podcast. Last time, the action began with a tense confrontation between our pleading protagonists and the fallen abbot. Surprisingly, it did not end in blood. The expedition cured the angel's tainted mind and brought the light of the morning lord back to the abbey of St. Markovia. They then discovered the ancient mages tower

where my sworn nemesis, Rudolf van Richten, had set up shop. Snooping around, they read his journal, discovered his dark past, and found the talking head of a dead Vistoni. What could possibly go wrong? This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. You can become a patron yourself by following the link in his show notes. We are eternally grateful for your support. With that out of the way, let us proceed with Chapter 10.

End of all hope. You find yourselves in the swirling mist of the dreary Barovian late evening. Having just finished listening to Clayton recount the tale that had been written in his very handwriting in Von Richton's journal. The wagon sits in front of you, dark on the inside, creaking in the wind, and you're surrounded by an eerie silence. This is certainly a lot of information. I don't understand why they would still be at heart.

I believe it is clear. She is attempting to assist us and fulfill her fate. And von Richten is attempting to protect her in his own way. I believe I was incorrect about the villain in her dreams. It was not Stradania. It was not von Rictin. but it was Esmeralda herself. It's truly a tragic story, but it's good news that perhaps

Vonerytine is not the villain that some of us may have thought. Well, also, Silver Lines, it sounds like if we shake a leg, we might be able to catch up with him. Yes. I mean, it's pretty clear. He's probably headed where we got to go. We should definitely head there. The question is, do we...

head there first or take care of any other business before we go. Is there any outstanding we need to attend to? We attempted to, remind me, we attempted to contact Von Richter today. Is that right? And no response. Yes, indeed. Perhaps we just head out. We know that there's a werewolf den.

We've seen ruffling in the forest in that direction. We know that the children are still invalienable. Locky and the burgo master is expecting us at some point in the next day or two. So we could head straight there as long as everyone is feeling rested and able. But I believe Von Richten and Esmeralda are both capable where we don't need to rush after them and save them. I certainly don't think the rush is for saving them. I think the rush is for getting whatever information that Van Ricton wanted to give us.

That's what I'm more concerned about. That's right. To catch the both in the same place. good thing for but the question remains for what purpose did the Countess invite Von Richton for him?

Well, that might be another good reason we'd find him before he heads off to Old Ravenloff. That's right, that's right. We should head out. Is everyone ready? What to do about the head? It's going to be my next question.

I'll leave it in the tower. It can't do anything especially can't talk if we'll leave it in the tower. Unless you think it would be some sort of a helpful guide. I believe we've learned everything we can from his head. I'm glad you said that sarangx,

because it is truly a ghastly thing. It's very charming for not having a body. I'll return it upstairs, I think, where we found it here. All right. It seems to be in stasis. It's not sitting there alone. I'll go in, take the box,

and keep it onto the onto the elevator and wait for the statues to take me up to the top floor and I'll return it like where we found it originally in his room. Okay. It's easy enough to do. We'll just come back down. Do you want me to close the door?

Yes. Yes, please. All right. Let's us go. So I'll pick up my case and we'll head out, I guess, towards the path that we think would best get us to the Amber Temple. So looking at this map here,

It will take us quite some time to get there. What time is it right now? It's evening around between like four and six, just as dusk is approaching, so late afternoon. Given the distance, and it seems to be a treacherous mountain pass to get there many, many miles. Do you think we should spend the evening here tonight and rest up? That makes sense, and I imagine that if this tower is truly, anti-magical we cannot be scried upon as we did not get the same lessons that irena did

can you for the time though at this point i don't think we need to rush after them maybe you could try to reach out to asmorelda she's reached in see if she's reachable she may be on his trail she might have information that she can provide and give us peace of mind but at this point I will do that if our intention is to stay the evening. I'm fine with it, but then I would suggest that we get up at the crack of dawn. Yes, let's get it. Early night and use as much delight as the can. I wouldn't even be opposed to getting up an hour or two before sunrise and getting a very early start.

We'll leave before dawn. Then I'm a man. All right. Very well. So next, please. What should I include in my next match? I would ask, let's know that we found the wagon. We are at your wagon.

Well, don't let's know what we're at the wagon. Maybe let's let's know. We are at your wagon. We found the journal. We are on our way to the Amber Temple. Are you alive? Do we need to mention? You can respond to this message.

It takes about 10 minutes before you hear a response. I don't rightfully care, wake me up again and I'll kill you the next time I see you. God. And that's what you hear. She is alive and as unhelpful as she was the last we met. Surprise, surprise. Well, I think if we're going to stay here, we might as well, I'll get inside a tower, close the door, see if we can take refuge at the top.

It's a good spot for taking watch, and we should get to bed pretty quick. Keep an eye on the tree line, see if any danger emerges. Absolutely. So I think that we probably just go out, spend the rest of the evening, light activity preparing, and then I go to bed.

I will transcribe the spells that I found in her writing. Okay. I'm just to keep, I guess I'll take first watch and keeping an eye on Verizon. I will take second. Take third. How many do we have four? We need four.

I'll take the last watch. I'll take third, then. And I must let you know, looking at this map, the path to the Amur Temple is 16 miles long through a mountain pass. It's quite a pretty hard. That'd do a day and a half, I think. We will have to count, though. Maybe two.

Of course. Yes, perhaps we can. can camp here by this bridge. We can definitely make it in two days. One night on the road won't be too bad. You're right. Will you be capable of making the passage of the mountains, professor?

Yes, I'll be fine. I've been on many expeditions that include mountains. He's hardy. Yes. Very well. He's proven himself. Very well.

He'll be just fine, Mr. Starnax. All right. Well, if nobody else has anything else for me, I'm getting early, Matt. I will as well. Wake me up if there's any trouble and for the watch. So I guess I'll head into the tower. I'm going to go up to the Van Richten's chambers

and just find a comfy spot on the stone floor. And there are, there's like a way to look out from the top of the tower, right? Okay. So yeah, we'll all go up to the top of the tower and we'll... And I want to say you realize that when you shut the door, the arcane lock activates again. Oh, thank goodness. You have just been doing what you needed to.

It closed you. You've done your dance every time to get back. So you know that inside, someone to reach you would need to activate. Who potentially collapsed the tower with you inside of it, you'll die more like. Yeah. Well, we don't know that. We don't know that.

Well, hopefully our passive perception is high enough for us to hear any interloper. So yeah, we'll go to sleep. I'll stay up a little bit extra. to transcribe the spells. I'll turn my case into a writing desk. I'll flip it around and all the necessary things will pop out of the case and I'll write it within my lap.

You all go about your business through the course of the evening. Each of you takes your watch in turn. And all of you have a peaceful night's sleep. Except for Clayton. Oh, shit.

You finish transcribing your spells. You're exhausted. Night has dawned on. Your mind is heavy with the knowledge of the arcane magics within these parchments. You don't even notice those around you that are on watch or going about their business. When you finally stuff out your candle and lay yourself to sleep, exhaustion overtakes you almost immediately as you pass into first dreamlessly. And then you feel it before you see anything.

Cold wind blowing against your face, your breath billowing out in front of you in tufts of smoke. Snow falling down around you in the tendrils of dark green plant life, evergreen trees, branches, skirting against your skin, leaving the tingle where they had just previously been. It's dark. the moon above shining of the thick blanket of snow at your feet. And there, in the snow and the ice, a reflection. Two red eyes, large red eyes. And as you look up, a black mass, two black horns extended from the top.

huffs of smoke billowing out of its nostrils as weak exhales air. It opens its mouth to speak. All you hear is a silent scream. As you jolt awake, sweat. Boring down your face, but as you feel your face, your skin is frozen. It's just recently been walking through an icy mountain pass. That's like in reality, waking up.

Who would be on watch? I would say whoever was third watch. Dworka. Dora. Professor, you're all right. Yeah, it's just a dream. Has there been any sign of trouble in the forest? No, it's all been quite.

What did you dream about? I saw some creature in the mountain paths. Black, did that fur? Is it a fur? Black fur? Black fur. black horns, two red eyes. It was so dark, it was hard to really make out its actual form.

I could barely see a silhouette, but it was large. I believe it intended us harm. I'm sure it's just a dream. We've heard of the werewolves in the forest, and we know the path ahead of us. I'm sure your mind is just making sense of it in its own way. Yes, yes, yes, yes. We've gotten some dreams of the head for the top of us.

Have I heard of, you guys have talked about dreams before, right? You've gotten here? Yeah. At first I only shared it with StarMax, but I'm pretty sure later I share it with everyone. Right. Okay. I agree with sleep. I'm always here.

It's probably just, I'm on time. I don't think it's any kind of prophecy. But so you never know. Okay, I have some tea. Oh, thank you. Thank you. So I'll drink a cup of tea and then I'll go back to them. Sleep the time, tea.

Sleep the time. Yes, Hamil and they're like little bears with like nightgowns. And it's at that moment that the little bears with the nightgowns catch your attention and the entire tower starts to shake as we're going to enter in the attacking glass. You're all dead. You're all dead. And Charmin Ultra. We love bears here.

You find yourself able to to warm your limbs, your body. cold still lingering for almost 30 minutes after you wake up from your dream but you are able to find sleep and all of you finish along it. I just want to on my watch

take the time to go through my pack and prepare like breakfast rations for everyone so that when we wake up they can eat we can roll out. That sounds great. It's a great idea. All right, Razz and Shine. Glanola again. I'm going to go around and like Russell everybody up.

All right, come on. We got to get going. I got breakfast ready for everybody. All right. And I'm handing it out as I'm waking them up. Eat up. Thank you. Save your strength.

You're welcome. And we're getting to move on. I don't want to see any dilly dally. He's very serious this morning. Price away. We got a lot of ground to cover. That's true. Let's just go on.

It is the very early morning. The sun is barely cresting over the horizon over the mountain ridges. of the mountains in Borovia. And you, it's still fairly dark, but with Sarnax's lantern and the new faintly shrouded rays of the sun, you're able to move forward in a quick pace.

You're making hikest, and you see that just as soon as you begin to make your way down the path from the tower, Van Recton's Tower, and heading towards a main, old-sfallip road that leads towards Velocchi, Kresk, you see the ravens begin to stir around you. They, there are more of them today than they're happy, almost as if they had in the middle of the night gone out for reinforcements.

You can hear that there are noises deep in the forest throughout you in the woods, the howling of wolves, the occasional sound of fighting and scrapping. The ravens seem to have it covered as you make your way. Be birds at war with beasts. It seems as if these werewolves are not misunderstood. Perhaps you could be right. Move cautiously. Quickly, and cautiously. I will keep my lantern to the tree line.

And I'll just spend the whole time making sure we're casting my lantern make sure that we're illuminating, scaring off anybody. If I can. You'll be in the back watching for anything that's sneaking up behind us. As we're heading out, I'll walk up to Shepard and I'll sell it. Mr. Morgan. Yes. Do you know of any creature that's large covered in black fur with two large black horns?

In which direction did they go? Like up, out to the side? It was hard to tell. And as the day progresses further on, the designs of this creature are fading from your memory but what you see more than anything are the glowing red eyes your reflection staring back at you from the with glowing red eyes maybe one that can shape-shift or or or or take on the likeness of someone I know you specialize in hunting monsters does that sound familiar let me think based on what he gave

me all that fucking I'm like over here reading something, just writing down notes. I look how many staring at me. Nature. Nature is, oh, I rolled three. There are many things that have black fur and horns. The red eyes throw you off a bit, that the description's just far too vague

to really encapsulate any one particular creature. I'm sorry, Professor, but, uh, you can recall any more details. It's just too vague to narrow down. Yes, it's getting even fuzzy. So you had a dream? Yes, yes, I had a dream where I encountered a creature in snowy, cold mountain paths. Interesting.

So just keep an eye out on our journey. There may be some kind of omen, but perhaps it's just my mind hitting to me. Well, at the very least, from what you've described, it sounds like we wouldn't be able to miss it. So that's the good news. I do not wish to raise alarm, but if there is anyone's dreams, we should perhaps take with a sense of gravitas. It should be the professors.

The divination wizard is receiving ill omen. It is likely in our future. I'll stay on Tyler. Does that make you feel better? Yes. We must go one way or the other. We all work slightly. better. Usually I have to do

the divining. It's usually me actively trying to look into the future. It usually doesn't just come to me in dreams. Perhaps you're right. Just let's stay on high alert. Consider it down.

Because right around this time, you've been traveling about half a day. You make your way around the winding paths that skirt the base of The mountain. What you know is one of the smaller peaks that leads up towards Mount Gaucus.

You skirt the path and you feel the wind whipping down the peaks as it hits your face, the icy cold of the wind. And it stings. It's almost refreshing. Cools the sweat on your brow, quick travel that you've made. You look up above you. when snow falls on the piece. I'm here at least, it's still dry.

Did everybody have any kind of cold weather gear? It's going to get ugly. I have a feeling, all right? I haven't seen snow often, but we do not want to get stuck in this. I do, Shepherd, indeed have cold weather gear. And my lantern was more than hotter. And I'll just keep it, like, close to my body to warm my lizard blood. I would say your lantern is probably good enough to warm you.

Yeah, that's what I, yeah, but not. That's how I, yeah, I pull my hat down. This is my heat lamp. Yeah. My terrarium. And I, like, draw my shawl over me to try to stay extra warm. And I advise everyone else do the same. I don't have much extra, but I might be able to provide if someone is well equipped.

Maybe you. I'll pull on some fine leather gloves and kind of throw my shawl over and around my head. I'll take my samurai helmet out of my back that I normally don't have long, and I'll put it on a wrap scarf underneath to tuck it in and throw my protection around me. Securio, and Lucas, please, my case will open up, and the Maychan will reach into the case and pull out a heavy woolen overcoat that would wear when it's cold or rainy in Greek, and I'll put that on over my regular jacket.

Was this the first time you've seen snow in Borovia? You saw a little bit at Kresk, you know, that was higher up in the mountains, but it wasn't cold enough there to really stick. Well, it may slow us down, we should try to make haste, get as far as we can, and probably get too bad. Watch your step. Yes, if it gets icy, we don't want anybody to twist their angle. That's right.

You begin to ascend. and you can make your way along the mountain path. And it is much more treacherous than anything that you've traveled so far. The first quarter of the ascent is rough but manageable. And as you get towards the middle of the journey up this peak, you find that the ground beneath you becomes slippery with a thin layer of ice. the ground beneath your feet. You notice the rocks are not nearly as stable.

You have to be extra careful of your footing. And you begin to notice that the cloud of ravens that has been ever following you is slowly thinning. The cold air, not... The cold air almost pushing them back. And what had been hundreds of ravens is now but 20.

as they continue to fly around you, darting here and there, and continue to move. Professor, should we dismiss the ravens? It may not be safer then, and I would hate for any of them to sacrifice themselves for this cause. I suppose we could, if we can gain their attention. Hello? Can you send them a message? I suppose I could, yes. So I'll look to one of the closer ones.

we appreciate all you've done for us and we mean you no struggle or harm so please stay where you are and we will go on without you be well takes a moment you hear the one that you had communicated with as it begins to

croak its raven verbiage at you and then you hear another one and another one they're communicating to each other They all amass almost into a cloud These 20 ravens begin to beat their wings at you

They disperse again and continue to follow along with you I was thank God Did not want to speak out of turn But I believe we cannot dismiss them as if we are their superior They are tasked with their own duties We should let them do as they were They understand the rest We gave them a choice

Yes She actually does like a little like all sweating, thank God. They're still like... A little perts each other. You continue to ascend until you find your way spilling into a small outcropping,

a cave against the back as night begins to slowly descend around you. And a frozen bit of waterfall stagnant over the mouth of the cave. But that's not water. It's a much. mud frozen in its eternal fall. It's dark, but with the position of the moon and the darkness of the sky, it's really hard to tell.

As you look in to this small clearing, trees lining the entire way, it's almost as if the cave is smiling at you, and the falling water are sharp jagged teeth. There are sharp jagged teeth? No, they look like sharp jagged teeth. And it's all frozen sun. Yes. Does that look suspicious? Anyone else?

This is just the journey. Yes, it doesn't. Can I kneel down and take a look at the imprints in the snow and see if there are any... There are no imprints in the snow. This is freshly fallen snow, and there's not much of it yet. You're just on the smallest, like, mountain peak. You haven't even really gotten to Mount Gawkes yet.

This is kind of the mountain towards the bottom, and it's just lightly falling. it's not, it hasn't fully accumulated, but the water that was flowing down is frozen. Shall we break the ice, see if anything lies beyond? I'm happy to. The talk is falling, perhaps we should stop leaving. So is this, just so I understand, this, this thin sheet of ice is like covering the mouth of this cave? Yes.

I'm going to look around. But it doesn't look like clear water. from where you're standing, it almost looks like a murky brown. I'll walk up and shine my light through it to see if I could see anything with the... Roll a dexterity saving throw, please. Oh, good. Hello. Welcome, welcome.

Hey. Popper bird. Deck saving throw, you say? Yes, I did say. 18. You make your way forward as you shine the lantern light, and it reflects off of the ice on the ground in front of you, and you're able to step over the patches of ice that have,

that dot the ground in front of the opening the cave, that ice appears to be exactly as it should be. Ice. And as you illuminate the mouth of the cave, you realize that it is not mud, but frozen blood. Yes, it is blood. You're sure. Yes, I am positive.

If I'm here and see how it refracts the light of my lantern, I do not know, but I believe that this should be something we investigate. This is frozen blood that came down over the top of this cave, right? Can I step back and with the very dim light of his language? Can I see if there's anything on top of the cave or any source? It would be something you'd have to climb up to try to investigate what's on top of it. Can I try to climb up? Sure.

Does it look like water, like blood mixed in water? It looks like pure blood. Okay, like a pure sheet of blood, though. So you're going to climb up. Somebody may be in danger. Good luck. Just gather, can you tell? I'll back up.

I'll be behind. Acrobatics, please. Or athletics, I guess. athletics. Athletics. Dirty 12. You begin to scale. The light of the lantern

illuminates these shadows, which allow you to see the footholds, so you're able to climb up. And as you crest over the top of this cave, you see a shallow pool filled with bubbling warm blood. Any sign of anyone is peaking my head over the edge. None that you can see. Is it completely black up here or is it just dim light from his lantern?

I would say it's very, very dim light. If you continue further, you'll leave it because he's down in the bottom. So his light isn't really going to shine over. So you kind of get the glow and you can see. But if you continue further on the mountain, you would lose the light. I'll hoist myself over the edge. And I have an explorist pack. So I'll take out and light a torch and beam it around and see if I have a

better visibility into what is surrounding the pool of blood. It looks like another small outcropping. And looking up, you see that there is water that's been trickling down from even higher up on the peak. But it is crystal clear water that pools here in this area. It's now filled to the brim with blood. And as you step, you can feel the squishing of the blood in the soil around you. And it is, there's almost a warmth to it, almost like a hot spray. But you can feel that as the water drips slowly into it, it's cooling it.

And pushing it over the edge where it's freezing as it thins out and goes over the mouth of the cave. Roll investigation check for me. You can twist it. Do it when I suppose to natural one? No, I would say that. Three. looking around it's you can't really see outside of the climb that you made to get up here a place where any creature at least one that isn't capable of flying how anything would have been able to get up to this spot

it's just simply a small pool maybe three feet deep and five feet wide filled with blood and it is you do see slowly appears to be cooling down the warmth of the smoke mingling with the cold air, the cold night air is dissipating as a cool. I'm going to just look into the tree line and without facing, I'm just going to shout to them. There seems to be a hot pool of blood up here. I have no idea where the source of it is.

What? This land is, you. and I believe we are getting closer to the source of its corruption. Did I hear you, right, Conn? Yes, I unfortunately, yes. There's blood up here. What, the nine house? I believe we should chat her to the ice then, shall we?

Oh, hold up, hold up. If you want to investigate this, that's fine, but we are all in agreement that we've ruled this out as a place to stay for you. Correct. I say that so we don't waste any more time, We burst the ice, investigate the cave, and be on our ways. Wait for Kana. Hey, Kana, if there's nothing else up there, take your time, come back down, safely.

We need you. To be investigated, why there's a pool of blood? I can help you up. You need help. If you feel like making the trek up there, I'm sure I can throw some rope up to Kana, we can all get up there. Let's just go up to talk quickly. Say the word, Professor.

I'm gonna start digging in my pack. Hey, Kana, you got any rope? I got broken my sports car. Yeah. I'll drop it down. and I'll wrap it around my waist to kind of dig my feet into the ground and like hold onto a branch.

How far on issues? There are no branches. You are on like the rocky outcropping above the cave. So it's just icy land. So I'm going to have them make, anyone is going up. You need to make an athletics check. Yeah, athletics at advantage

because Conn is helping you. But I also need you to make a dexterity saving throw to see if their weight is going to pull you, force you to slide on the ice. About 13. Okay. And that's for Clayton to get up. I'm going to stay.

Athletics. Oh, for me? Yes. At advantage. If I could, I'm going to use my rope in the end of Kana's and acts as like 13. The belayer while she's pulling them up and I'm going to help get Clayton up from the bottom. It is a struggle. And there are a few times where you feel your footing slip, but you are weighted down by your armor, which helps in a situation like this.

and with the assistance of Shepard, you are able to pull Clayton up onto the ledge with you. Thank you. All right. It's just over here. I'll shine the torch in the direction of the pool. I'll walk over and I'll send a mage hand into the pool of blood. Let's see if I can feel the bottom.

Is there like a source of it bubbling up somewhere? You send your mage hand down into the pool. and you force it deeper and deeper. And it is only about three feet deep. And as it rises, it's holding nothing but soil and blood. This is just a proof of blood. Should we fill it with snow, professor, seems to be some sort of vile creation.

Is it magical? I suppose it would take 10 minutes in check, yes. And I will cast a detective. magic ritually. While he's doing the 10 minutes, I'm just going to stand between the tree line and him, just looking into it while we're standing in the ocean. There's no tree line. There's an outcropping, right?

That's down below. Oh, okay. You have climbed up on top of the ridge, so think about a cave. Okay. A cave is a rocky part that comes out of a mountain. You've climbed on top of that, and there's a little basin there where there's blood. Okay. That's pooling from where water would normally fall down into it.

Okay. I'm just standing. between him and the abyss ahead, just protectively, in case anything comes out of the darkness. Well, hi, Shepard, Miss Victoria, shall we? Shall we what? Destroy the ice. No, no, no, wait for the whole party, Sarnax. I don't want to be hasty.

I'm a man in the road. All right, I'm keeping an eye on what's going on here. Let's just let them figure it out first. Have we decided we're staying here or not staying here? Hell no. Well, then why disturb it? Why do anything at all? Let's just go.

We need to understand if this is some kind of sign, some kind of omen sent for us. We should learn all we can. This could be, it could be a clue here. Are you guys coming back down yet? Are you still up there? I'm still, how long ten minutes takes? So you spend your ten minutes,

and you do not detect any magic. I don't know if that's more concerning her. This is not magical blood. The answer probably lies in the cave, the cave below. Let's just join the others. And I'll go and I'll start to climb down the rope that

the shepherd puts for me. Step away. It is truly a pool of hot blood, but it's not magical. At the time you left, it had cooled significantly. It's no longer warm. Oh. So he's fresh.

So as I described it to Conno when she was looking around it, when she first got up there, it was bubbling and warm. Right. And as it continued to sit, it cooled down. And you can see where water was trickling down the side of the mountain, actual water, into the pool. And as it mixed with the blood, it was pushing the blood over the side,

which was cooling in the air and creating a sheet of frozen blood down. So can we deduce that the blood was like recently hot and is no longer hot? It was recently warm. Yes, like. Warm. Yeah. Like fresh as it were. I'm going to walk over to.

it after he gets down, stare at it for a couple seconds, and then just use my feet and my glave to kick some snow over top of it and cover it up. There's not enough snow up here. It's three feet deep

and five feet wide. So you'd need a ton of snow to be able to cover. Okay, I'll just go now. Are we prepared for what may face us in this cave? Yes, yes. No, not at all.

Oh, Jesus. I light it up. With? What you call it? Sacred flame. To the best of my ability. You walk forward and you cast your radiant magic. You ignite the wall of frozen blood in front of you.

As it heats, it splatters all over you. And a faint trickle of blood begins to once again pour down. And you see as it begins to freeze. at the top and his more drips over and freezes and freezes. It's slow. But you imagine that within the next five minutes or so, there will be yet again another wall of blood covering the face of this cave. I would then want to sit my lantern to bull's eye and just stare if there's anything beyond it and just try to get a sense of what's in there. The cave itself is really shallow and as you shine your light in, you can see the back nearly immediately. And aside,

from a pile of bones at the very back. There doesn't appear to be anything else in here. The pile, however, is quite high. Stands almost taller than even shepherd. Hundreds upon hundreds of bones. Professor, you are a professional grave robber, are you not? You could say that. This is your business.

And I just step away and I just keep my lantern shining in to give some light. As soon as Sarnax had loosed the um, Sinket flame, like, it will have startled me and I will have drawn my weapon. And I'm just,

I'm waiting. Like, damn it, I'm sorry. I will approach the bone pile. The tech magic should still be going in case of the magic, but I will,

I'm going into the cave. I'll be right now. I will kind of kneel down by the pile of bones and I'll start to go through it to see if I can understand the archaeological history of whatever the bones are. Are the animal? Are they,

a human, can I get any sense of how long they've been there? I would say roll a survival check. Well, he's doing that. I'm kind of standing above and just looking like up and all over the cave, just making sure nothing's in here. Roll an investigation check. I think it's a 16. Okay.

Looking at these bones, you, some of them, those in the bottom are far older than those at the top. It looks to be hundreds, maybe, years. of bones. What did you get, Victoria? 11. Okay. And your attention, however, is drawn towards the very center. As you move bones away, you're almost

distracted by the ones that you're moving. It's in the very center since it's a skull. Giant, but not of a humanoid, but of a goat. And as you look at it, you see carvings, etched, runic symbols,

but not a language you've ever understood, carved into every inch nestled in the sockets of the skull, two brightly colored red gems. What have you found? Curious. There is a goat skull, a very large goat skull with two large red gems. Can Sarnax and I use this from outside of the cave? Yes. The cave is very shallow.

Professor? Why would we put this here? Professor. Yes. Please tell me that rings a bell. Oh, it certainly does. Maybe get the fuck out of the cave. Why?

So you don't die, maybe? I don't know, Professor. You tell me. No, this, my dream was, I believe, leading me here. To what happens? To your doom, Professor. Not to my doom. I mean, Shepard, he got a dream about...

Oh, your detect magic still gone? Yeah. Oh. You detect magic from the gem. Oh, fuck. On the left. On the left. Only one of them.

What kind of? Does it say what kind? Like blow up magic? You were telling you to school. Blow up. Not blow up magic. It's not like magically trapped. I will say you would need an identification spell to understand what it does, but it doesn't seem dangerous.

I, how heavy do I think the goat skull is? So the skull itself, you kind of carved a path to this. You were able to see it and it had drawn your attention, but it's still covered. It looks like the bones here, this was more than likely the first thing that was put here. And all the bones have been piled on top of it, almost in reverence to this skull that's been nestled inside of it. You would have to spend the time to remove all of the bones. And even then, it looks like it would be really heavy. the gems, however, are in the eye sockets.

They're, they could fit in your hand. They're probably about the size of the green gems that you... Do you need help removing the skull, Professor? Now, hold on. Yes, I don't think that we should move anything. I don't think the point is the skull. Because what stands out to me are the glowing red eyes, and I will mage hand, I will grab the first gem.

Professor. And I will drop it in my hand, and I will look at it. The magic one? Which one? No, the non-magic. Oh, dear Lord. You pop it out and it comes away easily as you place it into your hands. And you look at it and you can see that at some point there was a magic about this as well.

But a crack maybe from the weight of all of the bones can be seen splintering the side of it. It's like the other. It was previously magical. No longer. I'll put it in my case. Professor. There's a fine line. Between bravery and stupidity, my friend.

I am here beside you, professor. I'll protect you. We were led here. I saw a vision. I think you're right. By good or ill. It was a question. I draw my other weapon.

I brought my prayer beads and start praying. Shed your light on the secrets of this pave. The only... No, there are no secrets. There are no hidden doors. traps or things of that nature. What Nikki means to say is that it's not a secret since she's late so many warnings, it's not a secret.

So that giant tidal line is not glowing, to be clear. Okay. I tease, I tease. Lucas, please fetch that gem for me, and the mage hand will come out, and it will grab the gem. It grabs the gem, and as it pulls, you see a almost illumination of red light

as it pulses. and the hand brings it towards you. And as you look into it, you can see smoke swirling inside of it. It's perfect. It's glowing that same red light that you saw in your dream. It's beautiful. It's perfect. It's beautiful.

It's better than you ever could have hoped. We were meant to find this. You were meant to find this. I was meant to find this. Sarnax. I don't like where this is gone. Professor. What is it?

Who knows what secrets? This gem contains. Are you well? And your mage hand drops it in your hand? I've never been better. I will say, Curio, and then my case will come up. I will put my glasses off,

and I will say, thank you, Lucas, and I'll drop it in my hand. It drops into your hand, and you immediately feel a jolt of energy. You've attuned to this. Oh, it's cursed as fuck. please add a luckstone to your inventory. Oh.

What is that? I don't know. I imagine it's like a lucky feat who would be my guest. No, it just gives you plus one to all skill checks. That's even better, infinitely better. Why is it still ominous? Why am I probably asking these questions? It's most definitely probably.

Do I feel like I need to identify it or do I feel like it gave me? You feel like the moment you touched it, it infused its magic with yours and you know exactly. me what this is. Why not curse that? No, this is... You feel right? Yes, I feel great. This is...

For whatever reason, this may... One of the key or at least some answers. If this is all well and good, would you allow me to do my work on this key? Bye. If you are done... Wait, Professor. Hold on.

I will take my notebook out. sketch and detail the rooms that I see all over the skull. Rule a... Permium wants you to do performance, see how well you're able to copy it, but I don't know if that works. What would you do, Mike, for transcribing? Would you do history? Something like history, intelligence. Yeah, do history.

You know, I'll take that. Seven plus nine is 16. Okay. You feel like you have at least the, you obviously in this state can't see every single room that adorns this thing. It's still buried within the pile of bones. But the ones that are facing you, you're able to get a fairly accurate. You put your parchment against it and you rub your quill and get an etching of the ruins. Yes.

Well, I don't believe they're magical. Maybe they worship the scroll somehow. Meanwhile, as he's sketching, I'm, like, getting around him, like, pouring oil. Like, excuse me. This doesn't explain the blood, though. No, you're right. It doesn't. I believe the ritual human sacrifice occurring in the... For this goat's skull, for the gem that you just pocketed gleefully, might be the culprit.

Can you roll a nature check for me, actually? Wait? Yeah. You're the one rummaging in the bones. That's int, though, right? 15? As he says this, you're immediately reminded that the first thing you

noticed was these aren't human bones, they're goat bones. Right. Oh. It's animal bones. A ritual goat sacrifice. The hag was using animal blood to bathe herself. Goats. Goats. Hell, Connor. Good eye. And we saw the ruins.

We saw the ruins on the bones back at Bone Grinder. Oh, no. Yes, we did. Conner, how could I forgot? Good eye. though. You saw no tracks? Nothing? No tracks. Rooms and bones. And, Cona, you'll remember, you saw no tracks of anything that couldn't fly. Well, shit! Ah! Oh! All right. All right, all right, sorry next. I know you want to burn

the place, but maybe that's not the best idea, because we don't necessarily want to be getting any unwanted early attention from the Baba, if you will. This is the work of the hag that we are presuming It's possible. Or a hag. The point is, I don't want it to be the hag unless we're ready. I think we should pick everything back the way that we found it and leave this place. The blood will freeze again.

There'll be a cold sheet over this cave soon enough. You look as you say this and you see that it's about halfway down now, that it's continuing to freeze along itself. And you probably have another five minutes or so in here before it's fully made this way down, you'd have to burn it again. Professor, are you listening? Yes. The cold, Professor.

Can I, I want to look at the pile of bones and, like, look at the different kind of ages and see if I can determine how frequently a sacrifice has been made, like, old-boned new bone. Go ahead. Roll a survival check. Give the old bone. Give the old bone. That's terrible.

Alone. I know nothing. Nothing. Five. Yeah. I mean, it's, it's hard to tell the actual ages, but you, you can, at least, least tell that the bones on the base seem to be the oldest, the skull itself being the very oldest, and then it looks like everything on the outside is newest, but when that would have been,

there's, you wouldn't know. Professor, I didn't think you should take this gems. For what purpose were they here? What's fine. How do I feel about this jam? How do I feel about this jam? You love this jab. I love this gym.

Oh, no. Oh, this is going to be good. Maybe Victoria has a point. Maybe we put everything back the way we found it and just leave, and may camp elsewhere. Well, I won't leave the gems. Honestly, is there a way to fix the other gem if you had both? I will take both, and I will examine the other one.

Perhaps we can restore its magical ability. This is a broken gem. And if you take these gems, you doom us, essentially. We know what's going to come after it. You think that we won't be found by hag? I am not concerned, speaking, frankly of the hag coming to us. She will not be in her hut in her territory.

We should purge this wickedness in Dragon's Fire. I'm not going to tell you what to do, Professor. I'm just going to ask that you think about this wisely before you make any rash decisions. I am thinking wisely. And you're set on taking both of these ships. Yes, of course.

I mean, these are powerful artifacts. We could use an opportunity. And it would be unwise. I was given a vision to find these. I stared at the professor for a moment. I holstered my weapons and I say, all right, then. We just be getting going.

Before we do anything, let me take a look around. I will sit out of the cave. I will say, Oculus, and from my head and my hand will a floating, ethereal, almost crystal, eye will appear in the air and my eyes will go white and I'm going to send it on. Your eyes do not go white. They glow red.

Oh, shit. Fuck it. No. No. My eyes will blow red. I will send this arcane eye. I would like to travel up to the pool of blood and then continue up above onto the waterfall. And I just want to look around to see if there's.

any more sign of sacrifice? Anything that was... Roll an investigation. His blood might be coming from. I'll look at Shepherd. I have a bad feeling without this. Yeah, you and me both, brother. Your eye

begins to look around and you go further up and you see where the water slowly trickles over. There is a much larger pool at the very near the very summit of crystal clear water where it seems that the rain pools and begins to spill

over. And this is the smallest trickle of that stream that heads down. The other side is a rushing waterfall that's heavy enough that it's not able to freeze even in this frigid weather. But your attention is focused mainly on this one, the smallest of them. And as you follow it down, it's crystal clear until it gets to the small pool, which is no longer bubbling, which looks like it's now on the outsides beginning to partially freeze. It's almost turning into blood and slush right around the edges. And it's at this point that your eye is able to see the handle of something. And you look closer and it's large, a large wooden spoon embedded deep within the muck, barely peeking out

of the pool. There's a spoon in the blood. Almost like a ladle. A ladle almost. It's not my ladle, and I immediately make sure that it's not. Nope, not my ladle, but it could be. What is a spoon doing in this hellish place?

I think we know precisely what it's doing. that basically confirms it yes it's the head's tools the darkness she's saying she had me let we should leave this place now she did not intend us to find these could you please would someone like to climb up and investigate

the spoon again yes again I'll uh I'll start climbing back up I'll roll on amber X jack I know that one.

I'll have the eye fly back down. Again, dirty 20. Okay. You're easily able to scale it. You know exactly where to put your feet this time. And you make your way up, and you are directed exactly to where the ladle is, and it is almost completely embedded in the blood. You are going to have to get quite messy to get it out. Professor, are you sure you want me to fetch this ladle?

It's pretty deep in there. You're just going to leave a pool of blood without understanding why there's a pool of blood in the first place. I think we understand why it's here. A sacrifice is made, Professor. This could be goat blood. I'm sure it is. Roll a nature check.

These bones are ancient. Natural. Hey, 22. You imagine this is probably goad. It's goat blood, professor. It's goat blood. Professor, I'm getting worried about your action.

Darkness has nearly completely falling at this point. You're a little too persistent on this one. I think we all know what's going on here. Professor, I insist that we go now and find a safe place where we can seek for the evening. We've spent too long here already, and no good has come up at that I can see. All right. It's fine. Let this fire.

I want to leave the spoon then. Yes, we should leave the spoon. I'm not coming back off here a third time. Do you like me to pick up the spoon or not? Please fetch the spoon. I'll take it a look. We can put it back. Start rolling up my...

Roll a strength, Jeff. Shepherd loudly size. Straight strength? Mm-hmm. You know. You knocked it, Rhett. It was 13. Okay.

18. Okay. You grab onto the small amount of the handle, and there's no way that you're going to be able to pull it out with just this small amount exposed, you dig your hands down into the thick goat blood. It's now frigid to the touch. You feel your fingers immediately start to tingle

as if they're being poked by tiny knives as you grab on to this ladle. And you feel sick as the stench of the blood billows up into your face and you heave and pull. And it is harder to get up than you expect it. But as you pull it out, you see that this is a ladle. It is large, much larger than the one that you saw Baba Lysaga covering herself with blood in inside the skull of the giant.

This, as you pull it out, almost a quarter of the blood in this trough sinks down as is now sitting on the inside of this ladle. You dump it out and blood splatters all along. the base of your outfit and pours down over the edge of the rocky crag and over the front of the cave almost solidifying immediately in the cold air

but you have the ladle I grab the ladle and I kind of like wipe it off in the snow off to the side and I kind of throw some snow on myself and just you're all right oh disgusting the blood in the snow coagulates

causing little tufts of bloody ice all around you, but it eventually falls away. You're not clean, but it's better than it has been. I hoisted over my shoulder and I climb back down and before I'm into the professor. Do you mind cleaning me up? Oh, yes, of course. Procigio and I will clean her off. And I will just cast a tech magic right away.

and see if this ladle is magical. You cast detect magic, and there is no magic on this ladle. It's simply a wooden ladle. Any runes on it? There's no magic at all. Rule an investigation check. 22. Looking along it, you don't see any ruse,

but on the very base, carved in, in almost unintelligible writing, The word, youth bringer. Youth bringer? Youth bringer? Right here. I pointed out. Is it in common? What did you say?

It's just in haphazard, almost unintelligible writing. You're satisfied now. Yes. There we go. Yes. Yes. I believe this is the possession. of Bavala saga. I'm glad we collected this. Give me the call, Professor, and I will put an end to this.

I start walking back into the cave. It's already frozen over. I just throw it at the base of the cave. You want to burn that, too? Yes. Burn it all. Burn what? No, I grab Blake on.

What use is it? It is not magical. It is it. We, have not dealt with Baba Lysaga yet. We know that hags can bargain. If we have one of our possessions, this may

mean something to her, as do these gems. In the leverage we can gain against a hag, especially one that calls herself the other mother. You would just simply burn it? It's foolish. Are you willing to part with these gems?

Mageehan, and I will prestigio the ladle clean. I'll put it in the case. And I say we don't know of their importance, but I will not allow the destruction of these items. The bones, however. The bones, perhaps it will send a nice message. While he's melting the ice and burning, I want to send my eye up really high as high as I can and just look all around to see if I can see any little, like, hang business on the skies.

Anybody flying around? A rule of investigation. I'm a fur-haired business. 24. That's pretty good. Looking around, it is nearly pitch black now. The thick storm clouds that are ever present in Borovia blotting out the moon almost completely. And you, aside from the few darning shapes of the last remaining ravens that are still swirling around you, you see nothing else on the horizon.

Well, we should get away from this place, at least away so we can count. Yes. Let's go quickly before doctors. Yes, lead the way, please. I'll take the lead and try to navigate us away from this now burning cave, I suppose. And you're burning the cave? Yeah. Yeah, Mike Levin.

Didn't you hear the sound effects? Sorry. So I'm going to try to lead us a good distance away, right? Like, I don't want to be traveling from. more than like maybe 30 minutes because it is very dark. I don't want to, you know, but I don't want to be close enough to this thing where we're like spotable. I'll say you're able to travel further up a little bit more and you find an area of trees

that seems to be thicker. But making your way through with the guidance of the Ravens and careful watch, you're able to find a very small, very close together, little area where the trees kind of break a part where you imagine you could cover overhead, keeping the land dry enough, you'd be able to light a fire and create a small camp. All right, this is it.

We're going to need extra careful watch because we are deep in the wilderness. Perhaps we should double up on watches. Can we afford to do so? Professor, if you need up with that, man? Well, there are four watches and

There are five of us. To double up, is it possible? No. All right. We can double up on one of the watches. Maybe just the first. Yeah. If we're willing.

Yes, the first. I'll stay. There are worlds in the distance. Let, let Kahn and I have first wash. Is that, is that, is that all right? Yes. All right.

Yeah. You okay with that? Fine with me. And then don't hesitate to wake us up. any of the other watches for any reason. All right. Our lives are more important than a couple hours of sleep. I'll take second.

Third. That's neat. All right, good night, everyone. Good night. Want you all over perception checks. Oh. Watches? Oh.

I have something I want to do on my watch. No, you're not allowed to. Thank you for asking. You said perception check. 14. I got a 23. Oh, 11.

18. And what do you decide? 19. And what is your launch? Mike, what order? Oh, third. Okay. So what did you want to do?

Once I get woken up and everybody goes to sleep, I will take both rubies. And I will look at them. And then I will take the broken one out. which is a curio very quietly. In case, I'll just crack open to the reagent dimension. And I'll pull out two loadstones, little magnetic loadstones, and they'll start to swirl around each other. And I'll say, repalum, and I'll cast mending on the gem to see.

You pull out the reagents that you need. And you begin to mend with the power of the magic that infuses you. He watch as the bits of the gem begin to seal together, and at first you see a faint line of repair until it fades away completely as if it had never been there. But unlike the other, it does not pulse with magic. It's simply a near-perfect ruby. So, continue. Before he goes to bed, I'm just going to approach Sarnax. If you don't mind, since I don't know if we're creating a fire here, it would it be all right if he's.

I melted some of the snow for water for us with the light of Garris. Are you asking me to melt snow for you, Connor? If that would be alright. What's the magic word? Please, Sardax. I was thinking dragon, but... I'll just light up a snowbank, and then I'll trigger an Avaland, can kill us all.

Aw. Snowfall. We all lose. So you're able to set up a small, you pull one of the bowls out and you're able to set up a small collection bin. You fill your water skins with fresh water. Yeah, I gather

on my watch and I'm just filling them all up with water and keeping them warm so they don't freeze up. Just tucking them back into everyone's person so their body he keeps it from freezing. It's easy enough to do. And with that, if you all get a little,

long rest. I'm sure something important happened during Sarnax's watch and the world will never know. Somebody will be missing in the morning. There'll be blood all over Kahnem. I had the best importance yesterday.

I had 18 and 2. Oh, that's great. So she'll be last watch, so you're waking us all up. Yeah. Once I see the sun kind of start to glow, well, I guess it doesn't. I don't know. What's some whole?

like early morning. It's, so you think about like the earliest, the morning when it's the most overcast. So it's like that dull gray light. Okay. So when I see the dull gray light start to have sort of rise up around us,

I'll start waking everyone up. You wake everyone up and you find yourselves nearly completely frozen on top of this. Mountain. I need you all to roll a constitution saving. Oh, no. I got to 13. 12.

11. I got quite high. 23. You feel the coldness seeping into your bones. Sorry, so we had an 11. 16. 24. 11, 12, 13. 20. 20. Okay.

Whoever had 12 or lower, you are experiencing one level of exhaustion. You were unable to shrug off the effects of the cold. And though you had a night's sleep, it was not peaceful. It was not restful. Your joints ache against the cold. And no matter what you do, you can't seem to find warmth anywhere that you look for it. I will be not waking up when Victoria is. is like trying to wake everybody off.

I'll go. I'll walk over to Sarnax and see, is he like curled up around his lantern? I'll, um... Oh, you can roll for advantage because of your lantern. Oh, great. I'm also a lizard. I'm cold-blooded. Okay. Advantage. Yay, I did it. 14. Does that...

Yes, it's 12 or below. Say this is Victoria. It's affected or? Just, just a shepherd. Oh, just me. Yeah, just you. Damn you. I got a 13. just miss it.

Damn. Chippa, you all right? What? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little cold is all. I'm not used to this.

You know what it doesn't get. It's kind of weather. Oh, okay. Well, let us get moving. Maybe they will warm the bones. Yeah, yeah, I agree. Okay. Should we set a campfire for now and just warm up a little bit before we start moving?

I mean, how? Is there time? There's no time. I'll be all right. I'll be right. I got stuff in my pack. I got extra clothes. I'll be our, I'll bundle up. All right. I'll just proceed. And all and all this is happening, I'm going to kind of step close to Shepard. I know that I need my lantern, but I will, I will walk close to Shepard and

we'll try to like share it. Walk along side me, Shepard. Do you want to share? That says, Dan, thank you. Thanks, Sarne. Thank you. I appreciate it. It's comforting. So, yes, you wake up, you begin to pack up your camp. You have your freshly filled water skins from the night before. And though some of you are colder than the others, it is early enough in the morning that you are able to begin making your journey.

How's everyone feeling? Yeah, just a little cold. Yeah, just a little cold. It's right. You warm you up. Yeah. Surenax is walk along inside me. I'm going to take off my cloak of protection

and I'm going to wrap it around. Wrap it around. You check it's easy this morning and I'll need a bit. Thank you, Connor. Yeah, yeah. I'll just keep an eye on our backs a little bit and I don't know what's wrong. I just can't shake the cold.

I'm not used to it, I guess. I'll put his hood up and tie him up and I'll take a hit to my scene for now. And I'll be in front. you begin to make your way along the path and you travel for 30 minutes an hour I need you all to make a constitution saving for you oh my golly I'm sharing my landlord 15 what okay 16 20 full am I still advantage you are because of your lantern yes uh 20 A con saving throat? A nine, or no, a ten. You also begin to feel the cold creeping into your blood.

It's a natural cold. Cold unlike anything you've ever felt before. And you have one level of exhaustion. My cold blood is not suited for this place. Why don't we all take a break and set up camp, maybe light a quick fire? How long have we been traveling for? An hour. We've got to press on a little farther.

I don't think we can stop just yet. We will be fine. Just around lunchtime, we can sit down and have a great extended break. We can't stop now. We got to go out. If we're all rough, we should take our time and not kill us out. Right, right. Have we seen any tracks of Von Richter?

You've not seen any humanoid tracks, and you've been looking. Have we seen any, like, animals? Yeah, you've easily seen wolves and... The actual wolves or wolf tracks? Wolf tracks. You've heard wolves. off in the distance. You've heard other animals as well,

but you still have the circle of ravens, about 15 now, that are flying around you and seem to be keeping things at bay. You continue. You're now descending towards off in the distance. It's hard to see, but it looks like

there's a large stone structure that makes its way over a flowing river. The path seems to head in that direction. You travel 30 minutes, an hour. I need you all to roll a constitution saving through. What does one level of exhaustion do? This advantage on a bill of checks. Two levels of the DC.

But not saving for us? No, it's a just bulletin. Tell me what it is. I know saving for us is deeper in, like level three or four. Okay. Okay. 12. Did I make it?

No. I, hold on. I'm going to, I'm about to, I'm about There's going to be like a snowbank of a trip into it, and I see it ahead. I'll make that a nine. So, or, yeah, I'll make it a number. I'll make it a 13. And so that I'll be able to 21.

Okay. Some of you are once again able to shrug off the effects of the cold, Shepard. Your skin is beginning to turn a dark blue, collecting frosts and all around your nostrils and your eyes. And you warm yourself up to bring the pink back to your skin. And within five minutes, it's starting to cool itself down again to a point that you are feeling very, very rough. You now have two levels of exhaustion. I move at half speed. Connor.

Wow. Do I feel without the cloak around your body, you feel cold begin to assail you. You have one level of exhaustion. Can I use my endowment? indomitable feat feature to try and re-roll what's failed saving throw. How does indomitable work? You can re-roll a saving throw that you fail. You must use the new roll.

You can use this one time for long rest. Yes, you can. It's a ninth level of samurai ability. Boom. Done. I feel the cold come over you. And you look at Shepard. You see how weak he is, the slowness in his movement.

You are weak. And you steal, even though you long for the, cloak around his shoulders, you steal yourself against the elements and you pursue. You continue now at a slower pace. Shepard is unable to keep up as you walk slower. The amount of terrain that you're able to traverse is halved. As you walk 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. you need you all to roll a constitution maybe three. We really should rest, Professor.

From a metis perspective. Like lunchtime? It's been three hours now since you got up, so probably around... I only about nine o'clock in the morning. 15. 17. 20.

Success! What is... What did you roll? Oh, I got an 18 plus 2 is 20. Okay. I got a 17. Oh, no. What do you mean?

What did I roll? It's going on. It's going up. I got a 14. Okay. About 22. Okay. You all are huddling around Shepard,

trying to feed him the warmth of your body, but his skin is so cold. It's almost making it worse for you, but you will not let him down as you move at the slug's pace. And you continue on. 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. I need you all to roll a Constitution saving. So all I want to say, all I want to say is from an RP perspective, trust me.

That's all I want to say. I am, I'm letting the effort to determine one more something. I got a 21. Okay. 19. 30 20. 23. You got three?

23. Oh. Victoria. That's a definitely fish. She's all around an identity snowbag. Shining style. I will use a little. 20.

Okay. You continue on. 15 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour. We're so close now to the bridge. I need your old rule of Constitution. Go ahead to the bridge yet?

You're moving at half speed now. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Oh, fucking balls. I got 12. Okay. No.

That's 17. I got a 10. I got an 8. 26. An 8? In 8? 26. 7. 17.

Oh, geez, Louise. Kana, Victoria, you both feel the cold around you. Shepherd is radiating, emanating, nearly frozen tufts of air. Every time he breathes, you feel yourself shivered. You both take one level of exhaustion as you try to hold him up under the weight of the cold. you take a third level of exhaustion, Shepard. What does that do? Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.

This point, it's hard to even breathe. You can feel almost like knives in your chest. Your vision is blurry, and every amount of warmth you yearn for, but the two companions to your side are nearly as cold as you are. You begin to get a headache, and you're frustrated as the wind whips. up around you and cold, frosty snowflakes blasts into your face. And you continue. Shepard, we should make them now.

One, one more. What, if we can get a little farther. It'll get a little warmer if we keep heading south, right? Just a little bit. All right. Do we see the bridge? You do. You imagine it's going to take you another hour to get to the bridge.

If we can just get across that bridge. Don't kill yourself, Shepherd. I can try to carry you. Beautiful like shit, too. I'm fine. Just, just let me lean on you a bit. I'll be all right. Okay.

I'll take him from the other side. As Shepherd, there's one person in this world that I trust with this, and I'm shaking. Hold my lantern. Oh my God, you're a free solid. It hurts my hands to un-grab them to grab the lantern. the heat emanating from it almost burns.

Your skin is so cold and the warmth around it is painful. You yell out as you hold onto it, but you continue to hold as tightly as you can. And you move 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. Constitution saving through the way. And that you'll undo your disadvantage. So you are now rolling normally. Because you get in bandage with the lantern. Good call, good call.

I'm fucked. I got like... 10. Hold on, hold on. This is important. You are fucking. What did you get, Rich? 10.

Okay. 23. Okay. 13. 13. Yeah. 22. 22.

9. You turned into a little lizard ice cube. A lime popsicle. Alignment. You only had one before, right? Correct. So I'm in doing it. year to. It's hard to hear the noises of the chattering of all of your teeth as you make your way

as you make your way closer towards this bridge and you're assaulted with the frozen wind of the rushing river before you even realized it was coming. The sound of it screaming down the canyon as it flows and as you turn the corner you're all blasted with frozen air and you feel yourself overcome you taking another level of exhaustion. Fuck. Okay, that's what I didn't want to hit and we'll see. We'll be all right, we'll be all right. Take another level of exhaustion. All of us too?

Clayton. You, what did you? You got a 23. 23, yeah. You take another level of exhaustion. You're now at 2. Sarnet. You are also at 2. That was my first thing. Oh, that was your first. Oh, did you use your thing before? Yes. So you're now at So you have, you have one, you have one, you have one, you have two, you have four. Four.

My maximum hit points are happening. Oh my God. We're good. We're at the bridge, right? We made to the bridge. You know what the fuck? You now look in front of you about a, at your current pace, a 15-minute walk is the bridge. Looking up at it, the shelf of rock in which the mountain road clings grows narrow.

To your left, the icy cliffs rise sharply toward dark rolling clouds. To your right, the ground falls away into a sea. of fog. Through the wind and snow you see a high wall of black stone lined with spikes and topped by statues of demonic vultures with horned heads. Set in the center of a wall is a closed iron portcullis, behind which burns a curtain of green flame. On the other side of the dark wall, gripping the mound's edge is a guard tower of white stone topped by golden statues of mighty warriors. Can we stop up here? I don't want to get closer to that yet.

Yes, yes. Please make time. I'm going to hand a lantern. No, no, no. Hang on to it. We got to make a fire. Well, I'll work on that, and I'll immediately start calling ass and grabbing, like, as much dry wood as I can find. Drop it just there.

Roll a survival check. I am proficient. Ten. Down in this canyon, the river is so close that the entire air around you is foggy and filled with perspiration. You can't find a single piece of dried wood. Hammett, Zarnax, is there anything you could do to try to warm us up? I can't find any dry wood. I suppose I could.

I'm going to cast a firebolt, fireball, color bolt, I think. Professor, I just need to boil some water. Here, I'll just get, can you help me dry some of these logs? Maybe we can try to. Yeah, I'm going to ignite them eventually. Just kind of a few times cast firebolt to clear an area of the ground. And all sacred flame to help. Yeah, and then, you know, try to really get some of the moisture off of the logs by like casting.

Yeah. Not directly on them, but like kind of near to. Okay, I'll say that you're with that. You're looking down the 15-minute walk. that leads you towards the structure in front of you, this large stone gate and guard towers, and you clear out a small patch, singeing the grass and the bits of twigs that are beneath it.

It is dry for now. I wanted to save this, as I know danger is around every corner, but I believe I need I need my lantern back, Shepard. Of course. I'm rummaging through my pack

after I hand the lantern back to Sarnax. Okay. We have water. Boil water. I'll set up, like, I'll take out my mess kit stuff and I'll set up like a little pot

over the logs that we're trying to dry and I'll empty out my water skin into the pot. Um, do are we able to I mean we should just try to start a fire like I know that we're trying to to dry the logs out but like we should yeah my intention would be to keep going until we can get it till to catch get the line and if it's not going to I'm going to do something you would have to find some kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of kind of but you could create a kind of but they were so you created a patch where you could create a fire but you don't have any logs or anything oh I don't have logs but they were dating on so So Tinderbox allows you to light fire. We'll get it started.

I got it. But you have to have something too light on fire. Sorry. So. Can we do need? Can I, can we try to burn some room? I can burn it up. Garrick's give me the power to save our lives.

And then a wall of fire is going to erupt all around us in a ring. Oh, shit. As it blazes up surrounding us, and it's hot fire all around us on one side. Is it hot fire? It's, then it's blasting heat on the other side. So if anything tries to come at us at this point, they'll, they'll take damage. But we can stand on the inside, but it's a blazing ring of fire that is, it's hot fire.

20 feet in diameter. Hot fire, yes. One foot thick. As it people would say hot lava. And 20 feet high. Okay. You watch as Sarnax takes his lantern and he reaches out to Garrick's. at least a minute.

Let me see. One minute. And you see as at first a kindling of flame erupts into the image of a dragon, gold and red spiraling flying around, singing the ground around you. It's smaller than an actual dragon, merely an avatar, as it flies around and ignites the ground around you. A pillar of fire begins to shoot up at one point and begin to follow along the embered path it had created. And you feel yourselves surrounded by flame and warmth.

And for five minutes, ten minutes, it feels like it hasn't doing anything. And then you begin to feel your limbs moving. And warmth finally coming to the flesh of your hands. The shivering begins to stop. Your teeth begin to stop chattering. And where there had been not. Nothing but specks of frozen tears and snot is now sweat. And it's all of your exhaustion has been wiped.

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Thank you. Sawinux. That saved us all. I'll go, I'll grab one of the logs and try to dry it on these pillars of flame, not getting too close and try to catch some and create a campfire from it, just so in case it dissipates, we still have some heat. I want to take the opportunity to basically see if the professor will use a mage hand

to hold some water and boil it for me. Like while this is, fire is active if you just try to heat up some water. There's some in the cauldron. Oh, yeah, okay. Either way. So we have. So it, so it. So you've.

You've created fire around you. It is staying on fire for however long Sarnax is going to keep it up. You're able, I need you do a survival check, Mayo. 15. I'll say you're able to get a small bundle of kindling from the trees that are within the circle

that haven't been completely incinerated. The warmth of the flames has been able to dry it enough that you were able to break off some branches and get a stash of kindling. probably good enough for at least one fire. Maybe you could stretch it to two if you're conservative with it. I'll start keeping it away from like the incoming wind so that it won't blow out as easily. And I'll, uh, Victoria, you wouldn't mind lighting this.

You're going to light the kindling now. You've got a wall of fire around you right now. And it's only for like a minute, right? But I think the idea is that we're all warm now. And so we can save it for later. Got it. So that way I would say you're smart enough to know that just because you feel well now doesn't mean that the storm that rages around you is going to go anywhere.

So you now have an excess for if you need it later. So did we boil some of the water in the cauldron? Yeah, let's say we sat the cauldron kind of close enough to the wall that it would... I'm just going to use that to basically prepare some of this, you know, herbal remedy as like material components for whatever I want to use it for and fill a couple of my skins with this herbal concoction from the boiling. I'll say roll and nature check. See how well you're able to create your thing.

Your biz. Your biz. Skills, nature. Oh, a six. You're able to make maybe one bit of what you want. What are you making? Well, the idea is that out of, out of character.

Lesser restoration doesn't call me any of the cast. Oh, I didn't realize you were doing less restoration. I just want to, I don't like the idea of casting a spell. Right. I'll say for the, for the purpose of this, you're able to expend that slot to infuse this. So if you want to be three or two or whatever. So you could, you could do all three if you want now or you could do one and wait for later. It's up to you.

I'll prep to do that. I will prep to you. Okay. Then you're able to do that. Thank you. I thought you were just trying to use your. your ranger abilities to... No, no, no, I'm just trying to RP this shit out of casting spells.

But I approve of that. And yes, you can do that without any hindrance. Thank you. Thank you. So I'll prep... I'll basically prep two lesser restos and remove them from my spouse. You've made yourself a very potent coffee. Nice.

Very nice. Pure black coffee. I'm sorry, everybody. I'm feeling better. Thanks to Sarnax and everyone, and I'll give Connebacker clothing protection. Thank you. You sure you don't want to hang on to this a little longer. No, it's fine.

I'm feeling back to my normal self, and I think that we don't have much time with this, with this warmth, but we can probably move forward and try to find a place for some sort of safety or something, because I have a feeling that this weather's not going to let up. It is not. And I am very concerned with the demonic effigies that we face on that bridge. Would you mind reading the description more time? Yes, do not. The shelf of rock in which the mountain road clings grows narrow. To your left, the icy cliffs

rise sharply toward dark rolling clouds. To your right, the ground falls away into a sea of fog. Ahead through the wind and snow, you see a high wall of black stone lined with spikes and topped by statues of demonic vultures with horned heads. Set in the center of the wall is a closed iron portcullis, behind which burns a curtain of green flame. On the other side of the dark wall, gripping the mountain's edge is a guard tower of white stone topped by golden statues of mighty warriors. This is literally that

fucking thing from Lord of the Rings. I'm going to say. With the vulture shit. Yep. And the horrible fucking rape fire. Fuck. Fuck. Is there any side of movement like anybody living that we can see? Nothing can see.

Let's proceed with caution. All right. Having felt better, I'm going to, I'm going to lose my weapons and just be on guard. Okay. I'm going to tie up some of the kindling that we have with a little bit of like string and rope

and kind of sling it as it onto my pack or into it if there's room to try and keep it dry if we need it again. So you've got one bit of kindling, you know, could make one fire and you think that if you're conservative with it, you can expend it to two. Okay.

Let us proceed with caution. then shall we? Yes. Yes, that's good. I'll kind of dim my lantern a little bit, trying to stay warm,

but making sure we're not super obvious as the approach. You want to make your way down the path and towards the portcullis that glows the strange green flame.

The two statues on either side, the demonic-looking vulture creatures, peer down at you with empty eyes. You continue closer and you can feel the wind whipping at you from the river below as it rushes down through the valley. It's all is quiet.

It's about noon now. You've traveled for about six hours to get to this point. You head closer. As you get to the gate, it begins to shake and rumble. slowly rises open on its hinges, as it's triggered by something, nothing at all. You look in and see the faint green flame

still burning brightly through the entrance as you stare forward towards it. There's nothing barring your entry. Nothing with the green flame. So the green flame is actually completely covering the entry where we would be able to go past. You would have to potentially walk through it. Sarnax, this green flame, I, do recognize it.

Allow me to investigate that I'll step forward. I'm kind of getting a sense of this nature of fires. Green flame look familiar to me, do I know anything about it? Ed Ketterov. Roll an archa check. At Ketara. That's Ketada. Oh, that's four.

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Invest in negation, though, is a six. It looks exactly like flame, but you've never seen flame in this color before. It's sickly to you, unnatural. This is bewitched fire. It is evil and vile. We must ensure that we do not touch it. We must dismiss it.

I want to look down and see. if there are any tracks that seem to lead in or out of the flame and see if there's any other point of entry. A roll in an investigation check for me. Or actually, sorry, survival. You look at your tracks. Nice. 30-20. Looking at the ground at your feet, at first you notice nothing.

Then you see large hoof prints, unnaturally large. Like covered in a layer of snow. He looked like goat footprints. They look like no. No humanoid, just the goat. Just the goat. Sarnak, stand back. I see large goat footprints here going directly into the flames.

Put the speed. A living version of the goat monster skull that we found. And what I saw in my dreams, do we think it is just a goat professor? Does it look like attracts, is it from a two-legged animal or a four-legged animal? Could we tell? It's a goat.

Four-legged. Yeah. Distinctly four I see here. And I'm tracing them out kind of with my fingers to make them more noticeable with the layer of snow that's covering them. Well, just in case, I'm Mottis, and I'll cast me, drummer, on myself. That's not idea. I'll do this. Professor, is there anything you can do about this fire?

We should not touch it. it could be 10 minutes from all the tech magic it's been I'll say at this point it's been about 30 minutes since you left the warmth of the fire circle

I will take 10 minutes to well I don't know that it's going to help I'll take 10 minutes to cast detect magic just to see if I get any information from the wall fire you cast detect magic and you can feel a strong

evocation magic coming from the fire Yes, this is just magical fire. Is there any way we can undo it? Yes. Put it out. Yes. So this is dangerous to walk through.

Yes, I mean, you could try, but I don't suggest non-magical fire would also be dangerous to walk through. For what it's worth. I've done it many times in the past, but I'm not familiar with magical fire. For what it's worth, I know I don't do so well with the cold, but I do a little bit better with the heat. Start with the risk. The magical nation, I mean, it's green, to God's sake. Is there any debris on the ground, like a rock or twigs or anything that I could pick up? Sure.

I'll just take one of and chuck it into the wall and see what happens. You send it flying through the wall and it ignites the same way you'd expect throwing the twig through a wall of fire would ignite. It doesn't seem to do anything more than that. Let's give us a try. Augumentum. and I will cast the spell magic on it. Please roll. You have your importance.

And twist. I would like to twist. I'll save the twist. I'm going to use my second lucky die of the day. It's actually 16. You're so lucky. You pulled out that luck style. 16.

Oh, my magical. So it adds one. Is that the Luxembourg guys? So you watch as Clayton raises his hand. It extinguishes the fire between his index finger and thumb. And just as quickly as he brings them together and casts the magic,

you watch as the flames begin to pop and fizzle and fade into nothing but a thick green smoke. And as the wind from the canyon blows through, you watches the smoke dissipates around you and you have a bare path leading forward. You did.

We did. We got to hurry. We should move through quickly. It was nice all thanks to this gym. Oh, dear God. And I kind of grip that and I'll put it back my coat. I squint a little with the professor and I'm not happy. Let's make case, please. I'll make eye contact kind of with the rest of the part. Hold on that might

have. Can I answer to check him real quick as he's doing that just to see if he's overly attached to the stone? Or is that something I just can infer? Yes. You can have been sorry. He's overly attached. Professor's not very good eye. No. So we are all hustling across the bridge.

And as we as we hustle across, I just want to take a long glance at the vultures. just to see if they watch us and if they look like any kind of creature that I made. Roll an archana check. Oh, fuck.

Can I in the meantime check for goat footprints to see what direction they went in? They walked directly along the pathway. Okay, so you're heading along the bridge. They are walking the direction. The fallen goats, great. I really like that biz. I point them out to everyone

so they can see the goat prints. A hot 15 for Arcana. You are, you're looking at, these statues and they are not statues at all, the creatures petrified. Oh shit. And as you look closer, you have never seen one before, but you have heard of creatures like this, the vrock. I definitely heard of these.

You imagine that getting too close or interacting them with them in any way could potentially break the petrification. Everyone continue. I do not wish to raise alarm. What's that? These creatures, these statues are not statues at all. They are petrified demons.

Do I know what of rock is? Yes. Yes. They are somewhat of a favorite demon from where I come from. they are things to be avoided. Let's continue. I want to get a good look at it.

So that way, if I ever saw one again... I will pull up a picture for it. I would recognize it. There is evil here, beyond the countess, beyond Babelai Saga. Why, demons? I suppose if this was our protection put in place by... Holy shit.

Oh, Christ. That's fucking terrifying. I actually No I keep in one from Rew rocks After Sarnax tells us that they're creatures

I want to use my hunter sense Okay So I choose a creature I can see within 60 feet And if the petrification Cancels us then that's fine

But I immediately learn If it has any Immunities, Resistance, or Vulnerabilities and what they are if they're not hidden from Divination Magic I can use it three times a day Oh

So it has resistances Cold fire lightning Bludgeting piercing and slashing from non-magical attacks. It's immune to poison. Okay. Both damage and condition. What else do you need to learn about it?

Just what it actually is. It is a drop, which is a demon. Okay, perfect. These are to be avoided. Thanks for pointing that out, Star-Nax. I've never seen anything like that. I fear we may be encountering non-petrified demons

in our near future. Guys, I hope not. may just be an ancient protection put in place silver linens I suppose if the wizards and majors of the amber temple are long dead maybe it's just a relic you'd think that this was put in place by whoever built the amber temple

I'm judging by this map that's the only place this road leads I guess that makes sense didn't one of the readings we read mentioned something about some horrible arcane traps and whatnot? Yes. I have no doubt the traps will still be active as well.

You think this is one of them, potentially? It's just another layer of protection. Yes. All right. I'd be very cautious this one. Maybe you should be late. I'm not trying to put you in harm's way. You might be better at detecting this than the rest of us. I won't let anything happen to you

if I can help it. So I guess I'll leave the way and just, I don't like constantly keep... He's the older roll of Constitution saving draft in about an hour. Fuck. Oh, I'm in the end of the end. Thank God. I got my lantern back. Oh, hell yeah.

The G.C. is 12. I fail. What are we doing? I also know. Constitution saving the film. Oh, that's right. It's all right. Now, the first one's not bad.

First one's fine. 14. It's fine. 15? Okay. Clayton, Sarnax. Kana. You all feel yourself able to shrug off the cold.

Victoria, Shepherd, you are overcome as you're staring up at these petrified rocks. You stopped rubbing your skin, keeping what warmth you can inside of your body as another gust of wind whips over out of the canyon. And both of you feel coldness overcome you if you take one level of exhaustion. Having figured that this was going to be a possibility again, can I try to do the best of the best. that I can to hide it, to diminish the worry of my companions. Yes. I'd like to try to just act like I'm okay. Yeah, that's fine.

I would be trying to keep my hands warm and doing the usual, but I don't want to immediately be like, I'm dying. You know what I mean? You're trying to be so strong. Yeah, because I'm going to call me weak again. Oh, fucking cool. Yes, I would say unless you indicate, and I'll say that's for all the levels of exhaustion,

unless you indicate to the group, well, second level, you go at half speed. So that's what that's right. I agree. That's what I totally respect. There's nothing you know.

Damn, this weather than not hills. It is cold. Yes, we should get out to the weather as quickly as we can.

Yeah, can we hustle up a little bit? You begin to make your way out of the Port Cullis. You notice as you

step away, the Port Cullis lowers and slams to the ground. Whatever mechanism, opening it and holding it aloft, not able to be

visible to you. It almost seems motion activated some magical means. You continue forward out of the shadow of the stone archway, and you see that immediately to your right, there is a stone tower

that looks out over the flowing river below. Looks to be maybe three stories tall. The tower could provide shelter if you wish to sleep. I'm just nervous.

It's about 1 p.m. Oh, yeah, and I'm nervous if what the professor said is true, what kind of horrible traps could be set. And sleeping next to demons on second thought does not sound like a pleasant experience. Moving forward, I might be able to detect when a trap is present, but I won't be able to tell you anything about it. I just get a sense, a weird feeling if we look close enough. It's better than nothing. We could at least duck out of the weather from a bit. to warm up.

What are you feeling? I'm all right at the moment. I got some of my special brew I prepared. When Sarnax saved our lives, they'll help me go a little farther. Anyone else, too, of course. Is there a closed door to the... There is.

You still got a far trip ahead of us. The goat tracks seem to lead further down the path. I don't see them swerving into any of these guard towers. Maybe it would be safe to go inside. Maybe we can find more kindling. I have a couple here for a campfire if we need to stop along the way, but this path seems

heavily guarded. My hesitation and why I might want to at least investigate quickly is, I'd like to know if this is actually the work of the mages of the Amur Temple or something else.

What are they guarding? Why? Why so much defense? perhaps there's something within. I mean, we're not particularly close yet, are we? No, you know that this is the only road that leads to the Amper Temple and there's nothing over here but the Amper Temple based on the map that you have. So you would know that this does seem to be fortification for the pathway towards it. But, yeah, I mean, outside of that.

Okay. Well, there is a road that leads south. To the mountain. There's this road that leads south. Off the map. the map. So I don't know, I guess that's out of road because it's probably an ancient road that doesn't go anywhere. That only the Volaki would travel. Right. Oh, I see. Okay. Um, why don't you just pop our heads? I'll check the trap.

Yes. Very careful. Yes. Just take a quick look inside. If there's no danger, we warm up just a bit because we'll just outside for an hour and then we can continue on. Give us some cover to your shepherd from whatever that goat creature. Those are bigger, go hoops and I anticipated. This tower is quite tall, perhaps we could see something. I would like to check for traps on the door. Okay.

First part, come. Do it. Do the thing, Jelly Bean. 19. Looking, inspecting the door, you are unable to find traps. It seems to simply be a towered door

made of ironbound wood. And looking at it, it's construction. It looks to be barred from within. Any windows on the lower level? No. So I'll try to open it. It's definitely barred from within.

There's no getting in. You imagine it would take a significant amount of strait to bust through the door. Do you want me to break it down? I can certainly try. But that may make too much noise. I'm just worried if there's something on the other side. This is ancient. And these wizards, I don't know much about magic, but I just don't want to press our law.

Let's not use our energy. If they're petrified. vultured demons, I think that it's best not to push it. Yes. Let's go on our way. This is what they love. Oh my God. That's like rip your arm off.

Could we try the other doors or just keep going? There's only one door. Oh, there's not three guard towers? No, three levels. Oh, sorry. Okay. I thought there's multiple bar towers. Okay. Okay. Press all. Yes.

You continue to make your way, along the path. Kana, you're keeping your attention on the ground and on the tracks and you still see, though it's faint under layers of snow, that this is the direction, that whatever that creature is traveled in. You eventually takes about 30 minutes, able to make your way down the sloping path. You have to go at half speed as it slopes down towards the bridge itself, as the water rushes beneath it. The snowy pass comes to a gorge spanned by a stone bridge. At each end of the bridge is a 30 foot tall, 30 foot wide stone arch. Atop each one are two statues of armored knights on horseback with lances,

charging toward one another. The wind bites and howls like wolves as it passes through the gorge. That's what you see. Does it look statured. Cross it. Sarnat, are they also in stasis? Can you tell? These are not seen to be similar demonic make, but I will take a look.

Some roll an investigation, chap. I think that the 17 investigation, where is that investigating? Yeah, the 17. Looking at this, you can definitely tell that these are stone and not petrified creatures. Simply stone statues. But to steal ourselves, keep your footing, the wind is strong. You do not want to meet our end in the rest of the world. ravine below.

Agreed. How wide is the stone bridge? The stone bridge is about 10 feet. Of 10. 15 feet wine. So like a carriage or something could be last. Yes. And the go tracks are going to the bridge?

Yes, they are. I'll stay in the front, but try to avoid the go-track so I can keep an eye on where they're going. Keep the professor close to you in case we encounter any arcane trickery or whatever. Stand back. Yes, one at a time.

I'll bring up the roof. We'll get as close to the middle as we possibly can. The low walls that enclose the stone bridge have fallen away in a couple of places, but the bridge appears intact. A black cloaked rider on a charcoal-colored horse guards the very center of the bridge. Oh, fuck. Good day. Hello.

The voice echoes against the slope. wall of the mountains on either side of you and down the canyon rushing along with the waters. But you hear nothing. What the hell is they? Wolves bark from downstairs. Oh, no. Let's perhaps approach and continue. It could be another illusion.

Yes. I'll approach him and kind of give him like a half bow. I need you all to roll a dexterity saving throw for me as you begin to walk along the bridge. There's a thin layer of ice that covers the entirety of the stone on the bridge. DC12. Oh, past. You've got a Natty 15 plus whatever my awesome dexterity is. 30. 20.

Brooks. So everyone passed your off? Yeah. Yeah. 20-something. Clayton's always engrossed in his neighborhood. I'm just looking at my spouse. You've been reading your spells for like, I'm watching you.

That's what I know. I'm watching them too. He's thinking of doing some tricker out of there's a arcane bullshit. it with so many fucking stones. You slowly make your way across the bridge. The ice is so much thicker here than you expected as the water

splashes up and a fine mist engulfs all of you. I need you all to roll a Constitution saving throne. Oh my gosh. Stop it, Nikki. I can't. The weather is unrelenting. Oh, geez, louise. Twelve. Twelve. Seventeen.

Twenty. Four. Nine. Oh, my God. Why are you? We already have one. I'm going to use the cost of the rest of the delicious. I'm going to take out my coffee. What did you get, Victoria? 24.

Kana? 17. Okay. And then I think you passed. Yeah, yeah. That's what I thought you said. You feel as the wind whips up around you and you're splashed with nearly frozen river air. Sarnax, you feel exhaustion overcome you and you have one level of exhaustion.

I remember to roll first. at advantage and I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm sorry. I'm fine. I'm sorry. What did you get? 24. 24. Yeah. I got 18. Shepherd. Once again,

you feel your muscles lock up. You're frozen. Absolutely shivering. Your poncho is you're soaked as you took the brunt of the wave that smashed up

over the side of the bridge. I would like to reach for my skin and begin to sip at my delicious strong hellfire coffee. You move from second level to first level exhaustion. Oh, that's not nearly as good

as I was hoping for fun! All right, I will mark lesser resto for my spell slot. Okay, we carry on. I don't move at half speed. I'm good. I'm good. This is fine, everybody. Stop panicking. Jesus, we're panicking. I'm not panicking. You're panicking.

I'm not finkic. You make your way through the frigid mist in the slippery stones of this partially broken bridge until you find yourself standing in front of the cloaked figure as the mist rolls past

and you look up into the eyes of Stradania von Zaravitch but a mere spectral form she looks down at all of you begin to see the form move but there's no life behind the eyes. There's no personality of Stradania. I would not recommend that you continue.

Turn back or die. Bullshit, assay. Are you there? Can you respond? You have been warned. Turn back or die. And as she says these final words, you see, as she begins to shift and shape. And as the wind picks up, you watch as this vision

disappears from view. We're standing alone on the bridge. All that means to me is that she's too scared to come out of herself. Yes. This must be answers there if she's willing to protect it. If she wants us to turn back, we must press forward. Yes. Yeah.

Like I say, she would not scare us. And so by tricks of the mind, It's persevere and push on. Come, Professor, keep, keep leading. All right. We will continue. We should be cautious, though. I don't doubt that there is danger, end.

Looking for the goat tracks. You continue to look, and you see that they do lead in this direction. You make your way across the rest of the bridge. It takes you about 10 minutes with how slippery and slimy the stones are. A few of the stones give way under you as they break. from the bridge and fall down into the depths of the roaring river below, but you are able to make it across to another one of the stone arches. Looking up, one of the statues atop this arch is completely crumbled, leaving only the hindquarters of the horse intact. The mountain pass continues but beyond.

It seems to split off into two paths, one heading further through the mountains. The cold wind blowing through the valley that leads from it. The other takes a turn in the opposite direction, heading down further and further. And as you look directly in to the wall of fog at the very edges of Borovia. Well, we've traveled a great distance. Yes.

So we're at this crossroad here. Is that what you're saying? You are standing right here. Oh, sort of like just barely over. So you have just left, and I'm saying, From your vantage point, you can see that crossroad. Oh, okay. You haven't gotten there, but you can't see it in the distance.

They're way far away. We can't do the crossroads then. No, we can't stop now. Let's keep going. Yes. We should keep an eye out for shelter anywhere we can camp. All right. Camp early if we have to.

Sure. I want to keep an eye out for more treacherous ice and try to help guide being in the front, try to help guide them around it so it's less treacherous. if it's all ice, that's fine, but... It was all ice along the bridge because the water is rushing past. I got it. Okay. So it's just similar here, right?

If you go on a bridge during the winter, it's always icier, first on the bridge. Bridge ice is before... Yeah, so there's a path here. There are occasional spots where it's icy, but you can easily keep your eye out and make sure that people don't slip and are okay. Does the weather look like it's just been relentlessly?

It's relentlessly cold and... snowing. Does it seem like normal for this region just because we're high up in the mountains? Yes. Okay. So we, I don't feel like it doesn't seem like it's an unnatural storm. It just feels like it is very high up in the mountains. And I would say you would know that Mount Gacchus is the highest of the two. And so it is going to be the one that's the most treacherous. You continue down the path, trying to travel. You begin to move forward with the bridge behind you. As you begin to hear the rustling in front of you, Kana, you look down and you see that the footprints of the goat

are right here. And then they stop and go nowhere. And all of you begin to look forward as you hear as you hear the sound of hooves crunching on snow. But nowhere. Do you see anything at all? the wind begins to whip up around you. It's getting colder, darker, and then red.

Two points of red light immediately in front of you. As all of you are blasted with cold, icy air from the nose of this creature as it begins to materialize in front of you. A dark black goat, nearly eight feet tall. To its haunches. Oh shit. To the tip of its horns, at least 12. As it looks down over you, appearing out of thin air.

Or nearly invisible, lying in weight. It kicks back some of the snow on either side of it. It snorts out. It looks at all of you. And then its eyes, focus on Clayton. Oh, fuck. Go ahead and put this on the table. Oh, shit.

I've seen you in my face. You look at it as you almost feel a moment of understanding and recollection. Its mouth begins to move and open. And you see as the tongue lulls out, but there is no tongue there. snakes begin to rithe and move and unholy scream billows from its mouth as all of the snakes begin to to turn and and and jolt violently from their mouths they open up and you see boulders of black coal begin to spill forth from their mouth their mouths landing on the ground and you hear collie to nazareth

Mommy's coming for you. You have something that belongs to me. And all of you can see as the goat's mouth is open wide, the snake's writhing, but in the very center, two red eyes. And the faint form of a face. I know what you've taken, boy, and you will pay. Well, you have something we need. Perhaps a trade. I curse you, Clayton, Azran, as I curse your line with exactly what you see.

No! You wish for greatness? So it shall be. A terrible greatness you shall now bear. You desire to change the world, so it shall be. In ways you cannot fathom, even with you. With your powers of divination, you strive to discover the secrets of the past. So it shall be. It is your fate to unearth what is best left buried deep below.

Let the hunger that burns within you be an insatiable one. May the name Azran be remembered until the bitter end when all the world turns to an inkie. black. And at this moment, the goat begins to wretch up bile, blood, inky blood, inky viscous material pours forth from it. Your eyes shine a bright red as it bursts and you are covered in black ink. And silence consumes you. Is that the single deepest of antifers cup we've forgotten in a cross campaign ever? is there

Professor, are you all right? Is the goat still there? No. You are covered in all of his scoot. I run up, but I am not fucking touching him. Are you all right? Professor.

We heard all. We all heard all. Okay. Can you clean yourself up. We told you not to take that soon. Professor, don't worry about that right now. Are you all right? Yes.

Yes, I'm fine. Christie here. Clean myself up. just barely enough. Oh. And I want to pull out my, my notebook. And I want to immediately try to write exactly what she said and verbatim, if I can. When it's fresh on my mind, I want to write it down.

What? He's the little guy. Yeah, he's the best one. Where's my little guy? Was that her? Was that the Bible? 15. God, he's money.

24. Wait, did a building track? 25. Oh. That's horrible. ag magic. You are able to transcribe it verbatim. Did we recognize the voice as?

Yes. Yes. Can you say that to me? I will. That will be very critical. Lysaga is the one in Boresse. Are you all right? Please.

Do I feel me different? Do I feel cursy business? Do you feel a pit of sickness in your summon? I don't understand. Professor, yes, are you well? I don't know. What have you done, damn it? What have you done?

I want you to roll a perception check. 12. You are breathing heavily as everyone's screaming at you. You hear the sound. And as you look over, Just off to the side of the cliff, a small black hair stares up at you with glowing red eyes. Like a rabbit?

Yeah. As it hops away into the distance. Christ. I'm holding my hat in my hands at this point. I'm going to throw the hat to the ground and with one hand, grab the professor's lapel and pull him in and be like, damn it! Clayton, this goes beyond employment.

I'm worried about you. I've been keeping quiet for a long damn time. and I haven't questioned what you've been doing, but I'm getting pissed off because I'm worried you're going to get yourself killed. Either way, she clearly places value in what we took. Perhaps we can use it to bargain.

I'll be fine. I'll be fine. Damn it! I picked my hat up. Don't worry about me. I go always to get this expedition out safely. Professor, when we first met... I had seen potential in the fire that burns within you, but I do not believe that to be anything more than a curse at this point. I mean, can we undo it? Can we stop it? Can we stop it?

I don't know. Allow me, Professor. I'm going to just try to get a sense of if I didn't notice anything. Roll an archa check. Oh, fuck. 20, dirty 20. you look to Shepard, you reach out and touch his skin. And you can, though you can't tell what it is exactly, you can feel the magic thrumming through him, around him. This is a curse unlike any of you have ever experienced in your entire life.

This is something far more powerful than you could have expected. It's strange blood magic. We should make him. The savior of doomed children shall. It should be able to remove a curse. It's no trouble. It's no trouble. Before we take one more goddamn step, you, and I point to the three remaining,

if anything were to happen to the professor, we've got to decide what the fuck we're going to do. Do we see this through or do we get the fuck out of here? We have no choice but to proceed. We have to continue. The die has been cast, Shepherd. There is no way out of here, but we see it through. So if the professor goes, we see this through.

Yes. Yes. We're in agreement. Our goal is to get out of here alive with our souls. That's the goal. I'm not having you out yet. I understand. I think Victoria would take up the reins and leave this expedition.

If anything, to come to the professor. It's fine by me. It's quite a bit of pressure to see, but I would do my best for all. of you. It'll be fine. We must proceed. The elements are dangerous. Can we find some camp, please?

Fuck you. I'm going to my first. What time is it? It's almost three in the afternoon. So I would say then we would want to press forward looking for a place that's safe. Yes, it's impossible. Let's make camp for the next few hours. Could we make it an average level?

I mean, we're very close. Oh, no, because you have to go down and back. It's like a switchback. Yeah, no. Professor, you still good to leave? No. I'll lead. Connor, you got it.

Yeah, I'll be in the phone. I would like your path, Conno. Thank you. I'm going to pull my hat low and continue to bundle up and just try to bring up the rear of the party. What did I get? So I got the scent from the power that I felt. And don't feel for you not answer this. But in comparison to what I know about the power of Shadanya, would that be very unsettling to Sargnax?

Yes. Okay. I'm going to be very quiet as I ponder and guide the path of that nature. You begin to make your way, descending the side of this mountain heading towards the tree line. And 30 minutes passes. I need you all to rule a Constitution saving through. Oh, baby. 22.

Natural fucking 20! This dice is rolling hot. Loosing steam because I'm right off the professor. 11. 19. Clayton, you feel the coldness overcome you. Yes.

As you are consumed with one level of exhaustion. Oh, 17, baby. All right. Yes, Clayton, you're the only one that feels the coldness overcome you. Would you take one level of exhaustion? To begin to make your way,

you travel 30 minutes, 45 minutes, an hour. This is the worst like countdown shit we've ever experienced in any campaign ever. 15, 30, 45, one hour is going to haunt my dreams. Yes.

16, 20. Fuck, I got to eat. Tells. How many twist we have? Are we not twisting these? I don't know. I feel like it's bad to twist this. Shepherd.

I still have less. I think we should save our twist for the temple. You're probably right. You now have two levels of exhaustion again. I'm going to take more sips of my awesome, uh, hellfire coffee. You're back down to one. Thank God. And by that, I mean, I'm out.

I'm very quickly running out of spell slots. I believe Professor Clayton is cursed, but Shepherd, the curse of Chess X is even stronger. Oh, uh, Star-Mex. From Sarnax, from one monster to another, I'd like you to go fuck. He may have doomed his whole line,

but Chessix, that's far worse. What is this evil demon you mentioned? The demon known is Chessusk. The Chesk's spot. I'm going to be, like, warming myself up, so... I'll say. For the curse,

I may be able to remove it, but if... I can't. Are you just doomed? It says I will achieve greatness. Maybe she's... Why would she want to give me what I want? I don't understand.

So, just so we're on the same page here, if you find a way to remove it, you're going to do that, right? You're not tempted to keep this for any reason. Professor. Yes. I am not entirely sure. it is something you can wave your magic wand, so to speak, and remove, which makes me incredibly concerned about the power of this hag. I had thought she was but a stooge of the countess,

but that power we witnessed is something that shakes me to my core. Did we see her in the mouth, or was it more of a silhouette? You were able to see her face in the mouth. What does she look like? No, no, no, no, I don't mean... You've seen her. We've seen her before.

How old did she look? Oh. She looked exactly the same, but 30, maybe 35 years younger. Okay. That's what I thought. I imagined it as a rabbit pilot piloting a goat mac. It was the new Diva stand.

You're a nightmare for serious campaigns? Yeah, he's a nightmare for anything. Why do we play D&Diva? I don't know. Because he's good at DMing. Fair now. There's no one else to do it. Okay.

Back series biz. in Paris. Professor, we will figure out the terms of these curses. I'm not familiar with the doings of hags, but curse or not aside, I know what it means to carry out your families' desires, whatever has been passed down through as well history, but if you truly desire greatness, you must first learn what makes you weak. Think deeply on this. That may be the way to undo it. You may be right. You may be right. I need to, I need to think. I need to check my notes. Is there any chance that we just kill her, the curse goes away?

I don't know enough about hag, magic, or curses. It's certainly a possibility. I'm worried about you. But if we can get out of danger by bartering, we'll have to confront it either way, and we can address it there. All right. You don't feel well. At any time, please let us know.

That goes for everyone here. Agreed. We will not die for our friends. We'll live for them. I couldn't have said it better myself. Or die for them. Please, please continue. continue down the path

15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. Clock. Social saving through. Seventy? Depends on where you're out. 17. 15. 15.

17. 24. Okay, you are all able to withstand the cold that's swirling around you. Please, Pete Garrets. and it's about this time that you find yourselves at the base of the smaller peak, the Gakus Mountains rising up to the left,

a forest now encircling you to the right. As you make your way where you know this road will continue to lead towards a crossroads, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour. Constitution's safe your rope, please. There you go. 20. 20. That would be really good.

Really good. Yeah. 6. 23. 20. Honey. I got a lot of. I have two other sets of ducks.

Do you like to meet? No. I don't want to touch you. I beg of you. You feel. No! You can even see other ones. Just get rid of the D20.

You want a G20? Come on. This first taste is free. Let me. The sun. is almost completely gone from the sky as evening has fully approached. It's around six in the evening, and the weather, the temperature he's dropped. You'd hoped that as you descended from the peak of the previous mountain you'd been climbing,

that warmth would overcome you, but as night begins to descend, it's almost as if the winter wind is chasing you to the upper temple. And Shepard, you feel another level of exhaustion overcoming. If you'll allow me, I know I said I only prepped two. You are easy. I'm going to use Lesterresto. Yeah. As my third, second level and final second level,

so I can no longer detect traps. I'm going to look up in the sky before night completely falls and just see if I see any signs of the Ravens or if they've dwindled now. They have dwindled. They're now at about 12, but they are still doing their work and holding things off. Jesus. Just wave up at them and give them a nod before the subsets completely. You continue along the path.

15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. Need your roll. Come on. Come on. Give them good. Take this one. This is the one. 19.

15. Oh, my God. What's happening with us? We both got twos. We both got 11s, both got 8. 18s and then twos. Disgusting. It's crazy.

What are the odds of that? She has been your assistant for years. You're like mind melding. That's what happens when you're cursed by a powerful hack. But I will use a large point. I know. So tell me what yours is. Rich.

I'm trying to go around the horn. Sorry. Rich. Hold on. Let's see what I. 20, 26. Victoria. 8.

No, 22. Okay. Shepard. You're not going to believe it, but I roll a 52. Yeah. Oh, no, no. I'm sorry, we should have five. Cool.

I have two hurt tail the dark power of the chess ex. Sarnax, I'm going to choke you the fuck out. And you would think that it would be pleasant because it has sex in the name. It is not. Sarnax, you know what sex is. It is not. I believe you shake hands and... dance around on the ground.

My sweet summer lizard. Kana, what did you get? 19? Okay. Hello, Bees that put this dice in the salt circle. 15? Okay, I wanted to make sure you didn't say fiffy, because then that would be a liar. 52.

Victoria, Shepherd. You feel the cold, sink deeper into your bones and your souls. You each go up another level of exhaustion. Victoria, you should be at two. You're now moving at half speed. Shepherd, you're at three. Should be two, because I went from one to two back to one, that one to two back to one.

He took his last. Oh, he did the second. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So you're at three times. Sorry, I didn't mark you off the last time. Yeah, no worries. So I rested three times, so I should be at two now. Nope, you're at two.

It's cold as certain to get to me of it. But looking over, you've seen about a, well, yeah, two of you are at half speed. So it looks like it's probably going to take another hour to get to the crossroad. We need to make camp now. Down to the woods. Maybe just a bit further. No.

No, we need to make camp now. All right. And do we have the materials to make a fire. We do. We do. I kept some of the king of it. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Can we take a look at the net? Are we sure if we rest now, we can make it tomorrow?

We can't risk another night out. I think we should push to the cross. roads. Perhaps we can find shelter at a lower elevation for the evening. The other hasn't improved. And descending down, we're actually climbing back up into the mountain at the crossroads. Another hour. We can make it one more hour. Do we want to get any closer to the mist? We're climbing upwards. We're a few of trees. As we hear me out, the closer we are to the mist, the less there's going to be any kind of real life. The worst will find his design.

Nothing else can get close to the mist or demon hellgoats. You don't. Sorry. Are they even able to withstand the mist? Fuck, great. You're fucking hell goats. By the God!

I'm sorry. You don't know what I would expect. I don't trust you. This is your expertise, Shepard. I just think that if we, if we can make up camp, close to the crossroads, there's less likely to be any kind of natural wildlife. Then you lead the way. I will not leave you towards your doom. Five.

And I will try to get us the hour that it will take to get the first thing. There is... No, now go for it. I'll put my hand on Shepherds' choice. There is strength in Garex. If your flesh is weak, embrace that. It will not be shepherd that pushes you to the crossroads. It will be the light of Garex to warm your soul and your body.

I just hope he's listening. And I'll cast guidance, not like that'll do anything. It's for flavor. For flavor. Let's hear it one more time, Nikki. Say the words. You begin to head towards the crossroads. 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour.

I need to make a constitution same. Oh, it doesn't count. I'm good on one more. It's the fourth and the fifth that are real bad. It's really hot for me tonight. 24. Nice. Wait, Ben, jumping at 18.

19. Okay 24 Okay 19 24 24 24

did you believe me if I said I roll with 30 or more I'll just take the third level you you feel as you finally make your way to the crossroads it's almost

it feels almost impossible to move your limbs anymore as your muscles seas up, but Victoria, Sarnax, Clayton, Kana, they're all helping you to move forward, but you do take a third level of exhaustion. All right.

I think it's time of red. Shefford, no, Jeffers. Go down into the trees and find a clearing. All right. You're in charge. Like some firewood, please. The trees will shelter us from the wind.

Victoria, can you help clear some of the space for me with you. Fire magic. Absolutely. So are you looking for branches and stuff? I have Kimling. I was waiting for like a dry area.

We got to find actual fuel. If we can find more. I'm happy to go look. No, no, you say. Fuck you. You get to clear the area. I'm trying to die. All right.

Thank you, Ghana. I'm going to just take some of my cloaks and clear whatever. You know, leaks and it takes a center of the circle. It takes about. about 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour. No.

To finally, for you to finally be able to set up a camp further off your world. I need you all to roll a constitution saving throw. Oh, my God. Believe it, Gaelix. Believe it, Alex. I'm in a disadvantage now. I know. I'm like shivering, and I'm like, I'm muttering to myself.

Pray! Pray, damn, you pray! No. If you can hear me, now it would be a good damn time. 14 for me. I'll take roughly 42 damage. Clayton, what did you get? 26.

Okay. Victoria, what did you get? I got a 25. Okay. Like a real man. 14. You move up to a second level of this exhaustion conno. You feel the...

22 for starting. You're fine. What did you get, Andy? I've rolled a... technically seven. You move up to a fourth level of exhaustion. What does that even do?

Surprise, surprise. What do you do? It's only really, trust me, it's only really bad when you get to five. You can do the exhaustion. It's bad when you get to. Yeah, five levels of exhaustion is the only time exhaustion matters.

Except for six. Well, five plus. oh my day donate for the the dice fund but you are able to set up your you're able to set up your you're able to set up your camp

and there's a fire going you can start an ass rolls me over like a hot dog for the fire Shepherd and I'm like rolling him like it looks like I'm flowering like a chicken cutlet but I just severed it snow

What are you doing? Putting him in the snow I'm sorry I just I don't do so well in this weather I'm going to do this one more time to help us warm up faster and I'm going to cast

another wall of fire We must keep this fire burning all night and I want it to basically dry out the air around us and like... It works the way that it did before. You're able to have your clearing with your warmth. Did I have... And you all go back to

your normal levels of exhaustion. Nice. Meaning zero, right? Zero. Not down one. Do I still have one kingling left from using the campfire or did I have to use both for this fire? So you had kindling for a fire. and you knew that you could potentially extend it to two

if you're making a really small one. So for this fire, you probably created, you probably used all of it. But with Sarnax's spell, you could easily, especially now that you're going to be here for more than a minute or so, you can gather kindling. I would say you could probably,

with everybody's help, gather enough to make six fires. I'm feeling good enough now to help fix some firewood. It's fine. I have already taken care of it. Oh, okay. I hate to be a burden. and I don't want to be, but I think I'm just going to get some rest.

Go to sleep. Please, Shepard. Wake me up for Fourth Watch. I'm happy to get up early in the morning. Do you want me tea before bed? No, no, I appreciate it. Maybe in the morning. If you could show me what I need to do on Fourth Watch, I'll have tea ready for everybody.

All right. Just leave the supplies out. I'm happy to take care of it. And I'm sorry I was such a burden. No, no, it's quite hard. And I'm just going to lay down on my bed rolling in the fire and, like, close my eyes with my hat on my face. I'm going to wait for him to fall asleep.

No, I will wake him. He'll sleep tonight. I will take it hard. I'm totally imagining. I'm going to wait until he falls asleep and let us through. He's a weakness we do not need. What is the weakness from my partner? I will beat his blood.

Miss calls her. I will take third watch and wake you. Thank you. And I'll curl up. So, order of watch. Fourth, third. I'll take first. So first, second, third, and fourth.

Because he wants to be fourth, right? Or nobody's waiting. Nobody's waiting. Gotcha, gotcha. You guys, you're already in front of me. Nope. I will say, Lucas, could you please prepare my tent?

And I will cast Unseen Servant. and Lucas will pull from the case my very, like he's pulling out all of my camping stuff that I usually take on my expedition. It's like the big heavy duty 10, like the cot, the like a little desk, a couple of stools, and I'm going to retire and just sort of sit there listening and kind of peering out but drinking tea.

And while on my wash, I would like to richly cast identify on, on the ruby. Okay. Oh, I have the rubies. You do that, and it is Luxem. It is just a luxem. So there's no cursor.

Not on the ruby. Just on you, brother. So hold on. Let me make sure I dock 50 gold. And then do I still kind of have that sinking feeling in my stomach? Yes. I would like to As well, everybody's asleep

I will say Let's make sure you know what works here Thank you Esmeralda, this may come in handy And I will Oh no, I have not, I don't have it prepared Then I'm

So you're to sleep? So who's on first watch? He is, and I... I need you to roll a survival check for me, please. No way no. You attempt to control the fire, but your attention has been drawn to the ruby and this curse on you. And as you, your watch ends and you go to wake up the next person, you realize that the flames have begun to subside there, but barely there. And you don't have the time, so you wake up the next watch.

I would like to role play a little bit. as you wake me up. Grouse. Wake me up, Daddy. I'll be the professor when you beat the student in the evening. Well, I need a legend of the vans is canceled

forever, indefinitely. Don't come back on Tuesday or Wednesday. We're done. Dye. Yeah, I really need that, eh, though. Gross. As I wake up, I'll look and I'll see that the fire is dwindling.

and I'll say, Professor, fire is a living, breathing, power. Yes. It must be tended to, if you wish, to keep it going. And I'm going to sneak over and try to grab some more kindling

from Kana's, like, from what he had collected and use one of our businesses and bring it over, and then just cast a fucking scorching ray on that shit. You take one of the bits of kindling, bring your total stock down to five. and you reignite the fire.

Professor, yes. I know you must be tired. It has been a day, but would you sit with me for a moment? Of course. Sorry. So after re-igniting the fire,

I'll sit down. Would you like to join me in my tent? Oh, yeah, your tent. Yes, I would. Thank you. It seems like there's a fucking time. I'm like, I'll sit down and I'll put the lantern in between us,

and I'll sit. I'll say, Professor, Asran, do you have children? No. I would advise against it. He's like, man. Why is that? What happened today, to you specifically?

Do you feel it as I do? Yes. I do. I do. What do you, what do you feel? Do, Professor. You are an intelligent man, a great professor, renowned from where you come from. You're even able to get in contact with me, not an easy task.

That's right. But intelligence can only get you so far, Professor. In all of your divination, all of your arcane power, you can. You can know things. You can gain knowledge. But what good is knowledge without the wisdom to know what to do with that knowledge? You're right. You're right.

It is not for us mortals to decide what is the proper path, to even claim our own fate. It is the will of the gods, the will of Garets, the fireland. is the one that lights my path, provides me the wisdom. But I would implore you, Professor. Search your feelings. Search your heart. And whatever it is, the darkness within you now, I hope you exercise the wisdom to avoid the doom that both of us feel.

This is a curse, am I not doomed already? Is this not a doomed expedition? We may be doomed, yes. But I feel the doom is perhaps unavoidable, but searcher, the wisdom. Consult, the gods. Where your wisdom fails, theirs will not. I'll pull my spellbook. I'll flip to the page that I just transcribed freshly this morning, or this morning.

This is about noon. Um, this spell can remove curses, but I have a feeling a paltry spell such as this is not going to remove whatever the hag has done to me. Perhaps we shall confirm in this moment. I don't believe I can cast it until the morning. Very well. And at that point, I want to save my image. You should. Long, dark road lies ahead of us, Professor.

and I am afraid perhaps even if we survive and make our way out of the Rovia is a long dark road ahead. It's quite right. My goal is that whatever this is, the expedition will evolve.

Expedition will not be due. If I have to pray to the morning Lord to make that happen, I will. I would suggest another alternative to the morning. When you feel the time calls for it, simply ask

and he shall answer thank you so much get some sleep professor and I'll grab the lantern and I will head back out to the fire when I will go to sleep you go to sleep

I need you to make a survival check save his name thrice oh godly so I don't want to feel free to tell me to go fuck my I will. But if I feel like it would be getting low at all, I'd be willing to scorching Ray just blasting it with fire.

When you get one? I got like a survival. It's good so. It's a 10. You got a 10? Yeah. Yes. You are able to keep the fire going to.

I'm still going to use all my spellswashed for scorching ray. But you would need to add more kindling. I'm going to sneak over to a comment. That's good. me I almost beat on myself. I'm getting it, I'll... I'll... I will use another charge of our kindling,

so to speak, and I will use all of my my... which are called spells lots, my second level spells lots. Third watch. I'll slow their backup. So I would like to use my time to just staying on the edge of our camp, see if I can pick up any

more branches, twigs, anything. like that to put on the fire as much as I can. And I also just want to be listening out into the forest to see what I hear. Okay. Go ahead and make an investigation check as well as a survival check for me. Investigation is a six. The motorcycle is an 18. You are able to replenish.

We're now back up to, we're not back up to, but you're easily able to keep the fire going without using any more of the bundles that you had saved. You're able to take some kindling from here and there that you find and continue to feed the fire. The trees that are encroaching around you are very tight, and it's really hard to notice much more outside of your small, sanctuary that you've found, but you are able to see that up in the trees above you are eight ravens that seem to be nestled there, enjoying the warmth of the fire that you've created. So I'll feed the fire. Okay. Thank you. Do I see that there's kindling missing? I would say I'm probably not. Okay. I'll do, like I'll laugh around the the campsite just holding my

and looking into the forest and down the path and up with the ravens see if like the fire needs to be added to or anything. Yep, roll as your arrival check. 17. Okay, you tend to the fire and you spend your time watching and just being aware of everything around you. You see that the fire begins to die so you find a few twigs and logs

here and there and you dry them off, you cut off the bits of wet wood and you throw it onto the fire and keep it roaring. And you all enjoy long rest? I'll have to use the rest of my watch to start making like really basic breakfast trying to force my water in a like

tech thing. As soon as everyone wakes up I'm panning out like warm porridge to everyone to eat to quickly get everyone on their feet to leave. So you wake up, I need you all to roll a Constitution saving throw. For real? Yeah, well, yes, you have your camp, but it's still frigid cold weather and you don't have cold weather gear, so you still have to determine what happens. Let me roll it advantage.

Because you have your camp, I'm not making you do it eight times. Fine, but I'm going to pout while I do it. That's fine. I failed the saving throw, so I'm going to use my indomitable feast. Right off the back. Right off the bat, because I rolled a natural one. Yikes. Are we even going to comment?

Yes. Like, one in 400. Oh, yeah, that sounds good. Oh, no. Wow. Kind of cold. Cut. Killing.

Killing. That's a fucking shaking. I got a nine. I got a nine. 25. No, no, no. 20. I got an eight.

Who's next to these? Your wife's. Go fuck yourself. That's when you say fuck me yourself, you coward. I don't think of that. I got a 17 at that time, Becca. Sorry, no funsy.

You wake up and you begin to clean up the camp and get ready for the day's journey. It's about eight in the morning. it took longer down in this valley with Mount Gacchus to the side for the light of the morning to reach you and to rouse you from your sleep. And thank you. The actions turge. Thank you. Actions turge.

Actions Sturge. Oh, I'm just, I'm dumb. I'm sorry. The action turge. Thank you for following us. I appreciate it. But you wake up and you begin to clear up the camp. And over the course of the morning, you wake up and though the fire was able to keep off the most of the cold,

Kona, Clayton, and Shepard, you find yourselves feeling like your rest was just not as peaceful as it could have been. You'll have a level of exhaustion. Yeah, you should have prayed. I'll be ready to continue now. Yeah. Yeah, all right. And for the record, I don't appreciate whichever one of you jokers didn't wake me up from a goddamn watch.

That would be cava. Yeah, it was for your own good, shepherd. I talked about not being a burden, and that's everybody doing their own part. The only time you would be a burden is if you succumbed to this cold on the road, and then we're stuck. Your unconscious or worse.

Yes. I'm not going to hold you all back. You're not. I feel fine. You're just a burden. So if it comes to it, what I was saying, is you leave me be and bury me amongst the dead, all right? I'm not going to hold you all back. If I freeze the death up here, it's my own goddamn problems.

None of your problems. Well, I would take it hard, and it would be my problem. So please just alter your tone. Fine. And carry on. I apologize. Shepherd, I wrote. Yes, Sarnax.

He may be a doomed expedition. but Garex has set his eyes on you. You will not be brought down by the mere elements. All right, if you say so. It'll take more than that to bring a man of fire like yourself, right? Well, I still think that's Sarnax, but I'm just rolling with it. He sees it in you, and I think he sees it in many of us. I wouldn't give up hope just yet.

keep that flame going thank you you have many many more days probably until we reach the castle I'm sorry Miss Victoria I apologize that's all right

your passion is as well you're in music Professor how you feel I don't even notice what you said what is he what are you doing he's doing his tea right oh I'm you busy

I don't know that's my Oh, are you speaking to me? I'm sorry, Professor. I, yes. Are you all right? Are you feeling okay? I'll be fine. I have a shaky hand,

by my and hand you some porridge. Oh, thank you. It's a bit cold. Thank you. I mean, this is very kind. This weather is awful. It's hard to keep anything warm at this rate. Thank you, Carla.

You're welcome. We snucked that far where... My tongue is like scoops. We're about two miles from the temple now. We can do that. We can do that. You imagine it will probably hit you. about two hours just given the train.

Yeah, it won't be an easy climb. We can do it. We're at the press of this, if you will. Well. Let's carry on then. Lucas will have packed up my camp. I will finish my tea. I will look down to the tea leaves at the bottom and roll my importance.

I will grab my case and we can set off. Professor. Before we head out. Yes. I reach out my hand. I drop 100 golds worth of coins in your hand. Holy water and iron. I give you back.

You just needed to ask. I won't take your money. All right. I will open my case and I will look through and from... Can you use holy water? Was that new shit? I will... pull a little vial

that has a little sun on top of it. Pass that to you, and I will take several just little tiny ingots of iron. Thank you. And I just talked them into my back. They are both of you one spell. The expedition has molded

removed the gold. Yep. 100 you said? Yes. Yeah, 100 gold piece. I know it's a lot, but you know what Sarnax told us yesterday about those

fucking gargoyles. I'm a little concerned. So am I. Do you think if it came to it and that webbing of yours could hold something still for one minute? I don't need one. It depends on

that a penalty, but... Look, I understand that this is some stretch of an aison and a hole, but I just feel better. If we get in a pinch, I think we'll all be happy. if we had it.

Wait, Ted, what? I'm sorry. Do you... The ability... I just need to know that you're willing to try to restrain something for one full minute. Yeah. So, with how my web works, it's... I can attempt to restrain it. And if it's restrained, they still have a chance to break out every few seconds.

Sure. I can do my best. All right. But it may not be enough. I'll try. May your case also produce two sunburst dependents, each worth 100%. gold pieces. I whip out two sunburst pendants. The doll comes out

y! This is why we have a hard limiter, folks. And with that, oh, are you going to our piece now? No, let's go right ahead. Let's head out. 45 minutes have passed. You continue

to move along. An hour. I need you to Royal Constitution's savings. 22. Oh, boo on you. 23. My dyes. I love it.

Clayton. 18. Stop. Victoria? I can't. I got 24. My stop. I got a seven.

It's, it's you. Yes, I know. I know it's me. Thank you. Son-hacks. 23. Can you use this? I don't want to.

I don't want your handout. It's your charity. What is worth if I had even semi-decent constitution, this wouldn't be at it. I'm sorry. This would have happened half as much if my constitution wasn't shit. Still, like, it's impressive. How many five is trouble? You make your way about 15 minutes out of camp when Shepard, the cold, begins to overtake you,

and you all begin to move at a snail's pace again. I left arrest, though. Fuck that shit. You're back down to one. No, fuck off. You can pro- But I'll do respect. Fuck you, Professor.

Yeah, with all due... Take my shoulder. Yeah, by. And with that, you continue on. 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour. Do for one good roll. I have a lot of those. Fuck off.

No. What was... It's a lot. Do you want to roll in the tower? No, I don't want to. It's not a handout. It's been here this whole time. In.

Oh, wow. I know. I love you all. Now I roll a five. Those in shitty dice tower shouldn't cast stones, as they say. I still got a 14. God damn.

Well, I'm rolling like a fucking peach. I left the rest of again. Fuck it. We'll get there. 24. 23. By 13. So you will take another level

because you needed to hit a 15. Okay. So you find yourself, Kana, overcome with cold. Now second level of exhaustion. You begin to move. to move at a snail's pace. What did you?

You failed, but you still back at one. What did you get, Sarnax? 19. And you're moving now at half speed as Kana's overtaken. You imagine this last leg was only going to take you an hour, but now it will take you two.

I've got a little bit more of my coffee. If you'd like so. It doesn't taste the best, but that's not why we use. Save your strength, Shepherd. Kana, I want you to pray to Garek's. I want you to close your eyes. I don't know if I can do that.

Close your eyes. Okay. Say Garex, warm my soul. Sarnax, warm my soul. That's not what I said. I do not. It is not my power, Kana, because Gerex is power. Here's the point.

It is Garex. He's simply a cognitive. Garex, warm my soul. Garrick's and all other deities that be, please warm my soul. I don't know. That's political. That is not what I said, Connor. Repeat after me.

It's very simple. I will slow it down. Garex, warm my soul. Gerex, warm my soul. Gerex, warm my soul. soul. What's the magic word? Cona, you done this to me before it's dragon.

Dragon. Krovia the third time. Kona, you feel one level in your exhaustion fade away. You are now still at one. Sometimes I got a wonder sarnax and all this pomp and circumstance is just you taking some sort of sick pleasure and else, you know,

non-Garixian followers. He's a missionary trying to convert the entire expedition. But it's an honorable goal. Fortunately or unfortunately, it's probably working. Yeah. 30 minutes. 45 minutes, an hour.

Ask me what I fucking died. What you get? I will when it's your turn. Okay. Oh, no, you gave it to me. She rolled five. 16. Okay. Okay.

19. Okay. 26. Mm-hmm. This is what I get. This is the card. Oh, I got, I thought 22. You're all able to shrug off the effects of the cold, except for Victoria. Damn it. The wind whips around you.

Your body feels frail beneath the weight of the wind. And you have a second level of exhaustion. Oh, no, no, you have one. Oh, I thought it was turbo exhaustion. I was like, no. No, you have one. You're not on my list for two. That's just a con.

Clayton and Thank you. Yep. Shepherd. So you are now about 30 minutes. You can see looking down,

the road fades away under a covering of snow. But it takes you far enough to see the facade of some kind of temple carved into the sheer mountain side ahead.

The front of the structure is 50 feet high and six alcoves containing 20 foot tall statues. Each statue is carved from

a single block of amber and depicts a faceless hooded figure. Its hands pressed together in a gesture of prayer between the two innermost statues, the 20-foot-tall archway, with a staircase leading down. We're so close. Is that it?

We should hurry on now. Yes, yes. Amber, it's right there in the name. You continue a long path, 30 minutes, until you find yourselves looking up at the statues. As you look up at them, the longer you look, the more you're filled with the sense. of unease, sense of uncertainty. It's colder here. It feels like it's,

if Fahrenheit existed, that it was about negative 10 degrees where you're at here. What the fuck? The coldest it has been. I'm very cold. And we can just get one of the maps out. This map here.

Oh, is that the map that's there? Oh, yes. So what's showing is what you see. Oh, let me make sure you're a lot. right spot. Yes. Yes, you're standing in front of the entrance. Many are right there. It's right there. No. As you look up at these amber

statues, you stand here, staring up the statues, and as you continue to look, the feeling of unease settled into the pit of your stomachs. And it does not dissipate. The wind is absolutely frigid

as it whips back and forth. You look down the stairs into the depths of this temple. Tell me I'm wrong, but I'm worried whether or anything going to let up once we step in there. I mean, they say it's in close temple. It's like built into the mountain, right?

It is. Just, just... Let's get inside. Just cold and bad feeling, I guess. I'm inside now. We heard of traps. We should all keep an eye out. Yes, you're right.

She'd be very cautious. Can you give me 10 minutes? Yes. Quickly, please. All right. And I will attempt to virtually cast detect magic. And I'm going to try to keep it up.

whenever I can. We have downtime, like, I'll just take 10 minutes to try to keep it up if you can. I think I need to cast... We'll see her. Yeah, right. It makes sense. Yeah, I'm going to cast me a Jermer. Don't forget to protect yourself. What he's doing.

Oh, thank you. I'm off of us. And I will cast Majormer. Protect yourself. You'll be all bag that shit. Before you penetrate a couple. Right. Okay.

Well, they say your boss is a temple. Things are going on. Oh, man. I vote we murder some, man. I can't take you anywhere. Everyone in favor say I can't. What do you see, Professor? Well, I see these amber statues here.

They're praying, though. They say there were wizards and mages here, not the holy folk, but it is a temple, so I suppose. His whole man's praise to the morning ward. Perhaps places where the religion and the science overlap. If we could just hurry, that'd be good. Yes. All right. Whenever I'm done casting the Tech Magic, I want to check the doors and maybe like one statue.

If you do that and you do not sense magic. Do we need to go in quietly before? Should we announce ourselves? And again, I got maybe one use of my intuition for finding a trap, so you let me know. Yes. I would walk to the door and I will open it. If it applies. There's no door.

going down. Oh, going down. Oh, I'll read the description to you again since it was before we. The road fades away under a covering of snow, but it takes you far enough to see the facade of some kind of temple carved into the sheer mountainside ahead.

The front of the structure is 50 feet high and has six alcoves containing 20 foot tall statues. Each statue is carved from a single block of amber and depicts a faceless hooded figure. Its hands pressed together in a gesture of prayer. Between the two innermost statues is a 20-foot-tall archway with a staircase leading down.

The stairway is open. No, shine my light into the darkness. Can I look down and see if there are any strange footprints that may be going in here or if there are any at all? It's stone, so it's hard to tell, rural survival. About 15? You can't tell any footsteps. And we continue down the steps? Mr. Conner raised a good point.

Should we announce ourselves? I give the professor full discretion here. He's about the wizard stuff. If anyone is still living here, we don't know the nature of... I'd rather not give away our position, but if we encounter anyone, we should be respectful. No understood.

Indeed. Help us along our way to move quietly. That's not a bad idea, I guess. I'll take out my prayer, be you at soon. guide us in silence as we move forward in our telescope. We will roll stealth and then you add plus nine. Okay. Stealth roll.

Stealth. God. Dang. 19. 12. 15. 15. Pretty good for a one.

No. Oh, well, well, well, no. No, yeah, 12. We're not very stealthy. Icey. be clacken. I see steps to send 10 feet to a time-ravaged hallway with arrow slits in the walls.

Beyond the hall lies a vast sepacral darkness. Oaken and cover the whole light. So we're going to walk in and start next to shining his light. Yes. And that's what you see is the entrance way. A hallway.

Oh, this is the hallway. Yes. So we're walking down the hallway. Yep. And I got my light out. And you see those little holes there are arrow slits. Oh, I'll sign my light into each one. Hold on, Professor. Yes. I think this might be some Indiana Jones shit. It appears to be a 20-foot square room slumped into the northeast corner is a wizard wearing a blue wizard's robe clutching a wand to its chest. And as you shine your light for its face.

Skeletal remains. Professor, I believe there to be whiz-biz in this chamber, but he has a wand. Perhaps Lucas can fetch it. The other, on the opposite side, it's exactly the same, but devoid of the skeletal body.

Uh, yeah, yes, yes. Lucas, please. And my may-hand will go out and grab the wand. Okay. And pull it close. and the tech magic

should still be going do I get any sense of it appears to be a magic wand this is indeed a magic wand why do you have any use for that

I don't know yet but we will keep it and what's weird to me is there's no doorway how do they get in there I mean it's just a room perhaps another way in

should you perhaps can Lucas jostle the skeletons around to see if there's any else. So much for being respectful. In a respectful manner. The mage hand

reaches in, begins to jostle the skeletal bones around. These are ancient bones. They clatter to the floor, scattering about. There seems to be nothing more in the blue cloak and the wand. I don't know, Professor. This is strange to me.

I won't grab the cloak. I will grab the cloak. I just want to tell. tell you that Amber is picking up her order. No way. No way. So she's So Amber is on the way.

And we are in the Amber did you plot it this way and she's going to actually guess. I am the DM. If you're going to murder us? Your sandwich is also Roefo initiative. Yeah. This is a mimic sandwich.

Come, Billy. Curse of Jessus. Come. I would have grabbed the robe. Okay. Yikes. And pull it in. You do that.

And is it magical or? No. It's a robe. Just a blue rose. I'll leave up. Can I swill robes? I will. Actually, I'm going to pull it through.

Could someone determine how he was killed? I try to peek in. The bones are so ancient. It would be difficult. They're, there without, being in there next to it, there would be no way from this aeroslid to tell. The better question is, is there blood on the robes? That's what I meant.

Like, are there punctual? Someone could investigate, or I will investigate the robe and see if I'm going to turn in. The robes are just a pure blue. Okay. So there were no, like, stab wounds or blood. Okay. All right. That's well.

Maybe he was in prison, though. Yes. It's just weird that he's still in a room with no door. Should we keep the robes in case we get cold again? Yeah, I had, I don't know. It's about disgusting. Wow. I appreciate not dying.

I don't want to put on some dead guys' clothes. Agreed. And we'll shine my light down either direction. The 20-foot-wide balcony of black marble with a shattered railing overlooks a vast temple. Black marble staircases at each end of this balcony to send 30 feet to the temple floor. The vaulted ceiling is 30 feet above the balcony. The walls and ceilings are covered in an amber glaze, blending the gloom of gold. chain. A set of

amber doors stands closed at the west end of the balcony. A similar path stands open to the east. Looking around, you all are able to notice that there are arrow slits on the walls overlooking the temple. Your light source pierces the darkness

and you're able to see the very end a large, faceless statue standing in print. faceless strange a statue to a faceless man

woman at what point do we start hollering for Van Richton it's not a bad idea he probably doesn't want to be discovered if he's here I don't care if he wants to be or not we're fine

that's fine but I think we should take a look around from screen all right yes we were just blessed by Elnator I think we should utilize that as Fair enough.

Well, we have these two doors on either side of us. Perhaps we poke our head in on the one that is open. This room is featureless, except for a rough-edged, 10-foot diameter, circular hole on the floor to the east, and empty torch sconces along the walls. Double doors of amber stand open to the north and west. A single-closed door lies just south of the western set of double doors. Perhaps we should just stand out and investigate this room. I'll shine my light into the hole

and just... What is the nature of the hole? Is it collapsed or is it a well? It appears to just be a 10-foot diameter circular hole. I take the one end side, butt-end side of my

ketana and just like poke it to see if the ground is unsafe or if it continues to collapse but there's anything under the rubble. There's no rubble. It's an opening. So This room is featureless except for a rough edge 10 foot

diameter circular hole in the floor to the east and empty torch sconces along the walls and then it talks about the double doors it's an actual like hole that goes down it's not a it's not something that happened for destruction or decay weird it was meant to be there yes but there's a lip

around it you'd have to go to it I'll lock up to it and peer in the hole in the floor forms a roughly hewn shaft that descends 20 feet, then breaks through the ceiling. As you look down, it looks that it could be climbed. There are notches, places you could hold until it gets towards the very bottom, where there appears to be a drop-off of maybe 10 feet, 20 feet. It's hard to tell from this high up, but you can faintly see the stone floor beneath.

Okay. Professor, do you want me to drop a torch down there and climb down? Looks like I can make my way down slowly. He's notches here. Yes, take a look. Light a torch and drop it down. See if there's any reaction at the bottom. You light the torch and you drop it down.

You see as it descends, the wind rushes past it. You see as it begins to extinguish, but it lands on the floor with a loud clatter that echoes throughout this room. and all is silent until you see it. Faint, glowing green light as it begins to get brighter and brighter and brighter. Three orbs of light begin to move towards the bottom of this pit. They begin to ascend with a cackling. Three flaming green skulls fly up out of the, the base of this thing and look at all of you.

I need you to roll for initiative. Wow. Fuck, let's get some minis down, baby. The dead rise, even here. The expedition may be far from the valley, but they are still in my domain. If a little snow and wind gave them so much trouble, I have little hope for their odds against the horror that awaits them in the Amber Temple, which at this point should really be named the Amber Tomb.

We shall see how the... they fare in part two of Chapter 10 of Curse of Stradania. End of all hope. 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 these show notes.

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