Legends of Avantris - Edge of Midnight | Ep. 1 | The Old Black Train

Episode Date: May 9, 2024

An unlikely group of monsters have been summoned to a mysterious land of mist and night...   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/GsSGyk9nCxM?si=3xafOQx47q0k8Yef

Welcome to Legends of Evamtrus. I'm Nikki Scarlett, and you're listening to Edge of Midnight. Somewhere lost in the shrouded realms of death lies a land of endless night, but long-forgotten horrors are revealed with those who travel through the mist. But that place is not where our story begins, no. Our story begins a full harvest moon, smiling down over fields of straw and stoneboat. It's harvest time.

The haveling communities of Yona are nestled into their beds, exhausted from the day's hard work, and preparing for the work that will follow. Rising high above, a land of wheat fields and stover, the moon casts her gentle milk light onto the fertile valley below, and the valley sleeps peacefully in her protective glow. All except for a lone figure walking through the crops in the dead of night, for he can never sleep, no matter how hard he tries.

At first glance, he appears to be able to be in a little bit of his life. be nothing more than a man in the weathered clothes of a vagabond. But a second glance would tell you that this is no man at all. A scarecrow walks forward on his own two legs and looks up towards the midnight sky as he plucks the strings of a banjo, and the quiet night is awoken with a cry of a mournful song. Old Jericho Sticks wanders alone, the crow that circles above him never seems to stray far from the lonesome tomb-smith. The bird, with its strangely unnatural eyes and feathers black as the midnight.

descends gracefully and lands atop the headstock of the animate scarecrow. Just long enough to peck his burlap sack of a head before flying off towards a hill covered in ripening pumpkins. A wheezing caw pierces the silence of the night as a calling Jericho towards the patch of orange boards. Jericho, what do you do? Virgil, why are you going towards those pumpkins? What's with you in pumpkins? Well, I suppose I'll follow you. I don't got nothing better to do.

Got no one else around, but this weird crow and the old harvest moon. Well, I guess that reminds me of a tune. And I'll start playing my banjo. I'll just pluck a few very simple notes. And I'm following Virgil. I'm keeping an eye on him as he's flying towards the pumpkin patch. And I'll sing, uh, shine on, shine on heart. harvest moon up in the sky.

I ain't had no loving since. Well, it's been quite a while. Virgil, maybe you have some fun pumpkins you're finding, or perhaps some friendly critters down out there in the farm that might be awake of the nocturnal variety. And I'd like to follow Virgil, so what he does. As you continue to follow after Virgil, You notice a soft mist begin to shroud your view of the pumpkins dotting this hill.

It becomes more difficult to see as a dense fog rolls in all around, seemingly out of nowhere. The night had been an incredibly clear evening just moments before. A light breeze picks up as you ascend the slopes of the pumpkin hatch, and in turn, the mists dance around you and merely enveloping you, until all you can see is mist in the ground beneath your feet. Virgil lets out an irritated squawk before he drops onto your hat. Always a confident bird, it seems strange that there's a feeling of agitation about him now. And dare you even think it? Fear?

It is then that you hear a sudden sound coming from the mist. A cacophonous, repetitive chugging thunders all around you. The shrill sound of a whistle like hundreds of wailing ghosts pierces through the night and the quiet. Another blast of noise assaults your ears, the constant ringing of a bell that sounds more like a funeral now. And from the mist you see a mish. massive shape coming toward you, too large and too dark to distinguish its form in the shadows. And at the very center, beaming through the shroud of mist is a circular light and a ghastly blueish-green hue. The mist that rests on the damp soil begins to snake and condense as it

forms two straightened rows of dark gray rails made from the fog itself. An enormous mechanical contraption emerges into view, seemingly gliding along the ever-lengthening track ahead of it. As the mists began to part, a jet black locomotive rolls into view, not unlike the engines of the trains you've seen several times rolling across the prairies of Yonah. However, the billowing greenish clouds released from its chimney stock look like neither smoke nor steam. And the low moans of what sounds like humanoid voices wailing with each puff makes you question what is truly powering this machine. A dark and ancient locomotive appears before you, pulling behind it, numerous box cars that stretch on and on, disappearing into the mist.

You take in the scene in front of you, a train, appearing out of the mist where no train and no tracks had been. On a once quiet and moonlit night, your eyes dart around, your eyes dart along the length of this ghastly locomotive, as you begin to fully register the site before you. The box cars were all designed in tandem with one another, but very slightly. Some are window lifts, but others appear to be passenger cars with ornate, filigree windows that allow you to appear within them. You chance a peek and you can see the strange, eerie green glow. The beings that ride within are mere silhouettes that you can't be sure are still there when you take a second glance. As the old black train slows to a stop, it's one of these passenger cars that is directly before you. You hear the faint notes of what sounds like a fiddle.

From within, a moment past. as the music stops and the large sliding door opens with a rattle. Within the center of the car is what appears to be a frog man who looks at you lazily as he rests his back against a wooden crate. He looks quite similar to the bully-wugs you've encountered in your wayward ramblings, but dressed in a weathered pair of pants and vest complete with suspenders, gloves, and a broad-brimmed leather hat. As he stands with his violin and bow in one hand,

you can see a darkened bottle of whiskey shoved into his pocket as his eyes blink out of sink. Then he speaks. aboard the Ghost Slide Express. He reaches out to you. Your ticket, please, Mr. Sticks. Virgil, this wasn't the kind of barnyard creditor nocturnal varmint I was

talking about, but how to do, Mr. Frogman? How did you know my last name, or the last part of my name? I know a lot more than you think, friend. You got a ticket to ride and I've got an empty carriage with your name on it. So if you could just hand it here, I'd like to get me settled in. Did I hear that correct, Mr. Frogman? Did you say that we're friends?

You see a smile, light a pop across his face. It doesn't fully make its way to his eyes. Why, yes, I did, friend. Gosh, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said. Virgil here keeps telling me that I don't got no friends, and then I'll be alone forever. Don't I look like a man that would lie to you? Well, no, you look like a frog who is capable of lying to me.

You hear a chuckle that sounds sort of like a croak in his voice. Can I have your ticket, please? It's right there in your pocket. And you see as he reaches out, his arm almost elongates unnaturally, as he pulls a silver ticket from your pocket. It's, or gray ticket, I should say, with silver embellishments all around it. This is interesting. You've got a very powerful friend, friend.

Oh, well, no, I think I just specifically said a few seconds ago I don't have any friends. Well, until you, Mr. What's your name? My name is old Jericho sticks, but you can call me Jericho. Most folk do. You can call me the stranger or the vagrant. It's your choice, friend. Oh, the stranger or the vagrant?

What it would be like Mr. Vagrant? Mr. T. Vagrant? Mr. T. Vagrant? How about that? Well, I suppose, is that a ticket really for me? I don't recall purchasing a ticket, but then again, there are times where I'll wander into a place and I'll lose some time and some days,

and then there's a whole mess to run away from. He rolls the ticket between his fingers the same way you would see a gambling man roll coins. And when it reaches his pinky and he flips it around, you can see old Jericho sticks. Passengers, old Jericho sticks, plus one, Virgil. And on top of it, a symbol stamped very clearly, a symbol you recognize. Well, Garge, we're a real high class for new. fancy types riding on a real genuine train. I got a silver ticket.

I got a silver ticket. I'm going to take his hand and try to just hop onto his... He clutches onto your hand and pulls you into the train. And as you find purchase onto the train, you watch as in his hands the ticket ignites into bluish-green flame. Well, gosh, I remember... I did not ask you where we were even going. I don't even care.

I got a friend and a silver ticket. Yes, you do. I'm riding amongst highest society. Now let's make our way. And with a sudden clatter, the sliding door slammed shut, and the train begins to move once more as the frog man puts the bow to a spittle and plays a short foxy tune.

Make yourself comfortable because this journey is alone, one friend, and where we're going, you don't need luggage. So don't worry about that, none. We got a special car just for you, than folk. Follow me. And don't mind the hanks riding with you, since they'll pay you no mind. The hinks? The vagrant leads you to a luxurious and spacious car with a sign that reads live ones hung on either side of the space. On your way, you pass through box cars and passenger cars

containing the semi-transparent specters of humanoids of numerous states and statures. They talk amongst each other, but don't even seem to notice you as you pass. You settle into one of the plush seats at the table within the box car. The Jekard fabric is made of faded blues and greens with silver, threaded embroidery into delicate and ornate designs. They're old, but not worn. The wooden paneling that lines

the wall smells of age and fresh polish. The small lamps flicker with a soft orange light that illuminates this cabin in a comforting glow. Virgil purchases on your shoulder and settles in for the trip ahead. He calls softly at you before bowing his head and sleep.

But how did you get here, you wonder yourself as you rest your head against the cushion at your back? You glance out the window and you see nothing but miss. Oh gosh, Virgil, see, my new friend says that I'm a living folk, unlike what you say. Maybe he's right. Maybe you don't know everything. I feel a little underdress, but I feel like our society. Across the world, a broad muddy field is littered with hundreds of corpses. It smolders from the recent battle that decimated both armies to a point where there was no victor,

and certainly no one left to bury the dead. The remains of dwarves and red dragon-born are feasted upon by gluttonous vultures and starving wolves, as a lone rider on a pale horse slowly makes his way through the carnage as he passes through this region of Delphinez. The blonde-haired knight seems to be young of age, but weary of soul, as his red eyes grimly scan these fields of death. The metal of his armor well maintained and adorned with a motif of a blood, red rose, glints in the moonlight, as his pointed ears listen for any signs of life beyond the carrion beasts. Running a tongue absent-mindedly over one of his fangs, Sir Marius Renathir fears that there is not a single survivor.

And then he hears it. A hoarse, rasping weeds. Not more than 20 feet from Marius's horse, the body of a red dragon-born, adorned an armor that's been cleaved down the side, shifts and raises a trembling hand at the night as he approaches. Marius, what do you do? I would immediately jump off my horse and run to this dying soldier, and kneel down next to them and go in my pack and find some water. My brother, rest easy. I am here. He reaches up.

And he clasped his hand to yours. Thank you. You see as his eyes are fluttering. He is losing life quickly. His lips are parched and dry. But he opens them as much as he can with the very small amounts of strength that he has left as you begin to pour water down his throat.

Please, rest easy. You will be with Lefanda soup. He chugs at first, gulping down, water. He begins to sputter and cough as he drank slower and slower until you see his eyes relax in his skull as his head falls limply in your arms. The soldier lets out one final strained breath and his eyes flutter close for the last time. You bow your head and prayer to Lathammer. Though you don't know this man, you can only hope that your God will light the plaque for his soul. Your eyes open from your silent prayer and you see that a

mist has blanketed the battlefield and the now lifeless form of the dragon born before you. The fog condenses and swirls around you both. You raised your feet and begin to scout the field but your vision is obscured wholly by the mist. You were startled by the booming whistle and wail that pierces through the night in a single bluish-green light that appears before you. An old black ghost train emerges from the mist and rolls up alongside you. You've never seen a train yourself, but you've read of them, and even in your wildest imaginings you wouldn't have guess that they'd look or operate like this, much less ride across the ground on rails of mist. As the train glides to a halt, the door of the boxcar opens up, and a bully

wug vagrant steps forward and calls out. All aboard the Ghost Lad Express. Look at you, Sir Marius. It's good to see you. How do you know my name? I know a lot more than you think. The train comes when it's called. A ticket is at hand. Hear it for me, friend. I do not know what this is. I do not know what tickets you speak of. Well, if you check your saddlebags,

you might find what you seek and what I need to allow your entry to the goat's slide express. I hesitantly reach into my cloak and I see if there's a ticket there. You reach into your cloak and you find no ticket there, but you are constantly.

by the faint glint of something shining in your saddlebacks. I will pull it out and then examine it. As you pull it out, you see that there is a ticket, passengers, Sir Marius, Renather. And at the very top, a stamp of a familiar woman seems you too have powerful friends, curing you a ticket to ride. You see as he looks you up and down,

I don't know why I'd be surprised. I'd be surprised. Men like you on a quest, well, often find yourselves in the realm of death, don't you not? What do you know of my quest? I know you'll find the answers you seek on the other side of the tracks. You wanna find them.

Let's get you settled in. You got some friends to meet. Another lead, another dead end. Suppose I could see what this is about. You must forgive me. The months, they turn to years, and the years turn to decades. I apologize if I'm a bit jaded.

All right, and I will step forward onto the train out with the ticket. He will take the ticket from you, and as he grabs onto it, he looks it over for just a second before you watch as if it incinerates in a puff of greenish-blue smoke and flame. Well, that makes two,

A few more stops to go. Follow me. I'll take you to where the live ones are. And he leads you through the train. Step after step after step, you can hear the chattering from some of the other compartments, but none of the entities within seem to notice you. Once again, you find yourself in front of the door

to the box car that reads live ones. As he opens the door, you can feel warmth in this cabin that you couldn't feel outside. And inside of it sits a very strange entity, a living scarecrow. Is there food on this car? Oh, yeah. In front of you, there's a table filled

with all sorts of snacks. I got drinks. I have literally a full turkey, if possible. Yeah. Some kind of of poultry. And maybe there's a few sides, and it's completely untouched. And I'll look at, as you enter, you'll see that there is this really creepy, weird-looking crow

that's sitting on the other side, standing on the seat across from the scarecrow with the hat off. And I'll look down and I'll say, well, what do you think about that, Durgle? I got a napkin in my laugh. Who would have thought that I'd find myself here in this situation? Oh, oh. I'll say, well, I'm sorry, I was just going. I'm probably not supposed to be here. And I'll, I'll, uh, I'll, as I see Marius enter.

Wait. Now, sit yourself down, Jericho Sticks. You're exactly where you're meant to be. The frogman mentioned two. I assume he mentioned that you are the other. Well, I suppose if there's just two, is he my friend too? That's a question for him to answer, not for me. I flash him a large, fanged, toothy smile,

and I say, Samarius Renafir, you may call me Marius. And I'll, I will be a gait. And you'll have to realize that being a scarecrow, I don't have a head, it is really just a burlap sack, a poorly stabbed, dirty burlap sack over some sort of head shape with this glowing fiendish orange glow within. and a little moving sat flap as a mouth. And I will gas and I'll stand up and I'll probably knock the turkey

as I'll shuffle out. And I'll say, Sea, Virgil, gosh, everyone around here showing me some genuine respect. Perhaps you can take a listener to old Jericho's sticks, but you can call me Jericho. Most folk do. Are you a genuine night like all the fairy tales with princesses and dragons?

The click of the door shut. Where the vagabond had been, he no longer stands. And the two of you are alone in this compartment. Yes. Yes, I am a knight. Virgil, this might be the greatest day of my life. You know, do you need a barn? I don't know.

There's only one thing that I need, and I don't mean to pry. But I'm curious as you found your way onto this... Contraption. Well, it's probably a very similar thing. Do you have a crow that led you to a pumpkin patch and said, hey, you don't have any friends and you'll die alone and get on the train? No, there was no crow.

I mean, they're sure, real lucky. There are carrion birds. When the soldiers fall, they always come. Well, that's what I call old Virgil. This is my, my, my, my, my pal Virgil. Although with friends like him, who needs enemies? But he's just, don't worry, don't pay him any mind. He's just a weird crow.

I've asked myself that same question. He's a big crow. He's also a weird crow. So what brings you your real, real night? I've always read about the troubadours that would follow around nights and sing of their great deeds. You'll have to tell me all about your great deeds. And I'll write all sorts of songs. You may find that I haven't done many great deeds.

I am more or less on a quest to find a particular item made to undo the mistakes of my past. All great quests are to find some sort of item. That's generally how storytelling works. You've got to get the hero to go do something, so there's an item. May I... You just got to go get it. May I sit with you? Of course.

This is more... You seem a lot more high society than me and old weird crow vert over here. That's been a very long time since I've done anything like this, and I've never done anything quite like this. Are you looking for something as well? Well, I'm looking for more of a situation to my sort of problem that I have. It's more of a personal affliction that I have, so to speak, and perhaps to get controlled back.

of my life or lack of life. Virgil says here, it says I'm not even alive. He says I'm no different than a broom. Well, we were taken to the living cart. I guess that's true, but I've probably got a lot more straw than a broom. If you need help, one of the tenets of my faith is to always aid. You have my word that I will help you if I can. We're friends now.

This is truly the greatest day of my life. No, Virgil, you do not squawk one bit. Do not ruin this for me. May I... May I sing you a song? Well, if you would like, absolutely. Do you like banjo? I don't know if I've ever heard one before.

I've heard other string-type instruments with this... Please, show me. Bravely, sir, Mary. wrote from Vittonia, he was not afraid to die, oh brave Marius! And we got a workshop, I got more coming, but this is the starting. I presume you're not afraid to die, and then you're very brave. Death is... I'm not even sure it's possible anymore.

Well, I mean, well, I'm very sorry that we perhaps suffer a similar afflation, friend. I guess in a way I can't really really. They fear death if it's not something that might even be able to catch them. Well, given the folk on this train, they're called Hinks. I don't know if you told you that. Didn't mention it. I think they're ghosts. They're spooky ghosts.

For all of the strange things that I've seen in my life, this certainly tops them. It's up there. I just... If I've learned anything in the many decades that I've been on this planet, We might be in for some interesting times, and I suggest perhaps we stick together. I would like that very much. I'll finish the rest of my song. And then once you tell me about your great deeds, I'll write songs about them too. I haven't really had much to write songs about. You'd be surprised how quickly you'd run out of material about crows.

Well, take your time. I'm not going anywhere. Well, I can feast to that. Get yourself some supper. I'm gonna enjoy some of that turkey myself. And I'll go and I'll grab a turkey leg and I'll go, and you'll hear the clanking of metal as my head will basically fall back and it'll be this almost like this fiendish,

demonic incinerator and I'll just stick the turkey leg in. So it doesn't go in the mouth hole, it goes on. No, it doesn't. like a snake job. I thought it was like the mask goes up and it's just like. As I grab myself some turkey and thank you for offering, you notice that I almost don't flinch it all, even though I'm watching this unfold and I'm watching

and I'm taking turkey myself. Garsh, you know, usually there's always folk whenever I tried to eat a nice meal with O'Pal Virgil, he really likes turkey. I don't know, he's real, I don't think he's a carrion bird. He likes the cook stuff. I don't understand what's up with him. He says, very delicious. And everyone, when I go to a tavern for a meal, they always scream and run away and tell me to get out. And I think it's because I got scuffs on my shoes. Yes, I'm sure it's the

shoes. I see you another smile. Virgil, it's, I'm telling you what is the shoes. Well, let's, let's share a meal between friends, Marius. I would love that. Thank you. And we'll eat. A stranger walks alone through the empty streets of a sprawling slum, and even the most unsavory residents of the city fall asleep at this hour. The stacked houses of the human metropolis flank the narrow thoroughfare as the famine shape. The famine shape moves through the shadows towards the city gates. What is he famine? Feminine shape moves through the shadows towards the city gates.

The hood and mask she wears hides the fact that she's a dark elf. and this path at this time has allowed her to take her leave and move on to the next count of Struggah. As she nears the massive walls of the city there's a quick movement from the nearby alley and an urchin boy steps out to block Lothick and Knightbourne's path.

He seems nervous that there's a clear bravado on his face to mask him. He folds his arms and steps forward. I know you. You're one of those evil cultists. I could turn you in right now and get the reward from the military. And how do you know that?

But I am an evil cultist little wife. Uh, uh, um, you're dumb stupid mask. Does wearing a mask necessarily mean I am in a cult? Yes, no. Your hood. Where are you out on the street so late? I don't have to share methods of travel with you, young. Are you turn you in right now? Please, go get the authorities.

I would love to speak. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I'm going to get the authorities that way. Hmm. And he turns, and he starts to move. And once he feels like he's out of a certain range, he watches, he picks up a rock, and he throws it at you. And then he squeaks and runs off into an alley behind you.

It doesn't, didn't he? It doesn't. His aim is very, very low. I wouldn't move. I would just let me. him on his path, and then I would look up at the sky. An unusual evening. There is something in the air tonight.

The urchin darts back into the alley he came from, you see that he is immediately swallowed in a fog that he has since blanketed slums. The already quiet evening has gone impossibly still, which is then shattered by the looming chug, whistle and bell of a huge locomotive that emerges from the gloom, and riding along rails of concentrated mist. It nearly scrapes the walls of the structure. is it slowly navigates the narrow street.

It's such a tight squeeze that you need to step into a side street to avoid being run over. You calmly watch the various cars of the train pass by until it slows to a complete stop, and the opening box car reveals a frogman of the fiddle, who takes a swig from the whiskey bottle and a side before calling out. All aboard the Ghost Light Express. Let's a good night, boy, step out of the shadows and come meet you friends. you're friend. You know not, you know my name, but I know not yours.

I will step out of the shadows and I will pull down my hood, revealing my silvery white hair, not actually contrasting my very white mask with many designs and patterns. What may I call you, friend? You can call me the stranger or the vaguer and it's your choice. I don't mind either. But what's the name between friends? grab a hold of that ticket you got hiding in your robes and head up onto this train with me. I've got some people for you to me.

In my many years on this, in this realm, I have learned that names carry great about. Do you have a preference between stranger or vaguely? I don't call me as you will or call me nothing at all. You see as his eyes move up and look towards the move. She's calling. Your ticket's not there for no reason. Hand it over, Lefica. Let's get moving.

My robe doesn't have any pockets. And you feel around on your robe, but there is a pocket there. And in it, a ticket. And as you look over it, it is a beautiful gray parchment with silver filigree on it. One passenger, Lethika Nightbourne.

and at the very top, a familiar symbol. Say it's an interesting thing, is it not? I will extend my arm and reach the ticket just out of reach almost until I can finally get it to his hand. It is just out of reach, and he reaches his arm out, and you see as it seems to extend far longer than it should, and he is able to easily grab the ticket from your hands. He rolls it through his fingers

and takes a look at it for just a second. You see the smile cross his face, when his eyes lingered just a little bit longer on that familiar symbol at the top. Yes, all is as it should be. You see as the ticket itself ignites into a strange, bluish-green flame. I look up again at the sky.

Is he starting to invite me into the building? He reaches his hand down to escort you onto the train. I will make sure that I have my things on me. My dark lady, tonight will be a night to remember, I think. And then I will walk through the door. into the train. He pulls you on to the train without much pomp and circumstance. He explains what little bit of the situation there is to explain that he is going to take you to a car that is suitable for the live ones. There will be friends there for you to meet. Get settled in, have a bite

to eat. More's to come. Time is passing quickly. Midnight approaches. As he leads you towards the train or towards the car, slowly opens the door and you feel the rush of heat. You can see two strange companions. One, a dark, dampier, or a blonde, dampier knight, sitting across from what appears to be an animated scarecrow.

He nudges you in a little bit. We have to make haste friends, so get yourself acquainted, and you can do so without me. He nods his hat. He tips his hat to you, as he slowly slides the door shut behind you. You'll have seen me walk in.

I have kept my hands very ladylike on my hip in this way. On the other side, you can see hanging a Chakram, large circular blade of sorts, totally masked, put down my hair up in a silvery bun like so, and I will sit without saying word crossing my legs. Well, it appears that two becomes three. Forgive me for not standing before you sat down. My name is Samarius Renafir.

I don't hold on my head. Greetings. I will take it very briefly. You may call me Lethika. Lethaca. The scarecrow in the room, who has a very weird crow with very scary eyes and a jagged beak,

will have almost tipped the table over as he attempts to stand up as quickly as possible, as he grabs his hat, which he had put back on his head and he puts it down and he shuffles out and he just kind of looks down he says darsha lady type uh how to do how to do uh young lady welcome to uh to do the train the train the ghostlight express greetings stranger and what may i call you oh of course i it's very i don't get much uh but i don't talk to the lady the lady folk most folk but especially lady folk most My name is old Jericho Stiggs, but you can call me Jericho most folk do.

May I ask you a question, Jericho? And perhaps to you as well, Marius. Of course. Were you approached by a train and suddenly discovered a ticket upon your person? That's exactly correct, yes? Yes, that's exactly my story, too. Do you also have a weird crow that led you there and tells you that you're useless? No, though.

I have another guide on my... path. Well, you can have other guys besides a weird crow? Don't mind me asking. Are you looking for something? I just finished looking for something. I am between some things.

I'm not sure how many we're going to be picking up tonight, but I have a feeling it's not just the three of us. I have a feeling that you're right. I think we might be assembling a merry bay. I'm just not sure what's for yet. I've been looking for something for

a very, very long time. And Jericho, well, I'm not really sure what he's doing. But needless to say, things may become more clear in time. I'm looking at the table as we're starting to open up

to each other. Do I find how is the food and drink emerging? Is it being... It appears that as you consume something, sometimes as you think of something that you want, it begins to materialize on the table. I think of a dark red wine

and my hand finds the goblet and I continue with my legs crossed to look. This will indeed be a very interesting journey I think. Ah yes, you appear to have very fine taste. I turn and lift up my... You can hear me

sip from the wine glass barely able to see the side of my face and then I returned with still the mask completely down hiding what lies beneath. I will still be standing like almost crushing my head as I hold it to my purse. So as I'm a verding icon.

It's like, Gersh, how did you make that wine, that wine appear? That was very impressive. Do you eat, strange man? Well, in a source, yes, I taste and I eat, but it's all for Virgil. It's really just whatever he likes. Who wants to eat? And who is Virgil's favorite fish, do you think? Well, we don't need to talk about that.

And I, every time I talk about what Virgil likes, two pretty lady, they run away very quickly. There is not much of a view here, nor is there anywhere to run. You should feel free to think of what Virgil's best dish is and allow it to emerge on the table. Yeah, every time, every time I hear Virgil say, you got to go, Jericho, there's nowhere for them to run. It usually ends up very poorly. So maybe I'll think about what I would really like very much. much right now is a big old glass of sasparilla. I'll reach forward and hold a glass of sasperilla

that emerged on the table. Jericho's sit that we may talk and get to know each other. Is that genuine sasperilla? The very best. On the bottle, you see an old, timey label, a little bit worn, and it says genuine sassarilla. That's my favorite brave. I hand it to you.

I grab it and I, and this I actually don't hatch back. I take it and it's awkward. You hear the clanking of the bottle against the metal, of just like the straight metal of the farm equipment of whatever my mouth is. And the saskerilla goes in and it says it probably sizzles and pops as the energy consumes it. Oh, this is the most delicious sasspera I've ever had.

I turn away again and take another sip of wine and pat my seat next to me. I suggest you listen to Lethika, who knows how long we will be here for. It could be quite a while. You might as well make yourself comfortable. Well, I suppose I've never had a lovely young lady and invited me to sit next to her, much less a cotillion or other such fine establishments, such as a train. I'll sit down, I'll sit down. Very kind, very kind of you, and I'll sit down. Seeing your nerves, I'll extend an arm and turn to Emerius.

You feel that the edge of my cloak sleeve, perhaps, against the back of your neck. Can you feel? I would say I react to it very clearly. I react to it. Then where were you? The train picked you up, Marius. Well, I was back home.

In the midst of the grievous battle, things to not go well as they normally don't. When this evil pulled up, it's from nowhere. I was just about to exit the city of... The city name was. I was just about to exit and find a new path, actually. So this is a very fortuitous event. Oh gosh, you know, they write songs about fates

and souls of being intertwined. and great epic quests that happened? Do you think that this is the beginning with seeing they were on a haunted train? Randomly? Surely there must be some reason. We've been chosen for something. I just don't know what that is.

Well, the ticket, I think the price I paid is that they want to meet my old pal version. You know what I mean? Do you all... You guys keep saying you don't have weird clothes, but I don't know how you got on the train. Yes.

Now that you mention it, the ticket did have a particular mocking that I was not so pleased to see. You'll see Virgil angrily squawk or rather crow, and the timbre of the call is very unsettling. It's a gravelly garbled car, and immediately Jericho kind of shrinks back. Well, maybe we all have Mr. T. Mr. T. Stranger, I mean, T. Vagrant, Vagrant, fellow. He said that it was, I got powerful friends, and that's why he wanted to meet me. If y'all got powerful friends, maybe, maybe this is really a quest, a song about the power of friendship. Friend is not what I would call that woman. Gosh, I've never had a woman friend either.

It's okay, Marius. I apologize. Don't need to look so cross. I turn back to my turkey after apologizing to Port Jericho. Okay. I'm sorry for making you upset. No, no, that was, I was out of life. I apologize.

Maybe you tell one of the stories that you were telling me while we were just traveling through the mist to Miss Leithica here. Tell them about the time you cut off that feller's arms and legs and he was still fixing for a tussle. I would be happy to, and I begin to tell Leithica of this amazing time. that I just don't learn about right now. Please share. Oh, my.

Fixing for a tussle. Oh, yes, you do that. You all engage in food and drink, more sassaparillas, more wine, as you share this tale of the man fixing for a tussle. In the meantime, the sea of the coast, of chalk swells and royals, just as much illuminated by the light of the full moon as it is by the burning galleon that slowly sinks beneath the waves. A tattered black flag bearing the mark of a crocodile skull and crossed bones flies from the top of the tilted mast as it is

as it too is consumed in flame. The heavily armed merchant ship that sank the vessel sails off towards the horizon while on the other side of the roaring wreckage, a single rowboat slowly makes its way toward the distant coastline of an island. The creature rowing the dinghy huffs and huffs as it struggles against the waves. While it is clearly alive and moving about in the world of the living, its body seems to be quite dead, with exposed bone, withered flesh, and rotting scales, all within a crocodilian form. However, this reptile is dressed extravagantly in the garb of a pirate captain as he curses the sudden crumbling of his undead crew that led to yet another unfortunate defeat of Briggsie the cutless cratch.

Then... Then he hears a friendly voice call out from behind him. Hey man, need a lift. I'll turn my head around. As the decaying crock boat turns his head, he sees a small fishing boat captained by a smiling Goliath

covered in tattoos. The wind fills the sail, the vessel as it approaches the rowboat and a stroke of good luck for a change. Briggsie, what do you do? Is this you crossroads? Oh, mate! Pick me up here!

He waved you down. Just fishing. And he's going to slowly start rowing towards you. And you can see he's excited to see someone who appears to be in me. He's rowing so quickly. He doesn't realize he's rowing in circles. He finally catches himself and gets everything together. And he starts to row towards you.

And I'm not going to attempt to do Toa's voice. So deal with it. This is, uh, what you doing all the way out here? Have you seen in a big battle? No, I'm just fishing. Trying to bring some fish home from my family. I like, look really confused. And he points towards the island off in the distance.

We're having a party. We've got some bonfires going to work at the dance. Do you want to come back? Check on, we can go back together. That would be awesome. That would be really cool, actually. All right. No, that sounds fun.

Let me just, uh, open the robo. Your roadboat is leaking. I mean, it's, it's going to. Come in, spend the night. Spend the time with us. Spend the time with you? Yeah, on the island. The Mconi Islands, just right over there.

You have a lot of roads in the islands. Hads and things. Do we even cross? Do you have any cross paths? Any of those around? I mean, what's the difference between a cross path and an intersecting path, really? All right, well, here, first of all, let me get on your bone. Please, please.

He starts to help you. Lumber out and step onto this, onto this, uh, is it like Toa's boat? Is it like the, the platform? Okay, I'll know. It's not Toa. It's clearly a member of his, this is a different time period, so. Um, but it's clearly a Goliath from the McConae Islands where Nikki did watch a lot of videos trying to learn how to do New Zealand accent and failed, but I can say, hey, man.

So, that's all you get. It's all we get all saying. What are you getting? Still being in England. I inspect his boat and what kind of condition is it in. It's in pristine condition. How fast can it go? It seems like it can go quite fast.

He has nets. There's buckets of fish. He has extra fishing rods. There's some blankets. It looks like should anything happen and you were to get caught out at sea. He would clearly be able to fend for himself. This is a very sturdy made ship.

You can see car. into the wood pictorials of his tribe's missions and the things that they've gone, the holes are waxed. This thing zooms. It's really nice. Do it. And valuable. Oh, definitely.

You'll imagine he probably doesn't see it from a monetary value standpoint, but it's emotionally valuable to him. Oh, Robert. First, what's your name like? Really appreciated. I'll reach my head, my disgusting hand. Above, apologies.

for the rotten flesh. Joa. It's nice to meet you. I think that part. It must be. All right. Well, first of all, do you know who I am? Not a clue, but I got enough fish for all, for,

really everybody. Hold on, no, no, you haven't heard of me. No. I mean, if you heard of me? A big head, decayed flesh, big teeth. Notice all that stuff. You must be famished. And he starts shoving fish at you.

No, I'm Briggs'y to cut him. scratch. Well, it's nice to meet you, Briggsie! And he started shaking your hand. You haven't heard of the fiend pirate of all the seas? Stealing loop? Am I supposed to be scared of you? I'll just stop. You might have heard of me and you might be like impressed. But I have now?

Maybe tell some of your friends back on your house. Oh, I will. Well, we'll tell them all. Oh, we can sit around the fire tonight. Have you ever sat around a fire with family and friends and feasted all night long? And dance and had challenges. Oh, this is going to be I can't wait to tell my mom. I cannot wait to tell my mom. Here's the thing about your mom and everybody else.

My family's my crew. You might not have seen it, but I just lost a very decisive neighbor. It was the whole thing. My crew just, they were animated. You must be feeling so bummed right now. You don't understand any of you. My point is that there are people.

on that galleon. There are people and they're probably drowning right now and I need to go get help. I need to help them. Oh my, you gotta save them. I need to save them so I need to go find help since we can come back here and I'll save the rest of them. You're not going to be able to save them in your boat? Well, that's what I mean if you could just watch my roadboat and I'll take your boat and I'll go get help. Yeah. Does that sound good? This boat here it can fit on. Oh, that's going to be plenty. I'm going to go that way. It may seem like away from the fight, but I need to go getting more Oh, no, gosh, somewhere around here. And the waves might have cared.

Let me take just two of these fish and my fishing pole because I've got to keep fishing and I'm going to get hungry while I'm doing it because I'm responsible for the entire meal tonight. So I'll do that and all fish and I'll start patching up your boat. It'll be at least good enough to get back to the Makani Islands tonight. And so you take my boat, you go get all of your friends, and then you meet me at the Makani Islands. I'll let everyone know you're coming and we'll celebrate all night long.

Look, Jawa, I love this plan. Me too. I do. Oh, all right, well, you... He grabbed your hand, he starts... I'm so happy to help you. I'm very happy to help you. I'm glad I know.

I couldn't have done it without you. I'm going to tell everyone who you are. I'm going to think of you is my good luck, child, thank you. He pats you on the back. It's really, he's gigantic, and he smash you. It's really hard. Bits of your flesh fly off. He doesn't seem to be too bothered.

Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm a little strong, a little strong. Go on. A little strong, is he starts making himself a little, a very small pack, barely enough for him to, barely a light snack as he puts it into the boat and he patches it up a little bit, but as he steps into it,

the weight of him sinks your previous boat down into the water. It starts to take on a lot of water. He grabs a bucket, I can get all the water out before zinc. And in that moment, you can't let you. Oh, well, thanks again. Oh, be back, guy, at some point. Give me an arrow for you.

If you don't hear from me, I probably sank and died in her ugly. We'll come out looking for you if that happens. All right, all right, goodbye. And I very quickly, I lowered his sail. I'm so excited tonight. Get the fuck away as fast as I can. Oh, Mom's going to love that guy. As he continues to try and get all the water out of his boat.

Yeah, so I basically want to try to try to. sail away from him and where I think that he referenced where his family was and like try to go back to the mainland if possible and Joa was never heard from again as you leave the waving fisherman behind his actual name is under toa um i love undertoa he was great great great granddad as you leave the waving fisherman behind you you realize that you can no longer see your ship The merchant galleon or the coastline as the fog has swallowed all of it. You're used to sudden shifts in the weather on the high seas, but something about this mist seems like bad luck to you. And then as it closes in, you hear the impossible sounds of a spectral train

here in the middle of the ocean. As the mist snakes and slithers to take shape into rails, you see it rise up and down matching the surf before a huge locomotive chugs over a wave and then down alongside your boat as if to take a broadside. The cars pass as the machine that must weigh hundreds of tons effortlessly rides along the surface of the ocean before stopping beside you. The box car nearly touches the side of the boat as the door rattles open, an amphibian man, and a hat not quite as large as yours, gives you a wave. All aboard the Ghost Light Express.

I can smack my eyes a little bit. Oh, you're not dreaming. Briggs'y, the cutless cratch. Oh, yes, I've heard of you. So you have heard of me. Looking at me, you've heard the tales. I've heard the tales. Finally, someone has. And so you know how dangerous are you. So you better tell me quit who the fuck are you

and are you working for crossroads? Oh, I can answer that question shortly, friend. You can call me the vagrant or the stranger, whichever you may choose. The answer to your second question lies. Well, right there in your pocket. Just drop it right here. All right, what kind of tricky is this?

It ain't no trick at all. I know you like to play with fate. I know it looks your thing. Is this your way telling me something? It may be, friend. But if I were you, I'd get off the water. And he looks towards the night sky. And you can see that darkness is beginning to,

the darkness of clouds is beginning to obscure the beautiful pale moon. A storms are coming. You don't want to be caught in these. waves. There's a sanctuary on this train and I've got a seat with your name on it. Just pass me that ticket, friend. You know where you belong. I look at the ticket. You see a gray paper, hints of blues and even hints of greens. The silver, the silver coating all over the words that says one passenger, Briggsie, the cutlass

scratch and at the very top, blazoned in an emblem, is a seal that you are very familiar with. This is all for you. I'm not gonna like it, but I don't feel like I have a choice. Sorry about that kind of blow. And I'll step on, I'll step onto the train and give him a ticket. Do you step onto the train, he takes the ticket from you.

Once it reaches his hands, he looks at it for a small second. You see a smile, small quirk to the side of his lips, as his eyes alight across the symbol at the top. As it bursts of a strange blue and green flame. Well, follow me. One more to go. It's coming.

He slowly begins to make his way down the hallway, past car after car after car, until he finally gets to one where on either side of the door is a small wooden plaque that reads live ones. And as he opens the door, you feel the soft rush of warmth wash over you. And there is, there are voices chattering away as they all come to a quick hush

as the door opens and the vagrant usheres you in. Oh, there, friend? It appears that we've become full. The loud snap, the door is closed and you can hear the sounds of the vagrant's feet as he walks further down the train. Greetings, fellow life-wife. I will look around, my eyes will linger on Jared.

Who the fuck are you? And I'm gonna reach my hand out, and you'll see a colossal cutlass, material eyes in my hand, covered in kind of these glowing rooms. Oh, my hand on my shirt around. Etchings. I've seen a little bit dull up here. Some kind of new make.

Who you working for? We're a new mare. I have nose-green chicken, friend. but frankly, this is the kind of response that I normally get. So at least this is starting to feel a little bit of normalcy on this ghostly train. Hello, friend, I am not a doll.

I am a scarecrow. You can see here by my fingers. There ain't no strings on me. That's a good song. I'll write that down. All right, there will be none of that, please. What's your weapon away? We're all looking for. We're not working for anyone.

We're all trying to find out why. We're here. So now please, if you'd like to have a seat, introduce yourself as proper, to have some food, we would love to have you. The food can be whatever you want it to be. And you drink is the same.

We all found ourselves doing our normal thing when a ticket arrived in our pocket and trained and suddenly appeared before. I'll kind of flick my hand and with a burst of kind of shadow and be unright, the sword will disappear. Oh, can you eat anything I want? Is that what you're telling me?

You look like you might enjoy a good meal, friend, and I don't mean no respect. Why do you enjoy your, anything you want? I even got some, enjoy some sarsaparilla. I imagine a bottle of rum and a quench of the pig. It appears just as quickly as you imagine it in your mind. You've been cursed. Ha!

Well, I mean, my creation, I consider often a curse. So every day, yeah, sure, yeah. Do you know how badly? I'll bite off a chunk of the fork and I'll swallow it. And you'll see sort of become like flop through my, like, a little bit my ribs, and you can see it on the way down. Creamy, me, I'm sorry, but what, what is your name?

I'm Samarius, Renethea. Well, clearly, you may have been there. And I'll tell me like, are you? Do I, would I kind of know what a vampire, like vampire biz? Yes. Oh, that makes sense. Your name? My name.

My name's Captain Riggs and Cratch. But you can call me to cut this. Well, you don't have to go. You don't have to call me to cut this, but that's my feast on the name. Briggs. You and I are a lot more like than you'd probably believe, and I smile and reveal my thanks. Oh, lad. I can see it.

I can see it. So, two. Me? Well, I was the first one, so me won. You four. My point is that on the son of the sky. No, we're standing in right now as there's live ones.

And it's kind of ironic, don't you think? Well, I mean, there is, the irony isn't lost on me, but I'm pretty sure our friend, I mean, a bit of a cruel joke. Are you some kind of ghost, a skeleton or something like that? Oh, are you, are you a specter?

All right, let's see the face. Me three, you may call me left. May turn? It's a pleasure to meet you, Cutlass. I don't mean to pry. I've asked this question of everyone thus far, and I might as well ask you as well,

Are you looking for something? I'm looking for something. We're trying to figure out what might be the connecting thread, if you will. Then I'd down half of the bottle would drop. Oh, did you taste that? You said that you'd love to taste it. So there you go. That's all you mean to do.

That's exactly the fucking point. I can't taste a thing. You can't burn your tongue. I would love to feel this taste grossing. I can't taste a fucking thing. Bring your tongue on some pot coffee. No, no, it's the name. Look at me! I'm dead but not dead. I'm eternally rotten and decaying.

Well, they say don't judge a book by its cover, or a song by the first couple of notes. I don't even got a tongue and I can still taste. I wasn't always this way. I got tricked. To be this way. Being... You're telling me that you were...

You were tricked into being an alligator? What a terrible thing! Oh, rock-ed-doyle. Not an alligator. It's a big difference. Do you understand? I hear any of you say the word alligator again. Oh, I'll offer them.

The cutlass out. Gosh, he's really a genuine pirate. Are you, are it, is it true that you're a real pilot? You haven't heard of me. Heard of who? You? Breezy, the Cutlass scratch. Or maybe the cutlass.

Or maybe the horrible undead zombie pirate that sails the seeds with the true of the dead. Do you have a fourth monarch? you go by that I may have heard of? I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I never heard of you either. Well, it's okay, it's okay, uh, Briggsie. May I call you, Briggs?

Oh, that's fine. Come to Briggs'clock. Well, Captain Brisgey, I'll show you a part of me. It's not my station to, uh, captain. Oh, Captain, my captain, I salute thee. Look, look. I'm already writing songs about the great brave Sir Marys. I can also a genuine pirate, a genuine lad.

What great songs to be written from our journeys. It's also worth mentioning that one of the tenets of the thunder is try to avoid negativity. From death comes life. There is always another dawn from which we can turn our failures into successes. There is hope for you and I yet that we may one day be restored. I don't know about you, but it's awful hard not being negative when you look like this. Do you understand?

Yes. Yes, I understand. I mean, when I can't even get a fucking ounce of sleep, what I want to? Oh, that's. Oh, I understand that. That's, you know, that's... But you know what? I've suffered more failings and failures than probably all of the three you combine. And I just...

And I got nobody. If you're... If you're at night, you probably got a merry band. If you're a pilot, you probably got a crew. If you're a priest lady, you probably got a whole church. I got nobody, but you know what I stay positive by whistling the jokey tune? And it always tears me up. It makes you feel anybody, Jericho.

No, my merry band is very quickly. Until now, I haven't had many friends either. So I am very grateful to meet you. Our crew is currently chum at the bottom of the ocean. They weren't really more crude beforehand. Once I kind of looked like this, didn't a certain powerful fellow zombie crew of a gruelan, I think crew of galleon on the island. You know, have you, have you a crewed of galleon?

It's a big bitters. That's a big ship. You said a powerful man. There it is. This vagabond, this stranger, this mentioned, powerful. He was the word friend. But, did you all get tricked by Crossroads, too? He doesn't look like his work, but it could be.

He's tricky. I don't know acrossroads. What's that? Mr. Crossroads? No. I've never heard of. I'm sorry that I don't know you or your friend. I think, have you ever heard of my weird Crow Virgil?

Does he go by any other name, like yourself, other than Frothroads. He goes, while plenty of names I can't pronounce, I'll take Mr. Froschwebs, because I've been saying to this. No, I have not heard of this, Mr. Frasroads. Oh, were you all tricked by some kind of horrible entity, maybe made a deal that you kind of sort of regret? Yes.

I was tricked. I'm starting to come together. All right. No, I don't think I was tricked. I mean, I just was kind of, I came to be, and then my best gals they made me, and maybe that's the trick. Well, I guess the trick is that my old gal, my best gals, they ain't around no more. I'm gonna count, oh, Virgil's a hungry bird.

For me it was a choice, a specific choice. I do not believe I was too. I'll pour myself a glass of rum. Are you, like, a gistice, a gin? You're not a ghost or nothing? No hate? But we should probably show a little bit of respect for the, for the lady who is not...

We have to do a lot of one. Well, at least there's one among us. I'll pour myself a glass of wine and say, well, as I've said to the other companions, things are probably going to get very strange. It's best for now. stick together. I don't know what to expect,

but the strength and numbers. The merry band, if you will. The merry band of crewmen's and church churches and friends of a scarecrow. Besides, we have no idea how many more to show up. We may be, maybe there'll be like

to any of us and we can, we'll be unstoppable. We'll have a full, a whole whole orchestra, much less the band. He was hoping. All, uh, snap my fingers. and the glass of rum would kind of white on fire and burn off. It's not from me. He likes far away.

It's not magical. Oh, Virgil likes flesh. So I get your taste to feel of a fucking thing. Cheers. Is it like on fire when you drink it? The moonlight barely pierces the forest on one of the islands of Bargis, casting shadows that elongate and seemingly move in strange optical illusions. While the dark wood is teeming with life,

There's only one creature for miles that walks upright on two legs. These legs are those of a deer, but the shape and silhouette of the woman that makes her way below the thick canopy is clearly human-like. She leans on her skull copse through her skull-topped staff as a walking stick, although her graceful movements betray that she doesn't truly need it. Farron of the heart's light finds the perfect branch from which to hang a meticulously crafted wicker fetish

before hearing a low, rumbling growl in the thicket beside her. her. The underbrush shifts and snaps as a bear lumbers out and eyes her hungrily, but with an uncharacteristic weakness, Farron notices the patches of furless skin, the bulging boils on its flesh, the yellowing of its pained eyes and its blackened gums and it steps towards the satyr with unsteady difficulty, but with the clear intent to turn her into its next meal. Baron, what do you do? Time, night. It was a night, the middle poor thing to return to the earth.

It's a good thing that I'm here for it. And I'll turn towards the bear. And do I feel like it is like accepting of me being there? Or do I feel like I need to put it down? The bear looks like if it had the energy to, it would eat and consume you. But it is clearly overcome with a sickness that is incurable. And so, though you can move. towards it. It is, and touch it, it is going to be slightly aggressive with you, but it does not

have the strength to moll you. It doesn't have the strength to do what it truly wants, which is to feed. Okay. I'll kind of turn around and look at it and just start speaking softly to it. Go in my pack and fish out some scraps of meat and jerky and kind of approach it. Oh, you're poor thing. You look a sight and it's been a long, weary road you've traveled, but no longer. And I'll toss some meat to it, and kind of while it's feeding, I'll just continue to be it lets out a groan, and it looks towards you with sad eyes as it turns its face down towards the hardened jerky on the ground, as it goes weak on its limbs and falls into the dirt.

It uses what little motion it has left to scoot and move towards the meat and begins to lap at it, unable to consume it though it wants to. And it looks at you, almost pleading for you to end its pain. We've had a long road, and now you go for a long sleep. You came from this earth and you'll return back to it. And with the blessings of the blight of one, I'll send you on your way. And I'll take my dagger and just very quickly kind of... with its throat and I'll be sitting with it and petting it.

It looks towards you and as you move towards it, you almost nestle it gently in your lap as you look into its eyes and tell it that everything's going to be all right. You make the motion quickly so quickly it doesn't even have time to feel the pain. The bear, now finally at peace, begins to decay as you look back to your surroundings and notice the already dense forest is now choked by fog. The panicked hoot of an owl is followed by the rustling of leaves and the snapping of branches as a ghastly greenish light almost blinds you.

You are able to dart behind a nearby log as a black metal monstrosity slowly chugs through the forest on misty rails before coming to a stop and a shoddily dressed frogman opens the door of a boxcar while he stares out into the forest in your direction. All aboard the Ghost Light Express. Now don't go hiding in the woods there. of farin of the heart's blithe. Why don't you and your new friend make a way upon this train? Find that ticket for me.

What manner do you know me? Only in the manner that I do, and that you've got a ticket to ride this train so your way is supposed to be. And you feel it before you see it, the spectral form of the bear rising onto its legs. No longer form, now just a spirit, As it looks towards you and nuzzles against you, it lets out a spectral wine as it slowly makes its way towards the train.

And it doesn't step up onto it. It merely melds into it as it makes its way towards the back into one of the cars. Well, your friend didn't need any convincing fare. Now find your ticket. I'll start to kind of feel around on my purse. Did he send you? If you have to ask, you already know the answer. All right, darling, it's in your ritual pack.

You see a very similar gray ticket with hints of blues and greens, the silver lettering in mid-one, Baron of the heartlight, and at the very top, the symbol of someone you are familiar with or something you are familiar with. You knew he showed me the path. Your blessings. I'll join you.

Now that's what I like to hear, darling. Now grab my hand. He reaches out his long hand. It extends much longer than you'd expect it to, as with a forceful grip, he pulls you onto the Ghostlight Express. And with very few words, smutterings under his breath, that you'll meet the rest, and the five is finally assembled, that we're making good time.

Definitely picked up the pace as he leads you down the long corridor. What do I call you? You can call me a stranger, a vagrant, whichever you choose. Thank you. Thank you for a step on my path. And he slowly walks you forward. And as you walk along beside him, he's much quieter than you would expect. Seems lost in thought.

As you look into some of the windows that adorn these carts, and inside you see all manners of undead. animals, humans, anything with souls seems to be traveling on this train, but nothing else like you, nothing else alive. You are, it appears to be, in a train of death, is you finally get to the one carriage, the one room that says live ones on either side. So he opens the door and you're hit with that warmth, the candlelight flickering, a soft comforting orange glow. and the sounds of four potentially new friends. As they notice the door open, they all hush and look up towards you as he pushes you in a little bit and slides the door closed behind you.

Welcome. Welcome. Lethica, can you please let me out of this bench? I have the window seats. You may move aside. Oh, I forgot that's how it works. And I'll stand up and I'll take off my hand and I'll say, oh, pardon me.

Who were there, Miss Lady? You didn't say I'd be taking this journey with others. Who are you? You didn't tell that to any of us, to be honest. Please, don't be alarmed. Just join us. We've been drinking and sharing stories. And she has been heard of me, either.

Don't let it get to me. Well, I can see from the look of you, you're part of my path. Because I'm disgusting to decaying. Is that what you're saying? It's fucking right. I couldn't help you. I'm sure of it. It's his path for us.

You mean? You can... You can undo it. I think I might. We'll find a wait. First, what's your name? Name's Bracey. Samarius Renethea.

At your service. Sirius. Let's the good. It's a good. No. Hello, hello there. And I'll, like, wreat my hat awkwardly. As I just,

Shut up, Gretel. There's a pretty lady here. And my name is old Jericho. sticks, but you can call me Jericho, most folk do. What's minor a creature are you? And I'll be taking my staff and kind of look into like poke around his neck flap. Oh, I'm just, I'm just an old scarecrow, just don't mind me none. I just a bunch of straw and and and

metal and and wood and and horrible fiendish energy. But nothing, nothing really just and darkness within very deep darkness. And I got a weird crow named Virgil, but don't listen to him if he talks to you. He does not, he does not, he does not really well advised to listen to a weird crow. Trust me. I find the crows in the forest have all manner a thing to say and I always turn them out. Virgil's really not from any forest that you want to go visit, Miss Lady. And that would be, I would advise you not to, not to listen to his whispers if he does happen to whisper to you. The crow hasn't said it been in the entire time. He's been talking this whole time.

Perhaps you don't speak crow. Well, I know that I don't And I assume that Briggs he does not either I'll think he's lost it Well, he has been a little jumbia Since I met him, but you know, he means well No, Virgil there are our friends You should show some respect yourself

You're just a feathered fined There are some who never happen, I'm afraid Please enjoy some food or drink You only have to think of what you want to eat And all of a sudden it appears before All right and I'll basically a small dish

of like some indistinguishable sort of maybe like looks like sap not entirely sure what it is. It's a goo of some sort. Sort of a yellowish-brownish color. I'll pick it up and just kind of scoop it with some fingers and just, you know, do it in my mouth. Well met.

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers, cheers. What? What are we got there? What kind of strange concoction is that? Maybe I would, I'd like to try some, too. Perhaps I could imagine. Please, I'm happy to share with me, new friends, I suppose. Oh, this looks mighty delicious.

Just get a swipe with it on your finger there, but don't be shy. Oh, thank you very kindly. And then Virgil will fly and, like, get in my face and, like, knock my hand so that it flies off. Well, I don't care if you don't care for whatever kind of strange goop there is. I get a say, too, it's my... It's awesome. Ask them. Get out of you. I must ask, where are you from?

What's your purpose here? We've been trying to piece together the thread that seems to bind all of us. Yes, they believe that it is a puzzle to put together that we are all here. I mean, did the plighted one not bring you all here? It would appear that we all have some sort of relationship with something or someone powerful. Did you get tricked by this blighted one? Oh, heavens, no. It takes me on a path that I intend to follow to the end

and as quick as I can. All right. You two think you're so great, just going down this path besides you getting tricked like us, being total fools, just doing stupid things and ending up curse for eternity.

Bricksey, that's a little harsh, please. I wasn't even saying that, and I was not going to repeat what Virgil was saying. I'm just saying, you don't have to judge the fact that I'm horribly decaying. Nobody is judging. All right, for now. We're all friends here now. How do you been like that?

We're going to be friends, and we're going to stick together and figure out what we need to do, all right? Been about five years. You're still rotten. Just keep running. And then, like, I'll lift my arm up, and then, like, a piece of flesh will, like, fall off.

I'll reach up and pick a little piece off of you and... And it'll, like, kind of stir their back, and it's not, like, as disgusting, as like actual rotting flesh, but it's still, I mean, it feels like rotten flesh, and, you know, you can see, like, in a few of my fingers, it's just the bone sticking out, and others will have, like... There's a shockingly rubbery chunk out of his side, and you can just kind of remove and put back, move and put back. Wow.

Briggs, that is pretty foul. I think it's remarkable. I've never seen something quite like you before. I mean that with the most utmost respect. I think a little mellick's foul. You think you're too? telling me I'm something I don't know. Easy. Have some more wrong. There's no shame in the rot of things.

It's the natural way of it. And so, I should just rotten to the ground. Is that what you're saying? Exactly right. You should be so lucky. No, that's the whole point. I don't want to rot to the ground. I want to go back to how I was. Before I was tricked. All things are falling and you go to the ground for rise again.

If when you're trying to help me by making me just rotten to the ground, I don't want your help. Get a stand? All right, all right. tensions are getting a little high, all right? Grigsie and I would both like to be returned to our previous state. I believe I have hope, all right? I have hope that one day that will be something that will be able to figure out. It is one of the tenets of my faith to bring hope.

And you can't bring hope if you are hopeless yourself. So please, Briggs, remember, right? Well, I'm just saying nobody's gonna rot me into the ground. I want to unwrought. I want to spend a good long time not wrong. I mean no offence to you. Death is a hard thing for people to come by. Well, this is the living car, and we don't really seem related to life very much.

I'm going to be studying, Marius. You, lad, you look pretty healthy, strong stock. What do you mean? What manner do you return to? And I just smile and reveal the fangs as I sit from my goblet of wine. things are not always what they appear. I'll kind of reach forward and grab your hand. And do you feel cold to me? Or like, what do you, do you feel normal?

I don't think I'm warm. But I'm not like ice cold. I'm not like dead. I just like, it's like my skin's a little bit pale. I think it feels like in the midway between like a family. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It'd probably be like clammy, but not cold. He would feel odd to me.

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Thank you. You feel a little funny to me. Would I know, yeah, I'll say for the purposes of the campaign, everybody is aware of what everybody is. You might not have seen something like a reborn or a dampier or a wandering scarecrow with a Virgil, but you've heard of them. You would know what they are. Would they have knowledge of someone like myself?

Yes. Even though I imagine at this point they don't know what you are yet. But yeah, I certainly don't. I certainly don't. I'll release your hand. How did you come by that? The way that you are. Well, my fair maiden, that is a very long story.

It wasn't by choice. Make it a short one. No, it was not by choice. I was tricked. Or I should say that I fell to temptation. Now I'm like this, but my God has not forsaken me. And I have purpose. I seek something for my king and my kingdom

that I hope may be able to return me back to my human form. I know something of temptation myself. If you don't wish to be that way, I don't know you that well, but I swear, I'll do my best to help you return. Find your quest. It's very noble of you. I was just telling Jericho earlier

that one of the tenants is always aid. which I think we all need to be doing for each other because we don't know what is to come Well what I want to know is how many more members in this merry fucking band

Are they gonna be? Well, I'm with Jericho I'm hoping for a small army And where are we even going? Does anyone have any idea What our destination is? Do we have any kind of heading? I was decided to be on a train

I didn't ask I stepped on hoping That this was another lead for the chance And that's simply it Of course it will most likely be a dead end, but remember avoid negativity. You're looking for some kind of Some kind of sacred relic to turn you back? Yes, the Grail of dawn Greater of dawn. Yes, oh, that's all for fancy. That deserves it all a saw on its own.

Be surprised most Grails don't often look Like you'd think Holy Belich might not look the way that you would think, which is partially why I am the way that way and it's my arm. This thing, and I, well, summon my sword. Well, that gives me every time, gosh. This thing is just got a, I'm getting spooked. See this? This is an ancient relic.

This is what cursed me. He's got a fancy name too. You know what it's called? The Cutlass. I should know. But it's spelled with a K. It's to kind of make a little different, you know what I mean? Interesting.

In my last name, I guess. And my last name's Cratch, you know. Lizzard, people, like, K. If the thing cursed you, why do you still have it on you? It's sort of kind of like bound to me and... I mean, really, I was told that it would make me live forever by Mr. Crossroads, you know. And he's like, I'll go deep in the jungle, these ancient ruins, there's this massive sword of a dead crocodile god. Some ancient civilization.

So I did, I see it, there it is, there it is. I'm going to live forever. So I touch it and inside of it there was some, I don't know, something, he wanted it for some reason too. It's kind of a deal, right? Turns out, turns out, and after I used it enough, got a certain amount of souls It made me live forever. Not this. I'm sorry to hear that But it works real nice. Let me tell you Well, I suppose it's nice to look for little silver linings, isn't that with the old

Don fella, seen, as did you mention? That is absolutely right. Mr. Don, see, I'm paying attention. And I would be lying if I said that I didn't use my current form to my advantage from time to time.

Anyways, the point is, is that watch out for these magical artifacts to the rest of you. Don't fuck around with that shit. Did you learn anything from trying to cheat the cycle of things? I mean,

if learning who I should trust and you should maybe Fact check occasionally. Oh, I did. You're a quiet one. What are you looking for? A new adventure, I think.

It's a good spirit. I have just completed my my last great quest, and so I am between seeking things. Perhaps this is the path that I am meant to be on.

Perhaps so. I think she's a skeleton. What? Why would she wear the mask? Besides, like, being a skeleton? Do you have hands? Yeah, I'll lift up my hands and you can see that my robes,

though they hang long in the sleeves, you can see that I've got. Very realistic gloves. I'll tap her hands with my stuff. I think the rots going to your brain now too. Well, no, I think, I can generally sense. And Virgil says, Virgil can confirm to me that she does have

genuine eye, mortal flesh. Like one could devour, but certainly not me. And certainly not Virgil. You're naughty bird. Well, if you're not a skeleton, why are you in a mask? One thing is clear to me.

We all were the recipients of this magical ticket. We are all in this together. If I take that thing off, would it hurt? There's only one way to find out. And so you're also I suppose, but it had her.

Would she die? But you're a really big guy. I don't think she would wear something if you just take it off, and don't make any sense. No. It wouldn't be very logical. Let me ask you, if you took these cutless artifact, did you immediately

lose the sensation and only had your memories of taste and smell? Was it a slow fade process? Boys in the media, it was once I cut down a healthy number of folks with souls. That's what I help. Do you need to continue to feed this weapon in order to maintain your life essence or have you crossed some sort of threshold? I don't wantfully know.

All I do know is that me and this thing, we pushy buddies. I don't think I can get rid of it. Hey, let me show you. And I'll rest it on the table. And I'll look in the back of the car and I'll walk out and I'll sit down. Descanal. It's going to be very clear in like five minutes. Oh.

We can talk about something else in the meantime. Oh, is that not the trick? You stepped like a good 20 feet away from the... But it's still there. I mean, I'm not misunderstood. Oh, I'm sorry. You begin to hear the strength. grinding sound of a speaker somewhere

on the, off in the distance, begin to emanate noise as you hear if vagrant's voice boom out as if echoing all along the course of the train. Get one good look, good last look of a ventras, friends. We're about to be on the last leg of our journey and it's a long one. What's that supposed to mean?

I glance out the window, it's still just fog. It's still just mess. Jack Mien was leaving of Atchrist. I don't know where there's else to go. You hear the vagrant's voice fill your passenger cars. The mist that had been your only view for most of the trip dissipates, and you see the landscape of moonlit highlands rushing past you out of the windows of the Ghostlight Express.

The full moon hangs directly overhead very near at Zenith as the ghastly train winds through the hilly terrain towards the destination that becomes unmistakable to all of you. Before you, stands a lonely hill far tall than the ones you've been snaking around. Crowning its top is a circle of huge standing stones. Counting them, you realize they're exactly 13 stones forming a perfect ring. As the old black locomotive gets closer,

it's ghostly chugging, getting more and more rapid, and the speed of the train increasing, that familiar grayish mist begins to swirl and condense at the center of the circle. It continues to swell and grow as the train arrives at the base of the hill and then rockets up its slope. The 13 monoliths loom larger by the second as the clouds of mist fill the entire ring, almost engulfing the stone structures.

Finally, just as it seems as if the train will surely crash into one or several of the standing stones, the engine threads the needle and you plunge into the bloom, and once again are engulfed by mist. The train keeps up its breakneck pace as dense mist rushes past your windows, rattling side to side as a strange chugging. the strange chugging of wailing voices gets louder and louder, and as you ride, you notice the scene outside the passenger car is different than the gloom you had traveled through previously. The mist seemed to swirl and shift violently, and you begin to see dark shapes within

as a new cacophony of wailing, hissing, growling, laughing, and all manner of malevolent whispers and shrieks begin to drown out the huffing vehicle that is the only protection from the increasingly violent mists beyond the glass panes. the vagrant's voice fills the room. Hold on to your hats, friends. It's gonna get a bit bumpy.

The miss around Druskinvold has gotten a bit more violent and dangerous lately. I forgot to mention that bit, but don't you worry none, we'll be fine. Most likely. So we're healing like horrible railing and... Looking out the windows, no longer is it just misrushing past you,

but occasionally you'll see strain spectral forms looking as if they're in eternal pain, as they float up through the now darkened mists that surround you. This is not the traveling myths of a vantress that you had been in as you moved from continent to continent. This is a completely new mist that you've never seen before. As you peer through it, you can hear the howls

and laughter and cackle of whatever these entities are beyond the veil. Do I get like a beetle juice? when you're in the hallway and you open the door. That is exactly what you get. Okay. Yeah. I like it.

Well, I suppose... Thank you for finding inspiration. This is where the strangishness begins. We said it a few dozen times, and I suppose we all prepare ourselves. Did you hear what he said? Did you hear what he said? That's what he said.

Is that as a blend? What's going on outside? You think they're going to try to get in? It's certainly possible. Be prepared for anything. Well, he said we were going to be okay And it's just maybe this is just the kind of terrain I never never heard any stories

Except for what Virgil says about Whaling souls that might have taken shape And try to drag you down into the fires with them You know, I'm starting to worry about you in that bird Well, I worry about it every day, Fran I turn and I look to see if the cutlass is still there Oh, so as by chance, as you look,

you'll look at the right exact moment where after a certain amount of time, me being away from it, it sleeps right back and it like scatters to the ground on my feet. Oh, yeah, see? You hear, now seems like a good time to have that. You hear the sound of a hand slam against the window, and as you look out, a woman frail

and nearly translucent is screaming into, of the window at you as you see a dark wraith-like creature, grab her and rip her from you. You see as she's turned, like pulled into bits and scattered into the mist. Her face looking towards you with these ghostly, pure, pearly white eyes as she fades back into the darkness. You see long tendrils of black hands, almost made of pure dark mist reaching out towards the train thrashing at it for just a moment. The train shakes this way and that all of the food on the table is scattered everywhere, all over the place.

You have wine spilled on you, food bits all over your bodies. As you see more and more what it appears to be spirits rushing towards the train begging for you as they're pulled back into the mist by these dark creatures. As it slowly begins to calm. By Le Fanda, surely this must be some layer of hell. Have we heard of Chesonald? No.

How do you spell that? D-R, it's Dr. Sk-en-V-E-N-W-A-L-D. Drus-K-L-D. Druscan... I never would have been going to go out. It's like a German bald. Yes. It's a German bald.

Ah, German vault. What is this place? Oh, well, I don't know. Maybe it's all of our crazy relics. I've been holding something. I got this band who has, which has a binding ritual grafted, and that's why Virgil's not too happy about it. I got this key and he really wants me to use it and let him out.

Is that it? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just go back to the mist there. I don't think this is your. This is your fault in particular. I don't think this is anyone's fault.

I've been all over a ventricist. I've never heard of place called Druskinvold before. A loud guttural scream erupts from the mist. You look towards it, you try to find shapes and you see movement darting this way and that, but you can't figure out where the scream comes from as slowly descending from above the train and down is the form of a small,

not more than two year old infant. tears streaming down its face as it reaches out towards you in the mist and it slowly pulled out into the darkness. They're like ghosts, right? Yes, like specters. I'm gonna clasp my rose talisman that's around my neck.

And I'm going to close my eyes for a minute and think. I'd say out loud, my God, Bethander, if you can hear me here, please, Please help me. And I'm going to attempt to use divine sense as an action to detect good and evil to see if the Lefander can hear my prayer. All right. How does that work?

I just test, detect good and evil until the end of my next turn, I can sense anything affected by the hallowed spell or under the location of any celestial feet undead within 60 feet. Just basically sensing if there's, like, evil, you know, good or evil around us. I want to see my God answering my call. Occasionally, you do feel something of that nature and encroach around you,

but it seems to be out in the mist somewhere. You never, nothing necessarily on the train, all but maybe one entity, though you can't determine exactly what it is. I perhaps might also sense a fiend. Oh, yes. You would. Sitting right in front of you across the table,

you sense a fiend. Uh, yes. Okay. I will I mean there's a lot of cacophony going on though I don't necessarily really notice and I'm I can I can feel

the morning Lord he is not completely gone we are not completely alone but there are creatures of darkness around us he's a fake I mean the vagrant guy he didn't see that concern so you know when they tell you to like

even though you're violently shaking in some kind of vehicle they tell you it's just fine, it's just turbulence, and they expect you to fucking believe them? I just, I just try to believe it. I do. And it usually is fine, and so I'm hoping it's going to be fine this time. Agreed. Regardless, we all need to be bracing ourselves, be ready for anything. Is, is this happen every time you're riding on a locomotive? I couldn't tell you. As you witnessed the horrors of the dreaded mist that surrounds you, suddenly the train lurches to one side and all the lights in your passenger car go out immediately.

The darkness that swallows you is far more oppressive than anything you've experienced, and those of you who had once been able to easily perceive your surroundings in the dark can no longer do so. This shadow is all consuming. Are you there? Yes, yes, I'm still here.

Is everyone there? Roll call. We need a roll call. Oh, yes. Oh, no, it's old Jericho. Sticks, but you can call me Jericho most folk do. Latteca, are you there? For my whole life, I've been able to see even in the darkest pitch is black dark but I

cannot see through this shadow you begin to hear gnashing closer and closer to you still outside of the train the sounds of screams as what you would imagine to be horrific beasts rending and tearing

something apart it still seems to be outside the train but it is getting closer as the loud speaker crackles and you hear a familiar voice in the sound of feverish fiddle playing. Everything's going to be all right, friends. No need to worry none.

We'll get it all under control. This ain't happened before, but we'll care for it, I'm sure. Just keep your wits about you. We're still on track to Dusk, Druskinwald. As the speaker crackles out, the feverish voice of the stranger of the vagrat fades and you're once again consumed in darkness, the gnashing and sounds of screaming getting louder and louder and louder. Sir Marius, I do not need to consult my God to know that we are surrounded by evil.

Well, it's not good when they say that it hasn't happened before, so now I'm starting to get concerned. Well, well, he said he has it all under control, so Virgil, ah, Virgil, stop taking me. with a loud hum from within the train that sounds like a chorus of moaning spirits, light flickers on in the car. Its color is not the warm oranges and yellows of a lamp. Instead, the car glows with the same ghastly

blue-green hue of the engine's headlamp. A moment passes that feels like an eternity, and then the train rocks so hard to the left if this were a normal locomotive, it surely would have derailed. You hear the shadowing of glass and horrified treats from the passenger car behind you, along with the sounds of a struggle

in the stamping of footfalls. The screams continue as more breaking glass rings out and the vagrant's voice fills the car once more amid the soaring notes of the fiddle. Uh, this ain't ever happened before. I'm a little indisposed at the moment, friends. Mine taking a look and sorting out the unruliness

on car six. What do you expect us to do? Well, we have to help. If there are other people who are on this, this is this train vehicle, We have to make sure that they're all right. He's asking us for our help. We must aid.

We always aid. Remember, I'm going to draw my sword and shield. So are the lights back on? They're no longer the same lights. It's now just a greenish blue glow. And it is much darker than it was. It's not nearly as illuminated as it. If it keeps this straying on our tracks,

what do I? Or that feels very inspiring. I'm very inspired. I was afraid, but now I'm not. Thank you very. Do we know the way to get to the garden? Connix was the one immediately behind you where you'd heard the gnashing and the screaming.

Are we all together? I do not think that we go to help. I think that we go to destroy. Sometimes they're one and the same. Agreed. And I will pull out my chakram and be ready to join you. I'll pull out my banjo and play a Jardy tune. Farron, are you ready?

I'll help you. Then we're off. and we begin to run to car six. As you rush into car six, you see a scene of chaos unfolding, all awash and flickering green light. The moment you step into the space of Tendril crashes into the car through a pain,

wrapping itself around the spirit of a terrified woman as it drags or shrieking into the swirling mist that surrounds you. A number of souls are completely overwhelmed in clouds of mist, and as they gyrate, you see all the color leave them along with the features they once had in life.

The mortal souls are transformed into horrific gray shades of mist, a massive gnashing mawereplacing their faces as they levitate in the car to attack the unturned passengers. One gnomish man is surrounded by three of the hissing creatures that they close in on him. Petrified, he makes a desperate attempt to escape

by climbing out the window and hanging onto the ladder on the exterior of the train. You only hears horrified and pain shrieks as the mist envelops him and a floating shade descends back into the car. Joining at least a dozen more as the creatures lose their form and fuse together in a swirl,

becoming a horrific gray, wraith-like creature with numerous hissing and wailing souls within. All these entities turn to move into the next car. They turn and face you. Presumably, the only living mortals on this train. Roll for initiatives.

Yeah. So are the windows broken? Yes. Okay, so they're like coming through. The mist is lashing in, but something about this train seems to be keeping it at bay. But these entities that you saw,

and the furthest reaches of the mist are now making their way onto the train, consuming the souls that were passengers, and they're now filling themselves with them. So this is the car, presumably landing at this. First real roll. Not much better. First real roll, Navi won.

Yikes. So this would be like a door here? Marius would be up the lead here. You're wrong. I think he's probably here. You probably are shoulder to shoulder. I would think Brisey'd be next to me probably. and the Lathica would be very close,

and our druids are going to be behind. Put yourself wherever you think you are. We don't have a mini's yet. So Richie made these really awesome tokens. We have the overlays. We will have many. So hopefully it's easy to see you. So if you can place all of these there,

I would say just choose one of the long sides that's being crashed in and they're spilling forth from that. How spread out would you like them? Just basically all over the place. So he's right. Yeah, maybe put him in the corner. in the back. Yeah.

She wanted like a side. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Oh, cool. It's a cone. I like that. Roll for initiative, please. Oh. Oh, God.

I'm gonna use this dye that I haven't used since Faywild. Great. We're not running great tonight. Oh, seven. 20 to 25. Big bad evil doer. Oh, boy.

Oh, wow. Oh, that's not. Oh. 19. Anybody else? No, wait for you to say it. 10 to 15. 14.

Perfect. And then everyone else just tell me your order. Rish, many. Seven. Also seven, but you can go first. And then Lethika at the end with four. Close enough. All right.

As they spill forth, you watch as the largest one. Lumber's forward. It is going to move all the way directly towards you to whoever's in the fourth. front line. The big one? The big one. It is, its shape is almost made of the mist itself, and it is able to move through the smaller ones.

And you see the face of the gnome inside of this creature in its stomach as it tries to claw its way out, screaming and wailing with the souls of the others. Who is in front there? Marius. Marius and Briggs-A. Okay. It is going to. make its attack at, it's going to look towards Marius,

and it is going to use its withering gaze. Oh. Uh-oh, that sounds like a saving throw, and it's in my future. Yes, I need to make a Constitution saving throw, please. Oh, no. It's gonna be a 22 total. Oh, you got it.

Half the damage. I try to lift my shield up to defend myself. Why may not have taken another attack? You won't make sure to reset yourselves after the one shot, yeah? Yeah, yeah. You may want to be supporting us then in this way. It's just occurred to me that I have a nerea. You're going to take 14 points of damage.

Oh, you have to half it, so it's seven. Oh, I thought that was half. I almost threw my pants. 28 points, that's my entire hell pool. As you take necrotic damage, that might be important. As you look at it and you stare into its dark, sunken, hollow eyes, and you succumb to its withering gaze. As a bonus action, it is going to activate its aura of annihilation.

What the fuck? And that's what it does. That's its turn. We don't know what it does? Oh, sweet Jesus. You watch as the mist swirl and lash out of it. You notice that within it are arms and tendrils from this creptial. from this creature as it activates its thing. Sir Marys.

Having been hit by it, I reel back, but I steal myself and I hold up my shield and I look at it over the top of my shield and I say, well, you are no coward, but you are truly a fool and I cast compelled duel on it. It has to survive a wisdom saving throw, 14. It is very wide.

Is it? I hope not. Yes. Oh my god. Is it a little natural 15 plus one? Fuck. All right. So then nothing happens. Oh, thank.

That would have been really cool if it succeeded. Do you have a bonus action? Yes, it was a bonus action. So then I will attack it with my sword. Perfect. So that's just going to be plus seven to hit with my long. sword. Do I have to decide if I can divine smite after I hit?

Yeah. After I land the hit. It's not like I like blow it if I miss. Oh, that's gonna be golden. Plus seven is gonna be 22 to hit. That hits. So that's gonna be one D8 and then I am going to use a divine smite. Let's go. So what is that gonna do? That is going to when I hit with a melee attack I can expend a spell slot to deal on extra 2d8. Radiant damage plus for each spell level higher than the first which is just 1D8. Okay, so then as I've tried to compel the duel and I sense that doesn't work. I rear back with my sword and as I go to strike, a red, deep red blood light begins to

glow and pour from the sword and as I land a hit, it's almost as if a bunch of deep red blood rose petals flutter around as the sword makes contact with the guy and I roll horrifically poorly. Just the absolute worst role that could ever have been done on the planet Earth. Nine plus seven is only 16 points of damage. It's not bad. I would have been to the fiender and dead. Apparently you add an extra die of divine smite.

That's not what it says here. I'm open. And be it features and traits. I mean, under divine smite, it just says... Oh, no, no, I mean, when you attack something, right? Or maybe not. It just said, it doesn't say anything. I mean, this could be a shortened version of divine smite underneath of my feature,

but it just says when you hit with a melee attack, you expend a spell slot. deal extra radiant damage to the target plus 18 for up to max of 5D8 plus 1.8 Oh, it does say. 1.8 against undead and fiends. I didn't read the whole thing. Funny enough, it is undead.

Ha ha! It's a horrible soul amalgam. What? So what did I say? 9 plus 5 is 16. So you can just tell me that as I've already subtracted. ZC knows the rules.

When Zizi says it? Five more? Yeah. 21. When Zizi says it, I'm okay, yeah, that's probably right. I just didn't read the whole thing. I figured, when would Then fuse come up. Slide into it and your hand guided by your god, Lathander,

and you do feel that he is watching over you as you slice into this being. You sever spectral limbs from within its form as the souls within scream in pain. The entity itself, its face does not change. The wounds happening to those that are residing within it. And then I just kind of strafe to its right as I'm like taunting it

and striking at it. And that's why they're right. Perfect. Jericho. I will look at Marius, who just got hit by this horrible and withering gaze and it's horrible. It's like an amalgam of like, with misty souls.

Oh my god. I will say he was not afraid it all to be killed in nasty ways. Brave, brave, brave, brave, brave, brave, Maryius. And it's a part of inspiration. Yes. And with that, I'm gonna look at Virgil, Like, well, Virgil, you may as well be a little bit of use.

Everyone cover your ears. As Virgil is going to fly into the center of all of the souls. And he's going to open his jagged beak and let a horrific call that is a shriek. And I'm going to catch shatter. Let's go to the center of them. And I am going to, how do I do that? And it's going to hit all of them? Well, we'll see.

I got to check. Shatter. is a... A 10-foot cube? A 10-foot sphere. So wherever I can hit in a 10-foot sphere. 10-foot radius? Yeah.

So four cross. Yeah, 20. I mean, everybody, maybe not like three. Not have... Can't get three, but three or three. Just about everybody else. Probably. No, not six.

And doesn't hit your friends. It is, but I'll place it right here. So it doesn't hit Marius. So it'll just hit these. It doesn't hit three or six. Yeah. Everyone but three or six. All of them need to make a constitution saving throw, DC-15.

It does not hit three or six. And I will just have them roll together because it's easiest, they rolled a natural seven. And so that is, what do you said, constitution? Does an eight pass? No, it does not, because I'm gonna roll a little bit of damages.

A lot of damages. Hopefully a lot. Nope, 12 points of thunder damage to all of them. That's pretty good. As it bursts, as every single one, Except for three and six, you watch as they, as the shatter begins to crack the mist and the souls within. And you watch as the pained faces yelling out for you to you for help,

save us, save us as they begin to cracks appear on their faces as their souls are shattered in this instant. The bits and pieces and shards of them begin to float in the air and rejoin the midst outside. Well done, Jericho. Keep it up. Well, and it was mostly fertile, but I appreciate you. It's all the little guys died. All the little guys.

So, one, two, four, and five. Oh, my goodness. Wow. They're minions, so. It's a good call, I would say. Three and six are going to move forward, one on Marius and one on Briggsie, and they are both going to attack.

Imagine they are both going to hit. Oh, rats. My AC is 17. 19. They are going to, you're at, you're, it's what? It's 17. Okay, perfect. So the lowest one is a 19. Damn it.

So each one is going to crit, or duck crit, sorry, hit. You both suffer one level of exhaustion. What? I'm feeling very tired. And they are both going to use their bonus action to hide. They hide. Yes. Where did they go?

Sond of a bit! So we remove them from the board or just keep them there so we know where they were. Yes, we'll keep them there so you know where they were. But they are, we're bones. It's just a little one. Just little ones. This is not good.

And that is Brixie Strick. And that is Bricksy Strick. And I'm going to, with my left hand, I'm going to kind of do a few like hand movements. and you will see on this big guy a couple of, of like neon, like green and pink and purple kind of markings appear on him as I cast

X-Blade's curse. Oh, one second, so it was Sir Marius' turn. I need you to. Sweet, yes. His turn was, we both went. Yes, I know, but I'm sure you can. Oh, no. I need to put my barking.

Bray, brave, brave, brave, marius. You take five necrotic damage. Okay. Jericho, you also take five necrotic damage. I don't get a bed for less than 30. What do I take from getting hit? I don't even have lungs, but I'm joking. Just the exhaustion.

Just the exhaustion, no damage. And then because you are facing it, I need you to make a Constitution saving throw, please. You as well, Jericho. No problem. Absolutely, absolutely. Problem. Not even a...

Oh, no. 12? Um, no. You have failed. I have nine. Do I need to make... Oh, wait, wait, wait, inspiration. What's your inspiration back?

No, D6. Not yet. 15. What did you get? I got a nine. Oh, you know, yes. I got a... No, no, an eight plus three is to be 11.

You have failed. You have succeeded. Thank you, Jericho. Nothing happens to you. Yes! Oh, no. Aha! And you got a nine?

I got a nine. Okay, well it wasn't. Sounds good. You are gonna take some psychic damage. Ah! Now where's the general? Nothing happens to you, but you're gonna take 12 points of psychic damage.

Wow. Oh no, the miss, miss. Going forward, you could choose to avert your eyes at the start of each of your terms. So yes, you also, I guess, would have to do the same thing. guess would have to do the same thing. I need you to make a constitution saving throw place. 12 points, right?

I crushed it. Then nothing happens to you're fine. Okay, so I will do that. I will hex him with the hex plates first. And then I will come in with an attack with the countless. Let's go. Big money. That might think?

Oh, and just so you know, if you choose to avert your eyes and avoid this, you were disadvantaged against him, while doing it. Okay, yeah. So you're not looking at him. Yes. Yeah, yeah, got it. I'm not slice a bitch you too.

So yes, Briggsie, what are you doing? Okay, so I have my cat's that spell. So I believe I hit with a, just make sure, is it a 19 to hit? Yes, it's a 15 to hit. Okay. So I'm gonna use these bone dice that Maya got me, a premie, and I'm going to roll

four, five, six, 14 points of damage. Okay. All right. You slash into him with your cursed blade. You see as the neon colors light up the room for just a mere instant. It's almost horrific the way the pinks, purples, greens, the neon colors cause the looks of abject terror and desperation on the faces of the souls inside of this entity. It almost makes them look even more desperate to be returned to their form as you slice into it.

you do a significant amount of damage. Sure. Nice. Barron. Fitted. I will, and the little ones have not returned yet. They are hidden. They're still hidden.

You can still attack them, right? They're just a disadvantage. If you're trying to swing around looking for them, I mean, obviously if they're horrible shade monsters, they disappear and they can't be hit. You can't be hit. You can say that. So I would step around Briggsie and

my you see my head full of just kind of like jet black matted hair um there's like bones and shit in it and then my ever for my small antlers growing out of my hair um you'll see me lower lower my head as if i'm going to to charge and ram the the main one um since this has disappeared so i will run for it and at the last second i will pass uh not cast but claw up with my my long um kind of gnarled males on my hands, and I will cast my primal savagery. As you rush forward, for a moment, where the entity had stood,

you feel a complete, frigid hold. As it almost, and you feel tiny hands reaching out and pulling at you. You can't see them, but you can feel it, the fingernails on your flesh, the clammy skin of the dead, the coldness of death itself, but you cannot see it as you step out onto the other side. Warmth slowly comes back to you, but you still feel that chill and you're very, down to your very core

as you slice into this being with your antlers and your nails. Yeah, I'll reach up and slash across them and where my nails have thrown across, you'll see streaks of like a black, where you, on a full body you might expect to see like a of blood or broken skin, you'll see black that'll start to spread out slowly from my nails, little puffs of spores, kind of leaving a trail. So that'll be a melee attack. And you'll see what happens here. Welcome, Asboldt. Welcome. Welcome. Updive big thing. We're fighting horrible soul abomination and out of elimination. 16. 16 hits. Okay. So, um, so, um, um,

You take... Oh, and you, both of you took the five necrotic damage from his aura. I took it. Mikey and Rich? I did not. I did. Yep.

Didn't roll very well. It's only two damage, acid damage, if that matters. You got to the eyeball thing. Thank you. You got to do the eyeball thing. You're looking at them. I load me. Oh.

And so you rolled a disadvantage. Oh, it did not. Yes, if you avert your eyes so that you don't deal with death glare, you have to. You actually can't do that this round because you kind of know that it's a thing. Okay.

So I need you, you need to take five from his R of Annihilation. Okay. And then I need you to roll a constitution saving through. You can avert your eyes next round, similar to what happened with the Medusa. Natural one. Oh, my guys. You got a natural one.

That's the second one. I rolled in one. Brain is going about to explode out of your eyeballs. You lash into it. You spread the blight across the. thing and as you look up to it, you meet its eyes and you feel cold as your life leaves your body and you fall unconscious. You all watch as you begin to see out of Farron's form now frail, withering on the ground,

that same blighted sickness almost transferring to her and you can see as this being leans down and begins to pull in her soul. is it breathes her in. Slowly, tendrils of her soul are pulled towards it as it begins to consume you. Literally every campaign. Let the cut. She cannot escape.

You cannot escape death. Hey! She's not dead yet. She's not dead yet. I'm not dead yet. I'm just sleeping. So was that Big Bad's turn or was that? No, that was, that was death gays.

So this round, everyone has to deal with it. Next round, you can choose to over it. your eyes, but you will be a disadvantage fighting against. So I don't know to change, do it for my eyes. No, not until the next round. Everyone has to, everyone has to go through one ride. To get a taste. Everyone gets a taste.

Two does for you. Um, kicking me the balls. I had originally had a game plan and now that I'm seeing, uh, my potential companions fall to the ground. Oh, and, uh, the death gaze does happen before the R of Annihilation, so you're at one failed death say. Oh, okay. That's not what I thought.

Jesus. Lethander help us. So, I am at zero hip points. So you were at zero hit points. You're now at one failed death save. Oops. Garsh. Oh, that's not good. That escalated quickly.

I will, I'll step forward and I see this, deer-like creature. This new friend that I've made fall to the ground. Not knowing what state she's in, I'll say, Blessed Knight's Singer, embrace this creature,

like you have embraced me. I'll cast Healing Word with a bonus action. That'll be... Oh, yes, take nine points of helping... Helping points. Helping points. And with my action, I will turn to the creature,

and I will say, Go back now into the darkness, or we will make you go there ourselves. Oh, Katz Told the Dead, which I believe it needs to make a wisdom saving throw. Well, the natural 18 plus 119. This thing is incredibly wise. Just plus one. It's so wise. The wise is this ghost that.

Okay, so nothing happens because it succeeds, and that'll be the conclusion of my time. Doesn't that feel so bad? It sucks. I hate Toll the Dead for that. When it works, it's a nice, fire. And it's a camtrip. It is like missing an attack. It's awful.

That being said, it is, oh, I need you to take five necrotic damage and roll a constitution. The same throw for you, please. Don't roll a one. This one rolled in that, roll one last. Let's try the other one. Yeah, I need to test all my guys. Oh! What's happening?

We do have twists. Twist. Twist. Now we have twist. Now we have twist. We didn't know what it was going to do. It was a twist. It was five words of damage before.

We didn't want to save you, Cal's. Is that what you want to hear? Just have her fikes over here. No, no, I'm not taking the twist. Okay. What did you roll? No, natural one. So what is your score?

My constitution saving throw because, I did do do do, do, do, but I get a four. And but I have advantage if it's against being charmed or being put to sleep. No. Unless you've got dead. The ultimate sleep.

Yeah. And I don't. Where'd Andy said? You reach out your hand and you bring life back to Farron's body. You feel for a moment like you are graced by Shar, though she cannot physically be here with you. You feel like you are doing her good work. As you look up towards this being and you yourself feel that same pull you fall. you fall to the ground unconscious.

It's aura whips out at you. You are now at one failed death save. As I'm unconscious, I move from Farron, who's no longer, you are one failed death save. Am I at zero hit points or does my hit point? So this drops you to zero, but the aura of annihilation happens afterwards and that does damage.

So you're at one failed death save. Mickey Deer- that I don't want to play anymore. Mechanically in D&D beyond, I need to put myself at zero hit points and then one failed. Yep. Yes.

so that the viewers at home can enjoy your pain. And you watch as this entity moves from Farron's form, sensing that it is no longer on the precipice, and it moves towards, where is Lethaca? Right there. The circle, right? Yes. It pivots towards Lethika,

and it begins to suck the soul from her body. It is its turn, so it is going to. Derek made a fucky wucky and now I asked to go on the forever loss. Who has hit it? Marius. It's going to turn towards you as you did the most amount of damage and it is going to give you a withering, it's withering gaze. I need you to make a constitution saving from.

Sick. Sick, bro. Seven. You are. Taking some damage, that's all. Yes, you are. I can take damage. I can take damage.

You are. Good twist. I can take damage all day, baby. And yes, to answer, chat. I am on D&D Beyond. I'm giving it a try. We'll see what happened. It's great.

So you can trust my shit. That's welcome. Yeah. 26 points of necrotic damage as it turns towards you and it begins to, it begins to stare into you. You feel the life sacked from your flesh as the moisture is removed and your body begins to wither in its gaze.

So too late to twist. Yes. Okay, I'm dead. Guys, are you also at one failed death save as you are hit with the R-up annihilation. Oh, dear. There, go back, go. Sure.

Moving around long there. I need you to make another death save as you are. I'd love to. Okay. This is real, real bad. That's best. You're good. All right. You are, while you are on the ground, you are not being hit by its aura.

so you're not going to permadye right the second. But that would have been fun. Jericho. Oh, gosh. Where am I? Oh, so wait, I'm looking down. And Mary has a spooky ghost. Okay.

I'm going to get to be a second. I'll look down at Marius. You can't see mine, but I'm doing the same thing. Oh, look at Mary. Look at you look at Liffickette. No! And then I'll look at Mary and say, no, and with the spooky ghost, but it's right, that's near him, I am going to look at Marius and say, uh, uh, and tell us to tell us about the time how you just, it was, it was just a flesh wound.

And I'm going to use Healing Word on you. And, uh, and then I'm going to, uh, I'm going to a bonus action, heal that. Uh, that's, it's the word. It's 1D4. God, that's it. That'll be seven points of healing, of not healing damage, with healing. More than I need.

And then if the little, the spooky ghost is there, I'm gonna look at it and I'll say, oh, I just, I once saw a baby chick, a choke on a worm, both died, isn't that great? And use mine sliver on it. And you make it into trouble. I need mine sliver and I need to make an intelligent saving throw. Intelligence 15.

So it's gonna be one of those. So I rolled a natural 16. Oh no. It takes into preamping. It's going to take a bit of damage. Oh goodness. Oh, goodness. God, Garch, I need to, because it's good, my best.

But the look on your face, Mike, I was like, I rolled a natural 16, you're like, oh no. Because he's gonna die. Oh, isn't that great? Six points of psyche damage. Wow. Damn. Absolutely massive.

It is. looking very weak, but it is still somewhat corporeal as it looms over you. You see as its mouth is open, sucking the soul from Lethaca's body.

Another mouth had formed on its sign as it began to suck the soul from Marius, but you see as that one closes and screams in pain as you heal Marius as his life no longer leaving him. It is monsters once turn.

they are going to drop their hide and they are going to move towards well one's on Farron and the other one is on who? Marius. Yeah, which is why he

Oh yes, Marius. And so I need you both. Oh no, I need to attack you and so for Lethica, or not Lethica. Sorry. For Farron, it is a 20 to hit and Marius is an H to hit. I deflect her with my shield. I die, I guess.

So you are able to deflect it, Farron. You feel as this entity begins to drain the vitality from your body, you now have one level of exhaustion. Oh, no damage, thank God. No damage. Oh, that's good. And they are going to use their bonus action to head again. Okay, gosh.

Crazy. Oops. Do I get the sense that looking at it is what's bad, or is it looking at me? And me looking at it. Looking at it, at this point, you know that you could, so you're still on the ground. Yeah, yeah.

Yes. Jericho, I need to take five necrotic damage and roll a Constitution saving ground. Could you explain this aura thing? Wasn't I looking down? So he has activated an aura that for 30 feet around him, he is lashing with these, like spectral claws, essentially.

Can we see it? Just being near it, if radio anything. You can see it. You're not escaping. But like, I'm on the ground. Like, can I, like, see that it's above me? You can see that it's above. So if you are on the ground, like I mentioned with Marius,

you were not prone and unconscious. I'm for the sake of this. I technically could just kill you outright, but I'm choosing not to. Thank you for that. 16. 16. Oh, you pass. Okay. That's all right.

You take absolutely no damage. Nothing happens. Oh, you be. Well, except for the five to five. Oh, gosh. But yeah, so while you're prone, you are not dealing with it. So basically, I could make the saving throw or attack with this advantage. And if we know that losing all your health is failing the Constitution saving thing. Or no, it's not. No, I think it's failing it very badly. Otherwise, you probably will take damage. Got it. Okay.

Or yeah, something might else will happen, right? I think it's very much, if you fail very badly, you die. We're gonna try this, we're gonna try this. I'm going to look at it. Seeing that everybody's fucked and it's seen that it's kind of weak, I'm going to attempt, I'm going to do... Zee-C is right, they would have been an advantage because both of them were prone.

But I rolled a natural three, so at seven, so you still don't take a second level. I love you Zizi. Please be here for all of our spooky campaigns where I'm trying to torture everybody. Yeah, we don't. I didn't either. Sorry, uh. Sorry, what were you saying? I'm gonna say, you get two hexes and I'm gonna cast hex on them. And are you averting your gaze? No. Okay. He's letting this motherfucker rip. I need a really good D20. I'm gonna use yeah, don't miss. Does that happen for spells too? Oh boy. What is wrong of this table?

You may twist it. an natural one. Yeah, yeah. Have you moved a natural one as well? As soon as you said that, this is the Hooper's campaign, as soon as you experience any form of like, I'm gonna do this.

You're not gonna do that. There we go. We're not gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna, humble pie time. Humble pie time. It's 15. Oh no. So I do.

If you ship, let him damage over. Hopefully. We'll see how you do it. He's gotta. He's gotta finish the same as it will be if you're reaping me like. Three. What?

Like if you're probably. Not bad. You're a disadvantage, I believe. If you're on the same, seven, eight, nine, ten. They're an advantage on you, you're a disadvantage on them. 12. The 17, 18 points of damage. How do you want to do this?

Yes, very violently. I will first take five necrotic damage. Hopefully that doesn't Strap kill you before you have a chance at that. But you don't have to deal with the death case at all. Oh, okay. That'll work. Basically, I would hex it and I'll say, you get two curses.

Please just, he's feeling a little hungry. And I'm going to slash into it. And as I slash in, you will see at least part of it start to get sucked into the blade that I'm wheeled. and, you know, I want to basically disperse its life essence and fall into the soul. You begin to slash into this thing, and you do expect something like that to happen. But whatever essence that blade craves

does not exist any longer in the entities that are inside of this being. This is far beyond soul. This has lost any remnants of what made it human or goblin, humanoid, humanoid, humanoid to begin with. Your blade slices through it and it calls out in hunger, but the entity does not respond as it cracks into a bunch of shards of misty black glass. Shining in them in the very pale blue and green light, you see the wailing looks of the faces, the humans, the people who had once had lives that were now trapped forever in this entity as the shards slowly float out into the mist. forever. Damn. Nice job.

Yeah. Shit. Oh, my gosh. Oh, he's gone though. Big guy's gone. Big guy's gone. Yeah, he's gone. And the other ones disappeared? Yeah, they're hidden. I mean, you can still attempt to attack them. You know, they're rough. Yeah, I just like, advantage. Okay, so seeing the thing shatter and all, I think I would stand up and, I forget, did three attack me before? It did, didn't this? Yes. Okay, so I would stand up and turn to where it was and strike out with my walking stick with

skull on it. It's an eight. Ah, that misses. Are you sure? Yep. Is Lethika still dying? We could twist it. Don't.

I think I'm just, this is my... You sure? Yeah. You can balk it. It might save Lethika. Yeah, okay. You're trying to avoid. Thank you for the twist.

Thank you. It's not much better. What is that? 13. That is it? Oh, goodness. There are aces are 12 for the two little ones that are left. Okay, and it is.

Nice. Parable, two. You slice into it, and it is barely hang on. If you could give it a numerical value, you would imagine it's around a one. You just need to roll a two. These need to be warmed. Both.

But you are able to slice into, you see fragments of former souls break off and meld into the mist. Let the guy need you to make a death saving throw for me, please. I'd be happy to. So I've only rolled two dice D20s this campaign so far. The first one in one in 20 chance I got one. Second one, one in four hundred chance I got one.

One in two thousand chance of natural one here. meaning that I would actually be like fucking dead. Okay. I fail. That's two things. Fail, fail, fail. Yeah, but you're not super dead. Big bad evil doer is no longer on the war.

Oh, thank goodness. I forgot about it. Oh, my God. And I'm going to stand up. I'm kind of kneeling. I've got my shield on the ground. I'm using my sword to prop myself up. And I'm going to say,

please, the thunder in my owl of need. come to me and I'm going to use my sacred oath to turn the tide. So for anybody who is under half health, you need to regain 1D6 plus four. Oh, that's why. Wow. Is that true for me? You are under half health, so yes, that would be true for you. Holy moly. That's a power move. What a power move. So the cart is bathed in red and gold light and these red, and gold rose petals. The light in the room almost turns purple as the red mixes with the blues and the greens.

As this radiant light emanates from Marius as you're all showered in these, in the light purple petals as they begin to rain down around you and you see as the mist lashes out and touches them, they begin to fade away and decay. I think so, so if anybody's at half, If you're at under half health, you heal eight points of hit hits.

Beautiful. So romantic. Like Flash Faron and a fancy smile. Jericho. Oh. I didn't expect to take 2016. Oh, look. And you'll see as my, although I'm not healing flesh,

you'll see the burlap sack and the straws sort of stitch back together. And you hear the iron, or as the iron like cages within me are connecting. And I also, I said, I feel so, inspired. Fear not, fear not amalgamation of soul dust and mist. Femin is no doubt around the corner and gross bugs and rats sleep in our beds. Isn't that great? I love me. Minds Slip, Carla.

What the hell? It's a saving throw or something. Is it intelligent saving throw 15? It was almost a natural 20, but it's a wisdom, he said. Intelligence. Oh, does a four succeed? It is four points of sight damage. And which one was this? The one in front of you. The one that, number six.

Yeah. Where there was nothing before you now see, as whatever this entity was, the soul's fracture within it, on the shards of what almost looks like glass, you see the horrified faces of those that will never reclaim form as they, pass into the midst. I don't care for Groves Bugs either.

Monsters won. It is going to make an attack on Farron. And that is going to be a 16 to hit. It does. You are going to suffer another level of exhaustion. Ooh. It's only the third one is real bad. Briggs.

The second one's pretty bad, right? It's just half the bit. Seeing that he's just right next to me, I'm going to turn and I'm using my left hand to do some hand movements and you'll see kind of this lingering hex that was where the big guy was, we'll sort of trope over to that

as I come in with my, uh, got nice. And it's a hit. Do you do more than one point of damage? I do 16 points of damage. Yes, so you do. You do more than one point of damage. No 18 points.

As you slash in to this entity, and again, the same familiar imagery of the shards. of former people as they melt away into the mists. Good job. My heel was a bonus action. I meant to ask you. I meant to ask you.

Because it says one action, but down here it specifically says that they're both of the ones. I could have used a bonus action to either healing word or to inspire. That's like super misleading. Yeah. It's a Shannon. We're learning our character.

So next time. Yeah. As you slice into this one and you want, as it begins to fade out into the mist. Another tendril of darkness slithers around the corner of the open portion of the window. And hesitates for a moment. The final strike, almost a warning to it.

As you hear strange gnashing, almost is in some foreign, horrible tongue that you do not understand. As you listen to the malicious hissing, and it slowly begins to dissipate. The tendril slithers back out from the wind and through the broken window and turns into a form of mist, as well as the rest of the transformed dead,

drained of everything that had made their souls truly theirs. As soon as the last wisp of mist has left the car, the light returns in its normal view as the violence around the train calms and it continues to rattle forward with a vagrant's voice echoing around you. Thanks for taking care of that. First time for everything, I suppose.

But good news, we're here. Well done, everyone. We, we are still here. I apologize for falling. It's been so long since I faced anything of that severity. Well, we survived, and those poor souls, I guess, didn't. They don't have souls. Those hates.

sorry about that. You're probably not too happy as I look at the Kotlis. I sit up only having just gotten healed by whatever magic it was that he brought to the party. Checking my mask to make sure that it's

still on. What was that exactly? The mist, rushing by the windows, disappears in an instant, and the train immediately rockets into a huge valley under the cloak of night. But it is unlike any valley you've seen an adventress. You leave behind a vertical wall of that oppressive wailing mist that

seems to surround this entire realm. You then can barely believe your eyes as the train passes between the legs of an absolutely colossal wicker structure sculpted in the shape of some sort of humanoid Titan. And as you roll further into the valley, you see more of them erected, even distances away from each other, forming a ring of eternal sentinels just on the edge of the surrounding mist. What also strikes you as strange. is a seemingly paradoxical collection of biomes present in a relatively small space. To your right out the window you see a mountain range. In the north, covered or blanketed in snow and glaciers,

while to the south, across the valley is a rising jagged ridge of bald peaks, with perhaps even a desert stretching in the highlands. A high swath of ocean spreads for miles before being swallowed by the circular wall of gloom, with coasts, marshes, and swamps making up much of the large of the ocean, the eastern portion of the valley. You see cities, towns, fortresses, and castles of bizarre construction dotting the landscape, each location seemingly utilizing entirely different architecture than the next. Rising up all around you as you get deeper into the valley are the dark forests that seem to be everywhere. There isn't a patch of farmland, wasteland, or more land.

Huge gnarled trees with thick canopies of leaves of green so dark they look black, rise their limbs skyward, as of making prey. to the moon. And it's then that you realize one of the most unsettling aspects of the strange new land. The full moon that hangs above you is absolutely gargantuan, several times bigger than even the biggest the moon would look during your time in aventress. But aside from the size, the shape that fills you with unease. Although it is circular and the color of milk like the moon you know, the one you pass beneath has a face, the haggard visage of an ancient crone peering down

with an ever-present cackle upon its twisted mouth, complete with long pointed nose, crooked teeth, and maddening eyes. It does not seem to move, but the more you look at it, the less you can be so sure. The view of the night sky is quickly obscured almost mercifully as the ghostlight express enters a path through one of the numerous forests that dominates the valley and the canopy shields you from that horrific sight above.

By the time you make it toward the center of the huge valley, valley a thick fog has rolled in, but you let out a sigh of relief as it seems to be wholly natural. At least you hope it is. As the old black train emerges from the woodland path, you see a sprawling moor that rises up, almost the pupil in the eye of the veil, and although the gloom is thick, you cannot help but see what stands at the center of the moors. Although it appears to be a manor house, calling something so huge a mansion doesn't seem right. Perhaps it's more akin to a castle simply with the veneer of the finest chateaus of Bargist, Yona, and Nari and beyond. Despite its size, all the lights seem to be on and almost radiating from the windows of the house that pierced through the fog for a few moments longer,

until the entirety of the moorland disappears into the gloom, and the train once again chugs its way through a forest until it begins to reduce its speed. The train enters a clearing in the forest as it slows more and more until finally coming to a full and complete stop at a small wooden platform, with no civilization as far as you can see, beyond a road snaking off through the woods in the direction of the moors that contained the glorious manner. The ghastly whistle of blairs all around, the ghastly whistle blairs all around you, and you then see the door to your passenger car open, and the vagrant steps in. We've reached the end for you, now it's time to lay you down at your stop. Just go on and wait on that platform. I wouldn't want to fall if I was you. He'll come to fetch you soon enough. He already knows you here. He always does.

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