Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 38 | The Devil Cried: Part 1

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

In order to venture directly into the heart of Castle Ravenloft, the Azran Expedition must learn to work with an unlikely ally and face the horror of what could be should they fail.   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/UKjRMmQsZTk?si=22bRfikVPXZTlNQF

You are back in Castle Ravenloft and listening to Kursus Trudania, a legend of a ventress podcast. Last time, our protagonist had to deal with the last two of my bribes, and it was even more unpleasant in the run-in with Ludmilla. They were introduced to the sadistic bloodlust of Volenta and even watched an innocent man die by her hands. But they weren't prepared for the most wicked of my loves, especially because her hate is masked in sweetness. Yes, it's great taste in women, do I not? Finally, with all three keys retrieved, they spilled their own secrets to the Raven Adornj jewelry box and each other. All for the sake of my mother's hairpin, and it seems to have worked.

Let us see what happens. This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. We now also have a merch store where you can browse more than 20 amazing event-res-themed designs. You can buy a shirt or 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 19. The Devil cried. Victoria, you stare down and look at it.

The box open in front of you. The hairpin gleaming, the strange magic. And you see, this is what you were looking for. You can imagine for a moment. what it would look like holding your veil in place, and you feel the conflicting emotions. The image of Shredanya smiling at you, looking down at you, your new wife.

You also see the horror behind her eyes, the wickedness she is committed. Slowly, you reach down and grab on to the hairpin. As soon as you do, the rest of you hear Victoria gasp. Suddenly, her eyes turned down, pitch black and her body locks up. Arms folded in a cross as if a corpse in a coffin. She's completely catatonic. Victoria, the closet of Stradonia von Zarovich melts away from your consciousness and you're plunged into darkness. However, although it is incredibly dark, you look down and you can see yourself

and you realize that you are still holding the hairpin. But all the color from your person is entirely gone. You've entered a world of gray scale. As you look up and peer through the void around you, you can see movement and realize that you were surrounded by falling black feathers. In just a moment, they swirl together and directly ahead, you see a large black shape before you. Your eyes adjusts and you see the figure of a woman cloaked in a robe of raven's feathers with a long mane of coarse black hair,

A top of which rests a gray crown of raven skulls. Where a face might be, there is nothing more than a white porcelain mask with black unblinking orbs for eyes. The figure approaches. It's form larger than you'd expected as it looms over you. Cold, measured voice echoes around you from unmoving lips. I know you. I know your essence.

I know your blood. You are one of mine, little bird. You are of my Shadakai, dusk elf, as your human kin might call them. Do you know the circumstances of your birth? No. You do not, but you will in time. What can you tell me about my book? I know the story, little bird.

For your father, Ferris, is wholly mine. And so his secrets are my secrets. A human woman, a wife in a loveless marriage, to a man who worships a cruel God. A comfortable life, but an unfulfilling one. resentment and bitterness become normal and accepted until an elven stranger from a far-off land comes across her path the darkness and mystery are irresistible

there are a fair last for but a week before he disappears into the shadows as quickly as he arrived the child born from that affair kills the mother at birth the apparent infidelity clear to all. The husband is ashamed, but did truly love his wife, and raises his child as one of his own. But he never forgets the child's original sin. The circumstances of her conception,

the shame and betrayal are projected on the child. He teaches her to be ashamed of himself. He makes her hate the shadows at touch. her soul, he tells her she is wicked, but he is wrong. Her soul is touched by shadow, yes, and by death. But death is not wicked. It is untouched by morality. It comes for good and evil alike. It is the mortal choices we make that make us wicked or pure. The masked woman looks down at the hairpin you still hold. Ravinovia von Zarovich was pure.

Too pure for the life she found, but unshakable in her reverence. Her will was powerful, her love was stronger. She was mine. And so I took her before she could arrive in the evil place you have now found yourself, little bird. A place in my realm. It where my ravens cannot fly. The one dark domain in the shadow film,

projected, shrouded in mist, a land taken from the material plain itself. But there is a chance for you to change this, a chance for you to save yourself, your loved ones, and the people from that cursed land, as Ravanaughia was worthy of the power you now hold, So are you? You have my blessing to purge the travesty that mocks and threatens the realm of death.

And for bringing you into the world, I would keep my gaze on your father. He now walks beneath dark wings and will not be harmed. We will meet again. With a gust of wind, raven feathers surround you and you are snapped back, to reality surrounded by your friends. The rest of you, you see Victoria become completely enshrouded in black feathers that materialize out of nowhere

before erupting out and washing over all of you as the darkness fades from her eyes and her indigo irises return. You all have received the boon of the Raven Queen. Holy cow. What was that? I went somewhere. Somewhere dark. Victoria, are you well?

Yes, I think I am. I think we all might be now. May I? Please. I will, gently as I would attempt to be gentle, but probably would be rough and prodding. I would like to inspect Victoria

to make sure once again that she's not like horribly possessed by demons and shit. Oh, medicine. Do I have? Have any of that bits? Sorry about this. Medicine, medicine. Oh, that's a 16.

You look at Victoria and you see bits of shadow almost coarse over her. Slowly begins to fade and dissipate. Her eyes, though back to the color, they were originally, occasionally pulse with purples and blacks. until they slowly sink back into their standard color. And her skin cold at first now feels warm to touch. And you can tell that she is unchanged all but for the feast running through her veins. Its power extended. And I will say for the purpose of this, your hero's feast that you had performed has extended itself to the next day.

Look here. There is also a hint of some other magic that you can't quite put your finger on, something else lingering there just outside of your realm of understanding. But I would say you look at yourself and you feel it in yourself as well. In Connor, in Shepherd, and Clayton, all of you have been touched by the magic, by the power of the Raven Queen. I'll flick some feathers off. You seem to be all right. I feel quite good.

Do you all feel it too? Yes. I don't know what it is, but sure. It's the Raven Queen. I saw her. You saw the Raven Queen. Yeah, I would say, yes. That's where you, I don't realize that was the Raven Queen. There's more rhetorical.

Yes, Kelsey. I saw her. I clapped when I saw it. I'm sorry. We'll cut that. What did she say? I mean, we've seen Garex, all of us, but the Raven Queen... She knew much of me.

My story, my background, my father. Does this... Sonag, do you know of the Raven Queen, correct? I do. Does this make sense? It does. The land from which we came, Strigger, is... the realm of death. She's worshipped in many parts of the continent. Her touch lingers and if it makes

perfect sense when you spoke to her, has she joined our burning crusade against the Countess? She said that we can be saved from this land. How does this pain play play into that? I don't know. Did she say it? Had the power to help us. You, sir? Trinia's strangle hold over this land continues to weaken.

We now have three gods. We can't let her know. She may. She may be watching us. How do we... Perhaps Sergei, he might recognize the pin? He might know.

He did say that he wished to speak with you when I came out of him. He was in any case we should... remove ourselves from her closet. It's almost safe. Yes, yes. We, what time is it? It is late in the evening,

but it's not, I would say, probably around eight-ish in the evening, so you still have many hours before you feel like you would need to. We got a pretty early. Yeah. The wings of this queen of ravens do not fly over Enari

I'm familiar with. Did you have to give anything in exchange for this blessing? I don't believe so, no. Does she ask anything of you? No. You didn't promise anything? Oh.

Perhaps. Just make sure. Oh, my God, I don't think that. I must check every box, yeah. Perhaps the secrets we offered was payment enough. And she used, she said, you were of you? Yes, my father.

My true father is a duskow. Dustal. And in my studies, would I know what a Shadarkai is, roughly? Shad Arkai. That's true. Tied closely to death. This darkness inside of you this whole time. Yes, she said that, that I've been touched by darkness and touched by death.

It's her darkness. That's a great relief. in the scheme is a great ally in this fight. Escher. You look over and Escher's leaning up against the wall, his long fingernail, he's picking at his teeth, he seems completely unbothered. Do we owe Victoria, do we owe Shredania some sort of appearance now that we have this? Should we let her know? This evening.

No. Why would you? Just making sure. I'm not sure what she's expecting. Oh, if she were expecting anything, she would have let you know. Right. I'm sure she's relishing in the moment she spent with Victoria earlier this evening. My guess, and he listens. It seems as if he can hear something you can't. She seems to be taking it out on the other brides as we speak.

That's fine. Regardless, could you please lead us back to our chambers? Ask nicely. Escher, would you please escort you back? Anything for you, Shepard. Thank you. I appreciate it. He immediately steps up and smirks at you as he turns and walks from the room.

He leads you through the twists and the turns at the castle, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour, before you finally make your way back up the creaking stairwell that leads to the room that you've been given to stay in. As you all spill forth into the room, the dusty bed before you, it actually looks as if it's been cleaned up a little, made a little nicely. Made up a little more nicely. The wedding gown, bright, shining light in the closet, hanging. All right, Curio, case will open up to the mansion. Opening.

We should be safe here. Escher, do you want to stay here or would you like to join us? He looks quizzically at you. Are you implying you're going into a briefcase? Well, yes, this is where we live. Yes, obviously. I'll go. Oh, no, what do they say about inviting vampires places?

I would like to take up to read. It's too late. You've already done it, Professor. I don't know. Well, perhaps thinking before you speak. What do they say, yikes? It would be well advised. So what's happened, Shepard.

Take note when you have high intelligence but no wisdom. Yeah, noted. Ladies first. Very well. I'll make my way down. I'm going to take one look inside the closet where that the dress is hanging in and make sure there are no witches or hags tumbling out of the attic. You don't even need to roll for it.

You can just nicely hung up the way Clayton had left it. Very good. And I will proceed into the refuse. I guess we'll all follow down. Lucas, we are here. Please, make some arrangements, make some tea. You open the door, as you say this, and standing directly in front of you, almost like a stature, Sir Clutz. Oh, you, I forgot about you.

I bar your entrance. You may not enter the realm of Queen Arabelle. Well, the realm of Queen Arabele. Members of your party have thusly offended our great queen. Oh, no. What did you do? members of our party offended the great queen I do not know

I know of How have you heard of the blood queen Sir Clutz What do you know, Spector? He starts to fumble a little bit I shouldn't tell me Or the Raven Queen, you You hold knowledge

Queen, Arabel From us Queen of the Grand Mansion Queen of this realm of existence Alwyn and Takana Is Arabelle of royal birth? Perhaps we should probably abide by her request.

Oh, gods, we'll have to make this right. Sir Clots, could we hold court with Queen Arabele? I was told not to allow anyone entrance. May we see Queen Arabele here in the four-eighths? One does not simply summon Arabele. What if we say that we're sorry? but perhaps offer a token apology

and worship of course of the queen he looks confused he wasn't given strict rules for this so he slowly steps to the side yes I think that will do you have asked nicely

and she is not telling me no and he looks around and you see Arabel standing in a beautiful princess gown the very edge of the hall, a paper crown atop her head, colored gemstones in crayon all around the, or wax drawing instruments. This crayon does not exist in Berovia. Wax writing tools.

Autistic implements. As she stands there looking down at all of you, her nose held up in the air, her hands on her hip. She looks a little frustrated, but she too looks slightly confused as she wasn't sure how to proceed with this. She looks down at all of you as Sir Clut stands to the side.

Once again, sheathing his weapon. Queen Arabelle, we come beseeching your forgiveness in the great transgression of my expedition members. And as leader, I take full responsibility, but I will still require full apologies from both Starnax and Kana. But if you're going to do this, Why are you not bowing before the queen? I immediately step forward and do like a 90-degree bow.

That is so boring. Get on your knees, loser. She offended me greatly. Do not let her speak to me until she's on the ground. Everyone, everyone, Neil will bow. Why are we apologizing? I don't know what you even did. Let's just get through this.

We had very important business. You know, I can hear all of you talking from right here. I'm standing at the top of this. looking beautiful. I will kneel and just bow all the way down. There, well done, Kana. Can we please move on with this?

Her eyes turn to you as her head is held up high. Yes, we really should because I'm getting very hungry and I've been waiting you for like two hours. So, Max, please. Fine. Fine. I'm keeping my eye on you,

clutz. And I put my lantern down. And I will straightens his outfit. I will kneel. I am sorry. Never be. To the queen, a lot of queens. I'll bow. Forgiveness to the highborn. Highborn.

I subjugate myself beneath your feet and will give you taxes and great tracts of land. And my entire line will be enslaved by, your horrible fiefdom for generations. Is that how you highborn like to be treated? They're really going all in here. What does the word subjugation mean? Is that when you're underwater and all of a sudden you can't breathe? That's so stupid.

You're not even underwater. Get up. You're dumb. Let's go to dinner, okay? Yes, please. Food of any kind. I'm going to go and change because I can't eat in this because it's got this weird little metal hoop at the bottom. And every time I sit down, you can see my panties.

So I'll be back, okay? All right, please. Orbel, do you need any assistance? No, not from you. You're mean. But I do accept your apology, so it will be okay. Very well, thank you. I'll...

Will you all need to curtsy? Of course. Isabel okay? No, you need to curtsy. I'll do a very nice curtsy. I will watch Victoria, and then I will take... Very clumsily, like... ...try...

...but it'll look more like a bow. No, Kurtz. Let us away, Sir Klutz. And she turns around and stomps off, and you see his head fall. As he writhes up, puts a smile on his face and mumbles to himself as he follows her up the stairs and away. I love Sir Klub. We meet no offense. Brites are next.

We just simply came to bury the man. No, I understand entirely. You just have to put on a show sometimes with children. I cared not for any offense. If I did cause offense, I did not care. You're fine. I'm not actually upset. Was I a convincing, groveling peasant?

Surprisingly so, yes. You laid it on a little thick, I think, sorry. Well, she should at least learn the horrors committed by those that would subjugate the free will of others while she is young. Well, well done. I'm sure that she'll learn a lot. She needs a positive figure in her life. You have clearly let this place go to downward. I love desert. A horrible decoration.

and the ghost and the child it's just anyway all is is there anywhere around I would imagine you would guess

he was probably in his room alright well we should probably speak to Serge before we sit down to eat

yes something cried yes Lucas could you please have someone summoned Sergei you see

a silver tray the middle of the hallway, a folded piece of parchment on it with the word Sergei. And you can quickly see as it flips over and a quill appears and begins to write out, you have been summoned to the foyer. As it flips back over onto the silver platter, it begins to bounce down the hallway and head towards the direction of Sergei's room. It takes maybe 10 minutes or so as you all spill into the den. You take your seats on plush arm chairs. Clayton, take a seat on the desk as you leave through a book as Sergei has ushered into the room.

He walks into the room and looks at all of you, a warm smile on his face until his eyes land on Escher. As he recoils in fear for a second. He holds his position as he looks back and forth at all of you and he does not speak. No, no, he's fine. Now, he's an unlikely ally, like everyone else in this house. His eyes run the length of Escher, and you see a smile on Escher's face as he eyes Sergei up and down as well, both of them staring at each other, before Escher crosses one leg over the other. Well, I can see that they're good genes in the von Mzorovitch-Lavich. line, smirk from ear to ear, Sergei shudders slightly looking at this horrific vampire in front of him as he, um... He's already taken.

Should we take this to mean that you know each other, you're acquainted? We are not, but I do know of him, the one called Escher. He came to my sister far after my death. for I did not know her in her undead I only knew her in life but if you say that you trust him or tolerate him then I will too

I will withhold my judgment thank you because we do have very important business Victoria yes we've come upon something and we would like your opinion and I'll reach

into the folds of my dress and pull out the hairpin. He looks at it and his eyes go wide. That is my mother's hairpin. She would wear it before she turned from the Raven Queen. When she found the light of the morning lore, this is. How did you come by this piece? It's not easy. It was hidden away.

Shadjana kept it hidden, very, very well-suffield. but she dare not touch it or go near it. His eyes look saddened for a moment as he seems to be deep in thought but he reaches out and he

is able to take it from you. As he holds it in his hand he mutters to himself but it's so soft you're not able to make out the words. I do not understand. She told me that this was she had left this far behind

when she saw the light of the morning I will need time for this I will need time to think and to inspect and to work with this piece it is not of my God but it radiates with that of

another religion I cannot give you answers in this moment but I do hope I will be able to give you answers in time. At least a few hours. I won't wait. It is implied that it perhaps can aid us in our final battle with the Countess. I would examine all of its properties to be used as a weapon, not an object of worship.

It would be so fitting a thing, the worshipper of the Raven Queen. Her daughter turned to one death. This suddens me to see. It is cruel irony. He clutches it tight, and you can see one small tear rolled down his face at the memory of his mother. What else can we discuss needs to be discussed? Well, have you heard that the wedding has been delayed for tomorrow? Time feels like it is not changing in this place.

Yesterday, today, today, tomorrow, I know not any of it. But that is good to hear. It means we have more time. Yes. And time we will need. So we will need to discuss plans on how that evening may go, but I believe you studying that hairpin is more important. Then I will take my leave.

There is one more thing that we have discovered, that there apparently is some sort of seat of power of a horrible ancient evil that has taken its reins of your sister. There's a heart in a tower in Ravenloft. You see for a moment, Escher begin to shift uncomfortably against the wall. A heart that even Shredaña, herself cannot gaze into for very long. It perhaps could be why she returns again and again and again.

Perhaps it is connected to the choker on her neck. But either way, it is one of the final remaining mysteries surrounding your sister's fate. This is not something I can speak on, for I do not know of what became of this castle after my death. but him he may have the answers you seek as he looks to Escher his eyes darting from his feet to his head

Have you been withholding information from us, vampire? Escher chokes back a he chokes back a it almost sounds like a whimper but he tries to guise it with a quick cough well

Well, that depends on what you mean by holding back. Thank you, by the way. Ah, Sergei, I love having the attention all on me, and you are getting far too much of it. I'm going to as quickly as I can close the distance between myself and Escher and reach into my cloak and pull out the holy symbol of ravenkind. I can produce the light of the sun from this amulet. I have singed your putrid undead flesh before,

and I will do it again. This is a matter of life and death. The fate of the cosmos could depend on this. Stop withholding information. Are you our ally or are you not? Escher shrinks back against the wall for just a second before he reaches out and he pats you on the arm. You can tell that there's real fear as he's looking at this amulet.

No, no. There's no need to get in a tiff. We can talk about this. like gentlemen. Put down the amulet and we'll have a discussion. But I think your friend wants to make his way to take a look

at that happen. So let's allow him the moment to leave to say his goodbyes. Stand down. Stand down, Sonax. Shepherd, you would never let him. Harm a hair on my glorious mane. Oh, do you severely

underestimate my ability to tell Saran? what to do. Yes, you do. With a deep sigh, he looks at you as you slowly raise the amulet. I'm going to take my leave now. I believe that you have this vampire in your control.

Should you need me? Call on me. We will. I need but a few hours. When you are done with what you need to do, come to me and I will handle things from there. Thank you, sir.

His eyes linger on you for a second as you speak, and there's almost a moment of recognition. I have been deceived, but for her, I will always have forgiveness. As he turns, he bows his head almost a sense of sadness as he walks from the room and does not expand on what he was saying. That was awkward. Yes, that was someone like me that was incredibly uncomfortable,

brandishing these horrific godly icons and being scorned by a teafling of impeccable attractiveness. I apologize for you feeling uncomfortable, Escher. But I do assure you that the light of the sun will be far more uncomfortable on your skin. You are not one to mince words, are you, Sarnax? No, I am not. What can you tell us about the heart? Well, I will say, I'm a bit surprised one of your intelligence did not gleam from the journal you read exactly what Sarnax is speaking of. I'm surprised you haven't heard its whispers yet, but you have only been in the castle for so long.

Why would any of us he be hearing whispers? From the moment I came to this castle, I hurt them. They don't reach out to me the way they do to her, but they reach out all the same. Valenta is affected by them the most of the brides. Is there a way to stop these whispers? Not that I know of. And if there was, Tradonia would have done it years ago.

A dark tower at the very top of the castle houses. A heart, a crystal heart of some sort, that beats, it ever beats in its madness courses through the castle. Infecting, affecting, any who stay here for too long. It's awful. It's quite awful. Traps surround the entrance to it. Neither living nor undead can walk through that door. So, if you want to do something with it, good luck. Is there no workaround, no secret passage you found a hood of? Not that I've...

I mean, to be fair, what do I have need of a pulsing, horrific heart that whispers? I've had no need. Do you doubt your own mind, Escher? My mind is a steel trap. Then you should be just fine. Well, I'm not going to take you there. Are you afraid, Asher? Never.

He is clearly afraid. Escher, I am not afraid. Shepherd is not afraid because we have the armor and shield of our God, Garrick's the fire lord. Regardless of whether you're afraid of the heart or not, we'll never get to it. Neither living nor dead can walk through that door. So, unless there is... Which, you are you referring to yourself? Sonax.

I am trying to help you here, Sonnox. Let me have my dramatic moment, please. I'll step back. Now, nothing can get through that door, neither living nor dead. So unless you have... See, it was not as effective the second time. Yes, you've sort of ruined the moment. Regardless, there...

There is a creature. His dramatic flare is enchanting you all. I am happy to minimize it. He walks over and he wraps his arm around you. That is the nicest thing you've said to me all day. Say it again, son, ask my dramatic play. May we get on with it, please? Victoria, what has the Raven Queen done to you?

You do look quite ravishing when your breasts heave in exasperation. Mind your mess. Well, we would like the information, please. We don't have that much time. Fine, fine. Many, many years ago, there was a man, a jester that came to the castle. He delighted us all. And an inventor to keep Strudonia happy, created a clockwork man.

One that could eternally captivate Strudonia. Now, the Clarkwick man himself aptly name Piddlerwick II was not quite a replica, whereas Piddlewick himself was funny and jovial, charismatic, and warm. Piddlewick II was dark and vengeful and jealous, knowing he could never live up. To the man he was born from, he pushed him from the highest peripet. of the tower. Poor Pettelwick did not know what was coming for him.

Piddlerwick, the second, however, remains one of Anstrassia's toys. She finds him quite entertaining in his wickedness. And it still functions. Oh, yes. We heard of a mechanical man, do we not?

We did. Absolutely. Blinsky-esque, asked us to look into it. Well? He was obsessed. Does it have a mind? of its own, a murderous mind of its own. I am so clever,

but I realize that neither living nor dead could walk through that door, but Piddlerwick himself is neither living nor dead, so I imagine if you're able to convince the man, he could disable the trap for you.

But are you sure? Do you want to see this horrific abomination? Do you want your eyes to befold this thing? I cannot tell you what will happen should you enter that room. We need to destroy it.

We must strike at our heart of this evil, especially if there's a chance that Stradonia... Poetic. And what could possibly damage something this evil, this old, this ancient? Yeah, I mean, that's what I'm worried about. I've seen those implements do plenty of damage This is not flesh and blood

This is something different Something powerful We cannot attempt to destroy it Unless we set our eyes on it Escher We have no choice And we will figure it out Even if we don't destroy it tonight

We should investigate and known If that's the key I did not warn you You need to make the whispers stop Have you heard them Professor? Are they getting to you? Tugging at your mind? No, no, no, I haven't.

But for your sake, in Shradanya's. Are you certain you have not heard the whispers, Professor? Of course not. Have you? Of course not. I'm going to roll an inside check on this fucker. Yes, please do. Or I would like to determine if he's lying. Yes, roll an insight, roll a deception, and you can determine what happens. You know the roll.

It's a roll off. It's a roll off. I'm standing near Sarnax, and my eyes have just kind of narrowed at the professor while I'm listening to this exchange. I need my best one. Was it be the 29? I rolled the 19 means it's a 22. Oh. Clayton is clearly lying.

Professor, are you withholding information from your expedition? Why would I? Because perhaps if you hear the whispers as Tridanya do, does, you fear what may happen to your mind. You doubt your sanity. You perhaps may doom us even further. Perhaps you are even more of a liability than Victoria herself is. I've gotten us all this far. Have I not, Sondax? All right, all right. Let's not fall to infighten now. But if you have gotten us this far, Shepard, what if he has gotten us this far and if he is hearing whispers? What if he is following them, leading us this far at the service of some higher being, the same service that Tridanya does?

Do you not think that powers in this castle could kill us instantly, eviscerate us? At a moment's notice, we could be killed like that. Do any of us doubt that? Anyone? No. No. Escher? This is not my fight.

I'm not part of this fight. If you want me to lead you to that thing, I will lead you to it. I made the decision on whom to kill. Is that correct, sonah?

Yes. You have been making many decisions lately, Professor. Yes. So certain as well. And whom did you consult, I wonder. I consulted all of you. Sorry, Max. I get what you're saying. I understand. I understand the concern, but at the end of the day, we're all individual people

are making decisions as a group. And if something doesn't sit right with you or doesn't feel right, then speak up. But until then, the things the professor is just kind of suggested and done has been logical, and we followed along. Now, if you don't think we should go see this heart, then say something. We should see the heart. I am not saying, we avoid it, but I'm saying we, you, professor, must steal yourself. Ensure that you

still have agency. Ensure that your will is your own. Because if it is not, we are all doomed. Do you understand that, Professor Azran? Tarnax. Yes. I have seen the head of a

young lady removed from her body. I have seen hags their corpses of boning. I have eaten the bones of witches. You laugh, Kana. But think of it. After making a bargain with an evil star,

I've eaten bones and sprouted wings. What's the worst we could see? Do you suspect that it'll be worse than this? that? That is the only thing that scares me. Yes, I do suspect. And let's think, even if it is, what choice do we have? We do not. Then why are we even having a discussion? Because I am confident I will not succumb to the whispers. I am not confident you will not. That is my concern. I am not castigating you, professor. I am not even challenging your authority in this expedition. I am just warning you. Be alert. Steal your mind or else you are doomed and we are as well.

Professor Azran, if I may ask what are your intentions with this crystal heart? I want to ensure that all of our intentions are aligned before we put ourselves at risk. Because if your intention is to take that thing back home for further, archaeological analysis, I hope you know that you would be putting all of a ventrists at great peril. No, no, that's not my goal. Can I insulate trick him? You're all five. Dirty 20.

Dirty 20. So what are the numbers? Oh, no, dirty 20, dirty 20. In a contest, basically nothing happens. Yeah. Okay. The defender wins. Yes, the defender meets the defender runs.

So you think I'm truthful. Okay. Yeah. I believe that, I mean, we know now that, like Sarnak said, the very cosmos and the material plane, most importantly, could be in danger. So it is of the utmost importance that we destroy it, kill us, remove the seat of power, as Shredonia said herself. if we can do that, then maybe that is how we break this curse. So we all agree.

We are to destroy this heart. Yes. If we can, yeah. I will stop at nothing until it is destroyed. Good. Can you take us there, Fisher? Or at least to this mechanical man. Oh, boy.

Do I not want to have to spend time That foul loathsome creature. I will restrain from kicking it. I would suggest you do the same. If you want into that room, you are going to need to get on its good side, of which I'm not sure it has one. So, if you really want to do this, I will take you.

Between the five of us, I'm sure we can find a way. He's here in this castle. Oh, yes. Always. Lucas? Lucas appears in some form. Could you hold off on dinner? You look where Lucas should be, and you know that these servants are incorporeal there.

You invisible, as it were. But where you imagine Lucas would be you see Lucas slump. Because once again, a piece of parchment appears on a silver platter. A quill begins to write. Arbel, it is with regret that we must postpone dinner. We will see you later this evening. Yours, Clayton and the Ashran Expedition. I'm not taking the heat for this one.

I put my hat on and I start to like walk away. Is that fine? Should we go now or should we eat first? I'm not entirely hungry. I don't want to eat either, but I ain't taken the heat for this one. But if we are to leave now, may I do one thing, but I want to issue. Perhaps I was too hasty, and I should be more remandable. I will not eat if we attempt to have dinner now. All right, do what you will.

Please sit comfortably around the fireplace. Wherever you see fit, and I will take out my naginata, and I'll even motion to Escher. The labs, please, be asked me. I have seen it. I'll just move. I'll just move.

I'm in the middle. We're like two feet to the left just to doge it. I assure you as well. This should only tingle a little bit. I assure you no harm will come to you. What do you about? I have written something for this very moment. And my naginato will kind of glow in this bluish tinge for a moment as I pull it out. And I will set it on the ground as to not touch the fine carpet in the wood. And I will trace a ring around all of us. using Ring of Peace.

And for one minute, we choose eight allies to have a long, I'm sorry, a short rest. And as I paste the room, I will say a small prayer that I've written. A crystal heart throbbing, the most radiant beauty, bride, veiled in shadow. She's a haiku. A haiku. I feel more at peace. Escher, Professor Azran, forgive me for my temper earlier.

I have been feeling conflicted the past several days. And forgive me. It's been a rough day. Yes, it has. Your minds are calmed and your souls have been soosed. by the Ring of Peace. Very cool. Very good.

Short rest. God, I was last I'm in a short rest. I know. I was like, I don't remember what to do this. If we're leaving to go do more tower shenanigans, like we better to do this. That was a damn good role. So, yes, I can take you to the creature,

but it will be quite the task. Are you sure this is what you want to do? I don't see it either any other way. We have no choice. We must. Any warnings we should heed before we meet him. New tributes we should bring to gain his favor. I wouldn't be the person to know.

I despise the foul thing, and I do my best to stay away from it as much as I can. Well, we'll figure it helps me get there. All right, then. Are you ready? Yes. Your letter has been sent to... The rambunctious tiny one.

Yes. I'm sure she will be fine. We should, however, probably get a move on before she reads it fully. Yes, let's go quickly. Come on, and I'll leave the way and I'll go up the stairs. I'll go up the stairs. You quickly make your way out of the mansion up into the room that you were given, and then once again, Asher begins to lead you through the castle. It's even darker now that it had been before.

It's quiet all but sounds of screaming that can be heard off in random corridors randomly. Never in the same place, but you know that there are foul creatures in this place, unlike you could have ever imagined. And you haven't seen half of what this castle could expose to you. But with Escher's help, you are lucky that you don't meet any of them on your travels. everything seems to steer clear of one of Stradanya's consorts. You're finally led into an area which looks familiar to you, the entranceway, where you'd entered into Castle Ravenloft, where you'd turned and had dinner with Stradania

for the first and only time. He begins to lead you towards that dining area. but swiftly makes a turn directly to the left, a small door you hadn't noticed before. Well, the servants' dining quarters are in here, so this is where they come to play. I've warned you, he opens the door, and the smell of putrid flesh hits your nostrils,

far before your eyes fully adjust. corpses dangle from chains shackled to the ceiling. Bodies and cages dressed up in the tattered garments of, what, a tea party? Vests and dresses, all of them holding cracked teacups. A large, rectangular wooden dining table sits in the very center, completely surrounded by chairs. piles of corpses and skeletons line the walls.

And at first you see no movement. At first it looks that you are in a room of the dead until you notice that not all of the chairs are housed by the dead, but three forms sit at random points around the table. One of them, a hunched over man, partially disfigured, his hands glowing with fire that he's having trouble controlling. As he slowly is hands shaking, he slowly pours tea into a cracked cup as he hands it to a beautiful young girl who sits across the table from him. Her eyes wide. She couldn't be more than 17. Her face is pale, her lips

red as she smiles lovingly at the disfigured man that you know to be Ezek sitting across from her. And immediately, to her right, propped up on plush pillows, moth eaten, and tattered. Is the semblance of a clock workman, a jester with a painted face. His leathers appear to be sewn together

bits and pieces of human skin. His facial expression meant to look jovial and comical, but slightly sinister, as they all enjoy their tea together laughing. You watch as this young girl strokes the matted hair of this clockwork man and he looks at her almost fondly

as all of them turn and look at you. Immediately, almost quick as lightning, the clockwork man jumps from his chair and skitters over to you and draws a blade as Escher steps in front of you and looks down. I would think twice about that, you foul loathsome beast. The clockwork man shrinks back. They bring friends.

Come in, join us for tea. As he smiles at all of you, his wooden and, it looks like wooden, leather, and bits of metal make up his face as it slowly creaks. open into a partial smile, iron teeth shaved to a point. As he looks at all of you, bends over and ushers you towards the tea table. His eyes linger on Escher, hatred, but unwilling to make a strike at one of Stradonia's cohorts. You were warned. Take a seat. You'll be here.

We'll stay. I will join you. But only because I must. Piddlewick, the second. And you notice how he put the emphasis on the second as Piddlewick's face gets angry and contorted. Let us have afternoon tea or evening tea in this case. As he strides over towards the table,

he pulls one of the chairs back, the wood grates on the cobbled, on the stone floor, as he sits at the table and one of his boots thumps heavily onto the table as he crosses his legs and stares at Isaac and this woman. They both look at him at first with anger and frustration. Ezek makes a move, the fire in his hands turning to glow brightly

as the woman reaches over. No, Ezek, don't. We can play with them. Not as cute as you are, my love. Let us enjoy after supper. Yes? and she smiles at all of you. Her smile meeting her eyes,

but there's an emptiness, a darkness behind it. As Piddlewick taps his foot, go, sit, all of you, sit, enjoy tea. How do you do, everyone? Have we met Isaac before,

or did we just see him from there? You have seen him from afar, but you've never actually met him. But he knows of you because of the burgomaster. My name is Professor Clayton Azran. This is my expedition. First, Ezek.

I'm sorry to hear about the Berger Master. But we know of you, and we know how powerful you are. It's very impressive. And your name. And I'll reach out to shake Ezek's hand. He looks up at you, but he makes no motion to shake your hand. His eyes dart to the woman across. the table from him, and she gives him a shallow smile. And you see as the embers on his fingers begin

to extinguish slightly, he nods at her, but he says nothing back as he gulps back a retort. He, you watch as he reaches to his side and he pulls up the decaying body of a Barovian villager. He pulls a pair of rusted silver shears out of his pocket, and he begins to cut the hardening flesh from the body in pieces and scraps. We see where he's created a pile as he takes a rusty needle and he begins to stitch the pieces together.

You can see where a pocket had been formed and a button and you realize that he is making the outfits for their guests. But he says no word to you. All right. And you, young lady. She reaches out and she grabs your hand.

Welcome. What is your name? Sit, Gertruda. Gertruda. Sit. Enjoy. This will be lovely. Oh, to have Isaac and Piddlewick and new friends here this evening.

The night before a wedding, how joyous. Join us. Join us. Are there clearly enough open seats for all of us? There are no open seats. And every single one of the chairs, there is a body that is, most of them at this point have fully decayed. Skeletons at best with pieces of leathery skin hanging from them.

I'm going to walk over to one of the chairs. My hand is still on one of my pistols. And just under my breath, fucking hell. And I'm going to use my boot to kick the remains of one of these corpses out of the chair and then try to like scrape the crap off of whatever's on the seat and pull it out and try to sit down. you are able to do that. The mamu mullah meat hand is push a body off a chair.

There are any cushions or just all chairs? All chairs. There's only one seat that has cushions and that's the one directly next to Gertruda that was for Piddlewick. And it's at this point you see as he's slowly climbing. He's maybe two and a half feet tall at best as he's climbing up the chair and seating himself on me at the top of the cushions. I'll wait to see where Victoria sits and then I will just gently lift

the dead body from where she's heading and offer her the seat and I'll put the dead body carefully on the ground oh thank you and I'll just slide into the seat and just I'll scoot her chair in and then I'll clear off the seat next to her and I'll sit next to her

I'll like grab the chair and I'll like drag it back and I'll just do kind of a dump truck motion It's tough it out It's part of it is part of the bone Is caught on one of the filigreed Metal irons and it Shaking and shaking and rattling

The sound is echoing throughout this room Isaac doesn't even flinch as he continues To sew the skins together Piddlewick collapse and laughs He seems to be enjoying this Gertrudeau looks at Piddlewick with fond eyes As she strokes his hat happy that he's enjoying this as the body

finally tumbles down and you take your seat. And you, we hear you are quite a fine jester, is that right? He turns and he looks at you, I need you to roll a deception check. Do you roll your importance today? I did.

Should I twist it? I roll them one. Yes. Thank you, Chad. Thank you, thank you, thank you, might want to. Thank you for the best. Roll the nine.

It's better. Number three. Kiss roll inside. Yeah, I do. And so you are lucky because I rolled an eight. So, he looks at you for a moment and his face, that perpetual sneer, almost looks more grotesque as a smile fully lights his face. I am best gesture, always. Would you like to see a trick?

Yes, please. And he scampers back down, grunting and groaning as he makes his way. You hear the pattering as he moves across the room to one of the corners, and he begins throwing pieces of flesh, dead bodies here and there, until he comes out with two infant skulls, and he begins to start juggling them. He hops from one foot to the next. He flips himself over onto. to his head as he begins to juggle with his hands and his feet, the clanking of his mechanical body

and the sound of the skulls smashing up against the pieces of this mechanical man. You see as shards of the bone fly this way and that as they crack. And just as he's finished, he sples out on the ground with one skull in one hand, one on the other, his legs crossed. You like? Very nice. I love it. Incensed. Very nice, everyone. Incensed by your clapping,

he stands up and tosses these skulls to the side as he sweeps into a bow. Would you like to hear it, Joe? Bravo. Yes, please, uncle. Why did the monkey fall out of the tree? Why?

It was dead. Isaac and Irritzae, Isaac and Gertruda burst into laughter as this horrific court gesture sweeps into yet another bow. Good one, Shep. right? Yeah, great.

It's funny enough to laugh, yes? Yeah, I'm laughing. This is how he laughed. Time for a feast, then. As he makes his way to yet another pile of bone, you see as he scrapes a rusted silver platter to the side, he starts to pull a fetid, rotting meat onto the platter.

He brings it over and hands it to his Zach who places it in the very center. You will all eat now. This. You watch his Gertrude. Trudea almost lifeless, reaches down and grabs a bone, just a pure bone, and begins to start gnawing on it. That was lovely, pittalick. So lovely. How old does she look?

No older than 17. Okay, so like late teens. Any family resemblance to Mad Mary? Easily. They're near... They're near exactly, like just her, but more... She looks like her mom. Yes.

Oh, well, um, mhm. Sondax loves meat. Professor, yes, I actually take offense. Yes, it is a stereotype that my kind prefer to eat deceased remains of humanoids, but I do not partake in such behavior. Escher thumps his boot onto the table as he switches his legs. keeping them crossed. He looks over at Piddlewick.

I would partake, you know, but vampism, I don't enjoy the flesh, just the blood. So you will excuse me for not enjoying your hideous meal. Pitilwick's body kind of irks up. They seem very frustrated at each other. If you weren't hers, I would feast on you. Calm down, Piddlewick. It's fine. This makes me happy. This brings me joy, just as you do. Let us enjoy time together.

Yes. I think that you'll find we're all unable to eat right now for the excitement we feel. Piddlewip jumps up onto his plush cushions. You dare, decline the feast we feel. have laid before you. You dare decline to dine in the presence of Gertruda. No, no, it's just that we're so excited to be here. We have much that we'd like to say to you. Questions to ask. He looks between Gertruda and Escher, torn between two places, pure hatred and pure love,

as she raises one hand and she pulls on his pantaloons. Sit, and get awake. We will will not force them to eat. He would not force me to eat, for I am of the living too. He knuzzles into her, a look of pure wickedness, but a wicked love and devotion to her. Just tea then, for this lovely tea party. Pidilic's eyes narrow in on you as he once again reaches into his pockets and he pulls out bones. This time it appears to be that of a large rat in a large owl skull as he begins to juggle them, no longer speaking to you. Gertruda stands up and she grabs the pot of tea as she begins to pour it. The smell of it is putrid. The water, standing water for far too long, definitely never heated a thick layer of moss and algae,

bits and chunks of bugs and other things float to the top. Please. Please. we brewed it today. She takes a sip. You can see she's having a hard time drinking it, but she's trying to keep her countenance. This visage that she's putting on, this image cracking just a little, but she drinks the tea.

I don't pretend to give up all of the habits of my kind. Extra flies, please. She looks confused, but she pours a little more. tea for you. Does she seem undead at all? A real a medicine check. That's like a 13. She even mentioned that she was one of the living, and as you look her over, you notice

that there doesn't seem to be any bite marks on her. You are hearken back to the journal that you read, Shredonia's journal. She mentions allowing her in and allowing Anastasia to have her as a pet, and that she hadn't fed of her yet. And from what you can see, none of them have fed on her as of yet. Would you like to maybe sample a different kind of tea? Probably one you haven't heard of before. Indeed, I believe we both have partaken in different kinds of tea. Exactly right. Faraway lands. Roll a persuasion check. I also brought tea, but it does not have flies and algae in it. Was it kind of helping me? Yes, so you can roll out of baggage.

A14. Pidolick slams his hand on the table. What we have isn't good enough for you. Oh, no, I was just wanting to offer a variety. Perhaps something new and exciting and fresh from far off lands. It's called Boggest fog. Isn't that interesting? Her eyes linger on you for a moment as she turns toward Pidilik. She puts her hand on his mechanical knee. We will allow it. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash Legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt 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 toome for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. She looks at you, her face, stone-faced. She reaches across the table and she strokes the hand of you, Zach. He watches his body shudders at the touch of her. I'll take my case up. I like new things.

Yes. Everything here has been new, and not at all what I expected. But you must do. Lucas, one pot of tea, please. Oh, I like that. It's different. Yes, yes. We are quite different from what you may be used to in this land.

I like naming inanimate objects. Oh, then you love judgment and redemption. Sheppard's trusty weapons. Her head kind of lulls back and forth, almost entranced by just your words. show me. Show the lovely young woman my weapons. Yes, they're inanimate objects that have names.

I'm going to lean back and I will take redemption out of the left holster and kind of slam it on the table not without being in arm's reach of myself. I'm going to kill you if you do that one more time. You watch as Pitilwick stands up

his entire body, large and impressive, almost as if he's grown two more feet from where he was. You see gears and things extended as he turns his head, his entire body still facing you as his head turns towards Escher, who you see has been throwing small animal bones and hitting him squarely in the chest. It was an accident I did not, my hand slipped. Take sure the safety's on. Pitilwick slowly lowers back down to a small form, up two and a half feet. One eye. firmly on Escher, his other eye firmly on you as you unholstered judgment and redemption.

Which one is this? Well, this of course is redemption. Judgments right here, and I'm still holding on a judgment. And redemption is just sitting in front of me on the table. And why did you name them that? Well, to be honest, I didn't make them the man who made them. He had a penchant for naming the things that he in front. invented and created and, well, he named them, actually.

A man naming weapons. A doctor. Yeah, yeah, yes. The good doctor, Cogburn. I enjoy that name. Cogburn. Like the cogs in, my dearest Piddlewick. And you see as she moves towards him and she spins one of the cogs in his chest.

A bit of a beat. but yes, sure. Yeah, the doc was real good with contraptions and inventions and things. Did you hear that, my sweet, and she turns to Piddlewick. The one who gave him those things was good with inventions like you. Yes. He could make you a friend. I don't need friends.

I only need Gertruda. And he reaches out and he touches her face. She smiles into him. She turns and looks at you again. I mean, that's, that's, that's, that's kind of it. Just, it's what they are. I like them. Me too.

Thank you. Not to be confused with justice and redemption. No, judgment. Judgment. Judges. That was my mistake. Right. Well, oh, tea's ready, and the tea will flow down.

Of course. And I'll take the pot. And I'll take a couple of tea cups for Lucas. I'll just like gently laying down like the tea cups. And I'll just sort of go around and I'll pour everybody a cup. I'll set it in front of everybody. So hopefully you enjoy this tea as much as your local tea here. She reaches out and she grabs the cup.

Did you pour one for Pidilock? I did. Pidilic reaches out and takes the cup. You watch as he inspects it and slams it down on the table, causing it to crack, the tea spilling everywhere. He then begins to lick. A long, leathery tongue spills out, rolls out from his mouth as he begins to lick and lap up the tea from the inside of the broken cup. Gertruda smiles at him, giggles a little. Ezek seems completely unfazed, only occasionally.

looking up and with pure longing at Gertrude across the tables, he continues to stitch the human skins together. She picks up her teacup and she takes a soft sip and you see almost a full heave of relief, the taste of real tea as she begins to almost, almost gulp down the tea. She holds out the cup for another. Piddlewick looks at you, his eyes boring into you. one of them rolling around in his head lifelessly. All may change or another. Another poor. And she consumes that one.

She reaches out for a third. I'll just keep this going. And this one, she begins to nurse slowly. More tea, I'll yell down in the case. While they're all pouring tea and distracted, I want to like peer over my teacup around the room and try to kind of foster more information about the space that Piddlewick is in, if there's any clues about the heart here,

that I may. Roll a perception check. Okay. Okay. Okay. 24. Looking around the room, you're easily able to see that this looks to be a dumping ground, that there appears to be a haphazard shoot in the four different corners of the room

where the bodies themselves are being dumped. You are able to look and see that two of the bodies in the top of one of these piles you recognize, had been changed together. You had been asked to, they had pleaded with you for their salvation. Their bodies now severely tortured beginning to decay on the top of this pile, but it seems to be nothing more than that. This room itself has been, there are three beds in one corner, one very small matching the sizes of the three people that you're with. This appears to be the place that they stay. And there's nothing more to gleam from that. This is just their macabre tea party.

No doors that I can see that. Just the one that you came in through. How long have you been in the castle? Time goes by so quickly and so slowly all at the same time. Who knows? It's been lovely learning how to be royalty. I'm sure. Polite conversation I'm engaging in.

Are you aware of, of which castle you are in. Oh, Castle Ravenloft, of course. I see. And I'd like to look around. If I do what I'm told, Honestrasia promises

I will get to meet the Countess. So I smile and we party. Ah, you haven't met her yet. No, but I will wait to meet her. And Anastrasia tells me that as long as I do as I'm told, as long as the young learns, one day I will be mature enough to meet her.

Well, I'm sure that will happen one day. Where are you from, Gertruder? The village of Borovia. Now I live here. I see. Well, um, have a surprise woman. Are you ready? Yes.

Guess what it is? The plot of the innocent. No, something happier. A fresh kill. Let me, let me just give it to you. I'm curious, and my case will open up and I'll reach down and I'll say, Remember her? Molly.

You do remember her? How did you find her? Oh, your eye is just where I left it. Yes. Mostly off of your face. Well, we happened to be traveling through Brovia Village, and we ran into your mother. We let her know that we were coming up here for a wedding, and she asked us to give you the doll, and maybe, you know, I think that she misses you dearly, and perhaps you should go pay her a visit. I can't.

Why not? Honestrasia says I must stay. I must mature so that I can meet Stratania. What if we help you take a vacation? We all die together. Oh, we do, don't we?

We all die together. Well, just consider it and maybe ask for just maybe like a week. I'm just a week at home. You see a look of anger on Piddlewick's face as he watches Gertruda, his Gertruda, begin to love on and hold on to morbid Mali. Can see as his anger begins to build.

Well, maybe later. I just wanted to give you that. Do I see any change of recognition, like, of a different person? Quick as a flash, you see as he rips the doll from Gertruda's hands, severs the neck from its body, but not fully. Completely, nearly headless Molly is now hanging there as he begins to toss it. Almost quick as lightning, Gertruda grabs it. Petalwick, you've made it even better for me.

Oh, you sweet thing. She stands up on near tiptoes as she places a kiss on the clockwork man's cheek. A smile, vicious, evil, haunting. Gracious his face. I tried, huh? Well, anyway, it's been lovely. Piddlewick. We hear you are very skilled with contraptions yourself.

I need to roll a dexterity saving throw. Knife in the chest. Come on. Come on, D.B.R. I know it's plus 13, so it's 24. You hear the sound before you see it, a knife whizzes towards you. You dodge the side as it sticks into the wooden carvings at the very back of your chair.

I missed. Oh. Yes, I do tricks. For the misses. Well, a Victoria here is soon to be betrothed to the lady of this castle. Yes, boring thing. Yes, but we, Stradarania and I, We're hoping maybe you could play part in the wedding.

Do tricks for all of us. Lead games for guests. Roll a deception check. I was going to do that. I'm good at that. Ooh. Would you say deception? Yep.

Look good. 20. No, 30. Oh, yes. Baby. His eyes alike. Yes. Oh, Piddlewick would love to entertain.

Cathedral full of guests. will do it if the missus agrees and he turns and looks longingly down at Gertruda her face falls she cradles the near headless form of morbid Molly

I don't want to be without you Pitwick you're my true friend I've been so long without Molly the loneliness is difficult no I don't think of

I will. I don't think I'll let you. But, Mr. Trudeau, you would, of course, accompany Piddlewick as his honored guest and meet the countess at the wedding. Roll a persuasion check. It's pretty good. 25. She looks at it. She's looking down.

Slowly tilts her head up, her eyes angle up towards you. You can make that happen. Of course. I, I have. matured enough, I'm ready? I don't see why not. I'm not sure what the drinking age is in Borovia, but I'm sure we could make some arrangements.

That wouldn't you? Yes, and all I have to do is allow Piddlewick to go to the wedding. Just about, yes. There is one other thing. What? Um, something that we're looking for in the castle. We think that you and Piddlewick might be able to help us. Don't leave this room. I can't help you.

But Piddlewet, do you know of what they speak? His eyes roll towards you. His head lulls to the side. He shakes his head now. Well, Professor, would you like to tell them? Yes, if you could join us to the highest tower in the castle, and perhaps we hear that there's a door that's very special

that you alone can enter being the great little wick Yes, very great and powerful His smile broadens It throbs Ah so you do know it We thought you would Be here I love

Well so what Victoria The air tastes fresh Would you take us there Let you in And let us in, yes. Can I watch? Yes, yes, that's fine. Yes.

All right. If the... Meaning the fact that Victoria is asking you, as a soon-to-be-wife. Gertruder is the missus. Oh, all right. Could you allow that? When? Now would be perfect.

I do, yes. It will give you plenty of time to prepare yourself for the wedding tomorrow. the first time you see Isaac tilt his head up we could have some a long time together and his face brightens

flush rushes to his cheeks she shrinks back a little and giggles I need to say it in front of everyone yes you can take him but he must return in one piece

yes We'll take very good care of him. Of course. All right, well, this has been lovely. Hopefully you enjoyed the tea. Are we ready to go? Let's finish you have the rest of the tea. Excellent.

Delicious. It was lovely to meet you. Congratulations. I'll see you at the wedding. Yes, thank you, too. You look really tired. Thank you, dear. Thank you, dear.

I'm sure they'll have makeup. Yes. Goodbye. Goodbye. Pedalway, please. Either way. Piddlewood, please. He jumps from his seat and begins to skitter towards the door saying nothing.

He wrenches it open. He bows as he looks at you and points the way. All right. Get me out of this nightmare room. Just through here. All right. Let us go. Yes.

Escher follows behind quickly, and as he walks forward, you see as he stumbles for a second, as he looks over, he grabs Piddlewick by the scruff of his collar and pulls him up eye to eye, and Piddlewick looks down at him with a gleeful grin. Nottie, naughty. You don't want me to lead you astray now, do you? Put him down, Escher, please. You fowloops, creature. Stop it. He places him on the ground. and he pats his head a little harder than would be appropriate. Very well done. Thank you. As we're leaving, I'd like to kind of poke my head back into the tea party.

It's like I kind of have like another like another thought. I like to lean in and if Gertrude is still there, I'd say, Miss Gertruda, did your mother was, your mother correct in saying you were a fan of dream pastries? Yes. How many may you have eaten in your lifetime if you had to guess? I eat them every day I have one in my pocket if you'd like I would recommend perhaps taking a break

from dream pastries as a healer by trade I couldn't imagine it they're delectable very well you'd want to save room for the wedding cake tomorrow but not I'm sure it'll be extra delicious

I'll only have one or two before bed. Good day. You're welcome anytime. The party is ever going. Enjoy. Thank you. All right, Pidalek, please.

Quickly, if you could. Thank you. Delic begins to lead you through the castle. Up one floor and down the other. I need you all to roll a perception check for. Nickelodeon. I was doing more perception. 19. 17. 17.

23. 23. I am strong. 22. Sarnax and Shepherd, I need you both to roll dexterity saving throws from the place. Oh. That's caught.

That's a good one. That'll be a natural 20 plus 23. 28. You will both only take half damage. You move throughout the entirety of the castle on multiple occasions. Clayton, Escher, Connor, Victoria, you're all able to sense when Piddlewick's misdeeds are about to happen. But Sarnax and Shepard, you are unable to notice it as Shepard, you are pushed down a flight of stairs. Your reaction time is quick as you're able to write yourself without fully plummeting to the bottom, taking...

21 points of damage. Shered. Was it like 30 flights? Jesus. And as soon as you get up, Sarnax, you don't notice as the rest of your party does,

the sound of something flying through the air, as a tiny dagger embeds itself into your abdomen. You take 21 points of piercing damage, but you're able to move in a way that it does not pierce any of your internal organs. Could I, having perceived this,

potentially use my reaction to intervene said dagger and rush to an ally and take the damage myself? You were able to take the damage on yourself as you rush in front of the Sarnix. Be careful. Did you just attempt to stab my cleric? I don't know what you're talking about. We're taking this hallway now as he turns and walks down the highway.

Someone important almost got hurt. I would have been very upset. It's fine. It's fine. Is this just regular piercing? Yeah. Okay. I'm glad we're just brushing over the fact he pushed me out.

I can't help you there. I'm sorry. No, no, it's fine. Do we do it? No. Oh, yeah. Definitely. So these are not like like pre-stop.

that traps in the castle. This is him being a little ship. I thought I was going to fall on the stairs and get pushing to Shepard. So I would be concerned, and I'd like to go help Shepard out when he gets pushed down the stairs. It's too late for that, sorry.

Too fucked up. I know that you don't really care about me. Shepard, I'm sorry. Cawar it, son of a bitch. I had a near-daggered experience. And thank goodness, Con, I just got stabbed instead of me. Yes, thank goodness. Thank you, Gerricks.

Shepherd, forgive me, please. Garek slit your path. I was, you know, when I heard of a mechanical man that Blinsky was interested in, you know how fond I am of Blinsky's toys. I'm aware. I thought that this fellow might be charming, but I think I don't care for it. Now, Shepard, don't blame your own clumsiness on our friend here. Of course not.

Thank you. Please, my good man. He tugs on Kana's robe. Can I have my dagger back? He'll kneel down, not breaking eye contact with him, and I'll hand it out. Thanks. He takes it and he puts in his pocket as he turns and continues to walk. Throughout the entirety of this journey, having left that whole whole room

we were in. I would like to have been studying this mechanical man and use Hunter Sensorzance on him. Okay. So basically what I need to know is damage immunities, resistance, or vulnerabilities and what they are if they're not hidden

from divination magic. You see if I can pull it up. Yeah, if it's relevant or if it's not, don't sweat it, I just, you know, I'm right a fucking, I'll stick happening with more. Don't you dance, you know?

This is what we have. Everything's ruined if you do. No, no. Let's see. So you need immunities, et cetera? Yeah, if you could. He's immune to poison. He's immune to paralyzed, petrified poison, necrotic, radiant.

That's it. Does he have any vulnerabilities or, yeah, vulnerabilities? No. Could we presume he's a construct? Yes. Small construct. Cool. Mutral evil.

All right, that's all I needed. Well, you're doing a wonderful job leading us to this castle, so I would please do continue. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Well, duh. Black. Yeah.

Well, I should say... I said it was down this hall. Oh, well, let's go down this hall, everyone. Shepherd, watch your step. Yes, shepherd's clumsiness has reminded me that we were told those many traps about. Did no one else? Perhaps you should be more careful in checking around and things like that.

How could I have forgotten? Shepard, I saw you were not clubbed. No, no, no. I was the... Sornax. Please. Down the hallway, everyone. Yes.

All right. Shepard, I know you're not clums. Thank you. I know. No matter what they say, I know you're not clums. Yep. Sornax, thank you. I understand.

Thank you. You continue to walk. 15 minutes, 30 minutes an hour passes. You feel like you. you've been climbing stairwell after stairwell after stairwell. I need you all to roll a perception check. Oh. I can't wait for 21 to not be good enough.

Well, tell me what feet befalls, poor shepherd now. 22. 28. I got the same out of 17. I got a 14. Oh, God. 21. You all make your way ahead as Sarnax.

You feel a pressure at the back of your knees. Kittlewink, lunging himself into you. As the muscles give way, you crumble to your knees and smack your head squarely on the stone floor. You're new. I'm going to rush to Sarnax and like trying to help him up. Jesus. Taking points of damage as you slam into, as you slam into the stone. You hear the piddling sound of piddleston.

as he moves away. I'm going to try to help him up. Are you all right? Oh, my head, my nail. Oh, I like, I'm reading it. Just put that back. As I'm helping him up, as I'm helping him up.

I got it. I got it. Under my breath, but like two Sarnax and like so that nobody else can hear, as I'm helping Sarnax, I'm going to kill this of shit. Did anyone else see that? is just as you say that, that you feel it around your neck,

a small, thin wire, his pital weight pulls it tighter. You are choking and choking and choking. I need you to make a dexterity saving throw. You can't fucking garrette me in front of my friends? Yeah. So can you roll a dexterity saving? You don't make it? Oh, yeah.

I think so. He's a wick. Stop that right now. 23? You are able to shake him off quickly, but a thin line appears on your neck where the thin wire was able to pierce into the skin just a little bit. A faint trickle of blood as Piddlewick hits the floor.

A giggle erupts from him as he skitters again down the hallway. This way. Are you all right? I'll fucking kill him. No, no. I'm gonna fucking tear. Sonak's your lantern.

Oh, thank you, God. Close your nail. It will be a time for that, Chepper. Just not now, please. Keep it together. I broke my nail. Can you, Shepherd? Are you all right? I'm fucking bleeding.

Here, I will stay back and we'll hopefully fix all of this. Come hang back with me, perhaps. We can avoid his gaze in the back. Yeah, all right. Just keep moving. All right, I'll follow after you. You hear a loud shriek as Escher up ahead. You horrific piece of shit, I will kill you.

is you see steam rising off of him, Piddlewick holding a small vial of holy water as Escher's trying to pull the parts of his club. I'm going to fucking end you. Where did you find that? Escher, you all right? In this castle? Oh, my God.

I'm fine. I'm terrible. How much fucking farther we have to go? Not too long now, right, Piddlewick the second? Not much farther now. Two more flights, and we're there. It's just a flesh wound.

A showtis but a flesh wound. I'll put my hand gingerly on your neck and cast cure wounds. I'm going to cast cure wounds on my finger to hopefully reattach the male. I'll give it to you shirt. Thank you. Thank you. So you get 10 points of hearing

and I get eight. Your nail flies up into the air. It begins to poke it. I need you all to roll initiative. It's a nail. Yes. This is the Adam's family special I'm looking for. Oh my God.

The leg is tedious. Yes. I cast animate object in all ten of our next to speak. It's fine. Yeah, you're able to do that. You all, you all regain your composure. Escher seems to be calmed down after having Shepherd to speak to him first, shocked, as he gains his composure and motions for everyone to follow.

You make your way up a few more flights of stairs before you find yourself spilling out into a long, a long bridge on a parapet that leads to a tall tower, the tallest tower of Ravenloft. And as you step your foot outside, you can hear it. thump thump thump thump thump you can feel it beneath your feet as the stones reverberate reverberate beneath you

pittalic motions for all of you to stop and he thinks for a second looking at all of you and looking down over the vast drop on either side of this bridge that leads towards this tower room and you see you see the thought

crosses face imagine this was where Pidowick the first plummeted to his death but he controls himself as he turns and heads towards the door you can almost feel

the magic coming here the darkness that enshrouds this place as Pidilick makes his way to the door he pulls a small tool out of his pocket and he begins to fumble with the door It takes him 15, maybe 20 minutes to finally disarm the trap on the door

as it slowly creaks open. Pidilwick motions you towards the door. As you get to it, you can barely see anything at all inside if faint red mist swirls in front of you, not exiting the room, but it is there all the same, shrouding the insides from your vision. thumb-thumb, thump-thump, thump, getting louder and faster with every step

you take towards the door. Escher steps back and shakes his head. I'll wait out here for you. I'll escort the little shit back to the kitchens and come back to a tree view. But I'm... That is not for me. And you're sure it's just the door

and we're going to be all right to pass through. Well, he looks down at Pedalwick. If we can trust that it's done its job, then yes, but there's no way to tell. Hells. Thank you, gentlemen. Yes. Yes. Now, my reward.

And he holds out his hand. A reward is a job well done. Yes. No, give me a thing. A token of your appreciation. A token. Let me take a quick look here. What do you like? Mr. Peterwick.

Gifts. Gifts. How about... Oh, I know what you like. This is perfect. This has been in my case this whole time and I haven't touched it. Marno and I'm going to use my mage hand to reach into the case and pull out a small knife. And I'll say, how about this?

Yes. I like this. He looks at all. all of you? Yes. I like this. Enjoy. Good luck. When he was unlocking the door, was he using parts of his appendages and pins to do it, or was it like a key? He had like a ring of tools, but he was also using parts of himself. You would see that he would open up his stomach and pull out things, and some of which seemed to be attached. So do we get the sense that basically like if before he had disabled that, if like any one of us to step to the door, we get fucking like vaporized?

You could see the faint shift of magic. God. Got it. Okay. And he spent some time to answer to things were kind of like their knobs turning and whatnot, so it seemed like very specific to him. There wouldn't be anything that we could.

I mean, you can't be sure that some of what he was doing wasn't bullshit, but at least what he did, the end result resulted in that magical shift, evaporating. In otherwick, is there anything else we should be? concerned with as we pass through this doorway. Yes. I need you to roll a dexterity saving throw, please. I'm going to impose this advantage.

I'm just going to, yeah, natural one. I'm going to let this happen. Four, I deserve this. He rushes at you and pushes you off of the parapet. Does anyone want to do anything? As Pidilwick rushes at Kana and pushes, he lets out a loud cackle as he throws her from the top of this bridge. Oh, I was expecting a knife.

I will immediately leave. What are you doing? I'm gonna try to grab on the part of her. Roll a... Roll a... What would you say for him trying to grab it? Would it be a... Like dexterity check? Or dexterity check.

At the same time, I'll try to grab pedal wint to like... Is he a little helping? I would have done the same thing and tried to go for that little shit. I should have just used... I'm gonna go back. God damn neck. I don't know why I just allowed. this happened.

Level 19 character. I'm gonna twist it. Taken down by it. I thought it was gonna be a new high-upil-tall-tee. I didn't like to get shoved off the fucking bridge. I alluded to what he was thinking about when you guys walked up here.

But I figured he liked the gifts that we gave him and that he was in a good mood. I think this is a bit of good thing. The DC was 15. You are able to grab onto part of Kana's robes and pull her forward. She stumbles into you as both Shepherd and Victoria grab on to Piddlewick,

he struggles against you for a minute, and then goes limp as his head tilts up and he looks at you both and smiles. But God's Matt! I'm gonna throw him off the fucking goddamn towel. Piddleberg, I won't remember that. There will be time for that, Chapman. Goodbye, Asher, please come back.

I'll always mind. Oh, come back. I'll meet you in the room when you're finished. If you're ever finished. Let's go, you little shit. And he turns and he begins to walk away, kicking Piddlewick along. Piddlewick seems to enjoy it.

He's very happy with what was almost the death of Connor. I owe you all my life. I was not expecting that. I had plenty of tricks up my sleeve. And it was not a chance that I could have gone poorly. It's fine. Everyone's fine. Thank you.

Everyone is fine. I'm concerned if we are to go against Chidanya von Zorovic and an entity known as the blood queen if that tiny mechanical creature gave us the runaround as well as we do.

I am concerned at our at our fortunes so to speak. And just for the future, does everyone have like a preference of bird? Just in case, just asking for a friend. I don't care for birds. I've burned quite a bit as a person.

What's me? Just in case anyone else gets pushed off. of a parapet in case I need to save you and transform you magically. Is there a form that might best suit your survival? Yeah, one that's not flyless. All right, so as long as it flies, all right, okay. Yeah, better work. No penguins or ostriches or emus or castoraries or kiwis or platypuses and a bird at all.

So, all right, got it. I echo his sentiment. Anything that flies. I do not care for birds. Any flying reptiles, you prefer? Reptiles cannot fly. Is it a bird a kind of... You've never seen a flying reptile?

I've never seen a flying reptile, no. All right, no, too. Can reptiles fly? I like to look off the bridge. Let's proceed, Thomas. Yes. You're all standing there. The sounds of Escher and Piddlewick arguing slowly fade away to silence.

As you all stare into this simple door frame, a simple wooden door blocking you from this thing that you're supposed to be so afraid of, this thing that Escher is so fearful of, this thing that repels Fredanya herself. And yet, all you see is darkness and faint thin red mist. The soft thump thump, thump, thump, thump, beneath your feet and in your ears. What do you do?

So are we, like, at the bottom of the tower? So, like, at the door. You went up a tower, and then you went out a door, and there was a long, like, bridge that had two drops, like a little mini bridge. And there's a tower that comes up from that, and there's a door on that that you're looking into. So you're essentially outside right now.

Okay. And you have, like, the wind battering at you. How tall is the tower in front of us now? It is a hundred feet tall. I'm fine. All right. This is it. Upward.

Nowhere, nowhere but forward. And upward. I'll walk immediately through the door. Steal yourselves. Clayton, you walk into the doorway. And for a second, you feel yourself. and you seem to be completely in control of your body. You have not succumbed to death.

The trap was effectively disabled. And as your eyes slowly come to, this room all the way up to the very top shrouded in a thin red mist and hanging in the very center glowing with an eerie red glow is a pulsing, crystalline heart. But as you look at it,

it looks like it could be real. But no, it's definitely made of crystal. No, it is definitely real. It looks exactly the way you would expect a human heart to look, and yet there is something not quite right, to breathe in the thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-th is slamming in your ears. All of you have now spilled forth. You're all seeing this image.

You all stand almost in awe, staring at this thing as if you can't look away. Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump. It feels like someone's pounding in your ears. You can feel it beneath your feet. Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump. I need you all to roll a wisdom-saving throw from your place. Yeah, that's good. A stone?

Yep, yep. Oh, I'm terribly bad. Oh, boy. I got an 18. Oh, God. I also got an 18. Can I twist? Yes.

Yeah, amen. I got a 29. I got a 20. Oh, my God, you're killing me. I got a 7 again. Yeah. Did anybody get above a 20? I got an 8.

Oh, I got 8.20 now. 29. You are able to keep your composure as the, Victoria, Shepherd, Kana, and Sarnax begin babbling to themselves. You feel like your mouths are not your own as you begin to start speaking in an unknowable language, a language you yourself don't understand. As the words begin to tumble out of your mouth, this inhuman speech, your saliva begins to pool all over your vestments, your armor.

As you look up at this thing and you can't stop yourself from speaking, you try to cover your mouths, but you don't feel like you have full control of your body. As your arms shoot back down and you continue to babble at this thing, what do you do, Clayton? Hold your cells together. This is the power. I want to try to use my, to see if I can get any sense of the magic of what this is, or if I can kind of discern anything. Roll an arcana check.

That's a skills. 22. You look between. your friends and this thing, and you move away from them, the babbling, the thumb-thum-thum-thum-thum-thum-thum-thum pounding in your ears, almost like a wicked song playing behind you as you move up towards this thing and you go to put your hand close to it. And yes, it is both crystal and flesh, both heart and not heart at the same time,

but it is so out of your element of magic that you can't even grasp this thing in front of you. as all of you feel the babbling stop and you're able to regain your voices again. You're all right? I think I'm going to be sick. It's all right. It's just tricks. Something is so bad. It's just tricks.

I don't understand anything about this. Professor? A fleshy heart and a crystal at the same time. I don't understand. So are we downstairs while he's up there? You are standing in the very center. He is, oh, yes, sorry, there's a spiral staircase that you would have had to ascend it to get close enough to look at it that close. So, yes, all four of you are down at very bottom, Clayton is up towards the top.

So we're babbling at the bottom. There's staircase. Clayton's at the top looking at the heart. Yes. Okay. All right. I need everyone up here, please. All right.

We're coming. We're going. Come on. Yes. Mind your footing. Are there any ruins or any clue of what this is? Tonex, you take a look, please, too. I want to just sort of like go around the room and try to investigate

to see if I can find any kind of ruins or levers or like anything that would be related to the workings of this. Well, investigation check. You touched it? No, no. He only put his hand close to it. Thank God. Did you fucking touch it?

Uh, investigation is a, uh, 16. You look around the room and you see no levers, you see nothing. There's, there aren't even, there's nothing suspending this thing in the air. It just simply is. Um, I will say you see faint tendrils that seem to be almost like veins connected from it and into the very stone of the castle itself, pulsing. Top-dom. This is just a heart. Tom there is.

Miss Red. Mist veins? Going to the stone. Part of this place is yes. I will take a look, yes, as you ask, Professor. Please. I will assist you, so next. Thank you.

And I would like to, I want to look, try to look into it, see if I can find a weak point, figure out, see if I can get any kind of, like, do I get the sense that fire is going to damage this thing? Or whatever I can. It might be probably incomprehensible. Roll on Arcana check.

Oh, Arcana? I fail. It's incomprehensive. I do not know. This is... I cannot even tell what this... This is. Shepard, do your senses suggest anything?

I have never seen anything like this in my entire fucking life. Professor, the babbling that you heard from all of us come out. in unison. Have you heard that speech before?

This is an interesting question for the DM. So I can understand all languages. Did I understand it? No. My third eye, it's been open to all languages of Lavantris, and I did not understand a word. We're prepared for this. And you should all roll of wisdom saving throw.

I used to do guys this time. Oh, she got an 18 again. Oh, that's a roll. Whiz. Just shy. 27. 17. Like a wild.

I'm going to use my last lucky die on this. That's not back at all. 16. Anyone who rolled above a 20? Connor, you watch this time. Is all of your friends begin to their bodies go slightly limp. As all of you begin to see in front of you, Kana,

a strange being rip forth from her chest, tentacles sprouting this way and that, dark shades of purple and black. There is something making its way out of Kana, and you're watching it as it begins to devour her. Shepherd, shepherd, kill it. What is wrong? Trubitz!

Oh, no! I would draw my weapons and see if I would try to burn it as well. You could. Without shooting common. Sure. Roll, um, roll, uh, to attack. That's going to be a little free. Do I just see them all go limp?

I don't hear them screaming. No, you see them all go limp for a second. Then their eyes go wide. Is there all looking at you and yelling at you? What is it? What is it? What is it? Is it my eyes?

Have I lost my eyes again? Uh, what's your AC there going? Yeah, 22. Uh, oh, okay. Well, one will miss. The other two will definitely hit. But again, I'm trying to see if I can hit this thing without hitting her. Right.

So roll damage. Unless I'm absolutely insane that I've lost my mind and I can't do anything, right? I will be doing the same with my lantern. That's going to be 11 plus 7 is 17. Uh, and then 8, 9, 10, 11, 18 plus 17 is 35. What two attacks? What kind of damage? Oh, force, cold, and fire.

Okay, that's grout. Or radiant. You take the damage. Shepherd, you watch as you shoot into this thing, one of your bolts misses, but the other two are able to find true. As you watch as it hits into this strange creature, repelling it for a second, it has done what it needed to do. You can kill this thing and you know that to be true. Kana, you watch as Shepherd pulls out his weapons and he blasts two shots directly into you. You see where the bolts bury themselves into your chest. Blood is filling out over you. The pain is immense, your friends have begun to attack you.

I stop! You're all mad! You're all mad! I'm fine! Guiding ball is heading to your chest. As I call forth holy fire out of my lantern towards this horrible... There was a creature with your chest! I got a 30 to hit. Yep. Okay. And it does 32 points of radiant damage. Okay. How much damage is that in total?

67 total. Thank you. So far. Yeah, I'm making out of that. Snap out of it. You are all mad. Why are you shooting? So we perceive it as it's actually working.

You are all hallucinating that there is this horrific creature that is ripping itself out of Kana's chest. And though she's yelling at you, don't worry about this. As she opens her mouth, it sounds as if she's screaming in utter agony.

We're going to help you, Alconis! And I'm going to shoot arcane bolts out of my finger. Which, like, auto hit or something? No, I just selfish it. It's just out of the blast. It was the tea.

What's your AC? Was it the tea? 22. Please, tell me some of these mess. It was not the tea. You are mad. Putting at me, I'm going to try and, like, run for cover in this room.

I have no idea where... You begin to run. heading down the stairs. You all watch as Kana begins to turn to run and you see that whatever this thing is has fully made its way out of her body as it wraps these red tentacles around her body and begins to drag her down the stairs.

You watch as she's being dragged down the stairs. Kana, you are running as you feel this much of damage slam into your back, one right after the other. Lundice is and I just don't do damage. So this is only 19-14. Uh, it's only 20 damage. So 20, you take 24 damage.

Of course. Okay. As it says the last of the blasts hits into your back, you stumble and fall part of the way down the stairs. As all of you come to, Kana is lying partially broken on the stairs. Two wounds in her chest where shepherds, um, where, uh, judgment and redemption had found their mark. part of her skin and her hair singed by Sarnax's radiant fire, her clothes and tattered due to Clayton's arcane magic. I'm going to try and run around the corner if I'm still up.

You clamber up. You're breathing heavily as you make the way, the rest of the way down the stairs, running as quickly as you can and pressing your back up against the circular stairwell, trying to hide from your friend. Connor is the thing dead? My gosh.

I'm just going to be completely silent and waiting for them to come down the stairs to, like, attack one of them, like, balk them in the head. Whoever comes around the corner first. I'm just trying to be quiet. I don't do. I need to roll stealth. Yeah, sure. With my plate armor. What is that? Stealth. Not as advantage, though. Plus two, so 17. Okay. I think, is she, is it gone? I think it took her to its layer. We have to go, is Eva!

Cheez, Professor. I do not want to risk us going into a hive of slithering, gibbering, monsters. We don't just leave her. You saw that thing. It was horrific. Shepard. Yeah. Track the monster down.

All right, I'll try. I mean, I don't even know what the fuck that was. Did the heart do that to her? Couldn't do it to any one of us? It could. Sorry, I don't know. We need to kill the heart,

but we can't let Kana die. We need to save her. I could have sworn that the last of your arcane bolts had killed it, Professor, but there could be more. If it ripped out of Kana's insides, imagine what it's already done.

She could have been turned. Thumb, thump, thump, you all suffer one level of exhaustion. Oh, God. Jeez, Louise. All right. That's not good. Where is that?

Hit point? No, you're doing our conditions. Conditions. And it tells you exactly what the conditions do. Disadvantage on ability checks. Oh, that's not good. No, it's really, really, really bad. All right.

Everybody just, let's all just calm down for a second. I just got to catch my breath. All right. And then turning away from the heart and back down towards the steps, I'm going to shout. Kana! Kana, are you there? Do you just wait,

I'm just waiting for me come around I mean, no, right? I wouldn't sense a beast there's nothing to sense it's not there I'm gonna go I'm gonna go look for

all right just just I'm not gonna go far she couldn't have gotten far I'm not gonna leave the tower no no no please I'll pray Almeida for this don't go far I won't leave the tower

I'm gonna grasp my prayer beads and ask Elmader to reveal the secrets when 30 feet You looking for the monster yeah you you do that, but you find no secrets, no monster. I would say, would, a secret would that, yeah,

I would reveal a stealth person. I would say you could sense Conna's presence down below, but no, no monster. She's here. Connor, I can sense her. All right, Connor, we know you're down there. Do you think she alive? I don't know.

She must be. Are you okay? Be careful. Do I know what's happening? Like, have I seen this sort of madness overcome my friends before? No, nothing quite like this before. I would say you could definitely tell they weren't in their right minds. Yeah.

It was quite obvious to you that you were perfectly fine. They were all seeing something in unison. But I've seen the professor go mad in a similar way in the dungeons and that we were able to get him to snap out of it by attacking him when we were in the dungeons of the Ravenloft. You've seen charms and things like that And I would say you would be smart enough at this point To know that that kind of thing could work

Okay Shepherd Track her down And let's find her I'm going to Holster Redemption So my left hand is free And I still have judgment in my right hand

For a second I'm going to Reach it in my pack And again I'm going to pull out a bit of Just a tuft of Dyerwolf fur that we had from when we way back in the day. And my eyes will open

and briefly flash fiery as I cast Locate Creature Looking for Conn. You immediately locate Kana at the bottom of the stairs. She's directly on the inside of the spiral staircase that goes up, her body pressed up against the stone.

Yeah, yeah, she's here. Kana, I know you're here. It's okay. I'm coming down to make sure you're all right. I don't sense the monster anymore. I think we're okay. There's no monster. I mean, I don't, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna very, it's dead, it's dead.

I'm gonna very slowly, uh, uh, go down and just keep her to be careful, just talking to Kana as I go down. Kana, I'm coming to make sure you're all right. I don't think the thing's here anymore. I'm coming. Easy does it. I'm gonna activate my fighting spirit to give myself 15 temporary points and just wait till I see him before he comes around the corner. Okay.

If you can't talk, it's, it's okay. I'm coming to help. You finally descend the state. And as you turn the corner, Kana, you see Shepherd standing there. Shepherd, you see Kana two wounds in her chest from judgment and redemption. Her body singed from Sarnax, the blast from Clayton's arcane magic, but no creature. But is it very clear to me that those wounds were caused by my revolvers? It's very clear that those wounds were caused by revolvers, and that it's also very clear that nothing has burst forth from our chest.

I'm going to immediately holster my other weapon. my fucking God, Kana. Are you alright? No, no, you all started shooting at me. Easy, easy, easy. I don't know. I'm going to like back away from him further. All right, all right, all right. I'm going a couple steps back. All right. What is

going on down there? It's fine, it's fine. It's fine. Time out. You're all, you're all going mad and you all started shooting at me. You don't know what we saw. There was... She clearly lost her mind. Please don't up here. Professor, wait. There was some fucking horrible tentacle, fucking

thing and it was coming out of your fucking mouth and your chest and shit. Are you all right? Do you need medical help? I need you all to roll a wisdom saving through. My God, we're going to die in this hour. Yes. We're going to be finally. I'm going to get fucking show. Boom!

Let's go. 23. 25. Uh, 24. 21. Did anyone roll a 25 or lower? 25. 25.

Lower than a 25. Oh, Lord, 35. 24. As this happens, Kana, you watch as Shepard's body goes limp, Clayton, Victoria, Sarnax. You feel this too. Your body begins to shake violently, uncontrollably, as your limbs are no longer your own.

You fall to the ground, jolting and contorting, your body moving in ways it shouldn't physically be able to. You have no control over yourself as your limbs crack and move. Kana, you watch as Shepard does this, his head lolling back and forth, his eyes rolling around inside of his skull. This happens for five minutes as you stare in silence. You are unable to move as you look down at this horrific vision in front of you as your limbs finally become your own again. Find ourselves on the ground contorted in a position. Your body is sore.

Professor? We must do something. to kill it. I'm going to destroy it right now. Someone give me a reason not to, or I'm going to burn it. Do it, Saanis. Burn it. We're going to die here if we don't. Now. Garek, give me the power to destroy this.

And I cast an eighth level flame strike on it. Fuck. Describe to me how that looks and what happens. A blast of a red and gold fire from my, just a spell, right? It's a spell. And it's an eighth level. I had up any levels left. Yes. I don't make sure. Yep.

Eighth level. And it's radiant and fire damage just burst down like a fucking column. And it just shoots down. Let me see what the actual radius is a flame strike. Oh, God. Oh, it's a 60 foot cut up. It's 60 feet down. So it won't hit the bottom, potentially. No, it won't. Potentially. So it's 60

feet by 10 feet. So this is probably as... You're able to not hit your... Okay, so it is 10 by 60 and a just giant killer of Holy Dragon Spire comes down straight through. Doing how much damage? Oh, I need to roll the damage. Actually, it's not a whole,

I guess it's an A-O-E spell, so I guess that's why I doesn't do a whole lot of damage. Mmm. I just thought it was a cool, wow, that's it. So it is eight, ten. Yeah, it's flavorful. It is 11 points of fire and... Oh, God.

Eleven points of fire and... And 11 points of radia. So 22 points of damage. God, you're so good at this. If it fails, well, it's got to make a Xarity saving throw. I don't know if it can exceed that. It passes.

Okay, so half of that. It takes 11 points of damage. You watch, as Sarnax calls forth this pillar of flame, the heart itself is consumed in fire, the red mist showing thickly now all around you. As suddenly, the massive crystal heart beats louder and faster than ever before. With a flash of horrible light,

your eyes are drawn deep into its center. And there, you all see the exact same thing. Three large, pure red eyes, one on top of the other, staring at you, into you. The incomprehensible gibbering whispers get louder, almost at the center of your brain until you can hear nothing else. And altogether, your consciousness turns to black.

God. Slowly, for all of you, the darkness fades, banished by the gentle glow of a waning autumn moon, high above the village of Anari, peaceful and quiet, just days after the sacred festival of the Lunar Rabbit. Several townsfolk walk the streets and join the cool evening air. An elderly merchant comes into view, guiding his horse as it draws a cart of goods towards the market row. He passes a young couple arm and arm As they share a private intimate moment Admiring the stars towards the edge of town

The lovers turn from the stars And look into each other's eyes And lean in for a kiss So gently that the young woman almost doesn't notice The splash of warm blood on her face As an arrow flies into her man's neck With an agonizing gurgle He collapses to the ground

And his love shrieks She turns to run deeper into the town But only makes it several feet before three arrows puncture her back and she crumbles with a whisper. The only sound that can be heard over the dying breasts of the young lovers, the rumbling of the ground,

the thunderous sound of hooves. By the time the alarm bells toll throughout Usagi, they are matched and almost drowned out by the cacophony of war drums as several dozen hobgoblins ride into town atop huge boars that squeal and grunt with maddened eyes.

The raiders' faces are shrouded by the grim masks of ogres, demons, and other malevolent monsters as they begin their slaughter. The screaming and clamoring erupting from Usagi spook the merchant's horse, and it charges forward, trampling the helpless old man beneath its powerful hooves as a hobgoblin thunders by and slashes the horse's throat with a single swing of its large, curved broadsword.

The cart creaks and breaks as the horse stumbles forward with a loud crash. As it bleeds out in the dirt, goblin seem to appear of nowhere, clad all in black. They begin to pillage the goods from the cart. The loyal horse attempts to rear his head and fight, but the gash on his throat only burbles as his life leaves him. The town guard are picked off before they can make a dent in the raiding forces, as the helpless innocence of Usagi are butchered. They scream for help. They scream for their samurai to protect them. They beg for deliverance from their horrible fate, but no samurai ever comes and who soggy burns, a flickering light in the hilly landscape beneath an indifferent

waning moon. The distant glow the burning village holds, but the surrounding view shifts and fades. The fire becomes the flames of lit torches, dozens of them, perhaps more than a hundred, each one matched by an angry face and a hateful voice, as a posse gathers at a long, dead lightning-spl tree by a cliff of red rock, no more than 10-minute ride outside the town of Rattlesnake. There's a tense anticipation in the air as the gathered miners, farmers, shopkeepers, and other townsfolk look back and forth at each other with anxious sneers, occasionally letting out an exclamation, a curse or a call for blood. They're all desperate. Prosperity has dried up in Rattlesnake, along with the mines, the creek, and the hope of the people. They almost salivate

and bark like a pack of desert wolves before a calm and collected voice, soothes the crowd, and all faces turn toward a man, dressed in fine robes and jewelry with the mark of a silver sun. He's a large man of middle age with deeply set eyes and plump full jowls that shake as he speaks. An almost comedic contrast to the filthy emaciated mob. Saliva flings from his lips as he delivers a blistering sermon, placing the blame of rattlesnakes woes on a single individual, a heretic who claims to be a doctor and a healer. but practices strange arts of magic and machine. Clearly, this unforgivable heresy,

which is strayed from the one true path of Fultus, Lord of the blinding light, has brought ruin to rattlesnake, and he tells them to fear not, there will be restitution. A line of similarly dressed clergy behind him part to reveal a small, hunched form tied to the base of the gnarled tree.

An elderly bearded gnome with a face that's beaten, bruised, bloody, The goggles still around his forehead shattered with shards of glass sticking into his flesh. His eyes are loose and unfocused as they attempt but fail to scan the mob for a friendly face. As he feebly squirms, surrounded by dried logs, straw, and other tinder. The high priestess of Fultus offers Dr. Thomas Cogburn the opportunity to defend himself in the name of justice. But the so-called heretic can't help but to sputter anything besides blood and unfurred. formed groans. The cheer of the crowd echoes through the arid hills as he receives his sentence. The moment the clergy's torch touches the straw, the entire tree goes up in flame, the dock

along with it. The agonizing screams erupting from the inferno cannot be drowned out by the hooting and hollering of the mob as they seem to melt away. The burning gnome is all that can be seen until his tortured screams are joined by two more voices, one male and one female. As the cries get louder, Two blazing wooden pires come into view, flanking the tree. Tied to each is a teafling in unfathomable pain. The crackling in the fire and rustling breeze

cease along with all other sound. Only the shrieks can be heard as the three burn. Then, three fires become one as the desert fades away and what remains is a mighty brazier of flame sitting at the center of a beautiful garden nestled within a deep, dark wood.

It blazes brilliantly as the deserts As the natural oranges and yellows shift to a divine red and gold as it casts a beautiful light across the vibrant plant life and a single cloaked figure that kneels before it, holding a dragon-bone lantern high as it gives praise to the fire. Sarnax at the Edelwood smiles as he basks in the glory of his God, finally feeling at one with the divine, all he has ever wanted in his hard, cruel life.

Nothing exists beyond the sole lizard folk, his God and the fire. Then it comes. A look of dismay comes to his face as a tiny seed is planted in his mind, the seed of doubt. Like a creeping vine planted in nutrient-rich ash, it spreads more and more until he can feel it overwhelming his very core. And as the doubt spreads like wildfire, the fire in the brazier wanes, growing more and more dim. Suddenly, he feels the presence of hundreds of hooded figure surrounding him, filling the garden entire. At each of their feet lies the corpse of an Eryokra, with its dead owl eyes and chests carved open. Each lizard folk cultists holds a bloody, jagged obsidian blade in one hand and a mutilated heart in the other.

They speak in unison with one booming voice, castigating and condemning Sarnax as the brazier dwindles all the more. They condemn his doubt. They condemn his unwillingness to do what must be done. They condemn that the fire in his soul has been snuffed out. is unworthy. The brazier fades to embers and the cultus are swallowed by shadow as the glow finally dies. The only light remaining is a tiny flickering flame in the lantern. As Sarnax desperately hunches forward to keep it stoked, it is futile. It shrinks down to a single lick of fire before fully extinguishing. Now a mere silhouette in the darkness, Sarnax cries out for

Garrix. Garrix does not answer. Garrix is not there. The darkness of the wood shifts to a darkened bedroom lit only by a small tallow candle on a nightstand. The room is modest but comfortable, a metal sculpture of the bound hands of ill-mater hanging on the wall besides the bed. Up against the window frame is the shape of a young woman, kneeling in reverence with hands clasped as a half-elf named Victoria Wallace's praise. She wears a plain blue dress that is unlaced in the back, the cloth clinging to pale skin several inches past her shoulders. revealing a horribly scarred back that is currently slashed and dripping with blood. With the sound of a whip, the crack of stone on flesh, in a quick, pained exhale of breath, Victoria flogs herself once more

as the spiked red prayer beads rend her skin and bring her the familiar, reassuring pain that she is indeed a good woman. She offers her pain to her beloved God, and she tells herself that it would keep her away from the wickedness that eternally festers within her. As she repents for the original, sin of the circumstances of her conception, she recalls an impure thought that had come to her at the market the day before. Her hand lingered on the pretty young shopkeeper who had handed her an apple

and their fingers had met. The creeping reminder of desire is dispelled just as quickly as it had come with another agonizing crack of the beads. She reflects on her life. It is not exciting or exhilarating, but she should be content. She wants for nothing, lives in comfort and does all the things a well-off woman in her station should do. It is only proper. She tells herself she is happy. It is a lie. There's a firm knock at the door and a man's voice reminds her that it's almost time to cook dinner before evening church service with the children. Victoria automatically and obediently responds, telling the man that she is coming as she glances down at the small band of gold around her ring finger. She moves it robotically around her finger, spinning it slowly over the soft flesh. She feels nothing.

Her eyes reflect back at her from within the solid gold band as she slowly pulls her dress over her shoulders and laces it tight. As she rises from her prayer, her eyes are hollow, empty, dead. She places the prayer beads onto the end table before turning to obey her husband, head hanging meekly and moving like a husk from the room to her new life, a proper life. The pooling blood spreads and stains the dress until all that can be seen is the crimson of her bloody back. The bright red shimmers and shifts into a bubbling pool of boiling blood that hisses and pops within a huge stone basin embedded in the floor of ancient overgrown ruins lost in the steaming jungles of chalk. Renowned archaeologist Amelia Azran, daughter of the legendary Clayton

Azram, crouches over it with an arched eyebrow, curiously examining it. Her eyes have a look of grim determination as she takes a sample of the scalding pool and makes a few rough sketches. A smug smirk comes to her face. This would be one of her greatest finds yet. She had lost the rest of her expedition to disease, dinosaurs, carnivorous plants, and an unfortunate accident involving a cliff. And she pressed onward regardless. She is an Azran, after all.

She took a moment to reflect on what this discovery might look like in a museum exhibit, and that moment was all the lurking Uwanty needed. Amelia does not notice the snake man slither up behind her before driving a bronze spear through her back and pushing her into the bubbling blood. The archaeologist shrieks as she's boiled alive, her own blood joining the vat that cooks her. In her final moment, she calls for her young son,

Clive, before sinking beneath the surface. The bright red of the bubbling basin shifts to a striking splatter of blood on the desert sand scorched white-hot by the blazing Necbeshens sun. Beside the stain, Clive Asran attempts to retrieve his innards that have been slash from his torso by an animated statue of a long-forgotten god. Defending a tomb he had been attempting to raid for priceless artifacts.

As the giant vultures circle him, his last whisper is for his daughter, Aurora. The image of bloody entrails shift to the smashed skull of Aurora Azran after a runic standing stone and Mamut toppled over onto her. Her final thoughts are her only son. Once again, the blood shifts to the next Azran in line and their gruesome demise. Over and over, the blood of the Azran's is sped. build until nothing can be seen but a blood that continually darkens. The bright red turning black is pitch. Everything. All has turned to black bile. The blackness then begins to roil and bubble as it

becomes a putrid slop in an iron cauldron within a small hut. The hunch-narled form of a hideous hag leans forward and throws in a petrified eyeball, a dried batwing and a dash of bone dust, before taking a spoonful of her brew and giving the concoction a taste. Is Baba-lawful of her? As Babel Saga attempts to determine the missing ingredient. Her attention is immediately snapped away, and she drops the spoon to the ground. It lands with a clatter, sending the mixture flying across the filthy room. She looks around her hut furbishly, but no one is there. She swears she had heard a whisper from something or someone. It was impossibly faint, but she had heard it all the same. The voice was unlike anything she could describe, but it was inviting. She now stayed,

stands in front of a massive sarcophagus. Her withered hand and gnarled nails graze the rough stone and she immediately lets out a hideous, maddened cackle that echoes through the empty halls of the Amber Temple. At last, she truly sees. At last, she truly understands. At last, she truly serves.

The reverberating cackle fades until it turns into the soft, innocent gurgling of a happy-looking infant girl in her cradle. She giggles with glee as her small chubby hand reaches up to squeeze the tip of the long, war-covered nose of Babelai Saga, as she peers into the cradle and bears a grizzled smile at the baby. Crimson light of a blood moon baysed the room within the high tower of the castle of King Barov, the head of the mightiest family of all the warring human kingdoms of Koravakia. The hag reaches down to gingerly pick up the tiny child

with one hand as she raises her pinky finger, and with her jagged nail she pierces her own eye, which oozes thick, dark blood. Without so much as wincing in pain, she beams down at the baby Stradanya. Like a mother feeding her child a spoonful of porridge, the crone playfully waggles her finger before gently placing the nail full of blood into the infant's mouth,

which it swallows without a hint of fear. The baby's eyes shift from green to red to green again. And with a flutter of wings, Baba Lysaga is gone, and Shredanya von Zarovic sleeps peacefully in the light of the blood moon. The red of the shimmering light shifts to a bloody mist.

The mist of Berovia, a slithering mist, a corrupted mist. It spreads further and further beyond the edges of the valley of death and into the realms of the dying beyond. The world of black, white, and gray turns red as everything

the mist touches becomes of her. It continues to spread faster and faster like an aggressive cancer to the realms beyond death, to life, good, evil, order, chaos, until everything is blood, until all has succumbed to the curse of the blood queen. It's with that that you are all pulled back into reality, staring up at this heart, but bum, bum, bum, bum, you all take another level of exhaustion, and you don't know how much longer you can remain in this room. Does it look damaged at all?

No. We need to go. We need to get out of here now. We have to destroy it. That's when we came here to do. It didn't take a scratch. I'm losing my mind. We need to go now.

My strength was not enough. I'm sorry. Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, let's go. Let's go out there. I will guide our path. I will follow Starnex. I'll kind of stumble forward a little bit

and catch myself on the wall and then light the way down. As you all begin to stumble down, you begin to choke on the red mist hanging in the air. It's making it hard to breathe. You're all feeling the breath pulled from your lungs. You've been breathing this mist in for far too long. Your eyes begin to dim as your vision starts to pulse. You don't know if you'll make it to the door.

But you do. And as you spill out into the cold night air, you all gulp in huge gasps of air. The fresh night, Barovian air, filling your lungs, pushing out the last. remnants of red mist as you find yourselves outside of the room. The ground beneath you, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum. I'm gonna reach you to my pack and pull up my water skin and take a long pull from it and then pass it around to the rest of the group to give me fresh water.

Thank you. And just lean up against the cold stone of the bridge. I'm just gonna collapse on all four knees on the ground, just gripping my wounds. We weren't strong enough to Even sink our teeth into it I mean we don't even know what the fuck it is I handled so much of myself into that fire And it was not enough

Visions She saw us She saw us The three red eyes Blood red eyes Yes Did you see you saw I did

Did we all see the same thing? I saw Inari burning, my people slaughtered by hobgoblins. And Usagi, what did you all see? You all saw the visions. Oh, everyone saw others. Yeah. Okay. What does it mean?

Dark Cogburn burning alive? Yeah, but. He was alive when we left, was he not? Of course, of course he was, but something wasn't right. I mean, that vision couldn't have happened the way that it did. Why? Those other teeth flings were my parents. They've been dead forever.

How did they die? Well, I mean, I wasn't there, but very much that same way. You're burned alive. But my point is the time doesn't add up. It doesn't line up right. The doctor was fine when I left. I mean, that was a while ago. Almost a year, I guess, at this point.

God, but, but it doesn't make sense. It's like it was and it is, or will be. I don't know. It doesn't. It defies time. Perhaps it's a warning, something to scare us. I mean, fuck, yeah, I'm worried about the dog now. Cool.

And what's stopping those maniacs from going after him? Is Sarnax's lantern still lit? Yes. Okay. Starnex, are you well? Yes, yes. I'm, I'm, I'm, I, I, I, I, I, I know that Garex is still with me. I know that Garex is still with me. I cannot commune with him today, but I will make sure I can.

So visions of things that are to come, maybe? I am worthy. But have not transpired yet. My daughter was not that age yet. But she wanted to prove to me that she could see me. She could see into me. That was her way. of proving to you, Shepherd,

that she knows your past. She knows all pasts. This was the plan all along. Their futures and futures. Do you know a man named Wallace, Victoria? Do you have a family at home? Just my father, if you can. You need to destroy it.

If we don't destroy it, all of these things will come to pass. All of it. She's showing us. And yet she showed us baby Stradanya. Presumably she showed Baba Lysaga the same visions of the mists of Barovia, of a young Stradanya, a young warlord, coming to this valley, conquering it. Presumably it all came to pass.

What did Shradanya call it? her, the prime of the universe. So she thinks. So she says in her whispers. And you think the whispers are lies. I for one do not. I believe whatever this is knows. It knows what will happen.

That's what we need to have to. We need to destroy this part. We can't go back in there right now. There's no way. I mean, my legs barely work. What else do we know about this thing? We know there's power in names. If we can't destroy it with flame and radiance and power of the gods,

perhaps it is with a name that we can destroy it. Something from the cause, something else. We're overlooking something. I do not know. but if the gem that is in Stradanya's choker is of the same stuff as that, is it something you can even destroy? Well, in Arcona check. Oh, boy. You want to...

Yeah. I'm going to twist that. It's too important. I'm going to twist that. That was one of my good days. I'll take it, I'll take it. You're into the D.C.s now are much higher. Arcana.

17. Oh, my God. Jesus. As you say the words, you immediately feel what it was like to look into the heart to see it, the way it moved, both crystal

and flesh. You look back to standing in front of Stradonia after Garex had pulled you back from oblivion. They glint on the choker, both crystal and flesh.

They are one and the same. That is where we start. If that was larger than four of us, but if they're a tiny little gem, if we can figure out the nature of it, if Sergays learn something, perhaps that is where we start. Yes, perhaps the choker

is almost conduit of this heart. And if we destroy the choker, we destroy the heart. At least weaken the heart and maybe free Stradania of this curse. I don't know if we can save all of Borovia if this entity has complete control of the castle and the lands. The first thing you do, we need to kill Stradania, destroy the choker. Until that's done, I don't see how we can do anything else. Let us return. I do not wish to be this close to that thing any longer. Agreed.

Before we leave, Professor, the gem that's in your possession, any reaction from it. Are you holding it? No. It's all kind of like instinctually just reaching my pocket. As you place your hand in your pocket, thump, thump, thump, thump. because the gem beats against the palm of your hand. No. I think it's on a later.

That is heartening. No grim pun intended. I'm going to try to stand out and like hobble across the bridge away from this goddamn tower. Your limbs feel shaky, but you're able to gain your composure and walk back towards the main portion of Casselery of loft. Are you coming? Yes, let's go. Let's go as quickly as we can. I am so very tired.

With Victoria's help, though you don't have Escher to lead you through the castle, you are able to sniff out the secrets that make a quick track of it back to the room that you all share together. Lounging on the city in the main room is Escher reading a book. He doesn't even look up as you. enter, though you can see a faint shudder through his body as you enter the room. Thump-thump-thump. Now, the Asren expedition finally understands what I must endure. Endlessly, even with the Raven Queen on their side, even with the betrayal of my dear boy, Escher. Even with their master plan to sabotage my own wedding, they are not prepared for what's to come.

They should be far more afraid. Will they finally learn humility? Find out in the conclusion of Chapter 19 of Curse of Strodania. The Devil cried. In the meantime, if you wish to watch Legends of Adventress tell similar stories of Dungeons and Dragons every week, you can follow us on Twitch. You can also enjoy our many campaigns on YouTube,

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