Legends of Avantris - Edge of Midnight | Ep. 32 | A New Dusk

Episode Date: March 11, 2025

The party embraces their true power as they set out on a new quest...   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/k-TXS821OJc?si=88_xavDhPI6aUZ2U

Welcome to Legends of Aventress. I'm Nikki Scarlett, and you're listening to Edge of Midnight. Here is what happened last time. You broke our agreement, Briggsie. The souls and that soul with me. I'm tired of sharing a domain with my dear brother. Old Philip has been here long enough, I think. Pazoo, Zoo.

Now, Jericho. Kill my father. Bind him. Barnish him! The lingering, corrupted echo of Pazooze. lets out a malevolent shriek that is instantly snuffed out as the door of your body's cage slams. Lady of darkness and loss and oblivion, for too long you have been diminished.

Dark lady, with this act of retribution, I deny your resurrection. In the name of my true God, in the name of Striga, your power will be silenced forever. The morning Lord cares not for me. I am his forgotten son. I have been cast aside by this high and mighty god. I've turned a monster and I must embrace it. Rise, Samarius Renethear, Blood Knight Lilith, the queen of hell. You look around at each other and realize that not just you are different.

All of you are different. Well, well, well, isn't this quite the shock? So many twists and turns to this story, not to mention turns to darkness. I sometimes think that folks forget that this is a horror story after all, but all the same seems like this chapter is coming to close, time to turn the page. You have all left your rooms. You have taken the time that you needed to adjust to who you have become or maybe who you've always been.

And as you put away some of your secrets, you make your way out into the common room and are shocked to find that you aren't the only one that has made a deal this night. You're not the only one who's been affected by the dark entity that's always watching. lurking over your shoulder. You all knew that each of you struggled with your own patron for lack of a better word, but it seems like tonight you've all become intimately familiar with them. And it is very clear upon looking around this room that something has changed within all of you.

Well, how was everyone else's evening? And you? And you? I feel like I don't look that different compared to the rest of you. Are you smelling more fragrant, Riggs? Yes, you have changed quite a bit in that respect. Couldn't resist.

What do you mean? Did we all gain amazing power? I mean, all of us, right? Well, I failed, but I'm sure the rest of you found the power to kill Sister Effigy and all of the other witches, hopefully. You've failed? What do you mean?

Well, I don't think I have, like, ultimate power of us gonna, you know, take care of old snake lady. I believe that there's power deep within you. My evening was illuminating. And I'm gonna sit down on one of the plush chairs and pour myself some wine and just soak in my companions as I look about the room. particularly looking at Jericho and say, uh, my friend, are you all right? Your arm, your leg.

Well, uh, yeah, I think, uh, you know, I use that their key. And so it's actually, well, this don't look like a key right here on my, my new banjer. Uh, Virgil made me a new banter. And I think there might be some horribly ancient proto demon what's trapped inside. So the arm and the leg, are they Virgil's, or this?

Proto Devens. Well, I think they're either mine or they're Virgil's, but I guess from a manner speaking on account of me being able to flex my, my talony fingers like so, I am able, I mean, it's not bad for plucking arms, I suppose, I mean, Virgil should have told me

that Bird Claws would be good for plucking. I'll kind of play a little tune. And I still get to fret easy with those same old fingers I always did have. But I think they might be Virgil's, but I'm able to control them. I will walk over and also pour myself some wine from the same decanter.

And still standing, continue to turn towards Jericho. Tell us exactly what happened to you. We need to know that you are okay. Me? Yes. Or Briggs. Well, I want to hear everyone's tale. Yeah, Briggs.

Tell us the tale of what happened earlier. Is that flesh? Oh, isn't that weird? Is this what flesh feels like? Hold on. It's got a bit of give under the feathers. Hold on. Yeah, there's actually...

It's got a bit of give. I had forgotten that you are not made of skin and bone. Garsh! I guess I got all old on account... On account of having crow feet. That's very funny. That is very funny. I'm so impressed.

Okay, yeah. Lethika, I know that you cover your face with a mask, but I need your makeup routine on account of me having crow. Whose feet? Jericho. It is a pleasure to meet you in this new form. Oh, well, Miss Lefica, are you wearing your... I thought you was a snake, not an owl.

Only a metaphor, the dress, I believe. The owl you see before you is my true form. This is what has lied in my heart for a very long time in the darkness. Wait, what? Wait. What do you... You have a... You have a...

...a... ...in your... In your heart, you've always just been a fan of owls? I mean, I think they're mighty wise. Wait, wait, hold on. It's a fine mood. Before anyone says anything else... Did everyone use their artifacts?

No. No. Oh. What the fuck? I mean, I did. I did. Oh, geez. Were you not supposed to?

Oh. Oh, God. I believe we were permitted to do whatever we wanted. The artifacts were given to us. I used my artifact in a manner of speaking. It showed me the truth. Uh, the truth? The truth about what?

I thought the whole thing was that you and I weren't going to be cursed anymore. Wasn't I cut on the whole thing? Oh yeah, you're still a vampire and you're still a zombie. Well, so the thing is, it worked. Okay. I had to give the cutlass away to the old crocodile god. It's gone. It's finally gone. And I was back to normal. You fellas should have seen it. It was amazing. You mean you were living again.

Yes, I looked like the old self. And you remained alive? I was alive. I was fine. And I could smell and I could taste. But I lost my powers too. it somehow broke whatever... Well, that's fine. Crossroads, whatever deal I had. He don't need powers. Well, he used to think... Well, congratulations!

No, he most certainly does need powers. Well, you know, the powers is his friendship and what's in us all along. What did you do, for example? No, Mary's right. The first thing I thought is I'll come out here and Marys would say, he does need powers.

Oh, that's what he said. That's exactly what he said. That's what he said. That's what he said. And so, I was like, oh, no, no, no, no, no. I needed my powers back, so I called up. All right. I phoned up all crossroads, you know.

I happened to know his... Who, he showed up? He showed up. And he offered me a deal, and he said he would give me back me powers. And I wouldn't be cursed anymore. A terrible price. Certainly. As I walked about the day.

And I'm like, oh, he's got away with words. He speaks inconse. of a poetic sort of way. And, uh, no, no. Okay, so when it's daytime, you'll be flesh and blood? So that's the thing. When it's daytime, I guess I'm presumably not cursed, but, uh, you know. Here we are.

Briggsie. Oh, I'm proud of you. Well done. Besides, who needs the sunlight? Well, I mean, presumably I'd like to leave at some point. But, well, anyway, that's what happened to me. I got some power. Oh!

I left out the coolest part. Okay? So, you know how I've been a little scared recently, and I'm trying to work on that, you know, look inward? And, you know, doing some self-reflection on why I feel the need to run away in combat when I get brutally maimed and attacked by our spooky enemies? and I'm just filled with fear. Yes, he is, yes.

Well, go on, please. Don't let me interrupt. Oh, sorry. Well, here's the thing. Cross throws came to me, right? And I don't have a sword anymore. What am I going to do? He gave me my magic back,

but then he says to me, he says, who needs courage when you have a gun? And I laid my hand, and it was a burst of me on life The, my, my blunderbuss will appear in my hands. Whoa! Oh, is that cool? Whoa, what does it do?

Oh, I shoot like I'm doing some... Roll an attack. Oh, gosh! Not the wine! Not the wine! Declin! Declin! Uh, 17.

Yeah, you, you take the blunder bus and you slightly aim towards the door. You blow a big hole through the wall right above. of the door. You can see out into the hallway, the splintered wood and plaster is smoking with dark magics. But it's spectacular. You can see a faint shimmer of similar etchings,

like the ruins that you say dangling and painted all over the gun that just kind of sparkle in smoke before dissipating. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hell done, great. That's first time on a day. Very impressive. So, you know what?

Frankly, in all of our weeks of adventuring in Druskin, I feel like this matches more of my style lately. You know what I mean? I've changed a lot. And I, you know, I don't need to be Briggsie to cut this scratch anymore. What's your new moniker?

Oh, well, I mean, I don't think I need one. But I was sort of workshopping Briggsie to Canon Cratch. Ooh, with a K? Of course, with a K. Oh, that is. Ooh, hey, that's pretty nice. I'm still a workshop. That's a handsome moniker.

I think I will continue to call you Briggs, if that's fine. No, please do. I really am Briggs. I don't, you know, it's still undecided at his point. Um, uh, anyway. That's a genuine hand cannon. So, oh, one more thing. Is that he didn't take me senses away.

I can eat and I can eat and I can taste and I can smell and I don't stink is bad. I just kind of look with it now. At one moment. Where are our manners we didn't offer our friends a drink? Let us pour. Please, hello me. Well, oh. Yeah, we pour you a drink together. Oh, oh, have some more.

It does check the decanter. I'm sure there's plenty more in the... Well, can you get drunk? Roll a constitution saving crowd. Oh, can't hold me liquor like I used to. Can't hold your liquor like you used to. The alcohol hits you almost immediately. You haven't felt the effects of alcohol in a long time. And it is overwhelming as the dizziness assails your senses.

Oh, I think I need to eat. I shouldn't have had that on an empty stomach. Well, gosh, you're tolerant saying what it used to be. No, it ain't quite like, that ain't Whoa. Take your time. It's all right. We have all night.

Please, patience yourself. And I want to run over to the tray that I brought back and I'm taking the bowl of pistachios. There actually isn't much left. Once you first had your senses back, you consumed the majority of what was on that tray. It's mostly just the pistachios you couldn't open. Hey, fellas.

Yes. I like this. I get used to this. well drinking being drunk or getting sick already above into a pot yeah

well I'm glad that you find yourself feeling swell about your decision and is the idol still in your in your quarters your captain's quarters but now we're gone I gave the cut us back and it just boop.

Presumably went back to wherever I brought it from. But I don't know. I'm just, I mean, I don't have any proof of that. I'm just guessing that, you know, where else would it go? Well, and to think... To think all of that and at no terrible cost that we can see... Is that anyone have a sandwich?

That's actually cool. That's wonderful. How about that? You go for a sandwich right now. See if I want to order some pizza? Mr. Crossroad sure is... Omri! There's no one here. Remember, everyone has turned to stone. Oh, is everyone?

We could make our way to the kitchen and cook for ourselves. I'm sure that the food is still very fresh and flavorful. No, I just wanted to go first because I feel like mine's least important for an importance. Why, no. No, no.

It's very impactful. And besides, Jericho, it's very impactful. Regardless of personal sacrifice or cost, There is no cost too great for what we need to accomplish. Briggs did a wonderful thing. He had the courage to take what was his. Oh. Well, he's got a new gun, that's for sure.

And he's able to taste and able to get a little slashed if you don't, if you've pardoned my French. Worth it. I say enjoy it. Are you all right? You're crying, Briggs. Did you know you there, crying? Oh, no, oh no, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. Are you all right?

I'm fine. Do you want to talk about it? No. Why? I just want some pizza. It's okay. Oh, gosh. Someone else go.

There, there, Briggs. I hope you don't mind if I touch you with my weird gross crowfoot. Oh, wow, that's like fresh. Oh, there, there. I can feel everything. Oh, look, I can, wow, that's a mighty fine, strange sensation. How does that feel? Well, it feels different than having my, feels different than my wooden metal contraptions.

I can still feel, but it's, it's got a little give. It's a little tough, it's a little sharp, but it's got to get a bit of give. Oh gosh. You still have not fully explained exactly what transformed you and what transpired when you used the key. I'm not sure I understand what you've undergone. Oh. Yeah.

Well, I, uh, well, Virgil and I was kind of rehearsing us in a manner speaking. And Virgil's with a crow, oh, let's rest in peace that weird gross crow. Virgin is gone. Wait, what, what, he's gone? Well, uh, that there bird that he was. That's gone. Because it was more of a prison for Virgil and now that Vergo's a little bit more. tethered and hasn't been more power

than he used to. That bird is gone. He's more in his demon form from what I'm ascertaining. Jericho, are you aware of another? Is there a passenger with you still? Oh no, well, he's a passenger of my banja.

In the instrument. Yeah, right here. Virgil is, Virgil's your name of your banjo? No, no, no, no. Virgil and Ives are still part of... cut from the same cloth, so to speak, sharing the same body.

And maybe this is probably the incarnation of Virgil having a little bit of, this is strange. It's weird being able to flex my foot like this. Here, give me a goblet. I'll throw a pewter goblet onto the floor. I'll catch it with my crow foot. Wow. Wow, this is strange.

That's quite the party trick. Jericho, you seem in high spirits, are you feeling good? Yeah, I'm feeling good. Virgil's feeling good. He's, he's, uh, he's been feasting and gorging and resting, uh, but I'm sure he'll be out soon. All right, so what I'm gathering is that you and Virgil are now even more entwined than previously. He has more agency and power perhaps. Are you worried about that? Does that concern you at all? Well, Virgil usually knows what was good and what to do, so I don't mind it. And we got rid of that

their fellow that what was so mean does. And what was, he was all crazy and had a very spooky voice and was, I think maybe from another dimension. I don't know what a dimension is. I think he was from another dimension. I think he almost bought about the apocalypse, something about eclipse, something about fallen angels. I don't know.

It's all very complicated. Virgil knows more than I do. But I think he's still gorgeing and resting. There's a lot of, on account of, he's feasts on them their secrets of his father. what is there trapped in this banjan. You are a strange, strange little man. Where in the banjo does he live? Oh, and the headstock right here.

See, it's an amber. It's got four wings. He's got a little door on it somewhere? I don't know. It's like windows. I think he's trapped in there in the same manner of our dear old antagonist. Kellyn of the crooked teeth

was trapped in that there monolith. It is his spirit. is trapped. It is not like there... It's not like there is a small man. No, Virgil's father's essence, which was actually in both of us, which we didn't know until Virgil was able to eat some of them secrets of the Archbishop and then Billy and Kellyn and Yorgrim and Farin and all of them other folks and was able to get a bit more of his mind back.

You are dealing with some very, very strong magics. Things that I certainly can't even begin to comprehend. Well, the magic of music. That's exactly right, Sir Marius. It's the magic of music, the magic of this. And I'm sure Virgil will come out when he's feeling. Virgil he read it come out? No, you're still resting. Okay. It was a lot. He, oh, you should have heard him. He spoke some language that I never did hear before. And he summoned forth his own father and he banished him. And I helped. Oh, you helped. I helped. That's right. Oh, that's so cool. This is why you seem so different. I helped. There is a confidence to this new Jericho that is very new and welcome. That's right. Rital says that I should be able to stand a little taller.

I concur. And have a little bit of confidence. Jericho, I'm proud of you. Well, Gars, thanks. He said I don't have a spine, but that's no reason not to have a spine. And the key now, it is gone completely or just what is left here? Yeah, I guess it ain't a key no longer. It's the amber.

headstock shaped like four wings of, well, I shouldn't say. Is it clear through the clothes or through, like, is there still like another cage or something along those lines in the chest? I'm just trying to remember how your torso would appear. I think my shirt's probably covering it still a little bit. Maybe you can see a little bit. There's a little bit of darkness in within. I won't pry. I must say I'm eager to speak with Virgil the next time he, wants to make himself known. I think if we do go to the kitchen and enjoy a supper,

and I get a nice big plate of green jello as Velociraptor stalk us, I think Virgil might come out to feast. That's very funny, Derek. That was very good. Chilean Seabass. Sebastian's making chili and seabas. I don't know why you'd have both.

Chili and sea bass, yeah, of course. Well, I am a little hungry. Do we want to walk to the kitchen and perhaps enjoy some food while we continue this discussion? I think that maybe I feel like you all are enjoying some wine and I feel like we should all be able to talk it out

before we move quarters of them. Five might change. And then I will sit. If the scene changes, the energy might change. Then I will sit. I'm certainly in no rush. No, please, allow me. Oh, thank you.

And you. Look at you. Yeah, look at you. Marius, we have both undergone some transformation. I would be very eager to hear what you did with the goblet and how that may have changed you. Transformation. Change? I'm not so sure. I mentioned previously showed me the truth.

Simply, that's it. I didn't drink from it. What? I did not consume any of the liquid therein. Is that while you don't look any less cursed and you did two hours of it? ago. Briggs, previously we had conversations about whether or not these curses were even breakable. What's been shown to me is that mine is not. What I was always afraid of is the truth. I am what I am and that is vampire. Oh. Don't look so glum. Please. We're learning to embrace these things about us.

Wait, is that why you kind of have a bit of a spookier affectation about you? Spookier? No. A little bit more... I'm kind of spooked out. A draculish affectation, perhaps? Jericho, simply, I'd been wearing a mask. No, that'd left because of wearing the mask.

I wasn't being true to myself. I was trying to be someone that I am not. The truth of the matter is, my kingdom is gone my king is dead what why there was no hope that the grail

could provide your the whole kingdom and king like that's basically your whole thing king victor gone how do you know I looked deep within the chalice

and it showed me the truth many of the legends have always said that that is what the artifact does shows you the truth Nobody really knows because no one had ever found it before. As the legends say, I did what I was told and I viewed upon what is left behind an avatrous. Now I know. All this time I pled, I begged, and I worshipped the morning lord, and I received nothing.

No answer, not a hint, nothing. This entire time it was one singular. entity who was watching out for me, giving me the strength that I needed to carry on and help all of you. So, I simply was made aware, and my pledges, my oaths, my allegiance was directed to the right place. Well, uh, I mean, what, what is, what is Mr. Lathander going to think about all that? Won't he be mighty cross? Does it matter? Well, isn't that we are always waking up and, the equivalent of mourning and praying to the tenants and the oaths and the, and doing your stretches and the like?

After 80 years of that and getting nothing in return, would you continue? That's a long time. You're kind of right. When in reality, the sole person who cares about me is the Duchess? It was her all along. Well, I mean, wasn't she to, you know, seductress of what cursed you? Well, I guess I don't really want to talk. Well, isn't she, isn't she bad news? At first I thought so.

Aren't the flags that she bears as red as her skin-tight evening gown? When it's all red, Jericho, they're just flags. I've been elevated. I've been given a gift. Oh. One that I was very eager to turn a blind eye towards. What gosh? What did she look like?

Oh, I'll bet she's fully hard. That's a story for another day. Oh. What's important now is that I have a sense of freedom, a sense of relief that has been lifted off of me that I've been carrying for decades. Decades. The way is clear.

The path has been illuminated. I have been given what I need to slay these witches. And more importantly, help my friends. Well, I mean, if she's on board with helping us kill witches, I mean, that's why we is here, ain't it? Well, that's very thoughtful, but, you know. And that, well, that's a nice thing that she did. Maybe she ain't so bad.

Yeah, and all we- In a moment, you know, you're alone with your lady, and you were still thinking of me. You know, that's very touching, because I was thinking of you too in a moment. Would Mr. Crossroads continue to offer you more power, another gift if he didn't want these witches gone? Would Virgil agree to cooperate

with whatever he has, whatever machinations he might have, and lend you some of his gift if he didn't want his witches gone? No. That's right. Virgil does he wants what's best for me, and so maybe the Duchess also wants what's what's, what's, what is what, what, what, best for you. And Lathica, you may be the boldest of all of us. Why do you say this?

Clearly you had some plan all along, and I'm so eager to hear all about it. Tell me, Marius, have you forsaken your oath? My oath was one of my king. I miss him terribly, but the truth is he is gone. And nothing outside of the Duchess will fix that. So I simply made a new oath. And you feel... I feel very good.

I would be a hypocrite if I condemned embracing darkness in order to to achieve my goals. And so I am pleased that you have shed the things that we're getting in your way. I'll drink to that, Jericho. Gosh. Are you okay? I'm fine.

I'm fine. I'm fine. Well, I don't mean this is a weird way. Nothing. But you look way cooler now. Like, whoa. You? Well, that's very kind of you to say.

Man, what an upgrade. Yeah. Are you okay, Prigsie? Sorry. I'm fine. I'm fine. We're almost out. We're fine.

Brace yourself. Briggs you pace yourself. Pace yourself. I'm fine. I'm fine. I look, I'm fine. You have the rest of your life to enjoy all of the things that food and beverage have to offer. No, you're all speaking in there.

I'm not going to make a sandwich. I'm not going to make your sandwich. I'll pick off whatever's left on the tray, and I'll bring it back. Just the crusts. I too had a eventful night. I was victorious. I triumphed. I was able to do a task I had been endeavoring to do for, well, longer than 80 years.

I was able to destroy the death knell. I was able to banish shahar from ever return. turning. I admit, and I hope that you all forgive me in this. I have been lying. I have been mixing truth with lie that Sharr was the goddess in my heart, the one that I was truly faithful in. It was a deception, a deception that I had to believe thoroughly in order to deceive the goddess Sharr herself. Do you understand? Wait, way, way, way. So you're saying

All that cryptic shit you were saying Yes About Shaw About Shaw was a lie It had been words I had repeated over and over For many decades This was not a small story

I thought we liked Shaw Yeah didn't you want to like ring the bell And bring it back In the Panfianos My true God is Striga Wait what My true God is Trigger Her domain

is death. Like the place? It is the name of the continent, the place, the realm, but it is also the name of my goddess. Whoa. Understand that what I told you about Sharr was a lie.

What I said about her embracing death and that it was all a deception, that it was all good, was just for the chance to get close to this Nell so that I might be able to deliver the killing blow.

Do you understand? So just to get this straight, you deceived a god? Yes. Bravo. It was not on my own, I assure you, but glad to be rid of it now. I feel free, free to enjoy my life and to practice my faith as I have always dreamt, free to show my true feathers. So, wait, so, this whole time, you were killing a god? I don't know you could do that.

It was not me who got Schar in this position. Had I wrung that bell, Schar would have been released and there would have meant nothing any of us could have done to stop her doing whatever it is that she would have done. However, by destroying the Nell, Through the power of the liquid that I have in this... In this flask. This is something I have carried with me for as long as I can remember.

Wow. I poured it into the mouth of that bell. And it is but a smudge on the own net carpet beneath the bed. Oh, that's some strong shit. Can I get... Just a taste? Did you hear what I just said? to an ancient artifact that contained the goddess.

Oh, yeah, it sounds like strong shit. You're not going to taste? No. Oh. It would destroy you. Oh. Or it would take your memory, or it would... I would depend on the ritual.

It is not for drinking. It is not for drinking. I didn't say I was going to drink it, but I just thought, if it was you know, if it was a good shit, you know. Striga in her wisdom has transformed my my outfit, my mask. Much of what I told you about what I believe about death is still true. As I said, I mixed the truth with lies.

But I will not pretend any longer. I am here to do good in this world and to continue to do it, as we have promised regarding the witches in Druskenbalt. To kill a god requires sex. sacrifice. Oh, here we come. I know this to be true. Virgil, I was wondering if you would ever join us again.

Perfect timing. I know what a priestess of Strya looks like. Well done, keeping your deception as long as you did. I must offer you my thanks for not revealing the secret, just as I was about to reach my aim. reach my aim. Of course not. That was not my secret to reveal. Just to consume. And if I asked you what your aim is, would you be honest with us? We do care for Jericho very much. Anything that I say is still coming from the mouth of a demon. Can you trust a demon? This is getting interesting.

Are you enjoying the wine? I'm waiting to savour it. I have not. Truly tasted it in so long. Is it like a creepy birdhead right now at the stocking? Or is it... Okay, I'll just check. Wait, so, you say you killed a god too?

It just knocked down a few rungs. I thought everything was very impressive until these two... The god kill us. You want to go far a god to kill? Let's kill a few. fucking god. Are any gods around here? It was not me. I simply

set the board. Which is that little shit the fan. Grin. My! Some might consider that blastry. Fuck him in his tenets. Stupid beaver.

Oh no. We're not flowing out of all of the tenants. We're demonstrating them right now. Always be positive. We're looking at, on the bright side of things. No pun intended. All right, go on, fancy pence. I would just say that we should not be quick to cast down.

Marius. Good intentions. All the good intentions in the world will build the road that leads directly to hell. It is inevitable. For all your talk, boy, there was no other outcome. for all your prayers. No outcome. But with strigger on our side,

there is hope. There is power, ancient power. And now we wield ancient power. But I do not know if you are ready to see my true form. Wait what? This is likely more palatable for your eyes. But you've a true form?

It's not Jerry? I mean, you are a bird. And... But sometimes you talk like this? Close to true. Jericho is here. He is not imprisoned. Oh, just show us. We can take it.

I want to see. I want to see that God kill his true fool. I like the sound of ancient power. Am I alone, just me? Only me? It is some of the oldest power known to me. It was just a fragment, an echo. Not anything more.

But this will do. It will serve. And the more that I feast and gorge, the more secrets I consume, the more I will be able to harness its power. And grow my own. And bring an end to the plight of Druskenroth. If we are aligned, then...

Why not? I think we are aligned. Unless... I, as a worshiper of Striga, must strike down the creature of the night. I must... I pull up my chakrum. I must...

Turn the undead! And I throw it against the, like, couch, it comes in clatters. Actually, I think I'll have more wine. Well, you had me worried that for a moment. I can think, I can laugh, I can taste. What... Can you tell us about what happened when that key was turned?

Jericho gave us his version, but I would hear yours. The Oberith demon that created me left a fragment before he was destroyed, cast out from reality. It lingered because he created me in my mind, in my soul, in my anima. The demon that I am. Ram Raoum is whole but it was influenced by my father. Move that essence, that echo, that corruption and cast it into this. Are you...

Virgil, I mean, Jericho helped. He was invaluable, the courage he had to trust. It was the only way that that could have happened. Are you concerned about what might happen if the piece of amber break? Is that possible? Is that a thing that can even happen? I have plans to deal with that as that happens. But let's hope in it or not. I will keep my flask as closed tight as I can.

But I can see so much now, and I can think. Finally think. Your friend McDuff was useful. You didn't harm her, did you? I did not. Oh, she's not eaten. No, I simply... just books,

Trinket's knowledge. She mentioned this. The ritual that you used to banish Kellyn from that tree by the heart of the woods. I used that knowledge, the power of the land. I took the incantation,

translated it into abyssal, modified it from my own hands. That is how I was able to sever the tie of that echo. I'm not so certain that we can trust him yet, but I'd be lying if I said he wasn't growing on me. You talk nice. You do not have to trust me. We should not trust any one of us.

You do not have a choice. If I wish to leave this place and I do. If I wish to be freed from this prison and I do, we must all work together to achieve our own independent aims. We wish to leave Druskenbald? Don't we all? No. Where do you wish to go?

This place has felt almost like a home to me since I have arrived. It is a domain of death. And I wish to understand its mysteries for as long as I know life. I'd like to get to fuck out of here. I too still wish to leave. I have things I have to do. I'm sure your goddess awaits you on the continent that she formed. They're all talking crazy.

Gods and colonnets. What's our god can be a place? Larry, did you know that my god is the local gazpachos? Down on 42nd Street? I wish I knew what any of that meant. Praise be there unlimited breadsticks. I hear that... There are...

combination pletters or something else. Ever could they pass to that. Fucking locks it on. About that sandwich, let's go eat. Virgil, would you care from a meal? I am still weakened from the battle. Must rest.

Jericho could use a meal. Are you prepared to see my true form? So when this emerges, you are not long. and draw your arms. Before you do. Is there anything we need to know to help or protect Jericho?

Nothing that you haven't already done. Then proceed. I suppose. Oh gosh, well how about that? I'm back. As a shadow emerges from all up around my neck from inside the cage, the shirt kind of bellows, and there's a bit of a...

As all around me, this dark, shadowy shape emerges, and it's this undulating mass of, that looks like feathers as it takes shape, and it's constantly moving and undulating as a head forms with an elongated beak that looks strangely avian but off with a jagged beak, and two eyes emerge, glowing with this orange fiendish magic with cross pupils. four-pointed star pupils, as four wings emerge back and across the entire body are dozens, hundreds of orange eyes, all with those same pupils as they are all just staring in all directions. Ah! Ah! Ah! Oh, my God! Be-sa, please, let's see, it's all right! It's all right! Oh, my God! Breathe! Relax! Relax! This is why I did this now. It all slups back into me.

Oh, gosh, hey. Oh, God, I'm going to be sick. Are you all right, Cherico? Are you aware of what just happened? Yeah, I was there the whole time. Well, all right. I'm feeling a little peckish. And you know that we are going to go get the sandwich?

Well, I was going to get a plate of yellow, but... Jelitin, not Brandon. Wow. That was spooky. I have to be honest, I'm not sure what to make of any of this. If you feel all right, Jericho, then I feel all right as well. We have all experienced a kind of death, haven't we? From a certain point of view. Well, a life.

I lives, guys. And then, and then when you made the deal now at night, you're kind of dead. So you lived and then died again. I live didn't let die. You live didn't let. Ooh, that's a good... Oh, that's pretty good.

I'm gonna start working on a song. You know, you should. Ding, ding, ding, ding. I just want to remind you all, you know, Marius got all sexy, and Lefika got all sexy, and is apparently a god killer, and Jerry's got, you know,

the whole sexy voice thing going on. Don't you all forget? We could never. That's very impressive. It's a very big gun. It's a very big. Look at how big it is. Yeah, it's a pretty big one.

It's cool looking, don't you think? It's got a little crossbones. I'm calling the crossbones. With K's yet again. Be careful, if you close a door as you're passing through, you might get that caught. Just as the door closes, that might be something to watch out for. Oh.

Back. Back. Buh. B. Can you practice more finger? I got it. I got it, motherfucker. What do you think?

Beth? Just keep your finger off the trigger as you're doing this. Just practice more safety here. And it shoots off. Oh, fuck, I forgot. It's not like a magic. It's a magic gun.

Take that, which is, in due time. In due time. In due time. 13 of you. I do not know how we proceed, but I have faith. I believe each of us will do what we need to do in the time that comes, and I am glad that I can call you each strong allies.

Time will tell. I should go eat. Yes. I could use a nice tray of gelatin, perhaps dyed green. Sounds quite nice. We go to the kitchen. I feel in the kitchen. We look for the kitchen.

Yeah, we would go try to find food. Oh, we accidentally found the food. fault. You leave the room and begin to make your way through the hallways and you are met again with that strange eerie silence that has befallen this place since everything was turned to stone. The kitchens are not a place that you've been to. You've been to the dining room, but you have been nothing but guests here. And so it does take you a while. You make your way towards the dining room. Throughout the chateau, you are meeting servants in stasis clearly moving throughout this place during the

festivities of the of the masquerade and frozen in the exact moment that sister effigy cast her curse across the entirety of this place and it is strange to see so many of these servants some that you met some that you had never seen before realizing just what an orchestration this was as you make your way through the corridor after corridor, eventually finding your way to the dining room, and then through the servants' hallway, and eventually making your way past the large pantry, or you're able to find the pantry that's filled with dry goods. You find a meat locker that is still strangely cold. You find a smoker room where there are meats that have been smoking for far too long now, dried and becoming shriveled.

There was no one there to take them out when they were ready. You do eventually make your way to the kitchens where the coals in the stove have completely dwindled down to nothing, no longer being tended to, as you see at least 15 members of staff here frozen in stone, holding trays in the midst of cooking. You see a head chef who you had never met directly next to the oven itself. His chef hat completely turned to stone a ladle in hand as he was clearly pulling it up to test the soup as this happened. And all of it is here for you to use. Nothing that wasn't being held at the time still seems to be functioning in its state. It just requires a little bit of work. But you were able to find essentially everything that you'd need to make a meal should you choose to. I assemble and bake a pizza.

Sure? A pizza? How is a pizza? I made it rectangular. It's neat. Did you use some work at disbacho? No, there are no gazpacho in Sriga, as far as I have traveled.

Oh, I'll figure they were everywhere. I believe they're on different continents. I have heard of them, though. I would have you roll a perception check for me, a group perception, please. Oh, group perception, A? Uh-oh. And Lethaca, because you made a pizza,

I will have you roll in advantage. Oh, that's great. I got a 19. No, yeah, all of you roll. It's a group one, but Lethika rolls at advantage because she made a pizza. And the funny thing that's, that's, it actually makes sense.

18. 17, perfect. 16. You. We did well, everyone, nice job. You got very up close. to the oven, which is the closest thing in the space to a fireplace. And you, moving over to it, you had passed Hars.

You have one in your room. And all of them had burned down to nothing, completely gone out without the servants there to tend them. And as you make your way to the oven, this is a bit strange. You notice that there is a small bit of huge. heat coming off of the oven. The coals are completely burned down, but there's a heat to it. It's almost as if shortly before you'd entered the room, there was something burning in here.

But you reach down and you feel the coals, and they're cold. They haven't been warm for a while. I will pick up a poker or any instrument that's nearby that I could shift the coals around to dual purpose, keeping an eye out to see what might have been burned, if anything, and also to stoke it and start to warm it for the coming pizza bake. You stoke the colds and you can see that they're completely died out. There's no heat that remains in them.

The fire on this had to have died out quite a while ago. You can see nothing that would indicate where, heat would have come from. It definitely wasn't from a fire burning in this thing. There would still be remnants of warmth. You'd still be able to see the soft orange glow of the burning within the pieces of coal themselves, but they've turned their, they crumble into ash and dust, and you feel the stone around the fireplace, and it's not even warm. It's cold to the touch. If something you've been burning in here, the brick on the outside would at least have retained some of that heat. It's the air in the middle of it, as if something inside had been warm.

And as you feel it, as you sense it, you feel it begin to cool even more until eventually that heat is completely gone as if it had never been there at all. Before I cook the pizza, I have to ask, can someone feel a warmth in, in, in, in, in, in, this space as though there was a fire. I feel like there may have been, it just felt very warm to me for a moment. Get someone pee in the pool. It's warm over here.

Oh, me, me, me, me, me. Oh, this is so new to me now. It's nothing but chill, chill air. You feel a draft coming from the stack, and the cold night air rushes in, and you feel no warmth. Oh, this is my skeleton hand. Oh, no, it's still cold.

Perhaps someone was here? Is there any chance that there's someone still lurking around this mansion, even though everyone else has been turned to stone? There is a chance the witches are still here. We haven't explored the whole mansion. Someone was fixing for a snack? Got a little hungry? Impossible. They colds. They aren't cold. I just got a sensation of warmth somehow. It's past.

I'm going to start the fire. I'm going to, as I do, I'm not stoking the fire. I'm actually just dredging and raking through the ashes to see if there's any artifacts or objects or cloth or indication that there's anything in there. Roll investigation check. Two. Everything looks exactly as you would expect. And as you begin to tend to this, preparing to light the fire and get everything ready for cooking, the task of doing all of that completely pushes that warmth out of your mind. It must have just maybe there was a warm breeze coming up off of the moors that pushed itself down through the smokestack. but whatever it was, it's clearly nothing to worry about as you continue to make the fire.

As I finish making the fire and I feel that it is at the heat that it needs to arrive at, I'll push the pizza in and sort of absent-mindedly, like lift my mask off my face just for a moment just to clear off my face from an odd sensation, let's say. And I will... It won't take very long.

Everything's going to be... Quite delicious. I used all the best ingredients. Oh, I can't wait. The smell of garlic salts your nose, Briggs. You haven't smelled garlic in ages. So good. But the scent of it is just so perfectly pungent. As eventually, Lephyca slides the pizza, the drusque-in-valed pizza, the night pizza,

into the oven, and it begins to cook. The temperature was perfect. to get, you were able to get this pizza in the oven and out within 15 minutes. I'm gonna have so many slices. Melty cheese, bubbling tomato sauce. I feel a man for pizza. No fucking joke.

I need a whole pizza. I also made this meredera sauce. So last week, I had a fucking pinini because of you ass hats. And this week, I'm gonna have to have a pizza because I'm ready to take a coffee break, I don't order a pizza. You guys want to order our Mama Lucia's real quick? 1007. Yeah, right?

There's no way the moment, right? No. Anyway. We're gonna go there. Let's kick the door down. Let's break in. I'm gonna have a piece back. That's so good.

We're getting way off topic. I mean, that's where I got my panini, so it'd make sense I would get my pizza from Wawa too. Well, uh, here's the full pizza. Well, you make that, uh, that slices ah. I'm gonna make my classic favorite that I'd like to make. It's a big old pot of ham and beans and some cornbread. the fire is ready.

Oh. I will make, if they have, to yourself make a pot of ham and beans. They have everything. They have everything you could possibly think. They have everything? I'm having a Ruth beer float. Oh, God, do you have a big sasperilla?

Oh, jeez. There's a barrel of sasperilla. Hell yeah. Oh, fucking sweet ham ring pop to you. Use the skeleton hand. Oh, you're right. It comes over. Yeah, it just spins.

You have to, like, I like rub it your fists, like, yeah. This is the worst curse. All of this is wonderful. Thank you for preparing some sustenance for us. But I have to say, Lethika, I was a bit disappointed to hear that you're looking to stay here in Druskenwald.

I, more do you forgot? You said you were going to take me to Galtiga. You almost immediately hear a voice in your head. Oh, tiskt is tis, meridus. You know who you belong to. Trying to make a date in front of me. What a shame. You pay for that boy.

And you look around. No one else seems to hear anything. But you begin, you smell the scent of roses, and you look to the weapon that you hold at your side. And you see that the thorny vines are moving around the blade. and they are moving up towards your hand almost predatorily before they slink back towards the blade. I may have made a grievous mistake.

What do you mean, Marius? I thought you liked black olive. Ah, yes. Is it done? Can we eat? I'm grabbing big slides. See? All the cheese slides off and lands in your lap,

and you just have a hanging piece of pizza crust with tomatoes. sauce on it. And it's incredibly hot. It burns you. Lazzania pizza makes lasagna pizza. You make lasagna pizza? Your taste buds must be off. Why would I make lasagna pizza? I think canonically is the identical to the goof crew pizza. Obviously. Real ones know what I'm talking about. That's right. That's right. There's like just just. Oh, well, there's also the pizza and goofy movie. Oh, that's what I meant. The goofy movie. Yes, the goofy movie. pizza. That's the shit. No, I don't do that. It's all the time.

It's the leaning tower of cheese. Oh, it's burned in my tongue, fellas. You have forgotten how to eat. He's burning me tongue. Briggs, you must take your time. It's amazing. Thank you. Well, see, here, I mean, see, if I wasn't a scarecrow, I still got this hand so I can

still chop a carrot with this. See, I don't need no knives. I don't need no nice kills. That's very effective. And now is a slap chop. Yeah. Marius, to your point, I do not know if we can go back to the mortal plane. If we go back, then I would happily take you to Galtica. I can show you Strega as well.

But as I said, there is something that draws me here. Until I know what that is, I feel right at home. I'm confident we can return. I've seen it. I've seen it in the water. You saw it in your vision in the cup? Yes, that's correct. Interesting. Were we all there?

No. No, you were not. Where were we? I don't know. All I know is that I must return. There are things that I have to do, things that I have to fix. That is understandable. You will have much more to worry about, I think, if you have embraced your full self at this. The point is, if I can return, why not all of us?

Of course, unless you choose to stay. But there's no reason I would be able to go, and you all wouldn't. I have faith that we're going to succeed, and we're going to do it very well. Oh, no, yeah, we're going to kill all the witches. Everything's going to be fine. If all of the witches were dead and a train

were suddenly to emerge out of mist, I would ask if I could buy two tickets and then get on that train. I miss that frog. Yes, I wonder what he is doing and where he is right now. Yeah, I wonder what he's up to. I wonder, Mr. the vagrant, help us out. Oh. Come on with your train and take us out of here.

We want to go home, maybe. We have pizza. If only it's with that convenient. Can you hear us? He's got two tickets to drive us. Skynvold. Why don't you? What wrongs the Traskinvold?

Not much. To be fair. Oh, I'll leave the ball. I'll leave to sing to Jerry. Oh, I've been working on that song we were talking about, uh, Briggs. Uh, when you were old and your mind was a closed jar. You used to say, live and light, live. Oh, it doesn't really work.

I'll workshop it after some ham and beans and cornbread. Okay, I'm taking the cornbread out. Why are you narrating what you're doing? Oh, see, and I don't mean, I can use my hand and just, you can cut this. Now slice gold bread. Oh, God. I'm already full from pizza, but corn bread. I suppose I'm cool.

Hand and beans on. Why not? Everyone negative. Nothing makes you feel, feel more restored. other than ham and beans. We are all in a terrific mood, I think, because of our... I can actually like use my filthy sackhole. Like a genuine mouth. This is wonderful.

It's like I'm learning from Virgil. I can be like a genuine human. I know I ain't ever gonna be a human. I'm more machine than human. I'm less human than human. I'm more demon than human. than human. I think he might be broken. Gosh, is there anything better than a big old bowl of hand and beans with a slice or two of cornbread? Oh, don't forget the butter. Yes, I bothered mine

first. It was quite good. You make a mean cornbread Jericho. Isn't it kind of weird? It's just weird when Jerry's not miserable and depressing. You know what I mean? You're usually such a sad sack. You should be happy for a good friend. I'm not just as different. Oh, I don't know. The man has been tortured for Who knows how long? And he's found a moment of reprieve. We all have. Only because we were lucky.

Had the witches decided to do anything with our statues, destroy us, disintegrate us, there would have been nothing we could have done. By the grace of Stryga, we survived, returned, and our artifacts have breathed new life into us. Yeah, I feel real good. I feel like I've got a new lease on life. Well, what all these new crow appendages? What I'm hoping it means is that they didn't know they're all, you know, friends on the other side. We're gonna help us out, break us free. So maybe we can use that to our advantage.

They thought that they had all the time in the world to do their dark machinations and won't they be surprised? I can't tell you what it feels like to have pretended for your whole life and to be rescued by the one you are about to be stabbed in the back. Do you feel like a little sour about that? Does that feel like bad? How do you mean? I mean, I don't know if like someone's like, oh hey, I'm going to save you in my last moment. And then you're like, oh, thanks a lot. Thanks a lot.

Now you're dead. Like this is gone, Bha. It looks psych. It is no different than the many blessings that Sharr put upon me and those that I led to her. You remember.

I made churches, made gatherings, made followers of Sharr in order to achieve the position of priestess that I enjoyed. But She was evil, a twisted view of death. She believed in despair and torment and oblivion. Oh, what a bummer.

It was hypocritical for her. And I wonder if she had hope even at the end. Ironically, well, we'll never know. Well, we're following a proselytitized and you left out all the nasty stuff. I tried not to proselytize too much. Well, I'm sorry. We're all of the cryptic shit you were saying.

Well, it had to be cryptic, didn't it? Oh, yeah, she was playing pretend. But I could have gone on about tenants, couldn't I? You certainly could have. Oh. Well, it's a little odd. Now that we're all saying, well, for so long, we was like, oh, hooray, Lathan, or hooray Shaw,

and now we're like, Fuck Lathander, fuck Char. Well... If you pardoned my goblin. Fuck Char. I do not know if it is fuck Lathander. Those are very dangerous territories to tread on.

Like I said, some might find that blast for me. Do you... Have you considered if he were to shine his light on you again? If you were to hear him, if you were to see the morning, what you would face? I believe that the morning lord left me

the moment I became this. From that moment on, it was no lathander. It was the Duchess. It was all just false hopes. Wasn't real. After all this time, you think he's just going to show up again. Not like this.

No. I do not know, and I remember you can, confessing that you had not heard from him, that you could not feel him, and so you must trust your instincts. I was merely asking. No, the question is fair. Of course.

The Duchess showed me what I needed to see. I know that she has the power to do what I need, to give me the power that I need, and that is all that matters. Well, that's awful sad. You was a devout worshipper of the morning, Lord, and as soon as that bad thing happened to you, he turned his back on you leaving in nighttime.

And how, what else are you gonna do when you're left in the darkness? That ain't right. My thoughts exactly. Yeah, that dude sucks. If I've been granted eternal life, why would I waste another single moment praying to someone who isn't listening?

That's right, and didn't you see the future where we all make it back to a ventrace and we're all living wonderful lives? As you're succeeding, to clarify, I saw that I make it back. But that's not to say that you all won't. I mean... Well, I'll make it back together. I've been given this power.

I'm certainly not going to let anything happen to any of you. When you saw yourself getting back, did you return to your kingdom? Did you... Is that why you know what has happened there? I did. I did. And when I thought that there may be... hope in the morning Lord.

The truth is, the hope lies with the Duchess. Did you feel that this was a, how do you mean, say, a projection of the future, divination like a delicacy? I'm not sure. It was different in a way, but be assuring and promising. I think it's a possibility. I am glad that you,

have graduated from the shame that you felt all these long decades. Yeah, none of us would feel shameful about anything, what's happened to us, or the nature of our construction, or being made by three beautiful but morally questionable hags. I need you all to roll perception check for me, please. The other pizza! This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com. Legends of Avantress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks including a monthly movie night and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas

Shroud over 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 tome for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition and don't forget to snag all the extra goodies like dice miniatures plushies a tarot deck and more. Thank you. I got a Natural two. Oh, boy. I got a natural three. Natural fucking 20 plus four. Oh, let's go.

A 24. I got an eight. I'm busy adding more butter to my core bread. I've got the butter. You are still kind of drunk, Briggsie. Oh. And that is unfortunate. Except it's helpful in this moment,

because what it means is that you're distracted. And they've been saying a lot of serious deep shit. And you just want to eat your pizza. And so as you pull the cheese off of your lap from yet another slice where all of the cheese slid off and landed there, you... Stupid Lefander. Focusing on stupid Lefander and I wonder how hot the Duchess really is. I hope I never have to see Jericho looking like that again. And will Leitha ever take off her mask or it just masks her thing?

And it's in these thoughts that you hear down the hallway a voice softly calling out. You can't tell what it's saying. But that was definitely a voice. You pause for a minute and you listen again. And between the words of your friends, you are able to hear a voice. Wait, wait, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, shh, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch. What? Do you hear that?

What? What, Bricksey. What? What? Listen. Sounds like. We're trying to listen. I'm trying to listen.

We listen. We listen. You hear nothing but silence. Briggs, you've had a lot of voice. You've had a considerable amount of wine. You've had a considerable amount of wine. No, I just ate four pizzas. I'm fine. Are you sure you fine?

I could have sworn I heard something. I forgot to take the cardboard round on the bottom of the pizza. Before baking... I thought I was a second pizza. While we're arguing over whether or not Briggsie is fine, I will scoop up my wine cup and quickly walk over to the entrance of this room, just like open the door and stick my head out of the room.

door and stick my head out into the hallway. Roll perception check at advantage. So, I'm not, but you're telling me this whole time, it wasn't delivery, it's Dejono? I got a 19 with advantage. On the reason. You hear Briggs'y exclaiming about the Dejorno. Please be quiet.

But you are able to hear what sounds like from down the hall all the way at the opposite end of the hall in one of the rooms. You see about four doors. down that side. And you're not sure what's in those rooms, but very clearly there is a voice coming from one of them.

Briggs is right. I can hear it. Say, I'm not crazy. Lead the way, Marius. Come on. And I will set down my cup and help steady Bricksey as we rush into the hallway

and go towards where we're hearing the voice. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. You laugh, me. And bottom of me. Stop. Stop it.

And I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just let me go. I walk in a perfectly straight line. I'm touching my owl nose like this. You rush out of the kitchen. Make your way down the servants hallway and eventually find yourself at the very end.

The wall sconces, you begin to realize the light in the chateau itself is just overall dimming. As the candles are burning down to near. nothing with none of the servants there to change them out. And you, for all intents and purposes, this place is running on fumes. As you make your way towards the end of the hall, you listen and you hear absolutely nothing. You make your way into the first room and you look around. And this seems to be a large room that houses the China for this place, just shelves after shelves of of cutlery and plates and goblets and anything that could possibly. You see that the tea services are housed here.

There doesn't seem to be anyone here. You see a couple of servants frozen plates as they were getting plates down off of one of the shelves. But aside from that, there's nothing strange. You make your way into the next room. And it's a very similar situation. This is a large linen closet where the tablecloths are housed. as well as you see curtains and things of that nature all here and freshly pressed. You see a couple of servants turned to stone who were in the middle of getting new napkins, cloth napkins from one of the drawers.

You make your way into the next room. This is a much larger room. Even more servants turned to stone in here. This is a large washing room where dishes and laundry is cleaned for this place. There's nothing of note in here as you make your way to the final room, the one at the very end, and this appears to be some sort of lounge room for the servants. You see a couple of them turned to stone on the beautiful couches. You realize that Philip and Adela spare no expense, even for the people that work here.

This room mirrors the entertaining room that you all share. But this one, Lethaca, you immediately feel that same heat that you remember feeling in the kitchens. And the difference from this room is the others is the hearth up against the wall. There are no embers burning, but as you move through the room, you feel it gets warmer and warmer and warmer as you get closer and closer to the hearth. You place your hands next to the bricks and they're cold, cold as can be. You take the poker and similarly poke through the ash and none of the coals are illuminated. There's no fire that has been burning in here for quite some time. And yet all of you can feel that there at least was up until recently some form of heat.

And as you look around, you check the floors to see if there are, anything seems to be out of place. You see that part of the fringe on the rug has been turned up. Is it possible that someone walked through here? You listen, but you hear no footsteps in the hallways. Who was here? Who was calling out? It's hard to tell. Outside of these small tells, there's nothing else

that they seem to have left behind. I heard it. I swear I heard it. You were right. There was a voice. And just now, that same sensation I had at the oven, a sense of warmth. You feel nothing, as though the heart

Hartford's, we're blaring. No, I feel it too. Something is wrong. I was distracted on my to-go ham and beans. I hate to say it. I think I know what it is. We're being haunted by a spooky ghost. Prince, we're dealt with like a million ghosts here.

Why are you so feared? We saw a literal army of ghosts. We are in a land of death. That's like more likely than not, there's a spooky ghost. No, but I mean, this time I'll be haunted by one, you know what I mean? That feels totally different. Do you feel particularly haunted?

Well, in these stories, sometimes when you feel warmth or cold somewhere, where they really shouldn't be, or you hear like a weird thing off of in the distance, that kind of sounds vaguely like a word if you really, like, ears squint not enough. Ears squintz. It's been like 95% of the ghost. 95% of our time here. Gosh, what's an ear splint? I never had ears.

Ear squint. Skient. Was an ear squint? When you listen, when you listen, you're like, ah, you know, when your ear kind of does this. It's a great name for a band. Oh, that's pretty cool. Are you sure that you don't feel that? No, no, no. Wait. I'm gonna investigate this.

What if there's, what if they're trying to peel for the, uh, the treasure trove of Sir, of Lord Philip? That would certainly be bad because we can't even find it ourselves. Maybe Virgil knows. Virgil, where's are you snooping around? Oh gosh, are you resting? I will try to see if Virgil knows where the vault is. Roll intelligence check at advantage.

Okay. Oh, baby. Oh, baby intelligence. 17. You reach out to Virgil, and with the transformation that you've undergone, your ability to communicate with him and ask for assistance from him has been greatly improved. And though you have no memory, it seems that Virgil does. Come on, I got some hand and beans. Pretty good, Virgil.

I mean, those are pretty good, Jared. Yes, I know. I know where they are. You know where the vaults are. Yes, I know where the relics are. And do you know who is here? No, I do not. Do we have to do anything with the fireplace? Firelight.

The fireplace appears to be cold, but when I came into the room, there was a sensation of warmth. Do you like relight it? I mean, well, you felt that warmth at the door. Oh. If there is possibility that the witches came back, pilfer the treasury of Philip Ruskinball, then we shouldn't make our way. I was not able to enter it on my own when I was in my small, helpless, weak form. But to 13 powerful witches, I am not so sure that the defenses will be able to hold up.

If you know the way, then let us go. Follow me. I will lead the way. He's our dixie. It's the ham. There's something to the beans. It's just amazing. I'm so hungry.

I'm finishing my room beer float. You make your way back out into the hallway, and you begin the track through Chateau-Clear-de-Loon. And it is a long track. It was not easy to get here the first time, But now with the candles, some, I would say at this point, at least half of the candles that were illuminating the chateau have completely gone out, the wax burning to, the wick burning to the very end. This place feels far more ominous in the darkness. Virgil was ever watching, and it seems easy for him to begin to lead to.

you through the corridors of this place. And you eventually get to a place that you do remember. It was the archway that led down deep within the bowels of the chateau itself. Here, it is almost completely dark. Almost. Except for that faint glow of pink up ahead. magenta, light.

This wasn't here. As you move further in, you begin to see splashes of paint lining the stone walls of this place. Oh, no. Little droplets at first, before eventually you see what appear to be arrows drawn on the wall, the words, ha ha, little faces. We've seen this before.

No. He's Antig. Did they get in? They were here. I do not know how. know how long they've been gone. You look, you walk up to some of the paint. The way that it glows is supernatural.

There's no light shining on this. There's no reflective pigment. It is, whatever this paint is made of is you can feel the throm of magic coming from it. It glows all on its own. And it is completely dry. You imagine it has been, hours, several hours

since this was painted. They may have been here after petrifying the entire ball. They must have come here for a reason and they must have done what they did in order to get to the valuable

still had untold treasures here. Yes, he did. Let us survey the extent of the damage. Oh, no. We'll try to proceed in however we can. You think they're still in there? Be ready for anything. You continue down the corridor,

eventually coming to the place with the circular staircase that leads even deeper down. All the while, the paintings on the walls get more extravagant. They get bigger, they get larger, and they become closer together, as if the further Antic got into this place, the more fun she was having sending you little messages. You see little pictures of your characters of yourself interacting with each other.

There is even a very macabre drawing of Marius sucking Alethica's blood until she's nothing but a shriveled husk. And yet again, those singular words, ha-ha, after it and a little smiley face. delighting in your pain. There is a drawing that she's done of Briggsie where all of his flesh is completely rotted away and his bones have fallen apart, and he's nothing more than a pile of rotting mush.

Another of Jericho being completely consumed and devoured by a horrible demon, avian demon that watches overhead. next to it the word lonely and with a question mark behind it all of these you watch you you even see some of Philip and Adela it is you see one of the Iron Maiden where she's completely turned to rust no longer able to move no longer able to sing all of these you see as she clearly had the most fun making her way down to this place and eventually you spill out onto the balcony that would lead you to the room

filled with all of these treasures. The door itself has been completely blown off of its hinges. You can see almost as if a bomb had gone off, but where there would be ash from an explosion, there's nothing but splattered paint all over the outside of this door. And though everything up to this point had been dark, this room glows with almost an eerie neon light. And you make your way in and you see that every single artifact that had been in this place is completely gone. You look towards the alcoves where you had seen your artifacts, where you know that

Yorghum and Farron's artifacts had been, but there's nothing on those pedestals. You look towards the wall where you had seen that strange hallows. with those weird mechanical contraptions and that lantern and all of those are gone. Every item, the thousands upon thousands of items that had been in here are gone. The only thing that you see is the very center of this room. A neon spotlight placed directly on it, there is a pedestal with a busk of Philip Druskinwold. A clown nose attached to the nose of the bust, that bright paint painted over his face. and at the very base of it,

what looks to be a mechanical big red button, there are huge painted arrows that have been painted onto the floor pointing directly at the button and in front of it painted in a very lazy script, the words push me. It's all gone! We are every single one of these,

the secrets in this room that they have piled and destroyed. Fing Yogi was looking. for... Virgil, what do you make of this? Briggsie, use your hand to press the button. What? Use your hand to press the button, we must find out what happens.

Everyone back up. Hork and do these. Hock and do these. Yes, of course. Do not hesitate. I'm brave. I'm a fan of this bold, Virgil. We have much to do, boy.

He's right, you can do it. Come on, you've much to do. Gispachos is the one to ring us to all. places. Get into his face. Loaching round a world of entrants wide. I'll slowly approach the button. And I look at it, do I see like it's going to,

like, can I press it or is it like a fake button? It is exactly what you would expect. It is a small square metal base with a big red circular button. Back up your mage hand! Yes, your mage hand. All over a very serious button. Back. back. I'm gonna like...

I'm moving everyone back. More and more. More and more. Their mage hands are working and raising family. I just like, look at the Olet's who is he doing. And Galter Kings are rediscovered. They're redefining what's really important in their lives. Okay, he's had a psychotic brick. Everyone takes several steps

back. Because Bacchos is the place where we have choices. That's what I'm saying, Gavica. I don't know this song. How does everyone know this song? It's everywhere. Let him cook. Let me. and finally clicks in my head what Virgil's saying, oh, like this!

And I'll pull my skeleton hand off, and it'll be floating in the air. Oh, alright. When if it blows up, you owe me a new hand and I'll take a few steps back and hit the button. You take a few steps back and slowly, the button itself, or the hand descends down before it depresses the button. Immediately, the spotlight that had been on this,

on this bust of Philip Druskenwald, begins to spin around and move around, this bright magenta light swirling all around this place before another one illuminates this one in a beautiful purple and then a yellow and then a green and then a blue before all of these colors begins spinning around the room. You hear, as this strange circus music begins to billow out of the statue itself.

And then you hear, Hey, kittens, it's your new bestie Antic. Sorry to get your stoned and run, but places to be and things to blow up, you know. And all that just wanted to leave you this little message from me and the sisters. I know old Phil had such a treasure trove down here. Thanks so much for showing us the way, kittens.

So many of the trinkets are going to be a great use to us. Antic's got some new toys for a toy room, you know. It's all thanks to you. Love your bunches. And then silence as one light after one light, after one light goes out. And you were left in nothing but darkness. That's it. Did they assume that we would break free from our rocky state?

I guess they just needed time. Perhaps it was just a backup plan, just in case anyone was not captured. Well, we'll kill them and take the... Take the artifacts back, the secrets that they hold, or just kill them all. I realize. Consume them. I know I've said it a few times, but I really like this guy. He has grown on me as well.

He seems smart, which is kind of what we're missing in our party makeup from a certain point of view. I think what he's trying to say is that you can teach us all. You can teach us all so much, and I think we're all eager to learn. Then allow me to continue to feast, to gorge, to rest, to gain power. I do cannot maintain this control for long periods of time. I must. Outer out of our goes. Well, look at all these nice panes.

Oh, God. Damn. That's handsome. That's a handsome moniker. That's a handsome visage of you. See, look at you. You're like a dry bones. What I'm really important?

with us over here. You know, she drew Mary and that arm there. His old armor of his is really fucking hard to draw. Look at that. It's pretty impressive. I am impressed by the rendering, I agree. If only she had just waited, a little longer. Wait. Without Virgil, we're missing leadership. Someone to tell us what to do. Kick us in the gear. Well, and lead the way. I think Virgil just needs a little bit of time to rest. I mean, if you had seen what was happening in my room. I can't believe y'all didn't hear. He was pretty intense. We summoned a demon. There was shrieking. There was feathers.

There was crows. There was demon. Demotic chanting. And I think he just needs a little bit of time to rest. I think he just needs a little bit of time to get his strength back. I got to eat more ham and beans to feed Virgil. He's a smart one, though.

Do we really think that the witches anticipated thus returning, that they are expecting us? if the element of surprise is lost and they are expecting us then this is a great shame I think it's far more likely

that they were just prepared just in case I don't necessarily think that they're expecting us that's what Virgil said okay and presumably if you Jericho are able to hear things

that are happening out here while you're in the back seat so to speak perhaps Virgil can listen in while we're all talking now he can pick his moments carefully. He can come forward when it matters. Tell him if you can to save his strength.

Yeah, I think he can hear everything. But Virgil, did you get all that? Oh, yeah, oh, he's tuckered out. He's a tuckered out little pro, ain't that? That's sweet. That's nice. And as far as the leader shares, we know where we have to go. We know what's next. Yeah, right, but I just noticed my sense.

Why? What? I would say you remember that. Almost immediately after leaving the ballroom before your transformations, you attempted to find this place, potentially leading them directly to the vault. Or at least putting it on their radar that it existed. I'm choosing to ignore that. We did not make any mistakes.

There's no way. It couldn't be. Edge of midnight, we've never made a single mistake in this entire campaign. No, no. No. That's true. We've never fucked anything up, but we've never made this thing worse. That's for sure. Oh yeah, also a bag is dead. Oh, no.

I forgot the mention. Oh. Wait, is that in canon you just said now? No, I don't know. Well, good. Good. You've been freed. You're right, the horrible curse.

That disgusting horrible mom's abomination. Did it all them kids? That's right. I know that I said it before, and maybe I... I don't know. If you didn't believe me, I was sincere. I felt awful. That I gave you that.

I remember you saying something to that effect, and it was fine. It was a companion that I... Aw. Uh... I will miss in some ways. But to your point, Jericho, it was not a good being. How did he die? I sacrificed it to power the magic that I needed to destroy Shar.

You committed a ritual sacrifice by murdering the abomination in the bag? I called him Lurker. I thought that sounded pretty cool. That's very cool. The lurker in the bag? You could have done that at any time. I could have, but I did not have the death now. Another surprise.

I'll just figure you kept him around for weird reasons. He was pretty handy. That was very nice. Well, I say there's no use crying over a spilled cornbone on account of there being a hole in the cornbone bag, on account of mice getting into the barn again. That old tongue cat was never good at catching any mice. And now there's cornbone all over the floor.

We shouldn't cry about it. Cornbone on the floor is a fact of life. Please stop saying corn porn. I said it was. It was a corned post. Stop saying quite possibly. Aeneidly. Lathiga, this might be a strange question,

but... Medius. What happened to the contents of the bag? I lost a few trinkets. A healing potion. Nothing more important than that. Oh, good. Well, I'm glad you...

I'm glad that F.E.N. of the day bag could do a little bit of good it is for him probably in the green yes the more violently that awful creature died the better I know not where striga took him but given her domain oh well that guy is fucked we need a plan Virgil has said we need a plan we need to find a way to get to Astromar and I think we need to check the stables See if we can find a horse. See how witch dog are we'll do it.

Witch jump! Oh, then he goes. Then he goes. Oh, he's gone. Let's follow. Okay, let's go, let's go. You make your way to the... I run as fast as stumbling, you know.

You stumble and run and make your way outside over the moors. Fall going up the stars. You hit every suit of armor. I'm fine. Through the gardens, back past, back out toward, or out. out towards the back and you eventually come upon the stables. These stables are incredibly large.

These are not the stables that you saw in Cyril. These are enormous. There you see there is a carriage house that there is an entire building for the stable hand quarters and that the stables themselves, they don't just house horses, but there are creatures of all kinds that were here, that were stabled here as well as Phillips' carriage and his spectral horses, and every single one of them has been turned to stone.

It takes a while moving through these stables until you eventually find the section of the stables that was used to house the mounts that you rode over from the Cricket House with. And there is in the smallest stable of all the stables, little witch stomper. He had been eating a healthy portion of hay when the spell hit.

He looks happy. If horses could smile, there'd be a smile on his face. And as you look at him, you see that he's a little more muscular. He looks a little chubbier. He has been eating well and he's growing. But he has been turned to stone. You see your bulk has been going. Well done, oats and squats.

Oats and squats. Oats and Scotson, Outson, Outson, Outs and Scots. We'll fix this. Who fix this, Whipsterling. Oh, no. But you, it becomes very clear to you as you look around and you see, you see what's in front of you,

that if your plan had been to ride to, not only do you not know where Ahtramar is, but if your plan had been to mount up and travel there via land in this way, that there is no chance of that. Garsh. We will have to proceed on foot, it appears. Yes, it appears as well with my diminished state.

I've lost connection with Dawn. Your horse, it is not in the stable? Don was a magic horse, right? That's correct. from a certain point of view. Magic horse. Witch Dumpur was a magic horse. He is a magic horse.

He's right there. He ain't going no place. You're right. Shadow Frank was a strong horse. Oh, Shadow Frank is dead. Well, no, we left all the other. Unfortunately, Shadow Frank is dead. They're all in Fulson's. Let me bring a few of them.

Only, which time. Yeah, it was only witch dog. Because you were in the carriage. But we were in the carriage. But we would see like the horses all turn a stone and then one of them dead also turned to stone. The lake are just straight up. A pile of stone blood.

Like a spider. And from Shadow Frank and Chester. Oh, Chester and Shadow Frank. There's fine. The horse. I'm eating a whole bushel apples right now. Back at the farm and fosomes. Well, I'm optimistic.

I feel good. We should gather supplies. If we can, I would love it if we could find a map. in order to make our way and navigate through these forests. You vaguely remember, now that you think back, that there had been a mounted above the fireplace in your common room.

There had been a map of Dreskenwald. It was a beautiful painted piece, painted on silk. It was far brighter than you know Dreskenwald to be. And at first, you just thought it was an art piece. But now that you think back to it, you realize it might serve, at least to give you a general direction of where Astromel is in relation to the Crescent Court.

I will pull it free from the frame. Oh, you're in the stables right now. No, I will eventually go there. I will eventually go there. This is gigantic. And I will start to roll it up, but I'll look at it and go, Ganderhal must be an old map. And then I'll...

That's very funny. That's funny. No, actually all of a sudden we see reality terror. Oh, oh God! It's a screen white coming out of it. No, God, no! Then we scream white back and we're in the common room. Oh, man.

I was going to waste an entire spell slot to summon Dawn and say, See you losers and Astromar. But then I realized I don't have that spell anymore because we de-leveled. Oh, that's right. Oh, yes, that's right. They really tapped us, didn't they? We're level three now. That's right.

I am back to Cobweb style. Well, could Virgil just fly us all there? No, no, you see, Virgil's aren't just taxis. there are proud people and also the NASGOLD sees coming a mile away now the court is very funny

we lost Richie he's gone he's gone I'm mourning my horse come out without me I'll get you up later we'll make our way let's talk up on supplies and then we can

find you take the map and try to find the, we'll backpack all our way, we'll knapsack our way to, we'll rucksack our way to Ashtramar. You make your way back towards the kitchens and the pantry area, and it doesn't take you that long. You summon up the illuminated pumpkins at this point, all of the lights in Chateau-Claire-de-Loon have completely burned down to the end of the wick. And you are stumbling through this place, occasionally bumping into statues of servants.

But you make your way back to the servants, the kitchen area. And if you find the pantry and the smoked house, and you take all the things that you imagine that you can carry and will serve you well on what will be potentially a long journey, It takes you about an hour or so to collect all the things you feel like you desperately need. You make a mental note of things that you might decide to bring with you if you were to leave in the morning. And you make your way back up towards the room. And as you round the corner, you see the illumination from under the door.

You look around. This entire place is completely... quiet. All of the lights have gone out. The fire that was in your hearth had gone out well before your transformations happened. And yet, the glow that is spilling out from beneath the doorway is very clearly that of a flickering fire roaring in the hearth. I will race forward and open the door to see if the mansion is in danger. Is there a fire or is it just the burning of a hearth? Are you rushing for and opening the door? I am. I'm right behind Lousie. You rush forward, you open the door, and everything is quiet.

There is a fire burning in the hearth. But as you look at it more closely, you realize that the coals are completely dead. The ash is black. The fire does not extend down. There's no wood to burn it. It all burned away. And yet, the fire is still there flickering. You feel.

that same exact warmth you'd felt in the other rooms. As the fire turns from orange to blue to purple. And as you stare into it, you begin to see, is this a face? A familiar face. One you all recognize as Lady Narcissa Vaz. Hello, can anybody hear me? Is there anybody there? Please.

Oh, for the love of the good. I'm not sister. Oh, my God, you're there. We're here. We made it. Oh, you're there. Oh, thank God. You're the spooky ghost that's been haunting us.

No, she's communicating the fireplace. I've been calling for you for hours. How did you die? She's not dead. I'm not dead, you idiot. Absolute buffoon. Stop drinking. I can smell it on your breath all the way from us.

How did you escape? We all escaped on account of dark, dark souls, entities. What are in our souls? Do you have a dark entity? what owes your soul too? Are you completely oblivious? Is you not look for my statue?

We did not find your statue. But you do not look for where it had been? We assumed that you had escaped or that you had been taken. Of course I had escaped. I was turned to stone of a brief moment, but I don't ever leave my house without my protectionary amulet, and it only took a moment for the amulet to activate and to bring me to my senses, and then I, quite frankly, got the hell out of there, if you will pardon my... French. It's French a thing

an avatrous? My goblin. After the dressing, correct? It's goblin dressing now. How do we know that you're not behind this? That's right. Well, I guess, frankly, you don't, aside from the fact that I did ask you and warn you about

why can I know, sister effigy. We were ambushed. Honestly, the hallmark of what she's been. doing, I told you that the monsters beneath Astromar was stirring, that she was infecting our laylines. I was lucky enough to get out when I was, and I prayed and hoped, though not a religious woman, that you would be able to free yourself from her curse.

We were lucky. Philip Nadella, how are they? I know he's a buffoon, but... They have both been turned. Everyone, everyone here in the mansion, including the horses in the stable, have been made into stone. That furthers my thought that he's a buffoon, I was the only one of all of the lords and ladies of the Crescent Court to come prepared into a gathering. It's absolutely ridiculous. Regardless, our plan was to come to you either way, to figure out what happened to you when we noticed you were missing. Well, we shouldn't speak all much here.

You never know who's listening. There is one important detail that you must know. Philip's vault, all of the treasure that he had, is empty. Effigy has all of the items in his vault. We may, we think it may have been antic. It's unlikely that if one has them, that they will keep them all to themselves. I'm sure they're spreading them around Druskin Vault,

providing each of the witches with the items that will help them the most. to fulfill their end goals, which means regardless of how many she has, that effigy at least will be provided with something that will help her. That would explain, since I arrived home, the laylines have been acting more erratic. It's disturbing. I can provide you a teleportation circle to Astromar, but I cannot guarantee that you will arrive to my chambers. I will do my best. If you can get us as close as you can, that's all we need. I can at least get you too, Ashtamah. That's all we need. Well. Please, we don't even know what it is.

Yeah, we weren't going to ask you how to go. Virgil can't fly us, and then also all the horses are stone, and so we were just going to rucksack it. But if you can bring us there, that would be mighty kind of you. And this map is old. Well, I... I can do a small amount. I will provide you with a teleportation room.

I will activate it on the floor in front of you. And when you are ready, do not rush. it will be active for the next two and a half hours. It's the most I can do. But when you're ready, you will all step inside of it and focus on the word, the name, Asthma. If you're not need to know what it looks like, what it smells like, just think of Asthma.

Think of me. And the ruin will get you to where you need to go. Do you all have to hold hands? No, you don't have to touch each other. You can if you wish, it's not necessary. No, I'll just... Thank you, I'll... Thank you. I know that what is happening now is...

It is a worst-case scenario, but I... What I can say is that the spell that Evergeet cast seems to only be affecting the Crescent Court. Astromar does not seem to be affected by it, and thus I do believe that the other provinces of Druskenwald are also not to turn to stone, so it is not Druskenwald wide,

which is at least a pleasant turn of events, but it means everything to me that you are here, that you are coming to help. And we will talk more upon your arrival. Yes, we will. I have many, many things to update you on and to tell you about, but it is not safe to speak via this means. I know that there may be people listening,

but if it is any comfort, as plain as you can see my face, the armies of the barrows are still there. That is wonderful. I am glad to hear. Understone, I have no doubt. Indeed. Yes. Well, at least Philip has done something right. Yes, I'm coming. I'm sorry. I... Still, I have... Why don't they do anything? I have very, very important matters to deal with.

I will provide you the teleportation circle. Please come as quickly as you can, and you see the fires begin to shift. The magic is clearly fading, and with a quick burst of light, you watch as a almost like a projection, of teleportation, runes, and magic appears in the middle of the common space for you. They are almost, it's as if the flames have licked out of the fire and burned into the wood and the carpet of the floor before illuminating with that same purple and blue magic. And just as quickly as she appeared, Narcissa Vos disappears from the fireplace. The soft tendril of smoke is there for but a moment before there's nothing left. but that soft, gentle heat that you remember feeling

in those two other rooms that you'd experienced in Shato-Charlow. This must have been the heat that I was feeling that I described when we made our way into the kitchen and elsewhere, it was Narcitha. Trying to find us. Well. Well, that's nice of her. It's nice to be sought after, I suppose.

If this is a trap, regardless, we were going anyway. We know where we have to go and we know what we need to do. So. Yeah. If we're being deceived, then at the very least, hopefully we end up in Astromar. We only have two and a half hours before we have to progress. I got everything that I need. I just... It might be a long while before we see this place again.

It's comfortable and... Comfortable and so comfy. Yes. It was. I am going to make a bag. not a bag, but I'm going to back. Me too. Couldn't hurt. Yeah, I suppose, unless it's stealing, I'd like to take that mighty fine bluebird outfit I got.

That was the nicest thing I ever did wear. I plan to keep my dress and these silk pajamas. They are very comfy. Very comfortable. Well, let's reconvene in, I don't know, 20 minutes? Done. Done. Okay. This place is awfully comfortable. Mighty comfy.

I'll go pack everything that I can, all the supplies that we had gathered. Yeah, I would just make sure I didn't leave anything in my room, you know, anything of importance. You have more than enough time to collect everything that you imagine you would need and would be important to you. Thinking back on Philip and Adela, you, they have been nothing but gracious hosts. And you imagine, even if something wasn't technically yours, should you choose? to take it, they would neither miss it nor begrudge you it. And so you feel confident in taking all of the things that you need. And though you had said you were going to take half an hour, it takes about an hour for you to

finish getting everything you need and even changing into an outfit that you imagine is more appropriate for potential travel, not knowing exactly where you will wind up in Ashtamar. So not the PJs? Not the PJs. They're in your satchel, but not on your person. Okay. All, join everyone. Isn't the ruin still there?

Can we get back? Okay. Yep, it's still glowing and pulsing with that beautiful. It's mostly a blue arcane light, but occasionally you'll see arcs of purple that shoot out from it. I will go, I'll be going through my things, and I will get to the bottom of my bag, and I pull out an old coat,

and hat that I haven't worn for a long time and I look up on the hangers in my room that has my large, oversized red captain's coat and ridiculously large

captain's hat and I look at it and silently I'll put on my old jacket and my old much smaller, more reasonable hat when I was a young crocodile pirate and I will head for the door and I'll look back at it and I'll leave it hanging up in the room. I'll close the door. I'll finish packing and before I

turn back to the group I will say a prayer and it's the first time in as long as I can remember that I can pray to the goddess that I truly believe in. For the first time I'm not saying a false prayer, but praying that we can make the best of our lives and guide ourselves to the goals that we achieve want to achieve, that we can rely on each other, that we can overcome the obstacles in front of us, and make the best time that we can of what time we have. Finishing putting my things together, I'll join everyone in the common room. Before I would have come back out, I would have, I guess, taken the new fresh clothes that had been made, and I will have my old ratty stitched together outfit that I've been wearing for years and years and years. I think I would take all of that and kind of look at it and say, you're right, Virgil.

I should be more dignified than looking like just a gross old scarecrow in a random pumpkin patch, or a cabbage patch, or a carrot patch anyways. Well, there's the garbage, and I'll throw it in, and I'll stop for a moment and I'll kind of pluck a few strings. You really think we can do it, Virgil? I know we can. Do you trust me? Well, you've been right so far. then keep listening to everything I say and follow my instructions very closely.

I always do, Virgin. I always do. And then I'll close the door behind me as I join my friends. With that, you all find yourselves in the common room. All of your tasks completed, completely packed, ready to go, as best you can and you all step into the arcane room. Yeah. You step into the arcane room. You are silent as you... Briggsie, please stop trying to touch my hand. I know we do not need to hold hands, but I think Briggs's idea is a good one.

So we don't get lost. We must think of Astromar, but wherever we end up, I would rather it be together. All right. Whoever wants my crow hand, I'll be from my... You're not going through my... Skeleton hand. That's fine. And you all hold hands and begin to think of Astromar. You say the name over and over and over in your mind. That's mar. You think of the way Lady Narcissa boss looked and smelled and acted.

And you feel a tug behind your belly button as you're ripped out of time and space and flown through the world of Druscan Ball before crashing and landing into soft ground. You're all standing high on a precipice overlooking a mountainous region covered in sloping highlands and rolling hills amidst the spires that rise up towards the hagmoon above you. You see brightly colored foliage dotting this landscape and even the grass itself is twinges of blue, purple, and green as you feel the arcane magic humming in the air all around you. Across this new province, you see floating islands of earth, suspended presumably by the magic that thrives throughout this land. And as you observe, you notice settlements with beautifully ornate architecture, favoring tall and thin towers and grand domes gazing at the stars above. You realize now that you're standing atop a stone platform with a permanent runic circle carved within. The etchings glowing with azure light, you see streaks in the ground running from this ruin deeper into the province, occasionally popping with arcing arcane magic, each one more chaotic and violent than the last.

As your gaze follows the laylines that thread throughout this strange new world, you realize that you have no idea what lurks deep beneath the earth and is enveloped in this unbound magic. No matter the threats ahead, you are here to do what you set out to do when you first arrived in Dreskenwald, to kill a witch. And that is where we will end the session. Yes. We got to get it.

We're going to get up for Nikki. It's an amazing season that would have been like. Fun season. So fun. Holy shit. to kill. What a fun season of Edge and Midnight. Did I leave the oven on?

The smash cut back to the burning chateau. Oh, I'm alive. It's me on Rio. They stole my clothes. I bet it was that snake bitch. He stole my Gino. The trainer.

What's that snake bitch? I was saving that for the new season of Bridges. Thank you so much for listening to the Legends of Avengers podcast. We hope you enjoyed the session. If you want even more campaigns to listen to, become a member of our Patreon at the Pearl Dolphin Tier or higher to unlock Shroud of her Salt Marsh,

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