Legends of Avantris - Edge of Midnight | Ep. 17 | Haunting Memories

Episode Date: August 27, 2024

After descending into a misty plane the party calls the names of those who hold power over them...   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/xe5G71_Gcg8?si=Nbb2vaqJse1XXj1R

Welcome to Legends of Adventress. I'm Briggsita Cutlass Crats. You have heard of me, haven't you? And you're listening to Edge of Midnight. Here's what happened last time. You hear a gasp of air from Farrant as her eyes rolled back in her head. Roving mobs on the hunt for witches. The Archbishop will be leading a large ceremony and a speech tomorrow evening. And Flora, a Maggie McDuff's familiar.

You're going to have to create some kind of soul talisman or something? Each of you is linked to a sin. We call... Call to our watchers, to protect and to provide. Allow us not to be enthralled by others. They are within us. They are power. With them, we are one.

Although this is a land of death and mist, there is still power in this land. in this land. It can help protect you against the might of the abyss by flowing through you and bring out the dark gifts that are upon you all, but only if you let it. Anyone as old as I am knows that power can come from all sorts of places. There's power in death? Sure enough. Especially in a misty place like this. It's power in the heavens as the folks of full sense cling to you so desperately. There's power in the hells as our disembodied heroes have learned all.

all too well. And while it ain't as flashy, there's also power in the land. Some folk call it the elements, some folk call it the old ways, but whatever you call it, it's strong. And it may just be the only thing that can steal these folk-tailed protagonists from the sin that might be sure to consume them. The land is talking, but will they listen? That's the question. Following the conclusion of the ritual of the old waves, all six candles are snuffed out in unison, and the darkness of the void swallows you. In an instance, your consciousness is ripped, almost violently downward. Darkness surrounds you and you feel as if you're falling, floating, knowing for certain that your senses are no longer within the abandoned house of Keziah Jenkins.

As you feel your spirits ascend deeper and deeper into the earth, there is a faint shimmer of light below you that grows larger and larger until finally taking shape into the form of a spectral rabbit as it dances downward, it shimmers between blue, green, purple, yellow, black, and white. Suddenly, the rabbit stops. The elemental animal spirit lands gently on solid ground and you all do the same. The space around you now illuminated by the glow of this creature. The air swirls around you and it's hard to tell if you were underground or in the darkest of forests. But all the same, you now realize that there is a heavy fog that has rolled in all around you, pressing in upon you. You look around at each other to friends, all wash in the faint glow of those

six colors as the fog shifts and dances in tandem with you. It takes on the same hues as the rabbit. After just a moment, your spirit guide speaks. There's still power in this land. The magic of the old ways runs through every living and dead thing in Drusk involved as it does in all of you. You can help protect you against the might of the abyss by flowing through you and bringing out the dark gifts that are upon you all, but only if you let it. To begin your journey, you must speak the name of the one who has your soul and take the first step. Who will be first? I'll step forward, immediately, ready to proudly announce the one who has my soul. Are you sure you want to do this, Lethaca? It's so spooky here with all this mist.

I am sure, yes All right, well if you're sure Just hold on Let me get down to your part in my notes You might be at the very bottom So it could take a while Maybe we should talk a bit Before you make this decision

Okay, so I only know how to do this Like a little bit because you remember This really isn't my thing I'm a familiar I'm not a witch I'm not a woman of the forest I'm not a practitioner of the old ways. I'm just now I'm a spectral bunny and all kinds of fun colors.

Oh, look at me. Look at me. Oh, I shifted. Oh, purple now. Me meant to be purple, not red. Look at me. Wow. Sorry, I got distracted. Are you sure you're ready for this?

You're not scared? I can be scared and also find bravery in that fear. We will get through this together, I promise you. Okay. Well, I admit. Miss Flore, if I may call you that, what is exactly going to happen to us if we go on said strange, magical journey? Oh, I guess we probably should talk about this before any of you start speaking names of things that own your souls.

However did that happen to you to begin with? What were you thinking? Oh, I'm sorry, I got scared for you. You're my friends now. No, you raised a very valid voice. Oh, what will happen? So what Maggie told me was this. Talking about that you told her about is super, super strong.

That it's been emanating through the city and it's been controlling all the people. And that if you get closer and closer to these things, these conduits, there's going to be nothing, not even your strength of will that can stop you, stop you from being consumed by your sins. and you would be mindless thralls just like everyone else and so we're here because we're hoping that

those that believe you belong to them will intervene and give you some form of protection to steal you against that magics because otherwise there's no way you're going to be able to defeat them at least that's what she said I think pretty sure

and it was definitely purple not red oh no what if I brought their own candle. I grimace. Well, she says she'll go first, so now let's see what happens. Okay, um, I guess. And you watch as Flora looks around the area,

and it is just you, you feel your feet on solid ground, but all around you is nothing but swirling mess. And it's almost as if you're just in a small, a small enclosure. You feel the mist whisper around and press in on you, and every time it swirls around your arms, you feel faint chill, like the cold chill of death. But they don't linger long as they're pushed back towards the outside, and you are kept here in this circle. Stand in the middle of everyone. Say the name of that which has your soul.

Granted the boon if our ritual worked And we had the right candles and we used the right stuff to make the poultice and everyone drank the right amount Why you might be torn into bits and thrown into the mist to be feasted on by the angry entities that live therein So But you're ready to go? Well, I mean she she I don't know if you heard I guess it was technically your ritual about it I don't know if you heard, but Miss Lethika here is the keeper or what's it of the spaces in between. The keeper of the what's...

The what's it of the spaces in between? Yeah. Oh, no, I remember it. I chanted with you. I screwed it up with me. I'm just there. What if when I messed up the words? Oh, no.

Are you sure you want to go first? I messed up the words. It matters not to me the order. Neither. If I should be torn a plant in this strange land, I will still be grateful for the life that I have been given by the one who owns my soul. Okay, you're ready to see Lethika torn apart or not?

I'm thinking that's so much scarier than it is. I'm sorry, I'm just freaking out. I've never had this much responsibility on my little rabbit legs before. My ears are twitching. My nose is gold. I'll bend down and I will give her a quick embrace. Oh, I like that so much. It will be okay, Flora.

You've done everything you can. Do not carry this weight alone. Maggie told me that you could do it, and I need not worry. But I like you now, so I can't help it. As safe. Okay. Then stand in the middle, and with purpose and gumption, speak the name, and everybody else, hush. including me.

I'll step forward into the middle of the circle and touch my face remembering that. The sensation is a little unusual. I'm not wearing my mask during this strange ritual. I'll look up at the

what I can only assume is the sky as it as gray and fog-like as the... It's almost like a dome of mist surrounding you. And you can see a bit through it that like there are bits of what appear to be like gnarled trees, but it looks like mist, and it's hard to tell if it's an ancient forest or a dome of mist, or if it's mist masquerading as a forest. It is, it's like ever-changing and moving, but it's unsettling. I will push that thought out of my

mind, try to settle and center myself, look into the eyes of the people I'm starting to become friends with, call allies. The one who owns my soul goes by many names. the mistress of the knight, Nightbringer, night singer, singer of eternal night, the dark lady, the lady of loss, mysteries of pain.

But I speak now her true name in the hopes that she will aid me and guide me through, for it is said among us charons to have faith and that those who do will reap her dark reward. Shar

You easily speak the true name of the goddess you've served for years And the fog around you shifts from soft gray To darker and darker until it turns pitch black Almost like smoke And as it consumes all of you You actually do start to smell smoke The stench gets stronger and stronger Until it's nearly overwhelming

It begins to part but just barely And what you see is nothing more than a silhouette that is accompanied by an agonizing wailing, crumpled the ground before you as a drow woman, her face obscured by long and messy white hair as she weeps deeply and loudly in pure sorrow beside the smoldering foundation of what had once presumably been a building of some kind. Then, as the fog and the smoke begin to clear, as if revealing a memory, just like the times before in this strange land, the entire scene glows with the midnight blues and purples of twilight, as a low droning bell tolls along with a wordless song

sung by a feminine voice and then the hues of the evening get darker and darker until everything is swallowed by sheer and utter darkness of night and you see absolutely nothing this was what's supposed to happen what was that woman screaming and I still smell smoke is this like a thing happening right now

or is this like a Lefika specific memory kind of You're all experiencing this. So you all were standing there watching as all of a sudden the mist faded. Right. You saw a woman who, I would say, it is very clear, was Lethaca, crumpled to the ground, screaming and wailing in agony. And she looked up at a building burning in front of her. And just as it's what appeared to be a memory start to form a cacophonist, or not a cacophonist, but the soft, singing of a woman's voice

begins to reverberate in your ears as all of a sudden the mist starts to roll in but it's not mist, it's pure darkness, as if it's stopping that memory from forming for some reason. And now, instead of the memory completing, like Flora clearly seems to think it should have,

you're now standing in nothing but pitch blackness. There's no fog around you, there's no shadows of trees, there's nothing but pure darkness and void. Lethika, was that you? Or has that not yet happened? I do not know the answer.

But if I had to guess, I would say it is from my past. Lethika, you have no memory of that moment. You don't remember a time when you were kneeling and screaming and crying in front of a fire. But you do have one memory. A memory that returned to you after death. The smell of smoke, that exact same smell that assailed all of your nostrils, is unmistakable. You've smelled smoke before, but that specific wood that was burning, and somewhere deep within it, the smell of burning flesh, that you remember. The rest of the scene is completely clouded and fogged, but that smell can be none other than the one that has been haunting your memories since your death and driving.

husband bolt. Miss Flore, if I'm understanding correctly, this is supposed to be a memory, but now it's all just dark. Your demons, to base the demons. And so she said that could manifest in memories or in other things, but she wasn't quite sure. It really depends on each of your individual souls in the link that you have with the entity. I wasn't supposed to tell you until we got in here, lest you tried to think of ways to avoid things. Right.

What? And so, she didn't say anything about being stuck in just the realm of pure darkness with nothing happening? I have a theory that I should not have gone first. We have no way of knowing what we should be doing. And these memories, I have... I thought them destroyed. Wait, destroy. Will you hit your head of something?

Like, got amnesia? It is how I became a priestess. A ritual. The Nepenthes of oblivion on our holy day, the rising of the dark. It was a voluntary choice of mine to rid myself of some terrible grief.

It is why I wear this mask. And as you say those words, With the blackness of the night and the blackness of the fog, you cannot tell where one force ends and the other begins, but slowly, so slowly, some light does begin to return. You were able to see the billing plume of fog as they finally part once more to the interior of a small church beneath a moonless sky that hangs quietly over Strigga. And before you is a similar sight to the vision you just witnessed. A drow woman, the same drow woman, kneels once once.

more. However, her hair is no longer disheveled by sorrow. She does not weep, and it is quiet as the dead of night. Her once frail body is now shrouded by a dark cloak as she is surrounded by masked elders of various sizes and statured. In this brief moment, having emerged from darkness following the holiest of rituals on the holiest of days for the clergy of Sharr, the woman, who is now Lethika Nightborn, steps downward. Her face still shrouded in shadow, who is the cultists that surround her sing a song of surprising beauty. At the center of this dark chamber, you see a shock of white before the kneeling drow. A pure white mask of pristine craftsmanship rests perfectly still on a small stand before Lethaca as her thoughts,

now entirely in the present, returned to her. I could say that this was when I was born. This is my earliest true memory now, centuries ago. What, you forgot everything before this moment? Yes and no. Sharr was gracious enough to take. There is a reason she is called the Lady of Loss, some terrible grief that was holding me back from living,

being. Still know I am a drow, a dark elf. I have the understanding of what it is like to hunt in the under dark, songs that I used to know. But I do not have the syntax, the why and, and the context of how to put those pieces together. I do not want to. I see. It must have been something really painful for you to want to do that to yourself.

I had thought that I had escaped it. If we must confront it now, I do not know what will happen to me. Well, it seems like perhaps since the twilight came in as we were starting to smell that smoke that something stopped us from going back that far. Yes, the smoke felt very familiar. I would say Lethiko roll a religion check for me and at advantage. Nine. I would say Jericho's words ring true to you.

You know what, fuck it, I'm just going to tell you to send the DM and I want you to have this information. The DC was fine. The DC was five. I've done that. Hallelujah. I would say your connection with Shar, the fact that you had just done this ritual, you were the first to stand up holding true to some of your tenants, your bravery. You feel her presence. And as you look up, you see that the mist that had returned to swirling around, but almost like a blanket.

almost like a warming blanket is the emptiness of a night without stars. And it becomes clear to you that that darkness that you were in, that Flora was so afraid of, was nothing to be afraid of, that this ritual tried to probe into those memories that Sharr had taken from you, that Sharr had blessed you with forgetting, and she came in to protect you from them, and put a stop to that moment. And it was your faith that allowed you to continue. But she is ever watching and ever present in this moment, like a blanket protecting you. Of course.

Thank you, Sharr. Sorry. Clok us in your shadow. I'm fucking there. It's fault. Thank you, Shar. Cloak us in your darkness. I think everything is going to be.

okay. The fact that we did not see what happened to me means that I am protected, that Shar is still with me. So is that it? Is that the boom? When I turned to the rabbit, did it get it is he done? Image hasn't gone anywhere. And as you look through the mist, you see that there is that image of Shar standing there almost in complete stasis, or not Shar, sorry, Lethika, stand there. In that, oh, whoa! I love it! No, that doesn't happen. Oh my God, my God!

Oh my God, that's the ghost! What are you, Iris? One of my favorite chord from all the time we've ever played. But no, you all see is this image of Lethaca is there in front of you, staring at the mask. If for some reason you are forced to face this grief, you will not do it alone. do it alone. We'll be here for you. And hopefully, if these memories, even if they are unwanted, do return to you. You may be able to grow and learn from them. I can't imagine a past that I couldn't remember. I couldn't grow and change from. I am told that I was a broken creature,

inconsolable for years before I received this blessing. I hope I do not have to face what is behind that darkness, but I hear your words. And I'll just put my hand on Lothika's shoulder in a reassuring squeeze. Perhaps it is only right that I return my vestige. I'll reach into my bag to see if I can pull out my

current modern mask, even though I'm, I think in this moment I'm staring at the frozen image of that mask. Do I feel compelled to grab that one? As you reach to grab your mask, you see that your mask is no longer at your side. But as you look towards the image in front of you, though most of it seems incorporeal, the mask does not. A gift as pristine as the day I first saw it. I'll stride forward and I guess I'm looking at a double of myself. I will turn the mask so that it faces me and place it onto my face.

I wear this so that I may console others so that I can show them an unbiased vision so that they may be relieved by grief in their own way. so that I may aid them the way I have been aided by Sharr. The night song that follows the completion of this holy ritual emanates through the chamber as Lethika Nightborn stands tall, her familiar blank facade almost staying directly at all of you. And then things begin to change. In the decades that follow, the word of Sharr is spread across Striga.

It is not met with open arms everywhere. While Lethika's work as a missionary continues fervently, the scene finally settles once more in a night church, but this one has been recently erected. Although it is the dead of night once more, you can see the shimmering light of a bright moon overhead and it casts a milk-like hue across dozens of robed figures who stand and face each other in this place of Sharan worship. However, none of these are followers of the Night Singer. Silver-robed Raven Queen Acolytes withdraw their glinting talon daggers as they stand before cultists, but not the ones they had been expecting. Hooded and twisted,

servants of Demogorgon with faux second heads fixed to their shoulders, unleashed their barbed, two-pronged whips. Both have come to stomp out the dark cloaks who have gained power in the stricken city, and neither could have foreseen that they'd not find the masked worshippers they were seeking to slaughter. As the two forces of death and chaos look about the church uneasily, realizing too late that they've walked into a trap, you see, ever so faintly, the form of Lethaca night-born lurking in the shadows. Although our face is concealed behind a mask, you know that right now she is smiling. You watch as the image freezes, this moment feels so strange, Lesaka putting on the mask,

explaining its meaning as you all travel through time, through the mist, through history, through the story of Lethika's life, to this moment where she stands poised, knowing that her deceit has worked, that she has thwarted both of these groups of cultists that she is one and though you can't see the smile on her face in the image you can tell that the lethika standing next to you is smiling and she remembers this moment when you say she's proud i would say she's very good jeez beautiful isn't it i remember it well we put so much time and effort into its construction it was a shame what had to have happen next, this feign of Sharr. I would do it again gladly. I will.

I will. But why? These people follow false gods, evil gods. They have done terrible things to this city. It is a good deed to rid them of this world. I don't like killing. Sometimes it is necessary. Oh, so you're going to kill all these guys? I put my foot up onto a rock, and you can see that it's attached to a rope connected to one of the beams that holds up the roof of this place. All I need to do is push the rock off.

Not yet. What was your question? Well, I mean, I guess we're going to get dating. We can't run out. No, we can't rush this. Maggie said if we take this too quickly, then we can unleash chaos. Or to this moment than just the death of these people, the wasters. Well, I'd done it.

I was going to say it. I didn't know that I could have done it. I did it in the church with a stone connected to the beam. Action! What were you going to say, Rixie? Well, I guess my point is that way, so I just want to make sure I'm going to stand in this, and maybe I'm just curious. So these are other worshipping top guys, and they are all trying to come and kill you,

but you got the upper hand. Yes. So, is it clear that, did some of them have two heads? They had faux two heads. It's almost like they'd created a fake one in the image of that, which they worship. Like a paper of a shed. Oh, paper clay, for sure.

That's disgusting. I love them to Gargan. That's fucking crazy. Anyway, I guess we'll just wait to see what happens. Well, we cannot throw out shots. The Sharins, why do they want to kill you? We had begun to see momentum, inertia within the city. More and more we were turning hearts and minds towards Shar.

Is sure bad? Some say that she is. Oh, but I will tell you a secret. Why comes? I tell you now all something that only Chardin's know and good faith. There is much myth, rumor stories. surrounding Sharr herself, that she is an evil god, that to become a priestess like me, you must kill a priestess of Saluna, for example.

We still hate her, but we do not have to take such evil acts to ascend within the church. So you didn't have to kill a priestess of Saluna? It hates a pretty strong word, don't you think? Haik? Yes. We can get into that another time. And why do you keep spinning with your mask on? What's it like in there?

It's like the inside of a clarinet when a kid's played it and like three years of school. It's just going to kill me. I just smelled that. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. But it is a roots.

This. evilness, or a way to invite in creatures and monsters who would otherwise worship evil gods that might give them succor, to give them attention, to bless them with their evil gifts. Those who are evil who worship Shahr never succeed in life. They are damned. We must maintain this idea of evilness. But it is not the heart of Sharr, that I know. Well, I'm sure these folks deserve to die. You said that for such confidence, Sarah. I mean, look at that one right over there.

He's got a groove in Arnold's neck. That one you're pointing to. Yes, he killed a friend of mine out in an open square. Gards, how did he do that? He ran him through with his dagger and let his intestine spill out onto the heartback. These are not good men and women. And all those raven people, they all got knives. Like, we had curved knives, but...

Oh, gosh. Do you think they got them themselves a gross raven? Like, I got to gross crow? It is extremely likely. Oh, gosh. That's all these gross birds. There's too many of them. This was a great victory for Chowdhrens, for myself.

I remember feeling pride. Great joy that I would serve Shara in this moment. A coup, a shift of power, allowing the Church of Sharr to spread, and for her, for her generosity to grow, for people to feel relief from pain. Really? I mean, that's nice. I don't want anyone to feel it. I guess I get it a little.

I do not want anyone to feel pain either. but sometimes that means the end for them. I say now what I said then. She is, was, and always will be. I will move to kick the rock off and allow it to swing, to break the beam, and allow the church to crush down. We will be safe here.

The screams of the cultists of both the Raven Queen and the Demogorgans scream for only a moment as the large stones of the newly erected church crush them all. Lethica emerges from the rubble, having made a great sacrifice, but one that would be well worth it. With the two major competitors out of the way, the word of sharr will spread faster than ever, and the dark cloak numbers will grow

until the city's true master would be the night singer herself. Immediately, the vision fades and the black fog resonates with the sound of a feminine voice singing a song of night, and you feel the power of the lady of loss well. inside you more than it ever has before. It takes but a moment for the dust to settle. You find yourself once again in that strange misty grove of mist or tree or both. The sound of Sharr, the sound of singing still echoing throughout the dome around you. I've never been so... It just gets excited.

You said that there would be an artifact. Some talisman. I do not see anything, but perhaps this feeling is what we are looking for. You look as Flora is shifting in colors. She thinks to herself for a moment, and then she smiles as if remembering something. And she reaches over to touch you, and as she does, she immediately shifts to pure black.

And she's almost vibrating and reverberating with the color of the void. Yep. I think so. Whoa, it's making me dizzy. And she lets go. Our colors begin to shift once more to all of your colors. Well, you did it. Mithica, have you become the watcher of the void?

Oh, gosh. Oh, isn't it be watcher all these things? Oh. And the guardians. Oh, the space between. That is where I will call my home. Do you, do you have that power then? The power to take grief from those who ask for it?

Power to erase memories. It is a burden. I don't erase them. I take them and carry them myself. Oh, see. That's mighty noble of a thing to do. That's a really heavy burden to carry. That sounds awful.

You and your group have a lot in common carrying burdens. Where he is strong in body, no very strong in mind. I see strength in both ways. Yes, but you don't have giant rippling muscles like... that he could rip a tree in two. No, I meant I was not strong, but that also your room has a great strong mind. Oh, I totes know that.

Yes, thank you. Yeah, no, he's so strong he can probably kill 200 peasants in the line of single fire. They could probably line up side by side. That depends on your action economy. Anyways. Oh, so, that was kind of crazy. Yeah? Yes.

How do you feel? I mean, that was really cool. We can't really rush into another one of those right now, though. Maggie said there has to be a little bit of a waiting period between them, lest you rip a hole in the something of the something and let things in. Things, what was it, something about night? But I don't think it had to do, Sharr. That seems pretty serious.

Yep. Maybe she meant a knight with a K. It's a common for understanding. Oh, like Maris! I don't think that's what she meant. Yeah, no, me either. It sounded much more ominous and scary, like bad things would happen. Well, Miss Flora.

Yep, that's me. May I ask, if you know, I felt like we fell down in a rabbit hole? Yeah. But may I ask where we are? I mean, we're literally and figuratively, cool. Where are we at? Because I've been in spooky, mystical other realm. and talking strange, not saying that you're strange, but strange folk and creatures, and it ain't pleasant, are we in like a safe, good, kind of fog area?

I don't know. Basically, probably, most likely right now, but if we try to rush things, then what's going to happen is the fabric of this. You see how it's misty and, like, not fully corporeal? It could be torn. Right. And whatever lurks beyond it would come in. And she said, if that happened, that would be the worst case scenario. Even worse than you being ripped apart and torn into soul dust and thrown out into the midst to be devoured by those that walk within the midst. I mean, that sounds pretty bad. I know.

So can you really imagine what is lurking beyond this amazing protective bubble that are magics created for us? Which is pretty cool. Well, then we'll take our time. I guess that purple candle worked. To follow up on Jericho's question, are we still in Druskinvald or somewhere else? I think so. Because, so the magic that we're using is the magic of the land itself.

So we can only do it and pull from that witch is made of the land. Interesting. So we'd have to be part of it. What part of it, I don't know, but somewhere deep. That makes sense. To me at least I suppose. Yeah, no, and I believe that

at least if Lord Philip is telling the truth, we're all trapped here. I also don't think that draw scumble without Maggie, and so if I'm still here, I must be in the same

plane of existence as Maggie. He stands to reason. Let's have a good. Oh, and Derek, please take an inspiration. Oh, thank you Fancy Why

Do you have any idea why you describe In that That sure looks sad I have no idea I Can't even tell you my original name I received The name Lethika

On that night when I went through the ritual of oblivion So that's like you're Like a But it's still your name, because that's what we call you. That's all the name really is, I suppose. I will tell you one more thing. When I died during our fight with this hag,

I went through that experience, I told you was. When I was floating through some great night sky, heard a voice. Since then, the smell of smoke is welled up inside me like some sadness trying to break free. I worry that if I should go again, I might have to confront everything I have tried to shed from me. You won't let that happen.

Protect you. Like you've always protected us, and we'll continue to do that. And make sure that nothing bad happens to any of us. Look at them. And you noticed that when you came back, the mist was a little bit lighter. You could see the shapes of what almost look like a dark looming forest,

forest much more clearly on the fringes, but now you see that the mist is thickening and thickening as it begins to surround you. Again, and we can go. You should decide who wants to do it. But don't say it yet. Don't say any, because it's still open. But who wants to go? I mean, does anyone feel real strongly about it?

You were the first to speak up, please? By all means. Well, I'm just asking. Does anyone want to go next? That sounds like you're volunteering with it. Well, I mean, it just seems pretty cool. I mean, look at how invigorated she is. I feel focused.

You feel like you could kill seven bail or a sin within the bottom of the cathedral in a city that's being wrecked by the Sevious Acts? With the help of my allies, yes. Right on! That's all well and good, but I do have some slight reservations. What are they?

Well, Lethika here, the person who owns her soul is her god. I was going to say the same? It is not the case for me. The founder does not have my soul, and I'm not exactly eager to feel invigorated by this other entity. I don't want to diminish your great courage there, Ms. Lethika, but it is a little bit harder, perhaps, for some of us. I am sure that that is true. That's a good point. I mean, I'm, like, inviting bad luck to me.

Is he going to, like, show up and be like, get fucked? I don't know. Make me, like, make all of my chunks fall out? I did feel a presence of Sharre during our journey. You should be prepared for this possibility. Are you scared? I mean, a little bit. Maybe I don't want to go second.

So you don't think the Alvamar could be as pleasant as what happened, Alecica? Highly unlikely. So bad things on your soul, not gods that are sometimes thought of as bad, but do good things? I guess it depends who you ask. Oh. I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna get it out of the way. Look, I'm gonna do it, all right?

I admire your bravery, Briggs. All right. Okay, well, we still have a little bit of time up there, so. Well, I'm cracking my fingers when my fingers falls off. What? I grab it, my stick it back on. All right, so what do I do? I'll just say his name?

Well, not until we've been given the okay. We don't want this veil to be pierced. Once the veil is around us, you should stand in the center of the circle as I did. All right, ma'am. Okay, here we go, and I'll step into the center of the circle. Everyone take a step back to watch out for the tail. I don't fully know, but it looks

rough approximation of how I looked when we got here when we wrote Lethika's mind so... And I'll just say his name? You just step into the circle and you say his name and...

I'm gonna fuck this up. We all don't say anything. That includes me. And we'll see what happens. Okay, and we're ready to do this? Like, it's time now, like right now. I mean, there's no time like the present they say sometimes.

And there's certainly no going back. What's stuff? here. Well, he's got a lot of names, some of which I don't know, and others of which I can't pronounce, but I know, I may, Mr. Crossroads. As you speak the one name that you can actually pronounce of the misfortuneate friend you've made on the other side, the fog around you shifts to a faint blue glow. And as soon as you take that first step on your journey, the fog opens up, and we're all in a bustling port city built on a river delta.

Can you hear this music? There we go. While the deserts of Neckbet stretch out for miles not too far away from this city predominantly populated by crocodileian lizard folk has known nothing but bountful fishing, farming and trade for generations, life is good here and even peaceful.

But that also makes things boring, especially for a young crock who scampers through the bustling streets, trying out and getting tired of every type of honest, job that was available. Then you see the extreme boredom on the young Briggsie's face melts away when he finally finds a source of income that brings him true exhilaration, namely stealing or conning whatever coinage that came to him.

What a skid. As time passes, you see that the clearly not undead lizard folk has many scrapes with the law enforcement authorities, but proves to be quite slippery and never stays in prison for long, even after the few times he was actually caught. And while Briggsie would brag about his skill at the local taverns following a big score, and it is clear to you that for the most part, he is just supremely lucky. Then, on one night following a particularly boastful yarn, Briggs'i's approach by a stranger, salty, grang, and battle-scarred. He asked the young crocodile if he is comfortable being a petty thief for the rest of his life, or does he seek greater fortunes in a more exciting life? He says he's a smuggler, and the following morning

he will be shipping off to plunderpost, one of the numerous pirate havens along the aisles of plenty, and he's looking for crew members who will work for cheap. Smelling of stale tobacco and cheap rum, the man flashes a jagged grin, flecked with gold teeth and extends his hand. Do I see myself? I see myself. It freezes just like in Lethikas, where this man is reaching his hand out to Briggs.

Young, clearly alive Briggsie is looking up at him and seeing the sun glint on those gold teeth in his mouth. Look at you. You will hope. I remember. Chunks, no fingers falling out. I remember that feeling well. Yeah, yeah, me too. It'd be nice to go back to those days.

Simple, simple life, you know. It's so bright there. It looks like it's warm, too. Oh, it's very warm. Is that? Yes, I mean, yeah, that's what the sun is. It's bright as out. Where I'm from, anyway.

Never seen it before. I can barely see anything. I mean, let me tell you the streets of Ranaq, they, you know, they were us poor fuck there, but plenty to steal from it. And it was a simple life being a common thief. And a young strap and lad like that has lots of ambitions, you know, but now that I'm older and much wiser. Would you make that deal again? To sail away? Yeah.

From me, how? Yeah, to go on those adventures you talked about and make tons of money and stuff. You know, I probably would, because it's a lot of money. I mean, a lot of things too. You don't just steal gold. Or you're just saying that now you're older and wiser, you'd make different choices. Yeah, but not that one. If you were to give it, it a thing, it feels nice, a simple life of like, not worrying about any of this shit.

You mean the chunks? Well, I mean the chunks, but I mean everything else. I want to sea. It's dangerous, stealing from chips. Is the sea dangerous? Yes, it's dangerous. I mean... I've only been on a ghost train.

It's nothing like a ghost train. Oh, gosh. It's, I mean, you could capsize. You could be taken out by a fucking sea eagle vessel. You could be slaughtered, stabbed in the back by your own crewmates. really's danger around every turn. That being said, I mean, you know, if you were to give me the choice at that age, right there, if I could go back, but I'll be that guy right day,

I'll probably do the same thing. I'm about to, I'm going to shake that man's hand. I'd probably do it again. I suppose you can't change anything now. You're right. In the back place, he's more of a, you know, hyperphetical. I try not to think too much about those hyperfecticals, you know. I mean, what was wrong with you?

sweeping that broom in that general store, you look mighty. I mean, you look bored. But at least you were safe. You were really cute when you were young, though. Well, I was, you know, I was, I was whole. I was like a living bee. I could actually sleep and taste

and I could smell clearly that stale tobacco and old rum. And at the time, it was the greatest fucking smell I could imagine. The solitude of, little Zedaw was a great smell that you ever imagined. Am I this? Oh, no, I'm not misunderstanding what you're saying.

Okay. No, I mean, it was... I wanted to be that, Conno. Look at it. I mean, look, he's old and he's weathered, and he's got enough money to pay for some nice pop tobacco, and he's got money to drink rum as much as he wants. You cannot smell it now, even in your own memory?

You cannot. That makes sense. so we smell it but he doesn't. Oh man, that's brutal. Geez. Anyways, we should probably get on on his fucking thing.

I find myself for the first time wishing I could give a memory. Can you not figure out how to like reverse engineer that sort of thing? I will pray on it. Reverse was?

Like reverse autifice? I don't know. Anyway. I look at Flora and I'll say, do anything? I guess you shake his hand. Oh, because they're frozen. So I'll walk up and I'll sort of like squeeze between.

You don't even need to squeeze between. You can feel that the Briggsie that's standing here is incorporeal and you almost feel inclined to stand where he's standing. And you'll watch as Briggsie melds with this alive Briggsie. It's almost like seeing them in two, almost like a doubled vision, undead and alive, as you do. Oh, reach out my hand and all shake his. The gold-toothed stranger vigorously shakes Briggs's hand, and suddenly years of piracy and plunder pass. The setting changes to a large clearing in a jungle valley many miles inland on the continent of chalk, in the dead of night,

without a single soul in sight beyond a godly dressed crocodileian pirate with a meager normal-sized cutlass by his side. He stands at the crossing of two small dirt roads, the intersection of which is marked by a strange gateway, with which a lantern hangs that flickers with an eerie glow that's far too red to be a normal flame. Rigsie had heard the rumors, the whispers, and the warnings about Loa of all variety and his travels across the seas of avatras, but this is the first time he's actually tried to contact one. The lizard folk pirate stares up at the flickering light and mutters about him following the cliche of so many songs and stories about going down to the crossroads.

He looks around nervously for a moment as if he feels eyes watching him, but no one seems to be there. Slowly and cautiously, Briggs he pulls out a brown bottle of rum and a dirty glass from his oversized coat. With a snap of his powerful jaws and a yank, he bites the cork off the bottle and fills it to the brim with the potent spiced liquor. Fumbling with a match, he nervously lights it. His scaled hand trembling and almost dropping the flame to the ground.

However, after a moment, he steals himself temporarily and ignites the flammable liquid, placing the blazing glass of rum at the center of the crossroads, directly beneath the hanging lantern. Briggs steps back and waits, thinking that the ritual had failed, and then suddenly a pair of neon red furrow. fire erupts from the lantern and the glass of rum simultaneously, immediately filling the previously empty gateway and smelling strongly of hot iron. A moment later, the mournful wail of sliding string music fills the air in a young man with razor-sharp teeth and a forked tongue

steps out of the inferno. He wears a fine red suit with signposts nailed into the fabric and a broad-brimmed hat lined with flickering red candles. He introduces himself as Mr. Crossroads and promises to change Briggsley's fortunes. Provide him an immortal crew of the dead and the black magic sorcery he could use to become a feared pirate captain. All he has to do is shake the poor sinner's hand. A lot of hand shaking, you can see,

in a pirate's life, you know? Do you have some power when you shake a hand? Well, I mean, it's, you know, the respectable type such as myself is, you know, I can make a deal. I just wanted to know if there was something I should be worried about. I mean, any time you shake a bloke's hand, what offers you a deal, you should understand what you get yourself into. Did you know what you were getting yourself into by shaking that there, fellow's hand?

Surely this is the moment you would change. I mean, I was changed, certainly. I became very powerful. I understand. How we... pirate with Justin Cutliss is a lot of, you know, a little outmatched by

a pirate of one of these. I'll pull out my focus. And I'll turn to Flora and I'll say, and I got to shake his hand again. I don't know.

That's not him, right? It's more like just that image. I don't know. Fuck. If it is, what are you going to do? See, hi. This is what he does. He's tricks here.

Let me tell you. He loves to play tricks. And so this could all be some fucking elaborate trickies. To give me to shake his hand again, to make some other fucking deal. And then maybe on my teeth will fall out. Maybe I want to have eyeballs. I don't know. It is like a game of facing coins.

I don't know what that is. It's a simple game. If you show heads and I show heads, then you lose. But if you show heads and I show tails, it is a game of outguessing one another. That's right. But, I mean, I think we know that we can't really get out of this place, so. Where?

Why did you land the rum on fire? I mean, I've seen you done that before. Is that because of your fellow here? I mean, yeah, it's what he likes. He likes rum. It's fucking on fire. I don't know. It's me.

It's what he's into. It's like I do for me elf. What dude's like it is? And I'll shoot him in a day. You shoot the elder's blast and the images of Mr. Crossroads and Briggsie dissipate for just a second and then coalesce back into their floors. Be careful. You may pair a hole.

But what if that thing in the dirties that's lurking beyond comes for us? I wasn't thinking. Perhaps this will tell itself. and I don't want to jump the proverbial gun, so to speak, but... Oh, ha, ha, ha. Yeah, it was good, mirrors. Why not light another glass of rum on fire when you realize that all of this is going rye and bring him back and fix things?

What did you do? What do you mean fix things? Clearly something went wrong. Couldn't you have just called on your good friend once again and fixed things? Made a new deal. That's not how that works, no. once you make a deal you don't go out

never mind oh god control I'm just whip it up that's not addict's words oh god

how did you do that oh god oh sexy you spit on me oh no I was thoroughly fool

when I was a lot of in that much saliva from a hole in Briggs jaw just loved

directly in America his face um once you make a deal with one at end. No more deals after that. Look, the lower, they're very powerful.

And there are plenty of good lower. Crossroads. Eat one of those. He's powerful. Did you know what you're getting yourself into? I mean, I heard his stories. I heard that this guy's not necessarily a bad dude. I mean, when you hear stories,

You gotta go down on the crossroads and kind of, you know, sell your soul or, you know, I figured it was kind of figurative. I don't know what a soul is. You know, I've heard some bards go down at the crossroads and they make a deal. And, you know, all of a sudden they can play the greatest fucking tune imaginable. They can play an instrument there what never touched before. So if I can be a better part of my own crew, if I'm going to be the captain, I mean, that's life-changing powers out there. It's worth it to me.

Lord it was. And that's how you got their voodoo. Yes. Before that, I'll just swing in that little cutlass right. That's right there. See that? And I'll summon the cutlets, and it's like, you know, three, four times the size. It's like a toothpick.

You summon the cutlets, and it is the, tiny small cutlets you see in the image before you get it. Oh, fuck! I threw it! Oh, God. Probably a trick. It's fine. And I'll be it go away.

I'll pull it back. Is it still the small cutlets? It's still the small cutlets that you see in the image before you. Does the... If Mr. Croster is staying there, is he like a handsome guy? Is he like, uh... He's got a sharp jagged teeth in a sports time. Is this a monster or is he like kind of like...

No. He's like... I would say that, like, if he's got his mouth closed, he looks pretty dapper. He looks, he looks like he'd be charming. Like, he just talk his way around anything. So the teeth and the tone are shocking. Yes. It's like very jolly. What the fuck?

My favorite part are the candles on his hat. Oh, fuck yeah. That shit is so badass. Sorry, too. No, he's a quick talker. He's a handsome bloke. If you can get past the sharp teeth. Yeah, some people like that sort of thing, I suppose.

All right. Fuck, get this out of my way, and I'll walk up and assume my position. The moment you step into Briggs, in this moment that the deal was made for the first time, and it feels like forever. You smell the scent of rum and the scent of gunpowder and smoke. Oh, kind of close one eye, and I'll look out of another squinted eye, and I'll shake his hand. You feel the hand, the memory. rushes back to you the way the skin felt, which should have been warmth, but was just cold.

And then the sense leave you. The feeling of his hand leaves you. As soon as you clamp his hand, the Loa before you, or sorry, as soon as Briggsie clamps the hand of the Loa before him, the grinning stranger rips the rum bottle off the pirate's hand and downs the entire thing and a single swig before disappearing back into the flame of the gateway with an ominous laugh. And yet, despite how bad an omen it seemed, the lizard folk realizes he does indeed have the voodoo that will allow him to become an infamous captain in his own right. And so he does, and his new patron guides him by regular twists of fate that lead him to huge spoils that he spends just as fast. And it doesn't take too long until Captain Briggsdy Cratch finds himself back in the jungles of chalk, but this time within the ruins of a temple to a long-dead crocodile god, so well-hidden,

in the overgrowth that he never would have found it if it were not for the guidance of Mr. Crossroads. Amidst the crumbling stones and snaking vines. Amidst the crumbling stones and snaking vines, he stands before a snarling statue of the presumed god holding a massive bejewed sword that still hums with power despite how ancient the space feels. Exhausted by the journey, having only survived thanks to the protection of his hexes and zombie crew. Briggs's Briggsie eyes the best way to remove the blade in the cut clutches of the leering

crocodile god. Crocodilian statue. Upon a thorough once over, he deduces the only way to remove it is to take its hand and peel back the reptilian fingers to remove the cutlass from its ancient keeper. You stare up at the statue. You see that cutlass there.

I don't have to fucking do this again. It's kind of like when you kicked that stone. I wanted to kick this stuff. I wanted that sword. I fucking look at it. Oh, hold on. And I want to summon the cutlets. Let's see what happens.

You summon the cutlets, and it is that small cutlets from the image before. Oh, fuck. Mm. All right, well. Is what a jungle is? You never seen a jungle before? No, I didn't see the jungle. No, I really just seen a pumpkin patch and a turn-up.

and a cabbage patch and a wheat field, a rye field, a corn field. Oh, yes, I've never seen vegetation like this in my life, and I have lived many years. No, it is, it's hot, it's wet, it's dangerous, every kind of disease known to a ventrists. I mean, you've got animals, dangerous animals. Gosh. but I mean it's you know it's exotic you feel like you're alive

when you're hacking your way through a jungle and Mr Crossroads he'll let me here and are you alive at this point I mean like now now or like then now you see an alive Briggs you see an alive

Briggs you're not rotting no I mean for those for those years When Crossroads and I, we were real chums. He was leading me to every school imaginable. You know, maintaining my crew and popping in the strings. It was a good time.

Made a lot of gold. Spent a lot of gold. You convinced me this was... This was it. This is how I'll make a name for myself. This is how I become the cutlass. So, there I was. I found it.

He said, oh, nobody needs that sword anymore. That God's long dead. That civilization, they're long gone. It's not doing any good. Just sitting there in ruins. You should be killing people. And I agree. And what's the sword made to do?

It's made to kill. So I said, that sounds great. Let's fucking go. So he went. We sailed. He led me through a very specific path through the jungle. and if I didn't follow his directions it was almost like I ended back up to where I was

so he had to tell me exactly step for step out again to that very point as if it was protected by something I trusted him which um Mr Crossroads and there I was standing there and I'll sort of assume

I'll step into the form of where I was and uh okay so I've just gonna pry it out perhaps this question will be answered as we progress but did you try to return the sword

like I said it is it worked dead mate I've tried many times to return you soon it's no return it's like when you turn around when you look back there was just no table there or it was just a jungle that wasn't spooky

It's like when you rent a book from the library, but you lose that little card in the front, and then they won't take it back, and they just charge you for it. Yes, those fucks. That's the worst. Stop putting in your men. There's no moisture inside. It's magically wicking. Is it too late to switch to somebody else?

Yes, I believe it is too late to switch to someone else. No, you got to unlock the... You gotta unlock the, uh, which ones were you, Brunssey? Oh, water, that stands to reason. On account of, uh, of you drinking rum. I think it's mostly water, right? No, I think it's more, you know, sailing ice seas. Oh, because you're a crocodile and they live in the water, I suppose.

I mean, maybe, oh, you know, like I didn't write this anyway. So he told me, go on do it, it'll be a great idea. sell. We fucking did this. And I'm going to like pry the sword out. As Briggsie grabs the hand of the dead god, he would later know to be named Croxagor. He breaks off the

stone fingers and greedily pries the cutlass, the blade that would grant him his pirate title from its grip. And that was the final moment he knew what it was like to be truly living. The horror that the lizard folk experiences from the excruciating pain that overwhelms him is the primal magic

curses his flesh, his dwarfed only by the horror from the utter lack of feeling that followed. He pinches his now rotting flesh and feels no touch. He wolves down nearby mango and cannot taste its sweet juices. He downs three bottles of rum and stays stone, cold, sober. Once more, the power he holds in his hands comes at a terrible cost. And as he steps to leave the temple, now as much of a living corpse as his crew, an oblong rectangular chunk of flesh falls from his ribs and slaps down on the floor. Immediately, the vision fades and the blue fog resonates with the sound of bluesy guitar, and you feel the power of the master of crossroads well inside you more than it ever has

before. You find yourselves back in that same space, trees encroaching in on you. It's now easy to see that there is a forest on the edges here that the mist is keeping out. Once again, you see the mist start to roll up, get denser and feel. thicker as it attempts to shield you from whatever lurks beyond. And I'm going to try to summon the cutlass. You do, and it is your cutlass. Do I feel similar to what Lepika described? As you feel the power of the master crossroads well inside you more than it ever has before.

That's what I'll feed you. That reminds me of what I doesn't remind me if it just came up with the song. Do you want me to touch you and see if it weren't? sure and then you can sing you song okay yeah she pops over to you and she reaches up her

little paw to touch for you to hold out your hand we can shake on it and as she shakes your hand she begins to illuminate a brilliant blue almost the crystalline blue of the sea

yeah yep that was way less scary than void for what it's worth I know that this Mr. Crossroads has tricked you and turned you into

what you are now, but he's lending you as power currently. Seems you've worked out in your favor yet again. I mean, he's lending me my power and look, let's be honest, I mean, I use the power of being a horrible walking, shambling crocodile corpse with a gigantic

fucking magic sword to me benefit. I mean, you can do a lot when you've got the power that I've had. Does Mr. Crossroads still guide you to Fortune, or is his voice now silenced? He wasn't really like he spoke to me. He was more like he opened doors for me. And I just walked through. That makes sense. When it comes to sorcery like that, it's not exactly clear.

be a cut. What I do know is that he wanted me to be here. He guided me to see battle in my ship and right as we engaged my whole crew dropped deader

like a pile of bones like a pile of rotten flesh and bones, it's right. I was imagining like just skeletons. They had like gross rotten flesh too. Were they also... Were they also alligators? Well, I think it was sort of a variety of all types.

I didn't really like inspect them. I'm trying not to like maim them or hang out. I mean, they're basically, they're just meaty puppets. Sure, we had also... We had humans. There were, you know, there was maybe a genocene two. There were some crocodile pirates. you know, it was whatever corpses

I guess he could find. And then all of a sudden they all just became unanimated and he shit got lonely smithereens. I escaped on a little robo and then I stepped on a fucking train. So he wanted me here. That's all I know.

So... What does he get in return for offering you this power? What does he get in return for me grabbing that sword? I'm sure he got something. I don't know what it is. Well, it sounds like you got double crossed.

Do you really think that this is the time, Derek? I gursh, it was perfect. He's the master of crossroads, crossbones. He got double crossed. If I can't say it in a time like this, then what's the point of even living? It was a fine job, Terran. Is that except for me something that he just came up with? Gosh, now there's a lot of pressure

Yes, yes, there is, but we want to hear the songs Please, go on The mistletes doesn't fill up the dome, so what else you're going to do? We have some time to kill If you will. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure. Just don't suck. Oh, gosh, now the rabbit is even egging me on.

Oh, rabbits are eggs. Why are you guys? Why are you saying that? Of rivens and eggs, I just don't know why there's a connection. I'm a bunny. How about eggs? Anyway. Okay. Okay.

Well, well, I guess it's just Briggs, Briggs in the jungle. Friends to only he. Should I watch out for something? Is that it? No, no, no. He is quite chunky. And I mean the chunk. Not like chunky.

No, I mean. Like you are of the chunk I'm glad that finally We got the origin story of the chunk You know a prequel You always want to know the origin story In certain elements Yes, there's a sense of closure here now

Jericho you have a really beautiful voice When you're not laughing Oh thank you very much Thank you very much I appreciate it I know that song made sense But it was pretty Well good no he's friend only he

Because he's our friend now but at the time he was his only friend. Well, you don't know what friends I got. Maybe I had friends. Oh, did you? Then why didn't your friends stop you for making a horrible deal with Mr. Crossroads? Not like, I mean, you know,

when your whole crew isn't really dead and they don't talk and they sort of walk in meat puppets, you don't really socialize much, but, you know, you meet acquaintances, your taverns, the various islands, on new people. You don't know, mate? Oh gosh. Well, I thought you were very offended that I didn't know you when we first met.

Okay, so who wants to go next? I vote for Marius. Marius? Do you want to go next? I sure do. What happened to your voice? I'm just angry. Oh, did you bite your tongue sometimes when you got my tongue swells up and then I sound like that? Yes, it hurts. I don't have the new heel, Mary, is this, dog? He bit it.

No, don't touch me. I'm feeling. I don't want to be touched. I don't want to go now. Give me alone. Okay, well, we'll have someone else go, Mary, so you can go later. Mine's going to be very sexual. Okay.

I don't think I'm in the mood for Cecil. I suppose I can go. I suppose I can go. I suppose I can go. So who wants to go next? I suppose I can go. Does anyone else want to go? Oh, gosh, never mind.

But we just gonna wait for Marius. Gorge, never mind. No, I can't even take a leak when I was actually I didn't even know what was sad. I'm really bummed, I missed it. It sounds like this now. Oh, alright. Wait, can you do it for me one time?

I was like an accent. It's too good. Oh, blah, y, y'all. Yeah, and you beat your tongue. And it hurts. My, my tongue. Your memory is. So, are you sure you're ready to do this, Jericho?

Well, I suppose. I also have a song of that you, that you're involved in, Flora. Really? Who should I sing at first, but we're about to do my memories? Yep. Are you sure? Yep. I think Marius may be, do you want to go, Mary's, or should I go?

No, you're already gone to. War, right, right, right. See, yeah. You shouldn't go if you fit in your tongue. It's not going to be able to say the name if he's in her. Björn't get you. Why don't we save the song until after I have my memory and I'll see if I feel like to sing that maybe it'll cheer me up.

But what did you make you know to sing your song and then you told me you're going to sing a song about me? But then you don't. I guess you're right. I'll take my banjo. And then I continue, and then I continue. One candle was purple. And one candle was purple. was blue.

I'm glad of the potion we all drank definitely wasn't sovereign glue. We killed Mabel and her pigeon brewed, and if you go chasing Flora, you'll sing just like a shrew. Don't listen to what they're going to what they're going. to what the grossed hag said because she's dead because she's dead because she's dead

where's the name Virgil is the name You see the floor is just dancing back and forth her ears are going this way and that some way right and left she's moving her arms up and down, kicking at the floor and then she stops No you're in the center of the room

Oh, that's probably exactly. And everyone was supposed to be really quiet, and you said at the end of the song, so maybe the world thinks that it was part of the song. That was really cool, though. I don't know how I had anything to do about me, except having my name in it. I mean, that's usually all you can hope for in my songs. I like it. It was more about the situation that your response of us killing Mayville,

who's also going to Gravegullet with her familiar people in Albert. Anyways. Absolutely fantastic cover of Jefferson Flight Machine. Oh, thank you. Thank you. You know, I, I, I knew a, I knew a flat, a bird once named Jefferson. And he was a flight machine, too, because he was a bird. Well, they called him the flight machine on account of him being so good a fly.

You need to stand in the center of the room, and you need to say the name. And everyone has to be quiet, including me. Okay. Yo, get the fuck out. I'm sorry. Oh, I stubbed my toe. It hurts a lot. Lethika, can you heal your gross,

Joey's dumping nerves a lot? No, I'm fine, thank you. I also wanted to tell you guys that I'm not really as strong as I say, and I definitely don't think that I can be peasants in a single line. Oh, no, you look really strong. No, no, this is a time for me to come clean. This too may look heavy, but actually it's full of air. I stub my dough.

Lank tar. Ouch, go. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt rush.

You can also go to the crooked moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a footpourer tome for Dungeons and Dragons, fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, tarot deck, and multi. Thank you. The bunny familiar of Maggie McDaff looks to you, Jericho. Oh, you need to step into the center. It looks like the mist has created our safety bubble. And you just, you have to say the name in the center. And no one else can talk, including me.

Well, how'd it do? Miss, my name is old Jericho sticks. You can call me Jericho. Most folk do. I suppose everybody does. My pal Virgil is the one that you're expecting me to say. You look around and nothing happens. My worst friend Virgil, who's a weird gross crow.

You wait a moment and the mist seems to get thicker and fully creates that dome around you, protecting you from the strange forest beyond, but nothing happens. It doesn't seem to be working. Well, I suppose, uh, y'all already know, so it ain't much harm. Just don't, just don't say it after I do. As you speak the true name of the dark passenger within you, your patron and prisoner, and in some ways your oldest friend. The fog around you shifts to a faint yellow glow

and you take the first steps on your journey. Fog opens before you and you find yourselves in a quaint but ramshackled hut in the middle of a dark wood. A large iron cauldron rests on the fire, bubbling with a strange brew while various knick-knacks and reagents hang from the ceilings or collect dusts on the shelves. In the center of the hut you see a strange circle painted in blood a macabre bit of artwork with a drizzling trail leading to a halfling man hanging by his feet,

a bag over his head and his throat slit, as he still drips the last of his life force into a basin beneath him. Three hunch, gnarled ancient crones chant and wave their hands about as the blood ruins glow. Your eyes are drawn to the circle and what appears to be a scarecrow, not quite as simple as the average turnip head you might see guarding the fields in this part of Yonah, but a scarecrow all the same. In a flash of fiendish orange light, the scarecrow begins to move as the three green hags who gave him life, the Okum sisters, dance about and celebrate the success of the ritual. The scarecrow looks around and confused, blinking with glowing eyes, not sure what he was meant to do or meant to be, or maybe even why he exists at all. The cron shriek with glee and dance about in front of a banjo that hangs on the wall, covered in strange markings of some significance.

Oh, fuck! You exist before this? No, no, no, no I did not. Not a very happy birthday. Well, what was that been to me at the time? Look at them. Look at how pretty they all are. You mean those hags?

Oh gosh, my best gals. Those horrible hideous, are they greenhags? They're green hags. Those horrible hideous green hags? Gosh, as green as the day I left, well, this is... I'm a little concerned, Jericho. I mean, I know that you've had some darkness in your past,

but this is looking a little troubling. Well, how did you expect after meeting me and learning a bit about me that my origin might be a little bit more pleasant than what you found here, Sir Marius? To be fair, you told me that it was going to be pleasant, and I was inclined to believe you. Oh, I was being facetious. I can see that now, yes. So, um, that name you said.

We shouldn't say no, no, no. So is that? Well, you know, y'all met him. He knows all of you and all the secrets of what you're sharing. This is actually quite, he's quite happy about all this. Certainly. So it's another name for Virgil. Yeah, yeah, no, that's...

Yeah, that's... That's a real demon name. All right, well, you know, maybe you can slewep that out of all of our memories, Lefika, you know, so we all figure death. So we don't accidentally say it like in a sleep or something. Just don't say it more than twice. well

there so that's me them's my best gals and that there's that that poor fellow over there he said some mighty fine mindifying

fingerwork he had apparently might of fine banja player him great warble he can he can spin a tune that fellow and

His life force is what these green hags used to animate you, to make you life yourself. Well, him and this horrible demonic ritual, yes, yes, yes, out of account of, you see the markings there, and I'll point to kind of like the runic symbol. That'll point to the banjo. And there's a similar, if you look at the art, there's a similar, a runic pattern on the banjo, and it'll be very much the same. I recognize any of these ruins or would they feel familiar?

I would say they might feel familiar in the sense of you saw haggish runic markings in the workings of the hags that you have slain, but they wouldn't be similar to ones that were

familiar to you for personal reasons. Well, oh, yeah. No. It's more of a, It's more of like a geometric pattern almost, rather than like the script removed. And so all point of the way, and so that that, you know, notice the color there, it's a little bit's orange, like, you know, what's got my eyes and my mouth behind this old filthy sack of my head. And Virgil's eyes, of course, and it's all kind of, it's all related.

Does this memory vision look identical to the Jericho that we know or is the Jericho that we know like worn in comparison to... I was probably worn in comparison. This one, he looks like he was just recently put together. Right, right. But very, I'm probably very clumped. Like, probably completely stuffed with straw. And I'm like, gosh, I used to be so strong. Well, these were my best gals.

They was my true love. All three of them. You still feel this way even now. Well, of course. Why wouldn't I? Suppose they are your mothers in that way. I can see that. I don't know if I would say mothers.

It was my best calves. They're all so pretty and big. They were so sweet to me. They taught me what true love really was. Help me understand that a little more. What do you mean understand true love? They showed me when I would go down into them half in towns and human towns and other folk, I would see, you know, lovebirds and all Twitter painted.

And, you know, they gave me all sorts of affection in love. and that was, it was very nice for a time. And as long as I did stuff for them. What are you talking about it? Well, I'm sure we'll find out, won't we? Maybe we won't. Let's hold on that, fair. I'm so afraid to ask question.

What? What? Very similarly to this demonic name that Jared Goethe so garraciously told us, Just remember that some things can't be unlearned. I'm afraid of. I'm curious to know. Both of the stories have come before, they've made a choice.

It seems to have been thrust on you. What choice did you play in the matter? I think I know what's I got to do. Vanges over there. I don't got it, you. And you do look and see that though everything else looks incorporeal and In all the previous memories that you've witnessed, everything had been completely still, completely stagnant. And this one, that's not the case.

The hags continue to dance in jubilation, though they make no sound. And there, hanging on the wall is the banjo, the ruins aglow. Well, I guess it's my birthday. Perhaps I should give myself a present so we can continue onward with perhaps being a washer of air. probably on account of my great singing voice that stands a reason okay thank you I'm glad I got some validation I'll walk over

and I will pick up the banjo and I'll try to lift it up and I'll look at the half-length and I'll kind of like linger on looking at the half-ling and I'll feel a little sad and then I'll walk over to my past self and I'll

oh no I don't want to give it to you untuned and I'll tune it they they sure were some pretty pretty beautiful kind lovely gals but they didn't know the first thing about tuning an instrument well

happy happy birthday from future me to you I wish you a happy birthday. I'm sorry, your life's gonna be so blue. I hand the banjo to my pass elf. As soon as old Jericho sticks grips the banjo, where once there had been nothing in his heart and soul,

or lack thereof, there was now at least a tune. He collected the strings and it gave forth, a beautiful sound, despite the living scarecrow only being minutes old. He now knew he was meant to be a tunismith and spread the music he felt within him to all who would listen. And soon, that's exactly what the Oakham sisters had Jericho do. Despite the four of them living in a dark wood, they were not far from numerous farming villages, consisting mostly of halflings and humans. The sisters, whom Jericho quickly became very fond of, would send him off to be the bard he was warm to be. Time passes by quickly. Spring into summer and summer to autumn. And Jericho now stands on the

outskirts of a small farming village, bathed in the crackling light of a bonfire on a holiday of Shantae, goddess of the harvest. He plucks at his banjo strings and warbles a song that has generated a crowd, mostly of children, who find the mechanical man fascinating and laughing hysterically at all of his stupid jokes. The more he sang, plucked and joked, the more he sang, plucked, the more enthralled with the scarecrow they became. The night begins to wind down and suddenly many of the townsfolk have gone to bed. The Jericho still has his audience, hanging on each of his words and following all of his guidance to join him in song, dance, or play. One of the halfling children blinks up and asks where they should

go next. Jericho thinks back to his best gals, waiting for him in the dark wood. Gosh, I was hoping we wouldn't get into this bar, miss fervin. We have, and there's no going back. So, go on. What happened to? Well, they all went to bed and slept very peacefully and lived happily ever after. I'd like to insight check Jericho. So is it just kids now, or is it still?

It's a mix of both. It's mostly kids, but it is, the age is varied. who ever decided to stay up and listen and Jericho's been playing here for a while that it seems like all of the parents trust him so uh you know how long will you be in these towns um packs of notes you need it uh i i'll look at at briggs and i'll say well as long as it took i i wasn't the one making the rules I wasn't the one telling me where to go and what to do. That was all my best cats.

As long as I did what I said, then they'd give me all the affection that an old scarecrow like me could desire and enjoy. So, you would basically be like the traveling bar to these villages and towns. So I'm coming anywhere, right? Just a barred coming in

and playing the local taverns and then moving on, that sort of thing. Yeah, for sure. I mean, especially around harvest time, they was always reeling, thrallered by a scarecrow. And I couldn't make the play in the banjo. And I didn't have no weird, gross crow to scare them all away. I scared the crows away instead. That's a good point. So is Virgil just not in the picture yet? Oh, no, no, no, this is actually quite pleasant. and got no virgin

and I got friends I got my best gals I gosh I had everything had everything a father could ask for so what do you do now but I mean I suppose we can enjoy

some of the the festive treats of the day this village had the holiday of corn and corn alone day It was a corn festival. I don't know if you could put that together.

It's quite the name. Oh, yeah, gosh, it was quite the name. This town, they loved it, and this was my Shantia. You know, they worship that goddess, and they love their corn. Let me tell you. Let me tell you. I will go up an attempt to, is there like satchels of corn, or is there just like, I'll reach down and see if I can pick up corn.

You can reach down and pick up corn. I did not think, I thought my hand might pass through the basket. There's corn bread, there's corn bread, there's corn just corn pone in case you're feeling real spicy. We spend some time since I've got. Corn on the cob. That's all I got. You bind into it and it tastes like corn, but as you swallow it feels like it never hits your stomach. You have no sense of fullness.

but you get the taste it is quite good if not an illusion oh that's what corn ponies I feel like you've mentioned corn pone a bunch of times and I just like it's a very memorable treat

I just take whole handfuls of it and just eat it because I didn't know the difference needless to say after this experience I was a husk of a person my way here I got lost I got lost in the cornfields it was an amazing experience I should have not

I saw him typing I'm like what the fucking I had a newie of what you're fucking corn chips corn puns quid quick quick blow faster get out of my way Pinterest and when I thought that I knew that I had a feeling it was gonna be corned, corn alone day.

And I thought, you know, Briggs, Captain Cratch, if you came up to me and said, hey, I'm a pirate, I'd like to buy some corn, and I'll say, it'll cost you a buckingere. It's a very specific joke, Jericho. Corn Pirates. It's like a sliver of a moment. There it is.

You know what, you know what, guys? I'm sorry for all of the corn jokes. I find them difficult to digest. That's gross. You know, this little child over here, he said, oh, Jericho, here's some unpopped popcorn with nothing on it. And I said, just plain popcorn, I can do a lot butter than that. Jericho, I don't want to start to see the mystery.

encroaching and I don't know if we have all the time in the world for this. Well, the reason why I say all of that is that all of the children are going to find all of those jokes hilarious and when I suggest there's plenty more corn jokes and corn alone jokes where that came from, but back in the woods. Follow me, children. And I'll sing a song about corn. With Jericho's suggestion to head into the woods to meet his friends, the audience enthusiastically agrees with a cheer. Many of them staying well up past their bedtime. They follow Jericho like the

Pied Piper he was constructed to be and the half-ling men, women, and children sing and dance as they enter the dark woods and are never seen again. This continues over and over again from village to village. Jericho isn't sure how many years passes this way and he's never really sure what happens to the folk he brings back to the Oakham sisters, but he knows it's what he's supposed to do. The affection, the green hags, he upon him each time he successfully brings more mortals to the hut is absolutely addicting, and Jericho will do anything to get just a tiny bit of praise, genuine or not. And finally, the night that would be the culmination of all that singing and banjo playing arrives, thanks to all of Jericho's hard work, of course, he stands proudly beneath a full

harvest moon bathed in the blue light. The ground around him is littered with black feathers and blood. A massive runic circle in the same pattern that is bearded on his banjo, formed by the corpses of hundreds of slaughtered crows. The scarecrow's shirt is open, the cage of his torso now empty but glowing with ruin, runic magic. And then three hags stand in a triangle formation around the pattern as they speak a single name thrice. Raoum.

Raoum. Raoum. Suddenly. Suddenly, the beautiful blue moonlight is swallowed by demonic orange light as the horrified sound of a cawing shriek erupts around him, then inside him, then from him. You see the simple scarecrow move and shift as a huge crow-like demon with four wings suddenly materializes around him and begins to fuse with him. The malevolent orange eyes with pupils made of four-pointed stars looks between the hags, not with obedience, but with ravenous hatred. The looks upon the

Okum sisters' faces turns from glee to abject horror as a sudden realization hits them, just Just as a realization hits Jericho. Their secret manipulation of him, their false love for him, the evil they made him commit, the tool he was to them, that they were never his best gals. It was all a lie. Yeah, there he is. Not quite as handsome as your fellow. Crazy.

So are we seeing... You are seeing the form of Jericho now transformed into this visage of Raoul. the four wings, the star-like eyes, as it looks ravenously down at these hats. Jericho is clearly within it, trapped within it, but Raoum is what you see. Get it since an ironic reversal. What is that made? You see, I'm inside of Ra'oom's chest as a prisoner. Oh, instead of him being trapped inside yours.

I don't like that joke as much as my corn jokes So they wanted this to happen? I mean, they look pretty scared right there. No, they definitely, they are shaking in their, well, I'd say boots, but it's more like just gross bare feet with bunnies. And I don't... More than they could handle?

They thought that what you all know to be the situation just happened right away. But I did this to them. All I had to do was lock him away as soon as he came from the darkness where he came from. But he got into my head.

Right when it happened, I had a chat with him. He came to me as, as that. I felt the presence of these dark wings over me. Then I looked and he was just a man, a man with the cane, handsome fellow, real sweet voice. And he told me about everything that they had done.

My best gal is how it wasn't real, how the love was never real, how the affection, and how I was just a tool. I was just farm equipment like a plow or a rake. He made a whole lot of sense. And he wanted me to help him, and he was real for him. He'd be a true friend. Rather than locking him away right away,

his words sounded mighty nice, mighty sweet. He knew a lot, a lot of secrets. They told me only someone real powerful. Real knowledgeable, we know it. So what happened, all those are the people that you brought to the woods? I still don't know. I mean, I do know. I don't know the specifics that that's what you're asking.

I mean, do they play a part in this? Every single one of them played a part. All them souls get a demon-like Virgil. That's real. It takes a lot of souls. It takes a lot of power. Much less to try to trap it in prison. So they wanted to use Virgil.

If you trapped inside you, he's like that tool. They wanted to turn old Virgil into a piece of farm equipment just like me. I don't think he'd be very good at playing the banjo, but his arm was all messed up too. So, uh, what happens now? I suppose I should go get in the chest. She just stares at you. She looks horrified and shocked. I will just look at all of them and say,

well, the police there. Evil hags, rat. And I'll step forward and I'll kind of try to sloop into and become the prisoner inside of Raoum but also fueling that rage and hatred and anger and ravenous hatred and just completely let go. In nearly an instant, Jericho, or is it Ruhom? Or is it both?

Lundges forward on fiendish black wings and tears apart each and every Oakham sister, rending them with huge black talons and devouring them to the jagged crow beak. The demonic creature slaughters the coven that created it. However, once this revenge was finally complete, the magic of the ritual does not cease. He watches the fiendish eyes of the crow demon go wide with surprise and hatred as the corporeal form shifts and shakes in his turn to orange energy

that swirls like a hurricane of black feathers. With the calling streak, Grawum is pulled into the serracuse chest, imprisoning the demon as Jericho collapses to the ground, seemingly losing his senses. In a burst of feathers, the scarecrow's mouth opens and a large, angry crow forces its way out of his throat, pecking the burlap sack that formed his head until Jericho finally awoke. It took time for Jericho to process that the gore that surrounded him was made up of his best gals. And then he realized for the first time in his life that he is truly alone. No, reminds the crow by his side. He has one friend. Only one friend in this world. Jericho introduces himself to the bird in his usual way, and the crow tells him to call him

Virgil. Immediately, the vision fades and the yellow fog resonates with the sound of calling crows, and you feel the power of the demon of secrets well inside you more than it ever has before. Also, well, I said it before, but I've voted murder Jericho. Is it too late? Right, well, listen, I don't really have words for what we witnessed, but Jericho is still our friend. And I hope that perhaps he can be freed one day, and that horrible creature that is within him won't be there anymore. I mean, it doesn't seem to me like he had much choice in any of this.

Jericho is still Jericho. It was just a tool of evil, used and betrayed by those he trusted most. How beautiful best cows. reasonable person your grandma. Thank you, Yulgrim. No longer a tool, but also a friend. I will go and I will give a comforting hug to Jericho. Gosh.

I like to kind of hold my hands is from Michael Gosh. Oh, well. Paloxydides. Did you even see what happened in those three fucking eggs? He would devoured, eaten, consume. Eviscerated. Two and apart. Look, the mist is almost completely covered us.

It's like it's growing stronger with all, with your connections. This is amazing. We're doing it. We're doing it. So far, so good. Am I the watcher here yet? Yeah, it looks like it. I could touch you and find out, but kind of don't want to.

I don't blame you. But I will. And she hops over and then she like shrieks back and then she hops over. She shrieks back. Then she hops really quickly with her eyes closed and she reaches up and grabs on to you. And they're glowing yellow. And she is. Very clear.

Yes, you are. And then her tiny rabbit form begins to swell and shake. Beathers. No. The gallops saying is that what happens if he loses his mind and it happens again but to us instead. We're no freeing hacks. Did you hear that? And you all.

did. It sounded like the snapping of a twig, as if something off in the darkness and the distance of the forest is moving closer. Yeah, I'm the watcher there, just back off. Wait, me, so we were in Glushkin Vault somewhere? I don't know.

Could something be out there, or is this more like a metaphorical phone? I told you that we were protected by this mist thing. If there's a metaphorical monster that is stalking us, I do not care. That is scarier than a non-metaphorical monster. Whatever happens, with Jericho, deal with it.

I'm so right. Jericho is our friend. Exactly. I know that must have been really hard for you to go through to see it all happen again, but to be used by people who you thought loved you.

We're here with you. I appreciate it, friends. I'm still, I would probably then just actually just deeply embrace Lethika. And I was like talking everybody just past her. If you would like try to pull away

and be like, you're like off there. No, Lendigna knows that a hug. She'll let you hook for a little. long as you need it. I am. Okay, well, so let's keep this moving. Who wants to go next?

I don't even move into like the pads to like get them off. I know. It's one of the times where like it's up and over on the shoulders, you know? Oh, Graham? Do you want to go next? If you're ready, I can go if you're not. It will show me. See it every night when I close my eyes.

been no rush to feel it again. It's okay, you over. You got time. Until that metaphor, who master comes up, on a meantime, I'm gonna remove my tongue and on my toes so I can't bite my tongue or stub my toes

and I pull out my tongue and take off of my toes and I'm gonna get springing up. Who knew my cock, my cock, fella? It's not coming back on. Oh, no, in this place you can't reattach limbs. And that means it's you don't want to go, you're grim. Just get it over with, just deal with it.

I believe in you. All that left I could go, and I'll say, oh, sorry. I used to be a lot stronger. You see my muscles back? It was mostly strong. It was entirely strong. It can't be much worse than what we just saw. I can go.

I'm ready. You want to go, Farron? Hold on. Okay, well, let me find you right here on my list. Give me a second. I thought I was partially Norbram. It's okay. I think I found you.

How about eggs? Oh, shucks. Oh, fun. They're probably... I mean, Mom, it's got you. I don't get it. You can just... Oh, husking me.

I found it and all I'm good. It's okay. So you just stand in the middle. You know, and everybody doesn't say anything. Will you say the name? Nobody says anything including me. Right. I'll step to the sun now.

I gave my soul willingly. So I hope it won't be so bad for all of you to see. I gave my soul to the beast of blight. To Gorthos. one. As you speak the name of the dark arch-fay of your circle, the fog around you shifts to a faint, green glow. And as soon as you take that first step on your journey, the fog opens up and you're all in an ancient forest of what appears to be dead trees rotted through with fungus and blight. You see a number of figures surrounding a fetid pond, on the bank of which is a massive stag laying on its side. While the beast may have once been mighty and strong, it is now clearly emaciated and covered in boils, overcome with some sort of sickness that is,

giving it pained, lebered breathing. The figures that surround this are antlered and hooved themselves. As satyrs adorned in pelt, wicker, and bone, all give their attention to two teenage satyrs who stand right beside the dying stag. A young Farron of the Heart Splight looks to her dearest friend, Gwenna of the Heart Splight, with a sick pit in her stomach. Both of them knew that this day would come,

but nothing could have prepared her for a first Hearts Flight ritual, especially with all of the Circle Elders watching. However, both shared their same zealous commitment to their patron and the same natural talent for the magics of wicker, ruin, and blight. And today, they must prove to the elders that they are fit to survive and spread the will and the blight of Gorthos. The stag looks at Farron with pain in its eyes and gives a weak grunt. Immediately, Gwena puts a soft hand on her shoulder. Felt so young, then. You look young.

This is where you lived. Why, it's the forest. It's where it came from. It's like a spooky forest. I've been to forest before in jungles. I didn't find it spooky at all. It was beautiful. Things grew from seedlings, from saplings, from saplings,

grew tall into trees and fell and sunk back into the forest floor. It began the cycle all over again. I guess that's how it works. Who's your friend? I kind of have like a sad smile on my face. That's Gwina. She was... she was my everything. My best friend in the world, much more than that. Your best gal? I guess you could say, my best gal.

She's very puriful. She was the most beautiful. Of all the funds in our circle, she was the strongest and the fastest. She was mine. I had her attention every day and she had mine and we were so close. even though we weren't supposed to be. It was our secret. Oh, it was a secret? Our circle didn't approve of close relationships.

You're meant to be born, to grow up into the service of the circle, to do your duty, spreading light throughout the forest and leading the circle of life from one end to another. It's hard to take things with you if you're only really meant to die in the end. and your body's just a body, but she was different. We were different. It is so strange to me that all of us so far would share a important ritual in our past. What was the nature of what you needed to do here now in this space?

This is our first real test. It was young fallens growing up to abide by the word of Gorthos. to spread his blight and by that spread his power to help this sick and ailing creature return to the earth I have heard of many gods and goddesses demigods, powerful entities but I admit in all of my years I have never heard of this ghost he's structural in our forest very powerful but

he needs his blight to spread so that he can spread That's why I'm here, spreading his power. So your jobs to make more spooky for us? If you're not afraid of death, it's really not that scarier of a place. I guess, it's a fair point. On the opposite of that. You look pretty spooky yourself there in the street as a zombie crocodile. You fit right in here.

You don't like it! So, Faran, does this mean you have to finish your ritual? It does. We have to put this poor thing to rest. It's all step over, kind of sidling up, kind of stepping into the place where I'm standing next to Glyn. So I would lean down and with my long claws that I have, scratch a ruin into the kind of blighted skin that I have. has sort of in the shape of a bee and then taking a large knife that I would have I would slit its throat and let the life dream from it.

You watch as Farin and Gwena joined together and put the stag out of its misery. With their powerful magic from the darkest reaches of the Faye Wild, you watch the fungal blight, the heart splint, swarms over the freshly deceased stag and within minutes it is fully decayed into nothing but rich nutrients from which new life will grow. This was the first of many rituals, as you see Farron and Gwena complete their rite of passage and become full members of the circle. The years pass, and the more they commit themselves to the circle into spreading the heart's flight and perfecting their wicker weaving, room carving, and other rituals, they

help each other with, the closer they grow. This brings suspicious eyes upon them, especially with the most devout of the elders. Personal attachment was to be reserved for Gorthos, the faith and the work, and the attachment that the two Saders, now yet and women both shared was coming under more and more scrutiny. This scrutiny leads to a night that is especially dark, so that their escape from their home goes unnoticed by any of the other druids. The pair makes it to the same feted glade where they had performed their first heart's bite ritual, and Gwena stands before Farron and tells her that she doesn't know what to do.

Despite being the older of the two and usually the one who was the leader, despite their commitment to Gorthos, Gwenna doesn't want to give up her attachment to Farron, which she knew would soon be forced by the village elder. With tears and confusion in her eyes, Gwena asked Sperin what they should do. So you thought, I mean, what choice do you have? Pretty terrible. I mean, this is awful. I'm sorry you had to go through with this.

Fuck the village elders. It's not the way that I went with it. Sorry. I know we're probably going to see it, but... You can't stand in the way of pure love. That's how I felt. I have the one person. person that I could be myself with, one person I could touch and hold and have to myself and tell secrets with, wasn't all blooming out with her. I mean, I'm all about personal attachment.

That's what kind of, you know, everything I am is what I want. So I mean, whatever you're going to do, I don't blame you. I'm sure I would do the same thing. But you did mention that he willingly gave you. gave, you know, yourself to go off those, but it kind of looks like you were born into this. I was born into it. It was the way of things. You grow up in the circle and you give yourself to go with us. Natural order. And I do. Oh, that was the natural order of things you were born into it. I guess it's your lot in life,

right? We all have our own sort of lot of life, even if we don't choose it. But it was in this moment that you did have a choice. choice did you make? Did you pick Gwena? Or did you pick Gorthos? I have to know! This is a page turner! The little rabbit gnaws at her paws. I... I love Gorthos. I believe in everything that he... he spreads everything that he does. It's necessary for this earth and without him we would all vote and we wouldn't rise again. But Gwena had my heart. I mean, look at her. How is I going to say no to that? She was something just for me.

I certainly wouldn't. Something I didn't have to give back. Love is extremely important. It's very powerful. It's so hard to grow up in a place like that. Your parents really don't even raise you. You're born and you're put off into the groups with the rest of the kids. It's hardly a hug to go between you.

And to have someone to touch, to feel the warmth of them against you. You don't know what it's like. No, I don't. And so you picked Gwenna. I picked her. And from that moment forward, the two give in to the feelings they have for each other and decide that there is nothing worth sacrificing

their attachment to each other. But they do this in secret. Their romance blossoms under the shroud and secrecy of night, but to the others of the circle, they seem to completely lose interest and attachment for each other. For years, their plan works, and both saders are happy. Farron hunches over to forage from mushrooms for that evening's dinner, excited to reward Gwenna with a special feast on her return from clearing out the encroaching harpies from the north, which would be no match for her love. However, upon returning to the circle's dwellings, she discovered Gwena's body surrounded by the elders.

While her mission had been successful, one of the harpies had envened her talons, and she died less than a mile from home. The ritual to return her body to the earth would precede the following evening. It takes all of fear. Farron's willpower to mask her devastation at losing the love of her life, and the protestation of watching her dear Gwena turned to blatant decay. The rest of the circle did not mourn, for death was just the next step of the circle of life, death, cleansing, and renewal. However, that night, Farron mourns, now truly alone for the first time in her life. And unlike the elder, she refuses to accept this part of the cycle, and thinks of the alleged power whispered about by the fauns of the circle, even strong enough to reverse death.

These were the secrets kept in the archdued's hut on the edge of the Sater's community. But claiming such a power was considered the height of blasphemy. Farron once more felt the conflict in her heart as she wandered through the night and made her way towards the hut. I am terribly sorry for your loss, but this can't be going the way that I think that it is. What else was I going to do? They were just going to let her rot. back into the earth.

And I know that that's the way it's supposed to be, but she was mine. She was mine to keep. And I loved her. That's rough. That's really rough. I know she would have done the same thing for me. So I did.

I waited for everyone to fall asleep. And I went to the hut. Made the right decision. I was... I don't know if I did. I think... What other choice is there? You have something like me and all I do is make mistake after mistake,

and I'm seeing you fair and you got a good head on your shoulders, antlers and all. You're just doing the right thing one after another. What any reasonable person or dear folk would do? I know I had to do something. This was the only thing that I had. I just got over my head. When you're getting the powers, just reverse death. I mean,

Look at us. Stark stuff. As you look at the scene that's frozen here, you see the door to the hut glow with that strange greenling. I'll look back across the camp where she's lying for the ritual, and then I will turn forward and step into the hut.

You watch as Farrens slips in and out of the archduits hut, utilizing the stealthy magic that had kept her safe in this dangerous forest for so many years. and soon after. She had escaped into the wood with forbidden wicker fetishes in the body of Gwena. After closely examining the powerful

artifacts, she places them around the corpse of her deceased lover, and with all of the primal magic that resides inside her, she activates the dark magic to resurrect Gwena. And Gwena does rise. However, it is only the flesh of Gwena that rises before her, and the creature

that groans and burbles is just bone, bark, wicker, fur, and fungus. This body had once happened, when a soul, the woman Farron loved, but it was now nothing more than a hollow shell puppeted by magics. He watches Farron, having committed the cardinal sin of her circle, tearfully puts an end to the creature she had inadvertently given life to. Now, without a love or a home, Farron weeps. Then, a massive creature approaches through the forest, bigger than any predator Farron knew of in these woods. A deep, rasping voice calls out as a colossal stag steps into

the clearing. It was skeletal, just as much plant matter and blight as it was animal parts. Gorthos loomed tall with his wicker antlers, and immediately Farron felt the kinship she always knew she had. She had bucked the traditions that kept the old circle stagnant, and her passionate acts were the catalyst for the blight to truly spread beyond the confines of the forest. As Farron bowed, so did the archfay, and the satyr received the mark of the beast. Immediately, the vision fades and the green fog resonates with the sound of the stag's bellow in the creaking of wicker, and you feel the power of the beast of blight well inside you more than it ever has before. I'm mighty sorry, Farron.

Do you still think I made the right choice? Yes. I did for her. Yes. To her, I guess. You had to try it, Ferret. We did. And I'm here now, and the only way is forward.

If I can spread his power, He can bring her back. I couldn't, but he can. Flora hops over to and immediately wraps her arms around your leg, and you see as she glows bright with that green color. It almost shocks herself as she'd completely forgotten about that connection. She hops back and then begins to transition between the same colors again. Well, it works, that's for sure.

I think you're right. I can feel him. Watch your verse. Yeah. That stands really. and everything I know about you. You made... You did the right thing. Don't you feel a shred of regret

like most of us should. Thank you, Jericho. I mean, it sort of worked out. It was horrific, but, you know, it's almost like it's what you're... I mean, is it a god or whatever it is. I mean, you're sort of doing his will now, right? That's exactly right.

It doesn't appear as though Gorthos is, turned his back on you. He hasn't. Not yet. I won't turn my back on him until he brings her back. Got a real cast of characters here. Yeah, and still two more to go.

And it looks like the magic is truly working because we're sealed in. We can go again. I'll scan the horizon. see the trees, are they becoming more and more creeping in?

Because the fog is so thick, you can barely see them. It's in the moments you first return that the fog is thinnest, and that's when you can see the forest beyond, and when you can hear, you're starting to begin to hear the noises. So you are hearing still like cracks? And it's more and more prevalent,

but the fog is closing in closer, so it almost seems as if you don't speed up now, at first you were meant to go slow, but now it's 10.30. The thong is moving fenced. It's the end of midnight. And yoldren, it appears that it would be

either me or you, and I was going to let the god of this world decide whether her notes were in the right order or not. Other than that. Either way. Who wants to go first? It's totally up to you. I'm going to have to fonder around

on my notes regardless. Sir Marius, I want to night. pleasant heroic knight's tale. You will not find that for me, Jericho. I'm sorry. I have several lovely tales about deeds that I've done, but not today.

Oh, you sure about that? Maybe it'll, when you become the watcher, file, I'll be like, oh, here's that time I saved that cat from a tree. I'm extremely sure. Maybe an old lady crossing the... The thoroughfare, perhaps? No, no, none of that. You hear the cracking of branches and twigs off in the distance.

There's no time on the present. Oh, so Mary is a little bit of a circle. Are you going to do it, Mary? From this far, and quite frankly, you all have said that you've given your soul willingly, perhaps, but mine was taken. And you were worried about finding Mr. Crossroads if he was to, if he were to appear, if he were to appear, I dare her to appear. I've wanted to kill her for a very, very long time. And I'd like to get my chance, and I don't know what's going to happen if she lends me her power.

She whispered a name, one that I will never repeat. I know her as the Red Duchess. As you speak, the only title you know of the woman who tricked you so long ago. The fog around you shifts to a faint purple glow. And as soon as you take that first step on your journey, the fog opens up, and you are all in the courtyard of a large castle. A number of workers and servants walking about as two young boys with wooden swords playfight, laughing and shouting, as a stable hand has to dodge their sprinting. Although both of the boys seem to be no older than ten, the sword play is surprisingly good. But the blonde child clearly gains the upper hand on the boy with a black hair until the latter trips and falls onto his back.

Victoria's boy declares that he, Lord Marius Renathir, has defeated the future king, Victor Danathria, as the defeated boy lets out a cough before both of them erupt into laughter, and young Marius pulls the crowned prince to his feet. Soon the boys are teenagers and already off to war against a hobgoblin army, fighting shoulder to shoulder, Marius saving the generally sickly victor from certain doom on more than a handful of occasions. In despite all of the praise and thanks, the crown prince gave to his best friend. Young Marius always gave credit to Lathander for looking over both of them in their kingdom of Botonia. By the time the pair returned from the war, a decisive victory.

The current king was dead and victor was crowned shortly after his 18th birthday. You see the newly crowned king, surrounded by his entire court, step forward and ask Marius Renathir to be a knight of the realm, and to always serve as God, his king, and his nation as his holy oath. All eyes in the glorious, all eyes in the glorious, gloriously gilded throne room are upon the pair of men as Victor looks intensely into Marius's eyes. Oh, my best friend. My king. King Victor D'athria, and I miss him. I miss him so.

It's been so many decades. Oh, see, that die horribly, too? I don't know about horribly. I mean, he was always a little sickly, but I think what will eventually be his undoings, his humanity. He's growing older. It's only a matter of time before he will pass. Oh, so he's not dead? Not yet.

Oh. That's nice. But I'm running out of time, because he is not immortal like I appear to be. Oh, so this was a long time ago. many, many decades. I've lost count almost. Does he look younger than you look now? Yes.

They're about 18. Oh, okay. This is very young. Okay. Well, I don't know what you're talking about, Sir Mary. This looks like a mighty knight's tale. What I come from is this beautiful. It's why I would do anything from my kingdom and my king.

That loyalty to them. And him, and Lathander that gives me all of my strength and power. Where in the adventurers is this kingdom? Delfinus. I've never been there, but I haven't been to none of these places. I don't know why. Me neither. You never sailed?

Or I guess you kept it pretty narrow. I thought you sailed far and wise. This story is about Marius. It's all right. I'm... Please, I haven't been. I've been everywhere on the moon, all right? Anyway.

Please, no, no, it's all right. I'm enjoying seeing my friend again. He looks so happy to be about tonight, you. Do you become a knight? I mean, well... Those spoilers! I do. I do.

I do, I do become a night. I think we're spoiled by his beautifully golden regalia. We did have a bit of a clue, I guess, that you said yes on this occasion. It was always possible he stole the armor. Oh, that's true. He calls himself Sir Marius. To be fair, though, in the story as a kid, when he bested his friend, he called himself

Sermit, Sir Marius. So even then he was pretending to be, I'm sorry. No, no, I had hopes even from, as long as I could remember that I would do nothing but serve my king and my best friend and my brother. So what do you do now? What do you do now? Well, I... Except. and I would proceed forward to take the place of this double of mine and kneel and proceed with the ritual that I know so well and cherish.

The ceremonial blade of King Victor Donathria gently touches each pardrum of the young man's shoulders, and Sir Marius Renathir rises the knight of itania, taking up the symbol of the blood red rose as his coat of arms. Through his works and deeds, he develops a reputation of being the most honorable knight in the realm, And while Ser Marius serves valiantly protecting the people, Vatania suffered great military losses over the next decade that saw the borders shrink significantly. Soon, a wary and grave-minded King Victor confides in his best friend and most gallant knight that there may be little hope from Vitaanya as the surrounding kingdoms are growing in power every year. Victor sits on the throne with Marius by his side and hopes for a miracle. He wishes that the mythical artifact of Lathander sung about in Vitaania's songs of war, the grail of dawn, was real and could offer the true divine intervention that they need.

The king warily slumps bored and looks wistfully at the ever-shrinking battle map before him. A hopeless sigh escaping his lips. It was the only way. The grail. The grail of dawn. Isn't that grail just a cup? Yes, that's exactly what it is, yes. We were talking about like war and kingdoms and, you know, borders being withdrawn.

Is that powerful of a cup? that's what they say Wow And What does it? What does it do? I mean there are tales There are songs

Beautiful poems Written just about this artifact Unfortunately Getting a bit ahead of myself We had to find it All my king had to do Was ask I would stop everything

That I was doing to go search for it Wait, says that's the artifact If Phillips says he has Apparently So did he ask Did he ask you to go on a night school? quest? He did. And without even a moment's hesitation, I agreed, because I would do anything for King Victor. So that's where you did next. You pledged yourself to the acquisition of the Grail.

That's correct. I will, uh, again, proceed forward and, and thinking back to this, this conversation that I had with my best friend and king, uh, allow it to play out and agree to take on this, this quest. King Victor Dnathria embraces his oldest friend, and within the month, Marius rides out from the capital city and begins his grail quest. He travels far and wide as generosity, courtesy, fellowship, and piety are tested and overcome handily by the night of the blood red rose. However, despite the several leads he's gained and the vast stretches of land he covers across the continent of Delphinez, he does not find the Grail of dawn. After months of searching, winter is descending upon him quickly. A violent storm catches him by surprise

when he's cold, starving, injured, forseless and so very wary and then as if sent by Lathander himself, Marius finds a castle in the remote hinterlands of Vittania where he immediately seeks shelter and aid, hoping for the generosity of the inhabitants. Much to surprise, he is greeted by the castle's only inhabitant, the lady of the house,

a duchess and a red dress. The duke and his vassals were on a hunting expedition and would not return for at least a week. So Sir Marius was more than welcome to recover from his travels. This woman is the most beautiful woman most of you have ever seen. And as she and Marius talk over dinner, you can see just how absolutely hypnotic she is. After dessert is finished, the Duchess in Red bites her lower lip and invites Marius to her bedchambers for the evening, while his head is filled with exhaustion, wine, and a strange perfume that feels almost magical in its enchantment.

Looking back on it now, it's all so clear. I can't believe I was such a fool. No, I can't believe it. Gosh, no wonder you turned down the High Inquisitor. Gosh! I believe it. Winter conditions and wine can do strange things to a person. If one were to subscribe to our Patreon,

you'd be able to find out more about our weather conditions. Shame of life. Unbelievable. What's a Patreon? I'm kidding. I was, that's my end. I was very close to death. And like I knew something wasn't right,

it was too good to be true, but I couldn't help myself. It was if there was something more going on. And I knew, I knew that this wasn't right, couldn't say no. I mean, what's the problem? She's clearly in Voring you to her bedchamber.

She was spoken for. And, The fifth test is one of chastity. Until that moment, I had passed them with flying colors, if you will. Helping people, gifting them things they needed, doing sacred rights, slaying monsters. But this one, I just couldn't say no. So what did you do?

Without a word, stone-faced and... Just a slight shaking of rage. I go and I sit down where I'm at at this table and I see what this woman is doing. And I silently push my chair back, stand, walk to her, reach my hand out, and allow her to lead me to her chambers. You watch as Marius fails its test of chastity and joins the Red Duchess in her bedchamber. And after a night of passion, the woman pries every single detail of his quest out of him, offering salvation herself. She says her husband is a collector of religious artifacts

and she produces a black grail filled with red liquid, the Grail of Dawn. She offers him a sip to prove that it is filled with the divine might of Lothander himself, still naked and feeling the shame already welling up. Sir Marius Renathir reaches forth and grabs the grail, drinking deep from it. It's in that moment you see his hunger and agony overcome him.

He rides on the floor as the dark transformation turns him from man to creature of the night, and the Duchess herself transforms, revealing her true form, complete with horns, wings, and hooves, even more beautiful than the facade you had previously seen, but far more horrible. In this moment, you see Sir Mary's break,

and in one moment the woman in red gives the disgraced knight a farewell kiss, and the next moment he is out in the storm, the castle nowhere in sight, and nothing but the echoing, cackling of that seductive voice. immediately the vision fades and the purple fog resonates with the sound of a seductive breath and a moan and you feel the power of the duchess of sin well up inside you more than it ever has before i can still smell that perfume i was drunk but not on wine alone she clearly had some magical hold on me

i should have known instantly that that damned cup was not the chalice my soul was was forcibly ripped from me in that moment. That wasn't the grill, dog? No. No. It looked awfully spooky. I didn't fit the description, I guess, but you know, when you're desperate. Some sort of enchantment, some sort of mental manipulation.

I wasn't... She could have told me anything and I would have believed it in that moment. So that's this acubis, huh? That was her. Gosh, I don't know how I feel about that. Never let me meet a succubus. Please, folk. Gosh, y'all are worried about Virgil.

I'm more worried about Marius' friend now. We'll do our best, Jericho. I'm sorry that that happened to you. You didn't do nothing wrong. Marius? I... You retract. No, I should have been stronger.

I broke my vows. As a knight, the only thing I ever... wanted to be and I pay for it every day and potentially forever. But everyone deserves redemption and if you can find the Grail and if you can save your friend and if you can atone for your failure in the eyes of your God, you could be redeemed. Thank you. I think that you might be right. Lathanda did not leave my side and if I do find to the Grail. I'm hoping that it will return me back to a human

and save my kingdom. And my king can rest in peace when he eventually passes. I believe that can happen and she runs over to you and she hugs onto your leg and you watch as she glows a very

vibrant purple. I see why you have the sin of wrath upon you in this space and... I thought you were going to say rats. Wrath. Okay. You took the quest up again, though. After your transformation, you chose to continue to seek the Grail.

Did you ever go to see if you could find this Duchess again, or stop on your quest to go seek revenge? I did continue the quest, because I made a promise to my king. I looked for that castle, for that Duchess. I never stopped. I could not find her. I occasionally get a scent of the perfume. Even here.

But she has not revealed herself yet. And I will get my revenge. I think your choice to continue your quest was the most important one of your story. I think you're right. Thank you. I don't mean to play devil's advocate. on account of the fact that I'm literally a demon's advocate

by nature of my existence. I mean, that pretty lady, I mean, she can't be all bad, right? Don't you remember down beneath the basement of the crooked house and that old evil fairy of the crooked teeth tried to possess you? I believe the only reason that was stopped is because she is a jealous lover. She wants me off of herself.

Maybe you see it as a blessing, but I certainly do not. It's getting hot and steamy in the mist. Well, I'm just saying, you know, as rough as it is, you know, Virgil and I don't always see I die, and Brisey and his friend on the other side. There's a silver lining, perhaps. Perhaps you're right. I can promise you that she'll remember.

Regrette's not killing me and giving me eternal life. You hear the sound of movement in the forest behind you, and this time the sound of something large, incredibly large, breathing heavily. You don't have to stand so close to me. You mean a lot of lying you something? I mean, I'm breathing awfully. You're going to go now? To be fair, if your lonely one who hasn't gone yet?

You're not going to tell your story? This isn't a time for my story. Also, I'm not real. Well, you're real as familiar. Right, but I'm made up of magic. I thought maybe you would be gluttoning. What? I step into this, I mean.

Okay, we don't know how this works. Everyone needs to be quiet, including me, and you're going to say the name. Just know. I'm sorry for what you're about to see. As you speak, the only name. you know for the maiden, perhaps the only name anyone knows, the fog around you shifts to a faint white glow. As soon as you take that first step on your journey, the fog opens up and you find yourself in a beautiful valley tucked away in the remote reaches of Anari.

A number of quaint tribal villages scatter the landscape, all bathed in the nearly purple moonlight of an autumn night. But where you stand, there is no life beyond a small orcas child running amidst the clans stones of a burial ground. A boy no older than eight, he occasionally stops and speaks, although no one seems to be there to listen. He sometimes has long conversations that are particularly ancient graveston chisled with orcish etchings. And while at first, he seems to be speaking to the air, your eyes and ears adjust, and eventually, you see the shimmering spectral form of an elderly orc spirit giving kindly advice to what is clearly a young Yorgrim as he speaks to the dead, an ornate shovel sticking up from the recently dug grave a mere five feet away.

As the boy leaves the spectre behind, he looks wistfully off towards the village of his people, the Shadesstone clan. Having never felt at home among the living works, he does not know what to do with his life, and he looks morose. I would always hear the spirits from a young age. I felt more peace among the tombstones than I did in my home village. You look comforted. Whoever you were speaking to

appeared to be kindy. I were your friends. Yes. Friends. It was a good word for them. You were always able to communicate beyond surveil? As far back as I can remember,

always spirit spoke to me and I could speak back to them. So this was like a yor-grim thing. Not like every walk in your clan can do this kind of thing. Yes. my next question exactly. Yes, exactly right, Lefica. Thank you.

100%. 100%. It does seem meaningfully important. I'm sure his answer is forthcoming. One or one orca generation had the power to commune with the spirits. They became a... I became, presided over the passing of those who lived in the valley,

performed their final rights, saw them safely into the mists, and on occasion, visit with them as they came back. But here you look so sad, like you don't know what your purpose is yet. I'm, I wasn't sure. Nobody else could speak to spirits. eight here. I wasn't ready to be a shaman. I wasn't ready to

carry the weight of this responsibility for the clan. So what made you decide to pick up your shovel and be the man that you were today? Sense of duty, I suppose, a sense of loyalty.

Loved my clan. It was more at home in the quiet of the grave. I... It's what I was called to do. Ben. Oh, good. got to or an or an ork's got to have their tribe. It's insane.

I wouldn't know. I had three gross hags. So, so what are you going to do now? I'm going to do. Walk over and pick up the shovel. Does it appear to be the same shovel? It is the same shovel. And as you do, so does young Yorker.

And as the young orc grips the shovel in his hands and knows what he was meant to do, the years past and the small ark grows and grows and grows. rose, seemingly not stopping his growth as he rejects the life of warrior, hunter, farmer, or family, and instead takes up the mantle of shaman. You see him, standing tall over the corpse of a young woman, having fallen in a dire war hunt. Yorgram has covered her body in the respective markings and surrounded her with the etched rock fragments that ensure that her spirit would rest peacefully in his people's afterlife, communing with the ancestors and the spirits of the elements before lowering her physical remains

into a freshly hewn grave. Lastly, etching her name into the clan stone that rests in this part of the burial grounds. Yorkerim accustomed to performing these rituals alone, the girl's family already having said their goodbyes to their daughter and sister, so he was surprised when an orc approached him as he finished filling the grave.

It was not just any ork, but the chieftain of the clan, Chief Nurgul. He had the build of a mighty warrior, his mottled green skin marked with numerous scars to show his long life and prowess in battle. But most alarming was the grave expression on his face. He came with a warning. He had been visited by the very founder of their clan, Derrthar Shadstone, who warned of great calamity in the spirits of the elements in the dead being tortured. A ritual

must be conducted to save them, which was foretold by the long-deceased chieftain. While Yorgram had never been visited by the spirit of Derrithar, he took this dire situation with the gravity it deserved, he was standing over a belladonna thicket, beneath which was said to be an ancient artifact that would be needed for the ritual. You all right, buddy? Yogi, it's gonna be okay, Yorgroom? I'll have my hand on your shoulder.

I won't say anything, but you can feel that I'm trying to help you focus at least. This is where it begins. It's not gonna be okay. Oh. You know it is gonna be okay, Yorghum, because we're all here. together right now.

I lean forward and rifle in the belladonna thicket knowing what I don't find. And with your shovel, you begin to dig. As Yorgram's shovel breaks the earth and he digs what feels like in eternity, casting the beladonna

to the side as it withers and dies. Finally, the spade hits something solid. And Yorgram unearths a lantern, adorned ornately in designs that appear like clouds or perhaps fog or even mist. Though the digging felt like ages, it's as if time decides to adjust itself. The image of Yorgram with his newfound lantern fades as you watch him now, standing with his chieftain in the middle of the burial grounds,

but it looks entirely different than you remember. Every single grave has been dug up in the corpses of every shade stone orcs since the founding of the clan lay piled around the chieftain, who wields a strange hammer of his own creation, covered in runic markings that glow with a dull gray light. Each exhumed gravesite causes the runes on the hammer to glow brighter and brighter. Finally, the chieftain was ready to complete the ritual and put the spirits to rest. Yorgrim had toiled for months to get to this point, and all the while he had heard the souls of the dead screaming and crying out. With each passing day, he was more convinced that the spirits of the ancestors and the elements were truly in torment and chaos. And then Chieftain Nurgul begins to chant beneath the new moon, holding the hammer high and commanding Yorgram to

raise his lantern and repeat the same phrasing in tandem. The strange language was certainly not orkish or common, nor anything else Jorgram had ever heard before. Yorgram looked out at the exhumed skeletons and unearthed grave sites into the lantern in his hands as his chieftain demands his obedience to save the souls of the dead. And you raise your lantern, hurry? Raising. Does it still work?

You can turn it on the bottom. That's way better than what I got. Shit. Classic lantern. Fire. I had to desecrate the dead. I had to dig up. Every member I'd put to rest.

Because Nair Gould had said Derrithar appeared to him. And there was an imbalance in the spirit world. I knew. Derithar did not appear to me. I was the bridge, and I sensed to nothing. But I was loyal, and I held my lantern high and repeated his words. Yorgrim's lantern grows brighter and brighter as the two orcs' voices chant in unison, and then joined by a third voice, a horrible, guttural, evil voice.

The chieftain shrieks in pain as his flesh is ripped from his body by some unknown force, as Nurgul is turned to nothing but a skeleton. Now to FOIA of flesh you see clearly that his very bones are covered with the same glowing ruins as the hammer he still wields. The screams of pain turned to the cackling laughter of two voices joined in one as the hammer explodes into a burst of gray mist, consuming the living skeleton of chieftain Nurgool first and then everything else. The mist of death that would tear apart both the living and the dead, devouring Yorgram's

entire clan, begins to blanket. the land around him, but it does not touch him as he is bathed in the ghastly green light of the lantern that is held at his side. When all is said and done, he is the last living soul in the valley. It takes Yorgram weeks, months, maybe years, to bury the dead and return the corpses he had exhumed back to the earth. And when he buries the final one, he is visited by a figure. Little more than a silhouette you see Yorgram hunched from the weariness of his toil as he is approached by a vaguely feminine shape. Being unable to discern any facial features beneath her hood, he was met with two glowing green eyes, the same color as his lantern. She stared at

Yorgrim and he stared back, and he knew this was no god, devil, demon, or even lord of dread. He was staring upon the primordial form of death, as she raised a thin hand and pointed at his penance. A tall clanstone etched with the names of every single orc dead and desecrated. It would be his burden to bear. Yorgrim takes up the stone without question. He is hers now. This time, as things end, it is not as it has been before as I scrolled to the very, sorry, sorry, there's a lot.

Immediately, the vision fades and black fog resonates with the sound, oh, sorry, no, wrong. Immediately, with floor as your guide, you fall the white rabbit through the fog and the darkness. and the subterranean feeling around you fades, and you hear the sounds of nocturnal creatures and the rustling of trees as a gust of wind howls around you, blowing much of the fog away, and you now realize you were in the depths of an impossibly ancient forest with twisted trees and gnarled branches.

The rabbit familiar before you look surprised, then confused, and then scared. As her eyes widened, she hops around looking for what should be the path that you must take. She cannot find it. Oh, no, this wasn't supposed to happen. We're back to your bodies. Something is not right. Then you hear the snapping of bark and the violent cacophony of shaking boughs of leaves from all around you. From the darkness of the tree line that surrounds you, a figure emerges from the gloom.

It's hooded and hunched as it slowly approaches. And you can see that the shape seems to be feminine as it draws nearer and nearer. Then in almost a flash, sickly moonlight pierces the dense canopy and bades all of you in a terror. pale hue, and it is then you see the face beneath the hood. An old woman peers at you with deeply sunken eyes past a pointed nose, her face flanked by stringy graying hair. Much to your surprise, she's not particularly ugly and there's almost a warm motherly quality to her expression, as she steps from the dark wood to face you and raises a wrinkled hand that extends to thin fingers of long yellow nails, as if beckoning something behind her, she opens her mouth and

begins to speak. At last, my sacrifice. You've made it so far already and learned so much, but you are still so very blind. You use the power of the land to protect yourselves, but you forget to whom this land truly belongs. But you will see as I do, as your mother sees, as the midnight sees. And soon, So very soon, all will be reborn in life. Your attention is drawn upward as you see that the source of the glow above you is the grinning hag moon, so close that you can see every crater on its crooked nose and bent teeth. Then the cacophony of snapping and cracking of tree booms around you as you feel the earth shake with the storms of an enormous creature approaching. Then a shape appears above the old witch, seemingly suspended and air at first.

Then you see the terrible reality. The massive looming shape is nearly ahead attached to a vastly larger beast of the woods as it enters the sickly moonlight and stands over the one who can only be Mother Midnight. You see the shaggy-haired, twisted-horned, red-eyed face of a colossal black goat, as it lets out a fiendish bellowing bleat that shakes you to the core of your souls, dark gifts, and all. And that is where we'll end this section. That was awesome. Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Aventris podcast.

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