Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 41 | Lament of the Damned: Part 2

Episode Date: January 27, 2026

As they pursue Strahdanya through Castle Ravenloft, the Azran Expedition must face the Countess's malicious brides.   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/sz5bUY5I6jI?si=Ax2_9ZXfz1bv_3Zu

You are back beneath a blood moon and listening to Cursa Stradania, a legends of Adventress podcast. Last time, the terrible final night of the blood moon began, and the Ezran expedition fought by four horsemen amidst the hundreds of corpses of slain wedding guests. The fight was brutal, but in the end, they managed to free all four souls of the slain knights that had first slain me centuries ago. Following their redemption, they knighted our protagonists, them off in a pursuit through the castle led by the treacherous Escher.

Now they face the wrath of my brides atop a terrible artifact crafted by the wicked Babelais saga. Is this a battle they can overcome? This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. We now also have emerged Thor where you can browse more than 20 amazing eventress-themed designs. You can buy a shirt or become a patron yourself by following the link in his show notes. We are eternally grateful for your support.

With that out of the way, let us proceed with the conclusion of Chapter 20, Lament of the Damned. And with Sergei and Escher in the lead, you sprint up the ladder toward the opening of the bride's private chamber. You hear bickering voices above, and as you look up, you see the room aglow with red light as bloody magic splashes down beside the steps and slowly coats the walls and begin to close over the entrance to the room. All seven of you practically crash into the plush and lavishly decorated pleasure chamber. Unable to get a full view of the room, your eyes are drawn immediately to the center. Before you stands a massive gaudy palanquin adorned with skeletons and purple drapes. Embedded at the center of this ornate structure is a cauldron of blood that

pops and boils, spilling over as the blood coats and stains the floor before beginning to glow, transforming into the magical barriers that have entombed Ravenloft. Surrounding this bloody basin are Ludmilla, Valenta, and Anastrasia, their bodies gyrating. As with hands aglow, with power, they carve symbols into the air as if pulling the blood from the cauldron to fuel the magic. Tethers of energy seem to connect from their chest to three red crystals embedded at the base of the cauldron, binding their life force to the pollen keen itself. As the brides perform the ritual to spread the blood magic, they bicker back and forth, criticizing each other's form, and each of them proclaiming to be the best at operating the pollen keen.

They are so distracted that they don't even notice you enter, but Stradania does. Your attention drawn to a translucent column of energy descending into the cauldron. The source of the column is none other than the Countess herself as she stands on the landing of the double staircase above you. The same bloody power that swirled around her in the cathedral is now pumping and flowing from her outstretched arms as she channels it down into the polonquin. Gone is the black wedding gown, replaced by a tight red velvet dress and long leather boots, her dark steel long sword at her hip. So my horse. could not even kill you. Your knights really were so useless, Sergei. Stradanya smirks, her confidence returned following her blistering rage in the cathedral. However, the cracks on her

sanity are still apparent like the cracks on her physical form as the tendrils of Eldridge power still continue to arc erratically and occasionally lash out far across the room. In a single swift motion, she brings both of her fists down hard onto the railing of the staircase, immediately creating a wall of bloody energy from floor to ceiling all along the staircase between you and her. Sergei, however, does not hesitate. His radiant great sword, now empowered

by the spirits of his knight, knights slashes into the magical barrier, creating a gap that lasts only a moment. With swiftness, Sergei dashes through the break in the magic before the slice in the blood barrier swiftly closes. Just as the edges of the magic are about to reseal themselves, a small bat darts forward, wings flapping wildly as it narrowly slides between the gap.

The bat flutters in midair for a second before twisting and growing. Escher now stands beside Sergei, as he draws his rapier. Shredonia looks down from the balcony and disgust at her brother and her former lover. Escher, at least your treachery isn't surprising. The only surprise is that you didn't stab me in the back sooner. You'll have to forgive me, Countess. The opportunity simply didn't present itself until now. And I am sure you think it poetic justice to get some kind of vengeance after the way I treated you?

All the while manipulating these idiots to save your own skin. I'm afraid you aren't worth my time, traitors. I have far more pressing regal matters to take care of. She almost floats backwards as she begins to phase through the heavy wooden door behind her. Sergei's voice booms out angrily. Coward! You stabbed me. in the back those centuries ago,

and now you run, you owe me a fight. You truly are the monster our mother feared you would become. She would be ashamed to look upon you now. Stradania immediately stops, her body halfway through the door. She steps back out onto the landing and draws her blade, staring down at her brother furiously. If you want to die now instead of later, I suppose I can oblige. But two-on-one isn't very fair, is it?

I'll have to go easy on you. Brides, kill our guests. Then keep to your duties. She lunges towards the two men she had once loved as they both run up the stairs toward her weapons drawn, determination on their faces. All three brides of Stradania turn their attention towards you and begin to laugh in unison as they raise their arms to the sky.

Suddenly, the palanquin begins to move and the cauldron bubbles violently. From the vile brew, bloody skeletal spirits rise, and swoop down to lift the structure into the air. As the palanquin flies towards you, held aloft by the souls of the damned, a fourth voice joins the laughter of Ludmila, Anastasia, and Belenta. You can hear the distinct, unforgettable cackle of Baba Lysaga. I need everyone to roll for initiative.

I fucking knew she was alive. Fuck! Which is really ever dead? And if you could please put this in the very central. Oh my God, Nikki. Oh my God. Okay, I'm gonna ask, because I can't be the only one wondering.

What is this word you keep saying? Palantine, it's like a chariot, like a throne chariot. Okay. It's like, if you've ever seen like a fat king sitting on a throne with guys carrying him, that's a poem, that's a point. Or as, depending on where you're from,

some people call it a palanquin. And so just to make sure you fully understand as you came up out of the, out of the trap door, There is a spiral staircase that went up towards a balcony. Stradani was on that balcony channeling into the pollen king. As you came in, she slammed down and sealed that area off to protect herself. So you couldn't follow.

Sergei was able to slice through it. And Escher was able to get through. So they're on that side battling Stradania. And you are outside of that. Facing the pollen key. Like it up like straight. Oh, geez. It's cool.

It is with that the sound of. of rapier, sunsword, and blade that you hear Stradanya, Sergei, and Escher all battling together on the stairs. They're, the noises that they're making, all of them seem confident as they battle, Stradonia two versus one against her brother and her former lover.

As the pollen keen turns towards you, risen into the air, it begins to shudder and, and, and, um, Almost like dock in air. Clayton. I want to look around. Are there just, there's like a bunch of shit

all over the room. This looks like a beautifully elaborate sex and torture dungeon. And that's the description I'm gonna get. Before he goes, do you mind telling us

what our actual targets are? What are we? Or do we not, like, I mean... You can easily see that the three brides are riding atop of thing. And so those are your targets. Okay, okay.

I just didn't know if, like, The La Saga. The Palinquin or... You just heard a cackle. We just heard her, okay. Got it. No, there's no other figures. All you see atop the pollen keen is the three brides

with necklaces where they appear to be almost attached to this cauldron, these tendrils of red flowing between them and this cauldron of blood that's bubbling up. The blood itself is spilling down the sides of the pollen queen all over the floor, seeping in to the very wood. and stone of Ravenloft itself, as Clayton's turn. I'll look around and see

that this is a sex and torture dungeon, and so I will say, Han and Matos, and I will animate 10 sex and torture implement. I hate you. I hate this spell. I don't have time for this spell. Just whatever,

anything that looks sharp or painful or whatever, I'm just going to animate them to the air and just shoot them all at the brides and whatever I can. choose your targets. Mm-hmm. I can't choose them for you. Oh, so it looks like there are multiple,

I can target multiple things. There are three brides. All three of them are on it. All three of the brides are on the pollen king. Okay, I will send, you know what, I'm gonna send all three at Valenta. Valento. Does a 15 hit? Uh, no.

Oh. Okay, does a 17 hit? Yes, though it would well for my chicken dice. Okay, so that is one, two, two, three, four, five hits, one of which is an after 20. And then I want to find some T4s as well. 39 damage to Valenta, magical bludgery, I believe.

You look around the room and you are able to grab whips and chains and pegs. As you animate them, you send them all flying directly towards Valenta. Some of them are unable to find purchase on her, but a few of them are able to make contact. They wail away at her. She throws her head back and moans in pleasure

as she takes each of the hits. Mm-hmm. Sheppard. My eyes are gonna narrow at Valenta, and I'm going to cast Slayer's prey, like a hawk looking at a vole. And I'm going to shout at her, Valenta, you die today.

And I'm gonna take two attacks at her. Do it! A 18, sorry, 28 is the lowest to hit. Yeah, that hits. 27 points of damage for two attacks. I'm gonna move too. As each one of the blast hits, Valenta smile gets wider as she feels the blasts shoot into her body.

She looks directly towards you and you see as her smile spreads even more as a thin line of blood pumps its weight. up out of the cauldron and into her, and she seems to feel a little. Interesting. She is then going to, how close are, you guys are within 30 feet for sure, yeah? Oh yeah.

Oh yeah, great. Who, sorry, it's hard to see. Everyone, but Trevor is right there. Clayton, she's going to look forward at Clayton, and she is going to, are you missing HB? Oh shit. I'm just too. She is going to make a whip attack on you.

Nope. That is going to hit. Sheal. Okay, no, it's still going to hit. Your AC would be... Okay, yeah, that was 20. So she is going to make that whip attack on you doing... It's like now I got so used to being like

I got so used to being a horseman, and I have to be these brines. Yeah. Doing nine points of slashing damage, and 10 necrotic damage. I need you to make a strength saving throw, please. Ask you strength. Yep. That goes against you a disadvantage, Rich. Well, we're not for 20, and you're right.

They should have been disadvantaged now in Brooklyn. 20 watt 2, 21? You feel the whip grab onto you and it attempts to pull you forward, but it isn't able to fully grab you and move you closer towards the Pauline teen. She looks down at you, you can see her red eyes glinting through the mask.

I will play with you soon. Don't worry, you will be mine, Professor. We have a lot to learn together. And she is going to then, she is going to move the pollen king forward as she takes control of it. And she's going to move it directly towards you, and she's going to make two blood claw attacks on you. So the first one's going to hit. Oh, they're a disadvantage, but you have no health, so they would have been at advantage. So it's even.

So it's even. And you have a shield still going. 26. So my AC's still 26. Okay, so the first one, I'm just gonna re-roll them because I don't remember what they were. I know one of them was a 19, but I rolled them together. So that one, that one hits. And a natural 20. I'd like to lie. Let me blind. Go to clap order. Yite. It's been fun y'all. Gone, creature of darkness. It still hits, so fuck yourself, but it's not natural 20. Boom. Wow. The bonuses are pretty good. Okay, so.

What is this? What is this? You're going to take 26 points of piercing damage, and then you're also going to take 11 points of necrotic damage. Actually, another 11 points of necrotic damage. And then another six points of necrotic damage. Sorry. Are these all like separate hits?

That's two hits. Yes, she has four attacks. Okay. So she's done three attacks on you so far. And then for her last one, she is going to, who's all standing in front of the pollen king? Everyone, literally everyone. Great, I need you all to make a dexterity saving throw, please.

Jeff, you say? Yes. Oh, I need my d20s back please, sir. And my de force, unless you need, do you need to keep the de force? Oh, yeah, I'll keep anything that you can let me. Yeah, I don't need de force. Okay, just go. And to last.

Yes. Yes. Yes. May I also taste? Yes. I got an eight. God, that's probably still not gonna pass. 15?

No, 11. Still, that's a great. The DC is 18. Doop. Anyone who failed takes 33 slashing damage as she whirlwind of claws and she swipes at all of you slicing into your flesh with her fingernails.

Is it half? Half if you fail. Wow. Or half on a success. How much is 16? And that is her turn. I am going to look up and say, what is this vile magic, creatures of darkness?

I told you I would come back and you will burn in the light of dawn. A massive beam of sunlight. Yeah, boy. Drop down 30 feet diameter onto them. They all need to make some kind of saving throw. Holy shit. It is fifth.

Fifth, saving throw, saving throw, saving throw, saving throw, I cast Dawn. And they all must make a constitutional saving throw against a 19. Valenta fails on a Strausset passes and Louvrella passes. So they will take half of this, the one that fails and take full. This is all radiant damage.

Okay. Oh, is it? Yeah. Okay, yes. So Volenta is going to use her reaction and casts a mask of the Eternal Night. Is it a spell? And it is not, no, no, it's like an ability that they can use.

Okay, got it. She, you watch as she takes the mask on her face and she moves her hand around it. It shimmers with a red magic as the light from Sarnax's ability comes down around them and you expect it to singe all of them, but instead the masks absorbs it, all and tell me what temporary hit points they get. Uh, so it depends on if, if they, so, uh, 10 for each of it, so 10 plus 10 plus 20,

that's 40, uh, 40. Uh, and but it is daylight. It is daylight. So she used some ability where she absorbed all the radium damage, right? She used her mask. So yes. She has an item. And so, yes, the beam stays.

there, it persists. Holy moly. And then it is daylight. And so whenever, so let me just do that. So if they are weak to sunlight, they will take the standard vampire damage. But on top of that, they will, do-da-da.

Hold on, sorry. Wait, when the cylinder appears, East Creature, oh, it only does that kind of damage. Radiant? No, hold on. Oh, whenever it ends its turn in the cylinder, it also takes that, it must make the same saving. Cool.

So, yes. All right, so then it's Anastrasia's turn. Yes. Yeah, perfect. Honestracia looks out at all of your base. I want to do this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I want to move it out.

No, you're fine. And then they all need to make a DC. Just have them be right next to me. And then a Dixirity saving is right. Honestraccia, Lude Milla fail. I don't know when I rolled twice, both of this past. And sorry, Anastrasia and Volenta fail Luda passes. Fire damage, that is 8,000, 16 points of fire damage if you failed.

Thank you. And then half. And then I guess it'll be AEOE. Cool. Okay, so two of them takes 16 and one of them takes eight. Yes, yep, yep. Anastasia looks out as she attempts to vie for control of the pollen keen, pushing Volenta out of the way.

She begins to channel her magic around all of you. As she looks out and she lets out a whistle. Oh, and it is the start of her turn. You see as she begins to to undulate, it's almost as if she's drinking in the blood of the cauldron, and she seems to heal a little bit. This is a nightmare. And then she is going to,

she has one of them, yeah, she is going to look out in a 20-foot radius sphere. She is going to call in a sweet, of bats. So she let's out this strange vocalization that sounds like echolocation. The entire area around where the pollen keen is, where the sunlight is, she calls in her swarm of bats.

This is now difficult to rain. I need you to make anyone who's within this area, which looks like all of you, or everyone except for Shepherd, needs to make a con saving throw, please. Oh, hell yeah. 30. 19.

29. Did anyone get these, for the sake of this, the DCs are 18. So you can just let me know if the pass or fell, because that makes it, it's not on me. So if anybody fail, you will take half. I thought we were done in killing bats. 10 points of piercing damage.

As the bats come in and pierce into you, these are vampire bats, They sink their little teeth into you. So 10 of these succeeded? Yes. And then she is going to, nope, none of you are, nope, that's it. That's it for her turn. Kana.

So the area is swimming with bats is difficult to rain. Where I'm standing, can I start climbing up the palanquin? You don't know. Is it something that I can climb? It does not look like it would be climable. You imagine that these swirling spectral, like bloody ghosts. similar on what you were fighting against the horsemen are completely holding this aloft in the air

that you could try, but you imagine you would sustain serious in a dream. You're a immediate little dropped in Med negative 45. Yeah. So I'm looking at this thing, having no understanding of ethereal and magical, and I feel like I shouldn't jump on the ship? I would say, yeah. Okay. If the DM is telling me I shouldn't jump on the ship,

what I would say is, even though it's about 25 up, if you're within five feet of it, you can attack the brides. Oh, really? You know what I'm saying? So, like, you could use your weapon to attack, like Ludmillo or Amistroxia. Okay.

I don't ya out of those bitches. I don't have to take my bow out and shoot them. Oh, okay. So even though it's like 25 up for DM Fiat and the fact that this Paul and King is fucking badass, as long as you're within five feet of the mini. Yeah, okay. Got it.

Good to know. They don't mean they. I'm going to swim. And they also work that way, so. Okay. I will move half my movement, so just three blocks this way, so that I'm closer to show.

but on the other side of the, is it Palinkeen? Palin. Palanquin. Okay. And I will unleash four attacks on it. I am, I am locking eyes with, uh, on Estracia and under my breath and saying, this is fucking queenie. Oh, con-saving thrown on Estracia. Sorry, this is going to be for, oh, for, wait, for what? Ending her turn in the day, in the, in the dawn. Oh, okay. Or do I take the damage from there? No, because I have spell shape now. Uh, she passes. Okay, so she's gonna take half of this. And if she is, has some like sensitivity, she will take whatever she does for that.

Oh, not bad. 12, 19, 19 plus 14, 24 points of damage. So 12, 12 points of radiated damage to her at the end of her turn. She once again seems to be unfazed by the damage that you're doing. Kana. First three attacks, one's a dirty 20,

one's a 27, one's a 16. There is Amistrasia, Dirty 20, 27, 16. 16 misses. And that will miss as well, so I'll make it with two. So that's gonna be 22 points of slashed and damaged of Austracia. And for the all intents and purposes of this positioning, I'm trying to be within five feet of color.

Okay. For like, page layer stuff. Okay. Yeah. I gotcha. It is the lair actions turn. I don't have to get us Sulk of sex toys here.

Fuck yeah. You watch as they all raise their hands out towards the cauldron and they begin to chant as up out of the cauldron rises nine bloodied ghosts of Verovia.

Oh no. Have you placed them around the max? I don't care for it. Fantastic. Oh, my God. Get those ghosts away from me. And they are going to act. So one of them is going to turn towards Sarnax.

Are there, is there anyone else around the one closest to you, Sarnax? Victoria, Clayton, and me. Okay. Each one of them is going to make an attack on each of you. And that is a 20 for Sarnax. I hate to do this to you, Nikki, but you did this on Garu. The two in front all get a very, vaporized in dawn.

Oh, no. You did this on cover. Damn it, you're so right. I'm getting you back for the room. Payback. Everybody gets one. It's a 30 foot radius. I don't know if it would hit the other ghosts,

but it was 30, it was a 30 foot radius column on top of the Coppon teen, like exactly. I don't think it would hit that ghost, would it? 30 foot radius? Yes. That's 60 feet. That's like the whole. Okay, yeah, no, it would annihil it all, but I'm sorry.

Because if it's 60 feet diameter, that's like the whole. Yeah, I mean, it would literally be like, it's almost- You're just gonna make a mad one. I'm sorry. What are you thinking? Okay, well, okay, so that doesn't happen. I'll let which will move them to get in trouble. They appear and immediately are singed and destroyed by the sunlight.

And that is now Ludmilla's turn. Luddmila's turn. Ludmilla now tries attempts to take control of the pollen team. She is going to look around. She sees what you are doing. Sarnax. And she is going to...

I don't care for it. I don't care for it. She's going to cast dispel magic at a sixth level. Who is? So she has to roll for it, right? What level of the effect? It's a fifth level.

Okay. That counter-spin. You got to roll for it. Yeah, you got to roll for it. Unless you cast it at like a sixth level. Ooh. It died. Then yeah, you get a roller for it.

That's 19 plus five. Oh, pretty good. I mean, it counterspels it. He rolled for it. Counterspels it. You watch, as she reaches out, she extends her hand, She begins to snuff out the sunlight. You watch as a darkness begins to creep over the light.

As Clayton reaches up, snaps his hand, and extinguishes her magic from her palm. She looks towards you. You know how I like to play games. I will end you, Clayton. I am far more powerful than you, and you will feel what I have in store for you this time. No more smoke in mirrors. No more tricks. That fall will be yours, and this time it will be real.

No. This time we win. Fate wills it. Fate brought you here. Fate will see fit that you are destroyed. Toria. Jeez, maybe a saving throw. You are torched in a way. Holy moly. It just passes. Only half of this, okay.

Half of 21 is like 10 points of radiant damage. damage. And whatever from sunlight, I don't know that. Where are the baths again? Like around the Palakian. Oh, yeah. They're just flying around, biting the shit out of us, yeah. Is there any like if I step in or out of? Difficult trade. It's difficult trade. But not like if I end near the bats, I give it more. We haven't, we don't know. Okay. Yeah, we're not sure. Well, he ended his turn. Oh, yeah. Yes, no, you ended your turn there. So, um, thank you. Answer. I gotta take damage.

I need you get back. I need you to make another con saving. No, I haven't had a turn yet. I haven't. Oh, no, you haven't. I got to make a con safe. Yeah, con save. Oh, that was just kind of.

It was just kind of. It's so much going on. That passes. Okay. So you are, you still take half. Okay. Okay. I am going to

half of 14. What kind of damage is that? It is piercing. It is piercing. It is going to do. I've been doing this. Oh, I've been doing this. Okay, have the armor master.

I'm going to reach into the folds of my wedding dress, which conveniently have pockets. And... Ravanaughia knows out. Yeah. Navia is very practical. Yes. And I'm going to pull out a spell scroll,

and though I don't have the physical, I will dramatically also rip it in half. Sorry. And so my mouth will like, open down into a ghastly scream, but no sound will come out except for the three brides on the palan team. I will cast a psychic scream on them. Let's walk, okay? Let's go.

So I unleash the power of my mind to blast the intellect of up to 10 creatures of my choice that I can see within range. You must make intelligence saving throw. That's the horse. And I'm gonna need a whole lot of D6s. You got it, girl. I got millions. Ludmilla passes. She's smart cookie.

Yeah. Belenta passes. Let me roll for Anastra. Honestracia. And Anastasia fails. Good work. You know what? You got it?

I got it. But you know what? She's actually going to succeed. They're all going to succeed. Okay. So you will take half damage. Is that a legendary resistance? Probably.

Go. Let's fucking go. 47 psychic damage, or if they all pass, they take half. So each one of them would take... 23. 23 times three. That's pretty fucking great.

Even with pass and the legendary resistance blonde. Mm-hmm. Thank you. Good job. Thanks, Phil Skrull. They all rise atop the pollen teen, almost as in sexual ecstasy, as they take the damage and enjoy the scream

that erupts from your mouth. Honestrasia climbs over to the edge and looks down at you. You would have made a fantastic pet. Did I not despise you so much? Ugly, foul, loathsome creature runs of the litter, pathetic, orphaned child. But you will taste delicious. You'll never know. And then with my bonus action, I will swirl into a shadowy magic form.

and then I will cast an unrolled form. Hell yeah. What is that? So I transformed myself into a shadowy form. You mean you don't want to do... Oh, sorry. It's fine. For blade.

Yeah, so I have resistance to all damage, except for force and radiant, and I can move through other creatures. She's a literal shadow being. I'm a shadow being. 18th level shadows. Wait, do you want this with... I'm going to...

myself in this little bloop, I think. I want to stand in. Oh, yeah, stand in bloops. You know, stand in bloop? Put me in a standing bloop, and then I want to just kind of wiggle around towards, yeah. Back here? I don't want to, like, because I would take an opportunity

to attack moving boy from them. You're going to stand like right here? I want to be like right here. Sorry. And then put me in that little shadow bloop. I love the shadow blue. It's a, it's a slimy. It's a pylode.

It's a black pudding or something. It's a black pudding. A pudding. Great. That's good. Is your spell concentration? Yes. Great. I thought you might.

Is there anything? Oh, that's good, Earth queen. You watch as the pollen keen begins to shake. As Honest Thrasia turns from you, her rage and hatred of you, Victoria, fueling her, as she takes full control of the pollen keen. She takes it and turns it and heads directly towards a runic symbol in one of the outcoves of the floor,

directly behind. kind Shepherd. The Palinkeen makes its ghostly charge. Oh, this way. Anyone within 20 feet wide line must make a deck saving throw. I think Conn and Shepherd are just. Oh yeah, Conno would be two.

15. Fails? I got a 19. That passes. Is this, you will take half damage. You are not prone and take full damage. This is a rare action. And this is flyby. This Bing has flyby, whatever it does.

Oh, yeah. Okay. So she's, is she going to, like, just to sit in this corner? She's going to dock on top of the room. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I'm sorry. Hold on one second. Right. Oh, good. Oh, I get to add a 1D6. Oh, yes. Oh, wait, actually, hold on, is it the Palakene? Like, is it actually the Palanquin and not like the...

Yes, it is the Palantene's turn. Not one of the brides. Okay. just one of them took control of it. So you will take 12 points of necrotic damage and are knocked prone on a fail. Yeah. And you take half on a save.

Okay? Okay. You watch as Anastrasia begins to the blood rising and bubbling as the palanquin is now docked on top of her ruin as she gets larger and glows stronger with a pulsing red energy. And that is...

Just on Estes. Just Anastasia? Honestracia. Amastasia. Do we get a sense that like this room is connected to her? Like specifically? Um,

I would say you got the sense that she forced... They've been bickering and making the Palin King move a little bit. But this is the first time you've seen any of them take full control of the Palantene and she charged it directly towards that room. So I would say yes, it would be easy to... imagine that that was her intention. Got it. No, I should explain, actually.

As it fully docks, you feel the symphony of the night as bats, wolves, rats, utter and nocturnal beasts, screech how chitter and otherwise create a cacophony that is distracting. All concentration saves are made at disadvantage.

Oh, boy. I thought you were just going to earthquake me. Do I hear werewolves? Yes. Chippa, keep an eye off, weirwombs. Yes. You're right. I am going to bonus action and send all of my animated whips and chains and hooks over to Valenta.

How far can they go? Dirty feet. So if they were all here... Careful that you do not break that pollen keen. I will end you. I will literally kill Clayton in this moment. So I'm just gonna be almost at them, but they're gonna be kind of like floating around here, but they can't get all the way. Okay. And then I will reach into my case and I will pull out another spell scroll. and I will say, try this game, and I'm gonna rip a spell of confusion. So all three of them, the spell assaults and twist that could just mind, they need to make a wisdom saving throw.

Onastasia is going to use her reaction as she turns and looks towards you, her eyes vibrating with a light, as you see her face contort from hideous, evil vampirous into an innocent facade. I need you to make a wisdom saving throw, please. So I'm, okay, so I'm advantage still. Well, I guess because I'm force me off.

Oh, true. Wisdom saving zero? Mm-hmm. 20, I think 30 maybe. All right. Continue. Okay. And so they need to make a,

yeah, they need to make a Muslim saving throw. All three of them? Two pass, all three of them passed. Okay. I'm just gonna back up a little bit. And I'll earn my turn. Shepherd. It just cost me half my movement to stand, correct?

I don't lose my action or anything. No. Okay. I'll stand up. I'll have 10, 15. Use the rest of my movement to back up a little bit. I will use a bonus action to cast Hunter's Mark on Volenta.

And I'll make two attacks against her. Oh, yes, let's go. They're out of the dawn. Lowest is a 22. Luddmilla is going to use her reaction, and she is going to cast shield on Valenta. Oh, she? You watch as she adjust the diadem atop her head.

The light shines towards the Lenta, and you see a magical shield appear around her. I'm going to use my capstone to add my wisdom modifier to it and add four, so it'll be 26. Is that difficult? It may still not be enough. That's enough. Yes.

What do you do when you do that? Once per turn, I can add my wisdom. What does a shepherd do? Oh, oh, sorry, I thought you were asking what the actual caps said is. Well, but I'll explain that too. Once per turn, I can add my wisdom modifier to my, to an attack role or to a damage role. That's awesome. You know, so I added four.

But so what I do is I see as I'm lining up the first shot, I see the Valenta or I see the other white bride cast a spell and I see that I see it coming and I'm able to adjust my shot and get the shot in before the shield goes off. I'm not rolling hot down the damage. That's going to be seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13, plus 10 is 23 plus 4 is 27 plus 16 is 43. 43 points of damage, seven of which is radiant.

That's my turn. Not a lot, you know. Not a lot. That's great. Your lightning reflexes allow you to be able to get the shots in as the radiant barrier, as the magical barrier from the diadem does think the round Valenta, but just a mere fraction of a second too slow.

And so that is Shepherd's turn. It is Belenta's turn. The the pollen keen is going to move towards, not being able to take full control of the polonquin, Belenta is able to move it towards Shepherd, and she is going to get right on the side of Shepherd. Like here? Nope, like right in front. Okay. Still, because Honestrasia is still in control. She still wants to stay near the background. She's going to make all four attacks on you. Three of them hit.

The first one is going to be her whip for 10 points of slashing damage. Okay. And 14 points of necrotic damage. Okay. She is going to forego the, she's going to forego the damage on her blood claws as she grabs down into the clothing that you wear. And she's going to pull you up and grapple you against the blood claws. against the Pauline King. She is then going to

tilt your neck to the side, her fangs exposed as she sinks her teeth into your neck. So, say. Oh, Shepard, no. A 14 piercing. Yeah, no, there's no, it just happens, okay. Yep, no, she hit the things. Wow.

There are their attacks. I see. What was it? Oh, she has to hit you to grab a grapple. And then once you're grappled, you can get. 14 piercing. And it's an attack. And then...

Nine points of necrotic damage. And as she bites into you, you can feel her moaning against your neck as she sucks. She's into her body. And she seems to heal a certain amount. That's a lot of damage. That's a lot of damage. That's a lot of damage. And that is her turn.

You are held against her. You will move along with the pollen. Still just like sucking on the neck. Damn, that is kinky. So, our next. I am going to how, you're right there, Shepard? Yeah. I was gonna do something cool,

but now I need to save my boy, Shepard. Do you get cool? No, no, no, no, no. Someone reminded me and I will save it. I will say, Shepherd, no, you unhand him right now, flame prince! And I will, as a bonus action, I will send my boy, Red Shepherd, 30 feet should be just enough.

Something Jones. And he is going to poof, and if you're willing, you'll be teleported out of her grasp. Hell, I'm willing. 30 feet back, 30 feet back towards May. Just back to where the thing was. 30 feet away, yeah, he's just 30 feet away that way. Yep.

And I'm going to, however, step 30 feet towards them as much as I can, if you wouldn't mind just getting me. Like theirs? Yeah, there. And I am going to raise my lantern and say, Creatures of darkness, just like the horsemen, you will be purged in sunlight. And I'm going to cast my fucking shit again.

Everyone needs to make a cons saving throw. And all three of them. Most two or no, no. No, yeah, let's go. What a secret man. Yeah. Oh, we're going to just do this really quick. Oh, not that.

What a twist with that way. Radiance, um, and shot of like... They are going to take, uh, 20 plus. 33 points of a radiant damage.

If you failed, and then half you succeeded. And Belanta also needs to make a saving throw against the Dawn. 27 if you, 27 if they fail, half if they succeed. Or to just her, just her, not just her, obviously. Okay.

The damage has been accounted for. It is on a Strasia's turn. She shudders violently with the power of the palanquin beneath her as she, she is going to move the palanquin directly towards Sardons. I knew that was coming. I welcome myself to that. She is going to look out at you as she stands

before you. Her form larger than the other brides. As she looks around at you, she begins to sparkle with a sinister magic. She is so stunning, painfully beautiful. It is hard to look away. I need you all to roll a wisdom-saving throw for me, please. Oh, man. You are. Beauty. Unless I resist, then you're like, get, be gone. Oh, no. 21. I think I'm going to fail to. I think I'm going to failed as, can I twist it? Yeah, I want the twist as well. Twist, twist, twist, twist. We have plenty of twists.

We appreciate the twist. We'll probably blow a million on a- natural fucking 20. Well done. Well done. If I'm twisting an advantage roll, do I only re-roll one die? You only do you roll one die?

Yep. You just add a die. All right, that's a little bit better. Wisdom, who? 18 is the DC. We know that 18 is a DC. 17, so I fail. Anybody else, fail?

Nope. Kana. You stare up. at Anastasia. Fuck, she's beautiful. The most beautiful thing you've ever seen. Oh, no. You are stunned until the end of your next turn,

as her beauty is so radiant, you can do nothing but stare into those beautiful eyes. Empowered by the control of the Palinquin, she's going to take an additional action. As she then turns and looks towards you, Sarnax. Oh, I don't care for that. And she's going to cast, or not cast, she's going to use charm.

Oh, shit. I need you to roll a, uh, Whistleman's. Oh, thank God it's Wiz. You seem like a spell? No, it's one of her abilities. No, it's not Charmed person. Oh, right. That would be 28. I succeed. You do. Thank you, Hurricane.

We appreciate it. That is, yeah, that is her turn, and you watch as she appears to, and she appears to regain some help. And make it with some sleeping throw. Or is it con? Oh, what was it? It's been my voice. Yeah, she passes.

Okay. So it'll be half. I'll tell you what it is. It is nine plus nine is 18 plus 3, 22. It shows with 11 points of radiant damage because that's happened. In the dog. In the dog.

In the dog. In the dog. You are stunned, so you do nothing. But as your turn ends, you feel the magic that had overcome you fade. fade and you're able to shake it off. So, not for too long. But we just don't know.

One of the kind of snap out of it. The power of funny. We want to use a whole charm action against Sylvie. And it worked, but she's immune to charm. So it's fucking matter. That was so fun. That was great. Oh, my big bone.

The colloquine begins to lurch this way and that as the cauldron, bubbles, and boils. Every one of you needs to make a Constitution saving throw. This has a higher DC than what you've been dealing with, so please let me know what you get. Does it affect my little janky boys, the Shamblin boys? Everybody. Like my animated dog.

And you're this, no, it's Constitution, not concentration. I'm going to use a twist. Please, yes, please. Thanks, Reed. Oh, fuck. Yeah, I need one too. Yeah, do it. 28.

Thank you, chat. Come. God damn, I roll the same thing. Yeah. Sorry, I'm on the table. Damn it. I'm upset. When I roll poorly, I roll poorly. Let me tell it. I got a 30. I got a 31.

28. Oh, fuck. Eight. Fucking wizard. 11. Eight. Three of you are able to gain your composure.

Shepherd, Victoria. I need you to roll a D4 for me, please. And tell me what the number is. If you get a repeats, one of you needs to re-roll. There you go. Two. Four. Shepherd. As the, as the cauldron begins to boil and pop, you begin to feel your eyes burn and swell.

Your eyes fill up with bloody tears. You're blinded for one minute. Victoria, you can hear the rushing of the blood in your head, pounding and pounding and pounding and drumming. It's almost as if your heart is pumping so cold. quickly, it's about to explode. It's so distracting. You're deaf for one minute and you have

disadvantaged on saving throws. Oh, boy. Oh, God. Um, when I, if we look around, are we able to see Babelais Laga anywhere? No. Okay. That's her turn? Oh, we know, that's the layer action. Oh, that was the layer action.

So it's Ludmila's turn. Directed Moondow. Ludmila is going to move toward, nope, Sarnax is in front, and she's had enough of you. So she is going to look down at you, and she is going to, at a fifth level, cast flight. Oh, of course. Fifth level, how does that work?

Well. It works well. If she has sunlight resistance and it's a tactical. You need to make a constitution saving girl. Thank God. I would like to use a twist. Thank you, chat. That's what they're there.

Oh, thank goodness gracious. That would be a 26. Okay, so you will take half the damage. Thank you for the twist, check. I'm so skewed. You are going to take half of 48 points, necrotic damage. Outch.

Half of 48, 24. So I gotta roll my con saving throw just straight. At disadvantage. But I'm advantage because warpaths are so straight. and then 24, what is it, what I got a hit for that? I get a 20, I get a 23. So she needs to make a wisdom saving throw against the dawn.

We're fighting the brides of Shadanya right now. Enjoy it. How is your street? Okay, so I'll just tell you what if she takes. 17, 21, 25. So she takes 12 points of rating damage as I maintain the concentration. Fuck yeah. Victoria.

Unless she can do anything else. No, that is her. Yes, she is going to look toward, she's going to look toward Valenta. Well, they're quite tricksy. You don't always do it I want, but here, have a bit of help as she flashes her diadem toward Valenta. Victoria. Okay. At a much louder volume that I need to because I'm deafened and can't hear myself speak. Many have called me wicked,

but I see you and know you to be true wickedness. I'm already a shadow, but you'll see seven shadows start to circle like separate off of my form and circle around my head and I will cast crown of stars. And as a bonus action, I will send one flying at Belinta. 27 to hit.

That hits. Or maybe it doesn't start. Oh my god, how is it do? So 25 radiant damage. Ewee- There's cuckoo bananas. There's cuckoo bananas. Are you able to make the save against the blood thing at the end of your turn?

Well, she disadvantaged not saving does. Yeah. And I'm gonna back up all. like, yeah. She's deafened. Is it a repeat saving throw? Yes, you can repeat the saving throw at the end of your turn. What is that con? 21.

You feel you feel the thrum of blood subside as you're finally able to hear again. And you do not suffer the consequences. The consequences, yeah. The bloody consequences. The jastly. And is now the pollen king's turn. Lidmilla, being tired of all of this, wrestles control away from Onastasia

as she charges the pollen keen through all of you and directly onto the candle in front of Kana, the runic symbol in front of Kahn. Well, what's that, was that a Dex? Is that a Dex do you say? And I need you to make a dexterity saving throw. Yeah, that's gonna be a fail for me. I don't think I want to.

I don't know. I've used a lot of twists. I've seen this advantage, oh, please. What do we wrong? I automatically fail. I can't see it. I can't see it. If the day, if the check requires me to be able to see, I automatically fail. But you can also hear it.

You misadvantage, but you can hear it. That's not what blind it says. Oh, really? It says if you require, if a savings throw requires you or a check requires you to be able to see, you automatically fail the check. But you might be able to hear it? That's up to the name. No, I would say because they're floating, no.

Oh. So it's not like they're thundering hooves. 17. Just passed 18. I fail. Did anybody else fail besides her in the comment? You failed as well.

All right, you will take, each one of you is going to take 12 necrotic damage and you are not prone. Oh, nice. Anyone else takes half and is not knocked from? So six and then I half that again for resistant rate. Yes, yeah. Ludmilla stands. Nicely done.

A formidable pose at the very front of the pollen keen, looking down over all of you. As she reaches towards the sky, pain begins to radiate all over the entirety of the room. Every bit of you hurts. Your muscles are sore, your bones are weak, your flesh feels like you just want to rip it off. It inches and throbs with pain,

as she creates an illusory pain over the entirety of the room. If you attempt to use an action, you must succeed on an int, saving throw, or your action will fail. That's terrible. An action, period. Yes. Clayton. Do I, so, so I see Shepard blinded by bloody tears. Do I get the sense that it's a magical effect that I think I could dispel?

Or is it like, this is like a vampire? So you could try. Shepherd, you need your sight. Argumentum, and I'm going to cast Dispel Magic on the bloody tears shooting in the gunnestays. Okay. Roll for it. Oh, this is an ability check, right?

So I'd be damaged. This is an ability check, yeah. It's just a bait. You look towards Shepherd, and you attempt to cast the spell. There is no spell. There's no magic that lingers here. This power is far more than that. As the bubble and as the cauldron begins to bubble and boil,

and for a second, you feel like you see a shifting image within, but it fades just as quickly as it came as the sound of a hideous tackle radiates throughout this room. Then I will, I think they made this. Holy shit. Well, I moved them last, well, no, they just charged. Yeah, they just charged. A 14.

So I will bonus. action, I'm going to just have my guys move. I'm going to maybe keep them like here-ish. Sex danger mode. Yep. And then I will move away a little bit. Shepherd. I'm going to attempt

to stand up. All the while I'm yelling my eyes. You took my fucking eyes. My try, Shepard. Oh, thank God. So I have to roll in to try to stand, right? I mean, like, do you have my movement? For an action. Movement is not an action. Okay. So I can just spend half on me to stand up.

So for me, to have even attempted that, not that it cost me a spellslide or anything, but, uh, 14, yeah, it's money, something. Um, and now I have to ask you to rule on something here, oh, gracious DM. Yep. Uh, as long as I am conscious and can hear, when I attack a creature that I can't see,

I don't have disadvantage on attack roles against it because of my feral sense. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. My fucking eyes!

I'm gonna kill you, you bitch! And I'm gonna make three attacks against Valenta. Okay. You don't like Valenta. You don't sneeze your eyes. Of all people to go blind. Natural fucking 20. Yes.

Yes. And then one of them is a 20. The lowest one is a 20. And then the other one is a 25. So the lowest is a 12. You hear a voice. It's not in your head because I'm staying there next to them. But you do still need to roll to make sure you can do your actions, right?

That is true. Yes. So, you twist that shit. I will, I will. You keep those. I will roll separately to see if I can even do them. And I have them in order so the second one was the crit if it hits, so the Slayers pray won't be a part of that. So what I'll do-

Waste all those twists. Is I will roll the first one here and I have to roll an eight check. The problem is I only have plus one to end, I think. Well, we're gonna twist it. 18 for the first attack. That, that succeeds. The DC is 18. This is an attack action.

That's it. You're good. Okay. Okay. All right. So then the first one is going to be these dice. He's the bathroom while you're going to be six, twelve, sixteen, eighteen, plus five is twenty three, uh, plus eight is thirty two. 31. Then the crit was four dice. So I'm going to take off the thirty one. So then just tell me the crit afterwards. The crit is going to be a, uh, six times four, which is 24 times two is 48 plus eight is 50 points of damage for the credit.

12 of that is radiant. And the last one will be those, which is going to be 10, 18. So 31, 50, and 18. Shepard, feel the dragon force. Feel the dragon force, Shepherd. Yeah, the last attack was 18. Sorry, I ignored it. I was thinking of my dad.

No, that's right. No worries. Just shot another Honda. Oh, damn, dude, just regular fucking attack. Okay. That is an amazing class feature. That is fucking outstanding. It's very niche, but when it comes into handy, it comes in handy.

Valenta, though you can't see her face behind her mask. You can tell that there is anger here. There is frustration. And she tries to wrench control of the pollen keen away from her sister. But it is a futile fight as Ludmela has full control. over the machine, but she does allow Valenta to move the gigantic form, and it is going to head straight towards you, Shepard. Sure.

I can't avoid it. I'm definitely blinded. She is going to, you watch as the blood pumps inside of the cauldron and zoops towards them as they heal. I hope that we just use soup, like it's a thing. Yeah, I know. She is going to make all four of her attacks the end she doing. Oh my God. Shut, no.

First one hits. Second one hits. Yeah. Third one hits. Fourth one hits. No crits, though. The first one, she is going to make her whip attack on you for 13 points of slashing damage.

slashing damage, and then eight points of necrotic damage. That's just the first attack, right? Yeah, that's just the first attack. Oh, boy. And I need you to make a strength saving throw. And this is Valenta who was doing this? Yes. Okay, so I do get an extra D6 because, but does this require sight?

No, no, you're just, you're fighting against the whip. as she tries to pull you closer towards the pollen key. Huge. Uh, 20. You are able to wiggle out of the grasp of her, of her whip. As she reaches down and she is going to make one claw attack, she rolled all, she already hit all of them just to make sure. Oh, yes, yes, yes.

Um, and that is going to be a 12 piercing. Yep. And seven necrotic. She's going to forego the damage on the second claw. She once again grabs you and pulls you towards the pollen keen as she leans down for the bite, which is going to do 12 piercing and 15 necrotic damage. It also reduces, I forgot this last time,

it reduces your maximum hit points by 15. So I'm minus 30 then now for max. stepping twice to me. Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes. Yeah! Let me go! Damn it! How are you looking?

Not good. Like her name. So that was... I'm looking beat the fuck up. So she is good, and she's gonna see if that returns. And it does. Cool. She isn't making a wisdom saving throw. So she will take half of three, 17.

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to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tome for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. Star next. I am going to raise my lantern and look at the fire prints and say, Go now, heal my friends, keep us alive.

And I am going, he is going to kind of jump to attention. And I am going to roll and heal someone. Wait. And he's going to jump to a random. party member. I'm using this feature that I haven't used yet and I've had it for a bit. Get it for a while. You gotta make sure you can do it, right? With the end saving throw. Oh, it's a bonus action. Oh, is it? Yes, it's a bonus action. Okay. So bonus action, yes, it's fine, right? That doesn't count as any action. That's good question. Because Nikki did say any action.

Any action? Oh, any action. Okay, so got it, got it. And what did that come? That is a 19. That came from the Pallonteen. 19. Is that on all of us? Yes. Yes. 19. 19. 19. 19. 19. 19. 16. Okay, cool. So then the bonus action, he is going to leap to Clayton. As Clayton, you are going to enjoy 10 points of healing at the beginning of my turn. Thank you. And then I am going to then just simply look at you Shepherd and where, how far, how far am I to you? I'm very close. I need to stand up which you are here. And can I get to Shepherd? Yeah. Okay. So I'm going to go standing shoulder to shoulder in front of that. I'm going to reach down and I'm going to cast cure wounds on Shepard. And that's my turn. And I'll roll that.

Okay. Anastrasia looks over as Valenta holds Sarnax tenderly against the Palinkeen as she feeds. She moves over towards them as she also is going to embrace you and begin to feed. And she hits. Me? No, Shepard. Because he's restrained by Valenta. She's going to feed on him. Oh my god. Oh, so another minus 45.

13 points of piercing damage. 21 healing to you before that happens. All right, let me add the 21 minus the 13. And then nine necrotic damage. Your max HP is also lowered by nine. Yeah, oh, by nine? Yes. Okay. It's lowered by the amount of damage you take.

Okay, so what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna leave it at minus 40 because I think that I might have taken more damage on the first one. I don't remember what I took on the first one. So I'm just gonna go minus 40, and now I know I'll make sure it's even if you're on it. Okay. And that is one second.

Oh, so I'm gonna also roll my healing. I'm not done yet. Well, no, I'm just, it was at the end of my turn. I'm sorry, I just didn't roll it. Oh, it's also going to be another 15 points of healing to you, Shepherd as my spirit bounces to you and then bounce, like, I'll bounce you. Okay.

13, you said? Yep. Is that what I said? That is her turn. 15. 15 points of healing as he jumps back at the end of my turn. I'm going to look up from the ground being thrown, getting a sense that the palatine went over there,

over there, and inferring at some point that it's going to come over here. Can I deduce that they are healing from the cauldron, my understanding of magic and what they're doing with this thing? Yeah, I would say it seems like they're getting some sort of healing. How is the cauldron being held aloft? It is embedded into the pollen. It is a part of it. She also needs to make it wisdom of saving throw.

I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. I will find a way to destroy you for that. If she succeeds as five points of damage. She failed. Oh, 10 points. 10 points of reading. I'm going to get up and as I'm brushing myself off,

I'm going to look at the professor and I say, I don't know what's in that thing, but I need to get up there. Can you help me? I'm gonna dash towards the Palinquin and... God, you're gonna be able to stay. I should still have 15 feet, yeah. Yeah. If you're, yeah, yeah, so you can go here.

Yeah, yeah. And then, um, what kind of give him a knowing look and see if I can get up there? Um, I will make my four attacks on, uh, does, does Valenta look like worse for wear? She looks like she's been enjoying all of the attacks. Okay. I will keep hammering away at Anastasia. So first one is a 26. Oh, it's a good point. Is it still the middle train?

No, it is not. Okay. 26, 27. Yeah, an in safe too. 17. Are you rolling to make sure that you can take these actions? I am not. You need to roll once and succeed and then you're good, but just for int.

It's int. 18. 19. Nice. Wow. Then you can take these actions. 26, 27. The other one was 16.

16 hit. Are you, oh, for their, her, no, it doesn't. I think the 16 must. Okay, so the third one. That'll miss. The two will hit. Actually, yeah, no, honest,

Anastrasia is gonna turn and look towards you. You're going to see as her face contorts changes from her vampiric visage into that of an innocent woman as she looks towards you and you need to make a wisdom saving throw for me, please. This is before I do the damage? Yep. Dirty 20. Okay.

You are able to... Oh, we just okay. You are able to resist the thing? Yeah, resist the thing. 21 points out of slashing damage to Anastrasia. That's my turn. Once again, the cauldron begins to spurt and bubble. I need you all to make a constitution saving through.

DC 20. 20. It's a loyalty. Hey, me too. Oh my God. I'm good, 22. 22 as well. Shit, I've missed it by one.

Can I? Yeah, take a twist. Thank you, chat. Thank you, chat. Okay, good. Out of us. All right, you are all able to, yeah, you're all able to withstand

the, you're all able to stand the, the cauldron as the blood begins to boil, doing something similar to what it had done previously. Lebedmillo. Wait, yeah, LeBillo. Yeah. So what am I going to do? Oh, she has an extra action. She is going to turn and look toward, gosh, she's just so sick of fucking sarnax.

Who else but sarnax? That's my line. She is going to, yeah, she is going to look toward you, Sarnax. And she is going to cast, she's going to point at you and begin chanting an incantation. I'm going to roll a wisdom saving. Oh, thank God. I'm a Viking at those. That'll be a 20.

Wisdom, you say, that is a 27. She is going to, she's going to hiss, and she recoils and she's going to sink her fangs into shept. And she is going to hit. Oh, you shell, we ship. And she bites into all three of the brides are feeding on you. You can feel your heart pounding and throbbing,

getting weaker and weaker as they drain the blood from your body. Doing 14 points. Oh, no, sorry. Yeah, 14 points of piercing damage and 13 necrotic damage, which also lowers your age. You hear that. With saving throughout the end of return. And that she's also going to turn toward anastrasia.

And as she licks some of the blood off of her lips, she's going to whisper something in her ear that you cannot hear as her bone section. I don't like to me. No, to Honestrasse. Yeah. I just don't like secrets. What is saving throw? Sorry. Passes.

10 points. Okay. Victoria. Okay. And it is an int saving throw of 18. Is that right? To do the action. Yes.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. 16. Oh, yeah. I only am close from there. Yeah. I may be useless here.

I mean, it's a miracle that I passed you. than because I only have... 17, that's closer, but still no. Should do one more or? No, I don't like to be that game. Um, so I can't do anything. You can move. So can I even take like a physical action or no?

I was, you can talk and you could move, but you can't bonus action, reaction, reaction, because you're like riding in pain. Yeah, it's like, oh, well that's right, we should walk. Yeah, yeah. Shepherd especially. Well, that stinks. I guess I'll bribe in pain and weakly try to grasp at Shepherd to pull him down, but ineffectively.

The pollen keen begins to shake as once again, one of the brides takes control of it. Oh, no, Shepherd's honor. Valenta takes the reins of the pollen keen. I hate that bitch. As she turns it and heads it straight towards the skull. So I believe that it is anyone within

one feet of it currently. At least this time it will get knocked down. Dex saving throw to anyone within 20 feet. So what is it? Does Shepherd make it if he's attached to it? I'm going with it. Oh yeah, he's going with it. He just doesn't even get to roll.

Okay. So we have Shepherd over here. So Sarnax. I succeed. I succeed. What is this, Dex? Deft 18. You hit it.

Dang. With an adage. Are we looking on twists? 13 necrotic damage and not prone if you fail. Half and not prone if you succeed. I was all the way over here, so presumably I wanted to have to make it. No. As the pollen keen, as the pollen keen docks itself in this corner of the room,

an eerie sense of calm overwhelms the room as night begins to fall. A strange supernatural darkness begins to emanate over the entirety of the chamber. Everyone is vulnerable to necrotic damage for the entirety of the space. Does that mean twice as much? Yes. Yes. Does that cancel out with hers? Yes, so that'll be taken me normal. Professor, save Shepard by any means necessary. Um, um, um, um, um, um, I'm trying to think of what I can do.

I've seen you do it before, Professor. And you were going to see Shepherd explode into the form of a... You watch as Ludmilla reaches her handout and counterspells in a fifth level. No! No! I try to count a spell back. You... Okay, roll for it.

Oh, my God. Take a good one. Moan gave me this one. That was a below guy? We got a twist of Shepherd's fucking dead. What is it? Can see it. Oh, it's a little bit.

It needs to be in 19 at least. It's a 14 plus 5, which is in 19. Twos fate. Well, let's say, let's see what happens. To say it saved us all this day. Yeah, you're able to counter spell it. However, on Estracia holds her teeth from Shepherd. As she looks up to you, she's going to use her reaction.

As her innocence stares towards you. I need you to make a wisdom saving throw for me, please. Advantage, advantage, advantage. Twist. Whizzies say? Yes. If it was bad. Who is these?

Uh, sorry, 25. You succeed. Oh. So. So, I cast Polymorph on Shepard, and he erupts into the form of a giant. Oh.

Bandy call. Let's fucking go. I can go. I need the stat block. We haven't seen Mandy Kong in so long. Oh, my God. It's been years. And that is your, that is, I guess, Ludd Miller's turn, Victoria. Oh. Oh, no, no, sorry. That was Cleans, sir. That was Cleans.

That was Clems and Clemscher. I got it. I need the stat block. I need a stab block. I got a hard and skip go. I can make two fist attacks. So I am going to attempt to use my giant ape hands to a punch Valenta twice with my giant eight fists. And it's just going to be a plus nine to hit.

Reaches 10 feet. That's kind of tight. Bludgeoning damage. I got double 12s, which is going to be two 21s to hit. Amby? Yes. That swapped me out there.

So two attacks of 3D10 plus six bludgeoning damage on Valenta. That's going to be 20. 27 plus 6 is 33, 16, 20, 22, which is gonna be 55 points of bludgeoning damage over two attacks. Valenta is going to, oh yeah, it's her turn. She is going to, she's going to continue to hold her grapple on you.

And she is going to make, no, she's not, she's gonna let go. She's gonna let go of you. And she is going to control the pollen keen. As you fall from it and land on the ground next to it, the bride's no longer feeding on you. She is going to charge directly towards Clayton. Oh, I'm still blind.

Yeah, you're able to keep repeating it. So I'll say at this point, you're not blind anymore. Okay. Because you probably would have made your safe by now. Um, so she's going to move towards you. She is going to make all four attacks on you, Clayton. All four of them hit. And she is going to.

Oh, there's advantage. Well, I will roll them all individually then, because I don't remember what they were. And so she's at advantage, so they're even. So both of them fit and both of them stuff. She is going to whip you for 10 slashing. 12 necrotic, and I need you to make a strength saving throw, or you're pulled 12 feet closer to Paul and Keene. Does the necrotic reduce my max HP or anything?

No. But you take double necrotic because of the leg pack. Exactly right. So double that shit. Oh my God. Clayton's going from full to... Can I twist that? Yes. I mean, she can hit you regardless, right? Oh, that's an eight. That's an 18. Yeah, so you are not pulled into the Pollen King, but she is going to rake you with her blood claws. So, blood claws.

For 12 points of piercing damage and 12 points of necrotic damage, so 24 points of necrotic damage. I'll use my reaction to jump to Clayton's side and take all that damage instead. So you'll take 24 points of necrotic damage. So 36 total, right? And 36. 12 minus three is nine. I'm here, Professor, and by your side.

She's going to forego a claw attack and restrain you or grapple you, and then she is going to bite you. 12 piercing damage, 30 necrotic damage. And then because she has an additional action, oh, because she has additional action and she feels you go limp in her arms, she's going to rake her claws against you again.

So this will be at advantage because you are unconscious. Goodbye. And she will hit. Oh, yeah? And she slices into you ripping at you two failed saves. You feel as her, as she tears into you, your eyes roll back in your head. You go limp in her arms. Blood is spilling out around you.

All of you look on as Clayton's blood is pouring from him. You can't tell what's Clayton's. blood and what's the blood spilling out of the cauldron of the palanquin. And just as soon as you feel all life begin to leave you, the flapping of wings. Oh, goodness. As you come to with one hit point. Oh my God. In Valent's arms.

You can't at least have some fun and do some process-causing stuff to you. Save me. For it triggers your Raven Queen. This is true. Thank you. Breed out. Oh, Mr. Shepherd's no longer an ape. Oh, yeah, no, for sure.

Definitely not. All the delos around the room just collapsed to the floor. And that is Valent's turn. You saw our next. Holy shit. I would like to look around. How are our boys doing with Trudanya? Can we see them?

Like, what's happening? Oh, yeah. You can see them. They are, they're fighting away. They seem to be going toe to toe with Stradonia currently. Wow, they seem to be holding her own. Good for them. Oh, wow.

She also needs to make wisdom say they're out. She fails. Oh, she fails. She's going to, oh, wow, I will pretty fucking well. 18, 28, 38, 30, 32 points of raining damage. Special front of her. On her. You watch as the brides themselves are singed within your sunlight,

unable to relinquish it as the noise behind you draws your attention. Up on the staircase, you hear the furious clashing of swords, and from the corner of your eyes, you see Stradanya kicks Sergei down several steps before gracefully spinning and landing a brutal slash along Escher, across Escher's torso. He lets out a pained groan, spits up a deluge of blood, and tumbles down the opposite flight of stairs out of sight. The duel continues one-on-one, a sinister dance between siblings. Oh my chief.

That sure is outside. I would say for all intents and purposes, it looks as if he has sustained a fatal law. Victoria, you get to heal for 16 points of healing. He's growing up. He's in his teenage years. And with that, where the fuck is Clayton? He's right there. How are you all looking? He's in Valenta's arms.

I'm looking for me. They shouldn't use my reaction to camera. I am going to look around the room, and I'm going to use my bonus action to raise my lantern. I'm going to step far the fuck away from them towards this way. And I'm going to say, Rise, rise, allies. And I'll cast a mass healing word.

Yeah, I think that's fine. I'll allow it. 60 feet. Okay, I think 60's good. I'll step toward Shepherd, whatever I had to do to get. I think you're probably good at 10, 20, 30, 40. That's why I'm confused. You just probably get like, I don't know.

Yeah, she doesn't have a. Yeah, that's fine. I'm in it. Okay, mass, mass healing word. Um, and then that's going to be at a fourth. I'm gonna do that a fourth level. And then I am going to once again raise my lantern, just stare at them and just say,

be blinded by the lights, be blinded by the lights. And I'm getting just like incredibly angry. And they all need to make a constitution saving throw, I believe. I keep forgetting what the fuck this is. Two paths. Cont saving. All three of a half. Okay, so they're going to take half of this.

It's not going to be a whole lot probably. Oh, no, it's not a whole lot at all. 25s with half of 25. which is, well, 12 points of radiant damage, all of them. And then I'm gonna roll healing and continue on with me. Actually, yeah, no. Valenta is going to use her reaction.

And you watch as she once again charges the mask, she soaks up all of the radiant damage and transforms it into a shield around that. I should have not forgotten that. I'm gonna roll healing and I'm done. Do we still get the healing or does she absorb? No, no, just the radiant damage. Yeah, just the radian damage.

So I'll be healing this. Oh, and then I'll, actually, let me roll my Chi-G first. Oh, stuff. Wow, that was terrible. Clayton is going to get an additional 10, 11, 11 points of healing, clean. Hey, go, buddy. And then I'm going to roll my healing, so you know me.

That's important. Oh, oh, shit, okay. Oh, God, now I'm nervous. Helene nervous. Healing word. Let me just look at the last healing word. 2D4. Yeah, 2D4.

Wow, that is terrible. That is five plus five's 10. 13 points of healing to everyone. 13 points? She wants more. I guess he's not really a lot. Held restrained in Valenta's arms, on Estracia descends on you, Clayton.

As her fangs protrude, she is going to bite into you. Oh, God. She is going to hit. I don't have my reaction anymore. She's a, oh. I thought, fuck, I thought you were out of that. 12 points of piercing damage.

15 points of necrotic, but that makes it 30 because it is Valenta's control. Kana. Oh, that's it, okay. She hasn't moved the ship yet, right? He's still in front of me? Yeah, no, it's still there. And he's attached to Valenta.

Gravel? Yes. So Valenta. has grappled him and Anastasia was drinking from him. She drained the last of his life vessels. Can I attempt to pull him out of both of their grasps or can I pull them all only out of one of their grasp? You could use your full action to attempt to remove him from there.

I will go! I will do that. We'll go! I'll roll a strength, strength, strength contest. Okay, 22. Twisted it. You twisted it? I will twist it.

I will twist it. I'm gonna make you choose. before I tell you what they got. So this, is this rolling me rolling at advantage? They're just rolling, just, yeah, basically just roll another dice. Another die. Oh, they're both 17s. Yeah, I, 22.

You attempt to wrench Clayton out of her grasp, but Valenta is holding on, empowered, emboldened by her control over the pollen king, and you are unable to free Clayton from her arms. I will action surge and try again. Okay. Strassia has to make the same thing. She fails.

Okay, she takes 12, 18, 20, 20 points of a rating. That's worse. Oh, yeah, I don't know. I will use my inspiration. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. You have two of them. I know. I will use my other inspiration.

Come on. Nope. What did you get? What did you get? I got a 15. That would have been a dirty 20. I got a 12. It's a contest.

You win. It's a contest. I had to roll against you. I got a 12. Oh, the second time. Yes. So I had a dirty 20. So I thought we're still on the first number where I was like I had to beat 22.

I'm sorry. No, so you are able to. You muster all of your strength as you wrenched Clayton's limp, lifeless body away from these vampires, you pull him into your arms. His weight is heavy. His blood stains your attire. And that is your turn. It is the Lair Actions chart.

Because you don't realize those pull him away because he'll just like stop. Oh, no. A hideous cackle begins to emanate throughout the entirety of the room. I need every single one of you to make a wisdom saving throw.

Clayton, you auto fail because you're unconscious. And then I need you, anyone who fails, I need to roll a D4, please. This is also 20. 24 for me. For wisdom, 22? 21. 26.

Two is my D4, sorry. Okay. I need you to roll a, I need you to roll a D4. I need you to roll a D4. One, two, three, and four. May you're here. I got a two.

I need you to roll another one. Oh, me. Oh, oh. Two. Let's roll over. Kana, apropos because he's in your arms. You begin to shake violently in your unconsciousness. What is affecting him affects you, too, as you fall unconscious,

holding on to Clayton's lifeless body. Both of you begin to see. The image, darkness, shadowy trees, the crunch of ground beneath feet is the form of Babelai Saga rises taller and taller and taller. And for at least now, you are afflicted by terrible nightmares of Babelais Saga. The three of you still conscious see the form of Babelaisaga appear in the bubbling cauldron, not corporeal, not completely form. blood itself moving into her shape as her cackling echoes throughout the concubine's chamber.

And that is the lair action. It is now Lidmila's turn. Oh my god. This is good. This is some bold-of-staffir- I have a scary feeling a big tummy. Ludmilla. I don't care for it. Goblet or fire. Ludmila is going to turn to you, Sarnax. Yeah, no, that sounds about right. Okay, let's go at like two treats. You have a choice to make.

Two of your friends lie to the feet of our ghastly pollen keen. You can drop this hideous sunlight, and I'll turn my eye to another. Should you choose to keep it alight, I will end them here and now. Make your choice, where I am not stupid. I would hope our previous engagement would have earned respect, and then you would honor your word, and I would trust you to keep it. According to the rules of combat, even with creatures of the night and lizards of the cloth, if I drop the sunlight, you swear, and you will not, you swear you will not harm and kill my companions.

Oh, no, no, I'm not that I will not kill them. I will just not kill them both in this moment. Don't let up for even a second. Choices. I do not need the light of dawn, for my God is of dragon's fire. And with that, I am going to drop concentration on daylap. And then instead, replace it with...

You don't get an action without. Oh, that's right. No, you just get to drop that concentration. I will drop the concentration. Aren't you the honorable one? I hold by what I said. I won't kill them now. I will turn my eye to another.

And she turns and looks towards Victoria. She is going to point her finger at you. No. And at a fifth level, she's going to cast flight. She doesn't make a saving pro. I heard flight too. I was like, cool.

and so I need you to make a constitution saving throw so I'm an advantage of that BC 18. Honestly, all people are all people. All right. 18 plus nine. So you will take half. Okay.

Quarter, maybe. What is the damage? Well, because you're, it basically evens out now. Yes. You're resistant, but then you're also vulnerable. So now it's straight. Oh, that's right. That's right.

That's true. That's right. I didn't know what the damage was. Blight is nasty, but I thought. Is it necrotic? Yeah. Oh. What's a special degree? That's what I do with Alpons. There's a whole thing where everyone was vulnerable to necrotic, and then I just fucking blighted somebody.

35 points of necrotic damage, half if you saved. Yeah, that was her turn. And was, she was one of the ones that drank from, from professor? Or was that... Oh, no, that was Anastrazia and Valento. Okay, got it. I'll look out to them. Be that good man's blood curdle in your stomachs.

And I will drop my jaw again and psychic scream, the effect on three of them. And I don't think four if the bubble is like a blood form counts as a thing. they all pass. So it is 52, 52 psychic damage. They will take half of that. And then as a bonus action, one of the shadow emotes floating around my head

will fly out towards Volenta. You say shadow emo? Yes, the shadow emo. The shadow poo emoji above my head. It's a boo emote for Halloween. And that will be. And that will be, oh, man. Uh, 23 to hit.

Uh, that hits. Oh, yeah. Jesus. Right. So that's 28 radiant damage. And then I will, um, because it is now, it's still magical darkness. Uh, it is, it's not a magical darkness. It's just a darkness that forces you to take additional necrotic.

Okay. Okay. Can that, will that allow me to shadow walk? Dark, in, because it's darkness. I'll just zip towards the bed here. I need all of you to make a dexterity saving throw, please. As once again, the pollen keen begins to shake the brides, fighting again for control over this entity.

Big money, big money at that's. 28. 24. You fail. You fail, too. What was the, oh yeah, you fail to. And you're right next to it. Oh, sorry. Mm-hmm.

Yeah. So you will automatically take damage, so that's two failed saves. If it's not a melee attack, it should just be one. I thought it was just, oh, just one. Just a melee attack. Did you have to roll? It's a coup de grace. Oh, no.

It is still Ludmilla until they change. So you will take 24 points of damage. Taking damage, Kana, I would say this would awaken you. Taking damage awakes an unconscious person. So you find yourself your eyes. opening as you awaken on the ground. Clayton, however, you take one failed death safe. Is this Decrotic?

It is. That's why I made it more. So even though I succeeded, I'm just, I'll just take the fall. You still take the fault. Well, you're not close enough to it. Oh, I'm not. Oh. No, you're not within 20 feet of it. Professor, Professor, wake up! Wake up, Professor!

As you watch as the pollen keen begins to shift and move as Ludmilla looks around at all of you. I told you I wasn't going to kill them immediately. She wrenches control from Valenta and slams the pollen keen directly, charges it into her runic symbol on the ground. I am...

Alusory pain once again radiates out around all of you. Anytime you attempt to use an action, you have to make an intelligent throw or your action fails. Yep. Twist what? If we fail this, we have to. distrusted. Okay. Clayton, death saving throw for me, please. And it's in for me.

Yes. It's just in cuckoo bananas. Is a death saving through an ability check? I don't is it. Is I still have foresight? It's a saving throw. Death saving throw. Yes. Oh, yes. So does it have foresight. So I still have foresight with that count. What does foresight? Well, as far as much. How does foresight work? Does it go away if you fall unconscious? Nope. It only goes away after the duration is done,

or if you cast it again, I believe. I'm going to say no. Because you're on unconscious, I find it hard to believe that a spell would still be able to work for you. I agree. I'm saying now. It's worth asking, but I 100% agree.

13. Oh. Mark one, one save. So you've one save, one fail. Shepherd. Um, well, uh, God. I'm gonna have to have to roll my in check because I want to take three attacks on Valenta.

So let me do that first. I'm scared. I am just so fucking good. All my insane goes, that's going to be an 18. Oh, that hits. So now I'll make three attacks. Oh, yeah, that passes the end. So with redemption in the holster and my hand on my neck,

trying to staunch the bleeding and very raspy, I fire three times of judgment at Valenta. Please do. Oh, boy. Oh dear Jesus, I would like to use a couple of Twisted Fates on my attack rolls if I'm hit. Is that okay? Yeah. Was it two? Yeah, too. Thank you, thank you, Jeff. You guys are the best. Because if I don't win these attacks, I'm just absolutely.

And that's gonna be a natural 20. Yes! Oh my God, yes. And an natural one. So the last one will definitely miss. Twizz it, one more twist. No, I think that's, I think that's fine. I just fucking scored big money here. So the the first one, is going to be 68 damage for the first hit, 12 of which is radiant for the crit. And then the remainder is going to be 9, 11, 12, 20, so total of 88 points of damage over two hits for a total of 16 radiant damage. And that's my turn. I'll kind of move a little bit out of the way over here, but one, two, three, four, five.

You let loose these bolts as they blast into Valenta. She lets out shrieks of, of, emmones of pleasure as she takes all of the hits, the blood again, boiling around them. You watch as she regains a little bit of health. And she is going to wrestle control slightly away from Ludmila, not able to take full control, but enough to drive the pollen keen,

and she is going to move 60 feet towards Clayton. Oh, no. Okay. What does what we do here? Ludmilla is going to reach down. She's going to attempt to grapple you. And she'll miss. She is going to pass,

and she is going to forego the damage to grapple you. She is then going to bite into you. Would you consider this a coup de grace? I'm trying to do it very fun. and thematically, thank you. You're not even going to bother rolling the damage. As Valenta reaches down, you watch, as she pulls Clayton's limp, lifeless body up off of the ground.

She cradles it like a young, like a newborn babe in her arms. As she laughs and strokes his face, feeling the warmth slowly begin to drain from him. She looks out at all of you. I told you that fate was on our side. You came here on your own pollution. We are only doing what we are meant to do. And oh, I am so very hungry as she lets loose her fangs

and she sinks them deep into Clayton's neck. Killing him. That's it, folks. Do I get in the sense that he's dead? So that was a fail, crample, bite. She's then going to drop your body, limp, lifeless on the ground. As she turns towards Kana, she is going to make another attack at you. And she is, yeah, because she, we've mailed the first one.

Yeah, she's got one more. And she is going to, she is going to attempt to claw you. And she is going to pass. she's going to make, she's going to do the damage. 11 points of piercing damage and it's regular necrotic because it's not her control. 11 points of necrotic damage. If she rakes at you.

So nice. Um, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I will look at, and I'll see and I'll gasp and I will immediately just get filled with furious anger and I will step forward, I'll walk 30 feet, as much as can. Kletanazran, you are not done in this burning crusade.

Rise up. Fireprints to me. And I'm gonna call the fireprints over me. Bonus action to teleport the rest of the way that I need to. Oh, you need to roll to see if you can do these things. Yeah, in checks. Oh, so I will in check and fucking, uh, int.

Ooh, hold on. Mm-hmm. Int, in, in, and, in, and saving throw. 17. That, that fails. Okay. I'm just gonna twist. Okay, let me do one more twist.

Hmm. Do you have inspiration? I don't think I have it. Oh, I do have inspiration. I'm using my inspiration. 19. Yeah, that succeeds. Oh my God.

You know what, I'm just gonna do it. I'm gonna poop next to Clayton, so that's all I got. But then again, is it worthwhile? Because as soon as I get him up, he's gonna die again. So no one else can heal. So, I don't know. How are they looking?

They look like they're enthralled. So what I will say is it's very hard for you to tell what their actual health is at. It seems to be something in which the pollen keen is all part of this, and they're reveling in it. They've taken a significant amount of damage. But in this case, there's really no way for you to tell what their health is at. It's up to you, dude. Okay, what I'm going to do is I am going to look at,

and I'm just gonna stand next to Clayton. Con is awake. I'm just gonna stand next to Clayton and poof him back. And I am going to look around and I will look at the milla and say, I do not need the dawn, for I have the fire. And I am going to cast a beacon of hope. Actually, should I do that? I don't even, I just have no idea what to do here.

I am a bigone of hope. And I do that and then, uh, big-good-up hope happens, and then that's my turn. Oh, actually, no, I can't do it. So I roll the action, so I can't do anything. So, who? I get my spells off. Oh, let me roll four. I probably want six a little. Okay, cool. I'm done. She's looking grim. Honestrasia looks down around at all of you. Her eyes jumping from each of you. She is going to look to, uh, you, Shepherd.

I need to make a wisdom saving throw. DC18. I got 30. She looks towards you, she points your finger, her finger towards you. Come to me little pop and let me drink of your essence. And for a second, you feel overcome by her charm, but you're able to shrug it off

as she calls to you in motions towards you to come. Never. I need to roll my healing, sorry guys, I'll just do it quickly. And yeah, that is her turn. Connor. There actually, there we're off. Victoria, you heal 20.

Hit points. Thank you. From where I'm standing, can I see, oh, actually, not Connor. Apologies. You hear a loud hiss from the staircase. Your attention is immediately drawn to the noise. You see the sunsword embedded in the

Shradanya's side, its radiant power charring her undead flesh is Sergei leans in close to drive it deeper. But with an otherworldly speed, Stradanya takes the opening. She moves so quickly that she is barely a blur as she drives her longsword directly into Sergei's abdomen. And then, with a soft whimper of pure delight, she drives the blade in even deeper. With her free hand, which begins to glow as if with a putrid magic, she plunges it deep into his wound. Sergei lets out an agonizing whelp of pain as he drops his blade, falling to his knees. Through a gap in his armor who have a clear view of the wound, a dark, sickly infection. A putrid curse works its way through his body.

Sergei sputters up a black icker and his eyes become vacant as he struggles to speak, turning his head to his sister. Shredonia now towers over him with a satisfied smile, her blade covered in his blood. Sergei only sputters as he fails to speak, a macabre sense of deja vu overcoming his face as he looks up at his death-bringer yet again. Your trembling lips, Sergei finally finds his voice. His head turns to all of you. My friend, I have failed.

Again, his tired eyes attempt to make contact with his sister's bloody gaze. Too weak to hold his head high any longer, it falls to his shoulders, as he musters the last of his strength to speak again. Finish this, my sister. I am sorry I could not spare you from the maw of darkness that awaits you.

Stradanya furrows her brow as she raises her sword, preparing to deliver the final blow. But she hesitates. She stares down at the weakened and bested form of her brother. With pure disdain, bloody tears begin to stream down her face. After a moment, a look of twisted pleasure dances across her face as she sheathes her sword and leans down to him, tilting his face up to hers, a mere fraction apart. No, my brother, I appreciate your concern for my mortal soul, but I need no sparing,

and neither do you? Another long sleep is too good for you. You get to stay, linger, and watch. The Countess reaches down and grabs a large handful of Sergei's hair. with one hand. With the other, she picks up his extinguished sunsword and admires it as if a trophy. She turns her back to the room and kicks the door wide open. It splinters and flies from its hinges

as Stradanya drags her brother out of the chamber. Oh, Jesus. Damn. And you were doing. Oh, it leaves you to heal for 10 hit points. Got any goblin jumper, a comma? God, John, John, I wish. I would have something I can do for dead.

Like, I have healing potions. That's about it. That was so big for me. I know you're. Drenine. Got one Dr. David. In an attempt to, oh, my daughter, he's so sad.

In an attempt to get these women as far away from the professor. My eyes are darting around the room, looking where they dock and I'm walking on the steering mechanism that they're using. Is this something that looks like a wheel? It's powered by magic. So they have, there are gems on the cauldron and gems around their neck. Very similar to the ones for Donuayers, but not quite the same and they seem to be linked and tied to that. And so when they gain control, it's more of a who has the most power in that moment and they're controlling it

with their minds. Okay. Seeing that there's no potential way for me to override the ship, I'm going to nestle myself between the ship and the professor protectively. Riding in pain, my hands are shaking, I'm going to pull, I'm going to go into my pack. And I fail. Was this int? So should you twist it? I will. Yeah, let's do one twist. Let me use my inspiration, my last inspiration. Fucking 20, all right, let's go.

There we go. All right. I'm going to, taking a deep breath, steadying my hands, no longer shaking, I'm gonna deep dig into my packs and I'm gonna pull out my pipes of haunting. And I'm going to hold them up to my mouth, tears streaming down my face

as I'm positioning them in a way kneeling next to the professor and I'm going to try and play a tune to frighten them away from us They have to make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or be frightened for a minute Natural 20 on one pass on the other and a failure but I will use a legendary resistance Oh wow that's two that's true that's two that's good and then I will Sorry shaking um yeah I will just um Bonus action second wind. Roll to see if you can bonus action.

Oh, right, sorry. Yeah, yeah. Wow. 20, 22. And I will bonus action second wind to regain some hit points as I try to find my center and my calm in the chaos. My dawn is gone.

And I will heal for 22 HP. That is my turn. Once again, the blood in the cauldron begins to whip and lash about. It's reverberating echo. of the cackling of Babelah Lai Saga presents before you. The blood begins to rise and take her shape. I need all of you to roll wisdom saving through.

That's a band. DC 20. Natural fucking 20. You don't wanna scream it? It's on cool down and I'm still, you know, doubtingly. I got a million. I'm gonna twist.

Okay. Yeah. To think we have, you know, you're not even fighting Chardagna yet. I know, I don't think we're gonna get to. It's gonna be cold. This is that, this is that from here. 18?

No. Oh, it would have to be 20. Yeah. Roll a D4 for me, please. Oh shit. Four. Four. You begin to feel sick.

As staring up at the pollen keen, the boiling blood, you begin to see the thick, viscousy green, putrid, vile, l'ile brew that Babelais Saga had created inside of her hut. And though you have not tasted it, you feel as though you're, you have as your stomach turns, you feel on the edge of the retching, you have disadvantage on attacks and saving throws for one minute. Oh my God. You are affected by Petru, uh, putrid brew.

Lidemilla. Lidemilla is going to look down at, um, yeah, she's going to look down at Kana. She is going to look down at you, Hannah. She is going to look at you, and she is in control of this thing. So she is going to look at you, and she is going to cast light at a fourth level. Who is she looking at you? Connor, Kauna. But we are not formal, right?

No. No, see, the horrible action. Back is the action thing. And so I need to make a con saving throw. You have advantage on saving throws again. spells cast by creatures within five feet of you mage slayer. Oh, nice. Oh.

20, 30, 20. Oh. That succeeds. So you will only take half of the damage. Oh. Nice. 40 points of necrotic damage. So 20.

You take 20 points of necrotic damage. Oh, because I saved half. She is then going to, because she is imbued, she's actually going to use another fourth level spell slot, and she's going to do it again. This time at Shepard. This is a spell?

Yeah. I'd like to counter it. DC-18. I have to roll an AC... I believe so. I will read it in that. Because you're a mage player? No, no, no.

It's my... Ranger thing. Yeah, it's my monster hunter's thing. Magic user's nemesis. When I see a creature casting a spell or teleporting them in 60 feet of you, I can use my reaction to force of wisdom-saving throw of DC-18, with a spell or teleport fails and is wasted. once for short rest.

18. You got it. Damn. So I need you to make a Constitution saving throw DC. DC 18. Two. Twist, twist, twist, quest, quest.

Cheltia? Not much. Oh, fuck. Miss. I bet. I am blitz. We're blittin. 36 points of necrotic damage.

And yep, that is. That is it, 36 points. It's not doubled, right? It's not doubled. We're good. Yeah, I'm just, perfect, thank you. I'm alive. I'm on Victoria.

And it is Victoria's turn. Okay, and we're still doing it rolling. Correct. Correct. Yep, until the end of the Palm King's turn. Oh, I finally got one. Natural 20? I can take an action.

Yay! Oh, did you roll in Natty 20? Yeah. I did, yes. Yay. Very good. That's great. Okay.

Okay, so I'm going to stretch my hand out towards the palatine, and the ground beneath it will start to rumble and churn, and gravestones and skeletal hands will shoot up, and mounds of earth will shoot up beneath it. So each creature would have to make a deck saving throw. Two pass, one fails, so I'm going to use the last legendary resistance. Okay, that's three. No, they have nine.

Oh. Do they? Fuck. She said last. I did say last. I should have played it in her. She said last. She said last.

You can't dig it back. But. It's last. So they will take 10 more damage damage each. So they will take 10 damage each. I'm sorry, it's 20 or 10 if they failed. So they all passed. They all passed.

Okay. So then 10, they each take 10 down. much. And that is now a rough to rain. And then I'm gonna roll to see if I can make a bonus. Oh, but they're flying over it. Oh, whatever, I'll give it. No, it's fine. I cannot. I'm slowing now, it's like to be shit. Holland Keene shakes and lurches as it.

Oh, no. As it, as Valenta is going to once again take control. The pollen keen is going to charge towards the bat symbol on the floor. I need Kana, actually everybody, because it is going to run within 20 feet of Shepard. I need all of you to make a deck saving throw DC 18. She's not me. That's another big money. I fail. I'm good. I fail. I'm I'm rolling high on all the ones that I have, like, the high save throw. 12 points of necrotic damage, half if you save, prone, if you fail.

I'm prone. I'm prone. But no more. Where's all the fucking gross? No, but now from this point forward, you're vulnerable to necrotic damage. Got it. As once again, the darkness descends around all of you. That one, this was vulnerable to necrotic last time.

Does it, that one was a concentration. No, that's what I said. It was going to Volenta. Oh, okay. I think I said the bat. I probably did, but I meant the skull. It's still going past, Shepard. Yeah.

Okay. So we're all of us who are just like, oh, fuck. Everyone should, everyone should deal with the Palinteen and it shoots forward. Yeah, I passed. So the int check is no longer valid? No, but now you are vulnerable. And what was the passing?

It's the Palinquin's charge as it rushes pass. I'm sorry, what was the damage for it? Oh, it was 12. So if you pass, it is six. Because it's half. And what can I do much? Nacrook. So you would take three. But then after this, you take the normal amount. And everyone else takes double.

Clayton is dead. That's all I can do. I am going to, uh, still holding my neck and firing three shots at Valenta as I'm backing out 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. I'm, uh, I'm saying, fuck, uh, professor, I couldn't fucking save you. Professor, I'm coming.

And I'm taking three shots in Valencia. Oh, goodness gracious. That's a 22, a 20, and a 27. Does that? Do it. Yeah, not. Yeah. 16, 17, 19, 20, 28, 12, 13, 14, 14,

22, 3, 4, 6, 7, 6, 7, 15, 65 points of damage. and 11 of it was ready. You let loose three blasts. You are incensed. You have seen so many fall before you today as you rush or as you turn towards the pollen keen and you sink your shots into Valenta. She, for the first time, begins to shrink away in pain.

I need your own perception, a perception check for me. What? What? What I'm okay at? 14. You stare at Valenta and your eyes are drawn to the side of her. The bubbling, roiling, cauldron is no longer bubbling or roiling. The blood in it nearly depleted as it barely is able to splash up, splash up over the sides.

And it is Valenta's turn. She is going to control. control the pollen keene and rush it towards Shepard. And she is going to attempt to make all of her attacks against two Shepard. I got the natural one for one of them, but she does have five attacks. I made it. I made a four of them. So they have 15 attacks across all three of them. Well, it depends. So she has four attacks normally. The other two only have one. But when they're the one in control of the pollen keene, they get an extra action. because she gets an extra time.

So four of the five hit you. She is going to go in for a claw, or she's going to use the whip. 11 for the 11 slashing, 12 necrotic, so 24 necrotic damage. Okay. She is then, she is then seeing you go limp in her arms.

Can I use my reaction here? Can I use my reaction here to jump to the start? Yeah, you can take that damage. So it's 24. 24 necrotic and the 11 slashing. Okay. Is the 2448? No, it's 24.

I doubled it for you. And then it's 11, 24. 35. Here. Shepherd, get behind me. I will not allow this to happen again. Oh, come. So with.

She is going to use her claw attack, however, to pull Sarnat or Shepard up to her and grapple, Shepard. So you are now grappled. She is going to use her other claw attack to claw at you. That's one, two, three. I made a mistake. Last round. I got her really excited. Seven piercing or seven, yeah, piercing as she claws into you. Yep. And I mean, you're lucky for this damage roll. Eight points of necrotic damage for the blood clot. That is doubled. You got it.

I rolled a two and one and a one. You got me. So you still got you? Yeah. Okay. She is then going with her final attack. She's going to sink her teeth into you and begin to drain the blood from you. You'll take two failed death saves.

All right. Oh, please. And who is this doing it? That is Valenta. Did you put your evening? Not you? No. But yes, that is exactly how it works.

Ah, yes, okay, so hold on. The only one I have left is Sarnax. Oh no. It's true. It's over. I wanted to pop all these before Shadana. You feel your heart begin to slow as she tenderly sucks the blood from your veins. Your heart begins to struggle against the onslaught of her

feast as finally you feel death come to you. And just as quickly as the darkness comes, swirling around you, the sound of raven feathers, and you gas for air and you feel yourself in her arms at one hit one. Yeah. Is Lucky Kana did that because if she hadn't, the Raven Queen would have triggered

and she would have just attacked you again and you would have been. I'm waiting to see when people drop to dead before I do. Cleve-a-go. I try. Sarnax. How do they look? Yeah, I described it. The blood is very low inside of the cauldron.

That's what you see. That's what you can tell. I'm gonna look down and I'll say, and I'll be kind of pull myself up, and I'll see Clayton dead, and I'll see Shepherd dying, and I'll look around and I'll I'll say,

say, I had not strong enough to keep you all alive. There's only one way to end this now. I must hope, I must pray. Lundlila, by fire, be purged! And with that, I will send a seventh level fireball to them. Okay. on top of the, on top of the pollen cane. And they need to make a dexterity saving throws. Legendary assistance. Yeah.

Valenta fails. Ludmilla passes and Strassie passes. 828. Thank you, firebrands. Let it ride, brother. That's a lot of nice. Okay. Okay, 4, 10, 15, 20, 25. 25, not great, not great.

25, 30, 30, 34, 38, actually, 41, 47, 49 points of fire damage to everyone that failed, and to everyone that succeeded, half of that, 41. And then if they were listening to fire, I ignore that because of- How do you wanna do this? No way. I would like to,

I would hopefully like to get Ludmila's gaze. And as I yell by fire be purged, I will reach into my lantern and I'm not gonna just do my little finger point. I'm going to just pull and pull and pull as much flame as I possibly can. And I'm going to just look look at Lundmila and say,

you do have honor for a creature of darkness, but you will all burn all the same. And I will just chuck it at them and just want to ignite the entire fucking thing. My man. And just start burning it. You watch as the pollen keen goes up in flames around you.

Oh, fucking done. After you finish delivering the devastating blow, there is an attempt to mend the wound, but the cauldron is finally empty. All at once, Ludmilla on Estracian Valenta have a grim realization as to their fates. The gems that are tethered to their hearts glow violently. All three of the brides let out a horrific shriek as the dark magic that's found to their life force begins to tear them apart. Cracks begin to appear in their flesh as their veins burst open, a red undulating light throbbing beneath their skin.

As their flesh tears open at their veins, the gore and viscera explode out from their bodies and coat the wall of the walls. ceiling and floor. The force of their bodies imploding causes the pollen keen to fracture as it falls to pieces with a creaking groan. Wood, gold, bone, and flesh rain down upon you as you attempt to shield yourself from the grotesque, bloody storm. The magical barriers shimmer and fade, having lost their source of power. The broken wreckage finally finishes its falling to the floor as the blood begins to shake. It begins to coagulate. and rise, no longer covering the entirety of the room, the blood, the very life force of the brides, is now suspended in mid-air as it fuses together and begins to take a shape, a pulsing,

coagulating mass at first, but now it jolts into a humanoid form, a hunched and hideous figure, ancient and ugly. Slowly, it bubbles and boils as an unmistakable bloody effigy of Babelais saga peers at you with sanguine eyes. The lips on this viscous spectre peel back into a gnarled grin as her ethereal ancient voice echoes around you with a cackle. Why do you struggle, children? Why do you rage against the night? Do you not hear the whispers?

Do you not see the visions? You cannot stop what is to be made manifest. Rest, children, and welcome her embrace. You are all so tired. There is no need to fight her coming. She is here. She is with us. She is the grandest of plans for all of you.

You have followed her guidance well. You have served as I have. My work is complete. With a final hideous burbling laugh, the effigy bursts into a bloody rain that stains the tattered carpets and furniture of the chamber. Quiet returns to the castle. at least for the moment.

And you hear a groan from the staircase. It's Escher. He still lives. I immediately just kind of sigh and look over. I'm literally right next to Clayton. And I just, I say, return. Clayton, her work is complete, but yours is not. And I cast her 555.

Clayton, it feels like moments and years, all at the same time. is darkness descends around you. You see, a life that could have been are about laughing on your knees. You read a story to her and Emmy. But that is not your fate. As you begin to hear the screams and echoes down a dark and lightless hall,

souls everywhere, a vague, colorless version of Borovia spills out around you as your dreams, your hopes for the future all fade away, and you find yourself trapped. You are nothing but a spectral entity trapped here for eternity. And it is in that moment. Feels as if no time has passed. You see color, bright, white at first,

to orange and reds and golds. Flames around you, consuming you. And you feel pain. Your soul feels pain, the healing fire of Garrick's as your soul is wrenched back into your body. As you awake, your entire, all of your skin feels as if you were singed in a mighty inferno.

You choke and sputter as ash and smoke billows forth from your mouth, the fires of Garrick's bringing you back to this life. My eyes will erupt open, still shimmering that arcane light. They're dead. We killed them. Is Shradanya dead too?

Did you kill her too? Shardanya has grievously wounded, Sergei, dragged him away. Escher seems to still be alive. Hooray. Shepard's unconscious, right? No, I got one HB. Oh, okay. Shepard.

Shepard. Are you okay? Don't, don't push me too. Oh, I'm sorry. Is the professor all right? No, I think he's up. Clayson. Yes.

Are you all there? You have joined our ranks. Was I dead? Yes. You were just like myself and just like Victoria. You were dead. What was it like for you? I went to face my God in a realm of brilliant fire.

What was it like for you? Colorless. Prison. Nothing else. Trapped in Borovia. Yes. Yes. When I die, I know that I will be welcomed in the warmth of Garex, the Fire Lord.

It is not too late to welcome him into your heart, Clayton. If your soul's trapped here the same, who's to say you'll return to Garex, the Fire Lord? Because I am certain I have faith that my will We'll be done. My holy mission will be complete before I perish. And until I perish, none of you are allowed to die. We need to know. Start by helping me up.

Absolutely. The legs are a little shaky. I will hoist an arm around you and lift you up. We'll just have something to heal you. Thank you. I do, I do. I'm going to... Connor, save it.

We have a gift from an old, friend, I'll reach it to my pack, pull out the ornate scroll from the Amber Temple that the cool litch gave us. I can't recall his name. Everyone else in this module, exother. Exitanter. Very nice. Well done. Thanks. If you still live in your horrible approximation of life, you could call it that. I thank you for helping us. And I will take the scroll and I will tear it. throw each into the lantern as I watch it burn. It bursts in holy radiance. Not quite of Garrick's because it is from a scroll,

but it blasts out, fiery, all the same. And we all fool you. What? You all full here. What? There are 700 hit points with which to do with, and I don't think that there's any chance that we are going to hit that. And I will just use the leftover on Escher.

There is 80 left over. 80 leftover. I will just send the remaining leftovers to Escher as the fire burst out and ascends over everyone. There's been more of an arcane blast. You watch as Escher stumbles down the stairs and as he comes into view of you,

you heal him a bit. He quickly moves around and leans up against the wall. Not even a scratch, honestly. Not a scratch at all. He's my favorite. Quite easy. Poor Sergei did not get out quite so well, though. Where did she take him? My guess is through that door.

If she goes her normal route, she's heading toward her throne room. Yot in, so... There's no time to stop now. We got any chance to save Sergey. We got to go. There isn't. But... It's not that I'm wounded, of course. Or that I'm not fit for the job, but... I was promised to Castle. And there are tons of people in Ravenloft that need to be freed, that need to find their escape.

And you promised me freedom. So, I'm not asking, I'm going to do this. I will help the innocent escape. Because as Sarnak said, some blah, blah, blah, lizard voice, something about that means that I've done good things. So I'll try that for once. The first step on a... Ah, yes, blah, blah, blah, blah. Oh, sorry, I'm not weak.

Blood caught in my throat from the polkine. So I'm going to do that. I'm going to save them, as it were. And there's a rad steed in the dungeon that I'm assuming is going to need a new mast. So I'll just trapes down there, pick up a becephalus, and should you survive, I will see one the other side. Yeah?

Cheers. Sounds about good. Sound about that. And I think he'll going to need more of these, and he rifles around in his pockets, and he hands each one of you. Another potion. These are not superior.

They're the ones. Or supreme, they're the ones. Below it. Absolutely. As I take the potion, I'll kind of grab, like, not sink my claws into him, but like almost kind of like almost be there and kind of pull them in a little bit.

Ooh, Osanax. You want to play? Thank you. I'm fine with being the appetizer. I do not know how to talk to you, Escher. Oh, that's fine. I enjoy it all the same. I fear that what the Countess is up to will not give you much time to evacuate the innocence.

You must hurry. Oh, well, I was busy battling her where you were playing with brides. Yes, and you fought well. Oh, I did. Early scratch. So you will be well equipped to evacuate the remaining innocence.

Free the dungeons. Free the help. Anyone who still lives in this castle. By the time we class with Stradanya, they may not even have a chance. They will all know the name of their savior.

Escher. Yes. No, I'll do it. He spins quickly around, directly behind you, Kana, and pulls gently your hair behind your shoulder. I hope you will not.

forget me, Conradarly. I just turn around to face him, I don't trip him up, and I just look up into his eyes and I say, Asher, quite frankly, you're the most unforgettable person I have. Oh, I do quite like you and you're ready to stop being innocent. I'll let you know what to find me. And with a quick shift, Shepherd, you feel Asher behind you. His presence forcefully standing directly behind you as he breathes onto your neck. You've got a bit of blood actually three points on your neck. You would feed the ladies,

but not a single bite for poor old Escher. I didn't exactly have to say in it. He looks at you and you see a little bit of wickedness flit across his face as he thinks, I could change. No, no. Good deeds have to. as a lizard has said.

Yes. Well, he quickly spins you towards him, steps back, and extends his hand. Take care yourself, all right? It was well met. And when you have time, when you're not slaying monsters, visit me at my Clayton, my castle. Oh, death got your tongue? Well, it looks like you have a lot to deal with, even before Shatonia. Oh, do tell her, I say goodbye, and that I will love her always.

And with that, Escher immediately turns into a small bat and begins to fly away. That? Yes. You seem to have misplaced your hats, and I'll try to go down and pick it out for him and hand it through him. Oh. Where's my half of him? I'll, like, hold it, and I'll, like, kind of hold it, like, out in front of you. Thank you.

Thank you. Garrick's has returned you, but I've, and restored your flesh. But I must ask you, perhaps for the last time, Professor, are you well? Do you think, Asher, Asher, are you still here? Your voice echoes off of the room, but no sound comes from Asher. He's gone, Professor. Do you think he knows a way out of here? I'm sure he knows many.

In case we don't kill Shreda. Don't speak that. Could he get us out of here? We've come this far, Professor. We're going to kill her. You saw what they could do. Professor. He's a three, three rides.

Look, I don't want to upset you. But if we step foot in that throne room and we don't kill her, we ain't leaving. Yes. We knew with this intent, all of us. You would not run if we failed. Would you Clayton? Is Lucas around? Why don't you call, Lucas?

He got a brush, a comb, or something will get you straightened up a little bit. No, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. Perhaps a cup of tea, you realize that we have precious minutes. I want you to roll wisdom saving throw for me, please. Unless you lose the hero's piece because you were dead. No.

Okay. 22. Fail. As you hear a sound above, all else. Quiet at first. And then louder and louder and louder. You know you said you were going to be my dad, right?

I see all. I know all. I am of the Vistani line. I am Madam Eva's kin and Stradanya's kin. This was your fate. Don't let it make you weak, for you have to raise me to be strong. Fight against the darkness. of the other side.

This is not how you fall, but this is the path that leads to it. Step lightly, Papa, I need you. Do I feel like I can respond to this message? Yeah. We don't hear that, right? No, no. Professor, you saw our tour.

Is he well? You saw your grandmother, ripped apart by horrific necromanic magic. You saw me, drained, dry by horrific, horrific abominations, should never have existed. And you still say this, hope? I'm assuming you're willing now? Yes. It takes a moment, but you hear at the very back of your mind.

I have the heart of an innocent child. and while my heart still beats, there will always be hope. All right. My number one goal is making sure we get out of you. Do you understand? And to get me some more toughies. Now go. Sergi needs you, all of you.

Is he okay? Can we save him? His fate is shrouded in darkness. Not even I can see the wound that pierced his side, cursed his side, cursed and pulsing. save him if it's not already too late. We need to go

right now. All right. So are you all right? Yes, I'm fine. Yes, I'm fine. If we have a minute, I can attempt to calm our minds and senses, try to send ourselves before we walk into Antostradania. But only if we have a minute. We have a minute. Any advantage we can get, I think we must do it. Okay.

Can I meet some fucking tea. Lucas? Well, as before, I will have them all gather around. We'll find maybe some of these couches that aren't completely splattered in blood. It's pretty gross, but you can find a couple of spots. Kind of the least gross area that I can find. You sit down on a cushion that looks clean, but there was coagulated blood beneath. And like a whoopee cushion, a loud, flagellant echo reverberates throughout the room.

Victoria giggles. I'm going to pull a couple of hot tea out of my case. I'm just down. Sorry, that was for you, Kels. Your fart jokes. All with me, I'll ask you all to take a deep breath. Hold it. Exhale.

One more time for the professor. Inhale. Hold it. And exhale. The PM's doing it too, because I need it. Into the nose, out through the mouth. Is that what they do? Into the nose?

We're going to do one more. Okay. Yeah. Hold it. No, I'm going to let it up. I let it out. And as I'm doing this, I've taken out my Nagyata, and I've lightly tapped it on the ground, making this kind of reverberating.

Ding! Dance doing it too. Everyone, for good time. I hope so. Welcome to Akona Studios. Please have a seat on the fish. She's going to take a lap around, everyone, using her ring of peace. And your senses will be accosted to sort of disrupt all the bloody,

mess that you are seeing and feeling and smelling around you. Instead, it will be replaced with a cool summer breeze, the sound of children laughing and running in the distance, the heat of a warm bowl of rice in your lap, with the heat of green tea to the right of it, as you can sort of imagine the sense of peace and tranquility in a moment of quiet for one minute, as I repeat under sort of quietly, but enough for you to hear. Garrick's lights your path. Burning hands, a warm embrace, our fates in her claws.

And you all benefit from a short rest. That was beautiful. If I were giving out any more inspiration, that might be worth it. But no more. No more inspiration. I'm done. No more.

Enough, no man. That was huge. No more. Quist to fate, nothing. I don't have me to work. That was beautiful. But I do. I thank you for your right.

respect for myself and for the fire lord. Absolutely. I have respect for all religions, but I have a renewed appreciation for you, as in Gyrricks. Thank you for guiding us through this dark. And then I will stand up strong and tap my naginata on the ground, and I said, well, we will not die here for each other. We will live here for each other. We will live on. Do you understand me? We will fight on. We will not give up. We will have our wits about us. There may be time to save Sergei. I think so.

Arrebelle saw something. We should go. Yes. Are you prepared for the horrors that are to come? Can we even begin to prepare ourselves? It's as good as this going to get. Well, Sergei is gone. Escher is gone.

The doomed expedition. Together, once more, to the final battle. Shepard? As always, lead the way, and I will light your path. You got it. I unholster judgment and redemption. Let's clear off the table. Oh, my God.

And I proceed forward. I thought really want to. I don't want to do it. I don't want to. I need to give them my candy. I let the more taffi place. You promised me no more taffi's. You begin to ascend the stairs, the stairs in which Escher and Sergei fought two to one against Stradanya, and both seemed to fail.

Well, you struggled against her three brides. Two of the strongest men you have known fell at her blade, and yet wounded, weak, emotionally exhausted. Hope, even if only slightly, rekindled in you, as you make your way up the stairs. and through the twisting corridors. And though the turns and pathways are long and wide, it seems to all go in one direction. You are easily with Shepard's help in Sarnax's light, able to find your way to the throne room. The heavy doors to the audience hall swing open with a loud creek

as you see the terrible grandeur of Stradanya's throne room. Pillars loom on either side of you and continue deep into the hall, supporting a 30-foot-tall ceiling, from which hangs an enormous chandelier of gold, crystal, and flames. The candles lit within flicker, like the torches that line the walls, casting shadows dancing around the room, and across huge tapestries bearing the sigil of the von Zarovich family. But the light from the flames pale in comparison to the eerie red moonlight that shines through massive stained glass windows,

refracting it to unsettling shades of color on the smooth stone floor. As you enter, you feel a chill from the breeze that blows in from the cool Barovian night through the open doors that lead to the balcony, upon which are flanked by two huge gargoyles that gaze eternally into the abyss below. Your footsteps echo through the hall as you pass a grand standing piano embedded into the wall, and the five of you face a throne of gold and red velvet. On the floor beside it, Neil Sergei, grievously wounded with distant eyes full of pain, and sitting casually on the plush cushion of the highest seat of power in Borovia is Countess Tradanya von Zarovic, her red eyes watching you like a predator observing its prey.

In her left hand, she holds a gilded crystal goblet filled to the brim with blood. She takes a long sip as her right handstrokes the black ringlets of the hair of a child. is cradled in her lap. A little girl, no older than five or six, and a bright blue dress, cannot see the child's face as it nestles into Stradanya's shoulder, but on the pale skin of her exposed neck, you can plainly see two bright red bite marks. Since you're here, I presume I am now a widow. Such a shame. I had thought that by the end of the night I would have four wives, and now I have none. Love is so cruel, is it not?

I've been drowning my sorrow and drink, and I would suggest you don't take any sudden actions against me, or I will be overcome by grief and may drink myself to death, or drink someone to death anyway. Trudonia takes another sip from her goblet as she tightens her grip on the tiny girl in her clutches. The corner of her lips turned upward, and a playful smile, but her eyes betraying deadly intent.

The child squirms sleepily in the Countess's arms as she sits, drinks, and stares at you. The pulsing energy from the cracked ruby and her choker seems to be less erratic, small tendrils of crimson slowly slithering in and out by only mere inches. So, let's do what we highborn do best. Talk. Why are you even here? What is it that you want? I think you've quite overstayed your welcome.

Wouldn't you agree? So, Danya. Professor, death looks good on you. Unhand, the girl now. Oh, I don't think I could do that. We might be able to make a deal. What kind of deal? The girl, in exchange for you leaving Borovia, tonight.

I'm not promise, I will stop, ruling how I see fit, because quite honestly it's not my choice, and quite frankly, it's none of your business. But I can promise you something better. Safe passage from Borovia. I can put you in touch with one of the few Vistani who still remain loyal to me, and have you in the wagon heading home this evening. All you have to show me is that you truly want it, that you would do anything to be free. Prove to me that you're no better than the monster you so hate and stand before right now. You already have, really, so this should be easy for you. And this way, you still get to kill one vampire tonight. Shredania's confident smirk turned into a vicious grin as she rouses

the child in her lap. Wake up, sleepy head, you must be so hungry. Let Mama take care of you. The child stirs and slowly lifts her head to nod towards Tredania, grogly rubbing her face with a small hand. As she turns, you immediately recognize her. Little girl reaching for the goblet of blood is Myrtle, Tommy's little sister. The poor soul you rescued from the old bone grinder mill so many weeks ago. As she takes the cup, you notice that her green eyes are far more pale. Myrtle brings the goblet to her lips, and as she opens her mouth to drink hungrily, you see two small fangs. Slow down, my sweet, just taste. You don't want to ruin yourself. Shredanya pulls the chalice away from Myrtle,

pouts and wipes a smear of blood from her face with her forearm. But Mama, when you supper? Right now, Ravanaobia, see? With a gentle nudge, Shredana turns the child to face the five of you, and the little vampire girl hops off the countess's lap. There's a moment of recognition in Myrtle's pale eyes, and her innocent face twists in confusion. These are my friends, Mama.

Ma, they saved me and Tommy and Dorina from the bad ugly ladies. But they didn't give you a new name like your brother, did they? They still called you myrtle and then your nest the old mother gave you, didn't they? They neglected you to spend time with the new girl who knew magic, didn't they? Isn't that why you had to run away from the abbey, allowing us to meet in the woods? As she says this, Tridonia speaks to the child, but her eyes are locked on all of you. Myrtle sighs and frown sadly, looking down at her feet with a silent nod. Don't be sad, my little dire wolf-pop.

You have Mama now. Mama made sure that your old evil parents can't hurt you anymore. Mama gave you a beautiful name. Mama made you a princess with your own castle. But now, Mama is telling you that these people are not your real friends. They are your supper. It is time to eat, Ravanaughia. You're right, Mama.

Mama, you are so smart and pretty and nice to me. You're the best mama ever. Myrtle, were Ravanaughia. Sighs as she turns to face you and peels back her lips to reveal her fangs. Sadness comes to her face, but is dwarfed by the look of starvation. I'm so sorry. Tommy will be really sad, but Mama always knows best. You're my supper tonight.

The tiny vampire girl in the prince. whofee blue dress and bouncing black ringlets take several steps forward with hunger in her eyes. She looks at all of you. Her arms outstretched as she continues to walk, sniffing the air. You want us to kill this girl? Is that what you're telling me? I don't even fucking think about it. Stradanya's eyes meet yours and Myrtle or Ravinovia stands and stops looking sheepish, hungry, scared, sad, all at the same time as she stares between all of you but still listening to her new mother Estradaania rises just a little but not enough to fully get off of her throne

do you want your freedom Clayton you can still kill a vampire tonight how do I know you'll keep your word Cleeton accountess always keeps her worry show me that you too are a monster that you are just as bad as the ones you hunt Do it. Prove it to me. And I will let you walk free. No fucking chance.

I don't care if she fucking personally walks us out of this God-forsaken land. She better fucking hope that there's nothing but abyss on the other fucking side. Because if I give her damnation, it's going to be fucking eternal. Shepherd. What about Dauro? Be careful, Shepherd. A ton like that, you're going to scare the way. child. I'm leaving.

I'm leaving until one of us is good and fucking dead. Shepard. That can be arranged. We've killed vampire children before. Did you forget? He was a mindless creature.

Gone mad with starvation. It was still a young man. This is a five-year-old girl. One whom we know. You feel a tug on your dress. You look down the cold hands of Myrtle. Now Ravanaovia, as she pulls at you. I'm really hungry, though.

So, like, maybe just a little. I'm, I'm really, I'm not so strong yet, so I won't fully hurt you, please. Professor. We can go home tonight. Yes. All it will take. Yes, all it will take is one swift motion. I know you can handle it.

I'm telling you, no matter what you fucking decide, you fucking kill her, you leave this place, you leaving me behind. I don't fucking care. At the end of the day, she's going to fucking pay for her crimes. Yes, she is. And that's it. Trudanya, if we kill this girl and you attempt to take the professor home, You'll have to deal with us.

We will not leave, even if Clayton is considering it. It sounds like the party is fractured then. Professor, you need to get your employees under control. What kind of leader are you if you cannot get them to agree to one simple term? A life, a dead one. Four, five. And all you have to do is leave Barobia, and never think of it again. Never think of me again.

As her eyes dart to Victoria, as I will never think of you. What a sagie? Oh, my poor, my poor wounded brother. You see, we are king, him and I, and he fell at my blade, but it was not my choice, you see. for he begged me to do it. You were there, you hurt it heaven. And my blade, well, there is a kinship between us. He will not survive the wound.

Well, not in the way you would think. Connected my life with his. Eternal agony, it's so boring. I'm sure you don't want to know what. Connected to your life force, meaning when you die, he will be freed. Or he will die. Killing me will kill Sergei.

Either way, a life will be taken. Either way, whether he lives or dies, it would be a sacrifice, I'm sure he'd be happy to take. It is hard to know, and she kicks his wounded body. He's not home to answer the question. Clayton, do not do anything without consulting your expedition. We've made it this far. You feel a tug on your jacket. Excuse me, sir. Are you talking to my mom about how to kill me?

And you see as she turns her eyes full of sadness, tears welling up in them as her bottom lip trembles. Mama, are you talking about making me go away forever? No, darling. I would never say something of the kind. This is not my choice, Ravanovia. This is the choice of the five of them, whatever choice they make. There is nothing I can do about it. You would never want anything to hurt your dear, poor mama. No, I would never want something like that to happen.

So, if you say that this is the way it has to be, then okay. And she looks up with you, her eye is welling up, her lip trembling. Are you going to do it? No, child. I'm going to lean down. No matter what anyone says, even if you are in your state, creature of darkness,

you came from the light. And no matter what happens to you, you will be saved. You will be avenged. And no one will harm you. Robinovia, darling, please come to Mommy. I think we've had enough playtime. It doesn't look like they're going to bite.

like I had hoped they would. Little girl. Ravinovia turns as if to leave, but she looks up at you for a second, her eyes wide. I could kill you, and it's what your mother desperately wants. I could. But I won't, because that's what a monster would do.

And whatever you are, whatever you're trapped by, whatever monstrous things you've done, we are not monsters. This ends now. As your voice booms, Ravanaovia shrinks back a little from you as she quickly turns and runs towards Tradanya.

Stradanya's arms open wide to embrace her. You really think you are better than me. You truly believe that you are above what I have done. Shredonia holds the little girl as her reddened eyes have nothing but contempt and hatred. for all of you. She stands from her throne and takes several steps forward, the clack of her heavy leather boots echoing throughout the huge hall. She glares daggers past Merle's cradled head. If our roles were reversed and you were in this land as long as I have been, you

would have walked my path, step by step. This is an evil land that bears evil souls. Perhaps it's time we get a reminder that Barovia is a land of monsters. As she steps forward away from throne, her sneer grows wider and wider as she bears her long, razor-sharp fangs, and lowers her head dangerously close to Myrtle's exposed neck. You are not heroes. You could not even save a little girl. You could not even... Stradanya gasps as she realizes that while she's been walking away from her throne, the slithering tendrils of bloody energy of slowly and subtly been extending from her choker and wrapping themselves around Myrtle's small form. In one swift motion,

Stradanya draws her sword and slices through the crimson tentacles and throws the child down to the ground hard. A look of panicked anger washes over the countess as she leaps back to her throne. As soon as she sits, the quickly reforming tendrils slink back to a slow and manageable wriggling mass. She lets her head back and shouts into the hall. You will not take her too. You did not whisper of her. She is not part of your plan. Her pained voice reverberates as it bounces off of the stone surround you.

Then she levels her eyes and her sword at the five of you. And you will not take her either. You speak of redemption, but there is none here tonight, not for me and not for you. Mertil winces in pain after letting out a small yelp as her tiny form hits the floor of the audience hall with a thud. She sniffles as tears well up in the corners of her eyes. Mama, why did you do that? Is it because I did not finish my supper? Shradonia shifts her gaze to the child, and for a fraction of a second, you see a genuine look of wounded pain come over her face.

It is immediately replaced by Snide Venom. Yes, it is. You are a very bad girl who did not listen to your mama. Get out of my sight, child. Myrtle immediately stands, the tears now streaming down her face as her low, lower lip quivers beneath the sole visible thing. Leave you. I love you, mama. But I do not love you. You are not a princess, and this is not your castle any longer.

Leave now, myrtle. Although Stradanya's voice is absolutely dripping with contempt, in her wide, sunken eyes, you can see genuine sorrow after having raised her to scream at the child. The little girl gasps in genuine shock and betrayal as she attempts to blink away her tears. Her face scrunches into one of weeping before instantly transforming into a tiny little bat and flying out of the throne room through the open balcony door. You catch a last glimpse of her small wings as she flutters into the night to where you do not know. Shradanya slumps down into her chair with a sigh of relief and covers her withered face

with a gray hand. And then she starts to laugh. It starts low and then gets louder and more unbalanced with every passing second. She stares down at the floor of her throne room through her finger, still marked with ghoulish serpentine veins of bright red. I had almost forgotten why I've returned to my throne and have been stalling this whole time. You see, it's Ravenloft, she wants.

It is her new seat of power. Her power flows through the stone like blood through a body, poor little Ravenovia. This is not your castle, but it is not mine either. It is hers. Stradaña suddenly moves her hand away from her face as her eyes focus and she turns her attention toward you. Slowly she stands.

And as she steps away from gold and velvet, you see the dark power that chokes her start to crackle and lash about violently. I had thought she was just the prisoner like I was. But now I know I was wrong. She was never truly caged and now she's free. Thanks to you. now the throne behind me is no longer mine. Now all of Ravenloft is of her, and she is you to think for it. You have served her even better than I.

With each step the Countess takes, the haight and venom on her face intensifies, and you now realize a change to the hall that surrounds you. It's faint, but you see the glow of crimson energy running and splitting channels through the walls, the floor, the ceiling, like coursing rivers, the veins of Ravenloff, pulse and grow brighter as its countess faces you and raises her sword. But although the grand design of the blood queen has come to fruition, my war endures. I am Thradanya of House von Zorović, firstborn daughter of Berrov von Zorovich, countess of Barovia.

I am a warlord. I have conquered this valley of death and have bent it to my will for centuries. I choose my side in the eternal battle between the darkness and the light, and so have you. Our fates have led us here to this place On this night beneath a blood moon The only way this ends is in blood But end it finally will I am damned, yes, but so are you

All who are damned must die So let us all die together Countess, Stradanya von Zaravich grips her blade tightly As she steals herself with the grim resolve of a lord of death Her eyes fill with murderous intent. There will be blood. And that is where we won the session. Oh, my God.

Fuck. Truly begins. The final battle has arrived at last. This can only end in blood. Whether it is mine or theirs remains to be seen, as our fates have not yet been forged. If it is truly my destiny to fall for the last time, I will take all of Berovia with me.

Will there be anything left once I am through enacting my life's work? Find out in the final chapter of Curse of Stardania, Blood Moon. 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, shop at our merch store, support us on Patreon, and join our community on Discord. All links are in the show notes. We welcome you, Poroventhr's family.