Legends of Avantris - Edge of Midnight | Ep. 26 | Stuff of Nightmares

Episode Date: December 3, 2024

Sleep turns to a shared dream for our heroes. After a LONG rest, the party outfits themselves for the masquerade...   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/VkCgZn5-Ak0?si=ID5kplT-ecLe-PYF

How to do? Welcome to Legends of Adventress. I'm old Jericho Sticks and you're listening to Edge of Midnight. Here's what happened last time. Looking at the tree, you can still see the remnants of Farron's face. You have put your Grim to rest in this place. Keep to the shadows, my lady. This spirit walks its own path. Atop a giant gray steed is Philip Druskenwald, an entire army of death behind him as he charges towards the house. I owe you one. Yeah.

No, think nothing of it. Especially considering I'm gonna tear down your house and we're gonna completely destroy the thing. What? Oh. If I can pay you early with the little trinkets that you required, it's enough skin off my back. You watch as the house is completely leveled by spirit and race, and I'll see you at Chateau Clair d'Loo.

You must be incredibly excited about the masquerade to come. You fall into the most comfortable slumber. You all begin to dream. Yeah. Two brilliant wings and furl all around you. like a moth made of moonlight itself. You rise into the night sky, unbound, unchained, unbroken, and unstoppable.

Finally, a bitter rest. After the terror and death that our protagonist has suffered through, a little bit of rest and relaxation will do them just fine. Now they're in a house made of dreams themselves and able to get a good night's rest. I've heard it said that things are always better in the morning. But there's just one thing.

And Drusk involved, there is no morning. Now, snug in your beds, you fall into the most comfortable slumber you've experienced in years, perhaps ever. You all dream. You're shrouded in mist, overwhelming, choking, all-consuming. You can't control your own limbs. You are powerless. In this misty purgatory, you feel the cold iron of chains that wrap around you. that wrap around you, imprisoning you as you begin to fall.

Down, down, down. You sink deeper and deeper until the darkness entombs you. The grave silences all. Then a break. Your chains are shattered along with the all-consuming mist. You rip yourself away from the broken links and pull yourself out from a cocoon. It's misty threads falling aside as you rise. Two brilliant wings unfurl around you, like a moth made of moonlight itself.

You rise into the night sky, unbound, unchained, unbroken, unstoppable. And then you wake. You all wake up in Chateau Claire DeLoon, safe and comfortable in your beds. It's warm, cozy, exactly what you would expect. You can hear the sounds from the adjoining rooms of All of you stirring. You've all woken up at the same time. That was weird.

Yeah, that was a bit strange, I suppose. What you have to say about that, Virgil? Well, I suppose we should get up for the day. What do you think, Virgil? Virgil? Well, I'm sure you're around some, please. Ooh, shucks. Getting used to sleep in the morning is a little tough.

I'll burst in into the common room. I don't know if anyone's there. I think you would find me. I would be up relatively early. Having wanted to sleep in, but not really able to as much as I, I'm an early riser. You all woke at the same time. Okay. I would have immediately gotten myself ready, gone to the common room and got an ordered tea using the pulley system.

And just requested some sort of tea and enjoyed the morning in the common room until the other stirred and joined. Yeah, you pull on the pulley, you hear the sound of the bell in the hallway. and as you were waiting for one of the servants to arrive to assist you, Briggsie barges in. Whoa! Did anybody else have a dream? Are you all right? Yeah, all right. But when we dream in this fucking place, it's always bad news.

And I'm fairly superstitious about bad news and dreams, mainly the dreams, which are bad news. Well, now that you mentioned it, I did have a dream, which is unusual. and felt familiar and strange in a way, but it certainly didn't feel. And it was about... It looked like to say at the same time. Being a mall. Yeah, it was a moth? Without being a mall.

Oh, my God. And it was actually quite pleasant. It's actually a lot less terrifying than the dreams that I've experienced in Drusk involved. Wait, before you were a moth, do you start in chains? And then, like, you were in a cocoon. Oh, yeah, no, that's... Yeah, that sounds really... How do you know what I dream, dreamt about? Briggsie?

Because I mean, how many shared dreams that we had so we've been in a dressing world? Oh, no. Several. It's usually not a good sign, but I'm with Jericho on this one. It didn't feel ominous. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Yeah, it was quite, I feel chipper, so to speak. I feel like I've really gotten a nice, long rest. Like I feel so... Like I've been so very tired for so long, and I feel like now...

Now I've got a bit more pepin, Mr. I'm in full... Ebenezer's crew to get up with a full... What, like, nightgene with a little cap. Exactly right. I mean, it was kind of pleasant compared to some of the other ones, but... I don't know. Where's Lefika? She might be able to...

you know, pass with the fucking means. What other amenities are in the rooms that we had our beds in? Is there anything, or is it strictly a bedroom? It's strictly a bedroom. There's a small, like, sitting area where if you had books on your person, you could sit and read.

If the servants brought you tea, you'd be able to enjoy tea there. There's a small seating area, like a lounging couch in front of the fireplace for you to enjoy some of the warm, there and then you know that you had the heated stone at the foot of your bed. Oh, very nice. Clothing options. Do I have the ability to, like, do I order something? There is an armwares against the wall, a large one that seems to have a varying amount of

clothing for walking dresses, winter coats, basically anything that Lethika could imagine kneading in this place, and they're all roughly sized to Lethika. It looks like the servants prepared for you to be in this room. I will give myself sort of a bit of a cleaning area, just cleaning in the area where I could sit down and sort of look into a mirror and make sure that I'm looking good. Yeah, the vanity in the corner. Once I finish with the vanity, I'll put on something appropriate for morning wear. And by the time I really like relaxed and take that time, that's,

when I will have burst into the room. Feeling refreshed and ready for breakfast. Donald Africa. Yes, Briggs-Z? You had a dream, too. I did. What does it mean? What does the dream mean?

Yeah, what does it mean? I mean, I feel like the last few times we dreamed, it was spooky and ominous and, you know, grave portings and all that. Yes. You know, Dad, Mantel, Hotels. Ah, ha, ah, ah, I'm saying? I do, and yet I cannot say exactly what the dream means.

I have no idea. Well, maybe it's saying that, uh, on account of our friends being dead, they was holding us back. Ah, that's really morbid. I don't know why I thought that. I don't believe that. I don't know why. I don't believe for a moment that any of us were held back by the others. I truly believe we wouldn't get as far as we did without them. Yes.

No, you're right. We could have done any of that without fairing in Yogi. No, yeah, that's true. That's mighty true. Then why don't we feel after such a sad, sad time? Why is we being delivered that? Especially in this... I mean, this place is looks like it's out of a dream. Looks like less of a house and someone's memory of a house and it's fading. Whoa. There's deep. Oh, yeah. I don't know why I said that. That was some odd shit to say, I suppose.

I do think that the dreams are visiting us, that there is intent. And I do not think it is speaking to the past. It is likely some sign or premonition, something that either is a warning or a sign of what's to come. Well, and for what it's worth, as nice as this place may seem, I still don't trust anything or anyone for that matter. Oh, I mean, I'm willing to trust. I feel like Philip and Adela are the other ones that, you know, are remotely capable around here.

And they've saved our arces. How many times? Several. To say the least. They gave us that nice house. We, I mean, it wasn't so nice, I suppose, and then they destroyed it. We have... But, I mean, they put us up here. This place is mighty. Nice, look at this. We have all the amenities. I haven't lived this fine in my whole life ever.

Speaking of which, I am hungry and I'll pull the chain. You pull a chain and you hear the bell ring down the hallway and You wait for a servant to appear. Does anyone want anything to eat or drink? I see you've already gotten tea. No, there is no tea. No servant has arrived since Mary is pulled on me I see that you already ordered tea perhaps. I attempted, but no one has already had to be. I attempted, but no one has has answered the call, so to speak. We can give them another 10, 15 minutes. Perhaps it is a communal breakfast eating time. You know, sometimes you gotta give him a friendly reminder. You hear the ringing of the bell down the hallway

as it rings ferociously. John Luke certainly heard that. Yeah, he was a real nice, fella. There was Jean-Luc, and then there was all of them puppet folk and them scrodenes. Regardless, as nice as these people may seem, time will tell whether or not we can trust them. As far as I'm concerned, this is the last, well this is the first time. I haven't had to look over my shoulder. And just be worried someone was going to stab me in the back or some hag was going to curse me. Oh, I was going to kill by some horrible crow demon.

Oh, you're captured by a bunch of horny perverted townsfolk. Right, or burn a lot by a creepy perverted priest. Oh, yeah, Zoubrily wouldn't stop eating the cream puffs. It's like guards, you've already had 15, isn't that enough? It wasn't so much the number of cream puffs, but the way that he was eating them. Yeah, why did he have to bite it, bite a new before he closed his lips and skirt the cream of you? And the thing that he did with his tongue? What a weird, weird, weird, weird guy.

Gosh, I'm glad that Rixie exploded him in the core and viscera with his voodoo gun. Yeah, I'm glad to. Marius, I need you to roll a perception check for me. This just been nice. I'd be honored. It's just been nice. It really has been. And I guess he technically killed me.

I'm not really sure. Eleven. That's enough. You have felt unease since you woke up. Damn straight. Grigsie seems comfortable. Jericho even so. Lethaca is dressed in a beautiful pale lavender dress that befits this place, and she seems

to be assimilating to it fairly well, but there's something about this morning, though mornings don't happen in Drusk involved, this early dusk, that you... It doesn't feel right to you. You can still hear the faint echoing of the bell ringing down the hallway, and it's been about 20 minutes since you called for tea. You remember before you slept, when you rang the bell, there was someone there within minutes. And if Philip and Adela are what they say they are, there is no reason that someone wouldn't

come to your assistance, especially after the thrashing that Briggsie gave the bell. Something must be wrong. And as you are listening to your friend's chatter about their feelings about things and their comfortableness here, you notice something, a color that is all too familiar to you. The color of rose petals, the color red,

the window that faces into this room, that looks out across the more, had been filled with the soft milk light of the moon. But now that you look down at your hands, you see that your skin is tainted with a faint red shift. You look about the entire room, and you realize it's almost as if there's a red filter coating this place. Your eyes shift to the window,

and you see the milk light of the moon that shines into this room is not milk white at all, but blood red. I think I'm gonna order waffles. Well, it would be certainly nice if we could get some. And without a word, I stand up and I walk over to the window, and I look out it, trying to see where the source of this light seems to be coming from.

And if it's just me who notices it, I abruptly stand up and walk calmly over to where the window is. You all right, Marius? You make your way to the window in your room. unaware of what time it truly is. The crimson light getting brighter and brighter as it shines through the glass. When you arrive and finally look up at the night sky, you see it. The hag moon, with its leering crooked teeth, is a deep red, weeping, bloody tears.

And in an instant, the ceiling crumbles away, and you see the sky bathed in a bloody glow as massive droplets of crimson tears crash down on the moors and landscapes all around you. Chateau, Clarede-Loon, is... in ruins, you're standing in the middle of these moors. The entire place bathed in this bloody light as a literal downpour of blood droplets spatter against your clothing and your skin.

The hag moon ever leering at you, her face crying in pain. I would immediately, even though I'm completely stunned at the shift that's happening, looking down at myself, I would quickly spin around to see if I see my friends. Do we all see this? You all see this. Ah! Ah!

No! What happened? The bell jingo thing. What the fuck just happened? I would, like, smell the- You don't even need to put it up to your face. The smell is overwhelming. The scent of iron that fills this space now.

You are, it is taking all of your self-control. to keep yourself together. As you try and wipe the blood from your clothing, you do nothing but smear it as more rains down around you. I would, having turned to face my friends to see if they have now experienced what I'm experienced as they are,

I would immediately begin to take several steps back and distance myself from them, especially Lethika, as I'm trying to wipe the blood from my face to keep it out of my mouth and my nose and my eyes. and I'm struggling to do so. Damn the gods, why is this? What is this? No, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay.

I don't know if it's okay, actually. Just stay back. Don't get any closer. No, each wrong. Lefica just stayed off. 10 feet away. I'm going to race over to the basin where I believe that there should be

like a water pitcher or something that we would have been able to have overnight. When I pour it into a glass, it's no water. I would put myself behind Briggsie between between Lethika and like you are, you would,

I would have, like, had you between. And I would try to like get in front as well. Are our rooms still there? It was just like. You find yourself in what appear to be the ruins of Chateau-Claude-Lum. And you see the foundations of what were rooms at any given point, but they have crumbled

and everything is just covered now in this raining blood. You're standing, for all intents and purposes, on the more. The chateau is behind you. It's not as if you're in the room itself. If I go to the foundation where my room was, are any of my effects there? You would have a difficult time

with how big the chateau is. You're out front. You're essentially in the front courtyard. So we just sort of got like, shalooped. Shlooped. Hard to say. This is where you're standing.

As I'm standing behind Briggs, I'm shaking, and my hands are drenched in blood. and as I look at them, I begin to, like, cut my hands. No, I'm going to lunge forward and try to smack your hands as blood. No, you're going to get no blood from here, man. It's just me. It's just I'm all burlap and drawn and wooden metal. Just me, focus on me.

I'm going to grab you by the lapels and be like, thank you. Keep me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, you're right here. Help me. Yeah. Yeah, no, you're good, you're good. Uh, I would, I, my banjo's, actually, I don't even know where,

where my banjo is. Is there a song that helps, that helps you? Uh, uh, uh, don't you cry tonight. I still love you, baby. Oh, that's not the right one. I don't know how much long that I can resist. No, no, no, no. Did we, should we restrain you?

No, I'm just worried about, uh, drinking whatever this is. No, don't, whoa, hold on. Maybe if we just, the rain in blood, he won't cry for No, who knows what it'll happen. Maybe you'll turn into a horrible blood vampire monster. That's mostly that. Is this the night of sin? Is that mother night?

Is it actually happening? Was it just delayed? Did we stop nothing? You're gonna get out of the fucking rain. Yeah, I would immediately. All around you, falling tears of blood from the blood moon above you increase in speed and severity in which they fall, until the rocky highlands all around you are coated in blood.

And then you see a massive orb of blood directly above you. You have no time to act as it smashes down atop the crumbled chateau and splashing in a massive tidal wave of blood that sweeps all of you away. You tumble through the thick, viscous liquid, rushing like a red tie until it finally slows down and totally stills.

You all burst out of a bubbling pool of blood coated in thick crimson. Is it fair to say that Marius might have gotten someone in his mouth? A hundred percent. However, as you get your bearings, the heat and humidity hits you as you realize you're now in the midst of a temple ruin,

surrounded by thousands of miles of sprawling jungle. Directly before you, loops a huge statue of a striking cobra. What the fuck? Am I still covered in blood? No. You are coming out of a pool of bloody warm in the middle of the jungle.

I would be drinking it. There'd be no way that with the tidal wave and the flood and getting in my mouth that I wouldn't have succumbed to the temptation. The rest of you scramble out of this bubbling bloody pool in the middle of this jungle as you watch Marius just shoveling handfuls of blood into his mouth, the drinking down gulp after gulp of this warm, red irony liquid. The rest of you are able to grab fronds from the nearest trees

and wipe the blood from your bodies as it slowly begins to dry in this heat. Though it's humid around you, it's still drying and you feel yourself slowly begin to, you feel yourself slowly begin to feel the blood start to flake away, and it's not coating every area of you anymore. Go ahead, you go ahead. I will instinctually grab from my flitlock

and pull it out of my belt, but realize that I'm covered and this is blood-stained, like, nightgown with my little calf is hopefully still on. It was very well affixed your head. You look at yourself and you realize that the clothes that you were wearing, that you remember wearing Chateau Claire DeLoon, are not the same.

You were wearing khaki adventurers' outfits. You have a hat atop your head that's perfect for walking through the jungles at your hip where you would normally find your cutlass, you find a machete. Oh, what is this? Crossroads? Is this you? Oh, no.

Marius, are you all right? Virgil, what should we do? Virgil, where are you? Just let him get his feel. And I would drink until I started to feel some sort of, Yes. You start to feel dizzy and sick. And slow, like, so I just had to slow down almost, you know.

And you do get to the point where you feel overburdened by the blood that you you've been drinking and you begin to pull yourself out of the pool and you find a leaf next to you, you wipe your mouth clean. But aside, as of now, you feel no effects from the blood that you've drank. I will have instinctively kind of stepped

in between Marius and Lefica. I don't know what you're doing in this moment is you're kind of getting at. In this moment, I'm realizing that the blood is flaking off and I am wearing a really nice teal button down, a broad hat, the khaki pants with the, I'm basically Emily Blunt from Jungle Cruise. Yeah.

Exactly right. Exactly right. And realizing that these effects are on my purse, I'll reach into my back pocket and pull out a handkerchief. And Jericho, please, give this to Marius. Oh yeah, sure, sure. Gosh, why am I wearing shorts? My legs are so skinny.

You have weird bony sticks. Yeah, yeah. We're off from, they call them pantaloons. Oh, I miss him. Gosh, I wish I could have leg day, and I walk over to Marius. Marius, are you all right? Thank you, and I'll snatch the handkerchief

and begin to blot my face. And as you begin to calm down, as, The bubbling pool. It's still there, but the scent of it is no longer so tantalizing to you. You are able to take in this scene where you are in the middle of this jungle standing in the midst of these crumbling temple ruins. This cobra statue in front of you poised to strike,

but motionless as it's covered in the growth of the jungle, as the jungle has clearly for many years, been reclaiming this temple as its own. I'll be waving my machete around at the cobra. Machete. Machete. That's a cobra, right? It doesn't look like a crocodile in any sort of way?

No, that's not a cobra. That's a big old snake. That's a snake, right? Yeah, that's a big little snake. Are we not having a shared dream or some sort of shared experience? That's what I was going to ask you all. I think we're still dreaming. dreaming. Moments ago we were in the chateau and then we were outside in the rain and then there was a moon. A tidal wave. I always dream of tidal waves. I would guess that this jungle is familiar to you,

Rixie. Feels fucking familiar. But this ain't no crocodile. No. You know, I certainly wasn't wearing this fucking kid up. But it feels familiar. I would love to say that this isn't real, but as vile as all of that was, and I apologize for losing my calm. No, it's okay. It happens to the best of us. I mean, Virgil would tell you, if he was here, Virgil, you wouldn't know what to do. Virgil. That was vile and delightful at the same time. I feel sick.

I may have over-indulged too much. Just take it easy. All right. It's okay. It's better you drink from the pool than from Africa. Yes, I agree. Although God's nose whose blood or what? Blood that is.

Yeah, I mean, is that even... I mean, it looks... It smells like blood. That, truth be told. Look, if this is a dream, all we gotta do is wake up, right? And with any luck, it is a dream. All of this is behind us. Somebody pinch me.

I pitch him. Not too hard, but enough to lay... It hurts. Some of your flesh is... I apologize. I don't know my own strength. It didn't even really feel like... I try to like paste it back on your flesh.

Let me try. It hurts. Yes, I felt that, and I'm still here. I'm out of ideas. There is a way of getting out of here, and I think it is... We have to see where the dream takes us, what it is trying to show us. Alright, crossroads. Come out!

Come out! Do I smell any rum or gunpowder or... gunpowder or hot iron. A roll of perception. In the air. I think that's a nine. No, you do not. Come on, Virgil. Help us out.

You wouldn't know what to do. You have that big old brain. Big old bird brain. Wait, where is Virgil? He ain't here. I don't know. I don't hear him. I don't feel him. I don't see him. So you're free from Virgil in your dreams. I don't know.

Is that a key artist? Virgil, my little kid artist. Does that mean he can wake us up? I don't know. Trying to talk to him. Trying to be like... I've been trying to talk to him. Virgil!

I miss you, Virgil. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. We can still be friends. You said this place, it seems familiar to you. Do you see a path or anything or do you have feelings of which way perhaps we might be able to find something, another landmark, much like this snake? I'm just to clarify.

Not literally this exact place. I've went to a place kind of like to. went from the shore through the swamp deep into the jungle found a temple to an ancient crocodileian god that's where I was cursed this is different it's not the same god or whatever well you think it's maybe a snake-edillion god of some kind well I guess it's all vaguely reptilian or snakes reptilian I mean, snake is a snake. I'm concerned.

That's all I'm gonna say. If the last one was Mary's dream, this is my dream. I take full responsibility for whatever happens. I pray that these are dreams. Well, I'll have this for a reason. Well, maybe if we ain't dreaming, maybe we got, after doing such a good job, we just got sent home, and we just got to get our way out of the jungle and find a ship home.

So as he's saying that I'm going to walk up to, if there's like a path that I can clear with my machete, my machete. Yeah, there's a bunch of the jungle you can imagine that you can clear. And you begin to do so. You have traveled through the jungle before and you know that this is the way. When the jungle reclaims its spaces, there are no paths to be seen. You have to forge one on your own. You leave the temple behind and venture into the jungle proper. the dense underbrush and draping vines, making the trip incredibly difficult.

All around you, you hear the life of the jungle. But as you look to try to spy what creatures are around you, you see strange beasts you've never seen before. Some look like dinosaurs, others like large cats, but they look more like the stuff out of a fever dream than real animals. And none of them interact with you. They seem to notice you, but they don't react like predators. though they look like predators.

You know what kind of weird gross aminals these are? Anybody? I've never seen anything like this in my life. I have zero experience with any kind of jungle, flora or fauna. Only what I have read in books. In my long life, I have never come to a place like this. No, nothing like this.

Well, this feels like crossroads. It is as hot as I have read, though. Yeah. Maybe that's why I have shorts on. Anyways, we have, maybe, maybe we can talk to, maybe we can talk to one of them and say, Oh, I'll plug, do I have a bandjoker of any kind? Do I have my, no, I don't. Maybe I'll, I'll sing a tune.

Um, uh, gosh, I, uh, we are in the jungle. We've got fun in games. we just came full up from a pool of blood and we have questions for you, crazy animals and I've also done God the Rooza Twice this session. It's very funny. Animals, please be soothed by Savage Be Soothed by my tunes.

And for all that you can see, they are soothed by the tunes as none of them make a move to attack you. or to engage with you in an aggressive way at all. Hmm. I'm gonna try to walk towards one. Okay. You do.

Be careful, Jerry. You see what appears to be some sort of large dinosaur. It seems almost more round than you would expect it to be. Its colors are vibrant. It fits in really well with the bright colors of the jungle. But the reds are incredibly red. red. The yellow of the underbelly is almost like a neon yellow. Not at all the type

of natural colors you would expect to see on a dinosaur. Does it seem kind of like almost cartoonish? Almost. Uh, uh, uh, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da. Deh, da, da, da, da, da. What are you doing? Come on, can you take us out of here, big guy? I love you.

You love me. You see a purple T-Rex begin to make its way out of the tree line. It's incredibly large. It towers over all the rest. Its head is shaped almost boxy in comparison to what you would expect a T-Rex to look like. And it charges forward menacingly. And as it stops next to you, it begins to rock back and forth. And if a T-Rex could smile, it would.

Oh, hey, it's me. We're friends. We're friends now. Hi, my name is old Jericho Stix, but you can call me Jericho most folk do. This crow is, well, oh, I guess there's no crow. I'll introduce you to further later. This is my friend Briggsie, Marius, and Lethaca. We just came here.

We're not trying to intrude on your home, and you've got a lot of good-looking, nice, friendly-looking friends. We're just trying to get out of here. We're just trying to get home. We was in a place called Chateau-Claude-Loon in the realm of Druskinvold. If you know where that is, we'd appreciate a lift. They both just stare down at you. They don't seem capable of speech. Though they do make noises,

the noise as the Tyrannosaurus Rex opens its mouth, you expect to hear this ferocious roar, but instead you hear roar. It sounds almost comical coming from a creature of this size. You see the two of them run up against each other, almost as if they're play fighting, and then just as quickly as it came, it turns and makes its way back into the underbrush.

And you find yourselves now alone here. How you sked him off? The animals here to keep you company. Something is severely wrong. This doesn't seem like any kind of ferocious creature I've ever seen before. All this feels bizarre. Am I wrong? It feels out of place.

I've never been in no jungle, But, I mean, Briggs, if you think this is not jungle-esque compared to what you experienced. There's nothing like I've ever seen, but I think that's the point. This is a dream. So nothing's going to make sense. Nothing's going to be real. It's all a little off. But, I mean, for what it's worth, I think they're friendly.

I think they're just kind of, they're playing with each other and keeping an eye on us, maybe protecting us. From Crossroads. I'm starting to believe that Briggs is right. which provides me a great deal of relief. We just gotta figure out a way to get out of here. Oh no, follow me. I wanna keep going through the jungle and looking for any kind of cross paths,

anything that could be construed as a crossroads. Real perception check. We'll use this guy. I don't know it's that high when you look. Oh no, it's actually higher. It's 13. Hey! Okay.

You press onward. And after pushing aside, at a huge frond of a fern, you are all face to face with a shrieking woman. Her skin boiled off and her eyes bubbling. Through a lipless mouth, she shrieks in pain and anger as she points at you with an accusatory condemnation. There's a chill to your bones as she screams. That chill fills the air. The air gets frosty, cold to the touch. Your breath comes out in whips of smoke. With one final deathly shriek,

the entire jungle around you is frozen as the woman disappears. The plant life and animals of the jungle have been encased in ice, like ice sculptures frozen in time. You are all frozen along with them. Then, in a moment, the ice sculpture's shadow and fall to the ground

and an icy wind blows past you. You are in the middle of a blizzard, trudging through a mountain pass as the snow rises to your knees, yet you do not feel the cold. The visibility is poor, but you see ahead of you through the pass a small red light that calls you forward.

There. Do you see that? Yeah, I saw it. This has to be a dream. Perhaps that's all way out. Are we made a ice? No, you were encased in ice, but you've broken free of it.

What are you wearing? You look down and you see that you are all covered in furs and heavy coats, winterwear, garb suitable for this type of weather. I don't think that we should delay even a moment, for if we lose that light, I fear what comes next. I think if that all happened, I would have broken out. Ah!

I'm sure it's screaming out if I saw a skinless woman with the boiling eyes screaming at it. Jericho! Jericho! Jericho! Focus! Focus! This is a dream. Briggs E. is right. None of this is real. Who the fuck was there? Does it matter?

Think about how absurd all of this is. It's just weird, spooky stuff. Was that crossroads? No, that would... I don't think it was crossroads. It's Mr. Crossroads. Oh, yeah. It's not Mrs. Crossroads or Ms. Crossroads. Please, Jericho, you helped me keep it together,

and now I need you to do the same for me, all right? All right, all right. We can do this. None of this is real. I just feel a little out of the source. That Virgil here, he's my emotional support, you know? I just, I feel mighty alone. The four of us will be okay. We have each other. But, but fuck, it's cold.

You don't feel the cold. You don't feel the cold. Oh. Oh, it's pleasant, actually. We should be freezing to death. And I've got like a huge ring of fur, ice-clam in style. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna ask. Um, we should be freezing to death,

but we are somehow being protected. I think I was right that we are being guided through these visions. Take good note of everything that we see, but be not afraid. Lethika's right. I feel as though I can steal myself. Well then why don't you lean the rest of the way? I'm done, lady. You did good, Briggs.

Thank you. You couldn't have known that it was crazy gross over there. This green lettuce. No, I didn't know. No. I didn't know, no. I didn't know, man. I didn't want that.

She'd came out of no way to bring it. I was what I'm looking for. If these are visions, though, as Lathica suggests, we need to make note of everything that's happening. Perhaps there is a message, or some sort of lesson to be learned here, something to be gleaned. For some, dreams are a way of processing,

processing and digesting trauma or grief or hardship. Trying to solve problems. It is possible that These are merely images, but I think that there is something more. I hope you're right. It would help me immensely knowing that I didn't drink that God-forsaken blood. Probably not. I'm probably no know this is real. Come on. Stay close. We'll be all right.

Now I've got some stylish, comfy fur boots. That's nice. And even if it's slow, we begin to trudge towards this red light that is beckoning us. As you press onward through the blizzard, you suddenly feel something watching you. As you turn, you see an enormous black shape through the sheets of snow and sleet. Amidst this black shape, two huge red eyes peer at you ever watching.

Do you guys feel there? No, I'm sorry. Briggs. Prigsie, please. Calm down. Call. No, it's okay, it's okay. Remember the amynolds are friendly.

Remember the eminels? Steal yourself, please. What do you think it is? Does it look familiar? You think it's a dinosaur? It is roll a, roll an intelligence check. This is gonna be a plus one. Come on.

No. You have a million twists and you choose not to use those. It wouldn't be in sex. No, that's okay. That's true. Does anyone else notice? What is that thing? I'll look and see if my memory is jog.

Roll an intelligence check. Five twists. Red-eyed black shapes that we see in the past. You are too horrified by what you're, you're saying on top of that, everyone else is wearing weather appropriate clothes. You're still wearing shorts. Oh, dang!

But you also have on boots with the fur. Gosh, I'm like that overpowered kid from high school who wore shorts in winter and a hoodie during summer. You need to have the red flannel like your hat? Yes, I absolutely. Deer-Hunter. Yeah, deer-hunter hat. But yes, you're far too distracted and you...

I am? No, no, Jericho is. I pulled that five twists for you. For a perception or intelligence? Intelligence check, because this is recollection. I have a very big brain. What is that, Marius? What is that?

I have very big brains. What? Oh, brains. Who's brains? All right, I'd like to try. What did you get? You get. Plus five.

No, no, eight. I just have to roll well. I have plus zero to intelligence. Five twists. But I just have to roll well. Five quests. Okay, come on. Come on.

Yeah, 9018 and plus five is 23. No bonus. None. That's not enough. What? I'm kidding. No, this is, you immediately think about the very first day that you arrived in Dreskenball.

That shape, that black shape with the red eyes looming in the tree line. just behind you, ever watching. That giant creature, whatever it was, followed you all throughout Fulcens. It was ever present in the woods around you. And you feel that here, as you look at its shape, you see that it is one and the same.

You recognize it, Marius. I'm extremely distracted. Stop doing that. Stop it. Stop doing that. Is it a woolly mammoth? No, I don't, I can't say that I've ever seen any kind of a mammoth or anything like that. Orchard stories. It feels familiar. Remember the very first day, the moments that we stepped off that train.

Yeah, right. The thing that has been stalking us incessantly. The woolly mammoth. Oh, not. No. Did we ever, we never get a glimpse of it? You never did it. We just know that it's a large creature and this fits that, that, that,

That's that profile. The silhouette is the same. Seeing it, I would instinctively reach to my side for my sword. You reach the side for your sword, and you don't find a sword there, but you find a canteen filled with water. Damn. We're a friendly.

If it hasn't attacked us yet, I'd be surprised if it did now. That being said, I'm unarmed. Does anyone recognize where we were? It looks similar to Briggs. The last place was similar to where Briggsie was. Has anyone been in the ice and the cold

and the frozen wasteland before? The cold is no stranger, but I'm not sure I'd recognize this place. You don't recognize this place. I don't even need to make you roll for it. It's very clear this is not a place that you have ever been. I stand by what I said. I've never been in the place like this. Well, we don't mean you no harm.

Big, big goat that I actually think we just saw like face to face and also a shared vision from Mother Midnight. I'm hoping it's not one of those. There's just now you're probably just a memory or, you know, just a bad. As you continue to walk along, you notice that the shape continues to move with you.

Always watching, never closer. but never retreating, just falling along as you move forward. Are we still tracking them? There is one singular red light. That's up to you whether you're gonna continue to propel forward towards. I would be trying to, for sure.

I'm doing my best to keep my eye on this creature, but not coax it, not startle it, right? Just observing it as it is observing us as we press forward and continue watching this light. You feel like you're being stalked and hunted, like prey. And then the shape in the blizzard is suddenly gone just as quickly as it arrived. The red light ahead of you is finally growing larger. You're almost there. You charge onward, drawn forward, and finally arrive where you were meant to be. Standing before you is a large statue

of slick black stone carved in the shape of a terrible monster of the most feverish nightmares. Equal parts cephalopod and crustacean, but far more awful. Where an eye would be, a single ruby sits in the socket shining down at you. The light gets brighter and brighter until it turns orange and you feel a terrible hunger, until you are all blinded by the light. After a moment of this blinding light, it shrinks back down to a singular circle of glowing light that races towards you as you find yourself in the middle of a street, in a huge metropolis.

The light is the singular headlight of a Magikar that speeds towards you. It's Magitech horn blaring as it gets closer. What do you do? Oh, I would, yeah, tuck it. What to each of you do? Tuck and roll, like dive out of the way so I don't get run over if I think this is

some sort of immediate threat. I too would immediately die. I think I would be so overwhelmed and horrified. I wouldn't have any sense of what the fuck this is, I don't think. So, yeah, I'm gonna deer in the headlight. I'm literally gonna stand there and be like, ah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, I don't move.

Lava, huh? Lavaica also rolls. Oh, you roll. I run. I will, I will look and bruise. No, we gotta go, man, we gotta go. We gotta go. Ah!

We can die! Oh, oh, oh, thank you, Lee. All of this, You would do. You try to do, but you feel like you cannot move your body. You cannot lift a limb or even a finger. Oh, this is the worst.

The magical car crashes into you and passes through you as if you were not there at all, speeding off and rounding a corner, disappearing behind a huge looming building into the gloom ahead. Suddenly, your ability to move returns to you and you realize you're in the streets of what can only be Galtica,

the largest city in all of a ventrace. You look around an empty street and realize you can see no color, only shades of gray. I think I would be aware of what Galtic is. I never would have been there. No. Would any of us have known what a Magitech vehicle is? I have to think that would be my first time ever seeing anything like that. I think the only person, I think Lethika would know what a magic tech vehicle is.

It's possible that I've been to Galtuck. I think it's possible Lethica has been to Galtuck. I think it's also possible that Briggsie would have been to Gulligan. I think with, he would definitely have heard of it. He probably, he'd probably know friends that have been thrown in prison. Yeah. In Galtaica, because they sailed too close,

so they tried to like steal from the harbor and- I think that I mentioned in session one about being in Yona, walking or seeing Magic Tech trains somewhere. Basically far off in the distance, the Magic, not the Ghost Light Express, but Magic Tech trains. Right. And like just seeing it from the distance, like, not going near,

but I would be completely, completely overwhelmed. I'm completely overwhelmed. How are we dressed? You are all dressed to the nines. You look absolutely spectacular. Lethika is in a beautiful midnight purple flapper dress. Her hair is in curls around her mask. A headband holds aloft, a couple of peacock feathers.

The rest of you are in beautiful suits, your shoes, your black shoes, shine in the city lights. All of you have canes and top hats. Marius, you notice that you are holding in your hand what appears to be a cigarette holder. And you can feel in your pocket that you clearly have a pack of cigarettes.

A smokes. My hair slipped back. Of course, I'm not weird shorts, right? No, you're not wearing shorts. Tuxedo shorts. I'll, like, twill around my cane. Ooh, gosh, I haven't had one of these for a dance number in a long time.

It's just like what Virgil has. Oh, I mean, oh. Oh, no, not this again. Chips, I'm dressed to the minds, I am. Well, this sure is indeed the proper caper. I told me, I heard tale of a fine, fancy folk Coming from the big city, and the biggest city of all of Galtica is the shining jewel of Yonah, the shining jewel of avatres. This is Galtica.

Oh, yes. This is Galtica. This is the big city, the great Matarotrapness on Yonar. Unbelievable. Have you been? Once, very briefly. Oh, I've only heard of it. I've heard Lox's stories.

It was a younger city then when I visited it last, but it is still very much the same. the same air, the same people. I feel like I need a better fancy voice than the one I normally have. That one's basically perfected. No, no. I think your normal voice is just fine. I don't know. I feel so low-class. No, no, no, I insist, please. It's wonderful. Well, I never dressed as fancy.

I feel like in just a handful of hours I'm dressed fancier than I ever had instead of a torn old coat and torn old pants and tore old boots and torn old hat. All these different outfits, I would say that it is fun if it were not for the horrors that come in between. Do I have a cigar in my coat? You do. Oh, I've got it. Hold on. Yeah.

See? Yeah. Briggs, are you all right? Briggs. I mean, that's pretty good, Briggs. I got like that. Oh, you like that? Yeah, I'm trying to fit in, is.

You really? Yeah. Play the park. Garsh, I don't know. You were such a big city slicker. I didn't know you're just a city slicker, oh, off the story of the mobster, see? Oh, the famous lobster mobster,

down from where I'm from. He used to talk like this. Lathagar, I'm worried about Briggsie. I am too. He is losing it. I don't remember him doing voices, and then suddenly he just starts doing it. If the city guard hears him speaking like this,

they will take him and hang him from the neck until he is dead. Well, with any luck, It doesn't seem like we can interact with anything here. I mean, that, that, that, that thing. The carriage went straight through us. That may have just been the grace of our transition here. We could be hit by the next card that rolls through.

But perhaps we should move. And, if this place is as large as you all say that it is, where did it go? I'd like to see that the coppers try. I'll never take me alive. Briggs, are you feeling well? No, stop. Let's continue.

I mean, pretty good. I like it. I like it. Yeah. I think that's pretty good. But let's look around for some coppers. We'll keep it eye out for coppers and mobsters and other type folk and other crazy cars. As you wander the gray streets, you finally see some color. A purple glow emanating from the open door of a jazz club on the corner. A sign hangs overhead that reads, cockatrice on a lance. And the inviting glow in the club fills you with desire and it calls to you invitingly. Does anyone else see that purple glow? Oh. Maybe this is your vision or dream. If you've been here and it's purple, sort of kind of your thing, your color. Just because I so commonly wear purple does not mean that this is for me. But I'm you not the only one that's been here.

What was the red light in the frozen wasteland for? I don't know, maybe that was Jericho and he just blacked out and forgot about being in frozen dungeon. You think it's possible? Well, I guess I do black out quite a bit, especially when Virgil gets mighty hungry and gets a leash and all that, and people get ed up. But I don't think I've ever been particularly in such a snowy environment outside of, you know, winter down in the country. No, and unless I am at the top of the highest mountains, I have never been in a place like that. I propose we go in. Is this really what Galtica is like?

There are usually more people. This is a light night. It must be a Sunday. Yeah, you see absolutely no one on the streets around you. If we... If we escape all of this, we somehow make it home. Would you take me? Oh. To Caltech again? Yes.

It is a wonderful city. It would be my pleasure. Lovely. Got him? It's gonna be really fun. Can I go? It's gonna be really fun when we all go to golf. Oh, that's gonna be such a fun trip. Okay, wait. We should.

All of us should go. Well, especially, well, I don't know if they kind of let weird and gross scarecoes when they walk around and punk and patches come into the big city, but I mean, I feel like I clean that pretty nice. All rotting zombie crocodile pirates. If we make it home, we make it out of all of this, perhaps, we'll all be set right.

Oh! Maybe we look at you pseudonyms sneak in and fit in with the regular old gold-de-kings. Okay. We're okay. I'm just saying we can dress like this. Just like the dream and we can be like, remember that one time, we all shared that weird creepy dream.

We all dressed fine. We're all in shades of grey as well. Just blacks and whites and gray is... Oh. And we'll have to, you know, adopt characters so they don't know our identities. Like we can't care about. No, I don't know.

Like mobsters. You know? Yeah, I can be the lobster, mobster. And all those, them tales of the singer's scene always ended in horrible tragedy and bloodshed and violence? I'm just saying, if I walk in as a pirate, I think, oh, you know, they'll hang me from the neck until dead.

You can dress however you want, Briggsie. Well, I'm just not normally used to dress it like this. There's no time like the present to change, right? You might need some emotional support, you know, to play a different role. Play like a lobster mops. That's all I'm asking. I don't know the tale of the lobster. I don't know the tale of the lobster,

but I don't know the tale of the altos. Who? You know, woke up this morning, got some gobble gul. You haven't heard that one? No, I haven't heard that one. I don't think any of us have any idea what you're talking about you. But I'm pretty sure it comes from Galsakow.

Yeah. Oh, is it related to gobble goo? No, I don't think so. Oh. Anyways, maybe we should listen. Maybe they're serving up some. nice supper down at the jazz club. Are we taking on different names? Well, there's nobody to take a night name with.

The streets are empty. Do we hear anything? Do you hear music spilling out on the street? Well, perhaps the musicians will be able to tell us what is going on. Or this is calling your things. So, why don't you need the way? Follow me, gentlemen. You step inside the bizarrely named jazz club and see a crowded lounge

as low, brassy music fills the air. You try to see the people that surround you and realize that they are strangers in shades of gray and that none of them have faces. The purple glow fills the room along with the music, casting a seductive glow as the voiceless patron smoke on cigarettes and cigars, a haze of tobacco filling the air. You see a table that would easily seat the four of you. There is what appears to be a goblin woman singing soft jazz as a band backs her. her flapper dress shaking. But you see no face. Where there should be a face,

it is just a blank slate, no contours for nose, mouth, or eyes. Well, I get a sense that I could, like, order a drink or talk to this individual, even though... She's a singer, so no, but you, there are people... She doesn't have a face either? No, nobody in here has faces.

And as you look around, you do get the idea that you could motion for a drink, and one could be brought to you. As you move through this place, people move out of the way. You hear the sounds of talking and voices and speaking, but there are no lips on any of these patrons

to produce that sound. But there's laughter in the corner, and you see a couple off to the side that are flirting, clearly happy, and enjoying their evening. This city is all inhabited by, strange ghosts. What do we normally do next? Do we sit down?

Are we helped? If we were here for real, I would propose we find a table and order a first round of drinks. I will do just that, and I will lead us to... One of the tables close up to the band and the singing, the main stage.

And getting the attention of one of the waiters or waitresses wait until they're ready to accept an order. Yeah, just as quickly as you sit down, someone comes by to the table, doesn't take an order, but quickly puts a whiskey in front of each of you. And then bustles away just as quickly as they came.

Well, this is where the city is. This is a mighty fine place. I'd really like to come here if we all survived Druskinball and make it home. Very presumptuous. I had hopes to order a drink. I almost wish this wasn't a dream or a vision. This is kind of nice.

Again, when we are here for real, the people will be more amenable. It will be twice the crowd four times. And I could get us a death in the afternoon. It's a delicious drink of champagne and absinth, a classic in Galtica. Oh, that sounds kind of nice. Cheers. Do they have faces in Caltica? Yes.

This is a smoothie. It is inhabited by ghosts. I'm gonna drink like a genuine, well-to-do haberdasher, is the whey. You drink down the whiskey, and it is smoky and smooth. Oh. Oh. No faces. Lefica.

You basically don't have a face. I have two faces. It's the opposite. It's the opposite. It's the opposite of no faces. But two faces make a no face. What are they saying? Classic saying, dear.

If you're referring to the lack of features on my mask, then I suppose one could say that. My point is that they're all sort of anonymous, by having no face. Kind of like your mask, is all I'm gonna say. You think they let me play a tune? I've never seen just a fine piano up there. Oh, can I taste the whiskey like normal, like I used to be able to? You can. Oh, dear.

Can I taste the whiskey? You can. Oh, it would burn a little. It feels so difficult. Wait a minute, is this what Virgil tastes when I drink whiskey? He's been hugging it all. That's right.

Oh, have another place. This is delightful. You put your hand up, and almost immediately, another whiskey is placed in front of you. You drink one, two, three, four. You expect that dizzy feeling of the gentle buzz as you consume the alcohol to arrive, but it never comes.

You can drink as much as you want with no repercussions. Let me see if they still adhere to this custom when I was in the Gautica last. And I will reach expecting to find paper money in my dress pocket wherever I might be able to find. You find a small coin pouch. It's almost like a chain back. that you are able to pull open and this wire ring expands

and you can reach down into it and pull out. It's very small, only enough to carry a handful of coins and a couple of bills, but you do find Galtican currency in this bag. Jericho. Yes. They accept paper as money here. Paper? If you take paper, money?

And you give that to CD Fishbowl there on the stage? They would let you play the piano, I think. Well, I've seen a lot of creepy things, a lot of crazy, crazy things, Miss Lefika. Like a giant, no pope turning into a horrible gargloat, even flying to the moon getting exploded. Yes. I've seen a crazy crooked house, and all my friends get turned into mash and go into a strange favor. Yes. Paper money is probably the craziest thing you ever did say.

It is a strange city, I will tell you. Gosh. Well, I'll take it. Oh, and if they give you any trouble, tell them you're with old Davy Tootief, Lobster, mobster. Is that a real person? Well, it is now. I'll give you a wink.

Right. The first wink, the eye comes out, and the second wink, it comes back in, like, one of those, like, pop things. Gross. Well, I'll go to the fish ball, I suppose. I don't know if they let weird and gross scarecrows play the piano here, but I'll walk on a girl.

You stand up as smoke continues to fill the room, and the visibility gets low as the music dolls to a sultry romantic love song. All of your attention is turned to another side of the room where you see the silhouette in the corner. More of a shadow than a man. He sits in the darkest corner of the club. He's tall, thin, and alluring, drinking from a whiskey glass and smoking a cigarette on a thin

black holder. He raises a ringed hand and gestures all of you closer. He acknowledges us? Mm-hmm. the tenting close the piano. Oh. Do you see that feller over there? Yes.

He seems to know us, to want our presence. No one else is noticing us, right? He looks gone on like Vigo Worn andson. That little bit doesn't... I think it immediately goes to the table. If you remember Vigo Votens is canon in this campaign. Oh, I forgot about that. As the brass tones of the saxophone wails to the club,

you feel that sense of design. as you're drawn to him. His cigarette is now in his hand as you approach. The shadow never revealing the face of the man who beckoned you here. As a smoke billows from a cigarette now as if from a wildfire. The room is filled with choking smoke as the music fades along with the man in the corner. Oh. The last thing you hear me say is, but how can paper be money?

It isn't worth anything. What it takes to fade the new... Then, you have to feel. You feel a sudden drop. In your hearts, your stomach, and your feet. And you fall through the smoke and plunge into dark and murky water. Muck into tritis of a cold black lake surround you as you sink deeper and deeper into the depths. You're drowning.

You know it's over. But then you realize you can speak and you can breathe. No, no. It ended too soon. Where are we? Oh, God. No. Where are we?

No. What are we wearing? Um, you're all naked. I'm just kidding. No! You weren't all wearing your regular clothes. No, that was actually a really nice place. Wait, what's happening?

Did anyone get a glimpse of the gentleman in the corner? Did anyone see his face? No, he was shadows. And he was mighty alluring if I do say so myself. Damn. You could have been. The shadow man. Where the fuck are we now?

How are we talking and briefing? Yeah, I begin to look around trying to like take in our surroundings and see if I can see anything. That might give us a hint of what's going on. I think, I don't know how to swim. I really sink, yeah. All around you is just the murkiness of the water.

You look up and you can see what is very clearly a moon or a sun or something shining above, that orb that's present on the surface of the water. And you can see how the water gets, it starts off fairly, light gets darker and darker and darker and darker and where you are is very much towards the middle of this. It's not completely pitch black,

but you can see beneath your feet just pure darkness as the water goes ever further down. You imagine it did this depth. You would feel incredibly cold, but you feel no change in temperature. Get a rush, I'm gonna sink to the bottom and I'll never get out. I'm gonna swim over and get my arms underneath Jericho's armpits seems as sort of like...

Calm yourself, Jetico. It's honored. Just stand down. We're not sitting. I like stand on the bottom of the, whatever we're on. We're there. You're just floating in the water. Oh, we're like midwater.

You're midwater. You're midwater. Oh. I can't see anything. There's nothing. There's nothing around us. We have been somehow made to not drown.

I don't like this abyss. I don't like the abyss. I don't like it. I don't like it. Calm down. It's okay. There seems to be some sort of light. Something coming from above us.

I don't know if it's a moon or what, but there's only a little bit of light coming through. Help us, Virgil. Fly us out of you, Virgil. Please, Virgil. I miss you. I'm sorry, Virgil. Please help. I'm gonna... I'm just gonna... I'm just gonna grab the cup of Jericho and start to make my way towards the light. Jericho, blog days. No, like crocodile.

crocodile and I, like I'm slithing right through. Just do there. This is how you swim. I don't think I can physically do that, Briggs. Oh, Virgil, help, help. Jethico, calm down. You're gonna be okay. You all attempt to swim towards the light,

but it never feels as if it comes any closer. You begin to start to feel exhausted. Your bodies get weak with the thrashing and the swimming and the attempt to save yourself from this watery tomb. And then you see some of the... something swimming in the water just outside of you. It's huge and fined with a long neck circling you like a hungry predator.

However, in a moment, it stops, and you hear a voice call out so softly, you should have died. Do we recognize the voice? Immediately. It doesn't sound like the voice is talking to you, but more an internal monologue, as if that voice is talking to themselves.

Adela. Adela, can you hear us? I would begin screaming for her to see she. Can you hear us? Hell! Two of us, please! If you're a big old dinosaur down here, then bo bo bo bo bo bo.

I love you, you love me, we're unhappy family, please. If I have the sense that we might be able to be heard in this room, I'm just virgil. I'm just wrong. Hearing the shouts of my compatriots, I will use thumb adversion. And I will expand my voice in order of magnitude and try to like reverberate through the water.

Oh. Adela, can you hear us? You all hear, you all hear Lethika's voice boom out in the water around you. And you, it sounds almost like a faint, Adele is faint whimpering, and it stops for a moment, almost as if she's startled as if she could hear something. And then once again, you hear her voice again. You should have died, Ben.

You should have died. And she sounds scared, frightened. But her whimpering and her sorrow can still be hurt until it's just silence again. As you look about the murky lake, you notice the lurking beast is gone. Then you suddenly realize that it is simply below you. You have no time to react as massive reptilian

and perhaps saurian jaws emerged from the depths as you were all swallowed whole. Yet you do not die. You feel yourselves weighing hoisted up out of the dark water, higher and higher and higher still. You're approaching the surface, although all is black around you. You hear a splash and feel

Feel yourself break the surface tension, and then you wake. All of you wake in a cold sweat. Your beds in Chateau, Clare de Loon, they're sweat coating the sheets beneath you. The fire in the fireplace has dwindled to mirror embers. The stone at the foot of your bed is now cold. I would immediately come under the basin

and splash my face. I'm gonna fall out of bed and like almost crawl, scamper into the common room. Yeah, as soon as I will have, like, rinsed my face off with whatever water basin is like there, I would immediately as well run to the common room. Don't tell me that was just me to just fucking experience all day. No, no. No, we were together. Do I feel like I had just consumed or maybe in the...

Your stomach feels completely empty, as if you haven't eaten in quite, a while. In the common room, I would immediately run to some sort of reflective surface, whether it be like a silver plate or a silver and like check my mouth and look at my fangs. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Oh, and I would put it down and I would collapse in one of the chairs. Thank you. Was I able to snatch Virgil if he's there and before he could fly away? I don't know. Virgil. Yeah, sure. Virgil's there. Okay. Virgil and Virgil will be trying to fly away, and it'll be like that scene in Jurassic World

with the Deradactyl, when the Mosasaur tries to snap it. Oh, Virgil, I miss you so much. No, you can't escape. No, no, no, no. I'm sorry, Virgil. I will have put my mask on. I'm still wearing the silk pajamas and what we went to sleep. You were wearing exactly what you went to sleep in.

Oh, so I put my pajamas on, and then I raced out into the room and- That's very funny. And then I, we are all back. Yeah, we're fucking back. I believe so. Let there is one way to check also. I will run over and this time I will pull the chain of service.

You do, and it takes not even two minutes before you hear the pattering of feet, almost running down the hallway. The door itself is wrenched open and you see another one of these Mary Annette doll-like servants that run Chateau Claire DeLoon alongside the skeletal servants. This one is much shorter. She has golden blonde ringlets that cascade down her back, a cute bonnet on her head, very shepherdess, pastoral outfit that she's wearing,

flowing cotton dress with puffs and ribbons as she bounces into the room. about you. It's Mrs. Adela's birthday today and you need to be available for the dinner. What? Oh, I'm sorry, that was a lot of information to give you all at once. We've been asleep for more than the night. Oh, you've slept an entire day. I was told not to wake you unless it got to, well, dire circumstances.

Well, we needed the rest. Will there be food there? we get a small, perhaps a coffee and some snacks. Well, I can bring you, I can bring you drinks. Water, water, please. Waffles, please. No, I can't, unfortunately. Now that you're awake, oh, Ms. Adela's going to be so pleased to hear that you're awake.

I have to make sure that you are ready for your, for your mid-dusk tea. That would be satisfactory. That's fine. Yes, but that, we can't do that. First, I have to take you to the tailor. You have to get your costumes made for the masquerade. Well, that would be very nice, but we need rest. I've got a lot that late for 24 hours.

From our rest. It was a stressful rest, okay? I wouldn't even really call it rest, but I guess we needed it. Or maybe we didn't need it. Do we feel physically rested or are we at some? You feel physically rested. You've endured a long rest.

Oh, let's go, maybe. I actually wasn't even trying for that. That's sweet. I do take that long rest. Yes, I do. Endured for sure. Just do we need to change. Should we go like this?

Hey, you should put on clothing for the actual day, of course. But then I will usher you to the tailors. This is the plan for the day. I don't want to overwhelm you. But I will something for you to drink so you can ready yourselves the day. You should begin to think about what you want to wear to the masquerade, because a tailor's going to want to know right way.

I'm going to take you to the tailors for your fitting, and to describe your outfits. The tailor's going to get started on them, at which point I will take you then, oh, let me see, were you supposed to go after the tailor? I'll take you to have tea with Adela. And that will have to do for your breakfast and lunch, because really we don't have much time.

after which you have your tea with Adela, then Adela is going to go meet up with Philip because they're going to do something special on her birthday, which they do every single year. Special time between the two of them, you know. And then from there, I will take you to the matron who's going to teach you how to hold a fork and drink soup with a spoon

and how to act appropriately at a fancy dinner because following your tutelage, then you're going to have a... Adela's birthday dinner in the dining hall. We're going to Catirian? Yes, Catillion, I did not to say it. Oh, wow. Oh, gosh.

My mom always wanted to send me to Catillion. Let me get you your drinks, and you can talk amongst yourselves about anything else that you may need for the day, but that is what is on the schedule. And as it is Adela's big day, we can't have. from this schedule. Did she mention her name? She didn't. What is your name? Oh, my name is Charlotte Witherspoon,

but you can call me Lottie, or little Lottie, if you like. Gosh, a pleasure to meet you. That's a mighty pretty name, Lottie. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Well, how about that?

You seem to be constructed of inanimate materials yourself as well. Oh, yes. Do you like the rouge on my cheeks? Oh, I, I, I, uh, uh, I, uh, uh, Thank you. Yes, yes. I just had them update my lip rouge recently. What? I had them update my lip rouge so that when I puck her,

it's a nice pink. I, I think my pink is a mighty pretty color. My name is old Jericho sticks. You call me Jericho most people. Oh, it's lovely to meet you Jericho. She curtsies and she. you see as she curtsies, she tilts forward and her bonnet falls into her face a little bit

and she giggles and pushes it back onto her head. My apologies, my apologies. Oh, no, no, no. I will get you your drinks and I will be back in 20 minutes. Thank you, Miss Wizards. Yeah, we'll take anything too. Good old, good old country breakfast would be nice for me, but I,

and Jericho likes the fancy stuff. He likes a nice morning wine too. If you haven't. She hops out of the room and in a couple of minutes returns with a tray of beverages, both tea and coffees, as well as a picture of ice cold water. But there are no tea cakes, there are no biscuits, there's nothing, no food to go along with it.

And she quickly makes her way out of the room to give you a little bit of time to discuss. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash Legends of Evantris and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive camp and set on the high seas. Shroud over Saltmarsh. You can also go to The Crooked Moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement. The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tone for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition.

and don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you. As Charlotte or Littleotti leaves the room after having deposited these drinks on the table for you, you find yourselves alone in this communal sitting room. You know you don't have much time, about 20 minutes before she's coming to collect you for the day's events. You have a packed day. But you do have this bit of time. to talk about what it is that you all endured together

over the course of the last 24 hours, as well as make plans as you have a date very shortly with a tailor. The moment that the door closes and this person has left these beverages for us, I will stand up and as I'm walking over the water, I'll look at Jericho and I'll say, well done there, Jericho, you really kept your composure.

Oh, thanks, I think I did pretty good. I think I... Mm-hmm. Virgil's even saying I did a really good job and he's very proud of me. Gosh, Virgil, you're mighty nice. You're really are excited about getting that old Amber Key, eh? Gosh, you think it'll show us the artifacts even before he gives it to us? He said that he would.

I'd like to take it. I mean, I'd love to get a tour of this place. I mean, I feel like I've never really been into fancy mansion before. Does you count for crooked house and that was kind of a gross weasel-filled legs. I too would like a tour. It would be great to see the grounds and all of the amazing amenities that must come with a house of luxury such as this. We must like a...

We have a boat day. Yes. We have a schedule. It doesn't seem like we'll be getting any kind of tour any time soon, at least not until Ladella's birthday dinner is done. Speaking of, not sure what to make of anything that we saw,

especially with the fact at the end that we heard her voice. Yeah, I can't pass it. What the fuck did it all mean? She sounded extremely distraught, speaking about someone should have been dead, dying. Why did we hear her voice? It was a big scary leap master.

When we meet with Adela, I think we ask her if she's been having strange dreams and perhaps share some of these details. It is possible that she was right next to us that entire time. Are we sure that we want to upset our host on her birthday? Do not wish to upset her, but if the dreams are a sign of danger, it is our duty to warn her. That's fair.

Well, I mean, isn't there anyone who's gonna get premonitions of danger? Would any of the Miss Adela and all of her crazy powers that she has? I think she has powerful abilities of premonition and divination, but that does not mean that she cannot be surprised by danger. Certainly, she missed the threat that the crooked house represented when we went there last. Oh, no. There's a good point. What if all those dreams are like dreams from the future?

What? What if all those dreams are like dreams from the future? No, I know what you said. You said what? No, I just, I'm thinking... No, no, no, I heard you. I hear you loud and clear, because you project quite well. I mean, what do you mean?

What do you mean? What if all that stuff that happened is gonna happen? What if the fucking Clay and the Loon is gonna explode and it's gonna... The fucking... The evil moon is... is gonna weep blood down upon us, and then we're gonna end up in the jungle,

and then we're gonna get boiled alive, and then we're gonna go where it's cold, and then we're gonna see a giant woolly mammoth, and then we're gonna get blinded, and then we're gonna get drowned, and then we're gonna get eaten. Did I miss one? Oh, and the whole jazz scene.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That jazz scene. That guy in a corner booth. The smoking man. It reminds me of, The ways Folks make deals We're on from

That's how they encounter their patrons Situations like that Hmm Like a in the corner of a jazz club When the lights are low When the music is lower It's just mysterious men And women

They never expect The passions are high Passions are hard That's right I should learn how to play a saxophone I don't have any lungs Oh Could

Could all Virgil help you out? He, as a bird, you doesn't really have an ambusher for sex for sex. You're not wrong.

That's very funny. I do this feet without lungs. It's all magic. I mean, you know, it's fueled by what they're demon and whatever kind of

soul magic. It was in the scarecrow body and there's the hag magic and who knows what kind of crazy concoctions that my best gal was put into this this husk that I call a body.

Have you tried playing a saxophone? Well, I suppose not. The magic perhaps would produce the sound you are looking for in the same way that you can produce speech. Well, I'd might like to try to find a saxophone now as well. Well, I'm sure you would be able to get one by asking this place as many luxuries. Well, I'll ask, if I don't want to be too presumptuous, that's for sure. But I, I mean, none of that makes any sense.

sense. None of us has never been to an icy, I see wasteland in the far north and none of us have ever been to the junk, well I guess you've been to the jungle, but no kind of snaky temples. None of us have ever, I've never certainly drowned into the lake.

I've been here a lake. I've been down in the old fishing hole. I got thrown into a pond, but it torn as big as that lake. Jericho's right. Something doesn't seem right about them being premonition Think of the series of events that would have to happen for us to experience all of those things. I mean, most of them were very clearly not where we are now.

That means one of two things. Either we escape and we leave this place, or it isn't literal. We also do not know all of Dreskenwald. Is it not a large realm with many provinces? Is it possible that there is an icy wasteland somewhere within traveling distance from here? I suppose anything is possible at this rate. I admit that we only really know Fulcincts and now this chateau. But then why, Galtica? Right? I mean, we know for a fact.

Well, maybe it is. Is there a city in Druskenvold that's very similar to Galtica? How would be quite the coincidence. But again, anything is possible. It was a little different. I thought that perhaps it was because there had been so much time between when I last saw it. But it is possible I made a mistake. Well, do you remember a club named the Cockatrice's fur, tail feather, whatever it was? No, but there were many jazz clubs very similar.

Maybe one that's going to open in the future. Well, I don't know. I feel like we had to see that first. reason, but I feel like if we ask Miss Adela on her birthday, we might ruin her old day. We might be the rain, we might be the rain on her wedding day or that wine and her shardinay. What? What?

What? You know, like something that's very ironic. What? I mean, shardinay is a type of wine. It's false right now. Rain on your wedding day. A fly in a shardinay. Oh.

Rain on your wedding day is ironic. Seems like it's just unfortunate. Yeah. Well, I mean, I don't know. I have, do you know the definition of irony, Jerry? I mean, I heard it once. We'll teach you later. I heard it once.

Anyways, I feel like it might sour her mood on her birthday, and I would feel mighty, mighty, terrible about that, awful. If we all feel that we should wait, then we can keep it to ourselves until after her birthday. Oh, well, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe we like, uh, subtly hinted. Like how you sleep, Miss Adela? Any good dreams lately? Any bad dreams lately?

Even the third question coming from you is just creep-tastic. And for what it's worth, I'm less concerned about hurting her feelings and more concerned about how she might react. I still don't entirely trust these people. That's fair. And they are quite powerful. They're mighty powerful. They got all the lords, the lords too. They got a whole court of them. But I mean if they've gotten trouble with witches and we're their only hope, then I feel like they owe us, right? They acknowledge that there is trouble with witches, with hags. But they have left us to take care of the problem. The same way that they rely on

the servants here to bring them tea or food or make their clothes. They are very powerful. Think of what we faced and then think of the power that Philip was able to drum up when he knew

that his wife was at risk. He could have taken care of these hags all by himself. He has asked us to do it. Do you see? I'm just not sure that you know, a show of force like that's going to be too

effective against these sneaky fucking wishes. Isn't that why they always sing the songs about, you know, pirates like a sneaky band of Scaliwax can outsmart and evade

an entire Navy? I mean, that's a great point. Because we fucking can. There's no matter how many fucking manor walls or galleons they have. Doesn't matter how many fucking guns they have. All I need to slip. And I'll outrun any sheep.

I'll get through any blockade. He also don't know how reliable a bunch of spooky ghosts and scuritans. His is as a force, I mean, they rode out, but aren't there always rules about, oh, I've left my ancient tomb for but a fortune-eyed, and now I'm a slumber for the millennia, and other such nonsense?

Where do you come up with this stuff, Jerry? I hear a lot of stories on my travels. Interesting. You know, isn't that all the sorts of... Anyway, he's got a point. Imagine about 10,000 eddies. It's not very threatening. Exactly right. Yeah. Oh, you know,

All they tried his best. He did what he could. He's just not the brightest of me, old crew. Well... And, I mean, another thing that he has to keep in mind is that if he's the Lord of this whole place, he can't just go send an armory of ghosts wherever he likes. You know, maybe that'll cause some political tension.

Based on the province. I don't know much about politics. Oh, me neither. I just know that, you know, depending on who's the governor of what island that day. You know, you don't want to sail too close to the other island. Might piss some guy with a powdered wig off. You know what I mean? We're getting our tails mixed up into some political intrigue.

And I'm not cut out for it. I don't have a dialect for it. Well, we're going to get alien. You think they have a dialect coach there? And they can help me with mine, honestly, for it. I'm going to go get changed. Well, yeah. Okay.

Okay. Okay. We'll be here. Virgil's always trying to help me with my dialect. He speaks all fancy-like. I never, I never just can pick it up. I don't know why you're so pleased about this whole situation with a dream, and you're so certain about your theories.

You weren't even there. Anyways, what do we wear in a masquerade, by the way? I ain't never been to... I've been to the country ball, but that ain't no masquerade ball. And also, they chased me out with pitchforks and torches. I just wanted a bomb for an apple. In the old barn. Is that too much to ask?

It's depressing. I just wanted a bob for an apple. Yes, this masquerade. I'm not sure what to make of this. Philip said that they were expecting company, correct? Lords and ladies of this place. Oh, I think, yeah, the implication was that, you know, they'd bring all the lords from all the province.

the provinces. It's why we think we might see Little Gazette. Fantastic. Oh, Collette. She's a little... She's been through quite a lot. I guess we all have

certain ways. She'll get through... And we might see Miss McDuff, too. On account of Colette being her ward and such. I mean, in terms of what we wear, I've just heard that you pick a mask. Have I ever been to a masquerade?

I'm coming back in, having changed into a nice dress, the morning dress that I intended to wear in the dream, with bag at my side. I have been to many similar such parties, yes? What should we wear? I mean, I don't really know. I never been to a tailor? The tailor is not just there for the fitting. You can consult with the tailor on what it is that will be most appropriate, given your feature. and hear it, and taste. And do we have to pick a mask? Like, what our mask is going to look like?

Imagine that you will have some input. They might grant us a mask, given that we are honored guests. But if we have the choice, then be thinking of what you would like to, similar to your voices and your pseudonyms. Think about who you would like to be at the masquerade. Oh.

What could be anybody in the masquerade. I, for one, was thinking it might be a joke for me not to wear a mask at all, given my natural state. Oh. Well, then, but then no, people who don't know that your whole thing won't, they'll be like, what are you doing? Why are you here? This is a masquerade and bringing down the vibe. It was a joke, Jeremy. It seems context sensitive. That's a good one. It will be a pleasure to wear something a little different. I appreciated the joke.

Thank you. You know, me too. I love a good joke. By the way, do you think Lottie liked me? Do you think you like my jokes? She seems fine? Jokes? It's at this point that the door opens and Lottie bounces into the room.

Are you ready? I suppose so. No, they are still wearing their pajamas. No, we're so ready. We already got changed. I remember I and I throw my powdered wig on. Yeah, we were gotten changed. For sure. All right. It should only take us about 10 minutes.

to get through the holes and make our way to the tailor's quarters. And there, you won't have much time to consult with the tailor, but he will all wait outside and he'll assist you as best he can. And then it's time for tea with Adela, aren't you excited? So lucky. Yes, we're so... So very lucky.

I can't believe we got... It's her birthday. What are the chances? Oh, well, you know, it happens once a year. Well, we're very grateful. We're very excited. You know, the birthday is a wonderful thing. Yes, it is quite. Oh, right. When's your birthday? I'm not sure.

Me too. I think I have a date on my back. If you lift up my dress right here, you might be able to check. And she twists around and shows you a little area where there are a couple of buttons. Do thanks. Anyway, are you ready to go see the tailor? Yes, please. No, we do not wish to delay any longer.

Please leave the little. She bounces forward, basically skipping as she makes her way through the hallways of Chateau-Claire-de-Loon. Every hallway is illuminated beautifully. The light coming from all of these sconces glows with that beautiful, cozy orange light. And you make your way through hallway after hallway after hallway, some more elaborate than others. The entire time you see these beautiful paintings all along the... and ceilings. And you eventually make your way towards a hallway

that is a little less extravagant than the others. There are, each one of the doors has different symbols above it. One of them you see has a, what looks to be musical notes. Another one you see appears to have like a clay oven of some sort. Another has a large, has the, image carved into the top of the door of a paintbrush and an easel. And it seems like each one of

these rooms has to do with some sort of craft work of some kind. You eventually get towards the end where you see a doorway and carved above it is a needle and thread and a spool. She opens the door and ushers you inside. And you see that this room is just haphazard with sewing notions and things all over the place. It is clear. a workspace and not a showroom. In the very center of the room, there is a large table that is just strewn with fabrics, cut up in varying patterns and shapes and sizes.

And at the very back, you see an incredibly small man. His powdered wig is a skew on his head. His glasses have slipped down his nose, and he's barely able to keep them on his face as he is cutting out different pieces, of fabric and checking a list and making marks. He's sweating and which seems strange to you because this is clearly another puppet.

But you can see what appears to be sweat dripping down his face as he is working hastily over these things. He doesn't even seem to notice that you're here as she ushers you in and then shuts the door and completely leaves you in there without even an introduction. Excuse me. Hello?

You know it's coming. Oh, do God. I cast inflict wounds at third level on the old man. And I smite him. He just dies. He just loves her head. I'm kidding. What are we going to do with the body?

We don't have much time to ask. We don't have much time to ask. Griggs. Jericho begin to dig. Briggs, eat it. Oh, he's not even fledged. Hide him in the oven. It was made like wooden chin.

He's power through the splinters. Power through the splinters. And in that moment, you consume this Taylor. There's absolutely a world where Marys and Lathica will be able to bully Jericho and brings you to doing everything. Absolutely. We leave right now, let's go. No one can see us.

We plan a breakout. Just kidding, just kidding. You say this and you hear, yes. And you see as he fumbles with his glasses, he drops them and they scatter about under the table. Where did I put those things? You just drop them, they're on the floor right there in front of you. Right here, he smacks them and they fly across the room.

I will walk the word gently. He jumps off of his little stool to rush over and get them, not noticing that you're running towards them, flams into you and falls over backwards. He's a wooden man, does you really need glasses? That's a very good point. Do you really need glasses, old man? I can't see what I'm doing without him.

Well, I will fetch them for you. I see them. Okay, I'll just lay here and mend my wounds. Just lay there and mend your wounds. Ow! Gosh, mister, are you okay? Oh, thank you. Thank you.

Oh, my gosh, what is wrong with your face? I am wearing a mask. Why? Because I, it is a long story. I'm a priestess. It is part of my dogma. Oh, man. Uh-huh.

What is your name? Oh, yeah. Henri. It's spelled like Henry, but you don't pronounce the H? Oh. I thought you said hungry for a moment. Nope. Henri Thimbel.

I heard something much worse. Henri. It's spelled like thimble. Henri. I'm going to write this down. Kill my throat. Mr. Ornery, sir. My eyes as Jericho stinks, but you can call me Jericho most folks do.

Huger. Okay, here we go Well, we never been to the tailors before Oh, that's clear to me Gee, this is savage We are here to get Outfits for the mask trade But you're already wearing a mask!

Well, outfits and a different mask I wear this all the time, I need to fit in Anyone walking around like that? That's why we're here, we're here to have you tailor us new outfits and masks. Who send you? Well, it was a little Lottie who brought us, but Philip and Adela, we are her honored guests.

Oh, let me check my list! And he shambles over and climbs up onto his stool. What is a hilarious? What did you say your name was? Lethica. How do you spell that? Lethica Nightbourne, L-E-T-H-I. Slow down!

C-A. It starts with the C-A! L-E-E-K-E. What? L-E-T-A-H. Your name's L-E-L-L-I-E. L-E, let me write it. Just give me the paper. I'm not looking to write anything. I've got to die. I propose if we kill on me. That's my... I can't.

Can you make it look like a heart attack? Absolutely. Allow me to get my dick, What did you say your last name was again? Nightborn. Why? Why did I say that or why is that my last name? Why is that your last name? Oh, well, it was given to me.

Were you born at night? No, it is a... I was born at night, just not this night. Ha ha! What a big job! He's just absolutely savaging the shit out of us, refuses to elaborate, and now he's gonna leave. He eventually, I can't find you in here. What's your name?

Me. Yeah, tall, dark, and handsome. Thank you. My name is Marius, Renathir. I'd ask you to spell it, but you're too pretty to know how. I just didn't feel a smile and I nod. And you can tell, like, beneath the smile that I'm clenging my jaw. I've found you. Your name's Lethaca, Ellie. Lethika, Ellie.

Yeah, I said Lethika the first time and you were too slow to hear me. Huh? That's exactly what I said. What? Can you speak up? I can't hear out of this ear. Oh, I've spent a mask. It makes it very difficult.

Oh, yes. You don't need an outfit. No, no, I need a new outfit. So, we need three outfits for the masquerade. I believe it will be four. All of us need new outfits. Oh. Oh.

Have you decided on your characters for the masquerade? Oh, we have to make a whole... Oh, I brought the pen! Anri, Henri, Henri, Henri. Mr. Henri. Yes! Oh! My name is oldier and this team on the list.

Ouch, shirt! shirt. Oh, my God. Yes, yes, young lady. Oh, yes, young lady. Oh, uh, but, uh, am I on the list? Oh, what's your name? Oh, old Jericho sticks.

It might just be Jericho. Yes, uh, they misspelled old. So I'll fix that here in the ledger. Oh, L, apostrophe, technically. Nope. Here's the name. And you are! Oh, no, don't do me. No, no, no.

I'm feeling very sensitive today. You don't want an outfit. Oh, no, I do... You smell horrible. Can you take ten steps back, please? Yes. If there's some sort of a cleaning fee when we're done, we'll be sure to make sure we make amends.

Thank you. Thank you very much. So you are... I'm sorry about the smell. Your apologies won't get it out of the upholstery. If you have some spare lavender that we can stick in his crevices, it might help. There are baths three wings down. It doesn't help. Nope, I would be able to smell you from there anyway. Did you decide on your masks?

I was going to ask, what is the theme of this party? Jericho, Briggs, Various. You said characters. What kind of characters do you mean? I'm sorry, I can't hear you mumbling from behind that mask you're wearing. Oh, goodness. You feeling ill. You're mumbling.

What's the theme, the theme of this masquerade? Huh. People from all over Druskenwald are coming in, whatever they like, it's a grand costume party. Oh, costumes. Yes, your outfit should match the mask you wear, and it can be really anything that you like. You should obviously be a jack-o-lantern,

because there's no way I'm gonna make something for that body. Those legs are so thin. Well, I mean, I don't really. I don't really have a choice. I can't work with him through sport. I don't have persevered. It's kind of how I was made. Virgil, why are you laughing?

Why do you like this fella? Mary's warning you go. Well, I'm happy to go, but I also would like to know what the theme is if there is one. Your theme can be whatever you want it to be. Oh, by the God. Well, did you not come to this scheduled meeting prepared? To be quite frank with you, no. I'm about to sneeze.

I take a step back, please do. A-choo! And he sneezes all over laughing. As I was saying, unfortunately, no, we were not as prepared as we would have liked to be. Some of us have attended events like this in different fashions. I was once a night, and I attended events like this at the hand of my king. Not really so much as an attendee myself. Yeah, but what kind of mask do you want to wear?

I'm starting to get tired. If you have suggestions, I would be open to them. Most of you want me to do all the work after. So the outfit before you fit it to you and come up with the idea. Classic man! Did I stutter? Did you say anything of importance? So it doesn't matter. It doesn't sunny.

Good luck, Bricksey. What is Lord Philip going to wear? Maybe we'll do something to be. No, no, no, no. I won't spoil Lord Philip. Where lady, Adela's outfits for no one? What if we were to accidentally pick what they're wearing? I wouldn't let you.

Oh, okay. Well, you can just guess everything. Yes, let us just guess everything. Is it the rabbit? You want to be a rabbit fine. Easter bunny for Lethaca. What is Easter? I don't know, but I saw it on a no pad somewhere once.

This fertile bunny was pooping eggs. I'm confused. I'm disturbed and appalled. I'm not sure where to go from here. Anyone else have any ideas? We've got Lethika's outfit down. No, please. I'm afraid big girl. I had suggestions.

I made all kinds of... We're going to have to do this right. Are we not done, are you with me or are you against me? Quite frankly, Lethika's the only one who did come prepared. I'll be... if you already made the Easter bunny, I'll take it. I haven't made anything yet. Oh, well, if you... Would a rabbit be appropriate for the masquerade, or would that be out of place?

I don't care what you wear as long as it's a costume some guy. What if we were all this crustacean themed mobsters? That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard! What are you gonna be a lobster, monster, ridiculous? No, I think that's mighty nice. Are you blind that you don't have the skill to make a lobster mobster cotton match a great outfit? Of course I could, but I'd never put my name on that shite. Oh. Oh, so no crustacean-themed lobster costumes for any of us?

Is that all you've got? I guess I could be a woolly mammoth. I'll put you down for the lobster. Yeah, it goes. Oh, man. I am truly at a long... Man, be careful what you say next. Do you want to be...

Do you want to be a jack-o-lantern or a pumpkin? Well, I feel like that's... Where did you have some other idea? Well, I feel like that's... Have you thought it all about what you were going to do? Well, I feel like... I feel like that might be a little on the nose. Well, that's where a mask is supposed to go.

He has you there. He really... Uh, ooh. Oh, Virgil, do you have an idea? Oh, that's interesting. Hello? Is anybody in this room? Hello?

We're still here. Oh, sorry, sometimes my vision goes. Yeah, do you... How about a bluebird? For what? For my outfit. Nope. Oh.

Is that one of the ones that fill up in a delano way? No. You got it. Actually, you know what? With those scrawny legs of yours, that's about the only thing we can work with outside of a pumpkin. Well, I mean, I mean, most of my body is, like, stuff in and such. You could probably just get some straw or some feather.

there's some some cotton you can just stuff that right up the best you've got well let me keep thinking let me keep you know it's not the best i got i've got more i'm writing it down and once i write it down there's no change in it wow somebody else goes somebody else got out marius i'm at a complete loss here i asked for help and he made fun of me you've been most unhelpful most unhelpful oh oh hold on i've been really helpful I'm glad to hear it, Ellie. Please. What if you were a custation-themed gangster?

I think you were already the lobster-mobster. No, but you could be like serious and snips. Is that different than a lobster? Maybe you could be like crab fiend, you know, instead of lobster-famed. I truly am at a loss for words, yeah. I mean, just to suggest, you know, you could do whatever you want. I was a rose-themed night. many, many years.

I don't... Oh, you know what? I think it'd be really cool. This should be good, please. If you were a vampire! Perfect. I just put my head in my hands and say, wait, that sounds fine, I suppose.

All right, that one down. Wait, no, what about a rabbit? Isn't that very much Lithander, morning, and fertile, fertile egg? You could be a... You could be a vampire bunny. We could call you Buncula!

As charming as that is, I think that dressing up in a mockery of a god would be blasphemous at best. No, that's true, I'm sorry. I just thought it was cute. Cute to have a bunny. Oh, you're a god? The god's, is this, is this her god? Is this the bunny her god? Oh, so the Easter bunny is a good costume for you then? Cleric of bunny god.

No, please. I am begging you to tell me any information about this masquerade that would help inform the choice of what... It's just whatever the fuck you want. I don't think... What he's saying is that there and be. It's just whatever mask people want to wear,

they fucking wear. You know, we were nearly eviscerated by multiple hags and this is the most painful thing we've ever gone for. Oh, just wait, I haven't even started the fitting. Oh, Nefica. Yes. What about a crustacean-themed femme fatale? I like fem fatale.

Let's lose the crustacean portion. What's wrong with the crustacean part? Oh, they can call her the, you can, if you're a lobster, as merrients as a crab, you could be a shrimp, and they could call you the shrimp fryer. And you can, and you can make shrimp fried rice. That's okay. I don't hate it. You don't hate it.

You don't hate that. I'm a broken woman, man. I thought stepping foot in this godforsaken line was the lowest point of my life, but here I am. Have you decided on Bluebird yet, you skinny-legged bastard? I... Bluebird would be mighty fine. I feel like that's quite pleasant. Oh, well, why'd you make me wait this whole time to write it down? You got like a nice blue linen suit, and you know, that might be... might be... might be... might be quite pleasant.

that might be with the tail feathers and the tail and all that that might be mighty fine little nice little nice handsome hat in the cane you know that might be quite dapper and what do we do about your face said call me dapper to want to have a mask of what if you're making everything else into your outfit you just want a big beak coming out of your face oh my god can't like just make a can't just make like a bluebird mask I'll do a huge beak coming out of your face. Well, I mean, I think that's kind of part for the course I suppose sometimes, Benning. All right, so we've got a bluebird.

Got a lobster, mobster. You've got the best costume, vampire. The irony is palpable. And I will entertain the idea of something else for you, young ladies, since you called me so helpful earlier. You are very helpful. Yes, I know. I would never speak poorly of you.

You are clearly the most talented tailor in all of Droskenbald. I know. I'm gonna cast Charm person. Okay. Oh, my dice fell everywhere. Oh, no. That's right. Why don't I get all of these dice?

I drop my pen. Oh, my God. Thank you. You can take a look at my role if you'd like to. What's your deal? Easy. 16. I rolled a natural 19.

Shucks. Andre. Does he know that you're trying to charm him? I would imagine that me, like, attempting to take his hands, like there'd be like a darkening. There'd be a feeling of magic. Ah! Are you trying to cast a spell on me,

or do you have to use the bathroom? I am just trying to make sure. sure that I look my best at the mask. What you think because you're wearing a mask? It works on mask. You look like a moth for my mask. Huh? A moth.

I like that idea. I could uh. Hold on, hold on. Let me think of something. What if I made you a moth? Henri, that is inspired. I know. Is there a particular type of moth that suits your whole aesthetic?

Not familiar with all moth. No, you don't look like you'd be intelligent enough to be. Why don't you surprise Miss Lethika with the most beautiful moth in the land, on account of that's who Miss Lettica is? Are there moths that are native? Oh! Oh! Oh!

I know past down colors are usually what's traditional at a hearty session. I'm irritable bowel syndrome! I think he's the big one. I think he's about to go down. He was having an accident. Oh, it smells like sawdust. Oh, yeah. The carpenter is right next door. I wish I was dead.

No, but I had a eureka moment. Yes. A Luna moth. Yes, a lunamoth. Exactly right. Oh, this is best idea I've ever come up with. Lunamoftata. What a wonderful phrase. Filks, satin, velvet.

Cotton. The cheapest I can find. Have some lace. Remnants. Silver and burglary. Oh, yes. A wide silhouette with a tight... Plated coffer.

Fitting bodice. Oh, I'd like an orange vest. Maybe some suspenders. You're a bluebird. Oh, yeah, exactly right. That orange ain't blue, dumb, dumb! They have bluish of purple. I mean, not purple.

Of orange and I, I mean, I mean, orange and blue and black and white. And why don't they call them orange black bluebirds? Because it's a... You're gonna be straight blue and I'm not hearing anything else about it. Well, I could write some notes for it. All right, well, I have to get to work

so you all stand perfectly. Still make one move and I'll kill you. Hold on, hold on, hold on. The Cermanian, the Cernarius is not. And you watch as he jumps down off of his stool and he has a long fabric measuring tape. and he fills his mouth full of pins, which clearly you can tell he shouldn't be doing.

One trip and he's done. But he immediately takes a bolt of white fabric off of one of the shelves, and he starts wrapping you in fabric and pinning you up, taking measurements, writing things down, snipping things here and there. And all in all, it takes about an hour. Occasionally, he intentionally pokes you with one of the needles to draw blood,

every time you move, making snarky remarks and things as this event unfurled. Please do I pinch my ass again. Please stand still so I'll let's be looking at your ass. And he quickly jumps behind the counter with everything he needs. He rolls it out on the table. Okay, well, we've got one Easter bunny lobster,

the mobster for Kermi LaCrew. We've got one blue bird, beak face all blue for Jerko. We have vampire for this dapper human lad here who's quite nice and has the house of my youth. Is it a hat? It doesn't have to be for Dracula-Bron McAdro? No, it's for Morius. Close enough. Morbiates.

Morbius. It's morven time. It's for Morbius. And then lastly, And then lastly, we have discount furniture's moth costume, Luna Moth for Ellie. That's me. No mask necessary. No, no, a mask.

No, there's gotta be a mask. I hate to break it to you, Ellie. You're already wearing a mask. I plan on swapping the masks. Well, you're just wasteful. Must have a mask. Exclamation point. Time's up.

Oh, we're done. We can leave now. Yep. We have your permission to leave. It was really lovely, lovely meeting you. Goodbye. If you ever need anything tailored, please feel free to stop by the tailoring room at Chateau Claire DeLoon

and ask for Henri Thimble, spelled like Henry, but you don't pronounce the H. Spelled like Thimble. but you say it in a fancy way. I have to get out of here right now. I'm about to mourn everywhere. Goodbye.

Goodbye, you very nice women. Just as I closed the door, I cast summon shadow fun in the room. When I close the door, whee-h-h-h-haw- Waiting outside the room is very clearly Littleotti. She seems incredibly excited to see all of you

as she skips around in a circle on the floor. Oh, so it looks like you're all tough you pokes here and there. You've done out much better than most people I'd hate to Henri. You closed the door behind us. Oh, yes, I wasn't going to go in there. I understand why. Oh, yes, he hates me. He seems to hate everything.

Oh, no. Just most things. Does he like anything? Solitude. Money. What for, I'm not sure. God. He is an enigma.

Needles, thimbrils, sewing notions, fabric, Adela and Fulop, carnivorous plants. Oh, what? What was that for? We have to get to tea. She quickly turns around and starts to skip down the hallway. It does not take you all.

It takes about 10 minutes or so to make your way through the corridors. Once again, they're getting grander and granders. She eventually, she's chatting with you as you go through and she eventually leads you towards what is called the garden room. And you find yourselves spilling out into a beautiful, almost conservatory-like room with a huge half-circular window, a windowed wall that looks out to the gardens proper. There are plants galore in here, beautiful blooming blossoms. It is a room that looks like it has seen lots of sun, which is very strange for a land that only. has the moon. But these plants seem to be thriving here. There are plush seating areas all over. The walls are

painted in pastoral frescoes. And sitting in the very center of the room is Adela Druskenbald. She is wearing a lovely dress of buttercup yellow. Her hair is pulled back and out of her face with a cute bow clip to one side with a couple of feathers that spill off of it in a pale, almost creamy color. Her makeup is much more demure, her long planchette necklace that she always wears. She's playing with idly in one of her hands

as she crosses one leg over the other, hums to herself a little bit as she sips her tea, barely even noticing that you've entered the room. But as she notices, she jumps up. up happily and collapsed to herself. Oh my gosh, you finally was so worried about you. Come to down, let's have tea. You must be famished. You slept

for a full 24 hours. Thank you. Absolutely crazy. Thank you so much for having us. Oh, you look so tired. I see the blood pricks. Oh gosh, you must have been to see Henri. It's all right. It was fine. We made it through. He was a nice old man. Oh, isn't he just lovely?

He's really just the best. Sometimes his eyesight's not the best, so he misses with his needles. But I don't mind. His words cut deep. Oh, his she is cut deep. I know he's the best tailor in all of Druskampold. Briggs is a single tier.

Well, how are you feeling, Ms. Lethika? I know you were pretty roughed up there by the crooked tree. Yeah, Lethika, how are you feeling? Much better, thanks to your hospitality. Oh, great. How am I feeling, though? Yes. Well, it was scary, a cool. And it took, you know, a full night for me to recover,

but Philip was by my side the whole time. I will say, I wish I could be a bit perkier as I normally am, but last night I was just dealing with tons and tons of nightmares. And that's where we'll end this after. No. What did you wish your happy birthday? Happy birthday, no. Happy birthday, happy birthday.

Also, by the way, happy birthday. It will still be her birthday. All right, all right, why do you want to make sure I got it in all the birthday? Happy birthday and happy birthday. Damn! Was it and I'll save the birthday? Maybe I'll save it for next session. What?

Does she seem like miraculously recovered for how wounded she was? She looks incredibly tired. She definitely looks like she is worn out. Because she had broken bones and shit, right? She very clearly does not have broken bones. She's wearing heels, she's dressed up, she's got makeup on.

No bruises, nothing, but magic heels. Oh, that's true. That's true, yeah. I got to this present, and I cast summon shadows. Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Aventras podcast. We hope you enjoyed this session. If you want even more campaigns to listen to, become a member of our Patreon at the Pearl Dolphin Tier or Higher

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