Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 28 | Cradle to Grave: Part 1

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

Horror has come to Vallaki, as Strahdanya finally plays her hand and starts murdering innocents.   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/rnVXEUjQe4o?si=9BSYHrDDwPDjavB_

You are back in the ruins of Bures of Bres and listening to Curse of Stradania, a Legends of Adventress podcast. Last time, Babelais Saga unleashed her dark magic and creeping hut upon the Azran expedition in a brutal and bloody battle that honestly could have gone either way. However, in the end, they finally brought my other mother to her doom, after she cursed and prophesies the same for the Azran line. What evil secrets could wait within the hags of her? Slare, this could be interesting.

This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. You can become a patron yourself by following the link in the show notes. We are eternally grateful for your support. With that out of the way, let us proceed with Chapter 14, Cradle to Grave. The swarm of insects around you begins to dissipate almost immediately as Baba Lysaga fades down into the muck and the mire of the swamp. The final blow to her, removing the life essence from her. You watch as her eyes turn in milky silver as she slowly sinks down into the muck.

And you all take a moment to catch your breath and to breathe and to look around. You can see each other now. The insects flying and buzzing around you, dispersing and making her way deep towards the mists further out into the swamp. As you look over, you see just the brim of a bit of a little bit of. Shepard's hat, his body, completely consumed by the moisture of the swamp. I need you to take some damage. You're going to take two failed, or one failed death save.

And six damage. Oh, boy. Do I go into negatives if that happens? No. I'm just still at zero. It's just important for the sake if it had done another. So hold on, just so that everybody knows. This is his, he's rolling a death scene because he went down at the end of the last

session. So as long as you don't roll a one. And I had rules that the muck does do damage. So on his turn, he takes the damage from being submerged in the swamp. And for the sake of making sure everyone is aware of this, including chat, there are no twists of fate on death six. So all I have to do is not roll a one. So God's a dash. If you're up there. He's rolling chess. Please listen to me. forgive me for what I'm about to do with my shitty chest sex and die. Jesus.

It's all bow our heads in prayer now. I got a five. Oh, Lord. It's two fails. Yes. Yes. I feel alive. Lucas, retrieve him from the swamp. Oh, yes. And I will have

my arcane hand scoop him up. And I will run. Zip him over to Sarnax. I am going to run to meet Lucas's hand. And, uh, Cassie, fifth level, uh, cure wounds. Uh, yeah, fifth level cure wounds. And I'll just hold up and think about it. You place your hand onto Sarnax's body.

He's held limp in this giant spectral hand, Lucas's spectral hand, um, covered in the muck and the mire of the swamp. As you place your hand onto him, you all watch as Sarnax. you can feel the warmth on his rusty teethling skin. You can almost see an area where the skin illuminates almost as it being burned by fire, begins to blacken

under your touch for just a mere moment as it undulates and fades. Shepard, you feel air, fill your lungs as you sputter and cough the muck that you had begun, that had filled your lungs now, spilling

out over your vest or whatever it is that you wear. It's bachia. It's your poncho. Over your poncho. And so your eyes open up. I need you to roll a perception check. Oh, God. Are you all right, Shepard?

Do we get her? She's gone. She's dead. Fuck. You've been through a lot. A ten or higher is what I'm looking for. 11. 32.

32 points of you like to you. 32. As you look up, held a loft, and Lucas's hand, you see smoke on the horizon far off miles and miles away. This is not something. Do I know what direction is?

It's covering most of the horizon. It would be hard to tell like... So it's not like a tender smoke in the distance. It's like a fire. It's like a fire. Oh, gosh, I need a minute, but what in the hells is that? That's a whole lot of fire. Do I recognize or what direction it's coming from

or what kind of fire it is? Probably fire, fire. Can we smell smoke? Like, is it that strong? No, it's very far away. Okay. Like, you can't even... For all you know, it could be trees burning on the mountain.

But it's very clear, like black burnings. What direction is it coming from? It's just covering the entire horizon line from where you're... You are in a swamp surrounded by trees. So looking over, you're just seeing fire off in the distance. Like, we're... Where we came to.

Okay, so not even cardinal direction. We can get a sense of that. No. You don't know the cardinal direction that you're in currently. You've been fighting and battling. Got it. That's not good. That can't be good.

What the hell is you up to? How's everyone else feeling? I can all live. Oh, shit, my guns! And I'm going to go, like, dig in the mud where I went down and see if I can just, like, you know, pull them out. Yes, easily. Ah, shit, the dock will be.

so mad if you saw me, ah, damn it. I'm trying to like to wipe them off. I'm going to walk over to Baba Lassiga's body if it hasn't been completely consumed by the swamp and try and use my Nagyada to lift it out of the... Roll an investigation check. 14. You get down on your hands and knees and begin digging through the muck,

and you expect to find something, anything, but you find nothing at all. Nothing remains of Babelais Saga. I can't, I can't find her. I leave. she has perished, and whatever nature of her putrid, long-lived existence, returned her to nothing, I presume. I am tired.

We must rest. Before we be going poking around in her hut. You think there's still danger? You don't want to just, like, find it and get the fuck out of you? Yeah, it could be untold traps and curses in that hut. I should rest. You both must like shit. Getting back in the wilderness condition.

Unlalance. Something could come upon us. If you can find a clear area by the water, I can speed this up a little bit. That would be ideal. Clayton, as this happens, you feel a pain rack your mind. You take nine psychic damage. As your eyes go dark, you all watch as his eyes, which were their normal color, are now a dark, inky black, Clayton.

As you're looking out, you no longer see the swamp around your friends, the situation you've been in, but you see the stones of the Abbey. And Irene and Sergei, bending down in front of you, holding your hands. You can't hear what they're saying. It's almost as if they're speaking to you underwater. and you can't make out the words and you look down and you realize that those are not your hands.

Tiny, child-like hands. Clenched into fists, red. You can feel the puffiness of your cheeks to shake one of your hands out of Sergei's grip and you reach it up to your face. You can feel the tears spilling down your face silently. Pure despair. hurt, fear, a sense of loss.

You feel this for a moment and then all of a sudden you see something unlike anything you've ever seen before. It's not as real as what you just witnessed. It's almost as if a scene is playing out before you. A town in ruins burning to the ground. a hill with temps which had once been filled

with laughing Vistani now a pile of corpses and ruin it's almost as if you're traveling incorporeally towards it you don't you don't see what you imagine to be there but you can feel it

the loss of a parent is you're sucked back into your body you look around and your mind is wracked with pain a throbbing headache. Oh, shit.

Is this some leftover ample temple? She said, God, would you need to get out of you? She's destroyed Velaki. Who has? Presumably, Shradan. It's smoldering, I had a vision. I haven't had a vision like that before, but I assume it was real. Was this your own commonition, Professor?

Are you well? Was it the trickery of the hag or the countenet? I don't know for sure, but I felt a connection with Arabe, I believe. She was crying in the abbey. She was being consoled by Sergei and Irina, and then I saw it. I saw, I was looking down on the town and it was on fire. It was smoldering. The corpses, they can't all be dead.

certainly not certainly not there must be survivors right right what did you show what of the church did you see the church in there it was a quick vision did I see the church I don't know

a very aerial view and it wasn't like everything had been raised to the ground it was there were buildings on fire people running and screaming you were you saw shadows and shapes moving and chasing screaming

there's definitely in the vision something that was happening and currently happening. It wasn't the aftermath of something, but something in progress. What was it? Out of character is Volaki where we met Madameva? No. She was in a different encampment. So you started in the village of Borovia. You traveled to the, I think it's called the Sair encampment.

Okay. And that's where you met her. that you traveled to Valki. The hobble he saw was the one where you met Arabele's uncle and her father. Okay. All right, cool. So is that on the way? Like, would we have to go?

No, I guess not. I don't know the map in my head. We don't have to go through there to get her to Matamee, but do we? You have to go through Valanke to get to Madamee, yes. Well, I mean, we got to go that way anyway, right? Right? We got to take the girl to Madamee. If she's so worried about her parents and her father and her uncle, if this is happening right now we might be able to do

something about it. We might still be able to save people. We can't leave here just yet. If we can rest quickly, Kana, if you can... I'm on it. I'll help us rest as quickly as we can.

We need to learn what we can and find this relic and be on our way. So I'll sue everyone's minds for a minute with my Naginata blade. I will carve a circle, ring of peace around my allies, and for after one minute, everyone will benefit

from a short rest. Is there any limit to the number of fitness we can use in a short rest? As long as you have them. Death of death, Satan. I can't use that again until we've fully rusted. This may have saved many lies. If we don't do anything. Thank you, Kana. I feel much better.

Do we think we can spare 10 minutes for me to cast detect magic? I do not deal out wise, Professor. If there are lives in danger, we should retrieve what we came here to retrieve, learn what we can and leave. I don't want to rush out of here, though, because we can learn something. We want to rush. But perhaps, I would prefer you lead the investigation and not have you to act. All right, well, if you all join me, I will stand up, and I will switch. which my third eye ability, instead of being able to read any language, I want to be able

to see any invisible creatures and objects within 10 feet of me. So I'll shift that over and I'll say. All right, let us begin. And I'm slowly kind of keep an eye out, kind of investigating for any ruins or traps or curses. I want to approach the hut. All right. You do that.

I'll be beside you, Professor, just a case. You begin to make your way towards the hut, slowly, cautiously, keeping your third eye out for anything invisible, anything lurking beyond, and you don't find anything. You climb up to the hut. It's almost off-kilter a little on its side, having taken significant damage during the battle with Babelife saga. But as you make your way in, you see that the hut is 15 feet on one side

and packed with old furniture, including a wooden cot, wicker cabinet of a slender wardrobe, a wooden table, a stool, a barrel-topped wooden chest, reinforced with brass bands, and an iron tub stained with blood. In the middle of the room is a ghastly wooden crib with a small, angelic child sitting in it. All the furnishings, except for the crib, are bolted to the floor beneath the crib. There used to be the green light that would seep up into the house. Stingwood shnapp, having removed the gem. Is it a live child? There's a small angelic child sitting in a good.

Oh, my God. So do you, should I approach sleeping? Please take a look, yes. Like, does it look like, is it like that? Yes. I'm with him, yeah. Would anyone have followed us? I think we're all in there.

I'm an on holster and follow. We can fit. I don't know how many can fit. Yeah, we can. It's tight. Cana please look after the child. We should continue investigating. I'm going to immediately use one second as I love Hunter's sense on this creature.

And so it will tell me damage and you, the musicians, vulnerabilities, and what they are if it's not hidden from divination magic. You do this, and you get absolutely nothing back. And as you look at it, you see it as faintly. translucent. Oh, this isn't some kind of creature. It's almost as if it's an illusion. What do you mean?

It kind of looks a little upon closer inspection. It looks like it's translucent-ish. Professor, do you mind if I... Do what you will. I frankly don't care at this point. I'm going to holster my weapon and attempt to just like put my hand towards the child and touch it to see if my hand goes... You attempt to put your hand down onto the head of the child. You feel as your fingers slide through it, it's cold.

But it feels almost moist, and as you pull your fingers out, you see blood all over your hand. Oh, what the fuck? That's not an illusion, or it is of some sort. Do you see this? Let's just, let's just leave it alone, please. Fuck, what is the child doing? Is it reacting to us? It's an illusion.

God. All right, well, I suggest we search this damn place before we leave. Should leave quickly. Yes. Please assist me in investigating. I will do so. I'll, like, lift up the investigation check in and lift up the tub. Ooh, that's not great.

Skills. I'm not going to lift up the dough. So, 21. No, still there. No, still there. 21. Okay. you all begin to make your way around the room.

You inspect the tub and you can tell that this is an area where she was ritually bathing in the blood of the goats to prevent herself from aging. You can see thick coated in a dark brown where the blood itself has dried and caked into the porcelain areas of the tub. and you move around you see you see an area in which she was she would sleep her cots covered in dark brown remnants

of the blood as it would more than likely seep off of her or drip off of her and soak into the mattress and it is here Clayton that something catches your eye all along the wood of the wall

strange car carvings etched in, some as if by bone, others by nail, fingernail. You can see bits of broken fingernail carved into it. And a lot of them you don't fully understand. It looks like ramblings of madness. But one thing catches your eye directly over where her head would lay to rest. Three red eyes in a vertical line. You touch into them and you can feel them there.

The redness seems to be blood stained into the wood over and over and over again until the redness remains. And as you look deeper, you can see that the shape of the red portion of the eye looks very similar to the gem that you're holding. These red eyes. Have we seen anything like this before? I do not believe so. Green gems, I believe, is all we've found.

I will take my gem out. I will open my case. I will take out the gem. The case. The case. And I will just sort of hold it up and kind of prepare. It's significantly larger, but you can, looking at it now,

you can see that it's been cut and shaped to look not perfect, but close to the shape of the redness of the eyes. Perhaps, I mean, she was mad. Look at these drawings. I hate to assume this, but considering how insane this woman was, do you think this illusion is baby Stradanya?

And that she was singing. Roll of perception check. Tom, that's brilliant. well what dice do I use for this holy fuck okay okay okay well fuck indeed uh 10

do I what's this do I have in terms of you look at the child closer you notice the distinct features the sharp high cheekbones the dark eyes the very pale

skin the nearly um or the the sunken hollows of the eyes. And though the ages are vastly different, this does appear to be the infant form of Stradania. It's her.

I don't know why I didn't see it before. I think of a child. This is, it's always been seen right. The wickedness of this woman, do you think that these strange eyes and the ramblings are connected to what we saw in the temple.

What do you mean the temple? The amber temple. Dark powers, dark stars, I felt the chilling, the chill of my soul as it spoke to me, and I took on its dark gift. We all experienced that. We should keep looking. We should. I want to see if there's any kind of readable text or anything related to it.

To continue to scour the room. This is continuing from your investigation check. And you find yourself to what appears to be a bench where she would mix up poultices or potions and would dry her herbs, etc. And you do find bits of paper, and most of them contain recipes for this or that or scribblings about her day. But as you move them about, you notice a few pieces

that draw your attention more than the other. The ink on them is blood. The scribbling is hasty. The whispers. They call to me. I've brought her to them. She's theirs. I am theirs.

The shroud is heavy. The eyes ever watching. The eyes ever watching? This... Look here, the blood. These notes written in blood. was, she heard whispers. She was being watched by something with eyes.

Presumably those three eyes. You don't think she put them there herself? Like she would just be... I thought this was her home. She had control over all. No, I would say you would easily be able to see she definitely carved the image of those eyes into the wall above her head.

But what would make her do that? Perhaps the whispers that she refers to. She was mad. I mean, maybe. Maybe these whispers were driving her crazy. Something would be in Lachnau. Professor, yes.

If what you say is true, would the logical deduction be that it was Babelai Saga that led Shredania here to Barovia, that led Stradanya to the dark powers within the Miamber Temple?

I think so. Perhaps Life Saga also came under the same influence that we did. She predates Tridanya. Who knows, she could have visited the temple herself and become afflicted. Well, we know that she took the gift of vampirism. And the one sarcophagus.

The one sarcophagus, yes. And did we talk to the one? You did. It was different than the rest. We did find the vampirism one. Yes. Its voice was a little more hollow. and you weren't really able to discern.

It gave you no name, unlike the others. It wasn't quite the same. But yes, you did talk to it and did offer you the gift of the emperism. Was there anything about Lysaga that rings a bell to me based off of the gifts that were in the Ember Temple? Like if Baba Lysaga had accepted a gift, if it... Roll an intelligence check. None of them seemed to mention anything about hag magic or things of that. nature. No, I think

Stradania was the one to accept the gift of vampirism, but perhaps whatever being was in that sarcophagus was whispering to Lysaga and compelled her to bring her to the ambitam. Curious. What are the scribbles? Anything that we can make out? A lullaby? It's just kosher. Yeah, I guess do I see any word of the lullaby? You do not?

No, no sign of it. And these are all runes scribbles? Like they're not legible in any language that we may know. Yeah, it doesn't look like runes. It looks like she was just madly just drawing and writing things. They're not a language. It's pure chaos. Frantic.

You can see, you found little bits of sharpened finger bones in things. You can tell that she was using, but you're also able to find bits of fingernail as if it's something. point she was so frantic and she didn't have anything else to use. She used her own fingernails to carve things into the walls. She was mad. It would be more mad than most hags are mad. I'm not very familiar with hags.

If this is all true, and the horrible darkness over this land was Lysaga's doing, or whatever whispered to Lysaga. certainly seems like something was at work before Shadanya was even born, or at least was a baby. I was going to walk over to the baby cradle. Is there anything around the cradle under it, or is it all kind of part of the same illusion,

and then it's just floor? It's just floor underneath. But directly underneath it, you had been in here. This had not been in this spot before. Directly under it is where the green light had shown. the gem that you'd pulled from it that had animated the hut. Well, Professor, let us continue investigating. We must find what was in our faiths.

Yes. So I'll continue my investigation as we. Roll one investigation. Oh. By being assisted by my favorites. You are. Oh, that's even worse. 18.

Wow, barely. You make your way around. And your focus is on this bed more than anything else. But the arm lock off to the side, you begin to notice also has scratches in it. Some small, some large, three red eyes in a vertical line. And as you open it, pull open a drawer. You see a large wooden chest. What did you sound?

I found more eyes and also with his chest, I will investigate for traps or whatever. Or what? I'd like to be careful about it. Whatever role you would deem if a rolls are filed. Alarcona. Orcama. Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh. You can tell that there is some kind of magical, some kind of spell or magical trap on this, on this chest. Can you just sit there? I could dispel it, yes. For the MetaSense, Professor, have you gathered your important resources for the day? I believe they're all extended. I can check my notes.

They are. You don't get them on a short rest. No, I do not. I said it. I know. Choose you how much I know about four. The powerful subclass and all of D&D. Three re-rolls constantly.

there's some kind of magic on here and I can't I could dispel it but I don't know what I'm dispelling can you infer we spend 10 minutes here if you allow me 11 minutes so 10 minutes all right I'm standing by the fucking door and stand guard just keep my eyes out maybe keep my on the fire the smoke and just see you know scan the horizon roll a role of perception check to see what you perceive

during the time and you may do it at advantage because you're taking 10 minutes to do it. Now I'll get a three. Can I last the room while he's doing that? It just looks for more three line, red lines. Yeah, and I'll say you're able to find quite a few of them. They seem to be hidden all over the place and inconspicuous places. 24. Okay, you look, and it doesn't seem like it's increasing. And it's from this distance, it's, it doesn't seem like it's getting, yeah, it doesn't seem like it's getting larger. So I will take the 10 minutes, and I'll say, Sensor Marconis and cast attack magic after 10 minutes and six seconds.

It is a glyph of wording that is on this chest. And you imagine that triggering it by opening the lid would cause damage. I believe a lot of damage. A lot of damage. I think I know that spell. Let me just make sure. 5D8 thunder damage. Okay.

So I get a sense that it's... Yeah. It's the glyph blocking it. I should be able to take care of it at quite a high level. I am unfortunately unequipped today to deal with. It's a third level spell. If you don't mind me, Professor, I'm going to take an extra couple steps away from the front door. Don't take that as I don't believe in you, because I do. I trust you.

I'll say argumentum, and I will cast the spell magic. a fourth level because I don't have any third level slots. You do that. And you extend your hand and you cast dispel magic. And as you say the words, you can feel that sense of magic on this chest

is removed. Dispel magic gets rid of every magical thing that's in... On the chest. So I targeted the chest. So anything that's inside of the chest. No, not anything that's inside of the chest. No, not anything inside. It's inside the chest.

Are you sure? Ideally. It should be whatever's on the target. Yeah, it'll be, it is a target object. I'm kidding. It's not going to do anything. I'm just like fucking with you guys. Jesus. What's any magical effects that are not on there because of a spell? Because we talked about this when I was playing by cleric. You will, right.

So you choose a creature, an object, or the effect itself created by a spell. And that's what you're dispelled. Yes. Um, so. Yes. I'm not going to, I mean, I mean, to force you to take 5D8 thunder damage, but I do like to fuck with you. I will carefully. My job is the damage straw.

I will carefully open up the box. You carefully open up the box and the scent of decay hits you. I need you to roll for initiative. For real? You still fucking move. Is it a fucking, is it a mimic? Oh, my God. What did you get?

What did you get? 16. Holy fuck. The scent of decay hits your face just as you open, just as you open the chest is dark inside. You're unable to see fully what's in there. It's all of a sudden you notice one fingernail, two fingernails, three, four individual hands, skitter out and attach themselves to you. going to make an attempt.

What the fuck? God! Professor! What the fuck is this? Natural 20 on the first one? Yes! The second one fails. Third one fails.

And the third one hands. Natural 20 on the man. Got to give it out. Got to get it out. 24 points of damage from the natural 20. And then the other one will miss if shield. 22 is what you see now with shield? Yeah, so the other one will miss.

Okay. So, what did you say, 22 damage? 24. 24 points of damage. As the, as one of them skitters up your body and attaches itself to your throat, you're all watching as you see four crawling claws, climb out of the chest and climb up Clayton as one of them attaches to its throat and begins to choke him.

I'm going to run forward. Roll for initiative. Do I get to know? Yeah. Yeah. It is now your turn. I'm going to fucking send it. I, well,

I'm like pretty fucking tap down here. I'm coming for a record. Can't Zooks! I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. You keep saying. It's from chelze and war.

I'm coming. I'm coming. I do it. Get the hell off me. And I will cast a... I will cast scatter. I need to watch a movie against. Okay.

How many are the ones? How many are there on me? Four. I will cast it on all of them. Okay. They'll make a whiz saving throw. First one succeeds. Second one succeeds.

Third one does not. And the fourth one does not. I will then basically take all the ones that fail and teleport them at the feet of Shepard. Forget what you're going out at the horizon. The smoke fills the air above the trees. Because you hear Clayton screaming, you turn around to see four. Four hands grasping onto him as he panics. He yells at you.

Shepherd, handle it. You're pointing directly at him as the two disappear. As you hear the tapping of fingers on the ground. They are now directly in front of you. Many hands, left side. What initiative? 11. Okay.

I got a 24th. Okay. Shepard, it is your turn. Then you watch. Is these two, is these two, what did you get? An 11. Okay. He's, you tell, we're only two of them?

Only two of them. Okay, okay. So, are they at my feet there? They're at your feet. Yes, I'm at the ground. It's essentially it from, or not it, a thing. But they're in front of you. They're not like on you.

Right, right, right. Can I safely hellfire at my feet into the ground without wasting my entire party? Because I know it's an 80-foot cone, so I don't want to do that. I would say you could. Like literally just unleash. But no, but then I'll kill. Is this once a day? So twice a day total is what it says.

Oh, right, because it's one for each gun. But I don't think I used it at all during the fight. I don't think you didn't. So I just want to, I don't want to kill my heartiness. I would say you would do significant damage to the heart. Well, the idea is that it's, you can choose, right? Isn't it any of which you use in a cone? No.

Unloading of a shot, you mean you're using one for dead. Each creature of your choice. Yes. Fuck it. The ID is you're using dead eye from Redmond and Redmondion. Got it. Got it. I changed my mind.

I fucking pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. But he could still do damage to the hut or however you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm going to do that. But because I, he panicked me. He panicked me. He panicked me. So I'm going to unload and help fire.

I'm into the hut, hoping that I'm not some dead-eye sniper. And however you want to rule the fact that he's shooting, he's shooting. that are on me, I'll roll on me. Hey. Oh, fuck. I got the best day of the side of yoga. Any opportunity to do damage to you, I will take it.

So this creature of my choice will make a dexterity saving for us. Okay. Dex 17 DC. So two deck 17 DCs for you. And if you fail, you'll only take half damage. I feel again. I feel like that. You don't.

So you get hit with one blast of better. Okay. That's fine. Not twice. E. I'm going to start rolling. No, I'm not going to make you get hit by it. No, no, no.

I'm fine with it. Okay. This is called karma. Plus 11 is 17. When the players at the table say, no, it's okay, DM. Let me take the damage. Yeah. Six.

Plus seven is 30. 33. Oh, and I have to roll for that. save or half as much on a 16. Oh, okay. So, and it's 17? 17 DC. Okay, so one of them passes, and then, yeah, so only one of the passes.

33 points of damage or 16 on the save. You watch as all four of them begin to take blasts as you're raining hellfire around them. You turn around, you let out a yell, and you just immediately let go from judgment. As you're raining. Yes, you take half of them. As you are raining hellfire on these things, you watch as they take all the blasts, flesh and bone. He's ripping from them as they all four of them fall and land with a thud onto the ground.

The hut itself splinters and takes a significant amount of damage, but it seems to be holding strong. With the gun, with the barrel of my gun smoking. What the fuck? I was going to take care of it, and all of a sudden they were in front. Did you do that? Well, yes, I was getting them off of me. God damn it. I'm not.

You're pretty good up close, so I think I was... He scared me. I got sorrel. They were just hands. Just fucking hands. Are you kidding me? They ran god's damn throat. Professor, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. You'll be responsible for a police on this road. Oh, the last isn't true. I'll buy that. God damn. You know the road in so, Max. What's that going to cost me in tech? How much money you give Blinsky?

You've got to have afforded 40 new roads. Leiphe says the professor should have caught those hands. So it actually is a simple man. He's saying, girl, get his hands. Is everybody all right? I will lift my hat off the ground. It does that off. Well.

There's a long hair on your head. It's way up high, so you probably can't retreat. Is that all that he's in the chest professor? I hope not. Who would keep that in the chest? Just in case, Sonax, maybe you shine your light in there and make sure there's no... I will. Nothing else that's spooky, that I'll walk up and I'll shine my lantern and do it.

You have your inner eye thing, though, I'm too, right? I do. You shine your lantern in and cut through the darkness easily. Let me actually change it back to the house now. There's one whole street. I was so excited that you just opened it up. My, it is. It is.

It's time. Anyway, you shine your light in, and you see that the bottom is littered with gold and gems, 1,300 gold pieces. Oh, my God, it's not a little bit. Five, no, it's not, actually, the double gem. Five gem stones worth around 500 gold pieces each. One, broken gemstone, a mere almost. a mere replica of the one

that you hold, Clayton. Do we know that you have that? Two spell scrolls. Mask your wounds and revivify. A vial containing oil of sharpness. A pouch containing 10 plus 1 sling bullets, but for this purpose, arcane bullets.

A set of pipes. A small silver I didn't paint it. Amulant. Oh, baby. Wait, so is the gem in the amulet?

There is a gem in the end. Okay. But it's not the broken one that never like this. And I will say you're easily able to inspect that one. It catches your interest quickly. And you see that it is, it is the same shape, but it is not the same stone. It almost looks as if it was a practice stone. So it's different from the other one in the eye that didn't have to happen.

Yes. So the one in the eye was an exact copy. It was just broken. The one that you're holding is not broken. This one looks like it's a significantly less pristine gemstone. Still red, but it's cloudy. It's more pinky red than that bright or than that deep blood red. And it's rough cut.

It was almost as if she was in shaping these gems. She was practicing beforehand before working on the important ones that she launched into the skull. I will open my case to the bag of holding section. And I will say, could one of you ensure that all of this makes it in here? And I will sort of back up and just kind of examine this sort of duller jam with mine, professor, and kind of look at it. What are you doing? I'm just investigating. It's everything all right?

Yes. I will take both and put them on my first step. So we got a 1500 gold, five gems worth 500 gold each. Boil of sharpness, set of pipes, arcane bullets, small stool, amulet, and a broken red gem. And two spells, schools. Oh, that's right. When you saw a pipe, do you mean an instrument? Yep, I'm sorry?

Do you want you see set of plates? Yes, like a little wooden pan flute. Pan flute. So I think Kana takes the sharpness because she's the only one that can use it. Right? Yes. So kind of takes that You take the bullets

You take the slays And then does my case Convert the gems into Gold 30 minutes? So then I will take the gems In my inventory I'll convert it to 2,500 gold Oh, Blinty

Oh, you may be dead Oh, I'm sorry Yeah Is there anything Collect? Is there anything magical About the Amulet Professor?

Oh yeah, so I still Detect Magic going Oh So does anything So It does a text magic, it doesn't work the same way as identify though, you're not going to learn what it does.

Correct, it's just if there is magic. You can tell that the stone that you found, the correct one is not magical in any way. The vial obviously contains a magical thing. The pouch containing the bullets is magical.

The pipes are magical and the amulet is also magical. Oh shit. You're probably not the pipes that hauntled. could be used for the lullaby. Maybe she wasn't sung a lullaby. Maybe she was played a lullaby. I think we had all of the lyrics of the lullabon.

Do we? No. No, we don't. Not all of the lyrics. We heard it. It was yes. Perhaps. You were looking for the final verse.

Yes. And she died before you heard the final verse. But you realized that you've resurrected Sergei, who would have heard of the lullaby. And so that's how you were resolving that. You were just going to. ask him to what it was. Is this medallion here?

This image of the sun is a symbol of the morning. I believe it is. Is this what we came here for? I mean, it's God, right? Is it like humming of magic? Yes. Presumably. I believe this is.

I believe this is. Can we consult our reading? Just confirm? Yes. No, I don't. don't allow it. Do I have it anywhere? You sent it, Kelst, didn't you?

What? Oh, the... Kels's the reading mistress. I think it's pinned. I'm going to reach forward and I'll extend my hand. Professor, may I examine the medallie? Please. I don't grab it.

Don't do anything rash with it, Sarnet. Please. Oh, and you also find... I'm sorry, I didn't have this written down. You also find strange schematic. for what appears to be some movable, almost thrown-like object. And in the very center, what is what looks to be a gigantic cauldron of blood. Words scribbled by Babelais Saga's handwriting at the very bottom in celebration,

a gift. She will be pleased. And it's just like her sketching up the plans. It looks like the plans were more. than likely done by someone else, but in her hand she'd written the words, a gift in celebration. She will be- I will take that as well. But it appears to be some kind of movable object, some movable throne almost, with a large cauldron of blood at the very front of it.

I will take that. and while Starnex is investigating I want to take the rest of the time to just scour the hut for any sign of a name or any sense of what we think the three eyes are related to

or you know given that like all the others are like I'm Schmargo Barg the boneworm or whatever in the Amber Temple in the sarcophagus right all of the All of these dark powers had like, I'm writing that down. Marble, Marble, Marlowe.

Marble the Burmower. So given that, we didn't get a name from the vampirism one. I just want to get a sense if she wrote it down or if she did any kind of, I just want to see if I can learn anything more about the jam or the ice. If that makes sense. If it helps, I'll point out the other three markings I saw throughout the five on he was to take that. I would say, yeah, you'd easily be able to show everyone.

one. They're more than just three. They're probably 20 in total, varying in size and varying in, not description, but in intricacy. Some look more hastily drawn. Some look like she took time and time. None as clear as the one above her bed. I will say roll an investigation check. Oh, she's awesome. Yeah, an advantage.

An advantage you said? Mm-hmm. Yeah, because Mikey said you should roll at an advantage, so. Oh. Oh, no. Sorry, I thought you were. Well, it's 20. I think you're interested.

Yeah, you might be. I don't know. Mikey just said added advantage. I'm like, yes, yeah, that sounds good. I'm sorry. 28. It's kind of nothing. You're a DM, so if you say it, I'm going to do it.

Um, yeah. Um, yeah, so you, you look around. Um, yeah. You find only two more pieces of writing. One of them is partially charred. There would have been more, but it had been burned away for some reason. The whispers leave the way. And the words, the shroud conceals all.

All right. I believe I've learned everything I can here. Can we get the fuck out of this one? May I now do what I do best? Well, we're burning the hut? Yes. Oh, fuck it, burn it all. I don't get a shit.

I would let this foul future desecution upon this land stand. Hell's no. Professor, you got a problem there? What if the illusion? Fuck the illusion. I suppose we could. Counterpoint? The counterpoint is I just,

We'll relieve it. The secrets to whatever curse she placed on me. I was hoping to find more. And if we burn this, it may just be it. Do you think the answer to your fate is going to lie within this darkness and this evil? And she's dead. Very dead. Salvation for you will come through acts of good, through beings of good.

Knowledge of light. You're right. You're right. All right. I believe I've left no stone on tone. Is there any reason you would be to sing to the illusion? Why else would it appear before us as soon as we took the stone out? There's a reason it's here. Well, how are your place?

I would say that if you remember when Clayton's scrite on it, he also saw the crib then. Just not when it was active, when you were fighting. it, you didn't see it. You had all the vines were recently intertwined in like battle mode. You're welcome to sing to it if you want, God. I don't know the full alibi. You can sing most of it and see what happens.

I try the pipes. Who wants to play the pipe? I can't play a pan flute. I have one. It's a little bit different than this one. Oh, well, try this thing. You're very inefficient. Oh, dear God, just touch you.

While you do that, I'm going to begin my work, and I'm a whole, pull out some of my oil and start you know doing what I do I will walk up to the crib because I feel for this illusory child of Persishtra Jardana

and I will sit back on my knees and I will play the lullaby that I know best from the land of Anari and I'll put my lips to this magical pan fruit and I will play a soft

soft to Wow, come on that's a performance check. That's not how it goes when we heard that we are... Damn it. Don't have anything in performance, so that'll be a nine. Five. You begin to play the lullaby, and it is sweet. It brings back memories

of your childhood and the land of Anari that you came from, and it is beautiful. The child seems to be unaffected. It makes you oil porphy the child, is it? Does anything...

So nothing? The literal artist. Like your buttering popcorn. Oh, it's so... Oh, I should have landed first. Yeah. We didn't get you one of those, like industrial movie, like water dispenser for your oil. If you could rock the crib, he would, he'd get the little shake.

Again, with as much decorum, and I look directly at Victoria Lassette, as I can muster. Maybe just try the actual tune. That's... if you remember it. Try it again. Yeah, roll an intelligent check to see if you see what you remember. 14. Okay.

And then a performance. Yeah. Try a different guy this time because it gets plus zero to perform. Come on, baby. Four. You remember the tune. But it's the translation into the notes in the pan flute that you're really having a hard time executing. And occasionally, it does sound.

The cadence and the musicality of it is correct. The notes just are not. That's not right. Who would you like to try instead, Shepard? I know. No, I'm not putting that cursive thing near my lips. God damn. Well, I just did twice and I think I feel fun.

Yeah, you feel fine. I feel fine. I do not think we are. And as Kana says this, you look and you see where once had been lips on no lines. I can go with my eyes. They're going on my lips. I'll just keep. I'll just keep.

Oh, no. Jesus. No. God, you don't have eyeballs, do you? No, no, no. They came back. Gerex are more than fixing. They're eating booms.

I forgot about that. Praise Garex. Garrix's a Lord of Savior. Can I believe him here? Yeah. We like him. Now, if everyone evacuates, we'll put an end

to this wicked stain and blighted upon the land. Gladly, and I'm going to hop out of the hut and walk away. I'll walk away as well. I will also walk away. Sanex, do you think there's no benefit in attempting to contact Sergei for the lullaby right now? I do not think so. I believe that nothing of good can be achieved here.

Kana, I do not think it wise to be the standing. What if this is a place of power for Baba Lysaga? What if she, there's a great power in locations and structures. That's why we build temples and churches. I agree with you. I think it should be returned to the soil, as you've said many times. Yes. I feel this crib here is here to test us.

I believe that this crib was no more than an indulgence of her sick fantasies. I believe you too. Come on, Connie, you're not fireproof. Get out of the hot. Yes, yes, Gat-Zook's comma, please. I have never once said Gat-Zoeks professor. I think you did once in the temple. You might have been evil at the time.

I can't have a lot. I should have a little bit. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash Legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movement. movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas shroud over salt marsh.

You can also go to the crooked moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tome for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. So I'll finish pouring the oil. I'll do a little line down like a Looney Tunes line. down to the bottom and then I'll just take, I'll step back far enough and just take a little lick of ember and send it in just...

You watch as Sarnax's form appears in the doorway, you're all standing there, almost knee-deep in the muck of the swamp, darkness inside of the hut. As you see Sarnax's form appear almost as if in shadow, as flames begin to erupt behind him as he slowly steps out. You can see him in his full form. As he walks down, you look behind you and the hut itself begins to burn and pop and crack. You stand and you watch it for a minute, for two. So smoke rises into the air as you hear the crying sound of the baby. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's just a an illusion we all agree, right?

There's no, no way that's real. No way. How is it reacting to something? I'm electing not to listen to this. Professor, that's not helpful. No, no, no, it's not real, is what it isn't. Well, does that mean someone's controlling this illusion? So, based on what I know about illusions, uh, do I know that, like, me? Major illusion gets a non-trigger sound. I would say yes. Illusions can do this.

These things do happen. Did the blood come off my hand when I tried to wipe it on myself? I'm sorry, why? Did the blood come off my hand when I tried to wipe it on myself? The blood itself was an illusion as well. So the moment that you started to move it, it disappeared. The blood was gone, gone. It's not real.

It's not real. A comment, if you'd like to run into check, I mean, I don't stop. It's not the point I'm trying to make. I'm curious if it has the capacity to react to something as a cast illusion or if someone is still control of it. They do a reaction to my very poorly, say, panflute. Did it make any reaction as you poured oil on it? I do not believe it did. I'm watching it burn.

I'm not facing any of you. It's just magic. It's just another psychological bullshit trick that this land is playing on us to We've got people to say real people, not illusions. We've got to get the fuck out of here. You like my baby, you know? That's good. Yeah, it's very good.

Not real. Do you think the last part of the lullaby could have been here? We came all this way. We killed Vavala Saiga, sure, but. So I had to guess from, should I just stop? If I had to guess just from, from growing up in Yona, we really. What would you guess, shepherd? And as you turn around, you see.

hovering over the muck. Not a bit of it touching the hemline of her dress, her sword at her side. Shredonia looks down over all of you. Please tell me, what would you guess? My teafling friend. I wasn't talking to you. Oh, you seem to be addressing everyone here.

What do you want? I came to pay respects to my nanny sheets now. Gone and lost forever. Such a ship. Why are you here? Well, you see, I had some business to attend to the village of Velaki. And it is just a quick host, keeping a jump down him to make a visit to my family. You never once came to see it.

What do you know? I know as much as Baba Lysaga prepared to... Oh, you sat down with her and you had a dinner and she told you all about our lives, did she? I know that she wanted nothing. You know nothing. You know nothing at all, ignorant girl. And you, how could you, listen to the sound of a baby burning in a hut and you just allow it to have any monster? It isn't fucking real. Is it? I guess you won't know.

What is real is we buried that hag so deep. in the dirt she's gonna be burning in the hell is why you dig her out. Oh, you are so right. God forbid, however. Offend you, sheffered. You look weak. Sit down swamp muck coming out of your nose. I like snobrocket to try to like get it out.

Are you feeling ensure eyes make contact with Sarnax? Well. I'm perfectly fine, thank you. You watch as she begins to move slowly towards Victoria. Victoria, you feel as the back of her hand caresses down your hair. And she rests it at the nape of your neck. You can feel the chill of her skin against you, almost as if like stone.

And you looking beautiful after the heat of battle. Why if you come here? Well, I told you I wanted to look. The remains of the one I loved. It's obvious to tell that she is not affected in any way. To pay my respects, as it were. But you didn't care for her enough to show earlier. I was busy.

There were others that I had to attend to. So, you have been busy, all of you. Let me ask you something while you're here. Do you hear whispers, Shredanaia? What? Whispers? Why would you ask me that question? I'm having a private conversation with Victoria.

Seems strange. She does seem to be put off a little. Can we tell you your conversation and I would like to speak with you afterwards? How does that sound? I believe we're done here. Why don't you join me for dinner? I believe you have someone I would love to see. Who would you love to see?

Well, of course, the little girl, Ardabel. There is much we could talk about. Who else would I be referring to? Marina. You see her face, Titan. Do not speak that name to. At this point, after everything you've done, you would have us for dinner. I would love to.

What would stop you from killing us on the spot? Absolutely nothing. But I haven't done it now. And this one, she turns towards Shepherd, would be putty in my hands. I'd like to see you try. It would be too easy. I like a challenge and you're weak, pathetic.

And you let a baby burn behind you. It wasn't fucking real. The only thing you had was your mother. morality and you stand here while it cries. Its skin bubbles in the heat. Family somewhere yearns for their infant and you just let it die. You have strength? No, not good enough.

Morals? Not anymore. Shepard has no responsibility for what happened to any child illusory or otherwise. That was my decision. I am the one that bears the responsibility. It is his choice to turn and walk away from the innocent, the helpless. I would have stuck to him. He never had a choice. Oh, so you think you are stronger than you?

Friends, right? He thinks he could stop you. Who is a friend to tell you not to save those which can't save themselves? He believes he's stronger than you, that he can assert his will over you. Sad, really, who you choose to be friends with. This is not what I am here for. She turns her face to Victoria. She leans down and tilts your chin up.

She leans in as if she's going to kiss your lips. We feel the faint brush of them over your bottom lip. As her mouth moves, Towards your ear, I have something for you and you alone. When you come, and I know you will, find my bed chamber. Sorry. Find my bed chamber. You will not be disappointed.

And until that, have this. And you feel her hand at the small of your back, slowly move down, almost as if she's about to cut your buttocks. but she moves around to your satchel. She slowly drops something into it. I will see you then, and I promise you it will be worse to do it. But now I have places to be and people to drink.

Before you go. I tire of you, Professor, and you're in normally large head. Are you in control? Of everything. You think so? always. And you don't hear whispers? Do you?

And she looks down at your bag. I want you to roll a perception check. Yikes. That is a moment's short. 17. You meet her eyes and you see as she glances down and she does that. You see the light,

the light of the fire of the hut, flicker on the choker around her neck. in the dark red gem, an exact replica of the one that you hold, fastened at the base of her neck. I've had enough of all of this until we meet the game. One thing. And she immediately turns into bats and flots away. When she was having a conversation with Victoria, I'm assuming we saw her lean in, heard nothing, saw nothing. That was just a whisper.

It was the only person that would have been able to hear. or her would have been Victoria. Got it. And I was a saw... And we didn't see this left. Got it. We have avenged you for Donnell. Whether you know it or not.

Because I get too farlocky. We gotta try to save those people that are left. Weh! Wehah! I can't listen to this anymore. Get us the hell out of here, please.

And I'm going to start to walk away the direction that we came down into the swamp up and out. Towards Velaki, right? Well, at least out of the swamp. Right, right? And then we can orient ourselves from the road or the place where we were, you know. All right, and how are you moving?

Fast as fuck, I don't know. Are you rushing? Are you just slowly walking there? I would say I'm in a hustle. We are hustling out of the swamp. We're not running, but we are making, we're moving. We're not lollagging. And what's the order? I'd be in the lead.

Okay. I'll be in the back. I'll be behind, Shepherd. Let me see if I, I can get us there quick out. I don't think I can. I like a parrot. Oh, the parrot.

The magic parrot bottle of it. Thank you. My one. My one's my favorite man. The back with Connor. Plus one. You begin to make your way out of the ruins of Beres. I will say that entire thing

gave you the ability to attune enough to your items. You have the oil of sharpness, the two spell scrolls, a pipes of haunting. and Pipes of constant Yeah, Mike and he knows

this kind of stuff and the holy symbol of ravenkind it is a wondrous item legendary requires attummit by a cleric or paladin

of good alignment Oh shit Get some Mike The holy symbol of ravenkind is a unique holy symbol sacred to the good-hearted faithful of Brovia

It predates the establishment of any church in Brovias According to a according to legend, it was delivered to a paladin named Lugdana by a giant raven or an angel in the form of a giant raven. Lvdana used the holy symbol to root out and destroy nests of vampires until her death. The high priest's ravenloft kept and wore the

holy symbol after Lugdana's passing. The holy symbol is a platinum amulet shaped like the sun with a large crystal embedded in its center. The holy symbol has 10 charges for the following properties. It regains 1d6 plus 4 charges daily at dawn. Shit. Hold vampires. What? As an action, you can expend one charge and present the holy symbol to make it flare with

holy power. Vampires and vampires spawn within 30 feet of the holy symbol when it flares, was making DC-15 wisdom save. On a fail save, they are paralyzed for one minute. It can repeat the saving throughout the end of each of its turn to end the effect on it. Oh, shit. Turn undead. If you have the turn undead or the turn the unholy feature, you can expend three charges

when you present the holy symbol while using that feature. When you do so, undead have disadvantage. on their saving throws against the effect. Sunlight. As an action, you can expend five charges while presenting the holy symbol to make it shed bright light in a 30 foot radius and dim light for an additional for 30 feet.

The light is sunlight and lasts for 10 minutes or until you end the effect. No action required. Let's. No concentration. Fucking go. No action. No concentration.

Holy fuck. That's juicy as much. Dagal. And obviously pipes of haunting are pipes of haunting. This will be useful. I don't know if they are. Can you describe them to us? I will read you.

Thank you. Thanks. It's Towa's mass. Yeah. Oh, is it? Yeah. Oh, okay. You must be permission with open instruments.

Use these pipes. They have three charges. You can use an action to play them and spend one charge for creating an eerie, spell binding tune. Each creature within 30 feet of you that hears you play must succeed on a DC-15. Whiz saver become frightened of you for one minute. Perfect. If you wish all creatures in the area that aren't hostile toward you automatically succeed. Um, and yeah, that's basically it.

They get one D3, spend a charges daily at dawn. So I can play the loot and the pan. The loot and the pan. Yeah, take them. Take them. And I have 10 shots of plus one ammo. You do. Perfect.

I didn't take any kind. You have any kind? You can start an I cut this from this. And for the sake of this, you need to track this ammo because after combat, you can regain half the ammo you expect if you make the attempt to go get it back. Okay, sure. Search. Oh. So, if we want, I can attempt to teleport us there.

It could use quite a bit of energy. What do you mean, attempt? Attempt. Meaning, you know how arcane magic is. No, I don't know how arcane magic is. It can be a bit fickle. And me being familiar with the place, because it's a pretty good chance of ending up where we need to be. But we might not.

What happens if it goes wrong? We might just end up somewhere where we shouldn't be. Exactly. Let me confirm exactly how far off it's been. And Victoria, do you check what's in your bag? While we are walking, I'm walking towards the back with Kana. I would kind of reach into my bag and feel first and see if I can identify. You reach in and you rummage through your pack and you feel things that you remember to be in there.

and then your fingers find something called a ring and as you look down you see the largest diamond solitary you've ever seen in entire life good God and this is still your girl that I would not take it blush Stryptoria for the wind

I liked Vigdanya Oh Vigdanya That was what I thought When you were talking about in Jack and I couldn't say Vic Danya is what I would call that shit I like them all. Perhaps it's not worth the rest. What makes you say that now, Professor?

Well, just theoretically, there's about a 75% chance we are not where we're supposed to go. Or? Or we could be a couple of miles off, or we could go somewhere similar, but not quite the same, or we could have a mishap. What is a mishap?

It will be very painful For you And we could end up anywhere All right everybody just time out One second Meta Do we know how many miles we are away Because we're already a couple miles away

Doesn't make sense to end up Another couple of miles Yeah, how far are we I thought we were pretty far away I don't know the map I imagine it's a couple days trek But we gotta go pick up the girl We gotta get to Volaki

The girl Where is that where the map So the first thing we gotta do It's head all the way Wait wait Wait in character You're about four and a half miles away. Oh.

It's from Valaki. Yes. But we got to go. We got to get Arroa. You have to go up to the crossroads. And then from there, you either go left, which is about a mile to Valki. Or, I mean, you go right, which is a mile to Valki. Or you go left, which is about four miles to-

Fussed up in character. I'm going to rewind. We got to get to Valakki and save those people. And it would be best if we did not have the girl with us when we do. I agree. And she's in Kress, which is, does it. of miles away, I believe. Yeah, it's about nine miles from where we're out right now.

She's not in the abbey. So Halakie is about halfway. Cresque is the city that's at the base of the mountain that leads up to the abbey. Back there. From the Amber Temple. Teleport. It's a teleportation circle in the abbey. In the abbey.

Correct. From the tower. But it's a specific spot to spot, not anywhere to one spot. So if that's the case, then I fucked up. And I thought it was the circle is the anger point. We can go from anywhere to that circle. So if there is a, like, Rules has written teleportation circle. There is a teleportation circle.

I can teleport there with no risk of mishap. Right. As long as I know where it is and I've been there. And you have. So I can teleport there, no problem. Right. Teleporeas to Velaki. Shepherd would know that.

We can head to Velocchi now. We're not that far. We could save people. And then we go get the girl. And it'll be fine. It is worth the risk. To do what? You're agreeing with me?

Yes, we should use the professor's risky teleportation magic. If we end up a couple miles off anyway, I don't know how much time we end up saving. 75%. Three or four. Deal me in, baby. Come on. Do I know how long it would take to get back going to see that we're going right now to Bilaki? Uh, four hour, four and a half miles, what, probably two hours?

right? No, not even two hours. How long did it take your run four miles? Run? You could do it at a good pace. 60 minute miles. So like a hour, but if you're jogging. And we're all D-Dadventures who are fucking awesome. We can easily do it 15-minute miles. I'm in a bustle gown. Run! Run! Run, baby!

I am not very quick. All right. We should probably teleport then. I won't be completely out of strength when we get there. Do you have any magic that'll just speed us up? No. That's not really. how ideal things. Of course, not, Professor. You know, when should we

tell us, people. I trust you. We should do it now. To the church. To the church? To the Valki. Wait, wait, I thought we're on the same page. We're going to Valki to make sure the people are.

There's a church and Valki. Yes. Not the Abbey. Your father, Lucian. What? Understood. Consider that the Tartan. Thomas and all the kids are.

Is it the girl in the abbey? Arabelle is in the abbey? Yes, she's in the abbey. Not the church. of Locky. There is a church and the locky. There's an abbey

outside of Christ. All the children were safely guided to the abbey. I'm hoping he's out. We should check at the very least. That would be my preference. That's his first place we'd like to.

You were about to say something that I think I agree with. Yes, the whole town has been attacked. Perhaps don't go to the church, but maybe the graveyard outside. Somewhere that's not going to be on fire when we arrive. But we know that the church is,

fine as long as you land and holy ground would be all right if the Velaki camp is on the outskirts perhaps we start there and then we can work our way in town I agree fine I trust you can you try there again before we go I didn't prepare to try today and even if I could I couldn't even if I did I couldn't

you do look weird I'm very weird no matter weird and weird professor It's been a long day We're all right, though. Okay? We're alive and we're still moving.

When we land, regardless of what is presented in front of us, we keep moving, okay? Agreed. Agreed. And do what you have to, professor. We're ready. Okay, let me just read the spell. Can you use your importance on this? I'm out.

He's out. He keeps saying that, sir. And it's a 20-year-old rather than a percentile diary. So let me just. read this. This spell instantly teleports you and up to eight willing creatures of your choice, so that's all of us, that I can see within range, or a single object

that I can see within range to a destination that I select. By targeting an object, it must be able to fit entirely inside a 10-foot cube, and it can't be held or carried by an unwilling creature. The destination you choose must be known to you, and it must be on the same plan of existence as you. Your familiarity with

the destination determines whether you arrive there successfully. Oh, fuck, I don't even RICKie rolls. Oh, yeah. So, would you consider that I'm very familiar

with the Blocky Camp or have I seen it casually? I think you're very familiar. You've slept there. Pretty familiar. You've been there multiple times. I am going to send you, I guess, do you want to roll and then do you want to look at this? What's a failure and what's the success?

Well, so it all matters, right? So anything 25 and 25 and above is a success. Do we add your business? She just rolls, what, two D20s? She rolls a D100. D100, okay. And then 14 to 24 is off target. Six to 13 is a similar area.

14 to 24 is off target, which if we are off target, I can give you the rules for that. Okay. Six to 13 is a similar area. So what's going to roll higher than a 25? And I can give you a... Yes. 25 or higher. And then one to five is a misstep.

Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. I'm sorry. Okay, all right. We get a hundred 25. Garex. Garex. We're trying to be the light of Garets.

You all claspants, as Clayton begins to channel the magic, the headache still throbbing in your head. As you get closer and closer to the lock, it feels like it's getting stronger and stronger, but you're able to push forward through it. You clasp hands and you focus. on that spot right outside of the bonfire and the Vestani village where you spent the evening listening to Arabelle describe in grand detail the way that she overtook the drunken escaped and assisted in um and assisted you in saving that if it hadn't been for her you would have all perished in Lake Zaravich and you hold on to that memory the happiness the meeting of Arrigal and Louvosh and you focus and all of you feel your vision dim and fade a pull behind your

navel as you're ripped out of existence and you all stumble you feel the wet earth beneath your hand the smell of smoke strong around you the bonfire is not a light in front of you you begin to look around as your eyes come to having been pulled through space to get to this new place that runs. And you see that the area is in ruins. The tents not burning

but destroyed. Hacked to pieces. Bodies litter the ground. Vistani. Some you recognize, having seen, some you'd never seen before. Pale, white, almost completely

drained of blood. This is a massacre. Looking out, over the village of Vlaki, the town of Vlaki. You can see that dotted throughout the town, houses ablaze, people screaming and running through the streets, shadows darting this way and that. But at this vantage point, it's hard to truly tell what's happening there.

Now that we've done, I need you to make a wisdom saving throw from you. Oh. Yikes. Oh, shit. That's a bad one. Oh no, I'm poorly as well How are this here a feast list? 24 hours.

I don't know, maybe it's... So we're getting... I said we're getting there. Right, because we eat the night before we went to fight her. Yeah, nightfall. We had a Thanksgiving feast. 14. You take seven points of psychic damage.

Fuck. As your mind is wrapped with pain. You feel... You feel sorrow. It's the most sorrow you've ever felt in your entire life. Loss, fear, uncertainty, weak. I just feel it? Yes.

My glasses are falling. Professor. Is it happening again? Yes. Yes. I believe so. What do you see? I don't see anything.

I just feel sad. Damn. I feel like I've lost something. Is it Arabelle again? It may be she... Does she know that this has happened? Perhaps she does. She has to.

Your father, her uncle, part of this camp. We should, we should, we should look. We should invest in the body. We did nothing for these poor souls now. We should save whomever we can in the city. This is why we teleported. I don't want to be the one to suggest it, but if she fed on any of these corpses,

is there any chance that they're coming back to life? I'm going to burn all of them after we put an end to what's going on in this city. I don't want to say it. There's nothing that we can do. To stop that? I burned them when perhaps the abbot could bring them back. Vampirism? I don't know.

I thought we knew there was no cure. I've been asking. I've been trying. Now that we're here, can tell that this is the source of the smoke. You can tell that the city of Pallaki, the town of Bilaki is a source of the smoke. I want to just start going around and looking for her... Roll an investigation check. Can I help her?

Yeah, added Vibers. For her uncle and who's the other? Her father. Her father. Oh, yeah. That's the other. So maybe we're all going to have. Yeah.

So at advantage, is, 19. You begin to look around. The three of you communicating near what had been the bonfire. Victoria, Kana, you begin

turning over bodies. You recognize faces here and there. Names you don't know. Also looking for anybody who seems to be still alive. But the smites. You remember their smiling faces as they bustled around and gave you wine and food and their eyes now vacant, their skin pale.

A lot of them, you see multiple bite wounds on their body. And you move forward closer and closer to the main tent. He ripped, pulled to shreds, the structure holding it up, the wooden post knocked over. and as you get to it you see slumped against the front Arrigal, the uncle of Arabel

completely drained his eyes open but lifeless as he stares out he's holding his sword to him and look like he fought a harrowing battle you stop for a moment and you look down saying this you steady yourself

as you move into the ruins of their tent. And that's where you see him. Curled up on the floor. No life remaining in his body. Clutched in his hand, a small golden object shining in the faint light that emanates

from the fires that roar in the city. Staring down at this, it almost looks as if Argyll gave his life to protect his brother. But he was not successful. You search and you find no signs of, you find no signs of feeding a single blade wound through the chest. I'm going to walk up to it with Victoria, to his body. He's gone.

You fought an honorable death. He will never be forgotten. I'll close his eyes with my hands. I'll look down at what's in his hand. You see that he's holding the chain of a golden locket. It's open. And in it, a picture of Arabel. And next to it, an older photo, aged.

But a photo of what looks to be her mother. We should take this and give it to Arabel. She would have this. It flows in, gently, poured out of his hands, and tuck it in the my bag. Do that. This was personal. She came to him specifically. She did not feed on him.

No. Perhaps he could still be saved. Maybe. I'm going to pick up his body and carry it outside to try, like, panically try to find Sarnax to bring his body to him and see if you can do anything. I'm assessing how much oil I have left. You got a bit. Sarnax, I found Arabelle's father. Damn.

I don't think he's been fed on. He's passed, but he was run through with the blade. We didn't make it in time. Stradania's blade, no flight thing. Yes, I think so. Sword wounds of the chest seem to be her home, Mark. Are we done playing games? We have everything that we fucking need

to kick in the doors of that goddamn mansion and kill her. You're right, we do. We do. but this can't be like all the other times she's been killed before we have to approach this carefully we should try to save everyone we can now but one thing I'm not going to do is rush to the castle

break down the doors and we get instantly disintegrated by some sort of trap or instantly killed by who knows what horrors live in that castle I want us to be mindful of how dangerous she is fine understood Are there any survivors left in the camp, we think, at all? None that you can see. But you know that you're at the top of the camp, down at the base of the hill, was the, where the hobbles were, the dusk elves had lived.

And you have not investigated that area. It was betrayed by Estradaanya. He still fought for her. He sided with her. And she still killed him in cold blood. At least in his final moments, he thought for good. Sometimes that is all we can do.

Let us make one final pass for survivors at the Havels, and then let us make our way quickly into town, please. What of his body? We should leave it here in a respectful place. I will return and we will make our determination on what we do with them. Agree. We'll be assured that the danger has ceased in Balakia. Burn nothing until we understand what's going on.

I understand. I will not. Are there any, like, open wagons? Or they all just been, like, burned? They're not burned, but they're pulled apart. And, I mean, you could rummage through them. I'll say that you did that. And you found all of the normal things.

Lots of gold. All of the treasure wagons and stuff were there, but you don't find any survivors. Just put it, a safe place to put his body until we come back so that it's not in the middle of all the other ones. So you're easily able to do that. You shut inside one of the broken-down wagons. You know, if someone were looking for it,

they wouldn't be able to find it, but it's at least not out in the middle of nowhere. You have to make her way down to the desk and can't go. Yes. Yes. You can look for your father. Roll an investigation check and a perception check as a group. Oh, out of character. We actually don't know that it was her father.

You said that. Or was unmistakable to all of us? What? No, no, the information that we have about, what he's asking, the information we have about her father, we are not privy. No. No. We are not privy.

So, did not have us recognized? It was unmistakably your father, and I don't know if it was word that all of us made that connection or just Victoria. Just Victoria. She noticed her. But he does look like me. You noticed your eyes. Eyes.

And he also, as he was leaving, he whispered to you, I'm sorry. Right. That's right. That's right. But we didn't hear that. None of that was us. He only lived it to you and you were able to do it. Got it.

So we all make checks? Yes. And this is a. This is a group investigation and a group perception. I'm going to use a good note here. A good guy here. So both. Yep.

Investigation is a 15, and perception is a 10. Okay. Four and 23. 16 and 24. 15 and 29. 9 and 22. Okay.

Perfect perceptive. You begin to make your way down the sloped hill away from the ruined Vistani camp. the screaming and the noise of the battle that rages on in the town of Alaki is almost drowned out as you as you make your way down. You're focusing on everything that you've encountered so far. And you hear it shuffling noises in the woods right to the side. There is something there, but it has not made its move towards you. You listen, you hear, it moves along with you, skittering in the end.

brush. But it doesn't show itself. But there are clearly you said sounds of battle still happening. There are sounds of battle in Volaki. And you saw that there were people running and screaming that there were buildings on fire. But

from where you were and with the clouds of smoke, it's hard to really see anything. So you are making your way down, doing a quick investigation. And all of this is taking maybe 10, 15 minutes. Out of the corner of my mouth. Kind of as an aside to the professor to my left, uh, professor.

Yes. Bear with me, all right. I don't know what you mean. We need to finish up here as quickly as possible and get to the lock you. But back me up. I immediately dark dash to the sound in the bushes and attempt to tackle it. Okay. Um, uh, roll.

Actually, I'm going to roll. an attack. Oh. And I'm going to... But it's an unarmed attack. So how does that affect my mom? You think it's your... Your athletics.

Yeah, yeah. Oh, I need acrobatics here. I don't need athletics. That's not good. Purely. I got a 13 then, unfortunately, because I got a plus zero. I was hoping I'd be able to catch them off guard.

And it is. They knew that we knew that we knew that they knew. Oh, no. Where is that? I was hoping that my ranger nature might be able to, you know, want up to this, this creature that's skulking amongst the woods. So maybe the world was advantage. One can only hope.

You said it. So what was yours? I got a 13 for athletics. You are able to rush in. You listen to the sound. You hear it just a little bit too late. You are able to wrestle one to the ground. There wasn't just one entity.

There were two. I need you to roll for initiative. Oh, that's going to be a 14 for me. Let me get to that. Where are you? Shit, I didn't mean this creature any danger, but now, now I might just... You know, running at something and tackling it often. We're being a sculpt.

We're being like, it's... You... Why didn't you just... You dive in. You're... You are tracking the movement. You dive in, you hear it, and you dive on top of it. But the image of the other one catches your eye just a second.

Too late. Two vampire spawn. Oh! Fulking the perimeter. All right, well, I got a 14. Yikes. One of them is held in your grasp, in your grasp, and it is going to use his action to try and free itself. Do I have to contest?

I did. Uh, yeah, yeah, I guess you would. Exactly. But I got a two, so I don't think it's even possible unless you get back. I pass. I got a hat. I'm not going to say what I got. It was really good.

The other one, however, is going to, the other one is going to attempt to grapple you. Oh, shit. Oh, no. You, uh, yeah, I have to try and sing it on you. Um, right? and that's not work. You, it's like a hit. It's the hit.

Sorry, these things don't tell me everything. These ones. What can I do when I'm grappling with somebody? So, grappling just reduces their speed is zero. They can do everything else. What can I do? When you can do anything. When it comes to my turn, if I'm grappling somebody, what can I do?

17. Two? Two. Two, uh, to hit you. I have an 18 normal class. Okay. So it is going to fail its gravel. It's going to try one time.

And no. going to fail. So that's its turn. Is that, I roll to grapple it, right? It doesn't just auto-graple. You know, with vampires' fault. It's an attack roll, and then you've rather than new damage you can get around. That's what I thought. I just wanted to make sure, because it doesn't actually stay on here. So what can I do when I'm grappling?

So you could theoretically grapple with one arm. You could probably... Because I'm... I can attack close range with not as a disadvantage. Right. So you can pull one gun out. You wouldn't be able to do the offhand. That's fine, because my bonus actually would be to Slayer spray.

Right. So having this thing in my grasp, I'm going to loose judgment from its holster. With my bonus action, I'm going to Slayerspray and take to its axe. Okay. Bang, bang! Bang bang! Oh. Hold up.

They both hit, I bet. It's going to be a 20 and an 18. So the one you are grappling as one is the one that you're not grappling is two. Thank you. I am rich. Since we are theater of minding the battle. I got a 20 and an 18. Yes, both of the set.

AC is 50. And then Slayer's pray is just the first. one, I believe. Hunter's mark is bow. Correct. So that's going to be 2D6. Well, there we're big money. That's going to be 12 plus 12 is 24, 24 points of damage into his shots. And then I'm going to continue to keep my left arm around this creature's neck as I'm trying to fire four shots into it. That's my turn. Shepard, what is going on? I'm screaming. You can hear as he's screaming and yelling. you know, however you would do it.

What's in there? God damn it! Roll for initiative. There'll be one round with them before you join. The first vampire spawn is going to attempt to grapple you, and it's going to miss. So it's going to attempt again, and it is going to succeed.

So it is now grappling onto you. The number two is now wrapped its arms around your back, and it has you grappled. The other one is going to attempt to escape your grapple. Oh, contest? And it is going to... Yeah, yeah, a contest. I've got a 15.

Great. It is going to escape your grapple. As you watch, as it moves out of your range, as the one grabs you around behind the back, and it turns to look at you as it smiles. You see its mouth is still filled with blood. Blood drips down the sides of its cheek and drips off of its chin and it stares

with its lifeless eyes directly into yours. It is now your turn. Oh, mine. Yes, you have one more. grab it. Get there. What can I do? So then in that case, having lost a grip on the thing, I'm just going to pull and continue

to fire on, I'm being choked out by this other. I'm going to continue to fire on one. That just escaped my grasp. So it's going to be three attacks. A lot. 30 and 26. Those miss. No, they're AC. And the 6 and a 26. Yeah, all of those

miss. They're EC triples when they have someone grappled. Wow, what fell? You actually can hit, so now you're dead. What did I skip? Eight plus four is 12, plus

four is 16, plus 18 is 36 points of damage to number one again. Blam, blam, blam, blam isn't being choked out. As it wraps its arms around you, the one move out of your grass and it faces you, it's looking

menacing at you, but you don't even flinch. as you let loose three blasts of arcane energy directly into its head, its chest, and its throat, you're splattered with the blood that it was still attempting to swallow, and it is still holding on as it bears down at you. What are your... 22. 17. 11.

Which one wants to go first? All the firsts he gave me the heads up. I did. I did tell you that I was going to, I said, get him back. What did you get? What did you get? No, no. There we go. Okay. Top of the round. You find your way in here as you break through the underbrush.

You all look as Shepard is held by one of these vampire spawning. He's letting loose blast into the one in front of him. What do you want to do, sirnett? I'm going to run up and see what's going on by Garrick's. I'm going to reach into my clothes and pull out. the holy symbol of raven kind, and I'm going to raise it up. And I will say, you are weak compared to the power of the divine and cast whole vampires. So they both need to make a DC-15 wisdom saving.

So, oh, they might actually pass. This could be good. It's good. No, one of them fails. Number two fails. Number one passes. He's paralyzed for me. Okay.

So, I mean, he's the one that's holding. so he's paralyzed with you in his arms I guess Oh he's like frozen Yes It's helping It is now their turn to the one that's paralyzed Is going to attempt to keep the saving throw And fail

The other one is going to Such a good fucking ability It's only one charge Ah perfect It's going to lean in and it's going to bite you because you are still grappled by the other one that it is going to bite you. Oh, yeah. Oh.

Yeah. So the first one that I shot is coming back at me. 19. No, the one that's running away is what helped. That's what I'm saying. The one that I was shooting is coming back at. The one that's holding me is paralyzed. Oh.

That's a good point. Wait, which one passed? The one holding him or the one that was running away from him? Another one of them were running away from him. The one that was holding him is paralyzed. Right. So he's... The one that was shooting at him came back at me.

at me, bit me in. Oh, as long as he's grappled. Got it. Also, as he bites him that he's kind of blind him.

Um. So he's rolled disadvantage. Still passes. Fuck. Oh. Good call. Ah. Um,

um, 17 points of damage. Yep. Necronic damage. Yep. And it is going to see. Um, with that,

I'm going to use my reaction to HAL Shabuk. And in your, your, your, your HP maximum is also reduced by 17. Double yikes. So minus 17. So you just have to pass unfortunate.

What the fuck? My HP went to one. Hold on. Hold on. And then add 17. No, no, no,

there we go. There we go. So wait, I reduce it by 17, then take 17 damage. And it can still do a clock. Because I could give the damage and then it reduced it.

So I'm still max. It misses. Is it the same if we would fold before? Yes. Then yes, you're still max. Okay. DC saving throw of 10, I believe, to the one that bit me.

Uh, it fails. No fucking way. Yeah, I got a natural one. Oh, wait, so what do you think about he's at max? So the damage it does is, is reducing his max HP. So I was still mad. He takes 17 damage, and your hit points are also reduced by asthma. Which keeps me a max.

Which keeps me a max. So basically he hasn't taken damage yet, right? He's a max. So I didn't know if he reduces it, then I take it, effectively dealing double damage. No. Okay. So you'll take 3D10. Oh, okay. A fire damage, because my body rubs into flame is on bit. Oh, you're your Hellish Rebut.

Yes. Gotcha. Is the guy holding you take this too? Uh, I don't know. No. No. I don't think so. Unfortunately, only 10 points of damage. Yeah, because it's not AOE. It's just the creature that bit me gets Hellish rebuked. Okay.

It immediately rears back as it takes the damage. You see some of its flesh singe, but it is, um, it is, um, it is, determined. It is thirsty. Got me. And you're, it's pray. Got me. And that is both of their turn. Shepherds.

Oh, it's my turn again. Yeah, it's your turn. Jesus. Then I am going to fire off three shots into the vampire spawn that just bit me. I got a natural one, so I don't want to miss this, and I feel obligated. But this one's a 29. And then

one more is a 19. So plus that would be 232 or some shit. Oh, wow. DC is already. AC is 33. So two hits, which is going to be 3D6 plus 1. That's going to be 10 plus 12 is 22 points of damage, number one.

Okay. I'm screaming. I'm yelling, bleeding my neck. I burst to the flame. It's a nightmare. This is a disaster. An absolute disaster piece. It's a disaster.

He watches. He shoots two of his blasts. He rears up and the bite in his neck to strike. He's not able to get all three of the shots off, but doing a significant amount of damage, this vampire spawn looks like it's having a rough time. Common. I'm screaming a lot.

I'm going to jump through the brush and run up to the one that's attacking him rather than the one that's paralyzed around him. Be like, what did you get yourself into Sarnax? Sheppard. I'm standing beside you, I'm standing beside you. I believe I'm trying to help Shepard.

He's running himself into the weeds. All that does is confirm the ship of Sarnana. Sarnana. Oh, I like that. I like that. Bonus action, get myself advantage, 15 temporary hit points. And then I will forego this advantage to use my super sweet ability called Rapid Strike. So I get to make two attacks on my first attack.

While you're rolling, just so I want to let you know. somebody in chat said, what the hell has a 33 AC? You will learn that Nikki is the world's biggest troll. Never. She loves trolling us left and wrong. They don't listen to me anymore. I'm going to be like, well, no, you don't hit. And they're like, yeah, sure, we don't. What in the hell has 33 AC? I'm with you, buddy.

21 and 25. Yeah, those are men. So it'll be, um, she got us all the first time to do. So that'll be 20 points of, uh, silver. magical how much 20 you slice through

and you cleave the head clean off of this vampire spawn at first you just watch as her blade slices through it the vampire spawn smiles as blood it drips out and then you notice the thin line

across its neck as the head slowly moved to the side and falls to the ground is an enemy slow just I'm not even looking at it

I'm not even looking at it my hair is going around It's like piercing white light Loach from the slides. What are I? John Tramolta? Yeah. Oh. Make my next attack against the one

that's paralyzed around him. Is this an advantage? It's a natural. Natural fucking fight! It was a creedling light. It was a teeter. It's pretty crating leg.

It's a lot. I believe I am quite how to be able to talk. Fuck the fuck up. Shit. Or does nobody. Right? Yeah, roll ones. Seven.

Much better. So that's 32 points of slashing. Magical slashing. How much? 22? It takes it. It is unable to react as it's wrapped around Shepard. But you slash into it doing a bit of damage.

And then at advantage again. I forgot also my fighting spirit is still going. Whoops, that's not it. It's not a bit. 17? The 17 hit? Oh, 17 does it. All right.

Does it be you roll every attack? What? No. Does it be roll after ever taking damage? Probably on us. No, it just says at the other end of its turn. That's so fucking good. Five.

So 11 points of magical flashing. Did you roll? Did you roll the, uh, it's a crit? It's a roll two. Right? It's a crit. It's on a paralyzed.

On a melee attack. Paralization is a busted status effect. You went down to the name. It's right. So I roll. One more. It literally can't get out of the waist. You're just like...

You're basically... You're basically... ...natural 20s. Yeah. Oh, well, I guess that first one then, too. I would... It was still a natural 20. Well, the first...

Oh, no, I guess the other one was paralyzed. We're all good. Uh, still be an additional... Uh, three. Three points of damage? So, 19 total for the third hit. Damn. Good fucking hits.

Wait, but you had a thing that gave you a two... An extra attack? Rapid strikes. Yeah. What does that do? So I can forego my advantage on my first hit to do a second. Yeah. They're all automatic crits.

So if you buy an extra, shouldn't you have four attacks? Right now you have three attacks baseline. Yes. And she did two attacks on the first one and then two attacks. Oh, okay. So I have four attacks. But that's a perfect wombo.

If I don't need to hit, I'm just going to fucking buy extra attacks. I love that. Plain and perfect wombo. So it's still alive? Yeah, no, it's not like. They're probably 70 to 100. I think it's like 75. Yeah.

I don't have to return the favor, Shepherd. Which is why when you went into the room with like the seven of them? We should have died. I thought that there was, if it had not been for Sarnax saved a life. It should have been a deep. Mathematically, we could not win that battle. Not even close. Especially because each bite lowers your max HP.

And if you get to zero, you're just dead. We struck 23 and it's a crit. Thanks. If you're doing melee. Oh, is it only melee? Yes. Okay. Well, you hit.

Regal. Okay. Well, you hit. 23, you do hit. Ooh. A 13 fire band. You need Zephyr's a heartstone card. Yikes.

What was that, too? Plus you re-roll ones and twos. Yeah. And it's awesome. It is seriously my favorite magic item next to the time. Victoria. I'm going to also fireball. Did you fireball?

I did fireball. I've been fireball. Also fireball. 26 to 5th That misses Shut Y'all Dirty mail

Oh I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm After Jania eat her throat out Oh she's going to do 21

Fire Daylight She's only 21 21 Holy moly that's a That's a That's a That's what it's

That's been Jesus What I'm My Garex What I miss You always miss That's I'm sorry

What a bitch anymore. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're getting married, bitch. I know, I am. With that, yeah, you blast into it. Two bolts of fire land into it. It's paralyzed holding a shepherd in its clutches. And it is Sarnax's turn.

My eyes are wild, and I'm, like, choking. I'm, like, making eye contact with Sarnax, like, wild. Feel your eyes, shepherd, and I cast radiance on. What about me? God, give me a fuck, too. What have you gotten yourself into contact? You're fine. Raids the Dawn and he needs to make a DC-18 Wisdom saving film.

Come on, you will. Am I gonna, do I have to make it sound. No, no, no, no. I do shut my eyes when he says that. I'm just like, I want to make eye contact with him. As I'm turning purple. That is going to be 12 plus 15 is 20, plus 15 is 27 points of radio damage.

You call out as you watch Shepherd shield his eyes. He raises his hand. hand. Kana turns around to yell at you, but she also somehow shields her eyes as well, as you incinerate this creature with radiant light. You feel its arms slowly burned to dust around you. You're able to breathe, and you listen. You can hear silence for just a second. And then the sounds of screaming again, a lot. I'm sorry. I'm going to be honest. I did not think that was going to be Huh, me fucking vampires. Are you all right, Shepard?

You didn't think, Shepard. We can't be fighting like that. No, we were being fucking tracked, and I wanted them to know that they got the upper hand on us. We're all right. We gotta move into Velaki. We have to...

Oh, you're okay. I'm fine, I'm fine. I just got a little bit of a nick on the neck. I should be all right. Well, we should continue on, but please let's look for me any more vampires fun. He's a little more caution next time. Now we know.

I just thought maybe it. was, never mind, it doesn't matter. To Valaki, are we in agreement? We need to investigate the rest of the Vlaki camp. Fine. The Bastani camp. Done. I think he was... Sonics, did you just drop the price? No, shit.

Did you just drop the effect of this campaign? I just, I just a tune. I'm still getting used to it. I'm going to walk behind Shepard very closely in case he starts any of that shenanigans again. You have to gain combat. And as, uh, well, Miss Isaacson, Professor Azran, would you please investigate? I'm going to inspect Shepard Boone.

I'm sorry, I'm fine. Not Shepard, no, no. Hold on. Stay still. Damn me. Stay still. Got it. And I'm going to take a walk out.

It's a bit. Ron. To claws is so gentle on my skin. That's not a natural one. Stop holding still. I can't see. Your long talent is pierced directly into the wound. as you rip them open as you're looking

inside is excruciatingly painful and you can't really tell whether there's any additional effect on that for what it's worth I've already got fangs so don't look for them sounds like things are going well you'll be fine

I need to go home and write my fan fiction I'm feeling so many things right just be gentle it's my first time I bet I've been bitten What do you see, Professor? You begin to look around the camp as this is going on. The sound of the two of them, haphazardly dealing with the wounds, is loud. It drowns out some of the screaming from Blocki,

enough so that you can focus and look around the camp. This area looks to be even worse for wear than the Velocchi camp. above. Only one area of it seems to be, um, seems to be not run down, the largest of the tents. And as you make your way towards it, you see that there is a body here, also not drained of blood. Similar wound through the chest. You stare down at him. You recognize this person. This is the man that delivered Aravel to Stradonia in the Amitampi. You can see that he looks to have been hustling, moving quickly. He has a satchel to his side that he was filling with things. And Victoria, you see it first, a bit of parchment hanging

from the bag. It's beautiful. You've seen this parchment before. The red seal glistening on the end. Pick it up. Keseemir. They've received your correspondence and am touched by your plea. However, the girl, Victoria, is of great value to me and therefore requires something of great value in trade. The Vistani girl, Arabelle, would be sufficient. A daughter for a daughter. It seems fitting, don't you think?

When you have secured the Vistani girl, bring her to me at the Amber Temple. Once she has been delivered to me, I can ensure the safety of your daughter Victoria. She will be free to leave Borovia at her pleasure, yours in eternity, Stradania. He was trading me. I didn't say it before, but this man is my true father. This, this man who captured Arabellen brought her. It's why I came here. You knew the second that you saw me something was different.

I did. I'll like untuck my ears. I needed to know where I came from. I thought my father might be here. When we saw him that first time, I could see it in his eyes that he was my father doing these horrible things. This letter confirms it. Poor Arabele.

Well, I'm sorry. How about your father? Perhaps there's something that the abbot or Sarnax or someone can do. I'm not sure that I'd want to bring him back if we could. All those horrible things that he did, it's clear to me that the darker side within me came from him. It's his blood. I wouldn't go that far. We've all done things that we've regretted, especially when we don't have much of a choice.

If we learn anything about this place, it's a lot of darkness. There is, but we all have a choice. We always have a choice between light and dark. Well, at least in the end, despite him capturing a child and trading her, he was looking after you and your safety. So... I don't know why. I try to remember that.

my whole life he was gone I don't know why he'd try to save me Maybe he thought this was his chance To know you To learn about you To At least build some kind of relationship But

He may have been trapped here The same way everyone else was But he probably loved you very much If he was willing to do something so cool Is your mother still alive? No She died child Beth.

My deepest condolences. Why don't you take a moment, go through his things? Maybe take something of his to remember him by. We should look for survivors. I'll turn to the rest. I'll continue going through his past. Consider it done. And I'll just excuse myself to go look around at the professor's BS.

I'll fall after them, but I'll hesitate. I kind of let them go pass, and I'll stop at Victoria. and I'll look directly into her eyes and I'll say, I will do whatever you wish, but be prepared if you do wish to bring him back. She may have done more than just killed him. His soul may be lost forever. Yikes.

At all, Senator Shepherd, I think I helped console her. Sorry, we've talked about this. I think you've got away with words, but just let me. Let good enough be what it is. All right? I will do whatever she asks. Of course. We trust you.

Victoria, I will stay nearby to ensure you're not alone. Thank you. Let me know if you need me. And I'll check on the others around him to see if they're alive or have a beating heart and keep an eye on her in case anything happens. So all out of character. Um, they are not considered Vastani. They're just Dusk-Els.

They're Dusk-Els. Okay. I didn't know if there was like... Okay. Cool. No look about there. Got it. So you make your way,

um, and you look through his possessions. And you find a small ring in his pinky finger. You pull it off. And it is familiar to you. It looks like a set of jewelry that your mother used to own. The same thing. filigree around it as the earrings that you've seen in all of her portraits and the necklace

around her neck and you don't remember saying a ring but it's unmistakable and as you pull it off of his finger you look you begin to inspect it you see etched into the inside my beloved victoria my sweet beautiful victoria you may grieve your father now But at least he is in a better place. I'd say that one day you could join him in death. But you know I would never let that happen. Like me, you're here forever. Anyway, I'm sure Velocchi is mostly fine.

Nothing to worry about, really. But if the Asran expedition wishes to save the people from a horrible fate, things will get quite exciting no matter what happens. Can they once again save the day? Find out in the conclusion of Chapter 14 of Curs of Tradania, Cradle to Grave. In the meantime, if you wish to watch Legends of Adventuris tell similar stories of Dungeons and Dragons every week, you can follow us on Twitch. You can also enjoy our many campaigns on YouTube, support us on Patreon, and join our community on Discord.

All links are in the show notes. We welcome you to our Ventris family.